#pinned to my fridge with the beginnings of a small magnet collection from places i’ve loved

[foreverfamilyforevervongola]

Sibling Bonds

Rating: K+ Summary: The Vongola Guardians are a close-knit group. They are the ones who watch over Lambo and take care of him, and so it’s only inevitable that he begins to address them, one by one, as his siblings. 

Stationed at the kitchen table with his crayons and paper, Lambo finished his drawing. He surveyed it proudly, and decided he created a masterpiece that Tsuna just had to see.

“Tsuna-nii!”

It took a minute for Tsuna to descend the stairs and answer the six-year-old’s summons. “What is it, Lambo?” he asked.

“Look at Lambo-san’s drawing! Isn’t it the best?”

Tsuna examined the colourful characters depicted in Lambo’s artwork. Based on how many stick figures there were, he figured it was a drawing of all the members of their household, though he could only identify a couple of them.

“It’s really nice, Lambo. Want me to put it on the fridge?”

Lambo nodded eagerly and Tsuna went over to the appliance. He found a spare magnet and used it to attach the paper to the collection of drawings that were already there, a combination of I-Pin and Lambo’s pictures. “There. Though we’re going to have to find a new place for your art soon. A fridge is supposed to be a fridge, not a museum.”

Lambo’s stomach rumbled and he promptly stuck a hand into his thick, curly black hair. He pulled out a bag of gumballs, but before he could stuff any into his mouth, Tsuna snagged it from his hands. “Those are Lambo-san’s!” he cried angrily.

“You can’t always be eating candy,” chided Tsuna. “If you’re hungry, I’ll make you a snack.”

He perked up at that. “Okay! Thanks, Tsuna-nii.”

Tsuna, who had started to search for a suitable snack in the pantry, whipped around, finally processing what the boy was calling him. “What did you say?”

Lambo gave him a weird look. “Lambo-san said thanks.”

“No, after that!”

“Tsuna-nii?” spoke Lambo innocently, and when the wide smile split across Tsuna’s face, he wasn’t quite sure why the brunette was suddenly so happy.

…

“Are you ready, Lambo?”

The seven-year-old made a fist and punched the middle of his baseball glove, his eyes narrowed in concentration. “Ready!”

Yamamoto gripped his baseball and got into his pitching stance. His natural instinct was to throw it as hard and fast as he could, and he had to remember to tone it down for the small child. “Here we go!”

The ball sailed through the air in a perfect arc. Lambo kept his eyes on it, shuffling his feet as he tried to figure out where the ball would land. He stuck out his glove, but instead of the ball landing neatly inside, it hit the ground with a thud.

“Darn.” Lambo’s face fell. “I’m not very good at this.”

“You don’t have to be,” said Yamamoto with a gentle smile. “We’re just having some fun. That’s what matters.”

“I guess so.” Lambo picked up the ball and tossed it back to Yamamoto, who easily caught it. He wound up for another pitch, but it went too high and sailed into a portion of the park’s woodland.

“Whoops!” said Yamamoto with a laugh. “Sorry.”

“I got it!”

Lambo wound his way through the trees, ducking beneath branches. He found the baseball nestled amongst the tall, unkempt blades and he hurried towards it.

“Rrrrrr…”

The soft snarl caused Lambo to freeze with his hand hovering over the white ball. He looked up to see a raccoon lurking in the bushes a few yards away, watching him with gleaming eyes, white foam gathered around its mouth. “Hey!” he shouted over his shoulder. “Guess what!”

“What?” replied Yamamoto in amusement.

“I found a raccoon! I think it ate some soap!” Lambo glanced back at the critter, who was now moving straight for the boy, hissing viciously. He scrambled back in fear. “Take-nii—!”

Yamamoto was already flying through the trees. Startled by the sudden, much larger intruder, the raccoon snarled and fled. Yamamoto glowered after it before crouching near the shaken boy. “Are you okay?” he asked urgently, taking Lambo’s arm and checking for any bites or scratches. “Did it get you?”

“Nuh-uh.”

“That raccoon had a disease called rabies,” informed Yamamoto, gripping Lambo’s hand and leading him out of the woodland. “If you ever see an animal with white foam around their mouth, stay far away from it, okay? They’re dangerous.”

“Okay.” Lambo pointed at the trees they had just emerged from. “Your ball is still in there.”

“That’s okay.” Yamamoto ruffled his hair. “I’ve got lots more at home.”

“Thanks for coming to get me. I didn’t know something was wrong with it.”

“Don’t worry about it. An older brother has to look after his younger brother, right?”

Lambo beamed. “Uh-huh.”

…

“Kyoko! Kyoko! I want ice cream!” whined Lambo, pulling on the hem of the redhead’s shirt pleadingly. “Pleeeaaassseee?”

“You can’t have ice cream this late, Lambo-kun,” said Kyoko patiently, tugging the seven-year-old along the street. “We should have been home an hour ago.”

The sky was black, their way home lit by the streetlights. The air was chilly and Lambo shivered. “All right,” he muttered. “But can we get some next time?”

Kyoko smiled down at him. “Of course.” She inspected his face and giggled. “You’re going to need a bath.” His cheeks were covered in patches of sugar dust and smeared caramel. “You’re all sticky from the candy you ate at the movies.”

It was almost eleven by the time they reached the Sasagawa household. Kyoko unlocked the front door and herded Lambo over the threshold. “Onii-san, we’re back!” she called, setting her purse by the stairs.

Ryohei stepped into the front hall, a disapproving frown on his lips. “You were supposed to be back an hour ago. I was just about to go out and look for you.”

“Sorry,” Kyoko apologized. “We were out later than we expected.”

“The movie was looooooong,” stressed Lambo.

Kyoko giggled. “Exactly.”

Ryohei’s stern posture softened. “Well, you’re back safe, and that’s what matters. But next time, if you’re going to be late, call.”

The redhead nodded. “Sure.” A yawn escaped her and she quickly covered her mouth. “Come on, Lambo-kun. Time for your bath.”

“I can do it,” volunteered Ryohei. “You go to bed.”

“I can do it,” protested Lambo.

“You can’t get all that EXTREME hair by yourself,” said Ryohei cheerfully, coming over and swinging the boy into his arms.

Kyoko smiled. “Thanks, Onii-san. Goodnight, Lambo-kun.”

“Night!” Lambo waved after her as Ryohei carried him to the bathroom. He set the child on the floor and turned the taps. Water gushed into the tub and Lambo frowned. “It needs bubbles.” He went over to the cabinet and peeked inside. He found the familiar, colourful bottle of bath bubbles that Kyoko saved just for him and I-Pin when they came over for sleepovers. “Bubbles!”

“Don’t put a lot in,” cautioned Ryohei. “We don’t want a bubble flood.”

Lambo uncapped the bottle and tipped it slightly over the edge of the tub. Purple liquid oozed out and splashed into the water, where it started to lather up and create a mass of white sweet-smelling bubbles. “There!” he said, proud that he did not overdo it this time.

“Good job.” Ryohei took the bottle and put it back where it belonged. “There should be enough water for you to get in now.”

“‘kay.” Lambo stuck his hand under the running water to test the temperature. Deeming it not too hot and not too cold, he wrestled out of his dark jeans and cow-print shirt. He yanked off his socks and was about to climb into the tub when he remembered something. “Oh, wait.” He shook his head wildly, and candy of all kinds tumbled from his curls, landing on the floor. His horns soon followed, and after a bit of tugging he liberated a large lollipop. “There!”

Ryohei stared at the pile of candy in amusement as the child eased into the water. “I wish my hair could EXTREMELY hold stuff.”

Lambo blinked. “It can’t?”

“Nope.”

“Maybe it’s because you don’t have curls.”

Ryohei laughed. “Maybe.” He knelt down by the edge of the tub and picked up the plastic pitcher. He filled it with water and used it to wet Lambo’s hair. “What did you and Kyoko do today?”

“We went to the park, and then we ate some yummy food, and then we took a walk, and we ate some more yummy food, and then we went to the movies which was really looooooooong.” Lambo used his hands to craft shapes in the mounds of bubbles that surrounded him. “And I-Pin couldn’t come because she’s sick.”

“I heard. I’m sure she’ll get better in no time,” said Ryohei, squirting some shampoo into his hand and massaging it into the thick black curls. “I think it’s time for a haircut.”

Lambo wrinkled his nose. “That’s what Stupidera says. I don’t wanna haircut.”

“If you let it grow any longer it’s going to cover your face. Then how would you eat?”

Lambo’s eyes widened. He hadn’t thought of that. “Um…well, maybe I’ll get a really small haircut. Maybe.”

After a few more rinses and a good dose of conditioner, Lambo was squeaky clean. Ryohei hoisted the child out of the tub and gave him a towel. “Where are your pajamas?”

“In my bag, in Kyoko’s room.”

“I’ll get them. You dry off.” Ryohei picked up Lambo’s stash of candy and left the bathroom.

Lambo scrubbed at his hair and face, trying to catch the water droplets before they hit the tiled floor. When he decided he was dry enough, he fit the towel over his head and pretended he was a ghost, moving blindly about the bathroom. The door creaked open a minute later and he shouted, “Boo!”

“What do we have here?” said Ryohei, playing along. “And where did Lambo go?”

“I ate him!” Lambo said in a creepy voice.

“Well, then I guess I’m going to have to make you spit him out.”

Ryohei swooped down and threw the towel-covered boy over his shoulder. Lambo squealed and kicked, trying to escape the teen’s strong grip. “It’s me!”

“Lambo?” Ryohei set the boy down and lowered the towel so the boy’s smiling face was revealed. “It is you. You make an EXTREME ghost.”

Lambo giggled. “I fooled you!”

“You did.” Ryohei handed Lambo his pajamas. “Kyoko is already sleeping, so how about you sleep with me tonight?”

“Okay.” Lambo wiggled into his cow-print pajamas. “But I’m gonna kick you if you snore.”

“Then I guess I won’t snore.” Ryohei lifted the seven-year-old into his arms and carried him to his bedroom.

Lambo buried his head into Ryohei’s shoulder. “Ryo-nii, will you read me a bedtime story?”

Surprised for only a moment, a soft, pleased smile crossed Ryohei’s face, and he nuzzled his nose into Lambo’s damp hair. “I’d love too, Lambo.”

…

Standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom, Lambo frantically tried to remove the half-eaten chocolate bar stuck to his hair. The eight-year-old thought nervously of Gokudera, who was somewhere in the house.

“Come on,” he hissed. His thick, unruly curls had been giving him nothing but trouble lately. It didn’t help that his hair remained his favourite hiding place for candy, causing stickiness and knots. Because of this, Gokudera had finally put his foot down—any more problems and he was getting it all cut off.

Lambo was so not okay with that.

“Scissors,” he muttered, opening up the medicine cabinet above the sink and rummaging around. “I’ll cut it out.”

Thump! Thump!

He froze at the heavy knocks that landed on the door. “Occupied!”

“You’ve been in there for a half hour!” snapped Gokudera. “What are you doing?”

“What do you think I’m doing?” he retorted, tugging even harder on the stubborn chocolate bar.

The door flew open and Lambo hastily scrambled back. Dang. Knew I should have locked it, he thought, his stomach twisting into nervous knots. Gokudera stared at the predicament the kid was in and opened his mouth. Before he could say anything, Lambo screamed, “No!” and charged past him, flying down the hall.

It took Gokudera a second to recover from his surprise and by the time he raced after Lambo, he was out of sight. Cursing, Gokudera glared at the open front door. He darted out into the afternoon sunlight and looked down the street. He couldn’t see Lambo, which meant the child was hightailing it.

“I-Pin!” he bellowed, and the girl quickly answered the summons, scrambling down the stairs.

“Yeah?”

“Lambo took off. He’s having problems with his hair again, which means I’m chopping it off.” Gokudera levelled the girl with a stern look. “Where is he?”

As Lambo’s best friend, she knew all of his hiding spots. Pursing her lips, she thought for a moment before sighing softly. “Probably at the park,” she said reluctantly. “There’s enough spots to hide without having to go far, and if he gets freaked, he can come straight home.”

Gokudera nodded and went in pursuit of the eight-year-old. I-Pin closed the door behind him and said, “Lambo! He’s gone!”

Stumbling into the front hall from the living room, Lambo let out a sigh of relief. “Thanks, I-Pin.”

“You realize the amount of trouble we’ll both be in when gets back?”

“I don’t want my hair cut,” whined Lambo. “I’ve always had this hair!”

“It’ll grow back.”

“I know…but I don’t want to be bald.”

“Who said you’re going to be bald?”

“Stupidera would think it’s funny to cut off all my hair.”

I-Pin shook her head. “Lambo, he’s not going to do something like that.”

“How do you know?”

“Because Gokudera-san cares about you a lot more than you think,” she replied. “I’m going back to my book.”

She headed back to the room she shared with Lambo, leaving him to think about what she had just said.

It was an hour later when Gokudera returned from his wild goose chase, and Lambo was waiting for him on the front step. The child flinched at the glower the teen sent him. “Um…hi.”

“I’m sure you thought that was funny,” snapped Gokudera, red in the face with rage. “I looked like an idiot, running around that stupid park calling your name. I should have realized I was tricked after five minutes instead of an hour.”

“Sorry,” muttered Lambo. He reached behind his back and held out the hair razor kit. “Here.”

Arching an eyebrow, Gokudera crossed his arms. “So after an elaborate plan to not get caught, you’re now willingly getting a haircut.”

Lambo nodded. “Yeah. Um…” He bit his lip. “You’re not gonna make me bald, right?”

“That’s what you were worried about?” Gokudera snorted. “No, ahoshi, I’m not going to make you bald.”

Lambo looked dubious. “Are you sure you know how to cut hair?”

“Get your butt in the bathroom.”

Lambo obeyed, hurrying inside the house. Gokudera followed after the boy, pausing only to holler, “I’ll deal with you later!” up the stairs. He entered the bathroom and set up the razor. “Ready?” he asked, pressing the power button.

Lambo muffled a groan as the razor started to buzz. “Uh-huh.”

“Did you take out all the crap?”

“Yes.”

Tilting Lambo’s head up slightly, Gokudera got to work. Lambo watched the clumps of dark hair fall to the floor in slight dismay. Though he knew it had to go, he was also going to miss it. He let out a soft sneeze as some hair tickled his nose.

“Don’t move,” chided Gokudera.

It wasn’t easy for Lambo to sit still for ten minutes, but he managed to do so with little wiggling. Gokudera put the razor down and studied his handiwork. “Yeah, that’s much better.”

Hopping up from his perch on the edge of the tub, Lambo went over to the mirror and peeked at his reflection. His hair no longer went all the way down to his chin. It ended just above his ears in a shaggy haircut. His curls were not as prominent, but still noticeable.

“I like it!” he decided with a wide smile.

“Good. Best part is you can’t hide anything in there.” Gokudera brushed some hair off Lambo’s shoulders. “I’ll sweep up after you shower.”

“Okay.” Lambo hesitated for a brief moment before leaning forwards and wrapping his arms around the teen’s waist. “Thanks, Haya-nii.”

Intense joy swelled within Gokudera, who had been waiting a long time for the kid to address him as such. Sniffing slightly, he ruffled Lambo’s new short locks. “Idiot. Don’t mention it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got quite the lecture to give your partner in crime.”

…

Peering eagerly down the street, Lambo brightened when he saw the familiar figure finally come into view. He raced down the asphalt towards the girl. “Chrome-nee!”

Smiling contently, Chrome hugged the eight-year-old. “Hi, Lambo.”

“Are we gonna go shopping now?” he asked eagerly, already envisioning the sweets he would get to eat.

“Let’s try not to overdo it,” cautioned Chrome, knowing exactly what he was thinking. She took his hand and together they started off for town. “Tsuna won’t be happy if I bring you back with a sugar rush.”

“He doesn’t live at home anymore,” pointed out Lambo.

“Well, he still wouldn’t be happy,” said Chrome. “Why don’t we have lunch before we go shopping?”

“Yay! I’m starving!”

Chrome giggled. “We just have to meet up with Mukuro-sama when we get to the shopping district.”

Lambo’s enthusiasm dropped. “He’s coming with us?” he asked nervously.

He knew of Mukuro, though not much about him. All he knew was that he and Chrome shared the responsibilities of being Tsuna’s Mist Guardians. He also knew that Mukuro had done some not-so-nice things in the past, and as far as he knew the man hadn’t been out of prison for too long. Lambo met the tall, intimidating figure a few times, but tried to steer clear if he could.

“Is that okay?” asked Chrome, trying to sound casual but feeling anxious. She was hoping this outing would be a good way of getting the child used to her best friend. Mukuro was going to be around more and more, so it was important to her and Tsuna that Lambo got comfortable with their newest family member.

“Yeah.” Lambo nodded. He knew that Mukuro was important to Chrome and he didn’t want to make her unhappy.

“Thank you,” said Chrome, relieved.

“Think we’ll run into I-Pin?” he asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.

“Maybe,” said Chrome, though she knew Futa, I-Pin and Bianchi were out for the day in a separate part of town. Futa and I-Pin didn’t have too many problems adjusting to the presence of Mukuro, and they had been taken by Bianchi so that Lambo wouldn’t wonder why only he got to spend the afternoon with Chrome.

They reached the shopping district and Lambo immediately spotted Mukuro. The male stood out in the crowd, with his long black boots, purple hair and heterochromatic eyes. Gulping nervously, Lambo allowed Chrome to lead him over.

“Hi,” greeted Chrome. “I hope you weren’t waiting too long.”

“Not very,” he replied, voice smooth and deep. He shifted his gaze to the child that clung to Chrome’s hand. “Lambo.”

Lambo managed a smile. “Hi.”

“I’m going to go see where we can eat,” said Chrome, letting go of Lambo’s hand. “I’ll be right back.”

She skipped off and Lambo watched her go. Rocking back on his heels, he could feel the awkward silence wrap around them. Figuring he should make some attempt at conversation, he asked, “How’s Fran?”

“Insufferable, annoying, and hopeless,” replied Mukuro.

“Huh,” mused Lambo. “That’s what he says about you.”

Amusement crossed the teen’s face. “Really?”

“Uh-huh.” Lambo nodded. He then realized that perhaps he shouldn’t have revealed this bit of information. “Ooh. Um, don’t tell him I told you that.”

Mukuro smirked. “I’ll try not to let it slip out.”

Lambo squinted down the street, but Chrome was no longer in his sights. “Where’d she go?”

“Probably got distracted by shoes,” muttered Mukuro. But he knew what Chrome was trying to do, and he was both grateful and annoyed. While he still had some reservations about joining the Vongola, he didn’t want the child to be uncomfortable. Lambo had been there first, after all.

“I don’t think Chrome likes shoes as much as Haru-chan and Kyoko-chan,” said Lambo. He pointed at Mukuro’s feet. “She wears boots like yours.” He peered closely at the footwear. “Those are a lot of laces. Does it take long to do them up?”

“It would if I wasn’t an illusionist.”

Lambo tilted his head to the side. “How do you become an illusionist?” he asked, genuinely curious.

Mukuro thought over his answer carefully before he replied. “It takes a certain amount of talent, first and foremost. Not anyone can create illusions. You have to have the ability, and trust me, you know if you have the ability early in life. In order to control your ability, it takes a healthy mind and strict discipline.”

Lambo mulled over this for a moment. “That’s kinda cool. I’d like to be able to create illusions once in a while.”

“Well, you can control lightning. That’s pretty impressive.”

The boy flushed. “I can’t really control it. I can’t really do much of anything with it, actually. Apparently, I’m going to be in training for a long time.”

“You don’t get to be great by just sitting around,” remarked Mukuro. “It takes work.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Glancing across the street, Lambo brightened when he noticed a candy display in the window of a store. “Ooh! I’m gonna go over there!”

Without waiting for an answer, Lambo charged across the street and pressed his face against the glass. He surveyed the wrapped candies and chocolate creations. “I want that one and that one and that one—”

“Hey! Rotten kid! Get your dirty face off my window!”

A set of strong hands shoved him backwards. Unprepared, Lambo hit the ground hard. Green eyes wide, he cowered at the irate shop owner that loomed over him. Acting on instinct, Lambo kicked out and nailed the older man in the left kneecap. Scrambling back, he quickly realized his error when the man’s face flushed with fury.

“You little brat—”

“Touch him and regret it.”

Startled, the shopkeeper stumbled back as a cloud of indigo and black mist appeared in front of him. Mukuro materialized, eyes glinting with anger as he stood in front of Lambo. “What…what are you?” the man croaked.

Mukuro smiled dangerously. “I suppose you could say your worst nightmare. Apologize.”

“Sorry,” the man rasped towards the bemused child. “It won’t happen again—”

“It better not.” Mukuro glowered. “Now get lost.”

The shopkeeper did not need to be told twice. Turning around, Mukuro held out his hand and Lambo accepted it, hauling himself to his feet. “Thanks,” he said softly, awe in his eyes.

“Don’t mention it. It was fun.” Mukuro smirked mischievously.

“Sorry I took so long!” Chrome called, crossing the street to rejoin them. “I found a good place for lunch.”

“Chrome-nee, guess what Mukuro-nii did!” exclaimed Lambo. “He saved me from a mean old man!”

Mukuro did not really hear what the child said next, for his brain was repeating what Lambo had just called him. It filled him with a strong warmth and pride, and he returned Chrome’s dazzling smile with a soft one of his own.

…

Walking across the bridge that served as part of his path home from school, Lambo found a familiar, small yellow bird fighting with a much bigger bird on the railing.

Hey…that’s Kyo-nii’s pet!

“Get off!” he roared, charging forwards and waving his arms. “Shoo! Go away!”

Startled, the big bird flew off into the sky. Lambo leaned over Hibird and furrowed his brow. “Guess he got a swing in, huh?”

Hibird chirped sadly, pecking lightly at his bent wing. Lambo held out his hand and Hibird hopped into his palm. “Since you can’t fly, I’ll bring you back to Kyo-nii.”

He had yet to refer to Hibari as his brother directly to his face. He knew the Cloud Guardian wasn’t a social person and Lambo, who feared Hibari’s rejection, did not have the courage to test his boundaries.

When he arrived at the apartment complex, he hit the buzzer to the apartment Hibari shared with Kusakabe. After a few seconds he was let in through the automatic metal gate. He entered the building and jogged up a flight of stairs. He rapped on the door and Kusakabe answered.

“Hi, Teriyaki,” Lambo greeted. It was a running joke between them, based on the fact that he had a horrible time pronouncing the man’s name when he was five.

Kusakabe smiled. “Hello, Lambo-kun.” He noticed the injured Hibird cradled in Lambo’s hands. “Ah, Kyo-san was wondering what happened to you. Come on in.”

Lambo stepped over the threshold and went for Hibari’s office. He’d been to his apartment a few times, when it was necessary for Hibari to watch over him while the others were busy. He knocked on the office door and he was answered with a curt, “Come in.”

Lambo pushed open the door. “Hi. I found your bird. A bigger bird was picking on him.”

Hibari’s eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of his hurt companion. “Where?”

“Near the bridge that I use on my walk home.” Lambo set Hibird on Hibari’s desk. Chirping, Hibird nudged his fingers affectionately before hopping to his master.

Hibari stroked Hibird’s head fondly. “You’ll need a splint for that wing,” he muttered softly. Glancing up, he added, “Thank you, small animal.”

“No problem.”

Lambo hoisted his bag further onto his shoulders and was about to depart when Hibari asked, “How was school?”

“Okay, I guess.” He shrugged. “Math was kinda rough today. I don’t really get it.”

“If you’re willing to wait, I can help you with your homework after I tend to Hibird.”

Lambo smiled. “Yeah! That’d be great!”

Hibari nodded. “You can review until I return.” He stood up from his office chair with Hibird in his hands. “I won’t take long.”

“Okay. Thanks, Kyo-nii.”

He froze. Oh, that was not what I meant to say.

Biting down on his bottom lip, Lambo stared at his feet as he waited nervously for a reaction.

After a few seconds, a hand fell onto his head and lightly ruffled his short raven curls. “You’re welcome, small animal.”

The smile that crossed Lambo’s face could have lit up a dark room.