Summary: Because Tenth asked his Right-hand, Gokudera agreed to help, despite a pang in his chest as he thought about the quest.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Series or the characters.
Word Count: 1,924
Not Beta'd.
Revised/Rewritten with small changes.
To Gokudera Hayato, the Strom Guardian of the Vongola Family, never thought that the day would come. Baseball freak was nowhere near him or his beloved Tenth, practicing baseball for the upcoming tournament. Sasagawa Kyoko was probably with her best friend, Kurokawa Hane, taking small stops from clothes store time to time. That 'extremely' annoying Lawn-head was best likely at his boxing club, training the newcomers, while Lambo was at tenth's home, picking a fight with I-pin. And his aneki would also be at Tenth's house, just watching his boss's mother cook, or something that he did not want to know at all.
And lastly, that stupid annoying woman was nowhere in sight, which was a tiny bit weird, but he doesn't care. Gokudera was simply happy not seeing her. After all, he was pretty sick of her claiming his Tenth as he 'future husband' anyway.
All for the better for him.
Gokudera beams happily, a big grin clearly written in his face. There was no way that he would just waste his chance with his boss!
Wasting no time, he turns around eagerly. "Tenth, would you like a popsicle? My treat!" He asks innocently, pointing at a small local supermarket by the street. He halts walking, sincerely looking at his boss, digging his hands in his back pocket.
Tsuna, on the other hand, kept silent, his head facing the ground as he continues to walk, leaving his right hand man behind.
The Storm Guardian tilts his head slightly, his hand slowly reaching up for his shoulders, soon earning a high pitched yelp as his boss jumps and makes a worried stare.
"Ah, sorry, I was thinking about.." Tsuna quiets down, looking down once more for a small moment, avoiding the stare, "..stuff.."
"It's fine, it's fine," Gokudera laughs it off, literally forcing his boss to laugh along with him. "I was wondering if you wanted a Popsicle. It's my treat!" He points to the small market once more, and Tsuna looks at the store, his eyes rather unfocused.
"S-sure," he stammers, a small smile on his lips, his face slowly turning pink from embarrassment. His hand blindly reaches for the back of his head, lightly scratching his messy hair as he notices his right hand man smiling happily once more.
"Wait here, I'll be right back!" Gokudera gives thumbs up and hastily runs to the store, disappearing from Tsuna's sight as he continues to run, only to come out few seconds later with two popsicles in both of his hands. Soon, he runs back to his boss, careful to not drop them.
As he hands his boss a blue Popsicle, Tsuna mutters a quiet 'thank you' before unwrapping it, taking it to his mouth to savor the taste and smiles.
The Storm Guardian simply smiles and starts to lick his, not noticing the way his boss was quietly staring at him with a serious expression.
When he does notice, Tsuna falters slightly, but he soon regains his composure. "Uhm.. Gokudera-kun," he starts, avoiding the curious stare by looking down once more, no longer wanting to eat his popsicle as it slowly melts under the blazing sun, dripping to the hard, concrete ground.
"Yes?"
"Uhm.. Could I ask a favor..?" Tsuna stutters, soon quieting down as his face starts to frown, filled with guilt.
Gokudera pauses.
Why.. did his boss look so.. guilty? What was there to be guilty about?
Tsuna was Gokudera's boss in a way, and Gokudera was committed to do.. everything for him.
"Something? Of course! I'll do whatever you want me to do, just tell me and I'll do it without and problem!" He beams, his popsicle soon landing in his mouth, waiting for his boss to say his request.
"I'm just.. Really sorry to ask you to do this and.." Tsuna quiets down once more, his appetite of the cold treat drastically decreasing by the second as it seems to melt faster for him.
"It's fine, it's fine!"
Tsuna finally looks up, breaking his eye contact with the melting popsicle and looks at Gokudera with a sad, guilty look. Should he ask? Would Gokudera deserve it? Wouldn't that make others look at Gokudera or him as a bad person to another's view at them?
Is it worth it?
"Dame-Tsuna," Reborn mutters, his fedora hat covering his eyes as he crosses his arms. "You're going to regret it, you know."
Tsuna shakes his head, trying to get rid of the imaginary Reborn from his mind, making Gokudera touch his shoulder with worry. "Tenth? Is something wrong?"
He smiles slightly, a small bead of cold sweat running down his face as he glances at the sun for a second. "No, no.. Nothing's wrong. I was just thinking of how.. Uh.. How.. I.. I should.. Uhm.. T-tell you.." He stutters, as he swears he sees Reborn on his right hand man's shoulder, his blank eyes that was staring at him, reading his every movement.
No.. He shouldn't feel guilty.
After all.. It just had to be that way.
"I.. was just thinking of how I should tell you what I need help with.." He breaks eye contct with Gokudera's questioning stare, looking at the melting popsicleagain.
Gokudera smiles softly. "Well, I'm fine with everything, really!" He lets go of his tenth, pumping his fist up similarly to Ryohei's 'extreme' moments.
"Well.. Uhm.. Could you.. um.." Make Haru fall in love with you?
"Could I..?" Gokudera repeats Tsuna's words, his eyes fired with determination as he leans in closely.
"SpendsometimewithHaru?"
Spend some time with Haru so that I can ask Kyoko-chan out, and so that Haru won't really.. bother me..?
Tsuna clutches his hands tightly, his eyes shut as he imagines Gokudera flat out rejecting him and calling him a coward.
He was a no good Tsuna after all.
"Of course I can spend some time with stupid woman.." Gokudera answers too quickly, only to freeze as the words come into his mind, fully understanding them. The popsicle in his hand drops to the ground, breaking into little pieces that starts to melt faster. "Wait.. What?"
Tsuna flinches. Well, at least it was a little better from what he expected. "I.. I am as like a bodyguard!" He almost shouts those words, dropping his popsicle as he brings his hands in front of him, waving them as fast as he could, trying to dismiss that Gokudera was probably thinking.
"Protect stupid woman? There.. There's people stupid enough to actually try to go after her?" The silver teen asks as his eyes were wide with shock, unable to close his mouth.
"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have asked you to do that! I'll ask Yamamoto to do that instead!" Tsuna yells all too fast, his hands still rapidly waving. Soon, he clasps his hands together, slightly bowing up and down over and over, his face pink with embarrassment.
Gokudera, however regains his composure as the mention of baseball Freak comes out, a small growl escaping his lips. He couldn't dare to see Tsuna ask that Baseball Freak to watch that stupid woman with a smile on his face! That.. That would mean that he failed as being his tenth's right hand man! Protecting was at least.. Tiny bit, no, much better than looking at Baseball Freak be the right hand man! "Tenth! That Baseball freak is no good! I, as your right hand man, will do it instead and make sure nothing happens to that stupid woman and keep her away from you!" Gokudera bites the insides of his mouth as those words soar out of his lips, careful to not make a comment about stupid woman and Baseball Freak.
Tsuna's eyes widens with shock and surprise at the last words Gokudera yelled out.
Did..
Did he find out his true intention?
"A-ah.. I.. uhm.." He stammers, unable to say anything as he grips his book bag tightly, guilt overcoming his thoughts once more.
Gokudera's eyes widens as he thinks about the words he said. "I-I mean..! I'll protect that stupid woman from our enemies..! I didn't mean anything when I said about keeping her away from you! But you need Lawn-head's sister to be close with you, so.. I though.." He quiets down just stopping himself from muttering anything else absurd, almost close to slapping his own head with frustration.
"Uhm.. Thanks.." Tsuna mutters, his face bright with a big smile. "I really appreciate it, Gokudera-kun."
The silver teen smiles brightly from outside, though on the inside, he couldn't help but to frown a little from thinking what's going to happen after all. Honestly, he almost cringes from the thought of him and stupid woman together, but..
But..
Since Tsuna, the man he literally looks up to asked him, he would do it. Without any problems.
Not because he was Tsuna's right hand, but also as his Storm Guardian.
And as a friend.
He would do it perfectly.
He knows he will.
.。.:*・.。.:*・.。.:*・.。.:*・.。.:*・.。.:*・.。.:*・.。.:*・.。.:*・.。.:*・.。.:*・.。.:*・.。.:*
"I'm home."
"Ah, Tsu-kun, welcome back!" Tsuna's mother greets her son happily, a smile on her face as she sees her son take off his shoes. "We'll be having dinner in about an hour," she yells as she talks back to the kitchen, hearing faint footsteps going up the stairs. "Oh! And Haru-chan was here for few seconds.. though she left just before you came in.." she mutters.
"Alright, thanks mom," Tsuna yells back, her last words never reaching to his ears before opening his bedroom door, only to see a bullet coming straight to his forehead. He yelps, ducking as fast as he can, clutching his head with his two hands, a deep shiver going down his spine.
"You're getting better, Dame-Tsuna."
Tsuna stands up and quickly goes into his room, closing the door lightly before turning his head to face his baby tutor. "Reborn! Mom's already wondering why there are holes in the wall! Stop that!"
And that was true. His mother asked him when he was about to go to school in the morning.
Reborn simply chuckles, adjusting his fedora hat. "Then don't duck." Leon soon climbs out of the small baby's hat, transforming into a gun.
"Reborn!" Tsuna sighs, closing his mouth as he knows he couldn't win against his tutor, his face slightly pale from thinking what would happen if he actually gathered up his courage and say something back.
"Well, there's going to be a bullter stuck in your brain for sure. Now stop talking and sit down."
Tsuna couldn't help but to instantly obey his tutor, sitting right beside his bed, looking at his tutor with caution.
"So you did it, huh? Asked Gokudera." Reborn states, a smirk on his lips. "I gotta admit, I thought you were going to ask Yamamoto first."
A shaky breath escapes his lips as Tsuna clutches his hand tightly for a second. "Well, I had to try Gokudera-kun first."
"You're going to regret it, you know."
He sighs as he closes his eyes. "I won't. I know I won't."
"You better not come to be later." Reborn mutters, a small sinister smile on his face. Leon soon transforms back to being a lizard, soon resting on the fedora hat once more.
"What are you planning?"
"You'll find out."
:to be continued:
AN: I know, I know. It's a pretty short chapter. The pairing isn't just GokuHaru and KyokoTsuna. It's mixed xD
I just wanted this out of my mind because it stayed in the back of my head for few years now