Disclaimer: I don't own KHR
Betaed by Terry nightstalker.
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The moment Hayato started talking, Tsuna knew there was a misunderstanding here. He'd been taken by mistake.
When Hayato realized his mistake, let's say it was not a comfortable experience for both of them. As expected, the bomber began to swear, most of which Tsuna could tune out with the ease gained only by long time practice. It wasn't like that he had not heard exactly the same, or more impressive, cussing from said bomber. His storm Guardian had had an even more extensive vocabulary on this particular subject, considering he'd mastered two more languages apart from English, Italian and Japanese at the age of twenty one.
The problem was, they were already half way through the mansion, and it really wasn't Tsuna's fault for not correcting him (maybe partly, but still). Had Hayato turned his head a little back to see who he had grabbed instead of launching into an incoherent monologue, they would have saved from all this.
The sun was rising, the first beams crawling over the sky as its golden face started to climb up the horizon and throwing trails of dark blue ink all over place. It was always a breath-taking scene to watch, Tsuna thought.
"You shouldn't stay there",he said, glancing back at the sulky form lying on the ground nearby. Receiving no reaction, he sighed and stood up, moving closer to the teen. Hayato's eyes were closed and he did not seem inclined to change that at any moment.
Tsuna poked him in his cribs with his finger. Hard.
Hayato immediately let out a startled sound, his eyes blazing with anger.
"What are you doing, you crazy head?"
"I'm prodding you."
The glare he got could melt cheese for real. Tsuna just arched an unimpressive eyebrow.
"You're kind of rude, you know. Dragging me here out of blue then promptly ignoring me. I think prodding you is the least privilege I could have. Anyway, you should go now if you don't want to get arrested for your earlier stunt. I'm sure they're not pleased to know what you've done."
Tsuna didn't know about the others, but he knew for about a hundred of percentage that Reborn wouldn't let it go easily. The hitman would make the bomber his shooting dummy because he was a sadist who disliked defiance.
Even Tsuna thought twice before throwing a smoke bomb right under his nose like that. And he was his student. Had been his student, actually.
"Tsk, as if they aren't searching right now."
"Are you saying you're waiting for them to come?"
"There's no escape. If this is where Narumi lives, the security must be perfect,"Hayato gave him a dark look indicating he thought Tsuna was mentally slow "I just wanted to talk to Narumi. I never thought I'd get the wrong person."
Tsuna tried to ignore the pang of hurt inside his chest. It stung nonetheless.
He bit the inside of his cheek, cleared his throat and said, "So if I said I knew a safe way to go out of here, what'd you say?"
"You're lying."
Tsuna looked up to the sky which was wide and magnificent then he stared directly into the emerald swamps which were Hayato's orbs. His smile was small, tentative. This time, however, his voice was full of confidence, "Oh yeah? You want to bet? You know, to me, someone treating me to breakfast is always nice!"
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Challenge accepted.
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Tsuna lead them into the Garden, which is actually designed as a labyrinth and happened to be nearest to their current place.
Comparing to his mind map, Tsuna pinpointed that they were in the corner of the mansion, which was good news. The Vongola mansion was an in town one. If they could go across the street, they'd have the liberty to roam as freely as they pleased. The only thing that stood between them and that wonderful scenario was tall walls and cameras and security guards armed with hidden guns.
Easy enough.
Fifteen minutes later, they stopped by the fountain in the centre of the green maze for a break. Tsuna certainly didn't need it, but he thought Hayato would. The teen looked like he was ready to go off at the first suspicious sound. The fountain, like the rest of the mansion, was huge and exquisite with water spilling out from the lion heads with statues surrounding the lot.
Tsuna saw his reflection in the water. It looked a lot like he had been run over by a truck, his hair stuck out in every direction. He tried to smooth them down with some help of water droplets, but to no avail.
He took a glance at Hayato, who was fixed his gaze on the coins under the shining water. A look of scrutiny dominated the teen's face and he seemed lost in thoughts, his silver hair glistening under the morning rays like a white halo. His clothes were wrinkled after the run, not a fate as tragical as those of Tsuna though, and gave him an impression of the wild and untamed.
Tsuna recalled the first time he met the boy, Hayato was such a perfect image of bad boy type and he was more than a little scared when the silver haired teen declared himself as a mafiaso and started throwing dynamites in his face.
Tsuna let out a light chuckle at the memories, earning a trademark glare from the silver haired teen.
"What?!"
"Nothing," Tsuna said, shaking his head, "Let's move on."
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They soon reached the edge of the building, where the security and patrol significantly increased. However, Tsuna could still find a loop among the guard's paths, mostly by his instinct and his observation. He helped Hayato climb up the concrete wall, well aware that they were short on time if they didn't want to get caught. They might hide from the guards, but not from the camera two feet from the ground, hidden in the trees in the vicinity.
"Now, what am I going to do?" He murmured, wiping dust off his shoulder as Hayato succeeded in getting out.
He was finally alone, but he didn't quite like to go back to the main house.
Tsuna carefully turned his back to the cameras. It was bad enough to have them recording, he'd find an alternative way if having more time. But at the moment, all he could afford was not letting his Flame being spotted.
Landing was not a problem. He had enough experience and knowledge to keep his momentum from propelling him away and into the ground, maintaining his balance when he had to stop fully on the balls of his feet. The tricky part, then, lay in the jumping process.
Exhaling, he silently calculated the distance required to take a move.
Tsuna used every ounce of his bursting speed boost by his ability, racing toward the wall then jumped as high as he could. His hand reached the top of the wall and with one swift motion, he hefted his whole body over it to the other side. "Watch out!" He called out, just for good measure, before landing quietly right beside Hayato.
"What-" Hayato clearly didn't expect him to follow, his jaw slacked-off.
Tsuna didn't stop to answer though, he immediately grasped Hayato's hand and streaked both of them across the street and into a nearby alleyway. The adrenaline running through his veins made him feel high and giddy. The laugh escaping his mouth was heartfelt and light, out of sheer excitement and satisfaction.
"Hey, can I borrow your phone?" He grinned, wiping some cold sweat clinging to his temple, "I want to text my mother but I forgot mine back there."
Hayato, still in a daze, dug his hand into the pocket and pulled out a phone. The teen handed it to him without words, staring at him with an incredulous expression.
Tsuna quickly texted his mother, imagining the look on her face when she discovered the reason he ditched her for breakfast and perhaps, this following afternoon. It would be resignation mixed with desperation, he guessed.
He turned his head to Hayato, a smile tugging his lips upwards, "Hey, what are you waiting for? I'm starving."
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Being a sweet-tooth type, Italian breakfast was like heaven. Tsuna loved it. He couldn't find anywhere in the world where one could have so much sweet stuff in the morning. He'd ordered chocolate pastries, and a cup of hot cappuccino and the waiter hadn't even batted an eyelash at him.
Hayato, however, looked at him like he was sprouting another head. The teen simply asked for a glass of water in turn. It kind of made Tsuna worried, mostly for the teen's health but also for the premature scenario that perhaps they might have to wash the dishes or run off when Hayato confessed there wasn't enough money to check the bill.
"Who are you?"
Tsuna blinked, the answer rolling off his mouth automatically after too many rehearsals in the past. "Sawada Tsunayoshi. But just call me Tsuna, please."
"It's not what I'm talking about!" Hayato said, his voice tinted with annoyance.
"I'm afraid I do not understand what you're talking about then." Tsuna said, trying his best to hide a wistful smile. The short-temper of his Storm Guardian might have been honed and well-conceal by time, but his younger version had never been the best example for subtlety.
"You!" the scowl directing at his face was increased at least ten degree in heat, "Who are you? You seem to know the way through the Vongola mansion. How can you know that? I've never seen you around. And I know a lot of people around the T-Narumi."
Oh, so it's all about my younger brother then… Tsuna squished a surge of something definitely not jealousy crawling into his mind when Hayato mentioned his younger brother's name with unconcealed respect. He said hesitantly, testing the water, "It's because I'm not people around Narumi. And I know about the mansion because I've explored it a bit."
"The f*ck you are. You –" Hayato's frown deepened. Tsuna knew he was on the verge of bombing him with more questions.
Fortunately, the food was arrived in time, the perfect intervention much to Tsuna's relief and Hayato's annoyance. The teen shut his jaw and glare dagger at the waiter instead, the poor man just didn't understand why his customer looked like he was on one step away from murdering him in cold blood.
It was not until Tsuna had the first bite of his food that he realized how hungry he had been. His empty stomach whole-heartedly appreciated the soothing effect of finally having something to fill its hollowness. Hmm, it seems my appetite's coming back. .. Tsuna vaguely thought, wolfing down the disk in recorded time.
"Mmm….. It's so good." he moaned, unaware of how appropriate and... erotic his voice sounded.
There was a choked sound a short distance away, which made Tsuna raise his head up to find that the silver haired teen was now eyeing him with a tomato face. He lifted an eyebrow, then put his hand to the corner of his mouth, checking for the crumbs or something unusual. He found nothing.
"Is there something on my face?" He asked, confused.
"N—nothing." Hayato stuttered, eyes everywhere but him.
"Is that so?" Tsuna said, shrugging his shoulder and slowing down his pace of ingestion nonetheless. "Can I ask you a questions?"
"….What?"
"What's your name?"
"….Gokudera."
"I see," Tsuna said, returned to chewing on his pastry. He could tell Hayato's vigilant orbs burning hole in his face without even looking up.
He could push harder, he knew. In fact, he wanted to dig his hand deeper into the question of why and what Hayato was doing, coming to Vongola mansion at such a late (or too early) hour and causing a scene… Tsuna wanted to pry and pry until the truth was laid out in front of him as there was no secret between them.
But he also could refrain himself from doing that. The temptation was hardly worth the consequences it'd bring along. Hayato was already wary of him, of his over -friendly attitude and his knowledge. No doubt, in his mind the teen was mulling over his interior motives.
Ugh, I think I gave him a perfect reason to think that way…. Tsuna suppressed a groan in frustration. Now he thought about it, he tended to overreact when being around his friends. Guardians. Family. It was hard not to, especially because of their tight bond in his world, and he guessed he was just…missing them too much to let a chance with them slide.
As soon as Tsuna'd put down the fork, Hayato immediately called out to for a check. This time, the other waiter came.
Tsuna just only had enough time to wipe his mouth with napkin before scrambling his feet to run after the quick retreating form of Hayato.
His legs strode forwards, catching up to and walking side by side with him. They somehow engaged in a bizarre competition, in which Hayato tried to outrun him while Tsuna tried to keep up next to the teen. Eventually, a vein in Hayato's temple popped up and the teen snapped at him, "Stop following me. What the hell do you want?"
"I don't know where I am," he said, looking lost and confused ...
From the glare of Hayato, it might be not as convincing as he hoped. Tsuna bit his lower lip thoughtfully. Time for drama. "You can't just leave me like this. I really don't know the way here. I'm just a tourist. Hey, it's true, don't give me that look!"
"Surely your pathetic skull is not that thick to remember the way to return to the mansion. You all but dragged me here!"
"Of course I am. But I can't go back now…Wait, where are you going?"
"It's none of your business."
"Gokudera, I mean it. I can't go back now. Someone will skin me alive because I helped you out."
There, he'd said it.
His lie.
He darted his eyes to the other side, not wanting to witness the flash of guilt or anger or anything in Hayato's. It was a low blow, and Tsuna really considered it a last resort to call up any form of manipulation to deal with his friends. It was just…it might be the first and only chance he could share with Hayato, and he just wanted to be with him longer.
The sun was high in the sky by now, casting a warm shaft upon all the things beneath its rays. But Tsuna felt like a chill had crept up his body, leaving goose bump all over the way. The pavement they were standing made him feel exposed, their position too near the crowd road for his liking.
Unconsciously, he took a glance at a corner to his left, where he thought a pair of eyes watching them from afar. They hid well, but Tsuna was accustomed with this kind of being followed. Yesterday was a perfect example. The Vongola surely got their eyes and hands everywhere.
Tsuna would regret his moment of distraction later, however, as a shriek of horn chimed right next to the right of his ear. Whatever happened afterwards, it felt like an hour, but in truth, it took no more than around one minute.
A car materialized beside them on the pavement.
A hand shot out towards them.
And then there was Hayato's yelp as he was pulled roughly into the car.
Without any hesitation, Tsuna grabbed hold of Hayato's arm with his hand, trying to pull him back. He stumbled along the way instead, the force gripping Hayato also forcing him to fall through the open door of the car. Above his head, the blue sky was immediately replaced by the shady top panels inside, and the car seemed to leap as its engine came to life within seconds, hitting the road once again.
Tsuna gasped when he lay face down on Hayato's back, his nose catching the smell of sweat and gun powder. Of cigarette. Of memories.
"What the hell- There's another kid!"
"Close the door! You fucking idiot! Do you want us to get caught? -"
The car's door immediately shut down behind them with a heavy 'thud'.
There was a lot of cursing, or a lot of argument or so. Tsuna didn't pay much attention, he didn't care. The fragment of the noises around him faded to faraway land when he noticed Hayato was way too much immobile under his weight. No twitching, no cursing, no response even as he tried to pinch his shoulder.
The thread of rising agitation was cut down, however, when Tsuna checked Hayato's pulse. Its steady rhythm was soothing enough to keep him calm again.
But the lingering smell of tranquilizers alarmed him.
"-Just shut the kid up, okay?"
A hand appeared in his peripheral vision. There was one more hand coming when he struggled to move in the small vicinity. He shielded Hayato with his wiry body, feeling like an animal being corned to the wall.
"Hey, take it easy… - Goddamnit, this motherfucker bit me!"
He tasted coppery in his mouth. He suppressed his urge to spit the blood out at the twisted face before him.
It would be not wise, considering the situation.
He needed to find a way out. Quickly.
This thought, however, was frozen as he heard the sharp click of a trigger lock being released from a gun.
Shit.
"Cut it out, kiddo. And you, quit your pathetic moaning and finish your job quickly. "
"He bit my fingers!"
"Yeah, whatever. You fucking deserved it if you're too weak to not being capable of handling a kid. Now shut the hell up! Unlike some fucking useless idiot, I need to drive"
The taste of blood once again filled on the tip of his tongue, this time it was his own, as his cheek was backhanded and his head swung a little to the other side.
Somehow, he managed to spit his blood out in time with a precise aim right at his attacker's face before that bastard could shove a stench-filled cloth to his nose.
"Yoursonofabitch!—"
He smiled.
The darkness stroked him dearly.
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Extra:
A message and a suggestion.
Mother, I've made a friend! Hanging out now. Maybe late for lunch.
P/S: Actually, don't wait for me. I'll call you later. Love you~
Nana shook her head a little as she read the message from an unknown number.
Sometimes, Tsuna was just ridiculous.
And she was more than curious to know whom he'd made a friend.
That one must be somewhat special, she thought, because her son wasn't the type attaching to someone easily, especially at such a short time.
But that didn't mean she wouldn't scold her son when he got back. Yeah, she would definitely did it seriously this time.
"Why are you smiling so brightly, my dearest?"
Nana looked up from her phone, startled to see her husband standing near her without her notice. In this short distance, she could see clearly the wrinkle around the corner of his eyes as he smiled at her tenderly. Her traitorous heart instantly faltered a beat.
"It's nothing. Just about Tsuna", said she softly, averting her eyes elsewhere and completely missing the cold flash in his own.
"What's wrong with him?"
"Nothing is wrong with him," she replied defensively in instant, frowning at the demanding tone of him.
The tension automatically added in the mood surrounding them.
"What're you doing here?" She said, taking two steps backward and thus lengthening the space between them.
"I'm sorry, dear," her husband signed eventually, holding his palms open like surrender flags, "It's that there're a lot of things happening around and I kind of ….well, you know, I'm nervous. I just want to see you and tell you something."
She said nothing, but her stance relaxed gradually, it seemed to be enough for a cue for her husband to continue.
He looked straight into her eyes, and slowly, he said, "Do you want to live here with me and Narumi, my love?"
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A/N : two updates in a month! Are you happy? Because I am :)
As you can see, there's something going on between Gokudera and Narumi. Gokudera did something for Tsuna's younger brother and it turned out a mistake (hinted in the argument in the previous chapter) so the bomber just wants to talk to him to clarify the problem. But now we all know it's not that simple, since the teen'd grasped Tsuna by mistake instead~!
And Tsuna, he kindda reveals himself too much to Vongola in this chapter, I think, for helping Gokudera out like that. I really want to write the reaction of Nono and Reborn and Iemitsu when they found out about his involvement via surveillance equipment, but oh well, I'll save it for the next time, maybe. Believe me when I say there was a lot of surprise and doubts. Tsuna just won himself the title of "mysterious and perhaps potentially dangerous factor" in their eyes.
Now, thank you, Terry nightstalker! :x And of course, love you all, my dear readers!