Hi people! I know I should be updating Gender-Bender, but I wanna take a short break from that (partly cause' I ran out of ideas), resulting in this little fic on three of my favourite characters, Bel, Fran and Mammon. I don't think you can consider this as romance; it's more like a gen fic. Well, anyhow, hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Sigh.

Bel flopped onto a chair, soaked in his sweat. He was panting heavily, and in his hand held a couple of polished knives.

"Break time." The Prince ordered.

A certain frog-head sat down on the opposite chair. "Yes, Sir."

"...Brat." Usually, the Prince would take that as an insult and just throw a knife at the infuriating frog. However, since they had spent the past five hours trying to kill each other, although each could deal only so much as a scratch, he decided against it.

Silence enveloped the room for a short while. Only things that could be heard was the pants of the two men in the tranquil room.

The frog decided to break the ice. "Ne, Senpai, what's your relationship with Mammon?"

Bel looked up sharply. "'Relationship'?"

"Yeah. You're always talking about how much I can't be like Mammon, so what's with him?"

"..." Tch. Bel wondered, why did he have to tell his very un-cute kouhai about his life-sized plush toy?

"Senpai?" Oh, there's the voice he quite hated.

"What do you want to know?"

"Why are you so close to Mammon? I'm just curious."

Bel sat quietly for a short while before replying, "He's simply the perfect plush toy which I couldn't get for myself."

"...That's kinda lame, don't you think, Sen--"

Woosh.

A knife sliced the air, narrowly missing Fran's head.

"Woah, Senpai, this is supposed to be break time. Peace, peace."

"You can never replace Mammon, you stupid frog."

Keeping a emotionless face, Fran retorted, in a rather mocking yet monotonous voice, "Ow, Senpai, that hurt. And the 'frog' part was your brilliant idea, Genius." Fran tapped his huge frog hat that was cursed to sit on his head for probably eternity.

"Say another word about this and I'll kill you."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Senpai. If I nicely apologized and said that the frog idea was truly brilliant, will you hug me like what you did to Mammon?"

Woosh.

Another knife came flying. This time, it managed to graze Fran's cheek. Blood flowed out of the wound.

"I'd rather die."

Fran stood up. "Then let me kill you."

Bel followed suit, a grin on his face. "Unless I get to you first."

Fran ignored Bel, continuing his previous sentence, "Or would you rather hug me?"

"None of the above."

Illusion formed and came flying towards Bel. The latter took out more knives and flung a knife at each approaching illusion, destroying not only the non-existent thing, but also the furniture that was behind it.

As Fran created an illusion to shield himself from the streamlined flying weapons, Bel released a few more knives. Fran had problems getting enough illusions to protect him for the number of knives was difficult to predict. This resulted in a stab on his hand.

"Ow...Senpai...You're mean." He pulled out the knife and bent it as if it was plasticine.

"Don't spoil it!" Five more menacing thorns darted towards Fran. He managed to dodge it, but unfortunately, he tilted the way Bel was anticipating.

Stab.

"Ugh. This really, really hurts." Fran pulled out the knife that was firmly embedded in his stomach. "Take it back. I don't want it."

With that, he aimed it at Bel and threw. The experienced knife thrower easily caught it with two of his fingers. The same knife went soaring towards Fran again.

Their fight continued. Out of the blue, Fran asked Bel, "Did you always fight with Mammon?"

"...Maybe."

"You saying you didn't know whether you were fighting? Gee, you really are a twisted maniac, loving to fight so much that you can't even tell whether or not you're doing so."

"Die."

"Senpai, you muttered that word to yourself twenty-three times already, amongst the 'kill' and the other words I can't bother to remember. Anyway, you should broaden your vocabulary. You only know so few words."

"Shut up."

"Apart from all those, was Mammon important to you?"

The knife in Bel's hand that was to be thrown froze in position. From his crouched position, Bel straightened.

"Senpai?"

"..." It was once again silent. Many thoughts ran through Bel's head. Mammon? Important?

This was the first time Bel actually bothered to think about that. He had always thought that Mammon was just a money-faced, greedy baby. Thought so, he had also always thought that Mammon might be more than just a fellow Varia member and a fighting buddy, or knife target, whatever.

Bel knew that Fran had no idea how much depth that seemingly innocent question was. It was, too, obvious to him that Fran deliberately asked him that. Fran knew jolly well that Bel hated to talk about Mammon, to ask so much as a question as this might prove fatal. So far, it is.

But since Fran asked, and Bel had no avenue to find wrong in doing so, may as well think about it. Why not just tell the frog and get him to stop all these pointless questions. After all, the frog wouldn't go around gossiping about these stuff. He found entertainment in irritating others, not gossiping.

What a brat.

But, anyhow, he might do as a good companion. For now, at the very least. Bel finally answered, "I guess..."

"Wow, Bel-senpai, telling me a secret now? I'd very much like to hear about it, thank you."

A good companion he might be, but one annoying one, he, too, is.

"May as well, if you'll just stop asking these stupid questions."

"I'm listening, Sir Idiot."

Woosh.

A knife embedded itself in Fran's hat. Ignoring it, Fran said, trying to urge Bel to hurry tell his story, "Once upon a time, there was an idiotic Prince and a hooded baby the Prince thought was cuter that me..."

"Shut up."

"...and it was not. "

"You..." Bel Hissed dangerously. Fran gulped, bracing himself for another blow.

It did not come.

"Senpai?"

"Mammon...was my best friend."

Fran whispered to himself, "Wow."

"Although I gave him a lot of money," Bel continued, ignoring the the frog, "I didn't mind him asking for more. After all, my money's unlimited. He was a very good companion."

"Companion?"

Bel laughed coldly. "That idiot probably didn't know. He was always there. And he was my plush toy. He was just an idiot."

"Isn't there a better word to describe Mammon apart from 'idiot'? You really should try to broaden your vocabulary."

"There isn't. He got himself killed because of his stupidity."

"Then why still mention him?"

Bel gave an irritated sigh. "Will you just stop it?"

'Ah, the Prince is now angry at me, the one who did nothing wrong, whereas he did."

Woosh. Stab.

This time, the knife was so fast that not even Fran could see it. It found itself lodged in Fran's chest.

Fran nonchalantly pulled it out and retorted monotonously, "Senpai, you know that can't kill me. Please continue your story on Mammon."

"You peasant...There's nothing left to say. Mammon is just an infuriating, greedy brat."

"Oh, really? So, can I take off this hat since it reminds you so much of Mammon, you hated nemesis?" Again the frog patted his hat.

Bel hissed. How dare he..."Take it off and die." The Prince flung a couple of knives in the frog's direction. Fran ducked them and they hit a nearby pillar. They continued their fight of knives versus illusions.

A rather pissed off Bel fought more furiously than before. First, the frog wanted to take off the hat. Second, he got his facts wrong. Fatally wrong.

Bel's grin returned. He muttered to himself, so softly that not even Fran could hear,

"I like Mammon."

There you have it - a short story on Bel's impression on Mammon. So, reviews are love?