Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It had been about a week since Primo’s talk with Timoteo and Iemitsu. Currently, Giotto was with other Bosses in the Vongola Sky Ring, listening to the conversations between his successors and enjoying the rare quiet  (usually, it was very loud in here, reminding him of the times when he and his Guardians led the Vongola and it was always noisy at the mansion with very rare peace) when his Hyper Intuition acted up, telling him that Tsunayoshi needed his help because the boy’s Flames felt strange - as if he was sick - judging from the connection the two of them shared. 

He must check it out.

“Primo?” Daniela asked, all conversations ceasing as they watched the Vongola founder get up from his throne in confusion. “Is something wrong?” 

"It seems young Tsunayoshi needs my help, so I’m going to see him,” the blonde replied. 

Ricardo rolled his eyes. “Again? Seriously, Primo, your grandson is so troublesome”.

“Well,  he gets that from me, it seems. My Guardians do say I’m a trouble magnet,” Giotto said with a laugh, and after a quick goodbye to other Bosses, left the Ring.

A moment later, he found himself in his grandson’s room. Said boy was sleeping in his bed, and as Giotto came over, he saw that Tsunayoshi looked sick, pale, and feverish, and felt worry and deja vu.

Because he already knew what caused this illness, just like he knew what caused his grandson’s Flames to disappear when he and his Guardians came here not so long ago to find out what happened. Hence, the feeling of deja vu.  

That blasted seal again. Or, rather, the aftermath of it being broken, and Sky Flames, pure and already powerful at such young age, bursting free of their prison and becoming active once more, was to blame this time. The consequences of Timoteo and Iemitsu’s choice were still haunting Tsunayoshi, and now he suffered because of it, sick in his bed.  

Giotto cursed in Italian, scolding himself for lack of insight. “Damn it, I should have expected this to happen.” 

“Expected what to happen, my friend?” Asari asked as he appeared in the room from the Rain Flame. Knuckle, G, and Lampo were also here. Noticing his Boss’ questioning gaze that was asking what they are doing here, Ugetsu said:

“We felt that you departed from the Ring and instantly knew you  went to Tsunayoshi-kun.”

“I see…” Primo said slowly. “Where’s Alaude?” he asked, seeing that his Cloud Guardian was absent. 

“Before we left, he said he needed to check on that blonde idiot descendant of yours and CEDEF and that he would join us later,” G explained. “And what did you mean by your words, Gio?”

Giotto sighed as he began his explanation. “As you know, it's dangerous to seal the Flames. With the seal on, Flames can't leave the user's body; not only that,  the seal stunts their physical and mental abilities, it's hard for them to focus on anything, they constantly feel cold inside and eventually it gets them killed. Especially, it’s worse for kids because the seal stunts their growth, and Skies due to them having a harmonization factor. But if the seal gets broken, all the Flames that pent up during  the sealing burst free and make the user sick because…”

“Because it's isn’t healthy to pent up Flames, and now his body purges them out in the form of the sickness,” G finished for his best friend. “Tch, those bastards really didn’t look up what the seal does before they placed it on the kid, did they?”

Giotto and the others didn’t say anything to this; it was the rhetorical question. Even if it wasn’t, what could they say in response to that?

It was the truth after all.

While Giotto and the others discussed the aftermath of the seal’s removal on Tsunayoshi’s Flames, Alaude went to observe Iemitsu. The first Cloud Guardian already knew the man was an idiot for allowing Timoteo to seal his son’s Flames, thus endangering the boy’s life, but he wanted to know more before forming a final opinion on the man. 

So here he was, in the office that was once his a long and time ago watched Iemitsu work, not revealing his presence. Though judging by the way the man twitched nervously and looked at the spot where Alaude was standing every now and then, his Hyper Intuition acted up, but Iemitsu couldn't understand what caused it to react since his Hyper Intuition was rather weak compared to Giotto's own as Alaude found out since the beginning of the observation, the results of which Alaude didn't like.

Iemitsu was a decent leader, Alaude had to give him that. But when it came to his wife and son… He barely visited them with the excuse being that he didn't want enemies to know he had a family and use it against him, that he didn't want to put them in danger, all the while gushing to his allies about his "lovely Nana and adorable tuna fishy". Alaude found such behavior and excuses pathetic. To him, it was quite clear the idiot cared more about his work than his family, whom he claimed to love very much. 

In short, Sawada Iemitsu was a disgrace to Primo’s bloodline. Just where Ietsuna went wrong with him?

Shaking his head for the last time at Iemitsu, Alaude disappeared from the office, letting the man’s intuition calm down.

What a fool.

“Welcome back, Alaude,” Giotto greeted his Cloud Guardian when Alaude appeared in Tsunayoshi’s room.” How did the visit to Iemitsu go?” he asked.

Without preamble, Alaude told his Boss what he discovered. Primo’s face got darker and darker with each spoken word, but he didn’t interrupt as did the others. 

“His protection regarding Nana and Tsunayoshi is also non-existent,” Alaude snorted in disgust at the current CEDEF boss as he finished his report. “It’s a damn miracle no one killed them yet.”

“And what about my talk with them?” Giotto asked, voice tight as he tried not to let the anger he felt at the news show on his face or affect the flame on his forehead.” Has Iemitsu done something concerning his family since then?”

“No,” Alaude shook his head.” He didn’t call or write a letter, didn’t prepare for a visit. Too busy working as External Advisor.”

“Thought so too, given he’s not at Tsunayoshi’s bedside, helping him overcome the sickness,” the blond sighed heavily, disappointed in Iemitsu.”I expected him to come home after his son’s  life was at risk.”

“Maybe you should speak with him again?” Asari suggested, always the one to look for the good in people, much like Primo.

G scoffed at that.” It’s no use. That idiot won’t listen to anything Giotto will say as long he has his head in his ass, and I don’t see him getting his head out of his ass happening any time soon, if ever,” G looked at his best friend. “ What are we gonna do now, Gio? The kid needs a father.”

In response, Giotto looked at his grandson, frowning as he thought about the problem at hand.

G was right. Tsunayoshi needed a father. Nana, while a loving and caring mother, was lost in her little world, more often than not. And she wouldn’t be able to teach Tsuna things, that fathers should teach their sons. Not to mention the boy’s Sky Flames. Who would teach him? Not Nana - she wasn’t an active user, didn’t even know the Flames existed. And not Iemitsu - the man was too busy hiding his head in the sand so to speak. 

Besides hadn’t Giotto chosen what to do if Iemitsu neglected his responsibility?

Giotto spoke up.”When I talked to Nono and Iemitsu, I thought about what I would do if Iemitsu wouldn’t be the father Tsunayoshi needed. I hoped he would pick up his responsibility, but as you can see, that didn’t happen. So I will raise Tsunayoshi as my own. I know it won’t be easy, given the way we are, but I still want to try. I won’t leave my grandson without a father,” Giotto glanced at his Guardians. “Will you help me?”

“Do you really have to ask?” G gave his Boss “You’re an idiot for asking that” look.”Of course, we will help. We are with you all the way, Primo.” 

The others nodded in agreement to the Storm’s words.

Giotto smiled at them gratefully. “Thank you, everyone.” 

The Guardians returned the smile in their own ways. But the moment between the friends was broken when they heard Tsunayoshi whimper. 

Giotto was the first to react. He sat down on the bed - thanks to his corporal body he was able to do this - and began to stroke the boy’s hair, wild just like his, humming a lullaby he sang to  Yoshimune when he was little in an attempt to calm Tsuna down.  It worked and the boy continued to sleep. 

The First Generation guarded Tsunayoshi’s sleep for the rest of the night, not knowing that with their decision, they changed the course of said boy’s life, who would one day make Giotto proud by changing Vongola and becoming Neo Vongola Primo.

Chapter Text

Cold.  That cold appeared ever since Papa visited with that strange man he was told to call Grandpa, and the fire that was always with him, inside him, disappeared when 'Grandpa' touched his forehead with a fire-lit finger, leaving Tsuna cold and scared and lonely. 

And then, when he was caught in the clutches of cold and sickness, Tsuna heard a voice of a man. It was unfamiliar but kind and soft as the stranger sang him a lullaby while stroking his hair. Tsuna fell asleep in minutes, listening to the gentle song. 

For the first time in a while, he felt warm and safe. 

And his inner fire was back.

Tsuna woke to his room, feeling much better than yesterday. Blinking, he looked around - he was alone. Where was the owner of the kind voice? Or was it just a dream?

“Tsu-kun!” at that moment, Nana came into the room with a bright smile on her face.”Good morning! How do you feel?”

“Much better!” the little boy told his mother happily, forgetting about the mysterious visitor for the time being as he focused on Nana.”I do not feel cold anymore!” 

“That’s great, sweetie,”  Nana breathed an inaudible sigh of relief at the news and seeing that the sparkle was back in her son’s eyes. The fear of her child suddenly losing the will to do anything and falling sick shortly after Iemitsu’s boss visit, and helplessness as the medicine didn’t work was still fresh in her mind. “How about we freshen up and go to have breakfast? I made pancakes.”

“Yay, pancakes!”  Tsuna exclaimed in happiness; he loved pancakes, especially the ones with chocolate chips. 

Nana smiled softly at her son’s enthusiasm as she scooped him in her arms and went to the bathroom. Just before they left, something told the brunet to look in the corner. He did but there was only space. 

Only it wasn’t true. Unknown to Nana and Tsuna, the First Generation watched the scene.

“He bounced back pretty quickly,” G remarked as mother and son left the room.”Hard to believe he was so sick yesterday. “

“The kids recover quickly thanks to young age and proper care, G,” Knuckle told his fellow Guardian. “Giotto’s presence also helped Tsunayoshi as you saw. “

“Yeah, yeah, I got what are you saying. It also seems that his intuition started to work. He looked at us, even though we didn’t reveal ourselves.”

“The Storm is right,” Alaude agreed with G.” If his Intuition continues to progress, with the right training we will be as strong as you, Giotto. “

“We will see,” Primo said. “It’s best not to rush in such situation; he’s a child, so we should reveal ourselves carefully, lest we scare him.” 

“A sound idea,” Asari agreed with his boss. 

“Now, let’s part ways. Since we are staying with Tsunayoshi, we should explore the house and Namimori.”

“Count me out,” Lampo told his friends with a yawn. “I”m taking a nap.” 

With these words, he laid on Tsuna’s bed and closed his eyes. 

The others shook their heads at Lampo’s unchanging laziness and had gone their separate ways to explore Namimori and Sawada Household.

Wanting to remain close in case he was needed, Giotto went to the living room first. Listening to Tsunayoshi and Nana’s chatter that came from the kitchen, the Vongola’s founder looked around: the place was warm and cozy, books and toys scattered around - a sign that a child lived here. He liked it, but couldn’t help but think that something was missing. His amber gaze wandered around in search of the missing piece when something caught his eye.

It was a  picture on the wall. 

Pictures to be precise. Curious, the blonde came over to inspect them closer. 

The pictures showed the Sawada family in various stages of life - Nana and Iemitsu’s wedding, Nana’s pregnancy, and Tsuna’s birth and growth, and other happy moments.  Giotto smiled at them softly, reminded of his own wife and son, but then frowned a minute later as he noticed one detail: Iemitsu stopped being a frequent figure in photos shortly after Tsunayoshi turned one, popping every now and then, if at all. Actually, not only photos, but the whole house referred to the fact the family missed and needed a husband and father.

That was the missing piece his intuition picked on. 

Briefly, Giotto wondered if it was his fault that Iemitsu stayed away from his family.

“It is not your fault, my friend,” Knuckle’s voice snapped Primo from his thoughts suddenly before his mind could go further down that path. 

“Am I that obvious?” the blond asked as he turned away from the photos to look at the priest, not surprised that Knuckle knew what thoughts were running through Giotto’s mind; his friends knew him like no one else did after all the years they spent together, and  Sun Guardian’s next words confirmed it:

“I know you, Primo. It’s just so like you to blame yourself for the deeds that were not your own. You are not responsible for Iemitsu’s choices,” as the ex-boxer said that,  Sun and Sky look in the direction of the kitchen where Nana was telling her son that they couldn’t go to the playground today due to Tsuna still recovering from sickness; the little boy pouted at that, but went to his room like his mother told him to. “He’s the one who decided to ignore such gift from God and harm his child with his ignorance, not you, Giotto.”

“I know that, Knuckle. I also know he wants to protect his family. I just don’t understand why he has to deprive his son of a father figure to achieve this.”

Knuckle sighed. He didn’t understand that either. “None of us do, Giotto, none of us do.”

“Yeah… And I think we  will never understand this.”

While that conversation was going on, upstairs in Tsuna’s room, Lampo woke up from his nap. Yawning, he saw that the kid was reading something at the table. Out of curiosity and boredom, he stood up and looked at what a book was: fairytales with pictures.

The Lightning Guardian snorted at that. “Guess I shouldn’t be surprised you’re reading those. You're a kid after all.”

Unknowingly, Lampo revealed his presence because Tsuna gasped in surprise, looking at the young man in shock and fright, and before Lampo could understand the reason for such reaction, the little boy took a book and hit Lampo on the head with all his might and a loud "Kya!".

Whack!

"Ouch!" the Lightning Guardian cried out as he nursed the spot where Tsuna hit him. Geez, for a five-year-old, brat sure could hit painfully.

In that moment, Giotto and the other Guardians arrived, having heard the scuffle.

"Lampo, what happened?” Primo asked with worry. His gaze stopped on his scared grandchild, then moved to his youngest Guardian who was grumbling to himself and realized what happened. 

"You revealed yourself to him, didn't you?" The blond sighed in exasperation."Lampo…"

 "I'm sorry, Giotto! It was an accident, I didn't mean for this to happen!” 

"It's okay, Lampo," Giotto assured his distressed friend who relaxed slightly at the words - he hated letting Primo down. The blond heard G grunt "Not meant to happen, my ass" in Lampo's direction and told them to stop before they could start a fight and focused on frightened Tsunayoshi.

"Hi," he said to the boy with a gentle smile as he crouched in front of the brunet, revealing his presence. "It's okay, I won't hurt you. My name is Giotto, what's yours?"

"T-Tsunayoshi," Tsuna replied, finally lowering the book he hit the green-haired stranger with. For some reason, this man in front with warm amber eyes and a soft smile didn’t scare him and made him feel safe and he relaxed a bit. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Tsunayoshi. I’m sorry my friend scared you. We were just unsure how to introduce ourselves to you.”

“Huh?” Did the kind man said “we”?   Tsuna looked over the man’s shoulder to see other men standing in the room. Noticing he was staring, they gave him a smile or friendly wave of a hand. Blushing in embarrassment, the brunet turned back to Giotto. “You want to be friends? With me?’’ 

“Yes,” Primo said, not liking the tone of disbelief in the boy’s voice. He didn’t have to turn to know that his Guardians tensed, not liking the tone either. 

They were right to worry because his grandson‘s eyes well with tears. “Why? Nobody wants to be friends with me - I’m weak, clumsy. Others say that’s why papa so rarely visits because he is embarrassed at having such useless son.”

Giotto’s heart ached for Tsuna at that. Poor child. He was cast aside by others simply because he was weaker than them and with a father that rarely visited. In other words, this was yet another fallout of Iemitsu’s decision. First, seal, now this. Just how badly his descendant screwed up?

No matter. He will wonder about that later. Right now he had a child to console.

Scooping the now crying Tsuna in his arms, he hugged the boy to his chest.

”Shh,” Giotto murmured, rubbing Tsuna’s back soothingly.”Don’t cry. You’re not alone anymore. Everything will be fine, shh.” 

Some time later,  Tsuna calmed down. Wiping tears from his eyes, Giotto asked softly: 

“Feeling better?”

Tsuna nodded.” I’m sorry. You probably think I’m a crybaby now,” he said, still sniffling a bit.

“Well, you’re a cry-” the green-haired man began to say when the man with platinum hair came over and hit him on the head. “Oi, not that spot again! What was that for, Alaude?”

“Be quiet, can’t you see the child is still upset? Don’t make it worse,” the man called Alaude said before saying to Tsuna,” “Don’t listen to him, he says silly things sometimes. I’m Alaude and that is Lampo.”

“It’s nice to meet you, kid. Sorry for scaring you earlier,” the one now known as Lampo said. “Gotta say you have quite a strength in your hit.”

“That’s because it’s easy to knock you out,” G  snarked, then grinned at Tsuna. “Hey, kiddo. My name is G."

The five-year-old furrowed his brows in confusion from where he was still sitting in Giotto’s lap. “How can your name be G?”

“That’s a nickname. His true name is a grave secret,” Primo whispered in a fake conspiratorial voice, causing his grandson to giggle, while G glared daggers at his boss who just grinned mischievously in reply.  

Asari and Knuckle introduced themselves last and after that, introductions were over.

The rest of the morning and day was spent getting acquainted with Tsunayoshi. The boy was talkative once he got over his shyness, and asked all sorts of questions. 

Still, that question came out of the blue for them. 

“Giotto-san?” Tsuna called.

“Yes, Tsunayoshi?”

“What is this on your forehead?” the little boy asked, pointing to the Dying Will Flame on the blond’s forehead.

“Er…” the First Generation shared a look at this  before Primo answered with a half-truth.”It is  my special power, so to speak.”

“Wow!” Tsuna said, looking at Giotto in awe. “You’re like a superhero!”

Giotto’s lips twitched in amusement - his Guardians also smiled at Tsunayoshi’s words. “Well, yes, I'm a superhero because of this as you say.” 

Though he didn't see himself as such.  Not after he failed to protect the person that mattered to them all. 

“Cool! Can I have this ability and be a superhero too?”  

You already have it, was the collective thought of the First Generation before Giotto answered:

“Perhaps when you are older,” Primo said, ruffling the boy’s spiky hair. Tsuna pouted, but accepted the answer. 

“Tsu-kun!” Nana's voice came from downstairs.”Come down! Dinner is ready!”

“Coming!” Tsuna replied, going to the door. Suddenly, he stopped and looked at Giotto and the others. “Giotto-san, you will be here when I return, right?”

“Of course, so don’t worry,” Giotto assured his grandson with a smile.”Now, don’t make your mother wait, and remember: this friendship is our little secret.” 

Tsuna nodded at them with a brilliant smile and left the room. 

The moment he was gone, a smile left Giotto’s face and he closed his eyes, sighing heavily and running a hand down his face. 

A hand was placed on his shoulder. “Giotto? Are you alright?” It was Asari.

Primo opened his eyes to see his family’s worried gazes. “I’m fine. Just...I knew Iemitsu   was protecting them this way, but I didn’t know things were that bad.”

“That’s not protection, Gio, that’s a fucking abandonment!” G swore, having held back only because of the little Sky.” He’s so narrow-minded that he doesn't see that his family needs him and that his son is being isolated. Man, and I thought my old man was bad, Iemitsu just takes the cake in shitty parenting. Timoteo too. “

“Yeah,” the Rain Guardian agreed, then frowned. “Tsunayoshi-kun’s last question though…” 

“He’s scared,” Lampo spoke up, voice quiet. His friends looked at him, listening to his explanation. “Sure, he has a mom that loves him, but he’s lonely. He’s afraid that when he returns to his room, we will be gone, the first people that accepted him for who he was, and he will be alone again.”

“Lampo…” Giotto said slowly. All of them knew that his Lightning Guardian was speaking from experience. Lampo’s father spoiled his son rotten, but not out of love; just so Lampo would stop bothering him while all Lampo wanted was to be loved by his father. When Primo took him in, Lampo did everything he could to catch their attention. At first, they thought it was his spoilt ways showing through until they learned the truth and saw behind his mask. It took a while for Lampo to see that they loved him and wouldn’t abandon him and let go of that fear. 

And now, his grandson was suffering from the same problem. 

Damn you, Iemitsu. 

“I don’t know the kid yet, Primo,” the Lightning Guardian said, eyes solemn. “But I don’t want him to feel lonely; I don’t want him to go through everything I did before I joined you. “

“We feel the same way, Lampo,” Knuckle told him. 

With that, the conversation was over. 

An hour or so later, Tsuna came back with his mother, getting ready to sleep. The First Generation hid themselves from the woman, but Giotto sent a wave of warmth through their bond, so Tsunayoshi would know they are here.  Judging by the smile the boy got the message. 

“Giotto-san?” Tsuna whispered into the dark once mama kissed him goodnight and left the room.

“We are here,” Giotto replied as they appeared to the brunet, standing near his bed. “What do you need?”  

Tsuna looked at the man shyly. “Can you sing me a lullaby you sang to me yesterday, so I can sleep better?” 

Surprise flashed on blond’s features - he hadn’t thought Tsuna would remember him singing him a lullaby as the five-year-old was so sick yesterday - but he smiled nonetheless,  and said with a  nod: 

"Of course.” 

Tsuna brightened at the answer as Giotto sat down on the bed and began to sing a lullaby.  

And as he sang, lulling Tsuna to sleep, Primo made a promise to himself that they would be here for Tsuna as long as the boy needed them. And he wouldn’t be alone. Never again. 

That was the promise all of them intended to keep and fulfill.  

Chapter Text

It’s the second day of the First Generation staying in Sawada Residence. Their morning began with Tsuna’s bright smile and happy “Good morning, everyone!” The boy is energetic as they find out, and it was amusing to watch the little sky talk excitedly about his plans for the day with them while he dressed.

Lampo doesn’t share his friends’ opinion. “God, he’s so loud,” the Lightning Guardian groaned. “I had a such nice nap.”

“He’s a child, Lampo,” Giotto reminded his youngest Guardian. “Most of them are this energetic. If I recall right, a certain someone acted this way too whenever he planned a prank with Daemon.” 

The playful jab was aimed at Lampo. When they were alive, Lampo often helped Daemon prank the others. It was one of the few times, Lampo didn’t laze around and was energetic like Tsunayoshi right now was being. 

“He’s got you there, kiddo,” G chuckled. 

“Oh, sod off, old man,” Lampo grumbled. 

The others laughed as all of them followed Tsunayoshi downstairs to breakfast.

Nana deemed Tsuna healthy enough to go outside. So after breakfast, the mother-son duo went to visit the playground with Giotto and his Guardians following them, to Tsuna’s delight.

However, that excitement dimmed when they arrived. The five-year-old drew into himself the moment Nana left him, which did not escape the attention of the First Generation.

“Is something wrong,  Tsunayoshi?”  Giotto was the one to ask the question. 

His grandson gave him a weak smile. “I’m fine. Just… I have no one to play with. Nobody wants to play with me.”

“I’m sure there is someone who will play with you,” Primo assured Tsuna. “You won’t know until you try.”

Tsuna looked at the other kids. Then back at Giotto’s encouraging smile and at the kids again before taking a deep breath and his toys with him to find a playmate.  

Unfortunately, Primo and the others were proved wrong. No one wanted to play with Tsunayoshi. No one. The other children shoo him away, pointing fingers and calling him weak and clumsy and pathetic. 

Seeing this, Giotto’s eerily reminded of his and G’s childhood on the streets. How the two of them were treated the same simply because they were homeless orphans. And Tsuna told them yesterday he was being isolated, but to see it with their own eyes was worse.

Way worse. Children could be really cruel sometimes, regardless of the era. 

Judging by the way G’s hands tightened into fists, his best friend was having the same thoughts. The others were not unaffected either as their dark expressions show. 

“The more I see of the fallout of that idiot’s decision, the more I want to whack him on the head,” G muttered under his breath.   

“You are not the only one,” Primo said just as darkly. His heart ached at Tsunayoshi’s expression and tears in his eyes as the dejected boy came back to them. As he comforted his grandson, Giotto wondered if it was possible to hate Iemitsu more than he already did. 

Something told him it wasn’t the limit. 

Tsuna stayed by their side until Nana decided it was time to go home.

Thankfully, Tsuna’s good mood returned once they were back home and after lunch, he went to the backyard to play. 

For some time everything was peaceful when suddenly the First Generation heard Tsuna yell in fright.

Sharing a concerned look, they rush to the boy's aid.

They find the brunet stuck in a tree that grew in the backyard.

"Tsunayoshi, " Giotto said slowly, stunned as his heart skipped a beat in fear, "how in Madonna's name did you end up there?!"

 They were distracted for a minute,  how did he manage to climb that fast?!

"I-I wanted to help," the little boy replied in a shaky voice. There’s a kitten, so it’s obvious who Tsuna to help. “But now I’m stuck. Help.” 

“Don’t panic, we will get you down,” Giotto told him soothingly. He continued to distract the boy while Alaude got the child and kitten down because Tsuna refused to leave it here. The kitten meowed and disappeared, leaving the five-year-old with his fretting caretakers.

“That was dangerous, Tsunayoshi,” Giotto reprimanded his grandson. “You scared us and you could have gotten seriously hurt if you tried to get down yourself.”

“I’m sorry,” Tsuna mumbled into Alaude’s trench coat; the others heard him anyway. “I couldn’t leave him here. I know how it’s scary to be stuck somewhere all alone.”  

Alaude sighed at the explanation, not minding that the child was cuddled into his arms. ”It seems you are too kind just like Giotto. And a trouble magnet too.”

“Ricardo said the same thing before I left,” the blonde said with a smile. 

“And he was right,” Alaude said dryly. “I feel we gonna have our hands full. Madonna, as if Giotto’s getting in trouble wasn’t enough.”

“Hey,” Primo said in mock offense. He knew his Cloud Guardian was only teasing him. It was clear by the way his ice-blue eyes had mirth in them, so Giotto struggled to stay looking offended and not smile. “I’m not that much of a trouble magnet.”

“Yes, you are.”

“No, I’m not."

“Did Giotto-san really get in trouble often?” Tsuna asked, watching Vongola Boss and his External Advisor bicker with curiosity. 

“Oh, yes he did,” Knuckle was the one to answer. “If you want to, we tell you a couple of stories about it as a bedtime story. What do you say about it?”

“Yes, please!” Tsuna agreed eagerly. He wanted to know more about these kind people that became his friends. 

“Then it’s a deal,” Knuckle nodded with a grin. “And if need help with anything, don’t hesitate to call us, okay?”

“Sure!” 

The rest of the afternoon was spent without incidents, to Primo’s relief as they kept a close eye on Tsunayoshi and played games with him.

When they come back inside just before dinner, Nana checked her son for any sort of injury - she knew better than anyone what kind of trouble her child could get into. Satisfied that there wasn’t any injury or bruise, Nana and Tsuna start dinner.  

After the food was finished, mother and son spend the evening together. It was clear to the First Generation, who observed them, that while she wasn’t without her faults and it wasn’t easy for her to raise her child alone - while having a very much alive husband who preferred to hide his head in the sand - Nana loved Tsuna dearly and Tsuna loved her just as much in return. Primo and others were glad to see such a close and strong connection. 

At least, one of the parents cared about Tsunayoshi wholly, without any excuses.

Soon, it’s time for Tsuna to go to bed. Nana read him one of his favorite fairytales before kissing him goodnight and retiring to her bed herself. 

Only Tsuna doesn’t fall asleep.

“And why aren’t you sleeping, young man?” Giotto asked, stern, as they appeared in the room. “You’re supposed to be in the world of dreams by now.”

“That’s because I  have one more story to hear!”

“Another story?” The blonde asked, confused. “Your okaa-san already read you a fairytale.”

“It’s not a fairytale! It’s a story about your adventures. Knuckle-san promised you tell me a few as a bedtime story.”

“Did he now?” Giotto hummed, sparing a glance at his Sun Guardian. Knuckle didn’t even look sheepish at suggesting to tell the little sky about his boss’ misadventures as a bedtime story, he was just grinning mischievously. 

“Yeah!”

“I think it’s a good idea, Primo,” Asari spoke up, supporting the idea. “Maybe hearing about the trouble you got into will teach him to be more careful.”

“You are all impossible,” Giotto sighed at his family in fond exasperation. Then he looked back at his grandson. “Fine,” he gave in.“I tell you a couple of stories.”

“Yay!” Tsuna exclaimed happily. 

“But after that, you go to sleep.”

“Sure!” the five-year-old agreed with a big smile.

Giotto smiled at Tsuna’s  entusiasm.

I can never say no to my family, can I? Giotto thought to himself with amusement as he sat down on the bed and proceed to tell Tsunayoshi how he met G for the first time, his Guardians chiming in every now and then.

That night Tsuna fell asleep to the sound of First Generation’s stories and dreamt of times long past.

Chapter Text

The next few days passed similarly as the First Generation continued to bond, with Tsunayoshi growing more and more comfortable around Primo and others to their happiness and relief. At the moment, the five-year-old was playing in the backyard with the ball, being overwatched by Alaude - after the accident with the tree, all of them agreed not to leave the boy alone, lest he got in more serious trouble. Knowing he was mini-Giotto in the making, it was possible, so they took turns watching him. Currently, it was Alaude’s turn to do so, and he did the task, using the opportunity to rest from his noisy companions who were scattered around the house, doing their own things.

But the quiet didn’t last long. An annoying barking and Tsunayoshi’s “shoo, go away!” interrupted the peace. Frowning, the Cloud Guardian got up from his place to investigate what was wrong. 

What he found was Tsunayoshi trying not to burst into tears as he unsuccessfully tried to chase away the neighbor’s chihuahua that was barking at him, bothering the child. 

And Alaude’s nerves as well. So, he glared at the dog, releasing his aura a bit. The pesky thing felt it and ran away whimpering. 

“Wow…” Tsuna breathed out before looking at Alaude in awe. “How did you do that, Alaude-san?”

“Just showed that I wasn’t afraid of the dog,”  Alaude replied.

“That is so cool! You are not afraid of anything!”

The Cloud Guardian just smiled at the boy’s innocence, mind going back to the despair and fear he felt the day their family fell apart. 

I hope you never find out how it’s like to lose people you consider your family, Little Sky , Alaude thought to himself as the boy returned to his interrupted game after he thanked the Cloud Guardian for his help. Because I did, and it’s the scariest thing even I’m afraid of.

To Tsuna’s unhappiness, it began to rain shortly after,  so they had to retrieve back into the house. 

“Mou,” Tsunayoshi pouted at the rain outside as he was doing puzzles with Knuckle on the floor.“Why did it have to rain today? Rain is bad.”

“Actually, it’s a good thing,” Asari disagreed softly from his spot on Tsuna’s bed where he was sitting beside G.

The brunet looked at Ugetsu curiously. “How so, Asari-san? It makes everything dirty, wet,  and cold.”

“The things you say are true, Tsunayoshi-kun,” the Rain Guardian said.  “But it also brings life, tranquility and it washes away the conflict.”

“Washes away the conflict…” the five-year-old repeated thoughtfully. He frowned. “I don’t get it.”

“You will someday,” the swordsman assured the boy. “Did you know the Rain also has music?”

“Oh not that again,” G groaned, but it fell on deaf ears because Tsunayoshi’s eyes flashed amber - his Flames acting up after a long while - in wonder and he said:

“Really? Can you show me, Asari-san? Please?” and the little rascal added puppy eyes for stronger effect making First Generation amused.    

“He knows we can’t say no does he?” G asked with a huff. 

“He does,” his best friend agreed with a chuckle. 

After that, they fell silent as Asari played the song, song of the Rain. 

Tsuna fell asleep to it, dreaming of the gentle rain.

Lampo was bored. 

And whenever Primo’s youngest Guardian was bored either of two things happened: either he slept or went snooping for something. 

This time it was snooping. Even though he could no longer eat, he still looked for sweets while others weren’t paying attention. He went to the kitchen and found sweets on one of the top shelves.

And that’s how Primo’s kid found him. 

“Lampo-san?” he asked, confused, coming from the living room. “What are you doing?”

“I found candy,” Lampo said simply. “You wanna?” he asked, offering the bag. 

Tsuna’s eyes brightened - the kid had quite a sweet tooth as all of them discovered in the past days - and nodded, taking the offered candy with quiet “thanks”. 

The two of them were so busy with candy that when someone coughed, clearing their throat, Lampo and Tsuna jumped, startled. Turning around they were met with Nana and Giotto. 

“Sawada Tsunayoshi,” Nana said, hands on her hips. “I thought I told you not to eat sweets before dinner.”

Seeing Nana and Giotto’s stern expressions, Tsuna and Lampo shared a look.

Uh-oh. Busted. They are in so much trouble now.

Nana knew she wasn’t the best mother.  She was aware her child was being isolated and had no friends to speak of, but she didn't know how to help because not even her love and presence filled the void of loneliness her baby boy felt.

She felt like a failure of a mother because of it at times.

The gossip and her husband's continued absence also didn't help matters.

If only her dear Iemitsu had been home more often, things would have been much easier…

Nana also wasn't stupid. Naive and oblivious sometimes yes, but not stupid. She saw what her little boy became more open and laughed more, saying names of what she thought were his imaginary friends. He was the happiest she had seen him in a while.

She could exactly recall when these changes started.

It happened on the night Tsu-kun was sick. Through her fitful sleep, she heard the soothing song come from her son's room. She did not know who sang a lullaby, but after that, her son became healthy once again. Not only that, after that day strange things began to happen around the house. For example, the recent incident. Tsu-kun took candy from the top shelf without using the chair and without hurting himself. When she asked him about it, Tsu-kun kept his lips sealed over the matter even after she scolded him for eating sweets before dinner and he apologized, which was strange as there were no secrets between them before.   To this day, she still doesn't know who his partner in crime was.

Or another example. A couple of days ago it was raining and her child had to stay inside to his chagrin. For a while, it was quiet in his room before a flute began to play. It was the most beautiful melody she ever heard, and after the song was over she found Tsu-kun asleep in his bed with no mysterious musician in sight.

Nana didn't know who made these things happen, but as long as her son was happy and safe, she didn't mind the strange things happening and prayed for a mysterious stranger to keep watching over her boy.

Please, whoever you are, continue to keep my Tsu-kun safe...

Chapter Text

Of course, it wasn’t all sunshine and daisies.  Sooner or later, Primo and others expected trouble to come on their doorstep.

And it came one day.

It happened at night. Giotto and his Guardians were guarding Tsuna’s sleep as usual when the blond’s Hyper Intuition rang. It told him the danger was coming close. 

“G, Alaude,” said men stood straight at the tone of their Sky’s voice; it was the tone of the boss, the tone of the person who was both adored and hated by people, the tone of the great Vongola Primo. “We have unwanted guests in Namimori. Kindly take them out.”

“Understood,” the Cloud and Storm said in unison and disappeared in the burst of their respective Flames. 

The others began awaiting the results, uneasy.

“So it finally happened, huh?” G asked as they appeared in the middle of one town’s streets.“Assasins came after them.”

“Knowing how Iemitsu is and the lack of protection detail, I’m surprised how it didn’t happen sooner,” Alaude grumbled in reply. “Here they are.” 

G followed the gaze of his fellow Guardian. 

Hiding in the shadows were three hitmen. The Cloud and Storm caught the tidbits of the conversation between them as they spoke in Italian:

“This is far too easy… For a man who babbles about protecting his family, there is no protection in sight.”

There was a snort. “What did you expect?  Nono keeps fools around him.”

“Enough chit-chat!” the third voice cut in.”Let’s just kill them and get this over with. I want out of this shithole of a town as soon as possible.”

“That won’t be possible I’m afraid,” G spoke up. 

The assassins jumped and took out their weapons. 

“Who the hell are you?” the leader asked, all three looking at G and Alaude in apprehension. 

 Alaude was the one to answer the idiots who dared to try to hurt the Little Sky:

‘Your death,” he said coldly. 

And the retribution began.

G and Alaude returned half an hour later looking satisfied.

“The guests are dealt with,” The Cloud Guardian reported to his boss, looking so much like the cat that ate the canary. “They regretted their choice deeply.” 

At these words, the tension left the room as Primo and others relaxed. The danger was over for now. 

“Good,” Giotto nodded as he thought about something. “Alaude,” he said a few moments later, his amber gaze on his Cloud Guardian,” I want you to establish protection around Namimori to make sure something like this doesn’t happen easily,” Giotto knew assassins wouldn’t stop coming, but at least they would make a job harder for them before taking them out permanently.  

Because no one dared to try to hurt his grandson and get away with it. 

No one. 

Alaude nodded in understanding, all of them feeling the same way their Sky did, and went to work on the task.  

Just as the Cloud Guardian left, Tsuna stirred. 

“Giotto-san…?” the boy murmured sleepily as he opened his eyes. 

“Why are you awake, Tsunayoshi?” Giotto was at his side instantly. 

“Is something wrong?” the brunet answered with a question of his own.”You look worried and Alaude-san is gone.”

“Everything is fine. Alaude will be back soon,” Primo assured him with a soft smile. “Go to sleep.”

Tsuna didn’t look like he believed Giotto. He looked at the blond with narrowed amber eyes - his Flames came to the surface more and more lately - before closing his eyes and falling asleep.   

Primo let out a breath once it was clear the boy was soundly asleep and looked at his Guardians who watched the scene with thoughtful expressions on their faces. 

“Hmm,” Knuckle drawled out as he rubbed his chin. “It seems his Flames and Hyper Intuition  act up more and more with each passing day.”

“Yeah,” Giotto agreed with a sigh. He felt that too. 

The day of truth drew just a little bit nearer.

The months flew by. Just as Giotto ordered, Alaude put up the protection around the town, and the First Generation stopped two more assassination attempts since then before they ceased, though Primo and others stayed on their guard - who knew from where trouble would come next time.

And just like that, October came around, and with it, Tsuna’s birthday. It took them some time to come up with a gift, but they figured it out just in time for the big day. 

And finally, the fourteenth of October arrived.

Tsuna woke up, feeling warm. Yawning, he rubbed his eyes from sleep. When he opened his eyes, he was met with Giotto-san’s kind eyes. 

“Good morning, Tsunayoshi,” the man greeted him warmly like he did the past few months. “Have you slept well?”

“Yeah!”

Giotto-san smiled at the answer. “That’s good. Could you close your eyes for me? It’s a surprise.” 

Tsuna nodded and did as asked. There were whispers and some rustling before Giotto-san said: 

“You can open your eyes now.”

Tsuna did so. And gasped at the sight of the lion plushie toy in Giotto-san’s hands.

“This is a gift from all of us,” Giotto-san explained. “Happy birthday."

Tsuna let out a happy equal."Thank you, thank you!" He took the gift, then threw himself at Primo wrapping his arms around the blond's neck. "I love it!"

Got to was startled a bit by the sudden hug, but hugged his grandson in return." Glad you love it," he murmured in the brunet's wild locks, smiling.

The others watched the scene with smiles on their faces and also wished Tsuna a happy birthday, getting thanks for the gift and a beaming smile in return.

Tsuna doesn't let go of the lion plushie, whom he named Natsu, for the rest of the day.

In the evening as Tsuna just made a wish on a cake made by Nana, Iemitsu appeared out of the blue. There was the sound of the door opening and his voice

"Nana, dear, I'm home~!" 

Nana immediately went to her husband while Tsuna flinched and sat frozen in his spot, clutching Natsu to himself.

G clicked his tongue. "Tch. Fantastic. Out of all days, he decides to appear on this one."

"Isn't it a good thing that he came on kid’s birthday?” Lampo questioned. 

“Remind me when Iemitsu’s visit meant anything good?” G asked. “Plus, look at his reaction: the kid doesn’t know to react to the fool and it’s his dad.”

Lampo glanced at Tsuna’s uncertain expression and had to agree with G. 

Leaving Little Sky with their youngest Guardian, the rest of the First Generation went to observe the Sawada couple.

They were greeted by the sight of Nana and Iemitsu being mushy-mushy with each other. But they didn’t care about that. What angered them was the fact that Iemitsu was obviously drunk. Drunk on his son’s birthday.

Any shred of respect Giotto had left for his descendant disappeared into the abyss as he realized that fact.

Beside him, G sucked in a harsh breath. “That son of a-! Gio, let me at him, I kick his ass back to Italy so hard he’ll be sober!”

“Don’t bother, G,” Giotto told his best friend, his lips pressed tight. He was done being bothered by Iemitsu’s idiocy. “If he wants to be a fool, let him be. Tsunayoshi is our main priority. Speaking of which, let’s get him to the room. He shouldn’t see this.”

The others nodded,  and all of them left the corridor.

“Papa is gonna stay for a few days,” Tsuna said as though speaking from experience as he got in bed. 

“What makes you say that?” Ugetsu asked. Since Nana was busy handling her husband, they were the ones tucking the now six-year-old in bed. 

“If he appears this late, he always stays a few days,” the brunet said matter-of-factly. He furrowed his brows a second later. “And that means Mama’s gonna cry when he will leave.”

“I see,” Giotto said simply after sharing a look with his Guardians. None of them decided to comment on the newly-known fact so as not to spoil Tsuna’s mood. “Well, off to sleep you go,” he said adjusting the covers tighter around the boy and kissing him on the forehead. Sweet dreams, Tsunayoshi.”

“Good night, everyone!” Tsuna wished in return. Closing his eyes and hugging Natsu to himself, Tsuna thinks that Papa’s sudden reappearance didn’t spoil his happy mood one bit.  

After all, this was the best birthday ever! 

Chapter Text

True to Tsuna’s word, Iemitsu stayed. He spent time lazing around and drinking. Remembering what happened the last time Iemitsu was left alone with Tsuna, the First Generation kept the brunet away from the CEDEF Boss. Tsuna, also remembering what happened and just feeling uncomfortable in his father’s presence,  tried his best to steer clear of the man. 

As for Iemitsu himself, the man played the fool as usual.  Seeing what his son was avoiding him, the External Advisor cried crocodile tears, moaning that “Tuna-fishy is so cold to his Papa!”. The First Generation - mainly Alaude and G -  found such behavior disgusting. No self-respecting husband and father would act this way towards his family. Not to mention it was Iemitsu’s own fault - if he visited his family more often and bonded with his son, Tsuna would have reached out to the man himself instead of shunning away. 

So, Iemitsu was just getting the fruits of his labor. He had no right to complain. 

One way or another, Iemitsu’s visit lasted a week. And just like Tsuna said, once he left, Nana hid in her bedroom at night, and cried quietly to herself, thinking her son was sleeping.  

Only Tsuna wasn’t sleeping. He and First Generation heard Nana’s soft cries. Then, unable to stand his mother’s tears, Tsuna got out of bed and went to her with Natsu in his arms, face determined. Primo and others shared a look and followed after the brunet. 

Once there, they watched from the doorway as Tsuna climbed on the bed and crawled next to his mother, saying: 

“Please don’t cry, kaa-san. I don’t like it when you are sad because of Papa. I promise I won’t leave you ever!”

Nana wiped her tears. “Oh, Tsu-kun,” she said, smiling at her son’s words, then proceeded to hug him. “You so sweet. I love you.”  

“I love you too, mama,”  Tsuna said softly, snuggling closer to his mother, glad she wasn’t crying anymore. 

The First Generation smiled at the scene and left mother and son to themselves.

Tsuna looked at the bicycle - a gift from his mama on his birthday, - unsure what to do. He wanted to ride it, but he didn’t know-how and didn’t want to bother kaa-san with it since she was busy and he also didn’t want to bother Giotto-san and others. But he was scared to try himself. 

And that’s how Asari found him, in the middle of the dilemma.

“Something wrong, Tsunayoshi-kun?” the Ugetsu asked. 

Tsuna jumped, turning around to face the Rain Guardian. “Nothing’s wrong, Asari-san!” the six-year-old assured the man a bit nervously.

Not quite believing him, the musician looked at the boy’s nervous expression, at how he was biting his lip, then at the bicycle that stood near and realized the cause of Tsuna’s nerves. 

“You want to ride, but don’t know how?” at the question, Tsuna blushed in embarrassment, but nodded.”Don’t worry, I'll teach you. And don’t protest,” Asari added, seeing how the Little Sky tried to protest. “It’s perfectly okay to ask for help.”

“Thank you, Asari-san.”

“You’re welcome,” the Rain Guardian said with a smile, ruffling the brown locks. “It’s what a family does, Tsunayoushi-Kun. Now, go get ready.”     

“I’ll be fast!” Tsuna told him and rushed up the stairs, managing not to trip - his sense of balance improved somewhat since the breaking of the seal and he wasn’t tripping over everything anymore -  on the way up and disappeared into his room. 

True to his word, Tsuna was fast, and a few minutes later, the brunet came down, dressed for a walk.

“Mom!” he called, taking the bicycle. “I’m going outside!”

“Have fun, be careful!” Nana answered from the kitchen. “And be back before dark!” 

“Okay!”

And with that, Tsuna and Asari left the Sawada Residence.

“Place your hands on the handles, feet on the pedals. Keep your balance and try to push the pedals.”

They are in the middle of the lesson on how to ride a bicycle in a park when bullies show up.

"Ah, look who it is!" one of them exclaimed mockingly." Crybaby Sawada finally got a bicycle.  Where are your parents? You are so useless and stupid that they refused to teach you to ride it?".

"What do you want, Sarihara?" Tsuna asked his main bully with a glare. Before, he wouldn't have talked back to his bullies, but in the past months Giotto-san and others had been teaching him confidence, and now that he was looking at the bullies, he realized there was nothing to be afraid of about them - they said mean things and beat up others simply to feel better about themselves.

Nothing more, nothing less.

The bullies didn't like what he talked back."Someone is getting brave," Sarihara sneered. "Well, we rectify that now."

Tsuna stayed where he was, unflinching. He refused to be afraid of them. But before any of them could take action, a voice spoke:

"What do you think you’re doing? Bothering small animals is against the rules.”

“Shoot!” one of the bullies exclaimed in fright. “It’s Demon of Namimori! Scram!”

But it was too late, for “Demon of Namimori” already arrived on the scene and proceeded to “bite herbivores to death for breaking the rules”. 

Asari and Tsuna watched from the sidelines.

“Impressive,” the musician noted as they observed the deadly dance. 

“Uh-uh,” Tsuna agreed with a nod. He never saw anyone fight like that before. 

Soon, the boy was done. Dismissing the whimpering bullies at his feet,  he turned to the brunet.

“Are you alright, little animal?” he asked.

The six-year-old blinked, not realizing at first that the older boy was addressing him. “Y-Yeah, I’m fine,” Tsuna looked to the side; Asari-san, who had hidden from the others, was making gestures that meant they needed to get home. He blinked to show he understood. He looked at the boy again. “I need to go. Thank you for helping me.”

The boy gave him the curt nod. He watched Tsuna leave until the brunet was out of sight.

Suddenly there was the sound of the footsteps and a familiar voice asking:

“Are you done with patrol, Nii-san?”

Hibari turned around and was met with the face he saw in the mirror every day himself; the face of his twin brother, Hibari Takashi. 

“Yeah. Let’s go home.”

Takashi nodded. As the two of them went home, Kyoya thought about the small animal once more and felt his lips curl in a grin.

This was going to be interesting.  

Chapter Text

“And he was like “whoosh!” and “wham!” Tsuna mimicked fight moves as he told the story. He and Asari had just come back from the walk and were telling others what happened at the park in his room. “He dealt with bullies in seconds, he was that strong!” 

“Is that so?” Giotto asked curiously. 

Asari nodded. “Yes. He was so strong for his age that he reminded me of Alaude a bit.”

“I see,” Giotto said thoughtfully before turning to his grandson. “Well, anyway, I’m proud that you stood up to these bullies.”

Tsuna perked up. “Really?”

“Really,” it was G who answered. “You did well for the first time.”

Tsuna brightened at the praise before saying:

“Do you think I’ll meet him again? That boy, I mean?”

“Who knows,”  Giotto said. Privately, he thought they would be seeing the boy again, and his Intuition was confirming it, but he held that to himself for now. “Do you want to?”

“Yeah. He seems scary, but he saved me from the bullies and was nice, so I would like to meet him again,” Tsuna said. His eyes shined at the possibility of the new friend. 

Primo smiled at that. “Then I’m sure you will.”

Tsuna smiled in return, and the rest of the day progressed as normal.

Giotto and his Intuition turned out to be right as usual. They met the kid again a few days later. Not in person, per se. He lurked at the edge, watching Tsuna from a distance. So far, Tsunayoshi hadn’t felt the boy’s presence with his own Hyper Intuition, or if he did, he hadn’t brought up with them.

As for the First Generation themselves, they watched the boy in turn and were currently discussing him while Tsuna was playing with his mother on the playground. 

“Geez, what a creepy kid,” Lampo said with a shudder at the kid’s deathly calm expression. “Asari wasn’t kidding when he said he reminded him of Alaude. Hey, Alaude,” Lampo addressed their strongest Guardian, “is he your descendant by any chance?”  

“No, I would have known otherwise,” Alaude said with a shake of his head. Though, he understood why his family thought such a thing: save for the color of his hair and eyes, the boy was his spitting image. “But like me, he has Cloud Flames, powerful ones at that…” the First External Advisor grimaced a little at his next words, “and a bit of Mist apparently.”

“That explains it,” G said. “Clouds never approach first, unless itching for a fight, or if someone catches their interest. But why would that Cloud be interested in Tsuna?” 

“He probably subconsciously knows that Tsunayoshi is a Sky, but isn’t aware of that yet, since he’s young,” Primo said. The boy couldn’t be that much older than his grandson. Two years, at most. “In any case, he doesn’t intend to harm. Let him approach at his own pace.”

“If you say so, Boss,” his Guardians agreed in an uneven chorus.

“Nii-san, you do realize what you’re doing is called stalking, right?” Takashi asked his twin once he found him where he expected his brother to be besides training or doing patrol  - near one Sawada Tsunayoshi.  

Ever since his brother met this little boy on patrol, he changed. He started shadowing this boy, watching him from afar, and even patrolling Sawada’s neighborhood. Takashi couldn’t understand what was so interesting about Sawada Tsunayoshi. He asked their parents why someone so… bland could draw Kyoya’s attention. Their parents smiled and said Takashi would understand it with time. 

He still didn’t understand, but decided to trust his brother. For all his bloodthirsty ways, Kyoya had great instincts. They were the reason he found Kusakabe Tetsuya, who already had the potential of becoming Kyoya’s second-in-command. 

Still, stalking? Really?

“I don’t care,” his twin’s cold voice snapped Takashi from his thoughts, causing him to look at Kyoya. “Small animals need protection. Plus,” the older twin said with a smirk, “ he’s interesting. He’ll show himself more, I’m sure.”

Takashi just sighed exasperatedly in reply. 

Just another day in his life of being related to Hibari Kyoya, really.

A few more days passed. Primo and his Guardians hadn’t seen the mysterious kid for a couple of days. Currently, they are continuing their bike lessons - since the last was interrupted by bullies. 

“Hands on the handles, feet on the pedals, yeah like that,” Giotto said softly as he helped his grandson adjust for a better balance. “Now, try to push the pedals a little.” 

“But what if I fall?” Tsuna asked as his voice shook.

“You won’t,” Primo assured the six-year-old with a smile as he placed his hand on the brunet’s tiny shoulder. “I believe in you.”

“And even if you fall,” Asari added. “We’ll catch you.” 

Tsuna gulped nervously. He looked at the faces of Giotto-san and others: they meant every word they said. They really would catch him if he fell.  Then, Tsuna’s eyes flashed amber as determination filled him, and he gripped handles tighter. Giotto-san and others believed in him. He could do this. 

So he took a deep breath and made a tentative push. Then another and another, and soon he was riding. Tsuna laughed in joy.

He truly did it! He did something right!

“Look, Dad, I’m riding!” he called out to Giotto-san, not noticing what he called Primo in his happiness. The First Generation, however, noticed that and shared a shocked look.

“Did he just call you dad even if it wasn’t on purpose?” Lampo asked, eyes wide. 

“Yeah, he did,” The blonde agreed with a proud smile at Tsunayoshi’s accomplishment as they watched the boy ride his bicycle happily. 

Tsuna called him dad. Dad. Not on purpose, but he did it nonetheless. His entire being filled with warmth. He was happy and touched that Tsuna trusted and cared about him that much to call him dad even if it wasn’t on purpose. 

A loud “Ouch!” drew Primo out of his musings. All of them looked towards the sound to see Tsunayoshi on the ground next to the bicycle, rubbing a sore spot.

“You okay, kiddo?” Knuckle asked once they all reached his side. “Sorry we didn’t catch you; got distracted a little.”

Tsuna gave them a sheepish grin. “Yeah, I’m fine, and it’s okay, it doesn’t hurt that much. I just hadn’t noticed a bump in my excitement and fell. Sorry.”

“Nothing to apologize for,” Giotto said. “See? I knew you could do it. I’m proud of you. ” 

Tsuna beamed at them. As they helped him to get to his feet and brushed the dirt off his clothes, the sounds of an argument reached their ears, and they turned towards the noise.  They saw a girl around Tsuna’s age with black hair and brown eyes surrounded by three boys twice her size.

“Not to sound arrogant, but you are so done,” the girl was saying. “Because my brothers will be very angry if you don’t leave me this instant.”

“Ha! Yeah, right!” one of the boys snorted in disbelief. 

“We are so scared!” another added, and all three burst out laughing. The girl looked at them with an expression that said “God, they are so stupid.”

Finally, Tsuna had enough of this. “Hey!” he called out to the trio, drawing their attention.“She told you to leave her alone, so do so!”

The boys snorted in reply. “Hey, look who decided to play the knight in shining armor! Too bad he looks weak to do the protecting!” They taunted. 

Tsuna does his best to ignore them. He never liked conflict, and Giotto-san said fighting should be the last resort with people like this. So he just offered his hand to the girl to get her away from here as he approached her. She took it after a second, and they started walking away.

Of course,  bullies wouldn’t be themselves if they gave up this easily. 

“Hey!” one of them yelled. “We aren’t done here!”

“I believe we are done here,” the girl said with a dismissive tone of the princess. “Have a good day.”

“Why, you little-!” the bully went to grab the girl’s arm. 

Something exploded inside Tsuna just then. The familiar warmth of his inner fire rushed through his body. His whole being and that voice inside him sang, protect, protect, protect. 

So that’s what he did. In a great show of speed, he grabbed the boy’s arm mere inches from the girl’s own. All the people present were startled by the sudden display of reflexes.

“What the hell?” the bully murmured from shock. 

“I believe she told you we are done,” Tsuna said. His face was the mask of the utter calm as he spoke these words. “Leave.”

Scared witless by Tsuna’s eerily blank expression and his blazing eyes and his aura that screamed danger, the bullies run away, leaving dust in their wake. At the exact same moment, his inner fire retreated back inside him, leaving him dizzy. Thankfully, the girl kept him steady.

“You okay?” she asked. 

“Y-yeah,” Tsuna stuttered a bit as he blushed from shyness. “Just dizzy. You’re okay?”  

The girl was about to answer when someone whistled: 

“Woah, small animal. I knew you were interesting, but never expected you to chase herbivores with a single look.”

Small animal… That sounded familiar. Both he and the girl turned towards the voice. 

To Tsuna’s surprise, it’s the boy that saved him from bullies a few days ago. Beside him stood another boy with the same face. He could hear Lampo-san exclaim “There’s two of them?!” before one of them spoke up:

“Are you alright, Mei?”

“I’m okay, Takashi-nii,” Mei said. “Thanks to him. Hey, that’s your name?” she asked Tsuna.

“S-sawada Tsunayoshi.”

“I’m Hibari Mei, and that’s my older brothers Takashi and Kyoya,” she gestured to each of the twins as she gave their names. 

So that’s the brothers she talked about earlier. For their age, they looked very intimidating, but Tsuna already got that from his previous encounter with one of the twins. 

“It’s very nice to meet you,” the brunet said politely.

“Same,” Takashi said. “You have our thanks for standing up for our sister.”

“It was no problem,” Tsuna said shyly. “I don’t like when bullies bother someone.”

The older boy nodded, accepting the answer, then looked at Mei. “It’s time to go home, Mei.”

“Sure, Takashi-nii,” Mei said.  “Hey, can Tsunayoshi-kun come over  tomorrow?”

Takashi looked at him, and Tsuna tried his best not to flinch and shrink into himself under that cool gray gaze. He succeeded. “And why do you want a complete stranger to come over?” 

“Well, he  helped to scare these idiots that bothered me, and I want to thank him properly,” Mei said matter-of-factly. “Besides, he isn’t afraid of us, and maybe he will be my friend. So,  can he come?”

“Only if his parents won’t mind.”

“I’ll ask,” Tsuna spoke up timidly. He could barely believe it - someone wanted to be his friend and even invited him to come over.  Of course, he told Giotto-san and others that he wanted to meet the mysterious boy again and possibly become his friend, but he never expected it to happen this way. 

“Good,” the boy said. “Now come on, Mei. Mother is waiting for us for lunch.”

“Coming!” Mei took her brother’s hand and turned towards Tsuna to say goodbye. “See you, Sawada-kun.”

“See you,” Tsuna returned before blushing again and rushing back to where Giotto-san and others were.

Hibari smirked at his twin as he and his siblings watched small animal go. “See? I told you he would show himself more one way or another and he did this by saving our imouto.”

Takashi scowled at Kyoya’s smug expression. He hated when his twin acted like this. So, he was wrong about Sawada Tsunayoshi being bland. Was there a necessity to rub it in? Apparently, in Kyoya’s opinion, there was.  God, his brother was a menace.“Yeah, yeah. Rub it in, Mr. Carnivore. Let’s just go home and tell Mother and Father about this.”

Kyoya just smirked wider in response as three of them left the park. He was proven right - the small animal was worth his interest, Mei would have a friend, and his twin’s sour expression was a bonus.  

Tomorrow will be a good day. 

Chapter Text

Meanwhile, Tsuna returned to Primo and his Guardians.

“You alright, Tsunayoshi-kun?” Asari asked as the boy came closer. All of them knew he wasn’t hurt, having seen the display with their own eyes, but it was already a second nature looking over the boy for injuries, knowing his luck getting in situations, no matter big and small. 

“I’m fine, “the six-year-old assured them. He looked at the First Generation with a timid, yet excited grin at the same time, eager to share what happened. “Have you heard? They invited me to  their house!”

“Yes, we heard,” Giotto smiled proudly. “That’s really great, Tsunayoshi. And you stood up for Mei. I’m proud of you.”

Tsuna turned bashful at the praise. “I didn’t do much. It was the right thing to do. Besides,  there was this… “the boy frowned, not knowing how to explain it. “...inner fire that helped me. Without it, I doubt they would have left us alone until Hibari-chan’s brothers arrived and helped like the last time.”

“True, something helped you,” Giotto agreed. “But other than that, you did everything yourself. So don’t sell yourself short.”

“I’ll try,” Tsuna said, then proceeded to change the subject. Though his confidence grew in the past months, he still wasn’t used to praise and being in the spotlight. “Can we continue the lessons?”

“Sure.”

The lessons resumed. Tsuna still needed reassurance every now and again and he fell a lot, but there was progress as well. 

And watching how happy the boy was by riding bicycle  on his own and not falling even once for the first time, the First Generation was happy and proud too. They hoped their Little Sky would never lose that  smile and laugh. And they also knew it was the start of accomplishments to come.

Since it was nearing the end of October, it was getting dark pretty fast. So, the moment the sun started to set, Primo and his Guardians called Tsunayoshi home. The boy pouted a bit, but went along, and pretty soon they reached the Sawada Residence. 

“I’m home!” the brunet called into the house as he entered and took his shoes off. Giotto-san and others weren’t visible to the eye, but he felt them near and that was all reassurance he needed. 

Nana appeared from the kitchen, a bright smile on her face. “Tsu-kun, okaeri! You’re just in time for dinner. How was your walk?”

“It was great!” Tsuna replied. “I rode the bicycle and didn’t even fall once after a while. And I helped the girl at the park and her family invited me over. Can I go, by the way?”

“Of course you can! Now let’s eat and think of a nice present for them! What’s their name?”

“Hibari.”

“Oh, I’ve heard about them. Tell me how you met!”

So, while mother and son ate dinner, and discussed Tsuna’s accomplishments and plans for tomorrow, Giotto and his Guardians were having a conversation of their own about what they witnessed at the park. 

“He was on the cusp of manifesting his Flames, Primo,” Alaude was saying.  “He was basically in the Hyper Dying Will Mode, minus the Flame today. His Hyper Intuition works nearly as much as yours. You have to tell him.”

“Gotta agree with our bloodthirsty bird,” G said. “You have to tell him before something happens and he freaks out.”

“Plus,”Lampo added with a yawn. “It seems he’s already aware of his Flames somewhat, considering he calls them ‘inner fire.’” 

“I know,”  the blonde said with a sigh. “We’ll tell him, but not now. I don’t want to ruin his happiness at finding his first friends by telling him about Flames or his bloodline right now.”

“If you say so,” G said. The others, Alaude especially, didn’t look content with Giotto’s decision, but conceded in the end. “Speaking of which, who’s gonna escort Little Sky with you to Hibaris tomorrow? All of us would be overkill, I think, even though we always went together.”

“Lampo and I will go, if that’s okay with you, Primo,” Alaude volunteered.

“Want to see one of the twins that has Cloud Flames, Kyoya, closer, right?” Giotto understood his Cloud straight away. 

Alaude gave a simple nod. 

“Then it’s fine with me.”

“Okay, I get why are you going Primo - you are basically the kid’s dad; Alaude is going out of curiosity caused by his Japanese mini-me; but why  do I have to go?!” Lampo whines.

“Because you also agreed to help Tsunayoshi,” Alaude reminded the Lightning Guardian. “Besides, you need to go out and stop lazing around here.”

“He’s right,” G said with a smirk. “Alaude won’t let you laze around.”

“Mou, why are you two so mean to me?! Asari, Knuckle, help!”

Giotto just shook his head at the scene and his chaotic family. 

Same old, same old.

With the gift and time to visit the Hibari family decided, it was time for Tsuna to sleep. He seemed anxious, which Nana picked up on as she helped him get into bed. 

“What’s wrong, sweetie?” she asked as she passed her son the stuffed lion that mysteriously appeared on Tsuna’s birthday, which she knew was the work of the unknown stranger that kept her boy company.

“Mom,” he said nervously, clutching the toy tighter to himself. “What if they will be  disappointed?”

“They will love you, Tsu-kun,” Nana’s voice was sure and gentle as she spoke those words. “You just have to be yourself.”

“I’ll try,” Tsuna said with a small hesitant smile. “Good night, kaa-san.”

“Good night, Tsu-kun,” Nana leaned in to kiss on the cheek and adjusted the covers tighter around her boy. “Sleep well.” 

And as Nana left the room to go to sleep herself, Tsuna already on the verge of falling asleep due to the active day, felt a kiss on his forehead and Giotto-san’s voice saying: 

“Your mother is right, Tsunayoshi: just be yourself and don’t worry, we’ll be with you.”

Yeah, with Giotto-san and others by his side he could do anything! 

With that thought, Tsuna fell asleep, full of hope for the upcoming day.

The next morning finally arrived. After having a light breakfast, Nana and Tsuna started to prepare for the visit. And though he felt much better after his mom and  Giotto-san’s encouragement, some nervousness still remained and he couldn’t sit still, fidgeting with his fingers as he waited for Nana. 

Suddenly a hand was placed on his head. He looked up to see Alaude-san’s steady gaze. 

“Do not fret,” he said. “Giotto, Lampo, and I will be near.”

“What about G-san, Asari-san and Knuckle-san?”

“We’ll stay here and hold down the fort so to speak,” the priest told the brunet with a smile. “So don’t worry about us and have fun.”

In that moment, Nana descended the stairs, fully dressed for the chilly weather:

“Tsu-kun, time to go!”

“Go get them, kiddo,” G said.

“Have fun,” Asari and Knuckle said together at once. 

Tsuna nodded, and taking his mom’s hand, left the house, followed by Giotto, Lampo and Alaude. 

He really hoped all would go well.

As it turned out, the Hibari family lived in a grand traditional mansion on the outskirts of Namimori, away from the noise and people. 

Lampo couldn’t help but whistle, impressed despite himself, upon arrival at their destination. “So they are traditional and rich. Wasn’t expecting that.”

“Jealous?” Primo asked with a teasing tilt to his lips. 

“Ha, as if!” The Lightning Guardian gives a haughty sniff. “Nobody can be better than me!”

Primo laughed at that a little as Tsuna and Nana finally enter the house and they follow. 

They are met by a couple. Both have black hair and gray and brown eyes respectively, and are nearly the same height. They are dressed casually, but both radiate confidence, power and danger.

Like Alaude-san, Tsuna noted, instantly picking on similarities between them. Now I understand why Hibari-chan and her brothers are so scary and elegant. 

His thoughts were interrupted when the man spoke up: 

“You must be Sawada-san and Tsunayoshi–kun. I’m Hibari Masamune and this is my wife, Gia,*” the man introduced himself and the woman beside him. “Welcome to our home.”

“Thank you for having us,” Nana said, smiling brightly. “We brought something to have with tea.”

Since he was the one to insist on giving cookies, the six-year-old took this as his cue and presented the container with cookies to Gia.

“Please accept them even though it’s not much,” he said, blushing to the roots of his hair. “I hope you really like them.”

“Thank you, that’s very sweet of you to say that, Tsunayoshi-kun,” Gia said, accepting the gift with a smile. “Why don’t I lead you to my children and they also try your mother’s cookies while my husband shows your mother the way to the living room? Mei has been awaiting your visit.”

“She did?” Tsuna asked. He didn’t expect to hear that, but nonetheless felt warmth at the thought that Mei was waiting for him. 

“She did,” Masamune confirmed. “Now, Sawada-san, allow me to show you the way. It’s easy to get lost for the first time.”

“Thank you, Hibari-san! That would be lovely,” Nana said, before turning to her son. “Have fun and remember what I told you.”

“Okay, Mama,” Tsuna didn’t see Giotto-san and others, but could feel their support and that gave him courage to follow after Gia-san, while okaa-san went with Masamune-san.

He could do it.

Anyway, Tsuna soon saw that Masamune-san was right. He could have easily lost his way in this huge place if not for Gia-san. 

This place is like a labyrinth, the six-year-old thought as he recalled the similar stories he read and was told about. However, his thoughts were interrupted when Gia-san slid the shoji aside and called: 

“Children. We have a guest. Come in, Tsunayoshi-kun, don’t be shy.”

With a nod, Tsuna stepped inside the room and was greeted by Mei first. 

“Hello, Sawada-kun,” she said with a small smile. “Thank you for coming.”

“Thank you for inviting me,” Tsuna gave her a shy smile in return. “Hello, Kyoya-san, Takashi-san,” the brunet greeted the twins. They are not much older than him and Mei, but it felt right to address them that way. 

“Good to see you again, small animal,” that’s definitely Kyoya-san. Seriously, what’s with the nicknames? 

“Welcome, Tsunayoshi-san. I hope you’ll feel comfortable,” and that’s Takashi-san. Is it just Tsuna or Takashi-san doesn't like him? 

“I leave you four to yourselves ,” Gia said. “Your Father is with Nana-san at the moment and I will return shortly with tea, so you can have a snack, but tell me if you need anything.”

“Of course, Mother/Hibari-san!” the children said together at once. 

With that, Gia nodded and left, but not before sparing the glance at the corner where Primo and his Guardians stood. 

“Did she see us?” Lampo whispered, slightly spooked by the woman.

“Possibly,” Giotto said. “If not, she certainly felt us.” 

“Is that a good thing?”

“Guess we’ll see. Let’s not distract Tsunayoshi with our worries right now.”

Alaude and Lampo nodded, agreeing with their boss and the three of them watched the children play.

Some time later, Masamune observed the children. Not long after having tea and cookies, the kids went outside in the backyard. Mei and Tsunayoshi were active the most while twins watched over the two protectively.  

“How are things going?” Gia appeared at his side while Nana excused herself to the bathroom, and they had the time to discuss the situation.

“They’re going well,” Masamune said. “I never saw Mei so happy with someone who’s not family. Kyoya is curious about him, so he’s more willing to interact than Takashi, who’s wary.”

“I never saw Lightning act so prickly to a Sky,” Gia noted. “But then again my brother’s a Storm  and he’s not quick to anger like others of his Attribute.”

“True,” Masamune agreed. “But still, I did not expect to meet the son of  the External Advisor of Vongola at all, much less that he would catch our children’s attention.” 

“Neither did I,” Gia said. “But perhaps it was meant to be.”

“If you say so,” unlike his wife and brother-in-law, Masamune did not believe in destiny, but allowed Gia her faith. She was free to believe in anything she wanted. He respected and loved her too much to do otherwise. 

Gia didn’t say anything, used to her husband’s skepticism, and chose to focus on the other matter. “There’s something you should know. There's a presence around young Tsunayoshi.”

“Presence?” Masamune repeated, eyes narrowing. Being sister of the Storm Arcobaleno and master in martial arts herself, his beloved easily picked on such things. “Do you know what or who it is?”

“Sadly no,” the woman shook her head. “They are hiding, but they are not hostile,” Masamune’s tensed shoulders relaxed at that bit of information. “Rather, they seem to protect the boy.”

“Unknown presence protecting the son of Sawada Iemitsu in the place of absent father. Hmm,” Masamune hummed thoughtfully. First, said boy captured the interest of his children, now this. Intriguing. “Then, I guess we lend them a hand. What do you think, Gia?”

“Agreed,” Gia nodded. Her eyes flashed dangerously. “Tsunayoshi carries the blood of the Vongola, but he’s still a child and I refuse to let harm come to him and our children who’s growing fond of him.”

“Then it’s decided. Sawadas are under our protection,” Masamune declared. He and Gia hear that Nana was back, and before they turned their attention back to her, Masamune thought with one last glance at Tsunayoshi:

It will be interesting to watch you grow, Little Lion.