Author's Note: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn; it's all written for fun and no profit whatsoever.

It's been over a year since my last fan fiction was posted. I haven't been keeping up with KHR - just enough to get by, because I feel bogged down by weaponry detail when all I really care about is character development and interaction. Anyway, I might be a bit rusty, sorry.

THIS STORY IS SET IN THE ORIGINAL TIME LINE BEFORE TSUNA ARRIVES. I've added my own interpretations to why Yamamoto and Haru say certain things in chapters 140-142, and why Haru and Kyoko don't know of the mafia exactly in that particular future.

REMEMBER: Haru and Yamamoto aren't teenagers anymore. People do change, a lot or less, when they become adults. I did keep their future manga characterizations in mind, though.

Impatiently gritting her teeth, Haru fiddled with the zipper until it closed all the way, sealing her clothes and toiletry items tight. This was the second bag, the first containing sentimental items, like photographs, small gifts, as well as sweaters and a couple pairs of shoes. She wanted to take as much as she could in the smallest amount of baggage possible; she was sure she would be returning to her apartment someday, but she didn't want to risk leaving behind important possessions that could be stolen or wrecked by those seeking her out because of her ties to Tsuna.

Haru remained unaware of the details regarding all the destruction involving Tsuna and the others. She strongly disliked being left out in the dark with no one showing her the bigger picture, but content she was with waiting until they revealed their secrets. Dependable is what she wanted to be; she wanted every one of them – Tsuna, Yamamoto, even Gokudera – to feel that they could rely on her to do anything they asked her of. She knew she wouldn't be able to physically fight the enemy – whoever the enemy was – but she could take care of the work behind the scenes. That was why she was going to a hideout, other than the fact that Tsuna had written her a letter about the need for her to leave. Apparently, this hideout had been around for some time, and it held all the basic comforts of home. Perhaps she could help out with food and other supplies, maybe even keep an eye on security cameras or something—there must be security cameras in a place like that, considering all that was going on.

Tsuna was unable to come for her personally, so he was sending an escort for her, unnamed in the letter. Haru wondered who the escort was, and hoped it was someone she knew.

This early evening, she was feeling very uneasy and heavy with sorrow; people she had known, like Reborn and Colonnello, had died months ago. Others had followed in their stead, including Yamamoto's father, Tsuyoshi – that death had really affected Haru more than she had imagined it would. The friendly and welcoming sushi chef had been a good man, good to all of them, and to lose him so suddenly, and to wonder how Yamamoto must feel...

A lump in her throat was such a familiar feeling, as familiar as the comforting presence of a friend, except that the lump was never comforting; the lump made her stomach tighten with unanswered questions. Why did this happen? How can this be?

Sighing, Haru dropped the overnight bag next to the other one by the door. Any time now, the escort would be here. She had more stuff to pack and hide away. Most of the day was spent cleaning the place up, because when she came back, she wanted to return to a tidy and ordered existence; picking up after herself from days (weeks? months? years?) past wasn't something she relished doing. She might be tired when she came back.

The evening was growing darker. Haru flipped on a light switch, illuminating her small kitchen and living room. The effect of the coming night was unnerving; waiting for the axe to fall was maddening. What if the escort had been attacked? What if they were attacked on their way to the hideout? What if the escort brought terrible news, like another death—

Don't think of it! Haru covered her face with her hands, her lower lip quivering, her composure threatening to break. Don't cry now! Things had to be done first before she would allow herself to cry yet again. Everyday, she managed to tear up over the slightest thing, like spilling her coffee or coming across an old photo of her and the gang from seemingly ancient times. She hadn't seen any of the guys in weeks; only the letter from Tsuna gave any indication of his existence, and didn't tell much of where the others were. Only with Kyoko and Hana did she remain in occasional contact. The rest of her days were spent on her costumes and working at the nearby department store (someday she'd break into the costume business!) to pay the bills, all the while stressed out over not knowing, not seeing.

Haru sat down at the kitchen table, encasing her hands around a cup of hot chocolate gone cold. "Tsuna-san...Bianchi-san...Yamamoto-kun....where are you?" she said quietly, staring at her reflection in liquid chocolate.

Two sharp knocks at the door shattered the silence. "Hahi!" Haru scrambled out of the chair. That had to be the escort, but how did he or she gain entrance into the building without buzzing her apartment? Then again, so many unexplained events occurred, so there must be a reason for not letting her know through the standard system (but all this secrecy was driving her insane!).

A glance through the peep hole caused her to gasp. She opened the door quickly, her heart thudding against the confines of her chest. "Yamamoto-kun!" she exclaimed. She hadn't seen him since Tsuyoshi's funeral five weeks earlier.

Yamamoto, in a black suit and blue dress shirt, stood with a white bag in one hand, his other hand resting inside his pants pocket. He was smiling, but he looked rather tired, especially his eyes. "Yo."

Yo? That's it? That's all he could say after not seeing her in such a long time? "A-Are you the... Are you the escort?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Surprised?"

"I—no—yes!—I just—c-come in!"

His light chuckle at her stammering was very pleasing to her ears. Haru smiled sheepishly. It was good to see and hear him again.

"Did you eat already?" he asked, setting the bag on the table.

Haru remained by the door, just staring at him, still half in disbelief about him actually standing in her apartment and not being an illusion. "Uh...a little, why?" Her appetite had been scarce these days.

"Well...I thought I'd make some sushi for you." He untied the bag's knot, and started removing his supplies. "The food's not the greatest at the hideout – not that mine's any good, but it's fresh, at least."

"Hahi!" Oh, sushi sounded so delicious right now! "Yes, please!" she said. He glanced up at her, and she caught his gaze and held it. He released his grip on the bag, and walked over to her. Before she understood what was happening, Haru reached out for him, and they embraced. Tears slipped through her closed eyelids. She inhaled his familiar scent, relaxed against his body, reveled in his closeness. It had been much too long.

"What's happening?" she whispered into his shirt, choking back a sob, desiring the truth.

Yamamoto did not answer right away. Of course not. She knew he wouldn't. Silence, laughter, flimsy excuses, and an abrupt change of subject had always been the answers from him, Tsuna, Bianchi, Lambo, Reborn...

"Why won't you tell me?" she demanded softly, still hoping.

"It's not for me to decide," was all she received.

"Why not?" Haru moved out of his arms, glaring. "Who decides?"

"Tsuna does."

Tsuna, her first love (whom she'd never forget, even if she had conceded to Kyoko long ago in secret), the center of the mystery, the reason why she was potentially in danger. "Tsuna-san?"

"Yes. ...He'll explain everything when he's ready."

"I've been waiting for years!" Haru bit her lip, trying her best to hold back all her rage and grief from flooding Yamamoto. "When is he going to be ready? When is it going to stop? When—" Haru's hands flew to conceal her face again.

It felt like eternity had gone and passed her by when he said, "Haru, trust him."

She looked up, her eyes brimming with tears. Trust him—so easy to say when one already knew. But...she had to. She had promised herself that she'd wait. "...I know."

Silence endured until Yamamoto broke it. "So...how about that sushi?" He was smiling again, albeit hesitantly.

Haru wiped at her eyes. "Yes!"

He took off his jacket, placed it on one of the three chairs, and unbuttoned the sleeve buttons, preparing to roll them up. "It's been awhile since I made it," he said, "so I hope it turns out okay."

"Oh, it will!" Haru cleared away her forgotten cup of hot chocolate from the table. "I can't wait!"

Haru chattered away while he worked, telling him all about her latest costume, her snooty coworker, a cute puppy she'd seen the other day. What a relief it was to escape to normality, the way it had been before the boys had walked further down their shadow-shrouded path.

"And it turns out she lives in this building, too, so I might see the puppy again!" She clapped her hands together once. "Oh, you should have seen him! He was so adorable!"

"Haru?"

"Hmm?"

"You don't talk in third person anymore."

Haru's eyes widened. "Oh..." His words rang true; she hadn't spoken like that in some time. She'd sort of forgotten that she did. "I'm sorry!"

Yamamoto shook his head, turning his eyes away from his preparations to look at her, smiling. "You don't have to apologize. I'm just used to hearing you talk that way, that's all."

"A lot of things have changed," she said softly.

"Yes, they have."

With the mood suddenly sober, neither said a word for awhile. Haru busied herself with tidying up her living room, enjoying having another person in the apartment as opposed to unwanted solitude.

Soon, the sushi was ready. Yamamoto placed his and her servings onto the table, and then returned to the sink area to clean up a bit.

"It looks delicious!" Haru said, sitting down in front of a mouth-watering plate, her stomach yearning for the first taste.

"It's not much," Yamamoto said, rinsing the cutting knife, his back towards her. "It's definitely not as...not as good as the old man's," he finished quietly. He seemed frozen in place.

The lump was back again. Haru got up again, coming to his side and touching his tense shoulder. Yamamoto was staring intently at his hand tightly gripping the cutting knife, half-washed under the flowing water. Haru shut the water off, and searched his eyes for any sign of grief.

"You didn't cry at the funeral," she said, and then clamped a hand over her mouth. "Sorry!" But it was true; Yamamoto hadn't shed any tears, his face made only out of stone that day. It had broken her heart to see him like that.

Yamamoto only smiled slightly when he looked at her. "I can't afford to right now... A day will come when it's all right to cry," he half-whispered. "When it's all over."

He sounded so wise and old beyond his years, so unlike her cheerful Yamamoto, the boy of the past barely surfacing in this man of the present. That realization pierced her like a sword; she missed his old self, because he had made her feel at ease, accepted and appreciated, even when she flailed about, going on about Tsuna, her costumes, her general craziness she knew she possessed. He never seemed annoyed with her, and she felt most comfortable with him.

She wanted to be strong for him.

Haru stood on her toes and leaned towards him, kissing him on his cheek, her lips lingering there for a few moments. When she withdrew from him, her face felt hot—kissing him so suddenly like that, even if it wasn't on the lips; and yet she felt close enough to him to do so without regret.

Yamamoto stared at her, his eyes lit with an emotion she could not place her finger on (or perhaps a sea of many emotions).

"Haru eagerly awaits the day when we can all be together again!"

He gave her one of the nicest smiles she had ever seen from him. "Yeah."

They sat down to eat. "Hahi!" Haru exclaimed after the first bite. "This is so good! Yamamoto-kun, this is really good!"

Yamamoto laughed, grinning. "I can think of several ways to improve it, but thanks."

"By the way," Haru said after swallowing a mouthful. "How did you get into the building, anyway?"

"Through the back exit."

"But you can't open it from the outside!"

"Ha, ha, I found a way!"

"Did you drive here?"

"I walked, but I've got someone waiting for us."

Afterwards, Yamamoto cleaned her dishes while she gathered her packed things together. She took one last look at her apartment before turning off the lights. Haru heaved a heavy, shaky sigh.

"Are you ready?" Yamamoto had one of her bags around his shoulder.

Haru nodded. "I'm ready." She locked her apartment, then turned to follow him.

The drive was taking very long, almost forty-five minutes. Haru was sure she'd seen the same stores and buildings twice, but didn't comment on the fact out loud. She guessed one couldn't simply drive to a hideout without making a few turns here, circle around there. Probably to shake off any pursuers.

They stopped at a mall strip, where a part of Namimori Forest loomed behind. Many vehicles were parked, eating at an open-late restaurant located within the strip. The young woman who'd been driving, and the young man who'd been sitting in the passenger's seat, got out, and led Yamamoto and Haru into the restaurant.

"Back booth, please, for privacy," the woman said to the waiter.

"Of course! Follow me."

The four were led to the back of the restaurant. The waiter disappeared after handing them their menus, but he later returned, saying to Haru, "One of the workers would like to see you in the kitchen."

"Eh?" Haru looked at Yamamoto, who, though serious, gave her a reassuring nod. More puzzled than ever, Haru reluctantly followed the waiter into the kitchen. He led her to the back, where someone was waiting for her. "Fuuta-kun!"

Fuuta smiled warmly. "It's been a long time, Haru-nee." Fuuta hadn't been at Tsuyoshi's funeral. In fact, Haru hadn't seen him for months. She was relieved he still looked the same.

"I-Pin's here, too," Fuuta said, nodding in the direction Haru had come from.

"I-Pin-chan?" Haru spun around, and saw I-Pin all decked out in her Chinese outfit. "Hahi!"

"Haru, it's good to see you again!"

"Oh..." Haru found herself choked up; tears slid down her cheeks, one after the other, over her happy smile. She hadn't see both of them for so long! She dearly missed all her old friends. "I-I can't believe it... Oh, I've missed you both so much!"

"Takeshi-nii asked us to come," Fuuta explained.

"He did?"

"Hey, guys!" Yamamoto joined them, grinning. "We're back—oh, hey, Haru, are you all right?"

He'd asked them to come? For her? Haru laughed. "I'm okay!" she said, wiping at her eyes. "I just...I..." She couldn't finish, and covered her whole face again, her shoulders shaking, her heart swelling with grief, joy, and love all at once.

A gentle, familiar hand settled on her shoulder. "You both ready?"

"Yes, Yamamoto-san!"

"Ready when you are. I have your katana here."

"I already informed them that we're heading out," Yamamoto said.

Haru lifted her head, eyes wide. "What? But my things—"

"The people who drove us here work for Tsuna," Yamamoto said, "They'll bring your stuff to the hideout later. The waiter works for Tsuna, too."

"Are we going to the hideout now?" Haru asked. She caught a glimpse of a clock on the wall: almost 10:30 PM.

"Yes."

I-Pin unlocked the back door, light spilling out onto a few garbage bins. Without warning, she took off, running into the bushes and trees. Fuuta, too, broke into a run, and Haru grabbed Yamamoto's hand, afraid that she would not be able to keep up. She sensed the urgent change in the atmosphere, felt it in the tense muscles in his hand. Together, they ran close behind Fuuta; I-Pin was nowhere to be seen.

Haru's eyes slowly adjusted to the lack of light. She focused only on Fuuta's running form; on placing one foot in front of the other; on not making a sound when a branch scratched her face. Adrenaline pumped through her veins; this was so frightening and intriguing at the same time.

All of a sudden, Yamamoto said sharply, "Take her," and passed Haru's hand over to Fuuta's outstretched hand, as if passing a baton in a race, and fell back, vanishing into the dark.

Haru gripped Fuuta's hand tightly. "Where's he going?" she asked worriedly, trying to keep her voice low.

Her heart nearly stopped when a cry of terror behind her sounded.

"Faster!" Fuuta took out a small handgun from inside his coat. Haru held back her shock, and ran as hard she could, her feet pounding the ground as loudly as her heart pounding in her ears.

It began to rain. Hard.

From what she could make out against thick raindrops, they were heading straight for a clearing. Haru thought they were going to keep running, until she suddenly found herself in front of a flight of stairs. She screamed.

"Easy now!" Fuuta slowed, giving her enough time to react and take the first few steps jerkily without falling all the way down. "It's all right," he said in a calmer voice, letting go of her hand and continuing down the stairs. "We're here."

Haru looked back behind her. The rain and forest had been replaced by a metal door. "What happened?" she demanded breathlessly, turning back to following Fuuta downwards.

"One of the secret entrances to the hideout," Fuuta explained, reaching the bottom. A brightly lit, short hallway stretched out before them, leading up to yet another metallic door.

"Yamamoto-kun! And I-Pin-chan!" Haru glanced backwards again, hoping to see them come through, as well.

"They'll be here soon," Fuuta told her. "We were being followed."

"You have a gun," Haru said, catching her breath, staring at the weapon in Fuuta's hand. Clearly, he was no longer the little boy she used to know.

Fuuta looked at her sadly. "It was...necessary. I had to learn in order to protect myself."

What on earth were they all involved in? They couldn't really be talking about the mafia; she thought that'd all been a silly, elaborate game when they were young, and hadn't taken it too seriously.

But it was all sort of adding up to something like that...

"It's not for me to decide."

"Tsuna will explain everything when he's ready."

"Haru, trust him."

Haru sighed, sinking to the floor.

"Haru-nee!" Fuuta was at her side in a flash. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I'm so confused," Haru said, resting one side of her head on her palm.

Fuuta was quiet for a moment. Then, he touched her arm. "Come, Haru-nee. I'll take you to your room, where you can get some rest." He helped her stand up.

I-Pin and Yamamoto still had not returned.

She and Fuuta didn't encounter anyone she knew personally on the way to her room. Fuuta stayed to chat with her for awhile before excusing himself, saying he had something important to do. Then, still without her belongings (which made her quite anxious), Haru had taken to the bed, wrapping herself up in the covers to get dry.

Her stable, comforting world had been coming apart piece by piece since the beginning of the mysterious conflict, so the incidents outside hadn't been a huge surprise. But she was feeling so lost; so much a lone drifter on troubled waters without a paddle, going nowhere fast.

When would Tsuna tell her? When would Yamamoto explain? She didn't want to guess anymore; she wanted the truth.

At the very least, she didn't feel too lonely anymore. Seeing Fuuta and I-Pin back at the restaurant had cheered her immensely, and it had all been thanks to Yamamoto. It was as though he had read her mind during their dinner in her apartment – her talking about her life, never once mentioning the people she missed, and somehow, he had known.

A small smile crept across her lips. "Thank you, Yamamoto-kun," she murmured into her pillow.

Her mouth felt dry; she needed some water. Haru got up from the bed and spent several seconds looking for the right button that controlled the door. "Ah, here it is—hahi!" she squeaked, seeing a soaked and muddied Yamamoto standing before her, his hand poised over the intercom button on a panel next to her door.

"Whoa!" he laughed. "Good timing."

"Yamamoto-kun!" She threw her arms around him, caring little about getting wet again herself. "Haru was so worried!"

Yamamoto returned her embrace. "Sorry. Things took a little longer than expected."

Haru released him. "Where's I-Pin-chan?"

"I think she went to change clothes."

"Is she all right?"

"Yeah, she's fine."

"Good," Haru sighed. "And you're so muddy!"

"Yeah." Yamamoto chuckled, scratching the back of neck. "I kind of took a fall. Gokudera would probably yell at me for being careless, but I'm not perfect. Just made a mistake that I won't make again."

"Someone was following us?" she asked quietly.

All the mirth gone from his voice, Yamamoto replied, "Yeah. But don't worry. You're safe now."

More than anything, she wanted to assail him with all kinds of questions, but she reminded herself yet again that the day for asking and telling would come on its own time. Instead, she asked him, "Where's the kitchen? I want to make snacks for anyone who might be hungry. Also, I need to get out of these wet clothes or I'll catch a cold!"

"Sure thing, but you don't have to make snacks—"

"Oh, but I want to!" Haru smiled. "You all work so hard, I'm afraid you might not be taking proper care of yourselves! Someone needs to make sure people around here are taken care of. Oh, and I want a map of this hideout. I need to know where everything is, so that I don't get lost." A thousand thoughts ran through her mind: where was the laundry room, the supply room, the bathroom? She was going to oversee more people than just her friends, and to accomplish a huge task like that, she needed to know the hideout inside out. "Until the day you and Tsuna tell me what's going on, I need to do my best and keep up with everyone. Haru won't let anyone down!" she declared, feeling more determined than she had felt in months.

Yamamoto stared at her for second, and then said, "You're a strong woman," surprising her by pulling her close and gently pressing his lips against her forehead.

A blush spread across her entire face, but she felt unbelievably elated, like the giddy schoolgirl she had been. All the people and problems in her world were far from her mind. Her hand moved entirely of its own accord to touch his chest. "Yamamoto-kun..." she whispered, closing her eyes.

"It's 'Takeshi,'" he whispered in her hair.

"Takeshi," she repeated, his name naturally rolling off her tongue, as though she had been saying his first name for years.

In that moment, she knew something had traversed between them; a growing connection she'd felt with no one else, not even Tsuna. There was something binding her and Yamamoto Takeshi; something fathomless and far-reaching, and yet still so very young, blossoming under a soothing, steady springtime rain.

"Tsuna knows what he's doing," Yamamoto said. "He'll protect everybody."

"I know...and I know you will, too."

Yamamoto had been gone for under two months now. Haru kept herself from worrying by maintaining the orderliness of the hideout, rarely venturing outside without an escort.

However, Kyoko had a very important conference to attend, so she was allowed to leave for a few days, and Haru decided to go with her, wanting to pick up supplies and visit her apartment for a bit. Lambo and I-Pin accompanied them. Lately, Namimori had been mostly quiet in terms of conflict. It shouldn't be too dangerous.

But, ironically, before they were even out of the hideout for a half hour, they were attacked.

Ordered to run, Haru and Kyoko took off in the direction of the abandoned warehouses they had passed by earlier. Lambo was right behind them, shouting, "I-Pin!"

The next thing Haru knew, she was on her knees, reeling from a sudden explosion. Someone dashed by her, saying, "Come, this way!" and Haru recognized the voice as I-Pin's. Groaning, Haru got to her feet, following I-Pin and Lambo through the smoke.

Then, she heard Tsuna's voice... She hadn't heard from him since Tsuyoshi's funeral; Tsuna hadn't even come to the hideout during these last two months.

The smoke cleared, revealing Tsuna and Gokudera.

Tsuna had come to free them, just like Yamamoto had said he would! "I knew Tsuna-san would save us!" she exclaimed, seeing Tsuna and Gokudera gaping at her. Funny. They looked different, and she voiced her observation out loud.

Looking beyond them, she saw Yamamoto in a battle stance. Her heart leapt into her throat, and she wanted to cry out to him, but he suddenly vanished. Moments later, Tsuna and Gokudera disappeared from her view, and a dizzy, disoriented Haru found herself in a different place along with everybody else. After Gokudera impatiently explained what possibly happened to the newcomers, Haru demanded, "Where's Takeshi?"

"He's gone to see his dad," Gokudera answered sharply, "and that idiot better come back soon or else!"

That's right, Tsuyoshi was alive and well in this era! Her heart soared with joy but also sadness, because they would not be able to stay forever. Haru glared at Gokudera. "Don't you call him that!" she snapped, even though she knew her demand was in vain. Gokudera would never stop calling his rival an "idiot," and in some strange way, it was good to know, because it meant that time didn't change everything.

Haru waited with Kyoko while the others discussed the next step in the plan. Strangely enough, she didn't wonder about Tsuna; she assumed he hadn't been transported yet like they had been, and didn't bother to ask Gokudera about it.

She kept glancing in the direction of Yamamoto's home.

Finally, he returned. "You're late!" Gokudera barked.

"Only by forty-four seconds!" Yamamoto countered, his customary cheerful grin in place.

"How did it go?" was what she wanted to ask, but right now didn't look like a good time – Gokudera was already ordering everyone to head out, her and Kyoko included. Kyoko followed after Lambo and I-Pin, leaving Haru and Yamamoto standing together.

"Haru," came Yamamoto's voice. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just... I-I was wondering..." How could she go about asking him about Tsuyoshi without sounding insensitive or something? "Um—"

"Hey! Get moving, idiots!"

"We're coming!" Haru yelled back to Gokudera. She blew a frustrated sigh.

"Let's go," Yamamoto said, chuckling. "And...it was all right."

Haru smiled, teary-eyed. "I'm glad."

They squeezed each other's hand briefly before breaking into a light jog to catch up with the rest.

Author's Note: And that final scene ties in with my other fan fic, "Hello, Goodbye."

I am still in the dark about where everybody actually went. I thought I read something about them still being around in the future, but unconscious. I don't know. In any case, I'll just stick with the theory I used in "Hello, Goodbye."

I realize this still doesn't explain why Haru and Kyoko in the future don't know of the mafia yet despite the OBVIOUS clues...but that is the way Amano chose, so I'll leave it at that for now. Revealing the mafia to them would take up another fan fic, and I have no plans yet to do one like that.

Make you sure read the beginning notes. Also, I JUST realized that I, apparently, forgot about the events before the end of chapter 142, before they disappear...I will add a revised scene in later when I have some time. (Give me a break, it's been awhile!)