Little Giorno lay on his bed staring at the ceiling, kicking his lady-bug patterned legs into the air and back down again. He was bored of course, but there wasn't much anyone could do about it. Diego sat on his own bed playing with a set of darts their father had gotten them a while back. Giorno knew full and well that Diego was just as bored as he was, but they couldn't do very much about it. Dio had gone to some important place (as Giorno recalls, it was called an "auction" and was a place where Dio got really weird stuff), leaving himself and Diego in the less-than-capable hands of his underlings. The moment Dio had walked out the door with Enyaba and Vanilla Ice for the auction house, Hol Horse immediately pushed the job of watching the two of them to Mariah, stating that she was the woman so it was her job. N'doul second the idea, stating that he was in no position to do the job. Steely Dan (or "Danny" as Diego and Giorno called him in memory of Mr. Joestar's dog) simply shrugged the two children off, stating that it was Maria's turn to watch them. Both Darby brothers agreed with Hol Horse, it was her job to watch the two of them. (Whether or not it actually was Mariah's turn to look after Giorno and Diego was still a mystery to the small five-year-old.) As for Mr. Centerfold… well…

Giorno never really saw him around the mansion that much…

Regardless, Mariah was given the task of watching both children, which in the end, she gave up, seeing as though neither Giorno nor Diego were in any mood to speak with the woman. It wasn't that Giorno hated her, but he did feel a bit unsafe in her arms… or any of his father's henchmen's hands at that. Diego on the other hand, made it clear that he didn't like Mariah or the rest of his father's help. As the young dinosaur halfling put it, "He could damn well take care of himself AND Giorno with one hand tied behind his back". The two then just did what they always did when their father left.

Sit and wait for him to return.

"...Hey, Deego?" Giorno shifted around to lie on his stomach on his bed, ruffling the bright red sheets beneath him.

Diego's head slowly turned towards his little brother, his eyes lidded and keeping that prominent resting bitch face of his. Though the ten-year-old wasn't aware of it, he had turned his head like an owl, his neck twisting in a perfect 180 degree angle. Giorno noted this immediately, but didn't say anything. He was aware that his big brother could do weird things with his body at given times. "Hm? What is it, Gio?"

Giorno struggled to come up with the words that were on the tip of his tongue, but his burning blue eyes pierced back into his brother's anyway, earning a much more easy reproach from Giorno. "Do you think Muda is out fighting Mr. Kujo again?"

Diego chuckled a bit at his little brother, mostly due to the nickname he had given to their father. From the moment he could talk, Giorno had always called Dio by the word he so carelessly threw out of his mouth: Muda. It came to be the way Giorno addressed his father, despite his best efforts to change his son's mind. Diego secretly encouraged the name, knowing that it would cause his father great discomfort and rage. It was amusing to him, to see Dio throw such a hysterical hissy fit over being called muda by a five-year-old.

"Maybe." Diego kicked his feet out to the side of the bed, rotating his whole body to where his neck no longer looked aberrant. The ten-year-old rubbed at his neck a little before rising off of his bed to wander closer to Giorno, who sat up at the sight of his big brother approaching him. "Why do you ask, Gio?"

"...I don't like it when Muda fights him." Giorno sighed, sinking his face further into his bedsheets. "It scares me."

In truth, Dio and Jotaro were not on friendly terms, even with their new families in mind. They just hated each other more, which greatly upset Giorno. What if Mr. Kujo were to kill him? Then, what would happen to him and Diego? Diego, seeing how sad his little brother was becoming, plopped himself onto the red-sheeted bed, snaking his arm around his little brother as he shifted closer to him. Giorno looked to his elder brother's eyes wide with tears. It was heartbreaking to see Giorno like this, even though his face didn't really change. Diego simply started patting his little brother's head, sighing as he rested his blonde head onto Giorno's small, ladybug-patterned pillow. "Father promised he wouldn't, so don't go worrying yourself about it."

Giorno's blinked away one tear that threatened to stream out. "...But Deego-"

"He PROMISED." Diego interrupted, his voice sounding more stern and serious. In truth, he held the same feelings Giorno did when it came to Dio fighting Mr. Kujo. The only difference being that Diego would also feel disgusted and dishonored by the fact that not only did his father start the fight, but he couldn't even end it either. He would fail himself, he would fail Giorno, and worst of all, he would fail Diego AND hurt his pride and Diego hated having his pride hurt, especially by Dio or Giorno. Diego shuddered at the thought of his father coming home yet again looking like he had just received a Star Platinum brand thrashing, a truly pitiful sight indeed. Giorno sniffled as he looked to his big brother, prompting Diego to soothingly pet his head again. "He pinky promised… you know what that means, don't you?"

"If he fights," Giorno said looking up to Diego with his ever so stoic face, "then we get to break his pinkies!"

Diego smirked at his brother's bright response. "Hehe. Yes. You break the right and I break the left."

Giorno nodded his head firmly, giving a stern "Mhm!" as his brother finished speaking. Diego returned the nod, then continued to lay in silence with his little brother snuggled next to him. The ten-year-old yawned, blinking his sleepy eyes rapidly as he turned over on his little brother's bed.

"Goodnight, Gio." He yawned.

Giorno looked to Diego, watching as he curled into a predator's sleeping position. After a short moment of silence, Giorno cuddled closer to Diego, enjoying the warmth his elder brother emanated as he pulled off into sleep. Diego's eyes popped open at the feeling of his little brother nestling closer to him, his small head directly beneath his chin.

"Goodnight, Deego." He yawned.

Diego stared at Giorno in a somewhat blank manner before slowly placing his arm around his little brother. It wasn't always he'd sleep like this, with Giorno so close and feeling as though he was his sole protector, but then again, times like these were welcomed by both of them, so it wasn't anything that Diego wasn't willing to put up with. In fact, Diego liked the fact that he was where he was. Not only did he not have to put in effort to get up and drag himself back over to his own bed, but he could hold and protect his little brother from any impending threat. As his thoughts began to further stroke his ego, Diego began to pat his little brother's head once more, this time being sure to be as gentle as possible. As he did this, Giorno's baby blue eyes opened and closed in time with the slow ticking of the small, dinosaur themed grandfather clock near the far wall of the room and Diego couldn't hold back the small smirk that curved onto his face. Giorno looked at him in confusion, blinking, his soft little eyelashes fluttering with each blink.

"It's nothing, Gio. Head to sleep." Diego mumbled, trying desperately to stop his smirk from curving into a full-blown grin.

Giorno, though it took him a moment to believe what his brother had said, went along with Diego's words, then closed his eyes, blonde coronets bushing against Diego's nose. Diego could smell the baby powder on him, a scent that made the older sigh. Giorno was just so little. He had to have someone take care of him. (Dio, in Diego's mind, obviously was not the candidate for raising Giorno or himself. Hell, to the ten-year-old, Dio could barely take care of himself. His father was a grade-A hot mess, and not in an attractive way.)

Don't worry, Gio… He thought watching his little brother lull off into a deep slumber. Father will be back tomorrow.

After a few more minutes, Diego finally felt his younger brother go limp. He was fast asleep. Diego felt another yawn escaped his mouth, then felt the urge to sleep himself. As he closed his eyes, the faint sound of the grandfather clock grew more quiet the further he drifted into his slumber. Soon enough, both brothers were asleep, neither to make a sound until morning.

...Or seemingly so.

Diego's eyes popped open at the sound of keys ringing from downstairs. He quickly nudged little Giorno, who was completely silent in sleep. "Gio! Father's home!"

Giorno's eyes slowly opened as Diego rose out of the small, ladybug themed bed. "...Muda?"

Diego walked towards the door as Giorno started out of the bed as well. "Yes. Muda is back."

Giorno took off downstairs at those words, passing by his elder brother in an instant. Diego raced after the younger, calling him to slow down. They were running in the hallway in pitch darkness, so of course, Diego had every right to be concerned.

"Muda! Muda!" Giorno called, rushing down the stairs. "Mud-"

As the lights switched on, Giorno stopped as he came face to face with his father, Dio coming into the living room, his prominent stride and all. The man immediately noticed Giorno then quickened his pace towards the child. "Giorno! What are you still doing awake? It's 11:50! Back to bed! Now!"

Giorno rushed towards his father, hugging his feet, burying his face within his father's light orange leggings (if one would even call them that). He then peered behind his father, to the blonde woman that wandered into their house. Giorno didn't dare say a word, using his father as a shield between him and the stranger.

"Who the bloody hell are you?" Diego said wondering past both his father and Giorno towards the blonde woman. The ten-year-old strode right up to the woman, being sure to get an eyeful of her before pointing towards the door. Though Diego had asked, it was more of a threat than a question. He didn't know who this woman was, but he knew exactly why Dio had brought her home.

Copulation…

"You need to leave! Now! We don't allow pests in here!" Diego said stamping his foot and giving a dirty glare to the woman. "Get. Out. Right. Now!"

"Diego! Hush!" Dio barked, smacking the back of his son's head with a closed fist. Diego cried out at the action, immediately rubbing the back of his head. He shot a glare back at his father, a guttural dinosaur-like hissing escaping through his gritting teeth. How dare he him him? Diego?

"...Well," the woman said dusting herself off, "Dio, I never expected your children to be so grown."

Giorno peered up at his father. Normally, when he brought a woman home, he didn't tell them about the two of them. He didn't know why, but he assumed they'd leave if they knew. Maybe they just didn't like children? Who knows… but the point still remains that Giorno was surprised to see that this lady knew, but wasn't leaving.

"W-who are you?" Giorno squeaked from behind his father's legs.

When the woman looked to Giorno, the little blonde boy flinched back behind his father. The woman gave a small chuckle before pushing up her large, circular glasses.

"You didn't tell them about me, Dio?" She asked. When Dio responded with an irritated "tch '', the woman simply smirked. "I thought not."

With a quick motion the woman raised her hands behind her back, standing in a military sort of way. "Hellsing. Sir Hellsing.