Written for the KHR non-kink meme, though edited a bit because erugh. TYE Yamamoto has always been my writing bane simply for the fact that he can't go all oh shit you did not.

AND my writing style changes every time, I swear. And...I have no idea what my problem is with managing time flow in stories. I'm sorry. I'M SORRY. D8

An Illusion to Comfort

Chrome isn't entirely confident with her illusions. In makes sense because if you were to look at Mukuro-sama's illusions, hers wouldn't even be placed worthy of comparison. She tries though, if not for Mukuro-sama, then for Boss for giving Mukuro-sama a place and being understanding like he is. And if someone asks with such a reason, she will try, because she is reminded of what used to be.

"Thank you, Chrome." Boss smiles, but she can tell he's more shaken than anyone else here. His mouth twitches as though he wants to scream or say something more, but he doesn't. He has known Yamamoto far longer than anyone else, so she worries. She places a small hand on his arm, taking care to still him. He is trembling all over, and it has only gotten worse since he has arrived here.

"You should go to sleep." she says, in the softest voice she can mange, taking care not to be too loud. Being quiet is always best. He laughs weakly.

"Later," he promises, and leaves without looking back. Maybe he is afraid of what he will do if he remains here. Maybe he is afraid of what he will be told.

Chrome sinks back against the wall. The rest of the guardians had been gathered in front of the door, but most of the worry had come waiting for Tsuna. Now, they were scattered along the hall. Some had gone, just like Boss. And some had never come.

"Mukuro-sama?"

She refuses to call his name, like all those other times when she has had no idea what to do. She doesn't want to tell him. Whether out of loyalty for Boss or out of respect for Yamamoto Takeshi, she doesn't know. She knows Mukuro-sama'll understand, but it still feels like betrayal. The guilt wracks itself around her heart.

It is several hours before the operation is over, and the surgeons come out, tired and weary. They are pounced on someone - Chrome doesn't remember who - because she only hears the raised voices that the patient's condition is just barely stabilized, before she slips out of the hall and into the emergency stairwell exit.

Chrome sits herself on the top step, trying to understand what's going to be happening next. There has never been a day gone by that she has not done that, though she does not doubt either Mukuro-sama or Boss. She just doesn't trust herself to be able to accomplish what they think she can, but she will try. Expectations, however, always make her nervous.

Her body is stiff and tense, and she sinks into herself. For good reason. She has never liked hospitals with their white walls and lights, their sharp and stingy sterilized smells. She remembers the accident; she remembers the flickering lights, and the cold feeling of losing so much blood. In a way, she understands, somewhat, maybe, she doesn't know. But she remembers how she disliked the hospital, having to stay here. Each moment, not knowing.

And then Mukuro-sama came and offered a new life.

Chrome ducks her head into her knees and stays there for a long time. When she raises her head, she wipes and keeps on wiping her face until it's raw, and then stands up.

Yamamoto Takeshi looks up when she comes in. His whole body is anxious, tense, rigid, but when he sees who she is, he calms down. Completely. His shoulders come down from where he is seated against a pillow. Chrome notes how he did not (or was he not able to?) try to get out of the bed when the door opened. She wonders who he expected - just a little.

"Hey." he says.

Chrome returns the greeting by a nod, before she closes the door behind her. "Are you...doing well?" she asks, even though they both know the answer.

He takes it well, shrugging. "Pretty good. Oyaji just left a little while ago, so, I kind of miss home."

She notices how he doesn't say "visit". She doesn't say anything about that. He waits, for her response, but she doesn't, so he continues. Even hospitalized, Yamamoto Takeshi has not lost his natural empathy.

"Hey, it's all good," he says, with a bright smile. "I'll be fine. I'm pretty tough - at least I think so? Well, considering all that baseball and stuff. Plus, I can't leave you guys on your own - that'd be really mean, right? I'll probably be out in a couple of days. I think you can pretty much count on it. In fact," he nods cheerily, "If I have to, I'll even jump out of the window to get there."

Chrome takes a step closer, and that smile wavers slightly. She takes another step and then Yamamoto leans his head back against the pillows and stares up at the ceiling, before rolling his head slightly to the side to look at her. The smile is still there, but the look in his eyes isn't.

"...You okay?" Yamamoto asks lightly. He seems a bit worried.

Chrome nods.

"That's good. Because, when you stepped in, you looked really scared, you know? Or something like that."

"I'm alright." she replies softly.

Chrome doesn't know what to think. She has never really interacted with him, and only knows him as a bit loud and always happy. In her mind, she calls him 'Happy', though nobody will ever know it. It's the same with the associations she makes with everybody else. Boss is 'Reliable'. Sasagawa Ryohei is 'Loud'.

...Mukuro-sama has no nickname but 'Mukuro-sama'.

Chrome takes the chair next to Yamamoto's bed, and glances a little at the blankets covering his legs. He follows her gaze.

"Yeah, weird, right?" he asks, in a cheery voice that she can't help but feel is a little forced and choked. The tone of his voice has changed slightly, just by broaching this topic. "I get...uh, injured in stomach and then my legs are...hahaha, well." He changes the subject. "How's Mukuro? You tell him to watch out?"

She shakes her head. "Mukuro-sama..." she pauses, unsure of how to word this to an outsider. Ken and Chikusa both know, and so does Chrome, so it's easy to just answer with 'Mukuro-sama' with these types of questions because they all know how he's like. "...comes and goes."

"Like he always does, huh? Poof, just like that?"

"...uhm..."

He's not wrong, but there's a special way he communicates. She doesn't know if she wants to share it, but it looks like Yamamoto understands. He grins.

"Hey, don't worry. He'll come, right? You're his friends!"

Chrome's cheeks flush. She is being encouraged when she was initially trying to encourage. She doesn't look up from her lap, where her hands are bunched into fists because that is where trident - Mukuro-sama's trident - usually is. She wishes she had it now, wishes she knew what to do or say to this individual who obviously didn't need comfort because he was fine and happy-go-lucky. His personality allowed him to be able to get through this.

But she knows what it is like after an operation, knows what it was like to be alone for hours on end after visiting hours were over. At least Yamamoto Takeshi has people to visit him and talk to him, but that still doesn't change the reality. Illusions hide things. And Yamamoto Takeshi's smile certainly is hiding something.

The silence grows uncomfortable for her, so she chances a look at the row of cards and get-well gifts on the table and floors.

"There's a lot." Chrome murmurs, more for amazement than just to say something. She has never seen so much in her life, and it makes her amazed that one person can have so many people care for him.

"Mm, yeah." He laughs. "I'm not dead yet, so of course they don't need to send flowers or anything. I'm not planning to either, right? Because we still have that inheritance ceremony and stuff, so I'm going to get better as fast as I can."

"Boss nearly canceled it." Chrome tells him, simply for the reason that he has the right to be told. The look on his face falters.

"Cold feet, huh?" Yamamoto laughs, and she doesn't correct his assumption. It's not in her right, and he probably knows better than her what Boss is like.

His laughter trails off sharply, as he accidentally glances out the window. They're on the fourth floor, so there's a good view down below, and Yamamoto's bed is right next to the window. Chrome looks at what he's looking at; down below, there are children playing in the small field behind the hospital.

Baseball. Chrome distinctly recalls something about Yamamoto Takeshi liking it. Yet the way he looks at it, though, and the way his fingers twitch and the way he is so concentrated on it - even a crude attempt by children - tells a different story. It goes beyond merely liking it. Living it, perhaps. Before she can open her mouth, he catches himself in the middle of the act.

"Ah, sorry." he says suddenly, looking back. His cheeks are red and he grins, though it turns into a grimace. Yamamoto looks entirely uncomfortable. "I...kind of zoned out. Sorry. It's nothing bad on your part, it's just. Baseball. And. Well, can't really play."

Yamamoto does sound sorry, in fact, he looks like he's just realized that his life of baseball could possibly be over. Or at least, it's been slapped across his face for the second time, only this time hurts harder. For an instant, Chrome almost wants to give him what he wants. And then she is ashamed and embarrassed for almost arrogantly thinking that she knows what he needs.

There's a knock on the door that makes them both look up and breaks the air about them. A nurse pops her head in after opening it, and doesn't seem surprised that Yamamoto has a visitor. She steps in, saying something about taking his blood pressure and about giving him his shot now.

"Can't we postpone it just for ten more minutes?" Yamamoto asks. "She just came in!"

"That's what you said when your father came, and that visit went on for three hours." The nurse says disapprovingly, and then looks at Chrome. She had shrunk in her seat when the woman neared. "But if you want, I can give you that much."

"No. That's...alright. I'm done." Chrome says quietly, not looking up. "Thank you for the offer, but." Chrome bows. "I'll...be going."

"Goodness me." The nurse mutters to herself, before to Chrome. "Dear, it's alright to impose on someone."

Chrome's cheeks colour almost immediately. It's a inherited trait - she blushes when she gets embarrassed. When the heat in her ears has cooled somewhat, she looks up again. The nurse injects something by needle into Yamamoto's left shoulder - Chrome stares, but then catches herself and looks away.

Then, the door is closed with a snap and they are once again alone together.

Yamamoto yawns. "Sorry." he apologizes, for both the nurse and for one more thing. "I'll probably fall asleep on you, since this stuff makes you drowsy."

"You can sleep. It's good for you." she says. Even though everybody is on their wit's end, it'll be good if at least one of them sleeps well tonight. "And you...grow." Chrome isn't sure what she wants to say, but Yamamoto takes it in good cheer.

"Hahaha! That's true. That's how I grew so tall - like whoosh, whoosh and stuff." Yamamoto Takeshi grins in that boyish way, very pleased for some strange reason. "Thanks for visiting, Chrome."

Chrome nods. He opens his mouth a bit, then closes it.

She waits. Chrome entertains the small thought that he might share who attacked him.

"Do me a favour?" he asks. "See if Kaoru is alright?" His voice sounds anxious. "The team needs him more than he thinks, and they haven't warmed up to him yet. So tell him it's okay, baseball for life, that sort of thing, right? He's really shy," he adds, "Just like you, you know?"

Her heart warms at his worry for his friend. A worry she too would like to earn one day, if not by Chikusa and Ken, but by Mukuro-sama.

"...okay." She nods again - she seems to be doing a lot of this - and then leaves the room, closing the door behind her. Waiting around ten minutes, she walks along the hallways, staring around, before she turns around and re-enters Yamamoto's room.

It seems quieter now, even though the light is still on. She turns it off for him.

Click.

He's asleep now, the rise and fall of his chest shallow.

Chrome steps forward, until she reaches his side, before reaching out with a hand and lightly brushing off a couple of strands of hair from his forehead, before she rests her fingers there. Chrome isn't sure if she can do this right, but she's already decided. Even before Boss asked her, even before Chrome doubted herself.

She casts an illusion of home, safety, family, friends, and baseball for him. It can be anything he wants it to be, from what he won't admit to anyone, to what he hides behind his smiles.

Because, at the very least, when Yamamoto sleeps and he is truly on his own, Chrome thinks his mind should be full of good things and not the bad.

end.