Note:
This is Japanese - Normal text signifies Japanese.
"This is Italian/English"/This is a Thought/Chat - Italics with quotation signify Italian or English (English when Tsuna is speaking, ofc), and w/o quotion signifies thought process or chat. Just see the context.
Tsuna watched in wonder as they soared thousands of kilometers above the ground, flying even higher than the clouds. The plane flew over Asia, and he passed multiple countries which resembled tiny playthings from the enormous height. It was a breathtaking experience.
It was also frightening, because Tsuna read too many comics where planes ended up crashing. He didn't get much amusement from imagining himself as a badly mangled corpse on the ground. Agh.
At afternoon they landed in Zurich Airport, where there was a layover of two hours. Tsuna explored around the airport, finding so many unfamiliar people walking by, bustling with life. The air was chiller, the languages were different, and everything was so much dissimilar to Japan. He managed to get lost in the crowd, and had to explain himself frantically to a Swiss man who didn't understand his broken English before being promptly rescued by Nana.
Switching planes, they then flew to Rome. Since Switzerland and Italy were neighboring countries, it took only one and half an hour before the flight stopped at Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport. Tsuna was already feeling drained despite the wonderful food and treatment from first-class flights. He couldn't wait to take a nap, and was too scared to fall asleep in the plane, for very 'real' reasons. Though it wasn't clear what he'd do even if he was awake in case of an accident.
They stayed in Rome for another one and half hour, where Nana phoned Iemitsu and gushed about arriving to the country. She sounded so content Tsuna couldn't bring himself to be angry again. He was just really tired. He then sent a text to Takeshi, explaining his arrival. Due to the great time differences, he was probably asleep.
Their final flight took off at evening. The domestic flight flew south, and he watched as the magnificent gulf of Palermo came closer every moment, the clear sea perfectly reflecting the blue, all-encompassing sky above. Roughly one hour later the plane landed at Falcone Borsellino Airport at Punta Raisi, Palermo. They were taken to the exit terminal by the airport bus. Tsuna walked through the procedures half-awake, and after finishing immigration process he picked up his luggage and proceeded to the exit.
It was already over 10 PM at night. As he searched for his father in the crowd, though he didn't quite clearly remember the face, he only found Caucasian men and women. His mother tugged at his hand.
"Tsu-kun! Why are you daydreaming?" She reprimanded lightly, "Our car is waiting!"
Eh, car?
A car was indeed waiting to pick them up.
It was, in fact, a slick Rose-Gold Rolls Royce, Tsuna noted as his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. A beige logo bearing the name of the hotel was emblazoned at the side of the car.
Also, why were they going to be taken at a hotel? Where was Iemitsu?
Their driver was a man wearing all black suits with a sunglass covering his eyes, which was extremely odd because it was nighttime. The situation's awkwardness was increased greatly because another all-black suited man vaguely resembling a movie don was seated on the front. No one said a word. Tsuna licked his dry lips and hoped he wouldn't be killed tonight.
The car glided across the smooth highway, the gulf of Palermo on his left and the city on his right. City lights brightened up enough to see around them. The sea reflected the multitude of neon colors from billboards, shining with vibrancy. The streets were clean and aesthetic, with low-storied houses constructed neatly on either sides.
Tsuna was jerked awake as the car came to an even stop. It had been more than a half an hour ride with moderate traffic on the roads. A majectic, palace-like hotel was standing in front of the car. Monochromatic signs lit up the beige structure of the hotel, and Tsuna could read 'Grand Hotel Villa Igiea' on the front gate.
Their chauffeur held the door open for him and he stepped out of the car, happy to be finally free.
"Ah, isn't it beautiful?" Nana squealed in delight as she came out from the other side. "Your papa is so considerate, isn't he, Tsu-kun?"
"Yes, him, where is he, anyway?" Tsuna mumbled lowly, nodding numbly.
The night manager was waiting for them, and soon they were shown into a deluxe suite overlooking the sea.
It wasn't before Tsuna had crushed down on his plush-like bed, slept like a rock for ten hours before he was finally up and awake. Then he asked Nana about the biggest question –
Where the bloody heck was Iemitsu!?
Nana was already up and busy doing her makeup and hair in the master bedroom.
"Ah, Tsu-kun! You're up. I was just going to call you… Papa's at work. He will come in the evening. In the meantime we're going to look around the city a bit!"
His mother looked even tinier in that enormous, empty room.
"Huh?" Tsuna stated incredulously, "Can't he take a half-day break today or something, mum? We're visiting after so long and –"
"Your papa does a very important job, Tsu-kun! He can't just take a holiday whenever he wishes to. You must understand that." She said, waving his question away as she happily applied her lipstick.
Tsuna opened his mouth to say something but closed it. He gritted his teeth and walked away without another word. Once she was out of his sight he rolled his eyes.
"And – Tsu-kun! Your breakfast coupon is with me! Go and have it, I think there's still some minutes left."
"Nevermind," He called out, "I don't want breakfast."
Did she choose to ignore his antics? Or was she too much blown away by the luxurious experience that she failed to see past the mask?
The fresh wind from the sea-side lightly blew his hair as Tsuna entered the balcony, leaning on the railing. He took out his phone. He had a new message from Takeshi, wishing him to have a happy trip. He replied with a vague 'thanks' and decided to accompany his mother after all.
Tsuna and Nana began their tour through Palermo by the Rolls Royce, accompanied by two armed black men, supposedly for their safety. He didn't understand – the halls were also littered with guards donning the same outfits as well. It was like they were prisoners being taken to jail.
He literally seen no other hotel with security like that. Never.
Tsuna was extremely suspicious. He couldn't properly enjoy the spots they were seeing, eerily sensing the burning stare on his back.
In the beginning of the tour, they passed by Teatro Massimo, the largest opera house of Italy before crossing Mercati di Palermo, or the Capo Market and advanced toward the majestic Palermo Cathedral. Later on when the group was nearing the Palazzo dei Normanni on foot, Tsuna quietly slipped past the guard's view into the park beside the palace, which he later came to know as Park Villa Bonanno.
He walked quickly down the wide pathways lined with palm trees and trimmed scrubs. He sighed in relief after he was certainly far from the palace. Tsuna turned to look if someone had come searching for him and stepped on a person's foot.
"Cazzo!"
Swore an Italian youth, staring up at him with the eyes promising death. Tsuna gasped in horror and backed up, holding his hands up in fear. The man was an obvious gangster, with messed-up silver hair and a myriad of wristbands and rings decorating his arms while he held a lit cigarette on his left hand.
Oh, shit.
"A-ah! Sorry! I-I wasn't looking –!" Tsuna began, halfway remembering that he was speaking Japanese. "E-eto! I m-mean, sorry-!"
The other man showed him the finger and stormed out the other way, mumbling profanities under his breath. Tsuna gulped, his heart pounding in his chest and hurried on his way as well.
He got away big time there.
He sat down on a bench and leaned back, closing his eyes as he listened to the quiet trickle of the nearby fountain. The palm trees rustled lightly in the breeze. Tsuna felt himself calm down slowly.
Yes, no more distractions now. He remembered a conversation he had with Solare once.
Solare-san, where in Italy do you live?
Somewhere in Italy. None of your business, kiddo.
Aw, come on, I might visit someday!
Hm. No chance you'd be seeing any of me. I don't stay around too much in one place. Though you could say Sicily is my home-ground.
Tsuna wondered where exactly in Sicily the man had meant.
Out of the blue he heard a loud crash not too far away and jumped in shock. He could see smoke coming from the way the Italian boy had gone, followed by angry shouting in said language which seemed to progress in his direction by each moment.
Today is not my lucky day. Tsuna thought in frustration, scrambling under a trimmed bush for cover. The park didn't offer much place for hiding, because everything was just wide open and you could see everything.
"Vaffanculo! Non torno indietro!"
As he pressed hard against the bushes and entangled himself deeply in the leaves, Tsuna peered through tiny openings to see the battle unfold. That was…! The Italian boy he had collided with before, who was snarling in utmost fury, sticks of dynamite in his hand, held in between his fingers. He was facing off against three men who were wielding pistols.
Wait, pistols? And – dynamite!?
Tsuna watched, frozen in terror as the men argued in Italian, unable to comprehend anything. Should he call the police or something? The boy was yelling and cursing at them, and the situation was heating up fast.
Finally as one man cocked his pistol, the boy tensed up and lit a stick of dynamite with his cigarette.
At that moment, Tsuna knew if he didn't do something and that dynamite stick exploded there, they all would be charred to bits. He needed to react – and he needed to do it right now.
God, save me.
Picking up a brick which was somehow miraculously present, Tsuna chucked it with all his might at the nearest thug. It struck instantly with a thunderous boom and a wounded cry ripped out of the man's throat.
Seizing the opportunity of surprise, he screamed "Run!" and tore through bushes and statues diagonally as he bolted to save his dear life. He heard gunshots screech behind him and instinctively shielded himself behind a statue, and began running again. The ground quaked as something exploded and Tsuna almost tripped over his feet. He picked himself up and kept going.
He didn't stop running until he had reached the end of the park and flopped down beside a large statue. Tsuna gasped for air, clutching his shirt as he trembled wildly.
He was alive.
No, he told himself. It's okay, I'm fine now. So, calm down. Take a deep breath.
He was alright then, and that's all that mattered.
"Why did you save me?" He heard a growl from behind and whipped around.
Oh no.
It was the Italian boy from before…!
A/N: Poor Tsuna never gets a break, does he? I had lots of fun looking up flight details, hotels and Palermo tourist spots. You could look them up too, if you wish. Thank you so much for all the support. Please mention if I made any inaccuracies. As a side note, this is not a romantic story so no R27 ;_; and I've encountered air-head or non-caring parents first hand, so please don't think of it as cliche. Maybe they're better than Tsuna thinks, we'll see, right?
Review, please!
