ALARM

"Hey, where's the bacon?" Yamamoto asked. Gokudera huffed in annoyance.

"It's right here, baseball idiot" he growled, pointing at the black mass that seemed to be fusing with the pan. "Didn't you say you liked it crunchy?"

Yamamoto flinched. "I think you burned it…"

"When I'm making sushi, I'll ask for your opinion!" Gokudera snapped. He scraped the remains of the black bacon and put it on a plate for his boyfriend, setting some aside for the Tenth. He put the hot pan under the water while watching the raven attentively. Yamamoto finally finished his eggs, toast and tea, and was left with no choice but to attempt to chew the food his boyfriend had lovingly prepared him.

"Well!? H-how is it?" Gokudera demanded. Even though his back was turned, Yamamoto could see his ears were red. It gave him the courage to swallow.

"Delicious," he said in a raspy voice, feeling the charcoaled food scratching down his throat. Gokudera beamed.

"I know, right? Big sis's cooking skills have nothing on me!" he said proudly. "I'd give you more, but it's for the Tenth"

Yamamoto was not generous enough to spare Tsuna that pain. Besides, he usually ate very early, before training with Hibari.

Those two had fallen into a daily routine ever since that day Hibari had kidnapped him for a day, more than a week before. Even though Chrome and Ryohei were pretty enthusiastic about the new development, Gokudera and he were skeptical. Sure, Hibari tolerated Tsuna, even seeked him out, but he wasn't showing any signs that he actually liked their friend. Every time they came back from the base and Tsuna started to hang out with them, Hibari would get in sour mood and start bullying him again before leaving for the rest of the day, until the following morning. As far as Gokudera was concerned, it was for the best the he left (and it worked for Yamamoto, too, since they would have the house to themselves for a whole morning, then spend the afternoon with Tsuna). In the last week, they had spent some peaceful days with their boss, something that had hardly ever happened in Namimori.

"I wonder where're Tsuna and Hibari" Yamamoto commented, munching on his bacon. Is tastebuds were thankfully numb now. "They're usually back by now"

It was almost midday. The others had left hours ago to do some sightseeing, but Yamamoto and Gokudera had decided they were too lazy to get out of bed and had overslept and cuddled until their stomachs had grumbled. Yamamoto smiled at the thought, which earned him a slap to the head.

"Stop thinking about perverted things!" Gokudera scolded.

"I wasn't! Besides, there's no one here, so I can be as perverted as I want" Yamamoto shrugged, smirking when Gokudera's blush intensified.

"Y-you idiot!"

Yamamoto stood up and kissed him lightly on the cheek, quickly dodging the slap that followed. "See? No problem" he smiled.

Before Gokudera could retort, they heard a loud bang, followed by the kitchen door slamming open from the outside. Tsuna stumbled inside, out of breath, hair disheveled. For a fraction of a second, Yamamoto's and Gokudera's thoughts went to the gutter, thinking that Hibari was the one to put their friend in such a state. But the prefect, who entered right after Tsuna, looked way too sour and annoyed to have just finished making out with the brunet.

"Y-You guys!" Tsuna stumbled into the aisle, slapping an embellished piece of paper dangerously close to a bit of spilled orange juice. Hibari scowled at the stain. "W-We completely forgot!"

His friends looked at what seemed to be an invitation. It had a golden Vongola crest and the CEDEF logo embedded on opposite corners of a beige envelope. Both Yamamoto and Gokudera had received an identical one the previous week, but much like Tsuna had completely forgotten about it until that moment.

That day, July 30th, the CEDEF would celebrate the birthday of the members who were born that month, namely Basil and Colonello, among a few other agents they didn't know. As far as they were concerned, there were two gifts each they were yet to buy, and eight hours left to do it.

"I-I have no idea where to buy gifts here… and I don't think Colonello would appreciate anything we can buy at a regular store" Tsuna thought out loud. Maybe he could ask the Ninth a favor and give Colonello a Vongola sniper rifle, or maybe a cool camo headband that shoot lasers. Basil would be contented with fountain pen or something like that. The blond struck Tsuna as the type who would be forced to do all of his useless father's paperwork. "You guys have it easier than me, though"

"What do you mean?" asked Yamamoto.

"Well, you can buy gifts as a couple, right?"

"Obviously" Yamamoto promptly agreed, just as Gokudera turned red to the roots of his hair and stuttered a refusal.

"Herbivore" Hibari interjected as he looked at the clock above the kitchen sink "you better be here at six o'clock to continue with your training"

Gokudera huffed, glaring at Hibari. He had got his daily Tenth quota already, why was he even there? Usually he would've disappeared already, so that he and Yamamoto could spend the rest of the day with their friend, as it was meant to be. In Gokudera's opinion, and he was sure Yamamoto would agree, Hibari was getting too greedy. Either the prefect stopped hoarding the Tenth or grew a pair and filled the required paperwork to ask for a chaperoned date with Tsuna. (Gokudera already had the forms printed out, safely stored in the drawer next to Yamamoto's bed… because there wasn't room in his bedroom and not because he spent most of his time there, obviously).

"Um, Hibari-san…" Tsuna began, carefully choosing his words. "The party begins at six… maybe we could make up for training another day?"

"Yeah, stop monopolizing him, Hibari!" Yamamoto knowingly poked at Hibari's mood as he smirked discreetly. Tsuna blushed as Hibari regarded him coldly, choosing not to answer and talk to Tsuna instead.

"We have wasted enough time as it is, herbivore" he pointed out, referring to their interrupted session that very morning.

"I know! But, um… aren't you going to buy gifts as well?" he hinted subtly. Yamamoto and Gokudera noticed what he was trying to do, and even though they thought Tsuna was sweet, the outcome was just as they expected.

"My gifts will be my presence and lenience on a crowding event" the prefect answered. Tsuna sighed dejectedly.

"My, my. How insensitive of you, Kyoya"

Nobody had noticed Mukuro come into the kitchen, but Tsuna guessed it was alright. If his Mist Guardian had had bad intentions, he would've got those signature shivers down his back. Of course, Hibari wasn't of the same opinion.

"Worry not, Tunayoshi-kun. I will accompany you so you don't feel like the third wheel" he declared, placing his hands on Tsuna's shoulders from behind. "It will be like a double date"

"Keep your hands in your pockets, pineapple head!" Gokudera demanded as he turned to Tsuna with teary eyes. "Tenth, we would never make you feel like a third wheel! If anything, Yamamoto is the third wheel"

"Oya, what a cruel thing to say to your boyfriend" Mukuro chided, slightly kneading Tsuna's shoulders just to spite the Storm Guardian. Gokudera fumed, but Tsuna didn't miss his questioning glance in Yamamoto's direction, his way of asking if he had really been offended. Yamamoto smiled discreetly in response.

"You'll be coming with us, Mukuro? What about Chrome?" Tsuna asked.

"Oh, but this outing is a double date, isn't it, Vongola? I wouldn't submit my dear Chrome to being the fifth wheel" Mukuro snickered. He took a seat between Tsuna and Yamamoto, making Gokudera growl as he begrudgingly sat next to his boyfriend. "Unless she goes with Kyoya-kun and makes it a triple date?"

Hibari, who had been trying to figure out what the hell had Yamamoto eaten to blacken his plate so much, glared at Mukuro. "As if I have time for that" he growled.

"Then, Tsunayoshi-kun, it seems it will be you and me" Mukuro winked, ignoring Gokudera's warning growl. "Perhaps you'd like to get gifts as a couple as well...?"

His sentence was interrupted by the door slamming. Hibari had left without a word.

It was not his fault that the shortest way to the underground training facility was through the shopping district of Palermo. Honestly, he was doing everything in his power not to follow the same paths as the herbivores, but they just kept taking the same turns as him. Sure, he could have jumped from roof to roof in another direction and get to his destination much faster, but hell if Hibari was going to let a bunch of losers dictate his actions.

Also, he was not watching Tsuna and Mukuro at all. They just happened to come across his sight when he was looking down. Because, damn it, it was disgusting how Mukuro was clinging to Tsuna like they were on a date. Did the pineapple herbivore not know the meaning of personal space? He didn't care, though. He only cared because Tsuna had the potential to become a strong opponent and Mukuro was contaminating him. But he didn't care care, he was just concerned, but he could always find some other training partner because he didn't care about Tsu… about the herbivore at all.

He noticed he had been staring for too long when Tsuna looked up at him. It was probably his intuition. Quickly, Hibari hid himself behind a chimney, cursing, yet strangely happy. Tsuna using his intuition out of Hyper mode meant he was getting stronger, even if he hadn't realized it yet. Moreover, there were times in the past week during their training when Hibari had been able to see flecks of orange while Tsuna's eyes were amber. Someday, Hibari was sure, Tsuna would use those same eyes to bring Mafia bosses to their knees and he wished he would use them right now on Mukuro because that bastard was getting way too touchy-feely...

"You have a sour expression for such a lovely day"

Hibari had sensed Chrome from miles away. Obviously.

He turned to face the girl, his face set in a scowl so menacing it would have sent other people who weren't Chrome running for their lives. In truth, Hibari was thankful for the distraction. Another minute and he might have locked a handcuff around Mukuro's neck.

"Mind your own business" he grumbled. He sat that down and leaned back against the chimney. He made no move to beckon Chrome over, but she went and sat down beside him anyways. After dealing with Mukuro, Ken and Chikusa every day, whatever mood the Cloud man was in didn't faze her.

"You seem to be distraught" she went on softly.

"That is not true, and as I said, it's none of your concern" he answered. "Why are you here, anyway? Shouldn't you be down there with the rest of your pack?"

"I bought my gifts days ago" she replied easily. "Besides, it's a double date" she added with a soft smile that had a hint of evil amusement. It made Hibari twitch.

"What a waste of time" Hibari muttered, turning his head to look at the group below them. They were being chatted up by a man selling pastries. Mukuro was trying to feed a stuttering, blushing Tsuna from his own fork. Hibari wished he knew how to use a gun, or at least had brought Hibird to attempt a long-range attack.

"Dating is not a waste of time. I thought mating was important to you, a carnivore" Chrome argued, still trying to hide how much fun she was having with the conversation.

Hibari furrowed his eyebrows. Chrome knew her friends would call her crazy, but the gesture was strangely fatherly (in a very intimidating way). "You are too young to be thinking about such things"

Chrome rolled her eyes. "I don't mean it like that. I mean having a partner" she explained.

"Only weaklings need partners"

"No, weaklings get their partners taken away from them"

That did not sit well with Hibari. Mukuro had no chance with Tsuna, because the brunet had spent the majority of the past week with him, willingly. Hibari wouldn't have forced him. And Tsuna had made him breakfast almost every day, and they had watched the sunrise together many times. And Tsuna was growing so much Hibari had learned to ignore those annoying habits, like his big dorky smile and his too-honest eyes and his untameable yet soft hair. Also, Tsuna was not Hibari's partner in anything, but if he had been, Mukuro would never be allowed to even look at him. Not that he cared.

"I don't have a partner to be taken away," he said coldly.

"I didn't say you did" Chrome shrugged, then stood up, dusting her skirt off. Hibari didn't move. "I'm just making a point. Having someone you want to share your life with is normal, not a weakness"

"I'm not in love with anyone" Hibari growled. "I do not care about what that herbivore does"

Chrome allowed her smile to show. "I didn't say anything about love. Or an herbivore"

She made her escape just before a tonfa was embedded in the wall, the exact place where her head had been.

Mukuro was getting weirdly physical, but that was not where the strange sensation was coming from. He kept looking up towards the rooftops, but saw nobody. Even though the strange presence was threatening, nobody had made an attempt on their lives yet. He had just told his friends about the feeling he was getting, and all of them were on high alert.

"Tsunayoshi-kun, say ahhhh…" Mukuro poked his mouth with a chocolate biscuit. He didn't seem worried at all. Sighing,Tsuna opened his mouth and let Mukuro feed him. They had been out looking for gifts for a couple of hours, but they kept getting sidetracked by the different little shops in the market.

Tsuna had never left Namimori, where the shopping district was one long broad streets with shops on either side, but he had seen markets in other parts of Japan on TV, and they shared some similarities. All little shops seemed to be overlapped; Tsuna couldn't tell where one ended and another began. There were people from all over Europe and the world buying souvenirs, and some locals were doing the groceries. Gokudera had had the good idea of asking some of the latter where to buy gifts, although when Mukuro had asked, his friend had set off for some reason (Tsuna suspected his Mist Guardian was telling people they were on a date).

So far, Gokudera and Yamamoto had bought a single gift; a silver watch with leather straps for Basil, while Tsuna and Mukuro still had nothing. Their time was running out.

"This would be a good moment to use your intuition, Tsunayoshi-kun" Mukuro commented as he finished his cake.

Tsuna sighed."That's not how it works… I bet if it was my birthday, Basil-kun would know exactly what to get me"

"Well, you are extremely simple-minded" Mukuro pointed out.

"Hush it, pineapple bastard" Gokudera growled. Yamamoto's hand was casually draped over his shoulder, it had been since they had gotten to the market, and it was holding Gokudera from lunging at Mukuro. Even though Tsuna had not been at all surprised his best friends were dating ―he had suspected it from way before, despite the abruptness of the confirmation―, he found their interactions unexpectedly adorable. These days, Gokudera had to work harder to keep up his hostile exterior, while Yamamoto was more prone to seriousness if the situation required it. They made a good pair, and Tsuna was proud of them.

"Tsuna-kun?"

Enma was standing in front of the bakery they had just left. He was carrying two paper bags which probably contained Basil's and Colonello's present in one hand, and in the other, a bouquet of blue flowers. Tsuna wondered who were they for.

"Enma-kun!" he greeted, getting away from Mukuro's grasp to approach his friend. It didn't occur to him that it was strange for Enma to be in Italy for so long without his family. "Are you buying presents for Basil-kun and Colonello as well?"

"Yes, I justfinished,, " Enma said smiling.

"Um… do you mind giving us some ideas? We're kind of stuck" Tsuna asked sheepishly.

"Oh, sure… well I got Colonello-san a leather holster, and I'm going to give Basil a ring and these" Enma let Tsuna peek into his bags, but when he mentioned the flowers were also for Basil, he tilted his head.

"You're giving him flowers? Is it tradition to give someone flowers and jewelry on their birthday?" he asked. Enma chuckled as he ducked his head, trying to hide his blush.

"It's actually a tradition everywhere, Tsuna-kun if it's for a special person…" he trailed off. Tsuna got the hint and smiled a bit wickedly.

"You're too young to propose, Enma-kun" he chided gently. Enma blushed even more.

"Tsuna-kun!"

"I'm just kidding" Tsuna winked. "I'm happy for you and Basil-kun. You make a good pair. What did your family say?"

Enma ducked his head and looked the other way once again, but for another reason. Tsuna narrowed his eyes. "You told them, didn't you?"

"Um, well, you know… you know how Adeleid gets…"

"Enma-kun! It's your family! You should tell them these things" Tsuna scolded, but his frown of indignation turned into one of confusion when Enma raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"Well, I'm sorry my crush wasn't as obvious as yours" he retorted. It was Tsuna's turn to blush.

"That's…! It wasn't that obvious!" he protested. His friend laughed and patted him on the shoulder.

"Look at the bright side, at least you don't have to break the news to anyone" Enma consoled him. "Well, except to Hibari-san, I guess"

"Enma-kun, just help me out here…" Tsuna pouted. "I can't think of anything for Colonello or Basil-kun…"

Enma was thoughtful for a minute. "Maybe you could give them something hand-made? Basil really appreciates those sorts of things"

"But I have four hours before the party!"

"Well, it can be something easy, like a cake. You're good at that!" Enma smiled. Tsuna's eyes lit up.

"Enma-kun, you're a genius!" he exclaimed as he hugged his friend, careful not to damage the flowers. He grabbed Mukuro's hand as he guided them back into the bakery, followed by a grunting Gokudera and an amused Yamamoto.

Everything began to run smoothly when Gokudera took over the translation. Tsuna had realized Mukuro was not being quite accurate when the owned had started showing them wedding cakes.

After Gokudera explained the situation, the man smiled happily and guided them towards the back, talking excitedly about something Tsuna couldn't quite catch. The kitchen, quite big for the size of the front store, consisted mainly of the silver equipment and tools. The owner, Niccolo, as Gokudera told to him, showed them the pantry, storage room and fridge, quickly explaining where everything was, before going back to the front with a smile.

"What did he say, Gokudera-kun?" Tsuna asked as he tied a pink apron with a cupcake in the chest around his waist. He had mostly understood the man's indications thanks to his gestures but was afraid he had missed something important.

"You gave him an idea for a new business, something about personalized cakes" Gokudera shrugged as he picked up an apron for himself.

"What are you doing, Gokudera-kun?" Tsuna frowned. "

"Yamamoto and you still have to buy a present!"

"I won't leave you alone with this pervert, Tenth!" Gokudera glared at Mukuro, who was innocently tying a white and purple striped apron to his waist.

"Well, he has to buy a present, too..." Tsuna pointed out, looking at his Mist Guardian. Mukuro pouted.

"Why, do you want to be left alone, Tsunayoshi? I'm hurt"

"Are you sure you'll be alright, Tsuna? We don't mind" Yamamoto piped in.

"Um, yes! I'll be fine" Tsuna smiled up at his friends. Gokudera looked sad for a moment before he glared at Mukuro again.

"After you, pineapple" he growled out. Mukuro attempted to lean in and kiss Tsuna's cheek, but Gokudera grabbed his face and directed it towards the door. Yamamoto followed as he waved at Tsuna, who waved back.

Once everyone was out, the brunet allowed himself to sigh. Even though he really enjoyed his friends' company, sometimes they could be a little overbearing. He appreciated silence once in a while, especially when he was cooking.

Tsuna was good in the kitchen. Not excellent by any means, but he managed, and when he was confident with what he was doing, it turned out slightly above average –Reborn had said that and it was quite hard to get a compliment out of that baby, so Tsuna counted it as a success.

He had less than five hours to prepare two desserts that did not require refrigeration or preparation time and were also personalized for his friends...

"Swiss roll?" he pondered out loud. It could work. He had made it before, and with a template, he could draw some pictures on the sides. He knew for a fact that Colonello liked them –he had seen him swallow one whole once –and Basil would like it as well, with his sweet tooth and all.

Once his mind was made up, he set out to work. First, he found a printer in the back and got the templates; dolphins for Basil, eagles for Colonello. He also got his hands on a recipe, just in case he forgot about anything important.

After that, he pulled out the bowls and whisks from their places and started on the mixture. It was a slow process because, instead of getting all of the ingredients out, he took them out of the fridge and pantry one by one, and cleaned up after he used them. He had discovered this was the most effective way not to make an absolute mess out of the kitchen, as it had turned out after his first time.

If he had been able to see himself working, Tsuna would have been impressed. He was extremely meticulous in his measurements and remembered all the tips his mother had given him. He kept the air in the mixture as he combined everything together, then separated the amounts in order to dye them.

Decorating was not his favorite part. It required the use of fine motor skills, which he didn't have. He lined the baking sheet with his dolphin template and baking paper. He then used a piping bag with blue mixture to outline the shape and filled it after placing chocolate chips for the eyes. Before he poured the non-dyed mixture over, an idea occurred to him. He separated a part and dyed it red, and put the symbol of Enma's eyes in between each dolphin. The colors kind of clashed, but he was sure Basil would get the message.

For Colonello, he used brown and while for the eagles' bodies, and yellow for the beaks. He also attempted to draw Lal Mirch's goggles, which turned out quite acceptable.

While the dough was in the oven, Tsuna found some pre-made buttercream. He died one blue and one red, and was about to settle down to wait when something caught his attention. Behind a bucket of fondant, he found yellow, orange, purple and lilac marzipan scraps wrapped in plastic. Niccolo probably made his marzipan fresh every day, so those pieces would go to waste. An idea occurred to him.

He wasn't that good at sculpting; ever since kindergarten and all through elementary and middle school, his clay creations had always came out as formless lumps. But this time, the models were quite clear in his head. First, he made a yellow ball with a little tail and an elongated, orange beak for Hibird, using chocolate chips for the eyes. He used a fork to simulate the texture of feathers. Hibird ended up looking like a kiwi with eyes, but that was as far his his abilities went. He proceeded to pinch a ball of purple marzipan for Roll. He added a lilac cone with a little black nose, and used two shiny edible beads for the eyes.

The whole process only took a few minutes. By the time he was done, the rolls had already finished baking. All he had to do was fill them, wrap them in the gift boxes Niccolo had showed him earlier, and go to the register to pay, not before cleaning up and taking off the apron. When Niccolo saw the pastries, he gave him a thumbs up and a discount.

Tsuna left the store with a satisfied smile. He considered texting Gokudera to meet up at the main street and head home together, but the sound of a distant explosion made him change his mind. He found the main street and started the walk home to prepare for the party.

Apparently, the birthday party would be held at the headquarters in Palermo. Usually, they celebrated in the Venice offices, which concentrated the most activity, but they had made an exception for Tsuna and Iemitsu.

Nana was under the impression they were going to a party with Iemitsu's co-workers, and since she wasn't technically wrong, Tsuna didn't bother to let her know what it actually implied. There were more accountants, lawyers and secretaries in the CEDEF that there were actual thugs and hitmen anyway, so it wasn't that likely that she would come across someone visibly dangerous. Keeping her in the dark would be fairly easy.

His mom was obliviously ecstatic. She had always wanted to meet her husband's working partners, and had made sure to appear nice and neat to make a good impression. As it was an informal meeting, held immediately after working hours had ended, she didn't have to buy a gown, but her skirt, blouse and her smile made her look like a star, at least in Iemitsu's eyes.

"Is everybody ready?" Nana was gathering the children at the back door, where Iemitsu, who had insisted on driving, had parked the car. Fuuta, Lambo, I-Pin, Bianchi and Reborn would go along with them.

"Yes, Maman. We should go now" Reborn said from Bianchi's shoulder as she entered the back seat. Iemitsu honked for the other three kids to go in as well.

Tsuna and his Guardians were sprawled out on the couch and seats in the living room, waiting for Mario and the other drivers, who had had to run some errands before picking them up. Mukuro was arguing with Gokudera; Yamamoto, Chrome and Ryohei were chatting, and Tsuna was trying not to make a fool of himself as he stared at Hibari from the corner of his eye.

He had never taken a picture of Hibari for his diary, because that would be borderline stalkerish, but he was seriously considering it at that moment. Instead of wearing his usual uniform, Hibari-san was wearing a purple t-shirt with a white graphic design, black jeans and sneakers. Tsuna liked how Hibari-san looked in his button-up shirt and pants, liked his authoritarian, dangerous aura, but now he managed to look even hotter. Well, perhaps he was a little biased. For him, Hibari-san could be dressed in rags and still be handsome. He could even be naked…

OH, MY GOD, STOP!, he shook his head and blushed furiously at the thought, earning the worried (and amused) glances of the rest of his friends. Luckily, Hibari-san was busy scowling at the door, oblivious.

Quickly recovering his composure, Tsuna looked down at his own jeans and orange hoodie. He was carrying the bag with his presents for his friends, having left Hibari-san's treats in the fridge for breakfast the following morning. He frowned as he noticed as he noticed the way his oversized jeans and orange hoodie wrinkled around his body. He had never really paid much attention to his appearance, since he wore his uniform almost every day of the week, but now he began to feel self-conscious. He would have to step up his game if he wanted Hibari-san to notice him. Perhaps he could ask Haru and Kyoko for help…

"Mario's here!" Nana called from outside. They got out to see three cars parked beyond on the pathway. Tsuna didn't know how, but he ended up in a car alone with Hibari-san. He suspected Mukuro had a lot to do with it, although his intentions were kind of ambiguous. Was he giving Tsuna a chance to spend some alone time with his crush, or just hoping one of them would end up dead?"

"How strange you are not going with your boyfriend" Hibari-san commented. Tsuna frowned.

"You mean Gokudera-kun?" he asked, clueless. Apparently, it was the wrong thing to ask, because Hibari-san growled. Tsuna whimpered and fought the urge to scoot away.

Just how many boyfriends did Tsuna have that Hibari had to specify? He looked innocent and pure, but the brunet was actually a predator. And Hibari did not like that, he didn't want Tsuna to be a carnivore. Well, he did, but not in that aspect in particular. Not that he cared about any aspect of Tsuna's life, obviously.

"I mean the pineapple," he said lowly, his tone making Tsuna shiver. He smirked at that.

"Um, well, he's not my boyfriend…" Tsuna began.

"So he's a friend with benefits" he clarified. Tsuna looked horrified.

"No! We're not… I-I mean, he just tries to make me uncomfortable! B-besides, who would ever want to date me? Haha..." Tsuna had began flailing his arms, but by the end of the sentence he was looking at the floor, a sad gleam in his eyes.

"Are you really that upset you don't have a partner, herbivore? It's nothing but a waste of time" Hibari attempted to comfort the brunet, but his words only seemed to sadden him further. He cleared his throat. "You should focus on more important things, like getting stronger"

That brought a small smile to Tsuna's face, which pleased him. "Fighting is very important to you, isn't it, Hibari-san?" Tsuna questioned softly.

He shrugged, grunting in agreement. For reasons Hibari didn't understand, Tsuna smiled even more at his gesture.

"I never thanked you properly for training with me," Tsuna said.

"You've been making me breakfast. And you showed me that projection of Namimori" Hibari felt the need to remind him. He did appreciate those gestures from the brunet, even if he didn't show it.

"Still… thank you very much, Hibari-san" Tsuna bowed his head slightly, his eyes shining with honest gratitude. Hibari forced himself to look away.

The party was being held at a restaurant where the tables and chairs had been replaced with sofas and one large buffet table. Only the officers from Basil and Colonello's branch had attended, some with their families and some alone. It both surprised and pleased Tsuna that most of them greeted him informally, like he was just another member of the family. Basil and Colonello received his gifts with gratitude —he gave Basil a knowing look when he noticed the silver ring he was wearing— and then they were off to greet other guests.

It surprised Tsuna that not only Hibari and Mukuro had disappeared, but the rest of his Guardians as well. As he looked around the room, he noticed them mingling with the other guests. Chrome and Yamamoto were chatting with some Japanese officers who missed the language. Gokudera was loudly arguing about sports and being contradicted by Ryohei, who didn't understand Italian but disagreed anyways. Lambo, Fuuta and I-Pin were playing with other children, and Reborn was chatting with a group of specially shady-looking people. It seemed like he wouldn't have to chaperone for the night, and for that, Tsuna was thankful. He could finally enjoy himself.

"Decimo!"

Perhaps he had spoken too soon.

Andreas Tagliente smiled brightly at him as he turned around. He wore a suit that was barely holding itself together at the seams trying to contain all of his body mass, but what Tsuna found most horrifying was that he was being pushed through the main door outside of the building. His guts were churning with apprehension. He didn't need his Hyper Intuition to know something was wrong.

Someone must've seen, he thought, somebody will notice I'm gone…

"Oh, what a sour face you have, son," Andreas said once they were in the parking lot. "Are you that displeased to see me?"

"Yes," Tsuna answered firmly. He focused on trying to look bigger and more confident than he seemed. "What do you want?"

"Glad you asked" Andreas's demeanor changed from mocking to threatening before Tsuna could blink. "There's a little problem I'm having concerning Vitalicia… and since she's your employee, it concerns you as well"

Andreas reached for his jacket's inner pocket, which made Tsuna tense, but he took out a mobile phone. Experience had taught Tsuna that could be a weapon either way, so he tapped his back pocket where he stored his pills.

But Andreas just showed him a picture of a man flying in a jetpack. "Rings a bell, right?"

It did. Just a few months before, that man, along with the rest of his family, had targeted him in the broad daylight among the busy streets of Namimori's shopping district. "Grigori?"

"Ah, you're smarter than they give you credit for, Decimo," Andreas said, smiling. "That's a member of the Grigori Famiglia flying a jetpack of Vitalicia's design. A design that, sadly, given the circumstances, was discontinued"

Tsuna couldn't keep up. Had Vitalicia conspired with the Grigori to have him killed? Discontinued?

"W-What?" was the only thing he could stutter out. Andreas growled.

"Vitalicia's only use is to make weapons to destroy my enemies, the Vongola included. The Grigori failed to do that, and so when the rumor spread that you wanted a bride, we decided that it's much easier to destroy a family from the inside. Don't be too disappointed on her, Decimo" Andreas clarified; smirking at Tsuna's lost and hurt expression. "She was against it all from the beginning. She thought she was saved when you asked her to join the Vongola, and she left... and you know what she started to do? She started to build defenses for the weapons she had created for me, so she could give them to you. Tell me, what kind of subordinate does that?"

"You being a bad father is not my fault" Tsuna snapped. "If you needed her so much, you should have treated her better!"

"That's why you'll be the Vongola's ruin" Andreas sighed. "Your subordinates will walk all over you. How sad"

"Where's Vita-san now? What do you want from me?" Tsuna demanded.

"Well, since you're her new boss, I thought you could help me convince her to destroy all her new weapons and come back to her family. Her real family"

"She'd never do that!"

"Oh, but she would"

Andreas showed Tsuna the end of a gun poking out from his side.

Ah, there it is, thought Tsuna as Andreas guided him towards his car.