There is implied BelxOC in this chapter, but this is not the actual pairing; I can't say why it's in here without spoiling anything, but it will only last for a few chapters.

In all the years that had passed since Bel and Dino had moved to Japan, Bel hadn't gotten any better; he was still mute, and though he made little sounds every now and then, he had not uttered a single word since waking up from his coma. Dino had no idea what to do to help Bel, but he had never stopped trying, hoping that one day he would find something that would help ease his charge's crippling anxiety.

Alas, nothing had helped, and Bel had no other choice but to try and get through each day while living in absolute terror.

"Are you okay, Bel?" Dino stepped into his charge's bedroom one morning to wake the boy up for school. He frowned as he noticed the way the younger was already awake and sitting on the edge of his bed, staring blankly down at his lap. It was greatly concerning to see Bel like this; it looked as if he were contemplating life, and that was never a good sign. "Did you have nightmares again?"

Bel slowly turned his head to look at his guardian. His lips twitched before he frowned. He nodded before he moved back on his bed and laid down and tugged at the hem of his pyjama shirt, his eyes unable to meet Dino's gaze. "…"

"I'm sorry, Bel. If I had known, I would have made you a hot chocolate." The young man stepped further into the room so that he could sit by the sixteen-year-old's side. He reached out and threaded his fingers through oily blond locks; how he wished Bel could have more respect for himself... "Will you go and take a shower before school, Bel? Your hair is getting a bit dirty. When did you last shower?"

Bel lifted his hand into the air to show the other four digits. "…"

"Four days ago?" Dino hated to know that the younger was so depressed, and as much as he wished he could do something to help, he didn't know what; it wasn't Bel's fault that he was letting himself go because he had no motivation for anything. When he received a nod in response, he sighed. "Please go and have a shower before school. I'll make you a milkshake for breakfast if you do."

Bel hesitated before he stood up. He switched his heater on before he left the room and headed towards the bathroom. Dino followed him so that he could glance into the bathroom quickly to make sure there was nothing sharp left within the boy's reach. He was just in time to see the smaller blond unravelling bandages from both arms because Bel had fallen into a habit of self-harming, and it broke his heart to know that his charge was like this all because someone had only tried to do the right thing and give him a home when he had none.

When he was satisfied that there was nothing Bel could hurt himself with inside the bathroom, he reached out and pulled the door shut to give his charge some privacy. He made his way to the kitchen so he could start on breakfast, and by the time Bel joined him at the kitchen table half-an-hour later, he gave the younger his meal and the milkshake that had been promised.

"I've got some news for you, Bel." Dino waited until he had grabbed the boy's attention before he spoke again. "There will be a new student joining us today. She's a transfer student."

Bel frowned. He hated to hear that there would just be another person in his class to make him feel uncomfortable; he had wanted to drop out of school so many times, but he didn't know how to convey his wishes to Dino, and even if he did, he knew the older blond wouldn't allow it; Dino only wanted the best for him, and the man believed that finishing school would be the best thing for Bel. "…"

Dino glanced at his wristwatch once he had finished the last of his breakfast. When he noticed the time, he stood up and went back to his own bedroom to finish getting ready for his day of teaching; he was glad to have been able to get a job as a teacher at Bel's school, knowing that his presence would help put the boy slightly at ease – and that was what Bel needed; someone he knew and trusted with him to help get him through such a stressful time.

It only took a few minutes for Dino to get dressed out of his pyjamas, and when he returned to the kitchen to check on his charge, he was just in time to see Bel throwing his breakfast into the bin and then shifting the contents to try and hide the evidence. He jumped when he turned around and saw Dino watching him, and a guilty frown crossed his face; he knew he had been caught in the act, and he felt ashamed of himself now for wasting the food Dino had prepared for him.

"Bel, if you aren't hungry, then just leave it on the table." Dino remained as gentle as he could be; he knew he couldn't get mad with Bel, especially when the younger was only trying not to worry his guardian. "I need to know how much you're eating so I can make sure you won't get sick. It's alright if you're not feeling hungry; you know I won't force you to eat."

Bel nodded hesitantly. He knew that Dino wasn't lying and instead was telling him the truth – but still, it made him uncomfortable to know that people were so concerned about his eating disorder, they had to monitor him whenever food was concerned – hell, he had to be monitored all day every day because he was on suicide watch. "…"

"Are you ready for school?" Dino was patient as he asked about Bel's progress in getting ready; it was a well-known fact that the boy hated going to school and often 'forgot' to do things so he could arrive late.

Bel nodded. He went back to his bedroom so that he could grab his schoolbag. It was light, the boy having not packed anything into it; he was waiting until they were just about to leave so that he could tug on his guardian's sleeve and point back to the house to tell Dino he had 'forgotten' some stuff.

The boy left his bedroom so that he could sit in the living room and wait for Dino; he knew they still had a few minutes before they would leave. He turned the TV on and curled up on the couch; he wished he could stay here all day and never have to go to school again.

It didn't take long for the older blond to tell Bel that they were leaving, and though he cooperated at first, he certainly didn't hesitate in trying to delay leaving for as long as he could; he hated school so much, he wished enough people would die there so he would never have to go back again.

~~XX~~

Bel rarely paid attention to his classes, and everyone knew it. He would just stare out of the window or draw all over his papers and textbooks; anything but listen to what was being taught. In fact, he had been dozing off at his desk when he felt someone shake his shoulder. When he lifted his head from the desk, he blinked sleepily at Dino. "…?"

"Bel, this is Ayane Kato." Dino gestured to the girl standing behind him. She was a teenager who looked to be about fifteen or sixteen, with long black hair that was held up in a bun and some stray strands framing her face as they rested against her chest. She was smiling at Bel, and her dark eyes were soft as she surveyed the blond. "Is it okay if I partner you two up for today's project? She's the new student I was telling you about."

Bel blushed as he nodded. He looked down to his lap; he had never had Dino pair him up for a project before, but he didn't mind today; Ayane was so pretty, and he wanted to look at her some more.

"Great." Dino smiled. He patted Bel's shoulder before he gestured to the empty desk across from the boy. "You may sit here, Kato-chan. Bel is very shy around strangers, so he won't talk to you, but he will still help you if you need it; just let him know what you're having trouble with and he will communicate with you as best he can."

"Thank you very much, sensei." Ayane bowed respectfully to her teacher before she took her seat and smiled at Bel. Bel's blush darkened as he reached down to grip his pant legs tightly; he had never had female attention like this before, and it made all sorts of feelings bubble around in his stomach.

"Here is the project details." Dino laid two sheets out before his students as he said, "I'm sure you'll be fine, Kato-chan; I find it incredibly doubtful to think you two will receive bad grades while you're working together."

Ayane looked at the details in curiosity, but Bel didn't care to see what was required of them; his mouth was going dry as he continued to stare at his new project partner instead. She was so pretty, and Bel was a stranger to attraction; could this be the 'crush' everyone talked about? Dino had always told him he might one day find someone who makes him feel different, but he hadn't expected to find that person so soon, if at ever.

Forcing himself to look away lest he make Ayane uncomfortable – despite Bel's innocence towards such intimate topics, he certainly knew what it was like to get upset when people wouldn't take their eyes off him – he turned his attention to the world outside of the window as he tried to fight back his blush; he wasn't used to feeling like this, and it was going to take some time to get used to.

"Belphegor-san?"

Bel felt his breath catch in his throat as a hand smaller than his own touched his arm. He turned back to Ayane as his body shuddered beneath the touch; he normally felt scared when others touched him, but instead the girl sent a strange feeling through him that wasn't… wasn't bad. "…"

"Want to go work in the library together?" Ayane's voice was soft, comforting, and Bel didn't know why but it was enough to make him nod in a stupid manner. The girl smiled before he patted Bel's arm and then raised her hand into the air. "Sensei, may we work in the library together?"

Dino nodded; he was glad to see that Bel didn't look as tense as he usually did in school; instead, the boy seemed a little more relaxed as he watched his project partner. "Yes, of course. Let me just sign you both out of class."

The two students gathered their belongings before they got to their feet and approached Dino. They accepted the slips that were handed to them, but just before they left, the teacher put his hand on Bel's shoulder to keep the boy in place. He spoke in a low tone so that only Bel could hear him, knowing no one else needed to know what kind of things the older blond said to his charge – it was between him and Bel and didn't concern anyone else. "You're doing well, Bel; keep it up."

Bel sent a shy smile to his guardian before he hurried after Ayane; while she had already left the classroom, he wanted to walk beside her. He trembled slightly in anxiety as he felt their arms brush together, so he moved slightly to the side so that there was a little more distance between them; as pretty as she was, he didn't think he was ready to be too close to her just yet.

"I don't know where exactly the library is, Belphegor-san; can you lead the way?"

Bel nodded. His hands shook from nerves as he held his belongings tight, and his face darkened once again as his shyness overwhelmed him; this was so much responsibility for him, and he didn't want to mess up and embarrass himself because he wanted for Ayane to like him, too.

"So you really don't talk?" Ayane didn't sound judgemental; instead, just curious. When she received a nod in response, she asked, "Are you just really shy or something?"

Bel frowned at the question. He decided it would be better to just nod and leave it at that; he didn't want the girl to know about what he had been put through, sure that it would frighten her off if she knew why he hadn't spoken a single word since his ninth birthday. "…"

"That's okay." Ayane smiled. "Maybe one day you'll say a few words so I can hear your voice."

Bel licked his lips as he remembered back to how he had once been. It had been so long ago since he had been happy, he couldn't even remember what his voice sounded like. "…"

It didn't take long to arrive at the library, and once they had signed in, Bel led the girl over to a small table tucked away in the quietest part of the library. He laid his books down carefully on the surface before he took a seat and watched Ayane do the same.

"Have you read the details yet?" Ayane moved closer to Bel as the blond shook his head. She laid her sheet in front of them, summarising the project for the blond. "Well, basically we just have to choose something and write an essay in English for part one, and then we have to research its Japanese counterparts for another English essay. What part do you want to do?"

Bel didn't hesitate to pull a notepad out from his pile of textbooks and take a pen from his pocket next. He put the pen down so that he could point to the number one on the sheet.

"Okay. And then for the last part, we'll do that together once we finish the first two." Ayane pushed the sheet away as a thought crossed her mind. "What should we write about?"

Bel didn't hesitate to grab his pen and draw kanji on the project sheet. "…"

"Yakuza? What about for the English counterpart? What's that called?"

Writing elegant English next to the kanji, Bel spelt out mafia. He smiled proudly as he pulled his pen away, hoping the other would agree with him; he had always liked the mafia, finding them to be very interesting and worthy of his time to write about.

"Mafia?" Ayane nodded. "Sure. We'll do this. I'll go and find some books for us to look through."

Bel nodded. He looked out of the window as he waited patiently for his new friend to return; he really liked spending time with her. He was glad when the girl returned with an armful of books, and when he reached out to take one, he couldn't help but blush scarlet as his fingers brushed against the back of her hand. "…"

Ayane didn't seem bothered at all by his touch; she instead smiled as she reached out and put her hand on the back of Bel's. Speaking in a quiet tone, she said, "It's okay; I don't mind if you touch me."

Bel was too naïve and innocent to understand what she meant; he instead took her words as an invitation to ghost the tips of his fingers over her hand and feel just how soft and smooth her skin was. He could feel his palms getting sweaty from nerves as he focused on the way her hand seemed to fit against his perfectly, but when she lifted a hand to cup his face, he gasped and pulled away, frightened of anyone touching his face; it brought back memories of Xanxus he wished he didn't have.

"It's okay; I'm not going to hurt you." Ayane held her hand in the air as she spoke in a gentle voice. "It's alright. I won't hurt you."

Bel's breathing was unsteady as he watched the hand slowly come back to his face. He tried so hard to keep calm, but he couldn't help but jerk away after a few seconds with his heart pounding anxiously against his chest.

"It's okay. It's alright. You're safe." Ayane allowed her hand to finally close the distance and rest her palm against Bel's cheek. The boy's breathing was panicked, and his body trembled at the touch, but he forced himself to remain still; he had to know what she was doing to him, and if it would be different from Xanxus. "Good boy. Good boy, Belphegor-san."

Bel flinched when he felt the hand on his face begin to move. He was frightened at first, but he slowly calmed down as he felt the girl caressing the side of his face; no one had ever given him this kind of touch before, and he couldn't help but acknowledge that it felt… nice. Licking his lips, he hesitantly pressed into the touch. "…"

Ayane smiled. She couldn't help but look at Bel's lips. They looked so soft and pale, and she didn't have to ask to know that he had never been kissed before; his reactions and shyness said everything she needed to know. She slid her thumb sideways so that she could rub his lips, and her smile grew when she earned a soft sound of surprise in return. Leaning forward, she was fully intent on pressing her lips against his, but she stopped when she heard footsteps approaching them.

"Belphegor-san, I didn't know you had a girlfriend."

Bel frowned as he noticed three of the younger students approaching them. It wasn't that he was unhappy to see them, but he had been enjoying what Ayane was doing and wished he could know how it would have ended. "…"

"Oh, no, I'm not his girlfriend." Ayane put her hands in the air as she shook her head. She smiled at the little brunet who had spoken before she continued on. "I only just met him in class; I'm new to this school."

The brunet smiled back in a shy manner as he dropped his books onto the table. "What's your name?"

"Kato Ayane. What about you guys?"

The brunet gestured to himself. "Sawada Tsunayoshi. This is Gokudera-kun and Yamamoto. We're friends with Belphegor-san."

The tallest of the trio who Ayane had been introduced to as Yamamoto laughed cheerfully as he watched the way Bel shyly his his face against Ayane's shoulder. "Are you sure you two aren't dating? Bel never acts like that around anyone; he's scared of being touched."

Ayane shook her head. "We're really not; we've only just met."

The silver-haired male known as Gokudera scoffed at this, but it was Tsuna who spoke again. "It looked as if you were about to kiss him."

Ayane didn't know how to reply to that; she knew most people would look down on her for how quickly she had been coming on to someone she had only just met, but Bel didn't seem to mind; if anything, he looked as if he had been enjoying it. "…"

"Oh, well, it doesn't matter. Now that we're all here, let's work together." Yamamoto dropped his own belongings next to Tsuna's before he pulled out a chair and took a seat at the table.

Ayane nodded, glad that the question had been dodged. She grabbed one of the books she had brought over earlier and opened it to read, but what she was really focused on was the way Bel seemed to inch his way closer to her every now and then, as if he wanted to be next to her but was just too shy to close the distance.

It was normal for Bel to not get his work done, but today was for a different reason; all he could think about was the way the girl had touched him earlier, and to his surprise, he found himself wanting Ayane to caress him again.

It had been many years since Bel had found himself wanting to be touched, but here he was, spending his day subtly trying to get Ayane's attention so she would put her hands on him once again.

~~XX~~

When school had finished and Dino had taken Bel home, the man had made his charge a milkshake before he sat down on the couch with him. He glanced at the anime Bel was watching before saying, "Tsuna told me he saw Ayane about to kiss you in the library today. What's that about?"

Bel frowned at his guardian before he blushed instead. He put his milkshake down on the coffee table in front of them so that he could instead grab the pen and notepad that was always left there for when the boy needed to communicate. He drew a line beneath what he had written down previously before he wrote in neat Italian, 'I asked Tsuna and he said Ayane likes me.'

Dino chuckled. "Is that so? Do you like her, too?"

Bel's blush darkened as he nodded. He took another sip of his milkshake before he wrote, 'She's really pretty. She stroked my face in the library. She played with my hair when we had lunch together, too.'

"That's really good." Dino was glad to see that Bel was coming out of his shell a little more, so he encouraged the boy's behaviour; the younger desperately needed to make friends, and this could be the thing that helped him open up to others just a little more. "Do you want to date her?"

Bel nodded. A huge smile broke out on his face at this question before it suddenly disappeared and a look of uncertainty took its place. Hesitating, he wrote, 'But I don't want to have sex or be naked with her.'

"I know, Bel. You might never want that with anyone. If you begin to date her, make sure you tell her that so she knows not to expect anything from you."

Bel nodded. He put his notepad back down on the coffee table, a sign that he no longer wanted to communicate for the time being. He turned his attention to his milkshake and the TV so that he could watch the rest of his anime as he sipped at his treat. Dino patted his shoulder as he stood up and left the room, hoping that things would work out for Bel and maybe, finally having a girlfriend would help him heal from his trauma.