Chapter Text
Cherry blossoms fell from the large, hundred year old tree that sat in the courtyard of the Hibari clan compound. The petals twirled and danced in the air like a light pink, unmelting snow. It was peaceful. A nice change from his usually hectic life.
Fon exhaled and sipped at the tea his niece had brought out to him moments ago. He had somehow managed to make time in his busy schedule as a hitman for the triads to visit his only living family, something he hadn’t been able to do in quite some time. Last time he had managed to slip away, it was for his niece’s wedding to the head of the Hibari clan. It had been seven years since then, and he now had a five year old grand nephew who seemed to not like him. At all.
He had tried, of course, but the boy only growled at him, called him a ‘red carnivore’, and tried to attack him with his pair of little wooden tonfa that his father had given him. It was both amusing and concerning.
With the topic of his grand nephew on his mind, he started wondering where Kyoya was. The boy should have been back from kindergarten by now. Perhaps he had taken a detour to ‘bite to death’ some delinquents, as he liked to say. Despite his age, he could still soundly beat middle schoolers. Give him another decade and he might even be able to land a blow on his Storm Arcobaleno of a great uncle.
As this train of thought ran its course, Fon sensed his great nephew’s cloud flames arriving at the compound gates. But he didn’t seem to be alone. He could feel the burning flames of a sky, and a strong one at that, walking beside him. Fon furrowed his brow, what was his nephew doing with a sky flame user? They clearly weren’t a threat, if they were, Kyoya’s flames would be fighting tooth and nail to get away. They were, instead, leaning towards the sky. The two were linked, like an unbreakable chain. A new guardian bond. Fon widened his eyes as he realized this. He would have noticed the beginnings of such a significant bond if they were there yesterday, so they had to have just come into existence today. But Bonds like this, as strong as this, didn’t just happen. They usually took time and effort from both parties. Just how strong was this sky his nephew had stumbled upon?
Fon heard the shogi doors to the sitting room slide open and shut, snapping him out of his musings. He placed his usual serene, closed eye smile on his face as he turned to greet his nephew and his Sky.
“Ah, Kyoya, I see you made it home safely, and that you brought a friend with you.”, he said in his usual polite and airy voice, opening his eyes in an attempt to catch a glimpse of his nephew’s sky. He was disappointed as said Sky was hiding behind their Cloud. All he caught was a glimpse of dark black hair.
Kyoya glared at him, “No, I have not brought a friend. I have brought you a baby carnivore, my new alpha.”, the boy said, puffing out his chest in pride. He then nudged the child behind him forward, bringing them into Fon’s line of sight.
The sky that had been the cause of much musing for Fon was a little girl, no older than 3 or 4. She had long, fluffy looking black hair, big chestnut brown eyes and pale skin. She would most likely grow up to be very beautiful, he mused absently. But her appearance wasn’t what he was concerned with. Fon probed the child’s flames gently, trying to get a feel for just how strong they were. With just a light brush, he felt warmth and contentment unlike anything he had felt with Luce. This child’s flames were warm and happy and home, just like that, his own calm storm was irrevocably linked to this child’s all accompassing sky.
This was something the child seemed to recognize as well, because as soon as the bond was formed her face lit up and she ran towards him, her earlier reservations forgotten. She embraced his torso as he looked down at her, surprised by her boldness. Then, she uttered a single, impossibly true word.
“Mine!”, she said in a definitive tone, with a wide grin on her face.
Fon only looked down at her in mild shock, before he smiled back softly, and embraced her as well.
“Yes child, yours. I am yours.”, he said in a declarative tone he didn’t know he was capable of.
They stood there embracing for sometime, before they finally released one another due to Kyoya’s annoyance of not yet receiving any attention from his sky. Which he now had to share with the red carnivore, how annoying.
The two guardians then spent the next few hours listening to their sky speak. Her name was Tsunami Sano, she was four and her favorite color was orange. Apparently Kyoya had bonded with her in a similar manner to the way he did, having probed her flames at the start of their first day at kindergarten together without realizing it and immediately bonding with her. He had then proceeded to become extremely territorial, trying to bite to death anyone that came near his sky, including their teacher, who gave up trying to separate the two as soon as she found out Kyoya’s last name. They spent the whole day curled up together, under the shade of a large oak tree on the playground, with Tsuna (as she preferred to be called) talking and him listening. When they realized it was time to go home, Kyoya had taken her by the hand and led her back to his home. Apparently, the possessive Cloud intended to keep his Sky with him at all times, despite what her parents would most likely have to say on the situation.
This was where Fon finally jumped into the conversation, understanding that Kyoya’s attempt to keep his sky close would most likely be perceived as kidnapping by the child’s parents.
“Kyoya, did you speak to our sky’s parents before you brought her here?”, he inquired with a raised eyebrow. Their sky, his sky. He liked the way those words sounded as they rolled off his tongue.
Kyoya huffed and looked away, “No.”, he stated simply.
Fon sighed. This was going to be quite the mess.
“Well, we should try to find her parents and inform them of where she is. They are probably turning the town upside down looking for her.”, he stated, before getting up and walking over to the shoji door to leave the house and begin the search for Tsuna’s parents. He was stopped, however, when his niece slid the door open slightly to peek her head in, a smile on her face that looked so much like her son’s when he had won a particularly interesting spar.
“Oh Fon, it seems we have a visitor~.”, Mei-lin Hibari nee Yuen purred with a look in her eyes that said someone was going to suffer. Fon gulped. He may be one of the strongest people in the underworld, but even he was not invincible in the face of his niece’s wrath.
“A-and who would that be, my dear?”, the storm Arcobaleno asked, hoping she didn’t notice him sweating as he gave her a closed-eye smile, suddenly very afraid for both himself and his grand nephew. Kyoya, on the other hand, didn’t look afraid at all, and instead crossed his arms and glared at his mother from his place at the chabudai, with Tsuna looking over him to watch the interaction curiously.
‘Please look away, child.’, Fon pleaded in his mind, resisting the urge to cry. ‘Please don’t let my Sky’s first impression of me involve my niece hitting me with a rolling pin.’
Mei-lin’s smile mirrored Fon’s, and she slid the door open further to reveal a second figure.
“A Mr. Manjiro Sano has come to see us. Apparently, he has reason to believe we kidnapped his daughter. Care to explain that, Fon?”, the black haired woman explained, a clear threat in her voice.
Fon stared at the man before him. He certainly wasn’t the tallest (which was funny coming from the man who spent several decades of his life a two year old), but he had an intimidating air about him; an ‘I will speak and you will listen’ sort of feel. He looked young too, especially for a father, with his soft, almost delicate features and long free-flowing hair too light of a blonde to be natural (even by the standards of the odd hair colors he had encountered during his time in the triads). His clothes weren’t what he was expecting either; black jeans, black sneakers, a black jacket and a yellow t-shirt. He looked like a teenager (and could very well be one), but Fon was convinced he was Tsuna’s father for two reasons.
One, he was the spitting image of Tsuna in the face. They had different hair and eye colors (blonde and black, respectively), but other than that, the girl was his clone. Two, the look in his pupiless black eyes. It was the look of an angry predator whose young had just been threatened, and he was ready to pounce.
Tsuna’s father (Manjiro, his mind supplied), stalked forward, hands in his pockets and eyes wide and angry. As when he came within view of the children, Tsuna gasped and shot up with a grin.
“Daddy!”, she yelled happily, throwing her hands up in glee. Both Kyoya and Fon gulped at the sight of the angry man, and for the first time in both their lives, they both thought the exact same thing.
‘Oh no.’
—-------------------------------------------------
Manjiro Sano, the ‘Invincible Mikey’ himself (not that he went by that name much nowadays), was freaking out.
It had been a normal day (well, as normal as his only child’s first day of kindergarten could be for him); he woke up beside one of the most beautiful people in the world, helped Nana make sure Tsuna had everything, made breakfast, kissed his wife goodbye and hugged his daughter tightly before they left for work and school respectively, trying not to cry because his baby girl was growing up all the while.
Like he said, just a normal day.
The rest of the day had passed by in a blur of cleaning and prepping dinner while his darling wife went to work as a professor of mythology at the local university, the absence of his daughter very much apparent due to the woefully quiet house. It had stayed that way until three, when he had left to get said absent daughter from school.
That was when things went to shit.
“What do you mean she’s not here?!”, Manjiro yelled at Tsuna’s teacher in her now empty classroom, a small young woman who looked very afraid of him, flinching every time he spoke.
‘Good.’, he thought, glaring at the woman who had just told him his daughter was no longer at school. ‘You should be.’
“I-I told you sir, she already left!”, she stuttered, bland brown eyes dilated in fear. Manjiro glared at her harder.
“Well where did she go?! You’re a teacher! It’s your job to make sure shit like this doesn’t happen! If I find out anything has happened to my daughter, so help me God I will- !”, the blonde started to yell, stalking closer to the terrified woman, only to be interrupted by said woman jumping back, covering her face with her hands and squeaking out a single sentence.
“S-she left with Hibari Kyoya!”, she said. Mikey now looked very confused. The Hibari’s were the oldest and wealthiest family in the moderately sized city of Namimori. They had lived there since its founding, and owned practically everything in town and the surrounding areas. The patriarch, Kyoharu Hibari, was the chief of police, and his wife was a wealthy business woman from what Nana had told him. Yet despite this, they were rarely ever seen in public, preferring to keep to themselves, much to the disapproval of the Namimori rumor mill, run by the local bored housewives. They also, rather conveniently, had a son named Kyoya. ‘Okay’, Mikey thought as the teacher finally started to calm down, ‘but that begs the question… ‘
“What the hell does Hibari Kyoya want with my daughter?”, he asked. The woman uncovered her face and began to nervously explain.
“H-he came to school, a-and he was acting normal until he saw Tsunami. When he saw her, h-he basically took her hostage and made her stay outside with him all day. W-when school ended, he left and took her with him. We tried to stop him! B-but he kept threatening to attack the staff that tried!”, the woman explained, doing so more fervently when Mikey began to look even angrier. This did nothing to soothe him.
“He is five. What could he possibly do to you?!”, he asked through gritted teeth, completely ignoring the fact he himself was dropping people twice his size like flies at this age. The woman shrieked.
“H-he likely took her home! I can give you his address!”, she yelled as if she had been stabbed (memories of that hellish Halloween flashed through his head at the comparison. Kazutora’s blood on his fists, Takemichi’s unintentional rousing speech, that traitor Kisaki’s face, Baji, a smile on his face and a knife in his hands as he- )
Mikey shook his head. Now was not the time for ghosts of the past.
The woman shakily pulled out a student file from her desk, wrote something down on a piece of paper, and handed it to him.
“H-here.”, she stammered. Mikey took it from her, read the address, and walked out without a word.
-------------------------------------------------------
Tsuna ran up to her father and hugged him around the waist, her joy at seeing him seeping into the air. She wasn’t sure he or Mama would find her, but now he had and she could tell him all about her new friend Kyo and his Uncle Fon and how they were hers now (Fon said so!) and-
Tsuna was promptly picked up before she could voice any of this. Manjiro placed her on his hip and glared hard at the man and boy in front of him.
“What in God’s name possessed you to kidnap my child? Huh kid?”, the black eyed man asked Kyoya, who stiffened under the scrutiny of the yellow carnivore. Manjiro raised an eyebrow.
“Well?”, he asked. Kyoya pouted, crossed his arms, and turned away from the man without a word. Tsuna tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned away from his daughter’s abductor to look at her, his expression instantly softening. Tsuna looked up at him with big brown eyes.
“Daddy, please don’t be mad at Kyo. He didn’t know you would be mad.”, she asked, her expression that of a kicked puppy. Majiro felt like the scum of the earth for making her look that way, so with a sigh, he immediately caved.
“It’s okay honey, Daddy’s not mad, he was just scared when he couldn’t find you. There’s no need to be sad.”, he explained (lied) to her; okay, it wasn’t a complete lie. He had been very scared for her… he had just been nearly as angry at Kyoya for taking her in the first place. Tsuna immediately perked up and gave him a bright smile that made Fon and Mei-lin wonder if she was secretly a Sun (a notion that was instantly scrapped. Her Sky flames were too powerful and too pure to be anything else).
“Yay! See Kyo, Daddy isn’t mad! Now let’s go play!”, she announced happily, jumping out of her father’s arms and running up to her new guardian, taking his hand into her own and dragging him out to the yard. Kyoya followed along without a single protest. Mikey, Fon and Mei-lin all watched them fondly, smiles on their faces. Once the children were out of earshot, however, Mikey’s smile dropped and he glared at Fon.
“Alright, I know you people aren’t normal. I don’t know how or why, but I do. So, I’m only going to ask this once; who are you?”, the artificial blonde asked dangerously. Ever since he had walked into the Hibari home, the little alarm in the back of his head that had been there ever since he could remember and had told him something was wrong with Shinichiro the night he had died had been blaring with all the subtlety of a smoke alarm. He had ignored it because Tsuna and her safety was far more important than what he thought felt right, but now that he knew she was safe he couldn’t ignore it anymore. The man called Fon felt the most off, with his serene smile that seemed to hide so much, with Kyoya being a close second. He was aggressive and vicious, that much he could tell from the first meeting alone. Not a threat to him, but likely to anyone who hadn’t spent most of their childhood fighting.
Fon gave him one of those peaceful smiles and gestured to the seat in front of him. Today just kept getting more and more interesting.
“I think you and I should talk. Please sit, Mr. Sano. It seems we have much to discuss.”, he stated cheerfully, though his voice had an ominous edge to it. Manjiro gave him a smile that mirrored the red-clad man’s tone.
“Please, call me Mikey.”, he said. It wasn’t a request.
After all, he thought, if he was going up against a wolf in sheep’s clothing, he might as well use every weapon at his disposal. Even if that weapon was only a childhood nickname, that nickname had still used to strike fear in the hearts of adults and children alike. Fon nodded, smile never faltering.
“Of course, Mikey. Mei-lin, care to join us?”, he asked the woman behind him. Mei-lin gave him a calm yet foreboding smile that seemed to run in the family and stepped closer to them.
“Naturally, Uncle.”, she answered. Mikey’s eyes widened at that. He knew Fon was likely related to the family somehow, given how much he looked like Kyoya and his mother, but he certainly didn’t look old enough to be the boy’s great uncle. Mikey took a seat in front of Fon and now Mei-lin, and he could only think one thing as he stared at the twin smiles that seemed to radiate some unknown power that was so familiar yet so foreign at the same time.
‘These people are definitely not normal.’
—-------------------------------------------------
It was dark out now. The conversation between the three adults had lasted well into the evening. At some point, a house staff member brought them dinner. Mikey barely noticed until Tsuna came to the table to eat with Kyoya and all previous conversation halted in favor of child-friendly small talk. He was too busy trying not to keel over in shock at what he had just been told. It would scare Tsuna, who was now playing with a still not tired Kyoya again like the little ball of energy she was. Nana had called soon after they ate, having gotten off of work a while ago and was shocked to return to an empty house. Mikey had reassured her that he and Tsuna were just visiting a new friend of hers, and that yes, they were both fine, when in reality, Mikey was the farthest thing from fine.
In fact, he was fucking losing it.
How the hell were you supposed to react to someone telling you they were a part of the goddamn triads? And not just the triads, a secret part of the triads with access to magical mafia fire. He knew Kyoya and his family weren’t normal, but Jesus Christ he had just expected them to be secret martial arts masters or something, not full-on members of organized crime. Did that mean the police in Namimori were dirty? Should he and Nana grab Tsuna and make a break for it?
Oh, but that was where the real problem lied. Tsuna was the focal point of this whole mess, because apparently, she had managed to form something called a ‘guardian bond’ with not only Kyoya, but Fon as well.
That, evidently, was a big deal.
“So let me get this straight, Tsuna is something called a Sky, you are a Storm, and the kid is a Cloud? And you all have magical mafia fire?”, Mikey said, trying to wrap his head around the situation. Fon nodded along to his words, smile still on his face.
“Yes, and they’re called dying will flames. I know this is coming as a bit of a shock- “, he started to say. Mikey crossed his arms and snorted.
“A shock is an understatement. ‘A shock’ was when I found out Tsuna was kidnapped by a five year old wielding tonfas. ‘A shock’ was when I found out said five year old was the richest kid in town. This is a goddamn bombshell the size of whatever the fuck they dropped on Hiroshima. You expect me to just roll with the punches here? You just told me some weird subset of the supernatural exists and there’s a whole secret world dedicated to it like this is Harry fucking Potter! I’m freaking out right now! Does this mean my daughter’s life is in danger? Is she going to be dragged into your world? I won’t let you bring her into this, goddamn it! I left Tokyo to get away from shit like this, not bring more people into it!”, the blonde hissed, raising his voice a bit to get his point across. When he finished speaking his eyes went wide in horror and he covered his mouth with his hand. He hadn’t meant to let that slip out. Fon and Mei-lin’s smiles widened a bit, but they were now much warmer than before.
“Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with us. But to answer your questions, little Tsunami won’t be brought into the flame triads, flame mafia or any of their affiliates so long as I can help it. I understand the desire to keep those close to you out of your mess, so rest assured I will do so with Tsunami. She will grow up happy, you have my word. However, there will come a day where we can no longer lie to her. She will notice things, and then we will have to at least make her aware.”, Fon reassured, going on to give the young father a warning, his smile dropping for a minute. Mikey raised an eyebrow.
“You’re making it sound like you plan to stick around.”, he observed. Fon’s eyes glinted in amusement at the man’s perceptiveness and he nodded as his smile returned.
“That’s because I do. Tsuna is my Sky, and to an element a Sky is like a home, a family and a purpose all in one. The Sky provides us with a sense of belonging and love and we in turn protect them with our lives and become those precious to them. An element can only ever have one Sky, and to lose that Sky would be like losing your heart. Since our bond is still fresh and Tsuna is so young, I must remain nearby for both our sakes, otherwise it will have ill mental and physical effects on us both. I will need to remain in Namimori for at least the next few weeks, and even after that I can only leave for a few days at a time until Tsuna is older, and even then it will likely be a few weeks at the most I can spend away from her. The same goes for Kyoya.”, the Chinese man elaborated. Mei-lin nodded in confirmation, and Mikey finally seemed to be processing everything.
“Okay, but what about when you tell her who you really are? What happens then?”, he asked. The alarm bell hadn’t rung at all at any of Fon’s explanations, so that meant he was telling the truth (no matter how absurd it sounded), so now he had moved onto ironing out the kinks of the situation. He didn’t like it, but this was his and his daughter’s reality now, so he might as well attempt to do what he just refused to and ‘roll with the punches’ for her sake. Fon’s smile brightened.
“That likely won’t be until her preteen years, but that’s when I’ll start educating her about flame mafia and the triads. It won’t be in preparation for a career in any of them, rather it will be all the information she will ever need if things ever do not go according to plan. Should all my efforts be in vain and she is dragged into the underworld, she will know how to conduct herself. I will also begin teaching her flames and martial arts as soon as possible. Regardless of whether or not she joins the underworld, she must know how to fight for practicality’s sake.”, the black haired man said. Mikey nodded in agreement.
“I agree. Nice to know you and I are more or less on the same page.”, the short man answered. Fon’s smile became a bit grim.
“Of course, there is the chance the unthinkable may happen and Tsuna is dragged into the triads or mafia; in that case I don’t want you to worry too much. Tsuna will be under the protection of not only the Hibari clan, but the Yuen family and I as well. My influence in the underworld may put a target on her back, but rest assured I would rather die than let her get hurt. I will protect Tsuna with my life, as will Kyoya.” , Fon said. Mei-lin gave Mikey a bright smile and nodded in agreement.
“He most certainly will, Sano-san. Fon is something called and Arcobaleno, one of the strongest flame users in the world. He is also the World’s Greatest Martial Artist, and Kyoya is shaping up to be a fine warrior himself. He and my son will also provide for Tsuna financially- not to say you can’t, but the combined wealth of the Yuen and Hibari families is nothing to sniff at. We will ensure Tsuna will want for nothing her entire life, you have our word.”, the woman promised as she bowed. Mikey looked at her in bewilderment.
“‘We’? Fon I get, but you? No offense Hibari-san, but what reason do you have to be so kind to my daughter?”, the black eyed man asked. Mei-lin did not look at all offended by the question; in fact, she looked ecstatic.
“Tsuna isn’t just a Sky, she’s an extremely powerful one. Anyone at least partially in control of their flames can sense her pure, strong flames. Her passive attraction is nothing to scoff at either, especially at this young age. She is powerful now and she will grow to be even more powerful in time.”, she started to explain. Mikey narrowed his eyes at her.
“So you want to endear yourself to my daughter so you can use her power?”, he asked dangerously. Both Mei-lin and Fon looked surprised by his question.
“No, never. I am simply honored your daughter would choose my son as her Cloud guardian. Cloud’s are the second rarest flame type besides Sky’s. They are territorial and antisocial, typically not wanting to attach themselves to a Sky, and Kyoya is one of the most intense ones I have ever met. For him to willingly and proudly become your daughter’s guardian means she is no less than a perfect fit for him, which means she is strong, willing to accept him as he is and compassionate. Some elements go their entire lives without ever finding a Sky, so for him to find one so powerful at such a young age… I could not be more thankful. Thanks to her, my son will always be cherished, and that is all a parent ever wants for their child.”, the gray eyed woman said with a grateful smile. Mikey was taken aback by her gratitude. Just how important was finding a Sky to these people? Fon answered his unspoken question.
“Sky’s make up a very small percent of the population, with awakened Sky’s making up an even smaller percent. Due to this and their coveted leadership abilities, they are held in the highest regard within our world. They head famiglias and most other underworld organizations, and are always given the utmost respect. Female sky’s are even rarer, so to be one in our world would be like being the highest ranking member of the ruling class. Should Tsuna ever enter our world, she would be treated like royalty.”, Fon went on, a smile still on his face. Mikey began to think. He had some important choices to make.
On the one hand, Tsuna could be put in danger by this strange new world this man and his family were tied to. She could be brought into organized crime, made more dangerous by the fact it had access to supernatural powers, and could be forced to become what he could have if he hadn’t left Shibuya.
But on the other hand, these people could provide his daughter with things he couldn’t. Like wealth, and protection expanding beyond just him. And while he knew Tsuna didn’t care about money (and not just because she was four), he cared about her protection.
If what Fon said was true, his protection could also put a target on his back. But what was a lure for guppies in the face of a shark? If Fon was really as strong as he and his niece claimed (which the alarm bell hadn’t refuted), no one stupid enough to try anything would be able to succeed. She would be safe, and have a happy childhood not filled with fighting and blood and death.
They could make certain she would have what he didn’t.
Mikey took a deep breath and let it out. He had made his decision.
“Alright, I’ll make this perfectly clear; I don’t trust you people. Not yet, at least. You’re involved with the mob, you have access to powers I don’t, and just by associating with her, you’re exposing my daughter to your world. That being said, you’re strong. I can feel it, and you have access to resources I don’t. Like copious amounts of money, and I know that is very beneficial to Tsuna. Not to mention you need to stay near her for the sake of her health if this bond really entails what you say it does (‘it does’, the alarm informed him, managing to use actual words for what felt like the first time), so you can be a part of her life.”, Mikey said. Fon and Mei-lin looked happy he was allowing this (not that they wouldn’t have found a way to stay in Tsuna’s life with or without his consent). Then, Mikey narrowed his eyes at them and leaned forward in his seat.
“However, if you ever hurt Tsuna in any way, emotionally or physically, directly or indirectly, I am leaving with my wife and child and you will never see us again. I may have less connections than you likely do, and I may not have flames, but I can assure I’m very good at hiding when I need to be.”, the man promised.
‘How do you think I’ve hidden from Takemichi and the others for this long?’, he thought to himself, very conscious of what was coming out of his mouth so he didn’t make another slip. Fon and Mei-lin didn’t look at all threatened by his words; in fact, they looked rather pleased.
“I would expect nothing less from my Sky’s father. I encourage you to follow through with this promise should I ever be foolish enough to do these things, because if I did, I would not be a proper guardian and it would be safe to separate us. For your words, you have our respect, Sano-san.”, Fon said, bowing at the waist along with Mei-lin. Mikey watched them with a blank expression, but deep inside he approved. Looking out into the yard, he searched for his daughter in the dark garden. They needed to get home to Nana before she had a stroke wondering why they were out so late.
“Where’s Tsuna? I don’t see her or the kid in the yard.”, he said, feeling the panic begin to bubble within him. Fon looked worried as well as he did a quick once over of the yard. Mei-lin, meanwhile, merely giggled.
“I think I know where they might be~.” she said mischievously. Fon and Mikey looked at her in surprise.
“Well, where are they?”, the blonde asked impatiently. Mei-lin’s smile grew.
—----—------------------------------------------------------
Mikey looked down at the two sleeping children in silent rage. Mei-lin had led them to a room deeper within the house filled with child-sized martial arts equipment, animal plushies and the color purple. It hadn’t taken him long to figure out it was Kyoya’s room.
Mei-lin had then led him and Fon to the bed, then, he had seen it. Under the purple comforter, laid Kyoya and his daughter, curled up adorably together in sleep. Nana would have been beside herself at the cuteness of it all. Mikey, however, was pissed.
“Aren’t they just the cutest~?”, Mei-lin asked in a manner not unlike his wife. Fon chuckled behind his sleeve.
“Indeed. Now Mikey-san, why do you look so angry? they’re merely children, it’s only innocent affection.”, the man in red teased. Mikey turned to glare at him, arms crossed.
“Well excuse me if I don’t want the tiny child-napper in bed with my daughter.”, he hissed quietly so as to not wake Tsuna. Fon raised an eyebrow.
“Are you saying you wouldn’t care if they were both boys?”, he asked. Mikey straightened up at that. He hadn’t thought his words could be interpreted that way.
“No, I would act the same way if Tsuna was a boy. I’m overprotective because Tsuna is my child, not because she is my daughter. I’m protective, not sexist.”, he defended.
Besided, Nana wouldn’t have married him if he was. She had been a raging feminist in their younger days, and still was currently. She had dragged him to countless feminist rallies and protests over the years, which had in turn made him one, and while they didn’t go to as many anymore due to work and Tsuna, they hoped they could take her to one when she was old enough to handle the chaos. Fon smiled at him.
“I’m well aware. I was just teasing.”, he said. In reality he was testing his views. He wanted to make sure his Sky was being treated equally. Mikey sighed and leaned down to whisper in Tsuna’s ear.
“Time to get up, baby. We’ve gotta go home to Mama.”, he said to her sweetly. Tsuna groaned and buried her face into Kyoya’s neck. Mikey sighed again and went to pick her up, only to be halted by Kyoya opening his eyes to glare at him. The boy growled at him.
“No.”, he spat at him. Mikey glared back at the boy.
“She has to go home, kid. You’ll see her again tomorrow at school.”, the man told him. Kyoya clung tighter to the still sleeping Tsuna.
“No! She’s mine!”, he growled slightly louder, but not loud enough to wake his Sky. Mikey was about to tell him just what he thought about that claim when Fon intervened.
“Now now Kyoya, be nice. This is our Sky’s father. She loves him and will miss him if you don’t let her leave, as will her mother. Missing them will make Tsuna sad. You don’t want to make Tsuna sad, right?”, the Arcobaleno reasoned. Kyoya avoided his gaze and pouted a bit, before realizing he was right and loosening his grip on Tsuna. Before he released her completely, however, he nuzzled his face into her neck one final time.
“My Sky.”, he mumbled into her neck one final time, his eyes closed as he took in her scent. Oranges, woodsmoke and happiness. Mikey glared harder at him while Fon and Mei-lin both laughed quietly.
“Yes, your Sky. Now let her go.”, the triad member said. Kyoya whined a bit but did as he was told. Mikey picked up the still soundly sleeping Tsuna and put her on his hip, her head laying in the crook of his neck. Mei-lin and Fon bade Kyoya a quick goodnight and led the short man to the front door of the estate. The two adults stood in the doorway, bowing at the waist to Mikey and the sleeping Tsuna, who stood outside in front of them.
“Thank you for gracing us with you and your daughter’s presence, Sano-san. We apologize once more for all the trouble Kyoya has caused. We wish you and Tsunami a wonderful evening and we look forward to your next visit.”, Mei-lin said formally. Fon stood up straight, walking up to Mikey and Tsuna. Mikey flinched away from him, reflexively moving to protect his child. He stopped, however, when he remembered Tsuna was in no danger from him. Fon raised a hand to touch her, and Mikey reluctantly allowed him to. The storm Arcobeleno gently caressed her hair and leaned down to whisper something Mikey couldn’t understand in her ear.
“Wǎn'ān, wǒ de xiǎo tiānkōng.” (Goodnight, my little Sky), he said so quietly the girl herself could likely barely hear it, before placing a soft kiss on her hair, causing Mikey to yank her back away from him and glare fiercely at him. Fon merely smiled.
“We have your numbers. We’ll be in touch.”, Mikey said, before turning on his heels to leave with Tsuna in his arms. They walked down the stone path through the well-landscaped estate back out to the street, where the car was parked. Mikey bucked Tsuna into her carseat without waking her up and got in the driver’s seat. Once he was bucked in and the door was shut, he checked to see if Tsuna was still asleep one last time before burying his face in his hands.
“Shinichiro, Emma, Keisuke, please… if you can hear me, please help me not screw this up. Please help me make this work for their sake. Please help me keep Nana and Tsuna safe.”, he prayed to his fallen loved ones, resisting the urge to sob. After a few moments, he lifted his head out of his hands and looked at the sky out the window, the full moon glowing on the clear night. Tears welled in his eyes.
“Please help me not become the villain.”, he pleaded in a voice barely above a whisper. Tsuna, ever the observant child, sensed her father’s distress and woke from her sleep. She looked at her crying father with big, brown eyes.
“Daddy? Why are you crying?”, she asked innocently. Mikey stiffened when he heard her voice, forcing a smile that had fooled so many of his friends throughout the years and wiping his tears away as he turned to face her.
“No reason, baby. Daddy’s just had a rough day- “, he started to explain, before Tsuna shot him a serious look, her eyes gaining that amber tint they always did when she got serious. That amber tint that reminded him so much of Baji.
“It’s okay not to be okay, Daddy.”, she told him in a voice that made her sound so much more grown up than she was. Mikey’s fake smile immediately dropped and he started sobbing loudly (which he shouldn’t be doing, because he had to be strong for her and Nana, like he was for Emma when Shinichiro died. Like he was for Toman when Baji died. Like he was for Draken when Emma died. He always had to be strong). Tsuna unbuckled her seatbelt without a word and crawled into his arms. Mikey held her tightly in his arms, as if she might disappear (and with his family’s track record, he always felt like she would), and sobbed into her hair. Tsuna clung to him tightly as well.
“It’ll be okay, Daddy.”, she comforted. Mikey cried harder
Tsuna didn’t know why her Daddy was sad, but she knew it would be okay. That warm part of her told her so, and she was starting to realize that when it told her something, it was right.
So when she said it would be okay, she knew it would be okay.
Mikey held her and cried for quite a while. When he finally calmed down, Tsuna gave him one last hug and crawled back into her carseat, buckling herself in like she had seen her Daddy do so many times. Mikey wiped his face with some tissues Nana always insisted on keeping in the car and chuckled quietly to himself when he realized something.
‘I’m turning into Takemichi.’, he thought to himself. Since when was the ‘Invincible Mikey’ such a cry baby? Tsuna tilted her head and looked at him curiously.
“What’s so funny, Daddy?”, she asked. Mikey laughed a bit and shook his head.
“Nothing baby. Now let’s go home, Mama’s probably worried sick.”, he said, his voice a bit hoarse from crying as he turned on the ignition. Tsuna’s eyes got even wider.
“Like that time you lost me at the store?”, she asked curiously. Mikey laughed nervously as he recalled the ‘Supermarket Incident’ as he and Nana liked to call it. When Tsuna was two and had just figured out what running was, she had decided the grocery store was the perfect place to play a game of hide-and-go-seek. Mikey spent three hours looking for her before he called Nana out of work in a panic to help him find her. They had found her in the meat section, hiding under a pile of bacon. They had been caught between laughing at her hilarious ingenuity of crying at the thought of nearly losing their only child and just decided to do both, much to the confusion and concern of Tsuna.
“Yeah baby, like that.”, he answered. Tsuna had just reminded him of one glaring issue he had to deal with soon. The black haired girl nodded and stared out the window, suddenly fascinated by the moon and streetlights. Mikey now only had one panicked thought on his mind as he pulled out of his parking space and started driving home.
‘How the hell am I going to explain this to Nana?'