Crimson Christmas

The mistletoe was beautiful in the light. It was the only thing that resembled Christmas in the unruly Varia mansion. The mistletoe hung from the ceiling precariously as it swayed dangerously.

"VOIII!" was heard and then followed by a round of gun shots fired. Then silence for a while. Fran sat in the living room, admiring the red berries and green leaves.

"Ushishi..." came a laughter from somewhere behind. 'SNAP' came the mistletoe from the ceiling.

"Ushishi... entertain the Prince now peasant froggy~" the maniacal voice ghosted over Fran's left shoulder.

Though expressionless on the outside, Fran was fighting a multitude of emotions ranging through him at the current moment on the inside. Keeping his stoic exterior had never been a challenge but why is it that whenever he was around the self-proclaimed royalty, he was always struggling to remain composed?

"Sempai..." he droned, "Can you stop stabbing me? It hurts."

Bel continued to ignore the illusionist until Fran got up and moved.

"Where does the Frog thinks he is going? The Prince is still bored." Bel pouted.

For a moment, time stood still. Fran had appeared right in front of Bel quicker than anyone could blink and pressed a firm kiss on his lips.

Bel stood frozen, his eyes widened beneath the blonde bangs. Fran pulled away after a while and turned so abruptly that Bel almost fell through his chair.

"I think that should cure your boredom for a while," Fran stated coldly and walked away.

Too stunned to think or respond, Bel froze for a good ten minutes before the mechanisms in his brain started functioning again.

A pout made its way to the blonde assassin's face. Something was off with Fran and he was not telling him. Thinking back, the blonde tried to put together what caused the illusionist's unusual behaviour. His eyes scanned the area and landed on the fallen mistletoe. Could it be...?

Meanwhile, Fran muffled a frustrated shout in his pillow. Angry tears gathered along his lashes. "That stupid Prince! How could he?" Fran ranted out. The mistletoe had been his only sense of comfort because it reminded him of his grandmother. She would always hang mistletoes above their dining table and tell Fran that whenever he sees mistletoes, he will be able to see his true love soon. When asked, the old woman would only chuckle and tell him "The fairies told me that when I see the mistletoe, a grandson will be born to me and you did. So they also said that you will find your true love under the mistletoe and I believe they will be right as well."

For children, Christmas had been about presents and Christmas trees. For Fran, it was a reminder about his true love which he had yet to find. Like a comfort in knowing that there will be someone who will like him as himself. That's why Fran remained impassive towards all the criticism and hatred directed to him by everyone else because the person he will find under the mistletoe will come for him.

"And that stupid sempai had to destroy it... It could have been this year as well!" Fran yelled unaware of another presence in his room.

"Grandma told me the fairies said my true love will find me under the mistletoe but that's not true. I've waited many years and still no one. The fallen Prince also destroyed it... They're lies! All of them are lies!" Fran cried and sobbed out loud.

Then, he felt something prickly on his head. The frog hat illusion had given out when he broke down. Startled, the tears stopped and Fran looked up.

"Sem... pai?"

Bel merely grunted and mumbled, "Stupid frog... upset over such a stupid thing. Here's your damn mistletoe and wipe off the snort! It's unbecoming of you."

Fran removed the item from his head and gasped. It was the mistletoe that had been 'destroyed'.

"Remember Fran, one day your true love will find you under the mistletoe..." Fran's grandmother's words echoed in his mind.

Surprising the blonde assassin for the second time of the day, Fran hugged him tightly.

"O-Oi!" Bel blushed. "Get off me peasant! Your disgusting snort is all over me!"

"Don't want to!" Fran protested and hugged him even tighter. They wrestled for some time and ended up on the bed with Fran lying beneath Bel.

They stared at each other while catching their breaths. "Bel sempai... did you know your eyes are beautiful?"

Bel froze for a second before bolting up. Fran wrapped his thin arms around Bel's waist. Bel blushed even more.

"Bel sempai..." Fran whispered. "Did you know this is the best Christmas I had? I found the true love Grandma was talking about."

"Really?" Bel was curious but hurt slightly at the same time. He liked the illusionist but he couldn't tell him so.

"Yes. I found him."

"Ushishi... congratulations then peasant," Bel forced a grin and it fell when he turned around.

"It's you sempai!" Fran shouted when Bel was about to leave. He immediately regretted it.

Bel held his breath, unable to believe his ears. He could not move for some time. Fran was almost close to breaking down when Bel turned back to him and asked "Really?"

Fran looked at him and nodded.

Bel then smirked teasingly and told Fran, "Then prove it."

Fran's heart leaped and it raced. Was his sempai serious? "How?" the teal haired boy asked.

"Kiss me," was the simple reply.

Fran slowly walked over and was pulled into a warm embrace before they both shared a sweet kiss. Both of them were blushing due to the close proximity and then started to laugh a little. Their noses bumped together and Bel whispered "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas too sempai."

Indeed, it was a memorable Christmas for the Varia when Xanxus and Squalo saw red when Lussuria discovered the two lovers' secret. There was a huge fight with lots of blood and casualties among the Varia.

Later, everyone decided to call it a truce and accept the young lovers with the condition that Lussuria was not to go into 'fangirl' mode over them. Levi died of blood lost that day because he got slashed by Squalo's sword for being too annoying and Xanxus shot him so nobody dared to treat him.

A simple Christmas with the Varia was always amusing. This Christmas with the Varia will always be known as the Crimson Christmas, a day worth commemorating the anniversary for the Varia lovebirds' official relationship.

-Owari-