[KHR] Becoming Primo's Son

Chapter 6: When News Spreads

Damiano sighed longsufferingly, walking through the streets as he made his way home. Cleaning up, depositing all the children at the orphanage and making arrangements for Lord Vongola to support them hence—

—and now he had to walk home. This is slave labour.

"...at least I'm not hungry," he bargained. "It'd been a while since Lord Vongola actually let me hunt. I really wish he'd lift the restrictions on killing his assassins, at le—"

"Dami!"

Damiano flinched as a hand smacked down the back of his skull, and then grabbed him by the collar to drag him into the alley.

He shrieked as he saw his assaulter's face.

"Biscotti!"

The girl laughed, like she always did when her name was mentioned. "I told you to call me Conny, Dami!"

"Absolutely not!" Damiano lurched out of the alley but he got snagged by the wrist and pulled back, "let me go! I want to go home!"

She dragged him back and pinned him against the wall, blocking off his path of escape with her arm.

"Uhm," Damiano began, bashfully, "you know it's usually the girl being slammed against a wall, right? And I'm taller than you."

"You got a problem, beanpole?"

"Nope! Not at all, never, absolutely not!" he shrieked, "I'm sorry!"

Damiano covered his face in shame, but peeked out to ascertain the lady in front of him. Dressed in street clothes— boy's street clothes, actually. Her short hair and messenger cap really made her look like just another one of the slum rats.

Damiano also threw off his tailcoat and his button-up was dirty, so he at least didn't look like a noble's butler either.

"So, what are you out here, your master didn't take you on a walk?" Conny teased. "If not, then, wanna go on a date with me? You're buying everything. I want one of everything in that new cafe that just opened up and—"

"Master let me out on a walk, and now I am going home without taking any detours," Damiano responded, petulantly, because she's insufferable, "he trusts me to take care of the important parts of his work, you know. I'm sure you were also sent out on some—"

Wait.

Why is Conny out here, anyway?

"Conny, are you here on an errand or something?" Damiano supposed. "Does Lord G know you're he—"

"Shhhh!!" Conny hissed. "He kept loading all his work on me! That lazy bum can go do it himself, I hate him!"

Damiano wanted to faint. "Why did you run away from home again?? He's going to storm the manor at this rate..."

Damiano's face fell as he paled instantly.

Conny's head tilted. "What?"

"Oh no," Damiano breathed in horror. "Lord G is going to storm the manor!"

He charged out of the alley, leaving Conny befuddled.

"Yeah?? That's normal?? What's the rush?"

-

Meanwhile in the manor, Giotto looked over Tsuna's wounds on the couch in his office, eyes narrowing every so often.

"Primo-san?"

"Huh?" Giotto snapped out of his frown, putting a smile on his face, "oh! Uhm... was the bath alright? No discomfort anywhere— oh, are you hungry?"

Tsuna felt so endeared.

"I'm okay."

"I see, that's good," Giotto sighed with relief. He sat on the ground, leaning over the cough to inspect Tsuna at eye level. "From now on, you're a member of this household. So, you won't have to worry about anything anymore, I promise you that."

Tsuna found himself smiling.

Giotto was definitely a Sky, and if there was anything he knew best about Skies, it was how warm and welcoming they always managed to make the world around them. When all seemed lost, a Sky would never turn you away.

Tsuna honestly felt so relieved that he no longer needed to be the Leading Sky. Of course he'll never be able to defy his nature, but now that he was just a child— he had the right to be protected, and he didn't need to take on the burden anymore.

He could just enjoy his life here, peacefully.

"Now..." Giotto dusted his knees as he stood up. He wore a stern and nervous expression, "I need to figure out how to hide you before the—"

The door kicked open violently and someone yelled, "GIOTTO YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"

Giotto screamed in surprise, "—turbulent storm comes crashiiiin–NGYAAAHH! G, what the hell? Open the door normally, that door's expensive!!"

Turbulent storm indeed.

"You piece of shit, you went and got yourself an illegitimate child!" G roared, "scum of the earth, you had to go scour the orphanages for him! I should bury you ten feet under the ground in the same place I stuck my deadbeat dad!"

"Please don't!" Giotto pleaded, "this is a misunderstanding!"

"Misunderstanding my ass, how else do you explain this child that looks exactly like you sitting on the couch? Look how injured he is! You neglected him after some one-night stand! You're scum of the earth, you're no longer the friend I grew up with!"

"G, you know better than anyone else I'M GAY!"

"I'm accepting no excuses! What, did a stork come to deliver him or something?!"

"G, PLEASE."

Tsuna watched the banter with muted fascination. It was amazing— G was everything like his beloved Storm Guardian, but Tsuna knew he'd never be able to have a fight with Hayato that was anything like this. He was always too polite and respectful to actually refute his words and threaten bodily harm like this.

Instead, this silly argument reminded him of Hayato and Takeshi.

G now had Giotto in a chokehold, and Giotto was whining for mercy. That made sense— they were childhood friends, nearly brothers with how close they were. They were not a duo with loyalty and respect as they held onto each other side by side— they were partners in crime, all the way from when they were nothing but slum rats.

Tsuna was so envious.

(He missed them. He missed them so much.)

"Ah! Look what you did, you brute!" Giotto collapsed onto the couch by Tsuna's side quickly, reaching up carefully but not yet touching, "it's okay, Tsuna. There, there... That loud pig was scary, wasn't he? I'll send him far away soon."

"Hey," G began, offended, but paused, apprehensive.

Tsuna reached up to his eyes to find he'd been crying. He sniffled, realizing his homesickness had taken over him in a moment of weakness— and he felt a little embarrassed.

Giotto rubbed away the tears gently, tracing over his cheek with hands so careful.

Tsuna gave in to his impulses, arms spreading open as his face pinched. Understanding that gesture with a fluster, Giotto reached in and hugged Tsuna firmly. Tsuna curled back as soon as Giotto got a hold of him, and clung like his life depended on it.

The warmth of a human body filled the hole in his heart, just a little.

It'll never be the same again, but he'll have to cope.