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.
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.
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 28
HappyFace1886
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.
