Fic: Katekyo Hitman Reborn, Care & Grooming in the Mob, 592795
Title: Care & Grooming in the Mob
Fandom: Katekyo Hitman Reborn!
Threesome: Kyoko/Tsuna/Gokudera (TYL)
Rating: PG-13 (language, implied violence)
Word count: 3912
Summary: Exhausted and injured, Tsuna still has to preside over a major mafia gathering - but the worst thing by far is choosing whether his wife or his right hand most deserves to help him.
Notes: augh why won't the title allow itself to change. This needs editing, but I wanna keep my drabblevember-ish daily posting thing going. It's late and nothing makes sense anymore, and uh, anyone planning to read this might wanna hold off for a while. 21 Nov: Edited! (Concrit still welcome! On the title, too, though mostly I'm just glad to have convinced my brain to get away from "groomer monkeys".)
The surroundings smeared past Tsuna as he walked through the Vongola mansion: People all over the rooms and hallways, carrying, hurrying, and cleaning in a haze of activity. Adrenaline and the lingering hyper-awareness of the dying will were fading, and it was difficult to focus now that they were back in safe territory - except when someone would notice them and stop, gaping.
"Keep working, everyone! We're fine!" Ryohei yelled from his side. "We won!"
"That's one heck of a shortened version," Yamamoto said, but Ryohei's reassurances got everyone back to work with scattered cheers, and sent people on security detail their way.
"Boss!" "You got 'em!" Then Italian oaths and curses, too quick for Tsuna to follow straightaway. "Those backstabbing bastards, they'll pay for this!"
Tsuna put up a hand to stop the bluster, and business took over. "Sir! Preparations are on schedule! But are we still having the party?"
"It can be a two-in-one celebration," Yamamoto said, grinning wearily, "since we made it back." There were more cheers, and Tsuna nodded.
Most of the security staff peeled away, pulling out walkie-talkies and delivering news of his, Yamamoto's, and Ryohei's safety, and giving out instructions. Walking on, they heard a lot of instructions flying around the rest of the house: "Pull that - no! To the left-" "- Touch more spice -" and "- It will be ready, don't -", and then they entered the wing where their rooms were located, and the noise dimmed to somewhere behind them. Tsuna thought longingly of his bed, which there was no time to get into. It was the first Vongola party since Tsuna had got married and Reborn said that he was supposed to prove something with it.
"The part of this celebration I'm going to enjoy the most is having a shower," Yamamoto said, folding a hand over the doorknob of his room.
"Definitely!" Ryohei punched the air for emphasis. You could tell he was tired because he didn't yell any more about plans for recovering.
The last of the security personnel plucked nervously at his own sleeves. "We were looking at seeing the first guests onto the property in half an hour..."
Tsuna groaned, but the other two went and said yes, they'd be ready, a little fight would never get the best of them. Freaking sportsmen.
"Some of the medical guys will be over in a minute - yeah, Mr Sasagawa, no choice," the man said over his shoulder, "except in your case, Tenth..." He opened Tsuna's bedroom door.
"I don't get -?" Tsuna began as he entered, hearing an embarrassing, tired petulance rising in his voice, and then went very still when he was interrupted.
"Tenth!" "Tsu-kun!"
Kyoko and Gokudera stood inside, tense, worried and frustrated as they turned to the door.
"They're already here," the man finished, and lowered his voice. "I'll escort your wife out, if-"
"Hey! Stop hanging around, Orlando! I know for a fact you've got plenty to do," Gokudera said as he and Kyoko rushed over. It was pretty much friendly in his relief as he scanned Tsuna.
"Tsu-kun, they said you were all right," Kyoko said, hugging the first aid kit in her arms instead of him. "And my brother, and Yamamoto-kun."
"Absolutely fine, all of them," Orlando put in.
"Tenth, word about the ambush only got through twenty minutes ago, and they said it was already over! I would've set out immediately, otherwise!"
Kyoko stepped closer to Tsuna, the first aid box pressing into his ribs and the smell of her perfume rising above gunpowder and blood. "You are all right, aren't you?"
"Get out, I said," Gokudera told the security guy, pulling Tsuna into the room with a firm hand on his shoulder blades. The door shut and he ushered Tsuna on a few more paces, so they'd be out of earshot from the hallway. His hand stayed put, and his face furrowed with concern. "Tenth?"
"The party," Tsuna said. "Should get cleaned up." He pulled away from Gokudera's hand and Kyoko's closeness.
"Right!" said Kyoko. "Then you're okay. Okay." She blinked and took a deep breath.
"Your clothes! You'll need something clean..." Gokudera said, going over to the wardrobes.
"I can get that," Kyoko said.
"I know how to pick these damn suits. You've got the medical stuff."
With a soft exclamation she went to Tsuna as he headed for the en suite bathroom door. Her movements made it obvious that she was going in with him, but she pulled up short suddenly. "Here," said Kyoko, handing him the first aid kit. "I'll be right here if you need me. I won't go in..." She glanced over her shoulder - to Gokudera, headfirst in Tsuna's ties. "Because you're basically fine, right?"
Tsuna backed away into the bathroom. "Just fine. It's mostly cuts."
"And I bet you'll be bruised all over tomorrow." She smiled ruefully, wrapping her arms around herself. He couldn't spare a word of comfort, because the worry in her words did nothing to undermine their intimacy, and it went very still behind her. Tsuna shut the door.
Both of them, Tsuna thought as he opened the shower taps wide and water thundered down. His wife and his right hand, Gokudera and Kyoko - the door had opened and shown them staring miserable and hunched up at each other, waiting for him to stumble into the room and - go to which one first? Allow who to do what?
He leaned his forehead against the wall of the shower. That probably wasn't something he'd ever be able to answer. Maybe he could bring it up to Reborn - getting shot seemed like an okay answer right now. The heat and pounding of the water made him drowsy, letting thoughts slip away, and Tsuna wished he could stay right there for a few hours.
The door cracked open. "Gokudera-kun says it's almost..." Kyoko trailed off, and then her voice was muffled. "He doesn't mind if I rush him, Gokudera-kun. - Of course not. - Because I know!" More clearly, as she turned back to him: "There are underclothes here on the shelf."
Tsuna hurried out of the shower and got his cuts disinfected and covered with plasters. He was going to have that party. Whatever stupid point the ambush had been supposed to prove by keeping him from it - he'd counter with the equally stupid point of refusing to cancel. Tonight was supposed to be fun.
At the slightly opened door he stopped, and thought it would be a lot more fun if he wasn't scared to leave the bathroom.
He couldn't face going out there in boxers and a vest, and put on his dirtied clothes, leaving the shirt unbuttoned, and the second he walked out Kyoko cried, "Why did you put that back on? We're getting your new outfit!"
He couldn't have them both looking at him in his underwear - and because he couldn't say that, he only watched as her face crumpled into tears. "Don't do that, Kyoko-chan ... now your make-up's smudged," Tsuna said.
Which he then realised was probably the least comforting and most stupid thing he'd said all week. The shower had left him half asleep.
"I can't help it." She waved a hand at him, the other clenched against her chest. "Your whole shirt is a smudge!"
"Holy fucking-" Gokudera muttered from over by the wardrobe, like it was less rude if he pretended they couldn't hear him. He turned, brandishing the clothes he'd been looking for. "It's not a smudge if it's covered in blood. Get it together! That's the most stupid thing I've heard all week!"
"Huh," Tsuna said, "what a coincidence."
Their heads turned sharply towards him, irritation and tears ticking straight over to concern. Normally he got mad when Gokudera talked to Kyoko like that. Right now, Gokudera's snappishness felt so normal that it seemed stupid to worry about it. "I'm tired," Tsuna said, knuckling his forehead. He thought, I'm so sorry.
"Of course, Tenth, it's no wonder," Gokudera said, voice brimming with concern and regret, and Kyoko grabbed Tsuna by his ruined shirt (though he wouldn't say it was covered in blood - the attackers really hadn't got close enough for more than a few cuts). "And when you were looking forward to the party, too!" she said.
"Like that matters-" Gokudera began, stomping over, and stopped as he realised Tsuna was saying, "Yeah. That's almost the worst part. We could've been relaxing..."
There was a quiet moment where Kyoko and Tsuna looked at each other, heads bent together, recuperating and understanding and close.
It only ever lasted a few minutes at a time. Gokudera cleared his throat from where he stood, stock-still, to the side. "I apologise. Ma'am. I shouldn't have spoken like that."
"Don't call me that, it's weird," Kyoko said, looking up. "We've known each other way too long for that, even if I am supposed to be the boss's wife."
"Tenth," Gokudera said, blatantly ignoring her, "I apologise to you as well. Would you like... to be left...?"
You could see he had to swallow to get the words out, and Tsuna felt guilty. For being with his own wife.
"Gokudera-kun, don't..." Kyoko didn't clarify. She did start walking, almost making Tsuna trip as she pushed him with her, her arms keeping him upright. It was obvious what was happening, but the few seconds of knowledge weren't enough to shore him against the jolt of bumping into the solidity of Gokudera in his dutiful attitude ... of Gokudera's body finding ways to go soft and curve around him. It shouldn't be possible. Not with a guy like Gokudera. Not with Kyoko holding him.
"You-"
All three spoke at once.
Gokudera won the next round: "The important thing now is to get ready!" With his great talent for picking the wrong priorities.
"But - I thought-" That tiny, stricken voice of Kyoko's - whenever Tsuna heard it he thought it was the thing he hated most, and it was hard to tell when it would happen; when the control Kyoko tried to keep would wriggle away. He squeezed her tight, feeling Gokudera tense behind him.
"Tsu-kun," Kyoko said, "Gokudera-kun... Gokudera-kun and I, we'll both help."
"You don't have to do anything for me," he said quickly, ridiculously. If he couldn't choose between them, did he deserve anything?
"We'll help!" Kyoko insisted, letting him go. "Trousers first, I guess."
And then she actually began to strip him. Gokudera's hands clamped on his arms in a death-grip. "Kyoko-chan!" Tsuna shrieked. Gokudera didn't manage words - he just shrieked.
"I'm only - is it really so..." Kyoko turned her bright red face down. "I thought we were on the same side."
Tsuna hadn't figured that out yet - he thought maybe it was some kind of relationship therapy terminology from a magazine - when Gokudera said, hoarsely, "It's not a fucking team sport, Kyoko. -San. Don't tell me you think this stuff is simple."
She gave up a little at that, closing her eyes and leaning against Tsuna. And he stood there, fly open and so bewildered he could've been fourteen again, shoulders still against Gokudera's chest and a hand still on Kyoko's waist. Two little things he could barely believe.
Over the years, Tsuna had learned how not to be a complete coward. His voice shook and he still wasn't sure he really, really understood, but he had to say - and so he said: "It's not simple. But ... none of us have let go yet."
"We don't have to!" Kyoko said, coming upright like a word was all she'd been waiting for. "Tsu-kun, we were both so worried about you today. That's happened before. I know it's never been all three of us like this, but even so ... the two of us worry a lot. Together." She looked past Tsuna, her eyes on the edge of tearful again as she looked at Gokudera. "It was really sudden, hearing about a fight that had already been going on for an hour. There was nothing we could do. You weren't even there this time!"
Tsuna flinched, and the accusation wasn't even directed at him. "Hey, wait, that's not fair. Gokudera-kun doesn't always-"
"I want to," Gokudera said, and Tsuna shut up. Sometimes Gokudera's care was stifling. Sometimes it made him feel like he could sink back into safety. Right now he was very aware of Gokudera's hands resting on his shoulders, and he wanted - he really wanted-
Gokudera reached out to Kyoko instead, smoothing a hand over her head. "But ... it was all right, this time. Yamamoto and your brother were there. You don't have to worry so much when it's like that." He punched her very lightly on the shoulder. "I keep telling you."
Kyoko smiled. "You do."
He did? Tsuna looked over his shoulder, frowning. She's my wife. And ... she's been your friend for years, and I'm still too scared to tell her enough that she knows what to be afraid of.
"Sorry, Tenth," Gokudera said. "Won't do that again. It's just she's got some of the same genes as Lawnhead."
"Don't be silly, Tsu-kun, that wasn't hard at all," Kyoko said, and pulled his shirt off his shoulders. "Now, I hope you haven't messed up this vest..."
With the extra, purposeful touch amidst all the comfort and warmth, Tsuna started. Blushed. and pulling back only got him closer to Gokudera. "I really only meant to help you for the party," Kyoko said, her eyes wide and fascinated - and she sneaked a look at Gokudera.
Tsuna didn't dare look, no matter how much he wanted to. It was nearly a lost cause; Gokudera was so close. It was still difficult to admit that it was never close enough. Now those hands on his shoulders felt hot enough to burn through the thin vest. They tugged his sleeves further down his arms, and close to his ear he could hear Gokudera breathe like it was a complicated thing to do.
"Are you ready?"
It would have been bad enough if the question came from one of them, but Tsuna would have been able to work with it.
As it was, the words came from over by the bedroom door. The open bedroom door.
"It's nearly time ... for... Aa," said Yamamoto, with a reflective look. "That explains a lot."
"GET OUT!" Gokudera clarified, so maybe it was just as well that it sounded like Yamamoto had figured it out himself.
"Please don't stare," said Kyoko, dignified in the manner that she and Haru agreed suited a Don's wife, except that she was blushing deeply and twiddling her fingers. "We'd appreciate our privacy, Yamamoto-kun!"
"Yeah, I ... I just..."
He was still reeling in his eyebrows from great heights when Kyoko's eyes went wider and her face paler and she said, "Unless ... you planned to..." - the pitch of her voice heightened - "join us...?"
Yamamoto stared. And then he looked intrigued.
"Would that even be any weirder?" Tsuna said, muffled because of holding his head in his hands.
"I SAID GET THE FUCK OUT!" Gokudera replied.
"Yeah, yeah of course." Tsuna nodded, sighing.
The door slammed shut and shuddered in the frame. "Sorry, you guys," Yamamoto said from the other side, and over the sound of footsteps walking away, they heard him start laughing.
Kyoko heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness!"
"What the hell were you thinking?" Gokudera shook his hands over her shoulders, clearly restraining himself from grabbing and shaking her.
"Conflict management? In the family?" That sounded familiar. Reborn had given her lessons too, after she'd married Tsuna. "I don't know! It wouldn't have been that much weirder!"
"It definitely would," Tsuna said, with finality. "And ... maybe we should get going now."
"Yeah, I guess..."
"There are a few more minutes, still," Gokudera said. "Yamamoto was probably looking for company."
"Um, I mean," Tsuna said. "You guys can let me go."
They did not. They both looked at him, Gokudera leaning sideways to see his face. Tsuna didn't know what they were trying to see, but he couldn't keep the freaked-out look from his face and so didn't try, and he couldn't keep off the guilt for disappointing them if they wanted something sweeter.
"You're not listening," he said, trying for irritable just so he could get some space and maybe (miracle of miracles) personal equilibrium, but his voice was a cracked whisper. Kyoko's arms went round his waist and Gokudera squeezed his shoulders.
"I didn't mean to say that to Yamamoto-kun. It popped out," Kyoko said, and Gokudera said, longing and satisfied at the same time: "This is perfect. Don't worry about changes."
Kyoko grinned at him with a bright-eyed look. "Like Gokudera said." She looked to Tsuna again. "Perfect."
He wasn't surprised to feel Gokudera's face press into his hair, hiding his own honesty. If it were only the two of them, Gokudera might've been comfortable enough to say it and not care how it sounded, just say it and mean it completely...
"I'll get myself dressed," Tsuna said. "In the bathroom. You guys still need to-" He kissed Kyoko, dipping down, and turned awkwardly to press his mouth against Gokudera's. It got his point across, and they also loosened their grips. "Still need to get ready too."
He grabbed the outfit Gokudera had laid out on the bed, and only looked at them when he turned to close the bathroom door. They stood staring at each other, and then turned away and busied themselves at opposite ends of the room. Tsuna squeezed his eyes shut in frustration, and reminded himself: It's not simple. I'm not letting go.
When he stepped back out of the bathroom, still making comb-attacks on his hair as if it would ever look neat, Kyoko was sitting at her dressing table and reapplying her makeup. For the first time he noticed how she looked - the dress light purple with the puffy kinds of sleeves she liked, the material shining dimly, and her hair sweeping down her back. He leaned against the doorframe to look.
"Wouldn't a few armbands be fine? I always think it looks a little odd when you aren't wearing that kind of thing," Kyoko was saying.
"It's 'odd' when I do wear that stuff," Gokudera said. It would have sounded rude if they hadn't known him for ten years. "If there's one bad thing about the Mafia, it's these fucking penguin suits all the time."
Kyoko gasped an incredulous giggle. "That's the one bad thing you'd pick?"
"Tenth," Gokudera said. It startled Tsuna to be noticed so suddenly. He looked Gokudera's way and then looked down quickly; it felt weird to go from staring at one to staring at the other.
"Good choice, Gokudera-kun!" Kyoko said. "Tsuna-kun looks good in the gray suit."
Gokudera nodded absently, walking to Tsuna. He didn't touch him - did reach out, awkwardly, and then shoved his hands in his trouser pockets. Maybe then he told himself it was all right to repay a debt - return a favour - however he liked to justify things, because he gave Tsuna the same haphazard kiss that Tsuna had given him. Rough and warm.
He straightened quickly. "Kyoko?" he said, voice sharp with fear.
She came over and looked him up and down, and then straightened his tie. "Perfect?"
He kind of tackled her in a brief hug, and came up looking like it had been more for her benefit than his, because Kyoko laughed loud and genuine. He kept a hand on her shoulder, though. "Now tell her to get those combs she got for her birthday, Tenth. The ones with the pearls."
"Huh?" said Tsuna.
"Those things always end up sticking into my head by the end of the evening!"
"Those things were given to you by a Beccio. You know that family is supposed to know more about the Mafia than the Vindice. Don't piss them off!"
"They couldn't possibly get angry about something like that. And those combs are really expensive, I always worry about losing them if I don't wear them tight, so-"
"You look really pretty," said Tsuna, trying not to duck his head. He was allowed to say stuff like this about Kyoko. Even in front of Gokudera. "When you have your hair up. It looks nice."
She smiled with a sigh. "All right, you two win."
"Hah," said Gokudera, "and here I thought we were on the same team. C'mon, I'll help you."
"What do you know about doing other people's hair?"
"Then I need to collect data," Gokudera said imperturbably. Kyoko gave him an amused, wondering look, but his hands stroking through her hair made her smile. She looked over at Tsuna - permission? - and then positively beamed.
Tsuna watched them with a sharp stab of emotion, surprising pain, some envy, and above all relief. He'd never let himself notice the way they'd come to work together, too nervous when he saw them together. And maybe things were changing in this relationship he was starting to notice - Gokudera was indulging in spoiling Kyoko like he always did with Tsuna, and she was pleased and surprised under the attention, meeting his eyes and making him smile too.
Gokudera also hurried the process along, though, keeping things on time. Kyoko barely expressed approval before he pointedly offered his arm and gestured to the door.
"Let's go downstairs and get them," Kyoko said, getting up, "and all their Italian small talk."
"Practice more!" Gokudera said.
"Tsu-kun's almost as bad at it as I am!"
"Everyone who's actually decent to us mostly speaks Japanese," Tsuna said, a little shame-faced.
"Fuckers," Gokudera muttered. "So ... who are the ones who speak Italian?"
"Tsu-kun." Kyoko elbowed him. "You let the secret out. Don't get upset, Gokudera-kun. If it's about anything serious, Reborn-kun usually pops up."
"Yeah, but then he also starts talking in Italian and then he and the other person both start laughing at you," Tsuna said.
Kyoko laughed at him too. "Is that how it works for you?"
It was strange to let distance between them as they left the room, with a few last touches to adjust ties, pins, a shawl. The three of them grew more subdued as they walked on and the rest of the mansion got louder.
But even in the middle of parties, Tsuna and Kyoko had a knack for finding each other's eyes across a room; he could turn to the fringes of the room or loud nodes in the crowd and find Gokudera; and he found out that Kyoko could make what looked like a seriously rude gesture, Gokudera would nod and disappear, and suddenly all the snacks around the room got refreshed. He still couldn't quite believe it.
After most of the party had petered out, when it was quiet again, he could. They drew together so naturally that no one questioned it as they left, cheerily calling greetings and goodnights. Maybe they even did it too easily, but it felt like even their own questions could be left for later. After all, without questions he had both of them with him, and that was where the answers would get to in the end.