Genesis - Katekyo Hitman Reborn - Chapter 32

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 32

HappyFace1886

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Haru.

Giotto’s mind raced at the sight of her before him. Worry, fear, and happiness unravel within him when he saw that she was alive. His first response was to rush towards her, to envelope her in his arms to reassure himself that she was safe and by his side again. However, his instincts curbed in the desire.

No, this wasn’t about him. Haru was the one who’d gone through such a terrible ordeal. She didn’t need to be smothered by his own anxiety. Instead, Giotto walked at a slower pace, gauging her reaction carefully while he took in the tear stains on her soft features.

“Haru,” he repeated once he was right beside her and his hand automatically reached up to cup her face only to still when he saw the reddish mark on her cheek. Rage filled him. “Who-.”

“It was me,” Adelina said boldly and he looked at her in surprise. She almost flinched due to the traces of the majestic flames that still surrounded him and was relieved when she was able to give him a steady look. “It-.”

“-was my fault,” Haru quickly interrupted with her eyes downcast and to the side. “I... Adelina slapped me to help me clear my head....”

The silence that came indicated that he didn’t believe her. However, Adelina didn’t give him the chance press for more. “The villagers?”

“They’re fine,” he replied, never taking his gaze off of Haru while Haru pointedly had her eyes turned away from him. His arms ached to wrap themselves around her familiar petite frame, to run his hand up her hair while reassuring himself that she was alright. “Michael appeared and stopped them.”

The younger girl’s eyes goggled a bit at that information. “He did?”

“You should check on him,” Giotto’s words were soft and gentle, but there was a hint of firmness in them that seemed to imply that it wasn’t a suggestion. It was the voice of a future leader and a sign of what was to come in the –hopefully– near future. Haru’s hands slowly curl into tight fists. “He might require your help in convincing the villagers to stand down.”

Adelina eyed the two of them carefully. “....alright... but you two should head to somewhere safe until it’s okay for you two come out.”

“Don’t worry,” Giotto’s two-toned eyes almost seemed to glow brighter as they remained trained on Haru. “We’ll be fine.”

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Haru adamantly kept her eyes elsewhere even after she no longer could hear the soft patter of Adelina’s footsteps. Her hands came up to clutch onto her arms, only for her to wince when the movement provided a sharp reminder of the cuts and bruises on her arms and wrists. Before she could move, a hand gently grabbed her wrist. The hold was delicate in order to not aggravate her injures and her arm was then held upward for Giotto’s sharp gaze.

She almost looked straight into those mesmerizing two-toned eyes, but was able to force her gaze to the ground before that happened. Haru could feel his piercing gaze, how it almost felt as though it was penetrating through her skin and every little thing about her. At the same time, it was a sight that made her so homesick. Those brilliant orbs reminded her so much of Tsuna-san right now. Previously, after spending a great deal of time with Giotto-sama, she’d come to relate those orange-red eyes to the golden haired boy, but now... as the gravity of it all began to settle in, she couldn’t help but feel the pull towards the home she’d be forcibly torn away from.

“...I’m sorry...” his words were soft, sincere... regretful.

It was enough for Haru to snap her face up at him. Now it was Giotto who couldn’t look at her, his face so sad and somber as he took in the sight of her marred skin.

“...I’m so sorry...” the words came out so hushed that she almost missed it. Giotto’s thumb gently ran circles over the untouched part of her skin. “I’m so sorry for hurting you...”

“N-No!” she rushed. “It wasn’t you that hurt me. It was-.”

“It’s my fault,” he said with a shake of his head. “If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t have gotten caught in such a mess in the first place.”

“Giotto-sama-.”

“The villagers would have taken you in and made them one of their own... you would have lived a long and happy life within this place... there are many who already adore you despite having only known you for a little while.” He closed his eyes briefly, already able to see the images of what her future would be like. How he knew what the future had in store for her if she was to stay within the village, he didn’t truly understand... but it was same with the other oddities about him. He just knew that this was what would likely happen if she was to stay and it made his heart clench so tightly that it was impossible to breathe. “But... I...”

Haru didn’t wait for him to reply. “I’m leaving here with Giotto-sama. We promised each other!”

He stared at her and released her arm in favor of reaching out to cup her face. When he spoke, it was so full of yearning and pain. “...we promised... but if it means keeping you safe, I-.”

Before he could say anymore, Haru covered his mouth with her hands. She was crying again, growing frustrated with herself and the situation in general. No, this was not the time to be moping. For once, she had the ability to make a difference and she refused to just wallow in her misery like this. She breathed in and out deeply and Giotto, unable to speak even if he could, watched in muted silence.

“It wasn’t Giotto-sama’s fault,” she began shakily and she could already feel his protest under her hands. “No, it wasn’t! It was... It was my fault. I was weak and I-.”

Giotto broke away from her hold and grabbed her by the shoulders. “No, it wasn’t your fault.”

“But I will grow stronger,” Haru continued and Giotto stilled. “This is only the beginning. I’ll grow stronger so that this doesn’t happen again. No, we’ll both grow stronger. We’ll both get strong enough so that we can prevent something like this from happening again. So please... please don’t blame yourself.”

A war raged within him. Her words touched him, but would it be selfish of him to accept them and keep her by his side? They were lucky that the villagers weren’t completely hateful people and were simply driven by fear of the unknown. What if in the future they were to encounter people who actually had no qualms about hurting them? What if he wasn’t strong enough... just like how he hadn’t been strong enough now... to stop them from hurting her in order to hurt him?

Haru’s hands gently held the sides of his face and it was as though she seemed to understand his inner turmoil. She gave him a brilliant smile, the smile he held so dear and had kept him sane when it felt as though he was going to fall over the edge. “We can do this, Giotto-sama. We’re... family.”

His eyes widened.

Family?

“Yes,” he hadn’t realized he’d said the word out loud until she timidly spoke. “We’re family, Giotto-sama... and that means we won’t leave each other behind. No matter what happens, we’ll be each other’s strength. So please don’t say such things about leaving me behind.”

Family.

His eyes became hooded.

Family...

Giotto reached out and pulled Haru into his arms, holding her tightly while one hand wound itself around her head. He took in her presence, selfishly indulging in her scent and soaking up all her warmth. He felt her slowly reach out in order to return his embrace and it only made him further tighten his hold around her.

“We’ll leave as soon as possible,” he murmured softly only for her to hear, “....together.”

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::tsuzuku::

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AU: T___T I'm sorry that it's so short, but rest assured, your patience will be rewarded! I'm working on other stuff as well, so there'll probably be an update next weekend as well. I was actually going to update last night at midnight, but fell asleep without meaning too and the rest of the day was spent with work and stuff.

Also, it felt right to just cut the chapter right there. I actually wanted to make it longer, but I felt like a longer chapter would ruin the mood. Sorry!

Chapter 31
Chapter 33