Author's note: Hi! So um, I know I have been neglecting this story. But I've found an opportune spot to pick it up. This is after Strange meets stranger in Catching the Solitary cloud. The two stories are now going to go hand in hand with one another. Enjoy ;)

Chapter two: Cool Kid

Her voice came amidst the blinding cloud of debris that filled the school entrance. It named one action, "run". Yamamoto Takeshi couldn't have agreed more. The toys that they make nowadays just seemed to get more and more realistic. So realistic to the point where they seemed to create physical explosions. The dusty air filled his throat and lungs and he bursted into a fit of violent coughs as he charged out into the clean air.

Through his obscured vision, he could make out the girl, Sawada Suzune far ahead. She seemed to be exchanging hurried words with Tsuna, her sandy hair glowing in the fading rays of sun. She ran fast, he realized absently. She could probably run the bases really easily, maybe even cover a homerun if she went a little faster.

"Is he gone?" She turned back and called out. Strands of stray hair covered her face from the force of the oncoming breeze.

From his place beside Yamamoto, Gokudera scowled. "Why did we have to run, stupid woman?" He complained angrily, "If that Hibari so much as laid a finger on, Jyuudaime, I would have killed him!"

She halted her run, hand shooting out and latched onto the collar of Tsuna's uniform. Her intelligent brown eyes never left Gokudera.

Tsuna made a strangled squeak as his momentum came to a sudden halted. "Suzune," he coughed, complaining, "what did you do that for?"

"How dare you disrespect, Jyuudaime!" Gokudera howled, his face scrunching into an angry scowl as he reached into his shirt. "Even if you are the CEDEF successor, I will not forgive you for stepping out of line."

The girl smiled, a glint of rebellion sparkled in her eyes. "Let's set things straight for the record, shall we? I really could care less what about the whole Mafia fiasco, I didn't even agree to participate in anything yet. But even if I did, Tsuna-nii is going to be Tsuna-nii to me, and I'm not about to treat him any differently because he's going to be some family's boss in some distant future. In fact, he could grow a third arm and sprout a pig's snout, I don't care. However other people view and treat him is their business. He won't be any different to me."

Everyone's eyes were on her now, gauging her as she spoke her mind. Her face grew serious as she declared that she was not going to alienate her cousin with some strange treatment. Out of the corner of his eye, Takeshi saw the kid, Reborn, let out a subtle smile of approval.

"You call yourself my cousin's right hand man, Gokudera Hayato-kun," Suzune continued, an uncharacteristic tone of thoughtful authority saturated her voice, "you treat him with reverence and deference but have you considered how that's affecting him?"

Takeshi tore his eyes from the girl and turned. Beside him, surprise flittered across Gokudera's face briefly before the scowl returned.

"Is it how he wants to be treated?" she didn't wait for an answer, "because the Tsuna-nii I know would want a friend more than he would a subordinate. Think about it."

A heavy silence clung in the air as Gokudera turned to face the left. His hands had transformed into a tight fist and a slightly defiant scowl glued itself onto his features. Throughout the exchange, Tsuna's eyes had revolved nervously between his cousin and Gokudera. Takeshi himself had observed uncomfortably, after all, he always enjoyed a light atmosphere. He understood the reason behind Gokudera's loyalty. Tsuna was the first person Gokudera had opened up to, or so Takeshi was told. Nonetheless, he kept silent, allowing spoken what needed to be said. She had been very insightful in her advice, Takeshi recognized this.

"Suzune, Gokudera-kun," Tsuna tried for a shaky appease, "stop, I'm fine, so..."

Gokudera turned to look with concern at the anxious boy. "Jyuudaime..."

Suzune had also directed her attention to the boy. A brief look of fondness crossed her eyes for a fraction of a second, before her face deliberately transformed into a mask of resigned annoyance.

Takeshi reigned back a smile, so this was how her personality worked.

"Reverence and deference is a good thing to have, but a happy medium is also important, Gokudera Hayato," Suzune sighed. She walked closer, one hand offered as a gesture of peace. Gokudera kept narrowed eyes trained on her as she continued, "it looks we're going to be working together from now on, so shall we make the best of it?"

"Gokudera-kun," Tsuna said uncertainly, brow furrowed with worry.

Gokudera's fiery demeanor fizzled at the sight. "Jyuudaime," he said again before turning back to Suzune. And wiith a frustrated, "tsk", he shook her hand.

She beamed. "You know, I seem to recall you saying something about killing Hibari. Shall we discuss the specifics of this mission over the dinner table? I'm hungry, Nana-san is making kitsune udon tonight, I think."

Takeshi let out a laugh. "Sounds like fun, mind if I tag along?"

Her bright gaze turned to him. "Only if you lend me your baseball bat," she winked.

It was a confusing request, but he grinned anyway. "Sure thing, what do you need it for?"

She laughed, "I'm going to bash Hibari over the head with it!"

Tsuna let out his usual "hiiiieeee" of terror, and began showering her with protests. Suzune stuck out her tongue in response and called him a scaredy cat.

It was then that the kid, silent all this time from his place on the wall, hopped onto her head. "Let's go," he ordered with a smile, "I'm hungry."

She rubbed her stomach, "I couldn't agree more." With that, she broke into a run, not bothering to call for the others to follow.

Yamamoto Takeshi grinned as he sped to catch up.

She was a cool kid.