Okay! So this will be the last update for a while, and then I will go back to updating but monthly. If you want to check out when else I will update, feel free to visit my Deviant Art page as Kuro-Neko-Chan-007.

Once again, I just want to thank everyone for all the reviews I've gotten and those that I haven't replied to I apologize. I keep them housed in my email just to remind me that people like me ;) I'm vain like that. But I still appreciate each and every comment that I've gotten because they tell me I'm doing something right. I thank you all soooo much for that. And don't worry; the end is far from near.

So read, rate, review, and keep on your toes for the antagonist of the century: a girl's mother.

My nose tickled as the smell of rotten sewage roused me from unconsciousness. I kept my eyes closed as the aching feeling in my bones came back full force, giving me a majorly painful headache. My whole body felt like it was throbbing in time to my heartbeat and my arms felt like they had been pulled out of joint.

Finally, I cracked open a lazy eye. I was startled to see filthy concrete walls and ceilings, darker with an ominous blue green hue from a flickering light from nowhere. Gratuitous graffiti covered every square of wall available, confusing me greatly from my previous recollections. My memory was roused as Yamada's evil grin filtered through my hazy mind. I remembered Gokudera and me kissing under the firework lights and him leaving to find our other friends. And then I remembered...I remembered...

"Wakey wakey Princess," a voice sneered from somewhere outside my line of vision.

I struggled to bring myself up to a semi-sitting position, hissing as my hands and wrists hit hard concrete. I looked down, surprised I was still wearing my—now smudged—pink yukata. My fingers then flew to my head, gingerly running over the knot growing in the back of my crown and bumping into smooth wood. I had lost the sateen rose somewhere in the journey from the festival grounds to wherever I was, but Gokudera's present had remained. I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Aiko stepped into my line of sight, looking as ominous as ever with her form blocking the only source of light. She towered over me like a dark giant in stylish clothes, with a light leather jacket and a short black skirt on her hips contrary to the traditional custom. I could see her perfect teeth glinting as though she was watching a show instead of me shivering in my light yukata.

"You are one hell of a minx, aren't you?" She sneered, biting her perfect red lip. "You snub me and then have the gall to kiss Gokudera. And during the firework show...hah!" She shook her head in disbelief, though she didn't look amused by the situation. "I try and play it nice and look at what you do. I don't know who the hell you think you are but…" She grinned at my crumpled form with a sickly pleasurable smile. "…You won't be forgetting after tonight. The other girls learned that lesson quickly, too."

Immediately, I felt two hands on the back of my head, yanking and pulling me backwards. I yelped and flinched, finding myself in the burly grasp of two grossly disproportional thugs. The one on my left leered at me with a disgusting stench visibly rolling from his mouth in a sickly green. He held my hair in a death grip with cracked, unfiled nails alongside the thug on my right. His eyebrow and lip protruded outwards in a permanent swell with numerous boils and pimples littering his nose and chin. I could see the lust in their eyes, but I couldn't decipher if it was for blood or something else.

Yamada then leaned down as well, snapping her fingers expectantly. The burly man on my right that I then nicknamed Toad-Face handed her something from his pocket and she flicked it open with a creepy click. I gasped upon realizing it was a pocketknife, shimmering in the low light like a scene from The Shining.

Yamada touched it to my neck, leaning in even closer. I could smell her cherry perfume and the green tea ice cream off her breath. The smells made my head swirl, and I felt dizzy in the men's firm grasp.

"The only way to keep a guy," she whispered vehemently, sliding the ice cold blade along my exposed neck. "Is to make sure there are no other girls to steal him away."

"Bi…tch…"

"Tut, tut Miura. Didn't your parents ever teach you language? Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot," She grinned even wider, if it were even possible. "Your dad left because he preferred some slut over your mom, right?"

The words cut me even deeper than the blade could. It took me back to days after my dad walked out. In a fit of one my mom's depressed episodes, she had managed to dial my dad's blackberry number. I had managed to get on the other line, listening on a separate phone as Mom begged and pleaded for him to reconsider, saying how much she missed him, how I needed my father, and how she loved him.

He had sighed lowly, and I could see him shaking his head over the line from wherever he was in the world. "Haruko, this isn't a good time. For god's sake, I don't love you anymore. And I'm done pretending that I am."

I could only sit there, shell-shocked with my hand covering the speaker as my mom went on another tangent, asking him to come back. This conversation had only served to fuel my anger for my father and my mother never mentioned it to me. Though every once in a while, I would see her cradling the phone in her hands, obviously debating on whether to dial the number or not.

I often wondered, would Gokudera be the kind of guy who would come back for me if I begged enough?

Yamada seemed to take my silent moment of pensiveness as a sign of me giving up, because she moved the blade from my neck to my hair. It shredded instantly under its sharp touch.

She stepped away, a large handful of my hair and the comb clenched in her hand triumphantly. "Hah!" She squealed delightedly. "What now, cunt?"

"Give it back!" I managed to sputter as I came to my senses.

Aiko shrugged and dropped the comb on the ground in front of me. But before I could wrench an arm free and grab it, Yamada's stiletto heel struck the comb, splintering it instantly. She laughed evilly at my frozen face before flipping her hair over her shoulder dismissively.

"Do it already," She commanded offhandedly. She spun around on her heel, waving dismissively as she clicked away. "I'm done with her now, she's all yours."

As soon as the order was given, I screamed as Toad-Face took a beefy hand and clamped it on my mouth. Troll-Breath took the opportunity to slip a greasy hand up my leg and under my yukata.

I continued to scream and writhe as the hands continued roaming over and under my clothes. Luckily, Mom's skilled obi skills gave the men no chance at exploring any further than my legs and part of my chest. At one point, I was pushed back as Troll-Breath groped my chest and I could feel Toad-Face's hard length pressed against my back.

I screamed again, though slowly losing breath as the hand continued to restrict my airway.

Finally, against my will, my eyelids fluttered closed.

Suddenly, the hand on my thigh and chest vanished.

My eyes flew open just in time to see Troll-Breath being slammed up against a concrete column. Then, the hand on my mouth and stomach vanished and I whirled around to see Toad-Face fall flat on his deformed face from a blow to his head.

All of a sudden, a hand was extended in front of me. "You okay?"

My eyes slowly trailed up. I was immediately relieved to see Gokudera's concerned face looking down on me. "Oh thank god," I murmured hoarsely, coughing in the process.

Gokudera bent down and wrapped me in an embrace. I felt his ringed fingers run through my hair comfortingly as the smell of nicotine hit me harder than usual. I gave a strangled chuckle. "You smoked before you came to save me?"

"I smoke when I'm angry." He muttered into my shoulder. "Or scared like shit." He retreated back, looking me in the eyes. "You hurt anywhere?" He asked as he ran his hands over my shoulders and arms, checking for injuries.

I shook my head, my hair flopping into my eyes. I immediately remembered my unwanted haircut, reaching out to grab them anxiously. They sat in my palm, uneven and split in several places, making my heart sink at the image. "It's not too bad, is it?" I questioned, my fingers wrapping around the locks nervously.

Gokudera chuckled and shook his head. "Didn't I tell you?" He murmured, running his fingers through my hair. He tucked one strand behind my ear before whispering like he was revealing a secret "I have a huge thing for short-haired girls."

I gave another strangled chuckle, allowing Gokudera to press his lips to my forehead. He stood, extending his arm again to help pull me into a standing position. He wrapped an arm around my waist as I wobbled on my feet.

"Oh wait! My comb—"

"I'll buy you a new one," Gokudera offered, sidestepping the splintered mess and leading me away. "I only knocked those guys out for a little while; they should be coming to soon."

"How'd you even find me?"

"Yes Gokudera, how did you find us?"

My head spun as Yamada stepped out from behind another concrete pillar. She crossed her arms and glared at Gokudera with an expression I couldn't pinpoint.

Gokudera grinned. "Fat kid told me. Made me buy him a ton of Takoyaki before he would tell me. He must've had like four boxes and sucked 'em all up like a vacuum cleaner. Don't need to tell you he puked immediately afterwards too."

Yamada shrugged. "Doesn't matter. What matters is—"

"—What matters is you hurt Haru!" Gokudera snarled, his voice reaching a dangerous level. "And no one gets away with that, even if they are a girl!"

I had only ever heard his voice reach that level once when we had been walking home from school one day while his bike was in the shop. A punk with green and black hair and multiple piercings littering his face and ears stepped out of a dark alley and demanded that Gokudera fight him in revenge of his defeated gang.

Gokudera refused, saying he had better things to do than to make an idiot cry (I paraphrased).

The punk had growled lowly to himself before turning his attention to me with a suspicious eye. He smirked. "You mean like banging this slut? I didn't know you were into grade school chicks."

Before I could even interject my comeback, Gokudera's fist had connected with his face so hard that he caught his knuckles on his piercings. His knuckles were dripping red as the punk howled and fell over.

I frantically tried to wrap his hand in my scarf before it got infected but he wouldn't hear it. I finally managed to walk him away, calming him down with the promise of beef curry in the next day's lunch.

The punk then took his chance to run off, but didn't escape Gokudera's eye. The punk ducked as Gokudera tossed rock after rock at his retreating back. "Yeah, that's right, you better run!" He called after. "If I ever hear you talking smack about my girl again, I'll do more than just break your fucking jaw!"

Yamada had seemed taken aback by Gokudera's anger. It was almost as if she was surprised his voice could reach that decibel, let alone let menacing words pointed in her direction.

Her perfect looks were peeling again. Her hair was curling in greasy strands and even from a distance I could see the early signs of acne. I could hear the nose whistle as her eyes shrank into a crazy red frenzy.

"Wh..."She stuttered stupidly. "What did you say to me?"

"You heard me," Gokudera growled back. His arm swept behind back before going to his pocket. A whiff of nicotine flooded my nose when I realized that Gokudera had lit a cigarette and had it stuck in his lips.

And a long cylindrical tube of dynamite was poised in his fingers.

I gasped as Yamada shrieked in fear. My hands frantically went to his, holding him back as best I could. "Don't! Please, don't!" I begged. "She's not worth it!" Please!"

"I'll have a go at anyone that hurts you!" I heard him snarl back. "She'll never leave me or you alone unless I teach her that lesson!"

"Look at her!" I screeched, pointing at Yamada. She had fallen to the ground in the midst of her escape, breaking a tall stiletto in the process. Her crazy-eyed glare had morphed into one of pure terror and fear for her life. She shook on the concrete like a pitiful little bird, looking small and weak in comparison to her cool appearance from before. "Look at her and tell me she deserves to be blown up like a holiday balloon, huh?" I argued. "Tell me she's worth it!"

This thought seemed to shake Gokudera's motivation because the firepower in his hand went back to his pocket. A smoky sigh escaped his lips before flicking the white cigarette away. I crept up to his side, watching the bloodthirsty look slowly drain from his face.

"Fine," He muttered tiredly. "You and Boss somehow always know how to make me come back to my senses." Another puff of smoke escaped his lips before turning his attention to me.

I could see his eyes soften as his irises caught on the scraggly edges of my hair and my muddied and bloody face. His large hand touched my face tenderly before slipping behind my neck to pull me into his arms.

"Only for you," he murmured, kissing the side of my face while I wound my arms around to his back.

I swallowed hard as the thumping in his ribcage under my ear soothed my own erratic heartbeat. After several long minutes, I sneezed as the cool air seeped into my bones through my thin yukata. Gokudera chuckled in spite of himself and pulled away. "Cold?" He asked wryly, already knowing my answer.

I sniffed and nodded. I was rewarded with Gokudera's jacket slung onto my shoulders. I couldn't resist burying myself into the remaining body heat, enveloping my nose in the comforting smell of oranges and cigarettes.

Gokudera smiled down on me one last time before turning back to Yamada, who was now apparently trying to crawl away as silently as she could. "Oy."

Yamada froze, mid-crawl. Gokudera crossed his arms as Yamada turned around to meet his glaring eyes. "Get out of here," He barked. "Now. And if I see you around Haru again, well…" His eyes narrowed further in a violent green. "…I think you get the idea."

I watched the color drain from Yamada's face before she managed to scramble to her feet and running away. I giggled when I heard her yelp as she tripped over a hole in her stockings.

A warm hand touched my shoulder and a pair of lips kissed the shell of my ear. "Time to go home," The normally warm voice whispered. "I gotta get you warm so I can get my jacket back."

"Alright sweetie, you're all set."

The whoosh of cloth was familiar as it was quickly yanked off my neck. My hands immediately went to my hair, the unfamiliar feeling of less weight on my head strange. My eyes blinked as the form in the mirror in front of me blinked as well. But it was a form I didn't recognize. My head swiveled occasionally, surveying the visage from all the angles.

Early that morning, I woke up and quickly fixed my mother an easy breakfast before she awoke. I then walked the six block trek to the local hair salon down the street to correct the damage Yamada's knife had made to my hair.

Nita, the only barber who would actually be willing to open so early in the morning, gasped when she saw me. I hovered like a ghost on her shop mat, floating on spindly legs. Gokudera had walked me home and saw to my safety, but even he couldn't chase away the nightmares that plagued me for the rest of the night. By the time I had managed to shake them off to get some decent sleep, the alarm clock had roused me from any chance of slumber.

The image in the mirror still was laden with sleepy eyes, dark circles layered under their irises. But now, instead of a scraggly mess of mane and whatever gunk had knotted its way into my hair, the resulting appearance was that of a normal highschool girl with brunette bobbed hair. It bounced with movement and was straightened to a perfect line around my cheeks and earlobes. It felt light and airy and Nita had taken pity on my habit of pinning my hair back to slip two bejeweled pins by my temple.

"…Wow…" I mumbled, my fingers still winding in my tresses.

"You like it?" Perky Nita couldn't resist asking.

"It's…definitely an improvement from what it was before…" I slurred, still uncertain as to how I truly felt about my unwilling haircut.

"But…do you like it?"

I shrugged, deciding it wasn't worth hating. "It'll take some time for me to get used to it, but…yes, I do. Thank you Nita," I turned to my ruby-haired friend with a happy smile. "You're the best."

Nita grinned over her scarlet glasses and wrapped me in a rib-breaking hug. "Thank you sweetie!" She chirped, squeezing every bit of life she could from me. "Oh and don't worry about the money. It's on the house."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Just tell your friends who did your beautiful hair and we're square." She winked a brown eye at me before giving me one last squeeze.

I swept up my schoolbag and quickly left through the door. I had only a little while longer before I had to be at school and I was already pretty late compared to my usual route. Luckily for me, I had a ride that I didn't even know about.

Gokudera was lounged against his bike, waiting patiently for me outside the salon steps. I chuckled and danced down the steps to tackle him with a hug.

He chuckled and kissed my forehead as I pulled away. "Hey."

"Hi. What are you doing here?"

He shrugged and raked a hand through my short hair, appearing to like it. "Just thought you could use a ride."

"How'd you know I'd be here?"

"I had a feeling. I bet you didn't want to tell your mom about the haircut, so I figured you come here. I thought this was the only salon in town that would be open this early."

I chuckled. "That's right."

"Sooo…Wanna go on a date?"

I blinked, the sudden change in the conversation surprising me. "Wh-what?"

Gokudera grinned. "Do you wanna go on a date with me?"

I shook my head, smirking. "What, like right now?"

"Why not now?"

"Well for one thing, we have school."

"I think you've earned a day off."

"What makes you say that?"

"You didn't sleep well, did you?"

I faltered, sighing heavily. "…No. No, not really."

"Then let's do it."

I shook my head. "We'll be recognized."

"Not if we hide."

"Where to then?"

"I don't know…why do you want to go?"

"Well, let's see. Our first date rained on us, all consecutive dates have been lunch dates—which don't entirely count because it became part of our routine—and walking you to and from school. It doesn't entirely make up for that time, plus the fact you were kidnapped on our group date."

I giggled. "Alright, you have a point there. But where should we go?"

"Where do you want to go?"

I thought for a long moment before replying. "…The zoo. I want to go to the zoo."

Hamilton was the Namimori Zoo's prized ape from America. My dad had taken me there when he first arrived, hoisting me onto his shoulders above all the other crowded masses to give me the best view possible of his appearance. I cheered the moment he entered his cage for the first time, spilling my vanilla ice cream all over myself.

Hamilton had heard my shriek of disgust and sorrow, looking up from his perch on the large rock poised in the middle of his enclosure. He then jumped so high that he scaled his enclosure fence, climbing into the crowd and scattering them like there was a stampede. Before my dad could run away, Hamilton had stretched up and grabbed me by my neck and carried me to the nearby park bench.

He then proceeded to lick away the ice cream stain on my flower dress. I stopped crying when I noticed and giggled like mad when his tongue began tickling my sides.

The incident became famous, naming Hamilton as Hungry Hammy, the Cannibal, or just as the Hungry, Hungry Monkey. It was all over the news for weeks afterward and needless to say Hamilton got a new cage specifically designed to meet his…talents.

I hadn't been to the zoo since, my dad preferring to work and sleep with his girlfriend than spend any more time with me. I went on occasion on school trips or just out with friends, but Hamilton had also grown old in years and was not as sporty as he once was. He would appear in the early mornings and late evenings and retreat into his indoor housing the other part of the time.

I immediately dragged Gokudera to Hamilton's cage, eager to see him again before he disappeared into his cave. We were lucky in that the place wasn't crowded, only with a few mothers and their children and several milling teenagers.

I stood on the railing, straining to see into the enclosure. The grass was bare and the trees were worn with Hamilton's continued climbing on them. Several minutes passed and just when I had begun to lose hope, an elderly woman trainer opened the employee entrance with a bucket of food and some balls and other toys on hand. She whistled loudly, dropping her cargo onto the ground beside her feet.

Immediately, I heard a rustling and Hamilton's furry black body dropped from the tree branches high above the enclosure onto the ground below. He then lumbered slowly over to the elderly woman, taking the banana from her outstretched hand. Hamilton then collapsed onto his haunches and began to chew on the fruit pensively.

Suddenly, his nose lifted and he pulled himself back to his feet. He shuffled over to the furthest edge of his cage and looked up at me.

"Oh!" I exclaimed excitedly. "He remembers me!"

"Remembers you?" Gokudera asked curiously, coming up behind me.

"A few years ago Hamilton licked some ice cream off my shirt after escaping from his cage," I explained, leaning over to see him better. I felt Gokudera's hand go to my back, keeping me balanced and from falling in. "It was one of the best moments of my life. It was one of the last things my dad and I did together."

"…Really?" I could hear the frown in Gokudera's voice, but I ignored it.

"At that time I had a teddy bear named Hamilton. The zoo was so impressed by how attached he was to me that they agreed to let me name him. I named him after my bear and he became known as Hungry Hammy. After that, he sort of fell into a depression and people lost interest." My eyes grew distant as I watched Hamilton coo lightly from below, his fingers outstretched. "I didn't get to see him much either. Sometimes I think it was my fault."

I could hear Gokudera chuckling and shaking his head behind me. "Now that is not true. All the greatest celebrities fall into depression."

I giggled and turned back around, leaning against the support beam for the enclosure. "Thanks. I mean it."

"Anytime. I love cheering you up."

"No, no, I mean bringing me here. I really appreciate it. This place…I dunno, it makes me feel at home. Hamilton makes me feel like I'm a kid again. And thank you for the date."

Gokudera took up his position beside me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "I felt bad about letting you get hurt last night, so I thought today would be a good time to…y'know, chill out. Relax. Calm down I guess."

"Well I appreciate the gesture." I smiled into his shoulder, watching another couple walk by. They kissed and gripped each other's hands before taking off in the direction of the jungle cats. "…What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Do you have a special place that helps you feel better?"

"Anywhere you are."

I scoffed. "Besides that."

Gokudera laughed and looked away, staring into space. "…I'd have to say…the music room in my home in Italy while I was growing up."

"Really?" I was always interested to learn about Italy. Ever since I had learned about the truth about the guys' involvement in the mafia world, I stuck around to listen to stories about their travels. Over the years they had gone to and from overseas to the country, and I sat with stars in my eyes listening to their every word they brought back.

I was enthralled by the country that sipped coffee in coffeeshops and made their own pasta. That was home to various famous scientists and artists, and was a prominent figure in everyone's stories. Tsuna often talked about the closet he had gathered from the Milan branch, intriguing Kyoko with promises of fine clothes upon his return. Yamamoto talked about the food to Chrome, describing decadent desserts and pasta dishes that he attempted to recreate on a regular basis.

But Gokudera kept his knowledge to himself. I had found out only recently that he had grown up in Italy as a child, let alone anything involving his family. "Tell me about it," I pressed, tugging on his long sleeve.

He chuckled before staring off into space once again. "Hmm…well, it has an old grand piano that always had the one key three from the left that was always off. On the underside of the fall, I scratched out my initials there while I was bored during a lesson. The teacher got so mad when I did that that he attempted to hit me over the head with his baton. I ducked and he scratched the rim instead, leaving a long mark that I covered up with a marker."

"What else?" I asked excitedly.

"Well, there was a tall fern growing in the large window that overlooked the gardens. And…a red leather loveseat that I loved to sit and read and do homework on."

"What else?"

"Um…"Gokudera scratched his head, and I could see the beginnings of a blush growing on his stern face. "W-well, that's it really. I mean, no one else used the room except for lessons. I spent a majority of my life in it."

I frowned. "…How come?"

Gokudera laughed hollowly. "Let's just say no one wanted to be around a half breed."

"…What do you mean?"

Gokudera sighed and brushed a hand through his hair, silently thinking. Finally, he asked. "Do you know what happens to a child born out of wedlock and fathered by a mafia member?"

"…Not…not really…"

"I'd be surprised if you actually did. The answer will surprise you: not a damn thing. It's an unspoken that is never discussed in public. And it doesn't help if the child is a half breed bastard offspring from someone high up in the family."

I kept silent, figuring there was more to the story than he seemed to let on. And I was right. I could see Gokudera's face pulling back into a vicious growl as he spoke from the heart. I waited until he had cooled down somewhat before gently asking "Is that what happened with you?"

Gokudera sighed again before responding. "I was born to another woman that wasn't my father's wife. She was half-Japanese and a rising pianist who was popular in many of the Italian states. He apparently he went to one of her concerts in the city and developed a relationship.

"And not two months later, she discovered she was pregnant. It didn't take too long to notice that the white roses and the late night visits were more than just friendly. And supposedly, when I was born, she had me for all of three hours before certain individuals wrenched me away from her.

"It was publicly announced that my dad's wife was my real mother and I was raised as the perfect little rich boy without a care in the world. I soon became interested in the piano after a woman I met inspired me and my father asked for a tutor. He was my best supporter, though I never really knew why. And that woman visited every birthday up until I was three and she never showed up.

"It wasn't until five years later that I heard some maids talking. It turns out, that woman…was my mother."

"The woman who inspired you to play piano?"

"Yeah…" Gokudera's eyes grew distant but a wry smile wormed its way back onto his face. "I thought she was just some woman who liked the piano. She told me I had soft hands," He murmured, rubbing his fingers as he spoke. "That they were good for playing. I studied hard for years, to impress her and make her proud of me. And when I found out about her identity, I gave it up." His eyes focused enough to glance at his rough hand pensively. "It hurt too much to even think of playing."

"…Why?"

Gokudera heaved a sigh and tossed his head back. "Coping with death I guess. But it did help me be a better fighter. Because no one wanted me in their family, it made me work harder to be someone powerful. It just so happened dynamite was the best medium for that."

"But to give up something you love, just because it bothers you—"

"You did that too, right?" Gokudera parroted back. "You tried to run away from your friends just because you were afraid of getting hurt again. And why you hated me in the beginning. Because a part of you didn't want to admit you liked me because it would mean acknowledging you didn't love Boss anymore. So you ran away from it because it bothered you."

"Say because a few more times?" I joked sourly, subtly warning him he was on dangerous grounds. When he quieted, I went on. "I admit, I acted stupidly. But I don't plan on making that mistake again. My friends are way more important to me now than ever before and I expect to be leaning on them a great deal from now on. And as for you," My hand reached out to wrap my arm around his appendage. I leaned against his shoulder as I spoke. "I know I'll make mistakes. But I'd like it if you would stay by my side until that point."

Gokudera chuckled, seemingly out of his depressed mood. He placed a hand over mine and laid his chin on top of my head with a grin. "Where else would I go?" He murmured quietly, running a calloused hand over my small knuckles.

I don't understand Gokudera sometimes. Surprisingly after I had made a quick trip to the bathroom about an hour later, Gokudera announced that he had convinced Hamilton's trainer to let me into the enclosure to reunite with my friend. Within moments of stepping into the Monkey House, Hamilton lumbered over to me with a spring in his step that Aida, the elderly trainer, hadn't seen him do in years.

He crawled up my form and kissed my cheek before leaning into a hug that lasted for ten minutes. I spent a few more glorious hours playing with a rowdy Hamilton before Gokudera whispered into my ear that we should leave before my mother would get suspicious. A tearful goodbye later, and we left the zoo in a flurry nearly escaping a zoo guard who had recognized our uniforms.

My mom was long gone before the call from the school came about my absence. I made up an excuse about being sick and they wished me well before they hung up. Mom had recently gotten a new job to make up for the one she lost at the bar. She had gotten a job as a custodian for a business building in the city, earning twice as much money as before, allowing her to quit her lousy job at the grocery store. She had been slowly getting better, spending spare minutes looking for something similar to her former profession and sent out resumes to every place she could find.

It seemed as we both got better, we both drifted apart. Lies had become easy to say and duties slipped to the wayside. I didn't worry anymore about tiptoeing around my mother's attitudes; I stomped on them. One night I came home to her sobbing over something like breaking her nail and instead of being sympathetic, I had rolled my eyes and walked away.

I spent the first night with Mom out of the house in my bedroom, looking through my textbooks. At some point, I realized that instead of working out a math problem in my notebook I had doodled Gokudera in the corner of the page. It took me two hours later to finish, decked with colors and various textures before I finally gave up on homework and flopped into bed with a huff.

It felt like I had just fallen asleep only to be awoken by something constantly rapping against my window. I had lain still for a moment, slightly dazed as to what exactly was happening before I heard it again.

I forced myself out of my bed to peer out the window. I sleepily rubbed my eyes as I registered the source of the sound.

I wasn't at all surprised to see my silver haired boyfriend. Gokudera waved goofily, waggling his ringed fingers at me from my house gate, stuffing his hands back into his jacket pockets shortly after gaining my attention. He mouthed something and I shook my head with a smile. I turned away from the window and swept up my housecoat from the foot of my bed. Dreams don't make house calls at 1:00 in the morning for no good reason after all.

I didn't know what possessed Gokudera to come over to my house so early in the morning, but I decided to at least humor him. I pushed open the door and yanked the coat over my shoulders. I shivered in the cool summer night as I made my way over to Gokudera in bedroom slippers.

He quickly shrugged off his leather jacket off his broad shoulders and laid it on mine. I eeped with delight, pressing my favorite jacket up against my nose. I breathed in my favorite scent of cigarette smoke and orange spice, making my head dizzy. God, I loved that smell.

I finally looked up at him with a playful grouch. "What are doing here at 1:15 in the morning?" I growled before allowing him to hug me.

He sighed and ran his fingers through my hair. "Couldn't sleep. Missed you. Do I really need a reason?"

I dug my chin into his chest snugly. "At 1:15 in the morning?" I asked again, teasing.

He growled, pinching my cheek and pulling. I smacked his hand away, playing along. We began a swatting fight for a few moments before Gokudera sobered. "I just…" He muttered. "…I told you a lot of stuff today and…"

"And…you don't want me telling anyone?"

"That's not it. I trust you. I know you wouldn't. I just…wanted to thank you…for being willing ton listen to me whine."

I snorted a laugh, rolling my eyes. "Like you don't listen to me whine all the time. This relationship can't be good if there's only one person taking all without giving anything back after all."

Gokudera chuckled and kissed my temple. I felt goose bumps rising over my skin as it did whenever his lips kissed me. He rubbed his nose against mine and I closed my eyes, allowing him to kiss me more deeply on the lips. I could taste the remnants of the wiener octopus I had made for our lunch and a mango soda we had both shared at the zoo on his tongue. I wound my arms around his neck, pulling him down closer.

I grinned when we finally pulled apart. "You are so lucky that my mom's not home."

He looked startled by this information. "She's not?" He asked, concerned.

"She started a new job yesterday. She doesn't get home until late."

His brow furrowed at this. He was silent for a long moment before speaking again. "…Well then, I guess I should let you go back to bed."

I whimpered, hugging his neck tighter, suddenly not wanting him to leave me. "Are you tired now?"

"Nah, I sleep too much in school that's my problem."

I looked up at him. "Why do you even go?" I playfully asked.

He shrugged.

I laughed. "…Then why don't you come in? It's gotta be better being with people than just sitting at home by yourself." I offered, pulling the coat tighter around my shoulders.

Gokudera quirked an eyebrow.

"Now don't you go getting your hopes up Mister. I'm not that kind of a girl you know. I meant...we could watch TV together or something. Now's a good time since Mom's out."

He smiled. "You sure? Being alone with a strange guy in your house—"

"—Not any stranger than usual." I argued back, grabbing his front. "C'mon," I urged, yanking on his shirt.

He grinned widely, allowing me to drag him into the house. He was obviously impressed with my forwardness. Heck, I was too. It had been such a long time since I had been so sure of such a decision. But there was not a doubt in my mind that I couldn't not trust Gokudera anymore.

Gokudera made me shrug off his jacket, substituting himself as my security blanket. We plopped down onto the lush couch in the main living area with my pillow and a blanket dragged from my bedroom. I eagerly dug into Gokudera's side after promising to call him Hayato for the rest of the night in exchange. He turned on an old black and white movie that I had never heard of that made me transfixed in a matter of moments.

Gokudera—Hayato—didn't say anything even though he had obviously seen it at least once. He kept his arm loosely wrapped around my shoulders, occasionally running his thumb along my skin. He tucked the blanket around me, shushing me into a relaxing position to sleep while his eyes were focused on the screen.

As the end of the movie approached, I felt my eyes drooping and as the credits rolled it felt like my head felt as heavy as lead. I struggled to keep myself awake even as Hayato flipped on a late night talk show.

Finally, when it felt like I couldn't take anymore I felt Hayato's voice in my ear. "Go to sleep." He ordered, shifting himself until my head rested on his chest. Oranges and nicotine swarmed my nose and I felt the warm lull of sleep. I still struggled to keep myself awake, only to give up when I felt Hayato's fingers running along the skin of my shoulders and back. He was stroking me to sleep.

My eyes grew heavy again and I finally closed them as I felt a pair of warm lips caress my temple. A final ruffle of my hair and I fell dead asleep, only vaguely aware of something warm wrapped around me in my slumber.

"…ru…Haru…"

I woke up groggy, my mom's face swimming in front of me. "…Mom?" I murmured, uncomprehending. Suddenly, last night clicked.

I launched upwards, whirling around. The pillow had been stuffed under my head and the TV was off. The smell of oranges and nicotine had all but vanished with the smell of my mom's vanilla scented perfume wafting through the air in its place. I had been swaddled in the blanket tightly, leaving me slightly sweaty and hot. There was no one else on the couch beside me.

I turned slowly to face my mom's confused gaze in her custodian uniform. Her keys were in her hands and she smelled like lemon cleaner fluid. "Uh…w-welcome home," I managed to stutter.

"…Thank you. Goodness Haru, you really didn't have to wait up for me, I told you that." Mom plopped her purse onto the table in front of me. She froze midair, sniffing the air around me. "Haru, you smell like smoke!" She said confusingly.

"Uh…j-just had a grilled cheese sandwich earlier…" I lied, rubbing my eye briefly. "You, uh…You-you didn't see anyone else in the house right?"

"No. Should I have?" She responded with a quirked brow.

"No! No, uh, um…I'm just uh…just gonna go to bed now…" I swept up my pillow and blanket and ran up the stairs as quick as I could before Mom could say anything. I ignored her poignant gaze, looking more upset than worried.

I closed the door to my bedroom behind me, sighing with relief. He didn't say goodbye. Tears began to well up in my eyes. I could understand why he was unwilling to wake me. The feelings of hurt and betrayal began to creep on me again, though I knew otherwise.

I knew I could trust Gokudera. There wasn't a doubt in my mind.

But I still wouldn't allow myself to trust guys.

I plopped my pillow back on the bed and unwrapped myself from my housecoat. I stomped out of my slippers and threw myself angrily on the bed.

I felt myself clutching my pillow, realizing it was wet. I swept my fist across my face, scrubbing it feverously. I fell back into the pillow, determined not to miss the smell of oranges and cigarettes even if it was like it was so close I could smell it.

…Wait a minute…

I launched up from the bed again, grasping my abused pillow. My hand bumped into something stiff within its case and I dug it in, hunting. My arm pulled out Gokudera's leather jacket, folded into a neat and perfect square with a pale white note that fell into my lap with a flutter.

I picked it up, swiping away another tear slipping down my cheek.

Goodnight Haru.

-H

After a long moment of staring blankly at the card, I let another tear fall.

And another one.

And then I smiled.

I neatly placed the card back into my pillow. I unfolded Gokudera's jacket and clutched it to my nose, immediately wrinkling it. Leather, orange spice, and cigarettes filled my nose as I fell against the mattress and drifted back to the edge of unconsciousness.

…Maybe it was more than just a little fling after all…