Thank you, Crucifix-HiME for the title, and Pure Red Crane for the betaed.

Warning for Adult Reborn's shenanigans... this isn't romance, I warned you.

Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn so no suing.

Losing Control

Tsunayoshi was experiencing a normal, happy life. He wasn't bullied anymore, even if his grades left more to be desired for how atrocious it was, and he had friends that he treasured. Everything was going well until, all of the sudden, without forewarning or any sign, his daily life crashed.

In a normal afternoon, after he bid his friends goodnight, a hand suddenly pulled him sideways and before he could scream or open his mouth, a cloth covered his face, successfully muffling any noise he could make. The brunet struggled at first, weakly due to confusion, but realization came soon and he struggled desperately. However, he had already inhaled something through the cloth covering his mouth and nose that caused his attempts to become weak and he became sleepy.

Tsuna's eyes widened at the thought of passing out. He trashed with renewed vigor and determination, twisting his arms and body, gripping the arm holding him. However, the brunet's actions were fruitless and average at best, even worse as he became weaker and weaker.

Tsuna closed his eyes without knowing it and snapped his eyes open when he realized how close he had been to losing consciousness. He didn't want to fall asleep, but his mind was spinning, his body was sluggish, and he was getting so tired. The brunet couldn't control his body anymore. His eyes unconsciously closed once more.

Somebody! Help me!

Everything was spinning behind his closed eyelids, his head pounding with pain and there was a sudden panic beating on his heart. Still, during that, he could feel a hand petting the back of his head, stroking his hair affectionately. It was warm, but Tsuna's instincts were screaming at him. The brunet didn't want that hand on him, but he couldn't do anything against it.

The brunet knew he had been captured, drugged by his abductor. Even if he willed his body to remain awake, there was a clog on his mind. Still, Tsuna tried clenching his fist and grinding his teeth but then, his body stopped responding to his wishes. Suddenly, arms wrapped around him from behind. The embrace was warm, like the hand that was petting his head. However, the affectionate gesture made his chest cold with apprehension. It was the last thing he felt as he descended into the known abyss called sleep.

Tsuna woke with a sudden awareness. His eyes widened in realization of what had happened on his way home. He took a deep breath, trying not to panic and noticed that there was a warm blanket draped on him, a soft bed under him, and the squishy feeling of a soft pillow where his head rested. Despite these comfortable things, his heart was still beating fast against his chest.

Tsuna apprehensively and discreetly sat up from his position. Immediately, the brunet noticed that he was lying in a queen-size bed. From his current position, he could see the thick, warm maroon blanket covering his lower part, and the purplish pillow where his head had rested. There was a lump under the blanket next to him, but he ignored it, thinking it was a pile of pillows. Tsuna thought he must have moved too much when he was sleeping.

The brunet looked down at the blanket covering him and gingerly grasped it. It was warm and soft to his touch and he would love to cuddle with it, but not now. Tsuna looked around him and stared at the bright yellow and orange wall, and to the art adorning it. He observed his surrounding until he noticed the room was windowless. That fact was enough to dissuade him from further admiring the room.

Tsuna was caged. That's what he felt.

On his left, there was a drawer with intricate design on the handle leaning against the brightly painted wall. Further on his bottom-right, almost near the corner, was a mahogany colored door. Slowly, as if mesmerized by the sight of the door itself, Tsuna gazed at the exit with a mixture of giddiness and slight wariness. He was wary that his captor was lurking outside, waiting for him to come out before attacking, and giddy at the prospect of escaping. The brown-haired adolescent shook his head to banish the negative thoughts and focused on the positives ones. Even if he almost didn't want to stand up from his position, he had to get away. There was also the possibility that no one was outside and he could run away as soon as possible. Besides, Tsuna got the feeling that staying in this room would even be more dangerous.

Tsuna took a nervous gulp, clenched his fist as if willing his own determination to spring to life. He took a deep breath before he positioned his feet on the floor, feeling the relinquishing cool tiles against his toes, and finally he took a step forward.

Only for a strong and firm hand roughly yank the brunet backward.

That sudden action made Tsuna let out startled squeak before he struggled, his mind immediately supplying that the one behind him must be his captor. Despite his struggles, the brunet still ended up leaning on a hard chest, arms snaking from behind and around. The brunet's shoulder tensed with nervous apprehension at that seemingly weird gesture. One thing was clear to the brunet, and that was to get out from this warm embrace and away from his captor.

Tsuna twisted his captured arm, and his other hand tried to pry the extended appendage that was intent on keeping him close. Even if the arm around him would budge for a little while, Tsuna hadn't managed to get free. Tsuna took a deep breath and then yelled before, tugging the arm, "Let me go!"

There wasn't an answer and Tsuna continued his struggle. The silence of his captor and this weird embrace sent something in the brunet's being and it wasn't a pleasant feeling. It was an itch at first, but as the hold on him wouldn't relinquish, that itch became uncomfortable.

Tsuna's desperate actions to be freed from his abductor seemed to be a meaningless endeavor, but the brunet refused to let it. He didn't want to feel helpless, even when it had started to pester, and clung onto his heart.

"Let me go!" the brunet cried out again as the arms enclosed both of his hand and his body in an embrace he didn't want to receive. Despite those strong arms around him, restricting his actions, he continued moving his limbs, trashing, wiggling, anything to be freed. Tsuna nibbled his bottom lip in a bout of frustration. This situation was helpless. Still, he tried to wiggle his way, even when his strength was dwindling as pleading words left passed his lips, "Please, let me go!"

The arms merely tightened and Tsuna felt like he was choking. This intimate embrace was like a chain, trying to cage him, and it was suffocating. Suddenly, there was a deep rich voice coming above him. The voice screamed danger and it was enough to heighten Tsuna's nerves, but the words spoken left him baffled. "It's alright, everything is alright, Tsuna."

There was confusion before it turned into shock, and then disbelief. Only his friends and mother comforted him, and didn't expect that it to come from his captor. Despite his momentary confusion at those supposed to be comforting words, Tsuna regained his wits and he shook his head in answer.

No, it isn't. You kidnapped me.

The brunet was kidnapped and that wasn't fine. He didn't even want to know how his captor knew his name. He didn't want to think about it. Tsuna could feel how warm the skin against his was, but the hold around him was overpowering and he didn't want it. He wanted to go home.

"Please, let me go!" Tsuna cried out desperately, his struggle continued.

The cycle went on until Tsuna's strength weakened and he started to sob. He couldn't put up a struggle anymore and the arm around him finally loosened. Tsuna noticed the difference right away and his strength returned once more, but it remained fruitless when the arm around him returned to its original strength, not relinquishing its hold.

Tsuna could feel ticklish hair at the crook of his neck and he visibly shivered when he felt breath near his skin.

"Let me go." Tsuna said in a hoarse tone. He felt something nuzzle his neck and a slow murmur of disagreement.

"No." And Tsuna sagged his shoulder in defeat, letting the man around him continue this fallacy of intimate embrace.

"Let me go…" the brunet repeated. There was a desperate tone in his weak voice.

He felt his captor shake his head and answer. "I have to do this, Tsuna."

Those uttered words only meant that his captor wouldn't let him go. He wouldn't think the reason behind those strong words that almost sounded desperate to his ears. He buried it in the deep recesses of his mind. They would be ready to resurface when the brunet could deal with it accordingly.

Then they fall sideways.

Tsuna blinked. He could feel frustrated tears building on his eyes that he was still staring towards the door, towards freedom that was so near yet so far. His goal was just in front of him and because of his helplessness, the brunet couldn't even reach it.

He would try again later. He would successfully escape this place and he wouldn't look back. Tsuna repeated this in his head before closing his eyes, his mind resting. He would wait for a chance to escape. The warm embrace on him made Tsuna's body shiver with a sudden chill.

There was a soft murmur calling his name, and a warm hand petting his hair affectionately.

The brunet didn't know when he fell asleep, but he knew he shouldn't.

The hand on his head ruffled his hair lovingly, so full of warmth that Tsuna leaned into the touch. His mother always did this when he was a kid, but it stopped some time ago due to his insistent persuasion that he was old enough to stop these childish antics. Now, he wanted more of that warmth. How ironic that he would want to have another hand on him, and him seeking for warmth.

There was a soft chuckle above him, but the brunet was blissfully ignorant of everything aside from the warmth.

"Tsunayoshi."

A voice called to him. It was closer to his ear, and immediately he identified the owner of it. Tsuna's eyes widened and he looked around in panic then realization. The brunet immediately threw the pillow near his grasp towards his captor. As soon as he did Tsuna leapt towards the door. The brunet dashed, not sparing a single thought aside from reaching the door and retch it open.

Then, all of a sudden, there was a loud boom after a swish next to him. Tsuna skidded to a halt, frozen with fear as his sight landed to the bullet hole in front of him. A second later, he realized that there was a stinging pain on his left cheek and he gingerly reach to caress it.

Tsuna gulped down, willing his body to move, but he couldn't, not when he could see that the smear on his hand was blood. It was a little streak, but it was enough to draw the knowledge of what hit him. The realization that he was hit by a bullet made him see that one wrong move, and he would be dead. That notion made him freeze, his mind coming to a halt and his heart beating louder on his chest.

It made the brunet hyperaware of the silence that descended in the room. He could feel his left ear ringing due to that silence. His heart kept thudding against his chest and it made him nervously gulp down to wet his suddenly parched throat. That normal action was so loud to his ears that he flinched.

Silence descended in the room, but the brunet could feel a presence nearing him. Every second passed and it felt like forever. As the moment passed, the presence got louder and louder that the hair at the back of his neck stood and, without meaning to, shiver racked his body. Tsuna closed his eyes harshly, afraid that if he opened them, he would see a monster, the one wearing black attire like he was the devil himself.

He was afraid. It made him wonder why it was happening. All he wanted was to be home.

The presence stopped right at his back and Tsuna furrowed his brow tighter. He was afraid that if he opened his eyes, he would die.

"Look at me."

The sudden voice that pierced the silence in the room made Tsuna flinch and his fist clenched fearfully. But while the brunet was afraid, he didn't want to obey. It made him confused and afraid for his life. Tsuna slowly shook his head in answer.

I don't want to die.

And in a sudden bout of foolish courage, Tsuna opened his eyes and then bolted forward, only to be yanked backward by force. He squeaked and toppled on the floor, his back hitting the cool tiles with a wince. Tsuna's eyes were wide open and dilated, staring at the man above him with vulnerability.

"D-Don't hurt me." Tsuna said in a quivering tone, his body trembling with fright before he closed his eyes with a shut, expecting his words to not be heard. All of a sudden he felt a hand resting on his arm. The action made his eyes snap open in panic and when his sight landed on his arm, he confusedly peered at his raven haired captor.

The man's lips curled upward into a smirk. Tsuna noticed the side curl on the person's face. He immediately averted his gaze before he could be caught staring at it, his sight warily gazing at his caged arm by a firm grip.

"I have no intention of hurting you." the man finally said in a deep tone. Tsuna didn't know if he should take those words as truth or not.

Tsuna squeaked when there was a yank upward and he was carried like a sack of potatoes. He struggled, hitting the back of the person carrying him with his small fists, but he was thrown back onto the bed face first, muffling his shriek. The brunet immediately scrambled to sit up, feeling oddly humiliated and uncomfortable to be lying down when the dark presence was near. Tsuna's back pressed against the headboard, warily looking at his captor and noticed that the taller man was sitting with his legs crossed comfortably and hands against his chest.

Tsuna took a nervous gulp before opening his mouth, asking two questions that were on his mind. His sight went elsewhere, fearing for the violence that would come up. "W-Who are you? W-Why did you kidnap me?"

The man regarded him simply before answering his questions. "I'm Reborn and I didn't kidnap you."

Tsuna looked with shock and disbelief at the other. When he caught sight of those obsidian eyes looking at him, he ducked his head, feeling that his palm was oddly warm with sweat. He didn't want to see those eyes looking at him with that dark emotion.

The man – Reborn – snorted at the brunet's action with a smug smirk on his lips. "I took you away to protect you."

Tsuna's ears perked up before he nervously looked upward. "...Protect me?"

Reborn remained silent, before he stood up and sat close beside the brunet. Tsuna tried to inch away for dear life. He flinched when he felt a hand on his chin, tilting his head to face the raven haired man with curly sideburns.

"Yes, protect you."

The man was staring at him in the eyes. Tsuna could feel the darkness behind those obsidian orbs, threatening to consume him in every moment. That gaze made Tsuna's heart turn cold with fear. Unconsciously, he took another nervous gulp and he picked up how those dark eyes darkened even more, making the brunet shiver with fright. His stomach suddenly churned.

Why did this happen?

Tsuna tried to shift, but his back was already pressed against the headboard and the grip on his chin was so firm that there was no room to move. Tsuna knew he should get away or something bad would happen to him, but his body was rooted with fear due to those simmering, almost glowing, eyes that seemed to peer into his soul. He was afraid that if he made any move, the man would hurt him, but he still gathered his courage to speak up.

"But no one is going to hurt me."

Reborn's eyes squinted with sudden annoyance, his lips forming a frown. A feeling of displeasure emitted from him. The hand on his chin inched forward and caressed the brunet's left cheek. It made Tsuna automatically backed away even when he physically couldn't as he warily stared at the hand with nervous apprehension and the silence continued.

Tsuna was nervous. This man kept heightening his anxiety level that he was frightened not only at the dangerous presence, but also from his abductor's mental capacity. Tsuna was frightened that this dangerous man would keep touching him weirdly, or even when hurting him.

Reborn's lips curled upward into a smile, but he was still emitting displeasure, an opposite image from his frown seconds ago. Tsuna's stomach churned even more. He didn't like this sudden change in the man, the smile, or just this man in general. Reborn was so frightening that Tsuna was afraid even when the man was trying to comfort him.

"Everyone is going to hurt you." Reborn murmured in answer as he caressed the brunet's cheek lovingly before retracting it. Tsuna slowly shook his head in disagreement, his gaze warily looking at the hand that might touch him again.

The man backed away and maintained a comfortable distance between them. Initially, it let Tsuna breathe normally, but he still felt afraid as the silence stretched between them. The brunet's need to go home strengthened and he opened his mouth, not knowing why he was explaining himself to the other, but instinctively knowing he had to explain.

"Please… No one is going to hurt me, so… I..." Tsuna trailed off, unable to finish his words due to his overly heightened fear. The brunet wasn't looking, scared of what he would see on the man's face.

"You truly are naïve." the man said in displeasure. Tsuna warily looked up at the other, only to find the man sneering, an expression that seemed foreign to that good-looking face. Then, Tsuna's eyes widened when he saw that Reborn's dark obsidian eyes had a flex of golden tint in them. At the sight, Tsuna's heart picked up its pace, not knowing why the man's eyes were different and instinctively knew that the man were even more dangerous with that look. "…And adorable."

Tsuna's eyes widened with indignation, but he couldn't voice out his frustration at being called that because Reborn's eyes seemed to glow brighter. The brunet was afraid of the man before him, and those eyes seemed to scream unknown.

The sneer on the man's lips was replaced by a loving affectionate smile, almost angelic on that handsome face. This sudden change in Reborn made Tsuna more afraid of his abductor. His stomach churned even more.

Reborn looked at Tsuna and inched towards him, his hand hovering towards the brunet before it rested on those cheeks, stroking it in a loving way. All Tsuna could do was stare at the hand with heightened apprehension with a mixture of incomprehension. He didn't know why this was happening.

Reborn kept looking and stroking Tsuna lovingly, even when an admission of sin left passed the man's lips. "That's why I took you away from everyone else."

Tsuna's eyes dilated with fear and, in recklessness, slapped the hand away from his cheek. "Y-You have no right to take me away!" The brunet paused and took another gulp down before continuing. He tried to glare at his captor with all the vehemence he could muster. "You have no right to kidnap me! My friends and Mom are waiting for me…so let me go back to my family!"

By the end of Tsuna's emotional outburst, the brunet was panting with the exertion, his hand closed in a loose fist, his lips quivering slightly, and his eyes trying to blink away the frustrated tears that were trying to escape his eyes.

Reborn suddenly had a closed off expression on his face, eyes dimmed to its normal obsidian gaze. Tsuna thought that this man was perhaps regretting what he did, maybe the man would have a change of heart and let him go. Reborn sighed. Tsuna didn't know if it was of acceptance or annoyance, but he hoped that it was the first and optimism blossomed from his heart. Then as quickly as that hope appeared, it immediately crashed into bits the next second.

"No, you're not going back, Tsuna."

No.

Tsuna shook his head, in disagreement, and then it turned into hysteria, his heart beating louder against his chest with every emotion that he couldn't comprehend.

"No! Please! Let me go!"

But the man didn't listen to him. Instead, Reborn turned his back on him and walked away. At that, Tsuna's eyes widened. The man who kidnapped him and his ticket outside was going to leave him.

No. No!

Tsuna stood up hastily. He raised his right hand, and then there was a sudden clanking sound of a chain and a cold feeling on his wrist that shuddered every nerve of his body. Tsuna hurriedly stared at his own wrist with incomprehension before he realized what it meant. He didn't know how he didn't notice it. He didn't know when the shackle was attached to his wrist, but one thing was clear, Tsuna was chained down and he wanted to get away. The brunet trashed, trying to wiggle out of the cuff on his wrist, yank the chain away from him or drag the chain with him, but he wasn't strong enough and slowly, he succumbed to despair.

"No…No…" the brunet muttered. His voice full of helplessness and he jerked from his position when he heard the door open.

Tsuna slowly turned to look in the direction of the door, wishing that it was open. And it was. Tsuna then stood up hastily, before he was reminded that he was bound and that even if the door was open, he couldn't walk through it, stuck in a certain spot and leashed like a helpless dog.

Tsuna tugged his wrist; he felt the coldness of the metal against his skin and the sting it left on him. Tsuna bit his lips and shook his head, wishing that this wasn't real, that this wasn't happening to him before hysteria bubbled on his throat that it was suffocating.

The brunet's tears fell from his eyes and he cried loudly with misery. His hope to be freed slowly shattered with every tear that he shed.

"Please…! Let me go!"

Tsunayoshi once lived a happy life, full of laughter and love with his friends and mother. It had its ups and downs, but with his makeshift family there for him, he felt thoroughly loved. It had felt like everything was all right as long as they were with him. As long as he was with his family, he would continue loving and caring for them. He would remain happy and blessed. He would continue loving them without condition.

Then it shattered to tiny bits when he was kidnapped, caged in a windowless room, branded with ownership by the shackle on his wrists and the sickeningly affectionate, adoring, and loving touches of his captor, then lavished with luxurious expensive things in his four-cornered prison.

He wasn't living a happy life any more. It was filled with touches that make him think he would be molested, but thankfully hadn't happened. It was filled with rough hands that might snap his neck in half as it caressed his head's support in a sensual manner. It was filled with fear of a gun that might end up killing him with its yellow flame coated bullets.

He wasn't physically tortured, but it felt like his mind was being screwed over and over again. He wished to get away, to get back home, back to arms of his family or he would go insane. But Tsuna couldn't, not with metal biting his wrists, leaving a permanent scar and a hollow feeling in his very being. The warmth within him was siphoned and replaced by ice. He could almost see it in those glowing obsidian eyes that reflected his pathetic image with clarity. That bright yellow gaze that seemed like a smoldering sun was detrimental to his very being. It made him weak and numb.

Tsuna was far from happy or even content.

"You know, you're the most important person to me."

…I know. And that's why you're suffocating me with your protection.

Reborn's calloused hand stroked his hair lovingly. Tsuna didn't lean into the touch or retract. He simply lay there, inwardly thinking of sarcasm that made his lips curl upward into an empty smile as a response to his captor's statement. His eyes tried to look away, but with his current cradled position, he couldn't.

The hand on his hair slowly stopped. Tsuna peered upward then saw those mesmerizing obsidian eyes shifting to yellow. The hand on his back cradled him closer. Tsuna noticed the lessening distance and he closed his eyes in an attempt to block his sight from seeing those eyes full of darkness and obsessive adoration. Tsuna felt the prickly spiky hair against his neck and the warmth emitting from the strong arms.

"I swear I'll protect you..."

…I wish you wouldn't. It's killing me.

Tsuna didn't voice out his answer. No matter how much he did, Reborn never listened. It was as if Reborn climbed the tower of Babylon, reached the epitome of heaven, and got cursed by the Gods to never listen to the brunet's pleas. It didn't matter how loud he screamed or if his voice turned hoarse.

The brunet shook his head in answer, but he knew his disagreement was futile. Reborn nuzzled against his neck. Tsuna shut his eyes tighter, willing himself to remain numb, to be empty, but even behind his closed eyelids he could still feel those glowing obsidian eyes and he felt so terrified that he wanted to laugh and cry with hysteria.

Let me go…

"…My dear dame student."

Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please!

fin

A/N: This story actually had a plot, Reborn wasn't actually like that, he was just so obsessed in wanting to protect Tsuna that he became like that. The shackle on Tsuna's wrist was a flame restrictor and Reborn's eyes were glowing because of his sun flames. Anyways, what do you think of this story?

(added on April 6, 2017)

A/N2: Someone FINALLY left a theory in the review corner that almost matches mine. (Yup, I am looking at you, NaiOokamiSohma)

The actual plot for this story was, Reborn have memories/experiences of losing Tsuna again and again. Instead of time-travelling his body he was time travelling his memories across the world/time/dimension after Tsuna's death every single time to have another chance to protect Tsuna. There are some cases that those worlds are different like in this world Reborn is an adult and Tsuna isn't to be the Vongola Decimo (so Reborn wasn't sent to tutor him though in his original time, he was Tsuna's tutor) but Tsuna is still Tsuna that Reborn would do anything to absolutely anything to protect his student.

By this point, Reborn already developed an obsession to protect Tsuna that when he saw Tsunayoshi, friends with Gokudera and Yamamoto through coincidence, so full of life and very much ALIVE (and that deserves a capital because Tsuna always dies that he lost count how many times). Reborn ended up kidnapping this world Tsuna who didn't recognize him (and of course it hurt that his dear dame student didn't recognize him but it was always like that so he had gotten numb to it). It was a way to protect Tsuna, Reborn kidnapped him, shackled Tsuna's Sky flames, imprisoned him in a room, and lavished him with luxurious things. There are also the fact that with Reborn's obsession due to desperation, his feeling of adoration for Tsuna intensified (as seen how he kept touching Tsuna).

And that finished the theory behind this story. Regarding for continuation, sadly I wouldn't due to the facts, my writing skills isn't up to par to describe how dark this story could or would be, and I have no idea how to continue this story even more so after laying the theory down. However, I would reconsider about the continuation… well, I'll just update this story if a continuation is on the making or if I'm done.

Kindly leave a review.