"Yeah, Vongola Decimo can't have a weakling as his right-hand. I won't allow it."
He felt himself internally cringe when the words started to register but held back whatever hesitance that dared to sprout and make him take back those words.
It's for his own good. He mentally defended as he walked along the familiar path towards the school gym.
"Same time, then."
The amusement lighting those icy depths were unmistakable, it was as if the prefect was anticipating whether he would end up taking back his words or sticking with it.
The outcome was obvious.
"This is stupid. You've already made a decision so stick to it. What kind of right hand are you if you can't even make a solid choice." He scolded himself and ingrained the finality of his decision.
He is a man of his word, he'd be damned if he'd take back his agreement to spar with Hibari.
He was going to do this.
Even if his boss would tell him stop, he'd do his best to make the Vongola Tenth – in the least – tolerate his choice of training.
It's not as if he could do anything else to change it. he reasoned, he had already obtained Reborn's approval on his method of training when the arcobaleno wished him luck on his spar, and he wasn't blind to see his boss does almost everything the hit man orders.
Somehow, he felt a sudden wave of nausea hit him when he found himself looking for a way to defy his boss.
Sure, it was more of indirect method of disobedience but still, it doesn't change the reality of him going against the Tenth's wishes.
It's for his own good. He justified once more, as he recalled the far too many times he found himself being saved instead of doing the saving, and as the bitter memories flow, he hardened his resolve regaining the solid glint within those gray green orbs.
He let out a breath of preparation, casting a stray glance on the gym door, almost pondering on the prospect of confronting those who saw him spar with Hibari.
Without further hesitance, he charged towards the door and swung it open revealing a pair of idiots that seemed to be looking at him like a pair of kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar.
"Thought I'd find you two here." He spoke, maintaining his neutral face as he watched the two teens flinch in visible guilt and surprise.
"Gokudera!"
"You two like you've seen a ghost." He commented, watching them shift in slight nervousness.
"Ahaha! Why would you say that?" asked Yamamoto, grinning widely as ever, but Gokudera had known him enough to distinguish the slight differences in the athlete's demeanor.
He was nervous.
Both of them were.
"Yeah! It's not like we're hiding from you." added the boxer, who wore a more obvious look of guilt.
"You two saw me and Hibari sparring." His tone was steady, for some reason he was able to maintain the tone, devoid of annoyance or anger that would normally accompany him whenever he is dealing with the two sportsmen.
"What are you talking about?" stuttered Ryohei, growing a bit red beneath his strangely sharp gaze.
"You're a lousy liar Lawn head." He scoffed as he watched the Sun laughed the comment off nervously that made his brows furrow in annoyance.
"So that's why you were so beat yesterday."
He turned at the words, meeting a pair of amber hues that held an air of unfamiliar air of gravity that told him the seriousness of the bearer.
"What went into your thick skulls to go up in the roof anyway?" he shifted the topic not bothering to acknowledge how Yamamato's gaze narrowed at his avoidance.
He was here to question them, not the other way around.
Not until I get what I need.
"I was here to warm up when I met sempai. We decided to get some air on the roof. We didn't know it was taken." Answered the baseball player as watched the bomber simply nod as if they didn't discover his little early morning regimen includes 'bonding' time with the HIbari Kyoya.
"I see." He shrugged, he shifted his attention to Ryohei, he knows the boxer was a lot easier to read compared to the Rain guardian when it comes to these conditions.
His eyes narrowed in scrutiny, he wouldn't have noticed them if a certain idiot kept his big mouth shut.
We were busy fighting but were not deaf. He inwardly spat, after all it was not hard to not notice the tell tale sound of 'EXTREME' coming from behind the partially opened door of the rooftop.
He was about to ask him what they have decided to do when he was cut off by Yamamoto.
"We're not going to tell Tsuna." He said and watched the bomber's attention return to him but not before Gokudera took in the surprise and confusion that showed in the boxer's face showing they were to decide the exact opposite.
"Yamamoto, Sawada needs to know these things." The gray brows furrowed as he turned to the fellow athlete.
"Tell the Tenth if you want." His eyes remained steady and resolute, he was ready to face his boss' disapproval.
Both guardians looked at him wide-eyed in disbelief, they expected him to want to keep this from Tsuna considering he doesn't want the boy to worry about him. However, it doesn't change the fact that they do need to inform Tsuna about the activities his guardians partook.
"The Tenth has the right to know these things, it may have been a mutual agreement between us and us alone but it doesn't change the fact we're still his guardians therefore, he has the right to know our activities." He explained, watching both teens stare at him as if he grew a second head.
Not that he blames them, he had just openly hinted that he doesn't care if the Tenth approves or not.
It's basically a lie considering the very prospect of defying his boss is tearing him to shreds, then again, he'll willingly suffer the pain if it would lessen the chances of that horrible future from happening.
Byakuran may be gone but that doesn't mean it won't happen again. his eyes darkened at the grim prospect.
"As long as you don't push yourself way to extreme, we don't say a thing." Said the boxer meeting his stormy gaze.
It was strange to see those silver depths still with a steady fire, it reminds Gokudera of the teen's older version.
"I know my limits." He tensed in reply, only for his defensiveness spike when both guardians exhibited a clear look of doubt.
"Yeah, but you still push yourself beyond them." Retorted Yamamoto, while Ryohei nodded in agreement.
"What's so wrong about that? Aren't you two going a bit hypocritical here? Don't you two push yourselves with that 'give a 110%' crap you sprout?" he spat greenish gray orbs sparking in antagonist ire as he watched as his words took their toll.
The two stiffened, while the silver top snorted in silent triumph.
They push themselves all the time. It is one of the reasons why they're still alive in the first place. If they didn't push past the limit, they wouldn't be strong enough to live through the ordeals that came their way.
"Don't worry, like you, I know when to stop." he added, filling the silence that came in its wake as he waited for the either of the two to react.
"Since when?" challenged Yamamoto bearing a heavy look.
At that moment, Gokudera actually concluded that he preferred the laughing idiot rather than this overly observant serious strange.
"Since now." He replied mirroring the serious look that seemed so out of place from the honey brown depths.
A beat of passed, neither one bothered to break the loaded silence that seemed to have enshroud them.
"I won't worry him too much." Spoke the right hand with a sigh, pondering on how the Rain could so be damn stubborn at times.
He 's not going to let this go is he.
"I hope so." answered the swordsman, clearly worried about their boss blowing his top, Tsuna just had a lot to take in, to see Gokudera and Hibari like that might give him a heart attack.
"This can already go unsaid but, I'm counting on you two to protect him." Said Gokudera instantly varying the topic's focus from him once more, he doesn't need another lecture on self-control.
"Octopus head, little bro can take care of himself. Don't baby him too much." Said Ryohei instantly taking the bait.
"I know that. But – we can't be too careful can we." He replied, only to stiffen a certain baseball idiot came to his own conclusions.
"Is something up?" the words were curious, holding a tone of concern and a tinge of sharp observance.
It was official. Yamamoto was definitely far more than he seems, the fact he able to see through Gokudera's words shows how much he could read the Storm.
But not well enough. Concluded the bomber, he knows Yamamoto as well as Yamamoto knows him. It was mutual, after all, they haven't spent their time together fruitlessly, they both learned to read each other's mood to a point it seemed a bit scary.
Some of the idiot's blabbering has to get through.
He can't deny he knows Yamamoto but he doesn't know him that well enough to know everything. The same goes for the other, he may know his moods and attitude but he could exactly pinpoint what he is planning.
It was a confusing relationship of knowing and not knowing.
One trying to get though while another just clams up and refuses to open up but at the same time through all those efforts they both managed to learn something from each other.
"I'm not sure yet." He shrugged, frowning at the lack of knowledge he himself has. The moment he had stepped foot on the plane back to Japan, all contact with Italy stopped. He's still waiting for some news from the Ninth's intelligence team or even his tutor for that matter.
He's been getting a bit on edge on the lack of contact since this isn't one of the things they can't just ignore. That mission's outcomes are still on hold, making him tense and wonder if it still poses any threat to the Tenth or the Familigia. He expected the call last night or early in the morning but it seemed that they still haven't managed to finalize things.
He was getting worried, he managed to distract himself with all those previous thoughts on Mukuro and the spar with Hibari but now that he was reminded of that certain threat, he realized that he still haven't gotten an update.
"Gokudera." The boxer called out, snapping him out from his musings.
He instantly met a pair of concerned honey brown orbs and a frowning Ryohei.
There's definitely something wrong with this picture. His thoughts voiced, he was used to seeing the two grinning without a care in the world, to see them all somber is just plain messed up and weird.
"I know you're still not comfortable in talking with us but you can always talk to Tsuna." Sighed the baseball player with a tired smile, somehow to see his features lighten placed Gokudera at ease.
They are not going to get anymore answers from the right hand and it would get them nowhere if they'll try to force it out of him.
It was time to put a close this conversation.
Inwardly Yamamoto couldn't help but notice that this Gokudera was a bit different from the old one. The old one was more prone to slipping whenever he's confronted, this one actually stops and watches his words.
"You knuckle headed idiots, of course I know that!" snapped the other, instantly lighting the atmosphere with the nicknames making the both at ease.
"Okay! Since it's still early. I'M GOING TO TRAIN HARD TO THE EXTREME!" exclaimed Ryohei, as he started to run out of the gym to continue his jogging.
"Is nothing else inside your head besides training?" shouted Gokudera as the running figure making him wonder if the older teen really wants to train or was it just a way to make thing a bit more comfortable for them.
He prefers the former because if it was indeed because of the latter, it would mean that the idiot boxer actually has an once of deftness. It is a prospect that freaks Gokudera a bit considering he was used to the other's cluelessness.
Then again, people change. Maybe the idiot really is starting to develop a brain.
"TRAIN HARD TO THE EXTREME!" The air carried the words in reply, depicting that the passionate boxer might not have even heard him call out.
But I could be wrong. Maybe he's still the empty headed lump.
"Apparently not." He sighed in exasperation and noticed that Yamamoto was still there standing beside him.
"I better change into something less sweaty." Said the baseball fanatic, resuming his smiling face and proceeded to make his own exit.
"Oh hey, catch!" he paused, tossing something out for the bomber to catch.
"What the!" he caught the thing in reflex, only to feel something in him want to bomb the idiot into smithereens because the object he was clutching in his hand was his old key – skull keychain and all.
"Turns out I didn't drop it in the gutter after all. Ahahaha!" grinned the player at the reddening teen who seemed to be shaking in utter indignation.
"YOU BASTARD! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW HARD IT IS TO CUSTOMIZE A LOCK AND KEY!" he screamed, the only thing that's stopping him from killing the fool was the inevitable prospect the he's going to regret it later on.
He felt his temper flare when he remembered all the time he spent last night in soldering and tinkering with the lock and key.
"Calm down Gokudera." Said the other but the fact that he's still grinning like a fool isn't helping him in appeasing the raging Storm one bit.
"I ought to stick a hundred bombs in your ass and use you as a firework." He seethed, his fist shaking trying to refrain himself from reaching into his clothes where he stashes his explosives.
He doesn't trust himself to just threaten right know. If he gets his hands on the things, he might not be able to resists. The rage he's currently feeling can't compare to the time Yamamoto told his key fell into the gutter.
For some reason, Yamamoto Takeshi would always hold a special talent in enraging him.
"Tsuna was really down when you weren't there." said Yamamoto, not bothering to explain why, he resumed a portion of the seriousness earlier as waited for the bomber's reaction.
"He may not say anything but he's been having a hard time taking in the new you." he continued, seeing whatever angry tempests that claimed the smaller teen had left him.
"So you decided to risk your ass being blown to a million pieces?" asked the other, refusing to take the bait that might lead them back the last topic pertaining him and his training.
"Ahahaha, it wasn't like I meant it. When the key fell, I didn't know it landed in one of my bag's open pockets. I really thought I dropped it the gutter." He explained only to meet a suspicious glare that eventually died down, indicating that Gokudera was too tired to even bother with it anymore having spent a majority of his remaining strength on his outburst.
"Tsuna really missed you, you know. So the new you makes him kinda homesick." He continued on, catching Gokudera's attention instantly.
"You changed so much and he's still a bit uncomfortable with it all and…" he stopped, wondering if he had spoken and assumed far too much but the look the bomber gave him told him to continue whatever he was going to say.
"And that he's not the only one who does." He sighed, looking to meet a pair of calm gray green orbs.
Far too calm to his liking, he missed those bright churning depths.
"Think about it, Gokudera." He gave a small smile, turning once more and exited the building leaving the bomber to his thoughts.
The door closed with an audible click, he stood there for a moment waiting for the footsteps to fade before his knees gave out in exhaustion. He was so damn tired, he knows he changed but he's just tired of being reminded of it.
So now, it just isn't his boss but the others as well.
Do they really want the punk back? He mentally debated, he was arrogant and spiteful on everyone but the Tenth so he really can't see why they seem to prefer his former self.
Well, too bad. He stood up, bracing himself against a nearby post.
They'll just have to deal with it. I'm not going back to that weakling. He thought in resolve, that everybody just going to have to deal with the new him. He was determined to change for the better, so he's not going to regress.
But I guess I could make some accommodations to make the Tenth more comfortable. He concluded as he exited the gym as well.
He won't change but he could change certain things.
…to be continued…
A/N: *bows in apology with an umbrella shielding oneself from the probable onslaught* I'm sorry for the late update, DAILY power failures and school tends to stop inspiration from coming. Not OC I hope, seriousness concerning Ryohei and Yamamoto just doesn't add that well. But it was necessary… I think… XD Anyways, the next chapter is the return of our lovable Tuna fish … ^^, After being MOA for so long, I think it's about time he gets back into the picture. Thank you for reading and please review.