Target 04: Milestones of Firsts – In other words, where Tsuna was torn between saying Okaa-chan and Otou-san before deciding to pick the third option; to exclaim the name of an ingredient on a dish and cause more chaos in the Nura household. Vongola Style of course!
It all started out simply enough.
It started when he was subjected to his parents teaching him how to speak while they were waiting for the dishes to be served.
"O-Kaa-san," His cheerful mother spoke and Tsuna tries to follow after her; his face crunching up in concentration.
"Ook..." He speaks, struggling to say the words even though he had practiced several times every night whenever his parents fell asleep.
"No! It's O-Tou-san." Rihan interjects as Tsuna was about to say the rest of the syllables.
Nurarihyon and the rest all pause from whatever mischief they were up to as they turn to watch the family of three with interest. They exchange amused and sympathetic glances with each other upon noticing the way their young heir squirms and pressured look as his mother and father tries to urge him to call for them.
"Dinner is here!" Kejōrō announces, saving Tsuna from the agonizing situation he found himself in. He pauses upon seeing the dishes. There were clams everywhere, and by the looks of everyone, Tsuna knew they were all thinking of the same thing.
Why were there so many clams?
"Wakana-sama's mother sent these, saying something about her brother sending her too much." Kejōrō explains upon catching sight of their blank stare towards the dishes, smiling brightly as she did so.
His mother's… mother? Grandmother?
"I see! Mother and the rest of the family had always have a strange fascination with clams. She always used to tell me that she used to belong to a family of clams." Wakana laughs in response as though she finds it funny and everyone laughs along with her upon hearing her words.
Family of clams…?
The Vongola Family? That thought came to Tsuna and before he realizes what he was doing, he opened his mouth and speaks.
"Ha…" He spoke up and everyone's eyes turns to look at him. His mother quickly went to his side with an eager look.
"Say Ha-Ha-ue!" She spokes cheerily.
"Haha…" His face crunches up and Tsuna ignored the encouraging words of his mother for once- because if he did say that word, his father would in turn sulk and be depressed for who knows how long. He doesn't want to see and experience that again- once was enough.
"Ha…" He tried again. He had to do this right, Tsuna thought to himself determinedly. Do this with his dying will!
Everyone leans forward, eager to hear what their young heir would end up saying. This is after all their precious future sandaime's first word!
"Ma.."
"Gu!" Tsuna made a face and Wakana cooed at how cute his son looks. "RE!" Tsuna gleefully shouted, finally able to say his first word.
"Hamagure! Hamagure!" He repeated and everyone sweat dropped at the innocent and gleeful look their heir had. Unknown to them, Tsuna was inwardly crying in despair. He really shouldn't say that. If anything, he really should have just said something else. Wakane squealed in delight as she recorded the video of Rikuo saying his first word.
"Mother would be so proud of Rikuo! He said clams as his first word!"
Sometimes… Tsuna wondered how his mother is so dense and so alike with Kyoko, Nanako and his very own mother. It didn't help when she shrug almost everything off and smiles so innocently.
Maybe his theory of being related to Wakana is true?
At least he make up with otou-san as his second word- with okaa-san and ojii-chan as third and fourth.
...….
The first time he took his first step was actually also the first time Tsuna could walk and stand on his own. To say that Tsuna was happy to see his father's proud smile and grin was underestimating the feeling he had. For once, Tsuna didn't feel the emptiness.
"Come on Rikuo! You could do it!" His father encouraged him as Tsuna clutch at the legs of the table. Scared, he looked at his father as well as his grandfather and mother. They were looking at him encouragingly, that is if you could count Nurarihyon's bored and irked look encouraging.
Shakily, Tsuna took a step. He could remember the way how to walk and stand but it was hard to do that in this body- especially when his body lacked the muscle memory to actually even stand and walk. Taking a deep nervous breath, Tsuna took a wobbly step forward and he didn't look down, he just look up and stare and the proud smile his father had and before Tsuna could comprehend what is happening, he was already taking another step- he ignored the fact that the yōkai who are watching looks absolutely nervous and ready to catch him if he ever fall- and then another step, and another and then another.
Before Tsuna knew it he was already standing in front of his father, looking up at him as he swayed side to side, trying to balance his weight. Rihan grinned as he picked his child up, his proud smile still in place as he patted his son's head.
"Good job… Rikuo." He watch his son's eyes widen in surprise as though he realized something and Rihan paused as varieties of emotion pass through his son's eyes. Before he could even confirm that he saw guilt, pain, longing and that heart wreathing loneliness on his son's eyes it disappeared.
What just happened…?