So, five yes' to the poll, I'm keeping my word and I thank you for taking your time in answering. This is my view at how the characters could bond with a little Tsuna. Sorry for any mistakes and I hope you'll like it :)
WARNINGS:
- Nana is dead.
- Mentions of abuse, psycological and physical (sexual), on a minor.
- The story starts with Tsuna being five-years old.
- Every chapter depicts a certain person's point of view.
- SLOW updates, slower than for The Punisher. I have only six chapters down, and they are all really hard to write.
- It may get R27, but I'm still not sure.
- Arcobaleno's are adults.
SUMMARY: Tsuna gets kidnapped. He sees his mother die. He is abused. He is kept for five months. He is only five-years old. When he is saved, his father takes him to Italy.
DISCLAIMER: I obviously don't own the characters, like little Tsu-chan and handsome Reb-chan.
Words: 4084.
Enjoy!
EDIT (03/25/2018): Hyphens to quotation marks, done.
01 – Lal Mirch
"Where the hell have you been, Iemitsu?!"
Lal Mirch marched into the office with heavy stomps, furious and annoyed. The fool had gone missing for months and then he'd popped out like no one's business without an ounce of shame. He was in for a sound beating this time!
However, when he looked at his Boss, she stopped her rampage and blinked. Were those tears? Why the hell was he crying this time?! No, wait, they were not the usual ones, they were true, slow and pained. What had happened?
"Oi, what's wrong?" She approached the desk on which the man had his elbows.
"Lal, I…" He sighed, tears still flowing. "My wife has been killed."
The woman blinked. … … Wife? Wife? Killed?! What the hell?!
"What the…" No, wait, he was really crying, this was serious. "You were married?"
"Yes…"
"That's the reason why you kept on disappearing?"
Iemitsu nodded, closing his red eyes. He brushed a hand on them to get rid of the tears.
"I…"
"It's my fault, I know." He suddenly said, looking straight at Lal. "But, there's something more. I have a son."
Oh gosh… Was he aware of his goddamn position, this fool?! A son now?!
"Where is he?"
"Here... I brought him here."
Lal went boom. "WHAT?!"
"Look, I'm sorry, but what was I supposed to do?"
"This is CEDEF! Damn it, Iemitsu! We're not a playground!"
"Lal… He needs healing."
The woman frowned. "Iemitsu, tell me the whole situation before I shoot you." She growled.
"Nana died trying to protect him, he was abducted. For five months… he was…" He closed his eyes. "Abused." He whispered. "He is only five…" His voice broke.
Lal was speechless. Abused? Five-years old? Those scumbags… She could understand now. Iemitsu was a wreck, it was obvious, and he couldn't leave his son defenceless. She sighed, massaging her temples for the growing headache.
"What then?"
"I'll protect him this time." Iemitsu said, determined. "No one will ever touch him again." A low growl.
Lal sighed… again. "Where is he?"
"In my room."
"Let's go."
Iemitsu stood and left the office with Lal in tow. They followed a corridor on the right and turned left once before meeting a door. The man took a long, calming breath and knocked twice before entering. Lal froze.
The boy in front of her was small, skinny, bandaged, emotionless, exhausted, wounded and… unsettling. His eyes were dull, but, at the same time, there was a low fire in them. A strong, invincible will. For what, she didn't know, but it was there.
"Tsuna, how are you feeling?"
Iemitsu took him in his arms and the boy whimpered slightly. "F-fine…"
"Very well." He smiled a bit. "This here is a colleague of mine, her name is Lal Mirch."
Tsuna turned to her and she immediately felt his insides out in the open. "Nice to meet you, Tsuna." She held high a hand for him to shake.
The boy tilted his head to the right before gripping one of her fingers with his tiny hand. "N-nice to… Meet you… Lal-san."
"We're not in Japan, little Tuna-fishie. The honorifics aren't used here." Iemitsu chuckled.
"Oh… L-Lal?" He looked at the woman with a questioning gaze.
"Y-yes. Lal is ok, Tsuna." She forced her lips to curl up a bit.
The boy's smile was small and almost imperceptible. The low growl of a tiny stomach resounded and Lal felt like hurting badly Iemitsu. Few days of playing father and he forgets about feeding his own son.
"I'm.. s-sorry…" Tsuna quickly apologized. "I'll w-wait… A-a doll d-doesn't…"
Iemitsu hastily shook his head, brushing a kind hand through his son's hair. "Tsuna, you're not with them anymore. Please, whatever you want, ask me or Lal. We won't do anything bad to you, okay?"
The boy bit his lower lip. "B-but… I d-don't want… The f-fat man…."
"Tuna-fishie…" Iemitsu sighed, putting his forehead against his son's one. "That bad man is gone now, he can't reach for you anymore."
Lal ignored his heart being torn and smiled to the wounded bundle. "Tsuna, do you want to eat?" He turned to her and shyly nodded. "Will you come with me?" Iemitsu held his son to her and the boy chose to go to the woman's arms. "Thank you for your trust, Tsuna. Now, why don't we leave your dumb father and go eat something?"
That elicited a small, weak, hoarse chuckle from the boy. Iemitsu felt like melting and silent tears escaped his eyes. Lal ignored him and left with Tsuna cradled in her arms. The woman walked through some corridors, that were luckily empty, given it was four in the morning.
"W-where… a-are we?"
"We are in Italy, Tsuna. In a safe place."
"I-Italy? That's… far."
"Yes. And I'll make sure you learn the language and etiquette. We don't want you acting like your father, right?"
Another chuckle. God bless him. Iemitsu's antics were helping, who could have imagined… They arrived in a large kitchen. It was empty. Lal sat Tuna on a counter and started gathering the utensils.
"W-will there… be w-worms?"
The pot almost slid from her hands. "O-of course not, Tsuna… What have you eaten recently?"
"Uhm… L-leftovers…"
"Were they solid?"
"Sometimes."
"I see… Do you want a soup?"
Tsuna nodded. "T-thanks…"
"No problem." Lal ruffled the boy's hair, that were dirty but soft. "As your dad said, please ask me whatever you need, okay?"
Another shy nod. The woman smiled and started cooking. Meanwhile, she took another look at the boy. The bandages were covering almost the whole body, the shirt was big and dirty and it was the only thing he was wearing. She made a mental note to go buy some clothes and he needed a bath, a long, soothing one.
Lal gave him a small water bottle and he drank slowly after thanking her. He was polite, probably thanks to his mother. Iemitsu was polite only on emergency meetings. The boy didn't move if not for taking a sip of water. She honestly didn't know what to think…
Tsuna had been abused, that much she could tell simply by analysing his stance. Hunched shoulders, arms tightly closed at his sides, straight knees, wariness… And those eyes. They had seen, had experienced something horrible. Every time the child would look at her, Lal wanted nothing more than envelope him in a hug. … She was a damn assassin.
Instead, she cooked the meal and settled the plate on a table. The boy sat at the chair and started eating slowly. Lal looked at him to take note of his reactions, she hasn't cooked in years…
Tsuna, at first, took a half-empty spoon and sipped the contents warily. He licked his lips thoughtfully and took another spoon. Then a third, a bit fuller, a forth, and so on. Slowly, the plate was emptied and Lal smiled.
"It was… d-delicious, Lal… T-thanks…"
"You haven't eaten a cooked meal in a long time, right?"
Tsuna nodded with a sad smile. "This was w-warm…"
Lal ruffled his hair and took him in her arms, leaving the plates for the cooks to clean. She left the kitchen and went to a free room on the top floor of the building.
"Do you want to take a bath?"
The boy nodded eagerly and earned a smile. Lal used the elevator and chose a door on the left corridor. It was simple, smaller than Iemitsu's. The floor was in parquet, the ceiling white and the walls covered in light orange wallpaper. There was a one-sized bed with white sheets, a wooden desk, a chair and a window, covered by brown curtains. Aside from the door she had just closed, there was another one that led to the bathroom.
"Do you like it?"
Tsuna nodded, smiling. "It's bigger… than mine…"
Lal held back a snicker and entered the bathroom. She opened the faucet of the bathtub to fill it. She put Tsuna on the floor and took the hem of the shirt.
"Can I?"
The boy bit his lower lip and closed his eyes. She waited patiently, and was rewarded. When he reopened them, the fire from before was a bit stronger and Tsuna nodded slowly.
Lal took the shirt off and started undoing the bandages. The wounds were superficial, but awful, for several reasons. There were large handprints on his neck, waist and wrists. Cuts and scratches on the backside, hands and knees. The feet were black from dirt, puke, poop and dried blood, much more than the skin not treated for the wounds. He was skinny, she could see his ribcage.
Tsuna shivered in the cold air and Lal let him enter the warm water. And then, she couldn't not see the signs of the abuse. She bit his tongue, almost drawing blood, and helped him getting clean. She delicately scrubbed the skin, wary of the wounds, successfully taking away dirt and dried blood. The wounds seemed nastier on the red, clean skin.
The boy chuckled here and there for ticklish spots, but otherwise let her do what she wanted. Lal didn't go on the private zone and Tsuna noticed it. He smiled thankfully and did what he needed to on his own. When he exited the bathtub, his skin was red from the warmth and the scrubbing, but his posture was more relaxed. He used a towel while Lal took some clothes from the drawer.
The HQ was obviously not prepared to take care of a child, so the clothes were abnormally large for him. She then cut one of the shirt and used a muffler to make pants. She was not a seamstress, but it was bearable… Yeah, okay, she needed urgently to go shopping for Tsuna. Alone. Iemitsu-free. Maybe the boy would have appreciated the excursion, instead.
"Tsuna." She called him, that was rather cute in that attire. "Do you want to go shopping for new clothes today?" The boy nodded shyly and Lal could almost hear the unsaid question. "Don't worry, it will be on your father's payroll." She winked.
He chuckled, his voice was returning to normal. She gave him another bottle of water and took him in his arms.
"This will be your room, okay?"
At Tsuna's nod, Lal hopped on the elevator and went to his Boss' office. She decided to knock and wait for permission, that came instantly. Iemitsu was sitting in his armchair, holding in his hands a photo frame. He put it face down on the desk and smiled at them.
"My cute Tuna-fishie!"
Lal kicked the approaching face of the puppy and slammed him on the floor. Tsuna chuckled again. Yes, they could get along, for sure. Torturing Iemitsu to their enjoyment every time they wanted.
"You're unsightly. I'm going shopping for Tsuna, so you're on your own."
She left while the boy smiled and waved at his dad. Lal went outside, took the keys of her blue Giulia and put Tsuna on the passenger seat, belt laced. She climbed up and turned on the car.
"This is… A beautiful… Car."
"Thank you." She smirked.
She drove out of the HQ and chose a road through the forest that would have led her to town. After some moments, she noticed the boy was sleeping peacefully. Before the smile could reach her eyes, it turned into a frown.
Iemitsu, though a fool through and through, was right. Tsuna needed healing, and not bodily. But how? It was not a light thing, this needed tact. She didn't know how Tsuna was, and, considering his father had been in Italy for over a year, she doubted highly he did. How were they supposed to thread?
Five-years old… A psychologist? Heck no… Those mind-blowing puzzle-makers… Plus, Tsuna was not showing any signs of needing one. He was not scared to the point of not analysing the situation at hand. No, damn no. Children his age? No, they were tactless at times… Tsuna, instead, had shown high perceptiveness. She had to make him open to her… And, yes, she was starting to care, damn it… This was all Iemitsu's fault.
She drove through the main road of the town and entered the parking area of a mall. She shook Tsuna lightly after turning off the car. The boy woke up with a start and took a bit of time to assess his surroundings.
"Tsuna, it's me, Lal."
He turned to her and instantly relaxed. This boy was trusting her, that much was obvious… This boy, abused by Mafia, was trusting a hitman from the same dark world… Was this even right?
"You are.. Not like them." He said suddenly with a frown. "You are… Kind."
Lal blinked owlishly four times before breaking into a small smile. "You sure?"
Tsuna nodded, smiling back. "You are kind."
"If you say so…"
They left the car and entered the not so crowded mall. It was the classical one, glassed walls, benches in the corridors, many shops, fountains, ice cream's parlours. Tsuna was holding her hand, walking on his own, and slightly covered by her leg. She let it slide this time and chose the first shop for children's clothes.
Apparently, the boy preferred hoodies, jeans, black, orange, boots and lions. Did the last one had a link to his father? Whatever… Ignoring the waitress' glances, probably because of Tsuna's get-up, she changed him in black hoodie, jeans and boots just purchased and payed for the clothes. Quite the amount, but she couldn't care less.
Lal bought him ice cream, too, and a Fanta for herself. Tsuna had pinpointed the chocolate flavour, after many encouraging words, and they were currently sitting on a bench near a big fountain, shopping bags on the floor.
If someone had ever told her she would be going shopping with a toddler, she would have shot whoever that was neatly in the forehead. But, here she was, buying ice cream and enjoying a morning of peace. It was unsettling, but… welcome, in some ways…
Thinking about it, the situation was a bit awry. Tsuna was CEDEF's Boss' son, and living in the HQ was going to be dangerous for him. True, it was the safest place in the entire world at that moment, at his father's side, but it was not a place for kids… And what about Vongola? Did Nono know of him? If not, he had to be informed.
She sighed silently, glancing at Tsuna, that was licking shyly at his ice cream and watching the other children with their mothers. Iemitsu had not told her the whole story, but she had a feeling the kid had witnessed his mom's death. That had surely left quite the nasty scar, much worse than those on his skin.
Strange as it was, the kid spoke. His voice was warmer and less hoarse. Still a whisper, but it was getting better. She mentally thanked her good hearing.
"Dad said mom has left us…" He took another wary lick. "I… I let them… Take mom away…"
Oh God… "No, Tsuna, it wasn't your fault." She stood and knelt in front of him.
"But… I didn't do anything…"
"You couldn't do anything, Tsuna. You're only a child, it's okay, your mom is happy you're safe now."
The brunette bit his lower lip and looked down. Lal sat again and finished her drink. The boy was not convinced, but she considered this a beginning.
When the ice cream started melting, Lal understood the boy didn't want it anymore and threw it in the garbage.
"If you don't want something or the contrary and if you want to say something, just do." She said, somewhat sternly, and the boy blushed, ashamed.
They went back to HQ and the boy fell asleep again. Be it for the time difference or his experience, he was tired and needed time to adjust to the new situation. Without waking him up, Lal took him in her arms, instructed some men to take the shopping bags to the designated room and used the elevator. Mid-way to the floor, it stopped to a call and she was surprised to see Timoteo on the doorway.
"Oh, Lal, buongiorno. (good morning.)" He smiled.
"Vongola Nono." She nodded respectfully.
The man joined her and eyed curiously the black bundle in her arms. He didn't voice his questions and she decided to go to Iemitsu first. They exited the elevator on the offices' floor and walked silently to the main one. Lal knocked and entered after the permission, earning a curious glance from the man beside her.
The Boss was going through some documents and stood at their sight.
"Timoteo, come sta? (how are you?)"
"Bene, Iemitsu, tu piuttosto? (Fine, Iemitsu, but you?)"
The man sighed. "Non così bene… (Not so fine…)" He eyed Lal. "Come è andata? (How did it go?)"
"Gli ho comprato molti vestiti e un gelato, che non ha finito. Per il momento, suggerirei pochi pasti solidi…. Pensava che la sua morte fosse colpa sua. (I bought him a lot of clothes and an ice cream, that he didn't finish. For the time being, I suggest few solid meals…. He thought that her death was his fault.)
"My little Tuna-fishie…"
Iemitsu approached her and shifted the hoodie a bit. Little streams of tears were on his cheeks. An embarrassed cough brought them to earth. Lal was the first to understand the misunderstanding.
"Non è mio figlio, Vongola Nono. (He's not my son, Vongola Nono)." She sighed.
In another situation, she would have seethed. But Tsuna was there and she had a feeling that could have stirred the boy.
"E' mio. (He's mine.)" Iemitsu let go of the hoodie and ruffled his hair. "Mia moglie è stata uccisa… e mio figlio rapito e abusato. Il posto più sicuro ora per lui è proprio qui. (My wife has been killed… and my son abducted and abused. The safest place for him is right here, now.)" He looked sadly at the Mafia Boss.
Timoteo was speechless, of course. Lal couldn't blame him.
"Giappone. (Japan.)" Iemitsu nodded. "Capisco… (I see…)."
In that instant, Tsuna blinked open his eyes and looked startled at Lal. "Good morning there." She smiled.
"Lal-nee…"
The woman tilted his head. Wasn't 'nee' used as an honorific for sisters? Tsuna was considering her a big sister?
The boy straightened in the embrace and looked around. He recognized his father and smiled at him. Then he saw Timoteo, that had a kind expression, and lingered his gaze on him for a long time. Lal could have sworn she saw the man waver a bit.
"Hi…"
Nono approached slowly Tsuna. "Hi, little one. What's your name?"
"Tsunayoshi…"
"Oh, but you like Tsuna better?"
"Mom called me Tsuna…"
"I see, do you mind if I call you that way, too?"
The brunette shook lightly his head. "And you are…?"
"My my, how impolite of me." He chuckled. "My name is Timoteo, what do you want to call me?"
Tsuna tilted his head a bit and smiled. "Timo-jii?"
Iemitsu snickered while Lal shook her head. The old man smiled and nodded. The boy looked at the woman and blushed a bit.
"I-I'm… hungry…"
Lal blinked and ruffled his hair. "Good boy, that's it, ask. We'll go and eat something."
She left with the kid and Iemitsu fell in his armchair. Timoteo sat patiently in the one in front of the desk.
"A son… Five?"
The other nodded, a hand shielding his eyes.
"You haven't told me." It wasn't an accusation, but the tone was a bit pained.
"I was going to, but…"
"I understand. What do you plan to do?"
"They have already reached him once. It's not going to happen again." He growled. "He is to stay here, where I can protect him."
Timoteo hummed. "What about the Vongola mansion?"
Iemitsu almost shot up in shock. "Wha…"
"You see, CEDEF is not a place for children. Instead, the mansion is safe and I can provide him a tutor for private lessons. What do you think?"
After a long silent moment, Iemitsu looked straight into the other's eyes. "Why have you come?"
Timoteo smiled. If Iemitsu was asking that, he was already considering the offer. It was a silent victory.
"Xanxus is acting strange." He said, earning a glare. "I think… He knows. I'm keeping watch on his actions, on Varia, too. I thought a warning would have been appreciated."
"Highly…" He folded his fingers under his chin. "Will Tsuna really be okay there?"
"I can't be sure… But here is not exactly a good place, either."
"I want to ask him first."
"As you wish." He stood. "Shall we?"
"Thanks for the clothes, Lal-nee."
"No worries." She gave the almost empty plate to a cook and ruffled his hair. "How are you feeling?"
Oh my… Was that a pout now?
"I'm fine…"
"What? Not liking being pampered?"
The pout disappeared, leaving place for a sad smile. "It's not like that…" He sighed, looking intently around, at the people swarming the kitchen. "You remind me of mom when you do…"
Ah, Tsuna liked it, that's why he was acting that way. Cute. She was about to take him in her arms when the boy… disappeared. She froze. One moment he was there, a blink, and he was not there anymore.
Lal almost suffered a whiplash, turning abruptly towards the kitchen. A wall of people in white uniforms were helping someone up, the chef, and Tsuna was right there, smiling shyly. The woman rushed to him and knelt to look at the boy better.
"What…"
"Lal-nee, I'm okay."
"Grazie, ragazzo. (Thank you, boy.) Probabilmente mi hai appena salvato la pelle… (Probably, you just saved my skin…)" The chef said, a bit shocked.
"Tsuna, what happened?"
"Ah… Fire…" He pointed a finger at the stove.
Lal looked at the chef, silently asking for an explanation. "Chiedo scusa, Signore. È uscito troppo gas prima della scintilla. (I'm sorry, Sir. Too much gas has leaked out before the spark.)"
The woman nodded, scooping Tsuna and returning to the table, slightly baffled. The boy waved shyly at the smiling cook while sitting again.
"Tsuna… How did you do it?"
"Uhm…" He blushed. "I saw the fire and wanted to help… I'm sorry…"
"Oh, no, I'm not reprimanding you." Lal smiled. "I'm simply surprised by your speed. Can you tell me more?"
Tsuna looked down, thoughtful. "I… Just ran…? I wanted to… help…"
Ah. The puppy eyes. Out of all of Iemitsu's perks, Tsuna had obviously gained the most dangerous. Well, better than the idiocy. But Lal put the thought aside and analysed the matter at hand. The boy had acted on instinct, with fast thinking and fast footing. How, exactly? Maybe she had to ask Iemitsu…
Talk about the devil…
"My little Tuna-fishie!"
The idiot grabbed Tsuna from his waist and made him fly high in the air. Lal frowned, checking if the boy was comfortable with that. Well, it seemed that he was not. She had officially the permission to kick his Boss. And snatch Tuna for herself.
"Check your surroundings, and then if he wants to, idiot." At that, Tsuna chuckled and cuddled.
Cute.
…
Oh God…
Timoteo smiled. "Everything all right?" Maybe he noticed somethings she did not.
"Tsuna saved a chef from a wild fire."
"That's my little Tuna-fishie!" Another well-deserved kick.
Lal snickered towards Tsuna. "And you?"
Nono took a moment to take in the sight and sighed, regarding the boy with a serious expression. "Tell me, Tsuna…-kun. Would you like to come living with me?" He smiled brightly and kindly.
Tsuna's eyes widened. "Your house?"
"Ahah… Yes. My big house. With a garden, many rooms, toys…"
The boy looked at the standing Iemitsu. "Dad?"
The CEDEF's Boss looked around and then at his son. "It's your choice, Tsuna. If you want to go, you can be with Timo-jii and be safe. You'll be safe here, too... But Timo-jii's house is better. Regardless, you choose." He smiled. "I'll visit, if you go."
Tsuna looked down, then at Lal. "Lal-nee…"
"Yes, Tsuna?"
"I… I want to go… But…"
So cute… "I'll be fine, Tsuna. I'll visit, too. God forbid I leave you into your father's hands." She rolled her eyes mockingly, making him chuckle.
The boy turned to Timoteo. "Okay…"
The old man all but sparkled in happiness. "I'm glad you accepted."
Tsuna smiled back, a bit unsure. Lal briefly wondered why exactly he had just accepted.
Well, I know this may be boring, but Lal is Lal... Do you want to know who is next?
YaMi: Just tell them and go to sleep.
You're no fun. *pouts*
YaMi: It's Xanxus.
Oh God... Ok, fine. Thanks for reding, guys, and please let me know what you think about it, if you have something against it or if you have suggestions. Now, back to my movie...
YaMi: Go. To. Sleep.
Ugh... See ya!