Disclaimer: Don't own KHR since it's a sad, sad (and unfair) world. But I wish I did.

What did they want with him?

Immediately after that question streaked through his mind, leaving behind a burning trail of panic, the door was pushed open once more - though flung would be more accurate. Hibari Kyouya strode forward with both his tonfas out, a fearsome scowl on his childish face, making Tsuna squeak in alarm.

Suddenly, the black-haired boy thrust a tonfa out at the brunet. "You."

Tsuna looked between the tonfa pointed at his chest and the weapon's owner. "Wha- What is it?"

The only way he could have ended up at this place was if the prefect had personally brought him here and it didn't make sense for him to do that only to bite Tsuna to death the moment he woke up. He couldn't have somehow managed to offend Hibari while sleeping, could he?

"We'll turn you into a carnivore," Hibari growled and if the brunet was not so taken aback, he could have sworn that the older boy was just the slightest bit embarrassed.

As it was, it took a moment for what Hibari said to click and be translated to normal terms, though it still left Tsuna gaping. He could only stutter out a surprised "W-w-what…?" in response.

Yakami merely looked bored as he confirmed, "He means that we will train you. Make you stronger."

The brunet could only stare for a few seconds, not entirely wrapping his mind around the situation. Why would they volunteer to do this for him? They didn't even know each other! They had just met not even a few hours ago that day. Not to mention, Hibari's and Tsuna's first encounter was not entirely...pleasant. He could think of no reasons why they would offer to train him.

The first question that he voiced out loud, though, was, "Do I actually have a choice?"

Unsurprisingly, the two boys answered unsympathetically, "No."

Tsuna blanched. Of course.

"But you'll give us something in return," Hibari continued.

The blue-haired boy looked unconcerned and slightly amused. "Not me. Only Kyouya's curious."

"About what?" Tsuna was growing a little interested by then.

Hibari turned away resolutely and this time, there was definitely a very light dusting of pink on his cheeks. Was… was the notoriously ruthless boy actually blushing? On the other hand, the blue haired boy was looking almost as though he was holding back laughter.

"Kyouya says that you have… answers. That you're not entirely herbivorous. Or something." He shrugged in a way that said he didn't care very much, though a small smirk was floating on his face.

Tsuna couldn't think of a response appropriate enough for that and gaped silently as Hibari half-growled, half-muttered something along the lines of "I did not say that". He sounded remarkably flustered and the brunet couldn't help it as a giggle burst from his mouth. Just a moment ago, he had been sure that the skylark was going to bite him to death and now he had witnessed something most of the town would kill to see - Namimori's Demon being embarrassed.

Said boy turned on Tsuna with the Glare of Death the moment he heard the not-quite-suppressed giggle, though after witnessing the scene just a second ago, the brunet didn't find it all that frightening anymore. Yakami was smirking with unconcealed mirth at the boy beside him, who managed to look befuddled and positively murderous at the same time. Hibari had faced all sorts of vexing situations and dangerous people but Yakami could bet anything that he had never had to deal with anyone laughing at him before - except for his best (or only) friend, of such, Yakami was thoroughly enjoying this, especially the dirty look the younger, raven-haired boy sent his way.

Finally, Hibari's mind managed to catch up to the unusual situation and he pulled out his tonfas and threatened the two boys into silence (though they were both looking quite gleeful).

Suddenly, the brunet remembered his promise to Nana to be back before sundown and realising that the room was bathed in a warm orange glow through an open, glass-paned window, he leapt out of bed. Startled, the pair both sunk into defensive positions beside the youngest boy, eyeing the window and the partially open door.

Finding no imminent threat, Hibari whirled around and growled at the wide-eyed, blinking brunet, "What are you doing, herbivore?"

"…Huh?"

"You leapt up…"

"…and scared the crap out of us," Yakami ended, though he sounded anything but scared. The skylark glared at him, obviously not appreciating the fact that he had been interrupted.

Tsuna blinked. Then suddenly, as though struck by inspiration, he declared, "I just remembered I had to go home!"

Yakami very nearly face-palmed. Hibari, on the other hand, took the opportunity and smacked a tonfa onto the brunet's head.

"Ow! What was that for?"

Glancing out the window, Tsuna realised that it was considerably darker than it had been just a moment ago. He yelped and dashed out of the room, yelling a panicked goodbye over his shoulder.

The blue-haired boy did face-palm when he heard a shriek, followed by various suspicious-sounding crashes, thuds and moans.

"Sounds like he fell down the stairs."

"Stupid herbivore."

"He wouldn't even know how to get home from here."

"Stupid herbivore," Hibari agreed.

Later that night, Tsuna sat on his bed, nursing two bumps on his head as well as several bruises scattered around his body, courtesy of a certain skylark. He inspected the small piece of paper he held in his hand, which Yakami had given him after sending him home, along with a tonfa to the head from Hibari as a parting gift.

Reading the unnaturally neat print on the scrap paper (how could someone just barely older than him have such neat handwriting?), Tsuna realised that it was directions - to the place Hibari had brought him to earlier that afternoon, perhaps? It had been an abandoned house in a rather dilapidated part of town and on the way back home, the brunet had kicked an empty beer bottle or two (and shrieked afterwards, of course) and attracted the attention of some gruff, unshaven men that looked like anything but good news.

Thinking back, he had been glad that Hibari and Yakami had been beside him. He was sure that the presence of those two had been the only reason those men had stayed away from them. Otherwise, he would never have gotten home safely, much less before sundown. How ironic was it that he felt that the two most dangerous boys in Namimori had been the ones who protected him from danger?

Almost unconsciously, a small smile made its way onto his face, and he folded the flimsy paper he held carefully and placed it on his bedside table, remembering Yakami's reminder to be there the next morning at half past nine.

As he flopped back onto his bouncy bed, Nana entered his room to tuck him in for the night. She smoothed the blankets over him and slid his eyelids shut, smiling gently at her precious son.

"Ne, kaa-chan…" Tsuna started, his lips quirking up slightly at the corners.

"Mm?" She asked.

"I wonder if… I can call them friends?"

Nana was slightly taken aback by the unexpected question and for a moment, panicked about how to answer him. Fortunately, it seemed that her Tsu-kun wasn't expecting an answer, for he had already fallen asleep, his chest rising and falling steadily, his expression somehow happier and more peaceful than it had been in a while.

She sat and gazed fondly at him for a while, before pressing a kiss to her six-year-old's forehead.

"That's great, Tsu-kun… I'm sure you can…" she whispered softly so as not to wake the brunet up, though half-wanting him to hear her answer, her promise.

Her heart warmer and her smile truer, Nana stood up quietly and closed the door behind her with a barely audible click, truly glad that her Tsu-kun had finally made friends he would smile just thinking about.

Idly though, she wondered, who were these friends of his?

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