Title: Time to Let Go
Summary: " It's time to forgive yourself and let go…" After the battle with the Shimon Family, Vongola Primo appears to apologize, but Vongola Decimo has his own thoughts on the matter.
Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman Reborn! belongs to Akira Amano
Pairing: G27
Warning: Slight spoilers for Inheritance Ceremony Arc; AU; Slight OoC-ness (on Tsuna's part)
Time to Let Go
" OWW! Can't you be a little mor- OWWW!" Tsuna yelled.
" Be a man and bear with it already." Reborn sighed.
" Heh. Listen to your tutor, trash." Xanxus sneered from his seat.
" What's that?" Gokudera growled.
" Guys… Don't- OWWW" Tsuna bit his lip.
" Reborn… Do be a little gentler." Timoteo chided.
" …I'll try." Reborn replied.
Tsuna pouted as Reborn wrapped up his wounds so-no-gently. Deciding to distract himself, Tsuna glanced around the room.
The Varia was grouped in a corner of the destroyed ballroom where the Inheritance Ceremony took place. The Ninth-Generation Guardians were scattered around the ballroom whilst Timoteo sat right beside Tsuna, gently supporting the close-to-collapsing Vongola Decimo. The Tenth-Generation Guardians – what was left of them, at least – were on the other side of the room being treated by Brow Nie Jr., Vongola Nono's Sun Guardian, after Lussuria was begged by Gokudera not to treat them. While most of the Vongola Family members had left, a good number of them stayed around as guards should the two Bosses of Vongola be attacked. Most of the Alliance Families had also left, but the Cavallone Family still stayed since their boss was too worried about Tsuna to go back.
Tsuna winced as Reborn healed another wound. He closed his eyes, trying to distract himself mentally – of course, in vain. Chocolate brown eyes snapped open when gasps came from all around the room. Seeing the sight, Tsuna couldn't help but give a gasp himself.
…Because walking towards him from the center of the room was one depressed Vongola Primo.
" …Reborn… I'm fine now." Tsuna muttered.
" …I'll deal with his later." Reborn sighed, quickly finishing up with the current bandage before he sat down on the other side of Tsuna.
" …Decimo." Giotto greeted. He glanced at the various wounds and injuries on Tsuna and instantly fell into a greater depression. " …I apologize. This is my fault. You and your Family wouldn't been hurt so badly if I had-"
Another round of gasps went around the room as a slap resounded throughout the room.
Giotto blinked and stared at his successor – the same person who slapped him in the middle of an apology.
Tsuna had the sternest stare he could muster on his face as he looked intently at Giotto. Then, unexpectedly, the brunet took in a deep breath and sighed before he started giggling.
" D-Decimo…?" Giotto questioned.
When Tsuna had finally got himself to stop giggling, he looked up and smiled brightly at his ancestor. " I'm so glad… Primo, you really are a really kind man." Tsuna said.
Giotto's eyes widened. Then, Tsuna muttered something incoherent under his breath, his eyes looking anywhere but at Vongola Primo.
" Dame-Tsuna. I thought I told you a Boss should always speak clearly and confidently." Reborn chided.
" But, I'm not exactly a Boss yet." Tsuna pouted. " Inheritance got interrupted, remember?"
" Decimo. You were saying?" Giotto asked.
Tsuna blushed and pouted. " Well… Erm… Could you… Could you promise me you'll not be mad?"
" …Alright." Giotto nodded.
" Well…" Tsuna chewed his bottom lip. " Primo. You're a really kind man… but also an idiot."
…Cue yet another round of gasps.
" P-Pardon?" Giotto blinked, his mind on the verge of shutting down.
" Primo… This isn't your fault. It was never your fault." Tsuna said. " It was just a misunderstanding… as simple as that."
" But your Family… They're all hurt." Giotto protested. " If I had gone… then… Cozart wouldn't have… and Shimon…"
" That's wrong!" Tsuna yelled.
Giotto was taken aback by surprise. Tsuna swallowed repeatedly to stop the tears from falling, though his voice was undoubtedly cracked as he spoke.
" H-How could it be your fault… when you were trying to protect your own Family…? Besides… I don't think… I don't think Shimon Primo blamed you. Not at all. I mean… he stayed there." Tsuna failed and tears flowed down his cheeks. " Shimon Primo… He stayed there and he gave it his all… I-If your friendship wasn't real, then… Shimon Primo wouldn't have stayed there. That's why… That's why I don't think he blamed you. And Primo… I don't blame you either… It's not your fault."
Giotto was quiet, listening carefully to every single word that Tsuna had said. To be frank, he couldn't understand it – he couldn't understand why Tsuna isn't hating him to the core right now.
Tsuna smiled sadly as he looked up at Giotto again, caramel orbs meeting amber. " Primo… You've been blaming yourself for the past four hundred years, haven't you…? That's why… That's why the item passed down from generation-to-generation is called the 'Vongola Sin', isn't it?"
Giotto's eyes widened again as he clenched his fists.
" …That's what I thought." Tsuna muttered. " Primo, you're right that my Family is hurt. But you know what? They're alive. They're all alive."
" Decimo…"
" We'll recover, and then we'll stand up again. We didn't lose anyone… Everything will go back to normal… So, Primo, please… Please stop blaming yourself… Four hundred years… It's enough now. It's time to forgive yourself and let go…" Tsuna said.
Giotto kneeled down on a knee and drew Tsuna into a gentle hug. Tears flowed down his cheeks as he smiled. Tsuna returned the hug somewhat awkwardly, a similar – if not brighter – smile on his face.
" You've officially earned my respect, Vongola Decimo."
Giotto turned around at the familiar voice. " G?"
The First-Generation Storm Guardian sighed as he promptly smacked his Boss over the head. " You really are an idiot, you know."
" G-G-san…?" Tsuna called timidly.
" I'm impressed. You managed to do something that I wasn't able to do for the past four hundred years." G smirked at Tsuna before he turned to sigh exasperatedly at Giotto. " What have I been telling you, Giotto? It wasn't your fault. If anything, it's ours. Because we too weak to hold off the damn ambush and you stayed to help us."
" G…" Giotto muttered.
" Vongola Decimo… You have my thanks." G said.
" Uhh, y-yes!" Tsuna blushed in embarrassment. " …Ermm… Primo?"
" What is it?" Giotto asked.
Tsuna chewed his bottom lip again. " You… aren't mad, right?"
Giotto chuckled. " No, I'm not."
Tsuna sighed in relief. " Thank goodness…" He muttered before his eyes finally closed, and he collapsed.
" J-Jyuudaime!" Gokudera yelled.
" Stop panicking. Tsuna isn't dead. He's just exhausted. Just let him rest for now." Reborn said. He sighed as he glanced at Tsuna. The infant hitman turned to Giotto and spoke. " Dame-Tsuna… He probably knew you were coming."
" …He knew?" Giotto asked.
" I was wondering why he was so desperate not to collapse. He was already on the verge of passing out just now, but he kept hanging on. I keep heard him muttering, 'not yet'. Now I know why." Reborn said. " Dame-Tsuna is too kind for his own good."
" But his kindness and honesty is what endears him." Timoteo smiled. " Don't you think so, Vongola Primo?"
Giotto nodded in agreement. He glanced down at the exhausted, smiling and peacefully sleeping brunet as he smiled.
" ….Thank you, Tsunayoshi. Thank you."
A/N: I guess I love happy endings. Reading the Inheritance Ceremony Arc now, everything is all so shocking and just plain sad. Another reason for this is, I've seen quite some Primo-encouraging-Decimo fic, and I wanted to try one in reverse. So, thanks for reading.