# 025; resound
Title: Reverie.
Prompt: 10pastryhearts; P O E M -- LULLABY
-- 10pastryhearts; C H A L L E N G E #9 -- LYRICAL
Fandom: Katekyo Hitman Reborn!
Characters: Gokudera & Tsuna; mentions of Gokudera's mother and Yamamoto. :O
Word Count: 1162
Rating: PG
Author's Notes: This turned out a lot different than I'd originally planned. The ending especially. I'm somewhere between loving and absolutely loathing this thing...so I hope it makes sense. I had some trouble with getting this done...and for some reason, I just...idk. But I hope you like it. :)
--
As he sits at the piano, tiny fingers pressing softly into the keys, and she stands above him with her long silver hair falling in front of her eyes, he doesn't think much of it. As his hands bring forth a song, soft and hollow and sweet, and she's singing along the the melody, eyes closed and hands out like she's dancing, he doesn't pay it much notice at all. He's so small now - Gokudera Hayato, they call him, the youngest son of the now big, bad mafioso - and he's happy, siting with his mother, doing nothing but singing and laughing and having a good time.
And as the music fills the air, filling and reverberating though the large piano room with a resonating aura, he closes his eyes, and lets his fingers do the talking for him. They follow a pattern, simple and sweet, and keep the air filled with one lonely tone after another, note after note after note. And she keeps singing, her lone voice complimenting the music in every respect, and Hayato can't find it within him to stop the music now, for fear that it will break the moment between them.
But when he does stop playing - to scratch an itch on his leg he says - and she looks back at him, smile across her face as beautiful as the morning sunrise, he realizes belatedly that the moment is over, and that she has to leave again. As many time's as it's happened-- as many times as his real mother has been called away from him to another place, to go do whatever it is that she does, it's always hard for him to see her go. And so like all the other times, all the other moments that were broken because of his father's lack of love for this woman, he whines and complains and reaches for her, his arms flailing and eyes about to water.
So she hugs him, arms surrounding his tiny little body, and she tells him it'll be alright, that she'll come back and sing with him again. She tells him to keep that song in his heart, and that they'll make it their special song, for when she returns to him. That way it's special...and only meant for someone you care deeply about.
Play that song for the one you love, she says. Nobody else.
--
She never did come back after that.
--
"Gokudera-kun!"
The voice echoes through the school hallways, loud and obnoxious and happy in a way that only one person can make it...and get Gokudera to smile without it looking painfully forced. He turns around to see a pair of huge brown eyes meeting his; the boy they belong to panting and shaking from running so far, but still bright with energy and happiness.
"Tenth!"
Tsuna nods, scratching the back of his head and smiling genuinely at his best friend. His eyes soften, a thoughtful, almost serene look crossing his features as he stares--until Tsuna moves again, and Gokudera's eyes avert to the ground when he turns on one foot to follow behind.
"Ah, Gokudera-kun." he mutters as they start walking, "where's Yamamoto?"
Gokudera blinks, eyes narrowing at the mere mention of the other friend of whom he protects the tenth with. He knows Yamamoto isn't worthy of protecting his-- or rather, the Vongola juudaime. He's not dedicated...not loyal enough. He thinks this is all a game, and that anything that comes after the tenth is just another play thing. In fact--
"Well...?"
Gokudera sighs, eyes falling to the ground once again. Tsuna is loyal to all his friends, not just him, and that is something he's come to admire more and more.
"No. But I will look for him if that's what the tenth wants!"
Tsuna smiles again then, and Gokudera's chest tightens with something he's never -- or at least never remembers -- felt before. Maybe it's admiration...or maybe respect, he doesn't know-- but it feels good, and good things, to him, are not to be questioned.
"We'll both look for him!" Tsuna yelps as he takes off down the hallway, "Come on!"
"Okay."
...and as they walk, Gokudera hums a tune he didn't know he remembered until now.
--
Tsuna's smile always made him hum that tune after that day.
--
As he sits at the piano this time, long, smooth fingers pressing softly against the keys, his eyes are closed, he doesn't think much of it. As his heart is pounding, digits tapping out a now familiar melody, he sighs, overtaken by a feeling he hasn't felt in so long, and listens as another voice fills the air in time with his notes.
It's been forever since he'd played this tune, soft and smooth and patient with that perfect hint of urgency, but he remembers it perfectly -- with his eyes closed, he can see his mother there, dancing in time with they rhythm surrounding them, singing to the beat -- and he can keep up without the mistakes which had, in childhood, plagued him so. He's older now, tall, strong -- a master of his trade, having learned everything to do with what he does -- and the right hand of the now strong, wise Vongola mafioso, brilliant and smooth and kind, and he's happy here, his fingers splay across the keys as someone sings along. As badly as he wants to, as badly as he wishes to stop the motions, he can't, for fear that it will break the moment, and the man with him will leave, to tend to more important matters like before.
But when he does stop, an urgent need to return to reality pressing into his heart, he sighs, and looks back only to find his boss -- best friend -- standing behind him, smiling just like all those times before. It's a knowing smile -- a caring one, just like his mother had given him all that long ago, when he was a boy and knew nothing of what the world had to offer to him -- and it makes his heart stop, just like it had all those times before. And the longer he looks-- stares into the Tenth's eyes, the more he feels like a needy child, desperate to play another song.
And when someone behind him comes up, arms wrapping around his shoulders in somewhat of an awkward hug, he can feel his fingers pulling themselves back to the keys, pressing down and re-playing the same notes that he hadn't had the heart to continue earlier. The presence that comes from it is one of peace...contentment...the same that had come from his mother, and he can feel the song come from his heart again, just as passionate as he was when he was still a naive, young boy.
And he knows now, that forevermore, Tsuna will be the only one he will ever play this song for.
Prompt: 10pastryhearts; P O E M -- LULLABY
-- 10pastryhearts; C H A L L E N G E #9 -- LYRICAL
Fandom: Katekyo Hitman Reborn!
Characters: Gokudera & Tsuna; mentions of Gokudera's mother and Yamamoto. :O
Word Count: 1162
Rating: PG
Author's Notes: This turned out a lot different than I'd originally planned. The ending especially. I'm somewhere between loving and absolutely loathing this thing...so I hope it makes sense. I had some trouble with getting this done...and for some reason, I just...idk. But I hope you like it. :)
--
As he sits at the piano, tiny fingers pressing softly into the keys, and she stands above him with her long silver hair falling in front of her eyes, he doesn't think much of it. As his hands bring forth a song, soft and hollow and sweet, and she's singing along the the melody, eyes closed and hands out like she's dancing, he doesn't pay it much notice at all. He's so small now - Gokudera Hayato, they call him, the youngest son of the now big, bad mafioso - and he's happy, siting with his mother, doing nothing but singing and laughing and having a good time.
And as the music fills the air, filling and reverberating though the large piano room with a resonating aura, he closes his eyes, and lets his fingers do the talking for him. They follow a pattern, simple and sweet, and keep the air filled with one lonely tone after another, note after note after note. And she keeps singing, her lone voice complimenting the music in every respect, and Hayato can't find it within him to stop the music now, for fear that it will break the moment between them.
But when he does stop playing - to scratch an itch on his leg he says - and she looks back at him, smile across her face as beautiful as the morning sunrise, he realizes belatedly that the moment is over, and that she has to leave again. As many time's as it's happened-- as many times as his real mother has been called away from him to another place, to go do whatever it is that she does, it's always hard for him to see her go. And so like all the other times, all the other moments that were broken because of his father's lack of love for this woman, he whines and complains and reaches for her, his arms flailing and eyes about to water.
So she hugs him, arms surrounding his tiny little body, and she tells him it'll be alright, that she'll come back and sing with him again. She tells him to keep that song in his heart, and that they'll make it their special song, for when she returns to him. That way it's special...and only meant for someone you care deeply about.
Play that song for the one you love, she says. Nobody else.
--
She never did come back after that.
--
"Gokudera-kun!"
The voice echoes through the school hallways, loud and obnoxious and happy in a way that only one person can make it...and get Gokudera to smile without it looking painfully forced. He turns around to see a pair of huge brown eyes meeting his; the boy they belong to panting and shaking from running so far, but still bright with energy and happiness.
"Tenth!"
Tsuna nods, scratching the back of his head and smiling genuinely at his best friend. His eyes soften, a thoughtful, almost serene look crossing his features as he stares--until Tsuna moves again, and Gokudera's eyes avert to the ground when he turns on one foot to follow behind.
"Ah, Gokudera-kun." he mutters as they start walking, "where's Yamamoto?"
Gokudera blinks, eyes narrowing at the mere mention of the other friend of whom he protects the tenth with. He knows Yamamoto isn't worthy of protecting his-- or rather, the Vongola juudaime. He's not dedicated...not loyal enough. He thinks this is all a game, and that anything that comes after the tenth is just another play thing. In fact--
"Well...?"
Gokudera sighs, eyes falling to the ground once again. Tsuna is loyal to all his friends, not just him, and that is something he's come to admire more and more.
"No. But I will look for him if that's what the tenth wants!"
Tsuna smiles again then, and Gokudera's chest tightens with something he's never -- or at least never remembers -- felt before. Maybe it's admiration...or maybe respect, he doesn't know-- but it feels good, and good things, to him, are not to be questioned.
"We'll both look for him!" Tsuna yelps as he takes off down the hallway, "Come on!"
"Okay."
...and as they walk, Gokudera hums a tune he didn't know he remembered until now.
--
Tsuna's smile always made him hum that tune after that day.
--
As he sits at the piano this time, long, smooth fingers pressing softly against the keys, his eyes are closed, he doesn't think much of it. As his heart is pounding, digits tapping out a now familiar melody, he sighs, overtaken by a feeling he hasn't felt in so long, and listens as another voice fills the air in time with his notes.
It's been forever since he'd played this tune, soft and smooth and patient with that perfect hint of urgency, but he remembers it perfectly -- with his eyes closed, he can see his mother there, dancing in time with they rhythm surrounding them, singing to the beat -- and he can keep up without the mistakes which had, in childhood, plagued him so. He's older now, tall, strong -- a master of his trade, having learned everything to do with what he does -- and the right hand of the now strong, wise Vongola mafioso, brilliant and smooth and kind, and he's happy here, his fingers splay across the keys as someone sings along. As badly as he wants to, as badly as he wishes to stop the motions, he can't, for fear that it will break the moment, and the man with him will leave, to tend to more important matters like before.
But when he does stop, an urgent need to return to reality pressing into his heart, he sighs, and looks back only to find his boss -- best friend -- standing behind him, smiling just like all those times before. It's a knowing smile -- a caring one, just like his mother had given him all that long ago, when he was a boy and knew nothing of what the world had to offer to him -- and it makes his heart stop, just like it had all those times before. And the longer he looks-- stares into the Tenth's eyes, the more he feels like a needy child, desperate to play another song.
And when someone behind him comes up, arms wrapping around his shoulders in somewhat of an awkward hug, he can feel his fingers pulling themselves back to the keys, pressing down and re-playing the same notes that he hadn't had the heart to continue earlier. The presence that comes from it is one of peace...contentment...the same that had come from his mother, and he can feel the song come from his heart again, just as passionate as he was when he was still a naive, young boy.
And he knows now, that forevermore, Tsuna will be the only one he will ever play this song for.