A/N: So, this is a bit of a sudden decision for me. I was working on the newest chapter, when I wrote a bit more on what happened with the introduced characters. It started to get long, so I was like, you know what, let's make a stand alone chapter on its own where it's just more exploration on each character's relationship with Tsuna without touching on new characters. And while I'm at it, I might as well use this to explain more on my interpretations of the characters as well as answer some questions.
I've decided that, every few chapters, I'll make like an interlude sort of chapter. It'll be shorter than the usual chapter, where it'll be snippets of what goes on in the Sawada household. Since I was finished with the small segments, and saw that it was Christmas, I thought that I could post this early as a sort of gift to the readers that were kind enough to take time out of their day to read and review! I've said this before, but it truly inspires me that there's actual people out there who enjoys reading my story! It's still a little mind boggling, but I'm grateful nonetheless!
Thank you so much for your support! Without further ado, please enjoy the first interlude chapter!
In the following weeks, Tsuna easily allotted his time to feed three hungry teens. Initially, he was a bit worried that he'd be unable to fulfill his promises but his days had been relatively peaceful. Nothing suddenly came up that forced him to cancel on them, and the few close calls were easy to work around.
Gokudera still steadfastly came to his home during those Wednesday evenings. One time, it rained quite heavily, making him assumed that it'd be too much of a hassle for a walk over. Before Tsuna could start to feel something at the thought of him not seeing the silverette this week, Gokudera still came knocking on the front door, sharp as he usually was.
Tsuna opened the door to find a drenched teen. He quickly ushered Gokudera inside, lightly scolding him for running out in this weather. The weather forecast didn't seem promising throughout the day, with heavy winds expected to hit around this time. He didn't have to risk his safety for this.
But as he accepted the towel Tsuna handed to him, Gokudera shot him an odd look.
"Once a week I get to eat a deliciously hot home cooked meal. I'm not going to miss it out for some crappy weather," he replied, genuinely sounding offended that Tsuna dared to think that he would skip out on this.
Tsuna was the adult here. He still needed to be firm, to be the responsible one. What Gokudera did was quite reckless, but darn it, his heart felt warm at that declaration. It implied that his cooking was delicious enough to brave through heavy rain for, that Gokudera still wanted a taste of what he made today.
(That he was worth the journey).
In the end, Tsuna just sighed, rubbing the back of his neck with his cheeks slightly red.
"Just be more careful next time, okay Gokudera-kun? You're a good kid. I'd hate for anything to happen to you," he mumbled, turning away to reheat the soup on the stove. Tsuna just so happened to miss Gokudera's wide eyed, slightly pleased look.
He shouldn't reward him for doing this, but Tsuna ended up giving him a plate of cut up fruits for dessert. It became even harder to be firm about no repeats when Tsuna wound up giving a demonstration on his knife skills. To think that Gokudera would get so excited over bunny shaped apple slices felt oddly endearing.
His guest returned home that night, after the rain passed without getting a lecture from Tsuna. Lucky boy.
Yamamoto continued to be someone that he had no trouble cooking for. He didn't have much preferences, citing that his dad raised no picky eater. Even as he said that though, Tsuna observed that he did seem to be more expressive when he had prepared some sort of fish dish or dishes with a heavy soy sauce flavor. It seemed that living in a Sushi shop has its influences. He wondered if Yamamoto genuinely didn't notice this, or he was just too polite to say anything about it.
Tsuna was leaning more on the latter, as one evening after dinner, he posed a question if he wanted anything in particular to eat next week.
"Anything's fine, Tsuna-san! Whatever you make is bound to be delicious after all!" he answered with a laugh. Not particularly useful, but it wasn't like he could push without being overbearing about it. Yamamoto was already under a lot of pressure from his team. Tsuna didn't want to add any more to it.
He tried to come up with some way for Yamamoto to express what he wanted without undue pressure. The cogs in his mind turned just before it was time for the teen to leave.
"Ah, Yamamoto-kun! Can you please give me about ten minutes?" Tsuna blurted out. Being the agreeable fellow that he was, he quickly head upstairs to his bedroom.
On his part, Yamamoto was slightly confused. That feeling simply grew when Tsuna returned with a small envelope in hand. His host beamed at him and merely said it was something he wants him to open only after he returned home.
Later that night, just before Tsuna himself headed off to bed, he received a text message. Opening it, he can't help but smile, running his fingers through his hair.
"You see Yamamoto-kun? It's not so bad expressing what you want, now is it?" he whispers into the silent room, reading his reply. In the quick letter he wrote for him, Tsuna had asked what sort of main dish he wanted, with little check boxes next to a list of proteins.
[ If it's not too troubling for you, I want to eat nanbanzuke again next week! And maybe chicken teriyaki, if that's not too much to ask? Sorry for the inconvenience! (´つヮ⊂) ]
[ Of course it's not troubling! Thank you for answering, and have a good night! (*^▽^*) ]
He shook his head with a fond smile, pulling his phone to his chest. Honestly, Yamamoto should be more honest with his feelings. Nevertheless, Tsuna made sure to buy fresh mackerel and chicken on that day.
Tsuna didn't realize just how deep his words struck Lambo that day, but he was fast becoming a familiar face in his household.
He really did come by during his half days, with prior announcement of course. Tsuna had set aside some ingredients to make lunch before he went to work so by the time he returned, it was simply a matter of cooking it. Lambo came by around thirty minutes later and by then, Tsuna had changed into more comfortable clothing.
While the teen sat at the dining table, he would talk about his day as Tsuna went about in preparing lunch. He was finding that Lambo had a lot to say, ranging from his classes to the teachers. He would hum in acknowledgement, occasionally giving his own thoughts and opinions. His eyes never strayed from the stove though.
This kind of moment reminded Tsuna of his own time back in school. He'd sit at the dining table, kicking his feet as he told his mother about what he did. The image of her back still echoed strongly in his mind, and he briefly wondered if Lambo was seeing what he saw back then.
Regardless, it was his responsibility to provide this kid a delicious meal. That fact doesn't change.
During his fifth visit on a Saturday, Lambo had excitedly told him about how he finally made a couple of friends. A Chinese girl named I-Pin who was living with her uncle here in Nanimori and Fuuta, a half Italian, half Japanese guy who was in the year above him and I-Pin.
Lambo had explained that I-Pin knew martial arts, which she showcased when some older kids tried to harass him. Tsuna felt worried at that, but the teen waved it off, citing that they were just idiots who had too much free time on their hands. At the very least, that encounter led to him meeting I-Pin, so at least something good came out of it.
Fuuta was someone that he met when he went to the library. While his Japanese was good enough to communicate without much problem, he still had trouble reading the more complicated characters. He was searching for a particular book for a project when Fuuta came in to help. They exchanged small talk before Lambo found out that he too had Italian blood.
"Fuuta had this soothing air about him, but I still think he's no match to you," Lambo mentioned in between bites of fried rice one time, causing Tsuna to eye him in surprise.
"Eh? What do you mean by that?"
Unlike the wary, almost skittish kid from two weeks ago, this Lambo apparently had no problem with speaking his mind. "I mean? It's easy to talk to you. You exude this fluffy harmless presence." Tsuna wasn't quite sure what to make about that, but he would take it as a compliment. "It just feels. Comfortable, y'know?"
Lambo continued eating, but Tsuna was staring at his own plate as he processed this. So… he felt comfortable in his presence? Remembering how Lambo was, and listening to how he viewed him now… it made him ridiculously happy?
Tsuna didn't think he was anything special. He wasn't aware on what sort of impression that he gave to others. All that he knew was to be kind and polite while the situation permitted it. His mother taught him to be nice to others but to never let that kindness be taken advantage of. That was it.
It was… a pleasant feeling, knowing that from his mother's teachings, he had created this sort of presence about him. She really did knew what she was doing, both in cooking and raising him. Had she still been around to hear what Lambo said, she would've ate him up for how endearing he was.
So in her place, Tsuna gave him ice-cream for dessert. Maybe one day he'll make for him Nana's famous Chocolate Surprise. She'd be happy with that, he was sure.
A/N: It seems that these three are quickly falling for Tsuna's charm- or cooking! I just love writing about these boys, and of course, Tsuna's happy to have them around. Out of everyone, Lambo is still my favorite, but I also have a soft spot for Fuuta and I-Pin! I have plans on how to bring in those two in the future, cause of course they have to be exposed to Tsuna's cooking too!
So, I'd like to take this opportunity and share what's the basic outline I have for each of the characters!
Sawada Tsunayoshi, 25: He's just your everyday kind of guy that doesn't stand out too much. Works at a local bookstore, though in actuality, he's really not pressed for money. Nana worked hard to provide for them both, as well as store away funds for his future. He works to feel productive, as well as to not stay in that quiet, empty house all day. He enjoys cooking, as it is a way for him to feel close to his mother and remember fond memories of her. Typically at home, he likes to wear T-shirts or hoodies, with his favorite one being an orange hoodie with the number 27 sewn on the back. His kind, gentle nature was nurtured by Nana, so if one actually pays attention to him, they'll find a warm, accepting person who draws you in before you least expect it.
Gokudera Hayato, 16: A half Italian, half Japanese young genius who skipped a few grades and currently studying in Nanimori University. Currently working on a double major in engineering and mathematics. His ultimate goal is to build a machine that can attract UMAs - Unidentified Mysterious Animals - and be the first person to properly study them. Lives on his own in a cheap apartment, though he has a sister that checks up on him from time to time. On most days, he's either studying at the library or pursuing any leads of UMAs in Nanimori. Has heard about a mysterious entity that supposedly bites people to death, and is in search of it. He really loves Tsuna's cooking because he knew what awful cooking tasted like.
Yamamoto Takeshi, 16: He fits the image of an ideal Japanese guy. Tall, lean, short black hair with an easy face to look at, he's pretty popular at Nanimori High School. Though, it's also due to the fact that he's considered as the ace in the baseball team. His dream right now is to go to Koshien with his team, so he's been working pretty hard in practice to make that dream a reality. He's an affable sort of person, but because of that, he has a bit of trouble saying what he honestly feels since people tend to already have some sort of expectation on him. Practice tend to run late into the evening, with Friday being his only off day. Sees Tsuna's cooking as a weekly reward, and he tends to work extra hard on Fridays to build up a mighty appetite.
Lambo Bovino, 14: One of the potential heirs for the Bovino Company - a top electronics brand that produces some of the latest high tech devices - in Italy, he's what you would consider a genius too. While private tutoring from a young age has helped him learn multiple languages as well as developing a knack for electronics, it proved to be quite lonely for he didn't get to interact with other children growing up. Sending him to Nanimori, Japan was meant to be a crash course in being independent as he had always lived with maids serving him. Would've gone down a difficult road from the suddenness of it all, but his accidental meeting with Tsuna helped keep him on the right path. Being one of the first person that was really kind to him in Japan, he's instantly attached to Tsuna, and always looks forward to the days where he can see him and eat his meals.
Hopefully, this would help give you a better picture on how I interpret and write them! Also, to answer some questions:
Will the other guardians show up? Yes! I've plotted out Tsuna's encounters with Ryohei, Chrome & Mukuro, and of course Hibari! I've written out snippets for each of the characters, so they're definitely coming!
How about Reborn? While not being a mafia au, I have planned on how I will introduce this enigma of a character. I can say that Tsuna would be in for a ride. As for the other Arcobalenos, I have three possible encounters in mind, but right now, I'm focusing one character at a time.
Will the characters meet each other? Yes! Right now, I want to introduce them one by one so they'd be ensnared by the Tsuna charm. After a number of them have been introduced, there's going to be a chapter where they'll come together, cause some meals are meant to be eaten by a lot of people. Right now, each of them gets undivided Tsuna time, but that'll change in the future...
I believe that's it! This will be the last chapter of 2018, and while this story hasn't even been out for a month, I'm truly grateful for all your support thus far! Merry Christmas for those who celebrate it, happy holidays and - while a week early - have a Happy New Year!