It didn't take Fon long to arrive at the location Tsuna sent him. By the time he came, the brunet was already waiting for him outside the café, his face harboring a soft look as usual.

Fon got out of the car and greeted Tsuna before motioning for him to get in, the former helping him by opening the door being the gentleman he is. This, of course, made the ever-easily embarrassed Tsuna's face flare up, which the other didn't seem to notice.

"I apologize for the inconvenience, Fon; it must have been exhausting for you to come to get me since you had also just gotten off work," Tsuna remarked, tightening his seatbelt over his body and smiling apologetically at the Chinese.

"It's no trouble, Tsunayoshi. So, is there anything in particular that you want to eat?" Fon asked as he drove off, chuckling at Tsuna who was watching him curiously. This was the first time Tsuna saw Fon behind the wheels. He didn't even know that the other owned a car since he usually saw him walking or taking a cab when going to or off from work.

"Tsunayoshi?" Tsuna startled out of his reverie, a flush rising on his cheeks after being caught watching. Tsuna seemed to have developed a habit of staring at (checking out) Fon, but who could blame him? The man is just too appealing to the sight. That, plus the sight of him driving, only added to his allure. It should be illegal for a man to look this gorgeous; it's not doing Tsuna's heart any good.

"Oh, um, I'm honestly not sure as well," Pausing for a moment, Tsuna tilted his head as a thought popped inside his head. "Then, since it was Fon who invited me out, how about we go for something that you like?"

For a brief period, Fon couldn't help but stare at the brunette. Fortunately, the road was stopped at a red light; he didn't want to cause an accident for a dumb reason like being taken aback by Tsuna's charm. Fon brought back his focus to the road ahead, nodding as he followed the other vehicles that continued driving away when the red signal turned green.

The drive was filled with random conversations between the two, Fon's attention never straying from the brunet but also making sure that they reached their destination in one piece. Fon admits that he truly finds the brunet endearing; at first, Tsuna may seem meek but there's no mistaking the confidence he always seems to wear whenever they talk about things during the ride, having seemed to forget that just a moment ago, he was stammering in nervousness from being around Fon.

His eyes would light up every time Fon mentioned something intriguing, even almost leaning toward the Chinese as he pressed him to tell him more.

They talked about Fon's four-year streak as the world's martial artist champion, and the training he had to go through to achieve that, no matter how ridiculous it sounded. Tsuna, to say the least, was riveted, making a mental note to ask Lussuria, an acquaintance who has quite an addiction to different forms of martial arts, for some magazines or documentaries of Fon's competitions.

Tsuna is not a sports enthusiast; in fact, he resents all forms of physical activity because he lacks the necessary talent and energy for it. Even the thought of it makes him tremble, recalling his teenage years and how he was nearly tortured to death by a tutor assigned to him and his brother in the past. However, after hearing Fon's stories, he couldn't take just thinking about it; he needed to see it, and he was willing to risk it all, even though he knew the possible repercussions of asking his flamboyant friend for assistance.

Fon even told him about his pet monkey, Lichi, whom he had to leave in the care of some relatives back in his hometown, in China just as he usually does whenever he would set off to different countries. He feared that Lichi might become stressed due to the long hours of travel and the abrupt change in environment, so he took the precautionary approach of temporarily entrusting him to someone he trusts.

He also recounted the monkey's adorable antics, such as sitting on top of his head wherever he went or clinging to him for hours whenever Fon showed indications of leaving.

The brunet's eyes shone even more at the revelation, and Fon chuckled, promising to show him a photograph of it later.

"Must be nice to have a loving pet like that..." Tsuna breathed out with a perceptible purse on his lips.

Raising a brow, Fon glanced at him for a moment before settling his gaze back in front. "Why don't you get one, then, Tsunayoshi? I've heard that the complex permits tenants to have pet animals, and I think you'd make an excellent petsitter."

"Well, I considered having one when I first moved out of our house, but a close friend of our family disapproved of it," Tsuna explained making the Chinese hum, the expression on his face morphing into a frown which made the brunet gasp after realizing how wrong that came out. "Oh, it's not like he meant any harm! That person was actually extremely considerate of me since he knew that just taking care of myself had been an uphill battle for me due to work, let alone keeping a pet."

Fon nodded, his gaze fixed on the road while listening intently to Tsuna's words. "He was merely worried that I wouldn't be able to take proper care of it if I did get one, and if I'm being honest, I wouldn't want to have a pet just to wind up neglecting it given my tendency to forget everything around me once work got the best of me. That would just be cruel.

"You two must have been really close..." The Chinese saw the brunet smile fondly from the corner of his eye, a nasty emotion bubbling in his stomach for a moment but dismissed it as inconsequential

"For lack of a better word, yes, since that guy is actually a devil in disguise." Tsuna quips, a shiver running up the length of his spine as he recalls his former tutor's strange and painful methods of teaching; a bit thankful that the guy isn't anywhere near him now.

Fon snorted, his lips tugging upwards, looking almost satisfied by the statement. Why he's even feeling that way, he's also not sure, but that's something he can try to figure out later.

Tsuna was so preoccupied with conversing with Fon that he hadn't noticed they had already arrived until Fon pulled over in a familiar-looking restaurant's driveway. Fon was the first to get out of the car, traipsing over the other side to open the passenger seat door for Tsuna, evoking yet another full-blown blush on the brunet's cheeks as he stepped out with a soft 'thank you'.

A valet approached them, gently greeting them as Fon handed over his keys with a graceful smile before guiding Tsuna inside the restaurant. Once inside, Fon notified the attendant of his reservation and allowed the two of them to be taken to their table beside the glass window, where brilliant lights danced around the plants in the greenery outside. There is also an exquisite fountain in the center where Tsuna can discern petals of flowers floating around its water, effortlessly adding to its beauty.

"This is a place that was recommended to me by a close friend; I'm not sure if it's to your liking, but one thing I can guarantee you of is that guy has an excellent palate for quality food," Fon smiled as he helped Tsuna with his seat before proceeding to his own which is in front of the brunet.

The irony is that this was also the restaurant he frequented with his brother and Reborn, so he knew firsthand the delectable flavor of the cuisine here. Tsuna giggled to himself, the brunet's hand gently concealing his mouth as the crinkles of his eyes gradually appeared, and the Chinese blinked in puzzlement. "What a coincidence, Fon, I absolutely love the food here!"

"Am I right in assuming you've been here before, Tsunayoshi?" Fon laughed in amusement, shaking his head at the irony.

"Yeah, my former tutor actually introduced this place to me and my brother," Tsuna retorted, the grin on his face never wavering the slightest as he watched Fon in front of him. "But your friend is right, the food here is great!"

With a smooth wave of his palm, Fon beckoned to the waitress. Tsuna observed the pink dust on the waitress' cheeks as she approached them with a notepad in her hand and a coy smile as she asked for Fon's order. For a moment, the brunet had an unusually chilly expression on his face, unhappy with the way the girl stared at his companion for some reason. It didn't take long for the brunet to become aware of the other eyes ogling at Fon, utterly enchanted by his beauty and elegance.

"Tsunayoshi, since you've been here before, how about you order for me as well?" Fon's gaze was centered completely on Tsuna as he spoke those words as if there was only Tsuna in his eyes; the Chinese's soft smile which seemed to be permanently inscribed on his face, was directed just at him and no one else. Tsuna's wishful, clearly delusional thinking melted his insides into a puddle of mush.

Tsuna breathed out a chuckle, nodding as he scanned through the menu before calling the waitress', who was too preoccupied eyeing his companion instead of taking their order. His brow lifted subtly as he voiced out their orders, and the waitress hastily jotted it across her notepad, seemingly taking notice of the man's frigid-tinged tone.

Tsuna made sure to order dishes that he believed would appeal to Fon's tastes; because the restaurant is high-end, there was a wide range of cuisines to pick from, including Asian and Western options. After hearing their orders, the waitress quickly scurried away to give the two privacy, sensing that her presence wasn't currently appreciated by both.

When the two of them were finally alone at their table, Fon decided to tackle the query he'd been meaning to ask. "If you don't mind, Tsunay-"

"Tsuna..." the brunet interrupts. "Um, I mean, we've known each other for weeks, and Tsunayoshi is too long and formal for me, so please call me Tsuna instead."

Fon complied, and for some reason, he could feel something warm across his face, a subtle flush taking over it which, thankfully, goes unnoticed by Tsuna. "Okay, Tsuna...So, if you don't mind my asking, what do you generally do at work?" Before Tsuna could respond, Fon spoke again. "Oh, I'm not trying to be nosy; I'm simply curious since I've observed that you've been coming home late on some occasions. And you've mentioned how your job could prove to be taxing at times, taking up the majority of your time."

Of course, someone as sharp as Fon would notice, and it's not like he was attempting to hide it from the man. In any case, Fon was bound to find out about it anyway. "I actually run a company," Tsuna began, his gaze shifting to the waitress (a new one, to his surprise) who was approaching them with a set of tea as she poured them some. Tsuna and Fon both gave the waitress a thankful look that seemed to enchant her for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure and politely and professionally excused herself. "Well, it's not a large or average company, but don't get me wrong: we're not doing anything illegal."

Tsuna cupped both of his hands around the teacup, bringing them up to his nose to catch a whiff of the soothing fragrance, which reminded him of the person in front of him. As a tiny smile pulled at his lips, his gaze danced across the green liquid in the cup. Taking a slow sip, Tsuna then returned his gaze to Fon who was doing the same. "Our business...is just a bit more peculiar than the normal ones." He placed the cup back down while raising his hand slightly to show it to Fon. "I am able to manipulate the strings of other people."

Things have been hectic since prelims just ended; but not to worry, we're about to get to the good part!