So this basically wrote itself while I was writing a completely different (but very similar) one shot. I wanted to add a section to the end of this other fic, but it would have changed the whole thing, so instead I just wrote a new one. And this one I actually finished.

Tell Her That He's Dead.

Summary: Xanxus meets a three year old Tsunayoshi when he and his brothers are exploring Japan for a break. The little one immediately makes an impression on Xanxus, or his flames do at least. When the three Vongola brothers go out to find this 'lost little sky' they are shocked to find the child ardent with untapped sky flames. When they realise that both Young Lion, Iemitsu, and his wife, Nana, are neglecting the child they do not stand for it. The brothers take Tsunayoshi as their own, and no one can change their mind on this matter. When a pride takes in a new cub it is not for a day but for an eternity.

Xanxus stormed through the park, growling at children and adults alike. His temper flared when a few tried to growl back, but his foreign looks and words scattered them quickly enough.

He stalked towards a set of swings and practically threw himself into the chained seat. It rattled and squeaked, but soon quieted when he put himself into a small, slow swing.

The air through his dark hair soothed him even more. The sky was beautiful here, less obscured, brighter.

He sighed through his nose, releasing the pent up anger like his brothers had shown him.

When he was settled he noted that the park was in fact empty and he smiled softly to himself. He hadn't meant to storm out of his hotel in such a rage, but at eleven it was awfully difficult not to. After all, their father had demanded they come back to Italy. Xanxus' oldest brother had taken none of the old-man's shit and told him to fuck off while they healed.

After all, the Ninth has tried to seal Xanxus away after he broke down two weeks prior.

Xanxus ground his teeth when he thought about it, trying to chase the stink of fear away with fury. What was he supposed to do but snap? Not only had their mother died in a nasty battle with an enemy family, but their old man had lost it and told the four brothers that Xanxus wasn't actually blood. While it made Xanxus happy to know he wasn't a bastard son (he always felt like he hurt his mother –the Ninth's wife - knowing he was the result of the Ninths unfaithfulness). But it hurt more when, filled with grief, Timoteo tried to chase Xanxus out of the mansion, saying it was only dear Mariella's compassion that made the Ninth boss of Vongola keep Xanxus around.

None of the brothers had believed that last lie, the Ninth was guilty and Xanxus was closest thing to release that upon. The brothers hadn't batted an eyelash. They'd whisked Xanxus away to Japan for a vacation, spitting at their old man to buck the fuck up, or else keel over soon so that Enrico could take his place.

They wouldn't stand for such fucking disrespect from their old man. Not towards their littlest.

Xanxus had cried the entire plane ride. Big old ugly crying right into Massimo's giant fucking chest. It was humiliating. It would have been more humiliating if all of the brother's hadn't broken the minute the plane had reached altitude.

But that's why Xanxus was here, in a stupid little Japanese town, on stupid children's swings, trying to forget the rage and let himself feel grief.

"Nii-san?"

Xanxus startled awake, having slipped into a deep meditation. Though of course, had the thing before him had any kind of will to harm him, he would have been up in an instant. Xanxus' red eyes looked down to the child at his knees. He was young, wide eyes and dirty-cheeks.

He wore clothes a few sizes too big for him, and was ringing his hands in his shirt, His eyes were nervous –though not necessarily because Xanxus was Xanxus, and instead because Xanxus was a stranger –but Xanxus got the weirdest sense of seize when the child looked him in the eye.

"What do you want little trash?" Xanxus saw the boy's confusion and panic, he flailed and Xanxus could only snap at him. The he paused, took a breather and calmed (like his fratello said, remember) before repeating his question in Japanese, having realised what the problem was.

The child seemed to hesitate. "Nii-san looks sad. Come see what I built."

Xanxus was going to roar at the child, because like fuck he was going to go see what some strange child built. But the moment the child grabbed Xanxus' much larger hand the older boy blanked out.

Heat and fire and sky harmony washed over him. He thrummed for five minutes straight as the child tugged at him. Suddenly grief was the last thing on Xanxus' mind. Suddenly rage meant nothing as sheer heat wiped Xanxus' mind clean.

When he came to, he was sitting in a sandbox, the child was knelt beside him, watching him with a frown. "Nii-san? Nii-san wake up."

Xanxus blinked and rubbed his head. It felt like he had a hangover, the kind his flames couldn't burn off for him. "The fuck did you do?"

The child flinched at the harsh words –gods Xanxus even sounded drunk –he rubbed his hands together. "Dunno. I got warm. You went to sleep, Nii-san."

But Xanxus knew that wasn't true. That was synchro. That was sky flames calling out to Xanxus for help. That was a cry of blood to blood. But that was impossible. "What's your name, brat?"

The boy, all brown eyes and brown hair. All chubby and cute smiled this bright smile. "I'm Tsunayoshi, and I'm four." The child who wasn't afraid of Xanxus' eyes or his scars just patted the sand. "And Nii-san?"

"Xanxus." And he hadn't even used his pseudo name. He had opened his heart to the child.

Tsunayoshi patted the sand, little hands sifting through the layers before he shuffled to Xanxus' other side. And would you fucking know it, Xanxus wasn't even angry when the boy spilt sand all over his new pants.

The child had found some abandoned blocks, and sticks and had built a little hut. He babbled about the little ants living there. How he built it and how they'd be safe from the rain. The roof was made of sticks and leaves, and a layer of sand that kept collapsing inside.

Xanxus just watched, drunk on whatever the fuck had happened. The child kept babbling. He sounded like he hadn't spoken to anyone in days and was trying to force as many words out. Tsuna just kept spitting words out about his building, and the little 'ant-sans'. Occasionally Xanxus would grunt, and his replies (if they could be considered that) made the boy so happy he seemed to burst.

And every time it happened, Xanxus was hyper aware of the way he seemed to glow for a moment. Glow pure, untainted orange.

Xanxus looked around at the abandoned park and had a strange thought that made this new part of him, the part that thrummed when the boy held his hand, grow cold. "Oi, boy." Xanxus muttered, eyes slowly widening as he turned to Tsuna. He stiffened, shoulders tight. "Where's your mother."

Tsunayoshi's eyes grew wide and watery. "Errands." Tsuna replied. "I has to stay and be good."

Xanxus felt the cold quickly warm to rage again and he felt exhausted at the sheer switching his emotions were going through. It couldn't possibly be because of the little sky before him right? Then again, Xanxus had seen things before the Ninth had adopted him, he'd seen children and knew an abandoned child when he saw one. Though Tsunayoshi didn't look totally abandoned, he had that look to him that told Xanxus that he wasn't well cared for either.

But Xanxus let it go, let the silence brought on by his question develop.

Silence dragged on for a while. However, Xanxus didn't feel like it was being invaded. He didn't feel like his grief was being stifled or ridiculed. In fact, he felt it start to settle.

Tsuna looks at Xanxus forlorn, his smile is brittle, and Xanxus can smell weakness in his words. "I go home now. Mama will worry."

Xanxus knows that the boy's mother will not worry. It's already dark and she hadn't come looking. Xanxus had been with the child all day and he hadn't eaten. His mother hadn't picked him up. Hadn't even checked on him for fucks sake.

The boy's mother will not be worried.

Xanxus watched the boy go with bunched shoulders. He didn't want to let the runt run off by himself. Something in his gut where he kept concern for family writhed in disgust. Xanxus wanted to wrap Tsunayoshi up in his young arms and snarl at the world.

Xanxus wanted to covet Tsunayoshi.

It was an overwhelming and discomforting sensation. Xanxus hadn't felt like this before, not for someone outside the famiglia anyway. Later, Xanxus is sure that that is the only reason he doesn't immediately snatch Tsuna from the streets.

When Xanxus got back to the hotel room he was listless. He walked in without a word and sat on the bed with eyebrows furrowed. However, his brothers caught the subtlety in the way the eyebrows moved. Xanxus wasn't angry or grouchy.

In fact, he looked concerned more than anything.

"Little brother." Massimo hummed as he sat beside the young man. He rubbed the junction of Xanxus' shoulder and neck, and it released some of the tension in his forehead. "You were gone longer than we thought. Federico was about to send out the search parties."

Xanxus would have usually moaned about not being a child despite being eleven. He would tell them that he was lined up to graduate from the mafia academy two whole years early (earlier if he wanted to put even an ounce more effort in, which he didn't). But instead Xanxus just stared at his nice new shoes.

"There's a sky here."

And the brothers were stunned a little. Because that shouldn't have surprised Xanxus.

"This is Primo's land." Massimo confessed, leaning back on his hands and watching the sculpted, strained muscles in this littlest brother's back. "His rain came from here, it shouldn't be surprising that there are other elements too."

"Probably too weak to be of consequence. If you got a name we'll pass it on to our lesser famiglia here. I'm sure they could use a grunt." Enrico shrugged from the desk. He had some paperwork sent over so that he wouldn't be overwhelmed when they went home.

"It's different!" Xanxus barked, eyes blazing with rage as even the light scars on his face shifted slightly.

It unnerved Federico, who hated to see Xanxus distress move his scars. "Xanxus, I'm sure you-."

"No, it's different, fratello!"

And with that, Xanxus stormed out of the room to cool his head.

Xanxus ended up back at the park again the next afternoon. Everyone scattered, though Xanxus was glad to see that none one had the balls to call the cops on him.

Xanxus didn't know what he expected. She hoped somewhere that meeting the child was a fluke.

Except those huge eyes, so down trodden appeared at the dark corner of the park, and they brightened with orange glow as soon as they spied Xanxus.

"Xan-nii!" His voice was chipper and he threw himself at Xanxus on the swing. He didn't even flinch when Xanxus' entire body stiffened at the contact. Only his brothers hugged him so readily.

"Oi, little brat. What are you doing here again?" Tsunayoshi looked away, ashamed. Xanxus grabbed his chin and made the boy's brown eyes meet his own dark red ones. "None of that you little fuck. Why are you here? You should be at home."

Tsuna's eyes watered and he bit his lip. He wanted this Nii-san to stay. He wanted this bright man to stay with him. Everyone else punched him and called him a bastard, they called him Dame and said his Mama hated him, and then they left Tsuna. Xanxus had come back, and hadn't punched him.

Tsuna wanted to stay with Xanxus. But Tsuna also knew that Nana wouldn't like Tsuna to complain to a stranger.

"Mama left and I was bored." Tsuna admitted finally.

Xanxus just growled and ruffled the boy's hair. He didn't know what happened, but soon enough Xanxus and Tsuna were swinging, Xanxus let the boy babble. It was nice to be distracted from what was to come when he returned to Italy.

It was nice to forget that he was an eleven-year-old mafia heir. It was nice to forget that he'd need to work on his rage flame and his aim in class when he returned; it was nice to remember his time on the streets before his life was so good when he was here with another boy who seemed so lost.

And that was how Xanxus spent the days. He forgot, when he was with such a grief-less child that Xanxus was there to reflect and heal. Then again, he supposed that you didn't need to actively acknowledge healing when it was happening.

On the third day, Xanxus noticed Tsuna holding his stomach and scrunching his eyes. Xanxus listened and growled when he heard the child's stomach growl.

Xanxus held out a hand, grumbling at the shocked expression. "I'm hungry, let's go get lunch."

Tsunayoshi had looked like he was going to cry, and it made Xanxus feel incredibly awkward, like he'd done something wrong. "I dun have moneys." Tsuna had almost cried then, tears welling.

Xanxus had snapped back. "You don't need any, I'm hungry. If I buy you something it's my choice."

And the smile hurt Xanxus, because Tsuna grabbed Xanxus' hand and held it like Xanxus help onto hope when he had been adopted by the Ninth.

Enrico looked over his slumbering little brother and frowned. He and his brothers had felt it the first night, but now almost two weeks later, the change in Xanxus' flames could not be politely avoided.

He had an affinity for rage-sky flames, and at eleven they were potent and dangerous. The brothers had taken it upon themselves –as soon as Xanxus was brought home, as soon as their mothers called him her own, as soon as they synchronized in a damning way –to look after him. To teach him about those flames, and watch out for the day they changed from having an affinity to, to being rage.

Federico sat beside Xanxus and ran a hand through his hair. It was the brothers' pride to know that they were the only people who could sit next to a sleeping Xanxus without being immediately attacked. Their mother had been the only exception.

"Little brother," Federico hummed, and Xanxus rolled over and pressed his nose and forehead into the mousy-haired man's thigh. He grumbled about being too early, but soothed and started to wake when Federico continued to ruffle his thick back hair. "we want to meet your little sky."

Xanxus stiffened and then he groaned and sat up. "Should've fucking known." Enrico growled about language but Xanxus ignored him, flipped him the bird and stood to shower. "Alright, we'll go see Tsunayoshi today. He's always in the same place anyways.

The three elder Vongolas had been bemused when Xanxus had lead them to a park. They'd been amused when he stalked towards the swings with practiced comfort. They'd been cackling when the adults and children all around the place had scattered like rats from a ship when he'd looked around.

"You're such a charmer, Xany." Federico chuckled as he took a seat beside Xanxus.

"Fuck if I can help it." Xanxus pouted, looking as young as he was for a moment. "These Japs are just fucking wimps when anything different comes around."

About an hour later, Xanxus stood up to stretch when a little dark blur had assaulted his legs. The blur was laughing and giggling. But that wasn't the most surprising thing. It was the fact that Xanxus hadn't gone on the offensive.

Enrico hadn't gotten a good look at the little blur when it had tackled Xanxus' legs. He had been too amused by the exasperated expression on Xanxus' face (So much like Massimo when Federico was young) to concentrate.

"Xan-nii! You're back, I was with ant-sans again and-." And the voice cut off and Tsunayoshi immediately hunkered down behind Xanxus' hip. His eyes were narrowed, and Federico (who was watching from Enrico's shoulder) lost his breathe when a flash of gold entered those big brown eyes. "Who are they, Xan-nii."

Massimo laughed and teased Xanxus in Italian before crouching before Tsuna –far enough away to be comfortable, but close enough to be inviting – he smiled that big oaf-like smile that made his green eyes sparkle. He was big and intimidating, and he could see the surprise and slight-fear of the unknown in his eyes, "Hello baby," Massimo hummed. "I am Massimo. You've taken a liking to my brother I can see."

Tsuna's eyes looked to Xanxus and the man sighed before shoving Tsuna forward with his knee. "This is my Massimo-nii," Xanxus stressed, feeling awkward with the term of address. "He is safe."

And like that Tsunayoshi smiled and threw himself at Massimo. He was big and arm and Tsuna felt safe.

However, like Xanxus before him. As soon as Massimo has skin contact with the three-year-old he blanked. It was only Enrico's quick thinking that caught the large man as he blacked out. He dropped Tsuna and almost fell.

Enrico gasped then as he watched on and, in sheer distress, Tsunayoshi burst into flames. Sobbing and backing away. He cried and cried. He apologized, and it was only Xanxus catching his shoulder that stopped the child from bolting.

He hadn't seen it before. The child was so different, so young. But suddenly, as the Sky flames disappeared and Xanxus awkwardly held Tsunayoshi and calmed him, Enrico saw it. Federico did too as Massimo was pulled from his flame-drunkenness.

"Is that Primo?!" Federico whispered in awe and fear.

Xanxus stiffened and his eyes widened as he looked at the sobbing Tsunayoshi. "Impossible." He hissed. Not believing it, not wanting to believe that this civilian child had any connection to the mafia. Not believing that fate had been cruel enough to bring Tsuna to the Vongola brothers.

"Not 'mpossible." Massimo muttered, using Enrico's shoulder to steady himself. His pupils were blown wide and he could taste flames on his tongues. Pure flames, sky flames. His head snapped to Xanxus and both men were suddenly aware of each other's flames in a whole new light.

They were suddenly aware of Tsuna's, even as the child dropped off in exhaustion in Xanxus' arms.

"Doesn't Iemitsu have a child, about…three….years…old?" Federico's voice grew less light as he went on. His tone kept dropping off until he was almost growling.

Of course they boys knew what this meant. Xanxus hadn't hidden anything from his two weeks. He told them about feeding the child, about him being alone. Xanxus told them how much like himself the child was. He even told them about the bruises the child wore. Some were from trips, Xanxus saw the differences, and the ones that were inflicted by others.

"Young Lion hasn't recorded these flames." Enrico growled. "He didn't even set up any avenues to train the boy, or protect him."

"He knows how precious a sky is." Federico was seething. "This is his only child. When was the last time he left?!"

Federico continued to seethe, and Xanxus watched a sky flames sparkled in the air and Federico was forced to pace out his frustrations. Xanxus' arms tightened around Tsuna, and the drowsy boy clutched at the feathers in his hair.

"M' sorry, Nii-sans." Tsuna sounded so sorry too, like he was going to cry again. "Don't be angry. Don't leave."

The next day Federico had held Tsuna when the boy fell asleep in the middle of play. He hadn't blacked out so much as glowed with a feral orange light. Xanxus had been surprised that no one had called the fire-department, and when Federico had come out of the haze his eyes were burnt golden, the green all but banished. He'd held Tsunayoshi tight and vicious for hours afterwards.

"His little sky is so big." He'd whispered as they played and ate sandwiches that afternoon.

Xanxus had to agree. Though he had known that the minute he hadn't bunted the child across the park when they first met.

Tsuna had grabbed Enrico's hand the next day when the group of five went walking through a different park, three days after meeting Tsuna. The boy's hand only wrapped around three of Enrico's fingers, but the rush that followed had been violent enough that Xanxus was on his knees, half upright only my Massimo's giant strength.

Something clicked, and the sensation of wholeness and awareness had washed through all the brothers.

Tsuna had complained of a headache and Enrico hadn't let the boy go for even a moment the rest of the day.

Every evening, Tsuna would leave by himself, smiling sadly and waving them away.

The day the brothers followed him, they found out that he sometimes sat outside his house alone until nightfall, when Nana would either come home, or let him in.

The first time Federico entertained the idea of kidnapping Tsuna was when the boy brought him a flower. It was pretty and orange and Tsuna handled it with such care. Federico had later pressed it into a book, but the thought was there in his head, that Tsuna could be their son, and no one would ever need to know he wasn't.

He had enough of his colouring, and definitely Vongola blood to be passed off as a cousin they'd adopted.

No one would have to know, and those that did could be capped easily enough.

Xanxus had thought about taking the boy as soon as he'd shown signs of hyper intuition. Xanxus hadn't yet thought of a name, but before his mother had died, Xanxus had been talking to his swordsman friend about starting a squad alongside Vongola. A squad of the strongest mother-fuckers there ever were. A squad where the highest standard was maintained.

One that Xanxus would rule, and Squalo would help run.

A Squad that would value little skies with flames like lion roars.

An assassination squad that would do all and everything for their one once claimed. Regardless of politics, the family would stand together and Xanxus would ensure it.

Tsuna had been riding on Massimo's shoulders the moment the large man thought about how easy it would be to kidnap him.

Even walking through town, no one questioned the strange men carrying the local child.

No one asked what they were doing, or where they were taking him. No one asked why foreigners were talking Japanese, and why the little boy was without his mother.

His mother didn't care obviously.

Massimo thought about how strong the child was, how little he complained, how much it would cost them to leave now that they were synchronized. Massimo wondered how Xanxus and Federico (his little ones) would handle it. It was difficult even going on missions they knew would eventually end. Massimo worried about what would happen when they left Tsunayoshi for good.

He wondered what would happen to Tsuna if they left him like this.

Enrico wouldn't tell his brothers, but the moment that he had synced with Tsuna was the moment he was sure he'd find a way to gain custody of the child.

He'd find a way, he'd exploit Iemitsu or Nana somehow. He'd force his father to give Iemitsu the order, he'd bed.

Enrico knew without a shadow of a doubt that Tsuna belonged with them, deserved better than he had. He deserved to be spoilt as a mafia prince. He deserved to be trained by the best, to lean about Primo, and his flames, and what it mean to truly be a sky.

Each night they left Tsunayoshi in that park (hoping in their minds that their link would fade so Tsunayoshi could remain a civilian and not a mafia prince) Enrico thought about just not letting go.

He didn't want to let go of his boy now. Not when Tsunayoshi clung to his neck and rode on his shoulders, and trusted him so wholly in a way that made Enrico feel unworthy.

Enrico cleaned his guns every night imagining how liberating it would feel to put a round between Nana's eyes and Iemitsu's thighs.

He wondered what it would be like to scratch Sawada from the registry and add a Vongola to the house.

The one time that the brothers had seen Tsunayoshi's mother they'd very nearly gone on a rampage.

She'd walked by the park by sheer coincidence, just as the brothers were leaving. She had been smiling until she spied Tsuna playing in the dirt. Her face had twisted, and she had searched for others. When she saw her son was alone her voice had been harsh. "Tsunayoshi Sawada!" She'd snapped, and the little boy had whirled around so fast he'd fallen over. "What do you think you're doing? You're all dirty."

She'd grabbed his arm and he'd looked so sad. "I was playing, mama." He'd insisted. "I was playing with Nii-sans."

Nana hadn't batted an eye, she'd brushed Tsuna's hands and body off –roughly too, the child had frowned the entire time. She had grabbed his hand and dragged him away, scowling. "You're such a useless boy. There's no one there, you're making people up again. Now come on. You need a bath before dinner."

Federico had nearly gone off in a blind rage. But the brothers kept reminding themselves that Tsuna wasn't actually theirs. They couldn't start a war by killing the CEDEF's wife off and taking his son. It'd be mutiny, it'd be seen as them procuring the final heir so they couldn't be overturned.

But it would have been so much more than that.

Six months passed in a blink of an eyes and the weather grew cold.

The boys had spent too long in Japan.

They knew it the moment they woke up on a chilly October morning that they had to go home. Not only had they left their father during an emotionally trying time, but they had their own squads and families to run.

It didn't matter that they'd been doing their paperwork, or that Xanxus had kept up with school work. They needed to reconcile with their distressed father, they needed good Italian food and fresh Italian language.

They couldn't stay longer, and their only thoughts were on the young child they'd befriended and claimed as their own who seemed to live in the park at the edge of the town.

They'd taken Tsuna for a walk when they told him. The brothers had taken turns to carry him, and Tsuna must have known, because he clung to each one extra tight. The brothers suspected –that with his flames released –Tsunayoshi had stellar hyper intuition bursting out to interact with everything bursting out to interact with everything, though they couldn't be sure of course.

"We're going back to Italy, little sky." Enrico's chest had rumbled with emotion, and Tsuna could feel it in the hot place in his chest where the fire his Nii-sans talked about came from. He was standing in front of them, looking between them with a sight that just for blurrier every second.

Tears welled before the words could form. "Leaving? No. No. Please. No!" Tsuna ran at Xanxus, clinging to the young boy's waist. Xanxus shifted, discomforted by the child's distress.

Federico's nose wrinkled in distaste. A foul thickness clung to his tongue when Tsuna started crying. "We have to leave, sweetling." Federico sounded broken with distress. "Would you come with us, if we asked? You'd have to leave your Mama, and never see your Father again."

The question was serious in a way that burnt through Tsuna. He would have cried in shock if he hadn't been so used to it by now. It was a warm burn and not a not one. It was the burn of big decisions and goof things. Not like when nana lied to him, or forgot about him. So, like his Nii-sans, Tsuna was honest. "I don't want to be alone anymore." And that alone was enough. Xanxus felt those young flames burst open, and his rage-flames latched back. "My Mama doesn't care. I dun need her. Oto is never here."

"We're saving him, right fratello?" Xanxus looked unsure, the aggression in his tone soothed as the little three year old clung to him.

Federico took Tsuna unto his arms and settled him on his hip. It was awkward for but a moment. He looked to Massimo, the man's face was set and stern. "It'll be a fight, Young Lion won't give up his brood easily." And the red-haired man looked to Enrico whose face was stone.

"He will fold to us." Enrico declared. Then his face softened and he cupped Tsuna's baby face. He placed a kiss onto the child's forehead. "You are with us now and forever, our little sky. Remember that."

And Tsuna smiled so brilliantly, clinging to a handful of Federico's hair, and to the fingers on the hand that held his face. It was enough of an answer to strengthen the wall of flames the boys had already unconsciously built around the child.

It must have been mother's intuition. Nana must have sensed the snap of Tsuna's love breaking away from here that evening, because for a moment, as she was cooking dinner, cold fear burnt through the woman.

She dropped the glass-pot lid and turned the oven down. She didn't even mind the shattered glass on the floor as a foul taste swept her tongue.

"Tsu-kun!" She called, lightly into the house.

There was no answer.

She called again, louder, angry. There was still no reply.

She wiped her hands on her apron and stalked upstairs. Surely her son couldn't sleep that heavily.

Except when she opened the door he was not there either.

Cold dread pooled in Nana's stomach and she sprinted down the stairs. Her front door was thrown open with a loud bang that rattled the upstairs windows and her eyes tore apart the street.

"Tsuna! Dinner's ready, come out now."

No reply, no sound. Not a single child was in the street.

When did it get so late?!

Nana streaked into the street.

Where is he? Where did I leave him? Where did he go?

She screamed into the night. She sprinted around the town. She fell in the park where Tsuna liked to play.

Where did he go? What have I done?

"Tsunayoshi! Its mama, come out." Her voice was growing hoarse and the tears burnt. "Mama will be mad if you keep hiding, Tsunayoshi. Come out this instant!"

But there was no reply, and Nan collapsed where she stood and screeched as if her son would hear.

It took her all too long to call the police, and it was only her hysterical crying about her young son being missing that made them come over so soon.

The pair of young men questioned the woman, settled her in the kitchen and tried to calm her down. They didn't have a clear picture at all, no time line and no clue as to where on earth the child could be. That is until they asked two pivotal questions.

"Where did you last see Tsunayoshi-kun, Sawada-san?" The young man asked, he pitied this woman, his own son was only just six months and he couldn't imagine going through this. "When did you figure out he was missing?"

Most parents waited a few hours, trying to find their child themselves before calling it in afterwards.

Nana was almost hysterical again, but the older officer tried to calm her. "I don't know. I left him in the park when I went to do errands. He was there this morning." She babbled.

The officers stiffened, the older one pulling back as his face twisted. "Wait, you left your boy in the park? When did you pick him up? What time did you figure out he was missing?"

Nana just grew wide eyed. "I don't know. I was making dinner, and I couldn't find him. I didn't pick him up and he wasn't at the park. Where's my Tsu-kun? You have to help me find him! He's only three. He turns four soon. He has to come home for his birthday. He has to!"

The officers exchanged glances, the one in very open disgusted, and his partner had to agree. The woman didn't know where she had left her son? They weren't surprised he was missing.

"I'm sorry Ma'am. But do you have a recent picture of Tsunayoshi-kun? We'll need to get the alert out as soon as possible to increase the chance of finding him."

It was early afternoon in Italy when Iemitsu's emergency line rang. He froze with confusion, his gut turning icy before he had the phone to his ear and Oregano running off to book him a flight to Japan.

"Nana, darling, what's wrong? You never call me here."

Screams were all that Iemitsu heard for a moment. Wet sobs and screeches of 'police search' and \im so sorry' and mostly 'what do I do'.

As Iemitsu threw himself into the car he very nearly shot the driver when he started small talk and chatter.

"What the fuck do you mean, Tsunayoshi's missing?!" Iemitsu's voice grew grave and Nana started hysterically screaming again into the phone. He could only kiss his teeth as the driver sped to the airport. Ninth be damned, Iemitsu needed to get home now. "I'll be home soon, Darling. I'll get our baby back, don't worry."

The next call that Iemitsu made was to the Japanese Police precinct. He'd pull all the strings he could. Not only was his young son now missing, but an heir to Vongola too. The first of Primo's line not tied to the mafia in some three hundred years. Iemitsu had to get him back and he'd throw his weight around to do so.

When the CEDEF head arrived home, he bypassed his sobbing wife, shoving her into the kitchen with a curt 'make yourself a tea and calm down' before he sped to Tsunayoshi's room.

He was out of practice, but Iemitsu let his flames boil over, spreading through the room. He could scent his progeny's flames here, he could find a trail to his boy. His synthesis wasn't perfect, but he'd force it to work now.

The man stalked downstairs to his wife, eyeing up her distress, her haggard face. She was exhausted, he could see. Their house didn't even feel like their own anymore. Police sat scattered around, instruments and coffee cups lying around as if this was the precinct. It made Iemitsu sick to see so many police here.

But it was worth the slight discomfort if their boy was found.

"Where have you searched!?" Iemitsu roared at the man in charge. Though the young officer flinched back he told Iemitsu everywhere they had looked. Iemitsu sniffed; they weren't too stupid at least.

"Where did you leave him?" Iemitsu tried not to snarl, but he did. His hyper intuition burning with the knowledge that Nana had left their son unaccompanied for so long. Their baby boy.

"The park. He liked it there. Said his imaginary friends always met him there."

And without a second thought, Iemitsu was out, stalking Namimori. Vongola's were very good at one thing, and that was differentiating between truth and fiction. It was unlikely that what Tsuna played with in the park were actually imaginary friends.

Some sick bastards had gotten friendly with Tsuna before they stole him.

Federico was humming a soft song as they took Tsunayoshi into a quaint little sushi shop at the edge of town the next day. Tsuna had stayed with them that night, he'd worn one of their shirts, and asked if he wanted any of his things from his house. He'd said no, and that he didn't have many toys. The brothers had promised to buy him so many when they got home that he'd need an entirely spate toy room for them.

The prospect had seemed to both delight and shock Tsuna. Though the only thing that he had asked for specifically was a stuffed animal the shape of a lion.

By the time the group of five had rolled up to dinner, Tsunayoshi was almost asleep, though he perked up when he saw where they were going.

Enrico wasn't worried about feeding the child here. Though he would avoid giving the child raw fish. He looked under fed, the last thing the eldest boy needed was their child getting sick because he ate something too tough for his digestion when he was so ill.

Tsuyoshi came around the counter. He smiled just as Enrico took Tsuna and put him in the booth beside him. Federico, Massimo and Xanxus took the bench opposite them. "Good evening, welcome to Taka-sushi. Can I get you drinks and take your order?"

A pleasant, diplomatic smile spread across Enrico's face, brightening his dark eyes. "We'll take a number three platter, and something easier on the tummy for my son here."

He patted Tsuna's head, and the little boy smiled shyly at the sushi man. "Water please."

Tsuyoshi smiled at the little one. He reminded the young chef of his own little one sleeping with his mother upstairs. "Of course you can, little man." Tsuyoshi grinned. The other men gave their orders (Xanxus scowled because he couldn't order Sake like his brothers) and left. "I'll be right back with your orders."

Tsunayoshi looked around. "Where is home?" He asked as clung to Enrico's hand. He had been here before, though Nana had never ordered him anything. It was strange in the shop, very different. It made Tsuna uncomfortable. He was glad the other men were here.

Xanxus chuckled. "You're coming with us and you don't know where, brat?" His tone was light though and he leant over to ruffle the brown hair. He knew of all the brothers that this child sucked up physical contact more than he did good food. "We live in Italy."

"Oh." Tsuna agreed, though of course he didn't know where that was. "I want to go home. But I don't know how to go there. I only knows how get in the car." Suddenly Tsuna gasped, his new family could only blink in confusion, not really understanding where the child was going with his thoughts. "I don't know your special words!"

Massimo blinked owlishly before chuckling. "Do you mean Italian, our child?" Massimo switched to Italian and watched as Tsuna's eyes widened with wonder.

He clapped and started babbling about magical words and asking Federico and Xanxus if they could use them too. Both young men just laughed loudly and started talking to their young child in Italian.

Enrico could only look on with soft eyes and a deep adoration. It had been a long time since he'd seen his brothers like this. He wondered if it was the fact that Tsuna was a synchronised sky, or whether the four brothers had simply needed another little sky to be complete.

Vongola blood was strange like that.

"Can you use speci'l words also?!" Tsuna's eyes were glittering as he watched Enrico.

"I do, sweet little sky." Enrico hummed, and he leant down to kills Tsuna's forehead. "Welcome to out famiglia, we love you already." And Enrico couldn't get over how true the statement was. The way his flames bucked as his brothers heard the words told him they agreed.

Tsuyoshi came back with a platter of sushi and a smaller bowl of rice and shredded-cooked rice and other such things. "Oh! My fav-rite!" Tsuna squealed as he reached for the bowl. Enrico helped him before smiling indulgently. "What do we say, Tsu?"

Tsuna blinked up at the brown-haired boy before turning shyly to Tsuyoshi. "Thank you. Is my favourite."

Warmth filled Tsuyoshi at the other's sweet manners. "That's alright. You should thank you're Otou-san. It's awfully good of him to bring you here for dinner, hmm little one?" Tsuyoshi chuckled good-naturedly though he pretended not to notice the way the boy's uncles (they looked like the elder man's brothers at least) stiffened suddenly.

Enrico stiffened too, and he couldn't help but watch Tsunayoshi. Hoping the boy didn't cry, or say the wrong thing. Enrico didn't like killing innocent locals.

But they wouldn't give Tsunayoshi up, and they didn't want to fight to bring him home.

Gold flashed in Tsuna's eyes as he sank into Enrico's side, smiling softly. "Otou-san loves Tsu!-kun." The four young skies purred at the response. There was no other proof they needed that Tsuna was a Vongola blood with intuition bursting to be used.

It had been hours. Iemitsu has scoured the city. He'd killed three drug addicts and four yakuza already for holding him up and being less than useless, and his blood lust hadn't been sated and iota. Iemitsu seethed, practically frothing at the bit.

He could feel Tsuna's flames simmering around the area. He knew his progeny was here. Iemitsu's eyes were wild in the dimming light. They were topaz in the dying sun as his dying will flames broached the border between physical manifestation and dormancy.

"Come, Tsunayoshi. Let's get you to bed." The voice was painfully familiar, as was the whining that followed.

"But I'm not tired!" was giggled, happy. Unafraid.

Iemitsu sped around the corner. He crashed into garbage cans, they tipped and smashed to the ground. A startled cry sounded from a young boy in the alley way, obviously startled by the loud, sudden sound. Iemitsu didn't care about his lack of grace, because his flames immediately burst into life. He would slaughter whoever had taken his son from him.

Iemitsu had expected mafia, why else would Tsunayoshi be taken if not for ransom or experimentation? Except, as Iemitsu's flames were snuffed out by a pressure far bigger than his own, he did not expect to meet the eyes of the youngest of the Ninth's boys.

Xanxus was scowling at Iemitsu. Red eyes enraged, and body tenses for a fight. His hands were on the guns he had built just a year ago, and Iemitsu could see the resolve of a protector in his eyes.

Iemitsu stared. Eyes wide, pupils blown wide too. "That's my son."

Dark green eyes met his and a head of dark brown hair. The voice was impassive, dismissive. "It is."

"Why do you have him?" Iemitsu's voice was raising slowly, growing stronger and angrier as he looked at Tsunayoshi in the arms of the mousey-haired Federico.

"He's ours now, Iemitsu." Massimo grumbled as he watched the CEDEF head with distrust. "You couldn't possibly raise him properly while you were in Italy, and your pathetic wife couldn't do it herself."

"You can't just take my son!" Iemitsu stepped forward, eyes blazing. "What will I tell my wife? That I let some spoilt mafia princes take our son as a toy? Fuck that boys. A child if not a commodity. You can't get bored with him later."

That was the wrong thing to say, because Massimo strode forward, his entire muscular body coiled into a deadly spring. "Boys? You dare to throw that around, Young Lion. As I see it, Enrico is your equal, and you dare call us boys?"

Enrico moved forward then, and like magnets and planets with set courses that changed as another moved into place, Massimo took up his place stalking around Federico. "He's right, Iemitsu. At CEDEF you may be head, but you forget that I am your superior. You call me boy again, you dare to tell me what I can or can't do again and I'll end you." Enrico's voice was rich. "Tsunayoshi e il nostro."

"Tell your whore that he's dead. Tell her you found the body, I don't give a fuck." Federico seethed, his arms tightened around Tsuna and the child's eyes widened with concern. He pat Federico's cheeks and soothed the man. Though soon enough Enrico's red eyes were on Iemitsu again, and they swirled with his mixed flames. "Tsunayoshi is ours now and you will not so much as touch him ever again."

Tsuna looked over at Iemitsu, and the Young Lion saw, for the first time, the fear in Tsuna's eyes. Fear of Iemitsu. Fear of a stranger. It hit Iemitsu like a punch in the gut, and he stumbled back. Away from those accusing eyes. Away from eyes that looked at the Brothers like they were more than Iemitsu would ever be.

Iemitsu was flailing, watching as Federico rocked his baby with a startling ease and naturalness. Xanxus and Massimo stood beside him, arms crossed over their chests. They were sentinels, Iemitsu could already see the sheer strategy whirring in their minds.

Already these boys had taken Tsuna as their child, already they had assimilated his flames as their own.

Xanxus knew, without a doubt that these men were already reacting to Tsunayoshi's presence as they would their own children.

Vongola blood was so potent and poisonous. So attuned to the blood of its blood. Iemitsu had felt the gut-churning, flash of pain when his own was hurt before when Tsunayoshi was a true baby. He thought that only blood could do that, only a child birthed of your blood.

But Iemitsu could see it, even in young Xanxus. The way their eyes suddenly aged. The way they moved as Tsuna dropped off to sleep.

Vongola blood had called to Vongola blood, and it'd decided that Iemitsu was unworthy.

That seemed to spur Enrico on though. His eyes became gold as he stalked towards Iemitsu. Iemitsu could hear the rumble of a roar in his tone as he slid a gun into his hands. The movement was smooth and sexy, strong and sure.

Iemitsu didn't realise he was backed into a corner until he felt the younger man's forearm pressed into his throat.

Iemitsu didn't realise he had given up until those golden eyes that swirled too close to his own made him look away. He looked away from them all. He looked away from his son- from Tsunayoshi.

"Good boy." Enrico purred as he pressed his forearm forward, choking Iemitsu. His gun was pressed to Iemitsu's crotch, unforgiving as the young man purred. "If you continue being good, I won't have to castrate you with a bullet. If you're really incredibly good boy I might even let you see Tsunayoshi one day."

Though Iemitsu knew, from the look on Federico's face, that he'd have to work extremely hard to get that privilege back. Iemitsu didn't think he'd ever be able to handle Tsuna calling someone else father though.

The last thing that Iemitsu did before the brothers went back to Italy, and before he went back to his wife was sign some papers.

Death certificates forged with precision. Birth certificates obscured and twisted.

Papers that gave over his rights of Tsuna, and in fact made sure that Tsunayoshi Sawada never existed at all.

Iemitsu arrived at the hotel with Tsunayoshi Sawada, and left the brothers with their adopted-son Tsunayoshi Vongola.

Iemitsu looks at his wife, she was red eyes and stressed out. Every line in her body was tensed with fear and grief. She doesn't want to believe that Tsunayoshi is dead, but Iemitsu has to wonder, even as horrible the feeling is, what would have happened to his dear boy if he had been left alone with Nana.

What would have happened to Tsuna if Xanxus, Federico, Massimo, and Enrico hadn't have found him now.

How could Nana grieve so much now, when she couldn't even love Tsunayoshi enough to care for him wholly when he was in her care?

Still, Iemitsu remembered the threat over his head. He knew that he would be killed if he continued to pursue his son. If he tried to take Tsunayoshi back from the Vongola Brothers he would die at their hand, even as it was he'd never see his boy again.

So Iemitsu walked forward and sat with his wife. He held her hands and put on the face he used when he told his subordinate's families that their loved one had died in active duty. He put on that fake concern, with crocodile tears; the face of someone who had seen too much dead (caused too much) to care much anymore.

"Honey," Iemitsu started, voice gravelly. "They found Tsunayoshi."

That stirred the listless woman, her eyes got big, and even though her voice started wobbling with realisation of where the conversation was going, she still stood as if to leave. "Then why aren't we going to pick him up? Tsu-kun must be so scared!" her voice grew higher, the tone shrill. "Iemitsu, why are you sitting?!"

Iemitsu just let the tears fall, tears he'd built up for this. "He's not coming back, dear." He rattled his voice. "He isn't waiting anywhere for us."

"No." Nana froze, voice cold and solid. "You're lying. You want to give up! How could you?" She accused, fists starting to swing around wildly. "He's our boy! How could you give up looking for him? He must be lost and scared and alone. He's in danger, Iemitsu!"

How wrong you are, Iemitsu thought, he's safer where he is than he ever was with us.

Iemitsu just sighed through his nose. "He's not coming home, Nana. Our boy is dead."

Iemitsu watched the woman crumble. He frowned as she screamed and sobbed and refused to believe that their son was gone. She might not know that he was alive and well, but she was right. He was gone.

Iemitsu thought about the statistic about divorce after the loss of a child; how all the books said that not pinning the blame was the way to work through these matters. How blaming one party just forced space between them.

Iemitsu couldn't help but wonder if they would be one of the ninety-percent. Because no matter how wrong he knew it was, after all he hadn't been home to see to it and right the wrongness of the situation, Iemitsu couldn't help it; he couldn't help but pin the blame somewhere.

After all, Nana was the reason they had lost their son.

"Tsunayoshi e il nostro." – Roughly translated to 'Tsunayoshi is ours' I believe.

So there you have it. A weird fic that is soooo satisfying to me for some reason. Hope you enjoyed. Drop a review and I may do a few drabbles about Tsuna's life with his new fathers and brother.