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: This is a long overdue chapter and like I've said before, updates are sporadic. In any case, I'd like to apologize for the wait. So here it is—the plot moving forward with a lot of reference from other fandoms, some reoccurring appearance of a character and new one introduced at the end of the chapter. Can you guess who that person is? ;) But before anything else…

To BleachedShadow and Guest: He will have a pairing, that's for sure. But whether it is a guy or a girl, canon or OC, I'm not yet sure about that. I'll just go with the flow of the story for awhile and maybe in the future, I'll set up a poll for it. Furthermore, don't worry. Lal's just a crush for Venezio and I'm sticking to the Colonnello/ Lal Mirch pairing through and through. It's just an excuse for comical-drama (in Venezio's case) in the future.

Lastly, this chapter will contain a tad bit of stereotyping and I swear to the almighty deity I'm not homophobic at all. If I was, I wouldn't want to explore and add this element in the story. I mean no offence to whatever I type in this piece.

And now, on with the story!

Disclaimer: I do not reign ownership of KHR; just this story and its OCs.

Chapter 4: Parental guidance and Other influences

The word Parental Guidance is more often associated by society to anything that pertains to a motion picture's viewer rating. However, in this story, the coined word 'Parental-Guidance' shall be taken in a literal sense where it would equate to 'to be guided by a parental figure'.

Now, the majority of the population has that one fixture in their lives that guides them; that constant and varying thing that influences them to whatever path they are to take in life, ultimately affecting them as a whole.

For every person, it is different. Their source of guidance can differ from specific individuals to their environment. A classical example of this is the story of Tarzan wherein he was found as a babe by a tribe of apes and was raised to be like them in some way. Another is Mowgli from 'The Jungle Book' stories.

Nonetheless, most get their needed guidance from human counterparts. Teachers are, perhaps, the most abundant source of guidance, the amount of time spent in a learning facility as a basis. But for any child, the parents serve as their primary source of parental guidance—having these people teaching you the very basic norms and things one needs to know at the very start of life.

And then there's me.

My situation isn't any different from any infant out there. I did receive most of my guidance from my mother and will receive the same supposed parental guidance from my biological father with his family.

Well, yeah…

There's just this one detail that fucks up this equation.

It has been precisely four days, three hours, forty-eight minutes and eleven seconds since the last coffin that contained a family member was lowered onto the earth. I mourned ever since in the dark hotel room that my mother and I shared. I did this whenever I was left alone in the room; my mother already in action as she took on the mantle even though she was in no condition to do so. She's just as affected as myself, even more so. But still, duty calls.

The only thing that was constant all throughout those days of misery was the motherly comfort that Sepira gave me whenever I would ultimately spiral down into one of those moods.

Honestly, with her Shaman voodoo of fortune telling, I should have been mad at her for not telling me any sooner. I should have felt pure wrath and hatred towards the other consciousness within my thoughts.

And yet, I felt no such sentiments towards her.

I don't know. Maybe it's because my need for some compassion and comfort is strong enough to override other emotions. Needless to say, this development in personality surprised me the most. I wasn't this much of a needy bastard. Nor was I this easy to distract with tales of heroism and other misadventures Sepira has experienced. As well as those silly pep-talks. They always enter through one ear and pass out the other end.

Now, after five days, eight hours, thirty-seven minutes and forty-seven seconds since the funeral, I snapped out of my crying widow phase and got my shit together.

At five in the morning, I was already preparing for the day. I dressed myself in a white shirt, some sweatpants and rubber shoes for training before I went down the restaurant of the hotel to have my breakfast. By the time I got back to our room, I didn't hesitate to jump on the bed. This caused my mother to stir from her slumber.

"Mama, wake up!" I yelled at her. She simply pulled me over and wrapped me in her arms.

"Ven, it's six in the morning. Let Mama sleep for a few more hours."

"No! I wanna go to the CEDEF base!" Now that got her attention.

"Hm? Why do you want to go there now?"

" I wanna play with Basil and Lal." I need to train.

"Can't it wait for a few hours? I'm pretty sure Basil and Lal are still asleep." Total understatement of the century. Lal Mirch rises with the sun and Basil is literally nocturnal.

"No! It needs to be now! I want to play now!" I depicted the perfect image of a spoiled brat. Something I've never done before and something I am repulsed to do.

"Why does it have to be now?"

"Because!" I need to become stronger.

Yes.

That is my mantra.

So it won't happen again.

That is my motivation.

I've had a perfectly strict routine for the following weeks that came since my resolved was made. I would get out of bed, undergo my morning rituals before being driven to the CEDEF base where I'd work myself tired everyday in the training grounds or till someone knocked me out unconscious. I am a very determined five year old, and it would take more than picking me up to placate me from my training mode.

In any case, this sudden lapse to seriousness made a lot of people around me worried; the most concerned were my mini-family in my second-now promoted to first-home and the love of my life.

Recently, I've been getting into verbal matches with my godfather every time he'd see me doing something strenuous, telling me off for working myself too hard to the point where falling into unconsciousness is always a frequent event in my case. Oregano and Turmeric have always been there to persuade me to take long periods of rest and would provide me with anything I needed to refresh myself. They knew first hand that it was futile to tell me what to do. They've bared witness to the extreme tantrum I had when they tried to pick me up when I was running on my fifteenth lap around the training grounds.

Heck, even Lal Mirch had her own way of showing her concerns. I would always practice throwing knives just before I take my final laps around the training ground and end the day. There are times that even I can't keep up the façade of vigor and it would show in my features like a poster for the entire world to see. At that point, the incomplete Arcobaleno wouldn't even consider words to tell me off. She'd used real grade A bullets—the one she'd use on her missions—to shoot at me multiples times. Multiples, in case I didn't get her message that I should stop for the day.

And there was Basil. By far, his case is the worst. He'd always try his best not to get left behind, to be at the same pace as myself. It didn't turn out so well since half the time he'd always fall behind. He'd end up crying about it when we were in the baths. I'd sooth him, of course. But I never gave my word to slow down. I tried to explain why but he'd usually have that confused face on or would fall asleep in mid-explanation.

Basil is still a child, he didn't understand the concept of death. Didn't understand why I was doing this, why I needed to be stronger. And I agree that he shouldn't; at least, not in this age. It would be cruel to rob him of his innocence and childhood at such a tender age.

They told my mother about it—the things that I've done and its effects to my body and mentality. She waved them off. The once doting woman more succumbed with her work, neglecting her only son and the successor for the title of the tenth don of the Cosimo famiglia.

Well, that's what people said and accused her off.

Truth be told, she did approach me on the subject and reprimanded me with a spanking of a life time. Needless to say, I will never try to make her cross with me, especially so if she's already stressed out with rebuilding the family from dust. Literally. But it worked out in the end though, when I explained my reasons.

Olympia enveloped me in a tight embrace and cried a lot—she confessed that her fears already came true. Her only child already stained by the dark world he was born into. But at the same time, she was proud—she took pride in the fact that I have a resolution and a good one at that. And with that, she gave me her blessing and approval, on the condition that I don't kill myself due to exhaustion. And well, I'm still monologuing right?

These hardships are something I endured for my cause. I lived by this life style for a full three to four months since my resolve was formed.

Well, until today that is.

The day that my routine changed, but my resolve didn't .

The day I met a certain baby hitman with a yellow pacifier again.

Only this time, he carried fate with him on a piece of paper.

A destiny that specifically affected me.

The day started out normal for me like any day that had passed since the incident. I succumbed to a rigorous self-imposed training session once more. The only difference is that I was the only one there in the training grounds.

So…

I may or may not have evaded the watchful eyes of my godfather and snuck out without permission just to train. But hey, it's for a good cause. And, it's not like I'm out there inflicting carnage on the masses or anything. If they needed me, they know where to find me. Parties and celebrations aren't my thing when in this mind set. Besides, I already left a little present for the birthday celebrant today; a bottle of expensive wine (on behalf of my mother) and a card (handmade by myself).

Now, here in the training ground, I finished another lap—my eighteenth—before I allowed myself to fall to the ground out of exhaustion, my clothes sticking to my figure as I tried to catch my breath. This baby body I possessed is short of amazing but at the same time annoying. It's amazing in a sense that it defies logic. With the copious amount of stress I've been putting myself through; I should be dead by now. And yet, I'm still having difficulties inhaling a lot of air in my lungs. And that is what makes it annoying.

'Please, child. Don't push yourself too hard.'

Sepira's pleading voice made itself known within my thoughts. Oh yes, there was her too. She was worried as well. And she's been very vocal about more so than the other. Because, you know, she's inside my head and I can't really avoid her like I could with the others. She'd always scold me when she could (which was always) about my irrational training regime and I'd ignore her. She knew why I was doing this and lately, she'd tone down her urging since she herself is aware how strong my resolution is. There was no stopping me now.

"You know why I have to do this, Sepira." I replied aloud.

'You're five.'

"And…?"

This was probably the first and last time I've heard her make a noise comparable to a aggravated animal. I could feel her frustration resonating in my whole being and then, for reasons unknown to me, it turned to something cryptic within a millisecond, which made me a little bit apprehensive.

'You need to stop this.' The voice spoke—no, commanded, something I didn't know Sepira was actually capable off. It scared me, yes, but I didn't relent.

"You know I can't—"

'Yes, I know what you meant. And I understand what your intentions are. But you can't keep doing this to yourself. You are still but a child. What you are doing to yourself will eventually destroy you!'

"…So, I should give up, then? Is what you're saying?"

'No, you will carry on.'

I blinked.

"Let me get this straight. You want me to stop training but you want me to carry on? Please, enlighten me, Sepira. Because I find your logic contradicting itself."

'You will carry on under my regime. While your determination is admirable, your methods will serve as your down fall. You need proper training to tap into your potential. And that is something you possess, child. I think it's time I stepped in and helped with your progress.'

Well, that was certainly something I didn't expected her to say. Nor this side of her I'd actually witness. I mean, the woman's like a fortuneteller. Aren't they supposed to be non-fighting characters? Furthermore, she was just a voice in my head. How the hell will she train me?

I got my answer when I felt myself losing consciousness, only to awaken in an empty white-space. Meta-realm, I dubbed it.

"Close, but not quite." Sepira's familiar voice spoke from behind me. I turned to look and found myself face to face with the woman I first met after my death. She was dresses all white in that stiff jacket, knee-length skirt and black heeled shoes. The peculiar hat she wore when I first met her was still there sat atop her head. Even the smile on her face, reminded me how she chuckled at me when I had sand particles in my eye. The mere thought had my lips forming into a pout.

"This place is a void in your mind. The deepest parts of your thoughts untouched and rarely accessed." The older woman crouched down and picked me up. I fidgeted in her grasp, trying to get away from the indignity of being man-handled once again but to no avail. Sepira simply chuckled at my predicament before she raised her hand. The open palm that was once empty was now filled by an orange colored glow, conjured seemingly out of nowhere.

Of course, I stared like an idiot. It's not even a question.

"The key to summoning your flames relies on the strength of your resolve. I can attest that your resolution is strong. Though my question lies whether it is strong enough to summon a dying will flame—"

I knew what that sentence implied even before it was finished. To that I answered with sheer concentration, as I prodded at the untapped source of power. And once I managed to correlate with that power, I felt my entirety being dominated by an unnatural calmness. With that came a flicker of warmth on my forehead.

"A sky flame. Just as I suspected." I heard Sepira say, her voice laced with amusement. At the same time, the warm sensation relatively vanished from my forehead. I blinked rapidly as I regained my natural senses, the eerie tranquility leaving my person.

"Well, that was relatively disappointing." I huffed.

"Don't let that deter you. It is just the beginning. Now, you will use what you have learned from this session in the real time and hone your skills."

"Wait what—"

When I awoke, I found myself lying down on a soft bed. My red orbs immediately scanned the area. White walls, white curtains, some medical equipment and a few shelves that hosted first aid materials as well as other medicinal drugs; such things indicated that I was in the CEDEF's infirmary. And I shouldn't have been surprised seeing as I did pass out in the training ground. Someone must have passed by and brought me here. I just hoped they didn't tell Iemitsu. I'm actually too tired to even listen to him bitch at me.

I sighed before I tried to move away from the bed. Keyword, tried. I tried because I am now having difficulties moving about with my hands and feet bound by a rope.

So apparently, I was restrained.

It would be a lie if I said I kept my composure. I actually screeched as I waved my arms around so as to break free from the ropes. I truly looked like one of those people on TV—those insane ones. And as much as I tried to thrash my body around, I wouldn't be going anywhere any time soon because a) I am a five year old, not Superman. I don't exactly have the strength to break free from a thick rope. The only thing it does is give me sore limbs. That's something I don't need when I'm already feeling an ache on one of sides of my head.

And b) there was a distinct clink from what I assumed to be a gun. I turned my head and found my suspicions confirmed when my face was directly in front of a green colored barrel, a certain baby with a fedora and a yellow pacifier standing on the other end of the gun; the façade on his features bearing no indicators as to what he felt.

The familiarity of the situation sent a jolt of nostalgia from three months ago. Though thankfully, this meeting isn't because of tragic circumstances. Just normal ones… Well, not really. Because me passing out isn't normal and his presence—just the two of us in this room, completely alone—had me feeling uncomfortable. Who wouldn't feel apprehensive with the world's greatest hitman? Crazy and deranged fans probably.

For now, I composed myself and steeled whatever tiny confidence I have in me. It wouldn't do if I showed any weakness to the other. Even if I am five years old, vulnerability is something I shouldn't show out in the open only if to save my hide from the predator in front of me. The sun Arcobaleno is definitely a predator in my eyes; despite the fact that I know he pulls this kind of stunts, I didn't know him well enough to trust him that he wouldn't pull the trigger. Heck, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't hesitate to shoot me even if I'm a toddler, given that he doesn't know me. And well, he's a stranger and he has a gun pointed at my head. Wouldn't you be worried?

There was a smirk on the beady-eyed baby's face when the green gun reverted back to its chameleon form. My red orbs watched as the baby jumped off my bed and sat by a chair, sipping at a cup of coffee while Leon resumed his post on the baby's fedora. Reborn set the cup down and once again had those cryptic eyes focused on my being. I tried not fidgeting much under his calculating gaze.

"Who taught you how to use sky flames?" Reborn broke the silence with a question. That had me almost choking on my own spit. Sky flames? How the heck did he see that? I was asleep the whole time! Unless… Sepira's been holding back some information. I slapped myself mentally and focused on the matter at hand.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Why are you even here?" I gave him a curt reply and immediately, I yelped as a bullet passed by my peripheral.

"Tsk. Answer the question, brat." The baby commanded. And I would have complied if Sawada Iemtisu hadn't burst in the room.

"Reborn, you can't just shoot at a kid!" the man exasperated as he navigated towards me and check if I was okay. The hitman just 'tsk'-ed before Leon once again morphed into an animal. I could feel his stare again as Iemitsu began on another rant; a scolding that would yet again be ignored. It took about five more minutes before Iemitsu was stopped by the baby hitman.

"He's not even listening to you." Reborn said and in no time had my cheeks pinched by an irritated Iemitsu. My godfather would have gone on in another rant if not for Reborn clearing his throat, catching both of our attentions.

"I came here on the request of Vongola Nono." He spoke, his chubby baby hands roaming through the inner portions of his jacket before pulling out a letter sized envelope from his inner pockets.

"His request involves me in delivering a letter to the heir of the Cosimo Famiglia, the tenth don, Venezio Cosimo." Reborn handed the letter to me before he walked out of the infirmary. Iemitsu and I stared at each other for a second before we looked down on the letter. Without more ado, my hands tore the white envelop and I emptied its contents. What fell on my lap was a thick letter. And when I say a thick letter, it contained three pages and at the end, was a different type of paper.

My red-starred eyes scanned the contents over Timoteo's neatly cursive writing and as I read on further, I could feel my eyes getting wider and wider till they were about to pop out. By the last page, I was startled when Iemitsu stood from the bed and made instantaneous strides towards the door, yelling for a certain baby hitman to halt in his tracks and explain 'what was going on'. And I, on the other hand, was still restrained on the bed, shell-shocked. Slowly, my fingers fondled with the envelop, pulling out the other content within and just stared at it.

I was still too lost for words, actually.

If you're wondering what that letter entailed, well, its contents merely informed me the Cosimo family has now declared an open war with the Bonasera clan, how the bad the situation is, how it will affect me and apparently, my mother has given me to the custody of the Vongola for an indefinite period of time, probably when the war is over between the rival families. That being said, they have also agreed that the safest course of action for me is to be as far away as I could from Italy—it's decided that I would be going incognito.

The material I have within my grasp is nothing short of a plane ticket leaving tomorrow; specifically speaking, a one-way plane ticket to Japan.

So, Japan.

Comparing the Japanese weather with what I'm used to, it's a lot cooler than the warm climate of Italy and admittedly, I didn't hesitate to wear my Mickey Mouse hoodie when the plane I rode on landed. Yes, that's actually an 'I', meaning that I'm actually by myself rather than being accompanied by an adult. For any kid around my age, they'd be worried shitless or call for their mothers. Me? Aside from the fact that I have a consciousness near to an adult, I've flown on planes as young as this age as well. So it isn't actually a big deal and all.

But still, it did get on my nerves how they couldn't spare anyone to go with me and it isn't just for the lack of adult supervision. My level of irritation covered the fact that they all but shoved whatever stuff I had in the headquarters in a bag and ushered me to a car. Though I did get a remembrance from Lal Mirch—her COMSUBIN dogtags—I didn't actually get to say good bye to Basil or to Dino, the latter having grown on me through the letters we exchanged. And I promised I'd meet up with him too.

Ugh. I just hope Iemitsu would explain the situation to Basil. I could just write to Dino whenever the hell my father picks me up and takes me home.

But now, here I was in the arrival area, one of my hands being held by a flight attendant while the other rested on the suitcase they've packed for me. I've been waiting here for what seemed to me like an eternity though I'm quite positive it's been only like what? Seven minutes? Well, whatever. I was nervous. When people are nervous, time isn't something that they seem to notice, and a few nanoseconds could be millennia to them. And the 'them' in question included me.

It would be an understatement if I said I was teensy bit nervous. I am literally on the verge of shitting my pants here and now; given with my baby body and my lack of controls over my bowels due to age, I could literally defecate due to this severe anxiety. Because I'm meeting my dad, in this world for the first time and my beloved mother had made no mention of his existence so I have assumed that I am but an offspring of an in-vitro fertilization process.

But I'm wrong. And now, I'm making wild guesses as to who my father is, whether he is canon or simply another off-story character. I find myself fantasizing that my dad would be Verde though, for some reason. Well, he's a science guy, I'm a lover of science—pre-death and post-death—and well, it would be great to have a scientist dad who has a lab because then I'd be able to conduct mad experiments that I've concocted in the pre-death life I led that I was never able to do because of poverty and other things you would really care less to learn about.

I continued to muse on the identity of my father and his characteristic but this was short lived when the flight attendant caught my attention. The woman in question said something I didn't quite catch before she grabbed my luggage and tugged me to another direction. As we navigated through the crowd, I found myself more apprehensive with every step I take.

So, shit.

I'm finally gonna see who my dad is.

I hope its Verde.

I bumped into the flight attendant's leg when she abruptly stopped her walking, my eyes solely focused on the man that stood before us. The man in question was tall. He was clothed in a button downed shirt; the blue tie he wore was loose on him. He looked a bit haggard and unkempt—heck, even his mop of brown hair kept sticking out in odd direction; nothing wild but something similar to a bed head. The only thing that isn't in a disheveled state was the white coat he wore; everything else was a bit of a mess. But that didn't matter since I was more focused on his eyes.

Crimson colored orbs.

The ones that I see every time I look in the mirror, though the pairs I'm looking at lack the vibrancy of that my eyes held—the insignia of the famiglia.

Well, I can't say I'm not disappointed that it isn't Verde. But hey, the guy wears a white coat. That usually equates with them being individuals of a higher intellect. Or just people who have majored in the field of science.

Okay, I'm just stereotyping. I'll shut up now.

"I'm sorry for the delay. I didn't account that the traffic in Tokyo would be intense at this hour. If I'd had known, I would have been here earlier." The man spoke first.

"It's no trouble at all, Shigenoi-san. It's only been a few minutes." The flight attendant replied cheerfully. The two of them indulged in a conversation while I treated myself within my mental faculties.

'Sepira what do I do?!' I screeched within my thoughts.

Admittedly, I'm having a mental breakdown here. Even though it wasn't necessary to have one. But still, wouldn't you freak out if you were meeting your dad for the first time?

'First of all, calm yourself. I don't see the necessity of panic in your situation,' See, even Sepira agrees with me.

'Take calm deep breaths and just be yourself. If you haven't forgotten, you are but a mere five year old. You do not need to uphold any extreme poise to impress your father. He wouldn't expect you too. Just be yourself.'

I don't think it's a good idea to actually 'be myself'—being a sarcastic and mature five year old isn't actually a good way to impress my father for a first meeting. Nor is it normal in anyway. Okay, that's an understatement but still, even though it's in the fictional world of KHR—where everything is like an infant of crack—there are still some people in the series that retained a sense of normality and at this moment, I'd have to include my father to that percent of the population.

So for now, I have to play it cool. Deep breaths and keep a dumb baby veneer—well, maybe a slightly intelligent and mature composure. It's hard to act like a five year old at this point, especially now I could actually use words and the vocabulary of devil unicorns whenever there is a fuck up or a moment of the unexpected.

By the time I have calmed down, it was just me and my father left. The older was crouched down on to my level, his gaze held the emotions that ranged from awe and disbelief to nostalgia and a tinge of pain. I could feel myself stiffen a bit when the man's warm hands cupped my face, it was then that the brunet snapped out from his trance and withdrew his hands.

"Sorry. You just remind me of your… Mother. You inherited a lot of her genes—I mean looks. Yes, you have a lot of her looks." The man finally spoke. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at him. Of course I know what genes are.

Anyway, time to get a move on things.

"Uhm. Who are you?" I inquired, accompanied matching tilt to my head with that curious expression on my features.

"Ah—Uhm—Well, I'm your dad, I guess… I mean, I know I am. The DNA tests came out positive and I was the only one she was seeing at that time; told me she doesn't sleep around when she's bound. We did copulate at that time with no protec—" my father abruptly stopped his mumbling and visibly reddened when he realized where his line of thought was bordering.

It was especially hard for me to control my facial muscles; to maintain that poker face when in fact I was ready to burst out laughing at any second. Sepira was making it more difficult when the sound of her giggles bounced off the walls within my mind. I watched as the man before me straightened himself.

"Ahem. So… My name is Shigenoi Kazuharu—Or rather Kazuharu Shigenoi for you westerners. Kazuharu is my first name and Shigenoi is my last. But here in Japan, we always have our last name first before our first name. So, it's Shigenoi Kazuharu." He finished with a warm smile on his face that has a vague similarity with a kid who has accomplished something and is just humble about it.

And of course, I have to play along with this since I'm like five. Physically.

"So, my name is Venezio Cosimo. But here in Japan, I would be Cosimo Venezio. Is that right, Kazuharu…-san?" The man just blinked dumbfoundedly.

"You know honorifics—I mean titles…No, those aren't called titles alone. They're more like titles of respect I think…" He really has to stop mumbling to himself.

"Yes, I know honorifics. And that it's a term of respect for another person. My, ah, godfather already oriented me a little bit on Eastern culture. Actually, exposed is the more appropriate expression seeing as, you know, we're actually talking in Japanese, Kazuharu-san."

Well, so much for the dumb baby act.

"Oh, I see." There lapsed an awkward silence between us as Kazuharu ended up carrying my luggage. It took us about fifteen minutes to find his car and it was only when we've situated ourselves within the vehicle did he break the silence.

"Uhm, did your godfather teach you anything else…?" He began. I raised a questioning brow at him.

"Like what?"

"What you call your relatives. For example, Oji-san is an uncle while Ojii-san, a more prolonged pronunciation is referred to as a grandfather. The same mechanics apply to Oba-san—it means aunt— and Obā-san which is grandmother. You call an older brother Onii-san while an older sister would be referred to as Onee-san. You address the mother as Oka-san…" there was a five second pause before he continued once more.

"And lastly, the father is addressed as Otou-san." He finished, stirring the wheel as the car rounded a corner.

"Okay, Kazuharu-san."

There was another brief silence, accompanied by an awkward cough.

"You know you can call me otou-san, right? I'm your father. You shouldn't be so formal around me."

"I could but I don't want to call you otou-san." I said plainly. Well, that certainly killed the mood. I could literally see the depletion of Kazuharu's spirit, the sagging motion of his shoulders indicated well enough what he felt. And with that came a nagging from Sepira, yet again. Something about being an insensitive child which is something I admit to. And the longer she nags, the guiltier I get; which is why the next thing I said is merely a spur of the moment thing due to the mental pressure I'm receiving from the other occupant in my head.

"However, I think I'll call you ada." The words that left my mouth were soon followed by a scream from yours truly when Kazuharu abruptly stepped on the breaks.

That right there just gave me a moment of heart attack. And it took a total of thirty seconds before we both regained our composure and Kazuharu started driving. I threw a glare at the other man, more so at his reflection on the rearview mirror rather than him. Although, Kazuharu didn't pay attention, still too busy clutching at the portion of his chest; the area where his heart is. Probably having a palpitation, I reckon. I also noticed from my position that his face is equally flushed and there was that elated and satisfied expressions on his—like a proud moment for him.

"Le hannon, ion nîn."

Having this kind of moment with Kazuharu, it actually made me realize a few things. One of them is the awareness that this man in front of me only wants to be my father. Probably because he was deprived to be one, seeing as I was countries away from him or maybe for some other reason. Moreover, it was evident in his distraught reaction when I refused to acknowledge him as my otou-san and his hazardous moment of bliss when I referred to him as my ada. He actually wants my acceptance and acknowledgement. With that, I can say that Shigenoi Kazuharu, his intention, it's sincere.

The other revelation I had is more of a smack to the face rather than the former eye-opener.

My father is a hybrid between a nerd and a geek.

A neek.

A gerd.

Or whatever you call it.

Shigenoi Kazuharu is both.

As much as this is stereotyping, the white coat is a dead giveaway that he's a nerd. Furthermore, the fact that he managed to reply a very well intonated and fluent sentence in another language already confirmed my suspicions that he is geek.

The latter of the two claims isn't concrete to the unfamiliar individuals—being a polyglot is more of a nerd thing rather than geek. But believe me when I say he's a geek.

Because he is when he's saying things in another language.

Kazuharu was speaking in a fictional language created by J.R.R. Tolkien.

To be more precise, he was speaking in Elvish.

Sindarin.

Only dedicated Tolkien fans would know how to speak the tongue. And you know what they say about geeks—" those who have a vested interest in one particular thing and knows it on an expert level." Though honestly speaking, I don't even know such a concept—Tolkien books and other possibilities—could exist in a world of anime and manga but I think it does exist; it just isn't mentioned in the actual book or anime itself.

In the end, I ended up having a lengthy mental conversation with Sepira about this world's technicalities, with a little conversation with Kazuharu a few times during the ride, before my baby urges took off and I drifted on to the land of sleep.

By the time I awoke, I already found myself lying down on the living room couch with a blanket wrapped around and a soft pillow that supported my head. Groggily, I rubbed at my eyes and stretched out my limbs before I wiggled off the couch still draped in those blankets.

I'm hungry.

I need food.

Hence, an expedition towards the kitchen was called for. Without a second to waste, I immediately set out from the living and discovered that my task isn't going to be an easy one, granted that the house itself held an odd architecture. And even though it wasn't the mansion-like big—in fact small and comfy—I'm still iffy when it comes wandering in houses not my own.

What I thought would have lasted around a few minutes only lasted second since I followed the aroma that was calling out to my olfactory senses and here I was in the kitchen. Apparently, it wasn't as empty as I hoped it would be. There was also someone else in the room, a guy who looked to be about in his early twenties. He looked like those typical western jock guys with his blonde hair tied back by a small ponytail and honestly speaking, he looked weird baring all those well sculpted upper body muscles with only an apron on as he deep fried those cookies.

I know those were deep fried cookies.

I can literally taste the aroma of such perfection and whether he likes it or not, I am having one of those cookies chewed and swallowed down my digestive tracks. Thus, I seated myself on one of the chairs, patiently waiting with hungry predatory eyes staring a hole at the back of the blonde's head. I am under the belief that people would gravitate their attention towards me if I stare at them long enough that they'd actually notice; especially now, where I'm in a world where the impossible can happen, I expected such a feat to occur.

I waited for like ten minutes; the guy was still busy humming to a tune.

"Ah, did you have a nice nap, Venezio?" the unmistakable voice of my father spoke from above as the elder ruffled my hair. Meanwhile, the older blonde's attention was finally caught.

"Kazu? I thought you have a shift right now in the hospital?" the blonde asked with confusion. His eyes shifted from Kazuharu towards my form and immediately, he lit up like a Christmas tree. The attention makes me fidget in my seat.

"Yeah, I do. Told them what happened though and they were kind enough to give me a three day off. More time for us to let Venezio settle in." The brunet responded, taking a seat beside me while the blonde placed a plate of those freshly fried cookies. I didn't hesitate to grab a fistful and shoved them in my mouth.

Hngggg, cookieeees.

I soon found out why such a thing is called stupid.

But, I totally blame the lack of subtlety these two have in front of a child.

Midway in swallowing my cookie, the blonde male didn't hesitate to swoop down and capture Kazuharu's lips with his own. Of course, being a person with superior intellect, understanding such gestures and is experiencing exposure towards the homosexual family dynamic, obviously, that simple display of affection managed to send a shock of a million amperes raging within my body, enough even to have me fall back against my chair and choke on my half swallowed cookie.

"HNGGAKUGHAUGHAOKJD—!"

The attention I got from the couple was instantaneous as they tried to relieve me of my misery. But by the time I already swallowed the cookie, I passed out from the shock of that public display of affection.

When I woke up again, I was in what I assumed to be my room. Well, I think it is, judging from the lack of contents sans the standard things you see in a bedroom and a few stuffed toys in the bedroom. Actually, saying 'a few' would make the statement wrong since there are actually 'a lot' of stuffed toys; the biggest one reminded me of Pippin the clown stuffed toy back in the CEDEF HQ. This one was a big panda bear, however, and three times larger the Pippin since the thing is occupying one-half of the bed.

After assessing my environment, I decided I was hungry.

Again.

Yes, I want food. Don't judge me because I'm a growing child. So bugger off.

And once again, another expedition for me. Though now, I'm actually going to look for Kazuharu or the blonde guy since I'm pretty sure the chances of them being in the kitchen again is low.

This, aside from the cookie incident earlier, is probably the stupidest thing I've done today; granted, I didn't really know they would be… Involved at this hour, but still.

Now, let me tell you about walking in on someone: a person's reaction can vary depending on the situation. If someone walks in another person doing some origami, they wouldn't even bat an eyelash. If the situation happens to be you walking into someone changing their clothes, it would get awkward. If it's people watching porn, you'd either be scandalized, laugh about it or join in the marathon. In my case, on the other hand, when you accidentally walk in on a couple engaged in passionate love making, well, it depends entirely on what kind of person you are.

The kind of person I am right now is that I'm a baby with an adolescent conscience whose seen pornography but has never actually seen or gotten any action live, plus the fact that I've never seen any homosexual copulation other than the occasional Junjou Romantica or Shojo Sect content.

"Hnnnn K-kazuharu!"

Obviously, my course of action was to scream and run the fuck out of the house as fast as my little legs could carry me. I didn't care as to where my feet took me, my mind is more focused on deleting the embed memory of my dad and his boy-toy doing it. And because of this, I have now committed another stupid act, just behind the 'walking in on them' act.

I am now dumbly walking within the middle of nowhere.

Alone.

And unknowing of what town I'm even in.

Well, to be frank, even if I did know the name of the town, it still wouldn't help me since I'm new here and my sense of direction in a new place is a negative shit percent.

So yes, I am now lost.

No. I'm not scared nor am I tearing about it.

…

Okay, maybe just a little bit but I blame my baby urges but now isn't the best time to discuss that. I'm lost and I need information on how to get back. Yes, as much as I feel disturbed with my new family I still do have to get back. I'd be causing too much trouble if I didn't and well, Sepira's nagging me inside my head again. So now, in a situation like this, I would do what I usually do when I ride the public transport without a definite location—explore the place. Through this act, I wouldn't be just gathering information on my whereabouts but also touring the place. After rubbing the slightly forming tears from my eyes, I regained my composure and started exploring the place.

By the time two and a half hours have passed, it was already sunset. At that moment, I was already seated on one of the swings in neighborhood's playground. Ugh. It sucks how the neighborhoods in Japan have houses with somewhat identical structures and well, the whole thing is like labyrinth, really. I groaned when I felt my stomach grumble in hunger. It's already been a few hours since I had a heavey, decent meal. In an adult body, I could handle without eating for half a day—heck I even lasted three days without eating, just some water and coffee for sustenance.

This, however, is a different scenario. I'm a five year old who doesn't have much tolerance for the pain due to the sensitivity of my organs. So here I am, slightly crouched and trying to will away both the pain and tears because I don't need to be seen balling my eyes out like a baby. And seriously, I was almost there and I would have cried already if it weren't for the eclipsing view of a bear-designed onesie in front of me.

"A-are you o-okay?" a high toned voice inquired. Instantly, my eyes looked up to see a girl around the same age as myself with long brownish-orange hair that matched her honey-colored eyes. Somehow, she looks vaguely familiar to me.

"I'm fine." I said to her. Judging by the furrow of her eyebrows, she doesn't look convinced.

"You look like you were gonna cry!" Okay. Maybe I did.

"Eh, that's just a trick of the light." Though there was barely any sunlight anymore, indicating that it's a little pass after six. "It's getting late, you should go home. Your parents must be worried." I said this as my hands made shooing gestures.

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine. Run along now." The girl's worried look turned into a defiant one in a second.

"No." My eye twitched with irritation. Ugh, Kids these days.

"And why not?"

"Because you look like you were hurting! I won't leave you!" She said with an air of finality. Well, now…

Without delay, the young girl made a grab for my arm and started dragging me with her, leaving me to stutter out in astonishment with how fast everything was going.

"O-oi! Where a-are you taking me?!"

"Back home! Mama would know what to do. She kisses booboos and makes people all better again!" And with that, I was left in the hands of this girl literally. Within fifteen minutes, I was already in front of the house, welcomed by two worried parents who scolded their daughter for sneaking off out of the blue. But once their daughter relayed the previous occurrence, those worried gaze were now directed to me.

"Oh poor boy, come on inside." They ushered me to the living room and the mother started asking me question about how I was feeling and if I was in pain; apparently, the mother's a pediatrician and my diagnosis is a simple case of hyperacidity. My prescription; intake of a moderate meal and some decreased dosage of antacids suited for a kid my age, stat.

So we moved to the dining area where I joined the family in their dinner and throughout the whole meal, they asked how I came to such a situtation. And I told them, of course, with heavy modification that basically had me being a curious child that decided that going around town alone is a good idea and then things went down from there—mostly about me being involved in a situation that may or may not have taken place. It ended with the woman simply face-palming herself, the father soothing her with back pats and the girl simply giggling at the fact that I got chased by rats when I took a wrong turn in one of the neighborhood alleyways.

"Hold on a moment. You said your father is Shigenoi Kazuharu? The Shigenoi Kazuharu?" the woman asked abruptly.

"Yes, that's him." I replied.

"But he's gay!"

"Yes, I know. The term is 'bisexual' actually." The woman just gave me a look before she stood from her chair.

"How you know what that word means is beyond. In any case, I'll call him up and tell him you're here. He must be worried about you." She left while her husband took care of the dishes and the little girl in the bear suit simply dragged me to the living room and started talking about school, her brother (who was currently visiting an uncle at the moment) and just about everything else in general. Usually, I'd find myself ignoring baby talk since I contemplate on other things, but this girl is a different case. She has me enamored by how animated she is when she talks, along with her energetic and passionate way of expressing it. The charisma she radiates is enough to captivate my attention and have me focus it entirely on her.

Her stories weren't bad too. Tales of mischief she and her brother does sometimes, and other stuff she experiences in school that are quite hilarious. I would have listened longer if we weren't disrupted by the presence of my new family arriving to pick me up; both parents absolutely looking frenzied. I couldn't have but feel a little guilty for disappearing on them just like that. But only a little. Consider it as a retribution for having me witness my father between the blonde guy's legs.

And speaking of the blonde guy, he actually scooped me up and enveloped me in a tight embrace. I didn't need words to decipher how he felt really relieved right now; his body language and the deep sigh he released was enough of an indicator of how he felt. Once all that drama was done, I found my father engage in a quick conversation with the woman. And soon enough, I was trailing behind my family as they led the way home. I couldn't help but stare back at the house that I just came out from. Precisely at that moment, I have made a realization.

I didn't actually get their names.

…

…

…

But even then, it didn't matter. I have this distinct feeling in my gut that I'll be frequenting the house more often and that I'll be seeing that honey-eyed girl more times I can imagine.

A/N: Honestly speaking, I'm dissatisfied with this chapter. I mean, even though there is progress in the plot, it's lacking something. And yes, I do apologize for any grammatical error. Wrote this in the middle of the night, and though I already re-read it, I don't trust my eyes enough to spot all the errors of this story.

On another note, a little detail about next chapter—meeting most of the cast in Namimori, school and hopefully, a time jump and a lot more plot progress in the latter chapters. Don't forget to review and tell me what you think! And by the way, I'm not entirely a fanatic of Tolkien literature but I consider myself a fan to the point where I attempted to learn Tengwar. So I just had to add in the quirk for Venezio's father.

Lastly, can you make a guess as to who is the honey-eyed girl in the last part of the chapter? ;)