'Anything' includes some tricky tasks, Hayato realizes around the time that he gets his ass handed to him by Lightning Gamma, the Millefiore's Black Spell captain, and both he -and- Yamamoto come a lot closer to dying than either of them could have anticipated. Fuck, they -would- have died if Hibari hadn't shown up at the last possible second to prevent it. That life-debt hangs heavy and ~incredibly uncomfortable around his neck.
Tsuna's an absolute wreck, seeing his friends in such dire straits, so much so that two things happen in short succession. One, he thanks Hibari-san so profusely, that his Cloud Guardian threatens to bite him to death if he says it even -one more time.- Of course, by the time Hibari is issuing threats, it's already too late, and Tsuna's sporting new bruises and a bloody nose when he visits Hayato in the medical room. Hayato being Hayato, is quick to downplay his own injuries and fret about Tsuna's instead. This goes over approximately as well as Bianchi's home cooking at a five star restaurant, and Hayato has the rare privilege of seeing the Tenth get angry.
"Bullshit, Gokudera-kun!" he shouts heatedly, feeling self-conscious about being so loud, but clenches his hands into tight fists and plows forward, dead-set on getting through that thick head of silver hair ~somehow. "I know that you couldn't run away once Gamma found you and Yamamoto, but..." here his voice breaks, and Hayato can feel the grief behind the fury, which makes him feel like even ~more of an asshole than he did to begin with. So he listens in silence as the Boss chastises him.
And secondly, Tsuna takes an inadvertent step in the direction of assuming the role he's been vehemently protesting against ever since Reborn showed up on his doorstep.
Tsuna's jaw tightens, and he lifts his head to start over, the unsettling sheen of tears not far off, although whether that's entirely Hayato's fault or if he's just the straw that broke the camel's back is anybody's guess. "I won't bury any of my friends. Do you hear me!?" And he faces Hayato down with what is probably the sternest look he's ever seen him wear. "You have to stay alive! That's an -order.-"
Hayato gasps, and gapes a little, staring as though he's never seen Tsuna before. "T-Tenth... I..." His stammering protests sound weak to his own ears, and he's ashamed to admit it, but he's relieved. "I guess I don't have a choice if it's an order," he smiles, offsetting what could be something harsh, and watches Tsuna's face go pale for a moment while he processes.
"I hate to hear you put it that way, but just this once, no, you don't." Tsuna's expression looks pained, but he holds firm, and it's one of those things that Hayato admires about him. His boss who hates fighting, who wants nothing but peace, and whose heart is big enough to care for people who should be their enemies, like Rokudo Mukuro. His staunch resolve even sees a murderer like that following him, although he'd definitely deny it unto his dying breath.
Is it any wonder that Hayato loves him?
"I know that I'm asking a lot of you, Gokudera-kun," Tsuna says softly, fidgeting with his bandages, a little of the steel going out of his spine. Hayato wonders, and not for the first time, just how the Tenth balances so much, on such narrow shoulders. He wishes he could help him carry the load. "And I'm going to have to ask more of you too." He looks appropriately contrite as he says it, but that doesn't stop him from doing it anyway.
"I can't force you to get along with Yamamoto, or your sister, but please try and open your heart to them a little if you can." He's looking down at the Sky ring now, fist closed tightly, staring so intently at the thing that Hayato almost expects it to burst into flame. "It's only together that we stand a chance, however strong you are separately. And if you can't believe in them... then, believe in me, who believes in them too," he grips the hand that isn't sporting an IV, and just for a moment, rests his cheek there, exhausted.
Hayato's heart turns over in his chest, and the guilt is positively staggering.
"I said some things to Yamamoto that were maybe out of line," he confesses after a pregnant pause, unsure of how to proceed.
Tsuna lifts his head then, just enough to meet that green gaze, and smiles tiredly. "Yeah. Yamamoto said the same thing. So I want to hear you two apologize to each other, okay? Not right now," he clarifies, "because you need to get healthy again first. But, before we even ~think about trying to face the Millefiore head on." They didn't have a definitive time-line on that, yet, but Tsuna didn't need his Hyper Intuition to know that it wasn't anywhere near enough time. "Maybe I'm being selfish, and if so, I'm sorry, Gokudera-kun. But I'm counting on you, and I'm also sorry for not seeing just how hard this has been on you." His smile slips away, and once again, Tsuna's looking grim. "So, so going forward, please rely on me more!"
They were big words, with bigger implications, and Hayato is quietly stunned, but he eventually finds his voice again.
"Okay, Tenth. And you can rely on me too, you know," he says with an unreadable expression, although his loyalty is steadfast as always.
"Haha, aren't I already?" Tsuna asks sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head and there's a faint blush across his cheeks. "I'm eagerly awaiting your recovery. The truth is, I'm... having a little trouble sleeping without you." That blush darkens momentarily at the admission, and Hayato is doomed but he doesn't think he minds too much. "Well, that's enough embarrassment for one day, I think," he laughs, low-key mortified, but somehow, he thinks Hayato should know.
"Get better, please, Gokudera-kun," Tsuna beseeches, letting go of Hayato's hand, and standing up to leave. "I'll definitely come visit again. Goodnight."
"Buona notte," Hayato replies softly in Italian, and for some reason, that innocuous phrase has Tsuna's heart beating faster as he makes a hasty escape.
What was that about?