12. Genius

Word Count: 1769

"You like Yamamoto don't you?"

Reborn fought from smirking in a sadistic glee and the horrified, but very red face of his No Good student. He settled for smirking all-knowingly, which still got a pretty nice flustered expression. His student flapped his mouth open and closed, open and closed, open and closed, looking suspiciously like a fish (a tuna, Reborn snickered inwardly), and heard Tsuna's retort before he even thought up the first word.

First, the stuttering.

"I-I-! Wh-wh-wha-? A-and… Y-you…?"

Of course, his No Good student needed a push. A push he shall provide.

"Well? You do, don't you?"

And then, the retort. Which there are multiple, but his student was smart enough to know what he was getting at, and yet so pathetically stupid to deny it in a roundabout manner.

"O-Of course I do! I-I mean, he is one of my best friends!"

And now, the counter. The evidence, that is.

"Don't think you can play that card on me, No Good Tsuna." Reborn pulled his hat over his eyes, obscuring them from Tsuna, but he could still look at him from under the rim of the fedora.

All for dramatic effect, of course.

"I'm not bringing this up randomly, just so you know. I have irrefutable evidence. I just thought to address it now and not wait until you screwed things over, like the no good person you are."

"Screw what over? I don't-"

"Don't interrupt me." Little intimidation goes a long way, and with his student it was a sure fire way of getting him to shut up and just listen. Reborn almost cackled at how fast the color drained from his student's face and relished in the shriek he let out, all the while nodding his understanding under the face of the barrel of Reborn's gun.

"Good." Reborn's smirk widened, "I've realized that over the past few weeks, you've been showing a deep attraction to your Rain Guardian." Reborn silenced Tsuna and killed his defiant look with a promising glare of his own. "I've seen the signs of a budding attraction since the moment Yamamoto came to your defense a little more than a year and a half ago. And from there, it's only been increasing. But as of late, it's become painfully obvious. Only an oblivious fool couldn't see how much you've been overstepping boundaries."

Which Tsuna is surrounded by on a daily basis, and is one himself on many occasions, but that's sort of a digression from the main point.

"For instance," Reborn withdrew the gun and sat it on his lap as he pulled a handkerchief from his suit pocket (already dipped in polish, thank you very much, and the suit'll be fine) and began to idly polish his gun. It was a trick to calm prey…the accused, pardon, enough to get the information processed the head well enough and keep him alert and on his toes for the still lingering threat.

It was fun watching his No Good student flick his eyes from his face to his gun, trying to decide what he should keep an eye on more.

"Starting three weeks ago, every time Yamamoto would come into view, you'd smile as if you ate your favorite food Maman cooked after not eating for the whole day."

Which was an odd way of describing it, but the one time it had happened, Tsuna's eyes lit up like a light, his cheeks were reddened in pure happiness, and he wore the most content and satisfied smile… He was not implying that he stared at Yamamoto like a piece of meat.

(That step would have to be skipped because it has happened. He doesn't want to scare and scar Tsuna, though that's appealing in other cases.)

"About two weeks ago, whenever you and Yamamoto would wind up together alone, your voice would gradually get quieter and quieter as if you were reading your favorite manga out loud to I-Pin and that Stupid Cow in the library, but had to lower your voice because of library rules."

Reborn wasn't exactly pointing out why Tsuna's voice had lowered, despite that was the cause of the action used. It was how Tsuna's voice had lowered it its passion towards sharing his favorite manga to Lambo and I-Pin. His voice was almost like fire as he read, and it had entranced the kids with in the first couple of panels; it was so passionate.

"A week ago, you started treating Yamamoto's touches as if they were Sasagawa Kyoko's smiles."

That was self-explanatory. Everybody knows Tsuna would act like a high school virgin girl with her first crush, as depreciating that sounds on Tsuna's part.

Or sweet.

But Reborn doesn't do sweet.

(But of course, the special part of it was how Tsuna treasured Kyoko's smiles. He treats Yamamoto's contact like that? Still pretty self-explanatory.)

Reborn smirked at his student, tilting his head in just the right way where the shadow of his fedora would expose one beady, black eye to let Tsuna know he was staring at his soul. (Metaphorically, but that's because he already knows what's there.)

"And just the other day, you started to return his touches with little ones of your own, whether it'd be leaning into his touch or a simple touch on the arm." Reborn's smirk widened. "Need any more proof, Tsuna?"

Tsuna's expression was upset and frustrated, complete with narrowed eyes, a set jaw, and a grimace. He also had a fierce red blush spread across his face that seemed to make it glow a rather solid pink.

Reborn chuckled inwardly. Time for the confession.

"F-fine. Yes, I do like Yamamoto more than a friend. …Much more, actually. Happy?"

"Of course I am." Just look at that face! "I was right after all."

Tsuna made a grunt and Reborn 'hmph'ed. Now? Tsuna's going to question him.

"So? You got what you wanted right? What do you want?"

And this could go two ways. One, Reborn could turn the question back to Tsuna or two, he could be blunt and get this step out of the way.

…Well, he always did get the best reactions from being blunt.

"I want you to confess to Yamamoto."

Tsuna looked as if he was going into shock. And then the next second, his face was so red, he looked like he was on fire.

"WHAT?"

Oh, Tsuna. You make things too easy and so satisfying.

"You heard me, No Good Tsuna. Confess to Yamamoto."

Refusal.

"No! Are you insane, Reborn? I can't confess to Yamamoto!"

And doubt.

"Yamamoto only thinks I'm a friend! And not only that, we're both guys! He wouldn't want to date a guy, much less someone like No Good Tsuna…!"

Oh! A little bit of self-loathe in there! Tsuna's stepping it up a little.

Reborn scoffed. It wouldn't be enough anyway.

Now for the convincing.

"No Good Tsuna, who ever said Yamamoto was close-minded enough to reject your feelings just because you're a guy? You know as well as I do that Yamamoto keeps an open heart to nearly anything."

"I-"

"Let me finish," Reborn clicked the safety off on his gun and Tsuna's mouth clamped back shut.

"And trust me when I say this, Tsuna. There wouldn't be anyone Yamamoto would rather date than you." Tsuna sent him a doubtful look and it was promptly ignored. "You don't see it because your obliviousness excels where it really shouldn't- love especially included- but Yamamoto returns all your advances with advances of his own."

Reborn's smile was a parody of coy, yet hinted with something genuine.

"About three weeks ago, Yamamoto's smiles became gentler and warmer every time he caught just a glimpse of you.

"Starting two weeks ago, Yamamoto started finding ways to get to have a little bit of alone time with you, simply because he wanted to be with you more.

"A week ago, Yamamoto officially decided seeing you smile just at him was more important than baseball.

"And just the other day, Yamamoto tried touching you a little more than usual, just a little desperate to feel you."

Silence reigned and Tsuna's expression looked like his heart was going to jump out of his chest.

Reborn continued to watch Tsuna from the shadow of his fedora, smile still falsely coy and yet genuine.

His No Good student probably didn't know what to do with that information, despite the answer was obvious.

"I-I… That's not… It's Yamamoto, he can't…"

No Good Tsuna, indeed.

The incentive.

"Hmph. Still in denial, huh? Well, I suppose that's fine. I'm sure Yamamoto's other admirers can eventually fill in where you wouldn't."

Reborn could feel Tsuna's sudden eager attentiveness.

"I mean, Hibari knows what he wants from Yamamoto. You should see how his eyes seem to light up and glow whenever he walks by." Well, Hibari stares at him like that because he wants to beat him up…and he is seeing a certain blond loser student of his but… "And Yamamoto seems to love talking about the conversations he and Squalo have been having as of late…" About sword techniques and ass kickings but…

What Tsuna didn't know wouldn't hurt him, right?

Not when he had such a determined glint in his eye.

Reborn smirked. A little more of a push wouldn't hurt. "Of course, there are other methods of getting me what I want you to do," his hand shifted and the cloth that had been draped over the gun fell to the floor, revealing glinting black metal in its wake.

Reborn could feel Leon shift on his hat to peer precariously at Tsuna, finishing off the effect.

Tsuna was on his feet and halfway across the room in a second and Reborn fought from smirking wildly.

Man, he was good.

"Where are you going, No Good Tsuna?" mocking only evident in his voice as he watched Tsuna's back from his armchair. He knew Tsuna's face was probably the brightest red it had been this whole conversation. Tsuna's head only tilted slightly, not enough to see a glimpse of his face and only his ear (very, very pink ear, mind you.)

"U-Uh, I-I just remembered I ha-had an errand to, um, run so, um, yeahgottogoseeyouwhenIgethome!" and was out that door half a second later.

Reborn's smirk was wide as he eased into his chair.

All in a day's work for a love genius. …Oh sure, maybe interrogation and a smidgeon of manipulation genius.

But mostly love genius.

"The rest is all up to you, Tsuna," Reborn tipped the brim of the fedora over his eyes with a smirk.