Watching from afar, Lambo had come to a sudden and abrupt realization.
The prolonged stares, the wistful expression, the distant eyes… combine that with the utter lack of caring, the sick sense of humor, the frozen heart, and the disinterest in romantic affairs, and that is one tough closet-case fluffball.
Reborn had a fixation with hand holding – which was startling to Lambo whom had never before seen Reborn partake in such an intimate show of affection. Then again, Bianchi would murder anyone who came close to Reborn (unless Reborn told her not to, but he never became that serious over another, did he?) and Bianchi herself – though she would be ecstatic for it – wasn't one that another would think to hold hands with.
Reborn was cold hearted, but he wasn't dim witted. Besides, they had been apart for over 10 years now, haven't they? It was only sad that Bianchi hadn't caught on yet…
Lambo, so focused on eventually killing the hitman, watched his every movement. So, unless Reborn knew that he was watching and wanted to mess with his head, making him think that he wanted to hold hands with another (which is something he would do), wasn't as untouched as he acted to be (unless he was actually acting)!
Time to act on it…
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"… Cow."
"Yare, yare… My name isn't 'Cow', my name is Lambo. Say it with me: Lam~bo."
"Cow."
Lambu puffs his cheeks out, discontent. "Ah?"
"What is this?" Reborn holds their hands up, as if Lambo needed to be eye to eye to their tangled fingers to understand what Reborn was talking about. There was a furious pulse at Reborn's temple and a frown severe enough on his lips to be terrifying.
To anyone sensible, that is – which Lambo, sadly, wasn't. Being part of the Vongola, sensibility had long since gone out of the window, drowned in the nearby lake, and then been brought back to the surface just to be bloodily murdered. Just like their sanity and, in some of the guardian's cases, modesty.
Lambo smiles innocently, a lazy tilt of his lips as he holds one eye close and the other half-open. "This is hand-holding, Reborn." Their hands drop back between them and Lambo swings them nonchalantly, as if rays of radiating death were not coming off of the hitman.
He wasn't dead yet, was he? That was a good enough sign to be suicidal.
"Why are you holding my hand?" Reborn's fingers curl painfully around his, squeezing his hand until he drops to his knees and whimpers.
"Ga-ma-nnnn…" Tears glitter at the corner of Lambo's eyes. "Ga-ma-nnn…" He sniffles and bites down on the knuckle of his free hand to stop from wailing.
A moment of tense, homicidal silence later, Reborn heaves a sigh through his nose and loosens his grip. "Get up." Without waiting, he jerks on the hand in his, rushing Lambo to his feet.
The teenager rubs a hand at his eyes and follows the silent Reborn as the fedora-wearing man continues onward.
His quivering frown turns into a surprised frown and then blossoms into a happy grin. His cheeks color lightly and his one eye glows contently.
Humming softly, he swings their hands again – Reborn was still holding on.
"What are you so happy about?"
Lambo answers absent-mindedly, without thinking about the next words coming out of his mouth: "Because Reborn is coming out of the closet."
It took three days before Fuuta could find his missing charge. It takes another 10 hours before Lambo regains consciousness and then another 3 before the doctors at the hospital clear him for visitors.
It is another five days before Reborn cools down enough to not try to murder Lambo on sight.
Author's Note: Sorry, sorry… I haven't been shooting out stories like hot cakes like I used to, but I'm trying to get back into the swing of things so please be patient with me. Thoughts, feelings?
Here's a question for my dear readers: What would be a weird quirk that any of the Vongola would have? For example, Reborn and hand holding. Any ideas?