Vongola Latte

I do not own KHR. Inspired by a double shot espresso and the Korean drama - Coffee Prince : (ONLY INSPIRED….I'm not going to copy it or anything --)

Chapter 1: 1st Cup – Prologue

Sawada Tsunayoshi furrowed his eyebrows.

Today. I will prefect this.

His hands became a blur as he moved along the stainless steel machinery. Drip. Drip.

Almost…Finished!

Tsuna smiled at his work. And then --

"THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!!"

Tsuna frowned at the 26th cup of coffee he had made and sighed, "It was too hot by 2 degrees…"

He bowed his head and wailed, "I will never get to that man's level if it goes on like this!!"

Tsuna sniffed and passionately raised his shaking fist, "I will get this down!! I WILL DO THIS WITH MY DYING WILL!!" then Tsuna stopped reevaluating the situation.

His thoughts raced, "But… it's pretty impossible to make this damn cup of coffee-- BUT I NEED TO DO THIS…But…this is the 26th time...ARGH!"

Tsuna continued to mentally fight with himself, trying to decide what to do.

Sawada Tsunayoshi.

24 years old.

Was an aspiring barista.

Now a newly qualified barista.

And is presently crying over his failed new creation of latte art.

How exactly did the fish, jump into the coffee world?

Well….

19 years ago. Start Flashback.

5-year-old Tsuna stared in wonder at the spiky gray-hair man with a pointy beard, making coffee for his parents. His hands deftly made to-die-for-coffee. Using rich and rare beans, it filled the air with bittersweet fragranty goodness. Though, the small child could careless about all this, for he was fascinated in the pictures the old man was making.

"Ne, ne… why do you make pictars in Mommy's and Daddy's dwinks?" A little Tsuna looked up at the elderly man, fiddling with one of the frills on his shirt.

The man's eyes crinkled in amusement as looked at the child behind the counter and answered, "Because that's my job."

"Making pictars in dwinks?" Tsuna tilted his head.

"Yes."

"Why? Isn't it bowing?" Then the man laughed.

"No, it's because I feel happy making it. That's why it's never boring." He looked at Tsuna who 'ooohhhed'. Tsuna continued to watch the man prepare the drinks, while he fingered an annoying piece of cloth that clung in his hair.

One drink had a detailed leaf pictured in the coffee, it was almost as if there was a real leaf that fell in the cup and landed there. Another had a half-bloomed rose, with a number of thorny vines decorating the back of it.

"That's amazing! I want to twy(try) that!" Tsuna grinned toothily, watching the man create his art with a simple toothpick.

"Do you want to try?" The man implored, trying to not chuckle at the boy's antics.

"Weally?" Tsuna looked up with hopeful eyes. The elder smiled, and prepared a cup of hot chocolate instead of coffee, and went around the corner, setting it in front of him.

"Now," he said handing Tsuna a metal toothpick, "dip this in the dark part and lightly draw in the white part of the drink." He guided Tsuna's hand and made a small fish.

"Wahh!! Fishie! It's a fishie!" Tsuna gasped. Timoteo laughed at his grandson's actions, while Sawada Nana and Sawada Iemitsu walked in.

"Mommy! Daddy! Look! Look! I made a fishie!!" Tsuna climbed down from the stool, grabbing onto his mother's pant-leg, eager for them to see. Timeoteo watched wih amusement as his parent's brightly agreed with the work Tsuna was so pleased with.

"Iemitsu, I made your coffees, they're sitting right here."

"Thank you!" Iemitsu replied walking towards, pulling away from his family. "So? What do you think Mr. Vongola's – 9th - Boss? Should we make him a barista and have him take over Vongola?"

"In time… but we should wait a bit, he's still quite young for coffee anyways…and please, titles are nothing, we aren't much different Mr. Vongola's Outside Advisor." Timeoteo replied and turned to look at Tsuna who was drinking the hot chocolate away, while his mother wiped away the drink that dribbled down Tsuna's little chin.

Timeoteo sweatdropped, "But first… I suggest you dress him, in boy clothes."

Iemitsu laughed nervously scratching the back of his hand, "It's Nana's hobby." For Tsuna was clad in a dress and wore leggings underneath, with a ribbon tied in his hair.

"Ah… But customers are starting to think otherwise." And the two men chuckled, remembering Tsuna's horror-stricken face when a customer told him what a cute little girl he was.

"It's too bad we're leaving so soon, Italy's such a fine place." Iemitsu smiled, suddenly a brown blur was found on his legs.

"We're leaving?" Tsuna's eyes looked up at his father.

"Yes Tsu-kun, we're going back to Japan. Why, what's wrong?" Iemitsu picked up his son, whose eyes were flickering with disappointment.

"I want to stay here!" Tsuna replied, "I want to stay! Oji-san makes the bwest dwinks in the whole wide wold!"

"Now, now, don't you want to go home?" Timeoteo ruffled the boys surprisingly soft spikey hair, laughing ever so slightly at the random ribbon in his hair.

"I wanna stay hewuh! Cuhs Oji-san's stowuh is cool!"

"Well, you can come and visit all the time, if you do one thing." The 9th said mysteriously.

"What? What do I hafta do?" Tsuna asked eagerly looking into his grandfather's eyes, Iemitsu sighed and smiled as he looked at his adoptive father.

"Do what I do." Timeoteo said nonchalantly.

"Huh?"

"Become a famous barista, Tsuna." The 9th looked at his grandson earnestly, "and become a great one."

--Flashback end--

Tsuna was alas, finally a barista…but….

"WHOA!" Tsuna smiled, he had just perfected it, on the 27th cup, he finally got it down, but he started twitching as he thought about the past failed ones… Why is it that every time he tries to make a new cup of coffee, it's usually perfect by the 27th cup!? Tsuna sighed again, deciding now is not the time to think about it. He had other things to do.

"I guess it's time…" Tsuna breathed as he strolled over to the door.

Tsuna decided.

He was going to do what his grandfather asked of him.

He was going to become a well-known barista.

….And he's going to start, by going to the most well-known and most popular coffeehouse in Namimori – Vongola Latte.

Author's Note -- Yo guys : So this idea came when I was on a sugar rush and was drinking a double shot espresso in a can (sexy things I may add :D keep you up till 5am in the morning guaranteed!) And remembering random tidbits of Coffee Prince (yay for shameless advertising!) Anyways, I hope you enjoyed Please review? –puppy dog eyes- onegaishimasu? Haha, oh yea….can you IMAGINE a little Tsuna in a dress LOL. I thought it was funny…. Anyways, thank you for readinnnng! Here's a preview of the next chapter :D!!

Preview for Next Chapter: 2nd Cup

"Is this normal?" Tsuna gulped as he watched the chaos that was unfolding in the well-know coffeehouse. For he only knew it was the most well-known, but it would actually be the first time he was visting.

"Oh? Actually this is pretty toned-down…usually Yamamoto, Gokudera, and Ryohei join in the fight too. But, this what makes the place fun and famous anyways, the boss is really lax….but I swear, I think he tries to make them fight with each other sometimes. " The waiter, now said Miura Haru smiled, shaking her head at the boss' antics, "Anyways, what would you like me to get you today?"

"A-Actually…I was hoping I could ask for a job as a barista." Tsuna asked, scratching his cheek bashfully. Suddenly, it turned absolutely silent in the coffeehouse, making Tsuna sweat a couple beads, and ready to bolt out of the place. "W-well I mean—" everyone in the joint cut him off.

"REALLY?!"