Title: Dreamlinked

Chapter 2/10 - Repetition
Pairings: N/A, Gen
Rating: T

Summary: Tsuna had always spent a bit too much time in bed. He napped the days away, avoiding chores, homework, and even thinking. He found that his dreams were refreshing, almost magical. An escape from reality, ones made of sunlight and comfort. It was too bad he could never remember them, even when he woke up crying.

Hey, I'm back again. Last chapter was more of a prologue than anything, so this chapter will be the chapter that gets the ball rolling. And roll it does.

Before we begin I would like to state some things:

Fuck canon

Akira Amano was a coward and never let Kyoko reach even a third of her full potential.

With that said, onwards to the Content™!

Tsuna is falling, dying, suspended somewhere between consciousness and an exhausted slumber. A voice cuts through the strings that bind him, that cling and trap him in sleep and chain his body to the bed.

"Tsu-kun! You're going to be late for school if you don't get up!" a voice cries, appearing in his mind like sunbeams on shattered glass, scattering in all directions and illuminating his quiet, fuzzy mind.

Not with warmth, though. His mind shatters and awakes to panic.

He jolts awake, shooting up as a wave of adrenaline crashes over him, setting his nerves alight. Yelping a little, Tsuna stumbles out of bed - only to trip on the corner of his rumpled blanket, which had been dangling off the mattress and onto the floor. The boy pinwheels for a moment, before crashing into the floor.

Tsuna groans, but is up in a millisecond, rushing towards his closest to retrieve his uniform.

He does as he always has done, and rushes to get ready for school in record time. He fumbles with the buttons on his uniform and his tie, but if it's a little crooked he figures no one will mind (he's Dame-Tsuna after all, he isn't expected to know how to do something as decent as tying a tie-) before he's dashing for the stairs, stumbling on that one step and into the kitchen.

He doesn't want to go to school, but he knows that if he stays in bed his mother will scold him and give him that look, the one that makes him feel like all he's ever been is a useless lump of flesh sucking his family dry, and his mother will call him useless and-

Tsuna knows that going to school is better than the alternative, even if both end up with him exhausted and empty by the end of the day.

His mother greets him, hands him a bento, and Tsuna is off, bolting out of the door and racing down the street. He turns right at the next stop sign, then left, and then goes straight until he can see Namimori Middle School's gates from where he was readily approaching. Tsuna urges his legs to work faster, go farther, but he only starts to slow, weak muscles and low stamina already used up.

He's only jogging, now, out of breath, but he makes a sharp turn through the gates and… misses. Instead of going through them, he crashes into the metal gate, bashing his head and knees into the metal.

Winded, he stumbles back, feet tangling together and causing him to fall to the ground. That only makes it worse, however, because his legs feel like jello, and he can't breathe, meaning he'll be late and his feet just won't move.

"Herbivore." a voice growls. It is not an acknowledgment, nor a question, and it certainly is not kind.

"Shit." Tsuna curses, resigning himself to being Hibari's next punching bag.

He makes it to first period a little late, after spending homeroom in the nurse's office, trying and failing to bandage scrapes and soothe bruises. He's got an ice pack pressed over a black eye, but no one in his class asks what happened, or if he was alright. Not that they needed to, it was obvious where he'd gotten it. Instead of consoling him, they simply laugh, snickering as Tsuna scrambles to his seat.

They have a test that period, and as soon as Tsuna reads the first problem (over and over and over again, words just not processing) he knows he's going to bomb this test, too. He'd been marginally more confident about this test, the review he'd skimmed over making the test seem easier than it was turning out to be. His hands sweat, and he ends up just scribbling in a guess answer. He moves to the next problem and finds himself doing the same thing.

The test is hastily finished, and the bell rings. Voices spring up.

"Man, that one sucked. I think I bombed it."

"Me too… I didn't really study for it all that well…"

"Ha! Well, at least I won't score as low as Dame-Tsuna!"

It's only first period, and all Tsuna wants to do is go home and jump into bed.

The rest of the day is like any other, another phase in the cycle of monotony he can't seem to break free of, no matter how many times he says to himself, ' I should do my homework'. So it's no surprise, really, that he moves on autopilot, taking the same way home that he takes every day, and steps inside the door, struggling to shed as much annoying, clingy clothing as possible, discarding his things randomly about the house, before nearly diving into the safe, drowsy confines of his bed as he always does.

He lays there for a moment, face smushed into his pillow as he allows himself to simply breathe. For a few peaceful moments, his head is devoid of all thoughts, his body does not move an inch, and the world is utterly still - not yet attempting to bother him.

However, the spell is quickly broken, and tsuna rolls over and onto his side, trying to get as comfortable as possible, even as his head starts to buzz with the force of his own swirling thoughts, repressed emotions from that day finally unleashed and impossible to ignore. They may not be useful, but Tsuna has a lot of thoughts, ones that refused to leave him alone, swirling and pushing at the insides of his skull - never truly fading away, only receding into the back of his mind to attack at another time.

Tsuna breathes, head fuzzy. Merely a few moments later, sleep grips him, and he sinks into blissful slumber, the day's anxieties melting away.

Tsuna sighs as his surroundings swirl into view, becoming clearer by the second. 'This dream again.'

There's the customary fog at the edges of his vision, obscuring everything just past the first line of trees. The trees he can see are long and sturdy, of all different kinds but all of which having long, gnarled roots, aged and moss-ridden with large, thick canopies. The clearing is buzzing with life, a hazy sort of warmth oozing up from the ground, causing long grasses and large bushels of wildflowers to spring up. In it, there's a long outdoor table, made of thin, wiry metal and simple in design, with it, are an assortment of chairs. Of which, several figures would normally be reclined.

They're not being used today, however. That day's dream had seen fit to put them all on a blanket, a picnic for seven, most of which weren't actually participating in the event itself.

Tsuna was, though, laughing and watching as (hazy, obscured, not real not real, fake-) his friends laughed and bickers and elbowed each other playfully. Plates of food are spread out before them, all carbs but fun, easy to make lunches either way.

He looks around, one of them hangs by a tree, farthest away from the group, while another lays in the grass, either watching the clouds roll overhead or sleeping. He couldn't see their eyes with their faces obscured, so it could be either one. The rest, with the exception of the three sitting on the blanket, are scattered about the clearing. Tsuna finds himself sighing, but it's fond, as if it were something he'd weathered many times before and become used to.

Digging his hands into lush blades of grass, Tsuna rips out a handful of them, beginning to fiddle with a twig clinging to the greenery he'd ripped up. He tosses it from hand to hand, breaking the ends of it off, little by little. It's an absent motion, and he does it again when he's broken that twig in its entirety, pulling up more grass to pick at.

An elbow nudges his side, and Tsuna can practically feel the grin blooming on his face as he turns to face the person who was trying to get his attention.

He wakes up.

He thinks about his dream, lines between consciousness and the remnants of a pleasant fantasy blurred and overlapping, blending his reality for a solid few seconds as he tries to get his bearings.

All at once, grief crashes down upon him, tears springing to his eyes. He'd been so close, and yet it'd been ripped away from him again! Even his own mind seemed to taunt him, dangling fantasies of friendship and laughter and the word "Dame-Tsuna" ceasing to exist, only to yank it away when he needed the comfort most, forcing him back into the real world - back into a dreary life with nothing going for it.

He feels stupid for dreaming about it.

And then he realizes, suddenly, that he remembers this dream. He never could recall any of the others, only knowing them by the way they made him feel afterward.

God, he really was hopeless, if something so simple could leave him feeling so broken.

A flyer is pushed into the mailbox on a clear, sunny morning. It's a morning like any other, sparse of traffic during a good chunk of the day, lines of houses resting dormant, empty and undisturbed until parents get off work and children come home from school. The birds awoke by the by the sun, and strays and neglected pets alike set off to prowl the streets.

Sawada Nana wakes up at the same time she normally does, gets dressed, and goes downstairs to make breakfast. She watches as the minutes drain away, timing shifting from 'on time' to 'late'; Tsuna has yet to come downstairs, meaning that unless Nana went and woke him, he wouldn't be down at all. Just like normal.

First, though, she'd have to get the mail. If she didn't do it now, she'd surely forget about it until tomorrow. Nana switches off the stove, letting the contents cool, and quickly rushes to the front door, pulls it open, and steps out into the front yard. She yanks open the mail hatch and reaches in and drags the contents of the mail out, giving each letter a cursory glance before shoving it back into the pile.

'Bills, junk mail, advertisements… a flyer?' she mentally counts off, sifting through the pile as she walks back inside the house. She sets the mail in her arms onto the counter and starts to sort them into piles. Junk mail goes to the left, bills go to the right, anything else goes in a middle pile. At first, Nana wants to sort it into the "junk mail" pile and throw it away. After all, the offer was too convenient, too golden an opportunity to be legitimate. It was most likely a scam, and should've been treated as such.

Yet, there was something about the thing that seemed utterly genuine and written by someone competent. Maybe it wasn't the hand-made card written on in neat, beautiful lettering. Maybe it was the wording, or the claim that she wouldn't have to pay the tutor a dime, she didn't know.

Nana thinks about Tsuna, about his lackadaisical days and friendless weekends, of which he spends most of his time napping. He's a terrible liar and even worse at hiding things from her, so of course she finds every failed test or assignment, usually stuffed in a drawer or under his bed - she couldn't remember the last time he brought home a one-hundred percent on anything. She's not sure he ever did.

"Home Tutor" reads at the top of the card, written in fancy, well-inked lettering. "I will raise you kid up to be the leader of the next generation. Grade and subject don't matter - Reborn" short and to the point, written on a plain white sheet and plain black ink.

Nana looks at it for a moment longer, considering.

She could always kick the tutor out if she needed to - if it turned out ot be a scam. Nana thinks about Tsuna and she thinks about his grades and thinks, 'Tsu-kun, just what do you want to do with your life?'

She hopes that, maybe, this will help him figure it out.

Nana manages to finish packing Tsuna's bento as soon as she hears quick, thumping footsteps from the door above. Soon after, Tsuna comes stumbling down the stairs, disheveled and slightly wide-eyed. "I'm late," he hisses, staring at her like she had betrayed him, somehow. All she'd done was remind him he had school a little later than he probably would've liked.

He stumbles to the door, fumbling with his tie and then fumbling with his shoes, struggling to put them on properly. Nana titters a little, exasperated, but hands her son the bento she'd made for him.

He snatches it from her hands, tucking it under his arm as he makes to leave. Nana clears her throat before he can exit the house, watching as he freezes completely. "Tsu-kun, wait just a minute!" she says, voice brooking no room for argument.

"Y-yeah?" Tsuna responds, glancing from the door to her face, his foot tapping in impatience. His surreptitious glances towards the door are ultimately what betray his restlessness, but Nana knows she's got his attention, his expression mixed between curiosity and outright panic.

Nana steels herself, knowing Tsuna will hate the idea, even if it's for his own good. The muscles in her face curl up, forming into a delighted smile. It's an act, but getting frustrated with him only seems to trap them into an argument. Acting like she cannot see his discontent tends to work better than fighting with him about it.

She loves her son, but he can be so stubborn.

"I've hired a home tutor! You see, I found an interesting flyer in the mail this morning! I've wanted a tutor for you for some time now… and now the opportunity has arrived! Isn't this great, Tsu-kun?" she announces, glee evident in her voice as she holds the flyer out for Tsuna to read.

"You what?" he gapes, he looks a bit like an affronted cat, peering at her as if she's finally lost it.

"The tutor is due to arrive today, so make sure your room is clean before he gets here, alright?" she presses on, in lieu of an explanation.

He practically rips the flyer out of her hands, bringing it close to his face. He's clearly skeptical of its claims, judging by the tick in his brow and the tightness of his eyes, and he looks up at her to say the same.

"This is a scam," Tsuna states, shooting her a pointed look.

Nana just beams at him, cheerfully rebuking him. "Ah, but I have a good feeling about it! I think it'll be good for you!"

Her son digs his hands into tousled hair, frustration evident. Nana decides to take pity on him, and reminds him of where he's due to be.

"Ah… Tsu-kun? You have school today, don't you? You should probably get going."

That gets his mind back on track, and Nana watches with amusement as his face shifts again, mind mentally rebooting as he realizes just what time it is.

"I'm so dead!" Tsuna screeches, wailing as he bolts out the door, sprinting through the front yard and into the street.

Nana chuckles, even as she closes the door for him.

Unbeknownst to both Tsuna and Nana, a small, baby-ish figure had been observing them all morning, weaving in and out of the house at different times to get a better vantage point and avoid detection.

Nana does not notice when that figure, cloaked in black and assisted by the shadows itself, slips through the door at the same time Tsuna does, trailing after her son as he makes his way to school.

No, she merely shuts the door behind him and steps back into the kitchen, sitting down at the table to finish her own breakfast.

Tsuna is on autopilot as he makes his way to school, focused more on his own panicked thoughts and making his two, wobbly legs go faster. They, of course, don't, and Tsuna laments his own fate.

'Hibari is going to kill me. I will die! Be seriously dead! There won't even be a body to bury when he's done with me! To top it all off I forgot my homework and everyone's going to laugh at me again-' fortunately, Tsuna has a single saving grace in life, because it's Sasagawa Kyoko who breaks him out of his thoughts, calling out to him.

"Sawada-kun! Is that you?" her hands are cupped over her mouth in an effort to amplify her own voice, obviously wanting his attention.

'She knows my name?' is Tsuna's first thought, cheeks flushing at the thought. He stops dead in his tracks, shoes squealing at the rough treatment. He ignores how ungainly his stop was, and turns to face her. She's staring at him, slightly bewildered. Tsuna still hasn't said anything, simply staring at her, even as his cheeks flush.

The color promptly drains from his face when she speaks next, waving at him. "Dame-Tsuna? She asks again. The name switch has a dark curl of anguish wrapping around his lungs, the nickname feeling like a brand, red-hot and painful on his skin. 'Oh. She knows my name,' is his second.

Something in him cracks, and Tsuna can practically hear the way it snaps and shatters - It's almost comical in a way, in how vivid it is, like something out of an old western cartoon. Tsuna isn't laughing, and the part of him that had been so focused on high-tailing it to Namimori middle wants to do no more than run in the opposite direction, to sprint home and throw himself into his bed and stay there forever. But, he's already halfway to school and there's no turning back. So, he swallows and shuffles forward. "Y-yeah, that's, um, me. Wait- you were talking to me, right?" Tsuna points to himself for good measure, because he can never be too sure.

Kyoko giggles, amused by how flustered he is. "Of course I mean you, Sawada-kun! Who else could there possibly be?"

Embarrassed, Tsuna lamely sputters, "Uh, yeah. You're right. Er- did you need something...?"

Kyoko is undeterred by his poor social skills and presses on, as if she doesn't even notice it. All her attention is focused on him for the time being, and it makes something in him want to wither and hide, even while another part of him basks in the (mostly) positive attention. "Well, both of us are really late today! I saw you in such a hurry and I thought, why not walk to school together? It could be fun."

That has Tsuna blushing from root to neck, appearing more like a vaguely sweaty tomato than a thirteen-year-old. "Um, I'm not against it but... Hibari-san is going to kill us…" Tsuna rebukes, feeling the need to impress upon her just why being late is so bad, and why he was running in the first place.

"Oh, I know! But we're already super late as is! Why not enjoy the walk? It's so beautiful out today, and if it's already past time, I don't see a reason to stress about it!"

One look from Tsuna tell her what he thinks about that, but he quickly remembers himself and who he is and turns away from her. 'So flippant… it's like she doesn't realize her life is really in danger.' he thinks, mind-boggling a bit at her philosophy.

Regardless of Tsuna's opinions, and Kyoko's lack of self-preservation, Kyoko falls into step right beside him, face bright and carefree. She's picturesque. It makes Tsuna want to die a little, but he mostly keeps his focus on trying not to stare at her too much. Kyoko makes idle chatter as they walk, and Tsuna mentally sighs in relief at not having to talk too much, or be the one to bring something up. He has absolutely no idea what other people are into, and he's not confident in his ability to hold a conversation.

It's comfortable, and despite the anxiety that simmers in his gut, the atmosphere is relatively light.

It really was nice out. There was scarcely a cloud in the sky, on the sun's bright rays shining down on them, warming his skin and bathing the world in an almost hazy kind of brightness.

Unfortunately, all good things must end, because the gates of Namimori Middle are suddenly in sight. Tsuna tenses, muscles tensing as he mentally prepares for what's to come. Kyoko doesn't notice or just doesn't care, because she continues to chatter on about something funny her brother did, as if certain death isn't in their direct line-of-sight.

The pair reach the gates without preamble, though Tsuna shudders a little as he enters through the barred metal and into the courtyard. Surreptitiously, Tsuna glances around. He's trying to spot the disciplinary committees signature haircuts and armbands, but he finds no thugs in sight - least of all the leader of them. He relaxes slightly, trying to take a more active part in the conversation - "Your brother sounds kind of intense." "Does he?" "Yes! Who tries to fight the principal because he got caught skipping?!" - and makes to let Kyoko enter in ahead of him.

(He doesn't realize that the longer they talked, the less he fumbled with his words or tripped. By the end of it he'd become perfectly relaxed.)

However, a dark, looming figure appears before them, like a demon released from hell.

Hibari.

Kyoko simply smiles at him. "Hello, Hibari-san! Good morning!" she says, seemingly oblivious to the way the prefect glares at her. Tsuna can't help but gape at her, peering at her in utter disbelief.

Hibari simply grunts. "You're late." he says as if they have committed the world's greatest sin - though, to Hibari, they probably did. Tsuna knows they're going to die, in that moment. He'd calmed down significantly from when he'd left his house in a mad dash, but the panic that had consumed him before comes rushing back, like high-tide after a calm afternoon.

The prefect lurches forward, weapons out like giant metal claws, ready to snap and tear, and Tsuna bursts into motion. Kyoko is still smiling (there's no way she doesn't know, she's gotta be doing it to piss him off), but Tsuna isn't, shoving her aside just as tonfa crack down, missing him by a hair.

"Go!" he shouts, frantically gesturing towards the building, ushering her to leave him. "Save yourself!"

One of Hibari's tonfas nail him in the shoulder, and he wheezes, even as Kyoko (with a notable hint of anger, and a bit of pity) makes a break for it, speed walking inside the building.

"Your sacrifice will not be in vain, Sawada-kun!" she cries, even as she high-tails it away. He heaves when cold metal connects with his cheek, flinging him backward. He almost wants to smile, but somewhere, deep down, he feels like he's been conned.

Unfortunately, Tsuna can't think anymore after that one, last thought, because the leader of the Disciplinary Committee beats him into little more than a smear on the concrete.

Tsuna groans as he steps into the courtyard for the second time that day, though this time he's trying to leave school, not enter it. The bruises and scrapes littering his body ache fiercely, and even the slightest brush of clothing against them sends a spark of pain shooting through him.

He's tired, agitated, and really doesn't want to do anything but go home and flop into bed.

That can't happen, obviously, because he's Dame-Tsuna, and no one can ever leave Dame-Tsuna alone unless it's to isolate him.

"Dame-Tsuna, heard you were seen hangin' around Kyoko-chan this morning. Wanna tell me what that's all about?"

Though he physically tenses, he feels himself give a heaving sigh internally. He'd be hurt and more scared of Mochida had it been a regular day, but he was just too tired and in too much pain to care right now. 'Besides,' Tsuna thinks, a little ticked off, 'Isn't it common sense not to hassle people who are injured?!'

Tsuna's body, however, remembers fear. He is acutely aware of just how many ways he can get hurt - and how many people are willing to hurt him - at all times. He knows fear and pain intimately, knows humiliation like the back of his hand, like a shroud he's forced to wear every time he's in public. So, it's of no surprise to him when his throat closes, flushing.

"Well?" Mochida demands, tapping his foot. His expression has grown harsher by the moment, and Tsuna gulps, fearing retaliation.

"I-I… um-" he stutters.

"Don't even bother, Dame-Tsuna. We all know what's going on. Back off. She's mine, and everyone knows it."

'Wait, what?!' Tsuna wants to yell, to tear at his hair in frustration. Everyone was staring at him and Mochida, a glint in their eyes. His palms begin to sweat. 'Didn't he just ask me to 'explain myself?''

He doesn't scream or rage, or retaliate in favor of himself. Instead, his weak defense is to fling his arms out, palms up in a placating manner, blushing fiercely.

Tsuna stutters, retort meager, "H-hey! I-" he begins, only to be cut off.

"Shut it. I challenge you! Meet in the gym tomorrow for a duel, winner takes Kyoko as the prize!"

'We're not even dating! Besides, it's not just up to you to decide that!' Tsuna mentally shrieks. He's staring at Mochida, silent in his disbelief, even with his wide-blown eyes and vicious blush. He feels a bit like a deer caught in the headlights, unable to flee, even though he can see the proverbial car rushing towards him.

Apparently, this is enough to count as acceptance, because Mochida swiftly turns away from him and marches off. As soon as the shinai hanging from his back was out of sight, the entire courtyard breaks out into chatter, a mix of gossip and poorly-hidden whispering. The bubble of drama that had held everyone captive having popped, leaving them to theorize and gamble with each other about who would win. (Mochida, it seemed, was the obvious choice.)

Shame prickles at the nape of his neck, and Tsuna pointedly does not look at anyone as he leaves Namimori Middle, and he especially avoids looking at Sasagawa Kyoko, the school's idol, and her best friend, Kurokawa Hana.

During the walk home from school, Tsuna had deflated, the day's events leaving him self-loathing and completely drained. He wanted to do nothing more than curl up in his bed and hide, and that was what he was dead-set on doing. He shuffled into the house, painstakingly pulled off his shoes and uncomfortable clothing, and discarded his bag somewhere along the way - doing as he always did. His mother greeted him, chiming in with a "Don't forget! Your home-tutor is due to be here today, so make sure your room is clean!", which doesn't help improve his mood at all. So, he blearily waves her off, feeling too exhausted to even try and hide it, and climbs the stairs with heavy feet.

(He trips midway up, of course, and his bruises and aches sing in pain.)

Falling into bed is near euphoria, and Tsuna can barely find the energy to even try and get comfortable, settling for blindly dragging a blanket over him and dropping into slumber.

Rays of sunlight filter in through the window, hitting him in just the right way. It warms and relaxes him, settles his already sleepy mind into something calmer, more at peace. Tsuna soaks in the silence, the peace, and closes half-lidded eyes-

-when something throws him out of bed, literally.

Tsuna shrieks, flailing as he's broken out of his half-conscious state and shot directly into the throes of panic. Something hits him again, knocking him upside the head, effectively cutting off his shriek.

"Wh-who-?!" Tsuna demands, panicked as he tries to get to his feet. He succeeds with little effort, fortunately, and whirls around to face his attacker.

There is no masked man. Instead, there is only a toddler, an odd look in his eyes.

"Uh- hello?" Tsuna calls, hesitantly, still looking for an attacker. Maybe his mother had put someone up to this?

"Are you lost?" Tsuna asks the toddler. He doesn't know how the kid could've gotten lost inside of Tsuna's house, but he doesn't know what else to ask.

"Lost?" The child parrots, eyebrow raised and giving Tsuna the same look his classmates do when he says something particularly stupid. "I'm the home tutor, Reborn."

"Huh? But that can't be!" Tsuna gasps, gesturing to the kid's - Reborn's - small stature, "You're only a kid!"

In lieu of a reply, the kid elbows him in the gut. He's so fast, faster than he can block, so Tsuna goes down wheezing, gagging as food in his gut unsettles and threatens to make him vomit.

The door to his room flies open, and Tsuna can't gather the strength to look at who had come in, too busy trying to suck air into his lungs and not vomit to care.

"Tsu-kun?! Are you alri- oh! Who is this?" his mother gasps, obviously surprised. Tsuna wheezes in reply, voice nothing but air and spit.

"I am Reborn, the home tutor. Starting from today, I will be living here." Reborn states, calm, as if he hasn't just punched Tsuna in the gut.

"I-I see... " Nana says hesitantly, looking skeptical of the child's claim. "Well, I'll leave you two alone, so you can sort out what needs to be worked on, and get to know each other! I'll be downstairs if you two need anything." she smiles, then, but there's a tightness in her eyes, betraying her true feelings.

No one calls her on it, Tsuna because he still can't breathe, and Reborn because - well, because.

'No! Don't leave me!' Tsuna wants to wail, watching her blearily as she hastily retreats from the room. All he does is whimper slightly, arms still held protectively over his gut.

"You heard her, Dame-Tsuna. We'll start now." Reborn says, and Tsuna can't help but flinch, even as he sucks in a breath and turns to look at the man- child. He was talking to a child, even though it felt like Tsuna was speaking to a strange man thirty years his senior.

"How- how do you know that name?" Tsuna gasps, eyeing Reborn with a hint of fear.

"Hn. I followed you to school, you didn't notice at all. You're weak and easily killed, Dame-Tsuna. You truly live up to the moniker."

Tsuna shrivels a bit, biting his lip. He wants to feel angry, and part of him does (bristling with red-hot rage - so, so angry.), but most of him just heaves a self-deprecative sigh and accepts his fate, the bubbling giving way to a yawning emptiness. Tsuna physically sags from where he was sitting, even as he glares at Reborn. He just wanted to sleep the afternoon away, safe in his bed, but he couldn't even have that, could he?

"T-that's… not what a normal home tutor does." Tsuna weakly retorts.

Reborn smirks. "That's right, Dame-Tsuna. Because I'm not here to be a regular home tutor."

The look on Tsuna's face says it all. 'Huh?'

Then, the toddler has a gun in his face, and there's a glint in his eyes and a finger over the trigger. "I'm here to train you into a mafia boss," he says, sounding almost gleeful.

Tsuna dreads getting up the next morning, feeling exhausted even though he'd gotten a full eight hours. Reborn wakes him up with electricity and lethality, and he's nearly chased from the house, only barely managing to grab his bento on the way out.

Reborn shoots at his feet if he "walks too slow" so Tsuna ends up jogging to school, even if Reborn still fires bullets at his feet. Tsuna is almost fed up with how many times he's flinched or felt overwhelmed by adrenaline.

He enters the courtyard of Namimori Middle and knows what fate awaits him.

People stare and jeer as he passes, their eyes skipping over Reborn, who had parked himself on Tsuna's shoulder (he really was tiny…). Reborn just stares at him, looking nonplussed with his cowardly behavior, but he doesn't care, just keeps his head down and heads to class.

First period had passed by in an anxious haze, Reborn having disappeared somewhere between his locker and the classroom doors.

Second period is the same and then-

-third period.

Gym.

...Mochida.

He's not even allowed to walk to the gym himself - which is fair, because he'd planned on disappearing sometime before everyone made it to the gym - and the kendo club members, who grab him by the arms and roughly drag him along tell him the same.

The first thing he sees when he's dragged through the gym doors are seeing faces and malicious giggles, the whole student body having managed to make it to the duel, it seemed. Mochida is there, front and center, grinning smugly, even as he confidently pulls on his kendo gear.

They do the same to Tsuna, shoving the garments into his hands and intimidating him into pulling them on.

'Heavy.' is his first thought. He figures that's the standard because Tsuna has never even picked up a shinai before, let alone used one. He's so screwed, because he's Dame-Tsuna and he's never even practiced kendo, and they've set him up to fail-

His chest tightens, and he has to swallow back the tingle of anxiety that buzzes under his skin, and the lump of grief that threatens to pour out of his eyes.

He pulls on the headgear, shielding his face from view, (if he actually sheds a tear or two, who's to see?) and grips the shinai tight.

He doesn't look at Kyoko, not once. He knows about where she's standing, with Hana at her side, but Tsuna does not look. He knows what kind of expression she's making, and Tsuna doesn't want to see.

He doesn't want to hate himself any more than he already does, so he keeps his gaze on Mochida, on the jeering crowd, on the kendo club members who grin at him.

Something's wrong, but Tsuna has no choice but to walk into it face first.

The referee calls for them to start, and Mochida's grin is so self-satisfied that it makes his blood boil, even as tsuna flinches back. The upperclassman is striking him, shinai aiming for his face, and his shinai is so heavy he can barely move-

Tsuna is there one second, and gone the next. He didn't even see the bullet coming.

Kyoko is mad. She wants to stomp her feet and scream at them. She was no prize, no object, how dare they fight over her like this, and talk about that way?!

She had to be held back so as to not go over there and beat them up herself, but the entire time she was fuming.

Something was wrong, she could tell by the way Sawada - Dame-Tsuna, her mind pettily corrected - struggled to move even an inch (even to run) and the smirk on Mochida's face that something was off.

She didn't know what, but she knew the way the match was skewed towards.

There's a bang, and something, small but incredibly fast, hits Sawada dead on. She watches in horror as the boy collapses, falling to the floor with a thunk. Mochida's swing misses.

There's silence for a moment. 'Did he faint?' Kyoko thinks, vaguely concerned, when things got weird.

Tsuna jumps up, movements easy, like the armor that seemed so heavy was as light as air. Which it was, really, because all his clothes fell off, ending up in a charred heap on the floor.

Kyoko and Hana watch in bewilderment as Sawada yells, "Reborn! Defeat Mochida-senpai with my dying will!" and proceeds to brutally beat Mochida into the ground.

In his underwear all the while. Kyoko's hands fly to her face, attempting to shield her eyes from the view,

By the end of it, Mochida is hairless, black and blue, and on the floor.

Dame-Tsuna is the winner, but his fired up demeanor abruptly diminishes, and a timid, confused expression overtakes his face.

"Huh?" she hears him say, looking around the room as if he's not sure how he got there. There's an odd bruise on his forehead, Kyoko notices, and she wonders if it has anything to do with the thing that had hit him before he fell unconscious. Kyoko watches, smoldering anger doused, as Tsuna eyes Mochida. For a moment, the boy looks scared out of his mind, but a second later he jolts, bony shoulders stiffening.

"She's not a prize, Mochida-senpai!" Tsuna shouts, voice reverberating throughout the gym, "Don't drag me into your messes! You know as well as I do that she won't date you, so just quit it already!" The 'she won't date me, either!' goes unsaid, but Kyoko can hear it all the same.

Kyoko can see that he's seething, nearly panting, before his face turns scarlet, and he peers at the crowd watching him silently.

Then, just as the crowd breaks into cheers, Tsuna's face turns to stone. A flushed face goes pale, color draining from his face. There's a moment where an acute sort of fear is reflected in his face, and then turned around and dashing from the gym. Kyoko understands why he does, he's naked, vulnerable in front of a crowd of people who had been apathetic to his pain the entire time, all of which had been in favor of Mochida up until now. He probably wants to be alone, which she can respect. His furious yelling had told her all she needed to know about his feelings on the situation. Nonetheless, she finds her legs moving without her consent, making to chase after Tsuna. Hana calls out to her, but Kyoko isn't listening, attention focused solely on Sawada's back.

"Sawada-kun!" Kyoko cries, even as the boy sprints away from her.

'I messed up.' is all Tsuna can think, arms futilely attempting to cover his face. 'I've messed up. I've really done it now, and everyone is going to hate me more than they already do, crap.'

He ignores the indignant shouting of those in the hallway with him, those who jeer and insult him for his undressed state. It's all he can do to find the nearest supply closet without breaking down, fumbling with the knob before throwing himself inside.

It's dark, and Tsuna is glad for it. For a moment, all he can hear is the sound of his own irregular breathing, the frantic beating of his heart, the way his gasping begins to sound more like the beginnings of a sob than someone trying to catch their breath.

His eyes burn, and it's all Tsuna can do to hold himself together, cramming himself into the back of the storage closet and hugging himself.

God, he was so pathetic. Tsuna could do nothing but cry and embarrass himself. He wants to go home so badly, but he knows he'll need to venture out of the closet to find some clothing, and then his mother will yell at him for leaving school early again.

He buries his head in his knees, and thinks to himself, 'This is where I belong; I deserve this.'

Then, there's a knock on the door, and he can hear shoes squeak against the laminate as the person on the other side of the door fidgets. "Sawada-kun?" a voice calls hesitantly, "Are you in there?"

His breath catches in his throat. Kyoko.

Tsuna isn't going to say anything, is just going to let her move on and look somewhere else. That's his resolve - he's just going to cower in the dark forever.

But Kyoko calls out to him again. "...Hello?" she tries, once more, and Tsuna just can't.

"I'm sorry!" Tsuna breathes out, forcing the words from his vocal cords. "I'm sorry! This all happened because I didn't tell Mochida-senpai what had really happened, I didn't even try!"

"Wh-what?"

There are tears in his eyes, and it feels like his skin is on fire. "I'm such a coward... I'm so sorry."

As soon as he finishes his apology, the door is flung open, light spilling into the closet. Tsuna just hunches his shoulders and buries his head further into his arms, eyes squeezed shut.

"Don't apologize!" Kyoko is shouting. "Mochida is a jerk! I mean, yeah, it was kinda, really, upsetting that you just seemed to go along with it, but you didn't want to! So don't apologize, Sawada-kun! It's not your fault that Mochida is a lying, smug jerk!"

"B-but- I…"

"No buts!" Kyoko says sternly, tsking at him every time he begins to protest until Tsuna finally just decides to stay quiet. Tsuna, hesitantly, timidly, looks up at her, peeking at her from behind his hands and legs. Kyoko is crouched down, a kind but determined look on her face.

"I… okay. As long as you're not, um, angry, Kyoko-chan."

"I'm not!" she says, "so chin up, Sawada-kun!"

Tsuna blushes and refuses to look her in the eye, even as he quietly mumbles, "Y-you can just me Tsuna, Kyoko-chan. It's only fair."

"Tsuna-kun it is, then!" the girl says cheerfully. Tsuna only blushes harder, before getting to his feet.

He's nearly forgotten about his state of undress, but Kyoko's heavy blush and awkward suggestion remind him of his position abruptly. "Um, I think you should put some clothes on first, though!"

Tsuna shrieks a little bit, even as he agrees. "Um- yes, could you…?" Could you turn away please?

Kyoko nods, face hidden behind her hands, red to the tips of her ears. Tsuna doesn't blame her, because he's in the same state, even if he bolts out of the closet and for the locker room before the two can share even one more word.

Tsuna heads home from school embarrassed but relieved. Kyoko doesn't hate him, which is good, but the whole school has seen him in his boxers, which is decidedly bad. He easily ignored the mixture of mocking and congratulations from the school at large, and focused on going home, getting into bed, and sleeping the rest of the day away.

That didn't happen, though, because as soon as he walked through the door, the color drained from his face.

Standing in the foyer, guns out, was Reborn, looking decidedly annoyed.

"Dame-Tsuna," Reborn nearly sneers, "Mafia bosses don't run."

Tsuna tries to shriek, but Reborn fires, and it's all he can do to survive the chaos that follows.

Tsuna falls asleep that night exhausted and bruised, the same as the night before, but this time, Tsuna dreams.

It's not like his usual dreams, which are long and stable, rarely shifting from one place to the next unless Tsuna is the one to change locations. He's in a place that's fragmented and choppy, weird in its wavering scenery and scattered oddities.

It's decidedly cloud-like though, with wavering pillars of clouds stretching up into a wide, deep sky. The coloration is off, and nothing is too detailed, but it's sunny and peaceful.

Tsuna, enjoying the serenity of it all, bounces along the line of clouds that stretch in front of him like a sidewalk, running to nowhere for no reason at all. Cloud formations pass him by, sized from little wisps of white to hulking masses of grey, all static electricity and heavy with rain.

And then, Kyoko is there, beside him so suddenly that he nearly startles. He'd been so wrapped up in the warm sun and comforting breeze that he hadn't thought to really look at his surroundings.

"Tsuna-kun! I didn't expect to see you here!" Kyoko chirps, wings rippling in excitement. "Usually it's just me here!" she's got two sets of wings on her back, ethereal and expansive as they twitch and flutter, flapping periodically as she dances along with the wind, flying pace a mere amble.

Kyoko is pulling him along, wings flapping faster, and Tsuna can barely keep up with her rapidly increasing speed.

It's fun somehow, even when Kyoko eventually leaves the safety of the cloud shore and is diving into the open blue of the sky, taking him with her. He's screaming, flailing in near panic as he falls through open atmosphere with no ground in sight, until his companion catches his arms, pulling him up.

"You're fine, Tsuna-kun!" Kyoko calls, grinning at him cheekily.

"I could have died!" Tsuna yells, even though he can feel a smile blooming on his face, too.

Kyoko lets him fall again, and this time Tsuna just lets watery wind rip through his hair, and he's tumbling down and down and down, going so fast that it feels like he's suspended in mid-air.

He's laughing, something in his chest light and airy and-

An explosion goes off somewhere near his face. Tsuna is abruptly woken up from a very good dream, screaming and flailing not unlike the way he'd been when thrown into the open air with no ground to meet him.

"Wake up, Dame-Tsuna," Reborn says, an oversized weapon in his grasp.

Tsuna looks at the toddler, eyes the weapon, and peers at the clock.

7:15 am. It's a Saturday.

Tsuna sighs.

So… that was something! A whole-ass 7k!

Tsuna's dreams are a little too vivid… don't you think?

Some notes on my characterization of Tsuna in Dreamlinked:

-No longer weird and creepy towards Kyoko. The near stalking thing, the near objectification of her? Not fun. Not fun to write, not fun to read, and not true to how I'm characterizing him. So, poof! Gone. No worries about the weird early-story interactions between Tsuna and Kyoko. You're welcome.

-Tsuna is constantly fighting with anger and resignation, instead of being fully succumbed to being a "failure". He's thirteen, nothing for him is set and stone. A lot of his problems are those of motivation and a lack of support, neither of which makes him worthless. He needs help, people that will encourage him to find things he's good at and pursue them. If someone sat down and helped him through things, helped understand without mocking him, allowed Tsuna to feel like he could learn and succeed, he'd probably be more motivated. Tsuna's no genius, but he doesn't have to be.

-Tsuna naps more than he does anything else. Hobbies? Napping. Dreams for the future? Finding a way to sleep all the time.

-Nipping the whole "it's only because of Reborn and the mafia that I'm not useless" shit right in the bud. That pisses me off. I hate watching Tsuna get manipulated and abused only to attribute all his success to his abusers, therefore disregarding his own ability to survive and adapt. It sucks. The way Reborn treats Tsuna early in the manga sucks. Reborn is a bastard and he will get better, but I'm not going to endorse the narrative's way of making Tsuna okay (or, not okay, but resigned) with the way he's being treated. Not gonna happen! In this fic Tsuna comes to believe in himself and his abilities, not just other people's "abilities" in making him somehow not worthless.

I've altered Kyoko's character a little, too, but those tweaks are relatively minor.