Sick For A Day

written by: Paio Ichiris Jin

Where Sawada Tsunayoshi gets severely sick one day and everyone tries to help him get better.

Nana paused in her cooking when the sound of the doorbell rung from the front door. Lambo laughed and ran around the kitchen, while I-Pin chasing after him irritably, trying to take the stalks of leek back from the baby boy. Haru raced after the two, nearly tripping over her feet from trying to catch and keep up with them. Fuuta looked up from his work and gasped as Lambo tripped over his feet, sending the leeks flying towards him. Bianchi paused with her stirring of the soup, ignoring the bustling four others in the kitchen, and nodded to Nana, reassuring her that she could leave the slicing of the ingredients for the soup to her for now. The mother smiled gratefully and hurriedly left the kitchen to open the door for the guests.

"Ah! Tsuna's friends!" A kind and warm smile lit up her face.

"Good afternoon, Jyuudaime's mother!" A silver haired teen grinned back and glanced inside anxiously, eyes darting from the kitchen to the stairs as if searching for something.

"Good afternoon!" Another taller teen with messy black hair greeted and lifted up a bag in his hands. "I brought some sushi and some medicine that might help."

"Ah, thank you very much. You didn't need to go so far." Nana nodded happily and welcomed the two boys inside. "Tsuna's resting in his room right now."

"Oh, thanks! I'll go check to see how he is…!" Gokudera rushed up the stairs and leapt into Tsuna's room, shouting loudly, "Jyuudaime! Are you okay?!"

Yamamoto laughed heartily, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry for the intrusion…"

"Oh! Not at all!" Nana waved her hands. "Tsuna's friends are always welcome in our home." The two smiled at each other for a while and then the black haired teen glanced away before looking meekly in the direction of the room upstairs.

"Ehh… how is Tsuna…?" He asked quietly, concerned for his good friend. During today's class, Tsuna had been acting extremely strange. His eyes would droop half closed at times and his back would slouch, almost as if there were something heavy sitting on him. And then during PE class, Tsuna ran slower than normal and his skin looked so flushed. When school had finally ended, the brown haired boy seemed to be dragging himself back home. It was an hour later when Yamamoto had gotten a call from Haru saying anxiously that she had found Tsuna collapsed on the street, breathing abnormally.

Nana sighed and shook her head. "That silly Tsunayoshi… he caught a bad cold and pushed himself to go to school. It's quite abnormal actually…" She tapped her chin thoughtfully and Yamamoto gave her a small smile, understanding what she meant by those words. Tsuna really wasn't the kind of person who would go to school when he was sick. Maybe there was something important he had to do today…? Tsuna's mother continued, her eyes now changing to a look of worry. "Hm, when Haru-chan brought him back, he was sweating and heating up and barely conscious. His fever still hasn't gone down…"

"Good thing I brought this medicine then…!" Yamamoto smiled with an optimistic reassurance and glanced at the bag in his hands. Nana nodded and rushed back to the kitchen.

"I'll get you a glass of water, then…!"

The teen nodded and climbed up the creaking stairs. Then, he opened up the door to Tsuna's room and lifted up the plastic bag. "Yo! Tsuna!" He was met with Gokudera's fierce glare and a few beads of sweat rolled down the back of his head.

"Shhh! Jyuudaime's sleeping!" The silver haired teen growled and clasped his hands around Tsuna's sweating hand worriedly. "Jyuudaime…! You've got to overcome this!"

Yamamoto entered the room and settled himself down at the table in the middle of the room. He chuckled after seeing Gokudera's devoted actions. But as he shifted his eyes from Gokudera to the painful expression on Tsuna's flushed face, the laughter died away a little and he scratched his head, turning his eyes down to the table. There were footsteps coming from the stairs and Tsuna's mother appeared with a glass of water in her hands.

"Yamamoto-kun, here's some water for the medicine. I have to go back to the kitchen and finish up the soup for Tsu-kun soon…!"

"Ou, I understand." The teen nodded in thanks and then fished out the tablets in the plastic bag that he had prepared. Gokudera rushed over and grabbed the water and pills from his hands and then zipped back to Tsuna's side. Yamamoto blinked for a moment before sighing and moving himself to Tsuna's beside. Really, Gokudera always got so worried when Tsuna got into trouble… not that he didn't worry himself but…

"Jyuudaime… Jyuudaime…" The silver haired boy gently shook his boss's arm. "If you take this medicine, you'll get better sooner…!" He shook the boy a few more times but Tsuna only groaned and grimaced in pain.

"If you want to wake him, you have to do this—!" A familiar voice came from the corner of the room. Suddenly, a dark blur jumped in the air and a small leg kicked Tsuna right in the face, causing Tsuna's eyes to snap open in pain. Gokudera and Yamamoto's eyes widened in surprise and horror. Was that how to treat severely sick people…?!

"WAH!" The brown haired boy sat up straight, clutching his stinging cheek. Then, he angrily shouted hoarsely at Reborn, who had landed smoothly on his bed sheets. "Oi! Reborn! Why did you do that?!"

The little renown hitman stared expressionlessly at his student. "How else will you take your medicine?"

"THERE ARE EASIER WAYS TO WAKE SOMEONE UP!!" Tsuna shouted furiously, straining his already sore throat. Suddenly, he felt his vision blur and he clutched his burning head to try and still himself.

"Jyuudaime!"

"Tsuna!"

The two boys reached their hands out in case Tsuna passed out again. But the young Vongola boss fell back into his pillows, sighing deeply and his two friends retracted their arms, smiling in relief. Gokudera grabbed the glass of water from the floor and held out the tablets before Tsuna.

"Jyuudaime, before you go back to sleep, please take this medicine and get better soon…!" The small boy smiled weakly from his bed, breathing slightly ragged.

"Thank you, Gokudera-kun… Yamamoto…" He shifted his eyes from each person as he spoke their names and they both smiled sheepishly.

"It's no problem, Tsuna." The baseball player grinned. "We're good friends after all, right?"

Gokudera held the glass of water to the boy's lips. "Here, drink the water first. And then swallow the tablets one by one." Tsuna nodded slowly and did as he was told. Then, he relaxed into the bed and fell into a deep sleep again. Reborn pressed a hand to the boy's forehead and frowned.

"He's still burning up right now… he'll probably sweat a lot. You two, go prepare some water and towels to cool his fever down and soak up his sweat." The two boys nodded obediently and left out the door.

The doorbell rang again and Gokudera left Yamamoto—who had gone off to get the water and towels—and reluctantly walked to the front door to see who the newcomers were. The bomb specialist scowled at the people standing in the doorway. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Ou! Octopus-head! What are you doing here?" The silver haired boxer shouted passionately at the other silver haired teen.

"Don't call me octopus-head, you turf-head… and I asked you guys first!" Gokudera growled and glared at the pair of siblings standing at the door.

"Umm…" The orange haired girl smiled shyly and held up a bag in her hands. "We heard that Tsuna-kun was really sick so… we were worried and brought some herbs and medicine that might help him recover more quickly…"

Without another word, Gokudera opened the door widely for them and marched up the stairs, back to Tsuna's room. As long as they had brought things that would help the Jyuudaime recover faster, he wouldn't care who came to the house.

Kyouko and Ryohei nodded to each other and then entered the house, taking off their shoes and placing them neatly among the many other shoes at the doorway. "Sorry for the intrusion…" They smiled and entered the lively kitchen where Lambo, I-Pin, and Haru were busy chopping various types of vegetables into assorted shapes and slices; where Bianchi stirred a large pot of strangely smoking broth; and where Tsuna's mother bustled about, preparing other dishes for the guests who were arriving all at once.

"Ah!" Nana smiled, noticing the two newcomers at the kitchen doorway. "Kyouko-chan and Kyouko-chan's brother. Welcome!"

"We brought some herbs that you can add into the soup!" Ryohei grinned energetically and reached into the bag his younger sister was holding. He pulled out the small pouches and passed them to Haru.

"Hahii!" The dark haired girl cried and looked the herbs over a few times. "I've never seen these before… how do we use them?!"

Kyouko smiled and tilted her head to the side, lifting an index finger up. "I heard that they're good for lowering a person's body temperature and also build up the immunity system in the body!"

A few objects in the room started floating. Then, they abruptly dropped back down in their respective places and Fuuta smiled cheerily while pulling out his large record book. "Those herbs are ranked 3rd for most likely to help cure the symptoms of the common cold."

"That's wonderful!" Nana smiled gratefully and stared at the pouch of herbs. "Should we grind them and add them into the soup them?"

"Ou! That sounds like a great idea!" Ryohei snatched the pouch and started mashing it up in his hands with all his might and extremity. Lambo jumped from the table and hugged onto Ryohei's arm rebelliously.

"Lambo-san wants to grind it!!" He cried out while clinging tightly to Ryohei's hand. The silver haired teen paused and then sighed, passing the pouch of herbs to the afro haired baby, who in turn threw the pouch onto the table and started bashing it with his feet.

"Can't help it then… I'll go check how Sawada is doing instead!" The teen grinned and rushed up the stairs energetically.

"Big brother…! Don't bother Tsuna-kun…" Kyouko sighed as her brother disappeared into Tsuna's room and the sounds of loud shouts emitted from the room. Suddenly, the doorbell rang yet again, causing the orange haired girl to jump slightly, startled by the sound. "I'll get the door." She smiled at all the people in the kitchen and then left to open the front door. An unfamiliar man with blond hair stood at the doorway with many other men dressed in black suits standing out in the streets menacingly. She glanced around nervously. "Eh… I'm sorry, you are…?"

"Ah!" The blond haired man smiled warmly. "I'm an acquaintance of Tsuna's. I'm sort of like his… big brother." He chuckled softly. "My name is Dino from the Cavallone Familia. Just call me Dino."

"Dino-san is it?" Kyouko smiled back, trying to hide her confusion when the 'Cavollone' bit had been mentioned, and then glanced at the men in black standing outside with serious expressions on their faces. Dino noticed and laughed, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"Don't worry about them, they're harmless. I heard that Tsuna got sick… right?"

"Oh, yes… ah!" She opened the door. "I'm sorry for leaving you outside for so long. Would you like to come in? But…" The girl peered at the great number of people outside. "There might not be enough room for all of them…"

The blonde haired man laughed again and waved his hand. "Don't worry about that. They'll be fine." He turned to address his subordinates. "Hey, it's all right. I'll be staying at Tsuna's house tonight. You guys can go rest at the hotel."

"Are you sure boss?"

"One of us could stay…"

"Boss always gets so clumsy when we're not around."

"Hey…!" Dino chuckled, trying to cover his embarrassment. "I'll be just fine!"

"If Boss says so. Reborn-san is there after all."

"We can rely on Reborn-san."
"We'll pick you up tomorrow morning then!"

"Don't cause any trouble for the Vongola's Jyuudaime now…!"

Dino frowned playfully. "You guys…" When they all dispersed, Kyouko smiled and led him into the house. He glanced around, feeling the warm atmosphere of Tsuna's home. It never changed, did it? With a small smile upon his lips, he headed for the stairs, intending to see how his 'little brother' was doing. "I'll go check up on Tsuna."

"All right." Kyouko nodded, smiling politely and she started walking back to the kitchen.

Dino hummed to himself, hands in his pockets, when suddenly he tripped while going up the stairs. Kyouko blinked in surprise at the seemingly cool and mature looking man. He… just tripped while going up the stairs…? The blonde haired man recovered quickly and smiled down at the girl sheepishly before making the rest of his way up the stairs. The orange haired girl giggled slightly, smiling to herself while thinking of all the strange and good friends Tsuna had gathered in his house, just because he had gotten sick. The smile on her face wore off and then she glanced at the room Dino had slipped into. It would be much better if Tsuna could get better though… She nodded to herself in determination and headed back into the kitchen to help out with the health food for Tsuna.

Dino stepped into Tsuna's room and then blinked at the sight before his eyes. A bead of sweat rolled down the back of his head and he sighed in exasperation. Gokudera and Ryohei were seemingly fighting over a towel…

"You're not wiping Jyuudaime's sweat correctly, you idiotic turf-head!" Gokudera pulled the towel towards him. Ryohei pulled back angrily.

"I am wiping his sweat off just the way you're supposed to do it! Look!" He pointed at Tsuna's exposed arm on the bed. "It's spotless!"

Gokudera growled angrily and pulled the towel back again. "You've rubbed his skin raw, you bastard!!" He nodded his head vigorously in the direction of the reddish pink area on Tsuna's exposed arm, pointing out the wrong Ryohei had done to the important 10th Vongola boss. Yamamoto, who had been in charge of changing the cool towel on Tsuna's forehead, had paused in his job to try and break up the two silver haired boys.

"Maa maa…" The black haired boy smiled nervously, trying to appease the battling teens. "Why don't we all just take turns…?"

Dino sighed in exasperation and walked into the room. "Seriously, break it up you two. Can't you see that Tsuna is getting worse from all the noise you're making?"

The three boys swiveled their heads to observe Tsuna and found the boy's face pale and grimacing in pain. He was also sweating profusely all over his body.

"Ahh! Jyuudaime!" Gokudera relinquished his hold on the towel and crawled hastily to Tsuna's side in worry. "I'm sorry, Jyuudaime! I'm really sorry for causing you so much trouble!"

Yamamoto laughed in his carefree way and then returned to his previous task. He took the cloth from Tsuna's head, gently wiping away the sweat and water droplets. Then, he dipped the cloth into the cool water bath sitting on the floor and wrung it out before replacing it back on Tsuna's head. Ryohei grinned and joined the two by Tsuna's side and rubbed the boy's arm of the accumulated sweat more gently than before.

Dino smiled at Tsuna's subordinates and nodded. "Mmm, this is how family should be, isn't that right, Reborn-san?"

The baby sitting in a comfy looking brown armchair nodded and then flipped another page in his newspaper. After a few minutes, Yamamoto switched with Gokudera—due to the silver haired teen's incessant nagging—and pulled out his homework from his school bag, deciding that while the others took care of Tsuna, he could at least finish the homework and then help Tsuna with his own homework when he got better. Dino offered to switch with Ryohei but the teen promptly refused, saying something about having to end his job with an extreme finish, which must've meant that he would keep wiping up every inch of visible skin of sweat until the sweat decided not to come anymore. Dino smiled at the absurdity of Tsuna's sun guardian but then nodded peacefully and settled against the wall of the room, watching Tsuna with gentle eyes.

The door of the room suddenly opened softly and Haru poked her head into the room happily. "It's Haru! We're almost done with Tsuna-san's food and everyone's dinner!"

"Ah, is that so?" Dino sighed and stood up, patting off his pants of any dust. "I'll go assist the others…!"

"No need…" A smooth voice spoke and the door opened wider to reveal Bianchi's face. "I've brought Tsuna's soup up for him already."

"S-sis—UGH!" Gokudera collapsed beside Tsuna's bedside, holding his stomach in pain. His face turned sour and he fell on his face, groaning and twitching on the ground.

"Hahii!" Haru observed in mild surprise as the usually scary and annoying guy twitched on the ground like a smashed cockroach. Dino merely watched on in amusement and Reborn flipped another page in his newspaper.

"Gokudera!" Yamamoto watched, for possibly the thousandth time, as the silver haired bomb expert fell to knees from seeing his older sister's exposed face. He shook his head sadly and then left to find the closet where Tsuna's mother kept all of the spare futons (He had been in Tsuna's home so many times already that he, and Gokudera as well, already knew the house inside and out). Bianchi let herself into the room and set the thankfully "safe" looking soup on Tsuna's beside table. Then, she turned to look at her little brother and shook her head in exasperation, as if doing that would appease the obvious pain Gokudera seemed to be in.

"Hayato, you should truly learn to not treat your sister as the opposite sex so much…" She leaned down close to Gokudera and the boy gagged again, almost as if he were on the edge of the cliff between life and death. Yamamoto carried the spare futon into the room and set it down a few feet away from Tsuna's bed so that there was at least enough room for people to sit between them in order to take care of Tsuna's severe cold but also close enough for Gokudera to be satisfied.

Dino moved to take over Yamamoto's previous spot and took the bowl of soup from the beside table. "I'll feed Tsuna, then." He smiled to everyone with reassurance and then lifted the spoon up, blowing the soup gently to cool it. He held the spoon up to Tsuna's lips and then urged gently, "Tsuna, drink this. Everyone made it for you."

The people in the room held their breaths, watching in anticipation, waiting for Tsuna's reaction. After a few more minutes of shaking Tsuna, the brown haired boy's eyes opened a crack and he glanced around the room blearily. "Unnn…?" He could see blurry figures near his beside and a few near his doorway.

"Ah! Tsuna-san woke up…!" Tsuna shifted his eyes towards the voice but he couldn't make out who had spoken.

He heard a familiar voice say, "Here, Tsuna. When you drink this, you'll feel better." And a spoon with a golden looking broth flew into view. The boy stared at the spoon for a moment before opening his mouth and clamping his lips over it, drinking the soup.

"I never knew Tsuna-san was so cute…! Even though he's sick!" Haru sighed happily, holding her hands over her blushing cheeks after watching Tsuna drink the soup from the spoon. She wished that she was the one who was feeding Tsuna.

The people in the room smiled brightly as Tsuna drank from the spoon. This time he didn't need to be kicked by Reborn to wake up…! Which meant, he must've gotten a little better! As Dino dipped the spoon into the bowl of soup again, he accidentally knocked the entire bowl out of his hands.

"Ah." Was all he could say as the bowl tipped.

Everyone, with the exception of Bianchi and Reborn, watched in horror as the bowl flew over and the hot soup spilled out, onto Tsuna's front.

"HOT! HOT! HOT!" The boy screamed and leapt a few feet into the air.

"I'm sorry, Tsuna!" Dino gulped nervously and quickly gathered the bowl in his hands so that no more soup would spill out. But in his haste, he accidentally flipped the bowl over again and the rest of the soup spilled over Tsuna's legs.

"WAH! HOT! HOT!" Tsuna cried and leapt up from his bed. He was about to run to the bathroom and wash himself off in cold water when he tripped over Gokudera, who had been lying on the ground only a few feet away on the futon Yamamoto had brought in. Tsuna felt his head pound painfully and his body throbbed from the burns and wet clothes on his skin. The boy let out a long moan, unable to move anymore.

"Jyuu… Jyuudaime…" Gokudera said weakly, worried for the boy but also worried for himself because in addition to the stomach pains, the weight of Tsuna's body was making it harder for him to breath.

Ryohei and Yamamoto quickly pulled Tsuna off of Gokudera and lifted him back onto the bed and then glanced at each other, wondering what they should do now. Dino stood near the window, holding the empty soup bowl with both hands, apologizing profusely for his clumsiness. And Bianchi shook her head, deciding to leave the room to get another two bowls of soup. A new one for Tsuna and another for Reborn, of course. Haru glanced around the room nervously and fled downstairs to tell Tsuna's mother what had happened.

Reborn set his newspaper down on the small table beside his armchair and addressed Ryohei and Yamamoto. "If those wet clothes stay on, he'll get more sick…"

"Ah! I see!" Ryohei shouted as he heard Reborn's words. Before Yamamoto could stop the silver haired boxer, he stripped Tsuna of all his clothes, leaving the boy's boxers on. Yamamoto blinked once and then laughed nervously, wondering if Tsuna would get more sick without clothes or dry bed sheets to cover him. He shook his head and then got up, leaving the room to once again find the closet of spare futons, sheets, and pillows for Tsuna's new bed sheets.

Reborn jumped onto Tsuna's bed and pointed at the red marks on Tsuna's bare chest and thighs. "If someone doesn't cool off those burns, he'll be in pain…"

"Oh! I see!" Ryohei nodded in understanding and dipped the towel he had been using into the cool water. Without another thought, he started pressing the towel to the burn marks on Tsuna's chest and thighs, taking no notice of the small squirming motions Tsuna seemed to be making in his unconscious state. "Like this?"

"Yep." Reborn smirked and transformed Leon into a black and green camera, clicking away at the scene. Dino's eyes widened as he watched the baby hitman with the camera and the scene before his eyes.

"Reborn-san! What are you doing?!"

Reborn's eyes glinted mischievously. "Easy blackmail." He could just imagine the face Tsuna would have when he showed the developed pictures to him. And then, of course, fearing that Kyouko would see the pictures, Tsuna would do whatever he told the boy to do…

Dino backed away from Reborn on reflex after sensing the familiar and sinister waves emitting from his former tutor.

"Turf… head…" Ryohei turned when he felt someone's hand grab his ankle. A nauseous looking Gokudera had crawled out of his futon and he was glaring weakly at the boxer. "Stop… touching… Jyuudaime!!"

Yamamoto entered the room again, this time carrying a few neatly folded bed sheets in his arms. He smiled obliviously as he saw Ryohei trying to wipe Tsuna's thighs and shake off Gokudera at the same time, who was clinging angrily onto the older teen's foot. "I brought some new bed sheets!" He announced happily and stepped into the room. Ryohei and Gokudera glanced over to the tall boy.

"Tsuna's burns should be okay now. Good work, Ryohei." Reborn nodded and tucked his camera away. He had taken many good pictures. Ryohei grinned proudly and withdrew from the bed, giving Yamamoto some space to cover Tsuna with the new bed sheets. Gokudera relaxed and then crawled back to his own futon weakly.

As Yamamoto covered Tsuna's bare body with the dry sheets and tucked the boy in, Nana and Bianchi entered the room, each holding a bowl of soup in their hands. Tsuna's mother smiled gently and nodded gratefully to the boys for their help.

"Dinner is ready. Why don't you boys head downstairs and eat? I'll take care of Tsuna for now."

Ryohei and Dino nodded and left the room, doing as Tsuna's mother told them. Yamamoto smiled and took the bag of sushi he had brought before heading downstairs. Gokudera fell sick again when he saw his sister. But Bianchi paid no attention to this and moved to Reborn, holding a spoon of soup up.

"Reborn, 'Ahh'…" As Reborn opened his mouth wide and drank the soup, a light blush reached her cheeks and she dipped the empty spoon back into the broth to serve her love another spoonful.

Tsuna felt his body warm up again in the dry sheets tucked around his body and he smiled contently as the room all at once seemed much quieter and more peaceful.

"Tsu-kun…" He heard his mother's gentle voice from beside him and he lifted his heavy eyelids. "I want you to finish this bowl of soup before going back to sleep, okay? Kyouko-chan and her brother brought some herbs for you and we added it to the soup. So you should feel much better after you drink this all up, understood?"

Kyouko-chan… came, too? Tsuna smiled and blushed a little at the thought of the cute girl helping in the kitchen. He nodded a little and gratefully drank the soup from the spoon his mother held up for him.

"Isn't it great, Tsu-kun? You have so many friends here trying to help you get better!" Nana smiled and dipped the spoon back into the bowl.

Tsuna sighed in his mind, thinking of all the trouble they had caused for him while they were here. How could he possibly get better with all the noise and conflict they caused for him?!

"They sure do worry a lot for you…" Nana giggled and stared at the wall, as if she were seeing something Tsuna could not see. "Haru-chan came flying down the stairs when she saw that Dino-san had spilled soup all over you. And I saw Yamamoto-kun walking past the kitchen a few times, carrying a futon and bed sheets upstairs. Kyouko-chan's brother and Lambo-kun were doing their best to grind up herbs for you and I-Pin-chan and Fuuta-kun did a very good job at cutting up leeks and ingredients for your soup. With everyone helping out, I could cook with relief. Because I knew that you were being well looked after!" She winked at Tsuna and lifted the spoonful of soup to him again. The boy stared at his mother for a moment before smiling happily, his cheeks flushing in embarrassment. They all cared for him that much… The mother and son grinned warmly at each other and Tsuna quickly finished up his soup so that no one would have to worry about him anymore. He settled into his pillows and bed sheets and sighed contently, falling into a comfortable sleep. A deep and relaxing sleep he hadn't had in a very long time.

Nana smiled and held the empty bowl in her hands, retreating back down the stairs. Reborn and Bianchi followed, wanting to have some of the dinner that had been prepared, leaving Tsuna to sleep in his room by himself.

As Tsuna's mother entered the kitchen, the carefree banter and the casual quarrels came to an immediate stop. Everyone turned to stare at her expectantly, eyes focused and unblinking, intent upon the woman. Nana smiled at the reaction and then held up the empty bowl of Tsuna's soup. "He drank every last drop." She giggled and watched a little longer as the large family gave sighs of relief and sent small smiles to each other. And then, in under a second, the concerned air in the room seemed to return back to its normal chaos and confusion. Reborn and Bianchi joined in the battle for their dinner and Nana grinned broadly, walking to the sink to wash the empty bowl. "Tsu-kun, congratulations on making so many good friends…" She whispered while wiping the lip of the bowl with a wet cloth; and her eyes grew wet, touched by how much her son had grown in only a year.

The sky was a pale crystal blue and the earth was covered with grass that seemed to sparkle like it had been painted over with diamonds. A single tree stood nearby, drooping slightly at its branches, and everything looked hazy, as if there were a light mist engulfing the entire scene. Tsuna blinked a few times, glancing around the beautiful place with wide eyes. Where was he…? And what was this familiar feeling that seemed to press upon him from every angle?

"Oya?"

He jumped at the soft voice from behind him and his muscles tensed. That voice… it was…!!

"Why… what a pleasant surprise. I never thought that I would come across Vongola the 10th on one of my walks. Kufufu…"

Tsuna, momentarily forgetting his current state of health, spun on his heels so quickly that his eyes went spinning and his brain pulsed painfully against his head. He wanted to clamp his hands over the sides of his head but the boy couldn't do a thing, frozen from top to bottom by seeing the man standing in front of him.

"Rokudo… Mukuro…!" Tsuna gulped and then took a step back, having regained his senses a little. A slow smile spread across the illusionist's lips and he walked forward, watching Tsuna with his mix-matched eyes, obviously enjoying the fear and confusion being expressed on the young Vongola's face. Tsuna trembled and bit his bottom lip, moving backwards as the blue haired man walked towards him with easy strides. He tripped over one of the roots growing from the tree and the boy fell onto his back, yelping in surprise. Mukuro chuckled and knelt down before Tsuna, observing the boy's face.

"Mm… we're alone together now, hm? With no Arcobaleno to save you. Kufufufu." He lifted a hand up to his chin, as if he were deeply pondering the situation. "What will you do…?"

Tsuna's body trembled again. Mukuro was right! They were all alone and he didn't even know where he was! Didn't he just fall asleep a few seconds ago? His mother and Reborn and Bianchi had just left the room, too. And everyone was eating downstairs… in his home… right? Then, where was this place? A dream…?!

"Oya?" Tsuna snapped out of his mesh of confused thoughts and blinked in surprise as he found Mukuro's face suddenly very close to his own. He could almost feel the other man's breath gently brushing against his face.

"WAH!" The messy haired boy scrambled backwards, surprised by the sudden proximity. "W-what are you doing?!"

"Oya, oya." Mukuro grinned with a tint of mischievousness upon his lips. He swiftly moved back to Tsuna's side and lifted a hand up to the young boss's face to cup the boy's cheek in his right hand. "Your skin looks quite flushed, Sawada Tsunayoshi… is it because of something I did…?"

Tsuna's face turned red at the implications behind the man's words and he quickly frowned, forgetting a little bit of the fear he had for the man, urged on by the awkwardness he was feeling. He hastily brushed away the hand from his face and in a stuttering but resolute voice said, "N-no. It has nothing to do with you, Mukuro!" All of a sudden, his vision started swirling and the pulsing pain in his mind grew heavier from his sudden actions. Tsuna groaned and lifted a hand up to massage his temples, trying to ease the pain and nauseous feeling circling around in his mind.

The blue haired man blinked in slight surprise by the boy's brave retaliation. But then, the same sweet looking smile split across his face again, sending shivers down Tsuna's spine. "You are amusing as ever, Sawada Tsunayoshi. Then, I suppose… I can safely assume that from the way you are looking now… you are sick? Even someone like you can get sick, huh. Kufufu. How cute and pathetic."

Tsuna blushed in embarrassment, staring down at the grass beneath him, feeling slightly irritated at having to be told that he was pathetic from getting sick. It wasn't as if he wanted to get sick! The virus just happened to be spreading around… That's all. And why, out of all people, was he being told that he was stupid for getting sick by someone like Rokudo Mukuro?!

"You have to make sure that you sleep properly, if you want to get better." Mukuro's words suddenly penetrated Tsuna's thoughts and the boy turned to look at the man in shock. Mukuro was now standing straight up again, arms crossed over his chest. He nodded to himself as if he were a mother lecturing a child. "And you must've taken medication by now… If not, once you wake up again, you should go take some as soon as possible. Perhaps some soup will help as well…"

Tsuna stared at the man standing before him with a look of disbelief plastered to his face. This guy… was telling him how to take care of himself now?! The guy who was trying to take possession of his body?! This was ludicrous!

"I'm dreaming right now, aren't I? It must be a dream…" Tsuna sighed, shaking his head solemnly, as if giving up all hope on ever having a peaceful day in his life again. Even Rokudo Mukuro was plaguing his dreams…

The illusionist smiled gently. "A dream, hm? Well, if you want to think of it like that…" As he spoke, Tsuna watched in awe as half of the man's body started to fade little by little into the mist. "It looks like my break is over. I'll see you again, then… Sawada Tsunayoshi."

"Hah!" Tsuna's eyes snapped open and he found a familiar looking ceiling overhead. He sat up slowly, making sure that he didn't make any movements that might stir up the dull ache that was pounding against his temples, and he glanced around the room as if he were in a daze. He was back in his own room. With the blankets tucked warmly around him; and the futon with Gokudera resting weakly on it; and the table with Yamamoto's medication sitting on top with a bowl of water and towels lying beside it; and the muffled noises coming from the kitchen below; and the soft rustling of the curtains on the open window...

Open window…?

Tsuna blinked slightly at the window and wondered if it had always been open like that.

A soft breeze flew in and Tsuna shivered, feeling the chilly wind hit his bare skin. He blinked and glanced down at his body in confusion. Wait… why was he half naked again…? The boy quickly pulled the covers up and around him, sighing as the warmth slightly soothed his pounding head. Then, he started piecing together the hazy events that had happened while he was in the state of half-unconsciousness that people with high fevers tended to have. "Ah… that's right… Dino-san spilled the first bowl of soup on me… and then… onii-san took off my clothes…" A bead of sweat rolled down the back of his head as he remembered what had happened. Another gust of wind blew in from the open window and Tsuna pulled the covers closer around him. "Mou… who opened that window?!" He cried out in annoyance, shivering slightly. The brown haired boy stood up and slowly made his way towards the window, wobbling weakly on his feet. Just as he reached the window, he heard someone from outside speak in a low voice.

"You are finally awake…" The familiar deep and sadistic sounding voice made Tsuna freeze in place, much like the way Mukuro had caused him to freeze up in the dream. The brown haired boy gulped and then peered outside cautiously.

"Hi-Hiba—" It couldn't be… could it? Why would the chief of the disciplinary committee come here…? Tsuna's eyes nearly jumped from its sockets when he found the dark haired man leaning against the trunk of the tree outside his window, standing perfectly balanced on top of one of the tree's thick branches. He was wearing a neat Namimori uniform with a black jacket riding on his shoulders and the ever present red band with the words 'Disciplinary Committee' around his arm. A little yellow bird sat on his shoulder and it stared at Tsuna emotionlessly with a kind of serious malicious aura about it that did not suit its cute exterior. "HII! Hibari-san!" Tsuna gasped and backed away from the window sill. "W-what are you…? Why are you…?!"

And then it hit him! He had been called by Hibari a few days ago… and Hibari had told him to meet him in the Disciplinary Committee lounge after school… today… and not to be late… But… he had fallen really sick today and so he had planned to skip school and then go back during the afternoon to meet with Hibari. But there was an important project in school with Kyouko-chan today. And if he skipped school, he wouldn't be able to work with Kyouko-chan! So… he went to school and by the end of the school day, his mind had gone fuzzy and he had… momentarily forgotten the important appointment… and…

Hibari narrowed his eyes at Tsuna and the boy immediately knew that he was in deep deep trouble. He threw up his hands in front of him nervously, blankets still draped over his bare body to block out the cold wind, and started rambling anxiously to explain himself. "Hi-Hibari-san!! I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to miss out on the meeting! It's just that… I was… I was really sick, well… am sick, and I collapsed on the street before I could go back to school to meet you! And… and…" He gulped nervously and squeezed his eyes shut, knowing Hibari could easily launch himself in through the window and beat the crap out of him. In fact, Tsuna expected it by now. He felt something hit him hard in the face, sending him sprawling backwards onto the floor, missing Gokudera by a few inches. "OW!" Tsuna cried pathetically and waited for the next blow. But when he felt none, he opened his eyes and glanced at the window. "Huh…?" Hibari was still standing on the tree branch and his eyes were still focused straight at him. But there was something lying in his lap now. Tsuna glanced down and found a packet of hand warmers staring back up at him. He stared at the small present in awe and then picked up carefully in both hands, wondering if this were for real. "Hibari-san…?"

"Even a weak herbivore like you can get sick. How pathetic."

Tsuna blanked out and his jaw dropped open slightly. He was almost saying the exact same thing as Mukuro!!

Hibari continued to stare at the brown haired boy with his nearly emotionless face. "Tomorrow. Meet me again. Same time, same place." Tsuna nodded in understanding. Even if he were suffering from fever or his head was pounding, he definitely had to make it to the appointed time with Hibari tomorrow! The man standing outside the window continued in his sharp voice. "And I want you better by tomorrow…" The foreboding tone in his voice sent Tsuna's body shaking and Hibari turned to jump off of the tree and back onto the pavement. But before he did, Hibird flew off his shoulder and he turned to give one last glare to the half-naked boy sprawled on the floor of his room. "…or I'll bite you to death." And then he smoothly left, with Hibird flying after him loyally.

Tsuna stared at the tree for a few more seconds before sighing in relief. Then, he glanced down at the packet of hand warmers. What the hell was all this?! He let out a long sigh of despair. What the heck? He didn't understand at all! Why did Hibari want him to get better so quickly? So that he would have more fun beating him tomorrow?! "Hiiii!" Tsuna cried, holding his hands over his head and balling himself up defensively. Scary! Too scary! And in the dream with Rokudo Mukuro… Mukuro had even tried to give him tips to get better quicker. This was all… too weird… But… maybe… they were worried about him like everyone else who had come to his house today…?

…yeah right.

As he entertained himself with the thought of those two actually even caring about him, he stifled a laugh and got up to close the window properly this time.

"Jyuu…daime…" Suddenly, the silver haired boy lying on the futon behind him whispered weakly, still plagued by his upset stomach. Tsuna jumped and then turned to kneel beside his self-proclaimed right-hand man.

"Ah, Gokudera! You look like you're doing better." He smiled, glad that the effects of being exposed to Bianchi were wearing off.

"Jyuu…daime… you should go back… to bed… and rest." Gokudera winced while looking up at Tsuna worriedly. Startled by Gokudera's words, Tsuna paused for a second. Then, a smile full of warmth graced his lips.

"Okay…" He agreed—feeling weak from all the fright he had been experiencing—and he climbed back into his bed, carrying the packet of hand warmers Hibari had given him, and settled himself down peacefully in his bed. The young Vongola boss stared at the ceiling, going over all the events after he had collapsed on the sidewalk and then smiled with a gentle and affectionate smile that could no longer be suppressed. He then shifted his eyes to glance at the silver haired boy lying a few feet away from him. "Thank you, Gokudera-kun."

A small blush bloomed across Gokudera's cheeks and he grinned broadly at those few words—although the grin looked more like a grimace—and then he listened as Tsuna ripped open the box of hand warmers and rubbed the packets to start up the chemicals inside. Gokudera closed his eyes, relaxing as he heard Tsuna let out a content sigh. And soon, the both of them fell into a peaceful sleep.

Tsuna woke up again a few hours later, yawning and feeling much better than before. Thankfully, he did not have any more strange dreams involving Rokudo Mukuro. Nor had he been woken up harshly by Reborn or any other person who had come to visit him today. He rubbed his eyes and frowned slightly as his head still ached from the fever. Hopefully, he could really get better by tomorrow... before meeting Hibari... The brown haired boy sighed and then turned his eyes to survey his room. It was dark outside now. Most likely a little past midnight. The room was quite dark as well but there was still enough light from outside the window for Tsuna to see all the figures lying motionlessly in his room. At first, Tsuna was about to scream in fright. But upon closer look, a faint blush jumped onto his cheeks and he felt a small smile tug at his lips.

Near the doorway, Kyouko and Ryohei were leaning against each other, slumbering peacefully. Lambo and I-Pin were curled up beneath the table, one snoring noisily, the other breathing softly. Haru and Fuuta were sleeping right beside the bed, heads lying down on the sheets gently. Dino sat against the wall nearby the bed, eyes hidden under a blanket of golden hair. But the soft snores coming from him gave away the fact that he was deep in sleep. Gokudera still lay in his futon, sleeping peacefully, and Yamamoto was sleeping beside the table, as if he had fallen asleep while finishing schoolwork.

Suddenly, a small figure jumped up and landed at the foot of the bed. Tsuna glanced over at the small figure and then turned back to watch the scene in his room. Reborn smirked and followed his pupil's gaze.

"Isn't that great, Tsuna?"

"Aa…" The boy nodded dumbly, unable to comprehend why everyone had decided to sleep over in his room tonight. After all... he had only gotten sick... But a warm, tickling feeling still coursed through his body, spreading from head to toe as if he had doused himself in a soothing bath of sweet smelling minerals. He smiled widely and continued to watch over the slumbering people in the room. "Mm!"

END.

Haha, my first Katekyo Hitman Reborn story…

Did you guys like it?

Well regardless, thank you very much for taking the time to read it! But I do hope you've enjoyed this piece. I'm also planning on writing more stories, too. Hmm… in fact, I've already got two planned. One is sort of… angsty… And the other is… well… I don't know. It's an alternate universe that includes genres such as action, adventure, crack, sci-fi, and it's also sort of a spin-off of the KHR storyline? Well, the second story isn't very well planned out. But, I'll be thinking about it while I sleep!

Thank you again!

While everyone was at Tsuna's house and taking care of him when he had gotten severely sick, Naito Longchamp was on a date with his new girlfriend. He looks very happy and silly as always.