And now
And Now
The sun is shining down on him, blinding him suddenly and he has to protect his eyes for a moment.
He blinks, the bright day so different from the dark woods he just left behind. Gokudera bows his head and regret is eating him from the inside out. Again.
Too late, his thoughts scream at him, too late, again you idiot. And the image of a little boy in a coffin burns behind his eyes and he is kneeling on the pavement and bend over and he must look ridiculous, but he does not care.
Because the street he kneels on is familiar to him, painfully so. He was too late, too slow and he is in front of the Tenth’s house, but the Tenth is not here. And that too, is familiar now. And it hurts.
Because Gokudera had admired his Tenth, he would have gladly given his life for him. But he hasn’t and now he is here, while his sky is there...
Gokuderas breathe hitches. He and Tsuna are there and, his mind had already counted backwards, they must have them.
Slowly he rises. Gokudera brushes the dirt from his slacks and straightens his tie, because the years made appearing formal a habit and habits die hard. Unlike people.
His thoughts are still full of regret and his heart has been a black and withered and hurting useless thing ever since the day he had failed. But now his mind is working again, sharp as before, because the Tenth needs him again. Maybe not his Tenth anymore, but it doesn’t matter.
The hope is there now and maybe, if all of them would be there too...
Maybe he wouldn’t fail twice.
Gokudera begins walking, picking up the strange violet bazooka that is the key to all that madness and holding it firmly. He needs to find them.
In the house he knows so well is only death now and the eyes he has seen just six minutes ago, but that he knows will stay closed forever now.
And Gokudera does not look back, not once.
