Chapter Text
Tsuna had been a late bloomer… A very, very late bloomer. Honestly, presenting when he had seemed more like a curse, rather than a blessing. He’d always been Dame-Tsuna, and when he failed to present along with the rest of his peers, he’d also been dubbed freak-Tsuna.
The various doctors his mother took him to all scratched their heads before shrugging it off. While having no dynamic was not unheard of, a medical rarity for sure, it was uncommon enough that it escalated the already harsh bullying he’d been subjected to. After a gamut of testing, though, doctors declared that he may present at a later date or never at all. They just weren’t sure.
After literal years of hellish bullying from his peers, having their words proven wrong should have made him happy. Or at least satisfied in a spiteful way, especially considering just how wrong they’d been.
An omega. He’d presented as an omega.
While omegas weren’t quite as rare as the other dynamics, presenting as one whilst male? Again, not unheard of, but another rarity.
He’d much rather have remained unpresented. But now, as he lay in this hospital bed, recovering, he wondered.
For a moment, he let himself think about it, finding a partner, mating with them…
Then he quickly shut those thoughts off.
He’d grown up seeing what bonded pairs were capable of. His father’s treatment of his mother proved that not all bondings resulted in a happy couple. Seeing her try to force a smile, hearing her cry late at night, trying to hide it from him… His father’s neglect had devastated his mother. But it just pissed Tsuna off.
Trying to fight for his mother had only made it worse. Not only did his father refuse to listen to him, but it was the reason why he was alone in the hospital, recovering from his violent and sudden presentation.
The argument with his father had set one off between him and his mother, who jumped in to defend Iemitsu and scold her son. There were a lot of things said that still haunted Tsuna to this day, in spite of the years that had passed.
Just the thought of those memories resolved him. He refused to go looking for a mate. Who’s to say that he wouldn’t wind up like his mother, but in even more pain? Forced to love someone who were only there out of obligation, and barely even then. He would do what he learned to do best: keep his head down, get his shit done, and forge on ahead.
It was for the best.
He never told a soul about his presentation, claiming collapse due to overwork for class and to the rare person concerned enough to ask. Unfortunately, this meant when his mother finally got into contact with him about his hospital visit, he was essentially badgered into coming home for the break.
It had been years since he’d set foot in Namimori, having managed to scrape together high enough test scores and grades to go to a high school in the city. At least his deadbeat of a father was good for something: paying his tuition and boarding. That at least helped him to save money from his part-time job. That hard earned cash, along with scholarships and grants he’d been granted due to his high enough grades made it so that he was free of that influence for his first year of college. And that trend had continued to now, near the end of his sophomore year, and he hoped he could keep it up.
But for now…
He stood in front of the gate, staring blankly at the nameplate. Sighing, he carted his luggage up the pathway. He hesitated at the front door, before screwing up his courage.
He knocked.
The door opened a moment later, and for the first time in years, Tsuna caught sight of his mother.
“Tsu-kun!” She threw her arms around him.
“Hi mom.” He hugged back. “I’m home.”
While they’d kept in touch through infrequent calls since he’d left, it still felt strange, seeing his mother again. At the very least, he was happy he didn’t have to crane his head up to look at her anymore. But there wasn’t much to celebrate, considering that he was still only able to meet her eye-to-eye.
“Please, please come inside! We’ve just sat down for breakfast, what good timing!”
Tsuna winced as his mother dragged him into the dining room, the table crowded with some vaguely familiar faces.
“Look everyone, it’s Tsu-kun! He’s back!”
He scratched his cheek and gave a sheepish smile. “Hello everyone.”
His mother pushed him down into a chair and he watched her flutter towards the kitchen.
Tsuna took in the room as his mother began to chatter about how nice it was to have him home (was it really?), how tall he’d gotten (not much, in all honesty), how handsome he’d become (now that was a joke), and how worried she’d been when she’d gotten the phone call from the hospital (that one, he could actually believe…)
It was strange how much hadn’t changed, other than more, newer pictures being posted up on the walls, everything still looked like it had when he’d left the house all those years ago. And yet, it still felt strangely unfamiliar to him, off-putting for some reason.
Still, it was nice to see Lambo, I-Pin, and Fuuta, his adopted younger siblings. Since he’d left only a year or two after his mother had taken them in, he didn’t really know them well – phone calls could only do so much. What he truly remembered before he left was that they could be a handful. That was the reason why the last person at the table, Bianchi, was brought in. His sperm-donor having insisted on her coming in to help.
Seeing how crowded the house had become was another factor in deciding his departure. There had been a cold comfort in knowing that he wouldn’t leave his mother with an empty home.
Once everyone had a full plate in front of them, they all dug in. The atmosphere was surprisingly nice, nostalgic, actually.
He was happy to find that his presence didn’t seem to be throwing anyone off. They all went on as normal, with the occasional question or comment even thrown his way. It was comforting. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad…
When breakfast was finished, the kids rushed off to school and Bianchi left for her room.
Tsuna offered to help with the dishes, but his mother insisted he sit and rest instead. He wasn’t sure how to feel about this, being alone with his mother after so long… But at least Bianchi was just down the hall –
The woman in question stuck her head around the corner. “Well, I’m off to run some errands.”
A twist of panic struck. He stood so abruptly, his chair clattered to the floor. There was a moment of silence. Tsuna laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Actually, would you mind if I went out and took care of that?”
She quirked an eyebrow at him.
He glanced at his mother, before he focused on Bianchi instead. “I mean, it’s been so long since I’ve been here! And I’d like to get reacquainted with the town! At least a little bit, since I’m gonna be here for the break, y’know?”
She scanned him up and down, her eyes narrowed. Eventually, she nodded and handed over the list of groceries and her to do list.
He could see his mother winding herself up for a lecture of concern, but he bolted before she could start. “Bye! I’ll try not to be back too late!”
Once he’d rushed out the front door and shut it behind him, he leaned back with a sigh. Hopefully walking around would help clear his head.