I have been working on this story for about three days now but I think it came out pretty well, edits and all. It's the first YamamotoxFem!Goku I have ever written although I posted another one before this one. I think these two make for a very interesting pair and since I'm not particularly willing to write yaoi fics, gender bender will have to do. I hope you like it, but please let me know what you think? Many thanks :)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own KHR or any of the characters and/or locations in this fan fiction story that you may recognise from the anime/manga. I am only responsible for the plot and nothing else.

Haru was baking again. She was getting really good at it too. Already she had made a lot of cookies for the bake sale they were going to have in school that Saturday. Yamamoto Takiko watched her get a fresh batch out of the oven. Maybe she should ask Haru since she would know best how to solve her problem.

"Ano, Haru-chan?" said Yamamoto coming into the kitchen.

"Ah, Takiko-chan," said Haru taking off her oven gloves and untying her apron, "I just made more cookies. Here, try one and let me know what you think."

Haru picked one of the fresh cookies up and handed it to Takiko. She smiled and took the cookie from Haru. The smell alone was warm and comforting. The warm cookie seemed to melt in Takiko's mouth and she sighed. Haru really knew her stuff. It wasn't very sweet but the bitter chocolate didn't make it taste bad at all. The vanilla, cinnamon and chocolate seemed to blend just so. If perfection had a taste, this was it.

"It tastes good right? I hope everyone at the bake sale likes them. I was thinking of making extra for the kids who are helping out."

"It tastes... It's really good Haru-chan." Haru looked up noting the sad tone of her friend's voice.

"Something wrong?"

"Not really... Ano, I know you're busy, but do you think you could maybe teach me how to make chocolate brownies? You made them last Christmas and they were really good and... there's someone I want to give them to this weekend."

"This weekend? What's happening this... Ah! Valentine's Day! I had forgotten! I need to make some brownies for Hibari-san too... I know! Let's make them together tomorrow, huh? We'll practice and give some to Ryohei and Tsuna to try them. If they like them, we'll make proper brownies for... ano, who did you say you were you making the chocolates for again?"

Takiko flushed and looked down. Haru gasped and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"No way! Confession? Is this a confession Takiko-chan? Wah! We have to make these chocolates the very best then!" Haru took Takiko's hands and squeezed them, "Kyaaah! I'm so excited for you! Let's work hard, nee?"

Takiko smiled and nodded. She wondered if he would like them. He never seemed too keen about that holiday or all of his fan girls' chocolates... Come to think of it, would he accept her chocolate at all? He had always given the chocolates he got away without touching even a single one. The previous year, she hadn't gotten him anything. She didn't have the courage and she had a lot of practice to do for the female baseball team in school. From afar she had watched girl after girl walk up to him with her heart on her sleeve and her chocolate in her hands and one by one, he had rejected every single one.

There was no chance of him accepting her chocolate this year, was there? Haru touched Takiko's forehead.

"Why is this crease here? Are you so worried about the chocolate? Come on. Have a little faith in Haru's magic baking hands. We'll get him to accept..." she bumped Takiko slightly and gave her a sly smile, "but you'll tell me who he is, won't you? Ah, come on. I won't tell anyone."

Takiko flushed again. She had decided to be bold this time and it would help a lot if she had someone to give her moral support. She didn't feel like crying alone this time and somehow she didn't think she would do very well herself. Maybe just this once she could trust someone else. With one of her signature grins, she leaned forward and whispered his name in her ear.

The ear-splitting squeal that Haru gave next travelled down the hall and made a certain guardian raise his head from his work.

"Che. Stupid woman," he muttered and went back to scanning his documents.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Takiko took a step back from her work and looked the brownies she had made over. It did seem chocolatey enough and the smell was just right too. As she had cut them, they hadn't been too hard like the very first time she had tried and they weren't too soft either. Now, for the taste-test.

Haru had gone to get Tsuna and Ryohei to try their creation. Ryohei had a strong stomach in case they were bad and Tsuna would be nice about it at least. They couldn't go wrong with the advice they got then, but Haru had watched very carefully so Takiko put nothing wrong into the batter while they were mixing it. Nothing would go wrong. This would definitely work.

"I heard there were some extremely good chocolates here!" Said Ryohei coming into the room. He threw an arm around Takiko's shoulders and ruffled her short hair. She laughed and pushed him off punching his shoulder.

"Ano... is there any particular occasion for this?" Haru nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes. For one thing, the two of you already have girlfriends so you won't accidentally fall in love with us. It would be trouble for me besides since Kyo-kun gets jealous so easily. Don't look at me like that, it happens! Second, this is to help Takiko-chan."

Both Tsuna and Ryohei looked at her and she flashed them a grin holding up the peace sign. If it was to help her, they would definitely do it. Haru set one brownie in front of each of them and they each took a bite.

"THIS IS EXTREMELY GOOD CHOCOLATE!" said Ryohei standing up from his seat and fisting his hands.

"Ah, clam down Ryohei-san. But he is right. These are very good Takiko," said Tsuna with a warm smile. Takiko looked at Haru with glee. It was a success! Now all that was left was to see if either of them got sick by the end of the day. If not, then they were definitely in the clear.

"Ah, Tenth, I was looking for you. There are a few..."

All eyes turned to the intruder. Haru beamed, Takiko cleared her throat and smiled and Ryohei went up to Gokudera.

"AH, GOKUDERA, YOU DEFINITELY HAVE TO TRY ONE OF THESE EXTREME BROWNIES." Before Ryohei could hand one of the brownies to him though, Takiko had snatched it out of his hand in a move that was completely uncharacteristic of her.

"No, not him," she said. Ryohei blinked in surprise. Gokudera was surprised at first but then got annoyed for reasons he didn't quite understand.

"Well, I'm sure Takiko-chan has a very good reason, so let's just trust her then, hmm? Tsuna, why don't you go see what it is Gokudera-san needs and we'll clean up here."

Tsuna nodded and left the room with Ryohei and Gokudera.

"Ah, why did he have to come in just now? He spoiled the mood completely, nee?" Takiko said nothing but held the brownie in her hand wondering exactly what kind of fool she was. She had been right about one thing though. If Haru-chan hadn't been there, she would have been absolutely miserable.

"Come on Kiko-chan. Fighto! Nee?"

Takiko smiled again. Well, what had happened had happened. She would know the results of her hard work that weekend. She could only hope Gokudera-san would still want her brownies at all...

*.*.*.*.*.*.*

There was only one day in the whole year that Gokudera hated the most.

Valentine's Day.

The holiday made absolutely no sense. Women around the world expected a lot from a man on that day. Since before he could remember, he had been given chocolates every year on Valentine's Day. There seemed to be no end to it! Moreover those stupid relentless women never seemed to give up. He had rejected thousands already and thousands more still poured in from God only knew where.

If it was up to him, he would just do away with the whole holiday.

Irritated by the consistent screams outside the house, he tried to concentrate on his work. A knock on his door served as a good distraction. He was just about to rip the precious contract in his hand to pieces for all the irritation he felt.

Yamamoto Takiko came into the room and smiled. She waved at him then walked into the room. Not exactly the distraction he was looking for, but he supposed he had no choice. Maybe she was here for guardian business.

"It's noisy here. Are you sure you can work?"

"What do you want?" he said barely sparing her a glance.

He knew he was being unreasonably curt, but then again he always had been and she'd been affecting him this way for a very long time. It wasn't that she wasn't a distraction but that she was the wrong kind of distraction. Yamamoto Takiko was a woman who didn't understand the kind of charm she possessed. Her big brown eyes gleamed every time she smiled. Her short dark hair, far from making her look like a boy (with those curves, it was impossible not to notice) only served to accent her beauty even more. He wasn't sure when he started noticing this about her, but he had never seemed quite able to stop.

What was irritating him more than the distraction she provided was the fact that she had rejected him earlier in the week. He had never seen her in an apron and she had been beaming at the praise she received for her brownies. Yet that smile had disappeared when he walked into the room. That he couldn't explain.

And then she had refused him to have one.

It was childish of him and he knew it. He had been brooding over it for the past two days and now here she was in his office acting as if none of it had happened.

"Well, is there something you want or are you here to comment on the noise I can so obviously hear?"

She cleared her throat and shook her head.

"No. I... I'm here to give you something important."

He raised an eyebrow and only just noticed that she held something behind her. She came forward and cleared her throat again then pushed the little wrapped box onto his desk.

"I've never done this before and I know I might get rejected, but I decided that I wouldn't live with regrets. Hayato-kun, please accept my chocolate," she said with a bow.

Surprise was a mild way of putting his reaction just then. He didn't even move wondering if this was some kind of joke or maybe he was dreaming? He looked at the box again and pulled it towards him. He opened it and frowned slightly.

Inside sat a heart-shaped brownie covered with powdered sugar. He looked back up at her but she hadn't looked up and was waiting for his answer.

"What is this? You wouldn't let me have any a few days ago and now you want me to have it?" That made her look up.

"That's not it! I... I wanted to give it to you today... I thought it would be more special..." She rubbed her arm sheepishly and shuffled her feet. "It's no good, is it? I... I wanted to tell you so that if I'm being rejected, I should be rejected for real and not only in my head. I'm sorry I bothered you." With that, she turned and began to walk away.

He looked down at the brownie and realised just how relieved he actually was. It wasn't something he could really deny any more than he could say he was a pacifist.

He was in love with her.

Cursing himself for his obvious eagerness at the chance he was definitely not going to waste, he got up from his chair rather abruptly and strode up to her.

Takiko paused in her step hearing him move behind her and swallowed. She was about to get rejected, right? He was going to open the door for her and tell her to leave. He was going to push her out of the office and tell her not to bother him ever again. He was going to...

A strong pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist and she gasped feeling his warm body behind her. She didn't know how long they stood there but she grew curious and turned to see what he was thinking. She wanted – needed to know.

No sooner had she turned than a warm pair of lips had captured her own. Takiko was not exactly short. She had been the tallest girl in her class as a matter of fact and towered over some of the guys too. Gokudera wasn't one of those guys. He was a couple of inches taller than her and that made all the difference. He had tilted her face upwards to kiss her. She had never felt so wonderfully short.

Her hands made their way slowly up his chest, one stopping at his broad shoulders and the other found its way into his silver hair. She could never have guessed it to be that soft. His arms wrapped around her with a force she had never known and she sighed despite herself. His lips slanted over hers and she thought she just might melt into a puddle right there.

He pulled away first and looked into her eyes. Damn it. She tasted better than he had initially thought she would. On top of which she was all softness. That kiss had taken his breath away as much as it had hers. A becoming flush was spreading across her cheeks and her eyes were a bright amber as she blinked up at him. Distraction was the wrong way to put it. She could pull him away from his work right now and he would willingly go along with her.

He must be going soft, he thought to himself – soft in the head.

"A... ano...," she began.

"You have to make it for me again," he murmured, his warm breath tickling her ear. She blinked confused. Make what again? He seemed to battle with himself before finally deciding what to say and even so, he said it as if he were forcing himself.

"From now on, you can't only make chocolate for Valentine's Day and you'll have to make it only for me."

The bright smile that lit up her features in that moment made Gokudera think twice about going back to his work. He would much rather kiss her again and he hated the noise in the room anyway. The fact remained though that he was loyal to the Tenth. But technically, Tenth had given him the day off. He sighed and rested his hand on the top of her head, the other settling rather nicely around her waist again.

"You're not good for my sanity," he murmured cryptically. Before she could reply to that, he had kissed her soundly on the lips and didn't seem very eager to want to let go any time soon... not that she was in any particular hurry either.