Chapter Text
It had been about a week since Primo’s talk with Timoteo and Iemitsu. Currently, Giotto was with other Bosses in the Vongola Sky Ring, listening to the conversations between his successors and enjoying the rare quiet (usually, it was very loud in here, reminding him of the times when he and his Guardians led the Vongola and it was always noisy at the mansion with very rare peace) when his Hyper Intuition acted up, telling him that Tsunayoshi needed his help because the boy’s Flames felt strange - as if he was sick - judging from the connection the two of them shared.
He must check it out.
“Primo?” Daniela asked, all conversations ceasing as they watched the Vongola founder get up from his throne in confusion. “Is something wrong?”
"It seems young Tsunayoshi needs my help, so I’m going to see him,” the blonde replied.
Ricardo rolled his eyes. “Again? Seriously, Primo, your grandson is so troublesome”.
“Well, he gets that from me, it seems. My Guardians do say I’m a trouble magnet,” Giotto said with a laugh, and after a quick goodbye to other Bosses, left the Ring.
A moment later, he found himself in his grandson’s room. Said boy was sleeping in his bed, and as Giotto came over, he saw that Tsunayoshi looked sick, pale, and feverish, and felt worry and deja vu.
Because he already knew what caused this illness, just like he knew what caused his grandson’s Flames to disappear when he and his Guardians came here not so long ago to find out what happened. Hence, the feeling of deja vu.
That blasted seal again. Or, rather, the aftermath of it being broken, and Sky Flames, pure and already powerful at such young age, bursting free of their prison and becoming active once more, was to blame this time. The consequences of Timoteo and Iemitsu’s choice were still haunting Tsunayoshi, and now he suffered because of it, sick in his bed.
Giotto cursed in Italian, scolding himself for lack of insight. “Damn it, I should have expected this to happen.”
“Expected what to happen, my friend?” Asari asked as he appeared in the room from the Rain Flame. Knuckle, G, and Lampo were also here. Noticing his Boss’ questioning gaze that was asking what they are doing here, Ugetsu said:
“We felt that you departed from the Ring and instantly knew you went to Tsunayoshi-kun.”
“I see…” Primo said slowly. “Where’s Alaude?” he asked, seeing that his Cloud Guardian was absent.
“Before we left, he said he needed to check on that blonde idiot descendant of yours and CEDEF and that he would join us later,” G explained. “And what did you mean by your words, Gio?”
Giotto sighed as he began his explanation. “As you know, it's dangerous to seal the Flames. With the seal on, Flames can't leave the user's body; not only that, the seal stunts their physical and mental abilities, it's hard for them to focus on anything, they constantly feel cold inside and eventually it gets them killed. Especially, it’s worse for kids because the seal stunts their growth, and Skies due to them having a harmonization factor. But if the seal gets broken, all the Flames that pent up during the sealing burst free and make the user sick because…”
“Because it's isn’t healthy to pent up Flames, and now his body purges them out in the form of the sickness,” G finished for his best friend. “Tch, those bastards really didn’t look up what the seal does before they placed it on the kid, did they?”
Giotto and the others didn’t say anything to this; it was the rhetorical question. Even if it wasn’t, what could they say in response to that?
It was the truth after all.
While Giotto and the others discussed the aftermath of the seal’s removal on Tsunayoshi’s Flames, Alaude went to observe Iemitsu. The first Cloud Guardian already knew the man was an idiot for allowing Timoteo to seal his son’s Flames, thus endangering the boy’s life, but he wanted to know more before forming a final opinion on the man.
So here he was, in the office that was once his a long and time ago watched Iemitsu work, not revealing his presence. Though judging by the way the man twitched nervously and looked at the spot where Alaude was standing every now and then, his Hyper Intuition acted up, but Iemitsu couldn't understand what caused it to react since his Hyper Intuition was rather weak compared to Giotto's own as Alaude found out since the beginning of the observation, the results of which Alaude didn't like.
Iemitsu was a decent leader, Alaude had to give him that. But when it came to his wife and son… He barely visited them with the excuse being that he didn't want enemies to know he had a family and use it against him, that he didn't want to put them in danger, all the while gushing to his allies about his "lovely Nana and adorable tuna fishy". Alaude found such behavior and excuses pathetic. To him, it was quite clear the idiot cared more about his work than his family, whom he claimed to love very much.
In short, Sawada Iemitsu was a disgrace to Primo’s bloodline. Just where Ietsuna went wrong with him?
Shaking his head for the last time at Iemitsu, Alaude disappeared from the office, letting the man’s intuition calm down.
What a fool.
“Welcome back, Alaude,” Giotto greeted his Cloud Guardian when Alaude appeared in Tsunayoshi’s room.” How did the visit to Iemitsu go?” he asked.
Without preamble, Alaude told his Boss what he discovered. Primo’s face got darker and darker with each spoken word, but he didn’t interrupt as did the others.
“His protection regarding Nana and Tsunayoshi is also non-existent,” Alaude snorted in disgust at the current CEDEF boss as he finished his report. “It’s a damn miracle no one killed them yet.”
“And what about my talk with them?” Giotto asked, voice tight as he tried not to let the anger he felt at the news show on his face or affect the flame on his forehead.” Has Iemitsu done something concerning his family since then?”
“No,” Alaude shook his head.” He didn’t call or write a letter, didn’t prepare for a visit. Too busy working as External Advisor.”
“Thought so too, given he’s not at Tsunayoshi’s bedside, helping him overcome the sickness,” the blond sighed heavily, disappointed in Iemitsu.”I expected him to come home after his son’s life was at risk.”
“Maybe you should speak with him again?” Asari suggested, always the one to look for the good in people, much like Primo.
G scoffed at that.” It’s no use. That idiot won’t listen to anything Giotto will say as long he has his head in his ass, and I don’t see him getting his head out of his ass happening any time soon, if ever,” G looked at his best friend. “ What are we gonna do now, Gio? The kid needs a father.”
In response, Giotto looked at his grandson, frowning as he thought about the problem at hand.
G was right. Tsunayoshi needed a father. Nana, while a loving and caring mother, was lost in her little world, more often than not. And she wouldn’t be able to teach Tsuna things, that fathers should teach their sons. Not to mention the boy’s Sky Flames. Who would teach him? Not Nana - she wasn’t an active user, didn’t even know the Flames existed. And not Iemitsu - the man was too busy hiding his head in the sand so to speak.
Besides hadn’t Giotto chosen what to do if Iemitsu neglected his responsibility?
Giotto spoke up.”When I talked to Nono and Iemitsu, I thought about what I would do if Iemitsu wouldn’t be the father Tsunayoshi needed. I hoped he would pick up his responsibility, but as you can see, that didn’t happen. So I will raise Tsunayoshi as my own. I know it won’t be easy, given the way we are, but I still want to try. I won’t leave my grandson without a father,” Giotto glanced at his Guardians. “Will you help me?”
“Do you really have to ask?” G gave his Boss “You’re an idiot for asking that” look.”Of course, we will help. We are with you all the way, Primo.”
The others nodded in agreement to the Storm’s words.
Giotto smiled at them gratefully. “Thank you, everyone.”
The Guardians returned the smile in their own ways. But the moment between the friends was broken when they heard Tsunayoshi whimper.
Giotto was the first to react. He sat down on the bed - thanks to his corporal body he was able to do this - and began to stroke the boy’s hair, wild just like his, humming a lullaby he sang to Yoshimune when he was little in an attempt to calm Tsuna down. It worked and the boy continued to sleep.
The First Generation guarded Tsunayoshi’s sleep for the rest of the night, not knowing that with their decision, they changed the course of said boy’s life, who would one day make Giotto proud by changing Vongola and becoming Neo Vongola Primo.