Title: Serendipity

Author: sllebswap

Characters/Pairing: Miura Haru and Dino

Type: OneShot/Drabble Collection (InComplete)

Genre: Romance/General/Humor

Word Count: 4384

Rating: T (Contains content not suitable for children)

Disclaimer: Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn belongs to Akira-san.

Summary: CEDEF Agent Miura Haru and Cavallone Boss Dino have known each other for a very long time, haven't they? Loosely interconnected one shot/drabble series. Multi-verse. D86.

Verse: Marriage of Convenience AU

Chapter Last Revised on: 04/02/17

The way you make me feel

He eventually found her mucking in the stables later that day, earnestly cleaning out the stalls whilst the horses were being let out to graze and frolic amongst the pastures. It was hardly proper work meant for the Lady of the House to do, but by now he already knew enough of her hardworking, proactive demeanor that there was quite literally nothing that she was unwilling to get her hands dirty for, and being helpful and being efficient kept her happy and satisfied with herself, so who was he to tell her what she could or could not do?

Ever since he started to slowly teach her the skill of equestrianship, she had also insisted on learning how to take care of the horses that lived on their property as well. Haru was if nothing a diligent and conscientious student, and it also helped that she had also become rather charmed by the elegant and highly intelligent animals that lived on the expansive ranch, so much so that she was also starting to spend more and more time in the Cavallone stables whenever she had moments to spare, simply wanting to learn and experience as much as she could.

She had an insatiable curiosity that was much like a cat's, he mused, and was always finding something to occupy herself even when left to her own devices. In many ways, her level of initiative was incredibly impressive, especially since there was precious little that he had to do on her behalf ever since she married into his Famiglia and then practically took over all of the domestic affairs of the Cavallone clan – completely without him even having to ask it of her. He also did not quite know where she got all of her endless energy and upbeat, positive enthusiasm from, but even his people were already mostly won over by their mistress's warm, effusive spirit as well as demonstrative care and empathy. It had been a gamble on his part to propose a marital union to the Vongola member, but this marriage had ended up paying off far beyond his expectations.

And therein laid his current dilemma.

It was not difficult to grow fond of Haru. On the contrary, she was so very earnest and genuine and affectionate that it was quite impossible not to notice that sweet, loving side of her once they started to live together as a wedded couple, especially so when he had already liked her as a friend and a person even before they got married. In her usual open nature, she cared for and fretted over him and always tried her best on his behalf in everything she did in the name of the Cavallone. The light of admiration and respect that sparkled in her eyes whenever she looked at him. How she always unfailingly greeted him with such undiluted, expressive happiness and pleasure, her pretty features all alit with unabashed, candid delight whenever he returned to the villa after a mission-

So yes. It was incredibly easy to open his heart to her, as he grew to know her better and better over the span of months, and then over the last year.

Unfortunately, while it seemed like he was slowly becoming more and more charmed by his little wife-in-name-only, she seemed to still view him in the role of a respected 'sempai,' and less as 'husband.' Dino was finding himself at a loss of how to proceed with this unusual circumstance involving his endearing, and also exasperating, spouse. Their union might have had begun as a marriage of convenience, but there was no ironclad rule stating that it was to remain so for the rest of their lives.

Some of his followers were very much amused by their Boss's marital woes. Some of them were even kind enough to offer (unsolicited) advice on what he should do to gain the missus' favor. Most of those were rather suspicious in execution and therefore Dino was at least wise enough to only accept their sentiments and goodwill and less on actually following through on those plans. He did have his own way of making his intention clearer to his oblivious wife, though he was also careful not to rush things lest he scared her into running straight for the hills instead.

When he entered the stables, Dino was promptly greeted by the rather charming sight of his wife dressed in riding boots, a snug pair of black riding breeches and a dove grey shirt hugging her trim figure, as usual throwing her entire being into her current self-appointed task, in this case aggressively cleaning out the stall she was in, shoveling all the horse manure she could find onto a waiting wheelbarrow, then diligently scrubbing the floor with a broom. She was so focused on her work that she did not even notice his presence. Most amusingly enough, she also had with her one of the orphaned wild foals that they were currently fostering, and the youngling was trailing after her like she was its mother, whinnying and lipping her hair and the back of her shirt for attention while she was struggling to pitch fresh straw to properly bed the stall.

"Hahi, Tiramisu-chan! Let Haru finish this first and then Haru will give Tiramisu-chan lots and lots of love, okay?"

The golden haired Cavallone silently took a pair of work gloves that hung from the wall of the stable and put them on, and then he grabbed another pitchfork leaning against the side and went to join his wife, who was currently being bullied by the baby horse, named aptly because of its cream coat with smatterings of cocoa brown dusted all over its flanks and back.

"Hahi, Dino-nii!"

Ah, she had finally noticed his presence in between a halfhearted tug of war with the little equine. He side-eyed her even as he effortlessly took over that which she had been trying to do for the last fifteen minutes or so, pitching a generous amount of straw all over the floor of the stall and then spreading it out evenly. Haru was very envious of his strength and reach, which were both far greater than what her petite figure could ever achieve.

"I see that you're busy getting mobbed by the adoring members of the Famiglia as usual, Jo-chan." His tone was good-humored, and she sputtered in chagrin.

"E-Ehhh, Dino-nii what are you doing here?" she asked, petting Tiramisu as she did so. The young foal continued to nose her affectionately, though Haru was starting to think that the young suckling was probably trying to score another bottle of milk formula.

"My meeting with the other Dons ended a day earlier, so I got to come home sooner than expected." He finished dismantling the last of the straw bale before turning his attention to her. By now, she was looking rather rumpled, bits of straw stuck in her hair and her clothes dirty and smudged from her stall cleaning activities as well as from the attentions of a hungry foal. She still looked rather adorable despite the general dishevelment, and he flashed her a smile.

"You look like you're dressed for riding, so how come you're cleaning out stalls here?"

She shrugged at his question. "Hahi, Haru did want to go riding, desu! But Haru also noticed that Mont Blanc's stall needed cleaning and all the other stable hands were busy, desu. So Haru decided to help...but then all the other stalls also needed cleaning, so..."

Haru trailed off and just ended up shrugging again.

He huffed out a soft laugh, easily connecting the dots.

"So you ended up spending all afternoon in the stables?"

She gave him a sheepish smile and nodded. "Yes, desu. But it's not too bad since Tiramisu-chan kept Haru company the whole time."

Said foal was once again chewing at Haru's shirt tail like cud, and a large damp mark was quickly spreading across the fabric, which was probably no longer salvageable.

"Hahi, is Dino-nii looking for Haru for some special reason?" the brunette asked, looking raptly at him now, just in case he needed her assistance for something.

He shook his head.

"Must I have a special reason before I come looking for you?"

He was teasing, but she appeared faintly confused.

"Eh...?"

Now, even Tiramisu was watching him with limpid but intelligent brown eyes. If Scuderia was here presently, the regal winged steed would have deliberately stepped on his master's feet for bullying the two innocents, even if in jest. Dino sobered slightly, planting his pitchfork against the ground and giving Haru his full attention.

"Well…I was thinking that since my schedule is relatively clear for the next day or so, and you also seem like you don't have anything pressing to concentrate on…why don't we take advantage of this lull to do something together?" he proposed casually, at the same time reaching over to pluck stray pieces of straw from her hair. She looked at him curiously, as if not quite sure what to make of his suggestion. But at the same time, she also did not appear averse to his offer…

"Hahi, do something together, desu?" Her eyes slowly lit up as she started to warm to the idea.

He nodded. "Mm-hm. Is there anything that you'd like to do?"

"Anou…" she mulled over his offer carefully, and then her features brightened as inspiration struck. "Hahi, can we have a picnic, maybe? Leave all the preparations to Haru, desu! It'd be fun, desu!"

She was already getting excited by the prospect, her eyes sparkling with the anticipation of tackling the project ahead. He smiled at her vivacious energy, infectious and warm.

"If that's what you want, then I'd be happy to accompany you for a picnic."

She nodded energetically. "Hahi, Haru will have some planning to do later but how exciting! Haru will do her best to make sure that this picnic will be a great success, desu!"

As always, she was so very spirited, and Dino could only see her zeal as an earnest enthusiasm and expectation of their upcoming date. She was just too endearing; it made him want to reach out and become even more affectionate to her, though he was aware that she would probably be scared stiff if he was too demonstrative now. So Dino took up the pitchfork again and did the only thing he could do for now, when it came to the subtle expression of his growing fondness for his little wife.

"I've no doubt in your ability to pull it off. C'mon; I'll help you clean out the rest of the stalls - hopefully before Romario finds me and ropes all the others in to do this as well."

Haru gratefully and happily followed his lead, though playfully fighting the mischievous Tiramisu the entire way.

"Ah! Dino-nii, did you sneak off under Romario-san's watch again! You're going to make him cry and panic, desu!"

"Hahaha, don't worry about it. He probably knows that I should be with you by now. Besides, how else am I supposed to spend some time with you if everyone else is continuously getting in between us?"

H-Hahi?!

Haru, who had been in the process of shoveling a pile of manure, nearly tripped over her own feet at his blithe commentary. Her head swiveled over sharply to look at him, but the golden haired male was already turning his attention to his task at hand, nonchalant as could be.

Sometimes Haru really wondered about her husband. Was he really as clueless as he seemed?

And what would it really mean if he wasn't?

Shakespeare once said, 'the course of true love never did run smooth,' and in hindsight, Dino should have known that when things seemed to be going over too well, then there probably was something wrong somewhere. This method of caution was especially accurate whenever it came to Haru, for some reason. It carried an ominous precision that was almost like Murphy's Law by this point.

There was nobody to blame, really. Sometimes there were just inevitable instances of miscommunication between individuals and in the case of this particular wedded pair, crossed wires and mixed signals simply appeared to be the norm for most of their more important developments as husband and wife. Truthfully, nobody was very surprised by this outcome, with perhaps the sole exception of the couple in question. For everyone else, this was only to be expected when i) one half was too humbly oblivious to pick up any hints of the romantic variety gently nudged towards her and ii) the other half remained honor bound by chivalry and the unspoken conventions of the gentleman's code to do anything too far beyond the pace set by his lady.

The retainers of the Cavallone Famiglia as well as their many members and affiliated allies were all closely watching this strange courtship dance happening between the Boss and his wife with varying degrees of exasperation and amusement. Their Don, the pride and joy of their Famiglia, was no fool, they knew. But at the same time, they also wondered if their poor Boss was ever going 'get the girl,' so as to speak.

When the next day dawned, and with it, the anticipated picnic outing, Dino was also eventually found wondering the same thing.

The tall, lissome blond had only just returned that noon after seeing off a visiting ally at the Cavallone-owned airstrip when he caught sight of the unusual happenings on their lands. With an equally quizzical Romario by his side as well as a handful of his men that had made up the cavalcade that day, they could only stare in surprise at the unexpected scene unraveling right before them.

"What in the world…" One of the men uttered, echoing the thought that he himself had in mind at that moment.

Because even as they watched, it appeared as though someone had randomly decided to set up a country fair right in the middle of one of the fruit orchards nestled closest to the villa, much to Dino's bafflement. Was that a vegetable stall that he spied in that corner? There was even a pony ride section on the other side, as well as what looked like a veritable smorgasbord of delicious smelling food and drinks spread across many tables in a happy-go-lucky potluck style, and live music generously provided by a group of hobby musicians helped to further liven up the cheerful atmosphere even more.

Last but not least was the amount of people milling around. Entire families; children, teens, young adults, seniors, you name it. The ambiance was relaxed, friendly, and informal. People were just chilling, chatting and catching up with each other while the younger ones darted around and played together. It was the epitome of a relaxing weekend brunch get-together.

"Did we miss a turn and end up in a weekend market?" Romario asked, sounding rather bewildered. The older man also frowned with rising confusion as he started to put names to the faces. Many of these people were familiar to him!

And indeed, they were. Members of the Famiglia, neighbors and tenants of those who lived on Cavallone land and around the region of Lazio, even individuals who worked for the various businesses and properties that the Cavallone privately supported, as well as their families, spouses, children, etc… Though the number currently present was not even representative of a fraction of the entire Cavallone network combined, this unofficial assembly was still quite sizeable, and still altogether surprising.

The more Dino looked at it, the more this gathering resembled a…picnic…to him…

That silent 'eureka' moment of realization did not take long to come over Dino after that, and it was just as well, since their presence was quickly discovered by those who were already there ahead of them. Dino's entourage was happily welcomed and brought into the fold to partake in the revelry as well, and after a while of greetings, small talk and pleasantries, he eventually spotted Haru from the corner of his eye. As usual, his busy wife looked somewhat disheveled and distracted at the same time, keeping an eye on multiple things at once while also interacting with the spouses and families of the various individuals who worked for the Famiglia, doing her best to be a good hostess and making sure that everything was going as smoothly as could be, and that everyone was enjoying themselves.

Dino had not even known that she had gotten so close and friendly with the families of his men. But of course she would. Of course she would. She was Haru. Was there any question? Now, Dino was starting to understand exactly what she had meant yesterday when she had excused herself right after they had cleaned out the horses' stalls and proclaimed with a purposeful glint in her eyes that she needed to 'get ready' for today's picnic. He had let her go mistakenly assuming that she had gone off to prepare in that peculiar way most females did whenever they were primping and readying themselves for a date, though he also remembered wondering to himself just what sort of preparation she had needed to put herself through to start that very evening.

Gazing at his endearing wife now, she looked to him like she might have had been roped into playtime with the younger kids earlier and there were still bits of leaves stuck in her hair as a result of all that romping about the orchard, and there was a stain on the hem of her pullover which he was willing to bet was probably another 'gift' left behind by one of the foals again-

But still, she was right in her element; her eyes bright and her cheeks high with color, smiling brightly as she spoke with the others with zeal and enthusiasm. Even he felt dazzled by her brilliance then.

She finally noticed him after turning from her interaction with the wife of one of the proprietors who worked closely with their vineyard. Her expression lit up and she happily trotted over to greet him as well as Romario, who had remained beside his master even while everyone else had already been dismissed to enjoy the festivities.

"Hahi, Dino-nii, Romario-san, welcome back, desu!" She flashed them a cheerful smile, at the same time spreading her arms apart as widely as she could, as if to encompass the entire cheery ambiance. "Welcome to the first ever inaugural 'Dino Appreciation Day!' We just finished setting up an hour or so ago. Is Dino-nii surprised?"

Dino Appreciation Day.

Surprised was an understatement, really. Dino was more astounded at this moment. Mentally connecting the dots, he also had some questions that he would like clarified…

"…Did you plan all this on your own, Haru? Since yesterday? After we cleaned the stalls?"

Beside him, he could feel Romario start in silent amazement as well. To be able to pull this off in such a short time…their Lady Boss must possess a hidden networking ability on par with that of the gods.

Haru nodded in affirmative.

"Yes, desu! It wasn't very hard since everyone whom Haru contacted was more than happy to participate and pitch in for this brunch picnic, desu! Just look at all the people who turned up! Haru was thinking that since Dino-nii is always working endlessly for the Famiglia, then of course we must be properly grateful for Dino-nii's hard work and effort!" she chirped at her visibly bemused spouse even as she gesticulated expressively to the gathering of friends and allies before them. "Everyone here is thankful and appreciative of Dino-nii, desu! Just as Dino-nii loves his Famiglia, his Famiglia loves Dino-nii also, desu!"

Her cheeks were dusted an exuberant pink even as she continued to smile sunnily at the blond. Dino was rendered momentarily speechless.

But then, unbidden, wordlessly, his gaze softened, and the smile he gave her was tender.

"…You honor me, Jo-chan," he murmured, visibly affected by her sincerity, so impossibly sweet and earnest. She beamed softly at him, shaking her head even as she modestly laced her hands behind her back. Sensing the change in the mood, Romario smiled faintly and silently dismissed himself, leaving the couple to interact in private.

"Hahi, if Dino-nii is happy, then Haru has succeeded in her mission, desu!"

It wasn't exactly what he had expected for today, but looking around at all the warmth and cheer that was being shared by the members of his Famiglia and their allies, Dino came to the genuine realization that, yes, he was indeed happy.

His Famiglia had always been his main focus ever since the title of 'Boss' had been placed on his young shoulders upon the early demise of his father. He had dedicated his life to the Cavallone, and would continue to do so for as long as he lived. The protection and continued prosperity of his House and all of the members who thrived under his name, who depended on him, was the most important reason that drove him in all of his work and involvement with the Mafia world. That Haru had so clearly understood and grasped his motivations for doing what he did, and in her own way, had even made the point to celebrate his effort out of nothing but a pure, unselfish wish for his happiness…

He had never quite had anyone do anything like this for him before.

To think, he had originally proposed that they spend more time together in an attempt to get to know her better, to woo her. In the end, she was the one who always surprised and touched him with her earnest sentiments more often than not, and with her usual blissfully guileless, unexpected charm. Dino just knew it when he had been thoroughly bested. Had he even had a fighting chance from the beginning, even?

His gaze remained centered on this amazing young woman who also happened to be his wife. His.

Wordlessly, he gestured for her to come closer to him. When she obliged curiously, he lifted his arms, rested them over her shoulders, and leaned in.

Her eyes grew wide at his unexpected proximity, and when his lips brushed softly against her cheek, she stilled utterly in complete surprise. It felt like he was there with her ensconced in the warm cage of his embrace for a long time before he started to pull away, and Haru had not even known that she had held her breath the entire while, a startled, deer-caught-in-headlights look on her face as she stared at him. It was as though they were the only two people existing on this very plane right now, as everything and everyone else faded into the background.

That faint, utterly gentle smile stayed on his face as he reached up and pulled out the few pieces of stray leaves stuck in her hair, at the same time taking the opportunity to tuck loose, flyaway chocolate brown strands behind her ear, long fingers softly tracing the delicate line of her jaw. His baritone sounded like a low, flitting caress as he murmured, and she could not help but tremble at the intimacy of the moment.

"You make me a very happy man, Haru. Thank you."

It did not sound like he was merely thanking her for organizing this surprise gathering…

"D-Dino-n-nii," she stammered, caught in the subtle, intangible snare of his warm regard, so soft and openly affectionate that many little butterflies immediately fluttered into existence within the pit of her stomach. She looked a bit dazed, but also vaguely confused by her own reaction. Her heart was squeezing in her chest at that way he was looking at her, so unguarded and openly fond. She bit her lip, uncertain. Her cheeks glowed when his gaze fell onto her mouth, his eyes darkening ever so slightly, before he dragged them away with visible effort.

She wondered what he was thinking, and also if it was wrong of her to think about what his kisses would feel like peppering her skin and then taking possession of her mouth…

Haru's face silently suffused with color, and suddenly, it was impossible for her to look at Dino-nii anymore. Oh, gods.

He ended up reaching for her hand, and she shyly nestled her smaller appendage in his. Their difference in physiques was never more obvious; her hand was like a little bird sitting in his own larger, stronger, callused one, and he held her with an exquisite amount of care. She stared at their linked appendages with a strange sort of curious wonder. It was not the first occasion where they had held hands…but somehow, the intimate gesture felt so different, this time around.

"C'mon," he urged, flashing her a slight, lopsided smile, friendly and subtly easing off on the intensity, lest he spooked her off with his intention, harder and harder to keep completely under wraps as their relationship slowly flourished. "Will you take me on a tour of this, uh, 'Dino Appreciation' picnic, Madam Wife? I think that everyone is waiting for us to rejoin the festivities."

She brightened at his suggestion, and nodded.

"Y-Yes, desu! Everyone really worked hard to make today a success! Dino-nii, remember to try the red wine hot chocolate that Castella-san made, desu! Haru has never had that combination before but it tasted really good-"

Her slim fingers intertwined with his, and she happily squeezed his digits in her renewed zeal. Now, she was the one pulling him along back into the crowd, her earlier hesitation momentarily dispelled. She had always been a tactile creature, and so it didn't take long for her to get over her initial uncertainty over their handholding; still new and slightly peculiar and all too wondrous. Having a purpose (even if a rather superficial one) to serve as 'guide' made it easier for Haru to take their slowly evolving relationship in stride, and for that alone, Dino was happy to let her set the pace.

For the rest of the day, their palms remained pressed together, heart to heart, skin on skin, fingers clinging.

Who would have thought that the simple act of handholding could be so intimate?

::owari::

Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:

February 4th is Dino's birthday, so of course I had to put up something to celebrate our male protagonist's special day! I thought it was fitting to have a 'Dino Appreciation Day' theme, and besides, we all know who the resident expert is when it comes to throwing the best 'appreciation' parties, hahaha.

I hope that the dichotomy between this installment and chapter 12's 'You're a falling star,' is apparent enough, since it does mark the slow, inevitable paradigm shift of their initial relationship to something…more.

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For those who were wondering, Mont Blanc is Haru's chestnut mare which had been gifted to her by Dino when Haru started to take up horse-riding. Also, three guesses as to who named her (as well as Tiramisu-chan), and the first two doesn't count!

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FYI, in this chapter, TYL!Dino is thirty-three, and TYL!Haru is twenty-five.

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Last but not least, I'd really like to give a shout out to all the wonderful reviewers for taking the time and effort to leave such lovely comments for Serendipity. You all have no idea how often I had toyed with the idea of giving up on this fic and moving onto another fandom altogether, as well as how much your kind words and support had encouraged me to keep going instead.

Thank you very much! Hope that all of you enjoyed this chapter! :)

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Your reviews make me update faster; so please leave a comment if you like this fic!

-sllebswap