Thump! Splash!
"Oh… what the hell…?" Tsuna muttered. "Reborn?"
The person in question, Reborn, simply raised an eyebrow. His student was frozen, staring at him as if he were a ghost, and the tone of total disbelief in his voice wasn't helping. Reborn wondered if he should hit Tsuna with his hammer again to snap him out of his daze. Why deny it? That expression of not believing what was in front of him, along with the silence, made him feel uncomfortable, and he didn't think it was healthy. No, of course it wasn't. Besides, it would be quite fun.
"Hey, hurry up. You only have five minutes until school."
"School?" Tsuna asked, more to himself than to his companion, as if the word were alien. He didn't seem in the least disturbed by what Reborn had said. In fact, he was barely paying attention, looking at himself and his surroundings as if searching for something. Strange, really strange... Was he having a nightmare about the future again? And if not, what the hell did he dream about?
"It's Tuesday, or don't you remember, Dame-Tsuna?"
Tsuna's only response was a blank stare before he looked at himself again, then at the calendar. A look of shock came over his face, which then transformed into a small smile. It was clear that he had dreamed of the future again, or something very similar, but this time there were no screams or anything of the sort, which was even stranger. Reborn considered hitting him again when he saw him run to the bathroom with that faint smile still on his face. Calm… where did the screams of fear and terror about being late go? Oh well, it wasn't his problem anyway. If he was late, he would go without breakfast, a prefect would bite him to death, and he'd be punished twice: for being late and for losing control of his family. Without realizing it, Reborn smiled—a smile that would have made anyone who saw it feel very sorry for the poor wretch who was in the sights of the world's greatest hitman.
When he arrived in the dining room, Reborn was shocked, though no one noticed thanks to his mastery of deception. He was the world's best hitman; he couldn't look scared no matter the reason or circumstance. But honestly, who could blame him? Tsuna was already sitting at the table, fully dressed and groomed as if he had been getting ready for hours. He glanced at the clock out of the corner of his eye. It had taken him two minutes. Only the dampness of his hair could confirm such a statement. However, no one else seemed to notice. Two minutes… did he just run in front of the shower?
"Lambo-sama is hungry!" "Lambo, give the food back to Tsuna-nii!"
Tsuna laughed lightly at their antics. He had really missed this. Even if they were stealing his food as if it wasn't there. He didn't want to wake up. This dream was so beautiful. He preferred a thousand times to stay here than to wake up and continue his usual routine. Here, he wasn't alone, even if his companions were nothing more than his own subconscious and imagination. But all good things had to end sooner or later. He just hoped it would be later. He really didn't want to lose this sight again. He didn't care if he was hurting himself even more. It was a pain accompanied by a slight pleasure that he desperately clung to, even if he was dying. He couldn't stop holding on to that little hope that kept him in the world of the living. But how long would this bittersweet dream last, and what would happen once it was over and he had no choice but to wake up? That question was stupid, he admitted. Of course he knew what would happen when he woke up: just like the last few years, that wouldn't change. It hadn't changed in three years, it wouldn't change now.
"Hey… are you okay?" Lambo's voice pulled him from his thoughts. No, a lie. It wasn't the voice; it was the blow from a fork on the head from the cow-dressed boy. For a simple dream, it was realistic. That had hurt. Although he tried not to show it, even as a child Lambo was, he knew he was worried. Or he'd just thrown a grenade at me.
"Yes… I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind right now," Tsuna answered, downplaying the topic.
However, the silence continued, and everyone present was looking at him intensely, which made him nervous. What the hell was going on? They should be eating as if they were in the middle of World War II, but they weren't even touching a dish. In fact, they weren't even blinking. This dream was either very realistic, or it was taking a not-so-happy turn, which wasn't surprising considering the number of nightmares he had weekly. But he was already rambling.
"...and…" Lambo ended up pointing at the stolen food, very incredulous. But Tsuna still didn't understand.
"Listen, I don't understand and I don't want to know why you are looking at me so surprised. If you're hungry, eat. Mom can give me another dish, but the fact is… I'm not hungry, so Lambo, you can keep all my food if you want." He shrugged gently and smiled, trying to be as convincing as he could.
"B-but…!" "See you later, guys!"
And with that, he went to hug his mother with great happiness. Even if this was just a dream, he would treat her like she was his real mom. He hadn't seen her in years and doubted he ever would again. With that, he grabbed his bag and left for school, with only a minute to arrive on time, leaving an entire family stunned and surprised.
"What did we miss?" I-pin muttered, confused. "...Tsuna-nii looked sad and happy at the same time…" Lambo whispered to himself, finishing his food with less desire than he started. It wasn't fun if Tsuna-nii didn't fight back, and it wasn't like he was really hungry. He just wanted to play with his older brother and cheer him up a little. He had seen him looking a bit sad.
Reborn remained silent, observing the entire event without intervention. This was new, but it wasn't like they knew him well enough to know what was normal and what wasn't. He had only been here for about four months or so. He would check his schedule later to know the exact time, but for now he would have to wait and see if this behavior continued, and what its effects, characteristics, and consequences would be. So far, all it had done was bring shock, confusion, and a hint of sadness to the family, which could only mean that whatever was causing this strange behavior would not be very well received by anyone. He just hoped his family would not have many problems adapting to him if it continued.
"...Tsuna, you really are a sweet boy."
However, no one heard those words, so accurate and true, which could say many things despite being so few, especially now. Nana smiled and continued with her tasks. She had to take the children to school later. And she also had to go shopping and maybe find something for her Tsu-kun. He looked a little down. Maybe some chocolates; that cheers anyone up, right? Maybe her Tsu-kun had fallen in love and been rejected, or something had happened with her. What a thrill! She hoped that was it so she could start teasing him about it. Nana smiled even more at the thought. In another place nearby…
"Hey, why the hell are you following me, idiot?" "Ma ma, I'm not following you. We're just going the same way." "Tsk… whatever you say, idiot."
With that, they arrived at their destination and set out to knock on the door calmly, only to stop when they saw a well-known person jump out of the window and land on their feet gracefully before gently adjusting their hat.
"Ciao-su." "Good morning, Reborn-san." "Hi." "Idiot, don't be so disrespectful to Reborn-san!"
They dispassionately watched the one-sided fight between Gokudera and Yamamoto. Though the only one who seemed to have a problem with everything was Gokudera, and he was the one fighting, often without realizing he was being ignored, let alone realizing that he was not taken seriously by almost anyone in these cases, with only the small exception of Tsuna, who always paid attention to everything and everyone, even if it didn't seem like it or he didn't understand it. However, that did not mean he knew the reason for it; no one else seemed to know either. Nor did anyone seem to know anything about the many other mysteries that surrounded him, but that was a topic for another day. Now, he had to stop them. As fun as it was to see this, they had to catch up with Tsuna. It wasn't safe to leave him alone for too long; he always seemed to find a way to get into trouble… or vice versa, Reborn thought with a somewhat sadistic smile.
"Tsuna is already gone," he said simply, cutting off the discussion in one fell swoop. And, as he had predicted, the reaction was immediate:
"WHAT?!" followed by: "What happened to make Juudaime go alone?" "Ma ma, didn't you wait for us?" Yamamoto sounded quite surprised; they usually waited for him. And if it was the opposite, he expected them. "Idiot, that's it-"
Gokudera cut himself off quickly, thinking about what could have happened to make Tsuna leave without them and, as impossible as it seemed, early. For some reason, Tsuna never achieved such a feat. It was almost always because he fell asleep or was running late, and everyone thought exactly the same thing: what the hell did they miss?
"He didn't get up early, if that's what you're thinking."
Silence. This was a joke, a very good one… right?
"...Ma ma, we'd better catch up. See you later, boy." "Hey, idiot-"
Sigh, those two would never stop fighting each other… well, at least on Gokudera's part, because Yamamoto wasn't even listening to him. With that, Reborn went into the house to enjoy his beautiful coffee and read his newspaper. They would take care of everything, and if not… well, he would do it personally. The real question was… what method of torture should he employ this time?
Meanwhile, Tsuna ran calmly, too fast to be clearly distinguished or noticed. Though perhaps the latter was more due to the fact that he avoided areas with many people, preferring the roofs of houses and dark, lonely alleys, jumping and dodging everything in his way. The reason? It was relaxing. Not to mention that he hadn't stretched his legs in what seemed like years. And even if it was a dream, he hadn't seen this place in a long time, so why deny it? He was enjoying the sensation and the view. He felt like a tourist, only it was a dream and he didn't have a tour guide. The few people who saw him couldn't help but wonder if they were imagining things or if an action movie was being filmed. The first sounded more accurate in their minds than the second. Some even wondered more than once if they needed glasses or a doctor.
This doesn't look like a dream… it's too realistic to be. But it would be too good to be true if it was real, and with my luck, this has to be a dream. If this is real, then… how and why am I here? I would be taking the place of my past self, which is technically impossible, even with Lambo's bazooka. Although, according to the date on that calendar, I'm exactly ten years ago. Which gives rise to another question: if this somehow happened with the bazooka, shouldn't I be in the future instead of the past? I don't even remember seeing the bazooka, so this is very illogical. This is just a dream that I don't want to wake up from, a really good dream. It's impossible for this to be real, but… I don't want to wake up. And that's inevitable. I'd better enjoy it as much as I can then. Now, should I act like I did when I was 14? No, what am I saying? As cruel as it sounds, I can't pretend to be something I'm not anymore, and since it's a dream, it doesn't really matter. At least I'm seeing them like this again, even if it's just a dream. I wish it was like this in real life, but I know… I know that's impossible…
"Tsuna!"
Am I so desperate that I'm imagining their voices in a dream? I'm really pathetic... He thought to himself, sighing deeply after looking around. There was no one, only a few cars passing by and the occasional trash can, which was normal if his memory did not fail, but to be totally honest, he sometimes doubted it.
For their part, Gokudera and Yamamoto could only look at Tsuna with a mix of disbelief and surprise. He was doing pirouettes and acrobatics at high speed, something too inappropriate for what they knew about him. Where were his fears and his clumsiness? He was known as Dame-Tsuna for a reason! Not only were his grades sad, his physical condition was poor in class. Because of these reasons and more, only his hair could tell them that it was really him and not someone else. It was simply too surprising. Too unreal and out of what they had been expecting. Even though they weren't sure what they had been expecting, they knew it wasn't this!
They called him, but he either didn't see them or simply ignored them. But his shake of the head indicated the former, and they had no choice but to speed up their pace, just to try not to fall behind. To be the worst in class, he was certainly fast. However, within seconds they began to feel very lost as they saw him run straight into a wall and… run through it. As if he had magnets or some anti-gravity device on his feet or shoes, much like a superhero in a movie. It was too much to take in. Maybe they were dreaming? Bam… No, they were perfectly awake, and they wouldn't bump into each other again to make sure.
It wasn't long before they arrived. A few more houses and it was over. Too bad. It felt good to run and feel the air against him, very relaxing. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, and the next thing he knew, he was surrounded by two pairs of arms in a huge embrace, feeling two very wet bodies against him. He tried to break free without hurting anyone, first because he didn't know who they were, and second because they were on the roof and he was sure whoever they were couldn't fly. If they fell, he didn't think he could save them from the blow that would come later. And third: how disgusting! He didn't even want to think that they were "wet" and that he would now smell bad during the entire class period, if he even went. He hesitated to go; it was too boring and he wasn't going to waste time in this dream on a class he already knew, thank you very much.
Unfortunately, or perhaps not so pitifully depending on the point of view, his mind went blank when he saw the people in front of him and, consequently, he remained as still as a perfect statue. Which made both boys worry, letting go of him to discover that he was still as still as before.
"Are you- agh."
They couldn't continue their sentence, because Tsuna pulled their cheeks with some harshness, something they never expected or imagined could happen. Apparently, today was not their day, they both thought. Then he ran his hands over his face before pulling his hair with an unreadable expression and his eyes as attentive as a hawk stalking its prey. He seemed to be looking for something. Suddenly, he let go of them and gave them the hug of his life, making them fall very confused with him on top. But they didn't do anything, first because they didn't know what to think and they were recovering from what had happened, and second because it was worth it to see his small smile and to see his eyes sparkle with happiness when they separated. But they couldn't think much about it because they were immediately pulled in the direction of school at a terrifying speed and force for a boy smaller and younger than them. It was scary to just think about it, but they couldn't do anything. They arrived just in time, and… Tsuna hadn't sweated a drop.
Hibari watched the herbivores and the Omnivore enter the school gates in total silence. He looked at his watch. Hm, just in time. He watched them all the way inside, but he was surprised and slightly shaken to see that the Omnivore stopped for a moment and looked at him with… total sadness and a hint of something he couldn't identify before moving on. It was only a moment, no more than five seconds, but it impacted him. Something had happened, but… the question was: what?
"Herbivores… they better take care of him," he murmured to himself. He couldn't lose one of the few who could offer him a dignified fight. If he did, oh boy was there going to be a bloodbath.
As strange as it sounds, the first thing Tsuna did when he entered the hall was to sit and lie down with his arms on the desk, ignoring the rest of the world, which totally surprised his friends and the people present in general. He didn't even bother to notice or greet any of them. Well, only Kyoko; she was the only one besides them who was here. She was also greatly surprised; it just wasn't like him. No one wanted to disturb him. He looked very calm, maybe too calm. He was probably on his way to fall asleep or in the fifth cloud because of everything they knew. The only good thing about all this was that they couldn't bother him much like this. Physically, they wouldn't dare to be there, and with whispers they couldn't do much, because he wouldn't hear them. Which was really a blessing on the one hand. On the other hand, he wouldn't hear the class, but it wasn't a big deal; they would take care of it.
They were on their way home, Yamamoto talking quietly about baseball and the next game that would be soon, which only made Gokudera grumpy. He was finishing a cigarette, for once very calm and not really angry. However, the youngest of them was with his head down and at the back of the group, even though there was free space right in the middle of the two of them. For some reason, he hadn't said a word since they left school, which worried them, but it was better not to pressure him. He would tell them when he was ready. Honestly, they didn't want to risk their luck anymore. If he didn't want to say, then he didn't have to.
"...then Hibari will be the arbiter and no one will be able to avoid it." "…Gokudera-kun… Yamamoto…"
They were completely silent when they heard his really soft, almost inaudible voice, calling them carefully. As if he was afraid to tell them something. They hoped it was nothing they believed and that at least it had to do with who it was that had given him that bruise on his cheek. He had flatly refused to tell them.
"I… am I… a nuisance?… for you?"
They immediately froze and unintentionally collided slightly with him.
"W-what-what… what gave you that idea?"
His only response was that he lowered his head more and looked away. Gokudera really held back the anger he felt; that wouldn't help anything. It would just make Tsuna feel bad, and considering that Tsuna took everything very seriously, everything would end very badly. Yamamoto only sighed internally. That nickname did nothing more than this: make him believe that he was useless in every way. He regretted not having intervened so long ago. If he was honest with himself, if it weren't for him, he wouldn't even be alive yet.
"Who gave you that idea, Tsuna?" he asked with a smile, as if it was nothing bad. He didn't think that showing how much blood he wanted now was a good idea. He'd have time to hit some guilty heads later.
"N-no one…"
However, he took a step back, making it clear that he was lying, just to protect someone who was hurting him. Typical of him. He did not like violence and much less revenge, or even taking matters into his own hands. Although the latter was probably due to the fact that people in that situation of intimidation can almost always end up in a worse situation if they try to face the abusers who torment them. But Yamamoto still had doubts; he had a lot of dangerous friends now, why not use that to his advantage? Just for a simple example: Gokudera would have no problem using his fireworks or hitting someone, or giving a good beating. Rather, he would do it with pleasure. Yamamoto frowned. Most would do it gladly, and maybe that's why Tsuna didn't say anything. Not only was he a pacifist, he knew very well that they could end up from the hospital to the grave, considering which of them, individually, would do the honors.
"Tsuna…"
He said nothing and took another step back, gently touching the bruise on his cheek. Something more than a blow. If they got the culprit, they would probably throw him halfway around the world with a punch. Yamamoto grimaced at the thought. He didn't blame Tsuna for not saying who it was now.
"...the b-boys… they told me, but…" "...But?" "...I'm sure that… it's true… you live protecting me from everything, and I can't do anything in return… I am weak, clumsy, and most of the time useless… So… why...?"
They could not do anything but look at each other before hugging him, surprising him on the spot. Boys, therefore there were several. People they know. Of course, who torments him the most? The same ones who see him every day no matter the reason!
"What else did they tell you?" "...What they always say…"
Oh, that's a delicate matter.
"Well, Tsuna, stop crying. They ruin the cuteness you have." "I'm not crying…" Tsuna wasn't even crying and it wasn't cute.
However, Gokudera didn't say anything else upon realizing his partner's true intentions: distract Tsuna, which seemed to work, because he blushed slightly and playfully hit him on the head.
"Juudaime… do you want to know what you have done for us?"
He only got a confused look, at which they could only sigh before tickling him a little.
"Hey, hahaha…" "You have saved our lives more than once…" "Every time we are in trouble you do everything possible to help us…" "So you're not a nuisance, you're our best friend!"
Tsuna just looked at them in surprise before giving them a big smile and a big hug. Maybe they didn't allay his doubts, but at least they eased his burden.
They preferred to be beaten by the demonic baby who made them see hell if Tsuna was hurt by them, before seeing that again. Even though Reborn didn't make them see hell anymore, he only talked to them for a moment before leaving. But that doesn't mean they didn't forget about that hell, although they couldn't deny that they deserved it. For some reason, Tsuna was more affected by them, his family, than anyone else, even if it wasn't serious. They didn't really understand why, but for Tsuna, it was his family first and he last. It was frustrating not to be able to do the same.
Everything was very dark, but strangely comfortable and very familiar, as if he had been here before. Which was true if his memory did not fail. But… was he dreaming within a dream?
"What am I doing here?" he muttered to himself, very confused. "Welcome, Decimo." He heard it say near him, but he could see nothing but black. This dream was becoming very strange. It took him thirty seconds to recognize the voice: "...Primo?" Which only made things even weirder.
He turned in this floating and dark void. Sure enough, Vongola Primo was there, greeting him cordially and with some joy. He nodded at his question. Tsuna felt more and more confused with every passing second. Why was he dreaming of Primo, of all things?
"Decimo, what do you plan to do?"
Tsuna blinked slowly. What the hell? Primo seemed to see his confusion and continued evenly, only a little softer:
"You are in the past, 10 years exactly, in the time you wanted."
What? The word sounded faintly in his mind, and what came out of his mouth was the same:
"...Why?" Primo only gave him a sad, slightly confused look before replying: "This was what you wanted." "Wanted?" He murmured faintly, quietly, and with difficulty. "...but I have not wished for anything…"
The blond just looked at him, slightly sad, but full of serenity and determination, with a soft but firm voice he said: "Don't fool yourself, Decimo. You want to see your family happy with you again. And the closest thing was your memories. You wanted to go back to this time, where everyone was happy."
"…"
He couldn't say anything. He really missed them. He wanted to be with them again. He wanted to see them happy and not scared. He wished he could stay in those times, but… that wasn't exactly what he wanted.
"...But this is just a dream… a really nice one… none of this is real… nothing!"
Primo didn't even blink at the small outburst. It seemed as if he had been waiting for something like this. When he finished, he sighed deeply and, ignoring what was said, continued:
"The Sky Ring has a special power, which grants a wish to its owner to ease their burden."
Burden? What burden?
"But… I didn't want anything…" "Not verbally, but your heart does." "…So I… did I ask for this?" "…Yes and no. You didn't want this, but this was as close as the ring could get."
Heavy silence. Primo looked at him with great sadness. He didn't even want to think about what his soul must really look like. Even being in the body of his past self, his soul, mind, and heart remained the same. Sigh… this was so confusing and complicated!
"Decimo, tell me something… If you had the opportunity to go back to your time… would you go back?" Primo chose his words carefully.
To return?… For what? He had to return sooner or later, but by choice?
"I… this is no longer my home… I don't belong here… not even there… but…"
Who was he kidding?
"…I would go back… just to see them… I don't care about anything else. I love them, and I'll do anything for them, even if…"
"…that means your death… I understand…"
Silence.
"You know… you're a great boss… to give absolutely everything for your family, even when she fears you… I couldn't have done it."
Tsuna blinked. What the hell, what's all that about?… Great boss… of course not, it was a complete failure in reality…
"...Just promise me one thing… Don't do something crazy without saying goodbye to them first, is that clear?"
Do something crazy? Like what, jump off a cliff?… It would be a nice thing with a parachute, and even without one I could do it and get out alive… But still, what kind of madness was he talking about?
"I…"
"Wake up, Juudaime!" "W-what-what…?"
What the hell…?
"Oh, thank God…"
Why does my head spin so much and I feel like some kind of rattle?… Why is everyone looking at me, ah, does that matter? When Tsuna came to his senses and half-understood the commotion, he realized why he felt so bad and wanted to vomit. Gokudera-san was shaking him frantically to try to wake him up. He still had him by the shoulders, but that still didn't explain his headache. And as if Gokudera had read his mind, he said a little furiously, but trying not to explode at him:
"That wretch (the damn professor) threw an eraser on your forehead for…"
Tsuna tuned out the rest. He didn't need to hear it anyway. Everyone looked at him so weird because he didn't wake up from that big bang, but frankly, he didn't care. Couldn't they have chosen another time? He was talking to his great-great-great-great-great-great, and who knows how many more greats, grandpa.
"Sawada, if you answer question 4, I will not give you an arrest for sleeping in class."
Gokudera and Yamamoto looked at the professor in surprise and anger. That was the most difficult question! And no one except Gokudera himself knew the answer. That was already for university degrees. The professor seemed extremely satisfied, as did the vast majority of the students. They knew very well that he could not give an answer to such a monstrous question, which outraged his friends. This was just a way to humiliate him in front of everyone again. However, Tsuna seemed indifferent and disinterested in all the murmurs and all the looks.
It was really a pity, he thought mockingly. I know the answer to that. The time for revenge has come… and then to sleep… if they leave me alone, of course. Yawn… how boring.
"5.007, 899."
Everyone laughed, but he didn't pay the slightest attention to them and went back to sleep. Gokudera trembled with emotion, although neither Kyoko nor Yamamoto knew why. But they noticed the same things as him: he replied with boredom, confidence, and without hesitation, as if he had done it many times, and at the same time, as if he didn't really care much. And then he fell asleep again. Before anyone could speak, Gokudera shouted the euphemism of the century:
"Juudaime gave the right answer!"
Five seconds to trigger the explosive reaction. Starting countdown… 5, 4, 3, 2, 1-
"WHAT?!"
Hell, my ears… Tsuna complained mentally as he tried to calm down and not just slit everyone's throats. One thing that had changed in him was that he hated loud noise; it always meant trouble, and he was already used to silence. Ten minutes later, after a thousand checks, to Tsuna's great amusement, the professor finally gave his verdict:
"Sawada… gave the correct answer…" He said it with great pain in his soul, as if a close family member had died.
Absolute silence and incredulous looks, except for Yamamoto, Gokudera, and Kyoko, who were celebrating in a corner, more happy than surprised. Well, they still couldn't fully digest it, but they were happy. Tsuna had beaten them. They looked at him and felt their mouths drop. He was fast asleep. How the hell could he fall asleep at a time like this? The three of them thought speechlessly, but they still left him alone.
Heh, just wait… I wasn't Reborn-san's student for years for nothing… If this really isn't a dream, I'm going to have fun rubbing the right answers in your face… hehehe, a little revenge on all my old teachers and headaches. And as an added bonus: I'll be able to give my mother a good surprise with my grades just like she wanted but I never managed to do it. But for now, I need a pillow… next time I'll bring one, this is too awkward!