14. Christmas

Word Count: 1332

The room lit up in a soft orange glow as the fire roared quietly and the Christmas tree in a corner across from it radiating a plethora of colors that blended into the orange well. The warmth of the room held the occupants over a lull, a lull that covered nearly all of them in a fitful sleep.

Tsuna sat in the couch seated by the tree, eyes as warm as the heat the fire radiated as he gazed about the room, his content smile only growing warmer.

It was Christmas Eve and the Vongola spent the full day partying. It was chaotic to say at the least, but the moment a smug Reborn strolled in with the Varia in tow, it actually turned out to be the sort of part Tsuna expected. People nearly died, people were threatened, people blew stuff up (sometimes unintentionally to Tsuna's mildly expectant horror) but it was all general violence Tsuna didn't go through ten years without adjusting to.

Sometime after nine, everybody herded into the Vongola Mansion's large living room since Xanxus had discovered the bar in the room and Squalo followed him in there, attracting the attention of the other Varia members with his sudden, absence and the dwindling amount of people caused the Vongola Guardians to see what they were doing until everybody was ultimately in the same place.

Since then, the party began to wind down, though its peak seemed to be at ten, when Xanxus and a hysterical Bel managed to get Squalo drunk out of his mind and instigated a shouting match with an equally drunk Ryohei that caused Gokudera to shout at them to stop shouting at each other. As the minutes drew out as eleven hit, nearly everyone was passed out. The party slowed and Gokudera took the time to light the fire and it was as if the fire calmed everybody into just relaxing in the afterglow of the party.

It was eleven-thirty now, and Tsuna was the only occupant in the room awake. He suspected Xanxus, Hibari and Mukuro might still be up, but Xanxus had left shortly after Gokudera lit the fire, Hibari didn't hang around the moment the Varia checked in, and Mukuro disappeared after taking Chrome away from a conversation with Lambo and Mammon.

Tsuna watched as Squalo, passed out of the floor in front of the bar beside an unconscious Ryohei, curled in a little on his self, tugging the jacket strewn across him; Tsuna's small smile pulled remembering how Xanxus threw his jacket down at Squalo before leaving, only pausing to watch Squalo instinctively wrap into it.

Bel, Mammon, and Fran rested on the wall opposite to Tsuna, also by the bar; Fran shifted and it caused his head to loll onto Bel's shoulder; the large frog hat almost amusingly hit Bel's head and moved it into a position that screamed a kink in his neck in the morning. Bel only shifted a little, as if his body was instinctively accommodating to Fran and Mammon on his lap.

There was a shift at Tsuna's side and a sudden weight on his shoulder that brought Tsuna away from looking over the room and caused his smile to grow as Lambo made himself comfortable in his sleep according to his new position. A mumble at his lap brought Tsuna's attention down and Tsuna watched Gokudera roll until his face was facing upward. Tsuna began to thread his fingers through Gokudera's silk-like silver hair, and managed to smother his laugh when Gokudera let out a noise that sounded suspiciously like a purr.

"Well, aren't you just all snuggled up against? You look like human pillow with Lambo and Gokudera resting on you."

Tsuna's smile widened as he listened to footsteps near and come to a stop behind the couch. Tsuna lifted his head up and widened his smile when his eyes met hazel, "Well, I guess if pillows are mostly skin, muscle and bone then, yes, I suppose I am like a pillow."

Yamamoto laughed quietly at his snide remark and smirked, holding up two wine glasses filled halfway with a dark wine.

"Drink with me, Tsuna? Midnight's about to hit."

Tsuna's eyes glowed warmly and reached up with the hand stroking Gokudera's hair, "Sure. I didn't drink much the whole party anyway so I think I can handle one glass."

Yamamoto grinned and relinquished his hold on one of the glasses, and then brought down his glass against Tsuna's in a quiet toast. The two fell into a warm silence, the fire's soft crackling filling in the silence. Yamamoto chuckled suddenly, a very amused sound, and Tsuna glanced up curiously.

"I was just thinking," he started as he lowered his glass after a sip, "It's only Christmas Eve and we still have another party to go to. Sasagawa, Haru, and the others wanted to celebrate the day with us too, at when they get here from Japan. Everybody's going to be so tired."

Tsuna laughed quietly, "Well, at least the Varia, since they probably drank the most." Tsuna fixed a look at Ryohei, "Though, I'm sure Onii-san can get over his hangover with ease." Yamamoto's laugh was slightly louder, clearing stating how amused he had been during Squalo and Ryohei's shouting match.

Another murmur from Gokudera silenced the two and Tsuna skillfully switched hands cradling his cup and began to stroke his hair again. He smiled when Yamamoto chuckled airily at Gokudera's quiet purr.

"He's like a giant cat!"

"I know right?" Tsuna couldn't hold his laughter back at Yamamoto's laugh. "I don't know if I expected Gokudera-kun to act like this in his sleep!"

"It could be just around you."

Tsuna smiled quietly, "Well, maybe. His attitude is different around me, yes. But to the extent of even falling asleep on me? That's more surprising I think."

"It isn't really. Not if you know how he acted when he thought you were dead."

Tsuna caught the amusement in his words, but it was nearly drowned out by the obvious bitterness in his voice, and Tsuna sighed.

"I haven't had much time, from between my return to now, since there were a lot of ties I had to rekindle and retie but," Tsuna looked up, "Do we need to talk this out too?"

Yamamoto was silent but the air around him tensed and Tsuna's jaw clenched.

"What do you want me to say, Yamamoto?"

Tsuna heard his smirk, "Nothing that you can't actually mean, Tsuna. What I want is something you can't promise." Tsuna felt fingers slide down his cheek and pull his chin up, and he stared at Yamamoto's understanding, but sad face.

Yamamoto smiled, only adding to the melancholy on his face, "Because I know that if the situation called for it, you'd do it again. And I really don't want you to."

Tsuna knew it'd be an empty promise if he had the heart to do it. Yamamoto was right.

"Then…" Tsuna raised his free hand and placed it on Yamamoto's cheek, "I'll give you a promise I know I can make."

Yamamoto's eyes sparked curiously and his smile widened in his curiosity. Tsuna smiled.

"I promise you that I'll love you with everything I have. Even if an unforeseen event happens that just might drive us apart, know that I will love you anyway, no matter what."

Yamamoto couldn't conceal his surprise but his eyes glittered something happy, proud, loving. "That's a big promise, Tsuna."

"I know," Tsuna's lips lifted slightly in a small grin, "That's how certain I am about it." And Tsuna could see how much that melted Yamamoto as his eyes narrowed in warmth.

And then there was ringing of bells.

Yamamoto and Tsuna looked up in quiet surprise but met each other's eyes soon after. Yamamoto's smile was wide,

"Merry Christmas, Tsuna."

Tsuna's smile was warm as Yamamoto's was wide, "Merry Christmas, Yamamoto."

And their lips met gently as the twelfth bell echoed.