The silence grew heavier and heavier in the air. It seemed as if time itself had stopped moving. The nervous baseball player stared at the silver-haired Italian. Gokudera's head was bent, his eyes shadowed over and his lips twisted into a frown. No, not a frown, Yamamoto decided, but a scowl.
He shouldn't have expected any different. Of course, a confession of love from a friend, and another boy no less, would have surprised anyone. And Gokudera had never indicated that he held anything other than dislike for the baseball player. Of course the silence was to be expected.
What Yamamoto Takeshi did not expect however, was when Gokudera looked up, his clear emerald eyes locking on Yamamoto's milk-chocolate ones. Yamamoto flinched, waiting for a blow or biting words that would crush his hopes of making the dynamite-slinging Italian his.
"Do you really feel that way?" Gokudera asked softly, his voice low and hoarse.
Yamamoto nodded once. "Yes… I have for a while Gokudera, ever since we met. I've always loved you, and… I just couldn't keep it a secret anymore."
Gokudera's head lowered again, his eyes falling back into shadow.
Yamamoto lowered his head too, and started to stand. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you. I'll go no-"
"Wait."
Yamamoto froze as Gokudera's voice cut him off, and he looked at Gokudera, waiting for what he had to say.
"If… you're sure about that, if you… truly care, then…" he trailed off, and Yamamoto could only hear the loud pounding of his heart in the wretched silence.
"Then… okay."
Yamamoto merely stared, dumbfounded and in shock. "You mean…?"
"Yes, idiot. I accept."
Yamamoto didn't think he would be able to breathe. His mouth split into a wide, exhilarated smile as he pulled Gokudera into a tight hug. Surprisingly, the touchy Italian didn't protest. Even more surprisingly, he wrapped his arms around Yamamoto's torso and nuzzled his face softly into the baseball player's shirt.
Yamamoto felt a single tear of happiness run down his cheek as he held Gokudera tightly.
