Hypothesis 0: Resolution

Part 2: First Meetings

...

Very few people can say with all certainty that coffee is bittersweet

As he reached closer and closer to the apartment building, Tsuna could feel his spirits lifting. Sure, he had had to endure about seven hours of hell in that school, but what came after was most definitely worth the trouble. He hummed softly to himself as he skipped along the corridor, all the way to his destination. Left turn. Right. Right again. Left. Two doors down. Insert the key into the keyhole, and push the door open.

With a cheery smile and excited wave, he practically hopped over the threshold separating the small apartment from the outside world. "Tadaima! I'm back, Hiba-HIEE!" He leaped to the side just as the modest wooden chair flew at him, missed its target and crashed into the opposite wall.

Tsuna stared at the broken piece of furniture in horror for a few seconds, until the neighbours slammed open their door and stormed out in anger, seeing which he quickly shut his to avoid a recurrence of the "Halloween Piñata" incident (to this day, the thought made Tsuna shiver and quickly mutter a prayer under his breath).

"H-hibari-kun!" Tsuna spun around with a frown that looked more cute than angry. "I already told you not to be violent and make too much noise, the neighbours will com-are you even listening to me?"

Hibari, who had already gotten bored and sat back down on the couch, gave him a dismissive scowl.

"I'll take that as a no."

Hibari sighed and picked up the little tablet sitting on the coffee table. With his pale, long fingers, he began to type swiftly, and quickly thrust the screen out at Tsuna.

Get out and go back home, herbivore.

Tsuna's eyes scanned over the message briefly, before his shoulders drooped and he laughed nervously. "I was thinking something along the lines of 'Welcome back' would have been nice, Hibari-kun."

Scowl. It's not your home, I see no reason to 'welcome' anyone back.

"Don't be like that. You know how far the walk is to my place."

You live next door.

Nervous laughter. "I'm sure the ten steps I'd have to walk would be very exhaustive if I was an ant...?"

...What?

"Or some other small insect. Like a frog."

...I will not even deign that with a reply, herbivore.

Tsuna's eyes lit up and he smiled again, a happy smile. That meant that Hibari had given up on chasing him out, which was a good thing (he conveniently ignored the half-exasperated half-bewildered glare being sent his way). He pumped his fist into the air in elation. Victory for Sawada Tsunayoshi!

Herbivorous idiot, stop being stupid and go cook lunch.

"H-hai, Hibari-kun..."

Tsuna swore that if not for his spaghetti carbonara, Hibari Kyoya would have bitten him to death a long time ago. As it was, said carnivore was teetering along the fine line between grudging resignation and the urge to gouge someone's eyes out in irritation.

It wasn't much of a surprise, really. Violence was practically ingrained into Hibari's personality. Heck, Hibari embodied violence. It had always been that way, and had never changed, not since they first met exactly one year ago.

Now, Tsuna thought with a mirthful sigh as he cheerfully tried to engage the stony boy in conversation over their pasta. Exactly how did this happen?

How, indeed...

It had been another failed test that had started it all. Sure, Tsuna had gotten used to his never-ending stream of failures, somewhat, but still. Even he would have gotten depressed over this pathetic excuse of a grade.

Two out of hundred, he thought miserably, head hung low as he trudged through the streets crowded with students from all over the country heading home. Really, they call me dame-Tsuna, but two out of hundred is ridiculous, even for me. Even for maths. Even for algebra, goddammit.

And thus, so immersed in wallowing in his own misery and self-pity was Tsuna, that he had failed to notice an incoming car blazing a trail down the road just as he stepped onto the zebra crossing.

Everything happened at once. Someone tugged at his roughly from behind, sending him flying backwards and crashing onto the pavement and causing all the air to be knocked out of him. There was an ear-splitting shriek from a nearby schoolgirl, coupled with the screech of tires and the blaring of horns, but all of this was vague and fuzzy. The only thought that Tsuna's harried mind could process at the moment was am I dead?

And then, when he confirmed that yes, all his organs were intact and his life processes continuing as per normal, who the heck is this guy standing over me?

The first thing he could register was that, for a guy who had just saved his life, he looked remarkably normal. Black hair, pale skin, generally average build. The only things out of the ordinary was that he wasn't in uniform despite being around school going age (a sight so rarely seen it was akin to an UFO sighting), as well as his surprisingly expressionless expression. Seeing someone just miss being hit by a car by a hair's breadth didn't normally bring about such a disinterested look.

Still dazed, Tsuna struggled to sit up just as the stranger, deciding that this wasn't worth his time, turned and walked off, the shocked crowd immediately parting to make way for him. He could hear some people shouting in the background to call for an ambulance, but he didn't really understand. His eyes were trained on the escaping back, walking further and further away.

With a gasp, he stumbled to his feet, grabbed his bag and, ignoring the surprised cries, chased after his saviour, and damn, how did he walk so far ahead in this amount of time?!

"W-wait!" Tsuna cried out. The sound he produced was hoarse and frankly quite pathetic, but it achieved the desired effect. The stranger stopped and turned his head slightly to acknowledge him.

Panting, Tsuna finally reached the boy and almost tripped over himself in his haste to bow. "T-thank you for saving me earlier! My apologies for causing you trouble!" He stammered out quickly, stumbling over his words.

He was rewarded with a stony, awkward silence for his troubles.

Gulping, he slowly straightened himself up, to find the stranger staring at him with cold eyes. He could feel a bead of sweat slowly trickling down the side of his face, as if foreshadowing his imminent death by the hands of this strange saviour of his. "Ah, um...I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi?" He tried, sticking out his hand before inwardly facepalming to himself. Why was he introducing himself? Ok, never mind, let's just go with it.

Silence.

Blink. "Um, that is-HIEEEEE!" A tonfa whizzed past his face and he leapt back in shock before falling to the ground. "DON'T KILL MEEE!"

The owner of said tonfa glared down at him on the floor, as Tsuna tried his best not to cry there and then on the asphalt. Finally, with an irritated huff, the stranger retracted his tonfas before taking out what resembled an e-dictionary. He quickly typed out something before showing it to Tsuna.

I'm mute, you noisy, pathetic excuse of a herbivore.

Right then, Tsuna wanted to melt into a puddle and become one with the pavement.

It's a wonderfully strange relationship, but neither of them really mind. I think.

I hope you like this chapter, because I didn't think it was all that bad. Much more interesting than the previous one, though not a lot revealed, I guess?

R&R please! :D