Title: Language Barriers

Summary: Snippets of Tsuna's time in China as he travels with seven other people and their rather colourful personalities.

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As soon as the sun had set, Takeshi decided that ghost stories were an excellent way to pass the time, and shooed everyone into his cabin.

Tsuna disagreed, but everyone took his rapid babble and head shaking as excitement, especially after Takeshi 'translated' for Tsuna.

Tsuna reminds himself to watch that Korean man closely.

Tsuna hated ghost stories. Oh, sure he was a grown adult, but he always screamed at horror movies and wouldn't dare move around the house at midnight without all the lights on. Who would with the threat of spindly demonic creatures?

No one smart, that's who.

So he chose his position wisely, taking the seat on the bottom bunk and in between Mukuro and Hibari, the two most terrifying people he knew (disregarding Reborn on a bad day without his espresso). No one would be able to get past them, right?

In addition, Hayato was on Hibari's other side and Takeshi was opposite the Italian on the other bottom bunk. Those two would guard the doorway. Tsuna breathed deeply, seeing Chrome and Lambo opposite do the same.

Unfortunately for Tsuna, Mukuro was the one who volunteered first, and he was a very good story teller, because even though none of the words made sense for most, the man switched voices and made unbelievably real sound effects, like how ribs broke under pressure. He knew just how to influence a crowd.

'But as the widow turned away,' Mukuro started, voice dropped to a low whisper that made them lean forward.

Abruptly Mukuro roared, jerking forward at the two opposite. Chrome and Lambo slammed themselves backwards and hit the cabin wall, eyes wide and screams caught in their throats. Mukuro followed them, planting one knee on the edge on the bunk and snatching up Lambo's ankle.

The man stifled a whimper and immediately clung to Chrome as he was pulled ever so slowly to Mukuro.

'She screamed as loud as she could for help, but it never came,' Mukuro said in a taunting voice, the light-hearted tone so far from the man's blank, dead expression that it froze Lambo completely, even paralysing his lungs, and by the time he reached the end out the bed Mukuro was less than centimetres from his face.

'They never found her again,' Mukuro crooned with a perfectly stoic mask. Then he grinned.

'Stop!' Lambo yelled. 'Stop, stop, stop!' He broke away from Mukuro's loose hold and leap up onto the bunk above, startling Ryohei awake.

'Whuh...?' The German muttered sleepily, jet lag messing with his circadian rhythm.

'I hate you, you're such a bastard!' Lambo snapped, pushing Ryohei towards the safety bar so he could provide a meat shield.

Mukuro laughed, that strange amused chuckle, and turned to the rest. Takeshi, who had been beside Chrome, was absolutely riveted.

Tsuna, Hibari and Hayato had three completely different reactions. Hayato was muttering about UMA's or something while Hibari looked bored and Tsuna was half way passed out from terror.

'Wow, Mukuro that was great!' Takeshi cried in glee. 'But I won't lose this, I got an even better story.'

Mukuro gesture for the Korean to take the floor.

Takeshi's eyes hardened and his smile grew a bit too sharp.

Chrome did the smart thing and fled to the other Cabin, Lambo tagging along as he gave Mukuro a wide berth, and Ryohei sleepily stumbled after them, finally giving up on staying awake.

Tsuna gulped.

Tsuna winced at the ripping motions Takeshi made with his hands and pressed closer to Hibari's side. Hayato had moved to sit by Takeshi so the three had more room, but Tsuna would have much preferred some more people around him.

Mukuro snickered at the gestures Takeshi made and Tsuna shot a glance at the man beside him. He just knew the spiky Blueberry would do something.

'It's not going to work,' Takeshi said in a convincing woman's voice. 'It's just a stupid legend, he won't come.' The Korean paused then and Tsuna tensed for the jump scare.

'But they all heard his walking stick,' Takeshi whispered and made that horrible noise again that would follow Tsuna into his nightmares. 'chik...chik...chik...'

Mukuro leaned over to the brunet entranced with the story, pausing right next to the man's ear. 'chik-chik-chik!'

"Hieeee!" Tsuna threw himself at Hibari because he knew Hibari would bite anything to death, military ghost with a grudge from its leg being blown up or no.

In a second he was in Hibari lap, one foot on Mukuro's thigh to keep him away and another having been caught in the man's hand when Tsuna tried to kick out at the ghost.

The cabin burst out into laughter, and Hibari smirked even as he pushed Tsuna off and onto the floor.

He pouts up at them but jolts in fear when he hears a walking stick tapping outside the door. He chooses better this time and climbs onto Hayato's lap instead.

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A/N:

Languages

Tsuna (Japanese) – Hibari (All Chinese dialects, English) – Hayato (Italian, Universal, English, Mandarin, French. Non-fluent in Russian, Korean, Greek, Spanish. In the process of learning Japanese for Tsuna)

Mukuro (Afrikaans, Italian) – Chrome (Dutch, English) – Lambo (Russian, German, Polish) – Ryohei (German) – Takeshi (Korean. Non-fluent in Japanese)

Poll: Pairings?

Kyoya- 20

All- 6

Reborn- 5

Mukuro- 4

Oblivious Tsuna- 3

No pairings- 3

Hayato- 2

Chrome- 1