Author's note: Hey guys, it's been awhile since I've updated and well, since I don't want to rant it out on my opening note, I'll leave it down there. If you guys are interested to know what happened to me in the last several months. Anyway, onto the story!

Parallel to Your Heart

By ilYamaTsuna7227li

Previously...

"Maa, we'll get out of here soon Tsuna." Yamamoto said as he grabbed the brunet's hand. Tsuna flushed but said nothing. Amber eyes softened and unable to help himself, Yamamoto leaned forward to kiss the brunet.

Brown eyes widened fearfully. Tsuna froze and closed his eyes. Yamamoto noticed this reaction and hurt passed in those amber eyes. So, instead of kissing Tsuna, he sighed and placed his arm around the other. Tsuna squeaked at the sudden arm around him but the rain just grinned.

"Saa… Let's get out of here." Yamamoto said as he pulled his boss to another direction.

Tsuna never noticed the conflict in the amber eyes as they walked.

Chapter 17

They wander across the amusement park, the baseball idol dragging his boss to one stall and then to another, winning him random stuffed toys with his good marksmanship and buying him food with the VIP ID they had.

Tsuna tried very hard not to think about their intertwined hands as they walked, his brown eyes looking at the ground firmly.

As though he felt his discomfort, Yamamoto eventually let go of the small hand but he continued to chatter on, pace brisk and so fast that Tsuna could barely keep up.

The rain guardian knew, that in some way he was being rude to his date, not holding his hand, purposely walking in front so that the brunet could not see the conflict in his usually calm face. But the signals Tsuna were sending him were very confusing. There were times the brunet would blush at their close proximity, times his boss would cling to him, times he would look at Yamamoto in a way that assured the baseball idol's heart that- yes, Tsuna still liked him. But then there were also times when the brunet would look lost and flinch when they were close, times when Yamamoto would blatantly show his affection and the other would avoid it.

It was confusing and it hurt, and it left Yamamoto to question Tsuna's feelings towards him.

"Yamamoto…" The quiet voice that called to him even when he slept made him turn automatically with a smile. Brown eyes were looking into his, trying to discern the meaning of the smile before the brunet snapped his gaze away as though realizing that his staring made Yamamoto's heart flutter in his chest. "Uhm, can we sit down? I-I feel tired."

"Oh, of course!" Yamamoto said silently berating himself that- of course Tsuna would be tired, being kidnapped towards the horror house and then being subjected to his fast pace- he automatically reached out to take Tsuna's hand and direct him towards a place they could rest. But just as he lifted his hand he jerked it back, remembering Tsuna's reaction to his touch earlier.

Meanwhile, Tsuna who had inevitably seen that the swordsman would take him by the hand one way or another had raised his own hand to meet Yamamoto's, but to his surprise the other jerked back as though he touched fire, and the brunet' eyebrows crinkled in confusion.

"Ya-"

"I think I saw a bench this way, earlier." Yamamoto said, already turning his back on the other. "Let's go!" He said as he walked away, leaving a confused Tsuna after his trail.

"It looks like it isn't going as well as we expected." Mukuro said as he drank the pineapple shake Ken bought for him. The Kokuyo member had finally erased that blasted lipstick after making Chikusa swear never to mention that incident again.

"After all the trouble we went through, pyon! I'll give that Vongola Rain a good beating in the-" Ken growled as he was about to stalk over there and hit Yamamoto on the head, thankfully, he was subdued by Chikusa who, as usual, looked on emotionlessly at the chaos.

"What do we do now, Mukuro-sama?" The four-eyed kokuyo member asked the leader who continued to drink his shake without care.

"Saa, what can we do? We've done everything the kid has told us, isn't that right my dear Chrome?" The heterochromatic teen said to the girl who sat quietly beside him.

Chrome was looking down with a frown her face as Mukuro waited for her answer. A few seconds later she raised her head and gave her counterpart a determined look.

"Mukuro-sama, I think I have a plan…" She said as the male mist guardian gave her a sadistic smile.

"Go on…"

"What are we going to do about this?" Dino said as sweat ran down the side of his face. He was leaning against a tree, looking towards the tense atmosphere between his little brother and his guardian. "Things were going so well before!"

"Hahi! Haru-san doesn't want Tsuna-san and Yamamoto-san to break up desu! They were such an inspiration to the 8027 club!" The cosplayer, Haru, whined as she sat on the grass, sniffling away from view.

Byakuran, on the other hand, was seated comfortably on one of the benches conveniently placed out of sight from their targets. "Saa, maybe those two aren't just meant to be together at all."

"Don't say that!" Haru and Dino said at the same time, Haru adding a 'desu' after her statement.

"Why?" Byakuran said as he popped a marshmallow into his mouth and chewed slowly, his violet eyes were wistful as he spoke, "We know that this Tsunayoshi-kun isn't the same one we know. This Tsunayoshi-kun likes someone else and forcing him to like Yamamoto-kun is cruel, isn't it? We've done everything we could already and they're falling apart without any prompting. That just means they weren't meant to be together. If we do anymore, we might end up breaking their friendship too."

"But, that can't be. I mean-" Dino said a she turned to look at his brother and Yamamoto seated by the bench. "Tsuna's clearly happy to be with Yamamoto and yet-"

"This is a different Tsuna." The old Millefiore boss reminded the two. "A Tsunayoshi-kun who likes someone else or is either too stubborn to admit that he likes Yamamoto-kun."

"But Haru-san-" Haru said as she looked at Byakuran with teary eyes. "-Haru-san really liked them together."

"So did- so do I." Byakuran said as he raised his eyes to look at the couple lounging on the bench several feet away. "But it's out of our hands now." Then he added, "Isn't that right Reborn-kun?"

A certain arcobaleno leaned out sight, pulling his fedora forward as he frowned, "Ah."

Tsuna looked at his legs with a small frown of concentration. He gave a sideway look at his date, eyebrows furrowed in worry.

Yamamoto was talking about other rides they could go to in a few minutes, a strange smile on his face. It wasn't the smile the brunet was used to seeing his face, and it made him worry. The young boss was not an idiot and he knew that he was somehow responsible for Yamamoto's strange actions but-

The Vongola visibly flinched and blushed as he thought about taking the initiative and grabbing his guardian's hand. He shook his head and set his sights forward stubbornly.

"-but if you're tired, we can go home." The baseball player's voice entered Tsuna's concentration, causing him to snap his head towards the other.

"What? Uh, no! I mean- I'm fine. I'm really enjoying myself Yamamoto and we haven't tried the other rides yet." The Vongola said scratching his cheek as he avoided Yamamoto's hazel eyes. "It- It would be a waste if we went home now. And we got these special VIP IDs and everything."

The rain guardian followed his boss' gaze, "We could come back again. I'll ask the kid for these IDs once you feel like coming back."

Asking Reborn for anything is suicide! Tsuna wanted to say but he swallowed it down and internally admired Yamamoto's ease with his killer tutor. "T-Thanks, but I'm fine and I'd really to look around more." The brunet turned and gave his best- boyfriend, Tsuna reminded himself- a shy smile.

Yamamoto blinked before his eyes softened. He smiled back at Tsuna, cheeks lightly dusted with pink. The boss' heartbeats doubled. "Okay, then I'll make sure you have the best tour!"

Pushing down the sudden feeling and trying to will away another blush, Tsuna nodded before getting up and dusting his pants to distract himself from Yamamoto's expression, "So, should we get going? We have a lot of rides to try…"

"Hahaha, you're right as always Tsuna." Yamamoto laughed as he stood up and slung an arm around the brunet.

The sky guardian froze for a second before slowly relaxing. This was a familiar gesture to him and he couldn't be more grateful by it. Unable to help himself, the boss smiled and leaned against the familiar warmth.

If Yamamoto noticed the sudden change in the brunet, he didn't comment on it and instead chose to gently guide the other towards the direction of the bumper cars.

"Oya? Make the rain guardian jealous?" Mukuro repeated, both eyebrows rising up in surprise. Chrome looked at him in determination, nodding her head.

"Aren't we supposed to make the Vongola make the first move?" Ken asked with his usual leer.

"If we stick to that, we may end up waiting for a long time. You know how boss is." Chrome said with a soft shake of her head. "But maybe, if we get the rain man to make a move, then boss would follow suit."

Chikusa looked on blankly but said with a soft sigh, "She has a point." Ken shot him a glare and he explained, "The Vongola rain guardian is trying to make the Vongola feel at ease by stopping himself from holding his hand or acting like the couple they should be. They're at a stale point. If one of them makes a move, at least it'll cause a reaction."

"But will it be a positive or negative one?" Mukuro asked, a finger under his chin as he followed the leaving figures of their favorite couple.

Chrome stood up, visible eye determined, "We'll just have to hope it's the former."

Yamamoto and Tsuna extended their hands to the people in charge of the bumper cars. When they were cleared to enter, the couple immediately went to the cars to pick out a color.

The rain guardian went towards an orange bumper car and Tsuna- not wanting to be far from his best friend when the GO signal came up, picked the blue one next to him. He tried hard not to think about the implications of their chosen colors.

The young boss climbed into his chosen car and started to buckle himself into the seat. He fumbled for several seconds before Yamamoto took pity on him and smoothly jumped out of his car to help his boyfriend in his predicament.

"Here." The swordsman said as he safely buckled the brunet into his seat. He gave the other a gentle smile and a wink before returning to his own car. Tsuna refused to acknowledge the fierce flush on his face. He looked instead towards the signal that would start the bumper cars.

He was only half aware of a person climbing into the violet car next to his.

A high whistle permeated the air and the bumper cars lit up as a sign of activation. Yamamoto stepped on the pedal hurriedly, letting out a stream of laughter as he dashed past Tsuna. The brunet couldn't help but smile as he turned the wheel and stepped on the pedal to make his car dash forward as well.

The Vongola entered the circular space with other bumper cars. Barely several seconds had passed since the GO signal was given and someone was already bumping at his car. The brunet tensed and let out a nervous laugh as he looked up and met the eyes of the person who bumped into him.

A tall, brown-haired boy that looked about his age gave him an awkward smile. Tsuna returned it politely before turning to look around for Yamamoto while avoiding bumping into other cars.

However, the Vongola was once again distracted by insistent bumping on the side of his car and he turned to see the same guy form earlier determinedly in colliding their cars. Tsuna blinked when the guy's eyes met his and gave him a challenging smile.

"It's bumper cars for a reason." The stranger said with a casual shrug of his shoulders and he continued his attacks on the brunet's poor car.

"I- uh-" Tsuna fumbled with the wheel, turning it to the right, accidentally causing himself to bump with the stranger.

"That's the spirit!" The guy chuckled and Tsuna couldn't help a small smile on his face. But this time he turned to the opposite direction, preferring to look for Yamamoto than to be subjected to more collision.

But the stranger in the violet cart was distracting and for the next few minutes he had managed to grab Tsuna's attention and keep it when finally the whistle blew and the cars stop. Everyone got out, chatting enjoyably about their experience.

The brunet struggled with his seatbelt and looked up when he saw someone approach at the corner of his eyes. He tried to ignore the disappointment in the pit of his stomach.

"That was a good ride." The guy winked at him and the Vongola boss gave him a hesitant smile as he continued to fiddle with the belt. The stranger noticed, "You having trouble with that? Here, let me-"

And before Tsuna realized it, the teen was in his space, helping unbuckle the belt.

Up close, the guy didn't look too bad, his eyes were black and earnest and he had a charming smile. But still, the sky guardian did not like the shivers that ran up his spine whenever the other was close.

"There." The guy said with a grin as he turned to Tsuna, face too close for comfort.

"Uh, t-thanks." Tsuna stuttered and ducked his head. He didn't have to worry long though, because before either of them knew it, the guy was already pulling back.

"Excuse me, but I think you're making my boyfriend uncomfortable." The familiar, cheerful tone of Yamamoto interrupted them. There was a hard edge to it that Tsuna wasn't used to hearing. He looked up, blinking and caught sight of the usual smile on Yamamoto's face, except it was tense.

The stranger, who has yet to introduce himself, blinked. "Oh, he's your boyfriend? Sorry, I was just helping him get out of the car."

Amber eyes met Tsuna's brown ones as Yamamoto seemed to be sending him a look that said, is that true?

"Uh, yeah-" Tsuna tried to get up but just as he stepped out of the car he fell forward. Thankfully, the tall, brown-haired stranger caught him in time. The Vongola pushed back in embarrassment, "Sorry."

"Don't apologize for being clumsy." The one who caught him said before he winked, "Besides, I find it cute."

The brunet's mouth fell open at the blatant display of flirting and before he could make a fool of himself and accidentally shout things like, I like Kyoko-chan or My boyfriend is right behind you (he tries very hard not to acknowledge this particular thought) a certain athlete stepped in between them, his face perfectly friendly and cool.

"I agree, it's one of his best qualities." And to the brunet's shock, Yamamoto took a gentle hold of his hand. "Anyway, if you don't mind we have some other rides to try- we'll be going."

The stranger teen seemed disappointed but he nodded in defeat, "I guess. I'll see you again?" He said hopefully to Tsuna who looked at Yamamoto.

The swordsman was eerily quiet, face unreadable. A frown made its way to Tsuna's face before he shook his head at the teen who helped him and said, "Bye." He tightened his hold on his rain guardian's hand and pulled him away.

Amber eyes widened at that but Yamamoto continued to follow Tsuna out. He glanced at the back of Tsuna's head and he could see that the tips of his ears were pink. The guardian couldn't help but smile fondly at his boss.

The two were too busy leaving that they didn't notice the approving smirk on the stranger's face.

"-three bumper carts kept blocking me and I couldn't get to you." Yamamoto said apologetically, "Sorry for leaving you alone."

"No, it's fine." Tsuna said as the rain guardian gave him some takoyaki. "That guy was- well, he kept me company." The brunet said as he glanced at Yamamoto's face before hurriedly adding, "Sort of. I mean, I was looking for you too…" And he trailed off, shutting his mouth and looking at the food like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

There was silence as Yamamoto showed their ID for the food and they continued walking.

"I'm sorry." The swordsman said again, only in a gentler way. Tsuna looked up in confusion. The guardian chuckled and reached out a hand to wipe at the corner of Tsuna's mouth, getting rid of the sauce. The brunet blushed and ducked his head.

"Sorry for what?" He said instead, trying to divert the attention.

Yamamoto shrugged, "Sorry for acting that way towards that guy-" He said and then added, "-you know, your new friend."

"He wasn't my friend." Tsuna said quickly before closing his mouth again.

The rain guardian couldn't help but chuckle, "Still, Gokudera would probably call me immature for acting all jealous." He blushed sheepishly as he scratched at the back of his head.

The Vongola blinked in confusion before his head processed what the guardian said. He tried to rack his brains to come up what to say and in the end blurted out, "I don't mind!"

Yamamoto blinked in surprise before a real smile crept up his face and he chuckled, "Careful Tsuna, or I'd think you were making me jealous on purpose." He gave the other a playful look.

"I wasn't!" The brunet protested but his tense stance softened as his guardian continued to chuckle. A small smile played on his lips as the uncomfortable atmosphere from before was slowly being forgotten. "Besides, that guy probably wasn't serious," He shrugged his shoulders, "His friends probably dared him or something-"

Amber eyes blinked at the casual way Tsuna brushed himself off and the swordsman frowned as he stopped and placed both hands on the other teen's shoulders, "Don't put yourself down like that."

"What?" Tsuna blinked before he laughed lightly, "It's true, I mean people call me 'No-good' for a reason-"

However the brunet was cut off from his words when the hands on his shoulders moved to his face, cupping his cheeks. Yamamoto leaned down, nearing his face to Tsuna's until they were mere inches apart. The brunet was so stunned, he stopped talking, his mouth slightly open. His vocal chords had closed off and his heart felt like it jumped to his throat.

"You're amazing." And to Tsuna, what was amazing was how earnest Yamamoto said those words, like he truly believed them.

And maybe he did, Tsuna's mind helpfully supplied. The brunet swallowed thickly.

"You're brave and strong and you're the kindest person I've ever met." The rain guardian continued on and his eyes were locked to Tsuna's brown ones as he said this. "Anyone who doesn't think so and every person out there whoever called you 'No-good' is wrong." A thumb brushed against Tsuna's cheek and his eyelashes fluttered at the contact, "And I know this is all kinds of cheesy but," Yamamoto gave him a shy grin, "You're perfect." The athlete let out a slow breath, "And I love you."

Brown eyes widened as Tsuna stared into the open and vulnerable look on the swordsman's face. His mouth felt dry and he felt frozen on the spot, his right hand still holding the takoyaki Yamamoto gave him. "I-" Oh no, he can't say it back, he doesn't know how to say it back, and he wasn't this Yamamoto's Tsuna but he didn't like lying to him, didn't want to say such deep-meaning words with an empty heart. He squeaked, "Uhm- I- Thank you."

Amber eyes closed at those words and for a few seconds they stayed that way. Yamamoto's face closed off and unreadable even to Tsuna's hyper intuition. The brunet shifted nervously.

And then the rain guardian's eyes opened and he gave Tsuna a kind smile before abruptly letting go of the brunet's face in favor of taking his takoyaki-free hand, "Maa… you're welcome. Anyway, we should get going. We have one last ride to go to."

"O-Okay." Tsuna nodded as he looked sideways, his cheeks flushed. "Uh- what ride is it?"

The brunet's guardian gave him a fond laugh, "It's sappy but I thought the ferris wheel would be the best way to end our date." He winked.

"Oh." Tsuna deflated in relief. He though Yamamoto would say roller coaster or something equally fast and terrifying. But then he blinked when he realized what the athlete suggested, "Ferris wheel?"

"Yup." Yamamoto said with a smile, "Now, let's go before it gets too dark."

"Y-Yeah." Tsuna nodded as he unconsciously let Yamamoto tug him to the direction of the Ferris wheel. He looked up at the rain guardian and saw the smile on the other's face dropping slightly and his amber eyes glittering in worry.

The brunet's face pinched in determination and swallowing lightly, he tightened his hold on Yamamoto's hand in reassurance.

The stunned look he got in return and the beatific smile that followed after, made his embarrassment and uncertainty all worth it.

Author's note: Some of you must have heard about the tragedy that befell Philippines with regards to the super typhoon Haiyan. I just wanted to tell everyone that it's so much worse than the news or anyone else would have described. The day after the storm, the thousands of bodies littering the street, the scent of death wherever you went- I dream of it until this day. And even until this day, dead bodies are still found in rubbles.

Yes, I lived in one of the towns that was terrorized worst by this storm. I lost my home, almost all of my possessions, and a loved one.

And I lost my will to write for months. I mean being busy with college before that and when I was halfway through my stories, the storm happened. It took awhile for me to get back to writing, I was in depression for months and it was hard rebuilding our lives and going on, moving forward.

So, I'm sorry I haven't answered to pms and everything, I needed time and to those who still read this story, thank you and I'm sorry for the wait.

Happy reading.