Chapter 47

The car comes to a stop in front of a huge metallic door with curved designs along the edges, the Vongola symbol at its center. They open and the car enters the estate, which is as incredible as the first time he came, like entering a different world, with its gardens filled with trees that seem small next to the mansion, green and full, unlike the dead ones that can be found outside. It seems winter hasn't touched the plants. It doesn't surprise him that Vongolas ignores the weather and its consequences like it does with physics laws. He's gotten too used to it to even react.

(He's become jaded)

After ten minutes they reach the mansion itself where a couple of people are waiting. Tsuna ignores it for a second, more concentrated with the familiar feel one of the birds on top of a blue roof gives. It looks at him with too intelligent eyes before going off. He's pretty sure its black plumage shone indigo.

"Tsuna?" Renato whispers close to his ear.

He shakes his head. "It's nothing."

The other man lets it go and chooses to get out first to help him out, which is unnecessary but he still accepts the hand, trying to ignore the way his thumb traces his pulse for a second too long. However, unlike pressing close to him, he stays at a safe distance away, keeping the door open like a butler as Zaid, Visconti and Timoteo-san get out. He doesn't touch their hands.

When one of Ottava's guardians, a lady called Luisa, informs him she's the one who will take him to see the Vongola boss, Renato asks about their shooting facilities and if he can use them. When he receives a positive he goes away, not even giving him a glance.

Weird.

Luisa, as she said, is the one who leads him to the study where the Vongola boss is at the moment. She's silent and her way of walking reminds her of Renato and Hibari, dangerous people that don't bother to hide it, unlike Fon. She's short, almost his height, with her hair long and light blonde, almost white. She turns her face to him, letting him know she knows he's staring, and smirks. Her brown eyes flash blue.

Squalo has the same smirk. It scares the crap out of him.

He's glad when she finally leads him to a door. Not so much when she walks right behind him.

"Ottava-san," Tsuna says, bowing as soon as he sees her. "Thank you for inviting me to the Ball."

"I think I told you to call me Daniela, Tsunayoshi."

He smiles at the mention of his name, always happy to hear it nowadays even if it is without the suffix. "I'm sorry, Otta—Daniela-san."

She smiles, her golden eyes wrinkling. She's wearing a dark brown suit with a white shirt underneath, similar style to the red one she met him with. Her gray hair is tied into a tidy ponytail, with only a couple of bangs framing her face, making her look younger than she is.

They look at each other for a long while, taking into the changes they have gone through since they've last met.

"You don't look seventeen," she starts, giving their small standoff an end.

"I didn't look fifteen when we met wither."

"Indeed you looked younger. Now, you seem to have aged so much since then."

He looks down, brows furrowing. He does look as if he were in his twenties but he likes to ignore it. Not that he can do that with Daniela-san. She knows too much already. "That's the Sky's pacifier's toll."

"It takes your life force," she murmurs, her eyes lighting up in understanding and sadness. "I thought it wouldn't do that as you're not the actual Sky Arcobaleno."

"We were wrong."

"That we were."

The silence comes back again, both lost in their thoughts. It's not uncomfortable but Tsuna admits if he doesn't break it soon he's going to start brooding. Fortunately, Daniela-san is the one to do it.

"I talked with Chekerface."

… That's not what he expected to hear. "Um."

"He asked me for the Arcobaleno to meet in one of the neutral houses we've inside the Fort especially made for meetings."

His Intuition starts wailing in the back of his head, like a child mourning the loss of their parent.

He sits up straighter. "You told him no."

Even as soon as he says it he knows what her answer is going to be.

"He'd have done it in another place had I not accepted. Nothing would have changed."

He wants to say that it would, but he knows better.

She huffs, crossing her arms across her chest, she seems to be annoyed at herself. "I don't like it either, but my Intuition went off when I thought of denying him. I know better than going against it."

"I understand," he says because he does. That doesn't mean he likes it. "I've got questions though."

"Ask away. If I can disclose information, I will."

There's discomfort practically oozing from Luisa, who's standing at the back of Daniela-san's chair. But she doesn't say anything to interrupt them.

"Please tell me everything about that meeting. I know the man but it's been so long since then. I don't know his plans."

"And that scares you."