Something Important

"It's one thing to be a fan of something. It's another altogether to be so interested in something- a sport for example, maybe baseball- that when the one interested in it gets hold of something, anything small- it doesn't even have to be round!- they go and forget everything else and go into serious, scary baseball mode, throwing that object at high speed at their target and in some cases doing some serious damage-"

"You're that worked up over it, huh?" Kyoko asked you sympathetically.

Your eyelid twitched. "No, not at all. Really."

"Pardon me if I don't believe you," Hana yawned, rolling her eyes. "I get the feeling that even though you're not usually one to hold a grudge, it's going to be a little while before you forgive Yamamoto for throwing your favorite bracelet off the school roof."

"Why did Yamamoto-kun do that anyway?" Kyoko wanted to know. You sighed before giving your quick explanation.

"I'd put my bracelet in its box because of some stupid rule Hibari-san came up with that has to do with no dangling jewelry at school, and I had the box[1] on me. Yamamoto-kun asked to see it, so I let him." Your teeth gritted as you finished, "I glanced away from him for one second, and the next thing I knew, the box my bracelet was in was flying off the school roof!"

Hana rolled her eyes. "See what I mean about the guys in our grade being just like monkeys?"

"At times like this, I wonder why I didn't believe you in the first place, Hana-chan." With a sigh, you leaned your chin on your hand, elbow on your desk, mumbling, "Stupid clueless cute baseball idiot…"

"… Is something the matter…?"

"Nothing, Kyoko-chan, it's nothing…"

You were determined to scour every inch of the school grounds at lunch to find your bracelet, and as soon as you were free to do so, you bolted from your seat and raced outside without a thought about your lunch. You figured that as long as you didn't look too suspicious and catch the attention of a certain cannibalistic prefect you could find it within the time allotted and without incurring physical harm.

~~:0:~~:0:~~:0:~~:0:~~

"I can't believe it!" you mourned to yourself the next day as you made your way with drooping shoulders to the school gates. "Even after all that searching, I couldn't find my bracelet!"

Yesterday you had not only not found your bracelet, you'd ripped the hem of your skirt on a random branch as you'd crawled around searching for it. You had also managed to get dirt all over yourself, scrape your knees and palms, and generally make a mess of yourself. Eventually you'd had to go home, vowing as you did so that you would search until you located the missing bracelet.

You sighed heavily, feeling a lot more down than you'd expected over the loss of a bracelet. It wasn't that the bracelet was particularly expensive, but it had been given to you by your best friends and it meant a lot to you.

< ==  < ==  < ==  < ==

You had been feeling somewhat down all week- your two closest cousins had been on a week-long cruise, and you hadn't been able to go along. Summer didn't usually mean "nothing to do," but this year it seemed that it did, because, coupled with the crippling heat of summer in the Tokyo vicinity, you had little to do and even less energy to do anything you may have been able to do.

Consequently, on their return, you were more than thrilled to see your cousins. To your joy, they "kidnapped" you and took you to the local ice cream shop.

"We brought you a gift while on the cruise!" And a small box was placed in your hands. When you removed the cover, you found a slender silvery bracelet with two charms.

"A charm bracelet!" you exclaimed, delighted at their thoughtfulness. "Did you get this on your cruise?"

Nods from both. "And we got the charms at some of the stops along the way- we each picked out one. You can add whatever kinds of charms you like!"

The next moment you'd glomped them both. "Thank you so much!"

== >  == >  == >  == >

The loss of something important wasn't a good feeling. You had worn the bracelet so often (and surprisingly had not been caught) that you knew something was missing even when you weren't thinking about it. It was an indescribable feeling of… absence.

More than that, you felt like you'd betrayed your cousins and your friends by losing the bracelet. It ached.

"This is entirely that idiot Yamamoto-kun's fault!" you mumbled as you made your way through the school. However, you couldn't find it in you to be truly angry with the baseball-loving boy.

Well, maybe "somehow" wasn't the right word, because you knew deep down why it was that you couldn't get more than a little annoyed with Yamamoto Takeshi. After all, you'd only had a crush on him since years ago.

Your blue funk was the reason that you walked into the classroom just moments before the bell rang. To your surprise, Yamamoto waved at you as you entered from his seat in the far corner of the room.

"Hey, can I talk to you later?" he asked while you made your way to your own desk diagonal from his. Yamamoto looked a little anxious, you decided, and for him a little was a lot.

For a moment you hesitated, reluctant. Then your lips twitched up and you nodded. "That's fine with me, Yamamoto-kun."

Yamamoto relaxed and his usual grin reappeared, although it looked more relieved than normal. "Thanks! I'll see you later then!" he replied, to which you couldn't help that your smile grew.

Your eyes remained on the baseball player as he leaned back and stretched; Sawada-kun turned around in his chair with a curious look and engaged Yamamoto in conversation. 'Probably wants to know the same thing I do, or maybe what Yamamoto-kun asked me,' you thought.

Two things were predominant in your mind all through that morning's classes. 'Where is my bracelet?' was one, and predictably the other was, 'What does Yamamoto-kun want to talk to me about?' You figured that Yamamoto wanted to apologize for the other day- not that he hadn't at the time, but it was his usual "Haha! My bad!" apology, the one with his hand behind his head and that sheepish but wide grin that you'd always found so cute…

No, bad thoughts. Now was not the time to be thinking that the perpetrator of the crime of the century (in your opinion) was cute! He'd thrown your precious bracelet off the roof!

But… You bit your lip as you considered. That bracelet wasn't the only thing that was important to you. There were other things- people, specifically- who meant more than the piece of jewelry that you'd gotten as a present. Still- still, it was something that you didn't want to lose. The more you thought about it, the harder it was to focus on your English lesson and the easier it was to feel like something was missing.

This bracelet, after all, was more than just a constant in your life. It made you feel warmer as you remembered all the feelings that it contained.

< ==  < ==  < ==  < ==

"So you're looking for a charm?"

You nodded at Kyoko's question, wide grin mirroring the happiness that bubbled inside of you. "I've gotten a charm to remind me of each of my good friends, and then taken them out to get ice cream or crepes afterwards, but I haven't done so with you! So, it's your turn!" you proclaimed. "Help me pick out a cute or cool charm that you like, because what you like will remind me of you!"

It was obvious that Kyoko was more than thrilled by your offer. You'd invited her to go downtown after school with you just out of the blue that morning and at the time had only given her a mysterious smile when she'd asked what it was about. Now that you'd revealed your intentions, you snagged her arm and started dragging her down the shopping district street.

There were two places that you knew of that sold charms, so the closest was your first stop. This one happened to be sandwiched between a crepe stand and a sports store; if Kyoko chose a charm from here, you'd probably head right to the crepe shop next door.

Kyoko's choice of charms: a little kitten-shaped charm. Without second thought you made your purchase and left the shop feeling even bubblier than ever.

"What kind of crepe do you like best, Kyoko-chan?" you asked as you left the accessory-and-trinkets shop. "Chocolate, strawberry, cream, vanilla…?"

She considered. "Hmm… chocolate is always good… but I also like mixing strawberry and cream, at least if I can share them with someone else," answered Kyoko.

"Then let's do that!" you decided. "I'll get a Belgian cream and you can get a strawberry crepe and we'll split!"

"That sounds good!"

Your timing was quite impressive, you later decided, because just as you were exiting the little shop you happened to glance right, spotting a very recognizable trio walking out of the sporting goods store. "Looks like we're not the only ones enjoying the good weather," you pointed out to Kyoko, smiling as you indicated the boys. She looked in the same direction and smiled on seeing them.

"- Oh! Tsuna-kun, Gokudera-kun, and Yamamoto-kun, hello!" Kyoko called out. Tsuna turned around first; he brightened to see Kyoko and you both waving to him and his friends- although you noted with an inner smirk that he had eyes mostly for Kyoko. Adorable kid, that one.

"Oh, great," muttered Gokudera.

You rolled your eyes. "Yeah, wonderful to see you too, Mr. Cheerful."

"What are you girls doing today?" Yamamoto wanted to know. In usual contrast to Gokudera's grouchiness, he was smiling that ever-friendly smile. You grinned back.

"Picking out a charm for my bracelet." You held up your wrist to show them the item in question. "Ever since my cousins got me this charm bracelet, I let my best friends pick out a charm that they like and I buy it and wear it!"

"So… it's a way to keep your friends close?" guessed Tsuna.

You nodded, grinning as you replied, "Exactly!"

"That's pretty cool!"

"Cheh."

Obvious who said each.

Tsuna wasn't the only one to perk up when Kyoko asked you if they could join the two of you. "Fine by me, as long as Gokudera-kun doesn't touch a cigarette," you agreed with a wide smile that had a touch of mischief. "I don't want to be inhaling smoke the whole time!"

"Oi! Don't you be ordering me around, stupid woman!" And there was the expected snap back from Gokudera.

"Then go away and leave us alone," you replied. It wasn't like you were arguing or forcing him to do anything- while you didn't have a crush on Gokudera Hayato, you didn't dislike him. Well, you didn't mind him most of the time.

Right now might turn into one of those times where you just plan didn't like him, considering that Gokudera's reply was, "Not on your life!"

"Hey now, let's just relax and have a good time!" Yamamoto interceded, for once picking up on the mood and that this could become an actual argument. Your reply was to startle everyone by punching the air.

"Yamamoto-kun is right! This is no time to be angry! Come on, let's get something sweet to eat and enjoy our YOUTH!" you crowed at the top of your lungs. Kyoko and Yamamoto laughed at your antics, while Tsuna sweatdropped and Gokudera facepalmed.

This was turning out to be a great day indeed. Tasty treats, spending time with friends, getting a new charm…

(Best of all, you got to sit next to Yamamoto when everyone sat down at a table by the crepe shop.)

== >  == >  == >  == >

"So, um, what did you want to talk about?" you asked Takeshi when lunch rolled around.

"Before we do, would you care to eat lunch up together on the roof?" suggested Yamamoto. "It gets pretty loud in the classroom and the roof's a lot quieter. It'd be a lot easier to chat up there."

… Hold on. Had Yamamoto Takeshi just asked you to eat lunch with him? On the school roof no less?!

Apparently. Best not to get excited though, you told yourself. 'After all, Yamamoto-kun always eats lunch with Sawada-kun and Gokudera-kun and sometimes Sasagawa-senpai, so they'll probably be there as well.'

You got lucky; they weren't there. In fact, no one at all was on the roof, something of a surprise in itself. There wasn't even a yellow feather lying around to hint at potential danger.

Sitting down with your back to the roof fence and stretching your legs out in front of you, you looked up at the still-standing Yamamoto. "What was it you wanted to talk to me about?" you again questioned. Sometimes getting a good answer was harder than it should have been…

"About yesterday…" Yamamoto hesitated; you were just wondering if it was because he was anxious about continuing when he chose to sit right next to you rather than in front of you.

'… Was he debating whether or not to sit beside me…?' It seemed so.

He was talking again, and you had to drag your attention back to the conversation at hand. "I'd completely forgotten how much it your bracelet meant to you," Yamamoto was saying. "I heard that you spent a lot of time yesterday searching the grounds for it- is that when you tore your skirt?" he added, indicating the recently repaired minor tear in the hem.

You nodded. Yamamoto took a deep breath and continued, "I really am sorry about what happened. I didn't mean to do that… to throw your important bracelet off the roof…"

"It's okay," you replied, conflicted over why your throat felt tight. Was it sadness over your lost treasure or embarrassment that Yamamoto was saying this or some sort of happiness? Or was it something else?

Absorbed in trying to figure out your conflicted feelings, you almost missed what Yamamoto said next. In fact, it was the wide grin that was so typical of him that alerted you that he was talking and even saying something good.

"So I went looking for it yesterday, and what do you know, I found it!" he announced. And he presented to you a small box that was very familiar to you.

Your mouth fell open and your eyes widened in pure shock. You only vaguely registered Yamamoto laughing at your reaction as you reached tentatively for the box and removed the lid. Inside was the same purple velvet that had always cushioned the silver bracelet, and resting on top was the precious item itself.

"Thank you!" you cried in joy, clasping the bracelet and box to your chest. "Thank you so much, Yamamoto-kun!"

"It was the least I could do, right? It's my fault it got lost in the first place."

"Where was it?" you wanted to know.

Yamamoto's grin turned sheepish. "Er, by the baseball field."

Now you wanted to laugh, even as you were checking your bracelet and box for damages (of which there, miracle of miracles, were none). "You threw it that far?" you replied. "Your reputation as a baseball addict isn't for nothing!"

That had Takeshi laughing out loud. Without even realizing it, you were too.

"Oh, hey!" Yamamoto's exclamation captured your attention instantly and you looked up to see that his eyes had lit up (further). "I know you hang around to watch our baseball practices sometimes, so I thought you'd like to know- this Saturday is the first game of the District tournament. You going to come?"

Your already wide grin spread further. "I wouldn't miss it!"

"Great!"

Needless to say, the rest of your lunch period was spent in high spirits.

~~:0:~~:0:~~:0:~~:0:~~

When he thought back, he'd first seen you during baseball practice.

There were a lot of girls who liked to watch the baseball team practice after school, many of whom would come just to see their favorite guy. Yamamoto wasn't as dense as he'd been in middle school; he knew that plenty of the girls were there because he was on the team.

After about three weeks of practice into his second year of middle school, he'd begun to recognize a few faces and had even been able to pick out when someone new showed up. This was how you caught his attention- you were new.

< ==  < ==  < ==  < ==

"Yamamoto, catch!"

Takeshi grinned as he leapt for the ball, easily capturing it in his glove. Such a clear day was perfect for physical activity of any kind, although of course baseball was the best (in his opinion at least).

It certainly encouraged the girls. There were always those who showed up to watch the practices no matter the weather, but most preferred when the weather was nice. Their happy cries were louder today then they had been in a while.

"I wish that it was against the rules to stalk the baseball team like that," groaned Namimori Middle's catcher. "My eardrums are ready to break for all that shrill shrieking!"

Laughing, Yamamoto patted him on the shoulder sympathetically. "They're not hurting anyone, are they?"

"Well no, but…"

"No worries then, right?" Yamamoto waved to the cluster of girls along the fence, earning thrilled squeals from the fangirls.

Just before turning back to the field, a discrepancy of sorts caught Yamamoto's eye. At the very edge of the group stood a girl dressed quite differently from the rest of the small crowd: rather than the school uniform, she wore the tennis team's uniform [2], her (h/c) hair back in a ponytail with sunglasses perched on top of her head.

What stood out most about her was that she wasn't cheering with the same enthusiasm as the other girls but was instead observing the practice with just a sort of mild fascination. She also looked familiar to Yamamoto, although he couldn't be sure why. Perhaps they had a class together and they'd never talked?

For a moment, his hazel eyes locked with (e/c) eyes, and a weird sense of nostalgia rushed over him. What-?

"- Oi! Yamamoto! Are you there?"

"Eh?" Yamamoto turned his head to look over his shoulder at his teammate who'd hailed him. "Oh- yeah! Sorry 'bout that, my bad, haha!" he laughed. His teammates rolled their eyes while the girls on the sidelines shrieked and tittered amongst themselves.

Out of the corner of his eye, Yamamoto spotted the girl he'd noticed a moment ago walking away from the field. As she walked, she was swinging the tennis racket she'd had in a shoulder bag.

The motion made Yamamoto grin. It wasn't quite the same as a baseball bat, but it was still familiar.

== >  == >  == >  == >

"So your practices will still be going until later until after the finals?" you wanted to know. Yamamoto nodded, looking rather apologetic.

It was several weeks after "the bracelet incident," as you mentally referred to it as. A week from now would be the finals of the baseball tournament that Namimori High School's team had made it all the way to. Just like he'd done in middle school, Yamamoto had lead the team all the way to Nationals and they didn't look ready to stop anytime soon.

Before school, during lunch, after school… the baseball team was practicing at every possible opportunity. You yourself knew the pressure they were under, because the girls' tennis team had gotten all the way to the semi-finals in the Nationals earlier in the year.

This was one of the few moments you'd been able to chat one-on-one with Yamamoto in the past two weeks, given the crazy practice schedule. Considering that he'd made it almost a point to seek you out to talk since the day he'd thrown your bracelet off of the school roof, you were feeling a little lonely.

"I'm glad you stopped by to say hi again during practice," Yamamoto told you with his trademark grin. "It's always great to talk with you."

Your own grin included faintly pink cheeks. "It's nothing. Oh hey, I almost forgot- did you remember to bring your lunch today?" you questioned.

"Er… no," admitted the boy. He rubbed his head a little guiltily. "It's kinda hard to remember when I've got so much going on, after all."

"Well then…" And you proudly presented him with a specially prepared bento box.

Yamamoto's reaction only made you grin wider. As he dug into the food, however, your smile faltered, thinking as you were about what Yamamoto had actually said.

You'd never questioned what else it was that Yamamoto did aside from baseball, although you knew that it was something that involved Tsuna and Gokudera and Sasagawa-senpai and that strange baby Reborn. The only other thing you knew about it was that sometimes they would all, minus Reborn, show up at school with various injuries ranging from mild cuts to broken bones. It was more than enough to perk your curiosity, of course, but you let it be until they decided to say something about it- if ever.

It felt a little uncomfortable that it was clear that Kyoko and another friend, Haru, were in on the secret. True, you weren't part of "the group" that they had formed- but maybe you wanted to be. You were a friend- you hoped- and you wondered what it required to know their secret.

"Hey- is something up?"

"Eh?!" You jumped, startled. "Oh- no, it's nothing. My mind was just wandering a bit, that's all! Ahahaha…"

Although he didn't look entirely convinced, Yamamoto didn't press you. Instead, he just grinned and said, "You're really nice, aren't you? Making lunch for me because you figured I wouldn't get to eat, always having time to talk, going with a friend to watch a sport you aren't particularly interested in…"

"No, I'm not particularly nice or anything," you began. You paused then, eyeing the baseball addict suspiciously. "What do you mean, 'going with a friend to watch a sport I'm not particularly interested in'?" you wanted to know.

Yamamoto didn't answer you directly, and what he said surprised you. "While I don't remember the first time we met, I do remember the first time you actually caught my attention," were the words from his mouth. "I wondered what a girl from the tennis club would be doing watching the boy's baseball team when she didn't look like she wanted to be there- it was your uniform that I noticed first."

Listening to this, you gave him a funny look; it was almost like he was confessing to you, although doubtless the guy didn't intend it like that or even recognize how what he was saying sounded.

"But you know, I don't think I'd have been distracted for so long if you hadn't started walking away so- so obviously. I don't remember anything about your friend except that she tried to stop you from leaving, but I can even remember that your sunglasses were green and your tennis racket was (favorite color). Pretty weird, huh?" Yamamoto's grin stretched further.

"Um… I guess so…"

In all honesty, you were flattered. You'd not thought yourself that memorable of a person, yet here was the admittedly thick-headed Yamamoto telling you that he could clearly recall the first time he really noticed you?

… Damn.

< ==  < ==  < ==  < ==

He wasn't really sure what he was doing here… The tennis teams always practiced at the same time as the baseball team, so on this one day off from practice, Yamamoto had decided to check out what the tennis teams did.

If anyone asked, he was not here to see if he could recognize that girl from the other day.

"I can't believe you'd come to watch the tennis team practice, man," laughed his friend, who'd decided to tag along with. "I thought I had you pinned, but you've surprised me yet again!"

"I thought I'd just check it out, since the tennis team's supposed to be pretty good," answered Yamamoto with a nonchalant grin.

"Yeah, but the girls' tennis team? Is there a girl in particular you're interested in, Yamamoto?"

Yamamoto just laughed in reply. He had no honest comeback to that one.

Even from the other side of the courts, he spotted you immediately. You weren't the tallest on the team; you weren't the most impressive player. But there was something that set you apart from the rest of the team, something that made you seem to glow… something that just grabbed Yamamoto's attention.

Maybe it was because he could relate, or maybe it was because it made you look startlingly pretty, but the way you were so obviously enjoying yourself as you played fascinated him. With every swing of your racket, you grinned a wide, fierce grin that stretched across your face and scrunched up your bright and glittering (e/c) eyes. Your (h/c) hair, held up in a ponytail to keep it out of your face, whipped around when you darted around your side of the court, smacking the green tennis ball back over the net to the other team.

Yamamoto couldn't tell whether your teammate was as good as you or if she was better; he didn't even notice her until you high fived her when you scored a point. The melodic sound of your laughter ascending up in an arpeggio [3] could even be heard from where he stood. Your movements were more than just practiced; they were fluid and automatic, graceful and deliberate all at the same time.

"Yes!" you cheered as your teammate slapped you on the back. "We are SO going all the way to Nationals this year! Let's do our best, Itoe-chan!"

"We're gonna cook 'em," agreed Itoe. Meanwhile, the other team had a complaint.

"Can't you two let the third years have some spotlight?" groaned one of the girls, although she didn't look truly irritated. "Dominating us 5 games to 2 really takes a blow on our confidence!"

"Sorry 'bout that, Senpai," you chirped, again laughing. You threw your head back as the sound bubbled from within, shoulders hunching up in your amusement.

Itoe had to add her two cents as well, with the comment, "Take this as meaning that next year the girls' tennis team will be spectacular!" You two high-fived once more, before switching sides for the final game of the set.

"… OI! Yamamoto! Are you there?!"

At the sound of his friend's voice, Yamamoto started. He'd been staring and had no idea for how long he'd been distracted. "Y- yeah, of course I'm here! Ahahaha!" he laughed, rather embarrassed at having been caught gawking.

His friend gave him a funny look. "You were just staring awestruck or something… I could have sworn you were drooling."

Yamamoto's reply was cut off by exclamations from the courts. Both boys turned back to the tennis courts to see several of the girls running over to a crouching figure, her racket several feet away.

Light coffee eyes widened when Yamamoto realized that the girl with one knee on the ground was you, a hand to the side of your head. Your hand concealed your expression, although Takeshi could only assume that your features were contorted in pain. From what he could tell by the way one of the third year girls was apologizing, you'd been hit in the head by the tennis ball.

"Are you okay?" Itoe could be heard to ask in worry. "That was a hard hit…"

To everyone's surprise, you laughed, dropping your hand to reveal a reddened spot on your cheek. "No, I'm fine," you insisted. "It just caught me by surprise, honestly. I'll be okay… in a few minutes."

"What on earth distracted you, anyway?" another girl wanted to know. "You glanced away at just the wrong time."

Your eyes flicked over to where Yamamoto and his friend were standing. An amused and dry edge to your voice, you answered, "An unexpected sound. It's nothing important. Just give me a bit to recover and I'll be as good as new."

Itoe snorted, offering a hand to pull you to your feet. "Geez. All right, I'll believe you, as long as you put some ice on that for the next ten minutes. You're going to have a good bruise there, no question."

A now very sheepish Yamamoto ducked his head and spun on his heel away from the tennis courts. It was obvious that his laugh at his friend's comment had distracted you as the tennis ball had been headed in your direction; he'd have to apologize to you for that tomorrow.

== >  == >  == >  == >

You'd been looking forward to this day all week; you'd even marked it on the calendar and had been counting down the days. Yet for some reason when you woke up in the morning, you had an unpleasant feeling that something bad was looming right around the corner, that today, the day of the finals of Nationals that the baseball team had worked so hard to get to, wouldn't be as good as you'd hoped.

Maybe it was the heavy clouds that hung overhead as you walked to the bus stop. The game was to be held in a nearby town, a lot closer than you'd expected, and you planned to meet Kyoko and Hana at the school that was hosting the event.

Your cell phone sounded your favorite artist's recent hit; you flipped open the small device and placed it to your ear with a smile. "Hi!" you chirped.

"Hello! Are you on your way here?" Kyoko had something of a habit of arriving hours early to everything, so you figured she was already at the baseball field.

With a chuckle, you replied, "I'm still walking to the bus stop, Kyoko-chan. I'll be there in about twenty minutes, okay? Find us some good seats, and I hope you brought your umbrella!"

"Of course I brought my umbrella! Want me to say hi to anyone for you while I'm waiting for you? So many people showed up today from Nami-High!"

"Nah, I'm good. See you later!" You hung up, spirits lifted from the short chat with your friend. A silly grin started to make its way over your face as you pictured Yamamoto hitting a home run- no, a grand slam!- in the final inning, winning the game… And then he'd look right at you in the crowd, give that sweet grin, and give you a thumbs-up…

Something cold hit your cheek and you jumped, yanked from pleasant thoughts. "Aw man, it's starting to rain after all," you whined. Indeed, cool water was starting to drip down around you. Grimacing, you sprinted the last few meters to the bus stop to wait for the bus under the shelter, muttering to yourself, "Thank goodness I ended up bringing my umbrella after all…!"

The ominous feeling that had been prowling around surged up again. A shudder ran the length of your spine; whatever it was that was making you feel this way seemed to be right before you…

~~:0:~~:0:~~:0:~~:0:~~

"Been a while since we've had a game in the rain," commented Yamamoto brightly. Gokudera rolled his eyes.

"You sound like you're enjoying it."

"Well, why not?"

"I have never understood you, nor will I ever, Baseball Idiot."

In the short while that he had before the game was to begin, Yamamoto had left the dugout to hang out where Tsuna, Gokudera, and the rest of the Vongola Famiglia had planted themselves, in the second and third rows of bleachers right by Namimori High's baseball team's dugout. The girls had made a huge lunch (and thankfully enough Bianchi had both not helped make the meal and had worn her goggles), and everyone from the Vongola Famiglia who would come plus Hana was there with their umbrellas. But someone was missing.

Yamamoto wasn't the only one who'd noticed, either: Hana and Kyoko were also exchanging confused and borderline worried glances. "It's forty-five minutes past the time when she said she'd be here," Kyoko murmured. Haru, also there, patted her shoulder comfortingly, biting her lip.

"Considering the weather, the buses are probably driving slower than usual," Hana said confidently, although even she looked rather uncertain, as if she didn't believe her own words.

"That sort of thing wouldn't slow that woman down," scoffed Gokudera. He earned a few glares for that comment.

"Gokudera-san! Stop making things worse!" scolded Haru.

"Really, though, where could she be?" wondered Tsuna. "As long as I've known her, she's not one to be late… and she seems to really like baseball, or at least enjoys watching it. Plus she was really excited about this game…"

He and Yamamoto both missed the half knowing, half exasperated looks that most of the gathered group, minus Ryohei, exchanged. The boxing team's captain was doing one handed handstand pushups on one of the slick benches, and was too caught up in his own activity to pay any attention to what was going on.

Or not. "Where is [L/N]?!" Ryohei yelled at the top of his lungs, flipping onto his feet (and almost slipping in a puddle). "She's EXTREMELY late!!"

"Oi, Lawn head, shut the hell up!" Gokudera shouted back.

Reborn, meanwhile, pulled the brim of his fedora over his eyes. "I just hope something hasn't happened to your friend," he said in a low voice.

As for Yamamoto, his expression had become decidedly anxious. "This just seems odd," he said, almost to himself. "I would have thought it would take something drastic to keep that girl away…"

"Try calling her," suggested Bianchi.

"We did, several times," replied Kyoko. "She isn't picking up."

"Now that's not like her," Yamamoto said, his frown deepening. "As far as I know, she always answers her cell phone immediately." Now things were starting to look dark, both literally and metaphorically.

But there was no time for Takeshi to discuss this further, because the referee was calling both teams down to the field to greet each other before the game started. As if on cue, the moment Yamamoto began to turn away, Kyoko's cell phone rang.

He wanted to stay and listen with the rest. He didn't have to, because Kyoko's shriek was loud enough to hear anyway.

"At the hospital?!"

The rest of the Vongola Famiglia started talking at once, drowning out whatever Kyoko would have said next. "What do you mean, 'at the hospital'?" demanded Hana, while Tsuna was asking, "Who do you mean?" I-pin was saying something in Chinese, Lambo was laughing (plainly he had no idea what was going on), Gokudera had started swearing, Haru was telling him to shut up so she could hear, Ryohei was yelling at the top of his lungs about how he EXTREMELY wanted to know…

And no one could hear Yamamoto shouting, "Which hospital?"

It was pure luck that Kyoko looked in his direction. She either read his lips or understood what Yamamoto wanted to know, because she mouthed, "Namimori Hospital."

Not a moment later, Yamamoto had taken off, oblivious to the stares he was getting as he raced off of the baseball field. "O-oi, where're you going?!" one of his teammates yelled at him.

"Sorry, something came up!" Yamamoto shouted back, tossing a quick salute and a strained grin in the other's direction. "I'll make it up to you later!"

"Wha- Yamamoto!"

The protests fell on deaf ears; the whispers and curious looks from the crowd were ignored.

~~:0:~~:0:~~:0:~~:0:~~

You were sitting upright in the bed you'd been put in, feeling very silly and like a complete idiot. There was nothing good on the TV, there were no good books or magazines to read, you didn't have your MP3 player… and thus, boredom had long since set in.

Unexpectedly, the door to your hospital room slid open with a bang, startling you into dropping television remote you still held. Plastering a wide grin on your face, you turned to the door. "Oh hey, I was just wondering if anyone would come by sometime soon- Yamamoto-kun?!" you exclaimed on actually seeing who was there.

The boy was dripping wet and looking like he'd run through the rain to get here. His eyes showed clear concern, searching you for the reason why you were here in the hospital.

Those anxious eyes that could make you blush when they smiled came to rest on your right leg, and blinked. "Hey- what happened?" asked Yamamoto at last.

You gave a very guilty laugh as you explained, "I slipped when getting on the bus and twisted my ankle. It's just a minor fracture, nothing to worry about! It's pretty pathetic, actually…"

Before you'd even finished speaking, Yamamoto was walking across the room to practically collapse in the chair by your bed. "So that's it," he sighed, running a hand down his face. "Everyone was worried when you didn't show up at the game… I was worried, since you'd been so excited about it…"

What you didn't know, what he wasn't saying, was how afraid he'd been about how you'd taken some sort of injury. You loved tennis, after all, and even if the tennis season was over now, you still played a lot. Yamamoto knew that an injury of this sort was going to keep you from playing for a while and when he thought back to how he'd almost done something as stupid as trying to kill himself over a little injury, he feared that you'd try a ridiculous thing like that.

Of course, he should have figured that you'd be fine. It felt like a huge weight had lifted off of his shoulders when he saw how you were as fiery as ever. There was no way that something that wasn't life-threatening would get you down- come to that, even something that was life-threatening probably wouldn't do a thing to your spirit.

That spirit was what had first caught his attention, had held it, and had drawn him to you in a way he'd never expected.

"Forget me, what are you doing here?" you demanded, said spirit showing itself. "You have a game you need to be at! Why aren't you there?!"

"You weren't answering your phone and Sasagawa said you were at the hospital. So I ran here as soon as I heard."

You blinked blankly. "You ran… all the way here?" you asked in a slightly strangled voice. Not that you didn't think it wasn't possible, but shouldn't something like that have taken him a few hours? It was forty kilometers, after all… "Oh, never mind that, I just don't see why you'd skip such an important game for a reason like this!"

Yamamoto, who had relaxed, captured your (e/c) gaze with his own; multiple emotions were tumbling just under the surface of those gentle brown eyes, the most prevalent being relief and a kind of amusement. "Because there are more important things to me than baseball," he answered frankly.

You were speechless. Fortunately, Yamamoto hadn't finished talking, so you didn't have to answer.

"I'm confident that my teammates will do well even without me, so I'm not really worried about how the game will turn out. I'll always put those I care about before baseball. I'll keep you company for a while, okay?"

"I… you…" For several moments after Yamamoto fell silent, you strove to get your tongue working correctly again. At last, you exhaled a long breath and said, no trace of amusement in your voice, "I didn't answer the phone because mine got wet and busted, true, but I was the one who called Kyoko-chan to tell her that I'm okay and that I just wouldn't be able to make to the game. I used the hospital phone."

Now it was Takeshi's turn to be unable to reply. Before he could say anything about how that made him feel- probably like an idiot- you added, "But I'm more than happy to have company, and knowing you care… means a lot. Thank you, Yamamoto-kun."

He relaxed. "Good."

"Now, before you get sick at a hospital of all places, maybe you should get dried off…"

"In a minute." Yamamoto shocked you again when he bent over and pressed his lips to your forehead, lingering only a moment before leaning back again and standing, his typical smile back where it belonged.

You stared as the baseball fanatic wandered over to the towels hanging by the sink in the room, whistling to himself. Then your gaping mouth closed, and the corners of your lips tugged up. How typical of him.

< ==  < ==  < ==  < ==

"Hey, do you mind if I talk to you a minute?"

You looked up from the book you were reading to see the baseball player from the other day giving you a friendly smile. This was Yamamoto Takeshi, one of the talks of the class. Closing your book and leaning back in your desk chair, you nodded with your own smile. "Sure, what is it?"

"Er…" Yamamoto gave a sheepish laugh, ruffling his hair with the hand not held behind his back. "It's about yesterday…"

"You mean the thing with the tennis ball?" At the memory, your cheek throbbed; Itoe had been right, you now had a lovely purple bruise discoloring one side of your face. "Don't think on it, it was my fault for getting distracted like that," you replied.

Yamamoto shook his head, although he did look a little more at ease now. "I still want to let you know that I'm sorry about that… that looks painful."

"Bet you've gotten hit with baseballs harder than this," you replied jokingly. Yamamoto winced good-naturedly and laughed.

"You're right on that one! I'm Yamamoto Takeshi, by the way."

You introduced yourself as well, adding, "Nice to meet you properly for once."

Your grin almost mirrored his; it was about time you guys got formally introduced.

After all, you'd only been curious about him for the past half year…

== >  == >  == >  == >

"Go Namimori High!" you shouted, punching the air with one fist. "You guys had better win this and not make us sit on these hard benches any longer!!"

From the row in front of you, Gokudera rolled his eyes. "Is that the only reason you want them to win, so you can go home?" he said in a snarky tone. His reward was a smack on the head from one of your crutches. "Ouch! What the hell?!"

"You try sitting for hours on a metal bench when you've got a cast on your leg! It's not pleasant!" you replied, before getting distracted by the game that was still ongoing.

It was the bottom of the final inning; the score was tied and Namimori High School was up to bat with two strikes and one runner on second. It was the perfect situation for a movie, and everyone's nerves were strung taught as guitar strings, singing with every movement made on the field.

"Yamamoto's up to bat!" Tsuna cried, grinning. You yourself were smirking- you knew what was coming next. Everyone did, because it was obvious.

Yamamoto waved to the crowd as he sauntered (since when did he walk with that much swagger? That guy…) to home plate. He didn't neglect to send a grin right in your direction, which you returned, heart fluttering.

First pitch- too wide, a ball. Second- too far inside and almost hit Yamamoto, so it was also a ball. You were pretty sure that he could hit any of these pitches, but he was either being dramatic or just plain enjoying himself.

Third pitch was the charm, and everyone's breath was held as the bat connected with that sweet ping. The ball soared high and true, everyone's gaze following it to the outfield, further, all the way to the stands-!

The Namimori section of the stands exploded. A squeal of joy from both your right and left was all the warning you got before you were glomped by Haru and Kyoko. You were laughing so hard that you didn't care that your crutches fell off the bench and that you almost joined them.

The next few minutes were a blur; Nami-High's next batter struck out, but it didn't matter, the team had already won, and of course Yamamoto was a hero. He was the luckiest member of the team: if the game he'd skipped hadn't gotten rescheduled due to weather issues (specifically lightning- what had he been thinking, running through that weather?!), he'd not have been here. Then again, none of you would.

With luck, you'd be able to talk to him before he got dragged by the rest of the team to the after-game party. And lo and behold, the man of the day himself had squeezed free of his team's crushing hug-pile and was making his way up the stands to you.

You opened your mouth to congratulate him, not caring that your wide grin making your cheeks hurt. Before you could say a word, though, you'd been scooped up off the bench you'd been complaining about and found yourself spun around in the kind of embrace you'd always laughed at when you saw it in movies: Yamamoto's strong arms supported you under your knees and your back, easily holding you.

"C- careful!" you squeaked, blushing from both the close contact and how high your voice got. "Yamamoto-kun, what are you doing?!"

"Just checking to make sure you're still in one piece," was the jovial reply. "Since you get so antsy whenever the pressure is high, I wanted to be certain you'd not done something silly on that leg."

You flushed darker, hearing all-too-clearly the snickers and whispers from the teens around you. "W-well, I know better than to do anything that's going to hurt myself further! You know that!"

"I do." And Yamamoto's expression was so gentle right then that you just about melted in his arms. "It's because you have things that are important enough to you that you'll never forget them and won't act rashly. That's just one of your many good traits."

"I…"

You were set back down, still trying to sort out your thoughts. As you did, Yamamoto turned to Gokudera. "Hey, have you still got it, Gokudera?"

"Well duh I do," grumbled the silver-haired teen. He dug in his pocket for something, accidentally dropping what was clearly dynamite as he did, and at last pulled out something small. Tossing it to Yamamoto, Gokudera said, "Here, and don't you dare lose it, Baseball Idiot."

"Of course not, it's not even mine." Now Yamamoto returned his attention to you, something different about the way his lips were pulled into a crooked smile. "I took the liberty of getting this for you. I know it's not usually how you do things but, given the situation, I figured you wouldn't mind. Something for you important item, ne?"

He held out a small clear baggy, which you took with curiosity written on your open features. Your eyes widened as you saw inside the little baggy a silver charm in the shape of a baseball in front of a baseball bat.

"I couldn't find a good time to give this to you, even though it's been a few days… So I hope you like it!" Yamamoto went on cheerfully.

"Like it… yeah… I love it!" you cried, grin stretching impossibly wide. "Thank you so much!"

Yamamoto beamed back. "Great! I hoped you would, 'cause I like you too much to get you a gift you wouldn't enjoy!"

Reactions were… interesting. "Wait- what?!" you yelped. Around you, Tsuna choked and started spluttering, and while Gokudera facepalmed, the girls all squealed gleefully.

Yamamoto's expression never changed as he replied, "I really like you. I have for a while, too."

"Of all the… oh geez… how am I supposed to answer that?!" you responded, a little desperately and flushing several confused shades of red.

"However you like, of course." Takeshi leaned forward so that his forehead was touching your own and said, "But it'd really make my day if you'd say you'll be my girlfriend."

You gulped, the heat from your face surely enough to fry an egg. "Of- of course! I m-mean, I like you too, so- so yeah!"

"Great!" Yamamoto said again, grin so wide that his eyes were almost closed. Yours were closed the next moment when the young man's lips met your own in a sweet, warm kiss.

Maybe breaking your leg wasn't such a bad thing. It certainly seemed like whenever you got hurt, good things happened.

It had been a while since your list of precious things had been extended to include Yamamoto Takeshi. It had been almost as long since he'd placed higher than your charm bracelet. It had been just a week since you'd learned that you were higher on his own list than baseball.

It was doubtful you'd ever find something that would earn a higher place than him.