Genesis - Katekyo Hitman Reborn - Chapter 14

Summary: There was a reason why Reborn got Haru involved with the Mafia. Even if she was useless to them in fights and even if she couldn't provide as much emotional strength as Kyoko, she was vital and without her, there would just be no Vongola. G86/GiottoHaru

My lack of KHR knowledge might make some things untrue or some characters OOC!

I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

Please forgive any mistakes, both character-wise and grammatically-wise. I don't have time to re-read or edit things.

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Genesis: Chapter 14

HappyFace1886

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Haru giggled at the pout on Giotto’s face as he sulked on top of one of the boulders. He hadn’t taken well to the idea that he had lost the game, even if he had figured out who it was that she was thinking of. At first, he had tried feebly to argue against her, but in the end, had ended up reluctantly agreeing to her victor.

And now, she was allowed one favor from him.

It was hard to think of something since, honestly, there was nothing that she wanted from him. She didn’t want to force him to tell his past and she didn’t want to taint their innocent game by bringing that problem into it. Haru was determined to keep serious topics and their fun moments separate.

So what could she make him do?

She looked upward contemplatively and her eyes widened with delight. “Hahi, the trees are changing color!”

Giotto looked up curiously and saw that she was staring at the tall trees where the normally green colored leaves were slightly turning yellow. The summer air had lately been cooling, but not to the point that it was chilly.

An unreadable look filled his eyes.

Fall was coming.

He heard the sound of Haru trying to climb up the boulder and tried to wipe away his previous expression, reaching down to help her up. She stumbled forward clumsily and fell into his arms. There was a squeak from her as she landed on him and when he felt her weight on his lap, he tightened his grip around her without thinking.

Giotto froze briefly in surprise and then relished the feel of her comforting presence. He buried his face into her hair, wanting to hide away from the changing seasons. The cold would come and the frigid season was something he always dreaded. Nothing good ever came with the snow.

Haru squirmed a bit on top of him, but didn’t fight against him since it didn’t look like he was going to let go of her anytime soon. “G-Giotto-sama?”

“It’s going to get cold,” he whispered.

“Ah, the weather isn’t that cold yet,” Haru exclaimed, her face flushed for reasons she knew shouldn’t bother her anymore. For goodness sake, these two shared the same bath tub together and even the same bed! He cuddled against her in said bed too! She shouldn’t be bothered by the fact that she was sitting on his lap and that she could feel his breath brushing against her nape. “In fact, I’m... erm... pretty warm right now.”

Hahi, did this mean that at night he was going to be even clingier? She had just barely been able to get used to how he’d hold her so tightly at night! How was she going to survive the colder seasons if he tangled their limbs up even more?

“With fall come changes,” he whispered and Haru shivered at how his hot breath danced on her delicate skin. “The leaves will change color and bring people into a false sense of security with their vibrant shades. The weather will cool enough to relieve people of the summer heat... but then comes winter.”

One of his hands trailed upwards, his fingers tracing up her bare arm and up her neck until it was tangled in her hair. Did Giotto-sama even understand how intimate his touches were? It felt like he was doing it for comfort, as if by doing this, he would be able to relax. The tension that had been in his muscles when she had first fallen on him seemed to melt away with each caress he made on her skin.

The way he touched her made Haru quiver, her breath hitched at the almost ticklish touches.

“We lose so much with the merciless cold,” he spoke and tightened his grip on her hair, as if to emphasis what could be lost. “Winter takes without hesitation... depleting people of everything until nothing is left but the cold.”

“But Giotto-sama,” she whispered breathlessly, turning to look at him. They were now so close together, their faces inches apart from each other. She felt his breath brushing against her lips and the blush on her face deepened, her eyes glazed as they stared deep into those dark two-toned eyes. “When winter comes, there’s spring to think of.”

What was this hold he seemed to have on her?

With any other guy, she would have shrieked and pulled away, saying things were moving too fast and this was too embarrassing.

But with him, with Giotto-sama, she allowed him to get away with so much.

Was it really just the innocent touches of a boy her age with a childish mindset?

It did seem like he held onto her for reassurance, but even Giotto-sama had to realize just how close they were with each other.

And yet, their compromising positioning was far from her thoughts, her mind subconsciously answering his unspoken questions.

“All things always come to an end,” she murmured through hooded eyes. Was... Was Giotto-sama leaning closer or was it her imagination? “But with spring, new things will start.”

“I don’t want new things if it means losing the old.” Oh gods, with just the movement of his lips, Haru swore she felt him brush against her own. “I don’t want to lose you Haru.”

Was that... Was that terror she heard in his voice?

She snapped out of whatever trance she was in and leaned back, getting a better look of Giotto-sama’s face. There was such sadness and fear, something she had never seen before in another person. It was something she hadn’t seen even during the Byakuran incident when she had been with the others and it looked like their own futures looked bleak.

Hahi, she wanted to hit herself. How could she think of something... something so rude like as if.... as if Giotto-sama was interested in her in some other way when he was hurting like this? She was an idiot! So selfish! So... So... hahi, she didn’t even know how to name this!

She had to get her act together. Giotto-sama didn’t see her that way. He couldn’t and he wouldn’t! It was his descendants that would produce Tsuna-san in the future, after all. If anything, she had to think of herself as a security blanket for him or something... or-or a sister?

Bringing her focus back on Giotto-sama, she tried to give him a reassuring smile. “I promised Giotto-sama that I’m not going anywhere.”

“My parents said the same thing,” Giotto revealed, pressing his forehead against hers. His eyes were closed and she knew he was reliving his memories. “And winter took them away from me.”

Haru raised her hands to run her fingers through Giotto’s hair. If he took comfort by touching her, maybe if she reciprocated the actions, it would calm him. It seemed to work since it seemed like he melted under the strokes. “You were a child back then, weren’t you?”

There was a small nod.

“But Giotto-sama isn’t a child anymore.” She said firmly. “You’re older and much stronger now. If you don’t want me to leave and I don’t want to leave as well, then together, I’m sure we can make sure that we’re together in the future as well.”

Her words appeared to register in his mind and there was no response from Giotto. Instead, he tucked her head under his chin, his arms wrapped around tightly.

Haru clenched her eyes shut, trying to stop the pounding of her heart.

She was just a security blanket.

Just a security blanket.

As she tried to make herself belief those very words, Giotto looked listlessly off into the distance. There was a hard glimmer in those unnatural glowing eyes and a spark of fire flickered in the center of his wild untamed hair.

That’s right. He was no longer a child. He was much stronger and more capable than he was a few years ago. Those who wanted to take from him would not be able to without a fight. Not anymore.

Let them all try to take Haru away from him.

His jaws became set and he closed his eyes, the unnoticed flames on his hair slowly flickering away.

But he sincerely hoped it would not come to that.

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::tsuzuku::

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Chapter 13                                                          Chapter 15