By the time Fran returned back to the hotel, it was dinnertime. The sky was dark, his way lit by the light of the moon. He hoped the others weren't too worried about him, knowing he should have been back hours ago – but he had been having so much fun with Takeshi and the others, he had lost track of time.

Knocking on the hotel door as he didn't have the key, Fran waited patiently for someone to let him in.

Lussuria was the one to open the door, squealing as he did so about how worried he had been that something had happened to the boy.

The younger male was placid as he was pulled into a hug, speaking quietly. "I was… out…"

"Out where, honey?" Lussuria asked, brushing teal bangs out of the younger's eyes. "We were all very worried about you and Bel."

"Bel-senpai?" Fran looked up into Lussuria's sunglasses, confused by these words – why did they think the blond was with them? "He didn't come with me."

Lussuria frowned as he released his charge, his concern heightening. "….Okay. I'll go out and have a look for him. He wasn't here when we got back; we thought you had both gone somewhere together."

Fran shook his head, glad that in Bel having disappeared somewhere, it would leave him alone with Xanxus and Squalo.

The two in question were sitting on their shared bed, going over documents together. Squalo's head rested on his lover's shoulder as he pressed against Xanxus' side, the older male's arm wrapped loosely around the long-haired man's waist.

"Can I talk to you guys about something?" Fran asked once he heard the hotel door close behind Lussuria.

"We're busy, brat," Squalo growled, pointing out something on the paper to Xanxus with a small mumble, receiving a nod in reply.

"It's… kind of important…" Fran's hands fumbled with each other, hoping they would understand his urgency – he wanted to get everything off his chest before Lussuria and Bel came back.

Xanxus' dark eyes travelled to the boy, anger everyone in the Varia was used to seeing prominent in the grey orbs. "Make it quick, trash."

"…It's just…" Fran sighed before he blurted everything out in one go, knowing if he hesitated in the slightest he would lose his courage and stop talking. "It's just I think I like someone, but I don't really know if I do or not, and I'm scared of them finding out that I'm gay or that I might like them."

"The fuck are you asking us for?" Squalo snorted. "Do we look like relationship counsellors?"

"I don't want Lussuria or Bel-senpai to know," Fran explained. "I know Luss would make a huge deal out of it, and Bel would be an idiot if he knew."

"What makes you think you like him if you aren't even sure of your feelings?" Xanxus asked, wanting everything short and straight to the point; he didn't have time to listen to the problems of a seventeen-year-old's love life.

"…I… I have wet dreams about him, and…" Fran's face flushed as he told the others details about his personal life he usually kept private, "…and I touch myself to thoughts of him…"

"Is this the online friend?" Squalo questioned suspiciously. "The one you were doing things with over the webcam?"

Fran groaned in frustration at these words, upset that they still believed Bel's troublemaking over the truth. "I haven't done anything with anyone…! That's why I'm asking for advice…"

"You want to tell him?" the oldest man asked.

Fran nodded. "His friend told me he's gay, too, but… I'm worried that if I tell him I may or may not have feelings for him…"

"Then what's the problem?" the long-haired male asked. "If he's gay, just fucking tell him. Kiss him if you have to. It's not like he's going to freak out and be all homophobic about it."

Fran nodded, knowing Squalo was right. "But how do I know if I have feelings for him or not?"

"Look, kid, the simplest way is to ask yourself; would I feel comfortable having sex with him or not," Xanxus growled. "Don't tell us your answer to that question, but think about it. If you're more comfortable with him than with us, then you probably do like him."

"That makes sense…" Fran mumbled. "Thank you."

"Now piss off and leave us alone," the dark-haired man snarled. "We've got things to do, trash."

Fran nodded, knowing how busy Xanxus and Squalo could be when it came to business deals. He was surprised they even gave him time to talk to them, seeing how stressed the two were; neither Squalo nor Xanxus were the kind of people who touched their partners affectionately unless they were having sex, but here the two were, cuddling like a couple of love-struck teenagers.

This must be some big business deal.

The boy climbed onto his own bed, grabbing the book he had slipped beneath his pillow. He rolled onto his side so that his back was facing his guardians, giving them the privacy they probably wanted. He opened the book to where he was up to, reading silently as he listened to the small murmurs behind him.

The adults were talking about the contracts they were reading, the unmistakable sounds of kissing filling the air every now and then. Fran knew, no matter how much they fought, they really did love each other.

The boy's attention slowly drifted from the book as his imagination started to run rampart. He tried to picture what it would be like if Takeshi would ever love him back, the things they could do together he would never do with anyone else.

Fran would enjoy letting Takeshi touch his body, take his clothes off, kiss him passionately. He would love it if Takeshi might even take his arousal into his mouth, slide himself deep into his scrawny body.

The boy bit back a whimper as the familiar dull ache between his legs made itself known. He cursed himself for having so little control over his hormones and reached out, pulling the blanket over him in hopes of hiding it – it was embarrassing enough telling the two adults what he did when he was alone, much less telling them he was aroused.

Deciding he would do his best to ignore his erection, Fran continued reading, just glad that neither Xanxus nor Squalo noticed anything.

Looks like he knew the answer to the question already, though.

~~Takeshi~~

Takeshi laughed happily as he sat around the small table in Tsuna's bedroom, his spirits as high as ever. He wished Fran had stayed longer, but he understood the older male had to go back to his guardians before they became worried.

"Ah, Gokudera, you shouldn't be so worried." The taller male was gentle as he spoke, his eyes soft. "Fran is very sweet. He won't hurt me."

"He's strange," the silver-haired male mumbled. "I don't trust him."

"He's just not used to being around such a lively group," Takeshi defended. "He just needs to settle in is all. He's very quiet; he doesn't have any friends back in Italy. He's just uncomfortable."

"But still…" Gokudera, who had never truly gotten over his breakup with Takeshi, mumbled.

"He's so cute." Takeshi smiled as he continued on, telling his friends of his crush. "I had never seen a picture of him until he came to Japan. He's very unconfident about his looks, so even on Facebook he didn't use a profile picture. All I knew was that his hair is teal. He told me that when telling me he had been bullied over it."

"Bullied?" Tsuna frowned. "No wonder he's so quiet. I thought it strange he only seemed to smile when he was with you, Yamamoto."

"I think I might really like him," Takeshi said, conscious of how Gokudera may be feeling at these words; he knew – though it might really hurt the older male – it was better to let Gokudera know of his feelings towards Fran in case something happened between him and the teal-haired boy.

"Argh!" Gokudera stuck his nose up in the air as he crossed his arms stubbornly against his chest. "Now I really don't like him!"

Takeshi laughed good-naturedly as he threw his arm across his friend's shoulders, holding him close. "You'll still be my first everything, Gokudera; don't be jealous."

Gokudera smirked at these words, knowing the younger male was right. "I bet he can't give you as good a blowjob as I can."

Takeshi laughed loudly while Tsuna blushed, looking away.

"Maybe not, Gokudera." Takeshi smiled down at Gokudera, his joy showing in everything he did. "Maybe not."

The silver-haired teenager smirked in triumph, almost daring the other male to just try and do a better job in sexual contact than he could.

~~Takesushi~~

Lussuria had been certain he'd find Bel at the sushi restaurant the younger frequented on their trips to Japan, and the blond male seated by the counter told him he had been correct in his assumptions.

Taking a seat next to the man he had cared for since he was just eight-years-old, Lussuria said softly, "Did you have another fight with Fran?"

Bel just shrugged, keeping his head down as he asked quietly for more rice. He held his plate out as his request was fulfilled, not sure what to say to the flamboyant man.

"Fran doesn't mean to hurt you, Bel," Lussuria soothed. "He's only young."

"I just… want him to love me…" Bel whispered.

Lussuria frowned before noticing that the blond's hair was free of any sort of hair decoration – something that very rarely happened. "Where's your crown, Bel?"

"I threw it out." Bel's voice was cracked as he admitted this to the male who had bought it for him just that morning. "If I'm not good enough for Froggy, I couldn't ever be good enough to be a prince…"

Lussuria knew exactly what Bel was trying to tell him; I just want to be Froggy's prince and nothing else.

"You just come off too strong, I think," the older man advised. "Fran doesn't know how to handle you."

"…You know this is where Froggy's friend lives?" Bel hiccupped, changing the subject. "Yeah – apparently the owner's son is Froggy's friend. Kind of ironic, isn't it? All the times I've come here and I never would have guessed it…"

"You should be happy Fran has a friend; he needs one."

"He told me this morning he hates me…" Bel's shoulders trembled like he was trying his hardest not to cry. "I wish… I wish Mammon never died…"

"Bel, no one can change the past," Lussuria whispered. "Mammon died protecting you, remember? He loved you very much, too – enough to give his life for yours. Please don't waste the gift he gave you by blaming yourself; he wouldn't want that. And as for Fran… He doesn't hate you – he loves you. Sometimes he just feels as if you aren't giving him enough room."

"I just… want to be loved…" A single tear dripped down Bel's cheek.

"You are loved, sweetie. Xanxus and Squalo love you, I love you – and Fran absolutely adores you. Do you remember when he would follow you everywhere when you both were younger? He looked up to you greatly."

"What happened between us to change that…?" Bel questioned in a heartbroken voice.

"You both grew up," Lussuria said sadly. "As Fran got older, his needs changed, and as you got older, you became more attached to him and saw him as someone who could stop the pain in your heart I know you still feel."

Bel just nodded, knowing that Lussuria was right.

The older male smiled gently as he stood up, offering a hand to Bel. "Now let's go get your crown back, okay? Maybe you can't be Fran's prince, but the Varia needs one."

Bel nodded as he stood up, taking the hand he had been offered. He left some money at the table before he followed Lussuria, feeling more down than he had been in a while.

If Fran really hates me that much, I guess I'll have to stop loving him… It hurt Bel to think of these things, but he knew there was no other way – it was finally sinking in that Fran would never love him the way he wanted him to.