Chapter 39

(December 19th, Sunday – early morning)

What he remembers of the dream he's had is to be reaching something before grabbing it, the action causing him to wake up. He doesn't remember what exactly happened in the dream or what he was grabbing, just that he was at peace when he did, in a way he's not felt since he started sleeping around with strangers.

Actually, he still feels like that and he can't help but want to soak in the feeling. He nuzzles the soft texture of the cushion against his cheek, relishing in the warm weight of the mattress over his body. The back of the couch is nice like there's a warm wall against his back. He presses himself more against it and—Wait. He can feel something across his stomach pulling him closer. It's heavy and familiar. An arm.

Oh, that must be have been a chest, then.

Somebody is sleeping next to him.

He feels blood rushing through his body. His heartbeat is loud in his ears, but so are his flames. His finger twitch prepared to ignite and punch the lights out of—

A large hand grabs his own. Breathing ghosts over his neck. "It's me."

Tsuna turns his head until he can see the hint of that familiar disheveled hair. The hand grabbing him lets him go. It moves to his waist and helps him turn around until he can see the hitman perfectly.

"Hey," Renato says in a tone he's never heard from him before. It's something soft and gentle.

Tsuna studies him, looking for injuries even though he knows the impossible task it is with a Sun. His chest is bared and flawless, just a couple of old scars marring it. There is even one from where he remembers the bullet he received the day they met. His muscles shiver faintly at his touch but Renato doesn't stop him.

He's perhaps a bit tanner and without his hat, and especially with his head resting on a pillow, his hair is back to its usual mess.

"Hey," Tsuna says, moving forward to best hug his friend. It's weird because he's used to Reborn, him being so small he could fit perfectly in his arms or on his head. And though he's learned to separate the Reborn he knew with this Renato, sometimes he can't help but think in the unfairness that's his future mentor's life. "I missed you."

The hand is now on his back, pushing him close until he can feel his nose brushing the hitman's collarbone. "Of course you did. I would be offended otherwise."

Tsuna huffs. "I'm glad your trip did nothing to your ego."

"You like my ego." Renato presses his nose against his hair and hums. "Did you take a shower here?"

"Er. Shouldn't I?"

"It's not that. I'm just glad you did. I was sure you would feel too self-conscious to do it."

"I did feel a bi—wait." He sits up, not caring he almost head-butted Renato on the chin. He looks around and realizes he's not on the couch he slept on the night before but in the only bedroom inside this place.

It's big as he saw before and white. There are no curtains, just some black small closet and a comfortable couch in a corner. The room doesn't have anything in yellow, or that mustard-like color he found in the living room. Everything is different shades of black and white with only the brown floor and to give it some color.

He sees a hint of green from the corner of his eye and finds a corner full of the color green. What looks like a small tree and other plants surround an aquarium-like place where there is a large green-almost brownish- chameleon resting on a branch.

"That's Leon."

He blinks twice in surprise. He doesn't know if that's the Leon he remembers always seeing on Reborn's fedora. He doesn't think so as this one is too large and too… normal looking.

"He's beautiful," he says because it's true even if at the moment he doesn't care. Tsuna is a bit pissed, after all. Mostly at his intuition because it hadn't woken him up.

"Why did you move me?"

"You were uncomfortable there." He pulls him down onto the bed with a pull, until half of his body is sprawled on top of him. "Besides, how do you think I would be able to sleep without my teddy bear next to me, um?"

"Ugh. You're so embarrassing."

Tsuna tries to hide his red face away by pressing it against Renato's chest. The hitman doesn't let him, taking a good hold of his chin so he can look at him better.

"And you're blushing. It's a win for me."

"Shut up."

"Aw you're mad at me? How can you be mad with this face?"

Then, in what's probably the most probably creepy moment of his life, he smiles a smile that would be perfect on a model, one made for charming others, and who knows what else (he doesn't want to think about it, it terrifies him). It has something roguish and innocent at the same time. It's too beautiful, it hurts.

It's also scary. So, so scary.

He tries to turn away from the deja vu, the back of his hand going to cover one of his eyes. "It's so shiny. No more, please."

Renato laughs and that creepy, false, and charming smile goes with it, becoming something more honest and more fitting of him. He likes it even if it still sends a cold shiver down his spine. He covers both eyes but when it passes a while and no sound comes from his friend, he slowly takes his hand away.

There's a small smirk on his face that only widens when he sees Tsuna giving him attention. The hitman runs long fingers across his scalp, using his hold on the back of his head to move him closer until he can leave a peck on his cheek.

Tsuna is too surprised to answer anything, but that surprise turns into annoyance when Renato says, "You're mine."

"I can't be yours," he answers immediately back. "I belong to myself."

Renato huffs and goes to leave him another peck on the corner of his lips this time, too fast for Tsuna to react. "Then let me rephrase it, then." The hitman glares at him when he sees him opening his mouth, stopping him from talking. "I've already decided, I am yours. And you, even if you don't want to, are my Sky."

"… That's not how it works."

"Doesn't it? I thought it did. I would just have to kill any Sun that approaches you then."

He thinks of Ryohei, of his onii-san and he glares, his flame cold inside him. "You won't do that."

"I won't? Is that a Sky telling his Sun not to?"

"That is a friend telling his friend not to do something. Please." He looks away. "I thought you said you were a gentleman. This doesn't sound like what a gentleman would do."

"I'm also a hitman, I hope you don't forget."

Tsuna tries to move away, to stand up and change, maybe take another shower, but Renato's hand is on his side, softly wrapping him next to him again.

"Won't you tell me why, at least? Why are you so against having a guardian?"

And that's the problem, isn't it? Luckily Tsuna already came to a decision when the others were gone. "I will tell you the truth. But I don't think I can repeat it and this is something Fong also needs to hear. When he returns, I'll tell you both and then you can see why you would be better without me."

He grabs Renato's arm and moves it away. He stands up to go search for his clothes.

"Going anywhere?"

"I've work to do today."

"On a Sunday?"

He turns to glare at him, but probably his pout is taking its effect away. "It's the new job. I'm taking all the hours I can because I want two free days."

Renato stands up and follows him to the living room. Tsuna quickly looks away because while he's just noticed Renato doesn't have a pajama shirt, or pants, he hasn't thought he would be just wearing his underwear to sleep.

"Ozora?"

Tsuna looks up, face still a little flushed. Going by the knowing smirk on Renato's face he most likely knows what caused it. "What?"

"I was asking what did you want free days for?"

"Oh. Well, someone invited me to a party for Christmas and it's a bit far away. So—"

"It wouldn't be the Vongola Christmas Ball, would it?"

"How do you—wait, no, stupid question. Of course, you know. You seem to know everything!"

He smiles at him in that soft way. "I wish."

Tsuna clears his throat. "Well, yes. I was invited by Ottavia."

"Ho? Not Timoteo then?"

Tsuna looks at him as he takes his backpack with him. While his face is perfectly neutral, his intuition tells him the hitman's really surprised it was Ottavia the one who invited him.

"Well!" he says with a clap, hoping it will dissuade any questions. "Let's go eat."

Renato doesn't buy it.

"I was also invited, you know, and while—"

"It doesn't surprise me, really."

"And while," he says with a nasty glare. "I'd prefer you not to go, I'm not against both going together."

"… I was planning to go with Zaid."

"That means there's a private jet as Timoteo wouldn't let him go in anything less. Nice."

He doesn't think Renato understands him well.

"Hey, have you got a grown spur?"

He's a cruel, cruel man.