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chapter twenty-one has older siblings and wimpy cats

"Hey little brother." Twenty-three-year-old Dino entered the meeting room, hands firmly gripping the door knob. Honey brown eyes scrutinized the long, sleek black table that stretched from one wall to the other, then the red carpeting that accentuated warm orange walls. Hmm, being gay apparently had its benefits if Giotto knew how to color coordinate this well. However, that was another story for another time, and certainly the way he saw his little brother's best friend pacing back and forth with panic came first.

He surveyed the room until his brother caught his attention, and took everything G told him into consideration. From the way G spoke over the phone and just then at the bottom floor of the building, Dino would have never suspected he was telling the truth. The little Ieyatsu Giotto Vongola he once knew was now firm in stature, pin-striped suit making him the apple of all's eyes. He didn't look torn, frustrated, or the slightest bit distraught.

On the outside, anyway.

Dino took a step forward, and each one echoed in the quiet room. As he got close, the paleness of Giotto's sunkissed half-Italian face was sickening. Giotto held onto the foot of a document, demeanor frozen and pen in suspended animation above the blank for a signature.

"Signing papers?" He tried to create conversation. A broad smile spread across the older blond's lips and he wasn't sure what would come of it. Nothing. Absolutely nothing, like Giotto was a doll in his own world. "Do you need any help?"

Giotto remained silent.

"Giotto…?" Now this wasn't funny. Dino knew his troublemaker brother never resisted a chance to make fun of him.

In a barely audible tone never spoken, Giotto finally responded. The way he spoke – fear dripping from his words – almost made the older brother cry. "I can't do it."

"You can't do what?" The chirp in his voice remained, and Dino hovered over his little brother's shoulder. Big mistake.

The moment the skin of his chin touched his brother's shoulder, Giotto rolled his chair back and shook his head. "I can't do it. Dino, I don't know h-how to do it."

"Giotto," Dino whispered. Now he saw it. Giotto began murmuring in different languages – German, French, English, Chinese, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Hungarian, Indian – and the words were the same: I can't do it. I don't know how to do it. I forgot how to do it. "Giotto, what don't you know what to do?"

Giotto whimpered. He shook, body trembling from sheer contact of his brother, and the elder blond forced himself to recoil. What he wanted was to cradle his baby brother and tell him everything was going to be okay. What Giotto needed was to be restrained. A lone, uncharacteristic tear ran down the young adult's face. "Anything. Everything." His voice cracked. "I can't remember how to write my name."

"Is that all? G's your co-partner; he can write your names for you."

The younger blond sat in silence, not one word of wit dancing on his lips. Finally in a soft whisper, he murmured, "How do I stand up?"

"I'll help you," Dino coaxed warmly. He embraced his brother, arms wrapping around the frail young man's shoulders, and through his embrace Giotto's shoulders hunched.

"Please," Giotto whispered fearfully. "Please don't touch me."

That had been a memory the blond was thinking of when his little brother relocated him to a stool over the counter. Back then Giotto was frail and afraid of the world. His brother held a charm so deep to his heart and viewed the world from the top. But five years ago – five freaking years ago – that view from the top of the world had fallen. Like a child stripped of its innocence, Giotto let the problem gnaw on his underbelly for two straight months until it finally sunk in.

"Your nose okay?" But that was over five years ago.

"Just a little lightheaded. Messed that one up now, didn't I?" Five years ago his brother was not only heartbroken about his first love, but his first love revealed to be a mastermind cretin that did more damage than admitted. The Giotto he saw now – though not primped and well-groomed – was tired. Several buttons fell open to the younger blond's shirt, and a layer of grease slicked hair that stuck out in more ends than usual.

His brother was a tall man with a lean physique and a light Italian accent. Dino assumed being gay meant looks came easily for his little brother. Honestly?

Dino still felt the urge to treat the "tall man" as his cute little brother, who used to be half his size and tug on the tail of his shirt to take him everywhere. Or prank him. Or cause him accidental pain. Or – well, anything, really. Dino was a sucker for all things cute. Ehe.

A smile quirked Giotto's lips. Ten bowls rested in his sink, soon to be added by another, and the eldest brother watched his little brother open a cabinet and pull out one of an infinite number of Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup. He grabbed a dirty pot from the sink and thoroughly scrubbed it. "You didn't tell me you were coming."

"G sent me." Dino's smile wilted slightly as Giotto paused, startled, and continued what he was doing. "He told me a little bit over the phone, and said it'd be best if I checked up on you. As far as I can see, you've transformed into a – "

"A busy parent?" Giotto smile wryly and leaned into the sink to get a better look at his brother. "We got back from Shimon last night. Tsuna caught the flu once we came back."

"He told me why you were in Shimon. Well, mostly why." Dino removed the toweled bag of ice from his nose, slightly wincing from a forming bruise, and reached for the dish soap. "Cozart has a little brother, right? And G's fighting for custody over him?"

"Enma. As it turns out, the kid's been in hiding and Tsuna's his best friend. Things don't look good for him."

Things don't look good for you, either, little brother. Dino pushed the thought away, smile returning to his lips as Giotto sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Why don't you go shower? You look like you need one."

Actually it was kind of cute. Giotto gave him a look like he was a madman – or even worse – like the younger blond was a spoiled little kid that was being ripped away from his favorite toy. Judging by the large stains splattered on the floor, Dino had a feeling his job as a busy parent wasn't all that flattering. Taking care of Tsuna, however, was different. There was change in their relationship; Dino just couldn't place his finger on it. "I…okay. I feel kind of gross."

"I'll make the chicken soup for you." And like always, the younger Vongola's eyes doubled twice in size. Sure, going to shower while an accident-prone older brother was under his roof was risky, but going to shower while Dino was cooking in a newly rented apartment meant total annihilation. At least, that's what the older brother figured Giotto was thinking.

"I can handle the soup just fine," Giotto murmured tiredly. "Thank you."

"Haha, alright." Dino smiled gingerly and replaced the bag of ice on his nose. "I'll behave just here, my cute little brother. Now go take that shower."

Though reluctant to leave the kitchen, the blond seemed more than eager to rid himself of the dirt and grime polluting his essence. Dino sat tidily, waited carefully until he heard the door shut and stumbled across the room. Oh, jeepers – where was Romario when he needed him?

"Careful," he chanted quietly as he opened a can of chicken noodle soup. Dino and can openers could go bad really quickly if he didn't pay attention. Oh poopers – he rolled his eyes – they went bad even when he was paying attention! "Careful, careful, careful – there."

Quickly reading the instructions for how long to cook it over the stove, Dino poured the can drop-by-drop until the bowl was full and heated up the soup. A smile spread across his face and he hummed whatever song came to mind. He hadn't needed to take care of anyone in years. No matter how close they were in their childhood, Giotto and he still had their own friends. He reckoned these days when an ill Giotto was in bed, a Super G was there to his rescue.

Giotto didn't need him anymore. It was kind of depressing.

Ten minutes later, the blond took the pot off the stove (Success! No burning!) and poured the soup into the nearest bowl. Broth filled his nostrils, and the creak of a door opening caught his attention. Footsteps pounded the stairs so hard that Dino heard the pound and slide of his younger brother as he crashed into something. Hmm, what happened to his suave, smooth and cute little brother? "Are you okay?"

"W-Who are you?"

Oh. Wrong little brother. Dino grabbed the oven mitts and bowl of soup before turning around.

Then saw the cutest little angel he'd ever set eyes upon.

Eyes the rich shade of caramel and chocolate. Tsunayoshi's skin was flushed with pink, rising from his neck to his cheeks, and his dark locks jutted into odd and awkward angles. Sweat matted the teenager's face, and different from his fervent flush was an embarrassed shade of red that accentuated his cheeks.

"Oh," Dino said delightedly. He grinned, absentmindedly scratching off caked blood on his upper lip. "Hi, Tsunayoshi! You're a lot taller than the last time I saw you!"

Oops, looks like he scared the boy. A look of unease passed across the brunet's face, brown eyes flashing slight fear until he blinked. "Y…You're Dino-nii –Dino-san, aren't you?"

Aw, he didn't get the adorable "niisan" the same way he called Tsunayoshi his cute otouto? Poo.

"I'm your older brother," agreed the blond. Red darkened his younger brother's complexion, and hesitantly, he stepped forward to the stool in front of the counter without a word. Dino decided it was his job to create conversation. "Well, I'm the other older brother, hehe. How are you?"

The last time he saw the little scout, he was twelve. Eleven was when he found out the existence of Nana Sawada through his parents – and when they found out she was pregnant. At that age, he was always considered the rational one compared to Giotto, and he went with the flow. Giotto stayed behind with their mother (only nine at the time) and, excited, Dino rushed out to see him. Tsunayoshi now had more hair. And he wasn't a cute, wrinkly baby anymore, which was kinda cool.

"Fine." Though unlike Giotto, Tsunayoshi appeared to be very quiet. His eyes fell to the ground, and immediately his cheeks turned yet another shade of red when his stomach growled.

"Hungry, Tsunayoshi?" Dino chuckled. Looking through drawer-after-drawer, he finally found the silverware and handed the meal to the teenager. "This is for you. Giotto tells me you're getting over the flu."

Tsunayoshi nodded hesitantly and picked up his spoon. He looked a cautious puppy waiting for its owner to kick him.

"Tsunayoshi – ?"

"I-I go by Tsuna." His eyes fell to the ground, suddenly ready to recoil, and he shrank in his seat. "S…Sorry."

What was he expecting? Dino's smile slipped away, astonished while his younger brother looked like a measly speck in his sleep. Granted the teenager was sick, but he hadn't given the blond a chance since coming down the stairs. "Are you okay?"

Tsuna never answered. Footsteps on the stairs split the pair's attention, and both looked to the middle brother, who returned looking like his high, serious, and regal self. Giotto ran a hand through his hair, slightly grimacing. At the last stair step, they watched amber eyes look from brother-to-brother. Dino took note of the younger blond's face, and immediately all professionalism dropped into a decadent pink. Wait, Giotto was blushing?

Giotto was blushing! From the corner of his eye, Dino saw Tsuna smile a little. "You look nice."

Seconds passed, and it worried the eldest brother slightly. A contemplative look passed over the younger adult's face, and finally he shyly – Dino repeated, shyly – smiled before acknowledging the pair. "I see you've met Dino. And Dino," the lighthearted tenor melted into one of slight mirth. Giotto gestured to something in his arm. "I found your cat."

"I was wondering where he was!" Dino clicked his tongue and clapped his hands. Instantly the small kitten slid from Giotto's arms, jumped onto the counter, an – and jumped onto Tsuna's lap. The teenager squeaked and dropped his spoon on the ground. "Oh, he already likes you."

"I-I…e-erm," cute little Tsuna's face dusted red. "Wh-What's his name?"

"Nuts," Giotto interjected.

Ah? Dino turned his head to the younger blond, slightly disappointed. Tsuna should have been the one who got to name him! "Why Nuts?"

"Because you're nuts for buying him." Well, that was sorta true. Not many people got a pet for their birthdays unless a parent bought one.

"I like Nuts," whispered the brunet softly. "His head…s-sort of looks like a walnut."

"Ooh, it's fitting then." The blond smiled genuinely as the middle brother took slow steps to join them. "He's your birthday present."

"Birthday present?" Giotto repeated. "Your birthday's coming up, Tsuna?"

"No, silly." Dino smiled broadly and chuckled. "Your birthday was two weeks ago, right, little brother?"

"That's not possible." The younger blond stubbornly shook his head and looked over to their littlest. "Tsuna's only sixteen, right, Tsuna?"

"No…" Now this was getting weird. However Giotto had it set in his mind was untrue. He knew his brother could be bad with birthdays, but… "Tsuna's birthday is on the same day as G's, Giotto. Right?"

The teenager looked positively mortified – almost ready to cry, actually.

"Tsuna…?" That wasn't good.

"Tsuna," Giotto breathed. He relinquished a short sigh, hands massaging the brunet's shoulders. Dino watched, but not once in his lifetime had he ever seen the other Vongola brother's brow wrinkle so tenderly with concern. The creases of his sleeves ruined as he folded them to his elbows and closed what little space there was between him and the youngest. "You still feeling a little feverish? You could have stayed in bed; I would have brought the soup up to you."

"I'm…fine…"

"No, you're not." That was another thing – when did Giotto's voice crack whenever he spoke? "I-I should go buy your prescription…"

"No really, it's…I-I'm…"

"Giotto's right when he says you need to stay in bed, kiddo. Dino looked between the two younger brothers with a bright smile, feeling oddly unsettled. Benevolent as he was, Giotto normally hid his concern under witty banter and though shy, Tsuna melted like caramel to a shell of chocolate once the younger blond set foot in the kitchen. "I can watch him while you run to the pharmacist, little brother."

Instantaneously the other blond's face lost color.

"Aw, what's the worst that could happen?" Dino flashed a cheerful grin and leaned over until he was the height of their youngest. Tsuna watched curiously but said nothing. "You used to get sick all the time, little brother. If the maids weren't taking care of you, then I was. I can handle it."

"I," Giotto murmured hesitantly, "have no doubt that you could take care of Tsuna. But…"

"I won't touch anything." Aw, come on! He was twenty-eight and three-quarters! He could absotively, posilutely take care of the littlest! "Pleeeaase?"

"…don't touch anything." Giotto's poker face was comically marred by the sweet pink accentuating the highlights of his cheeks. "Go ahead and watch TV, but don't throw it. Don't fling anything in the house, even playfully, watch your step when you walk – wear shoes whenever you go up the stairs – and – actually, Tsuna, stay downstairs. Don't cook anything."

"The usual." Dino dawned a smile. "But isn't the pharmacy only a ten minute drive?"

"Ten minutes is all it takes to burn down a building."

"Ooh. Right."

Giotto had the habit of running a hand through his hair when he was stressed. He was definitely stressed. Frown wavering a little, he cast a worried look to the brunet. Again, Dino became an audience when Giotto escaped down a hallway and appeared with a comforter and pillow. Hmm, for someone who moved into a new apartment not too long ago, he knew his way around really well. Tsuna stood up, alarmed, but the other simply laid them out on the couch. "You think you can handle a little time on the couch?"

"I have for the past few months." Tsuna turned pink. The blond only laughed.

"Good little brother. Dino – you're paying for anything you break." He flashed one last warning look before striding out the door. Once it slammed shut, Tsuna crawled into his makeshift bed and Dino watched.

"You two are on better terms than I remember." The last he remembered, Giotto leered at just the slightest mention of their half-brother. While Dino did value their family, he understood Iemitsu's happiness compared to Mother throwing herself into work. The news of their separation and divorce simply shattered the younger blond, and for seventeen years, Tsuna became the source of blame.

Chocolate brown eyes rose until they met Dino's, and through the weariness flickered a different emotion: admiration. Red fluttered under Tsuna's feverish blush, and a gentle smile curtsied his lips. "We've come to an understanding."

"Really?" Dino debated on grabbing a stool, then plopped onto the loveseat. Giotto's personality was like two sides of one coin: stubborn, hardworking and ambitious to lighthearted, whimsical, and mischievous. He valued both his family and friends, and Tsuna was molded into a disruption in his world. "Has he given you a hard time?"

Tsuna closed his eyes and shook his head. "Not recently. B-But I thought th-that…y-you were going to yell at me."

That would be why the brunet barely looked at him when they first crossed each other. Oh…

"Nope." A fervent smile spread across the blond's face, and he looked to the sweet, timid that bashfully scrutinized him. Brown eyes. They had the same brown eyes. "Giotto has always had a firm belief in stability. He has to know that the situation won't get out of hand. I go with the flow."

The brunet held a contemplative look. Red swelled in his cheeks and he buried himself under the polka dot duvet. "So…you don't hate me?"

Dino's face softened immediately. His heart wrenched – hate? Not even Giotto would have used a word like that. …Right? Well, he smiled. Not anymore, if the way Giotto was doting over the little guy proved anything. "When I first found out our father was seeing your mother, I was confused. But seeing you, at the hospital inside the basinet – you were the cutest baby I've ever seen. I've loved you since you were born, just like I love Giotto."

Tsuna's eyes widened. His brow furrowed, and he looked away, pink spiking up his neck.

"Tsuna?"

"Nothing," said the teenager quickly. "I just…I-I never th-thought…that…I'd ever get that."

Dino blinked. "Get what?"

"Get love," Tsuna whispered, "from your side of the family."

Aw. The blond chuckled softly and ruffled hair. He reached for the remote over the teenager, quickly turning the TV on, and smiled softly. "Get some sleep, little guy. Maybe I can convince the other big brother to take us out for ice cream, hm?"

Giotto as a big brother. Huh. Almost nothing as cute.

"O…Okay." He returned with a timid smile and yawned.

"Hehe. Alrighty."

"D…Dino-san?" San. Ooh, he got a san!

"Yeah?"

For a moment, the brunet rose in his spot and curled his hands into the blanket. "A…All my life, I…n-never thought that I'd measure up to your standards. But…living here with Giotto and in Namimori...makes me happy. I'm glad you and Giotto are my big brothers."

"Tsuna…" B'aw, now he couldn't help it! As his mind processed the thought, Dino walked across the living room and enveloped his baby brother in a tight hug. Tsuna flinched before hugging back, and smiled. "That's very sweet of you to say. Now, get to sleep. Giotto's already worried sick."

"O…Okay." With a bit of hesitation, the teenager pulled away from the elder brother. He tucked himself firmly under the blankets and shut his eyes. Once Dino was sure the teenager was famasleep, he pulled away and returned to the loveseat. Well. That explained a lot.

Quite frankly, they should have seen it coming. Dino scratched his ear and crinkled his nose. Tsuna had known for years that he came from a broken family. He didn't know much about Shimon, but it was enough to destroy the poor boy's self-confidence. Having Giotto take care of Tsuna really wasn't a good idea.

Tsuna teaching Giotto how to love and nurture made the world go 'round.

He smiled – jeebus, he was certainly doing that a lot – and pulled out his laptop. A sigh escaped his lips and the blond ran a hand through his hair. Later he would have to contact Romario for business files. Unfortunately, Cavallone Industries took second priority to his brothers – but since Giotto was gone… A frown firmly contorted his lips. The look in Giotto's eyes, lost and confused, worried him. Once Tsuna was in bed, Dino and he needed to have a word with one another.

The problem was different. Giotto's sanity took months to recover, and the way he described things was disturbing. No one got away with hurting his little brothers.

'cause, you know. Big brothers understood little brothers in a way that not a lover could. Loyalty was blood-thick, and forever in his heart Cozart would remain a hero. He already was one.

The sound of keys in the door made Dino check his watch. Twenty minutes had gone by since Giotto had left. Hm, since none of them could cook, they probably should've ordered dinner, too. "Hey, Giotto! What do you feel about pizza to – "

"Boss, we needed to - …" He knew that voice. By the Gods, Dino knew the voice that strummed violins, that was as violent as a blizzard and soft like snow.

He looked up, eyes locking to the door, where the man with absolutely breathtaking icy blue eyes and thin lips stood. He had the physique of a nimble crane, the long, slender fingers of an artist's – and still managed to kick his ass like he was a lady bug on his shoulder.

"Alaude – ?" The door slammed shut, and the gorgeous creature Dino'd fallen for years before left his life again. He must have spent hours wondering why Alaude was so well-acquainted with his little brother before giving up.

No one ever said their rejection wasn't mutual.

OoOoO

"Hey."

"Hey," Giotto responded once he was in the elevator. All the air escaped his lungs, and for a moment he noticed he was leaning onto the back wall for support. He stood in empty space, and because Tsuna and he now lived on the very top floor, the blond highly doubted there would be people every time they ventured to the first floor. "You find an apartment?"

"Still looking," G confessed. "At the doctor's right now for Enma's checkup."

"How's he doing?"

"Well, from the looks of it, Doctor Nowaki recommended I let him and Enma discuss things in private. If all goes well, he should be prepped for surgery tomorrow."

"Good." The elevator stopped at least three times since his phone call with his best friend. The blond checked his wristwatch and lowered his voice. "Why did you send Dino over?"

"Isn't it obvious?" No hesitation. Once he finished his sentence, all the adult heard from his best friend was static and an obnoxious CLANG. "H-Hey! Kid, a-are you okay? !"

Hm. Things were apparently going well.

"Should I call you back?" More rustles and rattles. A smile curtsied the blond's lips, and he found himself at wit's end waiting for the sounds to stop. On the other hand, hearing G have a heart attack with every little action of the Red Munchkin reminded him of when they were younger. Seeing cautious, loyal G again made his heart flutter.

"Er, no. You sound stressed – hey Kid, wanna get some ice cream after this?" Well, weren't we attentive? "Alright then. What about you, Giotto? Tsuna giving you any trouble?"

"Tsuna isn't the one who would give me trouble." Only five minutes at the door earlier that day and Dino bloodied his floor – which didn't matter. Giotto had dropped plenty soups in the kitchen and it simply meant they would have to mop up all the stains once Tsuna was better. "He's come down with the flu, though."

"The flu? Is everything alright? Did you give him any medicine? Call Knuckle?"

"I'm going to the pharmacist to get his prescription right now." Giotto arched an eyebrow, amused, and exited the elevator once they reached the first floor. What he didn't expect was to find Hayato-kun chatting with that girl, Kyoko, in the lobby. Once green eyes caught sight of the other half-Italian, Hayato excused himself and came to Giotto's side. Fervent pink accentuated the boy's pale cheeks and Giotto bit back a laugh.

"Giotto-san!" The silver-haired teenager's face lit up like a Christmas tree and he smiled brightly before revealing the box tucked under his arm. "I-I brought you a housewarming gift! At first, I wasn't sure if this was your apartment, but then I pestered G, and – "

"Is my boy over there?"

"'Your boy'?" Giotto cracked a grin. "When did Hayato-kun become 'your boy'?"

"He's enough my boy if he insists on raiding my fridge for my beer."

"Are you talking to G?" The smile on Hayato's face disappeared, replaced with a blue frown. Giotto found himself the bologna between his phone and Hayato tackling him for his phone. "You fucking drunkard! Where am I supposed to get my beer now? You know Asari-san's got a personal vendetta against me!"

"What personal vendetta? For as long as I remember, you've whined every time my roommate occupies Takeshi-kun's time."

"Th-That's a lie!" What was this? Hayato was turning red? Oh, that was normal.

"Ah, looks like the checkup is over. Doctor Nowaki is going to give me a prognosis on the events. Tell Alaude I'll be calling him soon."

"Alright. Bye." Giotto raised the phone out of the silver-haired teenager's ability to reach and took a step back. His eyes narrowed, and he regained the persona of a business man despite his amusement to Hayato's declaration for vengeance. "You can let go of me now, Hayato-kun."

"O-Oh, uh. S-Sorry, Giotto-san!" The hothead backed away, immediately alarmed and apparently worried about offending 'The Great One.' "Th-This is a housewarming present! A-And I brought all of the notes that the Tenth has missed while he was away for Kozato!"

Oh, that was good. His other option was to personally visit Reborn, and that was a road he'd rather not tread. "Tsuna's got the flu. I'm going to the pharmacy right now to get his medicine."

"I…I could watch him if you want." The teenager sounded positively eager.

"My brother's in town, so he's babysitting." Then again…taking into consideration Dino's lack of coordination skills – "You can try and explain the homework to him. I'll probably forget to give him his assignments by the time I get back."

"You have a brother? There's a Big Giotto?" Now the look he was getting was kind of creepy.

"Are you familiar with Cavallone Industries – ?"

"Dino Vongola is your brother? ! W-Well, I can see where he's your brother, since his last name is Vongola, but – Dino Vongola?" Apparently Dino was a bigger celebrity than Giotto was. "He took up his grandmother's business when he was the heir to the Vongola fortune and rid Cavallone of all of their debts! They're one of the top leading companies in the world!"

"Well, he goes by Dino Cavallone – "

"O-Of course, he's nothing compared to you, Giotto-san!" Hayato had become so nervous he was now babbling in Italian. For a kid who moved to Japan when he was five, he was certainly very fluent. More than Enma, even. "You became a business owner just entering college – and you navigated it worldwide! And other companies would kill to be like you – and everyone loves you, and – god, you're my idol!"

For someone who claimed to be eternally straight, Hayato had one hell of a man crush.

Giotto smiled slightly and patted the teenager on his shoulder. "Thanks, Hayato-kun. But seriously – I've got to get going."

He looked like a baby that was just denied his favorite food. In a flip instant, the hothead bounced back with a delighted grin. "Okay, Giotto-san. I'll just make sure that Sawada learns his lessons."

"It's the penthouse on the top floor. Be careful."

"Okay!"

Once that was said and done, Giotto ran a hand through his hair and walked toward the door –

"Is Tsuna-kun okay?"

Rats. The blond looked down and found himself eye-to-eye with the girl from earlier. She appeared with a look in her eyes that was absolutely sincere, and he vaguely reminded himself that Tsuna claimed to be gay. Then again, the crossroad between manhood and childhood involved a solid sliver of awkward, teenage years. Kyoko was in a school uniform, apparently just getting home, but Giotto couldn't help but compare her to a little princess. Small and dainty, delicate and gentle.

"He'll be fine," Giotto smiled.

She quickly lowered her gaze, and red sprinkled in her cheeks. Looking back up, she appeared unfazed and gestured to the elevator. "May I go see him?"

Something tugged at his chest, and it was a cautious warning that Giotto shouldn't lead the poor girl on. He could see her crush from a mile away. "If you want to."

"You said your brother is visiting, right?" The redhead's lips curled into a perfect smile and she clasped her hands together. "I can cook dinner for you three."

Oh, right. Giotto preferred not burning down his new apartment before their first week was set and done. "I'd rather you not put your efforts into cooking for just us. We're your new neighbors after all."

"You can come over and eat with us, if you want." She had a charm that commonly wooed the typical teenage boy; from the innocent demeanor to her soft tone and her perfect complexion. She would have been the type of woman Celeste expected him to marry. "Tonight? I'll tell Mama that you're coming."

Seeing he wouldn't win this argument, Giotto relinquished. "Casual, dressy, or dressy-casual?"

"Ah, dressy casual, I would think. Since you're the new neighbors and all." Kyoko smiled dearly, obviously delighted. She bowed with enviable grace and backed toward the elevator. "Come over at eight?"

"Okay."

Giotto flashed a gentle smile and was out the door before anyone else could interrupt him. The smile on his face wavered, struggling to keep in place, and he rummaged for his keys, thoughts appropriating to his big brother. It wasn't that he disliked the clumsy twit; quite the opposite. Dino was the best big brother he could asked for – kind, gentle, and enough of a pushover that the younger blond could get away with most things.

He was a natural when it came to Tsuna. Immediately, Dino seized the boy, and he fell into the role of big brother. When it was G, G was endearing. His best friend never felt assured unless he was the one nurturing, and Giotto was grateful when Tsuna first came. However, Dino was his own flesh and blood, and…Giotto was jealous. Absotively, posilutely jealous.

Measuring up to Dino as a big brother was impossible. Especially after Tsuna and he had inconsolable differences when first put together. He was prepared for a rebellious teenager, but time and time again proved that the brunet still managed to beat his heart – hard.

And…th-that…kiss. God, he hadn't gotten laid in two weeks. His fingers gripped the wheel violently, and he nearly ran over some little kid on a tricycle.

It wasn't the best kiss he'd ever had. Tsuna's lips brushed across his, and already he wasn't sure if he could ever look at the teenager in the same light ever again, but it felt more like his brother hit him teeth-on-teeth than an actual kiss. He doubted the brunet ever kissed another person – especially if that not-kiss really was a kiss. Tsuna held the image of shy and cute far better than Kyoko did.

Fortunately the look on his brother's face once he sobered appeared one of confusion. If the brunet had any recollection of the incident, he hid it very well.

Not that Tsuna was good at lying. A smile tugged on the blond's lips as he parked the car. Tsuna wore his heart on his sleeve, and his smile was more beautiful than the horizon in the sky.

He thought back to the conversation shared with Shouichi. "Your relationship with him is just confusing. You first arrived, comfortably invading one another's personal space, and because of...wh-what had just happened, I assumed you two were lovers."

Lovers. Lovers!

How ridiculous was that? Giotto clicked his tongue, barely registering when he gave the pharmacist the prescription recommended and debated. Ever since their relationship improved, he'd become more affectionate with his little brother. Hugging, kissing on the forehead, holding hands…

Everything you did as a new couple in love. Oh, God. This was his fault.

Giotto ran a hand through his hair, fingers playing with the corners of his cell phone as he waited for the lady to return. From the corner of his eye, he could see the sun preparing to set and read the time to be a quarter to six. While he was flamboyant and expressive in Italy, France, Spain, and whatever other country he visited, Tsuna was reserved like the rest of Japan. Not only was Tsuna shy, but Giotto's nature was more of a tender lover. Was Tsuna aware of this? That he was just being himself? Maybe.

It wouldn't kill him to back off a little. Less hugs, less kisses…

Giotto flushed. Of course it wouldn't be a problem, now that he was wary of every move he made in front of the little guy. Thanking the pharmacist, he tucked the medicine under his arm and wandered through the rest of the corner store to clear his thoughts. The large sign reading Pet Essentials made him stop.

That was another thing, he thought with a frown. Dino knew Tsuna's birthday where Giotto did not. But…why didn't Tsuna tell him?

A sigh escaped his lips, and the adult searched the aisle for any essentials. Nuts was a gift, and knowing his brother, Dino most likely didn't plan ahead. Grabbing a cart and pulling out his phone, Giotto checked for the needed essentials – a cat bed, a litter box, kitty litter, scratching post, food bowl, water bowl, cat carrier, flea control, worming control, grooming products, first aid kit, and…health books.

Nuts was an odd shade of golden yellow when he first set eyes on it. It couldn't have been more than a few weeks or months old, judging by its naiveté and small form, but still he looked like the runt of the litter. Giotto wasn't familiar with cat breeds, but the one Dino brought in particular looked pure-bred. He was a little worried; Nuts looked a little underfed. Most cats were cunning and mischievous, but this one was reclusive. He had a feeling Dino saved him from the pound or something.

Grabbing two or three cat toys for Nuts to play with, Giotto looked at his cart and rolled his eyes. When had he succumb to his brother's will? The information disappeared from the screen on his phone and a number he didn't recognize blinked obnoxiously to his default ringtone. "Hello?"

"Nufufu~ Il mio amore!"

Daemon. He froze, hand gripping his phone as his throat dried. How the hell did he get his number?

"I can hear you breathing, love. You look awfully cute in the pet aisle."

What? Giotto's eyes looked up to down to left and right before giving up. Daemon was only trying to scare him. "How did you get my number?"

"I know it by heart."

"Liar." He changed it after Daemon left.

"I'm simply saying you and I should get together sometime. For tea and crumpets, love. Don't throw a hissy fit, nufufu."

"Then – "

"Have fun at your dinner party with the Sasagawas, love. I'll see you in two and a half weeks for Enma's custody battle. Ciao~" The line went dead. Giotto's fingers had numbed to a dizzying white, and he gripped the cart for support.

Stupid Daemon. Stupid, stupid good for nothing Daemon.

Where was he getting at? Giotto's hand shook, and rationality soon left.

With no other choice, he saved the phone number for future use. It was the only way he could keep in contact with his once lover.

OoOoO

"I think I like Yamamoto."

Uh. Tsuna looked up from the text book in his lap, lightheaded and still confused on polynomials and logarithms. He had a feeling Reborn-sensei specifically chose the hard lessons because he was out of town. The Dino-san he had met earlier was now quiet, and once Gokudera-kun appeared at their doorstep, the older brother excused himself. Dino-san, from what Tsuna could tell, was close to nothing like Giotto, yet absolutely his clone.

It was nice.

H-However, when Gokudera-kun appeared at his door, and just now, when he said…that, Tsuna was caught off guard. He blew hair out of his face and pretended not to hear the other teenager.

"Did you hear me?"

"D-Do you really wanna talk to me about this?"

"I was kind of hoping you would be drugged up so you wouldn't fucking remember this." Drugged up? What did he mean by that?

Looking up from his text book again, Tsuna caught the hothead absorbed in his work. Or so it looked. Heat had risen up the taller's neck, and his ears were bright red. Tsuna gulped. "Don't you…have anyone else you wanna talk about this to – ?"

"No. You're my only fucking alternative, okay?" Gokudera jolted from his seat in Tsuna's desk and the brunet flinched. "Do you wanna have a talk about my mushy-pushy feelings or not? !"

Mushy-pushy? "Okay! L-Let's talk about your m-mushy-pushy feelings!"

"Well, I don't want to now!"

"O-Okay!"

Silence. Tsuna gulped, pleading to all the gods to get him out of here. Or somewhere with witnesses, if he decides to kill me later.

"It just all makes sense, you know?"

No, not really. "I-I've been stuck on this problem, actually." Math wasn't his forte, and Reborn-sensei definitely scared the crap out of him. Unfortunately he was also Tsuna's favorite, since everyone else was a madman.

"Fuck, I know you have been. You've ben on my case about it this entire time, and I still disagree with you. This incident is crap." Incident? When were they on English? "And then…bah, I fucking kissed him, and…"

"Hie? You kissed the mathbook?"

"Math boo– what the hell?"

"Aren't we talking about math?"

"Talking about – I'M SPILLING MY MUSHY-PUSHY HEART TO YOU AND ALL YOU WANT TO DO IS MATH?" He was gone for almost a week, he needed the help! Tsuna recoiled, ready to hide under the sheets, and used his book as a shield. "FINE! YOU FACTOR OUT X-CUBED FIRST, AND THEN FACTOR IT OUT AGAIN, THEN YOU EITHER GRAPH A CURVE, WIGGLE, OR A BOUNCE!"

"Eek! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Tsuna ducked, repeating the words over and over like it was a mantra before Gokudera finally calmed down. "S-So you said you l-like him, right? !"

"Yes! Of course I fucking like him, I've known him since we were little kids! We're fucking best friends, and I'm probably in love with the fucking idiot, too! But you wouldn't care because all your mind is on is your stupid fucking makeup work!" Gokudera huffed, and the bed bounced when he collapsed on the mattress. Oh, dear. Where was Yamamoto when he needed him? "Now don't fucking tell him that!"

Silence. Nothing but silence.

"I-I'm really happy for you."

"You shouldn't be, because this whole confession never happened!"

Gah. Tsuna sniffled and shyly smiled behind his book. "S-So…wh-what are you going to do about it?"

"Absolutely nothing, because this confession never happened." Now the hothead was just acting like a child. Tsuna waited, unsure what to say, and it ended with a pale blush across white cheeks.

"A-And if it did?"

"Absolutely nothing – " Tsuna readily cowered under a pillow. " — because…he's happy. And if the big lug's happy, then I don't care."

"D…" His eyebrows furrowed. As noble as that was, it sounded painful coming from the other teenager. He'd known Gokudera the past few months as the warrior who would do anything for his friends, and too stubborn to admit when he was wrong. He could have been wrong, b-but Gokudera's confession was l-like a milestone. "Don't you think he'd be happy with you?"

Silence.

"A…After all, he's been chasing you for months now, a…and….he's been in love with you since you were kids. R…Right?"

Silence. Then – "Tch…I came here to help you with your homework, Tenth. If you're not going to shut up and help me, then I'm leaving. See you on Monday – get well soon."

B-But he didn't know how to do the homework… Tsuna quirked an eyebrow, but had no clue what to say. He stood up from the bed and followed the other teenager to the door. Gokudera remained silent the entire time, but the look on his face was one of defeat. The hothead lost his ammunition, and it was obvious while Tsuna was gone, something had happened. Wait, they kissed. Gokudera and Yamamoto kissed? !

Tsuna crinkled his nose, mind whirling as he trotted upstairs. Somehow…it was fine.

Shimon was a small town where everyone knew each other. There were small convenient stores and a movie theater, but you would have to go to the neighboring city to see anything. When Enma obnoxiously pointed out because Tsuna never hung out with women he was most likely gay, he'd been noticing things more. Everyone back in Shimon (as far as he knew) was straight. Coming to Namimori, he heard stories of G's escapades, saw more of Alaude and Giotto's body than he wanted, and witnessed a relationship between Yamamoto and Gokudera. It was…pleasant. Nice.

Yamamoto was silly and easygoing where Gokudera was terse and shy. They complimented each other, and the chemistry between them as friends was magical. One would have called them brothers, but the truth was, they acted like a married couple with the "fun" husband and the "busybody" wife.

He was happy for them. All he hoped for was to find a relationship like those two.

Unfortunately he still couldn't grasp the concept of Mister Right. Having someone like Yamamoto by his side was like having an excitable puppy. Yamamoto was an eager Akita that would probably lick and drown him in saliva. Gokudera w-was...a grumpy, princess kitten. Nuts was sweet, but Gokudera was more likely to claw his eyes out.

That was probably why they could suit each other. Gokudera could scratch Yamamoto, but the athlete's tolerance was too thick to affect him. For Tsuna, however… Red singed his cheeks as he plopped onto the bed. G filled in like the big brother he never had. Doting and caring, G-san made him feel comfortable. Enma was out of the question, and…a relationship like Alaude-san and Giotto's was ridiculous.

Giotto, he thought more carefully as he fingered his belly button, was different than most cases. Talking to Dino earlier made him realize how different they were, and what methods. He feared Dino would hate him, but the adult proved opposite. He was kind and caring to begin with, and Giotto… Giotto was gentle-hearted and benevolent. His smile made the sun rise, and his warmth was riveting.

Tsuna wasn't worthy of having a lover like Giotto. If one existed. No one could match those lustrous, gorgeous eyes. A chill ran up the teenager's spine, and heat kissed his skin. Giotto's beautifully sculpted face and breathtaking voice in his ear. There wasn't a person in the world who knew how to compliment his emotions, or…or hold him protectively.

He slid a hand down the hem of his PJ pants and bit his lip. A lover like Giotto…warm, and kind. Someone who smelled like mint chocolate chip ice cream, and fit him like a bun to a hot dog. Tsuna clutched his erection in a sweaty palm and it squealed in delight. H-He hadn't done this since…Sh-Shimon. Months ago, before Giotto and he began living with each other.

Any thought came to mind; from the way Giotto's hair always looked like he just got laid, or the lazy sex grin that often graced his lips – the one who showed no one else. Even back to the beginning when they first met, when the vivid flush rose from Giotto's chest to his jaw and – O-Oh G…G-God…

"Tsuna, you need to get ready for – " He didn't hear the door downstairs unlock. He didn't bother locking the door because he knew he was the only one home. All his thoughts were on Giotto – and now his brother was standing at his door.

O-Oh G-God.

Giotto was frozen. Tsuna came.

chapter twenty-two has sex education and dinner parties.

His eyes were playing a trick on him.

At least, that was what Giotto immediately thought as he took in the sight of his brother. The moment he readily barged into the brunet's room, he hadn't even looked at his brother. When he heard the sounds and the soft fapfapfap, however, he looked up in worry that the flu was getting worse.

Then Tsuna came. He would have thought his cute little brother was incapable of cumming. Giotto hastily shut the door and stumbled back, quickly burning all images of his brother masturbating from his mind.

Masturbating. He just caught his little brother masturbating.

The blond rushed down stairs, adrenaline still catching him off guard as he nearly tripped over Nuts before colliding head-on-head with Dino. "Ow! Giotto – ?"

"What did you do when you caught me for the first time?" God, why couldn't he wrap his mind around this? Oh. Because it was Tsuna, and Tsuna was masturbating. Before he knew it, Dino pulled him onto the loveseat, confusion on his face while Giotto tried to catch up with his thoughts.

"What do you mean?"

"I just caught Tsuna m-masturbating." God, he couldn't even say the word without freaking out. Giotto looked to his brother, desperate for answers, and found he'd startled the poor guy. Obviously he wasn't expecting that particular explanation.

"Er."

"Er?"

"Well…" Dino smiled nervously and scratched his head. "Tsuna is seventeen, Giotto. Most boys start experimenting at a young age and it just means he's a healthy teenager. And I caught you having sex with Cozart more times than ever masturbating. Jeebus, you never locked the door."

"And?"

"And what? It wasn't like you were going to get him pregnant." Suddenly the smile dropped and his older brother looked ridiculously alarmed. "Uh, right?"

"That's completely disregarding the point!" Giotto glared menacingly, red rising in his cheeks. Out of anyone, he didn't expect a rational explanation from a man who was born with two left feet.

"You've overreacting, little brother." Apparently there was something funny about the way he was panicking. "Don't you masturbate all the time?"

"Not since Alaude and I became lovers." Giotto frowned, hands shoving into his pockets. The story behind Alaude and him wasn't very complicated. At the beginning they declared it simply business terms – Alaude rarely left his research alone and Giotto hadn't gotten laid since…Daemon. In contrast to Daemon's cunning, flirtatious nature, Alaude was possessive. He was domineering, possessive, and was the owner of a very dirty mouth. Red raised his cheeks and he shifted weight between his legs.

"You…and Alaude are lovers?"

"For three years now." The relationship started out of grief. He knew Alaude and his brother hadn't seen each other in years, and it was a subject never touched upon when as a matter of fact it was one of the reasons they were together. It'd evolved through the years, and not only had their friendship grown, but their relationship. Cozart was his other lover, and he too was a relationship Giotto would treasure dearly.

"Oh," Dino said quietly. "I didn't know that."

Footsteps trotted down the stairs and Giotto froze. When they ceased, the blond raised his head and felt heat rise to his face. Tsuna had redressed himself in his wrinkled pajama top and bottoms, but the flush from earlier remained. Sweat coated his face, and brown eyes fell to the ground.

"Feeling better, little brother?"

Giotto blinked. Why did his older brother suddenly sound a little hollow? Looking from the corner of his eye, he saw the wrinkles between Dino's eyebrows. Dino also…wasn't freaking out. Why was he freaking out, anyway? Dino was right. There were plenty times they caught one another in compromising positions and it didn't matter.

But…Tsuna…

"P-Please don't kick me out." Tsuna shifted between his feet. "I-I'm r-really sorry. P…Please don't kick me out."

"Kick you out?" Giotto repeated. What? All thoughts ran through his mind – when did that subject ever come to conversation? He never once threatened to throw the teenager out of the house and the very thought crushed him. The younger blond pulled away from the loveseat, irritation and quite a bit of anger sparking in his chest. "Tsuna, why would I kick you out?"

"B-Because…I-I…I-in your h-house, a-and – "

Oh please. Tsuna caught him in plenty other compromising positions in the past few months. "Do you have any questions?"

Then the blond wanted to slap himself. Dino had a point on this one – if anyone needed to freak out, then it would have to be Tsuna. Obviously five minutes by himself caused the boy to grow delirious. Kicking Tsuna out of the house was like Alaude cracking a corny joke.

Tsuna looked mortified. Giotto didn't blame him.

"If you don't have any questions, little brother, then you can go back upstairs and clean up." He had a feeling his little brother wouldn't want to look him in the face for a very long time. Giotto picked up his feet, slowly inching closer to the brunet to place a hand on his shoulder. Tsuna flinched and pulled away, leaving the blond with a sour taste in his mouth. It was one thing to not look him in the eye, but another not to accept him. "Tsuna?"

Apparently uncomfortable, he backed away further, and the pink in his cheeks darkened.

"Aw, it's not a big deal, little guy." Then almost immediately, Dino's warm voice seemed to melt Tsuna's shell. It…hurt, simply watching the way chocolate brown eyes raise their gaze and looked to Dino for comfort. Giotto watched, irritated when Dino, too, rose from the loveseat and put a hand on the brunet's shoulder. His demeanor was the same as before: a little lost, and stuck in the middle. Tsuna hung his head in shame, pink never fading. "So – "

"H-How does sex work between two m-men, a-anyway?" The moment the question left a young mouth rendered both older brothers shocked. The teenager immediately clasped a hand across his lips, horrified, and Giotto clutched Dino's shoulder before he could faint. "Y-You don't have to a-answer th-that – "

"Are you referring to the time," Giotto seethed as Dino, too, caught himself before he could fall over, "That Alaude and I – …" He stopped there with a dead halt. There was no specific confrontation he could recall. On their first re-meeting, the poor boy lost his sight-virginity when Alaude was in the middle of ramming him hard against the kitchen counter; handcuffs included.

An audible gulp tore his attention away from the infamous "incident" and Tsuna nodded under his fear, hand still covering his mouth. Dino gave him a look, obviously confused, and quite frankly, Giotto wasn't surprised. They got together a few times in the year to celebrate Christmas or birthdays, but the Vongola brothers were more concerned about hanging out than their social life. He couldn't recall ever mentioning Alaude and he were – a…erm. A something.

H-However, that was definitely not a subject easy to explain, and Giotto led their way to the living room. "Do you remember the time that – "

"Y-Yes." The teenager shut his eyes tightly. Well, this wasn't going to be an easy subject.

"And when he was – "

"Y-Yeah!"

"There's a bundle of nerves in the anus called a prostate." And again the teenager only seemed calm when Dino was the one who managed to soothe him. Giotto surrendered, lips tightly sealing as he sat back and watched a sheepish Dino calm his – their younger brother. "It works like the g-spot of a woman, and basically, erm…"

"Basically when touched, spikes pleasure through those who receive it." Giotto's fingers fidgeted with his pant legs, this time not bothering to look up and see Tsuna's reaction. He counted the rings on his wooden floor and waited for when he could pitch another idea.

"S…So it's…a m-mutual feeling?"

"On both ends," admitted Dino. Hilariously enough his voice had spiked an octave. "It's the same as making love, you know."

"O…Oh…"

"There are a lot of gay men who do it and others that think it's uncomfortable." Giotto looked up when he noticed Tsuna was giving him a look of concern. Then again, as he observed how the brunet was reacting, the teenager appeared torn between looking him in the eye and looking away. Being humiliated and being his little guardian. A smile tugged his lips. "Anymore questions?"

"Not…really." Tsuna still wouldn't look him the eye. At least they were talking.

"You scrunch your nose whenever you lie, little brother." Giotto leaned over and pressed a hand to the teenager's forehead. Out of his haze he had forgotten that he originally needed to see if Tsuna was feeling well enough to go to a dinner party.

The brunet fidgeted, no doubt still embarrassed, and mumbled something under his breath.

"What was that?"

"How do you…define your relationship with Alaude-san then?" O-Oh. Um. "N-Never mind." Tsuna pushed his arm away, evidently ending their conversation as he stood up from the couch.

"How are you feeling? Flu-wise, I mean?"

"B-Better."

"Good. Kyoko invited us to a dinner party tonight. Go clean up your mess and find something nice to wear." His watch read 7:30PM. The Sasagawas would be expecting them soon. Tsuna's face turned a visible shade of blue, eyebrows knitting together with trouble.

"Kyoko?" Dino piped in. He tugged on Giotto's sleeve. "Who's Kyoko?"

"A schoolmate of Tsuna's. She invited all three of us for dinner, since we just moved in and you're visiting." Giotto raised his head and gestured to Tsuna's room upstairs. "There should be some nice clothes in your dresser. Wear something orange. It suits you."

Tsuna was now looking him in the eye again. Embarrassment officially vanished, but he stood, contemplative while Giotto debated giving his brother his rightfully needed medication. Then again…he thought back to their kiss, and immediately the thought was shoved away. No medicine. Definitely no medicine.

"Alright." The teenager's voice came out raspy, and he escaped upstairs, Dino and Giotto remaining on opposite ends of the loveseat.

The younger blond turned his head, and he caught the smile that spread across his big brother's lips. "Yeah?"

"He's all grown up." Dino shifted his weight, eyes teeming with amusement and sadness all the same. "The last time I saw him, he was just this cute little baby at the hospital. Earlier, one of his friends dropped off some homework, and now he's got a girlfriend? You and Tsuna have built this relationship in the past few months that I can't even begin to measure up to."

"First of all, he's gay." Which was probably why Tsuna originally asked that particular question.

"Really? He's gay?"

"Second," God, he couldn't hide anything from his brother. Giotto gripped his arm tightly, then ran a hand through his hair. "You can't measure up to our relationship because you've already surpassed it."

Dino gave him a look. He apparently said the wrong thing – again. "Little brother – "

"That's it, that's exactly it. You're the big brother, Dino, and I'm the little brother. You come to my rescue whenever I get into trouble, and you have since we were kids." Giotto watched Dino's demeanor shift to almost unreadable. He watched his eldest brother, weakly smiling in defeat. "I can tell you right now that since you got here you're one of the few people Tsuna immediately got used to. He didn't even warm up to G that quickly."

"But…"

"You're good for him, Dino. He would be happier if you were the one taking care of him."

"I highly doubt that." No hesitation. Giotto immediately looked up to Dino, ready for a rebottle, but the older blond appeared set on proving him wrong. His eyebrows crinkled, and the odd smile returned to his lips. "I would have loved to take care of Tsuna, but you're a lot closer to his home than I am. When Gokudera came to the door, he looked extremely happy. Nana told me that he had trouble fitting in at Shimon."

"You're in touch with Nana?"

"Expect a visit from both Moms soon." Dino cracked a cheeky grin and laughed. "You're doing a fine job, little brother. But also remember what I said: Tsuna is seventeen. He's got a mind of his own and at any time could do something unexpected."

Like run away. The younger blond's heart wrenched, the reminder of his incapability as a brother and not being able to look after Tsuna making his head ache. If the thought ever crossed Tsuna's mind again to run away from home – to God knows where – and ignore his phone calls, Giotto would feel like scum. He'd want to die, unsure of what to do or how to handle it a second time.

"Tsuna's spent his whole life growing up in Shimon. I was thinking about it when you were gone." Dino took the liberty of brushing bangs away from Giotto's face. "And he knows not only was he an accident, but a consequence that came out of an affair. I know you never liked the thought of Nana and Dad together, but Tsuna knew of your dislike. Most of his life was probably spent dwelling on that."

"He's also spent it as a caretaker for Cozart's kid brother." Giotto returned the favor and pushed the blond mop out of his brother's eyes. Frown tugging on his lips, he lowered his voice and looked to the stairs where Tsuna would come down any minute. "Takeshi and Hayato took him under their wing, and I know he treasures their friendships. You can see it in his eyes. Enma, though… If it wasn't for a friend in need, he would have never…n-never would have gone back to Shimon. He puts Enma's wellbeing before anyone else's."

"Sounds like a good kid."

"The best." A smile danced across the younger's face and his heart swelled with pride. "Tsuna is what you expect him to be when you look at him: small, petite, shy in behavior and always looking to the ground. But it all changes the second a friendship or a close relationship of his has been disrupted. He's actually pretty stubborn when it comes to what he thinks is the right thing. Sometimes he speaks before he thinks, but…it's endearing."

"Sounds like you two have gotten close in the past few months." He was right. Tsuna and he had come a long way since August, and next week would be the third month they lived together. Six months left until the wedding. "I really want to get to know him."

"You will." And their relationship would be the flipside of Giotto's and Tsuna's, because Giotto looked up to Dino just like he did with G.

"Why didn't you…tell me about your relationship with Alaude?"

Giotto blinked. Turning to the other blond, he found the adult attempting to be cheerful and smiling as he fingered the remote. In an odd way, Dino's behavior made him think of Tsuna himself. They were similar in personality – clumsy and very ditsy. If Tsuna shared his looks, then Tsuna received Dino's behavior – albeit with less confidence. Alaude was a different matter altogether.

And one that he thought hadn't crossed Dino's path in years.

"I knew you wouldn't approve."

"Is it really a relationship?"

"It's not not a relationship." Giotto scooted closer to the edge, and the pink spread across his cheeks. Through reminiscing about Cozart, custody battles, Daemon, and keeping Tsuna in order, Alaude and he hadn't had the chance to talk. zwords such as "commitment" and "love" were close to forbidden in bed, but a certain fondness and tender warmth could be felt in the afterglow of sex. They failed to create a label, even if all of their friends deemed them a couple.

"I don't know how I feel about my little brother in another relationship if it's purely physical, Giotto." Dino shook his head, eyebrows furrowing in disarray. A frown now played his lips, and the subject wasn't going to change.

"How you feel about your brother in another relationship," debated the other blond keenly, "or someone in a one-sided love that you can't let go of?"

"Giotto – "

"I'm not getting defensive, and neither are you." They needed to diminish any tension that would form over the subject. Fighting wasn't something Tsuna needed to see them doing. Instead, Giotto stood, dusted off his pants, and offered the other blond a hand.

Brown eyes gazed at him with much uncertainty. There were more qualities Tsuna had from all of them than he realized. "You're allowing people to touch you?"

"Depends on what you mean by touch." The younger blond arched an eyebrow and waited until his fingers tangled with Dino's. "How long do you plan on staying?"

"As long as you need me." Dino firmly gripped his hand, demeanor unwavering. Giotto waited, eyes falling to the grip they had on none another. Years ago, just as teenagers, Dino's lack of coordination was simply common knowledge. Remembering back then, when they were just Tsuna's age, there was more to it; Dino's little quirks built into his essence, and truly made knowing the adult worthwhile.

Even if he was a little angry at G for sending Dino, he was also very glad his big brother still felt the need to protect him. "How about after Tsuna goes to bed, we go out for some drinks?"

"Alright," Dino nodded and looked to the stairs when Tsuna trotted downstairs, wet hair matted to his face. "Ooh, you look nice."

"He's right," Giotto agreed. He held back a grin, noticing that the brunet had paled a little under his feverish blush. In a way he pitied the boy, reminded of when Celeste used to force girls on him for marriage. Going to the Sasagawas may not have been the teenager's choice of fun, but he knew Tsuna as one who never refused a friend. Kyoko was a friend.

The doorbell rang.

"I-I'll get it." Tsuna eased his way toward the door and Giotto took a good look at his brother. He looked taller; not even the shadow of when he first arrived. His face was beginning to fill out and the blond wouldn't have doubted if Tsuna would have another growth spurt soon. A smile spread across the pensive brunet's lips. "Hi, Kyoko-chan."

"Ooh," Dino said. He looked over Giotto's shoulder with approval. "She's pretty. Does she know he's – "

"Nope."

"Oh. Well, that's not gonna turn out well."

"Hi, Tsuna-kun." The bubbliness in her voice was obvious. That was another thing – his cute little brother was getting checked out by a girl. How…cute and irritating was that? "I like your belt."

"Uh," Tsuna mumbled quietly. "Thanks. I like your…hands."

"My hands?"

"Th-They're pretty."

"Oh. Well, thank you. Um, I hope I don't alarm you but," Kyoko kindly looked over the other teenager's shoulder and locked eyes with Giotto. She held up what appeared to be a door knob and frowned. "This fell off the door."

"Really now?" That was impossible. Shouichi sold him the penthouse clean and fit – the redhead knew from the past that Giotto accepted nothing than the best quality. Unless… "Dino!"

"Well," Dino grinned, "Let'sgetgoingnoweheh!"

OoOoO

Kyoko-chan held his hand once they reached the elevator. Dino and Giotto hadn't said a word to him since, and it left Tsuna with Kyoko and nothing to say. A smile remained across her face, and he doubted she noticed his nervousness.

Tsuna looked up to Giotto, desperate for help, but the blond simply gave him a sheepish shrug. He gulped, also realizing they were on the other side of the elevator, and he was feeling extremely uncomfortable. Luckily, Dino decided to pitch an idea. "So how long have you and Tsuna known each other?"

"Since the first day of school." Kyoko flashed a sweet smile and politely curtsied. "It's a pleasure meeting you, Dino-san."

"You too, sweetheart." Dino-san flashed a curt smile and looked to Tsuna. The brunet struggled with his own smile and pulled his hand away. Kyoko noticed immediately.

"Sorry," he said timidly. "S-Sweaty palms."

"Oh, I didn't even notice." She giggled, bringing the other small hand to her lips.

Not a word after that. She simply hooked their hands back together, apparently enjoying whatever was happening as the elevator stopped two or three more times. Kyoko was pretty. Tsuna thought her smile was fitting, and she knew how to cheer a person up, but she wasn't all too interesting.

Plenty guys at school thought she was pretty, and he had a feeling she was confessed to daily. Kyoko was the first year idol at their high school – but…Tsuna…didn't…care. Kyoko made him think of a doting mother, and although pretty and mature, they didn't have a lot in common. Their conversations usually started and ended with Tsuna tripping over his own two feet. K-Kyoko…intimidated him.

"I'm glad that you guys moved into the apartment building." Kyoko smiled in delight and gave Tsuna's hand a comfortable squeeze. "Not very many people live this far from the school."

"Must be an effort going back and forth. Is it a hassle for you?"

Tsuna sighed in relief. At least Dino was saving his butt. Giotto on the other hand…Giotto had drifted off in his own little world. He blinked, eyes narrowing to the younger blond. He was quiet and reserved; detached altogether. What was wrong?

Dino continued chatting with Kyoko-chan, but the teenager's gaze remained on his other brother, who separated himself from the conversation. Giotto snapped out of his ministrations, having caught Tsuna in the act, and immediately the brunet looked away.

Maybe nothing was different. Maybe everything was the same.

Giotto's state of mind still concerned him. Daemon…from the way he sounded, scared him. Falling sick the moment they got home was the stupidest thing he could have ever done. Giotto needed to rest – not worry about him. Why couldn't the flu have waited?

He snapped out of his thoughts when a tissue was pressed against his nose. Tsuna jumped, taken off guard while Giotto flashed a mischievous grin. "You've got snot dribbling, little brother."

"Y-You carry tissues in your pocket?"

"Only for you." Giotto shrugged while the elevator finally came to the right halt.

Kyoko tugged on his hand and another giggle escaped her lips. He hesitated to smile and followed hesitantly. "Your brothers certainly don't look like they're from here, Tsuna-kun."

"They're Italian." But the qualities from Iemitsu were there. Tsuna saw the broadness of their stature from their father, and the height. He was the shortest out of the trio.

"Wow, that's really cool." She wasn't listening. Neither was Tsuna.

At a loss for conversation, Tsuna looked to his brothers, who waded only a few feet behind them. A tender smile spread across Dino's lips, fingers fiddling with the collar of Giotto's suit before brushing dust off his shoulder. Giotto rolled his eyes, but it was obvious the gesture didn't bother him. His lips curled slightly, but he said nothing.

"Kyokoo! Mom says to hurry up with the guests, or she'll be extremely – ooh, what's this?"

O-Oh. K-Kyoko-chan had a brother. The very same brother Tsuna often heard violent things about – l-like the fact Ryohei Sasagawa was in the Boxing Club. They hadn't s-spoken to each other since his first day in Namimori, b-but once he caught sight of rippling pectorals and abrasive yelling, he was torn between unintentionally upsetting Kyoko by releasing her hand, or pulling away so he wouldn't upset Sasagawa-senpai.

"You two are dating?" No! No, no, no! Unlike Kyoko's flowery dress, Sasagawa-senpai looked like he'd just gotten out of a fight with a kangaroo. "Sawada!" Immediately Tsuna recoiled, ready for a punch in the face, but it never came. Instead, Sasagawa-senpai delivered a rough pat on his shoulder, grin spread across his lips as he repeatedly bruised the poor brunet. "From this day forth, you shall call me Oniisan! I expect twenty extreme nieces and nephews each!"

E-Each. He said the word, e-each. Fortunately, Kyoko broke into their one-sided conversation and gestured toward their apartment. "Oniisan! We're not dating!"

But she was blushing. The way Kyoko would look at him often made him feel weird. He took the chance to pull his hand away. Luckily, Kyoko was too occupied taking care of her brother to notice.

Mrs. Sasagawa was a dainty woman much like her daughter. Unlike the penthouse Giotto and he now lived in, the Sasagawa apartment was much smaller. It was bigger than Giotto's old apartment (thank God), and decorated with plenty doilies and various shades of pink. Kyoko and even Ryohei were unfazed by the apartment.

Giotto whistled. Dino giggled. Oh cripes.

"You must be Tsuna-chan!"

Not a second had even passed when Tsuna looked back to the source of the voice, finding Mrs. Sasagawa only centimeters from his face. He covered his mouth before a humiliating, unmanly noise could leave his lips.

A-As it turned out, Mrs. Sasagawa was also the same height as her daughter. Instinctively the brunet backed away, unintentionally scooting to his brothers' sides while the other family got settled. A smile graced Kyoko's features as she gestured to the trio.

"Mama, this is Tsuna-kun and his brothers, Giotto-san and Dino-san. They're our new neighbors."

"Sawada is a fast one! He's trying out for the track team this spring!"

"N-No! I-I'm…" Tsuna shook his head, but no one in the family seemed to notice. "I-I'm not…I-I mean…"

"No daughter of mine will be marrying someone who isn't an athlete." Mrs. Sasagawa held her chest and head high, voice as powerful as her son's, but demeanor delicate like her daughter. Tsuna's lip twitched in protest, but he said nothing. What was he going to do? R-Ryohei could rip his head off, and Kyoko was his friend. She hadn't done anything wrong. "Ooh, look at me babble. Kyoko-chan, will you help me finish getting dinner ready for our guests?"

"Sure, Mama." Kyoko turned her head, eyes falling to her classmate. Tsuna offered a smile as she returned to his side and stood at the tip of her toes. "I'm sorry if my family freaks you out."

"N-No! I-It's fine! I-I've seen worse." Tsuna turned his head until his eyes met with Giotto's, who immediately grimaced, pink stirring in his cheeks. Red skewered the brunet's own face. I-It wasn't just Giotto that managed to shock him, after all. Lambo had quite a few stories, and Enma's irrational judgment got them into plenty trouble.

Kyoko only laughed. She cupped his face, eyes tender and smooth, and Tsuna looked uncomfortably to the boxing magazines on top of frilly pink doilies. "You…have something in your hair." He twitched as her fingers ran through his bangs. "There. It's gone."

"Uh, thanks. Your hair has, erm – " Nothing. Absolutely nothing, because it was neat and tidy and the exact opposite of Giotto's odd sex hair. "— a-a hair band in your hair. I-It's uh. Pink."

"Yeah," she laughed through her words. "It's very pink. I'm going to go help my mother now."

"O…Okay." With that, she was off into the kitchen, apron covering her dress. Mrs. Sasagawa chuckled, and she readjusted said headband on her daughter – just like how Nana would fix his tie every day back at home.

Nana…used to do a lot of things for him. Lately, he realized, she hadn't crossed his mind as she used to. Every day she came to his room, cheery smile on her lips and shook him awake. She gave him hugs even though nowadays felt awkward now that he was a teenager, and always packed him lunch with the same note: I love you. Have a nice day, Tsu-kun. Nana used to hold Enma the same way she held Tsuna when they were just little kids. He remembered that.

"This way you have a mommy too!"

"'Uh, thanks,'" Giotto grinned. Tsuna snapped out of his thoughts, looking to the blond who hovered over his left shoulder before Dino occupied his right.

"''Your hair has, erm, a hair band in your hair.'" The eldest brother laughed and patted him sympathetically on the back. "Aw, Tsuna. You're so cute – and she's got it bad."

Got what bad? "Oh…y…yeah."

"Something wrong?" Giotto's tone flipped immediately, and he turned the boy around. Again, Tsuna flinched as he felt a hand run through his bangs, searching for his forehead. Unlike Kyoko's hands, Giotto's held delicate warmth that soothed a headache Tsuna hadn't noticed. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine." He struggled to smile, but now for a different reason. Away from their teasing, Dino and Giotto held matching frowns, and he could already see Giotto readying to storm back home. "Being in the Sasagawa home…j-just makes me think about…m-my mother. A-And where she is right now. I-I swear, that's it."

Suddenly both backed away. Oh. It wasn't a problem easily fixed, and they knew it.

Inching away from the close bubble his brothers had caused, Tsuna shrugged. "I just realized that I've been so caught up with living with Giotto th-that I haven't even thought about calling her. That's it." And it made him feel bad. His mother was one of his first priorities, and they hadn't spoken to each other in two months.

"She's doing great." What? Dino smiled softly and nodded. "I've had a few conversations with her – and we'll be seeing each other when I go back. You're on her mind constantly."

"R…Really?"

"Most definitely, little brother."

"That's…" That was great. That was fantastic. Tsuna looked to Giotto for any other answer, but the younger blond remained silent, his smile waning. "That's great – "

"Are you the boy that will be wedding my daughter?" Male voice. Very deep male voice with the ruggedness of Sasagawa-senpai's, a-and…T-Tsuna had a feeling this wasn't going to end we – "You will have to bare me at least eighty grandchildren, young man!"

"U-Uh –" Tsuna turned around, disgruntled and – a-and came face-to-face with a really, really, really, really, really tall man. "O…O…kay."

Tsuna considered G his brother's bodyguard. G held a firm body, fit and tall compared to Giotto, who was shorter in stature, and looked like he could take down twenty men in one go. He had no doubt the punch to Zakuro-san's nose was caused by the other redhead, and had secretly thought it was funny. G was strong, but Zakuro was bigger.

Mr. Sasagawa was at least three times their sizes combined and must have held the testosterone of all of Antarctica. Why aren't there very many men residing in the North and South Pole? B-Because Mister K-Kyoko's Dad ate them! Giotto whistled again, but Dino didn't giggle.

He grinned, and even his teeth had muscles. "You call me PawPaw." PawPaw? Were they in an old American western?

"I-I…u-uh…" He never once referred to Iemitsu as his father in his lifetime!

"Call me PawPaw!"

"O-Okay!"

"Dinner's ready!" Oh thank God!

The dinner was quiet. From the looks of it, the Sasagawas were doing just fine in their work; especially for a man who looked very…bumpy in a bright pink muscle shirt. Tsuna said very few things, and Giotto was absorbed in his work, which left Dino chatting for the most part. Giotto would answer questions, occasionally look to his phone, and explained his business. Then –

"So," Mr. Sasagawa cracked another deathful grin, fists larger than Tsuna's head resting on the table. "How long have you been dating my daughter?"

Wh-What? "W-We're not…d-dating, sir. J-Just friends."

"Just friends," Kyoko repeated. From the corner of his eye, the brunet saw his classmate lightly turn pink before poking him in the rib. "But…it'd be nice. If you and I could go on a date."

"Ooh!" Ryohei-senpai mimicked his father's grin and slurped the rest of his yakisoba. "I have a boxing match coming up in two weeks with a school down south! How about you spend your date there?"

A...boxing match? Was that even a p-proper first date? Kyoko's eyebrows furrowed and she bit her lip Kyoko-ly. "You know how I feel about you fighting, Big Brother…"

"Aw, but it'll have protective gear and everything! And I'm finally gonna have my rematch with that Aoba punk!" Aoba?

"Koyo Aoba?" Tsuna cocked his head, eyes doubling twice their size. "Your rematch is going to be with Koyo Aoba?"

"Yeah!" The boxer flashed another grin, obviously excited that he was able to show off to someone other than his family. "He's extremely going down. We're not going to end it with a draw like last time."

Aoba-kun. The same foster brother Enma grew up with and the one Tsuna disliked the most. I-If…he was coming up to Namimori sometime soon, then there was a possibility that…

"Do you really want to go see my brother's boxing match, Tsuna?" Kyoko placed a hand on top of his, and the brunet fidgeted. "I'll go if you want to go."

What'd she just say? "S…Sure." A little bit of concern always played out in his chest when Aoba-kun was involved. Through Enma, he'd seen the other teenager get very aggressive, and knew from personal experience. He covered his cheek, jaw suddenly aching in memory of a punch that knocked out his teeth years ago.

Talk about first impressions.

After dinner they sat in the living room with nothing to say. Tsuna sat on the couch between Ryohei and Kyoko while their parents got into an exciting story about how they first met. Giotto and Dino were in their own little corner, occasionally cutting in with a question or two, but it was left alone. Tsuna could barely remember the evening.

Then they turned on an old record player. Mrs. Sasagawa gasped, hands coming to her cheeks as she swayed to the music. "This was the song we danced to at our wedding! Oh, do you remember this?"

"They played songs at our wedding?" Oh, he certainly knew where Ryohei-senpai got his personality. Mr. Sasagawa smiled mightily and leaned over to the woman far smaller than he. "All I remember is dancing with the most beautiful girl in the world."

"Ooh~ Stop, you're making me blush!" Yech. "Mm~ Tsuna-chan, Kyoko-chan, why don't you dance with us?"

Ryohei had fallen asleep. Giotto and Dino were in a conversation, but the moment they heard the request, they stopped. Tsuna looked to all three, paling, then to Kyoko, who simply smiled and looked embarrassed. "It's okay. I'm really sorry with the way they're acting, they're normally not this…kookie."

Oh, shucks. Tsuna smiled sympathetically and ran a hand through his hair. "I…It's okay. Uh." He stood up and offered a hand. "M…may I have this dance?"

It was like she'd been offered a star in the sky. Kyoko looked at him, eyes – what color were they, anyway – shining with a bit of shock, and he knew it wasn't the norm for him to take the initiative. However…he didn't want to embarrass her. Kyoko-chan was a friend. With a chill in her hands, different from that of his brother's or Enma's, their fingers intertwined and Tsuna brought them to the center of the living room.

Then accidentally stepped on her foot. "Ow!"

"S-Sorry," Tsuna turned red. "I-I'm new at this."

"N…no." She shook her head and offered a small giggle. "It's cute."

Why did everyone think he was "cute"? When was the last time someone referred to him as just…just Tsuna? They continued with the dance, and he was sure Mr. and Mrs. Sasagawa stopped a while ago. How long was this song?

"Ow!"

"S…Sorry."

"No, no, it's – ow!"

"Sorry!"

"Ow!"

"SORRY – "

"IT'S getting late." Suddenly Giotto stood up from the other couch, Dino in tow. Cripes, toes… The younger blond flashed a comforting grin and shook Mr. Sasagawa's hand. "We should get going."

Tsuna bit back a sigh of relief while he and Kyoko finally stopped dancing. She smiled sheepishly, feet rubbing against the ground, and he noticed that again, they were still holding hands. "How about I walk you home?"

"Don't the knights in shining armor normally take the princess home?" A small smile curtsied his lips and she blushed. Er, did he say something?

"I'll be back in a minute Mama, Papa."

"Alright, bye sweetie!"

The walk was silent, just like the rest of the night. Giotto and Dino now weren't speaking to each other, and the looks between them appeared sporadic. Sometimes they would smile and other times, Dino would stop laughing and fall quiet; visibly bugged. Giotto looked at his phone on occasion, but he kept the poker face Tsuna knew well. On the bright side, he thought as they finally reached their apartment, Giotto was enjoying the extra company while G was away.

"You and your brothers seem very close." Kyoko snapped him out of his thoughts.

Tsuna looked up and noticed he was halfway through the door, hands still tangled with his classmates. Giotto and Dino spoke quietly to one another, but they were far too deep inside for him to hear. Instead, he nodded. "I…y-yeah." His chest tingled as he thought back to the conversation he'd had with his eldest brother earlier. "We've gotten really close."

"I'm sure growing up with them must have been intimidating." Kyoko took a step forward into – was there really any space left? Tsuna felt his bubble break. "CEOs of two worldwide companies? That's a lot to live up to."

It was all on Celeste's side of the family – whoever she was. They'd still yet to meet. Would Celeste be like Giotto? Cruel and clever? Or like Dino – ditsy and sweet? "I never got to grow up with them. Giotto and Dino-san and I share the same father – but that's it. They grew up in Italy and I grew up in Shimon."

"Oh." It took her off guard. "I'm so sorry – "

"It's fine." He didn't want to get into detail about his personal life – not with Kyoko. "Thank you for inviting us over, Kyoko-chan."

"Thank you for coming over…it was fun." She smiled again, and in the lighting the other teenager looked very pretty. Kyoko reminded him of a princess. "You're a real gentleman, Tsuna-kun."

"Er, thanks. You're um. A real girl? I-I mean, a real nice girl!" H-He never was good with talking to girls.

"Tsuna-kun…" She leaned forward into the little space they had left. Tsuna's back dug into the door frame, and he fell dead still, lips pressed against his own. A girl was kissing him. A girl, for the first time in his entire life (excluding his mother) was kissing him!

And it felt weird. Kyoko's eyes had fluttered closed when she initiated the kiss, but his were wide open. Did people normally close their eyes when kissing someone else? He watched her flawless face, waiting, and played with his belt loop. Wh-What was wrong with keeping their eyes open? Did something happen when people closed their eyes?

He stopped the kiss when realization hit that he hadn't been breathing for at least a minute. Gently sidestepping his classmate, Tsuna felt his cheeks turn pink when Kyoko looked at him in confusion. "Um. S-See you in school?"

Kyoko wasn't subdued. Finally, she glowed, red swelling in her cheeks as she bowed and backed away toward the elevator. "Good night, Tsuna-kun."

"Y…Yeah. G-Good night."

He waited until she was out of sight, in the elevator, and the shift of moving cables could be heard before shutting the door. Finally, he slipped off his shoes, lightheadedness from his flu returning. Tsuna wiped his lips, only then feeling better in his right of mind, and the kiss was easily forgotten, even if the guilt for Kyoko-chan wasn't.

Not all kisses were the way they seemed. The rare times Nana was able to see Iemitsu, their kisses were passionate. Loving and tender, even if the heartbreak that often came later made him question if they were worth it. Somehow…in the future, Tsuna was sure Kyoko's kisses would be meant for someone better, and he, too, would find someone for himself.

"You shouldn't lead her on like that."

Eek. It was one scream he felt too guilty to yell. Tsuna locked eyes with his brother, who now sat on the loveseat by himself. "Where's Dino-san?"

"Taking a shower." Giotto smiled softly and picked up the sleeping Nuts from the armrest. "We're going to go out and catch up on things."

Catch up…? "Wh…What was wrong with you at dinner?" The brunet's eyebrows furrowed. Wasn't that what they did while they were at the party? He noticed the cycle after ten minutes of eating: Giotto would say something and make a face, then Dino would save him with a comment of his own. After that, they would grow quiet, and the conversation ceased until the next interjection.

A blond eyebrow raised under Giotto's messy hairline as he ran a hand through Nuts's fur. "What do you mean?"

"I was worried." The teenager ducked his head in shame, red heating up his cheeks. He fingered his belt loops, eyes burning holes in the ground so he could avoid his brother's gaze. "You…didn't talk a lot…a-and you haven't been talking a lot for a few weeks now. And I feel bad, b-because I didn't notice until it was too late."

Giotto didn't answer his question. For a while, nothing was said. Then: "What do you think of Dino?"

Dino-san? "He's nice…But – "

"He's a better big brother," Giotto said slowly, "than I am. Right?"

Wh-What? "W-Was that what was bothering you during dinner?"

It was very Gokudera-kun-ish of him to look away with a shrug. A soft hue of pink glowed against half-Italian skin, and it reminded Tsuna of earlier days where he would do something and for no apparent reason, his brother was rendered speechless and blushing. He had an odd talent to do that.

But…i-if that was what was bothering him… Tsuna took the question – er, confirmation? – into consideration, eyebrows furrowing as he found himself in the middle of the mess. Alright.

"You're right," the brunet whispered. He felt a pang of shame when Giotto closed his eyes for acceptance. "Dino-san came here this afternoon and welcomed me with open arms. He was…comforting, a-and he's really easy to talk to. When I was little – when you and I first met, and when Mama told me I had a big brother – that was how I imagined you would be like. Dino-san knows just what to say, and I like it a lot. But – "

Giotto cocked his head. "But?"

Tsuna looked up into the lamp lights, unable to look his brother in the eye. "But he makes me feel like a little kid. I-If I was Lambo, then the treatment would be instinct, and for him…I-I can tell it's just his personality. I-I'm glad he's my big brother. I'm glad I came here and got to meet everyone. But, y-you're also not like everyone else, Giotto."

"What do you mean?"

"Y-You're not doting, like Mama is. You aren't…a-as aggressive as Gokudera-kun can be, and y-you're not Reborn-sensei." He sighed in relief on the last one. "You're a-all of it. When you used your authority over my head, it was stern. Y-You've never yelled at me because you were angry, but tell me when I'm wrong, and your opinion means the world to me. You don't try to hide things from me like Mama, but you don't shove the truth in my face. You…you make me feel…human."

Human was the truth. He missed Nana dearly, and knew he would hug her the minute they saw each other, but that was that. Nana was his mother, and Gokudera was his friend. He felt the need to dote on Giotto himself; make sure he was alright, but not to the extent of Enma, because the way Giotto was as passionate and ferocious as the blazing sun and then gentle light the next second made him feel safe – protected.

"I like that," Tsuna whispered. A smile spread across his face, shy and confident all the same as he tucked his hands behind his back. "I love it."

And it left his brother speechless. Giotto was unreadable, and the embers in his eyes sparked with a mystery Tsuna found absolutely engaging. "Oh."

Oh dear. Suddeny, the teenager's smile disappeared and embarrassment sunk in. Red splattered across his face and he hurried to the stairs. "'N-Night, Giotto."

"Good night. Oh – and Tsuna?"

"Er, y-yeah?"

"…Love you."

Oh dear. Those words alone were enough to give the poor boy a heart attack. He looked up, surprised, and found his brother's gaze directly at him, smile spread across his lips. Tsuna smiled back. "Love you too."

He rushed up stairs and into his room – this time locking the door. Tsuna shrugged off his jacket, headache having disappeared. The relationship between Giotto and him…had changed a lot. It was still changing. Liking one another was close to impossible – brotherly bonding was out of the question. It was funny, too. Giotto had been the one who took the step each time, and day by day their relationship was redefined. By the time he redressed for bed, Tsuna's body fell into pure bliss, and he reanalyzed every little detail he'd come to know of his brother since their first meeting.

Giotto was pure warmth. No longer was he the chilling, terrifying enigma in the beginning and as perfect as Tsuna respected his brother to be, his brother was also very human. Giotto's smile made him dashing. The air of his voice was something expected in a Shakespearean play, only different – Tsuna could understand him. Giotto romanced any individual with his charm, his wit and…and his good heart. Tonight in comparison to Kyoko's doting, Giotto's gentle touch made him tingle.

Revealing how he viewed his brother was different. It was embarrassing, but it was also a solid fact that made him very fond of the blond. He liked it. Loved it.

That night, Tsuna fell asleep to the lullaby of his beating heart, feeling oddly happy

"You sure you're up to this?"

Giotto ducked his head. The bar was small, and very few people could afford even coming in. Boring, stuffy music his mother used to make them listen to echoed from wall to wall, and, very little people littered the room this late at night. As far as he knew, Tsuna was fast asleep, and it was only him and Dino.

"I don't really like talking about it." After all that had happened – no matter how constantly that night while he forced the thought of Dino and Tsuna getting closer away, Daemon would sink closer in his mind – he knew he didn't want to. He hated bringing it up, and Daemon Spade's name was sin on his tongue.

Dino placed a hand over his, lips tightly knit together. "I only want you to feel comfortable."

That would involve a lot more drinking. Instead, Giotto shook his head and looked into the glass with a less than cheery disposition. "No. Let's talk."

chapter twenty-three has games and flirting.

"Happy Eighteenth Birthday."

Giotto looked up from his paperwork, challenged by the only thing that would have taken him off guard. Was it really that time of the year already? A beautifully decorated birthday cake rested at the corner of his desk, and the sight of his best friend only made him smile. "You have icing on your nose."

"It doesn't have to be icing, love." With his bold declaration, Cozart swung his legs over the desk and unceremoniously set himself on paperwork. A wry look tingled in his eyes and a lighthearted grin spread across his face. "I don't understand how you can forget your own birthday."

"I've been busy – if you haven't noticed. Are you aware my hands are under your ass?"

"You're the one molesting me."

"Hm." Giotto arched an eyebrow, ultimately abandoning the argument in favor of wiping the icing off his best friend's nose. "I feel like one of those stuffy old men with a sexy secretary ready to get laid on my desk."

And there it was: the bashful and sweet pink that contradicted the redhead's sex appeal. Giotto had grown fond of it in the past few years, and he familiarized with Cozart's nervous habit of pulling his hat over his eyes. "I still can't get over this birthday thing, love."

"A lot of people can forget their birthdays if they're distracted enough."

"You were born New Year's Day."

"Absolutely forgettable." Giotto picked a strawberry from the cake, disregarding his age completely. Instead he bit off the tip and gave the rest to Cozart, who devoured it in an instant. "You're the first person I've seen all morning. G's going to have a fit once he finds out you've already wished me a happy birthday."

A familiar look passed over the redheaded teenager's face. His nose scrunched, visibly disgruntled as he silently dug a finger into white icing and flicked it onto Giotto's eyebrow.

Giotto twitched. "Very funny."

However, like earlier, the Shimon heir simply tightened the hold of his hat on his head, and the significantly faint blush reappeared across the redhead's cheekbones. Adding to the conversation now on the table, Giotto offered an amused eyebrow.

"We've known each other since high school."

"Yet I always remain on his bad side." There was no smugness in the redhead's voice, just simple stating of the facts. Though a touchy subject, he appeared relaxed as he slid off the desk and by the blond's side. "How are you holding up? Still adjusting to the business?"

"Like a Christmas and birthday present all wrapped in one." Giotto rolled his eyes. "Or a toy in need of triple-A batteries. Dino's nuts, you know."

"Or absolutely correct. We'll just have to see how everything turns out." Cozart smiled before sliding a hand in a draw not even Giotto was aware existed and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the icing off his brow. "I think you have the potential to make this company better than it's ever been."

"Right. At least you won't have to worry about this for a while. Roberto still has control over Shimon Industries for a long time."

With that, the smile faded. Once New Years and his birthday had been mentioned, Giotto was only waiting for the redhead's expression to falter. It was early in the year every year that Cozart would fall into a depression. He learned that quickly when they first met years ago, and knew it was a subject never touched. Cozart never liked discussing his family and the politics behind it.

Now it was time to change the subject. Fortunately, the door burst open without second thought, revealing G in all his glory. "Cozart, your father wants to see you. You know, phone calls for the Shimon Company shouldn't be forwarded to – there's cake on your desk."

"And the secretary I'm cheating on my wife with." Giotto smiled. "Sorry, dear."

"Che." Obviously not amused, the adult put two-and-two together before sinking into his grumpy state of mind. "I'm not your wife. Bianchi and I are getting married in three months."

Cozart shifted to the right above Giotto's desk; a reminder that he was still in the room. "Why are you two working New Year's day?"

"I wanted to get settled. Everyone else is off duty – I won't be meeting them until next week."

"Oh. I see." With an abrupt thump, the redhead stood to his feet and kissed Giotto chastely on the forehead. "I'd better get going before he yells. See you tonight at the party."

Giotto nodded and returned to the work on his desk. That didn't mean he couldn't hear their conversation.

"Why are you always here?"

"Giotto's as much my best friend as he is yours – how are preparations going; marrying Bianchi and all?"

"I'm flying in to see her this weeke – don't change the subject!"

"You have a very beautiful face, G."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Nothing." The mirth was visible in the shorter redhead's tone. Peering up from his paperwork, Giotto caught sight of Cozart running a hand smoothly down the juncture of the other redhead's jaw. "With your personality, I'm surprised you haven't gotten a tattoo devoted to Giotto or the company."

"Me?" G was obviously appalled. "With a tattoo? The day that happens, you'll be dead, moron."

"If you say so."

"Wait."

"Huh – ?"

G instantly grabbed the shorter teenager's arm, face contorting in concern. Curious, Giotto set down his pen, ready to intervene, but he was far out of the picture a long time ago. By nature, G had always been aggressive and short tempered, but even he had days where a spiteful storm could be a momentous rainbow. "This bruise on your arm. How'd you get it?"

Cozart blinked, confused. Giotto didn't blame him. He attempted pulling his arm away, but G wouldn't allow it. "I probably bumped into something. Nothing big."

"I don't like the color of it." Huh. Apparently G was too pigheaded to listen through his alien communication. "You should get it checked out."

"Gaspare Tempesta, are you showing concern for a man you so utterly despise and hate?" Giotto decided best to interrupt. Evidently the pair was bothered, but for different reasons, and it was uncharacteristic for the both of them. Cozart wanted the topic closed. G didn't. "You're cheating on me?"

Fortunately the order of life returned when G scowled and rolled his eyes. "I'm straight. Get it through your fucking head."

"Your first name isn't G?" And Cozart certainly was the same relaxed essence as earlier. G flinched, and he now became the victim to two very cunning men in the room. "Cute."

"That's – you – did you just call me cute?"

"Bye, G. Giotto."

"COZART!"

"You shouldn't be so hard on him." Giotto grimaced, eyes falling to the butt imprints Cozart kindly left on paperwork for Ootori's hospitals. He for one enjoyed having a feel of the bubble butt of his best friend – Ootori, however, probably would not. "You know he gets depressed around the holidays."

"Why?" G's voice dragged out – long and predictably irritated. "We've known each other for three years. Every year seems to get more depressing than the last when it comes to him."

"I wouldn't know. Don't you think it's about time you admit how big of a softie you are behind all that brute?" Giotto withdrew his pen and gestured to the chair in front of his desk. "I'd rather like it. You are my business partner, after all."

"Business partner?" Oh, he didn't tell him?

"What makes you think I'm willing to inherit a billion-dollar company without my best friend by my side?" Giotto raised his head, knowing smile spreading across his lips as the aggression disappeared from the redhead's face, immediately replaced with that of pure shock. "G, you've been my partner in crime since we were babies. I need you."

G's lips twitched and his eyes became unreadable. Giotto had no doubt his best friend was asking himself if it was a joke – but the truth was there. Vongola's history was a looming shadow neither one could take for granted. "If we do this, you and I will argue about every decision."

"Mm. We can have makeup sex later."

"I'm not gay."

"That didn't stop you the first time."

"Does everything revolve around sex with you?"

"Just about, love." Giotto flashed a grin and leaned forward, files at hand. "There's no better person. You've been around Vongola as long as I have and have studied the legal systems for five of the seven continents. I would ask Cozart, too, but he cares very little for business and Shimon is already backing him up. The job pays for a lot, and you'll be able to support Bianchi and Hayato while they stay in Namimori. I'll even buy the ticket for you to fly in every weekend and see your wife."

Hesitation fluttered across the redhead's features. "And you're sure about this."

"Most definitely."

"Alright then." A smile graced the lips of his best friend, though humble against his nature, and he stood to his feet. "You've got yourself a partner."

OoOoO

Alaude was a man Giotto met during his first semester at college. While he himself was born in Italy, Alaude Brouille was native to France, and rarely did the Frenchman ever smile. Giotto, however, thought it was one of Alaude's most endearing qualities. His roommate's stature and demeanor made many people mistake him as a robotic loner who had little desire to be around anyone for more than ten seconds. Well. They were partly true.

"You really dislike children when you are only a child yourself."

"You're only two years older than me." Giotto offered a petite smile and watched the white-haired man flip a page in his book. "Though I don't understand how you manage to pick up so many majors and minors. Teaching? Forensics? Law?"

"Forensics can only get you so far in the crime field, and becoming a lawyer simply allows me to analyze my criminal." A glint appeared in icy blue eyes and it took all the blond's willpower not to shiver. Alaude apparently had a fascinating kink for crime and law.

"You're only thinking of teaching for that nephew of yours, aren't you?"

"Inconsiderate prick he is."

"Sounds familiar." Giotto shuffled through paperwork. While Dino wasn't in his right of mind giving him the inheritance, and his mother was nuts for trusting him so early on, it actually was easier of a job than he expected. Two weeks into business proved to be strenuous, juggling working and an education that taught him what he was working, but it was fun. Very fun. "My brother's coming to check up on me sometime soon. You'll finally get to meet him."

"And get to know another of your kin? I'll pass." Certainly Alaude knew more than a brusque emotion from reading a text book. No? Hm, well, that was a subject touched far too many times in the past year.

"Dino and I act very little alike." Vindice? Giotto blinked, eyes falling to the detailed calligraphy of the name, then a summary of the business. Work with the enchanted art of theatre production and bring to life a character not your own. He'd never heard of it; not out of all the small businesses Celeste sent him. "I…doubt you two will ever get along."

Alaude looked up from his text book, leer at hand. "What was that?"

"What was what?"

"You hesitated before speaking. The idiot Boss I know never ceases with a smartass comment, and the curvature of your lip has changed. What did you find?"

"You earn every inklet of the grade you have in forensics." Giotto chuckled softly and rested his head on his hand. "What do you think of a man named Daemon Spade?"

Alaude arched an eyebrow, and the gaudy glimmer of apathy appeared in his orbs as he returned to his book, disinterested, and flipped a page. "Rarely do I question your taste in relationships, Vongola, because you have the luck of a wealthy mafia boss, and manage to make friends others high and low. However, now that you're in the business world, not representing the child of a corporate businesswoman, you should watch your back."

"You're awfully being overprotective for a man who dislikes getting emotionally attached."

"I still don't," replied the French adult sharply. "But out of an hour at a café, this is the first I've seen a goofy smile on your face. Daemon Spade is purely business. Understood?"

"Yes, Father." In one ear and out the other. Alaude was not one who was easily subdued after a simple conversation. He was stubborn and hardheaded, but very strict and had less patience than a hormonal teenage boy. Giotto stood from his seat, purposely ignorant of the irritation passing over his roommate's face before throwing away his garbage.

A frown spread across calm lips and he took the time to review all the names that took his interest. Vindice was different from the other names Vongola would take up. What company – especially one working with theatre production – wanted to sell their creativity rights to a corporation hell-bent on stamping their names on everything? If Vongola were to take the name of Vindice, then Spade would never fulfill his dreams to the fullest.

In truth, Spade had a lot of good ideas. Giotto rubbed his chin thoughtfully before getting a glimpse of rusted red hair. Sparing a glance above, Cozart immediately came into view, but not in a state the blond himself was used to. A man stood with him, tall and lean and a meek expression across his demeanor. A hat much similar to the Shimon heir's own safely buckled the man's hair into place, and easily did his shoulders hunch, an exaggeration of his shyness.

Cozart looked ridiculously uncomfortable, which was odd, since the redhead easily made friends with anyone in his path. Once Cozart caught sight of the blond, however, the discomfort lifted from his face into absolute relief, and Giotto watched the redhead drag his handicap along with him.

"Late Christmas present, I presume?" Giotto mused. His eyes wandered to the shy-looking man, who appeared absolutely uncomfortable under his gaze. "What a looker. Roberto would know that you don't go for the type who hovers over you like skin on an orange."

Immediately the coy man's brow curled, offended by the shorter's bluntness, and pulled his hat over his face. "Do you perceive me as skin on an orange?"

"Mm. I take it back, he's a feisty one."

"This is Alexander. Alexander, this is Giotto." Cozart's eyebrows knit together, obviously finding something troublesome, and gestured to Alaude, who was watching them carefully. "Are you out on a dinner date with Alaude?"

"How long have you two been seeing each other?"

"Longer than you two. We're merely friends. Don't worry."

"I should. You're quite the looker."

"You're…not." Then again, no one ever said an intellectual conversation couldn't overlook a man's beauty. Giotto scrutinized the man in front of him, and although he had quite the buff body, he hid it obnoxiously under clothes that…well, quite frankly, came out of Cozart's closet. Speaking of the redhead, Cozart had tugged on his hat yet again, nervous, and looking worrisomely to the blond's roommate.

Alexander's eyebrow rose higher, if possible, and Giotto awaited a witty response. Instead, the man simply coughed, slightly recoiling, and he shrunk into an odd shell. "That's quite the accent you have, monsieur. Are you from Italy, just like Monsieur Cozart?"

"Just about," Giotto admitted. His eyes narrowed, recognizing the change in the man's personality immediately. One minute he was a man with a sharp tongue and mischievous glance, and the next he reverted back to a turtle in its shell. Cozart had apparently given up on conversation, and sought Alaude's company far in the café. Giotto thought it best to ask his original question. "You're quite an odd one, aren't you?"

"When you're the one staring at my groin?"

"It is the head you're thinking with, isn't it?" Giotto copied the man before him, and obstructed said man from view. Alaude's glower and Cozart's concern were not friendly attention-grabbers. "You're not the type of person Cozart associates himself with. What are you doing?"

"What makes you think Monsieur Cozart does not like my type?" A blush spread across Alexander's cheeks, and Giotto debated on believing him.

"Because Cozart dislikes being ogled. You made your first mistake long ago before even starting the game." Giotto's eyes narrowed decadently, and he raised his head in contrast to his unhelpful lack of height. "Your words betray your standing."

"You shouldn't be so sure about a man you've barely met, monsieur. A well-played game is filled with surprises." In contrast to the petite clothes that destroyed the man's muscular physique, a firm smirk danced across Alexander's lips. Giotto wasn't sure if he liked it or loved it.

Instead, he drew out the adult more possible than imagined. "Surprise me."

"Oh," murmured the other adult, voice dropping at least three octaves. Giotto forced himself to hide the chills from a masculine allure, and the vibrato of a merry tone made his toes curl. "Gladly, love."

OoOoO

Alexander proved to be a challenge in more ways than one.

Under his hat, Alexander was a brunet with a feisty attitude. Originally thought to be shy and reserved, Giotto was right in his findings. Alexander was sharp-tongued, witty, and never without a comeback. Whoever he was, Alexander was not the type of man Cozart would spend the rest of his life with, no matter the shy, gentle persona to the wicked and riveting debater. He was, without a doubt, Giotto's type.

If only it was not for the horrible entourage Alexander thought fit him so well, then Giotto might have pursued him.

The meeting with Daemon Spade was scheduled for the following week. Giotto had become disgruntled, still adjusting to a schedule for schoolwork and business, and often times more than not, G was at his side coaxing him through it. The files and structure Celeste left behind for her son's own amusement was – although interesting, left the company in a financial position with many hesitant businessmen who were unsure whether or not Vongola should buy their stock.

Thank the Gods he was born a sex god. Just saying.

However, with G working by his side, going through default questions and instructions his mother left him was murder. Without an official advisor (a position Giotto offered Cozart, who perfectly had the experience and was expected to inherit Shimon one day, but denied because G refused) decisions normally went back and forth between the co-partners, until finally they agreed and the cliental peed their pants.

That part wasn't fun.

The day of his meeting with Monsieur Spade, he was running late from classes. A grimace spread across the lips of a self-proclaimed Sex God, and Giotto checked his watch in the back of his car. Granted the roads were not a safe place during the winter, he wished they would just hurry up. If he had been the one driving, than they would have gotten there five minutes ago.

Then again, G advised he not get a license while they spent their time in France. Something about endangering the lives of those around them and becoming a domestic disturbance in the world of classic society seemed like it wouldn't be a good idea.

Giotto digressed, head dipping into the seat behind him, and looked up at what little research he could conjure of Vindice. There was less than he expected, and the company itself seemed close to nonexistent, according to his lack of information. A frown spread across his lips, gaze falling to the thin manila folder compared to the rest. He'd rescheduled everything specifically for this man, but knew not what he should expect.

"Where are Monsieur Cozart and Monsieur G, sir?"

Mm? "Cozart is currently avoiding G, I think. Then, G may be flying in to Namimori sometime soon."

"Is it not G who is normally doing the avoiding of Sir Cozart?"

Giotto flashed a smile to his chauffer. "Cozart has been a concern of his lately. The more preoccupied he is, the less likely he'll butt into my affairs."

"Pardon me if I risk my position, monsieur, but what would be the point of Monsieur G as your consort if you do not fully intend to use him in your business affairs?"

"Of course G is involved with my business affairs," Giotto responded, slightly offended. He cocked his head, eyebrows disappearing under his hairline at the absurd possibility that his best friend was given the short end of the stick.

G and he had known each other since they were little children, always together – whether it was holding hands or messing around and like any pair of best friends, they had their arguments and occasional fist fights. G, who went along with any idiotic idea Giotto had when they were little kids would be getting married in less than three months, and Giotto was to be the best man. Keeping G as his business partner…seemed the only way to keep his best friend at bay.

Gaspare Tempesta was his rock.

Giotto curled his fingers at the thought and cocked his head to the chauffeur. "I'm going to walk the rest of the way."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." The blond exited the car, not another word escaping his lips as he shut the car door behind him. G's marriage to Bianchi was a life-changing event for the both of them. He'd known G as the other to their pair, and it was an honor for once, to help his best friend rather than the other way around. Without G, Giotto doubted he could run life efficiently.

A reminder that he was ankle deep in snow came when at least three inches managed to seep into the creases of his boots. Well, damn. Frown spreading across his lips, the teenager rid himself of said boot and dumped soggy ice from his sock. Snow was beautiful, but entirely troublesome.

While ridding his boot of his troubles, he never expected to catch a glimpse of an odd figure – broad and cunning with a tall stature and fanciful smile. A body like that, Giotto couldn't help but feel he'd met once before, and lips so kissable that it sent a rocking sensation to his groin. Acting upon instinct, the blond licked his lips as he took sights of the delectable creature before him, who spoke to a plump old woman at the door down the street.

Giotto hesitated, unsure if he was allowed to approach, and froze.

Dark blue eyes. Deep, dark blue eyes from the mysterious caverns of the sea caught his sight, and they shimmered with a light nonexistent to the world. Giotto took a step back, overwhelmed by the incessant ringing in his ear as the gorgeous man at his feet knelt like a nobleman to the woman in front of her. She blushed; hand coming to her cheek with a soft coo, and Giotto became the easy target for the man holding a bundle of baguettes.

The fanciful grin spread across his lips caught Giotto off guard. The blond backed away, perturbed, but he found himself at a loss. "Bonjour."

"Bonjour." The dip in the voice of the man standing parallel to his feet made his skin tingle. A long, slender hand grazed down his forearm before taking hold of Giotto's wrist, hard and snug, to kiss the edge of his knuckles. "What is a beauty like you doing out here?"

Quick, a smooth smile spread across Giotto's face in retaliation, affects hidden under Celeste's beautifully constructed shield. Mimicking that of what was in front of him, and he curled his hand into a fist. "What a fine accent you have."

"British." With a keen grin – torn between naughty and impish or smooth and regal – the man yanked Giotto into the taller's form, and before the blond had a chance to register what had happened, he was being dragged behind, down the snowy streets of the beautiful town and through an alleyway.

"What are you – ?"

"Shh. You need to learn how to shut up, love."

Taken aback, Giotto was not given the chance to retaliate. One look at that ill-behave curl of the lip and Giotto could hear harps in his ears. It was kind of annoying, irritating. A familiar irritating, actually. As he found himself dragged away, far from his meeting, the blond got a better look at the…what was the color of his hair? Why did everyone suddenly have a fetish for hats? Giotto bit back a grin, regarding the Sherpa hat that tucked most of the man's hair back. Blue. It was a beautiful shade of blue, just like his eyes.

"I wonder which head you're looking up with."

Alexander. That was the face, and the snaky tone Giotto was reminded of. He snapped out of his ogling, eyes focusing to the narrow face and long neck. The face was the same – eyes and tousled brown hair. The few weeks they were together (Alexander becoming Cozart's own personal annoyance), Giotto liked the adrenaline and eye-fucking often involved with Alexander when Cozart and G weren't – well, they were always looking. It spawned interesting situations.

At that thought, mixed with the wit of his kidnapper, Giotto raised his head, eyes daring, and arched an eyebrow. "Won't those baguettes get cold in the snow?"

"And stiff." Apparently the attraction was very much mutual.

In that sense, Giotto felt his heart flutter from the flattery. Was he in over his head, following someone he just met – oh, maybe twenty seconds ago – to…somewhere else? With a sudden snap, Giotto collided with the back in front of him, and found a hand at his waist only half a moment later. "Ow."

"Cute~" And then there was a laugh. An intoxicating, absolutely hazardous to Giotto's sanity, wellbeing, and growing boner if his pants weren't going to get any looser kind of laugh that caught the blond off guard. Seductive and hypnotizing, he fell under the spell with no hesitation while his captor gestured to the square they'd entered. "You are not a native to France, are you?"

"Italian." Speaking of which, his half-Italian blood was getting rather cold. Looking about their location, Giotto finally noticed the fountain in the middle of the square. People walked about, though few flooded the streets at this late hour. The sun, having been shrouded for two weeks already, lost its glow, and he was temporarily blinded by winter's fog. "Damn mist."

"'Mist'?" The man's face glowed with mirth, and Giotto felt his face warm against cold snow. "Mist is what you see in a rain storm, love. In the middle of winter, when vision is blinded, you call them flurries."

Flurries. Said in any form made Giotto crave a blueberry slushy. Not so easily could he be downsized by another, and he took the fact to heart as his eyes gathered to the fountain. He had no doubt it'd been shut down in worry of the weather, but rarely did he venture to this side of town – especially as a captive. "Mist can be tricky."

"Most things in life can be tricky, darling." The man with the baguettes in his grasp pressed a finger to the blond's face, and the chilling surge wasn't helping Giotto's circumstance. "But don't blame flurries for doing their job. They venture wherever needed and almost always unwanted."

"The mist blocks what is truly there and is a haphazard to community."

"Mist presents an obstacle for man to overcome. Fufufu. One of these days, technology will overcome nature. Who knows – maybe one day Man will find a use once more for fire. Make it a use for portable jewelry or something."

"How artsy of you."

"Theatre major." Giotto shivered. If it was anything that would be the end of him, it would be the charming accent of one.

"What's your name?"

"What is yours?"

"I'd rather not disclose my name to a man I've just met." Giotto curtly took a step back, but the electricity was lost. Fiery eyes gazed through watery blue, and the…the steam glowed between elements on two ends of the same stick. Giotto, who was passionate and vivid, found himself an honorable opponent – fluid. Icy, alluring, graceful. Passionate and vivid. His body trembled with excitement.

"Damon." The blunet lowered his head, eyes bubbling with a tempting concoction as he kissed Giotto's hand yet again. "Damon Sparks."

Sparks, there were. Giotto whipped his hand away, bashful for the first time in his life. There was only one man he ever pursued in his life, and that was Cozart. Cozart was nothing like this – not so initiating, nor so firm. Talking to Cozart made him touch the ground and took his head out of the sky. If G was his rock, Cozart was his foundation. However… "You make me feel like jelly."

"Jelly?"

Oh. He said that out loud. Another nervous emotion snuck into the pit of his stomach, one Giotto had never felt before: embarrassment. "Forget that. I have a meeting to attend."

"Really now?" A stupid grin spread across the face of one excited Damon's face. Quite frankly, the blond had never met someone who matched his…interests so while. While trying to figure out a way to distract himself from the gorgeous Brit, the teenager backed away, hand over his mouth to hide his heated blush, before he realized the other was locked under the blunet's vice grip. "I mistook you for a little school boy playing dress up in daddy's clothes."

"You wouldn't feel that way if we were elsewhere." What he lacked in height he made up in size. Not easily provoked, Giotto pulled his hand away with the same effect: vivacious energy replaced by the numbness of freezing cold.

"Elsewhere, you say?" Damon raised his head and reminded Giotto of a tiger seeking his delectable prey. "We'll be meeting again."

Giotto never realized such a ghostly meeting could ever be so…seductive. The phantom of the blunet's breath graced his lips, and the musty heat made the blood in his veins dance in anxiety. If that was teasing, then an actual kiss would have driven him… He squinted, blinded by the flurries blinding his sight, and wiped his vision clean. Once he could see, Damon was gone.

What on earth?

He touched a hand to his lips, eyes darting left and right to find his conquest, but there was no sight of the blunet, or his stiff baguettes. Giotto halted, crinkling his nose as he realized their little escapade caused snow to bury his feet alive in absolute cold. He closed the top button of his trench coat and noted Damon dragged him closer to Vongola's building than expected.

Well then.

The walk was silent, snow squishing under his feet while streetlights flickered on and a night in town began. Looking over his plans, Giotto heaved a sigh, knowing he was at least half an hour late for his meeting with Monsieur Spade, and G wouldn't let him hear the end of it. First of all, Giotto remembered comically, his name was Daemon-fucking-Spade. If that wasn't a hint that one of Giotto's first clients was most likely some motorcycle-riding, tattoo-wearing hooligan (and yes, the blond cracked up laughing when the word hooligan left his best friend's mouth), then Giotto was crazy.

Then he promptly reminded his favorite hotheaded best friend that G ventured around France on a motorcycle and simply didn't like tattoos. And he fought a lot. One might even say G presented more danger to the blond than Mister Spade would.

He didn't expect said redhead to greet him at the gate of Vongola Inc. Even in the snow, the Vongola insignia gleamed under moonlight like an ethereal spi—

G shook him with no mercy. "Your meeting with Spade was scheduled half an hour ago! You're just lucky that he's – "

"G." Cozart's voice was tranquil compared to the other of their trio, and he restrained the taller man with very little ease. "Giotto has been walking for at least twenty minutes out in the cold. Would you like some hot cocoa?"

"I met someone." Oops.

"You…met someone?" A monstrous scowl spread across Hurricane G's face, and Giotto took a step back to ready himself.

"Just remember!" Cozart quickly shouted, and fell to the ground while his redheaded accomplice trudged forward, the usual look of rage passing over the taller's features. "High blood pressure can be caused by a short temper, and it shortens life expectanc—eep."

"Who is he? What did you do? Did you forget about your duties to this company when you inherited it only two weeks ago? Did you two fuc – ?"

"He's cute, er, right?"

"Oh, very cute." Giotto flashed a small smile, deciding to ignore one best friend in favor of the other. Damon was downright gorgeous. Reminded of the blunet's presence, the blond focused all attention to Cozart, curiosity teeming in his blood. "Let's get out of here before a blizzard comes. How are you and Alexander doing?"

With a start, Cozart arched an eyebrow under his hooded hairline. Was it not a topic open for discussion? "Alexander has been…better. But he left today. I won't be seeing him ever again."

Oh. Taken aback, Giotto nodded in understanding as they entered the elevator that would take them to the meeting room. "I think I'll miss him."

"There was always a bit of foreplay between you two, wasn't there?" Cozart tugged on his elbow, but his expression hadn't changed. "Watching you two go back and forth was a little unnerving. He was always a little different around you."

"He didn't suit your tastes." Giotto shrugged as they ventured into the empty meeting room. A grimace fell across his face, reminded of the dreary gray and frosty atmosphere. The next chance he had a break, it would be his mission to give Vongola Inc. a makeover.

"Oh?" Cozart raised his voice, and the gauntlet had been thrown. "What suits my tastes?"

Wasn't it obvious? "You're a caretaker." Giotto dug through his briefcase and sighed in relief as the Vindice files revealed to be dry. He set them on the table.

"Daemon called a little while back and said he would be late." G pulled out a chair and promptly sat down, sparing neither one a glance. Not that it was surprising.

Upon meeting Cozart almost four years ago, Giotto often went to their new friend's arms for comfort when it involved irritatingly high estrogen levels. While G was open-minded (the blond even had a theory his childhood best friend liked being touched by a man), Cozart was the man he probably assumed Giotto would end up spending his life with.

The thought was endearing, but G was as stupid as his soon-to-be brother-in-law.

Pushing that thought aside, Giotto nodded to G's piece of information and pulled up a seat for Cozart. "You like being able to take care of people, but you're also really gentle, patient – and get a kick out of some entertainment. Obviously you're going to want someone who can surprise you once in a while. And take care of you. Someone like…I dunno."

Giotto shrugged, and every man he knew came to mind. Dino was full of…predictable surprises, but that was a road Cozart pursued and held humiliating defeat long ago. Alaude was sex on a popsicle, but seemed like the type who would mark his territory. Lampo, though cute, was still five years their junior and absolutely annoying. To have someone that fit perfectly with Cozart…Patient to impatient, rational to irrational, and…charming to exasperation.

"Like G?" Giotto cursed as he dropped his pen and fell to the floor to pick it up. In victory he noticed neither man said a word and peeked up to the redheaded pair. Cozart was silent and contemplative, G was blank. "What?"

"No." Simple as that. Cozart shook his head, and suddenly his entire face twitched.

G was at his feet in a matter of seconds, and Giotto grabbed the nearest piece of rag he could find. G beat him to it, unbuttoning his cuffs before delicately putting force on friend's bloody nose. The domineering demeanor normally held by the tallest redhead disappeared, replaced with authority and tender care Giotto rarely saw. "Is the air in the room affecting your anemia?"

Cozart shook his head and Giotto smiled softly, hands massaging soft circles in the short redhead's back. "All this time I thought you were avoiding G. Why don't you take him home? I can handle Spade once he comes."

"You should really pay more attention to your health," G scolded weakly. He glared, but the feisty aggression was severely lacking. Without hesitation, the pair left Giotto at the end of the long table, alone and signing papers.

Nothing was heard over the scribbling of his pen. He must have continued this for thirty straight minutes while waiting for Monsieur Spade to appear. Grimace falling upon his lips, Giotto checked both his watch and the window where the snow was picking up. Certainly if Spade had gotten caught up under the weather, he would have called and rescheduled.

Suddenly the door knob turned, and Giotto cocked his head to the other side of the room, half expecting G. "Bonjour. Sorry I'm late."

Instead for the second time that night, he was met with an outrageously gorgeous man with a disturbingly familiar and tone. The blond stood from his seat, startled by midnight blue hair and ocean colored eyes. "Damon?"

It had to be Damon – they were clearly identical in every way possible, and Giotto would have bet money on it. However, this…this imposter's eyes fell into immediate confusion, expression contradicting the feline prowess and a cheerful smile spread across his face. "Almost. I am Daemon Spade. Sorry that I ran late – there were certain things needing my attendance before this meeting. I apologize for this ludicrous wait."

If Daemon was Damon, then he hid the accent well. Giotto returned behind business, eyes scrutinizing the man one last time before ducking his head. "No. Sit down and let's discuss your idea behind Vindice."

There wasn't a witty comment, or a plan behind handsome eyes. This Daemon Spade was nothing but a bore, if Giotto could say so himself. There was nothing entertaining about a man who didn't prove to be a challenge. Thinking back to Damon and Alexander, they carried a certain lure that excited is blood. Daemon was –

"Am I boring you?"

"Quite, honestly."

"Forgive me. Not very many CEOs are this young." Daemon's smile spread across his lips, apologetic and slightly amused. Apparently, the man was twenty-one, and originally created Vindice to tickle his interests in theatre arts and design. Although the ideas were interesting, Spade himself proved to be a joke. There wasn't an air about him that lifted Giotto from his daze other than his good looks. "Do you mind my asking?"

"Duh." Reminded that he was supposed to maintain authority and professionalism, Giotto ignored his own immaturity and resumed his work. Daemon had apparently finished talking.

"You have a divine silhouette, if your enormous ego doesn't attract people."

"How poetic." Not that it mattere—

"Nufufufu." No way. Giotto cocked his head and did a double check on the blunet sitting to his left. That laugh, that sexy laugh that drove Giotto mad. Daemon continued his work, unfazed, but all the thoughts now came to the blond's mind. "I don't know which ego is bigger, love: the one in your pants or the one in your head. You're a shallow little man with a poor sense of judgment who clearly needs to grow."

"You're…" Giotto's mind still wrapped around his newfound, incredibly creepy information, too busy to care that his pride had just been wounded. After all, it'd been wounded once before, again without him even realizing it.

"I'm…?" And there it was. The humble face sported by Cozart's brown-haired nuisance, now perfected, turned into the cunning foreplay Cozart both praised and scolded him for. "Would you like a baguette?"

"What do you take me for?" Stay calm. There was no need to put his personal feelings out on a plate, but Giotto found himself to be utterly outraged. "Alexander? Damon? Monsieur Spade, exactly what were you trying to draw out of me when you created this persona? Just who the hell are you?"

"I'm all of them." Well, duh.

There was no use. Attempting to wrap his mind around the thought that he was fooled a total of three times in less than two weeks by the same fucking person made him want to kill someone. In the face of Alexander, Giotto felt superior winning their battles of wit despite how ugly he thought the man. Damon…he was beautiful and unearthly, and his boldness sent chills through Giotto's spine. He was a mixture of Alexander's intellect and Spade's…Spade's looks.

Giotto never felt so humiliated. Someone outside of his friends, outside of his world saw his many shades, and the façade cracked long before he had the chance to try it out. "Cozart said you two parted ways today."

"Alexander and he parted ways today." Daemon's demeanor was no different. A sense of intimidation pulled at the hairs on Giotto's forearms, but he refused to acknowledge it. "I'm a man of theatre, love. The Arts – different personas and different characters make me who I am."

"And what did that make me? Your toy for the past two weeks?" Giotto seethed. This wasn't going as he planned.

"You know you're attracted to me."

No. No way. Getting involved with someone that was apparently screwed up in more ways than one wasn't what Giotto Vongola did. Giotto held himself unyielding, and a betrayal of character – a fucking twist in first impressions to the very last – went against his morals. A man harassing him like this needed to be in prison.

"What you've told me about Vongola has piqued my interest." Alexander…Damon…Daemon raised from his seat, intact despite the blond's sour gaze, and planted himself over Giotto's shoulder. "However, there were certain things about your contract and the tone of your voice that shows you know Vongola Inc. can be better."

"Oh?" Giotto wouldn't dare make a change in Celeste's plans – not when he was still young and learning. This was a business deal. He had to keep that in mind. "Vindice is raw. You have no foundation under it."

"Then you can help me."

"Help you?" Giotto arched an eyebrow, expression unmoved, but skin warming at the suggestion of Daemon fucking him senseless on the table.

"I am your client, after all. Clearly you're still new to the business, and you said yourself you were the youngest in your family. Not including he-who-shall-remain-nameless. Nufufu." Tsunayoshi. The blond's lips fell into a frown, and bitter hate hummed in his ears. "Let me be your advisor, Giotto. Vindice may be raw as you say, but I'm putting all of my money into it. I've studied business for years now and have more experience than you and G put together."

"I don't know the first thing about you. Absolutely not." Giotto flipped through pages, refusal final, but Daemon's offer was tempting.

"You will watch me the entire way. While you and Gaspare concern yourselves with college classes, I will report any fluctuation in the business." Wet lips touched his ears, and the blond felt pending euphoria. "You need me. You want me. Wasn't it only a few hours ago that you would fallen into my arms and make love with me?"

"Making love and fucking are two entirely different subjects." Giotto whirled around and almost hit his head on a perfectly sculpted jaw. It was the same one, he noted with agonizing anxiety, that was seen during every trick, every prank to poke at his weaknesses as a man. However, Daemon was right. One look into the eyes – eyes that definitely were not a different guise – and the attraction came seeping down Giotto's pants. However, even his heart was fluttering by the older, more mature gaze above him.

Daemon may have pulled him along, but he'd been right. Alexander had the intellect, Damon the looks, and Daemon the – the everything. Cozart sought a man who was impatient and tender, but to have someone so sly made Giotto's hormones go crazy. It was exhilarating. Could he honestly…fall in love with someone like him?

"If we do this – " No. Absolutely not. Never. " — you work for me. Anything you do, you do for me." Maybe. Totally.

"I have your trust?" Daemon smirked.

"No. You don't." Just his heart. Maybe. Almost totally. Giotto glared, nails digging into the arm rest as he stared deep into his new client's eyes. "If you...ever trick me the way you did – deceive me for your own personal gain ever again, I don't want a thing from you. Understood?"

"Yes. And darling?"

Giotto's skin tingled with delight. Darling? Lips slammed against his, and the blond never had the chance to reaffirm Daemon's supposed question. His teeth bruised from the force, now aching as they registered what was happening, but the blaze made his body forget how to function. The pressure alone made the tips of his fingers tingle, but nose-to-nose, hazy sweat against hazy sweat, made his entire body whine for more. Consent or not, he could feel the other nibbling at his bottom lip, simply massaging it for the taste.

His lips pulsed when Daemon pulled away, unaffected, and keenly grinned. Giotto instead was left stunned, and the lightheadedness almost made him faint.

"Shut up. You talk too much."

OoOoO

They'd been dating three months now. During those months, he got to know more about Daemon (the real person) and the pursuit proved to be overwhelming. Cozart was nothing like Daemon, who swept him off his feet in a different chapter of his life.

"Fuck." He was scared. Giotto hissed, elbow hitting the corner of his desk, and he cursed himself for being so clumsy. A long, illicit moan escaped his lips, and the buckle to his belt quickly disappeared. Daemon bucked his hips, clothed-appendage-against-clothed-appendage as he savored a kiss on the nape of his boyfriend's neck.

One by one, the buttons on Giotto's shirt were slowly disappearing, and his skin became exposed to the world. Their meeting was sudden – one moment, Daemon entered his office, and the next, Giotto jumped him. Daemon disappeared. A lot. To have his boyfriend to himself was a rare feat in that month, and each time the blond asked a question, the blunet found a way to distract him.

This, however, was not a way Giotto wanted to be distracted, even of the euphoria behind each touch made his head ready to explode. "Are you nervous, love?"

"I've…fuck," Giotto shut his eyes, crooning to the sweet pleasure spiking to his untouched crotch. Was this really right? He sucked in a breath, tingles rising as a hand squeezed his nipple under an untucked shirt, and he curled his fingers into his advisor's back. "I've only done this with one other person, and – not like this. Not at all."

Daemon wasn't Cozart. He wasn't the nature hippy that kissed squirrels, hugged dogs, flower pressed, and knew what to say to make him smile. Their first time together had merely been experimentation, and neither one knew what they were doing. It just felt good. Yet three years from then, fingers buried deep into a man that had far better experience than he, the blond wasn't sure where his sanity had hid.

It felt good. Fantastic, because it wasn't simply a best friend he was trying it with. "I love you," he murmured. "I love you, Daemon."

"Nufufu. I love you too, darling." It would be the first time they ever touched either so intimately, and there was a difference between fucking and making love. His entire body tingled at the thought, heart swelling into a feeling he'd never had before. "Do you trust me?"

Yes. Always. Totally. Giotto breathed in the intoxicating scent of his almost lover, and little-by-little, he could feel himself giving way to the man above him. Daemon dropped to the zipper of his pants, and he jerked, head spinning with overbearing bliss as the red of his bare chest raised, glowing at his jaw and tingling at his cheeks. Raising the blunet's head, he pressed a kiss to his lips and moaned as Daemon thrust against him. "Yes – oh…"

chapter twenty-four has bonsai trees and delirium.

His twentieth birthday should have been the turning point for his college years. No longer was Giotto a measly nimble teenager, but half an adult with a coy grin that easily struck down anyone in his past. The plans worked, Vendice would soon have a name for itself, and love was in the air.

Cozart had cancer. G married the girl of his dreams, but with the news of their best friend being deathly sick, Giotto didn't know if Bianchi and he were currently in touch, and school was becoming more of an annoyance than a true hassle. The last he heard from Roberto Shimon, he and his wife had visited several doctors and had conceived the 'perfect baby.' Cozart being Cozart, took the news with a tiny smile and a heavy weight on his shoulders. Roberto was a stubborn man very few people understood, and Giotto attempted many times to talk them out of having a second child. Roberto and his wife ignored the suggestion, and the look was clear in his eyes: it wasn't any of Giotto's business.

No one wanted to talk about it. They were three months into Cozart's cancer treatment, and very few things kept Giotto's mind on anything other than his best friend. This wasn't fair – this wasn't right.

"What are you doing?" And it was something Daemon normally took his mind off of. Giotto's body tingled with the afterglow of sex, sweat drenching his hair as it ran down the side of his cheek, and the feeling of ecstasy made him question if it would ever vanish. Red spread across his cheeks, and he consciously watched his lover slide to the end of his bed, welts visible under the moonlight. Small, swollen crescents decorated the other man's shoulder blades, and whenever given the chance, the blond would watch them.

Muscles he didn't know the names for bulged and twisted when Daemon raised his arms. Never did he wince, and it seemed the little, troublesome blemishes caused by the blond were no problem at all.

It was a problem when Daemon grabbed his shirt, his underwear, and any other article of clothing shed when they smashed everything within the apartment – sliding over couches, knocking over lamps in attempt to stumble through the bedroom door – when they were barely done. Any sign of weariness Giotto once had disappeared into worry as Daemon pulled out a manila folder clearly marked, SHIMON.

"Where are you going?" Giotto's voice dropped to a soft whisper, and he crawled to the end of the bed. While Daemon proved to be an amazing advisor, he was also gone months at a time for some other job. The blond realized this immediately, and although stressful, their relationship hadn't tarnished. The days his lover returned made everything else seem unimportant, and the cycle was always the same: kiss, say 'I love you', foreplay, more kissing, sexual frisking, tongue-fucking, sex where the words, 'I,' 'love,' and 'you' were common mantras, and cuddling.

"I'm leaving you, love." What?

"You're going back to Japan for some business?"

"No. Fufufu." A grin spread across the lips of one Daemon Spade, and he stood before his pants. "Your stupidity was one of your cute qualities. Have you checked your desk for files over Shimon recently?"

"Why?" The atmosphere was quickly taking a turn for the worse. That very grin was a reminder of all that frustrated Giotto when they first met – puzzling, but knowing his every move before the idea could cross his mind.

"Every file, every little piece of data about Shimon, I now own. Two years taken, but I'm finally done. France is such a dreadful place. Oui, oui?"

"Those files we shared so we could create a better partnership with Shimon. It's between Cozart and me." His heart raced, rapture diminishing as he stood to his feet. "Daemon. Put those files down. They're not yours."

"They're not yours, they're not mine~ They're the company I sold them to." The blunet flashed a grin, and the full moon glimmered high in his orbs, inhuman. "Do you know how annoying you are, love? Pleasing you? Falling in love with you? Granted it's my best theatre production up to date – to believe a bloke like me would fall for you."

Annoying? Falling in love? Giotto's body trembled, rage poisoning his mind as every fucking thought filled his mind. "I was your fucking project again, wasn't I?"

"No. Cozart Shimon was my project, and getting all the benefits to bringing Shimon down. You and your irritating smile, and your god-awful ego thinking you're higher than everyone. Nufufufu~"A grin spread across the lips of…Giotto didn't even know what to call him anymore. "You…in my bed. God, knowing so much about you – do you know how much you're worth, love? You've just bought me dinner for the next three years once your competitors get a hold of you."

"If you give that information about me, none of my competitors will take me seriously." Giotto's eyes narrowed. "I'll be the laughing stock of the business world."

"You know what the best part of all of this is?" Daemon arched an eyebrow, head raised high. "I don't have to care anymore. Goodbye, love."

A kiss to the lips never felt so wrong. Poison to his mouth, Giotto's body immediately swelled to the thought of making love – no, not making love. They never hadlove, this wasn't…this… – and he choked, brain shutting down and screaming like a horror movie. He shoved the…the Neanderthal, the creep, the…the…he didn't have a word for it.

Giotto shoved him away, lust overpowered by anger, with any small canal of hope that their relationship would reappear unscathed having drowned in a sea of anger and disgust. Things were only made worse when the much taller, much sleeker man stayed on his feet, expression sly without one hair out of place. "Give – "

And what was he supposed to say? Not a word left his mouth after his sudden outburst, and he couldn't tell himself to act rational. Fuck, he wanted to beat the daylights out of the man whom for years irritated him. What was he to do, especially since the man that he just shoved simply laughed?

"Cute. Bye, love." Daemon inched further to the door and –

"I expect to see you back if you go through that door – I'm tired of your little pranks."

"Do you think everyone out there is here to please you? Bloody hell, man! You're annoying – irritating! You only have two categories in that little head of yours: the people whom you hate and those that serve you. I don't serve you." The Brit raised an eyebrow, eyes narrowing with much arrogance – no. Condescendence and an air of superiority meant specifically for Giotto himself. "You served me – gave me all the information I needed in one head and kept the other warm and tight and cozy –"

"Daemon!"

The door slammed shut, impact sticking to Giotto's skin like the disgusting cold sweat in he what he was currently lathered. His fingers tightened through the sheets, heart beating intensely and aching. Everything felt numb – so numb, so isolated with the anger fueling under a golden blond scalp.

A creak could be heard – low and irritating as it peeled open, but he had no doubt. On the other side was a dark emptiness – a cavern shared intimately in his heart, and he forgot the name of the beautiful emotion that used to make it glow.

OoOoO

Just because Giotto wasn't well-known for his temper tantrums didn't mean he outgrew them. For years he solidified the apathy Celeste often kept as the crowning asset to her demeanor – the appeal that made men roll over and women blush. Dino took the cuteness, but Giotto was certain he won many over with an air of calm, serenity, and a lot of sexual pheromones.

That was what he grew up with – but he hated reliving an emotion convinced he'd outgrown. Giotto promised himself not to let his anger get the better of him – not since the knife incident with Tsunayoshi. Quite frankly he was scared of his emotions when rationality seemed a far off dream, and with the last bit he managed to scrounge, Giotto rushed through hospital doors far past visiting hours once decent and went to a room he knew by heart –

Before stopping.

"You really didn't have to." Cozart.

"I wanted to. You like trees, don't you? Obviously you can't grow one in here – so I bought you a bonsai tree." G. "It's… fuck, it's not the biggest thing in the world, but it's not like you have to water it or anything."

"The gesture is sweet…will you stop looking at me like that? Please?"

"Like what?"

"Like I'll break at any second. Like if you touch me or yell at me or even look at me, I'm going to die."

"You're not going to die."

"G – "

"You're not going to die, you little asshat. We've got too much shit to do, and during that shit, I need some little pest of a ladybug on my shoulder to make me sound stupid, got it?"

"I – G – "

"And so what? So what if I can't touch you, because each time I do, I remember how small you've gotten, or how much weight you've lost, or the fact that I can't yell at you – fuck, I'm yelling at you now, so let's skip that one – but so what if I can't look at you? So what if I look at you, and I think – I think…fuck, forget that one, too."

"G…" A silence hung dead in the air. "How's Bianchi doing?"

"Who…what?"

Giotto swung the door open, blood having gone numb, and he couldn't recall the expression running across his face. Something about anger – something about hurt, but the moment he set eyes on G leaning precariously over Cozart's hospital bed, the redhead leaped away, eyes doubling and ready for the blond's latest neurotic comment, but it never came.

"What's wrong?" Cozart, the calmer of the two, readjusted himself on top of the small bed, eyes falling to Giotto's form with confusion. The blond didn't miss G's sudden interest in stuffing pillows, but clearly neither redhead found that fact out of the norm.

"Daemon's gone." Silence. Giotto's head ached with a horrid dissonance that would cause a musician to faint. Part of his brain failed to operate, mouth deserted of words as G took pity on the poor blond and set him in a chair like the bonsai tree and although endearing, the touch wasn't what he needed. Giotto's arm twitched slightly and he fidgeted, head bowing in shame. "I need a moment alone with Cozart."

G was defiant. A certain leer appeared in his eyes, one Giotto knew absolutely well when the redhead insisted pressing on the blond's peculiar habits and often he shrugged them off. G opened his mouth to speak before quickly being cut off by Cozart, who gestured toward the door.

"Please?"

It was like watching a small lamb fending against a wile coyote. Assertion turned into hesitation, and as the gruesome look spread across the smaller, more petite redhead's face, G surrendered and ducked into the doorframe. "I'll be back."

"G—"

"What?"

"About that tree…" Cozart smiled softly. "Thank you."

Giotto watched between the pair as a lingering gaze overtook the room and its previous inhabitants. He waited patiently, eyes darting between the pair obviously lost in their own little world before G softly nodded like the brute he was known as and left the room. He cleared his throat, tearing Cozart out of his apparent daze before clutching the ends of Cozart's handmade blanket; undoubtedly one of G's many gifts.

"Sorry," murmured the redhead. He swung his legs over the side of the mattress, back cracking in a symphony of sounds like he'd just woken from the dead. "G hasn't left my side in hours. He scared the nurses off…but he'd kill me if he found out I was moving. I think he thinks I'm paralyzed from the neck down."

It was a more than visible contrast in the auras between Giotto's most valued friends. For years, G had been gruff and aggressive, which only worsened when news of the divorce and separation came years back when they were barely budding the age of eight, followed by the announcement of that woman's pregnancy. A desire to protect the blond was easily read in G's actions, but his methods could often be seen as absurd. Cozart…Cozart was sweet; gentle as nature, and always held a smile on his face even through adversity.

He adopted Cozart under his wing the first day of school, fascinated by his love of nature and the way his eyes would somberly flicker when he thought no one was looking. He held a certain magic that enticed all who came, and even the new baby, who was expected next month, Giotto already knew Cozart would instantly love.

Cozart's light heart contradicted G's intense passion, but it was a mix all too delectable. When Giotto didn't retort to Cozart's little joke, the frailer man brushed hair out of the blond's face. Giotto twitched, eyes focusing onto the man with an endearing gaze and twisted his hands on his pants.

"What happened?"

"Everything." Cozart knew better than to respond when Giotto began to exaggerate and become vague. "From the start…he'd been using me and today, he told me: I'm annoying, and I was just his little fucking servant boy."

"Giotto—"

"He stole all my information, Cozart." Sun-kissed flesh turned a horrid white, and Giotto ducked his head, nails digging into his skin. Anger flared through his mind, returning before witnessing the scene with the frail little tree that seemed perfect for his best friend. He hung his head in shame, chest pounding and epidermis broken. "All of it. He's planning to use the information we had on Roberto and bring down Shimon. I'm sorry, Cozart – so, so sorry."

"Giotto." The redhead's voice quieted softly and Giotto dared not to look him in the eye. "…it's fine. It's…more than fine."

It would be years until Giotto realized why his best friend was not going to throw him out the window and separate all links between them. Giotto looked up, honey eyes stunned as his best friend managed to render him speechless for the umpteenth time in their lifetime together, and he could feel the anger escalating. "Your family is going to go into debt, Cozart. Your father isn't exactly known for playing it safe – and there are a ton of hospital bills between you and the new baby. Cozart – you have cancer, and if you died, it'd—it'd—" O-Oh…god…

"Hey." The other adult, much smaller in his stature, soothingly brushed the edge of his best friend's shoulder and leaned close, small smile on his face. A long line of bruises revealed themselves on the side of his thin arm as he traced the seam of Giotto's suit, and he coiled his fingers under Giotto before more damage could be done to his own flesh. The sadness appeared in his eyes, much like it did ceremoniously early in the year, and a tiny smile stretched the adult's lips. "I hate it when I'm the only one who isn't caring for tomorrow."

"I…" He'd crossed the line. The blond knew this little fact the moment he left his mouth, but it hadn't registered how harsh it sounded on his tongue. Shutting his eyes in horror, Giotto let out a trembling gasp, and he couldn't believe it. He was such a jerk. "It's…been a crazy year. I'm sorry."

"G's the same way. It's fine."

"It doesn't make it fine, no matter what you say," Giotto snapped sharply. The fiery allure reappeared in his eyes, pandemonium building in his chest before he recoiled from a cautious Cozart. G—rambunctious G, who snapped more than a turtle – was the kind of aggression Cozart was used to. Giotto loved provoking the eldest of their trio, and deep down under Cozart's sweet interior, the feeling was most likely mutual. However, it was that same "feeling" that immediately caused the blond's blood pressure to rise and simmer. "Do you think G or I would be the men we are without you, Shimon?"

"Well—"

"It's you that kept us grounded. You played peacemaker—made me think in the view of an older brother so that maybe, maybe one day I could go up to Tsunayoshi and see him again, and G? He has never been so trusting of someone like you. You caused our little world to grow, and we spent the best years of our life—college and high school—together where we had each other's backs. We were co-best men at G's wedding, and we graduated school together. We're going to graduate college together, you're going to inherit the business, and some day, if I get over that bitchy irritation over annoying little kids, we're going to adopt, and maybe in twenty years if neither of us have someone, get married.

"But to get over that, we have to cross this bridge, and…worrying about your bloody noses, or bruises, or vomiting…we're scared, Cozart. We could have all of these fantastic memories, or…we could lose you." Giotto's eyebrows furrowed. "I wouldn't be myself anymore. Neither would G."

"…I'm not going to die," Cozart said with a lingering, unreadable emotion. "Twenty years from now, we're still going to be together, laughing and joking around and making fun of G whenever he does something stupid. You and I…we're going to play with his little princess, and his sport, remember?" No answer. The redhead slid out of bed, knees touching the ones in front of him, and he cupped the blond's face gently. "We're going to be together for a long time. I'm not going anywhere."

"Cozart," the blond murmured softly. He shut his eyes, hair meshing at odd points as he shook his head and a somewhat serene smile overshadowed his features. "I love you."

"Love you too." Cozart set his hands on the indent of his best friend's neck, and he pressed their foreheads together. "But it's not the love that I can give you. Daemon…Daemon was your first—"

"No." Giotto's eyes narrowed frightfully, rage consuming the empty crevasse in his chest, and he stood up looking almost ten times his size. "I let my guard down when it came to him – I let him in, and because of that, Vongola Inc. suffers mistakes. I'll have to backtrack, recreate the business and—"

"Business?"

"Yes, business—"

"Giotto," Cozart stopped him with the ferocity of a lion, hand catching Giotto's wrist before the blond could strike. Cozart evidently thought he already had, eyebrows furrowing in concern but eyes reading Giotto as if he'd gone mad. "Giotto, what about your heart?"

Heart? "What does that have to do with anything?"

Perturbed, the other adult pressed harder for his answer, shocked as if he'd seen a ghost. "You and Daemon have been together for two years. You've always delved yourself into work when he was taking his trips and—not once, never have you accused him of being unfaithful. I…Your relationship, I've always respected the way you were in love. I've wanted that feeling."

Cozart respected him for being a fool in love? He respected the way Giotto would gaze at Daemon even though he was a manipulative bastard that always lied? The way Giotto's knees would foolishly turn to jelly whenever Daemon ran his fingers on the sensitive spot under Giotto's—

"My brother entrusted me with Vongola," The curve in his finger nails dug into the palms of his hands, and like a VCR set on rewind, all the emotions and adrenaline rushed through the half-Italian once again, nerves unsettled and goose bumps diving at the brim of his skin with much distaste. "And my mother trusted his judgment. Love isn't something I can afford running this business, Cozart. To have such a…a miniscule feeling mess with my hormones is a mockery of my character."

"Two years ago it wasn't a mockery over your character." Well, who was the one overreacting now? Cozart's eyes fell, reluctance and disapproval fluttering in maroon orbs as a frown contorted his lips, worry very much present. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine." A rush fled his mind, anger replaced by a child's curiosity as he looked to his best friend with a certain oddity not even he could place. What was he going to say, he was absolutely furious with Daemon for hurting his feelings? He was angered by the fact Daemon manipulated him? Yes. But originally, Daemon had been a business deal – he'd been an advisor that gathered outside information for him, and…and they made a promise. And it wasn't a promise it was….a contract. A business deal.

If you...ever trick me the way you did – deceive me for your own personal gain ever again, I don't want a thing from you. Understood?

A verbal agreement without any rules except for one: Daemon was to leave him alone, to never again come in contact with the shorter man if Giotto became his little joke once more. That part of his life was no longer an impression on his character, and like most business deals, Giotto could leave things be.

"I'm fine," Giotto repeated, short of breath. His brow twitched, an annoying buzzing clouding his ear drums as he looked to Cozart, who, still unconvinced, touched a hand to his forehead. His chest clenched painfully, but the reason abandoned the blond's psyche. It didn't hurt. Honest. "I'm fine."

"…you're alright with Shimon." Though painful, the redhead changed the subject, fingers wrapping around the frame of Giotto's delicate face. Maroon eyes shone with mild hesitation, but Cozart was undeterred. "It…it works."

"But when you inherit the company—"

"I won't be inheriting the company." What? Cozart shut his eyes, softly scooting away, and a look struggled to conjure across his face. Shame gleamed in the other man's eyes, and he held onto Giotto's hand tightly, fear dancing across his features. "I've…never planned on inheriting the company."

"What do you mean?"

Silence. Giotto watched his best friend become lost in his thoughts, invisible to the world around him, and noted a hat was no longer pressing onto unruly red hair. Cozart wasn't as bad as other patients—far from it, actually, but the fact he hadn't been eating as healthily as he should gleamed in the dainty hospital gown draped over his body. Delicate, dainty painter hands were now bony and gaunt, and his cheekbones shined in broad daylight. Though, even under intensive care and cautious watch, Cozart still looked as beautiful as the day Giotto met him.

So beautiful, so sweet. The same man Giotto first thought was making out with a squirrel. Little smile etching from cheek-to-cheek, Giotto kissed his best friend on the nose and weakly smiled. "So. You and G?"

Surprised, Cozart looked up, hands pressing against his captor's. The blond's smile widened softly, and with relief, the message came across clearly: tell me when you're ready.

"What about G?" Red sprinkled across the scrawny man's cheeks, lips curtsying and eyes twinkling bashfully.

The door burst open, followed by what appeared to be a giant fish tank, a lamp, and two long legs. "Alright, I don't know if pets are allowed, but I knew that bonsai tree was gonna get lonely, and I know you like turtles, so I bought you a turtle from the pet store, and apparently he was really close to this other turtle, so I bought that one too, and—"

Looking over to Cozart, the smaller man opened his mouth to speak, but apparently had nothing to say.

G's eyebrows furrowed, immediately concerned. "What? Did someone die?"

"This is what you get for falling in love with a married man," Giotto murmured softly, grin spreading across his lips. He burst into quiet laughter as Cozart turned three or four shades of red his tallest best friend was ignorant to.

"We're not…I mean—"

"They're red-eared slider turtles." G stumbled into the small hospital room, kicking the door closed behind him before setting the tank delicately near the window. One large box rested in the middle of a near-aquatic tank, and he smiled kindly to the pair near the bed. "Both boys. What do you wanna name 'em?"

Red-eared turtles. Red-headed best friends. "I'm a little offended you didn't find a yellow turtle."

"Well, you can suck one." G rolled his eyes, but they both knew it didn't mean a thing. In a sideways glance, concern was visible in his orbs, and the immediate desire to protect him. Funny. Giotto hadn't seen a look like that meant for him since Cozart's condition worsened.

Is everything alright?

Yeah. Everything was fine. Totally. Extremely.

"Oh, looks like they're wrestling." G blinked, raising the box for all to see. "The one on top is really aggressive."

"The one on bottom's pretty small." Cozart smiled dearly, sliding slowly out of bed, and stood at the tip of his toes near the other redhead. "His shell looks like a hat."

"Uh." Giotto arched an eyebrow. "I don't think they're wrestling."

"What the—Giotto!" Followed by a ridiculous scream that the half-Italian apparently turned two gifts from Mother Nature gay, Giotto and G were immediately kicked out of the hospital for the rest of the night. Apparently they had been too loud.

OoOoO

Mariana-Emilia Gabriella Shimon.

Two months had passed since Shimon's fortune plummeted, barely hanging by a string and what trust fund was left behind to an angered Roberto Shimon. In two months, Lucia Shimon had given birth to a beautiful baby girl, who, like many other families, was intended to be taken care of by a nanny. That woman being Giotto's nanny at such a young age simply made him distrust their kind altogether, and in spite for the Shimon parents, he hoped the new nanny would rip the pair apart.

Unfortunately piling on hospital bills for Cozart's treatments, and making sure Mariana-Emilia was in perfect shape, a nanny was out of the question. The Shimon Family was now poor, without a dime to their name, and sinking into the shadows, Giotto made it his responsibility to take care of Cozart's bills. Roberto wouldn't let him, but—

"We're out of diapers."

"Then go buy some more," Giotto murmured softly. Looking up, the twenty-year-old CEO faced the irritating sight of a one-and-a-half month-old child being rocked back and forth in the arms of his masochist of a best friend. A small smile tugged on his lips, and he watched G, whose eyes had more rings than century-old trees, pace back and forth in Giotto's loft on the other side of his office. "I hate children."

"I kind of got that feeling when you stuffed her in the aquarium with the turtles," G narrowed his eyes, brow stressfully arched under his hairline. "Why don't you like her?"

"I'd like her more if she wasn't dressed like a sparkly, sequined rainbow." Then again, only one of them was gay, and his straight sidekick simply didn't know how to match colors. Sighing, Giotto peeled away from the wooden desk and stood before his best friend, arms extended. G recoiled, jumping maybe two feet back with a cautious look on his face. Giotto blinked. "Excuse you?"

"What makes you think I would leave you with a baby that you stuffed in an aquarium, Giotto? Cozart doesn't want a hair on her out of place!" G held Mariana-Emilia closer, arms tucking the small baby as if she was a delicate instrument, and it summoned a giggle or two from her lips.

Giotto sighed, warily looking at THE DEVIL before tucking his hands in his pockets. Mariana-Emilia had soft patches of curly red hair, hidden under a cute hat with a bow on it. Just like her brother—except, you know. Without the bow. Bright, rosy colored eyes signature to the Shimon Family shimmered, but immediately her lips quivered into a fat pout, and the obnoxious stench of poop permeated through his office.

"Oh, God." G crooned, eyes rolling to the back of his head as Mariana-Emilia began to whimper and sob for her mother—or in this case, G, who'd been taking care of her since the week after birth. Giotto's lips twitched with a small smile, and he took the baby off his best friend's hand without a second thought.

Just because he took the baby away didn't mean he knew how to hold one. Quickly, G appeared at his side, arms wrapping around the shorter adult's frame to create a comfortable position for the baby. Giotto crinkled his nose. "She stinks worse than Cozart's turtles."

"Watch it," G glared and leaned closer to the blond, torsos touching. Giotto twitched and shifted to the right.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting your wallet like I always do." Blindly, G dug through his best friend's back pocket and revealed the small wallet Giotto carried around with him. "One of us doesn't want the office to smell like baby shit. Though I'm surprised. Don't you carry a checkbook nowadays?"

"I've also got a partner who does all the shopping for me," Giotto murmured airily. He shifted uncomfortably, sweat collecting at his palms as G pressed up against him, and faintly did he become aware of the redhead's breath tickling his ear. It felt…bad. Really bad. He noticed his hand shaking before G did and quickly passed Mariana-Emilia over to the taller adult, sweat moistening his hairline.

And like always, G's sixth sense immediately noticed something off kilter. "What? No crack about me being unfaithful to my wife?"

"Freebie." Giotto smiled weakly and returned to his desk. Just…what was that? He didn't normally freak out when G was so close. Granted, they spent more time visiting Cozart, their intimacy having faded for a while, but… He shoved the thought aside. "How are Bianchi and Hayato, anyway?"

The redhead's expression turned grim, mildly uncomfortable and slightly disconcerted. "You know Hayato: always complaining about his sister. Hates it when I gotta leave, come back to France, and not get a word for two or three months."

"You could always suggest they move up here." Looking through his papers once more, Giotto rummaged through his desk for a pen, and the answer was already clear.

"I can't do that." G's voice was soft, and he chuckled gently, rocking the stinky baby back and forth in his arms. "They've got a life in Namimori. The kid's got an entire life, and his sister had to build it for him since he was so shy. Relocating them to France would make them both miserable."

"I know." He set the pen down slowly, fiery orbs returning to the small baby nestled tightly in his best friend's arms, and couldn't help but smile. G would be twenty-two soon, and with Mariana-Emilia in his arms, he already looked like a new parent. "G?"

"Yup?" G juggled the baby bag on one shoulder and offered a tiny, My First Dolly to Mariana-Emilia.

"When Cozart's cured of his cancer…when all of this is all over, let's move to Namimori." Dropping his things, the blond watched surprise appear on his best friend's face. He smiled slightly and rested his head on his hand. "We've been best friends since childhood, and I don't want to keep you from your family. We can move when we're sure Cozart's healthy."

"I…If you're…" G blinked, and an unreadable expression surfaced across his features. "If you're…sure…"

"I don't want you separated from your family as long as you have been." Giotto shrugged, delicate smile spread across his lips.

"Giotto, making me your business partner two years ago was one thing." The redhead firmly shook his head, and the epitomic reluctance demanded his features. "I can't ask you or…or Cozart to move to Namimori with me. You'd be abandoning your life in France."

"But if I don't," Giotto said steadily, "I'd be abandoning life with my best friend. My brother."

Silence. He knew he'd rendered the redhead speechless, but what else was there to say? Giotto and G spent most of their lives together, even as far as thinking like one another. A life without G was easily a life without air, and with the possibility of losing one friend, he definitely wasn't going to lose contact with the other.

"We can discuss this later," Giotto promised. He smiled softly and gestured toward the door. "Now get out. You're stinking up my office."

"…you're too good to me." The redhead sighed in defeat and nodded with approval. Finally, he disappeared and nothing else could be heard.

"No," Giotto said with a bit of relief to no one in particular. "You're too good to me."

He delved into work, knowing only in a few hours he would have to go to Cozart and see how he was doing. Mariana-Emilia may have been a new blessing to the world, but to the Shimon Family, she was also a huge burden. Cozart was all too accepting of the new baby—which really, really got on Giotto's nerves. But that was the difference between him and his best friends.

It was harder for Giotto to let go of grudges, no matter the gentlemanly front he pulled for his colleagues and clients. It was a Herculean task to casually smile, fanciful charm, and only became harder since…since that. Ever since Daemon, he couldn't look any of his clients in the eye, anger boiling in his stomach. G had to take over, and often it ended with Giotto getting into a car and checking up on Cozart.

Daemon pissed him off—getting all the riches of Shimon, getting all the riches for Vendice, and—it wasn't right. It just wasn't fucking right.

"Nufufufufu~"

Giotto's breath hitched. He dropped the pen between his fingers, laugh sleeking through his ears and nearly sending his body into cardiac arrest. No…that wasn't… He turned around, distraught, and immediately relief fluttered through his features. No one was there. Daemon was nowhere to be seen, and for the past two months, not a trace was left behind of the man he once…

His ears blazed a horrid red, and the blond pushed the thought aside. No. The stress of work was just getting to him—and Daemon was known for his sneaky entrances. Having Spade creep into his house or office was nothing new—just a feeling that'd be felt, then put back in storage. For his body to react…no. Yes. It didn't matter.

He resumed his work, not intimidated by his own mass thoughts, and looked through files Doctor Ootori demanded of him.

But it was like earlier—how G's body was pressed to his, firm and stocky compared to Giotto's own dainty figure, and the breath in his ear. Giotto rubbed his eyes, quick to force his weariness to disappear; to forget about the way his best friend's arms wrapped around his waist delicately and intimately, like they always did, to get his wallet out of his back pocket.

Not…not like how Spade would force him close, cup his ass and grind against him into the table.

The buzzing returned in the blond's line of sound, and the slippery, salacious tongue nibbled on the shell of his ear. Giotto suppressed a moan—a whimper, even—as teeth bit into the rough skin, and he remembered the way lips would kiss him at his neckline, right behind his left ear, and the way it made him reach euphoria.

"Do you like that?"

"O…Oh, yes. Keep going—yes…"

Giotto spun out of his chair, body spiking forty degrees from panic and filth, and that voice—those moans; horrible, horrible moans that filled his mind. He clutched his ear, face flushed at the memory, and saliva fresh on his skin.

No one was there.

The sensation, those months and years put forth in that relationship, Daemon knew every one of his sensitive spots—how to make him moan, cry, mewl, groan, croon, hum, sing—and even silent cries of pleasure, back against walls, chairs, bed frames, with him arching in pleasure and cumming all over himself. Even intimately by just his best friends…it felt wrong. So, so, wrong.

And he was shaking again. Damn it. Giotto pushed the thought out of his mind, headache producing, and buried his body into the case of his seat. No one was there. There was no reason to panic.

"Do you like this?" There was…he didn't need to…

A head rested unto the crook of his neck, large hands rubbing smooth circles in his back, and midnight blue hair tickling his nose. It'd been a stressful evening after exams, and although Giotto wanted nothing more than to curl into his boyfriend's arms, he couldn't. Vongola came first—he promised himself that.

But…with Daemon…massaging him; coaxing him, moaning into his ear, he w-wasn't sure…

Each button of his suit had popped off quicker than the last. One hand rested at the juncture between Giotto's hipbone and leg, fingers prodding his thigh while the other fingered his naval. Giotto remembered twitching. He remembered bucking his hips, loud moan echoing into the silence of Vongola Inc., and he remembered Daemon biting into his neck, leaving a solid hickey on his neck.

He remembered it. He could feel Daemon breathing on his neck, and he could feel the hands digging into his scrotum.

"Da…Daemon, I've got work—unnh."

"Beg for it. Beg me to fuck you."

"Fucking—Daemon, I need to—oh…"

"Beg."

"I…ohh, yes—fuck me. Please, please, fuck me—"

Giotto turned the radio on. Politics immediately boomed through the stereo surround sound, and he turned it up so loud the windows began vibrating from the pressure. Anything. Anything to forget what had happened, the way that…Daemon got to him, and the way he'd foolishly put his emotions on a platter to be devoured.

Stress. Stress was getting to him, and… "I need a break. Y-Yeah. Just…gotta get off work, go see Cozart...make fun of G a little—shit."

And he dropped his pencil. Dropping pencils was normal, but so…so stupid. But, Giotto lamented as he dropped to his knees to search for the stupid mechanical thing, he'd done stupider things. He let one of his first clients in as more than just a business partner, and it ended in…crap.

"You're Giotto Vongola," mumbled the blond to himself. "You…can't afford to make mist—"

Fingers. He could feel the fingers digging into his rectum, and the heavy moans that followed in sex-filled nights. His moans. Giotto froze, hands digging into carpet—digging into soft creamy flesh, creating little welts; little crescents into his…his lover as sweet Daemon pushed his lube-lathered finger into his anus, poking and prodding into flesh before adding another, and then another when Giotto was on his hands and knees, cock untouched.

"Oh…God, yes. Yes, yes, yes—"

Daemon wasn't there. Giotto whirled around, body aching in alarm, but no matter how much a creep his once lover was, he hadn't shown up since they departed. No. Giotto looked around, knuckles pasty white, but Daemon wasn't there. They hadn't seen each other in two months, and…Daemon wasn't always Daemon.

Sometimes Daemon was Alexander, or…or Damon Sparks, and…was Daemon even who he really was? Or was it just another guise; another way to get close to Giotto and tickle his every trait?

"You know what the best part of all of this is?"Daemon's laugh; his stupid, sickening laugh. "I don't have to care anymore."

He was above this. Daemon…Alexander—Damon. They weren't part of his life anymore, they weren't—

A breathy moan filled his ears, followed by a misty hand that consumed his cock. Something thrust into him; a cock so deep and enticing that it fit him almost perfectly, and—who was it? Who was there? No one; that was who.

"I'm fine," Giotto grumbled. He shook his head, rationality fleeting by the second as he repeated to himself: "I'm fine."

Daemon didn't really love him. Daemon wasn't…he knew everything Giotto loved, and never had they ever gotten into an argument. They shared the same favorite things—loved the same foods, clothes, and helped each other in business. But…Daemon loved theatre—he loved the arts. And if 'Daemon' didn't, he was just…good at it. And their verbal agreement—their fucking business deal—

A moan filled his ears; scandalous and lustful. "I love you. Oh, G-God—Daemon, I love you, I love you, I love you—ah—"

"I don't have to care anymore."

He wasn't fine.

OoOoO

How many days had it been?

Twenty-three-year-old Dino looked to his side at the other occupant in his bed, who remained curled into a ball, shallow breaths escaping his lips as he attempted to sleep. Dino coaxed his little brother, running his hand through tangled, normally gaudy hair, and joked a little to himself. He hadn't played with Giotto's wispy hairs since they were little kids. He hadn't held his brother tightly, or hugged him in years, and certainly in the years that passed, Giotto hadn't crawled into his bed, mumbling for Dino to, 'Shut up and hold [him].'

The color was slowly returning to his little brother's face, unlike three days ago where the younger blond couldn't comprehend a word. After hearing how his little brother was acting, he'd taken the first flight he could, disbelieving at first to G's word, but there it was—Ieyatsu Giotto Vongola lost and hating the world.

Well, Dino thought with a humble smile. Giotto held a lot of hate in his teenage years when their father ran off with the nanny and gave birth to cute little Tsunayoshi. Only in recent years had the little guy channel most of his emotions into business, which…seemed to make him happier.

A vehement sigh escaped Giotto's lips, and Dino took it as his cue to leave the room. Thoughts fluttered through his mind, and he quickly dialed G's number, smile spread across his lips.

"You're still here."

Oh. "Monsieur Alaude; I thought you wouldn't be back from your patrol until—oooh, that's what time it is." Dino looked down, eyes taking in the broad sight of snowy white hair and the icy blue eyes that leered at him. "Hehe. You know, you and I should catch up."

Deary, that look was chilling. Alaude raised his head, eyes vehemently narrowing to the blond standing parallel of him in the small apartment shared by Giotto and he, and stared at Dino, gaze unwavering. "We met once when you visited the boss, and now he and I share an apartment together. Now we're caught up. Move out of my way, insect."

"Aw, you're too serious." Dino smiled pityingly and pressed a hand to the other man's shoulder, but quickly Alaude pulled it away. "How about you and I go get some coffee?"

"Think of your brother first."

"Oh, always." He perched himself onto the kitchen counter, eyes widening at the ridiculous notion that he thought otherwise. "But he does like bagels. And I know you're a sucker for thin mints…so…coffee."

Which was where he was rewarded with a punch in the gut.

"Oof!"

"Hardly. Take care of your brother—and if he's dead when I get back, I will kill you." Reaching over the gargantuan blond, Alaude pulled out what appeared to be a pair of handcuffs. In the blink of an eye, Dino flinched, and he was pinned against the wall, gun to his throat and eyes widening. "And if you so much break anything, I'll cut you until you're dead."

"Ooh. Duly noted." Dino smiled nervously—how was a man three inches shorter than him able to lift him off the ground? "Um, so why do you call my brother 'Boss'?"

Amused, Alaude arched an eyebrow. "How do you know I like thin mints?"

Hm? "Because…uh." Brown eyes looked to the ceiling fan located above the living room before moving into slightly bemused, partially irritated blue eyes. "They just…scream you? When you eat something coated in chocolate, you don't know what's on the inside, and…minty. Every time I see you, you're just…refreshing, compared to what I'm used to. You're kinda minty."

Silence. The expression across his brother's roommate's face was unreadable, and slowly did he release the older adult to the ground. "I like Caramel Macchiato."

Uh… "Bwuh?"

"My shift ends at eleven. Make sure it's still warm by then, understood?"

Huh? Oh. Oh. "Okay," Dino smiled, chest tingling at the way Monsieur Alaude looked at him. Pink dusted across the Frenchman's pale ears, and it simply made the blond' smile widen. "I'll be waiting."

The door shut with a slam, followed by abrupt footsteps down the hall. Dino waited, lightheaded and a little giddy before climbing the counter and grabbing cereal. Giotto liked Captain Crunch. He poured it slowly into a bowl, humming to the song, 'My Girl' before pushing the door open to his brother's room.

Giotto was wide awake. Blinds were open, the TV was on, drowned out by the radio, and even the bathroom door had a crack for access. However, the blond sitting on the bed, hands on his knees, saw none of it. 'My Girl' was quickly postponed, and Dino watched silently at the door.

His color looked better. Giotto was eating, thanks to Cozart and G, who wholeheartedly tried to keep their best friend's emotions in check. Even Alaude, who Dino learned often secluded himself to his own room, was on search for Daemon. Giotto had a lot of good friends looking after him.

"Hey." Snapping out of his thoughts, fiery orbs raised until they met with bright brown. Passion was misplaced, filled by the smolder and lackluster Dino had only seen once before: when Iemitsu walked out on them.

"Hey," he softly whispered. The fateful meeting with Alaude was long forgotten, and he crawled onto the opposite side of bed, cereal in hand and delicate smile tugging at his lips. "Sleep well?"

"Hardly." Giotto's demeanor shifted stiffly, and he scooted closer to the head board, eyes fluttering closed.

"Any reason why it's so noisy in here?" Dino reached to lower the volume on the radio, only for a hand to stop him. The blond watched as it trembled, shaking under the notion of skin touching skin, and quickly did his little brother recoil.

"Just," Giotto breathed, "had to."

Nothing else was said. Dino crawled into bed, making sure there was at least two feet of distance between the two Vongola brothers before setting the cereal on the night stand. It was something Dino adapted to quickly; anything to make his brother feel comfortable. What he was seeing, after all, was the aftermath of Giotto's little tirades.

"I found him under his desk," he remembered G saying in a hushed tone, before reassuring, "He wasn't crying. Giotto never cries. But…he's…he's broken, Dino."

Not a soul could touch Giotto without the blond tensing. Cozart could barely massage the young adult's temples without him going into relapse, and G already had enough on his plate dealing with his own family, Mariana-Emilia, and Cozart. Roberto Shimon was out of the question, Celeste wouldn't think twice to rip away the inheritance of the company from her son if she knew, and…Alaude was Alaude. Surprisingly the Frenchman was able to get a word or two in before Giotto kicked him out of the house, but that left Dino at a loss.

"Every time I shut my eyes," muttered Giotto softly, "I feel him. I feel him nibbling on my neck, and I feel his arms around my waist. So I keep my eyes open to remind myself that he isn't there. And then…I hear his laugh. I keep hearing the way he'd talk to me in bed—so I turn the radio on; something. Something that will distract me. But then my eyes wander, and…they go to the door, just waiting for him to show up."

Dino nodded, hand rising to Giotto's knee, but his little brother pushed it away.

"He's not there. I can't…every time I'm alone—I don't even need to be alone…I just. He'd embrace me, give me love bites, and make some corny comment he knew would drive me crazy. Then," Giotto whispered, "I can't forget about him. The way he'd drill me into bed—or wherever we are, just having sex—making love. And I remember he wasn't always him."

"Giotto—"

"I used to compare him to Cozart because that was the only other person I could say I made love with." Giotto's tone turned wry. He shifted a little, and Dino realized his little brother was leaning closer to him. "He wasn't gentle, like Cozart. He always had a comeback, but it was snarky and…and hot. I wasn't used to being treated the way Daemon treated me, and…we were just beginning college, Cozart was pursuing Alaude, G was getting married…Mom practically handed me Vongola Inc., thanks to you. I thought I could handle it.

"We made a deal, so that if it ever went sour, then we would never see each other again. Dino, why does my chest hurt? I pushed him to the farthest part of my mind for months, and knew the risks in this relationship. Dino," his voice cracked slightly and he buried his hands in his hair. "Why can't I…breathe? Why does my head hurt so much, and I want to hate him—and I do—but there's still that little inklet that still trusts him?"

"…that," Dino whispered softly, and he ruffled through blond tangles. Once again his little brother scooted to the side, this time away. "That's what you call a broken heart, little brother."

"I hate it."

"'Could be worse," the blond said lightly. He was treading on sensitive territory now. "You could be locked in your room eating out of a tub of ice cream and hording down chocolate. Heaven knows you hate gaining unnecessary weight."

Ooh, a twitch of the lips. He was getting a twitch of a smile. "Do you…you think Mom was heartbroken when Dad left her?"

His heart dropped. Dino released a breath he wasn't holding, eyes scanning his cute little brother from head-to-toe. So many years had passed since the divorce, and he knew Giotto took it with a heavy heart. For some time, so did Dino himself, but…with that cute little baby—how old was Tsunayoshi now? Eleven? Eleven years of a cute little brother under Iemitsu and Nana's care, and Celeste was okay with all of it. She didn't hold a grudge. "I think…going into marriage, Mom and Dad had the same mindset you did: it was a business deal. And it was easier for them to walk away."

"But—"

"Dad fell in love with Nana." Dino shrugged. "I dunno. And Mom never remarried after us—I get the feeling she felt accomplished, little brother: two sons and a successful company; one of the richest in the world. And after you and I reached eighteen, she stopped pestering us about marriage. We're not Mom. We can't walk away as easily as she can, and—and that's good. Really good."

He waited, letting Giotto stare at him long and hard, but it was the solid truth. Dino had seen the way, eleven years ago, Iemitsu held Tsunayoshi tight to his chest, smile gracing his lips. Celeste, too, was happy for her ex-husband, and…love was there. He'd never seen the same look cross his father's face whenever staring at their mother, and—although a bit ruffled—it was okay. Finally, the younger blond's eyes closed, and he leaned close, until his forehead was buried at Dino's shoulder.

"You are such a hopeless romantic. Bet you got it from Dad."

"Well, you're neurotic." Dino flashed a grin and nudged his brother lightly. "You get that from Mom."

"Mm. We get our blond hair from Dad. You got his spirit."

"You got Mom's ambition."

"I also got her coordination." Giotto twitched, soft chuckle escaping his lips. "Mom's perfect."

"No." Their mother was able to walk away from Iemitsu and come back, friendly as ever even if Vongola Incorporated could rip him to shreds. There was no hate; no betrayal in the fiery eyes Celeste raised her head with. Just friendship. Giotto had always been closer to his mother; observing her every move, but…he was human. To experience heartbreak, love, denial, betrayal—"You're perfect, little brother."

"Whatever." The younger brother climbed over his eldest, hands at arm's length as a small, disheveled smile spread across his lips. "Is that Captain Crunch?"

"Yup. Eat your heart out."

"Gladly."

Giotto would be fine.

Present Day

"You drank more—why do you get to drive?"

"I may be more drunk, but I can hold my liquor better—and have way better hand-eye coordination."

"But you drive po—" There was a halt in his older brother's tone, and Giotto turned, face flushed and eyebrow arched to Dino, who swayed back and forth with a goofy grin on his face.

"I drive how, big brother? Hm?"

Something else escaped his brother's lips, this time fearful and inaudible. A soft laugh escaped the mouths of both blonds as they climbed out the elevator and pushed into the Vongola penthouse, singing whatever song came to mind in a horrid octave.

"That sounds," Dino gasped as he pat his little brother on the shoulder, "awful. Weren't you part of the glee club back at your school?"

"Mom made you take vocal lessons," Giotto reminded, voice diminishing. His laugh dissipated, and they fell onto the loveseat next to one another, simply giggling until the joy died out, replaced with the buzz of wine and the emptiness at the pit of his stomach.

"You gonna be okay?" Dino asked softly. He dropped his head onto the younger blond's shoulder.

"Yeah," Giotto mumbled quietly. He jerked his shoulder gently, smile working its way across his lips before he pulled both of them to their feet with a kiss on his brother's forehead. "Good night, big brother. Tonight was…was good. It was good."

"Was it as good for you as it was for me?" Dino grinned like a silly leprechaun. They definitely had way too much to drink.

"I do believe I was faking it." The younger blond pulled away from the elder, feet padding up the stairs before halting midway on the banister. "The guest room is down the hall, first door on the right."

"Gotcha. Love you, little brother."

"Love you too." Once the lights turned off, replaced by mellow lamps in the hallway, Giotto found himself already stripping before he made it to his room. Grabbing the first pair of pajama pants that came to view, he jumped into bed, the stench of alcohol still fresh. He stunk, was hungry, and knew a hangover awaited him early in the morning.

Giotto's fingers trailed to his nightstand, and slowly he picked out the phone, dialing a number he knew by heart without even opening his eyes. Four rings later, he waited patiently, and his heart clenched tightly.

"Hello?"

"Hey."

"Hey." G's tone was soft and mumbled; probably in bed and in the middle of sleeping too. "Everything alright?"

"When this custody trial is over…when Enma gets his voice back…" Giotto buried his face close to his pillow, tenor dropping. "Let's go visit Cozart. Enma, you, me, and Tsuna."

No answer.

"G?"

"Yeah." He could hear the redhead smiling from miles away. "I'd like that."

"We can discuss the details later."

"Right."

Before drifting off into slumber, he heard the door squeak close, followed by footsteps. Probably Dino taking a showe—

"Oof!"

"You smell like beer."

"You found your drugs." Giotto warily looked up, noting that a small body now straddled his hips, and a pair of hands now worked their way on his stomach. He jerked, and cursed himself for being ticklish. "Tsuna—"

"Yup." Cute little Tsuna didn't act this forward. When he first slid into bed with his older brother back at the hotel…it was odd. But in doing so, Tsuna simply tried playing protector. Back at home, in bed with Giotto himself…at this late hour. When Tsuna did it once before, he was too timid to state his motives.

Giotto smiled jokingly. "Bad dream?"

"Sure." Sliding off his big brother's torso, Giotto felt the bed shift, and immediately, Tsuna took the empty spot on the blond's king-sized bed. "Can I ask you something?"

"Couldn't you ask me in the morning?"

"No."

"Alright." Well, this was new.

"Guys. When it comes to sex," the brunet's voice hadn't softened or gotten louder. It was low, brushing against octaves Tsuna rarely touched unless he was medicated—and Lord knew now Giotto couldn't handle his little brother when he was high on even something as simple as Tylenol. "How do you figure out who is…what's the word?"

"Who tops and who bottoms?" There was a nod on his shoulder. Giotto doubted, if sober, he would be able to keep calm around his brother. He laughed softly and buried his chin into soft, chocolate brown hair. "Depends. Sometimes it depends on who's taller or bigger…sometimes it's personality. One personality could be more dominant, and another could be more submissive. Sometimes they switch."

" What does that make you?"

"What does that make me?" Giotto repeated. He felt a flare of red complimenting his alcoholic blush, along with the heat burning where Tsuna pressed his head. "I…depends on the person. With Cozart, I…was more dominant, more eager. Considering how drunk I was, I still can't tell if G topped or I did and—Alaude doesn't like to admit it, but he likes being a bottom."

"And Daemon?"

There was a ringing in Giotto's ears. He couldn't place it. Shutting his eyes, a shiver passed through the blond's blood, and somehow he wished quiet, shy Tsuna would appear for just a moment and take back the question. "Bottomed. Sometimes you naturally just fill out the role. Other times, you fight for it."

"What'd you think I'd be?"

Well. That wasn't much of a thought—wait, what? Sobering just slightly, he felt his brain go numb in confusion, and propped himself onto an elbow, where Tsuna's eyes were tightly shut and his breathing was steady. "What are you doing in my room?"

Tsuna fell silent. Barely was his breathing audible, and slowly he opened caramel chocolate eyes that glowed under delicate moonlight. "I just…wanted you to hold me."

Oh. "Alright."

"Giotto?"

"Mm?"

"Love you."

"Love you too, little brother."

chapter twenty-five has school and work.

Back on his feet, Tsuna had made a full recovery after one torturous weekend dealing with his…affectionate brothers ("DINO! WHY IS MY BATHROOM FAUCET BENT IN THE SHAPE OF A HEART?" "Er, I'm talented at being uncoordinated?"), and found himself playing peacemaker between the pair while his eldest hopped around the house in good nature and a cheerful smile until the middle would come home and have another conniption ("I didn't do it this time, I swear!" "Do you really think Tsuna is capable of dropping a grilled cheese sandwich, then tripping over it, then skidding across the living room, then sliding over the stairs and getting the cat's head stuck in the banister?"), and he would try not to break into a smile.

Every time Dino poked Giotto's boundaries, Giotto simply shed another bit of sanity in favor of the elder brother—something that made him seem…so very, very human.

Giotto had to go to work and with G in Shimon, Dino became Tsuna's temporary babysitter. According to Giotto, the elder blond was not allowed to leave the house (technically, step into the elevator), which meant that their nice new apartment was constantly under attack by a klutzy, bubbly billionaire with no sense of direction. When Kyoko-chan visited, Tsuna was luckily in the shower or asleep at the time.

Finally, it led to Monday morning, where Tsuna could finally go to school and face the wrath of his sadistic math teacher. Trudging down the stairs in a school uniform Tsuna felt he hadn't worn in ages, he was met with the sight of Dino-san in the kitchen, humming a rendition of 'My Girl.'

"Are you…" Tsuna suddenly panicked, instinctively reaching for the half-empty fire extinguisher when he realized what his older brother was doing. "Are you making pancakes?"

"Tsuna!" The blond whirled around, wearing a ridiculous apron that read, 'This Apron Belongs on Your Floor,' and cheerfully grinned before sliding a third, unbelievably small pancake onto a plate and putting the pan in the sink. "It's Monday, and I thought I would see you off to school. Is that alright?"

"Er, y-yeah." The brunet nodded uncertainly, gaze flowing to the various different egg cartons and flour that littered the kitchen counter. Giotto's stress levels being more pressed than Gokudera and his non-existent relationship with Yamamoto, Tsuna had a feeling that their temporary rapture wouldn't last long.

Which proved itself when the last door squeaked open, and a flurry of footsteps barricaded the door like an entire army. Tsuna whirled around, pancakes forgotten as a blur of sunny blond hair caught his sight. Giotto hopped the last two or three steps, and he darted to the pair, obvious worry crossing his face.

"Tsuna," breathed the younger adult. Dashing orbs relit with a fire Tsuna hadn't seen in almost three weeks, and he felt the red raise to his face. Giotto managed to pull off blue, silk pajamas without it looking outrageously tacky. Dino, on the other hand, was questionable after the apron. "I caught you before school. Good."

"Do you need something?" Tsuna's eyebrows furrowed with much concern, blush forgotten as he pressed a hand to Giotto's forehead. Giotto…hadn't caught his flu, had he? "Are you feeling alright?"

Dino let out a low whistle. "He isn't exactly known as a morning person, little brother. I think you're the best thing to come into his life since…well, anything, I suppose."

"Shut up," Giotto half-grumbled, half-moaned. He flashed a small smile, before arching an eyebrow. "Looks like you're growing again."

"I…I am?" Tsuna looked up to his brother in surprise before realizing that yes, he didn't have to look him in the eye with a stiff neck. Realizing he had a hand to the other's face, he recoiled, eyes darting to the ground as his cheeks swelled red again.

"Yeah…Damn."

"You're swaying." Giotto really wasn't a morning person. Following their time together, it would be the first day Tsuna had to walk to school from their new apartment, and Giotto looked less capable of feeding their cat, let alone wake up at seven in the morning. Tsuna pushed hair out of his brother's face, from contorting his lips before he humbly smiled. "Just…go back to sleep."

"Someone's…gotta drive you to sc—"

"I'll walk." Eep. Tsuna clasped a hand over his mouth, eyes widening a bit in his own surprise, and backed away before hesitantly unveiling his own lips. "Er…I-I mean…"

"Tsuna…" Giotto's eyebrows furrowed with concern. Funny. Even before the Enma incident, Giotto had been more casual in their conversations; light, flirty, and very forward with his advances. His brother now was being tender and had doted on him since the taxi drive to their new apartment. Suddenly the blond's tone took a different approach, backtracking Tsuna's analysis. "Do you have a problem with my driving?"

"O-Of course not! I just…eek." Tsuna shuffled between his feet. "I just…I like walking. That's why I woke up earlier than usual—I-I'll be fine. I promise."

Immediately the look disappeared from Giotto's face, replaced with an emotion he couldn't quite place. "The last time I left you alone," the blond muttered, "you ran away."

Right. Guilt flooded the teenager's mind, heart tightening in his lungs as the reminder of their excursion returned. The past weekend, Giotto had been nothing but livid, sly, and childish when it came to their big brother, but that all in its own was a complete change. Seeing Giotto in Shimon—broken, stressed, and at a loss to spoken words—then exacerbating the situation for his older brother by ignoring phone calls and deliberately not telling him where he was going.

I can't trust you.

Giotto had all reason not to trust him. But…but…

"I could drive him—"

"No." Tsuna and Giotto answered in unison, albeit the brunet's a little less assertive. He learned in more than one ways what the definition of 'homewrecker' was during the weekend and the odds that the entire building hadn't collapsed due to some freak accident yet was a miracle.

Still, with a pouting brother like Dino, at least the mood lightened just a little. Giotto's hand landed on Tsuna's shoulder, almost what the brunet dubbed as instinctive protection, just as the doorbell rang.

"That must be that Kyoko girl and her brother." Dino leaned over the counter and smiled sweetly. "Does that work out for you, little brother? The little guy can walk to school with the Sasagawas, and you won't have to worry about him."

"I don't like the idea of our little brother stringing along a poor, innocent girl."

"Well—he can't just ignore her, right?"

Tsuna paled. No, absolutely not. That was not a good idea. Disregarding his woe, the teenager decided better not to put himself in the middle of another of Dino and Giotto's quarrels and answered the doorbell. Yamamoto. Eyes widening in disbelief, he craned his neck to the much taller teen and dropped his hand to his side. "H…Hey."

"Haha. Hey, Tsuna. Wow, this is your new apartment? It's really, really, big!" Before he knew it, Yamamoto was hovering over his shoulder and looking inside. "And it's by elevator. Wow, that's a lot safer than nitty-gritty stairs, isn't it?"

"What are you doing here?" A sigh of relief escaped the shorter teenager's mouth, and he opened the door wider for both Dino and Giotto to see. They stopped their argument immediately in favor of the giant, sharing looks of surprise. Considering all of the possibilities, Tsuna paled, eyebrows furrowed. "You…didn't walk all the way over here from Yamamoto Sushi, did you?"

"What walk?" Yamamoto tilted his head curiously and gestured out the window. "We live right across the street, Tsuna. And then Master Asari Ugetsu said that you were moving into the penthouse up here. Giotto-san ordered sushi yesterday; didn't you notice?"

At the mention of the middle brother, Tsuna turned his head, small frown working on his face while Giotto shrugged with quaint amusement. He turned back, struggling for a smile, and clung to his backpack tightly. "Do you…want to walk to school together?"

"Wouldn't have it any other way—" Whack! "—Ow!"

"Eek." Tsuna took a step back, genuinely surprised at the flash of silvery-white hair and the hard slap that was so powerful it took down his tallest friend before realizing what was going on. He looked up, eyes doubling twice their size before looking to—"G-Gokudera-kun?"

"Gokudera, that hurt." Yamamoto pouted, taking hold of his face with just a bit of mirth visible as Gokudera-kun scowled. "What are you doing here? You live on the other side of town!"

"Which," seethed the hothead, "would be why I fucking woke up this early in the morning to pick up Giotto-san's little brother! The Tenth!"

"You're on speaking terms with Tsuna now?"

"What the fuck do you mean, 'speaking terms'? While you were out with your fucking boyfriend, I was helping this kid with his math homework! Do you know how completely incompetent he is? He didn't know that the fucking square root of eleven-million, one hundred-eight thousand, eight hundred-and-eighty-eight was three-thousand, three-hundred thirty-three!"

Who knew that? Tsuna opened his mouth to speak, but—

"What? But the square of three-thousand, three-hundred thirty-three is eleven-million, one-hundred eight-thousand, eight-hundred-and-eighty-nine, Gokudera."

"That—I—" Was he seriously pulling out a calculator for this?

Tsuna turned around, eyes having doubled in horror to Giotto and Dino, who both held the same looks of amusement. Dino had taken pity on his first youngest, and dragged the wobbly blond toward the loveseat to lie down. Not that they were settled, all eyes were on them. Pushing past the poor brunet, Gokudera hovered excruciatingly close to the poor boy with a large smile on his face.

"G-Giotto-san! Dino-san! Good morning! We're taking Sawada to school today; is that okay?"

"We're all going to walk together to school? Haha. I missed that." Yamamoto smiled in his usual way, and Tsuna didn't miss the way Gokudera tried to ignore his blush. Oblivious, the baseball player leaned closer to the shorter teenager, smile widening just a bit. "Missed hanging around you."

Er. "Missed you too." Tsuna smiled faintly, pink singing his cheeks as the taller patted him affectionately on the head. He forgot—hanging around Gokudera made him cautious more than usual, but Yamamoto treated him like a gentleman to his girlfriend.

"Go ahead and take him to school," chirped Dino. One glance at the pair and the brunet found his eldest brother giving his older brother a back massage. "This one's gotta be coaxed back to sleep. As you can see, he isn't the chippest person in the morning."

Nuts must have agreed, immediately clawing at the couch before Giotto took pity on the poor creature and set him on his back. He looked straight to Tsuna, expression tired and stern all the same. "You've also got work to come to afterward, little brother. Do you need me to pick you up?"

Uh. Tsuna held back a look of hesitation, torn between two options. Originally he'd gotten the job to give the money to Enma, but now with the possibility of his best friend coming to live with them…and the fear that a cranky Giotto would be driving him places, it wasn't a good idea. His only alternative, after all, was the other big brother.

"You mean the big building around the corner?" Yamamoto and he were now much closer than before, something he hadn't noticed. He forgot how secure the athlete had pushed their relationship, and how much it'd come to his liking. "I could walk him if you want, Giotto-niisan. Ever since the bullying incident—"

"We should get going now." With all the strength he could conjure, Tsuna pushed his friends out the door, sparing Giotto one glance as the blond looked up, a knowing look spread across his complexion while Dino took confusion. He looked neither one in the eye, instead slamming the door shut and in effort, locked it with his new house key. A sigh of relief escaped his lips once confirming neither brother would go after them, and guided them toward the elevator with a shy smile. "Hi."

"Hi back." Yamamoto chuckled while Gokudera begrudgingly grunted, which was how the brunet found himself stuck in the middle of both teenagers. "I'm surprised. Didn't your brother ever wonder how you sprained your ankle?"

"His…boyfriend showed a bit more concern." Suddenly feeling hoarse, Tsuna lowered his head until his chin met his chest, and shrugged. It had happened over a month ago—when Giotto and he didn't even see eye-to-eye. Readjusting to his schedule had proven slightly difficult, but the key rules were set: his curfew was at six, and, uh, Giotto's love—sex—life wasn't an open topic. The rules had been made so long ago, however, that he was beginning to wonder if they still applied.

Certainly working as Giotto's little assistant for a while cancelled out the first problem. Finally, the last of his brothers for the day (a relief for his own sanity) was left in one conversation—

"I can't remember—did you always have a habit of falling over things?" Giotto.

"Er—normally someone's there to catch me. Hehe." Dino.

Getting into the elevator, Tsuna couldn't help the little giggle or two that escaped his lips. He placed a hand over his mouth, obviously amused, but out of range from his two brothers, it was almost a…saddening silence. When it came to Dino, Tsuna finally understood that no, he was not the most uncoordinated punk on that side of the planet, but he sure shared the same prone-to-accidents lack of balance (thankfully to a lesser degree), and that the Vongola brothers were incredibly close.

Somehow he found it hard to believe Giotto could ever have G's serene demeanor or the smile-crinkles around his eyes despite a daring frown. Then, the origin of 'little brother' was finally shed under light, which was a little confusing when Dino used it. Somehow between each bruise and bump, he'd become the 'little guy,' and watching Giotto be downsized by his brother was…cute. Very cute.

"So," Yamamoto started, interrupting the shorter teenager's thoughts. "What's going down with Kozato? Is he going to be alright?"

Tsuna cocked his head, amusement wrinkling into trouble as his hands tightened over the straps of his backpack. In the corner of his eye, he saw Gokudera's attention elsewhere, but tight lips showed even the hothead was interested.

"I…" his eyebrows furrowed, cheeks heating. "Enma's going through a rough patch with his family, and G-san's trying to make sure he gets through it. If all goes well, then…" He couldn't resist the smile that beamed across his face. "Then he'll be coming here. To Namimori."

Nether boy spoke.

Tsuna looked up to them, eyes flickering with much worry as each boy looked at him with worry. "Is something wrong?"

It took him by surprise, watching the usual affection Yamamoto held for Gokudera blossom into a different form, much older into adoration. Even Gokudera blushed (though since their meeting this morning, Tsuna had a hard time believing this was the same boy who threatened to castrate him), and he looked away, pride as high as his nose as he pretended again that he wasn't interested.

Maybe kissing math books messed with the brain. And. Er. Maybe mentioning math books around Gokudera would be suicide for a while.

"Just happy for you, haha. You're a lucky to have your best friend follow you wherever." One that didn't pack quite a punch, too. Tsuna shivered while Yamamoto warmly patted him on the shoulder. "You two…are you two sure you're not dating?"

"Just because they're best friends, you fucking baseball idiot," Gokudera whirled around, eyes widening at least three times and fervent pink spreading—exploding across his cheeks, "does not mean that they're dating! This is fucking real life and in fucking real life, the guy and the girl-next-door don't always end up together!"

"But…Gokudera, I'm gay. Ooh, since we technically live across the street from each other, that makes us neighbors, Tsun—"

"You don't live next door to each other! And you're not best friends!" Apparently realizing he was overreacting, the silver-haired teenager snapped mid-through his fit before jolting out the elevator and stomping ahead, leaving two confused boys in his quake.

"I'm…," Tsuna stammered, unsure of what to say. In fact, he was dreading the sudden change in Gokudera-kun—more than trembling in the guy's denial rather than acceptance. Acceptance? Tsuna was going to die before the next two weeks were up! "I'm so sorry."

And Yamamoto being Yamamoto, only laughed, hands stuffed in his pockets. "For what? It's not your fault. Besides, haha. Don't you find it kind of cute?"

Cute? Of course the only person who could handle Hayato, the Ticking Time Bomb was the passive-aggressive baseball player that managed to keep a calm demeanor in the face of danger. Tsuna heaved a sigh, and they followed after Gokudera discussing nothing in particular. "So, uh. I'm sorry that…Gokudera-kun and I intruded on your date. G said that it'd be best to stay out of the house, and—Gokudera-kun is sort of his…right-hand man, I guess?"

"My date," Yamamoto repeated, vapid. As the thought finally crossed his mind, he broke into the biggest smile Tsuna had ever seen. "Oh, with Mochida-senpai! Don't worry, haha. We kinda just went with things after you and Gokudera ran away—"

"Did not run away!" Oh, jeez—and the tornado terror could still hear them. "Don't tell the Tenth shitty lies!"

"How is your relationship with Mochida-senpai going, then?" Tsuna quickly changed the subject, desperately (and fearfully) trying not to roll his eyes as they stopped at a crosswalk, waiting for the light to turn green so they could change blocks.

"It's great. I get to see him every single day because of club activities. He even thinks I could try out for the kendo team—why are you giving me that look?" Yamamoto's face furrowed with concern while Tsuna tensed like a deer caught in headlights.

"It's, er, nothing."

"Aw, Tsuna, who do you mistake me for? Gokudera—"

"Is that an implication on my gentlemanly personality?" What gentlemanly personality? Once! Tsuna'd seen Hayato Gokudera act like a gentleman once upon meeting the guy's girlfriend (a juicy piece of gossip going around saying they'd broken up, something he shouldn't have really cared for) and—eep. He hated it when Gokudera-kun glared at them like that.

They lucked out when the hothead of their trio got stuck on the other side of the road, and apparently decided to wait patiently for Tsuna and Yamamoto. The brunet took the chance to turn fully to his new neighbor, eyebrows furrowed and guilty of examining the relationship put forth.

"Well?" Yamamoto's query was gentle. Instead of sounding angered, he seemed genuinely curious.

"You don't seem happy." Tsuna's voice was scratchy, bits of monotone stemming at his tongue. He looked to his grimy sneakers and felt ashamed. But he knew he had a point, and for the guy who…who reached out to him and was his first friend at Namimori, Tsuna didn't want to didn't want to see his broken heart.

"But…I am happy, Tsuna."

"But you're not…in love." His cheeks flared with obvious red, hands fiddling with the straps of his backpack. He'd seen it. He'd seen the way Nana would giddily fling herself into the arms of Iemitsu the moment he came into the room, or even the flirty glances shared between Alaude and Giotto when they thought the other wasn't looking. At the first mention of Cozart in five years, G's eyes were far in the distance, cruel and broken despite the fact Tsuna had no idea why. Even at the mention of Bianchi, whose food was apparently a better poison than a fumigation team, G spoke fondly. "You wouldn't want to spend your entire life with someone you're not in love with. Right?"

Yamamoto didn't notice his internal struggle. "Mochida-senpai is high school, Tsuna. Why would I think that far ahead?"

"So you wanna get in a relationship for the sake of being in a relationship, rather than going for someone who you'd love to spend the rest of your life with? Like Goku—" He'd said too much. Tsuna's eyes widened in horror—what was he thinking? Who was he to patronize a guy he'd only known for two months? No…His eyebrows furrowed, hand slowly sliding away from his lips, and looked up to Yamamoto, frown set. He was giving an opinion to a friend. Even if they didn't know each other long, Yamamoto had been his first friend since Enma, and Enma was always forward with him. Couldn't he do the same? "S-Sorry…I…sorry."

As the signal beamed green, Yamamoto and he crossed toward an impatient Gokudera in silence. Violent green eyes looked between them, apparently off-put, but said nothing and led the way.

Great, just great. Tsuna groaned to himself. Why was he so stupid? There was no need to cross the line with Yamamoto, and…ever since how they met, Tsuna should have known that the subject was sensitive. He didn't expect for Yamamoto to quietly jerk him when they met at a corner, waiting patiently for the hedge of silver hair to disappear.

"I…I'm sorry." Maybe it was too soon for him to go to school. His mind was still filled with taking care of Enma and Giotto and—he couldn't handle the stress. At least, not with his education on the line and Yamamoto and Gokudera's not-but-really-is-a-romance.

Yamamoto wasn't mad. "I think it's the first time you and I have ever had a conversation where you barely stuttered, haha."

What? Tsuna looked up, taken aback by the curt grin spread across Yamamoto's face.

"You were really shy whenever you first came—and the times I got to see your brother, you wouldn't look him in the eye. You know you smile a little whenever he looks at you? Haha. You seem so sure of yourself now—oh, maybe not. You don't have to look at me like that, we're friends now. I'm jealous of you, Tsuna. And it's a compliment—please, take my envy."

"Yamamoto—"

"I still love him." The taller teenager's voice dropped to a considerably quiet tone, laugh having disappeared in favor of a tender smile and a small shrug. "But he's my first love. You can't exactly forget that—not in high school."

"What do you plan on doing then?" Tsuna fidgeted nervously and looked down to the ground. "Sorry. Don't mean to pry."

"No, no. It's fine, haha." Yamamoto flashed a grin despite his broken heart and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Mochida-senpai is supposed to be my way of moving on. I can't stand Gokudera feeling paranoid at my…'creepy crush' on him, and I've been trying to move on, so that sense of trust can come back."

There was a much deeper meaning when it came to Yamamoto and Gokudera's relationship. Even now stuck in the middle, Tsuna had no clue what extent their friendship transcended, and Gokudera managed to confuse the heck out of him even when making sense. Everyone else Tsuna knew was already in a relationship, or had come out of one with fond memories. Yamamoto and Gokudera, on the other hand, were struggling with it.

"Do you still…feel…" The brunet's voice never felt so tiny in his throat. "Do you still feel…you know, that way? When we first met, when you were contemplating—"

"Oh, of course not." Just because he smiled didn't mean Yamamoto hadn't cut him off without a good reason. Tsuna watched the taller teenager shift uncomfortably under his gaze, and felt a little out of it himself. Normally others were the one being authoritative, not the other way around. "I haven't thought about…that in ages. Wasn't exactly the best first impression, right? Haha…"

The laughter was drowned out by silence. Tsuna offered a shrug, not knowing what to say. Finally, he gestured to their last turn before they reached the school. "Gokudera-kun might be waiting for us."

Yamamoto only nodded. "I know."

Just as predicted, Gokudera had been waiting against a neatly-trimmed bush, one hand tucked in pants that were against school regulation and cigarette in the other. The expression on his face was unreadable and just like how they'd left the house, Tsuna was squished between both friends like cream in Oreos. Complete and utter silence. No one said a thing as they approached the school, filled with students Tsuna felt like he hadn't seen in ages. He humored himself, reminded of Chrome-san and Fran-san, both who looked like they were in middle school, yet one actually had a medical degree and the other was…well, she was saner compared to most of them.

Like any other day, Yamamoto said his goodbyes (to later meet up with them in the classroom) and joined his fellow jocks, leaving Gokudera and Tsuna by their lonesome.

H-He just didn't expect for Gokudera to be following him like a lost puppy.

For the beginning of the day, going from class-to-class, Tsuna had a tall shadow hovering over him, eyes glaring holes in the poor boy's back as he desperately fought for privacy—locker room, restroom, library—and it was confirmed. Instead of being the loner the brunet pegged him to be, Gokudera tagged behind him, expression grim and the scent of cigarettes heavy on his person. Tsuna had no clue what to do or say, panicking in every way possible as he realized Gokudera was staring at him.

School was boring. Surprisingly, Gokudera caught him up with all the homework he missed, and it almost seemed…easier. Until all of his teachers decided to dish out completely new material, which left the brunet miserable and suffering again.

"D-Do I have something on my face?" Tsuna turned bright pink, then looked at the dish of sushi Yamamoto's father had prepared for him.

Wanton, the other boy's emerald eyes studied him as if he was an alien from another planet. "No. Not at all."

Lunch. There were only three more hours of school after lunch, and with Yamamoto being his escort rather than the little scary one, Tsuna would finally be able to breathe. Gokudera's quiet stares were becoming unnerving, and he was beginning to miss being the third wheel.

"Except—" Crap. "—I heard what you guys were talking about this morning."

Tsuna froze, eyes instinctively leading to the courtyard where Yamamoto was joking around with the Kendo club. For a moment, the tall teenager stopped, realizing he had an admirer, and cheerfully waved. Here he was, stuck in the middle of their…problems again, and a bit scared. Recalling the week of happenings after G's birthday, he remembered Yamamoto how broke the news…and there was a lot of yelling.

That part wasn't a surprise—Gokudera had a good set of lungs. Even occupied with Enma's wellbeing, however, his new friends priorities were too blatant to ignore. Gokudera challenged everything Yamamoto said, even the mild thoughts and comments the taller would make. Gokudera would say something, then Yamamoto would retort, make it sting in the right places, and then neither would speak.

And now, Tsuna realized, it was a habit for Gokudera to look away, forcibly occupying himself with other things despite the decadent blush that boiled in his cheeks. Ugh. It was the miniscule things like this that made him wonder when he traded the life of being a victim in favor of an overdramatic-slash-exuberant soap opera.

"I…" He wasn't sure what to say. "I-I don't think I can help you on this one."

"Because you're on his side?" When Gokudera bit, he chewed his prey out. Emerald green eyes blazing, he scowled menacingly at the brunet before deciding to behave himself like an obedient pup. "What do you guys talk about when I'm not around?"

There were very few times Gokudera actually allowed Yamamoto and Tsuna to be without him ever since the bullying incident. Something about drugs, crutches, and h-he apparently had a 'smartassing mouth,' whatever that meant.

Seeing as he wouldn't get his question answered (mostly because Tsuna was freaking out and debating on calling a morgue for his future funeral), Gokudera dropped his vivacious tone, shedding the aggression altogether. In a cautious moment, Tsuna held his sushi tightly and stuffed his mouth in attempt to avoid answering another personal question.

"Obviously that dolt is too gay to function. Doesn't know how to do a damn thing without me." The 'Ticking Time Bomb' was talking to himself. That was, until his demeanor favored completely neutral, and looked to Tsuna expectantly. "So? What was it that he was too much of a fag for? What was he thinking of that he couldn't go through with?"

Tsuna's eyebrows furrowed, and he thought back to his first full day in Namimori, when he ran away from his brother, inwardly venting his misery, before running into Ryohei and ultimately Yamamoto, who he thought was the perfect athlete—but who also thought that opinion a lie. "I…do you remember when he broke his arm?"

Gokudera nodded without a snarky comment, surprisingly.

Maybe it was common knowledge. As far as Tsuna knew, Yamamoto devoted his entire life to baseball, and was always at practice. So he shrugged, trying to make it as little of a deal as possible. "When we first met, he told me because he broke his arm, and he, er, failed at baseball, maybe his life wasn't worth living."

Wrong thing to say.

Tsuna knew that he was never good at words, and the possibility of things spiraling out of control in his life often happened—Giotto, Enma, Mama, Iemitsu, Lambo—but the way Gokudera's expression changed, shifting into absolute disgust, he should have known better.

Gokudera's calmness dropped, lips tight and grim. He stood, dropping the pack of cigarettes that sat casually in his lap along with the loaf of bread he'd been nibbling and marched through the mesh of people in the courtyard, warning no one in his path.

No. Oh, no, no, no! "Gokudera-kun—!"

SLAP.

The entire student body in their year silenced—all whom decided to eat lunch outside heard the sickening crack as Gokudera's hand made contact with Yamamoto's now-swollen cheek. Mochida-senpai stood from his seat, automatically checking over his boyfriend, but—

"The seven years we fucking know each other, I go get a girlfriend that smudges your damn baseball record, and because of that broken arm, the first thought you get is suicide?"

Yamamoto didn't need this treatment—no, not now, not ever. Even then, the baseball player looked to his best friend, brown eyes shimmering with confusion, and Tsuna darted for the pair.

He didn't like the way Yamamoto didn't come to his senses, or how those normally cheerful eyes stared him right in the face, mouth open only slightly with no true thing to say. Tsuna stared back, throat aching and body flushing with a rush of embarrassed heat as he grabbed Gokudera by the arm.

"That's enough," Tsuna stammered frightfully. No, no, no, no—they just needed to survive the next two weeks, then get Enma here—and the two weeks were just of going to school. Not…things spiraling out of control. "Calm down, Gokudera-kun—"

"And you don't even have the balls to tell me? Well?" The challenge was thick in the hothead's voice. And…Gokudera was shaking with anger. "You tell it to a little brat on the street, but not me? Say something, you moron!"

Thank the Gods, Yamamoto finally managed something—managed a frown. "Gokudera—"

"Screw you!" With a violent jerk, Tsuna found himself landing harshly on his butt and Gokudera marching off, griping about his cigarettes.

And everybody was staring at him with wide eyes. Crap.

A large hand caught Tsuna's sight, extended forth, and he looked to its owner with wide eyes. What idiot would offer him a hand after telling Gokudera-kun something that he actually didn't know?

"Are you alright?" Yamamoto. That was who.

"I-I…" No. Not at all. He just dug himself a deeper hole, over something he'd promised himself was not his problem. His mouth tasted funny. "I'm sorry."

Tsuna stood up on his own and immediately sprinted out the courtyard with spicy tuna dangerously oozing up his esophagus and threatening to spew at any minute. He needed to throw up.

Being the victim was always easy. All you had to do was lay there, eyes closed, and count backwards from a thousand until they finished kicking you in the stomach. But being the perpetrator, ruining a friendship so deep—made kicks in the stomach seem like butterflies.

OoOoO

"How'd the surgery go?"

"Fine—you could have called a few days ago when he got it. Now all we're looking for is a vocal coach. The kid just doesn't speak."

"He can't speak or he won't speak?"

Silence. "That's not very funny, Giotto."

"Didn't mean for it to be funny." Giotto pinched the bridge of his nose, a frustrated sigh escaping his lips as he looked at his personal phone and its caller. It had to be his favorite picture of his best friend—grouchy, scowling and shoving the blond away when he insisted on taking a snapshot when Mami 'prettifully' colored his face with her mother's makeup. "No offense, but you're kind of scary."

"You put a newborn baby in an aquarium!"

"Enma isn't a newborn baby." The blond cracked a grin, watching as Dino meddled with his best friend's own desk on the other side of their large office. Not a second too soon, he cringed when—BAM-CRACKLE-BOOM!"He's, er. Cute."

"What the hell was that?"

"Nothing, nothing."A glare passed between brothers, and Giotto gestured with his hands for Dino to stop trying to juggle a rubber band ball, a stapler, and some sticky notes. "So, uh. Is he still in the hospital? You're not planning on sending him back to school, right?"

More silence. "It's…up to Enma. If it was my choice, then I wouldn't even let him because of his siblings, and…damn, his teachers say that he's got flawless scores before he'd missed the weeks. He was ahead of the rest of the class—she even said they were about to give him an assessment exam to skip a grade, or even early graduation."

Class nerd. Hiding himself behind band-aids, always quiet and—well, now Giotto knew he wouldn't have to pester Reborn about finally tutoring Tsuna. "That does explain a lot about him."

"He's…something else, that's for sure."

"He's just got to get comfortable with you," Giotto promised.

G snorted. "Highly ironic. Sure, I get along just swell with your little brother, and you get to rub it in my fucking face how you get along just fine with the little brother of—" There was a halt in the conversation. Giotto caught on quickly, and he denied the hitch in their conversation.

"I can't believe you just said swell."

"I'm tempted to trade."

"No refunds. Even if my little brother's a little buggy with the druggies. Speaking of which—there he is." Giotto flashed another smile as the chocolate brown hair of his little brother came to view through the glass. Eagerly, Dino stood to his feet with a child's grin and let the boy in. "Say 'hi' to Tsuna, G."

"Hey, Kid." There was a smile in his best friend's voice.

Which lacked on his little brother's. Immediately, Giotto felt his face fall into a frown as Tsuna slipped into the room, eyes on the ground and brow furrowed. Dino seemed to notice, too. "You alright?"

"What?" Startled, the teenager looked up with wide eyes between both brothers before shrinking again. That wasn't a good sign. "I…I'm fine. I-It's okay."

"What? What's going on?"

"You hear that, but you didn't hear Dino splitting your desk in half twenty minutes ago?" Giotto arched a wry eyebrow.

"He did WHAT—"

"Bye G!" In an Olympic record, the oldest of the Vongola family leaped across the room, grabbed Giotto's phone—nervously laughing, of course—and hung up before shoving it deep in his pocket and glaring daggers at an ignorant Giotto.

No, Giotto wasn't even looking at his older brother. Fiery eyes were transfixed at his brother's disheveled features—pale, lost, and looked like he could vomit at any moment. Tsuna was long from trembling, and for a moment he thought his little brother may be suffering after effects of his flu—which was highly unlikely. Tsuna was healthy as a horse the day before. Slowly he turned his eyes, frown fixated across his lips, and the glare disappeared from Dino's baby face.

"I'll…go feed your goldfish." Dino scratched his head with a cheeky smile, pulling away ever so slowly from the younger blond's desk. He spared one look to their youngest brother, concern fluttering across his face, then left the room in peace.

"Don't you dare use a can opener and overfeed them like last time," Giotto called after him. His eyes narrowed at the giggling behind his closed door while Dino hopped away, then paid heed to Tsuna, who looked to him, once again distressed and unsure what to do. He checked his clock quickly, noting school was over an hour ago, then gestured to his chair. "Sit."

If Tsuna hadn't looked sickly before, then this was no improvement with the small teenager looking sick to his stomach, paler than his older brother's white documents as he trudged down empty space and placing himself in the squishy chair in front of Giotto's desk.

"You're not in trouble," Giotto quickly clarified. Then he halted, thought passing through his mind before curtly shaking his head and running a hand through his hair. "Okay. You sort of are."

Great. Tsuna only slumped further in his seat, not even trying for a comeback. No, 'I'm really fine—honest!' or an 'oh' or any other sense of denial. Just…a frown.

"Tsuna—"

"I'm fine," said a squeaky voice so inaudibly Giotto wondered if he'd actually been interrupted.

"No. You aren't." Prip. Prip, prip, prip, prip—damn, why was he tapping the freaking table? Giotto's voice softened gently, and the worry bubbled in his stomach. "The last time you got this way…"

He didn't even need to finish. Tsuna cringed for the both of them, and quite frankly Giotto pitied the boy. The two words, 'run' and 'away' thankfully hadn't left his mouth, and now he was grateful.

Only now, the elephant in the room was quite clear. Neither spoke, and he took the liberty to study his fragile little brother.

Tsuna was a caretaker. Tsuna was shy. He was quiet, and soaked everything uttered to him like a sponge—both good and bad. It was the latter that worried Giotto, actually. And he remembered, there was a ferocity in the—oh Lord, Dino couldn't have possibly had more influence over him—little guy that medicine wasn't needed to draw out. Tsuna never tried to play things cool because he cared too much for an outcome where everyone made it out safely. He didn't play the hero, but he might as well have been one.

"…G says Enma came through with his surgery just fine," muttered the adult softly. He couldn't help the way his lips managed an upturn.

Just at that little news, the brunet looked up, genuinely surprised, then sunk back down in his seat. His eyes changed, flickering with a different emotion—relief, obviously—before he hid his ears under a pair of shoulders. "That's good."

"Then I don't have to worry about you running away again. And I'm hoping you didn't get a girl pregnant—the more that girl comes into the picture, the more your sexuality confuses me." Or there lack of. Tsuna gave him a look, horrified, but Giotto managed a brief chuckle. "That's not it then. Tell me—I don't feel like throwing away the entire world a second time to look for my little brother."

Maybe it was because Enma and Cozart were just blatantly obnoxious redheads that the way they blushed automatically lit the room. Tsuna, on the other hand, offered an entirely different hue Giotto never noticed. Often his little brother blushed, but he never noticed the way his cheeks almost seemed painted a natural flush, glowing red against his creamy skin like he'd been out in the cold too long and his body was making up with over excessive heat. Only, you know, it was like that all the time.

And then there was the way his cheeks would glow darker, if possible, but Giotto pushed that comment aside. Tsuna was troubled with something, and his many observations would be saved for later.

"I'm," finally started the brunet in the quietest tone Giotto had heard. That achievement, he noted lightly, was hard considering his brother's timidity. "I'm a horrible friend."

Which was when Giotto nearly fell out of his chair from shock, heart dropping into a bottomless pit as he had to run in his mind what Tsuna'd just said. "I beg your pardon?"

Silence. Tsuna wasn't going to repeat himself, and Giotto definitely wasn't going to let him.

"You," he blabbered and it honestly came out more obnoxious than intended, "a horrible friend?"

Tsuna didn't nod. But he didn't shake his head, either.

"You—" What the hell? Giotto could have sworn his vocabulary wasn't limited to pronouns. "—You do realize last week I couldn't bring myself to be angry at you because although you ran away, you did it to help a friend?"

Nothing? Nada.

"Little brother," he groaned haphazardly (really, where was this misplaced immaturity coming from? He hadn't the slightest idea), "You're a horrible friend as I am a responsible older brother. Two seconds ago, we were treating the phrase 'run away' like it was a curse out of Harry Potter, and I just said it again—"

"I-I'm not talking about Enma!" Oh. Silence. "I'm…sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"No, it's fine." At least it was finally clear, and Giotto could sit in peace in his chair. He looked to his brother as amiably as possible, but the brunet was purely tortured. His chest softened, and Giotto inched closer to the teenager. "If this isn't about Enma, then who is it about?"

"Y…" Tsuna deteriorated in his seat. Giotto grimaced. "Yamamoto and Gokudera-kun."

That had been a problem Giotto had known familiarly for years. He stared at his brother, not too surprised by the problem or the fact Tsuna had been caught up in the middle of it—though excruciatingly shocked that his brother would bother with their...circumstance. Then again, he thought idly, his brother was Tsuna the Caretaker. Of course this problem would bother him.

When he didn't respond, he realized Tsuna was looking at him both expectantly and fearfully. "I-I…made a mess of things."

"I've been making cracks about when they'd get together for years," Giotto offered. Though a second later he realized it probably wasn't what Tsuna wanted to hear—until, that is, chocolate brown eyes rolled and the line of his lips widened ever-so slightly. "G and I have been placing bets on when Hayato-kun would come out of the closet."

Stare.

"Trust me—big pile of money. Keeps getting bigger."

More staring.

"Though I think I'm winning. Then again, back in '09, he called it that Takeshi-kun would fall for Hayato-kun first." Giotto tapped his chin thoughtfully, the matter having disappeared for a moment before he remembered what they were discussing and offered a pity smile. "Don't worry. Gaspare and I aren't the only ones placing bets. Asari is—o-kay. We can drop that part of the subject because you're clearly not smiling or falling for my charm."

Oh, God. He was turning into Dino.

Tsuna's eyebrows furrowed, and he hunched over, frustration written clearly on his face. He opened his mouth to speak, yet had nothing to say.

It was a problem Giotto knew clearly—Tsuna either blabbed what was on his mind before realizing the consequences, or he wasn't sure if he had the approval to say what was on his mind. Giotto leaned over, fingers pressing gently to his brother's forehead, and tilted his head with much concern. Tsuna jumped in his seat. "Little brother…you can tell me whatever's on your mind. Promise. This time, I won't make a joke out of it or make fun of you."

Again Tsuna opened his mouth, but the hesitation was easily read on his face. Giotto moved his hand, carefully squeezing his brother's shoulder in attempt to subdue him, and it proved to be working. "They've been…arguing lately. More than usual—" Tsuna looked Giotto in the eye. "—and Yamamoto would retaliate because Gokudera-kun was just being…er, mean. That'd been how I left them. And…going back to school today…"

"What happened at school?" Giotto waited with anticipation.

"I…Y-Yamamoto had told me something that he didn't tell Gokudera-kun. And I didn't know that." Tsuna shut his eyes, and Giotto fetched the water bottle he kept in his drawer. The brunet took it without second thought, pink etching up his cheeks. "So I told him. I just…I didn't think—" His voice faltered, and any wit Giotto had left disappeared into true worry. "I didn't think that…it'd hurt them so badly and…I couldn't face either one of them."

"Feeling like the third wheel?"

"A wobbly one." Tsuna bit his lip and closed his eyes.

"Are they mad at you?"

Shrug. "Didn't stick around long enough to find out. And—Yamamoto has been giving me looks, b-but they're not…glares, and…no one's seen Gokudera since lunch. I haven't, either. I…I ran out on Yamamoto before he could say anything."

Huh.

"They're…" Tsuna's voice dropped to an uncertain whisper, "they're different. From Enma."

"Opinions granted, you're a little different yourself, don't you think?" Now he was treading on thinly iced territory. Giotto raised his head, eyes narrowing in a mildly condescending way. Mirth danced in his eyes, and he tried not to smile against his brother's look of confusion and unintentional, sarcastic comment that went unsaid. "You may have been…Enma's little-big brother, but…even then, G and I are there in a heartbeat. Takeshi-kun and Hayato-kun, on the other hand…you're not the little-big brother. They see you as if you're Enma, and you need to be taken care of."

Not satisfied with the thought, the brunet's face switched into the urgent alarm when he wasn't comfortable with a situation. "B-But—"

"You have friends who are concerned for your wellbeing." Giotto cut him off brusquely, expression of light stern as he put forth his hand in gesture to stop the teenager. "And if you realize it or not, the more you insist they don't make a fuss over you, you're pushing them away."

His brother's entire face contorted and Giotto knew the boy was relishing a quiet epiphany. He bowed his head in shame. "I broke up their friendship, though."

"You didn't…break up their friendship. They're just going through a rough patch that's lasted a really, really long time." His heart sunk, guilt tingling in his lungs. Seeing his brother stressing out over matters that…quite frankly, didn't involve him. "You said yourself that Takeshi doesn't seem like he's angry at you."

"You think he'll talk to me ever again?"

"Boy can't keep his mouth shut." Giotto chuckled wryly and set his hand on top of Tsuna's. As the fingers brushed against his palm, he paused, and an odd tingling sensation bubbled in his stomach. Tsuna looked back at him, ignorant, and curled his hand until the blond was touching his knuckles.

"I could just…they were used to being friends without me there." Tsuna frowned, but oddly enough he seemed less irrational. "I don't have to stick out."

"But then it'd kill you if you didn't fix the problem."

Tsuna's chin met his chest, perplexed, and Giotto knew he spoke the truth.

"You heard it yourself this morning," offered the blond with faint mirth. "Takeshi-kun is our new neighbor, and I've known the kid for years. You should have seen him when he had the little crush on G. Hayato was livid and jealous for months and—well, they were only thirteen at the time. It was funny watching the kid keep wary notes on him."

"Yamamoto?"

"Hayato." Giotto laughed when a tousled sigh escaped Tsuna's lips. Of course it wasn't surprising. As they entered a more comfortable silence, Giotto fingered his pen and looked back to the documents in front of him. His hand had gone contentedly numb, happy to be holding the teenager's. Honestly, it was…nice. Really nice.

"Should I…go over there, or wait for him to come to me?"

Hm. "The Tsuna that was unintentionally pushing away good friends would try to hide, under the impression that he couldn't do anything right for his friends." Giotto raised his head, eyes flickering with its fervent bliss. Tsuna looked to their hands, calculative, and he didn't stop him. "What would the Tsuna, who treasures all friendships and has an irrevocable habit of wanting to help others, do?"

A pregnant pause stood between them as Tsuna bit his light pink lips. He'd come up with the conclusion having been drawn ages ago despite reluctance driving it away, and stood from his seat, nervousness clear across his face. "Okay."

Much to the brunet's horror, he spun around and got closer to the door—"Wait."

Tsuna stopped and looked puzzled.

"You, little brother, still need to work for another couple hours. I don't get off work until nine, remember?" It took a moment to click, Giotto could tell, but once it registered in Tsuna's mind of the relaxed offer, his little brother sighed in relief. "You can head straight there after work. Just…go fix whatever Dino's broken at G's desk."

The brunet nodded gratefully yet hesitantly as he turned his head to look at the destruction. As he did so, Giotto bit back a smile and the bits and pieces of information he knew of Tsuna. There was no doubt of his brother's timidity. However, when concerning himself with Tsuna's problems, he had to wonder why Tsuna held back when it came to his friends rather than him. Was it because they were brothers? Was it because of that…kiss?

Oh, God no.

Giotto shoved the thought away, cheeks sprinkled in light pink. As far as he knew, Tsuna had no current memory of the incident, and he hoped for the day where it wasn't the first thing that came to mind when dealing with his little brother.

"Giott—?"

"Yeah?" Crap, that sounded tense. Giotto raised his head, met with the puzzled look pertaining to his brother's face.

"Um, someone's calling on my phone, and I don't know who the number is." Quickly, he added, "A-and I have both Gokudera-kun and Yamamoto's numbers, so I know it's not them."

"Alright. Tell me the number." It was both a pleasure and a pain to have a picture perfect memory. Oddly enough, he didn't recognize any of the digits his brother recited. "Maybe someone got a new phone? Go ahead and answer it."

Tsuna nodded slowly, and the blond watched in mild interest as his brother pressed the phone to his face. "Hello?"

At first, there wasn't a noise. Giotto couldn't hear a murmur or any sign of life on the other end of the phone. Then he saw his brother's eyes widen—not from horror, thank goodness—as if whatever was happening was too good to be true.

Tsuna perked, and he watched his brother burst into a thousand-watt smile, cautious and hopeful. "Enma."

Well, that was a surprise. Giotto reached for his own phone to call G with questions, then remembered Dino had stolen it in attempt to hide the damage he'd done. He groaned, the suddenly realized said older brother had been gone for…way too long. And his keys were missing.

"Tsuna," he said quickly. "I'm going to make sure Dino didn't flood the lobby." Or kill his damn fish.

Something flipped in Giotto's chest as he watched the relief flood his brother's eyes, almost in tears. The stormy clouds that once reeked were replaced with tiny, sparkling crescents and like day and night, Tsuna flipped. He nodded brightly—bashfully and. And Giotto found himself both tingly and at a loss for words.

"Hold on, I'm at work." Just as obliviously, Tsuna tore the phone away from his ear and he shared a worried look to a stunned older brother. "Can I…we haven't…"

"…go ahead." Giotto offered a smile of his own, but he knew it didn't shine as bright as his brother's. Excusing himself for good, he made sure to give the brunet the office if only for a little while so Bite-Size and Brother #2 could catch up.

Well, Giotto thought, wondering why his heart would just skip a beat. Fervent pink skated across his cheeks, and he forced it down. That was odd.

chapter twenty-six has birds and hedgehogs.

Finding the instruction manual to G's desk was an easy job. Trying to actually fix it without getting a splinter (and how the heck did Dino actually put a foot-shaped dent into wood, anyway?) and preventing himself from falling over (how on earth did the chair merge with the desk?) all while trying to keep noise to a minimum as an amused Giotto tried to do his work was not.

Tsuna spent the majority of the supposed three hours trying to figure out bits and pieces after Giotto shoved a pack of sea monkeys in Dino's face and forced their eldest brother to sit in the corner with a tiny glass bowl filled with water. His fingers throbbed with pain, head spun from unhealthy fumes, and he had a horrid fear that a cup of monkeys managed to seep through his jeans. A shiver passed through the pitiable brunet's spine once he sat carefully on the loveseat before altogether collapsing with sweet relief.

How did Giotto manage twenty-five years with the guy? He'd mentioned the eldest was clumsy, but certainly not that clumsy. Tsuna wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen it himself.

"Tired, little brother?" Fervent mirth tickled through one of his brother's ears—Tsuna was too exhausted to figure out which sibling.

A jolt thundered through Tsuna, and he flinched, suddenly feeling a light tongue on his neck and little paws dancing on the small of his back. "Hi, Nuts."

"Meow." A mane of fluffy hair buried itself into the crook of the brunet's shoulder, and he lamented a sigh before rolling onto his belly. Nuts rewarded him with cheerful licks and affectionate kisses.

"Most cats are feral." Giotto arched an eyebrow, fiery eyes narrowing to the tepid teenager. Tsuna heard a chuckle without actually listening. "You know. Feminine and kinda sneaky. Nuts, on the other hand, is really—"

"Tsuna-ish." Dino interrupted and there was a pat on the shoulder from one brother to the other. "He's purebred, but was also one of the smallest kittens in his litter. The owner was actually gonna put him to sleep if it wasn't for the fact I fell in love with the little guy."

"Seems suiting. Just like how you carry Enzo around in your pocket."

"You're saying Enzo compliments my personality? How?"

"He doesn't compliment your personality, he suits you considering his hard shell—close to indestructible. Damn thing wouldn't stand a chance if it wasn't a turtle."

"Giotto, you just said 'damn.' I think the time away from G is making you form some strange habits."

"…Oh my god I'm turning into some hybrid of you and the smoker!"

To that Tsuna cracked a laugh, only a chuckle short of a giggle as he sheepishly arose from the seat, Nuts cuddled firmly against his chest. Dino was clueless, Giotto was having another of his silly stress attacks. Funny how ever since Dino's arrival the younger blond ended up being the one to fill his best friend's shoes. His chest felt light, ears still tingling from the conversation with Enma, but heart was heavy. A nervous sigh escaped his lips as he set the kitten in his place on the couch.

Giotto snapped from playful bickering with Dino and looked to the teenager in curiosity. "Going over to Yamamoto Sushi?"

Tsuna nodded grimly. It was a promise he'd made to Giotto, and his brother was right. The old Tsuna pushed away his friends, nervous and afraid of being taken care off. Ever since moving to Namimori he found himself with friends left and right, Yamamoto insisting on taking care of him, Gokudera-kun pushing plain hard facts, Kyoko—a girl—actually talking to him among other things. He…liked being taken care of. He liked having friends who cherished him rather than mocked him into an early grave, and it was once when he radiated with Shimon's nervous lack of confidence that he ever got into a fist fight.

"Dino's cooking tonight." When Dino was out of earshot and in the kitchen, Giotto added quietly, "So bring a lot of sushi and I'll make sure to put the fire department on speed dial."

"But…the pancakes he made this morning looked good."

"Tsuna there is a reason why we had a fire extinguisher in every single room of our second house when growing up."

"E-Er. Right." Blinking, Tsuna slowly nodded and made his way to the door.

"Heading out?" Dino chirped cheerily. In one hand was an egg beater and the other a spatula. "I'm making spaghetti. Anything special that you want with it, little brother? Giotto likes his with extra cheese."

Tsuna had a feeling the reason Giotto asked for extra cheese was because the original would end up on the ground or plastered to the ceiling. He shook his head, small smile spread across his face. "I've only had spaghetti once before, so—"

"You've never had true Italiano spaghetti?" Hilariously enough it was the middle brother who burst into a tragic gasp. Tsuna jumped as a blur of bright blond swooped into the kitchen, and automatically twin looks of alarm passed through both older brothers. "Omigod—the sheep thing is enjoying himself in Italy and—and—Dino!"

"He's never had Italiano spaghetti!" Dino threw his hands up in the air, miraculously avoiding injury while the egg beater landed perfectly in the sink. "Giotto, the grocer's doesn't close until twelve, right? Meatballs! We have to buy meatballs!"

"And the sauce!" Giotto insisted. He shook the inch-taller brother with an identical look of pure craziness and pressed a hand to his face. "There's just too much Japanese in the room! Big brother—who's driving?"

"Who? Me, of course! I'm a better driver!"

"And what's wrong with my driving, Mister Accident Prone?"

Um. Brown eyes looked back and forth at the scene presented, faintly amused. He wasn't sure whether to crack a smile or to back away slowly. Failing for conclusion, Tsuna leaned against the door with a quiet snort, edges of his lips lifting. "Guys?"

"Si, piccolino?" They asked in unison. Dropping the act, Dino grinned and leaned into the middle brother.

"You're so awesome." The brunet felt his cheeks flutter pink, smile widening, then slipped out the door to leave his brothers argue about grocery shopping. He crossed the rooftop, a roll of his eyes reserved for their antics, and another sigh escaped his lips as he waited for the elevator. One moment Dino could be hiding behind the lamp while Giotto tried to figure out who broke one of the couch legs, and the next they were singing show tunes and debating the blond lookalikes in Katekyo Hitman Rebirth.

Ding. The elevator opened.

"Oh, Tsuna—"

"Y-Yamamoto." Tsuna's voice dropped to a dead whisper, eyes widening in surprise as he craned his neck to look at his tallest friend. Yamamoto stood parallel to him, beaming ear-to-ear with a bat tucked over his shoulder. Wait…eek! "Y-You're not going to b-beat me up with that, are you? !"

The smile disappeared, replaced with Yamamoto's natural cluelessness as he tilted his head to the side, then laughed again with content. "With my baseball bat?"

WITH WHAT ELSE? Tsuna took an instinctive step back, hesitant to draw attention elsewhere as his complexion paled to a petty white.

"Tsuna…" The baseball player with really big arms's eyes softened, and he lowered the bat, sheepish smile returning to his face. "I'm not going to hurt you, haha. But I know you're really shy and are probably blaming yourself for this. I mean, you wouldn't even look me in the eye for the rest of class or anything, and it's better to make up now than never, right?"

"A…Actually, I was going over to Yamamoto Sushi right now to see if your dad knew where you were." Tsuna dropped his gaze and mentally hit himself over the head. Yamamoto may have been tall for their age group, but he was a gentle as a butterfly. While Gokudera-kun was a living monsoon, Yamamoto was a light rain shower. Nothing harmful, everything sweet.

"Oh." It took Yamamoto by surprise. "Um. You wanna go inside then, to talk?"

"N-No," Tsuna shook his head and paled at the thought of finding Dino with a broken nose and foot caught in the toilet. Again. "But I wanted to say I'm sorry. And apologize. F-For everything." He took in a shaky breath, heart trembling, and curled his fingers to the hem of his pants. "It…wasn't my business, and I should have respected your privacy, even if Gokudera-kun already did know."

"…go on."

He looked up to darker, sharper eyes, and noted that Yamamoto didn't look the least bit angry. Why not? "I should have given you the benefit of the doubt a-and…not have freaked out the way I did. Running away and all during school. I'm sorry. I'm…" Looking Yamamoto in the face was horribly difficult. "I'm a horrible friend."

"You're not a horrible friend, Tsuna." A hand found itself tangled through Tsuna's locks, and he jumped in surprise from the mirth in his friend's voice. Yamamoto started off with a soft laugh before descending into a kind tone. "Didn't you hear what I just said? You're shy. And I'm not mad at you, I'm just…I'm not mad at you."

"How can you not be?" Without even realizing it, his voice had escalated into a more demanding tone. Tsuna recoiled, heart pounding in his chest as he looked at his friend in the eye. "I did something wrong—I always do something wrong, and I'm—I'm No Good Tsuna—I just. I just am wrong all the time."

The surprise was visible in Yamamoto's eyes. He tilted his head, taken off guard by Tsuna's string of words, but he simply shook his head. This time, the taller teen did look mad, but. All for the wrong reasons. "Who calls you No Good Tsuna?"

"E…Everyone." Everyone in Shimon, anyway.

"You're not. Er, not no good, anyway. Uh, here—let's find somewhere to sit." Yamamoto looked around dizzily, hands wrapped delicately around Tsuna's shoulders before guiding the younger teenager on a bench in the front yard. "Okay, let's talk about this. First off, you're not No Good Tsuna, Tsuna. You're just…Tsuna."

His eyes had widened to the size of Frisbees, body petrified as the taller teen tried to calm him down.

"And you're not a horrible friend." An exasperated sigh escaped Yamamoto's lips, followed by a nervous chuckle as he ran a hand through his hair. "Tsuna, I heard what you did for Kozato. Every chance given I tried prying information out of Master Asari Ugetsu, and it's quite possibly the sweetest thing I've ever heard. The most noble." Tsuna's cheeks turned bright red. "You took care of him the entire time he visited and during your birthday. But the thing is…remember how you and I met?"

The brunet nodded.

"You were sweet. You were nice. When you came you changed me for the better, Tsuna. You saved me from making the biggest mistake in my life by almost…ending it, haha." Yamamoto filled the silent void with a soft, awkward laugh. "But you were meek, and always looked to the ground. Always…trying really hard to blend in, and you were a fish out of water. Believe it or not, Gokudera thinks very highly of you—even respects you. His pride just won't admit it, and…well, my life would be nothing without you. Literally."

"But you don't need to—"

"Take care of you?" Yamamoto finished. His eyes narrowed, a light balance of irritation teeming in his irises, then he shook his head. "It's kind of…half-and-half, Tsuna."

"You fed me sushi. Spoon fed me." Apparently that was enough to get a laugh out of Yamamoto. The weight on his heart lessened, and Tsuna managed to sit straighter in his seat.

"Okay, maybe I went a little overboard, haha. But I did get a point across." Yamamoto leaned forward, earnestly looking the other teenager in the eye and smiled genuinely. "I don't have to take care of you. But I want to take care of you and feel the need to. It's admiring what you do for people—even when good intentions have wrong results."

"Yamamoto—"

"Tsuna. We're friends, and that's all there is to it. Okay?" Yamamoto cupped his face, goofy smile at hand, and nodded his head for him. "Say it. Say yes, Tsuna. Yup, yup!"

"B-But…I-I…" His head was spinning.

"No more buts." Yamamoto joked a threatening look. "I mean it."

"Then…what about Gokudera?"

Oddly enough it wasn't pain that masqueraded upon Yamamoto's face. He looked to the other teenager, still lopsided grin and all, then shrugged. "Haha, he's always angry at me for something, Tsuna. And I think it's my turn to be sorry."

"For what?" Yamamoto had been nothing but nice to him, and made Tsuna feel more welcomed than anyone had ever done.

"The day you and I became friends was also the day you got caught in the middle of Gokudera and my…relationship." Yamamoto laughed ironically and rubbed the back of his neck. "It was kind of destined for failure from the start. You ended up being the middle person because, quite frankly, we're too stubborn to admit when we're wrong. I'm not mad at you for what you said—no, not at all. Under normal circumstances—if you were someone else…then yeah. But you're not. And if we didn't drive you in the middle—getting my problems and Gokudera's—then you wouldn't have blabbed. You wouldn't have been confused."

"It's still my fault though." Tsuna shook his head in refusal. No. Others taking the blame for him was—

"I'm not blaming you and you're not blaming me. And I…we're here for you when you need us." Yamamoto gently tilted his head and pressed a hand to Tsuna's shoulder. "Gokudera and I will work this out ourselves, okay? Haha. So how about…we agree to disagree."

Tsuna stared at his friend long and hard, finding it impossible to keep his body still. Finally he nodded, knowing well that Yamamoto wasn't going to let him win. And, if he wasn't going to let Yamamoto win, either, then… "O-Okay. Do you…want to come inside?"

"You sure? You turned pretty pale whenever I suggested it the first time." Yamamoto laughed.

"...well," the brunet started softly, shrugging as he stood from the bench, "there hasn't been any crashes and the house hasn't collapsed yet. That might be a sign saying my brothers haven't castrated the place."

"Haha, how can you castrate a hous…oh, you're serious."

"Y-Yeah." Tsuna dug for his house key and unlocked the door. Giotto sat quaintly on the couch, look of irritation on his face, then turned back.

Suddenly he smiled. "You two make up?"

"Like birds and bees, haha." Yamamoto laughed while Tsuna smiled back. "Hey, Giotto-niisan. Could I ask a question?"

Tsuna looked between both men before carrying himself to the kitchen to inspect any damage. Giotto apparently noticed. "Dino drenched himself in orange juice by accident. He's going to go shower, and then we'll…go out for dinner. It's a little late, anyway. And sure. What do you need, Takeshi-kun?"

"You and Doctor Brouille are dating…right?"

Silence. In the background something on TV was freaking out about a broccoli monster as Tsuna held his breath in fear of Giotto's answer.

"Something like that. Why?"

"How about you and he go on a date Friday night? Tsuna and I can have a sleepover party and argue about it later. Rebirth marathon sound good, haha?" Yamamoto looked over to Tsuna casually with a smile. Horrified far too many times that day, Tsuna hesitantly turned his head to read his brother's reaction.

Giotto was blushing. Horribly. "We're not a couple that goes on dates, Takeshi-kun."

"Why not?" Yamamoto smiled eagerly. "It's not too late to start, haha. Why don't you call him right now?"

Oh god. They finally made up and Yamamoto was about to die. Giotto opened his mouth in protest (Tsuna was sure of it), and unable to find one, closed his mouth. He met eyes with a tense Tsuna, eyebrows arched, then reached for his phone on the table. Hesitation flashed through his eyes, and slowly he pressed a button before pressing it to his ear.

Great. Alaude was on speed dial. Yamamoto was beaming from ear-to-ear, and edging this on. However, he wasn't the one who would stay behind for Giotto's reaction once his brother was done!

After a moment of silence, Giotto turned his head, hand pressing against his free ear and shoulders hunched over. "Hey, Alaude." Pause. "Yeah, doing fine. I have something to ask you." Pause. "No, not that. Maybe later. Um. Do you think you might wanna…go on a date?" His voice cracked maybe three octaves. Tsuna watched the red rise up his brother's neck to his ears, and the anticipation was visibly thick across the adult's face. Suddenly it loosened, and Giotto tossed his head back, no doubt with a light headache. "Right. Okay. Sure. I'll um. I'll see you Friday."

With that he hung up the phone and a low groan escaped the adult's throat. Tsuna inched closer to Yamamoto. The guy was, after all, taller than his brother, s-so Giotto might back down…o-or something.

"I know some great restaurants if you've got a dating block." Yamamoto smiled and looked to Tsuna. "We could watch some Disney princess movies, or wrestling, or sports, or even just cartoons. You wanna have a 'worst movies of all time' marathon?"

"S-Sure…y-yeah…" Quite honestly Tsuna was more concerned with what Giotto was gonna do with him than an actual sleepover.

Luckily Dino managed to hop down the stairs without making a mess of himself. "Alright! Ooh, Takeshi, you're here! What's wrong, Giotto? Aren't we going grocery shopping?"

Giotto groaned again. The other blond looked to their youngest for less confusing answers. Tsuna gulped.

"Giotto's got a date with Alaude on Friday."

OoOoO

Kyouya Hibari.

Tsuna was familiar with that name for only two occasions: when first finding out Alaude-san was also the chairman to his school, and when he apparently retrieved the brunet's pants (ironically since his growth spurt Tsuna probably wouldn't fit them anymore.) Alaude and Kyouya looked more alike than most people did for uncles and nephews. According to Giotto on their own father's side they had two uncles that he'd never met, and Nana was an only child.

A lot of people looked alike in this town, and acted alike. Yamamoto and his teacher, Asari Ugetsu, G and Gokudera. That priest/doctor person, Knuckle-san even sort of looked like Ryohei. Yamamoto and Asari both laughed and were very cheerful men, while G and Gokudera bickered over beer and smoke.

Hilariously G was probably twenty times calmer than Gokudera-kun.

Hibari-san and Alaude-san had the same haircut. They duplicated the same curl of the lips, had similar sharp eyes, stood the same, and quite frankly had the same scary aura others either noticed or didn't care for. Giotto, who was wearing one of his infamous pinstripe suits and nervous expression, apparently didn't see it.

When approaching the door, Alaude wielded a look of seriousness, wary with the burn visible under bright blue eyes. Tsuna felt his heart drop, watching as Giotto fretfully grumbled, 'hi.' In that moment Alaude grunted, and Tsuna turned pink watching Alaude smirk and kiss Giotto preciously above the forehead.

Then Hibari came to view, staring directly at him.

Did he…did he even have eyes? Tsuna stared, hands tightening on his foot as he pretended to watch TV. Gokudera had been a no-show at school all week, and now that it was Friday night Yamamoto would be sleeping over. His cheeks tingled again. It'd be the first time it wasn't Enma that ever slept over at his house. Well, technically Giotto's, but that wasn't the point.

Tsuna held Nuts closely in his lap, shivering to the stoic look received in return. Seriously! Did Hibari-san have eyes or what?

"D-Do I really need a babysitter?" Gokudera-kun managed to explode like a ticking time bomb every three seconds. The way Hibari-san just stared at him—not leering, not making googly eyes—just made him uncomfortable. And scared the crap out of him like, a lot.

"You need a babysitter as much as I need a date," Giotto groaned. Tsuna shuddered. After four days the blond still refused to cancel, trying to make best of the situation as he could. Tsuna pitied him, Alaude said not one word and quite frankly Dino nowadays was quiet. Well. Until he fell over or something.

"Oh. Alaude's here already?"

Tsuna turned his head to the hallway, met by Dino's presence. The room dropped into dead silence, pulses suddenly racing twenty beats faster. He turned his head, confused at the sudden atmosphere change from Alaude's vehement frown to Giotto's forced ignorance.

"It's been a while since you've seen each other. Almost four years—am I mistaken?" The braver one, Giotto put his hands on his hips and gestured between the pair.

"We met." Dino's tone was clipped. Dino's tone was never clipped. Suddenly the same blond broke into a small smile and his eyes shifted. "Hi, Kyouya."

A 'hn' was the only response. Yet somehow that miniscule acknowledge was all that it took for Alaude's frown to become a violent sneer and scowl. "Last week when you and the other one came."

"Oh." The lack of zealous shone clearly in Giotto's voice, followed by an uneasiness far misplaced in the pair. "Let's get going."

"Alaude," Dino raised his voice, and a small, sad smile spread across his lips. "I've missed you."

The other adult didn't move. Snowy white hair swished in place, fingers digging into the material of his sleeves before the Frenchman reached over and robbed Giotto of his lips. Tsuna, who'd been watching back and forth intently like a ping-pong match, cocked his head back to Dino. What…wh-what was going on? There was no anger. Dino's smile wilted, but he himself did nothing. He…he wasn't going to do a thing about it.

Finally the chairman pulled away, icy blue eyes frigid, and yanked Giotto out the door. "Let's go."

Giotto looked at the man as if he'd just killed the world. "That wasn't necessary." SLAM.

Tsuna kept his eyes on Dino, studying every possible imperfection he could find. Worry fluttered through his chest—what was it, anyway? Obviously Alaude and Giotto had known each other for years (that went for a lot of Giotto's circle of friends), but…what did Dino have to do with it?

"Are you okay?" He couldn't help the words once they left his mouth. Rather than hanging his head in shame, Tsuna sat, Nuts still in his lap, and offered his brother an arm. Dino was…the one who smiled all the time. He bucked like a silly Disney horse, smiled like a sunflower, and managed to wreck everything in his path, but…this Dino was very distraught.

Snapping out of his trance, the blond looked up with quaint surprise, eyes narrowing to the younger brother. "Oh…yeah. Fine. How are you doing, Kyouya?"

"Let's fight, herbivore."

"Eek!" WHAT WERE THOSE? Tsuna ducked under the cushions, barely dodging a bare foot as Hibari-san leaped over the couch and a rather unmanly yelp could be heard from his brother. He looked around fearfully before finding his brother—while not cheered up—at the mercy of a big…metal-thinger-rod in his chest while tried to fend the boy off.

"Y-You're babysitting, remember, Kyouya? Haha—OW!" Dino's dark complexion paled and Tsuna sat on the couch, mouth open yet speechless. The adult grabbed the first thing he saw: a bathroom towel from the supply closet—and skillfully blocked off the next one. "Wow, s-so you got the new tonfa I sent you for Christmas? Oof!"

"Sh-Should I call the police—"

"You." Eep. Hibari brusquely turned around, one tonfa jabbed forward to Tsuna's face and the other clearly pressed to Dino's Adam's apple. Then out of nowhere from the school blazer pocket scurried some yellow poof-ball thing before fluttering to the guy's shoulder with a tiny, fancily tied scroll. If that wasn't obedient training, then Tsuna had no freaking clue. The little ribbon fell and the paper descended three inches. "Do you know what this says, herbivore?"

"No?" OF COURSE NOT.

"To watch you until Takeshi Yamamoto comes." Omigod, what just glinted? WERE THOSE HIS EYES? "It does not say to let you talk, does not mention to feed you, and does not mention that you are allowed to stare me in the face. If you do anything while I watch you, I will bite you to death."

Bite him to death? BITE HIM TO DEATH? HOW DID SOMEONE WITH SOME FUZZY YELLOW MARSHMALLOW ON HIS SHOULDER LOOK SO FREAKING SCARY?

As soon as the doorbell rang Tsuna was sure he'd wet himself from fear just a little before rushing—

"No running."

Walking—

"No walking."

...crawling?

"Herbivore." Eep. Tsuna turned his head, careful not to look Hibari-san in the eye while the older teenager turned his attention to his eldest brother. Unlike him, Dino still held a smile on his face—albeit a tad nervous—but very cheerful compared to earlier with Alaude. Tsuna took note to ask Giotto about it once he got the chance. "Answer the door."

"Alrighty." Dino smiled sweetly, delivering Tsuna a sheepish look before bouncing off to the door like nothing happened. "Ooh, Hayato?"

"You fucking bastard I've been knocking on your damn door for five fucking minutes. Why the hell would you think you could keep me waiting—Dino-san!" The gasp could be heard in Gokudera's voice.

Tsuna nearly dropped the cat on his feet as the scent of cigarettes permeated through the room. He gaped, watching as Dino opened the door wider, still smiling, and watched the hilarious image of a sputtering Gokudera staring at Dino like he was in the presence of a god.

"It's fine—"

"Herbivore." And of course, Hibari-san had to be angry by this point! "We were in the middle of something."

"But you told me to answer the door." Immune to the teenager's daunting nature, Dino obliviously shrugged and gestured toward the apartment. "Come on in, Hayato. You know, Kyouya, you can leave now."

Eek. Tsuna flinched, watching as Hibari-san's not-eyes trail to the brunet himself, and a tonfa now pointed itself bluntly to his chest like a gun to a hostage. Well, he certainly felt like one at the moment. "Under the orders of Giotto Vongola I was to wait for Takeshi Yamamoto. That is not Takeshi Yamamoto. If you expect me to condone a house party then I'll be delighted to bite you to death."

He…OH GOD HE WAS GOING TO BE BITTEN TO DEATH!

"Tenth!" Oh, and EVER SO FREAKING OBLIVIOUS, GOKUDERA HAD TO OPEN HIS BIG between yelling, screaming, and staying quiet for his dear life to keep from being bit to death, Tsuna just…just stood there. Yeah. There was no sitting, no jumping, j-just standing. And sure enough, oblivious Gokudera held his head high with a bright smile. "How about you and I do some math homework? I could teach you asymptotes…and we can watch the best movies ever made! Rush Hours 1, 2, and 3!"

"I-I—"

"Tsunayoshi Sawada. Don't. Talk. And you," Hibari turned swiftly, eyes narrowing to Gokudera. "Leave. Trespassers aren't welcomed."

"Kyouya, it's okay." Dino raised his voice above the others, flashing a quick sympathetic look to his younger brother before gently gesturing to the hothead. "Hayato's a good boy, and he's a friend of Tsuna's. Giotto's not the only big brother, you know."

"Is that punk messing with you?" Gokudera's expression darkened angrily followed by a scowl. He threw a fist into the air, bright green orbs suddenly dreary, and sneered. "I'll fucking kick his ass, Tenth, if he thinks he can lay a hand on you!"

"Gokudera-kun!" NO! HE DIDN'T WANT TO BE BITTEN TO DEATH. IT WAS. THAT IS. Oh, he was so scared… Realization hit and immediately Tsuna shook his head, heart sinking. "I'm…Y-Yamamoto and I are going to be hanging out tonight."

On cue, the door slowly creaked open and—oh no. Tsuna looked back and forth, lips tightening into a small frown as Yamamoto entered, good-natured smile spread across his features as he held up a stack of DVDs. "Tsuna! I brought some good mov—…ies."

Silence. The brunet cringed just looking between the pair and trembled as they locked eyes. For once even Dino looked perturbed and hesitantly ready to throw one of them out.

Hibari-san was the one to speak. "Hn. This crowd is too petty. I'm leaving."

"E-Er. Thank you." Tsuna looked up to the older teenager, who sneered, and as flighty as his entrance left. That was one problem out of the way.

Now faced with his second problem, the brunet looked to Yamamoto apologetically. I didn't know he'd be here.

"What are you doing here?" Gokudera broke their silence.

Yamamoto tilted his head, "What are you?"

"I was here first."

"Tsuna and I already made plans."

"Let's—" Tsuna jumped as a hand touched his shoulder, and locked eyes with an apprehensive Dino. He struggled to smile, voice at a whisper, and gestured to the kitchen. "—give them some alone time. Shall we?"

Reluctant, he complied to his eldest brother's wishes, but the kitchen wasn't far off. The design Irie-san constructed of the penthouse meant once you entered through the door, you were in the living room. Counter space jutted into the same living room, and windows littered walls closest to the exterior. Two other hallways were meant to reach the guest room and the small dining hall, and everything else was upstairs. One fact remained the same: even if Tsuna was in the kitchen, anything Yamamoto and Gokudera said could be heard loud and clear.

"Just because you fucking made plans, baseball idiot, doesn't mean that he can't change them."

"Gokudera…"

A sigh was heard in the edges of Yamamoto's voice, and Tsuna suppressed a sigh once he reached the fridge. Why was it…that he seemed to be in the middle of things lately? Giotto and that Daemon guy, and again with Yamamoto and Gokudera. Suddenly—

"You don't fucking deserve to be his best friend, after all the shit you've put him through, so why don't you just…"

"Just what?"

"Just…just…fucking…"

"Just kill myself?"

—staying in Shimon didn't seem like a bad idea.

Once those two little words left Yamamoto's mouth, Dino took it upon himself to intervene. "You guys wanna order pizza?"

"What, Gokudera? Don't have a comeback to that?"

Tsuna blinked, scanning the only six-pack of beer Giotto kept in the house—originally untouched, now had a…purple rat? No. It was a hedgehog. "Um, guys?"

"You…you…"

"Gokudera, it isn't...we shouldn't put Tsuna in the middle of this, or be in his apartment—"

"Tsuna! Tsuna, Tsuna, Tsuna, TSUNA. What the fuck is so special about him?"

"Pepperoni? Cheese? What about a supreme—"

"What's so 'fucking special' about him? How can you even say that?"

"You know what I fucking mean! Just—why! Why him? Why is it that you tell him, but not me?"

"Guys?"

"Uh, should I call? Pizza Hut or Papa John's?"

"How could I tell you? Why would I tell you? It…it was a long time ago, Gokudera—could we please just not talk about it?"

"No! Because ever since he fucking moved here all you've ever talked about is—is—"

"Guys!" Uh, wow. Tsuna felt the red rise in his cheeks, followed by the overwhelmed flush hearing his two friends argue over…him. His chest beat loudly, ears ringing and radiating with a sickening feeling watching from watching their petty argument. One arguing against—one arguing for. It was as if the realization had stricken, twin epiphanies and culpabilities as they hung their heads in shame. Dino, too, had gone from peacemaker and looked pissed off.

"What is it?" Gokudera's query was by far the most shocking of all. His eyes held evident compunction, struggling for control over his emotions. Tsuna didn't miss the look of surprise Yamamoto gave when the other teenager spoke.

"Um. There's a hedgehog in the refrigerator. I-I think it belongs to Hibari-san."

Silence. "You're shitting me."

"H-He got into the beer! Honest!" Tsuna's cheeks blazed an unfortunate pink and he reached out, careful not to touch deathly quills, and held it up for all to see. It was the oddest shade of purple Tsuna had ever seen, and it certainly wasn't helping the way it swayed back and forth, pink blush visible in its cheeks. It sounded like…

"Is that thing singing My Girl? Haha, that is so cute!" Yamamoto broke out of his heavy silence, grinning from cheek-to-cheek.

Dino placed a hand on Tsuna's shoulder and chuckled. "His name is Roll. I bought him for Kyouya maybe a year or so back. It's probably a good idea if you bring him back though. Er." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a baby bottle full of water. "Maybe sober him up before giving him back."

"You carry that with you?" Giotto was horrible at driving. Lambo had a fetish for bombs. If Dino liked to carry pet items with him, Tsuna had a gnawing worry of what his oddity was.

"Of course I do, little brother." Dino offered a lopsided grin, delicately placing the bottle between Roll's lips. Unlike his master, the hedgehog immediately obliged, squealing and singing something…really, really identical to the school's anthem. The blond looked up, a hint of seriousness passing through his expression before leaning much closer to Tsuna than expected. "Kyouya's probably hanging out over at the middle school. Why don't you two take him?"

It would have been funny if it was just a cartoon. Yamamoto and Gokudera shared looks of disdain, eyes intertwining with much fear and hesitation, and Tsuna knew they were afraid they'd cross the line. Again. Without even thinking, his eyes darted to the ground. When it came to Yamamoto and Gokudera, he was either who they were fighting over to talk about the other, or…or the menace. It could get annoying sometimes.

Sometimes more than dealing with everything at Shimon.

"I'll go if the Tenth is up to it."

"We…have a movie night, remember, Tsuna? There's no way I'm gonna bail on you. Not for anything."

"You don't…I mean…"

"We will." Yamamoto extended an, gentle look across his face. "And, uh, It's probably a good idea if we sober up the hedgehog first…haha."

A look of uncertainty passed through Tsuna's face. It was one thing, yes, to be worried about a strong friendship he'd meddled with, but another to be…their problem. One that both personally acknowledged right in front of him.

"You're coming too, right?" Yamamoto's question was for Gokudera.

"…yeah."

Yippee-fucking-doo.

OoOoO

The walk to the middle school was unsurprisingly silent. Tsuna held Roll the hedgehog close to his chest, heart aching and burning a hole between his lungs. They walked at odd paces, Tsuna in the middle, Yamamoto two feet ahead, and Gokudera lagging behind. No one spoke.

Occasionally he felt eyes on his person, making the hole grow wider and gnaw at the rest of his insides. The pain was immense and nerve-wracking—and neither Gokudera nor Yamamoto would say a thing. No, 'Are you okay?', no, 'I don't fucking care,' no—no arguing. Once Tsuna stopped, and both boys looked to him with worry when he squeaked.

"I-I think he pricked me," Tsuna stammered. "I-I have a band-aid, so…"

"…alright." Gokudera answered, voice close to mute.

Nothing else was said. The sun had already set, street lights gleaming like a symphony as they lit the road toward the middle school, and once arriving, Tsuna only felt himself tense. Buildings hooked together. Baseball field. Kendo club. Recreation center. Different school, same everything.

"Haven't been here since last year, haha." Yamamoto broke the silence with a quiet chuckle, hands prodding the insides of his pockets. He turned his head, jibing Gokudera lightly in the elbow. "Remember when you got so angry at the show choir that you filled their sheet music cabinet with explosives?"

"Che. If the fucking glee club wants to rape music, then they need to leave Linkin Park out of it." Gokudera scoffed, head held high. "I still can't fucking believe you stole the damn ferret from the other school."

"It was all in good fun!" Yamamoto grinned. Suddenly he lost his valor, replaced with curiosity and confusion. "Hm, wasn't that the same team that you hijacked all their uniforms, Gokudera? I mean…just because he punched me in the face—"

"I-I did not hijack all their uniforms because they punched you in the face, you self-centered bastard!"

"Hm." The tallest teenager dissolved into laughter, and the fight diminished. No longer were they tense or wary, but full of banter and cheeriness. Even Gokudera looked as if he regained his usual fluster. "What about you, Tsuna?"

Right.

"Bullies." The word left Tsuna's lips before he had the chance to stop himself. With one ear meant for his friends and the rest of his focus on the school, he couldn't shake the memories. His complexion fell to a measly white and in the process he nearly dropped Roll on the ground.

The lockers would have dents in them from how hard he was shoved. He'd get picked from his feet ankle-first, closing his eyes and waiting until the change would litter the ground—then make sure it happened again so Enma wouldn't have to go through it. Bruises. Black eyes, black forearms, bloody noses, swollen jaws and as of recently, a sprained ankle. If it wasn't one thing, it was another—and normally that was so Enma wouldn't have to go through it. And maybe, one day the plans of standing up for Enma would actually work if Enma in return didn't stand up for him.

"At my old school, I…used to get beat up a lot," he murmured. It wasn't a terribly unknown fact—he was uncool. Six months ago he would have laughed if someone told him he'd get a friend as golden as Yamamoto, and a snarling kitty-princess like Gokudera. "Shoved in lockers. And I'd always try to get it before Enma, did, s-so he didn't have to worry about it. He was the nerd in class and I was…just not good at anything. My nickname was No-Good Tsuna…er, sorry."He snapped out of his thoughts—the beatings, the harassment, and then having to come home and entertain Lambo—and shook his head. "I-I didn't mean to ramble so much. School just…"

School just wasn't a place he was normally welcomed.

Wait, er—why were Gokudera-kun and Yamamoto staring at him like that? He blinked, taken aback as Gokudera and Yamamoto studied him.

"You're fine." Gokudera nudged him softly in the shoulder, lips ducking into a straight line as they passed the gate toward the main building. "Let's change the subject."

"Yeah. So uh, is there a reason why you live with Giotto-niisan now?" Yamamoto smiled brightly and took up the space to Tsuna's right. "We've known each other this long and we still don't know a lot about each other, do we? My mom passed away when I was really little, so it's just Pops and me now. And…I'm sure by now you know G-san used to be married to Gokudera's sister."

"And I fucking moved out because her wining like a damn she-devil when they fucked each other got annoying." Gokudera huffed and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Besides—have you had her cooking?"

"No…not really." Tsuna struggled to smile as they began a walk in some unknown direction. Fortunately they apparently knew where they were going. "My…mother's getting married and is in Italy right now planning things. So for the time being, I'm staying with Giotto."

"So your parents are divorced and she's going through a second marriage." Yamamoto nudged him lightly in the shoulder. "Good for you."

"It'll…actually be her first."

"Her first?" Yamamoto and Gokudera halted, causing Tsuna to do the same and flash them another look of confusion. The taller teenager's eyes widened in surprise. "So…that would make you…oh."

"But Dino-san's twenty-eight and Giotto-san's turning twenty-six soon." Gokudera leaned forward, frown across his face.

"Er. They're my half-brothers. And I have a little brother, too."

"Your half-brothers?" Apparently his life was more interesting than Tsuna ever thought it. The same, hotheaded teenager stepped forward, eyebrow high in the air and hands to his hips. "So that would make you…the other half?"

"That's…normally what they call it, yeah. Um." Tsuna sped up his pace, air suddenly dropping thin and heat palpating his cheeks. When it came to his mother, the subject was never something he liked talking about. So he had to hurry. "Giotto and Dino both have a mother named Celeste and my dad is their dad and my mom was their nanny and soon became their mistress and then they had me but he was never around in my life but Mama still loves him so I try not to think about it much and—yeah. N-No big deal."

"Ts…Tsuna—"

"I'm going to find Hibari-san." Whirling around on one foot, Tsuna forced a smile to his face and uncomfortably managed through the halls, speeding his pace by half a step until he was sure Yamamoto and Gokudera was out of hearing range. Coming to a stop, his heart caught up to his chest, pounding from adrenaline as he pushed the thoughts away.

He was so busy with Giotto that he forgot about his mother. Again.

The reminder of Nana's engagement to Iemitsu slapped him hard, bruising with the poisoning aftertaste of regret and unworthiness. Being with Giotto meant that in six months that he'd be living with Iemitsu and Nana on a daily basis. Simply being with his mother assured him that nothing bad could happen—the mistakes were over. But…Nana and Iemitsu. Nana and Iemitsu reiterated all the facts and cruel knowledge he tried to ignore for years.

And…now? Pressing it on Yamamoto and Gokudera when clearly they had problems that were hard to deal with?

He couldn't do that. Slipping in the shadows meant ignoring all of what Giotto advised him not too long ago—he couldn't push them away. But neither could he make them endure all his problems.

"Sorry, Roll." Tsuna looked to the hedgehog in his hands, whose cheeks were still light pink, eyes closed while it hummed Accio Hot Guy. "Looks like the more I try to avoid my problems, you also end up with me. Uncool, huh?"

Roll sighed blissfully and—"Ow!"—rolled onto his back, thus pricking Tsuna's hand for the fourth time that night.

"What are you doing at my school?"

"Eek!" Cold metal pressed against Tsuna's neck, and he jumped, finding his back against the wall with—oh, look. Hibari-san did have eyes—WHY WAS DINO-SAN RUBBING OFF ON HIM NOW? "I brought your hedgehog, I brought your hedgehog!"

Now that Hibari's eyes were clear, he only seemed scarier. Those same slits narrowed, scowl spread across his lips, and he acknowledged the purple drunken animal in Tsuna's grasp. Luckily Roll squealed, drunkenly scurrying to Tsuna's shoulder before jumping into a mesh of brown hair, ultimately on eyelevel with the other teenager. "He's drunk."

"H-He…g-got into Giotto's beer." Tsuna trembled, only one thought running through his head: please don't shove me in a locker please don't shove me in a locker please don't shove me in a locker—

"You're trespassing at my school. I should bite you to death—" Eek! "But I won't. Consider this your one and only favor, herbivore."

And with that, Hibari-san's bodyweight lifted from Tsuna's, leaving cold darkness that lingered through the halls. He swiped Roll with little trouble, sight grim when pressed to a trembling Tsuna, then pulled away. "W-Wait!"

Hibari halted.

"What…" Tsuna pressed off the walls. "What was that, earlier today? Alaude-san and my brothers…what was going on?"

"Hn." A wry chuckle hid itself under the older teen's laugh. Dry humor aside, he turned around, arms crossed and tonfa hidden. "You really don't know?"

"N…No." But he knew the way Dino looked at Alaude was no coincidence, and held Giotto's relationship with Alaude on a higher precedence. Tsuna wiped sweaty palms against the denim of his jeans and dared stare Hibari in the eye. Yamamoto had a point in everything he said—although they'd known each other for months, very few things were out in the open. Who…was Daemon Spade? What was Cozart to everyone? What did Alaude mean to Dino and vice versa? "Not really."

"Consider yourself lucky."

"But—"

Hibari turned a heel, sparing no other glance to the shorter boy, and treaded down the hall until Tsuna was left alone with no other companion. Just another way for him to be left out of the loop. heaving a sigh, Tsuna looked to his surroundings, edgy, without the slightest clue where he was.

He could hear metal slamming. Kids laughing, bullies cackling, and any corner he turned was soon meant by a punch in the face. Less than a year ago when he was in his third year of middle school and at the bottom end of the social ladder. No one liked him, no one wanted him. Some probably wished he was never born.

Skipping a beat, Tsuna sped forward with his pace, shaking off the haunting feeling the middle school and Adelheid's liquidation committee gave. He wasn't in Shimon anymore. He didn't have to hide in fear, and he didn't have to deal with being the laughing stop. In Namimori...everything was just right. Well. Almost everything—

"So I figured something out."

At the trophy case he caught every word uttered just around the corner. It was Yamamoto's voice. Tsuna stopped well behind the first instant of glass, taken by surprise. From the looks of it, Yamamoto and Gokudera hadn't gone after him after his little…tirade. Good.

"Yes?"

"You and I are basically Tsuna's parents."

"The hell?"

"No, seriously." A chuckle was heard through Yamamoto's voice. Tsuna nearly fell over from the usual idiocy, balance lost, and struggled to maintain himself. Leave it to Yamamoto to make a metaphor out of something silly. "Come on, admit it: you like him. You tried so hard being angry with him, but now all you can do is follow him around and make sure he's alright. In your own little way, you like him, Gokudera."

"…so what of it?" Obviously Gokudera was crossing his arms.

"We keep putting him in the middle. Tsuna isn't just some new kid anymore, I would seriously spend the rest of my life trying to make sure that kid is okay. And so would you in your own little way." And Yamamoto would cross his arms too, only looking more mature than his companion. "But we're arguing like parents and putting our son in the middle. Gokudera, you know I cherish our friendship more than anything else in the world, but our son can't choose. You know his background. You have his background. Tsuna's had a lot to deal with, and we can't plague him with our problems."

"…alright then. Let's talk." Gokudera's voice turned tense. Tsuna shifted between his feet, imagining the hotheaded teenager probably stood three inches higher, eyes locked to Yamamoto's, and ready to fend his point. "The Tenth has nothing to do with us because the problem originates between you and me. No Tenth involved."

"Okay." Yamamoto was unsettled. Where Gokudera stormed through every decision, Yamamoto treaded like rain, patient one moment and a typhoon the next. "I…I thought we were good a long time ago, Gokudera. When I came over to your apartment, and we just…talked."

"Haru and I broke up."

"I know."

"Then why don't you care more for it?" Gokudera's voice rose. "Why aren't you all fucking over me, lavishing me with any gifts or trying to pursue me like you tried before? I—I broke up with her and you haven't made a move!"

"Because I'm with—"

"I know you! Fuck—Yamamoto, I know you. You've been my best friend for eight fucking years and in that time you've fallen in love with me and can't get yourself out of it. You…you always smile when you're always around me, and you tell me everything, and when I can't tell you something, all you have to do is fucking patiently wait and then I come running—don't you see? You get everything you want and I'm just fucking wrapped around your finger." Something fell. A curt crash to the ground caused a curse to leave Gokudera's mouth.

"You think I know you inside out?"

"I know you know me inside and out. You—I'm not like you, Yamamoto. I don't risk things I treasure because that means I'd be risking a treasure. You fell for me, and you knew that…that I'd accept you sooner or later after I stopped being such a stubborn fucking ass, and you knew that…that I'd—"

"That you'd what?"

"That we'd get through all of it. That there would be no fucking problems because our…friendship would get through all of it."

"Yet here we are now."

"Yeah. Here we are now."

"Do you love me?" Silence. At least a full minute must have passed as the question hung thick through tense air. Yamamoto's voice remained heavy, along with the sprinkles of curiosity in his tone. There was hope. Hope, joy, quiet wonder, curiosity, brusque demand, fury-defying patience—everything. Anything that was the epitome of Yamamoto. When he didn't get an answer, Yamamoto changed his tone and a shift of movement filled Tsuna's ears. "You don't have to."

"But I—"

"'But'? Of course there's always a 'but' with you, huh?" The taller teenager laughed softly and shook his head. "Gokudera, what I'm looking for with you is a relationship. If we were to get together, I wouldn't be able to control myself. You don't have to bend yourself for me. So we're just friends? You have no idea how much that that thought makes me happy right now. You and I…we haven't been friends in a long time."

Silence.

"Come on. Let's just go find Tsuna."

Tsuna pulled away.

Backing off the wall, he slowly made a halfhearted escape through the halls with a spinning head and tingling fingers. Numb. He felt incredibly numb. Fingers graced the edge of his cell phone as he made it to the quiet outside and plopped onto the stairway. Sooner or later, Tsuna thought as he began a text, Gokudera and Yamamoto would find him. It just wasn't his moment to pry.

Maybe a minute later the phone started ringing. "Hello?"

"Got your text." Enma's voice reigned through, less scratchy than the last time he'd spoken. His voice was improving a lot lately. "'Glad we're friends'? What's wrong?"

Everything. "Nothing. Just…" He looked to the moon, feeling worlds apart from everyone. Yamamoto and Gokudera had their issues, Dino made him ignore his own, Giotto was out on a date with Alaude. Everyone had their own little world with different priorities. "Just felt like hearing a familiar voice. One that makes me remember who I am."

chapter twenty-seven has Enma and G.

"From this day forward, Emilio Mariano Nathaniel Shimon shall henceforth live under the roof of Gaspare Tempesta, who is to provide him with all the basic necessities of food, a stable home, and an education. Come the time that young Emilio enters adulthood, he is free to live his life however he wants. Court dismissed."

Freedom.

Sweetness never had such a concentrated taste of victory before that day, with the thickness of a solid block and a mass greater than a mole of cotton candy. It'd been a word known in two separate forms to the young redhead, and something he hoped his brother would bring him so many times since those eleven years ago when they parted ways.

But his brother was dead. Roberto Cozart Gabriel Shimon II was dead, the foster family he lived with was more of a corporate business babysitting job, and he couldn't even remember what the real face of Roberto Shimon I looked like.

Enma stared at the judge—the one who had just told him he was free to live his life. An empty crevasse lavished his mouth, supplied with salty saliva as the rest of him trembled, the concept of liberation seeming practically impossible.

He was almost far, gone in his thoughts had it not been for the firm grip of G's hand rolling into his shoulder with an overzealous look of relief. Scarlet eyes turned their way to the man who came in pairs with Tsuna's big brother—and all three, when G, Giotto, and even his brother were best friends.

"For a moment I didn't think I'd be able to get you." G's voice dropped in volume, gentle as a spring breeze as he pushed unfurled locks of his mop-hair, and a look of scrutiny passed through his eyes. The brightest pigment of red managed to flutter across the teenager's face; an action that often went unnoticed by the adult. How? "I'm gonna…talk things over with the judge—see what I've got to do, alright?" Much gentler, those serene red orbs fluttered with concern. "You alright, kid?"

"…stunned," Enma mumbled. Even after a week with his voice back, Enma felt as if he'd used all excuses in the book and shunned the poor adult away. He felt ashamed, knowing his big brother wouldn't approve if he shut out the world. It had been a topic they'd talked about often because of their father, but he was only five years old. So many thoughts ran through his mind—from the Shimon Family to ending up in Shimon, the town, and…meeting Tsuna. Meeting everyone.

Tsuna had left their little civilization and returned with an entirely new world. One he wasn't familiar with.

G nodded slowly, pulling away with much reluctance to speak to the judge along with child services. It was a silent, unintentional understanding between them, where the adult had it in his mind Enma still wanted nothing to do with him. That was wrong. To be back in a world where his best friend reigned—with friends who didn't have him scared, and a brother who was sweet and loving—Enma wanted G more than the world.

In the two weeks they'd gotten to know each other, he'd never seen an adult fumble or react in such a way none of the others in his life would. G tried hard to keep his attention, and tried twice as hard to befriend him. It led to a lot on Enma's mind.

He wasn't Tsuna.

In so many ways the similarities were there, but throughout the years and core knowledge, Enma knew that he and his best friend were clearly two different people. He thought before silently leaping, and Tsuna tended to lunge head first when processing only half the thought. G seemed to understand that, patiently waiting for any answer without second guessing or horrid questioning, and had even volunteered to expand his knowledge on Italian. There was nothing more in the world Enma wanted more than to know the language of his origins.

Turning his attention, Enma's eyes crept across the room, and very grimly (though not surprisingly) Zakuro-papa and Kikyo-mama stared back, faces firm. There was no outburst, no scowl, or any physical sign that they would suddenly grow violent.

Nothing.

All of his foster-siblings remained at home for the time being, and the crowd involved with his case was small.

"Enma!" Tsuna.

Enma turned his head down the aisle as his best friend whirled through the doors, eyes wider than they'd ever been with Giotto on his trail. Before the redhead had a chance to say anything, Tsuna's arms flung around his neck—a tight, death grip and he held the desk before he had the chance to fall over. He'd always been smaller than the brunet, so it came as no surprise, but he finally hugged back. "Hi."

"Hi." Cheeks abashed, the brunet turned away with a crooked, timid smile (he loved that about Tsuna. He loved the sincerity glowing through Tsuna's face, followed by the humbleness that made him a better man) before his lips curled into worry. "So…what happened? How was the case?"

The redhead raised his gaze, meeting eyes with Giotto for the first time since the hospital, followed by a much taller blond that was directly behind him. Tsuna noticed.

"That's Dino. My other brother." The other teen turned a fervent pink, gesturing to the pair as they gave a greeting's salute, and his face twisted with a small smile. "I…I almost didn't recognize you. If it wasn't for that Band-Aid on your nose and all."

Matching the other boy, Enma's cheeks stained the same red of his hair, and he shrugged. "We won the case."

"You won the case," Tsuna repeated. It was a charmingly laughable sight, watching all of the little gears spin like clockwork in his best friend's face. An irrevocable grin of relief spread across those lips, and he actually seemed giddy. "S-So you get to come with us?"

Enma nodded. His head still felt fuzzy from the news, along with waking up early that Friday morning to speak with Child Services. November's crisply cold weather stung at the tips of his fingers, and his new scarf…a gift from whom, he realized, was his new guardian, tangled about his cardigan and any other neat clothes he had to put on for the "occasion."

"Did you really have a doubt, little brother?" Giotto's voice teemed with a casualness G wouldn't have known he and his best friend both shared. Their tone of voice; the way they spoke—there was a similarity and livelihood, even if one friend was strict to the other's casualty.

The latest older brother to Tsuna's family smiled, leaning into the other blond goofily before extending a hand. "You're under good hands when it comes to G. But uh, are you two dating?"

Enma shook his head just as the brunet offered a sheepish and flustered smile. Tsuna's natural talent involved his bashfulness, after all. He took his best friend by the hand, fingers tangling together, and felt Tsuna squeeze in return.

"We're just friends." Tsuna smiled softly before they all turned their attention toward G, who finally seemed to be finishing up his conversation with Julie from Child Custody, and another G had hired as their lawyer. Someone named Alaude.

Light red eyes followed to Enma's form, locking firmly, and reluctantly did the adult's lips contort into a smile. The trio parted ways briefly before taking the proper steps toward Enma. Realizing he hadn't moved, Enma nudged Tsuna in the arm lightly and scooted closer to…well. He looked to Dino and Giotto from the corner of his eye. To his new family.

"You heard everything the judge said." Alaude spoke curtly, pushing what appeared to be reading glasses on his face as he looked at what appeared to be a manila folder. "G is now in charge of your wellbeing, your health, education, and any other absolute necessity. All that's left is to pick your transcript from the school and enroll you into Namimori first thing when we get back home. You want me to do that myself, Boss?"

Julie erupted in a tight fit of giggles. Eyes darting to his Social Services agent, Enma looked at the man who couldn't have been more than in his late twenties. He flashed a tiny smile, mouthing a quiet thank you, and taking what would probably be the last look at his agent. Julie Katou: a man who wore flashy clothes, loved women and wore the gaudiest coke-bottle glasses Enma had ever lain eyes upon.

There were moments Enma doubted Julie knew what he was doing—and often was he proven wrong. Julie may have been odd, but he certainly knew how to do his job—otherwise without the combined forces of both Julie and Alaude he'd never end up living with G. Though, since the man dyed his hair that heinous color of a clowny orange, Enma yet again couldn't take him seriously.

"I guess this is our parting then, isn't it?" Julie raised his voice, then as any time he'd ever met with the adult, his agent pecked a rosy kiss to his hair before his departure. "Seeing as you're set with Tempesta, our job is done~" As Julie directed his attention elsewhere, Enma felt Tsuna's hand tighten against his own. "Ooh. I remember you."

"Er." Tsuna shifted, something he always did when he was incredibly uncomfortable. From the corner of his eye, Enma could see mortified heat rushing to the brunet's face. "Ditto."

"Take care of the kid for me." His agent raised his voice with good nature, hand patting G on the back, before turning his head. For the last few minutes before his departure, they watched the same newfound redhead scrutinize all that was to be Giotto Vongola. Giotto in turn was no close to phasing than either his brother or pointing out any of Julie's oddities. He did, however, scoot closer to Tsuna's side without word. "You're a very pretty man."

"…So I get a lot." Giotto tilted his head wondrously, and from the side Enma felt Tsuna jerk, concerned.

"We should get dinner."

"We shouldn't." The blond's voice shifted briefly, and Enma took notice as Tsuna fell into Giotto as naturally as Giotto fell into him. They hadn't been this close the last few times Enma'd seen them. Right? "I'm seeing the lawyer."

For a long, stern moment, no one said a thing. Julie, bored and somewhat drunken expression radiating from his features, laughed and shook his head majestically. "How anticlimactic. I'll see you later then, Giotto Vongola, no?~" One last kiss to Enma's head and the strange man was off.

They stood still in silence, the small crowd who had come to witness the trial having dispersed. Breaking into motion, Enma let go of Tsuna's hand for a brief moment to collect the paperwork and suitcases brought that'd been taken along with them. G followed mutely, no word passed while either redhead flittered and scooped things up.

From the corner of his eye, Enma saw Tsuna turn his head between the trio of adults, and it was an interesting sight. If Giotto was indeed involved with the lawyer as they said, Dino didn't look like a happy man. Alaude seemed apathetic, but a familiar stress and creases between Giotto's brow, caught in the middle of their mess. Finally, the brunet gave up between them all (Enma hid a smile, noting that Tsuna was in the middle of another growth spurt) and helped gathered everything.

"What time is your flight?" Alaude was the first to speak.

Dino seemed stunned. "At…nine this evening. I'll be taking the plane overnight."

"G-san?" Tsuna's voice was soft and timid as ever, barely audible. Ironic, since Enma had been the one to get the surgery on his vocal cords.

Like the rest of the day had been going, Enma waited, eyes falling to many strips of paper while G looked up, acknowledging his best friend's little brother, and smiled. "Long time, no see huh, kid?"

Tsuna was a hugger. It wasn't a surprise to Enma as it was to the adult redhead when Tsuna swooped through and wrapped his arms around G. The same adult looked to Enma, puzzled and taken aback, but said nothing. Red fluttered to the teenager's face, matching the darkest hues of his red hair as he stacked papers and grabbed the scarf the man was so fond of.

"Um." Predictably, the brunet pulled away with sheepish pink spreading across his face. He smiled embarrassedly and nudged Enma gently in the arm. "That was…thank you. For taking care of Enma."

"Pleasure was mine." Enma almost laughed listening to G's tone drop an octave. He himself had endured his new guardian's soft side, running around and worrying about the teenager's wellbeing. The G here and now, however, retained a nurture Enma'd only seen when the man was taking care of Tsuna. "He's…interesting."

And quiet. Really quiet. Fingers lacing around Tsuna's once more, he stood at the tip of his toes and wordlessly wrapped the scarf around G's neck. He wrapped it delicately, eyes glued to the wool of the soft material, and smoothed it against the adult's chest. G hadn't said a thing, but Enma knew he was being watched.

Finally, he yanked at Tsuna's hand, quick to wipe a sweaty palm and gestured toward the exit. "…we should go."

"There's a lot that needs to be done, isn't there?" Tsuna smiled tentatively and leaned into the shorter boy. Huh. Enma was shorter than his best friend now. "Gathering up your things, getting your transcript. Have…you talked to anyone recently? Longchamp? Fran-san?"

Enma shook his head. G had been going back and forth to get his schoolwork, but apparently he'd been excused until custody was settled. The first week with G focused on checkups to get rid of that God-forsaken pneumonia, then being prepped for surgery. The second week, on the other hand, he caught up and turned in all his homework, took medicine, and was taken out on 'bonding' attempts with G. He turned his attention as a hand squeezed his shoulder and flashed a look of confusion.

"So far the plan is to get something to eat and check these guys into a hotel." G gestured to the back where certainly Alaude and Giotto staggered behind. Oddly enough Dino seemed nowhere in sight, yet no one questioned why. "You've got your last appointment with Doctor Nowaki tomorrow, and we'll see where to go from there."

Enma nodded, red swelling in his cheeks as he leaned into Tsuna to the point neither one felt comfortable. He could hear Tsuna nervously laughing in the corner of his ear, and it only made him more nervous.

"Gaspare, you're scaring the kid." More daring than either one, Giotto offered a primp chuckle.

The redhead stared at the ground, face simply darkening from embarrassment and shame. He felt Tsuna nudge him sympathetically in the arm, he, too, probably laughing at the current situation. Instead he quickened their pace down the hall so they were out of earshot of the adults. "How was living with your brother?"

"How was living with G-san?" Tsuna arched an eyebrow of both worry and interest. Enma felt the last heat from his toes raise to his cheeks and nonchalantly shrugged. "Giotto's been going out on dates with Alaude-san. Er, real dates."

"You don't seem happy about it." None whatsoever. His best friend's brow curved until the small crinkles could be seen in the middle, and the boy attempted a shrug. When Tsuna turned, Enma did the same. He hadn't the slightest idea where they were going.

Tsuna's entire demeanor shifted into apparent trouble, teeth biting against his lips as an exasperated sigh escaped his lips. "I'm really happy that you're moving to Namimori with us. With me."

"But?"

"But it can be a bit of a soap opera going through things." Immediately the brunet glowed a sheepish pink and hilariously blanched at the same time. "I'm in between dealing with a friend who's in love with his straight same-gendered best friend only not-really-straight, I-I've got a date with a girl a-and don't know how to tell her I'm not straight, Giotto and Alaude are trying to put a label on their relationship, but it makes Dino really unhappy and…then there's you."

"Then there's me," Enma repeated softly. He shrugged nonchalantly and analyzed his own background. Tsuna and he had been best friends since they were six after his big brother unwillingly walked out on him, then said brother died of leukemia, which could possibly transfer to the anemic Enma, who contracted pneumonia and was in the middle of regaining his voice. Not only that, but in some twist of fate, Giotto and G were best friends with big brother Cozart. "Yeah. Your life's sort of soap opera-y."

"It's nice," Tsuna confessed softly. Suddenly realizing his own words, he stood three inches taller in his skin and shook his head. "N-Not the whole soap opera thing, b-but…living with Giotto is nice."

"You're smiling now."

"Am I?" Oddly enough this hue of red was different from the others the brunet normally sported. Enma made note to study the change in his best friend's behavior later. Tsuna shrugged, tentatively smiling again before it became fuller, and more relaxed. "I…I am."

"He's come a long way then, hasn't he?" They finally arrived at a pair of glass doors, where people exited and entered. A yellow taxi rested on the road, but considering there were now five in their group he had a feeling they'd need another taxi. Enma brought his focus at hand, thoughts involving Giotto's known behavior. Self-sufficient. Charming. Delicate. Sometimes through that charm, it seemed like Giotto flirted with every person in sight, but now with Tsuna there was a mutual difference between the both of them. Tsuna was not timid, and anytime the brunet spoke, Giotto was first to listen.

Granted, it'd only been twenty minutes since Tsuna came running through double doors and nearly tackling him to the ground, but that was beside the point. The moment Tsuna spoke of his brother, his voice didn't jump three octaves higher, and he wasn't looking for a constant approval that Tsuna often did with other people. Honestly, Enma confessed to himself, they barely acted like brothers. Giotto was treating Tsuna as an equal than a little brother.

Getting tired of standing up, Enma caught glimpse of the flight of stairs descending toward the streets of Shimon. He sat, pulling his best friend along with him, and waited for an explanation. It was raining. People scurried hurry and about, trying not to fall victim to the mild shower, but Enma couldn't have cared less.

He loved it when it stormed.

On the other hand, Tsuna nearly jumped over him when thunder clapped, eyes widening four times their usual size. Enma bit back a smile. His best friend's acrophobia just didn't make sense even though Tsuna loved stargazing and cloud watching. Enma himself loved to stay close to the earth—grounded—but even he had a deep attachment to skylight.

"…you called me last week, saying you needed to 'remember who you were.'" The redhead nudged his best friend lightly, eyes mesmerized as the storm danced. Obviously it meant Tsuna was in some sort of trouble, but right after the little confession, they sat for ten minutes without saying a word. "And after that, Gokudera-kun and Yamamoto-kun came to pick you up."

"Oh." The other teenager's expression dropped softly and he leaned back against the stairs before picking at the loose ends of his jeans. "I didn't…want to make you worry."

"Well, you did." Enma avoided sugarcoating the truth. "I worry about you as much as you worry about me, you know."

"You don't have to."

"Then you don't have to worry about me." Knowing he won the argument with only half an attempt, Enma hunched over, chest against his knees as he took the declaration to heart. "I know you. You spent your entire life worrying about me to distract yourself from worrying about your brother. Then suddenly, Nana makes you move in with someone who thought of you as the bane of his existence, and takes you away from all of this. I was angry at them. I thought…I thought I'd never like the Vongolas, and they were our enemy, but here—now…I feel like I'm talking to an entirely different person who's trying to return to the past."

"But the past—"

"The past sucks, Tsuna." Enma looked at his best friend, shrugging lightly. His voice was beginning to hurt again, strained from sudden overuse, and he nudged the other boy lightly in the arm. "And it's a good reason that it sucks, because now…now the way you look at your big brother. It's different."

Surprisingly Tsuna darkened to an inelegant hue of red, from collar bone to his hairline as Enma casually pretended not to notice. After a pregnant pause, he lowered his head and his fluster slowly began to fade. "He's…most of the time I have to remind myself that he's my brother. That he's in the same category as Dino. That he's…"

"He's what?"

"I found some locked folders on my phone." Like stepping stones, Tsuna pushed away from the conversation and took out his phone from his wallet. He looked to the other teenager gently, and at that moment Enma chose better to frown than bring another point across. He learned years ago that a puppy face worked far better than any spoken words. Something about being cute or whatever. "They're of Cozart-san."

That was enough for Enma to forget all about his best friend's problems. Taken aback, he stared at Tsuna with much surprise and hesitantly looked to the phone. Tsuna brought it closer until their knees were touching and went through photos.

"He didn't have any photos of Cozart hung up the last time I visited," Enma commented quietly.

"There are…at least five photo albums I know of that are full of your brother." Tsuna's voice turned quietly distant and he pressed the lower button on his iPhone. "Giotto says that he'd rather preserve them in a photo album than risk endangering them on the wall. But…h-he has a lot. And a lot of other photos are just on this phone. This used to be his personal one."

"Your brother's really rich."

"Both of them." Tsuna's expression morphed differently, nose scrunching before he regained his expression.

Finally the screen loaded, and in Italian scripture, Enma easily made out the letters that spelt out, C-O-Z-A-R-T. His breath hitched, and even by a red-blobbed thumbnail he knew it was his brother. Taking the initiative, he selected the album, and the first picture hilariously enough seemed to be Giotto and Cozart's faces meshed together while trying to figure out the phone. His brother looked…ethereal. Rusted red, unruly hair, maroon and delicate eyes—and his hat. Cozart loved to wear hats.

The next picture produced a iggle in the back of Enma's throat. Cozart sat on some desk with the Vongola emblem (bullet and all) pressed proudly to the desk. He wore a weary smile and G stood parallel to him, eyes twice their size and mouth agape. There wasn't a tattoo.

"When do you think he got the tattoo?" Tsuna looked to him curiously.

Enma shrugged. Judging by the village scenery and the fact they were hanging out in what appeared to be an office, it was long ago. Not long enough though. "Probably after my brother died."

"They look young in some of these pictures," Tsuna commented quietly after they surfed through the first dozen. He smiled quaintly, pink teeming through his cheeks. "Hard to believe that this is what they looked like when they were our age."

"You and Giotto look a lot alike. But he still needs to cut his bangs." Enma shrugged as he looked to a different picture obviously taken during Christmas. Giotto had kissed Cozart on the cheek under the mistletoe, looking no more than sixteen or seventeen, and the redhead in return apparently didn't expect it. A quiet sadness rested in his brother's eyes, and the next picture—taken right after the kiss—although a small inch of his lip creased upward, Cozart had pulled his hat over his eyes. "He looks shorter than you in these pictures."

"Is that a good thing?" His best friend smiled gently. "You and Cozart-san could be twins."

"…thanks." He felt the red tingle in his cheeks, pride glowing in his chest. Cozart's hair seemed to be half an inch shorter, but Tsuna was right. They had the same, fuzzy red hair and odd red eyes. The next picture, he blinked and did double take.

"I think…" Tsuna tilted his head. "I'm pretty sure that's your baby sister playing with turtles."

Mami? In a picture of a little girl looking no older than two, her pudgy hands rested on two turtles stacked upon each other and looking incredibly confused and disconcerted. Enma wouldn't blame them, he snorted. Though tiny herself, Mariana-Emilia looked like a naïve little girl who was oblivious to the destruction being caused. Wordlessly, Enma ran his finger across the screen and another string of pictures were to be seen. Plenty were of a smiling Cozart with a G that looked like he'd just been one-upped (proving Giotto probably took the pictures), and others included pictures of little kisses and small gestures of affection between their brothers.

"Do you…think we look like that?" Tsuna paled worrisomely as they came across another picture of Cozart with his hands wrapped around Giotto's form.

"I think we look worse." Enma shed a quiet giggle and shook his head, much to the dismay of the brunet. Flipping the screen to the different ages Cozart, Giotto, and G seemed to share, there were more pictures (some, oddly enough, of just the turtles again. One even had them, what appeared to be an incubator full of chicken eggs, and a reflection of a horrified G stomping toward the cameraman—Giotto) and pictures of Cozart with less flesh to his skin. Bags were under Cozart's eyes, clumps of hair missing or thinning, and he looked like a frail little doll in his hospital bed.

You didn't need a genius to realize these were the last few years of Cozart Shimon's life.

Heart skipping a painful beat, Enma flicked the screen, and the flash of both pink and red hair let them know it was another picture of Cozart and G. Kissing.

He caught his breath, chest tightening in the process where, sure enough his older brother, frail and tiny, sat up in his deathbed. The cot dipped softly—tenderly, even—and one G. Tempesta leaned into the smaller man in what appeared to be a gentle and chaste kiss.

"There you two are. Figured you two snuck off for some makeup sex or something."

From the corner of his peripheral, Enma met Tsuna's gaze, ears turning a mutual shade of red. Still, Dino seemed to be missing from their group, but a lighthearted smile glowed on Giotto's face. He leaned casually, intimately into Alaude, and the taller man didn't seem to care. G ran a hand through his hair, sigh escaping his lips and he shrugged. "Do you have anything important to get from your Foster Home?"

Enma shook his head, eyes narrowing to the delicate tattoo that ran down the side of G's face. He'd always noticed the detailed curves and intricate weaving of red, but…now they sort or made him think of willowy branches of a bonsai tree. "Were you in love with my brother?"

Well. That left his mouth earlier than planned. G blinked, obviously repeating the question to himself, while Giotto nearly fell over had Alaude not been as stable as a brick wall. "Uh."

That was all the answer Enma really needed. Luckily Dino tripped down the flight of stairs, a little dog attached securely to his leg as he fell to the bottom.

OoOoO

"I take it I don't need to ask how that date of yours went?" Of all the one-worded conversations he had with the teenager, Enma had to choose that sentence as one of the rare anomalies where he spoke. G sat parallel to his best friend, still trying to maintain the wee ounce of sanity he had left after Giotto's mischievous grins and annoyingly witty attitude. They sat in the taxi, one of the two they called in order to get to the small Chinese restaurant downtown.

Dino sat in the front seat, going through documents G assumed was for Cavallone Industries. He didn't miss the pause in the elder adult's movements before he resumed most hesitantly with his work. Immediately, Giotto started with another laugh and shook his head casually.

"Worst. Date. Ever."

"Really." Granted it was a drunken experience (an explanation G would have rather never heard) that led to their so-called "relationship," but few mentions other than the normal sexcapades made a business-like Giotto falter with an admittedly light blush. Even Alaude would glare if G found a vantage point and poked a timid spot in their relationship.

"We argued, messed around, and I spent the entire evening trying to put a smile on Mr. Grumpy's face because of…unmentionable circumstances." Giotto's eyes darted to the silent blond upfront, eyebrows lowering tenderly, then crossed his arms. He shook his head. "I was scared of what I'd do if he made a move, and he was scared to make a move. We must have bumped our noses six times before ending the night with a kiss."

"So you didn't have sex?"

"I'd prefer holding hands with Tsuna over sex at this point in my life." Giotto sighed, cheerful as ever, so G left the conversation to that. Good.

He looked to his best friend, knowing he'd been worried sick how the blond would act if he wasn't taken care of. The minute Giotto and Tsuna got onto the train in departure for Namimori, he whipped out a phone and called Dino. The first couple of late night and midday calls, he had his doubts because of the blatant uncertainty visible in Giotto's voice—then it changed. G originally meant for Dino to come and watch his little brothers. Ironically, on the other hand, Giotto was the one watching Dino, and now the consequences involved the apparent mutilation of the redhead's desk—among other things.

But Giotto's personality had done a complete 180-flip through two weeks. He wasn't his old self. Giotto wasn't the man who hated his little brother and swore business over passion—and he wasn't the man who struggled to love his friends dearly and try hard not to push them away. Dino may have come to watch Giotto, but…G looked forward to the taxi blurred by raindrops in front of them. Was it Tsuna who changed him so much? Who changed him for the better?

It only made him smile. Most likely.

"So then, how are you and Little Bite-Size?"

G rolled his eyes. "Why do you call him that?"

"Originally it was because you two had red hair, red eyes, and it was funny watching both of you next to each other. Now," Giotto's expression softened and he pulled out his phone. "I think you know why I call him 'Little Bite-Size.'"

"Yeah." His answer was flat and beyond quiet. G looked down to what undoubtedly was Giotto's new background. A simple picture of all three of them together during their graduation from high school. He ran a hand through his hair and opted to look away and out the window.

"You were in love with his brother and fell for him. Hard." Giotto leaned into his best friend, and amazingly hadn't squirmed. Whatever happened over the duration of the two weeks must have gotten him over the fear of physical intimacy. A small part, at least, if he still wouldn't put out for the cranky Frenchman.

"I was also married and by the time I realized I was in love with him, Cozart was down to his final years and giving into the cancer." G narrowed his eyes. It'd been a touchy subject neither mentioned since finding out Enma's background. Every year they visited Sicily to put flowers on Cozart's grave, then remind each other of stories. This year, before the death of Cozart himself, they got his brother. How was he supposed to feel about a kid who seemed like a ghost from the past?

Only not as enthusiastic?

"You were in love with him."

"I know."

"You were in love with him."

"I know."

"You, giant pink-and-red M&M cookie, were in love with the little Bite Size's—"

"I get it!" G hastily glared at his best friend, vehemence scraping at his nerves into a scowl so threatening most would cower and urinate in his presence. Giotto, on the other hand, remained unaffected, and instead frowned.

"Don't treat him like Cozart." Plain and simple. Nodding his head curtly, Giotto turned his head back to his side of the car, and the back of G's throat felt empty. "Can you imagine it? That kid is the legitimate heir to the Shimon Fortune, G. He's got the ring, and the minute he enters Roberto Shimon's office, his entire life could change for the better—or for worse. You said yourself that he probably didn't need to go back to school because he has a genius-level intellect. What are you going to do with it?"

"'What am I going to do with it'?" The redhead arched an eyebrow, full attention now on his best friend. "You expect me to make a profit out of the kid?"

"Of course not." Giotto turned his head, eyes narrowing. "How are his math grades?"

"For business?"

"That, and to tutor Tsuna so I don't have to visit Reborn again." At the mention of the Spartan math teacher, both Vongola brothers shivered, faces blue. Giotto reiterated his previous point, crackling eyes ignited with a seriousness G hadn't seen before. "Hayato already wants to go under business, and we give him files that if he were to make a mistake would cost us billions of dollars. Cozart wanted to be an artist, but Enma? How much do you know about him?"

"…not much." G ran a hand through his hair, and closed his eyes. It struck him maybe an hour after filing the court date that he would be taking care of the brother of the last person he'd fallen in love with. He would be the nurturer to someone—who by looks— felt like a fucking clone of his old lover. G knew he was a stubborn mule that hated being the one at fault. Most of the times as little kids he ended up going along with whatever Giotto did even if it would lead to death. When Cozart entered the picture, he hated the other redhead. Unlike any other pest G determinedly rid their tiny group of, Cozart hadn't the care in the world what G did.

It was annoying. Irritating. But at a point in their life, G found he was lying if he denied liking Cozart's company. Cozart loved being friends, and G made it his job that Cozart, like Giotto, would be treated well. On occasion, anyway.

Enma was different. He rarely ever spoke, sharing a shy quality his older brother honed skillfully, and blushed a delicate red every time G said one word. He was observant, just as Cozart, and one look could spin an entire different tale. But he still wasn't Cozart.

"Think about his future," Giotto shrugged nonchalantly.

"What about Tsuna?"

The blond furtively frowned and looked to the other adult. "What about him?"

"Isn't it obvious?" G pushed thoughts of Enma away, curious to discuss Giotto's stand now that three months had passed. His best friend was more protective of Tsuna, good heart winning in favor of a sixteen-year grudge. "Haven't you thought about it?"

This time Dino piped in. "He's got a point, little brother."

"What point?" Giotto arched an eyebrow, looking between the pair with notable confusion, and the redhead gestured between the pair.

"I've…got custody of Enma now, and you've got custody over Tsuna. Iemitsu and Nana may be getting married, but they're planning to live in Italy. Tsuna has two more years of high school to finish after the wedding and he isn't going to want to be thousands of miles away from his best friend."

"Then," the blond blinked as if it wasn't a big deal, "we'll just move to Italy."

"No, that's not the point." G shook his head, truthfully surprised by his best friend's simple conclusion. They had this same conversation two months ago after Tsuna injured his ankle from the unspoken incident. He remembered the day well, how Giotto grumpily came into the office with a frown on his face. Before G managed to ask what was wrong, the blond had gone on a rant how odd it was for Tsuna to be beaten up, and criticized him for being weak.

After their resolution, however, Giotto had been nervous and cautious. He'd never seen the blond so careful and worried that he'd screw up with anything before. Many times Tsuna rendered Giotto speechless and stunned, a flustered pink staining his cheeks in a way so different from Daemon. For Daemon, it was all about fun and games but Tsuna…Tsuna was honest and quaint. He always meant what he said.

Quite frankly, G now worried what Giotto would be like if he was stripped away from his baby brother.

But oblivious and confused, Giotto merely looked between the pair, along with the taxi driver that couldn't understand Italian. He frowned, expression softening and crossed his arms like a haphazard teenager that failed to get his way. "I know what you're thinking."

"Do you?" When Dino asked it seemed like less a challenge than if G would have verbalized. The eldest adult smiled softly, regaining bits and pieces of his own cheer and sympathy sprinkled through his tone. "Remember our conversation? You said Tsuna would prefer living with me, but seeing the way he smiles…I don't believe you."

"Guys—"

"I expected you to be antsy and panicky every time you called and reported Dino's little accidents," G confessed. He crossed his arms, amused, and smiled a little. "But that wasn't the case, now was it? Enma isn't Cozart, but Tsuna, in an essence, can be you. He doesn't adapt well, and thinks his opinion against everyone else's as a hindrance."

"But—"

"You know what our first conversation was?" Dino chuckled, brown eyes fluttering to the redhead with a gentle grin. In some ways the resemblance was clearly there between the brothers. Others, Giotto was eloquent to Dino's…awkward dorkiness. Still, the eldest blond's demeanor flashed with quaint concern and he leaned forward gently. "He…told me he thought he'd never be accepted by our side of the family, little brother. You make him happy."

The taxi came to a stop once they finally came down town and the storm still had yet to stop. No one made a move to leave the car as Dino casually paid the taxi driver and Giotto held a thoughtful expression to his stature. The younger blond stared at his lap, lips unmoving until finally:

"I've thought about it."

"Good." G exchanged looks with Dino, grateful the other adult was on his side.

"But…" Giotto grew silent again. Surprisingly red scattered across the half-Italian's cheeks, eyebrows knitting together. It was an expression G expected to see when he had first mentioned Alaude and the date. After all, the pair was only a hair away from a budding relationship. However, the way Giotto glowed crimson proved otherwise, and led to more confusion. As if he realized something new, the blond's face turned redder, hand pressing against his lips before quickly opening the car door. "Never mind."

Giotto left without a word.

"You think we were too hard on him?" Dino flashed a look of concern as they crawled out of the car. Giotto was nowhere to be seen, most likely having gone and grabbed a table.

"I think we're missing something vitally important between both of them." G shrugged, and knew it was best not to pry. He'd always been the third wheel when it came to Giotto and other people, and generally became the middle person when anyone had a problem.

Dino snorted. "I feel like I'm missing something every time they're in the same room together."

"That bad, huh?" G chuckled and gestured to the small canopy at the entrance of the restaurant. As Dino took the first steps toward the restaurant, the redhead grappled his arm and held it tightly. From head-to-toe, G scrutinized the blond that he'd always considered as his older brother. The Vongola and Tempesta were just family. "How are you feeling?"

"How do you think I feel?" Dino offered a lopsided smile.

"Your brother is currently in a relationship with a man you've been chasing for years after you suddenly got rejected. Or you rejected him. You've never disclosed details and Alaude's too much of an ass to say anything to me or Giotto." G leaned carefully into a pole, fingers wrapping around cold metal, and looked across from him with a tight expression. "Don't think because we're so wrapped up in our lives that we never worry about yours."

Dino blinked. "You really are his wife, aren't you?"

"Fuck, so I've been told." The redhead smiled wryly, arms relaxing against his sides, and got a glimpse of the boys hanging around the souvenirs. Quickly he sobered, and stared at the blond expectantly. "Part of me suspects the reason why Giotto's never pursued a relationship with Alaude is because you're in his thoughts. He thinks highly of you, for some ungodly reason."

"…it's pretty much been a big misunderstanding." The mirth disappeared from the elder adult's tone. His eyes darkened distantly, and G followed the other man's trail of sight. Dino was staring at Alaude. He tried for a laugh that simply hollowed, and the struggle for a positive heart tarnished. "It's silly."

"Then why are you heartbroken?"

"I'm not."

"I fucking swear to God, if you make me recite one of Giotto's dumbass food metaphors—"

"He," Dino breathed, face twisting, "and I…were exclusive. For a while. And then I wanted to be on his good side. So. I got to know Kyouya and. Kyouya got. Attached. We. Hadn't really decided on the name of our relationship, so. It ended up not being one and. He thought I was. Um, 'fucking his nephew.'"

That certainly wasn't something he expected. G blinked, taken aback and did a double take on the explanation. He knew for a fact that sexual tension was high between the pair, and Dino had followed Alaude around like a lost puppy every chance he got back when they lived in France. Oddly enough, this same explanation sufficed. Alaude had an incredibly possessive streak, and anything of his that was tampered with normally ended up with the perpetrator on the ground with a limb jutting in an awkward angle.

"And you never cleared up the misunderstanding?"

"Qui-ite frankly I think Kyouya has a soft spot for me." Dino rubbed an elbow, but from the way he cringed seemed like that 'soft spot' was a bruise. "And I injured his pride. For better or worse, he'd never forgive me, and…Giotto's happy. Happier than he's been in a long time."

"But you're still heartbroken. More heartbroken than you've been for a long time." G shook his head, knowing that it'd been less than a day and he was already picking things up like he never left. He was acting like the big brother to the many children that were actually his age and currently taking on problems that most of the time didn't involve him.

Dino smiled softly, and for a moment G realized the elder adult was being sincere. "I put my little brother's happiness before my own, G."

G stared at the man in front of him, expression unwavering, and was unsure of what to say. Funny. Tsuna had Dino's clumsiness, and Giotto had Dino's charm. They all had a kind, selfless heart so sweet and gentle that one would wonder if they ever tapered. Dino looked out for Giotto, Giotto looked out for Tsuna, and Tsuna looked out for…everyone.

"You're still a virgin, aren't you?" G looked from the corner of his eye and noticed Giotto in mid-conversation with both his brother and the so-called 'Little Bite-Size.' Occasionally fiery orbs would glance up, anticipating their entrance, but he hadn't said a thing.

Dino shoved hands in his hair, lacking the prudishness of his second youngest brother and the dry wit of his first youngest. "I'm half a virgin."

"That's fucked up logic."

"It's what I consider the right logic. You can have sex all you want, but there are very few people in the world you can make love with." Dino shrugged nonchalantly, eyes shifting to the subtle stormy downpour on the other end of the category. "Get the picture?"

"Oddly enough, more than you think." G stood tall and finally decided to leave the subject on the table. Instead his eyes focused on Enma, who stood at the tip of his toes and reached for a hat on the top shelf. He inspected the hat, fingers brushing against its visor, and curled his fingers into it. G's chest tightened. "We should go inside."

"Yeah." Dino agreed lightly and opened the door slowly. "We should."

OoOoO

"THIS ISN'T WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE."

"Aw, Hiro-san…"

Before Tsuna knew it, his eyes were being covered by a very small hand from the scene of Enma's doctor with…w-well, apparently his boyfriend or something. It was their last day in Shimon, and after a visit to Doctor Nowaki, Enma was free to move and reenroll at Namimori High. He'd woken up that morning with Enma by his side, sound asleep once again at the Arcobaleno Hotel Suite, and was under the odd obligation of visiting Shimon after moving away. Nothing was different.

The café still sold donuts, the jungle gym still had an odd, star-shaped dent, and the library still had a lingering scent of tuna and gym socks. They'd visited City Hall, Shimon High School, and the mall to buy new clothes and order a mattress—which, under the budget of Vongola Inc., would meet them at the Tempesta-Ugetsu Apartment. He made a mental note to ask Giotto why he didn't abuse his money like most millionaires and live in a flashy mansion.

Now, however, after a long day of going around and forcing down the habit both he and Giotto shared of turning around whenever they heard a destructive noise (because really, those generally meant Dino had broken something or got his head glued to a wall), they had to get Enma to his last check-up before the train left for Namimori that night. Alaude had apparently gone back the same night Dino left for Italy, and they weren't far from departure.

But seeing as Doctor Nowaki was currently inches away from another lip-lock with a smaller man in his office, Tsuna wasn't sure what to say. He'd seen worse; reminded faintly that his first impression of Giotto since ten years prior involved much less clothes. Er, followed by Alaude occasionally entering the living room of Giotto's old apartment with nothing but a pair of boxers and a handcuff over his left wrist. Thank God Giotto finally set boundaries, a-and all of that.

So somehow, Tsuna felt himself doing the same as he grazed a hand over Enma's lonely Band-Aid and pressed a hand over the redhead's eyes.

"I take it this is your lover?" G's voice.

"Isn't he cute?" Doctor Nowaki.

"Did you just…did you just call me cute? You freaking—GAH!" Now Tsuna was convinced he was seeing the future if Yamamoto and Gokudera ever got together. "I'm not cute, I-I'm Kamijou the Devil, a-and…"

"Déjà vu?" Giotto's voice tickled the brunet's ear, mirth dancing in his voice. He pressed a hand to the teenager's shoulder with a light chuckle after Tsuna nodded. "We're going to go wait outside, alright?"

"Sure thing." G, of course, must have seen every little sexual experience Giotto had ever experienced. The very thought only made Tsuna turn redder.

He felt a hand brush against the skin of his wrist, delicately wrapping around his arm, and was tugged out the door. Tsuna looked up to his brother (though not by much, he realized. Tsuna really was growing) and they leaned against a small rail against the wall. Fiery orbs stared back good-naturedly, not once having faltered since their arrival yesterday. "I'm beginning to see some logic in G's crazy theory."

"The one where he thinks everyone is, er, gay?" Tsuna smiled weakly and felt his cheeks stain pink. "I-I would think Gokudera-kun was the one who came up with that."

Giotto chuckled softly, raising his head elegantly in the air before folding his arms. "Speaking of Hayato—"

"Yeah. A-And Doctor Nowa—"

"Oh God, yes."

They shared a small laugh, and without even realizing it, Tsuna leaned closer to his brother. Any ounce of stress he had—any doubt—suddenly disappeared from his mind, and his brother's soft chuckles only made his spirits rise. Between worrying about Enma and worrying about Yamamoto—Giotto simply made him happy. He…loved it.

"…been so busy trying to keep Alaude and Dino from ripping each other's heads off that I forgot to see how you're doing." Giotto's voice dropped an octave and he lowered his gaze to the teenager. His eyes flickered with tender concern and amusement. "How are you?"

"Trying to keep Enma from having a fainting attack each time G-san gets more than a foot into his bubble." Tsuna smiled sheepishly and felt his cheeks turn red. "You?"

"Just…happy that at least one of my brothers is happy." It only made the brunet darken.

Suddenly the door flew open, revealing the man that Doctor Nowaki had been with, face beet red and scowl demonic. Eek. Tsuna fidgeted, moving closer to his brother instinctively as the man gave them a grouchy glare and stomped off in a different direction mumbling something about 'stupid tattoos' and 'bratty high-intellect little kids.' Doctor Nowaki popped his head out, completely oblivious to the little tantrum produced, and led the way for both Enma and G.

"You're free to go, Enma-san. I wish you the best of luck." The tall adult beamed, looking between the trio. No one expected for Enma to depart from G's side and give his doctor a hug.

A sigh of relief escaped Tsuna's throat, watching sheepishly as the doctor clung onto Enma's form tightly. Looking back at the doctor, he only shivered, remembering that although Yamamoto and Gokudera had made up, their little problems were still unresolved. If…Gokudera and Yamamoto could end up the slightest bit like Doctor Nowaki and his lover, then it would be a miracle.

"So he'll hug the doctor but not the giant pink-and-red M&M cookie." The warmth of Giotto's arm tickled Tsuna's shoulder. Tsuna bit back a smile. Giotto had become more like their older brother than he'd imagine. "Ready to go home?"

…home. With his best friend, his brother, and…and the first person in Namimori who treated him like a person rather than an inanimate object. His chest tingled at the thought, watching as Enma pulled away from the tall doctor with a quiet thank you, and couldn't resist the urge to smile.

"Yeah." Most definitely.