Chapter Text
Cunning, Suave, and dangerous, this is the closest descendant of the Emperor. Renato Sinclair.
A man who had not clawed nor fought his way to the top but owned it with such familiarity that no one dared to threaten nor question his position there. In fact, it was believed that even if Renato had been born into a favorable position, he could have been raised by a peasant’s hands and still exuded the power of a royal blessed by the heavens.
Even as a child, his presence imposed such a soul-crushing pressure that it forced anyone near him to understand that they were wholly unworthy of existence; compared to his effortless illustriousness, others could only be filled with the incalculable shame of their own shortcomings. It felt embarrassing to even exist in his vicinity.
Thanks to his position, Renato was quite the honest child, free from the constraints of worry and accountability. Due to his high intelligence and ever-present confidence, he would always freely- accurately - judge anyone he deemed foolish. Which would be almost everyone he came across.
This, of course, did not help him build a favorable reputation for his future endeavors, but who was he to worry when the world was in his hands? His parents were brilliant in the language of business and prosperity, so he would never have to fret about having nothing. The Emperor had no offspring nor any other family to speak of that would threaten Renato’s position for the crown.
None was as lucky as he.
Until he wasn’t.
There was dark speculation that haunted his shadow when his parents passed, where people believed it was Renato who had orchestrated it. The darker- the harsher- whispers told stories that it was Rentao who had killed them himself.
Due to the eyes on him, in accusation, fear, and envy, Renato had to grow into a man at just 9 years old.
Suddenly, he could no longer afford his brutally indiscriminate statements, his cockiness, his freedom.
Even if he was still the second most important person in the country, Renato knew it would be foolish to parade around flaunting his authority as he had. Especially since assassinating an orphaned boy, whose once prosperous house was expected to fall to ruins, seemed very easy. The Emperor would never dare appoint a weakling to power, after all.
Thus, he left behind the young boy, Renato Sinclair, and became Reborn.
With his own hands, Reborn had rebuilt his parents' business, not only preventing the House of Sinclair’s awaited downfall but propelling his family’s name into greater prominence.
With his effort alone, Reborn rebuilt his reputation and became strong yet unassuming, charming yet modest, intelligent yet amicable, and overall deceptively harmless.
Naturally, a few nobles could see past his clever disguise and understand the apparent threat Reborn still posed behind his otherwise easy persona. Still, even they were smart enough not to make their displeasure about the golden child of the Empire known.
If not for his many merits as the youngest Grand Duke in the history of the country of Vongola, Reborn was also renowned for his seemingly boundless and graceful patience. The rumor going around nobles was that it took a lot for the Grand Duke to get angry; however, anger was not his only elusive emotion. Seeing Reborn expressing anything other than his calm yet poised smile was almost impossible. You could see him getting yelled at, fawned over, insulted, even praised, and Reborn’s expression would stay the exact same. Some even consider Reborn too easygoing or airheaded, but they have never noticed the sharpness of his smile, something calculating and dangerous.
The only person who seemed to mean enough to Reborn for him to show his genuine emotions was a kind woman named Kyoko Sasagawa. She was the type of person to part ways with her most precious possessions if it meant someone could live more comfortably. Someone who would spend hours of her day hard at work if it meant she could make someone's life easier. Early into their relationship, before Kyoko could feel comfortable asking Reborn for help, Reborn once caught her with hands littered with cuts and bruises just because she firmly decided to learn to make a scarf just in time before winter for a poor family she met weeks prior; the family had a sick daughter and not much to their name.
Kyoko would have preferred to use money to help them- however, she was not afforded that luxury at the time. Her biological family would barely feed her, let alone offer an allowance. The only thing she could do was make a scarf, so that's what she did. Even if it meant hurting herself, knowing she wouldn’t be healed, she wanted to help.
Kyoko Sasagawa was beautiful inside and out, and she deserved the world if Reborn could give it to her. She didn't deserve the continued harassment of the man across from Reborn.
“ Grand Duke? ... Is there... What did you,” A cough, “What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?”
Reborn didn’t bother answering the question, instead deciding to take a sip of the freshly grounded coffee the maids had brought in an hour ago. After using some of his sun magic to heat up his hands slightly, the beverage became delightfully warm enough to fully enjoy the bitterness of the grinds. He listened as the rustling got more agitated before the silence was broken once more.
“ Forgive my impudence , but we have been sitting in silence for a while . I am very busy with other plans, being the Marquess of the house of Sawada,” There was the so-called subtle posturing, “And if there is nothing you should want from me, I should get going.”
“Marquess Tsunayoshi Sawada,”
Immediately, the young man across from Reborn flinched in his seat, sitting straighter and clenching his jaw.
Reborn regarded the other with a passive stare before continuing his sentence, putting his cup down as he gracefully crossed his legs. He adjusted his pristine white gloves as he spoke, “It has come to my attention that you have been acting out again, which concerns me. Perhaps you misinterpreted our last conversation?” Which couldn’t have been the case. Reborn was very clear on how he expressed his wish for Sawada to stay away from Kyoko.
Sawada swallowed and, to his credit, did not grimace or scowl at Reborn's words; he did, however, clench his fists so tightly they began to shake slightly.
“I was under the impression you agreed to improve your image, or does your reputation truly mean so little to you?”
“My reputation is fine,” The man across from him said curtly, his voice on the edge of quivering.
Honestly, Reborn expected the other to have already thrown a tantrum by now; he was as annoyed as he was impressed with how much the other was holding back; he continued nevertheless, “Is it? I can’t imagine sending a young maiden the corpses of dead game is any way to uphold an honorable reputation,” Reborn leaned back in his chair and relished in the way Sawada’s jaw clicked, “I do implore you to be careful. If the favor the older nobles have with you dwindles, it won't only be your reputation at stake. And they can be very fickle when need be.”
“Are you threatening me, Sinclair?”
Ah, there it was—the drop of honorifics. Sawada always thought himself too great to need to use honorifics. Even now, in the presence of a grand duke with closer blood relations to the emperor, Sawada saw himself higher.
“Do you think yourself smart enough to understand such a threat?” Reborn asked lightly, reaching for his coffee again as the young Marquess gasped, affronted.
It seemed that was enough to spark rage in him. Good, he needed Tsunayoshi Sawada to be his usual self if this were to work.
The Marquess shot up from the couch in a flurry of aggression, “You watch your tongue.” Sawada hissed, face twisted into quite the ugly sneer.
It took an hour, a few minutes if you exclude the moments spent in silence, for Tsunayoshi Sawada to break character. Either way, it was a new record. Have the Sawada staff finally tried to teach him manners? Or perhaps, the Marquess himself deigned to try at least and act more appropriately. Apparently, the Marquess could be very charming when he wanted to be; maybe it was just Reborn who had the honor of witnessing such misconduct.
“I shall do as I please.” Sawada swore, voice climbing higher into his standard octave, still quite more composed than usual, “That whore deserves any treatment I throw at her.”
The distinct yet delicate clink of the tea cup connecting with its saucer immediately shut the angered man up. Slowly, as if knowing what was to happen next, Sawada backed up as far as he could before Reborn slowly stood.
It was graceful, the way the Duke rose to full height, almost methodical the way his body unfolded and stretched. Had it not been for his look of pure rage, Sawda may have been enraptured rather than deathly frightened.
“You will not speak of her.” It was as much of a statement as it was a warning. The words held so much authority that the Marquess’ legs actually began to tremble as if they were burdened by the weight of power thrust upon them.
Sawada, flustered yet refusing to yield, floundered for a response.
Then, startlingly, a polite smile crossed Reborn’s face as he raised a hand, a silent request for the maid in the corner of the room to hand him something.
Sawada felt ill as he stayed stuck under the cold gaze of the Grand Duke, waiting with sticky dread as the maid placed a golden embellished shotgun sitting on a velvety pillow into Reborn’s awaiting palm. The maid backed away again, and Tsunayoshi Sawada felt like he could cry.
“You must be crazy…” Sawada quivered, tears collecting in his eyes as he watched Reborn idly trace the engravings on the gun with his gloved hands.
“Worry not, Lord Yoshi; this is a gift,” Reborn explained, delighted in how the Marquess kept his eyes trained on the gun with the paranoia of a scared animal.
“A gift?”
“For you,”
Reborn held the gun out carefully, keeping his smile appropriate even as he reveled in the intense flinch his sudden movement triggered.
The Marquess hesitated before accepting the gun with great apprehension, his bare hands shaking all the while.
“I understand you have another hunting party later this afternoon. Please understand that this meeting was not to threaten you but to persuade you to rethink your actions.” Reborn explained, waving the maid over again to offer the collection of bullets paired with the weapon, “With this gift, I ask you to refrain from harassing Lady Kyoko.”
Sawada appraised the gun silently, peeking at Reborn occasionally as if making sure the Duke wouldn't attack without notice. The Duke found it hard to balance the joy and agitation of seeing the fingerprints left all over the once shiny metal due to Sawada’s innate ability never to wear gloves. It was precisely what he planned for, though; if the Marquess had decided to wear gloves, the poison that was laced on the metal would have never worked.
Then, after stewing in his trepidation, Sawada finally spoke, “If this was all you wanted to do, you could have made this much easier by just giving me the gun upon my arrival.” He sneered, though noticeably with less brashness.
“I simply wanted to enjoy one another's company before we got into business,” Reborn said simply, “I enjoy the peace silence brings, and it is rare for you to meet me without yelling.”
“I would not have to yell if you were not so incompetent!” Sawada accused, slowly regaining his confidence as he elected to ignore Reborn's earlier show of dominance.
“I’m impressed. Have you expanded your vocabulary?” The Duke sat himself again, smiling politely with an ounce of haughtiness.
“You dare insult me?” Sawada screeched, brandishing the gun and aiming it at the duke.
In response, Reborn merely took another careful sip from his cup with an air of complete calmness, “I would think shooting the Grand Duke in his own home with a gun he gifted to you would paint an unfortunate image on the paper.”
Effectively bristled, Sawada lowered the weapon, snatched the bullets from the maid none too gently, and marched out of the room, “You best learn how to behave next time we meet!” He yelled, slamming through the door and blundering around until he exited the building entirely.
“He was quite erratic, wasn't he?” Reborn asked out loud, smiling in the Marquess’s absence as he carefully discarded his gloves.
“Quite,” The maid agreed, bowing her head before leaving the room.
The Grand Duke closed his eyes, listening as the servants gossiped about how manic Sawada acted and enjoyed the rest of his coffee.
Later that evening, the paper revealed that Marquess Tsunayoshi Sawada had an accident while hunting.
The paper read, “The Marquess of the house of Sawada had unexpectedly passed away during his hunting party late this evening. Many guests recount how manic the young Lord seemed to behave, and many witnesses claim he acted increasingly more erratic before he finally collapsed. Unfortunately, even with healers on the scene, they could do nothing to save the young Lord. The house of Sawada will hold a memorial sponsored by the emperor later this week. May Tsunayoshi Sawada rest in peace, and the empire’s condolences go to the House of Sawada for their unexpected loss. Glory to the empire.”
Reborns only response to this news was a cryptic smile.
-
‘Reborn: I will be happy this time!’ A web novel that has been running for at least 20 years now, the only source of Tsunayoshi Sawamura’s happiness, and the single most arguably important piece of fiction to exist. The novel was a fantastic story of determination, love, and hope. No one could possibly read it without feeling a sense of inspiration.
Tsunayoshi himself, however, was quite the pitiful man. Being 26, well-known, and employed for well over 5 years, one would think he had quite a happy life. This could not be further from the truth.
With a sparse apartment, besides the few clothes in his closet, an even emptier fridge, and no friends to speak of but more enemies than he could count, Tsunayoshi had little to nothing to his name. The only thing that was his - was this web novel.
Unfortunately for Tsuna, the last chapter is coming out tomorrow. It was all Tsuna had been thinking about all day since he first woke up. He couldn’t explain how excited and sad he was to see this story end. To see his story end.
He practically grew up with the main protagonist, Kyoko Sasagawa. He was even the same age as her in the beginning chapters when he first began reading, finding she had the same emotions, problems, and thoughts . He found salvation in her strength, watching her deal with similar issues with so much determination and optimism that it motivated him to keep going.
This next chapter will be the ending of a long journey. Kyoko will finally marry the male lead- to the dismay of her unintentional harem- Renato Sinclair (or, as Kyoko calls him, Reborn). She will finally be able to achieve her happy ending. It was all Tsuna ever wanted after silently cheering for her for so long.
He would tell his mother about it after work today, or he hoped to. With his unpredictable schedule, he may have to skip this weekly visit, but he had hope.
Tsuna carefully sidestepped past the bodies moving around each other in a chaotic demonstration of grace and balance, the waiters rushing around elegantly to serve each customer. All the while not missing a single step.
One of Italy’s most beloved restaurants, “Cielo Celeste,” was once again full of many patrons. Many influential people place their eager reservations months ahead to snag a table for themselves.
This was one of the most prestigious restaurants to the public, withholding five Michelin Stars for decades and constantly receiving millions of praising reviews.
To every waiter and chef, this was a battleground, figuratively and literally. Every move, every word, every single decision, and every movement mattered. Not just anyone could handle working here; it required total concentration and commitment to withstand the various heavy demands that the job required daily.
Because of this, the owner would only dare to hire the best of the best, and even then, there would be a few weak-willed stragglers who couldn’t handle the pressure. As the owner had once said to each of them the second they were hired, this was their place of rebirth as much as it was their grave.
To Tsunayoshi, who had to survive growing up in nothing but chaos, this place was nothing less than home.
He carefully opened the kitchen doors with his hip and scurried to the back of the room to put away the dishes he had gathered.
“Sawamura-san! You’ll take half my tables again today, right?” A waitress rushed into the kitchen area, where Tsunayoshi was just about to get off, “You know which ones.”
The brunette perked at attention, halting in his movements to turn to his disheveled co-worker and mentally deflated. He planned to visit his mother's grave early today since he wasn’t working the night shift, but since he only had a handful of tables to take over from his coworker he’s sure his mom wouldn’t mind him arriving later than usual.
“On it.” Tsuna eventually smiled, placing the empty plates he had collected earlier into the sink; he had decided to help the new busboy, seeing as he was newly hired and had recently started realizing where exactly he was working. Poor guy was beyond overwhelmed.
It was a common occurrence, though, talented people waltzing in for a job brimming with overconfidence only to be wrung dry the second they saw just how demanding this place was. Tsuna only hoped this busboy would last the week. Sure, they had a plethora of people on a waiting list to fill in any and every spot they could, but it was heartbreaking to see another person leave much less confident than when they arrived.
“Did you get any of their orders yet?” He asked, making sure the apron around his waist was tied tightly.
“No, not yet.” The waitress, Nanami, a fellow Japanese immigrant, hastily wiped her clean gloved hands- which triggered Tsuna to check his own white gloves for any dirt- on her apron in a nervous habit before swiftly walking to collect the food her tables ordered, “Thanks, Sawamura-san.” She said flippantly as an afterthought before re-entering the dining area.
“Don't worry about it,” he said softly, sparing himself one glance in his blurred and warbled reflection of the metallic wall paneling, and followed after the waitress into the dining area.
He was accustomed to not leaving on his “designated” time. As a veteran waiter, being one of the longest working on the crew, he was the most leaned on. Whenever his co-workers were notably busier than usual, they’d ask Tsuna to take some of their hours- but not their payments. Initially, he was flattered to be trusted and reliable, but now he couldn’t help but feel burdened to be so depended on.
It was all a little funny, considering he was almost always the biggest klutz and the most forgettable adult he knew. But, somehow, every nervous bone in his body turned into confidence the second he clocked into work, and soon he was the longest-lasting employee.
Even though he was infamously slow, even his high school teachers could attest that Tsunayoshi learned faster than anyone else here to survive.
He knew that one mistake in this job could very well equal death; the boss had even thoroughly warned them before they were employed. However, compared to surviving on the, quite literally, unforgivable streets or in the only place that was willing to hire, he chose the work.
This restaurant served many wealthy businessmen and celebrities alike; however, once the night fell, it was well-known the restaurant became mafia territory. Only the most trusted waiters were allowed at those times, one of those waiters being Tsuna.
Unfortunately, since Tsuna was attached to the surname ‘ Sawamura,’ he was often harassed and attacked by said mafia men. Fortunately, his pay was nice enough to compensate for it and keep him alive until the next check.
The only perk of having such an important father in the mafia was that the harassment never went further than light maiming; the curse of who his father was, was that the harassment was done in the first place.
Sadly, no matter how hard Tsuna worked or how trusted he was, he’d never be treated as a treasured employee. Which, the brunette deemed, was incredibly unfair, seeing that he didn't even know who his father was, and yet somehow everyone else knew and felt they could condemn him too?
The most Tsuna knew was that his father was in one of the most significant mafia operations in Italy, which is why his Mother came to this country when she heard of her poor health conditions. But when she arrived, there was no father to welcome them; when his mother struggled to fit in, there was no one to lean on for help; when they struggled to find their next meal, there was no father to chip in, and when she eventually died the moment Tsuna turned 9 there was no loving father to take him in.
Tsuna couldn’t count on both hands the amount of bullying he was subjected to throughout all his years of school, from schoolmates to adults alike. As proof of his suffering, he had several scars littering his body and a plethora of broken items that he was so attached to that he couldn't bring himself to throw away. He couldn’t even find solace in his orphanage as he was met with another round of hatred from just about every single person he came across.
There was only one person who showed him an ounce of kindness, and that was a beautiful older woman by the name of Bianchi. Who, as he later found out, incidentally shared the same name as someone in his favorite webtoon. She owned a small restaurant across the street from the orphanage he was forced into. She was the only one who would help Tsuna out when he was beaten so severely he couldn’t stand, when the orphanage’s staff starved him, and when he had to clean his mother’s grave multiple times from being defaced. She allowed Tsuna to start working in her restaurant, behind the scenes, and under the counter, just so he could make some money to survive.
She was also the first one to actually tell him about his father.
As he already knew, he was a man of the Mafia, but what he didn't know was that his father was commander in chief of one of the worst mafia families in Italy. The man committed extremely horrendous acts against anyone who crossed his path in an egregious abuse of power, which created many enemies who now sought justice in making Tsuna miserable. Bianchi herself was not exempt in the hate, but she never once directed it anywhere toward Tsunayoshi, and for that, he would be forever grateful.
More importantly, she even introduced Tsunayoshi to the web novel that arguably saved his life, ‘ Reborn: I Will Be Happy This Time.’ She had let him read it on her phone whenever he was on break or hiding out from whoever decided to mess with him that day.
Thus, it was a tragic day when, just as Tsuna graduated high school, Bianchi disappeared inexplicably. She just packed up and left.
Tsuna had asked around to whoever would listen and searched as far as he was able to find even the slightest trace of Bianchi, but there were none.
It had hurt, more than hurt; it nearly broke him after he accepted she would not return to the empty building she once housed. The one person who he deemed his haven, would he— could he even find someone else who would be as kind to him as she was?
The only thing Tsuna had to remember her by was a phone she left for him, with the web novel downloaded, and a note that read, “May you find happiness, stay strong.”
But as it was, finding happiness in Italy with an infamous last name connected to a hated man made things incredibly difficult for the young brunette, but he managed. He had to.
Tsunayoshi Sawamura, already condemned for the sins of his horrible father when he was just a toddler, wouldn’t have survived had he not struggled every day to live. And if Kyoko, who was also wrongly accused and harassed every day of her life for being born into the wrong family, found happiness around people who found purpose in her, Tsuna could too.
Maybe that's why, even if this job was taxing beyond belief, Tsuna fought to stay here; because even if people came and went, he would never truly be alone. He could be trusted here. He could be a part of something. He could have a purpose, just like Kyoko.
Here, on this “battlefield,” 26-year-old Tsunayoshi was reborn.
“Good evening, I'm Tsunayoshi; I’ll be your server today. May I ask what refreshments I can get you?”
-
After another tiring day of working past the regular closing time, not being able to say no to every coworker's request to take their tables, Tsunayoshi was dead tired. Every muscle in his body creaked and strained with each slight movement he made as he pathetically walked down the back roads and past the abandoned lots leading up to his small apartment.
He had been overcome with the worst luck the second he clocked off, and it piled on to his growing migraine and dwindling mood.
For instance, it was almost a little funny, if not horribly sad, that the exact moment he exited from the back doors of his workplace, he tripped over the air and into a dirty puddle, ruining his last good suit and last pair of clean gloves.
He had wanted to dress up nicely to visit his mother's grave, but now that idea was thoroughly squashed out of existence.
Moreover, to make matters worse, he forgot to bring a jacket, and he lost his train card again for the third time this year. Though he would be more than willing to walk the 11 miles to his mother's grave, his body would not let him trudge all that way in the cold weather. It took everything in his power not to collapse now.
“I'm sorry, Kaa-san, you'll have to wait another day for me.” Tsuna whispered to himself sadly as he shuffled forward, “Your son is pretty useless, huh?” He said, with a small smile that warbled into a soft sob as he shivered, “Ahh, I'm really tired…” He sighed, his footsteps stuttering as pain shot up his sore spine.
Everything today just felt so… awful. More than usual. He felt especially frustrated with himself and his body. Every time he looked in the mirror, he just saw an imposter. It was like he was in someone else's body, and it made him feel wrong.
That irritation, coupled with his horrendous luck, made his mood completely crumble.
Deciding he needed a pick-me-up, he slowly took out his phone, typing in his passcode with shaking fingers, and pulled up his web novel. He had half a mind to be disgusted at how dirty his gloved fingers were, but he couldn't find the strength nor care to take them off. He scrolled all the way down to reread the last paragraphs.
“Kyoko, find happiness through me.” Sinclair smiled softly, a touch of his usual arrogance slipping through even though he was trying his best to appear as soft as possible.
Kyoko puffed a soft laugh through her tears and brought her hands up to cover her mouth in shock, “Reborn…”
The man, her stoic and untouchable childhood friend, kneeling before her had been there for her through everything. When her mother disowned her and left her on the streets at seven years old, he helped her find someone kind to take her in. When her peers bullied her, he was the first to step in and help her reputation. He was the reason she found her most cherished friends. And when the infamous Yoshi Sawada targeted her, he helped support her when everyone turned away.
No matter where she turned, Reborn was there to wipe away her tears and bring a smile to her face.
As much as she wanted her own happiness, she wanted him to find happiness too.
So, of course, the only thing she could say was…
And that's where it ended.
Tsuna was torn between loving that there were more chapters to come and upset that he had to wait so long.
There was a part of him, a small piece of Hope underneath years of pain, that believed that he would find happiness the same time Kyoko would. Sure, he didn't have a Sinclair, but he had a Bianchi for the majority of his life and that had to account for something.
It was admittedly a little pathetic to compare his whole life to a work of fiction and expect a similar whimsical happy ending, but Tsuna didn't ask for much in his life. He never complained, talked back, nor asked for anything that wasn't his. So, couldn’t he believe in just one thing? Why shouldn't he be able to wish for a happy ending?
“Oi! Tsuna!”
The brunette startled, the phone almost dropping from his cramped hands as an obtrusive arm clasped itself unwelcomely around his shoulders.
“Thought you could walk away like that on me?” A hot breath to his ear caused Tsuna to scrunch away with wild discomfort, bile climbing up from his mostly empty stomach.
Ah, it seems like Akio found him…
“Imagine my surprise when I was told my favorite waiter wasn’t working tonight? I missed a hot fucking meal looking for your ass, Sawamura. ” Akio sneered, his grip tightening to a painful degree that had his muscles screaming in pain.
“I told you a week ago…” Tsuna yelped as a hand clamped around his jaw, fingers pushing his cheeks into his teeth.
“ And I told you to come in tonight,” Akio growled.
Tsuna’s eyes closed at the realization, inwardly cringing. He had forgotten. T hat was the day Sinclair was hinted to realize his feelings, and it was also the day he got his shoulder “sprained” from getting slammed through a door and down a small flight of stairs.
“I’m showrry,” Tsuna managed to say, face sparking in sharp pain as his jaw fought to work against the tightening grip.
Akio merely clicked his tongue with a light shake of his head, finally releasing Tsuna and moving his body backward, “So damn forgetful all the time.” He grumbled out in a low laugh, “Don't tell me you actually got brain damage now?”
Tsuna, once freed, automatically curled in on himself unconsciously. Jumping into the defensive as he side-eyed his only getaway route, it was a very tight alleyway that led to a river right outside his complex, though it would require swimming on a cold night, so instead, he mentally prepared himself for the beating. Better to be bruised and bloodied than shivering with hypothermia.
A hard punch straight into his stomach was all it took for the weak man to fall to his knees, throwing up acid.
“Fuck, watch it, you bitch,” Akio cursed, lips curling in disgust as he lifted his foot to protect his expensive leather shoe.
Tsuna was unable to choke out an apology as said shoe came crashing down on his skull and shoving his face straight into the vomit-covered asphalt. The sudden assault sparked a sharp pain all over his head, his nose flared with a burning numbness, and he prayed it wasn't broken. His mouth instantly filled with blood, and he couldn’t even feel grossed out from being in his bile over the feeling of the heavy stomps traveling around his body, covering every area with bruises that would last for weeks.
His back felt like it was aflame with needles.
His fingers were snapped.
His shoulder popped.
His legs ached.
It hurt.
Everything hurt.
His teeth felt like they could be broken, and he was certain he bit his tongue somehow.
The only blessing was that Akio was alone today.
That was the only blessing Tsuna was allowed as his consciousness blinked in and out during the tirade. It was unknown how much time passed, but soon enough, Akio finally stopped stomping on his broken body.
“Shit, so fucking pathetic…” the other man muttered in disgust.
Tsuna, although offended, had to agree. How pathetic he was. Always getting beat up for something he couldn’t control and never being able to fight back.
Tsunayoshi stayed curled up for a while, waiting for any indication from Akio’s breathing or movement that he wasn't done with the beating, but all he heard was the other man's ragged breath.
Still, though, even if Akio was done, his body refused to unlock from its protective position. His muscles were locked in fear.
“Annoying…,” Akio continued to grumble, and Tsuna heard the man rustle in movement before he continued talking to himself, “Got his vomit on my shoe, fuck. I don't need another fucking reason for the boss to shit on me.”
Obviously, Akio was sorer than usual tonight because he got reprimanded again. Tsuna winced inwardly, afraid that would warrant more kicks to his body since it would mean Akio would be more unhinged in his harassment. He prayed not. He was much too worn and weak; if he had to handle anything more, surely he would pass out, and it was hard enough to stay awake.
Then, something unexpected happened.
Akio stepped away from him, making a disgruntled noise.
“What the fuck are you looking at?” The aggressive man yelled.
Clearly, whoever he was talking to didn't respond, as all that followed was silence and Akio’s fidgeting. Maybe it was one of the residents who lived around here? A bunch of ex-mafia guys or men who got dishonorably discharged from the military and wanted someplace to settle down in peace. They all looked big and scary to Tsuna, but for the most part, none of them bothered him too much. Either too old, too tired, or out of the game long enough to never be directly involved with his father.
And to keep this sort of peace, Tsuna made sure always to look put together in front of them. He quickly learned that dressing nice and acting stern was a big way to earn respect around here. Anyone who acted foolishly or dressed sloppily was treated much harsher and quickly chased out of the community. None of the residents wanted a reason to have attention on them, neither from the public nor the police.
Thus, Tsuna took great care in living quietly while acting like he had much more self-respect than he did.
So, to be seen battered and bruised in front of them was truly embarrassing.
“What?” Akio repeated, tone shifting from annoyance to threatening, “Got something to say?”
“Im-Im sorry, I got lost…I was rushing and I took the wrong turn… my baby, he needs his medicine and I left it at home—”
The sound of a gun clicking was much too loud.
Tsuna froze. It felt like someone had dumped cold water all over him. This was bad. This was very, very bad.
“I'm sorry,” The woman responded quickly and out of breath with a timbre that indicated she was now crying.
“Why’do you have your phone out then?” Akio sneered, walking further away from Tsuna.
“I was.. calling for my husband,” The woman answered in between sobs.
“Yeah? I don't believe you. You were calling the cops, weren’t you?”
The baby started to wail.
“No! No, nononono I wasn't, I wasn't. I promise. I’m sorry. Please, please let me go. Don’t hurt us.” She begged, and by the way her pleas became more desperate it became clearer that Akio hadn’t pulled his gun out for show, “I’m sick,” she said, “I'm sick and I passed it onto my baby- but- but he doesn’t deserve to die. Please, please, let me save my son. Sir, please. You.. You can have all my money, my ring, take it!”
A very pricey diamond ring landed a few ways away in view of Tsuna’s vision from where his head was turned on the ground.
“Agh!” Akio grunted, “Shut the hell up already! I don't want your shitty ring!”
Tsuna felt his stomach turn in on itself painfully.
The baby's cries got louder and more distressed.
Quickly, before he had time to think, Tsunayoshi grabbed his cracked phone that had fallen during the assault and pushed his aching body up from the asphalt.
“Shut that fucking baby up!” Akio demanded, shooting the ground in front of the sobbing woman, eliciting a shriek and more broken sobbing.
“You dumb bitch-” Akio wasn't able to finish his sentence as Tsuna chucked his phone at the mobster's head.
“What the fuck!” The angry man yelped just as Tsuna waved desperately at the woman to run.
“ Goh! Ge’ ou’ o’ ‘ere!” He screamed, and even though his throat and mouth were filled with blood, it was easy to understand what he was trying to say.
The woman wasted no time and immediately broke into a sprint while Akio turned his wrath to Tsunayoshi.
“You pathetic little—” Akio cursed under his breath, out of sorts for a moment before turning back to the woman and raising his hand to shoot, “You think I still can't kill that whore?” He screamed tauntingly, “You can't stop me!”
“No!” Tsuna screamed, dashing towards Akio, willing his legs to go faster as he helplessly watched the heartless bastard pull the trigger.
Tsuna couldn't stop him from firing a second shot, but he tackled the other man to the ground before he could take a third and potentially hit the woman.
Once they both hit the ground, it was a wrestle to see who could gain control of the gun, and with Tsuna’s wrecked body, it was clear who the winner would be, which is why he needed to opt for a different approach. He didn't need to win; he needed to last.
Being draped over the criminal's back, Tsuna quickly reached around Akio and wrapped his hands around the other man in an attempt to control the gun.
“You fucking cunt!” Akio snapped, trying and failing to aim his gun when Tsuna refused to release it from his grip.
The gun fired eight times in random directions, entering and destroying the walls of the abandoned houses surrounding them. Old windows shattered, and wood splintered; there was also a faint ringing in his ears, but still, Tsuna could make out the hateful words spewing from the man's mouth.
“Fuck it! I’m gonna fucking kill you!” He roared, freeing his hand to claw at Tsuna’s face over his shoulder, “You hear me? And your bastard father won't do shit when I break your bones and tear your arms off your fucking body!”
Tsuna said nothing apart from gargled grunts and strained gasps as he fought for control of the gun, tears prickling from his eyes as Akio’s nails tore through the skin of his cheeks.
“Get the hell off me!” Akio roared, his voice deafening as he retracted his hand to elbow Tsuna repeatedly in his ribs, “Get off!”
Four more shots were fired before Akio managed to shake Tsuna off of him.
The scrawny man didn’t falter for one second after he was detached. He grabbed a handful of the dry dirt and sand he landed near and threw it at Akio’s face when the other turned in his direction. It was pure luck that his phone happened to be close enough to him so that it was easy to snatch it before Akio could recover in time.
“Ah, Fuck!” The gangster cursed, hands flying to his eyes.
Then, while his attacker was distracted, Tsuna took off in a mad sprint down the narrow alleyway he had eyed earlier. The adrenaline pumping through him was barely enough to make the searing pain in his body tolerable, but Tsuna knew that if he stopped running now, he would not be able to move again.
He hunched in on himself at the three gunshots that followed him but never once slowed down, even when he got nicked by one. Distance was the only thing that mattered now because Akio was out of bullets after all of those shots, and since Tsuna was not a very fast runner, he needed this head start. He could only pray that the other didn't have any spare bullets left on him.
Though even though he had a massive lead, he still felt his heart pounding in his chest wildly in fear when he finally heard the footsteps following him.
The river was coming closer and closer into view.
Would he even be able to swim the distance?
It would be a miracle if he survived this.
“At least... At least that woman and her child are safe,” he thinks as he neared the river. “I hope… she finds the medicine for her baby.” Tsuna thought as he pushed himself to keep from thinking about the burning pain.
A hand suddenly grabbed the collar of his ruined suit, choking him.
“The direction she was headed… she should be safe now.” Tsuna thought, not fighting back at all like he thought he should, as he was forced to stop just before the bank of the river.
“I hope she’ll be able to live a long life with her son and husband.”
He watched as the moonlight shimmered against the moving water, suddenly feeling very tired. He vaguely heard the sounds of Akio’s voice, but he couldn’t quite grasp any of the words. It was like someone had stuffed his ears with cotton. It didn't matter anyway, as he couldn't bring himself to care as to what was being said.
“I hope she and her family find happiness,”
With one push, Tsuna was swallowed by the river. The descent was slow, and the exhaustion finally caught up with him as he felt his eyelids lower. He saw the faint glow of his phone turning on with a brightness that he’d never seen before his eyes closed shut.