Hungry for Tsuna
A Katekyo Hitman Reborn Fanfiction
Disclaimer: I do not own Reborn, nor do I claim I do.
Note: NOT BETA READ YET!
Chapter Eighteen: Dino the Adventurous
Slowly the students began filling into the lecture building, but it was still much too early for classes to begin. So during this time, the hallways became like a morning hang out area to chat or to copy off someone else's homework. Like almost every morning, Dino was earlier for class and he spent most of his time in the halls talking among his other classmates. Today, he was talking to good friend of his. The sometimes irritable and always loud, Superbia Squalo.
"How's that fearless leader of yours doing?" Dino looked to Squalo, who seemed disgruntled, but that was a usual for Squalo.
"He's grumpy." Grumbled Squalo as he leaned on the wall, staring up at the ceiling and his arms crossed across his stomach. Dino was quick to notice that the swordsman was only giving him his side profile. The long haired teen was obviously hiding something from him.
"Yea, I could see from the huge bump you have on your head that he was very cranky." Dino teased.
"VOOOOIIIIIII!" Squalo turned to Dino, presenting the large swelling perturbing from his scalp which had been created from a collision of his head and the vice president's morning coffee mug. That was last time Squalo was going to wake that fucker up. "AT LEAST, I GET MY INJURIES FROM A FUCKING LUNATIC. YOURS ARE SELF-INFLICTED!"
Dino laughed, revealing his bandaged left wrist and colored Band-Aids on his fingers. "I didn't do it on purpose."
The long haired swordsman jeered. "WHAT WAS IT THIS TIME? THE STAIRS, THE DOOR, THE FUCKING TEXTBOOK, A SHITTY PENCIL…"
"Actually, it was the bathroom sink." The blonde smiled sheepishly. "And the paper cuts are from yesterday's English homework."
"IT'S STILL FUCKING LAME." Squalo frowned. Dino was the clumsiest person he had ever met. It was funny at first watching the blonde trip over his own feet and fall down stairs, but now, it was getting really sad. Aren't you supposed to outgrow some things when you get older?
"I don't need you to tell me that." Dino said sharply, but otherwise he wasn't bothered by the Squalo's teasing. He was used to it by now. They had gone to the same school since as long as he could remember. From an outsider, it may seem like they hated each other's guts, but it was the exact opposite. They got along well. Never did any of their banter ever exploded into heated fights with whips or swords. They had a pretty good understanding of each other.
Dino looked out the window. It was still very early in the day. No one was really moving about, but he did notice something going on by the Library building. Over the past few weeks, the building had undergone a lot of renovations to fix it, due to someone trashing it in the beginning of the semester. Now, the library looked as if nobody had trashed it. The only life outside seemed to be by the library. Dino observed people going in and out; bringing in large and small boxes inside the structure. Dino looked to Squalo. "What are they doing over there?"
"HELL IF I KNOW…" The swordsman replied, his icy blue eyes shifting to the window.
The blonde raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you on the student council?"
"YEA…" replied the other.
"Then you should know." Dino pressed.
Squalo shrugged his shoulders and answered slowly. "PROBABLY THE SHITTY MAID CAFE."
"Ah, the café…" Dino nodded in recognition. He remembered someone telling him the Maid café would be hosted in the library. The building was now fixed and spacious enough to hold a large capacity of people. While they were on the topic, Dino decided to see how much more information he could get out his friend. "Do you know what the prize is?"
The long haired swordsman shook his head, making his long hair sway left to right. "THE ONLY ONE WHO KNOWS IS BYAKURAN."
"I see." The blonde sighed, slightly disappointed. Dino then said softly, "He'll probably announce it the day of."
"DON'T TELL ME YOU'RE SUPPORTING THAT SHIT?!"Squalo said surprised, frowning at the guy he used to respect.
"Of course. I have to cheer on our mascot." Dino commented. The blonde gave his shoulders a light shrug and presented the swordsman a sly grin. "Plus I want to see Tsuna in costume…"
Squalo sighed heavily, shaking his head lowly. "NOT YOU, TOO…"
"What do you mean, 'not you, too'?" Dino raised an eyebrow, looking at his long haired companion squarely. "Don't act like you haven't been ogling Tsuna as well."
"THIS ISN'T ABOUT ME. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT YOU!" Squalo roared, pointing a reproachful finger at the blonde.
"No, you were talking about me and I countered by stating your own denial of your infatuation with Tsuna." Dino responded with his arms crossed over his stomach.
"I'M NOT IN DENIAL, BECAUSE I'M NOT FUCKING GAY!" The white haired student roared. Making heads turn in their direction, Squalo glared at the nosy bastards and everyone turned back to their own business.
"Neither am I, but I'm not going to lie about who I have a crush on." Dino said calmly. He then leaned into the long haired student, running his fingers through strands of Squalo's silver hair. "You may not be willing to admit how you feel about Tsuna, but you should really come out of the closet. Your hair is a dead giveaway that you've been getting beauty tips from Lussuria."
There was a pause from Squalo, then the long haired teen spat. "FUCK YOU, DINO!"
Dino just laughed as he watched Squalo stormed off. The swordsman was definitely in denial, but the upperclassmen wondered why the long haired teen was so obstinate about not admitting his crush on Tsuna. The blonde figured it was because of Xanxus. Dino knew Squalo wasn't afraid of the vice president, but perhaps the swordsman respected the tyrant more than he gave credit for. Squalo may not want to be in Xanxus's way and could only be acting like he has no interest in Tsuna. If that was truly the case, then Xanxus and Squalo had a strange way of showing their camaraderie.
On another note, Dino wasn't able to figure out the prize for the maid café. He was asked by the principal to figure out what it was, but of course no one knew what it was or even had a hint of what would be offered. The student president lips were sealed until the day of the maid café, which was unfortunate for the blonde. Dino sighed; the principal wouldn't like hearing that he couldn't find out the prize. The blonde cringed imagining the sadistic man pointing a gun to his temple, the trigger being squeezed, then –BANG! Dino quickly ignored the image and tried to look on the bright side. "Well, at least I have something to look forward to."
After all he couldn't be too distraught; he had a date with Tsuna today. He had been looking forward to it all week and it seemed that the weekdays were inching by very slowly. Yet, the slow week did warrant him time to prepare for today. He just wondered if his efforts would be worth it in the end and that the brunette would like what he had planned.
----------------
Tsuna sighed, he was well aware that he was going on a date with Dino today. He was even more aware that Dino was way cooler than anyone he has ever known. He also did not forget that the upperclassman was very charming and handsome. Unfortunately, that meant Gokudera didn't forget either. Gokudera stayed close to him as if being near him would scare Dino away. It reminded Tsuna of how a cat would fluff its fur up to seem more threatening. The image made Tsuna smile a little, but the whole situation wasn't funny.
Yamamoto was also hovering close. Tsuna would have thought the other was going along with the ride, but now that he knew the baseball fanatic better. He knew that Yamamoto was also a bit worried, not as troubled as Gokudera (then again who was?) but, concerned nonetheless.
"Tenth, are you sure you want to do this?" Gokudera asked.
"Gokudera, I have to give everyone a chance." Tsuna sighed, this was his sixth time saying it, but for some reason it wasn't getting through to the bomber. Perhaps, the sixth time was the charm.
"It's only fair." Yamamoto chimed in.
"Why are you so nervous about this? You weren't this nervous about Yamamoto." Tsuna questioned, wondering what the difference between Yamamoto and Dino was.
"Because, Dino reminds me of those fakers from host clubs. Their charmers and they know how to use the right words to get what they want." Gokudera accused. He knew Dino's type. He saw it all the time in Italy, a charming man was sometimes a snake. Even his mother was a victim of his father's womanizing ways and he thought Tsuna was being lured in by Dino's ostensibly "good" charms.
"Dino isn't like that." Tsuna frowned at Gokudera. He was thinking too much about this. There was no evidence that Dino was not who he presented himself to be. However, Tsuna tried to understand Gokudera. The bomber was concerned about Dino, not as a potential threat to the brunette, but perhaps a threat to his own standing with Tsuna. "Thank you for worrying about me, but I think Dino is the least of your worries."
"Tsuna's got a point. I'm sure Tsuna is going out with more intimidating people." Yamamoto smirked, his trademark grin wider than usual. It was obvious Yamamoto was trying not to laugh.
Tsuna turned to Yamamoto. "So, you know about Xanxus?"
Yamamoto nodded, a pleasant smile still present.
"And you're okay with it?" Tsuna pressed. It was Yamamoto who informed him about the unsaid cooperation that everyone was undertaking. So, the freshman was a bit curious about what Yamamoto thought about him going out with Xanxus. From the brunette's knowledge, Yamamoto had never seen Xanxus, but Tsuna was sure Gokudera told him a few things and Dino also informed the baseball fanatic about the vice president.
"No." The baseball player said truthfully with a shrug. "But fair is fair."
Tsuna smiled softly, the both of them were being very nice about this. Too nice, maybe. But he wasn't going to reconsider. He had made a promise and nothing was going to make him break it. He assured them. "I'll be fine."
Gokudera opened his mouth to say something, but before the silver haired teen could utter it, Yamamoto placed an arm around the bomber's shoulders. Distracted, Gokudera began cursing at Yamamoto for being so close to him. "Get your fucking-"
The baseball fanatic then interjected. "We know you'll be fine. Tell us about it when you get back. 'Kay? "
Tsuna realized what Yamamoto was doing. The athlete was trying to hinder Gokudera for him. Tsuna didn't skip a beat as he started to walk off. "I will." Tsuna said, picking up the pace. "See you guys later."
The silver haired bomber reluctantly let the brunette go, seeing as the mascot was already out of his reach. "Later, Tenth."
"Bye." Yamamoto waved to Tsuna's back and watched as their petite companion disappeared down the corridor.
"What the hell are you doing?" Gokudera barked at the taller boy, releasing himself from the other's grip. "Don't tell me you're helping Dino?"
"No, I'm not helping Dino." Yamamoto said with a soft laugh.
"Then…" Pushed Gokudera. "Why did you let the tenth go?"
The baseball fanatic looked to Gokudera, a smile still gripped his lips, but his dark brown eyes were serious. He responded. "Because that is what Tsuna wanted to do."
Gokudera was silenced. He realized he was being very selfish and hadn't been totally honest with Tsuna either. Gokudera was always worried about Tsuna's welfare, when he wasn't there to protect him, but what bothered the bomber about this whole dating thing, was potentially losing Tsuna to someone else. Gokudera knew Dino was a good guy and the upperclassman would never hurt Tsuna, but his own insecurities dissolved any trust he had in any person when it came to the brunette. It was selfish of him to try to persuade Tsuna not to go on a date with Dino and he was very ashamed of himself. Gokudera made a note to himself to apologize to Tsuna, properly.
The bomber looked to Yamamoto, who was beaming at him doing his revelation. His emerald eyes glared at the baseball freak. "What are you looking at, you dumb jock?"
"I think you grew up a little." The baseball athlete joked.
In response, the bomber gave Yamamoto a one finger salute. The taller boy was unfazed by Gokudera's gesture and just laughed. Boy, did he hate that baseball nut! Did he take anything seriously?!
"See you at Tsuna's room later." Yamamoto said before he turned and went his own separate way.
"Bastard." Gokudera cursed as he plunged his hands into his pockets and stomped off. Yamamoto irritated him. Not, because he was an idiot, very carefree and smiled too damn much, but because he was more considerate of Tsuna than he was. "Damn him."
----------
Tsuna changed out of his school uniform and placed on normal clothes. He wasn't sure what to expect from a date with Dino. On his other dates, Yamamoto and Gokudera managed to surprise him and he was expecting to be just as astonished with Dino's plans. The brunette exited the Sky dormitory, where he was supposed to meet with Dino. Right away, he saw the blonde waiting for him. "Dino-san." Tsuna greeted with a smile.
The upperclassman looked over to other. "Tsuna…shall we go?"
Tsuna nodded and followed the blonde as he led the way toward the other side of campus. The brunette still couldn't believe that he was on a date with Dino. He really admired the upperclassman and wondered what else he could learn about the blonde. Tsuna was so caught up in his musings; he didn't notice the impending danger in his wake. Suddenly, Dino stepped into his way. "Tsuna! Wait!"
The brunette quickly paused. Tsuna looked down at his feet and realized he was nearly a millimeter away from falling into the large crater. "Where did this come from?!"
"I fell into this thing just a while ago." Dino admitted with a slight smirk. Tsuna curiously looked up to Dino. "Yesterday, did you hear those loud noises?"
Tsuna nodded, he recalled escaping the disciplinary committee with Yamamoto when it occurred. The brunette surveyed the area and notice there was a couple more of ditches.
"I heard that something dug these holes to trap some of the committee members and lured them in by making these loud crashes. It was a huge uproar. I heard Hibari was furious. Not only was the school lawn ruined, but his committee was made a mockery of." Dino explained.
"I wonder who could have done that." Tsuna said slowly, but the brunette knew who did it, it was Mukuro. Tsuna didn't know the illusionist had this planned, if he knew he wouldn't have considered that demon's offer at all. The brunette just wanted to go out with Yamamoto, not humiliate Hibari. He would have to make it up to the prefect somehow.
"Be careful." The blonde warned as they walked around the hole. The brunette looked warily at the crater, frowning at all the damage that a large hole could produce. Their destination was behind gym, which was on the farthest side of the school and closer the wooded area that surrounded their campus like a fortress.
"Usually, I would take my car, but I decided to do something different." Dino said to Tsuna as they headed around the corner.
Tsuna blinked, taking that bit of information in. The freshman slowly looked to the blonde. "You have a car? You can drive?"
"Yea, a red Ferrari." The upperclassmen boasted
"Really?" Tsuna questioned, surprised. Wasn't it illegal for Dino to drive? He wasn't eighteen!
"Would you like to go for a ride sometime?" Dino offered.
"Um…" Tsuna hesitated to answer. Not only was he suspicious about it being illegal for Dino to drive a car, he was worried about the upperclassman's clumsiness. The brunette couldn't help but think about a possible collision in his future, if he did ride with the blonde. He wasn't sure if he trusted Dino enough, at least with his life.
"Dino-sama." Someone called to them. Saving Tsuna from answering Dino.
"Romario." Greeted Dino, walking up to an older man that Tsuna had never seen before. The man was a little taller than Dino with dark hair and eyes. The mysterious person was donned in mostly black as well, wearing a dark suit, black tie and white dress shirt. The older man looked closer to thirty or even older.
The blonde upperclassmen turned to the brunette, feeling the smaller boy's apprehension. He explained the identity of the man in black. "He's my butler."
"Nice to meet you, I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi." Tsuna greeted Dino's butler. He smiled, but his demeanor was still sheepish. The brunette was always surrounded by people at school; he was truly a shy person at heart.
Romario shook his head. "No need for introductions, Sawada-san. I heard a lot about you from, Dino-sama."
Tsuna blushed at this declaration wondering what Dino had said about him. When he looked to Dino, the blonde had slipped from his normal calm, cool, suave countenance to one that was disconcerted.
"Geez, Romario, you talk too much." Dino said flustered, but he was quick to compose himself. "Did you manage to bring him?" He asked looking at the other expectantly.
"Yes, Dino-sama. Like you requested…" Romario nodded as he lead Dino and Tsuna further around the back. Revealing a white horse with fair hair just meters away. "Romeo is here."
The blonde turned to the petite brunette. "So what do you think of my horse, Tsuna?"
"He's amazing." Tsuna said. It was the first time Tsuna saw a horse up close. And it was even rarer was to see an all white horse.
"Alright, Tsuna. We should start heading out." Dino said as he checked the dark saddle and the reigns.
"We're riding on Romeo?" Tsuna frowned.
"Yep."Dino answered as he climbed on to the saddle and held on to the reigns loosely.
Tsuna had become quiet, unsure if he wanted to take that chance with Dino. After all, he had seen the upperclassman fall down a flight of stairs. Did he really want to risk a horse ride with the clumsy upperclassman? Dino kept quiet waiting for Tsuna's answer, but he already knew the brunette was scared to ride with him. Perhaps, that was why he didn't answer him when he offered him a ride in his Ferrari. People only turned down a ride from Dino, because they knew him really well. Romario felt and knew the brunette's unease. Many were apprehensive of Dino's riding skills, but it was hard not to be a bit nervous, because the blonde wasn't poise even on a good day.
Romario informed Tsuna. "Don't worry, Sawada-san. Dino-sama is very good with Romeo; he never slipped once with that horse. He's had him since he was a boy."
"Come on, Tsuna. I wouldn't let anything happen to you." Dino added, trying to persuade the mascot.
After the brunette contemplated the risk he was taking, Tsuna grabbed onto Dino's hand and climbing abroad the white stallion. It was weird to the brunette to be so high up from the ground and even more uncomfortable to be sitting behind Dino. Tsuna looked back to Romario for reassurance. The older man only smiled back at the freshman, but the gesture hadn't comforted Tsuna at all.
"Hold on to my waist." Dino requested. Tsuna timidly slid his arms around the upperclassman's waist. He was embarrassed to be so close to Dino, if he held on to the older boy any tighter, he would be pressed against upperclassman's body. Still, at the distance that Tsuna now held, he could still feel Dino's body underneath his touch. It was still quite intimate, no matter how he tried to overlook it; Tsuna was deep within Dino's personal space.
The blonde tried his best to ignore the small limbs that now encircled his waist. It was the simplest of caresses but it was still the fact of being touched by Tsuna that was making the task of ignoring it, difficult. Nonetheless Dino forced his lewd thoughts away and concentrated in controlling his horse. Dino lifted the reigns up, slightly tugging at them. The blonde carefully steered Romeo away from the school. He then ordered. "Let's go, Romeo."
Romeo burst into a gallop, which made Tsuna cling on to Dino more. He didn't care so much about how close he was to the upperclassman, now his fear was falling off the horse. Tsuna watched as they raced off into another section of the wooded area around the school. Tsuna noticed that they were going to the opposite direction of the front gates that lead to the town of Namimori. The brunette had never been this way before, but it was obviously the path they took was in use.
"Where does this road lead?" Tsuna asked, speaking louder than usual, unsure if Dino would be able to hear him over the pounding of Romeo's hooves on the ground.
"For a good fifteen miles, there's nothing but forest. But, this road leads to a ryokan [1] and another school."
"Another school?" Tsuna questioned.
"Didn't you know there was an all girls'school nearby?" Dino asked.
"I've heard of it." Tsuna recalled. Shamal had invited him there under the assumption that the mascot was a girl disguised as a boy, and a few of the girls from that school were also going to be maids for the maid café. Tsuna believed it was called Saxifrage Academia or something like that. "But I didn't know it was so close."
Dino stated. "It's pretty close, but I would advise you not to go there."
"Why?" Tsuna asked curiously. As always Dino was very knowledgeable, so whenever the blonde warned him about something, he made sure to listen closely.
"Because no boys are allowed. Sometimes there are exceptions, but most of the guys avoid that place. I heard too many stories about the brave souls journeying there to talk to some of the girls and they all return, limping."
Sounds scary… Tsuna thought to himself. Although, he would never venture there to do that, it was good to know for future reference.
"When they say 'no boys allowed', they mean 'no boys allowed'" Dino considered. Tsuna could see that was obviously true, but he guessed the school's headmaster had a good reason for that decision. And perhaps there was a reason why the boys from their school were warded off from that place.
"So where are going?" Tsuna questioned. Dino said himself that there was nothing but woods, and the road only led to a ryokan and the all girls' school, which he listed as off limits. What could the blonde have plan for him?
"It's a surprise." The upperclassman said vaguely as they continued deeper into the forest. Coming off the road, they ventured off into uncharted territory
****
Tsuna looked up the path ahead of him and gulped. The brunette came to terms with a small mountain and drew the conclusions that they were walking up it. "We're hiking?" Tsuna asked.
Dino was tying Romeo to a nearby tree. Dino was making use of the brunette's inattentiveness to hide his whip. He had carried it along just in case they had a run-in with an animal. Dino was sure they were both safe, but he couldn't guarantee the likelihood of not crossing paths with a ferocious beast. He didn't hide his whip, because he was afraid Tsuna would disapprove or fear him, but he wanted the brunette to have fun and not worry about the fauna that lurked in the shadows. That was his problem. He slipped his weapon into his carrying bag and looked over to the unenthusiastic brunette, smirking. "I hope you have your energy."
"Dino-san, I'm not good at these types of things." Tsuna said, looking to the blonde. Didn't he tell the other he was afraid of heights? Also, that he was afraid of rocks? And more importantly, afraid of falling down into rocks?!
The upperclassman assured. "Well, this is like a small hill. If this was Mount Fuji, I'm sure it would be difficult for you."
"You climbed Mount Fuji?!" The brunette asked.
The blonde nodded. "One summer."
"And you didn't fall off?" Tsuna questioned with an eyebrow raised.
"Well, I had Romario with me." Dino informed with a soft chuckle. "Whenever he's around, I'm not klutzy. So I was able to reach the top within a day."
"That's incredible, Dino-san." Tsuna smiled, impressed.
"I guess so, but we should start going, it'll be hard getting back down in the dark." The blonde said as he took a bag attached to Romeo's saddle and walked over to Tsuna.
"Okay. If you could climb a mountain, I guess I could handle this." Tsuna said bravely. He was still feeling a bit anxious, but he felt that if Dino could achieve something so hard, then he could at least give it a try.
"Don't push yourself." The blonde warned and then pointed to the bag, he was bringing along. "I brought snacks, for when we take a break."
Dino left out that he also brought a first aid kit and a satellite phone, just in case someone got hurt. It always helped to be prepared, especially in his case.
"Will Romeo be fine on his own?" Tsuna looked to the white horse tied to the tree. It seemed as if Romeo was a huge dog instead of a horse.
"Yea, the woods back home have much more dangers and Romeo is able to fend for himself." The blonde assured Tsuna, he then Dino to his horse. "Right?"
The white horse neighed in agreement.
"See? He said so himself." Dino smirked and headed to the base of the mini mountain. "It's not very steep; it just gradually inclines as we get higher."
Tsuna agreed with Dino just by looking. It seemed pretty doable, but Tsuna wasn't sure he had the endurance to reach the top. He rarely did anything strenuous. Compared to an avid climber like Dino, Tsuna wasn't sure he had it in him.
"Let's go." The blonde beckoned the brunette with his charming smile and Tsuna found himself having difficulty in saying no.
*****
They had walked for a solid hour and a half, but Tsuna had felt the fatigue creeping up on him an hour before. The hiking wasn't hard at all and they had already reached half way up, but the brunette's body was starting to tire out. Dino noticed too, especially when Tsuna lost his footing and began falling back. The blonde stepped forward and caught the smaller boy.
"Sorry." Tsuna panted, sweating beaded on his brow.
The blonde Italian smiled gently, helping Tsuna stand upright. "Let's take a break."
Thank Kami-sama! I thought I was going to die! Tsuna thought to himself as he flopped down on the ground. His legs ached, his arms felt like they were going to pop off.
Dino laughed as he watched the mascot grabbed on to the nearest seat as if they were playing musical chairs. He assumed Tsuna didn't get much exercise, but he didn't know it was this bad. The school mascot was out of shape. "What have you been doing, Tsuna? Reading comic books and playing video games back at home?"
"Um…" Tsuna blushed, feeling embarrassed that he was a very inactive kid. He then changed the subject. "What did you bring for snack?"
Dino looked down at his satchel and pulled out a few bottles of water, sandwiches, and apples. "Romario prepared them, so they should be good."
The brunette took a sandwich from Dino and tasted it. It was pretty good; he never had a sandwich like this before. The only downside was that it was very spicy, thankfully, Romario packed enough water.
Dino smiled apologetically as Tsuna gulped down a bottle of water. "Sorry, Romario was going by my tastes. I like spicy food."
"Then you and Sasagawa-san should get along fine." Tsuna beamed as he cautiously took a bite of his sandwich. "Once, he made me a bento and it felt like my mouth was on fire. Compared to Sasagawa's lunch, this is nothing."
"I see, I've got to try some." The blonde wondered curiously.
Tsuna nodded and looked down to where they started. It seemed so far away, but they still had a while to go before they reach the top. Even though, Tsuna was about to collapse getting to this point, he felt proud that he managed to survive. The mascot finished his sandwich and went on to the much cooler and sweeter apples that Romario packed. Tsuna then asked, curiously. "What's at the top?"
Dino only smiled. "It's a surprise."
Tsuna was disappointed that Dino decided to be secretive of their destination, but he respected the other's wishes. The brunette would let Dino surprise him, he just hope he didn't have to climb a mountain or something else that was arduous. After finishing his own food, Dino stood up. "Alright, let's go."
"Already?" Tsuna whined.
"Yep." Dino said unsympathetically, causing the brunette to frown at him. Tsuna got up from his very comfortable seat and started going up, again.
The blonde watched as the brunette started up the peak once more. Dino hung back a little when he noticed animal tracks on the floor. He took a closer look and recognized them as bear tracks. He knew there were bears in the forest, but he didn't know they came up this way.
"Dino-san?" Tsuna called the blonde from his point. Dino stood up and began walking up. "Is something wrong?"
"Nothing. I just dropped something." Dino lied, not wanting Tsuna to know there was a bear walking around here.
After a while, the top became more and more clear. Tsuna was getting more and more excited about reaching the top, the closer he came. Dino also noticed that the brunette was more motivated than when they first began.
"Dino-san, I could see the top." Tsuna pointed out to Dino.
The blonde only smiled back at the brunette, Tsuna reminded him of a child who finally learned how to tie his shoes by himself. It was cute.
"I'm going to go ahead." The brunette announced with enthusiasm, walking at a faster pace.
Dino didn't stop the smaller boy; he was too preoccupied looking for any signs of the bear. He then turned back to Tsuna and noticed something dark ahead of the brunette. At first, it seemed like a large boulder, or even a small tree, but none of those things moved. It was then that the upperclassmen realized the four legs, rounded ears and snout.
"Tsuna! Look out!" Dino warned Tsuna, but it was already too late. The dark thing he had seen seconds before turned out be an adult bear. The bear didn't look at all pleased to see Tsuna approaching him.
The mascot stopped in his tracks as soon as he saw the bear. Tsuna froze up, seeing the bear's sharp teeth and the beast rising on its hind legs. The brunette panicked, turning to run, but ended up tripping over his own feet and falling on to the ground. Why, of all times, did he have be clumsy now?!
The bear was already advancing on Tsuna and the blonde doubted the brunette would be able to defend himself. Dino retrieved his whip from his bag. Usually, when Dino used his whip he was clumsy, hitting himself instead of the intended target. Yet, Dino could pull anything off when someone was in danger. At first, he thought his curse was warded off only when Romario, his butler was around, but after that time where he saved Tsuna from Hibari, he realized that Tsuna could also lessen his clumsiness to an extent. If Tsuna was in danger, his mind completely forgot he was supposed to be a maladroit; rather he became pretty adept with his whip. With one swing of the whip, the leathered cord managed to snake around the back side of a nearby tree and wrapping itself around the aggressive beast's neck. The bear roared in shock and agony, but Dino didn't relent. He pulled on the handle of his whip, tightening the hold he had on the bear.
"Dino…." Tsuna warned as he watched the upperclassman strangled the wild animal.
"I know. I'm not hurting him. I'm letting him know not to mess with you." Dino said. After he felt the bear understood his place, he released him from his hold and the cord around the bear's neck went slack, sliding down to the ground. As soon as he was released, the bear ran off, racing down the peak. "I didn't want to hurt him, but that was the only way he would understand."
Tsuna didn't agree with how Dino treated that bear, but he was grateful that the upperclassman didn't kill the animal. At least, the bear had its life albeit leaving with a broken pride, the bear would recover. The brunette got up from the place he fell and softly said. "Okay."
Dino ran a hand through his golden blonde hair gazing at Tsuna. He knew just by looking that Tsuna didn't like what happened, but the blonde could live with that. What he couldn't live with was Tsuna being hurt by the bear or even worse, especially if he could do something about it. He wordlessly turned away and began rolling up the cord of his whip.
"But thank you for saving me, Dino-san." Tsuna said as he toyed with the rim of his shirt.
"I wasn't going to stand around and allow that bear to hurt you." Dino said his eyes concentrating on wrapping his whip up. He then looked up and turned to Tsuna. "I promised you, I wouldn't let anything happen to you."
Tsuna met Dino's eyes. Dino's eyes looked at him so intensely, that it made him blush and shiver. The brunette averted his eyes unable to take it. "Where did you learn to do that?"
The blonde grinned, noticing the brunette's failure to keep eye contact and he humored Tsuna, pretending that the other didn't change the subject. "I traveled a lot and mostly to very exotic places. I would usually have to walk or even ride animals to destinations I needed to go. And along the way, I would run into ferocious animals in my path. I had to learn to not run away, but instead assert myself."
Dino joked. "Talk about confidence boosters."
"I never pictured you doing anything like that. You don't seem that daring." Tsuna commented, imagining Dino fighting tigers and riding camels and elephants.
"A lot of people can't get past the boy next door image I have." Dino beamed, but there was a lot of truth in what he said. Tsuna thought of him as very wholesome, but today he saw the audacious, confident and even deadly side of Dino. He wasn't sure if he liked this side of Dino, but he knew he didn't feel differently about the other. Somehow Dino was even cooler and even more striking than before. There was something more than the clumsy, knowledgeable Dino he had grown accustomed to.
"Do you want to continue?" Dino asked, wondering if Tsuna wanted to go on. The blonde would understand if the brunette didn't, after all he was almost attacked by a bear.
The freshman's eyes narrowed slightly, looking very determined. "Of course. I got this far and I really want to see your surprise."
The blonde smiled fondly at the petite boy. Tsuna was really something else. "Okay, let's reach the top together."
****
"A shrine?" Tsuna commented as he eyed the large red torii in front of them. The mascot knew from common knowledge that the torii signified the entrance of a Shinto shrine. The brunette's brown orbs looked to very large building in the distance. He was so used to small shrines where he lived that he was taken aback by the size of this one. Was this what Dino's surprise was?
"Yep, but it's not any old' shrine. It has a special secret." The blonde explained with a smirk. "The priest that owns this shrine is also the caretaker of a hot spring."
"A hot spring?" The brunette said with disbelief. He'd never been to a hot spring. It was usually very expensive to go to a resort and he was never the adventurous type, to go into the outdoors to find a natural one. So, Tsuna never had the privilege of experiencing a hot spring.
"Yea, not a lot of people know about it." Dino commented as he ushered Tsuna forward. "Let's go for a swim?"
Tsuna frowned. "I can't swim."
"The hot spring isn't that deep." Dino places a hand a few inches from his torso. "It's like up to here."
"Okay." Tsuna agreed, smiling from ear to ear. The brunette couldn't hide his excitement; he always wanted to go to a hot spring. Now he finally got the chance. Tsuna never thought he would be this lucky. That was until he realized something….
It dawned upon Tsuna in the changing room, that he would be naked. Tsuna wasn't comfortable about being nude in front of Dino, but he also didn't want to walk into the hot spring, fully clothed, he wouldn't be able to enjoy the experience. Not only would it be uncomfortable, but he was also asking to get sick, after all what would he wear when they were done?! In the end, Tsuna complied and began taking off his clothes. They were only going for a swim, nothing else. Tsuna figured if he could shower and bathe in a bathroom with a group of complete strangers than this should be a cakewalk.
With resolve the brunette stepped out of the changing room with only a towel around his waist. The hot spring was an outdoors one with boulders and soft rocks to make the bath even more comfortable. The brunette could tell the water was hot from the steam wafting in the air. The brunette was ready to jump into the bath, when his eyes met Dino. The blonde upperclassman was already in the bath, soaking in the hot water. Tsuna's eyes took in Dino's bare upper body. The freshman's brown eyes noticed the intricate tattoo on Dino's right arm. The power and strength that lied under the skin of his back. Tsuna's eyes curiously wandered lower and he blushed tomato red, when he realized he was staring at Dino's butt. He swiftly turned around, feeling ashamed for peeking at Dino. Sure, he showered with guys all the time in the public bathrooms, but he never kissed any of them. He never saw them as attractive or cool. They didn't have smiles that could make him melt. This was totally different than any public bathhouse; he was alone with Dino, in the middle of nowhere…half-naked! Well, Dino was butt-naked.
Now I can't get it out of my head. Tsuna grimaced, amazed at how lewd he was starting to think just by getting a glimpse of Dino.
Dino glanced over toward Tsuna's way, noticing the redness of the other's ears. He smirked figuring that the brunette had turned to look at him.
"Come on, Tsuna." Dino called to the brunette, making Tsuna flinch. "The water's great."
Tsuna turned back to the hot spring. It did look fun and he was sure Dino would keep his hands to himself. Dino wouldn't do anything that he didn't allow. The brunette discarded his towel and timidly walked to the edge, where the spring met the land. Tsuna entered the water before he was struck with a surge of self-consciousness or another wave of indecisiveness. The temperature of the water was hot, but he was accustomed to hot baths. Tsuna found he was able to sit up in the water, the waves crashing against his collarbone.
After walking that long way, the water felt even better. His muscles were so relaxed and he felt very at peace in the water. It just made climbing that peak, even more worthwhile. He was glad he finally entered the bath. "Are you having fun, Tsuna?"
"Yes." The brunette turned to Dino and asked. "Why did you choose here, though?"
"Well to be honest, I had something else planned," The Blonde admitted, "but then I heard from Yamamoto, that his and Gokudera's date was crashed. So I thought I'll pick a place more secluded."
"I see." The brunette smiled. It was true no one would ever think to find them way up here. It was a smart move on Dino's part. "How did you find this place?"
"Well…" Dino started getting embarrassed. "I got lost in these woods and I found this place by accident."
"You got lost?!" Tsuna exclaimed incredulously, but the mascot then checked himself. That would be something Dino-san would do. He thought to himself.
"Yep, I have a bad sense of direction." Dino chortled.
The brunette then looked down at Dino's tattoo. He didn't think it took the blonde's whole arm. Whenever Tsuna saw Dino's tattoo, he could only see the end of it on his hand. It was a very interesting art, blue flames, a horse that looked a lot like Romeo and even a thorn vines. "Interested in my tattoo, Tsuna?" The blonde grinned.
"Sorry for staring, but this is the first time I get to see the whole thing." Tsuna remarked feeling a bit tactless. It was very usual to see people with tattoos and it had been conditioned for him to believe that only bad people like the Yakuza donned them. The brunette knew that Dino was not part of the Yakuza, but he was still curious as to why the blonde had a tattoo and what it represented. Ignorantly he asked. "Are you a part of a gang?"
"No."The blonde laughed. "I got this tattoo to represent the people who are important to me."
"Oh." Tsuna smiled, now he had a better idea of why people would get tattoos. Not because they belonged to the Yakuza, but because it represents something they care about. "Did it hurt?"
The Italian shook his head. "Well, I think I have a very high pain tolerance. So it wasn't that bad for me."
That means it probably hurts a lot. The brunette thought as he grimaced.
"Thinking of getting one, Tsuna?" The Italian teased with a grin.
"No, I'm not cool enough." The brunette replied, stretching his limbs.
Dino didn't know if it was the hot temperature of the water, or the fact that he was alone with Tsuna, but he felt the need to touch. Dino found his eyes wandering over to this petite schoolmate's body. Dino could see almost everything, the lines that formed Tsuna's body, the slight pinkish tint his skin took and even the slight shine the water gave the brunette's abdomen. It was driving him crazy, making his mouth dry and sending his hormones through loops. If he sat there any longer, he was going to listen to that wicked voice in his head. The blonde stood up abruptly, causing himself to slip on the rocks that layered the bottom of the spring. Dino went down into the water.
"Dino-san!" Tsuna cried as he saw the upperclassman fall into the water. The brunette waded through the water and watched as Dino re-surfaced, coughing. "Dino, are you okay?"
Dino stared up at Tsuna, his last strand of resistance gone. There were few people in Dino's life that he could be very comfortable with. Most people ridiculed for his clumsiness and he got pretty used to covering up his shortcomings. But with Tsuna, he didn't feel as if he had to. It was as if the other overlooked that part of him and actually looked within. Every time, the brunette looked at him it was only admiration he saw and it made Dino feel laudable. Dino just wanted to return the benevolence that Tsuna readily conferred.
His hands rose up from the steamy water and gently gripped the back of Tsuna's neck, bringing the smaller boy's face closer for a kiss. Tsuna thought that the blonde's hand felt great against his neck and Dino's honey brown eyes made him quiver, hypnotizing him to move a bit closer. Kissing Dino was very appealing, but the brunette felt ashamed for ever thinking of doing such a thing at a shrine. Tsuna began to reason with the bronco. "Dino-san…the shrine…the priest!"
"Shh…" Dino hushed the mascot, his hot breath gracing Tsuna's mouth. That was all the incentive Tsuna needed; the freshman closed the tiny distance between Dino and himself, pressing his timid pink lips to the upperclassman's. Immediately, Tsuna tasted the other's warmth, a shock to the teen's body that made his knees weak and his toes curl. Dino hungered for more, applying more pressure to the brunette's mouth. Tsuna yielded to the Italian, savoring the touch of euphoria that occurred when their tongues contacted. His whole body was shaking, anticipating the sensations that the blonde would give him.
"Did you boys call?" Another questioned.
Tsuna flew away from Dino faster than a cheetah could run; Dino looked up from his spot and noticed the elderly man at the entrance of the bath. He smiled coolly at the holy man. "No, we're fine."
The brunette peered at the old man and the priest caught the mascot's gaze, winking at the petite boy. Tsuna blushed, realizing that the elder man knew what they were doing and out of mortification, the mascot sunk deeper into the hot spring water. Tsuna was never going to live this down.
"Enjoy." The elderly priest said as he left Dino and Tsuna to their devices.
At the priest's exit, the blonde started laughing and Tsuna sent a burning glare Dino's way. Dino's laughter shortened into a grin. Even while glaring, the brunette was very adorable. "You have to admit that was funny."
Tsuna's face softened, it was funny, in a humiliating sort of way. He sighed with a soft smile. "Yea."
Dino's eyes shifted to the sky. It was now turning a light blue, with a bright tint of orange. The blonde Italian noticed that they sun was going to set soon. They should be heading back down before it was too dark, or else getting down would become a problem. "Let's go back, Tsuna."
"Five more minutes." The brunette pleaded, placing his two hands up together. Tsuna didn't want to get out of the bath just yet. The blonde nodded, allowing him a few more minutes.
"Dino-san." Tsuna said softly. The brunette's eyes were concentrating on the ripples in the water, trying to hide the slight blush that was imbuing his cheeks. "I think I would like to take a ride in your Ferrari, sometime."
Dino was shocked; he never thought Tsuna would actually take him up in his offer. The brunette then added. "But, only if Romario-san comes too."
"Okay," The blonde agreed. The blonde Italian went over to Tsuna wrapping an arm around the smaller boy's waist, kissing the brunette's shoulder. "I'll hold you to it."
Chapter End
Ryokan- An inn, sometimes they have hot springs with them
Author's note: I finally finished this cliché chapter!! I had so much trouble with Dino! Why? Because it was hard for me to believe that he was the outdoorsy type, with how clumsy he is. But, I didn't come up with this side of Dino out of the blue. This image of Dino came from how he trained Hibari in canon and also Akira Amano's Hidden Bullet stories featuring Dino. I hoped you liked this chapter and if you didn't, and then look forward to the maid café next chapter. Thank you for reading this chapter and my story thus far. Please review my story-it gives me power.
