TIMESKIP!5986 SHORT-STORY ~ UNDRESSING ISSUES
Timeline: Future Canon (after manga end) | Age Gap: +2~3 years
NAMIMORI STREETS AT NIGHT
"Good night, Haru-chan."
"Good night, Kyoko-chan!"
"Oy, Tako-Head! You'd better do an extreme good job walking Haru back home!"
"Shut it up... I already promised the 10th I'll do, so just get lost, Turf-Head, tsk…"
And the four of them separate on a wave – or at least Haru and Kyoko waving happily at each other, while Gokudera and Ryohei just shrugs before turning heels.
No matter how many years can pass, no matter if they all attend high school now, some things will never change, and spending the evening at Tsuna's place will always be filled with many wonders. The innocent party to welcome Fuuta back from his first linguistic trip in England had thus turned way more exciting than what regular high-schoolers are used too, due to the usual Vongola challenges taking over.
And after several hours of festivities under Reborn's lead, now is finally the quiet time everyone needs: Tsuna to clean off the mess at his house the best he can, meaning without any hope of restoring the holes left by grenades within the night; the kids to fall soundly asleep with a grin; Yamamoto to bring back the empty sushi okamochi (traditional wooden delivery platters) back to his family shop; the Cavallone Family to escape Reborn's punishment for having lost at his game; etc.
Even Haru and Gokudera are tired enough not to bicker against each other on the way to Miura's Residence. If not for Tsuna's request, Gokudera wouldn't have bothered to make a detour to drop her home, quite certain that even senseless delinquents wouldn't bother with a girl dressed up into London Tower Bridge. But the 10th's words are the Right Hand Man's mission, and a man of honour will comply with it… or at least will try…
TRIP.
"Careful, tsk…"
"Sorry-desu…"
"I'm amazed how you're damn able to know where you're putting your feet with this idiotic costume."
"It's not idiotic! Haru trained really hard to learn how to walk inside it!"
"Whatever… Just don't hurt yourself until I've done my job of dropping you home safely, damn it…"
"Buuh, Haru didn't ask for your help!"
"The 10th did, so I'll stick with you even in Hell, Stupid Woman."
"Ahiii, sounds like a bad bad nightmare…"
"What nightmare?! I should be the one saying it!"
Their arrival in front of Haru's home saves them from an umpteenth fight, but not from the pleasure of having to bear with the other one, as Gokudera's release is delayed by some unexpected problem.
"What… do you… damn mean… you can't find your keys?!"
"W…ell, Haru put them in her vest pocket but…"
"Raah, I can't believe you!"
"Ahiii, don't!"
"And how are you planning to do with your both arms stuck there, Stupid? Tsk, I can't believe I have to…"
"D-Don't break anything!"
"I won't! Here, happy?!"
Gokudera rants with an angry flushed face as he walks as close as possible to Haru while avoiding the pillars of the bridge costume. He pauses for a second before slipping his hands in-between the bridge suspension cables, one of them grabbing Haru's shoulder to hold her still while the other is furrowing under the layers of carton and fabric in search for the keys.
An uneasy silence falls under the pale yellow halo of the nearby streetlight, both of them suspending their heartbeat at the progress of Gokudera's hand towards the pocket hidden from them both.
Each accidental brush of his fingers on Haru's skin as he tries and follows the collar line of the vest fabric until the inner pocket sends shivers in their bodies, and they can't help minding the next contact more and more.
GLING.
After long minutes of uneasiness, deliverance finally shows itself under the shape of metallic keys, and they both breathe of relief.
"Here." Gokudera lets the bunch of keys fall into Haru's palm, before turning heels faster than usual.
But he soon has to turn again and bring his feet back to his original position.
"Are you messing with me?!" "Haru is trying her best!" "What your best?! How damn retarded can you be to design a costume not even allowing you to reach your own home door?!" "Ahiii, stop badmouthing this wonderful costume! You Aho are just unable to understand the greatness of this design!" "I'm unable to get the stupidity of its designer!"
BAM. The key soon turns into the keyhole, and the door opens under Gokudera's angry push.
And his anger only grows into angrier exasperation at seeing that not only Haru can't reach the light switch on her own, but she can't even pass the door, let alone remove her shoes at the entrance.
"I'm seriously gonna destroy that damn bulky idiotic costume of yours…!" "D-don't! Haru is fine! It will work out, because Haru managed to pull it out before." "But before YOU were NOT inside it, you Stupid Woman!" "Ahiii, don't grab here, don't grab here! It will pass, no-problem-desu!" "What no problem?! Do you realise the mess, damn it?!"
It takes Gokudera many minutes more to manage with savant calculations the best geometrical way to make the Tower Bridge and its owner pass the rectangular opening of the door.
If Haru has not been contributing with her best efforts, he would have probably blown the costume apart with dynamite, but hopefully for the poor carton work of art, complex geometry occupied his mind enough to make him forget about explosives.
In the end, the only thing Gokudera can't really pull out of his mind is this recurrent sensation of making a little too much contact with someone tonight.
Why is that Stupid Woman so willing to let him carry her, pull her, grab her, do whatever he wants with her as long as it makes this Tower Bridge pass through the door…
TILT.
Gokudera freezes at suddenly realising he's even helping her remove her shoes, her ankle suspended in mid-air above his hand as she's raising her leg the best she can despite the costume.
Damn… Why is that Stupid Woman so willing to let her legs in the open like that, the layers of carton barely covering longer than her sporty dress…
GRAB.
But just as Gokudera is about to run away by the door, muttering some 'good night', a pull on his sweater vest stops him in his tracks.
"… a-ano… Gokudera-san…?"
Gokudera skips a breath and swallows back with difficulty, unable to get why the tone of her voice sounds suddenly so different than usual.
"… what?"
Did the tone of his own voice managed to sound normal…? He can't really turn back to see her reaction, right… Damn, he really needs to leave…
"Ano, Gokudera-san… C-can you stay for a little bit?"
DOKI.
This time it was his heart that missed a couple beats, and he can't help but turn to face the cause of his trouble with a beat red face.
No but just what is this Stupid Woman saying with such a tone… So aggravating! And wait, how come he can't manage to answer a single word… Just what is it exactly he wants to shout at her…
"Actually, Haru's parents are not home tonight, so…"
DOKI.
"… could you help Haru undress?"
KOF.
Gokudera chokes on his own breathing and he has to cough a couple times to clear his throat from the accumulated pressure before being able to answer something.
"W-what did you just say…?!"
"Haru said there isn't anyone else home tonight, so please help Haru remove the costume before going. It was Kyoko-chan who helped to put it on but alone, it's impossible-desu…"
So this is it… This damn costume again…
As Gokudera absent-mindedly starts to unbutton the bridge cables one after another, he can't help feeling more and more pissed off.
It was all about that costume… This idiotic costume maniac actually let a guy enter her home late at night when no one else is around just for the sake of unfastening her costume properly… She lets a guy do whatever he wants, places his hands wherever he wants, touches her however he wants, just for that damn freaking costume…
Without realizing, Gokudera's teeth are clenching and clenching until they grind, and the frown on his forehead deepens past the point of exasperation.
He's truly deeply seriously furious…
BAM. The second the last cable releases Haru from the Tower Bridge weight, she feels herself being pulled out of it and pinned back to the wall with such strength that she clenches her eyes tight at the shock.
When she finally blinks her eyelids open again, two serious green eyes are staring down at her from a really close distance.
"… G…oku…dera-san…?"
Silence only answers her during long seconds, Gokudera's cold stare making her drop her usual joking smile as she stares back stubbornly but anxiously.
Until finally:
"… do you know… how damn easy it would be for me to mess up with you right now?"
TILT.
Haru's chestnut eyes widen of shock.
"Tsk, you've always been a stupid woman, but how stupid can you be to actually let a guy inside your home… with no one else around… even damn asking him to undress you… Are you trying to mess up with the 10th, behaving so easily around other guys? Do you need someone to teach you how damn defenceless you are before you get it inside that little stupid brain of yours?"
Haru's face passes from the white of dread to the crimson of shame before finally settling on the red of anger.
"W-what are you saying, Aho?! That's completely not true! Haru never asked you that because Haru is an easy girl! Baka-desu!"
"And what exactly is not true?! Even if you say you're not being easy, you stupid woman seem to forget it's easy for a guy to get something by force. You're just too damn weak in comparison and your damn problem is that you don't even try to put some defence on!"
"That's not what Haru meant!"
"And what exactly you meant, you annoying hopeless woman?!"
"Don't say Haru is being easy in front of guys! Haru asked Gokudera-san only because it's Gokudera-san!"
Gokudera's counter is swallowed into the breath his heart skipped along a beat.
"Haru asked only because she knows Gokudera-san and trusts you, obvious-desu!"
D-damn… Why are his fists shaking as if they were balling up to hold back something… Why are his teeth clenching as if they were also holding back something… Why are his feet jogging imperceptibly as if ready to bring him away before he's unable to hold back anymore…
It can't be that it was his own defence that was too weak, can it…
- Author's Note -
First time trying a "Real Future" = "Timeskip" story. It was lot of fun imagining GokuHaru older. Hope you readers like the concept (if yes, I'll try to make more of them).
Thanks to all reviewers who bring happiness in my message box & make me want to update faster!
Little busy these weeks so I need to change day of update. Please tell me what day of the week you prefer for weekly chapter and I'll try at best to match it!
Thanks in advance for your support n(_ _)n Authors are nothing without their readers!