Eyes Wide Open

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They grabbed her ponytail, yanking it backwards. She yelped in pain, but she couldn't fight it because her hands were tied behind the chair. Ropes bound her ankles to the chair's legs, leaving red marks that she knew would turn into bruises after this whole debacle was over.

"Who says you're getting out of this with a fucking happily ever after?"

Haru looked up at the thug with the scar on his nose, her legs shaking but her gaze defiant. She hadn't realized she said that aloud, but that didn't deter her from answering.

"Because Tsu-kun will save Haru," she said, and smiled slowly. "And then he'll kick your ass." The thug scoffed, and his partner slapped her across the face. She winced as her head snapped to the side, tasting blood where she bit her lip. Her cheek stung with the force of the blow. These guys weren't taking it easy on her, she thought. Not that it mattered. As long as Kyoko-chan remained safe, Haru didn't care what was done to her.

"You got some pretty long hair, Jap," the thug at her back sneered, gripping her hair harshly in his hands. Of course Haru had long hair. Haru spent two years growing it for Tsuna. He liked running his fingers through it, and sometimes he'd brush it for her after she got out of the bath. She was so proud of it. Haru thought it made her look more feminine; more desirable. But when the thug brought out his switchblade, Haru decided she didn't really like long hair anyways. It was tedious to take care of, and she shed like a dog. Short hair was better, she repeated to herself as a sharp wind brushed the nape of her neck. Short hair suited Haru more.

Though she couldn't see it, Haru knew that what lay behind her on the floor was ten inches of her dark, silky locks. Cold air hit the nape of her neck, and there was a slight sting that accompanied it. It was from a cut inflicted by the switchblade. She hoped it wasn't too deep, but she felt something warm trickling slowly down her back, and then she just hoped she didn't die of blood loss.

"That was unnecessary," the other thug chastised. "We only needed one lock of hair." But his partner just laughed and swept up a handful of it. He shoved it into an envelope and handed it off to a lackey. But he stopped them for a moment, eyeing the welt of blood across Haru's neck. Haru winced as he slapped the front of the white envelope on her cut. She knew what he was trying to do. He was trying to torment her Tsu-kun, in hopes that sending him a handful of her hair and allowing him to see her blood on the envelope would make him obedient and ready to give the thugs whatever they wanted. But Haru already knew that it wouldn't make a difference. They were just digging their own grave.

Tsuna didn't love her, not like he loved Kyoko, but he still cared for her like a friend would. And Tsuna hated seeing his friends hurt.

Haru wanted to laugh, but held back. It wouldn't be good to clue the thugs in on their mistake. They kidnapped the wrong girl.

Well... sort of. Haru supposed that technically they kidnapped the right girl, since they were aiming for the wife of Vongola Decimo, and that was what she was. But Haru knew that they really wanted to kidnap the Decimo's weakness, to make him so completely scared to do anything for fear that the person he loved would be killed. Because that was how everyone knew Tsuna. He was the kindest and most caring boss, and he would do anything for his Family. By that logic, he would do above and beyond for his wife. By that logic, Tsuna's greatest weakness was Haru, his wife. But unfortunately for those thugs, and Haru, that was not the case.

Tsuna's greatest weakness is, and always will be, Kyoko-chan.

Haru hummed as she tied her hair back, the morning light shining through the window and warming her face. Today the sky was clear and bright, and it was perfect weather for spring. She hadn't checked the weather yet, but it was usually chillier in the morning than the afternoon, so Haru tied a thin cardigan around her waist that she could wear in case she got too cold. She was, as per her usual morning schedule, headed to Kyoko's room to wake her up. Tsuna always got up super early to start on work, and he usually woke Haru too. So Haru would doze for anywhere from half an hour to two hours before getting up as well. Then she'd wake up Kyoko, and the both of them would make breakfast for everyone else in the Vongola mansion.

Today was pretty early; Haru wasn't too tired so she only dozed for fifteen minutes before getting up. The mansion was always so quiet in the mornings, and as excitable and energetic as she was, Haru appreciated the silence. Kyoko lived a few floors down from Tsuna and Haru, the floor where Bianchi and I-pin's rooms were. It didn't take long to get down there, and before she knew it Haru rounded the corner that led to Kyoko's room. She paused just after turning the corner, hearing the sound of Kyoko's door opening. Instantly, Haru was suspicious. Who could be in Kyoko-chan's room so early? she thought. She hid behind the corner, her eyes lighting up as she wondered if maybe Kyoko-chan was having a secret relationship? Oh how scandalous! Haru contained her squeals of excitement and watched as the door swung open. Haru told herself no matter who it was, she'd support the two of them all the way!

And then Tsuna stepped out.

And then Haru felt her heart stop.

It lodged in her throat, choking her, expelling all the breath and life she had left. Tsuna turned to smile at Kyoko still inside the room, and Haru ducked to hide her back to the wall, almost frozen against it. It was too far for her to hear their voices, but she heard murmurs, the lower intonation of Tsuna's voice and the higher one of Kyoko's. Both were usually such soothing sounds to Haru, but now they did nothing except settle coldly in her ears.

Tsuna walks away; his steps echo down the hall in the opposite direction of where Haru hid. Haru knew exactly when Kyoko-chan's door shut, even though she couldn't hear or see it, because it was when Haru's heart started again with a stutter. Her heart was deficient now, Haru thought. It tripped and paused and fumbled in its beating, no longer smoothly rhythmic like it was only minutes before. But, Haru thought, at least it was still beating.

She pushed off the wall, her eyes glazed over, walking slowly to Kyoko's door. She knocked, three quick raps, and a second later, Kyoko answered. She smiled at Haru. Haru smiled back, as bright and happy as she'd always had. Like nothing had happened.

"Good morning Kyoko-chan!" Haru said, and swept into the room, not even pausing at the sight of the rumpled bed sheets. She hummed a cheery tune. "Haru feels like making omurice today, what does Kyoko-chan think?" she asked Kyoko, but continued on blithely, not even letting her friend answer. "And Haru and Kyoko-chan can go and get cake later! Haru knows it's not Appreciation Day, but don't worry, if Kyoko-chan doesn't tell, then Haru won't either!" She winked at her friend, and Kyoko laughed.

"Okay Haru-chan, that all sounds like fun!" She went into her bathroom to change out of her pajamas, her long hair already brushed straight and silky. It was much longer than Haru's hair, Haru thought. Haru wished her hair was as long as Kyoko-chan's. She was embarrassed because they promised to grow it long together, and Haru's hair in the past was longer than Kyoko-chan's, but now Haru's was shorter than Kyoko's. To hide it, Haru kept her ponytail from ten years ago. At least with that, no one would know exactly how long it was.

Kyoko finished changing and the two of them made their way to the kitchen, Haru chattering on and Kyoko listening quietly, interjecting every so often with a nod or, "Ah, I see." Lambo and I-Pin joined them on the way. Lambo started asking Haru for grape soda, and I-Pin wrapped her arms around Kyoko's and politely asked for a steamed bun. The two of them were fifteen now, but around Haru and Kyoko they always acted like children. Haru thought it was probably because she and Kyoko-chan had taken care of them so much when they were little.

"No soda in the morning!" Haru scolded Lambo. "Lambo-kun needs more sustenance than that. Haru is making omurice." Lambo sighed in disappointment, muttering "yare yare," making Haru hit him reproachfully on the head. He yelped and rubbed the sore spot, pouting. I-Pin had woken him at an ungodly hour of the morning (again) and Haru was refusing to give him grape soda. But Haru patted Lambo's head and smiled. "Lambo-kun can have grape juice instead." But saying that only made Lambo complain more.

"But it's not as good as soda!" he whined. Haru thwapped him on the forehead with her metal spatula.

"Its grape juice or Haru will make Lambo-kun drink grape milk!" Haru threatened, towering over him in a looming, "death comes to you soon" kind of way. Lambo turned green at both the prospect and Haru's death eyes, before sulking and sitting quietly down at the table. Satisfied at that, Haru turned back to making omurice. I-Pin patted Lambo consolingly on the shoulder.

It always took time for Kyoko and Haru to cook everyone's food, because there were always so many mouths to feed. But luckily, omurice was a dish that could be made in bulk. One large wok was brought out to make the rice, which was then divided separately onto ten plates, arranged in a mounded shape. Kyoko, who was tasked with making the omelettes, began neatly arranging them on top of the rice. To cheer Lambo up, they let him and I-Pin draw whatever they liked on the omelettes with a squeeze bottle of ketchup. Just as they were finished, Haru heard the door open.

"Uwahh, it smells good in here!" Yamamoto exclaimed, peeking into the room. The little scar on his chin, while accompanied with an epic story of life and death, looked so fetching on him, Haru thought. He hadn't changed much in the ten years she'd known him. Though there was maturity lining his voice now, Yamamoto still had that infuriating calm to him that irritated Gokudera. Speaking of which, Gokudera and Ryohei were right behind Yamamoto as he entered the kitchen. Gokudera hung back near the doorway while Ryohei went over to his sister to hug her good morning.

"Che. I wouldn't say it smells good, but it's not bad either," Gokudera muttered. The three of them found their usual seats at the table, patiently waiting for their breakfasts. It seemed that everyone in Vongola liked to wake up early, Haru thought. They were always wide-awake and sharply dressed by the time she and Kyoko finished making breakfast.

Ryohei pumped his fist in the air, grinning proudly. "Anything that my little sister makes is bound to be awesome to the extreme!" Ryohei boast, sitting across Yamamoto. The swordsman laughed at his friend's enthusiasm. Haru was sending the older Sasagawa a withering look, and Ryohei laughed sheepishly. "And Haru-san too!" he amended quickly. "Haru-san's food is delicious to the extreme! I could eat it every day!" He paused. "Ah! N-not that I don't eat it every day, because I do. I-I just meant—"

"Onii-san, are you hitting on my wife?"

Every man at the table froze when a familiar voice filtered in from the doorway.

"T-TENTH! G-GOOD MORNING!"

"Ah, hey Tsuna!"

"NO! NO I WASN'T—IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!"

They all spoke at once, each in varying degrees of volume and pitch. But Tsuna just sighed placidly, used to this morning ruckus, and took his seat at the head of the table. He smiled over at Haru who was grinning mischievously at him, and he knew without a doubt that she was the cause of Ryohei's current distress.

"In any case, let's eat!" Kyoko cut in, and she and Haru began handing out everyone's specialized omurice, courtesy of I-Pin and Lambo.

And can you guess? That only caused more mayhem.

"Oc... OCTOPUS HEAD?! LAMBOOOOOO!"

"Yare yare, I was only having fun..."

"Eh? Ahahaha! This is a pretty well-drawn sword!"

"Boxing idiot? Boxing isn't idiotic! TO THE EXTREME!"

"HANDS OFF BOXING IDIOT! THE COW IS MINE!"

"Ahh, I don't feel like playing right now..."

"Maa maa, Gokudera, Ryohei, calm down yeah?"

Tsuna watched his family with a smile tugging at his lips, now too used to the morning (and afternoon, evening, and midnight) ruckus to bother anymore. When Haru put his omurice down in front of him, his eyes shone in amusement at what he saw. He looked at Haru with a laugh. "I was expecting to see 'Dame-Tsuna'," he told her. Haru just winked. Tsuna ginned and dug into his fish-shaped ketchup drawing.

Haru refused to sleep.

Her eyes blinked blearily, trying to focus on the image of the guard across the room in the dim light. He was leaning against the wall, sitting on a stool. There was a gun on him somewhere, Haru knew, but he had it hidden. Inside of his jacket? She wondered. Maybe strapped to his ankle? If Haru could get out of these ropes, she might be able to steal it from him and escape.

The guard watched her warily, unlike the two thugs from before who delighted in having her at their mercy. She wasn't sure exactly how long she had been here, tied to this chair in a traditional tatami mat room, but it had to be the whole night, she thought. The guard had been switched out for another guy, and then retook his position a few hours later. She had been awake the whole time. Haru was sure there were black bags under her eyes by now.

"Oi. Go to sleep. I won't do anything to you," the guard told her, finally speaking. Haru glared at him. She wasn't falling for that. The guard must have sensed that too, because he just sighed wearily. He picked up his water bottle and crossed the room, making Haru tense. "Here, do you want some water?" he offered. He uncapped the lid, holding it out to her. Haru turned her face away. It was probably drugged. "It's not drugged," the guard said. He took a swig of it and then held it out to her again. Haru eyed it uneasily.

Should she? He could have mimed drinking it. But on the other hand, Haru hadn't had anything to eat or drink since getting taken. And the guy seemed kind of decent. But accepting kindness from the enemy felt... wrong.

Haru huffed and leaned forward, letting the guard tilt the water slowly down her throat. It felt sinfully good to her dried, cracked lips. When she was finished, the guard recapped the bottle and then stared at her curiously. She frowned at his intense scrutiny, suddenly feeling self-conscious. She wasn't even sure what she looked like anymore since that thug cut off all her hair.

"You're Japanese... right?" the guard asked carefully. Haru hesitated to answer, but eventually nodded slowly. He seemed to brighten up. "What... what's it like there?" he asked. Haru's lips tilted down, and she narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him. Why do you care? She thought to herself. But the guard seemed a bit sheepish at the look he was given. "I've... I've always wanted to go. Just never had the money."

Haru chewed her lower lip, wondering if talking to this guy was okay. What if he was just trying to soften her up until later? But she found her mouth opening anyways, and she told him, "Japan is home. I don't know what there is to tell you because there isn't much that I think can be told." But the guard was undeterred.

"Is it true you have umbrella stations?" he asked eagerly. Haru unintentionally grinned at his youthful face, examining him closer. He seemed quite young, possibly in high school if not freshly graduated. Haru wondered how he got tangled up with those thugs from before.

"Yes," Haru replied simply. "It's very useful for Haru, who always forgets to check the weather." And from there, triggered by Haru's answer, the guard began to ask a barrage of questions. Haru obliged with his curiosity, fuelling his enthusiasm of the Japanese culture, somewhat... happy... to find someone here who wasn't all bad.

"Uwahh done!" Haru exclaimed, flopping onto a chair. She and Kyoko had finished washing all the dishes, with no help from Lambo. He had immediately gone off to do whatever, dragging I-Pin along with him. Tsuna and the guardians had dispersed already, going off to do their individual activities. Tsuna was no doubt holed up in his office, going through paperwork.

"Everyone was really energetic this morning," Kyoko said, giggling. The kitchen was a mess by the time everyone left, bits of rice scattered over the table and on the floor. I-Pin had knocked over her cup of juice when she darted forward to smack Lambo for trying to steal her steamed bun. She apologized profusely, but Lambo was unforgiving and she ended up chasing him around the dinner table. Gokudera eventually got tired of them disrupting the Tenth's peaceful breakfast and threw a bomb at Lambo. (Because no one could blame I-Pin for getting annoyed at the Lightning Guardian.)

"Hahi! Kyoko-chan, we should get going," Haru said, springing from her seat. She dusted off her apron and left it hanging on a hook. Her purse was still in her room and Kyoko's in hers, so the two agreed to meet at the front doors when they were ready.

When Haru got to her room and checked her wallet, she was disheartened to find only a few coins in it. Haru supposed she could use her credit card to pay for today's delicious cakes, but what was the point of that? They were only a few dollars apiece! So Haru slung her purse over her shoulder and set off towards Tsuna's office. It wasn't a long trek from their bedroom, but in the quiet hallways, Haru's thoughts began to turn, inevitably, to the morning encounter.

Could Haru be jumping to conclusions? Tsuna was Kyoko-chan's room this morning, so what? He was probably having a friendly conversation with her, maybe talking to her about something he wouldn't be able to talk to her about during the day. Tsuna was always very busy. And that was especially true in the last few weeks. He had been getting up earlier than usual and going to bed after Haru fell asleep. Haru hoped nothing was wrong, but it was always hard to tell since Tsuna's first instinct was to hide it from her and Kyoko-chan. He never wanted them to worry; her Tsuna was kind like that.

Whatever it was, Haru decided it was nothing to worry about. Haru had doubted Tsuna's character in the past, and she would not allow it to happen again. So Haru decided to trust Tsuna. Because it was Tsuna.

Haru reached the Vongola Decimo's office doors, smiling cheekily at the two guards posted in front of it. They tilted their heads at her respectfully, before one of them reached out to knock on the door. "Boss, your wife is here to see you," he said. Haru didn't wait for Tsuna's reply. She burst through with her usual exuberance, a squealing, "Hahi!" on her lips. Gokudera was there, standing beside Tsuna with a stack of papers. The Right-Hand of the Vongola Decimo looked peeved, but Gokudera always looked peeved at everyone except Tsuna.

"Don't just burst in uninvited!" he said, but Haru ignored him. She swept into the room like a fairy on crack, twirling and prancing her way to Tsuna's desk instead of just walking in a straight line like a normal person. Gokudera scowled at her insanity, but Tsuna just smiled. He set down the papers he was reading, giving her his full attention.

"You seem happy," he said. Haru giggled and draped herself over Tsuna's desk, her brown eyes peeking up at him through her lashes. She didn't care that she was covering a whole bunch of important documents with her body, even though Gokudera was spitting out insults and scolding her. Tsuna just sighed resignedly and smiled down at her. Haru was sure that after so many years dealing with his Family, Tsuna was just resigned to anything.

"Haru needs money," Haru said, her eyes pleading up at Tsuna. Tsuna grinned, and Gokudera sputtered from beside him. He pointed accusingly at Haru.

"You gold-digger, didn't Tenth give you money last week?!" he exclaimed, but Tsuna held up a hand to quiet him and took out his wallet. He handed Haru a one hundred euro bill, but she shook her head and shooed it back into his wallet.

"Not that much. Haru only needs twenty euros." Tsuna grinned and handed her a twenty, as per her request. She usually didn't ask him for money, since Tsuna set up a separate account for Haru that he wired money into every month, and that usually had more than enough to fulfill whatever desires she had. She and Kyoko didn't really have jobs, if you didn't count cooking and cleaning for the Vongola Famiglia as a job. He knew Haru did some work on the side though, costume-making for theatres or some such thing.

"What are you buying?" he asked her. Haru's eyes got shifty. She snuck off the desk, hiding behind it. Her head slowly poked up above the desk until the top of her head and her eyes were visible to Gokudera and Tsuna.

"Haru isn't supposed to tell," she whispered. Tsuna tried to maintain his poker face, but ended up smiling anyways. She was so strange, he thought. Gokudera just looked at her like, "what does he see in you? Crazy woman..." Haru straightened and started to leave, waving goodbye to Tsuna. "Haru has to go now! Haru will be back later." Tsuna whispered something to Gokudera, and the bomber scowled at what was said to him, but Haru didn't hear what it was about because the doors already closed behind her, and they were whispering anyways. But it seemed like it involved her, because seconds after leaving Tsuna's office and prancing down the hall towards the front foyer, Gokudera yanked on her arm, drawing a, "Hahi!" from her.

"Not so fast," the Rain Guardian said, scowling. Haru pouted.

"Hahi... but Kyoko-chan is waiting for me," she whined, but Gokudera didn't let go of her.

"Boxing idiot's sister, huh? Who else is going outside with you?" Gokudera asked sternly, in his 'serious' mode. He was only ever in 'serious' mode when he was on a mission from Tsuna, or doing something for Tsuna's benefit. Haru didn't know what her outing with Kyoko had to do with it, but she wouldn't give in that easily. Gokudera was a meanie, and needed to learn how to ask nicely. So she stuck her tongue out at him, making a face that was sure to annoy the dynamite enthusiast.

"Haru isn't telling!" she exclaimed, dragging her hand out of his grip. "It's none of Gokudera-kun's business!" But Gokudera's eyes only narrowed, and he straightened his shoulders, looming over Haru hoping to intimidate her into telling him what he needed to know. But she only stared up at him stubbornly, much too used to the image of Gokudera the stupid meanie, and not Gokudera the famous Right-Hand of Vongole Decimo. And there was something about Haru that made Gokudera act like the stupid meanie with the hot head.

"Annoying woman!" he said, gritting his teeth when he couldn't get anything out of her. He bumped heads with her, literally, the two of them staring each other down in the middle of an empty hallway. "Tell me who you're going with! My sister? I-Pin? Lambo? Give me a name you stupid woman!"

"Haru isn't stupid!" Haru shouted. "And why does Gokudera-kun care anyways? It's Haru's business who Haru goes out with!" Gokudera was only dumbfounded at that, staring incredulously at her, like she should know. But Haru was oblivious to it, still frowning up at him.

"Are you stupid?" he said when Haru didn't seem to get it. That dumbfounded expression on his face quickly turned to irritation. "Of course it matters who you go out with! You're the wife of the Tenth! Do you know how many people are itching to get their hands on you?!"

Haru stepped back, shocked. What?

Gokudera, seeing the surprise on her face, snorted in contempt. "Being the wife of a mafia boss isn't all fun and games, stupid woman. Every time you step out of the mansion, there's a good chance you'll get kidnapped, or worse, killed." He glared down at her, as if she should already know this information, but Haru simply remained in shock, her mind whirling rapidly in confusion.

Haru was... at risk of being kidnapped? Because she was the wife of Tsuna? Now that she thought of it, since announcing the engagement and subsequently marrying Tsuna, Haru always went outside HQ with Bianchi or a guardian or at least two or three other Family members. Haru just didn't notice because usually it was Lambo and I-Pin and Bianchi, or Ryohei, or even Tsuna. Haru didn't think of them as "The Vongola Family Members," or "The Vongola Guardians," and especially not, "Vongola Decimo." Haru thought of them as simply... family. So truly understanding the titles coming attached with their identities shocked Haru. Was it really so important that she be protected because she was 'the wife of Vongola Decimo'? According to Gokudera, yes.

"Do you get it, stupid woman?" He said, cutting into her thoughts, but Haru could only hear him faintly, like in the mugginess of a hot day. "The wife of a mafia boss is the best bargaining chip to use against the boss. Because of that, other mafias will stop at nothing to kidnap them, especially if she is the wife of someone as great as the Vongola Decimo." Gokudera snapped his fingers in Haru's face, grabbing her attention, making her look at him. He was back in 'serious' mode, his lips turned down slightly. "Compared to other women favoured by the Tenth, you are the most important. You are the prime target."

Compared to other women... like Kyoko-chan? Haru thought. Could it be? Is that why Tsuna married her? He had to have known that the woman he married would be threatened by kidnappings all the time. Is that why he married Haru? So Haru would take the heat off of Kyoko-chan? Kyoko-chan was so innocent, so pure. Being kidnapped, being in constant danger of being kidnapped, that's such a terrible thing to endure. Going through something like that... Tsuna would never want to put Kyoko-chan in that position. So of course... of course he would marry Haru. To keep Kyoko-chan safe, Haru would be... Haru would be the decoy.

Haru staggered back, out of Gokudera's reach. He was a bit a taken back by that, but was unable to see her emotions hidden under her hair. "Haru... Haru has decided to go back to her room..." she told him. She brushed past him, making her way slowly back down the hall, worrying him a little at her sullenness. But he figured it was because he had just told her something shocking, and he thought it was good. This way, she would be more conscious of her safety, and maybe Tenth would worry about her less.

He let her go, heading back to Tsuna's office. They had to finish all that paperwork before Tsuna headed to Dino's place to talk business.

She ended up falling asleep. Totally by accident, of course. Haru was just too tired.

When she woke up, the other two thugs were back again. But this time, they were looking sufficiently terrified of the man standing in front of them, and in front of her. His eyes were cold and calculating, but he stared at her with something akin to curiosity and... interest? The kind of interest that made shivers crawl up her spine. But Haru couldn't really tell. He reached out, his fingers brushing under her chin, trying to tilt her face up. She jerked her head away, glaring at him. Like hell Haru would let him touch her so casually. They may have different rules in Italy, but Haru was Japanese through and through!

"Are you sure this is the Decimo's wife?" he asked, his voice smooth. The thugs made their affirmation, and Haru smiled secretly to herself. Haru was, indeed, the Decimo's wife; she just wasn't his weakness. But what he said next made the smile fall. "Asian women are so exotic, don't you agree?" he said, almost flippantly. It made Haru tense. His fingers touched her again, gripped her chin and forced her to look at him. His eyes were green, but Haru thought they should have been blue or silver, because they were so cold. "Behave yourself," he said to her. "Or I'll let a few of them tie you to a bed instead of a chair."

He left, his boots clunking noisily against the floor. Haru dropped her head after he let go of her, and dared not look up, because she knew the crueller of the two thugs was probably giving her a disgusting once-over. Again.

That man... he was scary, Haru thought. Haru liked to think she had a good judge of character. She could tell who was with a good heart, and who was without. That man didn't feel like he had anything even close to resembling a heart. It was almost like he was void of one, and people without hearts didn't have a heart to persuade, to cajole, to melt or soften or anything.

Haru looked up, and the two thugs were still there, but they were just talking to each other. The cruel thug saw her looking, and grinned lecherously, making Haru tremble. "Hear that?" he laughed. "If you're bad, we get to do what we want with you." He walked to her, his hot breath making Haru cringe when it blew across her face. It smelled bad too. "And if you're good... well, we do what we want with you anyways." His hand grasped her white blouse, ripping it open. Haru screamed, trying to twist away, her teeth clenched, the tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. "Ha! Hey, she's gonna cry!" he said, almost excitedly. "Wouldn't it be fun if we gave her back all messed up?" But the other thug just rolled his eyes.

"Don't be stupid. You want Amato to skin us alive? You know what he did to that guy the other day..." they both paled, and the thug let go of her.

"Tch. You got lucky this time, Jap," he said. They left, and Haru let out a choked, relieved sob.

Yeah. Even Haru wouldn't want to put Kyoko-chan in this position.

"Haru-chan?"

Haru didn't look up, even though she recognized the soft lilt of Kyoko-chan's voice. She stayed silent, sitting on the bed, her purse in her lap. "Haru-chan, I got worried when you didn't come to the foyer. Is anything wrong?" Kyoko asked. Haru looked up and smiled.

"Nope!" she said, grinning with her teeth all showing. "Haru is fine! Shall we go?" Kyoko was still a bit worried, not quite believing Haru when she said she was okay. But she only nodded and smiled, her smile a bit forced. Haru started giggling then, leading Kyoko to a window that she cracked open. "Haru wants to take the fun way out!" Haru said. Kyoko was confused.

"Fun... way?"

"Un! The fun way!"

Haru proceeded to point to the large, thick branch near the window. They could easily climb out of it and down into the garden. Kyoko-chan wasn't really quite sure how they'd get past the heavy security around the perimeter of the house, but Haru seemed to have it all figured out. She explained it to Kyoko as they set out, chattering on about guard rotations and a secret hole Lambo made in his childhood, the same hole that was used to cause panic through the HQ when they discovered he was missing.

"Haru, this seems wrong..." Kyoko said unsurely, when Haru started dragging her to the balcony. She looked around, wondering if there was anyone watching. But Haru seemed so obliviously blissful, starting to climb onto the tree.

"It'll be fine!" Haru said, holding her hand out to Kyoko to help her onto the tree. "We'll only be gone an hour or so. And this way we can talk without that stupid octopus head hanging over our shoulders." The grin on Haru's face was so bright and happy that Kyoko knew she would feel bad if she turned her friend down. And there was just something in her smile that made Kyoko think Haru seemed... off. So she sighed and smiled and grabbed Haru's hand and together they scaled down the tree. Haru had a significantly easier time than Kyoko, probably because of her previous gymnastic experience, but the both of them got to the ground with relative ease.

The hole wasn't too hard to find, but that was because Haru had remembered what Lambo told her all those years ago, about where it was. They were on the streets before Kyoko could truly protest the excursion and at the cake shop they liked to frequent. Haru was happily drooling over the new selections of cakes and pastries in the display. Kyoko still felt a little bad that they used such a sneaky way to leave the mansion, but decided she didn't want Haru to be sad, and this outing seemed to make her happy, so Kyoko just smiled and pointed to a particularly delicious looking fruit tart.

They ordered their little cakes and a cafe beverage (hot chocolate for Haru and breakfast tea for Kyoko) and sat outside at a canopied table. It was still pretty early, so there weren't too many customers or people in and around the area. The two munched on their desserts slowly, as they always did, savouring the taste until the next time they could eat their coveted sweets. They chatted amiably about the cakes they got, and before long their conversation drifted to their friends and family.

"I wonder when Ryohei-san will propose to Hana-san," Haru mused, munching on her cake. "They've been dating for so long. I'm sure Hana-san is impatient!"

Indeed, she was. Hana didn't live with Kyoko and her boyfriend, Ryohei, in the Vongola mansion. She was a Friend of the Vongola, to be sure, but Hana had declined being sworn in because she wanted to maintain her independence. She stayed in Japan, so it was hard for her and Ryohei, since he lived in Italy with Tsuna and the rest. But she'd been visiting Italy more frequently because of her job, and also because of Ryohei, Haru figured. Kyoko just smiled knowingly.

"I wonder..." Kyoko said, and Haru narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Kyoko-chan, do you know something?" she asked, and then leaned across the table, pouting. "It's not nice to keep things from friends. If there's something happening, Haru should know about it!" Kyoko giggled and leaned forward as well, her eyes twinkling.

"Well it's not official," Kyoko said conspiratorially, "But I went shopping with brother a few weeks ago, and when I came back from the bathroom, I saw him leaving a jewellery shop looking really nervous!" Haru squealed quietly, muffling the sound under her hands, making Kyoko laugh. She started bouncing in her seat, ecstatic. And Kyoko couldn't help but want to feed the fire. "And I talked to Hana-chan too. She said her job might offer her a job promotion; a transfer to Italy!"

Kyoko had to lean back to avoid damaging her eardrums from Haru's subsequent squeal. She smiled gently as she watched Haru's excitement, the way her friend's cheeks flushed and how her eyes fluttered. She was probably making plans in her head already like how the wedding would have to take place in the Vongola mansion, maybe out in the garden if they wanted to go for a spring or summer wedding. And of course the opulent ballroom would be used for the reception. Maybe even a surprise party to congratulate them on their engagement! The details whisked through Haru's mind, and no detail was left untied. It was the happiest Kyoko had seen her friend all day, and it made her heart warm.

"I'm glad," she said, smiling as she was about to take a sip of her tea, "that Haru-chan is okay."

Haru looked up little planning brainstorm, confused at the statement. "Eh? Why wouldn't Haru be okay?" Kyoko placed her cup down, laughing and shaking her head.

"No I just meant..." She paused, looking a bit sheepish. "Never mind." It was best not to assume, Kyoko thought to herself. She stood up, grabbing her purse. "I'm going to get another slice of cake," Kyoko said. She asked Haru if she wanted another one too, but Haru declined. She had enough money to get another one if she really wanted to, but decided not to. If she were being honest with herself, Haru didn't feel like doing much of anything today, not after the revelation that Gokudera forced down her throat. But Kyoko-chan didn't pry at Haru's strange non-want for cakes, heading into the cafe to get something else.

Haru sighed as she watched Kyoko-chan lining up inside the store, waving and smiling cheerfully whenever the other girl looked over at Haru. Her hair, a beautiful light auburn, trailed down her back, like sheets of wine. She was so delicate and innocent, always calm and composed. Haru always wondered how she stayed this way, even though pretty much everyone she knew was in some way or another, connected to the mafia. It was almost a miracle, Haru thought. But maybe not, if Tsuna was taking precautions to shield her from the mafia's dealings.

Haru didn't know, and she sighed heavily from thinking about it. She stared out into the street, at first just staring at whatever passed by. But then she noticed the dark figures lurking up the street from the cafe she was frequenting. They were not dark because they were dressed in black, but dark because of the aura that exuded from them. They (there were two of them) were not-so-surreptitiously sending her glances, but thought she probably didn't notice because she was that airheaded wife of the Vongola Decimo. Haru was careful not to let her panic show on her face or in her body language, digging her phone out of her purse. She pretended to fiddle with it, like playing app games or the like. They seemed to see her distraction as an opportunity, and Haru saw them start towards her. Her eyes flickered to the side, looking into the cafe. Kyoko-chan was at the front of the line, trying to decide between strawberry shortcake and a tiramisu. If Kyoko-chan rejoined Haru just as the thugs got here, they'd both be in danger and the point of Haru as a decoy would be null and void. So Haru made a choice. No; a sacrifice.

She closed her phone and put it in her bag, then stood and casually "forgot" to pick it up, walking up the street in the direction of the thugs. She walked on the other side of the street, making sure they couldn't see Kyoko-chan when she came back to their table. Haru only hoped that Kyoko-chan understood what happened to her, after discovering that she was missing. And as she saw the shadows of the thugs getting closer, Haru only hoped she wouldn't have to sacrifice too much the first time around.

He punched her. A vicious, lightning fast, no-holds-barred strike that split her lip. Her mouth was already so dry, the cells having greedily absorbed all the water she had received before. Come to think of it, that guard hadn't come back to give her more water. Was he the one...?

Haru didn't want to think about it, and she wasn't allowed to when her neck was grabbed and she choked for breath, looking up at her assailant.

"Don't get the wrong idea," Amato said, his fingers crushing down on her throat, leaving red imprints that would soon turn purple and gold, "I'm not hurting you because I enjoy it. In fact, I find it utterly dull to hurt someone completely defenceless." His fingers lifted away, and Haru gasped desperately for breath, coughing violently. She barely heard him over the frantic pounding of her heart in her ears. "But the Vongola Decimo needs... incentive. I have no interest in a half-hearted battle. The more desperate he is to get you back, the more fun I'll have."

Amato's lips twitched softly in a smile. Haru felt the ropes on her wrists and ankles give way, and someone forced her out of her chair. She had been sitting for so long that her knees creaked in protest at being forced to stand so suddenly. But the pain in her knees was no longer of any concern to her when Amato stood behind her, reached around, and pulled her arm back. In what was the longest minute of her life, he pulled and pulled and pulled... until there was an audible crack.

She screamed the whole time too, but he just smiled the whole while.

They shoved her back on the chair, tying her good arm and her legs to the chair again. The broken arm was left for Haru to cradle with her lap. She trembled from the pain, trying not to whimper and give them any satisfaction, but she could hear their snickering anyways. A guard was posted at the door, but thankfully the three of them left. Thankfully, they didn't see the drops that fell from her eyes, making dark spots on her clothes.

Kyoko was safe, she chanted to herself.

Kyoko was safe.

"TSUNA-SAN!"

Tsuna looked towards the door, his conversation with Dino interrupted in light of Kyoko's frantic cry. He shot to his feet, seeing the panic on her face, the tears that threatened to fall. His gut started screaming at him, immediately noticing that there was something gravely wrong. Dino stood as well, albeit at a slower pace. Kyoko's messenger purse was slung across her body, but she clutched another one in her hands, holding it so tightly like it was everything.

"Haru... Haru-chan, is she here? Tsuna-san, please tell me Haru-chan is here," Kyoko blubbered, sinking to the floor when she continued to see Tsuna's confused expression. She knew in her heart what had happened, but she didn't want to think... She hugged the purse to her chest, sobbing. "P-please, is Haru-chan here?"

"No, she hasn't come by," Dino answered slowly, eyeing Tsuna, who seemed like he was beginning to understand the situation. He walked to Kyoko, kneeling next to her, grabbing her attention. She looked up at him with her wet face, looking utterly ashamed of herself. "Sasagawa-san, what's going on?" Dino asked. Tsuna simply stared at her, waiting. Kyoko's hands trembled as she held Haru's purse.

"She... w-we went to eat cake," she said. "I... I wanted seconds, but Haru-chan didn't so I went inside by myself to buy more and when I came out she... she disappeared." Tsuna's eyes narrowed, grew darker, and Kyoko looked back down, scared of the look on his face. "I... at first I thought she went to the bathroom, but she left her purse there and now I don't know—" Kyoko broke off into sobs, and Ryohei came forward to comfort her. Tsuna's eyes were hooded, and he looked over at Gokudera, who was cursing to himself. The Rain Guardian bowed his head to his boss.

"Tenth... I'm so sorry. I thought she was... I didn't realize that stupid woman would..." He trailed off every time, unsure how to say it, unsure how to admit his failure, a failure that would cost his boss more than he'd like to admit it would. His hands shook in shame. He should have known. That woman was stupid enough to do anything if she had it in her mind. He thought he'd gotten through to her, gotten the severity of her situation through to her. But apparently not. It didn't matter though, because as it was, Tsuna didn't care.

Dino waited anxiously for the next moment, for Tsuna's reaction, but it couldn't be had. A knock sounded at the door, and one of his men came in, his face grave.

"Boss," he said to Dino, "We got a letter here... for the Vongola Decimo."

Tsuna's head snapped up, and his now-orange eyes zeroed in on the letter in Dino's subordinate's hand. Dino was amazed at how quickly and silently Tsuna had switched to Dying Will mode. Gokudera received the letter, and then brought it to Tsuna. He looked entirely unhappy as he did so, and Dino could see why as he saw in Tsuna's hands. There was blood on it.

Kyoko saw it as well, and she buried her head in her brother's neck, moaning, "no, no, no, no," to herself. Tsuna opened the envelope, and a lock of hair tied with a string fell out into his hand. It was long, silky, and brown. And Dino could bet his favourite whip whose lock of hair it was. Tsuna didn't have to guess. He knew it just by looking at it, just by touching it. This was hair he'd run his fingers through, brushed, combed, sometimes washed. And yet it was here, in his hand, not where he was used to having it.

A small note card was in the envelope as well, and its short message was typed with flowery script.

Come and get her.

It was so hot.

Haru panted softly, leaning back against the chair, feeling hot and cold all at the same time. Was she running a fever? The back of her shirt was stiff and felt uncomfortable, probably from all her dried blood, but Haru didn't really feel it in the haze that had fallen over her. Why was she so dizzy? She couldn't keep her head upright, finding that whenever she had it straight, it would loll to one side or the other. Amato and those two thugs had come into the room again, but they ignored her for the most part. That was okay, Haru thought. She could barely distinguish who was who anymore, her eyes blurry unfocused.

How much time had passed? Haru couldn't tell at all. She fell asleep and only woke up how many hours ago? Or was it minutes? Haru didn't know. Not to mention her thoughts kept getting interrupted by this dull, throbbing ache in her arm. There was one in her stomach too, probably because she hadn't eaten or drank anything for a while. Haru licked her lips and tasted blood. Was that new blood? Or old blood? Regardless, it was definitely blood.

The sound of gunshots and screams echoed far away, and Haru blearily lifted her head up. How far away was that? Haru thought everything sounded a bit muffled, even Amato and the thugs speaking in front of her. Her head dropped back down, and she stared at her lap and at her arm cradled in her lap. Haru wished it would stop aching so much.

Haru!

Haru blinked. Was someone calling her? She knew she should look up to see if someone was calling her. It was rude to just ignore a person. But Haru couldn't find the strength to look up. Her head was so heavy, she thought. And she was so tired. But then one of the thugs stood beside her, and grabbed her aching arm.

Tsuna flinched back at the sound of Haru's hoarse scream. He couldn't see her eyes when he first walked in, because her head was just hanging down listlessly. He called her name, panicked that she might be dead, and worried more when she didn't respond. But Amato had assured him that she was very much alive, if not exactly... unharmed. To demonstrate, one of his lackeys and gone to her and grabbed her arm, and Tsuna knew even without being in Dying Will mode that that arm was broken. And the bastard was sadistic enough to grab it!

The thug let go of Haru, and her eyes, so anguished and confused, were finally revealed to him. Her body looked like it wanted to topple off the chair, and the way she tried to shrink into herself let Tsuna know that if she were on the ground, she would have curled herself into a ball. But as it was, she was kept just barely on the chair by the ropes tied around her arm and legs. The second thug grabbed her hair – oh god, her hair, his thoughts interjected – and yanked her face up so Tsuna could see them. She was hurting, and he knew that more than clearly, but seeing it on her face, seeing it etched in permanence in her eyes... Tsuna almost leapt forward towards her, to save her, but Yamamoto stopped him. They still had Amato to deal with.

The bastard looked utterly ecstatic at Tsuna's reaction, his hands cupped most politely behind his back. His eyes were twinkling, and he chuckled. "Is there a problem, Decimo?" he asked. Tsuna turned his raging orange eyes on Amato, so hateful that it made the man shiver in excitement. This was exactly what Amato wanted, and it worked even better than he'd thought it would. "That's an interesting expression you have there. Care to share what you're thinking?"

But for Tsuna, there were no words. He simply charged, his gloves burning orange, and the two met in mid-air, a fierce battle ensuing.

None of the Guardians interfered, because for one thing, this was Tsuna's fight. For the second thing, Haru needed medical attention immediately. The two thugs were easily dealt with, tossed into a corner. Ryohei was first to Haru, and then Gokudera and Yamamoto were not far behind. They untied her arm and her legs, but dared not to move her, not without being sure doing so wouldn't paralyze her. Ryohei did a cursory scan of her wounds with just his eyes, his teeth gritting with the more he found. That couldn't mean anything good, the other two thought.

"What's wrong?" Yamamoto asked. Ryohei sent a glare over to the two unconscious thugs in the corner.

"I can't heal her with my sun power right now; they broke her arm. We need to x-ray it and see the damage before anything gets done to it." He looked over her body again, noting the blood at the back of her neck and the bruises forming on her throat; it made him grimace. A sweat had broken out all over her body, and when Ryohei felt her forehead, he wanted to beat those thugs in that corner all over again. "She's got a fever too, and she's lost a lot of blood. From the looks of it, they didn't feed her or give her water or anything. I can't help her if she doesn't have any energy to replenish her cells." Gokudera cursed.

"So we gotta do it the old-fucking-fashioned way is what you're saying?" he snarled. Ryohei nodded, his face grave. And they needed to do it soon. She was already in horrible condition. Gokudera cursed again, and Yamamoto looked deeply troubled. He looked at Tsuna and Amato. The two were still going at each other, Tsuna's eyes frighteningly hateful. He wasn't holding back, Yamamoto noticed, and it made the Rain Guardian worry. He turned to the other two, his eyes hard.

"We have to get her out of here," he said. "You two take her out. I'll stay here in case Tsuna needs my help." Yamamoto ignored Gokudera's mutterings that the Tenth didn't need to be saved by a stupid samurai idiot, but seemed willing to follow the other man's suggestion. Ryohei tried to pick her up gently, hoping he wouldn't hurt her, but that was unavoidable. Haru hissed in pain when she was jostled, whimpering softly. Her pain caught Tsuna's attention, and he looked over briefly at them. The split second distraction allowed Amato to get a good hit in, smashing him into the wall.

"Pay attention Decimo-chan," he teased. Tsuna spit out some of the blood in his mouth, glaring at the bloodthirsty man. It scared him a little how bloodthirsty he felt right now too.

Haru, even in her delirious state, seemed to know his thoughts as well. "Tsuna..." she said. Her cry was low, little more than a whine, but Tsuna heard it. She called out to him and he looked at her, at the barest hint of clarity in her eyes. His face pained. 'I'm sorry,' he mouthed, before he had to block another attack from Amato.

Sorry for what? Haru wondered faintly, in the back of her mind, in the place past all the pain and inertia, before it all faded to black.

When Haru woke up, the first thing she did was scream.

"LAMBO-CHAN!"

A five-year old Lambo flew back, landing beside her on the bed, screaming from terror at her scream. Haru, disoriented and confused, tried to sit up to ascertain where she was, but the weight of her left made it hurt, so she fell back onto her bed, gasping in pain. Lambo was cowering next to her as the door slammed open, and several sets of feet came running in.

"You stupid cow, what did you do?!" She heard Gokudera scream. "YOU STUPID COW WHY'D YOU SWITCH NOW?!" Lambo, seeing someone familiar who also responded to him familiarly, yelled back.

"OCTOPUS HEAD!" The two began to bicker, as usual. But everyone else ignored them, Tsuna rushing straight to Haru's side.

"Haru," he said in relief, kneeling next to her bedside, hands hovering over her. He was afraid to touch her in fear that she was in pain and he would make it worse, but the need to make sure she was alive was so strong. He settled for grabbing her hand, the unbroken one. "Oh thank god, you're awake. How do you feel?" Haru blinked and looked around, seeing Yamamoto and Ryohei and Kyoko looking at her worriedly. At first, she was confused. Why wouldn't she be okay? But then it all came back to her, and she gasped.

"Tsuna!" she exclaimed, turning to him. "Did you kick his ass?"

Everyone, even Lambo and Gokudera, looked at her in confusion. Haru harrumphed.

"The thugs!" She clarified. "I told them Tsuna would kick their asses when you came and got me. Did you?" She looked so excited, it was surreal, Tsuna thought. She'd been asleep for the last two days; Tsuna was worried she'd never wake up, and now she did and all she can think about is whether or not he kicked some guy's ass?

"We did that," Yamamoto told her, a little unsurely. "But Tsuna took care of their boss."

Haru seemed to think on that for a few seconds, her face scrunching up as she thought. Then, she nodded satisfactorily. "Okay. Haru is okay with that. As long as he paid for cutting my hair." She smiled goofily, and everyone wondered again at her utter and complete insanity. That was all she cared about? But Tsuna just kept holding her hand, looking absolutely relieved. The pain was gone from her eyes, and she was as she always was. As long as she was okay that was all that mattered to him.

"Okay, we should leave Haru-chan to get some rest," Kyoko told them all, eyeing the way Tsuna held Haru's hand, the way his eyes soaked in her happy smiling face. "I'll go fix some soup for you, okay Haru-chan?" Kyoko smiled sweetly as she ushered everyone out of the room, except Tsuna, who Haru realized stayed exactly where he was. It made Haru a bit nervous, and she shifted a bit.

"You can follow Kyoko-chan, if you want," Haru told him, but Tsuna just frowned in confusion. Why would he want to do that? But he thought, maybe Haru was feeling insecure right now. Maybe she needed to be alone, to cry, and to handle her pain by herself. But he wouldn't let her do that. It was his fault this happened, he'd be damned if he let her deal with it by herself. Tsuna stood up and sat on the edge of the bed, his hand coming up to caress her cheek.

"I'm not going anywhere," he said softly, his fingers drifting down to her neck. It was bruised, as Haru thought it would be bruised; purple and gold. Tsuna just looked regretfully at it, at her. "I'm sorry, Haru," he said. "But it's okay. You don't have to be strong for me. You can cry if you want to."

Haru stared at him, somewhat puzzled. Cry? What for? It wasn't as if Haru had gone through something troubling. Sure, she didn't really remember too much of what happened. In fact, she didn't really remember how she was rescued. She just remembered feeling really hot and dizzy, and there was this horrible aching that always came from her arm, and her mouth was so dry and... "I-I'm fine, " she said, not even noticing how she switched from 'Haru' to 'I', and then back again. "Haru is okay. There is nothing for Haru to cry about... Haru is home, a-and safe, and..." she hiccupped as she trailed off, and it was only then that she noticed the tears, the little splashes they made on the blanket.

She felt Tsuna's arms surround her in all their strength and warmth. She didn't want to accept his kindness, but couldn't stop her body from leaning into him, like it was always used to doing. Tsuna swept his hand over the back of her neck, over the bandage they placed there. When he finished his fight with Amato and rushed back to the mansion, he'd burst in on Dr. Shamal treating Haru. He could still see it, her blood-soaked shirt flung over a chair, the dried blood decorating her back. There was so much of it, he thought, his voice frantic as Ryohei and Gokudera held him back, Yamamoto entering the room moments after him. There was so much of Haru's life carelessly spilled away because he wasn't protecting her properly.

When he was allowed back in the room, Dr. Shamal briefed him on Haru's injuries. Hearing all of them, listed one after another, made Tsuna's heart clench with guilt. Haru hoped he didn't feel too bad for her though. This was a choice she had made on her own, to protect Kyoko-chan. She didn't mind the pain so much, as long as it wasn't Kyoko-chan. As long as Tsuna's weakness was kept secret, she would be okay with anything.

But he had to stop treating her so wonderfully, Haru thought, or she might really believe him the next time he told her he loved her.

Tsuna ran his fingers through her short hair, dropping a kiss on her head. "You look cute with short hair," he grinned at her, and she blushed. His arms tightened slightly on their hold on her, and he leaned down, his lips brushing against her cheek. "I promise," he murmured to her, "I promise I will never let that happen to you again." Haru, surprised at that statement, looked at him. His eyes weren't orange, he wasn't in Dying Will mode, but they burned like he was. It made Haru shiver, because that was the first time she'd ever seen him look at her like that. Like... like if something horrible happened to her, then not even Reborn could stop him as he razed everything to rubble.

He had never looked at Kyoko like that, Haru thought. Not in all the years he'd loved Kyoko, Haru had never seen him look like this. When Tsuna loved Kyoko, years and years and years ago, he always stared at her forlornly, like a lost dream. When she was in danger, he'd jump in to rescue her, his eyes burning with a fierce determination to keep her safe. Haru had thought it was so brave, so admirable the way he protected and loved Kyoko. It was kind of the way he saved her from drowning too, and it was the reason Haru wanted Tsuna to love her too.

But this love was different, Haru realized, still staring into Tsuna's eyes. There was something... darker about it. Something more... mature? When he was young, his thoughts carried the belief that he would win, that he would protect the people he cared for. There was no room for error, no room for defeat. He believed wholeheartedly in his conviction that he would win. But this Tsuna, this older Tsuna... he was different.

He knew the horrors of life, knew them more intimately than any of his past selves knew them. He'd seen things, saved people who had experienced worse. And Tsuna had never wavered from his conviction not to kill, not to hurt unnecessarily. But that didn't mean he had kept his innocence either. It was stripped from him, violently and with all the clarity of shattered rose-coloured glass. He knew exactly what this kind of world was, and what it could do if he wasn't careful. This Tsuna knew that failure was entirely possible, and all too prevalent. And it was with this knowledge and this experience that Tsuna loved Haru differently than he loved Kyoko.

Tsuna loved Kyoko like a boy loved a girl.

But Tsuna loved Haru like a man loved a woman.

"Oh! Am I interrupting? I'm so sorry!" Kyoko squeaked, blushing. Tsuna shook his head and beckoned her and her tray of food in. Haru's mouth started to water at the delectable's situated on the wooden tray. There were the usual sick-person foods, like congee and water and bread, but Haru was drooling at the strawberry shortcake beside all of those boring meals. She was allowed to have cake? Haru was officially having the best day ever!

"I'm sorry you're only allowed one cake," Tsuna said, still holding her in his arms. "But Dr. Shamal says you haven't eaten in a few days, and you should probably start slow or else you'll throw up." But Haru didn't care. One cake was better than none! And was that a Delight's cake? That was the best (and an expensive) cake in all of Italy! Haru had stars in her eyes.

"Hahi! How did you know I liked this cake, Tsuna?" Haru asked, not really looking the gift horse in the mouth but just utterly confused. How had he even known she liked this cake the best? Delight's wasn't exactly just your average cake store on the block. It was family run and owned, definitely not luxuriously priced enough to catch the attention of rich folk and celebrities. It had a good following of people, but to pick Haru's favourite cake shop out of all the cake shops in Italy? It was either luck or...

"Kyoko-chan told me," he said, smiling. "I wanted to get you your favourite cakes for our first anniversary."

"HAHI? FIRST ANNIVERSARY?!"

Haru was shocked. Tsuna just chuckled, and Kyoko giggled and set the tray down next to Tsuna, escaping quickly out of the room. Haru didn't even notice her leaving, too shell-shocked. Had Haru really forgotten her first anniversary with Tsuna? But... how?! "T-today... is Haru and Tsuna's first anniversary?"

"Well technically it was yesterday," Tsuna said with a grin. He laughed when Haru buried her face in his chest, moaning about how she was a horrible wife.

"Haru didn't get you anything..." she said forlornly. But Tsuna just tilted her head up, kissed her, and smiled.

"Just get better," he said. "That's all I want."

Haru smiled and nodded. "Okay!"

As she started to eat her food (congee and bread first before the shortcake) Haru thought that once again, she had doubted Tsuna. She doubted his love for her, and Haru wondered if perhaps that made her unfit to be with him. If it was Kyoko-chan, she thought, Kyoko-chan would never doubt Tsuna's feelings. She'd always believe in him.

But did that make it real?

Tsuna is always changing, Haru thought. It was a fact of life. To expect him to remain the same now as he would ten or twenty years from now was irrational and impossible. He matures and grows and learns each and every day, and that effects the kind of person he becomes. Who knows; maybe one day Tsuna will decide that killing is necessary, or torture is the most effective way to gain information, or threatening with bodily harm is the way to go. On those days of maybe, would Haru fall out of love with him? And if it was Kyoko-chan in Haru's place, would she?

Doubting him was okay, Haru thought, because all it did was strengthen her love for him after she realized how stupid she had been to doubt him in the first place. And if one day her doubts of Tsuna were truly valid, she could confront him. She could help him. Because she would see it.

Kyoko would love Tsuna blindly, but Haru loved him with her eyes wide open.

And really, Haru thought as Tsuna leaned down to kiss her again, that was the only way to love.