Gokudera felt really self-conscious. Why shouldn't he? He was a fifteen-year-old boy holding a tiny five-year-old's hand down a busy Namimori street. But what was he supposed to do? Along with the impromptu explosion right outside of his apartment window, he hadn't been paying attention to the little boy's ramen and had started a little fire in his kitchen. Luckily, 2 out of the 5 pots in the kitchen at the time survived and three cabinets were still usable. However, the only thing that didn't survive was the noodles and as it was his only package, they were forced to eat lunch out.

Tsuna still looked uneasy about the entire ordeal.

"Hayato-niisan, I'm really not all that hungry, honest," but the child's telltale stomach growled again and he shrunk away, blushing.

"Really, its ok, I don't mind," Hayato said, but in all reality, it wasn't okay. Most of what had happened today was not the little Sky guardian's fault. Both of the boys had just been in the wrong place (more like wrong occupation) at the wrong time.

"Th-Thank you," the little one said. He squeezed the Italian teen's hand tighter.

Hayato slowed his pace a little; it took three of Tsuna's quick, scuffling steps to keep up with one of Gokudera's long strides. He sighed for the umpteenth time that hour. He felt his heart speeding up again as he realized how soft and small the little hands were. How cute and innocent his entire personage was. And this boy was ten years younger than him. Gokudera tensed in disgust with himself as he realized how pedophilic this all seemed. But it really wasn't like that, right? Because… he was in love with the older version of this kid but… the fact remained that he was five and Gokudera was fifteen and… His head was spinning with confusion and worry when he heard a voice he despised.

"Oi! Gokudera!" the raven-haired boy ran up, a large, blue duffel bag slung over his shoulder casually.

"Ch'. What do you want, you yakyu-baka?" Gokudera said, about twelve times more irritated than he'd been before.

Yamamoto brushed off the hostility and continued in his usual chipper manner. "I thought you were supposed to be out with Tsuna today?"

"How did you know that?" the silverette said, continuing to glare, annoyed, at the Rain guardian.

"Tsuna told me. He seemed really excited about it. Did he head home already?" Yamamoto asked.

Gokudera glanced at the little brunette for a second and then looked back at the jock. Could he really not notice the resemblance between the two people? But at the same time, he smiled to himself. The Tenth had been excited about their outing today?

"Oh, look another little kid!" Yamamoto bent down and picked up the kid and examined him closely. "Aww, he's cute!"

"Hey! Give him back, yakyuu-baka!" Gokudera snapped.

"He looks a lot like Tsuna actually," Yamamoto said, laughing. "How interesting. Who is he?"

"Um… he's… my cousin?" Gokudera said, unsure of what else to say.

"Oh, yeah, I can see the resemblance!" Yamamoto said cheerfully.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Gokudera thought as he just stared at the raven-haired swordsman.

"Well, I've gotta get going to practice. I'll see you later," Yamamoto said, turning and running off in the direction he'd come.

"Yeah, whatever," Gokudera said, taking Tsuna's hand in his again.

"Hayato-niisan, who was that?" Tsuna said, looking up at the silverette questioningly.

"Just my idiot of a friend," he replied. "Don't worry about it."

"I didn't know we were cousins," Tsuna said.

"We're not," Gokudera said shortly. The bomber looked down at his wristband again. To be in love with a child who would also be your cousin? This situation just kept getting not only worse, but illegal. This kind of stuff only happened in the mafia.

"Hayato-niisan?" Tsuna called and snapped Hayato out of his thoughts.

"Huh?" he looked down at the little boy and tried to smile.

"You keep looking at that thing around your wrist. What is it?" he reached up and grabbed the older boy's wrist and yanked it towards him so he could see it a little better. "It's pretty scary."

"Don't say that!" Hayato pulled his wrist back faster and more forcefully than he'd meant to.

Tsuna took notice of the Italian's reaction and was quiet for a while.

They finally got to the center of town and without even realizing it, Gokudera had led both himself and the little one back to the exact restaurant in which the one he loves had been forcefully sent through the time stream until he landed on his ass ten years prior to that very moment (Again, this is quality mafia shenanigans.)

"Great," Gokudera thought grumpily. "Now I can wallow in self-pity because it looks like I'm on a date with a five-year-old."

They sat down and Gokudera busied himself with ordering the two of them drinks and trying to ignore the giggling girls behind them, muttering in not-so-hushed voices about how hot the "gray-haired foreigner" was. The bomber rolled his eyes and plopped his chin down onto his outstretched hand lazily. Tsuna watched him carefully, sipping quietly from the glass of juice that the waitress (who had also fallen victim to the irresistible charms of the Storm guardian) had brought him a few minutes before. Then, when Gokudera subconsciously peered at the wristband again, he decided to make himself known.

"Did you get that from your girlfriend?" he asked innocently but still looking away nervously as the silverette addressed him.

"What? No," he snorted noisily. "Why would you think I have a girlfriend?"

"Um..." Tsuna tensed a little when he watched Gokudera's eyes cloud ominously. "Well, I heard all these girls around us talking about how cute you were and how its such a shame you have to take care of 'the little, spiky-headed brat' on a day off." He had said it quickly and all in one breath as he was scared that Gokudera might get mad at him.

Gokudera's eyes narrowed and Tsuna recoiled, worrying that he'd done something wrong. But instead, Gokudera whipped around in his seat, causing the chains attached to his hip to clang metallically against the chair, and glared maliciously at the girls behind them. They giggled flirtatiously at him at first, but when they saw the expression on his face, they turned around in their seats and were from then on terrified of turning around again.

He grunted angrily and turned back to the tiny brunette. To his surprise (or not), he was looking down at his lap, a guilty expression on his face. When Tsuna noticed that Gokudera was looking at him again, he whimpered and looked up at the bomber worriedly. Gokudera smiled reassuringly at him and motioned for him to come over. When Tsuna had made his way over to where Gokudera's chair was, he picked him up and set him gently in his lap. The not-yet Sky guardian looked at Gokudera questioningly, who only smiled back down at him again.

"WAAAAAAH! SOOOO CUUTE!" a shrieking voice pierced through the café as a young, brown-haired girl trotted excitedly towards Gokudera and Tsuna.

"Freakin' wonderful," Gokudera thought.

She finally made her way over to the two boys and without a word to either of them, scooped Tsuna up in her arms.

"He's adooorable! Haru is very happy to meet you, sweetie," Haru said, hugging Tsuna tightly to her chest.

"H-Huh?" Tsuna squirmed.

"He looks a lot like Tsuna-san!" she chirped happily. Then her tone changed immediately and she turned to the Storm guardian. "So what is he doing with you?"

"It sounds like you wanna start a fight, ahou-onna!" Gokudera said, holding up a fist near her nose.

"What the heck are you teaching children? Fighting? Calling beautiful girls stupid? You fiend!" Haru gasped. She turned back to the little boy and nuzzled her nose against his. "He's such a tyrant, isn't he?"

"U-Um, I like him…" Tsuna said quietly.

"How tragic! You've already sculpted his mind into a lump of gross Gokudera-ness!"

Gokudera scoffed, turning to the side and flipping her the bird.

"Ugh! How dare you do such vulgar things in front of a child? This is ridiculous! He can't stay with you. I'm taking him home with me," Haru said.

When Tsuna heard this, he started to whimper loudly and squirm. "Hayato-niisan…" he called worriedly.

"What the hell? No, you're not! You don't even know him!" Gokudera said. "Now give him back to me." Gokudera reached over to Tsuna and the child reached towards the silverette, his eyes sparkling with tears about to be shed, but Haru turned her back towards the Storm guardian, moving Tsuna away from his grasp.

"Well, we'll see about that!" she looked down at the baby and smiled dotingly. "What's your name, sweetie?"

Tsuna didn't say anything, he just looked over Haru's shoulder at Gokudera.

"Honey, I said 'what's your name'," Haru said again, this time with a little less cheer.

"Um… Tsu-"

"He doesn't have to tell you, ahou-onna," Gokudera said, finally getting close enough to the girl so that he could take his boss back from here.

"You're so rude! You're turning this angel's pristine white heart jet black. Its enough to bring Haru to tears!" Haru fake-wept and grabbed for the infant again.

"Um… Hayato-niisan, this girl is weird and really pushy," Tsuna said, looking up at the silverette.

"Hahii!"

"Yes, I know," he said before he turned back to the brunette girl with the appalled expression on her face. "I think its time for you to go."

"What a rude kid! Haru doesn't have to take this!" she stomped away stormily as people around her stared.

"I don't like her," Tsuna said, glaring in her direction.

"That makes two of us," Gokudera said. "I can't imagine why the Tenth lets her hang around us."

"Tenth?" Tsuna asked questioningly.

"Oh, um… its nobody," Gokudera said, forgetting for a second that he was in fact talking to the Tenth. But the worst part of it was that he was lying. Tsuna wasn't nobody to him. He was everything to him.

They sat down at the table again and Tsuna stayed on Hayato's lap this time.

"Hayato-niisan, can I ask you something?

"Anything," the bomber replied.

"Um… it seems like a lot of people don't really like you," Tsuna said and he instantly looked like he regretted saying anything, but he knew he had to finish what he started, so he continued. "Why, um… why is that?"

Hayato smiled and took Tsuna's small hands in his own. "Its okay. I think people don't really like me because I'm not nice to them."

"Why? You're nice to me," Tsuna said pointedly.

"Yeah, but I like you," Gokudera said, trying to sound nonchalant about confessing to a five-year old. "I mean, you're different than everyone else."

"Isn't there anyone besides me who likes you?" Tsuna asked.

"Yes, or at least I hope so," Gokudera thought.

"Actually, yes. Or at least I like to think so," Gokudera said. "He's the 'Tenth' person I was talking about."

"Do you like him? Are you nice to him?" Tsuna said, touching Gokudera's long pianist fingers individually and held them in his tiny hands.

"I like him a lot," Gokudera stared off into space as he said this. "He's really the only one I'm nice to."

"Why?"

Gokudera jumped a little and his face turned a little pink. He actually had no idea why it was like that with Tsuna.

"I don't really know," Gokudera said.

"Well, do you wanna know what I know?" Tsuna asked quietly.

"What's that?" Gokudera replied.

"I like you," Tsuna stood up on Gokudera's lap and kissed the silverette lightly on the nose. The kiss lasted a few seconds and he sat back down on the Italian's lap when he was through. The separation of skin was like an enormous electric shock so dramatic that the older of the two flinched.

Tsuna's face broke into a huge grin as he looked back up at his babysitter, but the smile quickly left his face when he saw how red the silverette's was.

"Hayato-niisan, what's wrong? Your face is so red," he pointed at the silverette's face, which was almost twitching as he stared wide-eyed into nothing. His face was reddened to the point that his head resembled a tomato and popped out dramatically compared to his silver hair.

He finally regained himself when he felt the small brunette's worried gaze upon him.

"Oh, uh… nothing," he stuttered lamely. He was really going to have a problem with this, wasn't he?

They finished the rest of their lunch in a heavy silence, one side confused by his babysitter's strange antics, the other worried about his possible pedophilia.

It was only until they were on their way home did one of them finally break the awkward silence that had fallen over them.

"Hayato-niisan, can we go to the park?" Tsuna asked, glancing towards the children playing jubilantly on the playground.

Hayato was exhausted; mentally, physically, and emotionally, however he couldn't bring himself to disappoint his boss; past, present, and future. So, he put on his best "I'm-so-not-about-to-pass-out-from-exhaustion" face, took the young boy's hand, and led him towards the park.

Tsuna wasted no time running over to the playground, giggling happily and waving back to the silverette when he made it to the other side of the swing set. Gokudera waved back and he sat on a nearby bench, Before he knew it, he had leaned back against the bench and he had started resting his eyes. 'Only for a second', he told himself as he shut his eyes, but no sooner had his lids touched were they ripped open again as he heard a shriek pierce the air.

Hayato opened his eyes and they fell open the young Vongola, cornered into the end of the sandbox, a rather large Doberman sniffing around idly nearby. The large dog didn't seem to have any intention of attacking the child, he actually seemed to not have noticed him at all, but regardless, Tsuna shrieked and cried as if it were charging at him, snarling.

Gokudera was on his feet and bolting over to where the Sky was cowering in a heartbeat and Tsuna was in his arms seconds later. Tsuna buried his head in Gokudera's chest and squeezing him tight while the teen turned to the dog. He reached into his belt and grabbed a stick of dynamite while he glared menacingly at the dog. Gokudera had no cigarette in his mouth, as he had refused to smoke a single cancer stick while in the company of the five-year-old version of his boss. He lit in manually, as Tsuna had done not to long before and it sizzled angrily. As if the loud sizzling of the explosive wasn't enough, the dog whimpered under the Storm's icy gaze and stalked away.

Gokudera didn't look down at the baby, as he didn't want to see him so upset, but he did hoist him a little higher in his arms and walked briskly towards the bench he had been occupying before the "attack."

He sat down, still clutching the tiny boy lovingly, letting him cry himself out. Before long he had calmed himself down considerably and had reduced to sniveling quietly against Hayato's chest. The boy's tiny hands were still hanging onto the bomber's shirt for dear life.

Hayato didn't mind the crying, or the fact that his shirt was getting stained (a perk of wearing only black: not a lot of stains are noticeable,) but it did worry him a little how much the little one was shaking. He debated in his head whether or not to say anything or just leave Tsuna be, but finally he rubbed Tsuna's back and said, "Tsuna? Are you okay?" in the most soothing voice he had.

Tsuna didn't say anything, but he felt Tsuna's grip on his shirt tighten, acknowledging that he had in fact heard Gokudera.

He leaned back against the bench and laced his fingers through the child's chocolate hair. The boy responded by shifting himself even closer to the teen. The older guardian started stroking the child's head, loving the feeling of the brunette hair through his fingers. It felt soothing and as he started to find a rhythm, he also felt himself drifting off and before he knew it, he had fallen asleep.

What felt like a minute had actually melted into hours and when his eyes finally opened, the once blue sky had now become a dark cherry red. He yawned lazily, mentally cursing himself for allowing himself to fall asleep on a park bench… again. He stood up and stretched out his stiff back, feeling the bones crack uncomfortably. As he regained his regular posture, he felt this lingering feeling that something was off. He looked around and couldn't for the life of him figure out what was wrong with this picture.

But he soon figured out what was wrong as the memories of that day all came back to him in a crash. He realized in horror that the smaller version of his boss was nowhere to be found. He searched frantically around the playground for him, but every square inch of the park was empty. He felt his face reddening and his forehead started dripping with a cold sweat. How could he lose a child? How could he allow himself to fall asleep and lose a child? Especially his boss?

He started running because he had no idea of what else to do. He only stopped when his face smacked into something. He fell to the ground and looked up only to come face-to-face with the Rain guardian.

"Whoa, you're in a hurry," Yamamoto laughed, but the grin quickly left his face when he saw the look on Gokudera's.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Gokudera spat. He only realized he was crying when his hand subconsciously lifted up and wiped tears away as they streaked down his face. "I'm fine. Shut up."

"Okay," Yamamoto said, and just like that his smile was back. "Anyway, I came over here because I was wondering what your cousin was doing."

"What the hell are you talking about, you idiot?" Gokudera said, growling and blinking as he felt more tears well up in his eyes.

"The little kid from earlier? Your cousin?" Yamamoto said, trying to explain who it was to Gokudera. He laughed when he saw the confused and somehow still annoyed look on the Storm's face. "You know, the kid who looks like Tsuna?"

"What about him, jackass?" Gokudera said, turning his head as he felt a whole other round of tears welling up at the mention of his missing boss.

"Well, I just saw him in the field down the street from here," Yamamoto said, pointing behind his own shoulder towards the path away from the park.

"What? You did?" Gokudera ran past the Rain guardian and looked down the road where the raven-haired boy was pointing.

"You lost your cousin?" Yamamoto laughed. "You dummy!"

But Gokudera had already run down the street, hoping beyond hope that the baseball-idiot had grown a molecule of a brain the one time he needed it.

He streaked down the street and when he came to the field, he was greeted with the most amazing sight ever. Okay, well, maybe not ever but it was definitely what he wanted to see. Tsuna was sitting in the field. He was truly a vision; his tiny body was bent over so that only his body from the shoulders up were showing. A golden sunset threw light over him and his whole body shimmered in it.

Gokudera walked silently towards the child and the Sun guardian saw him and smiled at him. He was confused when the teen bent down and pulled him into his arms without saying another word.

"Hayato-niisan, are you okay?" Tsuna said, returning the hug even though he was still confused.

"No," Gokudera said. Tsuna started as he heard this and pulled back so he could look at the Storm guardian.

"Why? What's wrong?" the panic in his voice made Gokudera smile, but at the same time it made his heart ache.

"I thought I lost you," Gokudera said quietly.

"B-But… I was just…" his cocoa-colored eyes were filling up with silver tears, his cherubic lip had started to quiver.

"Don't worry. Its fine," Gokudera placed a hand on his head, his fingers lying in his hair. "I was just really worried about you. I don't know what I'd do if anything took you away from me."

"I-I'm sorry, Hayato-niisan," Tsuna said. "I didn't mean to make you worry."

"Its okay," he turned the little child around his lap and laid his chin on top of his head. "What were you doing over here?"

"I was making you a flower necklace," Tsuna reached down and lifted up the ring of daisies that he had strung together. "You know, to thank you."

"Thank me for what?"

"For saving me from that dog," Tsuna said. He stood up in the bomber's lap and placed the necklace over his head. "No one else would've done that for me."

Gokudera smiled and bent down to kiss Tsuna on the forehead. "Let's go home now."

He stood up and as he did, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He removed his black cell phone from his jeans and flipped it open to find that he'd received a new text message.

"Giannini figured out the Ten Year Bazooka. Tsuna should return to our time in about half an hour. Bring him home now. –Reborn."

Gokudera's hand shook as he flipped the phone closed.

"Hayato-niisan, aren't we going back to your house?" Tsuna asked.

"No, we're gonna go somewhere else," Gokudera said, swallowing the lump in his throat. He was excited. His beloved boss was coming home. It had been a long day and he wanted to see him again. But at the same time… he was devastated. This boy… This little boy whom he had only known for less than twenty-four hours had effectively torn the Italian's heart to shreds. He was beautiful and smart and incredible and he could see right into Gokudera's heart; almost like the fifteen-year-old Tsuna could.

He made his way over to the Sawada house in a daze and when he got there, he felt like it was much too soon. He walked up to the door, only muttered a quiet "hello" to Nana, who didn't question the tiny boy who was the spitting image of her son, and he walked up the stairs.

He walked into Tsuna's room to find the mechanic with Reborn.

"Ah, you brought him back. Good," Reborn said. "And with seven minutes to spare. You can go now."

Hayato nodded and turned to leave. He was halfway down the hall when he heard a whine behind him and turned to see the baby Tsuna behind him.

"Hayato-niisan, where are you going?" Tsuna said.

"Um… I'm going home now," Gokudera said sadly.

"Without me?" Tsuna asked and Gokudera nearly lost it. But he regained himself and turned back to the child.

"Yeah… yeah, without you," he said.

"B-But why?"

"Because its time for you to go home now," the silverette said.

"But I don't wanna go home," Tsuna was close to sobbing now. "I wanna stay with you."

"You can't," Gokudera said. "I have to go."

"No!" Tsuna hugged Gokudera and clung to him, crying into his sleeve.

Gokudera rubbed his head and lifted it gently. "Don't worry. You'll see me again," he said. It was the truth, but at the same time it was a lie.

"When?"

"I don't know. Take care until then, okay?" he kissed the boy on the forehead one more time before he turned around. But the brunette still tugged on his sleeve.

"Tsuna, I have to-" but he was cut off. The five-year-old had pressed his tiny lips to Gokudera's.

"I love you, Hayato-niisan," he said. Then he finally turned around and went back to where Reborn was waiting.

Hayato didn't even remember walking out the door. His head was still spinning with the words he had longed for for so long. He couldn't believe that he had finally heard it. He didn't care that he had just accepted the confession of a child. It still meant the world to him.

He made it to the gate and the Yellow Arcobaleno was waiting for him.

"What's the matter with you?" he chirped impatiently.

"Nothing," Gokudera said.

"Did that kid really have that much of an impact on you?"

Hayato ignored the baby and left, turning on to the street and returning home.

Hayato sat at home, too tired to cry, too sad to sleep. The entire day had been so long but somehow it was still only 7:45. Tsuna had changed back about fifty minutes ago. He lay down on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He didn't know what to do with himself now. He wasn't sure that he could face the real Tenth again. He would never be able to see Tsuna the same way after being with his younger self. He'd miss him too much.

He heard a banging on his door and considered ignoring it, but the incessant noise just would not stop, so he dragged himself out of bed and made his way over to the door of his apartment. He didn't even bother looking out of the peephole. He didn't care.

He unlocked his door and turned the handle. No sooner had he opened the door was he being ambushed. Well, not all of him. Just his lips. He grunted in surprise and tried to move, but he only ended up with a bunch of brown hair in his face. When his "attacker" finally let go, Gokudera was shocked to find himself staring at his boss, grinning from ear to ear.

"T-T-Tenth?" he felt himself redden. Had he just been k-k-kissed? By TSUNA? "What's-"

"It was you!" Tsuna said, throwing his arms around Gokudera and holding him close. The Storm guardian resisted the urge to hug back and pushed him away.

"What's wrong, Tenth? Are you running a fever?" Gokudera felt the Tenth's forehead.

Tsuna giggled. "No, of course I'm not! Look, it'll be easier to talk in here." Tsuna took hold of Gokudera's hand and led him back into the apartment.

Gokudera was flabbergasted. His face was so read that his ears were probably looking the equivalent to being on fire. First he had kissed, then hugged, and now was holding hands. With Tsuna. Was this a dream? Maybe he had fallen asleep after all.

They finally sat down in Gokudera's room, next to each other on the bomber's bed.

"So…" Gokudera said, trying to segue into an explanation.

"My mom told me something right after I got back from the past," Tsuna said quickly. He had an impatient look on his face, which Gokudera took as annoyance. "She said…"

About half an hour ago…

"Tsu-kun! Tsu-kun! I just remembered something!" Nana said excitedly.

"What, Mom?" Tsuna was exhausted. It had been a long day.

"I remember a day when you were little, about ten years ago, when you went missing for a day," Nana said, tapping her chin, as if trying to remember what had happened.

"What about it?" Tsuna was in no way surprised that Nana had lost him, even though he knew that day was ten years ago today and Nana's five-year-old son had been thrown through time ten years in the future.

"After we found you, you were crying your eyes out, talking about seeing 'Hayato-niisan' again. You said he took care of you and I had no idea what you were talking about. You always talked about his gray hair and how nice he was," Nana said.

Realization dawned on Tsuna as Nana said, "Whoever you were talking about reminds me a lot of Gokudera-kun. Isn't that funny?"

Tsuna remembered the man who had taken care of him ten years ago. He remembered a gentle giant with long fingers. He protected him and kept him safe and warm. Tsuna suddenly relived the last ten years of his life wondering about his silver-haired hero.

"You remembered me?" Gokudera said, incredulous.

"Its amazing. For me, it happened ten years ago. For you, it happened a few hours ago," Tsuna said. "But I know I remember one thing."

Gokudera turned to him and found that Tsuna had leaned in and was kissing him again. This time it was a lot less surprising and very gentle. He pulled back and he looked deep into Hayato's emerald eyes and said, "'I love you, Hayato-niisan'."

Gokudera's face turned red in a flash and he couldn't comprehend what was going on.

"W-Wha-?"

"I know this is weird, Gokudera-kun," Tsuna said. "I know you weren't expecting this, but… I can't help it. I love you even more than I did before."

"You… what? Before?" Gokudera asked. "What do you mean 'before'?"

"I love you, Gokudera-kun," Tsuna said. "I loved you before I went into the past and I missed you for every second but… being reminded that of what you did for me in the past…. I couldn't believe that I could love someone so much."

"Y-You... You're serious, right?" Gokudera asked.

Tsuna's eyes narrowed. "Do I look like I'm kidding?"

"No… I just can't believe that this is happening," Gokudera said, looking down at his lap. "I-…"

"Gokudera-kun?" Tsuna asked, bending his head and trying to see Gokudera's face.

"I'm so happy!" the Storm lifted his head and flashed his biggest smile.

"Wait, so…"

"I love you, too, Tenth."

Tsuna blinked and in the next second, he had dove on top of the silverette, his arms wrapped tight around him. Gokudera fell backwards against the bed and found himself looking back up at the brunette.

"I've been waiting ten years for this," Tsuna said, smiling and leaning in for another kiss.