Author's Note: I have been trying to write the fourth chapter for this and every time I start, my computer fucking crashes so I'm hoping that, by posting something, my computer will stop being a DOUCHE BAG and work.

So I was reading a variety of Iemitsu-bashing fics by SkyGem and a few other people and came across one that was Tsuyoshi/Nana while listening to Ashley Tisdale's How Do You Love Someone and thought—what the hell? I might as well give it a shot.

Pairings: Nana/Tsuyoshi, mainly, but I haven't decided who I want to pair Tsuna with yet so there won't be any definitive pairings. Just implied stuff here and there that's open to your interpretation. Whether you choose to take the dirty route or keep it gen is strictly up to you.

(Side note: Chapters 1, 2 and 3 were written a long time ago. After going through and editing some mistakes, I posted this. Tell me what you think.)

Momma never told me how to love.
Daddy never told me how to feel.
Momma never told me how to touch.
Daddy never showed me how to heal.
Momma never set a good example.
Daddy never held momma's hand.
Momma found everything hard to handle.
Daddy never stood up like a man.

Nana didn't know how it started—no wait… yes she did. It started after Reborn took Tsuna and his friends on a trip to Italy. It was a small trip that was intended for relaxing after they had come back from wherever it was they went. Reborn had discussed it with her late one night, saying that Tsuna needed time to gather himself again, that getting lost took a psychological toll on him. She had agreed but not because she believed his tale of them getting lost in the forest.

It was because she had seen the look in his eye when he thought no one was looking. It was almost as if he was… scared. Scared of losing something he'd just barely obtained—scared of loosening his grip on that same something as though someone was going to take it from him… and she knew what that something was.

She knew that it was his family, his friends.

Nana had been on her way home from shopping when she bumped into Tsuyoshi. He was buying a whetstone for his knives at a shop nearby. They had sat down for coffee and talked about how quiet their houses were without their sons around and separated with an agreement to meet up later and exchanged phone numbers.

She hadn't intended to call him but her traitorous hands had picked up the phone anyways.

And without realizing it, Tsuyoshi's calming company had been what kept her going for that painful week of agonizing silence.

When Tsunayoshi returned, he was lighter on his feet and he certainly looked happier. She had noticed that he took great care in handling—because that was the only thing she knew to call it—his group of mismatched friends and had dropped the habit of referring to them by their last names… even the ever-antisocial Hibari allowed him to call him by his first name (she had her suspicions about his relationship with her Tsu-kun… and it wasn't because she knows she's interrupted Tsu-kun while they were in the middle of that). Even Reborn, who was usually so Spartan in his ways, had lightened up around Tsuna by calling him by just his nickname and not Useless or No-Good in the beginning. Sure, there were still times when he used it but it seemed more like an endearment anymore.

It made her wonder what happened between the seven of them… not that she'd ever work up the nerve to ask.

And so they fell back into their usual pattern. Tsuna would go to school and go to either Hayato's apartment, that Sasagawa boy's house or come home to do a study group before they would all depart for the night. There were some occasions when Tsuna would stay home because of some sort of injury but when he did, his room would be flocked with his mismatched group of friends and he would recover quicker. His smiles would always become more vibrant when all seven—eight, she corrected. She couldn't forget Reborn—of them were around.

But even though she had her son back, she couldn't help but feel that something was missing in her life… so, after the lengthy process of enrolling Lambo, Fuuta and Ipin in school, Nana had called Tsuyoshi—much to the man's pleasant surprise—and asked to meet up for coffee.

That was when it began.

Tsuyoshi had closed up the shop and invited her in. They had quickly got to talking about young Takeshi and Tsuna.

Tsuyoshi seemed especially interested in Tsuna—not in a bad way.

"I have to admit. I never thought I'd see a real smile on my boy's face again." Tsuyoshi admitted. "Ever since Shira died, he's been plastering those fake smiles on. It worried me… that is, until he met your Tsunayoshi."

"It's the same with my Tsu-kun." Nana admitted. "He always puts up a brave front, holding the world at a distance. It's as though he's afraid to trust anyone. I'm glad Reborn-kun introduced them all. Odd as they may be, they're all connected."

They had only been talking. Nothing was supposed to have happened between them—they were only friends, after all. But they had both had a glass of rice wine and… well, Nana never could hold her liquor well. Somehow, in an alcoholic daze, she had wound up sleeping in his arms with nothing but a sheet separating their bare skin… and she couldn't bring herself to be guilty.

It had only been a matter of timing after that. Bianchi and Reborn would disappear for set times during the day and Nana would use that time to meet up with Tsuyoshi before ducking into a store and buying some cheap, meaningless object as a cover-story for the days she ran a little late. School days were easiest. Weekends and vacations were a little tricky but they managed.

And before they knew it, six months had passed… and they had fallen madly in love with one another.

Tsuzukeru.

Thanks for reading~!