andsuddenlydynamite | (no subject)

Convincing enough or not, Ryuutaro would be damned if he ever put any kind of trust in the wrong adults again. The past had taught him a lot better than that. Ryuutaro chose to not deepen this subject, living in the past wasn't his kind of thing.

"... is Sicily like here?", he asked casually. If anything, he at least wanted to imagine that place.

He let out another chuckle, "Sorta, it's a bit poorer, a lot of run down buildings, with a few really fancy estates like my old man's. Lot of stray animals too."

Stray animals... he supposed he was kind of a stray himself.

"In the summer it gets real hot, enough to drive you mad if you don't go swimmin' or somethin'. But it's spring now, so it's pretty cool, and there's a lot of rain. Lots of flowers bloom this time of year though. Farmers are harvesting oranges and olives and stuff. It's pretty nice.... if you're not dealin' with the people."

He took a deep breath and let out a sigh. It was strange to reminisce about it. It was so familiar to him, but also so very not. He had felt alienated in his own home, but he knew it like the back of his hand.

"Lot of the shops close down in the winter once the tourists are gone, but a few mom-and-pop shops are probably open. But it's pretty quiet this time of year..."

"That indeed sounds pretty nice... if you ignore the people, like you said."
For Ryuutaro that was even natural. Ignoring people was what he did. Even if he talked to them, he generally ignored the deeper meanings of their words. Or just denying the fact that they might have something to say in first place. It was a small miracle how someone like Ryuutaro even managed surviving in a business that should include sensitive talking to people.

And what Hayato said about the place Sicily in general, did really sound good to Ryuutaro. Except for the heat-part, but it wasn't summer.

"Yeah, I guess it is... haven't seen it since I was twelve though..."

He scratched his head a bit, "Well I guess four years ain't that long... but it feels like it's been ages..."

He had changed so much in those four years, Ryuutaro didn't even know just how much he had changed. Ryuutaro had never seen him when he was in the streets, and for that he was grateful. With all the Author's plots it was always a terrifying possibility. Even just a few months prior and Ryuutaro would have met him before he even considered his own life as something worthwhile enough to live for.

"I wonder what it's like now..."

"I know what you mean..."

It had also just been 4 years of him not being in Kyouto when they'd visited his home. And he'd felt like he'd been gone for centuries.. and at the same time like it hadn't been more than a single day.

Ryuutaro feels a growing urge to ask Hayato to go back there... But then he just has to think of his father, of fishing trips and the likes, and it honestly didn't feel like a very good idea anymore.

Hayato's eyes lingered on the boat, there was a part of him that wanted to back, to reminisce on the place he grew up. But that was stupid... but... there was one place in Sicily that he had felt safe, while it wasn't the main Vongola headquarters...

"I wonder if the Ninth's estate is there..."

He shook the thought away, and reluctantly started walking away from the boatyard, taking a few last glances.

"Come on, let's go."

Even if Hayato didn't seem convinced himself, Ryuutaro decided to follow him. His background was something different from Ryuutaro's, he wouldn't just ask to go there.

"The Ninth's estate?", he asked instead, hoping to get some more details on Hayato's past once again.

He smiled and nodded, "Yeah, the Ninth is the current head of the Vongola, he's the one who pulled me off the street."

He laughed a little, "If it wasn't for the Ninth I would have taken a bullet to my head."

And he paused, letting out a thoughtful sigh as he remembered the whole experience.

"I owe him a lot..."

After all, if it weren't for the Ninth he would most likely be dead... and if not dead he would still be on the streets... and he would have never met Ryuutaro. Even if the manor had pulled him away after he had been on the streets, he would have been such a little monster. Ryuutaro would have never bothered to waste his time on a thing like that...

"You were really fortunate to have met him..."

And thinking about it, Ryuutaro was also fortunate that Hayato had met him.
It was odd to think about what might have been, even only briefly.
Ryuutaro had lived under the assumption that everything happening was fate and could not have possibly happened any other way. It was an easy way, as he now realized. And maybe things weren't just quite as easy. Maybe. He'd need time to think all that over properly. And that time was just not now.

"If I didn't... and we met, we probably wouldn't have gotten together... I mean assumin' I lived that long."

He shook that thought away, "Y'now the first time I met the Ninth he actually kinda tricked me into playin' piano for someone while they were hurt."

And he paused thoughtfully for a moment.

"So I guess I have my mom to thank for that too..."

If his mother hadn't taught him the piano, then he wouldn't have been able to take over for Marco, the Ninth wouldn't have taken him in, he would never have joined the Vongola... and possibly he would have never met Ryuutaro. He owed her for everything good in his life, he really did.

and then it dawned on him... his mother's grave was probably in Sicily... if there was ever a time when he could find out where she was buried...

The piano. In the end it always seemed to be coming down to that.
Ryuutaro couldn't help but notice how Hayato fell quiet after mentioning his mother. Not that it was unusual.

"What are you thinking?", he asked. If Hayato didn't want to say it he could still answer something ~~like 'I wondered if green socks get lost easier in the washing machine'~~ random... It was an open enough question after all.

Like Hayato would never fib to his boyfriend ~~about anything not including his own personal well being~~. He's silent for another moment as he dwells on the matter a bit.

"....She's over there... and I... I know her name now..."

Then he just shakes his head. Ryuutaro wouldn't be happy there. It wasn't worth that. e casually just starts walking again.

"ah... just forget about it..."

"Why?", Ryuutaro tilted his head.

He was genuinely curious about the reason. What Hayato had said there made a lot of sense.
So what was the reason? Ryuutaro could imagine that it was the thought of his mother's grave alone, but then again... It was some kind of a chance again, even though a rather sad one.

He paused walking again, a blush spreading across his cheeks, "I... I never got to find out where she was buried... I guess it's the closest thing I'll ever get to seeing her."

He looked down. God he was so depressing.

"But forget about it. You... really wouldn't like Sicily...."

So what now? Ryuutaro himself was the reason or at least the excuse made? He couldn't help but think that it was slightly ridiculous. Princess-treatment or not, he could still deal with unpleasant stuff very well.

He huffed slightly. "If it's about that, I can assure you I'm very much capable of dealing with places I dislike."

On travels he couldn't expect only the nice places to turn up, not too mention Manor experiences...

He was getting to caught up in this. It probably was more an excuse than anything anyway.

He blushed and looked off to the side rubbing the back of his neck. To him Ryuutaro's happiness took priority over any personal matters, the same went for the Tenth. Heck, he would cut off his own arm for either Ryuutaro or his boss if it would make them happy.

"B-but I don't want to make you unhappy..."

That was when it was time for another fan-shush.

"I'm sorry, I missed the point where you became me and could know for sure what would make me unhappy", he smiled, "While yes, you know me extremely well, I'm still sure it won't be half as bad as you try to make it."

He took the fan back and sighed a bit.

"If you want to go, I'm going with you. It's simple as that."

He just stood there for a moment (after pulling on of his fantastic faces at the fan-shush of course), and stared at his boyfriend in surprise. He was... going back home, but not alone.

He was going to go home to see his mother, and he was actually going to have someone supporting him. It was such a new idea... he never thought...

And then a little smile spreads across his face, and he leans forward to press a kiss to Ryuutaro's lips and holds it there for a moment.

"Thank you."

And he turns to head back to the port, his grip tight on Ryuutaro's hand.

This was much better. Much, much better. And Ryuutaro's own curiosity would be satisfied as well.
"It's only natural", he replied as they started walking.

Ryuutaro took a deep breath, wondering what this would be like. Surely, difficult, but that was fine. His own trip home had been as well.

Naturally it took them no time to get back to the port, and Hayato got tickets for the ferry... though he did pay the guy a little extra to use fake names on them. He couldn't have it recorded anywhere that he went back to Sicily... he had a bad reputation and he couldn't alert any old enemies of his presence.

He then proceeded to walk with Ryuutaro up to the top deck where he found a spot to sit while the boat left port.

"Should only take about forty minutes to get to Messina..."

When the ship started moving Ryuutaro stood up from his seat, just enjoying the growing wind. Being on top deck like this was just too nice.
He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment.

"I see..."
It was a good length for this traveling. Not so long that they'd get too nervous, but long enough to just enjoy it a bit.

Hayato stood up and casually draped his arm around Ryuutaro's shoulders. He remained silent though, just letting his hair blow in the wind as he thought about going home...

It had been so long... he had always worked so hard to blend in with Japanese culture (and failed miserably), now he could just... fall back on what he knew. He had Ryuutaro with him too. He glace over at him and couldn't help but smile. He couldn't help but think of earlier in the day, his beautiful body, and his face- no make up, his hail wet and out of his face. And now, his pale flawless face, wind blowing through his hair and clothes...

Hayato was just so lucky.

Hayato smiled to himself and pulled Ryuutaro just a little closer, a blush spreading across his cheeks.

Ryuutaro leaned against him, smile growing wider.
He felt just so good right now. The last day had just been fantastic and all the happyness still floated through his mind.
Almost instinctively his hand made it's way on top of Hayato's. Whatever issues they might be related to his boyfriend's hands, Ryuutaro was very much fine with them the way they were.

His eyes remained closed as he turned his face to Hayato, just to find a more comfortable spot resting against his shoulder.

And their closeness.

Hayato brings his free hand to tuck a stray lock of hair behind Ryuutaro's ear before gingerly stroking his cheek. He resisted leaning down to kiss Ryuutaro in fear of disturbing his chosen resting place against his shoulder.

He wouldn't mind just spending the whole ferry ride just like this... and while he was a bit embarrassed to admit- Ryuutaro's feminine appearance would save them both a lot of grief. While he wouldn't call his boyfriend a girl... he had no intentions of correcting people who did. Thank god Ryuutaro didn't know Italian...

Ryuutaro only opened his eyes again some minutes later, to look at the sea. Whatever he might think about the people here, there was no denying that the country in itself was just quite beautiful.

This was just so amazingly peaceful. There was nothing to do other than to look, breathe and feel.
Who knew what was waiting for them when the ferry ride ended, they'd better just enjoy this.