So for this story I tried to put in some character development in for Tsuna. I hope it's noticeable. The reason for this is because I wanted a reason 2786 could work as a better couple than Tsuna x Kyoko. I don't know Kyoko's number code. Awk.
Anyway, at the end of the day it doesn't really matter because my ships interlap.
Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn!
Tsuna smoothed out a section of Haru's hair before brushing it over a third time. He had to make sure that all the tangles were out before she left for bed that night or else she'd look like a "lion that just finished battling with a brick wall" if her "mane" wasn't "groomed" every evening. Tsuna chuckled inwardly when he remembered how she told him. Now, he'd never seen Haru in the morning without her (or him) brushing her hair the night before, but he was sure she was just exaggerating.
Haru turned her head. "What?" She asked, smiling a little.
The two of them were enjoying a night together in Tsuna's room. Haru was eating a bowl of picked fruits in front of her, watching her favorite animes on the television across the room. She was scooted back into Tsuna's lap, whose legs were spread wide apart to accommodate her being.
Every night Haru would walk to his house to spend time with him. She would tutor him on his homework; he would tell her how to be a leader. She was thinking about being class president and Tsuna told her everything Reborn told him on how to be a mafia leader. To her, every little bit helped, even if leading a mafia family was much more difficult than leading her classmates.
Other times they would just cuddle on his bed. Their bodies would be pressed against each other, fitting well together on the space he had until they were spooning. Tsuna would bend his neck downward to place soft kisses on her neck. His arms would loop around her and lightly rub circles on her stomach or hands. Their feet would overlap and sometimes (sometimes!) Tsuna would slip his thigh in between Haru's. If she turned her head he would kiss her on the lips. He never went farther than that. Neither of them was ready yet.
Tsuna did try to walk over to her house one time, but Haru's parents had a very strict "No Boys" policy and they were very thorough about it. Tsuna wouldn't be able to get within 10 meters of their house without them knowing.
So Haru told her parents she was going to Kyoko's house whenever she visited Tsuna.
After Tsuna finished brushing the last strand of hair he gave her a quick peck on the cheek before setting her favorite brush aside.
"Nothing," he said tentatively.
Haru looked at him a little longer before returning her gaze back to the T.V.
"How's your campaign going?"
"It's going okay?" She answered vaguely.
"Okay?" Tsuna reached around her to the fruit bowl and popped a grape in his mouth.
"Well… I don't think I have a fair chance at winning."
Tsuna could see Haru dipping her face down toward her knees like she was ashamed.
"Why do you think that?" Tsuna started rubbing circles on her back.
"No one likes me…," Haru confessed.
Tsuna raised a questioning brow and reassured her, "Yeah, they do. You're Haru, the nicest… well… one of the nicest people I know," Tsuna made sure not to forget his first crush, Kyoko. "You're smart and funny and you're never boring to be with. Why wouldn't they like you?"
"Because they say I try too hard and I'm too weird," Haru scowled. She began fiddling with the hem of her skirt. Tsuna looked even more worried.
"I'm not going to cosplay anymore…"
Tsuna was taken aback at this. Haru? Not Cosplaying? "Why?"
"Because!" Haru snapped. She knew Tsuna didn't deserve to be yelled at – it wasn't his fault – but she was just really upset, okay?
"Everyone hates me in that damn school!" She stood up and almost knocked over the bowl of fruits. Tsuna stood up with her and tried to placate her with both of his hands on her shoulders. He whispered to her, telling her to calm down, and she did.
"I just want to make some friends there before I leave," She breathed out.
Tsuna never realized that Haru was having friend problems at Midori. She fit in so well with his group that he got the impression that Haru was very easy to be around. That everyone liked her and that she was popular. Like Kyoko, he thought. They were both pretty, had good grades, Haru has more wit and is a little (a lot) more eccentric, but Haru wasn't popular like Kyoko… because of how she chose to express herself. To Tsuna, that had to be the worst thing he's ever heard about Haru. He loved that Haru was unique. Her artistic vision was what made her stand out, what made her above the other girls.
"Don't worry about what other people think," He started. "They're not that important and you'll forget them when you leave school."
Sure, Tsuna was just repeating what every parent would say to their peer-pressured teen, but what else could he do? He wasn't exactly the best person to console to about a lack of friends. He was the school loser just a year ago and he somehow was able to get friends after Reborn entered his life. He didn't know how it happened, but it did. He was best friends with the school jock, the hot foreign exchange student, and one of the most popular girls in school.
"But when you want to work in entertainment or fashion, other people's opinions matter…" Haru said in a hushed voice.
Tsuna didn't know what to say after that. He didn't have to feel like he had to win people over. He was going to inherit the title of mafia boss, where all of his subordinates would be glad to work for him. Tsuna felt like it wasn't his place to judge. Sure, he knew what it was like to have everyone hate you, but he what doesn't know is how to get them to like you. Everything was because of Reborn. He knew that. He knew he would still be a loser if it weren't for Reborn and deep down he knows that Haru knows this too. She just isn't saying it.
"What about that dinosaur costume you worked so hard on for your project tomorrow?" He asked cautiously.
Haru had a history project to present in front of her class. Her subject was dinosaurs and she got so into it she sewed her own costume. She was hoping it would make her project more exciting, but now she was planning against it.
Tsuna pulled Haru into his arms. She melted into his embrace while he rocked back and forth, stroking her hair gently.
"I really don't want to be made fun of again," Haru said against his chest.
Tsuna stilled for a moment. Again? He never heard about her getting bullied the first time. Tsuna kissed her forehead.
"Haru, you're perfect the way you are."
Haru didn't believe him. She pushed herself from him and turned to leave out his bedroom window.
"I have to go," She said dejectedly before descending out of view. She would have a dull day tomorrow. She was hoping no one would hate her when she decided not to wear her costume after all.
Tsuna watched as she practically dragged herself home.
"Next, Haru Miura," announced the teacher from her desk. Haru stood up, smoothed the wrinkles out of her skirt and picked up her display board that was leaning on the wall nearest her. She propped it up on a desk in front of the class and began presenting her research. While she went on presenting the best that she could she looked closely at each of the girls' expressions. They seemed so energetic just a minute before. They didn't even try to listen to her, which really meant something. Everyone had to write a small summary about each and every presentation that would count towards their grade. Each summary had to be detailed enough so the teacher would know the student was listening, but… it didn't even seem like anyone was listening hard enough for Haru.
Perseverance! She said to herself. Something she learned from Lambo.
She squared her shoulders and tried smiling more to get their attention. Haru doesn't like to think she's pretty enough to get her attention with her looks (she doesn't need to work up a snobby personality) but it worked so it's okay, right? It's what the weatherwoman does all the time so it should be fine! Haru could see their eyes alight as they took in her beauty. She took advantage of this and tried smiling as much as she could without looking too forced. That was difficult, to say the least. She couldn't stop thinking about how everyone only tolerated her because she was a pretty face.
Everyone in this room hates you
She grinned wider and she knew it was forced now. It was way too obvious. She willed herself to continue her presentation.
She looked back at the crowd, expecting to see her peers staring back at her with bored eyes. She was half-relieved, half-confused when they weren't. Her first thought was that they found out her plan and got so annoyed by her they stopped looking at her altogether until she followed their gaze out the classroom window to see… someone in a t-rex costume stomping inside. Haru knew what it was as soon as she saw it. It was her costume. The one she sewed herself.
Someone was wearing it and acting just like a dinosaur during her whole presentation. They somehow also knew how to use the voice box she installed, as they used it to make realistic dinosaur roars you would hear in movies just when Haru went to explaining it.
Haru's smile widened this time not forced at all. The presentation was a success because of what this person was doing. Everyone in the room will (maybe) appreciate her taste more. All of the effort I put into this will finally be realized
The atmosphere lightened a bit. Haru's classmates really enjoyed the Rex costume. She was a little bit surprised to see how much they liked it. Why don't they like it when I wear it? Must be because no one thought Haru's interesting fashion sense would catch on. At least, that's what she thought…
The dinosaur-costume snatcher closed in on Haru just as she was finishing her presentation and acted out the last part with her. The class starts clapping, pleased with Haru and the teacher comments on the dinosaur costume before calling up the next person to present. Haru folds her presentation and rests it against the wall before taking the T-rex by the hand and dragging the thief outside the class. Everyone disregarded Haru's hasty exit.
She pulled the top jaw up and over to reveal a guilty looking Tsuna looking at her before turning his gaze down to his toes. He couldn't take the look in her eyes.
Haru Miura was fuming. Tsuna dared to take and second look at her. No, scratch that. Haru was something else.
She looked… predatorial? Her brows were creasing together. So she looked worried, perhaps? Now her lips are curving into a smile. Thankful? Tsuna hoped it was the latter.
"Tsuna… why did you do this? How did you get my costume? How…?" So many questions, so little time. Haru hoped her eyes could tell Tsuna the rest of her questions.
"Well I changed," Tsuna said "changed" with air quotes to let Haru know what he meant. It was Hyper Dying Will Mode.
Which meant he used his Hyper Intuition to know everything.
"So I went into your room, got the costume, went to your school, and now here we are," Tsuna said quickly, panicking for a moment.
Haru didn't miss the part where Tsuna said he went into her room. She felt slightly embarrassed. Not because Tsuna wasn't allowed in her room –he was able to sneak in a few times without her parents' noticing – but because Haru made a mess of her laundry the night before.
Haru was actually at a loss of words. Tsuna skipped school despite the berating he'll surely get from Reborn later. He changed when he has repeatedly mentioned how much he doesn't like changing. He went into her school, which has a strict No Boys during School Hours policy. If he got caught a suspension would only be a phone call away.
"Why?" Haru finally says.
Tsuna stepped closer to her and held her around her waist and looked at her straight in the eyes. He was tired of always looking down at the ground.
"Because, Haru. I wanted to show you that there's nothing wrong with the way you dress. Your costumes are one of the best things about you. And this was the only way I knew how to show you that," Tsuna licked his lips, his gaze trailed downwards from Haru's eyes.
Haru scorned him a little for expecting a kiss out of it all. Not that it's really bad, but he should have done it from the bottom of his heart! …but what he did was really sweet so Haru waited for him to lean down. When he didn't, Haru placed both hands on his shoulders and pulled him down so she could reward him with one, smiling into it and licking his teeth as he smiled with her.