HITMAN REBORN: Zero Gravity (5927)
Tsuna tries to balance the large shopping bag without letting its contents fall out and roll down the steps (something that would be very unfortunate as oranges are fairly delicate). The wind blowing picks up as the sky becomes darker by each minute that passes. Tsuna doesn’t like autumn very much. Or winter. The cold wind, the cold rain… one could say that snow is beautiful and fun and although he would agree with this statement, he always feels too old to actually play in the snow. It’s all too silly. The seasons, school, having to go grocery shopping when he could as well do anything but chores. Perhaps his mother knew that and this was her attempt to keep him close in a way. He’s not fifteen anymore. Not a kid in so many ways, yet still a kid somehow.
Gokudera stares at his cup of tea; steam slowly disappearing upon meeting with air. Tsuna’s mother places a plate of cookies next to him even if he said it’s not necessary. She returns to cooking dinner: curry and rice. Gokudera turns to the clock on the wall and then looks out the window. The wind is howling. It looks cold. He wonders if perhaps he ought to go and meet the Tenth rather than wait for his return. He gives up the debate with himself as the memory of Tsuna pops up and scolds him yet again. He really doesn’t like it when Gokudera literally runs right after him like a little puppy. But it’s not that that he’s doing, is it? Shouldn’t the right hand man always be there for the boss? He looks at the clock again. Time isn’t on his side today. Not that it was yesterday or the day before that, or it’s going to be on his side tomorrow. Day after day it seems to passing slowly… as if in slow motion. Yet somehow time is never enough. And it slips through his fingers.
It’s all too frustrating.
It’s all too silly to just be reality.
“I’m back~” Tsuna announces, takes off his shoes and enters the house. He walks to the kitchen to give his mother the groceries.
“Ah, welcome back, Tsu-kun.” His mother greets him and relieves him from the shopping bag. But she isn’t the only one.
“Welcome back, Tenth!” Gokudera greets him standing up when he enters the room.
Tsuna is unsure of what to say. It has only been a few hours since they were at school together with Yamamoto and the others.
“Hello, Gokudera.” The other flashes a smile at the 10th boss of the Vongola family. Tsuna motions him to follow upstairs. Better to leave his mother alone when cooking before he ends up with more chores. And he‘s not fond of cooking either. “How come you’re here?” He needlessly asks as they’re going up the stairs.
Gokudera knows that there’s no real reason to be in the Sawada home, but he’s always there in his free time anyway. It’s not like he will answer giving an excuse such as ’let’s play shogi’ or something along those lines. It’s true that sometimes he comes up with weird things to present as excuses that make Tsuna stare at him as if he’s an alien, but this time it’s a solid reason. In fact, this time he’s actually following Reborn’s orders as well. Unintentionally.
“Have you forgotten already? We have a major math test tomorrow and I thought some tutoring might help. Reborn will not be pleased if you fail your classes and you said you don’t want to disturb his business in Italy.”
Damn. Math test again. Tsuna might not be 15 anymore and his grades may not be as bad as before he first met Reborn, but math always is his weak point. He just never gets it. Nor does he want to, but Reborn threatens him anyway.
They sit down at the table. Tsuna produces the text book and his notes from his school bag.
“You shouldn’t make such a long face, Tenth. You just have to study and do your best tomorrow!” Sometimes, Gokudera’s fighting spirit is scarier than Yamamoto’s. Correction. Scarier than Sasagawa Ryohei’s. Yes. Yes, that should do it. At least Tsuna is always reassured than he’s not capable of being creepy in the same sense as Hibari. Or Mukuro. He shudders at the thought.
“I know, I know…” he says laying out the notes. It’s just that I hate revision sessions.
* * *
“Tenth. Te~nth… Tsuna!”
Gokudera pulls Tsuna’s hand that was supporting his head causing him to wake up from him daydreaming. Occasionally he feels as though he can understand Reborn’s frustration at Tsuna’s attention span. Too short. He sighs.
“I’m sorry, Gokudera. I got distracted…” He apologizes.
“I can see that.” Frustration. “What’s the last thing you remember then?”
Tsuna considers Gokudera’s question and tries to remember, but he might as well be pondering the meaning of life. He has a vague idea of the fractions they were studying, but doesn’t want to disappoint him. He came all this way to help him study while he could have stayed home to study on his own. Fractions… he strains his mind, which very well feels like those oranges waiting down stairs only without producing any juice.
“Okay, I got it. We’ll just have go through it once more, if that’s alright.” Gokudera says before he gets any answer. The strain on Tsuna’s face is enough to understand that he was probably in his own worlds the minute they sat down to study. He sighs again, exhaling as much of his frustration as possible.
Tsuna stares at his text book. Actually it’s not even his text book or anything on it that he stares at. It could as well be blank for all he cared right now. He fiddles with his fingers, waiting in silence, knowing that the other is disappointed. He hears him sigh heavily for the second time in less than half an hour. It’s probably not such a good sign, considering that Gokudera has a patience worthy of simply observing in awe.
“Was it something important?” He hears Gokudera ask him. He looks up to see him putting the notes on the side. Tsuna shakes his head.
“Not really. Just…” he pauses. He can’t admit that it started with comparing Gokudera with Mukuro, contemplating who is scarier. Gokudera regards him suspiciously. “Dinner must be ready. We should go downstairs and continue studying afterwards.” Tsuna stands up and goes for the door.
But Gokudera is faster than him and reaches the door before him, blocking exit. He was always faster than Tsuna, just like he was taller than him. He always was and probably always will be taller. Maybe not faster, Tsuna likes to think as he looks up to him. He’s so serious that he’s not sure how to proceed.
Gokudera silently thanks Shamal in his head for his sharp reflexes. Perverted old man, he thinks. And then remembers that he’s not much better anyway. He looks down at Tsuna just inches away staring back at him. Those innocent eyes of his haven’t changed since he first met him nearly three year ago.
“She always calls up when the food is ready. Why are you in such a hurry to leave?” Tsuna stares at his feet. He doesn’t have a reason and he always fails at looking in someone’s eyes and lying. Not exactly a good trait for a future mafia boss. Honesty, that is. Gokudera watches as his lips silently mumble trying to form words.
“Is my company that bad?” Cause what kind of a right hand man am I then? Even if it’s all painful. Tsuna looks up. His facial expression successfully matches that of a crying puppy, teary eyes, sad frown and all that. Gokudera decides that the Tenth looks more cute than like a hurt puppy, which doesn’t help the situation at all.
He grabs Tsuna by the elbows pushing him away from the door, all the way to the window. Tsuna’s expression forms wild confusion as he‘s trapped between the window and Gokudera. The window is cold against his back, even through the curtain. The intense stare is becoming more uncomfortable by the second, but he doesn’t meet the other’s eyes. Gokudera traces his jaw line with a finger. Tsuna finally looks up, slightly more confused than tense than before. Anytime before. He’s never seen such a face on Gokudera before. Not the Gokudera he knows, at least. He wants to say something. Anything would do, but words fail to be formed in his very thoughts, much less by his mouth.
“Is it too much to ask for?” are the only words he hears from Gokudera before he comes closer, leans in and kisses him. Gokudera Hayato wonders how much he’ll regret this afterwards, but can’t help himself. There’s too much aggression, too much tension, too much frustration and agony to think straight, or at all. And it’s not like he hasn’t wished to do this before… many times over. It’s the reason behind the frustration and the sighs and that reason now has vanished into thin air. Some forgotten part of his sanity echoing, pervert. He ignores it. He ignores it because the person he’s kissing is kissing him back and it doesn’t have to make sense. The butterflies in his stomach seem to be multiplying, but this feeling is more intense than anything he’s felt before. He presses against the other trying to remain in the lead.
Tsuna abandons reason soon after the surprise from the sudden kiss fades. Unsure, he kisses him back. And it feels good. It feels better than he’s ever felt the past week… the past month, the past year. For all he cares it might be the best feeling he’s ever felt, but he doesn’t question it. He just keeps kissing Gokudera back, more and more. Am I flying? he considers. It feels less than butterflies and more like he’s in space, in zero gravity. Just floating aimlessly… Even the air is getting thinner.
He breaks the kiss but doesn’t let go, because if he lets go he’ll melt onto the floor as his legs feel too wobbly to hold him up. His feels like lips swollen as he’s breath and heartbeat are returning to their normal rates. Gokudera’s breath feels rough against his face. Their foreheads are touching as though trying to find something to hold on to. Gokudera’s fingers are tangles in Tsuna’s hair. His heart is pounding hard against his chest and his thoughts are a complete mess.
He has no words to say to justify his actions.
Tsuna doesn’t care for words anyway. He’s busy trying to collect his scattered thoughts. They all involve a certain delinquent that smokes, throws bombs around and has a crazy looking kind of pet cat. He looks at Gokudera’s face, so close. Gokudera keeps his eyes closed. He’s not ready to look at him in the eye yet and hopes it won’t remain like that. He moves and rest his head on Tsuna’s shoulder. If he were in zero gravity before now he’s most definitely falling through some kind of void. It’s a matter of time before he hits the ground, and that won’t be a very pretty sight. Or so he thinks. He wonders why the Tenth hasn’t let go yet. His arms pull him closer in an embrace and he bears his head in Gokudera’s neck. He can faintly smell the coconut shampoo he uses. It’s somehow reassuring. Reassuring that it’s him, that it’s Gokudera here who kissed him, that it’s Gokudera who is now holding him close and he feels safe.
“It’s not too much,” he whispers so silently between his right hand man’s hair and feels Gokudera tightening the embrace.
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EXTRA NOTES: Apologies for OOCness and all that. Blame my muse and erm, katiedistance’s plot bunny that took over my brain and decided to throw a party. I’m sorry if it sucks~ comments are welcome and all that. To answer a few obvious questions, yes they are in high school, yes Gokudera is a pervert, yes I do squee at this pairing and yes he uses a coconut shampoo by chance, but I find it fitting for some reason.
Please don’t flame me. Also, this fic is unbeta-ed and grammar isn’t my strongest point. Stuff shall be corrected where needed next time I have the luxury or logging in.