Her
objective had been to warn the Primo about the enemies from the future that had
arrived to the past, intent on taking advantage of the Vongola ancestors with
their superior weapons and knowledge of what was to come. She could still hear
the loud debates and objections, Gokudera being the loudest, about her being
sent to the past, but Reborn’s sound logic and Tsuna’s tentative backing
silenced them all.
She
was the only one who didn’t have a direct link to the Vongola and their history.
Yes, it would be dangerous for her since she was no fighter and had no
particular skills that would protect her other than the basic self-defense
techniques taught to her by some of the Guardians... but she was also less
likely to drastically alter the course of history.
Haru
sighed and buried her face into her knees. At least, that’s what the assumption
would be. Her hand slid up to her stomach, rubbing it absentmindedly.
How
did things end up this way?
“Ricardo!” Haru hissed while scooting back as far
as she could with the blankets clutched tightly to her chest. It was a
laughably feeble attempt at protection, but it made her feel a lot better than
just simply lying vulnerably in front of the tall imposing man. “Why? I don’t
understand! You’re not the type to steal something from others.”
Ricardo eyed her very carefully, unmoving as he
watched her quietly. It unnerved Haru how much he resembled Xanxus from her
timeline and yet, these two were so different from each other. Ricardo had a
cold and merciless brutality that Xanxus would appreciate, but he reined it in
with such a tight hold that many would not believe that he had a temper at all.
Unfortunately, because of this, it sometimes made it difficult or impossible to
read him at all. When he finally spoke, it was in a low tenured voice, a layer
of frost in them sending shivers down her spine. “And how exactly do you know
what type of man I am?”
“Because,” she spat out, grateful that she didn’t
end up stammering. “Giotto-sama trusts you... and still trusts you! Even though
you led the coup... even though you actually fought against Giotto-sama and
drew blood... he believes that you had your reasons!”
“He wants to believe,” Ricardo snapped harshly.
“That naïve thinking is exactly why he was unsuitable for this position. The
leader of the Vongola Famiglia! Do you truly believe such a soft-hearted man is
worthy in leading such a powerful organization? It was fine when the group was
still growing, when there is a common enemy to fight and defeat... but once the
enemy is gone, greed will overcome all common sense and Giotto will soon find
that those he considered loyal will only have their eyes on the very seat he
holds.”
“...so it is for the good of the family...” Haru
murmured and Ricardo stilled from above her. The harshness in her eyes faded to
a gentle understanding, though the aggravation over the situation remained. She
gazed up at him with those mesmerizing brown orbs of hers. “You expelled Giotto
so that he wouldn’t have to force himself to turn into something he isn’t.”
He didn’t reply at first and merely moved his hand
against her cheek. Haru stared at him in confusion, especially as he began to
caress her face with the back of his knuckles. “And just like him... you are as
equally as naïve...”
“I... I don’t understand,” she said with her
eyebrows knitting together.
“You and my fool of a cousin are always trying to
find the good in people,” he murmured as he leaned forward, drowning himself in
her dizzying scent. It had been hard enough when he’d simply hovered over her,
but it was even more difficult as he drew in closer. Ricardo drank in the sight
of her sweet features. “When you’ve already had a taste of what I’m truly
like.”
Haru
had tried to forget about it, the time when Ricardo had actually shoved her
against the wall and kissed her. She could still remember –a wry smile fleeting
across her features at how old the memory felt- the worry radiating off of the
Primo when he found her spitting mad with her lips puffed up and her hair in
disarray. In the end, she didn’t tell him anything because she didn’t want to
be the cause that formed the rift between the two. Unlike the relationship
Tsuna had with Xanxus, Ricardo actually respected Giotto-sama and didn’t bother
to hide it before anyone. He was always so courteous and respectful to the
Primo’s decisions and opinions, interjecting if he truly believed the idea to
be inane or if he had a better solution.
But
still...
Still
this had happened.
Granted,
it was to happen eventually. That she was more than aware of. Ricardo was to
become the Secondo of the Vongola. No one ever knew how it happened exactly,
other than that the Primo had been betrayed by one of his Guardians, but it was
how the history of the Vongola played out. Her fingers tightened slightly over
her tummy at the memories of Daemon Spade roaming freely within the halls after
the Primo was usurped from his position, the taunting smile on his lips while
he’d look at her in triumph. She despised him so much. At least Mukuro had been
nice and occasionally indulged her whenever she’d talk about cosplaying.
“But
what now?” she whispered, speaking in her native tongue as she was apt to do
when she was feeling melancholic and alone like this. Chunks of the Vongola’s
history were left unremembered. She knew the schematics of how the organization
would grow and become the powerhouse it would be in the future. However, the
minor details were lost...
No...
Not
lost.
She
was living it right now.
Haru cursed belligerently under her breath as one
of the guards situated outside the manor grounds grabbed her by the arms,
keeping them still behind her while the other guard went to grab
reinforcements. After all, the new leader had made it clear that she was to be
left unharmed, even if she was trying to go against his orders. She had been so
close at escaping. So close!
“Let me go,” she hissed.
“Please don’t be like this,” the guard pleaded and
she recognized him to be one of those loyal to the organization during the
Primo’s era. A nice boy who was simply caught in between. “Secondo also won’t
be happy if he thinks I injured you because you were struggling.”
At that, Haru stopped fighting. She couldn’t let
someone else get hurt because of her actions. Still, she bit her lips and
struggled to keep her tears at bay. No, this was not the time to be a crybaby.
She refused to let old habits from her younger years crawl out from inside of
her. She’d worked far too hard, struggled far too long, to obtain some form of
strength for her digress back to that point.
However, she couldn’t stop the chill that went
through her at the sight of Ricardo slowly trudging down the beaten pathway,
his piercing emerald eyes watching her carefully. She never understood why he looked
at her like that, so cautiously and almost... studiously... as though he was
trying to absorb every little detail about her. He stopped before her and,
having been raised properly by his family and by the Primo himself, wordlessly
held out a hand for her to take... the hand that had glowed menacingly as they
shot out the flames that wounded the Primo...
Haru ignored it and stormed past him back towards
the manor.
The
door to the room opened quietly and Haru silenced her breath as she listened to
the sound of the clipped footsteps on the wooden floor. She didn’t lift her
head to acknowledge the presence, focusing intently on her exhale. The bed
dipped slightly to the side and she inhaled deeply and regretted it immediately
when she smelled the now all too familiar scent of burnt cedar and a crisp
autumn morning.
A
large hand palmed the side of her hips and she unwilling unfurled herself as
she was pulled towards the source of an immense heat. It was a nice contrast to
the cold she’d been surrounded in, but she resisted the urge to curl up against
it and sigh under the comfortable warmth.
No.
She
didn’t want to give in so easily again and again...
Haru shivered at the feel of lips lazily skimming
across her nape, a strong arm wrapped tightly around her waist, keeping her
snuggly pressed against the body behind her. She hated how their legs were
tangled together and how he’d affectionately nuzzle into her hair, breathing
her scent in deeply. She hated how he’d run his fingers up and down her arm in
a lethargic manner, as though he was so content and comfortable with having her
in his arms.
Ricardo allowed her to roam free during the day,
as long as it was within the Vongola grounds, but there was no changing his
decision in that they shared his bed. He never forced her to do more than what
they did now, apparently satisfied with having her in his arms while he
indulged himself on occasion with the soft kisses against her skin... at
another time and place, Haru would have laughed till she turned blue if someone
told her that the fearsome Secondo’s favorite pastime seemed to be cuddling.
Unfortunately, right now she’d rather be anywhere than trapped under the arms
of such a dangerous and frightening man.
She still couldn’t figure out what was going
through his mind. There was no clear motivation as to why he’d bullied his way
into being the Secondo. Giotto-sama had always offered it to him until the
silent war broke out. There was no need for a coup. And Ricardo’s explanation
that time when she’d woken up didn’t clear anything up. If anything, it only
seemed to cement the fact that Ricardo had acted in the good of the Vongola.
His brutal way of fighting and his merciless nature were easily cowing the
enemies of the future who had foolishly believed that the past would provide
them with an easy victory. It wouldn’t be long until the Vongola secured their
victory.
So why? Why in this manner? If it was due to a
difference in strategy, Giotto-sama always listened to his men. Even if he
disagreed, they could have reached some middle-ground.
Haru bit her lip and shivered unwittingly when he
nipped the supple skin of her neck. She was still so unused to having someone
hold her like this at night and it didn’t help that she was definitely not used
to these types of attention. But being a giant teddy bear to him was a lot
better than the alternatives and if this was how she was to survive, then so be
it.
She’ll just use this opportunity to think of
another escape plan for tomorrow...
A soft gasp escaped her lips when he kissed a
sensitive part of her neck and she struggled not to let out the soft mewls for
more when he seemed to latch onto that spot, intent on pulling out more of
those pleasing sounds.
...that is if she could focus long enough to think
of one.
Haru
kept her eyes trained out to the open doors that led to the balcony, ignoring
how the man behind her settled her on his lap with his hand possessively
splayed over her lower stomach. Her body seemed to automatically relax under
his presence, as though it had finally adjusted and embraced the fact that he
was not a source to be wary of but a source of comfort and protection. It
didn’t help that he’d always be so gentle with her when they were like this, keeping
her encased within his larger frame while he’d absentmindedly stroke her bare
arm with his fingertips.
“The
war is over,” he softly murmured and the sound of his voice only seemed to melt
her further within his grasp.
She
almost jerked her head up at the announcement and instead slowly looked up at
him in surprise, her eyes glowing with excitement at the fact that the stupid
jerks from the future were finally put in their place. “...we’ve won?”
Ricardo
took advantage of her gaze and kissed her gently across the lips, almost
sighing at the sensation of them and how she no longer tried to pull away from
him or snapped at him to get away. He lingered longer than necessary before
pulling back, tucking a stray lock of her brown hair behind her ear before cupping
her face. “We’ve won. The leader was put down in the last battle earlier this
afternoon.”
The
kiss didn’t bother Haru. It was actually now a source of comfort for her, a
familiar routine in her everyday life filled with worry. Her heart quickened at
the fact that she’d succeeded. The enemies had failed and the Vongola’s future
was secured. She slumped down against Ricardo with tears gathering in the
corner of her eyes. Tsuna-san would be fine now. He and the others won’t have
to worry about the Vongola line disappearing or being corrupted.
The
thought stopped her in track.
The
Vongola line...
Ricardo’s
hand on her stomach suddenly felt much heavier.
“I told you not to move,” Haru snarled in an
unlady-like fashion when she saw Ricardo browsing through some of the paperwork
his men had brought over. Her heart still felt a slight twinge at the sight of
him sitting on the seat that had belonged to Giotto-sama only months ago, but
she forced it away at the sight of Ricardo’s injuries. His normally kempt shirt
was wrinkled and unbuttoned, revealing the white bandages wrapped tightly
around his chest, while his coat was draped unceremoniously over his broad
shoulders.
“It’s late,” he said dismissively. “You should be
in bed.”
“No, you’re the one that should be in bed!” she
crossed her arms while giving the tart reply. “Those wounds won’t heal if you
don’t rest and where will we be if the Secondo was too inept to realize that he
should be in full fighting form when the enemies springs another surprise
attack?”
She spat the word Secondo sarcastically, the word
still stiff and distasteful in her mouth.
Ricardo didn’t seemed phased by her rudeness,
another interesting contrast to his future counterpart. Xanxus was known for
his explosive temper, but Ricardo certainly knew how to curb it when he wanted
to. He continued flipping through the pages, clearly ignoring Haru and her –in
his eyes- evident tantrum.
“Ricardo,” she spoke coldly.
“I will join you in bed as soon as-.”
“No, you will join me now!” Haru wanted to throw
something at how stubborn this man was. She hated him for how he’d forced
Giotto-sama from the Vongola, but it didn’t change the fact that there was
still a powerful enemy out there that wanted to destroy the Vongola. Her
mission was to stop that from happening and if it meant working with this cruel
man to succeed, she would do it... for the sake of her famiglia in the
future...
However, in the midst of her mental rant, she
didn’t notice how Ricardo had gone deathly still, his hand in the midst of
turning a page over when her words registered in his mind. He gazed up at her
and how her face was turned slightly to the side, a mullish pout on her face
while she was obviously going through some internal rage that was most likely
cursing him to oblivion.
Haru looked up, startled, when she heard the
scrapping of the wooden chair. Ricardo rose from his seat and walked over to
her, his tall figure almost towering over her as he reached out to grab her by
the elbow, turning her so that it faced the door. “You’re right.”
“Hahi?” her eyes almost goggled at his admittance.
“We should get some rest," he murmured while
guiding her back to their bed.
She
didn’t quite understand how this development happened. The only reason why
she’d cooperated with Ricardo was because, whether she liked it or not, he was
the current head of the Vongola and it was her mission to preserve it. The
Primo... even if Giotto-sama wanted to provide his aid, it would be impossible
due to the circumstances of his expulsion...
Not
to mention, it didn’t help that she was quite isolated from the outside world.
There were the guards and the servants, but they kept their distance from her,
partly due to how they were too busy aiding in the war to form any type of
relationship with her and mostly due to how they feared Ricardo’s wrath if they
were to do or say something that might lead to Haru’s successful escape. If
there was one thing the Secondo was clear on, it was that Haru was not to leave
the Vongola lands, his reasoning behind that she was their Goddess of Victory
who had potent knowledge against their enemy. She needed to be protected or
else they’d lose their one trump card against their more strangely powerful
foes.
And
so, that left her mostly in Ricardo’s company. His Guardians occasionally made
an appearance, but they were too focused on the war to talk to her and after a
particularly nasty meeting between Ricardo and Daemon Spade, the elusive and
traitorous Mist Guardian kept his distance from her, which she was grateful
for. Haru didn’t know what she’d do if she had to see his stupid smug smirk
every day.
Her
hand slowly moved and settled on top of Ricardo’s on her stomach and she closed
her eyes. The scene they displayed would have appeared so comfortable and
loving, two lovers embracing each other after finally attaining victory over a
dangerous enemy... but Haru’s knitted eyebrows and slight frown were the only
signs that gave away that something was wrong.
Ricardo
would join her for meals. He’d be there to talk to her, be it about the war
itself or her spitting insults to him or her even talking about nothing because
she only had him and no one else to turn to. At night he’d embrace her and
comfort her, even though her tears would be due to him turning this terrifying
trip to the past further frightening with his ridiculous coup and trapping her
here for god knows what. He’d listen when her fears would stray towards other
things, about how she missed her family and friends... of all the things she’d
miss and never see.
It
was due to her isolation and fear that she’d broken down and accidentally told
Ricardo the truth, the reality that not even the Primo had the chance to learn.
That she wasn’t some magic seer or goddess that arrived in a flash of golden
light to save the Vongola. No, she was just a young woman who loved and
cherished her friends and had been willing to risk everything to go back into
the past in order to make sure the future would remain the same.
And
this ridiculously frustrating man had listened to all that, his expression
never changing as he wiped her tears away, splaying kisses over her face and
holding her until she’d fallen asleep in his arms.
...it
was no wonder she’d ended up surrendering herself as she did in the end.
The windows shook as the winds howled outside, a
powerful storm raging within the skies as though aware of the turbulent battle
that had taken place just hours ago.
She hadn’t meant for this to happen.
All she had planned to do was sass him some more
after tending to some of the minor wounds he’d gotten, but when he’d looked at
her sharply with those piercing emerald eyes, words were lost on her.
Several dozen men had been lost under the recent
attack. Dozens of good, loyal men with families, friends, and lovers. Ricardo
may have his harsh streak, but he was still a leader of the Vongola and that meant
caring for those beneath him. They were his men, his soldiers. They were his to
command and lead and his to protect and support.
“Ricardo...” his
name barely left her lips when he grabbed her by the arm, pulling her forward
and crushing his lips against her own. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she
couldn’t pull herself away from him. There was something desperate, so hungry,
in the way he was kissing her that she’d end up leaning in a bit closer, as
though to provide a modicum of comfort, timidly parting her lips when she felt
his tongue tracing the seam of it. It was all the approval he needed.
Ricardo pulled her even closer, lifting her up and
settling her on his lap so that she was straddling him, the edges of her modest
dress hiking scandalously high and revealing creamy white skin that he palmed
generously. She tasted so divine and sweet, his hand already obsessively
running itself within her hair. He broke away and left her gasping for air
while he ran his lips over the smooth column of her throat, growling lightly
when she gripped his hair tightly, his name a gasp on her temptingly red kissed
lips.
There was a slight squeak of surprise from her as
Ricardo suddenly spun with her in his arms, pinning her down on the bed while
he resumed his exploration of her. Haru could feel his hand sliding up upward
from her outer thigh and bit her lip at how his fingertips would lazily trail
up her skin, causing goosebumps to form on the sensitive flesh. Her hands were
trailing down from around his neck, touching the hard planes of his shoulders
and back, marveling at the firmness in them. They held the strength and power
that supported the Vongola and protected the weak against the enemy.
She briefly lost sight of him as the dressed was
pulled over her shoulders, but the moment the material was tossed carelessly to
the side, Haru had to resist the urge to swallow hard at the sudden sense of
vulnerability that came pounding into her senses. Instead, her arms
automatically reached up to cover her breasts, nevermind the fact that she was
already lying there with her legs parted and him intimately pressing himself
against her.
Haru felt his hand encase her wrist, slowly
pulling them away from her, and couldn’t stop her shiver when he kissed the
palm of her hand. He trailed his lips down to her wrist and continued his
descent until he reached the junction of her shoulder, the straps of her bra
already pulled downward. She could feel his nimble fingers unhooking the metal
clasp behind her and the protest lingered on her lips, words that she wanted to
shout and remained locked in her throat.
She hated him for throwing the Primo out of his
own Famiglia.
She hated him for causing so much chaos when they
had enough trouble as it is.
She hated him for not being so despicable... for
indulging in her attempts to escape, for never ever even snapping at her when
she’d act belligerently or even downright childishly at him...
But most of all, she hated him for how he’d made
it difficult for her to fall asleep at night without his large frame and
familiar warmth wrapping her in a safe little cocoon. The way he’d
affectionately kiss her and hold her so gently at night... it helped to ebb
away the isolation and loneliness that ate away from her.
When Ricardo kissed her this time, her hand
clutched onto the back of his head to pull him even closer, openly deepening
the kiss while moaning lightly at the feel of his hands clutching onto her bare
breasts.
Ricardo
nosed into her hair, obsessed with her scent as usual. She never understood
what it was that drew him to her so magnetically, but it always felt as though
he could never truly feel as comfortable until he had her in his arms. He’d
always find ways to hold her, kiss her, or leaving small marks on her person as
reminders of him.
And
now...
Now
she wasn’t sure if there was a time when he didn’t hold her like this, when her
senses weren’t completely inundated with the smell of burnt cedar and a
hair-raising power that made others turn away from him in fear. If there was
such a time, she could no longer remember it...
It hurt to have him inside her like this, her
entire body taut and unmoving beneath him as a few drop of tears escaped from
the corner of her eyes. But at the same time, it felt so right. He felt so warm
and comforting... so familiar...
The pain helped her forget about all the tragedies
and of how lonely she felt after being separated from all her friends and
family from the future. Even now, as she bore through the sharp sting that made
her eyes water, Ricardo’s finger were knitted with hers, holding them tightly
as she struggled to regain her breathing.
She had even lost the Primio in the end... but
Ricardo... he remained. He was still here, even if he was the cause of some of
her tears.
Haru gasped out some variation of his name when
she felt him gently pulling out, her inner walls latching onto his thick length
greedily, only for her to breathlessly whimper his name again when he slid back
in, her unused walls now protesting how he forced his way through her slick
depth. He pressed his lips against hers and she obligingly parted her lips,
grateful and desperate for any sort of distraction from the unusual sensation
of having something -someone- inside her like this.
It was so scary.
Alone in a world that she didn’t belong and the
one person she believed to be her savior and anchor to the world... the
Primo... was now gone... instead, her trust had been forcible shifted to
another, a person she hadn’t even believed would play such a big role in her
life like this.
His pace was growing steadier, stronger, and Haru
arched her back, crying out softly when she felt him entering deeper inside of
her. Each thrust was so powerful, so controlled, she could tell even without
seeing the beads of sweat and the heavy scowl on his face that Ricardo was
holding himself back, controlling his own urges and needs... all just for her.
She should hate him. He’d ruined everything...
Haru’s hips moved to align with his and she weakly
tried to match his pace, unused to the tempo and movements and yet,
instinctively yearning for more of the soft heat that was coiling tighter and
tighter within her lower stomach. And for a moment, Ricardo remained still on
top of her, his breath heavy and labored while dark, clouded green eyes seemed
to greedily drink in her expression. Her participation seemed to break whatever
self control he was struggling to maintain and Haru’s eyes widened, a scream
unleashed from her throat as she dug her nails hard into his bare shoulders,
struggling to hold on.
Gods, did this woman realize what she did to him?
For long, he’d struggle to remain patient. He’d
tried to satisfy his insatiable cravings with the occasional kiss and holding
her tightly at night. In the end, it’d been more like torture, teasing himself
with tastes and samples of her sweet skin, those tempting moans and whimpers...
only the fact that he’d already forced her away from the Primo helped maintain
what honor he had left in him...
Ricardo knew better than anyone else that he could
never live up to the Primo’s image. He’d already tarnished what little he had
when he forced the Primio away from his own Famiglia.
But it didn’t matter.
He didn’t care about any of that.
“Ricardo,” Haru cried out breathlessly and he saw
the tears gathering in her eyes. She must hate him so much, for forcing events
to turn in this manner.
He clutched onto her thigh and hiked it up to
around his waist, providing a new angle that left her struggling to form
coherent words. Her vice grip around his length threatened to end him, but he
forced it all away, determined to have her as long as he could.
He didn’t care what sort of monster he turned
into.
“Haru,” he said through gritted teeth, kissing her
hard. His tongue wetly tangled with hers and it almost broke him how she’d
respond back, the way her body moved against his in an attempt to bring more of
him inside of her. She wanted him just as much as he wanted her.
Ricardo bit into the junction where her shoulder
made her neck, determined to leave his marks all over her body.
As long as his goddess remained rightfully his.
“Marry
me,” the words were spoken so gently, but there was a steel in them that made
Haru subconsciously quiver inside. As though aware of the effect his words had
on her, Ricardo stroked her arm comfortingly, but she was all too aware that
there was no change in what he’d said. His hand that was cupping her lower stomach
possessively tightened and nudged her closer to his body.
The world shattered around her and Haru clung onto
the man on top of her. Her legs were wrapped tightly around his waist while she
had her face buried into the crook of his neck, her small form trembling as an
intense heat seemed to erupt and fill her to the brim from the inside. She
breathed loudly, mewling slightly at the odd yet pleasant sensation of thick,
hot viscous liquid pouring inside of her.
Ricardo groaned softly. Her inner walls were
clutching onto him so tightly, milking him for every last drop of his seeds. He
held her close to him, clinging as tightly to her as she to him. He’d had
countless dreams of this moment with her... and it had been better than any fantasy
his mind could conjure.
Her breath hitched slightly when she felt him move
slightly, her sensitive walls reflexively fluttering around him with the soft
movement. Ricardo’s eyes darkened and he placed a chaste kiss on her lips.
She was finally his...
“Marry
me, Haru,” he repeated the words and she bit her lip, looking back at the
opened balcony door.
His thirst
for her was relentless.
It was as
though a dam had burst opened the moment she’d given in to
him. Every night he’d have her screaming his name, every
night he’d hold her close with their fingers entwined with
one another... every morning she’d awaken with him
trailing kisses down her skin before he’d reach up for a
morning kiss...
It was as
though he was desperate to make sure that she didn’t forget his presence, didn’t
have a moment in which she forgot about the taste of his lips.
She still didn’t
understand what drove him like this, but in the end, she knew of one reality.
“Marry me,” this
time his words seemed to sear across her skin as he whispered them against her
ear.
“Ricardo,” his name
was a desperate plea on her lips, her fingers entangled within his long hair.
She could feel his hot breath fanning on her skin, slick with sweat, while he
moved within her in a rhythm that left her clinging onto him for support. She
tried her best to follow his movements, moving her hips in a weak attempt to
follow the hungry thrusts that seemed to force her to open for him, to reveal
all the hidden depths within her to him.
It was
terrifying...
He’d slowly taken every piece of her for himself, retrieving it
one by one until there was nothing left for her to hide from him. She’d yell and snap at him, but each time, she’d
fall apart in his arms. It felt so comfortable now, the only source that made
her feel safe and secure in this unfamiliar period of time.
It felt
like home.
And she
held him close, kissed him back, and screamed his name as she came around him
once more in the dead of the night.
“...yes,” she whispered and closed her eyes, turning away from the moon
that shined through the opened balcony. “I’ll marry you...”
