Title: Here I stand, Welcome to the Mafia
Rating: T
Warning: Characters maybe OOC, many references, and some cussing.
Summary: In dying, I expected to be in front of those praised pearly gates of heaven,basked in the divine light of goodness and feeling the naked holiness whilst being welcomed by an entourage of celestial hotties with perfect proportions. Instead, I'm stark naked inside a small incubator, apparently suffering a minimal mishap after being delivered into this world.
Author's Note: Oh my god. Just oh my god. The sudden jump of reviews and faves motivated me to start typing this chapter like a cheetah. I even draw a comic version of what he looks like since my tablet is so shitty. Just click on the cover to enlarge it. Anyway, real life is getting in the way and would have to establish that my posts would be sporadic. So I'll apologies in advance. Furthermore, I would like to thank your guys for your support. I honestly never made it past this far unless it was graded for school. So yeah. And further notes on this chapter: there will be a family of OCs because I needed this to establish the chapter's plot. Also, a foreword that there will be little angst in the end and a slice of tragedy. I guess you can say that this chapter is dedicated for me and a friend of mine because of the fact that we've lost important people to us this year and I have personally been having family problems for awhile. In away, this is like a way for me to vent.
Anyway, on with the show! Oh, and don't forget to check out the end notes. I have a really important question down there.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but this story and the OCs I have deployed.
Chapter 3: Family
The word family is, according to Googled definitions, a noun used to term a group of people related to each other. This is a word understood as such but despite this, for each individual, their perspective of family differs in to numerous categories, each being suited to what the person considers as an element of a 'family'. In today's society, the elements of a family have been redefined as time marches on.
The most common known structure of what a family consists of usually has a mother, a father and their children. This type of family, often dubbed as the 'traditional family', is the most dominant one even till this day. However, ending in the mix of cousins, grandfathers and other blood relatives would make this Nuclear Family into something else, called an Extended Family.
Nowadays, the family structures have evolved into something more open and diverse than the other two. An example would be where man considers their pet as part of their Nuclear family or even having their grandparent's as their parental figure. Furthermore, there are those who choose to build a family without children or have a child-single parent dynamic as well as a step or blended family and even same-sex parents families. There even those individuals who consider their friends as their families.
In that sense, what people consider now as a family these days have nothing to do with gender, race or how many they are composed of but mainly, what defines a family is the common bond they have created with other people. With that being said, family, to almost everyone, are those people who will provide the person with unconditional love, respect, loyalty, compassion and so much more that mere words cannot exactly enumerate those other things.
Despite the little bumps along the way, or the other hardship that hurtle towards them or within their circle, these sentiments remain fixed and true. These feelings justify the significance of family is for an individual. And the effect it would have should they lose one of the most important things they have in their lives.
And then there's me.
Generally, my perspective of family is limited to people who feed me, who make me feel important—no, not important but are there for me and those who genuinely show great concern for me. With that establish, this only narrows my choice of family to only a few people; my mother from pre-reincarnation and in this one, my best friend from pre-reincarnation and probably, though questionably, Iemitsu Sawada.
What's more is that I don't openly show my concern towards their well-fare but I do make it a point to express them verbally once in a while. With slight difficulty but still manageable. True, I do have other relatives; however, the fact that I don't openly feel those specific lists of concerns makes them just a second priority in my list of 'should anything happen to them, I will avenge them.'
I'm a little dimwit when it comes to subtle emotions. I can be dense at times, you see. And with that being said, I surmised that I wouldn't care much to the fates of other relatives and cry like a widow.
Boy, how wrong was I.
Because family is family, and by the time I realized this, I was already bawling out my eyes when they lowered the caskets onto the ground.
It was six in the morning when I found myself sandwiched between two women and their god-gifted racks. It was nothing new. It's been like this for six months now. Well, it all started on my fifth birthday when the boss of the famiglia, my uncle, decided to throw a grand ball to celebrate our birthday together; a birthday that invited not only allied families but most of the clan and other blood relatives.
See, it was already known to most that I actually existed, yet I wasn't officially introduced to anyone outside of Olympia's closest associates which was narrowed down to CEDEF and the semi-immediate family. So imagine my surprise when half of the population that attended is Olympia's not so close associates and other relatives whom I haven't met before.
Ah yes, it was a grand time. I meant this with sarcasm.
In my previous life, I've been through this kind of shit before. Given that my father is of political background and I have a lot of relatives staring at me for the fact that I was a bastard child and other things I could care less about. Unsurprisingly, even till now, I find that being the center of attention still makes me a bit uncomfortable especially now that I've started at a young age, I would be expected to memorize every name and face I see here.
Anyway, to avoid the suffocation of the population, I decided to skirt around the crowds and be a sneak. You know, like a bad ass ninja. Unfortunately, I wasn't actually being bad ass ninja because I was assaulted and squished between two sets of boobs.
"Oh my, what an adorable boy~ Do you not agree, Bijou?" one of the blonde women gushed.
"Oui, oui~ I could not agree more, Candide! We should ask father if we could keep him!" the other blonde replied.
As much as I like being felt up by their breasts, the oxygen I breathe is something I valued more than anything at that moment. I did try to squirm away from their grasp but to no avail. I felt like a fish out of the water and I can distinctly imagine how I'm probably developing cyanosis with the lack of air. Thankfully, I was saved by another blonde, a male one, by being plucked out of the compression and setting me a meter away from the two women.
"I do not think father would approve of such a request nor would tantine be pleased if you decided to abduct her son." reprimanded the other two before directing me with a concerned gaze. "Are you okay, cousin?"
I blinked.
So these people are my cousins? Huh.
I nodded in response. The blonde male sighed in relief.
"My name is Aramis Ledoux and these two are my triplet sisters, Bijou Ledoux and Candide Ledoux. I do apologies for their antics. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Venezio." Aramis gave me a winning smile that made me gay for a moment. But only for a moment, mind you.
"Y-yes. The pleasure is mine as well." I replied though I didn't directly look at him. I swear the longer I stare at his face the more homo I get.
"Awee brother, you are no fun. Father sent for you didn't he?" Bijou pouted.
"In any case, we will stop for now. I do not wish to see him humiliate himself due to intoxication." Candide sighed out. "But this battle is not over. We will have our little bunny, won't we Bijou?"
"Oui, my dear sister."
And with that, the two blondes proceeded to smack their lips onto my cheek and left with their brother. Needless to say, I was left there standing in the crowd with two distinct lipstick marks on both my cheeks and a very flushed face.
"So he doesn't just attract the same sex but he's also a ladies' man!" The familiar boisterous voice of Iemitsu Sawada made itself known.
I distinctly remember throwing my shoes at the other man before retreating into the kitchen for the rest of the event where I stuffed myself with ice cream and basically just enjoyed the evening with the other house helpers.
When the next day arrived, my memories of the previous evening just faded.
Everything was back to the normal routine.
At least three days later when I woke up in bed, enveloped between the bodies of my two cousins and their brother throwing me an apologetic look from the couch. It turns out they forced their way in the mansion and decided to move in so that they could bond more with this side of the family. Well, that's what the two women claimed. However, Aramis's expression gives me the feeling that it's something else all together.
And that is how I've been living my life out for the past six months with the newly added routine; being doted upon by two older cousins, suppressing spontaneous outbursts of homo hormones courtesy of Aramis, spending my play time between my other cousins and Basil and stalki—spending time with the love of my life.
Anyway, enough with the recap. It was six in the morning and I could already hear my eldest cousin, Amerigo, banging on the double doors. How Bijou and Candide remain dead to his yelling remains a mystery to me.
"Oi brat, get your ass out of bed. We're going shopping." Amerigo yelled.
"You imbecile, it's six in the morning. I'm not waiting around for the mall to open!" I snapped back.
"Why you little—!" I am so glad that I have the need to lock doors at night. Otherwise, I would have been hung from the third floor window yet again. Apparently, Amerigo was not the type to hold back even when he's faced with a child's snarky attitude. I have single-handedly discovered this when he almost flayed me alive with his sky flames.
Knowing the older male's temper, it's best to start preparing myself for the day. I decided to have a quick shower before dressing myself in a blue shirt with a Mickey Mouse hoodie, a pair of black shorts and red snickers. The Mickey Mouse thing wasn't so bad once I got used to it and admittedly, I did take a certain liking to it as well. I do actually consider it now as a trademark for myself—'the boy who likes Mickey Mouse' or something.
Anyway, I skipped grooming my hair knowing it would still actually look like a mess afterwards and quietly headed down to the dining area where that bastard would be sipping at his cappuccino. Surprisingly, it wasn't just Amerigo who was awake at this ungodly hour but most of my Uncle's children, my other cousins.
"Finally. The little brat prince has decided to grace us with his presence." The third eldest cousin, Cairo, spoke with irritation. The feeling's mutual. Just looking at his pretentious face makes me want to throw my plate at him.
"Apologies, your highness. I wasn't made aware that my presence would be needed for you to stuff yourself silly." I hissed back.
"Boys, no quarreling!" My second eldest cousin, Vienna, reprimanded with a wagging finger; like a mother scolding her children. " We are on a tight schedule today. A request from zia is a mission to be taken seriously. Now Ven, let's make haste. Sit down and eat your breakfast."
I took a seat beside the youngest cousin, Adriana, where she proceeded to coddle on my arm. Even with her attached to my arm, I expertly ate my breakfast. An order from Vienne is never to be taken lightly, especially in this situation since she's actually doing me a favor.
The mission in question is something simple: a request from my mother to find me the most suitable apparel for tonight's night event, Vongola's Alliance Party. The fact that my mother is part of CEDEF is a sure fire ticket for my attendance as well. I've practically spent most of my days in the headquarters so I undoubtedly they'd already dubbed me as a CEDEF Baby, a nice title in my opinion. Furthermore, due to the dispute the Cosimo family is having with a rival family, my mother is also attending the party as a representative for the famiglia.
Well that's what they've told me anyway. But I'm pretty sure Basil was throwing a hissy fit when they told him that he had to attend the party. To think that he has the capability to be selectively bratty surprised me to no end. But then again, he is still a child and though he is well behaved most of the time, I can understand the need for the mind of the child to take over once in awhile.
Anyway, to placate the boy, they dragged me into this mess.
Oh joy, how exciting.
I meant that with sarcasm.
I didn't want to think what would transpire later on that evening and instead focused on stuffing rice inside my mouth while gulping down a mug full of chocolate milk. I could see the disgusted look Cairo was sending me and counted that as a small victory for the morning.
You're probably wondering why I'm eating rice in an Italian household? A little spoiler, kids: I used to be Asian… Or at least I was raised in an Asian way. I don't know since my memory is a bit foggy but what I do know is that rice is my staple food and everyone else who has a problem with that can go fuck themselves.
Thank god for Asian house helpers.
Once breakfast was adjourned, we wasted no time and left the manor for our destination.
Apparently, my beloved cousin Amerigo wasn't joking around when he said we'd be window shopping at six in the morning. Our access is courtesy of the mall owner, who happens to be acquainted with Amerigo and owes him a solid.
As of the moment, Adriana and Rovigo, Adriana's twin, were busy dragging me around the place as they pointed out on various things that I would have found interesting as well if it were not for the fact that I have a mentality of an adolescent.
"Ohhhhh~ Ven! Look at that doll! The color of her dress matches her eyes!" Adriana gushed as she tugged me towards the display widow of a toy store. The fact that she understands the concept of color and she speaks without reverting to infantile speech for a four year old amazes me.
"Pfff—Fratellone doesn't care about colors or dolls! He likes Gundam Seed and football like a real man! Right, Ven?" Rovigo turned to me with expectancy.
I looked between the identical blondes, as they gave me those adorable pouty looks that translated to 'agree with me'.
Honestly, I don't know. If I answered truthfully, I'd say I'd prefer food, video games and books that range from fantasy novels to anatomy texts. But seeing as they're too intelligent and I really don't liked to be interrogated by children in their inquisitive prime, I dumbed down my interest to something like:
"Board games and cooking are my interest, actually." I responded. Rovigo made a face and Adriana simply made an 'oh' sound.
"So you want to become like big brother Cairo one day, yes?" The blonde girl's starred pale orbs looked at me in anticipation.
Fuck no.
As if I'd want to become like that prissy bastard.
But the damage has been done.
The older blonde male already heard and had his eyes locked onto me. I can literally feel the intense sensation of piqued interest and a renewed determination from his ocean colored gaze, to the point where it sent a chill down my spine.
It's incredibly creepy I tell you.
"I doubt that a spoiled brat such as yourself would achieve such a feat. But as your kin, I will do you a favor and aid you in reaching your goal. I will teach you all I know and you will become one of the world's bests." Cairo said, his hand over mine and his eyes burning with a resolve ten times greater than before. I would have loved his enthusiasm if it weren't for the fact that I have other plans in life and he insulted my capabilities. Jackass.
"No thanks. I'd rather be someone else's protégée."
"You ungrateful bra—"before Cairo could even finish, Vienna proceeded to karate chop him on the head while I struggled with Amerigo's manhandling.
"Oi you stronzo, what the fuck did I say about goofing around?!" The older woman barked at her younger brother.
"Ohhh, Vien said a bad word!" Adriana gasped.
"Tch. Can't be helped. Cairo, you attend to the twins. Amerigo and I will deal with this since you guys are getting in the way. We'll meet you back at Rocco's."
And with that, Vienna led the way with me, slung over Amerigo's shoulder in defeat. I didn't bother fighting him. If he wants to carry me, then more work for him.
It took awhile to get there but our party eventually stopped over to the only shop open in the mall; a store that sold formal garbs for kids.
When we stepped inside, we were greeted by an old man who looks to be in his late fifties and had a kind expression on his face. It looks like Vienna and the old man were already acquainted judging by how friendly they are in greeting.
"Is the suit ready, Ignazio?" the woman asked.
"Yes, yes. The only thing you need to choose is the bow tie." The old man replied, picking up the suit that was hung by the rack.
I couldn't help but give out a low whistle.
The suit, in general, wasn't exactly fancy in anyway. It had the same design as any suit that was meant for children. The only thing that makes it stand out is color of the fabric; a dark blue that almost comes off as black but the iridescent effect of the fabric gives emphasis to its true color. I wasn't an expert at suits or anything, but judging by the material used to make this suit, I'd say this was rather expensive in itself.
I must have been gawking at the suit because the next thing I knew, I was manhandled yet again and was shoved into a dressing room along with the suit.
"Give it a try, boy. And tell me how you like it." Ignazio smiled before he left me on my own.
Ugh, I don't understand why they have to keep on manhandling me.
It took a minute to get dressed and the end result was me staring at my own reflection.
Okay, I wasn't exactly a narcissist but…
Holy shit.
I was working this suit.
I looked absolutely awesome and adorable.
Adorable enough to take over the world
…
Nah, that's impossible.
As soon as I stepped out of the dressing room, I had received one complement from Ignazio ("Looking good, ragazzo! You'll get the ladies in no time!") and two psychotic cousins arguing about whether I should keep my hair slicked back or simply letting it be. I could see Ignazio releasing an exasperated sigh before crouching down onto my level. In his hands were two boxes that contained two bow ties. One was a simple black bow tie while the other adorned a unique design; a print of the universe with colors that equally matched my suit.
For some reason, I'm more drawn to the printed bow tie rather than the regular one and didn't hesitate to reach for the printed bow tie before putting it on. I looked at the old man for opinion and he flashed me a smile.
"My, you remind me of your mother with your choices." He ruffled my hair. "Always proud to wave her family banner." I tilted my head in question and the man simply laughed.
"Cosimo, your family name, is a derivation from the Greek word 'Kosmos'—meaning order but not just any order, it's gotta be a complex and orderly system. The only thing that properly represents the word itself is nothing but the universe. A weird representation if you ask me though it kinda suits you guys, what with that star eyes thing you've got going. "
First off, I just chose this bow tie because I'm eccentric. Second, that's just weird. How the heck does he know all this?
"How do you know all this stuff? Aren't you just a shop owner?" I asked skeptically. Ignazio just chuckled.
"Why kid, I used to work for your grandfather until your uncle took over. As much as your uncle wanted me to stay, my loyalties are to Settimo. So I retired and opened up my own shop."He finished and stood up. "Now as much as I like seeing you all here, I believe that you still have elsewhere to be?"
"Right, how much is the suit, Ignazio?" Amerigo asked, taking out his wallet in the process but the older male just waved him off.
"No need, no need. Just send me a Barolo by next Thursday, alright? Good. Now be off and be careful. I heard Guido's men are after you."
I felt Amerigo stiffen beside me. I couldn't help but raise a brow at him. The bastard just ruffled my hair.
"Pfff—the Bonasera ain't got nothing on us." Now it was Vienne who waved the other man off. "And don't worry; I'll drop it by in person."
We left the mall and hailed a cab to take us to Rocco's Place.
It was eight –thirty-five when we arrived at Rocco's place. Approximately, six minutes and thirty-seven seconds away from the mall. I couldn't help but give Amerigo a look.
"Is your sense of direction so bad that we had to take a cab when we could have taken a measly fifteen minute walk?" I said. The blonde male just rolled his eyes at me.
"Gimmie a break, will ya? I got tired carrying you around okay."
"The exercise is good for an old man like yourself." Wait a minute. "Are you calling me a fat-ass?!"
I was immediately karate chopped to the head.
"No cussing, brat. Not until you're old enough." Amerigo, surprisingly, reprimanded me.
If only you knew.
"Tch. I don't even know where you heard that from. "
"I don't need to hear that from someone like you." I mumbled and was smacked on the head. I said no further and simply followed.
It turns out the Rocco's Place is actually a pool café owned by the family; named after someone I could care less. But the menu's great though. They serve horchatas, churros and other kinds of foods you see outside of the country. I didn't hesitate to order myself a glass of horchata and churros. I haven't had those in forever.
The three of us made our way to the pool once we've finished changing into swimming attire. Of course, it didn't escape my observant eyes how, uhm, great Vienna looks in her bikini. And it seems like I'm not the only one who shares these opinions seeing as Amerigo can't even look at his own sister without going red in the face. On the other hand, Cairo was a blushing tomato of rage and embarrassment when he saw her wearing something too revealing for the public eyes. The proof of this is evident through the few early swimmers ogling at her physique; most of which are composed of men.
Anyway, long story short, we just swam and goofed around for awhile. Well, the twins and I did since we were stuck at the kiddy pool. Playing like this and just acting like a kid reminds me of the pros of having being reincarnated again. I could revel in the childhood moments and do the things I wanted to with that feeling of satisfaction because I actually did it.
Meanwhile, the 'adults' of the group were having fun by flirting (in Amerigo's case) and having adult conversations that literally scream serious business. Ah yes, the con side of this situation, I am a child. Though they do recognize my prodigal self, getting involve in this type of things is out of the question. "To keep the innocent away from bloodshed", is what Sepira would say. But they don't realize that we're already born into the life. I don't really understand why they have to keep us in the dark for so long.
By ten o'clock, we were already having lunch. Somewhat of a feast than a lunch, what with all the servings the followed after we finished a round; each one would be from a different cuisine type too. We finished by eleven followed by a thirty minute break before jumping into the pool for another round of swimming. Well they did, anyway. I stayed behind since I feel like I might throw up any second now. And so did Amerigo.
We sat there in silence and I found myself observing my cousins; people that could pass as my genetic siblings.
All of us shared the same platinum blonde hair and a semi-Danny Targaryen complexion. The only thing that would be unique in each one of us is our eye colors. Even though most of them have either blue or green eyes, they still vary which each other and are matchless, except perhaps for the twins.
The twins have eyes of steel, a pale blue that was ringed with their mother's green. If compared with their brother, Cairo, though, one would be like comparing day and night for that pompous moron, no matter how much I hate to admit, has the most vibrant eyes of blue I've seen; worthy of comparison with the Star of India. Meanwhile, Vienna is a different case. Her eyes exemplify what it truly looks like to gaze at the stars with her gradient eyes of turquoise. Well, more or less, they look like iridescence of peacock feathers. Lastly, there's Amerigo. There is no other way to describe his eyes; it's like looking at pure rock hard emeralds.
And then there's me.
My eyes are like the Black Prince's Ruby. They're red; unnaturally, red. Only albinos have the capability to possess red eyes and even most of them have normal eye colors. I solely put blame on the anime metaphysics. Because I have blood-red eyes yet I am not lacking in melanin. But the point is they're red. This is the one thing that actually sets me apart from my cousins; proof that I am their cousin and not their brother.
Yet, the relation between us can still be seen however because of that.
The starred eyes.
The distinct design embed to our eyes, dubbed as the 'glimpse of the universe, the sign of the cosmos', that was passed from the first Don to his successors.
This is what especially makes us as a Cosimo. This is what marks us as family.
"Oi, brat. Stop thinking too much, it's annoying." The older man began as he flicked my forehead.
"What the hell is your problem?!" Another karate chop to the head.
"Stop cursing, it's unbecoming of you."
"Since when does a cuss master machine gun like you ever concerned of children cussin?"
"Since Zia Olie found me cussing up a storm when I was changing your diaper; your pee stained my best suit."
I could only imagine what my mother would have done. Just thinking about it made me chuckle.
Amerigo could only glare but that didn't last long.
"You know you should stop over thinking on stuff and smile more." Amerigo said. I could only blink at him dumbly.
"Eh?"
"You're still a kid. Leave the big stuff to the adults."
"What the hel—heck are you on about?"
"I'm not an idiot, Venezio. You know what I mean."
"No, I don't know what you mean. I wasn't even thinking about anything in particular." Just some slightly angsty stuff, actually, that's none of your concern.
The older male sighed again and stood up.
"You only live once. But some are lucky. Even so, my point is that you shouldn't waste this chance you've been given." Somehow, that single statement sent a chill down my spine.
It's like he—
I shrugged at the idea as soon as it came.
That's impossible. The man's constipated when it comes to perception.
"'Sides, you've got a lot on your plate. So just revel in the moment before the time comes, eh?"
With that, he gave a wink and ran off to the nearest group of girls he saw.
As much as I wanted to ignore it, there was a clash of emotions dominating my entirety at his words. I am an individual who takes words in their literal sense except when we're talking about dirty jokes but Amerigo's words invoked the feeling of assumptions that he knows something about me; my origins at least. And that prospect made me feel nervous for some reason.
'That maybe a possibility.' The familiar voice of Sepira echoed through my thoughts.
'What got you talking now all of a sudden?' I asked. It's been precisely three weeks since she last bothered me with her random chatter. One minute she was going on about how Alaude was such a gentleman touring her around France and in mid-rant, I felt her emotions of shock and sorrow and before I knew it, she completely disconnected from my thoughts. Since then, my mind has been peacefully silent but awfully dull.
I waited for an explanation. I deserved one, after all. But nothing came. Just an apology from the other.
'I-I…I'm sorry. I just… I'm really sorry.' She spoke, the grief and guilt in her words pulsed in my being before it completely disappeared. And so did she.
I would have pondered over her odd behavior hadn't Amerigo came back and promptly thrown me in the pool with the others. To say that I felt enraged would be an understatement. I mean who the fuck throws a five year old in a six foot deep pool?! I'm saying this because I actually almost drowned If Vienna hadn't picked me up. I literally latched onto her neck and glared daggers at the culprit; the person in question just laughed at me before he slung an arm at one of the girls and just walked off.
At that time, I swore to the heavens that I would find his stash of lube and replace it with super-glue. The sick fuck.
The time we decided that the party's over is when Oregano arrived by lunch time to pick me up, at the request of my mother. She ate her lunch while I got dressed and by the time she finished, I was already wearing another set of clothing; a set of black sweatpants and an orange shirt with another Mickey Mouse print. Somehow, I could pin-point the tiniest form of amusement in Oregano's eyes. She's probably thinking about that time. I just know it.
"Whaaaat? You're leaving already, Fratellone? But it's still too early!" Rovigo complained, her sister attaching herself to my arm.
By the fact that my skin has turned a darker shade and I feel a stinging sensation is a sign that it's just the right time to get the hell out of here.
"Nooooooo! I don't want you to leave!" the blonde girl pouted.
"None of that now! He has his own duties to attend to." Vienne chided in a motherly way. "Besides, we'll still see him later. So you can still play all you want! You just have to wait a little, okay?" At the girl's nod, she turned her full attention to me.
"And as for you, be on your best behavior. Don't do anything too outrageous. "She spoke softly before placing a kiss on my forehead. "Good luck, Ven~" The twins followed suit, leaving a quick kiss on both side of the cheek at the same time, much to the embarrassment of Rovigo, and left with Vienna. Cairo simply rolled his eyes at me, left a quick 'Don't embarrass us' message and a peck on the cheek before he left. Finally, it was Amerigo. He crouched down onto my level and looked at me dead in the eyes, an air of unfamiliar seriousness radiating from older male.
"Oi brat, don't screw up. You're five; I understand that but still… Just do your best, okay? Everything's up to you now. If you need help, just ask for it. No need to go lone wolf and deal with it by yourself, yeah? And you should smile more often. Get the stick out of your ass and act like a kid, for the love of everything. God knows we don't need another Cairo." He said before he ruffled my already messed up hair and stood up.
"Anyway, good luck, Venezio. We're counting on you." The man winked and left.
Somehow their words of encouragement came through as something a person would say when a friend goes to war.
It's just downright nerve-racking when people expect a lot from you.
I watched Cairo's retreating figure join his family before I myself turned away and got in the car with Oregano.
As we drove off, I busied myself with ignoring the slight unpleasant sensation I was feeling.
We arrive at about an hour and a half. The first thing I did was jump off the car and rushed off to the training area where I was met with the usual sight of people practicing whatever skills they needed to practice. I waved a greeting to those who would notice me out of politeness and hurried to one corner of the area where I could see Basil doing warm exercise with her watching the other boy like a hawk.
The her, in question, is none other than Lal Mirch.
The one true person that I love.
Well, no.
But I do have an immense crush on her.
You're probably wondering why her of all people. I would explain but I'd rather not elaborate since I'm not too sure why I feel this way for her as well. All I know is that it started when I first met her three years ago; my baby brain dubbing her as the fairest of them all and bam! I still do find her the fairest of them all even if she is in her cursed form.
I slowly made my way behind her, carefully making sure that my shoes weren't making squeaky noises. See, this has been my routine whenever I visit the CEDEF headquarters: I'd track her down, usually finding her in the training area, and would try to sneak a hug on her, which would always result into something I've only seen while reading this universes' manga.
Like now.
When I was but a meter away, she didn't hesitate to turn around and shoot me at least five times. Thankfully, I live in a household with people shooting guns at each other on a daily basis, so I managed to dodge at least four out of five of them; the fourth one grazing the sleeve of my shirt.
"What the heck do you think you're doing, rookie?" she asked in her 'instructor' voice.
"Uhm…I—" I didn't get a chance to answer since she fired another shot just right pass my left shoulder.
"Twenty push-ups for your sloppiness." If it's her giving orders, I would have started right away. However, the sudden decrease from her usual forty actually invoked my curiosity.
"Twenty?" I raised a brow. She just smirked.
"With Basil sitting on your back."
I just had to open my fucking mouth.
You're probably thinking how a five year old can manage to do push-ups with extra weight. No, I'm pretty sure anyone sane knows that I'd have fractured a bone by now. But I didn't anyway because this is the world of anime; where logic is bent and contradicted several times just to make the plot work. And with that being said, I managed a set of twenty push-ups with Basil cheering me on my back. The fact that he was moving too much added to the unnecessary challenge I managed to conquer.
Hah. I even went for another extra ten push-ups just so I could impress Lal.
She only gave me a nod of approval but it made my week.
And it also managed to re-energize me for the duration of the training.
I was skipping laps around the training ground like a love sick fool.
Which I am, in a way, I guess.
By the end of my training, I found myself submerged in a tub of cool water, reveling at the neutralizing effects on my sunburned skin. I slowly felt myself nodding off into a nap and I would have enjoyed one right now if Basil hadn't made his way towards the tub while unsuccessfully trying to strip off his clothes. In the end, I had to help him with his shirt.
"Don't come near me, please." I immediately said once we were in the tub. Little kid has a habit of making me wash his hair or just momentarily sleeping on my shoulder after a hard day's training. I don't usually mind, but the sunburns are really a bitch.
"E-eh? Why not, Ene-chan?" The brunet tilted his head, his furrowed in confusion. My persistent scolding of not adding a '-dono' suffix to my name was a success but unfortunately, he took on the name Iemitsu would call me, Ene-chan. Even though I kept telling him that using '-chan' is for like, girls or something and I am not a female, he still stuck with that. It was a battle I lost.
"My skin hurts due to the prolonged exposure I had under the sun. Melanocytes are the little shields that protect our epidermis, or in other words, our skin, from the UV radiation coming from the sun and more or less dissipate it as heat. Turn around will you." the other obeyed and I started washing his hair for him. "In my case, I've been out swimming with my family for about two hours which overworked my natural skin protection and is giving me a stinging sensation when direct contact is enforced."
"Ene-chan, you're using big words again." The other boy pouted. I simply sighed before I started doing my own hair.
"I'm tan. I have sunburns. Don't touch me because my skin hurts."
"W-what!? You're h-hurting?" I could almost feel the distraught in his voice. His concern is adorable.
"Yes. But I'll be fine as long as you don't actually touch me." My explanation went unheard as the boy practically ran out of the bathroom and clung onto Turmeric's pants, looking teary eyed.
"T-turmeric! Ene-chan said it hurts when I touch him!" Coincidentally, the man in question was sipping on a can of soda and did not hesitate to do spit-take at what he was hearing.
"WHAT?!"
I could only face palm at the whole situation.
Personally, I find it quite odd how the other man is always a witness to are seemingly homo-moments but hey, maybe it's just coincidence.
After an explanation, Turmeric helped the both of us into our suits. Well, he helped Basil in his suit while I successfully managed to wear my own. It would have gone a lot quicker if the other boy wasn't so insistent that he could dress on his own. In the end, we had to help him dress up. By the time we finished, my mother, along with Iemitsu, already arrived to pick us up.
True to Ignazio's words, Olympia really does wear the family banner with pride.
My mother was clad in a black A-line dress that resembled Jade Harley's 'Three in the Morning' dress but less conspicuous and only gradated at the bottom portion. She also wore a long sleeved lace bolero to cover up her upper limbs. Meanwhile, Iemitsu was working that suit. He looked good in white but somehow, the way he carries himself makes him look more like a groom on his wedding day rather than the boss of CEDEF.
And now my mother was making a fuss about the placement of the bow while my godfather complimented my new tan, actually saying something how it makes me look less like a china doll before slapping me on the back.
Hard.
Let me tell you something: my mind is that of an adolescent but my body is that of an infant. This would mean that my body is sensitive. So it's actually unsurprising when I started whimpering and shedding big fat tears of hurt. Because it's fucking painful, okay.
It only took a minute (a new record) for my mother to land a blow on her boss, before acting like she didn't cause a bruise on Iemitsu's abdominal area and tried to calm me down. It took less time before I managed to fall asleep in my mother's arms, exhausted after all that crying.
The next time I woke up, I was being roused by my mother. Having a consciousness of an almost adult made me understand that we were already here but being also a child, I did so with crankiness and I sleepily trailed after my mother while she held onto my hand.
Even though I was half-awake, I actually managed to evaluate the Vongola manor and came to one conclusion; this place was the shit. The outside looked exactly like the one on the KHR Wiki page but the inside is something that you'd only see in those old films set in the old times. The place was literally a piece of history and what was more, is that it had its touch of modern times; new additions that went well together with old ones and just fit in.
I'm a person who loves history and encountering something that is older than me is what ultimately relieved me of my sleepiness and had me gawking at the every interior my eyes came upon until we arrived to the area where the event was held. When we arrived there, well, I felt a new emotion rise within my entirety.
To say I wasn't nervous would be like denying that I didn't breathe air.
I'm scared.
I was ready to shit my pants.
I remembered the fact that this is Katekyo Hitman Reborn which ultimately made me realize that I was in an event where criminals are gathered and I could be killed, raped or violated any second.
Or so my active imagination tells me.
Even with the fact that I actually live in a house that have people trying to kill each other as a daily sparring match, I was only ever caught in the cross-fire; not directly assaulted. And they did their best to protect me from harm's way. Besides they're different. I know they won't do me any harm but these people, I don't know them. They could have ulterior motives, go rogue and start shooting at people.
No, don't think about it.
I tried to counter my own thoughts, saying things that would soothe me, to calm my hyper active imagination, to clear my mind of anything that wasn't actually true. I was too panicked and pre-occupied that I didn't realize I got separated from my mother. And when I did, I started hyperventilating. My legs felt weak and I would have fallen over if someone hadn't steadied me on my feet. The person in question pulled me away from the crowd before asking me to take slow deep breathes.
It took about ten minutes before I finally calmed down. I looked up to thank the person who helped me with my problem and found myself looking at the face of an individual I actually never expected to meet.
Vongola Ninth.
I actually stood still, my crimson orbs going wide with realization and I think I'm having a palpitation.
"Are you lost, little one?" Timoteo asked as he crouched down to my level. I nodded and schooled my expression to hide my feelings of indignity.
"Yes, sir. I… Got separated from my mother." Well, I think she actually ran off on her own.
"Well then, shall we go look for her?" the old man offered me a hand to which I accepted, and led the way.
'Oh my god, this is so embarrassing.' Was the only thing that ran within my head while I displayed a mask of indifference. Though that proved to be impossible to maintain what with all the looks people have been giving us. Holding hands with one of the most of powerful men in the underworld scene can warrant that kind of attention. And by the time we found my mother, who was chatting up a storm with some other bosses, my face was already awfully red.
I turned to Timoteo, mustered up a proper thank you, before I dashed over to my mother, burying my face at the side of her dress.
"Oh my~ Where did you come from, Venezio? I thought you went with your uncle."
"Ah, your son, I presume?" One of them said.
"Wow, he looks so red in the face!" Another pointed out.
"Never thought a child you bore would be a shy type, Olympia."
I'm not a shy type. I'm just too emotionally compromised that the circulated blood concentrated on my face.
"Well I'm not surprised seeing as he's surrounded by older people. Not to mention that they're strangers." Olympia waved.
"Eh, you've got a point. Kids like him should be around people in his age group. Hey, Dino!" The man called out to someone.
The name quickly got my attention.
Dino.
Di-no.
Diiiiiino.
Dino.
Dino Cavallone: the tenth boss of the Cavallone family, Reborn's former student and a somewhat brother to one Tsunayoshi Sawada. In the manga, the man showed exceptional strength against adversaries, especially where it concerned his family; after all, Fuuta ranked him the number one mafioso out of 82, 263 mafia bosses, who cares for the safety of his subordinates as well as civilians. So I'm not surprised at what he can and would do. Also, among the characters of the series, he was ranked as the 8th most popular character amongst the readers.
If you ask me, he was pretty fucking badass.
A thirteen year old blonde haired boy, rushed over to the man.
And promptly tripped on nothingness.
Of course, every badass has his dents; Dino's flaw was that he was a clumsy without his men. Seeing as a younger Romario was there, I came to the conclusion that Dino really is a loser before he received Reborn's training.
There was a moment of silence among the group.
I could vaguely make out the distinct pitying looks the other people sent the boy and the one who called him, his father I presume, suppressing the urge to face-palm at his son's clumsiness.
The boy stood up and approached his father as if nothing happened.
"Why don't you go play with Venezio over there. You look like you're bored out of your mind." The man said. Dino blushed a bit confirming the blonde's thoughts.
My mother took the initiative and pushed me lightly towards the other so we can get acquainted.
"Ven, this is the Cavallone's Boss's son, Dino. Be nice to him and don't cause too much trouble, alright?" She patted my head and gave me a quick kiss on the forehead. "Now get going. I have to talk with the other bosses about, ah, the usual stuff."
"You mean your mafia thing?"
"Sure, my mafia thing." And with that she rejoined the group.
It's just me and Dino.
"My name is Dino Cavallone. It's nice to meet you, Ven." The other boy introduced himself, putting on a natural smile that most fangirls and boys would go wild for. Its effects on me were worst since it was also starting to activate my homo hormones.
"It's Venezio, actually. Venezio Cosimo. But Ven would do, only if you let me call you Dino." I said, taking on semi-mature confidence and flashing him my own brand of a kilowatt smile.
"That's a deal! So what do you wanna do firs—Ven? Where are you going?"
I didn't answer and just followed the path towards the buffet, Dino trailing behind me.
Contrary to what I expected, I actually had a good time that night.
Dino wasn't bad company.
Well, at first, he was.
The boy was literally treating me like a five year old kid, despite the fact that I've exhibited intelligence and actions that exceed the normal five year old.
For the love of god, he tried to spoon-feed me.
Needless to say, he got the message when I said I'd sic my pythons on him.
Not that I have pythons anyway.
After that, he started treating me like any other kid from his age group, which was fine by me, and just talked about stuff in general. Eventually, we dumbed down our conversation to something more appropriate for a five year old when Basil joined our group. It was hilarious when Dino tried to baby Basil since the other five year old kept on blushing in embarrassment and insisted that he shouldn't be babied; which just, maybe, added fuel to the fire.
So now, we were situated in the second floor of the venue, with Basil talking animatedly to Dino ("Did you know Ene-chan likes Lal Mirch-dono?"), the other absorbed into his stories ("Eh!? But he's only five!") and me, playing "where's Waldo', only I'm looking for KHR characters instead. So far, I spotted Xanxus, Squalo and Hayato amongst the crowd. Oh, and there's Reborn. He's also flocked by a few women, which was a weird image since he was a baby. How women find him charming in that way was beyond my understanding. I sighed before I resumed my people watching.
It was weird, to be honest, looking at the charac—no, people that I've read in a fictional book. These individuals whom I've deemed as the best of the best in not only fighting capabilities but looks as well; they were perfect in my eyes when I was a kid. And they're awesome still, when I think about it. However, if I re-evaluated my opinions, added in my experience of now, I guess they'd fall under as normal people—human, I dare say. Regardless of the fact that they can defy physics but I'm talking about them being as a person. They still do the shit that we actually do back in my pre-reincarnated world. There's just this concept of eccentricity added to the mix.
I would have continued to ponder over my thoughts if I wasn't distracted by that uncomfortable feeling I felt this morning.
Only this time, it was a lot worst.
In that moment, I felt like I was being compressed inside a tube, it was getting harder to breath. I shakily stood up from my position, and scanned the crowed for my mother. It's the first thing I always did, even back in my pre-reincarnation world, when something medically related is happening to me. I searched for her, trying to pin-point a mane of platinum blonde among the guests, only my eyes landed on another figure instead; an infant wearing a familiar looking mushroom hat with a tattoo on her left cheek and an orange pacifier that hung around her neck.
The only reason why my attention was caught was because she was staring at me, dead in the eyes. It's like she's looking at the very core of my being. It was uncomfortable. It was what ultimately drove me to run towards the nearest bathroom; those eyes that held emotions of pity and guilt.
It was worst when I got to the bathroom. What compression I felt in my whole body was no concentrated into my head. I felt that reminiscent feeling of the cause of my death; the initial impact of the truck to my body. Only this time, it's just my head. I didn't even realize that I was clutching my head and repeatedly banging it on the ground while I screamed my throat dry. The pain was excruciating, to say the least and what made it more unbearable were the distinct screams that echoed in my thoughts and the horrid flashes of moments that came with it.
Burning.
The Cosimo HQ was bathed in a torrent of flames. Familiar faces burned in the fire.
Someone choking.
There were bear-like hands around Rovigo's throat; the child's lifeless eyes staring at nothing.
Someone being shot at repeatedly.
A submachine gun was repeatedly shot at Cairo's carcass, his mother's and everyone else's.
People fighting.
I could make out the figures of Vienna, Bijou and Candide aiming their weapons at the enemy, fighting them with all they've got.
Someone being wounded.
My uncle received another slash wound as he dueled with the pursuers; stalling enough time for the one armed Aramis and a concussed Adriana to escape.
There was laughter.
Guido Bonesera stood by the beaten and bloody body of Amerigo Cosimo, a maniacal smile placed on his lips. He placed the tip of his axe at Amerigo's neck.
His eyes were looking somewhere.
Those once-vibrant green eyes of Amerigo's were looking straight at me.
He yelled something.
"LOOK AWAY NOW!"
The axe swung.
Amerigo was beheaded.
At the same time as the flashes ended, I could hear a few footsteps making their way to me; the concerned voice of Dino and the crying of Basil barely audible in my ears. Exhaustion took over me, my legs finally gave out and I fell down the floor. Someone caught me, I don't know who. Everything was a blur and my sight was getting darker. I succumbed to unconsciousness; the last thing I heard came from a somewhat familiar voice.
"I'm so sorry, Venezio."
Now, it made sense.
I woke up to a lonely king sized bed all changed into some pajamas.
I distinctly remembered I was at a party and yet I was dressed in sleeping attire. It didn't make sense.
I slowly blinked, my eyes adjusting to the morning sunlight. I took in my surroundings. The place was unfamiliar to me.
Wait.
It was morning.
Last night—!
The influx of memories of last night was what ultimately shook me out of my sleepiness and I was about to get out of bed when I heard a recognizable click.
"Where do you think you're going?" That baby voice sounded familiar.
I turned to look to see a baby wearing a fedora and a yellow pacifier. He was pointing a green gun at me.
It was Reborn.
I would have gone on another spazz at how I'm actually face to face with world's best hitman. But now wasn't the time to do so. I had other important things that occupied my mind and well… He was holding his Leon-morphed gun at me. It was fine if it was Lal Mirch but if it's the strongest Arcobaleno, a stranger to me in general, it's another thing.
"I need to see my mother." I stated in a voice devoid of emotion.
"She's not here." The other replied.
"When is she coming back?"
"I don't know. But you've been left in the temporary custody of the Vongola Ninth."
The next question I asked left me with dreadful anticipation for its answer.
"Where is she right now?"
"She's at the Cosimo Base."
My heart stopped.
If she went there without me, something happened. I needed the confirmation.
"What happened?" I continued to ask. He just gave me his usual unreadable expression.
"Are you sure you want to know?"
"Please, tell me." Reborn sighed.
"Last night, the Cosimo manor was attacked by the Bonasera family…" I eventually drowned him out. I didn't need a recap of something I already knew. Something I wanted to burn out of my memories. I asked for the story for confirmation. And as I caught bits and pieces, the more it matched with whatever the hell happened to me last; the general over view at least. He was skirting around a few details. Details that concerned the aftermath of my blood relatives.
"And my kin?" Reborn hesitated a second before he continued.
"Your blood relatives are dead.""Dead." I finished with him. He gave me another look.
"Most of them are dead, except for two cousins. They escaped because Uncle stalled for them." I corrected.
"You knew." There was an edge to his voice.
I stayed silent; my silence bearing the answer.
"Do you know where they are?" he asked finally.
"N-no, unfortunately." Reborn sighed, his animal partner morphing into its original form before jumping onto the bed. He jumped of the couch and walked towards the door.
"Do not leave this room. I would know if you tried." Of course you would. I nodded at the other before he left. Once he was gone, I gave out a sigh before I allowed my body to fall back onto the bed, Leon occupying the emptier side of the pillow.
My family.
Dead.
Most of them are dead.
I replayed the memoires of yesterday morning, the last memories I have of them. We were enjoying ourselves. I remembered Adriana and Rovigo's childish smiles of innocence, Cairo's strict-uncle attitude, Vienna's motherly nature and Amerigo's love-hate brotherly affection; things that I won't ever get to experience anymore. All because they were dead.
I delved further into my memories, into the parting moments of that morning. And it was at that point that I reached the epiphany: Amerigo knew this would happen to him. From the way he acted yesterday and the words he said, he knew this would happen to him. And it's not just him. Sepira and that sky Arcobaleno sent me looks of sympathy—condolences—and guilt—it was a fixed point in time—when they saw me. It occurred to me that they saw this coming due to their abilities but they couldn't do anything to prevent it.
Knowing these things should have sent me into a rage by now. However, it didn't. I didn't feel anything at all. I felt numbed to the core. And I wanted to keep it that way.
And so I did.
For the past few days I have stayed within the Vongola manor, I kept up a cool façade that nothing was wrong at all. It was for the better. I wouldn't like for them to coddle me or anything, nor do I want to make them walk on their toes.
Mostly, I just kept myself in my room, staring outside like a mindless zombie and just maybe rotting a little inside because of the sheer boredom of everything. Once in awhile, a maid would visit me to check up on me and sometimes it would be Nono's Guardian. There have been visits too with Basil and Dino being the more frequent ones. But there were also from Turmeric and Oregano, just to check up on me on behalf of my mother. Lal went once because Basil pestered her and the one with Iemitsu almost made me cry out my emotions when he enveloped me in his embrace but he actually had to ruin the moment. Surprisingly, there was one from the Giglio Nero boss, however, I was asleep at that time and just left me their contact number; something I'll get on in the future.
On the fourth morning in the manor, I woke to my mother preparing a black suit for me. I knew what it meant and I didn't want to ponder on it. I did my morning routines, ate breakfast and left the manor with my mother. We didn't say anything to each other but I understood what she felt as she held me tightly in her arms. No words can describe the deep sorrow she felt.
We arrived to the burial site and honestly, I just zoned out the whole ordeal. It wasn't till they finished the whole ceremony and started lowering the eight coffins that contained my family that I snapped back to reality.
Family.
Yes, that's what they are to me. No—not by blood or by the eyes that marks us family, but the bonds we have forged together. That's what made me realize they were my family. Even though they didn't express their compassion and concern in the way I'd imagine it, they still did their best to show these sentiments in their own way.
I actually thought that I didn't care about them, that I would practically be unaffected at all if they get slaughtered for all I care. And yet, I found myself caring about them and ended up crying a river into my mother's sleeve.
I hate myself because I realized this too late.
…
…
…
I just hope I won't make a mistake of the same degree in the future.
A/N: Okay, there are probably misspellings there and grammar work. I'm sorry for that. Though I did double check it. My eyes are just messing with me since I lack sleep. So yeah, that was actually needed for the plot and now, for a little spoiler Venezio will be moving to Japan next chapter, so no more Basil time. But anyway, I needed your help about something which relates to Venezio's father and there here are the choices:
A. He'd be raised by a single-father.
B. He'd be raised by a same-sex parent family meaning his dad is gay. And if you agree with this, should the step-parent be canon(name 'em) or OC?
I'm also open for other ideas and suggestions. So yeah, that's about it for now. Hope you liked the story.