Time

...

"I refuse."

Biting her lips, Haru stared at her shaking hands where pools of tears gleamed under the fluorescent light. She hastily shook them off to wipe her eyes with the back of her hands, and met Shamal's firm eyes with her tired ones. She had not slept since Tsuna had been brought to the medical room in the underground base two days ago. It was impossible to sleep with an image of Tsuna covered in blood haunting her mind without rest. Her heart was clinching with desire to help the still unconscious Vongola boss, but she was neither a doctor nor the person he most wanted to see. The person he cared the most about, his girlfriend Kyoko, was with him at all times, holding his hands like a protective barrier. Haru could not invade Kyoko's duty as his girlfriend, and that led her to think of the next best way to help. However, it required Shamal's permission which the doctor was refusing to give.

"Please, you have to," Haru said with a quivering voice. "Not being able to see... that's very painful, isn't it?"

Shamal looked away from Haru's pleading eyes while scratching his head. Tsuna had been involved in a very dangerous fight that nearly cost his life. He had several deep cuts which would all heal in time, but his opponent had slashed his sword right across Tsuna's eyes to make him blind. There was no way to restore his sights except to find a willing eye donor soon, but that was proving to be very difficult. Doctors only accepted donations from people who have already died, and to find someone who just died near their town while having agreed to donate was not easy.

"Listen," Shamal said while crossing his arms. "It's just not right taking your eye away when you are perfectly alive and healthy. And if Tsuna and others find out that you want to donate one of your eyes to him, do you think they'll let you?"

"It'll be fine if you don't tell them," Haru said, gripping her knees. "They won't ever know if you don't say anything!"

"You think they won't notice? You'll have to wear an eye patch or use an artificial eye for the rest of your life."

Haru bit her lips once again, but she refused to look away from the doctor. She was determined to give her eye to Tsuna, and his words were not going to stop her.

"I'm going to go check up on Tsuna," Shamal said, standing up from his wooden stool. "I'll pretend I didn't hear any of this."

Quickly standing up from her own stool, Haru dropped onto her knees before the door, blocking the doctor's only way out. "Please, I beg of you," she said, new set of tears blurring her vision. "Let me be useful to Tsuna-san, just this once. Please!"

..

Spitting away his cigarette into a trash can, Hayato made his way down the silent hallway with furrowed brows. He realized it's only been an hour since he left Tsuna's side, but he felt that if he didn't visit his boss every hour, he'd be breaking down every building in the city with anxiety. He clenched his tattered fists where dry blood was coating the bandages wrapping them. He was ashamed he was well enough to walk while his boss was lying in a bed unconscious, and he wanted nothing more than to switch positions with him. He hated himself for not only failing to protect Tsuna, but causing him to lose both of his eyes which would plunge him in a world of inescapable darkness.

Hayato rounded a corner leading to Tsuna's room, and found two of Shamal's assistants wheeling around an operation bed. He watched them with curiosity until they opened the door to Tsuna's room and disappeared inside. Hayato's eyes widen with panic, and he dashed in after them.

"What's going on?" he asked, watching the assistants move Tsuna into the operation bed. "Is something wrong? What the hell is going on?"

"Calm down, Gokudara-kun," Kyoko said, hurrying over to the fuming man. "Shamal-san found an eye donor so Tsu-kun's going under a surgery."

Hayato relaxed his shoulders, and followed the assistants wheeling away his boss with Kyoko right beside him. "But is this alright? Boss hasn't even woken up to give his consent."

"Shamal-san says it has to be right now. And I think it'll be better if Tsu-kun could at least see with one eye instead of..."

Kyoko never finished her sentence as they reached their end. Tsuna was carried into the surgery room while they were told to wait outside.

"He's getting only one eye?" Hayato asked, taking a seat on one of the rows of benches. He wasn't necessary disappointed that Tsuna was only getting one eye, but rather thankful to the donor for even giving away one. He guessed it was some nice dead guy, and didn't think any more on it.

..

"Kyoko-chan, you should go eat lunch."

Tsuna gave Kyoko a smile when she protested leaving his side. After a minute of reassuring her, she finally agreed to leave. He watched her until she disappeared from the door, and sunk into his bed with a hiss. Several days have passed since the fight but his body was still in pain. All of his wounds have closed, but it was taking them a long time to heal because the cuts have been very deep.

"Hey Tsuna."

Raising one hand in greeting, Takeshi walked in the room with his other hand in his pocket. The twenty-one year old former baseball player was wearing his usual black suit with his tie loosened and sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He looked quite tired as if he had been walking the whole day, and the lack of smile on his face caused Tsuna to frown. He was sure Takeshi was not assigned to any work so he should have had the day off.

"Is something wrong?" Tsuna asked, but Takeshi didn't seem to have heard him as he fell into a deep thought. Takeshi was looking at the walls with dazed eyes as if there was some hidden message written on them. "Yamamoto-kun?"

"Oh, sorry," Takeshi said, turning his head to Tsuna. "You said something?"

"No, nothing," Tsuna said, watching Takeshi fall into his thoughts again. Something was definitely bothering him.

"By the way, how is your eye?" Takeshi asked after a while.

"I can see very well already," Tsuna answered before reaching for a hand mirror on the night stand. After days of living in darkness, Shamal removed the bandages that covered Tsuna's eye since the surgery. Surprising everyone, Tsuna quickly became accustomed to seeing with his new eye. He wasn't sure who the donor was, but he was very thankful to the person for letting him see again. He asked Shamal who the donor was so he could at least pay a visit to the donor s grave, but he said the donor requested his or her name to not be told. Tsuna could probably have his men find out easily, but he wanted to respect the donor s wishes.

With the room growing silent, Tsuna held up the mirror to his visible right eye, and quietly stared. There was just something very familiar about the eye, but he wasn't sure what.

"Oh yea, where's Haru?" Tsuna asked, looking at Takeshi. It was very odd that Haru didn't once visit him since he had woken up. It wasn't that she had to visit him, but he had become so used to her company during his injured times that he couldn't help but feel a bit empty without her cheerful presence. He had already asked others about Haru, but none of them was able to give him an answer.

"Oh, well..." Takeshi said, looking at the walls once again. "Well..."

"Did something happen to Haru?" Tsuna asked with his eye widening. His voice was so full of concern Takeshi couldn't hold back answering.

"I'm sorry, Tsuna. We think she's gone missing."

"What do you mean?" Tsuna said, quickly pushing himself up in the bed. He didn't dare making a single sound when his body protested from his sudden movement.

"Apparently, she told Lambo and I-Pin she was going out of town for couple of days to visit a friend," Takeshi said with an uneasy voice. "Everyone was so worried about you that we didn't think there was anything wrong with her until today. I mean, there's no way she would leave town when you re injured like this. So few others and I searched for her today but... she's gone."

Tsuna gripped his sheets. "What do you mean she's gone?"

"I went to her apartment, but it was empty," Takeshi answered quietly. "The landlady told me she moved out on the day she supposedly went to see her friend, and we just can't find her."

"What about her parents' house? And her other friends?"

"No one, not even her parents know where she went."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Tsuna said, his voice shaking. He tossed the bed sheets aside, and jumped down the bed. His unused legs buckled when his feet touched the carpet, and he crumbled in a fit of pain. Takeshi hurried to Tsuna's side and tried to get him back in the bed, but the Vongola boss brushed him away. He was irritated- no, angry at himself for not knowing about Haru's disappearance. He remembered all those times she came to visit him while he was injured with a big smile, even if they were forced. He remembered her dressing up in silly costumes to cheer him up or telling him odd stories that made him forget everything troubling him. She always cried for him when she thought he wasn't looking, and unless she wasn't aware that he was injured, she never once missed coming to visit him. How could he have not noticed something must have happened to her in last few days? He had been so content spending time with Kyoko that he completely disregarded Haru.

"Tsuna! Please, get back in bed."

"How can I?" Tsuna said in a strained voice while getting to his feet. Because he couldn't see until today, he had spent all his time resting in bed. His legs were stiff and he felt like he was learning to walk again. Tsuna headed towards the door with shaking legs while Takeshi held onto his shoulders, trying to steer him back to the bed. Tsuna refused to comply, and they made it to the hall after much struggling.

"Tsuna!" Takeshi shouted. "We have others looking for her right now, you don't have to-"

"She's part of our family," Tsuna cut in. "She could have been targeted by an enemy for all we know."

"But you can't do anything in this condition."

"What are you doing out of bed?" came Shamal's voice. The doctor appeared from other end of the hall, and he soon loomed over Tsuna who was leaning against the wall for support.

"I need to find Haru."

Shamal's shoulders tensed. "You shouldn't try to walk too much today. Go back to the room."

"But Haru-"

"She's fine," Shamal said firmly.

"How do you know?"

"I just do."

"How?" Tsuna asked in disbelief. "Why do you sound so sure?"

"Don't worry," Shamal said. "She's a strong girl. Much stronger than you think."

..

One month passed by without any news from Haru. During spare time, everyone searched for her, even Hayato because he was simply tired of the gloomy air everyone carried around. Most of the time, everyone was their normal self, going about his or her daily activities. It was only when someone mentioned Haru or spotted something reminding of her that their conversation grew awkward and quiet. That happened way too often, but there was nothing anyone could do. Haru had become such a big part of everyone, it was impossible to simply forget her and move on. She cared for everyone, brought them laughter, and never failed to brighten up any room she entered. Without them realizing, she had become their light, always helping them in her own special way.

Tsuna looked into his cup of tea, and stared at his visible eye. His left side had a patch similar to Chrome's, and while he stared at the visible one, he was suddenly reminded of Haru. He wasn't sure why, but his eye always reminded him of her. Tsuna frowned and put his tea down. Just thinking about Haru unsettled his heart because while he was comfortably spending most of his days, she was out there somewhere, possibly injured and alone. It pained him just imagining his important friend crying while calling out for her friends.

"You don't like the tea?"

Tsuna looked at Kyoko who was sitting across from him with a worried look. They were sitting in the longue, having a chat after eating lunch.

"No, it's fine!"

Tsuna took a quick gulp of the tea to emphasize his words, but ended up choking on it. Kyoko hurried over next to him, and patted his back while he coughed. This reminded him of the time Haru appeared in the kitchen at night while he was drinking water. She had been looking after Lambo and I-Pin at his house, and all three of them had fallen asleep after long hours of playing. She nearly scared him to death by appearing in long white shirt with her long hair messed up and flying everywhere from sleeping. He coughed like a person who nearly drowned while Haru patted his back, apologizing over and over.

"Tsu-kun?" Kyoko said once Tsuna stopped coughing.

"Yes, Haru?"

Kyoko blinked. "What did you just say?"

"'Yes, Kyoko-chan?' Why?"

"No... you said..."

"Huh?"

Tsuna looked genuinely confused, and Kyoko wondered if she had misheard. She was sure he called her Haru, and she knew she wasn't lacking sleep to be hearing things.

"Never mind," Kyoko said, forcing on a smile. "Are we still having dinner at my parent's tomorrow?"

Tsuna knew something had bothered his girlfriend, but she seemed to want to forget it so he decided not to ask. "Of course, it's your birthday."

"Ok!" Kyoko said cheerfully while getting up. "I promised to go shopping with Hana so I'll get going now," Kyoko continued, carrying her untouched tea to the kitchen. Tsuna watched her as she quickly washed the cup, her hands moving rapidly as if she had no seconds to waste. Once she was done, she waved and left a little too quickly for Tsuna to not worry.

..

"Haru-san! Haru-san's here!"

"Hahi!"

Haru stepped out into a large backyard carrying a basket full of washed bed sheets. Children ran after her in barefoot on the green grass, and all Haru could do was try and not trip over them. One clung to her while others told her about their day or what they wanted for dinner. Haru put down the basket under a long clothing line, and smiled down at the children circling around her. She put up the washed sheets one by one, and listened and responded to every child.

"Can we have pie for dessert today?" one of the children asked, trailing after Haru like a duckling.

"I'm sorry, I won't be staying for dinner today so I don't know," Haru answered, patting the boy's head when disappointment passed through his face.

"Why not?" another child asked. "I like Haru-san's cooking the best!"

"Hahi, don't let the cook hear that!"

"But it's true!"

Haru laughed and picked up the now empty basket. She walked back into the large house where all the children lived. It was a small orphanage housing seventeen kids, and Haru came here several times a week to help out with chores and to look after the children. The orphanage was only street down from her apartment, and seeing the children while walking home from work reminded her of Lambo and I-Pin. She missed them dearly, having treated them like her own children for years. She entered the orphanage out of her longing to see her younger friends, and she quickly became good acquaintances with the orphanage leader and the kids. She now came here whenever she had time after work to help ease her loneliness after leaving Tsuna and the others.

After giving Tsuna her right eye, Shamal had given her an artificial eye which she could not see with. It was just so wearing a patch wouldn't attract unwanted attention. After the surgery had completed, Haru rested for a day and immediately left the next day. Except for a suitcase containing her clothes, she sent any unnecessary objects to her parents so they could keep them in her old room. She took a bus, and got off three hours later at an unknown town filled with foreign people. She just wanted to get away to a place she didn't even know the name of so her friends couldn't find her. Aside from not wanting Tsuna to know about her being the donor, she thought there was no point in staying by his side. He had many friends, and a girlfriend who all cared very much about him. Loving him was no longer a good enough reason to be near him because he received plenty of that from others.

"Sorry, I have to go for today," Haru said to the children. The children protested but all she could do was give them a sad look. Even though she didn't want to, she needed to go back to her old town where her parents lived. She needed to get some items for her new apartment, and bolt out of there. She didn't tell her parents where she lived in case one of her friends asked them about her whereabouts, and she didn't want to stay too long at the risk of being caught.

"Haru will be super quick!" Haru said to herself. She left the orphanage with children waving to her, and headed to the bus station.

..

Tsuna looked at a small black box in his hand. It contained a bracelet for Kyoko's birthday present which he bought a week ago. He turned it in his hand, wondering why he was not feeling nervous at all. If it was one month ago, he'd be worrying whether or not she would like the present, if he should buy something else, or how and when he should give it to her. The anxiety that always grasped him during situations like these had considerably lessoned, and all in one month. He couldn't understand why or how that had happened, but he decided to think nothing of it. Since they've been dating for couple of months, it was probably normal for his heart to not beat as fast or excitedly when he was around her.

Tsuna put the box back into his desk drawers. It was only noon so there was plenty of time to give it to Kyoko.

"We found her!" came Takeshi's voice outside of Tsuna's room. Without a knock, Takeshi hurried in with a lively expression.

"What's wrong, Yamamoto-kun?"

"We found her," Takeshi repeated.

"You can't mean... Haru?" Tsuna said, his eye growing wide. "You found her?"

"Possibly."

"What do you mean?"

"Someone spotted her leaving her parents' house this morning."

"You mean she was in our town?"

Takeshi nodded. "It seems so."

Tsuna let out the breath he had been holding, feeling more relieved than he ever imagined. The black cloud that showered him with worry for the past month was finally blowing away, and all he could think about was seeing Haru's smile once again.

..

Tsuna stood outside the Miura residence with an impatient Hayato behind him. Hayato had volunteered to accompany his boss all the way to the Miura's main door because walking alone even ten feet from the car was deemed as dangerous. He was determined to protect the Vongola boss without failure, even if it meant having to search for the "stupid woman" with him. "Yes?" came a woman's voice followed by the door opening. The woman was wearing a green apron while holding a spatula in one hand, and Tsuna was instantly reminded of an older version of Haru.

"Hello, we are Haru's friends," Tsuna introduced themselves. "Can we please see Haru?"

The woman adjusted her apron. "She doesn't live here."

"What?" Hayato said angrily. "We came here for nothing?"

Tsuna put a hand on Hayato's shoulder to take charge of the talking. "Do you know where she lives?"

"Even as her mother, I have no idea!" the woman answered, waving the spatula. "She just came here yesterday to pick up some stuff, and I forced her to sleep overnight. She left this morning but I have no idea to where. That girl doesn't tell me anything!"

"Do you have any idea where she might be?"

"Why are you asking me if you guys are her friends?" Haru's mother asked with suspicion dawning in her eyes.

Tsuna forced on a smile and said, "Haru is a close friend of ours but we ended up losing contact. We'd really like to see her again."

"Oh, well..." Haru's mother said, scrunching up her face in thought. "Sometimes when I call her, I hear children in the background."

"Children?" Hayato said, looking at Tsuna. "Maybe a school?"

"Or maybe a daycare, playground, orphanage... In any case, let's go Gokudara-kun," Tsuna said, thanking Haru's mother for her time.

"Wait!" Hayato said, stopping his boss from walking further. He waited until Haru's mother went back in the house before asking, "Where are we going?"

"Maybe Haru was in this town the whole time. We can try looking through places where children are."

"But are you sure we should look for her?" Hayato said uncertainly, surprising his boss. "It seems like the stupid woman left us on her own, and is hiding from us on purpose. What if she doesn't want to be found?"

"Even if that's true, she's an important friend of ours. We have to at least see her, Tsuna said, heading towards the car.

"What if she got tired of being around the mafia," Hayato said, causing his boss to freeze once more. "What if she finally got scared of us- of what we do as mafias?"

"Haru... isn't like that," Tsuna said firmly. He understood what Hayato was telling him, but he never once considered the possibility of Haru leaving them because she was tired or scared of them. The Haru he had known for over six years cared for everyone, and would never leave them without a good reason. "She accepted all of us for who we are," Tsuna continued. "She's our family."

Hayato who respected his boss above all and never spoke against him shoved his hands in his pockets and silently agreed. His boss has made it clear he wanted to find Haru no matter, but Hayato was a bit unclear why the boss wanted to find the woman so much. He knew Haru was a good person despite him calling her stupid all the time, but he thought his boss was putting too much effort in finding her. After all, he could just have his men search for her instead of neglecting his daily duties just so he could see her even a minute sooner. He just hoped his boss would find contentment at the end of this long search and nothing more.

..

Kyoko stared at the white cake before her, counting the twenty one candles spread across the top. Her parents sat opposite from her, silently eating their dinner while looking worried yet unpleased. They've waited an hour for Tsuna before deciding to give up and start eating. Kyoko counted the candles again and again, trying to keep herself from worrying, but she couldn't stop her heart from sinking. Tsuna has never been late to any of their meetings without him at least calling her. She was well aware of who Tsuna was and what he and his friends did for life to get injured frequently, but he always found time to call her whenever he was going to be late.

"Kyoko, let's light up the candles," said her father, getting a box of matches.

"No, I want to wait. Please."

"You're father has work early tomorrow, we can't wait any longer," Kyoko's mother said.

"I'm sorry," Kyoko said, forcing herself to look cheerful. "Something important must have come up, you guys go and rest and I'll wait for him a little longer."

Kyoko was soon left alone in the dining room, and she grabbed her phone to dial Tsuna's number. She put the phone to her ear, but quickly closed it right after the first ring. She had called him so many times in the past hour that she knew he would have called back by now if he could. She laid her head on the cool table and looked at her cake. It looked elegant with swirly white icing and pink rose shaped decorations on the sides. Her mom had bought her most perfect cake in a bakery store, and she wished her night could have been just as perfect.

Thirty minutes went by in silence without a single sound from her phone. Kyoko swiped her index finger across the cake, ruining the perfect icing and picking off one of the roses. The cake was far from perfect now, just like her day.

..

Tsuna was worried. Kyoko was at his house, reading through a magazine in the family room while he sat stiffly on another couch. He had been so occupied trying to find Haru that he had completely forgotten about Kyoko's birthday dinner a week ago. Tsuna had explained he had found a clue about Haru's whereabouts, and lost track of time while searching for her. Kyoko said she understood and forgave him, but Tsuna was still worried. Kyoko wasn't acting any differently from before, but sometimes he saw her dazed off as if something was bothering her.

"Want to eat lunch?" Kyoko said, putting down the magazine.

Tsuna tensed, surprised by her sudden voice. "Sure, there should be some stuff in the refrigerator."

"Ok, I'll cook us something so you wait here," she said smiling, and disappeared into the kitchen.

Tsuna leaned back into the couch and sighed. He closed his visible eye, and the world became dark. He remembered looking through his entire town and several towns near it without finding one trace of Haru. He eventually let his men do the rest of the search since he had other duties to attend to. There was some problems regarding allied family members, and he had been occupied with sorting that out for a whole week. He was finally free today, and while he wanted to search for Haru, he was with Kyoko because he felt guilty for what he did on her birthday.

"Tsuna-sama."

Tsuna opened his eye and found one of his men entering the family room. The man bowed to him before speaking again.

"We found Haru-san."

Tsuna stood up quickly. "Are you certain?"

"Yes. Should I get the car ready?"

"Yea," Tsuna said, grabbing his black suit jacket.

"Tsu-kun? Do you know where the salt is?" Kyoko said, peeking into the family room. She saw him putting on his jacket, and she knew there was going to be no lunch. "You... have to go?"

"Sorry, Kyoko-chan. We found Haru," Tsuna said, believing that she would understand since Haru was also her close friend. He hated leaving her like this, but he didn't want to waste a single second in finding Haru.

"Oh, that's great!" Kyoko said beaming.

"I'm sorry," Tsuna said again, giving an apologetic smile before hurrying out the house. He never saw Kyoko's lips turning into a thin line or her hand reaching out to him as if wanting to stop him.

..

Rolling up her sleeves, Haru chased after a boy who had taken off to the backyard with her shoes in his hands. He waved the shoes proudly, and laughed as Haru tried to grab him without success.

"Give my shoes back or no dessert for you tomorrow!" Haru threatened, but the boy kept running. For a seven year old, the boy was quit fast.

"But I don't want you to go home!" he shouted, looking behind his shoulders to flash a grin. He didn't see a young man standing in his way, and bumped straight into him with a loud thud.

"Sorry, are you alright?" the young man said, helping the boy up.

With only several feet away from the man, Haru's feet rooted to the ground, and she covered her lips as a loud gasp escaped from them. Her heart thumped so loudly she thought the whole world could hear.

"Tsuna-san..."

"Haru."

Tsuna, the man she had loved since junior high school, the man she longed to see and yet was afraid to meet was standing right before her. She stared at his eye- her eye, and panic quickly engulfed her. She didn't know how he found her or why he was here, but she could not let him see her artificial eye.

Pretending to be rubbing forehead, Haru covered her right eye with her hand. "Hello, Tsuna-san! Why are you here?" she asked calmly while her insides were erupting with nervousness.

"I should be the one asking you that."

The little boy looked between Haru and the visitor, and decided it was no fun watching them stare at each other. He quietly sneaked away with Haru's shoes while she was too preoccupied to notice.

"Hahi... I have... a sick relative living in this town so I'm here visiting her."

"For more than a month without telling anyone? You're lying," Tsuna said, taking a step toward Haru who took a hesitant step back in return. She was now looking away from him while her right eye remained covered by her hand, and she looked as if she was struggling to keep her legs from shaking. She kept opening and closing her mouth like a child who was too frightened to speak in front of a crowd. Tsuna knew then this was not the Haru he knew, but a fragile woman trying to run away from him. "What's wrong, Haru? Why won't you look at me?"

"Haru is just tired and want to go rest," Haru said in the brightest voice she could muster. "So Haru will be going now. It was nice seeing you again, Tsuna-san!"

Haru turned around and made a dash toward the house, but Tsuna's hand firmly grabbed her right shoulder. He whirled her around, and with less than a feet of distance between them, Haru had no choice but to shut her right eye to keep him from seeing. She prayed he didn't see, but she knew she had been too late when a look of shock flashed through his face.

"Your... right eye!" Tsuna said, his grip on her shoulder tightening. Even if it had only been for a second, he had seen it clearly. Her right eye didn t emit the same warmth as her left one, and they were empty and devoid of emotion. Her right eye was not real. "What happened to-"

Tsuna let go of Haru's shoulder, and with his hands shaking, he reached up and touched his right eye. It didn't take him very long to answer his own question. Now he knew why the eye had seen so familiar or why Haru had ran away from her friends. Everything was making sense now, but not in the way he wanted. He wished this was just a dream so he could wake up to his smiling friends- smiling Haru instead of finding out this unwanted truth.

"Why did you do it?" Tsuna said, his voice full of emotion he couldn't express. "Why, Haru? Your eye, your precious eye..."

"I-I'm sorry," Haru said, tears quickly clouding her vision. She scolded herself for crying so easily, but her heart was clinching very painfully as if someone was squeezing it. "I'm so sorry."

"All this time, I've been seeing the world with your eye..."

"I'm sorry," Haru repeated, sniffing quietly. "I'm sorry."

Tsuna didn't know what to do. Haru kept apologizing, and he didn't know why. It was his fault they were webbed in this situation so she had no reason to be sorry. If he had known that she was donating her eye to him, he would have opted to live the rest of his life in darkness. He had put her through a cruel ordeal, and he had gone about his days without ever knowing.

"You shouldn't have done it," Tsuna said, clenching the hand over his eye.

"But- I couldn't do anything else to help Tsuna-san. I just wanted... I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing, it's me who should be sorry."

Haru shook her head. "No, don't be. Because I knew Tsuna-san is kind, I left so Tsuna-san wouldn't feel sorry. So please don't say sorry."

"You left all of your friends because of me, how can I not be sorry?"

"Please don't be Tsuna-san! Everything was my decision."

"And I was the cause of it."

"No!" Haru said, shaking her head again. This was exactly why she had been scared to meet him again. She knew he would feel sorry and responsible for her actions. She made all the decisions alone, but he was the one taking the blame. She couldn't stand to see him looking so uneasy and upset. "Please leave, I-I gotta go."

Without looking back, Haru ran into the house and straight into the empty kitchen. She was glad Tsuna didn't follow her or she might have said something to regret later. She grabbed the counter before falling onto her knees, her heart hurting beyond explanation.

"Are you ok?"

The boy who had taken her shoes before sat next to her with a confused expression. He held out Haru's shoes, thinking that she was crying because he took her shoes.

"Did h-he leave?" Haru asked after a deep breath. "The man who was here just now."

"Yea, I saw him go out the gate."

Haru bit her tongue as a cry threatened to escape. She wanted to go after him, to tell him that she really didn't want him to leave, but she could only shake with tears chaining her to the floor.

..

"You should have stopped her!"

Tsuna was never the one to use violence against someone unless it was his only and best option, but it was different right now. He was trying his best to keep his fists calm, but his eye was flaring a rare anger that caused everyone in the room to tense. Hayato had no idea what was going on as he had just arrived, but he hasn't seen his boss look so frightening in a long time.

"I tried but there was no stopping her," Shamal said calmly, holding his hands up as if in defeat.

"Of course you could have! All you had to do was keep refusing her until I woke up."

"It was impossible at that time. As you know, eye donations are only taken from people who have died," Shamal explained. "I was afraid if I refused her, she would kill herself or something. That's how much she cared about you."

Feeling angry and frustrated, Tsuna pushed past his subordinates, and left the doctor's office. He never hated himself more than he did today.

"Tsuna? Tsuna!"

Tsuna snapped out of his dazed state, and felt a tinkling pain in his finger. There was a thin line with blood making its way to the surface.

"Are you alright?" Takeshi asked, looming over Tsuna's desk.

"Yea, just a paper cut," Tsuna said, and he continued signing the paper before him.

"I don't mean the paper cut. I mean are you alright?"

Takeshi noticed that ever since Tsuna came back from meeting Haru three days ago, he kept loosing focus on every task which resulted into various accidents. By now, everyone has heard about the situation with Haru, and no one was left unsurprised. They all knew how much Haru cared for Tsuna since Junior High school but they never thought it was this much. It was obvious to some that her love for Tsuna remained strong all throughout the years, but they all assumed she had given up on him when he and Kyoko started going out. With her unwavering smile, she seemed perfectly content seeing her love and close friend together. Even Hayato who was willing to give up his life for Tsuna had never considered the idea of giving his eye for his boss. All anyone did was keep Tsuna company while Haru did something that permanently changed her life.

"Yes, I'm alright," Tsuna answered for what seemed like the hundredth time today, but no one seemed to believe him. Wanting some time to think, he had went home after meeting Haru but three days went by with him still not knowing what to do. He supposed the best action would be to thank Haru for her eye, and ask her to come back to the town. He would pretend to be glad that she helped him while inside, a hurricane would be tearing up every part of his heart from her selflessness.

"You're thinking about Haru again," Takeshi stated.

"Yea..." Tsuna answered honestly. No matter what he did, she was always in his mind. He wanted to see her, to talk to her, to make her smile. He wanted her by his side and nothing else right now.

Several minutes passed when a knock came at the door. With Tsuna's permission, the door opened and revealed a tired looking Kyoko. Takeshi excused himself since he was finished with his business and left the two alone.

Seeing Kyoko, Tsuna remembered that he had left her while she was cooking lunch for them. They haven't seen or spoken to each other since, Tsuna mentally smacked himself for his negligence. His mind had only been filled with Haru that he had almost forgotten he had a girlfriend.

"Tsu-kun!" Kyoko shouted, startling Tsuna. "What are you still doing here?"

"S-sorry, were we supposed to meet today?" Tsuna asked with panic.

"No, I mean why aren't you with Haru-chan?" Kyoko asked, causing Tsuna's insides to flip at the mention of Haru's name. "Shouldn't you go and bring her back?"

"But... I don't know how."

"Silly Tsu-kun," Kyoko said smiling. "Just tell her you love her."

Resembling a fish out of water, Tsuna struggled for words to say. What was Kyoko- his girlfriend saying?

"You've changed since you found out Haru-chan went missing," Kyoko continued, her smile still in place. "It's pretty obvious how you feel about her." She crossed the room to where Tsuna was, and leaned in so that their faces were only an inch apart. With their lips nearly touching, she asked, "Do you feel anything?"

Tsuna touched his heart which was oddly calm. Being near Kyoko even at an arm length's distance has always made him nervous yet happy during their younger days. He always dreamed of being near Kyoko whenever he wanted, and even though he achieved that couple of months ago, his heart didn't beat for her anymore. Even now with Kyoko's lips almost touching his, all he could think about was Haru. She was embedded in every part of his mind, and he wanted to see her and be with her, not Kyoko who was suppose to be the love of his life.

"Bring her back, ok?" Kyoko said, leaning away from Tsuna.

"But Kyoko-chan, are you sure about this?"

"Don't worry, I'm the one breaking up with you so no need to feel bad," she said giving a hallow, unconvincing laugh. "Besides, I've been a really bad friend to Haru-chan. I've known all along she loved you, but I still went out with you."

Tsuna didn't know what to say. The person he chased for over six years was letting him go, but he did not feel sad. Instead he only felt sorry and guilty because he knew who was really in his heart now.

"I'm sorry, Kyoko-chan," Tsuna said standing up. "And... thank you."

..

Haru sat alone in her small apartment with two large suitcases before her. After thinking for the past three days without any visits from Tsuna, she decided it was time for her to disappear again. She assumed Tsuna didn't want to see her anymore after what she did to him. Even though she only wanted to make him happy, she caused him to feel worse by making him guilty. She hoped he would one day forget about this incident, and be happy because she didn't regret giving her eye one bit.

Taking one last look at her small room, Haru grabbed her keys and left the apartment. She dragged the suitcases down the stairs of the apartment building, her arms prickling with pain at their heaviness. She lived on the sixth floor, and with the only elevator going out of order in the morning, the stairs was her only way out.

"Haru!"

"Hahi!"

Haru looked left and right before her eyes found Tsuna at the bottom of the stairs. She dropped her suitcases in surprise, and they went thundering down like giant logs. They landed right on top of the Vongola boss who didn't bother to move away.

"Are you alright?" Haru said, slipping off her heels so she could run down. She kneed by Tsuna who was pushing away the suitcases, and she was relieved to see him without a scratch. "Oh yea, Tsuna-san is very strong! Wait, what is Tsuna-san doing here?"

"I came to take you home."

"Hahi! But I have to go!"

"Yes, you have to go home with me."

"No no!" Haru said but she had no idea what was going on anymore. "I thought Tsuna-san hated me."

"Why would I hate you?"

"Because! Because... Because!"

"Because?" Tsuna said laughing, his heart feeling much lighter.

"I-I'm leaving!" Haru stated, getting to her feet. She didn't get a chance to move when Tsuna grabbed her hand and pulled her down into his lap. He pulled her back against his chest while tucking her head under his chin like two puzzle pieces fitting into one. His arms circled around her waste in a firm embrace, and she found herself unable to move. Everything was simply perfect.

"Ahh!" Haru said after a while, her face turning bright red. "Let me go, Tsuna-san! Kyoko-chan will misunderstand if she ever sees us like this!"

Tsuna refused to let the struggling woman go, and quietly said, "We're not together anymore."

"Ha...hi?"

Tsuna smiled. "Let's just stay like this a little longer."

"Hahi!"

There were so many words Haru wanted to say, but 'hahi' was the only thing she could gather. She was too stunned by who was holding her to even wonder if she was dreaming. She had been given friendly hugs by many of her guy friends, but Tsuna's was completely different. She wasn't sure what the hug meant, but she knew the guy she loved for many years was giving her the warmest embrace she could ever imagine. Every part of her was elated, and she couldn't remember the last time she had felt this happy.

"Is something wrong?" Tsuna asked in panic as a tear landed on his hand. Haru's shoulders were trembling against his chest, and his arms tightened around her.

"No..." Haru answered, feeling too timid to tell him she was crying out of happiness. "I'm just confused."

"What are you confused about?"

"Tsuna-san still didn't answer why he came here."

"I told you, it's to take you home."

"But why?"

"Because..." Tsuna said, suddenly feeling very nervous. The conversation he had with Kyoko about his feelings for Haru flashed in his mind, and it made him even more nervous. "Because... Well, because..."

"Tsuna-san is copying me!"

Tsuna laughed again. "I'll tell you later so let's go home."

Haru got on her knees and turned around so that they were facing each other. He was warmly staring at her and only her which made her want to stay like this forever. She wanted to forget the world and the passing time so she could hold this moment all her life time.

"Let's go home," he repeated softly.

Tsuna stood up, and swiftly pulled her up with him so that their bodies remained close. He had so much he wanted to tell her, but he knew today was only their beginning. He was not going to let her go again so he had the rest of his life to tell and express his feelings for her.

Haru's heart felt like bursting when Tsuna didn't pull away even as they were standing. He was holding her hands without any signs of letting go, and she too didn't think she could let go. Even though only several minutes passed since she had been determined to leave, she couldn't refuse or run away from him. Even if Tsuna was playing a cruel joke, and pushed her away this instant, it was impossible to leave his side now. Besides, she was very sure everything he said and did in the last several minutes were true and real. His voice, his touch, his smile- they all told her of his feelings very clearly.

"Yes, let's go," Haru answered, and the painful weight in her heart finally faded into the past.

..

A/N (11/24/10)- Hello everyone! I haven't checked FFnet in a while so I didn't realize there was an issue with the borders that were suppose to serve as a transition between two different scenes. I don't know if it had always been like this (it wasn't when I first posted this fic in 2009), but it has now been fixed. Thank you sayume214 for pointing it out!