Happy New Year everyone! One more fic before the year ends on my side of the world :)

sic itur ad astra
thus one goes to the stars; such is the way to immortality

"Christ, even now you don't know how to tie a knot?" Reborn scowls as he rises from his chair. Tsuna is three yards away on the other end of the room, muttering curses again as he tries it one more time.

"You didn't teach me anything about this, geez," Tsuna sighs as he fumbles with the knot again and later curses the high heavens. "Cut me some slack this time, just once?"

Reborn gives it a millisecond thought before throwing a rock Leon to Tsuna's head, knocking him back and making him mouth a stream of words that could make Gokudera blush. "Hurry up, the ceremony will be in five minutes."

"Ahh, you're making me nervous!" Tsuna exclaims before lying down on the floor again. "Please, I just want this day to end right now. I haven't even memorized the speech Gokudera wrote for me."

"Since when have you memorized something though?" Reborn scoffs. "Get up, or I'm gonna flood the social media accounts of your guests with your baby pictures."

"Hmm… maybe when you do they'd protest and cancel the ceremony-"

"Proud you're a cheeky little shit now, aren't you?"

Tsuna laughs. "I was kidding. Wait, you know what, I'll just ditch the tie," he says, ruffling his collar in front and smooths the cuffs of his suit. He laughs again. "Can you believe it? In a few minutes I'll actually be the Vongola Boss." By then his smile falls. "Shit, this is totally happening."

Reborn says nothing and seizes the black silk tie on the floor and begins to knot it on Tsuna's neck, mindful in case he does try to garrotte him with it. Tsuna mumbles thanks before snapping out of his reverie and utters a loud yelp of surprise.

"Holy shit, you actually did that for once!"

"Hurry up your ass," Reborn says as he opens the door and exits the room first. Tsuna smiles as he stole one last look at the mirror and then follows Reborn. The air drops a few degrees.

"I'm still not used to an adult you," Tsuna says, trying to maintain a light conversation as they passed through the corridor. The past faces of his predecessors seem to follow his every step.

"You can just cut to the chase, Dame Tsuna," Reborn says curtly as they stopped a few feet from the door, where the muffled chatter from the main hall reverberated somewhat. Reborn purposedly made them stop under the eyes of Primo. Tsuna's lips throb at this.

"Remember when we travelled in the future?" Tsuna hesitates, unable to maintain eye contact with his taller tutor especially under the watchful gaze of the Vongola founder. "I always wondered, if you know, ten years from now, you're still here."

"Are you really going sentimental on me?"

"Eh, I knew you'd say that! That's why it's totally embarrassing on my end!" he pouts. "It's just, it's just weird because I didn't know how you died in that future. If you were still in the Vongola then. I mean, you're only here on the Ninth's orders to help me become the Boss, right?"

Reborn palms his face. "This is not how I imagined you to be Dame Tsuna. You are always too naïve-"

"Maybe the reason why I didn't want to become the Tenth is because I knew that you'd stay. Tell me that you'll stay. Please, Reborn. I'm so fucking scared-"

Reborn slaps him cleanly, eyes clearly burrowing into his student's as he stares at the floor. No complaints of the pain came out of the teenager's mouth as he cradles his swelling cheek.

"If I continue babysitting you, you wouldn't grow like this, Dame Tsuna," Reborn goes. "You became the Boss not just through my prodding, but through your own Dying Will. Do not forget that."

Tsuna says nothing as he covers his face with a sleeve. He tries not to make a sound as his shoulders begin to shake.

"I can't continue being a constant in your life. I don't know if the Ninth will permit it, honestly. I've been missing out on a ton of missions just by staying by your side I-" Reborn doesn't continue. He cannot bring himself to. "Just don't. Don't think you're a pain in the ass, okay? Even if you are, it doesn't mean… Shit, you fucking piece of shit."

"Oh my gosh, you're really crying?" asks a tear-stained-faced Tsuna.

"Look who's talking!" Reborn throws a rock Leon to Tsuna's face again, which he avoids and pulls out his phone and a shutter sound comes out.

"I can't wait to share this to the Arcobaleno group chat! Everyone's gonna flip!" Tsuna laughs as Reborn lunges. "Oops. Sent. It," he sardonically punctuates as he runs his way through the door. Reborn manages to take out his phone. To his dismay, one bastard in the chat uploaded it in public. I'm going to find you and kill you, you son of a bitch. Tsuna continues to wipe his face with a handkerchief and inhales and exhales rapidly. He turns to his tutor one more time. "How do I look?"

Reborn looks at his big bloodshot eyes that may darken as the years go on. At his runny nose that will no longer flinch at the stench of blood and excrement that may follow him until his dying day. At his unsure expression that may become a thin line of cynicism and resentment as he loses his beloved men one by one.

"Not ready," he said finally, cracking a small smile. "But aren't we all are when making the biggest jump in our tiny, insignificant lives?"

"Ever the nihilist. I hope you don't change," Tsuna snorts as his hands hold onto the brass handle. He pauses. He looks at Reborn, biting his lip again. "Can I ask you one last thing as your student?"

"Spit it out," Reborn sighs. "We're late by two minutes."

"Do you think I'll make a good Boss, Reborn?"

There was no hesitation in Reborn's reply as he patted his student's head. "If you weren't, I would have dropped being your tutor years ago."

Tsuna lets out a small chuckle. "I'm just checking. Thanks for everything."

"You'll be the best Boss the Vongola will ever have," Reborn says, his tone warm mellow, morose. The clapping and the music begin to rise as his student becomes possessed by light. Soon it will be shrouded in darkness, but he knew it will all be temporary. He raises his hand at him as his student shoots one last trusting smile. They'll believe in you, as you had convinced this nihilistic hitman. "Until next time, Sawada Tsuna."

fin

To Mirufey (again). I'm sorry for still not being done with that R27 fic, so I hope you'll like this one (even if it's short). Happy New Year. Hoping for the best in each and every one of you.

And please review! Haha.