Summary: Arco!27 have a picnic. They try to make the best out of it.
Story Background: Skull and Viper were sent on a stakeout in the mountains once and came back to Tsuna with a dead body and a prime location for picnicking. Tsuna had packed, bribed, blackmailed, and eventually convinced the others to come along on the trip. They'd left at dawn.
.
"Make me another sandwich, Tsuna."
"Sure. Give me a minute--tell Skull to get down from that rock, would you? He's gonna hurt himself. And tell Colonello to stop bothering Viper with that branch. It's poison ivy and I don't think either of them know that."
Verde sniffs, and turns to do as instructed. As he leaves, Lal decides to poke and fuss at the ingredients Tsuna has laid out on the picnic blanket. "This piece is bigger than the others," she mutters, pointing to a slice of Australian ham. "Put it in my sandwich."
Tsuna does, and she looks pleased. It doesn't last long as Fon pops up behind her three seconds later, snags the sandwich before running off, disappearing into the bushes. Before the young Sky can blink, Lal is after him like a shot, curses and threats trailing after her.
"Remember to watch your step!" yells Tsuna after them, already focusing on the next sandwich. He pauses when he hears a yelp, sighs, and puts down the butter knife before wordlessly setting aside the first aid kit he'd brought. Roots are terrible to trip on, after all.
"Are you done with my sandwich yet?"
Tsuna looks up to see Verde and a teary-eyed Skull next to him, who launches himself onto his Sky's (very comfortable, very warm, highly coveted) lap before anything can be said, sobbing about not being taken seriously. Shaking his head, Tsuna pets his Cloud's purple hair and hands a sulking Verde his sandwich. "I only told him what you told me," grumbles the scientist. "It's not my fault he's a crybaby."
"Tsuna would never say I'm a 'careless monkey who's prone to suicidal tendencies'!"
Tsuna shoots his Lightning a disapproving look. "You shouldn't be calling Skull such things, Verde."
Verde looks affronted. "I never said you were a monkey." Skull glowers at him from Tsuna's lap, and the brunette quirks an eyebrow in amusement. Seeing this, the scientist continues.
"I said you were a neanderthal."
The ensuing chaos was disruptive enough that Tsuna had to threaten forfeiting their naptime privileges on his lap if they didn't take it somewhere else.
It worked.
.
"Here, Reborn," says Tsuna, handing the lounging hitman a plate with two sandwiches. "There were some leftovers from Leon's portion in ingredients so I made one more for him. The other one is for you." Reborn hums in thanks, taking the plate and settling down on his hammock once more. He taps the breast pocket on his Hawaiian shirt and the chameleon's familiar green head pops out, prompting a fond smile from Tsuna.
"You're going to spoil him at this rate," mumbles the hitman. There is no venom to his words, however.
Tsuna laughs. "No more than you have," he replies.
Reborn grunts.
"Have you seen Colonello? He's only gotten two sandwiches, and I'd packed extra for him."
"Wasn't he just chasing after Viper with poison ivy?"
"Threw it away after I told Verde to warn him. He'd ran off since then, and Viper's looking awfully smug for me to ask him about it."
"Lal?"
Tsuna shakes his head, although knowing Reborn can't see him with the sun hat that's covering his face. "Nope. Went after Fon a few minutes back and hasn't come back yet. He stole her sandwich."
Reborn whistles, low. "Brave."
"I'd say stupid, but what do I know?"
"Not a lot."
"That's fair."
Tsuna gets a slap on the back of his head for his efforts.
"Hey! I was just being agreeable."
"Don't be. It doesn't suit you."
A roll of eyes. "Right. And Fon's gonna come out of this unscathed then?"
Reborn shifts, adjusting himself. "Hell no. I once saw Lal break some guy's kneecaps over a fruit roll."
"...What?"
"Fon'll be fine. In any case, check the lake. Idiot must've gone for a swim without telling anyone."
Tsuna shoots Reborn a reproachful look. "Right... thanks for the tip." And he leaves, wondering if he should have an ambulance on standby.
Reborn snorts, chuckling to himself.
.
Indeed, before Tsunayoshi even steps out of the bushes into the clearing of the lake, he's able to spot a shock of bright yellow hair. However, he doesn't call out, instead choosing to sneak around and sit near an underbrush where he can observe Colonello peacefully.
The man seems lost in thought, though he's skipping rocks as easily as he snipes. That is to say, no effort taken at all, and Tsuna feels warmth and something akin to pride fill his chest at the sight. He smiles, soft, eyes crinkling and stares fondly after the blond.
After all this while, muses the boy absentmindedly, he still can't believe how lucky he is to have these amazing people as his Family.
Fate has really been kind to him.
Tsuna continues to watch as Colonello skips stones with one hand and takes a bite out of his sandwich from the other. It becomes a small, repetitive move, eventually.
Throw from the right, take a bite from the left.
Throw from the right, take a bite from the left.
Throw from the right, take a bite from the left.
Throw from the left, take a bite-
Tsuna watches, wide-eyed, as Colonello bites into a rock after outright flinging his sandwich into the lake.
In that moment, he desperately wishes he had been recording.
Colonello spits and shouts in surprise, no doubt wondering why his delicious sandwich has betrayed him and turned into a rock, when he does a double-take and realises what he's done. He pales.
Then, on instinct, he looks up and makes eye contact with familiar, mirthful brown eyes. And in a split second, Colonello is as red as Fon's wardrobe.
Tsuna can't help it. He laughs.
He laughs, and laughs, and laughs, until tears start to stream down his face and he is face down on the forest floor, clutching at his sides that start to sting from the effort.
Colonello is still, not unlike a statue, and is very much still red-faced from looking so uncool in front of his Sky. Tsuna looks like he's about to turn blue from laughing at him, though, and Colonello isn't one to take such a thing lying down.
Shoving embarrassment aside, he advances onto Tsuna with a wide grin and starts tickling him before he can defend himself. "Oh yeah, kora?" Shouts the blond over the squeals and half-choked pleas of his Sky. Deft fingers run down Tsuna's ribs, ignoring the resistance in the form of Tsuna's thin arms trying to push him away, and soon he finds himself laughing for a whole different reason. "Look who's on top now! That'll teach you to laugh at unsuspecting and very respectable soldiers, kora!"
Tsuna is scream-laughing more than anything now, and soon it develops into silent laughter where its obvious he can't really breathe anymore. Colonello lets up then, triumphant face still flushed but grin still wide and cheerful enough to split his face in two. They both take a few minutes to breathe, Tsunayoshi lying face first on the ground while Colonello sits, propping himself up on his hands. Tsuna giggles every now and then, but Colonello is there to nudge him in the sides, a small, playful warning at another tickle fest.
Five minutes, ten, and then thirty minutes pass with Tsuna having adjusted himself so he's resting his head on Colonello's lap. The latter threads his hands through the other's hair, and they both chuckle.
"I'd never thought I'd get to see any one of you in that kind of situation," admits a smiling Tsuna, peering up into his Rain's amused blue eyes. "I'm glad I did, though. Really."
"Yeah?" Colonello huffs, still grinning cheekily. "Well, it was really embarrassing for me, kora. I'm glad that you managed to get as much fun out of this as possible, though."
"I'd get why you're embarrassed, but don't be. Times like this," Tsuna gains a wistful, yet happy tone here. "It makes me feel closer to you guys."
"Aw, Tsu, you know we love you lots, right?"
He snorts. "Obviously."
"Just don't tell Lal and Reborn what happened, alright? I'll never hear the end of it, kora."
"It can't be that bad." And even then, they both know it's a terrible lie.
"You kidding? They'd lord it over me until I'm on my death bed, and then some." Colonello untangles a snag in Tsuna's hair before continuing his ministrations. Tsuna hums softly in approval. "If you wanna have a sane Rain and a peaceful life after this, you can't tell them, kora."
Tsuna hums some more, as if in serious consideration. The mischevious smile on his face gives him away, of course. "Tempting," he says. "Alright. I won't tell them."
"Nah, you gotta pinky-swear, Tsu."
Bright, surprised laughter and Colonello can't help but grin that handsome, roguish grin, pleased that he was making his Sky so happy.
"A pinky-swear, Nel?"
"Of course, kora! A gentleman never does things halfway and everyone knows you can't break pinky-swears." He holds up a hand, pinky finger loose.
Tsuna doesn't hesitate, lifting his hand in response, and links them both together.
"It's a promise."
.
Some things that happened:
1. No one tripped over a root. That was Lal pulling Fon's hair.
2. Fon manages to escape Lal, eventually, but not before she manages to set part of his clothes on fire.
3. Viper starts sunbathing after Colonello takes off, but he doesn't get a tan. He is mildly disappointed.
4. Verde and Skull had managed to settle their argument by forcing a competition where they would have to last the longest without Naptime on Tsuna's lap. Verde loses.
5. Reborn ends up eating both sandwiches, and Leon gets revenge on him by 'telling' Tsuna. Reborn gets 10 minutes off Naptime privileges for two days before caving and apologizing to Leon.
6. They all take Naptime very seriously.
7. Tsuna and Colonello eventually make it back to camp, and if anyone noticed the hand-holding, they don't say anything. They strive to outdo each other, after all.
A.N:
the world needs more C27, you guys