4 Chapter 4

There's a Mist user coming to the hotel.

Tsuna tries to not look in the direction where she is silently drinking with a newspaper in front of her in the part of the hotel that serves as a bar. Yesterday she was a he, so Tsuna doesn't know how to refer this person as. To save himself the headache, he goes by whatever the Mist is posing at. He doesn't ask mostly to not let the current-she know about him. After all, she's powerful. It took him stumbling onto her to realize she was even using flames.

Now his intuition updates him whenever he sees her so that way Tsuna can scurry away from her area. He really doesn't want to get pulled into whatever trouble she's in. Though something tells him he'll have to deal with it, eventually.

As soon as he thinks of that, Tsuna goes to the nearest closet room and locks himself inside to sob at the inevitability of the craziness in his life for a couple of long minutes. Then, he returns to try and get an idea of what's going on with Mist-san. It's better to be prepared than wait for the surprises.

Surprises hurt. Most of the time. Or at least they do in his life.

Sometime later, Tsuna comes to the conclusion that Mist-san is doing some kind of reconnaissance of sorts. Tsuna still doesn't know if she is sending a mist clone or if she's merely cloaking her form, but for now, she only sits at a random table, orders something to eat, and stays even after his shift is over so Tsuna doesn't know what she's looking for.

He has an inkling that it has to do with the new patrons staying in the hotel. Their appearance just screams shady.

- x -

"How do you do a recon?"

Stranger-san doesn't look up from the newspaper he's reading (of the current day, unlike the one Tsuna is cutting). "Reconnaissance?"

"Hai."

The bullet he just barely manages to dodge. "You say 'si' when giving an affirmative."

"Oh… right. Si, then. Now, how does one do it?"

Stranger-san makes a 'tch' sound. "It depends on what are you aiming for. Although usually, one has to focus on the enemy, the dimensions of the terrain, the civil considerations, the available ETA, the troops, and support at your disposal while always having the goals of the mission clear in order to obtain the information you need to achieve said goal.

"It's pretty complicated if one wants to do it right. I can teach you if you want," Stranger-san says, lifting his gaze from the paper to meet his blank, uncomprehending stare, an unholy gleam in his eyes.

Tsuna immediately shakes his head and holds his hands up in surrender. "Just curious! Though…"

With a huff of amusement, Stranger-san takes a sip of his coffee. "Reconsidering?"

"No, no. I mean, I didn't really understand what you said, but I got the gist of it and realized I mistook what a recon was. Anyways, what do you call someone who constantly appears in the same place, at the same time, and wearing different disguises?"

"The place is somewhere public I get?"

"Hypothetically, it's the bar of a hotel."

"The hotel where you work?"

Tsuna narrows his eyes. "How do you know I wo—forget it. Obviously, you know where I work. Yes, yes. The hotel where I work."

"Sounds like someone is trying to get some dirt," he says, his gaze returning to the newspaper.

And that's it.

He doesn't add anything more.

Tsuna makes the second jar of coffee while glaring at the back of his head. His glare only darkens when Stranger-san hums happily while drinking. He only hopes that the pat on his head he receives just before he leaves for his shift at the bar is not some hint of how his day will go.

- x -

Damn it. He jinxed it.

"Why are you cleaning the glasses under the table?"

Tsuna doesn't look up. He already knows what face Zaid is making. "Hey, you're the lucky one who turns eighteen in a month. We sixteen years old can't afford to show our face to the public while working."

"Uh huh. That didn't bother you yesterday."

"I only worry for Giorgio-san."

Pouring some scotch into what he's sure is a cup of coffee, their boss, Giorgio, leans down for a moment with his Serious Face. "I can hear you."

"Sorry, Giorgio-san."

Zaid snorts. "You really should stop adding 'san' to the names, Natsu."

"But not in working hours. The last time you tried, your blushing face made you look thirteen."

Trying to fight the red that wants to creep on his face, he grumbles. "At least I can call Zaid, Zaid."

"Yeah, sure. It only took you a month."

"And you slept together," Giorgio-san adds with a snort before retreating on the back.

"Not in that way!" Tsuna has never felt his face hotter. He turns sharply to look at Zaid. "What did you tell him?"

"Me? Hah. Right. This is Giorgio who we're talking about, Nat." Zaid leans on the counter and taps his shoulder with his leg. "Seriously, man. Are you going to tell me why you're hiding?"

"I'm not hiding."

"Does that mean that it has nothing to do with the guy with the cane who came in a minute ago?"

Tsuna jumps in surprise, his head colliding with the hard surface of the counter.

"That's a yes, I take it." Zaid gives him an amused look before he leans further on the counter. "Hey, Timmy! How's it going?"

"Timmy?" Tsuna mumbles, peeking a bit to see who Zaid is calling. He yelps when he sees the brown-haired guy with the familiar cane approaching and falls onto his back.

"Still working as a barista, Ganauche?"

"Still calling people candy, Timmy?"

Has… Has Zaid just been called Ganauche? As in the Nono's Lightning Guardian, Ganauche?

Tsuna can only see Zaid's playful glare from his position but it's enough to make him question his luck. Only Tsuna can get a job in the place where one of the Ninth's guardians work. Though perhaps soon-to-be guardian is a better description. He's sure Zaid is a Lightning, but he doesn't feel like an active flame. Though that does explain the trace of harmonization he sometimes feels on him.

Still. He's working with one of the Ninth's guardians.

Well, not the Ninth yet. Probably not until he goes back to his time. And even then, he'll deny it until he can't any longer and the proof is shoved down his throat.

"—talking to Natsu here. He's new so he's still trying to get the hang of it."

Hearing his alias snaps him out of his thoughts and makes him sit straight in a second. He grabs Zaid's pants tightly as to gain his attention, pleading eyes already in full force.

"A new employee? Where is he?"

Zaid is not turning to look at him, that isn't fair!

"He's lying behind the counter, see?"

A familiar, though much younger face peers down from the other side of the counter. Another person leans next to him. They both look faintly surprised.

Tsuna tries to smile. He stands up like he hasn't spent the last few minutes cleaning the same glass from behind the furniture. "Hi, I'm Natsu."

The man he doesn't recognize is the one to recover first. He nudges an elbow at the other. "Oh, yes. I'm sorry, Natsu. You just remind me of someone."

Luckily the hysteria is not heard when he laughs. "Well, most do say we Asians look alike."

"You don't look all that Asian," Zaid points out.

"My dad is half Italian," he is quick to add. By the look he receives, perhaps he was too quick.

"Italian, hm?" the one he doesn't recognize mutters. He seems ready to ask him more about the subject but the so-called Timmy stops him by saying. "Oh, but where are our manners. My mother would have killed me if she knew I hadn't introduced myself first. Hello, Natsu, My name's Timoteo and this is my friend Coyote, though most call him Nougat."

Crap, Tsuna was right. He is the Ninth (Not yet, his mind supplies. Tsuna ignores it).

"They only do that because you call me Nougat, Tim."

Zaid puts an arm around Tsuna's shoulders. "Be careful around him if you don't want an ugly nickname, Nat. He likes to give one to everyone but never gives one to himself."

The Ninth shrugs. "I love all sweets. I don't have any preferences."

"That's no excuse." Zaid rolls his eyes. "Anyways, what have you been doing? I haven't seen you in months!"

"Tim's been busy," answers Coyote-san glancing at his watch. "And speaking of busy, we need to go."

"So what, you've only come to say hi?"

"We did come for the coffee, too." The Ninth taps his cane against the counter as he searches for something inside his jacket. He pulls out a folded paper from one inside pocket and gives it to Zaid. "We also wanted to invite you to the show. I think it will be of your liking."

From where he's organizing the cups, Tsuna can clearly see Zaid's whole face light up as Christmas has come early. "DeMorte? You have tickets to see him? He's the best! How did you—No, no. Don't tell me. Just let me enjoy this moment." Zaid presses his face against the paper and sighs dreamily. "Damn, Timmy. If I didn't know better, I would think you're trying to woo me."

"Who says I'm not trying to court you?" the Ninth says with a cheeky smile and a wink.

The picture he has of the man in his mind abruptly breaks in tiny pieces as Zaid laughs. "You're too old for me, Timmy, sorry."

"Oh. And you're invited, too, of course."

Tsuna looks at the Ninth with a strained smile. "I wouldn't want to impose."

"Nonsense!" Coyote-san says with a huff. "Tim wouldn't invite you if he didn't want you there, kid."

Apparently, it doesn't matter the age, Coyote-san will always be intimidating.

"Come on, Natsu. Will you leave me alone with the wolves? Someone has to take care of my virtue while I'm drunk in admiration for the best stuntman, after all," Zaid mock whispers.

Tsuna really doesn't like the speculative way the Ninth looks at him. It's too full of curiosity to be healthy.

He wants to say no. He will say no.

He opens his mouth to say exactly that, but only the word "Sure" comes out.

Apparently, Tsuna is still the number one person incapable of denying a request. Even in the past.

Luckily Chiara, the new barista, is near enough for him to use her as a distraction. "She's also new! Newer than me, even. I'll go see if Giorgio-san needs some help. You talk."

She pinches his arm softly as he passes, but looks amused instead of offended. Chiara is cool like that. She then pats his head and whispers a 'You owe me' in his ear. Seeing how she's smiling at Coyote-san, Tsuna doesn't think he owes her anything.