Furrowed brows almost comically heightened by the blatant perplexed expression Tsuna sports upon having been handed a box brightly decorated in blues and golds, shining ribbon atop the gift. The paper feels smooth against the flesh of his palms.

But what is it?

His head snaps up to scan the room, utmostly for Vongola Nono, the man in whom presented him the lightweight box in question.

Timoteo smiles in slight amusement. "Do you not know what day it is, Tsunayoshi?"

Tsuna wrinkles his nose, attempting to reach within the inner recesses of his memory and pull out a specific event from his head matching to this date. October fourteenth. It stirs nothing. After a moment of blank stares, his head moves slowly side to side. "No."

Nono looks a bit surprised. "Today is your birthday!"

Gentle enthusiasm is met with no reaction. "So?"

"Wouldn't you like to celebrate it? With everyone?"

Tsuna gives him the most incredulous look his newly turned six-year-old face could produce. "Why would we celebrate that?"

Timoteo can't help the wave nostalgia that engulfs him for a brief moment. Indeed….. Xanxus had never celebrated his birth either. They were alike in that way he supposed, although Xanxus knew already….he knew…

The tearing of paper startles him, pieces of blue and gold floating slowly to the carpeted floor around crossed legs. Shiny ribbon sticking to the side of Tsuna's head. To be painstakingly wrestled off later.

"What does it say?" He doesn't understand the front, he hasn't learned enough to do so. Hands trailing across the mustache clad gentleman on the cover. Looking with interest at the silver pieces and brightly colored spaces.

"Monopoli." Is the reply he receives.

"How do you play it?" Tsuna is nevertheless interested by the game, removing its lid and shuffling through the pieces. He holds up a tiny silver shoe with a hint of amusement. Though his Italian is rather broken being a beginner to something that wasn't his native tongue, Timoteo understands well enough.

"We'll have to play it sometime soon, I'll explain it then."

Tsuna nods, still entranced by the tiny player pieces. Hands fiddling with three of them, eyes large.

Within a few moments, the game is set aside not without being spared a longing glance.

"I don't wanna celebrate. 'Cause it's weird." Tsuna says with finality before Timoteo can even open his mouth to speak. "I only talk with you and Xanxus anyway." The name Xanxus is pronounced with much difficulty.

Nono looks thoughtful. "What if you celebrate with Xanxus and I then?" He offers a small smile and Tsuna makes a squeaky noise.

"Dunno." Clearly embarrassed he looks to the soft carpet below him. "I don't…"

"Next year then, perhaps."

He nods a bit ashamedly. Perhaps not.

Timoteo gives him a shaky, awkward pat to the hair before standing up. He leaves the sitting room- Tsuna staring at his back in awe.

Less than a few seconds later he's lifting up each curious piece once again, impatience causes him to scowl rather than the usual blank stare or good-natured expression that often caused him to look vulnerable.

Tsuna tosses the pieces back into the box and places on the lid, shoving it across the long coffee table to the end furthest from him.

A way to pass the time is in order, pestering Xanxus was an option but having heard he was absent this afternoon for a meeting of his, squad? Tsuna does not know what being in a squad implies but his thoughts reason it must be something like an Italian police force, or rather a branch of this mafia he hears Nono talk about in hushed whispers when he thinks little ears may be near.

So there was no choice but to find another person of interest to irritate. Perhaps then again they will play the usual games he plays with Xanxus, the ones that bring electricity to his limbs and leak warm blood.

Little feet carry themselves from the expanse if not costly sitting room decorated with charming paintings and ravishing furniture.

Occupied with his own mind, Tsuna makes it a goal to scuff his shoes over the shining tile floors as much as he can possibly achieve. Making awful squeaking sounds with them as he walks on.

Much of the mansion remains unexplored despite having lived in the premises for seven months already. And maybe, he thinks cocking his head to the side- bow still very much intact, a bit of exploring will never cause any harm.

After all, they'd never told him he was forbidden a certain area.

Tsuna has only been in Vongola Nono's office but once, the first day of his arrival. Only for a few minutes. It was clean and bare- save four photos. One of Xanxus and the other three he assumed were the spoken of sons. Did that mean they were a nice family?

He looks to his prong scarred hands. Probably not.

In a burst of hot red emotion, he drags his foot against the friction of the floor harshly eliciting a squealing sound louder than before. The tapping of what seems to be tiny feet cause him to stop, out of curiosity.

It's small, he somehow just feels it but perhaps he is wrong. So Tsuna squats down, almost level with the polished floors, and waits.

For three minutes, he counted, based on one of the assorted ornamental clocks that taunt him with their moving hands. And into his idly outstretched hand crawls an almost inhumanely small lizard. Tsuna blinks, it's round eyes blink back.

Tsuna moves his head to the left, so does the lizard. Tsuna raises his hand upwards to get a closer look at this tiny creature and it seems not the least bit frightened at the new angle of observation. "You're small."

Confirmed with a nod, it nods back. Tsuna taps it on the nose in humor, amazed at the smooth scaly texture. A yelp echoes down the pink tongue stuck to the top of his forehead, Tsuna is amazed rather about the elasticity of it than the fact that this lizard seemed to be apparently tasting him.

"What are you doing to my pet?"

The lizard isn't in his hands anymore, neither is he crouched over the floor. But instead dangling inches above the ground. Suspended by his left arm, or rather beneath the shoulder where someone with a very large hand is holding him up in the air.

"Well, I thought I was pettin' it." He only bothers to look up a slight bit, not seeing past one curly sideburn. He wants to touch it. It looks funny.

"He's mine." Comes the reply, dropping Tsuna unceremoniously to the floor at the proclamation of ownership. "Leon belongs to me." It's said as if an afterthought.

Newly identified Leon peers from one broad shoulder as if watching with careful eyes for any hostility.

Tsuna takes this very moment to look towards unseen eyes, shadowed by the brim of a large practically fitting hat. Perched on the very top of this stranger's head. His words come out leisurely. "You don't seem like a good pet owner, letting Leon wander around like that, sir."

He certainly wasn't expecting a sudden strike to the head which he dodges mostly only getting clipped slightly by what would have been a full force smack to the base of his skull.

"Leon can handle himself. Especially around brats with no manners like you."

Tsuna scrunches up his nose. " 'kay." Perhaps there are more interesting things farther down the hall after all this man seems rather irate at having to communicate with him.

"Where do you think you're headed?" It stops him in his tracks, he wasn't aware the tall man was still present.

" 'sploring. 'Cause Nono says I'm allowed."

"Not down there you're not, only those associated with business are allowed there."

Once again he turns to face this lizard stranger, slightly bright eyed with curiosity. "You're a… 'soc.. iate?"

Stranger eyes him with slight discernment. "An associate?"

"Yeah!"

There's somewhat of a glint in his eyes. "I'm Reborn. The world's greatest freelance hitman. Of course, I have business here." More peculiar than an unannounced child is a bow clearly plastered to the side of his head.

"That's a silly title."

Appropriate punishment from Reborn comes in the form of him snatching the bow off, taking some of Tsuna's hair with him. Tsuna yelps in surprise but there is much little else to it.

"And what's your name? It can't be any better, considering you had this stupidly stuck to your skull, hm?" Reborn seems more amused than pissed at the remark, small children didn't often have such attitudes.

"Sawad-a Tsu…. Tsuna…" The pronunciation is struggled with.

"Tuna?" Reborn enjoys the look of disdain being called a fish brings.

"Tsun...a...yo..shi.." Though unsure if he's even pronounced it correctly Tsuna is still rather proud at having at least sounded out his entire name with no help at all.

"A big name for a brat."

Surprisingly there is no answer, childish eyes are trained on something behind Reborn rather than Reborn himself. Through one of the floor length windows, Xanxus can be seen exiting yet another expensive vehicle.

At last! A familiar face to pester. And unbeknownst to himself, his own eyes glimmer just a bit in anticipation for Xanxus to set foot inside this grandiose empty mansion. Perhaps he will play the new game he has just received.

"Bye! Whoever you are!" And of course having not even taken the time to remember Reborn's name or even the round-eyed Leon; Tsuna dashes off in the direction he came.

"Want to play a game with me?"

Silver thimble on his thumb, surrounded by the wafting smoke of Nono's parlor. Tsuna anxiously looks to Xanxus in whom's eyes trail over to neatly arranged pieces across that very board. A mustache clad gentleman smiling at them both from the cover.

With a grimace, Xanxus moves towards Tsuna's neat arrangement.

"Fine, if it gets you to shut the fuck up we'll play. But with substitute rules. Got it?"

Tsunayoshi only nods eagerly. "Sure!"

Perhaps a wiser game ought to have been implemented. There was the faintest crooked set of his arm even years after. Even though Tsuna would gesture in ways that couldn't be traced, they both knew. That first game marked one of many.

Vongola Nono was going to need a few on duty doctors this day on. So they were to reason.