Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! was created by Akira Amano.

Claimer: I own the plot, OCs. Nothing more, nothing less.

Warnings: takes place before Xanxus acquires Gola Mosca. Blood and gore warning (depending on how imaginative you are).

Pairing: BelOC


He was doing it again.

The blond teen is squeezed into the hospital bed, pressed up against the brunette Italian he's been roommates with for a few days now. He's warm, as he wanted to be originally and also because this is becoming a big habit. He crawled in behind her after the nurse did his normal rounds. They had to take a blood sample from her for whatever reason.

But he knows it wasn't good.

Belphegor squeezes Aria closer to his body, frowning. He's acting the same as a child might when they've been put in a timeout and were done throwing a tantrum. He didn't like being here, that much is obvious. He just wants to take his toy and fly back to the Varia castle where they both belong, and then he would hire Lussuria and the best Sun Flame users to find out a way to heal Aria from the unstoppable growth of cells going on within her bones.

But what he wants more than that, at this point, is just for her to look at him with recognition.

"You're mine," he mumbles in his crazed tone, running his thumb over the back of her hand. "You're The Prince's toy…"

And he needs some way to claim her, to show the world that she belongs to him. This girl is his toy. He would need something permanent. The only thing he knows of that's permanent, that he can do right now, is put a scar on her skin. Produce a flaw that only she would know how it was put there—that it was him. And every time she touched it, she would know… that Prince the Ripper had left his mark. And she would think of him.

But most of all, she would remember him.

Prince the Ripper takes out a scalpel. He puts it up near the corner of the old Hitman's jaw. It would be fast. She would wake up, of course, and perhaps get a small infection… but it was worth it. And so he lightly presses the blade against the soft skin where her jaw meets her neck. And he presses it down a little, just enough to start letting blood grow along the metal.

Surprisingly, it doesn't wake her up. He presses harder, and still there is no response. He takes the blade away, and cuts off some of his bandages—he managed to open up a few more cuts while she was asleep last night—and then puts it on her newly-made wound.

But this isn't enough. He not only wants her to remember him, but he needs to produce some sort of… bond—something that will always link them together.

Prince the Ripper licks the blade, letting the calming taste of metal soak into his mouth. When it's clean, he presses the blade up under his own jaw and makes a small cut. He shivers as he feels the warm metal bite him. He doesn't look at the scalpel as he cleans it by licking the metal. He has to focus hard to make sure he doesn't feel this giddy feeling creep into his mind. He hides the weapon again, and presses some bandage to his new wound as well.

"Mmm, Belphegor… go back to your own bed," she mumbles with a drowsy tone. "This is too small for you and me—what did you do?"

Aria's hand immediately goes over his where the new wound is. Aria sits up, turning to the blond with shock as he looks up at her, not bothering to sit up from the bed like she did. He gives a weak smile as she looks at the blood on the bandage, shaking her head with almost some disbelief. She reaches for the button that calls a nurse, but the blond simply grabs her wrist and sits up, leaning close to her face with a bigger smile.

"That's going to leave a mark," he tells her. "Just like mine is. Ushishishi, you might not remember me from before, but now you'll remember me from now on for sure."

"You're just-… I loathe you," she snaps, trying to get off the bed. But he keeps a hold of her wrist and pulls her so that she lies down on the bed, and he pins her other wrist to the bed as he lowers his face just above hers. She thinks she sees gray hues looking down at her.

"I want you to remember me…" he murmurs. "Do you know how annoying it is to wait like this? It's making me impatient. They say that you can't cure cancer. Well… if you can't remember me and you're going to die anyway, why should the Prince have to put up with his toy slowly breaking? Why can't I just discard you before?"

"Wait… what?"

Of course the relationship they had before now was not even that good. But to have her remember him would be ideal so he could mend things and then when she was cured of her cancer, they could go out to eat afterwards as if it was some dreadful nightmare she had while in a coma. The one time he claims a toy shouldn't be a time where there's no doubt he'd lose his toy. He wants there to be doubt. He wants to find a way out of it. But there's obviously no way out of it. She's doomed.

Prince the Ripper presses the scalpel against the old Hitman's neck, on the other side of her jaw that remains unwounded. He tilts his head one degree too far to where it starts to fill the female with dread. She doesn't move, hoping that this will pass.

"I'll make it quick and painless," he purrs, running his nose along her cheek while breathing inward. "I'll be considerate only for my toy."

"Wait, Belphegor, hold on!" Aria says quickly. Of course she has one free hand, but she's afraid if she even flinches it'll cause a deep cut to be put into her neck sooner rather than later. "You don't have to! There's no reason for you to kill me, I mean I'm still me! I'm trying to remember, trust me! It's not easy to just forget your whole life, it isn't! I'm trying, and you just need to give me time. You need to be patient is all! So just…"

Her begging seems to be working on The Prince. He's frowning now, having lifted his body so he's not hovering so closely over Aria's body. Her heart was fluttering as she no longer feels the edge of the blade pressed against her vulnerable neck. She wiggles her wrist under his hand to where he actually loosens his grip. She entwines their fingers together, pursing her lips and looking up at the blond with some worry.

This is the most she's thought in order to keep from getting killed in a long time.

"Belphegor…" she mutters. "You're trying so hard and being so patient for my memories to come. That tells me that you were… you must've been important in my life." Important because you killed my parents. "I don't show it, but… I'm happy you come visit me so often, and talk to me about what I was like. It makes me feel like I'm not forgotten. And that's something I've grown used to."

A playful grin comes onto the blonde's face, and that's when the brunette knows that Prince the Ripper is gone. She gives a hesitant smile back, and then The Prince points out, "You're saying you're falling in love with me, aren't you?"

Her frown instantly falls as she snaps, "Alright, I wouldn't go as far as saying that. I'd say that I've grown fond of you. Does that suffice for your royal highness?"

She would say whatever she has to in order to keep from being killed.

In response to her inquiry, the blond simple giggles and actually leans down to lightly bite the hospital patient's lower lip, tugging a bit and letting her lip naturally slip from his teeth's grip. She would admit she much prefers this side of Belphegor over Prince the Ripper. This is one of the only reasons she's allowing this behavior from him, in case a struggle or burst of anger might bring out that blood lusting side of him out into the open.

Apparently, she didn't enjoy that little act, as Belphegor so analytically notes. He tilts his head, pressing the blade of the scalpel up against her neck again but not at all in the threatening way he just had few moments prior. He giggles when she tenses up.

"Why should I harm you when you're finally doing what I want my toy to do when I play with it? Don't get so scared. It makes me lose interest. Ushishishi~"

The knife-lover leans down and presses his lips against hers forcefully. She grabs a handful of his blond locks, but surprisingly she isn't trying to tear him away. She lets him do as he pleases, but doing this one thing to show she doesn't mind makes him groan against her lips to where it's obvious Belphegor wants to laugh in triumph.

He pulls away, now pecking her neck. When the brunette no longer feels the scalpel pressing against her neck, she sticks a needle into The Prince's arm and injects a liquid. He rears back, holding his arm and yanking out the needle. He looks from it, and down to the girl he stares up at him with no comprehensible emotion in those ugly brown eyes of hers.

"What did you… put in this?" Belphegor asks sitting back so he's no longer in Aria's reach.

She sits up as stares at him blankly as she responds, "You're not the only one who can steal and threaten people. I'm tired of being considered your toy. You say you want me to remember, but why would I want to when you treat me like this? If you want someone to care for you, you treat them as equals and not your possessions. It's common sense, Belphegor. So when you wake up, I won't be around to entertain you anymore."

Aria stands up. Belphegor's nostrils flare out in angry panic. He orders her to stop as she heads into the bathroom where she already has a change of clothes that Belphegor doesn't know about. He reaches out, trying to get to the foot of the bed but instead falls face-first into the sheets. Grinding his teeth, he tries sitting up but it's to no avail. He's starting to feel light-headed. He pushes his head to look up, trying to see Aria through his blond bangs which suddenly won't allow him to see.

"I-I'm going to find you…" he says, trying to move. He tries to focus, his vision starting to blur as he starts to slur, "And when I do… I-I won't be so k-kind to you…"

She isn't even paying attention.

"Aria!" Belphegor hollers at her. She stops upon hearing her name. It's one of the few times she's heard it from him, and it made her want to turn around and… do something nice. She sighs and says, "It's too late to treat me like I'm not your toy."

The blond manages to roll off the bed, but he falls none-too-gracefully to the solid floor. He grunts, and looks up in time to see Aria pulling her hospital gown out from underneath a shirt. Somehow she managed to get her pants on. She sets her boots down, and steps on Belphegor's hand to where he lets go of the scalpel. He growls angrily.

Prince the Ripper is losing.

When the blade is kicked out of reach, Aria leans down and puts Belphegor's head on her lap. He looks up at her, and she looks down at him with that void look. It's that one he hates, where she doesn't seem to recognize him. He grinds his teeth in his anger, but she suddenly starts running her fingers through his hair and she shakes her head. He reaches up and grabs a handful of her shirt.

"Aria… don't leave," he demands. "If you leave… you'll… regret it. Just… wait for me to wake up…"

She makes no motion to leave. Belphegor's nostrils flare out again as he barely manages to turn onto his side and nuzzle his face into her stomach. The medicine's effect works its magic and knocks Belphegor right out of consciousness. When he's out, Aria manages to move him into his bed—with great difficulty—and make it look like he's sleeping. She manages to sneak out easily enough.

It would be a while before she would be found by Prince the Ripper again. And it wouldn't be a pretty sight.


Sorry this was a short chapter guys. But I think it's okay because of what I had happen in this update. Hopefully soon I get more time to update and finish this series since I'm out of work and school on Friday. I'll have the whole summer-considering I don't get distracted as I have been!

Please, I need constructive criticism. But no flaming because it does nothing. I'll need at least THREE reviews before I can update again. I don't remember my limit the last time... oh well.

(Response to one review: don't worry guys! I'm AIMING for this series to be sad and depressing! So I'm doing something right!)