The police station was a big building, Bel was finding. He wasn't sure if it were as big as the Varia Mansion because he had never been outside to see it before; he had only ever stared out of his window out to the woodland behind it. However, one thing he did know was that he would prefer to be at the police station than back with Xanxus any day; he could actually walk through the corridors with Kyouya without looking over his shoulder in fear.
"I have sent emails to everyone informing them of your presence." Kyouya stopped by his office door so that he could unlock it. "No one will bother you if you choose to wander by yourself."
Bel was curious about his new surroundings, but he was wary of going somewhere alone; what if someone attacked him? "…"
Kyouya pushed the door open before he said, "Those herbivores are here somewhere. The ones who got you to me. Knowing them, they will be in the tearoom. I'm going to be busy for a while; you may talk to them."
Bel frowned; did he really want to leave Kyouya? But at the same time, he did want to have a look around… "Where's the tearoom…?"
"Go back the way we came and it's the last door on the left before the first turn." The skylark sat down at his desk. "I will not be leaving here; return when you're ready."
Bel nodded. He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his new jacket as he turned around to find the tearoom. He was nervous, but he wanted to be able to believe Kyouya when the younger told him that no one was going to hurt him here. It wasn't easy for him to be able to leave by himself, but despite how frightened he was of being alone, he was still able to eventually find his way to the tearoom and enter.
It was only the three officers he was already familiar with in there, and it made it easier for Bel to lean against the wall by the doorway in case he needed to make a quick escape back to Kyouya. He watched as Tsuna dropped his coffee after only just making it, and he couldn't help but wince; was the brunet going to get mad like Squalo did whenever the long-haired man hadn't had his coffee…?
"Oh, shoot." Tsuna sighed as he picked the cup up from the ground and took it to the sink to wash it. "Such a waste… Oh, Bel? What are you doing here?"
Takeshi and Hayato were seated at the table in the back of the room. They looked around when they heard their friend speak, and while the silver-haired male couldn't help but scowl at the sight of Bel, Takeshi looked joyful. "Hey, Bel! We read an email saying Hibari was bringing you here today. Did you find us okay?"
Bel nodded. His hands started to shake from nerves as he looked to his feet; how was he supposed to act without Kyouya there to help him? "…"
Takeshi patted the empty seat next to him. "Come and sit with us, Bel. We'll make you a coffee."
Bel tensed. He lifted his head and growled in an aggressive tone, "I don't drink coffee…"
The Japanese male wasn't deterred from his quest in making the older male feel comfortable with them. "Well, we also have tea and hot chocolate, too. Unless you'd prefer a cold drink? We have juice, soda and milk."
The blond licked his lips. His mouth moved wordlessly for several seconds before he finally was able to mutter out his wishes. "Milk…"
"I'll get you a glass." Tsuna put his own coffee on hold as he moved to get a fresh cup from the shelf and the carton of milk from the fridge. He poured a glass of milk before he fetched a plate and some cookies from the cupboard; he knew Bel was still having trouble eating and probably needed something to snack on. He took them over to the table and sat them next to Takeshi. "Come on, Bel; come sit with us."
All the brunet received in response was a shake of the head and shifting of weight from foot to foot. Takeshi, however, was the one to click on to Bel's actions. "Is it painful for you to sit on hard surfaces?"
Bel nodded; how had Takeshi read him so easily? "…"
Tsuna didn't hesitate to fetch one of the cushions off the couch on the other side of the room. He put it down on Bel's seat before he backed away. "That'll be easier on your backside, Belphegor."
The older male tentatively approached the table. He took a deep breath before he sat down, but when he did, he was pleased to feel the softness beneath him; he didn't like to sit or stand for long and instead preferred to lay down because a lot of damage had been done to his rear, and he didn't know if it would ever heal and stop causing him pain.
"Does Hibari know it hurts you to sit?"
"…" Bel sighed. "Don't wanna tell him…"
"Why not? If it's hurting you to sit, you should see a doctor; there could be leftover damage."
The smaller male shuddered; he hated doctors so much… "They won't help me… The doctor… The doctor that worked for Xanxus… He was only there so that… so that everything they did to me… could be hidden…"
The three young officers all shared looks with each other. When Hayato spoke, it was in a quiet voice. "Tenth… Shamal could…"
Tsuna nodded, knowing what his friend was saying; it was a long shot, but they might know someone who could help Bel. "Belphegor, we know a doctor named Shamal. He doesn't usually treat males, but… If you want us to, we can see if he will help you."
These words made Bel feel nauseas. He didn't quite understand it, but the idea of having a doctor actually help him made him sick. Was it because he felt afraid of them? The only doctor he had known in his life hadn't cared about him and only wanted the money he was being paid to hide the evidence that Bel was abused.
How could doctors be trusted? They didn't care about their patients; they only wanted what they themselves could get from it.
Tsuna didn't expect a response. He smiled as he looked to the blond. "We'll talk to Hibari-san about it and see what he thinks. It will be good for a doctor to be able to help you; they can make sure you're going to be okay."
Bel didn't want to argue; he was really liking the peaceful atmosphere he was slowly getting used to, and he didn't seem to have the energy to go back to everything he was used to. Instead, he just picked up a cookie and dipped it into his milk, remaining silent as he listened to the younger three talk amongst themselves. He felt as if he had done all the socialising he could manage; for now, he just wanted to sit quietly and nibble at his cookies.
~~XX~~
Kyouya wasn't surprised when Tsuna escorted Bel back to his office an hour or two later; he knew that the brunet and his group were heading out in the vans and they probably didn't want to leave Bel wandering the station alone when he knew no one else.
"Hibari-san, we're going out on patrol." Tsuna waited until Bel had sat down on the couch against the side wall before he started backing out of the office. "We gave Belphegor some milk and cookies earlier and he's sat quietly in the tearoom with us."
The skylark nodded in approval. He placed his pen down on the desk as he looked at his officer. "When you get back, take him with your group for lunch so he is entertained."
Tsuna had no intention of arguing; he didn't mind letting Bel stay with them as long as the blond was calm and relaxed. "We will. Also, we're going to talk to Shamal tonight; Belphegor revealed it's painful for him to sit but he's too afraid of doctors. We figured if he sees someone we know, it might make him feel more at ease."
Kyouya raised his eyebrow. He turned to Bel. "You are in pain, herbivore? Why didn't you tell me?"
Bel didn't reply; he instead looked at his lap as he gripped his pant legs tightly.
"Don't be hard on him, Hibari-san; he didn't realise you would help him feel better if he told you."
"Herbivore, if you are in pain, I expect you to tell me." The skylark waved his hand dismissively at Tsuna. He waited for the brunet to leave before he said, "It hurts because you were raped so many times, doesn't it?"
Bel nodded. He still didn't look at Kyouya; he just tightened his grip on his pant legs as he licked his lips in anxiety. "…"
"You are embarrassed." Kyouya wasn't surprised to receive a hesitant nod in response. "About having been raped or being in pain?"
"…" Bel finally lifted his head. "...Both…"
The younger male extended his hand. "Come here."
The blond was wary, but he did as told. He stopped just before Kyouya, and when a larger hand reached out to grip his, he flinched. He couldn't help but tremble; he was afraid, and he didn't know what else to expect other than suffering. "…"
Kyouya tugged the smaller male closer. "You are not your past, herbivore. You are in pain – mentally and physically. But what was done to you will no longer happen, and it does not define you. You have nothing to feel ashamed about; I have seen it happen to many people, and it was never their fault. They did nothing to deserve it – nor did you. What was done to you is horrible, but if anyone ever tries to make you feel bad or blame you for someone else's actions, they do not understand, herbivore. They do not understand, and you should never associate yourself with such toxic people."
Bel nodded. He looked to the ground. "…I… My back… always hurts…"
The taller male nodded. "Where?"
"My lower back…"
"Turn around." Kyouya wasn't surprised when Bel hesitated to do as told, but the blond really must be starting to trust him as, soon enough, he showed his back to someone after twenty-six years of abuse. The skylark said nothing as Bel whimpered and flinched when his shirt was raised; he didn't feel the need to draw attention to the fact that the blond was traumatised. All it took was one quick glance to realise why the older male had back pain – on top of that, why he was so tired all the time; this was… just… "Your entire body is twisted, herbivore. Your spine is curving all over the place, and your hips aren't sitting right. Even your shoulder blade is sticking out abnormally because you have no muscle tone. You are tired all of the time because your body cannot function optimally."
"I fell off the balcony…" Bel closed his eyes. "That doctor… He said most of my body was broken from the fall, but… He didn't care to fix the damage… He just hid it all so that Xanxus wasn't in trouble…"
"How are you still walking?" Kyouya narrowed his eyes as he pulled Bel's striped shirt back down. "Were you ever given an x ray?"
"No…"
"You are getting x rays, herbivore; any number of things could be wrong. This is not healthy and you may have spinal fractures or problems with your discs."
Bel's trembling grew worse. "Will… Will x rays hurt…?"
"No. You won't feel anything. But if you do not have your spine looked at, you may be in a wheelchair one day."
Bel could have vomited; after all he had been through… Why did he have to keep suffering…? "…"
"For now, sit back on the couch and those herbivores will return soon to take you out for lunch."
The blond did as he was instructed. He laid down on the couch, resting on his side so that he could look out of the window behind Kyouya. He hadn't been there for long before his eyelids became too heavy to keep open, and his soft snores filled the room as he slept peacefully.
Kyouya didn't mind Bel's snoring; instead, he felt comforted by it, knowing that the older male was safe with him, and that if he could help it, he would never let anyone hurt the blond again. The skylark wasn't used to being protective over someone, but he was quickly beginning to learn that whatever he was feeling towards Bel was something he had never felt towards anyone before – not even his ex-boyfriend.
