Hello everybody. Yet another Hibari x Yamamoto oneshot. It's short, has a sad beginning, but a sweet ending. I love these guys too much to kill them off, really. Don't hate me. Various pairings include
Ryohei x Gokudera and Reborn x Tsuna.

Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn. Nothing. None of it. Zip. Zero. Nada. Any similarities in events or characters living or dead are entirely coincidental.

Enjoy!

Takeshi opened his eyes.

The room was blurry. Light bounced off the white walls and it kind of hurt his eyes a little. A consistent, annoying beeping sounded through the room, dull and slow. Takeshi looked around. Where was he? The out-of-focus room slowly slid into emphasis, showing him smooth, whitewashed walls, large medical instruments that hummed, whirled, and beeped, chairs, cabinets, a table full of flowers and cards, and a bed covered in white sheets.

Takeshi's breath hitched.

That was his body lying on that bed.

But it didn't look like him. Not really. Takeshi approached it cautiously, not believing what he was seeing. The Takeshi on the bed looked terrible. A stiff roll of bandages wrapped around his head. His right arm was in a sling. The fingers of his left hand were held in splints and taped. An oxygen mask covered his face, and IV drip pierced his elbow, and the heart monitor droned on with the same unchanging pace.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The Takeshi on the bed appeared to be sleeping, inhaling slowly, unmoving. The conscious Takeshi stared down at his own hands, half expecting them to be transparent. Was he a ghost? Takeshi shivered, instinctively wrapping his arms around himself. What a creepy thought. He wandered around the room for a little bit, trying to understand the situation at hand. What on earth had happened? Why was he in the hospital, lying like the dead on the bed? Takeshi shuddered, thinking hard.

He remembered the mission. Tsuna had briefed them in his office, Reborn standing beside him in his scary adult form (the curse had been lifted a year ago), teasing the brunette with random brushes of his fingers against his jaw or neck, making Tsuna blush and swat at his lover angrily. Takeshi remembered laughing, the feeling of Hibari's small hand in his own calloused one, Gokudera throwing dynamite every time there was an interruption, and then all of them heading out for the mission.

Hibari was driving. Gokudera's gleaming red Porsche was speeding down the highway a little ways in front of them, Ryohei's sedan carrying Tsuna and Reborn driving right behind them. The radio was on. An old song was playing, one that his dad used to like listening to, because it reminded him of his wife. Takeshi's mother. Takeshi remembered telling Hibari that little memory, making the raven comment dryly that sentiments were pointless. Takeshi laughed; tapping his foot to the beat, then leaned over and kissed Hibari on the cheek. The former prefect blushed slightly, telling him to stop or he'll throw him out of his car. Takeshi laughed again, reaching out to clasp his hand over Hibari's on the steering wheel.

And then, Gokudera's car exploded.

Hibari stomped on the breaks so hard it sent Takeshi flying into the dashboard even though he had his seatbelt on. Snarling, the raven jerked the steering wheel to avoid running into Gokudera's burning car, but in the process of doing so, turned the vehicle sideways on the road. And Ryohei's car skidded along the highway, breaks being hit too late, it rammed with a bone-shattering force into the side of Hibari's Camaro.

Takeshi felt glass break and shower over him. Digging for the seatbelt, the Rain Guardian freed himself and grabbed Hibari's arm. The raven was virtually unharmed save for a bruise on his temple where he'd made contact with the glass. Working quickly, he opened the door on his side and both of them crawled out of the ruined car. Ryohei and Reborn had already escaped their vehicle. Tsuna was tearing open the side of Gokudera's car. Takeshi ran forwards to help him. The flames licked his arms as he and the Vongola boss hauled the unconscious Storm Guardian out of the totaled Porsche. Without warning, helicopter wings sounded from beside them, and a spray of bullets rained down mercilessly.

Takeshi activated his box weapon and set up a defensive shield around them, barely avoiding the onslaught of ammunitions. The helicopter drew back as Hibari's Cloud Box activated, but a precise shot through the glass to the controller's head from Reborn sent the chopper out of control and into the bridge on the other side of the highway. Ryohei grabbed Gokudera and ducked behind his own car- the one with the least amount of damage- and activated his own box as well. They were all aware that it was a trap. Hooded men were now jumping out from their hiding places, guns cocked and box weapons activated. Takeshi remembered fury engulfing him. Such dirty, cowardly tactics.

The fight raged on, a blur of flames and weapons clashing around them. Cars were left behind by others on the highway as their owners fled the scene of the battle. Another helicopter fell, creating another deafening explosion. Like himself, Hibari was fighting five at once, and Tsuna was a little ways from the Cloud Guardian, battling a tall man who was obviously the leader. Ryohei fought form his spot behind the car, defending Gokudera's barely breathing body. Reborn had vanished some time ago, but every once in a while an enemy would fall, a bullet right through the head, clearly the work of a master marksman.

Takeshi worked fast. He was nearest to Gokudera's car, and it was burning quickly. He could smell the gasoline on the road, leaking form the punctured gas tank. He sent another enemy flying aside with a swift cut of his sword. His opponents latched on to him, ready to die if it meant taking him down. Takeshi struggled against their box animals, large boa condas with a crushing grip. The flames on Gokudera's car were leaping into the sky. It would blow at any moment.

Takeshi remembered the snakes' death grip suddenly loosening. He tore angrily at them to see small hedgehogs piercing through the snake's scales. A hand closed over his arm, and in one smooth movement, Hibari yanked Takeshi away from his opponents just as the Porsche exploded with another resounding force that knocked everybody sprawling. Takeshi and Hibari tumbled along the road, debris raining down on them.

"Idiot." Hibari had said, shaking dust out of his hair, eyes alive with battle. Takeshi remembered being mesmerized by the depths of those orbs, and then shock at the sudden cry of pain that escaped Hibari's lips as the slim body covering his own jerked in agony. Takeshi sat up, cradling Hibari to his chest, and what he saw made his heart jump. A large piece of metal the length of Takeshi's forearm was sticking out of the Cloud Guardian's left leg. Blood pooled on the ground, and Hibari's breaths became painfully uneven.

He'd stripped off his jacket, wrapping it tightly around the wound, ignoring Hibari's demands to leave him alone and to let him go back to battle. He called for Ryohei, hefting his boyfriend up in one quick movement, mentally apologizing for the barely controlled snarl of pain that sounded from below him. He staggered over, avoiding the spray of bullets that followed them. Ryohei helped him lower Hibari to the ground next to Gokudera, but yelled out a warning as another helicopter descended upon them. Takeshi could hear the ominous sound of the machine gun clicking several feet from him.

Without thinking, he pushed Ryohei down over Gokudera and threw himself over all three of them at once. The bullets hit his back, sending spasms of red hot pain through Takeshi's body. A heavy chunk of Ryohei's car snapped and fell, crushing his right arm. Takeshi couldn't breathe. He turned his head, eyelids growing heavy, and saw the assassin on the helicopter pick up a small black object. Through the noise surrounding them, Takeshi remembered hearing the sound of the pin being pulled. It wasn't over yet.

Takeshi braced himself. The explosion hit, and he remembered no more.

He was back in the hospital room, exhaling shakily as he recollected his thoughts. How long had he been unconscious for? What happened to the others? He was so agitated, if he were a real person, his pacing would have sent objects surrounding him flying. The sound of the door opening to his right drew his attention away from his overcrowded thoughts, and he watched as Tsuna, Reborn, Ryohei, and Hibari entered his room.

Takeshi stared. None of them were seriously injured, but they were definatly not in their best condition. Tsuna managed to escape with a broken finger and several bandages wrapped around his neck, but Reborn was limping painfully next to the young mafia boss, obviously in need of crutches but had refused to use them. The hitman's arm was also in a sling. Ryohei wheeled himself into the room with a wheelchair, neck set in a brace and his left leg completely encased in a cast. Hibari came in last, a sweater draped over his shoulders and bandages covering his face. He, too, sported an obvious limp in the left leg where he'd been hit with the flying piece of debris. With a jolt, Takeshi realized that Gokudera was absent.

"I told you to use crutches, Reborn, or a wheelchair. Now you've gone and sprained that ankle again." Tsuna's voice held a tone of authority that Takeshi rarely heard there. Reborn grumbled something. Tsuna huffed and said, "Be sensible, will you?" before forcing the hitman into a chair next to the unconscious Takeshi's bed.

Ryohei wheeled his chair next to the bed as well, patting the unconscious Takeshi's arm. "How're doing, buddy?" he asked. "Hang in there, Yamamoto-kun, alright? We'll wait for you."

Takeshi's heart stung at the sight of his friends. They looked so upset gathered around his bedside, watching the unconscious Takeshi inhale and exhale, breath fogging up the oxygen mask slightly. Tsuna looked around to Hibari, who was standing a little ways from them, his eyes underlined with dark shadows.

"Hibari-san, it'll be okay." The Vongola boss said softly. "Yamamoto-kun's tough. He'll wake up."

"Yeah!" Ryohei said. "I still have to thank him for saving us, you know. If he hadn't, I wouldn't be here right now, and neither would Gokudera." The Sun Guardian's voice shook slightly at that. Tsuna immediately patted Ryohei's shoulder. "It's alright. Gokudera's crazy stubborn too you know…he'll make it." Ryohei laughed.

"Yeah. I'm confessing the minute he wakes up! I'm not waiting another second!"

Takeshi's eyes widened. Confess?

Ryohei turned and smiled weakly, addressing the unconscious Takeshi again. "I've liked Gokudera since forever, Yamamoto-kun. You saved us both. Hang tight!" Ryohei laughed, wiping his eyes. "Man, I need a tissue." Tsuna jumped up and said, "Here, I'll wheel you out." Reborn rose to his feet, silent eyes trained on the body on the bed, nodded to Hibari, and walked out with the other two.

That left Hibari in the room. With the not-really-a-ghost Takeshi.

There was silence. Hibari hadn't moved from his spot by the wall. He simply stared at the unconscious Takeshi's body like the rest of them had done. The clock ticked. The machines hummed. The heart monitor beeped. Then Hibari moved forwards and sat down in the chair previously occupied by Reborn.

"The noisy omnivore couldn't even eat for the first few weeks." Hibari began in a low voice. Takeshi felt his heart plummet. They've been unconscious for weeks? "You did save all three of us. But we were trapped under his car, we couldn't get out. Reborn came out of nowhere. He tried to pull Sasagawa out but he refused, and insisted that Reborn get you and Gokudera first. Your arm was stuck, we couldn't pull you out. Sasagawa stayed under the car, holding it up while Reborn and I dragged you out inch by inch so we wouldn't tear your arm off. He said he couldn't leave you behind. You saved the one he loved. He's been in love with Gokudera since they were in school, can you believe that herbivore? We managed to get you out, but then my car blew up and a chunk of it landed on the sedan. It crushed his leg. He's in a wheelchair right now, but it's healing. Back up finally arrived, and that pineapple bastard broke off the back of the car and finally got him out. Now we're all here, in the noisy Callivone Hospital. Gokudera's been sleeping for as long as you have."

A pause. Takeshi's mind reeled with the weight of the information. Mukuro came and got Ryohei out, thank goodness. Hibari's sleep deprived eyes lingered on the unconscious Takeshi's sleeping form.

"You know, we've been together since high school too? Why aren't you waking up? Can't you hear me, when I'm talking to you like this? Or do you only hear the heart monitor? Did you know that thing haunts me in my sleep? I have to hear it. Every second that I do tells me you're still alive, but every second that I do tells me you're not awake yet either."

"Kyoya." Takeshi croaked, reaching for his lover. His hand passed through Hibari's shaking shoulders. "Damn it, Kyoya! Damn it!" Takeshi cursed, kicking his leg through the bed frame. At his side, Hibari's dissolved into tears, clenching his hands into fists on his knees.

"Damn it, Takeshi, wake up!"

Rage and grief washed over him. Why was he here, in this non-ghost form when his lover was crying like that? Why couldn't he hold him? Why couldn't he wipe away his tears, hug him close, tell him that everything would be okay, don't cry, I promise you it's alright?

"Let me go back!" Takeshi roared to whatever deity existed. "Let me go back, please, I have to, I need to, Kyoya…let me go back to Kyoya..please…I'm begging you…for Kyoya…let me go…please…"

And darkness engulfed him once more.

Five months later.

Fireworks whistled, and with a deafening blast, exploded right into the inky night sky in a shower of red, gold, and white. Children around them clapped and screamed from their parent's arms, others "ooohed" and "ahhhed".

Takeshi wrapped his arms more securely around Hibari's waist, their breaths coming up in little puffs of smoke in the January night. It was New Year's Eve, and the Guardians were standing in the local park with the rest of the town, enjoying the blazing fireworks that shot up into the sky.

"Look, there's another one!" Takeshi pointed to another dot of light rocketing upwards, and a second later, it burst into a green flower. Hibari leaned backwards, curling up against Takeshi's jacket.

"Are you cold?" Takeshi asked, rubbing Hibari's arms. The raven didn't answer. His gaze roamed the festive crowd, a hand sliding up Takeshi's coat sleeve to touch the scar on his right arm. Takeshi nuzzled Hibari's neck, inhaling the sweet, smoky scent that was purely his lover.

"You know, five months ago, on this day, I thought you'd never wake up again." Hibari said softly, tucking his head under Takeshi's chin. Takeshi tightened his hug. "Well, I'm here, aren't I?" he joked. Hibari smacked him on the head. "And you better stay this way, or I'll bite you to death." He threatened, glaring when Takeshi laughed it off.

They fell into silence again. Takeshi's gaze lingered on his friends in the glow of the fireworks. Reborn and Tsuna were sitting together on the benches, Reborn saying something to Tsuna that made the Vongola boss blush a red as the Chinese dragon firework bursting in the sky. Mingled in the crowd in front of them were Gokudera and Ryohei. Ryohei was yelling and jabbing the air and Gokudera kept smacking him on the head, but their hands were linked tightly together. Ryohei had kept to his word, and the moment Gokudera had opened his eyes groggily, the Sun Guardian had grabbed his hands and asked him out.

Needless to say, that particular hospital room was completely demolished.

Takeshi's hand found its way into his coat pocket, feeling the small box inside, cool against his palm. Taking a breath, the former baseball player glanced at the large clock on display in the park. It was almost midnight. Another firework flew into the sky, purple and blue dancing in the night.

'Rain and Cloud', Takeshi thought. He took a deep breath.

"Kyoya?" he asked softly. Hibari's dark eyes met his, frowning a little at the use of his first name.

"What?"

The crowd had begun counting down. "Thirty! Twenty-nine! Twenty-eight!"

Takeshi kissed Hibari's cheek lightly, a mischievous grin on his face even though his heart was beating like crazy.

"Twenty-two! Twenty-one! Twenty!"

"Hibari Kyoya…" Takeshi began, sinking down on one knee in front of his boyfriend of nine years.

"Fifteen! Fourteen! Thirteen!"

He was aware of Tsuna grabbing Reborn's arms and pointing, jumping up and down in excitement. The hit man stood up, pulling his thrilled boyfriend closer, an understanding smirk on his face. Takeshi pulled out the box.

"Ten! Nine! Eight!"

Hibari's eyes widened slightly.

"Seven! Six! Five!"

Gokudera and Ryohei were cheering in the background, Gokudera unable to fight the grin of amusement that had wormed its way onto his face at the sight of Takeshi on one knee in front of Hibari, and Ryohei was roaring with laughter at the expression on the former prefect's face.

"I love you…"

"Four! Three! Two! One!"

"Will you marry me?"

The crowd exploded into cheers and shouts as the biggest round of fireworks shot into the sky in honor of the New Year finally arriving. To Takeshi, the image of Hibari standing above him, illuminated by the glow of the firecrackers in the heavens. The raven's pale hand covered his mouth. He looked away, looked back at Takeshi, blushed violently, and then nodded, eyes unusually bright. Takeshi couldn't stop smiling. Sliding the ring onto Hibari's ring finger, he picked up his fiancé and spun him around, listening to Hibari's indignant- but pleased- yells in his ear, hearing the laughter and well-wishing of those around him.

Five months ago, in that hospital bed, Hibari almost lost Takeshi on the same day.

Now, 153 days later, Yamamoto Takeshi would be Yamamoto Kyoya's forever, and ever.

End

This one wiped me out. Sap for the win! Our baseball idiot's such a romantic guy, isn't he? How many of you thought Yamamoto died when he blacked out? Heh Heh heh. Don't worry, I love them too much to really kill them *sob sob* I was going to let him die in the beginning, but Hibari threatened me. So did my friends.

Ah, well.

For those interested in knowing what happened during the five month skip and after New Year's, here's as follows:

-Takeshi did wake up right after Hibari started crying by his bedside.

-Gokudera remained comatose for another week, before Ryohei also broke down by his bed and admitted every last bit of his feelings to the silverette. (Seeing the pattern here? Ha, ha.)

-Dino tearfully paid for all the damage Gokudera caused after hearing Ryohei's confession.

-Mukuro personally eliminated the rest of the gang that attacked the Vongola during their car trip because he was forced to leave his date with Chrome that day to go back Tsuna up.

-Takeshi and Hibari got married on May 5th, otherwise known as Hibari's birthday.

-Ryohei proposed to Gokudera on the same day. In the end, half the reception was demolished as well.

-Reborn smartly invited Tsuna on a trip to Italy and proposed there instead to avoid every single one of his "idiot pupils".

Thank you for reading! Comments are always appreciated.

-Star.