Within just a few days of having brought Bel home, Dino found himself having a very hard time looking after him; Bel was uncooperative and kept running away and hiding, and the older blond was beginning to feel as if he were at his wits' end – but he wasn't going to take Bel back to the hospital, not after promising that he would help his charge.

Dino wasn't the type of person to abandon someone – there was a reason he had chosen his profession, after all- and instead would do everything he could to help them. Sometimes, though, even Dino got frustrated – like now, as he door-knocked along his street to ask his neighbours if they had seen Bel.

"What's that, sweetheart? Speak up a little, will you?"

Dino could never show disrespect to his elders; he was as polite as ever as he spoke louder to his elderly neighbour. "Have you seen the boy I'm looking after? I can't find him anywhere and I'm worried."

"I didn't know you had a son, dear. How sweet." The woman's eyes shone with happiness. "What is his name?"

"Oh, he's not my son; I'm… looking after him for a friend." Dino understood the questioning; his neighbour was rather senile, after all. "He has blond hair and he was wearing a striped shirt this morning. Have you seen him?"

"No, dear, I haven't. But I have cookies I just baked. Give them to him for me."

Dino knew it was easier to accept the gift and move on to the next neighbour, so when a paper bag full of cookies was handed to him, he thanked the woman for her time and went next door. To his relief, the other neighbour was middle-aged and capable of being asked such a serious question.

"Hello." The young man was glad that his neighbour was outside getting the mail; it would make up for lost time in trying to find Bel without the hassle of waiting for the other to answer the door. "Have you seen the boy I'm looking after? He snuck out while I was cleaning the kitchen and I'm really worried about him."

The man looked down at Dino. He smiled slightly before he asked, "What's he look like? I've seen a couple kids around here today already."

"He's got blond hair and he was wearing a striped shirt."

"I think I saw him heading down to the river; I drove past a kid like that on my way home and it looked like that was where he was going."

Dino was greatly worried at these words; it would be only too easy for something to happen to Bel if he were unsupervised at the river; he could get lost or drown, trip over something and hurt his leg, or he could even fall off one of the many steep embankments that were so sneaky, they had already claimed several lives over the years.

"Thank you; I'll go and find him now." The blond hurried back to his own home so that he could get his car keys and drive to the river. He didn't waste any time in getting there; he had to get Bel back to safety.

To Dino's relief, Bel hadn't gotten too far into the bushland by the time the adult had parked his car and started looking for him. The man reached out to grab his charge's arm and tug him out of the ditch the younger had tried to hide in, and no matter how much Bel yelled and struggled, he didn't let go; he wasn't happy with the boy's behaviour, and he needed for Bel to learn that he had done wrong.

"Let me go! I hate you!" Bel tried to bite at the hand that refused to let go of his arm, but Dino was too quick; the stronger blond spun around to pull Bel's back against his chest and hold him still.

"Bel, I don't usually get mad, and I'm not mad at you just yet, but I'm certainly not happy with you for running off like this!" Dino knew he couldn't be too stern with Bel because the younger didn't know or trust him just yet, and if he wasn't careful about how he handled this, he could make his charge only withdraw further. "I've told you before; if you want to go outside, you have to ask me so I can come with you. Look, I know it's not fair for you to be cooped up inside all of the time, and I understand why you want to be outside instead, and I'm happy to let you go out as long as you ask me, Bel. If you go outside without asking me first, I'm going to be very upset with you. What if you got hurt, and I didn't know because I thought you were still inside? I worry about you, and I don't want you to be hurt."

"You're a liar!" Bel continued to writhe, just wanting to get away; why was Dino doing this to him? "You're supposed to let me run away and be happy I'm gone! Leave me alone!"

Dino shook his head. "I'm not mad at you, Bel. I just don't want you to run off like this again. Alright?"

Bel didn't stop trying to free himself from Dino's hold, so the older blond let him go. The boy didn't seem to know how to react to that; he just stared at his guardian with a frown on his face.

"Do you understand, Bel?" Dino allowed his tone to soften. "Now let's forget this happened and leave."

Bel still didn't say a word; he simply followed behind Dino with his head down. He hesitated to get into the car when they arrived back at it; despite having only been in the vehicle a handful of times, he felt uncomfortable in it, the space too small and suffocating for his liking. The older blond understood, though; his charge already felt like a prisoner in their home, and being trapped in a car wasn't helping.

"Bel… Are you unhappy living in my home?" Dino wanted to get to the bottom of the younger's behaviour, knowing he had to find out why Bel kept running away and hiding so that he could stop it before something happened.

Bel didn't reply directly to the question, but he did grip his pant legs tightly and frown down at his lap; a sign Dino recognised as anxiety. "…"

"Would it make you feel better if we spent time outside of the house? I have some friends around your age, Bel; I think you might like them if you were to get to know them."

A sharp breath left Bel's lips as he shook his head. He dug his nails into his pant legs, and despite the fabric between his skin, he still left scratches on his flesh. Bel was genuinely frightened now, and he wasn't making any attempt to hide it. "No…!"

"They won't hurt you, Bel; you'll make friends. They're very nice kids; they wouldn't want to upset you." Inside, Dino wanted for the boy to accept his offer and maybe, just maybe, make some friends and possibly calm down a little. "I think you'd like them; it might just take a little bit for you to get used to them, first. We can go and see them, and we won't stay for long; we'll have lunch with them and you can get to know them a little bit. What do you think?"

Bel's hands clenched and unclenched in agitation, and Dino knew why; the boy was very unsettled from being removed from the house and most likely thought he was about to be dumped again. It was sad, but the man could understand it; all Bel knew was abandonment.

"Liar!" Bel gripped the seat tight as he turned to glare furiously at Dino. "You're such a fucking liar! You've just had enough of me already, haven't you?! Why wouldn't you just let me run away if you want me gone so badly?! Have you finally gotten sick of me like everyone else?!"

"Not at all, Bel." Dino was patient, letting the boy scream at him. However, he couldn't help but feel a pang of hurt in his chest at the younger's next words.

"Stop fucking with me or I'll kill myself!" Bel pulled his sleeve upwards so that he could reveal the fresh stitches in his arm Bel had gotten at the hospital the night previous for self-harming. He snarled at the look of pain on his new guardian's face, not believing it to be sincere, no matter how much he wished it was; no one had ever cared about him before, so why would Dino start now? "That's what you want, isn't it?! To be rid of me!"

"I certainly don't want you to die, Bel. And I'm being honest with you; we'll both be back home in no time."

Bel growled. He wished Dino would just hurry up and get rid of him already; it would certainly make the pain in his chest vanish sooner rather than being unable to get rid of the tiniest streak of hope inside him that maybe… just maybe… Dino really did want him.

"Would it help you if I were to promise we'll be back home by one o'clock?" Hoping that in giving Bel a timeframe would help calm the younger, Dino wasn't surprised when Bel just muttered something under his breath before falling silent.

Dino didn't say anything more; he would just have to keep trying to find a way to get through to Bel, no matter how hard it was going to be.

~~XX~~

When Dino finally managed to coax Bel inside the sushi restaurant they had just arrived at, he was glad to see the younger finally following behind, however reluctantly; it had been a struggle to get him out of the car, and the older blond had been worried Bel would run off again, but to his relief, it looked as if his new charge was going to remain with him.

"Tsuyoshi." Dino bowed politely to the man behind the counter before he led Bel over as well. "Are the boys about?"

"Yeah, they're up in Takeshi's room. Oi! Takeshi! Come down!"

Bel was incredibly tense at this, finding the man extremely intimidating; this stranger was loud and held an air of confidence about him, and the boy couldn't help but be reminded of people he wished he could have killed when given the chances.

"Bel?" Dino noticed how uncomfortable Bel looked. "Are you okay?"

Instinctively, the man reached out to put his hand on Bel's shoulder, but the boy didn't accept the comfort; he growled loudly and shoved his guardian away. "Fuck off! Don't touch me! I hate you!"

Before Dino could reply, a familiar voice grabbed his attention from the back of the restaurant. "Is this Belphegor, Dino-san?"

Dino didn't let Bel's behaviour get him down; he instead smiled at the younger teenagers gathered by the doorway to the living quarters. "Yes, this is him. I brought him out to meet you guys."

Bel was oddly silent. He stared down at his feet as he waited for the inevitable; Dino was going to abandon him here, wasn't he…? It was only a matter of time before the stronger blond got up and left, never to be seen again.

And that knowledge… it hurt…

"Bel hasn't had lunch yet. Have you?" Dino smiled when the younger trio shook their heads. He guided Bel over to the counter so that they could sit. "Want to eat with us?"

Bel didn't care to hear what the others said; he just sat down at the counter, not understanding what he was supposed to do now; all of the sushi was behind a glass screen, so how did he eat it? He sighed and dropped his face to the counter.

However, he became genuinely surprised when a plate of sushi was put in front of him; where did this come from? Why was he being fed without having asked for anything? Was he allowed to eat it, or was it just some sick test to see if he would touch it or not?

"It's okay, Bel."

The blond looked up at Dino. He grimaced as he found a disgustingly bright smile directed at him, and he wanted to take his chopstick and stab his guardian in the face with it. He growled before snapping, "Don't smile at me!"

Bel flinched when laughter he had never heard before sounded from next to him; was someone laughing at him…? He froze when he felt someone wrap their arms around his shoulders and pull him against a warm body, and from there he almost started hyperventilating; what was happening? Why was someone touching him like this? He didn't understand!

"He reminds me of Gokudera!" The tallest of the trio had been smiling as he noticed the infuriated look on his silver-haired friend's face, but his smile was wiped away when he heard the blond in his arms start to cry; had he done something wrong? "Bel? Did I hurt you?"

Bel pulled away from the stronger male's arms and instead moved to Dino's side, almost as if he were seeking out the man's protection. He shoved at his guardian when the other tried to hold him, and lifted an arm to hide his face in hopes that no one would see him cry; he didn't want to hear them tell him how pathetic he was because he already knew it.

"Takeshi, I think you should take it slower around Bel." Dino wasn't mad at his young friend; he understood it was in the other's nature to be physically affectionate. "I don't think he's ever been around other kids before, and he's never had someone to hug him before; he must be very nervous."

The boy felt sick; he had fucked up again somehow, hadn't he? He had done something wrong and now everyone was mad at him. He didn't want to listen to what they were saying; surely they were discussing the best way to get rid of him. But how was that fair? He didn't even know what he had done wrong! He just… didn't…

"Bel, this is Takeshi, Hayato and Tsuna."

Bel frowned. He lifted his head to look at the other kids. He didn't care for their names; all he wanted was to be left alone. He opened his mouth to shout about how he didn't give a fuck who they were, but before he could do so, Dino spoke again.

"Why don't you go to Takeshi's room with them and play?"

Bel shuddered. "Piss off! You're only trying to get rid of me!"

The older blond refused to let this accusation get him down. He instead stood up and pulled Bel to his feet, too. He took his charge's hand in his, and he couldn't help but feel his heart skip a beat when he realised just how small it was compared to his own. In the gentlest tone he could muster, he said, "I would never do that to you, Bel. I'll come with you if it'll make you feel better."

How was Bel supposed to respond? Of all the scenarios that had played through his mind in split seconds, he could have never anticipated that. He was so dumbfounded, he didn't resist as he was tugged along to the back of the restaurant; he just stared blankly ahead of him as he raised his hand to his mouth to nibble slightly at the tip of his thumb in anxiety; what should he expect right now?

It wasn't very comforting to have the younger group follow behind; Bel only wanted to go back and eat his sushi – of course he should have expected to not be allowed to eat it after all!

"No!" As soon as he realised he was being led into a room, Bel turned to run, but Dino caught him before he could get away. He started thrashing, and while terror consumed him, he was powerless to stop himself from crying. "Let me go! I don't want to! No!"

"Bel, I'm not going to hurt you." Dino knelt down so that he was eye level with his charge. "Why are you so scared?"

The boy gave up on trying to get away; he knew it was useless and that he was only going to tire himself out further if he kept it up. He slumped forward and hugged himself tight, rocking slightly on the spot. He sniffed. "…I… I don't… N-no more…"

The older blond chewed at his lip. While he hadn't read anything of it in Bel's file, he was starting to wonder… It wasn't normal for a child to be as afraid of bedrooms as this boy was. He looked up at the younger teenagers before he said quietly, "Can we have some privacy, please? I want to ask Bel something personal."

Bel shuddered as the younger trio left them alone; what was Dino about to do to him…? He couldn't help but whimper and squeeze his eyes shut tight as he moved his head to face anywhere but at his guardian when strong hands grabbed his shoulders; it was finally about to start, wasn't it…? He should have known better than to get his hopes up that the man was different…

"Bel…" Dino took a deep breath. "…Has… Has anyone ever… touched you…? Down there…?"

The boy gave a confused look; what was the other talking about? He had been beaten his whole life, but… Was there any other kind of touch other than the pounding of fists and stomps of feet? And in a specific place? He just didn't understand…! "…I don't… know…"

Part of Dino was relieved to hear this; if Bel didn't understand, than his concerns must be for nothing. He closed his eyes as he reached out and pulled his charge into a hug, and to his honest surprise, the younger didn't try and get away; Bel simply froze in the embrace and frowned.

"What did they do to you, Bel…?" Dino already knew most of the answers; he had read it in Bel's file. But that file wasn't where he wanted to find things out; he wanted for the younger to tell him himself, to open up and trust him and vent.

Bel's lips opened and closed wordlessly before he shook his head and pushed Dino away. His tears came harder down his cheeks, but for once, he didn't spout abuse and obscenities; he hugged himself tight and stared at his feet as his bottom lip quivered. "…"

Dino was as gentle as ever as he removed his hands from the younger's shoulders and instead put them against his thighs as he leant down. "You don't have to tell me, Bel; you still aren't ready to trust me. But I'm always here if you ever need someone to talk to. Alright? Now wait here while I go and get the others."

Bel wiped at his eyes. He stood where he was, not feeling motivated to try and run away; he felt drained of all energy, as if something had come along and sucked the life – or what was left of it – out of him. He observed the younger group through lidded eyes when they came back with Dino, and all he could do was block out their words.

"Come on, Bel." The older blond led his charge back into the bedroom, and though he said nothing about it, he was glad to feel a small hand clutch his own tightly.

Bel could have thrown up as he followed Dino into the room. Reality hit him like a cement truck and he realised what he was doing and the danger he was putting himself in by entering, and with a startled gasp, he pulled his hand free from the man's and ran to the corner that was farthest from everyone else. He pulled his knees to his chest and rocked back and forth, trying to prepare himself for the assaults that would be coming any second now, but no matter how hard he tried to lock himself away inside his mind, he couldn't ignore the fact that the tallest male of the trio was approaching him, and his smile didn't hold any of the malice he was used to – instead, it was almost… a warmer version of Dino's.

The dark-haired male – who Bel remembered had been introduced to him as Takeshi – knelt on the floor in front of Bel. He extended his hand to put it on the smaller male's knee, but he instead pulled it back to himself when the blond flinched and tried to move away. He didn't comment on the reaction; he instead said in a gentle voice, "Dino told us that he rescued you from his work, and that you've been through a lot. I think you're just like Gokudera, and in that case, you shouldn't try and hide what you feel by taking it out on others; you should take some time to just cry and let it all out. Gokudera never tells us when something's bothering him, and you shouldn't, either. So, what's bothering you right now, Bel? Is there anything we can do to help?"

Bel was stressed. Very stressed. He had never encountered a situation like this before, and he didn't know how he was supposed to act. Was he supposed to scream and shout like he always did with Dino? Or was he supposed to listen to what Takeshi was telling him?

Bel didn't know, and all he could do was grab at his face as let out a frustrated noise as he started to cry again.

While Takeshi's friends remained on the other side of the room, the dark-haired male himself never left Bel's side. He stayed where he was, as patient as ever. "It's okay to cry, Bel. It's okay. As long as it takes, we can sit here."

"S-shut up…" It was a struggle to get such simple words past his tears, but immediately upon realising he had told this – this stranger – to shut up, he felt his stomach twist uncomfortably in guilt; why did it feel so wrong to talk to Takeshi like that…? "F-fuck… I… I… Fuck…"

Bel vomited from his stress, and with that, he had passed out; this was just too much for his fragile mind to take in.