This one is a little longer than the others. It's no secret that I think this couple works really well together so I hope you like it. Let me know what you think? Many thanks!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own KHR nor do I claim any right to it or any of the characters and/or locations in this fan fiction story that you may recognise from the anime/manga. I am only responsible for the plot and nothing else.

Hold me (Gokudera)

For very obvious reasons, there were very few times that Haru and Gokudera were put together in the same room. They never really seemed to get along very well which Kyoko thought meant that they would eventually end up together.

Haru thought she was crazy. The loud and annoying Storm Guardian would be the very last person on her list of eligible men if she even decided to put him there in the first place. If you considered the part where his silver hair shone in the sunlight and his bright green eyes were the colour of emeralds, and if you put all your effort into ignoring his horrible temper, he was a suitable match, she supposed – for anyone else.

That one evening, everyone had left the house on errands of their own. Gokudera had precise instructions from Tsuna which the Vongola boss had hoped would keep him busy enough to not bother with Haru.

Haru on the other hand, had some assignments to complete and found that she worked best in the Vongola library. She had set all the books she needed around her and put on the lamp nearest her desk so she could feel the privacy of being alone.

She didn't like the fact that Gokudera was the only other guardian in the house besides her, but that was just the way things were. Stretching, she stood deciding it was time for a break. She could go make herself a midnight snack or something and then come back up. She had bought a wonderful Tiramisu cake just that afternoon and had been saving it for tonight. It was a wonder she had been able to concentrate at all knowing that that cake was sitting in the fridge waiting for her.

At the bottom of the stairs, a pair of hands grabbed her and one slapped over her mouth to stop her from screaming. She was immediately surrounded by the scent of a cologne she knew well and found rather comforting despite its owner.

Moreover, the chest she suddenly had her face pressed up against was bare. She felt herself shudder for a moment since she had never been this close really to a naked chest, much less his. What bothered her the most was that she didn't dislike having his arms around her as much as she had thought she would.

Wondering what he was up to, she tried to wrestle herself out of his hold, but he held her fast and held a finger up to his lips. Haru was immediately still and listening for any noises. She heard nothing but stayed still all the same. Gokudera peered around the corner, reassured that she wouldn't make a sound and went into the living room.

Haru heard a loud crash followed by Gokudera's annoyed shout and a string of curses. This was closely followed by a loud hiss. She now understood what was happening and turned on the lights to find Uri, Gokudera's box animal, struggling to get out of his grasp.

The writhing spitting cat scratched him one last time to gain her freedom and bounded out of his arms shooting past Haru's legs and down the hall. Haru watched her disappear and then began to laugh.

Gokudera touched the scratches on his chest that had drawn serious blood and hissed. That cat was utterly unmanageable and there seemed to be no way to tame her. She liked everyone but him! He sighed as he got up and ran a hand through his silver hair. He stopped when he heard her laugh.

Much as he hated to admit it, he rather liked the sound of her laugh. Haru was a nuisance every other day of the week, but when she wasn't laughing or smiling, he'd noticed that he tended to be a little more violent and aggressive. There were tears in her eyes and she bent over double clutching her stomach with laughter even as she came over to him with the obvious intent of helping him up. Their relationship permitted at least that much courtesy.

He raised an eyebrow as she neared him. Laugh at him, would she? She was calming down now as she offered him her hand. Using that to his advantage, he pulled her down and began, rather expertly, to tickle her. Stunned from her fall, Haru barely registered what was happening, but she began to laugh anyway and tried to get away from him.

Disadvantaged as she was, she at least managed to face him trying to return the favour but, with laboured breath, she realised that she had lost that fight. Her brown eyes bright with so much laughter met his mellow green ones and the smile slowly slipped from her face.

Her heart hammered in her chest although she wasn't sure if that was from the exertion of trying to wrestle with him or from something else. Her hands rested on his shoulders as she knelt between his legs. One of his hands was on her waist and the other on her back.

She didn't know how long they remained that way, staring at each other. Haru felt herself begin to drown in his gaze and only barely registered that he had moved his face closer to hers... or had she moved her face to his?

"W... we should probably get... you cleaned up," she said, her voice barely over a whisper. He didn't seem to have heard her, only stared at her lips. She shut her eyes hoping she was being paranoid. She couldn't have seen that look of complete adoration in his eyes, could she?

He pulled her closer still and his arms went around her and stayed there. He rested his chin on her shoulder and breathed in her delicate scent, something he wasn't sure he would get the chance to do ever again.

"W... why?" she asked a little breathless, "Don't you... don't you hate me?"

"No," came the immediate reply. A warm pair of lips touched her forehead and she felt him move away from her. That answered one question and raised so many more. Gokudera got up, hissing slightly at the soreness of his scratches and walked out of the room.

She turned to look at the doorway. Could it have been Gokudera who kissed her?

*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Upstairs, Gokudera shut the door behind him and smashed his fist into the wall careful not to do much damage. He'd done a wonderful job of keeping away from the stupid woman. He'd purposely let her believe that he hated her. He'd built that wall between them himself. Now that it had crumbled, he wasn't particularly sorry about it.

Her lips had been so close. It would have been so easy to just lean in one more inch... Running two very frustrated hands down his face, he shut his eyes and fell back on his bed. Then again, what would those other idiots say if they knew? It wasn't really that Gokudera cared though, just that those other rivals and the stupid baseball freak would have a field day with that one!

A/N: Hmm... any guesses as to whom this mystery person might be? Still stumped/ Let's wait and see...