The only thing running through Dino's head is that he's never seen anyone eat so messily before, nor has he ever seen anyone eat raw fish whole as if they were chomping away at a barbecued chicken leg. The fish hasn't even been seasoned, and Dino had even offered to cook it for his classmate.

Squalo seemed happy as a clam to be eating the fish like, well, like a shark.

"You... ate the whole thing."

"I was pretty fucking hungry, all right."

"Squalo, I was going to cook it for you."

"I wouldn't eat anything that you cooked. I don't trust your shitty cooking anyways." Dino is vaguely offended by Squalo's statement, but he doesn't have enough time to defend himself. "I'll pay you back the next time I see you."

The blond shakes his head at the teen who he's somehow ended up acquainting himself with. He's not really sure how it happened, only that no one wanted to be Squalo's partner when it came to team calculus (which was strange, because Dino didn't think there was anything very collaborative about math). He knew a thousand and one different ways to slice up a body, but when it came to theorems and deriving, Dino believed that the swordsman was a lost cause.

Then again, straight killing didn't take many calculations other than timing.

"Dino."

"Eh?"

"You'll fucking regret it if you don't accept my gift. Don't say I didn't warn you."

"All right, all right. I'll be sure to accept your gift."

"Superbi?"

"It's Squalo."

"Uh. Squalo, you're not... actually a shark, are you?"

"What the fuck, Cavallone. Do you have a death wish?"

"J-just kidding! You can put your sword away, thanks."

He doesn't anticipate that Squalo would return the very next day after classes with a freshly-caught tuna fish the size of him. It's at least ten times, maybe fifteen times, as big as the fish that he'd intended on roasting for Squalo (he'd even offered to cook the food for the swordsman).

Dino blinks as Squalo presents the giant fish to him by its tail.

"You better fucking take it, Cavallone," his classmate hisses. "I caught it with my bare hands. You better fucking take it and be a grateful for what I've done."

"Squalo, I don't think this constitutes as a gift if you're forcing it on me - "

"Are you going to take the fish or not?"

Dino rubs the back of his neck. He knows Squalo well enough that he really should take the fish from him, but he shakes his head anyways. What was he supposed to do with it? Better yet, he was at a loss about how he was supposed to bring it back to the Cavallone estate without anyone raising any brows.

He shakes his head along with a hand. "You should hold onto it," he says. "In, er, in case you get hungry, right?"

In hindsight, Dino realizes that, fifteen years ago, he probably should have graciously accepted Squalo's tuna with a nod of the head. Sometimes he wonders if Squalo feels a little smug on the inside whenever Dino accepts his gifts now. On the other hand, it's become routine, even when the Vongola Famiglia goes into hiding: Squalo catches a giant tuna, Dino accepts it because he knows that Squalo will bring two with him the next time around if he doesn't.

Dino knows best; that's the kind of man that Superbi Squalo is. In time, Sawada Tsunayoshi will learn that himself (he wonders if Yamamoto has already discovered it).

He knows everyone's eyes are trained on him as he takes his leave, giant tuna and all.

Nobody asks any further questions.

It's just like being in school again when Squalo would pick Dino as a partner when it came to tag-team spars; facing off against bloodthirsty Millefiores with the swordsman at his side sure brings back memories.

Dino tightens his grip around his whip as Squalo's prosthetic hand transforms itself into his trademark blade.

"Hey, Squalo," Dino says as the two true Funeral Wreaths take steps towards the two of them.

"If you're worried about Yuni and the others, worry about not getting your shitty self killed first, Bronco." It's a typical Squalo response.

"No, I was just thinking, you need to bring me another giant tuna after we win this fight."

Dino sees Squalo's lips curl back into a snarl before twisting itself in a grin.

"What the fuck, Cavallone," the silver swordsman says before the two of them rush forwards.