Genre: Romance/Humor/Drama

Rated: T

Pairing: 1886 TYL. Hibari x Haru.

Summary: They had maintained a relatively platonic relationship for almost ten years now, with her calling him a close friend and him looking out for her. But after her decade-long crush on Tsuna came to a sad ending and she came back to Japan, he decided it was high time their relationship progressed.

Setting: Ten Years Later

Disclaimer: I do not own Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn. The manga belongs to Amano Akira-sensei.

Chapter One

"Tsuna-san, do you remember? That time you saved Haru from drowning in the river when we were young."

"Ah, yeah. Of course, I do."

"And after that you've saved my life again and again, but that first time you saved me was the most memorable."

"Why?"

"Because that's when Haru fell in love with you."

The rumbling sound of airplane engines echoed throughout the airport as passengers roamed around; some waiting for their flight and some pouring out from the gateway. Families and friends waited at the terminal to welcome their loved ones who would be coming back from their flight, but the plane was supposed to have landed almost an hour ago and everyone was getting restless. Finally, after waiting a long while, the arrival of the Italy-Japan flight was announced. The crowd shifted with anticipation as the first of the passengers carrying their suitcases came into view.

Among the passengers who came out of the gateway, a young lady dressed in a pastel-yellow blouse and white pants walked hurriedly. She sped past all the happy, reunited families and went straight to baggage claim, all the while muttering under her breath. While she waited for her suitcase, she kept looking at her watch impatiently.

"Ah, I'm late. He's going to be so mad at me. But it's not really my fault since the flight delayed, right?" She mumbled, a worried look on her face. She ruffled her short, dark-brown hair in frustration. Suddenly, a finger tapped on her shoulder and made her jump out of surprise.

"Hahi!"

She spun around and was met with an extreme pompadour hairstyle, its owner bowing to greet her.

"My apologies for startling you, Miura-san. And, welcome back to Japan."

Haru exhaled quite loudly and smiled in relief. "Oh, it's Kusakabe-san. You surprised me. I thought it was someone else and I was going to be bitten to death right then because I was late."

The former vice-president of the Disciplinary Committee of Namimori Junior High gave a small grin. "Today Kyou-san said he was busy so he didn't come here himself."

She sighed and pouted. "Really, I don't know if I should be happy or mad. He didn't come to see an old friend who was away for a year!"

Kusakabe smiled sheepishly, then gestured at the baggage conveyer. "Miura-san, where is your suitcase?"

"It's the yellow one with white polka-dots all over. Can you see it?"

"Ah, yes. It's very…eye-catching." He commented and picked it up easily, as if it weighed nothing even though the size was half its owner herself, and turned to her. "Our car is parked at the entrance. This way, please."

She beamed at him. "Thank you, Kusakabe-san. It's good to see you again."

And with that they headed for the Rolls-Royce that belonged to Kusakabe's master and Haru's old friend.

Haru sat at the back seat, looking out the window and the familiar scenery while Kusakabe drove. He stole a look at her through the rear view mirror. She was pretending to look outside but her eyes were actually unfocused and clouded, as if she was deep in thoughts.

Suddenly she turned to look at him and asked, "How is he doing?"

"Kyou-san? He's the same as ever. But, you know, Miura-san, it's been really quiet since you left. In my humble opinion, he was kind of lonely without you."

She laughed at his remark. "That's impossible. That guy, lonely? He loves solitude. He must have been so happy with himself that I wasn't there to bother him all the time. It was so nice of me to give him a break for a year. But now I'm back again and I'm pretty sure he's not going to like it, hehe."

They both laughed at that, all the while thinking of the man in question.

"By the way, Miura-san, did you enjoy your stay in Italy?"

Her bright smile paled a little before she covered it with a huge grin. "Ah, yes, it was wonderful. Haru even brought a few souvenirs for you guys."

"Thank you very much for thinking about me. And, may I ask…Why did you come back?"

Haru took a deep breath and answered, "I came back to finish my studies, of course. I can't fully operate as a doctor if I don't complete the two-year postgraduate training."

"Even you have to do that, Miura-san? You, who graduated the youngest of your class and already acquired a master degree in bioengineering? You, who were the first to receive full marks in the National Medical Practitioners Qualifying Examination and caused an uproar in the medical society with your phenomenal researches?" He allowed a rare frown to cross over his usually stoic features and asked in an almost incredulous tone.

The young lady became a little flustered at his praise. She touched the back of her neck and replied modestly, "Hehe, you're making me blush, Kusakabe-san. But, well, I'm not too thrilled about the training program, either. If not for the fact that I won't be able to make a living as a doctor without the program, I wouldn't want anything to do with it. I guess it's the same for all doctors, successful or not."

Kusakabe shook his head disapprovingly and opened his mouth to say something, only to be cut off by Haru's excited gasp. "Hahi! We're already here in Namimori. But—Nothing's changed. Everything's still the same!"

The corners of his mouth curved up at her excitement. "Of course. After all, you were only gone for a year."

The brunette continued to stare out the window as they drove through the familiar streets of her hometown. Finally, the car pulled up at a medium-sized, two-storey house that was the Miura residence. Even though the house looked perfectly fine, it looked uninhabited. Haru hopped out of the car and gawked at her now empty house while Kusakabe carried her bag.

"Looks like nobody's home," he remarked.

Haru unlocked the gate and gave him a small smile. "No, my parents moved away months ago and left the house to my care. They said I can do whatever I want with it when I come back."

As they entered the front of the house, it was becoming clear now that this place had been deserted for a while. The grass in the front yard was overgrown and there were several weeds. The mail in their mailbox was overflowing. All the doors and windows were shut. The place looked so lonely and empty he wondered how a lady like Haru was going live here alone.

Kusakabe turned to look at her. She was staring at it, too. Several moments later, she turned to him with a small smile and said, "Thank you, Kusakabe-san. You can put the bag there."

He frowned. "But, Miura-san, are you really going to stay here?"

"Yes! Obviously, because this is my home. Where else would I be?" She laughed like it was the most obvious thing in the world. But he wasn't convinced. He knew, after spending so many years with her, just the sort of girl she was—always putting up a tough front and hiding all her pain inside.

"Why did they suddenly move? And where did they go?"

"Ah, well, I don't really know the detail but while I was staying in Italy, one day I got their email and it said they were moving. Strangely enough, they didn't tell me where. They said they felt like the house was being watched all the time and it just didn't feel safe. And I know exactly why they felt that. I know they weren't just being paranoid. It's because of my relations with Tsuna-san and the others, that's why," she told him, shrugging, as if it was nothing.

He couldn't believe her. "Isn't that bad, Miura-san? That means this place is not safe! And you're going to live here alone!" he almost shrieked.

And Haru brought up her air-headed façade again. "Ehehe, I think it's fine, really. They left the house a while ago, that means whoever was watching them has pulled out already. I mean, look at the house. They must know nobody's living here anymore."

"But—"

"Besides, if they're targeting someone to get back at Tsuna-san, or to lure him out, they would want to have Kyoko-chan, not Haru. I don't think he'd come all the way from Italy just to rescue me. They should know he's not in Japan, right? And Kyoko-chan's staying with him at the mansion, too. Really, there's nothing to worry about, Kusakabe-san," she explained and gave him another broad smile. He noticed the flickering in her eyes when she mentioned their names, though.

"That's true. But, still…" Kusakabe sighed in exasperation. There was no way he was going to convince her like this. But he sure as hell would not want her to live here. He was sure his master wouldn't, either. Right, speaking of his master, maybe he could change her mind.

"Well, at least let me call Kyou-san first," he informed her, fishing his phone out. Haru nodded and walked to the front door. He looked, and saw that she was unlocking it.

He sighed, again. He should have known how stubborn she was. After all, she was the only girl who had gotten close to his master. If Haru hadn't been stubborn, that wouldn't have been a possible feat.

Haru opened the door to the house she had lived in as long as she could remember. It had been full of decorations, then. Every time she stepped into the house, the smell of her mom's cooking would greet her. Sometimes she would find her dad reading one of his books or grading students' papers. Everywhere she went, in this place, there would always be bookshelves packed with academic books as thick as encyclopedia. Her dad had a little showcase for his Japanese collection in the living room, too. The house she grew up in had been full of life.

But now all of those were gone.

The decorations, books, her dad's collection, her mom's cooking, everything. She assumed they had taken everything that belonged to them and their valuables. With all that said, the house was livable. All the furniture, electronic items and cooking utensils were still there. She flicked the light switch, but none of the lights were turned on. So, their electric bill hadn't been paid. She supposed the same applied to their water bill, too. Well, that was only reasonable, since no one was living here anymore. If she was going to live here, she would have to pay her own bills.

That was going to be a problem.

True, she had a doctor's license. But in Japan, just getting doctor's license wasn't enough to work as a doctor. She'd have to spend two years doing the trainee program she had mentioned to Kusakabe first to do the rounds and get the ropes of the department she was going to be working in. That meant she'd still have no income. Doing part-time jobs while doing the program didn't seem to be a good idea, either. She'd have no time to sleep, since the program, unlike studying, was almost the same as working full time. And she had come back hoping to begin another research she had wanted to do, too. How could someone accomplish so many things academically and still fail so miserably at life?

She sighed. If she was going to be able to live here alone, she'd have to ask her parents for some money to pay the bills, wherever they were at right now. They could transfer it. Only for two years, then she'd get a decent job as a full-fledged doctor.

"Why is this so difficult?" The brunette muttered to herself and leaned on the shoe cabinet. She frowned when her fingers touched the surface and dust came off it. "Oh, great. Maybe I'll get to spend my first day after coming back cleaning this place."

"Miura-san?" Kusakabe peeked in from the open door. Haru smiled at him weakly.

"Yes? You can come in if you want. I mean, if you don't mind the darkness and the dust."

"Um, actually I just got off the phone with Kyou-san. He said you can come and stay at his place if you would like to."

She raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Oh, really? That's an improvement. He now knows how to help others when they're in a pinch. But, Haru will have to say no. Tell him I said thank you, though."

"Wh-Why? Miura-san, you can't possibly stay in this place! There's no electricity and the water's not running. Until you pay the bills this place cannot be lived in. At least please come live at Kyou-san's place until everything is ready, and then we can decide later where you're going to live."

Haru bit her lip. "Hahi, you're right. But, well…"

"Let me rephrase. Kyou-san ordered me to bring you to his place, so you can't say no, no matter what, Miura-san."

Catching a little nervousness in his voice, she finally let out a hearty laugh. "So, by going to his place, I'm going to be saving you from getting bitten to death?"

He nodded furiously. She laughed again, and said, "All right. I'm doing this for your sake, Kusakabe-san. Until I can contact my parents and pay the bills, I will stay at his place."

He smiled. "Thank you, Miura-san. Well, then, let's get going. Kyou-san's waiting for you at the research institute."

She raised an eyebrow at that statement. "He's waiting for me? But he said he was busy this morning, though?"

"Ah…That…"

"Hehe, it's fine. I knew he'd pull something like this. Let's just go." She grinned and walked back to the car. Kusakabe followed suit and put her luggage back in the trunk. Then, they drove away again.

After a few minutes of silence in the car, she spoke up, "Ah, it's been a while since Haru's been to that place. Since none of my friends and family were here when I arrived it didn't feel like I was really back."

"Yes, from what I heard, everyone is all scattered," he nodded in agreement.

"But, you know, I think when I finally get to see his face, I'll feel like I'm home again," Haru said, smiling to herself.

Seeing her sincere smile, he couldn't help smiling, too.

Yes, it was high time she realized what—or who—exactly was her 'home'.

To be continued

KimJoysu's Notes: Hi, my fellow HibariHaru shippers. Um, this is my first KHR fanfic, actually. I just whipped this up on a whim when I was bored and obviously imagining the love story of my favorite couple. And yes, Haru's still not over Tsuna yet. And she's a badass physician, whee. And I tried to make Haru refer to herself with her name as usual but just couldn't do that every time I formed a sentence. So...yeah. I would like to know what you think of it. Let me know if you like it or hate it? Please R&R! If you want more, that is. I'm still not too sure about my posting routine, tbh. But yeah! Hope you liked it anyway! Nice to meet you.