A/N: Hey again, this is a part of the 'Flying or falling' series but comes before the first story. This is just a small Drabble but regardless I hope you enjoy reading!

He was not envious of all that fluttered, of all that took to the sky in fits of unrest until they became peaceful boats that sailed and navigated across star and cloud abysses. He was not envious of those with wings, not at all.

Cause he was the earth. A solid entity that chained most beings in a forceful yet tender embrace to itself. It was only those with wings though that could escape his grip... for a limited amount of time, that is.

"Tsuna," It took a moment for the brunet to process that he was calling. He stopped, hesitated then again became animated.

"Sorry about that Enma-kun, I guess my head is just lost in the clouds today." Enma could see that his friend looked sheepish for being caught out, giving an appeasing smile to try and soothe his worries.

It did only the opposite.

Companionable silence filled the space between the two as they walked. Barely a few minutes ago, the two had wasted the afternoon away with the repetitive motions of button clicking and challenging jeers at the arcade. It was a peaceful pastime, one that held little to no semblance towards the mafia that it was a nice change of pace from the craziness that involved both of their families.

Liquid gold settled over the houses of Namimori, a glaring warning to its inhabitants of the ever approaching twilight and the oncoming march of stars. Still, the two of them, neither rushed or worried as it was Saturday, meaning that both would be able to sleep in the next day. Well... He could but from the stories Enma had heard of all the creative ways Reborn had awoken his friend just for a spot of early morning training, he highly doubted Tsuna would receive the same luxury.

"You are lucky Enma." The statement froze his thoughts, froze his body that he became aware of a wistful glance his friend chucked upwards, as if to cast a wishing penny upon the abyss above.

"Why? Have I done something I'm not aware of?" Enma asked, thoroughly confused. He could not remember receiving any sort of luck lately, he was just 'No-good' Enma. Just as Tsuna was 'Dame-Tsuna'. Lady Luck was very rarely ever on their side.

The last few weeks flickered through his thoughts and... Nothing came to mind.

"Like... School wise or something? I'm pretty sure I failed that last maths test..." A chuckle brought his gaze back and Enma couldn't help but cast a confused glance.

"No, nothing like that," A wistful tone laced his words that made Enma cock his head, silently urging Tsuna to say more. Intensely observing his friend, he tried to disconcert what was wrong. He noticed nothing though and for once he wished he possessed hyper intuition.

"Is there something wrong Tsuna?" Both of the boys stopped simultaneously and Enma watched as Tsuna turned away, facing the railing of the bridge. Running water became white noise and the small insects that flitted around too became a part of the backdrop. Unconsciously, as Tsuna walked to peer over the edge, he followed over, standing close enough to feel the warmth that radiated from the brunet.

"You know, when I was younger, before I wanted to be a robot... I wished to be a bird." Enma could feel a smile grow on his face at his friend's tone of nostalgia. He couldn't remember having any childish wish of his own. He was too happy to just stay with his family back then, to bask in the endless kindness and warmth. And after...

"I mean just to fly would be amazing..." Enma kept silent, keenly listening as to decipher why his friend was acting strangely. It took a few moments for him to talk again, as if contemplating the meaning of some private cipher.

"But then..." A chirp had disrupted them and both teens watched as the bird flew hazardously near the ground, it's legs appearing to scrape against the concrete. The words were ominous and reverberated through his ears numerous times.

And there Enma got what Tsuna was saying. Death.

His friends unsaid words struck a raw chord that he felt himself choking slightly.

Dying. Dying. Dying.

A helpless state of agony that encased him in a iron grasp.

The events of Daemon Spade had frightened him. How could he just frivolously abandon his family like that, just for the sake of a revenge that in the end held no bases or meaning! Adelheid, Shitt.P, Julie, Koyo, Kaoru, Rauji... They were all put through hell because of him! How could he ever make it up to them?

...But now, because of those events, their bonds were not tainted by threads of vengeance, but the the eager love and tenderness that formed a family. It was how they should have bonded in the first place... And Tsuna was the one who showed him that.

And just for that, he would follow his friend anywhere on this Earth. Both as a fellow boss within the mafia and also as a friend.

Here though, in amongst the peace, he could see his friend slowly being crushed under the pressure the mafia brought. He recognised it from his own personal experience. From the countless stories Tsuna told of his friends constantly being hurt from enemy assassins and familiga, of having to continuously fight for the mere right to live. It didn't suit a saint like Tsuna, he was sure even Reborn must have felt some guilt as to converting his student into a machine ready to kill. The stories still kept multiplying.

He was stuck as Vongola Decimo though, Enma just hoped that it wouldn't destroy him.

"If that was my fate, then I wouldn't wish to be a bird. It sounds too sad... To have something that many would envy and to live as if it's you're last moment, waiting for someone just to take it away... I don't want to fall." Words fumbled out, raw with suppressed emotions that he didn't think he would be dredging up in a situation like this.

"And that's why you are lucky."

For he was the earth and because of that, the one thing he as gravity's guardian regretted was that he stood for thing that tied his closest friend, the sky, down to the ground.