Title: Another Day for Us
Summary: A few years have passed, and Kyoko and Haru keep doing what they can for the Vongola family. Nobody else knows just how much that is. (Haru/Kyoko)


"We've started to keep secrets from them!"

Even that was a whisper, making the words another secret, hissed between heads tilted close together. Haru was tense with her sudden realisation, fists clenched on the table as she flushed with guilt, and Kyoko looked surprised.

"Mmm," said Kyoko, as if she'd thought Haru was already aware of that. "But you know, what's weird is how Reborn-kun keeps encouraging us to do it..."

She and Haru looked down the long Takesushi table to where the baby sat, wondering and almost suspicious as they watched him berate Tsuna. None of the others noticed the quiet moment between them, and then they glanced at each other and hurriedly rejoined general conversation before someone asked why they were acting oddly.

Their secrets were about harmless things - not like the kind of violent things that the guys still hid, even if the guys had started being more open these past few months. If the guys were asked, these days where Haru and Kyoko were, often they'd have completely the wrong idea. They didn't know about the kinds of shops the two women went to now; what books and magazines they read nowadays, and in which languages; the new classes they were attending, officially and unofficially; the people they were meeting and what agreements were made with them. Did they need to know those details? They were preparing for their futures too, and probably didn't need more stuff to think about.

But it was starting to get difficult to talk to their friends. There were many things to avoid mentioning so that there wouldn't be awkward questions, and then indignant boys acting like they had to be overprotective and messing up their plans.

Wasn't there also bitterness to it? It was a small revenge to keep things from the guys; things that were interesting, worrying, fun, and important even if they weren't dangerous. She didn't want to be bitter, though, and treat her friends poorly. It would not do at all to become that kind of person!

"Should we keep secrets?" A few days later, Haru was still worrying over it. She leaned her head on Kyoko's shoulder and looked blankly over the café. "I know we have to keep our movements unpredictable in case someone tries to organise a kidnapping. It's important to learn how to manage things ourselves! But Kyoko-chan, to keep things from our friends when we don't want them to keep things from us..."

"We'll tell them important stuff." Kyoko's voice could get so soothing, Haru thought, softer and sweeter the closer you were. "This is just Self-Appreciation Day. They don't expect to see us around today, and we'll be back before they know it."

Haru took hold of Kyoko's free hand and tangled their hands together under the table, still feeling melancholy, and Kyoko jumped with a happy squeak muffled around a forkful of cake. You had to smile about something like that.

Kyoko recovered and tried to look normal, but when Haru glanced up she still had a pleased blush. "Do you think they'd ever find us?" she said conspiratorially.

"I don't think you should sound as if you like the idea they wouldn't!"

"Not just our friends - anybody back home. Don't you think it's exciting, Haru-chan?" She followed Kyoko's line of sight, and they looked out the window at the unfamiliar scenery. Haru tuned back into the sound of the voices of the other people in the café, listening to their accents so she'd be able to mimic the sounds better. Kyoko agreed that it was difficult to catch more than fragments of sentences, though they'd studied hard, but Haru wasn't shy about asking people to slow down, which made them much easier to understand.

It was a little daring to have come this far - but not really, when Haru knew they were capable of much more.

"You are probably right, Kyoko-chan. Nearly anybody would have a tough time making it this far," she said, and smiled. Technically, she still thought they shouldn't have so many secrets. But she kept her head in the curve of Kyoko's neck and shoulder, and it was a warmth that she could easily keep to herself.