The Italian ran as quickly as he could though the dark alleyway as he finally reached the city part of Namimori. The same clear voice could still be heard as he searched for it.

"Falls the rain, my life is not in vain."

He heard a step behind him and glanced back while still running. His murky green eyes widened as he saw a brown haired girl suddenly appear next to him. She held onto the last note of the song while smiling. Her white kimono flapped in the wind. She grinned and turned to face the man while running. Her pretty face lit up and her brown eyes looked at him curiously. She laughed to herself a bit.

"H-Haru…!"

"So! Any particular reason you're out here tonight? It's kinda late. Maybe you're jogging out here at night when it's not so hot out during the day!" She seemed to tease him, her cheerful voice echoing through the quiet night as she ran along side Gokudera.

"You're wrong!" he shouted out to her.

"You know, you're faster than I thought Hayato! I mean after all you do smoke so I thought you'd be out of breath! But you know, it doesn't matter how fast you are, because I'm sure I'm faster than you!"

She made a burst of speed and pulled ahead of Gokudera.

"Wanna give up?" She challenged him, looking back at Gokudera who was still jogging behind.

He gave her a slightly pissed off look, but said nothing. He then suddenly ran ahead of her, still not saying a word.

'Oh, so it's a race now, huh? Well, there's no way I'm going to lose to you! Time to buckle up and take this baby home!" She dashed ahead of him again, glancing back at him as she past him. He could see the sleeves of the white kimono float by.

"Later~!"

"Huh? Agh!" he growled.

He pulled ahead of her again and smirked, feeling like he had won. He was dead wrong as she ran up and past him again, this time laughing visibly.

"Ah!" Gokudera shouted out in pain as he hit a trash can.

"Meow~" A black cat suddenly appeared in front of the two.

"Stupid cat!" Haru scolded as she almost tripped over the stray, still sprinting.

"I'm gonna win, stupid woman!"

"Hahi! Haru is not a stupid woman!"

"But you are a slow one!"

"Idiot!"

"Hey! Get back here!"

"See ya~!"

The two struggled to beat each other, now both neck and neck.

"Ahahaha!"

The brown haired woman could not stop laughing as she ran. She looked so happy just being there.

Gokudera blushed a little as he stared at her. She looked so beautiful when she smiled. He couldn't help but chuckle a little to himself. It was a rare smile.

"Why are you so determined not to lose, stupid woman?"

"I'm not! I saw you from out the window when I was putting our kid to sleep! You were running and it looked like fun! So I joined in! I mean, I haven't spent time with you for a while! Call me crazy!" She laughed out to the man. They both ran into the night.

XxXxXxXx

"So you're back in Namimori, huh?" Haru asked him. They were back in their house, drinking some tea.

"Yeah…The Tenth wanted me to go on some sort of mission, but I refused him."

"Hahi? YOU refused Tsuna-san?" The girl looked surprised. He never refused Tsuna, the only time she could remember him saying no to him was ten years before, in the Choice battle.

"Yes. He wanted me and Yamamoto to go into some part of Italy…but…he told me to use Yamamoto as bait to lure out the enemy."

Haru stared at him shocked. "T-Tsuna-san would never put his friends in danger unnecessarily!"

"I know. That's why I refused. It's been bothering me. I think he wants to use it as a test to see it Yamamoto is okay…You know that he's been, different, since his father's death."

"That was also the day he first killed someone you know." she sighed. "I think he's been stressed out. Maybe he feels guilty for killing that man. It's probably been getting to his head." Haru looked concerned for one of her long time friends.

"I know… I'm worried about that too, but there has to be another way to help Yamamoto…I think the Sasagawa is talking the Tenth out of doing that mission and coming up with another plan to help Yamamoto."

"Yes, Kyoko-chan told me she was…I know that Tsuna-san will take care of everything though." She smiled at him.

Gokudera didn't say anything, but thought about something that was still bothering him.

"Hayato…Please be careful."

He looked up, surprised at her.

"Those people who tried to hurt you and Yamamoto-kun…" she trailed off.

"Yeah, I know."

"Anyways, I also think you should keep this too."

She placed the Vongola ring down on the table, the storm emblem shining in the dim light.

"You're giving it back?"

"You need to take care of yourself Hayato. I want you to return to me, to us, always, alive. So don't do anything stupid like you did tonight, okay?"

He said nothing but took the ring.

"Thanks…Hayato." She smiled at him.

"Also…"

"Hm? What is it?"

"You owe me a date."

"Huh? Why?" he asked, distracted by the random request.

"Hahi! Because Hayato! You've been gone for 3 months! I miss you…" She blushed a little but continued. "Plus, there's a festival going on tomorrow night!""Oh, that?" Gokudera remembered the Namimori fireworks festival.

"Yes! And I want you to take me to that! Please?" She begged him with her puppy eyes.

"No."

"Pleeaase?"

"No!'She pouted at him, her stubborn brown eyes now pissed off.

"Pleeeeeeeease?"

He rubbed his forehead.

"…Fine." He sighed, giving in to her. At least it would make her happy and he did feel bad. After all, she was his fiancée.

"Yay! I'm gonna go on my date with Hayato~!" She jumped up and down in excitement. Even though she was 24, she was still the same Haru.

"What about our kid?" He asked her.

"Oh, Yuuko? Well she is 5 year old now…but I asked Kyoko-chan to take her to the festival also along with Tsuna-san, so we'll see her there after our date."

"Hah, you have this all planned out, don't you."

"Yep!"

"Oh and about the fireworks…Well, you know, like always! Meet me at the Namimori Shrine at 9pm so we can see the fireworks and check out the festival later, okay?"

"Yes yes, I know."

"Alrighty then, I'm going to bed. Night!"

"Hey wait stupid woman! Aren't you going to help me take a shower?" He grinned suggestively at her.

"Hahi! No way!" she groaned at him. "Go to sleep Hayato, I'll see you in the morning."

xXxXxXxXx

"Roses…it smells like roses…"

Gokudera opening his eyes slowly. The evening sun glared down into his bright green eyes. He sat up and looked around. Then he saw it. There was a note stuck in the window along with a blood red rose.

"Something's wrong."

He got up immediately and snatched the note from the window. It couldn't be from Haru since her favorite flower was a white daffodil. He scanned the note. He felt his heart pounding as he dropped the note. The note floated to the ground and Gokudera flew out the door, slamming the door shut behind him.