I quite enjoyed writing this because of the freedom I had. I could write whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. Unfortunately, that also means that this fic became almost shamefully long. It's like a bunch of drabbles stuck together to create one story.

I started writing this after reading a sweet GiottoxG oneshot by the awesome yHime. I shared her opinion of this pairing not getting enough love.

I also found that really hate the way I write. I can't believe that I cranked out 28 pages without running off to rape a thesaurus or something. And for some reason, each subheading starts with a 'C'. It has no real reason behind it.

If there are mistakes, it's because I'm proof reading this just before going for a blood test and can't concentrate for my life. I'm sorry. Needles irk me. *Is a hopeless wimp when it comes to medical stuff*

This is AU. Some ages may not correlate with the original story.

Don't own!

Confluence

It was sometimes hard to keep the deep fury hidden when he walked down the strange halls. Why he had been placed in such a predicament was unknown to him, but it was unnecessary and far too awkward for him to handle in a way that he did not appear on edge. G had involuntarily shifted into his self-defence tactics, loosening his tie and un-tucking his tie in a silent rebellion to mask his discomfort with apparent confidence. Whether he himself was aware of this was not certain.

With an impressive poker-face, the uptight redhead stepped sharply into the small room, refusing to meet the eyes of the man at the desk. Like practically everyone else here, he was Japanese.

G was not racist. He simply felt incredibly out of place. Having moved from Italy, he was of a quite striking appearance to the students who had stopped and stared in sometimes very tactless ways.

Once he had picked up his timetable and class number, G followed the map to his classroom in the slowest pace he could manage. The piece of paper irked him; where the rooms had originally all been labelled in Kanji, someone must have run the document through a translating program because the Italian was purely abysmal.

The urge to spit somewhere suddenly became very strong. The classroom he had been assigned to lay not ten metres ahead of him, but no lively student chatter was to be heard at all. It would have been a lie to say that G was not nervous; in fact, he felt his chest begin to ache where his heart relentlessly pounded at his ribs.

Setting a serious frown onto his face, G marched resolutely towards the door, which he was almost tempted to kick open as a result of his frustration. However, he restrained himself, remaining blank on the outside. A first impression as a delinquent wouldn't come across well with both teacher and parents.

The classroom was packed with people sitting quietly at their desks and scribbling as if there was no tomorrow. This added with the large text drawn on the board just screamed 'test!', and G was glad to have arrived after it began.

Of course, as soon as the door opened, everyone lifted their heads to send alienating stares in the redhead's direction and the classroom erupted into loud whispers. G's discomfort doubled in the space of maybe two seconds; this was the 'deer in headlights' feel, huh? What were they staring at? His hair? His height? His uniform? Too many eyes, G decided, choosing to ignore the other pupils to instead focus on the teacher, who had just succeeded in barely being able to make any sense of his surname.

This was where the problems began. G's general knowledge of Japanese went no further than the absolute basics. The redhead watched with a bland expression as the 'sensei' filed through some papers, picking one up and sighing loudly before furrowing his brow. Well then, wasn't he going to be assigned a seat or something? All the man had to do was point. Surprisingly, he spoke instead.

"Vongola?"

"Hai, sensei."

G's head whipped around to face the class he had been trying so hard to avoid looking at, and his eyes widened at what he saw. Amongst the many dark-haired students now looking in the same direction as he, a boy with thick blonde hair and a totally disarming smile stood out like blood on snow, looking just about proud enough to burst. G's eyebrow twitched at his expression, but his relief won over his chagrin. The name was funny, that was for sure, but the fact that it sounded not at all Japanese was a big thumbs-up for the new student.

Apparently, he hadn't seen it all though.

The blonde, most probably a European like G himself, practically jumped out of his seat and jogged down an aisle between the rows of desks, his fellow students beginning to giggle good-naturedly at his enthusiasm. Coming to an abrupt stop before the redhead, the blue-eyed boy stuck his hand out powerfully. "Ciao! It's a pleasure to meet you."

Before he could register what was happening, G was involved in a very enthusiastic handshake, the other boy's big blue eyes looking intently into his own.

"Oi!" G argued at the unexpected contact, and the other boy let him go with a short laugh. "There was no need to- You're Italian!"

The blond smiled warmly, nodding as he did. "Surprised, I guess? I've been assigned to be your 'guide' for your first week or so due to the language barriers you must be facing." He explained. "I hope that's not inconvenient to you, but I myself can say that I'm really glad to have you here."

G was, put simply, totally dumbstruck; it was the last thing he'd expected, but he couldn't help the small smile that crept onto his face. The blond stepped back a bit, waving his hand beside himself and cocking his head with a modest grin. "I'm Giotto Vongola! I'm going to follow the cliché here; bet we'll be best friends?"

"G." the redhead replied, taking every note of just how dynamic Giotto was being; his behaviour was so typically Italian that G couldn't help but find it charming.

In the short pause that followed, however, the boys became painfully aware of how silent the room was and that everyone was staring at them with wide eyes and fascinated looks on their faces. Clearly, this hadn't been in the lesson plan.

G was again faced with the temptation to glare, but the teacher beat him to it. He began to speak to them in the typical, commanding tone, to which they responded by getting back to work in record time. Giotto quickly caught his new classmate's confused expression. "He told them that yes, we're both from the same country and that's why we're speaking like we are. This class is learning English, so they've not heard Italian before."

"Oh." G replied dumbly.

"Let's sit down. You're next to me!"

The first lesson ran rather smoothly for G. While he understood barely any of the teacher's words, Giotto was allowed to constantly translate to help him along. Of course, this system came with some quite amusing advantages. It was not that G was forcing himself to converse with Giotto due to the linguistic blockage with everyone else; the blond boy just had a very welcoming effect on the other that G was relieved to have found.

"And the one by the window; that's Kagami-san, first name Nori. I think she's really pretty, but she enjoys kicking people she doesn't like. She tells me that she would never go out with me because she doesn't want blond children: she believes the stereotype. I never even asked her out…" Giotto complained, pointing discreetly at the person he was describing. G raised his eyebrows, locking his gaze on the female at the window. Giotto was right about her being fairly good looking, although G had yet to become accustomed to being surrounded by people with Asian features.

"So, she's violent? Don't tell me you're on the 'hate' list, then. I don't want to get involved in that rubbish."

"Can't help harmless flirting..." Giotto mumbled. "Well… she's a Karate black belt, yes… It's incredible to watch her practise with the club, and I do not mean that in a stalker-ish way." G sent the insistent blond a devious kiss of the teeth.

"You're such a teenager."

"I mean it! And anyway, what kind of an insult was that? You are, too…"

"So, who's that?" G decided to change the subject before Giotto became a human tomato. Giotto followed the direction his friend's finger was pointing in and his face lit up.

"That's Tanaka Sayuri, the class' female idol. She actually lived in Italy for three years, so she would surely be glad if you talked to her."

"Oh." G commented. "Why is she the idol?" he did not truly understand such statuses, but Giotto seemed more than ready to explain.

"An idol is to be like the perfect student. Sayuri-chan, for example… She has good grades, good looks and has a wonderful personality. Unfortunately, that also means that should you be what people consider unworthy, asking her out is as good as suicide."

G blinked at Giotto's choice of words. "… Alright."

"Would you like to eat lunch with me?" Giotto asked suddenly, and G tore his gaze off the girl in the front row.

"When is the break?" he asked, frowning. Giotto nodded in the direction of the clock, already packing away his pen.

"Right now."

The sound of a bell rang through the corridor outside, and instantly the students scrambled to get their bags and literally bolt out of the room. Ignoring the teacher's yells and the disorder around them, G and Giotto silently put their books away.

"We can go to the roof, if you like." Giotto offered. "Since it's sunny and we've got a fantastic clear sky. Anyway, I'd like to talk to you some more; I'll introduce you to my friends after I've shown you around some more."

"What? Why?" G questioned, slightly surprised by Giotto's will to converse with him further.

"Because I think you're interesting, and I speak better Italian than Japanese." Giotto explained, and G pretended he didn't hear the first part of that phrase.

"Oi, is that all I'm good for?" He growled, putting on a stormy glare. As usual, Giotto remained unfazed.

"Come on, otherwise others might get there first. I can fill you in on more school stuff, too."

"'The others might get there first'? Do they not go there if you're present or something?"

"Well, not if they're rude. I'm the king of the roof!" Giotto laughed, folding his arms behind his head.

G blanched. "You are such a dork." He deadpanned.

Conversation

"When I was little and still lived in Italy … I always wanted to join the mafia." Giotto murmured, squinting against the sharp sunlight beaming down onto his face. Next to him, also lying flat on the roof was G, although the redhead had chosen to shield his eyes with his hands. He didn't respond instantly, but when he did, his voice was dry after having snorted gently to mock Giotto's childhood wish. "I wanted to be a graffiti artist." He confessed. Giotto nodded appreciatively.

"And when I'm older…" the blond continued. "… I want to protect people."

G wondered how on Earth that correlated with Giotto's childhood aspiration, but again decided that the other boy had probably been blinded with the same infantile innocence as he.

"When I'm older, I want to get a tattoo." G replied.

"Ah? A tattoo?" Giotto rolled onto his side, facing G with a concerned expression. "Why that? Won't it hurt?"

"I like them." G answered simply. "And of course it will, captain obvious."

Giotto pouted, shifting on the smooth concrete. "What would you get, then?"

"A flame or something like that."

"Oh, so you're already pretty sure about this." Giotto realised, sighing. G sniffed loudly, wrinkling his nose as he did.

"Mh." He agreed. "On my face."

"… You're joking."

"Am not."

"Though… G, I think that would look quite cool on you."

Said boy opened his eyes and lifted his hand, face now darkened by the shadow of an upright Giotto. "Huh?"

"It'd look cool. The flame tattoo, I mean."

G couldn't help it; he cracked a smile. "Thanks, Giotto."

"Maybe I should get one, too." The blond pondered aloud, and G surprised himself with his own response.

"No!" he snapped, sitting up hurriedly, and Giotto blinked at him owlishly. Crossing his legs, he analysed the redhead with narrowed but undoubtedly concerned eyes.

"Is there something wrong, G?"

"Don't get a tattoo." he ordered in a commanding tone.

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

"Because you…?"

"You're fine as you are. It'd ruin the way you look."

"… I didn't mean a facial one, if that's what you thought." It was obvious that Giotto was having a hard time trying not to laugh, and that made G feel beyond embarrassed as he began to realise just what he'd said.

The redhead managed not to stutter stupidly as the blond in front of him wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. "Glad to see that you care about me already, G."

Now G did stutter. "You're really annoying." He snapped, but Giotto only laughed.

"Hey, G." he said. "You haven't smiled once since I met you this morning. You don't like it here, do you?"

"…" He picks up silly things like that?

"It's alright. I was the same when I first moved here. I didn't speak any Japanese at all, and nobody here spoke Italian apart from my father. I practically learned to speak it along with Tsuna."

"Who's Tsuna?" G asked, trying to push away from the topic of his discomfort.

"He's my younger half-brother." Giotto obtained a contemplative expression. "The first thing people usually ask is if I hate him and my step-parent, but… I think he's the best little brother in the world, and my new mother just seems natural to me. I couldn't possibly ask for more." Spotting G's slightly lost look, Giotto went on. "My real mother isn't here anymore, if that's what you're thinking. It's not the result of a divorce."

An awaited silence followed these words; surprisingly, Giotto was the one to break it. "There's no need to feel sorry for me. I'm still able to smile, right?" the blond placed a hand on the wordless redhead's shoulder. The other boy jumped a bit, taking in a sharp breath.

"I am sorry, though." G said in a stiff tone, loosening up as he grew accustomed to the other boy's touch. "You know… I guess it was selfish of me."

"What was?"

When G raised his head and his red locks fell from his vision, Giotto was stunned by the small but sincere smile gracing his previously irritated features. "Leaving you to do all the smiling by yourself, of course."

Children

"You're awful at this." G commented, folding his piece of paper perfectly in half before flipping it over and folding it again diagonally. Sitting on front of him, the owner of familiar cerulean watched intently, his hands folded together on his knees. "Try to at least make the two sides meet in the middle."

"Sorry, teacher." Giotto pouted and then grinned, observing how his friend's deft fingers seemed to do no more than flicker over the paper with skilled speed before they held what had become a finely modelled paper plane. "I lack the 'fingertip feel'."

G raised a red eyebrow before sighing and handing the plane to Giotto, who took it with great enthusiasm. "Here, fly it."

"Mh!" Giotto leapt to his feet, standing up proudly as G watched. The blond extended an arm, the plane gently poised between his fingers; having aimed with narrowed, sky blue eyes, Giotto drew the limb back before forcing it gracefully forwards, letting the paper flyer go as he did. G distantly thought that Giotto's 'Roman statue' impersonation had been rather theatrical, but obviously it had worked.

Both boys watched with inquisitive gazes as the airborne object, almost too bright to look at as the sunlight glared onto its surface, made a gentle bow in the air before turning and slowly descending back in Giotto's direction. Giotto caught it with ease, being mindful not to crease it. Sending the still sitting G an overjoyed smile, he said, "It came back!"

"Of course it did." G muttered, wondering why the blond was so excited over such a trivial thing. "If it's a good plane you can make it do things like that."

"Ah…"

"But it also has to do with your throw. You're hopeless at folding the planes themselves, but you're very good at starting them."

Giotto looked down at G, who was now focusing on folding yet more paper into planes. "Thank you, G."

"Sit back down. Have another go at folding it. Giotto…"

"Yes?" The blond was chipper, already reaching for some more sheets. G tried his best not to release a loud sigh.

"Why are we even doing this…?"

"G, do you know how it feels to be able to fold paper boats but not paper planes?"

"No?"

"It's not very fulfilling, but more than anything… Tsuna can do it while I can't. It's quite a blow to my big brother status."

"You're such a child." G snapped at the silly reason, trying not to give in to just how immature his self-proclaimed friend was being. G honestly couldn't understand his weakness for people such as Giotto. They were very hard to dislike with such open personalities.

Giotto nodded, seeming to agree with the statement that had been meant as a light insult. "I doubt that a youthful composure is a bad thing, however."

"If you're looking for a job, it is." G replied, adding another plane to the pile he had. The school ground would probably be littered with them later.

"Don't be so trivial, G! Enjoy the last years of your teenage years. We're only fifteen." Giotto chided, half-closing his eyes as the sun became intense again. G thought that his new friend looked surprisingly serene like that, albeit somehow drowsy.

"Fold the other side now."

"Hm?"

"The other side." G stated, pointing at the paper beneath Giotto's fingers.

"G, where did you learn to do this?" Giotto asked, following the instructions he'd been given. G blinked. More of these seemingly pointless questions?

"Why is that important?" he asked in genuine confusion, and Giotto met his eyes shortly. G was forced to blink as a result of that piercing gaze.

"Because I'm interested in you. I apologise if I seem intrusive. You don't have to answer-"

"A friend of my cousin's parents." G decided to respond. "He's a total pervert and an idiot to boot, though. Hayato thinks the same, but he's picked up some sneaky tricks from that pathetic womaniser."

"Hayato? Is that your cousin? The name sounds Japanese."

"He's only part. His side of the family is one of the reasons my parents moved here. They might tag along at some point, too."

"Ah. I see."

"Nice plane."

"Thank you, G. I don't think this one looks all too bad, hm?"

"Won't know until you fly it."

"Right!"

Consequence

"A-ano… G-san, where is Vongola-kun?"

G lifted his head tiredly, having chosen to slump over onto his desk as a result of his tiredness. The girl talking to him appeared slightly nervous, but then it wasn't a surprise since he was probably the embodiment of a red-haired zombie at that moment.

"Do not know." He said in his broken Japanese. "Said meet end of class." Although he seemed indifferent, G was just as concerned as his classmate seemed to be. Somewhere in the background, the teacher droned on about equations.

"Alright… I'm sorry for asking. I was simply worried; you two are always together, aren't you? It's unusual for Vongola-kun to leave your side, and he should be in this lesson."

Now those words made G feel awkward. He didn't like how people thought they baby-sitted each other. It was simply convenient for them to stay together.

The next few minutes passed quietly, with G having long finished his work; instead he used his pencil and spare page to sketch his preferred one-letter name onto the surface in various graffiti styles. That was when the door slowly opened, and the class raised their heads to see who had arrived.

G couldn't help himself; he lost his cool as soon as he spotted Giotto's state. He shot out of his chair, racing across the room to grab his fellow Italian's shoulders (the boy was shorter than him, he'd noticed) and shake him violently as soon as he entered through the door. "What the fuck, Giotto?" G shouted vehemently, ignoring everyone else. The evidence of a fight was painfully clear both in Giotto's expression and the wounds he had gained. "What the fuck is this?"

Giotto apathetically wiped the blood flowing from his nose away with his jumper and sighed, unable to meet G's crimson eyes. The redhead looked just about angry enough to punch him, which was clearly a bad sign. "It's nothing-"

"Why the hell are you lying to me?" G continued to rant, tightening his grip on his friend's shoulders. "To get yourself-"

"G, I defended myself until he became bored, nothing more-" Giotto tried, but it was then that the teacher finally decided to intervene.

Their names were the only words G understood in his state of fury, but a second later Giotto faced him with a miserable expression and shrugged in an attempt to get the angry redhead off him.

"He said for you to let me go."

Glaring icily at the teacher behind him, G let the other boy go and stepped back, pushing Giotto away as he did. The blond just continued to look gloomy, pressing his cheek gently where a dark bruise was beginning to form.

"We can talk outside. He wants us both to calm down before coming back into the room." Giotto gestured at the teacher and licked his lip where blood had settled. The rest of the class continued to watch in stunned silence.

Opening the door, Giotto left, G following close behind. Needless to say, once they were alone, G no longer felt the need to restrain his anger.

"Why?" he said slowly, although his tone was knife-edged. "Are you really that type? Just when I thought that you…"

Giotto shook his head, fishing a tissue out of his trouser pocket. "I already told you, G… I would never hurt someone for my own enjoyment. It's impossible."

"Then what the hell happened?" the redhead protested, evidently aggravated.

"Someone disagreed with me." Giotto stated, surprisingly emotionless.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing. He just wanted to make a point, which I understand. He was just a simple-minded person who must be forgiven for being that way."

Fisting his hands, G tried to calm his breathing. "Well then, what's the damn point about you that he doesn't like?"

"I'm gay."

G dropped every last shred of his anger, stunned into silence. Giotto seemed suddenly even more depressed, offering his companion a cheerless smile. "It's alright if you feel the same way. All you have to do is leave."

G's answer came completely unexpected to the shorter boy, who had been preparing to make his way back into the classroom before G said any more. "… I'd rather you gave me permission to get my own back on the bastard who did this to you."

"'My own'…?" Giotto echoed, suddenly unsure. However, when G raised his head, the expression he held was totally resolute and heavy with chilling rage.

"Yes, my own. He hurt a friend of mine."

"G…"

"But violence won't solve a damn thing. Come on, you idiot. Let's get you down to the nurse."

"G-"

Sick of Giotto's endless use of his name, G put a verbal foot down as he cut the other off once again. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? Don't you trust me enough?" he snapped, his expression hinting to something akin to hurt.

"Trust you? Why wouldn't I? And tell you? What, tell you I was gay?" Giotto questioned, one after the other in an almost puzzling sequence. G nodded, his lips pressed together tightly to help ease his frustration. "Well… If I was not, would I have approached you and instantly filled you in on the fact that I was straight once we met? It wouldn't be necessary… and it would seem strange for me to bring something like that up. G, I know that you are uncomfortable so please just g-"

"Cut it out, Giotto. I've heard enough." G said bitterly, disappointment evident in his tone.

"G, seriously!" Giotto obtained a slightly angered expression, fisting his hands and narrowing his blue eyes. G picked up on his defiance instantly.

"Seriously you, too! Don't you know when you've babbled on enough?"

Giotto was momentarily taken back when the taller boy stepped closer and grabbed him by the collar, forcing him forwards rather roughly. However, the situation was surprisingly contradicted when the initially harsh contact turned into a tight embrace, initiated by none other but G himself.

"Hell, Giotto. Just stop feeling so damn guilty and think about yourself for once. Why didn't you just go with what you thought was right? Who gives a shit if you're different?" the redhead urged, annoyed by the blond's obvious habit of self-blame. On the other hand, Giotto was suddenly relaxed, enjoying how warm G was simply because it made him feel happy on the inside to be hugged. G didn't know it, but he was quite easy to work out.

"G…?" he began to ask, but the taller boy took it as a cue to continue his scolding.

"You pretty much told me to go away; as if you'd ever damn well manage. It's not what you wanted! You did it because you were thinking of how it would be convenient to me. Idiot!" he rebuked, relaxing his grip on Giotto a little.

"G… Am I really that easy to read?"

"To me, you are. Your book has a most riveting selection of chapters."

G's off use of something so poetic had Giotto silenced for quite some moments before he could speak again. "Why are you hugging me? I did not expect such a reaction from you..."

"You looked like a kicked puppy. I don't do kicked puppies. Don't think that I do this to everyone."

"Refreshingly cold with comforting warmth within… I like to think that I've worked you out like that." Giotto spoke before returning the redhead's embrace. It was obviously unexpected, because G's reaction was rather humorous.

"O-oi! What are you doing?" he protested, jabbing Giotto's chest sharply to get him off. The blond stepped back, his expression quizzical as he pushed some hair from his eyes.

"So you can hug me but I can't hug you back?" Giotto almost whined. "I don't see any fairness in that. Or are you… are you... are you scared of gayness being contagious?" G choked. Honest to God he choked. "Alright, I'm done embarrassing you. Come on," Giotto laughed, taking his flabbergasted friend by the arm. "Let's get down to the nurse."

Courage

"Are you sure?" G asked uncomfortably, shooting a hasty glance at the house phone on his bed. "If it's going to be bothering your family, then hell no-"

"No, no! Nana is cooking big tonight, and Tsuna is all set to show you his latest drawings. Anyway, we have to get this project underway since we've both been so lazy this week." Giotto chuckled over the speaker, and G smiled to himself. Giotto's little half-brother had taken to him just like his older sibling, and for some reason G had a weakness for small children, especially the shorter Giotto-lookalike.

"Fine." He sighed, jumping off his bed. "I'll bring the folder. Anything else I'll need?"

"I've got the laptop here." Giotto explained, and a muffled tapping was heard afterwards, as if he was highlighting his point by patting the very object. "Just bring yourself and your smile, right?" G stopped dead in his tracks, the incredible feeling of a burning blush rising to his cheeks. "G? You still there?"

"Yes." The redhead managed in a level tone, his hands scrabbling through his school books to locate the project. Dammit. He wasn't used to random flattery like that.

"Um, G. My mother just asked; do you think she should do our favourite Gnocchi with tomato sauce and mozzarella or something with a creamier topping?"

Caught off guard by Giotto's random topic change, G stopped to think, folder in hand. "The usual, perhaps? She shouldn't have to make an effort for me." he offered in an almost bored voice, trying to make up for his earlier (probably suspicious) pause. Obviously, Giotto saw right through him, which should be impossible over the phone. Or not, G mentally corrected himself. This is Giotto.

"Tomato, mother!" he heard from the phone in Japanese, his best friend's voice being slightly distant as he addressed his parent.

"I'm heading off now, alright?" G said, picking up his bag and lazily tearing a comb through his hair. It didn't get stuck, for once.

"Mh!" Giotto hummed, the sound ending up amusingly tinny over the phone. "See you soon, then. Ciao, G!"

"Ciao." G answered with a slight chuckle, hanging up just after the beep began to sound. He sighed, stretching his arms. Giotto was probably the most bearable dork he'd ever met… and one that was far too lovable. How could you hate Giotto? It was the same with his little brother; the charm probably lay in the genes. G face-palmed. It wasn't really fair. Charisma was something you were born with, he guessed.

Little Tsuna was not happy with his big brother; not one bit. Giotto seemed to have glued his backside to the steps, and he was a very worrying shade of red in the face. Maybe he'd showered too hot again, the little boy decided, recalling his own miserable memories with the demon taps. "Nii-san! Nii-san!" the brunet whined, yanking relentlessly on his older sibling's trouser leg. "Nii-san, did you say G-san was coming round?"

"Yes." Giotto sighed in reply, and Tsuna didn't miss how he nervously ran a hand through his thick locks. "And when he does, try not to make him trip over you again. If he didn't like you so much, he could have shouted at your for nearly making him dent his forehead on the table. That's what he does to other people."

Instantly, one blushing boy turned to two. "I didn't mean to do it!" Tsuna whimpered meekly, becoming upset by the mention of what he'd nearly done to his brother's best friend. Giotto hummed to himself, stroking Tsuna's head slowly to show he was forgiven.

"I meant, just don't get too excited." He explained, soothing his panicky sibling. Realising that Tsuna was still shaky, he lifted the boy onto his lap and kissed his forehead softly. "Ti amo, Tsuna."

"Gio-kun?" A chipper female voice sounded from the kitchen, and in response Giotto stood up from his place on the stairs, hefting his brother up with him as he did.

"Yes, mama?" Giotto entered the kitchen, the smell of the sauce his step-mother was cooking hitting his nose pleasantly. Wow, he was salivating.

Not even turning around, Nana spoke. "Arah, Gio-kun, you really are despicable."

That one nearly made the blond drop his clueless little brother out of shock. "E-eh?"

"G-kun is such a lovely boy, don't you think…?" the woman swooned, somehow managing to concentrate on stirring the food as she did. Tsuna remained suspiciously quiet. "His red hair does make him ever so handsome… And just like your papa, that beautiful language…"

"Ah, yes, he's very nice, mama… which is why he is my best friend." Giotto agreed awkwardly, trying to find the missing link between Nana's two completely unrelated phrases. He froze up when the woman shook her head despairingly, a mysterious smile on her features.

"Arah, Gio-kun… You've been talking about him ever since you met, haven't you? First because he was Italian like you are, and now because he has nice eyes and an enchanting smile, hm?"

Those words could well have held the same effect as running Giotto over with a tank.

"Why don't you tell him?"

Nana really chose to be observant at the most inconvenient times. Oblivious to his big brother's dilemma, Tsuna snuggled himself further into Giotto's shirt.

"I… It's just a stupid puppy crush. I mean, for goodness' sake, I've only known him for five months." The flustered blond argued, feeling suddenly very vulnerable. "It's best if he-"

A shrill sound cut the blond off, echoing shortly through the main hall.

"There's someone at the door." Tsuna mumbled, opening his eyes to peer over Giotto's shoulder. Nana winked at her step-son before approaching him and taking Tsuna into her own arms.

"Well then, let him in." she nodded towards the hallway, and Giotto was left with sweaty palms and an expression of total embarrassment.

Not… Not yet.

Caught

G decided that, to be honest, the accommodations the class had been assigned to were not all that bad. He had initially been rather miserable about the language trip's obvious and only destination, and the English weather really did live up to its reputation, but… at least they'd offered some quite decent blankets to make up for the biting cold and defective heating system. The class had been thoroughly chilled to the bone walking around central London for seven hours before being made to return to the hotel using the dreaded Underground system, a.k.a. Claustrophobic Odorous Sauna.

Finding that sleep was being particularly evasive that night, G turned onto his back and stared at the top bunk above him, using the bright moonlight to observe the human-sized dent in the material that was Lampo. The kid could snore, and G would be lying if he claimed not to have considered shaking the arrogant idiot awake on previous nights due to the unnecessary noise. I could kick him… G thought, resting a hand on his cold forehead. … But then he'd be even noisier, so… no.

After another few minutes of fruitless waiting, G considered taking a trip to the bathroom to see if it helped. However, he was beaten by someone else; a loud rustling of sheets indicated that a fellow roommate had awoken. On instinct, G froze, allowing only his eyes to look to the side and scan the room for movement. The source of the sound was quickly identified; on Giotto's bunk, the blankets were moving slightly along with the sound of heavy breathing.

Heavy breathing.

The redhead was quick to realise that the sound was abnormal. It was the type of breathing that accompanied the feeling of fear, or the type that came as a result of the choked up sensation that came with tears.

G watched with concern how Giotto pushed the blankets away and swung his legs over the edge of the mattress, covering his eyes with one hand while the other clutched the edge of his oversized pyjama shirt. In the dim light bleeding through the thin curtains, G saw how the blond reached onto his night table to take a drink from the bottle he had placed there. Once finished, Giotto coughed silently and replaced the bottle for his phone, unlocking it and checking something on the screen. The light it emitted illuminated Giotto's face, casting edgy shadows and making it look strangely distorted. However, the redhead watching the whole scene was not bothered by this. Instead, G had become very aware of the obvious dampness around his best friend's eyes, something that was quickly wiped away as Giotto dumped the phone onto the mattress beside him. Giotto remained still then, staring vacantly at his knees with no apparent intention of moving.

G turned onto his side, making Giotto's head shoot up; in the sparse light, he could see a mixture of shock and embarrassment in the other boy's expression. "What're you doing, Giotto?" G asked groggily, his voice raspy from hours of not having been used.

"Failing in kicking insomnia's ass." Giotto muttered in reply, surprising G with the bitterness in his words. The redhead sat up, pushing stray hairs from his vision. Something wasn't right.

"Bad dream?" he asked in total seriousness, and Giotto shot him a sceptical look before turning his head slowly to the side and releasing a long sigh.

"If the answer was 'yes', would you laugh at me?"

"Why should I?" G shot back. "Anyway, karma would be a bitch for that one." A wave of relief washed over the worried teenager as he saw Giotto crack a small but sincere smile. "You might not want to, but if you feel the need to talk… I can't sleep, either."

"Have you ever experienced a memory that leaves you at all times but the ones where there is nothing else to fill the space in your thoughts?" the blond boy began hesitantly, barely having waited for G to finish talking himself. It was due to that that G remained silent, slightly lost by Giotto's statement. "And have you realised how it is always the ones that you fear to remember when you are alone? That they find the times at which you know that nobody else is listening, and choose then to surface?"

"Giotto-"

"Such a memory is this one."

G sighed, feeling oddly helpless against his friend's obvious dilemma. "I didn't think someone like you would have memories like that." He admitted, and Giotto shook his head powerfully in silent reply.

"I guess I have to tell you now you've caught me. I hate to say it, but it's my mother, G. Even when I know it shouldn't, the thought still scares me."

His mother… the redhead recalled. When he spoke of her, he seemed like he had no regrets at all. What's this all of a sudden?

On his bunk, Giotto shifted, entwining his fingers and resting his forehead on his closed hands. "Every day. Every day her smile got weaker, and every day I swear a part of me died along with it. Watching someone slowly turn into a living skeleton, even though I didn't want to, and even though I did… it would have been wrong not to, but still… God, G. It was awful. Oh, no… I'm rambling…"

It wasn't hard to hear the tears in Giotto's speech, and G furrowed his brows, feeling strangely affected by the other boy's distress. "What happened, Giotto?"

"She died of cancer." A phrase that would normally be delivered with tactful tenderness left Giotto's lips with a dry feeling to them, chilling G to the bone with just how wrong it was. "But don't let this concern you. I'm fine. I shouldn't be bothering you with this. G, I'd appreciate it if you just forgot about everything I just said. Come on, let's try to get some sleep."

The short silence that followed those words was purely biting.

"You told me I shouldn't be sorry for you, Giotto, but dammit!" G hissed, almost forgetting that he shouldn't raise his voice. "You're such an idiot! Don't you dare tell me that you've been doing this every other night, too!"

Many would have thought of G's reaction to be highly insensitive and also rude, but Giotto was less surprised as a result of his subconscious having awaited such a response. "G-" he tried, but said boy's infamous temper had risen to the surface again and was not to be stopped.

"Don't you trust me? For fuck's sake, Giotto, I'm glad to have you as a friend and I respect you because of that. However, if you had any considerate feelings… you'd realise that I want to be the same. And no-" G caught how Giotto raised his hand in an attempt to stop him, "- don't try to tell me otherwise. It upsets me to see you like this!"

"G, I… Worrying you is the worst thing I could do, I shouldn't have said any of that-"

"Bullshit! I want you to talk to me. I want you to see that by worrying yourself you're worrying others anyway. I want you to realise that the reason you have people around you who give a damn is in order to remind you of the fact that you're not supposed to… to…"

An awkward silence followed G's inability to finish his sentence. However, the initial feelings had been powerfully reversed. It was now Giotto who sat silenced by shock, and G whose body trembled with a confusing tangle of frustration and sadness.

"You're hurting people without knowing it, Giotto. I'm sure others, especially people like that idiot-" G jabbed his finger roughly in the direction of the bunk above Giotto, where a sleeping Ugetsu was positioned, "-would be more than happy to know you beyond that smile for once."

Giotto still didn't say anything, but how his eyes were lowered to the floor and his brows threatened to touch was clear body language for grief or regret.

"G, I am sincerely sorry."

"No." G replied sharply. "I'm the one who should be sorry. That whole thing, although I don't regret saying it, was extremely inconsiderate towards you."

"I understand that, G…" Giotto's voice was nearing a whisper. "But… But I want you to understand that I am grateful to have you here. You're one of the few people who aren't afraid to beat some sense into others at the price of their perspective of you. I was just inconsiderate by having denied the help you could offer to me. I was inconsiderate to your place as my friend. I apologise, honestly, I do."

"Does that mean I'm forgiven?" G pressed quietly.

"Yes. Yes, thank you."

"Giotto… get over here."

"What, G?" Giotto blinked, thankful for the change of atmosphere. G had probably found it just as awkward as he had.

"Get over here. I've got an insomnia cure."

Giotto stood and watched with curious eyes how a sudden light lit up the bottom bunk of the bed across from his; in G's hand, an iPod dangled by its headphones, looking quite inviting. Giotto chuckled gently. "Looks good to me."

G moved across his bed and patted the space beside him. Giotto shot him a questioning look before he moved across the room and lay down, humming quietly as he felt the warmth G had left on the mattress. When covers were thrown over him too, Giotto gasped silently. "Are you sure about this, G?"

The redhead, who was close enough for Giotto to actually feel the heat he radiated, did not seem to receive the question in the same way that Giotto had meant it.

"These headphones won't reach all the way across the room, so obviously. Here."

Taking the single headphone that was offered to him, Giotto placed it in his ear and closed his eyes as G hit play. Both boys lay still, allowing the sound to fill their minds and block out all else until they began to drift into sleep, comfortable in the warmth they gave each other through sharing such a small space between them.

It was after quite a while that G finally felt himself become drowsy. Turning his head slightly to check on the motionless Giotto, he froze when the other boy moved in his sleep, turning onto his side and unconsciously pressing himself against the redhead.

As G turned off the music and did his best to not consider the awkwardness of where Giotto's legs were, of how his friend's nose softly poked his shoulder, of how soft blond hair tickled his cheek and of how his arm was being clutched by familiar hands, he closed his own eyes and breathed out deeply. He didn't have the heart to make Giotto go back to his own bed.

In the morning, explanations would be demanded and much embarrassment would be caused, but that didn't matter, because Giotto had gotten some sleep in the end, after all.

Capability

"Hell no." A certain redhead scoffed, catching the attention of the others around him. A variety of faces turned his way, one of which looked considerably more bewildered than the others.

"'Hell no', what, G?" Ugetsu asked, a clueless look on his face. Giotto almost cringed as he took a drink from the lemonade they were sharing between them; the poor guy didn't know what he had coming.

In his significantly improved Japanese, G was able to complete his cheeky answer. "As in 'hell no', please don't ever have kids. The world really doesn't need any more genes like yours."

Lampo snorted, barely managing to stop himself from bursting out with laughter. "Yare, yare, Ugetsu. That must have burned. By the way, the last biscuit is mine."

Of course, all the easy-going boy did was laugh.

"We need more people like Giotto." Lampo drawled, having devoured the sweet he'd claimed in record time. "Sort of stupid but still with enough intelligence to share their lunch."

"Why, you!" G snapped, outraged. Giotto, on the other hand, was shooting Lampo an amused look.

"Why, I am flattered." He commented. "Although my offspring will probably never exist."

"You never know." Lampo challenged. "In ten years, men might be having babies. Technology is already freaky enough."

At that idea, all the others present pulled quite strange faces.

"Alright then." The green haired teen said. "Forget that. The mental images of a pregnant Giotto are technically mind rape, I agree."

Nobody commented about how childish G's act of throwing a pastry at Lampo's face was. Instead, Giotto had spoken up again. "How did we even get onto this topic of conversation?" he asked despairingly. "I find it slightly unsettling."

Around the small group of four, leaves swirled against the clear sky, separated from their branches by the breeze tugging through them. The grass whispered in the wind, tempting the teenager's fingers to stroke their way through it, feeling the soft texture against their tips.

"I think it started when we mentioned the fact that Alaude will never get a girlfriend…" Ugetsu recalled, and G couldn't help but snicker. "It's a shame Knuckle isn't here. He really is missing out on these cakes."

"Nobody misses Daemon, huh." G pointed out, quite relieved to away from the blue-haired 'creeper's' presence. Although Giotto knew the boy and respected him as some sort of weird frenemy, G had never quite grown used to him.

"Now that I think about it… What's worse; Daemon or Pedobear?" Lampo asked out of the blue, making Giotto choke on the sandwich he'd just bitten into.

"The urge to push you down this hill is becoming stronger by the second." G scowled, by which time Giotto thought it would be a good idea to once again change the topic.

"G, when are Hayato and his family moving to Namimori?" he asked quickly, grateful of the fact that Ugetsu also seemed to be interested in his enquiry.

"They'll be here within the month." G replied, leaning back on his arms. "He'll be in the same grade as Tsuna… he's attending his school."

"I'd love to meet him." Giotto smiled, and G returned it happily.

"Mh. I really hope he doesn't clash with Tsuna too much... their personalities aren't all too close. Hayato can be a real bitch about people he doesn't like."

"Ah, and it would surely be weird to have your cousin ranting about people you feel different about."

"I'll get his sister to sort him out if he does."

"Oh, dear. She is the elder, right?"

"If she wasn't, then Hayato would have a hard time showing his face to anyone… except you, maybe."

Giotto laughed at that, G's near-exasperated sigh only spurring his chuckles on. "Ah well. Either way, the more the merrier."

"That's what she said."

"… Really, Lampo?"

Cage

G had soon found his Saturday morning to be starting off in a way that he was not pleased with at all. Not only had he woken up at the ridiculous time of five thirty, but he was also faced with a quite harsh case of morning wood.

G rolled onto his side, cursing teenage hormones and the fact that his mother would probably grill him later is he caused noise with an early morning (freezing cold) shower. He really just wanted to carry on sleeping, but of course, his body was just not going to let him. With a dark scowl, G sat up and ran a sweaty hand down his heated face. Whatever. This had to be done. Hormones could be cursed about later.

Rolling onto his side, the young redhead pressed his face into his pillow and lowered his hips onto the mattress, releasing a soft groan as he felt the pressure against his hardened crotch. Beginning to buck against the surface below him, G soon found himself grinding furiously against it as his hands continued to clutch the pillow and muted gasps escaped his open mouth at the incredible friction between skin and material. He was not too fond of touching himself, as he often found it left him feeling dirtier than if he had not. Realising how he was closely mimicking the motions involved in sex, G's subconscious began to conveniently yearn for someone to be beneath him, responding to what he was doing. At the thought, G let out a shaky moan, finding it to be expectedly arousing.

At this rate, someone will hear me…

G forced his hips to move faster, imagining the sounds he made mingling with those of the nameless person he imagined to hold beneath him. However, it wasn't enough; although the coil in his nether regions was winding its way up tighter and tighter, growing as a result of the stimulating rubbing the redhead experienced with each thrust… it just wouldn't end.

With a selection of faces known to the boy flickering before his mind's eye, G was almost angered by the lack of pleasure he received from visualising even the most beautiful girls in his class. A sudden prominent memory then flew to his mind, catching G completely off guard just as another girl's name passed through his thoughts.

"That's Tanaka Sayuri, the class' female idol. She actually lived in Italy for three years, so she would surely be glad if you talked to her."

Giotto turned to face him, a mischievous smile on his face as he noted G's expression. His bright blue eyes narrowed as a result of the growing grin, and finally he began to laugh softly as the other boy's cheeks grew pink.

The sound in the memory unexpectedly changed, a laugh G had once dismissed as being quite cheeky suddenly becoming musical in his mind.

"Oh…"

As quickly as the first, a second memory sprang into his thoughts.

As G turned off the music and did his best to not consider the awkwardness of where Giotto's legs were, of how his friend's nose softly poked his shoulder, of how soft blond hair tickled his cheek and of how his arm was being clutched by familiar hands, he closed his own eyes and breathed out deeply and… "A-ah!"

G shuddered violently, his eyes flying open as he was hit with a sudden wave of bliss. The nameless person suddenly gained a personality, and imaginary pleas in the voice of Giotto Vongola shocked G into a feral growl.

Dammit…

Too far gone to really consider just how wrong his thoughts would seem to him afterwards, G moved faster, his bed beginning to squeak quietly as he moved himself backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards. All the while, behind G's closed eyes, Giotto watched with a flushed face and eyes darkened by lust as his friend relentlessly thrust into him, barely stifling moans that threatened to escape with each motion made.

It was at that moment that G began to realise things about his friend that had before, in a way, passed him by. Giotto was so undeniably beautiful, golden locks creating a gentle contrast against sun-kissed cheeks, sky blue eyes always alive with an insatiable sense of curiosity that was incredibly endearing.

G came, arching off the mattress with a strangled cry as his hands gripped his headboard with white knuckles.

Comics

The merry sound of applause drowned out all else that could have reached G's ears; although he had been ordered not to do so, he found himself unable to achieve full eye contact with the crowd before him. In each hand, he held someone else's. To his left was a girl from his class, smiling with shy joy as she shared the applause with those around her. However, her grip on G's hand was loose, as was his on hers. Barely touching, it was an awkward but respectful contact between the two students.

To G's right, Giotto was greeting the audience with a totally disarming grin that balanced happiness and pride perfectly. His grip on G's hand was vice-like, occasionally squeezing to remind G of just how content he felt. G was both extremely uncomfortable and extremely flattered as a result of the touch.

G couldn't deny that he was quite exhausted. The whole class had just gone through a whole performance of Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' at the hands of their insane new English teacher, all in the original language (which made no sense to anyone whatsoever). He was sure they'd actually butchered the whole play to an almost unintelligible level, but both teacher and audience seemed to be extremely pleased.

And dammit. When the hell could he get out of this stupid costume? He'd had to go through hell as a character called Francis Flute, who as well as coming across to G as a total moron had to cross-dress. The ridiculous cosplay wig some girl had lent him was incredibly itchy, almost more so than the stockings he was wearing. Lampo was certainly going to take advantage of his appearance with a camera as soon as they hit backstage, although the fact that the green-haired moron literally had to take on the role of a wall at one point wasn't really doing anything for his own ego, either.

Glancing sideways through the synthetic dark curls, G took a moment to observe his best friend. For some reason, Giotto seemed to not mind being Puck at all. He'd probably had the most stage-time out of everyone, and so had every right to bask in the cheers he was getting. As well as having very good English (probably his reason for getting the role) he had actually proved himself to be a very accomplished actor.

Realising that he was being watched from the side, Giotto met G's curious gaze and squeezed his hand yet again, this time accompanying the gesture with a very special type of smile that the redhead could very quickly identify.

I'm happy, G. Are you happy?

A momentarily confused blink from said boy made Giotto laugh silently, closing his eyes as he did. The audience were still going, and the line of students was made to bow for a fourth time.

These socks are stupid, my wig itches, and I feel ridiculous. But yes, in a sense… I'm happy too.

Would you like to come over to mine for dinner tonight, G?

Anywhere but here… …Thank you.

Again, hands were gently squeezed, although this time it was G who initiated the gesture. Neither boy was sure if the other saw, but for some reason that final time made their cheeks light up with a healthy shade of red, disguised in the shadows caused by the powerful stage lights above them as they bowed yet again.

Clarity

"Drink your tea; it's going to get cold."

"Mh… I will. I'm just admiring the sky today… it's so clear. You could paint the puddles blue and it would make no difference."

"Your cake is going to have flies on it, too."

"I hope the weather stays this wonderful for Tsuna's birthday."

"Giotto, you should stop forcing yourself to squint, it's bad for your- dammit. Look, just take my shades-"

Giotto turned, returning his head into the shadow of the café awning. "G." he sighed, picking up his drink. "We have all the time in the world. What about your cake?"

G ran a hand through his hair, sighing also as he raised the sunglasses he had been holding and put them on his head. "Just building up an appetite." he explained, but Giotto was no fool.

"I have painkillers if you want one. That tattoo… it must hurt you."

"It does." G admitted, gently touching his cheek where the skin was irritated by the ink it was now coloured with. "But it was worth it, and I already told you that it wouldn't be painless. I can talk, can't I?"

"You did tell me that," Giotto agreed, setting down his tea and pushing his long fringe from his eyes. "But really, there's no need to put on an act for me by hiding that fact."

"I'm fine." G in insisted strongly, folding his arms. "Stop worrying… just resume watching the sky or something. I agree, it's exceptionally clear today."

"Well… I actually find you much more interesting." Giotto managed to say with a completely straight face, taking every note of G's ever-so-slight blush. "I quite like your thoughtful look."

G watched with interest how the other man delicately applied his reading glasses, writing something onto an open notebook that lay beside his plate. It was not uncommon for the blond to take pleasure in turning both scenery and moments into poetry at a whim.

"And I thought you were bored of it." G rolled his eyes, but managed a smirk as he saw Giotto inconspicuously mimic him opposite. Although the once childish boy had grown into a certainly admirable young adult with a fine appearance and pleasing demeanour, Giotto was still fifteen inside. G could not complain; he would have it no other way. He never had liked change.

"It's… quite sweet." Giotto commented, having just devoured the sugared strawberry that decorated the surface of his cake slice. G smiled softly, finding his friend's happiness to be infectious. "So, G. Are you going to be the typical university student by finding a girlfriend, finding a flat and hopefully someone who will share the rent?"

G raised his head a little, meeting Giotto's curious gaze. "Probably everything minus the girlfriend part." He almost spat, finally reaching for his plate. "And you can be the scapegoat if I blow my last rent savings on further tattoos."

Giotto, feigning hurt, faced the redhead with his infamous look of bewilderment. "Scapegoat, G?" he questioned. "I find that to be somewhat degrading." The other man laughed, loosening his shirt buttons as he felt the heat get to him; Giotto just watched, musical laugh mingling with that of the redhead. "G… I'm so glad." He almost whispered, his joy clear in his shining, cerulean eyes.

"We'll have to make a rota for the cooking and cleaning jobs, because knowing you, you'll probably forget. Actually, to hell with that. The day you successfully touch a cooker is the day pigs fly." G was thinking practically, a typical aspect of his. "And there's no way we're living on take-outs. Your mother would kill us both."

Giotto simply smirked. "That is true. So, what or who is going to fill in on the girlfriend part?" he asked in anticipation, causing G to frown before deciding on an answer.

"I already told you; it's minus." He muttered before gathering his courage and leaning across the table to press a gentle kiss onto Giotto's unprepared mouth, slowly closing his eyes as he grew accustomed to the new feeling. It was in that moment that G developed mixed feelings for Giotto's glasses; although they managed to mysteriously boost the blond's already amazing looks, they were quite annoying in situations such as the one he was currently in.

Once Giotto had recovered from the initial surprise, the contact was returned with further, tender movements, to which one tongue revealed itself to pleasantly probe the lips of the other. A soft moan escaped the blond man's parted lips.

Shit. Giotto hadn't been lying; that cake was almost sickly.

When the two men separated, no words were said for many minutes as the remaining cake was finished off in silence along with the cooling tea, with Giotto almost having forgotten to straighten his glasses after having his face pressed to close against G's. Stares around them were blatantly ignored, and there was no need to speak; it all just seemed so natural, and that was more than enough for Giotto and G to know that everything was just right as it was.

Giotto dabbed his lips gently with a napkin, watching G do the same with his observant, azure eyes. However, his cheeks were a pleasant shade of pink, matching those of his companion.

"I need some coffee." G said suddenly, pressing a hand to his heated forehead. Giotto blinked, sniffing gently and watching the hair from his fringe fly up a little as a result of the air escaping his nostrils. G watched the display with a small smile of amusement.

"Coffee." Giotto echoed. "I think we can arrange that, although a cooler beverage might be better at this time." Then he rested his head on his hands, observing the redhead opposite almost expectantly. "G, women are looking at you."

G raised his head and stared at the blond, quite baffled. "Hm?"

"Women are looking at you." Giotto repeated, the words reminding G of his silly but adorable whines as a teenager. "I don't like it."

"Oi. I can take care of myself, thanks very much, and this can't be the first time." G protested, but Giotto was downright irritated by then.

G turned his head slightly, spotting that yes, there really was a small group of women outside a boutique making those ever-suspicious point-then-giggle gestures in his direction.

"They have every reason to be looking, though." Giotto stated randomly. G decided to leave the various possible meanings of that phrase open for debate. "Ah, G…"

"Hm?"

"This Sunday, Tsuna is hosting a birthday party outing to the amusement park. Would you like to tag along with me?"

"What, two twenty-year olds following a bunch of thirteen-year olds through a giant playground? How will that work?"

"You make us sound vaguely paedophilic." Giotto quipped palpably. "Anyway… the last time we went was when Ugetsu turned sixteen. That was four years ago. Do you remember throwing up after the new rollercoaster and me having you drag you right to the bathrooms before you went comatose?"

"Rather not." G muttered. "But I'll go, since it's Tsuna."

"Again, I'm glad. But you're going to be holding my hand, aren't you?"

"Five darn minutes, Giotto. It's been five darn minutes."

"Well, yes; I'm five darn minutes into making the world realise you're mine."

"You stupid, remarkable man."

"Likewise. Should I get the bill?"

Continue

"Does it still hurt…?"

"G-Giotto. It's been f-aah! Eight w-weeks!"

"It still appears sore…"

"It's not. Just trust me."

"I should get some lotion-"

"Giotto!"

"Yes…?"

"You were part of the problem here, so just be quiet. Why bite at my damn cheeks, anyway?"

"Why?" Giotto asked, turning his head slowly on the pillow, his sweat-slicked hair sticking messily to his forehead. "Should I be biting somewhere else?"

G groaned, but he was smiling. When he felt a pair of strong arms snake around his torso, he was too lazy to fight as Giotto shifted him. Blushing heavily, G went along with the action and soon found himself lying comfortably on top of the other man, using his chest as a pre-heated pillow.

"Better?"

"… Yes." The redhead answered, breathing out slowly and wrapping his arms around Giotto. The blond's feet were softly stroking up his legs, and G was pleasantly surprised by how nice it felt. The stroking was soon joined by gentle fingers gliding over the skin of his cheek, tracing the lines of his dark red markings.

"So beautiful." Giotto whispered, and G blushed yet more.

"Speak for yourself." G moved a little, trying to find more comfort, but was forced to stop when a sharp pain erupted between his legs. "Nh!"

Giotto gasped. "G, you-"

"Stop worrying. "

"Mh."

Feeling soft lips press against his forehead, G closed his eyes and turned his head, allowing better access to his mouth. Giotto reacted on instinct, tilting his neck in order to gently press his nose alongside G's, moving their tongues together in a relaxed but heartfelt dance. In the air around them lingered the familiar scents of sweat and sex.

"I love you." Giotto murmured through the kiss, though still finding those words to hold only a small flame against what he truly felt for the man in his arms. G responded with a brief moan, pressing his mouth down with a rougher intensity, catching Giotto's tongue in his teeth and thoroughly dominating the other's awaiting mouth.

The blond was pleasantly surprised as G made a grinding motion against him, still not breaking from the kiss; the result was a breathy moan from Giotto, who bucked his hips upwards to meet those of his bed mate.

The role of dominance shifted from one man to the other, with G taking full advantage of his position above the lithe blond. Giotto tossed his head from side to side, gasping lightly as he tried to match his movements with G's. "You… are insatiable…" the blond managed to bring out, to which G replied by biting down on the velvety skin of his neck.

"And you have no right to deny such things from yourself." With that, a hand reached down and deft fingers pressed themselves past Giotto's entrance, causing the man to groan and clutch G's shoulders with renewed energy.

Neither man would be able to walk straight once they were done, but really, they wouldn't have it any other way.

Connect

"Giotto nii-san…"

A fifteen-year-old Tsuna approached the blond adult seated at the dinner table with slow steps, wearing his nervousness on his sleeve. The man turned to face him, his face basked in the warm orange glow from the sun outside. The light reflected off his white shirt, making him appear a little like an angel to the flustered teenager walking towards him, and to be honest, Tsuna thought that description suited his older brother rather well. Noticing Giotto's look of absolute peace made a feeling of pleasant lightness creep into him. Giotto was someone the younger male had great respect for, both as a role model and as a person who loved him no matter what. That was why… that was why Tsuna knew that the elder would embrace everything that came with him, even trivial worries like the one he had now.

"Mh, Tsuna?"

"Giotto, I… I need advice."

"Is Nana out?" Giotto asked, turning to face his sibling, and Tsuna only nodded, confused by the question.

"Uh… y-yeah… It's the type of advice only you can give, Gio."

"So I assumed, which is why I asked that question."

Giotto patted the chair next to his, beckoning Tsuna to sit down. The brunet did just that, alerting Giotto of a possible oncoming awkwardness by biting his lip in a timid manner. "I think I like someone." Tsuna began in a quiet voice, and Giotto was quick to intervene, albeit politely.

"Do you think or do you know, Tsuna?"

Realising that Giotto was urging him not to be shy, Tsuna gave in. "I know."

"And…?"

"I'm afraid that if I tell them… that… It'll ruin our friendship."

Tsuna glanced upwards at the sound of a chair being pulled out and saw how Giotto stood, made his way around the table and drew him into a loving hug. "G-Gio…?" Tsuna stammered, but was quickly silenced as Giotto drew back and faced him with a beautiful smile.

"Have you ever considered that some things just come naturally, Tsuna?"

"Naturally…? L-like with you and G, right?"

"Well, if you want to use that… as an example…"

"I'm just using your own words." Tsuna argued, his cheeks growing ever pinker.

"Yes… We didn't even have to say a thing…" Giotto agreed, and seeing Tsuna's awaiting look he trailed off.

"… and look where you are now." His brother completed for him.

"You really know that story by heart, don't you?" Giotto laughed, touching his forehead to that of Tsuna. The younger laughed too, the blond man's smile being completely infectious.

"Well, it is one of my favourites."

After a few seconds of content silence, Giotto spoke up again. "It's about doing what you think is right, Tsuna."

"What?"

"Love. It's about following what you think is right, because that way… when you do find it, it will surely be wonderful."

The small brunet averted his eyes, biting his lip again and resisting the urge to sneeze that came with Giotto's breath tickling his nose. "You sound so confident, Gio…"

"Yes, because I am. I have confidence in you." Giotto replied sincerely, pushing Tsuna's fringe from his nervous, chocolate-coloured eyes. The younger glanced upwards hesitantly, opening his mouth slightly in preparation to speak.

"Thank you... I… I think I know what I have to do now. That… that's all I really needed."

"Actions speak louder than words sometimes, so much is true." Giotto said softly, making Tsuna fall into a thoughtful pause before nodding.

"I think… the person I like… I think they know that, too."

"Then I'm sure you'll be fine."

"I have somewhere to be, Giotto." Tsuna said finally, and Giotto let him go, knowing exactly what Tsuna meant by that.

"Then I won't stop you." He sent the shorter brunet an encouraging wink. "Ciao, fratello."

Tsuna laughed before he began to run into the hall, sending a small departing wave back in Giotto's direction. "Mh! Ciao, Giotto nii-san!"

Seating himself at the table again, Giotto listened as the door shut behind his younger sibling, only to be opened again perhaps a minute later. Only one other person had been lent the keys to the Sawada-Vongola property, and it was someone the blond had been feverishly anticipating all morning. Since he had completed his errands for Nana, Giotto had decided to remain in his former home for a while just to bask in the memories.

"G." Giotto greeted, standing up and approaching the man who was sheepishly removing his shoes in the front hall. The redhead looked up, an almost tired look on his face.

"Tsuna was on his way out." He informed the other, straightening up. "Don't tell me he's on the way to my cousin's."

Giotto raised an eyebrow. "I am not sure, although it would be likely and it's what I'm assuming. Why?"

"I just came from there. Honestly, if Hayato doesn't grow a pair soon he's never going to score with your brother."

A short silence followed those words, only to be broken by the combined hearty laughter of both men.

"If Tsuna was aware of the fact that I actually knew, I'm sure that he would be attempting to pout me to death right now."

"Whatever. Those two just need an extra push." Nodding in agreement, Giotto stepped forwards, close enough for his and G's hips to bump together. He placed his hands on G's sides, touching his forehead to that of the redhead with half-lidded eyes. He was still shorter than the other, but tiptoes could quickly sort that out. "Do you have anything in mind that you'd like to do?" the tattooed man questioned, catching Giotto's contemplative look.

"Yes." Giotto answered in a resolved tone. "I would like you to just relax with me, G. Your week has been long. What about just lying down and listening… listening to music? I'll pay for dinner afterwards."

G stalled, momentarily shocked. "You remember that? The music?"

"Of course I do." The blond replied. "I remember every second of it."

G's gaze softened, and he leaned in to receive Giotto's warm kiss. "Well then, Giotto." He murmured, once they had separated. "The iPod has changed, but I can assure you that the songs are the same."

"That's good. In fact, that's perfect."

Because with so many other things… we wouldn't have it any other way.

"Perfect." G echoed, and so it was decided.

I'm happy, G. Are you happy?

Stop worrying, Giotto.

…

… Because yes, of course I am.

Wao. It's over. I was completely lost on where to end it, but… I decided that giving this story a sort of 'passed on down the line' feel and hinting to some shy 5927/2759 would round it off nicely enough.

This took me days. G and Giotto are hard characters for me, as is describing a gradual build-up from friendship to unresolved crush to the real thing. I think I messed it up a bit, to be honest.

Anyway, thanks so much for reading. Reviews are up to the reader, although I answer them whenever I can. :D

~Zaskaea

~oOo~

Misleading the Fans, KHR style:

After cutting my hair yet again, I am no longer able to pull off the pineapple style. Instead, I ended up with an almost exactly Gokudera-esque cut. Every fangirl knows that he is able to tie it up (and many think he looks damn fine that way, too). Guess what happened when I tried to tie my hair back for tech class in school? I FAILED. IT WASN'T LONG ENOUGH. ASDGF WUT? GOKUDERA YOU LIEEEE.

Anime Hair: the second most mysterious thing to the word that rhymes with orange. I think we all know what that means.