Chapter 21: Zero Point Breakthrough Revised

"No, no, no! You're doing it wrong!"

"What? I thought this is how you showed me."

"No...you won't do anything with that, if I shot you right now with a burst of flames, you would die."

"But this is how you showed me!"

"Watch!" He stepped back a few steps, then charged up a ball of flame. Tsuna broke into the position TC showed him, and waited. The ball of flame set off, and he opened his eyes to stare directly into it. TC watched as he took the direct hit. "Tsunayoshi!"

The smoke dispersed. Tsuna was still standing in the same position, only a few inches back. His eyes were closed. He opened them, and the flame on his forehead and his hands increased in size. He stared in awe. "What the fuck is that!"

"I don't know..."

"You've created your own move!"

"Really? What would I call it?"

"Zero Point Breakthrough Revised. It looks like the Zero Point Breakthrough that CT knows about, but it doesn't work the same."

"So I can learn this, but not the actual move?"

"We should work on that..."

"Yeah..."

"HEY! GET YOUR ASSES INSIDE, IT'S TIME TO GET READY FOR BED. YOU HAVE SCHOOL IN THE MORNING."

"Coming..." Tsuna let the power wear off. He shook his head to shake out sweat. "That was fun."

"A new move...who knew."

"Yeah..."

They walked back to the house. "You'll knock him dead..."

"Encouraging..."

"Damn right..."

Tsuna showered and laid in his bed staring at the ceiling. ~Zero Point Breakthrough Revised...cool.~

"Hey, Tsunayoshi! LOOK OUT!"

"What!" He was hit in the back of the head with a volley ball. He fell to the ground, face first. TC ran over in his younger form.

"Sorry, dude..."

Tsuna got up and glared. "What was that for?"

"I didn't mean to!"

Students watched them, hoping for a fight, though they didn't know how well Tsuna could actually fight. "FIGHT! FIGHT!"

TC gave a cocky smirk to the girls that were giggling over him. He punched at Tsuna, who dodged quickly through his hyper intuition. He tapped into his power slightly to give him strength. He dodged another punch and landed one into TC's side. He moved back. "Nice one..."

"Thanks..."

The kids were crowding them watching in awe. (They were just amazed that Tsuna wasn't getting his butt handed to him.) TC landed a hit (not a real punch because we all know how that turns out...it's just a bunch of air in front of his fist!) to his shoulder, which knocked him onto his back. There was a whistle blown, and the students dispersed quickly. The gym teacher walked up to both of them. "Who started it?"

"Dame-Tsuna," the class said together. He was picked up off the ground and dragged to the office.

"Oh come on! I so did not start that fight!"

"The entire class said it was you."

"So they're unanimously against me...it wasn't me."

"Right...you have detention for the rest of the week, starting tomorrow."

"Aw man, really?"

"Yes. You're in ISS for the rest of today."

He grumbled to himself as he sat in the empty ISS classroom. The door opened. "What are you doing in here, Tsunayoshi?"

"Hibari-san! Please tell me you're the ISS teacher..."

"Yeah...why are you in here?"

"I got into a fight with TC..."

"Really?"

"It was just for fun...not malicious, or anything."

"Of course..."

Hibari sat on the desk in the front. "The other ISS students should be joining us soon...they're at lunch."

"Oh..."

The door opened again, and kids shuffled into the classroom. "Hey, Dame-Tsuna...Heard you got into a fight..."

He sighed. Hibari got up and wrote stuff on the board. "Your assignment...get it done, or I'll bite you to death."

Tsuna looked around at all the thug like men as they took out paper and started to write on it. "Wow...ruling with an iron fist, eh?"

"They're driven by fear..."

Tsuna got up and sat in the chair behind the front desk. One of the kids looked up. "Why does he get to talk?"

"He's not an herbivore like you, keep working..." He looked at Tsuna. "How long do you have detention for?"

"The rest of this week..."

"Ah..."

"He was showing off to his little followers...man I wish I could have just hit him straight in the face...How great that would have been..."

"You're a totally different person than I knew a year ago."

"I've been through too much to be the same..."

Tsuna walked into the house. "Hey, any one home?"

KT poked her head out of the kitchen. "In here...I have someone for you to meet!"

He threw his bag onto the couch and walked to the kitchen. There was a young man sitting at the table with black hair and blue eyes. "This is Dino, my boyfriend."

"You never told me you were dating."

She hit him in the shoulder. He grabbed it. "OW."

"What happened?" She noticed a scratch on his face.

"I got into a fight, it's alright though."

"What? With who!"

"TC...it's no big deal though, KT..."

Dino got up. "Is this a bad time?"

Tsuna nodded. "No! It's fine...you two have a fantastic time..."

KT sighed. "Dino, this is Tsuna."

"Oh! Yeah, you look familiar to me now. You're taller than the pictures I've seen."

He walked up to Tsuna and held out a hand. "Glad to meet you, Tsuna."

He took it. "Yeah, you too..."

KT smiled. "We're going out tonight...you don't mind being alone, do you? Habira is away tonight."

"Yeah, it's fine..."

Dino took her hand into his. Tsuna looked away, and walked out of the kitchen. "Have fun...I'm going to take a nap..."

KT stared at the empty space he was just occupying. "O...kay."

He was tossing a ball at the ceiling when the front door opened. "Tsuna..."

KT walked to his bedroom door and looked inside. "Yeah?"

She walked in. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm great..."

She sat on the edge of the bed. "What's bothering you?"

"Nothing at all..." The ball hit him in the face, and bounced onto the floor.

"I'm not angry at you for getting into a fight, Tsuna...if that's what is bothering you."

"No..."

"So something is bothering you?"

"No."

She frowned, feeling as if the little boy she used to know was falling swiftly from her grasp. She got onto the bed more. "Please tell me..."

"There's nothing wrong."

She got onto her knees and crawled onto the bed, and sat on his legs. "Please..."

He looked away. "KT..."

She moved closer. "Hmm?"

He looked at her out of the corners of his eyes. "What are you doing?"

"Asking you a question that you will not answer..."

"I told you, nothing is wrong..."

"Are you sure?"

Major cleavage could be seen from her shirt. He blushed profusely. "KT!"

She smirked. "What?"

He couldn't do a thing to prevent the reaction of his body to her teasing. "I'm jealous, okay!"

"Why is that?"

"B-because...because...I...I like you..."

She closed the distance between them. "I'm sorry..." She got up quickly and fixed her shirt. She laughed. "What's going on there, hm?"

"Sh-shut up!" He tried to pull his legs up. "Owwchh..."

She laughed again. "At least I know you're straight..."

"What's that supposed to mean! You thought I was gay?"

"A little bit..."

He hit his head on the wall. "No!"

"Oh, that's right...you like Habira, don't you?"

His face turned red. "N-NO!"

"Mmm yeah you do."

"Can't you leave me alone?" He threw a pillow at her. She grabbed it and tossed it back.

"No...Have you had any dreams about her?"

"KT!"

She snickered, then walked to the door. "I'm joking...good night, Tsuna."

"Yeah..."

Tsuna woke up, and wiped drool off his face. He sat up and turned to get up when he noticed KT laying wrapped up in a blanket on the floor. He got off and stepped over her, then went to the kitchen to make breakfast. He walked back up and sat on the floor next to her with the food. She opened her eyes and looked at him. She sat up. "I-I'm sorry..."

"Eat." He held a piece of toast up. She took it and looked at it.

"Tsuna..."

"Don't worry about it..."

She smiled and ate the toast. "Thanks..."

He got up. "I'm sorry for how I acted last night...I was just a little floored."

She got up as well. "I'm not angry at you..."

"He seems nice..."

"Who?"

"Dino...have fun with him."

She looked at him sadly. "Tsuna...you know why it wouldn't work between us..."

"Yeah...I know...you should be dating men your own age, any way..."

"That's not it..." She hugged him. "It's a whole bunch of legal stuff..."

He frowned. "I need to get ready for school..."

She let go of him. "Don't be upset..."

"I'm not..."

"You are..." She walked to the door. "I'm sorry, Tsuna..."

Tsuna sat at his desk, staring out the window. "Ahh...detention is so boring! Why doesn't TC have to be here?" He shook his head. "What am I thinking? I know why!"

A little bird landed on the window sill. He laid his head on the desk, and sighed. "You're lucky...you get to be free, and go where you please...I sometimes wish I could do the same..."

A small voice ran through his mind. "But you're a human, aren't you? You're always free to roam when you please."

He sighed.

"You're a Sky Element user...right?"

"Y-yeah..."

"Oh! I must return to my human now, but before I do, I must ask: Why are you stuck in this cage you call school?"

"I got in trouble. It's no big deal, though. Thanks for your company."

Tsuna got home and grabbed Bob. "Hey, Bob...what are we going to do today?"

"Where were you?"

"School...I was in detention..."

"Oh, grand...More idiocy..."

"What was that? Don't mumble."

"I wasn't mumbling, you fool!"

"Your accent just makes you mumble, that's all."

Tsuna set him down. "Where's KT? Her car was in the driveway."

"She's in her closet trying to figure out her outfit for this evening...she's going out with that Dino human."

"Tsuna, who are you talking to?" KT asked as she walked into the room.

He looked up. "Whoa, KT, what are you all dressed up for?"

"Idiot! Did you not listen to what I was telling you!"

"I'm going out on a date with Dino, tonight. So answer my question."

"...what was it again? OH. I was talking to Bob!"

KT looked at him for a long time. "I see...why were you late?"

"Well, I had detention today because of the fight...I have detention the rest of the week, actually..."

"You can't remember a question you were asked a minute ago, but you can remember what happened at school? I have gone mad."

"Shush, Bob. I'm trying to think."

"Any-who, Habira will be here after I leave."

"Where are you going?"

Both Bob and KT looked at him. "OH RIGHT. You have a date with Dino."

"Did TC hit you in the head today or something?"

"Partially...that gave me Saturday school!"

"Wonderful. You have my number, call me or text me if you absolutely need to." Her phone beeped in her purse. She pulled it out.

"Text: Will you bring me back something?-Tsuna"

"Just checking if the line works..." She hit him upside the head. "Hey! What was that for?"

"Behave yourself, do you understand me?"

"Oh yeah...I understand. Just go have some fun..." He got up and pushed her towards the door. "It'll be just fine here."

"That's putting it lightly..." Bob said to him. KT stood outside the door.

"You're sure?"

"Absolutely. Go enjoy yourself."

Dino's car pulled up. She looked over, and then back at Tsuna. "Goodbye!"

"Bye!" He closed the door. "I'll be absolutely...fine..."

Bob mewed and looked up at him. "You're lying to yourself, young human."

The door bell rang from the other side of the house. He ran over to it, then opened it wide. "Good evening, Tsuna-san..."

"You too..." She walked in past him. He closed the door and followed her in. She sat on the couch, where Bob had perched himself once again. "Hello, Bob..." She scratched his head. "I'm jealous, Tsuna-san...Oniisan is allergic to cats, so I can't ever have one...they're just so cute!"

Bob started to purr. "Oh, how I love this human...she scratches my ear right where I can't get it..."

Tsuna laughed and sat next to her. "Yeah...Bob's a one in a million kind of cat, though. He meows in a British accent."

She laughed. He blushed when she smiled at him. "What is that face you make, young Sky User? If you like her so much, why don't you tell her? The worst that can happen is she doesn't feel the same way...but it's obvious that she does. It's always worth a shot. Haven't you learned, hesitation leads to destruction? Do not hesitate." He blinked his two colored eyes. He blushed a deeper red, prompting a concerned look from Habira. She placed a hand on his forehead. "Are you okay?"

He took hold of her arm, and pulled it down until her hand was in his. "I'm alright...I, um..." He felt like there were butterflies in his stomach. He closed his eyes. "I really like you, Habira...and I wanted to know if you felt the same way!"

She blushed. Bob flicked his tail in amusement. "I..."

"You don't have to say you do...I understand...but...I've liked you for a while now, and I wanted to let you know..." He opened his eyes. She smiled slightly. "I've felt...the same way...but I didn't know how to say it...I was afraid..."

He felt his hands shake. "S-so...yo-you'll...go out with me?"

She nodded, and laughed. "You're shaking..." She laughed again. "Let this be our first date, a dinner and a movie at home."

"O-okay..." He got up. "I'll be right back..." He ran into the kitchen, and closed the door quietly. He turned back to the room, and jumped for joy. "YES! AHA! WHOO!" Habira laughed quietly in the living room. He pulled out his phone to text KT.

[KT and Dino]

KT and Dino were sitting in the parking lot of a restaurant making out. Her phone buzzed in her purse beside her, and she jumped. She grabbed the phone. "Text: KT! KT! KT! KT! KT! I DID IT, I CANT BELIEVE I DID IT BUT I DID...I TOLD HER I LIKE HER AND SHE LIKED ME BACK...I HAVE A GIRLFRIEND!"

She stared at the phone for a moment. "What's wrong?" Dino asked. She opened the car door, then stepped out. He watched her. She pushed the talk button on her phone. "KT!"

"What made you finally do it?"

"The will of the universe, KT! We're on our first date, tonight...I have to figure out some sort of dinner, and we're going to watch a movie..."

"I am extremely proud of you...JUST DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID."

"You think I'd-KT! Come on, I am not like your father. I may be trained by him, but that is one trait that has not rubbed off on me."

"I'd better hope not...Have fun..." She hung up the phone. Dino walked up next to her.

"The kid finally found the balls to tell the girl he liked her?"

She smiled. "Sounds quite familiar."

He crossed his arms. "Yeah, well..." She kissed him lightly, then pulled him towards the restaurant.

"I'm hungry!"

[Tsuna and Habira]

He stared at the food he had put together. ~It looks...bad...~

~"It doesn't look...that bad...you might need to chuck the whole thing and start over..."~

~Thanks...~

~"Just do something simple that doesn't involve a lot of cooking...like grilled cheese sandwiches. You can do that, right?"~

~Yeah but...that's so childish!~ He looked at his food again. ~On second thought...grilled cheese it is!~

He walked out minutes later carrying a plate with two cups. He pulled the table closer and set everything down on it. "Because my culinary skills are limited: Your dinner feast." He pulled a paper towel off the plate to reveal his sandwiches. She smiled and laughed.

"And what to drink?"

"Orange juice!"

She patted the couch next to her, and he jumped on. "Sandwich?"

"Yes, please..."

He grabbed one and pulled it apart. "Tell me if it's okay...I really suck at cooking..."

She took a bite, and smiled. "Delicious..."

He grabbed the remote. "Let us see what amazing movie we can find in the free section..." ~They're all kid movies...~

"We could...always just put one on as background noise..."

He nodded. He chose one. She leaned her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her.

They fell asleep on the couch. KT quietly opened the door, and closed it. All the lights were dark, except for the moonlight that shone through the window. It illuminated the two. She looked at Tsuna and Habira asleep. She smiled. She pulled the table back into place, then covered them with a blanket carefully. She went off to bed.

[Morning]

Tsuna awoke on the couch that morning. He sat up. He noticed Habira had disappeared. He got up and ran into the kitchen, where both KT and Habira were making breakfast. He breathed a sigh of relief. "Good morning, Tsuna-kun!" She walked up to him. "Breakfast isn't ready yet..."

"You're showing off...my cooking is terrible..."

She laughed. "I'm not...I'm just trying to make something for you because you made something for me..."

He could see KT smirking at the stove. "Oh...I'll be right back, I need to run upstairs to let Oniisan and Grandmother that I'm here..." She ran from the kitchen.

"So..."

He sat at the island. "It's an amazing feeling, KT...I didn't know it could make me feel so alive...My hands shook I was so nervous..."

She smiled. "I'm proud...You're growing up too fast for me."

~"It was destined to happen...eventually."~

"Eventually?"

"Don't listen to him, Tsuna."

~"Just keep her close, kid...She's now in more danger than she was before."~

He looked down. ~That's right...She's now a target for CT...Oh man...~

"Be her knight in shining armor, Tsuna. Protect her like you're going to protect us: with your heart."