"Disperato (Gokudera)"

Setting: KHR, AU
Pairing: 2759; a few various minor pairings.
Rating: M
Genre: Romance
Point of View: Third-person
Warnings: Homosexual relationships, swearing, assaults, minor drugs, smut, sexual assault, attempts at humor, and possible OOC. Italics are flashbacks, thoughts, foreign words or stressed words.
Further Notes: There will be a few repeats of scenes, obviously, but with Gokudera's thoughts and emotions portrayed rather than Tsuna's. I can't skip over them because they are all important, so be prepared for it. Also, I read an anonymous review that said that I don't have to italicize honorifics, so thank you for telling me, but I like to because it's part of the style I write in.

Ever since he was four, he was left alone like a black sheep. His father hardly saw him, talking to him was even rarer, and spent most of his time at work. His mother was dead, recently too, and much to his horror, he didn't even realize that his piano teacher was his mother all along. His step mother was horrible to him, often shunning him and sending him away to different places and hoping he didn't return. His older sister (half sister, he reminded himself bitterly) rarely tried to talk to him, and even if she did, it was to force him to try her cooking, which always ended up with him nearly dying of food poisoning.

It wasn't until he was six that he moved to Japan. His older cousin, G., (older by six years, he believed) tried to include him with his friends, Giotto and his younger brother Reborn, but his aunt (G.'s mother) often made sure he was stuck inside for something, whether it be schoolwork or household chores. He didn't understand why he was forced to work really hard on homework when he was acing all his tests anyway. He'd end up in fights, though, because the kids hated that he was foreign, different, but he proved them wrong by beating them to a bloody pulp. Apparently, that was frowned upon.

G. would drag him to a doctor friend, Shamal, much to his and Shamal's chagrin. Shamal bitched about only treating women, but would patch him up anyway. G. often scolded him about fighting, but it wasn't like the redhead could talk when he often got into fights himself over his hair ("It's not pink!" G. would say vehemently). He knew that his cousin cared for his well being though, so he tried not to get into too many fights as he got older. Eventually, he saw less and less of G. and more and more of the dull-colored walls of whoever he slept with that day.

He wasn't even sure when it began, especially considering his foul mouth and explosive temper (literally. G. still never knew how he got his hands on dynamite that one time).

Finally, a little after he turned twenty, he encountered them for the first time. He was finally able to enter clubs and bars without a hitch, and he exploited that fact mercilessly. He was getting tired of sleeping with guys from his high school, and he didn't have enough social skills to start seducing men at the college he recently enrolled in.

"Oya, who might you be?" A voice asked, amused, and caught his attention. Turning his head slightly, he took in the sight of a male...was that pineapple hair?

"None of your business, pineapple," He spat, sipping on his beer. "Off you go." On a normal day, perhaps he would have considered it, but the vibes of this man were creeping him out, and he wanted none of that. The man seemed like the possessive type, and he wasn't one to get pulled into that kind of shit. He steered clear of it whenever he could.

"Shishishi, you got rejected, Mukuro," A second man joined in. This one had blond hair that covered his eyes. Pineapple, or rather, Mukuro, he supposed, frowned at the blond.

"Bel, do you wish to die?" Mukuro asked the other...Bel, according to Mukuro. Bel, however, ignored the other and turned back to him.

"Neh, cutie, do you want to come with the Prince?" Bel asked him with a large grin. He, however, felt the same vibes as Mukuro and answered,

"No. Get lost." Bel and Mukuro exchanged surprised looks (or at least Bel seemed surprised; it was hard to tell with the eyes hidden) before looking back to him.

"Kufufufu, I see this kitten has claws. Let's start over, then. My name is Rokudo Mukuro. And you?" Though put off, he begrudgingly replied,

"Gokudera Hayato." Bel snickered,

"I'm the Prince, Belphegor. Make sure to bow down to me Princess." Gokudera snorted, and ignored the both of them. Or at least, he tried when yet another male jumped in.

"Oh, who do we have here?" The white-haired newcomer asked with an eerie smile.

"Gokudera Hayato-kun," Mukuro told the other.

"Oh, Hayato-chan then. Millefiore Byakuran, at your service. Why don't we ditch these two and head off somewhere?" The man, Byakuran, grinned despite the other two's indignant protests. Hayato, however, could care less, especially at the same possessive demeanor the three seemed to share. He was a pitcher damn it, and he refused to be their "catch."

"No. To all of you. Now go the hell away before I kick your ass," He threatened, downing the rest of his beer and standing. He ignored the shocked and disgruntled looks he received, and left the bar.

He didn't notice the evil grins the three had on their faces.

Gokudera yawned tiredly, carrying two books underneath his arm. His raven companion, Hibari Kyouya, looked just as tired, though for an entirely different reason. While Gokudera was tired from studying last night up until late (and not in the bed of a stranger for once), Hibari just hated having to wake up so early. As friends (no matter how much Kyouya denied the term), he had the duty to wake the skylark in at a proper time that wouldn't get him killed.

Hayato still didn't know how he was friends with the guy. They met in high school, and Hibari was a grade above him. Apparently, Hibari ran some kind of Disciplinary Committee, and made sure everyone followed the rules down to the letter, lest they get beaten by metal tonfas. They first met when Hayato had been smoking on the roof, and was caught by the prefect. A massive fight ensued, and even though he lost, he gained some respect from the other. Hibari wanted to fight him nearly once a day, even though he won almost every single time (there was one time that Hayato tripped, which saved him from the final blow and effectively put him in a position to pin Kyouya in a hold, so there was that one victory). So, ever since high school, Hibari basically looked after him (apparently, the skylark went through his records to find out everything from his family history to every single fight he's been in; this led him to believe that the school was creepy for keeping that kind of information) without even saying it.

"Gokudera," Kyouya stated, regaining his attention.

"What?" He asked, frowning slightly.

"If you keep thinking that hard, you are going to trip," Kyouya pointed out. "I've already stopped you from tripping twice now."

"You could have let me fall."

"Then you would complain that I didn't catch you." Hayato frowned further, and turned his head away in protest. He would have liked to start an argument, but it was too early for that. Instead, a mop of gravity defying brown hair caught his attention. The brunet was talking to a raven-haired male, and both of them began to laugh. Gokudera nearly stopped walking. Those pure brown eyes and bright smile nearly took his breath away.

Rather, they did, because he halted breathing altogether.

The two males were really engaged in what they were talking about, and were soon joined by a loud-mouthed (he could tell because he could hear the shouts) white-haired male. Hayato couldn't stop staring, because he just found the brunet beautiful. He was tempted to go over and talk to the male, but stopped as he remembered one thing.

He had no idea if the guy was gay.

He didn't want to go over and then be shot down suddenly. Moreover, in front of a group of people. Plus, that man was angelic, and Hayato knew he was practically the embodiment of sin, with how many men he slept with.

No matter what, he knew that even if by some miracle of a chance, the brunet was gay, he would taint that kind of kind-hearted appearance. He could just tell by the aura of the male, and the faint sounds of his laughter, that he was pure, and that wasn't something worth destroying.

"Gokudera, what could you possibly be spacing out about?" Hibari's question brought him back to reality, and he began to breathe once more.

"Uh, nothing," The silverette frowned at the hard stare he was receiving, "Let's just go already."

Hayato sighed as he read his book. He was at the small apartment he currently shared with his cousin, alone. G. was bound to come home soon from work though, unless he was going to Giotto's place. Frowning to himself, he stood and headed into the kitchen to make dinner, grabbing his cell phone along the way. He didn't feel like going to the bar tonight, especially since he saw that brunet this morning. Or maybe he should, he reconsidered, in order to get rid of the guy's presence in his thoughts. He really had no idea how he could be so enthralled by a person he never even met, and who didn't even know he existed. For some reason, that smile stuck in his mind. It was bright and warm, something he wished he had for himself.

"I'm back," a voice called as the front door opened. Gokudera looked up from his cooking preparations, watching as his cousin walked through the archway into the same room.

"Welcome back, G.," He greeted in a gruff voice, turning back to chopping the carrots. "Should I make enough for you?"

"Yeah, sure. I haven't eaten since lunch," G. nodded, "Want me to help?"

"If you helped, you'd burn down the kitchen."

"Hey, shitty brat!" G. knocked his fist into the silveret's temple in a teasing manner. "That was one time."

"One time too many." Hayato snorted, smirking lightly as he dropped the chopped carrot into a pan with various other vegetables. "Does Giotto-san let you near the kitchen?"

"Yes, he does," G. said as he lit up a cigarette, "Giotto and Tsuna-kun love my cooking."

"Tsuna? Who's that?" Gokudera raised an eyebrow. Was his cousin two-timing? He didn't seem like the type.

"Giotto's youngest brother. You know, there's Reborn, who you met once when you were younger, then there's Xanxus, and then Tsuna-kun, who is the youngest. He's your age." G. flipped open his phone, and showed it to him. In the picture was Giotto, G., Reborn, a scarred male (who he deemed Xanxus, because that guy was definitely not his age), and a brunet.

Wait...that brunet was the one from this morning! He was G.'s lover's little brother...

What a small world. He suddenly felt hopeful, like he could actually meet the brunet, Tsuna (ah, Tsuna was a good name), and then-

Time out. If Tsuna was Giotto's brother, then Giotto would be more inclined to injure him, G.'s cousin or not, if he tainted Tsuna's kind purity with his existence. Great...now it just got harder to ignore him.

"Ah, I see," Gokudera said, as if he didn't just re-break his heart on his own twice in the same day, "I thought for a second you were cheating on Giotto-san."

"I would never!" G. protested, "I love Giotto."

"Right, you lovestruck idiot," Hayato shook his head and quickly finished making the stir fry dinner for two. "Hurry up and grab some plates."

Gokudera found himself being hounded by the three creepy men nearly every time he went to the bar. He told them to leave him alone, pissed off by their existence as time went on, and often tried to hide himself on the dance floor and in a bathroom stall (he went as far as sneaking out the bathroom window once). He could just beat them up and be done with it, but three against one wasn't very fair, and he didn't want to trouble G. by getting the redhead to bail him from jail for assault. Despite his impatience and hot-headed nature, he knew that if he messed up with G., there would be no one to fall back on.

"Oh, it's the Princess." Gokudera froze on his way to his next class. Slowly, he turned his head to look behind him. Lo and behold, Bel stood there, grinning there like a madman. Rather than acknowledge him, Hayato turned his head forward and continued on his way like he never heard the guy. Bel, however, caught up to him with nothing short of a few quickened steps, and grinned at him wider. "Shishishishi, don't be so cold Princess."

Hayato snorted, but said nothing, and turned into his classroom. He'd rather be damned than respond to his threats, because he knew it would encourage the blond. The vibe the guy constantly gave off only gave him more of a reason to try to ignore his existence. Still undeterred, Bel followed him in, grinning like the psycho he probably was.

"Oh Princess, you need to stop playing hard to get," Bel stated in a sing-song voice. Hayato still ignored him and sat in the back corner, next to a slumbering Hibari. The silveret was smart enough to have classes with people in higher years than him, so he got to share a few academic classes with the skylark. "Princess-"

"Shut up or I'll bite you to death," Hibari growled suddenly, awake and standing. His aura gave off his murderous intent, and the brandishing of his signature tonfas completed the picture. Bel raised his hands in a placating manner, and walked away, the grin on his face gone. Hayato sighed to himself as Hibari eventually sat down, but not before whacking him upside the head with a tonfa.

"What the hell was that for?" He nearly snarled, clenching his fists.

"Do a better job of keeping your stalkers away, herbivore," Kyoya said simply, and Hayato blinked. Kyoya knew? ...Huh?

"...It's not my fault," He defensively raised his arms up, keeping a wary eye on the skylark. In a completely uncharacteristic moment from Hibari, he asked,

"Shall I take care of it?" Gokudera could only blink stupidly, nearly gaping. He quickly regained his common his sense though, and snapped his jaw shut. He sighed a few moments later and murmured,

"It's fine. I'll figure it out." Kyoya only hummed, and went back to his nap. Gokudera frowned and opened his notebook.

It wasn't like this could last forever, right?

Apparently it could. Gokudera found himself being bothered by Bel on almost a regular basis for over a month (at least the stupid creep had enough sense not to follow him into his classes where Hibari would undoubtedly threaten him). He had stopped going to that bar, and instead frequented a different one, intent on escaping the three lunatics. He had to double check before he went home that he wasn't being followed; the last thing he wanted was one of them showing up at his doorstep. Hibari was getting more and more irritated with him, telling him that he would take care of it if he didn't any time soon, but Gokudera didn't protest when the other was spending a bit more time with him when the skylark wasn't enforcing the laws on peace breakers.

Hayato sighed into his palm, resting his cheek on it as he propped his elbow on the bar counter. He was tired of all the harassment, but he no longer had the bravado to actually take action against them considering the consequences he'd face. He threatened and barked all he could to dissuade them, but it wasn't working. It was getting to the point where he wished to just hide out somewhere, or even ask for Hibari's help. One day, that he would come to regret, he finally gave in. What would happen then?

Shit, shit, shit, shit! He stumbled across the sidewalk all of five minutes later. Someone spiked his drink! His vision couldn't focus and he could hardly think straight. He managed to get himself into the nearest alley. Shit, what was he going to do?

"Shishishi, I've caught you~" His head shot up and dread filled him instantly.

"You..." He slurred. His limbs shook in protest when he tried taking a few steps back. His back hit the wall and his vision swam once again. Bel sauntered up to him with that infuriating grin on his face.

"C'mon Princess," Bel grinned. "You were taking too long. I had to do things my way, ya know?" The blond laughed again and took him by the arm. "This is what you get for being disobedient after all."

Gokudera wanted to fight back. He wanted to yell and call for help. He wanted someone to come and see this and stop him.

He couldn't. He could hardly stay upright as he was dragged and he staggered along. He could hardly protest, hardly think, and hardly see.

...Shit...

He couldn't remember how he made it home two nights later. G. was swearing up a storm in worry for not contacting him at all, and all he could do was apologize and avoid eye contact. He couldn't even look his cousin in the eye. Not after what happened. Not after he was raped.

Not after he was raped not only once, but thrice, and by each of the men who stalked him.

They told him that if he ran again, the punishment would be worse. They said if he denied their calls he would be hurt again, and that if he just listened, it wouldn't have happened in the first place. What the hell was he supposed to do? Go to the police? Tell G.? The police wouldn't do anything about it. It was between males, and whenever that happened, things typically were turned a blind eye, as if it wasn't happening. There was no way he could tell the only family member who cared about him. G. could be a total pain in the ass and what not, but he was the only one the silveret could rely on. If G. found out, would he care less? Would he kick him out for troubling him with this?

He couldn't. He couldn't risk it. He had nowhere else to go if he lost this. He'd end up back on the streets, like when he ran away one time back when he lived with his bastard of a father. He had been found and returned by the police two months later, but no one in the mansion acted like they even noticed he was gone. They were probably even glad that he was gone too. One less mouth to feed, after all.

"Oh, Hayato, you're home?" G. asked when he returned home, and it took all of Hayato's willpower not to flinch as he sat on the couch with an open book in his lap. He had no idea what he was even reading.

"Yeah, I didn't have class today," He lied. He had already missed some of his classes this week. Why not miss a few more... "The teacher called out."

"Hmm...hey, want to head out for dinner tonight?" The redhead asked, leaning against the back of the couch to see him. "We haven't done that in a while."

"What about Giotto-san?" He asked. "You usually head there for dinner on Wednesdays."

"He has to work late tonight. So what do you say? Wanna go?"

"Uh..." He wanted to refuse, but he had no valid excuse. He didn't know what to say if G. would ask him why. "Y-yea, okay."

"Alright. Let me just shower and we can go." Gokudera nodded and G. headed off for the bathroom. Once the door shut, he nearly slammed the back of his head into the back of the couch. He let out a shuddering breath.

He suddenly could not remember how he usually acted around his cousin. Was he more distant? Did he usually accept dinner offers? Wasn't he supposed to be off somewhere, only to return home a day later, or calling at unusual hours of the night for a ride home?

How did he act again? What was his usual action?

Oh my god, would he run into those three lunatics when he was out? Would they say something? What would happen then? He couldn't think properly and gripped his hair tightly. Would he have to listen to their demands? He really, really did not want to leave the apartment ever.

There's no way he wanted to leave. What if they tried drugging him again? What then? He wouldn't be able to resist again. Was he going to become their puppet?

"Hayato, ready to go?" G. emerged from the bathroom ten minutes later, while he was thinking all this.

"Oh, yeah," He said quickly. "I was just thinking...about the exam I have coming up..." Damn it, why didn't he use that excuse in the first place?

"Did you want to stay home and study then? We can go out another time."

"N-no," He shook his head, "It'll be fine. I'll just study later."

As they left, Gokudera sincerely hoped that he would not run into those freaks.

He didn't even realize how much time had passed. It had really been over a year since then. He couldn't remember much besides waking up in a bed beside one of them everyday, accepting their advances without protest, unable to resist. He relied on it for a time, desperate for anything he could get, but he couldn't do it anymore. He didn't want to always be stuck in this life, being abused without him fighting back. He remembered a time when he was able to kick nearly everyone's asses when they so much as looked at him the wrong way. Now, he felt like if he raised a hand he would be beaten back into submission and brutally assaulted until they were sure he wouldn't do it again.

He wasn't sure if there was anything he could do. What could he say to someone? Who would he even confess too? There was absolutely no one he felt like he could open up to. The only thing he had going for him was watching Tsuna during his time on the college campus. He wanted to berate himself for even doing such an action, as if reminded him of his current predicament, but he felt slightly calmer when watching the bubbly brunet interact with his group of friends. It lifted his spirits, even if minutely, and gave him just a bit of hope that he could change. It was odd how a person he didn't even talk to did this to him. Mukuro and them had noticed this, but he had told them to leave the brunet alone, because he wasn't going to talk to him ever.

"Kitten, you are staring off into space," Mukuro chided with a smirk. Hayato started and paid more attention to his surroundings. He remembered that they were back at the bar, the usual meeting place, unfortunately. Bel was off talking to some guy as Mukuro stood next to him.

"Sorry," Gokudera murmured, glancing around once more. Byakuran was talking to someone, but he couldn't quite see the face, since they were off towards the opposite corner and the dim lighting made it harder to see in the first place. His eyes swept the dance floor, spotting the usual, though he almost could have sworn he saw Hibari dancing in there, but there was no way that could be him. The skylark dancing would be like pigs flying.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Byakuran leading someone along (this unfortunate person looked to be either intoxicated or drugged; the latter, probably, considering the trio's habit to use such methods to get what they want) towards the door to leave. He squinted.

That hair...it looked a lot like...

Tsuna!

Holy shit, that was Tsuna! What the hell was Byakuran doing? He moved to go follow them, but Mukuro grabbed his arm.

"Oya, where do you think you're going?" The pineapple asked, smirking.

"Let me go," He commanded quietly, and managed to jerk his arm free. He ran after the two and quickly glanced around once he left the bar. He ran towards the alley, and spotted the unmissable blindingly white hair. "Oi!" He yelled, once he saw what the other was doing. He punched him (holy shit, I'm in so much trouble, I just punched Byakuran. I just punched Byakuran! The thoughts were torn between despair and elation within the span of a second) and didn't even watch the other slam into the dumpster before turning to Tsuna. "Are you alright?"

However, Tsuna was already unconscious, a side effect of the drug. Carefully, he buttoned the shirt back up and slipped his arms under a frame even leaner than his own. He lifted the brunet and stepped out of the alley, only to see a raven calling Tsuna's name frantically. He walked up to the raven and handed him back in a hurry, not wanting to stick around for the consequences of his actions against the white-haired creep and what it must've looked like.

"Uh, here, I found him in the alley. I guess this is the guy you're looking for. He was being assaulted by some guy, but I knocked him out cold. You might wanna call the police," He said quickly even as the raven looked confused and slightly suspicious. "I-I've got to go, bye!"

"Wait!" The raven shouted after him, but he was too busy panicking as he ran away from the bar.

He was so dead and he knew it.

At least he saved Tsuna...

Damn it, everything hurt. He was sure he'd have bruises and marks on his chest forever, and no amount of aspirin was going to help him. He curled up in his bed, back at his shared apartment, and shook underneath the covers. His head was aching and throbbing, his throat hurt, and he kept getting chills. In addition to his punishment for punching Byakuran and getting him sent to jail, he also currently had a fever. G. took a day off from work (to which he felt bad for making his cousin do so) to take care of him for the day. The redhead was mad for him calling early this morning to be picked up from where he had been able to get to, but once he saw the state of the silveret, he calmed down.

"It looks like it's gone down some," G. remarked, staring at the thermometer. "Once you get some more sleep, you'll probably wake up better. I won't call Shamal then."

"Tch," Gokudera clicked his tongue. No matter what, Shamal always riled him up, "The pervert wouldn't help anyway..." He stifled a cough, throwing the blanket over his head.

"He owes me a favor," G. replied. Shamal always seemed to owe the tattoo artist favors. "Well, just get some rest, alright?"

"...'Kay," He mumbled into his arm, closing his eyes. G. left the room shortly after.

No matter how hard he tried, though, he couldn't fall asleep. Sleeping meant reliving moments he'd rather not remember. He had to go through it everyday and yet got no peace in his sleep. All he wanted was to get away, but he didn't think that was possible.

After all, he was just a bastard child. He was doomed to suffer.

He was able to spend the next few days in recovery mode, apparently a "gift" from the three. They didn't want to catch his illness, the bastards, he thought sulkily. Well, maybe if he got sick more often, he would be able to stay away. For whatever odd reason, he already knew that it wouldn't work. His hazy mind was just conjuring thoughts for his feeble hope that it would all end. Four days after his misfortune, he was called back by Bel. He caught a cab to a shady part of the area, and the cycle recommenced for the next three days.

Sitting outside on cold, hard steps, he lit the cigarette in his mouth and pressed the palms of his hands into his eyes. He shook from the lack of proper clothing, but it was more out of anxiety. Bel had left an hour ago, and he was stuck here. He wasn't sure what he should have entirely done, and ended up calling G. for help on this day. Typically he could have called another cab, but he was almost out of money already and he didn't exactly have a job (he couldn't even hold one down for more than a week). He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling smoke and taking a long drag. He was tired. He always was; he doubted he'd get any sleep tonight.

"Hayato, let's go!" A voice took him out of his thoughts, and he realized that G. had pulled up without even his notice. He stood, glancing at the passenger seat, and headed down the steps with frenzied thoughts. What was Tsuna doing in the car? Why was he here?

He looks okay, thank god, He thought at last when he slid into the back seat after putting out the cancer stick. He murmured out a thanks, and G. introduced him to Tsuna, even though Gokudera already knew who he was. Tsuna greeted him and so he nodded slightly, before staring out the window. He ignored G.'s look and the silence, opting to stay silent himself. His heart was secretly racing, uncomprehending the fact that Tsuna was in the same car as him, and even spoke to him. He didn't even notice when Tsuna had bid him good night and left until G. started driving away and spoke,

"Where were you?" He was asked.

"Out with friends," came the easy, quietly said lie, "They had to leave early, and I lost my ride."

"Three nights in a row?" G. raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Their sister is pregnant, and they had to leave because of the close due date." He had forgotten how easy it was to lie to his cousin, to pretend nothing was wrong even if he was breaking on the inside. The endless cycle did that to him.

"Well, next time, just let me know you're heading out, alright?" The redhead sighed. "I don't like not knowing where you are."

"...Sorry," He murmured.

"It's fine. Just try to be more careful," G. shook his head with a slight smile. "So, did you eat yet?" Hayato shook his head. "Want to pick something up then?"

"Okay."

He stepped into his next class, sitting down towards the back. He didn't have the energy to keep up any kind of attention span, and so promptly let his head fall onto the desk. He had managed to get a bit of sleep but not much. During the entire class, he had barely managed to take some kind notes that he thought were more scribbles than actual useful words. Well, he'd be alright if he just winged the next test anyway. It should be fine.

"Gokudera." He lifted his gaze to see Hibari when walking towards the exit of the campus.

"Yes?" He asked, as normally as he possibly could, though still in the quieter voice he had gained over time. Hibari stared at him. "What are you doing here?" Hibari had, after all, graduated.

"Come with me," He was told and promptly followed, despite his confusion.

"Where are we going?" He wondered aloud.

"My house."

"Eh, why?" Hayato blinked. Hibari shot him a look, and he shut his mouth. Hibari did what he wanted when he wanted. He really didn't know why the skylark was making him accompany the raven but complied nonetheless. On the way there, he kept glancing around. He had never been to Hibari's house before, and was kind of eager to see it (half of his reason to keep looking was to keep an eye out for those three, but no one needed to know that).

"Gokudera." He jumped, whirling his head around to face the skylark, who was raising an eyebrow at him. "You will trip like that."

He flushed and scowled at the same time, mumbling, "sorry."

"Hn." Kyoya turned back around, leading them both into what looked to be an expensive apartment building. Upon entering, the entire complex had the traditional feel to it, with shoji screens, sliding doors, bamboo plants, and tatami mats. The lady dressed in a kimono at the counter bowed at Hibari politely as they walked her by and headed up a set of stairs. He entered Hibari's similar styled apartment, after being told to, and sat on one cushion when glanced at.

For the next few hours, they sat in companionable silence, and shared tea for reasons Gokudera didn't understand.

It finally took him awhile to realize that Hibari was probably checking up on him. They hadn't been meeting as often once his senior had graduated, and Hibari was probably seeing him because he cared (though he would not admit to such a thing). It had baffled the silveret for a time, and even filled his thoughts on why the raven had suddenly decided to do such a thing, but could only end up marking it as one of Hibari's odd traits and whims.

He silently sighed, shuffling awkwardly into the bar in order to meet Mukuro. He kept his gaze downcast, though he made sure not to walk into anybody.

"Gokudera-san?" He nearly jumped, and turned in surprise to see Tsuna sitting at the corner seat of the bar. What was he doing here? Was he here with someone?

"Ah...Sawada-san." Oh my god, I can't let Mukuro see him. He thought in a panic, even as he quietly approached the other. He spoke quietly, "I...didn't know you came here."

"Ah, a friend of mine asked me to come with him. Are you here often, Gokudera-san?" Tsuna responded, maybe hoping to make conversation.

"Ah, yeah, I guess." Gokudera glanced off to the side, trying to spot the pineapple to no avail. Maybe he wasn't here yet...

"Hayato-kun, are you coming or what?" Mukuro's voice purred, and he stiffened. Shit.

"One minute, Mukuro," He frowned and turned to Tsuna. He murmured a "Good night, Sawada-san" and didn't wait around for a response as he took his place next to Mukuro. The other placed an arm around his shoulders as he led them both into the bathroom.

"Hmm, if I didn't know any better, Kitten, you'd be talking to that boy despite our obvious warning," Mukuto smirked, locking the door and pushing him against the wall.

"N-No," Damn it, he stuttered. "He called out to me...I just wanted to make it brief...I was about to say goodbye."

"Is that so?" Mukuro busied himself with unbuttoning the shirt the silveret was wearing. "Oya, I almost forgot. Byakuran is being released from jail soon. Bel was nice enough to pay the bail."

Fucking fantastic, he thought miserably.

Gokudera hated himself. He really, really did. He hated that he wasn't strong enough to get himself away from everything. He hated that he couldn't speak above a certain voice level without worrying about being punished for it. He hated that he had to lie to his only caring family member because he was afraid of what could happen (whether that be G. getting hurt or him being kicked out or any other terrible scenario). He hated that the one friend he had was hardly around anymore, and that he had to lie to him too. He hated that he couldn't stand up for himself, and that he had dragged Tsuna into that terrible incident due to his like towards the other. He hated how Bel had to drag him into a bathroom on campus in the middle of the day because the asshole was horny as fuck. He hated that he had to go along with it.

He hated watching his three prison guards fight over who "got him tonight" after Byakuran's release this morning. He stared at the floor, waiting for the thing to settle itself. The three kept saying something to him, but he was ignoring them at the moment, because it never really mattered did it? Byakuran would be extremely rough, Mukuro would torture him slowly, and Bel would cut him with knives. No matter what, it was a lose-lose situation. He glanced to the side and just stopped himself from freezing when he made eye contact with the one and only Tsuna.

Seriously, how does he keep showing up? He thought when he was gestured over with a smile. He wasn't sure why he suddenly thought it was a good idea or how one smile could make him even do it, but he walked past the three, ignoring their protests and questions, and joined Tsuna nervously.

"Hello, Sawada-san," He greeted quietly.

"Hello, Gokudera-kun," Tsuna smiled, "You don't have to call me that. Everyone just calls me Tsuna."

"Ah...Tsuna-san, then..." He managed a small smile in return. He felt his face flush slightly when he added on, "then...you can call me Hayato."

"Alright, Hayato-kun. Were you okay over there? You looked uncomfortable."

"Ah, you don't have to worry. It happens...often."

"Eh, that's no good," The brunet frowned in obvious concern, "If it bothers you, you shouldn't come here."

"It's not that simple..." He forced a faint smile. "I wish it was." Tsuna glanced off to the side, and Gokudera glanced over to the dance floor and his eyes nearly popped out of his skull. Was that Hibari?

Holy fuck. It was!

Not being called a genius for nothing, he quickly added two and two together. Hibari had been keeping an eye on him? What other reason could there be? Was that why Hibari invited him over the other day? To give him a break? He forced his gaze back to Tsuna, trying to keep his thoughts to himself. What good would there be to freak out over it, especially when those three were definitely staring at him.

"Hayato-kun, it can be that simple. Why don't we just get out of here?" Tsuna tilted his head. Hayato blinked, trying to comprehend the question. He hardly knew Tsuna, and Tsuna probably vice versa, so why? He knew Tsuna was definitely a good person, but...why do such a thing? Against his better judgment to not get Tsuna involved after the last time, he nodded and his face flushed once more.

"S-sure," He managed to say. Tsuna smiled warmly,

"Okay." The brunet flagged down a raven, who apparently dragged Hibari along for reasons Gokudera did not yet know. The two stared at each other, and Gokudera could tell Hibari knew he knew why the skylark was there, yet did not say anything. He frowned, but let it slide. Maybe he could get him to talk somehow. "Hayato-kun and I are going to leave. It's too stuffy in here." Tsuna said.

"Eh? How are you going to get back?" The other raven asked.

Shrugging, Tsuna responded with, "walking."

"Are you fine with that?" Hibari asked him. It was another surprise, but he gave a small nod,

"I...I don't mind."

"Let's go. They'll be fine," Hibari nodded and told the second raven.

"Yeah, alright," The second raven grinned, "Well, Tsuna's got a lot of self-defense techniques under his belt. His brothers wouldn't let him leave the house until he learned them all."

Tsuna groaned, "I had to stay in the house until I was fifteen...now I'm stuck in an apartment with them." Hayato couldn't help but chuckle and smile at the statement. Those had to be some pretty overprotective siblings.

"Be careful, okay? Text me when you get home." The second raven turned away with Hibari.

"Alright, Mom," Tsuna said in a teasing voice, and the two promptly left the establishment. The cold air hit the silveret like a brick wall, and he resisted the urge to shiver.

"Uhm..." He began, gaining the other's attention, "So...where are we going?"

"I was thinking my apartment, if that's alright. I don't want to force you though."

"Ah, no," He said in a hurry, excited and anxious about the notion of seeing Tsuna's home, "That's...good with me."

"Alright," Tsuna smiled, "It'll be about a forty minute walk from here." He nodded, following Tsuna once the brunet began to lead the way. He fidgeted, trying not stare at the other too much. He really wanted to smoke, but he didn't know if he should ask or just do it. He wasn't sure if Tsuna would hate it, but the urge was killing him right now.

"Uh..." He spoke before he realized it.

"Yes?" Shit, well now he had to ask.

"Do you mind...if I...smoke? I can wait if...if it's a problem."

"No, go ahead. G.-san smokes all the time. The only rule is not to smoke in the apartment." Relieved, he pulled out his carton of cigarettes, and lit one up as soon as possible. He shoved his hands into his blazer. It was silent only a moment more, and he for some reason wished to break it.

"Thanks..." He murmured a bit late, and tacked on, "Tsuna-san?"

"Yes?"

"Did your brothers really keep you hostage in your house?" He was really curious about this, after all. Who did such a thing? Tsuna began to laugh long enough that he had to hold onto his own sides, and Hayato looked at him, concerned. Was that a bad question to ask? Did he just break Tsuna?

Tsuna took a deep breath, "No, no, not exactly. I was allowed out, but more often than not, one of them would come with me. No matter what. So, I wasn't allowed out until I was fifteen really."

"It sounds like they care a lot," He said and meant it. Even though he had G., he would have really loved it if he had a large family that loved and protected him like that.

"Enough to buy an apartment for four men in their twenties to fit live in," Tsuna chuckled. He smiled at the statement, and got one in return. "I don't know whether to be grateful or to be irritated. Giotto-nii is like a nagging mother, Reborn-nii is a sadistic tutor, and Xanxus-nii is the brother who just wants to get out of there."

Hayato laughed at this, thinking about Giotto acting as such, recalling all of G.'s stories. He flushed and stopped his laugh short when he figured Tsuna wouldn't like it if he laughed at his predicament. "I'm sorry."

"No need to be." Tsuna smiled at him reassuringly.

"Tsuna-san...would you...mind telling me more about your family?" He asked quietly. He always wondered what it was like to have a nice, normal family that loved their kids no matter what, and what his life would have been like if it hadn't been so fucked up.

Tsuna smiled once more and replied, "Sure thing."

Upon arriving at Tsuna's apartment, Hayato hesitated. Even if he had been invited, it still felt weird to enter another's home.

"I'm home," Tsuna called, before looking back at him. "It's okay; you're welcome to come in."

"Sorry for the intrusion." He slipped off his sneakers and jacket, the latter of which Tsuna took from him to hang up.

"I'm freezing. Do you want a cup of coffee?" Tsuna asked as they moved further inside.

"Ah...okay." He agreed after a moment, suppressing a shiver.

"Okay, this way then." Tsuna led him toward the kitchen, though he stopped by the living room.

"Oh, Tsuna, that is you. I thought I heard your voice, though you're early tonight. Welcome back." Gokudera turned his head to spot Giotto.

"Oh, it's the Chibi G.," He turned his head to see Reborn (and now Giotto) looking at him, and he shifted uncomfortably.

"Hey, Gokudera-kun. It's been a while," Giotto smiled.

"Hi, Giotto-san, Reborn-san," He greeted. Tsuna silently pushed him towards the kitchen and glanced at him. He entered the room as Tsuna said something else to his brothers and entered the kitchen as well.

"I'm sorry if they're making you uncomfortable," Tsuna apologized once he began to make a pot of coffee.

"Ah, it's fine...I'm the one intruding."

"You aren't intruding. I invited you over, okay? Don't worry about it," Tsuna told him and slowly made his way to the table and took a seat. "How do you take your coffee?"

"Just black is fine."

Tsuna paused and then said, "You don't have to hold back. Nothing will be going to waste, so it's fine if you want something in it." The brunet smiled, but he shifted and looked the other way. He didn't want them to waste their supplies on him. "I'll call G.-san while he's at work and ask how you take your coffee."

Hayato flushed, eyes widening in surprise at the almost-threat. He opened his mouth to say 'no!', hesitated, and then finally answered, "...cream." Tsuna smiled and told him 'coming right up.' There was nothing but the sound of the coffee maker for a few minutes, and the small sounds of Tsuna pouring and preparing the cups until he brought them over.

"Thank you," He dipped his head in thanks with a small smile as his hands enclosed around the warm mug. He appreciated the hospitality, even if he didn't want his host to bother.

"You're very welcome," Tsuna smiled, taking a long drink and pulling out his phone. Gokudera watched as Tsuna began to rant on the consequences of not sending a text to Yamamoto (who must be that raven) and how his brother would freak out and how G. would be the only sane person to remind Giotto that Tsuna owned a phone. He couldn't help laughing, though he did hide it behind his hands. "Did I say that out loud?"

"You did...I'm sorry," He chuckled again, bringing up the mug to hide his smile.

"No need to be." Tsuna grinned. "It's true though! They're so frantic over being protective and lose their common sense!"

"I see," The silveret took a sip of his mug and suddenly asked, "What brand is this? It's good."

"Ah, I think it's from Italy," Tsuna tilted his head, "Xanxus-nii brought it back when he went on some trip. Next time he goes, I'll ask him to get extra for you, okay?"

"E-eh?" He blinked, "B-but-" I'm just a stranger!

"It's fine. Hayato-kun, we're already friends, right? Otherwise I wouldn't have invited you here. So its okay." Tsuna's stern look could only make him respond,

"Ah...o-okay." Tsuna smiled again.

Gokudera followed Hibari up the steps to Yamamoto's apartment. After exchanging numbers with Tsuna and asking to hang out again, he found himself here after getting Hibari to come with him. The skylark had rolled his eyes but agreed. Hibari knocked on the door briefly as he stood behind the raven. Yamamoto shouted a 'coming' and the door opened soon after.

"Hey guys, come in," Yamamoto greeted. Hibari nodded as he gave a quiet 'sorry for intruding.' Pleasantries were exchanged and Gokudera officially met Yamamoto. Conversation between them carried on mostly between Yamamoto and Tsuna, but he occasionally gave his opinion on something and Hibari did if he was prodded enough or was asked about something he was interested in (namely, the peace).

"You like the herbivore?" Hibari asked on the walk home a few hours later. Gokudera started at the question.

"Uh...yeah..." He murmured finally, looking away.

"Hn," Hibari grunted and that seemed to be that. However, being particularly daring sometimes when it came to Hibari, he asked,

"You like the baseball idiot?" Hibari turned and shot him a look. Grinning slightly, he nearly sang in his soft murmur, "You do."

"Gokudera Hayato, I will bite you to death if you do not shut up."

"Hey, you're the one that danced with him..." He mumbled, earning a solid whack to the back of his head. He hissed, grabbing the spot, even if it wasn't as hard as it usually was. Hibari rolled his eyes and began to walk away and he had to run to catch up with the skylark.

That was a pretty interesting discovery.

Gokudera knew things were going to catch up with him eventually. He had been avoiding the three like the plague, somehow able to avoid Bel in school, and avoiding the bar and the surrounding area altogether. G. had been surprised at first to see him home so often, but it was slowly becoming the norm. He knew, however, it wouldn't be able to stay like this forever. Half a month after the first time the four of them hung out, he and Tsuna had been heading back after hanging out with the two ravens when it happened.

"Oi, Hayato." He froze, and his eyes widened; he could feel the blood drain from his face. He turned, seeing the three of them showing varying degrees of aggravation on their faces (deep down, he knew they were all pissed as hell).

"...What?" He managed to ask.

"Shishishi," Bel snickered. "Come on princess, it's not fair to just ditch us all of a sudden."

"I didn't ditch you, Bel," He took a step back with a frown marring his face, "Don't call me princess either."

"Oya," Mukuro smirked, "I see we are back to having claws, little kitten. I'll have to de-claw you again."

"I don't...want to go anywhere with you. Any of you." He shot a firm glare. He had enough of it and he no longer wanted anything to do with them. It didn't matter that he was completely terrified at the moment with him and Tsuna outnumbered.

"Haya-chan," Byakuran sang, "just because you saved this little brunette, doesn't give you the right to leave us like that." The silveret spotted Tsuna frowning from the corner of his eye. He was surprised however, when Tsuna stepped up and placed an arm out in front of him.

Glaring darkly, Tsuna stated, "Leave him be. If he doesn't want you here, then go."

"Tsuna-san..."

"Oh, Tsunayoshi-chan, we can't do that. He's ours," Byakuran smiled, but Gokudera could easily tell he was getting frustrated.

"He is not property." Tsuna clenched his hands into fists. "I don't care what you thought of him before. He's not yours, and if you come near him again, I will hurt you."

"Kufufufu, how interesting. I wonder how well you can hold that threat," Mukuro grinned eerily.

"Shishishi, Princess said the same thing." Bel snickered loudly, "Did you know that he used to be loud and impatient? He even had the audacity to yell and threaten us. That all changed once he was ours, you know."

Tsuna growled, "regardless, go away. Now."

"I don't think we will," Byakuran took one step forward. Tsuna did as well.

Chaos erupted.

Hayato stumbled into the apartment after Tsuna, shutting the door just as the brunet located the light switch. A lot of things hurt, and his arm was bleeding and ruining his clothes, but he was more worried about Tsuna. The other had gone out of his way to help and now he was hurt, and it was his fault.

"Tsuna-san, this is my fault..." He stated and Tsuna just shook his head.

"It's not," He was told, "I chose to help you out of my own free will. Sit on the couch." He was fully prepared to remain standing until he realized Tsuna was waiting for him to sit. He reluctantly complied and Tsuna left the room. From the looks of the dark rooms and the silence, the apartment had been vacant prior to their entrance and Gokudera was secretly glad for it. He didn't want to be mauled by Tsuna's three brothers for getting him hurt. Tsuna returned and gently took his sprained wrist to begin wrapping it.

He frowned, intent on continuing the conversation, "but...because of this, they're going to target you. They won't ever leave me alone...and now you'll get hurt. If you get hurt because of me..."

Tsuna was being stubborn and replied, "It's okay, Hayato-kun. It's not fair that they ganged up on you like that...Take off your shirt so I can take care of your arm and shoulder."

"Shouldn't your injuries be tended to first...?" He asked quietly. Tsuna was injured too...

"They're fine," Tsuna assured him and so he reluctantly removed his open button-down. Tsuna took to taking care of his injuries and then his own. He kept quiet during this, even as Tsuna took a seat beside him once everything was done. "Hayato-kun...Byakuran said you saved me."

He blinked, "Eh?" He wanted to ask 'what about it' or tell him 'he lied' or anything, but the only thing he got out of his mouth was, "...you remember?"

"A little bit. I remember someone saving me. You yelled. That seems unlike you," Tsuna smiled at him, but he couldn't bring himself to smile back.

"That was my fault too," He said instead.

"Eh, how?"

"Even though I told them to stay away from you...they didn't listen and-" He began to ramble until Tsuna placed a hand over his mouth.

"Wait, Hayato-kun. What do you mean by that? Can you start with how you got involved with the three of them?" He didn't know where to start, but he ended up starting at his past. He confessed in the middle of his ramble, and even when he realized it, he couldn't bring himself to stop speaking. Tsuna rubbed soothing motions onto his hand as he continued, speaking faster as he went on. He didn't hear Tsuna when he tried to get him to quiet down until the brunet yelled and he winced at the sound, shutting up promptly. Tsuna raised his hand to wipe away the tears on his face; He didn't even realize he had been crying.

"It's okay. Please, don't cry. It's okay. I don't care if they come after me. I don't care how much they want you back. I refuse to let you go back to that kind of life. There are people worried about you. Hibari-san worries and G.-san worries, and I worry about your well-being. You don't have to keep everything bottled inside. Let others help you." Tsuna spoke in one breath, and Hayato turned his gaze away.

"But...I don't want to bother others with this...It's my problem."

He was pulled into a tight hug as Tsuna explained to him, "Hayato-kun. Friends and family are here for a reason. Okay? I'll help you through this. So will G.-san, Hibari-san, and Yamamoto. Giotto-nii, and Reborn-nii...and maybe even Xanxus-nii will help too. Don't think you're alone on this."

"Tsuna-san..." The silveret cried, grabbing onto the brunette's shirt tightly and burying his face into the other's neck. "How...can you say that so normally...? I even told you my feelings and yet you..."

"It's not like I'm rejecting you, Hayato-kun..." Tsuna started to say and his heart stopped. Could it be... "I...feel the same way you know?"

"You...you do?" He choked out, not believing it for a minute, but damn it, he hoped it was true.

"Yes, I do. So don't think for a minute that you're going to burden me with your feelings." He couldn't think of anything to say, so he only hugged the brunet tighter.

The embrace said more to him than anything else could have.

That night was the first time he slept peacefully in a long while. There were no terrible dreams or him waking at every sound. He was slowly beginning to wake when a hand brushed away some of his hair from his face. He slowly opened his eyes and gazed at Tsuna. Tsuna's injuries stood out to him and he immediately felt guilty even in his half-asleep state, but he avoided saying anything about it.

"Tsuna-san...good morning," He murmured instead.

Tsuna smiled, "Morning, Hayato-kun. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes...thank you," Gokudera sat up, and Tsuna followed shortly after. The brunet got up to look in the mirror, and looked annoyed at the injuries. "...Are you okay?"

"I'm alright. Are you? How's your wrist?" Tsuna responded as he turned back around.

"It'll be okay," He answered as he stood and joined the other. He eyed the hand-printed bruise and added, "...I'm more concerned about how your brothers will take the bruises."

Tsuna ran his thumb gently over the silveret's split lip, and he couldn't help but flush. "I think I have a turtleneck somewhere buried deep in my closet. It'll be fine," The brunet smiled, "I can lend you clothes too. You're not taller than me by that much."

Immediately, he protested, "Eh, you don't have to-"

"I want to, and that's what matters," Tsuna handed him some clothing. "Here. These are all a bit too big for me. So they should be alright."

He smiled slightly, "Thank you, Tsuna-san."

"You don't have to add a honorific if you don't want to. The '-san' makes me feel old," Tsuna laughed, "If it's fine, I can just call you Hayato in return."

He nodded, "okay...Tsu...Tsuna." Tsuna smiled brightly before turning back to find clothes for himself. Once they both changed, they left the room and headed towards the kitchen. Gokudera recognized the man at the table as Xanxus, but did not know who the other was. Tsuna entered but he remained at the threshold.

"Good morning, Xanxus-nii," Tsuna greeted the two, "Squalo-san."

"Yo, Tsunayoshi," The man at the stove said. Tsuna glanced back at him, waving him in. He took a few steps inside, but stayed off to the side and out of the way. Tsuna shook his head but quickly moved to make two cups of coffee, and handed one to him.

"Who is that?" Xanxus asked, glancing at him.

"Gokudera Hayato. G.-san's cousin," Tsuna introduced. "Hayato, this is Xanxus-nii. And over there is Superbi Squalo-san."

"Did you shack up with him?" Hayato flushed deeply and nearly spit out the coffee in his mouth.

"Did you get into an actual relationship with Squalo-san?" Tsuna instantly retorted. Gokudera furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, but the two older adult's had color on their cheeks, and Tsuna smiled at him; he was missing something here.

The brunet downed his scalding coffee, "Well, I didn't 'shack up with him'. Come on Hayato, we can get breakfast down the street. And then I need to call Yamamoto, because he's probably having a heart attack wondering why I never sent him a text last night."

"Alright." Hayato nodded and finished his coffee quickly. Mugs were placed in the sink, and Tsuna grabbed his essentials as they left.

The brunet shouted "have fun playing house, you lovey-dovey couple!"as they left and Gokudera almost jumped at the yell coming from the apartment; Tsuna laughed. However, once they made their way to street level and out on the sidewalk, Tsuna sighed.

"What's wrong?" He asked, worried.

Tsuna explained, "it's a good thing that Giotto-nii and Reborn-nii weren't there. They would have pointed out the bandage on my cheek and your bandaged wrist and split lip. I'd rather they not freak out first thing in the morning. Anyway, I need to call Yamamoto and reassure him that I'm not dead."

Hayato smiled.

Takeshi had loudly asked if Tsuna was okay the second he was in the cafe. Gokudera was surprised to see a half-awake Kyoya being dragged in behind the taller raven as the two of them sat on the other side of the booth. He tucked the mental image away for later.

"I told you I'm fine. I forgot to text you is all." Tsuna smiled and allowed the waitress to come and take their orders. Once she was gone, the baseball lover asked,

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Tsuna answered patiently.

"...Why are you wearing that turtleneck?"

"Because it's cold," The brunet answered flawlessly. Gokudera was a bit awed by Tsuna's skills to make up excuses.

"You hate that turtleneck. In fact, you hate turtlenecks in general. Also, what's with the bandage on your face?" Tsuna was going to answer, but Gokudera merely watched the vein in Kyoya's temple pulse and the older raven pulled on the ear of Takeshi and spoke,

"Stop badgering him. He's fine, so shut up. You woke me up for no reason."

"Ow ow ow ow, Kyouya, that hurts!" Yamamoto flailed.

Hayato buried his face into the borrowed hoodie to avoid showing his mouth, and murmured, "Idiot...Hibari hates being woken up."

"Yamamoto, why did you drag him if he was sleeping?" Tsuna sighed. The silveret was wondering what the two were doing together last night before deciding he didn't want to know. He already knew of Hibari's feelings towards the baseball idiot so it was bound to happen eventually, he supposed.

"I was worried," Takeshi said, as if it explained everything. Gokudera was not sure how that justified waking up the skylark.

"Gokudera, stop shrinking in on yourself," Hibari glared pointedly at him, looking like he was trying to figure him out.

He immediately protested, "I'm not shrinking in on myself; I'm cold." Hibari narrowed his eyes and he tried not to flinch. The other, however, turned his head to look out the window, and breakfast thankfully arrived soon. It was eaten in silence, and he was secretly glad he was ambidextrous so he could eat with his left hand instead of his injured right. It was a bit hard angling his face the right way to hide his face from Hibari, but he managed. He protested when he wasn't allowed to pay for himself, but ended up letting it slide.

He and Tsuna headed back to the apartment, and he was glad that was one thing over with.

They had been back at Tsuna's home for less than ten minutes and sitting in the living room (Xanxus and Squalo were nowhere to be found) when Tsuna's phone rang. The brunet sighed and answered the phone, placing it on speaker.

"Yes?" He answered.

Giotto's voice came through in a rush, "Tsuna! Do you know where Gokudera-kun is?"

Tsuna raised an eyebrow and replied just as Hayato frowned, "Yes, he's with me right now. What's wrong?"

Giotto sighed in relief, "Ah, thank god. G. never got any text or call from him last night or this morning, so he was freaking out thinking that something happened to him."

Hayato pulled out his phone and flushed in embarrassment. The stupid thing must have switched to silent. There were five missed calls and ten unread text messages. Shit.

"Well, he's alright. Right?" Tsuna glanced at him.

"Y-yea...sorry for worrying you."

"It's fine with me, I suppose. But what were you doing that you didn't call or text him? You always let him know where you are lately." Giotto sighed. "Anyway, I'm on my way home. Work let out early."

"A-ah, okay. See you then," Tsuna said.

"See you." The call ended and Gokudera looked over to Tsuna before sending a hastily written text to G. that contained an apology and his current status. He heard the door open.

"I'm back." Tsuna's face fell and Gokudera quickly recognized that voice to be Reborn's.

Well, shit.

Gokudera and Tsuna were being stared down by Reborn, Giotto, and Xanxus while Squalo and G. stood off to the side to observe. He stared off to the side and was leaning forward, his elbow propped on his knee and his hand covering his mouth in a nonchalant way while it propped up his head. Tsuna sat next to him, leaning back against the couch and watching the ceiling as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. Gokudera was both terrified and impressed that Reborn had noticed almost immediately. Though, current circumstances permitting, he really was not enjoying all the attention. It was reminding him too much of those three.

Giotto smiled (there was a terrible feeling it wasn't a kind smile) and asked, "So...Tsuna, care to share why you have bruises on your neck?"

Tsuna played dumb and replied, "What bruises?" Gokudera saw him wince when Reborn pulled at the turtleneck.

"How about the ones that look like a fucking hand print?" Reborn growled and whirled on Hayato, "And you! Why did you let this happen to him?" He flinched and subconsciously shrunk in on himself; he really did not want any more attention.

"Oi! Leave him alone!" Tsuna retorted.

He heard G. snarl from the side, "that's my cousin you're yelling at."

"He's the reason you have these bruises and that cut on your cheek." Reborn poked Tsuna's ribs and earned a hiss, "And this bruise here."

Tsuna grabbed his brother's wrist and shouted, "It's not his fault damn it! So leave him out of it."

Hayato mumbled into his hand, feeling guilty all over again, "I'm sorry...you know it's my fault."

"I already told you it wasn't! Reborn-nii is just being a dick because I got hurt!" The brunet turned to him and stated in a softer tone, "I already said it was my choice."

Giotto tried again, "Please, Tsuna, just tell us what happened." However, Tsuna turned his head away stubbornly. Hayato, in the meantime, had brought his legs to his chest, wrapped his arms around his chest, and pressed his forehead into legs, intent on hiding. He wanted to just get away from everyone, but he knew if he moved, he'd bring more attention to himself. Thus, he rooted himself to the couch. He flinched when Reborn opened his mouth,

"Son of a-"

"Xanxus," Giotto thankfully intervened, "...Xanxus, why didn't you notice this morning when you saw Tsuna?"

"I saw. I just didn't say anything." He could imagine the scarred brother shrugging indifferently. Squalo finally spoke up, as if recalling,

"Ah, now that I think about it, didn't the little silver brat have a split lip or something?"

"Hayato!" He flinched when his cousin called his name. He heard the other come closer, and felt the stares of the others on him. His cousin sighed softly, "...Let me see." Reluctantly, he lifted his head, but looked off to the side rather than at anyone. "Where else are you hurt?" G. frowned.

"N-nowhere," He stuttered, "Tsuna got hurt more than I did." He hoped Tsuna wouldn't mind the lie.

Giotto began to speak again, once everyone settled themselves, "okay, Tsuna, we now know that both you and Hayato are injured on varying degrees, so please tell us what exactly happened." The brunet turned to look at him. He met the inquiring gaze asking for permission. He wanted to say no, pretend nothing was wrong, pretend it was all a lie, say that he got hurt tripping down the stairs, anything that would get him out of this. Yet, all the same, he wanted it all to end, to gain a normal life, to let everything come to light, and so he nodded.

Tsuna began to explain the important details, leaving out other less important things that would have been weird to talk about, and he was thankful for it. Tsuna grasped his hand in the silence as the elders absorbed the situation, squeezing it gently. He looked at the brunet, and then their hands before he quietly returned the gesture. He was grateful for the reassurance.

G. finally asked, "Hayato, why didn't you say something sooner?"

Gokudera quietly answered, "I...was scared...to tell you. I...didn't want to bother you...with my problems when you're the only family member left that cares."

"Hayato, you know I care, so you shouldn't have to hesitate to tell me when there is something wrong. Do you know how long I've been worried about you?"

All he could do was apologize. "I'm sorry..." G. sighed, placing a large hand into his silver locks and ruffling them in an affectionate and reassuring manner. Briefly, he remembered when his cousin would do this when they were younger. Whenever he was upset, the redhead would ruffle his hair. It would irritate him to no end, but he appreciated the gesture all the same.

Giotto spoke next with a frown, "Tsuna, how long did you plan on keeping this from us?"

"I didn't. I just wasn't going to share right away. We were going to tell you, and then Reborn-nii threw a tantrum," Tsuna answered and the brother in question snorted. "I didn't want either of you flipping out over my small injuries before I could tell you."

"Hah...anyway, the fact remains that I have three asses to kick for hurting my little brother and Gokudera-kun."

Reborn muttered under his breath, "Three asses to kill is more like it."

"Stupid trash," Xanxus grunted.

"Tsunayoshi, what were their names again?" Squalo wondered, arms crossed.

"Ah, Mukuro, Bel, and Byakuran?" Tsuna stated, unsure.

Frowning, Hayato filled in, "Rokudo Mukuro, Belphegor, and Millefiore Byakuran."

Squalo looked at Xanxus and said, "Belphegor...Bel. Don't we have someone like that at work?"

"I will kill him," Xanxus growled.

Tsuna sighed, "Murder is illegal." Despite everything, Gokudera couldn't help the smile at the statement, though he hid it well.

Somehow, he knew Tsuna would say that.

Gokudera hated visiting Shamal. He was going to get a lecture about taking better care of himself and how Shamal didn't treat men and all this other bullshit he didn't want to hear. He knew G. had been looking for more injuries at the apartment but he thought he was going to get away with it. While waiting for Shamal, he and G. sat in silence, though it wasn't very comfortable.

G. was having a hard time accepting that his little cousin was going through such trauma for a long time and he never even knew. Gokudera was having a hard time adjusting to the fact that people really did care about him. Eventually though, Shamal did come in.

"Jeez, stupid brat, what did you do now?" Shamal grunted, "You know I don't treat men."

"You owe me a favor," G. reminded him, looking annoyed. Shamal raised his hands in defeat and began to look over the injuries. He determined that the knife cuts wouldn't need stitches and that everything would heal soon enough. He then went on and lectured Hayato just like the silveret knew he would.

"Alright already, stupid pervert!" He shouted, flushing. The doctor rolled his eyes. Despite the obvious irritation, he knew about the underlying concern for him.

"Whatever brat," He snorted and looked to G. "I don't want to see him in here for a while, got it?"

"Yeah, I know," G. nodded. "C'mon Hayato. Let's get you back."

"...'kay," He murmured. Once back at the apartment, he joined Tsuna in the brunet's bedroom. They ended up talking for a bit before deciding to get some sleep. He stiffened when Tsuna first encased him within lean arms, but he relaxed as he remembered who it was. He pressed his face into Tsuna's neck, and drifted off soon after he returned the embrace.

He felt like he finally had a place to belong.

As always, he knew peace couldn't last. The anxiety that something bad was going to happen always gnawed at him, and he knew it was bound to happen. He wished he wasn't right. His head pounded and really couldn't think straight enough. It had only been a week since everyone found out and the two of them had been kidnapped in broad daylight, which was fucking fantastic since everyone had work during the day (except for G., but he probably would be sleeping right about now).

He had taken in the surroundings and immediately panicked upon seeing Tsuna unconscious and tied to the metal beam.

"Mukuro!" He growled, noticing the pineapple.

"Oya, hello kitten," Mukuro smirked, and crouched down. He would have retorted and snarled back if a heavy weight dropped on him hadn't knocked the wind out of him. It knocked his head blank for a moment, and he rushed to prioritize his thoughts.

"Shishishi, hey Princess," Bel grinned and Byakuran from across the warehouse waved cheerily, mouth full of marshmallows. He wanted to scream and shout and kill them, rage taking over like it had never done before (he had only let rage get the best of him when he was still in middle and high school, but those times were nothing compared to now) but he couldn't even move. Even his mouth was feeling numb, and he had no idea how he had spoken the first time.

"Nng.." Tsuna groaned and Hayato's eyes widened. No! Mukuro grinned and stood in front of Tsuna.

"Kufufufufu, I see our guest of honor is finally awake." The pineapple caught the brunet's attention and he felt ten times worse.

"Oh, finally? I was just getting impatient," Byakuran smiled, popping a marshmallow into his mouth. "You shouldn't keep people waiting, Tsunayoshi-chan."

"Shishishishi, finally the Prince can play with his Princess," Belphegor snickered. Tsuna widened his eyes and Gokudera stared back guiltily. Tsuna wanted to move, but he only managed to jerk his head back with Mukuro forced a kiss on him instead.

"Now then, I suppose we should reteach our little kitten that trying to get away is unacceptable," Mukuro smirked, grabbing the brunet's chin.

"Ah, how unfair. You two get to have all the fun and I only get to keep watch." Byakuran chimed, shoving another marshmallow past his lips as he disappeared out the door.

"Shishishi, you lost rock-paper-scissors, get over it." Bel flipped him over and he glared at the blond, beyond rage at this point. He flinched when the knife cut open his shirt, and sputtered for something to say,

"S-stop!" He tried moving to no avail. He had to let Tsuna get out of this. It wasn't his fault! He'll take all the blame! "Leave him alone, please!" Mukuro had said something, and Tsuna snarled something back. He could hardly pay attention when Bel was cutting at him, leaving marks and pinching parts of his skin hard enough to bruise, his wrists uselessly pinned above him. He writhed, trying to focus on something else, but it was hard when Bel was suddenly biting down on his skin, making it bleed. He gasped, tears spilling as he was suddenly turned and pinned down. He clenched his eyes shut, knowing what was coming yet still shouted out in pain when it did.

It hurt, it hurt, it hurt hurt hurt hurt-

His conscious wavered, but he managed to stay awake when the door finally burst open, making all actions come to a halt. He couldn't see who was there to rescue them, and all he could think was thank god...

He blacked out at some point when punches were being thrown.

He dreamed about a mother who was still alive, a father who cared, and a half-sister who didn't try to poison him. It wasn't long into the dream before he realized it wasn't what he wanted. If that were all true, he would have never come to Japan and despite the terrible events, he wouldn't have met Tsuna.

He woke up with a small groan, his body feeling sore and somehow numb at the same time. He shifted, wishing to move, until,

"You shouldn't get up." He jumped at Tsuna's voice, but obeyed him and laid back down onto the cot. He turned his head and rested it on his folded arms to look at the other. "How are you feeling?"

He murmured, "...Okay...tired. Are you okay?"

"I'll be alright."

Already, he began to apologize, "Tsuna, I'm sorry. I'm the one who-"

"Hayato," Tsuna cut him off, and shot him a warm smile, "I already told you that it was my choice to get involved in this. Don't beat yourself up over this, okay?"

He nodded slightly, "O-okay." However, he still wasn't sure about that. Really, without him then Tsuna would have been better off, no matter how much he would have wanted to meet the brunet. Somehow sensing his distress, Tsuna slowly pushed himself up, and off the bed without ever once sitting. "T-Tsuna!" He exclaimed in worry.

"It's fine," Tsuna smiled, walking shakily over to the other bed, using the walls as a guide. The brunet joined the silveret, laying down on his belly, and grasping Hayato's hand with his own; He gently intertwined their fingers as Hayato subtly scooted over to give him more room. He was given a small reassuring smile, and he sent one back in return. They settled next to one another, the sound of their heartbeats lulling them to sleep.

Finally, he thought, it was all over.

Hayato sighed, leaning back against the couch. He was entirely exhausted from work. The meeting had taken two hours longer than planned and he was just arriving home. It was hard to believe it had been a little over two years since then, and he and Tsuna had only lived in their new apartment for several months now.

"Hayato, you okay?" Tsuna asked, leaning against the back of the couch. "If you're tired, then you should go to sleep in the bed."

"...I'm alright," He said, even though he yawned a second later. "I wanted to see you first."

Tsuna smiled and planted a kiss on his waiting lips. "You've seen me. Go to sleep. It's late."

"Come with me?" He asked, standing slowly and stretching out tired limbs. Tsuna shook his head with a smile, but took his hand and led him to the bedroom. The clock read eleven at night in blaring red numbers, and Hayato turned his head away to find his pajama pants to change into. Tsuna, who was already ready for bed, shooed their two cats, Natsu and Uri, out of the way, and pulled the silveret down with him. The cats easily squeezed themselves together at the foot of the bed, and Hayato sighed softly, his eyes closing.

"Welcome home, Hayato," Tsuna said quietly. Smiling, Hayato drifted off,

"I'm home."

And he really was.

Fin.

It's done...After all this time, I've finally finished it. It's been sitting in my document manager forever at three thousand words and I finally sat down for the past few days and finally finished it up. After this, I plan on doing one-shots for all of Tsuna's siblings in this AU, and maybe one for Yamamoto and Hibari too.

Penny for your review?