"What are you doing up so early, Takeshi?" his dad asked him, giving Takeshi a disapproving look because he was drinking straight from the milk carton, as usual.

(But his dad never said anything about it because it was his mother who taught him how to drink from the carton.

And his dad couldn't take that away from him.)

"I'm walking with Tsuna today!" he said after wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and returning the milk in the refrigerator. A glance at the clock hanging in the kitchen's wall told him that he was going to be late if he didn't leave right now.

"Tsuna?" his dad asked, already moving about the kitchen to prepare for another day of business.

"The cool quiet guy," he answered, trying (and failing) to find the right words to describe Tsuna's sheer awesomeness.

"The tiny brunet?" his dad asked hesitantly and Takeshi nodded eagerly.

Who else could he be referring to? Gokudera, Mochida, and Sasagawa were cool in their own ways but Tsuna was way cooler than any (or all) of them. And besides, they weren't really quiet.

And he wasn't referring to Hari, obviously. Sure, the guy was cool with his easy-going manner and ability to stop terrifying babies, but there was something off with him. Not that it made him bad or evil or wrong, but that was why Takeshi knew Tsuna was cooler than him.

"Okay, I'm off. Gonna meet up with them," he said, putting on his shoes.

"Takeshi," his dad called out to him before he left the front door. He turned around to look at his dad, who solemnly said, "You know I love you, right?"

Takeshi found himself rushing to his father, not even bothering to take off his shoes, to give his old man a bone crushing hug, which was returned tenfold.

(He remembered when his mother died - when his whole world fell apart. The only reason he didn't break apart back then was because his dad hugged him so tightly - like he did right now.)

"I know," he mumbled back into his father's shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Tou-chan. I'm so stupid and forgetful at times, you know."

His dad chuckled at his answer, patting his back before looking at Takeshi straight in the eyes. Hazel met hazel and Takeshi was surprised to notice that he was taller than his dad now. (He must have gotten his height from his mother.)

"You can be a bit forgetful. So next time, don't forget to take off your shoes when you enter the house," he said, pointing to the dirty shoe tracks on the floor. He laughed it off, scratching the back of his head.

"And you're not stupid," his dad added, looking more serious now. "You're just a teenage boy so you're bound to do some stupid things, but that does not make you stupid, are we clear Takeshi?" he asked and Takeshi nodded. "But your grades could be a little better," he added light-heartedly.

"Go on now," pushing Takeshi away (though part of him didn't want to leave his father's warm embrace). "Or you'll be late."

. . .

Takeshi was surprised on how quickly the rumors spread about his suicide attempt. Well, in hindsight, he shouldn't be because high school students practically lived on rumors and he was one of the most popular students. But still. It was suprisingly difficult to keep the smile on his face, despite the years of practice he's had. But he had Tsuna by his side Tsuna by his side and Gokudera in tow (becuase they practically lived with in the same house and Takeshi could admit he was slightly jealous of the transfer student), so he could find it in himself to smile despite the vicious words tossed about. because they practically lived in the same house.

"Ow, I think I broke my pinky. I think I'm going to kill myself because of the pain, like Yamamoto-san." Sniggers followed and Takeshi just smiled as he passed by them.

"Can you believe it? I mean, Yamamoto-san isn't the top student, but really, to be stupid enough to kill yourself for baseball, of all things?" And her loud whisper (at least he thought it was supposed to be a whisper, unless she meant for him to hear it) was followed by more whispered replies and comments. And Takeshi smiled as he passed by them.

"Hey Yamamoto! Did your baseball gods tell you to jump because you weren't good enough for them?" one of his clubmates asked him, stopping his attempt to pass him by.

Takeshi kept a smile on his face as Tsuna stiffened at his words, while Gokudera gave them all a stink eye. He didn't know how to answer to Arai-senpai. The older teen didn't believe in his gods and there was nothing else he could do to convince him otherwise. Besides, he has been mocking Takeshi ever since he has joined the club. So this was nothing new to him.

(Though it didn't make it any less painful to listen to his words.)

"Shut up," a quiet mutter came from his side. He looked down to see Tsuna practically glaring at Arai-senpai.

"What did you say, Dame-Tsuna?" he sneered and Takeshi his smile felt more strained that usual. To his side, Gokudera bristled like a cat. (And he knew if Mochida and Sasagawa-senpai were around, they wouldn't be pleased with Arai, too.)

"I said shut up," he repeated a little louder, catching everyone's attention because they've never head him speak up louder than a whisper without a stutter.

"Who are you to talk back to your betters, Dame-Tsuna?" one of the upperclassmen answered back, moving closer to loom over Tsuna, who didn't back down like usual. Instead, he focused on Arai, who seemed shocked at Tsuna's words and resolution.

(Takeshi knew how he felt. He didn't stand a chance when Tsuna looked at him, orange eyes reflecting the burning resolve of his soul.)

"Oi, brat. I'm talking to you," the upperclassman yanked onto Tsuna's arms, which put the little guy off-balance.

"Hey, what are you doing, Kaito?" Mochida gruffly asked, pushing himself through the crowd that was forming around them.

"LET GO OF SAWADA TO THE EXTREME!" Sasagawa-senpai shouted, following Mochida as usual.

"Che. Since when did you become one of Sawada's lapdogs, Mochida-buchou?" Kaito answered back and Mochida reeled back as if he was struck.

"I'm no one's lapdog, Kaito," he answered back darkly, taking a step forward to the suddenly trembling upperclassman. "But what I am your captain, and do you really want to anger the one who assigns your training regimen?"

(And Takeshi noticed that he didn't even glance back at Tsuna at all, much to his surprise, because the upperclassman was just as overprotective as Sasagawa-senpai, if not more.)

"I said let go of Sawada to the extreme," Sasagawa-senpai said, which was weird and chilling because's never heard of the Boxing Club Captain lower his voice. Everyone in the vicinity were also giving him weird and fearful looks.

Kaito practically tossed Tsuna to Sasagawa-senpai, who caught the tiny brunet easily. Takeshi and Gokudera rushed to Tsuna's side.

"You're all so pathetic, siding with Dame-Tsuna of all people," Kaito sneered.

"Listen here, you motherfucking piece of shit-" Gokudera swore as soon as he noticed the bruise on Tsuna's arm. Takeshi himself was about to do something worse than words, but both of them were interrupted by Hibari.

"Herbivores. I will bite you all to death for loitering and crowding."

In an instant, everyone scattered in vain hopes to avoid Hibari's wrath. Takeshi found himself being dragged away by Tsuna, with Gokudera and Sasagawa-senpai in tow.

(And part of him wondered where was Mochida?)

. . .

"Do you know what you're doing here, Yamamoto-kun?" Yuriko-sensei asked him as soon as arrived in her office. After successfully escaping Hibari's punishment because of Tsuna and his amazing ninja skills (who knew there were secret passageways in school?), he was called into the counselor's office.

"Um, my grades?" Takeshi answered because that was the reason he was called to the counselor's office the last time.

Yuriko-sensei shook her head, gently smiling at Takeshi. "Not this time. Any other guesses?"

"Was it becasue of yesterday?" he asked in reply and she tilted her head.

"What about yesterday, Yamamoto-kun?" she asked. She always asked questions and he was getting tired in answering them because they took so long. He just wanted to eat lunch with his friends.

(And wasn't that exciting to think that he had friends to share lunch with?)

"I was forgetful and stupid. I didn't really want to kill myself. Well, I did, but that's over and done with. Can I go now?" he answered rather impatiently, though he kept a smile on his face.

"Not yet, Yamamoto-kun. Suicide is usually the "solution" to an underlying problem," she said, using her fingers to quote the word. He didn't think suicide was the answer to any problem, either. (He knew that now.)

"And as your guidance counselor, I would like to help all students with their problems."

Takeshi wanted to say that the didn't have any problems anymore. He had friends who stuck by him, a dad who loved him, and when his arm healed up, he'd have baseball back.

But then he realized he knew someone else with problems.

"Do you help Tsuna?" he asked. She seemed taken aback by his question.

"What brought this on, Yamamoto-kun?"

"Well, you said that you'd like to help all the students with their problems. And Tsuna has a lot of those," he said, shrugging.

"Well," she started off, actually thinking of what she had to say next. "I cannot help those who cannot help themselves."

He dropped his smile and glared at the counselor, who looked shocked at his reaction. "Well, if no one's around to help him, how could he help himself?"

Before the counselor could answer, there were explosions outisde, followed by Sasagawa-senpai's shout of "WAIT UP, SAWADA!"

He couldn't help but smile as he got up, ignoring the counselor's cries for him to sit down.

"Where are you going, Yamamoto-kun?" she asked, getting up.

"Helping out Tsuna. Because no one else will."

After the Fall - end.

okay. i dunno. i'm sorta pleased with this chapter but i think something's off? or that's just me. ah well. since it's christmas break, i'll probably update this fic every wednesday/thursday and sunday. x3

also, since i feel that kintsukuroi will be reaching 450 soon, which means another interlude, i'd like to ask whose chapter would you like to read: hibari or gokudera? i haven't decided on which one i would write and since interludes are mainly my way of saying thanks for the reviews, i'd like to know what you'd like to read.

to Guest (no. 1), thanks for your review. and honestly, that is a hilarious image. and with harry being the master of death and all, it would make them very very nervous. xDDD

to Guest (no. 2), thanks for your review as well. and yes, it was an extreme version of trust fall. but then, why settle for something ordinary when you can do it to the extreme?

to Boredomkills, thanks for your review. x3 and i'm glad to know that you enjoyed the whole fic so far. x3 hope you'll enjoy the rest of it. hahaha.

to Benedark, thank you very much for your kind words. x3 i honestly don't know how else to respond to your very high praise of my writing skills, other than thank you very much. and i sincerely hope you'll enjoy the rest of the fic.

to KK, as always, thank you for your review. x3 and i'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. and i like delving into characters and their thoughts and attitudes. and i don't see why gokudera would stop being so prickly and mean just because he is now loyal to tsuna. and well, his sudden change in attitude towards tsuna was probably because of tsuna practically sacrificing his own life to save gokudera's. no one else would do that for him, add to that tsuna's position as the vongola decimo/heir to the vongola, and that's a good recipe for undying loyalty with a need to keep tsuna happy because he's desperate for acceptance and tsuna was more powerful than him in terms of political power and influence. so he had to keep his boss happy, and that probably meant smoothing out his edges. also, it was only the start of khr, so the author probably didn't know how to characterize the characters yet? not judging her of course, because i often face the same trouble while writing. and i don't get how's that going to be corny? O.o

to Guest (no. 3), thanks for your review. and yes. that's my plan for this fic. and tsuna himself would be more violently protective over his friends as well. (spoilers? x3) and i believe canon tsuna is a fluffy kitten as well, it was just not fleshed out in canon. and yes. yes. yes. his enemies will go down even harder. x3

to kim, thank you for pointing that out. and i'm so sorry for the trouble it caused.

to the reviewers i haven't answered yet, i'll get to you as soon as i get some sleep. x3 so i hope you guys enjoy this chapter and look forward to the next one on sunday! x3