Title: Heat-Haze Days

By: Metamorcy

Pairing: R27

Summary: August 14th, Reborn vows that he hates this day. Every day, it was the same. Every day, the same brunet that would appear beside him, and without knowing about it at first, the day would repeat soon after his death. He wonders to himself, can he break this repetitive cycle he's been somehow trapped in?

Disclaimer: Seriously? Don't own, just the idea

A/N: Based off of Heat-Haze Days by Jin but will diverge away. That means, it's not the same so don't think it is. And I changed the time from 12:30 to something else.

This is for those Contract when it got to 1000 reviews :D

Beta'ed by WhiteAngel128

Reborn sighed, he loved the espresso here, it was great, wonderful, and just perfect to crush his thirst and his caffeine need. He savored it carefully, smelling the thick scent that flooded his nostrils, and took another long sip. He clicked his tongue, making sure not to miss a drop since it was just too good to waste. As he was halfway done, he felt a familiar prickling of hair on the back of his neck, and immediately reached for a knife that was on the table, holding it up to look around the café. He narrowed his eyes slightly, wondering to himself on what idiot would dare interrupt his moment alone, and looked over everything behind him carefully through the reflection.

But he didn't see anything that looked out of place and he decided that everything was alright for now before going back to sipping his espresso. He was a hitman after all, he needed to be careful or he'd end up with a bullet in his head. Right now, he didn't have any missions to take on, taking a small break from his normally chaotic life. He placed the knife back down onto the table, next to a newspaper that stated the date of August 14th in large black letters.

He swirled the espresso within the white cup, watching it as the liquid twirled within, before pulling it back up to his lips. Ah, this was pure heaven.

The moment didn't last long as there was some sudden clattering behind him, some movement that caught his attention. Twisting around in his seat to get to the bottom of his interrupter, he spotted a petite brunet at the corner, talking to one of the waitresses, apologizing for something he had probably broken. He looked over the person a little more, not sure why, but he felt he should.

The brunet was young, maybe about four or five years younger than himself, and had caramel-colored hair that seemed to defy gravity by the way it stuck up in odd number of directions just like his own, except his was covered by his signature fedora. Those large expressive honey-colored eyes that were donned on the pale face were filled with sadness and seemed to be eyeing some sort of watch on his wrist. He was cute, Reborn admitted to himself, someone he wouldn't mind having a one-night stand with and watching the expressions twist for his own amusement. But then again, he wasn't interested in sleeping around at this point of time, the espresso before him was top priority.

As he sipped on it carefully, there was some more movement behind him and some rattling of a tray. It didn't bother him nor did he let it and ignored the sounds. He wished he hadn't. There was a cry and then something warm slammed into his back with a loud crash. It took him a moment to realize that there was something hot seeping into him and he automatically jumped up his seat, tempted to strip off his jacket, but realized that his weapons were under there. Clenching his teeth, he held in the burning sensation of what smelled like tea and glared at the idiot that dared hit him and his expensive suit. His glare turned to the brunet from before, who held a panicky expression, and was already apologizing many time over and over again for what he had done.

"I-I'll get you a rag! Or something!" The brunet stuttered, looking nervous and very scared. Reborn growled, plucking his drenched fedora off his head to wipe off the excess moisture on it, tempted to lash out, but held it in since he was in a public setting. "T-There's a bathroom over there! I-I'll get the rag for you! I'll gladly pay for the dry cleaning too, I'm really sorry!"

The hitman clicked his tongue and shoved the brunet aside angrily, wanting to get himself cleaned off as fast as possible. He would definitely make the other take responsible and buy him a new espresso, too, since the one he had been enjoying was now ruined. As he made his way to the bathroom, he noticed something off on the reflection of a clock that stated one fourteen in the afternoon, the brunet had once more looked at his watch - alarm bells started ringing off his head. Reborn twisted around to question the brunet, who was walking towards the front where the glass window was at. Those honey-colored eyes that hadn't left the watch finally peered up a few seconds later to sigh.

Reborn found it suspicious and was about to voice it out when something unbelievable happened. It was a mere chance, like a chain reaction. Two cars outside suddenly crashed together just outside the café, startling all the people in the restaurant, however, one of the cars behind the crash, in an effort to dodge the mess, came straight towards…

Reborn's eyes widened in realization, about to call out to the brunet who was in harm's way, only to realize that it was far too late. The car crashed, hitting the male instantly, glass from the window shattering all around. The shards seemed to glitter from the sunlight and blood that was sprayed all over the room. Reborn cursed under his breath, eyes peering down at the crushed body that was angled in impossible directions, bones poking out, and blood pooling around quickly. He could hear the screams, the yelling, and yet that image never left his mind.

He should be used to such things, he killed people after all, but the smell of the blood seemed to make him feel sick. Turning away, he closed his eyes, never realizing that everything had gone dark so suddenly.

Today was a hot August 14th day, Reborn grumbled under his breath at that, tempted to wipe off the sweat that had formed at his brow. It was even more tempting to take off his fedora and just fan himself with it, but that would ruin the image he had built up about himself. He was wandering the streets right after finishing lunch, blending right in with the numerous people that flooded the streets. Cars drove by, flashes of lights from screens, and voices and sounds echoed within his mind repeatedly. It was a usual day, he told himself, just a day with no work to do.

His hands are inside his pockets and he was tempted to yawn and stretch his body into an upright position. He stood at a stoplight, at the very front of the group, waiting for the light to change to green to allow him to cross. Cars continued to zoom by, giving him that small breeze he needed from the heat. As he remained in his spot, his eyes drifted over the crowd on the other side and found himself being drawn to a young-looking brunet that seemed to be standing out amongst everyone. Large honey-colored eyes were peering towards him curiously, blinking before drifting down at the watch at his wrist, then back up.

Reborn raised an eyebrow at the reaction, but pushed it out of his mind. He swore he had seen this person before, but he couldn't remember where. It probably wasn't an important person if he didn't remember him. The brunet didn't look like an assassin either, too weak looking, too open. Taking a hand out of his pocket, he rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a crack there in satisfaction, before looking back at the red crossing light again. Soon, the light finally changed into green and he stepped out into the streets without any hesitation.

Still, his eyes trailed to the brunet again cautiously, noticing him once more looking down at the watch and then back up. Those eyes, they were watching him carefully, looking him over as if calculating something. Reborn narrowed his own at that in response, it was too suspicious. But his attention on the brunet was soon brought away from him. He heard some yelling, some screaming out for him, and the screeching of brakes. His head turned quickly to the sound, watching a truck that had bypassed the red light, heading straight towards him.

Reborn bit his bottom lip, he couldn't move as if frozen to his spot, unable to escape the truck's pathway. It was impossible. He was about to die, there was nothing else to it.

And then something happened, he felt a pair of hands shoving him aside and he turned during mid-fall towards the person that had touched him. He saw the brunet, the same brunet that had been on the other side of the street, with hands outstretched towards him. Those honey-colored eyes were wide, but they weren't in fear, there was no fear in them despite knowing what would happen next.

People said that everything happened in slow motion when it came to near-death experiences, but it didn't, really. Everything happened so quickly that it was almost hard to catch. Reborn could only watch as the truck slammed into the petite body just as he hit the ground, his hands scraping across the concrete below. He felt something warm splatter on his cheeks, watching as the body was flatten against the truck, barely stopping and sent the brunet flying forward. As the now corpse hit the ground, sounds of things breaking, limbs snapping, and blood spraying all around as it rolled, seemed to be staining the hitman's eyes, bringing out an emotion he couldn't describe. Reborn remained still for only a moment before getting back up on his feet, remembering that he could actually move.

He rushed over without a second thought, looking down at the crumbled body, and placed a hand up onto his mouth in an effort to not make himself throw up his lunch. It was horrible. It was like the boy had gone through the grinder or something. He could hear the distant calls and yells, but he ignored it all for the person that had sacrificed his life for him. It was ridiculous, how stupid, how…

"This is all real!" A voice laughed among the group, clear and distinct above everything else. Reborn snapped his head up at a figure not too far away from him and stared. The person on the other side…he looked exactly like him and was grinning wildly like Reborn sometimes did when he had cornered a target like a rat. The hitman blinked, taking in his other self that seemed to be colored in a red hue. It was disturbing and Reborn sneered hatefully, not sure on what to say at this moment.

Before Reborn realized it, the blue sky had faded away along with his consciousness.

The hitman snapped his eyes awake, jumping up from bed to fumble for his cell phone, checking for the time immediately. It was barely nine in the morning and he collapsed back into bed as if his entire body was exhausted. He ran a hand through his hair, sweat dripping down the side of his face, and closed his eyes. What a nightmare.

Reborn took a few moments to catch his breath before finally getting out to do his usual morning routine, brushing his teeth, and getting dressed. And yet, the nightmare refused to leave his mind. That brunet, he knew that brunet. It was too obvious, he told himself, and yet he couldn't put his finger on it.

'Must be something stupid,' Reborn decided and combed his hair back before placing his fedora onto his head, straightening it to look perfect, like always. Looking over his entire form in the mirror, he nodded to himself when he looked presentable to the rest of the world and stepped outside, the faint jiggling of the keys reaching his ears as he locked his condo behind. 'Got to get some espresso.' He thought to himself and headed out towards the café that wasn't too far away, slipping into the streets. He passed through them with ease, eyes out for anything that looked suspicious before finally arriving at the place he wanted to be at.

Ordering what he wanted quickly, he took a glance at the windows that faced the streets, giving him the perfect view of the world, and instead felt like sitting in the back today, away from the sunlight. He shrugged his shoulders at the notion and settled down at a table near the kitchen, reading the newspaper someone had left there, glancing through the topics of the day. The date of August 14th seemed to blare at him curiously, but he ignored it for the other headlines.

When he got his cup of espresso, he sniffed the heavenly scent, feeling his mind and body slowly waking up from its lull. It felt good and he savored the taste, knowing that it would be as delicious as always. Time seemed to move by quickly and before he realized it, it was already eleven. Paying for what he owed, he got up from his spot to wander the streets, thinking that this time he should head to the park for the day to relax. The sun was high up in the sky and the heat outside was almost unbearable, but he kept going, listening to the chimes and the noises of the city. It was the usual summer day, he told himself. And yet, he found himself looking out for something, he wasn't sure why though.

The park luckily wasn't too far away and he settled into one of the benches that were shaded by the trees. Reborn could hear the children running around, mothers and fathers calling out for them or talking to each other. Couples strolled through the park, enjoying each other's company, and venders walked up and down the pathways, calling out for anyone that would like a cold ice-cream treat. Reborn had to admit, ice-cream sounded wonderful in this heat wave.

Time seemed to pass by quickly as he watched the people around him, enjoying his little activity, and realized that it was past one. It was time for lunch, he needed to get something to eat since he had skipped breakfast that day. The dream he had that morning just wouldn't stop pestering him all day and he couldn't eat breakfast without feeling sick in his stomach.

'I just have to ignore it, that's it. It was nothing more than a terrible nightmare.' The hitman told himself as he got up, heading towards the streets to go to a random restaurant. As he got to the exit, someone accidently brushed up against him and he turned to look at whoever the idiot was when he stopped. His eyes widened in recognition of the person.

It was the brunet, the brunet from his dreams, the one and the same. That hair was the most distinctive about the younger man and as much as Reborn wanted to speak out loud after having such a vivid dream, he remained quiet. So instead, the two walked side-by-side towards the road, quickly moving out of the park. Immediately, the hitman noticed that the male was once more looking at the watch repeatedly, just like before, always checking the time as if waiting for something. He too looked down at his own, inspecting the time. It was one-fourteen, Reborn suddenly narrowed his eyebrows at that. Why did that time look so familiar and so foreboding to him? He didn't get it.

Just as they stepped off the curb and onto the road, there was a loud shout and people around them were pointing up towards the sky. Reborn could hear the creaks of metal and blinked as he saw a chain that had been holding four metal poles up horizontally give out, dropping the load onto the group in the crowd that were directly below. The hitman's eyes widened, he was right underneath it, and he watched as those poles came pointing down, ready to slam head-first into the first thing it met.

And he had almost barely felt it, a hand shoving him aside. His eyes instantaneously went down to the brunet, the same brunet, and watched in shock as a metal pole sliced through the air and pieced into the body. A rippling scream was hear, Reborn knew it belonged to the male before him, the same male that had saved him before in that dream. That arm was outstretched and he watched as the body collapsed under the pressure, watching as the blood splattered familiarly everywhere. The pole had gone right through the chest, right into dead center, and it was fatal, no doubt about.

The hitman's eyes stared even as he landed onto the ground in shock, thinking to himself that what was happening before his eyes couldn't be…

"This is all real!"

Reborn snapped his head up to the other side of the curb, seeing himself again in that red haze. He took a sharp intake air like everything was aching terribly and could see himself laughing wildly like everything was amusing. He wanted to yell out, to curse, but then his vision began to blur. The hitman realized that it was happening again, he knew he was starting to fade out once more like last time.

His eyes trailed down to the body, to the brunet. What he saw made him freeze in wonder. The male was looking at him through half-lidded eyes, but there was a smile on his lips, a smile of all things.

Then Reborn realized it, it was too obvious, this person knew exactly what was happening. He knew what was going on, what he was doing. But before the hitman could go any further, he blacked out once more.

Reborn woke up once more, staring at the ceiling in wonder, and instead of wasting any time this go around, he immediately got dressed and finished all he could do for the morning before running out the door. He needed to find this brunet, he needed to find him now. The male knew what was going on. That was why he would always appear close by to take the blow, to die instead. Reborn grinded his teeth together, like hell he was going to let this cycle repeat once more.

Ignoring the lack of caffeine and food in his body, he continued to run, eyes searching out for that one person. He ran up and down the streets without a second thought, not caring who he bumped into or how he looked to anyone else. It didn't matter anyway, if he didn't fix this problem soon, it would simply repeat. It was the same day, August 14th, with the same information in the newspaper, never changing.

Finally, he found him, the brunet, sitting in one of the park swings, pushing himself back and forth repeatedly and was staring at the ground. There were foot dents on the bottom, alerting Reborn that the brunet had been there for a while. Slowly moving over, he went to the swing besides the brunet and settled down, getting himself adjusted to the plastic on the bottom. That one movement seemed to alert the other to finally look up and to Reborn, the brunet appeared so innocent, so carefree. A flash of recognition appeared through those eyes and then it was gone, a tender smile being place on those soft lips.

"H-Hello," The brunet muttered, looking nervous, and turned away, shifting on the swing to make himself continue moving back and forth. "I-It's a nice day out, huh?"

Reborn raised an eyebrow at the way the brunet shifted uneasily, it was kinda cute. "What's your name?"

"N-Name? Sawada Tsunayoshi, or is it Tsunayoshi Sawada here? A-Anyway, Sawada is my surname. A-And please call me Tsuna for short," There was surprise in those eyes, blinking rapidly in confusion as if trying to figure something out. The hitman noticed that the other hadn't asked for his own, perhaps he already knew who he is, well considering how the brunet readily killed himself every time, he must have. The brunet hummed to himself, looking at the sky, then back down ahead towards the streets, then down at his watch. "So um, did you need something?"

"I know." Reborn finally spoke, watching the brunet's eyes finally widen, and watched him jump off the swing to step in front of him directly. He raised an eyebrow at that curiously, not understand why.

Tsuna tried to act confused. "You remember?"

"I remember."

And then the brunet connected the dots, eyes widening for a moment, before sighing. "Finally…"

Now that made Reborn snap his head up. Finally? What did that mean? Wait…did it mean that this cycle has been going on longer than he thought? He bit his bottom lip in frustration. "Finally? Tell me everything you know."

"Eh? Everything?" Tsuna paused and then nodded, getting back onto the swing again. His shoulders were slumped downward depressingly like he was trying to figure out on what to say. "Where to start? Well, this is the first time you've ever remembered what happened to us, in a sense."

"I remembered the last two. You were hit by a truck and crushed by poles."

"Ah, those. That's not the first time, Reborn, there's been many more. Some involving needles, scissors, water, electricity, and others."

The hitman narrowed his eyes, so Tsuna did know his name, probably learned it after so long. "How long has this been going on? And why are you letting yourself die each and every time?"

Tsuna flinched at that, shrinking down momentarily. "W-Well, I don't know how long. I've kinda lost count, maybe over two hundred times? And you lose the fear of death after the first couple of times, now it's just a routine of letting myself go first."

Reborn almost fell off the seat, over two hundred? What the hell had he been doing all this time? It didn't make any sense. Why hadn't he remembered anything earlier? Why hadn't he done anything earlier?

"I've tried to do so many things to bring us out of this cycle. It seems like we're the only ones that are now aware of the repeat. I was alone before. Please don't be offended or get mad, but I've let you die a couple times to see what would happen, but we just start over again and again." Tsuna sighed, leaning against the metal chain.

The hitman sneered at that, he had died? Now that was surprising, but then again, these were all accident types. It's not easy to dodge the unexpected. But there was still one question remaining besides the one who was causing the whole mess. He doubted Tsuna knew what was truly going on and probably had given into the whole ordeal, letting the cycle repeat. "Why do you keep saving me? You could just let me die over and over again without getting hurt."

At that, the brunet blushed, shrinking down and turned away. "Ah, well, you see…" Those large eyes turned to him for a moment before moving away again. Ah, that was it. Reborn smirked to himself, already figuring out what the other was doing. So, Tsuna loved him, enough to do that much for him, to prevent him from suffering. What a silly thing…but he felt honored. It was a funny feeling to have. "I got to know you over time and well…"

"I get it," Reborn chuckled in amusement and reached over to pat the younger man on the head gently, well aware of the growing blush that was rapidly spreading. "So, any ideas on how to get out of this mess?"

Tsuna shook his head at that and sighed depressingly. Reborn had the same expression, normally he wouldn't allow his features to fall, but this couldn't be helped and it wasn't as if someone would be able to remember it. Only Tsuna, only Tsuna…Well, he might as well get used to the brunet, he was probably going to be with him for a long time.

They had three more hours before everything reset itself again, he should get to know the other as much as possible. They spoke what they could, getting to know a little more about each other like their likes and dislikes. A few hours later he watched Tsuna get shot down in a drive-by, having been pushed out of the way once more. How pathetic, Reborn thought to himself, as he saw his other self on the other side of the street repeating the same words. He had been saved again and again, shouldn't it be the other way around?

The blackness engulfed him once more.

A phone was ringing and a woman with long black hair tied into a low ponytail came by, lifting it up. She placed it on speakerphone after recognizing the number and dropped it onto the center of the table where the rest of the Arcobaleno were sitting at. "Hello, Reborn, it's rare for you to call me."

"Luce, am I on speakerphone?"

"Yes, you are." The woman giggled, well aware that everyone else in the group was listening in.

"Viper, are you there?" Reborn immediately asked, straight to the point, he didn't have much time at this rate.

"Obviously." The illusionist replied without skipping a beat, counting his money to make sure that everything was accurate as always.

"This may sound odd, but have you or anyone else felt any déjà vu feelings lately?"

The group paused for a moment, looking at each other in confusion, and everyone shook their heads. "No, no one has."

"So it really is just Tsuna and myself. Damn…" There was some rustling on the other side and they could hear a door being closed shut. "Viper, how do you break out of a cycle that seems to be repeating? And I'll pay you of course."

"That's an odd question, shouldn't you just do something out of norm?" Viper shrugged his shoulders as if stating the obvious. What a stupid question. Why would Reborn, of all people, be asking such a thing?

"Something out of norm…Perhaps I should let myself get killed this time around on purpose…" Reborn was muttering to himself, but it was loud and clear despite the now obvious racket in the background. He was in a crowded street and the sounds of people and cars were echoing on the phone.

Luce jumped at that, almost dropping the plate she had been holding. "Reborn, what are you talking about? Let yourself get killed?" There was a strong hint of fear in her voice. "What's going on?"

"Forget it. You won't remember anyway if this doesn't work." With that the phone hung up and the group could only listen to the dial tone. That had been the weirdest conversation they had ever had, especially considering that it was with Reborn of all people. Luce immediately tried to redial, but got nothing but voicemail and sighed depressingly. She didn't like nor know what Reborn was planning. Still, it was an odd thing for someone like him to say. She could only hope the best.

Without letting Tsuna know, he had run forward this time, letting himself get hit by that same truck that had probably ended Tsuna's life multiple times. He could feel the pain, the endless amount of pain, and could see the widening of those honey-colored eyes and knew that this was all for the best. If he died, well, at least it was over and if it didn't, at least he had tried. He looked over to the side, able to see himself looking at him in shock and horror at what he had done. He smirked and laughed out loud. "Serves you right!"

Reborn, ignoring the pain as it engulfed him completely, continued to laugh as he fell. He could already feel the darkness spreading across his vision, hitting the ground and rolling, his body was already starting to shut down.

Tsuna had rushed up to him and was crying, holding onto his hands desperately. And then Reborn saw it, another Tsuna like the other Reborn, but this one was blue in hue. He was crying the same way as the brunet and was calling out words he could no longer hear. He hadn't expected seeing such a thing and before he could think any further, Reborn had closed his eyes, perishing into the abyss.

Opening his eyes, the black-haired man stared up at the familiar ceiling and blinked. With one movement, he picked up his phone and cursed, it hadn't worked. It was still the same day, August 14th. Perhaps he should try a couple more times to see that blue Tsuna some more, it looked just like him after all, and for a moment, he thought it appeared sadder. Nodding to himself, he set out to plan his death once more.

After dying four more times in some of the most gruesome ways, Reborn had given up on that method. He could never get anything from the other Tsuna, making there was no point in continuing in killing himself anymore. And honestly, when he had stated that to the brunet, Tsuna looked absolutely relieved. A massive bone-crushing hug later sent Reborn sprawling to the floor at the park with a face buried into his chest. He hesitated for a moment before finally returning the embrace. He might as well, the brunet was obviously completely head-over-heels in love with him, it was far too easy to see.

Reborn, of course, alerted the other of his findings, but Tsuna was already aware of the other version of him. There was no point in thinking about it anymore and moved to Tsuna's house for the time being to hang around until the time of death once more. Though Reborn was curious how one could die within one's house seeing as they were no longer outside, he got his answer when the microwave explode, sending out one of the knives into Tsuna's throat.

And then next time he had woken up, he had gone back over to Tsuna's place, knowing better than to be anywhere else. He allowed the brunet to cook him breakfast, enjoying the meal, and chattered with the other continuously. It wasn't as if they had something better to do. They had moved into the living room and eventually they fell asleep on the couch around noon, no one really knew what happened afterwards since they had reawakened up in separate beds once again.

A phone was ringing and a woman with long black hair tied into a low ponytail came by, lifting it up. She placed it on speakerphone after recognizing the number and dropped it on the center of the table where the rest of the Arcobaleno were sitting at. "Hello, Re-."

"I know everyone is there and that I'm on speakerphone, Luce," Reborn interrupted quickly. "Viper, I know you're there and before you ask, yes, I will pay you. Now tell me, how do you break a cycle that keeps repeating the same day over and over again? Don't give me any bullshit answers, I'm completely serious."

A silence settled into the room as the group tried to take in the information. It was odd after all, it was to be expected. Fong was the first to respond, taking a deep breath to carefully think over his response to the hitman. "What are talking about, Reborn? This is very confusing if not, odd."

"Maybe Reborn lost his mind at long last." Skull snickered.

"Lackey, shut up. I'm not the in mood for dealing with you for an eighth time. Viper, you need to say something and soon."

The black-cloaked individual tilted his head carefully before finally speaking, "Well, can I know the situation first before I say anything?"

There was some hesitation before Reborn finally answered, some shifting in the background alerted the group that there was someone else there listening in. "I, no, myself and a person named Tsuna have been repeating August 14th over and over for the past three hundred days. It ends around one-fourteen o'clock in the afternoon each time with one or both of us dying. Tsuna had been letting himself get killed before me by generally pushing me out of the way. I've tried to kill myself by jumping in front of a truck, getting stab through the chest with a pole, and many other things that shouldn't really be physically possible. We've even died together, but everything keeps restarting."

There was a silence among the group and if they listened closely, they could just hear how strained and drained Reborn had become. He was tired. The exhaustion was obvious beyond belief. Fong peered over at the clock, looking at the time, there was another thirty minutes left before the so-called incident reoccurred from what the hitman had been talking about.

"Then wouldn't it be best to avoid being killed off?" It was like stating the obvious, but Reborn wasn't convinced.

"We've tried. We head one direction, we get hit by a car. If we try to hide on the roof, it collapses below us. Hide in either houses, it gets burned down. Hide in the streets, we're rained down by broken pipes. Go underground, we get buried. You tell me what we can do when everything we've tried still ends up restarting the day because we died."

Viper seemed to think deeply to himself, wandering on what to do. It was an odd situation, one that truly seemed endless. "What god did you piss off? Have you tried heading somewhere where there's nothing?"

"Nothing?" A voice on the phone spoke up for the first time, it was soft and weak. "We're in a city, how can there be nothing?"

Viper didn't seem fazed by the additional voice and continued on. It was obvious to believe that this person was probably Tsuna, the one that had been trapped along with the hitman. "I'm not sure, I don't really know if I can really help you. This is beyond my scope of knowledge."

"I see. Well then, if we survive or not, this will be the last time you'll be hearing from us ever again. If you make it to the 15th, call me, if you don't hear me picking up, presume I'm dead."

"Reborn, it's almost time. There's a car coming towards us."

"I see it," Reborn sighed. "Goodbye." With that, they heard a loud crash on the other side phone and only dial tone could be heard afterwards.

Reborn didn't understand, why was this happening to him of all people? Sure, he had killed off others and his job had earned him a lot of hatred, but this went beyond some simple revenge. And Tsuna…Tsuna was the most harmless person he had ever met. Sweet, kindhearted, and so very warm. Who would want to hurt him of all people?

It was confusing and he had questioned it multiple times, but came up with no results. But he continued to think more and more, he wanted to get out of this mess, he needed to make everything stop. He was already sick and tired of seeing Tsuna allowing himself to get mangled up and torn into pieces in order to take the blow for him.

It was undeniable, he was starting to get closer to the other, a victim just like him. And as he thought, he finally stumbled across a memory while rumbling through his condo. He picked up a map, a place circled on it in a location he was familiar with. It would be a drive, but it was perfect.

"Tsuna, I know where we should go."

"Reborn? Where are we going?" Tsuna asked, strapped into a fancy black car that belonged to the hitman. He was leaning over, pressing himself against the other in an attempt to keep himself close by, and had his eyes closed sleepily. Reborn had woken up extra early to drive them out of the city, away from everything, and even though it might end in failure, it didn't matter. It was worth a try, Reborn repeated to himself, as he continued to stare out at the road. The sky was still dark outside, the sun barely rising in the distance and behind the trees.

"To a field I remember about. My group would head there every now and then to relax." Reborn spoke without any hesitation, he knew everything about Tsuna and in turn the other did the same. They had too much time to waste, had spent too much time together, it was only obvious they would learn everything about each other. It had started off slowly, but the hitman had come to care for the little brunet, the brunet that had done so much for him. Reborn had taken a couple more deaths onto his own body to let the other rest and be pain-free for a while, but it didn't matter, he would simply be resurrected over and over again.

"The Arcobaleno group, right?"

"Yeah."

"What's this field? It is nice?"

"Yeah, it's a peaceful place." The hitman drove around the corner, heading deeper towards the forest where he knew they could try and hide. Viper had stated somewhere where there was nothing and so he was going somewhere where there was nothing. After that, he didn't know what to do. He might as well give into this endless cycle. But at least there was someone else he could die with over and over again.

As they arrived at the field, Reborn stepped out, looking out at the mixture of the starry sky and the rising sun, and held Tsuna against his body carefully before going deeper into the forest. They passed over rocks, streams, and were careful to watch their steps so that they wouldn't slip and fall. Eventually, they stopped at a clearing far away from civilization with a large tree in the dead center of the field with a shine at the bottom. The tree was old, cracks here and there on the bark, the shading of its leaves protecting everything from the sun's bright rays.

"It's pretty." Tsuna muttered, holding himself close to the other, burying his face into the warm jacket. Though time had repeated, Reborn still took the time to make himself look presentable, and wore his signature clothes like it was a ritual. The brunet had learned about Reborn's true job, but he didn't mind, it made the man more mysterious and exciting. During the days where they couldn't think on what to do, they would simply talk and read up on things they couldn't before and Reborn had gladly given him a few pointers on how to fight and protect himself. It was an odd thing to learn since he would never get far enough to feel the burn of the morning sun of the day after, but he had gotten down the basics from having to repeat it over and over again. It was just something to do to keep themselves busy and together.

As time repeated, they had grown even closer, more dependent on each other for company. Tsuna had noticed quickly that the hitman, who had been distant and closed off, began to open up. He spoke up on things he hadn't at the beginning and even dared to bring up his past. It was amazing to hear.

Of course, Tsuna returned the favor, noting that he had been once known as Dame-Tsuna for most of school, barely passing out of high school and ended up taking odd jobs to make a living. His mother had passed away when he was young and his father, he didn't care nor know anything about. With a little bit of help from Reborn, he had learned that his father, Sawada Iemitsu, was in the mafia, the same mafia organization that the hitman belonged to. What were the chances of that? Then again, what were the chances of two people in the entire world being aware of what was truly going on?

Reborn sat down next to the shine, Tsuna beside him, leaning against each other without any hesitation. The hitman peered down for a moment, observing the way those lights would scatter across Tsuna's form and leaned over, kissing a cheek.

"Reborn?" Tsuna blinked in surprise, never before getting that sort of affection. Though his love for the other had deepened over time, he had never asked for anything, never demanded for anything, and was simply content with what he currently had.

"Just wanted to try something different. It seems after spending so much time with you, I've…come to care for you." Reborn huffed, leaning back over to press his lips against the forehead gently. The skin was soft as he expected and so very warm and there was a vanilla scent that was probably from the shampoo Tsuna washed his hair in.

The brunet smiled softly, reaching to grasp the other's jacket. "Can you kiss me?"

Without saying a word, Reborn leaned down and finally pressed their lips together for a quick peck. It was the first time they had ever done something like this and it sent a spark down the hitman's spine, enjoying the touch. He pulled away for a moment, staring into those half-lidded honey-colored eyes, and went back in, deepening the second kiss. A small moan alerted him of Tsuna's enjoyment, knowing the other was enjoying it, and let his hands drift all over the body below him, searching for that soft skin underneath the clothes. It was was no scar, no blemish, just pure smooth white skin. How wonderful. And there was a tiny little tattoo on the chest right above the heart, but it seemed to make the skin appear more welcoming to his eyes. This male was his, he wasn't going to give this one up for anyone, not even the cursed God that had dared throw them into this loop.

"Do you want to go all the way?" Reborn whispered to the brunet, his lips pressing along the ear, his tongue swirling under the limp flesh.

Tsuna nodded his head rapidly. "Ah, we have all the time in the world after all. Take me as many times as you want." He wrapped his arms around the hitman and let himself get engulfed by the warmth, enjoying it immensely. Reborn chuckled, he could do that. Spending the entire day doing nothing more than sex, that worked just fine with him. Leaning over, he too allowed himself to fall, uncaring about the world that watched them.

Tsuna squirmed in the warmth that surrounded him, feeling nice and warm under something heavy. It was wonderful, engulfing, and he wanted nothing more than to continue lying in it. And yet, he knew better, he had to wake up to face the new day again. Still, the memories of what happened yesterday were still fresh in his mind and it made him somewhat giggly. Reborn and him had slept together, going at it all day until both collapsed out of mere exhaustion, and simply remained curled up at each other's side for the rest of the day, then passed out.

Reaching over to get up, he realized he wasn't grabbing onto his covers or his pillow, but a body. It wouldn't be the first time that had happened though. Reborn had many times sneaked over to sleep next to him and decided that it was probably the same as last time. Opening his eyes to check his surroundings, he blinked and then blinked again.

'Huh?' Looking up, he could see the sky, the brilliant sky, a sky he was far too familiar with.

And it was setting.

It was setting.

"Reborn!" Tsuna reached over, ignoring his nudity, and shook his lover rapidly, eyes wide in shock. The hitman grumbled under his breath, nudging closer to the brunet for a moment before finally opening his eyes. He looked up at the brunet curiously, peering up into those expressive honey-colored eyes. His exhaustion was clear and his mind was still trying to wake up to his surroundings. Tsuna would have chuckled at the expression if things weren't serious. "Wake up! Look at the sky!"

And the hitman did. "No…way." It was past one-fourteen, past the time they would always die at. It was…unbelievable.

Unbelievable…

And yet, he felt so free, like the shackles that had been holding them down were gone. He felt lighter than he was long last…

Reborn turned to his lover, reaching over to cup a cheek gently, stroking it happily. "Tsuna…"

The brunet smiled cheerfully and jumped forwards to wrap his arms around Reborn's waist. He buried himself against the hitman and finally asked the question they all had on their minds, "Are we free?"

That the other wasn't sure about, how could he be sure? This was a god that had most likely come to hate them and placed them into this loop in the first place. "I…think so. But let's stay here for the rest of the night and see if tomorrow comes." Reborn looked down at his phone, watching the time, and was hoping it would keep going. Regardless, he kept hold of the brunet in his arms, waiting and waiting for the time to continue onward like it was originally meant to.

Reborn peered out the window of his condo, momentarily looking down at the body next to him that was snuggled up against him warmly. He smiled softly at the sight, stroking the soft brown hair fondly, before looking back out at the world. The sky was a bright blue, he could hear the crickets chirping from somewhere outside, and it was like everything was normal.

It was August 15th, the loop was finally over.

Tsuna looked back at his boyfriend for a moment in the mirror, watching the man get dressed for his job for the day, before going back to his reflection. He opened his shirt for a moment, looking at the small tattoo right above his heart, and smiled. His smile wasn't soft, no, it was dark, evil, and most definitely impure.

The tattoo, which looked like a shield with a demon and angel wing popping out the sides of it, as if reading his thoughts, glowed for a moment. Soon, the black color came back and then it disappeared behind the closing of Tsuna's shirt, hiding it away once more. His eyes trailed back to look at Reborn, who just stepped into his bathroom to get something, and then peered towards the side. The two hazes of Reborn and himself appeared in the area and he gave another smile as he looked towards them via the mirror.

"Good work, Gokudera, Yamamoto. I do hope you're alright."

The red version of Reborn gave a grin, the figure and color fading into a silver-haired man with bright green eyes. He bowed almost immediately and gave a soft smile. "Anything for you, my lord. It's good to see that everything went according to your plan."

"It wasn't a problem at all, Tsuna," The blue version of him transformed the same way as Reborn's, turning into a tall man with black hair and a large grin on his face. "This was a fun game. Let's do this again another time, alright?"

The two men vanished just as Reborn left the bathroom, adjusting his fedora on his head, and Tsuna turned around from the mirror with his expression back to normal as if nothing had happened. He had a gently soft smile on his lips and stepped forward, planting a kiss on the hitman's cheek.

Yes, Reborn was his now. It had taken a lot of work to capture this man's heart, but it was worth the effort.

After all, it's not hard for a god to repeat a day over and over again until he got what he wanted.

Thanks for reading! I could have put in a smut but it didn't seem appropriate for this setting. I love evil Tsuna, he's so much fun to work with.

Review please!