(Disclaimer: I do not claim to own Reborn! or its characters.)
It was always Tsuna they worried about, ever since they'd returned form that future. Was Tsuna safe? Are you sure? Where's he going today?
They were immersed in every moment of his life all the time. Especially right after returning. None of them wanted to face that horrible destiny again. None of them wanted to live without their Sky.
However, Yamamoto was the first to realize that it wasn't Tsuna they all needed to worry about, rather a certain storm guardian. It was the coughing he noticed first. The fits the other would have, unable to stupor the coughs.
"Are you okay, Gokudera-kun?" Tsuna asked him, concerned one day.
"Just fine, Tenth!" The smile didn't reach his eyes.
Then he started showing up less and less to everything. He'd miss school, telling Tsuna he was feeling ill. Such a lier, Yamamoto had never seen Gokudera sick before. Where he used to come with Tsuna to the baseball player's game he didn't show at all.
When he did come to school it didn't appear he should. There were deep hollows under the other's eyes, moving sluggish, and his posture was terrible. The worst part was the coughing, how he'd have to leave class unable to stop.
It was one such day when Yamamoto followed the storm guardian. He'd disappeared into the restroom barely managing to make it inside.
"Gokudera?" Yamamoto asked slipping into the room.
The Italian was leaning up against the sink head bent between his arms. His coughing had evened. Yamamoto could still see the blood slipping down his chin.
"Gokudera!"
"Stay away from me, baseball-nut!" Gokudera snarled trying ot push the other but failed. He fell backward another fit of coughing starting up.
"You're sick!" Yamamoto exclaimed lunging forward to catch the other. "You have to see a doctor!"
Gokudera calmed his coughing, pulling away from the helping arm to lean against the wall. "Don't you think I know that, bat boy?" He sighed, "They can't do anything for me anymore."
"What's wrong?"
"Cancer," Gokudera stated it hardly daring to admit it to the baseball player. He'd just begun to admit it to himself. "I'm dying."
"What?"
"I'm dying, idiot! They don't think I'll last to the end fo the year. Don't tell the Tenth." He straightened up. "Don't even ask. There's nothing anyone can do."
"Then," stated Yamamoto, "I'm going to make this the best time of your life! And, yeah, I promise not to tell Tsuna."
And Yamamoto reasoned with himself, that had definitely been the best time either of them had had. In his case maybe ever wanted.
No, he'd move on. He'd have to, it's what Gokudera would have wanted. The baseball player watched Tsuna across form him, tears running down his cheeks. Bianchi didn't look much better.
Finishing the last of the burying he looped his arm around Tsuna's shoulders. "Come back to my place. We'll remember Gokudera right."
"Sounds good to me," Ryohei said.
Though the best part of his life might have been over, Yamamoto thought, life could still go on, and definitely be worse. It would be okay. Yes, this could definitely be okay.