Disclaimer: KHR is not mine, nor do any of the characters belong to me. I make no profit.
"Ah, Gokudera-Kun, c-could I ask what you're doing with this? E-exactly?"
"Proving my loyalty to you, Sawada Tsunayoshi."
"I see. But, um, why this?"
"Because, I was thinking about what you said yesterday. About not wanting to be a Mafia Boss. And- well. You are the one who saved my life, not anyone else, or the Mafia, or the Vongola."
Silence cut through his speech as Tsuna realized with rising hope that just maybe for once, someone had actually listened to what he had said. Listened, and heard. It fluttered around his ribcage, and felt surprisingly like nausea. Gokudera seemed to be analyzing him, full brunt of his genius intellect centered on Tsuna and his reactions. It was heady.
Apparently encouraged by the results, Gokudera continued.
"So I decided to retire from the Mafia. I'm former freelance, after all. If the person I'm going to follow doesn't want to be a Mafia Boss, then he shouldn't have to be. No matter who tells him to. Because you know, Tsunayoshi-San, that it isn't going to be easy. In fact, it might be harder trying to keep the full force of the Vongola Famiglia from taking you to Italy and placing you in that throne."
Tsuna didn't want to think about it, but he knew it was true. If the Vongola could pick up a kid who, for well over a decade, had lived as a complete civilian and start grooming him to be (the Sacrifice) the next Vongola Boss...
Their chosen tutor was the Number One Hit man, for crying out loud.
So yes, Tsunayoshi was very well aware of the fact that it was a difficult thing he wanted. It really didn't have to be. Surely there were other candidates who actually wanted the job.
"Sawada-San, if this is what you want, then I will support you. As your right hand in whatever non-mafia career you choose." Tsuna was startled when Gokudera turned away violently, almost hitting the nearby bedpost with his face. When he could still see the tip of one currently very red ear, he realized that something very important but sappy was going to be said next.
"And as your friend, I want to help you. Because friends do things like that." Now Tsuna was blushing, and worried because it was a very big thing that Gokudera was saying to him, right now, with a plate full of sandwich crumbs and empty water glasses sitting on the table.
"You will help me? Even if- even if Reborn fights against us?"
Tsuna didn't think that Hayato could blush any more violently. He was wrong. As the thought of trying to go against Reborn made him tremble, a hand landed on top of his.
"Yeah. Even against him."
"Thank-you, H-Ha-Hayato-Kun! But still...do you have to get a tattoo of my face to prove it?"
Oddly enough, this was the first part of the fic that I wrote, about three weeks before the first chapter.
