Chapter 11

Tsuna has to go directly to the bar afterward, feeling bad that he couldn't tell Stranger-san he wasn't going to be able to make him coffee. It's true his phone made it to the time-travel trip but it's too modern for it to work. Besides, is not as if cellphones are popular at this time; they're really rare and expensive.

The guilt doesn't recede when he returns home, instead, it turns into dread as he realizes that Stranger-san is the kind of person to shoot first, ask questions later. Huo-san notices his distress, of course. He serves him some tea he doesn't know the name of and that actually helps. When they're both in bed he even feels glad that Huo-san is sleeping in his apartment instead of just coming when his psyche needs it as sleeping next to another person's flames is comfortable and familiar for him to completely enjoy.

However, perhaps the recurrence is making them both bolder because the next day Tsuna doesn't feel as glad when he wakes up with arms around him and his face resting on a shoulder.

Comfortable, yes. But it's one thing to wake up tangled with someone he doesn't really know and won't have to deal with on a day-to-day basis; another is to cuddle with a friend.

Stranger-san's half-amused stare is almost a physical touch on the back of his head.

Tsuna doesn't even wonder what he's doing in his apartment so early. His sixth sense probably told him something embarrassing is occurring to him.

"Huo-san?" he calls, his voice coming slightly muffled because while their legs are luckily not tangled, they're still pressed almost chest to chest. A sleepy content hum is his answer because of course, he's awake. "Do you mind giving me some space?"

There's a sigh before the grip holding him loosens.

He decides to ignore how he really wants to return to that embrace as it's a normal feeling he always gets since he discovered the wonders of cuddling. He will have to go and search for someone soon to do it though as it really helps with his headaches, something that's occurring too often lately. Hopefully without looking like a creeper. Not this Saturday as he will go out with the Ninth and Coyote-san, but he probably can convince Zaid to go out with him next week as he already knows about his weird tendencies.

"Apologies if I made you uncomfortable," Huo-san says when they're a safe distance apart.

"Don't worry, I understand." Tsuna yawns as he sits up, choosing to look at Huo-san instead of meeting Stranger-san's eyes. Seeing his amusement will probably ruin the sleepy state he gets in before completely waking up. "Should have expected it considering my record. Though taking that into account, I will start wearing lighter clothes just in case. These make me feel stuffy."

"Your record?"

Tsuna stops briefly from where he's crawling to the edge of the bed. "Uh. My first weeks in Italy were pretty weird?"

"Weird enough that you don't blush at waking up like that? It almost seems out of character."

Tsuna narrows his eyes, finally risking meeting Stranger-san's gaze and his condescendingly raised eyebrow. "What are you trying to say?"

"That you usually go red if you use a name without a suffix."

"I would not!" Tsuna looks at Huo-san who is currently fixing his braid and too entertained to be good.

"Yes, Ozora?"

Tsuna sits in seiza position on the bed, hands gripping tightly his pajama pants. He makes sure his eyes never waver from Huo-san as he says, with the most seriousness, "Huo."

There's a long second of silence before Huo-san throws his head back and starts laughing. Other weird noises are coming from him whenever he tries to stop, but a look to his face is enough to have him double over again. There's even a surprising chortle that sounds like Stranger-san's coming from behind him. A glance lets him know he's only a little better than Huo-san himself. And he should probably start calling him Huo in his mind, too; to get used to it.

His seiza position doesn't waver even when his cheeks start feeling hot.

"I-I'm sorry, so sorry," Huo says between chuckles. "It's just—just your face. So eager and—" He takes a deep breath and doesn't continue.

To be honest, it's a bit weird seeing both with honest and unrestrained expressions on their faces. A nice sort of weird. A bit scary, too. At least he doesn't shiver anymore whenever Huo smiles or he would have fainted at hearing him laugh.

(It makes him wonder if Hibari-san also laughs like that, deep and throaty but still obviously coming from his belly. Half surprised and half amazed as it shakes his whole body. It makes him shudder to think but it also fills him with nostalgia)

"What about mine?" Stranger-san says with a wide grin, shaking him out of his thoughts.

Glad he may be to make them laugh, Tsuna feels a bit vindictive even if it's been a while since Stranger-san has shot him. He looks him dead in the eye, making his expression as dead as he can and, using a few of his flames to make his eyes gleam eerily and his voice a tad deeper, he says, "Stranger."

Huo snorts but Stranger-san looks almost pouty as he sits back on his chair and tips his fedora up with a finger. "My name's Renato."

Blinking twice, Tsuna can only mumble a "What?"

Stranger-san—or Renato now—doesn't repeat himself and Tsuna can only stare at him dumbly because while his intuition tells him it's not his real name, the one he was born with, it hadn't felt like a lie when he used it.

Renato, the Italian word for reborn. Is that why his tutor's name is Reborn? A memento, perhaps? If Reborn had a kid, would he name them Renacido or some other translation of the word reborn?

It doesn't matter; Tsuna's been given something important today and he'll appreciate it for the gift that it is. He smiles. "Would you like some coffee then, Renato?"

"Do you even need to ask?" he says, making Tsuna's eyebrow twitch. He glances over his shoulder to ask if Huo wants something else than the usual, if only to be polite, and sees Huo's troubled look.

"Huo?" he asks, worried, but maybe not using a suffix made it worse.

He receives a shake of the head and a weird smile that probably means he's going to have to ask later when Renato is not around. With a sigh, he steps on the cold floor and walks to the bathroom.

"I want double coffee for what I didn't get yesterday," Renato drawls, voice bored but still promising pain.

Tsuna throws him a glare. He doesn't know why he felt guilty yesterday in the first place.