Disclaimer: Reborn is not mine. He's Bianchi's. I would never meddle there. I enjoy having a stomach.

Warning! This is a BL (Boy Love) story. That means it will contain two or more boys in some kind of romantic involvement. Which means they are, hum, gay? If you don't like this kind of story, don't read, okay? Also, it's 5927.

KISS IT SHUT

Sawada Tsunayoshi was nothing if not a patient, condescending human being. He let a baby hitman rule his life since he was fifteen. It was annoying, but he could see the good in that. He also let said baby and the others that came because of him – the psychotic cook, the spoiled cow-brat and the unstable chinese assassin – live in his house, eat his food and sleep in his BED. He even shook it of when Lambo cried and spited really disgusting body fluids on his uniform.

The thing was, he just couldn't say "no". And also liked to please the others, all the while seeing their bright side because there was a time no one saw his. It made him happy to be like that, even if his friends kept saying people had the tendency to be abusive toward him.

But even Tsuna's patience had its limits. Said limits where being wholly tested by his best friend, namely Gokudera Hayato.

"JUUDAIME!"

Really, really tested.

One day, far behind in his school days – it was hard to believe it all happened just two years ago – he met the grumpy, scary faced Gokudera-kun. Not many hours after the first encounter, his new acquaintance had tried to explode his guts with dynamite. Tsuna still didn't understand exactly how that event turned into his strong, bullet proof (literally) friendship with the mafia boy, but he wasn't complaining. Before that day, no one had never, ever looked at him with those eyes – shining, trusting, believing eyes. Not even his mother, who was supposed to be the only person in the word to love him unconditionally.

It took time to see through the frown upon his light green eyes, or beyond his obsessive devotion, but Tsuna got there. His first friend, and one of the fiercest he had gathered until this day. For some time, the Don-to-be thought Gokudera couldn't see any of Tsuna's flaws, that being why he could be so… Childishly faithful to his Juudaime.

That wasn't the case.

Gokudera could see Tsuna stuttering to talk about death or fight. He was also there when Tsuna was beaten, humiliated. He knew his friend's exam results better than anyone else, since he always tutored Tsuna before the tests. He had heard Tsuna cry at night, afraid he was doomed to die.

He saw Tsuna in his worst - quietly, observing - but never pointed it out. That scared Tsunayoshi more than anything.

But, one day, in the middle of a baseball game in P.E. class, Tsuna understood it. It wasn't really the best time for an epiphany, since Yamamoto was throwing the ball and, since the receiver was distracted, it went straight to Sawada's head, but... Well, he understood.

It wasn't that Gokudera wouldn't see his faults. It was just that he thought Tsuna was better than them. Like his good points won over every bad part of his life.

That thought made Tsuna's heart skip a beat, that day. It was also the beginning of his annoyance.

Because, if Gokudera could admire his soul, why, why couldn't he call him by his name? Really.

The bell rang, and the class started to chat, animatedly, ignoring the teacher's last announcements. Tsuna hadn't even put the pen down yet when a slender shadow crept over his desk.

"Juudaime, how did it go?" Gokudera asked, pointing the test Tsuna had just received back. "Was my tutoring any help?"

Juudaime. The girls of the near desks giggled. Kyouko-chan once said they all though that name calling cute.

"Just Tsuna, Gokudera-kun."

It had become automatic reply. Like all automatic replies, it was brushed off by the one who was supposed to listen to it. "I remember more than half of your answers had matched mine, Juudaime."

Sighting, Tsuna took the test and showed it.

"I needed seventy, have eighty-five. So, yeah, your tutoring helped a lot, Gokudera-kun."

The other boy smiled a little smile. Tsuna couldn't help but notice that smile was reserved only for him. His heart skipped a beat again, like it did every time he realized that. It made Gokudera-kun gentler. And beautiful.

"Glad to hear it, Juudaime."

Tsuna blushed.

"T-Thank you, by the way", the brunet answered. Then frowned. "And it's Tsuna, Gokudera-kun. Tsuna."

But the silver haired boy didn't reply, since Yamamoto was hanging on his shoulders like the good buddy he thought he was.

"Yo, Tsuna! Your mother made lunch today?"

"Get off, baseball-idiot!"

"Last bento she made was delicious."

"And stop stealing Juudaime's food!"

He had got used to their arguments as much as he had got used to Juudaime, Juudaime. But lately…

"It's Tsuna. And, no, Yamamoto, today I'm going to buy lunch, or something."

Lately, he was not indifferent to Juudaime anymore.

Yamamoto started to push Gokudera to their usual lunch spot on the roof, and Tsuna thought deeply while following them. Yes, after the first tries, he gave up on making his best friend call him by his given name. Damn, Gokudera never did acknowledged Tsuna's tired calls! And it really didn't matter for some time, with the whole Ring-Varia-Time-Travel-Millefiore thing. But now, he couldn't stand it.

"You impose yourself on Juudaime too much!"

"It's friendship, friendship, Gokudera. Chill out!"

"You'll see what I'll chill, you—"

And when he noticed he couldn't stand it, he started to do something about it. Being Tsuna, his first tries were almost inexistent. Like the always ignored automatic replies (heck, he didn't even NOTICED the requests!). Then he asked Bianchi to ask Gokudera to stop the Juudaime-calling. It really didn't work, since the bomberman fainted as soon as she started to talk (unmasked).

The next one was Yamamoto. No use: when Takeshi wasn't serious about the matter, Gokudera wouldn't listen, and the baseball player had this huge, goofy smile when he began to say, "Ne, Gokudera, why don't you call Tsuna by his name, like I do?" - the "like I do" part being the start of an ugly one-sided discussion.

From then on, Tsuna asked Haru, Lambo (that one was disastrous), his mother, doctor Shamal, Lal Mirch, Ryohei, everyone he thought that could have some kind of conversation with Gokudera. None of them succeeded.

The last one was Reborn. He smacked Tsuna on the head and just said: "What do you think you're doing, Dame-Tsuna? It's no use asking this from others, when you're the only one he listens to".

Ouch.

So, since the year before, Tsuna returned to his automatic replies and Gokudera kept brushing it off like some kind of selective hearing. Suddenly, the patience of the next Vongola's head began to vanish like a candle.

The last drop on the ocean happened the day before, because of a video game.

You see, Gokudera invited himself to sleep over and Tsuna, really used to it by now, plugged the Play Station for them to have something to do. Then, he went downstairs to bring some food and, when he came back, Gokudera had overridden his Castlevania file, saying something about having to pick up some rare item to fully complete the game.

Okay. No problem.

But he wrote Juudame on the place Tsuna had written his name. Bye, Patience.

"Juudaime?"

Tsuna blinked, slowly. They were already at the roof of the school's building, and he was standing beside the door, like an idiot.

"Juudaime…?"

"Where is Yamamoto?"

Gokudera's expression turned from worried to annoyed.

"He said he would buy something to eat, or whatever. Who cares. Anyway, Juudaime, are you all right? Won't you buy anything to eat? I can—"

"Gokudera-kun. Why do you call me Juudaime all the time?"

The boy was quiet for five seconds before answering passionately. Tsuna almost slapped his own forehead. "Even if Jyuudaime isn't the head of the Vongola Famiglia, officially, yet, I already recognize him as such! And, anyway, we have the Vongola rings for a while now—"

"Gokudera-kun, that's not what…"

"-And that is just like being promoted. I'm just showing of my respect over your position and I won't let anyone—"

"Gokudera-kun."

"-Forget that you're the leader and must be treated as such. Besides, those Guardians are insolent and keep treating Juudaime like—"

"Gokudera-kun!"

The rant stopped suddenly. Gokudera turned to look at his friend - really look at him - with his mouth agape.

"I'm not questioning—I'm not trying to say I'm not the –It's just—"

Pause. Breathe. Man, he hated losing his patience. Instead of making him furious and decided, he always became a gagging mess. "That's not what I meant to ask." Tsuna sighed, hand flying over his spiked locks. "It's just… Why can't you call me Tsuna, like everyone does?"

Gokudera closed his mouth, and stared. The look on his face was serious, like when he was fighting, or making promises. Tsuna stared back, firmly, warm, like always.

The other finally answered, the quiet voice contrasting with the former enthusiasm.

"I am not everyone else, Juudaime."

Tsuna closed his eyes, and breathed again.

"But I'm still Tsuna, Gokudera-kun."

Silence.

"Just… Would you just call me by my name, Gokudera-kun?"

Opening his eyes, Tsuna saw himself pulled into the light green gaze, full of conflict. The classic Gokudera Hayato look. His heart skipped a beat again, and he realized something.

It was not that being called "Juudaime" made him mad. No, the problem was…

"Juudaime, I... I—"

"It's easy. Tsuna. Like that."

The problem was…

"I never…"

"It can't be that hard."

"I can't."

The problem was that he wanted Hayato to call his name. He wanted Hayato to say Tsuna, like Tsuna-the-person, not Juudaime. Because Gokudera saw him – him, Tsuna – while calling Juudaime, and the brunet couldn't understand why. It was so simple. It was just a name.

"Why?"

Burrowed eyebrows, crisped mouth and all attention on the Juudaime. But he didn't answer. The minutes passed, and Tsuna wondered if Yamamoto was going to be downstairs a little longer. He hoped he would.

What he would say now would be beyond embarrassing. That was why he was blushing like a tomato. "So you won't call me by my name."

"Juudaime, it's not that I won't…"

"Okay, then."

Oh, man, he hated when Gokudera had the kicked puppy expression. It made him feel guilty, and he almost gave up right then. But, even so, he had lost his god damn patience, and had to do something about that or he would end up snapping and saying bullshit to some undeserving person.

"From now on, every time you call me "Juudaime", I'll kiss you."

Whoa, he said it. Beyond embarrassing, indeed. He could feel the face heating and making his head dizzy. Gokudera looked a mix of confused and puzzled, if there's really a difference.

"You will… Wh-What?"

"I will kiss you. Every time you don't call me by my name."

"Wha… Why would you…"

"Because if you can't do it alone, I can gi-give you some incentive."

Shit, this was nothing like something Sawada Tsunayoshi would do. He definitely should stay away from Mukuro. And Reborn. They were the cunning, blackmailing bastards, not Tsuna!

But here he was, making a threat. Or so he thought.

"But…"

"So, start calling me by my name, okay?"

By now, Gokudera's face was as red as Tsuna's. Meaning he finally had understood the whole situation. He opened and closed his mouth five times before Tsuna sighed again.

"Tsu-na-yo-shi. Come on, Gokudera-kun, it's easy. Yamamoto says it all the time."

"I'm not Yamamoto."

Now he seemed angry. Then, his face shifted again, and the fighter-promise-keeper look was back. Tsuna gulped, and his heart really, really could stop jumping like a rabbit, damn it! He was starting feel like a girl or something.

"Gokudera-kun, sometimes I wonder if you only think of me like a member of the Vongola. Because, if that's the case, you know… That's not me. That's just a part. A non-willing part, by the way."

"I know."

He had spoken softly. The acid eyes were just as soft. It made Tsuna self-conscious. "I know it, Juudaime."

Oh.

Said quietly, gently, almost a whisper, Juudaime felt more intimate than his real name.

Tsuna understood, finally. I was not that Gokudera-kun wouldn't call him Tsuna – it was just that he didn't want to be like Yamamoto, like everyone else, who did call him that. He wanted to be not-everyone-else. The first one to call him Juudaime. The first person to acknowledge, without doubts, his potential. The only right-hand man. The best friend.

Tsuna blinked, feeling dumb. It was so obvious, but he hadn't seen it behind the anxious, loud talks with his guardian.

Gokudera kept looking at him, expectantly. Tsuna was going to smile and dismiss that confusing talk when he remembered something. Precisely, something he had just said like a fierce promise. Like - From now on, every time you call me "Juudaime", I'll kiss you.

Oh.

Sighing, he took his hands of his pockets and closed his eyes. Even if he was a little reluctant in becoming the Tenth Generation Leader of the Vongola Famiglia, he had already become someone who would not go back his word, so… Couldn't help it, huh?

Tsuna fisted his right hand over Hayato's loose tie and pulled him down. Their mouths clashed and, since none of them knew what to do – Tsuna because he was clueless, Hayato because he was beyond surprised – their lips just stayed there, touching.

He let go. Gokudera didn't move, but started to talk, wide eyed.

"Juu—Juudaime! I mean, you didn't have to do that! I understand that you are who you are and that you're much more than our boss and everything, it's just that, to me, you'll always—"

This time, Gokudera's mouth was open when it descended over Tsunayoshi's. It took a considerably long time before they separated again, needing to breath, red faced. Tsuna didn't let go of the crumpled tie and, underneath his knuckles, he could count the racing beats of that heart.

The acid gaze now looked like tea.

"… You'll always be exactly as I see you, Juudaime." Gokudera finished, after a while. "Just like I see you."

There, he said it again. Tsuna kissed it shut.

N/A: Oh, well. I thought it would be better than this, but, anyway. For my first time writing in this language, genre and fandom, it wasn't that bad, haha.

EDIT: Revised 19/08/2010.