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"I'm letting you go," Natsuki said quietly.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"I know that you love him more than you love me."
"What are you -? Are you breaking up with me?"
"I guess so," he mumbled.
"Why? Don't you love me anymore?"
Natsuki, for the first time, looked up.
"Don't you, Natsuki?"
"I do. I love you, Saichi, with all my heart, but -"
"But what?"
"But love isn't always about getting the one you love; sometimes it's about letting them go…"
Huh? Let them go? That's pretty stupid, Hibari thought, suddenly looking up from the book he was reading to watch Tsuna and Mukuro tease each other like little children. His eyes were intense and focused on Tsuna.
"Hey, Hibari-san!" Tsuna called. Hibari didn't hear him. Tsuna left Mukuro in the living room and sat closely to beside Hibari on the loveseat. He hugged him very tightly, which made Hibari turn his head towards Tsuna, their faces only inches away. They looked at each other for quite some time when Hibari saw Mukuro got up and started to leave. He watched him walk towards the door through his peripheral vision.
"Mukuro-sama?" Tsuna suddenly called. "Where are you going?"
"Just nowhere," he replied in a very grave and defeated voice.
"Oh," Tsuna muttered. Hibari noticed the sudden change in his voice and the way his embrace loosened. He sighed.
"Why don't you go with Mukuro and have fun?" he asked. Mukuro stopped on his tracks.
"Really?" said Tsuna. "Is that alright?"
Hibari nodded. Tsuna got p and ran to Mukuro's side.
"See you later, Hibari-san," Tsuna exclaimed.
"See you…" Hibari replied, but it was too late. "…later."
After a few minutes, he couldn't contain himself anymore. He needed to see Tsuna and be on his side like always. He went outside looking for them. He couldn't find them anywhere. He was about to go inside when he suddenly heard giggles coming from the garden. He quietly walked towards them, but suddenly stopped. He pressed his back on the wall in which he couldn't be seen, but he could see them clearly.
"Tsuna, I need to know," Mukuro asked, holding Tsuna's hands.
"Yes?"
"Do you like me?"
"Of course, I do," Tsuna replied, chuckling a bit. "You're like my best friend."
"That's not what I meant."
"Then, what did you mean?"
"Do you like me," Mukuro said. "As more than a friend?"
"More than a friend?" Tsuna asked, confused.
"Yes, like a lover."
"Oh…"
"Do you?" Mukuro asked again, looking straight at Tsuna's eyes. Tsuna didn't say anything. "Do you love me, Tsunayoshi Sawada?"
"I…" Tsuna hesitated. "I do, Mukuro, but -"
"Really?" Mukuro asked happily.
"Yes, but -"
"That's great! We can always be together -"
"But Mukuro -"
"And do fun stuff and laugh and -"
"Mukuro!" Tsuna exclaimed.
"Yes, my love?"
Tsuna's cheeks became crimson red. "But I- How about Hibari-san?"
"Hibari?" Mukuro asked. It took him a few seconds to realize what Tsuna meant. "Oh."
"What about him?" Tsuna asked again, his voice somehow trembling. "I also love him. Well, I think I do. But I love you too…"
"Tsuna…"
"I don't want to hurt anybody. I would feel terrible if I hurt any of you."
"Tsuna," Mukuro called again.
"But I just can't ignore what I feel. I just…I don't…I want…I -"
"Tsuna?" Hibari suddenly called. His voice was rather calm. "Can I talk to you?"
"Hi-Hibari-san?" Tsuna asked, surprised. He suddenly looked at Mukuro then at their holding hands. He tried to let go, but Mukuro wouldn't let him.
"Can i?" Hibari asked again, eyeing their entwined hands.
Tsuna looked pleadingly at Mukuro, who finally sighed and let go of him. He left Tsuna and Hibari alone, not even glancing back.
"Tsuna?"
"Did you hear everything?"
"Yes," Hibari said.
"So why aren't you shouting? Why aren't you mad?!?"
"Why should i?" Hibari asked, surprised. Tsuna looked at him.
"But I …"
"Tsuna, I know you really love him. I know that you love him more than you love me," Hibari stated, just like how it was written on the book. "So, I'm letting you go."
"What do you mean, letting me go? Won't you even try and fight for me? You know I love you too. So why let me go?"
"Because I love you," Hibari sighed. "And love isn't always about getting the one you love; sometimes it's about letting them go."
"Oh, Hibari," Tsuna mumbled, tears rolling down his cheeks.
"I'm happy when you are, Tsuna," he continued. "I'd always be here for you. I love you, and will always do."
He gave Tsuna a hug and a kiss on the forehead, then left. After a few minutes, Mukuro walked quietly towards Tsuna, and hugged him. Tsuna cried for quite some time while Mukuro comforted him by singing a lullaby. When Tsuna stopped crying, the moon was already high on the sky.
"He told me everything," Mukuro said. "It will be alright, Tsuna-kun."
"I hope so," Tsuna replied, his voice still shaking a bit.
"I'll be here for you too. We'll be here both just for you."
"I know…"
Mukuro pulled away and looked intently at Tsuna's face.
"I love you, and never doubt that," Mukuro said sincerely. He lifted Tsuna's chin and lean towards him. "I'll always love you."
He then kissed Tsuna very sweetly while the moon shone over them.
•FINIS•