There was no way that baseball idiot was worthy of becoming the Tenth's right hand man. That right was reserved especially for Gokudera, the most devoted and capable of the Tenth's men. Even if the legendary assassin Reborn said he was worthy of being part of the Vongola family, Gokudera couldn't be so sure. He'd have to put him to a test.
Yamamoto Takeshi, fifteen years old, a first-year student. Starting lineup of the baseball team. Popular, idolized, respected by the other first-year boys. Attractive, tall, admired by the other first-year girls. Always smiling, always cheerful, always upbeat.
So far, he wasn't doing so well.
The Tenth loved him. The Tenth trusted him. The Tenth considered him a close friend. Gokudera couldn't imagine why.
Reborn allowed him to test the new recruit's abilities. Being a star baseball player, the idiot's reflexes were sharp enough to evade even Gokudera's dynamite. All right. He had some field skills. Big deal. Even so, when Gokudera became a bit overzealous with launching his explosives, Yamamoto had been able to protect the Tenth.
Gokudera was willing to admit that his heart had just about stopped when he thought he'd blown up the Tenth, and seeing that he was safe was more than enough to alleviate some of the bomb expert's qualms about the baseball idiot. Gokudera even congratulated him on doing well and passing the test.
He still seemed to think that the honor of being made a part of the Vongola family - and being inducted by Reborn himself - was a game, though. What a disgusting guy.
"If anything happens to the Tenth, you'll answer to me, do you understand?" Gokudera snarled. Yamamoto held up his hands and smiled, cheerful as always.
"Gokudera, calm down! You know that I'll look out for Tsuna - he's my buddy, after all. I won't let anything bad happen to him."
"I'm serious about this, you! Even if you aren't taking this-"
Yamamoto's expression hardened, and he leaned over Gokudera. Inwardly, Gokudera cursed the fact that the baseball idiot was so much taller than he was.
"Look, Gokudera," Yamamoto said, "I'm a lot more relaxed than you are, that's for sure, and I think that you could let loose a little more often, too, but I am serious about what matters to me. My friends matter to me." A twinkle appeared in his dark brown eyes, and his face eased back into its usual smile. "Don't worry so much, okay?"
Gokudera hated that he was taller. He hated that Yamamoto was calm, hated that he was right, hated that he could be serious. What Gokudera hated most was that after saying all that, just when the baseball idiot was about to earn himself a smidgen of respect, he had to grin like a dope and say something ridiculous like that. What a disgusting guy.
It was just a stupid training session.
That baseball idiot had to open his big mouth and challenge Gokudera - like he always did. He joked about being the Tenth's right hand man, he teased about Gokudera being too serious, he laughed about other families that might threaten the Tenth.
So, when Gokudera berated him for the umpteenth time on his lack of qualification to protect the Tenth, Yamamoto called him on it. Smiling in that doggedly (infuriatingly) nice way of his, Yamamoto asked for Gokudera's help.
"If you don't think that I'm good enough," the baseball idiot said brightly, "show me how to become good enough."
They met at the track behind the school after classes, the Tenth and Reborn following along. Gokudera knew that his bluff had been called - as much as he hated to admit it, that fool was in great physical shape - but he couldn't back down now. They ran the circuit a dozen times, and, while Gokudera tried to hide his being winded, Yamamoto just laughed and ran a little bit ahead.
"Idiot!" Gokudera wheezed. "You're supposed to be following my lead!"
"Sorry, sorry!" Yamamoto replied, not in the least bit breathy, and fell back, letting Gokudera run ahead of him.
The Tenth watched from the sidelines, a worried expression on his face, as Gokudera and Yamamoto did push-ups, sit-ups, squats, and a whole series of other exercises that Gokudera may or may not have made up just to be difficult. Yamamoto did them all with ease and a smile.
Finally, the Tenth had to leave. "It's getting dark," he pointed out. "Reborn and I are heading home."
Gokudera asked if the Tenth needed an escort home, but the Tenth quickly denied his offer. Not one to be refused, especially with the Tenth's safety at stake, Gokudera opened his mouth to protest, but the baseball idiot beat him to it.
"So, are we done, then?" he asked, stretching his arms above his head.
"No, we're not done yet!" Gokudera whirled on him. "We're just getting started!"
The Tenth's face paled with worry, but Yamamoto just laughed again. "Okay, okay, whatever you say."
The Tenth fretted for a few moments longer, reminding Gokudera and Yamamoto to "be careful" and "not get hurt" or "stay out too late." With one last look over his shoulder, the Tenth headed home, pulling Reborn in a wagon behind him.
Yamamoto blew some air out of his mouth and flopped down onto the grass, sprawling out. "Whew! Quite a schedule you've got here, Gokudera," he noted, smiling up at the other. "This is just a workout, huh?"
"We'll...t-take a short break before w-we really get s-started," Gokudera puffed, deciding to worry about holding up his bluff after sitting down. The ground looked so soft and comfortable.
The minute he'd sat down - a good three feet away from the baseball idiot - Yamamoto was beside him, his face inches away. Gokudera bit his tongue to keep from yelling out.
"I appreciate your helping me get stronger," Yamamoto said. "I want to be the best friend I can be for Tsuna. That's what you want, too, right? To make sure that he's got good friends around him. You're a real pal."
"Would you get away from me?" Gokudera snapped. "Of course I want what's best for the Tenth! He's the most important person in my life!"
"Really? Wow." Yamamoto seemed genuinely surprised. "Hmm. Maybe I'm...being selfish by keeping you here with me, then."
The comment threw Gokudera off, but he tried not to show it. "Maybe you are! Keeping me here to train your sorry butt while the Tenth walks home unprotected! Sheesh, you really are useless, aren't you?"
Though his legs screamed in protest, Gokudera quickly got to his feet and jogged off the grass in the direction the Tenth had just gone. If he went quickly enough, he'd catch up to the Tenth before he got home. If he went quickly enough, he'd forget the weird expression on that idiot's face when he'd said he was being selfish.
Hmph. Using his own weakness as an excuse to keep Gokudera from the Tenth's side. What a disgusting guy.
"If you hadn't been so lazy, we wouldn't be in this mess!" Gokudera yelled.
"G-Gokudera, please calm down..." the Tenth said, holding up his hands in front of him. Yamamoto's smile was serene as usual.
"Algebra is really difficult for me," Yamamoto said simply. "I have to work twice as hard in this subject as others - just to do half as well! That's my problem, though. If Tsuna's having trouble with a subject that you're good at, Gokudera, then you should be the one helping him."
"I am helping him!" Gokudera roared, launching himself over the table and reaching for the fool's throat. "How dare you! I'm his right hand man!"
"G-G-Gokudera! Yamamoto!" the Tenth cried, though he wasn't fast enough to intercept Gokudera's attack.
Yamamoto, of course, was plenty fast enough, and, before Gokudera could grab his neck, he had reached back for him and pulled him into a bear hug, Gokudera's arms falling limply over his shoulders. Horrified, Gokudera shrieked.
Touching him like that! He had no right! What a disgusting guy.
"Gokudera? How do you feel about Tsuna?"
The question was so random and Yamamoto's expression was so unusually serious that Gokudera was thrown.
"...What?"
"Well," Yamamoto started, tapping his thumb against his pencil eraser, "I've just noticed that...I mean, you're really devoted to him. Really devoted, and I was just wondering if..."
"If what?" Gokudera asked, voice hardening. Yamamoto gestured weakly, chuckling and avoiding eye contact.
"Well..."
Gokudera's eyes widened. "You deviant! To think such perverse things about my relationship with the Tenth! He's the boss of the Vongola family, he's my leader, and he saved my life! I owe my existence to him! My entire life is his! I've completely devoted my-"
"Okay, okay, calm down." Yamamoto laughed, still looking away. "When you say stuff like that, it just...well, it doesn't matter. So, you're not...?"
"No. I am the Tenth's right hand man, his most devoted follower."
"But what if he wanted you to be?" Yamamoto pressed. "Would you do it?"
"I would do anything for the Tenth," Gokudera said. Yamamoto considered this for a minute.
"Do you have someone that you like?" he asked, and Gokudera wondered what was wrong with the baseball idiot that he was asking all these inane questions.
"Romantically? I don't have time for that. My life is the Vongola family."
"Maybe you could like someone in the Vongola family," Yamamoto pointed out slowly, finally meeting Gokudera's scrutinizing gaze. "That way, you could have time for it."
"That's ridiculous. Why would you even-!"
Gokudera passed the Tenth in the hallway and quickly bowed, excusing himself loudly and apologetically before storming out.
Behind him, he could hear the Tenth asking in a panicky voice if Yamamoto were all right and the baseball idiot replying that he was fine, his voice an octave higher than usual. As if he'd be fine after the well-aimed punch Gokudera had given him. Getting so close, putting his arms around him, pressing his lips against Gokudera's. Who did he think he was?
What a disgusting guy!