Author's notes: Here's a short and fluffy fic from me guys. I really liked how it turned out! I'm working up the cliche one-shots and requests but by but! Haha :D I wanna make a calendar about what I'll update or upload. Sorry about the Christmas Challenge, the winners had been chosen, it's just the accompanying fic is still in progress! I wanna write so much more but I have classes everyday and I get home at 8:30 at night on weekdays and on weekends I have a nine-hour class XD The rest of the time is dedicated on advance reading a lot of corporate laws and sale contracts and corporate governance and government accounting and management accounting QAQ.
Summary: Two words: Truth serum.

Nicole's request: Cute and Sassy

The Truth, Pure and Simple
"Tell me I'm clever, Tell me I'm kind, Tell me I'm talented, Tell me I'm cute, Tell me I'm sensitive, Graceful and wise, Tell me I'm perfect - But tell me the truth." Shel Silverstein

by Yatsu

Tsuna's chair falls back to the floor with him as he looks at Reborn with wide eyes. He was spitting out his food. "Ack! What did you do?" He says, horrified.

The hitman from hell merely tilts his head, playing for innocence. In his hand was a suspicious looking vial filled with a weird-looking liquid. "Nothing to worry about, No good Tsuna. Just a small little experiment sent to me by Verde. It's a sample from our new batch of truth serum."

"Truth serum?" Tsuna squeaks terrified, "That's-! What the hell do the mafia need truth serums for?"

"To get information from enemy famiglias, of course." Reborn hops down the table.

"And why did you give to me?"

"To test it. Even you can't be that stupid, No Good Tsuna." His tutor rolls his eyes.

"I am that stupid!" The brunet shrieked, "Low test scores, remember? Or did you forget you were sent here from Italy to train an idiot?" Brown eyes widen at the words that come out of his mouth.

Reborn raises an eyebrow at his retort. "Interesting." He said, "Tell me more, Dame-Tsuna."

The young Vongola shakes his head vigorously but then Reborn reaches out for Leon, who transforms into a whip. The Leon whip catches the brunet by both wrists, and Rebron is stronger than he looks, tugging Tsuna's hands from his mouth.

"Gah!" He falls on his face. "You are definitely a demon tutor from hell!" He whines as he tried to rub his face, "But I owe a lot of my friends and current happiness to you. Despite what I say, I'm definitely glad to have met you, Reborn." Brown eyes widen in horror as Tsuna tried to purse his lips closed, shaking his head.

Reborn smirks but there was a softness in his eyes which he hid by tilting his fedora. "Well, if you're really that thankful, you can pay me back by being the best Vongola boss there is."

"Oh, God." Tsuna groans covering his face in mortification. And just as Tsuna couldn't think it'd get worse, there was a familiar sound of someone outside.

"Tenth! I've come to visit!" Comes Gokudera's cheerful voice.

"Oh no." Tsuna whispers, his face pale. "No, no, no, no!" He scrambles up, ignoring the sore points of his body. "Gokudera can't know that I think he's scary! And that I don't want to be boss and I am definitely not thinking of getting anyone for the right-hand man position! His feelings will get hurt! And he might, possibly, blow me up!"

"No good Tsuna, you need to have more faith in your subordinates." Reborn says, "Trust is important in the family." He adds, "But you have a point, you're vulnerable right now. Any enemy famiglia could get their hands on you and learn the Vongola secrets." Dark eyes flash.

"You should have thought of that before spiking my food!" The brunet says, "And what secrets? I know nothing of any Vongola secrets! Aside from Bianchi being the Poison Scorpion, Lambo being a Bovino heir, and that my dad is actually a-"

Leon turns from a whip into a fly swatter, hitting the brunet right in the face. "Exactly, you know identities of the key members of the Vongola famiglia. As well as the special attacks and defense moves of your guardians, such information would endanger them and leave them vulnerable." There are sounds of Gokudera greeting the 'Tenth's honorable mother'. "Normally, I'd let Gokudera look after you, but I don't want you to yap needlessly and ruin a good boss and subordinate bond between you two idiots. Ryohei can't keep a secret to save his life. Hibari is ruled out because the truth serum has made you whinier than usual and he'll probably kill you for that. Mukuro, of course, isn't even an option."

"Yamamoto then!" Tsuna whispers hurriedly, "Yamamoto is definitely the option! I definitely prefer him out of the rest!" He says and he shuts his mouth, face turning red. Reborn shoots him an interested look.

"Tenth?" Comes Gokudera's inquiring tone not far but out of sight, "Tenth, sorry to disrespect but I've come to hang out! We can do our math homeworks and I'll definitely help!"

Tsuna steps back, "I haven't done that assignment yet." At the stern look from Reborn, he gulps guiltily.

"Well, then you and Yamamoto better do it together then. Go on, head out and keep your mouth shut." Reborn says as he pats Tsuna's pant pocket, "I'll distract Gokudera." He head to the entryway. He leads the bomber up to the brunet's bedroom.

When the two were upstairs, Tsuna sneaks out of the house.

"And that's why you're here right now?" Yamamoto asks, head tilted. They were currently in Yamamoto's room, sitting in front of each other on the tatami mats. "Because of that truth serum thing?"

Tsuna sighs, shoulders slumping, "Yeah and because Reborn doesn't want me telling anyone any important Vongola secrets." And because since, apparently, his mouth couldn't shut up, he adds, "Also, honestly, out of all my guardians, I think you're the only one who wouldn't take advantage of the fact that I have no mouth filter right now. And also, I like you best." His hands immediately clap themselves over Tsuna's mouth, eyes wide with horror.

The rain guardian blinks before slowly giving him a warm smile, "I'm glad to hear that, Tsuna." He leans forward, smile bright, "I like you best too."

"Wow, you're more handsome up close." Tsuna squeaked between his fingers. The athlete let out a bright laugh.

"Thank you," To the brunet's surprise, his guardian touches his cheek with the tips of his fingers before withdrawing. He stands up. "Anyway, you hungry? I can go get us something to eat."

"Not really." Tsuna answers automatically, hands falling away. "Actually I'd rather you stay here and tell me what that meant." He refers to the touching. Well, if he says anything embarrassing, he could always blame the damn serum.

Yamamoto's lips quirk in amusement, "Is that so?"

"Yeah," Tsuna says breathlessly, "And I'm being really persistent because I know I can blame everything on the serum. I honestly have no control on what comes out of my mouth."

The taller teen's smile widens, "Well, I guess since you're being honest with me, it's only fair that I do the same." He explains, "But I don't want to take advantage of you in this state Tsuna, so if you say anything you don't want me to hear, you can cover my ears or knock me out or tell me to pretend you never said it and I'll understand." He says seriously.

"Yeah," Tsuna replies, "I know you won't take advantage of me ever, Yamamoto. Which is why I preferred you." He flushes.

"Good." Yamamoto looks pleased.

"So, back to my question?"

A nod, "Back to your question…" The athlete repeated, "The reason I did that," He refers to the light touch, "Is because I'm fond of you." He says earnestly, "Plus, you're really cute when you blush, Tsuna. I couldn't help myself."

The brunet blushes spectacularly, "I'm not cute." He mumbles.

"You are." Yamamoto said firmly, "Just because you believe it, doesn't always make it true."

Tsuna looks at him with wide brown eyes and pink cheeks, "I like you." He blurts out.

A soft smile lifts Yamamoto's expression, "I like you too."

"No." Tsuna says, eyes going horrified, "Not the same kind of like." He gasps, placing a hand over his mouth, trying to muffle his words. Still, they could be heard, "I like you more than you like me. More than a friend should like another friend." He says all these in a fast-paced manner.

Yamamoto stares at him with wide amber eyes.

"Oh, God." Tsuna squeaks, "I can't believe I said that! Please forget it! I could tell you that I don't really have a crush on you, but then I would be lying." Tsuna looks like he wants to hit himself over the head and knock himself out. "I like you a lot." He says dejectedly instead, "But please forget I said that, I don't want to ruin our friendship."

"But," Yamamoto said, blinking in surprise, "But I don't want to forget it."

Tsuna looks up, wide eyes horrified, "But you promised! You said- you told me you would forget about anything I said if I told you to."

"Yeah," Yamamoto says slowly as he inches closer to the frightened brunet. "But I can't just forget about this, not when I feel the same." He reaches out and takes Tsuna's trembling hands. "I won't take advantage but I want you to know that I feel the same."

The young teen tries to pull back, "You didn't drink the serum, you could be lying. You just pity me so you're saying that." He insists, struggling in his seat.

Amber eyes blink at him, wide and sincere. Tsuna could feel his heart beating against his ribs, "I'm not." He says, "You think I'd do that."

"You're Yamamoto." Tsuna whimpers, looking away, "You can't like No Good Tsuna of all people."

Just as Tsuna shifted where he sat, a vial suddenly rolled out of his pocket. Yamamoto picked it up automatically, brain buzzing with how he could convince the brunet that he liked him.

"What's this?" He asks instead of trying to convince Tsuna further. The brunet was looking at the vial with wide eyes.

"The truth serum, Reborn must have placed it in my pocket." His boss says and still, he was trying to get out Yamamoto's grasp.

The rain guardian gave his boss a look before letting go, uncorking the bottle, and downing it all in one go.

Tsuna gapes at him, brown eyes wide at the sudden action.

Yamamoto places the bottle down carefully before settling in front of Tsuna, amber eyes serious. "I like you." He says and the sensation was like a damn being broken, words rising unbidden from his lips. "I've liked you for a long time now. You're amazing and kind and warm, you were the first one to see me as who I was instead of the amazing pitcher of the baseball team." He was defenseless against the onslaught of truth coming out of him. There was no filter. "You've saved me in more ways than one and-"

For the first time, uncertainty laced Yamamoto's voice, amber eyes wide and vulnerable, "I-I never thought you would see me, out of everyone, out of Gokudera and Hibari and sempai- I didn't think you'd like me back the way I liked you." There was a tremble in his voice, "You're always surrounded by such amazing people, Tsuna. There's nothing special about me." He says softly, "But even so, please believe me when I say, that you're the most amazing of them all and I- I like you, really, really like you." He lets out a breath, "And I'd drink a hundred truth serums for you, if it means you'd believe me."

The athlete looked down quietly at the floor.

But then to Yamamoto's surprise, soft and slightly shaking hands were placed carefully on top of his. His head snaps up and amber eyes met wide brown ones. Tsuna was much closer than before.

The swordsman watches Tsuna swallow, brown eyes searching into his before saying, "I want to kiss you now."

A startled laugh bubbled from Yamamoto's mouth as he reaches up one hand to gently cup the back of Tsuna's neck, fingers sifting soft brown locks. "Me too." He said happily.

A bright smile lit up Tsuna's face as he leans in, their lips pressing against each other in a gentle touch.

Maybe, Tsuna thinks as he shyly bites at the bottom of Yamamoto's lip, maybe truth serums weren't that bad after all. Not if honesty could get him this.

And Tsuna tells Yamamoto exactly that, hours later, when the rain guardian asks him what he was smiling about.

Honesty, after all, was the best policy.

Additional message: Good work on your research project, Nicole! XD Had fun with the skyping hahahaha! Hope to do it again with everyone soon! So guys, here's another contribution to our small but faithful flock ;3