A Night in the Life

ONESHOT

...

Summary: Like any other child, Tsuna had once dreamed of being the hero and protecting his loved ones from the monsters in the dark. Like any other child, that dream can be easily shattered by fear and weaknesses they face in reality. But unlike most children, Tsuna has the chance to live up to those dreams. He may not have a white horse and gleaming armour, but he does have a tutor from hell that fits the bill.

"Kaa-san, where are you going?" eight-year-old Tsuna asked as he rubbed the weariness from his doe-brown eyes.

His mother, Sawada Nana, paused at the door, allowing some of the darkness from outside to seep into the home she shared with her son. "Tsu-kun! I thought you went to bed?"

Tsuna yawned while he nodded. "Where's kaa-san going?"

Nana smiled and ruffled Tsuna's soft, brown hair, very much like her own. "Kaa-san's going to buy milk. I just realised that we've run out."

Tsuna looked beyond their yard and back at his mother. "I want to go, too!"

Surprised, Nana nodded. Tsuna raced to his room to get dressed. She watched him go with a stunned expression on her face. She wasn't blind. She knew that her son was a shy and timid child that was scared of practically anything. At times, it was endearing but she worried about him. What if he was bullied at school? Nana tried to talk to Tsuna about it before, but he insisted that everything was fine, that he was having fun. He'd told her that with mud and bruises on his body. And a bright smile on his face.

Tsuna darted back down the stairs with one of those smiles now. It had an anxious tone to it but it was a smile nonetheless.

"Alright, let's go!" Nana said and held hands with her son. They left their resident to walk down the wide street. Crickets chirped and the trees whispered softly in the night. "Why did you suddenly want to come with kaa-san?"

"I-I just want to," Tsuna said and looked around them fearfully. He tightened his hold on his mother's hand. Although the street lamps were on, it was still dark and the shadows loomed over them ominously.

"Mm~," Nana said. "Your father used to say that all the time."

Tsuna looked up at her, taking his attention away from the shadows. So his father used to do this too? Tsuna guessed that they weren't too different after all.

He knew he wouldn't be useful in a fight; the bullies at school reminded him of that every day. But he wanted to protect kaa-san from any monsters in the dark, dark night. That was why he wanted to go with her in the first place: to protect her, even if he was only eight. Maybe his presence will be enough to dissuade the monsters from attacking?

And then he shrieked when their neighbour's dog yipped.

...

"Kaa-san?"

Nana gasped and turned on the kitchen light. "Tsu-kun! What are you doing up? You have school tomorrow," she scolded quietly, not wanting to wake up the other occupants of the house. Her fifteen-year-old son was looking back at her with partially closed eyes and rumpled clothes. He held a glass from the dish rack and was turning to the fridge.

"Reborn forced me to finish all my math and English homework tonight when it's not even due until Friday. That's the worst combination ever! I just came down for a drink. I swear, he drives me crazy on purpose."

Nana's tone softened. "Reborn-kun is a good influence on you, isn't he?"

Ever since the baby, who went by the name Reborn had appeared that day on her doorstep, she knew that Tsuna's life was going to change. Not only was his room cleaned every day, but he never willingly skipped a day of school and he did all his homework. He walked with more confidence in his stride and was more aware of life and its gifts.

"Eh! There's no milk," Tsuna said. "Lambo must have drank the last of it!"

Nana smiled at the mention of another child she had taken under her wing. "I was on my way to the store just now. We can't have Lambo-kun missing his favourite milk, can we?"

"He'd only complain and yell at me if that happens." I don't want to be hit with grenades again! Tsuna thought wearily.

"You'd better go to bed now," Nana said and started to push her son toward the stairs.

Tsuna's eyes widened. "I don't want to go back up so soon! Reborn's still grading my assignment—he'll kill me when he finds out it's below an eighty." He paused, taking a look a his mother and then looking outside the kitchen window subtly. "Can... I go with you to the store instead?"

Nana let out a laugh and pushed him lightly out of the kitchen. "You'd better get dressed then."

Tsuna dashed up the steps two at a time and barged into his room. "Hey Reborn, I'm going with kaa-san to the store so I'll see you later!" he said as he threw on clothes over his pyjamas.

He grabbed his blue and white Vongola X Gloves and shoved them into his pocket before turning to the door.

Reborn had a dark expression on his face. He sent a flying kick at Tsuna's head.

"Ite!"

"You better come back soon. I'm not liking what I'm reading," the hitman said, gesturing to the sheets of papers in his tiny hands.

"I got it," Tsuna hissed in pain. He went down the stairs, nearly tripping a couple of times. "Okay, I'm ready."

Nana closed the door behind him with a smile. "My protector, with me once again."

"W-What?"

"Never mind," Nana sang out and tugged at Tsuna's arm with a giggle.

That was one thing Tsuna couldn't fault Reborn with. Meeting the Mafioso hitman meant he could finally—properly—protect kaa-san from the monsters.

END

A/N:

Thanks. Hope you all enjoyed reading some fluff. I really like knowing what you all think of my stories, so if you like it, or don't like it, please tell me! It will help me understand what makes a good story so that future ones would be better!

-LLM

Published 2015-04-02nd

Edited 2016-03-09th