Relieved when the weekend had rolled by and he could take a break from work, Squalo found himself seated across the couch in the living room of his home, a coffee in hand as he watched Bel sit quietly on the floor with one of Squalo's friends, a woman named Mammon whom had known the man since Italy. Mammon had always had a peculiar love of money, so when she found herself in Japan alongside Dino and Squalo, it was no surprise she had gone into the accounting business.
Squalo watched as Bel spread out his bank statements and cash from his piggybank along the floor, arranging the coins and notes in special patterns as he did every time he played with it. Mammon was scrutinising the statements while he did this, helping the boy manage his savings; while he never spent much, his only income came from doing little chores around the house for Squalo, so it was good to teach him about money while he was still young.
"For the past three months, you have spent one-hundred-and-seventy-three dollars, Bel." Looking down at the boy, Mammon explained his areas of spending and how he could have saved money. Bel listened eagerly, hanging on to every word; he really liked Mammon, having felt comfortable around her easily for most of his time knowing her.
After learning a bit more about his spending habits, Bel looked down at his stack of coins. He cocked his head to the side before asking, "Can I have my big notes now, Mammy?"
Mammon nodded, swiping up everything the boy had to offer before giving him cash notes; she never minded exchanging notes for coins because it meant more for the vault to hold. "Make sure Squalo puts that in your bank account so you don't lose it."
Bel nodded, taking his new notes over to his guardian. Squalo accepted it right away, slipping them into his pocket.
"I'll put it in the bank for you soon." Sipping at his coffee, Squalo next looked down at the coffee table as his phone beeped with a text, the ID reading Cavallone. Picking his phone up, he wasn't sure he wanted to read it; he was feeling rather down today, and the last thing he wanted was to have to deal with whatever the other wanted. "What does this fucker want?"
-Does Bel know how to fix PlayStation consoles?-
Confused by the message, Squalo raised an eyebrow. Calling to Bel, he waited until he had grabbed the younger's attention before asking Dino's question out loud. "You can fix PlayStation consoles, can't you, brat?"
"What's wrong with it?" Looking over his shoulder at the man, Bel put down Mammon's phone, having been playing a game on it now that his lesson on finances was over; he liked Mammon's phone, because unlike Squalo's, this one had a fun game on it that really grabbed his attention.
"Hold on." Quickly sending a text back, Squalo didn't have to wait long for a response. "Something's wrong with the fan and the disc drive."
"I can fix those easy." Wondering why this question had been brought up between them, Bel hesitated to speak again; did he want to know…? "…Why…?"
"Takeshi's friend – the little brunet, I think. The Bucking Horse said the brunet broke it or something. Can you fix it?"
Tensing, Bel sucked in a shaky breath. "…I can fix it, but I don't want them to come here…"
Squalo understood; it was extremely hard for him to be able to cope with visitors, Dino and Mammon the only ones he was okay with – anyone else, and Bel would most likely have a meltdown. He could handle two people including Squalo in his home, having learnt to adjust to it from when he was younger and living with both Dino and Squalo, but any more than two people at a time in his home, and he freaked out. "Well, they have to come here if you will fix their game for them."
Shaking his head, Bel dropped Mammon's phone to the ground as he got to his feet. Pulling at his hair, he trembled; please don't let them come…
Trying to compromise with the boy, Squalo took a few seconds to reply; he had to be careful about this situation, because otherwise Bel would only become more upset than he already was. "What if the Bucking Horse and I go outside, so it'll just be you and the other kids?"
Running to Squalo to hug the other's arm tight, Bel let out a terrified cry; the thought of Squalo leaving him alone was unbearable. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he sobbed, refusing to let go of his guardian's arm; if he did that, then the man might leave. "Don't go! Don't go!"
"Bel, I'm not going anywhere." Patting golden locks in an affectionate manner, Squalo tried hard to comfort the boy. "I'll just be on the porch with that fucking idiot is all. You and the kids will have the house to yourselves; I'll only be outside if you need me."
When Bel begun to throw a tantrum, Squalo couldn't help but grow frustrated; he wasn't in the mood for this at all. Looking over to Mammon for help, he wasn't surprised to see the woman getting to her feet and walking towards the front door; she seemed to have a habit of disappearing whenever Bel got difficult. "Where do you think you're going?"
"To Fon's." Her hand on the door handle, Mammon didn't look back. "You know I don't do well with Bel and his tantrums."
Squalo grimaced, glaring after the woman as she left; a bit of fucking help would be appreciated…! "Ah, fuck!" Looking down as he felt teeth biting through the skin on his arm, the man instinctively shoved Bel away from him; as gentle as he was towards his charge, even the blond could be on the receiving end of his anger at times – Bel should know better than to bite Squalo when the older male wasn't paying any attention to him. "Bel, you little shit! Don't bite!"
Stomping his foot on the ground, Bel yelled in a strangled manner as he felt anger boiling up inside of him; no matter how happy he was with his life now, he wasn't sure he would ever truly leave behind the anger buried deep inside of him because of the things his family had done to him. "I hate you! I don't want them here! I hate you, Squ!"
Squalo knew that Bel didn't mean those words; Bel wasn't capable of hating him, and was just misdirecting his miserable feelings towards the only person he knew - but that didn't mean those words didn't hurt any less. "…"
Kicking at the coffee table, Bel didn't care as objects fell off it and onto the floor instead; when he got angry like this, he couldn't always control himself. Sometimes Squalo wasn't sure if Bel was throwing a tantrum or having a meltdown, but if something in between were possible, than the man believed that was what his charge was doing; Bel wanted his own way, but at the same time, he couldn't control himself like he usually could.
Standing up, Squalo didn't say a word as he went to his bedroom and locked the door behind him. He could hear Bel banging against it as he yelled, but he never responded to any of it; he just wasn't in the mood. Bel would learn to adjust to new people in his home sooner or later, because the man wasn't going to let the boy get his way when he was acting like this – not at all.
~~XX~~
Hours later, when Bel had given up on his temper tantrum, Squalo had come back out into the living room. Looking at the mess on the floor, he couldn't help but sigh; as much as he loved the kid… fuck, could Bel frustrate him to no end. "Bel, pick that shit up and put it back on the coffee table – and don't kick my fucking things while you're at it."
Spinning around on the desk chair he was seated on, Bel made an agitated sound. He didn't do as told, instead turning back to the game he was playing on the computer. "…"
"Fucking hell…" Picking up what Bel had knocked off, Squalo sat the TV remote and other small objects back onto the coffee table. Curling up on the couch with his phone, he made no move to turn the TV on; he wasn't in the mood for anything right now. "Those kids are still coming here, brat."
Grunting in annoyance, Bel grabbed earphones from on top of the computer tower. Plugging them in, he slipped them into his ears before turning music on, not wanting to listen to Squalo; he just wanted to play his game in peace. "…"
"Fucking brat…" Glancing at the time on his wristwatch, Squalo was glad to see that Bel would soon be changing activities and going into his bedroom for a nap; the blond could certainly use one with the way he had carried on earlier.
Ding dong.
Looking over the back of the couch to the entrance hallway, Squalo raised an eyebrow at the doorbell; Dino wasn't supposed to be here for another hour. Getting to his feet to answer the door, he wasted no time in speaking as he pulled it open. "What, you miss me that much already, you fucking idiot – fuck, I thought you were someone else."
"No, that's quite alright. Squalo Superbia?"
Narrowing his eyes at the stranger standing on his doorstep, Squalo wasn't sure he could trust the man; there was something… off about the other, and he didn't want to take any chances. "Can I help you?"
The man was blond, with long hair that fell to the middle of his shoulders. His eyes were a light violet colour, and that was what set warning bells off inside Squalo's head; those eyes looked remarkably like Bel's own... "I was speaking to Romario a few days ago, and he directed me to you."
"…" Wishing the other would get to the point, Squalo grew tense; if this was who he thought it was…
"You see, I am Belphegor's biological father. His mother and I would very much like to have him back."
Searching the other for the tiniest sign of malice, Squalo could find none; whatever this man had planned, he hid his intentions well. "You did nothing but abuse him, and traded him for money. What the fuck kind of parent does that to their kid?"
Shaking his head, the man stepped forward. "Rosaline and I were in a bad way; we were unfit to be parents to Belphegor, so we did the best thing for him and gave him to someone who could take care of his… needs."
Squalo didn't miss the way the last word had been said with disgust, as if Bel's condition was absolutely appalling. The man knew for a fact that Bel was extremely difficult to care for; it took a lot of patience and understanding, and yes, Squalo did lose his temper at times, but he had never treated the boy like vermin for something he couldn't help. "His 'needs' are simple; he just needs patience, and someone to love him – you gave him none of that."
"As I said, we were in a bad place, but we are better now." Bringing a smile up onto his face, the man cocked his head to his side. "If not for my wife and I, but for our other child. Rasiel misses his little brother."
Having heard about Bel's brother a handful of times, Squalo felt nothing but hatred towards the other; Rasiel was Bel's older twin, and from what the boy had said, he had done nothing but mistreat and hurt Bel. "…"
"I am trying my best to work with you on this subject. That is my child inside your home you are keeping from me. If you'd rather, I could just take this matter to the courts and tell them I want my child back. If you don't want him anymore, then I –"
"- Fucking fine!" Unable to keep himself from snapping at the stranger, Squalo could feel his chest and stomach begin to churn uncomfortably; it would be only too easy for the man to do as threatened and take Bel away from him – if they decided they didn't like the way Squalo was keeping Bel from them, then… "But not right now; he's in a bad fucking mood and I have my friend coming over soon. Come back tomorrow or something."
"Oh, I will." With that said, the other turned around and left.
Squalo sneered as he slammed the door shut. He muttered angrily to himself in Italian as he spun on the spot, intending on going back to the couch, but before he could take a step forward, he froze; Bel was standing in the hallway, an air of depression about him. "Brat…"
"Squ-Squ…?" Fumbling with his hands, Bel chewed at his cheek for a few seconds. "…Was that…?"
Squalo nodded, closing the distance between them. Putting his hand on Bel's shoulder, he squeezed firmly before saying, "It's alright, Bel; I won't let him take you back."
Feeling many different emotions swell inside of him, Bel didn't know what he was supposed to be feeling; was he angry at them coming back after so many years? Or sad that it had taken them this long to want to find him? Or was he supposed to be happy that his parents finally wanted him?
Too many questions, and not enough answers.
"Is it because I was bad earlier…?" Wrapping his arms around Squalo's middle, Bel looked up into the man's face, a very worried expression on it. "I'm sorry I was bad, Squ… I'll be good; I promise! So please… Please don't give me back to them…"
Patting blond locks gently, Squalo shook his head. "It has nothing to do with the way you behaved before, Bel. I promise. It's just coincidence. I'm not giving you back; don't ever think that I would – I love you too much, no matter what."
"I love you, too, Squ-Squ… I'm sorry I'm bad a lot…"
"It's alright, brat. Just do your best to behave for me when those kids get here soon."
"Okay." Breaking away from his guardian, Bel took a few steps back. "Will you watch me play my new game?"
"What is it?" Walking with Bel back to the computer, Squalo glanced down at all the installation discs spread out along the desk; so this was the game the boy had been telling him had just come out.
"World of Warcraft." Waiting until Squalo was seated next to him, Bel turned the monitor to show the man better. "Look; I'm a Rogue."
Squalo smiled, glad that Bel bounced back from things so easily. Listening as his charge gave him the run down on his game, he did his best to listen; who knew what the boy's parents had planned, after all.
~~XX~~
When Bel emerged from his room a bit over an hour later after his nap, he couldn't help but feel daunted by the fact that there were just too many bodies in the living room. Immediately making his way over to Squalo, he curled up on the couch next to his guardian, surveying the younger teenagers with wary eyes. He wanted to cry and scream and shout about how he wanted the others to leave, but he was afraid that if he did so, then Squalo would send him back to his parents.
"The game thing is just there, Bel." Gesturing to the PlayStation on the coffee table, Squalo watched as Bel sat up straight to pick it up. He didn't say anything, knowing that the boy would be scrutinising every inch of it and coming up with a plan of attack within seconds; Bel always had been able to fix most everything he could get his hands on without any effort at all.
Putting the PlayStation back down, Bel jumped off the couch in order to get some tools from his bedroom. Returning within minutes, he flipped the console over and begun unscrewing it.
"Can you really fix it?"
Jumping at the unexpected voice from beside him, Bel tensed as he looked up and found the little brunet standing next to him. Looking back at Squalo for reassurance, he didn't speak until he had received a smile and nod from his guardian. "…Yes…"
"How so?" While his two friends remained on the other couch with Dino, Tsuna sat next to the blond teen. He watched the boy's hands move with ease, surprised that someone so young seemed to know so much about fixing consoles; shouldn't he be more focused on his studies rather than learning about electronics?
"…I just… pull it apart…" His head ducked so that his chin rested against his chest, Bel started to tremble; he wanted to curl up and hide, but he had to be good – if he wasn't good, he might be given away like his parents had done to him. "Then I…"
Dropping his screwdriver to the coffee table, Bel let out a frightened whimper as he leant back into the couch, pulling his knees to his chest as he ripped at his hair. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he curled into a ball, this new environment quickly becoming overwhelming.
Squalo didn't say anything; he stood up from the couch and went into the kitchen, retrieving four chocolate milk cartons from the fridge. Going back to the living room, he tossed his guests one each before pulling the straw out of the last one and sliding it through the seal.
"Bel, have a drink." Sitting back down next to his kid, Squalo wrapped one arm around the younger and held him close. Pressing the straw against soft lips, he waited until Bel parted them and allowed it in. "Chocolate milk; your favourite, Bel. See? It's alright; you're still safe, even with a few more people in the house."
Bel slowly calmed down at Squalo's voice, able to focus on his drink. He closed his eyes as he felt his guardian rub small circles into his back, glad that Squalo was always so supportive of him; he didn't want to think about how life would have been for him had he never ran away from his father all those years ago.
"You're safe, Bel." Glad that the boy was soon able to pick up the PlayStation once more, Squalo let out a breath of relief; he couldn't imagine how Bel must feel to be terrified of talking to people in his own home.
Bel worked in silence once he had calmed down enough to continue on with his task. He had soon pulled the console apart, different parts laying scattered out along the coffee table. He didn't bother to look too much into what was causing whatever problem had brought Tsuna to him; he simply went back to his room and returned with spare parts he had kept on hand for his own console. He replaced the faulty components with fresh ones before ever-so-carefully putting it back together, soon taking it over to the TV across from them and hooking it up to make sure that it was running normally again.
Tsuna, who had worked out that Bel had been frightened of having to hold a conversation with him, smiled as he remained where he sat. "Thanks, Bel; it's running great again. Thanks heaps."
Bel nodded, turning the console off before unplugging it. He carried it back to the coffee table, putting it down carefully before going back to Squalo's side. "…"
"Hey, I take it you brats like videogames, too, then." His dark eyes darting between the youngest teenagers, Squalo was glad he received nods from two of the three; if he could get Bel to spend time with them, then maybe the boy would come out of his shell a bit more. "Bel, go show them your games."
Bel whimpered, hugging Squalo's arm tight. "…"
"Go on. Show them your new game." Standing up when Bel refused to move, Squalo tugged the boy to his feet before leading him over to the computer. However, even with the man by his side, Bel still cried when the younger three approached, hiding himself behind Squalo. With a sigh, he held his charge close to him while he spoke to his guests. "I'm trying to get him to socialise, but it's not easy for him."
"It's okay; Dino-san has already told us." Offering a shy smile, Tsuna turned to look at his friends. "We'll leave him in peace so he can relax; he might just need to get used to us first before he'll talk to us."
Squalo nodded, glad that the kids understood; he would be pretty pissed if they didn't and instead judged Bel for what he couldn't help. "He needs his afternoon snacks now anyway."
Leaving Bel by the computer, Squalo walked his guests out. Just before Dino could exit the house, he grabbed the older male's arm and tugged him back. "I need to talk to you tonight. It's important."
Dino nodded, knowing that his friend needed him. "Just text me or something, Squalo. I'll be available."
Nodding in acknowledgement, Squalo let the others leave. He wasn't sure what Dino would have to say about Bel's father showing up, but he needed someone to talk to; he wasn't sure he could handle something like this on his own.
