Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn; this is all written for fun and no profit whatsoever.

Well, so much for fan fic retirement.

This was originally written for mikarichan (LJ username, can't remember if she had an account here). It was intended to be completed and posted in 2010...but for many reasons, that did not come to pass. I recently came across it again in my files, and decided to finish it since it was already 80% complete. It's been quite a long time, so I may be a bit rusty, especially with recalling certain honorifics for some characters. Nevertheless, I hope someone will enjoy it.

In this story, they are in high school already, and Hana is the only one who doesn't know about the Vongolas yet or Reborn's true identity.

CHAPTER ONE

She sat in her usual spot, staring at her folded hands resting on the desktop; a sixteen-year-old girl with lengthening (it fell just below her shoulders now, and she looked as beautiful as ever) honey-brown hair and cheerless eyes. She'd been in a gloomy fog for the past few days now, her mind clearly preoccupied with something that bothered her. Tsuna hated to see her look so unlike her normal, upbeat self; the rest of the class had no right to be excitable and talkative with Kyoko silent and subdued. If only he were closer to her instead of sitting across from her, a desk between them.

Go to her, his inner voice said. Class had not yet begun – there was still time. He hadn't pried before because he respected her privacy, but watching her continue on like this was akin to someone snuffing out the sunlight and he was starting to feel cold from lack of interaction with her.

But nervousness bubbled up in his stomach at the prospect of actually getting out of his desk and going over to hers, and talking to her – still, even after knowing her for a few years now; after going through several, life-changing ordeals with the mafia with her somewhere behind him or by his side in silent support. They were definitely friends, but he still had romantic intentions, and was afraid to be too forward with her, lest he ruin the friendship they already had.

Just go. Tsuna grimaced, looking down at the blank page of his open notebook. There it was again; that confident tone, that assertive part of him that seemed to appear out of nowhere when he least expected it – a very helpful side of him during tense confrontations with mafiosi or when his friends were in danger.

He glanced at her again.

Kyoko leaned forward and held her head in her hands.

Tsuna blew a short sigh, and rose from his seat. Smoothing out his white, button-up, school shirt and unconsciously touching the back his head, Tsuna went to jump over the still-empty desk seat between them. He tripped, however. "Augh!" One of his legs hadn't quite made it over entirely, and he met the cool floor, feeling like it all was happening in slow motion; his dignity fading away piece by piece.

"Tenth!" came Gokudera's voice from somewhere to the right. Immediately, firm hands gripped his underarms and pulled him to his feet. "Are you all right? Are you hurt?"

Tsuna figured that his face had to be as red as that cherry-shaped hairpin pinning back several locks of Kyoko's hair. She stared at him in surprise. "Tsuna-kun, are you okay?"

"Yo, Tsuna! You should be more careful, ha, ha!" Yamamoto was at his left, but Tsuna didn't feel like looking at his friends or anyone right at that moment.

"The Tenth is always careful, baseball idiot!" Gokudera snapped, "He just had a temporary lapse of judgment, that's all! These desks are pieces of junk that should be thrown out!"

Yamamoto responded with a chuckle, and Kyoko's sudden giggle brought him back to earth. "Uh, um…" Tsuna dusted his arms off, trying to save face. "S-Sorry about that, Kyoko-chan," he said, forcing himself to look at her.

Kyoko shook her head. "It happens to everyone," she said, smiling.

Tsuna couldn't help smiling in return, despite his embarrassment. His stomach was significantly less antsy now. "Uh…I was wondering…" He paused, and noticed that Gokudera and Yamamoto had not left the scene. They were both standing there, dressed in the same high school uniforms and wearing almost the same curious expressions. Neither of them was known for getting the hint in these kinds of situations. He just had to deal with them being there for now. "Um, I couldn't help noticing that you…look kind of sad, Kyoko-chan."

Her smile faded slightly, then altogether at once, and he regretted asking.

"Ah, but you don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to! I-I'm just concerned and-and I—"

"It's all right, Tsuna-kun." Her mouth formed a grim line. "It's Haru-chan."

Haru? "What about Haru?"

"I haven't seen her lately. We've talked on the phone a few times, but she's always…busy. Like…" Kyoko lowered her eyes to the side. "Like she's avoiding me."

That didn't sound like Haru at all. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen the Miura girl for awhile and felt guilty for not noticing until now. "I'm sure she's not avoiding you," Tsuna insisted.

"Yeah," Yamamoto chimed in, "Don't worry about it. Haru's in a pretty prestigious high school, and probably has a lot to do. She's in the gymnastics club, too, isn't she? That probably takes up a lot of her time, too."

"Gymnastics?" Tsuna echoed. "I didn't know she was still doing that."

"That clumsy girl? I find that hard to believe," Gokudera scoffed, and turned away from them, heading back to his desk.

"You're probably right," Kyoko said, smiling again, but Tsuna could tell it was forced.

"Or maybe not," said a disembodied voice next to his ear.

Tsuna yelped and jumped, sending whatever was on his shoulder into the air. "Reborn!" he yelled, and then glared. "I hate it when you do that!"

Reborn, who was now situated on Yamamoto's shoulder instead, wore a book costume, his head sticking out of the top, and his arms and legs at the sides and bottom.

"Reborn-chan!" Kyoko gasped.

"Ciaossu."

"Hey, kid," Yamamoto greeted the hitman with a grin. "What are you doing here?"

"More importantly, how did you get in here?" Tsuna demanded, although he knew that he really shouldn't be so surprised. Reborn did this from time to time, showing up their school wearing either costumes or his usual black suit and hat.

"That is of no concern," Reborn simply answered, "Instead, we should consider the mystery of Haru. For all we know, someone may be threatening her in an attempt to get through to the Vongola."

His comment met only silence until Tsuna exclaimed, "Reborn! Why would you say a thing like that?!" He glanced quickly at Kyoko, seeing her worried expression and mentally cursed Reborn for putting the unwelcome idea out there.

"It happens all the time in the movies," Reborn answered matter-of-factly, "especially mafia-centered ones."

"But this is not a movie!"

"Someone's threatening the Vongola?" Gokudera burst onto the scene again, a bit too excitedly, Tsuna noticed. "Who? How? I'll take of them for you, Boss!" he said, turning to Tsuna with a strange mixture of glee and fury on his face while clenching his fists.

"Oh no, I hope Haru's okay!" Kyoko said.

Tsuna waved his hands in front of him, telling her, "No, no, I'm sure she's fine!" before facing Reborn. "Reborn, don't say things like that!"

"One should always consider the possibility," Reborn said, "The Vongola are shaping up to an even more powerful family, after all. You would do well to look after every member carefully, No-Good Tsuna."

The nickname hardly bothered him anymore; he had grown too used to hearing it. "Sshhh!" Tsuna glanced about the classroom, hoping no one had heard. "Keep your voice down!"

"Do you really think someone is?" Yamamoto asked Reborn.

"Not to worry," Reborn replied, "I am sure Tsuna will get down to the bottom of this matter."

"What? Me?"

"Tsuna-kun!" Kyoko looked at him with hopeful eyes. "Are you really going to find out?"

"Uh…" All eyes were upon him, waiting for the answer that would soothe Kyoko's worries – that's what they were all thinking, he guessed. Quite frankly, he hadn't been too worried about Haru (a packed schedule seemed the most probable reason) until Reborn had brought up more sinister possibilities. Now…

Tsuna took a deep breath and smiled reassuringly at Kyoko. "I'll find out after school if there's anything wrong or not, but I bet she's okay and is just busy with school."

Kyoko's expression immediately softened into gratitude. "Thank you, Tsuna-kun." If seeing her mood change because of his words didn't fill him with happiness, her next words certainly delighted him to no end: "I'll come with you."

Alone – he was going to be alone with Kyoko! Even if it did concern a serious matter, Tsuna couldn't help the excitement bubbling over in him. Maybe this situation would bring them closer together—

"Yeah, we'll come, too," offered Yamamoto.

"I'm only going for you, Boss," Gokudera said, shooting a glare at Yamamoto.

"I'll ask Hana-chan," Kyoko added, "and I'm sure Onii-chan will come, too."

Tsuna's joy faded in an instant. "Great…just great."

The gang was expected to gather at Tsuna's house after dinner, where his mom was clearing away the table with Bianchi's help and the kids were running around in circles, chasing each other with the exception of Reborn, who waited patiently with Tsuna in the living room. At the request of Kyoko and Tsuna – in order to prevent Hana from breaking out into hives – Reborn was wearing a monkey suit with only his face showing, disguised as a stuffed toy.

First, Ryohei, Kyoko, and Hana arrived together. The two girls sat down on the floor together after greeting Tsuna and began chatting about some math homework. Ryohei remained standing, boxing with an invisible opponent while not-so-subtly hinting at the apparent need for Tsuna to join the team only minutes after entering the house. "It's extremely invigorating! You won't regret it!"

For one moment, Tsuna considered giving in to Ryohei's incessant requests, because boxing – or rather, any kind of sport – would perhaps help him gain some respect as a fighter and build up his physical strength. But then, boxing was Ryohei's forte and not that of a still-scrawny teenage boy, who wielded authority over others that he did not care to have. "Thanks but no thanks, Onii-san," Tsuna answered with his hundredth apologetic smile.

Yamamoto arrived next with a bag of sushi treats—an expression of gratitude in a way considered only the best by a family well-experienced in the art of traditional cuisine. "The old man wants me to thank you for your trouble in looking after me," Yamamoto explained with a sheepish grin. Tsuna graciously accepted the food while insisting that Yamamoto's company was no trouble at all. Yamamoto just chuckled and patted Tsuna's shoulder.

Fifteen minutes went by with no sign of Gokudera. Tsuna glanced at the digital clock on a small table, which housed a lamp and a recent family photo of just the three Sawadas and all their (mostly unwanted, in his opinion) housemates on the wall. "It's not like him to be late," he murmured, more to himself than anything.

Precisely three seconds after his remark, the front door slammed open and a familiar voice shouted, "Tenth! Sorry I'm late!"

Thud!

"Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna jumped to his feet and ran to the front hall, where Gokudera was bent over, grabbing his fallen books and magazines. "What's all this?"

Gokudera straightened up, rearranging the literature in his arms as he did. "I figured it's always good to be prepared," he answered, heading for the living room. Without acknowledging anyone else, Gokudera dropped his pile of books and magazines onto the middle table. "That girl has always been bizarre, so it's possible that she's an U.M.A."

"An Uma?"

"U-M-A. Unidentified Mysterious Animal," Gokudera explained, showing him a magazine titled, Crypto Club. "I once considered submitting Shitt P's photo to this magazine—before I realized she was just a crazy stalker in need of serious help."

At the mention of Shitt P, Tsuna thought about the Shimon Family and how they were off on a training and survival excursion in the mountains. Haru got along reasonably well with the Shimons, and if they were the reason for her strange behaviour, then surely she would have made an appearance after they had left. But she hadn't. At least, he could rule them out as reasons behind Haru's absence.

"Sometimes the most ordinary-looking creatures are the most mysterious," Gokudera continued, "and they exhibit—"

"She's not a creature," Hana cut him off, "and I think you've been reading too many fairy tales."

Kyoko giggled.

Gokudera glared at Hana. "Shut up! Stupid people like you know nothing about U.M.A.s! You're—"

"Is this real?" Ryohei exclaimed, his nose buried in one of the magazines that he had, apparently, swiped when Gokudera wasn't looking.

"What is it?" Yamamoto asked from the floor, straining his neck back to catch a glimpse of the picture Ryohei was looking at.

"It has five eyes!" Ryohei went on, showing Yamamoto the picture.

"Give me that! Who said you could read it?" Gokudera went for the magazine, but Ryohei moved out of his reach.

This was going nowhere fast. Anxious to prevent another argument, Tsuna intercepted quickly: "Wait, guys, stop!" Almost at once, everyone ceased their chatter to look at Tsuna. "Um, we're all here now, so let's go to Haru's."

They all stood up and made for the front door, talking amongst themselves.

Embarrassed to hold Reborn like a toy in front of him, Tsuna led the way to Haru's house. Gokudera was by his side, followed by the girls, and then the two athletes at the back. And while he was supposed to be listening to Gokudera, Tsuna couldn't help overhearing the rest of the group chattering away.

"...and what's interesting about the chupacabra, Boss, is that it—"

"—has a lot of calories, Hana-chan, but I did an extra work-out—"

"—before I knocked him out! It was extremely awesome—"

"—but I don't think it matters too much, Kyoko, if you—"

"—watch out for base-stealers before pitching the ball, and then—"

"—it will come for the bait. I couldn't believe the video footage!"

Haru's high-pitched, spirited voice was noticeably absent. Tsuna sighed, and realized how much he missed her presence, her silly costumes, and her melodramatic tales. Haru was and always would be an important part of the gang; his friend, no matter what.

"We're nearly there," Reborn said, breaking Tsuna out of his thoughts.

"Did that toy just talk?" Hana asked from behind.

Tsuna turned to see her suspicious frown, and forced a chuckle. "Uh, it's a talking monkey toy! I thought it might cheer Haru up."

"Ciaossu! Ciaossu!" Reborn chirped mechanically.

"Monkeys don't sound like that..." Hana said.

"Oooh Oooh, Eeee, Eeee!" Reborn amended, "Oooh Oooh, Eeee, Eeee!"

Hana narrowed her eyes further. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say it looks like that baby—"

"Uhhhh, it's a monkey that you can record voices on!" Tsuna lifted Reborn and pushed his nose in, "See you record here—oof!" Quicker than lightning, Tsuna found himself on the ground, nursing a sore nose. "Owww, what was that for?!"

Gokudera was at Tsuna's side in an instant, pulling him up. "Boss, what's wrong? What happened?"

"Try that again, No-Good Tsuna," Reborn said from atop Yamamoto's head, where he had jumped to after punching Tsuna.

"I only touched your nose! You didn't have to punch me!"

Hana shrieked, dropping her purse and rubbing her arms. "I knew it, it's that baby! Ugghhh!" She darted back down the street from where they had come from.

"Hana-chan!" Kyoko gave Tsuna an apologetic look. "I'll go get her.

"She runs extremely fast!" Ryohei remarked, and then turned away and mumbled incoherently.

Gokudera crossed his arms. "More delays – this pisses me off! If she hadn't freaked out, this wouldn't have happened!"

"It's not her fault, it's Reborn—oh, never mind." Tsuna shook his head and dusted his pants off, grateful his nose wasn't broken, at least.

Ten minutes later, Kyoko returned with a calmer Hana, promising that Reborn would stay far away from her. Tsuna was glad that Yamamoto would carry Reborn from thereon; Yamamoto was always better at handling Reborn without too much trouble.

Sighing, Tsuna rubbed his nose, wincing at the dull pain.

"Are you okay, Tsuna-kun?"

Brightening at Kyoko's voice, Tsuna nodded with a weak smile, as she reached his side. "I'll be okay."

Kyoko looked back behind them at Hana, who was arguing with Gokudera over something Tsuna couldn't make out. "She's getting better, actually – at dealing with babies and children. Her hives weren't as bad, and the fact that she agreed to come back while knowing about Reborn-chan is a good sign!"

He could've cared less about that, but he smiled. "Oh, that's good."

"I'm sorry to have made you all wait for us."

"No, no, it's okay! We wouldn't be able to see Haru without you girls, anyway."

"Thanks, Tsuna-kun." Kyoko smiled.

Tsuna thought his heart would burst. Kyoko-chan!

Gradually, everyone grew silent, as they reached the front entrance of Haru's home. Tsuna went first through the gateway, pressing the doorbell. They heard a familiar voice call, "I'll get it!" and pounding footsteps from within. Tsuna took a deep breath, as she came nearer to the door, and swallowed when she stopped. Was he nervous? He didn't think there was a reason to be, but somehow, after all the possibilities they had talked about on the way, he felt a tad uncertain about what to expect.

But…she didn't open the door.

No one said anything.

Tsuna knew she was on the other side; she probably checked the peephole the Miuras had on their front door. Of course, he had no sure proof of that, but it was obvious to him and probably the others, too. And if she wasn't answering the door, then it was clear that she was avoiding all of them—

Creak!

Haru opened the door a crack, allowing them to see a thin fraction of her face, including one wide eye.

"Um, Haru?" Tsuna peered at her with a small smile.

A noise that sounded very much like a whimper was all that he received in return.

"We haven't seen in you in awhile, so we decided to drop by," Kyoko intervened to his relief, as she stepped forward beside him, offering a warm smile.

"Oh…" Haru opened the door a little more, showing more of her face. She looked like her normal self with her familiar high school uniform and her hair tied back. There were no outer signs of illness, thankfully. "That's nice of you," she added in a soft voice tinged with something else Tsuna couldn't put his finger on.

An awkward silence crept over the entire group. What now, Tsuna thought, glancing at Kyoko, who seemed to be, like him, at a loss for words. They were expecting Haru to explain everything right then and there, but she was making no attempt.

"Well…thanks for coming, bye!" Haru slammed the door shut.

Staring in disbelief at the door, Tsuna looked at Kyoko, who wore a sad expression as she looked at Tsuna in turn.

"That's kind of weird," Yamamoto remarked, as Tsuna turned around to face the rest.

"No kidding," Hana agreed, raising one eyebrow and crossing her arms.

"That was extremely bizarre," Ryohei added with a nod.

"Maybe she was sick and didn't want us to catch her cold," Kyoko suggested, but to Tsuna, she sounded doubtful.

"That does it!" Gokudera pushed his way to the front. "I don't want to have come all the way here for nothing!" Without another word, he began pounding on the door. "Open up, you stupid girl!"

"Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna reached for Gokudera's arm before he could bang on the door again, worried they might upset Haru's parents. "Stop! She doesn't want to see us right now, so let's just leave…"

"I'm sorry, Boss, but I can't stand having my time wasted by trivial things like this!"

There was a small click as Haru's father opened the door, frowning slightly. "Yes, may I help you?"

Great, Tsuna thought, cringing inwardly, as he stepped forward to take responsibility and bowed several times in apology. "Um, sorry, Miura-san, for disturbing you and your family. We were worried that, uh—that Haru might be sick and—"

"Sick?" the professor echoed, adjusting his glasses. "Haru is in perfect health, I assure you. But I don't think she had a good day at school today, so perhaps you should wait until tomorrow. I'm sure she'll be in a much better mood by then."

Tsuna blinked. "Oh…okay."

The professor smiled. "Thank you for your concern. Good day." He shut the door.

The group remained silent, glancing at each other until Yamamoto said, "So…what do we do now?"