the wind's hymn | paused

Chapter 13

"You dragged her brother with you?" Alec raises his eyebrow, clamping down the laughter trying to spill past his lips of the image as Wind curls around his wrists. "A-and he wants to see you after school?"

"Yeah," Tsuna nods with a resigned sigh, leaning back against the door to the rooftop.

The blond's eyes sweep down the dreary stairwell, glancing back at the lean brunet. Gokudera had left for a smoke and Yamamoto's teammates wanted him for a short conversation which left them alone since Reborn left to do something.

Damn his guilt.

"What makes you feel bad rejecting his offer?"

"I don't want him to hate me..." Tsuna mumbles, head falling into his hands.

"Why would you even think that?" Alec's nose scrunches up in disbelief. "You know what kind of person Kyoko's brother is. He respects passion."

"Which is why--" he pauses, looking up from his hands to the sandy blond's eyes--"Why're your eyebrows brown?"

Alec's face contorts incredulously. "Are you changing the subject or genuinely only finding out now I dyed my hair blonde?"

"You're not naturally blond?" Tsuna's jaw slack, head leaning forward slightly.

"I thought everyone knew already," Alec slouches a bit, eyebrows furrowing.

"Does that mean you're not French?"

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?" His eyes narrow in simmering offence, lips curling into a frown as he bolts to his feet, chest constricting. "No wonder I can't even get a shitty job around here."

"Eh?"

Alec swiftly makes his way down the steps, voice cold as Wind makes it project clearer. "Whine to Gokudera, he'll help you understand."

Goddammit, he does not want to think about it.

Hopefully, he can get to the nurse's office in one piece. She's the only staff who understands.

—•—

"We went job-hunting together. Applied to every suitable part-time job we could find. Fourteen vacancies. " Gokudera says when he asks, sitting down next to him with the smell of cigarettes spilling from his clothes. "He helped me with the research, application, interview practice and everything."

Tsuna quietly listens, head down and lips pursed with shame sitting heavy in his gut.

"His were all perfect compared to mine. Everything. He presented himself as the perfect one. Perfect skills, perfectly geared towards the job and company."

Gokudera inhales deeply, hand curling into fists. "He was only called back for three interviews. Because of his foreign name."

"What--" Tsuna snaps his head up, eyes wide.

"But they're racist fuckwits." Gokudera spits, rage raw in his voice. "Disgusting bastards. If it weren't for him I would've attacked them right then and there. They insulted him every moment until he spoke with polished, unaccented Japanese. Even after he left."

"D-did they say anything about his hair?" Tsuna whispers, voice wavering.

"Called him fake," Gokudera hisses, molten emerald eyes burning. "A lying delinquent who knows nothing but fighting. And it was the only time I've seen him furious."

"Furious?" Tsuna blinks. The only he's ever seen Alec closest to anger was disappointment. And that was when he walked away after his insensitive question.