AN: I finished this at like, midnight, so if there's any mistakes let me know.

WARNINGS: Mentions of kidnapping, might be OOC, messed up timeline, very mild spoilers for the manga, and I adjusted the last arc for my convenience, language because of shock

Tsuna knew it, without a doubt. It was just like anything else he knew. The sky was blue, Reborn was a demon, and his life was awful. It was just a fact. Except nobody believed him. It all started the day he got a home tutor…

Tsuna was sixteen and failing miserably at life. He was clumsy, uncoordinated, and hopelessly inept at academics. At the start of his first year of high school, his mother found a flyer. The next day, Reborn was at their doorstep - tall, imposing, and terribly handsome. A live-in tutor. Tsuna despaired. He'd already thought this was going to be weird, and probably uncomfortable, but then Reborn had hit him with the "truth".

"Chaos. Sawada Tsunayoshi, I have been hired to be your private tutor. My real mission, however, is to train you to be the next boss of the Vongola, the most powerful Mafia organisation in the world." He said once they were alone. And really, what? Tsuna had stared for an uncomfortably long time. Reborn had let him, a very small smile playing on his lips.

"Uh… huh…" Tsuna had managed eventually. Reborn blinked, and it was surprisingly terrifying. Then he pulled out a gun and shot at him. Tsuna shrieked his trade-mark, and immediately tried to bail. Reborn wasn't nice enough to let him.

It was a wild ride, even without Tsuna thinking Reborn was a demon. His "tutoring" – if one was nice enough to call it that – was frankly ridiculous. Even then, Tsuna had to admit that it seemed to be working. He still wanted to strangle Reborn for the boxer-shorts confession though…

Yamamoto was a nice guy. For the most part. Tsuna had shied away a bit when Reborn had called him a natural-born-hitman, and even Tsuna could see how sharp those smiles could be when he was defending him. Still… It was nice to finally have a friend.

Gokudera… That was a volatile experience, even if it turned out well. Tsuna wasn't sure he trusted that quick switch of attitude, but he accepted the teen nonetheless. He was scary, sure, but nothing compared to Reborn. He seemed like a pretty genuine guy anyway…

Tsuna had been surprised to find out that Kyoko-chan had an older brother, especially one with such a vibrant attitude. Nonetheless he was added to Tsuna's growing group of people. Tsuna definitely wasn't joining the boxing club though, no matter how much Ryohei insisted.

Hibari was terrifying. Tsuna would have loved to leave it at that. Unfortunately, Reborn seemed to have chosen the teen, and Hibari liked fighting too much to ignore him. Tsuna was just glad Hibari seemed to appreciate his Miso soup (the only thing he could make competently).

Tsuna wondered what Reborn was trying to do, gathering all these people around him. Other than Gokudera, they were all civilians. He didn't think too much on it, though, even when Haru and Bianchi inexplicably joined the growing mob of people around him. It was surprisingly nice to be surrounded by people who didn't actually hate him.

The first sign was when Lambo came. The young child had burst in claiming he was going to kill the greatest hitman alive. Tsuna only had a brief moment to wonder what the hell the child was doing. That was when it happened. It was so quick, Tsuna almost thought he'd imagined it. He was getting used to tracking Reborn's movements, a preservative action to make sure Reborn didn't spring anything on him. A flash of black had shot out and smacked Lambo. Expect… Tsuna was sure… Reborn hadn't moved.

He barely noticed as Lambo shoved himself into his lap to cry, automatically picking him up to cradle him. Because that was a freaking tail. Tsuna stared at Reborn in abject horror. It wasn't possible… was it? He knew he joked about Reborn being a demon all the time, but still! No… It wasn't possible. Definitely not. Tsuna's demonic tutor couldn't possibly be a literal demon.

Tsuna took back what he said. Reborn was a demon. Literally, figuratively, whatever. He was a demon. Tsuna whined pathetically as he peeled himself off the training mat. Reborn was brutal. He started talking, something about his training schedule, or a camp, or something. Tsuna didn't hear what he said. Reborn had licked his lips. Tsuna didn't hear anything he said, because his tongue was forked, what the fuck. And oh god. Oh god Reborn was a demon, what?!

"Dame-Tsuna, did you hear what I just said?" Reborn huffed, annoyed. Tsuna shook his head stiffly. He was too busy trying to picture Reborn with horns and a tail. The fedora was perfect to hide a pair of small horns, and you could easily hide a tail under clothes… Reborn smacked him over the head.

"Pay attention." He said. Tsuna did, because he didn't want to get smacked again. He also paid far too much attention to Reborn's mouth, desperately trying to catch a glimpse of that tongue again…

Tsuna never pegged himself as much of an observer. Most of the time when he was staring, it was into space while he daydreamed. Until now. He stared at Reborn with rapt attention, trying to catch glimpses of his tail or tongue. He hadn't had much luck so far… Until one morning, he was watching again. While he didn't see his tongue, he did see Reborn's teeth. Specifically his canines. And oh boy, they were not human canines. Too large, and too sharp. Tsuna took a breath, scoffed the rest of his breakfast, and went to school. It was the only place he had time to breath and think, and wasn't that ironic.

He battled through acceptance in the first period, and that was it. Okay. Okay. So, Reborn was a demon. He wasn't a bad demon though, right? He'd never done anything to Tsuna or his friends. Sure, he was hitman, but they usually killed bad guys anyway. Probably… And he doubted Nono would let him anyway near Tsuna if he didn't trust him, so there was that. That wasn't actually as comforting as Tsuna had hoped it was… Whatever. Ever since Reborn had come into his life (almost a year ago, if Tsuna was correct), everything had gotten better. He had friends, he was passing his classes, hell, he didn't even trip that often anymore. He was stronger, and faster, and better. Everything was better… Well then. Reborn couldn't be that bad, even if he was a demon.

Life went on, and Tsuna found himself not caring. Not caring that Reborn was a demon, not caring that he'd only made friends because of this supposed mafia family, and not caring that he was supposed to lead it one day. For once, Tsuna was actually having fun. For once, Tsuna was actually doing well. For once, Tsuna was actually happy. Who cared if the person who brought that to him was a demon? Certainly not Tsuna. It wasn't that much weirder than Dying Will bullets, anyway…

"You're a demon." Tsuna said offhandedly one day. Reborn scoffed, and opened his mouth to retaliate. "No. I mean literally. You're an actual demon. I've seen your tail, and you've got a forked tongue, and your canines are way too big. You're a demon." He was remarkably confidant for someone saying something so outrageous. Reborn blinked at him, and then smiled. A teasing thing. He was amused.

"Hoh?" Such a casual sound, it irked Tsuna. He was completely relaxed. Like Tsuna had just remarked on the weather, not called him a legitimate demon. Then Tsuna realised. He hadn't denied it. He hadn't scoffed, or laughed, or told him he was stupid. He hadn't said anything really.

"Demon." Tsuna said confidently. Reborn kept smiling.

Tsuna came into the kitchen one morning to find Reborn drinking something. He eagerly wondered if it was blood or something that could prove his theory. He trotted forward. Reborn gave him an indulgent smile and lowered the cup for Tsuna to see. The liquid was darker that he'd thought, either a very deep brown or black. Maybe it was liquid malice or something… Tsuna sniffed at the concoction. He wrinkled his nose. It smelt like coffee. Really, really strong coffee but still.

"What is it?" He asked, unable to keep the disappointment from his tone.

"Double Espresso." Reborn said mildly, pointing to a machine Tsuna hadn't noticed before. "Mama won a coffee maker in the mall." Tsuna deflated. Liquid malice indeed… Reborn smirked. Tsuna glared up at him.

"As dark as your soul." He hissed. Reborn laughed.

The Kokuya incident came and went. It was a difficult and, Tsuna will admit, mildly traumatising experience. When Mukuro mentioned going to the seven demonic planes, Tsuna eagerly asked if he could accurately identify what kind of demon Reborn was. Mukuro looked bemused, if anything, and had informed him that demons couldn't make it to the mortal plane. Tsuna beat him out of spite.

He didn't appreciate the Vindice. Like, at all. They were terrifying, they'd taken away Tsuna's potential friend, and they'd given Reborn a really funny look. Tsuna didn't appreciate that at all…

One day, Tsuna had an epiphany.

"Bianchi! You're Reborn's girlfriend, you've seen him naked right?" He asked eagerly. If she'd seen him without clothes, she would know his secret! Bianchi cocked an eyebrow, amusement plain on her face, but shook her head.

"Actually, I've never slept with Reborn. As far as I know, none of his girlfriends have. He's very conservative…" She said, almost dreamily. Then she sighed. "Besides, Reborn and I broke up a while ago… He said he didn't think we were right for each other. He was very sweet about the whole thing." She sounded… forlorn. Tsuna winced. He hadn't meant to dredge up something unpleasant for the woman.

"Sorry…" He murmured. Bianchi gave him a surprisingly sweet smile.

"Don't worry about it. I have no bad memories of my time with him." She said, and then giggled. "But if you want to see him naked, I'm sure all you have to do is ask." Her voice was coy, and almost had a vicious sort of tinge to it. Tsuna sputtered.

"Wha- what?"

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind teaching you a thing or two." She winked. Tsuna flushed right down to the roots.

"That's not why I asked!"

Mafia Land had been a mess, honestly.

With the kids sneaking on board, and then the arrival itself, and then Colonnello. He liked competing with Reborn. A lot. Tsuna could tell the difference, though. Colonnello wasn't a demon, after all. He still hit hard… The training wasn't fun, but Tsuna managed well enough. Colonnello wasn't Reborn, and the hitman had gotten even more brutal after the demon conversation. Maybe he was pissed… Or maybe he thought he could get away with being a little rougher now that Tsuna knew. Whatever. Colonnello was still a safety hazard.

Then there was the whole Skull incident. The invasion was actually well planned, and probably would have worked. If Tsuna hadn't been there. Skull was probably banking on the fact that the Mafioso wouldn't get along well enough to join forces, prideful shits, and he was right. Until Gokudera name-dropped the Vongola. Then they were all more than willing to unite under his banner. Which was a horrible idea, really. Tsuna didn't know what he was doing! Gokudera did well to lead them though, and Skull's plan was thwarted.

He sulked horribly, and after all was said and done, he blamed Reborn. Tsuna thought that was fair. He watched on as Reborn and Colonnello berated him for his stupidity (Tsuna thought that was fair too). Skull flinched back as his face was smacked. How had nobody noticed that?! Reborn's arms hadn't moved. Tsuna pointed to him.

"Tail!" He screeched. Reborn only watched in amusement, even as Colonnello gave Tsuna an odd look and inched closer to Reborn. He never got mad, Tsuna mused. Reborn always seemed amused. Tsuna figured that after a while of false accusations, a human would start getting annoyed. Even as sadistic as Reborn was, he figured he'd get annoyed by it too. Especially since half of Tsuna's focus had diverted to proving that he was a demon, instead of his training. But no… Reborn always had this little twinkle in his eyes every time Tsuna called him out. He always, without fail, looked amused. Tsuna filed this away as yet more proof the man was a demon, even as Colonnello asked Reborn if maybe he'd hit him too hard. Skull just pouted.

When Xanxus came in swinging, Tsuna was not particularly pleased. He'd finally gotten settled into a normal routine again. Well, as normal as any routine involving Reborn's demonic training could be… Xanxus was messing with the flow, and it kinda pissed him off. Then he hurt Tsuna's friends. All for the sake of some pretty rings. Tsuna was mad. He had no intention of losing to someone like this. Hopefully he had some wisdom to impart though.

They fought, Tsuna won, and as Xanxus lay on the ground, Tsuna took the chance to ask his questions.

"Do you believe in demons?" Tsuna asked, legs crossed beneath him and hands in his lap. Xanxus stared at him for a moment. He seemed to be torn between being confused, and being angry. Then again, in the short time Tsuna had known him, Xanxus had always been angry. Maybe he was just a grumpy person in general… He seemed to be leaning towards anger, though, so Tsuna quickly tried to deflate him.

"I am being serious." He said. Xanxus still looked pissed.. Maybe he thought Tsuna was insulting him? "Specifically, Reborn." Xanxus blinked at this, still scowling, and flicked his eyes over to the hitman. He was still trapped in that weird energy field. Tsuna wasn't pleased about that either. Then again, he wasn't pleased about any of this shit show, so he'd leave the thought for later.

"Trash." Xanxus spat. Tsuna sighed. He started talking. He wasn't even sure what about. Waxing poetic about Reborn and all his demonic traits. Xanxus looked baffled, for a brief moment, and it was funny. Then he looked pissed, and it wasn't so funny anymore. Tsuna ended up with rings. He wasn't pleased at all…

"Tsuna." Reborn called, his trademark smirk written all over his smug face. Tsuna scowled (pouted angrily). "I'll be away for the weekend, I have a meeting with Nono." Tsuna's scowl/pout dropped.

"Why?" He said, immediately anxious. Last time Reborn had a meeting with Nono, after the Kokuyo incident, he almost hadn't come back. Apparently, Reborn had pulled some strings regarding Lancia "on Tsuna's request" (read: Tsuna had pouted and Reborn had done what he wanted to get Tsuna more subordinates), and the ninth hadn't appreciated it. Reborn huffed a laugh.

"It's just a meeting, Dame-Tsuna ." He said, then his voice lilted, teasing. "Are you that attached to me that you can't even stand me going away for the weekend?" Tsuna flushed bright red, sputtered a bunch of nonsense, and screamed about him being a demon.

Apparently, Colonnello was going to be staying for a while longer to ensure Tsuna didn't slack on his training. Skull tagged along too, because he was "on probation". Whatever that meant… With that, came the fun game of trying to convince them both that he wasn't crazy.

"Oh, he's definitely a demon, I'm just not game enough to steal his fedora to see his horns." Tsuna said nonchalantly, sticking his tongue out at said demon (who hadn't quite left yet).

"Don't be ridiculous." Reborn scoffed, closing the distance between them. His finger traced under Tsuna's jaw, gently, and lifted his chin up. "If I had horns, they'd be too big to hide under my fedora." Soft and teasing. Tsuna almost screamed in frustration.

Colonnello seemed to take the whole thing as some kind of inside joke between them, and shrugged it off. Tsuna explained the whole thing to Skull, in detail. Skull got extremely quiet for a long while. He disappeared for about a week, then came back.

"It makes sense…" He said, a little green in the face. "He doesn't seem to have aged since we met either, and I've known him for, like, eight years?" Skull shuddered. Tsuna nodded, and catalogued the discovery into his mental folder of proof. Reborn was so a demon… He patted Skull on the shoulder sympathetically. Skull whimpered.

As Reborn predicted, he was only gone for the weekend. He was crabby though, about some changes to his contract, and with a crabby Reborn came extra spartan training. Tsuna really wanted to scream.

The episode with Daemon had Tsuna trembling, and not just because every bone in his body had been shattered and glued back together with flame-induced gravity. When Daemon had finally seen Reborn, recognised him, he had been terrified. It hadn't been obvious, by any means, but Tsuna was used to reading between the lines. Watching the way people moved (tense shoulders and jerky movements). Looking in their eyes to read their emotions (fear, fear, fear, fear, fear). Listening for the subtle changes in their voices (wobbling, subtly, like bobs in the waves). It was a necessary trait when some people couldn't communicate normally. It had Tsuna on edge. Reborn had never been unkind to Tsuna, but when a being as powerful as Daemon was this afraid… It made Tsuna worry.

Then there was Reborn himself. He was furious. Actually, Tsuna was fairly sure he had skated past furious and into something that he couldn't even name. His eyes were darker than Tsuna had ever seen them, even though his hands were relaxed by his sides. Everything in Tsuna screamed at him to run. To run, and hide, and never look back. But this was Reborn. This was his Reborn, and there was too much to lose…

Tsuna fought. He won. He broke. He was unconscious for a week. His Mama told him later that Reborn hadn't left his side. Had almost refused to eat, or sleep. She had her ways though, and after tearily telling Reborn how worried her Tsu-kun would be if he kept this up, he relented. She was more conniving than Tsuna remembered…

It took a lot of time for them to be alone. Tsuna had so many questions. So much emotion bottled up. He felt just about ready to burst… He reassured his friends he was fine. He let them stay. Laughed at their antics. Scolded them when they made a mess. He let them breath him in, and he breathed them in. They were fine. Everything was fine. They left. Tsuna was alone again. Almost. Reborn was perched against the doorframe. Watching. Always watching. Tsuna stayed silent for a long time…

"Why did…" He started. Stopped. "You… you were angry…" Tsuna didn't know how to ask his question. Didn't know how to word it. How to get this indescribable feeling out of his chest and into the open. Reborn understood. He always did.

"My contract." He said simply, and for a horrible moment Tsuna thought that was all he was going to get. Reborn knew. "It prevents me from doing certain things, even if it displeases me. I couldn't help you." Even though he could have killed you. Tsuna could see, briefly, the way Reborn struggled with this. The anger in his eyes. The tightness of his jaw. It was hidden quickly, and Tsuna latched onto the word he'd used instead. An olive branch.

"Contract?" Tsuna asked curiously. Like a demon contract? They were binding, right? Reborn simply raised a single brow.

"I am getting paid for this you know." He said drily. A twitch of irritation. Tsuna perked up.

"Souls?" He said eagerly. Had Nono sold his soul to train the future generation? Reborn gave him a slow blink. A smile crept up.

"Money." He said. Tsuna pouted.

"Souls can be a monetary system…" He said petulantly. Reborn huffed a laugh, and scuffed his hair. Tsuna pouted some more. They stayed together the rest of the night. Neither of them said a word. Simply basked in each other's presence. Everything was fine.

Nobody saw what happened next coming. The Vindice, in their infinite wisdom, had decided to kidnap the most powerful flame users in the world, all in an effort to defeat some asshat who'd cursed them. This included Reborn. Big mistake. Tsuna had gotten protective of his own. And Reborn was his, no matter what anybody said. Colonnello and Skull were no-no's too, obviously, but that wasn't what drove Tsuna to fight.

Seeing Reborn chained to a wall… Seeing him immobilised… Seeing him in pain… It all drove Tsuna into a frenzy. He lost count of the amount of walls he'd been thrown through. Lost count of the injuries he'd received. Whatever the Vindice were using, it was hampering Tsuna's flames. The chains, their flames, their curse. Tsuna didn't care. He fought, viciously and without remorse. Like a demon. Bermuda was screaming at him the whole time. About how he didn't understand. Didn't understand what it was like being cursed. Didn't understand what it was like being restricted. Didn't understand how much he needed their flames. He didn't understand at all. He was right too. Tsuna didn't understand. Bermuda simply underestimated Tsuna's ability to care.

"You want flames?" Tsuna said eventually, a fever burning in his core. "Then take them!" He threw his flames out like a tidal wave. Let them tangle around everything in his vicinity. Let them burn, higher and higher, until he couldn't feel anything else. When he finally let them die down, Bermuda simply stood, silent and uncomprehending. The orb he'd been using to collect the flames burned like a miniature sun. How ironic.

"Let. Them. Go." Tsuna didn't need to ask, at that stage. The chains had melted like butter, and the Vindice left them to their own devices. Bermuda was profusely grateful, but Tsuna wasn't having any of it.

Reborn hovered for weeks afterwards. Tsuna couldn't decide whether it was endearing or annoying. He crowded into Tsuna's space, pressed into his back or side, tugged him back when he got too far away. He legitimately snarled at Iemitsu for trying to get Tsuna away, and Tsuna had quietly hissed demon. Reborn grinned, and it was slightly feral. Tsuna leant into his side, smiled sweetly when his father protested. He swore he heard Reborn purr. Not that he'd say anything about it, of course. He liked his head where it was…

Tsuna was eighteen when it finally happened. There was a carnival the next town over, and Bianchi had taken his mother and the kids for some fun. He had the house to himself. Reborn was there, obviously, but he hardly counted at this stage. Tsuna was so used to him being there, he was practically another part of him.

For once, Reborn let him have the afternoon off. No training, no homework, no paperwork from Nono. Just an afternoon of watching TV with Reborn, playing games that he rarely had time for anymore, and having deep and meaningful conversations ("Do you think pigeons have feelings?" "I will shoot you."). It figured that Reborn was just preparing him for something. As per freaking usual.

Tsuna was getting ready for bed. Pyjamas, teeth, stretch. Tsuna came back into his room. He blinked. Odd. Reborn was still wearing most of his clothes. He'd shucked his jacket and shoes, but his shirt and pants were still there, as was his fedora. Usually, by the time Tsuna was ready for bed, Reborn would already be changed and ready. Tsuna eyed him carefully. Reborn gave him a lazy smirk, and popped the first button of his shirt. Tsuna watched with rapt attention. He moved to the next one, and popped that one too. After a couple of buttons, Tsuna could see patches of dark skin. Okay, so he had tattoos. That was interesting. Not damning, but interesting. The more buttons he undid the more of the swirling designs Tsuna could see. They were strange, like nothing he'd ever seen before. Demonic, Tsuna thought almost gleefully. He kept going, until the last button was undone, and Tsuna could finally see. Reborn shrugged the shirt off his shoulders, and carelessly draped it over a chair. Tsuna didn't notice though. There, wrapped around Reborn's waist like a belt, was a tail. Tsuna vibrated. Reborn let his tail unwind, dropping it down and letting it swish by his feet.

"I knew it!" Tsuna shrieked, bouncing like a little kid. "I knew it!" He darted forward, ignoring the smirk on Reborn's face, to examine his tail closer. Sleek and black, like velvet. It was most definitely attached. This wasn't a prop, or a costume piece, or a machine. This was a real, legitimate tail. Tsuna squeaked embarrassingly in his excitement. He reached forward, and stopped. His eyes darted up to Reborn's face.

"Can I touch it…?" Barely a whisper. Reborn nodded minutely. Tsuna let his fingers close the gap, and brushed the tips across the dark appendage. It was smooth, almost felt like skin. Odd… He brushed his fingers further down the smooth expanse, carefully held it in his hands so he could look at it closer. Reborn kept it mostly limp, only letting the tip swish ever so slightly. Tsuna wondered if the movement was like a cat's, something done in aggravation, or more like a dog's, in excitement or amusement. Maybe it wasn't indicative of his feelings at all… Tsuna trailed all the way down to the tip. There was nothing attached. No pointy arrows, or tuft of fur. Just a rounded edge.

Tsuna got up and circled back to Reborn's front. He was still smirking. Bastard. Tsuna let his fingers trace the swirling designs on his chest, almost, but not quite touching the skin. It was one thing to examine his tail, it was another to run his fingers all over his chest. Completely different, right…? The tattoos curled completely around his body, intricately designed to cover his entire torso perfectly. His entire perfect torso. Tsuna flicked his eyes up to Reborn's fedora. Reborn's smirk widened, almost haughty, and he took it off.

"Too big to hide under your fedora my ass." Tsuna hissed under his breath, but he couldn't hide the glee. He reverently brushed his finger across one of the horns arching across Reborn's head. There were two, nestled in the smoothed back hair. As dark as everything else. It felt like bone under Tsuna's fingers. He only knew what bone felt like because of a field trip when he was in elementary school. He wasn't supposed to touch the exhibits, but he'd been more reckless back then and Mochida had dared him. He'd gotten in tonnes of trouble, but he still remembered the oddly smooth texture, combined with the odd bump or notch. He let his fingers linger there, even as his eyes dropped back down to Reborn's mouth.

"Tongue." He said simply. Reborn smiled, patient, and stuck his tongue out. Tsuna grinned. It was forked. He traced Reborn's horn, fingers brushing gently over the tip. He stopped, and jumped backwards.

"Wait…" He said, suddenly suspicious. "Why are you showing me this?" Reborn had always hidden it so carefully. Sure, he had teased Tsuna with snippets, like whipping his tail out, or playing with words, but he'd never outright given Tsuna any actual credibility before. Reborn gave him a slow, indulgent smile that widened into a grin. Sharp fangs glinted in the dim light.

"Because no one will ever believe you." He said, sly as the demon he was. Tsuna stood there for a moment, mouth hanging open in shock. He screamed.

~ Fin ~

AN: Poor Tsuna, lol. Not really sure how to explain where I got this idea. I have another idea about demons, and I was thinking about Reborn having a forked tongue (and Tsuna's discovery of this), and then suddenly this idea popped into my head. I thought it was fun, so I decided to write it. Hope you enjoyed!

Omake: Reborn

Reborn enjoyed corrupting souls and devouring the souls of the already corrupted. The Mafia was the perfect place for him, really. On the mortal plane, anyway. He missed home, occasionally, but living here was so much fun. And when Nono contracted him to train a young Mafioso? Well, that was just perfect. Dino was cute, in a human kind of way, and he ended up strong. Reborn might even spare him later… But Tsuna. Tsuna…

Tsuna was an enigma. One that even Reborn couldn't solve. No matter how much the Mafia tainted his life, his soul remained pure. Uncorrupted. Reborn revelled in the idea of finally being the one to taint him. But… but. Tsuna was the first human to ever figure out what Reborn was. Ever. He had thought, briefly, that Luce might have figured him out too, but no, she only ever believed him to be a hitman. A dark figure that she could not save. She was right, in a way. Reborn was a hitman, on the mortal plane, and she couldn't save him. He was a demon after all.

Tsuna had noticed. Not only had he noticed, his fear had quickly disappeared, and he'd still accepted Reborn into his life. He'd handled it remarkably well. Though Reborn supposed Tsuna was just good at rolling with things at this stage. He'd even been curious, of all things. And still uncorrupted, the little shit. Even with a demon in his life. Though, Reborn supposed, that was one of the things that made Tsuna so good. He accepted without hesitation (well, with minimal hesitation). He was a sky after all.

Reborn had never been tempted before. To corrupt a soul this badly. To taint it beyond recognition. To take it down to his realm and make it his. Tsuna brought it all out. Reborn had never wanted anything so badly in his life. And it was a long life…

Even now, years later, Tsuna still managed to get him alone to chat about things Reborn would never admit otherwise. He still accepted him. He still kept Reborn in his life. Even after his contract ended and Reborn had no reason to be there. Tsuna cared about him. And Reborn revelled in that too. After all, messing with Tsuna hadn't been the only reason he'd shown his true self…