Cloud AU's

Nurture or Free?

In one universe Sawada Tsunayoshi became the Neo Vongola Primo under the tutelage of the Sun Arcobaleno Reborn. In another, Reborn is training his older half-brother Ietsuna under orders of Nono.

Tsuna is living in his dad's apartment, which is near the market and about the opposite side of his old school way.
Due to this he doesn't see Ietsuna often outside of school, and he'd really like to do stuff together like when they were younger, but Iemitsu forbade it. Tsuna doesn't know what the man has against him, besides the fact he isn't his son (biologically yes, but that alone doesn't always make a father); where does he get to judge Tsu-kun anyway, he's the one missing year-round!!

He's missed Ietsuna's birthday five times in 10 years and his brother was upset about it too! Nevermind the one time that Ietsuna was eight and he was 4 years old where an old man visited them, back when he still lived with his mom. That day his brother protected him from the scary, loud dog outside, and the stranger put some fire on his brother's head saying something about it 'being for the best'. Tsuna had run away, instincts screaming at him, a sense of wrongwrongbad pushing him to run out of the garden and down the street, looking over his shoulder in case the bad man followed him. He didn't, and by the time he was out of breath he was lost.
He ran without aim, just wanting to get away.

The houses were unfamiliar, he didn't see anything familiar and he was without his mom or Ie-nii. He was helpless. And when you're lost there's hardly anyone to criticize you for crying. He rubbed at his eyes as tears dripped down, a sob building up and escaping him too. He blinked through the tears, hoping and praying to see anything familiar or for help to come.

The only thing he saw was the slowly setting sun and darkening street.
Soon he wouldn't find his way home regardless and then scary things would come out to hurt him. It's what Kaa-san always warned him and Ie-nii of when they went out to play.

"Kaa-san!! Please find Tsu-kun!! Uh-wuh. Uuuhhh-----!!" His distress rose as he furiously rubbed at his eyes.

"Grr..."

A hiccup escaped him, head jerking up and swerving left and right frantically.

"Rrr" A large dog, the same height as Tsu-kun came down the street behind him. Tsuna froze, eyes wide with shoulders hunching up to his ears, instinctively trying to obstruct his throat. "Hiiee!"

The dog crouched down, mouth open and teeth bared, growling. His eyes were on Tsuna.

Tsuna shook, that gaze was very much not kind. Tsu-kun gulped. "P-please *hic* lea-ve Tsu-kun alone." He pleaded.

The dog didn't; he lunged.

Tsu-kun's muscles tensed.
Arms flying up to shield his head, eyes squeezed shut tightly.

Thwmp! Something collided.

Once breath, two-- is he dead?

Whimper..

"Good job, Oodako!!"

Tsuna flinched at the voice.

Thwmp!! 

Gu gugu!

"You tell 'im!"

Tsuna slowly lowered his arms, peeking over his sleeves to see where the stray had been.
He blinked, fearful eyes landing on a purple squishy toy.

The toy's limbs wiggled, one of it's limbs shot out and smacked against the dog.

An toy saved Tsu-kun?

"Hey, are you okay kid?"

Tsuna flinched again, turning his gaze to the boy. They wore make-up, and held a hand out to him. Tsuna stared at the hand, looked back to the... (Is he a he or a she?? Will he get cooties??) that then decided that being on his feet would make for a quicker for him to run if things went bad. He grabbed the hand and the (uhu, let's just go with--) boy pulled him up. Tsuna was slightly surprised to see that the kid was a head smaller than him. They seemed around two years old, babyfat still clinging to him more than the excessive makeup.
A thought in his brian wondered without prompt if the kid had been to a birthday party before this.