21. An Entity Who Shows Itself

Word Count: 1172

The flames engulfing the fallen slowly extinguish, the tension in the air is slowly dispatching, and the battle draws to a close.

Yamamoto knelt on the ground, eyes turned up to the smoky sky, blanked by the adrenaline pumping through him, slowly settling. As the rush died, his senses returned as if it was a rush of adrenaline, and he immediately clutched his left arm, automatically assessing the bloody wound there from the enemy he had been fighting.

He smiled though, gaze lowering to the being standing before him, back turned and fists clenched at his sides, flames still flickering brightly around them.

Yamamoto stood, his smile growing slightly despite his strain to stand. "Well, that was a close one!" Yamamoto started, recalling how his friend came flying in to save Yamamoto from the enemy he was struggling against. "Thanks a lot, Tsuna!"

"Yes, you should be thankful to him. It's a good thing he's strong enough to fill in for your weaknesses, hm?"

The smile on Yamamoto's face fell instantly, eyes flickering calculatingly, and his hand unconsciously gripping the wound tighter.

Tsuna turned to him, a smirk playing on his lips, bright orange eyes staring in to Yamamoto's hazel as if ripping every shred of his soul apart to examine.

Tsuna was still in his Hyper Dying Will mode.

"Hello, Yamamoto Takeshi. It's about time we met."

And yet, it was clearly not Tsuna.

Yamamoto instantly tried to pick his smile back up, but he knew it came out more as a smirk.

"We haven't met? You're Tsuna, after all." Yamamoto replied, the challenge hidden and clear all at once.

Tsuna smirked as his head tilted, the flame still alive on his head flickering as if accepting his challenge. "No, we haven't. I," the flames around his hand died as he placed it on his chest, "am an entirely different entity than the Tsuna you are familiar with. He is Tsuna; I am his Hyper Dying Will self."

Yamamoto could tell there was a huge complexity to why there were more than two Tsuna, but by the look in the other's eyes, he knew that this wasn't the time to question it.

"Well, isn't that cool? Are you here for a reason…Hyper Dying Will Tsuna?"

His smirk shifted, as if pleased, "You're dating Tsuna, right?"

Yamamoto felt the heat rise to his cheeks as he lost his serious composure; he lifted his bloodied hand to scratch behind his head.

"Haha! Yeah, I guess we are!"

"You know, there isn't anybody more important to me than Tsuna."

That wiped any sheepishness out of Yamamoto.

"I may not completely show it to him, but Tsuna is my everything. He created me from the depths of his Will, his resolution, and without him I wouldn't even be here." He directed his gaze to his hands, a soft smile gracing his features. "He let me grow as a person and treated me as such. I was never just an entity of power for him; I was a real person."

His orange eyes narrowed as his hands clenched. "However much I wanted to be his most important person and have him be mine just as much as I will always be his, I can't because his heart is yours."

He glared. Yamamoto only stared right back.

"I won't allow such a weak person for Tsuna."

"But I'm not willing to give Tsuna up."

Orange eyes flared but Yamamoto met it with his solemn gaze.

"I'll admit, I don't think I can ever be as strong as Tsuna. Tsuna is strong enough to defend himself. But it is my duty as a Guardian and friend to back up his every move and help him. I don't take that lightly. That's my resolution as a Guardian.

"My resolution as a lover has its own set of rules."

Tsuna's eyes widened as Yamamoto pinned him a hard, determined gaze.

"Tsuna thinks he has to shoulder everything on his own and I never pushed it that hard as his friend. As his boyfriend, I don't intend for Tsuna to carry that by himself. I'm going to be there for him whenever he is emotionally and spiritually weak, not just physically."

Yamamoto smiled just as determinedly.

"I'm not naïve enough to think I'll be Tsuna's all, because he can't. But I will be what he can't give to the others and give him my all in return."

And the silence ensued.

Tsuna stared into Yamamoto's eyes, assessing, calculating, searching for a lie. Yamamoto's eyes were clear, burning, and devoted. He was serious.

It brought a satisfied smirk to his face and eased the tension in the air.

"I see now. I suppose I underestimated you, Yamamoto Takeshi."

"Haha! It happens all the time! Don't worry about it!"

Tsuna's smirk sharpened suddenly, eyes burning mischievously as he started walking to Yamamoto, slow, almost sensual. Yamamoto took a step back, eyes widening in surprise at the sudden gait.

"Tsuna…?"

A gloved hand reached up placed itself at the back of his head and pushed down; Yamamoto stared, wide-eyed, into Tsuna's playful orange ones. Fingers lightly threaded through the black hairs there, full lips were close to his, parted and moist, and hot breath splayed out against them.

Yamamoto unconsciously licked his lips as a blush crawled along his cheeks. Tsuna's eyes flickered knowingly.

"Yamamoto…" he purred, deep voice low and husky and sent shivers down Yamamoto's body. Tsuna pushed Yamamoto's head lower and their lips brushed lightly, teasingly-

"If you hurt our dear Tsuna, I will personally come in the middle of the night to rip your heart out of your body and crush in front of your fading eyes, just like you crushed Tsuna's, metaphorically~"

Yamamoto's hormones died in an instant and were quickly replaced with slight fear as his skin paled and a heavily strained smile stretched his face.

"A-ah. I'll just not do that…!"

Yamamoto laughed nervously and Tsuna smirked, satisfied.

"I'll hold you to that, Yamamoto."

Tsuna's eyes closed as the smirk faded. Yamamoto could feel the slick material of the gloves shift to a woolly feel against his scalp as the flame extinguished.

Tsuna's eyes opened.

Yamamoto's breath hitched.

There was his Tsuna.

"Eh?" Tsuna blinked, golden ochre eyes wide, trying to make sense of what was happening. Yamamoto almost could see the wheels turn and slowly click in place as understanding dawned on him. A red blush furiously rushed across his face.

"H-Hiiiiee! O-Oh my god, I'm so sorry, Yamamoto!" The hand at the back of his head moved and Tsuna's started to retreat along with it and Yamamoto's body cried out for the quickly dwindling loss of close contact.

Well, that wouldn't do.

"Ah, ah, ah Tsuna…" Yamamoto wrapped his arm around Tsuna's waist and bent down, lips brushing Tsuna's once again. Tsuna froze and his breath picked up, the blush only reddening as Yamamoto met his eyes and spoke in a low husky whisper,

"I'm not letting you go."