Title: And Then You Came Back

Rating: T (for now)

Genre: Angst, Romance

Pairing: 10YL!6927, with a tiny bit of 10YL!1827

Summary: What if Tsuna had been the only one sent into the future?

Disclaimer: I do not own or gain any profit from writing this story. All characters used belong strictly to Akira Amano. Thank you.

Thank you for those who have reviewed. Please read and enjoy!

What.

In.

The . . .

He stared at that familiar face, so much like how he used to know it. It was older, more defined, as if maturity suddenly decided to show up and render everything different. It was a strange concept, because everything about him was skewed, yet the same. His hair was still sliver, but it was a tad bit longer than what he could remember; the strands more fine, textured. To Tsuna, it was a bit strange seeing Gokudera who usually wore punk-related clothing, dressed in such refined and extremely expensive looking clothes, let alone a tailored suit.

Tsuna felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach when he noticed something. His eyes, Gokudera's eyes were the exact same color (nothing had changed there), but it wasn't the color that bothered him – it was what they expressed.

Aquamarine orbs stared back at him like pooling vortexes, wide and swirling with sorrow, compunction and the most obvious of all, stupefaction. Tsuna licked his lips, a numbing sensation traveling from his toes all the way up to his thighs. He couldn't move any of his limbs, save for his fingers which were digging into the grassy earth beneath him.

'This isn't possible! Wait, it is! Hiiiiii!' Tsuna realized, inhaling a large intake of breath. 'The 10 Year Bazooka! D-don't tell me . . .'

"J-Juudaime. . ." he heard Gokudera whisper. It was so faint that Tsuna thought it could carry on with the wind and blow away into eternity. Tsuna froze, a deadly shiver traveling up his spine where it swelled at the base of his neck.

"Un. Gokudera-kun," Tsuna started, his mouth running on auto-pilot. He didn't quite know what to say, but he had to start somewhere. They couldn't just sit there staring at each other forever -- besides, he'd be leaving in about three minutes anyway. A wave of relief quickly washed over the agitated teen; at least he didn't have to stay there too long. In a matter of minutes he'd be warped away to his own normal time and reunite with his fellow friends.

Gokudera flinched, his shoulders starting to tremble. Tsuna watched as his Storm Guardian's facial muscles twitched and spasmed, the corners of his lips morphing into a bitter-sweet smile. It looked as if Gokudera were in pain, but Tsuna couldn't detect anything that would him make him look that way. Tsuna sat there for a few seconds and mulled everything over, observing his friend's appearance ten years older, or why the other was trembling and shaking.

"Um, Gokudera-kun, where are we?"

Tsuna flinched when he saw Gokudera snap out of whatever catatonic state he had been induced in. The Storm Guardian quickly jerked his head and picked himself up from the grassy earth, fumbling for the handle to his briefcase. He practically stomped the whole distance towards Tsuna, silver hair wisping about in a flurry. His black tie was hanging loosely around his neck and his once pristine suit was ripped and torn in various places, revealing specks of the red-striped dress shirt he was wearing underneath.

When Gokudera halted, his fingers trembling and body stiff and rigid, Tsuna looked up hesitantly from his position on the ground and gulped, marveling at how tall his fellow comrade had gotten over the years.

"You're tall, Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna chirped. He frowned when his voice sounded clipped. "Lucky! I wish I was that --."

Tsuna was suddenly cut off mid-sentence when a pair of firm, secure arms snaked around his back, holding him there until Tsuna's face flushed from embarrassment, the left side of his face nestled against Gokudera's broad chest. He smelled like expensive cologne.

And just as suddenly as it came, Gokudera jerked Tsuna away, his large hands now gripping at the curve of Tsuna's shoulders. There was an odd expression on his face, Tsuna pointed out, a troubled one. There were so many conflicting emotions scrawled across Gokudera's face, much akin to a child's drawing, that Tsuna didn't know which ones to rivet upon. It would have been easier if he could sort each emotion into separately labeled piles and select the most pivotal ones; maybe then it'd be easier for Tsuna to resolve his friend's obvious distress. However, not everything worked like a fairy tale, and Tsuna had to frown at that thought.

"Gokudera-kun, what's wro – mmph!" Tsuna was yet again cut off , not by another embrace, but by Gokudera's finger to his lips, further silencing him.

"Juudaime, I'm sorry," Gokudera started, his voice soft and melancholic. Tsuna watched as Gokudera visibly steeled himself, his eyes hardening with a fierce determination as his lips straightened into a thin, compressed line. "We don't have much time. You'll be sent back to the past any minute now."

Gokudera grabbed for his briefcase and unbuckled the clasp. He then yanked the case open and rummaged through a various assortment of odd looking trinkets, until he came away with a wrinkled photo of which Tsuna couldn't identify. Gokudera quickly thrust the withered photo at Tsuna, who let out a tiny shriek and cradled the tiny thing to his chest, staring at Gokudera with a furrowed brow.

"When you return to your time, you must kill this man," Gokudera spat out, his voice hard and steely.

"Hiiii! Kill?! I can't do that!" Tsuna stammered, his eyes growing wide with fright. Tsuna nearly fell back when Gokudera suddenly grabbed at his wrist, resolution deeply set on his countenance.

"Please, please! Juudaime, please don't say that," he continued, his tone pathetically pleading. "You must kill him, you have to. Just do it."

"I can't kill people just like that! I won't be able to --."

"You see that coffin!" Gokudera cut in, his voice booming. Tsuna gulped once more and turned to look at the coffin. His eyes remained there, a sudden dread blooming from the very pit of his stomach. Where was Gokudera going with this?

"In 10 years you'll be inside that thing!" he continued, his voice cracking. Gokudera shuffled over to Tsuna on his knees, once again placing a hand on Tsuna's now trembling shoulder. Tsuna glimpsed from the coffin back to Gokudera, hazel eyes widening as the cryptic message finally sank in. It was daunting, horrifyingly and terribly daunting. Tsuna choked, placing the palm of his hand to his heart as he shook his head. His fingers clenched at the fabric of his orange sweater, fingernails pressing into his chest. It couldn't possibly be true, could it?

Tsuna stared at the coffin again, his doubts suddenly evaporating away like water on desert ground. It made sense, perfect sense: waking up in a coffin. Tsuna tilted his head and closed his eyes, inhaling a large gulp of breath. Really, in 10 years would he really be . . ?

"In 10 years you'll be gone," Gokudera bit out, his voice starting to waver. He removed his hands from Tsuna's shoulders and placed them primly atop his lap. He looked up, steely eyes peering through the white of his choppy bangs. "Juudaime, in 10 years you'll be dead."

Tsuna sat there, completely and utterly still. He gripped the photo to his chest, his fingernails nearly clawing into it as he tried to scratch at his chest. He let those words ring through his ears, his breath hitching as second after second ticked by. Gokudera was kidding, right? It had to be some sort of joke.

Right?

"You're mistaken," Tsuna laughed nervously, letting a sloppy smile spread across his lips. "Funny, funny Gokudera-kun. You got me. Haha."

On the other hand, Gokudera looked mortified. His eyes were quivering and his mouth was slightly agape; he was at a loss for words. Finally, Tsuna heard him gulp and start to speak.

"You're from ten years in the past, right?" Gokudera pressed, bafflement lacing his tone. Tsuna nodded. "You woke up in that coffin, right?"

Tsuna gulped, clutched at the picture, and then nodded once more.

"Juudaime, this isn't a joke!" Gokudera snapped. He stilled himself, obviously perturbed at having raised his voice at his "past" boss. He shook his head lightly and peered through his bangs, brow furrowed. "Juudaime, please, don't take this lightly. I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry! I should have been there with you, I should have been there to protect you from those bastards! I -- ."

"Gokudera-kun, stop," Tsuna breathed out, raising his hand lithely. He clutched at the picture one last time before stuffing it into his jacket pocket. He turned his head and looked at the coffin once again, quivering brown eyes scanning the length of its black, smooth surface embellished with gold-trim designs. In truth, it was a beautiful coffin, but morbidly so. Tsuna shivered, tears pricking at the back of his eyes.

"Am I . . . Am I really going to die?" Tsuna whispered, anchoring fluttering eyes on his guardian.

Gokudera deflated, his shoulders drooping and his eyes closing in heartache. He wished he could tell him that he wasn't, he wished he could tell the younger Tsuna that he was going to live as the most powerful mafia boss for many more decades to come – but he couldn't.

Because it wasn't true.

In this fic, the events involving Millefoire and Byakuran and what not are still going to exist, but many things will be changed. Since there will be no guardian switches, Tsuna will have to work with his 10-year-later guardians. 69 will be coming soon. :)

Sorry it's a bit of a short chapter. The next one will be longer though. Thank you for reading, now if you can, please review!