Title: Serendipity
Author: sllebswap
Characters/Pairing: Miura Haru and Dino
Type: OneShot/Drabble Collection (InComplete)
Genre: Romance/General/Humor
Word Count: 9174
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: 17/07/17
You've been Thunderstruck
"Good morning, Boss. Did you have a good night?" Romario greeted wryly in the hallway the moment his master emerged from his bedchambers the next morning, shaggy blond hair still slightly damp from his recent shower. He really needed to have a haircut soon, the retainer observed, and made a mental note to schedule in an appointment with a hairstylist as soon as possible.
"G'morning. And yeah, I did," Dino agreed in a content manner. He glanced at his assistant, flashing a faint, happy grin at the other man. The Cavallone Decimo was in a superb mood, and it showed in his relaxed demeanor and that gleam in his cognac eyes. "It's great to be home."
Haru was still fast asleep in bed, utterly wrung out from lovemaking which had carried on all the way into the early hours of the morning. Truthfully, Dino would have wanted nothing more than to sleep in with her – leaving the bed earlier had been harder than he had anticipated it would be. She had been so warm and soft and cuddly curled up in an exhausted ball beside him, and she hadn't wanted him to go, too. But by now, he was too well trained from the combined efforts of Romario and Reborn over the years to even consider neglecting his duties as Boss, even if for the span of a single morning. Fact was, these days, the blond was quite the early riser – his responsibilities were many and there was never a lack of matters that needed his attention. Dino consoled himself with the understanding that the sooner he got some things done, the quicker he'd be able to get back to spending time with his wife.
"What do you have for me today, Romario?"
The loyal manservant fell into place beside his Boss, his expression deadpan as usual.
"Well, the first thing I did this morning was have a team of electricians called out here to have their largest surge arresters available installed onto our power grid," he intoned rather neutrally. "After four separate blackouts last evening, I thought it prudent to beef up our power system so as not to unduly alarm our men in the future – some of the less discerning individuals had been very concerned about all the electrical malfunction going on and thought that we were under attack..."
His Boss had the sense to appear vaguely chagrinned. But at the same time, there was also a mild light of amusement in his eyes, coupled with a happy sort of pride at being the indirect cause of all this unintentional mayhem. It wasn't that Dino thrived on causing trouble, per se, it was simply more of a manly sort of satisfaction that he had done really well in pleasing his chosen female and this was the proof of all that mutually gratifying pleasure from the previous evening. No doubt his delightful wife was going to be quite mortified once she learned of all this accidental chaos that their lovemaking had unleashed…
"I think that's a good idea. Haru's going to have some trouble controlling her Flame for a while…at least until she learns how to properly channel it. I'll work with her on that."
Romario's brow lifted.
"I'm sure you will, Boss." As always, his tone was placid and bland, but yet somehow still managed to convey the retainer's actual thoughts on the matter, much to his Boss's consternation.
"Anyway," Dino changed the subject. "Did you manage to learn anything about the situation with the Biondi and Bruno Famiglias?"
The older man nodded at that.
"Actually, yes, I did. It's as Ivan has reported; they are determined to uphold the conditions of the trial and pledge to us. However, at the same time, they would also like to hold onto some of their autonomy, maintaining their respective Famiglias as part of an extension branch of the Cavallone, as opposed to complete assimilation."
Dino furrowed his brow thoughtfully as they reached the end of the hallway and descended the winding grand staircase to the foyer at the ground level. There, their conversation was momentarily put on hold as he accepted the greetings of the men who had lined up in neat rows, paying obeisance to their Boss as per what they typically did first thing in the morning. The blond received their salutations and exchanged words with his men, giving out praises to some while asking about the wellbeing of others – his meticulous care for his Family was what made him such a popular Boss, after all, and those who elected to call him their leader were some of the most loyal and capable individuals in the Mafia world.
Half an hour later, they were already wrapping things up, and Romario reminded him that there would be a meeting with the Cavallone Capos later that afternoon, the men and women in the Family who each led precisely divided sections within the considerable Cavallone territory, ensuring that operations within their individual districts ran smoothly, and that the Famiglia's businesses and interests were well protected. The monthly meetings usually did not take too long, typically quick reporting sessions just to ensure that the various territories were all being properly looked after, and that there was no problem that required an escalation of authority for their Boss to personally take care of.
"I'll permit their request," Dino picked up the discussion that they were having earlier, as they strolled to the back of the villa, towards the dining hall. "I think that will actually be best since I really do not wish to interfere with their internal operations. But if they are joining the Famiglia, then they are going to have to start attending the monthly meetings as well with the other Capos. Someone is going to have to bring them up to speed too, to familiarize them to the way we do things."
Romario nodded.
"Agreed. I suggest that we attach Crispino and his group to those two Families; their borders adjoin each other after all, and I believe the Bruno and Biondi Famiglias will be willing to accept their guidance-ship."
The Cavallone Decimo inclined his head. "I was thinking the same thing as well. Let Crispino know, and I'd also like to hear from him just how my wife who was only supposed to render relief aid to his territory returned to me having conquered two Famiglias and also became a Flame Wielder in the short span of time I was away from home."
Romario was very amused by his Boss's faintly aggravated speech. He also knew that the only reason why the blond was annoyed was because he was concerned about Haru, as well as the circumstances which she must have landed herself in in order for her latent Flame ability to awaken. By now, it was becoming very evident to everyone in the Famiglia that their Don was very fond of his wife…and thus did not take kindly to her being put in danger for any reason.
"Aaa. Yes, Boss. I will see to it that Crispino has his explanations prepared. By the way, both the Biondi and Bruno Dons have each sent their heirs to stay with us indefinitely."
Dino had to stop at that peculiar news, turning his head to his retainer, brow lifting.
"Whatever for, pray tell?"
At his question, Ivan, who had been quietly following behind his Boss and Romario, carefully interjected.
"Uh, Boss. Officially, since those two groups are going to become vassal Famiglias to the Cavallone, they figured that it would be a good idea for the future leaders to foster a strong relationship with us."
That made sense, of course. But Dino also had not missed the consternating tone in his subordinate's remark.
"And unofficially?"
"…Unofficially, those kids have grown very fond of our lady…and after she managed to complete the trial, those Bosses really liked her too…?"
The last part was spoken in an unsure manner, and now even Romario was looking at him. Dino's brow furrowed ever so slightly.
"What does that mean, exactly?"
Ivan scratched his head. "Well, Boss – the trial of challenge which our lady accidentally took on was supposed to determine which of the two Famiglias – Biondi or Bruno – would be the stronger one next Generation. Since our lady managed to fulfill the conditions of the challenge where the two heirs failed, the two Dons initially wanted to amend the rules of the trial to return the focus back to the two Families…"
"That's not very fair, is it?" Romario pointed out. "Our lady already won, unintentionally or not."
Ivan fervently nodded in agreement.
"Yes. That was what we insisted as well. So they proposed another trial for their heirs instead, this time centering around our lady. We quickly shot that idea down also, of course," the man with the Mohawk hair was quick to reassure his master. He hoped that his reply would be enough to satisfy the blond, but really should have known better.
"What was the new challenge about, involving Haru?" Dino asked.
"Well... Since the original trial was supposed to reveal which would be the stronger group of the two…"
"Don't tell me that they tried to do battle with our Lady in order to satisfy the aim of this ridiculous contest," Romario muttered. Ivan hesitated, but shook his head.
"No…they already knew that our lady isn't a fighter. And…the old Dons really liked her already at this point…so one of them stated that he'd be willing to concede victory to whichever of their heirs who…" Ivan trailed off, reluctant to continue. But his Boss and second-in-command were still looking at him attentively, and so he quickly, awkwardly, muttered. "Who gains her hand in marriage."
There was a long pause. Dino and Romario just stared.
"Marriage?" the Decimo enunciated in a dangerously calm tone.
Ivan nodded, and then quickly shook his head, a bit frazzled by Dino's sharp gaze. "Yes, Boss – but of course we very emphatically disagreed with that idea…! We also reminded the two Famiglias that our lady is already very much married and that no one in the Cavallone will appreciate their attempts to, uh, wed la signora, least of all you, Boss."
"Isn't that the truth," Romario murmured dryly. "Though aren't the Biondi and Bruno heirs a bit too young to be worrying about wives and marriages still?"
"Those two are the same age…sixteen, I believe," Ivan noted.
In other words, teenagers. Or more specifically, teenagers with raging hormones and who were also very fond of his wife.
"Our lady is unexpectedly popular, isn't she?" Romario noted, obviously drawing the same conclusion as his master.
Dino shook his head slightly.
"What does Haru thinks about the whole thing?" he asked, fighting not to sigh in consternation. Haru and the mafia was always a volatile mix, he thought.
Ivan shrugged.
"La signora doesn't believe that they are really serious and is, uh, happy to make new friends. She also made them go back to school for now…so I believe we're safe from those two menaces until summer break and the institution releases them for the holidays."
"Why do you call them menaces?" Romario enquired curiously. His fellow Cavallone looked rather put out by the question.
"Those kids are very…competitive with each other. Sometimes destructively so. And since they both decided that they really like la signora…"
They all paused for a moment to consider the ramifications. Then, Dino started to walk again, and the other two dutifully followed.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," the blond remarked. He did not appear too concerned anymore, but then again, his expression was impassive now, so it was difficult even for his own men to tell what he really thought about the entire situation.
Ivan was just glad that his Boss was back and he was no longer solely responsible for the safety of his mistress. As with many of the others in the Family, he had come to really like her and was happy to serve and protect her, but their Lady Cavallone was also very spirited and had a mind of her own when it came to doing things and thus did not necessarily make an easy target to defend. Ivan had lost count of the number of panic attacks he has had in the last two months alone, whenever he turned around only to find that his mistress was not where she should be, and also nowhere in the immediate vicinity…
Their lady was definitely a handful, but it seemed like their Don was able to keep up with her well enough, and that to Ivan only served to further solidify his admiration for the Master whom he so faithfully followed.
"Yes, Boss." Everything was going to go back to normal now that the Boss was home, and so reassured, Ivan moved on to the next problem they had been facing. While it wasn't exactly a pressing, life threatening, issue, they were a bit at a loss trying to figure how to deal with it…
"Should we also do something about the lightning deer that followed us home from the Biondi and Bruno territories?"
"The what?"
"Jo-chan. It's time to wake up now, Jo-chan."
Haru curled up tighter in bed at the quiet, gentle entreaty, coming from a familiar, beloved voice which she would normally be all too happy to hear more of, but just not right now when all she wanted was to be left in peace to sleep some more. The brunette huddled stubbornly beneath the covers, hoping that her husband would take pity on her and leave her to her rest. She was still exhausted and he had been the main contributor to her current condition, after all. She still felt like a puddle of well-loved…thing…and wasn't in any appropriate state for halfway decent human interaction this morning, but much to her tired aggravation, he was choosing to be quite unkind. She could feel the mattress dip slightly from his weight as he sat down on the edge closest to her, and then he started to uncover her from all the layers which she had determinedly burrowed herself into.
The young woman clutched tightly to her blankets, refusing to relinquish her protective coverings. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut and pressed the side of her face into her pillow, her voice muffled as she unhappily protested his action. "Hahi! Haru is really tired, desu! Don't bully Haru so much…"
He was silently amused by her response, and she could vaguely sense his weight shifting across the bed as he moved closer. The subtle scent of his aftershave tantalized her nose, as he carefully peeled the sheets partially off of her, and she could feel the tips of his hair brushing ticklishly against her skin…before warm lips softly kissed her bare shoulder. She shivered at the stimuli, whining a little in her throat.
"There you are," he murmured against her bare flesh, nibbling gently at the slender jut of her clavicle, even as he slowly continued to expose more of her from beneath the duvets, his large, lean hands caressing her in a way that made her drowsy senses prickle with growing awareness, her sleep heavy body slowly heating up more and more. She whimpered and turned towards him when she could not bear his teasing anymore, her arms coming up to snake around his neck, holding herself to him, her head tipped to the side as he slowly dragged his lips along the enticing line of her throat. She mewed softly, and his tongue flicked out to trace a tender, faintly purplish love bite which he had personally left on her the evening prior.
"Dino…" she breathed his name a bit shakily, and he reluctantly pulled away to look at her, his cognac eyes just a shade darker than usual as he surveyed her sleep tousled appearance and dreamy expression. She was so very responsive to him, and he did not think that he was ever going to get over how mesmerizing and attractive her particular brand of charm was. He cupped the side of her face with his hand, fingers stroking her cheek. She nuzzled into his touch, her eyes fluttering close again, as if she wanted to doze some more, even though already aware that she was simply prolonging the inevitable.
"C'mon, Sleeping Beauty. Time to get up. There are freshly made pancakes and scrambled eggs waiting for you," he cajoled. She cracked one eye open and gave him a baleful stare.
"Hahi, does Dino really think that Haru is someone so easily bribed, desu?"
Before he could even reply, her stomach did it for her, growling loud enough to make itself heard.
He smiled slowly at her chagrinned expression.
"…I won't say that you're easily bribed, per se. But you've exhausted a lot of energy last night…so I need to make sure that you eat well this morning to recuperate, no?"
She blushed at his words, a pale rose staining her cheeks now. She was really too enticing for her own good.
"Besides, we still need to deal with your little problem-" It was all too easy to coax her powers to the surface – her control was still very unstable and the faintest brush of his Sky Flame aura was enough to send her abilities crackling in response. She yipped in surprise at the faint static, sputtering.
"Hahi!"
"I'm sorry; did that jolt you awake?" His attempt at a solicitous apology sounded more like he was trying not to laugh at her frazzled response. She squinted indignantly at him, but she was in such a state of disarray that he could not take her too seriously. She rolled onto her belly and pushed herself up to sit on the mattress instead, the sheets slipping the rest of the way down her lithe torso, then pooling around the curve of her slender hips, and he thought that she looked really pretty in the morning light…and very well loved.
His gaze grew tender with affection, and before she could say anything else, he leaned over and kissed her lips. Just like that, she was promptly distracted, at least momentarily, before she realized her own condition and hurriedly batted him away.
"S-Stop, desu! Don't kiss Haru when Haru hasn't brushed her teeth yet!"
Dino was completely unrepentant, though.
"Hahaha, if the Prince can kiss his Sleeping Beauty after she has been asleep for a hundred years, I'm certainly more than happy to kiss my wife awake in the mornings."
"Hahi! That's because you just want to get Haru out of bed, desu!"
An hour later, Haru's mood was much improved after a shower as well as the promised breakfast. Dressed in a comfortable ensemble of a cream turtleneck pullover and well-worn jeans, she was quite happily enjoying her meal in the dining room, and even though Dino already had his breakfast earlier, he opted to accompany her as well, nursing a cup of coffee while he perused the newspaper by her side, keeping an idle eye on her as he did so. As usual, she ate with gusto and was happily complimenting the cook between bites, and he enjoyed the way she always seemed so appreciative of all the little things that made her happy. It was also probably why she was always so humble and easy to please, he mused silently – but that side of her only made him want to spoil her all the more.
He watched with amusement as she polished off two generous stacks of chocolate chip pancakes, a serving of fluffy scrambled eggs with cheese, and then finally washed them all down with a tall glass of papaya milk before proclaiming herself satisfied. Her appetite was certainly healthy as a horse's, that was for sure. Now reenergized, she jumped to her feet and looked like she was ready to go forth and conquer her day when he spoke up.
"What are your plans for today?" he asked before she could excuse herself, and she looked faintly surprised by his question.
"Haru is thinking that she wants to visit the stables, desu! Haru hasn't gone for the last week or so because Haru kept giving off electric charges randomly, desu…"
Actually, that peculiar problem of hers was still persisting, but she was tired of letting it run her life. Not to mention, she was already suffering from cabin fever something fierce and was raring to go out regardless of what anyone said!
He gently waved for her to sit back down, indicating that he still wished to talk to her, and after a pause, she obliged, watching him curiously.
"I don't think it's a good idea for you to go horse riding now, at least until you can control your Flame fully," he told her seriously, and the light of concern in his eyes was apparent as he watched her. "I really don't want you to get thrown off if you accidentally spook your mount with your unstable powers."
She looked disappointed by his observation, but knew that his reasoning was sound. Dino usually tended to let her do whatever she pleased, and only ever expressed caution to her activities whenever they were questionably alarming…or alarmingly questionable, whichever applied best.
The brunette sighed, forlorn.
"Hahi, at this rate, Haru's never going to get on top of a horse for a very long time, desu," she muttered unhappily. But maybe that was the wrong thing to say, for Dino, who was in the midst of sipping his coffee, nearly spilled the drink on his lap. He also started to look very amused once he recovered from her comment. He watched her over the rim of his cup, cognac eyes twinkling with quiet mirth.
"…You know, they call me Bronco for a reason…and you're welcome to get on top of me anytime you wish, wife."
It took her a beat or two to get the gist of what he was saying, and then she sputtered and turned beet red at his teasing.
"H-Hahi! What is D-Dino saying?! Haru is serious, desu! Haru hasn't exercised Mont Blanc for days and Haru is really starting to get stir crazy, desu!"
"The grooms have been exercising her in your absence," he soothed at her fretting. The beautiful chestnut mare which he had given her when she had wanted to learn equestrianism had become very dear to her, and she took very good care of the horse, just as he had taught her. "But I'm serious, Haru. No riding or going to the stables when you're still like this. I don't want you to endanger yourself, or the horses, or even the others working on the ranch if an accident really were to occur."
If there was any immediate way to quell her objection, then he had just gotten it right on the nose there and then. The mention of possibly harming others with her hypothetically reckless action was enough to stall her protests before she could even begin. That side of her that was always thinking of others would never allow her to do anything to bring danger to those around her. She slumped, rather downtrodden, and he felt bad for raining on her parade. Setting the cup down, he stood up and rounded the table, going to her side. He crouched soundlessly beside her, trying to coax her to a better mood.
"I'll assist in your training," he promised steadily. "You'll be back in control in no time."
She looked at him. She was trying not to sulk but it was hard.
"Really?" she asked slowly after a pause. "Haru is a bit…worried…desu… Haru does not want to keep hurting people accidentally, desu…"
Now, the true reason for her reticence was quickly revealing itself. He reached out and took her hand in his own, fingers entwining with her nervous ones.
"I know." There was such quiet, implicit understanding in his simple response that she could not help but look at him in silent gratitude. Of course he knew. Of course he was more aware than anyone else the responsibility that came hand in hand with the reins of power. "I'll teach you how to protect yourself…and eventually, also how to protect others. Okay?"
You're in good hands. Safe hands. Was what he seemed to be wordlessly telling her.
She slowly nodded. Her fingers squeezing his in return.
"Okay, desu. Haru trusts Dino, so…"
He smiled softly at her, and she trailed off, cheeks pinkening. They were already married for a little more than a year at this point and he still possessed the effortless ability to make her face glow and her heart flutter in her chest. Haru wondered if this was the kind of thing all wives experienced, or was it just her.
"Now, are you going to tell me about my love rivals or am I only supposed to find out about them when they are knocking on my door?" he sounded good humored, but she seemed more mystified by his question than anything else.
"Hahi, what love rivals?"
He lifted his brow at her. "The pair of romantic suitors you seemed to have picked up from the Biondi and Bruno Famiglias, both groups whom I have been told are very fond of you now, apparently."
Understanding hit, and she sputtered.
"Dino is mistaken, desu! It's a misunderstanding! Jiordano-kun and Anjelo-kun are really nice to Haru, but they just like to tease Haru a bit too much sometimes, desu." She brightened up a bit at the thought of the pair of teens, all the same. "Haru is happy to have new friends though – they are really fun to hang out with, desu! Haru thinks that they are like cute little brothers; Haru is also thinking that when Lambo-kun and Fuuta-kun comes to visit in the summer, then it'd be fun for everyone to meet and have a ball of a time together, desu!"
Ideally, that would be an interesting meet up…but then Dino also remembered that those Vongola kids were also very fond of his wife. He didn't think that the Vongola Lightning Guardian had quite forgiven him yet for stealing his Haru-nee-chan from their Famiglia, and the Ranking Prince was always trying to get her to visit Japan and the rest of the Vongola more often…
He shook his head slightly, still smiling.
"You're very popular, wife. One day soon I'll have to start beating off your fanboys with a stick," he teased, and she flushed slightly in response.
"Hahi, what is Dino talking about; Haru is not the one with five thousand over followers, desu…" she muttered back. And that was not even counting the admirers he had, both men and women. She was fairly certain that when he married her, many had also mourned that he was officially taken off the market… "Haru should be the one hefting the stick, desu!"
He seemed amused by the notion of her attempting to defend him from his admirers, but turned back to the topic he was intending to breach.
"I actually brought up the Bruno and Biondi heirs for a reason. When you interrupted the trial between their Famiglias – what exactly did you do?"
She frowned at his question, but he looked like he really wanted to know, and so she obliged him. She thought back carefully about what had happened that time before replying.
"Hahi… Haru really did not mean to interrupt the trial that day, desu. But everyone was fighting and it was a big mess and even Ivan and all the others in our Family were getting dragged into the brawl, so Haru just wanted it all to stop before people really started to get hurt, desu. Haru was told that the trial was something that the Bruno and Biondi Famiglias always did every generation to determine which of the two heirs is the strongest…but Haru thinks it's a really silly tradition, desu." She wasted no time sharing her thoughts with her husband. "If they all want to be stronger, then won't it be best if they just joined forces and work together, desu? Men are so strange sometimes…"
He could not help but chuckle at her matter-of-fact observations.
"Hahi, Haru is glad that Dino is not like that, desu." Her hand slipped from his, then softly stroked his cheek. He was pleased by her blithe affection, and his gaze softened.
"I'm sure you'll let me know how silly I'm being if I ever go down that path."
She nodded. "Of course, desu!" She took his hand again and tugged him up so that he wouldn't have to keep staying crouched beside her, and he obliged, finding a seat on the chair beside hers, pulled up close so that their hands could remain linked. It made her happy to hold his hand, and she traced lightly over those long, elegant digits with his gold Cavallone House signet ring as well as the simple wedding band that represented his commitment to their marriage, seeming to please her restless, energetic nature by fiddling with his fingers. She continued to speak.
"The trial which Jiordano-kun and Anjelo-kun had to fulfill…well, they were tasked to unlock a box weapon, desu – and whoever can successfully summon and release the unknown box animal within it will be labeled the strongest, the future leader with the greatest potential, desu."
The Cavallone Decimo considered the condition of the trial. It was simple enough, definitely – and it certainly made sense in theory as well. Everyone knew that the higher the purity of Flame injected into a box weapon, the more powerful its latent abilities would be drawn out.
"…Let me guess, when the two heirs tried to fit their rings to the box, nothing happened?"
Haru nodded.
"Yes, desu. They tried a few times but the box did not react to their rings…" she trailed off and started to frown again. "A lot of people got talking, then arguing and yelling, and then the fighting started, desu. Haru did not know how but she ended up with the box weapon. Everyone was duking it out and Ivan and the rest of our men were trying to keep Haru out of it…I think." She looked a bit chagrinned. "Haru was preoccupied trying to break up fights and might have accidentally made it a bit difficult for our guys to do their job, desu…"
He wanted to sigh at her admission, and eyed her wryly. "I'm not surprised anymore, but I do wish that you won't do that type of thing so often. What happened?"
She smiled apologetically, sweetly, at him, and then she continued. "Hahi, Haru is not too sure also, actually… Haru was running high on adrenaline because everyone was so worked up. …Haru remembers clutching very tightly to the tiny box and maybe wishing that she had the power to stop all this fighting…? Then there was a big flash and heat and-" she broke off and shook her head. "Haru still does not understand, desu. Then everyone was yelling for a different reason and they were saying that Haru passed the trial…but Haru did not even do anything! Haru does not even have a Ring, so nothing made sense at all, desu." She looked earnestly at him. "Haru thinks that the Box Weapon is probably faulty, or maybe rigged? Nothing came out anyway, desu…"
It was certainly mystifying how she had possibly managed to unlock a Box Weapon without a Ring to channel her Dying Will Flames, but then again, she was untried and stranger things had happened. He shook his head at her mystified comment.
"Actually, something did came out of that Box Weapon, perhaps in response to your strong feelings when you were holding it. It definitely also has something to do with how your powers are so unstable and volatile right now," Dino mused, and his wife was suddenly looking at him like he was most interesting thing that she had ever seen.
"Hahi, really, desu?" Then she registered the full impact of his words. Her eyes grew wide. "Something came out of that Box Weapon? How does Dino know, desu?"
He smiled mysteriously at her.
"Come with me; there's something I want to show you."
She was confused.
He had brought her out to the ranch, and also hadn't really explained what he actually meant earlier with what he had told her, so she was left guessing and mystified. It would have been almost frustrating, if her sense of curiosity wasn't so strong…and there felt like something was drawing her towards that direction which he was leading her, anyway…
"Hahi, is Haru allowed to be out here…?"
He glanced at her bewildered countenance, and then pointed to himself.
"Consider me your safety precaution," he added with a faint grin. "My Sky Flame has worked pretty well in absorbing and harmonizing your Lightning flares so far."
He wasn't wrong, and besides, having him around calmed her significantly, knowing that he would be around to keep her from going out of control should anything untoward happened. She nodded, but her brow furrowed slightly when she realized that they weren't heading for the stables like she had assumed, but towards one of the fenced pastures bordering the forests. They weren't driving one of the mini carts to get there also, so…
Her eyes widened slightly when she watched Dino release Scuderia from its Box. From within a roaring, blazing inferno, the Sky Horse stepped into majestic existence with a regal toss of its wild, fiery mane and a distinct, challenging whinny.
Haru started to smile at the sight of the sleek, powerful equine gaiting elegantly up to its owner demanding ear scratches and neck rubs; no matter how many times she witnessed this sight, it never got old for her. Dino greeted his horse and obliged the Box animal, rubbing down and praising the magnificent creature enough to satisfy its pride and vanity, and he gestured Haru over as well. The brunette happily did so – she really liked Scuderia-kun and thought that the Cavallo Alato was the most beautiful stallion she had ever set eyes upon, with his gorgeous form and rippling muscle tone, gleaming white coat all but boasting of excellent health and vitality. Scuderia-kun's impossibly sharp intelligence could easily be detected in the light of his keen, bright eyes, yet there also coexisted an exquisitely perceptive sense of empathy, coupled with that proudly spirited, irrepressible nature…
No wonder it was the Box animal chosen to represent the powerful and charismatic Cavallone Decimo.
Scuderia watched as his Master's favorite female wandered towards him. Fearless as always but radiating a curiously tender air of wonder and admiration, she went to him in that warm and friendly manner that seemed most unique to her. The Sky Horse shook his great head and snorted, then leaned in towards the petite, sweet smelling woman, careful to be gentle so that he would not accidentally knock her over with his great strength. He lipped her hair delicately, then bobbed his head and pushed his muzzle into her hand, inviting her touch.
His Master, exasperating furless funny looking two legged being that he was, only had a harem of one, by choice. That made little sense to Scuderia at all, since the strongest stallions always had the largest harems, and his Master was very strong. But then again, his Master also seemed to be quite happy with his one chosen female…and maybe Scuderia could understand a little, as she gave him the most blissful ear scratches as she always did, and her lilting voice sang his praises softly and warmly as she spoiled him thoroughly with her generous affection and adoration.
Scuderia whickered and pushed his head a bit harder against the young woman, seeking more of this blatant pampering, and Haru was nearly bowled over by the stallion's receptive enthusiasm, if not for Dino reaching out to steady her. Haru grinned and renewed her efforts at pleasing the equine. Scuderia was always so sweet with her that she did not understand why many of the other grooms working on the ranch seemed so terrified of tending to their Master's Sky Horse. It was just as well that Dino usually took care of his battle companion on his own, though sometimes Haru also enjoyed helping to brush out Scuderia's luxurious coat, and whenever her husband allowed his Box Weapon free run of the entire Cavallone ranch (which was most of the time), the highly inquisitive Cavallo Alato would take to following her around every now and then, since she would sneak him treats and also did not jump and scream like some of the other workers always did whenever he snuck up on her.
"Hello, Handsome-kun," the brunette greeted cheerfully, using the pet name which she had dubbed him. "Did you have fun with Dino up at the mountains?"
Scuderia snuffled at her and hung his head over her shoulder; he lipped at her hair some more and the ticklish sensation made her laugh. She petted the Box animal happily. "Haru has missed you too, Handsome-kun."
Dino was amused by his horse's interaction with Haru. The Cavallo Alato was typically quite aloof and finicky when it came to interacting with other people but it was just as well that he had taken a shine to Haru. Then again, his wife was always popular with young children and animals alike, so it was really no surprise that she had his Sky Horse eating out of her hand with such deceptive ease.
"Why does Scuderia gets to be called 'Handsome-kun' but I don't get any pet names from you, madam wife?"
She looked across the back of the white stallion to meet her husband's glimmering gaze. And she turned a bit pink.
"Hahi, Dino already has a lot of nicknames from everyone, desu!" she protested.
"That's true, but it's not like I can expect my men and associates to call me 'honey,' or 'darling.'" He was really teasing her a lot, she thought as she sputtered at bit at the mere notion of addressing him with such endearments. She was also honestly a bit astounded that he harbored such thoughts. H-Hahi…! He wants me to call him d-darling…?!
She turned redder at the thought, though she was saved from replying when Scuderia suddenly swung his head around and started to chew on his master's hair, of all things. Dino exclaimed in surprise, protesting.
"Scuderia, what are you doing?"
But the Sky Horse was determinedly grazing at his master's head despite what Dino felt about such an act. To be more precise, the equine was not exactly trying to eat Dino's hair more as he was actually attempting to improve his master's appearance. The Cavallo Alato was in a helpful mood and was trying to assist the blond in looking more attractive in order to better captivate his chosen female. Scuderia worried for his master sometimes; humans were always kind of funny looking to the horse and he often felt that his master would do better with a more prominent mane. Sure, the stuff on the man's head was shiny enough and all golden, but the Sky Horse's opinion of the matter was that surely his master would look even more impressive with a mane like his own.
Unfortunately, Dino was (for some reason unbeknownst to his horse) never very appreciative of his Box animal's efforts whenever the latter attempted to set his hair on fire. So Scuderia was resigned to grooming him the normal way, and while his master was also quite vocal about it, at least he more or less put up with Scuderia's attempts to fluff up his hair to make it more…outstanding.
Haru could not help but giggle at this unique problem that Dino was facing, much to his everlasting chagrin. He gently but firmly nudged his mount away, and tried not to grimace at the horse drool now coating parts of his hair and causing locks of it to stick up in all sorts of haphazard manner. Whoever thought that raising horses was a noble and elegant pursuit obviously had no experience whatsoever in the understanding and workings of equines. Haru was not too fazed by the antics of both her husband and his box weapon, though, and continued to pet Scuderia's neck even as she fished out a fresh handkerchief from her pocket for Dino to clean up with. He accepted her offering readily enough, by now already used to her amazing ability of conjuring up cleaning material from out of nowhere whenever necessary.
She watched him as he wiped off the worst of Scuderia's 'attack,' her gaze glimmering with faint mirth.
"Hahi, Dino's missing a spot there, desu."
"Hm? Where? Here?"
Rather than trying to guide him by spoken cue, she rounded the horse to Dino's side, reached over and took the piece of cloth from him, stepping up further to dab at his temple. He was going to have to take another bath later if he wanted to be really pristine, but for now this would do.
"Okay, desu. All clean now…koishii," she whispered the last bit almost shyly, much to his pleasure. He took the soiled hankie from her, intending to return it to her only after it had been properly washed and pressed.
"Koishii…huh?" he asked, smiling, and she blushed a bit.
"Is that not good…?" she questioned, and he shook his head.
"I like it. Call me 'beloved' more from now on," he requested, and she flushed even more. He was charmed by her sweetness, and the soft expression on his face indicated as much. "Come; you haven't ridden Scuderia before, have you?"
She was startled by his question, but she shook her head all the same.
"No, desu… Everyone knows that Scuderia-kun will accept no rider other than his master…" And it was just as well, Haru decided. The Sky Horse was a powerful and majestic creature and not just anyone could possess the steady hand and firm patience required to handle and work with it.
"I believe Scuderia'd be willing to make an exception today, just for you."
"Eh?" She looked at the white stallion, and then back to his master. Haru balked. "Haru does not think that's a good idea, desu! Haru has just started learning horse riding and Haru is hardly experienced enough to partner Scuderia-kun!"
Mont Blanc, on the other hand, was so much more gentle and forgiving, and Haru had only recently gotten more comfortable working with her sweet chestnut mare. The brunette just knew that she was going to be really nervous if she ended saddling up on Dino's Sky Horse, and that her anxiety was for sure going to translate over to the mount and affect Scuderia in an adverse fashion. Dino reassured her otherwise, however. The blond pointed at himself.
"I'll be here. Trust me." Well, if he said it like that, how was she going to refuse now? And Scuderia had appeared already wearing his bridle and tack…but there was no saddle. Haru looked to Dino again.
"…No saddle, desu…?" She had never ridden bareback before!
His response was to smile at her, and then he drew her to Scuderia's side, where the stallion had stilled obligingly to be mounted. His hands reached down to span her waist, and she hesitantly reached up to the Cavallo Alato's neck to brace herself. He lowered his mouth to her ear, uttering assurance.
"Don't be so nervous." He brushed a kiss over her nape, and while she was momentarily distracted by his demonstrative gesture, he effortlessly boosted her slender form on top of his horse. She scrambled up and threw her leg over Scuderia's back, and then she steadied herself as much as she could. It was strange not having a saddle on, though before she could worry too much about that, he handed her the reins and lightly, deftly, vaulted up behind her.
She stilled in surprise, but relaxed just as quickly – his presence was a relief, and she knew that he would not let her fall. His arm curled around her waist, gently situating her against him, so that her back was pressed against his chest, her bottom nestled between his legs. She was a bit flustered, but he seemed to take it all in stride, though he was faintly entertained by her fidgety behavior.
"Ready?" he asked, and she nodded wordlessly.
Dino nudged Scuderia forward, and the horse eased from a walk to a quick trot, before shortly transitioning to a fluid canter. And then Haru quickly became too busy trying to stay on Scuderia's back to worry too much about anything else. It took more effort on her part to maintain her riding posture when riding without a saddle, she noted, but it was also an amazing experience! Scuderia was several hands taller than her Mont Blanc, and so the view from over the white equine's pricked ears felt more…expansive, if that was the correct way to describe it. It wasn't any better or worse compared to what she was used to, but it was an interesting change all the same. The greatest difference between her dainty mount and Dino's Scuderia was definitely in power and speed. Haru was very fascinated by how the Cavallo Alato's dense, rippling muscles shuddered with strength and top class horsepower beneath her as it quickly and effortlessly picked up speed even while carrying two humans on its back.
Her previous hesitation fell away like a cloak; eyes sparkling, she started to lean forward a bit more and tried to move in concert with Scuderia's quickening gait. Her hair was flying every which way but she could only laugh with delight as they started to gallop in full strides down the dirt trail along the pastures, and her amused spouse gladly let her take the lead…not that Scuderia needed a lot of guiding in the first place. The Cavallo Alato was incredibly intuitive and intelligent, and quickly perceived what his riders expected of him.
He poured on the speed readily enough – he was the fastest and most graceful out of all the box animals for a very good reason, and that reason was being deliberately flaunted right now, much to Haru's glee.
They did not ride for too far or too long, however. Even though Scuderia could have easily gone on for much longer, Dino eventually interceded and made the fiery, spirited stallion slow back down to a canter, and then a trot, as they neared the furthest pasture they had that was bordering the woods. They were still well within the sprawling Cavallone land but Haru did not complain. No, the grinning brunette twisted her torso around and exuberantly threw her arms around her husband's neck, and he huffed out a surprised laugh at her effervescence.
"Thank you," she mumbled into his neck, still flushed with pleasure and adrenaline. "Haru is feeling really spoiled and happy right now, desu. Thank you for taking Haru out riding on Scuderia-kun! Thank you thank you thank you!"
She was so fervent in her sincerity, and he thought that he hardly deserved so much of it. She was so easy to please, he mused.
"If you want, we can go on more rides together in the future," he promised her, brushing a kiss over the crown of her head. She responded with a happy murmur of agreement and a nuzzle of his neck, and her affectionate demeanor was something he would not mind exploring more of if not for the fact that they were right out in the middle of the countryside…and there was actually a purpose for their being here despite what she thought.
"Let's dismount; I brought you here for a reason, you know."
Haru's curiosity started to grow anew and she nodded her assent, watching as Dino alighted from Scuderia's back easily before helping her do the same. She wasted no time petting the Box Animal enthusiastically, thanking the Sky Horse for the ride.
"What are we here for, desu…?" Even as she asked her question, her attention was already drifting towards the forests, and it was impossible not to sense the unusual energy in the air. Scuderia snorted and stamped his front hoof, shaking his head slightly in response to the presence of an intruder lurking in his territory. The Cavallo Alato was almost ready to whinny out a challenge, but a single touch from his master was enough to quell his restlessness. For now.
"There's something there, desu…" Haru trailed off, still looking off distractedly into the forests, frowning a bit thoughtfully by now.
"What are your senses telling you?" he asked her quietly and unobtrusively, coming to stand beside her. It seemed that she was already at least partially tuned into the creature that had specifically followed her back all the way from the Biondi and Bruno territories. She was fully alert now, her gaze focused on the tree line, tense, but still. She was untrained, but it was becoming quickly apparent to him that she possessed a delicate sensitivity that allowed her to connect to that escaped Box Animal…even though she had no Ring to concentrate her Flames with.
"Hahi…it feels lonely…desu…" she murmured, her chest aching just a bit at what she was feeling from the unknown source. Her hand came up to rest over her bosom, instinctively trying to ease away the muted, echo of desolation. She started to slowly drift closer to the tree line, her gaze searching with a slowly growing sense of urgency and empathy, needing to lay her eyes on and identify the unknown creature reeking of such mournful sadness. "Where are you?" she asked softly, almost as if to herself. "Come here; it's fine, desu. Don't hide alone – Haru will be your friend…"
"Haru-" Dino started to call her back in caution, only to stop when he noticed that her powers were starting to react once more, as she started to emit a faint, greenish glow of Lightning Flame. The dull, crackling sound of electricity could be faintly heard, as her innate ability started to respond and softly pulse in time with another slowly approaching, similar, light gathering somewhere beyond the dense cluster of trees that bordered their location. Dino lapsed into silence, his stance wary but vigilant, ready to intercede at any time, but watchful for now, willing to stay and observe the event slowly unfolding before him.
Haru did not appear afraid of the slowly growing consciousness that was becoming more and more concentrated and stronger as it drew closer to her, tentatively attracted to her warmth and inviting presence. The brunette was starting to remember just where she had first sensed this familiar presence. It was back when she was in the middle of that fight between the rivaling Bruno and Biondi factions; she had been upset and worried for everyone and she had just wanted to do whatever it took to stop all the fights and keep everyone safe…so it had responded to her heartfelt plea.
It had helped her.
And now, it was her turn to return the favor.
The dainty, graceful creature that stepped out quietly from beyond the shadowy forest took her breath away as their eyes met.
"Oh," Haru breathed, feeling like a tiny little part of her which she had not even known was lost all this time had just returned to its rightful place in her heart.
The gently shimmering form of a young fallow deer stood shyly by the edge of the woods, watching her with limpid, almond eyes that hinted of a watchful intelligence. It was small for that breed, but sleek and slender and really agile looking. No horns or antlers adorned its graceful, angular head as was the case for the females of most cervine species, but even without those armaments, its body crackled with a thin coat of potent Lightning Flame, casting it in a whitish green glow that seemed almost unearthly. It was hard to see its actual coloring with how it was adorning itself with its Flame, but Haru thought that she looked like maybe she was chestnut, with white mottled spots adorning her back and sides…and she was beautiful.
"Hello," the brunette murmured softly, trying not to spook the wary animal. "You helped me that time, didn't you? You didn't want to come out of that box at all, desu….but you did it all the same because I asked you to…"
Her brown eyes glowed with gratitude.
"Thank you."
The Box Animal continued to watch her, and Haru slowly edged closer, careful not to appear threatening to the Cervi Fulmini. Those long, silky ears prickled slightly at her tentative approach, but the doe did not retreat or balk. Encouraged, Haru continued her approach, until she was mere paces away from the animal. She paused, and then she slowly crouched down before the ungulate, so they were both at eye level.
"Haru is really sorry to have forgotten about you until now, desu," she whispered contritely. "You must have been so lost and scared, desu… Haru is really sorry…Haru did not know that you were stuck out here all alone all this while, desu…" Her gaze grew beseeching, silently apologetic as she continued to look at the Lightning Deer. She reached out her hand, palm facing upward, letting herself be vulnerable in this moment, stopping just short of touching the doe.
"Forgive Haru, please?" she asked earnestly, trying her hardest to express her sincerity. "Haru won't ever let you be alone anymore, desu. Please give Haru a chance to be your friend…? Haru is not very strong or powerful…but Haru will really do her best to help and protect-"
Before she could finish her entreaty, a soft, velvety muzzle nuzzled the heart of her palm, and the brunette's words died in her throat. The gentle, dainty cervine had lowered its head to her proffered hand, and it lipped delicately at her fingers, all too careful not to bite the young woman by accident. Haru just stared, stunned by the box animal's gentle forgiveness…and acceptance. She turned her head to stare at her husband, who was still standing beside his own box animal.
Dino smiled slightly at her gobsmacked expression. In all honesty, this was not an entirely surprising outcome, knowing Haru's natural affinity with the little ones and wild animals the way he did. Besides, if the Cervi Fulmini had not wanted to be found by Haru, then it would not have followed her all the way out here in the first place. Haru made a soft sound of absolute wonder as the doe took another step closer to her, and softly, curiously, snuffled her hair. The blond slowly moved towards the bonding pair, Scuderia trailing in his wake, both interested in interacting with the new Box Animal.
"I guess this means that our Family just grew one size bigger, now..."
::owari::
Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:
So, I'm still alive (in this fandom)!
…I do feel bad for staying away from KHR for a while, so in compensation, please have a super long, double chapter update! I hope you enjoyed it!
xXxXxXxXxX
FYI, this installment is the combination of Parts Four and Five of the mini-arc (encompassing Chapter 17-20), so for those wondering, this update neatly wraps up the whole arc. I'm also aware that this seems more like the beginning of a new plot than an actual conclusion, and you're not wrong if you made that assumption also, since my main intention for this mini-arc was to introduce Haru's box animal for future subplots and shenanigans.
Mission accomplished, and if you are even the least curious about what's going to happen next, then my job here is done! Hehe.
xXxXxXxXxX
Fallow deer are so pretty! Do you know that they come in four colors?
Whenever I think of Haru, I equate her to a deer for some reason (but you probably already know that, since I always purple prose so much and describe her doe-like features repeatedly, lol). They are so energetic and lovely creatures to watch, agile and fast, and I think they have a temperament very fitting for Haru, too! As such, when it came to picking out an appropriate box animal for her, it was really easy for me to choose the fallow deer!
Haru's Cervi Fulmini translates directly to Lightning Deer from Italian to English.
Speaking of Box Animals, I had a lot of fun writing out Scuderia also! He's really sassy and spirited, and I think the two box animals will get along well. Scuderia has a new friend to run with in the wind now!
xXxXxXxXxX
FYI, in this chapter, TYL!Dino is thirty-three, and TYL!Haru is twenty-five.
xXxXxXxXxX
Last but not least, this update is dedicated to Ilse, who left an anonymous review so I wasn't able to respond anywhere else but here:
Hi there!
I hope that you're feeling better, and that maybe this new chapter has brightened up your weekend a bit more also! Your thoughtful review was what prompted me to update this fic tbh, so thank you for that! I'm glad to read that you eventually got onboard with the marriage of convenience AU; the reason why I like this particular AU is because it really demonstrates the potential of Dino and Haru as a maturing couple slowly drawing close together over time, and I also really liked your comment because yes! This is most definitely the ship that's supposed to slowly grow on you…or at least that's my personal take on D86, ahaha.
Oh, I also wasn't aware that there were readers who enjoyed CEDEF!Haru! I do have a few chapters written out for that AU, so I shall put one of those up for the next update. :)
Regarding, Shokugeki no Souma, yes! Please do! It's a different kind of series from KHR for sure, but I personally find it lighthearted and enjoyable, so I do hope that you will like it also!
Thanks once again for supporting my writing and sharing your thoughts!
xXxXxXxXxX
Your reviews make me update faster; so please leave a comment if you like this fic!
-sllebswap