Genesis - Katekyo Hitman Reborn - Chapter 22

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.

---

Genesis: Chapter 22

HappyFace1886

---

Adelina ran up the hill, her breath coming out hard and labored due to the panic that laced throughout her body. The elders were meeting Haru? Why? For what reason?

“If the rumors are correct, perhaps they see Haru as the key to completely getting rid of the demon from our lives...”

She gritted her teeth, her legs burning by how fast she was forcing herself to move. What did her mother mean by that? Were the elders planning to do something to Haru to get at the demon? Whatever they did, was it going to separate Haru from him?

“No!” Adelina hissed to herself angrily. She would never allow that to happen.

Haru needed to be here!

She needed to be here with him!

Because-Because-!

“Haru!” her words came out in a gasp when she saw the older girl slowly coming down the pathway. Brown eyes turned to Adelina in surprise before she smiled warmly at her.

“Adelina,” she greeted. “What are you doing here?”

Adelina clutched onto Haru’s arms, looking up at her frantically. “What happened? What did the elders want with you? What did you guys talk about?”

She needed to know! What if what they talked about was messing with Haru’s mind? What if... What if it changed her? What if it-!

The panic was causing Adelina to speak too fast and Haru was having difficulty understanding. She knitted her eyebrows together, clutching Adelina back in concern. “What’s wrong?”

“The elders!” she repeated impatiently. “What did they want?”

Haru glanced back at where the wooden lodge was. “Oh, nothing really. They just wanted to know if I was doing alright at the village, that no one was giving me trouble. We also talked about where I came from and whether or not there was a way for me to go back home.”

“Is-Is that all?” Adelina asked faintly.

Brown eyes looked at her in confusion, but there was a nod. “That’s all we talked about. What’s wrong Adelina? What happened?”

Relief swelled up and Adelina lost strength in her legs, falling onto her knees. Haru came down with her with a surprised yelp, holding onto Adelina’s arms so that the younger girl didn’t hurt herself while falling. Once they were on the ground, Adelina leaned forward and hugged Haru.

They didn’t do anything to Haru.

They didn’t try to tear Haru away from him.

They didn’t say cruel things to make him seem hateful...

Adelina clutched onto Haru, willing her limbs to stop shaking.

They haven’t done anything to break him even more... yet.

“Adelina?” Haru asked, holding the girl back. She rubbed Adelina on the back soothingly, as though trying to dispel whatever was freaking the normally spunky girl. “Please tell me what’s wrong so I could help.”

Adelina almost laughed. Help? Haru had no idea just how much help she was to her already, and it didn’t involve baking bread, mending clothes, or taking care of the animals. Adelina had been doing that by herself for ages.

No, Haru was doing more important work. She was doing stuff Adelina had failed to do, failure that had always caused shame and terror to well up inside her heart.

Adelina’s fingers tightened around Haru’s arms.

But she needed to do more.

Obviously, the elders were now making some sort of move. The faux peace or whatever was going in the village would slowly spiral out of control...

Adelina pulled away from Haru, her eyes on the ground while she knitted her eyebrows in concentration.

She needed to find a way to protect Haru, to prevent the elders from doing whatever it was that they were planning.

---

“Haru!” Giotto cried out joyfully when he saw her coming down the pathway from the village. He thought he had been seeing things when he saw her, but he was glad he wasn’t. Ever since Haru had made her way back to their house despite being unable to see the pathway at night, Giotto had made sure to linger outside around the time she came... just in case she came late again.

But Haru had never once been late after that night.

He leaped down from the tree, snow puffing up into the air as he did so. However, the excitement in him faded a bit when he saw the contemplative look on her face. “Haru?”

She snapped out of it and gave him a grin. “Hi, Giotto-sama.”

“You’re here early today,” he remarked, taking the basket filled with food from her. She knew it was pointless to protest since he’d end up carrying it sooner or later.

“Why? Am I bothering you?” she asked with a playful smile, though the distress in Giotto’s face told all that he took it very seriously.

“Of course not!” he exclaimed, stopping right in front of her as though he wasn’t going to let her go until she surely understood that she was never, ever a bother to him.

Haru laughed. “I know, I was just teasing.”

“Haru is never a bother,” he continued, a soft smile emerging as they resumed walking. “Whenever Haru isn’t here, that’s a bother.”

“H-Hahi?” she squeaked at how Giotto-sama was always able to so easily turn the conversation into a topic that would make her squirm a blush. He, however, looked as though he was at his most comfortable, as if the words he spoke were fond memories that could be relived over and over again.

He grasped her hand, a serene smile still on his face as he took Haru down the path. “It’s lonely without Haru. I miss being able to play with you during the day and sitting with you by the stream or the tree. I like being with you when I’m falling asleep and how you let me use your legs or your shoulder as a pillow. I-.”

As he listed off his reasons, Haru felt as though her face was going to explode. Oh gods, although she had gotten better at ruling his physical affection as his need for comfort, this whole verbal thing was new and just hearing him say such sweet words was making her face become cherry red.

“-and I like how you let me hold you when I sleep or how you hold me back. And-.”

“G-Giotto-sama!” she yelped out, wanting to stop him before she really did explode. “W-What did you do today?”

He paused and then turned to her, giving one of his pure smiles that weren’t good her speeding heart. “I was waiting for you.”

Fortunately, she was able to control herself a little this time. “I-I told you that you don’t need to wait for me. I can head back safe on my own.”

“You don’t want me to wait for you?” if it was anyone other than Giotto, it would seem as though the person was being whiny and overly attached... but with Giotto, it felt more depressed and lonely. And Haru couldn’t blame him. From what she could tell, he had been alone for so long.

With a fond sigh, she tightened her fingers around Giotto’s hand. “I want Giotto-sama to be comfortable when I come back. I want you to do things that you want to do, not just sit and wait for me.”

“But I don’t mind!”

“But I mind,” she insisted. He wasn’t a puppy waiting for his beloved owner to come back, for goodness sake! Though it was getting hard to remember these days, Giotto was going to be the Vongola leader. And she couldn’t imagine what it would be like for the stoic adult version of Giotto written in the books to bend over backwards for her.

Giotto glanced at their joined hands and then looked away, his thumb rubbing over the rough skin of her hand. All that manual labor was causing her hands to become rough, but he didn’t mind.

No, he didn’t mind a lot of things.

Nothing was troublesome when it came to tending to Haru’s need, even though she’d always protest saying she could do it by herself.

But he wanted to be of some use to her, to have a reason why she wanted –needed- to stay with him. She told him that she would be by his side... but for how long would she be able to keep that promise?

Sometimes there were other factors that prevented happiness from being achieved...

“I’m happy when I’m with Haru.” He murmured softly.

“And I’m happy with Giotto-sama,” she replied and would have said more to argue, but she knew it was pointless. At least for now. She hadn’t given up on him spreading his wings because she wanted him to have many experiences before he became Primo and also, for his own sake, to have more happy memories to replace the sad ones. But, perhaps, right now wasn’t the best time.

Though she hid it well, Haru quietly wondered about aspects other than the secret to Giotto-sama’s past. She wondered about the other Vongola members, with G. being the most curious case. He was Giotto-sama’s best friend, someone who was with Giotto before the Vongola was even formed. When would Giotto meet G. if Giotto was living in this village? She hadn’t seen anyone that resembled him.

But alas, one thing at a time.

She would approach everything one thing at a time. There was no point in trying to rush things when she was already having difficulty trying to solve one problem.

“Did... Did something happen at the village?” Giotto asked, breaking her train of thought.

The question caught Haru by surprise. Giotto-sama never asked about the village. Of course, there were a few small questions here and there and Haru did talk about her time there occasionally, but he never really asked much of what happened there.

“What makes you ask?”

“Haru looked deep in thought when you were coming back,” he replied. “I was wondering if something happened to you.”

“Nothing happened,” Haru asked, though a look of confusion lingered on her face. “At least, nothing important.”

“But something happened?”

“I got to meet the elders of the village,” the moment the words left her, she saw Giotto flinch. “W-What’s wrong?”

He shook his head. “Nothing... sorry, continue?”

“Well, that’s about it.” she then perked up. “Oh and the girl I told you I was spending time with? She came running up the hill looking really worried. Nothing happened with the elders. They just wanted to know how I was doing at the village... but the way she spoke to me... she sounded really scared.”

He nodded, absorbing the story. Haru had never told him the name of this girl and he had never inquired. If anything, Giotto was just grateful that there was someone Haru could be with while she was at the village. He wasn’t oblivious to how her relations to him caused trouble for her with other people, something he wished she would have never been exposed to.

If this girl Haru was friends with was worried, then that was a cause for concern.

Were the elders going to make a move?

But what else could they possibly do to him?

He tightened his grip around Haru’s hand. What would they do to her? Would they take her away from him? O-Or would they try to hurt her?

His body tensed at the possibility. No matter the consequence, he would never allow them to lay a finger on her. No matter the curses he faced or the hatred thrown at him, he would never allow that to happen.

“G-Giotto-sama!” Haru squeaked in pain at how tightly he was holding onto her. “M-My hand!”

“Ah, sorry!” he yelped and was about to rip his hand away when Haru held him back.

“Not so tightly this time,” she chided, wincing a little. Talking about the village was a bad idea. It was doing nothing but making Giotto-sama worried. They needed to get rid of this bad air, to forget their problems for a bit. “Let’s hurry back so we can play in the woods!”

The happy glow in Giotto’s eyes came back in full force and it warmed Haru’s heart. “Sure!”

---

“...the girl’s loyalty towards the demon is dangerous, but what if the loyalty was to work both ways? After all, if what Attilio said is true, the demon truly cares for this girl as well.” A gravelly voice remarked. “It could get dangerous if we made a wrong move and hurt the girl. The demon might set its eyes on us.”

“Perhaps the girl is a witch and can control it?” another suggested.

“All the better.” Another elderly man crowed eagerly, waving his fist in the air. “If we use the girl, then this plague upon our village will forever be no more.”

Outside the secluded house, Adelina was crouching underneath the window and straining her ears as she tried to listen in on what the elders were saying. She felt a little relieved when she learned that there was no consensus on what exactly they planned to do to Haru, but the things she did hear made her weary.

Use Haru to get rid of the demon?

Use Haru to control the demon?

“Adelina?” she nearly jumped into the air when she heard her name being called and whirled around to confront her possible enemy.

“Michael?” she gasped out.

“What are you doing here?” he whispered, bending down right next to her. “You shouldn’t be here right now. The elders are having their meeting.”

“I-I know that.” She fumbled, trying to find an excuse. And why was he sitting so close to her? Adelina hastily looked away.

“-gain the girl’s trust... use her and-.”

Her ears perked up at the muffled words and her eyes widened. Michael looked confused, glancing up at the window. “Adelina, what’s going on? Are they talking about Haru in there?”

There was no chance for her to answer as she heard the shuffling of chairs from inside the house. Instead, she grabbed him by the arm of his shirt, dragging him quietly and quickly into the trees. She shoved him behind a particularly big trunk and held him there, peering to the side to see the elders coming out of the house. Adelina counted each and every wrinkled face to make sure all of them were out. It wasn’t until they were all gone and out of sight that she sighed in relief, leaning forward... only to realize that she was leaning against Michael.

She let out a muted shriek, scrambling backward with her hands clamped over her mouth. Michael was blushing as well, stiffly leaning against the tree. He coughed nervously. “W-What’s going on Adelina?”

Adelina groaned, covering her eyes with her hands. This was no time to getting all girly and stupid. Still, it was impossible for her to look at him. “Sorry Michael.”

“Sorry?”

“Could you... Could you tell my mom that I’m with you if she asks for me? I promise that I’ll come back as quick as I can.” She asked, looking at him with those big emerald eyes he could never say no to.

“Won’t you tell me what’s going on?” he asked gently. “If there was a way I could help, I will!”

His declaration made the shade of red on Adelina’s face to grow darker, but she still refused to look at him. Instead, her shoulders sagged. “No... I don’t want to get you in trouble.”

“Does it have something to do with the demon six years ago?” Michael only knew the tidbits of information. No one in the village liked to talk about it and most pretend that it never happened. However, being the village head’s grandson at least let him be a little more privy to the event than the other children. “Please, let me help! I don’t know what I can do but-.”

“You remember him, don’t you?” Adelina asked quietly. “The demon everyone hates.”

“O-Of course I do.” It had been many years ago, but Michael still remembered the demon as though he had met him only a few hours ago. Untamed golden locks and those hypnotizing two-toned eyes... there was also that strong, reliable presence that had drawn everyone to him. But was that charisma only because he was a demon, present to possess their souls and make them sin?

Michael had seen the aftermath that had revealed to everyone the demon’s true nature.

There had been so much blood...

Adelina had been unconscious, carried in the arms of one of the village man as they rushed back to the village for the doctor. She had looked so pale and she had been drenched in blood, some of it hers as it leaked out of her torn flesh.

There had been a lot of shouts and screams.

No one except a select few knew what really happened that day.

“That demon,” Adelina began, her eyes covered by her bangs as she turned away from Michael so that she was facing the forest. “He is not the real demon.”

“Adelina?”

She tilted her head, looking up at the taller boy with a small, sad smile. “I am. I made him into a demon.”

“Eh? Wait, Adelina!” Michael reached out to grab her, but all he managed to snag was the end of red checkered bandanna Adelina always wore to tie her hair back. It came off and there was a rush of golden blonde hair as she ran into the forest.

He tightly gripped onto the bandanna.

Adelina was only twelve, but she always acted much older than even some of the adults in the village. That had been one of the reasons why he had become interest in her in the first place. Michael had assumed maybe it was because she had been so involved in the demon case those many years ago... but now, he could only wonder what sort of burdens she had truly been carrying this entire time.

---

Giotto leaned against the headboard of his bed, feeling so content with how Haru was leaning against his chest. Her breathing was deep, indicating a deep slumber. They had spent some time talking before sleep had overcome them, presenting the picturesque image of them cuddling together. His arm was around her shoulder, his cheek leaning against the top of her head.

These were the moments he cherished. And it was because of how it was rare for him to be able to spend so much time with her that he found himself having a hard time falling asleep when he was finally with her. He wanted the night to last longer, to be able to savor her presence a little more.

He ran his fingertips down her arm, stroking it comfortingly as he closed his eyes to simply enjoy how she was pressed so close to him.

His instinct told him that something was happening in the village and rarely were his instincts wrong. The storm he had been worried about was finally approaching.

But what could he do?

He was only one person, definitely not strong enough to go against all those villagers.

Should... Should they run?

But where would they go?

Giotto’s eyes opened, the glowing orbs hooded as he watched the dying flames of the candle. He was pretty young, but it wasn’t impossible for him to get a job if they were to go to another village. The current village Haru went to was small and isolated from others. Everywhere else wouldn’t know about his tainted history.

Could he truly start anew?

Would Haru follow him if he were to do so?

They would definitely go through hardships if they were to run...

Giotto pulled Haru closer to him.

But he would undoubtedly take care of her. He would keep her protected, keep her safe... keep her happy.

While living in this small house, Giotto hadn’t simply sat idly for the days to pass. He had studied the books Attilio had given him and Attilio had been gracious enough to sometimes take Giotto whenever they went to another town. Then there were the maps Attilio had also shown him of other regions.

The world was so vast.

The possibilities were endless.

But none of that mattered unless Haru was there with him.

Giotto closed his eyes again, his brows furrowing with hesitation. Would Haru go with him? From what he could tell, she had some fondness for the village. Would she choose the village over him?

He tensed when he heard the sounds coming from the forest. Someone was approaching the house and the footsteps was too heavy for it to be some animal. With narrowed eyes, Giotto slowly lowered Haru onto the bed and after making sure she was properly secured by the blanket, he quietly approached the window.

No one ever came to this place. Attilio made sure of it and Giotto’s reputation definitely made sure of that.

Hiding within the shadows, Giotto peered through the glass.

...and felt his breath taken away.

---

“Giotto!” emerald eyes twinkled with delight as small chubby hands presented the gathered flowers up towards him. He chuckled, bending down so that she could weave one into his hair. “You look so pretty!”

“Boys aren’t supposed to be pretty.” He said with a mock pout.

“Um... Um... then Giotto is... erm...” she twisted her fingers into her golden blonde hair, looking completely distressed. “...nice?”

He laughed and held her by the waist, lifting her into the air. “They’re supposed to be handsome, silly.”

There was a loud squeal of delight from her as Giotto spun in a circle, their laughter filling the flower field.

---

Adelina panted as she saw the house ahead of her. She paused for a moment, bending forward with her hands on her knees as she took the moment to catch her breath. That had taken longer than she had imagined. The paths were confusing, to ensure that no one ended up in this area unless they knew the way. But she had finally made it. Adelina wiped the sweat from her chin with the back of her hand and stood up, only to be surprised as she took a step back with a gasp.

Wild golden blonde hair... and those sage-like two-toned eyes...

“Adelina,” he spoke in front of her almost inaudibly, but it was enough.

His voice was enough.

---

Haru woke up completely startled and disoriented when she heard an ear-splitting shriek. She sat up quickly from the bed and looked around wildly before realizing that Giotto wasn’t here and the scream was coming from outside. Scrambling out of bed, Haru threw the door open and ran out, almost running into Giotto who was standing there like a statue.

“Giotto-sama?” she asked breathlessly and then followed the line of his sight before she let out a shriek of her own. “Adelina!”

The younger girl was kneeling on the floor, clutching onto the sides of her head while she continued to scream. It was a frantic shout, one of untamed fear and terror. Haru kneeled beside her and grabbed her by the shoulder, trying to lift her up, but she wasn’t moving.

“Adelina!” Haru shouted. “Please, Adelina! Look at me.”

“No! Stop, stop it!” Adelina screamed, trying to shake Haru away, but Haru persisted. She wrenched Adelina up and pulled her in for a tight hug, grabbing the back of Adelina’s head and pressing it to her chest so that Adelina’s screams were muffled and so that she could feel as though she was completely protected and secured.

It was something Haru learned whenever she had babysat for children in the past. Whenever they felt anxious or afraid, a tight hug and completely embracing them in a manner that seemed as though they were shielded from the world was enough to at least calm them down.

Haru patiently held Adelina, even when Adelina was struggling against her. She shushed her gently, patting Adelina on the head gently while whispering words of comfort. And though the shaking did not stop, the scream that was slowly turning hoarse had died away.

“It’s alright Adelina,” Haru whispered. “Everything’s alright. I’m here for you.”

Giotto watched with unreadable eyes, reacting only when he heard movement from the house. Attilio was still in there. He must’ve heard the screams and was coming out now, probably loaded with some weapon.

“Haru,” he whispered. “Hide.”

It confused her as to why Giotto didn’t want Attilio to know about Adelina, but Haru dutifully listened. She would get the details later. Haru helped Adelina to her feet and guided her quickly into the forest.

“What’s going on here?” Attilio demanded as he came out of the house, his hair tousled and obvious grumpiness on his face. The scene he came upon was Haru sitting on the ground with Giotto kneeling beside her.

“Sorry Attilio-san,” Haru said sheepishly. “I fell and screamed...”

He narrowed his eyes, looking unconvinced. The scream he had heard had sounded as though it was filled with sheer terror. A simply fall wouldn’t be enough to elicit such a sound. “And why are you out at this time of night?”

“Because I took her out.” Giotto explained quietly, his back still turned towards Attilio. Haru was the only one to see Giotto’s face and it was a cause for concern. It made her want to reach out and touch his face, but she couldn’t, especially not with Attilio-san watching. “I rarely have time to be alone with Haru... and wanted to see the night sky with her.”

Though a plausible explanation, Attilio still wasn’t convinced. He stood up straight and surveyed their surroundings carefully. There was nothing there that seemed different. But with a frown, he eventually relented. He was too tired for this. “Fine, but don’t stay out for too long.”

“Goodnight Attilio-san,” Haru called out and there was a grumpy reply from him as he returned to his room. Once she was sure he was completely back in his room, Haru released the breath she was holding. She then looked at Giotto in worry. “Giotto-sama?”

“The girl,” he whispered and Haru looked in the direction she had hid Adelina.

“Hahi!” Haru said urgently in a soft voice before rushing towards where she was. The panic escalated when she found that Adelina wasn’t hiding behind the tree. “Giotto-sama! She’s gone!”

Giotto came to her and stared at the small imprint on the snow where Adelina had been sitting. The snow around them wasn’t settled enough for them to use as a trail to find where Adelina had gone. He then quietly grabbed Haru’s hand, silencing her frantic worry.

“Giotto-sama?” she asked in confusion. “Where are we going?”

“I know where she is.”

“Hahi?”

“Ever since we were young,” Giotto began softly, “there was always one spot she would always go to whenever she felt sad or afraid.”

There was nothing Haru could say. Should she comfort him? Or ask him more about the story in hopes it would alleviate his heavy heart? She didn’t know enough to say anything, too much of an outsider to say much without fear of offending. So instead she did what she could, knitting their fingers together so that he could feel the warmth of her hand.

If this did anything, Giotto didn’t say. But he returned her grip and the rest of their trek was silent.

They came closer to the village than they had ever done so together when Giotto finally came to a stop. She looked at him questioningly when he released her hand, slowly taking several steps backwards. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s just a few more steps ahead. Go down past these bushes and you’ll find her.”

“B-But Giotto-sama, why-?”

He gave her a wry smile, one that she rarely saw from him. However, it was the emptiness in his eyes that took Haru aback. Those were the same eyes she had seen during the fox incident, the one filled with bitterness and contempt. “If I go, I will only cause more trouble. I’ll be fine... I’ll wait for you until you’re done.”

“But...” her words trailed off, her eyes instead focusing on his hands. They were clenched so tightly, as though he was doing everything in his power to maintain his self control. And there was the way he was shaking... was it from fear? Anger? Hate?

Haru looked back into Giotto’s eyes.

Could she really leave him like this?

With a set frown, Haru marched over to him and pulled him in for a tight hug. It was much similar to the hug Haru had given Adelina, where she held him so tight and secure that it felt as though she was trying to protect him from his troubles. A smile graced his lips and he held her back.

He had become so spoiled.

Would he ever be able to go back to the time when he had been all alone?

Would he even be able to survive if he wasn’t surrounded by Haru’s kindness?

Maybe it was the way she held him so comfortingly... or the fact that she could be ripped away from his grasp at any given moment, a matter that made him feel sadness and anger in a way he had never felt before in all his years of solitude...  but he didn’t want to let her go.

He wanted to remain in this position with her, to keep her warmth all to himself... to be the only one showered by her kind smile.

No one from the village had ever approached the house that was his prison cell. They feared him too much to even take a step closer, hated him to even pretend he existed. And now, this girl had actually come from the village for Haru... to take her away? To claim her from him?

Giotto pulled away and Haru smiled reassuringly at him. “I promise, I’ll be right back. And then we can return home together.”

Home.

Together.

Words he never thought he would ever hear associated with him.

Did Haru even realize what she was giving him?

His hand reached up to caress her cheek with the back of her fingers, a look of desperation reaching his eyes. He didn’t want to lose her. He didn’t want her to leave.

The change in his demeanor was noticed by Haru who grabbed his hand, looking at him puzzled. “Giotto-sama?”

He smiled at her before he leaned closer. Their breaths mingled together, small white puffs coming out due to the cold winter air. And yet, the frigid weather was forgotten, Haru’s brown eyes widened while Giotto’s eyes closed, their lips locked together in a gentle sweet chaste kiss.

It was only a brief moment, a matter that lasted just a few seconds... but for them, for the both of them, it was much longer.

And just as quickly, it was over.

Giotto pulled away, an enigmatic smile played on his lips.

Without another word, he walked away into the forest, leaving behind Haru who fell to her knees, her face completely flushed and her mind utterly confused.

---

::tsuzuku::

---

AU: Haha... okay, so regardless of outlines and such, I still can't update as early as I want. Oh well... xD at least this chapter ended up being long! Yippee! Hope you guys enjoyed!

Chapter 21                                                    Chapter 23