Turning Point

S E I

Xanxus sat before his father in his office, looking over the paperwork carefully, Timoteo was making his tutelage of Tsuna official, an actual assignment, that way he could work some requirements into it to ensure that nothing untoward was taught to the civilian girl.

Timoteo thought such a thing was a bit over the top, but it was the only way Iemitsu would stop jumping up and down and throwing his tantrum.

"Does that mean I'll be getting paid for this too?" Xanxus taunted while Timoteo chuckled.

"Are you worried about money?" Xanxus shrugged lightly.

"Mammon has certain products of which I am interested in." Timoteo chuckled again.

"You and me both son, but no, you won't be getting paid for taking care of Tsunahime. Does that change your mind?" Timoteo lent over his desk and propped his chin on one hand, he doubted it very much, but it would be interesting to hear a response. Nii-san, daisuki! Timoteo blinked startled when Tsunahime's voice cheeped out from his sons pocket, Xanxus clicking a button to silence his message tone before pinning his father with an even stare, completely unashamed about having a child's voice as his message tone.

"You wouldn't be able to stop me even if you tried to pay me not to go." Timoteo hid his smile behind his hand while internally squealing at how cute his son was being. Finally, Xanxus was acting like the cute child Timoteo had always known was inside him somewhere.

~•~

The world that had seemed so different to Tsuna all fell back to normal once she was home, even with the magic that she summoned to check it hadn't been a dream, and the small weight of the necklace Xanxus had given her. Everything was just so normal now.

Tsuna had spent two days at home recovering from jet lag with her mother, and Iemitsu, before the latter left back to Italy for his job. Then Everything was just the same as it had been before. Nothing really had changed, and with each passing day Tsuna couldn't help but listen to that little niggling doubt, the little voice inside telling her that her nii-chan wasn't going to come for her, that she would never see the teen again.

"Hey look its dame-Tsuna. I hear she's so stupid she can't even write her own name." Tsuna flinched while curling deeper into herself and trying to rush past the gossiping six year olds.

"I heard that she has no dad. Mum calls her mother a whore and says that dame-Tsuna will be one when she's older."

"What's a whore?"

"I don't... it doesn't matter, dame-Tsuna is one."

"Whore, okay, I don't know what it means, but if an adult said it... Dame-Tsuna is a whore."

Tsuna tucked her head down lower and walked past the bullies, she didn't know what it meant either, but she knew it was a bad word. While she had felt so strong while her nii-san had been with her she was scared now, Tsuna didn't want to make the bullies angry.

Wrapping her small hand around the pendant that Xanxus had given her Tsuna hurried past the two boys, both of them sneering after her. As soon as she was outside the school gates the elementary student broke into a run, she just wanted to go home and hug her mother.

Tears welled in her eyes when she tripped on thin air, like the clumsy failure she was, rubbing her arm across her nose Tsuna sniffled while slowly pulling herself up, no one stopping to help her, everyone just walking around the lone six year old while she slowly began on her way home again.

After all it was only dame-Tsuna, everyone knew she tripped on thin air and that no matter what they did she was a failure, why spend even a moment on that failure of a brat.