Sighing the motherless Hayato put his book down, and reached into his sweatshirt pocket to take out a sphere. It was white with red lines, and in black marker it had a certain Rain Guardian's name. "Does this have to do with anything?" canon Gokudera asked placing the baseball in front of his alternate. He hate to admit it, but he kept the little ball on his person ever since he found it, only because it reminded him of the Takeshi that he cared for.
"Where did you get that?" the sister-less Hayato gasped wide eyed.
"Answer the damn question!"
This scared the more kinder Italian a little. Sitting back up straight, and blushing, he answered, "Hai, it does. . ."
"Care to tell why?"
AU!Gokduera bit his lip wondering if he should tell his other everything. Well they were the same person, and since he was with his world's Yamamoto, it would be okay. And who knows, maybe he could help him with his own problem with his Takeshi. Opening his mouth he began to speak, "Because when I got it, I was doomed to fall in love with him."
"What?" the rebel Hayato asked confused; one, that was just extremely cheesy, and two, why would one like that bastard anyways?
"Well. . ." the sister-less Gokudera chuckled nervously as he brought the inked baseball close to him, smiling as he held the leather ball. Sighing he began to tell his story between himself and his Yamamoto Takeshi, "it all started when I was about eight. . ."
+ Flashback + AU!World + 6-7 years ago +
A small eight-year-old Gokudera Hayato was waiting by the swings of Namimori Park. Tsunayoshi Sawada or Tsuna for short, was to came any moment and play with Hayato for the day. He was only visiting Japan for three days, and he wanted to spend all the time he could with the brunette. Time was short, and he already wasted a half-hour just standing around, then again he did come to the play ground earlier than planned. Sighing, the genius child stood on the swing and began sway, rising and falling, trying to find out if he could see the messy, bird's nest head of his best friend.
"What are you doing here foreigner?" a bratty stuck-up voice demanded. Standing in front of him was a group of little boys, who all looked like big bullies to Gokduera. The one who called him a "foreigner" looked to be the leader of the small pack.
"This is our swings, get out of here you freak!"
"What's up with his hair? It's grey like an old man's!"
"I bet I could knock him out with one punch!" Insults like these and more were thrown at the pianist, but none really affected him. Hayato was used to being treated this way, and he knew he could have easily take them all of them at once. He was strong, and he was going to be a huge assassin in the Mafia World, and become the right hand man of Tsuna when he grows up, just wait and see!
But mother told me never to hurt any normal people unless they're trying to hurt someone else I don't wanna get hurt. The eight-year-old reminded himself with a small nod and a cute determined look on his face.
"Oi! Are you even listening to me?" the leader questioned getting angry.
"Eh? Do you say something?" the silverette asked tilting his head as the swing slowly stopped. This caused the other kid to go all red and mean looking, Hayato was confused at why the stranger was so angry. Did he do something wrong?
For no reason at all, the bully shoved Hayato off the swings, causing him to hit his bum on the sand. "Of course I did you stupid foreigner! Listen to other when they talk, BAKA!" The yelling kid was now kicking the sand at the Italian child, and soon the rest of the kids formed a circle around them, shouting and making noses. Hayato didn't like what was going on; why was he being picked on? What did he do?
"Gomen, Gomen!" the bullied child kept repeating, as tears were starting to come out from his eyes for some reason. It wasn't because he was hurting . . . it was because there was some sand in his eyes.
"Look! He's crying, the little foreigner is crying! Hahaha!" the group leader mocked laughing at the smaller European he was picking on.
"Maa, maa, what's going on here?" A voice asked, stopping the attack of sand in Gokudera's face. Wiping the annoying sand away, the small silverette saw a tall wide eye smiling Japanese kid in a baseball outfit; he even had a baseball bat in one arm and a ball in the other.
"None of your business!"
"Maa, maa no need to yell," a cheerful voice said, "I just don't like seeing a cute little girl being hurt."
"Pfft, whatever," the bully said walking away with his little crowd as well.
The baseball wearing kid just laughed as the others left the two alone. When they were gone he turned to the sniffling blob of life. "Are you alright?" the Japanese asked crouching down so he could staring at the other. Hayato had water eyes, streaks of sand on his face, and a running nose. "I don't like seeing girls cry, sooo. . . don't cry, ne?" the kind stranger asked with a chuckled.
"Who are you calling a girl, yakyuubaka?" the silverette demanded with a pout. Why did he think he was a girl? He was always being told what a big strong boy he was.
"Ehh? You're a boy?" the other asked completely and truly shocked that he got the guy's gender mixed up. But he looked so girlish when he was crying because of the bully. Realizing the mistake he made a huge cheesy grin lit up his face as he laughed, "Sorry, my bad!"
The other kid's facial expression was so funny looking, it partially forced Hayato to smile and laugh as well. It was just such an addicting smile, just like yawning. "Well if you're sorry about it then, I forgive you!" the silverette stood up and held out his hand, "Gokudera Hayato!"
Standing up as well the raven-haired kid looked at the hand for a moment before smiling his 1000-wat smile again, "Yamamoto Takeshi! Remember that name because I'm going to be a big time baseball star when I grow up!"
"Don't worry I won't forget."
"Good, but just to make sure. . ." dropping his bat Takeshi took his baseball and took out a black marker and wrote something on the ball. When he was done he closed one eye and examined his work, deciding it was good he showed what he had done to Hayato. In black ink and messy writing it said, "Yamamoto Takeshi." The baseball player held it out for the other to take, which the young Mafioso did. By accident the small piano playing fingers brushed across the other's, causing him to blush a little. Ignoring the odd feeling, he quickly snatched the ball away from its original owner.
Turning away to hide his barely noticeable blush, he mumbled, "Thanks Yamamoto, and sorry for calling you a yakyuubaka. . ."
"Ehehe, don't worry about it and sorry for calling you a girl," the raven-haired kid laughed rubbing the back of his head.
"Takashi, it's time to go home!" a female voice called out, in the distance a woman with long black hair was waving at the two of them.
"Okay mom!" the said child replied, "Well it was nice meeting you Gokudera! But I have to go now it looks like."
"Ah. . . Yeah it was nice meeting you too," the silverette said smiling as the baseball kid picked up his bat and ran off to the woman.
"BYE-BYE GOKUDERA!" Yamamoto called out looking back at Hayato before returning to his mom.
"BYE YAMAMOTO!" Hayato yelled waving goodbye with the hand that held his new treasure in, he couldn't wait to tell Tsuna and everyone about his new friend that was going to be a baseball star one day. Speaking of which, there's Tsuna! Holding on to the baseball tightly he ran over to his friend to tell of his story, maybe coming to the park early was a smart thing to do.
+ Present time +
"So you fell in love with him back then?" canon Gokdera asked starring at his other self. Shocked that he had a memory with his world's Yamamoto acting like his Takeshi. If he was okay back then, then what the hell happened? And how on earth could he fall in love with someone at that age, with a kid he barely knew? Everything with this AU!Gokduera was strange.
"Eh? No, actually I never saw him again till a year or two ago. And when I saw him again he . . . was different," AU!Hayato stated looking down at his signed baseball, unsure what happened to him in between the first and second them they met. He really had changed since then. "But he was still a pretty nice guy, until I. . ."
"Until I', what?" the temperamental bomber asked getting inpatient. He was just too interested in his alternate's story that he couldn't stand waiting for him to talk.
"It's nothing, do you want to hear how I met him the second time?"
"Ugh!" canon Hayato groaned as the other Hayato just pulled up the tension and just dropped it. How could he do that, to himself? Well maybe if he just went with the flow of his other self then maybe he could figure out the story still, "Sure, shoot."
The soft spoken Gokudera gave a timid smile as he remembered the second time he met Yamamoto. "Well it was a little after I moved to Namimori to be with Juudaime and help with the Vongola. . ."
+ Flashback + AU!World + 1-2 year ago +
Gokudera Hayato was walking home from school alone, Tsuna was off with a date with Kyoko so it was just the bomber today. Not that he minded, he was itching to get home to his grand piano and start to play "Pictures at an Exhibition: K 5th Promenade" by Mussorgsky in his back pack. Smiling he could already picture himself having his fingers dance across the board, with his eyes close up on top of a stage with Juudaime and everyone watching him. He actually found himself humming the tune; it was quite a lovely melody.
"I got it!" a voice yelled, though Hayato didn't really care for the statement, until he realized that his school bag was gone. Looking up he saw some other Namimori school kids laughing as they held up their trophy, the new kid's bag.
"Hey, give that back!" the pianist demanded running towards the teen who held his bag, only to have it tossed to another kid, then another, then another. This pattern kept happening until one of them threw it in a tree, causing the contents of the bag to fall out, including the pages of his new song. Moving fast the Italian tried to picked up all the stuff before they got too dirty and un readable, however the other kids didn't make that easy. They would step and kick his belonging around while laughing. Being the new foreign kid sucks.
"What's so funny?" a new voice asked, Hayato would have looked up to see who came into the group, but he was too busy with trying to salvage his music sheets.
"Just messing with the new kid. Wanna join in?" one of the guys explained laughing.
"That's cold," the new stranger chucked, "Give the guy a chance."
"Sorry don't really feel like it today, maybe tomorrow," the mean bully joked, "Well see ya Yamamoto."
"Yeah, catch you guys later!" Yamamoto said before seeing the silverette holding the cluster of papers and reaching for others before the wind caught them. Reaching up the Japanese grabbed one that was flying his way, it had strange lines and dots on it. "This yours?"
"Ah! Arigato!" the smaller teen said taking the paper, now he had all of "Pictures at an Exhibition: K 5th Promenade" though slightly more beat up than they were a few moments ago. "Now I just need my bag. . ." he mumbled looking up in the tree that held his bag. "Can you hold this?"
"Sure," the taller teen said as he was handed the sheets of music. Yamamoto watched the new kid swiftly, effortlessly, and gracefully climbed the oak tree grabbing his bag and then scaling down the said tree. Nimble little creature wasn't he?
"Thanks," the tree climber said taking back his music and putting it safely into his bag.
"No problem, sorry for what those guys did."
"Ah it's no big deal," the pianist shrugged off, used to being persecuted because he naturally stood out. "Gokudera Hayato," he introduced holding out his hand.
"Nice to meet you new kid, I'm Yamamoto Takeshi," the taller said taking the smaller hand. This was like just like déjà vu, Gokudera Hayato shaking hands with Yamamoto Takeshi. In the moment when their hands touched, something sparked inside him, remembering that moment years ago in Namimori Park, when he met a baseball star to be. Was there a chance that this Yamamoto Takeshi was that kid who helped him with those bullies? It was such a common name, but what if? "Oi, are you alright?"
Yamamoto's voice snapped the emerald eyed teen out of his thoughts. Letting go of the other's strong callused hand he said, "Yeah, thanks again."
"Any time Gokudera. So what do you play? Those were music sheets right?"
"Hai, I play the piano. If you want you could listen to me someday." Hayato offered hoping that he would say yes. Wait, why did he want him to say yes? It was only because he wanted to get to know the other, not because he was attractive, kind, and had an air around him that made the silverette go all strange and agitated inside. Right?
"Sure why not?"
The two just wandered around in silence for a few minutes. Not sure what to say to the other, but they didn't want to part for some reason. The question on whether or not this Yamamoto Takeshi was the same person who signed a baseball that he still kept, was eating away at him. Biting his lip he gave in and asked, "So since you're gonna hear me play, anything I can watch you do? Like art, music, or. . . sport?"
When Hayato mentioned the last word his posture went rigid, what was going on in his head? Rubbing his neck, Yamamoto gave an awkward smile at his new friend and said, "Sorry unless you enjoy street fights, I got nothing. I quit baseball a while ago." Ah-ha! So the probability of the two Yamamotos being one in the same was starting to increase, but why didn't he play baseball anymore?
"Why, what happened?"
"It's. . . complicated."
"Ah, okay that's understandable." No, not really but the bomber figured he shouldn't be pressing things, they did just meet. For the rest of their walk they talked about random topics, how annoying girls were, school, Americans and how strange they were; like how could they drive with the driver's seat on the left side? Or why didn't they use centimeters instead of what do they call it, etches? By then end of their walk, they had become friends and gotten to know that both of them have been recruited by the "kid," Reborn to be a part of the Vongola Famiglia. Hayato was excited that he would be able to spend more time with Yamamoto, and have a good excuse to be near him. Not because he had a crush on him, because . . . because. . . He had nothing to cover that one.
"Sayonara Yamamoto-kun," Gokudera said as he walked into his home.
"Bye Gokudera, and you can drop the title too. Yamamoto will work just fine."
"Th-Thanks Yamamoto."
+ Present Time +
After hearing the new story canon Gokudera was once again amazed at how nice AU!Yamamoto was. Sure he wasn't he hyper annoying Takeshi he loved was used to, but he was a tolerable guy by the sounds of it. However, the thought of Yamamoto not playing baseball anymore was a strange, unimaginable thought. It was possible, just not probable to the motherless bomber.
"What the hell happened between you two?" canon Hayato bluntly asked shocked that even just a year or two ago AU!Yamamoto was nice to his other self, and not calling him fag and stuff. So, why when they had such a good start, did they end up having an unhealthy relationship?
The questioned that his alternate asked cause AU!Gokudera to blush. He knew exactly why he was bullied by his world's Yamamoto, he just didn't really want to tell anyone about it. "Well I. . . we. . . you know . . ." the silverette kept fumbling with his words, not sure how he could doge the question.
"You told him you liked him and he rejected you?" the other bomber asked directly, not beating around the bush. This caused the Hayato who was sharing his story blush like red Valentine heart, he hit it right on the head. The blushing Gokudera nodded as he knew that he couldn't lie to his other self, so he shyly nodded. "Are you going to tell me this story?"
Boy he was doing a great job at being the tutor here, AU!Gokudera noted sarcastically to himself. Well there was no point in hiding that little anecdote anymore. Sighing in defeat he remembered that fateful night that distanced him and Yamamoto. "It was after my battle against Belphegor for the title of Vongola Storm Guardian, and Yamamoto was walking with me home. . ."
+Flashback + AU!World + After the Storm Ring Battle +
A beated up, battered Gokudera Hayato had a triumph smile on his face as he was looking at the Vongola Storm Ring on his finger. After both Kyoko and Labmo lost their rings, and Tsuna losing his on a technicality, he was proud to say that he was able to give them a chance for a comeback. And it was even better since he was alone with his crush, he wasn't denying his feelings anymore, Yamamoto Takeshi.
"You really like that ring don't cha?" the Rain Guardian candidate chucked.
"Of course! With this I'm helping Juudaime! And I'm counting on you to do so to," the happy silverette answered smiling up at the Japanese.
"You did one hell of a job on that bastard prince."
"I expect the same results for you and that loud mouth swordsman." The two friends had a laugh as they talked about nothing really. They were just happy to be alive and just enjoying life. When the music of their laughs died down, Hayato couldn't help but notice how close they gotten physically. His shoulder was just grazing the other's and their hands were knocking into each other as their arms were limply swinging from their sockets. When he noticed this, he had a blood rushing to his head, causing him to blush, quickly he turned away in hopes the taller one wouldn't noticed. While Yamamoto didn't notice the blush, he did notice that he became quite. "What's wrong? Why so quite?"
"Aha. . . it's nothing, I'm fine."
"You're a really bad liar, you know that?" the swordsman joked wrapping an arm around the smaller's shoulder. While Hayato knew it wasn't a romantic gestured, simply friendly, he couldn't stop from getting more flustered, red, and queasy. Having such close contact with Yamamoto caused him to grow weak in the knees and he fell into the taller's touch. "Whoa, you alright?"
"Ah. . .yeah," Hayato sighed not sure what was happening to him. Why did Yamamoto have such a effect on him? Love was so amazing, but irritating at times.
"Maybe your battle took more out of you than we thought," the swordsman chucked supporting his friend. If only he knew that what was making him weak wasn't exhausted, it was him.
"It's not because of my battle."
"Hmm? Why then?"
"It's because of you," the silverette whispered looking up at the raven haired teen. Instinctively the Storm Guardian moved his face towards the confused Rain Guardian and in one moment everything changed. Hayato couldn't stop himself anymore, he didn't mean it to happen, but he wanted the other so badly. He could taste Yamamoto's flavor, it was indescribable, it was spicy but sweet, with a little tang. And as quickly as their lips touched, their lips parted just as quickly. It took a moment, but he found out why their parted, Yamamoto shoved him away.
"What the fucking hell?" Yamamoto demanded harshly. "What was that? What the hell?"
Embarrassed, hurt, and confused Hayato looked away from the other teen feeling like shit. What he just must have been disgusting in his eyes. He was a normal guy, and like all normal guys he liked girls with a nice figure and large breast. As feminine, and soft spoken as he was, he wasn't a girl, he still was a male when it comes down to it. No matter what he did, this twisted abnormal love would also forever be a one sided love.
"I'm sorry. . ." the hurt teen mumbled not getting up off the ground.
"I can't believe it! You're a fucking fag?"
"Y-Yeah, I am Ya-Yamamoto," the words hurt, but he knew he deserved them. He was a freak of nature, an abnormal human being who was in love with someone of the same gender.
"Just keep the hell away from me you fucking faggot, and don't you dare thing we're friends!" The Japanese ordered, frightening the Italian.
"H-hai," the bullied kid muttered looking blankly at the ground as he heard Yamamoto's footsteps walk away. Gokudera didn't have the strength to watch the taller leave; if he did surely he would cry. However, he didn't understand why he would cry, people from and outside the Mafia had tried to get him to break. So what made this one man so special? What was it? Hayato knew that answer, it was because Yamamoto Takeshi made him weak just by being in the same room. Hayato loved Takeshi, but it was obvious that it wasn't the same for Takeshi. Now it was the exact opposite, and the bomber had no one to blame for that except him.
The silverette didn't even have to look at the swordsman, he was crying with just the thought of him. He would not tremble, he would not sob, and he would not show his pain to outsiders. Only a few salty tear droplets showed the agony that he held within.
+ Present Time +
"From then on Yamamoto began to distanced himself from me, and after the Varia battle he began to bully me. Calling him –sama came later on, and yeah . . . that's it in a nutshell," AU!Gokudera fished up setting the baseball down. It hurt to look back on that moment of his life, but not as much as it did on that night. The night he royally fucked up his friendship between him and Yamamoto.
It took a few moments for the other Gokudera to think of something to say. He did pity the other. Takeshi was the one who confessed to him, and even though Hayato was rude to the baseball star, truth was it was just his way to get the other's attention. Though it was awkward to admit his feelings, Hayato told the Rain Guardian he felt the same too, and they had been together ever since. The thought that Takeshi would do something like that to him, it was actually unimaginable. The idiot would never hurt Gokudera without a reason, or on purpose like that. But there was one more question that had yet to be said;
"Do you still love him?"
"Yeah, I know it's pathetic but I still do," came the quite response. Both knew that AU!Hayato wasn't in love with the current AU!Takeshi, but the shades of his memories.
"No, it's not. I think if I was in your shoes, I would still hold on to those feelings, just because I'm too damn greedy to let go," the temperamental Storm Guardian admitted with a blush, even though he tried not to act line one, he had some feminine streaks within him, only with Takeshi though. Those damn idiots, having this affect on them.
"Thanks, Hayato," AU!Gokudera said smiling that his alternate understood him, even if it was just only a little. The other nodded and gave a small grin back. Those small common thoughts and feeling between the two Gokuderas was all it took to light the storm flame, even if it was only a small portion of their strength. Without saying anything the two looked at each other and laughed because they were able to synchronize, they knew that they still had to work to become stronger, but this first step was something to celebrate in their minds.
"Think we should head back? It's getting late," the sisterless Hayato said looking out the window and noticing the sky turned a pinkish orange.
"Yeah, let's go," the motherless Hayato agreed getting up from his seat and heading to the door. The two walked side by side, looking like twins with their flame glowing from their Vongola Ring. And those red sparks wouldn't have been lit without those idiot bastards Yamamoto Takeshi.
xXxXx
"Yukairi-sama I found you!" Kondo yelled seeing the beautiful Watatsumi Famiglia boss. He was so relived that she was alive, but who else was with here? "YUKAIRI-SAMA!"
"Eh? What is it Kondo-kun?" the Sky Mare Ring holder asked as she stopped playing the four kids.
"Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you! Everyone was worried, don't run off like that!" the green haired man said wrapping his scarf around his boss. The smaller girl just laughed at the typical behavior of her right hand man. It was always amusing to mess with the other, she couldn't go through a week without getting the other riled up over her.
"Who are you?" a Lambo asked.
"Do you wanna play tag with me?" the other one asked.
"Yukari-sama it's time to leave, you don't know if these kids are safe or not."
"These kids are my friends," Yukari giggled, "But I guess you're right it's time for me to leave now."
"Awwww," all the five year olds whined as their new found friend was about to leave.
"Sorry, maybe we can meet again soon," the silvery blue haired girl said getting up and walking away with the Cloud Mare Ring holder.
"Yukari-sama you do know their with-"
"The Vongola, yes I know," the smaller female said holding up two rights with a lightning bold grafted into them.
The sai user stared wide eyed at the feat that his boss did, she got a Vongola Ring without even fighting. "This is why you're the boss, Yukari-sama."
"Stop it Kondo-kun, you're going to make me blush," the smaller girl said looking away feigning embarrassment. One ring down, six left to go before they would escape this empty void. Able to live their lives before the Primo and his Guardian ruined their lives.
A lot of people wanted to know what the Hayatos said, so now you know. I should have been doing school work, but instead I did this so you better be grateful. *pouts* Just kidding, ;D but I hoped you enjoyed. Now you know little about AU!Goku and Yama's past. He was such a cute kid, what happened? Only I know, so nyaa! =P I've noticed that a lot of people didn't like the 1896 hint, umm sorry? ^^U Yes Yukari just pick pocketed the Lambos to get their rings, she's on the bad side remember? And yeah, that's all I can think I need to say. You know the drill R&R, have no idea when I'll update, and yeah bye. ^^
