A/N: I am on a 5927 spree. Written for 5927 day. A/N end
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By Word Of Mouth
5927 two(?)-shot
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Gokudera was happier than he had been in a long, long time. Sometime in the near past saw him and Tsuna stumbling along their confessions, and being the two idiots that they were, couldn't- and wouldn't- stop the stammering and blushing and awkwardness. But that was the past. Now, they still acted the same, with him shouting his confessions of loyalty and Tsuna being (seemingly) incredibly embarrassed by it.
Nobody else saw the quick kisses in the hallway or how Tsuna would grab Gokudera's hand when they walked home and the extremely close distance between the two. Or when the two went out alone for dinner and they chose the most secluded spot and just talked about everything under the sky. Or when it was dark and they were sitting in the dimly lit park and just admired the stars together, sharing each other's warmth.
Those were the things they didn't let anybody know. That was the way they wanted it.
"Hey, did you hear? Gokudera-kun has got a girlfriend!"
"What! No way, where did you hear?"
"I can't believe it! Some other bitch stole him from us?"
"Somebody he didn't kill with his bombs? For real?"
"I heard him in the corridor talking to Yamamoto! He said he's got a date so he couldn't go for sushi!"
"He could've meant a lot of other things, Yuuno, you bitch!"
"Nu-uh, he said it like he meant it! Have you girls ever seen Gokudera-kun smile?"
Tsuna didn't know why, but he noticed that Gokudera's usual horde of fangirls were being restless and agitated. Gokudera doesn't notice them, because he's used to it, but Tsuna was sure something was wrong, and he didn't want to be around to find out. If only it was that easy.
He asked Kyoko one day why the girls were causing such a ruckus, to which she replied, with a beaming smile, "Didn't you hear? Gokudera-kun's got a girlfriend!"
Tsuna went into shock.
"I'm so glad for him, really!" Kyoko went on, seemingly as excited about the topic as her fangirl friends. "I thought he'd never find one, because he's so mean and always pushes people away! I'm so glad he found someone who will make him a better person."
Kyoko giggled. "Wouldn't that be great, Tsuna? If Gokudera-kun became more approachable, and nicer too! Maybe now he wouldn't always be bugging you and calling you Tenth!" she looked expectantly at Tsuna. "...Tsuna?"
"Oh," he stammered. "Um, yeah. That'd be- that'd be great!"
Kyoko smiled and turned away.
Tsuna wondered whether he should report this new turn of events to Gokudera.
"So, got any new updates about this girl, Yuuno?"
"No... I've checked his blog, his Facebook, his Twitter... He never says anything about a girl, it's always about somebody called 'the Tenth'."
"The Tenth? Hey, that sounds really familiar..."
"Wait, aren't you in his class?"
"Yes, I know! No wait, I remember he's always yelling about the Tenth, just let me think..."
"He hangs out a lot with Yamamoto, doesn't he, Maa?"
"Yeah, he does- Wait! I remember now! It's Tsunayoshi!"
"Who?"
"No-good Tsuna, you know, the one your boyfriend hates because he always gets chosen last? Remember the last time your boyfriend was going to teach your ex a lesson on the field but instead lost because Tsuna always messes up the team?"
"Who... Oh, that one? The short kid with the stupid face?"
"Yeah, that one."
"Why would Gokudera-kun want anything to do with that idiot, anyway?"
"Who knows? I wonder, though..."
Gokudera doesn't know why his fangirls are whispering to each other instead of chasing after him, as usual. It creeps him out, and he's worried for himself. The last time he had nearly been kidnapped.
This time he has Tsuna to think about, too.
He wants to know what they're up to, so he takes it upon himself to learn of this new development in his fangirls' circle. There was one person to see.
"Oh hey, girls. What's up? Is there a new leak of Gokudera's pictures? A shower one, maybe?"
"Cheh, you bitch, Zi! Where have you been? You're so behind now!"
"Stop calling people a bitch, bitch. Now, c'mon, spill the news. What's up?"
"I'll call anybody whatever I like, bitch. And, jeez, you didn't hear at all? Gokudera-kun..."
"HAS GOT A GIRLFRIEND!"
"Christ, Yuuno, shut up, you bitch. I was talking."
"Shush, Maa. You're just jealous I knew the news earlier than you."
"Wait, so Yuuno, you started it?"
"Not started it, Zi. I overheard it. Gokudera-kun told Yamamoto-kun he had a date with someone."
"...You're sure he didn't mean it in anything other than a romantically-linked relationship with someone else?"
"Why do you all say that! I'm sure I heard what I heard, he's got a date! One he really enjoys, with his girlfriend! I SAW HIM SMILING, BITCH!"
"Bitch, everybody smiles."
"Nu-uh, not Gokudera-kun, not unless he's really happy about something! And when was the last time he was this happy anyway? He's got a girlfriend, and I said so."
"Just let her win, Maa. It's all over school already."
"...I thought you didn't know? Zi, you BITCH!"
"Confirmation, Maa, CONFIRMATION!"
Gokudera jumped slightly when he felt his phone vibrate. It was a message, from Zi.
'They know about the girl.'
Now Gokudera was completely confused. Girl? What girl? Kyoko? Haru? Had they been spreading rumors, then?
...No, they wouldn't do such a thing. They weren't that sort of people.
Gokudera dismissed the thought, slipped his phone into his pocket and made sure to not talk to any females for the next two weeks.
-break-
"Still nothing, Yuuno?"
"I'm working on it, Maa. Stop bugging me!"
"You wouldn't work your fat, lazy ass if nobody pushed you, bitch."
"Shut up and go away, Maa. I'll find out soon."
Tsuna slipped his hand into Gokudera's larger ones and traced the rough palm with his fingers. For somebody who handled dynamites on a daily basis, Gokudera's hand were surprisingly white and slender. There were no obvious burn marks, and unless you ask Gokudera nicely to show you, you wouldn't have guessed there were so many scars adorning his hands.
Tsuna bugged Gokudera to tell him, and then counted fifteen on the left and twenty-two on the right.
Gokudera just shrugged it off and said it doesn't hurt anymore, so why bother. Tsuna whacked him on the head and told him to start appreciating himself.
Gokudera splutters but can't find anything to say, so he settles for sulking.
He can sulk now, because he's walking Tsuna home as his boyfriend, not as his right-hand man. There's no need to be professional now.
"I saw Gokudera-kun walking No-Good Tsuna home!"
"So? Yuuno, you think too much. He does that every time."
"Maa, you don't understand! They were holding hands!"
"You sure you're not hallucinating, bitch?"
"DON'T CALL ME THAT! And why do you guys never believe what I say?"
"Because, Yuuno, what you say is usually not worth listening to."
Gokudera wants to keep his secret a secret so badly. He's grasping at the last strands of his secret, paranoid and scared, that someone would take him away.
He can't have that.
He wants to protect his secret, shield it away from prying eyes, to take it away to a private place.
Alas, his secret must be shared.
"Do you believe me know, Maa?"
"...Oh. My. God. This... This is... THIS IS WAR!"
"I told you, but you wouldn't believe me."
"Call Zi. CALL ZI NOW. This is bad, girls. We have a situation on our hands."
Gokudera feels his phone vibrate and pulls it out, curious. It's from Zi again.
'Special meeting called. 2nd floor, music room.'
He is slightly surprised. So his fanclub is having a special meeting, huh? Well, he has time. He might as well learn of this new development.
Not to mention, he'd like to know who this girl is, daring to parade around as his girlfriend.
"I still can't believe it!"
"Gokudera-kun? Huh. I don't know, he always seemed slightly gay to me..."
"Shut up about things you don't know, Zi! Obviously No-Good Tsuna has turned our Gokudera-kun gay! That faggot!"
"I hate his face. Ugh, the first time I saw him..."
"Oh, please. Tsuna-kun isn't that bad-"
"HE TURNED GOKUDERA-KUN GAY, ZI! YOU'RE MISSING THE POINT HERE!"
"Well... I mean. It's not like any of us really had a chance with Gokudera-kun, anyway."
"..."
"...Zi. I'm kicking you out of the club."
"Yeah. Go join that faggot Tsuna, bitch."
"Hey- hey! No offense meant, girls! Jeez, christ, Maa, take a goddamn joke."
"She's just pissed because fag Tsuna got Gokudera-kun."
"Yuuno, NOT HELPING!"
"Well really. I mean, this picture? They could just be talking, Yuuno."
"They were kissing, I swear! I mean, in the convenience store! My boyfriend works there, remember? He remembers because he hates No-Good Tsuna, remember, Maa? I told you before. Anyways he saw them walk in together holding hands and found that like, really weird, 'cause they're both boys, see, that's why he photographed them and showed it to me. He was so shocked to see them kissing, you know?"
"Ahh! I hate that faggy Tsuna! I should've know, what with his hair and freaking huge eyes! AND he was all over Gokudera-kun too! That skank!"
"Maa, you're hyperventilating."
"SHUT THE FUCK UP, BITCH! I'M NOT DONE YET! FUCK IF I SEE THAT FAG TSUNA I WILL KILL HIM!"
"Yuuno, I believe this is your fault."
"Well. I never really liked Tsuna anyway."
Gokudera sat frozen against the wall, hearing the words resounding in his head. He was powerless to do anything, except stare at ceiling, listening to the angry voices from the room.
faggot
His Tsuna. His Tsuna slandered, all because of him. Of his selfishness. Because he didn't want to let him go.
faggot
Because he hung on like a brat. Like a damn parasite.
faggot
It wasn't fair for Tsuna to endure this. It wasn't it wasn't it wasn't-
skank
He was pure, unlike him, who was tainted everywhere, he wasn't respectable enough to even touch Tsuna, what was he thinking about, holding hands and kissing, like he was good enough for him...
faggot
He shouldn't- this shouldn't happen- this cannot-
faggot
He'll protect the Tenth at any cost. At any cost at all.
FAGGOT
Tsuna doesn't like how he feels insecure all of the sudden, as though expecting something really bad to happen. Sometimes he hates his damned intuition.
He still has around half an hour to go. Why did he get detention anyway? No, point is, where is Gokudera? Usually the boy would be outside the room "guarding the Tenth" but today Tsuna couldn't see hair nor hide of his boyfriend.
His heart clenched tightly.
"Oh please let Gokudera be alright." he whispered to himself. "Please please please please..."
"Alright, girls. As I was saying, we need to break this... this... couple- eurgh, I still can't believe it- we need to break them up."
"Looks like Maa has calmed somewhat, Yuuno."
"Oh, you don't know anything, Zi. This is just the tip of the iceberg."
"Any ideas, bitches?"
"Tip, eh? Alright..."
Tsuna knew something was up the minute he stepped out from the detention room. An irrational part of him wanted to run back into the room and stay there. Anything but face a stormy Gokudera.
If, Tsuna thought wryly, if I had been cheating, I would be very much afraid of this moment.
But he hasn't been cheating or doing anything that guilted him in the slightest, so he walked silently with Gokudera, confusion and worry written clearly on his face.
Gokudera said nothing and made no move to help Tsuna with his bag. In fact, it was as though Gokudera was walking alone. Tsuna bit his lip and wondered if Gokudera was angry at him.
It couldn't be possible...?
"Gokudera-"
Gokudera snatched his hand back rapidly, accidentally scraping past Tsuna's cheek with one of his rings, leaving a thin red mark.
Instantly his eyes widened, mouth hanging open, and then grabbed Tsuna by the shoulders, clearly about to launch into another "I'm-not-worthy-to-be-your-right-hand-man" speeches.
One Tsuna hasn't heard in the one month they've progressed their relationship.
Tears welled in his brown eyes as he thought, Why? and nothing else. Because Gokudera looked like he was about to cry, too.
"I want anybody on their tails at all times, you hear me? Every single moment. Do everything you can to break them up. Rumors, seduction, poison... Anything."
"Maa? Why are you so against their relationship?"
"Last warning, Zi. It's like you want them to be together."
"Well. I mean, yeah. If Gokudera-kun is happy, then as his fans, aren't we supposed to be happy for him?"
"Obviously he doesn't want this relationship. Fag Tsuna must have something on him and blackmailed Gokudera-kun. Why else would Gokudera-kun willing stay with him?"
"Sound pretty impossible to me."
"End of conversation, Zi. Now, which time slot do you want? You can check on Fag Tsuna if you like him that much. Say, how about you take the after school 'till dinner time slot?"
Tsuna skipped dinner that day. Gokudera had said, with a voice devoid of emotion, that they should probably stay as just boss-and-guardian.
Not even friends. Just a simple boss-and-guardian relationship.
And he went back to calling him Tenth, although with less warmth than he used to. It's even worse than before.
And the worst part was that he couldn't understand what he had done wrong. What could he have possibly done for Gokudera to hate him so much?
Oh god. What had he done?
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Wow. I finished this in time for 5927 day!
This was supposedly a one shot which grew to a two shot and doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon. So it may become a three shot. I don't know. Not yet, anyway.
This will be posted on 5927 day (14th September) and the other chapters would come maybe weekly? I dunno, tell me in your reviews! :D
Speaking of which. REVIEW!