I got a sweet review and actually had some time for myself today, so I decided to finish up the chapter~

When Gokudera headed to school the next day he was not expecting to see Takeuchi waiting by the gates. Yamamoto must have told him that he usually spent first period in the library. He decided to ignore the baseball player and veered his bike to the side. Takeuchi was not having any of it, however, and stepped in front of him, expression unmoving and eyes fixed on his.
"I was hoping we could talk."
"Fine." Gokudera grumbled as he leapt off his bike and gave the other youth a weary look. He was not in the mood for whatever crap he was going to have forced onto him.
"I talked with Yamamoto about it yesterday." Takeuchi said as they started walking towards a more secluded area. Gokudera sighed, having figured as much already. It was not hard to imagine Yamamoto's beaming smile and eagerness to talk, to share it with someone. Nor was imagining the sag of his shoulders and the way the mirth slipped from his eyes as the curve of his lips no longer stretched all the way.

Glaring at the other, Gokudera steeled himself for what he would see and almost ended up tripping on his bike. Takeuchi was acting completely at ease. The young man was facing forward, back straight and gaze firm. Gokudera on the other hand was curling into himself, hunching over his poor excuse of a vehicle. Any moment now and that calm countenance would twist into disgust. He clenched his fists around the bike handle, fingers whitening from the force. If he as much dared to suggest that they-
"I wasn't expecting him to be so happy about it. Like how do you even get happier than he usually is?" Takeuchi laughed out the question, causing Gokudera to let out an unintelligent squawk in surprise. This conversation was definitely not going in the direction he had anticipated. "Anyway, I figured that if he's so happy about it, would it really be that bad if people knew?"
"Of course!" the Italian snapped at him, shoulders squaring protectively around him. Takeuchi frowned, voice rising with an irritated edge as he spoke again.
"Do you care that much about your stupid reputation?" he spat out.
"My reputation?!" Gokudera snarled and pushed away his bike, stomping over to the other male. Once he got close enough he grabbed the front of Takeuchi's shirt and pulled him down so that he could glare at him properly. "It's not my reputation I'm fucking worried about!"
"Uh." Takeuchi blinked at him in surprise, whatever argument he was about to deliver dying in his throat. Then, upon realizing that he was still holding onto the other's shirt, Gokudera quickly let go and took a few stumbling steps backwards.

After a few moments of awkward silence and neither youth daring to look at each other, Takeuchi spoke again.
"You know…" His voice was soft, almost mellow. "Yamamoto doesn't care. His reputation is the last thing he'd care about."
"I know." Gokudera mumbled, eyes fixed on his shoelaces as he shuffled his feet. Of course he knew. Anyone who was the slightest familiar with Yamamoto would know that it was the last thing he would think about. And he should not have to. It would not be fair if Yamamoto of all people had to even consider it for a second.
"And even if people mind, it's not like he still wouldn't be popular with that overly friendly personality of his." They both chuckled at this, eyes meeting and Takeuchi offered a small smile.
"It's not what the school thinks…" Gokudera began, pale fingers pinching the bridge of his nose as he tipped his head back, sighing deeply. "It's the team, okay? I worry about that stupid team of yours."

Gokudera had never voiced these thoughts before and now they hung heavily in the air, more real and foreboding than they had been in the corners of his mind. What would he do if Yamamoto was no longer allowed to play? If he was shunned by those he viewed as his comrades, those he practically bled for? Although he doubted he would do something as foolishly rash as back then, he still remembered back in middle school, when Yamamoto had faced the possibility of never playing again.

Yamamoto would always undermine the importance of baseball for him, but there was no way for Gokudera not to notice. How could he not when he saw the way his eyes would glisten, the unconscious curve of his mouth and heard the boundless laughter dancing in his chest?

How could he possibly claim that happiness from him, rip it out of his gentle hands and tear it into despair?

At times he could understand why Yamamoto wanted it to be known and he wished for it too. To be able to walk beside each other without the tension of maybe being seen, to be able to have lunch together without minding the glances or harsh whispers, for Yamamoto to be able to talk with his friends without twisting the words in his mouth.

Yamamoto might not realize the overhanging threat himself, but Gokudera was no fool. And as long as he could ensure that Yamamoto remained within that bubble of endless mirth, Gokudera would stifle his own desire.

"Does Yamamoto enjoy this?" Gokudera looked up in surprise, Takeuchi completely forgotten in the midst of his inner turmoil. Realizing that he had not been listening, the baseball player let out a frustrated sigh and made a sweeping gesture with his hands. "This! You fretting on your own and making his decisions for him!"
"I'm not-!" No. The words died in his mouth as Gokudera met the other's harsh glare, a cold sensation settling in his gut as he realized that whatever words had been about to cross his lips would have been a lie. No. The sudden awareness left tremors in its wake and Gokudera flinched back from Takeuchi. No. He was acting just like that man had done throughout his childhood. The same behavior that had turned shiny-eyed wonder into scorn and had led him to shed off his past, to abandon his sister and the one he could no longer call his father.
"Whoa! Are you alright?" hesitant hands touched his shoulders. Gently they steered him to the side and pushed him down, dirt whirling into the air as his legs made contact with the ground.

Something cold and dripping with condensation was pressed into his hands before Takeuchi flopped down beside him. Gokudera blinked at the can of coffee he had been handed. He had not even noticed that the other had left.
"Look. I'm not going to pry and I'm not good with words, but you and Yamamoto got to talk." Takeuchi gave him a friendly pat on the back and stretched out in the grass. "Whatever this is, you shouldn't just try to tackle it on your own. Yamamoto is strong and he cares about you."
"I know." But he should not have to endure that because of me. Takeuchi nudged him with his foot, presumably to get his attention, and Gokudera turned around to watch him. Determined eyes met his and for a moment they simply looked at each other. Then Takeuchi shook his head and let it fall back to the ground.
"Just think about what Yamamoto would like."

Gokudera remained seated on the ground long after Takeuchi had left him. He was probably missing second period by now. Playing with the grass beneath his fingers he gazed out over the part of the city that was visible from where he was seated. The coffee had lost its chill to the smothering heat, but he still gulped it down as watched the people treading up the mountain.

Maybe Takeuchi was right. What if he was only being silly about the whole ordeal?

He lay back on the grass and closed his eyes.

Did it matter?

He could hear people walking by and the song of cicadas drowning out any other background noises.

Did the concerns of these people that belonged to another world, a world that they soon would come to abandon, matter?

He could feel the roughness of the earth below him, the moist heat enfolding his body and the faint rustle of wind along the strands of grass.

Did anything but Yamamoto's feelings matter?

No. Gokudera opened his eyes and stared at the clear sky. They had chosen this together, so why did he try to face it alone?

Pushing aside his stubbornness, he reached for his phone.

[We're lunching together] Gokudera stared at the message, thumb hovering over 'send'. Recalling his conversation with Takeuchi, he hissed a curse at himself and rewrote it.
[Let's have lunch together] he was strangely nervous as he waited for Yamamoto's reply. It was not that rare, him asking for them to meet, and was not like Yamamoto had ever said no before. Still, there was a twinge of restlessness that would not dissipate as he fiddled with his phone.
[ヽ(^o^)丿I guess you're buying so see you behind the library?] Gokudera let out a long breath. Not even a minute had passed when the reply came. Of course Yamamoto would be so eager. About to type in a simple 'yes', Gokudera once again stopped to stare at the screen. Think about what Yamamoto would like.
[No. Let's go to the cafeteria]

There should only be two chapters left now =)