Wow! I am so pleased that all of you liked the continuation of To Be Different! Thank you for your kind reviews and countless PM's.

By popular demand, this chapter is connected to the previous one. So if you haven't, READ THE CHAPTER TITLED: TO BE A CRIMINAL, BEFORE READING THIS. You might be confused otherwise.

This was harder to write than I had expected...

Once again, if you would like to see a specific scenario, please shoot me a PM.

Expect cavity inducing FLUFF.

Rated M for the Varia...-nuff said.

Prompt: To Be a Dad

Reborn could count on one hand all of the times he had been surprised in his life and still have a couple fingers left over.

Turning into an infant had certainly been his greatest surprise. Turning back into an adult was a close second.

And now...

Now one specific teenager was the cause of his surprise.

Sawada Tsunayoshi.

Tsuna.

Dame-Tsuna.

Vongola Decimo.

Neo-Vongola Primo.

Son.

Long fingers curled into a tight fist as the hitman rested his head against the cool pane of the window. His normally cold eyes looked pained as they unseeingly took in the beautiful view of the night sky.

Three months.

It had been three months since their little escapade in New York when Tsuna had accidentally taken control of the Big Apple.

That had been the proudest moment of Reborn's life.

It had been three months since Tsuna had referred to the older man as Dad.

Dad.

That one word caused Reborn to clench his teeth.

"A father and a dad are different things." Tsuna had told him. "I do have a father. But my dad is someone else entirely."

"Damn it Tsuna." Reborn cursed softly, exhaling harshly. "Why do you have to go and complicate things?"

"Complicate what?"

Reborn whirled around and came face to face with the serene face of Fon who was staring at him with a knowing expression.

The hitman growled, annoyed with himself that he had been so caught up in his thoughts to have not noticed the Chinese man.

"What do you want?" Reborn made sure to lace his words with killing intent, even though he knew Fon would not leave.

The other man chuckled and shook his head, his braid swaying from side to side.

"As Mark Twain once said, 'Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.'"

"Oh?" Reborn scowled. "And exactly what am I in denial over?"

There was a twinkle in Fon's eye as he replied. "You know what I am talking about. Stop fighting yourself old friend, and accept the fact that you harbor paternal feelings towards young Tsunayoshi."

The scowl on Reborn's face deepened. That sounded...wrong. "I have no such feelings. He is my student, and he already has a father."

You're not his father. You're his dad. Reborn's treacherous mind added slyly.

Fon just shook his head again and sighed. His hand reached out and placed itself on Reborn's shoulder. "The only person you're fooling is yourself. We all can see the bond that you share. Even Iemitsu can. And he's not happy about it."

"Why would he care?" Reborn bit out before he could stop himself. "That man never bothered to see how his own flesh and blood was doing! He never cared for Tsuna when he was covered in wounds, never taught him how to be a man, and he most certainly did not raise him!"

"No." Fon said mildly, completely unperturbed by the uncharacteristic outburst from the normally stoic man. "That was all taken care by you."

Reborn refused to slump against the window even though every fiber of his being wanted to simply let go. He wanted to refute Fon's words, but found himself unable to do so because it was the truth.

Who had come in to Tsuna's life when he was at his worst and made him stronger?

Who had stayed with him for every minute of every day through thick and thin?

Who had trained him until he became known as Il Diavolo?

Who had the boy made his closest adviser?

Who had Tsuna come to when he needed help with wooing a lady?

Who had Tsuna thrust into the role of his dad?

Who?

The answer was achingly simple.

It was him.

He, the most feared and ruthless hitman in the world was looked up to as a dad. The very concept of being a parent scared the living daylights out of him. While he wouldn't admit it, Aria was like a daughter to him, but even then...he was not so closely entrenched in her life as he was in Tsuna's. He had watched over her from afar. With Tsuna, he had to be there, just to make sure the Dame-child didn't trip over air and break his neck.

In his profession, having a family was dangerous, and he would not put a woman through the pain of being constantly alone with a small child just because being seen together would be a death sentence.

That's what Iemitsu had done, and look what had happened.

"My friend..." Fon's soft voice broke Reborn out of his reverie. "You, and you alone hold the place in Tsunayoshi's heart as his father. Papa, Pere, Pater, Otou-san, Chichihue, Oyaji, Abuji, Baba, whatever you want to call it, that's what you are to him."

For a moment, there was only silence as Reborn observed his fellow ex-Arcobaleno.

"Dad."

"Pardon?"

"That's what I am to Tsuna." Reborn steadily locked eyes with Fon. "That's what he called me."

"I see." Fon fought the urge to jump up and down in triumph. Instead, he smiled widely. "And may I ask what he is to you?"

Reborn looked away from the other man before taking a deep breath.

"My son."

Tsuna exhaled for the umpteenth time as he glared at the offending object in front of him.

To his right, he saw that Gokudera and Yamamoto had the same expressions on their faces.

Math sucked.

In Italy, he may have been a young prince, but here in Japan, he was still Sawada Tsunayoshi, a high-school student.

A high-school student who had to take math tests.

The only good thing about this test was that after it was over, he and his Family would be hopping onto their private jet and going to Italy for the Annual Meeting that he would be in charge of.

It would be nice to get away from school and travel to the place where he felt intimately connected towards. Italy as a whole was okay, but his home, the Vongola Castle was paradise. With lush foliage surrounding the magnificent Castle, ample training grounds, and being surrounded by Family and Famiglia alike, Tsuna felt completely at ease there.

"The answer is 93, Juudaime." Gokudera's hissed whisper was only loud enough for Tsuna and Yamamoto to hear.

Giving his best friend a discrete thumbs up, he scribbled down the number and realized with a start that he had actually come to the same answer on his own, but hadn't written it down.

Gokudera's tutoring was actually paying off. It was so nice to have a genius teaching you properly instead of malicious teachers who stomped on your self-esteem after you got a problem wrong.

With renewed confidence, Tsuna attacked his test with fire in his eyes, determined to get this damned thing over with once and for all. From the corner of his eye, he saw Yamamoto smirk at him and wink cockily as he too actually put effort into completing the problems. Gokudera of course, knew all the answers anyway but was pacing himself to keep up with his boss.

It was only ten minutes later that their Sensei ordered them to put their pencils down and turn their tests over, signalling the blessed end of their torture.

Sighs of relief were heard all throughout the room.

The teacher snorted softly but dutifully set about collecting his students' tests. His weekend was not going to be fun, that much was for sure.

Tsuna glanced at his best friends for a moment before raising his hand.

"Yes, Sawada?"

"Sensei, myself, Takeshi, and Hayato will not be here next week." The Decimo stated demurely.

"And why is that?" The Sensei rubbed his temples softly. That meant that he was going to have to make three separate files for all of the work that they were going to miss. Honestly! This was their last year of High School. They couldn't just miss school left and right.

"We have an urgent Family reunion in Italy. Our presence is required." There was a definite hint of a smirk in the teen's voice.

"Italy." The teacher deadpanned. Of all the excuses he had heard, this one definitely took the cake.

"Yes. Italy." Tsuna raised a brow and folded his arms over his chest, daring the man to refute him.

A few of his classmates shook their heads and silently laughed, wondering what punishment Sawada was going to receive for the blatant lie.

"Sawada... the truth, if you will."

"Are you accusing our Juudaime of lying?" Gokudera spat, his hands itching towards a dynamite.

"Maa, maa Hayato." Yamamoto grinned lightly. "I'm sure Sensei's just pulling our legs, aren't you?" The teen's tone took on a more sinister undercurrent, and the man found himself shivering slightly.

"I assure you Sensei," Tsuna inclined his head regally. "That my words were the absolute truth. Should you have any doubts," Tsuna pulled a card from his pocket and held it up in his hands. "Please call this number. This will clear everything up."

The man walked over to Tsuna's desk with narrowed eyes and took the card, examining it closely.

Superbi Squalo

Vongola Enterprises

Varia Division: Vice-President

(011 +36)- 732-555-5923

"Vongola?" The teacher breathed, looking at Tsuna incredulously. The tenth generations' classmates started murmuring lightly, and were only quelled by the teacher's glare.

"Yes." Tsuna reclined in his seat leisurely, a mischievous smile on his face. "Vongola."

Confusion clouding his mind, the teacher immediately whipped out his phone and dialed the number, aware that this call was going to cost him some money because he did not have an international calling plan. He didn't care though, because his student was definitely lying.

Sawada was an average, if not slightly mysterious student. But there was NO way that this kid was connected to the Vongola Enterprises, the largest corporation in history.

"Put it on speaker, Sensei." One boy drawled slightly maliciously. "We all want to hear this."

Tsuna and his Guardians exchanged amused glances as they watched the drama enfold. This was going to be very entertaining.

The entire class was silent as the they waited for someone to pick up on the other end.

"VOOOOOOOOOOOIIIIIIIIIIIII!" Came the rather dulcet and sleep-laden voice of Squalo.

The teacher, and most of the class blanched at the greeting while Tsuna just had a serene expression on his face.

"H...hello?"

"WHO THE FUCK IS CALLING ME AT FUCKING 5:00 IN THE FUCKING MORNING YOU LITTLE SHIT!"

Luckily for the teacher and class, this was said in Italian, and therefore no one save for the Vongola trio was able to understand what the man was saying.

"Ano..." The teacher tried again, shooting a look at Sawada who was just smiling peacefully. "Do you speak Japanese?"

"LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE YOU PIECE OF TRASH! IT'S NOT EVEN LIGHT OUTSIDE AND YOU'RE WAKING ME UP, YOU ARSE MONKEY! DO YOU WANT TO FUCKING DIE?"

This time, that was said in Japanese.

"Sensei," Tsuna folded his hands in front of him. "Let me explain the situation to Squalo. He knows me."

There was a pause at the end of the other line.

"Baby boss? Is that you?"

"Buongiorno Squalo." Tsuna said smoothly. "Forgive me for waking you up so early, but my teacher was simply confirming that myself, Takeshi, and Hayato would be in Italia for all of next week."

A scoff was heard from Squalo. "Why the fuck do you need me to confirm that shit?" There was slight rustle. "Wait, don't tell me the turd didn't believe you?"

There was a component of ice to the man's voice that had the Sensei sweating.

"Our story is quite fantastical." Tsuna acquiesced. "But Family is Family, right?"

"Che." Squalo scoffed. "You woke me up at five in the fucking morning for this? You really have balls of steal, baby boss."

"I get them from Dad." Tsuna grinned blithely.

"So it's true?" The teacher piped in timidly. "Sawada, Yamamoto, and Gokudera will be in Italy next week?"

"Course it's true! Those shits, especially Sawada better be here! AND IF YOU'RE ONE FUCKING MINUTE LATE, WE'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" With that, they heard the click of the phone which signaled that it had been shut off.

Tsuna raised his eyes to those of his teacher's, the sadistic side of him pleased to see that the older man was currently sweating bullets.

"If that's all Sensei," Tsuna rose swiftly, Yamamoto and Gokudera following suite. "My friends and I have a plane to catch."

And with that, Tsuna left behind 27 gaping faces with a satisfied smirk on his face.

That'll show them.

The moment that the tenth generation stepped foot into the Vongola Castle, it was like coming home.

Tsuna breathed in the familiar scent of vanilla deeply before a large smile completely overtook his features.

Unknown to him, that same smile caused all the servants in the area to have deep blushes on their faces, both male and female. Their Boss was positively angelic!

"Tsuna." A deep, familiar voice resonated from within the corridor.

The Decimo turned to the sound, his smile widening as he saw the voice's owner.

Vongola Nono stared at his successor with unabashed pride. Tsuna wasted no time in bowing to the older man before embracing him tightly. Timoteo noted with amusement that the small child who had been thrust into this bloody world unfairly was now taller than himself.

"Grandfather!" Tsuna stepped back from the Nono, but kept both hands on the elderly ex-Boss's shoulders. "It's so good to see you."

"The feeling is mutual nipote." Timoteo said warmly. "We have not had a chance to speak since your fantastic takeover of New York City. To this day, our allies and enemies are in awe of your feat."

Tsuna blushed and looked away. For the last time, that was an accident! He hadn't meant to do what he had done!

The Nono had a knowing glint in his eye that made Tsuna flush even further.

"TSUNA-NII!"

"NII-CHAN!"

"NII-SAN!"

If Tsuna had wanted to continue his discussion with the older man, he was cut off by three pairs of arms wrapping around his waist and promptly causing him to crash to the floor.

"Aren't you all getting a bit old for this?" The teenager asked from the floor, gazing fondly at the three bodies that were on top of him.

"Nope!" Lambo exclaimed cheerily, placing a rather wet kiss on Tsuna's cheek before moving off of him.

Tsuna was able to extract himself from Fuuta and I-pin's crushing embrace and stand while pulling the two kids along with him in one fluid motion. He ruffled Fuuta's sandy hair and dropped a kiss onto I-pin's head.

"It's good to see you all here." He smiled at them warmly.

"I think your brother would like to get situated." Came the wry voice of Lal Mirch, who was leaning against the shoulder of her fiance, Colonello.

The tall blond sauntered over to the Decimo and ruffled the teen's hair fondly while his lover threw a wave at him.

"It's good to see you both." Tsuna grinned, astute eyes flitting from one soldier to the other. Those two suited each other quite well, even if Lal was slightly sadistic, and Colonello was trigger happy (and just a tad masochistic).

Timoteo chuckled at the scene that was unfolding in front of him. Never had he imagined that the new Vongola generation would act more like a Family than a Famiglia. All of them truly had inherited the Fist Generation's looks and ideals. He knew that whoever succeeded the Vongola after Tsuna, would have a tough time filling those shoes.

"You must be tired." The Nono ruffled his grandson's fluffy hair. His gaze extended to the rest of the Guardians as well. "Dinner will be served at its usual time, so until then, please rest."

The Guardians bowed to the Nono before going off to their respective rooms.

"C'mon, Tsuna-nii!" Fuuta pulled on Tsuna's arm with Lambo and I-Pin in tow, dragging the poor man off into his private chambers, leaving the Nono and the two ex-Arcobaleno alone in the hallway.

"He has grown beyond my wildest expectations." Timoteo murmured, a benevolent smile on his face as he watched Tsuna disappear down the hall.

"He's a fantastic leader." Lal agreed with a smirk. "It's hard to believe how far he's come."

"He had excellent teachers." Colonello grinned, eyes flitting to a darkened alcove. The blond man hid a smirk when he saw the shadows move ever so slightly.

Reborn scowled lightly at the look that Colonello had given him. It was pathetic that these people could read his intentions so clearly. It didn't matter if they had known each other for decades or not.

Staring at Tsuna's back for just a second, he turned on his heels and vanished.

Back in the foyer, the Lal and Colonello exchanged bemused smiles while Timoteo guffawed.

"He thinks that he can hide his true emotions from Tsuna." Lal shook her head. "The kid has Hyper-Intuition for Christ's sake!"

"I'm glad that my grandson has a figure like Reborn in his life." Timoteo smiled somewhat sadly. "It was my own fault, for sealing Tsuna's flame when he was so young, for keeping him ignorant of his heritage. I kept Iemitsu away from his family, and caused his wife and child so much undue stress."

Colonello snorted derisively. "Don't blame yourself, Nono. Iemitsu is damn good at what he does, but when it comes to raising a kid, he has no idea what to do. He thinks that after being gone for years on end, his kid, who he doesn't even know anything about, is going to accept his ridiculous excuses and allow him back into his life."

"His wife probably hides her hurt very well, but Tsuna's beyond that point. He just doesn't care." Lal sighed. "Iemitsu raised Basil, not Tsuna."

Timoteo pinched the bridge of his nose. Lately, things between Reborn and Iemitsu were tense. There was an undercurrent of ice in each of their interactions that stemmed mostly from Reborn. He didn't have to have the Hyper-Intuition to know that their point of contention was Tsuna.

He just hoped that their feud wouldn't reach a boiling point at the Annual Meeting.

Oh dear.

Tsuna sensed Reborn before he saw him that evening.

A frown crossed his face. Why was his mentor...dad...stalking him?

They hadn't met face to face since the affair in New York City, and Tsuna knew that the two of them had some issues to clear up.

For the longest time, Tsuna had been denied a dad, and now that he had finally found him, it would be cold day in hell before he let him go. Hopefully, his biological father wasn't here yet, otherwise things were going to get very awkward very fast.

He met his family at the entrance to the dining room, all of them looking well rested and energetic.

Together, they walked in and took their customary places around the table.

Tsuna pursed his lips when he saw Reborn slip inside and sit next to Fon.

The older man probably sensed Tsuna's gaze on him because he tipped his fedora at him, but made no move to initiate a conversation.

Fon glanced between the pair and let out an uncharacteristic snort. Reborn had already admitted that he considered Tsuna a son. Why was it so hard to tell the kid that?

Ah yes.

Fear.

Baka. Fon thought to himself, looking at the stoic hitman from the corner of his eye. Of all the things for the deadliest hitman to be frightened of, being a father...sorry...dad, certainly hadn't crossed any of their minds. Reborn was rigid, and frankly, he looked uncomfortable.

The man was sadistic to the core. It made sense that expressing any emotion, let alone those as complex as paternal love would cause him to grow hot under his collar.

Fon had half a mind to give to slug his friend just to let him know what an idiot he was being. Had their conversation meant nothing? At this rate, he was going to upset Tsuna.

Despite the awkwardness between the unlikely dad/son pair, dinner was highly enjoyable, especially since Xanxus and the rest of the Varia had crashed into the room with customary greetings of VOOOOOOOOOOIIIIII's and gunshots, and SHI SHI SHI's and Die, trash.

All in all, it was a typical family dinner.

Once the dessert plates were cleared, Reborn deftly left the room with no one noticing his absence until sometime later.

Tsuna's eyes narrowed when he realized that his teacher had left without saying a word to him. He stood, smiling gently at Gokudera, telling him he just wanted some fresh air.

He didn't see the smiling face of his grandfather, or the looks that Fon and Colonello gave each other.

Following his gut, Tsuna quickly strode to the balcony where sure enough, the dark form of the hitman lounged against the railing lazily.

As soon as he was within arms length, Reborn whirled around, a gun pointed firmly in between Tsuna's eyes.

Eyes as dark as the night sky above them glinted with an unnamed emotion as they observed Tsuna's still posture.

"Bang." Reborn intoned dully. "You're dead."

Tsuna smirked, eyes flashing orange for a split second. Reborn watched with detached interest as his arm was coated in a layer of ice, gun and all. He was suitably impressed. Tsuna had barely moved his hands.

"Not bad." Reborn raised a brow at the young man who, with a touch of his finger, melted the ice immediately. "But you should have done that before I pointed the gun at you. If I was an enemy-"

"But you're not an enemy." Tsuna said forcefully. "You're-" He paused, searching Reborn's features for something. "You." He finished with a huff.

"Thinking like that is going to get you killed." Reborn growled, jabbing his gun into Tsuna's ribs. To the teen's credit, he didn't even flinch. "You never know who might turn on you."

Amber eyes flashed dangerously. "My family would never do that."

"That's what the Primo thought about Daemon Spade and look what happ-" The hitman was cut off by a punch to the gut. Taken aback by the swiftness of the blow, Reborn was forced to lean against the railing as the breath was knocked out of him.

"Never," Tsuna fought to keep his voice steady. Dad or not, Reborn had no right to say what he had. "Compare my Guardians to them. While we are all descended from them, and share their looks and mannerisms, we are us. Mukuro and I have come to an understanding. We've had our ups and downs, but we're family. He and Chrome are the best Mist Guardians a Boss could want, and I will NOT part with them no matter what."

Reborn straightened, hiding a wince. That punch had hurt. Clearly, Sasagawa was teaching the Decimo how to box.

"A Boss should always be wary of those around him." Reborn grunted, his gaze returning to the night's sky.

"Does that include you?" The hitman was surprised to hear a sneer in his normally soft-spoken kid's voice. Glancing down at him, he was met by two flaming orbs of molten fury.

"Does it?" Tsuna asked again, never once losing eye contact with Reborn. "Are you going to abandon me?"

The just like Iemitsu part was left unsaid, but heard loud and clear anyway by Reborn.

"Never." Reborn's voice never changed pitch, but somehow it was laced with emotion.

Tsuna observed his mentor for a moment before nodding. "Good."

Silence fell over the duo, broken only by the melody of the night.

"Your punches are getting stronger." Reborn commented lightly.

"I've been training with Onii-san." Tsuna smirked. "He's doing a fantastic job of taking over the training regimen of our Japanese Branch."

"Hn."

After Sasagawa Ryohei had completed High School last year, he had the option of going to college or taking a more active role in the Vongola. The teen had chosen to do both. He attended online classes through Tokyo University while simultaneously whipping the members of the Famiglia into shape. This way, he was able to stay close to his sister and Boss.

"How have you been?" Tsuna asked. "I heard you had a mission in Germany."

"Simple assassination." Reborn answered curtly. "The Albanian Mafia was causing trouble, so the German Government requested our help."

"Ah."

It was odd really. Ever since New York, word had spread at how efficiently the Vongola had reduced the crime rate. They had been getting requests from other countries to help do the same.

The law, and those who broke it were working together. Tsuna had led his Famiglia into a new era for sure.

"It's getting cold." Reborn said abruptly. "Go inside. I'm sure everyone is wondering where you are."

Tsuna turned to the man, eyes narrowed. "If I didn't know better, I would say you're avoiding me."

"I had an entire conversation with you." Reborn said blandly. "That's the opposite of avoidance."

A rush of anger went through Tsuna, his hands clenched into fists.

"Is this because I called you dad?" He hissed, noting the way Reborn tensed slightly. "It is isn't it? I thought we were passed this!"

"It's not that simple!" Reborn whirled on his student, displaying uncharacteristic emotion. He stared down at the insolent whelp.

"Not that simple?" Tsuna parroted incredulously. "There's nothing to it? You are my dad. My DAD. Nothing, nothing is going to change that!" He threw his hands up in the air. To further show his agitation, Tsuna ran his fingers through his hair, tousling it even further.

Reborn clenched his jaw at the declaration. His breath hitched momentarily as he brought the confusing swirl of feelings within him to the forefront of his brain.

Fine.

Fine.

Yes. He cared for Tsuna, he knew how Tsuna regarded him. He himself thought of Tsuna as a son. But to say it out loud would be making it real. And may the Lord have mercy upon his soul, but he didn't think he had the courage to admit it.

Their enemies would use it against them, and Reborn never wanted to be in that position.

Tsuna didn't see the turmoil within the older man. He saw a person too proud or too scared to say what he needed to hear. It hurt. It physically hurt. His real father had left him once. This one couldn't leave.

When he saw that the hitman wasn't going to say anything, Tsuna closed his eyes, not letting Reborn see the pain that he was feeling. Very well then. If that's the way Reborn was going to act, then he could do nothing about it, no matter how much he wanted to rage and scream against the man.

"Buonanotte." Tsuna whispered. "Reborn."

The Decimo left the silent man alone on the balcony, carefully concealing his emotions. He needed a sparring session...now. Kyoya had better be ready.

Obsidian eyes widened slightly. Reborn, the boy had said. Not dad.

Merda!

For the first time in a long time, Reborn felt regret. He cursed Tsuna for making him feel this way, he cursed himself for not being able to give the boy, his son, what he needed. Alone in the cold autumn night, he drew in a chilled breath, exhaling shakily.

Despite saying that he wouldn't just moments before, Reborn knew that he had done exactly what Iemitsu had done.

And that made him feel like scum.

Tsuna and Reborn didn't see each other until the day of the Annual Meeting, which took place two days after their confrontation.

The more astute members of the Famiglia were able to sense the underlying tension between the Decimo and hitman, but when questioning the two, they hadn't gotten a straight response.

Tsuna had taken his frustrations out on a very willing Kyoya, who was more than happy that his Boss was acting like a carnivore.

Fon and Colonello had tried to talk to Reborn, but were given one word responses.

Iemitsu arriving late Sunday night and trying to see his "Tuna-fish" did not alleviate anything.

It probably made everything worse.

On Monday morning, Tsuna was dressed to the nines in his custom made suit, looking the part of a feared Mafia Don who was known as Il Diavolo.

In reality, this meeting was going to be boring bureaucratic nonsense that was necessary.

Himself, the Guardians, the Nono, CEDEF, the Varia, and select others would be attendance. Select others such as Reborn.

Looking himself over with a critical eye, Tsuna rubbed his forehead. He hadn't meant for it to be this way. Perhaps he had put Reborn in an awkward situation. The hitman had never been one to talk about things like feelings. In that man's world, emotions made one weak, and weaknesses could be exploited.

He stopped himself for sighing. The last thing he wanted to was tire himself out before the meeting even began.

Fastening his cloak, he stepped outside his room and was immediately accosted by his Storm Guardian.

"Good morning, Juudaime!" Gokudera bowed hastily.

"Morning, Hayato." Tsuna grinned.

"Yo!" Yamamoto came around the corner with Ryohei, Chrome, and Lambo in tow. Tsuna could see Kyoya standing a good distance away, but still remaining in hearing range.

"Ready?" Tsuna asked. There was nothing to be ready for.

"Hai!" Came the chorus of voices.

Chattering on about inane things, the group made its way to the large conference room. Tsuna pushed the grand doors open, causing the people in the room to stop what they were doing and bow.

Nodding, Tsuna took his seat at the front of the room, surveying those who were present. His Guardians stood protectively behind him, all of them, even little Lambo, looking quite intimidating in their suits. He saw his father grinning stupidly at him from the corner, and barely resisted the urge to scowl.

Reborn was leaning against the back wall, almost shadowed. His fedora was tipped over his eyes, so Tsuna wasn't able to get a clear read of his face.

The Varia looked like they wanted to leave, and Tsuna couldn't blame them. This was going to be a yawn-inducing meeting.

"Tsuna." The Nono incline his head towards the Decimo, indicating that it was time to begin.

The Boss stood swiftly, causing everyone else to do so as well.

"I, Sawada Tsunayoshi, Vongola Decimo, hereby commence the 405th Annual joining of all factions of our wondrous Famiglia." His tone reflected that of a true Boss. As was tradition, he bowed to Xanxus, the leader of the Varia, as well as to his father, the Head of CEDEF.

With that, he sat down, the rest following.

"Decimo." The financial adviser to the Famiglia, a portly man by the name of Alessandro Dinozzo walked over to Tsuna and placed a stack of papers in front of him. Tsuna stared at them dispassionately and suppressed a sigh. He swore that he was classically conditioned to look at piles of paper and get a headache.

"Our profits have risen 25% since the Vongola took over New York City!" The man was bouncing up and down in excitement. "Minor Famiglias are donating millions just to fall under the protection of your glorious self!"

Tsuna knew that. He had the stacks of papers to prove it. Famiglias were tripping over themselves to ally with the Vongola. Not only that, he had received 12 marriage proposals from females that ranged from the ages of 8 to 32. Needless to say, Kyoko was not happy.

Reborn had to stifle a snort at the face Tsuna was making. He knew that Tsuna hated these meetings with a passion, and he couldn't blame him.

"The projected profits of all our divisions combined for the end of the Fiscal Year are nearing €30 billion!"

Low murmurs spread through the gathered crowd, and even Reborn was impressed. That was well over 3 trillion yen. Impressive indeed.

"Excellent!" Tsuna sent a heartwarming smile towards Alessandro, who was reduced to a stuttering mess. "Without you and your team managing our finances, we would be nothing! I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

Xanxus scoffed.

"Y...Your words are too kind Decimo!" Alessandro bowed low before returning to his seat, his face cherry red.

Timoteo hid a smile. His grandson had that kind of effect on everyone around him, and the boy was oblivious to it.

This time inched forward, second by dreary second.

Division after division reported what they had to, were dazzled by Tsuna's smiles and words, and sat back down considerably warmer than they had been.

Tsuna on the other hand, was nearly drowning in all the paperwork that was placed in front of him. Even if it did require just his signature, there must have been thousands of papers there! He would need to devote an entire day just to finish it all.

There were only two divisions left: Varia and CEDEF.

Xanxus lounged back in his chair, placing his feet on the table. He earned titters from the others, but Tsuna was looking at him with genuine amusement.

"Nothing much to report from us." The red eyed man drawled. "Did some assassinations, took over some minor countries. That's it. There's been no new threats, not after New York. This thing is a fucking waste of our fucking time. Hurry up and finish already, trash."

Tsuna let out a barking laugh. If only everyone could keep their reports as short as Xanxus. His mirth died however, when his gaze turned to his father. A father who he hadn't seen in nearly eight months. A father who hadn't witnessed the tears his wife of 18 years had shed when he had not shown up for their anniversary.

In truth, the CEDEF had no true power in times of peace, but they were still a vital part of the Vongola.

"Like Xanxus said, there have been no new threats." Iemitsu grinned widely, clearly not picking up on his son's frostiness. "Don Stravonne, who you kicked out of New York, has been hiding in Argentina. For a few weeks, it looked like he might have joined forces with a Drug Cartel, but when they heard it was you who had outed him, they wanted nothing to do with him."

There was no denying the pride in Iemitsu's voice, and if Tsuna was ten years younger, he would have preened under the affection. But this wasn't ten years ago, and Tsuna wasn't the crying child who needed his father.

This Tsuna was a battle hardened man who had gone through much over the past four years. He didn't want to hear that tone from Iemitsu. Amber eyes flitted to the still form of a certain hitman. He wanted to hear it from his dad, not his sire.

Nodding curtly, Tsuna didn't see the way his father's face fell, or how Reborn scowled at the blond man. His eyes roved the room. "Is there anything else?"

Murmurs of No, Decimo, reached his ears, and Tsuna almost sighed in relief. After this, he could enjoy the rest of the week with his Famiglia.

He stood up once again, his cape flaring out behind him. The others hastened to do the same.

"This concludes the 405th Annual Meeting of the Vongola Council." He paused for effect. "Meeting adjourned."

Tsuna was out of the room within seconds, letting out a breath. Glancing up at his Guardians, he smiled widely.

"Can we play now, Tsuna-nii?" Lambo asked, green eyes wide and pleading.

"Of course Bambino," Tsuna ruffled the curly crow's nest of his younger brother. "We can play."

Lambo yipped in glee and sped off, no doubt to find I-Pin and Fuuta.

Kyoya had already left the group with Ryohei, and they were probably headed to the training room. Tsuna saw Chrome's eyes on his Cloud Guardian's back, causing him to smirk. He gave her a little push, making her jump.

"Bossu?"

"Go." He pointed in the direction that the two older teens had gone in. She blushed, but immediately trotted towards the training room.

That just left Yamamoto and Gokudera.

"Juudai-"

"Tsuna!"

All three teens scowled at the approaching form of Iemitsu, with Basil trailing behind him.

Tsuna exchanged pointed glances with his two best friends, and they got the hint.

Reluctantly, they left the Decimo alone.

The shit-eating grin on Iemitsu's face never faltered, not even when Tsuna turned to him with a cold expression.

"Basil." Tsuna's face softened at the younger boy. "I hope you are doing well."

"I am, Sawada-dono." He bowed so low, that his nose was touching his knees. The sandy-haired teen looked between father and son. The atmosphere around them was tense, and he wasn't sure he wanted to be around them right now.

"I must excuse myself, Decimo, Boss." Basil bowed once again and went to go find the other members of CEDEF, leaving the pair alone.

Neither saw Reborn standing at the end of the hallway, hidden from sight.

"How's my Tuna-fish doing!" Iemitsu tried to wrap his arm around his son's shoulder, only to have Tsuna move away from him. The older man frowned.

"I'm fine." Tsuna said stiffly, his tone bland. "And yourself?"

"Absolutely spiffing!" Iemitsu crowed.

"That's nice."

Iemitsu's cheerful visage sobered slightly. "Are you okay?"

Tsuna had to control himself so that he wouldn't beat the living daylights out of the man. That wasn't the question he should be asking.

"Fine."

Iemitsu frowned. He placed two hands on his son's shoulders, noting the muscles that had formed, and guided the rigid teen into a supposedly deserted corridor, not knowing Reborn was observing the interaction with narrowed eyes.

"What's wrong Tuna-fish?" Iemitsu asked softly. "You don't seem like yourself."

Tsuna's eyes snapped to Iemitsu's, his eyes blazing in righteous fury. "Like myself?" He snarled. "How would you know what I'm like? You're never there."

Iemitsu recoiled at the mocking disgust in his son's voice. Nevertheless, he kept calm. "You're my son, my flesh and blood. I think I know you."

Tsuna snorted derisively and crossed his arms over his chest. "That's a good joke, father. Keep telling yourself that."

From his spot in the shadows, Reborn couldn't help the slight twitch his lips gave. He had been the one to teach Tsuna snark, and the boy had taken to using it like a fish to water. This realization didn't help to alleviate the guilt he was feeling though. If anything, it made it worse.

The tall blond exhaled through his mouth. Even he couldn't miss the harsh sarcasm in Tsuna's words.

"Look Tsuna, I know that we haven't seen each other in a while, but why don't we take some time to catch up? To train?" Iemitsu asked hopefully. "To do normal father/son things?"

Tsuna was silent as he observed the man in front of him. He was very glad that he looked almost nothing like his father. Their hair, eyes, even the structure of their faces was different. The only thing he had inherited from this man was his height (he was a late bloomer), and the Vongola blood.

The latter had thrust an unwilling, weak, Dame, boy into a bloodthirsty world, and introduced him to the people who would become his Family. For that, he was grateful.

But that was it.

"I must decline." Tsuna inclined his head slightly. "I have already promised to spend the remainder of my week with my friends."

"And what about your family?" Iemitsu pressed, anger seeping into his tone. "It's been so long since we met and-"

"Whose fault it that?" Tsuna hissed, stepping away. "No one asked you to hole yourself up at HQ, no one told you that you couldn't leave!" He could feel all the suppressed emotions rising within him like a volcano ready to blow.

Iemitsu clenched his jaw. "I am the Head of CEDEF. I have a job to do."

"And I don't?" Tsuna growled. "I may be young, but I've been the Decimo for two years now. Do you think that I'm not taking my position seriously?"

"That's not what I-"

"ENOUGH!" Tsuna roared, quieting the other man instantly. He breathed in and out harshly, never losing eye contact with the older man.

"I hate you." The Decimo spat at the older man. There. He had said it. Those three words that had been itching to be uttered for over ten years were finally out of his system.

Iemitsu looked as though he had been slapped.

"I hate you, not because of how you abandoned me, but because of the way you treated Okaa-san." Tsuna sneered. "I've lost count as to how many times she's cried over you. I've lost count as to how many times she's wiped away her tears and put on a smile just so I wouldn't think anything was wrong."

"Tsuna I-"

The furious teen held up his hand, once again preventing his father from speaking. "Where were you for your anniversary? How many of them have you missed? What kind of a husband are you?"

"My job prevents me from coming to see her!" Iemitsu yelled, not holding back. "If anyone knew who she was to me, who you were, then they would have come after you two!"

"When I was younger, yes." Tsuna took a deep breath. "That was true. The heirs of the Famiglia were being killed and there was both internal and external strife. I'll grant you that. However." He pierced his father with a glare that Reborn was very proud of. "When I took over, those concerns should have gone out the window. It's been two years, and we are more powerful than ever before with little to no threats poised at our throats. What stopped you from going to see her? What's your excuse!"

Silence descended on the pair.

Save for erratic heartbeats, the air around them was still.

"I don't know how Okaa-san doesn't loathe your presence." Tsuna said quietly. "You know we had to tell her about who we are, about what we do. She was horrified at first, but accepted it quickly. How can she be so forgiving towards the man who deceived her from day one?" He smiled ruefully. "Perhaps out of all of us, she is the strongest."

"I love her." Iemitsu stated firmly, moving closer to Tsuna. "And I love you, even if you hate me!"

"You have an odd way of showing that so called love." Tsuna snapped at the older man. "You know nothing about me! In 17 years, how much time did you spend with us? You don't know my favorite color, my favorite food, my hobbies, my best subjects in school, what I do in my spare time!"

But Reborn did. He knew everything about his student. He almost moved forward into the light when Tsuna continued on with his rant.

"You don't know what to say when I'm upset, you don't know how fast it takes for me to handicap my opponent, you don't know what my greatest fear is, you don't what song I sing to the kids when their nightmares frighten the hell out of them, you don't know what it means to be someone's dad!"

Iemitsu swallowed the lump in his throat. It was sad to say that this was probably the longest conversation that he had had with his son in a long time. Hearing your own flesh and blood say that they hated you was one thing, but to hear just the beginning of your short comings was another. He couldn't deny what Tsuna said, because it was the truth.

And it hurt. It ached. It pained. It ate away at the fiber of his being. He couldn't change the past, but he still had a chance to make things right. Hopefully.

"I am so sorry." Iemitsu whispered, his throat closing. "I, I want us to be father and son again."

Tsuna regarded the hunched position of his sire impassively. He knew that the man was being serious. But none of it mattered. "How can we be something that we never were?" He asked bitterly. "It's too late with me, but for some reason my mother loves you. And her love is something you will never be worthy of."

"I know." The older man ran a hand through his short hair. He chuckled without any humor. "Trust me, I know. Nana is...words can't describe how lucky I was to find her." His eyes softened as he took in the tall figure of his son. "And because I found her, I have you."

When Tsuna said nothing, Iemitsu took it as his cue to go on. "The day you were born was the best day of our lives. You know how the Mafia is. How many times have people tried to use Fuuta, Lambo, and I-Pin against you?" He stared at his son imploringly. "People would try to hurt you and Nana, and I couldn't let that happen. I know I made mistakes Tsuna! I'm not blind!" The man exhaled harshly. "But at the end of the day, we're still father and son. I'm your dad!"

At the last word, both Tsuna and Reborn froze.

Reborn pulled on one of his sideburns in frustration. Goddamn it! No! Iemitsu was not Tsuna's dad, he was! If only, if only he had told Tsuna that earlier, this never would have happened.

"No." Tsuna murmured, shaking his head. "You're not." His eyes burned with the intensity of a thousand suns. "Once upon a time, I told someone this. "A father is someone who sires you, but a dad is the one who is there for you whenever you need him to be." His smiled was filled with melancholy. "You were never there. And that was your biggest fault. Perhaps the Mafia is to blame, but then I would give you the example of grandfather. As the Nono, his duties were vast, and yet he was always there for his children, whether they needed him to be or not."

"Tsuna-"

"I needed you." Tsuna confessed. "I needed you to be there to teach me how protect Okaa-san, how to be a better man. But when I needed you, you were never there. And when I don't need you, you're here."

Reborn shifted in agitation, wanting to comfort his kid in whatever way he could. Tsuna sounded so young just now. And he was young, only 17 years old, and yet there was an immense burden on his shoulders that people twice his age couldn't bear. Tsuna wasn't Atlas. He was just a kid who had to grow up to quickly to protect the ones he loved.

Iemitsu narrowed his eyes at his son, replaying what he had just said. "Sons need their fathers."

"I need a dad." Tsuna retorted, anger rising once again. "And you're sure as hell not him."

"Then who is he?" Iemitsu questioned, his tone filled with barely concealed jealousy.

Just as Tsuna was going to answer, another voice cut him off.

"That would be me." Reborn couldn't take it anymore. Every cell in his body was screaming at him to go over to his son and give him the comfort that he visibly needed. No longer would he deny his instincts. No longer would he watch from the shadows.

Both men turned to see Reborn standing just feet from them, obsidian eyes covered by his fedora.

"Chaos." He tipped his hat in greeting.

Tsuna grinned widely, his heart nearly bursting with joy.

"You!" Iemitsu snarled, shooting the hitman a look of pure hate. "I trusted you! And this is what you do? You steal my own son from me?"

"You did it to yourself." Reborn said evenly, coming to stand behind Tsuna. He placed a hand on his kid's shoulder. "Plus, he's the one who called me dad first."

Tsuna snickered before glaring at his biological father. "For four years, he's been there for me, training me, making me into what I am today. He listened to me, gave me advice, never left my side, taught me how to protect those I care for, showed me the proper way to win over the girl I love. Granted, he's sadistic," Reborn elbowed him. "But I wouldn't have it any other way. He raised me. Not you. Therefore, I will proudly call him my dad."

Iemitsu's chest rose and fell quickly. It was obvious he was trying to control himself.

"Favorite food: Salisbury steak." Reborn drawled, stopping Iemitsu from the rampage he was going to go on. "Favorite color: amber." Just like his eyes, Reborn thought. "Favorite hobby: anything that includes his Family. Favorite subject in school: history. What does he do in his spare time?" Reborn smirked. "Paperwork."

"Don't remind me." Tsuna muttered, pinching his brow.

"What do I say to him when he's upset?" Reborn ruffled Tsuna's hair fondly. "I tell him that if the others see that he's feeling down, then they will too, and that will lead to everyone's sadness."

Iemitsu glanced at the two of them, his heart tightening as he took in how natural it was for Tsuna to be by Reborn's side. He should have been there. Not Reborn!

"How fast does it take for Tsuna to disable his opponent?" Reborn smirked proudly. "His fastest time so far was 0.02 seconds." His greatest fear is that he won't be strong enough to protect his Family. Tsuna sings Hush little baby to the kids if they're having trouble sleeping, even if they're too old for it."

Obsidian eyes bore into light brown ones, one trying to overpower the other.

"As for what it means to be a dad, well," Reborn chuckled in a self-deprecating manor. "It's to know all of those things, and more. To be a dad means that you have built a level of trust with your son so that he shows you all the little nuances that make up who he is. When your kid comes to you, asking you for advice, that's when you know you've succeeded."

Reborn's next words were for Tsuna and Tsuna alone.

"Tsuna has a father. But his dad is someone else entirely."

The beam that his son gave him was better than the most delicious cup of espresso in the world.

"I didn't steal him from you Iemitsu." Reborn said quietly. "You brought this upon yourself."

For moments, the two adults stared at each other, one face impassive, the other filtering through emotions like sorrow, anguish, hate, and denial.

Tsuna stood by Reborn, hoping that Iemitsu knew not to push the envelope.

Finally, the blond man looked at the two of them with weariness.

"I know I messed up." His voice was hoarse. "I know that. A part of me wants to rip Reborn's throat out for daring to take my position, but a part of me wants to thank him for being there where I couldn't." Tears glimmered in Iemitsu's eyes as he bowed his head.

The Young Lion had conceded defeat.

Silence fell upon the trio.

"Take a vacation." Tsuna sighed after a long pause. This day was emotionally draining. His father's head snapped up. "Consider this an order from your Boss. Okaa-san is all alone in Japan right now with no chaos, no kids to feed, no nothing. Surprise her. For this week, until we have to head back, go to her. Lal and Basil are more than capable of taking control of CEDEF for seven days."

For a second, it looked as though Iemitsu was going to argue, but thought that it would be best not to.

He nodded shakily and smiled. His eyes lingered on the pair opposite from him for just a moment longer before he walked away from them, leaving dad and son alone.

As soon as Iemitsu was out of sight, Tsuna engulfed his dad in a tight hug.

Reborn stiffened for the smallest span of time before tightening his arms around his son in what he could proudly say was his first real hug. "I'm sorry." He whispered. "For not telling you. I'm sorry for hurting you."

Tsuna just hugged him harder, feeling at peace. "It's okay. After talking with Iemitsu, I kind of understand."

Pulling away from his son, Reborn kept both hands on the teen's shoulders and looked at him seriously. "I'll never have biological children of my own. The only woman I ever loved died a long time ago."

Tsuna nodded, sadness forming deep within his stomach. Reborn had told him and only him how much he had cared for the former Sky Arcoboleno.

"But if Luce and I ever had a son," Reborn placed his hand on top of Tsuna's head. "He would be you."

The Decimo nodded again, not trusted his voice.

"You're my son." Reborn inhaled, feeling as though a great weight had been lifted off of him. "Nothing can ever change that."

"And you're my dad." Tsuna choked out, his eyes watering slightly. "Nothing can ever change that either."

The hitman just smirked and ruffled his son's hair again.

"Now I believe a certain idiotic cow wanted you to play with him..."

Family wasn't dictated just by blood. Family was created through bonds of love and trust that could tie literally anyone together. He had never had a family before, never even dreamed of creating one on his own.

And yet, fate had dumped a son, and a host of surrogate nephews and nieces into his lap. Hell, Yuni had just started to call him Ojii-san, and even though he sure didn't feel like a grandfather, he knew that he was going to try his hardest to act like one for her sake.

As they passed the portrait of Vongola Primo, Reborn made a silent oath.

I vow to always be here for my son, now, in the future, and even when my time on this Earth comes to an end. This is my promessa. I will never leave him, no matter what.

And high above the Vongola Castle, in another realm of existence, the ghostly form of Vongola Primo smiled widely at his descendant's dad.

I accept your resolve, Reborn. Thank you for creating the man who will lead our Famiglia into an era of peace.

Nipote: Grandson

Wow! This had much more angst than I had expected.

Hopefully, it's up to your standards.

I dedicate this chapter to all the parents out there, whether or not you are blood related to your child! Give those kids an ultra tight hug today:)

Once again, if you would like to see a specific scenario, PM me, and I'll write the one I like the most.