Genesis - Katekyo Hitman Reborn - Chapter 25

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 25

HappyFace1886

---

There had been no reply from Attilio after Haru’s bold declaration and judging by how he hadn’t barked at her to get up so that they could head to the village together, perhaps today would be a day of absence for her there. Maybe it would draw suspicion from the elders of the village that she wasn’t present, but Haru was too tired to care. Giotto’s hold was warm and inviting that she allowed herself to be cuddled, to forget the problems that currently plagued her.

“You’re awake, aren’t you, Giotto-sama?” she whispered tiredly.

A hand began to run through her hair gently. “For a while. How did you know?”

“I may not have known for you long, but I know you never sleep deeply.” Haru whispered. In the mornings she'd wake up to see him sleeping like the dead as he clung to her like a life-line, but in the middle of the night, he'd never be at peace. And then there were those naps they took in the forest. Each time he’d immediately wake up from the slightest sounds. Now she couldn’t help but wonder if it was because he had to be cautious of the dangerous animals while he lived in the words. ...or maybe the villages tried to do something while he had his guard down at night.

The thought made her sick and she wrapped her arms around him tighter.

“I’m sorry.”

“Hahi, why are you sorry?”

She felt him press his face against her hair. “For causing you so much trouble.”

“Giotto-sama is never any trouble,” Haru said in protest, pulling away so that she could see his face. Further words from her were silenced when he raised his hand and cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing against the tear stains on her face. He gave her a sad smile.

“I made you cry.”

His words were enough to actually make her start crying again. She clutched the hand on her face and shook her head wildly. “No, it’s not you. I-It’s-.” her breath hitched up and she knew she was going to cry again. No, she had to be stronger than this! She had to stop being so emotional!

And yet it was impossible, especially when he was so gentle with her like this, him pulling her down until he had her firmly on top of his chest, the way he would soothingly run his fingers up and down her back, his strong warm arms protecting her from the evils that made her cry. It frustrated her how pathetic she was, having to be comforted by the person who actually endured the hardship that was making her tear up in the first place.

“Thank you for crying for me,” he spoke sincerely. “But there’s no need for you to cry now. It is in the past.”

“And it’s still in the present,” she spoke without thinking and with such ferocity that it stunned herself. Apparently she was angrier about this situation than she thought. Haru felt Giotto tense up beneath her and she clutched onto his shirt tightly, swallowing hard as she tried to convey the words she knew was buried inside her mind. “As long as you remain here, it will never end.”

“Haru-.” He felt a brief moment of panic. What was she saying?

“I’m serious Giotto-sama,” she would have pulled away again if it wasn’t for how tightly, how desperately, he was clutching onto her. “The people at the village will continue trying to hurt you! You have to get away from here. There’s so much out there in the world, so many things to see, so many experiences to make. I don’t want you here surrounded by people who hate and mistreat you like this!”

“So you want me to leave?” he spoke hollowly and Haru, too caught up in her emotions, didn’t notice and nodded vigorously.

“Yes, to somewhere far away from here, away from these people, away-.”

“-from you?”

Haru froze, her mouth agape. What did he just say? Unfortunately, her silence did nothing to appease the growing apprehension in Giotto’s mind.

She wanted him to leave, to be far away from this village. To be away from her. Sure, it was because she wanted him to be away from the villagers, but she was also implying that she would no longer be with him from then on. He understood it was for his own benefit, but did Haru not understand just what it would do to him to be away from her? Did she not realize just how much more pain he would be if he was away from her?

“Giotto-sama-.”

“I won’t leave.” He spoke firmly, his arms tightening around her.

“Gio-.”

“I don’t mind the villagers,” he added quickly. “They don’t bother me as long as I don’t approach them. I-.”

“They’re planning to use me to get to you!” Haru yelled when she realized he wasn’t going to listen to her calmly. “And I refuse to let that happen! I don’t know what their plan is, but I don’t want to be part of anything that will hurt you.”

“And I don’t care what they do to me as long as you’re with me!” he yelled back, raising his voice for the first time since she had met him.

The shock was apparent due to the long pause in silence, leaving him to wonder what was going through Haru’s mind when she spoke tentatively. “...Giotto-sama?”

It was too late to take back his words, but it didn’t matter much. That had always been the truth for him and he had never hidden his affection towards her. He had never been one to beg, but he didn’t mind pleading with her to stay, to always give those sweet gentle smiles he had not seen in years. She was the first to have showered him with uninhibited trust even though they had only just first met, the first to speak her own mind so boldly around him, and... the first to defend him to earnestly even though they were not of kin. Even now she still worried about him when it was her who could possibly be in danger due to the elder’s plans.

Their time together may not have lasted for years, but she had gifted him with so much already and he didn’t want to let it all go, even if it meant getting out of this restricted world of his.

“Please Haru...”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she spoke quietly, but it was enough to pierce through him. “I promised to stay with you, Giotto-sama. As long as you want me here, I’ll do my best to stay. And this means out of this village as well.”

The hope that gathered in his chest was suspended as he tried not to raise his expectations too much. “You’ll leave... the village... with me?”

“Of course!”

Was this a dream?

Was that passing whimsical thought he had only hours before actually coming true?

Could he truly leave this dreaded place and with Haru as well?

“It will be hard out there.”

“I’ve always been a hard worker.”

“There’s a chance we may meet dangerous people.”

“The people here are equally dangerous,” Haru scoffed.

“We may not-.”

“I’m coming with you Giotto-sama,” she said firmly. “And nothing you say will convince me otherwise.”

“...but why? What reason would you have in wanting to come with me?” there was nothing she could possibly gain by being with him. While it did overjoy him that she wanted to go with him, but he feared for her reasons... what if he was actually taking advantage of her kind nature? What if he was actually subconsciously manipulating her into coming with him with how desperate he was sounding?

That would be worse than separating from her.

“Because I’m...” could she say friend? She did regard him as a close friend by now, but... but... after that kiss... what could she say? What were they now? Just how much of the past had she distorted? And what did she feel for him anyways? Oh gods, it was a good thing Giotto couldn’t see her face right now. “...I care for you Giotto-sama... and you are much more important to me than this village.”

“...you care for me...”

Haru nodded against his chest. “Yes, I do.”

“And you want to come with me because you want to.” he spoke slowly, trying to digest the words into his mind. It was like an unending mantra, his doubt and hesitation slowly clearing away as he clung desperately to hope.

“Yes...”

The relief came tumbling out and he wasn’t able to control himself, his embrace tightening even further as his heart sped up in his excitement. Haru was coming with him, out of this village, because she wanted to! She really didn’t want to part with him. She really wanted to stay!

He smiled and clung onto her, speaking the words he believed he would never be able to say. “When are we leaving?”

---

::tsuzuku::

---

AU: Again, tried for a long chapter and failed. I'm also not satisfied with how this turned out... >__> hope you guys like it though.

Chapter 24                                          Chapter 26