Chapter 11: Friends and Sort-of Friends


"Hibari is going to kill us, you know that?" Takeshi laughed as he scratched the back of his head.

"Well, he would only be biting me to death if you hadn't had decided to skip school as well," Tsuna replied. He plopped a marshmallow into his mouth. Tsuna waved the bag in Takeshi's direction. "You sure you don't want any?"

Yamamoto cringed. "I'd rather not… last time Byakuran visited…" Tsuna put his hand on Takeshi's shoulder and nodded solemnly.

"I understand," he said. "It's humane just how many bags he can eat."

"You eat almost the same amount though!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Takeshi."

The swordsman and mafia don both looked each other in the eyes. They both grinned and began to laugh, only to be shushed by a passing nurse.

Takeshi was the first to speak. "So… do you think you can convince Hibari to let me off? I know you guys have some sort of deal going on."

Munching on another puff pensively, Tsuna replied, "Well he might…" He shuddered. He'll probably demand more fights… "I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks Tsuna!" Takeshi wrapped his arm around Tsuna's shoulders. "Oh, that's right," he said in a hushed tone, "we have to be quiet or else we'll wake her up."

Tsuna's eyes landed on the girl fast asleep. She was connected to many machines keeping her stabilized, and was cocooned in a mass of white blankets. A peaceful look adorned her face, no longer a pained one.

"Yea, she's gonna need a good rest after what she went through."


Tsuna was not happy at the moment. He and Takeshi had left the hospital to get lunch when it had started.

A sinking feeling in his chest.

Something was going to happen. He wasn't sure what, however, because his intuition was a little prick. Why can't it just tell him like a normal person?! Oh wait. It wasn't a person. And it definitely wasn't normal… where was he getting with this?

Ah, yes, the nudge. It was getting worse every minute, as if he was in that horror movie with the aliens and he was watching the red dot on the tracker get closer… and closer, until his impending doom would pounce and go 'boom!'.

"Did you hear that explosion?"

"Wait, what?" Tsuna turned his head towards the direction Takeshi was motioning. What Tsuna saw was devastating. Why couldn't the explosion have just been in his head?

"Get back here you stupid cow!"

"No! Lambo-sama wants candy!"

"I'm supposed to be looking after you, now if you don't get back here I'm gonna…" Gokudera took out more dynamite. Lambo screamed and bolted off.

"Hayato that's not how you do it," Tsuna said, already forming a plan. "Lambo," Tsuna coaxed. The cow child peered up, teary eyed. "If you be a good boy and come here, I'll give you some candy."

Lambo squealed and jumped into Tsuna's waiting arms. Tsuna smirked at Gokudera. He had obviously won the boy's affections. The bomber clicked his tongue as he made his way over.

"Lambo-sama wants candy!" He wriggled in Tsuna's grasp. This made Tsuna laugh, while simultaneously pulling out his other bag of marshmallows. Lambo immediately tore into the bag and began devouring the containments. "Hmph," he said between mouthfuls of marshmallows, "they aren't as good as grape candy, but they will do for now. You can be Lambo-sama's henchman!" Gokudera snickered. Tsuna glared at him in response. "Sure, Lambo," he said.

"Hayato, why are you here?" Yamamoto patted Lambo's curly locks.

"That's none of your business, baseball idiot! And I told you not to call me by my first name," he fumed.

Yamamoto just laughed at his overblown reactions. "Tsuna calls you Hayato, so I should too!"

Gokudera gritted his teeth and turned towards Tsuna. "You too," he said.

"Aww Hayato's mad," Tsuna cooed.

"Hayato's mad, Hayato's mad," Lambo parroted.

"Not you too, stupid cow!"

"Gya-haha!"

Gokudera snarled.

"But why are you here, Hayato? Shamal already left." Tsuna gasped over-dramatically. "Unless… don't tell me he forgot you?" Gokudera's face was a fiery red. From embarrassment or anger, no one was quite sure. "Do you want us to take you to the lost and found children area? Do you?" Tsuna batted his big, innocent eyes at him.

Lambo and Takeshi were both giggling madly in the background. Tsuna was just barely keeping himself from doubling over. And Gokudera… well, he was ready to explode.

"You… You bastard!"

Tsuna tutted. "Watch your mouth Hayato, there are children listening."

Barely restraining himself, Hayato muttered, "Condescending little…"

"Maa, maa, guys… Let's get back on topic," Yamamoto proposed. It didn't help much in easing the tension between the two. "So Hayato," the silver head flinched, "why are you here, and why are you looking after, umm…"

"The great Lambo-sama!"

Takeshi laughed. "Yea, that!"

Scowling, he said, "The stupid pineapple head just dropped him off expecting me to take care of him."

Tsuna and Yamamoto both sweat dropped. As expected of him…

"But then why are you here?" Tsuna asked.

"Apparently I'm transferring to Namimori middle school."


"So Reborn actually found one of your guardians?"

"Yea… I was pretty surprised when I found out. It seems he had originally planned to have Hayato be my Storm Guardian, and it just worked out in his favor. Of course, he won't admit that."

"Kufufufu, you're still winning the game, however. Three to one."

"True… And why did you leave Lambo in Hayato's care? You must have had a reason."

Mukuro smirked. "You know me well."

"Obviously."

"Kufufu… Dear Tuna-chan, you're so entertaining."

"…"

Mukuro raised one eyebrow. "I left the child in his care since the lightning and storm should be close."

"Wait… You think he should be a guardian?"

"He has strong lighting flames, and has a resistance to lightning strikes, called 'Elettrico Cuoio'."

"But he's too young and you know that, Muku-,"

"He's a Bovino."

"What?"

"He has the ten year bazooka."

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier? What about the Bovino? Are they not looking for him?"

"When we found him he was alone, from what we've gathered he was put on a mission to kill Reborn."

"That's suicide."

"Exactly."

Tsuna sighed. "He can stay at my house for now. I bet mom would love to meet him…"

The air around Mukuro became tense.

"Calm down," Tsuna said. "We worked things out a long time ago, you know that."

"It wasn't that long ago, Tsuna. And I don't think I'll ever forgive her fully."

"Mukuro…"

"…"

Tsuna sighed again. Why was he sighing so much? He felt like an old man. So much happening in so little time… his life was always like that, though.

"Speaking of guardians," Tsuna said, breaking the tension, "about the girl-,"

"Chrome."

"Yes, Chrome," wasn't it Nagi? "I was thinking that you two could share the Mist position." He stopped for a breath. "Since both of you have a psychic connection, and she's talented with Mist flames, you wouldn't mind would you?"

"Of course not. I had wanted to bring that to your attention as well."

"Good. That way I can still have a Mist Guardian when you're not around."

"You miss me that much? Kufufufu, you won't have to wait much longer Tsuna-chan~"

"And Chrome won't feel as lonely when while adjusting to her new home," Tsuna continued, ignoring Mukuro. "She'll probably wake up tomorrow…"

"Intuition?"

Tsuna nodded. At least it was helpful sometimes.


Voices… I can hear people talking.

Who are they?

Is it Mukuro-sama's friend? If it is, I should wake up and greet him.

"She's waking up!"

"I told you guys you were being too loud."

"It's your fault for bringing the stupid cow!"

"I'm not stupid, Aho-dera!"

"What'd you say," someone growled.

"Maa, maa, both of you calm down."

"Yea, be quiet Aho-dera."

"Yea, meanie! Gyupaa! Aho-dera's trying to hurt Lambo-sama!"

"Come here Lambo, I'll protect you from the big bully."

"What?!"

"Look! She's awake now!"

Which one is Mukuro's friend? There's more than one person. I don't even know what he's supposed to look like!

"I think she's scared," the dark haired one with the bamboo sword said.

"No shit," the silver headed one replied.

The dirty-blonde spiky haired one scolded, "Hayato, language."

Hayato, the newly dubbed silver headed boy, clicked his tongue. "Like I care," he muttered.

The green eyed child in the cow suit just stared at me, wide-eyed. He was being held by the short, spiky haired one.

Said spiky haired boy held out his hand to me, for a handshake?

"It's nice to meet you," he said, with the voice of an angel. His entire being radiated a certain kindness, a complete and utter acceptance. Without realizing it I took his hand. "My name is Sawada Tsunayoshi, but you can call me Tsuna."

His hand is so warm. It's… comforting.

Like a sky should be.

"My name is Chrome Dokuro," I say, my voice shy and far too quiet, "boss."

His eyes widen and he splutters. "B-boss?" He says, stuttering.

Did I do something wrong? Was I not supposed to say that?

"Pfft," my eyes land on Hayato, "boss?" He begins to grip at his stomach from the laughter.

"Quit laughing, Hayato!"

"Why's Aho-dera laughing?" The cow child curiously looks for an answer.

The swordsman speaks up, "Because Tsuna lost his cool and stuttered."

"He made himself look like an idiot after trying to impress her!"

"Shut up, Hayato! I wasn't trying to impress her, just make her feel less nervous!"

Boss was trying to comfort me?

The cow child, still confused, ignores the two bickering with each other and leaves Boss' arms. He jumps onto my lap in the hospital bed and looks at me.

"Lambo-sama will make you feel better!" He proclaimed. I smiled at him.

What a cute kid. They're all trying to make me feel better… I… I'm so grateful…

"T-thank you all so much," I say.

"You don't need to thank us," boss says, "we're family now."

Family.

I have a family now.

Thank you, Mukuro-sama.

Thanks, boss.