83Verse: Civilian Tsuna (plus R27)
Dedicated to Mel Writer.
1. burn the sun to let the shadows free
There was someone in his apartment. Even though Tsuna was dead on his feet and barely able to think about anything other than returning to the office as soon as he could at four in the morning, he hadn't survived this long without some finely-tuned survival instincts.
Briefly, Tsuna considered not entering. The thought of a hot shower and something to eat was enough to sway him. There was someone in his apartment, but not someone dangerous to him.
His keys jangled lightly when he unlocked the door. His exhaustion dampened any fear in him when he stepped into the foyer. The lights were off. A pair of familiar, expensive dress shoes was laid down neatly on the worn welcome mat. Droplets of blood trailed in further to the living room.
Tsuna stiffened. "Reborn-san?" He toed off his shoes and darted inside. His breath hitched when he saw his elusive next-door neighbor on his couch, which was soaked with blood. Reborn didn't bleed, or rather, Tsuna had never thought the man could bleed. And Reborn was bleeding everywhere. "Reborn-san, what happened? Are you okay? Ah, wait, I have a first-aid kit! G—Give me a minute! I'll be right back!"
Reborn didn't look up from disassembling his gun as if Tsuna wasn't there, but his shoulders relaxed just slightly when Tsuna spoke. Tsuna's hands were oddly steady once he retrieved the first aid kit from his bathroom and returned to the living room. Without qualms, he lightly smacked Reborn's hands away from assembling his bloody gun again. It looked like that was the only thing Reborn had been doing since however long he was here.
"Reborn-san, let me see your wounds," Tsuna said, kneeling by Reborn's feet and opening the large kit. It'd been a habit since he was young to have a first-aid kit stockpiled at home. The number of times he'd been hurt by others or accidentally hurt himself were too many to count. "I don't think there's much I can do though. You might need the hospital."
Upon closer inspection, Reborn's pristine white dress shirt was drenched in red. His slacks were in the same condition. His suit jacket was draped over the couch along with his signature fedora. Red spots speckled its yellow band.
A large, calloused hand cradled Tsuna's left cheek, making him look up. "I'm not injured, Tsuna," Reborn said, his voice deep and infuriatingly calm considering the current situation. "Do you really think this filth belongs to me?"
Tsuna blinked a couple of times. He stared at Reborn's bare chest, then at his exposed forearms, his neck, and finally, his ridiculously handsome face. There were no visible wounds. A flash of amusement passed the hitman's eyes. Tsuna noted they looked brighter than usual, more like topaz. They were generally dark or hidden by Reborn's fedora.
"But—I mean, I thought—"
Reborn's countenance changed, catching Tsuna off-guard. Tsuna instinctively brought his hands up when Reborn touched the bruise on his other cheek and hissed in pain. "Who did this?"
Tsuna tried to pry away from Reborn's grip. "No one. I—The door—One of the interns—Erm, a door hit me." Something in the back of Tsuna's head, the more primal, intuitive part of his brain, told him to not mention anyone or even try lying but…Reborn had always been able to read him easily.
Averting his eyes, Tsuna focused on the window drapes that he'd been meaning to change to brighten up the room. "I've been charged with overseeing the new interns lately and there's just been a lot going on at work." Not to mention the fact that his team leader had smacked him for—Tsuna couldn't even remember the reason why. He was just so tired. "Anyways, if you're okay, you can use my shower. I don't mind."
"Tsuna." Reborn brought Tsuna's face closer to his, forcing the brunet to look at him again. What he saw in Reborn's eyes had him squirming. "We've known each other long enough to know that you're not a good liar. You're too easy." Their noses were almost touching. Reborn smelled like blood and gunpowder, and yet, Tsuna could get a whiff of espresso and expensive cologne underneath. "Your team leader doesn't even bother to reign in his temper anymore, hm?"
Of course, Reborn would know that. Reborn knew everything. He knew Tsuna's birthday, which schools he attended, how much debt he owed, all information Tsuna had never mentioned before; Reborn even knew the little details, like how many times Tsuna broke his phone and what he ate for breakfast on a Tuesday morning months ago. Tsuna should be terrified, he should be creeped out. Did it mean he was also fucked in the head that he could care less? Reborn was nothing but a next-door neighbor who was stingy about coffee and whose job was a hitman. There were invisible lines Tsuna wasn't willing to cross. He didn't ask questions and he didn't want to get involved, so he just let their tentative companionship remain as is.
Reborn had never hurt Tsuna before. Sure, he'd tease him and make some biting remarks, but he was never deliberately cruel. So why did this feel dangerous? Like Tsuna had one foot in the wolf's den, willingly or not.
"That looks good on you," Reborn said, snapping Tsuna's out of his thoughts.
"What are you talking about?"
"You're thinking about me."
"I'm too tired for this. Reborn-san, just go take a shower."
"Aren't you curious about what happened?"
Tsuna deadpanned. "Even if I asked, you wouldn't say anything." He yelped when Reborn suddenly pulled him into a rather awkward embrace. "W—What are you doing? Stop, you're going to get blood all over me! Did you hit your head or something?"
"I killed them."
Tsuna flinched. There was something dangerous underneath Reborn's nonchalant tone. "R—Reborn-san, you're acting weird. Are you sure you didn't hit your head?" Also, why was the man hugging him? No, he wasn't hugging him. This was more like—
"Did you never think about why your parents died the way they did? Submerged underneath a cliff on their wedding anniversary. No witnesses, no cameras—just the ocean as their witness and captor. Your father was a foolish man, but he loved his family, more so than his Famiglia."
Tsuna jerked back but Reborn's grasp was stronger than iron. Famiglia? "W—What are you talking about?" Famiglia meant mafia. His father had owned a construction company though…
"Timoteo Segreto. Remember that name. The man who killed your parents." Tsuna didn't realize he was shaking until Reborn cradled him closer. "Don't worry, Tsuna. He won't be a problem anymore. I'll take care of you."
Ah, Tsuna realized then that Reborn had looped a noose over his neck, ever since they had first met. It was just getting tighter.
2. don't bluff—i've got you in my sights, darling
The docks were a decent front for the illegal gambling houses. Inconspicuous, far from the main city, teeming with ignorant fishermen and delivery workers. Tsuna shouldered his bag of cash and stood outside the door with a crudely-painted number 033 on the front. This was going to be the last thing he did for Nezu Dohachiro. Then Tsuna would be free from his debt once and for all to the loan shark.
When the bouncer allowed him in, Tsuna was immediately assaulted with the stench of cigarette smoke, cheap liquor, and Alpha pheromones. A few Omegas lounged on the couches or handed out drinks. Even though Tsuna was a Beta, his sense of smell had always been peculiarly sensitive. It was useful as much as it was annoying. It was one of the reasons why Nezu had kept him close for so long—to identify, mitigate, and pacify. As much as Alphas and Omegas could get affected by each other's scents and pheromones, Tsuna's scent was the equivalent of tranquilizers to both genders.
"T—Tsuna!" Ooyama bolted out of his seat from a nearby poker table. "You got the—"
The Alpha froze when Tsuna gave him a sharp look. Nezu had sent Tsuna to win back the money that Ooyama had lost to this place—all three million. If Tsuna wasn't so desperate to pay off his remaining debt, he wouldn't stoop so low. Coincidentally, three million was what he had left to pay. He'd end up rotting in his seventies paying that back with interest.
While Ooyama fumbled and led Tsuna to his seat, the Beta let his gaze roam over the room. Some shouted in joy while others lamented at their losses. It was disgusting to see so many desperate people in a single space, chasing after the smoky trail ends of their dreams and good fortune. Well, Tsuna was no different from them.
"You want anythin' to drink, junior?" Ooyama said with some sweat dripping down his face. He gestured rudely at an Omega waiter. "Hey, get some beer over here! The best you got!"
"What are you doing?" Tsuna said, making himself comfortable despite the wary stares around the table. He stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the middle-aged men who smoked and drank as much as they lost their money.
Ooyama blinked. "Um, getting you somethin' to drink? You must be thirsty gettin' your way here, right?"
Tsuna beckoned him closer. His teeth were close to snapping Ooyama's ear off when he whispered, "I'm not going to add your drink tab in the winnings you fucking lost because of your own incompetence, you hear me?"
Ooyama paled and blubbered out an apology. Tsuna had always been a mild-mannered person who showed bouts of compassion that was rare in the underworld, but today was a shitty day and Tsuna was in a shitty mood. He lost his job at the casino, his car got stolen, and Nezu had him doing this. Kokuyo was a shit city with nothing but cheap mockeries of extravagance to entice idiots like Ooyama to give more than they were able.
"Deal me in, please," Tsuna said, regarding the Beta dealer. "I'm playing for this dumbass."
While Tsuna had been born an orphan, he'd been raised by his maternal aunt, who was a single mother, alongside his younger cousin, Fuuta. Then Fuuta's health had taken a turn for the worse and the hospital bills became too much, and Tsuna found himself indebted to Nezu. Dropping out of school, Tsuna hadn't been an academic, but he found that he was extremely adept with languages. The extra bonus that made Nezu be as considerate as he was all these years was Tsuna's sense of smell. Tsuna was both a walking tranquilizer and a human lie detector. He might look like a typical Beta with no spine, but he hadn't gotten this far without a few tricks up his sleeve.
Like right now.
He was consistently winning back the money Ooyama had lost. He didn't win too much, but he didn't lose enough that he'd have to scrape back the generous amount of cash Nezu had given him to put up as a front, no strings attached. If Ooyama wasn't a useful henchman, Nezu wouldn't have gone this far for him.
Soon Tsuna was the one in control of the table, betting, raising, and folding at his own pace that threw the others into a fit if Ooyama hadn't made himself useful and intimidated them with his ugly glower.
The dealer wasn't any better, giving Tsuna dirty looks. Tsuna didn't point out that the man was doing a poor job of concealing his sleight of hand every round. In all honesty, Tsuna didn't need to rely on his intimate knowledge of Texas Hold 'em or Blackjack—his intuition led him to the right direction regardless, and he chose accordingly to thwart off any suspicions.
In a way, he was gambling against himself. That was much more thrilling than going against other people. They were predictable, easy. Tsuna preferred to see how far his intuition would lead him, try to circumvent it sometimes, test it, then reap the benefits for what they were. It was how he'd been able to stop that client from beating his girlfriend back at the VIP room; even though Tsuna was fired for laying a hand on a customer (who deserved it), the girlfriend had thanked him profusely and invited him to work at the casino her family owned. While there was one misfortune, the next opportunity was fortunate enough to cancel that out.
Tsuna would take this chance for what it was, something fortunate.
"Looks like an interesting table," a deep voice drawled behind him.
Tsuna kept his eyes on the dealer who shuffled the cards for the next round. The newcomer was clearly an Alpha, and a powerful one, too. Tsuna could barely pick up on his scent, but there was a hint of pomegranate and smoky wood that brushed lightly against his nose. All things considered, it was a lot more pleasant than the stench in the room.
"What's a pretty thing like you doing in a place like this?" the newcomer said around his cigarette, taking a seat beside Tsuna. A small fog of smoke obscured the edge of Tsuna's vision. The scent of nicotine up close made him slightly twitch.
Regardless, Tsuna didn't offer up a response. "Raise." Groans came from his tablemates. Tsuna was close. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost six. If he was lucky enough, he'd be able to video call Fuuta and his aunt later tonight.
"I don't like idjits who cheat," the stranger said in that lazy drawl. "So, while I'm being nice, I suggest you take whatever you got and leave."
Tsuna looked to his left. Ooyama hadn't tried scaring off the new man; in fact, he looked like he'd seen a ghost. Ah, an apex predator, possibly the head honcho of this place. Ooyama was going to get it, but that was Nezu's problem. Tsuna was just here to do one thing and leave.
"That's funny," Tsuna said, fiddling with his cards. Jack of diamonds. The stupid dealer just gave him the card he needed. "For someone in charge of this dump, I expected someone like you to at least have some integrity when dealing with other people's money." He glanced at the stranger. The man was extremely tall, with broad shoulders and messy dark red hair tied into a low bun. He was clearly a foreigner, Italian most likely, and wore a long burgundy coat over an expensive suit. "But I guess that's expecting too much from an owner who allows their employees to cheat." Tsuna flipped all his cards. The uproar around the table was almost deafening. Royal flush. He glanced at the man who looked right back at him, unfazed. His Alpha scent briefly flared in intrigue. "Some people are just born lucky. Take that for what it is."
Ooyama trailed after Tsuna and offered to call a cab for him. Tsuna's bag was heavy on his shoulders and stuffed to the brim with cash, but he didn't allow Ooyama to hold it.
"I'm not letting you lose this all again," Tsuna said, letting Ooyama light up his cigarette.
"Er, Tsuna, did you know that man?" Ooyama glanced back at the door.
"No."
Ooyama looked serious then. "Stay away from him. He and his group are serious bad news. Rumor has it they're real hardcore, like actual mafia hardcore."
Tsuna sighed. "Ooyama-san, this will be the last time you'll ever see me. Thank you, but I don't care. Make sure this doesn't happen again. I'm not going to be around for the next time."
He had spoken too soon. Just as something fortunate happened, misfortune would follow in its wake, a bittersweet cycle. That foreigner appeared on Tsuna's doorsteps a week later with a job offer and Fuuta's medical information on his phone.
3. a gilded cage is still a cage
If there was one thing Shamal didn't regret in his pathetic life, it was taking Tsuna under his wing. Seriously, the kid was a true and rare diamond in the rough. Well, aside from the fact that Tsuna was more machine than human sometimes; Shamal could work with that. He'd been able to cool Hayato's temper early in his career.
Shamal didn't believe in fate or destiny or all that mystical shit, but from the moment he met Tsuna that night in the streets, saving him from a bunch of delinquents, Shamal just fucking knew that this was his redemption arc, his chance of a second go at life since his wife and daughter passed away five years ago.
And despite his normally stoic face and exasperated sighs, Tsuna was a good kid. Really, behind that pretty, delinquent face, he had a heart of gold and a wealth of potential that Shamal couldn't wait to extrapolate. But baby steps because they were both hurting in their own ways, and Shamal was a surprisingly patient man contrary to what many believed.
The first day on set was interesting to say the least. Shamal had managed to reconnect with Irie Akiko, a sharp and brilliant young woman who'd taken the world by storm a few years back with her debut coming-of-age film, and put in a favor. Thankfully she and her crew were shooting near Namimori for her second big project, an action TV drama of all things.
"I just wanted to do something exciting," Akiko said with a shrug. "Plus, gang stories are all the rage nowadays. Even better for the viewership ratings if you get a bunch of hot guys onscreen."
Shamal grimaced. "I get that, but how the hell did you manage to nab Hibari Kyoya for the role? Can the kid even act?" He quickly turned away when the said man's gaze happened to meet his eyes. Fuck, the whole Hibari family was terrifying—yes, even the gentle Fon and overeager I-pin. Shamal had heard some things through the grapevine, and they weren't all that pleasant. How they even got involved in showbiz was nobody's business, but Shamal wondered sometimes.
Akiko blew a green bubble and let it pop as she flipped through the script. "He owed me one."
Shamal gaped. "What? You're joking."
Akiko gave Shamal a blank look. She smacked the script against his chest, making him jump. "I wrote the main lead with him in mind. He barely has lines anyway. All he's gotta do is look good beating people up." She snorted. "You should've seen him when he was younger. He was a mini tyrant of the whole district. I swear, it's like a rite of passage for a Hibari—defend and conquer territory before time to act like a human being." Suddenly she went stiff. "Shamal, is he yours?"
Confused, Shamal looked to where she was gazing at before sputtering and choking on his spit. "T—Tsuna!" He had expected Tsuna to attract trouble no matter where he went. The guy was seriously a magnet for weirdos, but this was pushing it—Hibari Kyoya? Shamal just prayed that Tsuna would at least stand through two scenes today.
Wait a minute? Did Tsuna just ruffle Hibari Kyoya's hair? And Hibari was letting him? Shamal must be dreaming. He pinched himself. Nope, this wasn't a dream.
"Didn't expect to see you here, Kyo-kun," Tsuna said with a slight smile. Huh, he rarely smiled much. What about Hibari had him in a good mood?
In that instance, Hibari resembled more of a grumpy cat than the predator he carried himself to be. His arms were crossed over his chest, back stiff. He was taller than Tsuna and yet seemed much more docile in front of the older man. Everyone else on set looked on with something akin to horror and confusion.
"T—Tsuna!" Shamal said, snapping out of his stupor. Still, Tsuna was with him now and Shamal had a responsibility as his manager. He'd be damned if Tsuna got compromised, even if it was Hibari Kyoya Shamal would have to fight. "Er, you two know each other?" Shamal tried not to flinch when Hibari's piercing eyes flicked towards him with a near murderous intent. Shit, what were they feeding kids these days? The audacity…
Tsuna blinked. "Ah, well, he was my cute kouhai back when I was still in high school." Cute? Nothing about Hibari was cute. Tsuna chuckled. "But I guess he's my sempai now." He bowed towards Hibari. "I'll be under your care now, Kyo-sempai. I don't know much about acting, but Shamal-san seems to think I have something going for me. Let's work well together, okay?"
After that bizarre encounter, shooting commenced. Shamal reviewed some lines with Tsuna before his scene. The film was linear and simple in plot: a homicide detective goes undercover in a notorious yakuza that got his partner killed in the line-of-duty. Hibari would be playing Tanaka Asahi, the bloodthirsty, vengeful detective—Akiko wasn't kidding when she said she'd made the role with him in mind—while Tsuna would act the supporting role of the gangster, Ten, who'd killed the detective's partner under his boss' orders.
"Look, I know things might feel awkward," Shamal said. "But you're intuitive and that's an asset." He patted Tsuna's back and laughed when the young man toyed with a bottle cap in his fingers. "Loosen up, breathe. You know this script like the back of your hand."
Tsuna deadpanned. "You made me do it."
"And no one understands Ten better than you do."
A voice piped up out of the blue, "Hey, Sawada." Akiko plopped herself on the chair next to the wary young man. "Shamal said you got some hands on you. What do you do, MMA, kickboxing?"
Tsuna's face remained unchanged. "Whatever works."
Akiko raised a brow. "Okay. So, you and Hibari seem to be on good terms."
Tsuna chuckled. "Not really."
Shamal scoffed. "Look, that kid never smiles and treats everyone like they don't deserve to exist. That was the closest thing to normal he's ever looked when you talked to him."
A morose look shadowed Tsuna's eyes before it melted away into something more stoic, like a steel wall. Shamal felt like shit in an instant. Baby steps, he reminded himself.
"Kyo-senpai's a good kid," Tsuna said, flipping the bottle cap over his fingers. "You just have to be extremely patient with him. Irie-san, this is probably inappropriate for me to say, but I don't think I can film any scenes with him for the week. The set is going to be ruined."
Shamal gulped when Akiko's eyes gleamed with an almost manic light. "Ruined, huh." She stood up and gestured at the warehouse set. "Actually, I was thinking we can shoot a scene earlier than planned. You read the confrontation scene, right?"
Shamal's jaw dropped. "That's not even until the seventh episode!"
Akiko waved him off. "Sawada?"
Tsuna gave her a wary side-eye. "That's when Tanaka Asahi found out Ten was the one who killed his partner, Ito Shigeru, and confronts him for deceiving him the whole time." That part was also the turning point for Asahi, who had thought Ten was a reliable informant, and set him on an even darker path of vengeance. Shamal didn't doubt Akiko's skills, but even he wondered if such a heavy story would connect with the audience.
"I was planning on having it shot with stuntmen and with a choreo, but am I right in assuming you and Hibari fought before?"
"What?" Shamal squawked.
In moments, everyone was ushered inside the warehouse set with makeup artists, stylists, and cameramen scurrying all over the place to get ready. Akiko just rolled her eyes when her younger brother, Shoichi, one of the VFX artists, voiced his confusion at the sudden change. "Let me do my job," she said, leaning back in her director's chair. "I know what I'm doing."
When Hibari and Tsuna walked out from the changing rooms, nearly everyone did a double take. They seemed to be an entirely different person altogether. Hibari wore a pristine black suit with his hair lightly tousled. Tsuna wore a low V-neck dress shirt and casual slacks with fake tattoos on his bare arms and collarbone.
Akiko grinned. "Drinks on me tonight, boys. Alright, Sawada, Hibari, we're doing this all in one-take, so give it all you got."
Shamal was this close to throttling the woman. "Are you crazy? This is Tsuna's first time acting and you wanna do this scene in one-take?"
"Hey, I'm giving you free-range of everything," Akiko said through the megaphone, ignoring Shamal's blubbering behind her. "So, you can fight however you want as long as it's in-character. I'm looking at you, Hibari. Asahi trusted Ten and never suspected him to be a double-agent. I'm sure you can do something with that at least. Oh, and no actual killing. Cleaning this set's just gonna be a hassle. As long as you get through the dialogue, Sawada, it's fine. If you wanna ad-lib, go for it. From the second I say so, you're Ten and you're Asahi. Fuck this up and I'll kill you both myself. Everyone, ready?"
Akiko was insane. Shamal regretted ever reaching out to the mad woman. He was just about to protest further when Tsuna spoke, "I know you can do this, Kyo-senpai." His smile was almost kind despite his cold eyes. "Think of it like that night. I'll give you the chance you couldn't take to hit me with your dying will."
And just like that, in an instant, it was as if a switch had been flicked and several things happened all at once. Hibari—no, Asahi, roared out such a broken, anguished cry of rage that had everyone on set reeling. Akiko snapped at all the stationed cameramen to start filming and for the others to shut up. Tsuna—Ten grinned in the face of Asahi's pain and met him blow for blow with just as much, if not more, vigor.
Watching Tsuna and Hibari fight was like watching gods shake up the heavens. And Tsuna was delivering all of Ten's lines perfectly. Hibari then stunned everyone in the end when he spoke Asahi's most gut-wrenching line from the series thus far, "Why?"
Shamal wasn't sure if he was watching Hibari or Asahi with what he knew so far.
And Tsuna shocked everyone by going off-script. Ten should've said, "I'll do anything for Boss. My life is his."
Instead Tsuna said, "Because I can." He smiled through the blood—actual, real blood—staining his teeth. "And I'd do it again."
A/N Whew. So, uh, how is civilian!Tsuna more intense than the other ones? Pfft.
1st short: Was going for yandere!Reborn here. Not sure if it even worked, lol. Writing Reborn's hard, y'all… Also, yes, you bet your ass he massacred 80% of Vongola for Tsuna, even if Tsuna knew nothing about the mafia. No Flames in this verse.
2nd short: The ABO came out of nowhere, tbh. Anyways, more love for beta!Tsuna and Zakuro! Hehe. No Flames in this verse.
3rd short: I grew fond of this one. Kyoya and 10th gen are a few years younger than Tsuna. Kyoya and Tsuna had a sempai-kouhai relationship with Kyoya goading Tsuna for a fight (and losing) every time while Tsuna thinks of him as a cute kitten yowling for attention, lol. Then Tsuna dropped out of high school when his mother fell ill. Kyoya found out Tsuna was leaving. Huge cliché fight in the rain where Tsuna won and tells Kyoya to forget about him (angst because Tsuna believes that being alone would be better, though he really is kind of too nice and only agreed to be Shamal's actor to humor him). Sucks though 'cause he's gonna get a bunch of offers after this series airs, hehe. His character also becomes popular after the first episode (social media went absolute batshit when Ten died, ahaha). Oh! Cherry on top—Tsuna isn't oblivious to his charm. He questions "why him", but he's very aware of how the others feel towards him. Just be happy he ain't exploiting it, like 70% of the time. (I just wanted an acting AU… OTL)
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it, Mel Writer! :^D
See you in the next one. Have a lovely day~
LMB