Boss hesitated in front of the door. He kept replaying last summer with Chrome in his head. He turned the knob, adding a click to the door.

He cleared his throat, and dropped his headphones to his neck. He opened the door to her club room. She was painting by the farthest corner window. Boss walked through the art room to her, apologizing for his fumbling steps, accidently interrupting their work.

She was always the hardest to reach.

"Hello, Boss." She absently acknowledged, cleaning her brush, in cup of water by her stand. "Shouldn't you be with Haru." It wasn't really a question either. She only focused on her work, but the curiosity of another girl was... none of her business. She kept reaffirming to herself. 'Boss is Boss.' Although she was weary for an answer after the note she left him. She wanted something real.

Tsuna leaned on the wall next to her, gazing through the window. Thinking of the question.

"You said you passed out, hanging out with Hibari, ne?" She teased for once, deciding not to pressure him.

"Y-Yea?" He rose an eyebrow. She knew it was more or less a lie, he told her that morning. He cringed and laughed?

She was drawing a cave, acting as a cozy den. It was snowing outside. A lion cub and hedgehog were curled up for warmth that night.

"Chrome did you really?"

"Nani? Isn't that the truth?" The mist mused. He was about to grin and reply at her joke, until he spotted an owl in the painting. It was perched on a branch in the distance from the den entrance. It was camouflaged with snow. The only give away were the eyes. You could begin to make an outline. It wasn't noticeable, only if you really focoused past it, once you did, you realize the owl had been staring right back at you the whole time.

Boss averted his eyes from the lifeless painting to Chrome. He felt a twisted pang in his heart. She was wearing it... again.

"I was thinking about that morning." She mumbled feeling him stare at the earring, she was uncomfortable but also relieved he noticed. "I wish I was there." It was honest, a rare tone in her alluring voice.

"That explains the owl." Tsuna tried to lighten up the mood. He grinned after her pineapple spike's sharpened with embarrassment.

"Y-You see it?"

He nodded, leaning down to her and the painting, as he kept his eyes on the owl. "It has the same eyes as you." He whispered the observation, fascinated by the layers of complexity in a painted owl's eyes.

She ignored the breath tickling her neck from his words. She nodded, her pineapple spike's played with his brown locks. "I don't want it to be obvious, but I still want to include it. For myself." She explained.

Tsuna hated that her paintings held an honesty she couldn't express with words.

The door to the art room opened again. All the club members suddenly grew nervous. Chrome and Tsuna were the only ones not terrified, not as terrified, per say. "Hibari, what are you doing here?" The disciplinary committee behind him would be a little troublesome though.

Chrome began to pick up her things. "Oh Boss, I assumed you were going to stay in the news club, like you have lately. So I asked Hibari-san to walk me home today." She paused with a cute eyelash blink, and fingers to he lips, with an idea. "But we should all go together, like usual." Her bangs swayed across her eye patch, giving a small smile.

"Oh... Yeah." Tsuna smiled. He honestly didn't want to go to the club room.

The disciplinary committee made a straight path from the door way to Chrome's area. It disrupted the other students and caused Chrome to innocently cringe.

"You're in the way." A member harshly shoved Tsuna back from Chrome and her painting. He reverberated off the window.

Hibari instantly narrowed his eyes at the member who did that.

Chrome clasped her hand over her mouth. "Boss!" Wide eyed.

The other students didn't want to pay attention to it. He was Dame-Tsuna, it was a daily occurrences.

His eyes were shadowed by his hair. He slouched against the window. He stood up, walking around the committee. "I'll see you guys outside." He mumbled, rushing out of the room. He slung his school bag over his shoulder and walked to the door. Kusakabe had a frown at the situation. Tsuna had a no good reputation, but had a good character.

"Excuse me." Boss's voice was deeper and more scratchy. The few members blocking the doorway nudged for a moment.

They glanced at the pipsqueak. His arua was an intense rush of heat.

His eyes were resolved. His hands were still bandaged but held a strong grip on his school bag strap.

They grunted, but made way for the no good kid. He was another delinquent, like Gokudera.

"Thank you." He quickly shuffled out, not trying to make a scene, more than he was. Both Hibari and Tsuna glanced at eachother as he passed through the door way.

Tsuna was chilling in front of the school gates. 'I should of just waited for them here, like usual. I've been overstepping alot lately...' And for what reason? 'Maybe Hana was right. I have no idea what I'm doing.'

He was holding the school bag strap slung across his chest with both hands, tapping his index fingers to the rythem of the rain.

His hair was damp. It still kept his eyes shadowed. He lowered his head, hearing a quiet scolding echo from yesterday.

"...I forgot my umbrella, again..." He felt numb mumbling that to himself. Even though he knew Yuni took it.

"You obviously would, Dame-Tsuna." Hana teased. She had her umbrella up, sheltering both of them.

"Oh, it's you." He waited for her sarcastic remark... It never came. "...Thanks." He added.

"Hahaha, I knew it! You're still a softie." She held her side, and thrusted her umbrella to him. He rolled his eyes, grabbing it as she tried to contain her laugh. She wiped her eye with a small smile. "You never change."

"Neither do you, Hana-chan." He held the umbrella over them. His other hand was leaning on the wall behind her, keeping her in the moment, under the umbrella's serenity. She gasped a familiar moan at how close they were. The rain bouncing off her umbrella had a silencing vocal of its own, blocking out the weather.

Their eyes were hidden. Their breathes came out from condensation. A rain drop away.

Tsuna hesitated at the edge of her lips.

He backed away with a smirk. She tried to scowl, but her tinted cheeks revealed the truth. She was about to start a verbal battle with him. "God, you're as immature as ever-"

He shut her up, capturing her arguing lips. She had wide eyes, letting herself be backed up, against the wall. Her eyes dropped to a half lidded gaze, until closing completely.

She only decided to push away his chest, after they began to break the kiss. "Like I said, immature." She pouted her lips, gazing to the side with a hue of pink.

"I missed that the most." He whispered.

She rolled her eyes. "What, those brief moments of confidence?"

His lips lifted in a smirk. "No, when I actually got you to shut up."

They shared a laugh, creating a comfortable atmosphere. She sighed, leaning against the wall. "Sorry I tricked you into helping with the festival. I wanted to volunteer, but I kind of wanted you there."

He scrunched his eyebrows. He then thought about that. 'Wait, she tricked me into helping... then waved off Chrome... then volunteered herself. That manipulative!.. But I guess, I understand why she would do it.' "I remember why we broke up."

"...You think about it too sometimes."

They both stared down at the only dry ground beneath them, sheltered by the umbrella.

"But..." One whispered.

"Yea..." So did the other.

"Sorry for making you wait Hana! But me and Haru-" She ran out of the gates, looking for her. Her cheeks heated up. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." Kyoko covered her eyes.

Tsuna cringed. 'Why is it always her.'

"K-Kyoko." Hana fidgeted politely away from Tsuna, fixing her clothes.

Kyoko drew her hand to keep her secretive lips. "Nani? But Tsuna-kun, I thought... you know what, never mind." She giggled, tilting her head.

Tsuna bit his lip in frustration at Kyoko. She knew more than he would like to share. Hana had a light pink on her cheeks. She scooped her umbrella out of his hands, power walking to Kyoko with a forced scowl. "Goodbye Sawada." It was a bittersweet formality.

He leaned against the wall. "I'm always here you know." He replied with a wave, mocking her tease from earlier that day.

"Hello Boss, I hope you weren't waiting long." Chrome and Hibari showed up, before Kyoko and Hana left.

"Hm, oh no. I was, um, talking with Hana." He pushed off the wall, walking to the two.

"Ne, Hana, we live close to Chrome-chan's apartment. Don't you think, we should all walk together." She clasped her hands to the joyful idea. She especially waited for Tsuna-kun's response.

Hana only nodded, hoping Kyoko would quietly ignore what she saw her doing with Sawada.

Chrome didn't deny or confirm. She walked with empty steps over shallow puddles.

Tsuna had narrow eyes. "I guess, Kyoko-chan." He would rather avoid her, by taking the train, but her words had a way of swaying others. A kind lips lullaby could sooth the most damaged souls. The irony of such an ugly personality having a sweet ability.

Hibari almost growled. He hated crowding and was a noticeable distance away. Both Chrome and Tsuna tried not to sweatdrop. He was more comfortable with only either of the two.

It was a quiet walk.

Kyoko held a smile, glancing every once in a while to the rainy sky.

Hana and Tsuna shared brief sarcastic remarks, back and forth, forcing something normal. Chrome was silently reviewing the script of the play. They woud begin producing the sets on Monday. She wanted an idea of the themes she wanted to present.

Tsuna and Hibari shivered at the evil intent of the script Haru and Kyoko drafted. "Hibari-san is playing Boss's love interest?" Their bodies knew before they did!

"Nani?!" Boss ripped the script from her pale hands.

"Eh, Boss?"

He scanned the lines. Mortified. "Kyoko-chan, what the fuck is this?"

She blinked, slightly confused. "But there was no one opposed to it during the meeting."

Boss cringed, his eye twitching. "When I was sleeping...?"

She nodded. "Hmp."

"Oi... Hibari why didn't you say anything?"

"Oh, he was sleeping too, and we didn't wake him for fear of being bitten to death." Kyoko added.

Hibari was trying his hardest not to break his calm face.

Chrome sweatdropped. "It's ok Boss, it's just a play right?"

"That's it... I'm involving myself, before you guys make it worse."

Hana crossed her arms. "It's your own fault for napping and ignoring opportunities to speak up."

"But I did." 'And came up with the stupid crossover crap.'

"You sure did, Hamlet." Hana elbowed him.

They walked Hana and Kyoko to their homes respectively.

Hibari started to walk besides them, after the crowd was gone. It wasn't a long to her apartment. They walked up the stairs to her floor in silence. They never needed to say anything.

"Thank you." She spoke, unlocking her door. Tsuna was glancing off the railing to the city view. It was an unwanted nostalgic view. "Do you want to come in for tea." Another unwanted nostalgia. A reminiscent tone in the phrase from her lips.

Both Hibari and Tsuna properly declined.

"Goodbye, Boss, Hibari-san." It was a shy click, closing the door. Chrome quietly placed the back of her head against the door, with a drop of her shoulders. It was so hard keeping the lies up. "I can't decide." What Kyoko had told her eariler that day, kept echoing in her thoughts. 'Hibari-san likes me... but Boss is...' She slumped down, hugging her knees. "What do I do Mukuro-sama..." And she hated herself because she still wanted to depend on him.

Tsuna was slightly uncomfortable. They were sharing an umbrella. Hibari took the vice-chairman's. He straightened his face. This would be the best time to talk about Chrome. But what would he even tell him.

"Um, Hibari..."

He turned his eyes to him, acknowledging the small animal.

Tsuna hesitated, glaring down, rubbing his elbow. "D-Don't worry, I'll get Haru and Kyoko to change the script."

Hibari ignored him and stared forward.

'Of course, Hibari wouldn't care about those things. Why can't I just be honest with him...' But Tsuna already knew why. He didn't want to lose this one friendship he built. This fragile, almost nothing of a friendship, friendship.

Before he could resolve himself to break the quiet atmosphere, they arrived at Tsuna's home. They stood at the front gate. Hibari was most likely waiting for a goodbye or phrase referring to that.

"H-Hibari, last summer," He tried to force out fast, but it slowly broke down. "Um, did... did Chrome ever visist you? You know... after her and Mukuro..." Finishing the rest with body language.

Hibari's expression never changed. He glanced down the road, at Sawada's home, at him, before deciding on the ground beneath his own feet. "She did."

His eyes grew into vivid orbs before his bangs shadowed them. "Oh... Um," He forced down a realization with a harsh gulp. "I was just curious... See you tomorrow Hibari." Tsuna turned around trying to get away.

Hibari whispered, but his voice was drowned out by the rain. He sighed, closing his eyes. Sometimes, what's most important is better off, left unheard. He started walking, leaving Sawada for a loss of words.

'I was right. This isn't friendship... for none of us...' But he was always the first to cave.

We just wanted to share the peaceful sky on the roof. How do things so simple always ended up so broken? Maybe it was never simple, maybe we covered up the truth with a simple blanket of a lie. Maybe we just wanted something simple to hold onto... but I don't know what I what to face anymore. The simple mask we all wear to keep on going, or the web of truths we pretend isn't there.