Tsuna stared up at his father with tears in his eyes, fear and horror flooding his system. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he mumbled repeatedly, his hands crossed over his face as he laid in a fetal position. He didn't mean to, he really didn't. It was an accident and Nana had pushed him, causing him to stumble and spill the coffee onto Iemitsu's shirt. Said women stood in the doorway to the kitchen, an evil smirk plastered on her face.

"Sorry? You think being sorry will fix my shirt you little brat?!" Slap, punch, another slap, a kick this time. A few punches to the gut, another kick to the side. He sucked in a deep breath when the beating stopped, only to have it knocked out of him again when a foot connected with his chest. He hacked and coughed, a hand over his mouth as he tried to stifle the sounds. He didn't want his brothers to hear, he didn't want them to know.

"Iemitsu, the blood will stain the floor," Nana said, placing a hand on her husband's shoulder. Iemitsu grunted in response and straightened up, a look of disgust present on his face as he stared down at Tsuna.

"Tell your brothers anything and you'll regret it. Understand?" Tsuna nodded quickly, cradling his left arm. The last beating, it was almost dislocated. He was sure that this one would finish it but he was thankful it didn't. "Now go before I decide to do more, brat!" Tsuna nodded again, scrambling up the stairs, closing and locking his room door behind him. He breathed a small sigh of relief, sinking down to the floor.

H-he had to check his wounds, t-to see if any had reopened...

He peeled off his shirt as he stood in front of his body length mirror, eyes roaming over his body as he eyed the blue and purple bruises blooming all over. His eyes landed on an opened wound on his side, blood slowly oozing out. He turned and opened his closet, searching through the very back until he pulled out a small white box with a red plus sign in the center. Tonight was going to be a long night, he noted, for the bruises still ached and the wound wouldn't stop bleeding.

~Time Skip~

Tsuna sighed as he turned off his alarm. He had woken up during the night to change his bandages which were soaked in blood. After that, he had not been able to fall back to sleep so he had played around with a few old games he had for a bit. After getting bored with that, he decided to just lay down on his bed and wait for sleep to take him. Of course, this didn't happen. So he's been up since three in the morning and now has to survive the day with only three hours of sleep.

He slowly got out of bed and did his morning routine, quietly making his way down the stairs to make a small breakfast and be on his way to school. He always wakes up earlier than the others as to not bother them any more than they'd like. His brothers just think he's an early riser while his parents know they're to blame. He finished his slice of toast and drank the last of his tea, washing and putting away the dishes. He was about to grab his bag on the kitchen counter when he heard two pairs of footsteps running down the stairs.

"Ah! Tsuna! Guess what today is!" Natsu yelled as he burst into the kitchen. Natsuyama, or Natsu for short was a tall boy, now at the age of 16, with wild, untamable, spiky, honey-brown hair. With fair, tanned skin, sunset colored eyes, along with a lean, slightly muscular figure, he was the target of most of the female population in school. Adding his perfect grades and athleticism, he was one of the most popular boys in his grade. Ieyatsu, or better known as Giotto, was a year and a half older than Natsu, sharing the same hairstyle although a golden blonde and the same colored eyes and a figure with a bit more muscle, he was also the target for many. Adding to the fact that he's perfect at everything but cooking, he's the first choice of all girls in the third year.

Tsuna flinched back slightly at the sight of his brothers. His parents didn't like him being around them for too long, scared that his bad luck might rub off on them. "W-what day i-is it?" he asked, hugging his school bag to his chest and taking a step back.

"It's our birthday today! Isn't that awesome!" Natsu said with excitement, pumping his fists into the air. Tsuna stared confused at his brother? His and who's birthday? Giotto's birthday was next year and it certainly couldn't be his. His was...tomorrow.

"W-what're you t-t-talking about, N-Natsu-san?" Tsuna asked, the grip on his bag loosening slightly.

"Don't call me that, Tsuna. We're brothers, twins even. I may be older but it doesn't mean I'm above you. And today's our birthday, mine and yours." Tsuna shook his head and took another step back.

"Y-you were t-ten minutes b-before me. M-my birthday i-is t-t-tomorrow." Natsu's smile dropped and he glared at Tsuna, taking a step towards him.

"What do you mean your birthday is tomorrow? Mom and dad didn't say a thing! How come you didn't tell us?" He asked, placing his hands on Tsuna's shoulders. Tsuna flinched, an automatic reaction when others got too close.

"I-it's n-n-not important. B-besides, y-you never bothered to r-re-remember any other y-year so I-I thought this y-year would be the s-same."

"What the hell is with all the yelling?! Tsuna, you brat! I swear if it's you!" Tsuna jumped as he let out a squeak, breaking away from Natsu's grip and backing away.

"I-I have to go!" He took off in a full sprint out the door, not bothering to wait for their response as he ran, ran like that devil was after him. But in his case, even the devil would be better than his father at any moment. He stopped once he reached the school gates, half an hour before time, and panting for breath, using the wall to hold himself up. Once he had regained his breath and stopped his erratic heartbeat, he stood and walked into the building, keeping watch of any bullies that might be around.

~Back at Home~

Natsu and Giotto stared blankly at the door before the footsteps of their parents snapped them out of their daze. Giotto watched as Iemitsu came down wearing a pair of sweat pants and a bath robe while Nana came down in a night dress and pink, fuzzy slippers. She yawned but smiled when she saw them.

Now back to the problem at hand. They had forgotten his birthday, and it wasn't the first time they've done it. How many times has it been? How long have they been doing it? Have... Have they ever actually celebrated his birthday? Natsu blinked when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. He looked up to see his mother and father smiling down at him, the latter ruffling his hair.

"Come on, Na-kun! Today's your special day and Mama's gonna make a huge breakfast for it. Gio-kun you stay out of the kitchen." Giotto, who had brightened at the word breakfast, was now huddled in a corner, mumbling to

himself.

"It's alright Giotto, dad's not that great either so we can both sit down together. Now, where's that Dame brother of yours?" Both brothers flinched at the way their father addressed Tsuna. They know that their parents don't like him (though not about the abuse) but never understood why. After Nana finished breakfast, they all sat around the table in a comfortable silence until Natsu decided to break it.

"Kaa-san, when's Tsuna's birthday?" Natsu asked as he sat. Nana paused before giving a sickly sweet smile.

"His birthday is today, Na-kun. You're twins, remember?"

"But Tsuna said that his birthday is tomorrow cause he was born after me. Ten minutes after."

"Ah, well it doesn't matter. It's only natural to forget once in a while, it's nothing major."

"But we've always been celebrating it on my birthday, the 13th. He was born in the 14th, a different day. That's not once in a while."

"Natsu," Iemitsu said, "Why are you bringing this up now? You've never mentioned it before."

"Cause I didn't know until now. He just told us right before he left! I asked why he didn't say and he said that it wasn't important, and that it wouldn't make any difference since we've been forgetting about it all this time. I mean, that's kinda messed up don't you think? Forgetting your own son's birthday."

"Na-kun, you and Gio-kun need to eat up or you'll be late!" Nana warned as she pointed to the clock. "Don't you two have practice today?" Both turned and squeaked at the time, wolfing down the rest of their breakfast, collecting their bentos, and disappearing out the door. Nana's smile turned into a glare as she stomped upstairs to Tsuna's room. Tsuna would be in for a big surprise when he gets home.

~Time Skip~

Tsuna stared up at the sign in front of him reading, 'Reception Room'. He sighed and looked down at the two wrapped bentos in his hands. He gave a quiet knock on the door and almost jumped when he heard an equally quiet, 'come in'. Slowly opening the door and peaked his head in. Hibari Kyouya, known as the demon of Namimori, with silk, black hair that draped into his face, creating an 'M', pale peach skin with a flawless complexion, and a lean figure sat behind a desk in front of an open window.

"What is it, usagi-herbivore?" he asked as he stood. Tsuna held back a squeak when Hibari's eyes met his, a beautiful grayed jade blue that held extreme intensity, as if locking on its prey. Tsuna opened the door wider as he stepped in, closing the door behind him.

"I-I brought l-l-lunch H-Hibari-san," he stuttered as he stepped closer to the disciplinary prefect. He took the top bento, wrapped in a purple silk cloth, and stretched his hand towards Hibari. Hibari eyed the bento suspiciously, cautiously reaching out to grab it.

"Why?" he asked, opening the lid. He took the pair of chopsticks Tsuna provided and sat, pulling the boy down next to him.

"Y-you helped m-me w-wh-when no one e-else w-would." He opened his own bento as he begun eating.

"I don't tolerate violence in my school usagi-herbivore."

"Still, thank you Hibari-san." Hibari paused, it was the first time the herbivore had talked to him without stuttering. And he swore he saw a bit of gold in his caramel brown eyes. He 'hn'ed in response and they ate in a comfortable silence as time passed. When the bell rung, Tsuna quickly gathered his things, taking the empty bento from Hibari.

"D-did you enj-joy it Hi-Hibari-san?" Tsuna asked, placing the box in his bag. He gazed up at Hibari with a wary smile, hugging his bag to his chest.

"Hn, it was good. Did your mother make it?"

"Ah, n-no. She d-doesn't m-m-make food for m-me. I-I made it myself."

"Hm. Alright, back to class."

"U-um..."

"What?" Hibari asked, eyeing the hopeful eyed boy in question, a light feeling in his stomach.

"A-are we... Are we f-friends now, H-Hibari-san?" Tsuna asked, looking down at the ground with his hands tightly around his bag, rocking back and forth on his heels. He frowned when Hibari said nothing, thinking that he had overstepped his boundaries. He went to turn but stopped when he felt a hand on his head. He looked up and noticed the small, near invisible, smile on Hibari's face. "I-is that a- a yes?"

"Hn. Now get to class, here's a note." He handed Tsuna a small slip of paper and ushered him out the room, sending Kusakabe, his vice, along with him to class. Tsuna smiled as the walked, only one thought going through his mind.

I have a real friend...

~With Natsu~

Natsu sighed in annoyance. Tsuna had come back to class late with a note from Hibari. The entire class had quieted down when he said that, and the teacher hadn't believed him. But when Tetsuya had come in saying that Hibari wanted to see him at the end of school, no one dared object. Tsuna only nodded quietly with a small smile, one that Natsu hadn't seen in a while. He frowned. What could Hibari have done to make Tsuna so happy just by the mention of his name?

Natsu watched as his brother quietly walked over to his seat, tripped over someone's outstretched foot, got up and brushed it off like it was nothing, then sat down without a word. That's the thing. He's never heard Tsuna speak at school before. Even when the teachers call on him, he stays quiet. And all teachers know this but they call on him anyway. He also knows that Tsuna gets bullied repeatedly, on a daily basis even, but he's never once said anything about it before. Not to him, or Giotto, or their parents. He wants to help, but he doesn't know if his brother would appreciate it.

"Hey, Tsuna?" Natsu called as his brother sat in the seat next to him. He frowned when Tsuna flinched, slowly turning towards him without making eye contact. "How come you were with Hibari-san?" he asked.

"L-lunch...to-together," he mumbled, still refusing to make eye contact. And that was it. Any other question he asked, Tsuna would look away and avoid answering. He sighed at the sixth failed attempt to get his brother to speak to him. Why was Tsuna always cautious around him? Had he done something wrong? Had he upset his brother in some way? Is that why?

"Tsuna..." He whispered quietly when the bell rang, signaling the end of class. Tsuna quickly packed his things and was the first one out of the class, as usual. But he was going the opposite way of the school exit, to the Reception Room. Natsu, having a sudden unknown feeling in his gut, quietly followed behind him, making sure to blend into the crowd of students in the hall. He watched, puzzled, as Tsuna knocked on the room door, being greeted by Tetsuya who ushered him inside. What did Hibari want with his brother?

~With Tsuna~

Tsuna sat down stiffly on the couch as he waited for Hibari to speak. He didn't know why he was called here. He hadn't done anything wrong, at least he didn't think he did. Did he do something wrong?

"Usagi-herbivore." He looked up when he heard Hibari's nickname for him, looking said person in the eye with ease. Even though he was the most frightful person in Namimori, he had no problem keeping eye contact with him. He had no reason to be scared, as long as he followed the rules. But, talking was a different matter.

"Y-yes Hi-Hibari-san? Y-you n-n-needed s-something?" He stood when Hibari motioned him over, stopping right in front of the desk.

"You're staying after school to help the D.C. with work, such as filing or sorting out paperwork. Do you have any objections?" he asked.

"N-no, o-of course n-not! B-but, sh-she might get angry i-if I stay out t-too late." Hibari set down his pen, giving a look that asked, 'Who?' "Nana-san, she doesn't l-like it if I'm n-not home in t-time to m-make d-dinner for e-everyone."

"You address your mother by her first name?"

"She doesn't l-like it when I c-call her m-mom. She said it r-reminds her of the b-biggest mistake s-she ever m-made. A-anyway! I w-would have to c-call and t-tell her." Hibari narrowed his eyes as he handed Tsuna his phone, watching as he shakily dialed the numbers.

"Hello?" she answered.

"N-Nana-san?" Tsuna asked, biting his bottom lip. What happened next, made Hibari's skin prick.

"What, you little brat? Why the hell are you calling me? Shouldn't you be on your way home by now? And who's phone is this? You didn't steal it from someone did you? Well, I wouldn't be surprised. You've always been that low. Anyway, what do you want? And make it quick, I don't want to hear your pathetic voice more than I have to."

"U-um, Hibari-san w-wants me to stay a-after school a-and help with D-Disciplinary Com-mmittee work."

"Why? Did you get in trouble for being a failure and bringing the school down? Well I wouldn't expect anything more from Dame-Tsuna. And no, you can't. You're supposed to make dinner."

"B-but-"

"Are you deaf?! You're coming home to make dinner!" Tsuna flinched at the yell and held the phone away from his ear. Hibari, having enough of this, snatched the phone from his hand and cleared his throat.

"Tsunayoshi is staying and helping. If you're so against it, you can come get him yourself, you despicable woman." He hung up before she could respond and sighed with annoyance, massaging the side of his head. "Start with these. Arrange them in alphabetical order from last names." He handed Tsuna a puffed up folder and pointed at a small table to the right of the room.

"H-hai, Hibari-san," Tsuna mumbled as he walked over to the table. Hibari watched for the first ten minutes to make sure Tsuna was doing things right before going back to his own work.

~With Natsu~

Natsu frowned when he heard Hibari speak on the phone. Why would he say that to his mother? Had she said something to annoy him? And he could hear her yelling, though not everything she said, and she sounded angry. But, Tsuna didn't do anything wrong, only asked if he could stay and help. And he had no idea that Tsuna was the one to make their dinners, and he had been thanking their mother for it the entire time. But now that he thought about it, lunch and dinner always did taste different than breakfast. Now he knew why.

He sighed as he waited for Giotto to finish his after school activities so they could walk home together. Should he tell his brother about these things or keep it to himself? Truth be told, he shouldn't even know so maybe he shouldn't say anything. But, he should still tell Tsuna that he knew or it wouldn't feel right. After all, he had to say thank you for all the things he's done for him.

He looked up when he heard his name to see his brother along with his best friend, G, coming up to him. G was three inches taller than his brother with shaggy, pale red -almost pink- hair with fiery red eyes and a tattoo of what seemed to be flames on the right side of his face. G was originally from Italy but moved halfway through his and Giotto's first year, and he and Giotto have been friends since.

"Something wrong, Natsu? You're frowning." Natsu sighed again and shook his head, walking a little faster so he was slightly in front of the two.

"It's nothing, Gio. Just a little stressed from today. Had a hoard of fangirls run after me during lunch so I didn't get to eat much." He shrugged nonchalantly as he said this, as if it were a normal occurrence. Giotto nodded in understanding since he has to go through the same thing on a daily basis, though he could tell there was something else bothering his brother but decided not to press.

"Natsu, do you know where Tsuna is? Isn't he normally walking in front us a few blocks if he doesn't say he's leaving right after?" Giotto questioned, his eyes narrowing once he saw his younger brother stiffen.

"Hibari-san wanted him to go to the Reception Room after classes so I'm guessing he's still there. But that really shocked me when I heard. I wonder what he did to get in trouble."

"I doubt the kid's in trouble. Hibari's taken a liking to him so he's fine, he won't get hurt."

"What do you mean by that, G.? Hibari doesn't act any different towards Tsuna than he would to me or Natsu."

"Then you're an idiot and need to keep a better eye on him. Hibari even had a special nickname for the kid, usagi-herbivore. I wouldn't be surprised if he favors Tsuna over everyone else. He's never late, always dressed by the code, never breaks any rules, and I even saw him bring lunch to Hibari today. Don't tell me you two didn't notice."

Natsu shook his head and Giotto did the same, both with wide eyes. "But, why do you know all of this and we don't?"

"Giotto, when was the last time you talked to Tsuna?" G asked as they started walking again. "This morning why?" "No, I mean an actual talk that lasted more than two minutes. A real conversation?" G sighed when his friend couldn't come up with an answer. Of course his best friend was an idiot when it came to family matters.

"Giotto, do you see the bruises on Tsuna when he leaves in the morning? The way he limps as he walks, the tired look in his eyes? What about the fact that he doesn't talk that much? Or that he stutters so much when he does? He never meets anyone's eyes, he's bullied repeatedly even though his brothers are the most popular people in their grades, even Alaude shows restraint when around the kid and you know that means something."

"Then how come you know all of this when I don't? Aren't I supposed to be his big brother?"

"If you're his big brother then why don't you act like it? I have never seen you talk to the boy in public, Primo! It's like you're always trying to avoid him or something. Do you notice the look in his eyes when you do that? It's hurt, and pain Primo. But apparently you don't care."

"Now wait a minute G.-"

"No, Primo. If you're his older brother then start acting like it. Ask him what's wrong, or if something is bothering him. I'm sure you'll be surprised at what you find out." G frowned when Giotto glared at him, his arms crossed over his chest.

"What's that supposed to mean? You saying you know something I don't?" Giotto asked, nearly sneering as the words left his mouth.

"He's being abused, dammit!" G. screamed in frustration, his face red from anger. "And you two are too much of oblivious idiots to see it!" They all froze when they heard a small thump from behind them. They turned to see Tsuna with wide eyes and his mouth hanging open, his school bag at his feet.

"T-Tsuna, I didn't mean to tell them, it just came out-" G. went to take a step forward only to have Tsuna turn and sprint away. G. growled in frustration and took off after him while the two left behind stared at each other before quickly running after G.