A/N: this is late upload in FFN i uploaded this last 2022 in AO3. Enjoooy this chapter 3

Twelve

The bird was chirping, the sky was bright this morning. Nothing could ruin this morning even if Reborn had caused chaos so very early. To be honest, it was Reborn's reaction that gave him a strong boost of happiness, as if he could take on the whole world. It was making him happy, and very giddy. He wanted to see more of Reborn's expression, he wanted to see him smile, he wanted Reborn to look at him, praise and compliment him for doing a good job. He wanted Reborn to react even if he was a disaster in the kitchen. He just wanted Reborn to be with him and with Reborn knowing who he really was, something definitely had lifted off his shoulder and it was making him happy, sappy, and so in love he didn't think he could fall for Reborn even more, but he did.

Spending time and talking with Reborn was happiness itself.

It was so sappy and yet so true. One universal truth he had known and had deeply embedded into his heart, into his soul even more so upon his… passing.

The dark clouds that had encompassed his heart, that had swallowed and drowned him, that had ultimately driven him into killing his enemies, had dwindled and evaporated as Reborn looked at him with understanding of what he did. Tsuna was really lucky to have met Reborn in his life. Reborn who would whack him in the head, who would scold him for making a mistake, Reborn who would give them wacky sort of tests just so he could watch him and his friends fumble with sadistic glee, Reborn who would stay with him when he would wake up feeling in haze and gloomy, and Reborn who would device some sudden trip with his friends in an act to cheer him up. Sometimes, Reborn even let him skip school for a few hours when it was so bad he would wake up and latch onto him.

Tsuna couldn't help but think that some upper beings had intertwined their lives together like all those romantic and soulmate stuff that Kyoko, Haru, even Bianchi had been talking about.

It sounded romantic to his ears, it sang truer to his core. He couldn't find fault in it. It sounded so good to be true yet that was what he had wanted to believe in. Reborn was his soulmate, one he couldn't live without and his Family knew about it. They had planned for months and had given the ultimate present that he badly wanted, a chance to be with Reborn again.

He was beyond grateful to them, he owed them a lot and yet he couldn't help but think of Reborn when he was with them. It was rude of him to merely listen to Takeshi and Hayato as they argued, to contribute less to the conversation. But Tsuna couldn't help it, couldn't help thinking of Reborn, couldn't help but want to be Reborn even in his baby-fied form.

Tsuna was really head over heels for Reborn. He had it so bad that it was obvious that Takeshi, God bless his sweet friend, had gotten curious and asked him. And that was the situation he found himself in, a 14-year-old teenager with memories of his adulthood almost slamming his face on a post if Hayato and Takeshi hadn't pulled him sideways.

"Wha-What did you ask, Takeshi?" he asked, mouth agape as he stopped walking to look at his black-haired friend, wondering if he had misheard all because he was busy mooning over Reborn.

Takeshi chuckled awkwardly, Hayato's eyes going wide by the side and turning into a glare as he shook his head back and forth. A clear indication not to say anything, yet Takeshi's eyes got that sharp glint and Tsuna could already feel his heart slowing down.

"Say, Tsuna, what is going on with you and Reborn?"

Cue Tsuna's heart beating rapidly, it was like he had accidentally hit the gas instead of the break. Tsuna had not misheard at all. He clenched his sweaty fist on the hem of his blazer, and felt the hotness growing in his cheeks.

"W-What do you mean? There's nothing going on between us."

He could feel the disbelief in the air, so thick and palpable that Hayato stopped furiously shaking his head at Takeshi and both shared a long look that Tsuna had to look away from them.

This was embarrassing, no, it was mortifying!

Tsuna didn't know he was so obvious about his feelings. He was a Mafia Boss, he learned from the best and yet was he that obvious? Or was he growing comfortable that he stopped putting up a mask? His thumping heart relocated next to his ears, and he just felt his ears steaming with the sheer embarrassment he could feel tingling in his body. In an attempt to dismiss the conversation that Takeshi had bulldozed with all the carefulness of a neon-colored flamingo strutting in broad daylight, Tsuna took multiple steps forward but he only successfully made two when a sudden realization caught up with him–If Takeshi and Hayato had noticed… could it mean that–and he ended up turning up to them and shrieking.

"Do you think Reborn noticed my feelings for him?!"

Silence reigned and it was broken by the sound of dogs barking in the neighborhood at the sudden noise Tsuna let out. The brunet looked at his friend's astonished face, waiting for their answer, and then his mind caught up with him. Of what he had blurted out, a confirmation to their question, that he let go of his handheld bag to start flailing in sheer awkwardness.

He couldn't help but mumble unintellectual words to dissuade them. However, he couldn't find any right excuse to cover that up, so he buried his blushing face in his hands even as he peered at his friend's facial expression.

Hayato started mumbling by Takeshi's side and there was something fervent in his gaze, it was a look that didn't bode well for Tsuna. Meanwhile, Takeshi's cheeks coloured as he finally got the answer before whispering, "So that was the reason." He nodded to himself.

Takeshi looked at him and said, even as he looped an arm on Tsuna's shoulder to pull him near and another arm grabbed Hayato. "We will help you in confessing, Tsuna!" Takeshi declared, then he turned to Hayato with a grin. "Right, Gokudera?"

At that statement, Tsuna's hand fell to his side and gaped at them for a good while.

Hayato grabbed Takeshi, using force to unloop the steel hold Takeshi had on them. "Hah? Let me go, Baseball Idiot! I'm way more ahead of you!" Takeshi laughed and didn't budge, and when it became apparent, Hayato turned at Tsuna with a puppy look on his face before boldly declaring.

"Don't worry, Tsuna-sama, I already have multiple plans and I'm sure if you follow them, Reborn-san will definitely say yes." Hayato raised a thumbs up and Tsuna continued looking at them, mind empty, just trying to process what they had spoken. Before bursting into heartfelt tears. Even now and then, Hayato and Takeshi have always supported him.

Takeshi and Hayato shared another look, then Hayato said, "Don't worry about my sister, Tsuna-sama, I'm sure she will get over Reborn-san."

To which, Tsuna didn't even think of the repercussions of confessing, of the hearts he would break. It was all about planning how to confess, when was the perfect time, worrying if he was moving fast or if he was disregarding unsaid boundaries that might cause Reborn into disliking him, and eventually chickening when Reborn would look at him. It was just like Hayato to cover up what Tsuna had forgotten and for Hayato to choose him over his sister.

With tears in his eyes, Tsuna softly chuckled and answered with a smile. "Thank you, Hayato, Takeshi."

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