So this came from out of nowhere. I was drawing some pictures of Mochida when this idea kind of wormed its way into a conversation between SkyGem and I. And thus, this was born.

Just Until You're Ready.

Summary: Mochida Kensuke was in an interesting position, as the only upper echelon (besides Hayato) with access and control to more than one flame. He was in a delicate position because of his Lightning flames, especially when Tsuna sits him down and gives him an incredibly important task. He doesn't take it lightly, and Mochida decides he needs to sit down with the young boy most affected by this request.

"You called for me, bossman?" Kensuke Mochida walked into the room and smiled.

Even though the office in the underground was much cozier, Mochida always felt so comfortable coming to see Tsuna in his office. He walked forward and took a seat in one of the leather armchairs that were arranged before the large desk. She unbuttoned his suit jacket, and shrugged his sword off his shoulder to out beside him.

Tsuna's smile was warmth and that was all there could be said. He smiled in so many ways, but the way he smiled at his upper echelon was by far Kensuke's favourite. He so needed the smile that he could tell that something is wrong.

"What's wrong?"

Solid orange eyes met Mochida, flat and barren until Tsuna sighed and leant back in his chair. "I have been thinking."

"Uh-oh." Kensuke bit out, eyes solid on Tsuna even when the man gave him a sardonic glare.

"You have an interesting advantage, Kensuke. And I want to exploit it." Kensuke nodded to continue. "You are my only upper echelon leader, besides Hayato, who can wield more than one flame equally. How have things been going in the Storm Squad?"

Kensuke grinned a little, pride blooming in his chest at the question. Thought Kensuke and Hayato had been on rocky ground when Kensuke was first brought into Vongola, it had quickly dissolved into single-minded desire to better each other for their boss. Hayato would never let another storm roll in without first assimilating it and making sure it knew that Hayato was the hurricane that controlled Vongola's storms. But it was when Hayato saw the sheer need Kensuke held in his heart to be needed by Tsuna, to be included, and to never overthrow what Tsuna needed that Hayato finally looked past the middle-school days.

"Things are going good, our storm is rather ornery about order. He whipped me good, but now the others respect me the same as him. Though I'm a little pissed at being a go-between, it's rather nice to sate my ire at those who think them better than our famiglia by tapping them down a few pegs."

Tsuna chuckled a little, which is nice to see. "That makes me feel almost worse about this."

"And this is?"

Tsuna sighs again, but Kensuke is more disturbed by the fact that his eyes are flat orange. They usually swirl with light and darkness. They are usually fire, not stone.

"I would like you to take over the Lightning squad, for now. I know you're place as storm vice-captain is solid and that our own are reacting well to you, but I need you to take over lightning for a while."

A hundred thousand thoughts blaze through Kensuke most of them fear for the little lightning that should have been leading them. Surely Tsuna wouldn't be here if something had happened to Lambo? Surely Kensuke would have felt it in the sheet of flames he wrapped himself in?

"WHY?" Mochida hisses, eyes dilated as he loses control on his flames. His irises flood with red and green, but unlike any other time they swirl in a kaleidoscope of shades, rather than red remaining in his left eye and green his right.

Tsuna soothes him quickly. "Lambo is fine, he is safe and unharmed; that is not the reason."

"Then why, sky." And Tsuna is desperately sorry that he caused Kensuke this much distress by not explaining properly, it was rare any of the guardians called Tsuna by his title.

"Things are starting to grow tense amongst the councils and the mafia famiglias who know what I aim to do. Soon we will be fighting and Lambo will have to join us." Tsuna's voice growled, and he sounded exactly like Natsu. Kensuke growled too at the thought. "But he isn't ready to make those decisions. He can't lead the men he's been training with into war, and he doesn't yet understand the difference between sacrifice and loss. He is still a child, he's going to school and enjoying being free. I want to keep it that way. I need someone I trust to run the lightning squads, keep then trained up and learned of our purposes and the fights that will come. I need someone to be there for Lambo, to teach him without holding too much back, someone that will help him learn to hold his squad up. But I need someone who will make the tough decisions for him –for me."

"Why me?"

Tsuna smiled then so full of trust and exasperation that Kensuke almost fainted. "Because you are all those things Kensuke. You can run the lightning like they're your own, you have strong enough flames, and experience from running with Hayato. But you can also teach Lambo in a way I wouldn't be able to." Tsuna's eyes glittered for a minute with life and trust. "I trust you, Kensuke. You know that."

Tsuna head bows and he leans it against his desk, shoulders bunched and back ridged, Mochida can see the tension of this decision. "The Lightning squad is and always will be Lambo's, even if he leaves. I just want him to be happy, he is too young. I can't risk him being hurt by a decision he makes too early, or a mistake I foresaw coming that ruins us."

Like armour, Kensuke is standing and at the desk. He leans over so that he shields Tsuna from the doorway, one hand beside Tsuna's head and the other on his sword. "I will do this, my sky. I promise to love and protect the Lightning Squad as my own, and to teach Lambo so that when he takes up the mantle he is assured and safe in the position."

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When Lambo walked in, he greeted Tsuna with smiles and kisses and cuddles. They had called Lambo as soon as Mochida has finished speaking. There was an air of affection that loosened Tsuna's shoulders. That is until he met Kensuke's eyes and decided to explain everything to Lambo.

Tsuna didn't pull his punches, he explained exactly what he'd told Kensuke; his reasoning; when it would start; what would happen. Everything. Kensuke stood by the bookshelves, arms crossed and position stern. Lambo grew tenser as the talking went on, asking questions tersely, the love and carefree affection drawing back from his eyes as thought and age entered the little greens.

"Kensuke will be taking over the Lightning Squad until you are old enough to, Lambo. He will go with you as a guard and tutor to all meetings and training sessions, and will act as squad head."

Kensuke could see the unease in his Sky's eyes. This was a large request, and it put a lot of faith in Kensuke himself, and the guardians of Vongola. It wasn't the trust that made Tsuna uncomfortable –he trusted Kensuke more than anyone ever should, and he knew that the guardians would work together to pick up the slack.

No, Tsuna was worried about his little ward, Vongola's Lightning.

"Are you…..are you trying to replace me, Tsuna-nii?" And the voice was so heartbroken but sounded so accepting. This was a problem with Tsuna's harmony, it made even those who felt betrayed by him feel like they needed to do everything for him. "I know that Mochi-nii has crazy dual flames, but I'm a far better lightning!"

"No!" Tsuna was standing behind his desk, already moving to take Lambo –so young, only ten –by the shoulders and kissing away the tears. "No, Tesoro. I am trying to protect you."

"Bu-but I'm your lightning. Mochi-nii is a part of Hayato's squads." Lambo's voice wavered and he clung to Tsuna, desperate to believe his words. "I'm lightning."

Mochida's stomach dropped from under him and he felt nausea burn at the back of his jaw. This was not what he wanted, not in the least.

"You are my lightning, Lambo. Now and forever, if that's what you want. You still have the ring." Tsuna punctuated his words with kisses before pushing Lambo back and looking him in the eyes. A deep seriousness entered his tone and Lambo wanted to flinch. "But there are decisions that need to be made, men that need guidance. Can you give an order to abandon your squad if I told you to? Can you go to meetings and counter every argument you're faced with, without letting emotions show? Can you throw away being a child, going to school and being with I-Pin, for me right now?"

Lambo wanted to say he could, he wanted to do anything to make Tsuna believe him. But he also knew that that was proof of his youth. "No, I couldn't. They're mine, Tsuna-nii."

Mochida almost did vomit then, because suddenly he saw what Tsuna was doing. He knew how possessive and strong that Lambo was, all mixed up in timelines. He was only ten, he had the possessive power to be the Lightning Guardian, but he did not yet have the strategy nor knowledge, nor will to make important decisions for the sake of his squad. Or for himself. He had only just learnt about emotions, but a Guardians had to be able to hide them away without giving them up. The Guardians had lost their childhood in the first war in the future, and settled their adulthood when they had finally came back to life after the Vindice.

Tsuna's eyes were still slat orange, and it was unnerving, but his face softened a bit. "They are, and you are mine. I want to protect you. I gave Fuuta his freedom to choose, and he came back to me. I am not able to do the same for you. Not to the same extent, because you are already a guardian and have duties to me." Tsuna's face crumpled, cursing Mafia law that still bound them, bound them before he could cut the ties. "So I'm doing what I can. You are learning how to be a Guardian, and how to wield your flames, but you earned the right to be my guardian when we were children. Do not think Kensuke is replacing you."

"Then why is he?"

Tsuna looked so torn on what to do or say to convince this little one. "I want you to have backup, to have an exit while you still can. You are guardian, but I am giving you a guardian. Someone you're allowed to fall back on, someone who can protect you if you look weak to others. I'm trying to-."

Lambo's face scrunched and his eyes flashed a neon green when he ripped his hand from Tsuna. "No! You're making yourself feel better because you can't do it yourself!"

Air actually left Tsuna's chest in a huff and Kensuke was unfolding his arms and stepping forward even when the sky's pupils blew wide with emotions and uncontrolled flames.

Kensuke wondered, even as he reached Tsuna and Lambo's side, how many angry calls he and Tsuna were going to get when the ripples of these emotions reached the guardians around the globe.

"Now that's e-fucking-nough." Kensuke snapped. He levelled Tsuna's shoulders as the man leant back into the couch, and grabbed Lambo's forearm before he could fly out of the room. Kid still had a bad habit of trying to hide his emotions away as a weakness. It had taken them a few years to get him to kick that habit. Mochida ran a hand over Tsuna's head and took Lambo's hand in his. "I'm going to take the brat for a walk, and we are going to talk. Are you going to be okay here alone, Tsunayoshi?"

Tsuna just nodded. "Yeah, you go. I'll just get some work done." But it was said through gritted teeth and every one of Kensuke's instincts was begging him to go soothe his sky. To take the pain onto himself- and to destroy all that had given his sky pain.

Which was why Mochida pulled Lambo away.

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He let the silence drag as they headed into the basement, let the boy think. So many of Kensuke's problems as a child came from not having time or space to think properly. So many of his strengths now came from having a safe place to think without consequence. Yes he had to be quick, he had to know what he was doing in times of distress. But at least when thing were calm. So too were the guardians thoughts, Kensuke had learnt from that.

"I'm sorry, Mochi-nii." Was the first thing Lambo said, and it was with a throat thick with tears. Kensuke tightened his hand around Lambo's limp fingers and lead him into one of the meeting rooms they'd built.

This one was used as a classroom for the children, fitting for this lesson.

Kensuke sat Lambo down and took a seat opposite him. They needed to talk, they needed to have a clear idea of what each other were thinking if they wanted this to work.

Kensuke would make it work.

"What is making you so scared, Lambo?" Kensuke's voice was rumbly with emotion. "You know me too well to think I'd actually steal the lightnings. I am a far greater storm than I am a light show."

Lambo made a pathetic attempt at a snort before his eyes found the blackboard behind Mochida's head. "I….you're going to be better than me as leading. My lightnings won't want me back."

It was said with such certainty, such sheer solidity that Kensuke bit his tongue to stop himself from tackling the boy in a hug, to remind him that he was loved. "Why do you think Tsuna's asked me to take over, and not one of your other guardians?"

"I don't know, because of your flames." Lambo muttered, looking at Kensuke only from the corner of his eyes. His arms were crossed defensively.

Kensuke barked a laugh. "It helps that I have lightning flames, yes, but it's not the reason. He knows that I am not a leader, I am a wall, Lambo." Kensuke smiled, it was awkward on his face, but familiar to Lambo as home and safety was familiar. "I am a wall around you. I'm too brash to be a real leader, and your boys will be begging for you to return by the time I'm done."

Lambo looked sceptical, "Then why not be my tutor. Tsuna-nii has one and he's a boss. Why do you need to lead the squad!?" Lambo was growing more emotional and Kensuke kissed his teeth, he wasn't great at dealing with emotional littles.

"Tsuna asked you if could make difficult decisions that he asked you to make, and you said that you couldn't." Lambo nodded, confused but starting to understand. "I am going to make those decisions for you. I am going to let you see what my mistakes, and Tsuna's mistakes, do to us and to our squads. I'm not going to hold back, I'm going to let you see a lot of the pain that comes with being a fighter. The stuff that the other guardians hid from you when you were younger."

Apparently that wasn't helping, so Kensuke started again.

"You know the kind of decisions I'm talking about right, kid?" Lambo nodded again. "Alright, here's the difference between what I'm doing, and what Tsuna did with a tutor. Tsuna was made to watch his ancestors bleed their quarry, I will be there to cover your eyes before you know what's happening; Tsuna had to declare war and his mistakes lost half of his first squad, and at the time Reborn as a tutor could not say a thing until the mistake was made. I will make sure you know every consequence of those actions and the blame will lay on me. Reborn, as Tsuna's tutor wasn't allowed into meetings, couldn't go to balls, and wasn't allowed to have any ruling on Tsuna's decisions when he was still learning to be boss; now that he's an advisor he can. I will be the leader of the Lightning squad, I will be the one to take the brunt until you are trained, and as such we can both go to meetings so that you can learn, and I can protect you from bosses who will try to break you."

Kensuke made a face when Lambo grew pale.

"Lambo, a war is coming, and it's coming quickly. There are a lot of people ready ti kill Tsuna, to kill me and to kill you to end Vongola before we can upheave the norm of the mafia, you know this."

"I do." Lambo whispered, teary eyed, because all the things Mochida said, all the times that Tsuna lost his squad because of a mistake? Lambo remembered every single one, and he hadn't understood until now.

"Then you also know that we cannot afford indecision; your men can't afford you to pause and be uneasy if war is in the air and you are scared. You're allowed to be scared, I'm scared, but right now your brother cannot afford to have to worry that you're being pressured into making rash decisions. He needs me to be a buffer. He needs me to take up that strain and balance the decisions that need to be made, and the lessons you need to learn. Can you trust me to do that, precious little cow?"

Lambo was crying now, silently, rubbing his eyes. He was so conflicted. But Kensuke didn't take his hand or wipe his tears. He let Lambo sort himself out with space and zero pressure. He would be doing this for many years to come after all. "I have to. Cause I can't do that to Tsuna."

So Kensuke smiles indulgently, because Lambo understands that much at least. He walks to kneel before Lambo, and presses a precious kiss to the boy's brow. He wipes away the tears and helps Lambo to breathe normally again.

"I will do everything in my power to make sure you're ready to take the squad back, and then I'll return to Hayato, if that's what you want."

Lambo scowled, and in any other situation Kensuke would have cackled. Lambo looked so like Hayato when he scowled like that. "If I said I am still not comfortable with you leading my Lightning squad, what would you do?"

Kensuke snarled then, because the boy was pushing too far, he was trying too hard and it worried the multi-flame user. "I would still take the position." Mochida snarled, possessive and protective and showing his power in their famiglia. "Not only has our sky giving me this order, but you are my precious brother and I will protect you from yourself if I have the means."

Lambo stilled, eyes wide and teary. Kensuke supposed that it was just the emotional situation, since he wasn't quiet about his affections in private. But it was true, no matter how much Lambo cried or begged, Kensuke would so as his sky had asked. Lambo had to learn to accept the love he was shown and also to read a situation properly.

No one was trying to take his position from him, simply help him figure out how to hold it properly.

"It's just until you're ready, Lambo. Not a second more."

And then there was that flash, those green eyes looking suddenly twenty-years older. Once Lambo had become old enough to truly understand his duty and use his flames, he had gotten good at transferring only the parts of himself that he wanted across time. More of a side effect of being a Bovino heir than of being a lightning.

Lambo sniffed.

He reached for Kensuke and fit himself to the man's chest. Arms around the man's neck. Kensuke stood straight and held him close, whispering soft words of encouragement and pride.

"Alright, thank you, Kensuke." Lambo whispered. "I'll learn from you, thank you for helping me."

And Kensuke knew that Lambo didn't just mean the help with the lightning squad.

Standing up and stretching out his shoulders, Mochida took Lambo's hand again. This time, the kid wrapped his fingers around the older man's and clung to them like a lifeline. It made Mochida purr with pride. "Now, let's go find that useless brother of yours and apologize for leaving so suddenly."

Lambo stiffened and turned away. "He'll probably really not want to see me. I was really mean."

Kensuke barked out a laugh. "Tell me when exactly your brother has not wanted to see you, hmm? Exactly not once." Kensuke assured. "So don't worry. He probably needs some reassurance from us right now."

"He's probably hating himself." Lambo sounded so sad and forlorn and it tightened Kensuke's chest. "I didn't mean it. He's plenty strong enough."

Kensuke agreed, but something in him twisted in a dark way when he thought about Tsuna's personality. "It's probably a good thing that he hates himself, just a little, precious boy."

Lambo looked distraught, his face twisted up. Kensuke kissed his teeth and ran a hand through his hair, he hadn't meant that to come out so….so like his old self. "How? Tsuna-nii is too hard on himself as it is."

"And that's exactly why it's a good thing. There is nothing I fear more than loosing Tsuna, if he's a little hard on himself and improves from it, then a little bit of tough-love is alright."

Lambo just tightened his grip on Kensuke's hand as they entered the elevator. "I'm worried about losing Tsuna-nii too."