"Keeping the hope in our minds

One day life will be kind."

– Home, AURORA

Sometimes, Tsuna had a problem saying no.

When anyone asked him for something—anything—he mostly went along with it (within reason, of course) and did his best to carry it out without asking anything in return. He gave more than he should, as his younger siblings would say.

But Tsuna wasn't dumb. He could be naïve sometimes, but he thought his heart was in the right place. Besides, it was second nature for Tsuna to help others, no matter who they were.

If he could be at least that one person who cared, that'd mean the world to him (and hopefully for that other person, too). There was no reason for people to suffer alone, and Tsuna would gladly brace the storm with them, even if they were complete strangers.

However, he had his limits. His kindness might be abundant, but he knew when to reign it in. The world didn't always reciprocate his good intentions; he learned that the hard way.

There were lines that shouldn't be crossed.

So, when Lambo's school called him for the umpteenth time that month while he was on working at the café, Tsuna was more than displeased. His manager was understanding about it—she was three months in on her second child—and after he promised several times that he'd work double later to make it up, Tsuna quickly hailed a cab and drove off to Namimori Elementary School.

"Got a kid there?" the driver said with a twinkle in his eye. "You look pretty young. You young people really need to learn how to control yourselves. Partying and all that isn't good for you."

Tsuna should've taken the bus. "I'm just picking up my little brother."

"Oh…"

Thankfully, the driver left it at that and tried not-so-subtly to ease the awkward silence by raising his radio's volume. Some bubbly girl's group song pumped through the speakers, with auto-tuned voices and that ugly snare most pop songs liked to have nowadays.

Tsuna just let the music drown out in the background while his mind returned to eliminating the worst possibilities about what happened with Lambo. Sure, the boy was really lazy sometimes and had some of the worst sugar-highs Tsuna had ever seen, but he was a good kid.

Recently though, he got into some trouble at school that even involved some physical altercation with other students. That worried Tsuna. Lambo never hit anyone. He rarely fought with I-pin or Fuuta, mostly whining to get what he wanted. He might stand proud with a puffed chest, but he had a very soft heart. No amount of grape candies or bribes could get Lambo to talk either. He'd just stare at the ground and quietly ask for a hug, which Tsuna gladly gave reciprocated. He stayed quiet when the boy's arms tightened around his neck, as if he'd disappear any second.

Still, between work, the bills, and taking care of three kids, Tsuna thought he was doing okay—but really, he was barely making it over the edge. He never blamed the children though. That was just cruel. This was something he took on with unwavering confidence.

Although, looking back, he should've prepared himself more. Who was he kidding when he thought he could balance college with raising three kids? Nonetheless, he dropped out in his third year to give all of his attention to the children.

No matter, they were his utmost priority (besides surviving, of course). They were everything to him and he'd never trade them for the world. He also never regretted volunteering at the orphanage where he first met them. Tsuna just loved them too much.

But, his mind quickly shifted from Lambo to I-pin. When the principal had mentioned her name, that made Tsuna even more worried. Usually I-pin was the one who made sure Lambo didn't get into trouble, despite being a year younger than him. So, when her name came up, Tsuna couldn't help but be anxious.

He quickly paid the driver and dashed towards the school, not even bothering to fix his appearance when he entered the principal's office.

The secretary gave him a pitying look before gesturing towards the door. "They're inside, Sawada-san."

Tsuna took in a deep breath before opening the door; his eyes instantly locked on Lambo and I-pin. He frowned when he saw Lambo's split lips and I-Pin's disheveled hair. This looked more than a minor scuffle.

"Ah, Sawada-san," Principal Ueno said, "thank you for joining us. Please, take a seat."

It was then that Tsuna noticed the other three mothers and bruised boys. The women simultaneously scowled at him, but he paid them no mind. Whatever their grievances were, his siblings came first. He sat down on the sofa across them and reached out to rub I-pin's back soothingly, who relaxed and smiled weakly. He smiled back reassuringly in return.

"What happened, Kocho Sensei?" he said.

Before the woman could speak, one of the mothers cut in, "They beat my Satoshi-kun! I demand reparations!"

"Those children are monsters!"

"It's no wonder they're improper. Having no mother is a clear sign that they're uncontrollable."

Tsuna narrowed his eyes. What the hell did they just say?

Principal Ueno coughed lightly to gather everyone's attention. "Let's discuss this more civilly, please," she said, clasping her hands together. "And please, lower your voices. Classes are still in session and there are children in the room. From what I gathered, is that they fought during gym." The black-haired woman narrowed her eyes slightly. "According to Honda-sensei, the boys were deliberately provoking Lambo during an exercise, which led to a physical altercation."

"Excuse me, Kocho Sensei," one of the mothers said. "They hit my son!"

Principal Ueno raised a hand, silencing her. "That is not the point, Fukui-san. The issue is that your son verbally harassed Lambo, which led to something that could've been avoidable. If Satoshi hadn't provoked him, he would not be here with a bruise. Also"—her gaze zeroed in on a chubby boy who flinched—"Juro, pulling I-pin's hair who only tried to stop the fight was not a smart thing to do. I suggest you learn how to keep your hands to yourselves—all of you."

The children nodded quickly, their eyes wide. Tsuna couldn't help but silently thank the principal. She loved children as much as he did, but knew how to play fair. He was already thinking of what to say to Lambo and I-pin later.

"Satoshi, Juro, and Akio will be suspended for a week," Principal Ueno said, shuffling through some papers. "Lambo and I-pin will be suspended for three days. Please use that time to think about you've done. Our school does not tolerate any of that kind of behavior. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Kocho Sensei," the children said.

Tsuna winced when the mothers exploded, yelling and pointing fingers at his siblings. He glared and pulled the kids closer to his side. Lambo flinched against his hold, his fingers tightening on Tsuna's shirt.

"You may leave, Sawada-san," Principal Ueno said. "Thank you for coming on such short notice. I know you must be very busy."

Tsuna nodded. "Thank you, Kocho Sensei. Come on, Lambo, I-pin."

Principal Ueno gave him a slight smile before redirecting her steely gaze at the yelling women. Tsuna swore to bring her some more of his sugar cookies when he got the chance.

Lambo and I-pin were quiet when they left the school building, their eyes downcast. Tsuna sighed before crouching down to their height. He smiled and brushed away some of I-Pin's tears.

"Why are you crying, sweetie?" he said softly in Mandarin.

I-pin's chin quivered as more tears rolled down her cheeks. "Big Brother isn't—isn't angry?"

Tsuna smiled gently. "I'm not mad, sweetie. Maybe a little upset but I'd never get angry at you. So, you don't have to cry."

I-pin flung her arms around his neck, holding on for dear life, and her sobs got muffled in his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Big Brother! I tried to stop Lambo but they were saying mean things about you and I got angry, too! Please don't hate me and Lambo!"

Tsuna patted her back and hushed her gently. "It's okay, I-pin. Everything will be okay. I would never hate you or Lambo."

"You don't hate us?" Lambo said in Italian, kicking some dirt with his foot.

"I'd never hate you, Lambo, any of you."

Lambo continued to look down at his feet. "They said that you were no good, that you don't count as my mama or papa. I got angry and told them to stop but they kept saying it." He scowled. "They said—They said that no one would ever love me because I'm an orphan. But I said that I had you and I-pin and Fuuta-nii." He looked up with teary eyes. "You don't hate me, right, Tsuna-nii?"

Tsuna shook his head. "I love you, Lambo. Nothing will ever change that."

"You're not angry, too?"

"No."

"Even though I hit them?"

"Well, we can use some work on that, but no, I still love you."

"Are you going to put me back there?"

Tsuna ruffled the boy's fluffy black hair. "You're stuck with me forever whether you like it or not, bambino."

Lambo smiled shyly before sniffling and puffing his chest. "See, I-pin? Tsuna-nii forgives Lambo."

I-pin snorted and rolled her eyes. "Lambo's still very dumb."

Her Italian's getting better, Tsuna mused. Children were fast learners after all.

Lambo suddenly laughed. "You should've seen I-pin, Tsuna-nii! She punched Juro in the face!"

I-pin blushed and pinched the other boy's nose. "I told you not say that, you dumb cow!"

Lambo winced, grabbing his nose. "That hurt!"

I-pin sniffed haughtily. "Good."

Tsuna couldn't help but laugh. He ruffled both of their hair before standing up, I-Pin still clinging onto his neck.

"Well, three days of no school, how about that?"

I-Pin looked at him worriedly. "What about Big Brother's work?"

Tsuna nuzzled her forehead, smiling. "Don't worry about me, I-pin. I can call Haru. We should get your lips checked out, Lambo. Come on, there's a convenience store nearby. We can get some ointment and Band-Aids there."

Lambo immediately held his hand, clutching it tightly, while they left the school grounds. "Okay, but this is nothing, really, Tsuna-nii!"

Tsuna's heart clenched in his chest. "It's okay, Lambo. What about getting ice cream later?"

Lambo's eyes brightened. "Really? I want grape!"

I-pin frowned. "What about work, Big Brother?"

"Don't worry, I-pin. I'll be fine." He grinned mischievously. "So, tell me about that punch."

The girl blushed but couldn't help the grin from spreading on her face.

With tired legs and heavy arms (and an emptier wallet), Tsuna and the kids managed to lug in their shopping bags inside their small apartment. It might be small for an adult and three children, but it was home, and they managed. There were only two bedrooms but they all slept in one while the other one was a study room for the kids. There was a kitchen with a dining table and a living room that had a worn couch and a small TV.

Some toys and crayons were strewn on the floor that I-pin immediately started to put away. Tsuna smiled gratefully and placed some of the groceries on the kitchen counter. Fuuta helped him put them away while Lambo turned on the TV. The same song from the taxi radio blasted in the air.

"I-pin, it's the music show!" Lambo said.

I-pin immediately ran to the sofa, her eyes wide. "Is Hibari-san on?"

Lambo made a face. "No, it's Sweets and Cream. Look, it's Chieko-chan!"

Fuuta and Tsuna both sweat-dropped as the young boy swooned over the girls on TV while I-pin huffed on the couch.

"How was your day, Fuuta?" Tsuna said, taking out some egg cartons.

Fuuta beamed. "It was good! I got a 100 on my math test."

Tsuna grinned, ruffling the boy's hair. "That's great, Fuuta!" He winked. "I was going to make pasta anyway."

Fuuta widened his eyes. "Really?"

"Yup. Do you want to help?"

"Yes, please!"

"Go change and wash your hands first."

Fuuta nodded and dashed to their room. Tsuna watched fondly as Lambo and I-pin chattered happily on the couch, commenting this and that about the performing idols on-screen. He barely recognized any of their faces—maybe a few from advertisements, but that was it. He wasn't too out of the loop about the entertainment world—there were some dramas he'd watch on his rare free time—but he was too busy to even bother. Heck, he barely had time to check his social media, opting to take a nap on the bus instead.

But Lambo and I-pin enjoyed them so that was fine. That said, he had to think of a way to keep them occupied for the next three days, which was a pretty generous penalty from Principal Ueno considering the circumstances. Granted, it was those boys' fault, Tsuna couldn't condone violence.

I-pin let out a muffled squeak when she covered her face with a cushion. Tsuna followed her gaze to see a brief close-up on a young man' face before it changed to the boy's group choreography routine. He chuckled.

"Was that Hibari?"

I-pin nodded, her eyes still trained on the screen. Lambo yawned loudly.

"Hibari is scary," he said. "I don't get what you like about him."

I-pin glared at him. "Hibari-san will always be a better man than you, Lambo."

"Ryohei and Yamamoto are cooler than he is!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yuh-huh!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yuh-uh!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yuh-uh!"

"Guys!"

The two stopped, glancing at Tsuna with wide eyes.

The brunet sighed. "Keep it down, okay? We don't want the other neighbors to complain again."

His heart constricted when they deflated and nodded sadly.

"Just keep it down a little, okay?" he said. "Indoor voices."

They nodded and continued to watch the performance in silence. Tsuna frowned as he chopped some onions.

"It's okay, Tsuna-nii," Fuuta said, walking in the small kitchen. "You don't have to worry about us too much."

Tsuna sighed. "I'm sorry, Fuuta. I just don't want you guys worrying about my problems when you don't have to."

"We worry about you, Tsuna-nii. Someone has to."

Tsuna smiled sadly. "Thank you, Fuuta, but really, you guys don't have to." His shoulders slumped. "I just—After today, I've been thinking a lot. I feel like I haven't done enough for all of you. I know I can't be your parents and my circumstances aren't great either. Just, sometimes I get that feeling, you know?"

He jumped when Fuuta suddenly hugged him, then relaxed in the child's arms.

"It's okay, Tsuna-nii. We're family, right? We'll always be there for each other, just like you said. So, don't worry about us. We're doing better than okay. You're everything to us."

Tsuna couldn't help but smile. Sometimes Fuuta was too wise for his own good and knew just the right things to say. "Thank you, Fuuta."

Suddenly, an indignant shout came from the living room. Two pairs of arms abruptly clung onto his waist.

"No fair, I want a hug, too, Tsuna-nii!"

"Can I hug you too, Big Brother?"

"Tsuna-nii is cooking!"

"So, I want to hug Tsuna-nii!"

"Move, Lambo! You're squishing my foot!"

Tsuna couldn't help but sigh in exasperated fondness. Fuuta smiled, which he easily returned.

Yeah, they were family.

On the rare occasions that Tsuna actually sat down and rested, he'd browse through his laptop and try to catch up with whatever was happening in the news. Of course, a majority of them was celebrity gossip but he scrolled past them without much interest.

He had called Haru on whether she could babysit the kids while he was at work, but got a "no" for tomorrow. She was meeting a big client over her portfolio and couldn't miss it, not that Tsuna would let her. She was just starting to make a name for herself as a freelancing fashion designer and he'd be devastated too if she couldn't achieve her dreams because of him. She did promise that she'd watch them the days after tomorrow, which was fine, and Tsuna couldn't stop thanking her enough.

With that, his mind ran a mile a minute, trying to think of anyone else who could watch the kids tomorrow. He came up blank. It was kind of sad now that he thought about it. He didn't have many friends. Haru was practically the only one he knew; honestly though, he didn't mind it too much. It was better to have one good friend than have many friends who were merely acquaintances. The kids also liked Haru, which was a plus.

He could ask his mother, but she wasn't here anymore…

Tsuna hugged his knees closer to his chest. She would've loved the kids…

After browsing through some depressing articles, Tsuna sighed. He shook his head. He had to find some way to keep the kids occupied tomorrow. There was the afternoon shift at the restaurant and an evening shift at the convenience store since one of his coworkers couldn't make it. The rent was due soon. He had spent some extra money today for the kids, which he'd been saving for some bills, but they were so happy that he forgot.

Oh, well. Their happiness was enough.

But not enough to pay the bills, a bitter part of him whispered.

Tsuna groaned. That kind of thinking was unwelcomed, unnecessary, and unneeded. He perked up when he heard the soft pitter-patter of feet. "I-pin? What are you doing up? Sorry, is the light distracting you?"

I-pin wore simple pink pajamas with dancing dumplings; her black hair was loose and reached her lower back. She shook her head and snuggled up to Tsuna's side, sighing contentedly.

"Are you okay, Big Brother?" she said in Mandarin.

Tsuna smiled. "Of course. What are you doing up?"

"Lambo's snoring again."

Tsuna chuckled as he pulled her closer, patting her shoulder. "Well, I did tell you to sleep before he did."

I-pin wrinkled her nose cutely. "It's not fair. What if I'm not tired before him?"

"Counting sheep might help."

"Sheep remind me of Lambo."

"Hmm, I was thinking cows?"

I-pin giggled. It was a running joke that Lambo resembled a cow. Sometimes the boy threw a fuss about it but they knew he didn't care. He even wore cow-print pajamas to sleep.

Tsuna scrolled through some more news when I-pin squeaked. He quickly noticed what she was looking at. It was a picture of Hibari next to a big headline: "Decimo's Hibari Kyoya Reported to Star in a New Action Film". He couldn't help but smile teasingly.

"Your boyfriend is pretty busy, isn't he?"

I-pin blushed. "H—Hibari-san's not my boyfriend!"

Tsuna laughed. "I'm just teasing, I-pin." He tilted his head. "I didn't know he was an actor, too."

I-pin huffed. "You don't know anything about him, Big Brother."

Tsuna flushed. "Well, I don't see a reason to. Here." He clicked on the article and Hibari's face-shot grew bigger on his screen. He was wearing a simple black suit, which looked like it cost five times Tsuna's rent, and was very handsome. Like, "wow, he looked like a walking sex god" handsome. His sharp eyes were also dark blue-gray. "Huh, Decimo. That's 'tenth' in Italian."

I-pin nodded. "They're Vongola's tenth group. They debuted a year ago but they're really popular now. Did you know that they're all brothers to Primo? Well, besides Giotto."

"Primo…?"

Tsuna heard of Vongola—it was one of the most popular entertainment companies in the world, producing several famous actors, models, and singers like clockwork.

I-pin widened her eyes. "You don't know them, Big Brother? Giotto, Asari, G, Knuckle, Alaude…?"

Tsuna shrugged. "Their names sound familiar, I think."

I-pin looked scandalous. "Lambo is right. Big Brother is hopeless. Don't worry! I'll teach you!"

"You really don't have to…

Too late.

She started spouting out names, ages, birthdays, favorite colors, favorite food, astrological signs, spirit animals, and what the hell, did she just mention their blood type? Tsuna suddenly pitied the idols. Their privacy was practically compromised.

"—ntly on their new album tour. Oh, did you know they're coming here tomorrow? To Namimori? No one famous ever came to Namimori before!"

"Hmm?"

I-pin pouted. "Are you listening, Big Brother?"

"You mean this?"

Tsuna clicked on another link about Decimo's Japan tour. Sure enough, they were coming tomorrow. Namimori was a small city but it had some recognition, particularly for their mountains and scenery; there were also some notable amusement parks like Kokuyo Land that got heavily renovated a few years ago. Most newlyweds came here for their honeymoon if they liked the countryside and there was a good number of tourists who liked touring sacred shrines.

It was surprising that a popular group like Decimo would come here, but that just spoke of their passion and dedication to their fans. Tsuna could respect that.

"The girls in my class said that they're all going," I-pin said quietly.

Scrolling through the listed dates and times, Tsuna chewed on his lip. Well, he could use one of his sick days at the restaurant tomorrow. The fan signing event was open to everyone and it was at the largest record store in Namimori, which was close by.

"Do you want to go, I-pin?" he said slowly.

I-pin widened her eyes before she deflated. "Big Brother has work tomorrow and Big Sister can't come."

Tsuna smiled brightly. "I don't have to go to work tomorrow. We can go together."

The hope in her eyes returned almost immediately, and it was absolutely blinding. "Really?"

"Of course."

I-pin squealed and flung her arms around his shoulders. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

It wouldn't hurt to indulge a bit. Besides, I-pin's smile was worth it.

Tsuna barely managed to wake up to his alarm on time.

He woke up at six every day to prepare the kids' bento but since only Fuuta was going to school, that was two less bento he had to pack. Fuuta wasn't disappointed on not going to the fan-signing since he was going on a field trip to the zoo, which he had looked forward to for weeks.

After hugging Tsuna goodbye and warning the other two children to not give him any trouble, Fuuta took off to Namimori Middle, which was only few blocks away. When he searched for their apartment, Tsuna made painstaking efforts to make sure they were close to the necessary locations. Their apartment was close to Third Street and the children's schools without much trouble. The rent could be cheaper though but he took what he could get.

"Tsuna-nii, I want grape juice!" Lambo said, shoveling some pancakes in his mouth.

"Eat slower, Lambo," I-pin said, frowning. "And don't talk with your mouth full."

Lambo just chewed obnoxiously and stuck his tongue out. I-pin made a disgusted noise before pushing her plate away.

Tsuna poured Lambo's glass with a sigh. "Lambo, stop that. You're making a mess."

"Did you finish the bento, Big Brother?"

Tsuna smiled. I-pin had asked him if he could cook some food for Decimo—well, for Hibari—after another impromptu crash course on everything and anything about the five-man group. Needless to say, not all the information stuck in his head aside from Hibari, Hibari, Hibari, Hibari. There was nothing I-pin didn't know about him. Poor guy.

There was one thing that did stick out though. I-pin had showed him some of their songs and music videos from their new album and one track caught his attention in particular.

Angel in Lavender.

It was a peculiar title, but when it opened up with some haunting piano chords, Tsuna was slowly sucked into a passionate, heartbreaking story of unreciprocated love. The singer was apparently Gokudera Hayato, the main rapper of the group, which was surprising because he sang pretty well. Gokudera sang with such raw passion and conviction that it actually moved Tsuna to tears. The slight rasp in his voice only made the song more emotional.

He may not know the group or the rapper all that well—he was not having I-pin lecture him again on whose birthday is on which day or their favorite movies—but he came to respect them. They were clearly passionate in what they were doing.

"Don't worry, I-pin," Tsuna said, checking the miso soup. "It's almost done."

I-pin beamed. "Thank you, Big Brother!"

Okay, maybe Tsuna underestimated Decimo's popularity a little bit—just a tad.

The line outside Namimori Records was already circling the block. A large majority of the fans were young girls and teenagers; Tsuna saw some guys here and there, and surprisingly, a handful of kids. Okay, that wasn't that bad, not that he minded. He made a mental note to get something for Fuuta later.

I-pin clutched his pants tightly when they finally managed to get on line. "Will we be able to go in, Big Brother?"

Tsuna patted her head. "Don't worry, we will. It's not that bad."

Lambo yawned, leaning on his other side. "The line is getting longer, Tsuna-nii."

It was true. The line was probably circling the block three times by now and it was only nine AM. The event started at ten-thirty but this was just crazy. At least the weather wasn't that bad. That was one less thing to worry about. Unfortunately, there were a million more that Tsuna hoped wouldn't nag his mind for the next four hours.

"Oh, my god, I can't wait to see Hibari!"

"Yamamoto is so hot! And his smiles! God bless that man."

"Kyaa, Mukuro-sama! I hope he gives me a rose!"

"Gokudera-kun is so cool! He wore different rings yesterday in Kyoto!"

"Did you see Ryohei's abs in that video?"

Tsuna sighed. This was going to be a really long day.

They finally got in the store and slowly but surely got closer to the table where the group was sitting at. The place was really loud and crowded, and Tsuna nearly lost the kids twice in the chaos of giggling and chattering fangirls. Lambo was snoozing on his shoulder after Tsuna piggybacked him at the 45-minute mark. I-pin held onto his pants, looking around the shop with wide eyes.

"There's a lot of them," she said, chewing her lip nervously.

"Well, you're going to be meeting your boyfriend soon, I-pin," Tsuna said, winking at the blushing girl. "It'll be worth it."

She nodded and patiently waited with him as time ticked by. When they finally got closer to the table, Tsuna took a quick glance at the group. Even though he didn't know much about them, it was still pretty cool to meet one of the most popular boy bands in the world. Haru made him promise to tell him the details later and it wasn't a surprise to find out she was a fan. Tsuna bought a second copy of their new album for her, the other for I-pin.

The idols were spaced out evenly at the table despite the crammed space. There were five of them and Tsuna couldn't get a good look at their faces since the fans were blocking them from view. He did get glimpses of blue, silver, and black, but that wasn't very helpful.

I-pin suddenly tugged Tsuna's pants, her eyes wide. "Big Brother, we're almost there."

Tsuna patted her head gently. "It's okay, I-pin. I'm here. You can do this!"

That made her relax and take deep breaths. The table was just coming into view. Tsuna didn't know why he briefly hesitated, as if his guts were telling him to go back. But they were so c—

"Hey, there!"

Tsuna jumped at the friendly voice, but relaxed when he made eye-contact with the first member. He was tall with spiky black hair and bright brown eyes. He wore a casual white t-shirt under a denim jacket and black jeans; a pair of sunglasses hung from the top of his shirt. Tsuna's first thought was that he was incredibly handsome. His second thought was more out-of-the-blue: the idol was smiling a little too hard.

Tsuna didn't know what to think about that. It wasn't his business, but it bothered him a little. Maybe the idol was overworking himself? Tsuna wouldn't be surprised if his schedule was grueling. He remembered that they had another event in Kokuyo and Midori after before they moved to Kyoto.

Now if he could just remember the guy's name…

Hibari, Hibari, Hibari, Hibari, was all that popped up in his head.

"What's your name?" the idol said, grinning at a wide-eyed I-pin.

Tsuna only feared on how she'd fare when they reached Hibari, who was at the end of the table. Surprisingly, I-pin managed to compose herself and beamed. "My name is I-pin!"

"Wow, that's a pretty name for a pretty girl!" I-pin blushed. "Want me to sign that for you?"

"Yes, please," I-pin said, handing him her album. "I—I really like your singing, Yamamoto-san. You make me feel better when I'm sad, too."

Yamamoto smiled, which Tsuna thought looked much better.

"Thanks, I-pin. And I really like your braids!"

I-pin stood up a bit straighter and smiled proudly. "Big Brother did them for me! Big Brother, this is Yamamoto-san! Remember?"

Tsuna vaguely recalled sushi, baseball, smiles, and dogs, but yeah, sure, he remembered. He smiled at Yamamoto who looked at him curiously.

"Hello, I'm I-pin's brother, Tsuna. I heard a lot about you."

Yamamoto smiled easily. "Not a big fan?"

Tsuna quickly shook his head, careful not to wake Lambo. "Oh, no! I'm just too old. That's what I-pin says anyway." He smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry if I offended you, Yamamoto-san."

The idol just laughed it off. "Nah, I understand. I can respect guys like you. You look like you have it all together."

Tsuna grinned. "Yeah, let's go with that."

Yamamoto beamed before pointing at Haru's album. "Wanna get that signed?"

"Oh, yes. It's not for me though. It's for a friend. Her name's Haru. She's a big fan."

"No problem!" Yamamoto signed the album with big loops before taking an extra CD from underneath the table and signing that too. Tsuna widened his eyes when he handed them both to him. "Here. That one's on me." Yamamoto winked. "Hope you become a fan." He leaned in to whisper. "World domination's on our to-do list at the moment."

Tsuna laughed. "Good luck with that, Yamamoto-san."

The idol's lips curved into an easy, relaxed smile. "Call me Takeshi. Yamamoto-san's my dad."

Tsuna nodded. "Okay, Takeshi." I-pin tugged his pants. "Take care of yourself. I don't think anyone would be happy if you push yourself too hard."

That seemed to surprise the idol a bit before he regained his composure. "Thanks, Tsuna. Take care of the kid, too!"

Tsuna smiled when he referred to the still-sleeping Lambo. "Thank you, Takeshi."

I-pin gestured him to lean down so she could whisper in his ear while they moved on to the next member. "That's Rokudo-san. Don't call him a pineapple, okay? He doesn't like it."

Tsuna just smiled at her concern and quickly ushered her ahead before more people complained behind him.

"Kufufu, and who is the pretty little lady?"

The next idol was also tall, around the same height as Takeshi, and devilishly attractive. He had long blue hair in a thin ponytail—it did look like a pineapple, Tsuna mused—and wore a thin black coat over a white t-shirt. His slender fingers were adorned with several rings that glimmered under the light. But what caught Tsuna's attention were Rokudo's eyes. One was a deep blue color while the other was a crimson red. Maybe they were contacts?

I-pin squeaked. "M—My name is I-pin."

Rokudo smiled before snapping his fingers and making a rose appear in his hand. He handed it to the wide-eyed I-pin with a wink.

"A beautiful rose for a beautiful girl," he said.

"T—Thank you, Rokudo-san," I-pin said, taking the rose tenderly in her hands. "C—Can you please sign this for me?"

"Already done, dear."

Tsuna peeked over her shoulder to see Rokudo's signature in her album. He looked up at the idol in amazement. "That's incredible."

Rokudo smirked. "I live to please."

Tsuna chuckled. "Well, you're living up to it well."

Even though the man was probably complimented on an hourly basis, he still blinked in slight surprise before smiling pleasantly. "But of course. I believe I didn't catch your name…?"

"Tsuna. I'm I-pin's brother. Thank you for the rose, Rokudo-san. You're very talented."

Mukuro seemed to purr at the compliment. "Of course. I expect nothing less of myself."

Tsuna laughed. He could see why the girls were so taken with him. Rokudo certainly knew his way with words. "Are my albums signed, too?"

Rokudo smiled. "Oh? Seems like I missed one." He reached out a hand. "I'd like to do it properly, if I may?"

Tsuna blinked when he handed his copy that Takeshi gave him to Rokudo. I-pin was gaping at him. Did he do something wrong? He watched as Rokudo elegantly signed his album before handing it back to him. He slightly jumped when their fingers brushed very briefly. Tsuna was imagining things—yup, he just needed more sleep, that was all.

"Kufufu, it was a pleasure to meet you, Tsuna," Rokudo said, giving him a charming smile.

Tsuna smiled back. "Thank you, Rokudo-san."

"Please, call me Mukuro."

"Ah, Mukuro-san then. I know you might hear this all the time, but you have very beautiful eyes."

Mukuro grinned. "Thank you, Tsuna. And you look lovely as well."

Tsuna blushed. Kami, was Mukuro even hearing himself? It was probably just fan service—very good fan service. He quickly said his goodbye when I-pin tugged him away.

"What was that all about?" he said. "Did I do something wrong, I-pin?"

She still stared at him with wide eyes. "Mukuro-san never signs copies himself, Big Brother."

Tsuna frowned. Did the man have some kind of muscular disease? Was he in pain? That was certainly strange.

"Maybe he's just very tired from writing. He must meet fans all the time."

I-pin looked at him like he grew three heads. "Lambo is very right. Big Brother is hopeless."

"Hey, what do you mean?"

Before I-pin could respond, they were greeted with an enthusiastic, "Hello to the extreme!"

I-pin giggled and shook a bandaged hand shyly. Tsuna blinked when the white-haired idol stuck out his hand for him. The brunet smiled apologetically, gesturing at Lambo. "Sorry, my hands are full. But I'd still shake your hand if I could."

The ruggedly handsome man laughed. "Not an extreme problem!"

He had white hair, tanned skin, and gray eyes. An adhesive bandage was taped over his nose and his hands were bound with sports tape. He showed more skin than the others, wearing a sleeveless black hoodie over a gray t-shirt; he clearly worked out because those muscles were insane—not overly buff but just about right that made the ladies swoon.

"What's your name, kid?"

"I-pin!"

"Are they your brothers?"

"Yes, that's Big Brother and Lambo!"

Tsuna couldn't help but smile. It was clear that this idol was very good with children and had a lot of energy to boot. It was pretty refreshing. He could roll with that.

"And what's Big Brother's name?" the idol said, signing I-pin's album.

"Tsuna-nii!" I-pin said. "Big Brother is the best brother in the world!"

Tsuna blushed at the unexpected compliment. "I try."

The idol grinned and gestured for the two albums that Tsuna held onto. "Let me sign those! You look like an extremely good brother, Tsuna!" He signed them both with fervor. "I get it. I have a little sister too, and I'd do anything for her. Sometimes you feel like you're not doing enough but their happiness is extremely worth it, right?"

Tsuna widened his eyes at the idol's softer tone. He couldn't help but smile brilliantly at the shared sentiment. "Yeah, it is. Thank you."

I-pin nodded. "Yes, thank you, Sasagawa-san!"

"Call me Ryohei! I'm not that extremely old yet!"

I-pin practically glowed when they moved onto the next one, and Tsuna patted her head affectionately.

"Ryohei-san seems very nice."

I-pin nodded. "His sister is also nice, too. She's a model! Remember?"

Tsuna just nodded. Honestly, he didn't but he didn't want I-pin to sit him down for another long lecture that was just going to escalate into more Hibari, Hibari, Hibari, Hibari.

"Hey," a voice said. "How are ya?"

Tsuna knew the next member—well, he knew the name and face at least. He had seen a video of the other's live performance.

The idol was handsome with long silver hair tied back into a short ponytail, narrow green eyes, and an assortment of different rings and bracelets on his hands. He wore a thin, furred black coat over a white tank-top and had a thin chain necklace around his pale neck.

"I'm good!" I-pin said, smiling. "How is Gokudera-san?"

The man smiled tentatively. He was obviously not that comfortable around children—he looked like he didn't want to be here honestly—but he tried his best to not let it show. Tsuna could admire the professionalism.

"I'm doing good," Gokudera said, signing her album quickly.

"Big Brother is a fan of you, Gokudera-san!"

Tsuna widened his eyes when the idol looked at him with a blank, polite stare, if that was even possible.

"Thanks," Gokudera said. "Do you want those signed, too?"

"Ah, yes." Tsuna handed him his two copies. "One of them is for a friend. Her name's Haru. The other one's mine. Yamamoto-san gave it to me."

Gokudera raised a brow. "He did?"

Tsuna tilted his head. "Is that a bad thing?"

Gokudera merely pursed his lips. "No. Just, he doesn't do that often."

"Oh, I see."

I-pin poked Tsuna's side and silently urged him to do…something. Tsuna stared back, confused, making her roll her eyes.

"Gokudera-san, what's your favorite song in the new album?" she said with innocent curiosity.

"Famiglia. How about you?"

I-pin grinned. "That's one of my favorites, too! I like Kokou no Pride."

Gokudera smiled faintly. "You're a Hibari fan?"

I-pin blushed. "Ah, well, I—"

Tsuna laughed and patted her head. "She is. She never stops talking about him."

Gokudera nodded. "Here."

He handed Tsuna his albums. The brunet couldn't help but note how elegant the other's hands were. "You know, I'm actually a big fan of one of your singles. Angel in Lavender?"

Gokudera looked up at him with a bit of surprise. "Really? That's a pretty old song. I wrote it before my debut."

"I really liked your piano composition in that one. It had some nice blend of Chopin and Beethoven."

Gokudera quirked a brow, his lips twitching slightly. "You're a classical fan?"

"I guess you can say that. I played the violin when I was younger and my mother loved it. Your song reminded me of her. So, really, what I wanted to say was thank you for making that song. It means a lot to me."

There was a brief mutual understanding between them when Gokudera smiled, his eyes softening just around the edges. "No, thanks for listening. That means a lot more to me."

A petite, pretty girl appeared behind Gokudera's chair. She looked like Mukuro with her long purple hair and violet eyes. She leaned down to whisper in Gokudera's ear but Tsuna could tell what she was saying. He smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, we're holding up the line. It was nice to meet you, Gokudera-san."

The idol nodded. "Yeah, sorry about that. It was nice meeting you, Tsuna, I-pin."

Tsuna smiled before ushering I-pin to the end of the table. He grinned at her mischievously. "Are you ready, I-pin?"

She squeaked in response, hiding her face behind a cute, stuffed yellow bird that she bought for Hibari. Tsuna laughed and ruffled her hair, careful not to ruin her perfect braids.

"It'll be fine, I-pin."

He noticed that Hibari sat a little further away from the group. Something about not being a fan of crowding, I-pin said. He was also more handsome in real life. He wore a casual suit jacket and a white button-up dress shirt, which was unbuttoned a little to show some of his toned chest. He wore an expensive watch on his wrist that was different from the one in the article Tsuna read last night.

Hibari was a man with very few words, I-pin had told him. But he was a really nice person if you knew him really well. Tsuna sweat dropped at that. Hibari looked anything but nice. He looked intimidating and very intense, which was apparently popular among the fans.

They stared at each other for a few seconds before Hibari glanced at I-pin, who was blushing terribly. Tsuna restrained a sigh and placed the idol's bento on the table.

"This is for you, Hibari-san," the brunet said, gauging the impassive idol's reaction. "My sister, I-pin, made it for you."

I-pin blushed when Hibari took the bento with a slight nod and left it next to him, along with a myriad of other fan gifts. She shyly handed her album for him to sign, which he took wordlessly, and watched as he scribbled something on the page. Tsuna blinked when Hibari stuck out his hand for his albums.

"Ah, sorry. Here."

The idol signed and returned them wordlessly. Tsuna couldn't get a good read of his face but he wasn't the type to pry and he really didn't know what to say or whether he should say anything at all. I-pin then placed the stuffed animal on the table and pushed it shyly towards Hibari.

"For me?" Hibari suddenly said.

I-pin nodded before hiding behind Tsuna's legs. He smiled down at her reassuringly, patting her shaking shoulder.

To their surprise, Hibari's lips twitched into a slight smile. "Xièxiè." [Thank you.]

I-pin squeaked then tugged Tsuna away, so they could leave. He smiled gratefully at Hibari.

"Thank you, Hibari-san. Take care."

The idol just focused his attention on the next fan in line, not sparing him another glance.

I-pin sighed dreamily while swinging her legs on the park bench they were sitting at. "Hibari-san is very handsome."

Tsuna laughed while wiping some ice cream from Lambo's mouth. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

She hugged his side. "It was really nice. Thank you, Big Brother."

"Of course."

Lambo huffed. "Why didn't you wake me up? I wanted to talk to Ryohei and Yamamoto!"

I-pin rolled her eyes. "You sleep too much, Lambo."

"I'm a growing boy!"

"You'll never grow up to be a man like Hibari-san!"

"I never even mentioned him! What are you talking about?"

"Hibari-san will always be better than you!"

"Are we talking about the same thing here?"

"Don't say bad things about Hibari-san!"

"You're crazy!"

"I'm not crazy! You are!"

"No, you are!"

"You are!"

Tsuna just sighed.

A/N *claps hands together and makes the infamous Buddha face*

I have no regrets.

…

Actually, I kind of do. This was supposed to be a one-shot, but then there were too many characters, so I scrapped that. Then it was supposed to be a drabble-fic but knowing who I am, I can't do that either because I can't, for the life of me, pull off a drabble without inserting some kind of plot in there. And now, we have this mess, haha. Plus, the band names/song titles are so bad but I couldn't think of anything else so I just…left them alone. If you have any other suggestion, I'd gladly consider them.

It was also supposed to be light-hearted and not all that serious, but then…it came out like this. Ahhh.

Here are some notes: There is no mafia involved; maybe a mention here and there? The idol industry is already messy as it is and the story can't handle all that melodrama. I don't know if I'd pull it off. Most of the canon characters are involved in the idol industry. There might be some OOCness but I'll try to keep most of their canon personalities intact. I have no idea where this story is going so throw some suggestions my way; it's mostly a guilty-pleasure fic and I was in the mood for some All27 (its also finals season, ahhh). I don't know if there's an eventual end pairing at the end but I'll take votes later if you peeps want to do that. Tsuna has some canon personality traits but there are some tweaks here and there. Honestly, get our little Tuna-fish a sweet sugar daddy because he needs some help. There may be some Korean drama tropes thrown in here because I just realized that it kind of reminds me of Stars Falling from the Sky—except, well, this has idols and Tsuna isn't anyone's housekeeper and hiding the kids in their home (…hmm). The "nuh-uh, yuh-huh" scene was inspired by the one scene in The Emperor's New Groove.

Here's an age list for reference:

Tsuna, Gokudera, Yamamoto, Chrome – 20

Ryohei, Hibari, Mukuro – 22

Fuuta – 10

Lambo – 9

I-pin – 8

Anyways, there's that. I honestly didn't expect this to be a long chapter but I wanted to get the fan signing event out of the way (which I, sadly, never been to or know how it functions; it might be inaccurate). I only wanted to give a brief overview of the members in Decimo. It'd also be impossible for Tsuna to talk with them any longer since there are so many fans (and he doesn't know much about them), but it might change later—ahahaha.

Thank you for reading, peeps! Leave a thought or two if you can, and if there are any questions, I'll try to get back to you as soon as possible!

Have a lovely day~

Little Miss Bunny

Revised: 3/30/2018