A/N: Not very knowledgeable with Katekyō Hitman Reborn so this fic was a little awkward to write. Forgive me fangirls of this show! XDDD

Kijou Naoyuki and Virgillio are © to ~Matsuyu (on deviantART); Gokudera Hayato is © to Amano Akira's Katekyō Hitman Reborn!; Story is © to moi~

"Where there is smoke, there's fire. Where there's you, there's desire." - Unknown

Kijou Naoyuki had been harboring her feelings for him for quite a while. Ever since the Ring Conflicts came to an end, she's had a hard time owning up to one simple realization.

She was in love with Gokudera Hayato, a man that she had met only a few weeks ago.

Naoyuki and Hayato became good friends after their first meeting and soon after, their famiglias grew much closer, almost to the point of being close allies. However, with Naoyuki fighting with her inner feelings, it's been rather awkward between them and her fellow familia members, as she would grow tense whenever they teased her about her feelings. It's true that Hayato had no idea Naoyuki loved him, but he had noticed she seemed more self-conscious around him.

More than anything she was nervous about what Hayato thought of her.

Did he think she was annoying or bothersome? Did she get in the way? Or did he think she was too ugly to be his girlfriend?

What if he hated her?

To be on the safe side, in case he didn't reciprocate her feelings, Naoyuki did her best to be a good friend and at least attempt to push her feelings as far back in her mind as possible.

It was the second week of summer vacation. Naoyuki had no intention of trying to hang out with Hayato and instead took the time to hang out with her family. From going out to the mall and eating out, she was doing everything she could to have a good time.

Nothing lasts forever, unfortunately.

Images of Hayato slowly seeped into Naoyuki's mind and she began to suffer the worst of heartaches. There were times when she would lock herself in her room and stare out the window for hours on end and even times when she would cry herself to sleep.

She missed him dearly.

One day, her younger brother Virgillio saw her walking down the hallway; like most of their family members, he had also taken notice of his big sister's odd behavior around Hayato. He sat down on the bench she was sitting at, obviously knowing what, or particularly who, was on her mind. "So how are things with Hayato, Sis? Have you talked with him lately?"

Naoyuki serene face immediately darkened as she turned to frown at her brother. "How many times have I told you not to remind me of him? I'm trying to enjoy my summer vacation and I have better things to do than to load around and dream of him all day!" Despite the face she put on, she was suffering on the inside.

Her brother was quick to retaliate, not liking the idea of being scolded. "Hey, it's not my fault you're moping around! I'm just trying to be nice!" he retorted. "Besides, how come you're not talking to him anyway? I thought you guys were friends!"

"That's none of your business, Virgillio!" yelled Naoyuki. "Say out of things that don't concern you!"

"What did you say?"

Their other two brothers, Desidero and Provezano, ran over and held Naoyuki and Virgillio back in an attempt to break up a soon-to-be fight. However, that didn't stop them from yelling at each other. Even though he had been told to stop, Virgillio made a quick comment.

"Why are you so hellbent on avoiding him? It's like you're treating him like an enemy or even a complete stranger! You haven't talked to him for weeks and you still expect him to be your friend? Give me a break!"

All of that time spent with her family, all of that effort she put in to forget about Hayato... All of it just flew out the door. Naoyuki burst into tears as she fell limp in her brother's arms, silently crying. She hated herself for feeling so weak over one guy. Nevertheless, she muttered out her answer: "Hayato won't contact me. He doesn't need to."

The other brothers listened carefully as they watched Naoyuki cry to herself. Ferro, the head and boss of the famiglia, had also walked over as he looked to Desidero and Provezano curiously. "What's going on here?"

Virgillio, himself, was a little perplexed at Naoyuki's sudden change in mood. "Sis… What are you talking about?"

Naoyuki fell to her knees as she sobbed. "Hayato… He doesn't care about me. Just that coward Tsuna! I'm nothing more than a friend to him. No matter if I confess to him or not! Nothing will change!" In tears, she ran off to her room and slammed the door behind her. She threw herself on her bed and sobbed into her pillow, holding it tightly. Her heart continued to ache but it was much stronger and more painful than before.

Ferro and the others had watched her run off and slam the door to her room. The three brothers looked to their boss. "So? What should we do about Sis?" asked Virgillio. "I'm worried about her."

Shaking his head, the boss sighed. "We can only wait. If Naoyuki doesn't fess up to her own emotions, it's just gonna get worse between her and Hayato. It's out of our hands."

~ ღ ~

"Passion: There are some things in life that catch your eye, and then, there are those that capture your heart. Pursue those." – Unknown

Naoyuki calmed herself down after about an hour of crying. She sniffled as she sat up in bed, moving from her now soaking wet pillow, and picked up the notebook that sat on her nightstand. Hugging her knees to her chest, she opened to a blank page as she began to write:

Who is it that you like?

If there really is anyone, at all-

I know you, maybe there isn't.

Oh! But if there is,

It actually...

Doesn't really have to be me...

Her heart still ached as she watched each of the words came to life on the blank page. She sighed happily as she turned to the next, her pencil dancing on the white paper. Looking back, Naoyuki had realized she drew a picture of Hayato's face and more tears started to roll down her cheeks.

Small droplets pecked the paper and wetted it slightly. Naoyuki frowned as she wiped her eyes. Look at me. I can't believe I'm being so ridiculous, she thought to herself. She stared at the drawing again and sniffled. I need to man up. What's wrong with me?

As she tried to calm herself down again, Naoyuki looked back on her friends and what they had said when she confessed her feelings to them. One of them, Yamamoto Takeshi, had once told her that admitting her feelings to both herself and Hayato would life a weight off her shoulders.

"You shouldn't be afraid to be truthful to both yourself and Gokudera," Takeshi's words rang through her head. "It will make everything all right but you should be prepared for what happens after that."

Perhaps he did have a point now that he mentioned it. Naoyuki wiped her eyes and smiled to herself. Yamamoto does have a point. I guess I've been worrying too much over nothing. She got up and unlocked her door but when she opened it, she saw Virgillio just about to knock.

The two stared at each other for a short while before Naoyuki smiled sadly at her brother. "I'm...sorry...about earlier. I didn't realize, nor did I try to realize, that you were trying to help me out."

"I'm sorry, too," replied Virgillio with a smile. "I guess I should've known not to mention Hayato around you, especially when you were going through a lot and all... I'll try not to talk about him as much until you're comfortable with it."

With a laugh, Naoyuki ruffled his hair. "Thanks. I'll sort things out myself, though. I sort of had a talk with Yamamoto so I'll think things over with his advice."

His smile wavered a bit, mostly from nervousness, as he took his leave. "M'kay. Well, see ya later."

Naoyuki waved silently before she closed her door back. She sighed deeply as she looked down at her feet before going back to her bed and lying down. Her eyes gazed deeply at the ceiling as she laid her head on her arms. Various thoughts about Hayato entered her mind again as her eyes drooped into a sweet slumber...

In Naoyuki's dream, she had imagined herself and Hayato standing before each other. The girl stood, her feet shifting from one to the other, as she rubbed the back of her neck. Her cheeks were a bright red as she whispered, "I...I like you, Hayato. I've always liked you."

The boy's eyes widened slightly as a blush tainted his own cheeks. He almost stumbled as he backed up a bit, but not out of fear. Just confusion on his part. "H-How long have you had those feelings?" he asked. "And how come you didn't tell me? Sheesh! I thought we were friends!"

Naoyuki's heart skipped a beat as her eyes lit up in joy. "I didn't plan to keep it from you forever," she retorted in a teasing manner. She tried her best not to laugh at his current expression. "I'm surprised that you didn't even catch on." Unfortunately, a laugh burst out and she was now in a fit of giggles.

Hayato's cheeks deepened in color as he glared at her. "Hey! It's not funny!"

Snapping her eyes open, Naoyuki sat up in bed. It was dark outside, around one in the morning, but that didn't matter to her. She had made up her mind. She picked up her phone and was about to call Takeshi, prepared to take the results, even if they were negative. She jumped when she heard it ring as she was about to dial.

Just who on earth could, or even would, be calling so late at night?

Curious, the girl raised an eyebrow before she pressed the "Talk" button on her phone, putting it up to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hey, Naoyuki?" said a familiar voice on the other end. "Sorry to call so late but it's been a while since we've talked and all."

Her jaw dropped. Hayato? Hayato was actually calling her so early in the morning? She sat up immediately as she gulped down her nervousness. "Hey! It really has been a while, huh?"

She heard him laugh on the other end and she blush. "Yeah… So how have you been? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"What about your family?" Hayato asked. "Have you guys been enjoying your summer vacation?"

Naoyuki laughed in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Yeah! We've been having a lot of fun going out and stuff." She heard him laugh on the other end, making her cheeks turn red.

Out of the blue, she heard him ask a rather unexpected question: "How come you haven't called me in such a long time? Yamamoto and Tsuna were getting kinda worried."

At first, the question stumped Naoyuki. She blinked when she noticed that he didn't sound as worried as she secretly wanted him to be. "Oh? And how come you weren't worried, Hayato?" she asked, hiding her anxiety with a teasing tone in her voice. "You didn't care?"

"You're a tough cookie, Naoyuki. I know there's no reason to worry about you." His answer saddened her a bit but she remained silent as he continued, "It is a little lonely, though, being in this house with these weirdos around me. I've got no one to talk to 'cept for Tsuna."

Naoyuki's expression changed and she smiled, letting out a light giggle. "So how are you faring despite being around so many 'idiots' all the time?"'

There was a loud groaning on Hayato's end. "Ugh, you have no idea. They drive me nuts 24/7. I feel like killing 'em all sometimes…"

Another laugh escaped Naoyuki's lips. "Well, that's how idiots are," she told him as she laughed, "sometimes they're even fun to be with. But if you wanted to talk, you could have always called me anyway! My phone's always on."

Hayato laughed again. "Then again, Nao-ran, did you even want to talk to me?"

The girl blinked at the sudden nickname. "Eh? Nao-ran?"

"That's what the Baseball Nut calls you..." he answered.

Naoyuki blushed. "Haha, it's TOTALLY not like that, you know?"

"Obviously," snickered Hayato, "but really—"

"It's not that I DIDN'T want to talk," Naoyuki told him, "It's just that I've had no time to! I'm always occupied…"

She heard him sigh deeply. "Knowing you, Naoyuki. You're always really busy, even during summer."

There was a weird silence. Naoyuki looked down at her feet before she said, "Oh, Hayato...? I meant to ask you something but I hope you don't get mad at me…"

"Sure, what's wrong? I wouldn't get mad unless it was something stupid or about the idiots."

"W-Well, I was wondering..." Her voice trailed off as she looked down at her feet, gulping up her self-consciousness.

Hayato raised an eyebrow. "Yeah—"

"Is there anybody you like? Even at all? Because you know...-don't get me wrong-since..." She felt her heart growing heavier with every word that escaped her lips. "It…really doesn't have to be me... Really, you don't have to say it's me, since, you know..."

It grows silent between them again. Hayato, even though Naoyuki couldn't see it, was blushing now. "W-Well, there kinda is," he said, "But since I don't have to tell you, I guess I won't say. Maybe I'll just show you when you get back."

Once again, Naoyuki's eyes watered and the tears started to fall. "...Okay.."

"But, Naoyuki, you know—"

She tried her best to hold in her tears as she listened to him. As much as she wanted to tell him the truth, she couldn't bring herself to do it. It hurt so much. "I-I'm a little tired now, Hayato," she lied. "I'm going to sleep now. Good night."

Hayato blinked, a little confused. "W-Well, okay—" She hung up before he had a chance to say anything else.

Naoyuki curled up into a small ball, hugging her pillow tightly. The tears burst out of her eyes as she sobbed her heart out. It was hopeless. Even with all those clues, all of the hints she gave him, he couldn't reciprocate.

There was no way he would like her.

For the remaining two weeks of the summer, Naoyuki and her family traveled back to Japan.

Naoyuki was still devastated about the phone call and was too afraid to face Hayato with all the pain and fear she held in her heart. She stayed at home, just staring out the window, while her parents and brothers went out.

One day, she got a phone call as she sat at home. Fortunately, it wasn't Hayato but Takashi and Tsuna. However, the second call she received was from Hayato. It was an awkward conversation with a few periods of silence before Hayato broke the ice.

"I'm wondering if you could meet me in at the café. The one by F station."

Although she was hesitant about meeting him, Naoyuki decided to go anyway. She put on some clothes and primped a bit before heading to the café. When she arrived at the café, she was in for quite a surprise.

Hayato stood at the table he ordered, holding his hands behind his back. What he was really holding were a bouquet of flowers. They were close to being withered since he had a hard time keeping them alive after a week. He shot her his usual idiotic smile as Naoyuki took a seat at the table they took. "Hey! It's been a while!" he said, seeing Naoyuki laugh at his greeting.

"Yeah," Naoyuki merely answered as she looked down at her hands.

It was awkward between them and even to the point of being silent. Naoyuki could feel her heart pounding in her chest being alone and just a hand's length from Hayato. The conversation started small, about family matters and whatnot, before it moved to the cell phone conversation just two weeks earlier. It didn't take long for Naoyuki to start getting nervous.

"So...do you remember that conversation we had on the phone not too long ago?"

"Y-Yeah," Naoyuki answered as she held her hands tightly together as she broke out into a cold sweat. Slowly, her eyes lifted shakily to meet with his. "What about it?"

Hayato laughed nervously as he scratched the back of his head. "Actually," he said, rambling a bit, "I was really supposed to tell you who I liked...because, you know, it's been a while and you've always got our back. Well-" He took one deep breath before he blurted out, "Ijustcouldn'' -I-HERE!" He shoved the bouquet of almost-withered flowers into the girl's hands, his cheeks a piping-hot red hue.

Now it was Naoyuki's turn to feel flustered. Her cheeks also turned red as she almost dropped the bouquet but she clutched close it to her chest. She smiled slightly as she looked up at Hayato. "So...you've been waiting for me?" she asked him. "All this time?"

He nodded quietly as he kept his head down, feeling even more nervous over seeing her current expression. Hayato slowly looked up to see Naoyuki hugging the bouquet to her chest, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks. His eyes widened. "S-So...you like...them?"

"Of course I do!" she answered as she smiled softly. "I love you, Hayato. I never thought those words would come from you. Ever! You have no idea how long I've kept these feelings inside my heart." She blinked as she tilted her head to the side. "How long...have you actually liked me?"

"For a while, actually," Hayato confessed. "I know it's been over a few months... I've really missed you, Naoyuki, so I was wondering if you would ever call me during the summer break. 'Cause whenever I did...you didn't answer."

Naoyuki laughed as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Sorry... I guess we know a little more about each other."

She blinked when he offered his hand to her with a smile. "Let's head outta here."

A small smile curled against her lips as she accepted his hand with a giggle. "Yeah..."