Hungry for Tsuna
A Katekyo Hitman Reborn Fanfiction
Disclaimer: I do not own KHR characters, Akira Amano does.
Chapter Seventeen- Tsuna the Aware
"Sit down and shut up! This is a man's fight and you have no business in it." The gun totting Italian demanded.
And what does that make me? Tsuna frowned, wondering what the vice president meant by that.
"Don't talk that way to the Tenth!" Gokudera rebuked Xanxus, however, the silver haired boy turned to Tsuna, placing a hand on the small boy's shoulders. "But, you should leave this to me, Tenth."
You too! The brunette sulked; he didn't know what hurt more: not being considered a man, or being asked to step to the side so the "real men" could fight. In any case, whether Xanxus and Gokudera validated his masculinity or not, he couldn't allow them to fight. Tsuna had seen the power of Xanxus's guns and he would hate for the bomber to be a victim of such a destructive weapon. But it was something more than that; Tsuna still couldn't get over Gokudera's confrontation with Shamal. Despite what had happened, his self-proclaimed guardian was too quick to protect him, still not considering his own well being. Gokudera didn't know Xanxus at all, and yet, Gokudera was so sure he would win. Hadn't he learned from last time? "You don't understand…those guns are dangerous."
"Don't worry, I'll win." Gokudera assured Tsuna, but the brunette was not swayed by the bomber's confidence.
You'll die! Tsuna screamed in his head.
Tsuna couldn't let Gokudera fight Xanxus. Actually, he didn't want fighting to happen at all. He needed to stop all of this and since, Gokudera wasn't listening to reason, he turned to Xanxus. His tawny eyes looked straight at the vice president, who was ready to blow Gokudera away as soon as Tsuna stepped away.
"I'm glad you're not copping out." The vice president praised Gokudera.
"Xanxus." Tsuna pleaded.
The scarred Italian growled, seeing that Tsuna still hadn't moved. "Didn't I tell you to move, Brat?"
"You won't fight if I'm in your way." Tsuna stated, he wasn't sure if this was true or not, but it was the only thing he could think of.
"What makes you so sure?" questioned the scarred Italian, his guns moving lower and aimed at the brunette.
"If you dare hurt the Tenth, I'll-" Gokudera started. The angered protector stepped forward to get in front of Tsuna, but the loyal bomber was hindered by Tsuna, who halted the other's movements with his hand.
Tsuna looked up at Xanxus, his tawny irises boring into the other's crimson orbs. He didn't know why, but Tsuna had this gut feeling that Xanxus would not attack unless he moved. If the vice president didn't care about his safety, he wouldn't have asked him to step to the side. And he wouldn't be hesitating to shoot, either. "He wouldn't shoot me." Tsuna declared.
"Wanna bet." To Xanxus that sounded like a challenge and he was urged to show Tsuna otherwise. If he wanted to shoot the brat, he could…and he would! His index fingers gripped the trigger intimately, preparing to shoot. His fingers placed pressure upon the trigger, but he couldn't find the strength to push the trigger down all the way. In the end, Xanxus could not shoot Tsuna. The vice president was surprised to realize that it could be so hard to shoot someone. Usually, it was so easy. Just press, bang and the asshole goes down, never to be heard from again. Did he have it that bad for Tsuna?
"Fine." Xanxus groaned as he walked toward Tsuna, his pistols still aimed at the smaller boy. The brunette's eyes widened and he swallowed hard. Was he wrong about Xanxus not shooting him? As soon as the vice president came within arm's reach, Tsuna jumped, closing his eyes shut, awaiting the blow he was going to received. For moments, nothing happened. Curious, the brunette slowly opened his eyes. A shadow was hovering over his head and when he opened his eyes wider, he was surprised by the sight he saw. The barrels of the pistols were pointed at Xanxus and the handle of the guns was being offered to Tsuna. Tsuna looked to the vice president questionably and the Italian replied. "I don't need them to win."
"That's not the point." Tsuna slowly formed the words. Though, the guns were offered to him the brunette did not want to accept them or even wanted to be in close vicinity of them. The brunette tried once again to settle this diplomatically. "Why are you starting a fight with Gokudera?"
Xanxus glowered as he placed his guns away; Tsuna was not going to move out of the way. And to be honest, he didn't feel like flinging the brat across the room just to take care of the scum behind him, either. Plus was it really fucking worth it, anyway? Even if he got rid of Gokudera, would Tsuna just ignore the fact that he murdered his friend and leap lovingly into his arms? Not a chance in hell. So, he decided not to harm Gokudera…at least, not while Tsuna was around. He crossed his arms over his chest and his eyes focused elsewhere. Xanxus didn't want to give Tsuna any ideas that he was backing down. "I heard that you were having a contest."
Tsuna's eyes widened. "Contest? What contest?"
The vice president turned to Tsuna, to check if the brunette was lying. However, Tsuna looked truly surprised by the statement. Xanxus then looked over to Gokudera, who was looming protectively behind the mascot. Slowly, he was able to place two and two together. The Italian finished. "Apparently, to see who you like the best."
"What?!" Tsuna exclaimed. "No, it's not a contest. It was just that I wanted to be fair and so I decided I wanted to get to know everyone better. And I figured the only way to do that was to have time alone with everyone."
"Sounds like a contest to me." Xanxus replied. There was going to bloodshed, whether Tsuna considered it a possibility or not.
Tsuna sighed, tiredly. "Well, it's not a competition. Plus, contests have prizes. There's nothing to be won here."
Xanxus laughed at Tsuna's naiveté. Didn't he have a clue that he was the fucking prize?! The brat still didn't have any idea why everyone was fussing over him? It was both sad and hilarious at the same time. "Whatever you want to believe, Brat. But I want in."
"You want in?" Tsuna repeated, just to make sure he heard Xanxus right.
"Didn't you want to understand me better?" Xanxus asked slyly, knowing full and well that the brunette was slowly trying to befriend him.
"Yes, I do." The brunette said truthfully and tried to ignore Gokudera's grunt of disapproval at such a statement. Tsuna had wanted Xanxus to open up to him, and he wasn't going to miss out on this opportunity, he might never be given this chance again. He then looked to Xanxus, sternly. "But, you can't pick fights with anyone."
The scarred Italian retorted flatly. "Can't promise that."
"Xanxus." Tsuna whined.
"That should be enough for you. After all, I'm not shooting at pretty boy over there." Xanxus pointed out.
Tsuna figured that was as civil as Xanxus was going to be. It was better than Gokudera and Xanxus fighting, for now. Tsuna nodded. "Okay."
"Good." The vice president smirked, very pleased with himself, and yet, still considering throwing something at Tsuna's guard dog. As he parted to leave, he turned to his sorry excuse of a rival. "See ya later, Schiuma."[1]
"Vaffanculo!"[2] Gokudera curse, watching the smug vice president as he exited the room. The emerald eyed guardian looked to Tsuna. "Tenth, you didn't have to agree to that."
"It's okay. He's not a bad person." The mascot tried to assure Gokudera, but the other did not seem convinced.
"And he wouldn't do anything to hurt me. I know what I'm doing, Gokudera."The brunette told the silver haired bomber. At least, I hope I do. Tsuna thought to himself.
"Tenth…" Gokudera said disapprovingly. Tsuna observed the other and realized that his friend's mood had changed. No longer did he looked frowningly upon him, but perhaps discontented instead. "Did you do that to protect me?"
Tsuna frowned at Gokudera. Though, his main reason for including Xanxus in his endeavor to get to know people was to avoid conflict, much of his reasoning was backed by a desire to protect the person who was always protecting him. Pondering on it more and more, the thought left a bad taste in his mouth. He didn't want Gokudera to protect him, but hypocritically, he had done the same thing. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't allow you to fight him."
"How do you think it makes me feel to see you use yourself as a bribe?" The silver haired guardian questioned. Gokudera wasn't yelling at him, but Tsuna felt as if he was being scolded. This had less to do with a bruised ego and more to do with something else.
Tsuna didn't think what he did was so terrible until he heard it through Gokudera's mouth. He started to feel ashamed of himself and it was hard to look his friend in the eye. Perhaps he could have handled himself better, or even offered a better solution. Yet, it was too late for all of that now. The brunette slowly looked Gokudera in the face; he saw a lot of emotions, but the most surprising to Tsuna, was pain. Had he hurt Gokudera from what he did? Then it dawned upon him that his actions were very similar to what Gokudera had done for him with Shamal. The circumstances were different, and Tsuna was not in danger from going on a date with Xanxus, but the act of altruistically giving up one's life for another, Tsuna realized, was more harm than good. Tsuna was learning that the hard way. He had the best intentions, but he ended up hurting his friend in the end.
The mascot moved toward his protective friend and before Gokudera could realize, Tsuna was embracing him. The silver haired teenager didn't know how to handle this. At first, he thought he was out of line by talking to the tenth the way he did. After all, it was his fault for not being a strong enough person, so that the tenth didn't have to worry. Gokudera was upset with himself, and ashamed that the tenth had had to do that to protect him. Gokudera's arms found themselves around the brunette's back, and he held onto the smaller freshman as if he was going to break. He was about to apologize for all that he had said, but he was interrupted by a soft voice.
"I'm sorry, and thank you." Tsuna said gently, his face buried into the other's chest. He then pulled away a little and looked up at Gokudera. "Thank you, Gokudera for reminding me that I must have more self-worth. I'm sorry; after all it's not good to see someone you care about live life so recklessly."
"Tenth…" Gokudera whispered softly as he held onto the brunette.
"Now, I see why you and Xanxus didn't want me involved in the fight. It wasn't that I wasn't considered a man, but that you wanted to protect me. I understand now." Tsuna said thoughtfully.
"I'm sorry, Tenth, if I led you to believe that I thought of you as any less of a man. Forgive me." The silver haired teenager bowed his head in mercy. Usually, he would be banging his head against a hard surface by now, but Tsuna was still hugging onto him. And Gokudera would be damned if he were to let go of the tenth.
The protagonist smiled, happy to see Gokudera back to his old self. Tsuna reminisced about the first time Gokudera had kissed him. Tsuna was amused by a red mark on the bomber's forehead. The brunette could not help but to ease the other's pain by laying a kiss on his forehead. Gokudera looked so charming, then. Now as he gazed up at him with his head bowed down in forgiveness, he was reminded of that time. Tsuna marveled at the way his silver hair fell over his face, his light eyebrows narrowed in determination, and how Gokudera's eyes were closed tight as if afraid to open them. Tsuna didn't know what came over him, but before he knew it, he was leaning into Gokudera and did not halt until their lips touched. It was chaste kiss, a brief brushing of the lips, but that was enough for Gokudera to feel the heat of the brunette's mouth against his. That tantalizing and addictive feeling he felt when he first kissed Tsuna was back. Arousing something within him, but that was brought to a halt quickly. Tsuna broke the kiss, the color of pink imbuing his cheeks. "I forgive you."
Gokudera stared at Tsuna so intently that the mascot started to think that Gokudera didn't like what he had just done. "Um…Gokudera?"
"Tenth, can I kiss you again?" The other blurted out. Gokudera's pleading look reminded Tsuna of a dog wagging its tail. The sparkling gleam of the earnest bomber's emerald eyes grew large as well adding another degree to the begging. As a result, Tsuna's reluctance was slowing eroding.
The brunette couldn't bring himself to say no, even if he was thoroughly embarrassed by the notion. Though, he very afraid of dogs, he couldn't resist Gokudera's charm. "Only if Gokudera continues to play the piano for me."
"Sure." Gokudera agreed with a smile.
****
Gokudera played the piano for the rest of the night. And the boys were too tired from their very eventful night to gather up the strength to walk back to the dorms. So they slept in the Music room together. Actually Tsuna had fallen asleep during one of Gokudera's song, and while Gokudera was covering the smaller boy with his own school blazer, he decided that he would sit with Tsuna until he woke up. One thing lead to another and Tsuna got more comfortable leaning on Gokudera's shoulder and the silver haired teen could not sleep a wink being in such close proximity with Tsuna. His heart was still pounding against his chest and his mind was reliving the highlights of the night.
Gokudera was happy that he had been able to do so many things with Tsuna, and even more so that Tsuna was able to enjoy those things as well. Yet, ambitiously, Gokudera saw this as a sign of victory. Though, he did not know how the others would fair, he could assess that this was one of the best dates that Tsuna had ever had.
In your face, Baseball freak! Gokudera triumphantly thought in his head.
****
The next day,
The class was having a mid-morning break and Tsuna decided to get some air. He decided to walk out in the hallway, where other students were standing around having conversations with each other.Usually the mascot would spend mid-morning breaks with Gokudera and Yamamoto, but today they were separated for midterm evaluations. Much to Gokudera's chagrin. Tsuna was also disappointed by this sudden separation, he realized that he hadn't spoken to much people in his class, and he felt very lonely without his two friends with him. Tsuna walked over to a place that was pretty empty, and luckily it was by a window.
This is turning into a huge mess, Tsuna considered as he stared out the window. But it isn't so bad. It seemed as if the amount of dates was increasing every day, but instead of looking forward to these interactions in dread, the brunette had good expectations for them. He wasn't as nervous as he was yesterday. He had a really good time with Gokudera, and he had no doubt that he wouldn't have fun with everyone else.
"Nice day, isn't it?" A familiar voice came close to Tsuna's ear.
The brunette leapt into the air with a fright, and he twisted around to see the offender. His brown eyes widened as he met a heterochromatic gaze. Those crimson and cobalt irises could only belong to one person. The brunette stiffened against the window as a way to keep the distance between them. However, Tsuna didn't need to. The illusionist kept his distance as well and showed no movements to advance towards him.
Mukuro smirked. "Did I scare you, Tsunayoshi-kun?"
"Mukuro?! What are you doing here?" Tsuna asked in a shaky voice.
"I do attend school here." The delinquent informed the mascot. Tsuna looked down at Mukuro's attire to see that he was, in fact, wearing the school uniform, yet altered to his own personal style. The brunette also recalled that the times he had encountered the illusionist, he had also donned a school uniform. The midnight blue haired demon continued. "But if you are asking if why I am here, in this place, at this time? Then the answer is simple, I came to see you."
"Me?" Tsuna repeated. He then looked suspiciously at the illusionist. "Why?"
Mukuro smiled reticently as he watched Tsuna. Did the brunette have any idea how amusing he was? The midnight blue haired demon then confessed. "Mainly to bare a warning, if you're planning to cut school today."
"How do you know about that?" Tsuna questioned, surprised that the illusionist knew of his plans.
"Kufufu. The walls have ears, Tsunayoshi-kun." Mukuro clued-in the freshman.
"Are you going to stop me?" The brunette assumed that was the reason the illusionist was present.
"Not at all. I'm not insecure." The midnight haired teenager stated, thinking of a certain person when he said this.
Tsuna did not get the allusion, but was amazed to hear this that Mukuro had no intention to stop him. It seemed as if a lot of people have being trying to obstruct him lately, and to hear that Mukuro, of all people, didn't want to stop him, truly astounded Tsuna. The school idol did note that there was something different about Mukuro. Tsuna realized how the illusionist had made no moves to touch him. Usually when they met, the delinquent was all over him, invading his personal space. Yet, now Mukuro seemed aware of this boundary and did not tread on it all. Not that Tsuna missed the other's inappropriate caresses, but it placed more emphasis on Mukuro's weird behavior. "Then, what do you mean? Why are you here to warn me?"
The illusionist smiled knowingly. Coolly Mukuro lounged against the wall and stood against the window that Tsuna had been looking through. He beckoned to the same window. "Take a look outside."
Tsuna looked at Mukuro warily, but obeyed. The protagonist's gaze looked out of the window. At first he didn't see anything, but when he looked down, he noticed a lot of people in dark clothing walking around. When the brunette peered more closely at these people he noticed the familiar armband and distinguishable hairstyles. It was the disciplinary committee! They were swarming the place like bees protecting the hive. Tsuna looked to Mukuro. "W-why are there so many? Hibari-san said I could go."
"He may have said you could go, but he never said he wouldn't stop you…indirectly." Mukuro replied with a smirk.
"What am I going to do?" Tsuna turned back to the window, looking slightly melancholic. The smaller boy's spirits were severely dampened by the whims of a jealous disciplinarian.
Mukuro observed Tsuna. As he had expected the brunette would not take the news he delivered to him well. He also predicted that Tsuna would not have a backup plan. Though it was an upsetting quandary for the protagonist; for Mukuro, it was the opening he had sought. "I can help." Mukuro offered.
The brunette turned back to the illusionist and replied in disbelief. "You? Help?"
"Why is that so hard to believe?" Mukuro wondered as he looked at Tsuna. It was clear that the other was very cautious of him. However, Mukuro was patient and knew the right words to say. "As you know, it's easy for me to go anywhere I wish. I could lend you a hand."
"You would do that for me? And you wouldn't be expecting anything in return?" The beloved school idol started to consider Mukuro's offer.
"I'm doing this out of the goodness of my heart." The delinquent claimed placing a hand over his heart.
Tsuna's brown eyes narrowed. "I don't believe you."
Mukuro beamed, Tsuna hit the nail on the head. He would never do anything unless it benefitted him. "Even so, do you have a better idea?"
Tsuna opened his mouth to say something, but closed it. Without Mukuro, what could he do? He couldn't go personally to the committee to clear this up. The committee listened to Hibari, and even if they did listen to Tsuna, the retaliation of defying their leader would be great. Something Tsuna didn't want to be responsible for. Going to Hibari was out of the question, since he was sure the disciplinary leader would not relent. There was nothing he could do, alone, but Mukuro did shine some hope into his hopeless situation. However, Tsuna was still very suspicious. The illusionist was up to something, Tsuna didn't know of what nature, but he decided to keep alert around the heterochromatic devil. Tsuna surrendered. "Okay, I could use your help."
Mukuro grinned from ear to ear. "I'm happy to hear it."
"What will you do?" Tsuna inquired.
The illusionist checked off the list of the many things that he could do. "A number of things. I could create a heavy fog, cause a distraction and even cloak you and Yamamoto's presence entirely."
"You can do all of that?" The brunette asked, excitedly.
"Yes, but it'll be quite a strenuous chore." The teenager whined as he gazed tiredly at Tsuna, getting his point across.
Tsuna was amazed by how perceptive he was around Mukuro. "You want something from me."
"Kufufu. Just a small token of gratitude." The taller boy said ambiguously.
"What do you want?" The brunette peered at the other with distrust.
The dark blue haired demon proposed. "If I help you run off on your date with Yamamoto, then it is only fair that you go on a date with me, too."
What part of that is a small token of gratitude?! Tsuna thought to himself as he eyed Mukuro, incredibly.
"Fair is fair, Tsunayoshi-kun." Pressed Mukuro, knowing that the brunette could not deny him. After all, Tsuna wanted to be just to everyone. Everyone meant he was included.
Tsuna cursed himself for not seeing this coming. His suspicions had warned him about the delinquent. He then conceded, reluctantly. "Fine."
"Through gritted teeth." Mukuro observed the brunette's disinclination. Yet, instead of taking it to the heart, he decided to tease Tsuna. The illusionist smirked as he invaded Tsuna's personal space, running his gloved hands up the sides of mascot's clothed abdomen. He noticed the mascot tense under his touch, but the brunette's large brown eyes were unwavering and stayed trained on the wicked teen. "Do you hate me that much?"
"I don't hate you. I just dislike these roundabout methods of yours." Tsuna clarified holding in a shiver as Mukuro ran his hands over his chest and then stopping at his neck.
"Then you want me to be more straightforward?" The heterochromatic eyed demon drew closer.
"No." breathed Tsuna. He then thought about it more. "……Maybe." Mukuro leaned into the smaller boy, not at all ashamed that he was pouncing on the brunette in the middle of the hallway, where everyone could see. Tsuna stiffened, but he made no attempt to stop Mukuro. One of the illusionist's arms was placed on to the wall for support as his other gloved hand cupped Tsuna's chin, Mukuro's long fingers lightly touching the corners of the brunette's mouth. Tsuna closed his eyes when the illusionist came alarming too close. He just waited for the kiss. Perhaps if Mukuro got what he wanted the demon would leave quicker. Despite Tsuna's attitude about this, unconsciously he showed Mukuro differently. The brunette slightly leaned up to the other as Mukuro was making his descent. The illusionist observed how Tsuna's pink lips were slightly parted, and it looked as if the school mascot was itching for him to kiss him, rather than trying to speed things. Mukuro just hovered over the mascot, a huge grin tugging on his lips.
"Do you want me to kiss you that bad?" Mukuro whispered against Tsuna's lips and smirked when the other's eyes shot open, to see the illusionist inches away, gazing down at him.
Tsuna turned beet red at this claim. Did he really want to be kissed by Mukuro?! Impossible! Or was it? Tsuna was addled by his own actions and just wanted to get out of this situation altogether. He broke out of the illusionist's grasp. "I-I've got to go to class now."
Mukuro allowed Tsuna to run away from him, his mismatched eyes watched as the blushing mascot walked over to his classroom.
"Tsunayoshi-kun." Mukuro called out to Tsuna in a serious tone. The brown haired teenager stopped in his tracks and turned to Mukuro. "I'll let you go for now, but be aware that on our date, I will not hold back."
Tsuna didn't know how to take that. Mukuro's voiced sounded scary and the illusionist eyes were swirling with so many things; thoughts, emotions, and desires; something Tsuna was obviously oblivious to. Even though he saw all these things he could not decipher the look Mukuro was giving him. What did it mean? What was he trying to tell him? He wished Mukuro would stop being so cryptic, and tell him what he truly meant. "I'm not agreeing to that." The brunette said flatly, as he crossed his arms above his stomach.
The illusionist only smirked as if Tsuna had said something very amusing. "We shall see."
As Tsuna watched Mukuro amble down the hall, he had a feeling that his date with Mukuro would be a very interesting and terrifying experience. The brunette turned around and walked into his classroom. Tsuna's ingress into the classroom ended up being a rally of all his classmates. Being suddenly surrounded by the lot made the freshman incredibly nervous, wondering what happened to cause such a stir.
"Sawada-san, are you okay?" A blue haired student asked.
Tsuna blinked at what was said. When his large eyes panned around to all the faces that looked upon him, he noticed all of them seem concerned. Why? Tsuna panicked as he realized that they could have witnessed what happened in the hallway. What did they think of him now? From afar, it probably looked like him and Mukuro were kissing or doing something intimate and inappropriate.
"Did he hurt you?" Another student questioned, looking as frantic as the rest that crowded around him.
"No." Tsuna finally said. Mukuro was a bit…flirtatious, a teaser and a schemer, but the illusionist had never placed his life in danger. He never harmed him, well, except when he molested him. But besides those things, Mukuro was pretty safe to be around, as long as you didn't listen to a word the other said or was in a room alone with him. Tsuna paused in his musings and found it very hard to prove that Mukuro was actually a nice person.
A breath of relief was released from the group, making the brunette even more curious of their actions. "Why are you so worried about Mukuro?"
The group of worried students fell silent, and slowly a new voice told him. "He's dangerous."
"Dangerous?" Tsuna repeated. Of course, Tsuna knew this already, but he realized the students had a different reason why they perceived Mukuro as perilous.
"I don't know if it's true or not, but there are rumors going on about him." Said the blue haired boy that had first spoken revealed. "I heard that he was into witchcraft."
"Someone said he was the anti-Christ." An unfamiliar voice claimed.
"They say, he tried to kill the principal, but failed." Another confessed.
"The principal?!" Tsuna exclaimed. From what he heard about the principal, he was a nice and kind hearted person. And from what he knew of Mukuro, the illusionist didn't seem the type to kill someone. The brunette couldn't bring himself to believe that was true, it was too out of character for Mukuro and perhaps there was more to the story.
"Be careful, Sawada-san." The blue haired boy warned.
Tsuna nodded and smiled at everyone. Yet, he still was put off about the rumors about Mukuro. Were they true? Could Mukuro really hurt someone? What kind of relationship did Mukuro have with the principal? The only way Tsuna was going to find out was to ask Mukuro himself.
Shouichi was in the student council office sorting through some papers. Usually when the student council had these big events, there was a lot of paperwork to take care of. And since the principal gave them full responsibility for the Maid Café, there was even more paperwork than usual. The other student council members were not present, obviously Hibari never associated with them; the vice president was so angry about the last few days of picking up Byakuran's slack, that he refused to help; the class representative, Squalo, was probably doing his own duties or advocating Xanxus on his strike; and lastly Spanner had the biggest job of everyone, not only did the treasurer have to make all the costumes, design and decorate the maid café, but the otaku was also backed up with Byakuran's assignments as well. Shouichi wondered if he should go visit Spanner to see how he was fairing, but he knew that the treasurer could handle it.
In the midst of finishing a stack of papers, the student council office door suddenly slammed open, sending all of his hard work scattered amongst the floor. The secretary's green eyes looked over to the doorframe to see a familiar figure. Leaning on the threshold was the student president, but Byakuran wasn't his usual self. The white haired teen seemed fatigued and weak.
"S-Shou-chan…w-what's up?" Byakuran said slowly.
Shouichi stood up from the desk and greeted the student president. "Byakuran-sama, you've returned."
Before, Byakuran could utter a witty reply, the student president collapsed on to the floor. Falling face first with a "ow" emitted.
"Byakuran-sama!" The red haired boy raced over to the president. He carefully turned the other on to his back. The president looked like he was struggling to keep his eyes open. "What happened?"
The student president weakly looked up at his secretary. "Shou-chan, the first aid kit, please."
"Of course!" Shouichi answered as he shot up and went to retrieve the kit. The kit was found in the bottom of the desk draw, and Shouichi was glad that they had invested in one, for instances like these. The redhead then came back to where he left the weakened teen. He handed the object over to the fallen president, who took it graciously. "Are you hurt?"
"T-thank you." Byakuran opened the First Aid kit, revealing the student president's stash of sweets. Shouichi's jaw dropped in awe and he watched as Byakuran surveyed the contents of the kit, picking out a chocolate chip cookie. He quickly consumed it.
Shouichi dared to ask. "Um…what happened to the medical supplies in that kit?"
"I threw those away long ago. We don't need them." Byakuran said thoughtlessly as he ate a handful of gummy bears.
"What do you mean we don't need them?! What if someone gets hurt, then what will we do?!" The secretary shrieked, not believing what he was hearing. There was a reason for first aid kits, and Shouichi knew it wasn't a place to hide sweets.
"Shou-chan, why are you yelling? Can't you see I'm recovering?" Byakuran rebuked Shouichi, but before his secretary could put his hands around his neck and strangle him. He explained the reason for his weary entrance. "That horrible airline had the nerve of having no sweets on that fifteen hour flight. I thought I wasn't going to make it."
Shouichi tried to calm down, this was how the student president was. He had very low blood sugar, and so he consumed a lot of sweets to compensate. If Byakuran didn't have his sugar, he was unproductive, immobile and weakened. Although, even fully charged with sugar, he was still unproductive. Nothing could be helped when it came to Byakuran's idleness.
"What did I miss?" A fully recovered Byakuran asked, setting aside the first aid kit, so he could get off the floor.
"A lot. The Maid Café still has a few things that need to be done. Xanxus-sama is pretty angry at you. Also, the principal threatened to shoot you as well. And Spanner is still working on the costumes-" Shouichi began.
Byakuran shook his head and clarified. "Not that stuff, I'm talking about Tsu-chan."
"Sawada-san?" Shouichi questioned raising an eyebrow.
"Yea, I was wondering how Tsu-chan was doing." Inquired Byakuran, who seemed determined to have his question answered.
Shouichi crossed his arms over his chest. "If you have time to think about Sawada-san, how about you take a minute to think about all the work that needs to be done?"
"Is it true, Shou-chan?" Byakuran hadn't listening to Shouichi's lecture. His mind was elsewhere. "I heard from an informant that Tsu-chan was….dating?"
"An informant?" Shouichi raised an eyebrow, wondering who this informant was and why did the president needed to keep track of Sawada-san? His president definitely had a problem…maybe even an obsession. The red haired secretary frowned, wondering if he should truly tell the president what he knew. In the end, Shouichi couldn't withhold information from Byakuran. He had heard about something like this from his classmates. Tsuna was a hot topic at Namimori and, of course, word of him going on dates was spreading like wildfire. Though, he wasn't sure if it was true or not. He started, looking sympathetically at his classmate. "Well…"
"So it is true…" The fair haired boy gathered from the few words that Shouichi uttered. At first, the president seemed a bit disheartened by the news. Something passed over the other's lilac eyes. An emotion, Shouichi rarely saw in Byakuran, but as quick as it had came, the fleeting emotion was gone. As if the president was aware of his slip, and didn't want it to be witnessed. The president bounced back, stating in his usual sing-song tone. "I can't wait until I'm asked."
"What makes you so sure that you'll be asked?" Shouichi asked.
Byakuran grinned at Shouichi. "Because I left a very good impression on Tsu-chan."
In order words, you molested him. Shouichi thought to himself.
The president pouted at his red haired secretary. "I told you my hand slipped, Shou-chan."
"You can hear what I'm thinking?" Shouichi said, astonished.
"It's my fourth secret skill." Byakuran grinned slyly.
Shouichi looked at the president as if he had grown another head. The president had known that he thought of him as lazy and a pervert. And Byakuran had found out long ago that he was the one who ate the president's last slice of Oreo cheesecake. Not knowing how to take this revelation, Shouichi decided to change topics. There were some things that people just didn't want to know. "Was Sawada-san the reason you rushed back?"
"No, that wasn't the only reason. I brought a friend back with me." The president revealed. The curious teenager began to look at the paperwork Shouichi had been sorting through before he had arrived. His interest faded when he saw too many boring words pushed together in very small print.
Shouichi's interest was piqued. "A friend?"
"Yes." Byakuran confirmed as he started walking towards the door. "But, I'll introduce him to you later. Right now, I've got to find-"
"Not so fast." Shouichi grabbed the student president by the collar, halting the white haired wanderer from leaving. With a bit of momentum, the secretary managed to yank Byakuran back into the room. "You're not going anywhere, Byakuran-sama, until we finish this paperwork."
"But Shou-chan…." Byakuran whined as he tried to reach for the doorframe. His fingertips were a half an inch away from touching it before he was dragged back by a surprisingly strong Shouichi.
"I don't want to hear it, Byakuran-sama. You're getting this work done!" Shouichi put his foot down. He knew Byakuran just came from a fifteen hour flight and that the teenager must be tired from his journey, but if the other had time to wander about the school, then he could help him out. Plus, Xanxus was right. Byakuran was always doing disappearing acts when the work started piling up and he always left them with all the work. The president did need to do his share.
"You're no fair, Shou-chan." The student president glowered at the secretary, kicking at nearby furniture.
Act your age, Byakuran-sama. Shouichi rolled his eyes as he watched his very childish leader throw a tantrum.
"I heard that, Shou-chan."
Tsuna managed to change out of his uniform and sneakily got outside of the lecture building without being noticed. Now all Tsuna had to worry about was getting to the baseball field, undetected to meet Yamamoto. He was sure Yamamoto would have no problem getting past the disciplinary committee, but he himself, on the other hand, was another story. He was even surprised that he had been able to get to this point. He wasn't good at sneaking around. He just hoped that Mukuro held his end of bargain and perhaps that would open up an opportunity for him to meet up with his baseball obsessed friend.
The brunette waited for Mukuro to do his magic, while concealing his presence from Hibari's committee. Unbeknownst to the protagonist, a figure crept behind him.
"Tsuna." A voice called out to him.
The brunette jumped from shock and swiftly turned around to see if he had been caught. Relief washed over Tsuna when he realized that he had not screwed up royally, but had been called by Yamamoto. "But, I thought you would be at the baseball field?"
"I came to get you." Yamamoto replied, standing close to Tsuna. "Plus, I couldn't get there with so many committee members surrounding the place. It's like they know about our meeting place."
"Well, Yamamoto…" The protagonist looked awkwardly at his friend. "Hibari found out, but I thought he was okay with it. Otherwise, I would have asked if we could change the date."
Yamamoto then smiled knowingly, "That makes sense."
Why was I the only one who genuinely thought he wanted me to go?! The brunette pondered to himself.
"How are we going to get pass them?" Tsuna observed Yamamoto as he gazed out of their hiding place. The tall athlete seemed pretty determined to figure out a solution.
The brunette slowly revealed. "I have someone working on it."
Yamamoto turned to Tsuna, wondering who this someone was. "Is this person a friend of yours?"
"Not really, but he decided to do me a favor." Tsuna lied.
"Lucky for us, huh?" Yamamoto replied quietly. His dark brown eyes then caught something passed Tsuna. A sharp instinct told him something was going on. He prepared himself, but then relaxed when he realized that it wasn't an enemy. He pointed pass Tsuna. "Is that your friend's work?"
Tsuna looked in front of him and noticed that the whole schoolyard was blanketed in a heavy mist. It was getting so thick; it was hard to make out the landscape of the school. Nevertheless, Tsuna was very impressed by Mukuro's abilities. "That was fast."
Suddenly, there was a loud bang from the outside school and then the earth shook. The sudden disturbance sent all the committee members running in that direction. While Tsuna was wondering what the source of all the commotion was, Yamamoto got up from his place, taking it as a cue to go.
The baseball fanatic grabbed Tsuna's hand and pulled him along. "Tsuna, let's go."
"Right." Tsuna replied as he followed.
Both of them raced blindly into mist, hoping that they wouldn't be caught by the disciplinary committee. However, it was hard figuring out where to go in this thick fog. Tsuna knew that Yamamoto had a bad sense of direction and even his sense of direction was out of whack in this fog. Still both of them kept running until they saw something that looked familiar.
"Look there, Tsuna." Yamamoto pointed out to the brunette what looked like the end of the mist. In this particular area, the mist was slowly dispersing allowing them to see more clearly. Luckily, they managed to run up to the school gates. Tsuna wondered if it was some act of fate or the guidance of a certain heterochromatic demon. Tsuna and Yamamoto were nearly home free when they saw two committee members standing by the gates.
"Stop! Who's there?!" One of the pompadour headed guards asked them. Yamamoto impulsively stood in front of Tsuna, to protect him, but such efforts were not needed. Mukuro had them covered. As soon as the disciplinary members stepped toward them, the mist thickened and the sight of Yamamoto and Tsuna had disappeared completely from their field of vision. Confused, the members began looking around for the duo, unaware that they have not left their spots and that two guards were still visibly to the escaping students. "Where did they go?"
"They can't see us." Yamamoto chuckled at this amusing spectacle.
CRASH! Another disruption was heard from the distance and it was able rip the guards away from their post to check out the chaos. Yamamoto pulled Tsuna along when the remaining disciplinary members' forms have completely vanished from sight.
"Come on, Tsuna!" The baseball fanatic rushed forward, and the brunette echoed his steps.
They entered the wooded area that surrounded their school and it didn't take them long to find the path that lead into town.
"We made it." Tsuna said happily as he caught his breath.
"That was interesting." Yamamoto commented as he allowed Tsuna to catch his breath. He guessed that Tsuna didn't run often.
Besides the feeling of his heart threatening to burst and his adrenaline pumping from nearly being caught, Tsuna didn't have time to be nervous or even feel awkward around Yamamoto. Though, they were finally able to freely go on their date, he didn't feel as uncomfortable as he did with Gokudera. Perhaps because Gokudera was also nervous, which made him feel tense, but Yamamoto was his usual self, so Tsuna just followed suit without knowing. "So where are we going?"
"Into town." Yamamoto answered and then light-hearted disclosed, "I didn't have anywhere in mind to take you. So I thought that would be the best choice, since there's lots of stuff to do there. Last time when we came with everyone, we didn't get to explore much either."
"That's a good idea actually." Tsuna said had wanted to explore the town of Namimori more on their last visit, but he had a good reason for not taking advantage of that venture. He remembered how everyone made a scene at Bello Cielo, the Italian restaurant they had all dined at, and Tsuna had just wanted to leave as quickly as possible. However, now he understood that the reason everyone was acting that way was to gain his attention. So it was truly his fault for their behavior. "Actually, I was hankering for a hamburger."
"Me too." The dark haired athlete beamed, "I guess we'll get lunch first."
Mukuro watched the mayhem he created and it brought him back to that time when he first came to this school. He wanted to be thought as a delinquent and did whatever was in his power to give the principal and Hibari a hard time. Some hated him, others admired him, and most feared him. He had nearly forgotten how much fun it was.
The blue haired illusionist turned to his co-conspirators. "Good job, I was able to hold my end of the bargain due to your assistance."
"Is it really okay, Mukuro-sama?" Ken asked. It had been bothering him for a long time that Mukuro would do a favor for someone. Especially a weak, little rabbit like Tsuna. He just didn't understand what his leader was getting out of this. "To help him?"
"Ken…" Chikusa began to rebuke. It wasn't his place to question Mukuro.
"I did what I was asked." Mukuro explained discreetly as he looked to the two. A mischievous grin formed on his lips. "But…he never said anything about not disrupting his date."
"I could do it, Mukuro-sama." Ken volunteered, and Chikusa actually looked eager to give his support as well. However, Mukuro couldn't have that. If something went awry, he didn't want Tsuna to find out that he was the one who orchestrated it. He trusted Chikusa to keep silent, but Ken could slip something in a fit of anger or excitement. He couldn't take that risk. He still was on thin ice with Tsuna, and anything could threaten to break what little trust the brunette had in him.
"Don't worry; it's already taken care of." Mukuro assured them. His associates looked at him with interest, wondering how he had taken care of the matter. Yet, the illusionist's lips were sealed with a mischievous curve. What he had told Tsuna earlier still hold true, the walls did indeed have ears. Which meant he didn't have to worry at all about disrupting Tsuna's date, because some convenient fellow would already be a step ahead him.
The brunette's big brown eyes surveyed the town. The town of Namimori looked much different during the day, than at night. It was much livelier, more people were about and it seemed more businesses were open to the public. But, no one their age was here. They were probably in school, where they should be. Yet, Tsuna felt not one pang of guilt.
Tsuna turned to Yamamoto, who was dreamingly sipping at his drink. They had grabbed lunch earlier and decided to walk around to figure out what to do. While eating he had learned a few things about the baseball fanatic. Yamamoto also lived in Tokyo and his father owned his owned a sushi restaurant. Tsuna was awed, but he didn't get his fill of information. There seemed to be much more to Yamamoto than met the eye. Although, Tsuna thought of him as the most normal of everyone at school, he had some suspicion that he wasn't ordinary. So, the freshman prompted the baseball fanatic to speak more of himself. "What do you like…besides baseball?"
"Festivals, I guess." Yamamoto said pensively as he finished off his drink. "The taiko drums, the games and the food. I like them all."
The taller boy then added. "I also like watching those old samurai movies. My father is a big fan of Toshiro Mifune."[3]
"I never thought you'd be into that." Tsuna said surprised.
"Not a lot of people do." Yamamoto beamed, but it wasn't a happy smile. "Most people see me play baseball and assume that I can't handle a sword either."
Tsuna's eyes widened. "You can use a sword?"
"Only a little, but I still have a long way to go." Yamamoto said modestly.
"But that's still pretty cool, Yamamoto, I wish I could use a sword. I'd probably end up cutting myself." Tsuna grimaced having an image of his totally failure at handling a weapon.
"What do you like, Tsuna?" The baseball fanatic pressed, wondering what kind of interests the brunette had.
"Well…my interests are more boring than yours." Tsuna started, realizing that he couldn't compare to Yamamoto. His interests were very ordinary…maybe even plain. But he did agree to also talk about himself and he was sure Yamamoto wouldn't judge him. "I like video games, music, and manga…those kinds of things."
"You're not interested in sports?" The other asked curiously. Though, he already knew the answer.
"No." Tsuna said as he shook his head, "I wasn't involved in school activities. I was a part of the go straight home club."
"Ironic that you're very involved in school now." Yamamoto chuckled.
"That's true." Tsuna smiled. When he had been at home, he had cringed at the thought of socialization. He was bad at interacting with others, mostly because his lack of confidence and being a target of bullying. His life here was much different, though he was the same person. Nothing about him had changed, just the environment.
"So, are we going to walk around all day?" Yamamoto joked, though he was happy to do a simple thing with Tsuna. Usually, it was Tsuna, Gokudera and him. And though it was fun bantering with Gokudera every now and then, but he felt walking with Tsuna, alone, was just as fun…maybe more so. Then Yamamoto spotted something and began to bring up the idea to Tsuna. "How about this?"
****
Tsuna tried to calm down, but some of his greatest fears were rolled up in one nice package. Darkness, Fog (because of a certain person) and being trapped within an enclosed space. Right now, he was huddle in alcove, trying to figure out his next move. Every move he made, Yamamoto was somehow able to outwit him. The baseball fanatic was in the lead, of course, and it was well earned.
For someone who had such a carefree countenance, Yamamoto differently knew his way around a battlefield. He was very adaptable, able to excel in any situation. Tsuna was impressed; he had never seen this side of Yamamoto. He had never known someone could be ruthlessly competitive and yet, still be fun. But then again, Yamamoto was an enigma.
Tsuna stilled, flattening his body against the alcove as he felt a presence. He went stiff as the light of laser gun flashed behind him. The brunette ran from his hiding place and into the trap Yamamoto had set. Tsuna thought the athlete was behind him, but he was actually in front. When the freshman saw his friend before him, it was too late. He was hit once again. One more hit and the game was over.
"Gotcha again, Tsuna." Yamamoto said good-naturedly, but by the gleam of the athlete's dark eyes, the brunette knew he meant business. Both of the boys gun flashed violently as it acknowledge the recent blow Tsuna had taken. The brunette scurried away as the laser gun recharged for the last shot. As he went to find his next hiding place, he wondered how Yamamoto had found him. Was he that predictable? Although, all he had been doing was hiding from the very beginning, he thought he had picked very good hiding places. Wait…Tsuna started to think. He knows I'll just hide and that I won't attack him back.
The brunette began to formulate an idea. He would hide like usual; he didn't want to throw Yamamoto off just yet. He waited for the baseball fanatic, gun ready, but his grip was still shaky. Through the darkness Tsuna realized the streak of color that belonged to his friend's gun. Yamamoto was close, but Tsuna was prepared. The baseball fanatic was on to him and coming in for the kill. As soon as the baseball fanatic came into view, Tsuna shot at him with his gun and got the taller boy in the chest, setting off his shield that now flashed the number one. Yamamoto was not expecting that. He was expecting to get a perfect score, five to zero. The athlete paused, but realized that Tsuna was still trapped in his hiding place. He took his last shot and the lights came on. The game was over.
"I win, but I wasn't expecting that." Yamamoto admitted.
"I don't even know where that came from." Tsuna smiled as he followed Yamamoto, exiting the laser tag room. Yamamoto had decided to take Tsuna to the local arcade and was surprised to learn that Tsuna had never played laser tag. "That was fun."
Yamamoto smiled mysteriously as Tsuna said that. Playing laser tag with Tsuna was fun, but he found his amusement in a different way. Maybe it was the adrenaline rush, or something primal that lurked within every man, but he got some sort of thrill by looking for Tsuna, someone who was more vulnerable than he was. He dismissed the thought; it made him seem like some kind of caged animal.
Over the beeping and other sounds that games in the Arcade emitted, Tsuna was able to hear a cry of some sort. The brunette turned in the direction of the loud shouting and it didn't take him long to see Ryohei in the distance. The boxer then turned in their direction.
"Sawada!!!!" Ryohei roared as the upperclassmen spotted them. The boxer looked even more fired up than usual. However, Tsuna was first to notice that Ryohei wasn't extremely determined, but extremely angry. Yamamoto's smile faltered a bit as he also noticed the upperclassmen's different behavior.
"Sasagawa-san…what are you doing here?" Tsuna greeted as the boxer came closer, but Ryohei ignored him and glared at Yamamoto.
"Senpai?" Yamamoto questioned, wary of the boxer.
In a blink of an eye, Ryohei had grabbed the collar of Yamamoto's shirt. The boxer would have succeeded in lifting the baseball athlete off the ground, if Yamamoto hadn't prevented this by placing a hand on the boxer's arm. The smile on Yamamoto's face was wiped clear and was replaced with colder looking brown eyes. Yamamoto was completely serious as Ryohei glared at him. Tsuna didn't know how to take this at first. First it was Xanxus and Gokudera and now, he was watching Yamamoto and Ryohei go through the same motions.
Tsuna turned to Ryohei. "What are you doing, Sasagawa-san?"
"This guy is extremely disloyal." Ryohei said to Tsuna, but his gray eyes were glued to Yamamoto. He had considered Yamamoto as his friend, and when he had heard that his supposed friend was out with Tsuna, he had felt extremely betrayed. Then he said to Yamamoto. "How could you go after Sawada?"
Tsuna frowned realizing what had angered Ryohei. He probably thought Yamamoto went behind his back and asked him out. "It's not like that, Sasagawa-san."
"Tsuna asked me out." Yamamoto finally said.
"Sawada did?" Ryohei turned to Tsuna. "Is this true?"
The brunette slowly nodded. "Yes…"
Ryohei released Yamamoto from his powerful grip and became very quiet. This was the most silent that the boxer has ever been and it seemed so out of character for Ryohei not to be yelling or in motion. Yet, the upperclassmen had not uttered a word and he had not moved an inch…something was differently wrong.
"Sasagawa-san?" Tsuna began, wondering if the other was okay.
Tsuna's voice must have awoken the other out of his stupor, because suddenly he exclaimed, unhappily. "I'm extremely disappointed!!!"
Yamamoto and Tsuna exchanged looks; the tall baseball fanatic seemed just as surprised as Tsuna. The freshman felt bad, he was the reason why Ryohei was not like himself and now he had made the upperclassmen sad. He had to fix this.
"Sasagawa-san, I didn't forget you. I know that you like me." Tsuna started and when the boxer turned to him, he felt relieved that he could fix this. "I was planning to ask you on a date as well, but I couldn't find you."
"You were?" Ryohei said.
The brunette smiled at the boxer. "Of course."
Ryohei picked the smaller boy and swung him around in circles. "I'm extremely happy!!!"
Put me down?! The helpless mascot screamed inside his mind.
Finally, Ryohei placed the freshman down and Tsuna, who was dizzy and disoriented, stumbled about trying to gain his footing in a world that was spinning.
"Tsuna…" Yamamoto began to move forward seeing Tsuna beginning to fall over.
Ryohei stepped forward, extending his hands out to reach for the brunette. "Sawada…"
Both boys managed to catch Tsuna before he fell. The school mascot looked to the two of them and frowned. "Why are you both spinning so fast?"
Yamamoto laughed and turned to Ryohei. "We'll see you at school."
Ryohei gave an unfriendly look to Yamamoto, which the baseball jock mirrored, but then the boxer nodded. Now he could return to school satisfied. He had to tell that gay guy that he managed to get a date with Tsuna, even after he called him hopeless. And also ask him what a date was? "See ya, Sawada."
"Okay." Tsuna's world had stopped spinning in time to see that weird look Ryohei shared with Yamamoto, and he wondered what all of that was about. He watched the boxer leave and turned to the baseball player as soon as he disappeared. "Yamamoto?"
"Are you okay?" The athlete asked.
"I think so…" Said the brunette, although he still felt woozy.
"Was it fun, being swung around like that?" Yamamoto laughed.
"No…" Tsuna frowned, but in some way it was fun. "You really are carefree. If it was Gokudera, he would have been angry and probably would have started a fight with Ryohei."
Yamamoto grew serious. "I'm not Gokudera."
The mascot nodded. "You two are different people."
However, he didn't think Yamamoto and Gokudera were much different. That looked that Yamamoto shared with Ryohei was pretty aggressive. Perhaps, if he had handle things better, this hostility could have been avoided. He hated to witness his friends fighting with each other. Tsuna then added, remorsefully. "Yamamoto, I'm sorry. If I had told Sasagawa earlier, perhaps that wouldn't have happened."
"Why do you say that?" The taller boy asked. "I did warn you that the others wouldn't like it."
"But I didn't think Sasagawa-san would react like that."
"He wasn't angry at you, Tsuna. He was angry with me, because he thought I went behind his back."Explained Yamamoto. "I would be upset with senpai if I felt he betrayed me, too."
"I see."
"I was kind of scared, though. Senpai has one heck of a punch." The taller boy teased as he ran a hand through his short, dark hair.
Tsuna smiled at Yamamoto, but he still felt very responsible for what happened. "I'm still very sorry."
"It's not your fault and I don't blame you for what happened, but do you understand why Senpai did that?" Yamamoto asked the brunette.
Tsuna thought about it, but shook his head. He really didn't know. Was there more to Ryohei's actions than he realized?
"Or even, why Hibari was trying to stop us?" Yamamoto added.
"It's obvious that Hibari-san didn't want me to go." The mascot stated with a slight frown.
The baseball fanatic laughed. "That's right. The truth is we all don't like to share, Tsuna." Then Yamamoto's expression switched for cheery to more serious. "We want you all to ourselves."
The brunette blushed at these words, but he felt terrible. Was he making everyone fight over him or even place everyone in a position where they had to fight for him? He didn't want that. He looked to Yamamoto, remorsefully. "Sorry."
"But don't stop doing what you have to do. We are cooperating." Yamamoto kindly told Tsuna.
"Cooperating?" Tsuna thought about it and it seemed true. He thought of everyone who had laid down their sword for him. He hadn't realized it, but it was there. Hibari allowed him to go out with Yamamoto, even though he didn't want to. Gokudera grudgingly allowed him to go on dates with Dino, Yamamoto and Xanxus. Xanxus agreed not to harm Gokudera…even though he really, really wanted to. Mukuro had offered to help him and surprisingly carried out their bargain to the fullest. Now Ryohei was also biting his tongue in some form or another. Even Yamamoto knew full and well he was going out with other people, but he didn't hold it against him. Everyone was cooperating (in their own bizarre way) to make him happy. He truly was an idiot!
"Yamamoto, thank you for saying that." Tsuna said softly.
"Just thought you should know." The dark haired athlete said modestly and then he shrugged. "Plus, this is all I can do. I'll cooperate with everyone else, but I don't plan to lose."
When Yamamoto told Tsuna that he wasn't planning to lose, something surged through him. In those milk chocolate depths, he saw intense determination. It was the same determination the athlete had toward baseball or whenever he played any sport. He was serious about what he said; he wasn't willing to lose to anyone when it came to him. That thought alone made the brunette's heart beat a bit faster and encouraged Tsuna to move in closer.
The baseball fanatic watched Tsuna approach him. His actions were timid, but sincere. Yamamoto met him halfway, placing a hand lightly against the other's soft and heated cheek before diving in. He pressed his mouth against Tsuna's and the fireworks went off. The warmth he felt from the brunette was sailing down his soul, beckoning things dark and seductive. But Tsuna broke the kiss before he could succumb to the wishes of his body; Yamamoto was very tempted to listen.
Tsuna turned away from Yamamoto, either to hide his embarrassment or his own desire to continue the kiss. He then commented. "For someone so carefree, you are very perceptive."
"No, it's nothing like that." Yamamoto grinned charismatically. "Do you want to go another round? Maybe this time, you can shoot me with both eyes open."
Tsuna glared at the baseball player and accepted Yamamoto's challenge. "You're on."
****
Yamamoto won, but Tsuna did try his best. Tsuna managed to hit him twice and he was more involved in the game, it was a huge improvement from the first game they played. After the laser tag, they played other games and decided to head back to campus. However, the way back was much longer than they anticipated. It hadn't taken them this long to get to town, but it was taking them longer to get back the school. The sky was become darker and the sun was setting in the horizon, which made the brunette stand closer to and grabbed on to his hand.
"Yamamoto, it's getting dark. Are you sure we're going the right way?" The smaller boy whispered, his large eyes were not on him, but glued to the trees. As if he was expecting something to jump out from them.
"Not sure." Yamamoto said, keeping his voice as neutral as possible. He then pointed to a particular tree. "Yep, I knew it. We passed that same tree a half a hour ago."
"We're going in circles?!"Tsuna exclaimed, starting to panic. He then looked frantically around for another possible trail or some sign to lead in the right direction. "Maybe, we should go back, or this way?"
This feels like Déjà Vu for some reason…Tsuna thought to himself as he hunted for any sign of the school, or even the town. He saw nothing. However, he couldn't deny what he felt. This had happened to him before. Realizing something the brunette looked to Yamamoto. Wait…
The mascot gazed at the taller boy suspiciously. "Yamamoto, did you do this on purpose?"
Yamamoto smiled, but his smile didn't give him away. He released his hand from the brunette's hold and draped his arms around the smaller boy's shoulders. Tsuna looked at Yamamoto in awe as he gazed at him, inches away from his face. "What would give you that idea, Tsuna?"
Tsuna didn't use any words to answer his question. The blush staining the young boy's cheeks answered it for him. Yamamoto was willing to let Tsuna date other people, but for a little bit longer, he wanted to have Tsuna selfishly for himself. In his arms, only looking at him, feeling the freshman against his mouth…and he laughed away a thought of locking Tsuna in a castle far, far away. That would be something that Gokudera would be tempted to do.
Chapter Seventeen End
Schiuma – Scum, in Italian
Vaffanculo – Fuck you, in Italian
Toshiro Mifune- A famous Japanese Actor who starred in old samurai movies
------------------
Author's Note: Does anyone read these anymore? I hope so…because the winning outfit for Tsuna to wear at the Maid Café is BONDAGE CATBOY! Though, Angelic Lolita was very close to winning. Thank you for those who voted. I hoped you liked this chapter. It was fun to write, but difficult. I wanted to show a different side of Yamamoto. Of most Yamamoto x Tsuna/ 8027 pairings, I've seen a lot of angst. Which is great, but I wanted to show another side of Yamamoto. Though, he acts oblivious, Yamamoto is very aware of the situations he is in. I hoped I explored that here, even a little bit. Next chapter will be Dino's date with Tsuna and chapter Nineteen will be the Maid Café. Lastly, Chapter Twenty will be special, but instead of telling you, I'll have Mukuro, Tsuna and Byakuran act it out for you.
Omake- Rated M for Mukuro
Byakuran: Nappo-chan, what did you mean earlier about not holding back on your date with Tsu-chan?
Mukuro: Exactly, what I said. I have no intentions on holding back. Grins Am I making you nervous?
Byakuran: shrugs Not at all
Mukuro: raises an eyebrow Am I making you jealous?
Byakuran: Jealous of what, Nappo-chan? You haven't kissed Tsu-chan, since chapter six.
Mukuro: And you had to wait 'til Chapter Fourteen.
Byakuran: ….I saw Tsu-chan naked though.
Mukuro: Smiles that maybe so…but for my sacrifice I will be greatly rewarded.
Byakuran: Rewarded?
Mukuro: I made a deal.
Byakuran: Oh? And what kind of deal did you make, Nappo-chan?
Mukuro: Well, if you really want to know. Chapter Twenty will be special for two reasons. The first, I'll finally get my character chapter. Secondly, this Fanfiction will officially be rated Mature. Meaning I get to do explicit things to Tsunayoshi-kun.
Byakuran: But you know, Nappo-chan that also applies to everyone else as well.
Mukuro: I know. Let the games begin then.
Tsuna: Don't I get a say in this?
Mukuro: Nope
Byakuran: Tsu-chan, when do you ever get a say over the conquest of your bod- affections?
Tsuna: sighs tiredly just be gentle with me
Mukuro: Kufufu. Not my style.
Byakuran: That isn't very fun.
Omake End
Author, again: Thank you for reading chapter seventeen of Hungry for Tsuna and don't forget to review, it gives me power. Also Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.
