Hello my lovely readers~

Thank you for your patience.

To all the reviewers, know that I really do love every word you guys wrote, even the simplest one... they make me feel fluffy and all.

I should mention here that I do curse... a lot, more so in real life. So I will warn that my stories will have some curses n stuff. Naughty me, I'll try to tone it down, but its just, idk relief stress or some shit. Woops there it goes. I wonder if this is still acceptable as rated T...

Without further a do, please enjoy the chapter~

Disclaimer: KHR is not mine.

Chapter 1

His New Charge

Reborn stood in front of his threshold, seconds after closing the door of one of his many living quarters, his mind blank from any notion, seemingly unable to accept the situation he is in. For once in his life, Reborn, the so called 'Greatest Hitman in the World' has willingly brought a child into his house. The concept presents itself as a foreign picture which made his conscience scream at the absurdity.

As if in a trance, he saunters to the black cubicle sofa upon the living room, threw out the documents from his inner jacket pocket to the low table top with one hand, and proceed to slump against the firm cushions. His tense posture slowly meld with the rigid furniture, relaxing his sore muscles, and slightly loosen the grip on the bundle allowing it to lean on him and vice versa enabling his hand to drape over the small form.

Reborn tilts his head back just enough to touch his neck to the spine of the couch and let out a deep sigh. He could vividly perceive the cold leather on his skin as he gaze up at the wooden ceiling. The boards though rustic had been polished to perfection, granting a lavish touch while still retaining the simple ambience of nature.

The endless sea of grooves creates a profile for each plank, making every one of them unique. Reborn for most of the time would not spare a glance at such detail, he rarely stays in one abode long enough to record these trivial features but, at the moment, he has unknowingly been trying to distract himself.

A shift on his side prompted Reborn to lift his arm. He slid his pupils upon the bundle, just in time to watch the green cloth recede into the form of a chameleon. The green reptile proudly stood atop the child's head as if he had saved the helpless creature.

Reborn could only breathe out a sigh at his partner's antics. This had happened before, with a small bird that got trapped in a crate, just this time it's a kid from a child trafficking ring. Releasing another sigh, Reborn fixed his posture and took a better look at the temporary addition to his domain.

The child was looking down towards the floor, from his angle Reborn could only see the semi-fluffy brown hair. He suppose the hair would look much more winsome when cleaned properly.

The child was unusually tense, white knuckles gripped tightly into a fist and placed neatly atop blanketed thighs. Reborn had to admit that the kid has guts, not a lot of people, especially kids, could handle his scrutiny, albeit it does look like the kid was ready to urinate, at least there are no irksome bawling that would've come from any other child in such a situation. Bone like arms made Reborn wonder how long the kid was left to starve. The emaciated frame made it hard for Reborn to tell the age, he can't even tell if the child is a girl or a boy. If not for the rags, which one could say was akin to a potato sack with crudely made slits for the head and arms, perhaps Reborn could see the extent of the child's misfortunate condition.

Dirt and grime covered everything from head to toe and the sight seemed to flick a switch in Reborn's brain, informing him to the presence of the rather putrid stench which emanates from the kid. The organization probably didn't care about the hygiene of their goods, unless it was close to show casing time or when a potential customer took an interest and was willing to buy. Reborn didn't even want to think of how long ago the child received a proper shower.

Repulsed by the filth, Reborn stood up and stared for another minute.

"Follow"

Issuing the curt command Reborn turned around and began walking, paying little attention to the subtle flinch from the kid.

The soft patter of small feet soon echoes his footsteps. It was rushed, full of anxiety, and from some brief scuffles he heard, the kid stumbled a few times along the way.

Reaching the bathroom Reborn switched on the lights, plug the tub, and turned on the hot water in one swift move. Taking off his suit jacket, he hanged it behind the door, at the same time closing the door after the kid entered, to keep the cool breeze from intruding.

Turning around, he sees the kid pressed to the basin counter. Body stiff and unmoving. The kid stared at Reborn with empty big brown eyes. Eyes which were much too blank for a child. The two regarded each other in silence, the only sound coming from the running faucet. Breaking out of the stare, Reborn moved and lifted the toilet lid.

"Go"

The kid slowly shuffles towards the toilet as Reborn turned back towards the tub.

Reborn rolled up the sleeves of his white dress shirt and checked the water. Switching to cold water, Reborn swishes his hand in the water feeling around until the temperature was just right. As the water adjusted sufficiently he heard the toilet flush. Turning off the tap, Reborn then situated himself on the tub's edge.

"Strip"

The kid tensed, but obeyed nonetheless. The kid fearfully shrugged off the rags exposing a small battered body. 'Oh and it's a boy, well that's one question gone' Reborn mused. Bruises and cuts littered the frail frame, some are healing while a few were infected. The only good news was that the boy didn't look like a bag of bones. He can see some of the ribs protruding, but at least it's not just skin stretched over bones kind of emaciated. At most there are still baby fat clinging on the boy.

Reborn stood abruptly, startling the kid into pressing his back to the wall. Not paying any mind to the cowering child, Reborn went over to the mirror and wedge a finger to a small hollow at its edge. The reflective surface slid sideways to reveal a shelf packed with all sorts of bottles, if one look closely enough there was actually another barely visible crevice beside the hollow to open the mirror. Reborn took out a small plastic bottle with the word 'Antiseptic' bolded in red, printed above a drizzle of small warnings in black.

Pushing the mirror back into place, Reborn walked back towards the tub and uncapped the bottle. As Reborn poured some of the liquid to the cap the child slowly shuffles towards the tub's edge. Peering into the tub, the child watched as the brownish liquid plunge into the water and dissipate, leaving no trace of the substance having been in the water at all.

Reborn put away the bottle, giving Leon, whom have been observing from the sink counter, a brief pat. The child was still gazing at the water like in a trance, it was not until the fleeting appearance of a small pink tongue over chapped lips was Reborn informed of the real cause of the child's plight.

Taking an unused glass cup from the sink counter, Reborn filled it up with tap water and held it in front of the child. Unfocused eyes suddenly lock into the cup, his small hands dart towards it, but they halted mere centimeters from the object, hesitating. Sighing, Reborn closed the short distance and waited for the child to hold it.

Uncertain hands slowly grasped the cup, Reborn let go of the glass and immediately after, the child guzzled the water almost choking along the way. The cup now empty, a shy glance made its way towards Reborn eliciting a raised eyebrow from him. Reborn took the cup, filled it again, and gave it back to the child. The child ducked his head in return and proceed to empty the cup again, ending with a satisfied "puah".

Reborn pluck the cup from the slack grip of the child and put it on the counter, now that the child is quenched there should be no risk of the child trying to drink the medicated bath tub water.

"Hie-" The child let out a short-lived squeal, before he clamped his mouth shut from his own accord, as Reborn lifts him up by the pits.

The child thrashed weakly in Reborn's grip, flinched as the water touched his skin, and then obediently folded his legs as he settled in the water. Sitting cross-legged in the tub, the child clenched and unclenched his fists in the waist high water, uncertain yet curious of the new environment.

Leon made his way to the tub's edge with a washcloth clamped between his jaws. Reborn settled himself beside the tub and took the cloth from his partner. Soaking the cloth in the medicinal water, he then wiped the kid all over. The child frequently winces as the cloth passed some of his wounds, curiously enough he didn't cry out at the pain. It's not like Reborn could do anything about it either, those exposed cuts needed to be disinfected. He wouldn't want the child to develop sepsis*, that would lead to more inconveniences for him to handle.

By the time the child was thoroughly drenched, the stagnating water had turned murky. It took Reborn three douses to make the kid clean enough for him to work with. Now that the kid seems to be somewhat free of grime, Reborn puts away the cloth and lit his palms with sun flames. Working his way from the child's back, the warmth encases each injury and steadily fixes the broken cells, stitching back torn skin, and forming new cells to counter the damages. The nasty purple bruises fades into a mere yellowish brown, just a couple of shades away from the child's actual skin tone.

It looks like Reborn had grown to be a little bit sympathetic towards the child. He could have easily just lather the kid with body wash and heal him later, however his mind unconsciously re-routed his mind set to provide a gentler approach to clean the child. This would cause the least pain for the child, it also avoids further irritations on the wounds.

What a peculiar course of action had the child incite him to take. As Reborn mused on this dawning realization, the child looks in wonder at the miracle occurring right in front of his eyes. This seemingly dangerous fire is healing his wounds. The child will from this day onwards infer to them as a warm glow that makes him feel better, never again will they be categorized as harmful. The child incessantly kept his eyes glued to the golden radiance as they travel from gashes to bruises to simple cuts, leaving a trail of flushed vigor.

Those big brown eyes couldn't hide the disappointment he felt as the flame extinguished. Not noticing the child's inner turmoil, Reborn took some shampoo onto his palms and massaged them through the child's limp locks. It has a slight coffee smell, which doesn't really suit the child, but all of the available toiletries were supposedly only for his use. It wouldn't really make sense if Reborn had a strawberry smelling shampoo in his abode. After finishing with the hair, Reborn used a slightly minty soap for the rest of the body.

Turning on the shower head, the suds were washed away leaving a clean child behind. Reborn pulled the plug of the drain to finally be rid of the turbid water, as the water swirls into oblivion he starts another session of lather and rinse, it really doesn't hurt to make sure the child is extra clean. Done with the last rinse, Reborn took out the child and gave the tub a brief spray over to dislodge any residual dirt.

Leon was once again ready by the counter with a towel this time. Crudely drying the child, Reborn left the towel wrapped securely around the child and went out of the bathroom. Leon guided the child to where Reborn was looking over the meager amount of clothing in his closet. The child waddled towards Reborn and bumped onto his leg. A hand shot out to steady the child before he fell, though the man himself was still assessing the possible choice of clothing he could lend the child.

It wasn't like Reborn had much off days, so there wasn't really any shirts present. He also doesn't use this abode very much, only for certain missions that requires some time and maybe a base of operations close by. At most there are a few variations of dress shirts to change into and other basic change of suits and inner wear. There's a tank top Reborn used when working out once and he left it here, but that wouldn't cover the child's arms. He took the effort to clean the child, he certainly don't want the kid to catch a cold.

Guess the only option was to use one of the dress shirts. Sighing, Reborn took out a random dress shirt from the closet. It's not about the value of the dress shirts, sure all of them are of high quality and costs a lot, but Reborn could easily buy them like throwing out some spare change. It's such a hassle to buy some children's clothes later. Well he started this, so he should go through with it.

No, actually, Leon started this. But, Leon is his pet. In the end it became his responsibility either way.

Putting the dress shirt on the child, the sleeves were rolled till one fourth of their length, and a knot was made to one side of the waist part just so it won't touch the floor and give more reason for the kid to trip.

Now done with the child's hygiene Reborn went back to the low table and started to sort the documents he took from the building. The child crept into the room and peeked from behind a modern looking lamp. Reborn didn't shift his eyes towards the child at all, this gave the kid the courage to move closer to him.

Now only standing a mere four feet away, the child was able to see the documents Reborn are handling. It's all gibberish to him though. Instead, the man, Reborn, seems to be a more interesting thing for the child to watch.

The intense stare prompts Reborn to slide his pupils toward him, though his head still angled towards the documents on the table. The sudden attention causes the child to jerk back a little and he looks like a deer caught by a car's head lights, frozen in place.

Reborn fully turns his head towards the child and began to study him in more detail. Now that the dirt and grime is out of the way he could make a better judgment of the child.

His hair was by far the most eye catching. Gravity-defying locks fluffs in every direction, tempting people to feel its softness. Leon could be seen curling to and fro before settling to snooze on the silken strands in a display of pleasant to touch mane.

A rosy blush coats the child's cheeks giving a healthy tint to his complexion. His rather plump cheeks actually made Reborn think that the kid was rather cute for a second there.

The kid looks Asian. Are all Asian kids supposed to be this small though? How old is the kid? From the size, what two? He seems more mature though. Perhaps it was the harsh conditions. He understand the commands I gave him though. Not sure if he could really talk fluently. And he could walk rather we-… decently. So could be three years old. Reborn mused.

Deep sienna eyes stares back, this time they were bright enough to shine in the shadows. It kind of reminds Reborn of the espresso he drank daily, rich with reddish brown flecks. A shiver of golden light glazed those eyes for a fraction of a second and that caught Reborn off guard.

Suddenly, a loud rumble echoes throughout the room. The child's face made a tomato seems pale in comparison.

"Pfft" holding back a snort, Reborn stood up with a smirk. He walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge.

The child scurried after him, still keeping a good distance away. He couldn't look into the fridge though, as the door was blocking his view.

Reborn occasionally glanced at the child before looking at the fridge again, even moving to check the cabinets too.

The kid seems to be fed irregularly, enough to keep him alive but not enough to really give proper nutrition, and from the build, in small quantities too. It wouldn't do to just give the kid any random meal, too much and the kid might just die from the shock. He seems to be taking the water well enough, so soft and solids are back in the menu.

Same with his closet, Reborn doesn't have much in his fridge nor pantry either. So he really needs to make do with what he has.

Some canned tomatoes would provide the kid with vitamins with the least risk of giving an upset stomach. Tomatoes would go well with some spaghetti. I might as well eat something too. But, is it okay to actually give carbohydrates? Probably okay if its not too much. It'd give an energy bump too. He ponders. Ah, there's baked beans. High phosphate levels, fiber, vitamins and minerals, all in one packet. Might go well with the spaghetti too.

Reborn began to prepare the meal as the child watches.

A quarter of an hour later, two steaming meals were ready. Reborn helped the kid get onto the chair with a couple additions of cushions underneath.

Reborn was about to eat his own share when he saw the kid reach into the plate with his bare hands. Another sigh escaped his lips as he swiftly stopped the approaching hands. He just cleaned the kid and if the kid kept going he might even run out of clean clothes. Should've just made some gruel and sticked a straw into it. Reborn lamented.

Slowly pushing down the child's stiff hands. Reborn took a fork and swirled equal amounts of tomato sauce covered noodles and beans. The fork was pointed towards the child in a feeding manner. Without a hint of hesitation, the child momentarily blew the wafting heat, chomped onto the fork, pulled back and chewed with gusto before swallowing. Burnt umber orbs sparkle at Reborn, demanding for more. The sequence repeats until the plate was scraped clean.

During this process, Reborn was thrown in a loop. Why had he end up hand feeding a child in his abode? How come he even had the patience to do all this? What the heck came over him to do all this?

The child was now expectantly looking at Reborn's plate, but the child shouldn't eat more than what was given or else the increased food intake flooding his system would overload his metabolism from having small to nothing nourishment to abruptly receiving a surplus. Reborn himself has lost the appetite to eat, so he took some cling wrap and threw the plate in the fridge.

Reborn helped the child down from the chair and went back to sit on the sofa, while the child trailed and stopped beside him, opting to stand and just stare at Reborn in curiosity.

"Look… kid," Reborn started tiredly. "I'm not some saint that would just take care of you after this. At most I could find someone to get you home. So you remember your address? A landmark? Something?"

The child remains quiet.

"Your family name perhaps?"

The only thing the child did was blink.

For fuck sake is the child a mute or something. Reborn thought impatiently. No, the kid was able to emit sound before, so why no- shit.

He should have known. The kid looks exotic. Kidnapped from abroad perhaps. Plucked from his family to be sold to some pervert somewhere. It's possible. The child has a cute enough face for there to be a huge demand for someone like him.

Reborn began cycling through some phrases from various Asian languages, until one triggered a response from the child.

"Can you understand me?" As Reborn went through the Japanese language, the child perked up a bit and those chestnut eyes widened.

"…" Reborn stared at the child, waiting patiently for a response.

"A-ah yes." The child timidly replied.

So he's Japanese, Reborn considered. He did understand some of the Italian commands I issued him though.

If one thought of the words the child understood in the other language, such a person would probably be rather concerned by the child's living environment. But Reborn knew the kind of place he took the child from so it hardly bothers him.

"What's your name kid?"

"Ts-tsu is called Tsu-kun" The child stuttered.

"Your full name." Reborn clarified.

"Tsu's name is Tsuna." The child replied more confidently this time.

Reborn could only sigh at the brief response. The child was probably too young to remember his full name. The kid even still pronounces himself in third person. Would be a bigger waste of time to even ask for his exact address.

"Ok, Tsuna. Do you remember the last time you were with your parents?"

"Umnn… Tsu never s-see papa before, but Tsu was with mama l-last time." Tsuna seems to be thinking hard at this question. "People came into Tsu's house. Mama was angry. But-but, they made mama sleep on red puddle. Then, th-they take Tsu-kun into small space."

Oh, great. Reborn rolled his eyes. Looks like he has no parents. Wouldn't it be easier to just drop him in an orphanage somewhere?

"How old are you kid?"

"Tsu is three." He said while holding up four fingers.

Reborn could only stare.

"Go sit on the other sofa Tsuna."

"Ok." Tsuna trod over to the sofa opposite of Reborn, and climbed onto it. Quietly sitting himself to the corner of the rectangular furniture.

Reborn went back to look over the documents on the low table top, but a certain hard covered binder kept distracting him from his work.

Sighing, Reborn set aside the other documents and pulled the binder closer. He's been sighing a lot today, seemingly the only option to release a fraction of his frustrations.

Glancing at the child, he saw Tsuna trying hard not to doze off.

Well, maybe this would give a better insight of the kid. Reborn convinced himself and opened the cover.

*sepsis: basically some kind of infection, it mostly occurs in hospitals and stuff, but it sounds cool no?

Humnn humnn...yes. Tsuna is a boy dun dun dun. I stalled for a long time before revealing it, didn't I? heh. I was actually surprised that there wasn't much difference in the poll! The two options were equally likely! But, well, taking account of those who directly wrote their choice in the comments, it was clear as day that one of them won on a landslide.

I just finished term exams, yaay... Ok, fine... I can't hide it... I've been throwing my life in the Witcher series... and by throwing I'm even stomping on my studies and basically letting go of my entire future, hahacry.

Reviews are always appreciated.