"Home is people. Not a place. If you go back there after the people are gone, then all you can see is what is not there anymore."
The room was filled with a deafening silence, one he had never wished to hear. The sun, dying the sky orange during its last moments, shone through the broken windows and holes on the walls, creating a strange pattern of shadows around the man. The air felt cold and the room seemed darker than ever, even when it was bathed in the warm colors of the sunset and filled with the heated air of summer.
He moved silently through the room, the sound of his steps drowned by the bloodied carpet that covered the floor. His eyes travelled left and right, searching the corners of the room, engraving deep in his memory the crumbling walls, the holes made by bullets in the various furniture, the smell of blood belonging to his comrades, now all dead. He was the only one left, and even he would not survive for much longer, the blood dripping from his hand as he clutched his side was the only proof he needed. But he was not scared or saddened, for as he looked around him, the place he had once called home, were now no more than empty walls, filled with reminders of his failure in protecting his friends.
Sitting down on the cold stone steps, he let his head fall against what little remained of the stone wall, and in that moment, he could remember it so clearly; the way they used to run around the mansion, screaming and fighting each other, laughing, playing pranks, they were like children hidden in an adult body, and Tsunayoshi loved them.
He loved the way Hayato would pretend not to care about any of the other guardians but always fretted about their health with an angry scowl on his face. He loved the way his eyes would sparkle and how excited he got when he tried to explain something he liked to him, and how he so strongly believed in things like aliens.
He loved the way Takeshi would always try to reassure, laughing everything off and saying that it's all just a game with a huge smile on his face, the way he teased Hayato and how he tried to make everyone get along.
He loved the way Ryohei was always so energetic and positive, the way he would grin in the face of danger and the way he fussed after everyone when they were hurt, more often than not making people get annoyed with him, he loved how he would always disregard himself for the sake of his friends.
He loved the way Lambo was so stubborn about the things he wanted, even when he would so quickly break into tears, he loved the way the other looked up to him without expecting him to be perfect at everything, and the way he would call him 'Tsuna-nii'.
He loved the way Kyoya would always be there when they needed him, even when he said he didn't care about them; he would always make sure they were all safe, how he would hang onto his own ideals and fight for them. He loved how he would stubbornly refuse any help, never accepting it, not even when he had trouble walking from the injuries he got on a mission.
He loved the way Chrome would shy away from strangers, and how she blushed a pretty red whenever they complimented her. He loved her voice, so quiet yet so strong. He loved the way she could take down anyone that tried to hurt those she cared about, and that little smile she would show only them. He loved the way she could look so fragile but be so strong.
He loved the way Mukuro would try to make it seem like he didn't care about anyone besides himself, the way he would play small harmless pranks on the other guardians when he was bored, and the way he would always tease Kyoya. He loved the way Mukuro would always stand near Chrome like her own personal bodyguard, and the way he would protect them all even as he firmly stated he couldn't care less if they died.
He loved the way Reborn would always watch over them, throw them into crazy situations but never putting them in a place he didn't believe they could escape, he loved the way he would always put them first, and try to make them stronger.
He loved…
He loved…
He loved…
Until there was no one to love.
He wished he could have made Hayato call him by his name at least once, he wish he could have made him feel like he didn't need to hide behind anger all the time. He wished he could have taught him to care about himself a little bit more, maybe then he would still be around…
He wished he had noticed that not all of Takeshi's smiles where as real as he played them to be. He wished he had been able to help before everything had ended the way it did…
He wished he had told Ryohei to take better care of himself, because they needed him around, he wished he had been able to show him that to protect them, he also needed to protect himself, and then, maybe he wouldn't have been so reckless…
He wished he had told Lambo that it was fine to run away sometimes, he wished he had taught him better, that stubbornness wouldn't always pay off for the best; he wished he had told him he loved him more often, before it became impossible to do so…
He wished he could have gotten closer to Kyoya, made him realize that admitting he cared for others didn't make him weaker. He wished he would have realized that his Cloud wasn't invincible…
He wished he could have made Chrome realize just how good she was, how beautiful and strong. He wished he could have taught her that it was fine to speak her mind, and that should use her strength not only for them but also for herself. He wished he could have told her everything he feels for his sweet guardian, before she had been stolen from them…
He wished he could have shown Mukuro it was okay to trust them, he wished he could have helped him more; he wished he could have kept him from that water cell. He wished he could have made him realize that they really did care for him, even if it was hidden behind fights and insults, before he went on that suicide mission…
He wished he would have thanked Reborn for everything he did for them, he wished he could have freed him from his curse sooner, he wished he could have made him believe he wouldn't end up dying a dog's death. He wished he could have watched the man grow old…
He wished…
He wished…
He wished…
He wished he could try again.
This story can also be found on AO3 under the same name :)
I must say the formatting of the chapters is much better on ao3 than here, but it will make do :p
Hope you enjoy this short little thing I wrote, it was very random xd please feel free to leave a review.