When Mukuro came over to see Belphegor the next day, he found the older male curled up downstairs on the couch, a PSP in his hands as he stuck his tongue out of the corner of his mouth in concentration. He moved over to make room when he realised he had guests, but he didn't otherwise take his attention away from his game.
"Hey, Belphegor." Leaning down, Mukuro kissed the smaller male's cheek. "What are you playing?"
Mumbling something under his breath, Bel pulled away when Fran climbed onto the couch next to him. He didn't say anything when the smaller body curled up against his chest, knowing the other was only watching him play.
"Can I get one of these, Master?" Looking up at the tallest teenager, Fran pointed to the gaming console in Bel's hands.
"We'll see, Fran; they cost a lot of money." Turning instead to his lover, Mukuro then asked in a soft tone, "Why are you not at school today, Belphegor?"
"Why aren't you at school?" the blond shot back, peeking out from beneath his long bangs to glare at the younger. "Squa said I could stay home for today."
"That is nice of him. He is always nice to you, isn't he?"
Belphegor nodded, mashing the buttons on his PSP rapidly. "How did you know I wasn't at school?"
"Squalo rang me and asked if I could watch you while he is at work." Patting the older male's long legs, Mukuro smiled. "What would you like to do today?"
"I want ice cream." Putting his game on power-saving mode, Bel tossed the console onto the coffee table in front of him. "There's none left in the kitchen; I already looked. Let's go get some from in town."
"Come on, Fran." Grabbing the boy's hand, Mukuro tugged the youngest from the couch. They were just about to go upstairs and grab Bel's spare key from his bedroom, but they were stopped by the front door opening.
Squalo stepped into the house, an expression angrier than Mukuro had ever seen him don before plastered all over his face; he looked as if he were about ready to go on a massacre.
"Squa, give me money." Unwilling to use his own allowance, Bel held his hand out in demand.
"Fuck off, Belphegor!" The man roared, slapping away the smaller hand as if it was offending him. "I'm not in the mood for your shit today!"
"Don't come home from work early just to yell at me!" The blond shouted back, stomping his foot on the ground. "I hate you when you yell!"
"I hate you, too!" Squalo, who was too busy storming towards his bedroom, didn't notice the look of hurt that crossed the teenager's face. A loud bang from upstairs sounded, suggesting that the man had slammed his bedroom door shut in his wake.
"Belphegor?" Mukuro looked at his lover, surprised to find the other looking so visibly shaken; had what Squalo said upset him more than he had realised? "Are you okay?"
"...Why does everyone hate me...?" Obscured eyes became wild with emotion as the whispers in the teenager's head became erratic, laughing and fuelling his negative emotions with false promises that, no matter what he did, no one would ever love him. "I don't..."
"That is not true, Belphegor," Mukuro promised. "Why would you think that?"
"Everyone tells me they hate me..." Wrapping his arms around his thin body, Bel dropped himself back onto the couch. "I don't want ice cream anymore..."
"Belphegor..." Patting the older male's head in a soothing manner, Mukuro sighed. "Stay here; I will go talk to Squalo. Come on, Fran."
Pulling the boy along behind him, Mukuro made his way upstairs. He knocked politely on the door he knew led to Squalo's bedroom, waiting for a response before he stepped inside.
"Are you alright, Squalo?" Closing the door behind him, Mukuro moved to the bed the man was sprawled out on. "Did something happen?"
"Yeah, brat..." Dragging his arm over his eyes, Squalo sighed. "Fucking assholes at work... Got a fucking suspension because of all that time off I needed looking for Belphegor... Can't afford this..."
"Can Xanxus do anything about it? They're his brothers, after all."
"He's tried. For fuck's sake... This is bullshit..."
"Do you want me to take Belphegor home for a few days?"
Knowing he really wasn't in the proper state of mind to care for his ill charge, Squalo could only nod. He stayed still as the younger male patted him on the shoulder, not willing to take his problems out on the blue-haired teenager; he felt guilty enough for shouting at Belphegor as it was.
"I will take good care of him for you, Squalo. I hope you feel better soon." Leaving the older male to his own devices, Mukuro squeezed Fran's hand. "Let's go, Fran."
Fran glanced back at Squalo before he followed his guardian downstairs once again. He found Belphegor had grabbed his PSP again, tapping lazily at the buttons with a blank expression on his face.
"You are going to come and stay with me for a few days, Belphegor," Mukuro said softly as he reached down, running his fingers along the back of the smaller male's hand. "Would you like to get your own bag, or shall I do it for you?"
"You do it…" Bel muttered, grimacing angrily a second later. He threw his gaming console across the room, the loud clattering of breaking glass filling the air. Reaching up, the teenager pulled at his hair as he made a loud noise of distress. "Shut up… Shut up!"
Pushing Fran so that there was distance between the smaller two, Mukuro said quietly, "Go and see what is broken, Fran. Be careful of the glass."
"What the fuck did you break this time, you little brat?!" Squalo's roar thundered through the house as he stomped down the stairwell, his eyes burning with anger. "I'm fucking sick of replacing shit because of your temper tantrums, you bad-natured, spoiled little shit! The fuck did you break?!"
"He threw his game console, Squalo," Mukuro inputted quietly, knowing the blond was never going to fess up. "I do not know what it hit, however."
"Stop telling on me, or I will kill you!"
"Belphegor!" Taking hold of his charge's shoulders, Squalo bellowed, "You're almost seventeen-years-old! You need to cut this shit out and stop acting like the spoiled little brat you are! Stop breaking everyone's shit just because you don't get your own way!"
"It was my game!"
"Yeah, it was my job and my money that paid for it! Keep treating your crap like this, and I won't buy you anything else! I might be losing my fucking job because of your ungrateful little ass!"
"I hate you!" the blond screamed, lashing out at his guardian with all the strength he could muster. "I will kill you! I'm going to slit your fucking throat once I've made a nice cactus out of you!"
"Not if I throw you back into that fucking hospital, first!" It hurt Squalo to make this kind of threat to his charge, but he just wasn't in the mood to deal with Belphegor today; he knew that what he was saying was hurting the teenager, but he just couldn't stop himself. "I'll leave your fucking ass in there and never bring you back out again! They'll shove the pills you hate so much down your damn throat every day and treat you worse than Siel does! Is that what you want?!"
Belphegor fell silent at this, a single tear sliding down his cheek. He shook his head erratically, trying to pull himself out of the other's grip. "I don't… I don't want to go back there!"
Turning the teenager around, Squalo was careless as he shoved his charge at Mukuro. He was stoic as the blue-haired male caught Bel, just too stressed to really care about anything right now. "Keep this shit up, and I will leave you there."
Glaring at the man in loathing, Belphegor sniffed as he watched his guardian stomp away back towards the stairwell. Mukuro looked down at him, frowning; while he had seen Belphegor and Squalo fight before, he had never seen them at each other's throats like this.
"Master?"
Turning around to look down at Fran, Mukuro sighed as he noticed the damaged PSP in tiny hands; the screen was smashed, and the disc drive was hanging off the back of the console loosely, the game nowhere in sight.
"I think it's broken, and I cut myself on the glass." Holding his hand up so that heterochromatic eyes could see his hand, Fran stared emotionlessly at his guardian. "He broke a photo frame."
Taking the bleeding hand in his, Mukuro wrapped it with the hem of his mist-patterned shirt. He opened his mouth to tell the youngest to be more careful, only to have Belphegor cut him off by pushing in between them, snatching the injured hand and raising it to his face.
A shudder of pleasure ran through the blond's body as he looked at the bleeding wound. He licked his lips before he leant in, running his tongue against the injury slowly as he savoured the taste of the sticky red liquid. He moaned before engulfing the boy's hand entirely in his mouth, intoxicated by the fluid he loved so much.
Knowing he wasn't going to get his boyfriend moving any time soon, Mukuro instead left the two alone together as he went upstairs to pack a bag for Belphegor; he would have to let the blond stay with him for a few days, knowing that Squalo was under too much stress to want to care for him at this current point in their lives.
~~XX~~
Tossing Bel's schoolbag onto the couch of Mukuro's living room, heterochromatic eyes looked around as they waited for the blond to enter the small apartment himself; Belphegor had seemed enthralled by someone only he could see, and was now standing at the top of the stairs, conversing languidly with his hallucination.
"I'm hungry, Master." Pulling his hand from his guardian's, Fran looked up at the blue-haired teenager with a slight pout on his face. "What is for lunch?"
Patting teal hair gently, Mukuro glanced back at the front door to see whether or not his boyfriend had decided to come back in. "I will have to have a look and see what is here that I can make."
When Belphegor finally decided to drag himself into the apartment, he dropped his schoolbooks in the threshold, not caring that they spilt out onto the balcony corridor where other residents would either trip over them, or would be knocked off to the pavement below. He didn't bother closing the door, either; he simply sauntered over to Fran and ripped the boy away from Mukuro.
"I like your neighbour, Mukuro." Bel was quick to drag the youngest over to the couch, forcing him onto it. "He's funny."
"Which neighbour?" Knowing that his lover was most likely referring to his hallucination, Mukuro remained patient.
"The one with the top hat." Growling as Fran tried to get off the couch, Bel tightened his hold on tiny wrists, leaving red marks that would undoubtedly bruise.
"I do not have a neighbour with a top hat, Belphegor." Stepping into the kitchen, Mukuro searched for something edible. "Perhaps he was just passing through."
"I don't – stop moving!" Slapping the boy across the face, Belphegor pulled himself up onto the couch so that he was straddling the younger's body. He then lay down, his much larger frame causing a wave of uneasiness to wash through Fran. "I said, stop fucking moving!"
"What are you doing to him, Belphegor?" Noticing the fright that was quickly crossing Fran's face, Mukuro moved back into the living room to break the smaller males apart. "You are upsetting him, Belphegor."
"I want to fuck him!" The blond made a distressed noise at this, reaching out to pull Fran closer to him. "I'm tired of waiting until you tell me I can! I want to fuck him now!"
"Belphegor!" Looking over his shoulder in hopes that no one had been walking past the apartment, Mukuro chewed at his lip. "The front door is open! Keep your voice down!" Getting up to bring the older male's books inside, Mukuro quickly kicked the door closed once he had gathered everything into his arms.
Pushing Fran back down onto the couch, Bel moved to pull down the younger's pants. He stopped when Mukuro intervened again, turning to glare at the taller teenager. "Fuck off! I'm horny!"
"I will not let you take it out on Fran right now, Belphegor." Pulling Fran so that the boy was standing behind him, Mukuro stood his ground. "He is not ready for you just yet; you will only scare him and cause him pain."
"I don't care!" Trying to push Mukuro out of the way, Belphegor resorted to biting the younger male. "I want to fuck him! I don't care if he doesn't like it – it only matters if I like it!"
"That is wrong, Belphegor, and you knowit!" Unable to stop himself from getting angry, Mukuro narrowed his eyes. "I am sure you hated it when Rasiel did it to you, so why would you put someone else through the same thing?!"
"It's not the same! No one can hurt me, but I can do whatever I want to anyone!"
"Belphegor!" Taking the older male by the shoulders, Mukuro shook his lover roughly. "I will not let you have your way with Fran if you are not going to be considerate to his feelings! You know very well that sex is a meaningful thing, and there should be love and care in it! You cannot have Fran until you can show him a bit of love and tenderness!"
"I don't give a fuck about any of that!" Struggling in the younger's hold, Belphegor then added, "I just want sex! I don't care about anything else!"
Mukuro knew full-well Belphegor was really only in the relationship for sex – he had known it would probably always be that way when he had asked the older male out – but still, it didn't make it hurt any less to hear it being confirmed.
Stepping back from the blond, Mukuro shrugged and turned around. He grabbed Fran's hand and pulled him from the couch. "Have it your way, then, Belphegor. But don't expect either of us to put out until you can learn to appreciate us a bit better."
"Even if you tell me no and that you don't want it, I'll make you put out!" Stomping his foot on the ground, the teenager screamed something incomprehensible.
"That is called rape, and you know better than to do it to someone, Belphegor."
"I don't care!" Throwing himself onto the couch, the blond kicked off his own belongings so that he could curl up on the soft cushions. "I can rape someone if I want to!"
"No, you cannot!" Tugging Fran towards the bedroom, Mukuro couldn't help but let his anger wash over him. He looked down when Fran called for him, trying to calm himself down and not take it out on the boy. "What is it, Fran?"
"What is rape?"
"Something very, very bad, and I wish for it to never happen to you." Leaning down, Mukuro sighed as he pulled the boy know his arms. "I hope you would tell me to stop if I ever did something to you that you didn't like."
"But you never do anything that I don't like," Fran promised, returning the hug. "I like everything we do together, Master."
"That's great to hear, Fran. It really is." Mukuro knew he loved his charge, and what had at first started as nothing more than something to keep Belphegor happy had truly evolved into the younger teenager wanting only the best for the boy. "I love you."
"I love you, too, Master."
Back in the living room, Belphegor's mind was running a mile a minute; he didn't understand why both Squalo and Mukuro had been against him today; all he knew was that everyone seemed to be ganging up on him lately, and he didn't like it.
~~XX~~
When dinner rolled around and the three found themselves seated in the living room with plates of sushi on their laps, Belphegor couldn't help but glare at the two of them in silence. The whispers in his head were going full-force, telling him that his anger and hatred was okay, that it was justified, and if he wanted to act on it, to go right ahead.
While Mukuro and Fran were sitting on the floor with their backs against the couch, Belphegor was curled up on the furniture, paying no attention to the TV program the younger two were watching.
Go ahead and do it. The whispers echoed through the blond's mind loudly, making it hard for the teenager to think clearly. They won't notice; their backs are turned. Do it; you won't get in trouble.
Gripping his fork tightly in his hand, Belphegor grit his teeth. He knew he could do it so easily right now; he could kill the others and then take his own life. If he could just thrust his hand forward, the fork would…
"Belphegor?" Mukuro had turned around, looking up at the older male. "You are shaking; I can feel it. What's wrong?"
Do it. Move your hand. Just do it.
Keening loudly, Bel tightened his hold on the knife to the point his knuckles were turning white. His trembling increased, but he felt frozen in place when the younger male simply pushed his fork-wielding hand to the side slowly before getting up to embrace him.
"What is the matter, Belphegor?" Kissing the smaller male's cheek, Mukuro sighed. He dropped his head onto a quivering shoulder, knowing he shouldn't have been so hard on the other today; Belphegor didn't know any better. "You know I hate fighting with you… I am sorry for what I said; I should have been more understanding."
Bel's mind became hazy and unfocused as he stared blankly ahead of him. He moved the fork closer to his lover, but in his lost state, he could do little more than poke in an irritating manner at the taller male.
"Let's put this down for now…" Gently unwrapping long digits from around the fork, Mukuro took it to give to Fran. "Are you okay? I am here if you need to talk."
Lifting his hands up to cover both of his ears, Bel let a single sob escape his lips as tears started streaming down his cheeks, unable to stop the cruel taunts only he could hear. He pulled his knees to his chest, knocking his dinner plate to the floor, burying his face against them as he repeatedly whimpered no over and over again.
Pulling Belphegor against his chest, Mukuro held the older male close. He whispered reassurances that it would be okay, even if he wasn't sure the other could hear him. "I love you, Belphegor… I love you so much…"
Mukuro knew that when the blond cried, he was in a very bad state of mind; it meant that whatever he was told by those voices, it was just too much for Belphegor to be able to handle, and if they didn't try and snap him out of it, soon… Well, it wouldn't be pretty.
"It's okay, Belphegor," Mukuro promised. "I love you."
The blond soon pulled himself closer to the younger, letting himself cry harder into Mukuro's shirt. He wasn't one for physical contact, much less such intimate displays, but right now, all he wanted was to know that he wasn't alone, that he was loved despite what was being said to him.
"Don't leave me…" Bel whispered, his fingers curled tightly into the younger's shirt. "I don't want to be alone… Please…"
"You are not," the blue-haired male promised. He brushed blond bangs out of the other's eyes, finding them squeezed shut tightly; he had once said he didn't want anyone to see his eyes because he felt they gave away too much of what he was feeling. "I love you, and I will never leave you, no matter what you do."
"…" Belphegor didn't know if the taller male knew how close he had come to being murdered, but that didn't matter; what was important was that, right now, he was being given the comfort he could get from so few people in his life. "I want to die…"
"Well, you are not going to; I will not let you die, Belphegor, because no matter how hard things are for you right now, things will get better," Mukuro promised confidently. "If you will just get back on your medication…"
"I don't want to!" the blond screamed, fidgeting in distress. "I will never go back to those stupid pills!"
"Alright, alright." Rubbing Bel's frail back, Mukuro instead said, "You have both Fran and I here for you, so try and relax, okay? You are safe and very much loved in this apartment."
Lifting a hand to rub at his eyes, Bel nodded. He let himself fall limp in the other's hold, just too tired to keep fighting; he only wanted to go to sleep and never wake up again.
"Don't cry, senpai," Fran said softly. He climbed up onto the couch as well, wrapping his skinny arms around a waist just as thin. "I like you, too."
Unable to resist the arms that were holding him close, Bel just continued to sniff, slowly letting his tears run dry. He eventually let his eyes slip closed and, soon enough, he was fast asleep, held close by the younger two.
It was rare for the teenager to know such comfort; while Squalo often let him sit on his lap to cry, the man was quite awkward when it came to holding him like this; it was Mukuro who could truly give him the physical comforting he so often needed.
"Is he asleep, Master?" Reaching out, Fran's tiny hand patted blond hair.
"Yes, he is." Standing up, the taller male pulled Bel into his arms. "I will go and put him into bed. Finish your dinner, okay?"
Fran nodded, watching as his guardian carried the blond to the bedroom. He returned to his sushi, but in between mouthfuls, he couldn't help but think that this was what Mukuro had been talking about when he said Bel needed lots of love and support.
Maybe Bel was weird, and sort of frightening at the same time, but Fran liked him, and he wanted to help the blond as much as he could.
