Disclaimer: None of the character's mentioned belong to me.
Takes place shortly after the fight with Gamma. The italicized words that are spoken are taken directly from the manga.
"Gokudera, it'll be better if we team up for this, I think." A well considered suggestion, almost obvious in the current situation.
" "Fine then, go ahead and do whatever you like!" Words he meant completely, though that made them no more right. Fear made his legs weak as he watched his companion approach Gamma, an enemy neither could defeat alone. "I fully intend to. Stay out of my way." Gokudera said these words without even bothering to look at him, always refusing to grant him any amount of courtesy or positive acknowledgement. It stung, more than it would have coming from anybody else. He wanted to be cared about by everybody, of course, but nobody but this silver-haired Italian could affect him quite this same way. Breathing heavily from fear and anxiety, Yamamoto could only watch as an important person to him fought a dangerous enemy.
Something had definitely changed after that battle. Gokudera had hated him even more than he hated Lambo, and considering Gokudera's treatment of the boy, that was saying something. It'd always bothered him a little; the bomb expert would turn away from him, all snarls and scowls, but would greet others with - if not a smile - then respect and no disgust.
But now...
Now they actually had moments. Nothing romantic and sappy, but there were times when the two were in complete agreement, they'd lock eyes and the mutual feelings would cross between them, almost palpable in the air. Or it was one of the increasingly rare peaceful moments, when they stood or sat side by side and were content to just watch as the girls bustled about the kitchen and Tsuna argued with Reborn. The tension between them had relaxed, and Yamamoto knew that if he reached out to carrier of the Storm ring, Gokudera might just reach back.
It was a thrilling thought.
After that fight, Yamamoto would run into Gokudera in unlikely places - like the kitchen at night - and they'd talk. They were so different, both in their upbringing and general interests. But both were loyal to Tsuna, and it was unspoken that they had that same loyalty for each other now. But they'd talk about baseball, and laugh about some of the sillier things that happened to the family that day. It had made him unaccountably happy to see that smile directed toward him for once, and not away.
Reborn noticed, but that baby noticed everything. He'd begun to assign them missions together (but to calm the bomber down would assign a strong guard for their leader). Tsuna had noticed something was different, though Yamamoto was sure the tenth couldn't quite put his finger on what. His sidelong glances and questioning looks made it quite obvious. The others he wasn't sure about, though his guess was they hadn't. They'd treated them the same as always.
It had surprised him, when Reborn had paired him with Hibari. He supposed, if one went by the rings, that Rain and Cloud would be a good team, but Hibari was so unpredictable and reliable only part of the time. If he got in danger, would the leader of the disciplinary committee help? Probably not. Though when they had been fighting for the rings, he had helped.
The mission was simple, though the circumstances were not. Sneak in to an enemy supply warehouse and take what they could and destroy the rest. They'd have to sneak knock out the guards as they ran across them and quickly gather their supplies and detonate the rest. Everyone knew - though nobody said it out loud - that Hibari was along simply because it allowed him to beat up people.
Before leaving, Tsuna had cautioned them both to be careful, his eyes darkened with worry and concern. Yamamoto had patted him on the head, smiling his usual smile and promising that things were going to be fine.
"Hibari-san is going on this mission as well. It's sure to be a success," He'd soothed, and was pleased to find it worked. Tsuna grinned and agreed, though his eyes remained worried. Yamamoto had given his goodbyes to the others, and turned to leave when his gaze had locked with Gokudera's. Those green eyes were hard to make out, since they were in shadow caused by the tilt of the boy's head. But even from here, Yamamoto could see the tension in his jawline, the tremble in his lips like he longed to say something. Gokudera raised his head enough to meet Yamamoto's eyes without the shadows, and the concern was enough to make him pause.
"Don't fuck up, baseball-nut. I'll kill you if you do," Gokudera muttered, his voice rough with unnamed emotion.
Come back here safe, the eyes said, almost pleading in their intensity.
Yamamoto grinned. "I will!" His message sent, with no undertones like the other's. A few seconds later his grin faded, and in a much more serious tone he repeated, his eyes never leaving the Gokudera's, "I will."
I promise.
Then he was out the door, careful to follow Hibari's footsteps without being to close and step on the back of his shoes. The sound of the door closing behind him seemed alarmingly final, but he couldn't afford those types of negative thoughts.
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"What the FUCK happened?" Gokudera snapped as soon as they were through the door. They were quite late from the approximate time they were supposed to return. He was too busy panting to answer, and just as he had caught his breath and opened his mouth to speak, Haru and Kyoko were there, asking him questions and treating his wounds.
"There were more guards than expected," Hibari said calmly as he leaned against the doorframe, watching Yamamoto get treated with a small sneer. His face was covered in scratches as well, and his clothes were torn.
Gokudera watched Yamamoto get treated with a furrowed brow and a scowl. His fingers twitched as though he longed to grab dynamite and blow things up. Meeting his eyes squarely, Yamamoto grinned.
"I didn't mess up," he said, then winced as a particularily deep wound was dabbed at. His grin returned, and it was clear he was pleased with himself. Hibari snorted and crossed his arms, but didn't disagree.
"Yamamoto-kun, you should take a shower and then rest. None of your wounds are serious, but you're covered in dirt and sweat, and you've exhausted yourself." Kyoko explained, her grip tight on the first aid kit.
"Right, right," He grinned, same as always. "Well then, I'm off to shower!" Pausing to nod at Hibari, he exited the room and went down the long hallway. Away from the others, he uncovered his hands and stared down at them as they shook. Behind him, he could hear the conversation continuing as Hibari gave them a brief overview of the mission.
The shower felt nice, warm and refreshing. It made his muscles relax and his body yearn for sleep, and even inside the shower Yamamoto could feel his eyes drooping and sleep waiting at the edges of his conscious. Twisting the handle to turn off the water, he reached out and blindly grabbed for a towel. Not bothering to spend much time drying off, he wrapped the towel around his waist and went to find some pj's.
Stepping into his cold room, he was surprised to find Gokudera waiting for him. Catching sight of the taller boy, the bomb expert stood, his expression angry and sort of hesitant.
"Gokudera," he greeted calmly, and flashed a soft smile. The boy before him made no response, but he hadn't expected one. Making his way over to the dresser in the corner of the room, he opened the bottom drawer and pulled out a pair of sleeping pants. Turning, he was startled to find Gokudera right there before him, inches away. "Ah?"
Gokudera said nothing for several seconds, and Yamamoto was aware he seemed to be gathering his courage for something. Finally he raised his arms and gripped Yamamoto's shoulders tightly and gave him a small shake. "Don't do that, you idiot!" A deep breath. "Do you know how worried I was?"
Taken aback, he could only open and close his mouth. Releasing his shoulders, Gokudera ran a hand through his hair and looked away, his cheeks tinged pink. "I...I couldn't focus on anything, and that's dangerous! What if we had gotten attacked? Tenth could've been in danger and I couldn't stop thinking about how stupid you were, and how you could get seriously hurt." Gokudera turned to face him again, his face hard.
"Don't ever fuckin' do that again." The silver-haired boy snapped, then leaned in and angrily pressed his lips against Yamamoto's. It was clumsy and too rough, but it was something he had never thought would happen. He kissed back, the pants in his hands long forgotten.
Gokudera suddenly broke away, his entire face bright red. "I...just...don't do that again, alright?" And then he spun around and practically ran from the room.
Yamamoto was aware that Gokudera hadn't had the best childhood. That the wielder of the ring of Storm wasn't used to expressing emotions, or even caring about people. Tsuna had been the first he had opened his heart to, and it had probably been years before the Vongolan boss since he'd let anyone else in. So naturally he wouldn't know what to do when he had to show what he felt, to let it out. He probably didn't even know what love was.
That's all right, Yamamoto thought with the same amount of happiness and anticipation he felt just before stepping out onto a baseball field. I can show him.
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