A/N Hah, really, it's been years and I really don't want to let go of this story. I've read stories that has been abandoned and I'm know the feeling of wanting to finish the story myself, haha XD Here's an additional chapter and I hope that the ones who followed, favorited and reviewed (just one and I'm grateful for your encouragement ;]) are still there. Hope you guys are still there.

Ch3-Stand too close

I won't let a suicidal idiot comfort me.

He strides along the hallway towards his office. The heels of his shoes create a heavy sound into the otherwise, quiet passageway. A lighter, more casual sound accompanies his own, coming from the man behind him.

From the moment he was ordered to fetch Yamamoto Takeshi, he knew that the day won't let him have his way today. He's the storm guardian, for fuck's sake! Not some chauffeur who'd willingly drive for just anyone other than the Tenth!

If it weren't for the Tenth, Gokudera would have revolted against the idea, Reborn's order or not. Then maybe, he didn't have to be subjected into witnessing the loudest and most animated reunion of two athletic fools.

Because, of all coincidences in the world, Sasagawa Ryohei just have to be the baseball players closest senpai and, not seeing each other for years have set off a bunch of 'extremes', and other things that only the two could comprehend.

Its all thanks to Hibari's and Kusakabe's arrival at the scene that the conference room once more regain its formal atmosphere. At least, for the time being, they were spared from the idle prating and laughing he knew he'd hear later.

How disgusting.

Gokudera turned right to the next hallway, his steps faster as he neared his office. The sooner he settle this, the faster he could get rid of this man. Well, at least for today.

"Hayato?"

He stop on his heels to look at the man behind him, with the deadliest glare he could muster. "Stop calling me that!"

Yamamoto look utterly confused by his outburst. Then his eyes widen, probably realizing his mistake.

"Um... What should I call then?" he asked, an embarrassed smile etched on his face. "I mean, I thought I could call you...that."

Gokudera scoffed. "Its not like we're best of friends, so its only 'Gokudera' to you." He scoff some more before he continue walking until he reach his office.

He pretends to look through the scattered files on his desk as he heard the door close with a soft click. "About what the Tenth said," he started, his eyes never leaving the papers he pretended to be busy with. "It will be easier for us both if you refrain from speaking about irrelevant things."

"But we could be friends, right?"

Damn. Is this guy being an idiot on purpose? He's obviously not interested, nor is he in the mood to talk about friendship and all that stuff with Yamamoto. Ain't it bad enough the he's wasting a lot of his time just to teach him everything about Vongola? Imagining to be even friends with him is just over the top. Besides, the cow brat seemed to have developed an interest in Japanese baseball. He's sure they will get along just fine. 'Just please, spare me some of my sanity.'

"Right?"

He glares up at Yamamoto, whose on the other hand, casually leaning on his desk. No, more like half-seating on it, with his goddamn arms crossed on his chest. His eyebrows twitched. Gokudera tried with all his might to hold back some of his temper, before he gestured to the other to sit on a proper seat as he did the same. He's motionless for a moment as he realize just how freakin' tall Yamamoto is, even in a sitting position. That tallness made Gokudera look up at him, when he'd rather not, at any given circumstances.

"Well?"

"Well, what?" he snapped.

"You know, I was really hoping that you'd remember when we really first met and I really hope that-" The loud sound of his palms hitting the surface of his desk stunned the other man. "Do you really want to talk about insignificant things right now?"

Yamamoto blinked several times, his expression was that of a man being scolded without him knowing the reason. "Maa, maa. Calm down-"

"Stop thinking that you need to be friends with everyone!" he yelled in frustration.

"Gokudera-"

"Enough. Listen carefully to what I'm gonna say, because I'll only tell you this once, you nutcase." Gokudera hissed through his gritted teeth, his palms flat against the desk as he tried his best to loom over at the taller man across him. "This is mafia you're getting into. If you started treating every goddamn people you cross paths with as friends, then I'd gladly watch as you dig your own fucking grave."

"Goku-"

Seeing as Yamamoto was about to protest, Gokudera roughly grab the said man's collar to shake off any arguments. "If your trusting nature brings distress to the family and the Tenth, I'll shove your fucking empty head on the ground and then I'll kill you myself."

'That should shut him up.'

Yamamoto woke up this evening, feeling down for the first time in years since his injury. He felt like he got rejected by a girl he like.

It was already four in the afternoon when he got home and he'd been lying on his bed ever since. Though sleeping wasn't really his intention, thinking about the same person over and over probably have bored his overactive brain cells.

He couldn't help it, though. After all, Gokudera Hayato is the same guy who had, by chance, stopped him from his momentarily urge to end his suffering, and that had came with insults too.

He laughed at the memory.

The word happy alone cannot precisely describe what he had felt when he saw Gokudera standing outside their shop. Shock, confusion, relief, happiness, he couldn't even remember what had surfaced first. All he remembered was the silver-haired man wearing a face of annoyance.

How encouraging was that.

Even on their first meeting at the hospital rooftop, his face was that of a man having the worst night of his life.

It was rather...desponding and sad, how a single man could exude such negative emotions. Maybe that's the reason Gokudera seemed to have a permanent scowl pasted on his face.

He can't help but wonder what the other would look like with an expression other than a frown on his face. He wanted to be friends with Gokudera and though the other man's attitude towards him literally spells a fifty-fifty chance, Yamamoto would still want to try.

After all, he has three strikes before he's out. 'Only two strikes left then.'

"Oi! Takeshi! Dinner's ready!" a muffled shout coming from his father snapped him out of his thoughts.

Ah, there, he's thinking of Gokudera again.

A delicious stuffing should help him divert his thoughts to a more lively one, since he's seriously lacking that. Besides, he haven't told his father about the proposal Tsuna had on about staying in the base.

Standing up from his bed, Yamamoto headed straight to the door and climb down the stairs. He found his father fixing their dinner table.

"Hmm... Smells good, dad!"

The older man chuckled. "Take a seat then." After he finished arranging everything on the table, his father took a seat across him.

"The shop?" he asked in between a mouthful of rice. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to help you out the whole day, dad."

"Nah. Don't think about it. You seldom help out, anyway." his father laugh.

"Dad..." If he were still a kid, he would be pouting right now.

At least, it looks like the day will not end up the way it has started.

'At least, it looks like the day will not end up the way it has started.' Gokudera though as he prepare for bed.

The way the idiot, Yamamato, talked to him reminded him of Yoshi and it pissed him off big time because he can't fathom why. 'Just shut up and go to sleep, fucking mind.'

Except he can't, no matter how hard he kept his eyes shut, his mind won't stop remembering the past. What Yamamoto asked earlier, the answer is yes, he remember the guy, but he did not recognize him at first. It only came to him when he heard from the Tenth that Yamamoto nearly quit baseball in the past because of an injury.

That was years ago and to him, its not really an important memory. The only thing that made him remember is because Yoshi made him check the newspapers the next day and on the following days just to make sure that the guy whose planning to jump off the roof will not be on the news, dead. Yoshi was so concerned that time that Gokudera did not manage to convince him because of his choice of words.

Not that it matter now that he remembered. Its all in the past and it will not change the fact that for him, Yamamoto do not deserve to be the Rain Guardian. Especially now since the guy has the tendency to commit suicide.

I think everyone has the tendency to end their life, Hayato.

"Fuck. Leave it be. Leave it be. Leave it be. Fuckin' leave me be!" Gokudera tightly closed his eyes once more.

He thinks that he deserve a break from all of this and so much for asking for a peaceful sleep. He never had that since he heard that there will be a new Rain Guardian and he actually think that he's losing his mind.

Gokudera got up from the bed to fetch the bottle from the bedside drawer. Sleeping pills has been his close friend for the past months. He couldn't sleep without taking them and tonight will not be different it seems.

"So, what does the pervert want from us?"

"Who knows?"

They got out of the car at the same time; Gokudera from the passenger's seat and Yoshino from the driver's, though Gokudera didn't bother to put out his cigarette stick, as what the former did as they close in the distance to the hospital entrance. He never did like wasting a single stick, for any reason at all.

"Hayato." came a warning from the older man walking beside him.

Shit...if its Yoshi, it can't be help then.

Gokudera grunts as he stub out his cigarette on a trash can by the entrance before throwing it in. "I fuckin' don't get why I have to waste such a precious stick." he mumbled under breath, his hands tucked in his pockets, fiddling with his pack of cigarette, seriously giving it a second thought.

"C'mon, Hayato. Its bad enough that we reek of smoke. I just hope we don't cross paths with patients having lung related cases. That would be much worse." Yoshi reasoned out.

As they waited for the elevator, a nurse waiting beside them looks at them with narrowed eyes. Wearing casual clothes didn't actually attract attention like when they're wearing a suit, but smelling like a smoke machine did.

Yoshi curtly apologized to the nurse, saying that they weren't here to visit a patient but a friend doctor. The nurse stiffly nod at them before entering the other elevator. They would've enter the same elevator if it weren't for the nurse, whose sharp eyes still linger on them until the doors slid close.

Gokudera snorts. "Snob bitch."

"Hayato."

"Yeah, yeah. You should've let me stay behind. It isn't such a bad idea now, is it?"

The elevator door opens and the taller man steps in. "No matter what you say, Oji called for the both of us. Now, hop on."

If only they knew then, things would probably turn out...differently, not quite disturbing. Because Shamal calling them out for an 'emergency' after office hours meant that some chick, in this case a nurse, had ruthlessly rejected him. The old man just wanted someone he could vent out to- while he's drunk, inside a hospital.

Well, Yoshi's always been there for him. Though, if its to scold him or to comfort him, Gokudera doesn't care. Just count him out of it.

'I'd rather listen to a brat wail than listen to an old man whine. That definitely makes more sense.' he thought as he stealthily left the pervert's office and head for the rooftop where he can smoke in peace. He pushed the door leading to the rooftop and breathe a sigh of relief when he found that no one's around.

Perfect.

He starts smoking, filling his lungs with smoke that would probably kill him in the future but he doesn't give a damn. Its the best thing that he have at this moment and never would he throw another stick.

That's what he decided when the rooftop door suddenly slammed open which took him by surprise and made him drop his cigarette. A tall guy came running out from the door and headed to the fence securing the rooftop.

"What the fuck?!" Gokudera directed his glare to the guy who dashed to the fence. It seems to him that the said guy was trying to climb over the fence with difficulty and to Gokudera's irritation, he laughed.

That's the last straw.

With heavy steps, Gokudera approached the laughing man. "What the hell are you making a scene for? I'm fucking trying to smoke here!" He shouted as loomed over the guy now sitting on the ground. That's when he realize that the laugh he's hearing doesn't have any humor in it. The guy was crying miserably.

"I'm sorry, I-"

"What were you trying to do just now?" The guy stops and looked at him with questioning eyes then smiled sadly before replying, "I was trying to end my misery. I'm sorry that I got you involved. I thought no one is here."

Gokudera was speechless for a few seconds then he decided that he doesn't fucking care. "You know someone who just died here?" He asked out of the blue. The man sitting on the ground stood up slowly, his eyes giving him a silent question. "I said, do you know someone who just died here that made you decide so stupidly to kill yourself?"

With a frown, the guy answered, "No."

It doesn't matter anymore that Gokudera had his chin up just to keep his fierce stare at the other man. He'll make damn sure to make his point clear. "Then, other than that reason, you don't have the fucking right to make a scene here and make me a witness of your pathetic death! You're crying as if you've lost someone when you don't. Be fucking thankful that no one's dead, idiot."

He doesn't have the time to think of what he said as heard the door opens once more and saw Yoshi motioning for him to get back inside the hospital.

He faced the other man, who still look stunned with Gokudera's words and gritted, "I better not see your pathetic excuse for a face on the headlines tomorrow, 'cause I will absolutely get back at you for making me waste a goddamn stick."

"Hey, Hayato! We have to go now!". Gokudera turned around and made his way towards the door.

Gokudera knows that he doesn't need anyone beside him other than the Tenth. He doesn't need a suicidal idiot for a friend, not that he needed one any way.

No one can change what had already happened.

End of chapter 3

Nothing much happened and I myself though that this is a boring chapter but it just starts from here. I hope to update this story once a week so there, hopefully I will have chapter 4 next week.

Thanks for reading! 3