Summary: Tsuna never really understood Reborn completely. R27 oneshot.

Can I Ask You a Question?

"Reborn, are you happy?"

Tsuna asked Reborn as they both sat on the Sawada residence's rooftop, spending a lazy afternoon. Reborn found Tsuna had enough training for the week and had enough tutoring, so they were taking a break and enjoying the view of the pink-orange sky.

Reborn looked at him and gave him a small smile. "Yes."

Something tugged in Tsuna's chest. It had been a few months since they successfully broke the Arcobaleno Curse. Everybody was ecstatic, still was, in fact most were still celebrating even today. Even the normally rational Verde showed extreme signs of happiness. But . . . Reborn was different. He smiled and even laughed a little, but that was months ago and he was back to how things were. Not that Tsuna was complaining of course; having Reborn around was better than no Reborn at all. But shouldn't he be happier about it?

Tsuna watched as Reborn laid down on the roof, placing his fedora on his face. Tsuna always thought that hat was a cheat; it let this baby — no, this man stuck in the form of a baby — hide his face to make him unreadable to everyone, even to Tsuna.

He returned to watching the afternoon sky. He knew despite the smile and the confirmation, there was something else underneath it all and it was just utterly impossible for Tsuna to know what it was.

"Reborn, are you happy?"

Reborn was looking over his test scores and homework for the day, flipping through the different papers. He looked at him briefly for a second, nodded and gave him a smile, before returning to check his schoolwork.

Tsuna sighed. They broke the Curse two years ago and Reborn was growing back to his original age. He looked around seven years old physically. Verde computed they grew at the pace of maybe three years per year, but it was mostly erratic and sometimes slowed, sometimes sped, and hopefully would normalize once they reached the age before they were cursed. Until then, they could only hope for the best. Checkerface himself wasn't even sure what would happen.

As for Tsuna, he graduated middle school with barely passing marks and was now in high school. They planned to bring him and his guardians to Italy once they finish their high school in Japan. So, before that happens, he would be stuck with Reborn's spartan training and tutoring.

Which was very effective, Tsuna had to admit, even though most days he would be in the receiving end of extreme pain. His grades were steadily improving as time passed, as evidenced with Reborn's approval with his test scores right now.

"You forgot one variable here," Reborn pointed to one of his marked down answers. "The formula is correct but you left out the x at the end. As for the rest of the answers, good job."

"You know," Tsuna suddenly piped up, sitting next to him on the bed, "I never really thanked you for tutoring me. So, here I am," he stared at Reborn's onyx eyes, "Thank you, Reborn."

He was slapped upside the head into next week.

"You could thank me by improving your grades, dame-Tsuna. You still suck in English and Science."

"Ehh?! I should be learning Italian anyway!"

"That, too. But your Italian is passable. Still needs improvement but you could converse with it. However . . ."

"Hmm?"

"You should know you really suck when Ryohei is better in Italian than you."

"EHHH?!"

That made Reborn laugh. It was a nice sound and Tsuna silently relished it. At least, even though he knew Reborn only smiled and answered "yes" when he asked that question, Reborn could really be momentarily happy in the most random times.

"Reborn, are you happy?"

"Of course I am. I missed Italy."

They were at the airport for their flight to the Vongola headquarters. His guardians were more than willing to move permanently, even the usual aloof Kyouya who loved Namimori (with the promise of having the ability to fly to Namimori and back whenever he felt like it). Though to be honest, Ryohei was the most surprising for Tsuna — the man loved his family, especially Kyoko. They were lucky Kyoko was very understanding ever since she learned about the Mafia.

They flew at different times due to different reasons. It left Tsuna last to go with Reborn accompanying him.

Reborn was about sixteen years old now if they computed his age properly. On the other hand Tsuna never really outgrew his cute features, as other people pointed out, and he appeared younger than Reborn even at nineteen. It looked like Reborn was his "adult" chaperone and for all intents and purposes, it was actually correct.

Tsuna watched as Reborn dealt with their passports and other paperwork. Nono had offered his private jet but Tsuna refused to travel in such an exorbitant way. They compromised by giving him a first-class flight (which was still similar now that Tsuna thought about it). And as Reborn handled their paperwork, Tsuna watched. It was . . . kind of fascinating, in a way, on how Reborn talked and charmed the girl behind the counter, considering he was physically a sixteen-year-old.

"What are you thinking of?" Reborn asked him when they were finally seated in the plane.

"It's amazing," Tsuna smiled, staring at Reborn. "It comes naturally."

Reborn stared back at him impassively. "What does?"

"Your charm. I've watched you smite both girls and guys. It's really impressive."

"You say the stupidest things, Tsuna. You should think more about your famiglia and your future. You're moving permanently to Italy, if you haven't realized yet. Aren't you worried about it?"

Tsuna laughed. Not in the slightest. "I have you. I have my friends. I have my family. I don't have any reasons to worry."

Reborn looked away. "You say the stupidest things."

Tsuna continued to laugh. For some reason or another, it felt like Reborn was glad with his response.

"Reborn, are you happy?"

"Why do you ask?"

When Reborn usually answered with a smile and a yes, this time he replied with a question of his own. Tsuna wasn't surprised; he was prepared for it. Truthfully he was prepared for it a long time ago; it was a wonder Reborn only thought of asking now.

They were both around the same age now, Tsuna realized. Twenty-two or so. As time passed though, age became a null factor between them; it didn't matter how Reborn physically looked like in the first place anyway. Reborn was Reborn even from when he was in his cursed, Arcobaleno form.

Tsuna held onto his cloak as it waved in the wind. It was one of the precious things he inherited from Primo and wearing it gave him some sort of assurance, a boost of confidence. It was a physical manifestation of his eligibility as the Vongola Decimo and to him, it validated his status as everybody's protector.

He opted to wait for a few more seconds before replying to Reborn's question. "I'm curious. I want to know."

"Why do you want to know?"

Tsuna let out a quiet laugh. "I want to understand. Your well-being is one of my best interests."

"If you have time to worry about me, that only means you're slacking off. You should focus on the famiglia, Tsuna."

"But you're part of my family too." And it was true.

Reborn looked contemplative as they both watched the Vongola mansion atop a hill, the place where they usually had their picnics. The rest of his friends were off doing their mock battles, if the different Flame colors from afar were any indication. Tsuna chuckled a little when he saw the Sistema C.A.I pop-up — they were taking their spars a bit too seriously.

He turned his eyes back on Reborn, but the man was still gazing at somewhere far away. "Yes," the man replied.

Tsuna nodded, noting the lack of smiles with his answer. One would think he would be lying because of that, but Tsuna knew his answer this time was more sincere than all the previous times he asked the question.

"Reborn, are you happy?"

"Now's not the time to ask that, Tsuna."

Tsuna smiled. "I would like to hear your answer now."

"Honestly?"

"Of course."

"No."

Tsuna's smile turned to a laugh. "Then, I would like you to know that I'm very happy."

"Your condition right now is not something to be happy about."

Tsuna placed his hand atop Reborn's. "You saved me."

Reborn was looking around, his eyes on everything but Tsuna, but he didn't shake off the kind gesture. "Anybody else would save you."

"You saved me," Tsuna repeated as if what he said wasn't clear enough. "And you're continuing to save me. That's why I'm very happy."

"Tsuna, focus. Save your energy."

Tsuna laughed again, his hand sliding off a bit from Reborn's. "If it weren't for you . . . I would still be dame-Tsuna. You saved me from the very beginning."

That stopped Reborn. "You're still no good to me."

He was now watching him, staring so intensely Tsuna felt his chest tighten in response. He let go of Reborn's hand and slowly lifted up his arm, as if to touch Reborn's face, then opted to poke him instead. "You have high standards," he grinned.

Even in his hazy and blurry vision, Tsuna could make out a smile from Reborn's lips, a rare and sought-after thing. His fingers moved to touch the smile briefly before his arm gave in and dropped back down on the ground.

"Tsuna," the man's hold on him tightened, and it was funny to see him panicking, Tsuna thought.

"Still breathing," Tsuna teased, his other arm clutching his side. "Your Sun flames helped a lot." He coughed a little after he said that. Reborn's panic might have some merit into it, he thought glumly, as his mind was becoming muddier and his sight was getting dimmer by the second.

"The rest should be arriving soon," Reborn assured him, his voice sounding so gentle and so unlike him. Then Tsuna felt his large hand caressing his wild, untamed hair, as if to calm him down, while his other hand steadily held onto him as he laid halfway on the man's lap. "Just relax."

"I am relaxed." Tsuna finally closed his eyes; he couldn't see anything clearly anymore. "Thank you, Reborn. I'm very happy."

"Don't say such things. You're not dying yet especially when I'm around."

Tsuna let out a silent laugh. His body couldn't handle the extra effort. "I just want to thank you. My parting words would be longer . . . more ominous . . . and probably in Italian."

"Good."

Tsuna could hear the scratching of wheels and revving motors nearby. They're here. "I only learn from the best." He could finally sleep.

"Reborn, are you happy?"

The man looked up from reading mission reports as they lounged in Tsuna's office. Tsuna had to admit, it was one of those random times he felt like asking that question, but he wanted to know all the same.

Reborn didn't reply. Instead, he set the folder aside on the couch and walked up to him. Tsuna watched, hands clutched together on the oaken table, and when Reborn reached his side, he smiled. "No answer?"

"At this point in time, my words are meaningless."

Tsuna laughed. "That's true."

Reborn pulled one of the chairs to sit beside Tsuna, behind his desk, and propped up his legs on the table. "You know me too well. I'm losing my touch."

Tsuna turned his body to face him. "I would be a disgraceful Boss if I don't know my family well. But you, I can never know you enough."

The man smiled at him and Tsuna felt so special. Reborn's rare smiles were always freely given to him, and only him, and it never failed to make him soar in happiness. "I'm not that complicated, Tsuna. Everybody thinks I am, but I'm just good at disguising it. I'm a simple man with simple needs. You, unfortunately, had seen through it all."

"I sincerely doubt it," Tsuna smiled, watching Reborn's hand reach for his mug of coffee and taking a sip out of it. "After all these years, you still surprise me."

"I should be the one saying that to you. From dame-Tsuna to Vongola Boss. Loved by all, allies of everyone. Random strangers would die for you, Decimo, just because they heard how great of a person you are."

"And all of that is because of you, Reborn."

Reborn placed the mug back on the table. "You had it from the very beginning, Tsuna. You've always been you. I just urged you to temper and harness it, but in the end, all of it came from you."

"Then let me rephrase my statement. All of that is thanks to you, Renato. From leading me, training me and tutoring me. Thank you."

The man leaned closer, his obsidian eyes staring at his brown ones. "Do you think I'm happy?"

Tsuna reached for the fedora atop the former hitman's head and took it off, twisting it with his fingers. "Yes."

Renato smiled again.

"Renato, are you happy?"

Renato's hand stopped playing with Tsuna's hair as they sat on the Vongola mansion's rooftop. They were trying to get away from the craziness his guardians were currently invoking within the confines of the building, so the rooftop seemed like the perfect place to escape. Besides, the pink-orange afternoon sky looked perfect; it would be a waste not to take it in.

Tsuna raised his eyebrows at the man next to him, but didn't say anything else. He knew pointing out that he stopped would make the man completely shy away.

At the next second, Renato's hand resumed smoothing out his hair. "You're still asking that?"

"It got me thinking," Tsuna mused, turning his eyes back on the sky. "I never really understood you. I always tried though, I really did. That's why I like asking that question."

"And I told you I'm not that complicated. I'm a simple man with simple needs. You've already seen through it all."

Tsuna laughed. "You're telling me I'm overthinking it."

"I've also told you that several times for the past several years."

Tsuna saw Renato lay down on the roof, his fedora placed neatly on his chest. He stared at Tsuna for a few moments before tilting his head a bit. "Well?"

Tsuna laughed again before laying down beside him, snuggling his head and his fluffy hair on the crook of his arm and chest, and they both stared up at the afternoon sky.

"You've already fulfilled all those needs, Tsuna. And for that, I am very happy. How many times do I have to say this?"

"As many times as I ask you that question."

"Renato, are you happy?"

"I like to think so."

Tsuna reached up and ran his fingers on Renato's face. The man never twitched, he realized, especially now they were used to each other's touches. He felt the hard, chiseled jaw line and the rough texture of his face, the slight tingles of the miniscule, unshaven beard as his fingers made its way to the man's curly sideburns. He pulled at it gently and laughed as it bounced back into place.

"I'll never understand you," Tsuna concluded, finality included in his voice. "Why me?"

"Because you're you. And I happen to like surprises."

"I will never understand," Tsuna smiled wistfully, his hand finally resting on Renato's chest. "But, I don't think that matters after all."

"Are you happy?"

Tsuna closed his eyes. "Yes."

"Tsuna, are you happy?"

They watched the coronation for the new Vongola Boss, Xanxus's son Xinos, personally chosen by the Decimo himself. The original rings were already passed on to the eleventh generation guardians before and this celebration was for formalities' sake.

Xinos, young Vongola Boss at twenty-five, looked up at him in admiration.

Tsuna nodded and waved before gesturing to his guardians that he needed some rest. As he walked off to his private quarters, Renato followed him closely behind.

"The Vongola is reformed, Renato. The Vongola will live on as a positive memory for Xinos, his guardians and to the rest of the world. My own guardians have families of their own and will be retired from this strange and crazy business. I couldn't be happier."

Tsuna turned around and faced Renato. "How about you?"

"Me?"

"Are you happy?"

The older man laughed. It was always music to Tsuna's ears, but this one in particular felt more warm and pleasant. "Five, ten, twenty and even thirty years later, I am still happy."

Tsuna placed his hand on Renato's chest. "Your happiness is mine too."

"And yours is mine."

"Will you be happy forever?"

Renato smiled. "Always."

Tsuna smiled back. "That's all I wanted to know."