Genesis - Katekyo Hitman Reborn - Chapter 28

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 28

HappyFace1886

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There was a pounding in Haru’s head once consciousness finally began to creep back into her head. Her throat felt so dry and despite her instinct to call out for water, all that came out was a silent croak. Not that it really mattered since there was a cloth tied around her head, covering her mouth so that she wouldn’t be able to scream for help. The soft melodic murmur of Italian reached her ears and she immediately stiffened.

The two men storming the room she was in.

The suffocation and anxiety she felt when the cloth was shoved into her mouth.

Haru trembled at the memories that assailed her. Who were those people and what did they want with her? They... They had actually looked somewhat familiar. Some of the men from the village? But what could they possibly want with her?

“...be gentle with her!” a man’s voice hissed.

“Apologies,” a hoarse voice morosely murmured. “W-We’re... We’re not used to such tasks. We tried to be gentle, but-but we were concerned that she would scream. She already tried to fight us w-when we first grabbed her.”

“It is fine,” a third, and this time painfully familiar, voice said reassuringly. Haru tried to stand up from the bed she was on in order to get a better look at the man, but the ropes that restrained her made it impossible to move. All she could see was through small slit made visible by the door separating her from the others, the shadows that’d occasionally cast over her through the opening. The voice sounded like Attilio-san! It didn’t make sense! Why would he be with the people who kidnapped her? “The girl is fine. You did well, given the mission assigned to you.”

“Will this truly restore peace within our homes?” A man inquired and Haru felt her insides churned at his words.

No.

“If Attilio-san says it will, of course it will!” a younger sounding man said snappishly, as though insulted that someone would doubt a person of Attilio-san’s status.

No!

“The demon boy will be gone after this, honored father?” the man persisted.

This couldn’t be true. Attilio-san cared for Giotto-sama, even if it was through his own unique way! There was no way he could actually be in cahoots... or... or even leadings these men to Giotto-sama’s demise, right?

...right?

Briefly, a flash of green entered her vision from the small opening of the door and she immediately saw it to be the same shade of green that belonged to Attilio-san’s eyes. She froze, feeling as though those eyes were staring right at her, so cold and profoundly distant.

“After tonight, the boy will no longer be a source of concern for you and your families.”

---

Adelina trudged back to her home, grateful that Michael hadn’t said a word since her breakdown at the clearing. She wasn’t in the mood to talk about anything and while she’d normally be flustered and happy that Michael was by her side, none of it seemed to matter at the moment.

...he had been so close.

Giotto had been right in front of her, but she allowed him to slip away once more.

No... he had walked away from her.

Giotto didn’t want her around. He most likely saw her to be the same failure as she saw herself to be. The moment he needed her the most, she abandoned him, showed her back to him in the same fashion the other people in the village had done so. Even though he had encouraged her to stay away from him, that was because he himself must have been hurting. He was trying to make her stay away so that she didn’t suffer the same backlash as he did.

It had been so much easier to just give in, to stop fighting the tidal wave that threatened to drag her into the sea of despair. At first, she would go trudging through the forest, calling out for him, and when she eventually found him, she would try to forcibly grab his hand in order to drag him back to the flower field they adored. He’d resist and avoid her, always watching from afar to make sure she didn’t hurt herself. Each time she’d hold out her hand, practically begging him to take it and return back home with her.... until eventually, she stopped trying at all.

Her hand that always reached out to him remained still by her side, her despair filled eyes turning sharp and twisted. Filled with such raw anger and sadness.

She had tried to change. She had tried to reach out for Giotto again, but old habits and traumas did not simply fade away. Giotto knew she was still hurting, that the mere sight of him brought her pain, and so he’d turn away. Because he didn’t need her. She was nothing but a source of unhappiness for him.

The tears were threatening to start again and Adelina sniffled, brusquely wiping her eyes clean of them.

“Adelina-.” Michael began.

“I’m fine.” She snapped.

“You don’t have to-.”

“I’m fine.”

Their walk continued, engulfed within the heavy silence.

---

Giotto listened to the subtle murmurs of the forest dwellers as he walked through the path obscured by rocks and tall, unkempt grass. There was a special power the forest seemed to have over him, the way it almost seemed to wash away the discomfort and worries that plagued him. The only other thing that was better than the reassurance he received from the forest was the warmth and comfort Haru provided him with her presence alone.

He almost smiled at the thought. Soon they would be away from all this, just the two of them together. It would be an arduous challenge, trying to survive in a world they knew nothing about, but Giotto would do everything to protect her. Before he met Haru, he had gorged himself with the books Attilio would occasionally leave in their shared abode. Attilio would also teach him about the wonders of the world and on a very rare occasion –Giotto could count with a single hand alone the number of times this had happened– Attilio would even take him to nearby towns and showed him the life there.

Unlike the small village Giotto had grown up in, a town was different. Other than a shared language and similar culture, there were so many vast differences. The village was more pleasant and everyone knew one another. A town was bigger and it was possible to be strangers with someone due to the expanded land. Not to mention, a town wasn’t even the biggest area of living. Giotto had heard of cities from Attilio... big and grand cities filled with hundreds or thousands of people.

All of those people, working hard to survive day to day...

Life outside would be difficult if they did not plan or prepare.

Still, soon they would all be away from this village that hated him so.

His chest tightened at the memory of Adelina crying out for his name, her hand outstretched in a weak attempt to grab a hold of him. It had been so long since he’d last heard her call out to him like that. Years ago when she’d been younger, he’d doted on her like a younger sister. She was so impatient and courageous, always causing problems for her poor mother by venturing the most dangerous path due to the excitement it brought.

It had been another reason why Giotto had been trusted to take care of her. Due to her adventurous ways and rebellious nature, he was the best in curbing in her enthusiasm and sass. Not to mention, she trusted him wholeheartedly. She always believed he would be there for her whenever she was in trouble... which sometimes contributed to her fearless nature and how she’d do things other kids would normally be terrified over.

His footsteps ceased and he remained standing in the middle of trees, shadows already casted long and pitched black as the sun threatened to vanish over the horizon.

Adelina had trusted him...

She had trusted him and saw him as the big brother who would always protect her from any dangers that may befall her. He’d done his best to live up to that expectation and, while never spoken aloud, he’d always believed that he’d do everything and anything to make sure no harm befell her. That was something he swore, be it with Adelina or anyone in the village he regarded as family.

But...

His eyes clenched shut while a hand reached out to grab a hold of his chest, his quickened heartbeat pounding harshly underneath his palm.

Even though he had sworn, he had promised himself he’d protect her and everyone. In the end, he was the source of the misery. He was the one who had caused people pain.

Would he fail once more, but with Haru this time? He was making promises again, vowing he would do everything to take care of her. It was the exact same scenario, a near replicate of the past. Was this a mistake? Would he hurt Haru the way he had hurt Adelina.

The mere thought of Haru in Adelina’s position, the tears in her eyes with her hand outstretched in a feeble attempt to grab a hold of him... how she’d be wrapped in the arms of another boy, holding her close and providing her the comfort that he never could or would be able....

His labored breathing calmed and his entire body stilled.

Another boy... another man holding onto Haru in a protective embrace?

Another man reaching out and cupping her face, a thumb brushing a tear away, while soft, sweet murmurs are whispered in order to comfort her?

Another man holding hands with Haru, smiling and laughing with such lighthearted freedom... the way they’d play games together, the way he’d pick dresses with her and delight in how beautiful she looked in the clothes he picked specifically just for her... the demure smile on her face while she’d give him a cute curtsey, smiling shyly with an adorable pink blush dusting her cheeks.

Small flames licked the top of his hair, but went unnoticed as the normally brilliant two-toned eyes seemed to hold a piercing glow that sent some of the wildlife scampering away.

Giotto’s grip on his chest loosened.

He would not fail this time. Before he had been just a child, but now he had grown. No, he was still growing even now. Each passing day he grew stronger. He knew he was actually better than most of the boys his age when it came to strength and agility, perhaps even intelligence. This was not a boastful statement, but one deduced after careful consideration. It had been noticed even while he had been accepted by the other villagers, how smart and unique he was compared to the other children.

There were many people out there in the world, but it didn’t matter. If he found someone who could do much better than him, he would work twice as hard to make sure he didn’t falter. This time, he couldn’t afford to be weak. He couldn’t lose to anyone.

Haru’s brilliant smile.

The tender warmth of her arms as she held him at night.

The sweet faith and unrelenting trust she had in him.

It was different from Adelina, who had only been but a young child when they’d known each other. She trusted him because he was older than her, a big brother that was meant to take care of the little ones that followed.

Haru, if she truly wanted, didn’t need him. At least not anymore. She could survive on her own. The villagers had even accepted her as one of their own. If she wanted, she could leave anytime and live her own life. She could even ask for Attilio’s help in order to go abroad and back to this Japan of hers.

But she didn’t.

She chose him.

She wanted him.

And because of that, he had no plans of ever letting go.

---

Adelina stared at the open door to her home. It wasn’t unusual to see the door flung open since the boys were careless enough to do something like that, even if it meant a sharp rap on the butt with a wooden spoon. What was unusual, however, was the fact that many of the furniture was upturned along with various random things tossed around in the room.

“What in the-.” Michael didn’t bother to finish his sentence and moved in front of Adelina in case someone jumped out at them, observing the situation carefully before walking into the cluttered room. It was a known fact throughout the village that Adelina’s mother liked keeping everything clean and prompt. She would faint if she saw the disaster in the middle of her home. “A thief? Who in the world would want to do something like this?”

Their village was small and since everyone basically knew one another, it was an unspoken rule that they took care of their own whenever hardship befell them. Of course, there were the occasional spats and jealousies, but none to the point that they would intrude upon another’s home and cause mayhem in there.

“I have to report this to my father,” Michael continued. “Or to any of the nearby adults. They’d want to talk about this in case we either have a vagrant wandering around or even a stray bandit walking around in the village. Or-.”

“No.” Adelina whispered and Michael turned around to see her staring at the door, ignoring how the inside of her home was a complete mess.

“What is it? Did you find some sort of clue?”

“The door,” she whispered, touching the handle before looking at both sides of the wooden door. It was sturdy and heavy, not something one could easily break through. There was also a heavy metal lock that would be impossible to break through without the proper tools.

“Maybe one of the boys left it open and-.”

“No way,” Adelina said immediately. “The boys could have left it open, but that shouldn’t matter. Haru was inside the house. If it was a bandit or a vagrant, they would have seen Haru and ignored this place because they wouldn’t want to alert the others that they’re around.”

“Maybe... Maybe Haru already left? It is getting dark and you know she always goes back to be with Giotto at night.” The name caused Adelina to instinctively flinch, but she shoved away her personal feelings because of the sinking feeling she got from Michael’s words.

“Haru wouldn’t have left without letting anyone know and besides, Mama should have come back by now from helping out at the neighbor’s home. They should have heard something happening here. This place is tiny and a lot of people come to visit us. Someone would have seen or heard something happening.” Adelina’s grip on the door handle tightened and the dreadful feeling in the pits of her stomach grew. “Haru also always leaves after telling someone. She knows Mama and I worry about her and so, even if it means going out later, she waits until she tells someone... not to mention... Giotto always helps her home so I never have to worry about her walking in the dark.”

“...what are you trying to say?” Michael spoke hesitantly, but both of them already knew what she was implying.

Adelina stared right into Michael’s eyes before she wordlessly bolted out of the house. He stood there with his hands uselessly by his sides, watching with sad eyes as she faded from his line of sight.

---

The words had finally come to a stop and silence reigned over wherever Haru was currently being held captive. She remained still, straining her ears to see if there was some sound or movement she could use to deduce what was going on outside. However, not a word was spoken and she didn’t see any shadow of movements through the slit of the door.

Based on the conversations and movements from before, she knew the majority of them had left the room. But was it all of them or were there some still lingering behind to make sure she didn’t escape? If there were some left behind, how many were there? Even if she somehow miraculously got out of her bonds, would she still be able to escape from this place?

Haru panted harshly behind the cloth that kept her mouth muffled, her wrists raw from how long she struggled to wiggle one of her wrists out of them.

What were these men planning to do to her and Giotto-sama?

Why was Attilio-san conspiring with them?

No, no, none of that mattered right now. The most important thing for her to do now was to get out, find Giotto-sama, and get away as far as possible from this village. Whatever help Attilio-san could give them was not worth getting Giotto-sama hurt.

She stopped writhing on the bed when her ears picked up the sound of the door hinges squealing in protest. Maybe it was due to the extremes duress she was under, but it seemed to take eons for the door to finally open, the shrieks of the hinges echoing throughout the small pitch black room and lingering even after the door was finally opened all the way.

Still breathing hard, Haru forced herself to look at the doorway.

Green eyes stared down at her with an icy, merciless gaze.

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::tsuzuku::

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AU: :D longer chapter!

Chapter 27

Chapter 29