DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!
Ever since they met, Tsuna and Takeshi have been close. As in let's-meet-every-weekends-when-there's-no-school close, let's-hang-out-at-school-even-if-we-were-in-different-classes-close, and your-house-is-my-house close.
And every day Yamamoto Takeshi falls in love even more with Sawada Tsunayoshi.
If you would ask how Takeshi fell for Tsuna he would answer that it's the smile. That. Damn. Smile.
Ask him some more and he would wax poetry on how Tsu-kun saved him from the villains, how Tsu-kun can play baseball well, how kind Tsu-kun is, how cool Tsu-kun is, how cute Tsu-kun is until all you can understand from his word vomit is the word Tsu-kun.
But actually, it's the little things. Tsu-kun hugs him when he cries, Tsu-kun held his hand when Tsu-kun's excited to show him something, the way Tsu-kun concentrates during their study sessions so he can make his Maman proud, the look Tsu-kun gives him when they're about to do something mischievous, how Tsu-kun always shares his secrets and he shares his too, when Tsu-kun cries he'll stop after Takeshi hugs him, the worried look Tsu-kun gives him after they got scolded, the smile Tsu-kun always gives him and laughs with him but most importantly, Pretty (who is Takeshi's dear child despite his age) and Tsu-kun get along well despite Tsu-kun's phobia of dogs.
Five year old Takeshi doesn't have a crush, it's a puppy love. Maybe he'll grow out of it or maybe not but he's just enjoying his life for now. And no, he's not in denial that he's in love, thank you very much.
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His trainings are getting intense but his control of his flames are getting firmer, he's still average at school and he finally convinced Tsuna to join him at baseball and swimming in which Tsuna is good at, and life goes on.
Apparently, it's rare for a person to have Flames and even rarer to have Flames without a conduit or rings. As well as it is not only the Mafia's one of the most guarded secrets but also one of the Government's.
Takeshi remembers the episode where Tsuna is crying and the Sky Flame enveloped him then Timoteo sealed him so Tsuna can live a normal life. If he remembered correctly, Timoteo said that: The boy has power.
Could it be that Tsuna is powerful enough to have Flames without the use of the Vongola Sky Ring just as him without the Vongola Rain Ring? Or Timoteo does not want a Xanxus 2.0?
Oh shit.
What age was Xanxus? He was 24 in the anime and minus it to Tsuna's 14 then Xanxus is 10 years older than them which means he's 15 now.
Uh-oh... only one year before he turns into a popsicle.
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Takeshi is over at Tsuna's house and they were playing baseball, it's more of catching the ball with your gloves and throwing it back and forth. Iemitsu is watching them with Timoteo while drinking tea.
Takeshi is careful not to make Tsuna cry, if Tsuna did cry and get himself sealed. He's not going to let it happen or he'll just break the seal with help of course. The problem is Takeshi didn't know what triggered Tsuna's Sky Flame at that time. All he knows is that Tsuna cried over something, then Timoteo just sealed him.
What can make Tsuna cry in just 10 seconds?
Dogs, obviously.
Keep Tsuna from crying by keeping the dogs out, it will be okay.
Tsuna and Takeshi's playtime is cut short by noontime when Tsuyoshi picked up Takeshi immediately to go to the hospital.
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Takeshi is in a somber mood, everything was going well until it isn't. He just feels helpless because he knows Operation: Prevent Sealing of Tsuna's Sky Flames he prepared for a year is unsuccessful and on top of that they're going to the hospital. It means something bad has happened and he can't afford to smile as Tsuyoshi drived their car to the hospital.
When they arrived, the pregnant Hibari Kiryu is dead.
Takeshi doesn't know what to do so he cried. Kiryu is the cool aunt he ever had and he treated Takeshi as if he's a younger sibling to Kyoya.
Hibari Kinzuke is sobbing as he hugs a blank-faced Kyoya, Yukino explained to Takeshi what happened.
The Hibari Family are out for a while to eat at Takesushi, Kiryu get in the car first as Kinzuke talked with Yukino about something while Tsuyoshi accompanied Kyoya to the washroom.
Out of nowhere, the garbage truck is speeding towards the parked cars. It happened so fast that the next thing they knew the truck crashed at the passenger side of the Hibari's car then proceed to ram other cars and a motorcycle.
Kinzuke almost started to rage and unleash his flames if not for Yukino knocking him out. Kyoya and Tsuyoshi ran out as well as other civilians to see what happened. The driver is apprehended.
He easily confessed to his crimes and told them he was a member of the Momokyokai Yakuza, the notorious gang terrorizing Namimori. The thorn on Namimori's side. Ever since Hibari Kinzuke rose to mayor, he almost ended the Momokyokai Yakuza and all of their operations and what he had done is their retribution.
The ambulance was prompt but the damage on Kiryu's body is overwhelming and he died on the way to the hospital in his husband's arms and Kyoya's hands holding his own. Even Hibari's 8 months ½ weeks brother can't be saved.
When Takeshi heard about it, he knows the driver signed his own death warrant.
If he was crying earlier then he was outright sobbing now. Tsuyoshi tried to console him while holding back his own tears.
The parents were puzzled when Takeshi joined Kinzuke in hugging Kyoya and half-screaming, half-proclaiming that he'll be Kyoya's younger brother instead.
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"Aren't you one already? Fake herbivore." Kyoya croaked before crying himself and hugging Takeshi back.
How can one of the most devastating days for Takeshi be also one of his happiest?
Through his bond with Tsuna, he felt Tsuna's Flames cease to almost non-existent.
.
Tsuna has been sealed, that much is evident for a year in their lives.
Tsu-kun became Dame-Tsuna and Takeshi can't take the injustice of it. He feels he lost a part of him in their bond when Tsuna was sealed.
He tried calling out Tsuna's Flames by using either his Rain or his Sky Flames but nothing seems to be working.
The adults around Tsuna are also worried for him as the once athletic kid is now a bumbling mess. Tsuyoshi, Yukino, and Kinzuke are already sending suspicious looks toward Tsuna as if he could tell them what happened to him.
Six year old Takeshi picked up the broom and smiled brightly at Tsuna's sad face when they were left to classroom cleaning again.
He'll stand by Tsuna's side no matter what.
Takeshi can't stand by Tsuna's side all the time. He knows that even if he's just seven year old.
So even if Tsuna is a klutz he still persists in teaching Tsuna some basic Karatedo (Karate+Taekwondo) to protect himself.
And since Takeshi is actually a thirty-five year old woman who's a jailguard in mentality, it's a walk in the park to keep away bullies older than them from Tsuna as well as bullies who are their age as well.
At school, both teachers and students give way for him and Tsuna, they don't bully Tsuna anymore after the 'Baseball Incident', and the students immediately follow the dress code and school rules whenever he's in the vicinity after Takeshi joined Kyoya in his disciplinary ways (he'll never wear pompadour). While Tsuna is in his remedial classes, Takeshi is doing his rounds to ensure no one gets bullied under his reign care.
And everybody knows Yamamoto Takeshi has a bad side.
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At home, he's the dutiful son. Aside from the therapist and Hibari Kinzuke, he also became one of Kyoya's confidants which he's grateful for as he's just next to Kusakabe Tetsuya.
Kyoya had become aloof and unexpressive but sometimes he lets his guard down around Takeshi and in turn Takeshi also lets his guard down around Kyo-nii. He told Kyo-nii about his 'dreams of the future'.
What Takeshi didn't expect is Tsuyoshi overhearing one of his 'dreams' about Tsuna being sealed by Timoteo or Vongola Nono that one time the skylark asked why Tsuna is in his care. That and how he secretly uses his Flames to break the Seal. Kyoya also offered to help since he can also control some of the Cloud Flames on his hands.
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The next morning, Takeshi squealed when he's confronted with both of his parents about his 'dreams'. Takeshi broke down saying he was having 'dreams of the future' and every 'dream' he had, that despite his love for baseball and sometimes swimming he will still be the Vongola's Rain Guardian, and that despite everything he hopes they will still accept him.
His parents are quick to assure him that they will still be there for him no matter what happens in the future and Takeshi is more than grateful for it. However, they were fearful of what the future holds especially his battles and not only that but also Hibari Kyoya is the Cloud Guardian as well as Tsuna is the future Vongola Decimo Neo Primo.
As his parents fret over the future, Takeshi can't help but smile and kiss both of his parents on the cheek and told them they worry too much.
Whatever the future holds, home is where his parents is.
At swimming, Tsuna drowned. And Takeshi lost what he considers his first kiss to Tsuna when he was doing CPR at just eight years old.
Nobody, even the teacher, wanted to help Tsuna so he did it. He made sure that the teacher is fired and got his teaching license revoked if not suspended.
Thankfully, his CPR is successful and he felt a flicker of Tsuna's Sky Flames in those trying times.
Now, if he can get Kyoya to stop with those taunting smirks then everything would be okay.
Takeshi knows something is off when Sawada Nana cleans her knives free from blood she claims came from the beef meat. But when he looked out the window, there is an abandoned rifle at the tree where Tsuna's bedroom window is. He also doesn't miss his parents' inquisitive stares.
Nine year old Takeshi just smiled gratefully. Looks like seeing the fireworks with Tsuna will go on without a hitch.
Ten year old Yamamoto Takeshi watches his father go through the 8 Styles of the Shigure Soen Ryu.
He already knows the other 4 techniques he will incorporate from his father's Shigure Soen Ryu but it doesn't hurt to have the basics again. After all there's a limit to how the manga and his real life blur now.
The Shigure Soen Ryu became imprinted in his mind.
He would use it well.
Fourteen year old Yamamoto Takeshi is a dutiful son at home, a popular baseball athlete, secretly Hibari Kyoya's 'younger brother' and a member of the Disciplinary Committee as well as Tsuna's best friend. He's out-going and always smiling and laughing, his grades are average but they don't drop, he can cook, he can clean, he can even sew some of his clothes when he felt like it, and everybody is contemplating that he'll be a good Omega.
Secretly; he's well-versed in the Shigure Soen Ryu (both one sword and two sword styles he made up), Eskrima/Arnis, Berettas & Glocks (both one handed handling and double handed handling), Karate, Taekwondo, Kung Fu and Judo. He can kill a man or a woman and also has morals on when to do it (perks of being a jail guard in his past life during... nasty business). And he can control his Flames really well, like going into Hyper Dying Will Mode anytime-anywhere-control on his Rain and Sky Flames.
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And still in love with his best friend.
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He just hopes that when Reborn sees him he won't know his secrets, he really needs to develop some form of mental shield.
But it's too late.
Reborn has been watching him for two weeks now along with Tsuna (thank you Angelica's intuition) and he knows that Reborn will mail the letter sooner rather than later.
Yamamoto groaned in annoyance, he hadn't been subtle about his crush in Tsuna at all. He's always close to Tsuna, he always takes care of Tsuna and Kyoya by cooking for them some bento every lunch, and when Tsuna isn't looking he just knows he have a fondness in his eyes that's reserved for Tsuna.
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A month after those two weeks, Yamamoto Takeshi entered the Sawada Residence when Tsuna came home again in the middle of the class. Takeshi wonders why Tsuna always do this, always cutting classes since he entered Junior High. Normally, he would still be at school but his gut is saying something will happen.
"Ciaossu!"
Ah~ So that's why.
Shit...
Author's Note: Thank you random guest for the review!
