"Rikuo-kun…" she whispers.
Nura Rikuo gives her a beaming smile and spreads his arms for a hug in a silent invitation. Tsuna takes it readily, running into his arms.
"I missed you," he whispers, hugging her tightly.
"Missed you too," Tsuna whispers back, breathing in his warm scent of wood and sakura.
For a while, they stand just like that, taking each other in, not saying anything.
Before someone coughs, breaking the moment. The two of them jump apart, faces red. Kana just looks at them, amused.
"Now what you've gotten your hug, Rikuo-kun, can we go? Or do you need a moment?" she asks sweetly, a mischievous glint in her eye.
She knows we're embarrassed and is having fun because of it, Tsuna thinks. She forgot that her usually shy and quiet cousin could be quite a tease when it came to her and Rikuo.
"N-no," Rikuo replies, stuttering a little. His blush has subsided a bit, but was still here. He takes Tsuna's bag, and the three of them leave the bus station in the direction of Ienaga House. In an attempt to clear the awkward air around himself and Tsuna, he asks:
"So, how long will you stay Ukiyoe, Tsu-chan?"
"About a month or so," the brunette replies.
"That's great!" Kana says, an expression of excitement on her face. "We can do many things while you are here."
"Don't sound so excited," Tsuna can't help but joke. "You will get bored of me eventually and will ask to return to Namimori."
"Never!"
Rikuo chuckles. It feels like the good old days of their childhood as he watches the cousins bicker playfully, and feels his heart fill with happiness at the scene.
Oh, how he missed this.
Soon they reach Kana's house.
Tsuna takes her bag from Rikuo. "Well, I guess we will see each other tomorrow?"
"You bet!" he agrees. "Well, I gotta go. See you."
"See you," the girls say in unison. They watch him go in silence. Once he's out of earshot, Kana asks:
"You still have a crush on Rikuo-kun, don't you?"
Tsuna feels herself blush. "N-No, I don't!"
When they were younger, Tsuna had the biggest crush on Rikuo. He was always kind to her, treated her as a person, and didn't care what she was Dame. She thought that crush died down in the past year, but judging by the way their reunion went, this was a wrong thing to assume.
Kana also knows she lied. "Oh come on, Tsu. I know you since forever. You still have a crush on him and it's perfectly okay. I know he likes you that way too."
Tsuna's eyebrows shoot up in disbelief. Rikuo has a crush on her? That was a bit hard for her to believe. Even though her confidence has gotten much better thanks to Reborn, Bianchi, and her other friends, there were things that she still doubted herself in, and this was one of them. Rikuo deserved much more than her. "What makes you say that?"
"Well, when he found out you were visiting, he was daydreaming constantly and couldn't wait until the due date would arrive," Kana says. "Plus, the way two blushed after the hug is an obvious tell."
The future Decimo tries to ignore the way her traitorous heart flutters in hope at these words. By the way, Kana smiles, it's clear she's unsuccessful, and her cousin knows what she thinks and feels at the moment.
Thankfully, Kana doesn't comment on it and says instead:
"Come on. Mom and Dad are waiting for us."
Tsuna nods and the two of them enter the house.
After hugs and greeting kisses, they go to the kitchen. Over dinner — which is pleasant and quiet compared to the meals back home. Tsuna isn't used to it, but welcomes the change — her uncle asks:
"How is school going for you, Tsu-chan?"
"Good. I'm doing much better actually. Dad had hired a tutor and my grades improved."
"Well, look at that," her uncle grumbles. It's no secret to anyone that Ienaga Ichiro hates his brother-in-law's guts. "My sister's husband had actually done something useful. What a shocker".
"Ichiro!"Tsuna's aunt speaks up sternly. "Don't start."
"Just saying, dear."
Tsuna just smiles at her uncle - oh, if they only knew what her tutor was truly hired for - and changes the topic to her aunt's silent thanks.
The rest of the dinner continues on calmly.
Nura Mansion.
Rikuo is in his yokai form sitting in a Sakura tree, lost in his thoughts when a voice asks:
"Whatcha thinking about?"
Rikuo looks down at his grandfather.
"Nothing interesting," he says, seemingly nonchalant.
Nurarihyon smirks at that. "Let me guess - that " nothing interesting " has chocolate hair, has doe eyes, and arrived into a town today," the old ayakashi's smirk widens at the way his grandson twitches as he guesses right."Ah-ha, so I guessed right. So, how's your crush doing?"
"She's not my crush," Rikuo protests."And she's doing fine."
Nurarihyon snorts at the denial. "Not your crush my ass. Tell that to everyone who saw your lovesick expression when it was known she will visit soon."
Rikuo recalls the way he was on cloud nine when Kana-chan told him the news, the way his heart quickened its' pace when he saw Tsuna - older, more beautiful, but still shy as ever, the way she smelt of chocolate and tangerine when they hugged and has to admit his gramps is right: his crush on Tsuna is alive and kicking.
Not that he would let his grandfather know that.
"I'm going out," he says. He needs to get away before he embarrasses himself more. "See you, old man."
And he disappears, using his Fear.
Nurarihyon huffs at the dramatic exit. The boy is a true Nurarihyon all right.
"Kids these days," he mutters to himself with a chuckle before going away.
Under the protection of his Fear, Rikuo wonders where to go. His eyes look in the direction of Kana's house on their own accord.
Everyone's probably asleep by now, Tsuna included. But he wants to see her. Plus, it's not like she will feel his presence hidden under his Fear, being human and all.
With these thoughts, Rikuo takes off to the Ienaga Household.