Takeshi wasn't very smart so his logic was very simple: if baseball was the reason why he wasn't left behind by his friends then he should be better at baseball so they would never leave him.

(He knew he was not a good student and an even worse son because why else would she have left him behind?)

But if he wasn't good at baseball, what did he have left?

"SAWADA!" three voices echoed as Sasagawa, Mochida, and Gokudera they held on to Sawada's legs and the back of his uniform.

"Hold on tight, Yamamoto-san," Sawada said, even though he was the one holding onto Takeshi's arm, his face oddly calm though his eyes glowed orange with determination, much to Takeshi's confusion. (It didn't occur to him why Sawada's eyes were orange instead of brown. What confused him was why wasn't he afraid of falling to his death, like how Takeshi was feeling right now.)

"You idiots!" Mochida snarled, holding onto one of Sawada's legs.

"You're an even bigger idiot. What are you trying to do? Pull off his leg?" Gokudera growled back, holding on to the back of Sawada's uniform.

"LET'S EXTREMELY PULL THEM ON THREE!" Sasagawa suggested, holding onto Sawada's other leg. Since no one argued against him, he started the count, "ONE!"

"THREE!" Gokudera and Mochida yelled simultaneously, skipping two altogether, as all three of them pulled Sawada – and Takeshi since Sawada had a good strong grip on his arm.

It didn't take long before the two of them were safely on the rooftop.

"Why the fuck did you jump?" Mochida yelled into his face.

Takeshi only blinked in surprise at the amount of venom (none) and concern (plenty) in his voice. Then he did what he did best and laughed it off, "I didn't jump. I only kinda fell."

He just smiled at the looks of disbelief from Mochida and Gokudera as he looked at Tsuna, who was looking at him with his soulful brown eyes. "Good thing Tsuna was around to catch me," he said with a poignant look and an honest grin. (And how long has it been when he truly smiled?)

"It was thanks to Sasagawa-buchou, Mochida-senpai, and Gokudera-san that we're still okay, Yamamoto-san," he said, looking uncomfortable as if he's never received a compliment in his life.

(And it made Takeshi think if Tsuna has ever received one in his life, at least in school. And he couldn't recall any.

Which means he should step up his game because Tsuna deserved it.)

"But you were the one who caught me, so thank you, Tsuna-kun," he said, bowing his head in gratitude.

Tsuna spluttered a bit before he finally responded, "You're welcome, Yamamoto-san."

Before Takeshi could respond, a fuming Nezu-sensei arrived on the rooftop.

"What were you doing?" he screeched at them, pointing to Tsuna specifically. "You're always causing so much trouble, and you would have killed our baseball star! You insolent brat!" he ranted at Tsuna, who shrank at the teacher's words.

Takeshi's eyes narrowed in fury because how dare he speak of Tsuna that way. He was an amazing guy and he didn't deserve the abuse he was getting. And worse, how dare Tsuna accept all those negative comments when he was much better than those lies spewed out by their teacher.

(Takeshi was happy to note, though, that he wasn't the only one who was displeased with what's happening. Both upperclassmen looked close to throttling the teacher while his fellow classmate was scowling worse than usual.)

Before Nezu-sensei discussed the details of Tsuna's punishment, the door slammed open. Everyone (and it was only now that he realized that most of his classmates and clubmates were on the roof as well) looked at the doorway.

As Takeshi looked for how or why the door suddenly opened, he was filled with so much coldness and dread that he couldn't breathe for a moment. When he glanced around, it seemed that he wasn't the only one bathed in cold sweat. In fact, everyone seemed to be completely terrified, except for Tsuna, who was looking at the ground.

Or at the baby wearing a suit and fedora, who seemed to be the source of dread spreading throughout the rooftop.

Each step he took only inspired more fear in Takeshi. But he willed himself to be brave and moved to stand in front of Tsuna because it was only right that he protect his friend, the first person who was actually there for him (other than his father – and Oh gods, he could have left his father behind if he Tsuna didn't catch him and how could he ever repay the short brunette now?).

"I will be responsible for punishing Sawada Tsunayoshi," he said coldly.

"Ho-how d-d-d-dare you-," Nezu-sensei stuttered fearfully before he was interrupted.

"I dare because this was a family matter and so his family would punish him accordingly. So leave us," he said, looking at everyone on the rooftop.

"Now."

Everyone rushed to the door, leaving behind Tsuna, Takeshi, Gokudera, Mochida, and Sasagawa. All four of them positioned themselves in front of Tsuna despite their visible fear.

"That includes you four."

"No," Takeshi said with more bravado than he felt. "I'm not leaving my friend behind."

"Sawada didn't do anything wrong!" Mochida reasoned out, shaking as he stared into the cold black eyes of the baby.

"SAWADA DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG TO THE EXTREME!" Sasagawa repeated.

Gokudera didn't say a thing, but he still stood firmly with the rest of them, forming a (futile) wall against the baby despite their fear.

"Oh stop that. You're scaring them silly," said a light baritone from behind. He glanced at the back (though kept the baby in his periphery) to see who spoke up.

Sitting idly on the top of the fence was a black-haired teen with pink glasses, who was grinning fearlessly despite the suffocating atmosphere on the rooftop.

"What they did was very very stupid," replied the baby.

"Well, boys will be boys," was his flippant reply.

"They could have died!" the baby hissed menacingly and the teen just laughed it off. (And it occurred to Takeshi that the teen was much better at acting easy-going than him. Or he was naturally that way, which was really cool. He wished he could be truly easy-going, like the teen.)

"They didn't. You're just overreacting."

"Overreacting? Overreacting? How dare you say I'm just overreacting when they could have died!?" the baby was furious at the easy-going attitude the teen was showing.

"Because they didn't," he repeated. "And boys will always do something stupid. Like jumping off a tree because they wanted to be like Superman. Remember that?"

"James is an idiot," the baby muttered sullenly, the air slowly but surely lightening, making it much easier to breathe in.

"So was the one who jumped after him and broke both his arms and several ribs for breaking James' fall. You cannot fathom on how worried I was for both of them. Especially the mental state of the older idiot who jumped after his brother," he said, jumping off the fence gracefully before walking towards the baby.

"So cool off your head before you decide a punishment for our dear Tsuna-kun for being an idiot like Teddy," he said, shooing off the baby.

There was a silent conversation between the baby and the teen before the baby disappeared with a huff. Then the air was breathable again.

"What happened?" Takeshi asked after taking several gulps of air.

"Reborn was just angry because he was worried. He's not very good with expressing his emotions, you see," he said as he looked at them.

"I'm worried as well," he said, gliding through their wall as he stood in front of Tsuna, who looked at the teen with wide brown eyes. "I wish my cubs don't do anything stupid that would risk their lives. But I understand that needs must," he said as he cupped Tsuna's cheek.

"So all I can do is hope and pray that my cubs will always come back home at the end of the day. Do you understand?" he said, looking at Tsuna. But Takeshi had a feeling that he was speaking to everyone on the rooftop.

"So let's go home so Reborn can punish you for your stupidity~" he said cheerfully, pushing the five of them out the door.

As they passed through the door and met up with Sasagawa's sister and Kurokawa (who were waiting at the foot of the stairs for them); Takeshi realized that even if he didn't have baseball, he had this – he had them.

. . .

"Why did you do something so stupid?" Hayato couldn't help but ask when they entered the Ryuujin household.

"What?" Sawada looked at him with his big brown soulful eyes.

"Jumping after that baseball idiot," he clarified.

"Yamamoto-san is not an idiot," he defended the taller teen and Hayato just snorted.

"His grades say otherwise. And his stupid stunt. Which you did too, so that paints you an idiot as well."

A beat.

"So why?" he asked because he couldn't understand on why would Sawada risk his life for a classmate he barely even talked to, much less interacted with, thanks to their different social classes in school.

Sawada was quiet for a while but he seemed to take the question seriously so Hayato didn't rush him. After a moment of silence, he finally answered, "Because he needed someone to catch him."

"So why you?"

"Because no one else would," he answered back. Would not could, as if what he did was a choice he made freely.

"You would have fallen with him," Hayato countered because despite his training with Hibari and Sasagawa, Sawada was still weak and scrawny. You would have died with him.

"No, I wouldn't have," Sawada answered confidently.

"How do you know?" Hayato asked, not understanding where his confidence came from. In fact, he didn't even seem fazed after his jump and near-death experience. But he was terrified when he was facing the mouse teacher.

(He was also fearlessly staring at Reborn at his angriest but trembled with Lupin spoke to him with such gentle tones.

Sawada obviously needed to get his priorities straightened out.)

"You wouldn't have let me," he answered, looking at Hayato with a small smile.

"You expected us to catch you?" he asked in shock. You expected me to catch you?

"Yes." Blunt and straightforward. His confidence clashed against Hayato's disbelief and hesitation.

"Why?"

"Because I trust you."

"You trust me?" he repeated dumbly because he hasn't shown any signs of being trustworthy. He hasn't done anything to prove himself to this boy yet he trusted Hayato wholeheartedly, unquestioningly.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because you're a good person." And Hayato reeled back, scowling at him. Was this kid mocking him?

"I'm a Mafioso. I've killed before. For money and sometimes for even less reasons. You still think I'm a good person?" he snarled but Sawada stood his ground. He looked at – looked through – Hayato, as if peering into his very core and peeking at his soul. Judging him with his orange eyes.

"Yes," he answered so easily, as if they were simple answers to simple questions. (And why was it that Sawada always seemed to defy his expectations?) "You did some bad things in the past, but that doesn't change who you are."

"A bastard half-breed who doesn't deserve to live," he muttered angrily. And Sawada shocked him by grabbing his shoulders as he shook his head vehemently.

"No! You deserve to live! No matter your heritage or your actions. Because Hayato is an amazing person! He's resourceful and intelligent and diligent and you can do more good in the world if you set your mind to it because you're you. You're a good person even if you've done bad things in the past and people have said bad stuff about you, which are obviously lies because I know I'm lucky to have even met you," he said, going red either because of his lack of breath or embarrassment.

Hayato was in silent shock because he has never heard Sawada speak so much in one breath. And because even though Sawada just said the exact opposite of what he has been hearing for the past few years, he couldn't help but believe even if it went against logic and evidence. He was powerless against the tempered steel of resolution in Sawada's words and the blazing fire in the depths of his burned orange eyes.

(Like the day Sawada convinced him to eat with them.

Which made Hayato wonder what kind of magic does Tsuna have to have this much power and influence over him and everyone who interacted with him. It's baffling and amazing and terrifying, now that he thought about it.

What if he decided to rule the world? Would anyone go against him and his sheer amount of charisma?

Because he knew if Sawada wanted to rule the world, he would be the first to follow wholeheartedly.)

"You're amazing too, you know," he said gruffly yet shyly because he never really gave compliments.

"I'm just Dame-Tsuna," he countered, which angered Hayato.

"Look. I wouldn't risk my life for someone's who's Dame. But I trust you with my life so you're not Dame, got it!" he said harshly because he grew up in a world where all debts must be paid in full. And so when Sawada entrusted his life to Hayato, the least he could do is entrust his own to Sawada in return.

"So…does that make us friends?" Sawada asked hesitantly, catching Hayato off-guard.

"You want to be friends? With me?"

"Yes," he answered shyly, looking down. But then he glanced up when he added, "Because Gokudera-san is an amazing person and I would be very lucky to be friends with him.

Hayato couldn't think of a comeback to that, but took Tsuna's proffered hand. If Tsuna thought he was an amazing person then Tsuna must be an angel.

And between the two of them, Hayato was the real lucky one.

Trust Fall – end.

okay. i fail at deadlines. and so i'm sorry for that. also here's the new update which does not end with a cliffie. and so i'm not sure when i can update next, but keep checking at least once a week because i have no intention of abandoning this fic.

and i know it's not very well-written and i'm terribly sorry for that. i promise i'll go through all my chapters and stuff when i finally have the time (more like around christmas break) to make them better. but it's good enough so yeah.

to fellow, thanks for your review and i'm glad you enjoyed it. x3

to KK, thanks again for your review. and go ahead and rub into my face your nonexistent bragging rights. xp and yeah, the lack of attention to takeshi's suicidal attitude also gets to me. it wasn't even mentioned in the anime and it seemed to be used for comical effect in the manga, which isn't really funny because there's nothing hilarious about suicide and dying. since i'm taking a more "real" version of khr, i'm going to naturally explore the consequences of such actions, like tsuna's situation. so yeah. and thanks. glad to be back. x3

to Grayfia, thanks again for your review. and true, i don't think it occured to hana to use tsuna like that. (it didn't occur to me either. xp feel terrible now.) and i have no regrets for making it a cliffie so i'm not really sorry. but i'm glad you to hear you enjoyed the rest of the chapter. x3

to Guest (if you could kindly leave behind a name so i may address this to you), thanks for your reviews (because i'm assuming that you're the one who kept reviewing about the lack of capitalization in my a/n). and well, if my lack of capitalization bothers you so much, you don't really have to read the a/n or the story for that matter. originally, this bad habit (which i'm fully aware) was to further separate the a/n from the story so i'm not treating this as a story because a/n should not exist in the first place. so all i can say is that i'm sorry this disturbs you so.

so here's the newest chapter. i hope you'll enjoy. (and that you'll let me know you've enjoyed through your reviews. x3)