Hey, I updated in less than a month! Woo-hoo!

I don't own KHR. Not even close.

Takeshi sat down at the edge of the orphanage, his feet dangling over the heads of gleeful children running around below. It was only when he was fully situated in his spot did the smile he forced himself to wear all day finally disappeared. Finally…he was alone.

When he first arrived in the orphanage two weeks ago, Takeshi only smiled when someone talked to him, whether it was a caretaker or another kid. It wasn't that he particularly enjoyed their company or the conservation, but more that he just wanted to be polite. His old man used to tell him that it was always good to be polite.

Then, on his third day at the orphanage, he joined a game of baseball, hoping that his favorite game would stop his heart from hurting so much. But that was when everything went south for Takeshi. He scored not one, but two homeruns and then he got three kids out when he was on the outfield. Everyone saw this and loved and admired him for it.

But that's why it was so awful. Because instead of the occasional hello or question, everyone…swarmed him. Constantly. Everyone, from the youngest kids to even the Head of the orphanage, kept coming to him for advice, for friendly chatter, for a second's worth of popularity.

This meant that he had to smile. All the time. And it hurts, it hurts to smile, when all Takeshi wants to do is be alone and mourn. Mourn the person that was always there for him, that loved him no matter what he did, that…that d-died…protecting him…

Why can't anybody remember why he was at the orphanage in the first place?!

Takeshi wiped away the tears that managed to escape his eyelids and took a deep and shaky breath. He doesn't want to be popular, to have girls give him dandelions, or to always be the first person to be picked for a team in a baseball game. But…but it looked like this was his lot in life now.

"Pops…why did you have to go?" asked Takeshi softly in a quivering voice as more tears threatened to fall from his eyes. Then Takeshi heard the door that separated the roof from the rest of the building open.

Takeshi instantly closed his mouth, and hoped desperately that whoever it was would leave quickly. He really didn't want to force a smile on already, or explain the tear tracks on his cheeks.

He heard the door close quietly and when he heard nothing else, Takeshi let out a sigh of relief. Maybe they realized they had to be somewhere else or something like that.

"A-Are you okay?" With wide brown eyes, Takeshi swiftly turned to see a small boy with poufy, spiky brown hair looking at him with a concerned expression. For a moment, Takeshi didn't say anything as the other boy started to fiddle with his fingers.

Then Takeshi remembered that the boy's name was Tsuna, or what everyone called him behind his back, Dame-Tsuna. Unlike Takeshi, Tsuna wasn't popular at all. The girls turned their noses at him, the caretakers seemed to despise his existence, and he wasn't invited to play any games. He wasn't outright bullied though, but only because he was friends with Kyoya and Mukuro. And well…Takeshi quickly learned why everybody was afraid of them. Makes him wonder how they of all people became friends with the timid boy.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine," Takeshi said with a fake laugh as he wiped his face with one hand. "Just…had some dust in my eyes. Thanks for asking though Tsuna!"

Takeshi then looked forward, hoping that Tsuna would take the hint and go away. It was silent for a few seconds before Takeshi heard Tsuna take in and let out a deep breath. Then came the sound of footsteps, quiet despite the fact that there rubble all over rooftop. Takeshi might have been impressed if he wasn't despairing over the fact that the footsteps were getting closer.

And then the footsteps stopped. Takeshi turned his head, while forcing on a smile despite how much it hurt to do so. Tsuna was standing right beside him, his hands grasping the edge of his pockets tightly like if he didn't, he would go back to fiddling with his fingers. But it was the look on his face that held Takeshi's attention the most. Was it concern? Sadness? Determination? A mixture of all three and more? Takeshi honestly couldn't guess.

The young boy didn't have a chance to guess either, since before he could even open his mouth to say that he really was fine, to imply that he just wanted to be alone, Tsuna suddenly dashed forward to wrap his tiny arms around the taller boy. Takeshi jolted a bit out of instinct, but it wasn't enough to undo Tsuna's tight, yet…comforting hold on him.

"You know…I think it's still possible to be nice and not smile at the same time," Tsuna said softly without a single stutter.

Wha…what?

"I mean I remember…I…I'm sorry about your Papa," Tsuna continued, his voice quivering by the end.

No one…not the girls voicing their undying love for him…not the boys wanting him to be on their team…not even the Head when Takeshi first arrived…said those words. No one simply…cared enough to even voice their sympathy.

Until now.

And like a lightning bolt, all the grief and pain hit Takeshi and without any control whatsoever, Takeshi cried. He returned Tsuna's hug and bawled into Tsuna's ragged shirt like there was no tomorrow.

"It….it j-just came out nowhere," Takeshi sobbed as he began to cling to Tsuna desperately. "Why…why Pops? We…we were going to have new l-life…Pops said so…so…so why did they have to hurt Pops?! Why?!"

Tsuna didn't say a word, he just continued to hug Takeshi and rub circles on the grieving boy's back. Which Takeshi was fine with honestly. He didn't expect Tsuna to have the answers. He just wanted to cry.

And cry Takeshi did. He cried like he wanted to ever since he saw his old man die, but couldn't because either he wasn't alone or he was afraid someone would hear him. But now he was with someone who understood, or at least wanted to understand him. Tsuna didn't want anything from him, nor was he complaining that Takeshi was messing up his shirt with snot and tears.

Tsuna…Tsuna was just there. Just like how his old man used to be.

It was only when Takeshi's tears and sobs finally dwindled to a few sniffles that Takeshi finally lifts his head up from Tsuna's shirt. Before the sun was still shining brightly in the blue sky, but now it was sinking down to the earth, making the blue lose out to a deep red-orange.

"Pretty isn't it?" Tsuna commented as he too looked at the sunset. Takeshi nodded in agreement, and then did something he honestly didn't think he could do ever do. He smiled. A real smile. Sure it was small, but it was real. Takeshi wasn't even trying to smile, it just…happened.

"Um…Takeshi?" Tsuna asked as Takeshi felt his small but not forced smile with a few tentative fingers. "It's…it's going to be dinner soon. W-Wanna eat with m-my friends and m-me?"

Looking at Tsuna's nervous yet hopeful face, Takeshi felt like he couldn't say yes fast enough.

Ta da! Takeshi's backstory (or at least how he met Tsuna) is revealed! And don't worry, the details of how Yamamoto Tsuyoshi died and how Takeshi survived will be reveal just not till...later. If I say anything more, it might be spoilery.

In any case, how did you feel reading this chapter? Have any prompts for me? Please leave a review or prompt (if you have one, no pressure) on the way out!