Tsuna's so thirsty he could die. Almost does when he swallows, sandpaper scraping down his dry throat, a pang of pain spreading across his neck from the use of his muscles.
His body's made of lead, and if he manages so much as twitching his limbs, let alone moving them, he doesn't feel it. A tinge of fear distantly courses through him at his state, coiling his stomach, a fog of discomfort more than pain clouding his head.
Only then Tsuna manages to peel his eyes open.
Jeez, how long was he asleep for?
It takes him a concerning amount of time to make out the ceiling above his head. It's his, the one in his room, lit by the bright light shining through the window like it's well along the afternoon.
Why didn't Mom wake him up for school? Or is it the weekend? But even during the weekend, she doesn't let him sleep in too much lest he wastes the breakfast she cooked.
Tsuna takes in his room to maybe find hints of what's going on.
A stranger sits on his desk chair next to his bed.
Tsuna blinks at him. The stranger keeps staring back.
He's a man looking in his twenties, wearing what looks like a really expensive black suit, like he's some kind of rich businessman or something.
"Oh," he says with a deadpan voice. A ray of light shines right across his face, but his eyes are still the blackest he's ever seen. He refuses to blink them. "You're awake, it worked. Who could have guessed?"
Tsuna blinks again at the sudden, unprovoked sarcasm. A little smug too, his sarcasm, like he's the one who could and did guess it and... no one thought he was right, he guesses?
Tsuna's stomach coils tighter. What did he wake up from? He can't remember.
"Mom?" is all he manages to say with his dry throat.
"She's out buying groceries."
Okay. Believable enough. "Who...?"
The man narrows his eyes ever so slightly and stares again so long, Tsuna squirms in his bed.
Tsuna widens his eyes and looks down at his body. He shifts again, slowly and purposefully, watching his arms and legs move along his will. Feeling them move too along his will.
The coil in his stomach relaxes some. Thank God. He feels like he was hit by a car.
"Here." When he catches the man's eye again, he's holding a glass of water. He holds his head up and the glass for him, and Tsuna drinks like a man who was stranded in a desert. "What's the last thing you remember?"
Tsuna frowns, trying to clear up the fog in his head. "Pain?"
The man snorts. "You don't say. That's what you get for jumping in front of a car." Oh. If Tsuna's body was up for it, his jaw would have dropped to the floor. He was hit by a car. What the hell? "Well, to be more precise, it seems you were running away from some of your classmates and didn't notice the car coming straight at you. You're not liked much around here, are you?" He smirks. "Called it."
"Congratulations?" Tsuna blurts out in a dry and sarcastic tone, coming so easily and with such familiarity to him, he can't help but look around his room for who actually just said that, because it couldn't possibly be him.
The man smirks wider, his eyes twinkling. Looking pleased, for some reason.
Does Tsuna know this guy?
He's pretty sure he's never seen him before. Mom also never brought up someone like this before.
The man is in his room, has been in there while he was asleep, watching him, waiting for him to wake up. The house is silent, Mom out buying groceries, entrusting both the house and Tsuna himself to him.
If the man's words are to be trusted, that is.
"Are you a kidnapper?" It's worth considering it an option, as far as Tsuna's concerned. Though it's weird he's doing it in broad daylight and wanted him to be awake for it.
Or does he plan to keep him kidnapped within his own house?
"I'm not unfamiliar with kidnappings," the man says without missing a beat.
Really? Of all the answers he could give him?
"Are you here to hurt me?"
"I'm not unfamiliar with—"
"Stop, please."
The man chuckles. He crosses his legs the other way, leaning his elbow on the armrest and resting his head against his hand. "So you don't remember anything after your accident?" Tsuna shakes his head. The man tuts, chiding. "Typical. You go abroad for someone, make use of valuable favors and contacts to help them, and they can't even bother remembering you." Wow. Is this guy really trying to guilt-trip a sick person for their—hopefully—temporary bout of amnesia right now? And why doesn't that surprise Tsuna whatsoever? "Not to worry, though," he continues, straightening in his chair. "You'll need to try much harder than that to get rid of me." He stares yet again, unblinking, staring him down. Is this...? "This is a threat."
All right then. Not that Tsuna is in any state to try and make a run for it anyway.
The man smiles, sickly sweet, but looking genuine. Tsuna even caught relief flickering across his face when he first woke up.
The man's happy he woke up. That kind of feels nice.
Tsuna lets himself fall back asleep.
The next time he wakes up, it's Mom who sits on his desk chair next to the bed. It's later in the day, his room illuminated in warm, orange hues.
The man's still there, leaning against the wall a polite distance from them, but Tsuna has barely time to notice him that Mom throws herself at him, holding on tight.
"Tsuna! Oh, thank you, thank you! Are you okay? Do you need anything? Are you in pain?" She cradles his face between her hands, her eyes raking up every inch of it. There's tears in them, dripping down her cheeks, but she smiles wide and bright. "Can you talk? Are you thirsty? Hungry?"
"Can't breathe."
"Oh!" Mom hurries to get off of him, sitting at the edge of the bed. Her hands slide away from his face, and she holds his hand instead. She chuckles, a wet sound to it. "I'm sorry, I didn't hurt you, did I? I'm just..." she squeezes his hand tight, a sob just as wet slipping past her lips "...so very happy to see you awake, Tsuna. Are you cold?" she asks, adjusting the blanket over him. "Or too warm?"
Tsuna holds her hand, giving the both of them a squeeze. He smiles. "Mom, I'm fine. I'm here, I'm okay." Mom nods, laughing, more tears dripping down her cheeks. Tsuna's heart clenches. Mom looks worse for wear too in her own right, skin pale and dark bags under her eyes. She noticeably lost weight too since the last time he remembers seeing her. "Never mind me, Mom, look at you. You should have taken better care of yourself."
"What do you mean 'Never mind me'?" she scolds him, but it's halfhearted. "Don't you talk like that. And how could I have? It's been months, Tsuna. All that mattered to me was taking care of you."
"I'm here," he says again.
Mom nods again, and they hold each other's hands tight, tight, tight.
Tsuna tries to hide his unease as best as he can while Mom tries to settle down her emotions. It's been months? Months of him sleeping and... being in a coma?
Did that car accident almost kill him or something?
But then... Tsuna glances at the man, who looks back right away, catching his eye.
When exactly are they supposed to have had the time to know each other?
Because Tsuna doesn't know him from before the accident, that much he remembers for certain.
"Um, Mom?"
"Yes, Tsu-kun?"
"Who is he?"
Mom frowns, but then turns towards the man. "Oh, didn't you introduce yourself to him yet?"
"He looked quite tired, and I thought it could wait," he says with a straight face, leaning away from the wall, even looking a bit contrite.
It makes Tsuna want to laugh. The nerve. Like he didn't ignore him and changed the subject when Tsuna asked.
"I see, thank you. His name's Reborn," she says, turning back to him. "He's a doctor from abroad, sent by your dad to take care of you."
Oh right. Tsuna does happen to have a dad too.
"Where's Dad?" He did... show up at some point during these past couple of months, didn't he?
"He came to see you," Mom says, a little too quick. "Right after I let him know about your accident. But when none of the doctors here could tell us why you wouldn't wake up, he said he'd take advantage of the fact he has to travel a lot for work to ask other doctors and look into it." She smiles. "I'm sure he'll come visit again soon once I tell him you're awake."
Huh. It all... makes sense, he guesses?
"You're a doctor?" he asks Reborn.
Reborn nods. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"And you know Dad?"
"I had heard of him before. Imagine my surprise when I learned you were his son."
What? When he learned Tsuna was his son, and not that Dad was his father?
Mom laughs. "Isn't it wonderful? He really managed to wake you up like they both said he would. You should thank him, Tsuna."
Reborn smirks, looking straight at him. He raises his eyebrow when Tsuna doesn't speak right away.
Tsuna should thank him, and maybe even grovel at his feet while he's at it should he happen to feel like it too, is what he seems to be saying to him.
Tsuna smiles back, tight and stiff.
First thing first comes morning, Mom brings him to the hospital for a full check-up. She'd have brought him there yesterday if she had it her way, but Tsuna assured her he was fine, although too tired to go through it. She hesitated, and she only relented thanks to Reborn assuring her too he truly wouldn't die overnight if they waited a little.
He's fine, all his injuries healed with no side effects to expect. He's apparently too fine even, to the doctor's surprise and confusion.
His body's weak, and he'll have to recover its strength and muscles little by little. He has to gain weight again too, though he'll have to wait a while longer before trying solid food again. But he can already talk with ease, even if not too much at a time, and can stand on his own and even take a couple of steps.
Well, you won't catch Tsuna complaining about it.
Tsuna puts all the puzzle pieces together while they're there. He got run over by a car. Did almost die from the accident, but thankfully the doctors managed to stabilize him and keep him alive. He fell into a coma though, but even once he was out of danger and his injuries had healed enough for him to wake up, he simply wouldn't no matter what they tried.
The doctors let Mom and Dad know they might have to prepare themselves to the reality he might never wake up again. At which point Mom decided to bring him back to their home so she could keep taking care of him herself.
Then Dad went back to work so they could keep paying for the medical bills for one, and to look for someone who might be able to help. He sent Reborn to them, and here he is now.
Tsuna was asleep through it all.
"Excuse me?" he says before the doctor can go in details with another result of the various check-ups he did.
"Yes?"
"I do feel overall fine, but I don't remember anything?"
"From before the accident?"
"No, from after."
Mom frowns, her worry turning into confusion.
The doctor frowns too. "Well, yes... Ah, do you mean dreams? Don't worry, it's not uncommon for people in a coma to experience it as a long, dreamless sleep."
So Tsuna really was asleep through it all, didn't wake up once until he did for the first time yesterday.
He looks at Reborn, who tagged along with them, staying by the door. Is he some kind of con artist or something?
Mom said Dad sent him, and clearly he did really manage to wake him up, but still. Why is he acting like they have some kind of relationship he doesn't remember when all Tsuna did these past couple of months was being in a coma?
Reborn stares back, unbothered.
Tsuna suspiciously narrows his eyes at him.
Reborn becomes a fixture of his daily life anyway. He visits him at least once every day, and spends almost as much time in his room as Mom does throughout the day when he's not too busy for it. Except he mostly ignores him while he's there, unlike Mom who does nothing but fuss over him.
Reborn helps him take a few steps around his room, which is all the daily exercise he can do for now. He eats with him in his room when he comes at the right time, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner. Otherwise he rummages around his room like it's his own to keep himself entertained with whatever he finds.
It occurs to Tsuna he should stop him or complain about it—what kind of doctor makes himself at home in his patient's room?—, but something in his bones tells him how pointless it'd be to try.
He doesn't really mind either, weirdly enough.
Having Reborn around... just doesn't feel as strange or uncomfortable as it should be.
Reborn clicks his tongue disapprovingly the first time he finds his hidden failed tests. And then keeps doing it every time they come within his sight again like it's the first time he sees them, because of course he does. "How come you suck so badly in such a consistent way? Maybe it's a skill in its own right I should praise you for."
Tsuna's caught off-guard by the giggle tumbling from his lips. "Shut up. Why do I have to hear that from you of all people? Who are you, my dad?"
Some days Reborn goes over his collection of mangas, picking the ones that catch his attention to read through them. When Tsuna feels up to it, he asks for one too and they end up reading together in silence. Other days they listen to music as Reborn goes through his CDs instead.
They don't often watch TV, but when Reborn's in the mood for it, Tsuna turns on his side on the bed to watch it with him.
Reborn likes watching animal documentaries of all things.
"You like animals?"
"I'm thinking of getting myself a pet soon."
"Really? What kind?"
Reborn turns his head to look at him. "Which kind would bother you the most?"
Tsuna rolls his eyes.
"Do you remember anything yet?" Reborn always asks him at some point.
The same way he always watches him, even while still mostly ignoring him.
"What am I even supposed to remember?" Tsuna shoots back every time.
Reborn never answers him, looking at him like he can will his forgotten memories to come back to him with the sheer strength of his gaze alone.
Guilt pricks at Tsuna's heart on days when Reborn's disappointment is visible on his face.
Some days, after helping him with his daily walk, Reborn just takes a nap. He sits on his desk chair, stretching his long legs in front of him and resting his head on top of the backrest. He covers his face with his hat and crosses his arms on his chest.
"I'll kill you if you wake me up."
Tsuna scoffs. "You're in my room. I'd scream my throat raw right now if I was well enough to do it." Reborn huffs a laugh, his usual smirk turning into a genuine grin, and warmth spreads inside Tsuna like he's just achieved something noteworthy. "Just leave and go nap in your own house then."
Reborn takes his nap right where he is, and Tsuna silently keeps himself busy until he wakes up anyway.
And before he even realizes it, he comes to recognize the scent of coffee as Reborn's, and looks out for the sound of his footsteps walking up the stairs towards his room.
When Tsuna recovers enough to eat in the kitchen and spend some time downstairs, he remembers to find Reborn's presence in their lives weird and suspicious.
Turns out Reborn spends a lot of time over at their house. He doesn't leave straight away after visiting him in his room, and doesn't come see him straight away when he comes either. He's on friendly terms with Mom, not just as the doctor who managed to heal her son, but as two people who like each other's personality. There's warmth between them, at least from Mom's side.
There's warmth from Reborn too, but more so directed at him, which is kind of weird. Even more so because Tsuna can't help but preen underneath it whenever it happens, and he doesn't know why.
Mom cooks for three even when she doesn't know when Reborn will come over. She knows when to prepare him a cup of coffee too without him needing to ask. Reborn helps her put away the groceries, knows where each of them goes. He helps around too when she tackles on the daily chores, and does some repairs around the house at her request.
He might as well live here for how comfortable he looks whenever he comes.
He's maybe even sleeping here, for all Tsuna knows.
He can't tell for sure, because he's always the first one to go to bed, recovering as he is.
"Your cooking's delicious today too, Nana," Reborn says like he always does when eating with them, and Mom brightens under his praise.
And the thing is, Tsuna has come to like Reborn too. And Mom's cooking is delicious, obviously, but does he have to sound so sweet whenever saying it?
"Are you my mom's boyfriend?"
There's a clatter of plates as Mom jumps on her feet, slamming her hands on the table, bright red. "Tsuna! What are you even saying?"
Reborn ugly-snorts, startled out of him, almost choking on the food in his mouth, but he's too cool for that.
Mom splutters through a flustered speech, half apologizing to Reborn and half scolding him, but neither of them really pay attention to it.
Tsuna, of course, doesn't really believe what he said. Or at all. Mom would never cheat on Dad, even less so blatantly in front of him like that. She's not the kind of person to cheat altogether either.
But, well, what else is he supposed to make of Reborn's behavior?
"I didn't know you saw me in that way, Tsunayoshi," Reborn says, his whole face alight with mirth. "I'm flattered."
"I never said that."
"Do you want to try calling me Dad?"
Tsuna grimaces, disgusted. "No, thanks."
Reborn chuckles, a throaty sound from deep within his chest, shoulders shaking. He grins wide, and the hand he brings to his mouth does nothing to cover it. "You're really so..."
"Really, Tsuna!" Mom scolds him one last time before sitting back down. "I'm so sorry, Reborn-san. I don't know what got over him all of a sudden."
"No offense taken," Reborn says reassuringly, smiling. He leans over the table, reaching for a side dish on Tsuna's side. He takes his sweet time grabbing it with his chopsticks so he can whisper to him, "Your mother would be lucky to sleep with me."
This time, it's Tsuna who jumps on his feet, bright red and disgusted. "Oh my God—Reborn!"
Reborn bursts out laughing, startling him to speechlessness. He leans back against his chair, the food slipping from his chopsticks and his chopsticks from his hand. He laughs so hard he stops making any noise, and his eyes which are usually two black holes shine with starlight.
He's the lightest and warmest Tsuna's seen him yet.
"Why don't you choke and shut up forever while you're at it?" Tsuna grumbles just to make him laugh harder, sitting back down.
Reborn does, and Tsuna's heart swells multiple sizes bigger in his chest.
Reborn just about orders him to take a break from his daily stroll, sitting him at one of the tables outside a restaurant. Tsuna knows when to take a hint, Reborn clearly needing to be left alone for a bit, and so he sits down and stays put, watching him walk away.
He fidgets when he takes too long to come back. He said he'd be back in no time.
Tsuna stands and follows after him, with slow and careful steps now Reborn isn't by his side to keep him steady or catch him should his legs unexpectedly give up on him.
He still manages to catch Reborn with a gun still in his hand, and a body still at his feet.
They're in a back alley, Reborn standing with bodies—no, a body at his feet, and a strong sense of déjà vu slams into him, making him stumble. He leans his hand on the wall for balance, chills running down his spine.
Why would he have déja vu about—about this of all things?
"Reborn?" His voice is small, but he knows that's not the reason why Reborn takes a moment before turning around to him.
He's unhurt, not a wrinkle to be seen on his suit.
Tsuna doesn't look at the body at his feet.
Tsuna wishes Reborn wouldn't wear that unreadable mask, eyes shadowed by the brim of his fedora, so he wouldn't find it as hard to keep looking at him.
When he smirks, it's like he's drawing a knife. "Well, look at who we have here. Didn't I tell you to stay put and wait for me to come back?" He walks forwards on silent steps, and when he stops in front of him, it's like Tsuna's facing a wall of ice.
Ah. They really do know each other from even before Tsuna first woke up in his room.
Tsuna knows Reborn. Reborn, who acts like the whole world's within the palm of his hand, but willingly lowers himself down onto mortal lands so to be within reach of each other. Reborn, who's always miles ahead of you and prides himself on it, but always stops and waits for you to catch up to him lest you lose sight of him and aren't able to follow after him anymore. Reborn, who picks people apart with a single glance, lays them bare and open and vulnerable for him to do as he pleases with them, and chooses to only be annoying and mischievous and helpful about it.
Reborn, who's warmth, always a secure and safe step behind on their walks, ever smirking to lighten the darkness his eyes are made of, with sharp wit always at the ready to make him roll his eyes or laugh.
Reborn stands in front of him, looming over him, a knife for a smile and abysses for eyes. He holds his gun at his side nonchalantly, as if there's anything more dangerous right now than to forget there's a gun within his hand, apart from looking away from Reborn for even the slightest second.
A perfect stranger, and Tsuna can't fathom this is who Reborn might be to everyone else but him.
Reborn presses the barrel of his gun against his forehead. "I'm sure you understand you leave me no other choice now you saw me like this."
"Right," Tsuna hears himself say. He lowers his hand from the wall, standing straight, the metal of the gun growing warmer by the second against his skin.
When Reborn switches the safety of his gun off, the small click of it resounds loudly in the alley, louder in his ears, reverberating down within his rib cage along with his heartbeat.
It's a steady one.
Tsuna remains unflinching as the sound washes through him, letting abysses stare back at him.
"Yet I can't see any fear in your eyes whatsoever."
"Right," he says again, a ghost of a smile in his voice. "You won't shoot."
"I could."
Tsuna goes weak in the knees then, and he fears his legs will give up under him.
They don't.
"I know."
The abysses stare back deeper, heavier.
Reborn switches the safety of his gun on again, and it's like a tidal wave receding down the shore before it swallows you whole.
He huffs a laugh, raising his hands in surrender. "You win. I guess it really wasn't just desperation back then." He drops the mask, putting his gun away, and he's only man again, warm again, is Tsuna's friend once more.
Tsuna breathes deeply now he's allowed to again. "You're the worst. I'm barely standing right now."
"Yet here you are, standing." He smirks, pleased, warm, yet still guarded at the edges. Tsuna feels it too, the last bit of tension in the air between them. "Against all common sense, may I add. What will I do with you, Tsunayoshi?"
"Is this... what you do, Reborn?" he breathes out softly.
"It is."
"I see." It should change the way Tsuna sees him. Tsuna finds no signs of that as he takes him in. "That's a terrible thing to do."
"I happen to be quite the terrible person. Just not to everyone."
A small but real smile pulls at Tsuna's lips. "Okay. It's enough for me, I think."
"Should it be?"
Tsuna huffs, crossing his arms on his chest. "What right do you have to tell me that? Can we just go already? I'm tired."
Reborn laughs, a hearty sound to it. "Every time I think I finally have you figure it out, you pull something like this."
He shrugs. "Wouldn't want you to get bored."
"As long as you know." Tsuna scoffs, turning around and walking away. Reborn doesn't miss a beat falling in his step, and it's with relief the last of the tension in his body drains away. "Don't embarrass me by falling on your ass on our way back home."
"And whose fault would that be? I'm going to fall on purpose."
"I'll just keep walking like I don't know you."
Tsuna holds back his laugh as best as he can, but it's still obvious in his voice. "You're the worst. And by the way, I did do exactly as you told me. You're the one who said you'd be right back and then you weren't."
It's a little strange to walk back to the main streets with the knowledge Reborn carries a gun with him he has no qualms using. Like it isn't something that should be allowed, and any second now everyone around them will turn to them to point accusing fingers at them.
Tsuna... wouldn't think them wrong for it. It's just that it's Reborn he's talking about.
Tsuna is safe with Reborn. The people Tsuna cares about will be safe with him too.
And it might be selfish and the wrong thing to think, but it is enough for him.
"I don't get why you still can't remember," Reborn says suddenly. He walks past him, circles around him once, looking him intently up and down before stopping in front of him. "Maybe the bullet didn't go quite the right way through you."
Tsuna absentmindedly brings his hand to his head, rubbing at his forehead. "I'm sure it'll come back to me."
"Oh, now you believe me?"
He ignores him, lowering his hand. "But... it won't change anything even if it never does. Would it?"
Reborn smiles. "Don't you ever ignore me again."
Tsuna snorts. He's about to keep walking, but then pauses, frowning. "Reborn."
Reborn turns around the second Tsuna catches his eye, taking on the way home again. "We should hurry, you said you were tired."
"Wait, Reborn." Reborn picks up his pace, and Tsuna struggles to keep up with him. "What did you say before?"
"Whatever do you mean?"
Tsuna tries to grab onto his jacket, but Reborn dodges him by walking even faster as if he has eyes behind his back. "Something about a bullet going through me?"
Reborn breaks into an outright run, a confession all on its own.
Tsuna, of course, runs after him. "Reborn!" he shouts. "Are you really laughing right now? Did you really shoot me in the head? Come back here!"
For the life of him, Tsuna doesn't remember how Reborn got him to agree to these tutoring sessions. He glares down at his textbooks open all over his desk, at the red all over the latest batch of exercises Reborn looked over.
Reborn, who's tutoring him from his bed, lounging on it like a king, because of course he is.
"Why are you doing this to me?"
Tsuna doesn't have to look at him to know he rolls his eyes. "You should be grateful I'm willing to teach you, Tsunayoshi."
"I didn't ask you to."
"But it makes your mother so happy."
"So what? Are you really trying to seduce her or something?"
"Should I?"
Tsuna scrunches his nose in disgust, looking at him. "Okay, let this be the last time we joke about this ever."
Reborn smirks, kicking his chair. "Get back to work."
"Whatever." Tsuna sulkily slumps back against his chair, but still grabs one of his textbooks to keep reading it. "What's even the point?"
"Don't worry. Once you've recovered enough and I can use my usual methods on you, I'm sure you'll improve much faster."
Tsuna side-eyes him, half disbelief, half fearful suspicion. "Obviously I'm now worrying about it. Why do you make everything you say sound like a threat? Don't answer that," he quickly adds. Reborn makes a show of closing his mouth again, smug. "By the way, Reborn," he says, straightening and lowering his book. "Why do you keep calling me Tsunayoshi? Everyone calls me Tsuna."
"I've earned to indulge myself calling you that for as long as I want. Don't tell me what to do."
"What? What does that even mean?"
Reborn kicks his chair again, harder this time, making Tsuna laugh even as his leg knocks against his desk. "And stop stalling. You're not getting out of this no matter what until I say we're done for today."
"Ow, my leg! God, you're such a tyrant. Color me shocked."
After the stick of the tutoring sessions, comes the carrot of playing video games together. And sue Tsuna, but it still earns Reborn points in his book.
"Reborn, stop!"
Reborn doesn't, keeps pushing him with his shoulder or jabbing his elbow in his side to distract him, and uses the controller with only one hand so he can block his sight with the other. As if he even needs to cheat to win.
Tsuna didn't think him the type to play video games, and from Reborn's own admission, he hadn't been interested to really try them before either, but of course he's still good at it, because he sold his soul to the devil to become perfect at everything.
Tsuna loses. Again.
Reborn chuckles. "Better luck next time."
Tsuna groans, shoving him away from him. "You don't even need to cheat!"
"Of course not. But how else would I get such annoyed reactions out of you?"
Tsuna glares. "Just shut up and start the game again." He scoots away from him in preparation, putting as much distance between them as possible, not that it'll actually stop Reborn from bothering him. "I'm a recovering person, you know. I'll tell Mom if you hit me again."
"I'm shaking in my boots." Tsuna bites the inside of his cheek to not laugh. "Right, I've been meaning to ask you, Tsunayoshi. Do you ever feel like you're about to set yourself on fire?"
"What?" He snorts. "That's such a random question out of nowhere. Of course not." And thank God for that. How would that even feel like anyway? "Why, do you ever feel like that?" he asks as an afterthought, joking.
"Sometimes," Reborn says, dead serious. "I thought we could bond over it, but as usual, you just have to ruin my fun."
Tsuna chances a glance at him, looking for any signs of mischievousness on his face. He finds none.
Wait, he's actually serious?
"Maybe you should go see a doctor then." When Reborn looks back with that same seriousness still on his face, Tsuna's quick to shield himself behind his controller. "What?" he asks warily. "I don't ever feel like I'm about to set myself on fire, and I will not let you try to set me on fire either, all right?"
"Do you believe in ghosts?"
Tsuna's mouth opens wordlessly, having some trouble keeping up with him. What's up with the random questions today?
He turns back to the TV, wanting to take advantage of Reborn being distracted to get ahead in the game. "Not really? But I'm scared of them."
Reborn sighs. "It's like you're trying to be lame in all aspects of your life."
"Hey!" he shouts, promptly giving him his attention again. That stings. "You're so mean. Has no one ever told you that before?"
"Are you really asking me that? Be serious."
"Right. And let me guess, you just ignored them?" Reborn raises his eyebrow at him, smirking. Tsuna huffs, rolling his eyes. "Typical." He scoots further away from him, but forwards this time so he can show him his back and won't have to look at him.
It didn't sting that badly, was just another usual jab from Reborn with no real heat behind it, but Reborn becomes a little too mean whenever Tsuna lets him get away with it too much.
Tsuna grows uneasy when the silence keeps stretching between them, unable to focus on the game at all. He forcefully keeps himself from fidgeting.
"Have I been too nice with you lately?" Reborn muses nonchalantly, like he couldn't care less one way or another.
Tsuna bypasses wariness and goes straight to fearing for his life. He tries to play it off with a laugh, but it comes out weak and unsteady. "Come on—"
Reborn lunges for him from the corner of his eyes.
Tsuna shrieks, throwing his controller towards him and scrambling on his feet.
He bursts outside his room without a glance back. "Mom!"
When the last groan of pain quiets down, Tsuna still stays put on his bed a moment longer. It's the middle of the night, but his window is right next to his bed anyway, and he's already gotten used to the darkness on top of the moonlight lightening it up some.
He opens his windows silently and peeks downwards.
There's only Reborn standing in the front yard, to his relief. Tsuna doesn't let his eyes stray from him lest he catches sight of something he'd rather not have to see if not necessary.
"Hey," he says.
Reborn raises his head towards him, tilting the brim of his fedora up with a finger. "What is it?"
"Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"Do I look like someone who's not okay?" Reborn stands with a hand in his pocket, entirely nonplussed, like maybe he was just taking a stroll in their front yard in the middle of the night.
Tsuna nods, relaxing. "That's good then." A beat of silence passes. "So, um, I've been thinking. I think... this is something I'll definitely need for us to talk about at some point. But I appreciate that you're waiting for me to be ready for it first and aren't rushing me for it. And, you know, " he adds, shrugging, going for a joke when Reborn has still to give him any kind of reaction. "That you let me be in denial about it in the meantime."
Reborn sighs, not meaning it one bit, making him smile. "Do you just enjoy worrying over every single little thing you can think about?"
Tsuna appreciates that Reborn keeps them safe in the meantime, is what he doesn't say, what he doesn't need to say out loud.
Because the thing is, Reborn doesn't spend the night over. So that... burglar, or whoever they are, was aiming for either Mom or him, or both.
And Tsuna doesn't quite feel ready yet to ask the reason why.
"You don't just spend your nights watching over the house though, do you?"
"Do I look like I don't have anything better to do than to keep you within my sight at all times?"
"Pretty much?" Tsuna says, not even trying to joke or tease him. But Reborn really might as well just live with them at this point.
Reborn clicks his tongue. "Then the logical conclusion should be that you're a full-time job, Tsunayoshi. Well," he adds after a beat, softer and with a smile in his voice, "at least you're keeping me entertained, I have to give you that. Why weren't you sleeping?"
Tsuna winces. He crosses his arms over the windowsill and rests his head on top of them. "I'll soon have recovered enough to go back to school. I'm not exactly looking forwards to it."
"Is that all? Just say the word, and you'll never have to worry about it ever again."
"I will not say the word, but I appreciate the thought. Thank you."
"It sounds to me like you appreciate me altogether. Would it kill you to just admit you?"
Tsuna giggles, muffling it in his arms. "You first."
Reborn scoffs, but doesn't quite manage to hide the laughter in his voice. "Hurry up and go back to sleep. My neck will cramp at this rate, and for what?"
"Whatever you say," he says, but straightens all the same to go back to sleep as told. "Oh wait, Reborn. Are you really a doctor?"
Tsuna expectantly waits for his answer, trying to make out his face clearly as much as possible.
Reborn takes his sweet time giving it to him. "I'm not unfamiliar—"
Tsuna bursts out laughing, can't help it, and Reborn's own laughter rises in the air to mingle with his.
Both Reborn and him pause on the path leading to the door. There's multiple voices coming from the other side of it. Men's voices, on top of Mom's.
Dad's voice.
"Well, well, well," Reborn sing-songs under his breath, seemingly to himself.
Tsuna glances at him to make sure he didn't imagine that sudden edge in his voice.
He didn't.
It only makes him brace himself more as he opens the door.
Dad's there in the entryway, next to an old man he's never seen before. It seems they arrived not too long before them, because Mom's still in the middle of her lovey-dovey greetings with Dad.
The old man takes note of his presence a little too quick, looking at him. Or is it Tsuna's imagination?
Tsuna feels more than hears Reborn standing closer to him in response, and that's definitely not his imagination.
Dad's face brightens when he sees him. "Tsuna!" He shouts happily, rushing to him. He grabs his shoulders and shakes him a little. "I'm so glad to see you up and about. You got Dad really worried there. How do you feel? Are you recovering well?"
"Hey, Dad," Tsuna says awkwardly, and can only hope his smile's less so. "I'm fine now. Sorry for worrying you."
Dad squeezes his shoulders. "It's all right. As long as you keep coming back to Dad." He glances at Reborn, the warmth on his face distinctly disappearing, though his wide, welcoming smile doesn't falter an inch. He nods. "Reborn."
Reborn nods back. "Iemitsu."
"Were you two together?"
"Yeah," Tsuna says quickly, feels the need to. "For our daily stroll." He shrugs. "The doctor said they're good for me."
"I see," Dad says without averting his eyes from Reborn. "Thank you for taking care of my son."
It sounds like a dismissal.
Reborn bares his teeth in response under the guise of a smile. "My pleasure."
"Iemitsu," the old man calls out softly.
"Oh, that's right!" Dad says, turning his attention back on him. Only then he lets go of his shoulders, turning to the old man. "Tsuna, this is Timoteo, my boss. When I told him about what happened to you, he insisted he had to see you too." He laughs. "That's the kind of boss your dad's lucky enough to have. Aren't you glad?"
"You actually met him once before," Mom says, saving him from finding something to say. "Do you remember?"
Tsuna looks at Timoteo more closely. Maybe he is... kind of familiar? But he doesn't manage to replace him.
He sheepishly shakes his head. "Sorry, but I don't remember."
Timoteo chuckles indulgently. "It's fine, you were very little after all. I should have visited more often." He offers his hand. "Nice to meet you, Tsunayoshi."
"Me too."
When Timoteo brings his other hand to clasp Tsuna's warmly in both of his, it's like Reborn's trying to pierce a hole into their linked hands with his eyes alone.
Tsuna almost jumps out of his skin when Mom claps her hands together. "All right then! Should you all go sit in the living room while I prepare us some tea and snacks?"
"Right. We'll just... take off our shoes first," Tsuna says, Reborn and him having been standing in the doorway all the while.
"Of course, of course!" Dad says. "Take your time!" Yet both his and Timoteo's eyes linger on them as they walk away.
Tsuna waits for them to disappear in the living room and Mom in the kitchen to snap his eyes to Reborn. He clearly knows what all this weird tension in the air is all about.
Tsuna sure would like to know too so he'd at least know why he's choking on it.
"Reborn?"
Reborn looks down at him, his smiling, unbothered face all made of sharp edges. "It looks like Daddy's home again." His smile turns sharper. "Aren't you glad, Tsuna?"
He takes his shoes off for a pair of slippers, and leaves Tsuna no other choice but to follow after him without having any clearer of an idea of what's going on.
Their little... gathering is awkward for Tsuna, but goes relatively well otherwise, he supposes. Mom, Dad and Timoteo mostly talk between themselves, with Reborn saying a word or two every now and then when it's polite of him to. Tsuna's happy to stay quiet and be ignored by all of them.
Wishes they'd ignore him.
He doesn't like the lingering glances Timoteo keeps giving him. He doesn't like the way both he and Dad keep looking at Reborn, like he's unwelcomed here.
He is grateful Reborn sat close to him, their arms brushing together, but it's yet another sign Tsuna is, in fact, in some kind of hot water or another right now.
"Why are you being so shy, Tsuna?" Mom asks, amused. "You used to call Timoteo grandpa when talking about him, you know?"
Timoteo laughs. "That's right. You even called me that once or twice while I was there, warming this old man's heart."
Dad joins in on the laughter. "That's because you took such good care of him! The same way you're taking good care of his dad too."
Tsuna abruptly stands, all eyes turning on him. The silence that falls on them is loud. He doesn't care. "Um—the tea," he says clumsily, awkwardly. "There aren't any left anymore. I'll go and bring some." He quickly gathers the cups and the teapot on the tray, and picks it up without waiting for an answer.
"I'll go with you," Reborn says, standing. "We pushed a little too much on our stroll today. I'm sure you feel more tired than usual."
A lie. Tsuna's grateful for it.
They walk to the kitchen together. Tsuna puts the tray down on the table, Reborn walking around it to face him.
"You used to call him grandpa, did you?"
"I know, right?" Tsuna says quickly, the alarm bells in his mind ringing louder by the second.
"And your dad and his boss have such a close relationship. Isn't it heartwarming?"
"I know, right?" Reborn looks like he's about to laugh, in that scathing way that's distinctly unhappy, but then he turns dead serious instead, his face icy-cold. Tsuna takes a deep breath. Can't stop it from shaking anyway. "Tell me."
"Your life is about to turn upside-down."
Tsuna holds on the tray so tight, his knuckles turn white. "Tell me."
"You're not going to like this one bit."
He nods. "Okay. Okay, I get it." Or at least, he doesn't need to know more to know this is bad. "Then?"
He looks Reborn straight in the eye, waiting.
Reborn won't fail him now of all times.
He smirks. "Then, of course, with me here, you're in luck. What else?" He walks to his side, and gently pries his hands away from the tray. "You know me," he says, looking him straight back in the eye.
He can trust him, is what he doesn't say.
Tsuna trusts him.
He breathes out all the tension in his body, his mind at ease once more, alarm bells nowhere to be heard anymore. "Okay. Then, please, Reborn, get me the hell out of whatever this is."
A gleeful grin pulls at Reborn's lips. Tsuna doesn't stop himself from grinning back. "Your wish is my command, Tsuna."
A/N: Tsuna's ability to look at monsters and go "As long as you allow me to, I'm going to find you worth loving anyway" is one of my absolute favorite things about him. And of course, his relationship with Reborn is the best example of that. And of course, he's loved unconditionally and is shown limitless devotion for it, as he should and deserves. 💖 (Now of course I'm not saying all the bonds he has in the manga are with monsters lol, but you know what I mean.)
Anyway, pillaroflight left a comment about what if Tsuna woke up without his ghost memories, and I just went "Oh yeah that'd be really funny, let me write about this immediately" haha. And yeah, we jumped straight to Tsuna waking up. Please don't ask me how they managed to get there though zefgdsfgf. All I know for certain is that in the end, the dying will bullets came to the rescue again.
And to be honest this story isn't really about the whole ghost situation thing? It's about how Tsuna and Reborn are best friends against all odds, how it's Tsuna and Reborn who're each other's best friend, and the comedic potential of it as well as the sheer potential of chaotic shenanigans that can happen because of it lol. (And highkey about how wholesome and heartwarming it is they are best friends against all odds and make each other better for it, obviously. 💖)
I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Any and all reviews are appreciated.
Thank you for reading!
- Hope