Howdy peoples! I'm so so sooooo sorry that this has taken so long. But I promise you that with moving and other personal issues I have not been able to write or post anything. But I will be trying to get back on top of things now.

Definition of Family

Eighteen months to three years old: Potty training isn't as easy as it looks with Papa Verde

If Verde prided himself on anything it was being one of the best teachers in the world. No, not like a classroom teacher or university professor, but if someone needed or wanted to learn something, Verde was the most suited to teach them.

Small classes, interested students, there was nothing Verde couldn't teach them.

Which was why Verde was so smug when Vongola Nono hired him.

Not only was he getting paid, but for at least the next five months, Verde was charged with looking after Tsuna in a secured location while Vongola hosted their annual recruitment. It was the perfect time for enemies and the overly curious to infiltrate and while none of the Vongola liked the idea of Tsuna being so far away they couldn't risk the suspicion of one of the major members of the mansion being away during recruitment. So instead, Nono decided with the aide of Reborn and Xanxus –who at this time were far and beyond the most protective of Tsunayoshi besides perhaps Squalo –that Tsuna would be safest away from the mansion with Verde.

It was certainly going to be an interesting few months for the boy because while they had met and spent time together before, it was never over an extended period of time. Not only that, but Nono hadn't just hired Verde as a baby sitter –there were other 'mothers and fathers' who would have been more than willing –but also to start an important part of Tsuna's life. Potty training.

"Don't worry, Vongola Nono. I will make sure he is all trained up by the time you get him back."

The Ninth humoured Verde, but his laughter was almost tangible. "It's not as easy as you think young man, my boys were almost four before they were fully potty trained."

Verde just smirked.

"I am not just an ordinary man. I will be at the mansion tomorrow to pick Tsunayoshi up. Good day, Vongola Nono."

"Hi, Mr. Verde."

Tsunayoshi is unassuming. He is small and young, and looks too weak for his own good, though Verde knows the boy is strong since various mafia men were training him. But he is malleable.

That's all Verde needs.

"Hello Tsunayoshi, you know I am going to be looking after you for a while?" Tsunayoshi nods, though looks uncertain as he clings to Reborn's pant legs. "Are you going to cause me trouble?"

"I try not to."

Verde smiled softly, a look that was odd to Reborn but seemed to soothe something in Tsunayoshi, before offering his hand. "Come on then, I'll show you my lab."

Tsuna took the hand and squealed when Verde quickly picked him up and put him on his hip, bouncing gently. "Was a lab?"

"A lab is the place where I do experiments and where there are all sorts of things to play with."

Reborn walked out with them, following with Tsuna's bag before he'd head off to the main mansion –they were in a lesser used part of the estate where guests tended to stay, no precaution was too much for Tsuna –where he'd be helping to judge the recruitment. "Oi, don't mix him up, idiot. I don't care if the Ninth hired you I will kill you in a million painful ways if he gets hurt."

Reborn's voice was pitched low so Tsuna didn't hear it.

But Verde heard him.

"Be home soon, Papa?"

Reborn frowned, trading Verde Tsuna's bag for Tsuna himself. Verde watched with interest, it would normally be so wrong for any child to call the Hitman his father, Verde would have distanced himself from any such spawn, yet here he was, seeing very real, very instinctual paternal instincts surface with abandon in Reborn. The Hitman bounced the baby on his hip, placing a gently kiss against his cheek. "You'll be home soon, I'll be right here. This is to keep you safe."

Tsuna pondered this quietly, clutched against Reborn's neck. "Papa not safe?"

Reborn scoffed, of course the brat would think him not safe. "I'm always safe."

"Stay."

And Reborn knew that Tsuna didn't mean stay with him, but stay 'always safe'. He hummed in agreement before kissing Tsuna's forehead and his cheek before holding him tight.

"Now, be good for Verde, he's a…friend of mine and your Nonno's so be good for him and learn a lot."

"Will, Papa. Bai bai. Love you."

Reborn tried not to feel like he was completely betraying Tsuna when the boy waved and was strapped into Verde's car. He did not want to be like the boy's biological parents, yet here he was carting Tsuna off to a man who wasn't his 'Papa'.

"Don't worry, Reborn." Verde said without a single guise or taunt. "I'll look after your boy."

"Cause you were hired right, yeah I get it." Reborn turned on his heel, he didn't want to see that scared look on Tsuna's face any more.

"No, because I will look after him."

Reborn tried not to look startled when he waved good bye as Verde pulled away, and the scientist had such a straight face that Reborn couldn't tell if he was successful or not.

Tsuna was a delight for Verde, really. He was curious but cautious, and though he had bouts of energy where he wore even Verde out when they played, he was usually quiet and followed Verde or sat quietly in his arms.

After a week of getting to know each other –Tsuna didn't like mashed potatoes and would drink enough milk to put the world into a dairy crisis- Verde started the potty training.

First they went out and chose a potty for Tsuna. He chose an orange one, and luckily it came with stickers.

They spent the rest of the day decorating it.

"Verde, what this for?"

"Your potty training, Tsunayoshi."
"What that?"

"Where you start using the toilet like an adult." Verde really didn't like using 'child speak' therefore he didn't. He would treat Tsuna like an adult where it was applicable and it would help the child in the future.

"Oh."

"Do you not want to?"

"I do. I want to be like Verde."

And that was fine. They left it in the bathroom for a few weeks while they prepared for the potty training, and then they started.

Firstly Tsuna didn't like underwear, even though it had his favourite character on it. Then at night he didn't like pull-ups because he said they itched.

Then all the accidents.

Verde didn't get angry with the boy, because he knew the boy was learning, but it was so hard when really using the toilet was one of the many things Verde didn't even think about.

So when the boy was having seven or eight accidents a day Verde changed his tactics.

"Do you need to use the potty, Tsunayoshi?"

"No Verde."

Was what happened every half hour, and the number of accidents went down –Verde noted this in his observation book. But when Verde tried to test the boy, the accidents went back up.

And the boy never stayed dry overnight.

It was frustrating, of course. But Verde was nothing if not persistent. He praised with toys, and games, and books when Tsunayoshi went all by himself, and when he had fewer accidents they added more stickers to his potty.

But the boy seemed unenthusiastic, even with all the encouragement. In fact the accidents started going back up just before he went away and Verde had to make the loathing decision that at almost two years old Tsuna was not ready for the potty yet.

Verde loathed to give Tsuna back all those months later, not only because he had failed to potty train the boy, but also because the boy had lit up the labs and made the air so much less congested. It was as if the steel had gained life through Tsunayoshi.

It was Reborn who picked the boy up, and thought he sighed in relief when Tsuna gripped him tight –obviously worried that the boy would forget who he was –he didn't stop the smirk.

"Still in a diaper, huh?"

"Shut your face, Reborn."

Tsuna was two and a half years old when Verde got that eureka moment while looking through Tsuna's sketchbook one evening.

Tsuna had exclaimed proudly that he was keeping a 'ovation' book just like his Papa', just two weeks ago when he visited again by order of the Ninth due to the lack of carers and Verde had been stunned speechless by the declaration.

Not about the book of course, he knew his boy was intelligent and had great observation qualities –far far too good but that was Vongola –no, Verde was completely floored by the sheer sincerity in Tsunayoshi's address.

"Papa Verde! I got 'ovation book! Like you!"

Verde hadn't taken long to fall for the boy, to be taken in by his charm and childish wonder. He was sincere and loving, and Verde supposed he craved that closeness. But never did he think that he was going to end up on the list of family members the boy had. He wasn't sure whether Reborn would shoot him or congratulate him when he found out.

Either way, the 'observation book' was no more than a sketchbook and inside were scribbled pictures and 'observations' in less than words, and covered in stickers that depicted actions and phrases. In the corners were a collection of Reborn, Lal and Xanxus' hand writing with little comments and congratulations as well as a single sparkly sticker that had nothing to do with the actions and phrases scribbled throughout.

It was obviously part of Tsunayoshi's 'homework' from his very early schooling. A book where he was learning to observe and gather information, none of it serious and the boy was obviously having fun. But it was a beginning and a good foundation was all Tsuna needed for when the real work began when he was older.

But it was the reward that caught Verde's attention, even if the comments were not completely positive, when Tsuna completed an assignment –each one was laid out at the top of the page, again training Tsuna to recognize and be comfortable with reports even though he couldn't read –he got a sticker as a congratulations.

Tsuna would be visiting again in a month for the annual recruitment for Vongola again; this time Verde would have a plan to get him potty trained.

Firstly, he had to start drawing up his newest observation book, one that Tsunayoshi was more than welcome to look through.

Reborn dropped him off again he was wearing pull up, which was a good sign that the main Vongola were starting to potty train the boy too. So it would be easier for Verde this time.

"Hello Tsunayoshi."

"Papa! Hello." Tsuna's smile was just as soft, though he stayed in Reborn's arms as long as possible.

"Thanks again for this, Verde. We wouldn't do this if it wasn't necessary."

Tsuna sensed the shift and kissed Reborn's cheek just as Verde reached out for him, when he was settled he wrapped his arms around Verde's neck instead.

"It's no problem. I enjoy his company and despite appearances I want him safe; he isn't as insufferable as most of the children that I've met either."

Reborn smirked. "Don't we all know it," Reborn leant forward and kissed Tsuna's cheek before he ruffled his hair. "Be a good boy Tsuna, I'll be back soon alright?"

"I will Papa. Miss you."

"Alright, shall we go get you settled in?"

It didn't take long, by now the boy spent a lot of time with Verde and knew the place almost all by himself; not that Verde let him wander off by himself too much. So when they were all done and Tsunayoshi was sitting in the kitchen as Verde made a snack, Verde pulled out his new 'observation book'.

"Do you want to see it?"

"Yes please!"

"Alright alright." Verde chuckled, he did that a lot around the child it seemed. "Come here and we'll look at it together."

After Tsuna was settled on his lap Verde pulled out the book, when he opened it Tsuna was surprised to see a bunch of lines and boxes rather than his Papa's neat scribbles, there were pages and pages of these boxes.

"Papa, what this?"

"This is your book."

"Mine?"

"Yes. We're going to teach you things with this book?" Verde explained, pointing to the boxes. "Down this side we're going to write down a list of instructions, just like in your observation book."

"Oh. And here?"

"There we're going to give you a reward when you complete the step."

Tsuna looked somewhat confused as he looked over the blank boxes. "What ward?"

Verde smiled, he was doing that a lot, "Now, do I give rewards when you don't deserve it?"

"No, Papa Verde." Tsuna frowned.

"Right. So, maybe we should have a task now, hmm?" Verde pulled a pen from his breast pocket and quickly scribbled a task. "Do you know what it says?"

"No?"

"It says 'Show Tsunayoshi his observation book'."

Tsuna was quiet for a long moment before he looked at his papa with wide eyes. "We did that!" Tsunayoshi had laughter in his voice and Verde tried hard not to show his own amusement.

"We did, didn't we? Which means?"

"Ward! I get ward!"

"That's right. Do you know what that is?" Verde asked, Tsuna just shook his head, smile still in place. "Here."

Tsuna blinked before a blinding smile lit his lips and he threw himself across Verde and hung from his neck, he left a sloppy kiss on Verde's mouth before he snuggled into the man. "Stickers! Thank you Papa, I love you."

Verde smiled, rubbing Tsuna's back before explaining –very mildly, since Tsuna didn't move –that the clinging was very unappealing, "I love you too, Tsunayoshi. Now, chose your reward and we'll get started on the next instuctions.

After Tsuna chose the train sticker from Verde's sheet of automotive stickers, he turned to Verde with a head tilt. "What we doing next Papa?"

Verde just smirked, and Tsuna thought he looked very different from his Papa Reborn.

"Potty training.

This time, when Verde handed Tsunayoshi off to Colonello that evening, he had his observation book in hand and also strict instructions. It wouldn't be long until Verde saw Tsunayoshi again and Verde expected dedication from Tsunayoshi's other parents.

When Colonello's eyes narrowed, taking in every instruction with military precision Verde blinked, especially when the blonde nodded with a: "Don't worry, Ver, we'll all pitch in to get little Tune sorted."

With that the solider mock saluted, and skipped towards where Lal and Tsuna were waiting by the car grinning like a loon. Verde could only sigh and renter his lab and hope that the fool conveyed his instructions properly or so help him the soldier would know what Verde worked on in the 5th level laboratory.

Tsuna was almost three now, growing more and more intelligent and curious as he went on, more confident in himself and also more demanding.

But he was also eager to learn and grow.

"Papa!"

Luce had just dropped him off, and while it usually wasn't advisable to leave Tsuna unattended she had to run, and she knew the boy would be fine, so Tsuna started running through the complex, searching out is papa.

When the air shifted beside him, Tsuna's eyes narrowed and he had flitted into the shadows to his right in an instant.

Verde stood in shock, the boy was growing in leaps and bounds and it was almost terrifying from Verde's third person view of the boy. But, there was a huge swell of pride regardless. So even as he spoke he had his personal observation book out, scrawling down these new developments.

"Boy, you are supposed to know it was me."

Tsuna looked completely repentant when he reappeared from the shadows. But soon enough he was in Verde's arms and they were walking towards the living room. "What's this, are you wearing big boy pants?" Verde grinned when he felt the difference from the diapers Tsuna had been wearing until then. "Does that mean you haven't been having many accidents?"

"Yup!" Tsuna grinned with pride. "I only has five last week."

Verde felt a swell of pride crash over him when Tsuna explained that, babbling about how they were only at night, or when Levi forgot to make sure Tsuna knew where the bathroom was, Verde kisses Tsuna's cheek.

"Good boy. I'm proud of you. Shall we put a new sticker?"

"Yaaay!"

Their day continued like that, as did the week. They did experiments, and continued with the potty training. But Verde kept in mind to remind Tsuna at times because the boy was getting so much more independent but he wasn't quite there yet, especially when Verde gave him a new design to build with his blocks when the experiments they were doing were too complex or dangerous.

Two weeks later, they had fallen into their usual routine.

"Time to get up Tsunayoshi. Straight to the toilet with you."

"Ye, Papa."

Tsunayoshi tottered off and Verde followed after, as Tsunayoshi sat down Verde sat on the tub across from him. Tsunayoshi's head bobbed from sleepiness, so Verde cleared his throat.

"Alright Tsunayoshi, what should we do today?"

That seemed to work a little bit, Tsuna blinked up at his papa, and yawned. "Are we gonna make cookies?"

"Is that what we decided on?"

"Yup! We gonna make ginger cookies. And paint them like my mamas and papas!" Tsuna's gin was as bright as his voice, and Verde smiled.

"Alright, we'll do that after lunch. What else?"

"Um…..are we goin to do 'xsperiments?"

"Which one?"

"The flame one. With the boxes."

Verde hummed, he hadn't thought that Tsunayoshi understood what he meant. So as a reward he would let Tsuna help. "Alright. That sounds like where we'll start. Did you go?"

"Yup papa!"

"Alright. Let's go get you some breakfast, is there something you'd like?"

"Ancakes!"

Verde raised a brow as me made sure Tsuna put his pull-ups correctly and went to wash his hands while Verde flushed. "You don't like pancakes, besides that, they're not very nutritious."

Tsuna started giggling, "I know Papa. I want strawberries and Papa's cereal sticks!"

Verde hummed, holding Tsuna's hand as they walked to the kitchen. "You do now? I thought you were getting too big for those?"

Tsuna frowned, "I am….but…Papa I love your cereal sticks."

Verde chuckled and pulled Tsuna up to put him in his seat. "Alright then. Now, since your other papa will probably be frustrated –," It was all word choice with Tsuna, Reborn wouldn't be angry so no need to make the child sad. "-since he doesn't like my breakfast, how about we keep it between us?"

"A secret with Papa?" Tsuna looked absolutely thrilled by the idea, but soon covered his mouth. "Papa won't be angry?"

Verde hummed and ran a hand through Tsuna's hair. "No, child. Reborn couldn't be angry with you unless you put yourself in danger.

Tsuna pondered this for a moment before his eyes seemed to flash in the light and a carefree smile lit his face again. "Okay. Secret with Papa!"

Verde nodded, and as he prepared his and Tsuna's and his own breakfast he quickly wrote down Tsuna's new attitude to secrets as well as the flash of orange in his observation book.

Maybe one day he's show that to Tsuna, when he could appreciate all the time Verde was putting into it. Heh, already considering the future with the boy, I'm already in too deep. Can't tease Reborn for it anymore I suppose.

"Papa, are you okay?"

"Yes, Tsunayoshi, now let's eat breakfast."

"Yay! Papa's breakfast!"

They spent the rest of the day as they had planned to. Tsuna didn't have a single accident, though Verde did keep reminding him to go try. Mostly it was an uneventful day, the flame boxes didn't work, and for whatever reason Tsuna began to feel nauseous from the energy the boxes gave off.

Another thing to add to his observation book it seems.

Overall it was a very productive, but calm day. Verde's favourite kind, more so with Tsunayoshi's company.

Tsuna appeared while Verde was making lunch, with a huge grin and a skip, Verde raised an eyebrow at the boy, but a mirroring grin met his lips when Tsuna explained why he was so happy.

"I went by myself papa!"

"Ha! Tsunayoshi I am so proud of you!" the lanky man grabbed the boy under the arms and spun him around before hugging him close.

"I did it, Papa!" Tsunayoshi giggled, hugging the man's face and gripping the white jacket his Papa wore. "I'm a big boy now!"

"Of course you are, Tsunayoshi." the man chuckled, pulling out a book from his pocket. "Do you want to put the sticker in the book?"

"Yes!" Tsunayoshi cheered, pulling a sheet of sparkly, kitten sticker from the same pocket that the book had previously come out of. He picked one that looked like a little lion before his papa opened the book.

There was a row of stickers and dates; not that Tsuna understood that. His papa pointed to a blank square at the bottom and Tsuna grinned when he put the sticker there.

"I am the best, Papa! Like you!"

The man smiled softly and kissed the boy's cheek. "Yes you are, Tsuna." he chuckled. "Now that you've finished that; what do you want to learn next, son?"

Tsuna thought for a moment, his tongue poking out of his teeth before he smiled wide and held his Papa's face.

"Letters! Tsu wants to learn letter, Papa!"

"Alright, alright. Starting next week we'll start learning the alphabet. Do you want to learn to write too?"

"Course! All stuff, Papa!"

Verde didn't bother to hide his proud strut or the grin across his face. He put the newest filled observation book into the shelf with the others before picking up an empty one. While Tsunayoshi was picking out what book to read –since that's what he wanted as a reward –Verde would start drawing up a new chart of steps to teaching Tsuna.

After all, everyone has said that potty-training the boy would be difficult, and Verde had finally managed to do it. How hard could teaching the boy to read and write be? Maybe he would only start with three languages though.

Heh, Verde was getting good at this teaching thing, perhaps he should open up his own school.

xxxxxxxxxxxxHint Time xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tsuna had wondered off, which was a feat in and of itself, but to manage to get to living rooms where guests meet with Nono and his guardians, was an almost impossibility all of its own.

Which was why Tsuna wasn't exactly sure who these people in front of him, with these huge smiles and soft faces were. He didn't know them, and he didn't know why they knew his name. Or why they were tempting him with a teddy that looked a lot like the fox toy his Nonno got him.

"Hey, Tsunayoshi. Look what I got you, come here boy and let me see you."

Tsuna had been taught by his Papa Xan and Papa Reborn not to go near people he didn't know. He had been told. So when the man reached out for him, and the woman made a sharp sound, Tsuna was terrified and quickly made sure everyone knew.

Eleven months or not, Tsuna could run, but he didn't know where anyone was, and there were strangers, and so instead of running Tsuna let out an ungodly shout that carried well even though it was low in volume and pitched for pain.

"Strang'rs!"

And the first person to respond was Xanxus. Which mean that Reborn wasn't far behind, and soon enough the hall was filled with maids and butlers, and Tsuna was very quickly in Xanxus' arms with his and Reborn's gun trained on these 'strangers'.

Though the temperamental teen was usually pretty angry when the baby clung to him, it only took that shout, and a sign of danger to have him turning over and becoming the big bad Papa that Tsuna thought he was.

Tsuna looked around, terrified, and confused, but he was safe, and now there were strangers all around his family, and he wanted to protect them. So he needed to know who these people thought they were.

"Who?"

Here's your hint :eleven months old: Developing trust, with…..? So perhaps this hint is too easy?

Anyway, Verde makes a very caring Papa, no? With all his observation books and fancy stickers. You all know who's going to give Tsuna habits that will drive Reborn insane right?

So I legitimately researched how to potty train kids for about two day before I started writing this, because I don't remember how we taught my sister, and also, I figure Verde would do it too. But I do think parents are amazing for doing it, it is a lot of work. Of course, I only outlined it here.

Anyway I'd live to know what you think, until next time, thank you for your patience.

Love you all,

~~Bleach-ed-Na-tsu :3