So here's the second chapter! R&R!

I made a whole bunch of mistakes in the last chapter, and fixed that up. Just for reference, Tsuna is now 13 and still in his first year of middle school (Since Japanese schools run from January, he started his first year as 12, and turned 13 in October).
Be warned, this chapter is more gruesome than the last, as we will see a glimpse of the bullying and abuse Tsuna goes through. Takeshi has his own spot in this too, so look forward to it!

8027: As far as I know, Midori Middle is an all-girls school, so Tsuna literally can't get into it, though he could've qualified for Simon or Yumei.
Shinichioyx: It's actually quite easy to push someone off any sort of edge. Just one push will make the person off-balance. There's no pairings set for this story yet, though.
Crucifix HiME: There are no pairings as of yet, I'm just going to see where the story leads.

Thank you to everyone else for your reviews and kind words! Every comment always gives me motivation to write!

Disclaimer: KHR doesn't belong to me.

Tsuna crawled into his futon, lying there and hoping the pain would fade away. Ten minutes later, he forced himself to get up and grab the first aid kit he always kept beside him nowadays. Pulling out some cotton, antiseptic, cream and bandages, Tsuna went through the slow and agonizing process of taking off his shirt and cleaning out his recent wounds. Biting his lip at the sharp burning of the antiseptic, he clenched his fist tightly before forcing himself to put on some cream and wrapping himself up. Flopping back down, Tsuna stared at the ceiling, unwillingly recalling the beating that occurred earlier, before shaking his head and turning off the lights. He still had to get up early tomorrow as usual, and he couldn't afford to lose sleep over something stupid.

"Class, this is Sawada Hirotaka. He's a transfer student from Italy."

Looking up so quickly he strained his neck, Tsuna stared in wide-eyed horror as he recognized the bored-looking transfer student in the front. His brother.
His heart rate sped up to an alarming rate, and Tsuna belatedly realized he was having a panic attack, but pushed it aside, because that was his brother; his brother he has not seen in six years. Fear gripped his heart as suddenly as the memories that flowed into his mind, and it took all he had to prevent himself from running out of the class right there and then. He stared down at his desk, his bangs shadowing his eyes as he desperately tried to go unnoticed by Hiro. As he felt Hiro's presence get stronger, he realized with no amount of horror that the footsteps seemed to be getter closer to him, a chair scraping behind him with disturbing finality.

"Let's get along…. nii-san." Whispered a dark, gleeful voice in his ear.

"Hey, Tsuna?"
Tsuna looked up from his pile of papers. "Yes, Arata-san?"
"I need to talk to you, alone." His boss of six years said in a gruff voice.

Nodding nervously, he put down his stack before meekly following behind. Inside Arata's office, Tsuna had a bit of a staredown, before Arata sighed.

"What's going on?" He asked seriously. Tsuna was about to question what, before he followed Arata's eyes to his arms, which were covered in a long-sleeved shirt, hiding the bruises that scattered his arms but one sleeve was slightly pushed up when Tsuna made a grab for his stack. Stuttering, he tried to make up some excuses about being clumsy, before snapping his mouth shut with a click at the expression on his boss's face. He watched in anticipation at the tired, almost sober, look on Arata's face. Watching him stand up, Tsuna's eyes followed him around the desk, and when he saw a large head reaching towards him, he shut his eyes, body stiff. He was surprised when only his hair was ruffled.

"I won't ask anymore, if it bothers you that much. But we both know you grew out of your clumsy antics a long time ago. I'm just worried for you, kid. You've been walking in here like that recently. You can...talk to me whenever you want." The man ended lamely.

Tsuna stared up at him for a solid five seconds before a wide grin broke out on his thin face. Arata sputtered when he was suddenly caught in a tight embrace, but simply sighed in exasperation as he returned the hug.

Practically skipping out of the office, Tsuna bowed in thanks before grabbing his pile and making his way out for his rounds, Arata watching him go with a shake of his head and a small smile on his own face.

A hard book hit his head, immediately waking him up.
"Kimura, if you want to sleep, you might as well do it in detention today." His math teacher said with an annoyed expression.

There were a few snickers around him, but Tsuna ignored them in favor for looking down at his notes. Everything was written in German, just in case Hiro got a hold of his stuff, again. Speaking of whom, Hiro wasn't in class today, for reasons Tsuna cared nothing for, and it allowed him to relax just a little bit. He wouldn't dare fall asleep in Hiro's presence; when his brother was around he needed to stay alert.

When the lunch bell rang, Tsuna practically sprinted out of class, intent on avoiding his numerous bullies. Sharply turning a corner, he let his feet carry him down a familiar path, where he wove in and out different hallways before successfully reaching outside, practically diving for a bush. Holding his breath, he heard the thumping of heavy feet, and didn't allow himself to relax until it was silent. Sighing deeply, he leaned against the fence, his small body fitting perfectly between a few groves in the school yard, a place that painfully reminded him of the bushes he'd hide in back in the Sawada house. Taking out a rumpled container, Tsuna began to eat his lunch, which was comprised of the leftovers he took home last night after work. He ignored how cold it was, chewing thoughtfully as he mentally put together a schedule for the week. While he still had his jobs as a delivery and dishwashing boy, it didn't make enough for him to actually start saving up for college, so he had acquired a third job a few weeks ago. It wasn't a huge job; he simply worked in the stocking room of a small convenience store. The owner was an old, plump man that only gave him the job out of pity; that was okay with Tsuna, as long as he got the job. It helped that his years working as a newspaper boy strengthened him a lot, so while he was still scrawny and small, he had a surprising amount of strength and stamina. But juggling his three jobs on top of school was a bit much, even for him, and Tsuna was suffering the lack of sleep for it; he swore he spent more time sleeping at school than he did at home.
As his lunch ended, Tsuna waited for everyone else to go back before hauling himself up and going back himself. Although he was late for class when he did this, it at least made sure his bullies went back before him. The rest of the day went by uneventfully without Hiro there, and Tsuna ran out of the school after his detention, pulling out his work uniform and doing his best to change on his way to the convenience store.

0o0o0

"Hey, Kimura!" A voice behind him called out, and Tsuna turned around, panicking when he saw Yamamoto. While Yamamoto was a nice guy, he was one of Hiro's friends, thus Tsuna couldn't go near him.

"U-Um, hi." He said quietly, trying to hide his shaking hands by continuing to place the chips on the shelf, forcing his eyes away.

"I didn't know you worked here, haha!" Yamamoto said, scratching his head. Tsuna mumbled a reply, and Yamamoto got closer to him, trying to hear him. Startled, Tsuna stumbled but was steadied by a hand. As he was about to mutter a thanks, he saw something in the corner of his eyes that made him go rigid.

"Yamamoto! I didn't know you were friends with dame-Tsuna." Came a sneer from behind them.
"Ahaha, I'm not! I just ran into him just now." Yamamoto said in a slightly tight voice. "But what're you doing here, Hiro? Weren't you sick today?"
"Yea, but I'm okay now. I was walking by when I saw you through the window." Turning his attention to Tsuna, there was a gleeful glint in his eyes. "I didn't know you worked here, dame-Tsuna."
Tsuna knew the meaning behind Hiro's words, and he stiffly nodded back.
"I-I gotta get back to work. B-Bye." He said, swiftly grabbing the leftover items and rushing into the back, heart thundering in his chest.

He knows. Hiro knows where I work now.

0o0o0

His back hit the concrete, hard.

"I've been waiting for you, brother dearest."

A foot stepped on his hand, pressing harder and harder. There was a crack a moment later, and Tsuna's lip bled at how hard he was biting it. His other hand was scratching the ground, nails breaking in the effort.

"I haven't seen you all day. I've been lonely, you know." Came the sickly-sweet voice.

The foot released his hand and Tsuna immediately curled into himself, cradling his limp hand. The same foot connected with his stomach not a moment later, and he slid across the empty parking lot, tearing holes in his shirt and ripping his jeans. Eyes squeezed shut in pain, Tsuna heard the footsteps come closer to him. A hand grabbed the front of his shirt, lifting him off the ground.

"You know, I never liked those eyes of yours. Despite being twins, we look nothing alike now, except for our eyes. Our eyes are the same and I absolutely loathe that, did you know?"

A fist clipped the side of his face, Tsuna's neck snapping to the side from the force. He felt a familiar trickle of blood drip down his cheek. Hiro clicked his tongue.
"Ah yes, I've forgotten, you need to be in good shape to go to work, right? Can't mess you up too bad." Came the words of fake sympathy.

A flash of metal glinted in the evening sun.

"Guess I can only mark you in places that can't be seen. Just like old times, right?"

Tsuna was back on the ground, hands held down by strong grip, a knife in the other, slowly carving words into his stomach. Tears were rushing down his cheeks, his mouth open in a silent scream and his back arching painfully.

"There, isn't that better?" Hiro said, a delightful smile on his face, looking down at his masterpiece. "I suppose that'll have to do for now. I wouldn't want to kill you, right, nii-san?"

Twenty minutes later, Tsuna forced himself up, mostly because he felt sick to his stomach. After emptying all contents of his stomach in another few minutes, he made his way to his bike, trying to unlock it with a shaking hand, the other one lying limply by his side. Tears blurred his vision, and he gave up after a few minutes and simply kneeled there, crying softly. Blood stained his shirt, some vomit and tears in some places. It took him another fifteen minutes to get up, leaving his bike and dragging himself back home. An hour later, he was slumped on his futon, a trembling hand treating his wound, doing his best to clean it without looking at the words carved into his stomach.

Property of Sawada Hiro

The next day, he didn't leave his room. Arata would understand, and he didn't give a single fuck about what his school would think. After a few hours of lying listlessly, he decided the tiny room was too suffocating, and grabbed his blanket. Making his way through the abandoned park, he entered another building, passing by the empty halls until it led out to a beautiful greenhouse. The ceiling was cracked and broken in places, but most of the vegetation seemed to have survived the passing years. Tsuna made his way to a familiar tree next to the pond that extended all around the room. His body ached and protested when he reached up towards its branches, but Tsuna ignored it, lifting himself up with practised ease and made himself comfortable in the small grove in the trunk. Sighing in relief, he wrapped the thin blanket around himself a little tighter, staring up at the sky through the branches and leaves. When he had discovered the greenhouse about five years back, he had been in awe. Without anyone to tend to it, the vegetation had grown wild, and the entire room was filled with overgrown and crowding plants, but it only added to its beauty. It soon became Tsuna's own little haven, a place he'd go to when things got a bit too tough, and the nights became a bit too lonely. He'd been too cautious to spend time in it before, afraid someone would spot him from outside, but with the vines and overgrowth clinging onto the windows, and trees surrounding the walls, from the outside it looked just as abandoned as the rest of the park. No one knew it still flourished on the inside, and it made Tsuna feel special, like he was the only one who knew about this secret garden. He even took his baths here. The pond seemed to use a sort of natural irrigation system that allowed the water to constantly flow in and out of the greenhouse. Tsuna chose a small corner hidden by multiples of bushes and trees as his bathing corner, and used some organic soap he'd made in quite a few batches to wash himself. He even had a kick out of swimming with the koi that lived in the pond when the summer days became unbearably hot.
Stretching his limbs, Tsuna curled up in his spot, revelling in the tranquility and peace he always felt in this place. A warm breeze tickled his skin and combed through his hair, like a mother caressing her child, and he soon dozed off in his spot.

Shivering in the dark room, Tsuna desperately tried to bury himself into his clothing. He had on about five layers of shirts, topped with a hat, scarf and mittens. His thin blanket was also wrapped around his freezing body, but it held no warmth.
This had been the first winter Tsunayoshi had survived, but there was no heating at Kokuyo land, and no matter how much he wore, he couldn't stop shaking. Weary eyes slowly began to close, and soon he was asleep.

0o0o0

Arata stared at his new delivery boy in worry. It had been about two months since he had hired Tsuna, and while he didn't regret his decision, he was troubled by the boy's situation. Kids his age didn't get jobs, in fact, they shouldn't need money at all. With Tsuna walking in everyday in worn out clothes and shabby sneakers, an overall unkempt look to him, it was clear that the boy was without parents or guardians; an orphan, living god-knows-where. Namimori didn't have an orphanage, and Arata wasn't stupid enough to miss the news if one was built; he ran a newspaper company for god's sake, so when he hears gossip of someone's boy pushing off his brother from the second floor, he began to have his suspicions. There had been no calls about a lost child, and it didn't seem that the boy was new to the area, with the way he navigated around Namimori with ease that only a citizen of the place would have, so Arata was able to figure the boy out fairly quickly. But, while he wasn't heartless or cruel, he also wasn't overly emotional either. The boy obviously looked like he needed a parental figure in his life, but it couldn't be Arata, there was no way he could look after a kid. So he compromised.

"Tsuna, come here." Arata called out to a sniffing boy. Tsuna looked up, eyes wary as he approached his boss. He let out a small squeak when the man suddenly crouched down to his level.

"Tsuna, you're sick." Arata said as bluntly as could be. He cut Tsuna off when he was about to speak. "You're sick, and I know whatever ungodly hole you probably live in doesn't have anything that can help you get better, so you're coming over to my place." There was no room for argument, and Arata promptly lifted the boy up, ignoring his quiet struggling. He frowned at how light he was, even for his age.
Twenty minutes later, Tsuna was snuggled into big, warm blankets on a soft bed, a cooling pad on his head and a bowl of slightly-burnt porridge in his hands. Arata mumbled apologies for how rough he probably was, and how the porridge was burnt, but the only reaction he got was a blank stare of confusion. He could read the question in Tsuna's eyes as clear as day.

"Look, I have a pretty good read on your situation. I won't ask about it, because it's not my business, and I'm sure you think you don't need help, but you do. I can't really do much for you in this position, but the least I can do is help you out when you really need it, okay? You don't need to do everything by yourself, you know."

This left Tsuna gaping and going red at the same time.
"I-I, uh...thank you…"

Arata pretended not to notice the tears falling from the boy's eyes.

Takeshi watched as a small brunette walked into class, late again. His eyes caught the smug look from Hiro, and he quickly averted his eyes away from Tsuna, forcing himself to look at the board, but he didn't miss the wrappings around the boy's hand and the bandage on his temple. He told himself that the brunette must've tripped again. His mind laughed at him and told him it was anything but. He ignored that though, holding firm to his assumption. Class went by as usual, and when their tests from the last week were handed back to them, he noticed the blaring "100" on Hiro's test, and looked back to his own "23". His eyes trailed over to Tsuna's desk, placed in front of Hiro's, and caught the glimpse of a "20" on it. Inwardly, he chuckled. Tsuna was probably the only one in their class that had lower grades than him, probably the lowest. He adamantly ignored the boy's notes, which were written in Chinese.

"Hey, Takeshi, are you gonna join us for lunch?" Hiro called out. Takeshi gave them a grin and told them he had baseball practice, and watched with a forced grin as they shrugged and walked away nonchalantly. Picking up his stuff, he pretended not to notice Tsuna dashing out of the classroom like he did every day, and made his way down to the field.

"Let's grab dame-Tsuna today. He wasn't in yesterday, so why don't we give him a 'warm' welcome back, right guys?"

Takeshi kept on walking, pretending he didn't hear anything.

0o0o0

"Hey, Yamamoto! This is Hiro, he's joining us for lunch today!"
Takeshi looked up to the new kid, who had on a grin; he was surrounded by the other guys in the class, fitting in right away. He came up to the group, introducing himself.

"I'm Yamamoto Takeshi, I hope we get along!" He said with his signature grin.
"Ah, I'm Sawada Hirotaka, but just call me Hiro. I just moved back here from Italy. I hope you don't mind if I call you 'Takeshi'."
Laughing, he slung his arm around Hiro's shoulders. "No problem! Hey, I don't suppose you played baseball in Italy? I'm on the team here and we're looking for more members!"
"Baseball? Yea right, I don't have time for things like that."

Takeshi froze up a little at the words, the boy was clearly looking down on the sport, but he brushed it off. "You said, 'back', right? Did you use to live here?"
"Yea, as a kid. But I moved to Italy when I was six."
"Cool, but what made you move back here?"
"Oh, my mom wanted me to come back, since my dad works in Italy. And I guess you could say I was feeling a bit nostalgic."

But Takeshi couldn't help but think there was more to that.

0o0o

He swung his bat with a little too much force, and the ball had flown out of the field towards the back of the school. Takeshi waved out an apology as he chased after it, and let his grin fall when his back was facing the team.

"Damn, that was a good hit! I bet Yamamoto can single-handedly win the big game later this year.
"Yea, we probably won't even have to do anything, we'd just sit there and he'd win it for us!"

He ignored the playful laughter, gritting his teeth as he went searching for the ball. It turned out the ball didn't land too far away from the field, and he found it in a bush by the fences. Grabbing the ball and making his way back, he heard harsh laughter and jeering.

"Dame-Tsuna, where were you yesterday?"

He ran back before he could hear anymore, pushing down the nausea he was feeling at what he knew was happening. It wasn't his business and he had enough of his own problems to deal with.

He'll be fine, he always is.
Liar, his mind whispered.

When Tsuna walked back in after lunch with a limp and clutching his arm, Takeshi swallowed down the lump of guilt.

It's not like I could've done anything.

Liar.

"Sir, would you like help with that?" An air attendant asked politely.

"It's fine, I can handle it myself." A squeaky voice replied, jumping down from his seat. Stepping out of the plane, an ominous wind blew in the air, and a small hand gripped his fedora more tightly.

Okay, so I want to say that I have absolutely zero knowledge about greenhouses, and I'm 10000% sure the conditions I gave make it impossible for the greenhouse to thrive. I don't even know if organically-made soap isn't chemical to water, or if it's possible for fish to live off of algae for x amount of years. Pretty sure if the windows were broken, the temperature of the greenhouse wouldn't be stable and whatnot, and I have no idea how it survives the winters like that. All I know is that I'm pretty sure Kokuyo Land actually does have a greenhouse, because in the flashback in the episode they find the place, it seemed like one of the buildings was a greenhouse, so there. But hey, it's a manga about magical bullets and flames, so a physically-impossible greenhouse is fine too, right?

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to leave a review on your way out!