Something Better, Something New

A oneshot for our May winner Loor! Despite my lack of knowledge of KHR's ending, I hope this makes up for what canon was lacking. I also couldn't help but slide my ocs in there at the end lol. 

Tsuna stood before Reborn. The curse had been lifted, and the war was over. He felt sore all over, but he refused to let himself fall, not now. Later, when he was home, he’d sleep for a week. But for now, he’d keep standing.

“Sawada Tsunayoshi,” Reborn said, his voice deeper than Tsuna was used to. He supposed that came with the whole breaking-the-curse thing. “What do you want?”

Tsuna knew what he was asking. His answer was the same as it was from the beginning, and yet, it was different.

“I don’t want to be a mafia boss,” he said. Reborn looked disappointed, even if just for a moment. When he turned away from Tsuna, his usual stoic expression back on his face, Tsuna spoke again.

“But I’m also not going to abandon my famiglia.”

Reborn stopped, turning back to Tsuna. He caught a determined glint in Tsuna’s big brown eyes. 

“I want to take the Vongola family and make it something that Primo can be proud of again,” Tsuna said, his gloved hand coming to rest over his heart. “But I also want to make it something different, something better. 

“Will you help me with that, Reborn?” Tsuna smiled at him, looking a little sheepish. 

Reborn chuckled, unable to keep a smirk from tugging at the corner of his mouth as he tugged his hat down further over his face. Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t keep the affection from his voice as he spoke. “Useless Tsuna, you wouldn’t be able to do it without me.” 

Five Years Later

“Tenth, you have a letter,” Gokudera announced as he came into Tsuna’s office. He waved an open envelope in his hand, and Tsuna took note of both the American postage and the teal wax seal. 

“Who is it from?” Tsuna asked, rolling his shoulders back. “It’s not another marriage proposal, is it?” 

“Not this time,” Gokudera assured him, passing over the letter. “It’s from the Opera-Song Family in America. They’re requesting an alliance.”

“Opera-Song?” Tsuna echoed, turning the envelope over to look at the seal. A lung dragon curled around a harp of some kind. Interesting. 

“I know of them,” Reborn said, peeking over Tsuna’s shoulder as usual. “They’re more of a family of vigilantes than a traditional mafia. At least, that’s what they’ve become since the Song family from Hong Kong merged with New York’s Opera Mafia. Their next boss is around your age.”

Tsuna read over the letter. Whoever wrote it came across as earnest, if unsure. It reminded him of how he was when he was younger, before he learned how to believe in himself. Before he had people who believed in him as fervently as his Guardians did. He smiled, tucking the letter into the breast pocket of his vest.

“Well, let’s plan a trip to America, shall we?”