A/N: All of my stories for the KHRfest are going to be excerpts from either Vivi memor leti or Ex umbra in solem. So they're kind of 'behind the scenes' pieces that may or may not eventually make their way into the published story, but were fun to write. This particular piece is the flip side of Lambo's interlude, when he leaves Namimori for Italy, and how I-pin feels about it. Enjoy!
I-pin's memories of Lambo were a swirling combination of irritation, amusement and affection, as was often the case with someone you'd grown up with. She remembered him teasing her, fighting with her, playing with her and protecting her, all at different times. The last were some of her sweetest memories because no matter how often she reminded him that she didn't need to be protected, or how often she proved she was capable of taking care of herself, he'd never hesitated in stepping between her and danger once they'd grown past the toddler phase.
Each incident had irritated her at the time, making her believe that he thought she was weak or helpless, when the truth was that he was the one who lacked training and skill. As she grew older, however, she came to realize that it had nothing to do with her own skills. Lambo, as irritating and insulting as he could be, had the seeds of a fine gentleman buried deep inside him. There was something in him that demanded that he stand between her and the enemy until she pushed past him. It was the same thing that had him opening doors for her as they grew up and moved on to middle school together.
It was something she wasn't used to, having grown up as a hit man who was trained early, and it left her confused. It was their adopted Mama who explained to her when she asked that all little boys were like that. They pushed, pulled, tugged, poked and prodded, and all of it was just their way of showing affection. So I-pin decided not to put too much thought into it, as they all knew Lambo was immature and wild still.
It had crushed her when Lambo had chosen to join Tsuna and the others in Italy for high school. She'd tried to hide her hurt and impending loneliness, not wanting to ruin his excitement over the new adventure. So she'd lowered her head, as she often did, and focused on studying for exams to hide her feelings.
Lambo had approached her just a few days before his flight to Italy, cornering her in the yard outside Mama's house. She'd tried to brush him off, not wanting to cry in front of him, but he'd nudged her into sitting with him on the porch and he'd caught one of her hands with his and held it tightly. Then he'd talked.
He told her how much having a friend like her meant to him, when he'd been so painfully alone after arriving in Japan. She looked up in surprise when he moved on to telling her how much it had meant to always have one friend he could count on to always stand by his side, even if she was mad at him, and how safe she made him feel when he was scared, which gave him the courage to step forward when he needed to. Then he'd told her he would wait for her to come to Italy when she was ready, but that he wasn't going to pressure her to leave Mama when she'd also been alone for so long and had finally found a family of her own.
So they'd made a promise then, that when she finally came to Italy, he'd show her everything. In the meantime, they had email and webcams and cell phones. They would stay in touch and tell each other everything they needed to, to keep their connection alive. That was when she realized he valued their friendship as much as she did.
That meant that when Lambo's flight boarded, she was able to kiss his cheek and hug him tightly, no matter how much he blushed, and wish him a safe trip. If she'd written him his first email while on the train back to Mama's house, that was a secret between them. She knew that Lambo would never tell.