Windshear Part [19/?]
Authors: Kagaya Chou and The Dream Whisperer
Characters/Pairings: Squalo, Yamamoto, Gokudera, Ryohei, Kyoko, Tsuna, Reborn. Tsuna/Kyoko, Ryohei/Gokudera, and eventual Yamamoto/Hibari.
Rating: PG-13
Words: 6280
Summary: While Squalo and Yamamoto try to clear the air, Ryohei and Gokudera can't help but clash. Kyoko helps Tsuna deal with the chaos.
When the bar closed, Squalo and Yamamoto walked down the Spanish Steps as they spoke until they reached La Barcaccia, the fountain of the shipwrecked boat. Yamamoto sat down on one of the travertine stepping-stones, facing the fountain, and looked from it back to the Varia's Rain.
"Hibari never wanted anyone else involved," he offered, catching Squalo's eyes as he spoke. "We were trying to respect that... But stepped in because we couldn't just watch him sink."
Squalo's eyes simply narrowed, his sword lying flat against his side as he focused on Yamamoto. He barely took note of the beautiful scenery around them - he had never been one to notice such things anyway - scrutinizing the official Rain guardian so that the damn brat couldn't possibly pull the wool on him if he tried.
"Yet you couldn't be bothered to tell us," Squalo stated flatly.
Yamamoto ducked his head initially, then peered up with a rueful smile. "I didn't tell anyone, except the kiddo... But then again, he found out about it beforehand, and didn't think Tsuna needed to know either.
"I... think I could have done more. Should have." Yamamoto sucked in a breath through his teeth, recalling the anger on Dino's face. "...I'm sorry."
"The fuck are you apologizing for," Squalo barked, his sword hand raising threateningly. "It's your boss's responsibility to tell my boss about it." He scowled furiously, "'All of us belong to the Vongola,' he said. Bull-fucking-shit."
"It's not my responsibility, yes, but," Yamamoto felt torn between the urge to defend Tsuna, and the desire to sooth Squalo's feathers rather than ruffle them even more. "Tsuna didn't have to tell Xanxus - or anyone else for that matter."
"Didn't have to," Squalo repeated flatly, taking a step forward. His sword rose a little more. "What do you mean by that, katana brat."
"I mean," momentarily, Yamamoto's eyes narrowed as he caught his reflection on the Sword Emperor's blade. He looked neutral. Not even hostile, and yet something told him that Squalo probably saw that as indifference - maybe even a challenge.
"Squalo," Yamamoto stood up slowly, facing him and looking into his eyes. "There are things that Tsuna won't tell me either, and he's one of my best friends."
"That's a different matter," Squalo said, slowly lowering his sword. But he kept the tip pointed upwards, ready to slice Yamamoto's head off if the other man had spoken one word out if line. "I don't care whatever the hell all of you get up to, or what personal drama you have. Keep us informed of shit like this if your boss is feeling genuine about his words, katana brat."
"I'll tell him that," Yamamoto nodded. "But I wasn't talking about personal drama." He raised a hand, an unspoken request for patience. "I wouldn't expect Tsuna to tell me everything that goes on with his life, much less the Vongola, because he's spent his entire childhood being known as 'no good.' When he doesn't tell us something, it's usually because it might make us feel that way, and it's not something he'd even wish on his worst enemies."
Yamamoto spared a moment to consider the consequences of successfully making Xanxus feel 'no good,' then quickly dropped the thought as non-constructive.
"I'm guessing that's why he didn't tell you, his own famiglia," Yamamoto mused. At the back of his mind, he wondered if Tsuna would have told him, had the circumstances been different and he hadn't found out on his own... It's probably another reason why Tsuna didn't tell Gokudera about the plan to send us all into the future, ten years ago.
"Hey, Squalo," Yamamoto tilted his head slightly, curious. "What would you have done if Tsuna told Xanxus, and Xanxus told you?"
"I would kill that bastard," Squalo answered immediately, no hesitation in his voice. There was something like a bloodthirsty smirk on his lips as he looked at Yamamoto. "Him, and the entirety of the Gesso. Leave absolutely nothing behind so they could never rise up against us and be a threat again."
His sword made a sharp swipe downwards. "That's how the mafia works, katana brat."
Yamamoto blinked, then frowned slightly in disappointment. "Then I'm glad Tsuna didn't tell you," he quietly said, his voice clear in the silence around them.
"Voi!" Squalo barked out, taking a menacing step forward and clenching his fists harder.
"What the hell do you mean by that?"
"If you tried to do that, there'd be no bargaining with them for the cure." At the back of Yamamoto's mind, there was a cold, cruel thought. He wouldn't have cared - it wouldn't have mattered to him at all - if the Varia decimated the Gesso. "Hibari would be dead by now, whether you succeed, and I'd have to avenge you too, if you failed."
"Fail?" came the answer, sharp and quick. "You're delusional, brat. We are the Varia. We won't ever fail." Yamamoto smiled at that, vaguely, but said nothing. "Besides," Squalo leaned in, and his smirk was vicious. "What makes you think I would die before I slit your throat?"
Yamamoto laughed, his voice honest and bright. "That's reassuring then." Maybe I am delusional, he thought, trying to find ways to justify not doing more, when I can't change the past... at least not without risking another time paradox.
"Maybe you wouldn't die then." Yamamoto tilted his head. "Maybe that bastard would find a way to control you... or Xanxus, the way he did with that Lady Uni. Then I would have to kill you," he answered matter-of-factly.
Squalo's eyes narrowed, his real hand clenching tight as he took another step closer until he was fully invading Yamamoto's personal space. "Do you really think so badly of us now, brat," it wasn't a question. It was a pure threat.
"I think... I'm just being silly," Yamamoto smiled blandly, and continued with a quiet chuckle. "And selfish. I don't want to lose anyone I care about, Squalo, and that includes you."
"Then stop being stupid," Squalo answered immediately, and then scowled. "Why the fuck do you care anyway."
Yamamoto shrugged, his smile turning impish. "Who knows? Because I'm stupid?"
"Voi. Are you taking me seriously at all."
"Haha, I'm serious."
"How stupid are you to call yourself stupid seriously?"
Yamamoto shook his head, and lifted a hand to Squalo's shoulder. "I've never been the brightest bulb of the box, but that's not what I'm talking about. I mean that I care, seriously. Haven't thought much about why though... but I could give you a raincheck on that!
"That's why I called you dumb," Squalo said, turning his head away. His sword hand raised for a moment before he dropped it back down to his side. "Peh."
"Haha, come on," Yamamoto slid his arm around Squalo's shoulder. "Let's head back."
"Stop touching me, katana brat," Squalo pushed away the arm around his shoulders, his scowl deepening. "And who says I'm even going 'back' with you? I'm staying at a hotel."
"But," Yamamoto blinked, looking baffled. "You're Vongola."
"So?" the other man spat back. "Doesn't mean I'm going to cosy up with you brats up at the base."
"And you say Tsuna's the one who doesn't treat you like you're part of the famiglia." Yamamoto chuckled, and then sighed. "Well, if you decide to sign out of the hotel early, and go to the base, I'll help with the luggage."
"I won't," Squalo promised as he strode away.
Yamamoto's eyes narrowed then, mischievously. "I have a new video."
Squalo halted. "Voi," he looked over his shoulder with a shark-like grin. "Too obvious, brat." He resumed. "Email it."
A few seconds later, Yamamoto laughed and called out. "Okay! It was nice touching bases with you!"
"Voi! Shut up!"
***
Sunlight and silver hair were normal things to see in the morning for Gokudera, but... not when the silver hair belonged to someone else.
"Rise and shine, octopus head!"
Gokudera's first reaction was to freeze mid-motion, a hand still held up in the air to block the sun from his eyes. Except that there was no sun, and there was a very, very loud annoyance right beside him.
And he was also naked.
There was another long moment of silence as Gokudera processed this, coming up with at least fifteen extremely - argh - improbable explanations of why he would be in bed, without clothes, and with Sasagawa Ryohei right beside him. His logic forced him to discard each one, but he still struggled to hang on to it because he really, really didn't want to think about the one realistic possibility-
"Lawn head," he spoke finally, voice tight, hand curling slowly into a fist as his vision started to cloud over with red. "What are you doing in my room?"
"Woah..." Ryohei sat up, completely comfortable in his own skin, and completely oblivious to the killing intent emanating from the other naked man in bed. "You like my room that much?"
Gokudera's mind screeched into a very loud halt. He turned his head slowly, taking in the room around him and it took less than three seconds for him to confirm that yes, he was in Ryohei's room. In Ryohei's bed.
Pause. Then he sat up, not daring to turn to look at Ryohei in case he found his naked body at all familiar, and said, "Why... am I in your room, then?"
His hands were shaking just so slightly.
Ryohei scratched his head. His brows creased and he had to think really hard. "'Cause you were suffering from withdrawal for the last few months," he recalled Gokudera telling him. But there was more, if he could just remember... Oh!
"And you couldn't stand it anymore!"
"Withdrawal?" Gokudera blinked, raising a hand to rub at his temple. He moved a little, turning more towards Ryohei, denial already on the tip of his tongue when he felt that very, very familiar twinge at the lower half of his body. He blinked.
"Please tell me I wasn't that desperate."
At that half-trembling voice, Ryohei found himself shaking his head and trying to be reassuring. "You weren't," he replied in earnest. "You were extremely eager... And sober?"
Unfortunately, he was just making it worse.
"Eager?" Gokudera choked out, blinking hard to try to get out the horrible image those words conjured. "Sober? Lawn head, I don't even remember what happened!"
"Well, you sure acted sober." The Sun guardian slumped back a bit, the edges of his smile starting to wilt. "So... do you want to know what happened, or do you just want to forget about it?"
Gokudera ran a hand through his hair, tugging at it and mussing it even more thoroughly than it already was. He took a deep breath. It wasn't Ryohei's fault, he reminded himself as he turned to meet the older man's eyes. "Okay. Talk."
"Sawada told you to take a break. You remember that part, right?" If he ever stopped to think about it, there was one day in every year that Tsuna could convince Gokudera to take a break. But Ryohei wouldn't have known the significance of that day: a boy's birthday and his mother's deathday, neatly rolled into one.
"You're always so hard working; I was going to see if you'd want to use the opportunity to do some extra training! So I found you. You were in the lounge, at the piano, sort of glaring at the keys." Ryohei paused. "Do you remember any of this?"
"Yeah, yeah," Gokudera scowled, turning away and rubbing at his hair. He scratched his neck, almost too casual as he made a vague motion. "Go on."
"I said 'what's up,' and asked if you wanted to do some training," he said matter-of-factly. "You shook your head, and then looked at me for a while. I didn't know what you were thinking, but then you asked me if I wanted to get naked..."
"I- what?!" Gokudera froze again, lips parted, hand still in his hair as he openly gaped at Ryohei.
"Yeah! I didn't know what to say!" Ryohei told him. "You pointed out that I'm usually running around half-naked anyway, so why not go all the way, right? Which sort of makes sense, but I'm usually training. That's why!"
"Wait, wait," Gokudera held up a hand, barely keeping himself from sputtering. He shook his head violently, feeling a massive migraine approaching even as he took a deep, long breath. "You mean I propositioned you?"
".. Yeah."
Ryohei paused to think about what happened last night, before they actually reached his bed. "But I accepted your offer!"
"My god," Gokudera murmured to himself, sounding horrified at himself. The memories were starting to creep back into his mind. He remembered meeting Ryohei in the lounge; the many, many glasses of beer he had downed; and the countless notes he just couldn't get right...
"I was that desperate?"
After a silent moment, Ryohei reached over, and grasped his shoulders. "Hey," he spoke with his eyes slightly narrowed, and his brows quirked like he wasn't sure if he was being insulted.
"You enjoyed yourself last night."
Except Gokudera was drunk, Ryohei frowned momentarily. "It was nice... Extremely... nice."
That's not the problem here, Gokudera wanted to say, wanted to scream because he still wished to believe that this wasn't true, that he didn't sleep with one Sasagawa Ryohei when he was drunk. It wasn't that Ryohei was disgusting, or that he was unattractive - far from it - it was...
It was the principle of the whole thing.
Gokudera heaved a sigh, "I guess so." He toyed with the bed sheet slightly. "... Thanks."
It wasn't for the sex.
Not that Ryohei knew just what it was for. But to find out that Gokudera had only propositioned him because he was drunk?
Ryohei, luckily, had an incredibly high self-esteem. "So," he said, "you're sober now. Would you still like to get naked with me?"
"No!" Gokudera shouted back immediately, flailing an arm out and nearly hitting Ryohei in the face. "What the hell, what makes you think that I would? I mean, it's not that you're not hot, but that doesn't mean-" he cut himself off, and smacked his palm against his face.
Damnit.
Crossing his legs, Ryohei just peered at him patiently. "What do you mean?"
"Goddamnit, just take it that I don't want to have sex with you," again, but he pushed that thought out of his mind immediately. "Just... just that. Just remember that, lawn head." He rubbed at his temples, growling frustratedly at himself.
"And for fuck's sake, go put something on already!"
The Sun guardian stared at the Storm guardian for a longer moment, coming to the conclusion that a sober Gokudera was quite possibly body shy, because... wasn't the man perfectly happy with dancing on the table when extremely intoxicated? "Oh! Oh right." That would be a really good indicator to whether he's intoxicated in the future.
On that note, Ryohei moved off the bed, in search for pants. Their clothes were strewn about the floor, closer to the door than to the bed, so he walked over to the closet and pulled on a pair of - what else - boxer shorts. After a moment of idle consideration, he found a tracksuit set as well, and walked back to the bed with it.
"So why were you drinking anyway?" he asked as he handed the other man the clothes.
Gokudera took the clothes and turned away, facing the window - they were four stories off the ground and there were no neighbours - as he dressed. "Work, lack of nicotine, lack of sex," he stated drolly, listing off the reasons like a machine gun. It was easier to calm himself down that way. Then he sighed, shaking his head, "It's none of your business, lawn head. Don't butt your head into it."
That last sentence didn't mean anything to Ryohei. Work, he understood. Nicotine...
"You ran out of patches?"
Sex, after all, seemed to be a sore topic at the moment. Ryohei wondered how very sore Gokudera was actually feeling...
"Nah," Gokudera buttoned up the last button on his shirt, bending down to pick up his jacket and slinging it over his arm. "I thought about it more. Figured that I shouldn't use it if I'm going to quit properly. If I can't do something as simple as going cold turkey, what kind of right-hand man am I?
"I might as well do it right if I'm going to do it at all," he shrugged.
That wasn't right, Ryohei thought, and, "That's not what you told Sawada." How strange, that Gokudera would lie to the man he claimed to be completely faithful to. "No wonder he asked me to look out for you. He said you told him you'd take things step by step."
"I don't want the Tenth to worry about me. It's not worth his attention," Gokudera said curtly, already heading towards the door. "I don't need anyone to 'look out' for me. I'll thank the Tenth for wanting to help me, but it's really not necessary. I can do it alone."
Ryohei closed the door before Gokudera could open it fully.
"If you could have... you wouldn't have ended up drunk and bed with me, right? Come on, octopus head. You can do it alone, but someone's got to pull you back before you go past the limit."
Gokudera scowled, turning slightly so that he was leaning against the door on one shoulder. His hand didn't leave the knob. "This is just once, and it has nothing to do with whether I'm on withdrawal."
Brows creased, Ryohei shook his head after a moment, because he wasn't really sure what Gokudera was going on about anymore. "I'm going to look after you because Sawada asked me to." Simple as that. "You're not doing anything extreme without me around!"
"You're not my babysitter, lawn head!" Gokudera's fuse had been burning for a long time, and he had finally reached his limit. "I don't need someone to look after me, for fuck's sake, so lay off it already."
Ryohei was about to yell back, and tell Gokudera that he was being supremely stupid when there was a knock on the door, and his little sister's voice floated through.
"Nii-san? Gokudera-kun?" Ryohei's anger visibly deflated. "If you're done with your private wrestling match, you must be hungry. Tsu-kun's making sandwiches," she giggled, hopefully at the idea of Tsuna putting something together in the kitchen rather than anything else she might have just heard. "Come downstairs soon."
Private wresting match. The words ran through Gokudera's mind, and he endeavoured not to choke. "Al- all right, Sasagawa-san," he managed to call out, fingers twitching slightly. "We'll be down in a minute."
Then he slapped himself mentally. Shit.
"All right, sis!" Ryohei's grin looked a little strained around the edges. He was genuinely glad that his baby sister always seemed to think he was wrestling - whatever the hell he was actually doing - but sometimes, she worried him.
"Phew," he sighed as her footsteps faded away into silence. He took a deep breath, then pulled Gokudera away from the door, towards the bathroom. "Come on, we're taking a bath first."
"Not with you," Gokudera growled immediately, struggling from within Ryohei's grasp. His anger was returning, and he focused on it - it was much easier to deal with than the humiliation he felt at this whole situation. "I'll take one. Back in my room."
"Fine! Your room is on the opposite wing," Ryohei said as he hulled the struggling Storm guardian off his feet, turning just so they wouldn't be banging their limbs against the doorframe or anywhere else. "Here." Ryohei said when he finally put Gokudera down. "Towel's clean. I got extra. I'll go get your clothes!" He stepped out of the bathroom and closed the door behind him.
And Gokudera was left standing at the doorway of the bathroom, holding a towel and looking completely dumbstruck. "What the hell..." he muttered to himself, staring at the closed door. He took a breath.
"What in fucking hell was that, lawn head?!"
***
Thundering footsteps echoed through the corridors. Yamamoto let his towel hang limp about his shoulders and opened the door of his room, sticking his head out to peer around like a curious bird.
"Oh!" He grinned, "Good morning, Sasagawa-sempai!" From two doors down, it looked like Ryohei was about to break down Gokudera's door.
"Yo, Yamamoto!" Ryohei turned his head and waved vigorously, pausing in trying to break Gokudera's door down by slamming his shoulder against it. "Octopussy locked his door and it's extremely hard to open! Mind giving me a hand?"
Yamamoto blinked. "... Ah, hang on! I have a spare key," he yelled over and went back into his room to find it. Why would Sasagawa-sempai need to go into Gokudera's room? He wondered if it was an emergency, or if Gokudera was just being difficult again- no wait, it was Gokudera's do-not-disturb day yesterday, not today...
"Okay, I got it!"
As he ran over, he asked, "Is he angry at you or something?"
"He just needs some clothes and I offered to bring it to him," Ryohei's smile was bright and nearly blinding as he took the key from Yamamoto, opening the door finally. He barely glanced at small splinters at the hinges caused by repeated, heavy impact against it. Looking around the room, he jogged towards the closet, opening it.
"Whoa! This is an extreme amount of clothes!"
It finally registered in Yamamoto's head. The smell that was clinging to Ryohei wasn't just any old sweaty locker room smell. It was Gokudera.
"Isn't it?" Yamamoto was stunned into laugher. "Say," he scratched his nose sheepishly, "Sasagawa-sempai... Is Gokudera in your room?"
"Huh?" Ryohei turned away from marvelling at Gokudera's wardrobe to face Yamamoto again. "Yeah, he is." Then he paused, doing a visible double-take as he rubbed a hand through his short-cropped hair, looking sheepish for a second. "Ehh, don't tell him I told you that, though. Don't think he wants anyone to know. He looks pretty mad."
"Doesn't he always?" Yamamoto shrugged it off with a smile. "Don't worry, sempai. He's put up with me all these years. I think angry is a default setting he has, first thing in the morning."
"Really?" Ryohei's eyes lit up, and as impossible as it seemed, his smile brightened even further. It could almost be used as a light source. He rubbed his chin in thought. "So he's not angry at me. He's just being octopus head, as usually? Haha! That's an extreme relief!"
"Well, I don't know," Yamamoto moved past him and grabbed some clothes without really looking. Anything red and black and white... and leather would suit Gokudera just fine. It was the accessories that he'd really bitch about. "That depends. What did you do?"
Ryohei took the clothes from him with a grateful smile, nodding as he folded them over his arm. He rubbed the back of his neck, scratching at the tiny hairs at the nape. "... He got drunk and we had sex." He lifted his head, and his smile was now hopeful, "It was really good!"
There was a smile on Yamamoto's face before he heard that reply. After he heard it, he blinked, processing the words. Funny enough, that smile never dampened. "Ohhh," he said slowly. "I see why he's angry now..."
"Why? I really don't get it!"
"He's probably angry at himself. Wouldn't you be angry at yourself for sleeping with someone while you're drunk, sempai?"
Ryohei blinked, looking at Yamamoto for another moment before he nodded sharply. "Yeah. You're right! Thanks, Yamamoto!" He reached over and punched the other man on the shoulder; just a friendly tap between friends. His grin was freer now, relieved that Gokudera wasn't angry at him. "Got to go now before Octopussy gets impatient!"
And he sped out of the door.
Yamamoto closed the closet properly, and walked out with an amused smile on his face. Sure, part of him was worried for his friend, but at the same time, sempai wasn't a creep who'd take advantage of drunken...
Wow, Gokudera, what a birthday...
He turned around to lock the door on his way out when he realized that Ryohei just ran off with the key.
***
Kyoko tilted her head slightly as her older brother thundered past, on the floor above the kitchen, for a second time. The floors of the Vongola mansion weren't exactly thin, but Ryohei always had a habit of testing them to their very limits, like he did with the walls and with Gokudera last night. With a light giggle, Kyoko took the potato salad over to the breakfast table, and went back to the counter to start cutting each of Tsuna's sandwiches into four triangle pieces. He was a little busy with the onion rings, and Reborn, with a charming smile on his face, had been quick to admit that the kitchen was simply not his place. Except for the coffee machine.
"Something smells good in here," Yamamoto said as he walked in. "Morning, everybody!"
"Good morning," Kyoko smiled. Reborn was busy with his espresso.
"Morning, Yamamoto!" Tsuna turned around, dressed in a simple t-shirt and khakis instead of his usual suits. He felt a little freer like this, less suffocated and heavy and it made his smile even brighter than usual. Lifting the onion rings out of the deep fryer, he dumped them on top of a plate lined with kitchen napkins. "Are nii-san and Gokudera-kun coming down already?"
He reached over and nuzzled Kyoko lightly on the cheek as he stole the plate of sandwiches from her hand, carrying both over to the table.
"Haha, I only saw sempai just now, but I suppose Gokudera's taking a shower or something," Yamamoto said as he went to the fridge. He took out a carton of milk and orange juice, setting on the table as he spoke. "But he's quick with that; he'll come down soon."
Reborn took a sip of the espresso, sitting himself further down the table and crossing his legs, leaning back. "They won't be coming together, I presume." And his eyes had the bright gleam of mischief, a small smirk curving his lips.
Tsuna coughed into his hand, dropping down to sit at the head of the table. "I guess not. What was nii-san doing when you saw him, Yamamoto?"
"Sempai was just about to break Gokudera's door open when I saw him. The hinges are really loose now!" Yamamoto laughed as he poured himself a glass of milk. He sat down by Reborn, no doubt in his mind that Kyoko would be sitting on Tsuna's left today, and Gokudera would already sit on the right.
Wincing, Tsuna shook his head, frowning slightly, "Honestly, I should start docking repair charges out of your budgets. I don't remember when there weren't repairs going in the base, both here and back home." He grumbled, but his tone was mild.
"You should," Reborn helpfully put in. "It might teach them to be more careful, especially Ryohei, Gokudera and even Hibari."
Yamamoto chuckled, and thought of the micro hammers Reborn had once handed him back in high school; he'd never quite believed that those cute, miniature baseballs were actual throwing weapons until Gokudera started throwing them at him, and levelled one of their first training grounds.
"Hibari-san will be discharged from that hospital today, won't he?" Kyoko asked, to which Yamamoto brightly smiled, nodding immediately.
"Yeah, I'm going to bring him back today!"
"Yamamoto," Reborn cut Tsuna off before the latter could even think of opening his mouth. "Bring your Shigure Kintoki with you. Don't let what happened with Squalo happen again."
Tsuna's lips thinned immediately at the mention of the Varia, and particularly with Yamamoto's close brush with death by the hand of the Varia's second-in-command. Reborn only deigned to inform him of what happened in the short time where Kyoko went upstairs, and Tsuna felt he had heard quite enough. But he cleared his expression quickly, eyes darting towards Kyoko before he leaned forward. When he spoke, his voice was soft, earnest and concerned, "I have to agree with that, Yamamoto. Please be careful."
After a moment's silence, Yamamoto nodded with a solemn look in his eyes. "I'll do that." He didn't really think Squalo would kill him. Not because they were both part of the Vongola or anything, but simply because Squalo wasn't the type to kill unless it was in an honourable duel, or an actual assassination mission. But he understood why Tsuna and Reborn didn't want to risk it. Despite their efforts, they still had yet to manage a decent working relationship with the Varia, much less a friendly one.
"I'm sure Hibari's missing his tonfas," he grinned.
Kyoko tilted her head, perhaps a half-nod.
"I'm sure he is," Tsuna ducked his head, laughing softly to himself. If there was anyone who would acutely miss the presence of their weapons more than anything else, it would be Hibari. After all, his weapons were as much a part of him as his limbs.
Yamamoto chuckled and nodded, taking a sip of milk. Kyoko poured some orange juice for Tsuna and herself, sensing that the topic was over.
"Tsu-kun..." She smiles sweetly, offering him the glass.
Tsuna took the glass from her, taking a sip. His smile was warm and loving as he looked at her, resisting the urge to run a hand through her hair. "Thank you, Kyoko-chan."
In stark contrast to the romantic atmosphere, Gokudera entered, dressed in skinny, black velveteen pants and a black t-shirt with leather straps featuring a red and white screen print that illustrated and labeled the muscles and bones on the front and back of the human torso. The clothes were loud and didn't quite match, but he was quiet, feeling like a nervous wreck. He was also on a countdown.
Ryohei had handed him fresh, clean clothes along with Yamamoto's spare key. Yamamoto was an idiot most of the time, but he wasn't completely clueless. Gokudera still wasn't sure how much Kyoko or Tsuna knew either. But it was a given that Reborn would find out. Somehow. If he didn't know already.
"Morning, Tenth," he nodded. "...Everyone."
"Good morning, Gokudera-kun," Tsuna called, smiling brightly. His eyes gave almost no hint that he had heard what Ryohei and Gokudera were up to the night before. "I gave the cooks a break today and we made breakfast ourselves. I hope it's all right?"
Reborn merely smirked and took another sip of his coffee.
Kyoko and Yamamoto both smiled and greeted him in kind, but Gokudera brightened up immediately upon the look on Tsuna's face, his own green eyes practically screaming his relief. "Of course, Tenth!" He was on his right in a few quick steps. "Is there still anything I can help out with?" He looked at the table, "Oh, I'll get the plates and utensils."
And he did just that.
Yamamoto pondered his backside for a moment, and wondered how much it would hurt to get Gokudera an extra cushion. His smile was a little too wide when Gokudera came back. "Thanks, Gokudera!"
The Hurricane Bomber shot him a dark, dirty look.
Reborn watched them, blatantly smirking now. This was prime entertainment for him, especially when Gokudera tried to hide a wince as he sat down.
Just then, Ryohei barrelled through the door, "Good morning, Sawada! Master Popo!" He nodded at Reborn. "Yamamoto!" He was dressed in a pair of track pants and nothing else, his hair still damp from the shower and a towel draped across his shoulders. He dropped into his seat beside his sister, diagonal to Gokudera, and his smile turned a million watts brighter as he looked at the other man. His hands slammed down onto the table as he leaned in.
"Yo, Gokudera! Do you want me to get you a cushion?"
Tsuna turned away, coughing into his hand as orange juice went down the wrong pipe.
"No!" If looks could kill, Ryohei and Yamamoto, the latter of whom burst out laughing, would be so dead. It was actually Tsuna who saved their lives, since Gokudera was more concerned with, "Tenth!" He was out of his chair, patting the man's back immediately. "Are you okay?"
Immediately, Tsuna waved a hand, still coughing. He shook his head, smiling a little shakily as he righted himself, "I'm fine, Gokudera-kun, don't worry. Please sit down."
Meanwhile, Ryohei dropped back down on his seat, a grin curving his lips.
Kyoko rubbed her fiancé's back with soft soothing motions and whispers, handed him his glass once more.
"Y-yes, Tenth." Gokudera settled down again, ready to turn his attention back to the grinning bastard he had slept with last night, when he looked down suddenly, and then glowered at the bastard on his right. "You-"
"Ahahah," Yamamoto scratched his head innocently.
Reborn put down his newspapers and took a sandwich from the plate, biting into it. "It's palatable," he pronounced, before going straight back to reading. Still, he kept an ear and half an eye on the scene.
Ducking his head down even though he knew his tutor won't be able to see it, Tsuna's voice was dry, "Thank you, Reborn."
Ryohei took two of the sandwiches at once and popped them into his mouth, chewing vigorously, "They're good, Sawada!"
"Yeah," Yamamoto chimed.
With a brief nauseated look towards Ryohei, Gokudera took a sandwich as well and dug in so that he could add to the praise.
Smiling brightly, Kyoko nodded at Tsuna with a look of absolute approval.
Tsuna smiled back to all of them, tugging at the ends of his hair almost nervously. He should be used to so much positive attention already, yet he still wasn't.
While Gokudera reassured the Tenth that his sandwiches were first class, Yamamoto helped himself to the potato salad. "Hey, kiddo," he peered around the newspapers at Reborn. "More coffee?"
Reborn folded the top of the newspapers, nodding his head, "Grazie." And he buried himself back again until only the tip of his fedora could be seen.
It took a moment for Yamamoto to switch languages and respond in Italian. "Prego," he grinned, which prompted Gokudera to spin around and correct his pronunciation, but he laughed it off as he stood.
At the other end of the table, Tsuna was eating a spoonful of the salad that Kyoko had made when Kyoko leaned forward to pick up a napkin. Tsuna reached over and tangled a strand of her long hair between his fingers, tugging and lifting it gently so that it wouldn't touch the table.
Kyoko smiled back, and there was a private smile on Yamamoto's face as well when he caught that exchange. It wasn't something he'd likely share with Hibari, but it warmed his heart to see it.
Perhaps Reborn had eyes on his hat, because he lowered his newspapers immediately, lifting an eyebrow at Yamamoto. There was an amused curve to his lips. "What are you smiling about, Yamamoto?"
"Hm?" Yamamoto shrugged, and shook his head. "No reason." As he walked back to the table with a full cup of black coffee, he laughed. "Tsuna and Sasagawa-san make such a cute couple."
A soft snort, and Reborn shrugged, "They have always been like this." Despite his words, his smile was fond; indulgent. His eyes sharpened, "Are you thinking about Hibari?"
Before Yamamoto could even think of an answer, Ryohei cut in, "Oh yea! Hibari is coming back tomorrow, right? That's extremely good!"
"It's today, lawn head," Gokudera interrupted. "He practically threatened that Nakamura's ability to have more children so that he'd get out earlier."
Yamamoto laughed, nodding at Gokudera's words. "I..." He looked back at Reborn, sheepishly. "Yeah."
"We were just talking about that," Tsuna nodded. "Yamamoto will picking him up from the hospital later on." And his smile was a little bemused as he continued, "It has been nearly five months since I've seen him in the base. Hibari-san had always been coming and going, but it's still odd to not have him destroy a training room in so long."
"Silly student. If you want a training room destroyed, you can always get Gokudera or Ryohei to do it," Reborn's voice was flat and droll as he folded up the papers and took another sip of the coffee. "Or both."
Gokudera blushed terrifically. "I'm sorry, Tenth!"
"Sorry 'bout that, Sawada!" Ryohei rubbed a hand vigorously through his hair.
"Nii-san's always been so serious with wrestling," Kyoko smiled sweetly, casting a confiding look to Gokudera.
Gokudera sputtered into his coffee.