"I will find a place in your heart." 7/?
Title: "I will find a place in your heart."
Series: Katekyo Hitman REBORN!
Pairing: TYL!8059; TYL!Yamamoto x Gokudera
Rating: PG13-R
Date: Written today
Status: multi, on-going
And So... Ten Years Later, only now. Up on the rooftop, Yamamoto made a declaration, and hopefully it still stands today. (Even though it hasn't happened yet.)
Notes: Yeah, so. That... last KHR chapter of the manga. How... 'bout them apples. FFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU............................... Well. Good thing I never knew what was going on in this.
Chapter 7: Like Fine Wine
"Quit splashing, you got water in my eyes!"
"Perhaps you should invest in a pair of goggles, I-Pin, rather than ruining everyone's fun?"
"EXTREMECANNONBALLTOTHELIM--" Splash, glub glub glub.
Gokudera was quite the trooper, ignoring all of the ruckus going on in the pool behind his table. He shuffled the papers in his hands, grumbling to himself about the size of the underground training hall on the blueprints. No, it should be bigger, and reinforced to make it more resistant to explosions--from the inside. He jotted down a note about it, before checking his watch. Ten minutes had passed. It was time for another public service announcement, he decided, and turned over his shoulder to yell at the swimmers. "Lawn-head, quit trying to teach them how to belly flop! Or you'll be cleaning Lambo's puke out of the pool this time!" Ryohei's extreme come-backs were ignored, Gokudera focusing back on the papers.
The Tenth had asked him to give the blueprints a look-over with his scrutinizing eye and Gokudera--as it was whenever he was entrusted with a task from the Tenth--poured his whole being into it. This was going on hour number seven, and he had finally decided it was time to go outside and get some air. With the blueprints, of course.
"Gokudera-san, may I join you?"
The Storm Guardian glanced up, midday sun blurring his vision for just a moment; Chrome was standing beside the table, a drink in her slender hands. She was smiling at him expectantly; Gokudera knew that--unlike the other guardians--if he told her to scram, she would. That made it somewhat harder to tell her such, for some reason. Chrome could be polite to a fault. The man shrugged, returning to his task. "Sure, sit."
"Thank you." Chrome ducked her head under the table's umbrella, setting her drink down and sitting. Delicately, she took a sip of her beverage, waiting quietly as Gokudera wrote down notes on a legal pad in his clean scraw. Again, polite to a fault, the man knew that Chrome wouldn't speak until she was sure she wasn't interrupting the Storm Guardian's work. So it was up to him to break the silence, oddly enough. After he'd jotted down his final remark of the hour--something about putting fucking Squalo's fucking sleeping quarters incredibly fucking far away from his fucking own--Gokudera cleared his throat. It made him uneasy when people were quieter than he was. "Are you going for a swim?"
The woman shook her head, looking rather surprised that Gokudera was paying her any attention this soon. "Oh, no, it's a little too bright out for that," she said, somewhat embarrassed. "I get burned very easily. And you, Gokudera-san?"
"Well, I mean, I don't tan well by any means but--"
Chrome's laugh cut him short--she didn't often laugh, it was almost startling to the Storm Guardian. "I'm sorry! No, I meant are you going to swim?"
"Oh." Gokudera took off his glasses, setting them down on the stack of papers. "No, I'm just here to do a little work and make sure those idiots don't break the Tenth's diving board again."
"Gokudera-san is very caring."
"Hmph." He turned his attention back to the pool as Chrome finished her drink, both of them watching Ryohei and the kids silently. The Sun Guardian would duck under the water, followed by Lambo, then I-Pin. It looked like they were trying to get a human pyramid or something going on, Ryohei with Lambo on his shoulders and I-Pin on his. It wasn't working so far. "Hey, keep away from that wall," Gokudera barked. "I'm not cleaning blood and brains off this deck, you hear me!?"
Across the table, Chrome smiled behind her hand. "You always get worried about everyone, don't you? It's very nice of you, Gokudera-san; it lets us know that you're a strong right-hand man to the boss."
"Ch'," Gokudera scoffed, blaming the sun for how his face was heating up. "It would be troublesome to the Tenth if any of us were indisposed."
Chrome nodded. "I agree. You know... Yamamoto-san is leaving soon on his assignment."
"I don't care," was Gokudera's immediate response. He bit his tongue--that came out a little harsher than he'd meant it to.
The woman frowned, worry in her good eye. "Have you seen him, since I gave him that folder?"
"No. I haven't been avoiding him, if that's what you mean."
Chrome smiled at him, and was it just Gokudera or was that look of hers a little too knowing? "I didn't mean that, Gokudera-san. In any case, I did want to apologize to you for barging in on you both yesterday. It was very rude of me."
The Storm Guardian shrugged, fiddling with his glasses on the table. It had bothered him just a bit, simply because it was out of character for Chrome to do that. "The assignment couldn't wait, that's what you said."
"I'm sorry, but I lied yesterday."
The man's slim fingers stilled instantly at Chrome's confession. There was something wrong here; the Mist Guardian--this one at least--didn't lie, didn't barge into offices unannounced... "Excuse me?" Gokudera finally glanced up; he should have been suspicious, maybe even angry, but the regret--and was that pain?--etched all over Chrome's face made it impossible for him to feel that way. But then again, it was... difficult for any of the guardians to ever get angry at her.
"The mission could have waited," Chrome confessed, hands gripping at the hem of her white dress. "It's one of the utmost importance, of course, but..." Here she met the Storm Guardian's eyes, concerned reflected in her own. "But I was passing by the office and I couldn't help but overhear you both. I'm very sorry."
Gokudera started. Was she... blushing? What the hell?
"I was going to leave, take another hour before I presented Yamamoto-san with the folder, but... But I... I heard what you started to say, and I couldn't stand by any longer. Please, forgive me."
Frowning, the Storm Guardian tried to think back. What had he been saying right before she'd burst through the doors?
Takeshi, I don't de--
Oh. Oh no.
Chrome stared at him sadly, instantly recognizing the breif hurt that swept across Gokudera's face. "You were going to say that you don't deserve... him. Or something like that; am I right?" The Storm Guardian's silence was enough of an answer. "I'm sorry, I just... I couldn't let you say such an awful thing." Perhaps not even knowing she did it, the Mist Guardian's fingers reached up to brush at her eye patch. "There isn't anyone who doesn't deserve to be loved," Chrome finished quietly.
A few minutes passed, both guardians silent at the table. There was still splashing and laughter going on behind them, in another world. Nothing and everything was going through Gokudera's brain at that point. He suddenly felt removed from the whole world, like he was examining the curvature of the Earth through a magnifying glass. It made his head spin. He didn't want to deal with this. Gokudera felt the same itch in his mind, one that he felt when he wanted to run away--like he'd run away from Italy, like he'd run away from his father. It took everything, every ounce of composure for him to stay.
"You know," Chrome began cautiously, "I think you and I are very similar, Gokudera-san, if I can say so. I don't think our stories are so secret, you and I. We were both hurt by those we loved--who were supposed to love us back." She swallowed nervously. "It's hard, don't you think, to have those feelings again after going through that betrayal? I only realized my self-worth through Mukuro-sama--I think you could do the same through Yamamoto-san. He could give you what you're lacking. Please, don't push him away." Chrome wiped at her good eye quickly, scooting herself back from the table. "I'm sorry, I've said too many harsh things. Please forgive me."
"It's alright," Gokudera murmured.
Pausing, the woman bit at her lip, wondering if she should dig this sad little hole even deeper. "You know... He's leaving, within the hour. From the information Mukuro-sama had me compile in the folder, I'm not even sure when he'll be able to get back. It's bad this time, Gokudera-san. He just doesn't want you to worry, so he hides the folders from you." Slender hands turned into fists, frustrated for her friends. "It's selfish of him, isn't it?" Chrome began to walk away then, kicking herself for going too far with this. He would probably never speak to her again.
But Gokudera's voice pulled her back. It sounded like only half of itself. "He's the type of person that, even if I say no, he still won't give up."
"That's true." She didn't know if he'd hear it, but Chrome whispered: "Then perhaps it's time you say yes."
"Hello, how many for dinner?"
"Two," Yamamoto chirped to the hostess. He looked around, noticing how empty the restaurant was. "And we're on a date, so can we maybe get a table by the window? With a candle?"
The hostess stared at the two men for a beat before quickly glancing over her shoulder at the tables. "Uh, I... Please, just one moment." She scampered off.
"Don't think that I don't have any dynamite on me," Gokudera growled.
The other man smiled. "And don't think I've forgiven you yet for running off these past few months."
Gokudera didn't have anything to say to that.
"Will you both please follow me? I've gotten your places ready." The hostess lead them to a small table at the window with a tiny white candle flickering in the restaurant's low light. She handed them each a menu as they sat. "Your server will be with you in a moment."
"Thank you," the Rain Guardian smiled.
"Ch', an Italian restaurant in Japan. This should be interesting," Gokudera grumbled. Nevertheless, he reached into his suit pocket for his reading glasses, opening the menu.
The other menu on the table remained closed, however, Yamamoto just watching his dining companion. Glasses of water were set down for them, and--like always--he let Gokudera order the wine since he had no preference in any case. It all tasted like bad grape juice to Yamamoto. "You look cute with your glasses on."
It was a testament to how long they'd been doing this, when Gokudera only replied: "It's so empty that we'll probably get our food in record time."
"Haha, yeah, I'm glad I could finally come here. I'd always wanted to ask you out on a date and bring you here, back in high school." Yamamoto laughed at the look on Gokudera's face. "No, really! I was going to save up my money and everything." He nodded to the server who brought their wine.
Gokudera mumbled their order--again, Yamamoto always left the ordering of fine Italian food to the Storm Guardian--before taking a healthy swallow of the wine. As soon as the waiter left with their menus, Yamamoto asked, "What did you get me?"
"It's good, you'll like it."
"Well, I know that, you always get good stuff for me. But what is it?"
Gokudera's only elaboration was a glare.
"Haha, fine it'll be a surprise I guess."
"Why didn't you ever ask me out then?"
Yamamoto's hand paused for a second, just before reaching his own delicate wine glass. "Would you have said yes?"
"You didn't answer my question."
"And you didn't answer mine."
"Hibari."
Yamamoto started. "What?"
"Hibari is fucking staring at us." Gokudera was looking over Yamamoto, through the window, his face gone pale as his hair.
Yamamoto glanced over his shoulder, expecting at the very least a kid with a red armband and pissy glare. He got, instead, a tall man in a suit covered in cuts--with a pissy glare. "Haha, looks like our date is over, hm?" Hibari had walked up to the window, inspecting the two men as if he were simply window shopping. Yamamoto waved. Then, the Cloud Guardian made his way for the restaurant's door.
Gokudera let his head fall to his hands. "Why is he so weird?"
"Looks like his self got hit with the bazooka too," Yamamoto mused. "Oh well. Maybe Ryohei or Mukuro will show up and we can make it a double date, haha!"
"Christ, why do you say such dumb things?"
Hibari was in the restaurant now, coming towards them with the hostess flitting about nervously. "I'm sorry, he says that he knows you two...?"
Yamamoto smiled at her. "We went to school together," he explained, even as Hibari was already sliding a chair up to the window table.
"Should I call the police?" The woman glanced nervously at the newcomer. "He looks like he was mugged."
"I'm sure he'd much prefer a glass of wine, haha."
"And a steak," Hibari said. "As rare as you can legally make it."
"I'll... tell your server." With one last concerned glance at the wounded man, the hostess left them.
Gokudera growled. "You look like shit."
"And you look like queers." Hibari grabbed Yamamoto's water glass--the Rain Guardian was too busy howling with laughter to even notice--and took a long drink. The waiter came then, glancing suspiciously at Hibari, but giving him a set of silverware and a glass of his own anyway. "I'll be back." Hibari got up from his seat, telling their poor waiter to lead him to a place that he could wash up.
Gokudera glared at the other man whose body was still wracked with small chuckles. "Don't encourage him. His sense of humor is fucking awful."
"Haha, I think he's pretty funny, in a weird way." Yamamoto shrugged. "I wonder how he found us."
"Don't bother asking; he'll just say something about the smell of herbivores congregating," Gokudera said in his best Hibari impression--which wasn't very good, in any case, but still amused them both. "He looks like he was in a bad fight before he got here."
"I guess things are getting rough over there," the Rain Guardian said quietly. "I didn't expect it to all happen so fast."
"It could be days from when you were last at the base; we don't know how broken the bazooka is. For all we know, each day here could be a month there."
Yamamoto sighed; it sounded foreign, somehow, coming from his lips. "I don't like it. We still don't know where the bazooka is, or who's shooting it." Gokudera frowned; that was a serious problem, and the thought of even discussing it gave the man a headache. It was too much to even consider, like some shitty sci-fi movie. Yamamoto looked at the Storm Guardian seriously. "Hey."
"Hm? What?" Green eyes glanced over, coming out of deep thought.
"We should get that car with the gull wings and drive it eighty eight miles an hour. See what happens."
"How the hell did you graduate high school?"
"My ravishing good looks? Haha."
Hints of a grin were tugging at Gokudera's mouth. "I'm not showing up at the base with a fucking DeLorean."
"Who said anything about going to the future?" Yamamoto grinned. "I wanted to go back and take you to the big graduation dance."
"Don't think I won't hit you in public."
The waiter returned and silently set down three plates of food in front of them and refilled their wine glasses. Gokudera wasn't very hungry anymore. He knew Yamamoto was only trying to take his mind off of their shitty situation, but still... Idiot.
Yamamoto blinked as he unfolded his napkin. Had that been a fond-ish sounding sigh coming from Gokudera's side of the table?
"Who's paying for this?" The Cloud Guardian had returned also, dried blood washed from his face and hands, a few bandages here or there. Most of the blood he'd had on him earlier probably hadn't even been his own. Hibari sat down without waiting for an answer, tearing into his steak. A drop of juice nearly rolled down the man's chin, reminding Gokudera of blood dripping down a panther's jaw.
Yamamoto picked up his silverware, poking at whatever it was Gokudera had gotten him. It certainly smelled good, at least. "Gokudera has a credit card that works," he explained, taking a bite of his meal. "But maybe you could get the tip, haha."
"As long as the card isn't maxed out," the shorter man grumbled. He stared at the assortment of pasta before him--what a waste. He should at least try to eat some of it. But business first. "Why are you all cut up?"
Hibari took a sip of wine before answering, lips stained red briefly. "There was a fight with some Black Spell insect. He should be dead by now."
"You mean you weren't even done fighting him when you were switched over here?" Gokudera gripped the fork in his hand, knuckles turning white. "But what if you--I mean, he--"
"Don't confuse my younger self with the likes of yours." Hibari glanced at the Storm Guardian, unimpressed.
A glower. "What are you getting at? What's happened?"
"Well, I didn't see 'you' in the Millifore base--"
"They're in the fucking base!?"
Gokudera's outburst was ignored. "--but I did see 'him'." Here, Hibari nodded to Yamamoto. The Rain Guardian paused, forkful of food just inches from his open mouth.
"You mean during the fight?"
"He wasn't fighting. He was just laying there, his head covered in blood. If you think I look like shit, you should see him."
Gokudera felt his teeth bite into his lip, so close to drawing blood. "And where the hell am I during this clusterfuck?"
"Not with him." Hibari took another bite of steak.
"I think we're missing the important thing here," Yamamoto coughed. "Am I still alive or--"
"Of course you're still alive," Gokudera snapped. He turned back to the Cloud Guardian. "Who was it--who did that to him?"
Hibari shrugged. "That Phantom Knight worm, I suppose."
"How the hell can you be so nonchalant about all of th--"
Hibari rolled his eyes. "I'm just telling you what I saw. You should be thanking me; I saved you both from Gamma."
That effectively shut Gokudera's mouth. For a second. "What the fucking shit are we doing near Gamma!? Lal should know fucking better than that!"
"Oh, well... Thanks, Hibari." Yamamoto coughed again, reaching for his water. "But, um, I'd like to know too: What were we doing near Gamma in the first place?"
"Arguing."
"That's... not what I meant, haha."
"Arguing?" Gokudera knew he shouldn't, but he did. "What do you mean?"
"I think 'you' wanted to fight Gamma alone. Idiot," Hibari snorted. He didn't make it clear which Storm Guardian he was insulting. "Wouldn't let 'him' interfere, or something moronic like that--a stupid kitten without claws. That was days ago, though. I think that's the first time we've used the intensive care unit in a while."
Yamamoto glanced between both of the men he'd been dining with. "Hibari... That's enough."
Sharp eyes spared the Rain Guardian just a moment of their time. "He wanted to know. So I told him."
"Fuck." Gokudera pushed his plate away, but brought the bottle of wine and his glass closer. And here he'd spent the past few months thinking he couldn't loathe himself any more than he already did. Leave it to Gokudera Hayato to shatter even his own expectations.
"I'm sure they'll be fine; Ryohei's still there, and Reborn can guide them." Yamamoto looked helplessly across the table to the sulking man. "And Tsuna--don't forget he's there."
Gokudera's eyes flicked over to Hibari as he poured himself another glass of misery. "Confirmation of that, you prick?"
"Didn't see any of them dead. Plant-eater."
The plant-eater snorted softly, accepting that was about as good as he was going to get from Hibari. After another lengthy sip of wine, Gokudera's attention returned to the Rain Guardian. "How is it idiots always know the right thing to say?"
Satisfied that all was well--well as it could be--Yamamoto saw fit to return to his meal. "They don't, haha. Maybe I'm a genius after all."
Gokudera rolled his eyes, but didn't deny it.
Something completely inappropriate that didn't happen. (As far as I know.)
"Hey, maybe if we tell them its one of your birthdays, they'll sing and--"
"I will--"
"Try it and--"
"--bite you--"
"--I'll shove dynamite--"
"--until your ancestors bleed."
"--into your eye sockets."
"Haha fine! But I still want cake."
Series: Katekyo Hitman REBORN!
Pairing: TYL!8059; TYL!Yamamoto x Gokudera
Rating: PG13-R
Date: Written today
Status: multi, on-going
And So... Ten Years Later, only now. Up on the rooftop, Yamamoto made a declaration, and hopefully it still stands today. (Even though it hasn't happened yet.)
Notes: Yeah, so. That... last KHR chapter of the manga. How... 'bout them apples. FFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU............................... Well. Good thing I never knew what was going on in this.
Chapter 7: Like Fine Wine
"Quit splashing, you got water in my eyes!"
"Perhaps you should invest in a pair of goggles, I-Pin, rather than ruining everyone's fun?"
"EXTREMECANNONBALLTOTHELIM--" Splash, glub glub glub.
Gokudera was quite the trooper, ignoring all of the ruckus going on in the pool behind his table. He shuffled the papers in his hands, grumbling to himself about the size of the underground training hall on the blueprints. No, it should be bigger, and reinforced to make it more resistant to explosions--from the inside. He jotted down a note about it, before checking his watch. Ten minutes had passed. It was time for another public service announcement, he decided, and turned over his shoulder to yell at the swimmers. "Lawn-head, quit trying to teach them how to belly flop! Or you'll be cleaning Lambo's puke out of the pool this time!" Ryohei's extreme come-backs were ignored, Gokudera focusing back on the papers.
The Tenth had asked him to give the blueprints a look-over with his scrutinizing eye and Gokudera--as it was whenever he was entrusted with a task from the Tenth--poured his whole being into it. This was going on hour number seven, and he had finally decided it was time to go outside and get some air. With the blueprints, of course.
"Gokudera-san, may I join you?"
The Storm Guardian glanced up, midday sun blurring his vision for just a moment; Chrome was standing beside the table, a drink in her slender hands. She was smiling at him expectantly; Gokudera knew that--unlike the other guardians--if he told her to scram, she would. That made it somewhat harder to tell her such, for some reason. Chrome could be polite to a fault. The man shrugged, returning to his task. "Sure, sit."
"Thank you." Chrome ducked her head under the table's umbrella, setting her drink down and sitting. Delicately, she took a sip of her beverage, waiting quietly as Gokudera wrote down notes on a legal pad in his clean scraw. Again, polite to a fault, the man knew that Chrome wouldn't speak until she was sure she wasn't interrupting the Storm Guardian's work. So it was up to him to break the silence, oddly enough. After he'd jotted down his final remark of the hour--something about putting fucking Squalo's fucking sleeping quarters incredibly fucking far away from his fucking own--Gokudera cleared his throat. It made him uneasy when people were quieter than he was. "Are you going for a swim?"
The woman shook her head, looking rather surprised that Gokudera was paying her any attention this soon. "Oh, no, it's a little too bright out for that," she said, somewhat embarrassed. "I get burned very easily. And you, Gokudera-san?"
"Well, I mean, I don't tan well by any means but--"
Chrome's laugh cut him short--she didn't often laugh, it was almost startling to the Storm Guardian. "I'm sorry! No, I meant are you going to swim?"
"Oh." Gokudera took off his glasses, setting them down on the stack of papers. "No, I'm just here to do a little work and make sure those idiots don't break the Tenth's diving board again."
"Gokudera-san is very caring."
"Hmph." He turned his attention back to the pool as Chrome finished her drink, both of them watching Ryohei and the kids silently. The Sun Guardian would duck under the water, followed by Lambo, then I-Pin. It looked like they were trying to get a human pyramid or something going on, Ryohei with Lambo on his shoulders and I-Pin on his. It wasn't working so far. "Hey, keep away from that wall," Gokudera barked. "I'm not cleaning blood and brains off this deck, you hear me!?"
Across the table, Chrome smiled behind her hand. "You always get worried about everyone, don't you? It's very nice of you, Gokudera-san; it lets us know that you're a strong right-hand man to the boss."
"Ch'," Gokudera scoffed, blaming the sun for how his face was heating up. "It would be troublesome to the Tenth if any of us were indisposed."
Chrome nodded. "I agree. You know... Yamamoto-san is leaving soon on his assignment."
"I don't care," was Gokudera's immediate response. He bit his tongue--that came out a little harsher than he'd meant it to.
The woman frowned, worry in her good eye. "Have you seen him, since I gave him that folder?"
"No. I haven't been avoiding him, if that's what you mean."
Chrome smiled at him, and was it just Gokudera or was that look of hers a little too knowing? "I didn't mean that, Gokudera-san. In any case, I did want to apologize to you for barging in on you both yesterday. It was very rude of me."
The Storm Guardian shrugged, fiddling with his glasses on the table. It had bothered him just a bit, simply because it was out of character for Chrome to do that. "The assignment couldn't wait, that's what you said."
"I'm sorry, but I lied yesterday."
The man's slim fingers stilled instantly at Chrome's confession. There was something wrong here; the Mist Guardian--this one at least--didn't lie, didn't barge into offices unannounced... "Excuse me?" Gokudera finally glanced up; he should have been suspicious, maybe even angry, but the regret--and was that pain?--etched all over Chrome's face made it impossible for him to feel that way. But then again, it was... difficult for any of the guardians to ever get angry at her.
"The mission could have waited," Chrome confessed, hands gripping at the hem of her white dress. "It's one of the utmost importance, of course, but..." Here she met the Storm Guardian's eyes, concerned reflected in her own. "But I was passing by the office and I couldn't help but overhear you both. I'm very sorry."
Gokudera started. Was she... blushing? What the hell?
"I was going to leave, take another hour before I presented Yamamoto-san with the folder, but... But I... I heard what you started to say, and I couldn't stand by any longer. Please, forgive me."
Frowning, the Storm Guardian tried to think back. What had he been saying right before she'd burst through the doors?
Takeshi, I don't de--
Oh. Oh no.
Chrome stared at him sadly, instantly recognizing the breif hurt that swept across Gokudera's face. "You were going to say that you don't deserve... him. Or something like that; am I right?" The Storm Guardian's silence was enough of an answer. "I'm sorry, I just... I couldn't let you say such an awful thing." Perhaps not even knowing she did it, the Mist Guardian's fingers reached up to brush at her eye patch. "There isn't anyone who doesn't deserve to be loved," Chrome finished quietly.
A few minutes passed, both guardians silent at the table. There was still splashing and laughter going on behind them, in another world. Nothing and everything was going through Gokudera's brain at that point. He suddenly felt removed from the whole world, like he was examining the curvature of the Earth through a magnifying glass. It made his head spin. He didn't want to deal with this. Gokudera felt the same itch in his mind, one that he felt when he wanted to run away--like he'd run away from Italy, like he'd run away from his father. It took everything, every ounce of composure for him to stay.
"You know," Chrome began cautiously, "I think you and I are very similar, Gokudera-san, if I can say so. I don't think our stories are so secret, you and I. We were both hurt by those we loved--who were supposed to love us back." She swallowed nervously. "It's hard, don't you think, to have those feelings again after going through that betrayal? I only realized my self-worth through Mukuro-sama--I think you could do the same through Yamamoto-san. He could give you what you're lacking. Please, don't push him away." Chrome wiped at her good eye quickly, scooting herself back from the table. "I'm sorry, I've said too many harsh things. Please forgive me."
"It's alright," Gokudera murmured.
Pausing, the woman bit at her lip, wondering if she should dig this sad little hole even deeper. "You know... He's leaving, within the hour. From the information Mukuro-sama had me compile in the folder, I'm not even sure when he'll be able to get back. It's bad this time, Gokudera-san. He just doesn't want you to worry, so he hides the folders from you." Slender hands turned into fists, frustrated for her friends. "It's selfish of him, isn't it?" Chrome began to walk away then, kicking herself for going too far with this. He would probably never speak to her again.
But Gokudera's voice pulled her back. It sounded like only half of itself. "He's the type of person that, even if I say no, he still won't give up."
"That's true." She didn't know if he'd hear it, but Chrome whispered: "Then perhaps it's time you say yes."
"Hello, how many for dinner?"
"Two," Yamamoto chirped to the hostess. He looked around, noticing how empty the restaurant was. "And we're on a date, so can we maybe get a table by the window? With a candle?"
The hostess stared at the two men for a beat before quickly glancing over her shoulder at the tables. "Uh, I... Please, just one moment." She scampered off.
"Don't think that I don't have any dynamite on me," Gokudera growled.
The other man smiled. "And don't think I've forgiven you yet for running off these past few months."
Gokudera didn't have anything to say to that.
"Will you both please follow me? I've gotten your places ready." The hostess lead them to a small table at the window with a tiny white candle flickering in the restaurant's low light. She handed them each a menu as they sat. "Your server will be with you in a moment."
"Thank you," the Rain Guardian smiled.
"Ch', an Italian restaurant in Japan. This should be interesting," Gokudera grumbled. Nevertheless, he reached into his suit pocket for his reading glasses, opening the menu.
The other menu on the table remained closed, however, Yamamoto just watching his dining companion. Glasses of water were set down for them, and--like always--he let Gokudera order the wine since he had no preference in any case. It all tasted like bad grape juice to Yamamoto. "You look cute with your glasses on."
It was a testament to how long they'd been doing this, when Gokudera only replied: "It's so empty that we'll probably get our food in record time."
"Haha, yeah, I'm glad I could finally come here. I'd always wanted to ask you out on a date and bring you here, back in high school." Yamamoto laughed at the look on Gokudera's face. "No, really! I was going to save up my money and everything." He nodded to the server who brought their wine.
Gokudera mumbled their order--again, Yamamoto always left the ordering of fine Italian food to the Storm Guardian--before taking a healthy swallow of the wine. As soon as the waiter left with their menus, Yamamoto asked, "What did you get me?"
"It's good, you'll like it."
"Well, I know that, you always get good stuff for me. But what is it?"
Gokudera's only elaboration was a glare.
"Haha, fine it'll be a surprise I guess."
"Why didn't you ever ask me out then?"
Yamamoto's hand paused for a second, just before reaching his own delicate wine glass. "Would you have said yes?"
"You didn't answer my question."
"And you didn't answer mine."
"Hibari."
Yamamoto started. "What?"
"Hibari is fucking staring at us." Gokudera was looking over Yamamoto, through the window, his face gone pale as his hair.
Yamamoto glanced over his shoulder, expecting at the very least a kid with a red armband and pissy glare. He got, instead, a tall man in a suit covered in cuts--with a pissy glare. "Haha, looks like our date is over, hm?" Hibari had walked up to the window, inspecting the two men as if he were simply window shopping. Yamamoto waved. Then, the Cloud Guardian made his way for the restaurant's door.
Gokudera let his head fall to his hands. "Why is he so weird?"
"Looks like his self got hit with the bazooka too," Yamamoto mused. "Oh well. Maybe Ryohei or Mukuro will show up and we can make it a double date, haha!"
"Christ, why do you say such dumb things?"
Hibari was in the restaurant now, coming towards them with the hostess flitting about nervously. "I'm sorry, he says that he knows you two...?"
Yamamoto smiled at her. "We went to school together," he explained, even as Hibari was already sliding a chair up to the window table.
"Should I call the police?" The woman glanced nervously at the newcomer. "He looks like he was mugged."
"I'm sure he'd much prefer a glass of wine, haha."
"And a steak," Hibari said. "As rare as you can legally make it."
"I'll... tell your server." With one last concerned glance at the wounded man, the hostess left them.
Gokudera growled. "You look like shit."
"And you look like queers." Hibari grabbed Yamamoto's water glass--the Rain Guardian was too busy howling with laughter to even notice--and took a long drink. The waiter came then, glancing suspiciously at Hibari, but giving him a set of silverware and a glass of his own anyway. "I'll be back." Hibari got up from his seat, telling their poor waiter to lead him to a place that he could wash up.
Gokudera glared at the other man whose body was still wracked with small chuckles. "Don't encourage him. His sense of humor is fucking awful."
"Haha, I think he's pretty funny, in a weird way." Yamamoto shrugged. "I wonder how he found us."
"Don't bother asking; he'll just say something about the smell of herbivores congregating," Gokudera said in his best Hibari impression--which wasn't very good, in any case, but still amused them both. "He looks like he was in a bad fight before he got here."
"I guess things are getting rough over there," the Rain Guardian said quietly. "I didn't expect it to all happen so fast."
"It could be days from when you were last at the base; we don't know how broken the bazooka is. For all we know, each day here could be a month there."
Yamamoto sighed; it sounded foreign, somehow, coming from his lips. "I don't like it. We still don't know where the bazooka is, or who's shooting it." Gokudera frowned; that was a serious problem, and the thought of even discussing it gave the man a headache. It was too much to even consider, like some shitty sci-fi movie. Yamamoto looked at the Storm Guardian seriously. "Hey."
"Hm? What?" Green eyes glanced over, coming out of deep thought.
"We should get that car with the gull wings and drive it eighty eight miles an hour. See what happens."
"How the hell did you graduate high school?"
"My ravishing good looks? Haha."
Hints of a grin were tugging at Gokudera's mouth. "I'm not showing up at the base with a fucking DeLorean."
"Who said anything about going to the future?" Yamamoto grinned. "I wanted to go back and take you to the big graduation dance."
"Don't think I won't hit you in public."
The waiter returned and silently set down three plates of food in front of them and refilled their wine glasses. Gokudera wasn't very hungry anymore. He knew Yamamoto was only trying to take his mind off of their shitty situation, but still... Idiot.
Yamamoto blinked as he unfolded his napkin. Had that been a fond-ish sounding sigh coming from Gokudera's side of the table?
"Who's paying for this?" The Cloud Guardian had returned also, dried blood washed from his face and hands, a few bandages here or there. Most of the blood he'd had on him earlier probably hadn't even been his own. Hibari sat down without waiting for an answer, tearing into his steak. A drop of juice nearly rolled down the man's chin, reminding Gokudera of blood dripping down a panther's jaw.
Yamamoto picked up his silverware, poking at whatever it was Gokudera had gotten him. It certainly smelled good, at least. "Gokudera has a credit card that works," he explained, taking a bite of his meal. "But maybe you could get the tip, haha."
"As long as the card isn't maxed out," the shorter man grumbled. He stared at the assortment of pasta before him--what a waste. He should at least try to eat some of it. But business first. "Why are you all cut up?"
Hibari took a sip of wine before answering, lips stained red briefly. "There was a fight with some Black Spell insect. He should be dead by now."
"You mean you weren't even done fighting him when you were switched over here?" Gokudera gripped the fork in his hand, knuckles turning white. "But what if you--I mean, he--"
"Don't confuse my younger self with the likes of yours." Hibari glanced at the Storm Guardian, unimpressed.
A glower. "What are you getting at? What's happened?"
"Well, I didn't see 'you' in the Millifore base--"
"They're in the fucking base!?"
Gokudera's outburst was ignored. "--but I did see 'him'." Here, Hibari nodded to Yamamoto. The Rain Guardian paused, forkful of food just inches from his open mouth.
"You mean during the fight?"
"He wasn't fighting. He was just laying there, his head covered in blood. If you think I look like shit, you should see him."
Gokudera felt his teeth bite into his lip, so close to drawing blood. "And where the hell am I during this clusterfuck?"
"Not with him." Hibari took another bite of steak.
"I think we're missing the important thing here," Yamamoto coughed. "Am I still alive or--"
"Of course you're still alive," Gokudera snapped. He turned back to the Cloud Guardian. "Who was it--who did that to him?"
Hibari shrugged. "That Phantom Knight worm, I suppose."
"How the hell can you be so nonchalant about all of th--"
Hibari rolled his eyes. "I'm just telling you what I saw. You should be thanking me; I saved you both from Gamma."
That effectively shut Gokudera's mouth. For a second. "What the fucking shit are we doing near Gamma!? Lal should know fucking better than that!"
"Oh, well... Thanks, Hibari." Yamamoto coughed again, reaching for his water. "But, um, I'd like to know too: What were we doing near Gamma in the first place?"
"Arguing."
"That's... not what I meant, haha."
"Arguing?" Gokudera knew he shouldn't, but he did. "What do you mean?"
"I think 'you' wanted to fight Gamma alone. Idiot," Hibari snorted. He didn't make it clear which Storm Guardian he was insulting. "Wouldn't let 'him' interfere, or something moronic like that--a stupid kitten without claws. That was days ago, though. I think that's the first time we've used the intensive care unit in a while."
Yamamoto glanced between both of the men he'd been dining with. "Hibari... That's enough."
Sharp eyes spared the Rain Guardian just a moment of their time. "He wanted to know. So I told him."
"Fuck." Gokudera pushed his plate away, but brought the bottle of wine and his glass closer. And here he'd spent the past few months thinking he couldn't loathe himself any more than he already did. Leave it to Gokudera Hayato to shatter even his own expectations.
"I'm sure they'll be fine; Ryohei's still there, and Reborn can guide them." Yamamoto looked helplessly across the table to the sulking man. "And Tsuna--don't forget he's there."
Gokudera's eyes flicked over to Hibari as he poured himself another glass of misery. "Confirmation of that, you prick?"
"Didn't see any of them dead. Plant-eater."
The plant-eater snorted softly, accepting that was about as good as he was going to get from Hibari. After another lengthy sip of wine, Gokudera's attention returned to the Rain Guardian. "How is it idiots always know the right thing to say?"
Satisfied that all was well--well as it could be--Yamamoto saw fit to return to his meal. "They don't, haha. Maybe I'm a genius after all."
Gokudera rolled his eyes, but didn't deny it.
Something completely inappropriate that didn't happen. (As far as I know.)
"Hey, maybe if we tell them its one of your birthdays, they'll sing and--"
"I will--"
"Try it and--"
"--bite you--"
"--I'll shove dynamite--"
"--until your ancestors bleed."
"--into your eye sockets."
"Haha fine! But I still want cake."