Chapter 43

Dimtr immediately stands up from the couch he's sitting on, almost jumping in his eagerness to reach his lab. "I'll be back. Wait there!"

Tsuna chooses to sit in front of the couch Dimtr has told him from the first day it was his and no one was allowed to sit there. His 'thinking spot' he calls it, a place where he sometimes can find the scientist at odd hours, just sitting there with his eyes closed. It's of a pretty soft green leather that looks comfortable and as expensive as one of Renato's own couches.

When Dimtr comes back, there's an almost manic grin on his face, a notebook is in one hand while a pen is in another. He sits quickly with both elbows on his knees, unlike the slow, almost reverent way he's always seen him sit. For some reason that energy he displays calms Tsuna, makes him surer of his decision.

"Okay. How do we start this?"

Tsuna scratches his neck. The nervousness is back. "I actually don't really know. Usually, this is done unconsciously and slowly, but I know some people can try to push harmonization on another. The weaker one is, the more difficult it is to push back and deny it so the one with more power should be the one to start and the other just has to let it be."

"Which one of us is the stronger?"

Tsuna smiles a bit. He's actually a bit proud to say this to one of the future Arcobaleno. "You're pretty strong, but I'm stronger."

Dimtr nods as he scribbles something in his notebook. "So you will be the one to initiate it, then."

"Yes," he says, though he's sure Dimtr is most likely talking to himself. "But, before we start this I want to say I also have some hidden agenda for doing this."

"Besides your obvious lack of health, I'm sure?"

He swallows, but in the end, he nods. "I'll tell you about it, but I want to wait until after Christmas. I want to talk with someone before saying anything. Not that it matters, I made my choice."

"You know my hidden motives so I'm okay with you having one, too. This is more of a business deal than anything."

"… That's not exactly how it works. If we're not compatible, nothing will happen."

"The experience will still be worthy."

"If you're sure."

"I am."

Tsuna nods again, this time more jerkily as he sees Dimtr's pen hovering on top of a blank page. Without saying anything more, he closes his eyes and concentrates, trying to ignore his nervousness at being sitting so close, in front of each other.

Calling for his flames is easy, separating them from the other flames inside him is a little harder even if the others are not active, but he manages it. He unconsciously leans closer and touches Dimtr's knee to anchor himself better. He tries coaxing them out, which is difficult as Dimtr has raw power but no skill in manipulating his own flames. They hover close to his own but never leave Dimtr's body.

Well, then.

He scales his chances by using some form of Sky Attraction and he feels Dimtr jerk a little bit with the action.

Okay, so less of that. He doesn't actually want to force this. But that little bit of Attraction seems to have done its job. Dimtr's flames are hovering close enough he can actually touch them, though he receives a nasty shock from them. He grips the knee a bit harder, his control slipping with the attack. It's weak and mostly done in reflex but Dimtr's still pretty strong and it hurt.

He feels his hands start sweating as his anxiety comes back full force when the uncomfortable part comes next. He remembers doing something like this with Fong, but he was actually pretty attached to Fong by then and there wasn't any awkwardness as their flames interacted.

This time is not like then. It's a bit like they're two strangers standing naked next to each other. Pretty uncomfortable, but this is when he needs to… 'court' Dimtr's flame so is necessary.

Okay, he can do this.

He just has to pull it closer and up the Attraction a bit. He's actually not sure of what he's doing besides what he's been told by Daemon (and he's not a trusty source, at all), and by trying to follow his intuition. Dimtr can probably feel it because he's pulling back, but (and this makes Tsuna blush a bit), he has to show some sort of dominance, or Dimtr's flames won't accept him even if the scientist wants it. The flames are more of the primal aspect of a person so he needs to answer in the same manner.

Oh god, he can't do this with just touching his knee, can he?

Opening his eyes, he sees Dimtr staring at him weirdly. It's a kind of intense stare and makes him want to close his eyes again, but he doesn't. "I sort of need to sit on your lap for a bit."

Dimtr blinks slowly, his pen is unmoving at his side. "Do we need to have sex?" he asks in such a direct way Tsuna can't help but blush and look down.

"We don't," he answers weakly. "It just feels like that because we're forcing this."

Dimtr looks like he wants to ask more embarrassing questions so Tsuna's free hand moves to his mouth to stop anything from coming out. He uses the other to let go of his knee and position himself better on his lap. "Please don't make this more awkward than it is."

The scientist huffs in amusement, which is a first. So with his amused eyes as the last thing he sees, Tsuna closes his eyes and moves both hands to the sides of Dimtr's neck.

He takes a deep breath, mostly to assure himself he can do this.