Chapter III; Libero
At the same time Hibari Kyoya was meeting with Rokudou Mukuro, a different short of drama was playing itself in a place not that far from there. Protagonist of the drama was none else but Sawada Tsunayoshi, tenth heir to the Vongola Famiglia.
If loneliness could be expressed in numbers, then Tsuna was feeling the most absolute value of loneliness possible to exist. It was a loneliness almost unbearable, crushing him like a weight on his chest that would not lift. Ever since he came here he was wishing for the one thing or the other to happen so he could find an excuse and run away as fast as he could. But truth was that prayers weren't answered when they should be and he was left to deal on his own. Not to mention that by the looks of it this would drag on until -at least- three in the morning. In the best of two scenarios in his head he'd faint at some point and be escorted to the hospital. Everyone would worry and gather where he was and he wouldn't do anything but apologize over and over for the trouble. The worst he didn't want to consider. It included unthinkable things occurring, Reborn appearing out of nowhere and shooting him with the deathperation shot and moving forward he was saving the day in nothing but his underwear becoming the laughing stock of everybody gathered there.
But life had brought things that way that he even had to attend some happenings such as that now. Reborn thought it was essential for him to go. He made it clear when he suggested for him to attend. He used one of his usual 'suggestions' those with the ever-lingering, threatening 'if you don't, then...'. Then Tsuna didn't want to know.
Of course he wasn't as interested to things like that yet. This sort of gatherings only tired him, not to mention they made him extremely nervous. He was still a high school student, little could he care -or know enough in order to care- about the other mafia bosses and their chosen heirs and other useful people that simply waltzed around, swarming together like honeybees on a flower field.
Thinking back to the scene at the hospital in his head, he sighed. Right now he'd give anything, absolutely anything to be in that hospital with his friends. He thought about Yamamoto's carefree smile, Gokudera's expected outbursts, vowing to kill whoever did this to him -he'd always try to calm the silver-haired teenager but his efforts where almost always fruitless. Even though nobody can cause fainting to another person without fighting involved. And Ryohei, Kyoko and Haru would eventually come too. Especially the latter would bring the kids in as well. Lambo, I-Pin and even Fuuta. The hospital would be so crazy with all of them packed in one room... The only thing that was left to happen was if somehow -disastrously so- they bumped onto Hibari... like that time.
He found himself smiling ruefully to no one in particular. He just felt... so very out-of it. His father, who as head of CEDEF was the one to accompany him, was discussing something with some other, significant-looking people in suits. And with the sole exception of Dino -who he was unable to locate- he knew of no one else in that place. Hence the sulking. He was all alone, amidst people he didn't know, in a place he didn't know nor wished to be at in the first place. Oh, and there was one more thing that seemed to make him extremely uncomfortable. Everyone seemed to know him. Of course he hadn't expected otherwise, he was slowly beginning to accept that he was going to be the tenth heir to the Vongola.
He was about to despair when the idea suddenly came to him. The house actually had a garden and nobody seemed interested in it. So he could, of course, go outside and take a breath. It wouldn't be like he was leaving or anything. He would just take a break and on his return maybe he could even pay more attention to everything that was happening -he wished Reborn would explain some things for a change-.
Pulling his coat tighter around him, to protect from the sheer cold, he walked out. Taking a big breath of clean air, not weighed down by the scent of the perfume of so many people, he heaved a sigh of relief in its purest form before dropping himself on the nearest bench close to a group of hydrangea bushes. He stretched his arms over his head and tried to reason the situation he was in. He would just have to act normal and this would be made a lot easier. This was a simple gathering of the mafia, he bet they did it all the time in order to talk about 'their business' so he'd eventually have to grow accustomed to it.
He was giving up, enough said.
"Are you here alone?"
Tsuna was jumped by an unexpected voice close to him. He hadn't heard the other approaching. Turning to his right in a surprised, flustered manner, only comparable to a rabbit that was caught while in its sleep, he managed to somehow stutter out a positive reply. Then the realization hit him as he watched the figure of the boy who spoke make its way towards him. That person could only be his age, if not younger -judging by his height, the way he walked and his voice just now-, but he had an air of such maturity about him that Tsuna was one hundred percent sure that he came in that gathering all alone, proud head of his own family. Of course, then, in crawled the fear. What if the other came from some opposing family and he spoke more than he should? Of course his safety did occur to him as well, in fact it was the first thing he worried about. But having grown a little accustomed to the whole 'mafia' issue he was at least a bit assured the other wouldn't try something, not in that place, not under these circumstances. There were silent rules everyone followed -they had to follow or otherwise they would be faced with a punishment probably just as severe as death.
The boy was slightly taller than him, and kept a relaxed posture about him. He was wearing a suit, much like everyone else in that place and his hands were covered by thin gloves, probably to protect against the cold. His hair was the oddest shade of a very light blue which could only indicate that the boy had, probably, an unexpected run-through with blue dye he attempted bleaching afterwards. His right eye, the only visible since his forelock concealed the left from sight, was a pleasant deep blue hue.
Against all of Tsuna's wary thoughts the other came closer, keeping his posture, and smiled at him warmly. And he, despite smiling back, felt a chill run down his spine instead, probably because of the snow that fell on his skin wherever exposed by the suit his mother had chosen for him. He couldn't shake the idea that came and nailed itself deep inside his brain, almost like a curse, that it was as if this smile concealed a large array of all sorts of things one might not want to know about. As such, an uneasy silence was spread.
Tsuna attempted to consider the best scenario. At least he had someone to speak with when until a moment ago he was all by himself. Maybe it wasn't all as bad. Of course he'd certainly feel more secure with someone other there... someone who he possibly knew. And almost as if his prayer was answered one familiar voice rang from the opposite side of the garden, accompanied by the sound of hurried footsteps and the figure of a third boy running in their direction to meet them, under the faint lights of the small lanterns lit amidst tree branches. Tsuna forgot everything about his previous feelings of loneliness. Now he had not one but two people close to his age that he could speak with, the one being none else but one of his friends, his father's assistant, Basil.
When the boy finally reached them he greeted both with a smile that seemed nothing like the boy's previously. Tsuna felt the warmth it radiated, full of genuine feelings in their most authentic form. Basil took a couple moments to briefly chat with the boy whose name Tsuna did not know. He asked if he had finished moving and if he was feeling alright. The boy just nodded and spoke a few words in turn. Tsuna suddenly felt unsettled again. Lonely. Possibly even more than before.
Finally Basil turned to him. "I art very happy to see thou art doing fine." he smiled again. It took him but a couple moments to notice the dispirited way Tsuna was looking at him and his friend and realized that the two didn't have time to introduce themselves to one another. He felt embarrassed for invading and took a step back as if inviting the two to talk to each other. The boy chuckled softly pushing a strand of his odd-colored light-blue hair behind his ear.
"My name is Martino Fortugno." the boy introduced himself first, extending his hand in Tsuna's direction. "I am the heir to the Rivelazione cosca, sixth in strength allied family to the Vongola, to assume my duties starting tomorrow." he eloquently explained his position exactly. "Friends call me Tino." Tsuna gave his own hand for a handshake trying his hardest not to sigh in relief or seem overexcited. At least the boy, Martino, wasn't an enemy.
"I'm Tsunayoshi Sawada..." Tsuna mumbled, that was enough, for he didn't have the time -nor was there a need- for anything more to be said in regards to his position within the Mafia.
"You are Sawada-san!?" the boy exclaimed with such unprejudiced admiration reflecting in his voice, which came through as a surprise, the fact that Tsuna wasn't enveloped in the feeling of guilt that ate away at him right away. How did he even dare to imagine of such signs and wonders without anything to base them on? How could he even think all these... unthinkable things about the other? He lowered his head, embarrassed, finding the tips of his shoes extremely interesting all of a sudden. He didn't want to be humiliated like this... even though humiliating himself was all he ever did anyway. He suddenly felt like sulking.
"Sawada-dono... Martino-san will be transferring to thy school coming week. He just came from Italy. Boss is overseeing his transfer papers." Basil explained shoving either hand in his pockets to warm them up. Really, in comparison to Italy, Japan seemed extremely cold this year.
"I... I see." Tsuna mumbled. "I hope we get along well then, Martino-san." he spoke, trying to look as composed as possible. He usually failed at first impressions. He knew that perfectly well. Tino just looked at him, still smiling his calm smile and nodded his head as the sealing of an unspoken contract.
"Why, I am sure we will, Tsunayoshi-san." he simply stated.
Basil nodded in confirmation. Hell, if Martino was Basil's friend then Tsuna was worrying about nothing... to top it off his father was overviewing the transfer of this boy to Japan. It didn't occur to him to ask about why the transfer was happening in the first place. He figured it had something to do with the boy's family. Of course if Tsuna was worrying less about how he wouldn't make a terrible impression and focusing more on the things said he'd have noticed several points that were sounding at least terribly off in every sense of the term.
Of course it wasn't of the essence now... at least not as much as it would be soon. The way Tsuna and his family were going to learn about it would still be an unlikely one, like something that was predetermined aeons ago. Because that evening the die was cast, the gears all clicked into place and the started moving life towards their own inevitable events.
Even so, there was still some time. Pandora's box had yet to be opened...
Hello,
Snow here, on my very first post script;
the chapter's title, 'libero', means 'free' in Italian. As in a free person. Also, the word 'cosca' which Tino uses when refering to his family, is a term used to define a mafia family.
I don't have much to add over the term explanation, right now, so I just hope you enjoyed the chapter!
