whattup MPTIDTF, contrary to popular belief, im actually still alive and well. and these past weeks have been shit because school just started

also... i have no excuse for not updating for two months. tbh, i forgot this story existed, and i just rushed everything yesterday. feel free to criticize for grammar errors. and thanks for supporting me, like shit, i  didnt expect to get this much votes and views ;; i feel so special. 

Published: 9/22/17 

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あなたはそうです。 。 。

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"You're leaving already, Chrome?"

Chrome nodded, her hand hovering above the doorknob with Tsuna stood in front of her, gazing worriedly. "You know, you shouldn't go out this late by yourself. It's not safe." Chrome wanted to laugh at that statement. (And at the irony that he unintentionally made)

"You offend me, boss." Chrome rolled her eyes, but the corners of her lips twitched upwards. "And besides, Mukuro-nii doesn't like it when I don't inform him where I usually go off to – and I'm pretty sure I've overused my welcome here."

This time, it was Tsuna's turn to roll his eyes. He raised his wrist and lightly bonked Chrome in the head, earning himself an indignant yelp. Chrome threw him a watery glare, angered. Tsuna merely returned the heated look with one of amusement. "Idiot," he teased. "You're always welcome here with us – you know that better than anyone." With one hand cradling the delicate china set of his mother, he had the other on Chrome's arm, the worry lines still evident on his face despite it previously being masked with a look of playfulness. "And I'm just concerned, that's all. Mafia or no mafia, it's not safe going out alone at this time of day, and—"

"You're nagging like a mother hen," Chrome chipped in, giggling. It was adorable in how much Tsuna fussed over her (and kinda flattering too; but she'll never actually convey any of it to him . . . she'd rather dig a hole and jump into it than directly blurt her personal sentiments out loud to Tsuna's face). "I'll be fine, okay? Now stop it."

Tsuna glared at her, but from a different perspective (hers), it looked more like a pout. "Look, you promise you'll be OK yeah?" Tsuna sighed. "I'll keep tossing and turning tonight in my bed without the concrete proof that you'll go home safely – you sure you don't want me to walk you home? I'm sure that idiot brother of yours would be instantly assured that you were with someone he trusts and not roaming around the streets alone at ungodly hours in the evening."

Chrome smiled. Tsuna's humor was beyond ridiculous (heck, it grew annoying sometimes); but it was endearing all the same. "I think it's safer if I go alone, boss." Much, much safer. Chrome shivered at the mere dread that came along with such a thought. She'd been lying when she said that she didn't tell Mukuro where she'd go to. Who knew what her nii-sama would do to Tsuna (and her – she was never an exception to Mukuro's wrath, if anything, he would throw a hissy fit and shove his face all over hers with one index finger directed in her direction with him spluttering incoherent words of profanities that he had learned over the course of his mafia years that she'd rather not mention (and the fact that her brother was a criminal and acted like this was certainly saying something; that point amused her to no end)) if he saw them both casually strolling down the sidewalk, when Chrome specifically told him that she was going to the supermarket to buy a carton of eggs. Chrome wouldn't be able to think of an excuse if Tsuna was there with her. She'd stammer and embarrass the living daylight out of herself in front of the two people who cared most about her. If that ever happen, she would jump out a window and crawl under a rock. (She should really stop with these sorts of fantasies; it was damaging her health)

Tsuna smiled. "Alright then . . . but before you leave, I have something to give you; wait here." He smiled even more cryptically, and he tip-toed his way back into the living room, even if the action was incredibly stupid since nobody else was there aside from the two of them and Chrome couldn't help but roll her eyes, chuckling; apparently used to Tsuna's adorable and weird antics. But at the silence that continued to cultivate the small vicinity, she swung her bag to and fro, nervously fiddling with the nots in her skirt to ease the sudden tension that engulfed the entrance without the bubbling brunet's usual chatter.

"—and I'm back! Sorry for the wait, Chrome." Tsuna's head emerged from around the corner, grinning happily. "Anyways, here – make sure to share this with that idiot brother of yours, okay?" Tsuna said, with a small laugh at the end of his sentence, clearly amused at his own wits. Chrome joined in; face breaking into a bright and blinding smile.

"Nii-sama would surely burst into tears of joy if I actually told him that his long time crush allowed him to eat one of your cooking," Chrome mused, gazing at Tsuna thoughtfully.

She hadn't thought this often before, it was something that she didn't have the time to ponder about, and perhaps it was only just wistful thinking, and besides that, Tsuna never showed any sort of keen interest for that sort of thing (or anything related to romance, for that matter) but if Tsuna and Mukuro got married, then that meant that Tsuna could live with them, right? (Even thought it was just ridiculous thinking on her part) That would mean that she could always see Tsuna around the house, right? That meant that the people she cherished the most could be together, right? It seemed Tsuna didn't catch her drift, though, since he inherited his mother's ditzy and dense personality, and laughed off her ridiculous statement.

Tsuna was still talking; his mouth moving that indicated so, and Chrome had to force herself to stop her ludicrous thinking to focus on what the animated brunet was talking about. "—so make sure to keep the cakes refrigerated so they won't spoil, alright? I've never made these kinds before, and I was in a rush when creating them – so they might spoil easily," Tsuna rambled, smiling bashfully.

Chrome nodded, not giving away the signs that she was too busy daydreaming to listen to his rant. "Roger that, boss." Tsuna laughed, finding the salute hilarious and ironic, before his eyes softened. "Be safe, okay?" He patted her head tenderly, an affectionate and small gesture that pulled at Chrome's heartstrings, and his knitted eyebrows gave away his obvious worry and concern.

Then, she felt a soft, light, almost unnoticeable touch on the crown of her head. Suddenly jolted back into reality, she discreetly touched her forehead, looking back to see Tsuna grinning at her, beaming so brightly that it almost blinded her eyes.

She gently turned her head away, eyes glassy, and turned the doorknob. "Bye, boss," she whispered. And as Tsuna was about to open his mouth and say his own reply, Chrome briskly left the Sawada household, hands wrapped tightly around her bag, the blood roaring past her ears as the sudden kiss that Tsuna planted on her head replayed in her mind.

xXx

"Bye, Chrome – be safe!" Tsuna exclaimed the last part, seeing as Chrome, for some odd reason, hurriedly left his doorsteps, footsteps so loud they echoed around the neighborhood, and plastic bag held so tightly that her knuckles turned to a concerning shade of white. But Tsuna waved at Chrome like an idiot until she waved back and left as nothing but a ghostly speck in the horizon. Tsuna kept waving even when nobody was there to wave back at him; it was only when the atmosphere became too unbearably cold did he think of slowly going back to the house and shutting the door; back against the wooden frame.

Then he shook his head, clearing the unclear fog and haziness that threatened to consume his mind, and carefully strode his way to the kitchen. Despite being the only person in the house, his footsteps were quiet, as if he was an insubstantial spirit restlessly visiting a mortal's house. The last thought made him snort.

What the hell am I thinking? Tsuna thought, eyes rolling at his own ridiculous thoughts. He was always unnecessarily quiet when he was by himself; why should now be any different?

Sitting down on one of the couches in their small living room, he leaned against the fluffy surface, pondering deep and heavy thoughts, before his hands brushed against something smooth. Veering his head downwards, he picked up the laminated pamphlet with Hayato's picture clipped to the side, face so stoically business-like that it sent shivers of dread down Tsuna's spine.

Was Hayato really in the mafia? Was he – were they really criminals? Chrome had no idea how terribly confused Tsuna really was because he didn't really elaborate to her how he felt about this whole sudden turn-of-events; his body automatically shifted to auto-pilot mode after her sudden indignant outburst as to not worry his kindhearted friend, who was a bleeding heart and would most likely blame herself for Tsuna's inner turmoil. And Tsuna didn't want that. He didn't like the thought of Chrome blaming herself. That was like believing that the earth was a flat disc.

Tsuna was tempted to flip the page over, to see what contents lied within them, but instead, he gathered all the pamphlets – from the ones on the floor, to the ones on the table – and carefully organized them, fingers prudently brushing over the smooth and flat surface, mind swirling with unanswered questions that he didn't want to ask Chrome. Tsuna meant what he said when he told Chrome that he trusted them both – and Mukuro, to a certain extent – and if he saw the contents within these pages, he wasn't so assured and certain of himself that he wouldn't think lowly of his friend. That was the thought that scared him the most.

Just then, as reality came crashing down on him like cold water, his phone blared loudly, echoing across the empty space that was his living room, and he jumped, startled out of his wits.

Hastily, he fished the ringing atrocity out of his back pocket, and his eyes scanned over the screen, confusion re-written on his face as he doesn't familiarize with the foreign numbers of a stranger, before, against his better judgment, putting the phone near his ear and answering with a timid, "Hello?"

"You sound cheery," came the strong baritone voice of a certain raven-haired man, and Tsuna's eyes widen a bit, familiarity and recognition soon easing away his current worries, and a small smile crept its way to his lips.

"Reborn!" he exclaimed, so loudly, so cheerfully, as if they both knew each other for years. "I didn't know you would call."

The other laughed. So strange, yet so pleasant. "Yeah . . . sorry about that." Another small chuckle. "Did I disturb you?" 

There was some rustling on the other side, and Tsuna faintly wondered where the fedora-wearing man might be.

The brunet giggled. "No; in fact, your timing is . . . well, impeccable," he breathed, eyes briefly going over the dreaded pamphlets for a fleeting moment, before focusing on the opposite wall, resisting a small gulp that would surely raise eyebrows and suspicious.

"How is my timing impeccable? I saw you four hours ago; that's hardly an appropriate amount of time for you to miss me," the other retorted, obviously grinning (no matter how disturbing the mental image might be) and in a good mood judging by the way he talked.

Tsuna hummed. "True," he agreed, laughing. "How about you – you sound cheery."

Reborn snorted. "Hardly – but something . . . amusing did happen a few hours ago." His voice was something caught between annoyance and amusement. Yep. Definitely cheery. "My co-worker tripped on thin air and fell in the parking lot; diverting sight to behold. My female friend took a picture of it for, I quote, 'safe and memorable keeping'."

Tsuna laughed so hard, he nearly fell and toppled all over the pamphlets. "That's a pretty elaborated story," he teased. "Are you sure you're not the one who tripped on thin air and fell in the parking lot?"

Another loud and obnoxious snort from the other side made Tsuna's grin nearly split his face in half. "That's charming coming from someone who nearly toppled and fall down the floor laughing their ass off from such a simple story." Tsuna managed to choke on his saliva.

"Wha—" Reborn snorted, and even if Tsuna wasn't there, he could've sworn he was sardonically rolling his eyes.

"You're very easy to read, Dame-Tsuna," was Reborn's simple explanation.

"Don't call me Dame-Tsuna!" the victim of the name calling retorted, puffing his cheeks. "Why are you so stubborn?"

"Why are you so stubborn?" Reborn mimicked mockingly. Tsuna rolled his eyes.

"God, whatever," the brunet muttered, almost breathless; couldn't decide if he was annoyed or pissed or what. "I'm glad to hear you're doing well."

"I'm glad to hear that I'm doing well too," Reborn responded. Tsuna almost fell again.

After a comfortable, companionable silence, Reborn asked the question that made all the peace and tranquility in the room dissipate, "How about you? You sound troubled." It was a statement. Tsuna sighed. Trust Reborn to see right through him without even being there. Could the man get any more eerily perfect?

Finally, after much contemplating, he said, after several hesitant seconds, "I'm doing great. Chrome just came to visit me–" Reborn made a noise of recognition, "–to . . . announce something important."

And, much to Tsuna's utter terror, Reborn asked the dreaded question, "So what did she talk to you about?" Silence.

". . . Ah," was all Tsuna manage to say. He felt his stomach drop. "It's . . . confidential information," was the next.

Reborn, being the smart man that he was, read the atmosphere, and, to Tsuna's relief, let the subject of the matter drop. "Okay then – so did you like your new messenger bag?" Tsuna instantly beamed at the question. And, for the next few something hours (he lost count), he and Reborn engaged in a long and rather exciting conversation about simple and inane things. Tsuna, hallway through their tête-à-tête, grew worried that Reborn would eventually hang up, and leave him hanging there like an idiot, and he was too afraid of calling back due to rejection and the 'what-if' that he may be a bother to the man. But so far, miraculously, that hasn't happened. They actually still haven't stopped talking. The conversation stretched from simple day to day things, to discussing embarrassing stories that occurred in the past. Although, that department was mostly focused on Tsuna, since Reborn was a perfect bastard who didn't make a single mistake in his perfect life. It was almost unfair.

"—and I tripped down the stairs before dragging a surprised Chrome down with me, successfully breaking all of my legs. The next day, her brother threatened to crack all my ribs," Tsuna rambled, grinning so widely it brightened the whole room. Reborn chuckled under his breath, not a single hint of exasperation in his voice. Tsuna loved hearing Reborn laugh. It was a rare and delightful sound that Tsuna was thoroughly determined to make the other laugh constantly.

"It's good to know that you haven't changed, Dame-Tsuna," Reborn said after Tsuna's long confession. Tsuna smiled softly.

But, eventually, all blissful and good things must come to an end. After another full hour of cheerful chatter, there was a loud crash from the other line, successfully putting Tsuna's childhood stories to a halt, and eliciting a worried sound of confusion. On the other line, Reborn cussed vehemently.

"That idiot," he muttered, killing intent leaking off him in waves, even in the phone. "Sorry, Tsuna, but I'll have to call you back tomorrow; that idiot co-worker of mine did something stupid again." Tsuna, dumbfounded, nodded. A small, yet understanding 'yes' came out from his mouth to disguise his disheartened heart and disappointment from unraveling itself. Reborn, sensing Tsuna's sudden silence, sighed, and, if he were in the same room, he would've ruffled the brunet's hair. "I'm really sorry, Tsuna – but I'm unfortunately the unlucky bastard who has to bail the retard from trouble again because he's a stupid and idiotic idiot like that."

"Oi, Reborn-senpai! Calling me an idiot is extremely mean!" came the muffled screaming from the other side, which was silenced from a loud hit to the head that obviously came from Reborn, judging from the loud, 'Reborn-senpai!' wail that came after.

"Shut up, you retard of a lackey!" Reborn loudly reprimanded the younger, hitting him again.

". . . Reborn, if you're going to beat him like that, at least hang up first." Because, jeez, I'm starting to feel sorry for the poor boy who somehow manages to piss Reborn off to such a high extent that he sounds as if he's about to beat the child into a coma. 

Because, hey, anyone who manages to enrage the raven-haired man to the point of him nearly slaughtering them into a million pieces and still be alive deserves an award.

(And not just any award . . . but an award accompanied with a pat to the back. And maybe some candies.) 

". . . Ah, yes, right." The man sounded genuinely surprised to find Tsuna still on the other line. As if Tsuna was going to be the first to hang up.  As if.

The brunet laughed. "Goodnight, Reborn – I'll talk to you tomorrow?" Tsuna didn't care if he sounded almost desperate, if anything, communicating with someone and burying his head under the sand is just the thing he needed right now.

Pretending won't solve anything, but at least Tsuna won't have to deal with the huge amount of problems that escalated a scant three hours ago.

"Yeah. I'll call you back tomorrow." The conversation hangs there, neither wanting to hang up, yet both also wanting the conversation to end.

"Goodnight, Tsunayoshi." Before Tsuna could say anything, Reborn hung up, the line buzzing; signaling his abrupt leave.

Tsuna sits there for a moment, his cheeks blazing, and his heart thumping at an abnormally fast rate. He clutched his chest, squeezing it, breathing in and out, easing away his nerves. Yet, it felt as if every single fiber in his body was suddenly awakened, and Tsuna's ears buzzed and roared, the blood rushing to the top of his head.

For some reason, he felt tears prickle at the edge of his vision. His head ached and his heart hurt. The tips of his fingers felt extremely cold.

And just like that, reality came crashing back again.

xXx

"Holy shit! Holy mother of all that is lawfully  good!"

If Ren had been any other lowly man, he would've spit out his drink. Instead – like the gentlemanly asshole that he was – he pulled the drink away from his mouth and quirked an unamused eyebrow, his undivided attention now focused on the his short companion who was cussing vehemently at the top of his lungs.

"Ren, Ren,  you will not believe what i just found - Ren!" Another ecstatic scream. "Blessed is my soul, where are yo– oh my God, Ren, come right here right now!" Ren heaved a heavy sigh, his emotions, mainly annoyed and surprised, all rolled into one as he begrudgingly stood up from his comfortable spot in the comfortable comforts of the grass, and briskly walked over to the shorter brunet, who was crouching (obviously) and admiring a batch of flowers on the other side of the current.

Tsuna's head whirled and he grinned. "Ren, you're here! I thought you became deaf or something."

"You have a lot of guts saying that to my face." Ren sighed, resigned. "Anyway, why the hell did you call me for?" Tsuna shrugged and nodded his head towards the opposite bank, where a . . . something batch of flowers were settled, making Tsuna practically drool and spring (much like a hyperactive bunny on drugs) with anticipation.

"Do you see that, Ren?" Tsuna asked, almost bouncing. Ren had to keep a firm grip on his shoulders to prevent the smaller teen from hurdling himself head-first into the current.

"See what?" Ren squinted his eyes, but saw nothing remarkably worth his attention; or so he thought. Tsuna looked heartbroken, and his shoulders sagged. Ren felt like he just violently kicked an abandoned puppy. "The herbs!" Tsuna exclaimed, huffing, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"The hell?" was what Ren said, tempted to face palm. "Do you really expect me to see that, Dame-Tsuna? Herbs blend easily with the other plants." Then, he placed an index finger to his chin, thinking, before he smirked. "Just like you."

Tsuna made an inhumanly loud noise, taking offence. "That's so untrue!" he yelled. "And not to mention extremely mean!"

Ren rolled his eyes, tutting. "The hell are you? Five?" Then, he smirked once more. "But it's true, though. You're below average in pretty much everything, you blend in easily with the crowd, you're extremely short, you're always in the shades, you hate going outside." Tsuna opened his mouth at this in protest. " –aside from our occasional meetings." Ren rolled his eyes. He raised his fingers, continuing his mission of listing all of Tsuna's shortcomings. "And flowers are more favored than you," he finished, grin as dark as the devil's.

Tsuna was fuming. "Are you done yet?"

Ren hummed. "Maybe."

Tsuna splashed him with water, and Ren jumped back, grinning like a mad man. "Ren-kun you're the worst!" Ren laughed as Tsuna tried and failed to splash him with water. Tsuna was gritting his teeth and his face was so red it could rival the color of the reddest of roses.

"Weak," Ren teased after the short brunet's several failed attempts to splash him with cold liquid. Tsuna wailed before letting out a frustrated huff. "Whatever, jerk!" He 'bleh'ed at him, rolling his eyes before kicking his boots off, and pulling his pants up to his knees, carefully dipping his legs into the water, noticeably shivering, and standing up, smiling down at his toes.

Then, he raised his head up and poked his tongue out. "If you don't want to help me gather those herbs, then stay there!" He pointed one finger at Ren, with the other hand on his hips, scowling. "Herbs are superb important you jerk! They help heal wounds faster, and make up for nutritional supplements." Tsuna folded his arms across his chest. "You should pay attention to the things you deem insignificant, Ren, who knows, maybe one day, you're gonna look back and think that those insignificant things weren't really so insignificant after all," he declared, eyes rolling. Tsuna looked like some sort of tousled cat.

Then, Tsuna's eyes brightened, noticing Ren's sudden silence. "Hey, Ren-kun." He smiled. "Surprise water attack!" he yelled, and, obviously catching Ren off guard, scooped a huge chunk of water and hurdled it towards Ren, successfully soaking a large part of Ren's trousers.

Ren froze, not expecting that, before scowling lividly. "You little brat!" Without hesitating, he dove into the water, splashing Tsuna with liquids, and the brunet ran, trying to escape, his laughter and giggles filling the air as he continuously splashed Ren with current water, with the other retaliating by throwing a massive chunk of mud towards Tsuna, smirking victoriously when Tsuna shrieked.

The brunet growled, before gather up a massive amount of mud. "You are so dead, Ren." Roaring a mighty battle cry, he threw his ammo towards Ren, which the taller of the two dodged gracefully. Tsuna pouted.

"You're so unfair! What would mom say when she sees this!" He pointed at his shirt, which was unfortunately white, and the wet brown smudge started to seep through it, making him shiver in repulsion and disgust. "You're the worst!"

Ren smirked, tucking his hands into his trousers. "Hey, you started it, idiot." He rolled his eyes. "And that's why you have a jacket with you, right? Jeez, just hide the shirt so your mom won't find it."

Tsuna scowled and turned around, stomping into the direction of the herbs. "Well, congrats, jerk, I officially hate you now." He poked his tongue out, glaring.

"At least I don't act like a five year old whenever I run out of lame comebacks."

Tsuna gasped, hurt. "My comebacks aren't lame—"Ren shut him up by strolling towards him, draping his jacked that was thankfully not hit with Tsuna's armada of mud and current water. "Shut up already." He rolled his eyes, before eying the jacket. "Wear that; I don't want to go back on foot through that frigid water just to retrieve your jacket for you." Huffing, he walked towards the shaded part of the bank, looking back to see if Tsuna was following and not just gaping like some idiot.

Fortunately, (or unfortunately since Tsuna rudely pushed him away) Tsuna zipped past him, mindful of the expensive jacket (he ain't no ignorant fool; that jacket was probably worth more than his whole wardrobe and his bedroom combined) and kneeled down to keenly observe the following herbs, carefully plucking a few out of the ground and eyeing them, caressing the leaves with a critical eye. Ren watched from a distant.

"O-K!" Tsuna exclaimed, tasting a few of the herbs and smiling. "I'll take these home with me." He noticed Ren, and smiled. "Hey Ren, do you want me to bring a flask the next time I come here? Mom always says I brew excellent tea." He wasn't bragging, that was for sure, saying stuff like this came as naturally as breathing to the brunet. Tsuna was slightly tilting his head, and smiling; genuinely curious if Ren wanted him to do it.

Ren shrugged. "Sure. I don't mind." Tsuna whooped and yelled, grinning widely.

"Now you will know the importance of herbs in your life, Ren-kun!"Tsuna cackled, before running past him again, with one hand holding the draped jacket over his shoulders, the other frantically waving the herbs in the air, with Tsuna calling his name.

Ren observed the smaller of the two, honing a small smile of his own, barely noticeable to the naked eye.

Tsuna really was like a herb.

xXx

"Hayato-kun?"

"Ah, tenth! It's so great to hear from you again! It felt like it's been eons since we last saw each other; how are you?" Hayato's hyperactive voice fills the air, and Tsuna smiled softly.

"Hayato-kun, when will you return to Japan?" Tsuna asked, mindful of the tremor in his voice. "I thought you said you'd only stay there for a few weeks."

Hayato stayed silence, before laughing, before apologizing profusely, in which Tsuna hastily put an end to with a shrill and desperate pleading of, 'Hayato-kun it's really okay! I was just wondering when you'd return—you want to what to what mountain? No! I'm not mad—Oh my God Hayato, stop banging your head on the ground!'

After much distress and cajoling, Tsuna heaved a breath of relief, before smiling softly, hesitant. "Hayato-kun . . . is there something you're not telling me?" He tried to say it as gently as possible, but the words sounded frantic and shakily delivered to his own ears.

Hayato was quiet for a few moments, before apologizing. "Not of anything significant, no."

Tsuna bit his bottom lips and placed his right arm on his lap his left clutching the phone tightly. Of course Hayato wouldn't just come clean with him. The other was fiercely overprotective of him after all, (to the point that it was bordering on the edge of insanity) so it was obvious that Hayato won't just be honest with him and tell him of his dark connections with the criminal society. But the lie still stung, even if the reason he kept it a secret was to protect him.

Tsuna smiled. "Okay Hayato-kun; I'll wait patiently for your return." With Hayato enthusiastically bidding his goodbye, Tsuna ended the call, briefly surveying his phone, before switching his gaze over to his desk, where the files were neatly stacked on top of each other.

Tsuna grimaced. Just what had he gotten himself into?