After watching Reborn x ēlDLIVE short crossover anime video, I started to re-read KHR chapters, rewatched KHR episodes, and re-read my several favourite KHR fanfics that involves Primo Family. Then the thought of writing this fanfic came into my mind.

I've been wondering how Giotto thinks about Daemon after his attempt to assasinate Cozart. From the looks of it, Daemon was still sticking with Giotto and the others until he finally decided to betray him, which means the betrayal didn't happen immediately after the war. So this fanfic also serves as my speculation of the events.

Just to be clear, this is NOT yaoi. It's purely family/frienship.

At that time, Giotto was twenty years old when he first met him. Vongola Family has grown to become a big organization that even police couldn't interfere recklessly. It gained support from many, particularly the commoners and those who became victims of outlaws.

There were also some people from higher class that supported Vongola. One of them was Elena, a daughter of a Duke. She was disgusted by the way of nobility, and admired how Vongola has helped many people, which also improved the common society. She wished to change the nobility and offered her support. Giotto could tell just by looking at her that her wish was sincere without any hidden intent in it. There was only truth in her words, and there was no way he could refuse such sincerity.

Elena then told him that there was someone that she would like him to meet that she thought can get along well him, so she invited him to one of her father's parties to introduce them. While other guests were busily gossipping and eating lavish foods, Giotto waited outside at the balcony where the sun shone brightly in the blue sky and fresh air tickling his face.

"Giotto."

Giotto came out from his reverie when he heard his name being called. He turned around to see Elena walking towards him and he smiled.

"Thank you for coming, Giotto."

"No, I should be the one thanking you for the invitation, Elena."

"I'm sorry to make you wait. We were preoccupied by something."

When she said 'we', Giotto assummed that she meant herself and the one she wanted to introduce. However, he didn't see anyone near her until Elena waved her hand to someone inside. Following her gaze, he noticed there was a man who was turning his head around as if looking for something or someone. He has a blue coloured unique hairstyle that resembled a certain fruit and the same pair of blue eyes that matched his hair colour. The man noticed Elena's waving hand and smiled, making his way over to them.

"That's not so kind of you Elena, leaving me behind like that." The man said to Elena.

"But you found me, no? Then, there's no problem." Elena replied cheerfully.

The man chuckled before his eyes shifted to Giotto, who has been standing there watching them.

"Is this the man you have been talking about? The one you want to introduce?"

"Yes." Elena nodded. She the turned to Giotto. "Giotto, this is the person I mentioned before. His name is Daemon Spade."

Giotto smiled. Facing the man, Daemon, he offered his hand as he introduced himself.

"I'm Giotto of Vongola Family".

Daemon smiled back and accepted his handshake.

"I'm Daemon Spade, the aristocrat of the Spade house."

"Primo."

Giotto put down the paper he was reading to face his best man, G, who was looking at him rather impatiently, but there was also a concern in his eyes.

"What is it, G?" Giotto asked.

"Do I really need to tell you again?" Was G's only reply. Seeing his boss' questioning face, G sighed. "It's been a month already, shouldn't you do something about him? We can't just pretend it never happened and just let him slide."

Giotto sighed. He should have known it was about this. "I know, G. But I… I'm still…"

G raised his hand, stopping Giotto from talking further.

"Look. I'm here for you. Ugetsu and the others are also here, so don't do this just by yourself. You can always talk to us so don't keep it to yourself or it will only hurt you. Besides, how long do you think we've known each other?"

With that said, G left the room, leaving the Vongola Boss to continue his pondering.

It has been a month since the huge war. After much struggle, Vongola emerged victorious. However, winning the war was only the beginning. Now the war has ended, there were many things that they need to do and finish as soon as possible. The funeral for the comrades they have lost, war reparations, agreement with the losing Family, and many more.

Most of them have already been taken care of, and everything started to return to normal in Vongola. Everyone returned to their own daily life activities. At first glance, everything seemed perfectly normal.

However, there was one problem that the Vongola boss has yet to find any solution to this day. Let alone a solution, he didn't even make any progress to this problem.

"It's been a month already, should'nt you do something about him? We can't just pretend it never happened and just let him slide."

Giotto sighed as he remembered what G, his childhood best friend and right-hand man said just a few minutes ago.

Giotto stretched his hands a bit and put his pen down for a moment. Deciding to get some fresh air, he opened the window. He let out a sigh as he watched the scenery in front of him.

"What should I do…?" He muttered to himself.

During the war, Giotto had found out that another of his bestfriend, Simon Cozart, came to his aide even though he wasn't supposed to know about the war. And shortly afterwards, he realized that Cozart's presence in the war was because his Mist Guardian, Daemon Spade, was the one responsible dragging him and attempted to kill him and his Family in the midst of the war. It was a good thing that Giotto realized his Mist Guardian's true intent when he volunteered to go save Cozart. If he hadn't, Cozart wouldn't be alive. The moment he realized it, Giotto sent his Guardians to disguise themselves as Daemon's subordinates and secretly saved Cozart.

However, even though he succeeded in saving Cozart, what came afterwards saddened him. Cozart decided to go into hiding with his Family to make Daemon believe that he was killed as the illusionist has expected, which means this dark chapter of Vongola will forever shadow the Simon. Reluctantly, Giotto agreed under condition Simon Family will always help Vongola from the shadow as long as it exists. To make things worse, the Vendicare appeared and declared they will deliver the judgement should Vongola and Simon fight against each other. While Giotto wasn't happy with it, he decided to believe in his descendants in the future like Cozart did and accepted the law set by Vendicare. At the very least though, in case the battle did happen, he wished for their descendants to know their true history, adding that condition to the Vendicare.

This decision meant that he and Cozart couldn't – musn't meet each other again, for the rest of their lifetime. While he was sad with this arrangement, he and his best friend believ that the day will come their descendants will meet and reconnect their friendship.

With that settled, all that left was what to do with Daemon. One month has passed, but the Vongola Boss still couldn't find any solution regarding his Mist Guardian. G and his other Guardians have pestered him with the same question since the incident, and he knew that he couldn't leave the illusionist as he was, but he was too confused of what to do.

While the others, particularly his Storm Guardian G and his Cloud Guardian Alaude, contemplated on eliminating him, Giotto just couldn't bring himself to even think about it. He would never forget what Daemon did, but even so, to him, Daemon was still his Guardian. No matter what his other Guardians thinks, his feeling didn't change.

"Why, Daemon?" Giotto questioned in his mind.

"You don't need to be upset about that bastard. You didn't do anything wrong, he was the one who betrayed you."

Giotto remembered again what G has said. Even though he said that, Giotto just couldn't get rid of the feeling that whatever happened to Daemon, he was also responsible in turning the man the way he was now. But no matter how many times he thought about it, he couldn't find the reason. He had done numerous things that earned him scolding or objection from the Mist Guardian, but which was it that could made the Mist Guardian to decide to betray him?

"We've been together for years. But I can't even understand him. Not even a bit… Of course it's impossible to understand everything, but to think I don't have a slightest clue about it…"

Giotto returned to his seat. Giotto's brow furrowed and his eyes turned sad as he opened his pocket watch.

"The time when we have dinner together and swore our eternal friendship feels like it just happened yesterday. I really don't want to believe that Daemon betrayed me… What happened to you, Daemon?" Giotto thought sadly.

"I tought I knew him well… Now that it came to this, it seems I was wrong. It seems I actually don't know the first thing about him…"

He recounted his first meeting with his Mist Guardian. His first impression about Daemon…the man was quite an idealist. While the way he talk was sarcastic and the way he behave seemed arrogant, there was genuine kindness. He truly meant it when he said he will support Vongola and change the warped society. This was most evident when Giotto saw him spoke to Elena about it.

After Daemon joined his Family, he realized that Daemon has been focusing on power, but his fascination for power was subtle without any ill intent. And that factor improved their Family in many ways, helping a lot of people in the process.

However, since a few months ago, Giotto sensed that subtlety started to and eventually replaced by ruthlessness. And Daemon just proved him right in the war a month ago.

"We spent times and did many things together. But Daemon never opened up his heart to any of us. I never pushed him to talk to me because I want he himself to come and talk to me."

Most of his other Guardians were more than willing to open their hearts to him. If they have problem or trouble that bothers them, they will talk to him and he will help them in every way he could. Daemon, however, was different.

Whenever he realized there was something wrong with Daemon and inquired him about what was troubling him, the Mist Guardian always returned his inquiry with a guarded smirk and distanced himself. Wanting his Mist Guardian to trust him, Giotto never pressed the matter further and waited for the man himself to talk to him. For some reasons though, whenever that happened, the next time he saw him, Daemon seemed to have already solved whatever problem he has, so there was no need for them to talk about it.

"But perhaps it was a mistake… If only I was more persistent, maybe Daemon will open up to me. That way I can understand him better and prevent this from happening…"

Giotto covered his face, frustrated.

"Why do you wish for power that much, Daemon? At this rate, Vongola will deviate from its original purpose. I'm so pathetic. Even though we're near, I can't understand him. Can't even understanding his own Guardian, what kind of Boss am I? No, what kind of friend am I?"

He admitted that he was hesitating. The other Guardians may have thought Daemon as nothing but a traitor now, but to Giotto, Daemon was still his Guardian and a dear friend. He had lost many, and he didn't want to lose another friend again.

At the same time, letting Daemon slide was out of question, but what can he do in this kind of situation? Just as Cozart had said, people may become sacrifice if he confronted Daemon directly and that was a risk he rather not pick despite his intuition telling him that a peaceful solution to this matter was impossible.

"Cozart… If you're here, what will you say to me? Will you scold me like G did? Maybe I'm being too soft, but regardless of what Daemon did to you, the thought of hating him never crossed my mind…"

Moping around like this won't help him at all. When he checked the time, it was already noon. He decided to have a lunch. Pocketing his pocketwatch, he stood from his chair and made his way out, but in one of rare moments he slipped his foot, grasping the shelf when he tried to prevent himself from completely falling.

Something fell from the shelf due to Giotto's weight. Giotto quickly picked it. It was a photograph. And the most important photograph to him. Giotto groaned. While the photo was fortunately not damaged, the frame was broken. He needed to replace it later.

Someone knocked the door and went in, and that person was, to Giotto's dismay, was none other than the one he has been thinking about…

"Daemon… What's up?" Giotto asked, quickly putting up a façade like nothing was wrong.

"Just want to give you my report for today's mission." Daemon showed his boss the report papers. "I heard something before I came in, what is it?" Daemon asked.

"Oh, nothing. I dropped a photograph. The photograph that we took before. You know, with G and the others and Elena." Giotto smiled a bit as he stared at the photograph.

"At that time, I thought we never take a picture with everyone together, so I suggested we take one while we're gathering together. It was hard to convince Alaude at first though… Good thing it turned out well in the end." Giotto chuckled at the memory. The memory was still fresh in his mind.

Giotto snapped from his reminiscence when an unexpected comment came from Daemon's mouth. It took him by surprise.

"Yes. That was certainly the happiest time for all of us…"

It was only for a second, only a glimpse, but Giotto noticed the smile that Daemon made. That was not the smile Daemon usually shows. Ever since he joined the Vongola, Daemon always spotted a sarcastic smile or a sneer while talking arrogantly to practically everyone including Giotto himself, giving most people an impression that he was bigheaded.

Giotto was one of few people who knew that despite his outward behavior, Daemon was not as arrogant as he showed himself to be. There were some times Daemon showed his genuine smile, though it was extremely rare and there were only two occassions Giotto able to witness such smile.

This smile, however, was completely different. He could see the sadness hiding behind that smile.

"Daemon?"

"I put the report here. I'm taking my leave now. Arrivederci, Primo."

Giotto wanted to stop him from leaving, but he decided against it. He still didn't know what the best thing to say to him. But one thing for sure, he wanted to know the reason behind that sadness. Why would he made such a face?

"I don't know everything about Daemon. And that's just the more reason to try to understand him. As a boss – no, as a friend, I want to understand him."

Giotto stared again at the photograph he was holding before placing it on his table.

"I know, after what happened there was no chance for us to go back to the way we used to be. Once I confront him, there is no turning back. Vongola itself may even change depending this. Even so… I still want to try whatever I can. The bond we have, I will never cut it."

That's right. Bond, especially the one that last long for years, won't easily get cut. Even if it was cut, it won't stay cut. The string will stay connected no matter what happened. They just didn't realize it. No matter what happens, even if it wasn't the same as before, even if their paths didn't cross wach other again, there was still a bond between them. They will always be connected whether they like it or not.

"I will never forget, but I forgive you. Even if the others hate you, even if the others won't forgive you, to me you will always be my Guardian…and my friend."

People may call him naïve or downright foolish, but whatever happens, he didn't think that his bond with Daemon will ever be broken. It may be severed, but it will never be broken. Not now, not ever.

He didn't believe it, he just know it.

Too cliché? Too boring? Did I make Giotto OOC here? If it does, I'm very sorry! I've thought so hard, and this is the only thing I could come up with…

While writing this fic, I kept thinking if possible in the future Akira Amano create another KHR series that focus on Primo Family~ (OwO)

Please leave a review~