Author's Note:

Uh..Hey guys, it's time for the birthday arc to come to an end. It'll be my first time delving more into personal relationships and maybe a bit of romance, and with no first-hand experience, I apologize in advance if its too over-the-top and unrealistic(Which I hate to see in my stories). All right..here we go!

Chapter 72: That Which Was Forgotten.

Things died down rather quickly, and before I knew it, I was walking down the stone pavements with little but the gushing sound of the canals and the laughter of children disappearing in the distance. My mind housed a storm of thoughts, and from those thoughts memories appeared. Memories I had chosen to block out and forget...

"Lord Amato, today's your special day! Get those lazy bones out of those bedsheets because we have a whole slew of activities planned-!"

"Dad...?"

With eyes staring at the ceiling, my words drove Kiera into silence. Only after an uneasy cough did she finally spoke again.

"...I am sorry, Lord Amato, but your Father's whereabouts are still unknown. He's still missing.."

"Stop. Stop it, stop talking...and get out."

"But Lord Amato-!"

"I SAID GET OUT!"

The booming of my voice, the feeling of anger and frustration overcoming every inch inch of my being, it's certainly a rarity. Still, there was no reason for me to act like that, and just remembering it had my face dropping down in shame. Worse of it all, I had actually blissfully forgotten about all of those mishaps. Or rather, it feels like I ignored it all out.

"I was such a jerk. No wonder they acted so surprised when they saw me out of the house today, enjoying myself without a care in the world..."

My birthday was one of the few days Dad would never fail to come home from his 'work' in Venice. Even when I moved into the mansion, it would be the one day we would have all to ourselves, to do whatever we want together, and celebrate my birthday. There were times when I missed my Father. Every so often I find myself getting depressed, especially when I was younger, but it was on my birthdays that I missed him the most.

Almost stumbling in my steps, the voices from my memories only got more and more intense.

"Lord Amato? Lord Amato, cease your childish tantrums. Whatever the case, your duty is now clear; you are to succeed and inherit the role of Boss. Today is your tenth birthday, and so as tradition dictates-!"

"Clang!"

The prominent speech was interrupted by my act of tossing my cutlery on the table. I've had it! I couldn't swallow another bite of my brunch with Kiera's nagging. The fact that black-suited men sat around the dining table, eyes piercing into my soul as they looked at me didn't help either. Before long, the one who looked the most annoyed slammed his fist on the table before pushing himself off his seat!

"Enough of this drama! Valkyrie, if he is too much of a coward to accept the reality of the situation then he is not fit to inherit the throne! Your father is dead kid! The sooner you get over that, the better it'll be for all of us; for Venice! If I knew my job today was to come to the mansion and babysit a kid with daddy issues I would've stayed home! What a waste of time!"

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! You guys don't care about what happened to Dad, not one bit! I just...wanna see him again..." His words were like daggers that stabbed right into my heart, and things only got worse after that. My mind got more and more confused, upset. At that point in time I didn't want to care about traditions, about being boss about Mafia or anything else.

I just wanted to be alone. If I waited alone, maybe Dad would finally come home, just like he always would.

"You obviously don't care about tradition, so why should we care about you?" The guy retorted.

"Then get out! Every single one of you! Those are your traditions, not mine! I don't want to see another gun, another black suit or anything that has to do with the Mafia ever again!" I screamed out in a burst of emotions, kicking my way out of my seat before losing myself completely.

"LEAVE!"

Drowning in the chaos of my thoughts, my body slumped itself into the seat. Digging my head into my arms, I wasn't sure if what I was feeling. Of course, the Zanna Famiglia didn't exactly leave the mansion forever; they needed it for their daily operations. As the years passed, I got...used to their presence, and their activities. I grew to sympathize with them when I saw their injuries, their sacrifices; to admire them for their loyalty, and care for them.

Still, my birthdays were the worse, and in time the Zanna Famiglia learned to leave me alone on February fourteenth each year...

"Sigh...What a birthday..." I muttered out with a heavy breath. When my eyes finally pulled itself up from the bare table I'm at, I realized someone in uniform was standing before me, probably waiting for my order.

"...sorry, I'll just take a cup of mocha latte."

Too distraught to even look at her as I spoke, the waitress surprised me with a familiar voice.

"Well Amato, we're just about to close shop, but maybe I can squeeze in one last order for you." Gina cheerfully answered my halfhearted order with a smile before trotting her way into the store. Almost as if she knows I'm upset. Apparently, all that wandering led me right to her cafe, of all places.

After her shift I offered to walk Gina home, but for some reason we ended up on a gondola, floating our way down the grand canals, just the two of us. Usually this sort of situation would have gotten me as stiff as a rock, too flustered to talk to the beautiful girl sitting beside me, but this time, I ended up putting out my thoughts as soon as Gina started asking. Her ebon hair complimenting the soft color of her yellow blouse, she listened eagerly to my rant, sat there with poise as I vented out whatever frustrations I had...

"Huh, Sergio have said something about your father's disappearance, but I never knew how difficult it had been for you..." Looking towards the streets, the waters, I could have sworn I saw sadness seeped onto her otherwise cheerful personage. I bet Gina was trying to cheer me up by listening. Even after putting it out there, uncertainty still gripped down on my voice; I didn't know what else to say.

But the tremulous clouds are receding; it definitely feels good being able to talk to someone else about what's on my mind.

"You know what I think?" All of a sudden her voice perked back up, breaking me out of my stupor as she turned back to me. "I think...you're feeling ashamed, more specifically, you're embarrassed at what you did. Maybe you feel as though you've let your Famiglia down?"

Her words singled out the thoughts, and everything became clear. As my head fell once again, as if I couldn't face the truth, I realized how ashamed I was. In my mind there was this constant berating, of how childish and selfish I was, and at no point did I spare a thought for my Famiglia. Though it's all in the past, the stain remained, uncleaned and forgotten. Running away was the worst thing for me to do.

"That's...exactly it..." I mumbled out a response, only because I couldn't think of anything else.

"Amato...that was all in the past." Gina consoled as I plucked enough resolve to break free of my own mental cage, looking back up to her. "I remember that one time when...you got hurt trying to protect me and Sergio.." She gave out, only to have her words trailed off and the look on her face contorting at the memory. Finally, Gina shook her head from side to side to clear away her own feelings before pulling a smile back on her face.

"Kiera and the other members of your Famiglia care a lot about you, they didn't seem the least bit bitter. They've forgiven and forgotten about those incidents I'm sure!"

Ba-dump.

Her soft grip closing around my fingers, my heart almost skipped a beat when Gina pulled herself close...

"Now it's your turn to forgive..." She declared, with the gentle voice she ever mustered. "Or maybe you're thinking of making it up to them?" Suddenly Gina slipped back to her usual tone of voice as the new line of thought occurred to her, breaking the momentum of conversation and the atmosphere and leaving me just sitting there dazed and confused.

Still, the idea of trying to make up to them did cross my mind, but it wouldn't mean anything unless it's done on my birthday, preferably with a dinner feast or something.

"I wish I could treat my Famiglia to a birthday dinner or something, but I'm a terrible cook...not to mention the lack of time.." I trail off, as my eyes widened at the sight of the tinted horizon, revealing itself subtly as the gondola lingered away from the shadows cast off of the buildings. Light spread from the sliver of glow disappearing behind thick gray clouds, fading as it went towards every direction.

"Well, we have until midnight. Success however, will ultimately depend on how fast a learner you are." Turning back from the scene of the setting sun, Gina's smile caught me way off guard. Flustered and taken slightly a back, I nearly jeopardized the ride on the gondola! Before I could even say anything, however, Gina was already calling out to the boatman, eager to get us back on land. Things were happening too fast, and my thoughts blurred. The next thing I know I was reaching out for Gina, locking her fingers with mine.

"..."

Turning back, our eyes met and yet there was only silence between us. My hand was still pulling on hers, the grip growing tighter around her soft fingers. As Gina's face blushed red, I could feel my own flaring up in an instant!

"S-Sorry! I-I just thought maybe we could..watch the sunset together before we go?!" What first came out as painful stammer exploded into a full yell as I turned my eyes away in embarrassment. Scratching away at my right cheeks, my eyes were blinking fervently away at the idea of what I just did.

This is the first time I've touched a girl's hand out of my own volition! Still, not the most gentlemanly thing to do, is it?!

"I, uh..I just want to thank you, Gina. For listening." I muttered, feeling myself calming down at the sight of the setting sun. Glancing to the corner of my eyes, Gina was still blushing hard, her confident smile now replaced with an uncertain line as her eyes zipped towards me and away. "I was surprised. Are you still upset about that incident with Yoko?" Bracing myself, I finally tossed out the question that had been lingering in my mind for quite a while now...

"Oh I'm still upset about that, make no mistake!" Immediately Gina recovered, bringing up an exaggerated fist, clenched and shaking. "I mean..sigh..how else was I supposed to react when someone I like is cuddling in the arms of another girl?" Fidgeting with her fingers, she quickly simmered before wrenching my heart with a crestfallen look on her face. "Still, I'm not so upset as to be mean to someone on their birthday..." She ended her explanation as her voice trailed off, half mumbling.

"Thanks, and let me make this clear, there's nothing between me and Yoko. She's...a special case. There's a reason why she moved into the Zanna Mansion. She's a victim of the Zanna Famiglia's legacy." Eyes tracing along the orange streaks in the sky, I started explaining what happened on our trip to Japan, what it culminated to.

"A victim? What do you mean?" Gina questioned, perking right up with interest just as I looked towards her.

I guess I can't blame her, the words sounded more believable in my head.

"Generations ago, a treasure of my Famiglia was entrusted to her family for safekeeping, and because of that every one of her family was slaughtered..." I described with much clarity, the burning scene playing back in mind. "She doesn't have anyone anymore, and the only memento she had of her parents was the very Legacy Arm we needed to retrieve..." The words continued, even as Gina flinched at the mention of death. "I didn't want to take the jewel away from her, so...I guess I took her back with us instead."

"So she's a part of your Famiglia now?" Gina caught on quick, throwing out her question as soon as I finished.

"Probably, I think Kiera's currently working on introducing her to the rest of my Famiglia." I replied, before silence came over the scene by the canal. The subject of my Famiglia was probably the last thing I wanted to talk about when I'm in Gina's company.

Oh yeah, besides my birthday, today's a holiday as well.

Rummaging through my pockets, a certain wrapped gift popped up. I hope she likes it...

"Gina, I got something for you. Happy Valentine's day!" I cried out, presenting her with the gift with as best a smile I could muster despite how nervous I was.

"You..You shouldn't have.." Gina muttered in her surprise, but I could see a smile stretching across her face as she accepted the gift. "But..only lovers exchange gifts on Valentine's day. You know this, right?" She tossed out the question rather awkwardly as her eyes fell to the object in hand.

"Well, y-yeah..I-uh..I've always wanted to ask..." Amidst chattering teeth, my stammering words came out one after the other. "Is our relationship..you know...official?"

"I don't know. Do you want it to be official?" She answered my question with her own, happily opening up the gift.

"Yes, of course!" The confession burst out of me immediately after the thought came to mind, so loudly that it did a good job at flustering the two of us with reddened cheeks once more. In an attempt to distract herself, I watched as Gina lovingly admired the simple silver ring I got for her, fumbling as she wore it around her neck with chains like a necklace excitedly.

In the orange light of the sun, the innocent joy that Gina portrayed, something I've never seen from her before, was too much.

She was always beyond reach, standing above everyone. She excelled in whatever she did, in both academics and sports. But more than that, there's always this air of familiarity when I was near her. Confidence and fiery, I couldn't help but feel enthralled, and started admiring her before I knew better. Now that feeling has grown, somehow I realized it wasn't enough anymore. The urge to..show affection placed my hands on her shoulders, drawing her close...

Ba-dump.

Everything zoned out. My heart was throwing itself against my chest, the sound filling up my ears. The only thing I cared about was relaxing myself despite the horrible trembling to my touch. Is this how you're supposed to feel with your first kiss? The thought of locking with Gina's soft lips melted my mind. I wonder if it's okay for me to do this at all? Though, she isn't giving me any resistance in the slightest.

When Gina's emerald eyes drifted themselves shut, I did the same...

In what felt like a blink of an eye I was back in the mansion. In the kitchen, in fact. Moonlight was seeping through the two meter tall glass windows, with nothing but movements and the occasional chuckle breaking the silence of the night. Rushing the food towards the table as fast as I can, my eyes constantly shot towards the grand clock in the corner of the room. I couldn't believe all we managed to cook up within three hours.

Home-made stuff, of course! Fragrant chicken carbonara fried over a mixture of grated lemons, walnut and parsley. A whole heap of chicken tetrazinni covered in melted parmesan, baked to perfection. Broiled salmon in golden mustard glaze. We even have eggplant squash spaghetti and a whole tray of traditional italian lasagna! Turning to my side, Gina glanced towards me with a proud smile on her face.

She looked really cute in that pink apron, even with all the sauce and flour at the corners of her face! The feast we laid out on the grand dining table was enough to feed a hundred people, and as the bells of the clock chimed, we realized it's almost time!

"Nine o'clock! A bit past dinnertime, but I guess it'll have to do! They should be coming in any second now, Gina!" I tossed out as I took off my apron, making my way towards the grand doors to the dining hall.

"I hope they like it! Every single bite!" She replied, with a hint of excitement in her voice.

"...wonder why Amato would suddenly ask us for dinner in the mansion?"

"...I didn't managed get anything decent! How did I forget my best friend's birthday, of all things!"

"...Enough, be grateful that the Boss of the Zanna Famiglia invited you to such an event!"

Amidst the various banter most curious, Kiera and the others came in with nothing short of surprise at the sight of the dishes laid before the table. Oh, the sight of Kiera's look on her face was priceless. It wasn't just the usual crew, though, dozens of black-suited members huddled in, uncertain and confused at what was gonna happen. As the last guy entered, the one person I was most hoping to meet didn't attend.

"I apologize, my Lord. Joshua declined to your invitation. Said it was 'nothing more than a farce'." Kiera reported, appearing at my side as always. She must have caught up on what I'm trying to do with this feast.

"It's all right. Thanks for the help with the last minute invites, Kiera." I replied, giving her my gratitude. The rift between Joshua and I will need to be mended another time, I suppose.

"Everyone..thank you for agreeing to attend my birthday dinner on such short notice." Standing at the edge of the table, I welcome the lot of my Famiglia. "..I'm sorry for being such a pain in the past. Especially on my birthdays. You guys had to put up with a lot of uh...problems." I continued as I met their gaze with a bow, much to their surprise.

"What?! What are you doing, Lord Amato?! Raise your head, please!" Immediately Kiera was startled by the turn of events, crying out at my somewhat unbecoming behavior. I suppose the Boss wouldn't be able to command much respect if he bowed so easily to those under him, but I hope this will show how sincere I am in this apology.

"I just...I guess I just wanna say-" I had it all planned out in my head, but speaking towards the bulk of my Famiglia has never been easy.

Just as my mind blanked out, something unexpected happened.

Applause from nearly all of them, some even cheering with their fists in the air, filled the room, breaking away at the awkward silence. Before I knew it they started cheering my name. It filled my heart with a certain feeling of warmth, and took away the weight of the guilt gnawing within. That was also when Gina brought out the birthday cake, apparently one she sneaked back from her store. As everyone started digging in, I sat down before them at the boss's seat, as was my station, and never have I felt so proud.

From here on out, we will be moving forward.

Me and my Famiglia.

Yes, I'm finally done. I got sidetracked too many times when writing this chapter. Sorry! Parts were changed, but the core idea was penned down nicely, if I might say so myself. I hope you guys enjoyed the read, and as usual, give me your thoughts in your reviews below!