Tsuna had been awake for a while before Bel started to stir. The blond moaned softly before he pushed himself into a sitting position, looking around at his surroundings slowly.

"Belphegor?" Tsuna looked away from the phone he had been playing with, standing up to move to the older male's side. He watched Bel roll onto his side, his back to the younger, and he wondered; was leaving his back open to someone who could potentially kill him a show of trust? Or was it something else?

Reaching out to caress a blond head, Tsuna knelt down by the bed. "Belphegor, how are you feeling?"

Bel moaned again, tensing beneath the other's touch. "…I don't know…"

"You don't know?" Tsuna sighed. He moved his hand downward, patting a cold cheek. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know…" Bel rolled over so that he was looking at his boyfriend's face. He reached out, grabbing the younger by the front of his pyjama top in order to pull him closer and press their lips together. The kiss was a short one, and when they broke apart, Bel was quick to roll back onto his other side. "Where's Mammy…?"

"She said she was going into town." Sitting on the edge of the bed, Tsuna played with blond locks gently. "Are you going to have a shower today? You haven't had one for a few days now."

Bel shook his head. "It's cold…"

"I know it's cold, but you should still have one." Tsuna tried to reach out to the other in order to tug him from the bed, but he was quick to pull away when the older male aimed a knife at his hands. "Belphegor! I'm not going to hurt you..."

"Get off my bed if you're going to try and make the prince do things he doesn't want to. The prince doesn't need to have a shower if he doesn't want one! It's too cold for him! He hates the cold!"

"Belphegor..." Tsuna sighed, knowing there wasn't much he could do until the medication started to kick in.

"You should listen to your boyfriend, Bel."

Both Tsuna and Bel turned at the familiar voice, finding Mammon standing in the doorway. Bel seemed to perk up a bit more at this, pushing himself into a sitting position so he could greet his friend.

"Did you get the prince a present, Mammy?" A lopsided smile crossed the blond's face.

"Of course I did." The Arcobaleno approached the Varia Storm, pulling a wrapped box out from behind her back. "Squalo said your presents from them are still at the base and you can have them when we go back."

Bel nodded, reaching out eagerly for what Tsuna was quick to work out was a gift. He pulled the ribbon off the top before he tore the wrapping paper off in a violent manner, an almost-genuine grin on his face.

"What's that for?" Tsuna questioned, pointing at the box his boyfriend was opening.

"It's the prince's birthday today." Bel took the lid off his present before pulling out a large chocolate bar and a book. "He is seventeen now."

"Oh, well, happy birthday." Tsuna smiled as he patted the older male's shoulder. "I didn't know or else I would have gotten you a present."

"That's okay, Tuna-Fish." Bel had picked up the book, dropping it onto his lap. He frowned slightly as he read the title before smiling, deciding he liked his gift; a guide for relationships was what he needed after all. "Thank you, Mammy~ The prince appreciates this."

Mammon nodded, letting the boy open his chocolate before she said, "You should really have a shower though, Bel; it's unhygienic to go as long as you have without one."

"It's cold..." Bel pouted, tugging his pyjama shirt tighter around him. "Can Mammy make a warm illusion?"

Mammon nodded, knowing how much her friend hated cold weather. "Get in the shower and I will."

The blond nodded, reluctantly getting out of the bed. He hugged Mammon close to him before leaning forward and kissing Tsuna on the cheek, in a slightly better mood now that he had gotten his present; he didn't care much for celebrations; he simply liked his gifts as they made him feel special and important.

"Has he been behaving himself?" Mammon waited until Bel was gone before she asked this, knowing the Varia Officer didn't like to be talked about behind his back.

"Mostly..." Tsuna decided Mammon didn't need to know about how her friend had tried to stab him again, understanding that Belphegor just didn't know any better. "My friends and I were going to play in the snow today; would he come with us?"

"Who knows?" Mammon jumped off the bed, deciding that breakfast was something she wanted. "No harm in asking him."

"Well, that's true." Tsuna knew Bel was fine with being asked questions as long as they weren't personal; as the fragile boy had said it himself, the rumours made him out to be much worse than he truly was - he was misunderstood, and he needed someone to help him through this rough patch. "I'll ask him once he gets out."

Mammon nodded, heading downstairs to eat before Bel got out of the shower and expected her to keep him warm; Bel was certainly spoilt, and even with pay, she wouldn't do half the things she did for Bel for anyone else – the blond was important to her, after all.

-XX-

Once Bel had finished his shower, he hissed at the cold air that was assaulting his scrawny form. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around himself before heading back to what he viewed as his bedroom.

"Mammy..." Bel was glad his friend had kept up her end of the bargain as he was stepping into a room that was nice and toasty. "Thank you, Mammy."

Tsuna was sitting at the desk, Reborn by his side. The Arcobaleno seemed to be doing homework with him, as the brunet appeared very stressed.

"Tuna-Fish...?" Bel approached the younger male, his body dripping with water as he held the blanket tighter around his body. "Tuna-Fish, do you need help?"

Tsuna tensed as the older male stood by his side, blushing fiercely at the blond's proximity; he wasn't used to being so close to others like this, and knowing it was his boyfriend made him feel funny.

"Y-you should get dressed, Belphegor..." Tsuna gasped quietly as Bel's bare skin brushed against his hand as the taller teenager leant down to take the sheet of paper in front of Tsuna.

"The prince will get dressed soon; he wants to see what the Tuna-Fish needs help with."

Tsuna squeaked as his boyfriend sat on his lap. He probably wouldn't have minded this as much had the blond been wearing clothing instead of a towel, but right now, he was very embarrassed; he wasn't used to such intimate situations like this.

Whether or not Bel had done it on purpose, he wriggled his backside in his quest to get comfortable, rubbing up against a very sensitive spot in Tsuna's anatomy.

"B-belphegor!"

Bel frowned as he looked at Tsuna, not understanding why the other seemed so uncomfortable; was it that... Tsuna really didn't want this contact with him...?

"What's wrong?" Bel was quiet as he spoke, almost not wanting to hear the answer; he could only imagine how much it would hurt him to hear what he was fearing. "I used to sit on Squalo's lap all the time when I was little... He never minded…"

"I-I just aren't used to it, Belphegor..." Pushing against the scrawny body on top of him, Tsuna tried to get the older male to move. "P-please get dressed..."

"You don't like the prince when he's naked...?" Bel cocked his head to the side. "But what about when we have sex? The Tuna-Fish will have sex with me, right...?"

"I-I don't know yet; I've never been with someone before..."

"The prince has been with lots of people." Bel reached out, caressing Tsuna's cheek. "He's had lots of sex, but never with the same person twice. Male and female..." Lifting his hand to his chest, he whispered, "No matter what gender I was with, it only made the prince feel good physically... It never stopped the hurt in his heart, and that was what he wanted most... So the Tuna-Fish will definitely have sex with me, right? He wants to feel happy..."

Tsuna frowned, unable to understand how it must feel to have to sleep with anyone just to try and feel better.

Leaning forward, Tsuna rested their foreheads together, hoping he could soothe some inner turmoil in the other's heart.

"If I'm ready, Belphegor." The brunet pressed their lips together, kissing the other gently.

Bel wrapped his hand around the back of Tsuna's head, holding him close. He opened his mouth, his tongue sliding along soft lips as he requested entrance into the other's mouth. It was granted, their tongues dancing together for a few seconds before the blond started exploring his boyfriend's mouth. Tsuna whined softly, his small fingers grasping Bel's forearm.

When they broke apart for air, Bel ran his fingers through his wet hair, a sudden anxious aura surrounding him.

"You know this is only for the compromise." There was a hint of fear in his voice Bel couldn't hide, no matter how hard he tried. "I don't love you."

Tsuna knew that was a lie; Bel had requested this because he wanted it - not because of a compromise of all things. But if Bel was really that insecure and wanted to put up walls to stop himself from getting hurt...

"I know, Belphegor." Stroking a pale cheek, Tsuna smiled shyly; he wanted Bel to be comfortable, and if waiting for him to open up himself was what it took, he would be patient. "Will you come play in the snow with us today? You'll have fun."

Bel frowned at this question, wanting to say no, but he was stopped by Mammon, the Arcobaleno making the decision for him.

"He will go." Mammon counted money on the other side of the room, having been listening to them as she did so.

"Mammy, it's cold!" Bel stomped his foot childishly, pulling away from the brunet. "I'm not going outside in snow!"

"You have warm clothing, Bel." Mammon sighed as she pointed over to the two bags tucked away in the corner of the room. "Go put your sweater on."

Tsuna pushed the other off of him, standing up to move to the aforementioned bags. He pulled out clothing, laying them on the bed for the blond to put on. "Get dressed, okay? It'll be fine."

Bel pouted as he walked over to the bed, reaching out to grab his clothing. He felt self-conscious about the others seeing his scarred body, but there was no use hiding it anymore; he may as well let Tsuna see what he would be touching whenever they had sex together – if the brunet left now, at least he would know the younger wasn't worth it before he let himself get too attached.

However, one thing Bel wasn't comfortable with was dropping his towel and letting his boyfriend see the name that had been carved into his stomach so long ago. Keeping his back turned to the smaller male, Bel made to grab the oversized red-and-black striped shirt waiting for his touch, knowing it would help cover the marring.

However, just before Bel could slip the shirt over his head, Tsuna had come forward to grab the towel, catching sight of the name that would forever scar the boy's body. "B-belphegor…?"

Bel hissed as he turned to the side, instinctively holding the piece of clothing in front of him. "Don't. Look."

"That's your brother's name, right…?" Tsuna reached out slowly, intending on ghosting his fingers across the blond's abdomen. He pulled back as a knife came out of nowhere, knowing the older male wasn't messing around. "That's… That's so…"

"So what, Vongola?" Bel growled, feeling his body start to tremble as memories overwhelmed him. "You think I'm disgusting, don't you…? That it's my fault I have to live with all these scars… I bet you're too fucking repulsed to want to be my boyfriend anymore – but that's okay because I don't need you! I don't need anyone who'll treat me different because of what they did to me!"

"Belphegor, that's not what I was thinking!" Tsuna dodged the punch that had been swung at him, knowing his boyfriend was just scared. He ducked beneath the second swing, instead reaching out to cup the boy's face in his hands. Bel tensed, but he didn't try and attack again. "It's so wrong of them to have done what they had to you, and in no way, shape or form will it ever be your fault! I know you've suffered, and I know you're in pain… You just want to feel better, and I can respect that. Shh… I'll forget I even saw that name if that's what you want. Shh… It's okay, Belphegor; it's okay. Shh…"

Bel's racing heart slowly started to calm. He nuzzled into the hand holding his right cheek, letting his eyes slip closed as a hand started to play with his hair. "Tuna-Fish…"

"Shh…" Tsuna leant up on tiptoes, pressing his lips against his boyfriend's. "I don't judge you, Belphegor, and I certainly wouldn't start over something that's not your fault."

Bel nodded, letting out a relaxed sigh as fingers massaged a sensitive spot on his head. "Tuna-Fish…"

The two stood like this for a few minutes more before Bel was calm enough to finish getting dressed. He had skipped his usual Varia uniform for today, instead donning skinny jeans that hugged him just right, the aforementioned red-and-black striped shirt, and an oversized black hoody with a smiley face and the blond's title written beneath it.

"I'm still cold…" Bel sighed as he hugged himself, wishing it wasn't winter; he didn't like the cold, much more susceptible to it than his comrades due to his scrawny build and sensitivity to wind.

Tsuna smiled as he moved to his closet, retuning half-a-minute later with a scarf and some mittens. "Put these on, Belphegor; it might help a bit."

Bel nodded, taking the blue scarf and wrapping it around his neck. He tucked it in beneath his hoody before drawing the hood, his crown keeping it in place. He then put the red mittens on his hands with Tsuna's help as his fingers were still on the mend, and once Mammon and Reborn had climbed onto their respective guardians' shoulder, they left the house and went outside, making their way to Namimori Middle under the Sun Arcobaleno's instructions.

~~XX~~

After everyone had shown up and teams for snowball fights were chosen by Reborn, it was only too clear by the huge tantrum Belphegor threw when separated from Tsuna that the only reason he had bothered leaving what he now considered his bed was because the brunet had asked it of him – and now, without the younger on his team, he was about to storm back to his bed and curl up beneath the blankets and go back to sleep.

"Belphegor, wait!" Tsuna grabbed the older male's arm, stopping him from leaving. He hugged the other tightly, keeping him in place. "Don't go! Teams don't really matter; you can still have fun!"

Beneath his long bangs, Bel blinked. "But I don't feel comfortable doing this, Tuna-Fish… I want to go back to sleep… I'm cold…"

"Well…" Tsuna looked to the side for a few seconds before he shrugged his thick coat off. He handed it to Bel as he smiled shyly. "What if you just sit and watch for a bit? And when you're feeling more comfortable, you can join in. How's that?"

Bel shook his head, trying to back away. His hands instinctively slipped into his pockets, searching for knives, only to realise he hadn't brought any with him today. He didn't know how he could be so careless, feeling naked and exposed and vulnerable without them.

"I want to sleep!" Bel hissed.

"Well, come over here, then." Tsuna took Bel's hand in his as he led the taller male over to the staircase that led up to the roof of Namimori Middle. He brushed the snow off of it before spreading his coat out, inviting the Varia Storm to lie down. "If you want to sleep, you can rest here."

Bel looked tiredly into brown eyes before he sighed, giving in. Mammon floated over to them, having been watching on the sidelines with Reborn. She didn't complain as she was snatched into skinny arms, knowing her friend wanted not only her comfort, but her body heat as well.

"If I sleep here…" Bel yawned, too exhausted to keep fighting; it must have been the medication kicking in, because he could barely keep his eyes open, "…then the prince gets a goodnight kiss…"

"Of course, Belphegor." Tsuna leant down, threading his fingers through the boy's hair as he kissed his boyfriend. He was aware of the startled gasps behind him, but he didn't pay them attention; he could talk to them later – for now, he had to focus on getting Bel to sleep.

At last, once Bel had drifted off and Tsuna had turned back to his friends, he could only smile sheepishly at the others before he said, "We started dating."

"Tenth, why with him?" As expected, Gokudera wasn't pleased in the least; he didn't trust Belphegor as far as he could throw him. "He'll hurt you!"

"He's misunderstood, Gokudera-kun." Tsuna was patient, knowing what his friend was like. "He's just scared, and he needs love."

"I don't know, Tsuna…" Yamamoto rubbed the back of his head as the rest of the Vongola muttered between themselves. "Being his friend is fine, but he does seem a bit dangerous – he almost got Gokudera and himself killed, remember?"

"It'll be fine; I promise." Tsuna looked over his friends, knowing they were just concerned. "I've managed to get him on medication, so if it works, he should be fine."

Yamamoto didn't want to argue with his friend, but he did know that if anything were to happen to Tsuna, he would not be happy. "As long as you're okay, Tsuna…"

While Gokudera was a little harder to console, he had eventually been calmed down, and the other guardians – while disapproving – kept their opinions to themselves, each thinking along the same lines as Yamamoto.

Tsuna didn't want to tell his boyfriend about how rejected he had been, not wanting to hurt the other; he could only imagine how much it would pain the blond to know that, no matter where he went, he wasn't wanted by anyone.