A/N: Takes 5000 years to update. Sorry about that. I was like, let's get this out by Christmas. Then Christmas happened. Then I was like get this out by New Years'. And then New Years' happened. Sorry yo. And I'm not sure how to feel about this chapter. Like some parts I like and some parts I had to force myself to write for the sake of continuity. FORGIVE ME SENPAIS. Also, this chapter is so damn long. Like damn.

Warnings: OOC-ness, Cheese, and un-betaed. Probably grammar mistakes I missed too. Do tell me if you see any. Much appreciate.


Chapter 4

Tsunayoshi stood in front of them all, his arms crossed as he stood in front of the sofa and tapping his foot threateningly at the seven pets who wore - more or less - guilty looks on their faces. He pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing in frustration at the the thought of all the mopping and laundry he'd have in store for himself on a Saturday when he had to work of all days.

Imagine how pleasant it had been to wake up and find a clean kitchen, only to leave for fifteen minutes of cleaning up to see that the entire place had gone to food hell. Blender in the trash and still whirring, peanut butter and jelly splattered on the floor, the walls, the ceiling, and seven fully grown men continuing to add to the initial mess.

Needless to say that Tsuna was not a happy man.

"...I think, that we need to set some ground rules, okay?" He looked pointedly at Byakuran, who gave a noncommittal shrug. Tsuna continued, "First of all, no food fights, I don't care if you're fighting, just don't do it at the dinner table and not with food. Ever. Again."

He cleared his throat, gathering their attention. "Second, no trying to peek into the bathroom or trying to join me when I'm in the bathroom - I'm looking at you, Mukuro." he warned. The lilac rabbit just whistled innocently while Gokudera looked ready to explode.

"Bastard, what the fuck have you been doing?" The Kai Ken, who Tsuna made sure to seat on the other side of the living room, was currently crushing the seat's armrests. ...Was he going to have to replace that too?

"I have no idea what you're talking about, dog. Kufufu…" Like that wasn't totally suspicious. And yes, the rabbit had been sneaking into his bathroom while he was showering. Although a part of Tsuna wondered if he really was wandering in on accident. "It's not like I've ever had a chance to see anything, much less do anything." Or maybe not.

"Bastard-!"

Yamamoto had to hold back the agitated Kai Ken, smiling in embarrassment - like he was apologizing - and gesturing for Tsuna to continue.

The last part he knew wouldn't go very well, but...well he had to set something up. "And third, I'm giving you all a mandatory curfew at 11:00 PM -"

Hibari slammed his tonfa harshly on to the couch to get his attention. Those eyes quite clearly said that he was not pleased one bit. If he didn't phrase his next words carefully he was pretty sure he would be feeling that tonfa against his skull. "Unless you tell me where you're going and when you'll be back. That goes for any time you guys go out."

"Mmm, why?" Byakuran whined, slouching on the couch. "I don't wanna!"

A vein twitched in Tsuna's forehead. "Because-! Ugh, because I don't want you running around doing anything crazy and - and…!" They all stared at him, unimpressed.

"Says the trash who can't tell the difference between dogs and rabid trash," Xanxus snorted.

"That was only once!" Tsuna protested.

"We can take care of ourselves, Tsuna, don't worry about us," Yamamoto reassured, all while holding a snarling Gokudera away from a snickering Mukuro. "If anything, it's us who should be protecting you, right?"

He suddenly felt himself very small. Yeah...yeah he wasn't that strong. And they had a point but… He looked down on the ground. "I just...I don't want to see you guys get hurt. I-if you're not careful out there you might…" he trailed off, curling his hands into fists feeling like an idiot before looking up. "So just...just please follow them. For me?"

Mukuro gave a long-suffering sigh, eyes going past his head and staring dully at the wall, "Very well, Tsunayoshi."

"Hmph, if Tsu-chan wants it then I suppose I can leave a note here and there," Byakuran said, swinging his legs back and forth like a child.

Xanxus just huffed, rolling his eyes and walking out of the room. Hibari narrowed his eyes at him, then turned away in annoyance. Gokudera, on the other hand, "Don't worry tenth, I'll be sure to keep them all in line!" the man saluted him, his dog tail wagging happily behind him. That was his Kai Ken alright…

"Don't worry, we'll be good, Tsuna!" Yamamoto beamed at him while Enma, being ever so quiet, nodded shyly before curling up into a ball again. It slightly worried him that his ginger tabby was so quiet. He hoped the poor kitten hadn't been bullied by all the other, more aggressive pets in the house.

"Um...okay then, so uh...I left lunch in the fridge okay? I have to go to work now. I won't be back till 5, so be careful!"

"Eh? But tenth, I thought you only had work Tuesdays through Fridays from 2 PM to 6 PM!" Gokudera recited.

Everyone looked at the silver-haired man oddly. "Fufufu, such a hypocrite, calling me creepy when you're the one who memorized Tsunayoshi's schedule."

"I'm going to have to agree with Muku-chan on this one, Goku-chan. So creepy~!" Byakuran practically sang. As if he had any say about what was creepy and what was not.. .

The black dog's ears straightened and the man growled, "Shut up! I'm just worried about tenth!" He turned his bright green eyes on the little brunet. "Don't overwork yourself, tenth! I heard on the TV that you can get hurt if you're tired!"

"O-oh? Don't worry, Gokudera, it's just a one-time thing…" he said, waving his hand in what he hoped to be a placating manner. It was hard to tell what he was supposed to do around his pets as they acted like animals at times and then people another. It was...weird. And he didn't want to exactly tell them that he was doing double the jobs. No need to make them upset over someone like him.

"Gokudera's right, are you sure about that?" Yamamoto asked, his carefree eyes suddenly sharpening to something a bit more serious. "I promise I'll help, I'll-"

"No! No, you're my guests - no, my friends! It's the least I could do! You've stayed by my side for so long, stayed with someone like me and I...that's enough payment for me."

"Tenth…" Gokudera's eyes softened and before anyone could do anything, the Kai Ken came up and swept into a gentle embrace. "Please don't say such things, tenth! You're the greatest, how could you ever think otherwise?!" The hug tightened, but it wasn't really bad. It was...nice.

"G-Gokudera…? I...um...I…" He found himself turning redder by the minute the longer the silver-haired man held him. Soon enough though, Yamamoto found it fit to join in.

"You're the best Tsuna! Of course we'll take care of you!" Yamamoto added, hugging from behind. Surely enough, joining him was Enma who gingerly put his arms around the lot.

"Tsuna...we'll help you, I promise…" he whispered. Enma had said it so quietly that even Tsuna, whose ear was right next to the redhead's lips, had a hard time hearing him.

Byakuran, thinking it was fun jumped in. "I want to group hug too!"

"Oof, fuck get your damn hands off, rabbit!"

"Aw, the more the merrier, right Enma?"

"..."

Mukuro came over, nor really hugging actually just...staring at them blankly. "How cute. It almost makes me want to puke." Without a single warning, the man shoved Gokudera hard on the shoulder and soon enough, the whole lot of them fell over onto the floor, squishing poor Yamamoto in the process.

"Gah...you guys are really heavy…" the Shiba Inu groaned, struggling to keep his usual laid back smile intact. Enma apologized softly while Gokudera let out a string of curses.

"Fucking bastard! Do you wanna fight-?! Shit!" In his attempt to get up, the Kai Ken got entangled in Byakuran's leg and tripped.

Mukuro just smiled eerily at the lot. Just goes to show that Tsunayoshi's suspicions about rabbits being secretly evil were true. "Hmm? Did you hear something Tsunayoshi? It sounded like a little mouse squeaking on the floor."

"Bastard, I'm going to kill you!" Mukuro didn't pay much heed to the threat, just walking off without so much as a care. Hibari let out a silent huff and glared disdainfully at them all before walking off without so much as a goodbye. That was his chartreux alright, as aloof as ever.

"Haha, look at the doggy Tsu-chan! Isn't he funny?" the angora pointed, clinging to his arm.

"What did you say, marshmallow bastard?"

"Maa, maa, no need to be upset, Tsuna's here, let's all be friends!"

"Shut up, baseball idiot!"

...Tsuna was going to be late to work wasn't he? His eyes darted to the clock. Yep. He was going to be late. This would not look good on his salary.


It was an easy job. The supermarket was relatively peaceful and the manager was a kindly old man that he was somewhat kind of friends with. He'd always went to this store and shopped and they'd somehow become friends of sorts. So when Tsunayoshi came up late to his first day on the job, the old man simply waved it off, patting him on the shoulder and telling him to get to work.

God, he had never been so grateful. The pay was surprisingly good here and it would be enough to make ends meet for now. He might have to get a third job but maybe not one so strenuous as playing secretary or something. Jesus he'd tried interning once and with the hell it made of his life...he shuddered to think of what it'd be like to do that for a living.

"Oi, Sawada-san, mind piling up these cans up over there?"

"Oh, sure!" He picked up the box of cans from his boss, Mr. Yamashiro. He was a nice man, always so helpful and forgiving. He was getting a little old though, anyone could see that in the tired way he carried himself and the telltale grey streaks running through his hair. It couldn't help but make him worry.

Speaking of worrying… "Heya hot stuff!" Tsuna paid no mind to the wolf whistles directed his way when he bent down to pick up the stool. Those guys seemed to have nothing better to do but stare at him. He had half a mind to tell them off but he had already given his boss enough trouble. And it had only been his first day at that.

If anything, the grocery store was like the complete opposite of school. Whereas everyone seemed to either beat him up or ignore him (the latter was preferable), everyone here seemed to want to...uh… Another wolf whistle came his way and Tsuna flinched, turning around he saw a middle-aged man smiling and waving at him. He turned around and walked as quickly as he could back to the breakroom. "What is wrong with everyone here?" he cried to himself, sinking into an empty chair and putting his head down the table. Was this like hazing or something? Like harass the new employee or something?

"Tired already of everyone wanting to jump your bones?" His head snapped off of the table.

"I-It's not funny, Hirakawa-san!"

The woman laughed, "Are you kidding me? It's hilarious!" She took a piece of her hair, balancing it on her upper lip and grabbed the hapless brunet by the arm. "Heya toots, wanna get frisky with me on a hot night on the town?" What's worse is that she actually sounded like one of the guys from earlier who tried to hit on him.

"Cut it out!" he wailed, swatting her hands away. "I mean it, it's really, really scary…" He dropped his head back down onto the table. "Everyone's acting funny…"

Hirakawa Umeko dropped down into the seat next to him, slapping him heartily on the back. "C'mon! That's what people do when they see a pretty face. All logic drops and everyone's punching and scratching to get a good whiff of you." She stopped, tilting her head. "Or taste of you. I don't know how perverts' minds work."

The young student looked at her skeptically, "...And this is supposed to make me feel better how?"

"Oh well...it makes me feel better. So does me feeling better make you feel better?" Tsuna slammed his head down on the table again. "So is that a 'no' or…?" The young man groaned. "Okay, so it's a no...But cheer up, least you don't have to deal with them during the night shift." Seeing as how he didn't respond, she decided to continue speaking. "I remember when I used to work the night shift. Ugh, there was this total creep that kept checking me out and making passes. Eventually he just went into the restroom, didn't come out for thirty minutes - and you can imagine what happened in there," she jabbed at his arm, like he was supposed to laugh at this kind of creepy story.

He looked up. The dark-haired woman's eyes were sparkling with unbridled mirth. Hirakawa was a nice lady, short and stout, a few years older than him and very, very chatty. He didn't need to be a long time friend or anything for her to open up to him so easily.

"Well, then I complained to old man Yamashiro, guy hasn't come back here since." The woman shifted her eyes quickly around the room before leaning and whispering, "Don't tell anybody, but I think Yamashiro's a retired yakuza boss. Really, really scary yanno?"

"Really?" Tsunayoshi wasn't sure of what to think of that. Then he shrugged. Did it really matter either way? And he wasn't much of a gossip person. Maybe it was because he'd had enough of that for the past ten years. All he wanted was some peace and quiet…

"Yeah, the Momokyokai Clan was really, really big when he was boss. And they say that…" Yeah, Tsunayoshi just wanted some peace and quiet. No creepy customers or cruel bullies. No crazy teachers or family names. Perhaps he should become a hermit.

"And you know that crazy thing with the cars on the freeway? He was totally behind that!" Yeah...if teaching didn't work out he could run out for the hills and be a farmer. Or a hermit. Or both. The countryside sounded good to him. A few strings pulled here and there and he could finally disappear.

"Oh and I heard he has sooo many children. Isn't that suspicious?" Yeah. Not like anyone would miss him or anything. No fuss. It'd be nice. Hell, maybe it would actually work. Then maybe…

"Eh? Sawada?"

Maybe if he just disappeared, everything would be easier…

"Sawada-san?"

There were his pets to deal with though. Maybe he could take them with him? ...Nah, it probably wouldn't work. Why was he thinking about this again?

"Tsunayoshi Sawada!"

The daydreaming brunet squeaked when he saw Hirakawa so close to his face. He nearly fell out of his chair, "H-hieee! D-don't scare me like that!" He put a hand to his chest. This fast already? Must be a new record. Strangely, this situation felt familiar.

The woman puffed up her cheeks, making her seem even younger, like his age, young (His other, less enthusiastic co-workers hinted she was actually hitting thirty-one this year). "You weren't listening to me at all! Hmph, don't you want to hear what I've heard through the great Namimori grapevine?" She huffed again, before making an 'o' with her mouth, "Ohhhh, you're that age." Her smile returned with a vengeance. "Guess you're only interested in that kind of stuff right?"

Why did he suddenly fear for his life? She slid on closer to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pulling him up so they could both peek out the door. "Creeps aside, I sometimes see some pretty sharp guys running around. Pick your apple from the barrel! There are no wrong choices...at least I don't think so."

Tsunayoshi burned from embarrassment, politely plucking the woman's hand off of his person. "S-sorry Hirakawa-san, but….I don't really have the time for dating right now." Then the young man paused. "And why do you keep choosing guys?" Not like he had a problem with that kind of thing but…

"Oh? You're bi? My bad, my bad!" She promptly grabbed hls arm again. "What about that girl then? She's cute!" She looked five years older than him, was at least three inches over his head (not including the heels) and was waay out of his league.

"Th-That's not what I meant at all!" he wailed turning even pinker. "Just...why did you assume that I-?"

"That you're as straight as a circle? Uh well…" she looked at him critically, before coming upon an epiphany and smacking her fist in her palm. "It's cause you're a twink!*"

"...What?"

The woman looked at him as if he should have known what that meant. "You know Sawada...a twink!" As if saying that louder made him understand it any better.

Tsunayoshi couldn't help it, he facepalmed. Probably for the thirtieth time today. "Nevermind. Just - ugh- Honestly, I appreciate the effort Hirakawa-san, I really do but...I really, really don't have time for those kinds of things. I'll uh, tell you when I'm ready, okay?" The woman pouted again. For a second Tsunayoshi had the unnerving image of a woman with cat ears, completely flattened against her head in sadness. He fought the urge to pat the woman on the head.

He needed help.

The woman hung her head for a bit, before immediately brightening up. "Just as well then! I forgot, you're still a student right? Go work your ass off or something then. No time for boys...er girls..or both! Whatever floats your boat I guess."

"Oi, Sawada-san, Umeko-san?" Mr. Yamashiro poked his head through the door. The man gave them a slow, almost apologetic smile. "I'm sorry to bother you two on break, but can you help me with restocking some of the shelves? One of the young ones accidentally pushed some of our items over again."

"O-of course, right away sir! I'm sorry for being distracted!" The little brunet bowed immediately in apology. Hirakawa, having no shame at being caught lollygagging, just laughed.

"Yeah, yeah you caught us old man, we'll get to it." She slapped the manager heartily on the back, "Go drink some tea and we'll take it from here, yeah Momokyokai-sama!"

The old man gave her a confused look before Tsuna managed to drag the talkative woman away. Somehow, he managed to keep her grounded enough to actually do what Mr. Yamashiro asked them to do. "How did he knock over an entire tower?" Tsuna grumbled, picking up the cans scattered all over the ground. An entire 65 cans? Really?

"It can't be helped, Sawada-san, gotta make do with what we got I suppose - and helllooo, who's this?" Tsuna groaned as the woman dropped a few cans as she stood up, whirling around and nearly tipping the tower over. Luckily for the two of them the young man managed to catch it before the whole thing collapsed.

"Hirakawa-san, can we just get these cans up and-"

The woman sighed, "Sawada, Sawada, don't worry! It'll only take a sec. Besides, Mr. Whale Butt over there is harassing another customer with his presence. You're not going to stop me from doing my job, are you?" Tsunayoshi snapped his mouth shut and groaned internally. Mr. Whale Butt, otherwise known as Yoshida Houjo was a portly man. He and Tsuna got along well enough, but there seemed to be some weird rivalry between him and Hirakawa. Something to do with peaches. Or so he heard.

"Uh...okay then, I guess…" Why couldn't he shake this sinking feeling that something bad was going to happen? He rolled up his sleeves, picking up more cans and ignoring the odd looks he was getting. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he recognized a few of his classmates. He could feel himself turning pink as he heard them snicker. Ignore them...ignore them… He could hear footsteps coming towards him. Oh god, please not at work…

A hand tapped his shoulder. "Tsuna?"

The voice was too soft, too polite to be one of his tormentors. No way… Was this some sort of cosmic karma for him breaking his professor's special glass case? He forced himself to stand up straight and turn around without giving anything away. "Y-Yes?"

Enma shifted uncomfortably. He was dressed in jeans with the brown trenchcoat and matching beret on his head that Tsuna bought for him. It...suited him pretty well actually. But good fashion choices aside, Tsuna couldn't help but wonder why in the name of all that is good and holy that his tabby cat was here. "Y-You...f-forgot y-your cellphone…" He pulled out Tsunayoshi's little flip phone from his pocket. How the other even knew where he was for work seeing as how Tsuna didn't tell him completely went over his head. What really mattered at the moment, was that Hirakawa's eyes were suspiciously sparkly. This..this would not end well.

"U-Um thanks…" He took the phone reluctantly. Oh god, she was totally going to-

The little lady stepped forward, walking around the cat to stick out her hand to the timid redhead. "Nice to meet ya, Sawada's boyfriend!" She looked at him accusingly, "Didn't know he already had a sweetheart, why didn't you tell me you coy little thing you? Don't have time for relationships, my foot!" She sounded oddly triumphant, a gleam in her eyes made him shiver.

"N-No! You've got it all wrong, Enma…" The woman's eyes sharpened. "...-kun, is just a friend." **

The redhead beside him shifted uneasily, pulling the brown beret down tighter over his head, like he was hoping to disappear. A lot like how Tsuna was feeling right now actually. "I'm sorry, am I in the way…?" Tsuna whirled around to see the redhead looking up at him with the sad eyes. If anything, they were a thousand times worse than Byakuran's puppy eyes.

"No! No, you're not in the way! I'm just surprised you're here is all. How did you even get here in the first place?" The tabby cat shuffled his feet sheepishly.

"W-well, t-that's because…"

"Ah Cozart-kun! You're here early?" Tsuna nearly had a heart attack when he saw Mr. Yamashiro directly behind him. Jumping out of the way, he watched in bewilderment as the old manager patted the redhead on the shoulder. "I didn't think you'd be coming, I told you that work starts on Monday for you!"

Work? "Wait...wait, wait, what? Enma...kun," That was going to take some getting used to, "When did you apply for a job?"

The redhead shuffled his feet, uncomfortable with the attention. Mr. Yamashiro answered for him. "Ah, well, Cozart-kun here applied yesterday. And he was such a nice young man that I thought he'd be good for the job." Cozart? Did...Did cats have last names or something that Tsuna didn't know about? When he looked at Enma, he saw the cat tuck the label in his jacket in, hiding the name. Because that was not very suspicious.

Hirakawa, who had been uncharacteristically silent, stepped around the younger male and an arm around the old man. "Eh, you know old man, Enma-kun here is a bit more than Sawada's friend here…"

"H-Hirakawa-san! Don't tell him weird things!" But it was already too late, the old man was looking at them with slightly widened eyes (hell, half the time the man looked like his eyes were closed).

"Oh...I see, i see, how could these old eyes miss such a lovely connection?" Great. Just...great.

Tsunayoshi waved his hands, "No, no, we're just friends! Enma-kun is just dorming with me is all! We're just friends."

Hirakawa snorted out of disbelief. She laid a pointed glance at the silent redhead, "Oi, keep that up and you're gonna insult your boyfriend."

Tsuna stomped his foot, frustrated, "He's not my boyfriend!" His co-worker and boss just shook their heads knowingly as Tsuna continued to groan. It seemed that there were no such things as platonic relationships to the two of them. Or at least for Hirakawa. He wasn't sure if Mr. Yamashiro really believed all of the things that Hirakawa said but...the man was getting a little old…

"Now, now, no need to throw such a fuss, Sawada-san. I'm sure you're very much wanting to spend some time with your precious 'friend' here." The way he said friend was really, really suspicious. He didn't sound condescending or sarcastic, but there was just this knowing air in his voice that made Tsuna want to throw a tantrum and then wail in defeat.

"No, really, Mr. Yamashiro I can-"

The old man stepped forward, patting the brunet on the shoulder, "Don't worry, don't worry. You're shift is almost done anyway and I won't dock your pay. You young ones need some time to sort things out. Relationships are very important things after all."

"B-But…" He looked around, trying to find some sort of support. Enma looked like he was trying to curl up and become one with the aisle of chip bags. Hirakawa was just smiling at him. And everyone around was starting to give the group weird looks. Why did no one believe him about anything.

….


….

"Feel free to take the day off. I expect to see you both on Monday though!" The old man, with the help of Hirakawa, shoved the two out the door.

Tsuna managed to catch his footing, looking back at the store longingly before sighing in defeat. They had forced him to clean up, putting back on his street clothes before sending him and Enma out on a date against Tsuna's will. But it wasn't like it really was date. He wondered...would he get arrested with bestiality charges if he went out on a date with his pet which turned into a sort of half-human, half-tabby cat hybrid? He glanced at the redhead, who was rubbing his shoulder apprehensively and looking at everyone with utter confusion and worry.

Yeah. Probably.

"I-I'm sorry, Enma-kun about the mixup but…"

"It's fine," the tabby cat said quickly before shrinking in on himself. "I...I'm sorry I got in the way…"

"No! No, you're not in the way! Why do you always have to apologize?" The tabby cat looked ready to apologize again. Tsuna sighed, grabbing the redhead's hand. He noticed with a frown that the other's hands were covered in bandages. "Look, since we're out here, let's go for a walk and head back to the apartment okay?"

Enma looked at him, his eyes wide and darting from his face to their clasped hands. "...Okay."

The entire way was spent in silence. Tsuna felt a bit...odd holding the other's hand. No one around them really paid it much mind but he worried… He didn't want anything bad happening to Enma by hanging out with the infamous No-Good Tsuna. The kitten just seemed so...fragile in comparison to the other animals...er...people (he really needed to get used to that) running around his apartment. Poor thing. His tabby cat had always been really, really shy and timid.

The sky was beginning to bleed orange and the sun was sinking. They were only halfway home too... He hoped the animals hadn't caused too much of a mess while he was gone. He left out little bagged lunches for all of them. Hopefully they didn't start another food fight and then ransack his fridge. And then break it. If Reborn didn't kill him for the table, Bianchi would certainly kill him for the fridge.

It comes with poison mushrooms, boa constrictors and scorpions.

Although in hindsight maybe it was better to get rid of it after all… They began passing through the park and would have passed right on by if Enma hadn't stopped. "E-Enma? What's wrong…?" Tsuna looked from the redhead to the park. Did he...want to play on the playground? That's what it looked like, seeing as how his eyes seemed to sparkle. It was kind of...cute actually. He supposed old kitty habits die hard.

On the other side of the spectrum...What darling little Tsunayoshi didn't notice was that there was a lone couple on the other side of the park. They were sitting on one of the benches, paying no attention to anyone else. They were sharing an ice cream together and before long, the ice cream was forgotten in favor of kissing each other. Enma turned completely pink when that happened. He turned to Tsuna and flinched when he saw his owner looking at him with a small smile and knowing eyes. D-Did he see those people? Did he see Enma staring for that matter?

"Enma…" the brunet said softly. They weren't...or were they? The poor tabby cat's heart was beating erratically against his chest, as if it couldn't wait to get out. Red eyes flickered to his owner's lips, smooth and pink. He could feel himself flush even more when Tsunayoshi leaned forward. The redhead's eyes were about to flutter shut until he said, "Do you want to play on the playground?"

His eyes snapped open wide and he looked down surprised at the brunet, who was smiling at him in amusement. "It's okay, I won't tell anyone if you're embarrassed!" The oblivious male mistook the red-face as embarrassment about the playground rather than...uh… yeah that thing.

Enma tried to protest and clear things up but... "N-No I-"

"It's alright! I don't think you've ever gotten to play in the park as a cat right? It'll be fun, I promise," Tsuna reassured.

Enma tried telling Tsuna what he saw, but no words would come out. Hell, he could just feel himself turning redder and redder as he tried to say it. "I-I-...that-!" He pointed in the direction of the couple, "I-I...what's...they're…" He let go of Tsuna's hand, using his both his palms to cover his face and pull his beret down over his face. He was going to make his move. He could do this. He could do this!

"Oh, you mean you want to play on the swings?" Enma paused in his flurried attempt to pull himself together and looked up to where Tsuna was pointing. The couple was gone and all that was left in sight was the playground and the so-called swings.

God damn it.

"U-Uh, y-yeah…?" he said lamely, trying to cover up the fact that he had attempted to make a pass. And failed.

"Well, we have some time before dinner, so go ahead and get on. I'll push you." When Enma hesitated, Tsunayoshi laughed. "Don't be shy, it's okay to act like a kid every now and then." His owner held his hand… Again. For the second time today. Was the cat god above taking pity on him? The brunet put him onto a seat and pushed him gently on the swing. The tabby cat felt like one hell of an idiot and this was anything but what he was imagining. But…

He tilted his head back, looking up at the genuine smile on his owner's face. It was well worth it. "Do you want to go higher, Enma?" Gulping, the tabby cat looked resolutely forward. Looking back, he could see the beautiful person that everyone seemed to ignore. His mind drifted back to those faces...those ugly faces and those dark eyes looking at his owner that way… He needed to say something.

Meanwhile, Tsunayoshi wondered what was wrong. The redhead had gone stiff as a board, his hands slightly trembling as bandaged fists wrapped even tighter around the chains. "U-Um...will you swing with me?" He said it like he was trying to ask Tsuna on a...

Bad comparison.

Haha, not like that would ever happen. Right?

"Eh? Uh, okay, sure." Tsuna slowly sat down in the swing besides the cat, half-heartedly swinging in his seat. Suddenly it went quiet. But unlike the walk here, it was actually pretty comfortable. They sat there for a bit, idly swinging as the blue sky disappeared and was replaced with the classic sunset hues. It had been a while since he'd just stopped to admire such things…

"Tsuna."

The brunet turned his head, looking at the tabby cat besides him. He seemed to blend in with the scene. Orange and red meshing perfectly together. "Yes?"

"C-Can I…" Enma seemed to struggle with what he wanted to say, his mouth opening and closing but no words coming out. His mind flickered back to the faces and instead of what he wanted to say. "...I-I don't want you working there anymore!" he blurted out.

The brunet balked. "What?" Tsuna looked at the redhead intently, but the other was now looking straight forward, away from him. But… "I need to work there Enma. I just… I have to you know. I can't just quit-"

"Yes, you can," the cat muttered tightly. "I'm working there now so...so, you don't have to anymore."

"Enma, I need the money for the apartment. I can't just-!"

The cat stood up turning around and standing directly in front of Tsuna. "That's just it. One of us working there is enough isn't it?" He had to confront Tsuna now, before he lost. It was hard enough, trying to talk to his owner like this. But his heart steeled itself when his mind flashed back to those hideous faces, those terrible leers as the brunet ran to and fro. Never again. Not while he was here to stop it.

The owner, on the other hand, didn't like this one bit. He wanted to say it, wanted to explain that he needed the salary to keep up expenses for all of them. But if he did then, wouldn't Enma just find even more reason to stay? "It's...I'm supposed to take care of you. I can take care of all of you guys, really! You don't need to go to the trouble…"

"But you're already doing more than you can handle!" In frustration, the cat grabbed the brunet's swing, trapping the smaller male in his seat. "You have school and work and, and...I've always been there just adding to things you have to take 'care' of. For...for the longest time I couldn't do...anything! When you were hurt, when you were sad or tired, I couldn't do anything…"

"That isn't-!"

"Yes it is!" Enma had pulled them so close. Tsuna was practically off the ground, his swing pulled up so he was nearly touching noses with the cat. "I...I want to protect you this time. It's my turn now." He loosened his grip around the swing, looking down at the brunet with sad eyes. "Why...why won't you let me?" Am I just a nuisance to you?

Red eyes. Beautiful red eyes shining with a firm resolve that Tsuna knew he would never be able to break. Tsuna wondered if he was being selfish. "I…" the brunet faltered, his eyes drifting to the ground. Perhaps he was. In the end, he had never been able to do these kinds of things by himself. Just as he was thinking these things, Enma leaned down and tugged him out of his seat. Soon enough, the brunet found himself in a tight embrace. Enma was cold. But at the same time, he was warm. A part of him wondered if he had packed enough clothes for the cat, if he was cold with the autumn chill settling in.

"I'm going to help you okay? So please...don't overwork yourself, don't hurt yourself just to protect us." Enma was only a few moments away from saying those words engraved inside his chest. But all he could do was hug the little brunet tight. He didn't like it, didn't like those sad eyes on this person. "I won't lose…" he whispered to himself more than anything else.

There was a soft sigh. Resigned. Somewhat defeated. Maybe a bit exasperated too. Soon enough though, fragile hands rested on his back. "...Fine. You win," his owner sighed.

Enma pulled back, "R-Really?!" Tired eyes looked back at him. They weren't as bright as he wished for them to be, but it was better - anything was better - than those sad eyes from before.

"Yeah...I guess...I guess I can't really change your mind can I? Guess I'll go talk to Mr. Yamashiro and- Guh, E-Enma?!" The young owner found himself being lifted into the air as he was hugged tightly by the redhead. The cat was definitely a lot stronger than he looked. That or Tsuna was just tiny.

Probably because Tsuna was tiny.

"I promise, I won't let you down! I...I'll do my best!" Enma's face was entirely pink and he seemed breathless. A small, little smile spread across the tabby cat's face, absolutely overjoyed. How he could have ever said no to that face was beyond Tsuna. Before long, he found himself smiling too.

"Just...just don't hurt yourself okay?" Enma put him down, burying his face into the crook of Tsuna's shoulder. The owner flinched, turning pink at the clear intimacy of the gesture, but brushing it aside and resting his hand on the other's neck. Which was freezing cold.

"Jesus, you're freezing, Enma!" he said aloud. The other flinched and pulled away, but Tsuna kept him close. "Are you getting sick?" He leaned forward, tapping his forehead against the cat's. The other's face was abnormally red and he became even more worried. He took off his jacket, forcibly wrapping it around the redhead. "I'll get you a warmer coat tomorrow. Maybe a scarf too…Ah, we should get going! I'll serve soup so you can warm up, okay?"

Enma nodded, growing redder by the second. "O-Okay... b-but I'm not-"

"I think we'll have miso today. That's a little easier and it's kinda been chilly out lately so…" In the end, they walked home, Enma listening to Tsuna talk on and on about dinner selections as they went.

...


...

"So...where did you go with Tsunayoshi-kun today, Enma-kun?" The tabby cat looked up and saw the harlequin rabbit walk into the room. The redhead had been hiding in the guest bedroom, trying to avoid the accusing glares from Xanxus and Gokudera.

"We went to the park and...I told Tsunayoshi about my new job." The lilac rabbit hummed, his ears twitching. Gloved hands lightly brushed the surface of the bedpost and then the tall man sat down, elegant as ever.

"Anything else happen?" He sounded disinterested, but Enma knew better. They all knew better.

Strangely enough, it was Mukuro that he got along with most and well...trusted most. Although that wasn't much now that he thought about it. "Well...Tsuna was upset for a while and then I...I really hope he got the right idea. He worries me a lot sometimes." His mind flashed back to the day before it happened. Tsuna crying, running out of the room and locking them out. It was one of the worst nights he had to endure.

The lilac rabbit hummed. "I see…" How ironic. "It seems that Tsunayoshi-kun is as oblivious as ever. Wonderful warning, Enma-kun." The redhead turned away from those odd colored eyes, curling his hands into fists.

"I'm not going to lose…" Mukuro turned his head to smile in amusement at him. Enma, despite knowing the truth, continued to glare at the other. "I won't lose to you guys."

"Is that a challenge little kitten?" Enma didn't respond and the harlequin rabbit smirked. "I accept." And then he stood up, his entire figure radiating a confidence Enma could only hope to have. "I wish you the best of luck then, Enma-kun." The last word rolled off of his tongue like an insult and he swept out of the room.

As much as the tabby cat hated to admit it, that rabbit had some style...or at least a flair for the dramatic. His mind drifted back to Tsuna. He couldn't think of much else. The brunet was always on his mind. His eyes. His smile…

His tears.

Enma looked down onto Tsuna's jacket lying in his lap. He hadn't returned it yet. Holding onto it, his fingers traced the patterns. He could feel the warmth beginning to disappear the longer he was in contact with it. "I promise…" His eyes lit up with resolve. "I promise I won't let you cry anymore."

Even though his hands were frozen and that chill would never leave his chest. As long as Tsuna was here, as long as he could feel that warmth, everything was going to be alright.

...


...

A/N:

*Apparently in gay slang, a twink is like a cute, young guy. I think. GO ASK TYLER OAKLEY. He made a video about gay slang and that's where I got it from.

**The additional '...-kun' is because apparently, when you call someone by their name without any honorific it's supposed to mean you're really intimate. Or just really close. But obviously Hirakawa sees the former rather than the latter.

Surprise angst. I didn't mean for it to turn out this way. Buuuuut it did. And suddenly Enma is difficult to write too. WHY. WHY ENMA WHY. On other sides. Go Team Enma. Or something something. I hope this chapter wasn't too...I don't know, cringeworthy? Ick? Cheesy? Weird or OOC? MEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Well, thanks for those review you guys. Y'all are far too kind to me. I AM NOT WORTHY OF SUCH PRAISE. I DO READ YOU GUYS' REVIEWS I DO AND I LOVE YOU GUYS. I'll try harder senpais, I swear.