The End Result

It had been a lovely day out on the town for the Vongola Guardians. Everyone had even met for dinner (including Kyoya, which was a smidgeon odd due to how aloof he was even while residing in the Compound) and they all decided to head back home together. It was well past dark, the clock inching ever closer to midnight.

“I wonder how Gokudera-kun did with the kids?” Kyoko asked as the group walked up to the house. She was the one who had been the most nervous about leaving the Storm with the children, never having forgotten the coarse treatment Lambo and I-Pin had received back when they were younger.

“I think he did fine,” Takeshi said with a brilliant smile. Completely opposite of Kyoko, the Rain had complete faith in his fellow Guardian from the very start. “It is Gokudera-kun after all! He can handle anything.”

“You seem to think of his abilities quite highly,” Chrome smiled kindly. The cheerful mood was squished, however, when Tsuna opened up the door and gave off a little squeak-like noise.

The Compound was a disaster area. A garden hose laid dripping from the stair banister, having previously doused most of the foyer hall. The floor was covered in mud, grass clumps and leaves. How it got there from the gardening shack clear on the other side of the grounds was a mystery.

“Once an incompetent herbivore, always an incompetent herbivore,” Kyoya muttered, deciding to quietly take his leave while the others panicked. Nothing overly-priceless was ruined, nor was anyone killed, so he had no need to fret; his security system would have alerted him otherwise.

“Who in the hell made this extreme mess?!”

“Please calm down, onii-san!”

“Let’s just find Gokudera-kun and the kids for now, alright guys?”

“Good idea, Tsuna-san.”

Searching around the Compound did not reveal anything else to have been safe from destruction. The kitchen looked like the refrigerator threw up, one of the parlors on the second floor was strewn with overturned furniture and there was evidence everywhere of Gokudera losing his cool and throwing sticks of dynamite in various directions.

After a while of looking, Haru exclaimed from the third floor that she had found them. Everyone else ran to where she was, only to find the woman smiling as she stared at the oddly calming scene.

Despite the singeing end on the couch and sets of drenched clothes, a mass of sleeping children lay sprawled out over the very sofa that Gokudera had wanted to occupy that afternoon. Masaru was half-off, only his right leg still firmly on the couch. Haruhi was snuggled between Damiano and Kiyohiko. Rosario was curled up on top of Fausto, who had his head in Foschia’s lap. Gokudera was propped up against the couch, asleep despite Osamu unconsciously gnawing on his head.

“So they’re all alive, plus some,” Tsuna sighed happily. He smiled at the Storm Guardian, who appeared as if he was going to sleep for a week. Everyone began collecting their collective children (Ryohei helped out Chrome by taking both Masaru and Damiano) and retiring to their rooms for the night.

“You know Haru,” Takeshi said as he picked up Haruhi, “this reminds me of something.”

“Hahi?”

“I think Fuuta-kun was right all those years ago; Gokudera-kun really must love kids after all.”

“That is definitely stretching it Dear and you know it.” Haru gave Takeshi a stern frown.

“I know,” the man said with a smile. “I know.”