Chapter 14

The Ninth walks through the doors, inspiring respect with just a look even while wearing casual clothes (or what passes for casual clothes in this time; they're too tight for his liking). It's kind of amazing as he can't be older than twenty-five, yet looks so assured of himself. Coyote-san walks a step behind, next to him, with chin held high and a faint scowl on his face. Going on by the triumphant smile on the Ninth's face, he was the one who put it there.

As if Zaid just developed supernatural speed, he appears behind them, not wearing the apron, both arms around their shoulders. Tsuna looks back to where he's sure Zaid was cleaning the counter a second ago. Antonio-san is there, chuckling. He returns his gaze over and meets the Ninth's eyes, a hint of gold in them.

He tries a smile. "Hi, Timoteo-san, Coyote-san. Chiara-san is on her way here. Want a cup while we wait?"

"It would be our pleasure, Natsu. Right, Nougat?"

Coyote-san nods.

Zaid waves at Antonio-san. "You heard that, old man? I'm a client now. Espresso all around."

"Client my ass. Come here and make it yourself."

Tsuna laughs as he goes to the back of the room at a quick pace as to not be pulled into what will be some of Zaid's famous sulking. With his apron safe in the racks, he returns. Mona-san is now leaning on the counter. His smile automatically appears but it falters when he notices the odd gleam in her eyes. It's similar to the one in Mukuro's when he finds something amusing. Usually, pain or something humiliating is involved.

It's not reassuring.

"You're going out."

Is not a question but Tsuna nods anyways. "There's a stuntman's show Zaid's been all crazy about. DeMorte, I think?"

"I've heard of him." Mona-san looks in the direction of the doors and hums. "Do you know a good place I could rent a room with this money?"

"Oh. Right, I'm sorry." He follows her gaze to the handful of lire on her hand before looking up at the dark sky. "Damn and it's dark."

He blinks. This may actually be good. There's a new set of available options he now can choose from that can serve as excuses to not go out with the Ninth and Coyote-san, both of whom can recognize the similarities between himself and Primo. He just needs to use a Reborn-level of bullshiting to pull it and be smooth. Like, make-up concealer smooth.

Nodding to himself, he gives another smile to Mona-san and turns around.

The Ninth's chin meets his gaze. He slowly looks up until he can see him in the eyes. The gold hint is still there.

"Is this a friend of yours, Natsu?"

Tsuna's mouth is so dry, he doesn't think he's able to make a sound. It'll probably come out as a croak.

"We met today," Mona-san says, looking down. The perfect picture of shyness and demure. "I wasn't feeling good and he helped me."

The Ninth seems to notice that something weird is going on but hasn't realized yet that he's talking to an illusion.

"Well, if you want to lift your mood, maybe you want to accompany us? The more the merrier, right, Nougat?"

"We do have another ticket," Coyote-san answers from behind Mona-san, startling the hell out of him. His eyes go from one person to the other. Realizing there's no escape available, he hangs his head.

Mona-san agrees because of course, she does.

- x -

Chiara-san seems ecstatic to have another woman going with them. She takes her under her metaphorical wing and because she's good and knows how little interaction he wants with the Ninth, she includes him in their supposed hush-hush conversation. He can hear Zaid saying how he just has a way with the ladies, so he sends him a glare Chiara-san is happy to join in.

The car the Ninth leads them to is an old thing in Tsuna's eyes, but Zaid is whistling in appreciation and Coyote-san is puffing out in pride so he guesses it must be a recent model or a popular one. The Ninth mentions something about it being an Impala, but aside from noting it's a Chevrolet, a brand he recognizes, he ignores any more car babble, in favor of checking if it has seatbelts, briefly wondering why they're not using a more Italian car.

But, well, it's pretty, black, shiny, and has seatbelts—well enough for Tsuna.

They all fit inside with the Ninth, Coyote-san, and Zaid on the front. He's in the back with Mona-san and Chiara-san.

The ride is surprisingly nice. They poke fun of Coyote-san's driving skills that reassemble a granny's in Chiara-san's opinion and Tsuna's yell of 'How the heck is this slow?!' as he presses himself against his seat, trying and failing to grab something that will give him some assurance. Zaid's dreamy sighs add humor to the situation, completely obvious to the laughs.

Mona-san joins the conversation too, seemingly enjoying herself. If Tsuna could ignore she's a mist user and possibly nothing more than an illusion, he'd classify her as an innocent person. But she isn't, so Tsuna doesn't bother deluding himself.

- x -

Tsuna has never been to a show like this one. He's not fond of bikes even if he did enjoy riding them when he wasn't fighting for his life. His friends had to watch him riding one but the circumstances were so different he knows they didn't like it either. Should have been him the one taking the role of spectator in that fight, he's sure his anxiety would have reached new levels.

Now that he thinks about it, the only time he's been a spectator was to see his friends fighting.

This is different though. And he's glad the yells and whistles surrounding him make him unable to reminisce, distracting as they are. Even with them being on the front seats, the noise is so loud it makes it next to impossible to talk with the person sitting next to one. While Tsuna is used to the commotion going on around him, he still finds it annoying. Though he admits there's just something about being surrounded by excited people that makes one more awake. Infectious, maybe.

There's what looks like a course in the center the famous stuntman has to complete, full of spins and free-falls and so many things he doesn't know the name of in it, but look dangerous. He's still inspecting it when the lights that were illuminating it goes off. He doesn't know why everyone howls when the lights come out again, but Tsuna can't help laughing and joining, his intuition thrumming inside him as it picks the dominant emotions around him.

A guy comes out in a slightly familiar black and purple jumpsuit, wearing a helmet like one wears a hat. His hair is not seen but his grin is wide and catching. Someone gives him a microphone and he speaks what sounds like a greeting, but Tsuna's untrained ears can't pick up the exact words because of his accent.

"Are you ready?" he says, coming clear in his loud voice. He laughs at the yells he receives and it's like his excitement spreads to the public like a physical force.

His heart beats loudly on his ears and there's an emotion close to the exhilaration that makes him feel dizzy as the guy puts his helmet on and turns on the bike, along purr coming from it.

Propagation, he thinks as the feeling increases every time the guy, DeMorte, does something crazy. And it's when he's in the air with only one hand to connect him to his bike that Tsuna realizes he's a Cloud.

The words freedom and aloofness comes to his mind as he marvels at the purity of his flames, and Tsuna can see it in the way he moves, so different from Hibari-san's, but still there.

Tsuna is yelling in amazement when he barely reaches the end of a pillar, Zaid clapping loudly next to him.

If Hibari-san is like a protective Cloud, always hovering protectively above a place, he thinks this DeMorte guy would be the drifting kind that people just get to see once or twice. It's beautiful and makes him yearn for that kind of freedom.

When it's over and other guys start appearing, Tsuna still can't stop repeating the performance.

He now gets Zaid's excitement about the whole thing. He wants to watch it again and again. He doesn't even realize it's over until Zaid pulls his arm and tells him to go and meet DeMorte. He asks how they will be able to do it instead of protesting. When Zaid throws a thumb in the Ninth's direction, Tsuna is not even surprised. Though there's not the usual resignation he normally feels.