Don't own, won't profit.

DIVIDE & CONQUER. Reborn!.
Cu, songfic, oneshot. General, romance. PG/k plus.
Warnings: boy/boy
"Tsuna, it's like this. Life really is a mess. But sometimes it's not, and I can prove it."

Author's note: Not new stuff, duckies, but I thought that the Reborn! category here might want a little more love. [:

"Ordinary Day (Divide and Conquer)" by Vanessa Carlton.

For one Dualism (because it is, of course, entirely her fault that this exists).

-

DIVIDE & CONQUER

take my hand
live while you can
and if we walk now we will
divide and conquer
this land

-

Tsuna, it's like this. Life really is a mess. But sometimes it's not, and I can prove it.

The sun floods the room with tangerine light. And you're really rather entangled in this little thing between you and him… well, you don't know. You only know that the tangerine light is making tangerine squares on your bedroom floor, and it's the afternoon. It's warm, or at least, it's warm right here next to him.

Well.

It's nice.

Forcing yourself not to think about it seems to be smart for once.

You're succeeding in not-thinking about it, but then you see his eyes are open and he's looking at you with that look.

And you have to wonder: How can he lay himself open like that? Heart on his sleeve, something like that? 'Cause that's what the look says. It says everything.

Hey, you know that Gokudera-kun doesn't hide things (unless he gets it in his mind that it's going to hurt you or something - god, he can be so weird sometimes, you think fondly and half-exasperatedly)… but still.

It's just that - Gokudera's making it so plain it hurts - that look is, really, quite obviously adoration. No matter how many times you try to compute it, it ends up the same. That look has always been about this reverence that you'll never quite get.

And now, dummy, you are thinking about it. Chasing sleepy frantic thoughts in that head of yours, while you stare back at him.

'What? Why?'

'Why are you looking at me like I'm the center of your world?'

'What have I ever done?'

You wonder every time he proclaims so enthusiastically that he's your right-hand man. You wonder every time he throws himself into making you happy. You wonder every time he gives you the look. And that reverence? It has you exasperated every time, but secretly, you are astonished, pleased, thrilled and feeling bad about it.

You wonder every time he gives you his all. And that's every time. All the time.

Tsuna? Don't wonder.

You shift, vaguely praying that you don't mix yourself up and fall off the edge of the mattress (again). And you don't, and hey, 'that's always good.' Shift closer, get warmer, and wow, but that look seems even more intense when you're nearer. You want to smile sheepishly, start babbling, but no, it's not necessary. You haven't done anything stupid yet.

You guys are close. And you want him to-

Hesitation, hesitation. You know he wants to. You want him to, too, but that's not really the point. You want him to cross the distance because he wants to. You don't want to ask, because you know he'll definitely do it if you do. You want him to do it, himself and for himself.

It's a little silly… but-

'Just touch me'

What are you worrying for? Because, Tsuna-

Slowly, slowly, he does.

And (do you feel it?) the lightest brush of lips against your forehead makes everything, well, even nicer.

He did it, see.

And man, you think, you can deal with mafias and chaos and that psycho little hitman just a little later. You're grateful that the psycho little hitman isn't messing with you right now. Oh, so, grateful.

And that just reminds you, hey, be grateful. Because you can still have afternoons with tangerine sunlight and warm almost-cuddling, and this.

You should smile at him.

Good, you do. And look, he returns it hundredfold.

That's becoming a common theme, you see.

… Well, Tsunayoshi Sawada, I know. I know life is a ridiculous trial.

But for a boy that karma kind of hates, I think you're doing pretty good.

(So just live.)

-

please come with me
see what i see
touch the stars for
time will not flee
and you must be.