Haru was having a bad day. By lunch she wanted to cry. First, there had been the incident with Tsuna in his homeroom which she still regretted. She should have had more faith in him and asked him about it before she jumped off the handle like she had. After that, everything went downhill.
Her homeroom class was apparently full of new students. But instead of anyone else, the teacher seemed to center his attention on her, asking her all his questions first. Some seemed innocent enough, such as what her favorite food was. But then he'd asked her what her Family name was and she'd given her family name. He'd asked again, specifying her mafia Family name. The whole class had started snickering when she admitted she didn't know. The teacher had looked at her in understanding and merely went to the next person while she tried to hide behind her desk.
Her history teacher had called her naive when she answered the essay questions that he'd handed out. It had been basic knowledge questions to see how much they already knew of the world. She had written down as much as she could remember from what she'd learned in school back at Namimori. The teacher had given her a 0 on her paper, the first she'd ever gotten. She didn't care if the score was only an assessment and wouldn't be listed in her grades. She had objected, so the teacher had tore her down mercilessly, telling her the real answers. The answers that were basic knowledge for any mafioso, apparently.
After that had been Home Economics. On this one, the class started out fine. The teacher had even been impressed with her sewing skills. But then the woman had found out Haru knew Bianchi. The sewing assessment had turned into a cooking assessment; something Haru didn't have as much confidence in. She had tried anyway, making a curry with rice that she had thought she did well on. After a taste, the teacher had been displeased. Apparently cooking something tasty didn't matter if it wasn't poisoned. Haru had been crushed when the teacher had thrown it in the trash.
She was relieved when accounting came around. Numbers never lied. Her daddy had taught her that. When the teacher assessed her in this class, he had seemed mildly in approval. At least he hadn't turned on her. Haru didn't think she could take much more let down. Coming from an elite girl's school and then a elite co-ed high school, she had thought she'd be up to the challenge of Tsuna's school. But everything was so different here. It was major culture-shock. Her confidence rose a bit, however, when her Accounting teacher gave her praise, citing how she'd found all the mistakes in the ledgers she'd been handed without any help.
Finally lunch arrived and she sighed in relief. Lunch wasn't something she could fail at. All you had to do was eat. And just maybe, she would be able to see Tsuna. Even that was a disaster, though. She had picked up her tray without problems, but as she finally caught sight of him Cheri had interfered and pulled her aside to a different table.
"You can't sit with him," she hissed, holding her head low to the table so no one else would overhear.
"Ha-hi?" Haru said, perplexed. "Why not?"
"It wouldn't just ruin your reputation, but it would ruin his. He's a mafia boss-to-be, Haru. Think of him like a lord or a prince. What would happen if a prince suddenly had some strange girl at his side constantly?" Haru shook her head. How should she know? Cheri sighed and continued her hushed whispers. "People would assume a lot more about your relationship than was proper. The scene this morning was bad enough. You'll only make things worse if you go over there."
"Oh," she said unhappily, looking over at Tsuna sadly. He caught her glance and looked back, a mournful expression on his face for only a moment before he covered it and looked away. He had already known.
Cheri sat up from her hushed council and began eating normally now that Haru wasn't about to step on a landmine. Haru looked down at her plate, picking at the food there. She hadn't known there was so much formality that she would have to go through. Suddenly, she was afraid to say or do anything in fear that she might become even a bigger hindrance to Tsuna. She wanted to learn how not to be, but instead she was becoming an even bigger problem to him. She sighed, wishing that she hadn't been so stubborn when Tsuna had tried to talk her into going to a normal school. She was so depressed she didn't even notice when several other girls sat down with her and Cheri.
"So, you're new here, right?" Once of the group asked. Haru nodded, surprised by the sudden question.
"I'm Violet. This is Sara, Margaret, Finch, and Perenia," she said, introducing her companions. "We're the Mafia Wive's Club." Haru perked up, not noticing the glare Cheri was giving the girls.
"Mafia Wive's Club?" Haru asked, her eyes shining. "I'm going to be a mafia boss' wife," she said automatically.
"Really?" Margaret exclaimed, overjoyed by the statement. "You'd fit right in with us, then."
"So, who are you courting? I'm courting Vongola the Tenth," Violet said. "I've already had papa send the contracts, I'm just waiting on their response." Before Haru could give her answer to Violet's question, Sara interjected.
"Don't worry, Violet, there's no way he could turn you down."
"Of course, sweety," Finch said, the high pitch of her voice making Haru want to put her hands over her ears.
"I don't know," Perenia added, making the other girls look at her in dislike. "Vongola the Tenth seems like a prize catch. He's not going to be easy to land on the alter."
"I'm not even sure you'd want to land him on the alter," Cheri said, trying to dissuade them from their plans. "He seems kind of cold and haven't you ever seen him fight? Sca-ary." The group of girls looked at her with their lips curling in dislike, obviously disagreeing with her assessment.
"Who's Vongola the Tenth?" Haru asked quietly. She felt like a total idiot with all these girls talking about someone she didn't even know. For some reason, Cheri and all the others dropped their jaws at the question, making her blush at her own ignorance. "Is he someone famous?" She asked. Cheri continued to look at her in shock, but the others looked at her in understanding.
"Poor girl. You must be from a smaller Family if you've never heard of Vongola the Tenth." She turned, pointing toward the corner Tsuna was sitting at. "See that boy over there?" She asked. Haru looked closely, trying to see who she was pointing at. Maybe someone near Tsuna? Violet's next words made her eyes widen in surprise. "His name is Tsunayoshi Sawada," the girl continued, oblivious to Haru's reaction. "He's the boss-apparent for the Vongola Family. It's one of the most powerful of all the mafia Families. The woman that can land him on the alter would have fame, riches, and power to do nearly anything she wanted."
"Tsu-kun is..." she stopped at the sudden fierce glares the group of girls gave her.
"Who do you think you are, calling him something like that?" Finch said for them.
"It's okay, Finch," Violet interjected like a gracious hostess. "She probably doesn't know better. That's okay though, we can teach her everything she needs to know. Right girls?" The other girls nodded while Haru continued to sit in shock. "Just don't call him so inappropriately in the future," Violet ordered.
Haru shook her head, still trying to get her mind to wrap around what she'd just learned. Not only was Tsuna more important than she'd ever dreamed, but this girl wanted to marry him. Had even sent a proposal already! Haru looked at Cheri, her shock clearly still on her face. Cheri grimaced in return.
Temporarily forgetting the other girls, Haru asked Cheri, "Tsu-kun is that important a person?" Again Cheri grimaced as she nodded. A growl from Violet turned Haru back to her.
"What did I just say about calling him that? He's going to be my husband, so you better be more respectful," she demanded, crossing her arms in displeasure. Haru was too shocked to say anything other than the first thing that came to mind.
"But I'm going to be Tsu-kun's wife," she mumbled to herself. The group of girls looked at her in surprise before busting out laughing. She looked at them blankly, unsure of what to do. Cheri was still grimacing, unable to think of a way to help.
"Gimme a break," Sara said through her chuckles, "You didn't even know he was Vongola the Tenth. What makes you think you can be his wife?"
"But," Haru said, tears welling up in her eyes. "But Tsu-kun--"
"I said don't call him that, you arrogant backwater pig!" Violet said, standing up. Silence decended on the cafeteria and Haru leaned back in her chair at the rage in Violet's eyes. Before Haru could do more than stutter another 'but', she found her lunch tray knocked into her lap by the angry woman. Haru gasped and stood, looking at her ruined uniform in dismay. She couldn't take it anymore. She ran out of the room before anyone could stop her, trying to hide the tears in her eyes. Cheri watched her go and Violet gave a cruel smile of satisfaction.
"You're all idiots," Cheri said carefully into the silent cafeteria. Before Violet could ask her what she meant, everyone's heads turned toward a loud thump in the corner of the room. Tsuna was sitting in the corner with his head bowed, his fork stabbed halfway through the table, obviously trying to restrain himself. His two friends were whispering furiously to him, but it seemed to have no effect. When he looked up, Violet stepped back at the rage in his eyes. The rage directed toward her.
"What...?" She muttered, not knowing what she'd done to anger him. Cheri shrugged. She wasn't about to tell this golddigger how much she'd just screwed up. Instead, Cheri watched as Violet grew more pale at Tsuna's continued anger. The whole cafeteria tensed when he finally stood.
"Ninth be damned," he told his suddenly silent silver-haired friend; the one that had been whispering furiously the most. No one moved, not even his friends, as he walked out of the lunch room and followed the trail of Haru. Gokudera belatedly started following him while Yamamoto walked over to Cheri. He didn't even have to go around tables since people cleared his way for him.
He stopped, giving a glare at Violet before he asked Cheri, "What happened?"
"Oh, nothing," Cheri said, trying to hold back her own glare at Violet. "Just a gold-digger that thought Tsuna's childhood friend shouldn't call him by a nickname." Violet sat back down in her chair in shock, her eyes wide and her face pale. She finally realized how much she'd screwed up. Not only had she insulted a Vongola, but one of her matrimony target's friends.
"I see," Yamamoto said simply. "We had hoped that Haru's Ring of Acknowledgement would be enough for people to give her lee-way in learning. You know she's a recent addition to the Family, right?" Cheri nodded. If she hadn't known it before, Haru's lack of knowledge in Tsuna's identity had told her. "Well, Tsuna will take care of it either way," he gave her a small bow of thanks for her information. After another glare at the shocked Violet and cronies, he left, following the path that Tsuna had taken minutes before.
Cheri gave Violet a mocking laugh the moment Yamamoto was out of the room. "Man, you're screwed," she told the other girl. As if that was the cue, the cafeteria erupted into talk, everyone wanting to comment on what just happened.
For Cheri, it was just another day in the crazy life of a mafia student.
Tsuna followed Haru as quickly as he could. He shouldn't have allowed this to happen. Because of him, Haru had been hurt. His own obedience to the Ninth's orders and the formalities of the mafia elite instead of obedience to his own heart had kept him from protecting Haru when she needed him the most. He didn't care about the Ninth's orders anymore. He didn't care what others might whisper. He was going to find Haru and beg forgiveness on his knees if need be.
He had hoped that the Ring of Acknowledgement that she wore would be enough to keep back the snobs. When Violet and her cronies had surrounded Haru, he'd watched silently. The whole time he'd been praying that they'd seen her ring and had surrounded her to try to curry favor. Instead, it had been the total opposite. He knew they had been talking about him. Considering Violet had pointed him out to Haru while he pretended to be in deep discussion with Gokudera had proved it.
The whole time he'd watched as Haru seemed to become more and more agitated. He'd tried to restrain himself from going to her when he'd seen the tears start forming in her eyes at whatever Violet had said. But when Violet had insulted her and thrown the tray of food in her lap, Tsuna had snapped. He'd tried to control the surge of anger. Violet didn't even know how much restraint it had taken to keep from killing her right then and there. How much he wanted her throat in his hands. Only Gokudera's pleas and reminders had kept him from doing it. From returning the insult and destroying any semblance of an alliance Vongola had with them. They were arrogant and ignorant, not worthy of his anger, Gokudera had repeated until he'd calmed enough to think rationally.
Yamamoto's words had been what changed his focus. What had broke his rage and sent him after Haru. Gokudera had started to disagree, reminding Tsuna of the Ninth's command. Yet it felt like the right thing to do. So, doing what he did best, he ignored the Ninth's orders about displaying affection and went after Haru. He'd worry about consequences later. Right now, Haru was more important than any insinuations or gossip that the Families could come up with.
Haru was sadly easy to find. All he had to do was follow the trail of spagetti that had been dripping from her clothes. He knocked on the door of the girl's bathroom, curious if anyone other than her was inside. When no one answered, he called inside, "I'm a guy, but I'm coming in. Haru, I know you're in there." Before anyone could reply, he walked in, leaving Gokudera to guard the entrance. There was another girl inside, trying to help Haru clean off her uniform while she continued to cry. She squeaked a little, surprised by a guy in the girl's bathroom, warning aside.
"You can't be in here, Tsu-kun," Haru said around her sobs. He wrapped his arms around her. He ignored the other girl. He ignored the red sauce on her clothes. He ignored everything other than comforting her. He ignored everything except what his own heart told him to do.
"I'm so sorry," he said softly, kissing her on the head while she cried. "I didn't know they'd do something like that."
"She said she was going to be your wife, Tsu-kun," she sobbed. "She said I couldn't be your wife because I didn't even know what you were called. And the teacher said I was naive. And everyone laughed at me because I didn't know what Fam--" Tsuna silenced her with a kiss, once again ignoring everything other than his own heart. After her surprise wore off, she stomped on his foot, making him release her in his own surprise coupled with the sudden pain.
"I'm not good enough for you, Tsuna!" She yelled at him, making his heart clench. "I didn't know how important you were. I didn't know anything," she cried.
"Haru," he said, hurting by her pain, "I'm the one that's not good enough for you. I didn't protect you like I should have. I failed you, not the other way around," he told her passionately. She stopped, looking at him as if she was trying to believe him but couldn't. "I knew you didn't really know anything about the mafia, but I brought you here anyway. I don't care if you never know anything about that part of my life. You know the more important part. The part that no one in this place could ever touch, Haru," he continued, nearly crying in hopes that she would understand. He walked forward, once again taking her into his arms. This time she didn't fight it when he kissed her. He broke it off, looking her into the eyes with all the emotion he could never release in a single lifetime.
"I love you, Haru," he said simply. "I love you and I want to marry you. I could care less what everyone else want of me anymore. If I had a ring I'd give it to you right now," he said, his eyes begging her to believe him.
"You're an idiot, Tsu-kun," she said, her wide smile making her words a lie. He smiled in return, wiping away the tears in her eyes. He hoped they were happy tears this time.
"But I'm your idiot," he replied softly. They put their foreheads together as understanding and love passed between them. A sudden sniff broke them out of their focus on each other, however. Tsuna looked up, remembering that there had been another girl in the room. She was standing to the side, sniffing into the handkerchief she'd been trying to help Haru out with.
"That was beautiful," she cried without mockery. Tsuna couldn't help but smile at their one-person audience.
"Our little secret?" He asked. She nodded and went forward to help Haru again when he released her. "Are you going to be okay now, Haru?"
She nodded, wiping the last of her tears away while she continued trying to get the spagetti's red sauce off of her skirt. Tsuna looked down, only then realizing that when he'd embraced her, he'd gotten the sauce on himself. "I better go to the boy's room and get this off," he said with a smile. "I don't think the teachers would be happy if I was caught trying to get it off in here." She laughed in her normal, hearty way, waving for him to go ahead and go.
He did, with a smile, happy to hear the sound of her laugh instead of tears again. When he walked outside, he found a mob of unconscious eavesdroppers piled in front of the door with Gokudera smoking a cigarette over them. Gokudera shrugged. They hadn't taken his warning to leave so he'd hit them with a sleeping-gas bomb. Tsuna smiled, understanding it all with Gokudera's silent motion. He waved for his friend to follow him, feeling Yamamoto appear, as well.
"Sorry," Yamamoto said. "I didn't want to get caught in Gokudera's smoke, so I was hiding around the corner. Is Haru okay?" He asked. Tsuna nodded, bringing a relieved sigh. "Apparently the woman that did it thought she had some claim to you and didn't like it when Haru called you Tsu-kun." Once again, Tsuna nodded silently, leading the way into the boy's bathroom. A single glare sent everyone inside fleeing. By now, everyone in the school knew about the incident in the cafeteria and no one wanted to be the target for his anger.
"Ninth's orders be damned," Tsuna repeated when they were alone. He began wetting some napkins in water before trying to get the sauce off his pants and shirt with Gokudera's help. "What can we do to keep this from happening again?"
"Keep a watchful presence over her, Tenth," Gokudera suggested. "At least, until she gets her feet under her." Tsuna nodded. It was what he was already planning on doing anyway, but hearing Gokudera say it helped him focus.
"You won't be able to protect her while she's in class though. Maybe get a few people to keep an eye out for her during those times? You know that Violet and her buddies will be trying to torture her after this," Yamamoto added. Again Tsuna nodded.
"Any chance I can leave that to you, Yamamoto? Girls would probably be best so that she could feel more comfortable, but you know how I am with girls." Yamamoto smiled at the comment.
"You don't seem to be doing that bad, Tsuna," he encouraged.
"Well, she seems to have made one friend already. Hopefully it's someone she has some classes with." At their questioning looks, he blushed. "Um, we had an audience inside. Some girl that had been trying to help Haru when I went in."
"I'll ask around and find out who it was, Tenth," Gokudera offered, getting the last of the sauce off his pants before it stained. The white shirt was already ruined, but Tsuna didn't care. So what if it was evidence he'd held and kissed Haru? He was proud of that stain, not ashamed of it. Not like he'd been ashamed of his poor choices in the cafeteria.
"I'll ask Cheri to keep an eye out for her after school," Tsuna suggested, remembering his normal duties for that period of time. "At least until a car picks her up." Tsuna put out his hand and both Gokudera and Yamamoto placed theirs on top of it without hesitation.
"Operation Protect Haru," he said with determination.
"Fight-O!" They called in unison, heading for the door with their plans of attack set in their minds.
May anyone who even thought about hurting Haru again fear for their lives.
"He really cares about you, doesn't he?" The girl said to Haru after Tsuna left. Haru laughed, still a bit overwhelmed by the emotion Tsuna had shown.
"I knew he cared, but I didn't realize how much," she replied. The girl smiled up at her from where she was still trying to get the spagetti's red sauce out of Haru's skirt. "Thank you for helping me," she said while the she continued to work on her shirt.
"I'm not one to leave someone in need," she replied sadly. "Plus, I remember my first day last year and since I don't recognize you, I assume this is your first day." Haru was surprised by the understanding in the other girl's words and eyes. The girl smiled up at her, sensing Haru's reaction. "Not everyone here is elite snobs. There are more of us that simply have to put up with people like that than you might imagine. Although, I'll be honest," she continued, standing up to get new napkins, "I didn't know you were one of Vongola the Tenth's friends. Heck, I didn't know Vongola the Tenth could even be like that. He's normally so cold and quiet. If I hadn't been so surprised when he hugged you, I probably would have ran out of the room in fear."
"But Tsu-kun isn't--" Haru started to say. The other girl interrupted her before she could even get started.
"Maybe not to you, but for most of us here, he's an enigma. See, since he is so cold and quiet to everyone but his two buddies and Cheri, no one knows what he's really like. Most people think he's one of the arrogant snobs like those in the Mafia Wive's Club, so they won't go near him. I'll tell you right now, if I hadn't seen him just now, I wouldn't have believed that had been Vongola the Tenth. The rumors about him make him into such a monster in comparison. Especially since he's such a good fighter."
"Poor Tsu-kun," Haru said, bringing a surprised look from the other girl. "He's not like that at all. He hates a lot of what he has to do," she continued, remembering the nightmares he'd had the past several nights. "He's kind and he cares more about his Family than anyone else. I don't know how anyone could call him cold," she finished, ignoring the wide eyes the girl was staring at her with.
"Like I said," the girl said finally, "I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it. There we go," she said with a flair. Haru looked down, amazed at her now-pristine skirt. Her shirt would still be stained, but at least she could sit down without fear.
"Thank you so much," Haru said energetically, giving her skirt a small twirl.
"By the way, I'm Sangia of the Kuneri Family," the helpful girl said, holding out her hand in greeting. Haru looked at it surprise for a moment before taking it with a wide and energetic smile.
"I'm Haru! Of the...um...what was it again?...Vongola Family!" She exclaimed with a small curtsy. Sangia laughed and Haru joined her happily. Her first new friend!
Maybe Italy wouldn't be so bad after all.
