Disperato

by incurableinsanity

AU. One-shot. Boys' Love. 2759, various minor pairings. While Tsuna isn't too keen on visiting gay bars, Takeshi manages to drag him to one anyway. His first time is a catastrophe after being drugged by some maniac, but he finds that the silverette he meets a time after that, and then forth is quite cute in his own right, and he will do anything to make the other smile and laugh.

1. Tsuna

"Disperato"

Setting: KHR, AU
Pairing: 2759; a few various minor pairings.
Rating: M
Genre: Romance
Point of View: Third-person
Warnings: Homosexual relationships, swearing, assaults, minor drugs, sexual assault, attempts at humor, and possible OOC. Italics are flashbacks, thoughts, foreign words or stressed words.
Further Notes: "Disperato" is Italian for "desperate." As for the AU, there's no mafia and its practically a normal life setting taking place in Japan. In addition, Gokudera will be pretty out of character.

---

The first time twenty-one year old Yamamoto dragged him to a gay bar, same-age Tsuna wished he took up his older brother's, Xanxus', offer to spar. He could have had a nice relaxing evening of fighting his three older brothers: Xanxus; Reborn; and Giotto. But, no, Takeshi had to decide that because he was homosexual, he needed to get out and have a good time with his fellow homosexuals (read: Takeshi and a shit ton of strangers he'd rather not know).

In all his extensive collection of friends, only Takeshi and he were homosexuals, but their close knit group didn't mind at all. In fact, Kyoko and Haru giggled over being friends with gay men (Hana didn't seem to care one way or another), and their guy friends made jokes at them (such as "that's what he said" and "get it in their ass, bro") that made the both of them bust out laughing.

But really, Tsuna hated gay bars. Not because he hated bars in general, but because he disliked how feminine and flamboyant some gays could actually be. They were fine as people, and Tsuna typically tolerated them, but he disliked when they came onto him. He preferred someone who was more masculine like himself, like Takeshi, except the fact that he and Takeshi saw each other more as siblings than as possible people to shack up with.

Or in Tsuna's preference, an actual relationship. He didn't want one night stands like most of the people in the bar offer, but legitimate relationships with someone he could love wholly. Sighing, Tsuna took another sip of his beer, watching as Takeshi danced with several men all at once. It always amazed him how the baseball lover could attract so much attention. Then again, his jeans hanging dangerously low on his hips might have had something to do with it.

"Not having a good night?" The brunette turned his head, glancing at the one next to him. The man was white-haired with an odd purple tattoo underneath his eye.

"I don't prefer the bar scene," Tsuna shrugged. "Friend asked me to come."

"Ah, I see," The male grinned. "Byakuran. And you?"

"Tsuna," He returned the greeting. "And, why are you here, Byakuran-san?"

"Looking for some fun. You in?" Tsuna knew what he was implying, and didn't like it one bit.

"No, thank you. I'm sure someone else would love to, though," He rejected the man as kindly as possible. Byakuran frowned and shrugged. Tsuna glanced back at Takeshi, who seemed to have found a raven with steel eyes to dance with, though the stranger seemed a little annoyed and flustered. Shaking his head, he downed the rest of his beer. He blinked, however, when his vision became slightly blurred, and shook his head once more. He winced; his mind felt oddly hazy. Moving to get to the bathroom, he stumbled, but was caught by a strong arm. He barely managed to see that its Byakuran, who was grinning.

Shit, Tsuna thought, I'm fucking drugged. He's helpless as Byakuran led him out of the bar and around to the alleyway next to the building. He was hardly able to struggle, feeling his eyes trying to slip shut. His limbs felt heavy as his assailant started to unbutton his shirt.

"OI!" An unfamiliar voice shouted, and Tsuna could only watch as Byakuran was punched by someone he couldn't really see. The white-haired man flew back into a dumpster, and his savior ran over in a hurry, asking if he was okay. Before he can say or do anything, however, he lost consciousness.

---

When Tsuna finally woke up, he's back in his room in the apartment he shared with his brothers. Sitting up, he felt his head pound in protest, and grabbed it out of instinct. The door to his room opened and in walked Giotto, his oldest brother at twenty-seven that worked in a law firm.

"Tsuna, you're awake!" The blond said frantically and ran over. "Are you alright?"

"My head is killing me..." Tsuna frowned, "What happened?"

"You...don't remember?" Giotto mirrored his frown.

"I remember going to the bar with Yamamoto, and talking to someone...and then nothing."

"Ah, I see," His brother seemed to contemplate something and then said seriously, "Tsuna, you were drugged last night."

"...What?"

"Yamamoto-kun brought you home last night. He said he went to look for you, and you were gone. He had run out of the bar and a guy was carrying you. The guy handed you over to Yamamoto-kun, told him that you were drugged and he just punched the face of the guy who did it to you. Yamamoto-kun thanked the crap out of him and brought you back here."

A guy saved him...thinking back... Ah. Tsuna winced but replied, "I remember someone saving me."

"Do you remember who drugged you?" Giotto sat on the bed next to him, a worried look on his face. Tsuna thought back, attempting to recall last night.

"Someone...with white hair? His name started with a B..." He thought aloud, closing his eyes.

"Ah, that's good enough. I'll ask Yamamoto-kun if the guy who saved you specified who it was." Giotto sighed, "In the meantime, want something to eat?"

Tsuna's stomach answered for him with a large growl. Both brothers laughed.

"Alright, to the kitchen we go," Giotto grabbed his hand and helped him up. They both made their way to the nice-sized kitchen, where Tsuna spotted Reborn, his twenty-five year old brother (who did something for work that Tsuna never bothered asking about), talking to G., a twenty-seven year old redhead that was in a relationship with Giotto and worked as a tattoo artist, about something along the lines of weaponry.

"Oh, Tsuna-kun, I heard what happened. How are you feeling?" G. asked when he spotted the brunette.

"Better. Just a small headache right now," Tsuna smiled and joined the two at the table. Reborn snorted,

"I should kill Yamamoto for even bringing you there."

"Its not his fault," Tsuna defended instantly. "I should have been more careful."

"Damn right you should have been. We're training later," Reborn crossed his arms in annoyance.

"No, he's resting today. Not everyone makes a speedy recovery like you Reborn," Giotto admonished, and placed a plate full of various breakfast foods in front of his youngest brother. Tsuna thanked him and began to eat. "We'll train him tomorrow."

"How I'd hate to be in your shoes, Tsuna-kun," G. snickered. "Being trained by three violent older brothers."

"I'm not violent; I'm protective," Giotto corrected instantly. Reborn only smirked. Tsuna smiled slightly, finishing the food in record time and knew if Xanxus was home from the job the twenty-three year old was at right now (an auto-mechanic, actually), then he'd probably laugh it off. He often wondered how G. was so welcomed in the home of three protective older brothers that would nearly kill a person if they dared harm him. Maybe going out with Giotto had something to do with it.

"Its very unfortunate," He laughed, standing and putting the plate in the sink. "It means being beaten up three times over."

"I only teach you self defense tricks that G. showed me," Giotto protested and shot a look at Reborn while saying, "I don't shoot at you with BB guns."

"So you're the reason I get put into headlocks," Tsuna turned to the redhead, who only shrugged.

"I taught him to protect himself because I get into a lot of fights. I didn't think he'd pass it on."

"How else would I teach Tsuna to protect himself?" The blond stuck out his tongue, letting the other excuse himself when his phone suddenly rang. "Anyway, Tsuna, rest only today!"

"Where would I go? I don't have class today," Tsuna conceded, raising his hands in a placating manner. "I'll go back to sleep once I shower."

"Alright, fine," Giotto nodded. G. returned, giving a quick kiss to the blond's lips. Tsuna held back a chuckle when Reborn made a face.

"Got to go. I have to pick up my cousin."

"Eh, from where?" Giotto blinked.

"Where he stayed last night apparently. I'm going to kill him for not calling till now," G. all but growled. He headed for the front door, tossing out 'see you' as he left.

"G. has a cousin?" Tsuna turned to his eldest brother.

"Ah, yeah. Your age I think. He has some issues though, and G.'s the only one who will look after him," Giotto supplied. "His cousin has an older half sister I think, but they don't get along very well. Plus, his half sister is in Italy, and G. is the only one who cares since they grew up practically in the same house."

"I've never seen him, and you were with G. basically twenty-four seven when we were kids," Reborn raised an eyebrow.

"I met him once or twice, but like I said, he has quite a few problems. He was either locked in his room or out until the middle of the night," Giotto shrugged. As his two brothers continued to talk about this mysterious cousin, Tsuna left to go shower. His brothers were so into talking about the guy, that Tsuna didn't even bother excusing himself.

---

One week later, Tsuna found himself drinking at Takeshi's place, along with Ryohei, Hana, Kyoko, Haru, Dino, and Lambo. Lambo was excited considering he recently turned twenty, and could finally drink (legally, that is) with the rest of them.

"Yamamoto, why exactly are we drinking?" Tsuna sighed, but took the offered beer nonetheless. "I have tests to study for."

"But Tsuna," Takeshi whined, "who needs an actual reason to drink? And you can study at home."

"You told me to come here because you wanted to study!" The group laughed. "If I fail another test, Reborn-nii will shoot me."

"Well, you can't blame him, Tsuna," Dino smiled. "Its been a while since we've all gotten together."

"That's because we've all been busy," Kyoko added and Haru nodded in agreement.

"I do have better things to do than drink, you know," Hana frowned.

"No, Hana, you extremely have to stay!" Ryohei protested.

"I never said I was leaving."

"Anyways, who cares why we're drinking? Let's get wasted!" Takeshi grinned. While the others cheered, Tsuna just sighed. His friends were weird. Though he supposed that made him weird too.

Well whatever, he figured, might as well drink.

---

Three hours later, Tsuna watched as his friends tumbled over one another as they played Twister. Ryohei and Hana were cuddled up on a couch and passed out already. Dino, Lambo, and Takeshi were the ones playing Twister, and Kyoko and Haru were managing the spinner. When Lambo nearly threw up all over everyone (just barely making it to the toilet in the bathroom), Tsuna decided he needed to go home. He fished out his cell phone, scrolling down to Giotto's number. He sent a quick message, asking to be picked up. Ten minutes passed by with no response, but eventually he got one.

'Tsuna, sorry, but I can't! I'm still stuck at work and I have the car. I called G. and he said he wouldn't mind picking you up.'

Tsuna sighed and replied, 'Okay, I'll call him. Thanks anyway.' Inwardly grateful to the fact he had the redhead's number and that he was willing to get him, he pressed the call button. It rang once, twice, three times.

"Hey Tsuna-kun," G.'s voice filtered through the speaker.

"Hi, G.-san," Tsuna smiled, trying to ignore the loud voices of his inebriated friends. "I'm sorry for the trouble, but would you mind picking me up?"

"No problem, just give me the address," G. replied. Once Tsuna gave him the location of Takeshi's apartment, he was told that the redhead would be there in twenty minutes. In the meantime, the brunette looked over his friends.

"Tsuna, c'mon, play a round with us!" Takeshi grinned wildly.

"I'll pass thanks. I think Lambo wants to go again though," He smirked slightly when the younger male looked horrified.

"Pass, pass, pass, pass!" He said in a hurry. Dino ended up snorting when he began to laugh, causing everyone to crack up at him instead. Finally, the door was knocked on and Tsuna left to go get it.

"Hey, G.-san," He greeted when he opened it.

"Ready to go?" G. smiled in amusement, looking in to see all the others still laughing and yelling.

"Goodnight guys!" Tsuna called, getting a chorus of 'bye' and 'no, don't go yet!' Chuckling, Tsuna headed out the door, closing it firmly behind him and following G. back outside the building. "Thanks again for the lift."

"Anytime," G. shrugged, "you're like a little brother to me too."

"Except you're shacking up with Giotto-nii."

"Brother-in-law then."

"Great, just what I need," Tsuna smiled, "another overprotective brother."

"At least this one has a bad ass tattoo on his face and doesn't try to beat you up."

"Pft," Tsuna giggled, covering his large grin with his hand. Finally, they both made it to G.'s car, a black car that Tsuna knew nothing about. Cars weren't his thing; they were Xanxus'. He got into the passenger seat, when G.'s phone rang.

"Yes?" He answered, waiting for the recipient to speak. Tsuna sat in silence, curious, and tried to listen in on the conversation. "Again? This is the third night in a row, damn it." G. sighed, "where are you...? Alright, I'll be there in fifteen." G. shut his phone, and shot the brunette an apologetic look. "Sorry, Tsuna-kun. Do you mind if we stop to pick up my cousin?"

"No problem. I'm the one who asked you for a ride anyway," Tsuna dismissed his apology. G. nodded and started up the car. The car ride was mostly silent, except for the music coming from the radio. Tsuna watched the passing scenery, unable to decipher where exactly they were going. Within fifteen minutes, the redhead had pulled the car over. Off to the side, sitting on the steps to a house, was a male with silver hair and jade green eyes. His clothes looked disheveled, and he had a lit cigarette hanging from his mouth. Tsuna squinted, noticing that he looked exhausted.

"Hayato, let's go!" G. yelled after rolling down a window. The silverette stood, glancing at Tsuna, and put out his cigarette before reluctantly getting into the backseat.

"...Thanks," He murmured, barely audible.

"Yeah, yeah," G. sighed. "Hayato, this is Sawada Tsunayoshi. He's Giotto's youngest brother. Tsuna-kun, this is Gokudera Hayato, my cousin."

"Hello," Tsuna greeted politely. He got a small nod in response. The ride to Tsuna's house was in silence, even though it looked like the redhead wanted to reprimand his cousin for something. Tsuna bid them both goodnight, gaining one response from G., but was ignored by Hayato.

That was only the first of many times Tsuna would meet the strange silverette.

---

"Eh, you met G.'s cousin?" Giotto asked in surprise the next day. "How is he? I haven't seen him since I was twelve."

"He looked exhausted from something when I saw him," Tsuna shrugged. "Before G.-san drove me home, he got a call from Gokudera-san and he had to pick him up. So I got to meet him."

"What are you idiots talking about?" Xanxus yawned as he walked into the kitchen ("Can't you respect your elder brother?" Giotto sighed). "You hit it up with some guy, Tsuna?"

"NO! I'm not you," Tsuna remarked, irritated. His brother could be annoyingly crass at times. "Can't you go one night without having sex with a guy?"

"I do what I want," Xanxus snorted, sitting down at the table.

"You know, I'm glad I made all the rooms soundproof..." Giotto mumbled to himself, "though I hope not to find some random man in this apartment."

"Its not random; its just Squalo-san," Tsuna smiled deviously at Xanxus,. "I don't get why you just won't start a legitimate relationship with him. You guys are practically joined at the hip lately."

"Shut up, Tsunayoshi," Xanxus glared. Both brothers grinned, knowing he was embarrassed.

"You know, I wonder how Reborn-nii deals with having three homosexual brothers," Tsuna chirped, the thought suddenly in his mind.

"I think its because Mother kept trying to have girls, so she had gay sons instead," Giotto smiled.

"Are you calling me girly?" Xanxus and Tsuna both said.

"I'm a masculine gay, dammit!" Tsuna added as an afterthought.

"No you're not," Reborn snorted as he walked into the room. He tugged on his fedora and said, "I deal with you three because you're family. And-"

"Family is most important," Tsuna and Giotto finished.

"Exactly. And there's nothing wrong with it, so I don't care," Reborn glared at Xanxus, "Get out of my seat."

"It doesn't have your name on it," The other challenged. Tsuna sighed. It was a typical morning for the four of them...

...but he felt like he forgot what he was talking about earlier.

---

Tsuna had no idea why he let Takeshi drag him to the same gay bar again. He was assured numerous times that the guy who assaulted him was in jail. He supposed as long as he didn't drink anything, he'd be alright. Which was why, he sat on the corner bar seat, watching Takeshi dance with one guy in particular. The guy had raven hair and steel eyes, and Tsuna recognized him from the last time he was here. The stranger looked uncomfortable dancing, but Takeshi paid no mind, completely at ease with the guy and the brunette had half a mind to think his friend dragged the man onto the dance floor. Tsuna shook his head, watching them with some amusement. He did keep an eye out for whats-his-face, but he didn't see him at all. So that put his mind at ease.

A few guys did try to talk and flirt with him, but he politely turned them down. At least they took the hint and walked away, rather than try to drug him. Happening to look to the side, he spotted a flash of silver walking in his direction.

"Gokudera-san?" He blinked a few times. The other turned, proving that yes, it was Gokudera, and he seemed to look surprised as well.

"Ah...Sawada-san." He murmured as he came closer. He looked uncomfortable, as if he was being caught doing something bad. "I...didn't know you came here."

"Ah, a friend of mine asked me to come with him. Are you here often, Gokudera-san?" Tsuna asked, his first impression of the silverette thrown out the window. At first he looked rude and easily annoyed, but now...

"Ah, yeah, I guess," Hayato looked off to the side. The brunette couldn't help but wonder what he looked so nervous about.

"Hayato-kun," A voice purred, catching both of their attention. Tsuna noted how the other stiffened. "Are you coming or what?"

"One minute, Mukuro," Gokudera frowned and softly said, "Goodnight, Sawada-san." Before the brunette could say anything else, he watched as the other disappeared with a purple-haired male, who had his arm around the silverette's shoulders. Tsuna narrowed his eyes in thought.

Why was Gokudera so sad looking?

---

Tsuna sighed. All during class, he kept thinking back to how reserved and quiet Gokudera was. When he left with that Mukuro character, is seemed like he was just barely tolerating leaving with that guy. His voice was soft, like he thought he wouldn't come back...

Was he in trouble? Was he secretly asking for help?

His intuition was being completely useless right now. Besides, he didn't even know the silverette that well, so how could he make assumptions? Frowning to himself, he scribbled a few notes from the lecture he was only half paying attention to. Takeshi to his left was completely asleep, so he did have to take a few notes. By the time class ended, Tsuna was confused about G.'s cousin and practically clueless about the lecture. Yamamoto yawned loudly as they left the classroom, heading out of the building right after.

"Tsuna, you should come with me to the club again." The baseball lover ginned.

"Why? I sit there and watch you dance with a bunch of guys," Tsuna snorted, turning his head. A blond (bangs covering the eyes), definitely male, was grinning largely and had his arm hooked around the waist of...was that Gokudera? He went to this college?

"C'mon, this guy I really like only goes to the club on Thursdays and Fridays, and today is Friday!" Takeshi continued, oblivious to his distraction. Gokudera looked uncomfortable with a look of resignation. Tsuna frowned and only watched as the two disappeared around the building's corner.

"...Wait, you like someone?" Tsuna blinked, suddenly back on topic. "Is it that raven I've seen you dance with?"

"It is!" Yamamoto smiled, "His name is Hibari Kyoya. He goes to the club to look after a friend that nearly goes everyday. He's a little unsociable but I got him to open up a little. He said he's kind of worried about his friend, because he's leaving every night with a guy."

"Well, when you do that, it worries me too," Tsuna shot him a pointed look, "but that still doesn't explain why I have to go with you."

"He told me that he would dance with me willingly if someone could keep an eye on his friend." Takeshi clapped his hands together and made puppy eyes. "Please, Tsuna!"

Damn it, Tsuna hated his puppy eyes. They always had a eighty percent chance of working, especially when Takeshi didn't ask for favors often. He usually just dragged the other along, but if he was asking for a favor...then he supposed he could... "Alright, alright. I'll go," Tsuna sighed. Maybe he could find Gokudera too.

"Awesome, I'll pick you up at nine-thirty!" The raven smiled.

Well, its not like he had anything better to do.

---

Tsuna walked into the bar with Takeshi leading him. The raven was overly excited, Tsuna noted; he must really like this guy. His best friend looked around a few times, before spotting the person he was looking for. The brunette was dragged around various dancers, men and women alike, and finally stopped at the back corner. Tsuna wasn't surprised he never even noticed this area because it was hardly lit compared to the rest of the bar.

"Hey, Hibari," Takeshi smiled, greeting the raven that stood there with his arms crossed. Hibari grunted and shot a look to Tsuna. "Ah, Hibari, this is Sawada Tsunayoshi. Tsuna, this is Hibari Kyouya."

"Nice to meet you," Tsuna greeted warmly, smiling slightly.

"Hn." Hibari nodded curtly. He wasn't very talkative...Tsuna wondered how Takeshi could like him.

"Hibari, Tsuna said he would keep an eye out for your friend," Yamamoto grinned.

"He's not my friend," was the immediate protest.

"Right, right. So, just tell Tsuna who it is, and what he looks like, and then I can dance with you!"

"Fine..." Kyouya sighed, and pointed into the crowd. "Him. Silver hair."

"Eh..." Tsuna followed the gesture. Silver hair probably meant...Gokudera! That was definitely Gokudera standing off to the side, being talked to by three different males; it seemed like the strangers were more than likely fighting than anything.

"Gokudera Hayato," Kyouya specified.

"Okay, thanks Tsuna! C'mon, Hibari!" Takeshi smiled and grabbed the other's hand. Tsuna watched as Takeshi dragged the guy off, who looked quite reluctant at this. Maybe he didn't think Yamamoto would find anyone? Oh well, he had to keep an eye on Hayato. He made his way to the counter, sitting on the stool of the end, silently and discreetly watching the silverette. His object of interest didn't seem to be responding the advances of the others, rather he was probably waiting for it to sort itself out. Tsuna turned his head fully, accidentally making eye contact when the other's gaze had moved from the floor. Smiling, he gestured him over. He looked uncomfortable, so why not give a hand, right? Gokudera brushed passed the other three (one of which Tsuna finally recognized as the man named Mukuro and the other was the blond from this afternoon) without a word to them, ignoring their protests.

"Hello, Sawada-san," He greeted quietly, sitting beside the brunette.

"Hello, Gokudera-san," Tsuna smiled. "you don't have to call me that. Everyone just calls me Tsuna."

"Ah...Tsuna-san, then..." Hayato nodded a bit, returning the smile just a little. His face turned slightly pink, and he added in a softer voice, "then...you can call me Hayato."

"Alright, Hayato-kun," Tsuna agreed. "Were you okay over there? You looked uncomfortable."

"Ah, you don't have to worry," -I wonder if he speaks quietly all the time, Tsuna thought- "It happens...often."

"Eh, that's no good," He frowned, "If it bothers you, you shouldn't come here."

"Its...not that simple," Hayato faintly smiled, and it didn't take a genius to tell it was forced and sad, "I wish it was." Tsuna glanced over, seeing the three men that were bothering the silverette staring (Mukuro had the audacity to glare) at the both of them. When the silverette happened to look at the dance floor to spot Hibari with Takeshi, Tsuna shot them a dark glare, causing them to look away. Smiling in satisfaction, Tsuna looked back to the other.

"Hayato-kun, it can be simple. Why don't we just get out of here?" He offered, tilting his head slightly. Gokudera blinked, more likely in surprise than anything else. His face turned pink, and he hesitantly nodded.

"S-sure."

"Okay," Tsuna smiled warmly and stood. He flagged down Takeshi, who brought along Hibari. "Hayato-kun and I are going to leave. Its too stuffy in here," He told them.

"Eh? How are you going to get back?" Yamamoto frowned; he had driven both of them there. Tsuna shrugged,

"Walking."

"Are you fine with that?" Hibari asked Hayato, who gave a small, shy nod.

"I...I don't mind." Kyouya nodded, most likely in approval, and turned to Yamamoto.

"Let's go. They'll be fine."

"Yeah, alright," Takeshi said, a bit unsure, but smiled in good nature after a moment and said, "Well, Tsuna's got a lot of self-defense techniques under his belt. His brothers wouldn't let him leave the house until he learned them all."

"I had to stay in the house until I was fifteen...now I'm stuck in an apartment with all of them," Tsuna groaned, recalling his childhood days. He smiled though, when he saw Hayato chuckle and crack a small, but genuine smile.

"Be careful, okay?" Takeshi turned to head back to the dance floor with Kyouya, "text me when you get home."

"Alright, Mom," Tsuna teased, and led the silverette out of the bar, shooting one more death glare to the three men in the corner before cheerily leaving the establishment. The cool night air hit them both like a brick wall after being in the hot, poorly ventilated bar.

"Uhm..." Gokudera started, redirecting his gaze to the road. "So...where are we going?"

"I was thinking my apartment, if that's alright," Tsuna said sheepishly. "I don't want to force you though."

"Ah, no," Hayato stumbled for his words for a brief moment, and finally replied, "That's...good with me."

"Alright," Tsuna smiled. "It'll be about a forty minute walk from here." His companion nodded and so he began to lead the way. It was silent, and he couldn't help but note the nervous figure of the other, and how he was constantly trying to avoid eye contact with him.

"Uh..." The silverette jumped at his own words, though he was still communicating in that quiet voice.

"Yes?" The brunette asked patiently.

"Do you mind...if I...smoke? I can wait...if...if its a problem."

"No, go ahead. G.-san smokes all the time. The only rule is not to smoke in the apartment," Tsuna told him, and he pulled out a carton of cigarettes. He lit one up silently, and stuffed his hands into his blazer, as if he was trying to shrink in on himself.

"Thanks..." He murmured. "Tsuna-san?"

"Yes?"

"...Did your brothers really keep you hostage in your house?" Tsuna couldn't help it. He laughed, and quite hard at that. He had to hold his sides, and Hayato ended up shooting him a deeply concerned look.

"No, no, not exactly," He began to explain once he could breathe again. "I was allowed out, but more often that not, one of them would come with me. No matter what. So, I wasn't allowed out alone until I was fifteen really."

"It sounds like they care a lot."

"Enough to buy an apartment big enough for four men in their twenties to live in." Tsuna chuckled, and smiled when the other couldn't help but smile himself. "I don't know whether to be grateful or to be irritated. Giotto-nii is like a nagging mother, Reborn-nii is a sadistic tutor, and Xanxus-nii is the brother who just wants to get out of there." Hayato laughed softly, and Tsuna thought it was beautiful. That is, until Hayato caught himself and flushed.

"I'm sorry."

"No need to be." Tsuna sent him a reassuring smile.

"Tsuna-san...would you...mind telling me more about your family?" Tsuna blinked. He remembered hearing about Gokudera from his elder brothers, and wondered if his shy companion wanted to hear what a family was like. He himself knew not to ask the other about his family, especially with how reserved he seemed. Smiling warmly, Tsuna replied,

"Sure thing."

---

Finally, Tsuna and Gokudera had made it to the apartment. Both were freezing from the winter air and lack of proper winter clothing and Gokudera had obediently put out his second cigarette. Tsuna was satisfied that he had made Gokudera laugh several times and smile even more on the long walk. Entering the apartment, the brunette called,

"I'm back!" He glanced back to Hayato, who seemed to hesitate at the threshold. Reassuringly, he said, "Its okay; you're welcome to come in."

"Sorry for the intrusion," The silverette nearly whispered, and Tsuna took his jacket from him as he slipped off his worn sneakers.

"I'm freezing. Do you want a cup of coffee?" The brunette offered as they moved inside more; the heater was bliss.

"Ah...okay."

"Okay, this way then," Tsuna headed for the kitchen, stopping in the living room.

"Oh, Tsuna, that is you. I thought I heard your voice, though you're early tonight. Welcome back," Giotto turned from his position on the couch; the television was playing a horror movie. Reborn glanced up from his book, spotting the silverette almost immediately.

"Oh, its the Chibi G.," He said, and Giotto suddenly looked at Hayato too. Tsuna could tell the stares were making him uncomfortable.

"Hey, Gokudera-kun. Its been a while," The blond smiled politely.

"Hi, Giotto-san, Reborn-san," Hayato greeted softly. Tsuna gently and discreetly pushed Gokudera towards the kitchen, giving him a reassuring glance.

"We ran into each other, so we decided to come back here." He explained, and turned to head into the kitchen. Once inside, he began to make a pot of coffee, careful to stay away from Reborn's brand. He had learned enough times that touching it meant being shot at. "I'm sorry if they're making you uncomfortable."

"Ah, its fine...I'm the one intruding."

"You aren't intruding. I invited you over, okay? Don't worry about it," Tsuna admonished in a light tone as the other tentatively took a seat at the table. "How do you take your coffee?"

"Just black is fine," was the reclusive response. Tsuna frowned, sensing that his guest was trying not to be a bother and ask for as little as possible. Bless his intuition.

"You don't have to hold back. Nothing will be going to waste, so its fine if you want something in it." He smiled at the other, who squirmed and redirected his gaze. Attempting a different approach, he spoke, "I'll call G.-san while he's at work and ask how you take your coffee."

Hayato flushed and his eyes widened; he opened his mouth, hesitated, and finally responded, "...cream."

Tsuna smiled wider, giving him a 'coming right up' and grabbing two empty mugs from a cabinet. It was silent as he made the two cups of scalding hot liquid, and he secretively glanced back once or twice. The silverette was glancing around, a bit unsure, and was fiddling with his hands, tapping a rhythm on the wooden table absently. Adding cream to both, and sugar to his (he didn't care what Reborn called him, bitter coffee tasted awful), he brought both mugs to the table, and sat at the opposite side of the other.

"Thank you," His companion dipped his head in thanks, and the brunette caught a small smile gracing the other's lips.

"You're very welcome, Hayato-kun," He replied, smiling himself and taking a deep drink. He pulled out his phone, and sent a text to Yamamoto like he said he would. No use in worrying the guy, who would run through the city to find him and would forget to call him like a regular person would. Then he'd finally remember he had a phone but would call Giotto instead, and Giotto (depending on whether or not he was home) would either laugh and tell him Tsuna was home, or freak out because he didn't know either. But, Giotto had a sane boyfriend, who would remind them both that they could just call Tsuna. And thus, the problem would be solved when he answered the phone and assured them three times that he was fine and not in any danger...

Tsuna glanced up when Hayato began to laugh quietly, hiding it behind his hands.

"Did I just say that out loud?" He asked, suspicious.

"You did...I'm sorry." The silverette couldn't help but chuckle, and he then moved to hide his grin behind his coffee mug.

"No need to be," Tsuna instantly stated, and mirrored his grin, "Its true though! They're so frantic over being protective and lose their common sense!"

"I see." Hayato took another sip of the coffee, and asked, still in his quiet voice, "What brand is this? Its good."

"Ah, I think its from Italy," Tsuna tilted his head slightly in thought, "Xanxus-nii brought it back when he went on some trip. Next time he goes, I'll ask him to get extra for you, okay?"

"Eh?" Gokudera blinked, in surprise. "B-but-"

"Its fine. Hayato-kun, we're already friends, right? Otherwise I wouldn't have invited you here. So its okay." Tsuna cut him off, giving him a stern look.

"Ah...o-okay." And Tsuna smiled.

---

Hayato eventually left for the night, in the company of G. when the redhead had come to visit after work. G. had been surprised at the other's presence, but had easily shrugged it off and took the silverette home with him when he left.

Tsuna sighed, leaning back in his desk chair. He fiddled with his phone; he had gotten the silverette to exchange numbers, so they could meet up again. It took so much persuasion and coaxing for the other to finally give in. The brunette frowned to himself. He didn't understand why Gokudera was so reserved and tried to refuse things as much as possible. Was he afraid of Tsuna? Or just people in general? He seemed okay with Hibari. Perhaps Tsuna would have to talk to Hibari or get Takeshi to.

Ding.

Tsuna glanced down, spotting one message from Hayato. It was about testing the number, but there were so many dots and written out stuttering that he couldn't help but smile. He wrote back, letting the other know that yes, it was Tsuna and thank you for testing the number and asking do you want to hang out again sometime soon?

His reply was instantaneous, which surprised him. The text was a simple 'okay' so Tsuna asked if he'd like to hang out at Takeshi's place, and that Hibari would be invited too, so it would be a group. The next response took a little longer, but he still got an affirmative.

Now all Tsuna had to do was ask Takeshi to let them all over. Well it wouldn't be hard. His puppy eyes were more effective than the other's were.

---

Tsuna sat in Yamamoto's living room, leaning back on the couch as he watched the baseball lover fidget in his seat. Raising an eyebrow, Tsuna asked,

"What's up with you?"

"I'm nervous."

"Why? It's just Hayato-kun and Hibari-san." Tsuna bit back a laugh at his anxious friend. The last time his friend was this anxious was when he was waiting on the result of his entrance exams for college.

"Because Hibari is coming over! He's the first guy in forever where I haven't tried to 'hit it and quit it'!" Takeshi rambled, "I think I actually might like, like him...and how did you even get him to come here?"

"Okay..." Tsuna grimaced (but nearly smiled a second later, considering the other couldn't even say the word 'love'), "First, never say 'hit it and quit it' again. That's creepy and I hate when you have one night stands. Second, I talked to Hayato-kun and said Hibari-san could come too. So he asked him for me. Just ask for the guy's number today."

"But Tsuna, he's the first guy I'm nervous to talk to. Its different in a club, but this is my apartment."

"Yamamoto, from what I understand of first impressions, this guy is aloof and quite closed off. The fact that you got him to dance with you willingly counts for something. So quit being nervous and be friendly and easy going like usual. I need someone to carry the conversations."

"Ah, Tsuna, you're such a life saver," Takeshi breathed with a smile, "you should be my therapist."

"I don't have enough patience for that," Tsuna retorted immediately. "Talk to Kyoko or Haru. The girls love hearing about our love lives." Yamamoto sighed, about to say something else, when the he heard knocking on his door.

"Coming!" He called, getting up and heading for the front door. Tsuna watched from his spot as the other opened the door, revealing Hibari and Gokudera, though the latter was almost hiding behind the former. "Hey guys, come in." Hibari nodded and Hayato gave a quiet 'sorry for intruding' as they came in.

"Hello Hibari-san, Hayato-kun," The brunette greeted, smiling warmly. Kyoya grunted, but Hayato smiled slightly in return, sitting next to the brunette.

"Hey, Tsuna-san," He murmured back. "How...are you?"

"I'm okay, thank you," Tsuna answered, "and you?"

"Ah, okay, thanks for asking." Yamamoto bounded over as Hibari made himself comfortable in a chair.

"Hey," Yamamoto said with his hand out, "we never officially met, so I'm Yamamoto Takeshi."

"Gokudera Hayato," was the typical quiet response, though Hayato did shake his hand lightly. After that, Takeshi easily took control of the conversation. The talks had been comprised of things from sports to television shows. Hibari didn't participate much, but Yamamoto had gotten the other to talk as it was, and Gokudera did occasionally add in his thoughts to a subject, even if it wasn't much. At some point, Gokudera had left to use the bathroom and Takeshi went to grab a few more beers from the kitchen, so Tsuna had the chance to ask Hibari,

"Does...Hayato-kun have a problem talking to people?" Hibari stared at him, probably trying to figure out his motives. Though, eventually he did respond,

"That's something for Gokudera to tell you." Though a moment later he added, "Have patience with him."

"Alright, I'll wait on that then," Tsuna conceded, especially with the hard look he was getting. Despite his insistence on not being friends with the silverette, Kyoya seemed to care a lot. Tsuna mentally sighed though, because he wouldn't be getting much out of the guy. As Takeshi returned, Tsuna decided to forget about it.

It would come eventually.

---

Tsuna didn't expect the 'eventually' to be half a month later. He was walking home with Gokudera, after hanging out with Takeshi and Hibari in a restaurant. Even though Gokudera was still talking in a low, soft tone, he was talking more than he did when they first met. He wasn't as hesitant as before to smile or laugh at something. He even got into a small argument with Yamamoto over sports. Tsuna was glad the other was opening up more, little by little, though he still wanted to know about the problems the silverette had.

"Oi, Hayato." Tsuna stopped when Hayato froze. The other paled and his jade eyes widened. The two turned around, spotting Mukuro, the blond from the one time, and the third male: a white-haired guy. Tsuna squinted at the third, as if he felt really familiar.

"...What?" Gokudera asked, unsure.

"Shishishi," The blond laughed. "Come on princess, its not fair to just ditch us all of a sudden."

"I didn't ditch you, Bel," The silverette frowned, involuntarily taking a step back. "Don't call me princess either."

"Oya, I see we're back to having claws, little kitten," Mukuro smirked. "I'll have to de-claw you again."

"I don't...want to go anywhere with you. Any of you," Gokudera firmly stated, even shooting a glare.

"Haya-chan," The third cooed, "just because you saved this little brunette, doesn't give you the right to leave us like that."

Saved? Gokudera saved Tsuna...? Eh? Tsuna blinked and frowned, trying to remember. And then it hit him,

The white-haired guy was Byakuran; he was the one who drugged him.

Which meant Gokudera was the one who saved him...but why did he not say that at all?

Well, whatever. There were more pressing matters at hand. Tsuna stepped forward, placing an arm in front of the silverette and took care not to glance at his once assaulter.

"Leave him be. If he doesn't want you here, then go." He glared darkly at them.

"Tsuna-san..." Hayato stared in surprise.

"Oh, Tsunayoshi-chan, we can't do that." Byakuran smiled. "He's ours."

"He is not property." Tsuna clenched his hands into fists. "I don't care what you thought of him before. He's not yours, and if you come near him again, I will hurt you."

"Kufufufu, how interesting," Mukuro smirked once more. "I wonder how well you can hold that threat."

"Shishishi, Princess said the same thing. Did you know that he used to be loud and impatient? He even had the audacity to yell and threaten us. That all changed once he was ours, you know."

"Regardless, go away. Now." Tsuna growled.

"I don't think we will," Byakuran took one step forward.

All hell broke loose.

---

Tsuna stumbled into his apartment, Hayato right behind him. The silverette closed the door behind them as Tsuna turned on the lights. Both were covered in injuries. Tsuna bruised his ribs for sure, he had the graze of a small knife cut on his cheek, and he just knew there were bruise marks on his throat. Hayato had sprained his right wrist, his lip was split, and his upper arm and shoulder were cut by the same small knife.

"Tsuna-san, this is all my fault..." Hayato's voice was full of guilt. Tsuna shook his head,

"Its not. I chose to help you out of my own free will. Sit on the couch." The brunette made sure the other complied before heading to the bathroom to grab the first aid kit (he was secretly glad that no one else was home right now). They had basically been in an all out brawl against the other three, but Tsuna and Hayato had managed to come out victorious. The three had many more injuries than they did. Heading back into the living room, he opened the kit and gently took the other's sprained wrist to start wrapping it.

"But...because of this, they're going to target you. They won't ever leave me alone...and now you'll get hurt," Hayato frowned. "If you get hurt because of me..."

"Its okay, Hayato-kun. Its not fair that they ganged up on you like that," Tsuna insisted. "Take off your shirt so I can take care of your arm and shoulder."

"Shouldn't your injuries be tended to first...?"

"They're fine," The brunette assured and the other tentatively removed his open crimson button-down shirt, leaving just his black singlet on. Tsuna took the disinfectant, rubbing it on the cut on the male's left bicep. Gokudera winced, so he murmured out a soft apology. Once that was taken care of, he did the same for the wound on the shoulder and then let Hayato rub away the blood on his mouth as he tended to his cheek. There wasn't much he could do about the bruises though, and he would have to wear something to cover his neck's bruise. He closed the first aid kit, and sat down beside the other, who still looked unsure. "Hayato-kun...Byakuran said that you saved me."

"Eh?" The silverette blinked. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, but eventually said... "you remember?"

"A little bit. I remember someone saving me. You yelled. That seems unlike you," Tsuna smiled, hoping to get one in return. He didn't.

"That was my fault too."

"Eh, how?"

"Even though I told them to stay away from you...they didn't listen and-"

"Wait, Hayato-kun. What do you mean by that?" Tsuna placed a hand on the other's, "Can you start with how you got involved with the three of them?"

"I...have made a lot of mistakes in the past. I was estranged from my family, so I've lived with G. since I was four or five. Even though he tried really hard to care for me, I still had a hard time fitting in...so I basically turned into a delinquent."

Tsuna wasn't sure where he was going with this, but didn't dare stop him.

"I, uh...met...or rather saw you once when I first got into college. It was...kind of love at first sight. But I didn't dare talk to you. I didn't know if you were gay, and you looked really happy, so I kept myself away from you, so you wouldn't be tainted by my existence."

Tsuna frowned. He was surprised at the confession. Still though, he kept silent and only rubbed soothing motion's on Hayato's cold hand.

"It was hard to...keep myself together, and then I met those three. I tried denying them so many times, but they eventually won out over me because I was desperate for something. I...had sex with one of them a day, for over a year...but they noticed I kept watching you in college. They figured it out pretty quickly, but I said to stay away from you, because I had no intentions of getting to know you, even after I learned you were Giotto-san's little brother when G. told me once. They didn't care. They wanted you out of the picture, and Byakuran took the first opportunity when you showed up at the bar. I didn't know until I saw him basically drag you out of the place. I was so mad that I punched him and saved you. I panicked, and handed you back to Yamamoto."

"Hayato-kun," Tsuna tried to start. Yet, tears forming, the other continued,

"I'm sorry. Its my fault. You're in this mess with me, and I can't stop them. If I hadn't gone to talk to you that one time in the bar, or if I hadn't asked for G. to pick me up that day or if I just hadn't noticed you in the first place-"

"Hayato-kun!" Tsuna shouted, causing the other to wince. He raised a hand to wipe away the tears running down pale cheeks. "Its okay. Please, don't cry. Its okay. I don't care if they come after me. I don't care how much they want you back. I refuse to let you go back to that kind of life. There are people worried about you. Hibari-san worries and G.-san worries, and I worry about your well-being. You don't have to keep everything bottled inside. Let others help you." Damn it, Tsuna didn't want to lecture the other.

"But...I don't want to bother others with this...Its my problem."

"Hayato-kun. Friends and family are here for a reason. Okay?" Tsuna smiled warmly and pulled the other into a hug. "I'll help you through this. So will G.-san, Hibari-san, and Yamamoto. Giotto-nii, and Reborn-nii...and maybe even Xanxus-nii will help too. Don't think you're alone on this."

"Tsuna-san..." Hayato sobbed, clutching onto the brunette's shirt and burying his face into the other's neck. "How...can you say that so normally...? I even told you my feelings and yet you..."

"Its not like I'm rejecting you, Hayato-kun," Tsuna made circles on the other's back with his hand. It was true, that he had grown exceptionally fond of the silverette during their time together. It wasn't just in a friendship way either. "I...feel the same way you know?"

"You...you do?" Gokudera sounded so hopeful that Tsuna couldn't help but smile.

"Yes, I do. So don't think for a minute that you're going to burden me with your feelings." Hayato didn't respond; he just hugged the other tighter. Tsuna only returned the gesture silently, letting the other release every tear he kept hidden this whole time.

---

In the next morning, Tsuna woke up next to Gokudera in his bed. Rather than send the silverette home, he let him stay the night. They had a mini debate on where each of them would sleep, but the brunette won and both slept in his bed. Gazing with pure brown eyes, Tsuna watched the other sleep peacefully. Despite the slight puffiness of the other's eyes and the split lip, he looked like it was the best sleep in forever. Tsuna brushed away some silver locks from his face, and he stirred quietly. His eyes slowly fluttered open, and looked at him half-asleep.

"Tsuna-san...good morning..." He murmured.

"Morning, Hayato-kun," Tsuna smiled. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes...thank you," Gokudera sat up, and Tsuna followed shortly after, getting up to look in the mirror (he ignored the hurtful sting of the bruises on his ribs). The bruises on his neck were more prominent than last night. Fantastic. "...Are you okay?"

"I'm alright. Are you?" Tsuna turned around, watching the other get out of the bed. "How's your wrist?"

"It'll be okay," Hayato assured and walked up to the other. "...I'm more concerned about how your brothers will take the bruises."

"I think I have a turtleneck somewhere buried deep in my closet," Tsuna absently responded, running a thumb over the silverette's lip, who flushed in turn. "It'll be fine." He smiled, and turned to open his closet. "I can lend you clothes too. You're not taller than me by that much."

"Eh, you don't have to-"

"I want to, and that's what matters," Tsuna told him, determined to get the other out of being like that. He pulled out a pair of jeans, a gray-shirt, and a black hoodie. "Here. These are all a bit too big for me. So they should be alright."

"Thank you, Tsuna-san." Hayato smiled slightly.

"You don't have to add a honorific if you don't want to. The '-san' makes me feel old," Tsuna laughed, "If its fine, I can just call you Hayato in return."

"Okay...Tsu...Tsuna," Hayato nodded, and the brunette smiled brightly. Tsuna wanted them to be closer, especially since they shared the same feelings for each other. Turning back to his closet, Tsuna found his black turtleneck sweater (an odd gift from his mother at Christmas), and pulled out whatever else he needed. Both of them changed, facing away from one another at Hayato's request (and, well, Tsuna didn't want him to see the bruise anyway) and then silently left Tsuna's room. They followed the sounds coming from the kitchen, finding only Xanxus and Squalo. Odd...did Giotto leave already?

"Good morning, Xanxus-nii," Tsuna greeted, "Squalo-san."

"Yo, Tsunayoshi," Squalo responded, looking up from the pan on the stove. Xanxus grunted something along the lines of 'morning.' Tsuna rolled his eyes with a slight smile. He never understood why Squalo always cooked breakfast for the other, even though he was technically the guest. Tsuna looked at Gokudera, waving him in once he noticed the other was hesitating. Gokudera quietly entered, but stood off to the side. Shaking his head, Tsuna grabbed the pot of coffee and made two cups, handing one off to the silverette.

"Who is that?" Xanxus bluntly asked once he noticed.

"Gokudera Hayato. G.-san's cousin," Tsuna introduced. "Hayato, this is Xanxus-nii. And over there is Superbi Squalo-san."

"Did you shack up with him?" Ah, Xanxus was so subtle.

"Did you get into an actual relationship with Squalo-san?" Tsuna replied without missing a beat. He smiled at the flushing Hayato, before noting the pink on Squalo's cheeks and the faint tint of red on Xanxus' own.

"Shut it trash," Xanxus said, thus confirming Tsuna's suspicion.

"Well, I didn't 'shack up with him'. Come on Hayato, we can get breakfast down the street. And then I need to call Yamamoto, because he's probably having a heart attack wondering why I never sent him a text last night."

"Alright," The silverette nodded, downing the coffee as Tsuna did. Both mugs were placed in the sink and Tsuna took care to remember to grab his wallet and phone on the way out.

"Have fun playing house, you lovey-dovey couple!" He shouted as they left. He heard Squalo's 'VOI' behind the closed door and laughed. As soon as the two made their way to the street and down the sidewalk, Tsuna let out a small sigh.

"What's wrong?" Hayato asked.

"Its a good thing that Giotto-nii and Reborn-nii weren't there. They would have pointed out the bandage on my cheek and your bandaged wrist and split lip," Tsuna stated. "I'd rather they not freak out first thing in the morning. Anyway, I need to call Yamamoto and reassure him that I'm not dead."

Hayato couldn't help but smile.

---

"Tsuna, are you okay?" Takeshi asked the very second he entered the small cafe, dragging a half-asleep Kyoya behind him. They sat across from Tsuna and Hayato, and Takeshi was scanning them with critical eyes.

"I told you I'm fine. I forgot to text you is all," Tsuna assured with a bright smile, and distracted himself with the waitress when she came over. She took each of their orders, though Takeshi picked the first thing he saw and ordered whatever for Hibari.

"Are you sure?" The baseball lover spoke once their waitress walked away.

"Yes."

"...Why are you wearing that turtleneck?"

"Because its cold."

"You hate that turtleneck. In fact, you hate turtlenecks in general. Also, what's with the bandage on your face?"

"Stop badgering him," Kyouya finally stated, pulling on the other's ear. "He's fine, so shut up. You woke me up for no reason."

"Ow ow ow ow, Kyouya, that hurts!" Yamamoto flailed.

"Idiot..." Hayato murmured, burying his face into his hoodie to avoid showing his mouth, "Hibari hates being woken up."

"Yamamoto, why did you drag him if he was sleeping?" Tsuna sighed, wondering just when did the two of them got together. He didn't remember Takeshi announcing it to him or their friends. Secret perhaps? Though it was hard to be secretive when he would have to explain why he dragged Hibari with him unless they were in the same bed.

"I was worried."

"Gokudera, stop shrinking in on yourself," Hibari ordered suddenly, sending a pointed glare at the silverette.

"I'm not shrinking in on myself," Hayato protested, and did not move. "I'm cold." Hibari narrowed his eyes, and for a brief second, Tsuna thought they were found out. He knew it was hypocritical for them to hide it even after he told Hayato to tell people about big problems, but for the moment, they didn't want to worry them. It was a bit too early in the morning for talks of people assaulting them. The skylark turned away from the two of them, settling for looking out the glass window pane. Finally, silence took over, and their breakfast finally arrived.

They all ate in silence, though Takeshi was still sending the brunette worried glances. Tsuna purposely ignored them all, and bode his time shoving mouthfuls of eggs passed his lips. Hayato took care to angle his face to hide his injuries from Hibari, who would spot them in an instant, and used his uninjured hand to eat. Once the four were done, Yamamoto and Tsuna split the bill, despite Gokudera's protests to pay for himself (Hibari remained indifferent to the matter, but did pick up the tip).

Well, Tsuna thought as he departed from the restaurant with the silverette and away from the other two, that was one crisis adverted.

---

And apparently, not all crisis can be avoided. Tsuna glanced at his phone, as he and his recent companion sat in the living room of the apartment alone, as Xanxus and Squalo had disappeared somewhere for the day. His cell phone was ringing extra loudly, as if it was converting the worry of the person calling into a ringtone. Giving a sigh, Tsuna picked up the phone, putting it on speaker.

"Yes?"

"Tsuna!" Giotto's voice carried through. "Do you know where Gokudera-kun is?" Hayato frowned, and Tsuna raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, he's with me right now. What's wrong?"

"Ah, thank god. G. never got any text or call from him last night or this morning, so he was freaking out thinking that something happened to him." Hayato flushed, pulling out his phone, which politely informed him that it was on silent and that he had five missed calls and ten text messages.

"Well, he's alright," Tsuna glanced at the other's phone and then the silverette himself. "Right?"

"Y-yea...sorry for worrying you." Hayato stuttered out.

"Its fine with me, I suppose. But what were you doing that you didn't call or text him? You always let him know where you are." Giotto sighed. "Anyway, I'm on my way home. Work let out early."

"A-ah, okay. See you then."

"See you." The phone clicked, and the two glanced at each other. Well shit. The only way it could get worse was if Reborn was coming home too. As Gokudera hastily sent a text to his cousin with an apology and his current status (I'm alive, were the exact words), the door opened.

"I'm back."

It just had to be Reborn.

---

And now, both sat in the living room, being stared down by Reborn, Giotto, and Xanxus (who came home at Giotto's call) while Squalo (who tagged along) and G. (who decided to wisely keep his mouth quiet for the moment) stood off to the side to watch. Hayato was very nicely staring off to the side; he was leaning forward, his elbow propped on his knee and his hand covering his mouth in a nonchalant way while it propped up his head. Tsuna was leaning back, staring at the ceiling like it was the most interesting thing in the world, and fidgeting ever so slightly at the critical stares. Curse Reborn for noticing right away.

"So...Tsuna, care to share why you have bruises on your neck?" Giotto smiled (and it wasn't that nice smile either. It was that 'you better tell me or I'll beat you up' smile that made all his younger brothers shiver).

"What bruises?" The brunette asked innocently and immediately winced when Reborn pulled at his turtleneck.

"How about the ones that look like a fucking hand print?" Reborn growled and whirled on Hayato, "And you! Why did you let this happen to him?"

"Oi! Leave him alone!" Tsuna retorted instantly when the silverette shrank in on himself. G. snarled from the side, "that's my cousin you're yelling at."

"He's the reason you have these bruises and that cut on your cheek," Reborn poked the brunette in the ribs, causing him to hiss painfully. "And this bruise here."

"Its not his fault damn it!" Tsuna grabbed his brother's wrist. "So leave him out of it."

"I'm sorry," Hayato murmured into his hand, "...you know its my fault."

"I already told you it wasn't! Reborn-nii is just being a dick because I got hurt!" Tsuna turned to the other and explained in a softer tone, "I already said it was my choice."

"Please, Tsuna, just tell us what happened," Giotto frowned, crossing his arms. Tsuna turned his head stubbornly, intent on not sharing until everyone calmed down. He crossed his arms, and frowned. Hayato had curled in on himself, most likely uncomfortable with too many people looking at them. Reborn opened his mouth once more,

"Son of a-"

"Xanxus," Giotto interrupted the other. The eldest brother pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation; Reborn was getting out of hand. "...Xanxus, why didn't you notice this morning when you saw Tsuna?"

"I saw. I just didn't say anything," Xanxus shrugged indifferently.

"Ah, now that I think about it," Squalo piped up, finally breaking his surprising silence, "Didn't the little silver brat have a split lip or something?"

"Hayato," G. said out of sheer surprise as his cousin flinched. The redhead trotted closer to the other, crouching down. He sighed quietly, "Let me see..." Hesitantly, Gokudera raised his head, but refused to look at anyone. G. frowned, looking at the injury. "Where else are you hurt?"

"N-nowhere," The silverette lied, "Tsuna got more hurt than I did." The brunette frowned, but accepted it. His intuition told him the silverette didn't want any more attention than this already. During the small conversation, Reborn had calmed down enough to sit himself in a chair and diminish his murderous aura, and Xanxus had taken the other with Squalo sitting on one of the arm rests. Giotto sat down next to Tsuna, and G. moved next to Hayato, discreetly inspecting for more injuries.

"Okay, Tsuna," Giotto began as calmly as possible. "We now know that both you and Hayato are injured on various degrees, so please tell us what exactly happened."

Tsuna frowned, glancing at Hayato. Slightly fearful jade eyes stared back, but the silverette gave a small nod anyway. So, Tsuna explained. He talked about the three men that constantly harassed Gokudera, how he was drugged by Byakuran and how he was saved by Gokudera, how the three confronted Hayato in the street with Tsuna there, and even though he told them to leave, how they got into a large fight anyway where Tsuna promptly fought them alongside his companion and won despite their minor injuries. He did leave out why they drugged him in the first place and how it was because they were most likely jealous of him for gaining Gokudera's attention. Each of the older men sat in silence taking the information in. Tsuna discreetly scooted closer to Hayato, placing his hand over the other's own and squeezing gently. Hayato glanced over, and then to their hands, returning the gesture.

"Hayato, why didn't you say something sooner?" G. broke the silence first. Tsuna had to wonder how much G. had known prior to this, considering how many times he picked Hayato up from random houses and worried every time he didn't know where the younger male was.

"I...was scared...to tell you," Hayato quietly answered, "I...didn't want to bother you...with my problems when you're the only family member left that cares."

"Hayato, you know I care, so you shouldn't have to hesitate to tell me when there is something wrong. Do you know how long I've been worried about you?"

"I'm sorry..." G. sighed, and placed a hand in silver locks, ruffling them affectionately.

"Tsuna, how long did you plan on keeping this from us?" Giotto frowned, glancing to his youngest brother.

"I didn't. I just wasn't going to share right away. We were going to tell you, and then Reborn-nii threw a tantrum," Tsuna said matter-of-factually, and Reborn snorted. "I didn't want either of you flipping out over my small injuries before I could tell you."

"Hah..." Giotto breathed. "Anyway, the fact remains that I have three asses to kick for hurting my little brother and Gokudera-kun."

"Three asses to kill is more like it," Reborn muttered.

"Stupid trash," Xanxus grunted.

"Tsunayoshi, what were their names again?" Squalo questioned, crossing his arms in thought.

"Ah, Mukuro, Bel, and Byakuran?" Tsuna responded a bit unsure.

"Rokudo Mukuro, Belphegor, and Millefiore Byakuran," Hayato frowned.

"Belphegor...Bel. Don't we have someone like that at work?" Squalo thought aloud and looked down to Xanxus. The man scowled, and then after a brief moment, growled.

"I will kill him."

"Murder is illegal," Tsuna reminded with a sigh. Well that explained where one of them was. Well, he figured they could find them at the bar if anything.

---

Tsuna frowned, leaning back against the wall of his bedroom as he sat on his bed. He was currently under "house arrest" (according to Giotto and Reborn anyway) and had Xanxus as his 'security guard.' Gokudera was no longer by his side. G. had discovered the rest of his injuries when his arm was grabbed, even though it was gentle, and he winced. G. promptly decided to drag his cousin to their doctor friend (Shamal, Tsuna believed his name was) and then would bring him back to the apartment. In the meantime, Tsuna was left to his own devices, though he felt more like a prisoner and in his childhood again.

With this time to himself, Tsuna could think more about his feelings for Hayato. It had literally been a day since he heard of Hayato's confession (even though it was in a ramble full of guilt and worry), but he knew it was quite honest. Why else would the two of them be in this mess? Tsuna had known his feelings for the silverette had been growing since they first met, from that of a friend to something more romantically-inclined. He loved being able to talk to the other and getting him to smile or laugh. Gokudera's laugh was hard to describe. It wasn't like the small chuckles or snickers Tsuna got when they were around Takeshi and Hibari. It was melodic and warm. The brunette had only heard that laugh once, but he loved it all the same.

Truth be told, Tsuna loved Hayato's small habits as well. He liked to tap rhythms on any kind of surfaces, be it a table or his leg. When he smoked, he always alternated, without fail, which hand he used to light up the cigarette. Whenever he was embarrassed, he looked to the bottom right to avoid someone's gaze. If he was nervous, he looked to the upper left.

Tsuna blinked. Wow he really knew a lot. Smiling to himself, he had the simple thought that Hayato was just cute in his own right, but also knew how to hold his own if push came to shove (pushing passed his insecurities), like during the fight. Tsuna knew he would have had a lot more injuries if his companion hadn't covered his back more than once.

"Tsuna, I'm back." The brunette turned his head, spotting the silverette in his thoughts open his bedroom door and hesitantly step inside.

"Welcome back, Hayato," Tsuna smiled, patting the spot beside him. "How are your injuries?"

"T-they're alright," Hayato stuttered as he joined Tsuna on the bed. "Your bruises?"

"They'll heal," Tsuna shrugged, running a hand on his exposed neck (there really wasn't a point in hiding them now, and he hated that turtleneck anyway). "What did that doctor say?"

"Shamal," Gokudera specified and then sighed, "The stupid pervert told me not to agitate the wounds and then lectured my ear off."

Tsuna laughed, earning a confused look. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I've ever heard you badmouth someone before."

"Ah," The other said in realization. "I...guess not." Tsuna smiled, taking hold of the silverette's hand, who undoubtedly blushed pink.

"Want to get some sleep?"

"Y-yeah, okay." was the rushed response and Tsuna couldn't help but smile wider. He pulled the other down with him, encasing him protectively with his arms. Hayato stiffened, but relaxed after a moment (most likely he was reassuring himself that it was just Tsuna, and not those three asshats) and buried his face into the brunette's neck. The brunette himself pressed a light kiss to the other's forehead, who only responded with arms wrapping themselves around Tsuna.

Tsuna would love the warmth that came from the other male from then on.

---

Tsuna, honest to god, could not figure out where he was. His head was pounding, his thoughts were hazy, and his body felt like lead. He vaguely recalled going out to grab something from a convenience store with Hayato a week after the fight incident. They were trusted to go, just barely, because they figured nothing would happen in broad daylight. Apparently, everyone was wrong.

"Nng..." He groaned, trying to curl in on himself only to find that he couldn't. His arms were bound above him, by something that felt like rope, to what felt like a metal beam. He leaned his head back, letting the cool metal meet the back of his neck. His skin felt like it was burning up, on fire even. He cracked open his tired eyes, only to the point where they were half-lidded. It took a moment to focus, but he took in the scenery to be an abandoned warehouse or some kind of storage facility that was in the less-than-okay part of the city. The ground was dirty and dusty, various pieces of trash littering the concrete ground. The windows up high were broken and covered with rotting pieces of wood; graffiti covered the walls.

"Kufufufufu, I see our guest of honor is finally awake." Tsuna turned his head, spotting Mukuro looking down at him with an eerie smirk on his face.

"Oh, finally? I was just getting impatient," Byakuran smiled, popping a marshmallow into his mouth. "You shouldn't keep people waiting, Tsunayoshi-chan."

"Shishishishi, finally the Prince can play with his Princess," Belphegor snickered. Tsuna's eyes widened a fraction, seeing the despicable blond sitting on Hayato, who looked lifeless. The only way Tsuna knew he was awake was because those jade eyes stared at him guiltily, like it was all his fault. Tsuna tried to shake his head to reassure the other, but instead, he found himself in a searing kiss with Mukuro. He jerked, managing to pull his head back with a snarl.

"Now then, I suppose we should reteach our little kitten that trying to get away is unacceptable," Mukuro smirked, grabbing the brunette's chin.

"Ah, how unfair. You two get to have all the fun and I only get to keep watch." Byakuran chimed, shoving another marshmallow passed his lips as he disappeared out the door.

"Shishishi, you lost rock-paper-scissors, get over it," The blond snickered, flipping Hayato so he laid on his back. Bel flicked a knife out from his sleeve, swiftly cutting off the long-sleeved shirt the pinned male wore.

"S-stop," Hayato protested and thrashed weakly. "Leave him alone, please." Bel pinned his wrists above his head.

"No can do, kitten," Mukuro purred, unbuttoning the buttons of Tsuna's shirt, "Otherwise you won't learn." Tsuna scowled darkly, attempting to kick the other to no avail. His body wasn't listening to him. Stupid, motherfucking drugs.

"Leave Hayato alone already, you stupid fuck," He growled out. He hated swearing, but at this point, he wanted to beat the shit out of these assholes. "You can't own him like some pet."

"On the contrary, little Tsunayoshi," Mukuro said airily, placing his hands on the other's sides (and Tsuna tried not to shiver), "We can. We've been doing it for so long already. Why stop now? Because he finally got to spend time with the love of his life? I don't think so. Once you're out of the picture, he'll be ours once again, and this time, we'll make sure he stays broken."

"No!" Hayato shouted, eyes wide. He winced painfully when Bel pinched one of his nipples harshly. "F-fuck."

"Hayato," Tsuna yelled, completely worried.

"You should be watching yourself, Tsunayoshi," Mukuro reminded and slipped a hand into the brunette's pants. Tsuna gasped, squirming when the other grasped his member. "It'll be fun watching you shatter."

"Bastard," Tsuna ground out, turning his head away to keep his assaulter from kissing him. Mukuro forcefully grabbed his chin, kissing him hard enough for their teeth to clash. Tsuna attempted to pull away to no avail; his head hit the solid metal beam just as Mukuro shoved a tongue into his mouth and squeezed his cock. Mukuro's other hand pinched one of Tsuna's exposed nipples, causing him to thrash about once more. He glared at the pineapple bastard, managing to glance at Hayato.

The silverette was gasping and writhing as tears spilled from his face. Bel had one hand running his knife teasingly down the bare chest and the other holding the wrists of his captive. Bel shoved a knee to the other's crotch, causing the other to bite back a moan. The blond grinned, bringing his head down to bite on bare skin, hard enough to bleed.

"Your attention is wavering, Tsunayoshi," Mukuro nearly sang, scraping his nails against the brunette's torso. Tsuna turned his glare full force on Mukuro, trying to kick him once more. He gritted his teeth as Mukuro pulled down his pants, boxers and all, and lifted his hips up. His assaulter released his erection from his own pants, and placed it right at Tsuna's entrance, no preparation or anything. His chocolate eyes widened, and his hands clenched into painful fists.

"Don't you-" Tsuna was cut off by his own shout of pain, hearing Hayato's yell at the same time.

It fucking hurt.

He could feel his entrance tearing and bleeding at the forceful entry that fully sheathed Mukuro's hard on in the first thrust. He was blinded by the pain that he didn't even feel Mukuro begin moving, pounding in again and again. He managed a glance at Hayato, who had been flipped onto his back but experiencing the same torture. Tears gathered in the corners of Tsuna's eyes, threatening to spill over just as Hayato's had already done. He clenched his jaw, ignoring the laughter of Mukuro and Bel as they fully raped their victims.

Tsuna breathed heavily for air, trying to ignore such an intense pain, as his consciousness wavered several times. He was beginning to think it would never end...

...and the door suddenly burst open. All actions froze, and Tsuna could barely make out all of his brothers, in addition to G., Squalo, and even Yamamoto and Hibari. Xanxus dragged in a bloody and unconscious Byakuran and dropped him on the floor. Each of the males took in the scene, all but noticing Tsuna's and Hayato's tears and prone forms, with their assaulters hanging over them.

The last thing Tsuna was able to think before finally giving into the pain and blacking out, was that those seven protective men were about to commit a murder.

Well, karma was a bitch.

---

The next time Tsuna woke up was in a hospital bed, surrounded by white washed walls. He felt surprisingly numb as he laid on his stomach, but maybe that was some painkillers or morphine at work. He wasn't entirely sure. After a moment, he was able to make out the sleeping form of Hayato as he slept in the bed next to him, in the same position. The brunette sighed. If they were here, then everything was probably right again.

"Tsuna, you're awake!" Tsuna turned his head, spotting Takeshi on the other side of the bed, sitting in a chair. "Thank god you're okay."

"Yamamoto," Tsuna greeted tiredly. "who's in jail for killing them?" Yamamoto stared at him for a few moments, but then began to laugh. Of course, that would be the first thing Tsuna wanted to know.

"N-nobody's in jail. We didn't kill them, just severely injured them," Takeshi spoke once his laughter calmed. "Kyouya is the head of the Disciplinary Committee that's connected to the police, so he took them to the police station to, as he said, 'inflict further punishment' or something."

"Did you know Hibari-san had police connections?"

"Yes, of course. That's why Giotto-san called me, to get Kyouya to help out." Takeshi nodded. "Anyway, how are you feeling?"

"Tired...and kind of numb. I'm assuming I shouldn't attempt to move though."

"You shouldn't," Yamamoto confirmed, "we're at some private clinic that G.-san knows, by the way. Your brothers are out picking up food to bring back here. Squalo-san went to work, and G.-san is taking a nap in another room, because he had been working all day prior to this."

"So...how bad off are we?" Tsuna frowned, crossing his arms underneath his head for comfort.

"Hmm, it's gonna take a while to heal, I think the doc said. It looked worse than it was though, so its not terrible."

"Two weeks," A new voice said grumpily as they entered the room. He looked irritated, and scratched at his unruly brown hair, which oddly looked similar to Hayato's hairstyle. For some reason, Tsuna had a suspicion that this man was Shamal, especially considering what Takeshi had informed him of. "Do not sit on your butt for two weeks. You can move after two days, but until then, I don't want you leaving the bed unless its for emergencies."

"Thank you..." Tsuna left the statement hang.

"Shamal," The doctor said, confirming the brunette's assumption. "I hate treating men, especially this punk over here." Shamal said, despite the fond and slightly worried look he was giving Hayato. "If it weren't for so many of you jerks ganging up on me, I wouldn't have treated you." Tsuna could tell it was a lie, but let the statement pass anyway.

"Well thank you, anyway, Shamal-sensei. I truly appreciate this," Tsuna smiled. Shamal grunted and left the room (he was probably just doing a quick check) just as Giotto, Reborn and Xanxus returned.

"Tsuna, are you alright?" Giotto asked at once, speedily rushing over. It took a little time for Tsuna to reassure all of his brothers that he was doing just fine. Giotto eventually left to go to sleep in the room with G. and Reborn left after claiming he had work. Xanxus was the last of them to leave, but reminded Tsuna nonchalantly that there would be plenty of training after all this was over. Takeshi left for the night a few hours after that, letting the brunette know that he was going to let Kyouya know about Gokudera and his health status. He also let Tsuna know that none of their friends knew, as to keep it quiet and keep them from flipping out, much to Tsuna's gratefulness.

Soon enough, the lights went out, and Tsuna found himself falling back asleep with only the moonlight streaming through the windows illuminating the room. That is, until his companion shifted slightly with a small groan. He started to move to sit up.

"You shouldn't get up," Tsuna softly told the other. Hayato jumped at the voice, but stayed where he was, laying back down completely, and turning his head to look at the brunette. The moonlight almost made his skin glow. "How are you feeling?"

"...Okay...tired," Hayato murmured, "are you okay?"

"I'll be alright."

"Tsuna, I'm sorry. I'm the one who-"

"Hayato," Tsuna cut him off, and shot him a warm smile, "I already told you that it was my choice to get involved in this. Don't beat yourself up over this, okay?"

"O-okay," Hayato nodded slightly, though he still looked unsure. Tsuna wanted to get up and lay beside the other, to comfort him without the use of words. Ah, fuck it. He'll take the reprimands later; he considered an upset Hayato an emergency. Shifting, Tsuna slowly pushed himself up, and off the bed without ever once sitting. "T-Tsuna!"

"It's fine," Tsuna smiled, walking shakily over to the other bed, using the walls as a guide. He ignored the numbed aches and pains, and climbed in beside the silverette. He laid down on his belly, and grasped Hayato's hand with his own, gently intertwining their fingers as Hayato subtly scooted over to give him more room. Tsuna smiled at him, reassuringly, and got a small smile in return.

Quietly, both fell asleep to the sounds of each other's heartbeats.

---

Tsuna smiled to himself, dropping a cardboard box onto the hardwood floor of his newly obtained apartment. Two years had passed since that day, and so much had happened. He secured a job in a company called Vongola Corporation, where he acted as one of the managers to a branch. It was pretty liberal when it came to his working hours, and the money wasn't bad either.

"Tsuna, it that everything?" The brunette turned, spotting Hayato come out of the bedroom.

"It is," Tsuna answered, pecking a kiss to the other's lips. "Finally, I'm officially out of the apartment of my brothers."

"Well," Hayato laughed softly, "I think its hard for seven men to fit into an apartment. G. was already practically living there, and Squalo-san was starting to as well. Its a good thing Giotto-san and G. moved to their own apartment."

"Xanxus-nii and Squalo-san got their own apartment as well, somewhere downtown," Tsuna added, "Reborn-nii didn't want such a large apartment, so he sold it off and got himself a bachelor's pad in the upper city." Moving to the multiple boxes, he crouched down to start unloading them.

"The baseball idiot and Hibari are coming over tonight, aren't they?" Hayato asked, kneeling beside the other to help.

"Yes, and unfortunately," Tsuna chuckled, "Ryohei and everyone else are coming too."

"Ah, the lawn head..." Gokudera pursed his lips. He had finally met the friends the year before, and he was surprised at how readily they accepted him into the group. The brunette shook his head with a smile.

"I hope they don't break anything. This stuff is all new." Tsuna sighed and stared at the instruction manual for installing the television. Maybe he could skip that for later.

"They'll be paying for it if they do," Hayato finished taking out various decorative objects from the box and began placing them onto the shelves and stands around the living room. Tsuna moved into the kitchen, unpacking various cups, pots, pans, plates, and bowls and placed them into several cabinets.

"I'll make sure to keep the receipts around then," Tsuna quipped, and put away the utensils he found in the box. Thankfully, they didn't have many kitchen items just yet, so he was done in a flash. "So, do you want to unpack the bedroom or install the television and cable box."

"Uhh..." Hayato flushed, putting down the last item; it was a photo of him (blushing, unfortunately) and Tsuna (smiling and leaning against the silverette) at a restaurant that had been taken by a teasing Giotto. "I was thinking about the bedroom...just not unpacking the things in there."

"Oh," Tsuna smirked, walking over to the other and wrapping his arms around the man's waist. He looked up into jade eyes and asked, "Is there something else you had in mind?" Tsuna waited patiently, as a red tint overcame his lover, and Gokudera finally found his words again.

"...We could break in the bed."

Tsuna grinned, leading Hayato by the hand into the bedroom with a nod as his reply. As he pulled the silverette in and kicked the door shut, and brought the other down on the bed with him in a heated kiss, Tsuna smiled happily at the turn of actions.

Well...it would be fine as long as they got cleaned up before everyone else got there.

---

Fin.

---

Ahh...this took so long. So many words...I apologize for any mistakes...

To clarify, for when Tsuna and Gokudera are in Shamal's clinic, I do not know the actual healing period for something like that, and I did not think googling it would have found me an answer, so I took a wild guess. I can be a little liberal anyway, its an anime.

Moving on, I named this fic "Disperato" because I wanted to portray Gokudera's desperate attempts at keeping himself away from Tsuna at the beginning, and then trying to pull away from Tsuna when Tsuna wanted to help him.

I may or may not due Gokudera's side to this; it depends on how well it comes along if I start it.

A penny for your review?