A/N: Edited, new scenes added, final cleaning on January 11, 2018. I have deleted chapter 2 onwards but now I'm posting the rewritten version starting from here.

Warning: Unbetaed.

Overall Note: All of my fics will be updated slowly. I repeat this story (or all of my stories) is slow update. Right now pressure to update my stories is unwelcome and will be ignored except for critics and other comments (outright flames would be ignored) and intrusive and will only affect me to do the opposite.

Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn.

Green Eyes

Chapter One

Tsuna was dying of old age. Despite feeling sad for leaving his family behind, he already had lived a blissful yet rowdy life full of chaos and everything else mixed in. He also felt that his time was coming to its end. Maybe, he would get to meet his tutor in the afterlife.

When he opened his eyes next what he didn't expect was to see the familiar white lights coming from an operating room of a hospital. He had lost count on how many times he had been admitted that he could recognize a hospital by the shape of the lighting alone even if his sight were blurred.

Along with his sudden awareness of his surrounding, he heard a loud crying of an infant. It took him trying to talk, move his mouth, and choke out a voice on his throat before he noticed that every time he did the baby's cries just went louder. Tsuna realized it was he who was crying. A single question immediately struck him speechless.

What?

It was followed by a barricade of questions that ended with -

…Why did he become an infant?!

Someone lifted him up, the person came into his view, and he saw that it was a man clad in the familiar white clothes and blood painted gloves - a doctor. Ryouhei's face in his memories peaked at the forefront of his mind and vanished within second.

He immediately noticed that everything was bigger and brighter too, it made him blink his eyes trying to rid of blurriness and brightness on his eyes that wouldn't leave.

Why is he in a child's body?

The doctor lifted him towards an unfamiliar woman with curly black hair. His sight was blurred but he could still pick out her features. She was clearly exhausted but a smile was on her lips. Her smile got wider and her green eyes twinkled when she had him in her arms. At the warm hands around him, his crying had seized to a stop and he stared at the woman.

"Madam, he's a healthy boy." The doctor said in Italian and the usage of that language confused him a little.

The unfamiliar woman was still smiling and with shaking hands cradled him near her bosom then said in an emotional voice. "I'm so glad."

"What would you name your child, Madam?" The doctor asked.

I am her... child? Tsuna thought confusedly while he blinked his eyes, trying to get rid of the tears building because of the light and fight back the sudden exhaustion of his body.

The woman turned at the man with a smile and cradled him closer. He could feel how warm it was. It opted him to unconsciously flutter his eyes close. He felt like he would lose this battle of remaining awake as slumber seemed to be appealing right now.

"Lambo… His name is Lambo."

His ears twitched with bewilderment and soon his eyes snapped open, sight oddly focused towards the beautiful woman. His exhaustion still there and even though he felt like sleeping right now, he forced this body not to.

The woman lifted him up and pressed their forehead against each other, a warm gesture between a… mother and son.

"Welcome to the family, Lambo."

… What's going on?!

Tsuna's mind blared with questions but it seemed like this body was against him. As his ears registered a humming voice of woman, though right now it sounded far, and felt arms rocking him back and forth Tsuna's mind couldn't do anything as he was being pulled into unconsciousness.

It took him months, a year even before he came into terms that he was in the body of Lambo. At first, it made him frustrated. He was Sawada Tsunayoshi and now he was... Lambo. This bizarre situation made him believe that souls exist, well he did but experiencing was a different matter altogether, because he was Tsuna and now he was occupying the body of Lambo, his Lightning Guardian.

Every time he caught sight of his body in his reflection. He always saw green eyes staring at him, curly black hair growing on his head, and the cow-pattered onesie. It only made it more real that he was occupying Lambo's body… It frustrated him why it happened like this.

When he was dying, he was looking forward to be in heaven or in peace while he waited for a reunion with everyone or he expected something else, not this. Now, Tsuna was in Lambo's body and he didn't know why he was here to begin with and how he came to be in Lambo's body. There wasn't any possession bullet, no experimentation, nothing that he could think on how this came to be. In Mukuro's case, there was the Estraneo famiglia and in his, there was nothing. However, instinctively he knew, there was supposed to be a catch. There should be a purpose on why he was in Lambo's body. There had to be. If there wasn't then why was he here?

And what if accidentally he had stolen Lambo's place?

It was a thought he didn't want to entertain but remained.

He or rather Lambo's body was three when his mother died from illness. He cried that time, because not only the woman had grown on his heart but also because Lambo couldn't have memories with his mother instead it was he in Lambo's place. It made Tsuna angry with himself because if he weren't in Lambo's body then his Lightning Guardian would have memories with his mother despite how short it'll be.

"Lambo's Mama is…" He wailed. Despite this body feeling like it belong to him, this body still acted like a child. His minor frustration always leads him to cry rather loudly. Tsuna wondered if this body knew what would be Lambo's actual action and he cried even more because he suddenly think that it did… Lambo would cry like this.

"…dead." Tsuna's soul cried along with this body.

Lambo, who couldn't spend any time with his mother. Instead, Tsuna was in Lambo's place. Is this going to keep happening? Is he going to keep stealing Lambo's place?

Why…?

Why is he here instead?

If he would be reincarnated or stuck in a body, why not his own? If he did, then Lambo could have felt the love of his mother. Instead, Lambo didn't get to experience that love.

Is this the reason Lambo adored Sawada Nana? Because he didn't have memories of his own mother?

That night he dreamed of a small child with the very familiar green eyes and cow-patterned onesie in the middle of the meadow. The small child looked at him with a smile and before the dream ended, left words that made him tear up and cry silently afterwards.

"Please live in my place until…"

Tsuna decided that he would until… Lambo returned even if it wasn't spoken.

At five, the purple bazooka came into play.

The familiar sight made him wide-eyed, he should expect that Lambo would have the ten-year bazooka yet it still surprised him.

He snatched it into his arms as he laughed obnoxiously like Lambo always did. The familiarity of the laugh and the purple bazooka made him genuinely laugh even if he purposely made it sound louder that grated on adult's nerves.

"Gyahahaha!"

Lambo's father, a member of the Bovino famiglia looked at him trying to appear displeased that he snatched the object without asking for permission. But the man still looked at him warmly.

"Lambo." The man said with squinted eyes. He looked at the man then cradled the purple bazooka in his arms. However, the man called him again and he vigorously shook his head.

This bazooka should be Lambo's. It was a fact that would remain unchanged. And if Lambo didn't have the bazooka then Lambo and everyone else would miss everything that would count on his and their life. If he, Tsuna, stole Lambo's body then he needed to act like Lambo until the time Lambo's soul returned in this body. He needed to act like Lambo did in his memories. That was the conclusion he reached after he had that dream two years ago.

Lambo's father pulled it from his grasp without any force on it yet he choose to cry out, "No! This is Lambo's!"

It had taken aback the man that he yelled and he took advantage of that pause. He pulled the bazooka, rested his small chubby hand on the trigger and when he yanked it away from his father's grip, there was a sudden boom. A very familiar pink smoke surrounded him and it was all according to his plan.

"Child Lambo?" Someone voiced out in Japanese, the voice was so familiar that he knew whom it belonged. He was glad that the pink smoke was still covering him or else the other would have seen the way he froze. However, the pink smoke completely dispersed soon but it was enough time for him to place a confused mask. When he lifted his head to turn at the direction where the voice was coming from, he saw the familiar small statute, caramel-brown eyes and finally to the wild brunet hair.

In front of him was no other than… Sawada Tsunayoshi, his younger, already an adult Tsunayoshi. Who looked to be dealing with the paper works in the familiar office room residing in Vongola Headquarter.

He wasn't ready to see this, the reality that somewhere another Tsunayoshi Sawada was living the life he already lived. That's why he braced himself, thinking of the promise he made that Tsuna would live in Lambo's place until Lambo returned and he must ensure that by acting like Lambo did in his memories.

Right now, I am Lambo. Tsuna thought and with a sudden forceful blink, he began acting.

What will child Lambo do if he suddenly appeared in an unfamiliar place with a stranger?

He stared at the older Tsunayoshi who looked to be in his 20's with frightened expression. Tsuna looked around as if looking for something and when he didn't find it, he stared back at the brunet before him and forced the tears to form on his eyes.

That's right. Lambo always cry.

It was an easy task to cry in this child's body because even slight frustration make this body shed tears. And right now, he was having mixed feelings about this current situation but Tsuna knew it was frustrating him.

He cried; loud and obnoxious. The same crying sound child Lambo did from his memories.

"Ah…! Lambo don't cry!" Tsunayoshi said in the familiar Japanese language that looked to be in slight panic before crouching down on his level and patted his back in slow soothing action. It was the same action he did when child Lambo or any of the kids cries. The sudden reminiscence he felt at the gesture made him cry louder.

Tsuna used to do that, he used to comfort the kids like that.

He misses his family.

Tsuna cried even louder.

The hand on his back worked on calming him down but instead of comfort, it only brought tears on his eyes. The hand was warm, the motion was rhythmic, it was soothing, and he could feel Sky Flames thrumming on Tsunayoshi's core, making his body exude that comforting warmth.

"Shhh... It's alright, Lambo. Don't cry anymore."

Tsunayoshi spoke, his voice tinted with concern and confusion. Probably wondering what was wrong and why the child cried in his presence. Tsuna could conclude that despite the sudden headache he was feeling over crying so hard.

Tsuna, take a grip of yourself! Tsuna thought to himself as he tried to calm down his inner turmoil and let the hand lull him into comfort zone.

It took him minutes for this body to compose, but slowly his crying had turned to loud sniffle. When his internal clock made it to four minutes, he had turned to the other with one last sniff then demanded in Italian. "G-Give Lambo candies!"

The implication was obvious to the other at the usage of that language. Right now, it was Lambo's first time meeting Tsunayoshi so he shouldn't know how to speak or understand Japanese and asking for sweet was Lambo's way of deeming someone if they were safe.

Tsunayoshi complied rather easily with a soft smile on his face before reaching on his pocket. The action screamed familiarity in his mind. He scrunched his eyes together before Tsuna could cry once more then he sniffed loudly. He wiped his face with his arms, smearing snot and tears on it. That action was dirty, but he would act like child Lambo.

Vongola Decimo held his palm and there sat two grapes candies and he immediately snatched it like a precious toy. He immediately opened and popped it on his mouth with a grin on his face before laughing obnoxiously.

"Lambo loves grape candies!" Lambo proclaimed in a loud obnoxious voice, still speaking in Italian. His hand was on his hips and he was standing with proud posture and grin on his lips. Gone were Lambo's scared behaviour at unfamiliar place and replaced with the Lambo this Tsunayoshi knew very well and it was all because of the given candies.

With another obnoxious laugh, the familiar pink smoke engulfed him. He continued laughing even after he came back to his present. Even if Lambo's father was looking at him with pride and happiness, and hidden pained look in his eyes that he choose to ignore.

Then the man before him patted his head with fondness. Lambo stopped and looked at the man with confused expression on his face.

"This bazooka let you switch to the future you ten-years from now on but only for five minutes. I daresay you would do great things with this on you."

With those praise leaving the man's lips he beamed and said in a proud tone, always the same like his child Lightning Guardian did.

"Of course! Lambo would be great!" And he totally mean it.

However, it would be better if the real Lambo heard those words from his father.

And without even the help of Vongola's Intuition, he knew that Lambo's - his - father had already decided upon a course of action that he would take.

He was five when the famiglia's boss had taken him to a bar where Lambo first met the World Greatest Hitman, Reborn.

Actually, that was a lie. The truth was that he had sneaked inside the boss' car and followed the man to that bar.

His father had been gathering information lately about places that Reborn the famous hitman frequents and this was his only lead. Tsuna didn't know how his father did it, but he managed to cajole the boss to visit this particular bar while Lambo sneaked in the car because his father told him to do so. All in all, Tsuna could see how cunning his father could be if given the reason and dedication enough to do so.

Still, he appreciate the effort his father put in ensuring that Lambo and Reborn meet. However, he also had to thank 15 years old Lambo for that as he imagined that Lambo's teenage self must have proclaimed his undying will to defeat the World Greatest Hitman Reborn while wearing the Vongola Rings. Tsuna didn't want to know what prompted Lambo to do so but probably Reborn did something - scratch that, Reborn's deliberate ignoring of the other would always ruffle Lambo, no matter what. Obviously, Lambo would hold a vendetta against the hitman. He nearly sighed at that thought but didn't as he was currently in a public place.

There was a pang on his heart at the mere thoughts about his tutor that he forcefully shoved. Tsuna had no time for emotional breakdown.

However, now, seeing the familiar bubbles blowing on his tutor's nose, the curly sideburns, Leon resting on Reborn's fedora, the black suit, the accursed yellow pacifier, and the guarded expression on the hitman's face as he sleep immediately made his heart clamp and his previous thoughts be forgotten.

Tsuna unconsciously move forward, there was certain giddiness on his step that he couldn't stifle and his heart felt heavy. Later, he would berate himself for that small slip but right now...

"Hey!"

Tsuna felt like crying because seeing his tutor in flesh was… was so heartbreaking yet he felt so blessed. So blessed to see him once again, so ecstatic that he could feel the tears burning on his eyes.

There was no answer.

There was no answer.

Tsuna clenched his fist and the slight twinge of pain on his palm made him bow down only to see small hands, his – no! Lambo's small hands.

Ah... That's right.

I am not…

There was suddenly a lump on his throat. He forcefully shove down his emotions that were threatening to spill right now.

Tsuna's mind was calculating and analysing what to say. At the same time, he purposely squinted his eyes in annoyance at Re... - The World Greatest Hitman. He opened his mouth and spoke his script. All the while, he fought the urge to gag at the fake words he said.

"Hey! Aren't you the World Greatest Hitman? Lambo heard so much about you from everyone else but it's nothing compared to Lambo's accomplishment! I am the greatest Lambo of the Bovino famiglia and you'll bow to me too! Gyahahaha!"

Reborn's bubbles keep on blowing, and Leon not even twitching from his loud voice.

Tsuna felt like vomiting, his eyes oddly sting, and he couldn't help but dug his nails on his palm to ground him back to the reality that he...

That Reborn doesn't see him as him.

He wanted to say many, many things but Tsuna continued this act with a bleeding heart and tearful expression. Tsuna kept talking nonsensical things, and even if he wanted to apologize and thank the man with all his being, Reborn was the World Greatest Hitman for a reason and Lambo wouldn't say those words to the hitman upon their... first meeting or not at all.

Upon returning in Lambo's room, the dark and suddenly cold room, he cried as his mask come undone.

He remembered the words he said in that bar, how Reborn remained the same and now he allowed his thoughts to cloud over his mind. Of the biggest and single regret he had in his previous life.

Tsuna couldn't save his tutor.

As his loud bawling turned to sniffle and hiccup, Tsuna curled in a small ball. His last thought before descending to a restless sleep was if it was going to be the same in this life as well...

And he didn't want it. He didn't want to fail but Lambo...

Tsuna was confused and utterly alone.

"Lambo," Tsuna peered upward at his father with childish curiosity.

The man was looking at him with pained eyes. Tsuna choose not to say or act that he saw that look directed to him because he was acting like Lambo. He wouldn't acknowledge the fact that he knew the reason why his father was looking at him like that.

However, Tsuna wanted to embrace the man, to say that he would be fine, that they would see each other... But he didn't say anything of those lines. Instead, he proclaimed, "Lambo would defeat the World Greatest Hitman Reborn! And everyone will bow down to me!"

Because assurance wasn't Lambo's forte, he would proclaim boastful words but the people around him knew how genuine he felt of the words he had spoken that even if it were an impossibility, they would still feel better to believe that Lambo's will would remain unchanged, that even if it wouldn't happen Lambo would remain the same.

The man hugged him tight, whispering in a low voice that only the two of them could hear, that the cameras spying on them wouldn't see and detect.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't protect you, son, but I know you would be happy and free."

Instinctively, Tsuna return the embrace because he knew the efforts that his father had put so he would be free from the shackles and threat of their own famiglia. After all, they both knew that what the boss gave him was a suicide mission.

The man slowly let go of him and said in a strong tone, his big calloused hands clasped on Lambo's small shoulders. The man's warmth was an assurance, it made him basked at the closeness between a father and son.

"There is nothing in here, that's why never return... until you finish the boss mission."

Yet the words had double meaning. Tsuna choose not to acknowledge the second meaning because if he did, their - Lambo and his - father would cry and he didn't want to see this strong man to cry in front of his own son. Instead, he spoke of another boastful response. Tsuna wanted to give the man hope and he would in the only way he can right now.

"Gyahahaha! Lambo is the number one hitman defeating Reborn is easy!" He continued laughing in the same obnoxious laughter he had mastered upon trying for countless of times that it became second nature to laugh like that.

Tsuna wanted his father to remain the same until the end. He wanted to give the man hope that his son would be happy. And he wanted to say that Lambo was blessed with a perfect father but it meant acknowledging the fact that his father's life was numbered. That's why Tsuna continued his act; waving his arms excitedly, laughing so hard and loud, before jumping towards his father for a final tackle slash embrace.

He was so selfish but Tsuna couldn't do anything. Because how did someone fight an illness that had been chipping at his father's life for so long?

Tsuna tightened his embrace, afraid of letting go yet knowing he should. He didn't want to let go of his family. The once brunet eased his arm, forcing his appendage to stop clinging at the man for dear life, and repeating words that he should go. But his mouth and voice betrayed him, as truthful whispered words left his lips, face angled away from the prying cameras. "I, Lambo... we love you, Papa."

His eyes widened at his own admission. Then he realized that he couldn't and wouldn't regret those words because his and Lambo's father deserved them, deserve the silent acknowledgement that he knew.

Right now, he didn't want to keep up his mask anymore around the man who loved him more than the world itself, and had been a better father to him than his own biological father would ever be.

However, this precious memory was short and limited. And once again, he stole another moment from his own Lightning Guardian.

As Tsuna felt the body he embraced sagged with happiness and something akin to heartbreak, he let go and gave the man a blinding sincere smile from the bottom of his crying heart before running off. Laughing along the way and proclaiming that he'll eat all the candies before finding Reborn. He didn't dare look at the man in the eyes because the heartbreaking expression on his father's face was enough for his eyes to burn and his heart to squeeze.

Tsuna didn't turn back. Because if he did, he would crumble and would be tempted not to leave.

...Please hold on until Lambo returns.

A/N: As you can see I have rewritten this whole story so there are new scenes. I have deleted chapter 2 until 4 that's why it looked like I updated this fics when I didn't. With the story's new development, I can write this better (hopefully)

Kindly leave a review *insert smiley*