Snot runs down his face, tears burn his eyes, and his wailing can be heard for miles.

"Lambo, no —" "He has a grenade!" "— don't do that! —" "Is that a bazooka?" "Argh, you stupid cow!"

He points it at himself, crying so hard his voice will be hoarse for days afterward, and —

— pulls the trigger.

He's not old enough to really understand what happens when he blasts himself in the face with the Ten-Year Bazooka; all he knows is it'll take him somewhere else, anywhere else, and when he comes back after a few minutes they're all being nice to him again.

And with that thought in mind Lambo staggers forward, his vision blurred by tears and smoke.

"— and he got angry at me again! I didn't mean to go back, you know? But I guess it's nice to see everyone's younger selves again, right?"

He hits her leg when she suddenly stops walking and topples over backward.

"Lambo?"

The child rubs at his face with his dirty sleeves. It doesn't occur to him that there's a stranger who knows his name (because, quite frankly, everyone should know who he is). "That's Lambo!" he hiccups reflexively, his tinny voice wavering. "Me — The Great Lambo!"

Then he starts to cry again, because why can't Stupidera and No-Good Tsuna see that?

He's strong, and smart, and the Bovino trusted him to kill the Not-So-Great Reborn —

— which means that they believe he's great, right?

(The truths of children are built on the lies of adults.)

He can only remember warm, gentle hands wiping his face and a large, shiny forehead when he returns to his own time.

.

"You're so stupid! Stupid stupid stupid stupid! That's why you're Stupidera, stupid!"

He pulls the trigger again, and this time he appears in the air — and he's falling.

The ground rushes up to meet him, and he returns the greeting with his face.

(Dirt tastes terrible.)

He hears laughter, and Lambo springs to his feet — "Who dares laugh at the Great Lambo?" — brandishing a pencil he's pulled from his hair. "No one laughs at him!"

Another giggle before it's choked back, and she says, "Right! Sorry, sorry, you just — surprised me."

Lambo squints at her before huffing and folding his arms across his chest. "Lambo forgives you."

She squats down, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket, and clears a bit of the grime from his face before he can object. Lambo blinks in surprise — she's kind of like Nana, isn't she? — before he looks at her face.

"It's you!" She blinks. "Huge Forehead! Huge, huge, shiny, huge!" He dances around with a singsong voice, pointing at her and laughing loudly.

She sighs and rolls her eyes. "Don't cause too much trouble for Tsuna and the others, all right?"

This time, he remembers her smile and the soft pat between his horns.

.

He's running away, his knees scraped and eyes dry and throat so raw he can barely breathe.

He keeps running, even after he pulls the trigger.

She sees him the moment he arrives, and she's faster than he is — so by the time he's at the door, she scoops him up into her arms and says, "You can't go outside right now, Lambo!"

He's struggling in her arms, croaking and barely managing "Let Lambo go!" before he gives up entirely.

All of his energy has been lost with his tears and screams.

She holds him silently for a few moments, staring at the child in her arms, before saying, "Would you like candy?"

He stirs slightly. (She takes it as a yes.)

A minute later, Lambo has the sweet in his mouth and curls up in her lap, fatigue hitting him like a train. He yawns, dozing off to her quiet murmurs and a soft hand on his forehead.

When he wakes up, he's in Maman's bed and the sun is shining behind the curtains.

He doesn't remember her words, but there's a warm feeling in his chest.

("They care about you, Lambo.")

(Lambo blinks, staring up at I-Pin's surprised face. Then he smirks.

"If you wanted me on your lap, all you had to do was ask — I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Really, I am, you don't have to —"

I-Pin drops him face-first onto the concrete outside before slamming the front door closed.)