Nana smiled brightly as she exited the supermarket, both arms full of groceries. "What a great sales today!" she exclaimed, ambling along the sidewalk. "Tsu-kun and Reborn-chan are going to be so happy."

It was an odd sweltering day and that drove most people indoor. As Nana hurried home, also not keen to stay outside too long, her hand accidentally slipped and a bag of grocery fell out of her hand. Apples tumbled out of the bag.

"Oh, how clumsy!" Nana remarked as she quickly picked up the fallen apples. "Five, six, seven..."

Nana looked side to side, trying to spot the other three apples that she had bought. So intent in her search, she didn't notice someone else's presence by her side until he spoke.

"Ma'am," a voice called. Nana glanced up and found herself facing a stranger with warm, brown eyes. In his hand were three apples. "Are these yours?" he asked.

"Oh, thank you," Nana said, making a move to stand. A free hand was extended to her. Nana looked at it for a moment, before accepting it with a light flush upon her face. "What a gentlemen!"

At those words, the young man smiled sheepishly, before helping her up. He picked up the bags that she left on the ground as well, casually dropping the three apples he had in his hand in the appropriate bag. "These are a lot of grocery, ma'am," he said. "Do you need some help?"

"Oh, but I wouldn't want to bother you. A young man like you must be busy," Nana replied, even as she was admittedly charmed by the young man before her. Would Tsu-chan grow to be like him, so well-mannered and handsome?

The sheepish smile made its way across the young man's face again. "Eh. I'm just a wandering guy, ma'am. In fact, you'll be doing me a favor if you let me help you bring these back for you." At Nana's inquiring look, he explained, "Gives me a chance to get off my lazy bum, ya know?"

Nana giggled at those words. "Well, if you don't mind..."

The young man, with both hands full of her groceries, bent his waist slightly while gesturing with the sweep of his arm to the street, playing the part of a butler. He glanced up, eyes glimmering playfully. "If milady would please lead the way..."

Nana giggled some more. "I'm no classy lady. Just call me Mama."

The young man blinked, slowly standing up straight now. "Ma...ma?"

Nana nodded enthusiastically. "My kids call me that." Here she thought of Reborn and Lambo.

He glanced at her for a second, but it wasn't her that he saw. Once upon a time, he called someone Ma. For him, only she was Ma. "How about Maman?" he finally suggested, an easy-going smile stretching thin across his face. "A nickname just for you."

"Maman?" Nana said, tasting the words on her lips. She smiled. "I like it."

The young man's smile reached his eyes. "Maman it is then. Now, would Lady Maman please lead the way?"

Stifling another giggle, Nana began to walk back home with the young man easily ambling by her side. "What should I call you, butler-kun?"

"Butler, huh?" he murmured with a small laugh. He grinned at her. "Just call me Yusuke, Maman."

xxx

"Please just set the groceries at the counter," Nana said, moving through the house to turn on the light as Yusuke followed behind. "Would you like anything to drink, Yusuke-kun?"

"I'm fine, Maman," Yusuke said, shoving his emptied hands into his pockets. "Don't worry about me."

"Anything to eat then?" Nana asked. "I haven't cooked yet, but there should be some snacks in the house..." An idea suddenly came in mind. Nana turned around and clapped her hands together. "I know," she said brightly, "why don't you stay for lunch? My son will come back soon and then you can eat with us."

Yusuke stared at her for a moment, before shaking his head reluctantly. "Nah, I shouldn't bother you," Yusuke answered. Before he forgot, he added almost disapprovingly, "Maman, you're too trusting."

Maman looked at Yusuke bemusedly, before understanding dawned. "But Yusuke-kun's trustworthy," she said.

"You don't know that," Yusuke pointed out, wondering when Japanese people turned so naïve. Back in the days...

Something about Maman shifted as a soft smile appeared on her face. "I just know," she said and it was the way of how plainly she said it, like her statement was the only thing she needed for her argument to be true that stunned Yusuke. Caramel eyes glanced up at him, warm yet firm with some sort of wisdom.

For a second, a boy with golden yellow hair and orange shade of eyes came into his mind.

Yusuke shrugged, dispelling the gaze on him and the image in his head. "I'll graciously accept the invitation and stay then," he said, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly. "Do you need help with lunch?"

Maman beamed. "You want to help me cook, Yusuke-kun?"

Yusuke grinned back. "Sure, why no?"

And so they cooked.

Later when Maman's kid returned with another younger brat, he took one look at his mother before his eyes, brown like his mother's but glimmered to a shade of orange in a certain lighting, fell onto Yusuke. Yusuke glanced back just as openly and noted that the resemblance between him and the golden brat was uncanny. Just what was the chances of meeting Giotto's descendant in Japan when the last time Yusuke had seen Giotto was in Italy?

"Who are you?" the kid asked, almost subconsciously. His voice was soft against the brat's laughter in the background, yet it carried across all the same. With the lighting, his eyes shone bright orange.

"Yusuke," Yusuke answered simply, watching as a flicker of something, not quite recognition but more like déjà vu on a very subconscious level, appeared in the kid's eyes.

The kid blinked and when he opened his eyes again, there was no traces of the orange that was previously there. "Hiie!" he exclaimed, as if he just noticed a stranger was in his house. He jumped back and then proceed to trip on his own two feet.

Yusuke reached out and instinctively grabbed the kid's flailing arms before he fell. Wide, brown eyes looked up at him for a second as Yusuke steadied him, before they flickered down nervously.

"Tsu-kun," Maman exclaimed happily, approaching her child. The cow-print wearing brat followed behind her like a little duckling. Yusuke nearly raised an eyebrow. A young Bovino so far from Italy? "Yusuke-kun and I made lunch. Come and eat."

At the mention of Yusuke-kun, Tsu-kun (pretty sure that was a nickname) looked at Yusuke for the briefest second. Then his eyes darted away again, although not fast enough for Yusuke to not catch it, and he moved to follow his mother to the kitchen table.

Before he took a step, however, he paused and turned around, albeit with great effort. "Thank you for helping me before," he said with a small bow, keeping his eyes on the floor.

"No need to be so formal, Tsu-kun," Yusuke said, a smile playing at his lips at the nickname.

Tsu-kun's head zipped up, revealing a hue of red on either side of his cheek. "Don't call me that!" he exclaimed with embarrassment. Only my mother can call me that. Upon realizing he just shouted at his mother's friend, he quickly ducked his head again. "Call me Tsuna," he mumbled, almost too softly to be heard.

"Tsuna," Yusuke called and Tsuna raised his head automatically at the sound of his name.

At the sight of the friendly smile on Yusuke's face, Tsuna hesitantly smiled back.