"It feels like you're trying to avoid me."
Tsuna flinched inwardly at the accusing voice; the brunet slowly craned his head to look at a certain spartan tutor.
"Hey, Reborn..."
"My question before," Tsuna tensed slightly, but Reborn noticed. "Answer it--now."
Tsuna stayed silent, bangs shadowing his face.
"...Can we...go to my house first?"
"Mm."
Reborn hopped onto the brunet's head; the entire walk was filled with silence.
~~
Tsuna rubbed a thumb on the warm-orange mug in his hand, looking at the dark-brown coffee swirling inside.
Reborn himself was sipping a mug of espresso, gazing at Tsuna with unreadable, onyx eyes.
"...Will you tell me now?"
Tsuna flinched minutely, but Reborn easily noticed it.
"The truth will have to come out sooner or later, and you know it."
The ex-Decimo lowered his head slightly.
A few seconds passed before the brunet spoke.
"....Dead."
"Excuse me?"
The brunet raised his head; his eyes were distant.
"You were dead, Reborn. Gone."
The ex-Decimo gave a bitter smile to Reborn.
"When you...left, I honestly didn't know what to do." Tsuna gave a dry laugh, palming his forehead. "I guess I had subconsciously thought that you would be able to do anything. I shouldn't have been too dependent on you."
Krang!
"Ow! What the--!?"
"Don't be like that, Tsuna."
Nursing his abused head, the brunet blinked his eyes in surprise, gazing at Reborn with slight confusion.
"Reborn...?"
Reborn tipped his fedora up, so onyx eyes could meet sunset-orange ones.
The onyx eyes looked at Tsuna...with tenderness.
"...I may not know the you in the other world, but..." Reborn gave a small smile to the other. "I can see that you've become a wonderful boss, Tsuna."
Sunset-orange eyes widened before blurring with unshed tears as Reborn continued to speak.
"It's alright to depend on me, Tsuna, I am your tutor after all." The infant hitman hopped onto the brunet's knee. "Don't expect to do everything on your own, Tsuna. I'll always be there for you--even if my die, may my spirit guide you then."
Then the dam broke, and Tsuna let his tears flow from his eyes.
The ex-Decimo wiped them away, but they just kept on falling.
Reborn gave a small, fond smile to the other, patting a hand comfortingly on the brunet's knee.
"A mafia boss shouldn't cry, however...they also need to release their emotions when needed to."
Tsuna gave a watery laugh.
"Y-You always told me that...dang it..."
The brunet rubbed his palm into one of his eyes as the tears continued to flow.
"...I-I missed you, Reborn..."
"Heh, you could never do anything without me, right?"
"Haha! O-Of course, you little spawn of Satan..."