Chapter Text
“Huh?! You’re not coming to the meeting?!”
Tsuna stopped playing his fighting game. He turned to Reborn, who remained seated in the chair, watching his reaction. Worse than he had imagined; in addition to surprise, he detected a hint of disappointment in the boy’s expression. No wonder. He straightened his hat, which always seemed to fall off at times like these.
The meeting between parents and the head teacher only happened twice a year; the first meeting allowed them to clarify the year’s objectives, and the second provided an opportunity to review progress. The second meeting was in two days, and after the disaster of the first one, with Nana and the teacher both turning on Tsuna, Reborn had volunteered to attend the second. He had promised him he would - and he had seen a glimmer of gratitude in his son student’s eyes.
And now, two days before the meeting, he was breaking his promise. Of course, he was disappointed in him.
“I had a last-minute change of plans,” he explained. “CEDEF assigned me a mission in Italy that falls on that day. It’ll last three days in total.”
“CEDEF?! Since when are you Too-san’s puppet? Couldn’t he have asked someone else?”
Reborn clicked his tongue. This annoyed him just as much - especially since he understood perfectly well the maneuver behind it all but explaining it to him would be like bringing their ego war into the open, and the hitman wouldn’t stoop to that level.
“Of course I’m not his puppet: he got Nono’s approval to send me. They needed a sniper for the mission, and I don’t turn down missions this important.”
The boy continued to stare at him. “So, who’s going to the meeting then? Mom has her manicure appointment, and Too-san is leaving for Italy tomorrow."
"Your father postponed his departure until next week. He'll be covering for me."
Reborn expected him to scream in horror and protest loudly, but instead, Tsuna continued to stare silently at him before turning back to his console, indifferent.
"Great, I didn't think we'd do worse than the first time; but we did."
"Don't be pessimistic," Reborn cheered him up. "It'll be fine."
"How can you know?" he asked in a monotone voice.
"Because I trust you."
Tsuna was no longer paying any attention to the hitman and returned to his video game. The adult sighed but didn't even resent him. It was his role to stay by his side to oversee his schooling, and the meeting was a tangible result of that progress. Even more so, it was crucial for the boy's future, as it would concern his enrolment at his future high school, Namimori Koko. But with orders above him, he wouldn't even be able to attend.
Reborn had disappointed him, but even more than that: he was disappointing himself.
The last two days had passed far too quickly. Between organizing his belongings for his upcoming mission and his student attending classes, it had been difficult to see him alone since. Even in the rare moments they were alone, Tsuna withdrew into himself, just as he had during the first few days of their meeting.
The hitman gritted his teeth at the grim realization. He was no better than Iemitsu.
And on the morning of his departure, Reborn got up before sunrise. The car that would take him to the airport was already parked in front of the residence. While Nana was already preparing to wish him a good business trip, he saw no sign of life in Tsuna's room. He'd been told he'd be leaving before his alarm for class, but the boy didn't seem motivated to say a final goodbye to his teacher. Nana noticed this too.
"Oh, he could make an effort! Excuse him, Reborn, I'll go wake him up right away..."
"No, leave him alone." he stopped her. "He needs to rest for his meeting this afternoon. We'll see each other in a few days."
"Yes, I see. That's very kind of you. But you can go without worrying; his father will be there!"
Yes, his father will be there. He tried to reassure himself. It didn't stop him from feeling a pang of sadness at the thought of letting things unfold this way.
The car ride was terribly long. Literally. The Vongola family's private jet was a four-hour drive away, ensuring they remained out of sight of any rival families, which gave Reborn plenty of time to lose himself in thought.
He couldn't relax for a second, Tsuna's reaction replaying in his mind. He wasn't a child anymore; he took things far too personally, all for a ridiculous meeting. Whether he was there or not, the meeting would go smoothly, and upon his return, life would resume as usual. But he couldn't forget the disappointed look on his son student’s face at that moment.
“He just appreciates your presence. He just wants to spend more time with you.”
What was he supposed to do now? This question repeated itself endlessly until they reached the runway. The mobsters were loading his belongings into the overhead compartments. The hitman was about to board as doubt weighed heavier every step.
“You've changed a lot lately, Reborn.” Yes. Far too much. If he could look back at himself three years ago, his past self wouldn’t have hesitated for a second to board the plane. Because for him, only the missions mattered.
But those days were over.
Not since the day he was asked to go to a small city in Japan and meet a troubled teenager who was the focus of his mission, before becoming the focus of his life.
“Maybe think about what could make you happy now before it slips through your fingers.”
He took a deep breath.
“Hey, Norberto,” he called to the man in front of him. “Pass me my suitcase and your car keys.”
Norberto didn’t hesitate and obeyed - after all, you don’t disobey the world’s best hitman. “Sure, what’s it about?”
“Leave without me.”
“Something you forgot?”
“No. I’m not coming.”
Norberto laughed at first, finding the joke funny. Then, the hitman’s serious expression turned to horror. “A-a-are you serious?! B-but how are we going to manage the missi-”
“No need to panic so much. I’m sending someone else to replace me; he’s already in Italy.” And Reborn drove off without looking back.
For the first time in his life, he had just abandoned a mission he had committed to. And yet, he felt incredibly light.
He checked the time. 11:17. If he drove fast enough, he could arrive at the meeting at 3:00 p.m. He didn’t linger and started the car, ignoring the commotion of the agents around the plane. At the same time, he dialled a number on the dashboard and waited for the call amidst the incessant beeping.
“Reborn? What do you want, kora?”
Damn, he was realizing more how crazy what he was doing was. He took another deep breath.
“I have a favor to ask, Colonello.”
The delayed response was too much to bear. “Is something bad wrong?”
“No, not at all.” He heard a soft sigh. "It would be to replace me on a mission."
"WHAT?! Are you kidding me, kora?!" He put his phone away for a moment, and Reborn remembered to turn down the volume when he was on the phone with that idiot. "Yes, yes, Lal, everything's fine, I'll explain later! What do you mean, replace you, kora?! Where would that take place?!"
"In Italy. Go to the Vongola mansion and tell them about the Hybris file; they'll give you all the details."
"Wait a second. Has something serious happened to you that you can't come, kora?!"
Reborn realized he couldn't stay in the dark, especially with him. He got through this awkward moment as quickly as possible: "I have to go to Tsuna's end-of-year meeting."
He didn’t have to wait long before hearing his burst into laughter so loud it nearly burst his eardrums, even at the lowest possible volume.
“That’s such a stupid reason, so typical of you, kora! And why me in particular? You could have asked someone else to replace you!”
“Excuse me, I thought you were the best shot in the region, but if not, I’m hanging up…”
“Flattering me won’t do any good, kora!” Judging by the tone of his voice, he wasn't convinced. “What if I’m not available?”
“Then they’ll manage. I’m not forcing you to do anything.”
“Let me think. How long is your mission, kora?”
“If you’re efficient, one day.”
Colonello nodded quietly. His brain must have been small, because his thinking time was just as short: “Then you’ll owe me a favor next time, Kora!” “Reborn barely had time to breathe out a thank you before that idiot had already hung up. Yes, this time he really owed him. One more reason not to miss the meeting.
And considering the traffic and the whole gang of snails he'd encountered on the road, he considered himself lucky enough to have arrived at least a little early. He parked not far from the school, halfway in the road. No time to park properly; he'd adjust later - or besides, poor Norberto would be fined in the next few days.
He left in such a hurry that he forgot his hat on the passenger seat. Oh well, he'd do without it this time too. His friend Leon was still perched on his shoulder, and that was the most important thing.
The teacher underestimated the crowd that would be there. The future of all the middle schoolers was now at stake, so all the family and friends were gathering in support of the student. Reborn made his way with difficulty through the hallways to find the meeting list.
During his search, a hand was placed on his shoulder. He came across a surprised Dino - after all, in addition to being an English teacher, he also managed a class.
“What are you doing here?”
Reborn cut to the chase: “Tell me where Tsuna’s meeting is.”
Cavallone smiled warmly at him. “On the second floor, room E-2.”
If what he was saying was true, then Reborn shouldn’t waste any more time. He thanked him quickly before bounding down the stairs. Upstairs, he encountered a few people waiting in the hallways, all silently staring at him - classmates. Leaning against the wall, Gokudera and Yamamoto sat bolt upright at the sight of the adult. But there was no sign of their friend.
"You're back already, Reborn-san?!" Gokudera exclaimed.
"Yes, yes. But where's Tsuna?"
"Mr. Oyoshio was early for his appointments and already brought him into the room," Yamamoto admitted, but from the tone of his voice, Reborn sensed something was wrong. "But we haven't seen Mr. Sawada join him yet..."
Damn it, Iemitsu only had one thing to do. There was no way he was going to wait any longer: he forced open the door to the room.
Behind his large desk, the head teacher, Mr. Oyoshio, jumped and then indignantly exclaimed in his thin, high voice: "Finally, you're here! One more minute and I would have canceled our meeting!" He took the opportunity to smooth down what little hair he had left and then greeted the adult, while the student's back remained turned. "I understand where Sawada Tsunayoshi's punctuality comes from..."
"If you knew your schedule, you'd see that I'm three minutes early," Reborn retorted. "And feel free to take other students on while you wait if you're so impatient, instead of wasting everyone's time."
The teacher fumed. And Tsuna only reacted when he heard the familiar voice. He barely concealed his surprise when he recognized him - nor his relief.
"Reborn?! What are you doing here?! And what's your mission?"
"I'll explain later," Reborn said curtly, settling into the seat, the seat reserved for parents. "And shall we get straight to the point so as not to waste your precious time?"
“Yes, of course, of course…” Oyoshio pushed his small glasses up in annoyance. “First, we need to review the facts. This meeting is to determine if Sawada Tsunayoshi is suitable for attending Nanimori Koko. For this, we'll use the evaluation form completed six months ago for-”
“I already know all that.” Reborn interrupted, and Tsuna shifted as Oyoshio grumbled again. “The objectives are simple: an average of 55 across all subjects and 60 in foreign languages. After the last evaluation, Tsuna has an overall average of 67.4; a low of 62 in physics and 72 in Italian. There's still a considerable margin for improvement…” He glanced at the boy, who tensed. But his tone softened towards the end. “…but for now, we'll accept this result for admission to high school.”
Oyoshio’s desk creaked the whole time, as he repeatedly pulled on his drawer full of files. “How…how could you know all his results…when the final grades haven’t even been handed out yet…? However, getting into high school isn’t that simple…”
Tsuna’s face fell. Reborn raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What is it?”
“His past. His behavior. Whether we like it or not, there’s more to it than just grades…”
“I agree. And nothing you’re saying contradicts that: he’s shown his progress and dedication to his work this year. So there’s no problem with his admission, is there?”
“Listen… it’s common for a parent to be blinded by their own biases and think that education is the best thing. But it’s our role, as teachers, to assess the situation for the good of the student…”
“How ironic. I’m a teacher myself.”
He slammed his fist into the desk, sending the drawer flying with a tremendous crash: all the files went flying, including Tsuna’s. On the first page was the school’s enormous stamp with “Favorable” written on it. Reborn continued with a grin: “Why don’t you just tell us why you’re beating around the bush and not giving us his admission form?”
Oyoshio had fallen to the floor in terror after his desk collapsed. This only fuelled his anger, and he stood up, indignant: “W-whatever the board decides! I HAVE the final word!! It's so stupid to bring in this incompetent student who's never been interested in studying at our school!!"
"But I've changed!" This time, it was Tsuna's turn to speak, despite his trembling voice. "I can-"
"Shut up, Dame-Tsuna! All these years, you've been a good-for-nothing, and you suddenly want to continue your studies?! You'll never keep up; you'll end up being the laughingstock of our school!"
The boy shrank in his chair, his eyes shining with emotions that threatened to burst at any moment.
Reborn snapped.
"Hey, old fogey." The tension rose in his calm but grave tone. "Stop thinking you're superior. You're only a teacher in name: you're a pathetic excuse who puts students down just to hide your mediocrity."
Oyoshio trembled with anger.
“That’s enough! You owe ME respect!!”
“And you owe my son respect.”
Everyone froze. Reborn stood up and crushed the head teacher with his full height. “Don’t think that your old age has made you more respectable: it’s only made you more senile. There have been countless cases of bullying in this school, and you haven’t lifted a finger. I don’t see you as having the right to say whether my son can go to high school. He’s made more effort than any of his classmates and is perfectly suited to the behaviour and academic level of high school.”
He didn’t wait Oyoshioto start moving again before grabbing Tsuna’s complete file. He flipped through all the pages before closing it, satisfied. “Good. 3:16 PM. Be useful and continue with your little meetings.”
Then he quickly checked that Tsuna was alright. The poor kid was clumsily wiping his face with the back of his sleeve. "You okay, kid?"
Tsuna sniffed one last time before silently nodding. His cheeks were surprisingly flushed, but he seemed fine. He still avoided looking his head teacher in the eyes.
And when silence settled over the room, they began to hear background noise outside. Too loud. Tsuna looked behind him, his face paling.
"Re-Reborn... did you remember to close the door...?"
"Obviously, you think I'm an idiot?"
"The... the door to this room is broken. It only closes half the time."
Oh.
The hitman wasn't one to back down from a challenge. With his hand on Tsuna's shoulder, he guided him ahead of him toward the exit. Or at least, the attempt to exit.
The corridor was packed to the brim. It was a miracle the old floor hadn't collapsed yet, given the astronomical number of people gathered there. All eyes were fixed on Reborn and Tsuna; adults, students, teachers. A young man exclaimed :
"Did you hear that right?! Is he Tsuna's father?!"
What?
He recalled his last speech like a movie, lingering on each word. "You owe my son respect."
Merdia. That was why Tsuna had been avoiding his gaze at all costs since the end of the meeting, his cheeks even redder than the flames of the storm. He had just crossed the line he shouldn't have.
They remained trapped in the middle of the crowd. The hitman saw Dino in the throng, trying in vain to calm things down, and in the distance, Shamal with a mocking smile. But the loudest were the newly formed fangirl club.
"Is is really his father?! He's so young! Do you think he's single?!"
"He seems terribly strict... but it's sexy."
Reborn worried about the girls' future.
In the crush, a small path opened: Gokudera and Yamamoto managed, with some difficulty, to reach them - they must have been pushed aside by the sudden gathering. No one had dared approach the duo so closely before. Their presence shielded the crowd from the snickers that might have reached Tsuna, while Reborn kept his hand on his protégé's shoulder.
“Are you alright, Judaime?!” Hayato rushed toward his boss.
However, as the latter began to gently reassure him, he suddenly froze, absorbed by a vision in the distance. When the hitman tried to figure out what was holding his attention so completely, he understood. At the top of the stairs, a tall, broad-shouldered blond man strode up, laughing so loudly that he created a concentrated circle of unease around him.
Iemitsu. Who else?
When he noticed the attention he was attracting, he raised his head and met the young boy's bewildered gaze, exclaiming, “My Tsuna, you've become popular?!”
There was no reply - and the circle of unease swelled instantly. Then Iemitsu noticed the hand on the shoulder, and his gaze traveled up the body until it met the hitman’s dark eyes. The corners of his lips tightened, but his expression remained cheerful. He no longer had the same intention as before.
"Well, well, Reborn! How quick you were! Did your trip to Italy go well?"
Yes, of course, it was inevitable. Reborn wanted to adjust his hat, but due to his forgetfulness, he simply tucked his hair back.
"You can see I didn't. Someone had to be here."
Iemitsu stepped towards them, his face dramatically horrified. "What? You mean you, the best in the world, abandoned a job you were given?"
The hubbub continued to buzz around them, paying no attention to what was being said. However, the three young men surrounding him were stunned by the news and stared at him wide-eyed - how could his kids possibly think he could have made the round trip to Italy in less than ten hours? Their suspension of disbelief was beyond comprehension -.
But more than that… was he disappointing them? Was he losing their respect?
Stop. If he had betrayed everything, he had taught himself over all these years, it wasn't on a whim.
“My priorities have changed.” he announced bluntly. “And I didn't just foolishly abandon the mission: I sent someone I trust to take it over. You, on the other hand, will have to remember yours, your priorities.”
He subtly indicated the young man at the centre of the discussion. Iemitsu's smile gradually cracked, and irritation began to rise on his face.
“Come on, of course I haven’t forgotten! You can see I’m right here!”
“Iemitsu, that was fifteen minutes ago. And with that other nutcase, that would have been more than enough to fail Tsuna and add even more pointless protocols to get him accepted into the school.”
Iemitsu forced a smile, still as stupid as ever, searching for lame excuses to justify his lack of seriousness. Reborn released the boy and took a step forward:
“That’s your problem. You had no time constraints, and yet you still managed to be late, something that would never have happened at your job. You want me to put you in charge? Then prove it to me with actions.”
Iemitsu gritted his teeth but kept his composure, nonetheless. Instead, it was his turn to lean forward, close enough that only the hitman could hear him.
“Don’t take that tone. Remember your place. You mean nothing to him.”
But Reborn didn’t lower his voice:
“Whatever I am, as you say. I won’t stand idly by if you don’t take this seriously. You chose to sacrifice yourself to your work for the sake of your family; I chose to transcend work for the sake of my family. Both choices are defensible, but we must accept the consequences.”
The head of CEDEF didn’t even try to force a smile or respond. The tension rose even more sharply once again, and this time Reborn wouldn’t back down. Things could have escalated very quickly if it hadn’t been for an unexpected intervention behind the hitman’s back:
“Is this enough of all of this noise ?!”
Oyoshio yelled at the top of his lungs in the hallway. He wasn’t speaking specifically to the two men, but rather to the group of students who still hadn’t moved an inch.
“Go back to your rooms and resume your meetings!!” he ordered, before casting a final glance at Reborn and Tsuna, accompanied by a contemptuous sigh. “You’ve worn us out, Sawada.”
Iemitsu’s eyebrows curled oddly in surprise.
However, he didn’t have time to react further before the crowd began to surge forward in fits and starts, like waves sweeping everything in their path. And amidst this commotion, Reborn and Iemitsu stood like two frozen columns, staring at each other. Neither would break eye contact first, the hitman thought.
Until he felt a slight tension on his sleeve. He no longer lingered on Iemitsu and noticed his student clinging to his arm, who was calling out weakly:
"Hey Reborn, can we go to the park?"
The teacher took a moment to register the information and then silently affirmed. Ultimately, there was no point in continuing to respond to Iemitsu and his provocations.
The only thing that mattered was Tsuna.
He no longer paid attention to the CEDEF leader's objections. He focused solely on the small hand that still held his wrist timidly but firmly, guiding him through the crowd. He walked past the blond without a backward glance and didn't feel followed afterward.
He was released at the school gates. After his silence since the meeting, Tsuna was now surprisingly relaxed: his demeanour had shifted from darkness to light. On the way to the park, he explained that Gokudera and Yamamoto had to wait their turn for the meeting and that they had arranged to meet at the park once everyone else had gone through.
"It's not just the two of them, either." he continued cheerfully. "There's also Chrome, Kyoko-chan, Haru-chan... Everyone, actually. Even Hana will come. We were planning to go to a restaurant tonight to celebrate the end of the year together. Will... will you come with us? Even if it wasn't planned, I'm sure no one will mind!"
Reborn didn't object. With his puppy-dog eyes, it was going to be incredibly difficult to refuse his requests in the future.
They slowly pushed open the park gate. The green space was still empty because, in the middle of the week, no children were crowding the grounds. Tsuna took the opportunity to leap onto the only available swing while Reborn settled onto the bench nearby. Still clutching the file, he took advantage of the quiet to leaf through it thoroughly.
"Since you were talking about waiting at the park, why didn't you at least wait for Gokudera and Yamamoto before going there?" the hitman asked.
"That's what we planned!" Sawada replied nonchalantly. "But no one would have left us alone if we'd waited for them there."
Ah, right. All those kids had swarmed around them like a beehive, and it wasn't hard to imagine that even once everyone had been put back in their place, they would have been drawn back to them the very next second. And this time, Reborn had only himself to blame.
He buried his face in his hand as he plunged back into his memories. If he hadn't spoken instinctively… if he had held back those words…
He sighed:
“Sorry. For all this mess.”
Tsuna thought the world was ending, as he started checking the surroundings to see if a meteorite was about to fall on them before replying:
“Did the journey make you sick?” he worried, before catching himself when he received his teacher's dark look. “You never apologize! And you love to cause trouble!”
“I don't cause trouble: I put you in different situations so you can learn.” Reborn clarified, a nuance only him he could grasp. “But this time, there was no lesson. Just… a mess, because of my stupidity.”
“What stupidity?” His student stared at him with confused eyes. Not for a moment did he detect any resentment. Reborn swallowed hard. Bringing this subject up explicitly wasn't easy.
"To have acted and spoken so... impulsively." To call you son. He exhaled, and seeing his expression, his student understood. "If I had been more explicit from the start and hadn't let the situation escalate, we could have avoided all this drama, especially with Iemitsu."
"...what was the problem?" Tsuna's voice grew lower.
"Have you reverted to Dame-Tsuna so you don't understand? That's not appropriate for you. Never mind my values..." And even less so my feelings. "...I'm just a teacher, and I don't have to impose anything on you. That's all."
Ah, there he was, starting to stammer. But the words refused to leave his dry mouth. The swing creaked more slowly, and the silence grew heavier on his shoulders.
“‘Impose something on me’, you say…” the boy murmured, gazing thoughtfully at the sky. “Were you worried about imposing something on me?”
Before waiting for any confirmation, he left the swing and walked toward the adult. Backlit by the light, Reborn couldn’t make out his expression, but when he stopped directly in front of him, there was no trace of anger or rejection. His face was calm and peaceful, like a cloudless sky. A soft golden aura surrounded his entire figure, and a fleeting orange light illuminated his eyes.
“You didn’t force me into anything,” he confessed softly. “From the beginning, you’ve always had crazy plans, and I haven’t had a single moment of rest since you’ve been here: yet I’ve never felt so happy. But more importantly, you believe in me and stay by my side, even when I’m pathetic. That's why I was disappointed when you said you weren't coming. But in the end... you even turned down a mission just to attend the meeting. At that moment, I…”
Tsuna stopped mid-sentence, his cheeks once again turning the bright red they had been when they left the room. He continued: “At that moment, I was happy when you called me like that. I really was.”
He took one last breath. His smile had never been so dazzling.
“So… thank you, papà.”
Reborn was speechless. That was it, a bomb was about to explode in his chest.
If he continued to hold that loving gaze, his hand began to caress his sideburns. Damn, nothing had prepared him for this. Not for this declaration, not for this surge of pride, even joy, rising within him.
Not for having left that fucking hat in the other car.
"Reborn, are you blushing?"
Tsuna remarked, half-surprised, half-joking, but never mocking - which was even worse. Reborn froze for a moment before trying in vain to hide behind his hand:
"Absolutely not. Don't be silly."
"You know, it's okay, it happens to everyone. To me too." Tsuna reassured him.
"I told you to shut up."
The boy continued to laugh as he sat down obediently next to the hitman. When he could no longer feel the intense heat swirling around his face, he turned back to Tsuna, who had been staring intently at him the whole time.
"I'll point out, unnecessarily, that you already have a father."
"Yes, of course," he stated calmly. "But nothing is stopping me from choosing you! I choose all my family members, you taught me that yourself!"
Reborn didn't even try to argue; the boy was far too proud of his retort - and, exceptionally, he would let him savour the taste of victory.
"I'm warning you," he said one last time. "There's no going back."
Tsuna moved closer and smiled at him. "You'd better not let me down."
Reborn chuckled. How insolent. As punishment, he ruffled the younger boy's bristling hair, who seemed amused by the teasing.
The wind became more pleasant, the silence more comforting. Doubts drifted away into the twilight sky. He didn't even notice his student son's head resting on his shoulder, because it felt natural.
He had just found his haven of peace.
Reborn closed his eyes and took a deep breath. If he listened closely, he could hear the voice of an old shaman friend whispering, "So, what did I tell you?"
But for now, he didn't have time to listen to her words. No more dwelling on things. The only thing to do now was to become the best.
Not the best teacher. Nor the best hitman.
But the best father.
For Tsuna.