I don't own KHR.
It was the middle of the night and Tsuna couldn't sleep.
And it didn't make any sense either. He was surrounded by his siblings, Takeshi got reunited with his cousin, and Mukuro was now happier (or more at peace, same thing) than he had been for a while now. So Tsuna should be sleeping peacefully and be having fun, happy dreams.
But nope, it seemed fate wanted him to stay wide awake while everyone else slept. And despite Tsuna going to the bathroom, drinking some water out of the tap, counting sheep, and even trying not to think of anything at all, he just couldn't get even a tiny bit sleepy.
If it wasn't for his lucky siblings sleeping beside him, Tsuna would have exhaled harshly in frustration.
Then suddenly, there was a sound.
Carefully, without disturbing Mukuro and Chrome, Tsuna sat up and strained his ears, his eyes focused on the door. Not even a second later, Tsuna heard the sound again.
It...it sounded like someone was humming.
Was it one of the Vongola? They were adults after all, which meant that they got to stay up as long as they wanted. Or...or was it a ghost?!
Tsuna gulped as he shook his head.
No, ghosts didn't exist. And besides, Tsuna was pretty sure the mansion was practically brand-new, so there shouldn't be any ghosts haunting it even if they did exist.
But then...the Vongola was more or less a mafia family. And if there was one thing Tsuna knew about the mafia, was that people often die in one.
Not to mention...what if some poor soul had fallen to his death while building the roof?!
Tsuna shook his head again, despite his heart starting to beat in fear. No, that didn't happen, he was just getting himself worked up because it was the middle of the night. Yeah, the Vongola adult was just humming, that's all.
And...and he was gonna prove it by looking.
Tsuna gulped slightly as he very carefully left his siblings' loose hold on him and crawled to the end of the bed. When Tsuna got there, he silently and slowly hauled himself over the banister and lowered himself to the ground.
For more than one reason, he couldn't afford to slip up and crash to the ground.
When his feet were safely on the ground, Tsuna breathed a small sigh of relief before tiptoeing his way to the door, the humming still going on outside.
Tsuna slowly reached out to the doorknob, and as soon as his hand felt the slightly cold metal, Tsuna began to rethink his decision.
It was probably a Vongola adult but...if it really was a...ghost...wouldn't it be both safer and smarter if Tsuna stayed inside with his siblings?
Though what if the ghost decided to check out their room...
Tsuna's eyes widened as he shook his head once more, his hand tightening around the doorknob. No, he had to find out what or who was humming. If it really was a ghost, then Tsuna could warn his siblings, giving them all plenty of time to prepare to fight against it. Or run away.
And if it really was just one of the Vongola adults...then Tsuna could go back to bed in peace.
Maybe he would actually go to sleep this time.
With this resolve, Tsuna took a deep breath and opened the door. He then slowly poked his head through the narrow crack, his heart beating fast despite his determination to protect his family.
At first he didn't see anything but darkness (well, not total darkness, the lights were just dimmed all the way to the lowest setting). Tsuna turned his head to the right and he still didn't see any of the Vongola adults, or any ghosts for that matter.
But he could still hear the humming, though it was getting softer now.
Tsuna couldn't help but gulp as he turned his head slowly to the left, hoping desperately that it really wasn't a ghost bent on bloodlust and vengeance.
Please, please-
For a second Tsuna's heart leapt to his throat as he saw the black cloak at the end of the hallway but then his brain registered the light-colored mess of hair above the cloak.
Tsuna sighed with relief.
It was just Giotto.
Then, due to his great relief, Tsuna's body sagged like a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. However, this caused him to lean heavily against the door.
The door quickly gave under his weight and with a plop and a small cry, Tsuna fell face-first onto the carpeted ground.
His nose stung a bit, but Tsuna was more worried about how the door softly clanged against the wall.
"Tsuna?" Tsuna slowly picked his head up to see that Giotto had stopped right at the end of the hall and was now looking back at him.
The nine-year-old wanted to dig his face onto the carpet and groan.
And since he was embarrassed, he did so.
"Are you okay?" Tsuna heard Giotto whisper after several or more seconds of silence. Sighing, Tsuna picked up his head and looked up at Giotto who was kneeling beside him, a concerned expression on his face.
Tsuna didn't answer right away, choosing instead to look behind him.
"They're still asleep," Giotto assured him before Tsuna could even turn fully around. When he did, he saw that Giotto was right, his siblings were thankfully still fast asleep.
"Though maybe we should close the door just in case," Giotto suggested as he stood back up. Agreeing completely, Tsuna quickly picked himself up and moved out of the way while Giotto headed to the door. A second or so later, Giotto had closed the door softly and without a single sound.
"So...are you okay? What happened?" Giotto asked as he kneeled in front of Tsuna once again, an arm leaning against his knee while the other arm stayed hidden underneath the cloak.
Tsuna looked at Giotto, the Don of the Vongola famiglia, and saw that he was wearing a very kind expression. Feeling a bit less embarrassed, Tsuna took a deep breath before answering.
"I...I heard humming."
"Oh, did I wake you?" Giotto asked with guilt-laced words. Tsuna quickly shook his head.
"No, I was already awake," Tsuna explained. "I just heard you humming and...went to investigate."
"Oh. Were...were you afraid that I might have been one of Martina's men?" Tsuna's eyes widened at that, surprised that Giotto would think that. But then he remembered that it had only been a day (or would it be technically two now, since it was the middle of the night) since he and Hayato had gotten attacked by Martina and her men.
It made sense that Giotto would think that Tsuna would still be afraid. But strangely enough, that possibility had never entered Tsuna's mind.
"No...I believed you when you said that we wouldn't have to worry about Ricci famiglia anymore," Tsuna admitted, which caused Giotto to give him a small but warm smile. Tsuna bit his lip despite the smile however.
Would Giotto be as understanding if he knew what Tsuna had really been worried about?
"I..." Tsuna began before he gulped. "I thought you might have been a ghost."
Giotto's reaction was almost instantaneous as his face crumpled while his lips pursed up like he was trying not to laugh.
"Don't laugh," Tsuna half-pleaded, half-moaned as he covered his burning face with his hands.
"I'm not...It's okay, I'm not," Giotto assured a little bit breathlessly as he gave Tsuna a pat or two on the head. He was telling the truth though, Tsuna didn't hear any sign of a chuckle or laughter coming from the man.
"Though you don't have to worry about ghosts, my friends and I had this place built when we started our...organization, and no one died while building it, and no one has died within these walls after it was built."
"Really?" Tsuna asked hopefully as he moved his fingers so he could see Giotto. There wasn't any trace of annoyance in Primo's face, just a warm and caring smile.
Was...Giotto actually taking his fears seriously? Despite not being afraid or concerned about ghosts himself?
"Yes," Giotto confirmed with a nod. "And even if a ghost for some reason started to hunt these walls, we won't let it hurt you and your family. I promise."
Tsuna lowered his hands as he stared into Giotto's blue eyes, which now had a determined glint in them.
He...he really was taking his fears seriously...
"You'll really do that?" Tsuna asked softly, as he tried to remember the last time an adult hadn't got annoyed at him or ridiculed him harshly for being afraid of something that may or may not exist.
Tsuna believed that the last time might have been when his parents were still alive.
"Of course," Giotto assured him with a nod. "Heck, I think Daemon might actually enjoy himself."
Tsuna nodded because he could definitely see that.
"Now, you didn't actually answer this before, but are you alright?" Giotto repeated, still smiling.
"Oh, yeah, I'm alright," Tsuna said with a nod, his nose now feeling almost better, if not completely.
"Good," Giotto replied, his warm smile growing a little bigger only to deflate back down. "Though I must also ask, why were you awake when you heard me humming? Was it because of your head?"
"My...oh," Tsuna realized as he touched his head. Thanks to the Tylenol Knuckle gave him before they all went to bed, his head was barely in any pain. "No, I was able to take a short nap earlier and my headache was about the same then as it is now. I just couldn't fall asleep...maybe it's because of the nap?"
"Maybe, or maybe for some unexplained reason your body just doesn't want to fall asleep, everyone has those nights once in a while," Giotto told him.
"Really?" Tsuna asked as he took in the surprising and kind of relieving information. "Is that why you're awake?"
"No, I've still got work to do," Giotto answered with a weary sigh. "That's one of the cons of being the head of the Vongola: there's a whole lot of paperwork to take care of."
"Oh...that sounds awful. I'm sorry."
"Thank you, I'm used to it though," Giotto accepted graciously. Then his face lit up like he had just got an idea. "Hey you know what-"
Then Giotto took out the arm that had been hiding behind his cloak this whole time to reveal he had been carrying a large white cardboard box.
"I was planning on having this as a midnight snack to get me through the paperwork but since you're awake-"
Giotto opened the box to reveal a cake with vanilla-and-chocolate frosting with fresh strawberries on top.
"Wanna eat it with me?"
"...Yes," Tsuna half-whispered, half-squealed as he nodded very firmly while looking at the cake with pure delight.
It looked so delicious! He was so glad that he couldn't sleep!
"Hehe, I thought you would say that," Giotto chuckled as he closed the lid and hid it beneath his cloak again. "But it's gotta stay our little secret, okay?"
"Okay," Tsuna accepted without a second thought. "Where did you get it from?"
"Oh, I sneak-uh, got it from the kitchen. The box is leftover from the time Elena and Daemon visited a bakery in town," Giotto explained as he stood up. "I figured that carrying the cake in a box would be easier than on a platter."
Then Giotto held his hand out.
"C'mon, let's eat it in my office, I got plates and silverware all ready for us in there," Giotto offered.
Tsuna paused for a second as he looked up at Giotto's happy and expectant face.
"Okay," Tsuna said with a smile as he reached up and took Giotto's hand.
"Good, then let us go," Giotto said as he led Tsuna down the hall, his grip on Tsuna gentle yet strong and firm. Even though they were just heading to Giotto's office for some secret cake, Tsuna felt protected, safe.
Tsuna silently looked up at Giotto, who had once again started to hum quietly again. This man was not only the strong and kind Vongola Don, but was also Tsuna's doppelganger. Tsuna couldn't help but wonder if he was going to be anything like Giotto when he grew up.
Especially when it came to the orange flames.
Tsuna frowned as he looked away, remembering how he tried to produce his flames back in the store only to not even get close. Granted, he had just received a concussion at the time but Tsuna couldn't help but think that maybe, if he knew how to properly use his flames, he could have produced them. Luckily, things worked out well in the end but...what if there was a next time? A next time where everything and everyone counted on Tsuna being able to use his flames?
As Tsuna looked back up at Giotto, he remembered how strong and how...cool the man looked when he confronted Martina back in the alleyway.
Tsuna...would like to protect his family like that.
"Here we are," Giotto announced when they stopped in front of a door that was more decorated than the rest of the doors in the hall. Then, letting go of Tsuna's hand, he opened the door to reveal a big office (at least in Tsuna's eyes) complete with a desk, a comfy black chair behind it, a few wooden chairs, two sofas, and a few cabinets.
"Why don't you pull up one of those chairs next to the desk," Giotto suggested as he waved at the aforementioned chairs. "And I grab the plates and silverware from the cabinet."
Tsuna nodded as he rushed to one of the chairs and dragged it all the way to the big wooden desk.
While he tried to drag it as quietly as possible, the sounds of wood scraping on wood could still be heard. Tsuna flinched as he glanced back at Giotto, who was reaching inside the cabinet, the cake already on the desk.
When he appeared to be undisturbed, Tsuna sighed in relief.
Giotto really was a patient man who didn't easily get angry or annoyed.
Maybe...maybe he would be willing to teach Tsuna how to use his flames?
"Alright, here we are," Giotto muttered as he backed out of the cabinet and closed the doors, two china plates, a silver cake server, and two forks in one hand. Then he turned around and headed to the desk.
Tsuna wondered if he should ask Giotto right then and there if he would be willing to teach him or not.
"Let's see, how big of a piece do you want?" Giotto asked after he reached the desk and placed the plates and forks down, the cake server in hand.
"Uh..." Tsuna debated, not sure on what he should say. Then he took a closer look at the very delicious-looking cake. "Medium I guess?"
"Alright, medium it is," Giotto replied as he cut into the cake. When he pulled out a piece with a chocolate and a vanilla layer, with a big strawberry on top, Tsuna was glad of his decision.
He would ask Giotto to train him later, after he talked with his siblings about it. After everything that had happened today, asking Giotto for help with his flames without his family's input or blessing didn't seem like a good idea.
Especially since they may not stay here. Though...staying here seemed more likely than before today. They had a very thorough discussion after they found Mukuro and Lambo (or technically, Mukuro found them), and they all agreed that Lambo should get his shots.
Even Mukuro, who had before been violently against the very idea of shots, way more than Tsuna had ever been (he knew they were important but they still hurt).
And all it took for Mukuro to change his mind was for him to have a talk with Daemon. Tsuna could tell that Mukuro was actually starting to open himself up to the Vongola (the fact that his face wasn't stone-cold for one second during their dinner with the adults was a big clue) so with time...he could see Mukuro being willing to stay here.
Tsuna could see that being the case of Giotto helping him with his flames too.
"Here you are," Giotto said as he handed him a plate complete with a piece of delicious-looking cake and fork.
"Thank you," Tsuna replied graciously as he accepted the cake and sat down on the chair.
"You're welcome," Giotto accepted as he began to cut his own slice of cake out. Tsuna briefly wondered if he should wait for the man but after a glance at the juicy strawberry he decided that he couldn't wait anymore.
So Tsuna grabbed the strawberry and took a big bite out of it, instantly savoring at how fresh and juicy it tasted. Tsuna then placed the strawberry down on the plate so he could save the rest for last and took his first bite of the cake itself with his silver fork.
"Mmm," Tsuna expressed joyfully as he grinned while the rich flavors of both chocolate and vanilla danced in his mouth.
"That's a good reaction," Giotto commented as he sat down on his black chair beneath his desk. "If you want a second slice, just let me know. I know I'm already going to have seconds."
"...Okay," Tsuna agreed happily after he had chewed and swallowed his food. Then he went for his second bite and in seemingly no time at all, the whole piece as well as the rest of the strawberry was gone. Giotto was good on his word as he cheerfully gave Tsuna another slice, despite having started on his paperwork.
A few minutes later, Tsuna had finished his second slice too, making his stomach feel full in a good way. Then a yawn escaped his lips, and suddenly Tsuna had a desire to lay his head on the desk. Since Giotto was silently doing his paperwork (while taking a bite of his own cake after every minute or so), Tsuna decided to do it.
As soon as he placed his head on the desk, with his arms acting as a pillow, Tsuna yawned once more. Then he closed his eyes, enjoying how content his stomach was.
The next thing Tsuna knew, he was being carried by Giotto as he walked through the mansion. Tsuna cracked open his eyes, and noticed that not only had Giotto wrapped him inside of his black cloak, but Giotto was also humming.
And unlike before, when Giotto had been humming no particular tune, this time the tune he was humming sounded strangely...
Like a lullaby.
Tsuna smiled sleepily with a warm heart as he closed his eyes once more. Then after sighing contentedly, he let Giotto's peaceful lullaby send him back to slumberland.
Sometimes...you just need to let them eat cake. :D
So nothing of note really happened in this chapter (except Tsuna deciding he does want to learn how to use his flames) but I wanted him to spend some time alone with Giotto and after the last few chapters...decided that you guys deserved a break.
What did you guys think? Please leave your thoughts in a review and I will update sometime next month. Till then, see ya and have a great day or night!