disclaimer - the characters are not mine, I make no money off of someone else's property

Arms wrapped around himself in a vain attempt of warmth, Tsuna shuddered as icy water trickled down his back. Soaked to the bone and dripping raindrops to the wooden planks beneath his boots, he blinked through spiky eyelashes around the room. It wasn't much, dusty and abandoned and bearing only a crooked table and lonely wooden chair. But it was dry inside, the only shelter they'd found for miles around, and would keep out the storm that had burst open above them.

Oh, and it had a fireplace with a large stack of waiting drywood.

The door slammed closed, making the man jump. Turning, he found his companion grumbling like a wet cat and trying to wave dry his sopping wet fedora. His usual suit was all but painted on his lean body thanks to the water plastering the cloth to skin.

Blushing hotly, Tsuna whirled back to the rest of the cabin and stammered, "W-well, at l-least it's d-dry!"

Then he gave a mighty sneeze that actually had him stumbling forward. In one of his now rare bouts of clumsiness, his foot caught on ...something and he squeaked as the floor came rushing up to meet his face.

A strong arm hooked around him and tugged him up and back into a strong chest, the owner's rich voice chuckling into the shell of his ear, "Careful there, Dame-Tsuna."

Flailing and feeling like his face was on fire, the most powerful mafia don in the world yelped and scrambled out of the loose hold in a less than elegant manner. "D-Don't call me that, Reborn!"

"A mafia boss should always be light on his feet, balanced and ready for whatever may come," the former Sun Acrobaleno drawled as he wander over to a cupboard in a corner. It conveniently let him face away from his cute little Decimo - the younger male was adorable when he got all flustered like this. He couldn't suppress the fond smile curling his lips as he investigated the storage unit for anything useful.

Distracted mumbling came from near the fire place along with the thunk of wood being set on the grate. Then the brunet called over, "Is there a lighter or something in there?"

Shaking his head, the hitman threw back. "Forget how to call on your Flames, Little-Tsuna? Sky Flames are best for burning things if I recall."

The embarrassed silence hung there a long moment before the other muttered, "I knew that."

Grabbing his finds, Reborn sauntered across the space on silent feet despite the old boards beneath his shoes. He paused and looked over the sorry picture of his Boss huddled on the floor and shaking with cold before the newly lit fire. At this rate, the younger would get sick, and the hitman hated when the brunet was less than perfectly healthy.

Tsuna was trying to keep his teeth from chattering as he blinked blearily at the orange flames. He squawked when the view was sudden obstructed, his baffled hands finding the blanket that had been dumped on his head. Somewhere to his left, a gruff voice ordered, "Get out of those wet clothes, Dame-Tsuna."

Yanking the fabric barrier of his face, he protested, "What?! But that -" His throat closed abruptly as his blood couldn't decide if it wanted to all go north or south.

Skin. Miles of smooth skin pulled taut over the ripple of muscle all down that gorgeous strong back lit in warm tones by the firelight. Broad shoulders, tapered waist, corded arms, and those amazing clever hands that could shoot a gun or heal a wound with ease. It was all there, spread before him like a banquet and oh how he wanted to sink his teeth into the flesh of that shoulder and nibble his way down the bumps of that spine and -

- And the pants were inching downward, making Tsuna's eyes bulge as his brain came back on line at just the right (or wrong) moment. Face scarlet and a ...certain problem downstairs, the Decimo jerked his whole body around to face the other way. Trying to keep his breathing quiet and calm, he stared at the wood wall of their shelter, but his mind kept returning to what he'd seen. Reborn, undressing. And he was supposed to as well. Blankets, a lit fireplace, a cabin in the middle of a storm - it was like the cliche setting of some steamy scene in the romance novel he'd caught Hayato reading once. The couple would end up curled up together to share body heat, then they'd notice how close their bodies were, and then...

You could probably fry an egg on Tsuna's face at the moment, it felt so hot. His fingers twitched in the folds of the blanket piled in his lap (and something ...under the blanket twitched in interest as well) as his thoughts ran rampant. Oh, he and Reborn had been dancing around each other for years, teasing and flirting but never anything concrete. He knew Reborn could have anyone in the world, why would he settle for Dame-Tsuna even if he'd grown up and grown out of (most of) his weakling traits. So Tsuna had taken what he could get of his personal assassin and chief advisor's affections, cherished each smile and almost kiss and gently teasing remark, never daring to ask for more no matter how much he longed to call the man his and his alone.

A hand touched his cheek, making him squeak and break out of his wandering thoughts. Tsuna's wide eyes found Reborn crouched in front of him, frowning lightly and with a blanket around his shoulders. His gaze unconsciously followed the open dip of the material where it revealed a smooth chest with just a sprinkling of hair that dove down toward... He tore his sight back to the man's face and those moving lips and his ears decided to start working again. "...changed? Are you getting a fever, your face is red."

Waving his hands and blushing even harder (he hadn't thought that possible...), Tsuna scooted back while stuttering, "I - I'm fine! Just fine! J-just - just lost in thought. Yeah, just thinking stuff like - like - um -"

His stomach growled, a bodily function he was thankful for right now (unlike a uncomfortable one in his pants) for giving him a distraction. "Like food! Is there any?"

Giving him a long skeptical look that made Tsuna's poor heart do this ridiculous flutter-flip-flop in his chest, Reborn clearly wasn't buying it. Thankfully, he rolled with it and shrugged as he rose to his feet - bare feet, Tsuna was oddly fascinated by the man's toes. The hitman padded back toward the cupboard as he said, "I'll double check. You better be out of those wet things when I come back, Dame-Tsuna. ...Or I'll help you out of them."

Reborn, undressing him...

Shaking his head hard in a (vain) attempt to banish the images that came to mind, Tsuna scrambled to obey. Noticing a second and third chair had been found somewhere (apparently he hadn't been as observant as he thought - well, that or Reborn had magicked them up like he did so many other things), the young mafia don draped his clothes on them like Reborn's were on the table and first chair ...including the hitman's undergarments.

Huh, Reborn was a boxers man.

Wrapping himself in his blanket and firmly shoving away the thought (and stubbornly ignoring very interested body parts), Tsuna plopped down before the fire again. He kept his legs curled close to his chest, both for warmth and hoping to hide his ...reaction. He twitched startled when the hitman flopped (and how did he do that so gracefully?!) beside him.

"Place is clean of food, sorry." Reborn reported quietly.

Tsuna hummed softly in response, his attention drawn to the man's face. Spiky black hair was in disarray and curling slightly from the damp. The iconic curly sideburns brushed cheeks very lightly fuzzed with a five-o-clock shadow. He ran his eyes over forehead and nose, cheekbones and jaw line, eyes and lips, entranced by it all. He was so beautiful.

"Why thank you for the compliment, but I prefer handsome."

Blinking, the younger man snapped from his daze and found amused black eyes meeting his. He replayed the words and blushed as he realized he'd said that beautiful line out loud. Embarrassed, he turned his face forward to stare blindly at the flames.

He couldn't believe he'd said that! It wasn't a usual line of their banter. It was too stark, too real, too close to the feelings he'd been holding back. If it was taken wrong, it could ruin everything. Despite the strength of the Decimo, he thought - no, he knew he would be destroyed if he lost the closeness they shared.

A chuckle and rustle of cloth had him closing his eyes, wishing the floor could swallow him up. He was trembling, either from fear or chill he didn't know.

He stiffened in surprise, eye popping open in shock when arms wrapped around him from behind. Barely daring to breathe, the mafia don who was head over heels in love with his former tutor let himself be tucked between long legs. His back rested against a strong chest and a chin hooked itself over his shoulder, a puff of warm breath brushing his neck and making him shiver.

"This should help warm you up," Reborn murmured, his arms and blanket curved around his Boss's. Feeling it only fair to return Tsuna's earlier slip with a reveal of his own, he admitted, "I hate seeing you sick, so don't you dare catch a cold. It just makes us both miserable."

Blinking into the crackling flames, Tsuna's pulse raced his thoughts for which would burst first - his heart or his brain. This most certainly wasn't part of their usual song and dance. Nervously licking his lips, he whispered, "Reborn?"

"Hmm?" was the equally soft response.

"Are - are you alright?" He couldn't help but ask. It felt the safest of the thoughts bouncing around his skull.

The hitman huffed a soft laugh and nuzzled the Decimo's cheek with his own. "Ah, my Tsuna, always so concerned for everyone else. You know, you're allowed to be selfish, to claim something for yourself, to get what you want."

This was officially abnormal. The very air seemed to be charged. Something about this moment was full of potential, could make or break his entire world. Tsuna was terrified he'd say the wrong thing and shatter everything.

But he couldn't stay silent either.

Clenching his fists, the mafia don sighed heavily, suddenly feeling very tired as he spoke. "What I want - it's not something to be claimed like an object. It has its own choices to make and I would never dream of taking that away. To try to force it into something it doesn't want or it would only go along with out of a sense of obligation - I could never do that."

Feeling an affectionate smile tug his lips, Reborn squeezed the younger male closer to his body. "And if I wanted to be claimed by you?"

Twisting around to meet his gaze, Tsuna glowered at the hitman who held his heart. "This isn't a joke, Reborn."

Running his fingers down a smooth cheek, Reborn seriously replied, "I know and I stand by what I said." At the burgeoning hope battled disbelief in caramel eyes that saw all of him and accepted and loved all his heart and soul, he confessed, "Tsuna, I know how you feel about me. And I return it ten-fold."

This couldn't be real, he must be dreaming. But the pinch he gave his arm hurt and Reborn was still patiently gazing at him with warm eyes. To his faint embarrassment, Tsuna felt tears prickle his eyes and blinked rapidly to banish them.

Watching his beloved - and maybe he could use that title out loud now like he'd wished to for years - duck his head with joy shining from his eyes, the former Sun Acrobaleno and current (and last) beau of the Vongola Decimo waited for a response without worry. He knew his place in his Boss's heart.

Feeling a helpless smile spread across his face, Tsuna sniffled and look back into his Reborn's face. "Ten-fold, huh? I don't know if you can pull that off, my love for you's pretty big. As expansive as the Sky, you could say."

Laughing in delight, Reborn flopped onto his back and hugged his Tsuna close. "Oh, I think I can match that." Tugging the smaller man's blanket higher on his back despite the tempting glimpse of skin, the hitman asked, "Warmer now?"

Resting his cheek against the man's - his Reborn - chest, Tsuna smiled. "Yes, suitably warm."