Here we go again!

But first, I'd like to say something.

Every single one of these chapters is written on the fly. I just sit down, and type whatever comes to me. I have a very general idea of how things will go, but most is on-the-spot. So if you find one chapter to be better written than another, it's likely because I was feeling more... I don't remember the word. Just saying, is all.

Ah dun't owun ze Khr- iffen ah did, ah reckun ah'd be one 'o de happiest peoples in de vurld.

A swirl of faces bustled about Haru, questioning, exclaiming, laughing. Arms reached out to

hug her, pat her on the back, shake her hand...(No-one dared shake Hibari's hand.) Tsuna's face loomed up, pale amid the bustle of colors. She squinted, trying to clear her vision, trying to clear her head, to hear the questions that were tumbling off his lips. Lips she'd never get to kiss, at this rate. The edges of her vision blackened, the world tilted at a crazy angle... Oh wait, that's because she's falling... fainting... in a hopefully lady-like fashion... was she wearing her shoes? Why think of shoes at a time like this? Reaching out for straws of normality? Funny, shoes don't seem a normal thing... oh, blackness. Rest. It'll be fine in the morning.

It wasn't.

Haru woke with a bang. Literally. Someone was shooting outside. She lolled her head to one side, looking for the source of the noise. Her cheek brushed soft linen. A pillow. Okay, definitely not on the roof. A tall glass window, stretching from presumably the floor- she couldn't see it- to the ceiling met her eyes. The sky was now dark, stars faintly visible. A sudden burst of colors lit up the deep black. Fireworks. Golden wheels, fuschia bursts, lime fountains... Haru sat up. She was in a large four poster bed. The covers,-oh so soft, must get some of this fabric for a coat- were a glorious burgundy, layered atop cream sheets. Not her room, then. Her bed had blue covers. Whose room was this? Oh, wait, guest room. Greece. Right.
The next burst of colored light lit up the darkest corner of the room.
Oh.
Oh, no.

She stared in fear as the familiar form languidly rose from it's chair. Who sits in the darkest corner of a room, anyway? Alas, random thoughts did nothing to ward off He-who-is-going-to-bite-her-to-death. Pity, would've been nice. So, so dead- at least, soon. Hibari strolled... nay, meandered menacingly over. He was the only person she knew who could pull that off. Not that she actually knew him terribly well, but enough to tell the difference between his "I'm annoyed with the world like usual" and "I am mad now" faces. This expression was definitely the latter. She drew up her knees to her chest. Protecting vital organs. She'd like to emerge from this with her liver and such intact, thank you very much! If she emerged.
He stopped just beside her, and sat down gingerly on the edge of the bed. She squeezed her eyes shut. Here it comes, say goodbye to life. I'll never get to open that costume shop...
"Herbivore." She cringed. "Herbivore, open your eyes." Yeah, right. So you can poke out my eyeballs? No thanks. "Open them now." His tone was icy cold, and he was most definitely grinding his teeth in frustration. Slowly, she complied. His glare froze her thoughts, panic being the only free emotion. "Now, why exactly did you propose to me?" Haru scrambled for thoughts, words, trying to shove away the bubbling panic. "I... Haru didn't mean to! Haru fell! Haru didn't even know that falling down means you propose to someone! Haru thinks it is a weird tradition, 'cause everyone would get married to eachother! Haru... Haru is really, reallyreallyrealllyreally sorry!" She bowed so low her face was buried in the bedding, muffling the sobs she was choking back.
Silence.
"Herbivore. It wasn't the fall. It was the apple. Tradition dictates that throwing an apple constitutes a proposal. Catching the apple signifies acceptance. I was unaware of this. The situation cannot be rectified. The engagement has been announced already." He paused and grimaced. "Announced to all the guests."
Slowly, Haru raised her head, smeared tear spots festooning her cheeks. Ever so gradually, horror crept across her face. "But...But that's thousands of people!" "Exactly. And I happen to be... connected to the Vongola family, which is the most important family, so it is unfortunately breaking news." "As in... across the mafia?" Hibari nodded.
She slumped backwards onto the pillow, and raked her fingers over her forehead. "What do we do?" "You mean, what do I do. As in myself " he stated. The brunette frowned, and shot up. "No, what do we do. This is my fault, and now that we're stuck with each-other, we're going to have to fix this together, and..." She blinked, and a queer expression flickered across her visage. I can't believe I corrected him! Now he's going to be even more mad. At least his hands are tied with everyone knowing, so he can't kill me... until after... Oh, shite. I will be even more dead now.
Haru snapped out of her little counsel with her mind, quite subdued. "Any way to escape this... this..." "Unholy union?" he quipped. She stared. He... had displayed a sense of humor?
"Um, that'll work. Um, any ideas?" Hibari merely fingered Hibird, which had appeared suddenly from the darkened edges of the swirled plaster ceiling. "Okay then, let me think.." she babbled, mentally reprimanding herself for sounding like an idiot. "Um, is that scary lady still wanting to plan this wedding?" "Unfortunately. She has already started calling up her contacts." Haru let one single, soft "Oh" escape. "So we can't claim a sickness on my part? I mean, I did faint..." Hibari merely stared at her, as if waiting for her oh-so-slow brain to catch on to some fact that eluded her... Oh, right. Access to some of the best doctors in the world, no doubt.

Slowly, she began to realize the downside of being involved in the Mafia.

"Errrrr... We could elope!"

Haru, for the first time, saw an expression on Hibari's face that no-one else would ever see. It was something akin to shock and horror, mixed in with disbelief. The world would never be the same. Then his expression smoothed, and she could almost feel his disdain rolling off in waves. She hurried to explain. "I meant, that way we could leave without marrying! It could work and... you're... I'll be quiet now."

Silence stretched on for a much too long period of time.
Finally, Haru sighed. "There really is no way out of this, is there? That lady'll be mad if we say it was just a mistake... I guess there no other way, except..."
She slid off the bed, smoothed her skirt, faced Hibari, and did a bob/curtsy/bow sort of thing.

"Please, feel free to divorce me at your soonest convenience!" she proclaimed, then turned heel and fled, nearly tripping over the rug on her way out. She fumbled at the doorknob for a moment, her fingers slick with sweat, then burst out into the welcoming bright hallway, cast her head from side to side, then stumbled to a run, bearing for the stairs. She wheeled around the corner, then froze. Down below, the party was in full swing. Like as not, they were awaiting the 'happy couple''s appearance. Gossip would fly if they appeared separately. The brunette leaned against the wall, trying to calm her erratic heartbeat. What to do?

Suddenly, her fiance loomed up out of no-where. "Hahi!" she shrieked. His expression didn't change in the slightest. "You understand now? We are good as conjoined at the hip for the evening. If you do not wish to spend the night in your room back there, you will have to spend it with me." "Fine! Haru understands." She briefly stuck out her lip, then realized how silly she likely looked. Instead, she stuck out her arm.
His eyebrow rose sardonically. "At least you have basic comprehension of social niceties." "Hmph!"

And so, for the rest of the evening, 'til the party began to dwindle down, Haru inwardly mourned not getting the promised dance with Tsuna, while keeping a cheery mask plastered on her face, as she whirled about the dance floor in the cooly calculating arms of her unwanted fiance and warded off the questions such as "Like, where did you get the guts to propose to that guy?" (From some redhead who went by initials instead of a proper name.) and "How long have you loved him, dear?" (From so many random females who obviously thought the whole thing incredibly romantic.)

Finally, in the wee hours of the morning, the crowd dispersed, and Haru called a pity party with the girls in her room. Copious amounts of ice-cream were obtained from parts unknown by Chrome, and Haru explained what had actually happened, and what a pickle she was in, over a very large bowl of mint-chocolate chip ice-cream.

Chrome perched on the edge of the mattress, a bowl of vanilla ice-cream cradled in her hands, as if she wasn't quite sure what to do with it. She cast sympathetic smiles at Haru constantly, though she didn't quite dare to hug the brunette. Meanwhile, Kyoko had one arm around her friend's shoulders, and in her free hand she held a bowl of chocolate ice-cream. I-pin knelt in front of Haru, sleepily licking her spoon. Somehow she'd managed to slip away from Lambo, and to have ice-cream without Lambo present... well, something must be up. Now if only she could stay up as well... this mango flavor is so good... so dreamy... dash it all, don't fall asleep!
She rubbed her eyes, and tried to focus on her friend's troubled face. The words falling off her tongue seemed to all blend together, into a soothing croon that was absolutely irresistible. The young Chinese girl's head slowly dropped to her chest. Not even Bianchi's sudden, flamboyant entrance was enough to wake her.

The poison mistress blinked at the broken window glass crunching underfoot, then dismissed it, instead rushing across the bedroom, multiple boas a-fluttering about her, hairpins askew. She seized Haru's hands, and leaned in towards her. "Is it true! Did you take the initiative, seize the opportunity, the day, and with your fiery love burning within your bosom, propose to your secret love? Tell me!" Haru quivered slightly. "I... I..."
Kyoko placed a calming hand on Bianchi's shoulder. "Let us explain."

Later.
"I see..." Bianchi stared down at the ground. "You do not love him... now." Haru nodded, "Yes, that's right... wait, now?" "YES!" Bianchi shot up, fist clenched, fire burning in her eyes. "You must NOT let this minor setback bother you! Allow the rivers of LOVE to FLOW! Break down the dams of self restraint! LOVE is a woman's true calling! I ALWAYS give my love for Reborn my all! You must make it your passion as well!" The younger women sat, awestruck. (Or maybe dumbstruck.)
"Okay..." The bride-to-be's voice trailed off helplessly.
"Excellent! Now, rest! You need your strength for this ardous task!"
She whirled about, and departed the way she came- out the window.

The girls sat (Or slept), lost for words. Somehow, though, the mood had moved from mournful to subdued, and they finished their ice-cream in silence, then picked I-pin up, Haru taking the legs, Kyoko the arms, and Chrome pulled the covers back. Then, by unspoken consensus, they all crawled into the bed as well. Sleep that night was warm, comforting, and ever so slightly crowded.

Meanwhile, Hibari lay on the rooftop, staring at the stars. He finally allowed himself to contemplate the fact that the herbivore had said "divorce."
He wondered if she knew what differs an annulment from a divorce.
Overhead, the stars and planets continued their dance through the heavens.
Morning was a long time coming.

Poor... all of them...

Reviews are appreciated, treasured and framed... well, not the last one, but you understand.