Squiggles: Gokudera/Haru - 5986 / Slight Haru/Tsuna - 8627
I had an idea, and I had to write it out. I like this pairing, and wanted to write a story about it! So far, I'm thinking it'll just be a mini-series. Please tell me what you think of the prologue!

For a moment, he regrets coming.

Hayato Gokudera feels awkward, he's watching her, he's reading the words that lay hidden in her eyes, he watches the same eyes search the audience, and then he recognizes the pained expression that falls upon her face.

Haru Miura is smiling, but he's known her long enough to know her better than anyone. He hates himself for it, knowing the way she works makes him sick, because knowing how she's feeling affects him more than he'd like to admit to himself. She unknowingly jerks him around, and he knows he's about at the brink of tearing.

She angers him beyond belief, she surprises him, she intrigues him, and he swears he hates her. But he doesn't really. He tries his hardest to, he tries to focus on the most annoying thing he can think of about her, but then realizes it's the thing he admires about her.

She's spunky, immature, and unquestionably brave.

Her lips are moving, but he doesn't hear what she's staying. He's staring at her eyes, and she's staring at the empty seat beside him with such intensity he swears the seat is going to melt. Her eyes move to the empty seat beside the seat the Juudaime is suppose to be sitting in, and a look of understanding comes upon her face.

Her voice cracks, going high pitched in a painfully beautiful way, and he swears her eyes are glazing over, and he can't take his eyes away from how she's crumbling right in front of him. He's the only one who knows, he's sure, and he almost gets a sick kind of joy from it.

She was so excited about this certain night. She went on and on about how it was her big night, how she wanted all of her friends there to watch the play she was starring. He told her he wasn't coming, she told him to go to hell. She didn't want him to come.

She wasn't aware that that affected him.

The Juudaime had promised her with an exasperated sigh he'd be there to watch her, and she told him how much that meant to her. Of course that only made the Tenth uncomfortable, but still she smiled.

But the Tenth wasn't there.

Hayato stayed focused, watching Haru stare at the empty seat as she recited lines expertly, she played her roll perfectly. She stared and stared, maybe she was trying to will Tsuna to be there. Maybe she was waiting for him to suddenly arrive late. Maybe just maybe, but that wasn't going to happen.

And then finally her eyes moved to the left, meeting his eyes.

She looked relieved to see him, and he felt light. And then she did a casual head tilt, but he knew she was asking for Tsuna. He shook his head, silently telling her he wasn't there.

He wanted to tell her the Tenth wasn't ever going to be there, that she was stupid.

And suddenly Haru's relieved eyes turned sad again.

Hayato Gokudera scoffed and looked away, suddenly itching for a cigarette.

Oh, how he hated her.