Can't you See Me?

By Raining Sky Guy

Gokudera Hayato stared at his future Boss, feeling conflicted, before letting out a small sigh and stepping out of the shadows. He had promised after all. The sixteen-year-old brunet looked up from his homework to smile at his Storm.

"Hayato! What brings you here?" Tsuna said, pushing his work aside. Normally, Hayato would have protested, or even wacked him over the head. Sometimes it still amazed him how quickly he had been coaxed out of his worshipping attitude and his more eccentric behaviors. His Boss had been adamant that he wanted a friend not a servant, and for a huge amount of reasons including that— Hayato had relented.

But that wasn't the point right now. He did his utmost best not to hide the letter behind him like a little kid and tried to greet the other with a natural smile. "Can't I visit a friend without a reason?" He then tried to figure out if that phrase had sounded as weird to Tsuna as it had done to him. He pushed the thought aside by the slightly amused smile on the other. Self-conscious, the silverhead scoffed into his closed fist. "Actually I came to deliver something to you."

Tsuna nodded, inwardly sobering up at sensing his Storm's reluctance and letting him let it out at his own pace. "I see. What is it?"

Hayato fingered the sealed envelope, his mind trying to console him that he might have just misunderstood the whole situation and that he was seeing shadows where they were none. He realized he had taken too long and half-thrust half-offered the letter over to his Boss.

Curiosity had lightened up his face in a funny way before something hit and Tsuna's eyes widened. He opened his mouth as if to say something, hesitated and pointed from the envelope to Hayato, "…you?"

Red blossomed from the tip of his nose to his ears. "Not exactly, Jyuudaime." He managed to clear up cracking a genial grin. "Sorry for getting your hopes up." His words somehow contrasted with the color on his face, but Tsuna blushed himself at sounding so self-assured.

"T-then?"

"…" Hayato opened his mouth to reply, but the words got caught in his throat. He rubbed the back of his head, before his hand descended and clasped his opposite wrist all on its own. "Why don't you open it and see it?"

And Tsuna was already doing that as he spoke, somewhat excited and very nervous. Hayato's smile dropped into a thin line. It wasn't much of a secret, really. Now that Tsuna knew it wasn't from him, his expectation had grown.

Even competing with a letter from him, Hayato still lost.

Red from head to toe, Tsuna rushed out of the bedroom, passing just by the Storm, letter in his hand and a wide grin on his face.

Hayato thrust his clenched fists into his pockets, a sour expression on his face as he exited the Sawada residence from the back, not wanting to see Tsuna hugging or probably kissing Takeshi.

He felt a knot in his chest, his throat. A vein started pulsing in his neck for keeping his jaw clenched so tight, but he tried to ignore it. He ran the rest of the way back to his apartment, but not even like that did he feel any better, not after spending his energies was the punch to the wall avoided.

Hayato wished he could cry and let it all out at once. But he knew himself too composed, that he'd soon see it as a sign of weakness and feel even worse then. He barely remembered how to cry anyway.

Instead of wallowing in conflicting thoughts, the almost-man picked himself up, gave up trying to swallow the lump in his throat and went to the bathroom with trembling shoulders. His fists he could hide in his pockets, but he needed to practice a casual smile a bit more.

Because from now on, Tsuna would be Takeshi's.

But as emerald eyes stared at him from the reflection, he couldn't help the small bout of hysterical laughter.

Tsuna had never been his. He had always looked at Takeshi. Not once, not one time had he looked any other way.

Hayato had never had a chance.

Somehow, even as he felt his heart clenching painfully, Hayato saw himself smiling in a passable way, even if just the slightest bit bitter. He could manage with that.

He'd need to congratulate the happy couple.

Fin

AN.

Wanted to write some unrequited love after listening to Malchik gay. Dude, how had I missed that song for so long? At first it was going to be Kyoko, but it somehow became Hayato. Might develop this idea more, I love the angst.

Question. Did you like the implicit-love? Or you'd rather Hayato declare his undying love to the four winds so to speak? You liked the title or was it too dramatic?

Do leave a review.