A/N: Ahhh thank you so much for all the wonderful feedback! It truly inspires me to see that there are a lot of people who enjoys this story, even going so far as to leave a review in a different language! This chapter involves one of my all time favorite character, and you'll probably see more of him in future chapters cause I'm a sucker for his interaction with Tsuna.

Regardless, here's the next installment! I hope it's an enjoyable read!

Spaghetti Napolitan: Spaghetti Napolitan sounds like Italian food from its name, but it is a very much a beloved Japanese dish. Spaghetti Napolitan is spaghetti pan-fried with onion and bell pepper and seasoned with ketchup

With two teens to feed weekly, Tsuna made an effort to keep his pantry relatively stocked close to the days where they'd usually come. Prior to this arrangement, he often bought the bare minimum, enough to keep him fed for a few days before resupplying. There was just no point in buying a lot since he was only cooking for himself.

But now Tsuna found himself going out to the supermarket a little more often. He even went to different shops to see what they had for sale. It was a further walk than his usual place but he kept himself occupied during the journey by imagining what sort of recipe he could incorporate the particular ingredients into.

It had been quite a while since he last felt enjoyment in shopping like this. To really stop and think on what he could buy, to talk with the grocers and vendors on their recommendations, to slow down and see the bountiful harvest around him. Nanimori truly was blessed with fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

Last week he had fully utilized spring vegetables like shiitake mushrooms and potatoes in various side dishes, with this trend continuing until the seasons shift. There really was nothing like using seasonal fare to cook with, especially when they get such a hit with Gokudera and Yamamoto.

Today was one of his half work days, so Tsuna decided to swing by the local grocer mart and see if there would be anything that catches his interest. He walked down the street, checking out their wares. The strawberries looked red and plump, while the turbot by the wet market looked fresh. In the end, Tsuna didn't end up buying anything today, but the scouting has helped him think of a dish to make for Yamamoto's next visit. To ensure its freshness, he'll buy it the day before.

With nothing else to do, Tsuna made his way back home. The weather was pleasant enough that he could walk at a leisurely pace without feeling like he was being baked under the sun. Since it was still afternoon, the streets upon entering his neighborhood was devoid of any people. It usually had more traffic closer to the evening, when kids returned from school and adults finished up their work for the day.

Entering his street, Tsuna did see a dog wandering up and down, seemingly sniffing the air for something. He used to be quite terrified of dogs as a kid but after having spent many hours with a friendly Shiba Inu one of his neighbors used to look after years ago, he was generally alright with them now. The bigger dog breeds still made him nervous, but as long as they didn't suddenly run up to him, he'd be fine.

When Tsuna reached his front gate, he noticed that it was slightly ajar. A frown briefly pulled at his lips. He swore that he had closed it prior to going to work this morning. Had he just forgotten about it?

He entered, closing the gate behind him. Tsuna would have went straight to the door, but from the corner of his eye, he spotted something. Amidst the bushes near the back yard, there was something black peeking out from the shrubbery.

His heart suddenly beat a little faster. Was there someone in his yard right now? The reason behind the gate being opened? Tsuna swallowed, his eyes flickering to find something he could use to defend himself with. A logical approach would be to call for help, but he wanted to make sure first. Maybe there was a reason someone was hiding in his bushes?

The brunette found the broom he used to sweep up leaves. Holding it with both hands, he slowly inched forward, trying to keep himself close to the walls. If they did turn out to be dangerous, he believed in his ability to jump over it and yell for help.

Tsuna cautiously peeked over when he was close enough, hoping to get a good look. He didn't know what he expected but seeing a trembling teenager wasn't exactly on his list.

"Ah—" That had the teen snapped up, allowing Tsuna to see a head of shaggy black hair and electric green eyes. He yelped, scrambling to his feet with his arms raised.

"I'm sorry please don't hit me! I was just walking and accidentally stepped on a dog's tail and it started to chase me! I just entered your yard without thinking- I'm sorry!" The words just rushed out of him. Tsuna had a bit of trouble keeping up but caught the gist of it. He immediately placed the broom down, raising his own hands in a placating manner.

"Hey, it's alright. I'm not going to hit you, okay?" He spoke in what he hoped was a gentle tone. The kid eyed him warily, though he did lower his arms.

"I think I know the dog you were talking about. I saw it wandering out on the street." At that mention, Tsuna saw him paled, gaze flickering out on the streets.

Well then, this took a turn. Tsuna imagined he'd have to face some sort of thief, but now he just had a scared teenager on his hands.

"If you don't want to head out just yet… you can come inside, if you want to."

Distrustful green eyes bore into him. Tsuna gave another wave of his hands, hoping that his smile looked comforting. "I'm not going to do anything to you. I just want to offer you a place to hide for a bit until the dog leaves." His smile widened. "My name is Sawada Tsunayoshi and I promise that I'm not a serial killer."

That was a poor attempt at lightening the mood, but it did get him a soft snort. "That could be a trick for all I know." A pause. "I'm Lambo."

Lambo? Now wasn't that an unusual name? "It's nice to meet you, Lambo-kun." Tsuna took a step back, and gestured at the door. "Well, if you want to come inside, be my guest."

The teen cast another glance at the street, looking like he'd refuse but then they heard faint barking coming from down the street. Lambo quickly nodded his head, stepping out from the bush he'd been hiding himself in. It was a little damaged but nothing that Tsuna couldn't fix. With that, he went to unlock the door and went inside.

Lambo shuffled soon after, his hand tightly gripping on the strap as he made a general sweep of the hallway. Tsuna doesn't blame him for being cautious. Unlike Gokudera and Yamamoto, he didn't just go with the flow. He imagined the residual uneasiness of being chased by a dog didn't help much in the relaxing department, so he thought on what he could do to help ease his nerves.

Hmm… food was always a good ice breaker, but he offering food right off the bat felt awkward–-

A telltale growl suddenly reached his ears, and he turned around to see Lambo wrapping his arms around his stomach, face flushed with embarrassment.

"Stupid stomach…" he grumbled and Tsuna tried not to chuckle at that. It seemed like any other teenage boy, their stomach remained the most honest. This wasn't an opportunity that Tsuna would let slip past.

"It's almost time for lunch. Do you want to join me, Lambo-kun?" It slipped easily through his lips, the words as sweet as his smile.

The teen seemed stunned at the sudden offer, his expression almost mirroring Gokudera and Yamamoto. Now Tsuna wouldn't have pushed if Lambo still didn't want to, but something told him – like a gentle whisper, an intuition peeking out from the back of his mind – that he knew what his answer would be.

"Um… I don't mind if you're okay with it…" Lambo replied slowly. When he looked up, he felt like he made the right decision upon seeing Tsuna's blinding smile.

While Lambo took a seat on one of the chairs, Tsuna took stock of his inventory. While he would have naturally went for the rice, for some reason, his gaze just so happened to see the packet of spaghetti sitting near the back of the cupboard. He reached out for it, feeling the weight of the pack in his hand.

Tsuna stared at the spaghetti, a faint memory flashing to the front of his mind.

"Mama! Whatssat?" He pointed a chubby finger at a sign that showed noodles with some sort of red sauce on it.

Keeping a tight hold on his son, Nana made a quick glance over. "Ah, that's called spaghetti napolitan Tsu-kun! It's like ramen but instead of soup, you pour a tasty sauce on top of the noodles!"

"Oooh…" Tsuna tugged at her sleeve. "Mama! Can Mama make that?"

Nana beamed at him. "Of course Mama can! Tsu-kun wants to learn to?" At his enthusiastic nod, she changed direction. "Yosh! Then let's go to the supermarket! For spaghetti!"

Tsuna raised his little fist. "Yay!"

He could never quite forget the first time he tasted his mom's spaghetti napolitan. The vegetables and meat worked perfectly with the tantalizingly sweet and sour tomato sauce. Tsuna remembered making quite a mess at the table, since he didn't have the dexterity to properly twirl the spaghetti with his fork. His mother would laugh before she leaned in to wipe the sauce smeared all around his lips.

She said he was a messy eater, but he chimed back that her food just tasted so good he just had to eat it quickly. A flatterer, she had called him but merely wiped his mouth clean once again when he continued to slurp up the spaghetti.

With his mind made up, Tsuna went to grab the other ingredients. He prioritized the ones needed to make the sauce, namely garlic, onions, tomato puree and ketchup. He had half a can of puree left, but the ketchup can easily cover for that. To fortify the sauce, he'll be adding in mushrooms, bell peppers and sausage wieners.

Pleased that he had everything that he needed, Tsuna set to work on preparing the ingredients first. Beforehand, he filled a bowl with water, then placed a few ice cubes in there. Lambo watched in confusion when he placed the raw onion into the bowl.

"Why are you doing that?"

"Hm?" Brown eyes flickered to the bowl. "Ah, it's because if you shock the onion in cold water first, it reduces the chances of you getting weepy eyed when you chop it up. A little tip in the kitchen," Tsuna replied easily, giving a little wink at Lambo before slicing up the vegetables.

He placed the chopped up ingredients into small separate bowls, then fished out the onion. He easily peeled off the skin before he finely chopped it up. "Keep your fingers curled, and don't chop off the root just yet. It'll help keep the onion whole as you slowly run the knife through the layers, as well further minimizing the chances of irritating your eyes."

Lambo might not find this interesting, but Tsuna just felt like giving these little instructions. Those were the tips his mother taught him, so in a way, he was passing on her teachings. Just little ways to keep her memory alive, he liked to believe.

Prepped and ready to go, Tsuna expertly went about the process of making one of his favorite spaghetti dishes. He personally like adding seaweed and mentaiko, but he figured that would be too odd of a flavor for the foreign student. Lambo never mentioned it, but with a name like his and the slight accent to his Japanese, he assumed that was the case.

Making this was like a game of wits. He wanted the spaghetti to be al-dente and the sauce to be ready just as it was done. That meant he'd start on the sauce first and about halfway through, he'd add in the spaghetti into the pot. Then it was a race to finish up without letting any of the components overcooked.

Well, he had plenty of practice. Tsuna poured a bit of oil in the pan after it heated up before it was show time.

The shaggy haired teen rested his head atop his arms, watching in quiet awe at how smoothly his host prepared the dish. Lambo was no stranger to pasta dishes, but even he couldn't quite guess the style Tsuna used to prepare. He heard that Japan had taken the influences of Western cuisine and made it their own, so he wondered if this was one such creation.

Nevertheless, his stomach growled in anticipation. Lambo buried his red face even further into his arms. Stupid stomach.

Meanwhile, Tsuna focused solely on the sauce. He had placed the spaghetti in the pot of lightly salted water a couple of minutes ago, so he had to finish this soon. The rest of the ingredients went in, followed by a healthy dollop of ketchup.

Once the sauce fitted to his expectations, Tsuna drained the spaghetti, giving them a few light tosses in the colander. The noodles are then added to the sauce, where it got a thorough coating. With a pair of tongs, he scooped up a generous helping and placed it on one plate, pushing the rest into another.

He carried the plates to the table. Lambo eyed the spaghetti dish, swallowing audibly in anticipation. It looked like a Neapolitan, but he never saw one made with ketchup and little sausages before. Tsuna disappeared back into the kitchen, then returning with… a small bottle of Tabasco and a can of grated cheese?

"This is to change the flavor, if you get bored with just eating one kind," Tsuna helpfully explained. Lambo had seen him expertly utilizing his chopsticks throughout the cooking process and yet he chose to eat this with a fork. Well, he was glad at least for the familiar utensil. His own skills with chopsticks were left to be desired, after all.

After the customary prayer, Tsuna stuck his fork into the mound and carefully twisted till he had a sizable ball of spaghetti. He blew on it a few times before finally eating it. The sour yet sweet and savory flavor ignited his taste buds, and he chewed thoughtfully to savor the taste.

Lambo had been a little skeptical at first, not to mention a bit wary with the bell peppers but after he tentatively took a bite, his eyebrows just about disappeared in his hairline.

"I've never had spaghetti like this before. This is… really tasty!" As if he shed off his worries – or maybe that was just the hunger talking – Lambo really started to eat in earnest, sporting a pleased smile the more he ate.

Tsuna smiled at the sight. Now that was an expression better suited for the teen. "If you want to make it a bit spicier, you can add the Tabasco. Cheese if you want to add creaminess."

Lambo paused in between the next bite, eyeing the small red bottle in interest. "I've never added tabasco to spaghetti before, but I guess it's like adding chili flakes for spice." He does reach out for the bottle, giving it a few shakes. He resumed eating, looking pleasantly surprised at just how much the flavor profile changed with that simple addition.

"Oh? So you've had plenty of spaghetti before, Lambo-kun?"

The teen nodded. "Yeah. It's kinda hard not to eat spaghetti in Italy. They're just about everywhere, you know?"

Unlike the awkward silence from before, Lambo was slowly talking more about himself. Tsuna showed genuine interest, asking questions that he was happy to answer. The longer they conversed, the more relaxed Lambo became. Tsuna personally felt like he achieved a huge victory that he got to make the teen smile today.

"So your family sent you here to study in the local middle school just a few weeks ago?" Tsuna found it a little hard to wrap his mind around that. Nanimori was a quiet, sleepy town where a lot of retirees liked to come and spend the remainder of their lives in. It was peaceful, but nothing really stood out. Personally he'd think that studying in Italy sounded better. Then again, this was coming from the perspective of someone who lived here for a good chunk of his life.

"Yeah. Stupid old man thought that I should learn to be more independent and see what the world had in store," Lambo grumbled, stabbing the spaghetti like it owed him money. Tsuna can't blame him. Sending your own kid to another country sounded a bit too extreme if the purpose was to have him learn independence.

"So where are you staying then, Lambo-kun?" That was another question that nagged at him. Don't tell him his parents were irresponsible enough to send him to Japan alone?

"I'm living with a distant, and I mean distant, I didn't know he even existed before cousin here, but it's not like he'd care about what happens to me, that bastard of a womanizer." Now Tsuna would have chastised him for his language, but he reeled at this piece of information.

"Lambo-kun… forgive me for asking but—he's not neglecting you, is he?"

The teen paused and looked at Tsuna like he grew a second head. "He's always out chasing skirts, but I still have a roof over my head and food to eat. Though—"He ate a forkful, chewing softly. "—it's never anything like this. 's always reheated food, or anything's that cheap."

Oh. Oh no. Tsuna could feel his heart clench at that. He always had the luxury to eat hot meals growing up, because his mother believed that good food will always be something worth smiling, at the end of the day. He temporarily lost that soon after the funeral, and he spent a couple of weeks eating dissatisfying food.

They helped him survive, but it didn't fill him with joy. It was only after he decided to pick up the knife again that he got to rekindle that spark, small as it is. Seeing Lambo experiencing what he had to endure in those agonizing (and terribly lonely) weeks was just—

"Say Lambo-kun, if you'd like, I can cook for you again," Tsuna blurted out, placing down his fork. Expectedly, he looked surprised at the sudden offer but unlike when he expressed that to the two teens before him (or maybe it was just the same), he was determined to convince Lambo.

He couldn't imagine what he must have experienced. Being sent to a foreign land, living with a distant relative who didn't give him proper attention, eating food like that…

Just the way he carried himself before screamed of loneliness, in his eyes. Looking so happy at being listened to, that someone showed genuine interest to what he had to say. Maybe he saw a bit of his past self in Lambo but the difference was he had his mother's cooking to fill the ache in his heart.

Lambo looked like he was contemplating on it, nursing his bottom lip. The way his hair fell around his face made him look even younger than his actual age.

"But—that'd just be an inconvenience. You don't know me all that well, anyway. I'm just a stranger who trespassed into your home."

Tsuna leaned back, the light streaming from the window hitting his eyes just enough to make them look golden for a moment. Though, Lambo thought that it personally paled in comparison to the warm smile he gave him.

"My mother once said that cooking is an extension of love. Words are difficult to express, but food made with your heart behind it can never lie." Tsuna pressed a hand to his chest, his smile softening. "And my heart is saying that I want to get to know you through my cooking."

Lambo looked like lightning had struck him. Of course this was a selfish request, one that the teen had no reason to accept and the longer the silence stretched, a tendril of guilt started to fill him. Ah, was that too forward of him?

"I understand if you don't want to, Lambo-kun. I apologize if I—"

"I want to eat more of your food!" Lambo blurted out, cutting off his apology. It was Tsuna's turn to look at the teen, a little wide eyed. His shaggy hair partially covered his eyes but there was no hiding the light flush to his cheeks.

"I know that I offered, Lambo-kun, but I don't want you to feel like you're obligated to accept it."

"No. I—I want to get to know more about Sawada too…" he mumbled embarrassingly.

Tsuna couldn't help himself. He leaned forward to ruffle the teen's hair, making Lambo look up in shock. He sported a happy little closed eyed grin.

"Then you can call me Tsuna, okay?"

Lambo's lips were wobbly, but he nodded, still feeling that comfortable pressure atop his head. "Okay… Tsuna."

That rewarded him with a smile brighter than the sun.

Afterwards, they finished up their food. Lambo offered to help him with the dishes, which Tsuna easily accepted. They talked some more, and Tsuna learned that he missed Italian food but he didn't mind trying out new things. His favorite food is grapes and his favorite drink is milk. Lambo was awed at the number of flavored milk drinks when he came to Japan, but was a bit disappointed that they didn't have a grape flavored one.

Tsuna merely listened to the teen rattle on, his home filled with a good sound. It had often been quiet, but lately it didn't feel like that. Now there was Gokudera's excited ramblings, Yamamoto's cheery tales and now Lambo's happy chatters.

They were different than his mother's soothing tones but… he wouldn't ask it any other way.

When orange splashed the skies, that was when Lambo took his leave after they had exchanged numbers. Tsuna told him that if he wanted lunch, he could come by on his half days (which was Tuesdays and Thursdays, but it'd be a little late) or during the weekend. He wasn't the sort who really went out for leisurely activities, thus he wouldn't mind company during those times.

Tsuna only asked to be informed early, so he could put more effort into cooking a delicious meal. He accompanied Lambo all the way down the street – partially to assure the teen that the dog was no longer there - before he waved him goodbye. He swiveled on his heel and head back to his home.

This was starting to feel normal, he thought. Usually Tsuna would have just went home without caring much of his surroundings. But now he noticed the orange tree that grew out from one of his neighbor's home, the remodeling another house did and so on.

It felt like he was seeing the world again for the first time. Tsuna couldn't quite pinpoint when this change happened, but he had a good idea.

Smiling, he slowly walked back, taking his time to just enjoy this new and refreshing view.

A/N: Yes, I love me Lambo, especially TYL!Lambo. Even more so when I imagine how he'd interact with Tsuna and the rest in the manga years into the future. I have future interactions planned between these two, and with the other characters! I've also plotted out the future chapters where he meets the rest of the guardians, which I can't wait to properly write out!

Also this story is pretty much becoming the AU where Tsuna is physically incapable of walking away from a hungry child. He hears your stomach growling, you're going to get a nice home cooked meal haha.

As always, thank you so much for reading, and if you have the time, I'd love to hear your feedback!