Hi Minna! This is, yes you guessed right, ANOTHER 8059! Haha, enjoi!

Everyone knows this mission is dangerous. They know someone could get hurt. But none of that changes that when the bullet strikes Hayato's shoulder, they're all shocked and scared.

Immediately Ryohei is at his side, attempting to heal him with shaking hands. There is too much going on, he can't get a steady connection with the flames. He picks up the battered and shot bomber, taking him out to the car. Once everyone is loaded in, they head for the mansion. The infirmary is their next stop; Ryohei sets Hayato down and heals the wound, but it's too late. The storm slips into a coma. "FUCK." The extreme sun guardian slams his fist into a wall and leaves the room.

Shit that fucking hurts! Why the fuck am I here? Where the fuck is here? My head is throbbing, and my shoulder was definitely hit. Everything's dark… I have to get out of here. I have to tell that stupid baseball idiot…

Shamal and Ryohei say that Hayato won't be out of his coma for a while… I'm scared. They say… they say he could die… They say he might not wake up. What am I going to do? If Hayato dies… I don't know what I'll do. My head hits my calloused palms with a soft thud. An exasperated sob slips from between my lips and tears drip from my eyes before I even notice I'm crying. Is everyone else crying? Does everyone else feel like their heart has been ripped in half and stomped on? I hope not… no one should ever be cursed with this feeling.

My leaking eyes close and I let myself remember everything from before.

Takeshi was walking down the hall when he heard piano playing. He knew very well about Hayato's qualms about anyone hearing him play… and the only rooms in this wing of the mansion were those of the rain and storm guardians. The soft melancholy tone rang through him, sending a shiver down his spine. He didn't think just peeking his head in through the cracked door would be too bad. He did just that, looking through the cracks of the door, then snapping back quickly. The piano was facing him… but Hayato hadn't seen him? He looked again quickly, Hayato's eyes were closed tight as he played.

The tune stopped.

"If you're going to stalk me, at least come in the room, creepy baseball idiot." The Italian man's steely green eyes didn't open as he spoke.

Takeshi hung his head, he'd been caught. "S-sorry Dera, I'll go…"

"Do you listen? I said come in." Hayato shook his head, the burnt light from the setting sun cascaded in through the window, dying everything the color of fire.

Takeshi hesitantly stepped into the room, half expecting to be blown to bits. Hayato pretended to ignore him and returned his attention back to the piano. His fingers touched the keys gently before he began playing again. This song was different; definitely not happier, but different all the same. This melody held longing… want; need. It sung of something… unrequited.

Again, the song ceased.

"We have to go, everyone's getting ready to leave." Hayato murmured softly. Takeshi wondered why he felt like they'd just shared an intimacy that the storm never shared with anyone… not even Tsuna. "After we get back, I want to talk to you…"

"O-okay… and Dera.."

"What?"

"Be careful today." The brunette smiled, letting his eyes twinkle slightly.

"You too, idiot."

We were careful, weren't we Dera? We made sure to keep our back covered… But you were still hit…

I walk into the infirmary to see him lying there, on the bed. If it wasn't for his shallow breaths and the slow beeping of his heart monitor, I would think he was dead. I sit in the chair beside his bed, it looks like everyone got different types of flowers. Roses, tulips, daisies; they all fill the room in large vases. There aren't any lotus flowers though, how could they all not know? Dera loves lotus flowers… haven't they seen his tattoo?

The tiny lotus flower just above his right hip, surely they've all seen it sometime… Or is it just me? Am I the only one who takes the time to analyze every part of Hayato every time I see him? I know the contours of his body, I know every inch of his skin… But that's just from training, right? Am I thinking too much into this, or… do I watch Hayato? Do I study his every movement… watch the way he moves? Acts?

Maybe I'm too engrossed in him. But why? Why would I be? I can't.. No, I don't… Do I?

Am I in love with Dera?

Now isn't the time to be thinking about this, I chastise myself quickly. I look up at him, a frown playing on my lips. "I never did hear what it was you needed to tell me, Dera…" I mumble, looking down. "R-Ryo says… he says you might be able to hear me.. If you can hear me… I-... I need you to wake up Dera… please…" choked sobs resonate from my lungs.

The click of dress shoes sounds in my ear. "What are you doing?" Reborn's deep voice says. He's leaning against the doorway, looking at me with his fedora tipped down.

"I-uh… nothing Reborn." I quickly shake my head and run out.

I'll be back tomorrow, Hayato.

The next day, I stayed true to my word. I was there. "I… I know how much you love lotus flowers…" I dropped my head and set the boxed flower on the bedside table, beside everything else. Hayato would probably punch me in my face for bringing this. He shuts everyone out, including me. He pretends he doesn't shut Tsuna out too, but he does. The closest I ever got to him was then… right before this happened. Why did it have to be him? If only I was faster… if only I could've taken the bullet… If only…

If only I'd gotten hit instead of you.

Every single day, for the past month, I've gone to visit Hayato. They've moved him into his bedroom, hoping that'll help. Sometimes I swear I can feel him .murmur back to me as I speak.. But that's just wishful thinking, right?

As usual for the past month, I come into Hayato's room early in the morning and sit on the chair Bianchi put near the bed for me. I can't remember the last time I had a good night's sleep… sometimes I pass out in the chair, because I don't want to leave his side. I never lose hope though. He'll wake up… he'll… wake…up… there I go again… out like a light.

You'll wake up, right?

Someone's shaking me, "Takeshi, Takeshi!"

"Ngh?" my caramel eyes open slightly, meeting Tsuna's honey orbs.

"You fell asleep again…"

"Oh…" I rub the sleep from my eyes and shake my head to wake up a bit. "What time is it?"

"Two am." Tsuna replies, patting my back gently. "You missed dinner again… When's the last time you ate?"

"Er… I stopped in the kitchen and grabbed something this morning…" I say sleepily. It's true, whether it was a meal or not…

"An apple isn't food Take…"

"I wanted to get down here quickly…" I try to defend myself.

"You're always here 'quickly'. C'mon let's go… you have to eat." Tsuna grabs my arm and tries to pull me out of the chair gently.

I stiffen. "N-no!" I can't leave… what if… what if while I'm away…? "I c-can't… Don't make me leave him…" I cling to the chair tightly. "He could… he could wake up… when I'm not here…"

Tsuna gasps slightly then sighs deeply. "Then at least let me bring you something to eat." He pats my shoulder and smiles at me.

I truthfully don't have even the slightest of appetites. I don't want to eat. "Sure." I smile back, though I'm lying.

A few minutes later, Tsuna comes upstairs with a plate of leftovers from dinner, heated up. He sets them down before me and smiles. "I'll let you eat…" He sighs and leaves the room. I merely glance at the food and drop my head back into my hands, I can't even bring myself to eat.

I really am truly, truly in love with you Hayato. Please wake up soon.

I can't even tell how long it's been anymore… Definitely a few months. I want to touch him, but I'm so scared he'll break. Shamal says coma patients drop a lot of weight because they don't eat real food. He's so thin, withering away right before my eyes.

I reach out shaking hands, and for the first time, I touch him. It's nothing significant, nothing special. I just brush my hand against his. But there's movement.

I didn't move.

My brown orbs widen and scan over his body. Did I see that right? Did Hayato's hand twitch?

I shouldn't be getting so hopeful. Shamal told me that every once in a while, his body will twitch subconsciously.

Wishful thinking again, there's no way.

I'm back the next day, not that it should surprise anyone. I think it's August, but I'm not really sure. If it is that means there's only a few more weeks until Hayato's birthday. I grab Hayato's hand today. I need to; I need something to hold on to, to keep me sane while he's still gone. I feel the slightest of movements.

"D-Dera? Can you feel that? S-squeeze again…" I stutter out, completely stupefied by the fact that he might've just moved. I felt it, I felt him move.

If you can feel me, please, please respond.

Every day I go into Hayato's room and hold his hand. He hasn't moved much, only a few twitches here and there, but Shamal and Ryo say it's too frequent to be a coincidence. I'm not so scared anymore, I know he'll wake up. He will! Any day now, I can't wait. I'm so excited to see the look on his face when I tell him… when I can hold him, when I can kiss him.

I can't wait to tell you I love you.

Today is September 9th; Hayato's birthday.

I clench my fist over the small circular pendant in my palm and sigh. Tsuna is too amazing for words.

"Takeshi. For Hayato's birthday, since I know you couldn't leave, I had this made." Tsuna smiled warmly at Takeshi and handed him a small box.

The raven-haired male opened the velvet case and gasped slightly, "T-Tsuna…"

"It's a locket." His voice was insistent for Takeshi to open it.

The rain ran his fingers over the small, silver baseball, prying the clasp to view what was inside. Another soft gasp escaped him. The picture inside was of him and Hayato at the piano. The day it happened. His eyes welled with unshed tears as he whimpered out a strained, "T-Tsuna how did you…?"

The other brunette smiled knowingly. "Reborn."

A few drops of the salty saline spilled over the Vongola rain guardian's cheeks. He hugged his best friend tightly, a few sobs escaping. "Thank you… thank you so much." He whispered, then pulled away and continued on his trek to Hayato's bedroom.

I really couldn't ask for a better friend than Tsunayoshi Sawada. I'm so happy I could die…

I look over Dera's face and smile. "I have something for you, Dera." I continue to stroke my thumb over the back of his hand as I speak.

I lean over him to clasp the necklace, out faces mere inches apart. After pushing through the maze of necklaces that are already around his neck, and carefully averting the scar from the gunshot, I close the clasp of the necklace. I drag my eyes over his face, looking over the pale, translucent tone of his skin. Dera's never been well tanned, he hates the sun, but I hate seeing him so sickly looking. I graze my lips across his forehead, letting them move down the bridge of his nose in a sweet caress. I eventually reach his lips, pausing to whisper. "You probably can't hear me, but… Happy Birthday, I love you, Hayato." Then softly, I press my lips to his in what could barely be called a kiss.

The room is dark. There is no light. No smell, no taste to the air, and all I feel beneath my palms is a smooth, hard surface.

There are sounds, though. Purely torturous sounds. I can't hear anything aside from Yamamoto's broken whimpers and cries. Sometimes, he's begging me to wake up, and others he's telling me he loves me. I don't know what to do, or how to fix this.

I can't say how long I've been in here, because I haven't got a clue. I only know that it's felt like forever. The tears don't come anymore, I don't think I have any left. With each time I hear the yakyuubaka's pleas, I feel like there's a knife in my side, being twisted.

There are moments I look forward to, in this hell hole. Those moments are when I can feel. On extremely rare occasions, I feel a familiar warm touch; a calloused brush of skin on my hand. This room isn't cold, or I wouldn't say it's cold, but it lacks life. If it wasn't for Yamamoto's touch, and those faint whispers, I don't think I'd stay sane.

On one day specifically, I assume it's day, but it's not like I can really tell, he's already crying when I hear his voice. A small gasp slips from my lips as I feel again, but it's not my hand. It's on my neck, then an even warmer touch on my forehead, sliding down my nose, and settle just hovering before my lips. "You probably can't hear me, but… Happy Birthday, I love you, Hayato."

Then, a door swings open. I immediately stand and run to it, rushing into the light that hurts my eyes. I blink once, twice, three times, and I'm laying down.

"What in the fuck?" I groan out, my throat is so dry. I nearly choke on my words. When my vision clears, Yamamoto is inches from my face, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"DERA!"