Chapter 3

There's a Mist user coming to the hotel.

Tsuna tries to not look in the direction where she is silently drinking with a newspaper in front of her in the part of the hotel that serves as a bar. Yesterday she was a he, so Tsuna doesn't know how to refer this person as. To save himself the headache, he goes by whatever the Mist is posing at. He doesn't ask mostly to not let the current-she know about him. After all she's powerful. It took him stumbling onto her to realize she was even using flames.

Now his intuition updates him whenever he sees her so that way Tsuna can scurry away from her area. He really doesn't want to get pulled into whatever trouble she's in. Though something tells him he'll have to deal with it, eventually.

As soon as he thinks of that, Tsuna goes to the nearest closet room and locks himself inside to sob at the inevitability of the craziness in his life for a couple of long minutes. Then, he returns to try and get an idea of what's going on with Mist-san. It's better to be prepared than wait for the surprises.

Surprises hurt. Most of the time. Or at least they do in his life.

Some time later, Tsuna comes to the conclusion that Mist-san is doing some kind of reconnaissance of sorts. Tsuna still doesn't know if she is sending a mist clone or if she's merely cloaking her form, but for now she only sits at a random table, orders something to eat and stays even after his shift is over so Tsuna doesn't know what she's looking for.

He has an inkling that it has to do with the new patrons staying in the hotel. Their appearance just screams shady.

- x -

"How do you do a recon?"

Stranger-san doesn't look up from the newspaper he's reading (of the current day, unlike the one Tsuna is cutting). "Reconnaissence?"

"Hai."

The bullet he just barely manages to dodge. "You say 'si' when giving an affirmative."

"Oh… right. Si, then. Now, how does one do it?"

Stranger-san makes a 'tch' sound. "It depends on what are you aiming for. Although usually one has to focus on the enemy, the dimensions of the terrain, the civil considerations, the available ETA, the troops and support at your disposal while always having the goals of the mission clear in order to obtain the information you need to achieve said goal.

"It's pretty complicated if one wants to do it right. I can teach you if you want," Stranger-san says, lifting his gaze from the paper to meet his blank, uncomprehending stare, an unholy gleam in his eyes.

Tsuna immediately shakes his head and holds his hands up in surrender. "Just curious! Though…"

With a huff of amusement, Stranger-san takes a sip of his coffee. "Reconsidering?"

"No, no. I mean, I didn't really understand what you said, but I got the gist of it and realized I mistook what a recon was. Anyways, what do you call someone who constantly appears in the same place, at the same time, and wearing different disguises?"

"The place is somewhere public I get?"

"Hypothetically, it's the bar of a hotel."

"The hotel where you work?"

Tsuna narrows his eyes. "How do you know I wo—forget it. Obviously you know where I work. Yes, yes. The hotel where I work."

"Sounds like someone is trying to get some dirt," he says, his gaze returning to the newspaper.

And that's it.

He doesn't add anything more.

Tsuna makes the second jar of coffee while glaring at the back of his head. His glare only darkens when Stranger-san hums happily while drinking. He only hopes that the pat on his head he receives just before he leaves for his shift at the bar is not some hint of how his day will go.

- x -

Damn it. He jinxed it.

"Why are you cleaning the glasses under the table?"

Tsuna doesn't look up. He already knows what face Zaid is making. "Hey, you're the lucky one who turns eighteen in a month. We sixteen years old can't afford to show our face to the public while working."

"Uh huh. That didn't bother you yesterday."

"I only worry for Giorgio-san."

Pouring some scotch into what he's sure is a cup of coffee, their boss, Giorgio, leans down for a moment with his Serious Face. "I can hear you."

"Sorry, Giorgio-san."

Zaid snorts. "You really should stop adding 'san' to the names, Natsu."

"But not in working hours. The last time you tried, your blushing face made you look thirteen."

Trying to fight the red that wants to creep on his face, he grumbles. "At least I can call Zaid, Zaid."

"Yeah, sure. It only took you a month."

"And you slept together," Giorgio-san adds with a snort before retreating on the back.

"Not in that way!" Tsuna has never felt his face hotter. He turns sharply to look at Zaid. "What did you tell him?"

"Me? Hah. Right. This is Giorgio who we're talking about, Nat." Zaid leans on the counter and taps his shoulder with his leg. "Seriously, man. Are you going to tell me why you're hiding?"

"I'm not hiding."

"Does that mean that it has nothing to do with the guy with the cane who came in a minute ago?"

Tsuna jumps in surprise, his head colliding with the hard surface of the counter.

"That's a yes, I take it." Zaid gives him an amused look before he leans further on the counter. "Hey, Timmy! How's it going?"

"Timmy?" Tsuna mumbles, peeking a bit to see who Zaid is calling. He yelps when he sees the brown haired guy with the familiar cane approaching and falls onto his back.

"Still working as a barista, Ganauche?"

"Still calling people candy, Timmy?"

Has… Has Zaid just been called Ganauche? As in the Nono's Lighting Guardian, Ganauche?

Tsuna can only see Zaid's playful glare from his position but it's enough to make him question his luck. Only Tsuna can get a job in the place where one of the Ninth's guardians work. Though perhaps soon-to-be guardian is a better description. He's sure Zaid is a Lightning, but he doesn't feel like an active flame. Though that does explain the trace of harmonization he sometimes feels on him.

Still. He's working with one of the Ninth's guardians.

Well, not the Ninth yet. Probably not until he goes back to his time. And even then, he'll deny it until he can't any longer and the proof is shoved down his throat.

"—talking to Natsu here. He's new so he's still trying to get the hang of it."

Hearing his alias snaps him out of his thoughts and makes him sit straight in a second. He grabs Zaid's pants tightly as to gain his attention, pleading eyes already in full force.

"A new employee? Where is he?"

Zaid is not turning to look at him, that isn't fair!

"He's lying behind the counter, see?"

A familiar, though much younger face peers down from the other side of the counter. Another person leans next to him. They both look faintly surprised.

Tsuna tries to smile. He stands up like he hasn't spent the last few minutes cleaning the same glass from behind the furniture. "Hi, I'm Natsu."

The man he doesn't recognize is the one to recover first. He nudges an elbow at the other. "Oh, yes. I'm sorry, Natsu. You just remind me of someone."

Luckily the hysteria is not heard when he laughs. "Well, most do say we Asians look alike."

"You don't look all that Asian," Zaid points out.

"My dad is half Italian," he is quick to add. By the look he receives, perhaps he was too quick.

"Italian, hm?" the one he doesn't recognize mutters. He seems ready to ask him more about the subject but the so called Timmy stops him by saying. "Oh, but where are our manners. My mother would have killed me if she knew I hadn't introduced myself first. Hello, Natsu, My name's Timoteo and this is my friend Coyote, though most call him Nougat."

Crap, Tsuna was right. He is the Ninth (Not yet, his mind supplies. Tsuna ignores it).

"They only do that because you call me Nougat, Tim."

Zaid puts an arm around Tsuna's shoulders. "Be careful around him if you don't want an ugly nickname, Nat. He likes to give one to everyone but never gives one to himself."

The Ninth shrugs. "I love all sweets. I don't have any preferences."

"That's no excuse." Zaid rolls his eyes. "Anyways, what have you been doing? I haven't seen you in months!"

"Tim's been busy," answers Coyote-san glancing at his watch. "And speaking of busy, we need to go."

"So what, you've only come to say hi?"

"We did come for the coffee, too." The Ninth taps his cane against the counter as he searches for something inside his jacket. He pulls out a folded paper from one inside pocket and gives it to Zaid. "We also wanted to invite you to a show. I think it will be of your liking."

From where he's organizing the cups, Tsuna can clearly see Zaid's whole face light up like Christmas has come early. "DeMorte? You have tickets to see him? He's the best! How did you—No, no. Don't tell me. Just let me enjoy this moment." Zaid presses his face against the paper and sighs dreamily. "Damn, Timmy. If I didn't know better, I would think you're trying to woo me."

"Who says I'm not trying to court you?" the Ninth says with a cheeky smile and a wink.

The picture he has of the man in his mind abruptly breaks in tiny pieces as Zaid laughs. "You're too old for me, Timmy, sorry."

"Oh. And you're invited, too, of course."

Tsuna looks at the Ninth with a strained smile. "I wouldn't want to impose."

"Nonsense!" Coyote-san says with a huff. "Tim wouldn't invite you if he didn't want you there, kid."

Apparently it doesn't matter the age, Coyote-san will always be intimidating.

"Come on, Natsu. Will you leave me alone with the wolves? Someone has to take care of my virtue while I'm drunk in admiration for the best stuntman, after all," Zaid mock whispers.

Tsuna really doesn't like the speculative way the Ninth looks at him. It's too full of curiosity to be healthy.

He wants to say no. He will say no.

He opens his mouth to say exactly that, but only the word "Sure" comes out.

Apparently, Tsuna is still the number one person incapable of denying a request. Even in the past.

Luckily Chiara, the new barista, is near enough for him to use her as a distraction. "She's also new! Newer than me, even. I'll go see if Giorgio-san needs some help. You talk."

She pinches his arm softly as he passes, but looks amused instead of offended. Chiara is cool like that. She then pats his head and whispers a 'You owe me' in his ear. Seeing how she's smiling at Coyote-san, Tsuna doesn't think he owes her anything.

He's nothing more than a spectator, watching the fight from afar, not at all connected to his body as it goes through the motions he knows so well. Muscles knot tight, the tips of his fingers light with acidic red. He touches someone's neck, face contorting into one of pained surprise before he turns to the next one. His skin is numb even with the warmth of his flames inside him. They feel cold without passion guiding his strikes as he continues leaving a field of corpses at his feet. The sounds of fear and desperation he's become accustomed to are his background noise, louder than the gunshots. But not as loud as the storm under his flesh, wanting to devour all, destroy all. Furious at being confined, crushing the air from his lungs at how easily he shuts up its voice.

There's never blood, but the smell of burning flesh and death is present, familiar like the bed he sleeps in. The soft bed where there's no fighting to distract his mind from how people are turning into nothing more than pictures in a magazine instead of the alive beings they are, no adrenaline to help him ignore the cries of mercy. He's starting to not care.

He exhales softly as he crushes a man's windpipe.

This is just a job he has to complete, nothing more. Complete the mission, then the next one and the next after that one until he's so well-known they can't hide him anymore under violence and discipline.

His freedom is so close he can taste it from under all the murder, yet so far he doesn't know how much of himself will still live when that time comes.

What will he do after? Where will he return to?

He doesn't know, but wants to find out. It sounds thrilling.

For now though, with the leader dead, he will continue making his way through the underlings, going through the motions, mind always looking from afar. But he never closes his eyes as he kills one, two, three more; even if he could still perfectly fight without his sight. Even if he wants to close them.

He throws a dead body onto a set of doors for distraction before going through the threshold himself. A pair of young, determined eyes met his and he wonders, not for the first time, how much of his person will remain before his freedom comes. And how much of it he will like from what is left.

Tsuna wakes up with the lingering scent of burned flesh surrounding him and the buzz of his intuition loud inside his head. He turns to the edge of the bed, hoists his weight on trembling elbows and gags. His skin feels cold and clammy and Tsuna wants nothing more than to return to his bed and pretend the dream never happened. Because that's what it was. A dream.

Yeah, right.

It doesn't seem to matter how he prayed nothing weird happened after the cluster fuck that was meeting a young Ninth, or the 'thank you' he gave to his ceiling before sleeping. The day just doesn't seem to want to get any better for him.

Or well, considering his phone tells him it's a couple minutes past two in the morning—confirming it is a new day—perhaps he has not phrased it well.

It doesn't make it suck any less though. And not that he can't whine about the unfairness of everything because while his intuition has worked as an alarm before, it has never been this… frantic. The buzz that usually resembles the soft sound of a cicada is louder, making him tremble with the sound of it.

Because of that, Tsuna ignores the tiredness that comes from only sleeping three hours and stands up, changes his clothes into something warmer and wears the boots he uses for when it's raining even if it's not. His first-aid kit goes into an old backpack, next to his second scarf. He debates for a second if bringing an umbrella is a good idea before putting it in just in case.

He doesn't bother with the bike. Tsuna doesn't have his gloves and it's still difficult for him to enter into Hyper Dying Will mode without the pills, but this is important. He feels it.

Taking the necklace off and shoving it inside his pocket, Tsuna concentrates for long seconds and lights both hands with his flames. It doesn't take him long after that to fly to the place his intuition is indicating. It's not a smooth trip with one hand always more aflame than the other, but Tsuna manages to not crash into any buildings so he counts that as a win.

Fifteen minutes later of wobbly flying in the chill of November, Tsuna reaches a big building that looks more like a fabric than anything else. He debates if going through the roof would be easier to sneak in than using a window, but his intuition informs him it's safe using the door so he uses it. It doesn't take him long before he finds out why his intuition pointed him to this place.

A couple of steps are enough for him to step into what looks like a massacre.

The sight of death disrupts his concentration and he falls on the ground, knees shaking. It takes him long minutes before he can stand up, and even so, he has to constantly fight back the bile that forms in the base of his throat as he wanders through the path of destruction. He tries to not look at his surroundings but that's probably one of the hardest things he's had to do in his life. There are bullet holes in the walls, but none on the people. The only thing indicating their cause of death are burns on specifics parts of their bodies and the expressions on their vacant faces of pain and anger.

If one ignores that they almost look like they're sleeping.

He wants to search for survivors but with every step he takes, his intuition just informs him: dead, dead, dead. So Tsuna focuses in trying to not step over anyone while ignoring their blank eyes. And if he stares a bit too intently at the slightly burnt walls… no one can blame him.

Opening a door, reveals him the reason his intuition's been so anxious.

Huo-san is in the middle of a big, empty room doing a series of katas, looking pristine as always in chinese style clothes, reminding him of the first day they met. Every morning after that, he always came to his apartment wearing something common for the time, but still fairly loose.

"You shouldn't be here," it's the first thing Huo-san says. His eyes are closed and he hasn't turned to look at him or even stopped moving, but Tsuna thinks he can almost hear a hint of apprehension in his tone.

Tsuna swallows twice to make sure his voice doesn't come out weird. "Are you injured?"

Huo-san stops moving for a moment to bark out a disbelieving laughter. "I'm not injured," he says, as if the mere notion is preposterous.

Normally, he'd roll his eyes and mumble about proud people and their huge egos, but this time he gets close enough he's almost in arm's reach. He feels Huo-san turn his attention on him and Tsuna hesitates then. He wants to grab him by the sleeve in an attempt to make him stop and look at him, but he can tell it would be counterproductive. Huo-san is feeling to tense at the moment. There's a high probability he's going to react badly if Tsuna touches him. If that happens, Huo-san will blame himself and… Tsuna doesn't want that.

"Huo-san," he says, firm but gentle; the same tone he used when Yamamoto overworked himself or Lambo kept crying for candy. The same tone used on Gokudera and Chrome when they didn't take their well-being into account.

The flow of movements stop and Huo-san opens his eyes. He still hasn't met his eyes but Tsuna feels more relaxed with only that. Slowly approaching he takes care of grabbing his hands and inspecting his bandages. They're not as tight as they were when he dressed them the morning before; some parts revealing the slightly red skin underneath.

It's not until he reaches to check the second hand that Huo-san says with an empty smile, "I killed four kids."

Tsuna's breath catches in some part in his throat.

"My orders in Italy were to scare a couple Families into submission so they would only work for the Triads in the exportation of certain products. Some didn't agree or tried to fight back and, as the documents of Alliance they signed read, we were in our right to make examples of them." Humming despondently, he turns to the side; not looking remorseful at all, just kind of hollow. "I was told to annihilate the most stubborn ones."

"There were kids who opposed, I take it?" he asks in a whisper.

Huo-san nods tiredly. "Some escaped along with a couple of adults."

"Oh."

Tsuna for a moment doesn't know what to do. His hands stop as he remembers Lambo, Fuuta and I-pin. Sometimes he forgets how he met them. Lambo was ordered to kill Reborn and to not return back to his family without completing the deed; I-pin confused him for her target while Fuuta was trying to escape from being kidnaped. Thrust into a dangerous life they shouldn't be part of, without taking into account that they were just kids. Lambo was a crybaby who loved grapes and wanted so badly to not be left alone again, I-pin was so gentle but still ferocious when she wanted to protect and Fuuta… Fuuta just wanted a normal life and use his abilities to help.

I'll wipe out the Vongola, he said once. If he can't reform it, then he will…

Right. He's forgotten.

He can't forget. He has a mission to complete so he can go back and have snowball fights and watch the fireworks with everyone. That's why he fights and that's why he's here. What has he done so far besides standing still, drifting like a lone cloud? But—But he's not a Cloud and he can be aloof like one. He's always needed people to help him move forward.

Perhaps that's one of the big flaws of Skies.

The warmth he feels inside his chest is frail and cold, but still there. Enough to not feel so lonely and enough to remember what he's doing everything for, but still not... Enough.

He brushes a thumb along Huo-san's knuckles and looks up, through him where the pain hides. It hurts to see how chained his flames are. Similar to his own but Huo-san doesn't have a necklace to force it down, just determination and self-restraint. It painfully overwhelms his own self. He needs a balance, needs harmony.

Tsuna wants to help him.

Besides, Huo-san is a Storm, right? Disintegration is the ability of his flame and Tsuna wants that. He wants someone to erase this feeling of impotence and he knows Huo-san is capable of that.

His intuition hums with giddiness, coaxing him to do it. And in this time that he's more aware of his own flame, Tsuna can feel inside of him the beginnings of Harmonization reaching for Huo-san's flame.

Going by the sudden stiffness in Huo-san's frame, he can feel it, too. He grips Tsuna's hand tightly between his own and hunches forward until his forehead rests on top of Tsuna's head and just… exhales, his whole body relaxing with that one breath; wild red flames calming. And while Tsuna can't see it, he's sure he's smiling. Not those smiles that seem to be the default with him, but a real one.

Storm flames dance along his own Sky, just this close of touching. It feels intimate in a way it's never felt before. The previous times he harmonized with someone was quick and instinctual. There wasn't any courting going on as it seems to be the current case. And possibly the worst thing is that Tsuna wants this. Wants someone to lean on him in and wants the intricate way a relationship between an Element and a Sky is. He wants to accept and be accepted, to reassure and be reassured.

It's not right though. He's such a greedy Sky.

Clenching his teeth, he inhales through his nose sharply and coaxes his flames to coat his free hand, makes his fingers curl into a fist. He punches Huo-san in the gut, sending him skidding a couple steps away. Huo-san yelps in surprise but he doesn't look pained as he rubs his stomach, just a bit bewildered.

Grabbing the roll of bandages from the floor, Tsuna stands up. He closes the distance between them and sits once again in front of him. Huo-san is not the least bit wary of him and that just pisses him off. He doesn't even say anything when Tsuna not so gently takes his hand and starts bandaging it, he just looks at him with some sort of longing in his expression. That and resignation.

Tsuna wants to say he's sorry, but that will probably make things worse. And he can't find it in himself to use the cliché it's not you, it's me as true as the words are. Tsuna knows Huo-san wants to harmonize with him and while the Sky part of him says 'I've space for another Storm, bring him in', Tsuna can't. It isn't fair for any of them. If they harmonize, Huo-san will suffer Discordance when he leaves. And he heard from Reborn what that can do to Guardians.

Even he suffered some sort of Discordance when he appeared in this time and the connection he had never felt before between him and his friends started aching. He's only glad his friends wouldn't get to feel it because what is months for him, would only be minutes at worst for them.

He finishes with a knot, but doesn't let the hand go. He looks up and makes sure to meet Huo-san's eyes. "Today, you're going to stay in my apartment. And whenever you've a mission like this one, you're going to come to my apartment afterwards. Immediately. I don't care if you look like you've just come out from a horror movie, you will come. And I'll know if you try to escape, Huo-san. If you do that, I'll come to look for you and I'll be pissed."

He glares to make him know he's serious, because he is. He can tell his intuition will wake him up anyways, regardless of his wishes to sleep. So if he gets up from bed to make tea and no one comes to drink it with him, Tsuna will find him and knock some sense into him.

Huo-san laughs as he hoists Tsuna up into his lap to hug him. The action surprises him so much he doesn't complain. And then it's too late to push him off. Tsuna feels a bit like a little kid, to tell the truth. Or a teddy bear. He flushes bright red but doesn't say anything only because Huo-san needs this. He needs someone to be his anchor for just a moment before he can settle his self-control in place and return to his usual state of being the eye of the storm.

"I'm glad you're okay, Huo-san," he murmurs against his chest.

"I'm glad you're alive, Ozora-kun," he answers back, which normally would be weird because he wasn't the one fighting, but the way he says it sounds more like, 'I'm glad you're alive to tell me you're glad I'm okay'.

It's probably a bit selfish but Tsuna nods in understanding, because he does understand.

"Let's call the police and let them deal with this first, okay?"

- x -

Tsuna wakes up with dread pooling deep inside his gut for the second time that day. He's tired because the little outing he made in the middle of the night and then the two hours he spent awake, drinking tea and just talking with Huo-san who seemed to not want to sleep just yet. He obviously needed some sort of distraction so Tsuna ended up telling him a heavily edited version of what happened in the bar the day before.

Huo-san is such a nice person to not mock him for all the flailing he did.

"A strong mind will help you to not lose your cool. I could teach you a martial art style; they're good for you."

"Eh… I think I would need to train my body first and that would take a lot of time."

"You do have a weak body. A surprisingly high pain tolerance and resistance, but a weak and pitiful body all the same," Huo-san admitted with a sage-like nod, as if the words weren't insulting. "Let's start with some meditation, then."

… Huo-san is still a nice person. A bit blunt and thoughtless, but nice unlike their meditation sessions. Tsuna doesn't know where Huo-san got that stick, because he's sure as heck he didn't have it when Tsuna was checking him for injuries, but apparently it's used on his shoulders whenever his mind is not as empty as it should be. How Huo-san knows he's thinking of something when his eyes are closed and his posture is relaxed, Tsuna doesn't know. He only hopes he doesn't get to meet any more sadistic mind readers.

But at least that explains what he's doing laying on his couch. His last memory is of him closing his eyes and trying to meditate, after all. He probably fell asleep and Huo-san put him to bed. The blanket is a clear giveaway, too. Though it makes him wonder where Huo-san slept. He expands his senses and feels him near, so that means he hasn't—

Oh.

That's why the dread has set in then.

"We know you're awake," Stranger-san says suddenly. Tsuna 'eeps', cutting all his chances of pretending to be asleep to nothing.

He doesn't look over his shoulder as he sits up; he wants to drag it out as much as he can. Then slowly, so very slowly, he turns around, the blanket falling to his lap.

Huo-san and Stranger-san are sitting at his table, three similar portions of food in front of them. One wearing a pleasant, if a bit strained smile, while the other is almost emotionless, only a hint of annoyance showing. Considering they're both a Storm and a Sun respectively; it's a bit funny how their expressions don't match their flames.

"You never mentioned you knew such a famous person," Huo-san starts.

"I didn't?" he asks back, honestly confused. Though maybe that just means his survival instinct exists as he doesn't think talking about the other would go well. His intuition even agrees with—"Wait." He turns to Stranger-san. "You're famous?"

"Are you really surprised?"

Tsuna tilts his head and looks at Stranger-san intently. "It explains the… suits," he says, though he really meant to say 'ego'. By the glare he receives, Stranger-san probably read his mind.

He's actually a bit surprised he hasn't been shot. Stranger-san likes to do that.

"So you didn't know he was a famous hitman?"

He shakes his head, but the lack of surprise in his expression may explain the smug look Stranger-san throws at Huo-san. He has the suspicion there was a discussion going on before he woke up about their jobs.

"He needed a place to take a bullet out of him and he chose mine—"

"His lights were on."

"—and how I was in the middle of making coffee, I invited him to have some. Then he kept returning for more."

Huo-san narrows his eyes. "And you didn't find it suspicious?"

"I met you while you were fighting five men. There was a pile of unconscious bodies surrounding you."

"Touché," Huo-san says with a smile, not even bothering to look chagrined.

Tsuna turns to Stranger-san. "And there was a shooting going on. I couldn't sleep. Excuse me for having the light of my lamp on while making coffee."

"There was a shooting going on," Stranger-san repeats, as if that's enough counter-argument.

(It is, but he's not going to give him the satisfaction of being right.)

"Just try to not meet any more dangerous people, please."

Stranger-san snorts. "Too late. There's someone stalking his job."

"The hotel or the bar?" Huo-san asks with narrowed eyes, because of course he also knows.

"Oh. He didn't tell you?"

"Put the smug smirk away, Stranger-san, I was worried about other things and I kinda… forgot. Sorry, Huo-san."

Huo-san chuckles amusedly. "Stranger-san?"

"He's unimaginative."

"I'm not," he grumbles but then remembers how his other alias is the name he gave his animal box, and how unoriginal it was even back when he named the small flame lion. Tsuna covers his head with the blanket, his only consolation being that at least he's not as bad at naming things as Hibari-san and Gokudera is. Was? Will be?

"Perhaps we should go back to the topic of the stalker?"

A soft aroma makes him look up. Huo-san is standing in front of him with a cup of tea between his hands. Tsuna receives the cup with a smile before he mutters a thanks and takes a sip.

Huo-san motions the kettle on the table. "I hope it doesn't bother you I made some tea."

"It's no problem," he says before turning to the other person sitting at the table, taking notice in the lack of a cup in front of him. He glances between the kettle and Stranger-san. "The tea is very good. Not as bitter as you would—"

"Make me an espresso."

"Damn it."

"Don't curse. Be quick so I can lecture you about going out in the middle of the night and letting suspicious people stay in your apartment."

"How did you—No, it doesn't matter." Tsuna stands up and throws the blanket on the couch. "It's my apartment and I can decide what to do with it!" he says, but his outburst falls flat when he turns around to fold the blanket. He glances at Huo-san over his shoulder. "Sorry."

"It's okay, Ozora."

Tsuna looks back at the task at hand when he feels himself blushing. It's weird to hear Huo-san speaking Italian and it's even weirder to hear him not using suffixes when using his name. "Um. What happened with the 'kun', Huo-san?"

"I'm speaking Italian now, Ozora. Italian doesn't use suffixes. You should try it, too."

He quickly shakes his head. He already tried it with the people at the bar and the results were embarrassing on his part. Damn it, he fits the Asian stereotype of demure to a T. He'll have to fix that, but he'd prefer to practice alone first.

"Cute," Stranger-san drawls, sarcastically. "Now, my expresso?"

"While I'm sure you came early because you were worried—" Here Stranger-san snorts at Huo-san's words. "—that doesn't excuse being so demanding with Ozora. You can prepare your own coffee, can't you?"

The temperature in the room lowers as they try to stare each other down. The sight is quite nostalgic, but Tsuna has seen it enough times to know he needs to step in before furniture starts breaking. So with a sigh, he stands up. "It's okay, Huo-san. I need some coffee myself if I want to function later for work and Stranger-san gets all the more impossible to deal with without a cup. You can start eating, if you want."

"About that…" Huo-san starts, eyeing the food in front of him curiously. "I didn't question it before because I thought you always cooked it, but how…?"

"It was already there when I came and it's still warm," Stranger-san quips.

Their eyes no longer hold hostility and it's easier to breathe now, but Tsuna can't quite count it as a win considering the change of topic. He takes another sip of warm tea, glancing at the steamed rice, miso soup and grilled fish that that morning breakfast consists of. Unlike his own and Huo-san's orange and red chopsticks, Stranger-san's seems to have a yellow set in front of him.

"A, um, 'friend' likes to make me breakfast," he says, hoping the word 'friend' hadn't come out resigned.

Huo-san raises an eyebrow at him. "I didn't feel anyone coming, aside from mister hitman here."

"A sneaky friend."

Stranger-san keeps looking dubiously at the food. Tsuna doesn't know if it is because he doesn't know who cooked it or merely because he's Italian and Italians are weirdos who don't eat breakfast and function on a coffee-only diet.

"A sneaky chef friend." And because he is sure the food isn't poisoned, he adds, "You should try it. It's a Japanese-style breakfast."

"Why breakfast?" Huo-san asks, already eating. He's probably of the mind 'Ate already and it hasn't done anything, so why stop?'

Scratching his cheek, he says a bit embarrassed, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day?"

Stranger-san gives him a faintly incredulous raise of the eyebrow, but tries it anyways after Tsuna starts eating. Then he proceeds to inform the others what's going on in the hotel, not mentioning the Mist flames because of Stranger-san's presence, though he makes a mental note to tell Huo-san about it later.

"I wish I could check if it's something serious, but…"

Huo-san has another job, Tsuna knows. He mentioned it to him yesterday. It's not going to be anything too gruesome but he can't skip it if he doesn't want people on his tail. The Triads are harsh like that, apparently. Huo-san has a reason but that doesn't stop him from looking like a kicked puppy. Or as much as a kicked puppy as he can look. His eyebrows barely frown and his smile dims a little.

"I'll do it quickly," he assures him after long seconds of his weird sulking going on. He turns to Stranger-san as if expecting him to offer, too. His gaze darkens when he continues eating his food.

"He'll do it fine alone," is what he finally says, placing both chopsticks on his plate. The he pulls a newspaper out from who knows where and starts reading.

By the time he's changed and ready to head to his job, Tsuna is almost afraid to leave them alone in his apartment. He hopes they don't end up destroying his things.

- x -

A/N: About the TIMELINE: This story starts after the Arcobaleno Representative arc. Remember when Talbot appeared with the jars? More or less about that time. After that, my imagination comes in.

A/N2: If you wonder why Tsuna doesn't recognize the arcobaleno, well, you've to remember he hadn't seen any of their older versions, except for Lal Mirch's. Tsuna hadn't recognized Reborn in his adult form and he doesn't now because he didn't get a good view of his face with all the fighting and stuff going on (or that's my excuse).

A/N3: The only thing I'm changing from canon is that in this fic Reborn never actually vocalized he was an adult before the curse. It's implied, but Tsuna is kind of dense so he hasn't connected the dots yet.

A/N4: For the one wondering about Verde's introduction (haven't got a name yet), he's actually one of the first arcobaleno I already knew how Tsuna would meet. I kinda wanted him to be the first, but Reborn needed to be the first. A Sun's attribute is Activation, after all (And that's not ominous at all).

A/N5: For the one who wished Lal and Collonelo meeting Tsuna in the same chapter, I'm so sorry! Lal needs to be the last. Besides, Colonello was actually the first Tsuna met *insert evil laugh*. Don't worry, Tsuna first weeks in Italy will come soon (Not too soon, tho).

A/N6: Thanks for the favorites and all the wonderful comments! They give me life and happy feelings! If anyone has a question, feel free to ask. So many things happen in the next couple of chapters. Go plot!