A/N: This chapter is in Reborn's perspective. I have Tsuna's version somewhere but I posted this against better judgment too. Anyways I'm sleepy so I didn't notice any mistake when I was editing this and thank you for all the reviews! Now I'm going to sleep zzz

Six

"Ciaossu!"

Reborn greeted after he shot the wall leading to Dame-Tsuna's room. He had a smile on his face as he held the gun on both his small chubby hands. Even before the dust dispersed he already saw the crouched, cowering position of his student that his eyes glinted with sadistic amusement. Dame-Tsuna would always be Dame-Tsuna even if his student had grown a backbone.

The raven haired hitman arranged his weapon, a customized shot gun that could fit even with his pudgy small hands, and he stuffed it inside the briefcase with skills that bespoke of familiarity. All the while letting his student try and fail to get his bearing at his sudden dramatic entrance.

After it was done, he stashed the weapon into one of his secret hidden compartment in Tsuna's room. He doubted Tsuna even knew the exact location of it, so no harm done on leaving his weapon unattended and it already had locking mechanism that only he knew. His partner Leon on the other hand crawled on his neck to his forearm before Reborn raised his hand, letting the creature perched on his fedora.

Reborn noticed that his student had been standing in stupor, still and silence like a statue. He inwardly add another list on his growing to-do activities of Tsuna's regimen because a Mafia Boss didn't lose their composure so easily like Tsuna did. However, it was buried next when Tsuna redirected his gaze to him. His beady eyes cataloguing what he was seeing but there was no denying he was seeing orange tinted caramel brown eyes.

Sky flames.

Tsunayoshi's eyes were flickering with inner Sky flames. Not only that, Tsuna's eyes were wide with many emotions but the look of longing on his student eyes was undeniably there and it made him stare suspiciously. It oddly made the tips of his finger twitch.

He watched as Tsuna tries to speak once only to close it shut. There was no flailing of arms nor scream of denial, only the silence remained. He observed and upon closer inspection the different emotions flitting on those almost glowing eyes were all directed to him.

Why?

It made him perplexed. It made him want to question the brunet but Reborn waited for words, seeing the brunet was about to speak for second time but it seemed like Tsuna's throat had clamped down when the other tried to open his mouth to break the silence.

Then a flash of hope appeared on the brunet's eyes and the caramel-brown eyes turned into bright glowing orange eyes that he couldn't help but tense in anticipation. For Tsuna's eyes to glow with Sky Flames like that without even entering Hyper Dying Will Mode was breathtaking. It made him imagine all the endless possibility, the endless potential. And to think he was the one who raised this young man to be a great, powerful person. Reborn could only marvel how proud he was of his student. Despite the different imperfections he would, definitely, beat out of Dame-Tsuna with time.

Still, it didn't change the fact that as he observed, he could only conclude that something must had happened during the hitman's week-long absence for Tsuna to change.

Tsuna's weak limb reached forward unconsciously as if to grasp something, his whole hand shook with emotion before he let it fall on the floor. There was a certain resignation, hurt and longing at that action that Reborn picked up with ease as Tsunayoshi's shoulder sagged and his eyes dimmed.

Reborn took a step forward as a test and he inwardly frowned when Tsuna tensed. Not the usual tensing on knowing Reborn was planning something for the sake of chaos. It was as if Tsuna was afraid of the danger he, himself would cause when the World Greatest Hitman near him.

"Oy, Dame-Tsuna!" Reborn said in his squeaky childish tone. The other blinked up at him, body un-tensing and falling in a forced relaxed manner. The hitman was not blind to not see that it was an action of a person trying to look oblivious, hoping that the people around him wouldn't point the act out.

The hitman didn't shy away from this type of confrontation. But Reborn would go along because Tsuna was his student and not due to those eyes that were staring at him with sorrow, relief, self-restraint and longing.

It didn't mean that he wouldn't show his displeasure because he would.

He made it known by kicking the brunet on the chin, letting Tsuna sail upward in the air before flopping on the floor in a mess of limb and a groan. The brunet rubbed his pained chin. However, instead of Tsuna glaring at him with accusing eyes, the brunet didn't. Tsuna continued looking at him with that longing expression but now there was a small smile playing on the brunet's lips as if this was expected and welcomed it even. Reborn eyed his student in suspicious, cataloguing away on why Tsuna wanted this reaction. As far as the hitman knew, the Tsuna he knew before he left was one who didn't like being manhandled.

The silence were shattered when Tsuna finally spoke.

"Re…born." The brunet said softly. It was like he only mouthed the word on how low his voice was. It was like a croak of a pained man after he finally had his balm. Reborn hopped on his student's knees, staring directly above the brunet, wanting to know the result of his closer presence to the other.

The result was instantenous, Tsuna's eyes shone with emotion. His eyes looked like it would cry from only saying his name.

(Not that his targets could utter his name but when they knew it was him pointing the gun on their heart, they could only cry out his name in fear, hatred and even beg before they were gone. A mere finished mission among hundreds.)

"Reborn…" Tsuna's lips were pulled in a small smile, this time brittle like a glass as if it would shatter the next but it still lit up like a glowing candle on the dark. Like a lit candle that would sputter and die out when the wind knocked it over.

Tsuna's doe-like and wet eyes squinted as it peered, not down but on him, seeing all of him in entirety. The gaze wanted to trap him, to not let his attention stray onto others. But Reborn even if he was perturbed still saw the tense shoulder and the quivering arms; saw the obvious weakness the other was showing.

Reborn could definitely think that Tsuna was on the brink of something, most likely an emotional breakdown, due to relief and something else. He could identify what the something else but he'd rather not draw conclusion so early on, not when it didn't fit of what he knew of Tsuna for two years.

There was sniffle.

It was definitely an emotional breakdown yet Tsuna didn't bawl and cry. He remained staring at him, shoulder shaking and hands balled in a fist. Reborn didn't say anything but his stance oozes of approval, Tsuna was learning to control his composure. Though it vexed him on not knowing the real reason why yet.

"Welcome back."

Then his student flashed him a beaming toothy smile, eyes crinkled in a way to hide the tears that must had been shed before those words were uttered.

The words definitely took him aback but Reborn didn't let it faze him. He had two options, either to cause bodily harm at the other or go along with this current situation like he did earlier. If this was his usual day with Dame-Tsuna he would definitely choose the former but seeing those tearful and almost vulnerable expression on his student. Reborn wasn't that cruel to not return that warm gesture. He wasn't cruel to kick an already kicked puppy because it was Tsuna. Reborn can play nice if he wanted to and he will, for now, then plan to extract information later.

"I'm back."

Tsuna practically beamed with teary orange eyes when he responded along with a downward tilt of his fedora and definitely looked at him as if he was the world.

…What happened during the week I was gone for Tsuna to look at me with... love on his eyes?

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A/N: Kindly leave a review on your way out