Yeah, it's taken me forever to write this. But it's no one's fault but my own. *hangs head* I seriously had this written about a fourth of the way, before I buckled down four hours ago and freaking finished the rest. So if anything sounds weird or if there's a bunch of grammatical/spelling errors... I apologize.
And now, I present to you the, slightly lamer than the last, chapter two of Your Lie!
My Pain
"Juudaime!" The bomber excitedly burst through the front door, carrying a large watermelon.
The brunette looked up from the oranges he'd been peeling, smiling as Gokudera burst into the kitchen with the watermelon in his hands. "Welcome home," he greeted, setting the half-peeled orange down as Gokudera hustled up to him and met his lips eagerly.
"I brought you something, Juudaime. We can have some later if you'd like." Gokudera set the watermelon on the counter, careful not to squish the oranges that his beloved Juudaime had just been peeling. Tsuna smiled endearingly, lifting a slightly wet hand that smelt of oranges.
"Only if you'll have some with me, Hayato."
Gokudera could swear his heart had skipped a beat. He loved when his betrothed called him by his first name. It set his heart fluttering and created crazy hordes of dragonflies (he wouldn't dare call them butterflies; that was SO unmafioso) within his stomach.
Would this feeling ever leave? He sincerely hoped to whatever higher power there was (if there was one) that it didn't. Tsuna, beautiful, kind Tsuna, would always and forever be his, and he would forever and always belong to him as well. Nothing could ever change that...
-.-.-.-.-
Ten thousand and eighty minutes had passed since Gokudera had left. In other words, a whole week, one whole week had passed. Scratch that, ten thousand and eighty-one minutes had passed.
Tsuna had been a wreck the whole week, all ten thousand and eighty-one – ten thousand and eighty-two minutes of it.
Gokudera hadn't called, not once, not to anyone at all.
He hadn't been able to concentrate on any of the documents he was supposed to be looking through, and the pile had grown into quite an immense pile. He was almost entirely hidden behind the stacks. But he just couldn't bring himself to just sign away at everything; honestly, he had to read the things first, but nothing ever registered when he did.
Gokudera had been the one who would help him get through some documents, telling him which to approve, what he could change to better their family, which ones to plain out reject...
It hurt just to think about him.
Frustrated and near tears, Tsuna let the pen in his hand drop onto the desk as he tangled his hands into his hair. Damn it, why? Why hadn't he had the sense to cut it off with Mukuro after the first time? Why hadn't he acted on that unbearable guilt he experienced every night since then? Why had he been so caught up in those extraordinary feelings Mukuro could so easily produce? Why had he been such an idiot?
"Kufufu, goodness, Tsunayoshi-kun." The smooth, silky purr erupted from beside him and made him stiffen. "What has gotten you oh-so-worked up? Has the foolish Storm not returned?" The Mist guardian chuckled darkly as Tsuna felt his gloved hands land on his shoulders intimately. "Did I not tell you it would be so?"
"Mukuro, I told you once before... Leave me alone." The brunette didn't flinch when a hand cupped his chin and turned his head sharply to stare into the dichromatic eyes. He met the gaze evenly and watched as a slow smirk parted those pale lips he could clearly remember taking his own.
"Oh? Were you being serious then, Tsunayoshi-kun? It's so hard to take you seriously." The thumb at the edge of his jaw was making slow circles against his skin, rubbing and beginning to infuriate him.
"I was being serious, Mukuro, whether you can take it that way or not." Tsuna lifted a hand and removed Mukuro's from his face. "I've had enough of you." He didn't miss the way that red eye flared as Mukuro's lips lifted from a smirk into a cruel sneer.
"'Had enough of me', Tsunayoshi-kun?" The illusionist reiterated. "I would not think that is for you to decide." He towered over Tsuna where he sat and leaned ever closer. "Your precious Storm has deserted you. You have nothing to lose now, and when you did, you did not care."
Tsuna had opened his mouth to argue as he made to stand, but the door burst open with a flourish and the words died in his throat. He pushed out of his chair, doing the same to Mukuro as he rushed around his desk to Yamamoto. His Rain guardian looked far too somber and out of character for it to be anything but bad news.
"Yamamoto," He'd never outgrown calling the other that. "What is – ?"
"Hayato."
-.-.-.-.-
The small clinic they had in the compound had been put to use often. They had each ended up there at least once. Gokudera had had his own share of stays there. And here he was again.
He was dirty and unkempt, and he was sleeping almost soundly, all bandaged up and hooked to an IV.
Tsuna couldn't bring himself to move the few steps into the room to stand by the bed. He could hardly bring himself to even believe that Gokudera, his Hayato, his husband, was really here again. That he had actually come back, that he'd returned home...
"He called me almost ten minutes ago." Yamamoto was saying from his side. Tsuna forced himself to listen, though his eyes could not leave the pale form of Gokudera's. "Told me to come outside or he'd blow me up if I didn't. I found him sitting by the door, but he took one look at me before he passed out."
Tsuna swallowed and willed himself to ask, "Is he – ?"
"He'll be fine. He's only exhausted and dehydrated a bit." Yamamoto reassured. He pressed a hand to Tsuna's back and gave him a gentle push. "You should go to him."
The brunette followed the small push and mechanically made his way to the edge of the bed. How many times had he been here? In this same exact position; anxiously waiting for Gokudera to wake up. Too many times to count. But this situation wasn't the same. This wasn't post-battle damage; this was something entirely different.
With battle damage, he knew exactly what to expect Gokudera to do when he woke up. The silver-head would turn his head towards him and look right up at him with that slow, sincere smile he knew was only for him, and he'd whisper his name so softly... And he'd whisper sweet-nothings as they would kiss and kiss and kiss, basking in the relief that he was still alive, still here...
But now he had no inkling of what Gokudera would do when he woke up.
He fought back a sob and lifted his hand to lay it over Gokudera's as he closed his eyes to fight back the tears that threatened to fall. He had to apologize. He had to explain what had happened. He had to confess. He had to –
"Juudaime..."
Tsuna froze at the soft murmur and didn't respond. He tried to keep still though light tremors were wracking his body as he felt the hand beneath his move out from his grip, only to land over his own and curl around his.
"I'm okay, Juudaime."
And Tsuna let out a choked sob as he opened his eyes he lifted his head to meet those amazing emerald eyes that he loved so, so, so much. They were looking at him so softly and sadly and endearingly, and it was tearing him apart.
"I'm sorry I ran, Juudaime."
No, no, no. He wanted to say. He was sorry. He was sorry for ever accepting the illusionist's first offer. He was sorry that he hadn't had the sense to say no. He was sorry that he had been so terribly unfaithful when Gokudera had been anything but.
"Can you forgive me for my insubordination, Juudaime?"
He choked on another sob and grasped Gokudera's hand tightly as he shook his head. "Hayato, stop, please." He pleaded. "I'm sorry! It was all my fault! I should be the one asking for forgiveness! You've done nothing wrong!"
But Gokudera was smiling that slow, sincere smile at him, and Tsuna could swear he felt his heart break even more.
"I love you, Juudaime."
And he was pulled up into a kiss, a kiss, a kiss, and he couldn't ever remember being so happy and relieved that Gokudera was still alive, that Gokudera was still here, that he had somehow been forgiven, that things were somehow all right...
"I love you, too, Hayato."
And he meant it.
-.-.-.-.-
Feedback is greatly appreciated!
And Happy Birthday, Gokudera! I'm so sorry about last year, and I hope this made up for it!
