Rationales [November 5th] [Gokudera, Lal] [Reborn!]
Title :: Rationales
Prompt :: November 5th, “but not without considerable regret” [31_days]
Characters/Pairing :: Gokudera, Lal; 5927 and Lal/Colonnello implied
Rating :: PG-13
Warnings :: Spoilers for TYL arc.
Wordcount :: 200
Summary :: In the beginning, he had refused to believe the woman based on absolutely nothing but sheer principle.
In the beginning, he had refused to believe the woman based on absolutely nothing but sheer principle - the Tenth could not be dead, Reborn could not be dead, the Vongola could not have fallen, his Tenth could not be dead - but when he attempted to convince Tsuna of how illogical the story seemed, it was his own brand of logic that further solidified his own denial.
If the Tenth was no longer in this world, then how was it that an older version of himself could continue to exist instead? No matter how many of his own failures were staring him blankly in the face, that was the one he could wrap his mind around the least, could not bring himself to accept at all.
But it was the woman, too, who eventually explained in terms he could finally comprehend:
I continued to live. It’s because of him that I continued living.
And he thought, hands clenched into fists at his sides, Yes.
(And at least when her eyes closed he could escape their gaze, the way a dull fire lurked behind shadows, because it suddenly all seemed far too familiar and he wanted to do nothing but look away.)
Prompt :: November 5th, “but not without considerable regret” [31_days]
Characters/Pairing :: Gokudera, Lal; 5927 and Lal/Colonnello implied
Rating :: PG-13
Warnings :: Spoilers for TYL arc.
Wordcount :: 200
Summary :: In the beginning, he had refused to believe the woman based on absolutely nothing but sheer principle.
In the beginning, he had refused to believe the woman based on absolutely nothing but sheer principle - the Tenth could not be dead, Reborn could not be dead, the Vongola could not have fallen, his Tenth could not be dead - but when he attempted to convince Tsuna of how illogical the story seemed, it was his own brand of logic that further solidified his own denial.
If the Tenth was no longer in this world, then how was it that an older version of himself could continue to exist instead? No matter how many of his own failures were staring him blankly in the face, that was the one he could wrap his mind around the least, could not bring himself to accept at all.
But it was the woman, too, who eventually explained in terms he could finally comprehend:
I continued to live. It’s because of him that I continued living.
And he thought, hands clenched into fists at his sides, Yes.
(And at least when her eyes closed he could escape their gaze, the way a dull fire lurked behind shadows, because it suddenly all seemed far too familiar and he wanted to do nothing but look away.)