"What if I told you that I love you, eh?"

"Wh-what the hell are you saying?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm saying I love you." And he kisses him, not waiting for an answer or abuse.

And, in that moment, Gokudera knows that he will never be free of the freak, no matter how he wishes otherwise.

"Stupidera?" A finger taps against his forehead. "Yare, yare, this can not be good." A sigh accompanies the apathetic realization. "How do I tell Vongola that his right hand man died…?"

"You do it, you fucking cow, and I'll blow you to bits." Gokudera stands to his feet, glowering at the teenager. Instead of being intimidated, Lambo sighs again and tucks his hands back into his pockets. "What do you want?"

"Vongola wanted to have a word with you; but I can see that you're busy with other things." He turns to walk away, but Gokudera's hand on his shoulder snaps him back.

"What did he want to talk to me about?" He demands with earnest eyes.

"I don't know; he will only talk about it with you."

"Where is he?"

"The lounging room." Lambo lifts a hand and flicks Gokudera's hand from his shoulder with a small jolt of electricity. "Later, stupidera." And, just like that, the mellow teenager leaves Gokudera alone once more.

'Heh heh! It's okay, Hayato-kun. I didn't expect you to return my feelings; I just needed to tell you." His smile looks no different than normal; he acts no different than normal.

… Yamamoto must not have really loved him if he could so easily brush off Gokudera's rejection.

"You wished to see me, Juudaime?" He bows loyally to Tsuna, peace relaxing his shoulders in his boss's presence.

"I did, Gokudera-kun." Vongola smiles softly and stands to his feet, coming around the coffee table to the counter and fetching hot chai tea for the both of them. "I hear Yamamoto-kun finally told you about his feelings." There is an edge of sadness to his voice, instantly catching Gokudera's attention.

"I'm sorry, Juudaime!" His self-disgust is obvious. "I tried to stop him, but I couldn't." One kiss… and than too many gropes to count before Gokudera had shoved him away. "Please forgive me!"

"… I see…" Tsuna comes back and gestures for Gokudera to take a seat. "Gokudera-kun; I wasn't upset because of… whatever you are thinking." He takes his place in an overstuffed leather black wing chair. "I was wondering… if you loved him back or not…?"

"… Juudaime…" He feels betrayal in his heart. "Did that baseball freak tell you to ask?" He plans to kill him later.

"No, no! Gokudera-kun, he did not ask me to ask you… I'm asking because I want to know." He smiles gently, resting his hands in his lap. "I swear, I won't tell him anything you tell me if you don't want me to."

Gokudera deflates instantly, his heart soothed as he sips the tea. "He came onto to me; I should have kicked his ass back to Japan, that freak!" He snarls, clenching too tightly his hand around the delicate cup. It shatters in his grip, sending small shards into his palm and fingers. The hot tea spills over his hand, burning the skin. "GAH!"

Tsuna is there instantly with a wet towel, a box of band-aides, tweezers, and a mop. "Don't force yourself, Gokudera-kun; if the subject upsets you that much, you don't have to tell me." He takes care of his right hand man before bothering with the mess.

The silverette's eyes fill with tears. "Ju – Juudaime…" His hand trembles as Tsuna wraps it up. "You are too kind to me, Juudaime…" Tsuna smiles up at him from where he kneels to pick up the fallen shards. "Don't bother with that, Juudaime! It was my fault, I must clean it up!" He grasps his boss and lifts him to his feet before taking over the job.

"Gokudera-kun, thank you." Regardless, he puts the dirty towel and the bandages away, throwing the shards he had already picked up in the garbage and putting the tweezers back where they had been as Gokudera mops up the mess.

"J-Juudaime." Gokudera fists his hands, despite the pain that jolts his left hand. "Can I tell you something?"

"Anything, Gokudera-kun." Tsuna cocks his head curiously, having not seen this nervousness in his right hand man for a long while.

"… I don't love him, Juudaime." He whispers softly, but with complete conviction and absolutely no denial. "I don't care how much he said he loved me, I don't feel the same for him."

The sad light comes back into Tsuna's eyes and the smile dulls, but does not disappear. "I understand."

"There is someone else I love!" He shouts, eyes squinted shut as he prepares himself for the secret he was about to reveal.

"…? I am listening, Gokudera-kun."

"Juudaime!"

"… Yes?"

"I love Juudaime with all of my heart!" He drops to his knees before the Vongola decimo and wraps his arms around his small waist. He nuzzles his face into his belly and shudders on a deep intake of breath. "Juudaime smells like strawberries and fresh spring air."

"G-Gokudera-kun…" A hand rests on his head and another on his shoulder. "Please stand up." His voice is choked and hoarse. "Don't do this."

"Don't do what – Juudaime? Juudaime!" There are tears trekking down his boss's cheeks, falling silently. "What's wrong, Juudaime? Is it what I said? I – I understand if you don't feel the same for me! I am so stupid, I am so sorry, Juudaime! I was out of line!" He rushes to his feet and grasps Tsuna's shoulders in each hand, his own eyes hazing over. "I shouldn't have put you in that kind of position, Juudaime! That was completely unfair! – "

"Gokudera-kun." Tsuna cuts him short; he had ducked his head, hiding his eyes behind the fall of his sienna bangs. His hands come up and carefully grasp Gokudera's wrists. "… I'm sorry… Please, it's not your fault; you did nothing wrong. I'm… happy that you told me, but – please, for me – move on. You don't need me like that. This is going to sound selfish, but, I only want you as my friend… My best friend." He brings Gokudera's hands down, but does not release him. "I can't be with you how you want me to be with you."

"… I understand, Juudaime…" Tears trickle down his cheeks, but he somehow feels at ease. Juudaime doesn't hate him, and that's more than he could have ever asked for. He still wants him to be his best friend, to be with him, but just not in the way of lovers… he can live with that. He does not eve feel shame. So why… is he crying? Oh, right, because Juudaime was crying. "I'm sorry…" He whispers.

Tsuna shakes his head. "Don't be." He looks up, finally; his eyes and cheeks are strained red, but he looks as beautiful as ever to Gokudera. "Now that we know, we're better off for it." He smiles like a saving grace. "Thank you, Gokudera-kun." He nods. He turns to leave, wanting to put some space between them if only for a little bit to clear his mind and accept this new change. "Gokudera-kun."

He spins on his heel. "Yes, Juudaime?" He waits fervently for his beloved's words.

"Maybe you could give Yamamoto-kun a chance? He really does love you." Tsuna smiles and, in the moment, Gokudera was willing to do anything.

"I'll have a talk with the baseball freak." He states airily, not fond of the idea, but wanting to make his Juudaime happy; if being with Yamamoto would make him happy, than he will do it!

"Don't force yourself, Gokudera-kun." It's almost as if he can read Gokudera's mind. "I want you both to be happy. And if you're not happy, than it won't be a happy relationship. Yamamoto-kun isn't the guy you think he is; he's smart and he knows what's going on. If you aren't happy, he isn't going to be happy either." His wide, caramel eyes are full of hard earned wisdom. "If you want me to be happy, you have to find happiness first. I am just sorry I couldn't give it to you."

"It's okay, Juudaime. I understand, and I'm sorry for forcing that on you." He rests a hand on the door jamb. "Okay, I'll find my happiness to make you happy! I'll go on a date with the bastard and… we'll see what happens from there." The glow that illuminates his boss's face makes his heart feel like it had wings. "Good night, Juudaime."

"Good night, Gokudera-kun." And Gokudera left.

Tsuna sits back down at his wing chair and puts his face in his hands. He hated hurting his guardians; unintentionally or not. But… what else could he have done? Reborn had told him this would happen some day.

He hears the door open with the ominous groan of its hinges and the muffled whisper of dress shoes against the carpet. "Tsunayoshi."

He looks up into the beautiful face of his own lover. Yes… even he had told him that this would happen one day; why hadn't he listened? He had assumed that they were wrong and that they were just thinking too hard.

"Hibari-san…" He pauses; what does he do? Tell Hibari that 'it' had happened? That Gokudera had admitted to loving him? No, not unless he wanted Gokudera dead, and he didn't. "…" He reaches both hands out and grasps the hand with the cloud Vongola ring on it, bringing to his face and resting his cheek against it. "How was Mexico?"

"Crowded." The hand turns in his and a thumb feathers over his damp cheek. Hibari doesn't ask, so Tsuna doesn't tell.

He snorts dryly. "You must have bitten a lot of people to death, then." He looks up with a half teasing, half desperate look on his face. "Did you have any fun?"

He is not even dignified with an answer. The hand cups his jaw and tilts his head as Hibari leans down, covering his lips softly with his own. "Tears are unbefitting of you, herbivore. They make you look weak and useless." And yet his tongue drags over a wet cheek.

"Sorry." He doesn't feel like fighting. "I'll try to remember that next time." He wraps his arms around his shoulders, his eyes sliding shut as he nuzzles into the junction of Hibari's shoulder.

A short moment later, he lets go and stands up, putting distance between them. Hibari hated crowding, and he disliked public displays of affection (PDA); despite this not technically being public, it was not their bedroom either. The fact that Hibari had let them hold and come so close together assured Tsuna of one thing: Hibari, though he still had not asked, was concerned.

"I'm fine." He smiles over his shoulder at his lover as he makes another cup of tea, this kind a more traditional Japanese kind.

"I didn't ask for your well being."

"I know." He comes near again; close enough that he was just within arm's reach; despite the distance, there is an air of intimacy around the two, one that could not be matched even against a couple making love. "I thought I would tell you anyway." He smiles lovingly up at him.

Hibari's expression does not change in the least; does not visibly soften nor harden. He says nothing in reply and only walks around him to finish the tea. "Don't you have something to do?"

Tsuna moans in self-pity. "Hibari-san, I always have something to do! Can't I take a moment off?"

"Not if you want anything done."

"Uuuuuuuhhhh…" His shoulders fall in defeat. "I want to sleeeeeeeeep…" He whimpers, but starts out the door anyway.

An arm of steely strength wraps around his waist and pulls him back into the room and then, as Hibari sits down in the wing backed chair, into his lover's lap. "You have wasted this much time already, you may as well stay until I see fit to bite you to death for your laziness."

"… Thank you, Kyou-kun…" He shuts his eyes and slowly relaxes against Hibari's chest. "… I love you, Kyou-kun." There is no response, but he doesn't expect one. It is enough to be close to Hibari because… no one else could ever be so close to him. That, for him, is special enough, and dearer than any word could ever be.

"I want you as my lover, herbivore. You can accept it or deny it, but I will claim you."

Amazingly, he felt no fear. No, he felt elated and happy, and so he smiles, despite how that makes the other glower at him in well concealed confusion. "What if I accept it and want you too?"

The grip on tonfas loosens for a moment before tightening. "Than you will prove it and come here." When he does, Hibari stares with slightly wide eyes down at him. "… Kiss me."

And that was the beginning of the relationship of the sky and his cloud; with an earth moving kiss.

"Yare, yare, this is awkward." Lambo stands trapped between a very pissed Gokudera and a very serious looking Yamamoto; not of his own wish, of course. His wish had been for milk and so he had gone in search of it in the kitchen where, unbeknownst to him, a war had begun between the rain and the storm guardians. "I'm going to leave now." Except he can't, what with Gokudera's grip on his forearm.

"Like hell you're going anywhere! Stay right there and listen to this asshole talk like some fucking man of peace!" He pulls Lambo back into the room and slams him into one of the kitchen stools. "I ask him out on a date after he admits to being in love with me and he turns me down!" He spins back on Yamamoto. "What the fuck is your problem?"

After a moment, Yamamoto smiles a sad smile. "I want you to love me back, Gokudera-kun. Not use me to make Tsuna happy."

Lambo sits back and listens with a reluctant ear; so far, he was on Yamamoto's side… then again, he would have been on Yamamoto's side no matter what if it was against stupidera.

Gokudera chokes on his own spit and rage. "You bastard. Yeah, I want to make Juudaime happy! I want him to be so happy, he'll smile in his sleep! But he told me not to do that to you because that would make him sad. I asked you on a date, not for a fucking one-night stand. So stop being such a freak and just say yes!"

"No." Gokudera lunges at him, but Yamamoto catches his upraised fist. "I want you to go on a date with me because you want to go on a date with me for me, not for Tsuna. Don't get me wrong, I love the kid, but I love you more and I don't want to use him to get to you." He leans down quickly and – much to Lambo's shock – kisses Gokudera straight on the lips.

It only lasts a second, though, before Gokudera's hand comes up and hits him square in the jaw. With how Yamamoto smiles, Lambo can guess that that was what he had wanted (though he can not understand why), and he released Gokudera. "You bastard." Gokudera hisses at him, his back rigged as he stomps out of the kitchen.

It almost seems like watching a theater play except everything's real. Lambo sits there, almost expecting there to be an act 2.

"Mah mah, I'm sorry you had to see that, kid!" Yamamoto smiles at him, his normal, easy-going grin.

Lambo can see beyond it; he could almost hear Yamamoto's soul howling in pain. His face hides everything, but his body language screamed agony.

Against his better judgment, he goes to the rain guardian and hugs him, cupping a hand around the back of his neck to hide his face into the junction of his shoulder. "It's okay to cry, you know. Trust me about that." He pets his hair.

Yamamoto chuckles softly against his skin, but does not cry; after all, he hadn't cried when he had learned that his father was to die in the future-that-had-never-been, despite how close he had come to doing so. He had not cried … ever. It hurts, but he'll live.

Despite that, he doesn't remove himself from the comforting guardian. He enjoyed human contact, seeing as how he rarely was ever touched by anyone. His old man wasn't an affection father, though he was, by Yamamoto's definition, the greatest dad in the world. His friends (A.K.A. family) were not regularly familiar with each other. He soaked up the attention.

"Yamamoto, are you hitting on my cow?" He smiles, though he knows only Lambo can feel it.

"Of course not, Reborn! Even though he is really cute and cuddly; I have my own love to win over." He removes himself with subtle reluctance from Lambo.

The teenager's cheeks are red. "I am not cute and cuddly." He states in a blank voice, though his cheeks darken. "I am a handsome hitman."

Both Reborn and Yamamoto share an amused grin. "Whatever you say, kid!" Yamamoto ruffles his hair before leaving, waving a hand back at them.

Lambo stares after him until he is out of sight and hearing. Then he looks up at Reborn with something akin to adoration. "Reborn."

The hitman cocks his head and smirks. "Cow."

"Where?"

"Here."

"Table?" Reborn pulls out a stool. "Ah." Reborn sits down in it. "Oh." He locks the kitchen door. "How did you know where I was?"

"You have to ask?" Of course not; Lambo always come to the kitchen before bedtime for milk. Reborn pats his lap. "Come tell Reborn what you want."

"Like Santa Claus?" He slips into his lover's lap and wraps his arms around Reborn's shoulders, smiling teasingly at him.

"Exactly like Santa Claus." He cups Lambo's ass in one hand and the other he rests on his thigh. "Have you been naughty?"

"I have been a perfect angel."

"Wrong answer. Now I have to punish you worse for lying." Reborn looks at him with wicked eyes as his fingers undo deftly the buttons of his cow print shirt. "What a naughty cow."

Lambo flushes, but smiles. "Yeah, but I'm your naughty cow."

Reborn snorts and rolls his eyes in mock annoyance. "Don't remind me." He nips a revealed nipple. "They'll sort it out on their own; leave them be." He spoke of, of course, Gokudera and Yamamoto.

Lambo looks away, even as he arches into Reborn's mouth. "I hope so… I think they could be happy together."

"They will be, but they have to work for it first." Lambo slides his eyes shut and nods, biting into his bottom lip as his nipple is mercilessly teased. "Now the table."

"Reborn! I challenge you!" Shouts loudly, and without fear, the 14 year old thunder guardian to the adult Reborn who pointedly ignores him. "If I win, you have to be my boyfriend!" That catches the hitman's attention, making him fall still as he listens to the teenager without looking at him.

"… And if you lose?" As they both know he undoubtedly will.

Lambo looks at him with one, determined eye. "If I lose, you can use me in any way you wish."

"And if I have no wish to use you?"

"Than you can kill me."

"And if I don't want to kill you?" He stalks towards the boy, looking down at him with amusement and mocking.

"… Than what would you want?" Lambo tilts his head back to look at him.

His only answer is a smirk before Reborn steps away and takes his gun out. "You'll know once I win."

"You fucking asshole!" Gokudera slams a fist into Yamamoto's gut. "How dare you!" Tears streak down his cheeks.

Yamamoto is at a loss for words. "Gokudera-kun…" He wheezes, not sure which hurts more; his heart or his body.

"One date! One fucking date! Who cares if I'm doing it for Juudaime! If it weren't for Juudaime, we never would have met to begin with! So don't go walking around like it's such a dirty thing!" Rejected twice in one hour? "You fucking bastard! You freak!" He couldn't take it; at least Juudaime had been gentle.

He sobs, but turns away from him. "You know what? Forget it! You don't want to go on a damn date with me, than I get it! Maybe a one night stand is what you want, eh? You didn't seem to care about space when you kissed me! Twice! What do you want? Me or my fucking body!" He rips open his dress shirt, throwing his jacket somewhere over his shoulder. He undoes his pants with shaky fingers. "Fine then! Take it! And then get the fuck over it, you asshole!"

"Gokudera-kun! Gokudera-kun, stop it!" Yamamoto grabs his wrists and holds them down at his sides in a steely grip. "I don't want just your body! I want you to love me as much as I love you! I want to go on a date with you very much, but I don't want to because Tsuna suggested it! I want you because you want me, not because you think Tsuna wants you to want me!" His head falls, hiding his face from the silverette. "I just want… for you to love me. That's all." His forehead rests against Gokudera's breast.

The bomber is frozen completely; slowly, he begins to relax. Not because he is relaxing, but because he is just too confused to remain tense. "Why? I've been nothing but an ass to you!" He'll admit to it; didn't mean he was saying it was unwarranted, but, yeah.

"Because Gokudera-kun is gorgeous and strong and loyal without fault." He looks up finally and his eyes are glazed over with love and want, like a child who has seen a toy they have been told they can never have and it only makes them want it more. "I want you to love me because I want to give you the world and I know you won't let me unless you care for me as much as you care for Tsuna." He nuzzles his nose into his neck.

"… Than why are you acting like you're only after my body?" His voice is hardly more than a whisper. "You won't take me on a date, but then you keep touching me. Why the hell are you being so confusing?"

Yamamoto frowns as he thinks this over; Gokudera is right, he is being completely unfair. "Heh heh…" He smiles as he releases Gokudera, taking a step back. "You're right; that is pretty stupid."

"Damn straight!" Gokudera hand comes out and slaps on his. "You're going on a fucking date with me whether you want to or not, you baseball freak! If I have to gag, bind, and carry you out, I'll do it!"

"… Heh heh… I guess I have no choice than. If I were gagged and bound, how would I be able to pay for the check?"

"Just because you wouldn't be able to move doesn't mean I wouldn't be able to." A moment of silence…

"Let me do this right, please." Yamamoto gets to his knees and holds Gokudera's left hand, making the silverette flush and sputter. "Would you go out on a date with me, Hayato-kun?" He is slapped upside the head for his effort.

"Don't sit there like you're about to propose, you idiot! … and, hell yeah, I will! I didn't go through all of that trouble to not go on a date with you!" He points a threatening finger at him. "If you do anything funny… I will blow you to bits and then feed you to Squalo."

"Agreed!"

"Mah mah, Hayato-kun, remember how we got together?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"Wasn't that funny?"

"How the hell was that funny?"

"I don't know, it just was!" Yamamoto laughs and rewraps his arm around Gokudera's shoulders, pulling the silverette back to his side. "I love you, Hayato-kun." He kisses his forehead.

"Tsch…" He rolls his eyes, but his cheeks redden. "Love you too, baseball freak."

"Yare, yare… It's almost too loving." Lambo stands next to Tsuna at the large, gothic-style window that overlooks the spacious, elegantly decorated yard of the Vongola home base.

Sitting at the base of one of the trees, Yamamoto had fallen asleep with Gokudera in his lap.

Tsuna smiles softly, almost glowing with love and happiness. "You think so? I think it's perfect." He looks at his thunder guardian. "It couldn't have gone better."

"You mean the date where Gokudera blew up three different restaurants?" Which had been seven months, 12 days, and 13 hours ago, but no one was keeping count… sure, everyone was waiting for a mass murder, but there wasn't a calendar anywhere counting down to that day or a betting pool on when it would happen… cough, cough.

Tsuna's smile falters a small bit. "It turned out for the best, though." The smile comes back full force. "Did you hear that Mukuro-san and Chrome-chan are together?"

"You mean they weren't already together?"

Tsuna chuckles. "And Ryohei has met a nice girl who is just as EXTREME as he is."

"I'm not babysitting them, no matter how much you beg, Vongola."

That makes him laugh. "Don't you see what's happening, Lambo?"

"… Everyone is becoming gay except for Ryohei and, occasionally, Mukuro?"

"Our family is branching off into smaller families; it's making us stronger, I know it is."

"Ah…" Lambo smiles gently. "If you say so, Vongola."

Tsuna smiles. "I do say so."