Chapter Text
Insanity
It was official.
He was going insane.
That was the only explanation. I can't be in l-love with Reborn! Tsuna mentally cried, resisting the inherent urge to tear his hair out and Hiiieeee like nobody's business. He wasn't sure it was love since the only person he'd felt so strongly for was Kyoko-chan, but even then his feelings for her weren't as intense. Curse you, Reborn!
He finally knew what Reborn's secret was, what the curse of the Arcobaleno really did to the pacifiers chosen wearers, and his admiration – though the Spartan hitman would never know if Tsuna had anything to say about it – for his tutor skyrocketed.
The best part was, he no longer had that disturbing mental image of a midget hitman wearing Reborn's clothes. That came at a price, unfortunately. Ever since seeing Adult Reborn with that cool smirk and cocked gun, Tsuna hadn't able to concentrate on much else. And that voice. Honestly, he wasn't surprised why Bianchi and so many others were so in love with the hitman. That voice was liquid sex and danger.
…not that Tsuna would know.
Since then, Tsuna hadn't been able to look Reborn, or even Leon, in the eye, but thankfully the hitman wrote it off as shame for losing against his father. Again. That was also part of it, but Tsuna was grateful the now-baby hitman didn't pry any further. The brunette didn't think he could bear to show his face to the world if his newfound…attraction for his incredibly dangerous – hot – tutor were to be exposed. How awkward would that be?
Altogether, his – crush, attraction, lust, love? – for Reborn wasn't completely surprising. Not when he gave it a lot of thought. A lot of thought.
At first, Reborn was just a homicidal, talking baby with a gun.
Then, he was a homicidal, talking baby tutor with a gun and explosives.
Then, he was a homicidal, Spartan trainer trying to kill him…with guns and explosives.
Then…well, everything above…and Tsuna's closest confidant.
He respected the hitman and looked up to him, figuratively, despite questioning his sanity and teaching methods. He knew that Reborn truly cared about his well being, as well as his friends, and was just trying to prepare them for a much harsher reality. They had a strong, unbreakable bond that even Lal Mirch recognized as deeply rooted trust cultivated from their many near-death experiences and trials together.
So, maybe Tsuna had been in love with Reborn all this time, just the physical attraction was slow to react – thank Kami, because Tsuna really didn't want to become a pedophile – and now…well, now all the pieces were clicking in place.
It still didn't mean he was exactly sane, though.