Disclaimer: Doesn't belong to me, no matter how much I fangirl.

Author's Notes: Just a little 5729 drabble thing...

~*~

He knows that you are the most steadfast of His guardians, but never before has He ever even considered that your loyalty might run deeper, and in a different vein, than He expects.

He doesn't know that every night, before you go to sleep, you reach out to place a single hand on the pillow beside you. Every night, you stroke it gently.

And every night, you wish He was there.

You feel guilty about it, but you cannot help your desires. He is the best of everybody, and you cannot do anything but love Him for it, and want him for who He is. Despite this, your love for Him manifests itself in a strange fashion, though. Your only desire is to see Him happy. If the Sun Guardian's younger sister will make Him happy, you know you will hide your love and stand beside Him, always watching and never touching.

It is only in those small moments before you sleep that you allow yourself your small selfish wish for Him. You want some part of Him that no one else has. To be His right-hand man would have been enough once, but now you cannot stop yourself from wanting more. You decide, finally, that your love for Him will be the part of Him you have that no one else can ever see.

It does not surprise you when you find out that other people know. He has always been oblivious to the simplest of things sometimes. You are only glad that no one bothers you about your feelings. It is hard enough to hide them from Him, when doing so feels like a small betrayal every time you lie.

It is His Rain Guardian who confronts you about this first.

"Why don't you say anything?" he asks, and you don't meet his eyes, only look to the side and smile sadly.

Because you know better. You only wish for Him to be happy. Telling your Lord that would only force Him to make a choice He should never have to make. You never want to cause Him pain. His job is hard enough as it is, and you don't make it any easier sometimes. It is at times like these that you understand why you keep losing your fights.

Your selfishness, wanting to seem the best and brightest in his eyes, leads you to rash decisions. But every time you seem so close to winning. Perhaps it is just your ill luck that keeps you beaten, downtrodden, and weak.

He deserves so much more.

But, oh! - if you could be the one…

How complete your world would be. How happy you would be.

A single moment of that would be enough. Just a single moment, shining forever in your memory like a treasured jewel. You know it will never happen, and you know He will never know what you truly long for.

For His love.

For Tsuna.

How much you wish for Him to love you too.

And so you are silent, and keep your worries and dreams to yourself, praying that you will remain satisfied with what little contact you get on a daily basis.

Never once do you suspect that He might feel the same about you.

So when he leans over one day and kisses you, you are shocked, in awe. It doesn't take you long to recover, and soon you are kissing him back, murmuring declarations of love and loyalty with each press of lips to skin and with every breath in between.

Suddenly you realize that one moment will never be enough. You want them all. Every moment from then to eternity.

You will make sure he never leaves you.

You love Tsuna.

And he smiles as you say this, reaching up to touch your face with fingertips oh-so-gentle. Your heart beats faster.

He says, "I love you too, Gokudera-kun."

And you have never known such a thing as fierce as this joy before.

~*~

Gokudera doesn't get enough love...