Name: How to Be a Normal Teen
Author: 18swan27
Rating: T (rating's so hard... correct me if this is wrong one)
Genre: Fluff, friendship, romance
Pairing: 0027/2700 (Enma/Tsuna, because there's not enough stories of them)
Warnings: Rebellious Tsuna (mildly so)
Disclaimer: I don't own KHR so in other words these two cuties, Enma and Tsuna, are not mine.. Gotta live with that D:
Summary: After overhearing his bullies, Tsuna realizes that even though he's still young he hasn't experienced many things teens usually do. Like tasting alcohol. Determined to be just like one of those normal teens for one day he decides to be a little rebellious. But he doesn't want to do it alone so he asks a certain redhead to join him.
A/N: Okay kids (and adults)! Even though I wrote a fic about alcohol, I'm not encouraging you to go out and drink until you can't remember your name. I'm not saying either that drinking is really bad thing, I take a cider or two sometimes too. I'm just saying you should remember your limits so you're feeling okay even the next morning and be legal. Please. There's a reason why alcohol's not for minors. I just had to say this so some of you won't think that I'm telling all the kids go and get some booze. No. It's okay to try but still! Your limits! Remember! In order to have actual fun, don't take much. Once I used to be a good kid, always doing what everyone expected me to do. Then I got fed up, got rebellious and drank because I could. Result: that night I puked two hours straight and talked about fish. Next morning puked some more, had the worst head ache ever and couldn't eat for six hours. Yeah, I went overboard so don't do like I did even though if you feel like not giving any f**ks. But what I really want to say with the fic (including that Enma/Tsuna's so cuuute) is that you shouldn't forget to be young. Live and do what you want but still be smart enough to take care of yourself. I love to experience different things even if I won't do them the second time. It feels like I can write more realistically about stuff as well as I can say I've actually done it. Then I can remember it with a stupid smile when I'm old. Thanks for your time, love you all. Sorry for a long note.
"If you don't do wild things while you're young,
you'll have nothing to smile about when you're old."
If Tsuna had left school a little earlier he wouldn't have overheard his classmates and thus his evening wouldn't have taken the turn it took. He would've avoided it too if he hadn't decided to listen. But being Dame-Tsuna as he was, he had accidentally ran into the group of second year guys who were the worst bullies of the school and tought they owned the world or something. It was his blessing that he'd been able to hide just in time before they would have noticed him and definitely beat him up for some pocket money and that way he'd ended up listening their every word, fearing to hear his own name there.
His name hadn't popped up but something else had. Something that held his attention even then when he was walking back home, safe and sound. They'd talked about that thing that Tsuna'd never tried before. That thing that got both adults and especially popular teens go crazy.
They'd talked about the alcohol.
Tsuna wasn't a drinker, he'd never even tried anything stronger than coke. To be honest, he had never even had a desire to fill his head with the strong liquid until he wasn't in control of his own body anymore. The thought made him shudder in fear, thinking about all the ways things could go wrong. With Tsuna's luck, he'd end up drowning or something as unfortunate.
Yet, even though he felt disgust while thinking about those kids who drank for fun, bragged about doing stupid things while being intoxicated and told about cheating their girlfriends, he couldn't help but be at least little curious. Yes, he was a boy with high morals. He despised the idea of cheating the one you were with while being drunk (or even sober) and then blaming it on alcohol like it was no big deal. He hated those kind of guys, really. But he was a teenager too, he was curious and even inside of him slept that rebellious part which woke up once in a while and demanded him to do something really reckless. Something he wasn't supposed to do and no one even thought he'd be willing to do.
The brunet didn't like that part of himself. Not when it came to something as stupid and dangerous as alcohol. But he couldn't get it out of his mind, not after overhearing those popular boys. They hadn't only bragged about what they'd done last weekend but also where they got it. It was ridiculously easy. You just had to go to the town, near the cake shop Kyoko and Haru both loved and ask for a guy called Mori Itsuku. Fifty-something Japanese male who sold booze to the minors. The guy who gave kids something stronger than their internal organs. It was a wonder how no one had caught him yet.
He was curious, very curious. So curious that in the end he had to stop himself from pulling his hair out in distress. Once he got something in his mind, he couldn't forget it and this time it was alcohol. He was just a teen after all and alcohol was one thing that was forbidden to drink until you were legal. Some kids drank it, though, and said they loved it. It made their lives so much more fun. Why was alcohol such a funny thing? Some said it was a curse and should burn in hell. Why was it so horrible, then?
Tsuna wrinkled his nose. He didn't want to try alcohol, not really. Yet he did. He wanted to know but at the same time he wasn't interested.
He really wanted to buy a bottle.
After all, alcohol couldn't be that bad. Right?
He could just as well try it out once and then let it be. After one time he'd have experienced it and didn't have to do it ever again.
Then he realized he actually hadn't had much experience in his life. Ever. Even though his daily life was matter of life and death, he hadn't actually experienced the normal things most teenagers did. Yes, he was happy. Happier than ever even though he still didn't want to become a mafia boss. But for the first time in his life he had friends, family and he really appreciated it. But he was still just a teenager and he noticed that he was still young, yet he could lose his life any minute.
He wanted to live before he died.
Trying alcohol wasn't really the best choice to try live but it was a start when Tsuna didn't even know if he'd see the day he was an adult and was legally allowed to drink. That's why he decided that he would do his everything so he wouldn't regret the way he lived once he'd die or when he was already too old to do those things. After all, there were those things one could experience only when they were young. No matter if you could do the same as an adult, it wouldn't feel the same. When you did something forbidden as a minor, it had a certain spark in it. Something that made even the worst thing taste sweeter. And even though Tsuna wasn't fond of the idea of drinking himself drunk, he knew he wanted to do it. Just to feel how it felt to do something you weren't supposed to do. He already did what everyone expected him to do so now he wanted to do something he wanted. Right now it happened to be drinking alcohol and if he really wanted to drink the damn booze, he'd as well do it!
And no one, no one, would have anything to say about it.
With that on his mind he made his way through the door to his home, greeted his mother little nervously (what if she developed an ability to read minds in one night and could guess what Tsuna was planning!) and barricaded himself into his room. Fortunately the room was empty which meant no Reborn and especially no knowing glances and mind-reading so he had time to dwell in his suddenly quite scary yet exciting thoughts.
By now he was pretty sure he'd go through with the plan no matter how much the idea of not being in control of his own body scared him but the thought he'd miss some important highlights of life didn't sound appealing either. What if he'd regret it as an adult? Or as a half-dead teenager if he didn't get to live a long life? Yeah, tasting some booze wasn't the most important experience in life but for some reason Tsuna felt that if he didn't cross this line, get over this barrier, he'd never be able to just go with the flow. He wanted some time to relax, he wanted to do normal teenage stuff. And fighting psycho mafia bosses didn't count as a normal life!
Doing the thing alone didn't sound fun, though. Also it'd be quite pitiful to drink alone at some park while others had company. They'd definitely laugh at Tsuna! Or worse, start bullying him. Again. And if he wasn't fully in charge of his body and mind, he'd be even easier target for robbers and... and... p-perverts.
No! It didn't sound good at all! He needed company.
But who would be the best choice?
Without saying a word, Tsuna drew out some paper and a pen and started to list people he knew. It was pretty long list which surprised the brunet for a while and then he couldn't help but smile gently at the names. His life'd really changed in such a short time. If he'd made the list last year he'd have gotten only one name on it and it'd have been his mother. Which was lame too and just sad.
But now he had a list full of names and he actually had a chance to choose. Tsuna started with the two names that meant the most for him: Yamamoto and Gokudera. What would've been better than spending some reckless time with his two best friends? Then again, Tsuna's smile dropped. The two of them didn't get along well enough to have them in the same room while drunk. Or actually, Gokudera didn't get along with Yamamoto while the baseballer stayed oblivious. Quickly Tsuna shook the idea of the three of them together away. No way, never. It'd be a massacre or worse. He didn't even know how the bomber acted while intoxicated! And when you added the silveret's worshipping towards Tsuna...
Tsuna crossed Gokudera's name out.
Then Yamamoto. He'd be fun company but the boy was a real sportsman which meant he didn't like alcohol. He always looked accusing when Gokudera gave into his old habits and smoked a cigarette. With nothing but resolve Tsuna took his other best friend out of his list.
The sportsman explanation left also Ryohei out even though he'd heard that ten-years-later onii-san had brought wine for Hibari as a souvenir. Well, even if the boxer wanted to drink Tsuna simply left him out because of loudness. He wanted to have some peaceful fun. Which also left away Reborn. Not to mention his tutor was a baby. Not a normal one but how would it look like if he actually drank alcohol with an infant.
After Reborn's name had a line over it Tsuna crossed Mukuro's name out without second thought which also led to Chrome. He didn't want to find out what the pineapple head would do to him if he let his guard down around him.
He hadn't even listed Hibari.
Tsuna's list got shorter and shorter when the brunet came up once again with a new reason to not to have his first drinking session with the said person. At some point he thought he was being too rude and unfair doing what he was doing but forgot it quickly when he remembered his really weird resolve when it came to experiencing. He wanted to try to be a normal teenager at least for a day! Was it too much asked?
With a frustrated sigh the brunet let his head drop against the table. Why were all his friends such weirdos? It was all Reborn's fault, the brunet decided and lifted his head in dismay. His demonic tutor just loved to collect all the weird ones for him. He loved them, alright, but sometimes they really knew how to tire him out. He'd be in even more trouble if he went to drink with them.
Rubbing his tired eyes and feeling like giving up for good Tsuna noticed that there was still one name, right at the bottom. His newest acquaintance and a good friend with whom he'd had his hardships but who had more in common with him than anyone else. He wasn't too loud, not too weird either. He wouldn't try to do anything questionable to Tsuna while he was out of it and he definitely didn't try to hit on him, kill him, worship him or start a rant how the alcohol wasn't good for him.
Tsuna smiled widely. He was perfect.
–
It was official: his friend had gone crazy.
Maybe Reborn had hit him one time too much and it'd finally destroyed something really important in the boy's brains. Or maybe he'd always been like this but he was yet to show his true colors. Enma tilted his head to right. Tsuna looked still the same, even from different angle.
The red head turned his head away and decided to ignore his friend. He felt like his usually calm and level-headed Tsuna would cause trouble tonight and he wasn't sure if he wanted to be a part of it. But he couldn't just leave when he'd promised for Tsuna to come out and do whatever the brunet wanted them to do. Back then Enma had had no idea why the other boy'd sounded so excited and he still couldn't get it, to be honest, but he kept quiet.
Tsuna was part of the Vongola Famiglia and everyone in that family was little eccentric. Even Tsuna no matter how much he denied the topic. And really, wasn't it a prove enough that the said tenth boss of the most influential mafia Family looked at the bottle of alcohol gripped in his hands like it was the most mysterious being in the world. Like an UMA.
Enma's lips twisted. He better not say that to Gokudera or the shops that sold alcohol would be soon attacked and taken under the strict surveillance.
But what to do with Tsuna. He couldn't leave the boy like that to the park, right?
"Enma," Tsuna started, sounding unusually dramatic. Enma blinked. "This is our key to be normal teenagers."
"…"
"If we drink this, we'll be like anybody else," the brunet continued, hands now shaking. Enma wondered if he should take the bottle away from him if it caused such a reaction. "No mafia, no fighting, not even Reborn." Tsuna chuckled darkly. "No Reborn, doesn't that sound like heaven?"
"…What if Reborn finds us?"
Tsuna tensed. Enma waited patiently, not daring to say anything provoking to the unstable brunet.
Finally the brunet moved, looking straight to Enma with scared eyes. "What if he finds us?"
"That's what I just asked…"
"Ah, yes." The awkward silence fell over them. For a while Tsuna looked like he wanted to run as far away as he could get from the hitman that wasn't even present yet and, if he told the truth, even Enma started to fear the ex-arcobaleno even though they hadn't done anything bad yet. He had his fair share of bad memories with him, after all.
After a few minutes of inner struggle Tsuna finally looked up, eyes showing determined fire. "No! There will not be Reborn tonight, okay? So don't worry and let's do this."
Enma wanted to ask "let's do what?" but couldn't open his mouth when Tsuna already opened the bottle (not without a fight, of course) and continued staring at it. This time like it was something icky. Then Enma wanted to ask "why even bother doing that if you don't want it" but the brunet had already risen the mouth of the bottle to his lips and taken a long gulp. The red head shifted farther away when Tsuna started to cough like no tomorrow. Obviously the liquid was too strong for him. The boy shifted a little bit farther.
"Hiee! It's even worse than I thought!" Tsuna exclaimed.
Enma eyed the drink warily, what if it suddenly jumped on him? "Why to drink it then?"
"Eh?" Tsuna looked puzzled, then his face cleared and he laughed sheepishly. "Ahaha, you know, I had this weird thought earlier today," he started, rubbing the back of his neck, "I realized that how my daily life's dangerous and I never know if I'll come out of the battle alive. Then I understood that I should live my life however I want to, experience different things before it's too late and do what normal teens do. I don't want to regret anything once I'm old or if I die young."
Enma blinked once, then twice. Ah, he could see that. He really did. But… "Why alcohol? I don't think normal teens do that, only those rebellious ones…"
"R-Really? I thought everyone in Nami-chuu's doing it, you know. They all talk about it and stuff." Tsuna looked like he didn't know what to do anymore, like a lost puppy. He looked really pitiable, like someone'd taken his favorite toy away. Biting his already cracked lip, Enma moved little closer, trusting not to be attacked, and took the see-through bottle of vodka. Where had he even gotten this?
"E-Enma?" Tsuna looked startled and before the brunet could do a thing, Enma braised himself to the worst and tilted the bottle. It was horrible, freaking strong and it burned his throat. He resisted the urge to couch though, not wanting anyone to come and find them after hearing voices, if anyone was near. They were in the park, outside the town but not too far from Tsuna's home. They were sitting on the ground behind one big tree that shadowed them just fine from the curious eyes. It was a chilly spring evening, the wind brought goose bumps on Enma's skin even if the terrible killer poison for some reason failed to do that. (And for your information, it didn't.)
Enma raised his gaze from the ground. Okay, he could do this. Tsuna looked hesitant but not like a little puppy anymore. Good. "Ho-how was it?"
"…Not good…"
"I know right." They both stared each other in the eye and then burst into the laughter. They were really stupid, seriously. Drinking something that neither of them liked, just to gain experiences, and laughing at it like it was funny. But Enma didn't regret coming. Tsuna's company was the best company no matter what the situation was. Even if it meant being an idiot now and later, he'd experience it with his friend so they'd say they'd tried it at least once. Then they'd go back to their normal lives as mafia successors and remember this moment when they were old and wrinkly.
Enma smiled softly at still chuckling Tsuna who was daring to take the second swig. Still couching his lungs out afterwards, of course. The brunet's cheeks were beat red and his eyes watered. Enma couldn't stop himself so he ruffled the boy's soft hair. He was quite cute.
"Enma-kun!" Tsuna said, blushing even more furiously. Enma just smiled, happy to be have the attention. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing," Enma mumbled, looking at the warm, brown eyes. The air turned suddenly warmer and he tugged his hoody in attempt to get some air on his burning skin.
Tsuna pouted for a while until he seemed to let the thing go and handed him the still almost full bottle. Without hesitation Enma drank, still hating the burning feeling in his throat. Not only that but his head started to feel a little fuzzy too. Funny.
They handed the bottle to one another for a while until half of it was gone. Enma tried to keep his eyes on the ground, not liking the swinging and buzzing noise in his head. Everything looked weird too. Things were what they were yet they looked different. Tsuna giggled on his right. Enma giggled back, not really knowing why. It was just fun to do that. It was like communicating through laughing, sending good feeling to one another.
"Ne, ne, Enma-kuuun," Tsuna said with excited voice. Enma turned his head to him and tried his best not to let his head fall down to the brunet's shoulder. It really looked inviting, calling him to rest, smell Tsuna's sweet scent.
"I really wanna exprl… experl…" Tsuna paused, furrowing his browns in frustration. Enma laughed happily at him. The other boy was being cute again. "Aah, whatever." He threw his hands to the air, smiling once again. "I wanna do maaaany things that normal teenz do. Like dance and sing and and kiss and do that."
"That?"
"Yes, that." Tsuna rose to his knees and looked serious, smile long gone. Enma gulped. He felt hotter than earlier. Maybe it was the alcohol and not the air that had made him warmer. Or maybe Tsuna's flames were radiating such a warmth that the red head wanted to lean into it and stay there forever. Tsuna in front of him felt so far away yet he was right there, very near.
Actually nearer than he remembered he had been. Right in front of his face, their mouths close, almost touching. Enma felt the hot breath on them, absently licking the dryness away. He looked into the burning brown eyes, not being able to draw away. The orange hue made the eyes look more alive than they'd ever been before, at least not during the time Enma had known Tsuna.
"You wanna try?" Tsuna whispered. Enma knew if he'd said it louder, whatever that'd built around them would've crumbled away. Thank god he'd been so quiet. He didn't want to let the moment go just yet. He wanted to try. Enma didn't know what but he trusted Tsuna and he'd go along with it.
He really wanted to try.
So not even asking what the brunet had suddenly gotten into his mind, he nodded briefly. His breath stuck into his throat when he saw how Tsuna's eyes lit up even more. They were like fire. Like the heating Sun, like wild storm, shooting rain, stunningly beautiful lightning, mysterious mist, hiding clouds and yet still warm Sky. Welcoming him, accepting him, wanting him right here, right now.
Suddenly thin lips were pressed against Enma's, moving hesitantly, experimenting. Enma's head was in daze, he wasn't quite sure was it all real, was it really happening. But he felt hesitant yet stable lips against his, wanting and tasting. He moved too, a little at first, then more.
The moment was just a blur, Enma didn't know if the time still moved on while they were kissing each other, both new to it and trying to find the right pace. There were hands on his face, then on his hips. He let his own hands sunk into the softness, curling his fingers around the brown hair. He pressed his lips harder against the other boy, leaned his whole body in wanting to feel his friend. Tsuna's body shivered against his and so did his. It wasn't because of the cold. It was something completely different.
Faster than the kiss had started the lips were gone. Enma breathed harshly, like he'd run miles. He kept his hands where they were, looking at flushed cheeks in front of him. Then he realized, Tsuna was really beautiful. Enma let his eyes wander on pale skin, brown locks and lips that had reddened after their heated moment. His friend had always been very pretty but it'd taken this long for him to understand that.
Neither of them said a thing. They just stared each other, not knowing what to do. Enma's head was still like in another planet but he had never felt this awake before. The feeling was amazing, something he'd never felt. He didn't know what to call it but he knew Tsuna'd caused it and he didn't want to let it go. His life hadn't been that great, he knew what the pain was. So that he now had something that brought up the opposite of those feelings – the bliss, happiness – he wanted to experience it many, many times in the future.
Enma felt his lips stretch into a smile, a genuine one, different than what he'd given to Tsuna before. Those smiles had been real too but this one held much more emotions, showing his inner self to the world outside. It was dangerous to let his guard down like that. He was vulnerable, good target for anyone who wanted to hurt him.
But Tsuna wouldn't do that. He kept his smile while watching how the other boy still looked startled but just as happy as him. Tsuna was different, he wouldn't crush him. Destroy and then throw away.
He was perfect in that way.
Enma opened his mouth to talk but couldn't bring himself to say a word. He was embarrassed about the fact, not liking his shyness at all but once again Tsuna saved him and said what he'd wanted to say for him while looking at him like he knew exactly what the other boy'd wanted to say.
"Do you want to experiment some more?" Then the brunet blushed with many shades of red. Enma just nuzzled their foreheads together in affection and put their lips together.
Indeed, he was very glad he'd come tonight.
A/N: Sorry if my Enma is OOC. He's surprisingly hard character to write. Also, there's not enough 0027 fics so here's one. I'm planning to write other one too, got pretty good idea for a oneshot. I have an idea for another long KHR fic too, once again, but it'll be gen. I think.