Chapter 3: Giotto

Tsuna was confused but nonetheless happy that her mother was practically glowing with life and joy after receiving those dirty and crumpled letters from that weird baby named Reborn. He was thankful for the baby. It was a long time he had seen it. His mother was good at pretending to be happy but something in Tsuna's always told him if she's faking it or lying about something.

He had a feeling those letters were from his father but he wasn't so sure. He didn't remember his father that much though he could say he remembered a loud and cheerful voice and the brightest blond hair he had ever seen though that didn't count since he only knew one person with blond hair.

Actually...

Tsuna blinked a few times before confirming that he wasn't hallucinating anything and that his eyes were really seeing a slightly transparent blond, much brighter than his father's hair, man in front of him.

Their eyes met and he noted that the other had sharp yet warm orange eyes filled with surprise that just caused him to flush. He never had other people glance at him with such kindness and care, except for his family.

"You can see me?" the deep and soft whisper of the other made him nod. He saw a slight smile from the other and he watched as the ghostly figure walked towards him carefully and slowly as to not scare him.

And Tsuna didn't why but he wasn't scared like he thought he should be. The stranger was like a ghost or might even be a ghost and he had always feared them but this person didn't scare. In fact, he felt safer to this man than he was with anyone else.

It made him guilty and shameful because shouldn't he feel this way to his parents, not with this stranger?

A hand lovingly patted his head, almost as if the owner knew what he was thinking and was comforting him, telling him that he did nothing wrong.

It made the child smiled toothily at the older man, who melted at the cute sight.

Giotto had always visited his previous descendants so it was no wonder that he had watched over the small brunet but this was the first time, he had been seen much less by a child. Tsunayoshi or Tsuna, the son of another of his descendants, was a very lovely child, if people took out the shyness.

He was also the cutest and most adorable yet. The Vongola Primo could just imagine that this child's future being bright.

His amused orange eyes followed the small figure took a step forward and tried to touch his much taller body and he chuckled lightly when the boy beamed—so brightly the sun would jealous—at being able to touch something solid. His eyes continued to watch as Tsuna once again looked at him adoringly and in awe like some puppy and its master.

Giotto felt like committing a crime right there. He was tempted to kidnap the kid and present him to his friends. It was amazing, really, how a child so young could be this cute was illegal.

It was also amazing that those big innocent eyes told people of what the child was thinking. It was an open book that in a back of the blond man's head, he feared that it would be the child's downfall as well as his strength.

'Mister, who are you? What are you?' those orbs just reflected easily.

Merrily, his smile widened, "Giotto. My name is Giotto, child."

And he was once again awarded by a melting smile.

'My name is Tsuna! Nice to meet you!'

If first words were what parents were always waiting for, then what would a mother wait for a mute child? Giotto had found the answer after a day of observing his descendant.

Tsuna had always liked painting to express himself, other than his eyes. His artworks were so colorful, childlike, innocent, pure and so much like Tsuna. They represented him and the ghostly man had find every painting beautiful and enchanting.

But it wasn't just the colors that made the painting beautiful.

There were words in them. He could see the not overly well-written kanji of "protect" in almost all the works. It was just one word and anyone could tell that the child was still not good in writing it. However, it applied to the same principle of a baby's first word.

Since Tsuna was mute and couldn't say his first word, then his first word was the first word he had written, protect.

For a moment, Giotto would have wished that this child wouldn't become part of the mafia. He was getting attached quickly to the child that it would trouble him in the future. He was simply a memory or ghost of the past as long s the Vongola Rings were still intact or the famiglia was still growing.

He would have to leave his descendant.

The others were even getting suspicious as to where he was going. It wouldn't take long before they found out about the truth, about Tsunayoshi.

A small delicate hand tugged him out of his thoughts and his confused orange eyes settled at the small form below. He noted that the child was carrying a paintbrush. He smiled, "Do you want to paint together?"

Determinedly, he shook his head and pointed at him then, presented the brush.

"You want me to paint alone?"

Honey-brown eyes narrowed and a pout was formed, 'No.'

Giotto thought deeply about the pointing gesture. "You, I, me, mine," he paused for a second before muttering with uncertainty. "Name? Were you talking about my name?"

Tsuna grinned brightly, nodding and cutely gave the brush, his big eyes flashing purely, 'Paint your name!'

Still confused at the situation, the Primo did as told. Then, he was surprised to see that Tsuna had tried copying his handwriting.

His mind went into overload.

Tsuna was trying to copy his name.

No, he was learning his second word.

And it was Giotto's name, not his mother or father.

Giotto put a hand in his face that was slightly red with embarrassment and happiness.

"Seriously, it's illegal to be this cute."

A/N: ...oh my Kami! What the?! How did this turn into something this?! I was originally going for all the First Generation (heck, I wanted to write Hibari first) but then, it just turns out to be Giotto and it turns into this... Kami, I must be growing crazy for writing this.