7 Chapter 7

Months have passed since Tsuna woke up in a deserted forest in some part of Naples, pained and half delirious as he tried to make sense to what was up and down. He had come so far from that lost boy whose flames were simmering under his skin, overwhelmed and dazed, making him unable to control his harmony factor, always teetering on that line between endless anxiety and calmness that borders dissociation.

The sixteen-year-old Sky, who stealthily managed to get inside pubs and loud places with dancing people just because the mayhem was like a balm to his needy flames, is no more. He now can keep his flames tight inside his body and leave the state of mind his Hyper Dying Will gives him whenever he wants. He has control for the first time in months and has grown up and learned so much from having to live alone. So. Much.

Except getting a job the normal way, apparently. After all, the jobs he's obtained are thanks to his Intuition's intervention, and wishing for a new one to come doesn't seem to work. It's not that he's unhappy with the pay or the schedule. They fit perfectly in his routine, actually. The hotel is clean and most of his colleagues are nice, even if he's not as friendly with them as he is with the people in the bar. Anyway, they're not the problem. The ones he has trouble with are the shady people who at first were few but now occupy most of the rooms. And he knows they're shady—it's not his imagination. He's spent too long around Reborn's shenanigans to not be able to identify it.

Also, it seems there's some kind of dome around the hotel making the police unable to notice whatever illegal thing is going on. That happens wherever he goes so he's not sure if it's his presence that makes it or he's just that unlucky.

So yeah, he needs a new job.

With a sigh, he gives one last glance at the paper with the new schedule of the day (because now they've to change their working schedules every day), and wonders if he can ask Luca-san, the receptionist, how to get a job while sounding nonchalant. He gives off the vibe of being someone wise and Tsuna likes to talk with him when he's not busy, though he hasn't lately. Well, he now has the excuse of working as a messenger boy to give the schedules out so maybe he can ask.

With that happy thought in mind, Tsuna almost jogs to the next corner that leads to the reception room, just to trip to the floor as soon as he's in view of the counter.

Luca-san has clearly seen him as he visibly winced, but doesn't move from where he's booking a room for Stranger-san.

What happened with 'He can do it alone'! Tsuna wants to yell as he stands up. He doesn't, of course, as being inconspicuous is his way to survive in this job. He's currently dressed as a civilian because he's a minor without papers and it's easier that way to fool others into thinking he's staying in the hotel instead of working in it.

That also means he has to wait until Luca-san is done before he can give him the schedule. So he stands there, a bit behind Stranger-san, and hears them both talking. It's a bit weird how Stranger-san can look so charming and honest. He even laughs once. A normal laugh. Tsuna doesn't think he's ever heard him laugh. Amused huffs don't count. But yeah, Stranger-san really knows how to act like a normal person. Luca-san seems pretty taken with him, too. Tsuna would even relax at hearing the conversation if it wasn't for the heavy stare Stranger-san is giving him. And Tsuna still doesn't know how that works seeing as the man's still looking at and talking to Luca-san.

Eventually, it ends. Luca-san gives Stranger-san a key and then mentions the hours the bar is open to the public to eat something light. "Or you can order the food in advance and we will take it up to your room."

"That will be no problem," Stranger-san san with what looks like a warm smile (It makes Tsuna cringe in fear). "I will be down by twelve."

Tsuna's gaze is immediately on him. That's the time he's told him the strange mist user appears.

He doesn't do anything else to affirm his existence though. Tsuna merely waits for him to leave so he can quickly give Luca-san the schedule and tell him all the owner told him about it. Then he asks about the man and what room he's staying in but, unsurprisingly, Luca doesn't give it.

"Don't worry, kiddo. He only paid for a day so the room won't be too messy when he's done with it."

With a sigh, he returns to his job. And who knows, maybe his intuition will clue him in to the room in which Stranger-san is staying.

(It doesn't)

- x -

The next time he sees Stranger-san is half an hour after twelve. Tsuna has his hands full with the orders Luca-san told him to give the chef and how he's sitting close to the path he's taking, Tsuna gives him a brief smile. Done that, he gives the room a quick once over to see if Mist-san is already there. He finds him posing as a male this time, sitting close to the counter. Tsuna has decided to ignore the issue of his existence until fate decides the time to put him in the thick of the problem without so much as a warning, so Tsuna keeps walking.

Domenica-san, the waitress, is a strict lady who still intimidates Tsuna even after almost three months of working together, but he knows she's nice and fair so when she tells him she'll be the one to give the orders to the chef, Tsuna believes her. He gives her a slight bow and a happy 'grazie' before he turns around.

Or tries to.

Someone's foot is on his way and while Tsuna avoids falling face-first on the ground, he still trips onto the next table. His elbows sting a bit for taking all the impact, but he's ready to stand up and apologize for falling onto someone's tea. Until he looks up and freezes. Mist-san's currently blue eyes meet his own.

"Crap," he breathes out thankfully in Japanese. He stands up quickly, mentally cursing Stranger-san because Tsuna knows he was the one who stuck his foot out, and, ignoring the wet spot where he has been lightly burned with the tea, he bows in an apology. "I'm so, so sorry. Let me pay for the tea, please."

When Tsuna looks up, Mist-san's lips are set in a tight line. He seems ready to snap some scathing words, but his eyes briefly meet the space around his neck and he stops. His expression turns considering and Tsuna can hear his heartbeat speeding up.

No one's supposed to be able to see the necklace.

"What about my papers? You ruined them."

Tsuna almost jerks back at the change of tone, no longer angry, and moves his gaze to the table where what looks like the kind of newspaper he never takes with him to his apartment. Mostly because it looks too complicated for him to understand with his basic Italian. And going by the weird and complicated scribbles Mist-san has obviously written in the borders of the page, he doesn't think he'd understand it even with a more advanced Italian. Especially when he notices there are a couple of numbers and weird formulas between all the jottings. Tsuna really hates math.

"I'll buy you another one, too." He stands up and turns to where Domenica-san is still standing. "I'll pay for the tea and the lunch after I return with the paper."

She nods and after leaving, Tsuna is once again glad he's not seen as a worker by others and his clumsiness is not tied with the hotel. He gives another brief nod to Mist-san before he goes running to the store, hoping he didn't see the necklace tightening the hold around his neck in silent comfort.

Just in case, he makes sure to subtly kick Stranger-san's chair when he passes by.

He trips again for his efforts.

- x -

"This doesn't solve anything," Mist–san grumbles with the new paper in his hands.

Tsuna nods his head sadly in understanding. The words and numbers Mist-san wrote on the borders are probably more valuable than the paper itself and now they are all wet. "I could re-write it if you'd like?" he offers.

Mist-san pushes both the dry paper and the wet one in his hands. "Start, then."

Surprised, Tsuna merely nods and does as he's told. His necklace is under his shirt and Mist-san is not looking at his collarbone, but he still remains tense as he works.

"So, um, what's this?" Tsuna asks after the silence between them grows uncomfortable. Mist-san doesn't look at him from where he's eating what Tsuna knows is an expensive meal he will have to pay for later.

"Stock market," he simple answers before returning to his meal.

It's like talking to Stranger-san.

"I've heard about it, but I'm not sure how it works…" he trails off in an attempt for the other to explain and maybe start a conversation. It obviously doesn't work. He tries for the direct approach a minute later, "So what does stock market mean?"

Mist-san gives him a withering glare. "You buy and sell stocks."

His confusion must have been pretty clear on his face because Mist-san looks even more annoyed.

"It's an investment. You buy a stock, a part of a company, and hold it until the profits go up because that means the price of your share goes up. Then, you can sell it for more than you paid for."

Tsuna surprisingly understands. A bit. It seems easy. Perhaps too easy "That sounds… nice? I thought the stock market was more complicated?"

"It is complicated. And hard. If there are more sellers than buyers, the price goes down and you can lose everything."

Oh, yeah. That sounds more like what he thought the stock market was about.

"One needs to know when to sell, hold, and buy. For that, having information about the company you're investing in is important. As is the political and socio-economic state of the place your stocks are in."

Aaand Tsuna is lost. He looks down at the words and numbers he's written and can understand why the other looked so annoyed. "I'm really sorry for… you know."

"Just finish with that."

Tsuna nods. Though he really wants to make up for it, possible stalker or not. Although… Mist-san mentioned how important information is. Maybe that's what he's doing? There have been quite a few very important looking people in the hotel for the last few days, after all. One could be the owner of a company Mist-san has bought a stock of.

That thought brightens him a little.

(The fact Mist-san is a stalker is still there, it's just easier to ignore. Tsuna doesn't want to think about how grey his view of life has turned for him to classify every person non-hell bent on world domination as normal.)

As he finishes writing the last numbers, Tsuna mentally pokes at his intuition to see if it knows a way he can help Mist-san. Usually, this doesn't work, but for some reason this time his intuition is oddly specific as it points him to a spot in the paper where the name of a company is.

"You should buy this one and hold it for… eight days. Yup, eight days," he says out of the blue as he returns the paper.

"It's a recent one," Mist-san answers as if that explains everything. It probably does.

Tsuna shrugs. "I've got a good feeling about it."

"That's not how it works."

And with those parting words, Mist-san stands up and leaves. The first time he's done so before Tsuna. He checks the hour on the clock of the bar and with an almost silent 'eep!' he runs to the counter.

Domenica-san gives him a pat on his shoulder when she tells him how much he has to pay. Tsuna sobs as he pulls his wallet out and makes sure to send his more hateful glare to Stranger-san, who is still sitting in the same spot eating some biscuit.

(The watering eyes and the pout are probably what makes Stranger-san snort. Tsuna still tries.)