A/N: This definitely turned less crack-ish that I thought it'd be. Oh well, enjoy~~

The Box Animals

Once they were sure that it was okay. They returned back to the kitchen with their box animals. Hibari-san's box animal was with them. Now that it was in human form, Hibari-san didn't seem too keen to take it back.

The girls were still fussing over Uri when they came back. It was the first time Gokudera really had a chance to see her. Long straight blonde hair down to her knees, she was as tall as Chrome Dokuro maybe. He wasn't too proud that she was a girl, but it was quite clear that she was a beautiful girl, and of that, he was proud.

Red eyes narrowed at him when she saw him looking. "What are you looking at? You hentai!" she snapped at him. Kyoko and Haru hovered over her protectively.

"H-Hentai?" he sputtered. "What do you mean by that huh Uri?"

"How many times did you try to take me to bathe with you?"

Gokudera blushed at the reminder. "I was just trying to keep you clean. Besides, how was I supposed to know that you were a girl? I thought you were a guy all along!"

Uri stuck her tongue out to him.

"Well, let's calm down," Yamamoto stopped the two from bickering. "It was an honest mistake, that's all."

When the two had settled down, the girls fussed over the other box animals. Jirou was an instant hit, since he managed to keep his dog ears, which the girls found extremely adorable. They also liked Natsu, since he was cute and has bright orange eyes. Roll was as quiet as his owner, his eyes gray like steel and Haru seem to be the only one who has the courage to approach him.

"Don't think that practice would be cancelled just because of this," Reborn told them, cutting off the festivities. He was perched above the table. "Tsuna, Lal is searching for you."

"Waah! I forgot! Lal's going to murder me!" he said, rushing out to avoid imminent death. "Natsu, stay with Kyoko-chan and the others," he said before running to the training room.

Yamamoto also stood up. "I guess I better get back to practice too," he said. "I'll be practicing with just Koujirou today."

Gokudera followed suit. "Don't you dare disturb me while I'm working," he warned before marching off.

"Well, we better get back to our own works," Kyoko said to Haru. "Uri-chan would you like to help us?"

"I'll pass," she said, glancing meaningfully at the chair Gokudera sat at before. "I want to take a bath on my own today."

"I'll help you," Natsu suddenly said. When the girls looked at him alarmed, he hastened to explain himself. "I mean in chores Kyoko-san, Tsuna told me to stay with you."

"Oh, then you'd help me cook,"

"Then I'm off to do the laundry-desu!" Haru said, waving at them before leaving the kitchen. Surprisingly, Roll stood up from his seat and followed her without a word.

Jirou suddenly looked forlorn, after losing all the attention. The light on his blue eyes dulled slightly and his dog ears dropped a little.

"Uhh...if you want you can watch me practice," Chrome offered to him. He immediately perked up, and the mist guardian was sure that if he had a tail, it would be wagging. "Let's go."

It was kind of Chrome to offer really, but the minute the mist guardian started her practice, she had completely forgotten about him. She probably didn't even notice that he left, it was a little lonely. It was then that he came across a familiar scent, he eagerly followed it, and sure enough...

"Uri!" he happily bounded inside Gokudera's room. Uri was lounged on her master's bed.

"What brings you here?" she asked, her mood already turning sour.

"Well, I got a little bit lonely when everyone left, so I thought I'd come over and play,"

"Sad that Chrome-chan left you alone?" she sneered, red eyes narrowing. Jirou tipped his head to the side, a dog habit he couldn't get rid off. Where was she heading with this?

"After Chrome started practicing, she completely forgot about me," he told her. "Kyoko-san and Haru had work to do too."

"So what? You came to me then, because everyone left you?" she asked harshly.

Jirou frowned. Why was Uri so upset at him? He only wanted to play a little bit with the others. It's not like he ignored her...suddenly, his dog ears stood up. He had just gotten an idea.

"Uri, could it be? That you were jealous?" he asked, hopefully.

As soon as his words left his lips, Uri immediately flamed. "Of course not, idiot"

"You're as rude as your master,"

"And you're as stupid as yours," she snapped back, but didn't stop him when he climbed on the bed too, and sat next to her. Jirou licked her ear affectionately.

Uri clawed him in the face.

From outside Gokudera's room, the rain and storm guardian was watching their exchange. Yamamoto remembered that Jirou easily gets lonely when left alone, while Gokudera had to get cigarettes from his room. But their box animals seemed to be having a moment, so they didn't want to intrude.

"I think she likes him," Yamamoto told him. He had a huge grin on his face.

"Of course not, idiot," he hissed. No box animal of his would fall for anything related to the baseball idiot. He considered entering—it was his room after all—but decided against it. He didn't want to be clawed like Jirou. Sulking, he went back to the library, he could do without cigarettes for today.

When Gokudera left, Yamamoto's smile turn a little bit wistful. Now, if only Uri's master feels the same.

"Thanks Natsu-kun," Kyoko thanked him for washing the dishes. The orange-haired boy smiled. "Really, you're just like Tsuna-kun," she told him. Both the master and box animal were quiet, gentle guys.

"Yeah," he agreed, looking at her.

"Is there something on my face?" Kyoko asked.

"Nothing, it's perfect." he said. He looked uncertain for a little bit, before he smiled again. "I really really like you Kyoko-san," he told her, before vanishing in a puff of pink smoke.

An orange flame zoomed past her to return to its master.

After the last clothes were hung out, Haru wiped her brow. She looked back at her assistant standing behind her.

"Thanks Roll-san," she said, as he helped her climbed down from the chair she used to stood on. "Good work."

The quiet boy simply nodded. Haru was starting to get used to him. He had followed her everywhere, and helped without being asked, nor offering to, actually. When she was having a hard time carrying the basket filled with clothes, he simply grabbed it from her hand and carried it for her. Then he looked back at her expectantly, as if telling her to lead the way. The same thing happened when she couldn't reach the clothes line, he snatched the shirt from her hand and hung it out for her.

She wondered if his master was also like this. She had only seen Hibari-san as a dangerous man, something you wouldn't want to cross, yet he was also one of Tsuna's allies, despite everything he says. She giggled.

Roll took a step closer to her, and as per usual, without saying anything, he leaned down to plant a chaste kiss on her forehead, before pink smoke exploded and a violet flame could be seen zooming past the scene.

For the first time, Haru was left speechless.

When dinner came, all the animal boxes had returned to their true forms. Natsu and Roll seemed to have returned to their boxes while Uri and Jirou were found sleeping, curled against each other on Gokudera's bed. Tsuna thought that it was a little regretful that they weren't able to bond with them, but everyone was busy for the upcoming Choice Battle. Besides, they can always see each other.

Tsuna stayed behind to help Kyoko wash the dishes. Haru was unusually quiet during dinner.

"Tsuna-kun, I think Natsu has a crush on me," Kyoko told him conversationally when the quiet stretch out for too long. Tsuna almost dropped the plate he was washing.

"Why? Did he say something?" he asked.

"Yeah, just a little," she said before giggling. Tsuna stared at her. Natsu has beaten him into confessing! To think that his box animal got there first before him. How pathetic.

He cleared his throat. "Kyoko-chan you told me this, that when I feel uneasy, my box animal feels uneasy too. And when I'm scared, it feels scared too."

"Yeah," Kyoko nodded, unsure what he was getting at.

Tsuna could feel his face flushing now. "The opposite is also true, when Natsu feels afraid of something, I become afraid too. "

"...And when Natsu likes something..." and at this, he forced himself to look straight in her eyes. "...I like it too," he said

And then, he went back to washing the dishes.

Reborn who was watching all this from the surveillance room shook his head. Tsuna couldn't even make a direct confession. As expected, he's still No-Good Tsuna.

"He still has a long way to go," he said, turning to Hibari who was also in the room with him, and had witnessed the entire scene.

"How worthless," the cloud guardian said, and with a swish of his coat, he walked out to return to his own base.

He looked at his own Vongola Box, and remembered Sasagawa's dark-haired friend, (he had also witnessed what happened between her and his box animal) and thought that although as much as he hated to admit it, his case maybe similar as that herbivore too.

A/N: Yeah, the ending came out somewhat rushed. And uhh..can anyone help me? (those who say yes, please continue reading, those who say no, jump to the last sentence)

I can't find the fanart I was talking about. Stupid me didn't save it. All I remember was that it has white background. Uri was seated at the middle and the three guys was standing around her. I describe it in the fic but for more details: Jirou had brown hair, blue eyes and dog ears with blue flame. His hair look like Syaoran's from Tsubasa Chronicles. Roll had gray eyes, and his hair was violet, it was styled in spikes like Ginji's when he's in Raitei mode (Getbackers). As for Natsu, he look like Tsuna except cooler maybe? I don't remember him anymore. He was wearing a red jacket I think. And quite frankly, Uri looked like Bluebell except her hair was blonde, and she had red eyes which were smaller/narrower. So there. Imaginary cookies to those who can help me find it, I'll send it to your dreams. Sorry for the babble. R&R please.