Title: Reminiscence
Summary: Tsuna broke up with Giotto ten years ago and disappeared without a word. Ten years later, they meet on their respective vacations, but this time, Giotto isn't giving up without a fight. Not to mention; G and Asari still didn't know what happened ten years ago…
Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman Reborn! belongs to Akira Amano
Pairing: G27
Warning: AU; OoC-ness
AU NOTES: Close to canon; all Mafia and Dying Will flames exist. The only thing is, Giotto and Co. aren't the founders of the Vongola Famiglia and Giotto is in no way related to Tsuna. Also, this is set TYL ―Tsuna is twenty-four, and the rest of the ages follow canon wherever applicable.
OTHER NOTES: "…Blah blah blah…" denotes speech in Japanese; "…Blah blah blah…" denotes speech in English.
Reminiscence
"Hello! Welcome to Sugar Tuna Shack!"
Giotto smiled at the receptionist and nodded. "Thank you. Table for three, please."
Sugar Tuna Shack was a little café wedged in between two fashion boutiques that specializes in teas and desserts. They are also famous for their premium roast, whose recipe was said to be treasured by the owner of the café itself. As a café, brown was its main interior color scheme. The walls were covered in brown wallpapers, with shades that become lighter with every wave down the wall. The bar of the counter faced café's entrance, an arch leading into the kitchens in the back. A clear glass displayed showed off the café's impressive range of cakes, all of which were freshly baked on the day itself. The café was small and quaint, established from the small number of booths. There were only five booths, three against the clear full-glass panels that showed off the surrounding streets, while the remaining two were against the same side of the wall where the bar counter sat. Another door at the far wall, in between the two rows of booth, led somewhere else inside the shop, though to where, it wasn't known.
The receptionist, a young woman in her early twenties, nodded with another hundred-watt smile. With the same smile, she directed them to middle booth against the full glass and politely passed them a menu each, before bowing and stepping away to serve other customers.
"See, G? This place is lovely, isn't it, Asari?" Giotto asked.
"Certainly." Asari nodded. "You really shouldn't have called it shoddy, G."
"Fine, fine. I apologize for calling it shoddy. But really, the name is just… odd. Sugar Tuna Shack, really?" G arched an eyebrow.
"I think it's unique." Giotto replied.
"Agreed." Asari smiled.
"Fine! Go ahead! Team up against me!" G grumbled.
Expectedly, Giotto and Asari burst into laughter.
Giotto, G and Asari Ugestsu had been best friends for over a decade now. Giotto and G hailed from Italy, and they had met Asari when they had gone over to Japan as foreign students. Unexpectedly, the trio had struck up and had stuck together since.
Giotto was the 'leader' of the trio; with a sunny deposition that matched his bright blond locks, Giotto had a charming personality and was someone who was impossible to dislike, yet alone hate. Everyone got along well with him and he was easily the most popular male back in high school. G had been Giotto's best friend even before the duo had met Asari, and like the blond, had red hair that matched his fiery personality (it honestly looked pink, but G insisted that it was red). He almost never left Giotto's side (it was his belief that his idiot of a best friend would do something idiotically suicidal, therefore justifying why he needed to stay by the blond's side) and some even secretly nicknamed him Giotto's "Right-Hand man". Asari was the only Japanese of the group, but nationality did nothing to deter their friendship. The man's friendly personality and ever-present smile had stood out to Giotto and the two had become friends easily enough.
It was ten years later, after much whining and begging from the blond, did they finally go on a vacation together. Giotto had wanted to visit London for many years now, and G finally gave in three months back. It was their second day in London, and after a good while of walking and visiting national monuments, they had finally decided to take a break somewhere. And Sugar Tuna Shack, as unique as the name sounds, was the first thing that caught the eyes of Giotto and Asari.
"So, have you decided what you would have, sirs?"
Giotto smiled at the waitress. "We'd like one espresso, one Earl Gray and one Lady Gray. That'll be all for now."
"Thank you. I'll be back with your orders soon." The waitress bowed and left.
Scarcely a minute had passed before another waitress came back, strangely with none of their orders in sight. With a smile, she introduced herself as the owner of the café, Amelia, and proceeded to ask an unexpected question. "Do you, by any chance, know a Sawada Tsunayoshi?"
Giotto felt his heart stop. G and Asari glanced at their best friend worriedly. Giotto managed to recover his composure quickly though, and as he shot his best friends a reassuring smile, he answered, "Yes, I know him. Japanese… brunet, I assume?"
"Yes, that's him." Amelia smiled. "So you must be his boyfriend!"
G nearly snarled at the lady, but a firm hand on his wrist held him back. Giotto forced on another smile, "No, I'm afraid I'm not. We… broke up years ago."
"Oh!" Amelia gasped into a hand. "I have no idea. That Tsunayoshi―"
"―most certainly did tell you." A voice ―a painfully familiar voice― came from behind Amelia. "You just weren't listening again."
Amelia gasped again and spun around to see a young man in his early twenties, with chocolate brown hair and hazel eyes staring at her with mild disapproval in his eyes. "Tsunayoshi!" Amelia smiled brightly and tackled the brunet, who nearly stumbled at the 'hug'. "You haven't been here for ages!"
"As much as I want to visit, I live in Italy, remember?" Tsunayoshi sighed. "And you. What were you saying earlier?"
"Curiosity?" Amelia grinned playfully.
"Why did I even bother?" Tsunayoshi sighed dramatically.
"You love me that way." Amelia stuck out a tongue.
"Can't disagree with that." Tsunayoshi chuckled. "Now, be good and get me my usual. Add a double-shot espresso and a tiramisu to it."
"If you take that much coffee, your Guardians will be mad again." Amelia reminded. "Where are they, anyway? It's rare to see you alone." Amelia thought for a moment before correcting herself, "Actually. This is the first time I've been you alone."
"I snuck out of the estate. I'd imagine they're still trying to hunt me down." Tsunayoshi grinned, slipping into the booth across the dumbstruck trio. As Amelia pouted and skipped away to the counter to prepare the order, Tsunayoshi glanced over and nodded in greeting. "Asari-san, G-san." He paused, staring into the wide amber eyes. "…Giotto."
"What are you―"
"―Tsunayoshi-san." Asari cut into G's snarl, "It has been a while."
"That is certainly… an understatement." Tsunayoshi murmured. "It has been ten years… I certainly never expected to meet you again. Let alone here… in London."
"Unsurprising. Anyone can visit London." Asari replied.
"True." Tsunayoshi nodded. "Please excuse me for a moment." He pulled out his cell phone and pressed speed-dial one, speaking without even a greeting, "Please come down here. It's disturbing to have you watching me like that because none of your victim lives." Tsunayoshi winced suddenly, glaring at his phone before snapping it shut and tucking it back into his jacket. With another pleasant smile, he turned to the trio and asked, "So… what brings you here to London?"
"Vacation." G bit out. "I'm sure there's nothing wrong with coming to London for vacation, right?"
"Of course not." Tsunayoshi replied. "It was just… curiosity."
"We have a saying. Curiosity killed the cat."
Tsunayoshi chuckled, "Well, it's a good thing I'm not a cat then."
Amelia pouted as she stopped over at the trio's booth first, setting down a cup of espresso, Earl Gray and Lady Gray, before turning around and serving Tsunayoshi's café mocha, a slice of strawberry shortcake, double-shot espresso and a tiramisu. "Is that all, Boss?" Tsunayoshi nearly choked on his café mocha, shooting gleeful-looking Amelia a murderous glare over the top of his cup. "What? I thought this Lady Boss should show the Boss that she's hardworking and making this place a success."
"Yes, well. Call me Boss again, and I'll pull out." Tsunayoshi threatened. "I have enough of people calling me Boss back home, thank you very much."
"It is only respectful to address the Boss as such, idiot."
"There, yes. Here, no." Tsunayoshi grumbled. "How long have you been following me, Reborn?"
Reborn, a handsome man in his late-twenties, smirked and slid wordlessly into the opposite end of Tsunayoshi's booth. He had inky black hair mostly-hidden under a pure black fedora with an orange ribbon running around the bottom of its crown, with two distinctive sideburns that curled inwards with a bounce. Even in a neatly-pressed black suit with yellow polo and black tie, the man did not look out of place, though a small green chameleon resting on the brim of the fedora certainly did.
"Reborn…!" Tsunayoshi whined.
Reborn quirked an eyebrow and unceremoniously hit the brunet over the head, chiding, "Bosses do not whine." A glance at Tsunayoshi. "…nor pout." Deliberating taking a sip of his double-shot espresso, Reborn slowly took his time before finally replying, "Since your first night here."
Tsunayoshi's fork dropped with a clang as he coughed harshly. Amelia chuckled at the scene and quickly excused herself, while the trio across watched quietly.
Reborn didn't seem to care much and went on, "It's rather easy to find you. Simply not wearing your ring wouldn't help, you know. You're considered our world's version of a celebrity." The raven smirked and casually took a bite of his tiramisu. "By the way, I've arranged for Colonnello and Lal Mirch to come in after your… 'vacation'."
Tsunayoshi, thankfully, had long since gotten the idea that he shouldn't be drinking or eating anything any time soon, and was spared the agony of choking again. He stared at the raven in disbelief. "But… My Guardians…"
"Plus two Arcobaleno, yes. Well, former Arcobaleno." Reborn smirked.
"…I'll die!" Tsunayoshi groaned.
"You should have expected it." Reborn replied smoothly. "Your Guardians nearly had a heart attack ―your dearest Right-Hand man, especially. What were you thinking, leaving with only a note behind."
"…Wouldn't be the first time," G snorted under his breath.
"G…!" Asari glanced at him in disapproval.
"What? I'm not lying." G retorted heatedly.
Unexpectedly, Tsunayoshi broke out into giggles while even the sides of Reborn's lips were lifted slightly in amusement. Asari glanced at them with an arched eyebrow, G had a look of utter confusion on his face, while Giotto… still looked rather shocked from before, and had yet to snap out of it.
"My apologies…" Tsunayoshi managed between giggles. "It's just… nice to see that the three of you are still the same."
"But you're not…" Giotto murmured. It was soft, but with an ability to lip-read, Tsunayoshi managed to 'hear' it, nevertheless. G narrowed his eyes.
"…Tsunayoshi-san…!" Asari called abruptly and urgently. Tsunayoshi glanced over with a quirked eyebrow, though he had mostly anticipated the question going to be asked. "…Please… Please tell us. What… exactly happened… ten years ago…"
Tsunayoshi let out a soft sigh as he gently placed his cup down on the table. He flicked his eyes over to Reborn, who shrugged, signaling that he should do whatever he wished. Tsunayoshi grumbled softly and turned over to the trio across. "I don't mind, but… are you sure?" He asked. "I mean, it probably isn't any different from… what he told you."
"…This idiot never told us what happened." G growled lowly.
"…I-I see…" Tsunayoshi released a breath and leaned back in his seat. "…Alright then. I'll tell you what happened… ten years ago."
"Thank goodness. We finally got rid of them." Fourteen-year-old Tsuna sighed, practically hanging from his boyfriend's arm. "They are way too persistent."
"They're like your personal bodyguards or something." Fifteen-year-old Giotto replied, chuckling softly. "G and Asari were easier to take care of. Yours… they stick to you like glue. I'm starting to feel a little jealous…" Giotto pouted.
"Just a little?" Tsuna arched an eyebrow. "I feel so loved."
Giotto laughed and leaned down to peck his boyfriend on the lips. "You know I love you more than anything." Giotto murmured against the brunet's lips. "To think that rude little kiddo was such is now my adorable boyfriend… I feel so lucky."
Tsuna blushed at the blond's mushy words, burying his bright-red face in his boyfriend's arm. "G-Gio…~" He whined softly.
"You are just so adorable." Giotto chuckled as Tsuna's face darkened further. "Come on, let's have cake today."
Tsuna shot right up, eye shining with hope. "Cake? As in, the one in market street? The one everyone was talking about?"
"Yes, that one. Really, you and your sweet tooth…" Giotto sighed, a tinge of exasperation in his voice.
"You love my sweet tooth." Tsuna quipped back.
"That I―"
Their conversation was cut off by the men who surrounded them suddenly. It was then did Tsuna realized that Giotto had directed them to a quieter route and along the way, the people had all disappeared. The brunet cursed himself mentally for not being more alert. He knew that in the event that his Guardians weren't around, he should never go into quieter routes and yet, he let himself be distracted, and now, they were going to pay for it. Tsuna ignored the part of his mind that reminded him that his tutor was going to kill him later and focused on what was going on now.
"…Yes?" Tsuna asked calmly.
There were two men standing a few steps in front of them, but Tsuna could sense at least eight more surrounding the area. The brunet cursed again mentally and tightened his hold on Giotto, directing the blond to the nearest turn when the two men did not answer. In hindsight, Tsuna realized that he made the stupidest move ever: showing his back to the enemy. (Another thing for his tutor to kill him over.) In just a few seconds, the eight other men hiding in the area had leaped out of their hiding spots and Tsuna made a run for it, grabbing onto Giotto tightly. Thankfully, the blond didn't question and merely ran along.
Tsuna slipped a hand into his pocket and jabbed at his phone. The brunet wasn't sure what he pressed before a hand gripped at his arm, pulling him away from Giotto. The blond stopped, startled. Before Tsuna could even scream for his boyfriend to run, a cloth was slapped onto his face, covering his nose and mouth. Tsuna immediately held his breath, knowing what was about to be shoved down his airways, but one of the surrounding men noticed immediately and unceremoniously kneed him in the gut. Tsuna gasped against his will, expecting to breath in a sickeningly sweet smell, onto to breathe into the cloth, increasing its pressure on his face. The brunet made futile attempts to struggle, his consciousness slowly leaving him. The last thing he saw before darkness finally swallowed him was the image of his boyfriend slumping to the ground…
…
When Tsuna woke up again, he had keep his eyes closed, using his ears to analyze his surroundings. The first thing that caught Tsuna's attention was that there was another set of breathing besides his that he intuitionally knew it was Giotto's. He nearly sighed in relief, but held it in as he continued in his analyzing. The air was a little stale and the room was a little cold ―likely they were in a basement; or, at least, a room without any windows. Tsuna tried shifting his hands a little and winced. He had noted almost immediately that his hands had been cuffed using a metal handcuff, but he still couldn't help but try.
"Tsunayoshi…?"
Tsuna raised his head a little at the soft, quiet voice and immediately opened his eyes. As soon as his eyes had gotten used to the darkness somewhat ―it had been like he predicted, room with no windows, except that there wasn't any light as well, disregarding the pitifully almost-non-existent light peeking in from under the door― Tsuna's eyes had immediately landed on Giotto, who was sitting just out of his reach (that is, if he had a 'reach' in the first place…)
"Giotto? Are you alright?" Tsuna asked softly.
"More or less. My shoulders really ache though." Giotto replied, equally quiet. "…What's going on?"
"We're kidnapped." Tsuna answered simply. He pondered over something briefly before adding with a sigh, "Well, actually, they wanted to kidnap me and you're here because we were together."
"Why did they―"
"―Shhh."
Tsuna narrowed his eyes towards the only entrance-slash-exit of the room. Giotto caught the hint and fell quiet, despite being a little disgruntled and unsettled at being left in the dark ―literally and figuratively. The lights streaming though the bottom slit of the door ―the only light source in the room (if it could even be called as that)― flickered as a figure walked past, stopping right in front of the door. A few men stepped in together ―Tsuna easily recognized some of them as the ones who kidnapped Giotto and himself. One of them, however, stood out to Tsuna.
He was obviously the leader of the group ―or, at least, someone with a bit of position on the group. The man had lavender hair with emerald eyes (that Tsuna might find mesmerizing on any other day ―boyfriend or not) and was wearing a suit, like everyone else in the room. What stood out was the ring sitting on his ring finger ―the jewel a beautiful indigo. Mist, Tsuna told himself and reminded himself to be more cautious.
"Interesting. You do look like twins…" The man spoke as the remaining ones spread out in the room.
Tsuna exchanged a glance with Giotto before turning to the man. "W-Why…" He made his voice quiver, as if in fear. "Why did you kidnap us…?"
The man's eyes narrowed slightly, the motion barely noticeable if not for Tsuna's sharp intuition. "Information."
"On what?" Giotto spoke up.
"…Vongola."
Tsuna feigned a look of confusion, despite knowing all about Vongola ―well, not everything; but definitely more than anyone else in the room. "What's that…? Bon… go… re…? Sounds Italian…" Tsuna said in 'confusion'. "Why do you think we know something about that… Bongore… or, whatever it is?"
"I have my reasons." The man replied vaguely.
"Vongola…" Giotto murmured.
Tsuna felt his heart stop. "You know something…?" He asked tentatively.
"I think I remember hearing it back in Italy. You're right about the Italian part; Vongola roughly translates to 'clam' in Italian. As for where I've heard of it…" Giotto furrowed his eyebrows. "I might have heard it on the streets, but all I remember is that it's a dark organization. Kind of like a gang."
It's so much more than that, Giotto… It is an organization with an almost tragic past; one filled with nothing but blood and betrayal. It is a sin that is so much bigger than myself, yet is something that I have to carry. It is something that someone as pure as you shouldn't even know about, let alone touch. As I thought… I never should have agreed to go out with you. I'm sorry… Tsuna thought to himself. He calmed himself quickly and turned to the man, pushing down a gulp when he found the man staring at him. "Does that answer your question, Kidnapper-san?"
The man smirked, "Yes, it certainly does… Sawada Tsunayoshi."
Tsuna was unfazed, "You look proud for someone who figured out who he kidnapped." It was perfect phrasing, in Tsuna's opinion. Not only was it a subtle threat, it was also an insult to the man for not being able to figure which of the two 'twins' was his real target. "That's me, yes, but the question is… What does that name mean to you? Because to me, that's the name I was given by my parents, and the name people know me by, that's all.
"And you look perfectly calm for a random kid who is, supposedly, kidnapped by accident." The man replied. Tsuna grimaced. Stupid. Why now, of all times, do I exercise the whole, 'keep calm at all times' thing he taught me…? The man smirked, "You know exactly what I'm talk about, don't you?"
"Tsunayoshi…?" Confusion was reflected in Giotto's eyes.
"No, I don't." Tsuna replied quietly.
The man's smirk seemed to widen, for some reason. "It figures. Unfortunately, I don't really have the time to spare so I'm afraid I have to… speed things up a little." The man raised a hand to stop the other men in the room, but pulled out a gun, pointing it at Giotto. Tsuna's eyes widened. "Either one of you is my target. The other one is the boyfriend. Since I have no confirmation, I simply have to take a bet. And I'm feeling rather lucky right now."
"You wouldn't dare." Tsuna narrowed his eyes.
"Why wouldn't I? You don't know what I'm talking about, don't you?" The man smirked.
Tsuna hissed softly under his breath. He forced himself to ignore the confused and feared look in Giotto's eyes and focused on thinking up new solutions. The man had him caged in… trapped; reveal himself, or he'll shoot Giotto ―and given the man's… career, he doubted the man was just buffing. It was then did he notice a faint singing ―it was barely audible, sounding very faraway-like. It was familiar, yet nostalgic. Before he could think more about it though, Tsuna's eyes caught sight of something else glimmering in the room.
The next few seconds were a blur.
Somehow, Tsuna had torn (burned?) through his binds and dashed across the small expanse of the room, tackling Giotto to the ground just as a dreadfully-familiar 'bang' rang through the room. Tsuna gasped at the pain exploding from his lower right back as they slammed painfully against the ground. Tsuna's senses gave up for a while, and when it finally returned after a few seconds that felt like eternity, Tsuna was vaguely aware of the man snarling at his subordinates.
"Hey…" Tsuna murmured, and suddenly, silence fell in the room. "…Did you know…?" The pain spread along his body, numbing his nerves as it went. "You've made… three big mistakes…"
"…and what three mistakes would that be?" The man asked, not a single hint of panic in his voice.
"One… I am the one you're looking for… I am… the likeliest candidate to inherit the Vongola throne… The upcoming Vongola Decimo-to-be…" Tsuna spoke, his breaths getting shallower by the minute. "Therefore… your first mistake is kidnapping me… Do you really think… Vongola would let this be…?"
"…What's the next mistake?" The man pressed on.
"Hmph… Figures…" Tsuna would have rolled his eyes if he still had the strength to. "We're still in Namimori… aren't we…?"
"…and what if we are?" The man asked.
"That's the… second mistake…" Tsuna replied. "Namimori… has a silent protector… A man… who takes it upon himself… to make sure that the discipline of his town… is kept… That man… is one of my Guardians… The Tenth Vongola Cloud Guardian… Hibari Kyouya…"
"And the third?" The man continued, still seemingly unfazed.
Tsuna ignored Giotto's pleads for him to stop talking, as well as the darkness crawling in from the side of his vision. "The third mistake… is the simplest… and the deadliest… Vongola isn't that stupid to leave their next heir unprotected… My Guardians' duty is to protect me, but they're… inexperienced… My protector… is my tutor… The Sun Arcobaleno… Vongola's strongest as well as the world's… strongest…" Tsuna's eyes started to droop at that point. "…Re… born…"
"Tsuna!" "Jyuudaime!" "Sawada!"
The man's eyes widened as four teenagers, all in Namichuu's uniform, ran into the room. One held bombs between fingers, another had a katana in hand, one more were using his bandage-covered-fists while the last one had a tonfa in each of his hand. Not to mention… The infant that was sitting on the shoulder of the teen with the sword ―infant in a black suit with a very prominent yellow pacifier hanging off his neck.
"You guys… are late…" Tsuna managed out.
And he finally let the darkness take over.
Silence hung heavily in the air as Tsuna finished his recollection.
It was close to dinner time then, and the café was quiet. By the time Tsuna had finished, their coffees and teas had gone cold and their cakes barely touched. Tsuna absent-mindedly stirred at his Café Mocha, while Reborn quietly sipped at his third cup of espresso.
On the other side, the trio, too, were quiet. Despite knowing that their best friend had been involved with a kidnapping ten years ago, Giotto had refused to divulge any information on what happened; therefore, this was G and Asari's first time hearing about what happened and they were desperately trying to digest and make sense of what they were just told. Giotto, on the other hand, was quiet for an entirely different reason. Tsuna had explained about the kidnapping, yes, but what he wanted to know ―what he had been wanting to know for the past ten years― hasn't been answered.
…And until now, he was still so afraid of the answer he would get to even ask.
"…What happened after that?" Asari asked, breaking the heavy silence.
Giotto felt his heart stop when Tsuna stopped his absent-minded stirring to lift his head and glance over, "…What do you mean, 'what happened after that'?" Tsuna asked quietly. "I think you all know what happened after that…"
Yes, they certainly did.
After Tsuna's Guardians had found them, the two of them ―especially Tsuna, who had been shot in his lower back and was bleeding profusely― had been rushed to the nearest hospital. Giotto, whose only injuries were a pair of bruised wrists and some very painfully-aching shoulders, was quickly released on the next day while Tsuna spent the rest of the day in surgery. After the brunet was stabilized enough, however, he was quickly transferred a private hospital owned by the Vongola.
And then… nothing.
Giotto never heard from Tsuna again. He was handed a letter ―no, it can't even be called that; it was a simple note― by a woman with pink hair and orange-tinted goggles and that was all. The note barely said anything, too. Just two lines.
I'm sorry.
Goodbye.
Giotto tried searching for Tsuna. He looked all over Namimori, but the brunet was gone. The blond couldn't find his overprotective friends and though Hibari was still around, he couldn't even get a word out of the stubborn prefect nor his subordinates. Giotto kept visiting Tsuna's house too; though the Sawada residences remained, the brunet's mother never seemed to be at home. G and Asari had eventually managed to convince him to stop searching, but it didn't mean that Giotto gave given up, not until they went back to Italy at the end of the year. Even then, Asari, who lived in Japan, was begged to keep an eye out for the missing brunet, while Giotto stealthily continued his search in Italy, but to no avail.
Truthfully, G only agreed to come to London with Giotto and Asari as a means to get the blond idiot known as his best friend to relax.
But they just had to meet up with the missing (former?) boyfriend of Giotto here and now.
"…Mah. It's been ten years." Tsuna murmured as he set down his cup for the last time. "…What happened that day… I'm sorry for getting you involved." The brunet got up and slipped out of the booth, standing the in the middle of the two tables. "Amelia." He called. The girl in question scampered out from the counter. "Put them all under my tab."
"There's no need for that." Asari interrupted.
"…It's what I owed… ten years ago." Tsuna said quietly.
Giotto's eyes widened.
"―let's have cake to―"
"―one in market street? The one that ev―"
"―your sweet―"
"―love my sweet too―"
His hands slammed onto the table violent as he shot off his seat with a cry of, "Tsunayo―"
But it was too late.
Sawada Tsunayoshi was gone once more.
Tsuna couldn't help but snarl when the door to his office was knocked on.
It had been a week since that fateful meeting in London, and to be blunt, Tsuna's mood had been shitty at best, downright horrible at worst. At his request, Reborn had, begrudgingly, agreed to keep quiet about what happened in London and so the only explanation the Guardians had when Tsuna returned was that the Vongola Decimo needed some time alone and thus, he went for a short vacation, knowing that there was no way that his tutor (who was, admittedly, the strongest hitman in the world and therefore, an excellent tracker) would lose track of him.
Still, that didn't mean that the Guardians weren't mad.
They didn't do anything too drastic, but they did check up on Tsuna, who was trying to catch up with all the work he missed (which was, unsurprisingly, a lot, considering the destructive capabilities of his Guardians), almost on an hourly basis. At the beginning, the Vongola Decimo tried to tolerate the checking-up ―he knew his Guardians were still in their paranoid mode― but it slowly began to annoy and irk him. His normally legendary patience was painfully short, given that his heart and mind were still in complete messes after all that happened in London. The fact that the brunet nearly snapped at Lambo when the teen came in to do his homework (like he would usually do) was a testament of how out of control he was.
To avoid snapping at his Guardians necessarily, Tsuna had resorted to ordering that he was to not be disturbed unless "we're being attacked, the mansion is burning down or someone's dying ―in all aforementioned cases, find Reborn first". Only Reborn or Gokudera, his loyal Right-Hand man, could talk to him without repercussions.
"Jyuudaime?"
Tsuna took in a deep breath and released it slowly. "Come in, Hayato." He spoke as chocolate brown eyes starting glancing through the next document he had. A small part of his mind registered several footsteps instead of one, but with the document in front of him, Tsuna wasn't paying his intuition any mind. Without looking up, the Vongola Decimo asked, "What is it, Hayato?"
"…Jyuudaime."
The brunet frowned and glanced up, nearly dropping his hand in shock. "…Hayato…" He gritted out.
The twenty-four year old Storm Guardian grimaced and bowed at the hip, "My deepest apologies for overstepping your orders, Jyuudaime, but… I believe this is important." Still bowing, Gokudera glanced at the four men that accompanied him.
Tsuna let out a breath as he raised a hand to pull off his reading glasses, setting them gently on the desk. "Dino-nii." The Vongola Decimo greeted. "…G, Asari, Giotto…"
"Sorry, Tsuna." The Cavallone Decimo smiled. "I was at the airport when I found these three guys. I remembered you telling me about a lookalike of yours, so I approached him and he said he was looking for you. Seems really urgent, so I brought them here. Turns out you weren't taking visitors at all, so Gokudera here gave us a hand." He explained.
Tsuna closed his eyes tiredly and sat back in his chair. "Hayato's disobeying my orders now?" He murmured.
"J-Jyuudaime…?" Gokudera's eyes widened.
The brunet let out a mirthless chuckle, "I'm joking." Tsuna turned to the trio with an inquisitive stare.
As he expected, Giotto was the one who stepped forward. "I need to talk with you, Tsunayoshi." He said firmly, ready to argue should his request not be granted, but―
"…Alright." Tsuna sighed. "I suppose… we're long overdue for this talk." A bitter smile lifted his lips. "Hayato." Tsuna called, glancing over to G and Asari. His Right-Hand man nodded and bowed to excuse himself. "Oh, and Hayato?" Gokudera arched an eyebrow. "I absolutely do not want any disruption this time." The Storm Guardian paled slightly at the dangerous tone and nodded frantically before leading Asari and G out. Dino followed soon, after informing Tsuna that he'd hang around the Vongola estate for a bit (most likely off to find his former student).
Giotto stood awkwardly near the door as silence reigned once more. Tsuna walked over to the couches and gestured for Giotto to take a seat across him.
"You wanted to talk." Tsuna spoke. "…Talk."
Giotto winced in his seat and frowned. He knew that the two ex-lovers needed to talk, to sort out their messy relationship, but how to go about it… he never thought about it at all ―after all, he never really thought he would get this far. Completely unprepared, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind, "Do you still love me?" Giotto squeezed his eyes shut, wanting to slap himself very much at the moment.
Tsuna, on the other hand, had his eyes widening in shock, not expecting such a blunt question. In a quiet voice, he replied, "…If I said yes…?" It was Giotto's turn to be in shock. Tsuna's gaze flickered to the side as he repeated himself, "…If I said yes? Would you… let me get back with you?"
"…T-Tsunayoshi…" Giotto breathed. The brunet still wasn't looking at him and a bitter expression lingered on his face. "I…―"
"―Don't…!" Tsuna gasped. "…Don't…" A trembling hand gripped his pants tightly, crumbling the material under his clenched fist. "Vongola… is a Mafia Family. The strongest Family, in fact; and I'm their leader. Do you understand what that means? One word from me and someone can disappear from the world without a trace. I am that powerful, Gi―" Tsuna cut himself off, seeing the blond staring at him. The brunet cringed and glanced away again. "Can you honestly tell me that you don't fear me? That you can feel safe with me? What happened with the kidnapping can happen again, you know. And there's always a chance ―no matter how slim― that help might not get there in time. There are people that want me dead and they will do anything to get to me. That includes anyone and everyone connected to me, no matter how insignificant the connection is. Do you understand?"
Giotto was quiet and Tsuna leaned back against the couch. It took him everything to control the trembling of his body as the silence stretched in the room. Tsuna closed his eyes. This was it. He told himself. Everything is… finally ove―
"―I understand that." Giotto spoke up. The Vongola Decimo stared, unprepared for any response other than rejection. Giotto did his best to still his rapidly-beating heart as he continued, "I… I can't say for certain that I don't fear you and I probably can't grasp the amount of power you hold, but… I…" Giotto swallowed. "…I still have feelings for you, dammit!" He screamed. "Just when I thought I could finally let go, you just had to show up and stir up the feelings I spent ten years trying to bury. And how dare you just leave like that again?!"
Tsuna felt anger swell up within him irrationally. "Well, what else was I supposed to do; tell you that I'm still in love with yo―" Tsuna gasped as he slapped his hands over his mouth as he started cursing at himself for his stupidity within his mind.
"…You're… still in love with me…?" Giotto asked hesitantly.
Tsuna groaned quietly as he lowered his hands. It was too late; he couldn't take back his words anymore, and there was no other way of explaining what he blurted out. So he settled for the truth. "…Yes. I'm still in love with you. I don't know if I can say that I've never stopped loving you, but I can say that I've never forgotten you for the past ten years."
"Then why? Why didn't you say anything? Why did you just leave?" Giotto demanded.
"I told you! Those that want me dead would do anything to get to me! Have you already forgotten about the kidnapping?!" Tsuna growled.
"Then protect me!" Giotto snapped. He ignored the widening of Tsuna's eyes and the fact that he probably sounded like a girl at the moment and continued, "If you have the power to erase people from the world, then surely you have the power to protect me! Let me stay by your side! How long more do you want us to be idiots for?! We've been in love with each other for the past ten years, yet here we are, separated and miserable! How stupid can that get?!"
"G-Giotto…"
Tsuna knew what the other said was true. He had the power to protect Giotto ―heck, even his two best friends― and yes, neither of them had stop loving the other for the past ten years. But Tsuna couldn't be selfish ―as a Mafia Boss; as the leader of such a large and powerful Family, Tsuna couldn't afford to be selfish. Family before self, that was his rule. Just because Tsuna's heart was so, so torn for the past ten years, just because he was given an opportunity to mend his bleeding heart, it didn't mean that he could ―not when the price was Giotto's safety. Because he knew. Just because he had the power to protect Giotto, it didn't mean that his protection was perfect. There was still a chance that Giotto could be hurt for him and he knew that if that happened, he would never forgive himself.
"…N-nnghh…!"
Tsuna's rejection was cut off when Giotto, utterly and completely frustrated, reached across the coffee table in between them to grab at the front of Tsuna's pristine white suit, yanking on it harshly as he slammed their lips together. Chocolate brown eyes were blown wide open as they stared in fierce amber ones. Teeth clashed as tongues fought for dominance ―one that was won by Giotto easily. It was only when their lungs could no longer take the lack of oxygen did they pull away reluctantly.
"…What… what was that for…?" Tsuna gasped out.
"…You didn't pull away." Giotto said simply.
Tsuna's breathing stopped for a moment as he recalled the last few minutes. Giotto was right. While the blond had surprised him with the kiss, Giotto had never restricted his movement or anything. Tsuna could pull away anytime he wished. But he didn't. In fact, he responded, pressing himself closer. If that wasn't a clear sign of his true feelings, Tsuna didn't know what else it could be.
"…Tsunayoshi…" Giotto called almost tiredly. "I can say this with certainty. I love you. I don't want us to end just like that. Please… I'd rather try and fail, then to give up without even trying…"
"This world is ugly… Once you enter, you can't leave… And when you enter, you enter with your life. Your life is at stake, Giotto." Tsuna murmured.
"Then protect me." Giotto murmured.
Tsuna let his eyes shut. "…Okay." He whispered. "Okay…" Giotto's breath hitched as he continued staring at Tsuna. The brunet chuckled pathetically, "…Because… Ever since I've seen you in London… I can't stand the thought of not having you by my side any longer. I love you, Giotto."
"I love you too, Tsunayoshi." Giotto smiled. "And as long as you permit me too, I'll never leave your side. I promise."
A/N: Sucky title, sucky summary, sucky ending. I have absolutely no idea about the title and summary, so if anyone can suggest a better one, I am most willing to use and credit you. As for the ending... I tried really hard to make it not cliche, but I'm not sure how good it actually turned out...
Well, Sasori-chan, I hope you enjoyed this! I realize that I agreed to write you a one-shot back in the end of March (3/21, according to the PM). I'm so sorry for taking so long! *wails and bows Gokudera-style*
Now, to all you lovely peeps, there is an omake planned. So, look forward to that, okay~? ;)
In the meantime, it is now close to 5am, so... *collapses*
P.S.: This has yet to be proofread, because it's late (err, early?) and my bed is summoning me. So... Thank you in advance, Pikachu, my dearest, awesome beta! *gives Spanner-lolli before collapsing again*
Ciao Ciao...~