You all need to know how difficult it was for me to choose between this character and Reborn to be Tsuna's first Papa... but I chose this one because, within the Vongola Mansion, I think that he and his group would be in constant contact with Tsuna therefore have a more significant relationship. Don't worry though, Reborn is Papa number two, and not by very much either.

Definition of Family.

2 and a half years old: Separation anxiety and whiskey with Papa Xanxus and the Varia

After Nono, you'd be surprised to know, Xanxus and the Varia were the ones who met Tsuna. They hadn't been there at the birth- too busy setting up their squad and completing their ceremonial assassination- but had been there for the first months of his life.

Now, being a new squad they were too busy to take an active part in the child's first months, but had caught glimpses –of the child and the whispers about him- to know what he looked like, and how frail he was.

They had also heard of the vacation that the child's parents were taking.

Of course they weren't necessarily interested in the child, but he was a potential heir and to the Varia that was a potential threat and a potential liability. For them it was enough to get their asses in gear and 'scout' the child while his blood was away.

Though, they didn't even have to get up to do that. Nono had asked them to his office, one week into the child's time in his care, with a mission of utmost importance. They had reluctantly agreed- it wasn't often the Don asked them to of a mission personally- they were nothing if not professional- but they only had a limited amount of time to scout the child and determine his worth and what kind of weakness the Vongola had just taken in.

When they arrived at the office they were surprised to find the Don sitting at his desk, rocking a sleeping child who looked to have just woken up. He looked up, his aged eyes defensive and ready, before they softened and the group was beckoned in.

"Xanxus, I need you and your crew to look after young Tsunayoshi for me for the week. There are some dons meeting with me and the child needs someone to look after him."

Of course Xanxus couldn't have hidden his grin even if he wanted to. Sometimes things panned out too perfectly for him. He approached his dad and held out his arms. The Don before him smiled lightly and adjusted the snoozing boy into Xanxus' arms and made sure his son knew what he was doing.

The child was awkward as he held the weight of the baby, but soon enough an instinctive aura of possessiveness and blood-lust whipped around the room. It seemed, even Xanxus, Timoteo's big, bad Varia-boss son was drawn into the child's sheer purity.

At that point, suddenly feeling the shift in aura and protectiveness sent Tsunayoshi's eyes fluttering open. When he was greeted with betrayed, dark eyes he was startled, but then he felt the strong arms, heard the solid, strong heart beat and could sense the deep, even breathes of the chest he was pressed against. Something told the baby- unaware yet perceptive as he was- that this man would protect him.

A beautiful smile lifted his lips and he reached for the feathers and furs that tumbled from Xanxus' shoulder.

"Oh!" Lussuria cooed, "Boss let me hold him, please?~" the man-woman practically begged, "I've never seen anything so cute."

Of course Xanxus handed him off, and the child proceeded to clap and giggle into he arms of each and every one of his squad members, immediately cementing himself into their hearts and the part of their minds reserved for 'top priorities'.

Xanxus couldn't help but stare. He had intuition, not as hyper or pure as Vongola kin, but still a sharp, precise intuition that had saved him on more than one occasion. He knew, right there and then, that their lives were changed. For the better or worse he hadn't figured out. But the feral smirk that took place on his lips was enough to get the rest of the guardians riled up. They hadn't seen their boss this excited since Nono has agreed to let him make the Varia.

"Sure we'll look after the brat for you. Just can't guarantee that he'll be completely normal when he gets back."

For some reason, Nono didn't look even half as worried as he should have at his son's serious, dark words.

Form there the Varia took a large part of Tsunayoshi's time from Timoteo, the old man didn't really mind, it was nice to see his son take an interest in something that wasn't with a means to an end; power, money, fame or the like.

Still, it surprised the old man to see just how active a part all the members of the Varia were having. All of them, from Belphegor to Levi had their own private moments with Tsunayoshi and learnt, through Lussuria's hands –because the man was a saint with children- how to feed, change, care for, hold and –in their own ways- love young Tsunayoshi.

Timoteo had to chuckle, it wasn't often you saw Bel running around the mansion grinning with a child on his hip; it was even less common to see his tiara on another's head.

The Varia members would all tell you a different story about why they were dealing with the child. Squalo for instance might say it was because his trashy-boss had dumped the child on him and he wasn't insane enough to abandon a Vongola heir. Bel might just grin at you in that shit-eating way that terrified even Nono's storm and laugh like he knew a joke you didn't. Levi would say he was told to.

Still, every single member of the Varia, having had weeks to get to know the child, was already convinced of a number of things;

First: Iemitsu was a fucking idiot who they were glad was not 'part of' the Vongola. The child was a baby for Christ's sake, and he had basically up and abandoned it while taking the mother away at the same time. The man was an idiot, they knew that, but now he was off the Varia's radar. The Varia was loyal to their family, and anyone messing with or threatening that –in any means- had better how they were either fucking important or stayed a long fucking distance away.

Second: they were completely, unmistakably and irreversibly tied to the child. They would cater to his every whim, train him, make sure he was safe, and ensure he was either Decimo, or grew strong enough to take the title for himself.

Third: he was Varia Quality and they would ensure he remained that standard. Straight as fucking that.

Xanxus was lounging on the floor with a one year old Tsuna, the boy was propped up against pillows in Nono's office, the old man had to run out and had snagged Xanxus practically by the collar and demanded- well not quite, Xanxus didn't think the old man actually knew how to demand- that Xanxus watch Tsunayoshi for a moment. Xanxus wouldn't say no, the brat didn't' cry often and all he had to do was watch the kid. He had been on his way to a nap any way.

The boy was colouring happily, a picture that looked like a bunch of rather large mess of squiggles, but the boy seemed happy so Xanxus kept his vulgar mouth shut; he doubted Levi could do any better any way.

Then the child stopped colouring and pinned Xanxus with one of his looks that made the teen adamant that the brat was a hundred years old. Not only was intelligence laced in the eyes, but also the tell-tale signs of being in HDW mode. Something the child hadn't achieved bug had shown impossibly strong signs of possessing.

"Xan, what papa?" was the stunted, somewhat understandable question that left form the child's mouth. At one he was speaking, probably better than most, but it was still slurred, stuttered and babyish.

"A papa? Fuck if I know. I'd say he's the one that care for you, your closest family. Changing you, readin' to you, making sure you're fed; that kind of crap." Xanxus mumbled, not really coherent enough to have any of the bravado he usually used around the brat. At nineteen Xanxus was foul-mouthed and easily annoyed, but he was still rather obedient and blunt. Of course he was a teenager and though he was intelligent he wasn't exactly used to children, so his rather vague answer settled perfectly in Tsuna's mind.

There was a seriously contemplative look on the child's round face; a silence overtook him as well as a strange stillness. "Reborn, Papa?"
Xanxus froze for a moment, trying to figure out how the child got the mixed up idea that the bastard Hitman was his 'papa' but when Xanxus really let his mind think it over it wasn't all that hard to come to as a conclusion. After all, everything Xanxus had said about papas seemed to translate perfectly into the Hitman's actions.

Of Xanxus was quick to the chase when Tsunayoshi started crying, the Hitman was finished the race before the crying started. There was something inhuman about the Hitman's bond with the brat; Xanxus loathed admitting it, but he had swells of rage when he thought about the man outdoing him yet again.

"Papa?" Xanxus looked down quickly to see Tsunayoshi pointing at him. He raised one of his thick eyebrows in askance and the boy, as usual read the movement. "Papa-Xan?" he asked with the sheer innocence and love of a child who knew nothing but.

Xanxus tried, he really did, but soon enough he was lying on his side next to the baby roaring with laughter. His mouth was hinged open as wide as his jaw would allow and he was actually in pain from laughing so hard. His stomach started ceasing just as tears gathered at his eyes, and Tsunayoshi could only look at him in confusion before clapping happily. His Papa-Xan was happy; he had obviously said something right.

"Me, your papa? Get this through your infant skull trash, I am no one's papa." He sneered, still laughing at the idea of being the child's 'papa' he could not be a parental figure. Leader of an assassination squad a papa? Even the thought sent more chuckled rattling his system.

"Papa! Papa-Xan~!" the boy sang, he was clapping his hands and smiling with innocent, loving eyes. Xanxus had to sober, because it looked, for all intensive purposes, like Tsunayoshi seriously thought he was his papa.

"Trash, I ain't your papa." He growled, but it seemed to have no affect on the boy. "Iemitsu's your father fucking trash, it aint me. I'm not even old enough to have kids." Again, no effect, the boy looked confused when the blond idiots name was mentioned.

"Papa-Reborn!" Tsuna smiled, "Papa! Papa-Xan an' Papa-Reborn!" he sang. The boy was obviously so very confused. But somehow Xanxus thought it was too amusing to truly correct.

"Who is your papa, trash?"

"Papa!" the boy patted Xanxus' face with total glee on his face.

That gave him ideas, so many ideas. Scooping the brat up, a Cheshire grin making his lips spread across his face, Xanxus stalked towards the meeting in Nono's living-room-office, he had been given the brat to look after, but this would be so much more interesting.

Storming into the room and addressing the gathered, Xanxus could only smirk in satisfaction when everyone turned to him. "Guess what, fucking-trash?" when no one answered he continued, his grin only widening, "I got promoted. Tell 'um brat."

"Papa-Xan?" the boy was confused, but just the one word was enough to get the reaction Xanxus was hoping for.

Without even the slightest sound of shuffling, and with only the barest hint from his instincts because even they had been caught unprepared, Xanxus has to dodge the bullet that had been aimed squarely between his eyebrows. Now, Xanxus would never have pegged the Hitman as the possessive type. Too bad, it would have been so much fun had he known in the past years.

"Fucking bastard. What have you been teaching him?" the Hitman seethed as he approached, gun still leveled with Xanxus' head. "You are not his father."

"Damn-straight trash I ain't this brat's father." He explained with a little indignation, did the man honestly think Xanxus an idiot. "I simply told him what a father was, and insinuations he made by 'imself." Xanxus huffed in reply.

The only thing that would have made it better were if the brat had kept his god-damned mouth shit in the presence of the Hitman. "Papa-Reborn!" Tsuna giggled happily. He reached for the gun-toting man and Xanxus' smirk fell a little. Well fuck, I guess I just lost my gloating rights. Fuck it, it was worth that look on the trash's face. With that Tsuna was handed off to a shocked Reborn and Xanxus stalked back out of the room to find some whiskey and that damn Shark-trash of a right-hand of his. Time to go do some work he supposed, the damn brat was making him soft.

"Bai Bai Papa-Xan!"

Xanxus was in the entry way of the Vongola mansion, he had hoped to sneak out of the building without attracting certain attention, but unfortunately the very individual he hoped to avoid had proven himself far more observing than any usual child. Tsunayoshi had almost sensed the Varia stalking the mansion and had immediately left his grandfather to find out where his Papa's and Mama's were going.

Xanxus almost sighed with a mix of unease and fury when he spied the brat, wide-eyes and tears at the top of the stairs to the offices of the mansion. This was exactly what he wanted to avoid, unnecessary time and tears.

He stopped himself for a moment, completely taken aback by his thoughts. Of course, he meant it in the way that he wanted this mission over with, the fucking trashy-brat crying at his legs simply made him have to wait longer and listen to a bunch of bitching from not only his father but a bunch of useless members of his own fucking squad.

He rubbed his face with his hand, trying not to let the fury show. If Tsunayoshi knew he was aggravated he would only get noisier, clingier and then the whole fucking mansion would be on Xanxus' ass for making 'young master Tsuna' cry.

He was seriously getting old if before a mission had even started he was itching for his whiskey.

Instead he could only glare at the child as he ran head-long down the sweeping stear cast straight into Xanxus' legs where he clung for dear life. A growl actually penetrated his chest as he addressed the weeping child and ignored the potent stares from his guardians- some interested and most disapproving of the growl.

"Brat let go. We need to get going on this mission; you're already making us late."

"No Papa! You can't leave! You're not allowed!" Tsuna cried large, fearful, hurt tears. His first papa was leaving again. This time, his Nonno had told him it was for a long time. Tsuna didn't like it.

His papa told him he wouldn't leave, his Papa promised. Tsuna didn't understand why his Papa would lie to him. Lying was bad. That's what Mama-Luce always told him.

"Tsuna-trash what did I say about crying?" a deep voice greeted young Tsuna's ears as a large hand descended to ruffle his untamed brunet hair.

"Papa-Xanxus said not to! Papa-Xanxus sawd teaws isn't Varia Quality." Tsuna sobbed.

Now the child couldn't help it. Yes he was mafia. Yes he was raised and trained by some of the hardest, darkest men in the entire world. But Tsunayoshi was gentle, fragile and pure despite it all. Here was his first papa about to leave him again for some strange mission that to Tsunayoshi was not necessary. His one constant was about to leave. Tsuna was nothing if not protective. He would make his Papa stay if he was only doing this as a time-passer.

"Brat. You know we cannot stay here with you all the time." Xanxus divulged. That didn't help Tsuna of course; his lip puffed out and tears made their way out of his darkening brown eyes.

Tsuna was breathing shallowly as he tried to keep in his tears. It wasn't Varia quality to cry. The sniffles started more brutally again, but soon enough Squalo had scooped him up having seen the look of annoyance on his boss' face. Xanxus had no patience with anyone, the patience he had with Tsunayoshi could make his usual level look saintly, but even the unique child's antics and his innocence could drive Xanxus to rage.

The rest of the Varia simply had to learn to read the sign and protect the little heir. He was, after all, Varia quality and possible boss one day. If he could survive childhood under Xanxus and the Varia he would make Vongola great one day. The problem was getting him to live through childhood.

"Voiiii!" Squalo called as Tsuna settled into his grip and sniffled into his hair, hiding behind the silver locks and clinging with arms wrapped tightly around Squalo's neck. "What did we tell you? We need to do our job."

Tsuna sniffled and lifted his brown eyes from Squalo's silver hair just enough to peak out at the brooding young man who looked on the verge of either a raging fit or folding to the little child's whim. Xanxus did have a soft spot somewhere for Tsunayoshi after all.

"Do you 'ave to goo, Mama-Squ?" Tsuna asked, "Do you 'ave to kill dis man?"

Squalo sighed as he bounced the boy. Yes, he was mocked by the entire Varia- the entire fucking Vongola - for his effeminate mannerisms around Tsunayoshi. But a quick haircut a little too close to the scalp soon silenced them. Yes, he was Mama-Squ, but he was the best Fucking-Mama out there and he dared anyone with an attachment to their useless fucking excuses for lives to question him or say otherwise.

"Ushishishishi." A young boy, blonde hair, little tiara, all grins and long limps walks over to the frowning shark and the shaking boy with a somewhat concerned grin dropping his smile. "Little fishy, of course we have to kill the vermin."

Belphegor was only sixteen, but Tsunayoshi was his favourite target, his favourite little princess. The only one who took Bel serious when he was younger. He reached up and snagged the little kiddie from the shark's arms and cuddled him tight. "But Bel-nii! Tsuna wants you awl to stay here!"

"Little Tsu~ we need to do our job." Lussuria cooed from the back of the group, the healer-fighter was fixing his hair in the mirror by the door. It never paid, after all, to look scruffy when smashing skulls in with your knees. It didn't pay to look absolutely fabulous either, but no one needed to tell Lussuria that.

"Brat." Mammon appeared at that point, the mist curled around her body as she stepped out of it; she plucked the child from the young teen's arms –despite his angry frown and threat of knives-and rested the boy on her hip, almost immediately he was calmed and soothed, his torrent of tears and sobs sniffled to near inexistence, only a hiccup here or there and a sniff told anyone that he had been bawling; even those were quiet. It may surprise many, but Tsunayoshi was soothed more by the illusionist than even his Mama-Luce. There was something about the illusionist, the promise that if something went wrong, or something was scary and new, she could make them disappear and make them safe that made Tsuna drawn to her during distress. It helped that she dished out the affection he wanted whenever he wanted it, though not in the morning, or when she was counting money- Tsuna learnt those the hard way. "You see all these people?" Tsuna nodded, "Well you want them safe right?" a more adamant nod. "Well the one we're going to kill is after all the people you love."

Tsuna was silent for a moment, tears till in his eyes as his Mama rocked him. "There's no other way, Mama-Mammon?"

"No."

Tsuna nodded and cuddled into Mammon's cloaks with the illusionist rocking ever so gently. The gathered members of the Independent Assassination Squad knew well not to comment, Mammon was like a fucking riled up mother bear when Tsunayoshi was in her arms. Apparently the boy made her money, and that was all she needed –as far as the Varia was concerned- to promise comfort and protection to the child where she could provide it.

"Okay then, if there's no other way." Tsuna finally sighed, though it wasn't a happy sigh.

"Brat, stop annoying bossu. We'll be fine." Levi cared for the child, he wouldn't kill him- his boss told him not to- but he also wouldn't let him draw him in. He wouldn't!

"Levi!" Tsuna called out, he ran towards the towering lightning and clung to his legs, tearing up again because he knew he could manipulate Levi if he did- his Mama-Mammon had taught him that. "Wiwl you pwease look awfta everyone for Tsu? I wanna to go but Nonno told me no!"

The man grumbled a little, leaning down to ruffle the tuft of brown hair at his knees. "You don't need to ask me to do that, fucking-brat. I'll protect boss anyway!"

Tsuna pouted and smacked Levi's knees before he chastised the lightning guardian. "Not just Papa! You need to protect everyone Levi!"

The boy dropped down before the knives went soaring over his head, if Levi hadn't backed up in surprise from being slapped he would have needed replacement knees; Bel was obviously aiming at him. Tsuna spun to Belphegor with a pout before having to flip back to avoid the sword that swiped down from above. He started giggling and yelling as the others went to attack him. He knew that they would never actually hit him; though those knives were closer than usual, probably because his Bel-nii wanted to hit Levi. Everything was close, but never close enough to do major damage if he wasn't fast enough. His Papa, Mamas and siblings has been training him like that for years.

"Vooooiiii! Do you think we need protection brat?!"

"Ushishishishi. The prince doesn't need protection from the useless pervert."

"Now, now Tsu~, Mama-Lus doesn't need protection from this unfashionable Neanderthal. I'm far more refined."

Xanxus watched the brat dodge and flip with an expression of -outwardly-unattached observation on his scarred face, he knew the brat's every move- or thought he did- because he trained most of them into him- as far as he was aware- so to see them perfectly executed, sweeping effortlessly one into the other, and flowing with grace made him internally prideful; as if he were Bester with a cub.

Xanxus was the first to break Timoteo's door down and demand- no Xanxus didn't beg- the man to train Tsunayoshi. It wasn't so much that Xanxus saw potential- though there was that too-, but he saw a little of himself in the child who had been abandoned by his parents. Xanxus saw a child thrust into something he wasn't prepared for where great things were expected of him; but unlike him, Xanxus knew that Tsunayoshi was not hardened by a life on the streets or scum blood in his veins. Xanxus saw potential for two very different things when he saw Tsunayoshi.

First was greatness. The brat had this gravity that pulled everyone in, it was the kind of pull that made you protect, follow, train and love the brat. The baby obviously didn't know how to use it, it ran rampant and undirected, if it were honed the boy would have men bow to him without even a look, without even a god-dammed fuck given. Though, there was that inherent pureness that Xanxus knew would draw people in naturally anyway and would mean the boy didn't make his subordinates bow to him with that intense gravity; Xanxus may not understand that kind of relationship boss-to-subordinate, but if it worked for the brat all the better.

Second was destruction. The brat had the potential to be used, abused, and destroyed by the darkness and taint of the mafia life he was all of a sudden a part of. Without the parental care, the support and training from the mafia scum in his life he would be destroyed before his teens.

Xanxus wasn't a protective man, but he was loyal and opportunistic. If the brat was showing this much potential as a young, mouldable entity, well Xanxus would exploit it. Nono had declared Tsunayoshi an heir and Xanxus would make sure that heir was ready. No, he didn't care about the trash-brat in any way.

There was a tug on his trousers; he was broken from his thoughts when he looked down into determined, but still watery eyes. "Please, Papa." The pure, resolute brat whispered, "Please can I have one hug before you go?"

Xanxus sighed through his nose and uncrossed his arms. Throwing his guns back into their holsters he reached down and picked the young boy up. It was only natural to shift Tsunayoshi to rest against his hip and allow the child a moment of weakness to hide his face in the furs and feathers that decorated his shoulder and grip close to Xanxus with tight arms around his thick neck. One moment of weakness amongst a barrier of impossibly strong people would not kill the brat.

"Please come home safe Papa." Were the whispered, croaky words of the only child Xanxus would ever tolerate. "I don't want you to come back injured again. There was too much blood last time."

He smirked a little, thought the Varia could see it was full of some kind of affection, and brought his free hand up to rub soothing circles along the child's back. He leant his face towards the boy's exposed ear to whisper his only answer to the child's fears. "Of course, Tsunayoshi. We're too strong for this weakling-trash anyway."

Tsuna was placed on the ground and Xanxus gave him a steely look, he brushed a hand through his hair in exasperation, because the trashy-brat still looked like he was about to keel over with worry. The brat was so god-damned fucking annoying sometimes. His hand hit his feather ornament and he had an idea. He plucked one of the larger feathers- one that Tsunayoshi had a fascination with ironically enough- and as he ruffled the brunet stack of hair he threaded the feather into the tresses.

Tsuna looked up at him with confusion, awe, and love and Xanxus felt queasy for reasons he still didn't completely understand even after four years. "Fucking-trash. You better look after that, 'cause when I get back I expect it in perfect condition."

Tsuna didn't know what to think, he knew he could not go to Xanxus for comfort and pity- no, Tsunayoshi had Mama Lus and Mammon for that- but he also knew that Xanxus cared for him in his own special way. Xanxus was trying to be comforting, Xanxus knew what joining and being a part of the mafia from a young age meant, he also knew how to give comfort and when.

Tsuna nodded in understanding, because this was as close to comfort as he was going to get, and it was enough in a strangely Xanxus way.

"Go show 'em Vongola isn't twash." Tsuna smiled- even if he was still teary- as Xanxus and the rest backwards waved – a blow kiss form Lussuria, a cackle from Bel- and left for their newest mission.

"Father, where are we going?" A young boy with shaggy hair and wide eyes looked up into his father's cold eyes, but there was something warming the cool brown today.
"We're going to the Vongola estate son." The man explained coolly as he gripped his young boy's warm hand. "There's someone you're to meet."

"Meet?" the seven year old loved the Vongola estate, it was less lonely there, more children than his own home and the Nono was very kind to him even when his father wasn't there. Though, he was confused, he didn't really know who he was supposed to be meeting.

Tilting his head, the young boy divulged his query to his father, hoping to get more of a clue. "You're going to meet the young heir to Vongola's throne."

So there you go! Who is coming next? I think this is too easy to guess again. Well, I love you all, because I was smiling through the whole process, because I am so excited to write this and see your opinions.

So Xanxus if the first papa, if only technically. XD

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

~~Bleach-ed-Na-tsu :3