A/N: This one's been sitting in my stories folder for too long, so I tried my best to wrap it up. Hope you like it!
~ ANS
Snapshots of a Love Story:
R is for Reverence
I
It wasn't love at first sight, or any sappy bullshit like that. If anything, it was hate at first sight. It's easy to forget these days. After years of being close companions, and decades spent together in a far more intimate way.
Tsuna is like the air to him. Without him, it becomes hard to breathe, a weight settles along his shoulders that he doesn't notice until his Sky is back in his arms and the weight disappears. Tsuna is the most compassionate, considerate, and caring man he knows. But he's also the fiercest, most determined, and unbreakable. He can't imagine working alongside or being with anyone else. Tsuna has grown to become an impressive man, and an even more impressive Don, single handedly leading the revolution that flipped Vongola on its back and changed everything the Mafia had come to know. He has earned the respect of thousands through sheer perseverance and willpower, truly the second coming of Vongola Primo, and more.
More than any of that, however, Tsuna is a family man. Not just in the sense of his famiglia, but when it's just him and his closest people, he changes. He becomes someone people look up to not as a boss, but as a big brother. He is a brother, a father, and most importantly, a husband.
Tsuna is his everything.
...
"What are you thinking about?"
The words float softly through the air, a murmur borne of a desire not to break the peaceful silence around them. As if the tranquil scene they've created might disappear from words spoken too loudly.
Hayato focuses on the body next to his, feeling relaxed and warm between the soft linen sheets and the sensation of bare skin pressed against his own.
Tsuna's molten honey eyes are half-open, his light brown hair a halo of gold in the morning light filtering in through the picture window. He's absently drawing swirls on Hayato's chest, a beautiful, soft smile gracing his pink lips.
Hayato hums in contentment, one of his hands moving to tangle itself within those soft golden-brown strands. He can faintly smell the warm cinnamon-scented shampoo Tsuna's taken a liking to lately, and breathes it in as he returns that precious smile.
Rather than break the silence, Hayato leans forward, his nose nuzzling against Tsuna's for a moment before he presses their lips together softly. He brushes the hair out of Tsuna's face and kisses him on the forehead, pulling him closer amidst the sheets.
Tsuna is his everything.
II
It's a relatively normal summer day, if not especially hot, the sun trying its best to cook the earth beneath it with its limited time in the sky. A slight breeze brought minor relief, but most found themselves avoiding the heat with a/c if they had it, or as many fans as they could find.
Hayato's air conditioner has never worked very well, but today especially it refuses to do much more than provide the minimal amount of airflow. The silver-haired teen is sprawled across the freshly swept tiles of his kitchen floor, in nothing but a pair of dark red boxer-briefs, half-finished cigarette in one hand, makeshift paper fan in the other. The old, worn ceramic brought some measure of relief, and the teen found himself following a pattern of shifting to a new spot every time the tiles beneath his heated skin grew too warm.
He debated going to one of his friends' houses-as they all had much better heating/cooling systems-but didn't quite want to risk the heat of the sun at this time of day. He took one last drag of the cigarette and put it out on the ashtray just within reach. He'd been limiting himself to one cigarette a day, since his beloved boss was so concerned for his health. He'd tried to simply avoid smoking around Tsuna, but the brunette somehow always knew how often he smoked and gave him the look.
With a heavy sigh, Hayato considered taking a nice, refreshing cold shower. It would rid him of the salty layer of sweat on his body, and relieve him of the oppressive heat. At least for a while. But said oppressive heat had gradually worn him down to the point of exhaustion, sleep calling his name oh so seductively.
He blinks, and suddenly there's something cold pressed against his forehead, familiar flames washing him in far less oppressive heat. His Storm flames subconsciously reach out and mingle with the Sky flames, a special greeting reserved for those who've harmonized. He reaches up with one hand as his pale green eyes find a pair of luminous golden brown. He looks at the plastic wrapped object in confusion for a moment, his brain still foggy from the combination of heat and an impromptu nap. Oh, a popsicle.
Hayato looks back over at movement to his right, and sees Tsuna laying next to him, a look of relief passing over his heat-flushed face as his skin rests against the cool tiles. He's pulling a cherry flavored popsicle out of its wrapper, resting on his elbows, bare stomach against the tiles. Bare stomach against the tiles.
The silverette does a double-take, not having noticed Tsuna strip down to his blue-and-green plaid boxers. His cheeks flush for reasons unknown, and he looks up from Tsuna's smooth, pale skin to see molten honey eyes gazing at him from under long eyelashes. Hayato's gaze flickers down for the barest of seconds to see Tsuna wrap his lips around the red popsicle seductively.
"T-Tenth!?" is all Hayato can utter as his adorable, naive, innocent boss damn near deepthroats a popsicle right in front of him. The brunette slowly pulls the popsicle back out, his red-stained tongue following it until it can't anymore, swirling around the tip before retreating.
"Yes, Hayato?" Tsuna asks innocently, head tilting slightly to the side in question. As if he had no idea what he was doing to the Storm right now.
Hayato is rendered speechless, face about as red as the popsicle Tsuna was just- No. He refuses to believe what he just saw. Especially now that the brunette was eating the popsicle normally, an innocent and curious gaze locked onto the heavily confused silverette.
"Uh, n-nothing, Tenth. Nevermind." Hayato resolves that it was a trick of his heat-muddled mind, and opens up his own steadily melting orange-flavored popsicle. "Thanks for the popsicle, Tenth."
Hayato idly wonders how he didn't hear Tsuna enter the apartment, heat-coma aside, and is about to ask when he catches a glimpse of Tsuna out of the corner of his eye. Licking his fingers. Slowly. While staring directly at Hayato with a sinful gaze. The brunette's pink tongue lapped up dribbles of melted ice, following trails of bright red flavor across cream skin.
Hayato nearly chokes on his own spit, mind warring with itself over what it's seeing. Heat pools low in his belly as shame and confusion at his reaction warm his face. He finally tears his gaze from the ministrations of the brunette's tongue to see those honey eyes gazing at him with burning lust. He can do nothing but lay frozen as Tsuna lithely reaches over and grabs Hayato's wrist, the one holding his own popsicle, and laps up a trail of sweet orange dripping down his arm.
"Watch out, Hay-a-to~ you'll make a mess." The words are spoken with a playful tune, but in a voice roughened by desire. He's never heard such a sound from his boss, and a shiver of pleasure runs down his spine. Hayato is confused, and turned on, and has no idea how to react to such a scene.
He shifts awkwardly, his situation starting to become hard to ignore. Unfortunately, that only seems to attract the brunette's attention, and Hayato's soul nearly exits his body right then and there at the sly smirk that forms upon Tsuna's soft, pink lips. Hayato is hyper-aware of his inability to so much as breathe as Tsuna's eyes drag across his body with a glint of admiration, until once again golden brown meets green.
It's almost as though one of his bombs has been set off, as everything starts moving full speed again. Tsuna reaches out and pulls Hayato into a kiss, tender and fierce all at once. It's surprising, to say the least, but the silverette soon finds himself responding equally enthusiastically. Somehow the air is cooler with Tsuna's deceptively strong body laying across his own, legs intertwined as lips lock in a battle for dominance.
Tsuna's thigh presses into Hayato's erection, and he groans at the friction. Being carried away by the sensations - and his very sudden discovery that he's completely okay with what's going on - the silverette rolls over so that Tsuna is underneath him, and starts trailing sloppy kisses down the smaller teen's neck. In line with his sudden bold behaviour, Tsuna grabs Hayato's hips and grinds their erections together, eliciting a throaty groan from the silverette.
As someone who's had very few (read: zero) sexual encounters, Hayato is close. Very close. And from the sounds Tsuna is making as the silverette sucks and nibbles on his throat while they continue their dry humping session, the brunette is in a similar state. It's as a slender hand sneaks between their bodies and wraps around Hayato's length that-
Hayato's eyes fly open, and he bites back a disappointed moan. He shifts onto a cooler patch of tiles and catches his breath, ignoring the sticky mess that is his underwear for now.
The more important thing right now is sorting through the tangled, knotted mess that is his thoughts and emotions. He just had an erotic dream about his boss, his sweet, innocent boss. As much as he'd like to, it's opened up a Pandora's box of emotions, and he can't simply ignore it. This wasn't just some weird, one-time fantasy his brain cooked up that he could shove into a box and let collect dust. He… he liked it. More than just liked it even.
He's never seen Tsuna in such a light, and now that he has, he can't unsee it. The image of those impassioned molten honey eyes is burned into his mind. The thought of those soft pink lips on his, on his body. It sends shivers down his spine.
The worst part is it's not just hormonal teenage attraction. The more he thinks about it, the more he realizes that Tsuna would be the perfect romantic partner. The brunette is already incredibly caring, selfless, and wonderful in every way. He makes Hayato feel worthy, he gave him a home to return to when no one else would. Even though Tsuna treats everyone with the respect and kindness they deserve, he makes each of his guardians, his closest friendsfamilykindred, feel as if they are walking on air.
Add to all of that the certain kind of devotion and fidelity one can only give to someone they love in the romantic sense, a closeness that can only be achieved through the most intimate of affections...
No… as much as I might want it, it can never be. I am and will always be Tenth's right hand man. No more, no less.
His unworthiness of such a position aside, Mafia politics will never allow such a pairing, and he can't - won't - risk his boss being defaced because he can't quash his romantic inclinations. Besides, Tsuna likes Kyoko, who - while certainly too soft for such a dark world right now - would make a much better partner. As much as he loathes to admit it, Kyoko has the sort of charming personality that, with some amount of etiquette training, would fit into the role of Don Vongola's wife perfectly.
There is nothing to do but try his best to get over a rejection that hasn't even happened.
III
Summer casually slipped into autumn, which then carried on into winter. They had completed their last year of high school in a haze of fond memories and a knowledge that this would likely be the last time they could live like the young adults they were. Ninth's health had taken a turn for the better, but no one could tell how long that might last as the man got along in years. Tsuna would complete a college degree, all the while being groomed for the role of Decimo. They would all be taking on more responsibilities in preparation for the shift, but Tsuna most of all.
Ninth had pushed for Tsuna and his guardians to come to Italy early and complete their studies there, but Tsuna, knowing that his time in Japan would soon come to an end, put his foot down. In return, he agreed that if the Ninth's health began to falter, he would immediately move to the Vongola mansion in order to better assume his role as Decimo.
Hayato guessed that it was mostly Reborn's doing that Ninth agreed to let them all remain in Japan that little bit longer. If he was right on that point, Reborn never said anything to argue or agree, probably to let Tsuna feel like he had won that particular battle of his own ability.
Hayato shifted on the counter of his kitchen, rereading the letters grasped tightly yet carefully within his hands. They were his acceptance letters to several of the top universities in Japan. He knew he could get into anywhere he wanted with his scores, but had applied to multiple places nonetheless. He knew that no matter what, he would go to the same university as Tsuna.
Despite having distanced himself from his boss ever since… he refused to let his feelings get in the way of protecting Tsuna. He would make sure to be there for him, because as much as it pained him to be around Tsuna and know that they can never be together, all he truly wanted was to make sure Tsuna was safe and happy. Even if he himself wasn't.
His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he hesitated for a split second when he saw the caller ID before hitting the answer button.
"Tenth! Is everything okay?"
"I got accepted into Kyoto University! I guess all those night long study sessions worked!"
"That's wonderful, Tenth! I knew you could do it!" Hayato exclaimed, truly happy for Tsuna. His boss had been stressing over the entrance exams for weeks on end, at one point even asking Reborn to help him study. He had no doubts Tsuna would be able to make it, but was pleased nonetheless to learn it had worked out in the end.
"So, have you gotten your letters, Dera? What university did you choose? I'm sure you got accepted no matter what school you were aiming for, with a brain like yours."
"Ah, uh, I actually received my letter today as well," Hayato said, blushing at the compliment, "I got accepted into Kyoto University too! How great is that, Tenth?"
"That's great! I actually feel a lot better knowing you'll be going to the same university as me. Keshi got accepted to the same university that Ryo has been attending, and since Kyoya is studying at Ritsumeikan and Mukuro and Chrome are going to Doshisha, we'll all be in the same area! Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Reborn made it that way, but oh well. At least he let me decide on my own, haha… Anyways, I was going to call the girls after talking to you and see where they'll be going."
Hayato felt a rush of pleasure at the thought of having Tsuna all to himself, but then promptly shook it off. He couldn't get ahead of himself like that. There had been talk of them all living in a house together, since they had applied to universities in the same area. He supposed that would end up being the case, at this point, if Reborn had his way.
"I'll let you go then. Spread the good news and all…" Hayato said, not really wanting to hang up just yet, but not wanting to hold the other up.
"Oh, one more thing before I go! Keshi invited us to Takesushi next week to celebrate passing our entrance exams. Mr. Yamamoto will be closing a little early for us. You'll come, right, Dera?"
"Of course, Tenth!" Hayato said, honestly not feeling up to the large gathering he knew it would turn out to be, but not wanting to disappoint Tsuna. He hoped the other hadn't caught on to his hesitation, and was relieved when the other continued.
"Great! See you later!"
"Bye…"
Pressing the end call button, Hayato let his hand drop against his leg, letting out a sigh. Even just hearing Tsuna's voice had his stomach in knots. He had it bad, he knew it. He just had no way of properly dealing with it. He'd never felt so strongly towards another before, and - dare he say it - he probably loved Tsuna.
His boss.
With a groan of dismay, he dropped his head into his hands.
'Just how long until I break?'
IV
A bead of sweat, rolling its way down a long, slender neck. Down, down, until it disappeared beneath the collar of a loose cotton tee that, if white, would no doubt be revealing the skin beneath it by now. Skin that was impossibly smooth, despite the smattering of scars upon its surface. He wondered if every inch of it was as soft as the arms he had brushed up against, or the hands that occasionally helped him up. As soft as the skin that he caressed in his dreams.
A loud noise jarred Hayato from his thoughts, and if his face became a little redder than it had already been, well, he doubted anyone would notice. Refocusing on his surroundings, he looked over to see that Takeshi had set his stack of boxes down a bit too harshly. Furrowing his brows, he turned to anger to hide his embarrassment at his semi-lewd train of thought.
"Watch it Baseball-idiot! Don't go breaking the Tenth's belongings!" He spat out, lugging his own set of boxes over to where Tsuna had started a pile.
"It's okay, Dera, I think we already got all of the fragile stuff taken care of." Tsuna said placatingly, resting a hand on Hayato's shoulder as he crouched down to carefully place the stack of boxes. He stiffened slightly at the contact, and covered it up by standing abruptly and heading out to pick up more boxes. He studiously ignored the small flash of something that flickered in Tsuna's expressive eyes.
The house was alight with activity, everyone either moving the boxes to their designated rooms, or unpacking them. Currently, Takeshi, Ryohei and he were doing all the heavy lifting, while Tsuna, Mukuro, and Chrome unpacked and further sorted the boxes.
Kyoya, of course, had refused to "crowd with the herbivores" and remained in his own lodgings. Hayato was more than fine with that, since it would reduce the number of headaches he suffered. If anything, the mere fact that the self-proclaimed "defender of Namimori" had willingly moved to another town was a miracle in and of itself. If Kyoya had also willingly moved in with the rest of the family, he'd have to consider the possibility of possession or aliens.
Heading back downstairs, he passed by Ryohei carrying a stack of boxes higher than his head as if he could see through them. He didn't bother reprimanding the boxer, because he would probably just get some idiotic assurance that the man could "extremely handle it."
Luckily, they were down to the last twelve or so boxes, and he was planning on ordering dinner once they'd gotten all the boxes inside and sorted them into the rooms. He passed by Takeshi on the way in, making sure to glower a bit when the other man smiled brightly in his direction. He will never even pretend to understand the baseball-idiot's brain.
Before long, all the boxes had been placed in their respective rooms and the house's occupants were busy unpacking their own belongings. Hayato had several pizzas on the way - two of which were for Ryohei's bottomless pit of a stomach alone - and was going through his own mediocre stack of boxes in the meantime.
He's never had many belongings to begin with, having constantly been on the move for several years. His habit of discarding anything that wasn't of utmost importance has followed him even now, so of course three out of the five boxes were full of ammo and weapons. He was currently developing a new mini-rocket launcher with Shoichi and Spanner, and was eager to unpack so he could do a bit more work on it tonight.
He's in the middle of loading up the hidden armory in the back of his closet when there's a knock at his door. He glances over and sees Tsuna standing in the doorway, shirtless with a towel slung across his shoulders, collecting the water that was dripping from his still-wet hair. Hayato stiffens and quickly shifts his gaze away from the glistening skin of Tsuna's defined chest and abs.
"Shower's free if you want to use it. I think we've still got a good fifteen minutes on the pizza, so you don't need to worry about that." Tsuna says, oblivious to the effect he's having on Hayato's poor heart. Unable to formulate a response, his tongue suddenly leaden and useless in his mouth, Hayato simply grunts an affirmation and digs around in one of the boxes for his toiletry bag and a towel.
Having expected Tsuna to have left, Hayato freezes for a split-second when he straightens up to find the other still lingering in his doorway, his gaze sharp and seemingly digging straight into Hayato's soul. He finds himself unable to look away for a moment, caught up in that molten honey gaze, but finds the strength to tear his gaze away from Tsuna's, afraid of what the other might find if he lets him look for too long. Clearing his throat, Hayato speaks up.
"Is there something else, Tenth?" he asks, wincing slightly at how much sharper the words come out than he intended. He's finding it more and more difficult to act normally around Tsuna, and in turn he finds himself getting agitated far quicker and longer than usual as well. Risking a glance at the other, guilt stabs through him when he sees the look on Tsuna's face.
"Ah- no- sorry. I'll get out of your hair." Tsuna mumbles, suddenly looking very much like the Tsuna he had first met. The shy, undeniably weaker Tsuna that had no idea what he could become given the chance. Tsuna smiles awkwardly, not quite looking at Hayato, and exits hastily.
"Shit," Hayato curses under his breath, running a hand through his hair. The last thing he wants is to hurt Tsuna, but he also knows that it's getting harder and harder to keep his growing feelings at bay. He's like a prickly thornbush, snagging on and cutting into anything that comes close. He needs to keep himself in check, especially around Tsuna, who is the least deserving of an attack by his thorns.
He sighs and heads down the hall to the bathroom, promising to make it up to Tsuna later. It's not Tsuna's fault Hayato can't shut his stupid heart up, and it's not Tsuna's fault he can't get a better handle on his emotions.
He's gonna end up saying or doing something he'll regret.
V
It's a cool, stormy late-spring evening. The air smells of rain and electricity, thunder rumbling overhead every few minutes. The world is colored in shades of grey and green and yellow, and the wet concrete shines like a mirror with the city lights reflecting off of it. A sea of black covers the busier streets, the occasional dot of color from someone with a patterned umbrella.
Hayato forgot his umbrella.
He didn't even notice it until he was already done with lunch and saw the cumulus clouds rolling in. It wasn't that much of an issue, despite absolutely hating the sensation of being wet while fully clothed - he could have managed. Maybe waited at the corner store for the downpour to let up; eaten some of those spicy instant noodles he'd been craving. Perhaps stayed late and studied for finals, despite still having a month left.
But no, that would be too easy.
He shares ninety percent of his schedule with Tsuna, which meant when they finished their last class of the day and Hayato went to walk out into the storm with nothing to keep him from getting soaked-
Well, his sweet, impossibly caring boss couldn't let that slide. He tried his best, he really did, but Tsuna wouldn't budge. Though to be honest, Hayato couldn't really say no when Tsuna looked up at him with his honey eyes and said "let's share".
So here he is, walking down the street between the bus stop and home, close enough to feel the heat emanating from Tsuna's skin, wishing he'd just remembered his damn umbrella. Hayato glances to the side when he feels Tsuna tense up, his flames jumping slightly. On edge, he pays more attention to their surroundings. If Tsuna senses that something is up, then either something is about to happen, or they're being watched.
Hayato is so busy surreptitiously looking at all of the rooftops around him that he doesn't catch the car speeding around the bend of the street until it's practically on top of them. Tsuna grabs his arm, and before he even knows it his back is to the wall. He watches as the car rushes past in a blur, so close if he'd stuck out his arm it would have met the windshield.
Tsuna's body is pressed flush against his own, and as the adrenaline fades slightly, he has to physically fight back the urge to wrap his arms around the other. Tsuna's hand is cupping the back of Hayato's head, and he has to wonder at how his boss had managed to protect his head from hitting the stone wall when they were seconds from being run over. Tsuna pulls back after a beat, and despite being overwhelmed by the situation, Hayato doesn't miss the slight wince that crosses his face.
"Tenth! Are you hurt!?" Hayato exclaims, spinning Tsuna around so his back is to the wall and lifting his shirt to check his ribs before the other can even attempt to protest.
He gasps when he sees that already the skin of Tsuna's side, just below his shoulder, is already swelling and beginning to tinge with reddish-purple. The side-mirror must have swiped him. What concerns Hayato is he doesn't know by how much. Is it just skin deep, or does Tsuna have broken ribs? Hayato can already feel himself beginning to panic, and he knows his chaotic train of thought is streaming from his mouth. "Tenth, do you feel a sharp pain when you breathe? How bad is the pain from one to ten? Can you move your arm? Do we need to go directly to the hospital? How close is the nearest hospital? Do-"
"I'm fine, Hayato, take a deep breath. It probably looks worse than it feels," Tsuna says placatingly, turning around and forcing Hayato to release his death grip on Tsuna's shirt.
Hayato gapes at Tsuna. How can he say that when he could have died? Even just three more inches and Tsuna would have had full-body contact with the car. He could have hit his head, been rammed into the wall, sent hundreds of meters down-hill. Before Hayato can even try to calm himself down, his face flushes with a mixture of astonishment and anger.
"Fine?" Hayato seethes, "You could have died! Even just in the time it took you to spin us around, the car could have hit you! What were you thinking?" Tsuna gapes in shock, and Hayato wishes he could shut up, but the words keep streaming from his mouth. If anything it's himself he's pissed at, for not reacting sooner, for not being the one to shield Tsuna from being hit. It's his job to protect Tsuna, not the other way around. Time and time again he feels as though he's falling short. That he's not enough. "You should have just-"
"Should have what?" Tsuna interrupts, his eyes narrowed in an expression of cold anger Hayato had rarely seen on the other, let alone directed at him. "Let you take the hit? Let you die?"
Hayato feels rightly abashed, but he refuses to show it. He knows better now than to simply sacrifice himself when there are other options, but he's so absolutely furious with himself, with Tsuna, that he can't bring himself to feel sorry. Instead of replying, he picks up the umbrella that's been discarded at their feet. The rain has fully soaked through both their clothes by now, but it does nothing to cool Hayato's temper. He shoves the umbrella into Tsuna's hands and gives him a pointed look.
Tsuna narrows his eyes further at Hayato, the faint glimmer of Hyper Dying Will in his eyes, before he turns and starts walking back up the street. Hayato knows the conversation may be over for now, but it won't be the last of it. Keeping some distance, he follows Tsuna the rest of the way home in silence, studiously ignoring the several looks Tsuna sends his way.
They finally arrive back at the house, only to be greeted by half of its occupants. Takeshi, Ryohei, and Chrome are seated around the dining room table, playing some kind of card game. Hayato keeps his eyes set on the floor as he removes his shoes, and ignores the various greetings he gets from the others.
He starts to head up the stairs to his room so he can change out of his wet clothes, but hears Tsuna following, so he stops at the bottom just long enough to say, "Ryohei, Tsuna's hurt. Heal him."
He barely even hears the shouts of concern as the other three guardians rush to check on Tsuna, but looks back to see Tsuna staring directly at him, silently telling him that this isn't over.
VI
Hayato manages to avoid being alone with Tsuna for precisely sixteen hours. It's inevitable, when he's the only one who attends the same university and therefore the one tasked with protecting Tsuna during school hours.
It doesn't give him any time to prepare.
The sky is a muddled grey, the previous day's storm lingering, though the rain had finally stopped. The air is uncomfortably humid, the scent of damp soil and wet concrete still strong in the air. Hayato relishes the cool sensation of the soda can he'd grabbed from the vending machine as he pops it open with one thumb, the snap-hiss of the metal seal breaking like a gunshot through the silence hanging in the air.
Tsuna sits at the outdoor cafeteria table across from Hayato, reading through the notes from his last class. The brunette had undeniably become a much better student under Reborn's tutelage, and studying seemed to have become more of an unconscious habit than a conscious effort.
The tension in the air is tangible, sticking to Hayato's skin even more than the humidity, and he shifts in his seat, taking a long sip of the soda. When he lowers the can, Tsuna is looking at him, something unreadable in his expression. Succumbing to the inevitable, Hayato sighs, waiting patiently for Tsuna to reprimand him, to tell him what he already knows. You're not good enough to be my Storm.
"Are you okay, Hayato?"
Hayato blinks in surprise at Tsuna using his first name and looks at the brunette, seeing the genuine concern on his face.
"What?" Hayato asks, too stunned to say anything else. From how unusually reserved Tsuna had been all of last night and this morning, he was certain the Tenth was going to tell him that he wasn't fit to be his Storm guardian any longer. Unable to protect him- and to think he blew up like that after his boss had graciously saved him.
Tsuna fiddles with the pencil in his hand, glancing away, seemingly hesitant.
"You've been… tense lately. Well, more than usual at least," Tsuna says, smiling wryly and rubbing the back of his neck. He meets Hayato's gaze, his warm brown eyes unbearably gentle, and continues, "you seem distant, too, ever since we moved in together. I understand it's not easy, suddenly living in a house full of people… dealing with classes, training, and the occasional mission on top of it all. I know I'm not the most helpful either, but… I hope you know you can talk to me. You might be my guardian, but we're still friends… right?"
Tsuna looks up at Hayato, and he can't quite keep from tearing up a little at the open concern Tsuna was showing for him - and the touch of old insecurity in his boss's expression. For months now, he'd been taking out his frustration over his buried feelings on everyone around him, including Tsuna. The others chalked it up to him just being his regular explosive self, but he suddenly felt incredibly guilty for how he'd been pushing Tsuna away all this time.
He thought creating some distance would make it easier for him to pretend, but sometimes he felt like it just made it more difficult to control his feelings. He constantly wants to go back to the way things had been before realizing his feelings, but struggles with knowing where to stop. The casual touches, the deep conversations, staying up late to talk about nothing and everything.
Being friends.
He's afraid that if he lets himself have that much, then it'll stop being enough.
He blinks back the dampness in his eyes and roughly brushes back his hair, shaking away his thoughts.
"I'm sorry, Tenth. I've been awful to you," Hayato says, gripping the soda can and staring into its depths, unable to look Tsuna in the eye.
"You're right, it's not easy," he continues, not mentioning that it's not easy because he's pining after someone he can never be with, "but I still shouldn't be pushing you away like that. You don't deserve it."
Tsuna's hand reaches out and grabs Hayato's, and he looks back up at Tsuna, silently reveling in the skin contact.
"It's not about what I deserve, it's about what you want. You don't have to talk to me if you don't want to, but my door is always open," Tsuna says, smiling in that radiant, beautiful way that makes Hayato's heart beat out of his chest.
Unable to look away, Hayato simply squeezes Tsuna's hand and nods, determined to do a better job at burying his feelings.
"Thank you, Tenth."
VII
The cold early-morning air is filled with the coppery-iron tang of fresh blood and the sharp scent of gunpowder. The sounds of scraping metal, gunshots, and dynamite blasts fill the air, mixing with cries of pain, fear, and anger like a demonic musical.
The cool white of moonlight filtering through the tall, grimey warehouse windows is slowly being replaced by the blue light of pre-dawn, the splatters of blood painting the cracked concrete appearing like black ink in the dim light.
Hayato rolls across the hard concrete, busting open one of his elbows in the process. The silverette is too focused on his next hit to care about the sting of pain and the ensuing trickle of hot blood that slides down his arm. The man that he targets doesn't stand a chance, and he's turned his sights on the next one before the man even drops.
Hayato's currently on a mission to neutralize a local yakuza group that had begun to grow a bit too bold with their threats against the Vongola residing within their city. He, Mukuro, and Takeshi were tasked with taking care of the 500-man crew, their headquarters inside of an old abandoned warehouse in the center of the industrial district.
What was supposed to be a quick-and-quiet take down soon spiraled into a full-on brawl when Mukuro decided it would be easier to gather all the men together in one spot and take them down all at once.
Hayato watches as Takeshi cuts down six men with one swing from his sword, though he aimed shallow, the men groaning and rolling on the ground, but now dead. The baseball-idiot is still too nice, refusing to kill unless forced to.
Mukuro clearly did not share the sentiment, swiftly and mercilessly sending clusters of men to their dooms in unimaginable, creative ways.
Hayato refocuses on his own battle, jumping back as a man swings at his head with a metal bat. Smirking, he pulls out his completed mini-rocket launcher and slides it over his forearm, quickly firing a few into the air and circling around the crowd to provide backup for Takeshi.
Hayato quickly shoots out a mini-dynamite, aimed for the back of a man who is trying to hit Takeshi while he's distracted. The swordsman quickly cuts down the crowd of men piling up in front of him and glances back at Hayato with a grateful nod before turning back to the chaos before him.
"Good one, Dera!"
Hayato playfully scoffs, about to give a sarcastic reply, when he feels something barrel into him from behind.
Shit, he curses silently. With most of the crowd in front of him, he didn't notice one of the men approaching him from behind. He quickly turns and pulls out the gun he keeps as backup, firing into the man's stomach.
He turns back to focus on the hundred or so men still left, but feels a sharp ache in his side. Looking down, he curses at what he sees. Emerging out of his left side is the handle of a knife, buried to the hilt. How did he not notice?
There's no way of telling how deep it goes, but from the sharp pain quickly spreading through his abdomen, it certainly isn't shallow.
No time to waste, he thinks to himself, quickly ripping off part of his outer shirt and tying it around his waist to hold the knife in place. He can't pull it out right now without risking major blood loss.
"Kufufufufu… mortally wounded already, little firecracker?"
Hayato snarls at the disjointed voice that echoes in his mind, quickly spotting Mukuro in the crowd and flipping him off. An arm suddenly wraps around his shoulder, and he looks back to see the real Mukuro standing there, obnoxious smirk and all.
"Fuck off and deal with the rest of them already, Mukuro. I don't have time for your bullshit," Hayato spits out, shaking off Mukuro's grip, the pain radiating through his side leaving him no room for niceties.
"Now, now, what would our dear Tsunayoshi think if I didn't support you in your time of need?" Mukuro drawls, lifting up one of his hands with a dramatic flair and snapping his fingers.
The entire space falls silent, and Hayato looks back to see all of the men have collapsed on the ground or fallen to their knees, their faces that were previously either full of hate or pain now eerily blank. Takeshi is the only figure left standing, looking around himself in confusion.
The swordsman catches sight of the two other guardians standing to the side and quickly runs over, skipping over the dozens of bodies and limbs blocking the way.
"Hey! Did you see that? They all passed out or something, haha. Does that mean we won?" Takeshi calls out as he runs up, his typical laid-back smile already back in place.
Rolling his eyes at the swordsman's cheerful attitude, Hayato touches his side where the knife handle juts out. He grimaces at the slick sensation of blood coating his fingers, his shirt already soaked through.
Well, that's not good.
"Let's go," he grumbles, not wanting to waste any more time lingering. Whatever Mukuro did, he sure as shit could have done it before Hayato got stabbed.
"Crap, Dera, you got stabbed!" Takeshi shouts, running up and pulling one of Hayato's arms over his shoulders to support him as they walk out.
"No duh… baseball… idiot…" Hayato mutters, silently glad for the support as his knees threaten to give out entirely. This is really not good. His vision begins to go fuzzy, and he can hear the baseball-idiot and the annoying pineapple-head talking, but his brain can't seem to process the sound.
Fuck.
…
The air feels warmer, all of a sudden. Something soft surrounds him, and he feels as if his body is floating. His mouth feels full of cotton, and his limbs are like lead weights. There's a firm pressure wrapped around his torso that brings something to the edge of his memory, but he can't quite grasp it.
He blinks his eyes open, slowly adjusting to the warm yellow light of the room. He's… where is he?
He opens his eyes fully and looks around, certain that he isn't at home, but also definitely not in a hospital. Even so, there's an IV stand next to the bed he's laying in, its rubber tubing snaking down, leading to the needle embedded in his left hand. He looks to his right and has to take a moment to process what he sees.
Sitting in a chair next to the bed is a slender figure with fluffy brown hair, the figure slumped over, sleeping with their head resting on their arms on the edge of the bed. He looks down and only now notices that his hand is being held. Memories of the mission - getting stabbed - come back to him, and he silently curses himself for letting down his guard like that. He feels a mixture of joy at knowing Tsuna was waiting for him to wake up and embarrassment at having been injured during such an easy mission.
Taking advantage of the brunette's slumber, Hayato admires him, Tsuna's face even more beautiful when relaxed in sleep. Long eyelashes brush against pale cheeks that have recently begun to sharpen with maturity, the soft baby-face of his teen years beginning to fade, revealing the handsome man he would be in just a few years. The thin, pale line of an old scar cuts across the edge of his cheekbone, and from this close, Hayato can see the faint freckles that dot the other's nose and cheeks.
His lips look softer than ever, and Hayato isn't sure if it's due to the painkillers or momentary delusion, but before he can even think he reaches out to brush his thumb over Tsuna's bottom lip, imagining how nice it would be to kiss those lips.
He glances up and feels as if a bucket of ice had been dumped over his head, frozen as he looks at Reborn standing at the end of the bed, the intimidating man staring directly at where Hayato is still holding Tsuna's face. Those endless voids flicker to meet Hayato's gaze, and he feels a wave of panic crash over him. Reborn is expressionless - the man is impossible to read - but Hayato knows there's no going back once the man learns of his feelings for the Tenth.
"R-Reborn…" Hayato stutters, his mind still foggy with painkillers and sleep, unable to think of an excuse- something, anything to explain why he was looking at his boss with so much reverence, touching him so tenderly as he slept.
Reborn stands still, unwavering, possibly already running through potential Storm candidates to replace him. Hayato can't look away from those onyx eyes, imagining the worst. He fucked up. He fucked up. Fucked up, fucked up, fuckedupfuckedupfuckedup-
"Reborn?"
Hayato breaks the staring contest first, looking to his right to see that Tsuna has sat up and is looking sleepily in Reborn's direction. Hayato quickly puts his hands in his lap, praying Reborn will stay silent, quickly schooling his expression of sheer terror when Tsuna looks back at him.
The way Tsuna's eyes brighten and his expression gives way to one of relief when he sees that Hayato is awake is something the silverette will burn into his memory forever.
"Hayato, you're awake! Thank goodness," Tsuna says, grabbing Hayato's hand before he can react.
"Are you in pain? Reborn used his flames to heal the worst of it, but… there was a lot of damage… I- I was so worried that-" Tsuna chokes up, tears beginning to roll down his cheeks as he presses the back of Hayato's hand to his face, sobbing into it.
Hayato is at a loss for words. Had it been that bad? He looks back at Reborn, who seems to have made some kind of decision regarding what he'd seen.
"The knife pierced several of your internal organs. You're lucky that Mukuro and Takeshi called me when they did," Reborn states simply. The man smirks suddenly, sending chills down Hayato's spine.
"I guess we need to do more training," he says ominously, "though you'll be on bedrest for at least the next week. My sun-sutures are holding you together for now, but your organs need time to fully heal, and you lost a significant amount of blood."
With one last knowing glance between the two young adults, the man turns and leaves just as silently as he came. Tsuna is still sniffling, though it seems he's managed to calm himself down. Hayato wants to cry just seeing his beloved boss cry, but even more so because apparently Reborn isn't planning to get rid of him.
"Tenth, I'll be alright. This is nothing! You heard Reborn, just a week of rest and I'll be fine," he says, mumbling the last part, "though whatever training he's planning will probably be more deadly…"
Hayato looks at Tsuna, who's gone silent, his face tilted down so he can't read his expression, still holding Hayato's hand with both of his own.
"Hayato…" he starts, so quiet Hayato has to strain to listen, "I really thought I was going to lose you."
Tsuna suddenly sits up, startling Hayato. His expression is determined, and Hayato has to wonder what's going through the brunette's mind.
"I really thought I was going to lose you," Tsuna repeats, looking directly at Hayato. His golden brown eyes are alight with his flames, and Hayato can feel them brushing up against his own, their emotions briefly mixing together as their flames tangle and blend at the edges.
Tsuna reaches up and cradles Hayato's cheek, his warm, delicate fingers slightly rough with callouses. Hayato sucks in a breath, not quite able to believe it as Tsuna leans in and presses his forehead against his own, the tips of their noses brushing together, their breath mingling in the air between them.
Hayato instinctively grabs Tsuna's upper arm, not sure if he should be pushing the Decimo away or pulling him closer. It's everything he's dreamed of, but at the same time it's everything he's feared.
"Tsuna, we…" Hayato whispers, closing his eyes as if to block out the pain.
"I don't care, Hayato," Tsuna says, pulling back just enough to look him in the eyes, "I don't care what any of those old geezers think about us. All I care about is you. I've been holding back for so long because I wasn't sure if you felt the same way, but… the way you looked at me just now… surely…"
Hayato blinks in surprise, then flushes with embarrassment, realizing that Tsuna must have been awake when he'd succumbed to the desire to touch him. That he'd probably seen the way Hayato was looking at him with all of the pure reverence that he felt for the young Vongola heir.
Suddenly brave, bolstered by the knowledge that Tsuna has felt the same way all this time, Hayato ignores the voice that said he wasn't good enough - that he'd bring Tsuna down with him - and did what he's been dying to do for years.
VIII
Tsuna shut his flip-phone with a click, unable to hold back a giddy laugh as he grabbed the pillow from his bed and hugged it to his chest. He was going to the same university as Hayato, which meant he'd be able to spend more time with the explosives expert.
He flopped backwards on his bed, rolling to the side so to look at the photo sitting on his nightstand. It was a group photo of him and his guardians seconds before chaos; with an eight year-old Lambo digging at his nose (about to wipe his snot on Hayato's leg), Ryohei enthusiastically reaching to pull in a glowering Kyoya, and Mukuro mid-devilish smirk, his hand suspiciously placed behind Tsuna's back.
Several snapshots of the ensuing chaos were taken - Reborn gleefully continuing to snap photos as Tsuna tried with no avail to calm his guardians down - but Tsuna had decided to keep this photo because of one thing in particular.
As Tsuna smiled brightly at the camera - a bashful Chrome and a laughing Takeshi at his side - Hayato was looking at Tsuna with an expression that filled the brunette with hope.
Hope that the feelings he held deep within his heart weren't only his to bear.