DISCLAIMER I DO NOT OWN KATEKYO HITMAN REBORN
Yamamoto Takeshi was always described to be a care-free, laid back type of person. Within reason too. There were plenty of times that he was close to failing a class yet still fell asleep when the teacher taught a lesson. He passed though. Barely. He was someone that had a good family, a source of income and, overall, a reliable future out for him. He was just someone that didn't dwell on things he couldn't control nor understand.
That's why when his close friend told him about his position in the Mafia. He thought of it as a game. Who could blame him? His friend wasn't the same as those that the rumors played out to be. The boy, still till this day, had a fear of nearly everything on this planet. He had more compassion than anyone he's ever met. There was nothing that told Takeshi that he should fear his friend. He pretty much only went along with it because he found the whole Mafia game to be fun.
The first time he saw that side of him, the side of Vongola Decimo, he didn't really know what to think. It was a mix of fear and admiration. The shy, fearful, boy switched in a second when he announced to the other candidates that he would not allow anyone to become Vongola Decimo but himself. Those that were there that day couldn't believe what they heard. They all knew that the boy hated the Mafia; it didn't make sense why he wanted the position.
Takeshi asked him about that day. Why he was trying so hard and why he was willing to put up with everything even though he hated it. He never did get a clear answer. But he did learn one thing from asking. Sawada Tsunayoshi's goal was only the title. Not what came with it. He didn't accept his blood. Only the fact that he knew he could do more with it than as a nobody.
That was the same time that Takeshi realized that there was a reason why he recruited him despite his care-free attitude. They not only followed the same set of morals but they both had this keen, natural ability to judge situations. A natural born hitman and generations of Mafia blood. He wasn't wrong to follow Decimo or be his friend. He would do nearly anything to protect and help him.
When Haru came into the picture it wasn't love at first sight as many spectators thought. First meeting her, she never left the Cloud guardian's side. Now he knew Hibari Kyoya and his tendency to avoid crowding. So letting this new girl stay close to him was interesting in itself. It was even more interesting her reaction towards Decimo.
Though it was the first time that all of the guardians and first commanders formally gathered, Takeshi had met a good majority of them before. As both friends and a business only type of relationship. Haru was the newbie in all of this. Many thought Hibari grabbed someone randomly off the streets until they saw that she knew Decimo. Anyone that was looking at her could see that she admired him. That's how they knew they could trust her and that she was not anyone normal.
One could say that Takeshi wanted to get to know her better because he was worried about her relationship with Decimo. Or that he was worried about her not being able to protect herself. Even he wasn't really sure. But they spent a lot of time together that one thing led to another and they started dating.
At that time, he didn't think to look into her past. He knew that everyone was entitled to their secrets that he wanted to let her tell him when she was ready. That time never came though. He eventually forgot all about it with how brightly she smiled as they got closer.
Standing in front of the Cloud guardian's office, he almost felt regret that it came to him doing this. The door opened with the other second in command letting him.
"Kyo-san, Yamamoto-san is here." Hibari lifted his head from his paperwork. He raised an eyebrow at the sudden visit.
"Yo Kyoya." Hibari's eyes slanted at the informal attitude. He jutted his head to tell Kusukabe to leave the two of them.
"Rare for you to visit without notice. What do you want?"
"Oh come on Kyoya. I can't just visit for the fun of it? You were gone for over a month. We can catch up." Setting down his pen, he got comfortable in his chair. Though he didn't say anything meaning that he didn't buy Takeshi's pure intentions of only catching up.
"Sit down." Hibari instructed him. They were either going to be here for a long time or for less than a minute. No in between. Still, he sat down on the chair in front of him. "Now what do you really want to know?"
"Have you noticed that Haru has been acting strange recently?"
"She's always been strange You're going to have give more details."
"Nearly 2 months ago, she went to recruit someone from Povero. I don't remember his exact details but she was determined that he would join. Since then, she hasn't once mentioned it. And no one joined after that day."
"That's it? Many people don't want to join given our reputation. It shouldn't be surprising."
"But this is Haru we're talking about. She doesn't usually recruit people by herself. Don't you think that we should look into this a bit more?"
"As my second in command she always had the power to bring in whoever she felt was right for the job. If this kid is as good as she puts it, then I don't have any quarrel with it."
"You're not the least bit concerned?"
"Why are you?" He didn't really have an answer to that besides that feeling the Povero boy gave him in the second he saw him. There were too many questions in his head about why, out of so many people, she went to him directly in the way she did. One of the more important questions was why his fellow guardian didn't see anything. Which one of them was crazier? The Cloud that didn't express caution or the Rain that was lost?
"Tell me Kyoya, why did you choose Haru to be your second in command?" He didn't know what was going to come out of asking this. Maybe give him comfort in what he thought he knew about the girl.
"Before I tell you that, I want to ask you how much you know about her past."
"All she told me was that she joined because you asked her to. Before that, her parents passed away so she became a live-in-maid for the Vongola headquarters." Hibari waited until he knew that he was done talking. Nothing. Takeshi knew nothing about Haru's past.
"Yamamoto Takeshi." The Rain guardian was taken back by how hostile he suddenly became. "I suggest that before you come in here and bother me, you double check your privilege. You may be the herbivore's right hand man, but here, you are under Cloud rule. That means you do not insult my decision in my second in command. Significant other or not, you do not know enough about her to judge her actions with full understanding. Even if you knew everything about her, she is her own person that does not need you to helicopter over her."
Hibari Kyoya wasn't one to be easily bothered. Very little excited, lots ticked him off, to get seriously mad was nearly unheard of. To push him, Takeshi was closing in on that boundary. Probably the only thing keeping him safe right now was both of their titles on the line. But if he continued to, basically, accusing Haru of something crude, Kyoya was going to be the first one to break that restriction.
Takeshi switched to his happy, go lucky mode. Something that Hibari always hated. "Sorry sorry. I guess you're right. I should just talk to her. How about we still take the time to catch up? We can invite the others too."
"Get out." The lame attempt to get back on his good side was shot down.
"Got it! I'll see you later then Kyoya!" He left the room, saying his goodbye to Kusukabe outside the door too.
Hibari went back to his work as if nothing happened. Kusukabe was still a bit concerned at the quick notice of the Rain guardian's bad mood. "Should we tell Haru-san about Yamamoto-san's visit?"
"No. That girl has enough on her plate. And knowing Yamamoto Takeshi, he'll do something soon enough."
"That is worrisome. Are you sure that you want to leave the traitor up to Haru-san?" Of course Hibari knew that Haru was acting strange the moment they met again. He was the one who recruited her and one of the two that knew her past. If he didn't pick it up, he would have been a disgrace to be her guardian.
With the announcement of the traitor it didn't take long for him to piece together that Haru knew something about them. He didn't think to intervene though. That day they talked after the meeting he saw that she was planning something. Unlike Takeshi, Hibari trusted her skill to handle this. She was already ahead of them after all. He could picture that with Decimo figuring out that a coup was happening she already put a hole in her plan.
Only if push comes to shove then he'll act. If Takeshi wanted to play detective, he doubted that this little chat would have changed his mind. Hopefully this would give him a chance to rethink his thoughts on the girl.
Hibari's pen stopped moving when he replayed Takeshi's words. "A Povero boy?"
Kusukabe was lost in his own thoughts that he missed what he said. "What was that Kyo-san?"
Hibari remained silent for a moment. He wanted to trust in his second in command's decision. This little tidbit made things harder. If she did what he thought she was doing, he may not know her as well as he thought. But then again, he knew that she valued Decimo. This completely matched up with that in it's own twisted way.
"Kyo-san?"
"Nothing. Just continue to keep an eye on her." He went on with his work.
The confession between the Rain guardian and Cloud second in command wasn't grand. Takeshi was the one to propose it when they were at dinner once. Nice and simple he asked, "how do you feel about me?"
Haru wasn't entirely sure of her answer. Of course, she had a positive light around him. He was a good man that made her feel welcomed but she knew that wasn't what he was implying. To be honest, she never thought love would be an option in her life. That he could be an option to have. He was successful, funny, and above all he was a Vongola member like her. Nothing was really stopping her from accepting him to start a romantic relationship.
So they started dating. The relationship was easily seen to be perfect. The two of them were understanding of each other and had little quarrels. Even if they did fight it wouldn't last long too long with how their personalities were. He was always willing to compromise with the intention of making it work. Her not liking conflict for long periods of time.
Their relationship was a good one. They were both satisfied with each other. It always benefited them if they wanted to rely on someone to bring to parties to fend off creepy suitors without needed conflict. They were both people that were well sought out in both the mafia and normal world that created a story book worthy image. The dates were cute and like they saw in other couples. If anything ever happened to the other, it wasn't a question that they would hurt over it.
Though walking through the crowd in this crusty bar after talking to Hibari made him question if their whole relationship was a lie.
Takeshi found the doctor he was looking for flirting with a woman that was clearly disinterested in anything that wasn't alcohol. He slipped into the seat next to her. The two jumped at his arrival and turned their attention to him. "Hello, there. Would it be possible to talk to my friend here?"
The woman was immediately captivated by his boyish smile and clean appearance. Compared to that, the doctor was annoyed knowing that his whole vibe was killed. "No no please. I was just leaving. But if you have some time afterwards, I would love to get to know you."
"Sorry. I have a girlfriend. Thank you for the compliment though." The woman shrugged and walked away. Leaving the two mafiosi together.
Shamal threw his head back to take a shot. Something told him he was going to need it if Takeshi was here. "What do you want kid?"
"I just have a few questions. Do you want to go somewhere quieter to talk?"
"Cut to the chase. You already cock blocked me. Might as well pay for my drinks."
Dealing with Shamal was completely different from Hibari. For one thing, Shamal had no grace. He was disheveled and pathetic to look at. Hibari always held himself to a high degree. No one looked down upon him. People feared and respected him. Compared to that, Shamal might as well be a nobody. If he didn't know that Haru hired him for a job recently, he would have never thought of resorting to this. It was sadder to think that he was still sober at this point too. Takeshi almost felt bad that he, possibly, ruined his chances with someone tonight.
The bartender filled both of their cups. Takeshi just opted for water. He needed to be sharp. The bartender left them, sensing that a serious conversation was about to take place.
"Haru hired you a couple weeks back. I wanted to ask the details about that." Shamal immediately knew what the Rain guardian's goal was.
"You have her phone number. Ask her yourself."
"If I could do that then I wouldn't be asking you."
"I see. You came all this way to ruin my potential for a relationship because you're having trouble with your own. You know Haru-chan is a very well popular lady. If you let her go then it won't be long for someone on the market to realize her value. Me being one of them."
"I'm not here for games, Shamal. Haru was going on a mission with Chrome during the time you were hired. There is no way that she would have been doing something with you at the same time. Why did she hire you? Why you?"
"Because she thinks I'm good at my job? Because I wouldn't question what she does in her free time if it doesn't affect me? I'm good looking? All good good reasons." Shamal was aware of the other's status. When it came down to it, he was nothing compared to him. It didn't mean that he was easy to bend over for him. It meant that he's seen both sides of him. He wasn't anywhere near intimated by playing around his patient temper.
"Do you know the name Gokudera Hayato?" Shamal took a sip of his drink.
"Who? A new recruit?"
"You tell me. I have reason to believe that while Haru was doing her mission with Chrome, you babysat the boy."
"Doesn't ring a bell." If this was any other case, then Takeshi wouldn't react. It wasn't the first time he dealt with an irritating, stubborn person. This time, however, he was not too keen on wasting time here. With each passing second he was entertaining the doctor, the more dangerous Haru's planning became. At least in his mind.
"You know why that Povero boy is so important, don't you?"
"Who's to say? I know a lot about a lot of things." He could feel his temper rising the longer the doctor played around.
"You're interfering with Vongola operations. If you don't answer my questions I can bring down years worth of your reputation." Shamal snorted at the idea.
"Nice try kid. Yeah sure, I can get blacklisted by you but I know my place with the Vongola. You're going to need evidence in order to do that. Then the question bares, my loyalty to you or Haru-chan who actually gave me a mission with direct orders? Sounds to me that siding with her Omerta compared to you threatening me at a bar is the much better option. So I dare you to try getting me in trouble for not telling you anything about a civilian she so happens to know."
"Civilian? He was hired by Haru and you still call him a civilian?"
"Was he hired by Haru-chan? I wouldn't know."
They held their glares for an unknown amount of time. They were both right. Shamal was risking a lot by not answering the questions properly. If the Vongola knew that he was refusing to assist Takeshi, then they would all avoid associating themselves with him. No one got in the way of Vongola's business. At the same time, Takeshi was risking accusing a valued ally. Besides Haru's suspicious behaviour there was no proof that he was betraying the Vongola. In fact, by him staying loyal to her, he was helping his own case. If she was doing something wrong, it wouldn't necessarily affect him. He was only doing his job.
"Are you really going down this path? She can ruin Tsuna. And you may not be a part of the family but I know that you do not hate him. Not to the degree of doing all of this."
"That's what you think? That Haru-chan is going to ruin him? Do you even hear yourself?"
"What am I supposed to think? I'm trying to stop her before she makes a huge mistake."
"You're the one making the mistake. Blindsided by what you think is betrayal that you don't even try talking to her yourself. What is the worst that could happen by listening to her? You get into a little fight? Having some conflict in a relationship it's healthy."
"An ally is going to ruin Tsuna's wedding if I don't find out who the traitor is!" He covered his mouth knowing that was restricted information.
No one but those at the meeting knew about the attacks. He just gave it away at that moment. Shamal wasn't phased by it because he already knew. Way before Takeshi did. He knew that Haru was not the traitor. He was offended on her behalf.
"She's not an ally. She is your fellow member. Not only that, she is your girlfriend. Have you ever seen the way she looks at the kid? Have you ever truly looked at her? How much she is willing to sacrifice to help your family? Her family! I may not be a member but seeing that this is how you treat each other, then I'm glad I'm not. Point your fingers at me all you want. Not her. You don't deserve the right to call her a traitor when you won't even hear her side out."
"You would do the same thing if you were in my position. I only want what's best for her and Tsuna."
"Continue to talk like that and maybe one day you'll realize that you aren't what's best for her. Either learn to trust your girlfriend more or break up. That's going to be my only comment on the situation. Try to blackmail for all I care. You already have your mind set on her position." Shamal slammed his payment on the counter. Takeshi was at another dead end.
The relationship was greatly accepted by everyone. Not like they were the first to date another officer. Their best friends being the most prominent example. And their biggest supporters. It actually became a running joke that Vongola guardians and second in command only dated one another. It wasn't like they planned that. It's just that there were a lot of people that demonstrated this tradition. The few that didn't, still dated someone within this twisted industry.
When they've given their lives to each other so many times it almost becomes almost impossible to not fall for one of them. That and when life is always on the line, they've seen the worse in each other. They've seen what makes their significant other tick. What makes them smile more than anything. Their real values in life.
Takeshi had to wonder if he ever saw that part of Haru. The only thing he could think of was Decimo. Maybe designing? He wasn't allowed to be in her studio a lot of the time though. Most definitely he's never seen her actually working on a piece of clothing. She liked to keep that side of her separate from everyone else. He didn't question it. He thought that he was being respectful of her space. Turns out she was building a barrier around herself.
Sometimes he would look at his friends who were dating. There was no one clear show of a pattern. There was Tsuna and Kyoko who were very much madly in love. They didn't show it through pda but through their eyes. How gently they would handle one another. The lightness in the way they spoke. Their wedding was just around the corner to celebrate that obvious love.
Opposite to that were Chrome and Hibari. Timid girl and strict boy. The only way people could tell that they were dating was that she was the only one he actually listened to. He respected her in a way that was different than Haru. He wasn't good with his words but his actions treasured Chrome. Even putting up with her weird guardian. Most of their time spent together was private. There were no problems with the way they presented themselves. They knew each other and that's all that mattered.
In the middle of the spectrum was Ryohei and Hana. They were the opposites in this case. Everyone knew of the girl's preference in partners. Despite what a lot of people thought, Ryohei could be quiet. He put his values into his family, work, and hobbies. Nothing about him was different from Hana's ideal type. Ryohei put time in for her. She took care of him. Though it could be a strange image to look at first, they were well suited for one another.
Finally, was Haru and Takeshi. A basic relationship. A beautiful, smart girl and a handsome, athletic boy. There was no flare between them. Nothing that made them special like the others. He hoped that something would have blossomed between them. That one day he would wake up and see how much he liked her. Loved her. That day never came.
The day that did come was what he feared. He didn't trust her. He considered everything to be a lie. He started to hate her because he thought she was a traitor. Now he wishes he did take a shot with Shamal to clear his mind.
He wasn't proud of the little show he put on at the bar. His temperament got the worst of him. The thought of someone he was dating and trusted lying all this time was throwing in too many variables at once. The worst part was that he didn't have the same confidence that Shamal had. He fully believed in her innocence. For a man that never tied himself down to one family, she had his full loyalty. And Takeshi couldn't see why.
"Give it to me straight, Basil. Who is that Povero boy?"
The Povero boy was the key to everything. Haru not only picked him out to help out but gave him all the resources he needed to thrive. If Takeshi could figure out who he was and what his mission was, he could get to the bottom of this whole mess. More than wanting to know about him, he needed to know who Haru was. What her goal was.
"It's weird. The information on him is... non-existent. The only thing I was able to find about him is that he checked into a hospital and the results of the tests. Anything else is gone. He's like a ghost in the system." Both Takeshi and Lal were confused. It wasn't like Basil to not come up with anything in his research.
"In what way? It's possible that Miura erased it from the main database. With her clearance from her position, it wouldn't be hard to do."
"That's the thing. If she did erase it I would be able to find traces of that. The database's security was built by Verde-dono, Irie-dono and Spanner-dono. There is a trigger to prevent this kind of situation. She would have to have help."
"Help? It's to that level?" Basil readjusted himself in his seat.
"If he was born here in Ripartizione then he would have been instantly registered into the system. If he wasn't born here there would be records of him entering the city borders. Security cameras, transaction costs on a card, some sort of legal paperwork. To erase to that extent is not possible unless he had ties with the Vongola. But Haru-dono is not someone powerful enough to clean that amount. Even with my level of technology and clearance, there's no way I could have left that clean of a trail. It would have to be someone higher up than her."
"Are you saying that Hibari is involved with this?" Takeshi had to shake his head at that accusation.
"Okay that is pushing it too far. Not only Haru, but Kyoya too? He may have been acting defensive of her but that's too big of a stretch." His commanders went silent. "What?"
"W-well Yamamoto-dono, what you're saying is that you trust Hibari-dono more than Haru-dono. What's the difference between them?"
"But that's what you're implying."
"No Yamamoto, you're not understanding. In terms of everything, Hibari and Miura should be on the same level. They've both pledged themselves to Sawada the moment he became Decimo. You've been on life staking missions with the both of them. You're on the same level with Hibari and have known Miura for 6 years. Yet now, you assume she is the traitor and he is completely innocent."
The thing with second in commands was that it came down to two factors. They needed to pick someone that was going to support them through thick and thin. That same person also needed to be someone that was willing to fight them. Basil and Lal were that to Takeshi. Both raised in the Mafia, they honed skills and knowledge that Takeshi could only dream of. They would support him in finding out who Hayato was but it was their duty to tell him when he was wrong.
"That's because Kyoya- he- she- she hired a civilian. Kyoya hasn't done anything."
"Hibari-dono is covering for her. Technically speaking too, Haru-dono hasn't done anything either. From a logical standpoint, she did tell you that she was recruiting. There is no evidence that she is a traitor."
"So I need to find evidence?"
"Yamamoto!" Lal punched the table in front of them. Beings above would know that it would have been his face if she wanted it to be. Guardian or not, Lal was not afraid of speaking her mind.
"Lal-dono, please calm down." She grabbed the man by the collar.
"Yamamoto, you need to get your head clear right now. You know that we would do anything to make sure that wedding goes well. If you go around willy nilly on this, you will become the hindrance on us. So answer me straight right now. Is Hibari and Miura, the people you have given your life to, traitors to Vong- traitors to Sawada Tsunayoshi?"
Takeshi had to think about it. He was so focused on finding out what they were hiding. Forgetting that prior to this whole fiasco, they would be the first people he would have trusted with his life. With Tsuna's life. It was easy to spread his doubts on the table. Staring at his second in command, tell her that someone of the same status that even she trusted was a traitor, his words got lost in his mind.
Adopting the CEDEF was never a thought in Takeshi's mind when he was picking commanders. They had exactly what he lacked though. Like Hibari, he had to stand by their side. Lal may be threating him right now but she was doing it for his own good. If he didn't listen to them then he would have been a complete loss cause.
The image of Hayato flashed in his mind. He kept trying to remember that day. That off feeling he got from him. Haru knew that he would join. There was something special about him that she didn't let anyone know. He knew the second he saw him and the way they interacted that he was the root of everything. The suspicion started with him. The problems started with him. That day they met in the broken down garage site, Haru could have told Takeshi everything. She didn't. That was her choice and this is his.
"She knows who the traitor is. That is what I know for sure. The fact that she is withholding information on this and involving an innocent is enough to get her role suspended. By law, not helping us makes her a traitor. A real Vongola member respects their fellow members. Not lie behind their backs when lives are at stake. She may not be the exact person we're looking for, per say, but she is going to be the death of Decimo if we stand around like Kyoya. He's doing it his way. I'm doing it my way."
Lal huffed out, letting him go. "Alright then. As your second in command, I can approve of that."
"Thanks." He smiled like nothing happened. It was his charm point. The happy baseball player without a single thought in his head.
"Yamamoto-dono? I do want to mention one thing that I found that was a bit strange."
"What is it?"
"Around the time that Haru-dono joined as a live-in maid, her information was changed with clearance from both Sawada-dono and Hibari-dono."
"How drastic of a change are we talking about?"
"Not a lot. Mainly I found that she took on her mother's maiden name after her father's death." Takeshi never heard about her father in any way. Her family was pretty much all a mystery. He knew that neither were still living but that was it.
"How did her parents die?" Lal asked. The question was on his mind but didn't bring himself to ask. As far as he knew they both died of natural causes. That didn't match with the darken expression on Basil's face.
"The file says natural causes for both of them. Her mother died when she was around 8 years old. Her father around 14 years." There was a pause. "However, from Haru-dono's files when she was taken in, Sawada-dono put her under therapy for long term psychological and physical abuse."
"Wait. Tsuna brought her in? She wasn't just brought in by a social worker to avoid one of the orphanages?" Basil shook his head.
"The exact day she was taken in by Sawada-dono command before he was Decimo was on the night he started to help out with the Namahage festival." A chill ran down Takeshi's spine. He knew about her fondness of the monster. He just thought that it was because she enjoyed her cosplay. To think that it could have been due to Tsuna. That she had been through so much.
He felt sick to his stomach. The Haru he knew was cheery. She had moments where she could be serious, but overall she was upbeat and enthusiastic. He found her to be similar to him. Before learning about this one fact about her. There was never a thought that she had a bad day in her life. The image of her completely shattered from this one detail in her life. Or the lack of knowledge of said fact.
He felt stupid. She was supposed to be a normal girl. A reminder of normalcy and happiness in his mafioso life. He knew that she had some sort of past for wanting to be in the Vongola. But not all people were haunted by their past to join them. He was an example. He only joined because of Tsuna. Turns out that they were the same. It bothered him that it was just for a way worse reason. That she never told him.
Takeshi knew that his relationship with Haru was mainly platonic. Comparing himself to Decimo, even Hibari, in Haru's mind it was unquestionable who would come out on top. He was the same. When it came down to it, Decimo was different for everyone. To him, he owed his life to him. Haru too. However, a part of Takeshi thought that being with her for so long would have opened up a bit. Let him help her even as a friend.
Then again, he never really gave her the opportunity to show her weak side. If she did so on a mission, they would have died. During dates she was trying to match his energy. Now thinking about it, they would somehow always end up talking about their jobs. The frustrations that came with it, how their meetings go, the people they met with the job. The main thing they had in common was that they were mafiosos.
It was only convenient that they dated. There was no real love between them that went past being friends. He was forced to question if she even saw him as a friend after all he heard today.
Coming back to the Vongola HQ he went straight to Haru's room. He didn't want to think about accidentally ending up at Tsuna's. What he would say if he did.
"Come in." He heard her softly say through the door. He braced himself walking into the familiar room.
He hated to admit it but when his eyes landed on her, he got scared. So many years seeing her smile brightly changed seeing her tired eyes today. Learning that she had such a history behind her smile. The smile that didn't greet him right now. What was scarier was that he didn't know if he wanted her to smile. Would it make the situation entirely worse if he saw something different because of everything he knew?
"Little late for you to be visiting me. Something on your mind?" She was the first one to break the silence. To snap him out of his trance.
"I could say the same to you. You're probably exhausted with all the bridesmaid duties." His steps felt heavy. Making his way over to her like nothing was wrong. That she was still the same girl he knew.
"Says the best man."
He wanted to demand answers from her. Confirm that she wasn't a traitor. Make her explain everything that she has done. All of her past, present and future. He couldn't trust her knowing everything yet nothing at all.
"Haru, how long have I known you?" He chose to dance around the idea. Give her a chance to admit something. Something to change his negative thoughts surrounding her.
"What's with that?"
"Just asking."
"Hmmm, we met when Tsuna-san became Decimo and I became second in command to Hibari-san. So I would say nearly 6 years now."
"And then how long have we been dating?" Tell him the truth. Bring the years they've spent together to fruition. Realize that he's asking for a reason and don't make him force himself any further down the abyss. 6 years. Did 6 years mean nothing?
"You officially asked me roughly 2 years ago. A bit longer I guess. Again, why are you asking? Is something wrong?" Did 2 years of dating mean nothing?
"Were you ever gonna tell me about your father?" The question slipped out. It didn't relate to the traitor but he needed to know. The real question he wanted to ask was, did he ever trust him?
"How did you find out?" That wasn't the answer he was hoping for. Then again, he wasn't exactly sure what answer could have been better.
"Basil was looking into something for me when his information popped up. He's your family. I deserve to know a bit more about him and you. But for as long as I've known you, I don't remember you once talking about your family. What happened between you two?"
There was a flash of emotion that Takeshi saw on her face that made him regret asking. Everything about Haru's posture made her look relaxed. It was night time so she had already finished her skin care and was in comfortable clothing. Her usual ponytail down, leaning against a wall, arms relaxing by her sides. It was only in that flash that he knew that she was in distress. Looking back at all the memories they shared, she was happy. He couldn't find a single time that she showed him her real concerns.
That tense look in her eyes. It was never there. Takeshi didn't know her at all.
"It doesn't matter now. I don't have any family outside of the Vongola." She turned her head to face the window.
It hurt. It didn't matter what hurt but it just did. Takeshi was done with trying to figure this out. Trying to prove her innocence. Pretending to be a perfect couple for the sake of it. He couldn't trust her if she didn't do the same for him.
"Haru," their eyes met after he remained silent, "let's break up."
When the words left his mouth he wasn't sure what he was supposed to feel. He couldn't even tell what she was feeling either. She was shocked, sure. But no crying or questioning happened. It took her a few seconds to process and she nodded.
"If that's what you want, then okay. Thank you for being a good boyfriend the entire time, Yamamoto Takeshi."
For a moment, he sort of wanted a bigger reaction. It was impossible though. She was trained, and raised, to not let anything sway her. These were the same eyes that he saw the day they met. He felt compelled to take care of her like she was weak. Like she didn't know the world out there. He only wanted to help her. She never let him. As quickly as she agreed to his 'confession', they had broken up.
"Haru-"
"Now that our relationship has ended, I would like to ask you to leave my room. Having a man here so late doesn't feel right to me. Rest assured that I would not let this affect our work relationship." He bit back his tongue.
Takeshi wasn't one to question further. He trusted his instinct above all. It led him to being the right hand of Vongola Decimo, saved his life so many times, and let him meet amazing people. So when his instinct said that she was dangerous, he didn't give any effort to fight back. But despite his mind saying that she was a traitor, he couldn't bring himself to ask her. He only nodded and left her alone.
He didn't like to dwell on things he couldn't control nor understand. Unfortunately, Haru was something he couldn't understand. And for the sake of his best friend, he had to learn exactly what she had planned.
Slumping on his temporary bed, Hayato let out a sigh. Now completely alone his thoughts started to run. He killed someone tonight. And surprisingly enough, it wasn't the act that shook him but the experience. There was something telling him at the back of his mind that there was more to the incident that he couldn't put his finger on. He clearly felt something the moment he saw that body on the floor. Fear? Confused? Anger? Nostalgia?
He thought of Haru's reaction to him. Her concern for him went beyond just her making sure he wasn't hurt. She could see that mentally there was something blocking him. Quite frankly, he was both scared and curious what would have happened if she wasn't there to snap him out of whatever he was in. He didn't remember what exactly he was thinking besides that it wasn't something he liked feeling.
He wasn't getting anywhere with this. His energy was fully drained today that all he wanted to do was sleep. But with his luck someone had to come knocking on his door. Feeling how much his body was protesting to get back up, he reasoned that Haru's stamina was crazy.
The knocking didn't stop though. He groaned when Uri meowed for her owner to shut up the noise. "I get it. I get it. I'm coming."
He got up, patting Uri who came to check out their guest. "I swear if this is what happens to my body after only one mission I'm only doing what the woman asks of me. No more interactions with that knife bastard. Or other mafiosi."
Hayato didn't bother to look through the peephole, assuming that it was only Haru or a hotel staff member. Instead it was the last person he'd ever expect to meet face to face. He could hear Haru's words echo in his mind.
"Hi. Nice to meet you, I'm Yamamoto Takeshi." Rule number 2; never speak to Yamamoto Takeshi unless Haru allows it. And something about him coming to his hotel room right now didn't feel like she gave her permission.