Chapter edited 28th January 2017.

When Squalo's eyes snapped open the next morning, it was to Fran's heartbreaking cries from the bed opposite him. With a sigh, the man rubbed at his eyes before he pushed himself into a sitting position and checked for the other two teenagers so he didn't step on them. He climbed over Shoichi carefully, not wanting to wake him after the redhead having been having nightmares all night.

"Don't cry, Fran." Squalo tread past the still-sleeping teens so he could scoop Fran up in his arms and hold him tight. The younger's head dropped limply against his chest as emerald orbs stared blankly ahead, the tears never ceasing. "What's wrong?"

As expected, no reply came from the boy; he simply cried more, unaware of the fact that he was being rocked gently.

"You need a bath…" Squalo ran his fingers through teal locks gently before he stood up and carried the light body towards the door. "When's the last time Belphegor gave you one? For fuck's sake…"

"Squalo…?"

The long-haired man blinked as he turned around at Byakuran's voice. He found the orphan was sitting up in his sleeping bag, and his violet orbs were hazy with sleep, hinting that perhaps he hadn't been ready to wake up without Squalo's help. When he spoke, it was in a quiet voice full of concern.

"Is Sho-chan going to be okay…?"

Squalo nodded. "Of course he will be. He won't be able to use his arm again for a while, but he's going to be fine. Be nice to him; he's really scared, Byakuran."

"I will…"

"Good. Go back to sleep; it's too fucking early for this shit."

The younger hummed as he lay back down, deciding that he, too, would favour more sleep; it had been a long night, after all.

Fran continued to cry as he was carried into the bathroom. He hardly noticed when he was sat on the closed toilet seat and his pyjama top was being unbuttoned and pulled from his body; he only begun taking notice of external stimuli when he became conscious of his pants being pulled from his body.

Squalo scrunched his nose up when he removed the boy's nappy last. He sighed as he tossed it into the trashcan beside the toilet, hating humans more than ever; how could someone hurt such a sweet boy? This kid had already been through hell, and now…

Fran had, by now, stopped crying. He was staring blankly at the bathtub, seeing but not really aware that Squalo was turning the taps and filling the bath with warm water. He made another soft sound as he was soon picked up again, carried over to the large basin before he was carefully lowered into it.

"I hope that feeding tube's okay to be submerged…" Squalo chewed at his lip as he looked at the tube, knowing they couldn't be underwater for several weeks once they were put in; what if it was still too early and he was only going to harm Fran...?

The boy dropped backwards once Squalo had pulled his hands away, and he would have hit his head hard against the porcelain if his guardian hadn't been fast enough to catch him. He blinked as the bright lights up on the roof now took his attention, and the voice right next to him that was shouting for Tsuna sounded like a whisper in the wind. He was startled slightly at the sudden sound that filled his ears the same time a strange sensation made its way down his spine, not understanding that Squalo had tipped a jug of water over his head. He licked his lips without thought as he felt himself soon being moved forward so something soft could be placed behind his head. It was just after Squalo let him lay back against the porcelain did he take notice of the bathroom door opening as Tsuna came to join them, looking very tired as he stifled a yawn with his hand.

"Can you hold him to make sure he doesn't slip?" Squalo was reaching out to the shampoo bottle on the edge of the tub. "The cushion should be fine as it is, right?"

"It won't hurt it if it falls into the water." Tsuna was gentle as he took Fran's shoulders and held the boy in a sitting position with one arm as he used his other hand to support the limp head. "Be very careful washing his hair; you might hurt him."

"I fucking know!" Squalo sighed as he dropped the shampoo bottle to the ground. When he reached out and made contact with teal hair, he was more tender than he had ever been before as he went about lathering it into wet locks. He washed it out before he added conditioner, and it was then he muttered, "He's filthy, Tsuna; I don't think Belphegor's been bathing him."

"I think he's just very upset and finding it hard to deal with; he probably doesn't want to see Fran like this." Tsuna laid Fran back down, resting the boy's head on the cushion he had brought in. "It's understandable."

"Yes, but whether or not that shithead can cope is irrelevant; Fran needs to be looked after or he's going to get sick!" Squalo pointed accusingly at the feeding tube as his dark eyes stared at Tsuna. "What if that got infected and he didn't even notice?!"

"Don't blame him, Squalo; he's doing the best he can in his situation; he's feeding Fran properly and spending his nights awake to make sure Fran is alright. He needs help – he can't do it all on his own – but he does care, Squalo."

Squalo mumbled to himself as he started dragging a soapy washcloth against the boy's body. He couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed about this; he had bathed babies in his care before, but never a teenager – it felt awkward to be seeing Fran like this, and it felt as if the younger's body was so private, he shouldn't even be near him in this situation.

But even so, Squalo knew he had no choice in the matter; Fran had to rely on them more than ever, and it wasn't in his nature to abandon those he cared about.

"Think he's clean enough now?" Squalo dropped the washcloth into the bath, having finished cleaning the younger's privates. He didn't feel well, feeling as if he had just ruined the boy's innocence somehow.

Tsuna nodded, knowing his friend was uncomfortable; if anyone should be bathing Fran, it should be Bel – the blond knew his boyfriend's body better than anyone else, of course. "I'll go get clean pyjamas for him."

"Nah, get him some day clothes." Squalo held one hand on the younger's shoulder as he reached to his left to grab a towel from the rack. "I need to go into town later so I'll bring him with me; get him out of the fucking house a while. Poor brat's probably sick to death of being cooped up in the one spot for hours."

"You're going to take him into town?" While Tsuna didn't sound disapproving, he did seem concerned. "Are you going to be able to manage with him? I mean; you didn't get the wheelchair from Belphegor's, did you? Surely you can't carry him everywhere?"

"I'd rather carry him than leave him here – he's going to go crazy if he's not stimulated." After carefully tugging the fragile body out of the tub, Squalo wrapped Fran up in the red towel. "He's fucking light anyway; won't be a bother. Bring his clothes into my room; he doesn't need to have the brats watching him get dressed. Don't forget the nappy."

Tsuna was quick to leave so he could get everything ready; he knew not to keep Squalo waiting as being held up was something the man hated.

Squalo mumbled to the boy in his arms as he carried Fran from the bathroom. As he had before, Fran just lay limp against the man's chest and stared blankly at everything around him. Though Squalo would never admit it out loud, no matter how hard around the edges he was, he truly did love the brats they would take in when no one else wanted them, and he would do whatever he could to help them.

~~XX~~

"So we still need to get some more steak and wine for Xanxus." Squalo sighed as he slipped his phone back into his pocket after checking what was left on his shopping list. He turned to look at Tsuna as the younger had come with them before he glanced down at the shopping trolley the brunet was pushing. "Have we got everything else?"

"I still need to grab some bread for the kids' lunches. I'll grab the steak and then meet you guys at the registers." Tsuna patted Fran's head before he turned the trolley around, leaving Squalo to sort out anything else he needed to do before they left.

The silver haired male sighed as he adjusted his hold on Fran. The boy's head was resting against his shoulder, and his small fingers were curled tightly into the man's black jacket. He was still awake, but he was as unresponsive as ever, and Squalo was almost glad for this; the looks they received from everyone sickened him, as if he were some sort of monster for whatever reason they had conjured up, or they had decided Fran wasn't worth the air he breathed. It infuriated him, but he wasn't going to cause a scene; not while he had to take care of Fran.

It wasn't until Squalo had taken place in the queue and Tsuna had met up with them did the two adults really become agitated; while Tsuna was much more easy-going than his co-workers, the gardener didn't like people at the best of times and tended to find it very difficult to interact with others outside of screaming at them and threatening physical abuse.

"He should be in a mental hospital." A balding man, shorter than Squalo and wearing a black shirt with a crucifix pendent hanging off a chain around his neck, stared at Fran with disgust in his eyes. "At least lock him away in his room where none of us have to see the retard."

Tsuna stared in shock, unable to comprehend what the hell was going on. It was Squalo who reacted – much more violently than he should have. The long-haired male's fist shot out, connecting with the stranger's nose and creating a sickening crack. When Squalo pulled his hand away, his knuckles were already dripping blood.

"Voi!" Squalo stomped forward to press his foot against the other's chest and keep him there. "He has fucking brain damage, you uneducated fuck! Even if he didn't, there's no way I'd keep him locked up! He has just as much right to be here as you do, you filthy prick!"

"Squalo!" Tsuna tried to tug his friend away, only to have the other shake him off. "Squalo, stop! You're causing a scene!"

"Get off me!" Squalo snarled. "This fucker is dead!"

"Faggots!"

"W-what?! I'm not… Squalo!"

Whether or not Fran had any idea what was going on, none of them knew; the boy had just started crying once more, only adding to Squalo's bad mood as it was right next to his ear. He pulled himself away from the stranger before he grabbed his wallet from his pocket and tossed it to Tsuna. "Pay for this shit and get wine on your way out; I'm going to the car." With that said, Squalo was gone.

Tsuna slipped his friend's wallet into his pocket before he reached out and extended a hand to help the man to his feet. "Are you alright?"

The stranger just slapped Tsuna's hand away before he spat at the brunet's feet. "Don't touch me, fag! You'll burn in hell for that choice! You, him, and that ugly little retard!"

Tsuna's gentle eyes hardened at these words before he turned around and let the other handle himself. He put their items onto the conveyer belt in silence, aware of everyone watching them, but he showed no acknowledgement; he instead focused on his task so he could leave the building quicker. He didn't say much as he paid for everything; he simply hurried out to the car so they could go home.

As expected, Tsuna found Squalo sitting on the passenger seat of the car with Fran on his lap. The boy was hiccupping, but it looked as if the youngest was going to sleep. He sure hoped that was the case; Fran was too tired and desperately needed sleep.

"That was just cruel…" Tsuna tied the bags before he put them on the back seat. He continued speaking when he heard Squalo's grunt of acknowledgement. "He should have just minded his own business. Do you regret bringing him with you?"

"Why the fuck would I regret getting him out of the house?" Squalo snorted. "Fran has every right to live his life, and just because some bigoted bastard didn't like it doesn't mean I'm not bringing him back ever again; if you think I'd ever do what he suggested and keep Fran locked up like he's some demented animal of sorts, you're fucking wrong."

Tsuna didn't know how to respond. If there was one thing he had to compliment Squalo on, it was the man's dedication to those he cared about. The brunet had never known someone more loyal than Squalo, and though most people didn't see it, the man truly cared and did his best to look after the ones he took in, even if his methods weren't the most orthodox.

~~XX~~

Bel was startled back into consciousness by his phone ringing. He blinked before he reached out and took his phone with a hand that had been shaking from nightmares, finding Squalo's name on the screen.

"Squalo…?" Bel yawned after he answered the call, waiting for the other to start speaking.

"Hey, brat." Footsteps were audible in the background before one of the kids asked Squalo something. The man replied to them before he turned his attention back to Bel. "I'm going to bring Fran back out to you at lunch tomorrow. Have you gotten enough sleep?"

"Yeah… I think so…" Bel should surely have rested enough; he had hardly left his bed since Squalo had taken Fran back to the orphanage. "…Is he doing okay…?"

"Eh, he's… here and there. I think just like everyone else, he has his off days. We've fed him, bathed him, and kept him in nappies – and so help me god, the next time I come out there and find you haven't been looking after his hygiene…"

"Sorry, Squalo… I'm tired…"

"…I know you are… Just… don't let him get back into that state again, alright? If you can't bathe him yourself, you know I can always come out and do it for you."

"Thanks, Squa… I'm going back to sleep now… See you tomorrow…"

Squalo snorted. "It's three in the fucking afternoon, you shit. Get your ass out of bed and do something."

"Nah… Sleeping is better, Squa… Goodnight…"

"…Night, brat…" As much as it hurt Squalo, he couldn't force the younger – not with everything that had been happening. Bel deserved his rest, and he was depressed; it wasn't so easy for him to get out of bed in the first place.

Bel was quick to turn his phone off and toss it to the other side of the bed. He fell back asleep within seconds, but all he could dream about were things he wished were only nightmares but unfortunately the devastating childhood he had been left with.