Title: Never Again
Word Count: 1,101
Author: The Dark Crimson Blood
Characters: Yamamoto Takeshi x Sawada Tsuna
Genres: Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Humor, Family
Summary: Takeshi's suicidal and Tsuna's miserable, one meeting is all it takes for it to change.

Tsuna was different from everyone else.

She's nicer. Always willing to help out no matter how clumsy or tired she is, and she never asks for anything in return. She doesn't have the need to prove anything to anyone; yet she holds herself far lower than anyone else. She's constantly keeping her feelings to herself and hiding away, but she's always so welcoming to others.

Though as cute and adorable as she is with her soft brown locks and her innocent brown eyes, or even that light blush on her face whenever she got embarrassed or when she stuttered shyly when talking. Yamamoto Takeshi falls in love with her personality.

She had been the only one to see past his fake smiles. She was his only real friend who never expected anything out of him and was always there whenever he wanted to be sad. She was his shoulder to cry on, and his warm embrace when he felt sad.

Tsuna was his everything.

She deserves so much more in life than what she has. She's always alone; coming to school, taking classes, eating lunch, and going home to an empty house because her mother had moved to Italy with her husband years ago. She was so alone.

If that wasn't bad enough, the other students just had to tease her. They hurt her both physically and mentally, going as far as to tell her that she'd be better off if she just died. It was harsh, and it was taking its toll on her. She's been sleeping less, eating less, and smiling less than the small amounts she normally does.

When she comes out of the bathroom or off of the roof, her eyes are always blotchy and her nose is a little red; he just knows that she's been crying, but she's too scared to share it with him. She's afraid of rejection. In her place, who wouldn't be? Yet all Takeshi wants is for her to rely on him just as much as he relies on her.

Tsuna links her hands together when she's lonely.

She sighs when she wants to give up.

She laughs when she wants to cry.

She smiles when she's sad.

Tsuna is good at hiding.

He sees through her.

On a particularly bad day, Tsuna hides herself on the roof late after school. Curled up in a little ball again, she hides her tears from the world when she thinks she's alone; but he's there. In the doorway, watching her shoulders shake as the pain of the day leaks out of her eyes and dribbles down her cheeks.

Her brown eyes shoot up the second he takes a step onto the roof; she's sitting on the ledge, and it looks as if one small gust of wind would blow her over and send her to her death. There's clear surprise in her eyes, and for a moment she freezes up as she thinks of what to do.

She wipes her tears and though she tries desperately slow to stop her sobs, she just can't. She hides her face and turns her back on him. "Something got in my eye…" She stutters; obviously trying to lie but failing horribly at it.

He sighs. Eyes furrowed and gaze lowered, he carefully walks up to her and sits down beside her. "The roof isn't the safest place to be, you know? The fence isn't so stable, and if you fall what would I do?"

"W-What do you m-mean by 'Wh-what would I d-do?"

"We're… Friends, yeah?" She nods and wipes her blotchy red eyes. "Well you're pretty important to me, and if you… died… I'd miss you too much."

"M-me?"

"Yes you. You don't realize how amazing you are, Tsuna. Always helping me when I'm down, always pushing through the day because everyone else is too stupid to realize how absolutely perfect you are."

"That… Doesn't sound like me…"

"Doesn't it? That's who you are to me." Her shoulders slump and she lowers her gaze in disbelief; as she falls silent, he can only smile at her. "You may not believe it but it's true. Who was it that kept me from leaping off the roof last year?"

He wraps an arm loosely around her shoulders, her body leans into his chest and Tsuna is surprised just how warm he is. How comfortable she is. "You're always letting me rely on you… So rely on me too, okay?"

She nods and her tears spill; for once she doesn't worry about wetting his shirt with her tears, and for once she doesn't care if anyone sees them.

Tsuna doesn't know how long they stay like that. Hours, probably. The sky's dark and so clear that Tsuna can count star after star after star as easily as ever. She's calm now, but she holds onto Takeshi's shirt as if it's a lifeline. Mabye it is, and maybe she's just not willing to admit it.

"Will you rely on me from now on?"

She shakes her head; Takeshi's shoulders fall. It's almost as if she's kicked a puppy. "I need to distance myself. I'm Useless-Tsuna, and I can't keep liking you a secret forever…"

His eyes widen. "You like me?"

Her face goes completely red and she pushes away from him, she tries to run but Takeshi's far faster than she is right now. "This is why I need to avoid you! I'm useless! I don't want to be rejected!"

"Tsuna, Tsuna!" He grins far more naturally than he ever has before as he grabs her shoulders and catches her gaze. "I'm not rejecting you! I like you too!"

Her hands drop from her ears; she looks at him with an absolutely bewildered gaze. "…Don't lie…"

He scoffs. His gentle, callused hand takes hold of her chin and tilts her head upwards. He kisses her; dear god her lips are so soft and her mouth tastes so sweet that he doesn't want to pull away. Obviously inexperienced, Tsuna kisses back in a way that comes so natural that it leaves Takeshi craving for more. They break apart, but he doesn't let go of her.

"Sawada Tsuna, would you do me the honor of becoming my girlfriend?"

"I…" She shyly takes his hand. "I'd like that."

Yamamoto Takeshi silently swears that Sawada Tsuna will never be alone again.

And she isn't.