Bel sat on the couch in the living room a few days later. He sipped at his chocolate milk as he watched an anime series on the large TV mounted to the wall. Dino was home with him, the man in the kitchen preparing lunch for them. It had been a long day for them both, Bel's therapy session having turned into a struggle to restrain the boy after he had another nervous breakdown and threw himself through the window; he had done it on purpose so that he could pick up a large shard of glass and cut through his wrists, but he had been stopped before he could get too deep.

Now, after having been given sedatives as he had lost all control and couldn't be brought back any other way, Bel was semi-peaceful. He could still feel his anxiety bubbling in his chest and stomach, but he otherwise was too tired to act on his stress; he just wanted to sit here and relax for a while.

"Bel, lunch is ready."

The boy looked over his shoulder as he heard Dino call for him. He sighed, not wanting to get up and go to the dining table; couldn't his guardian bring the food to him?

Bel laid down on the couch in silent protest, hoping that Dino would understand what he wanted; he didn't know where his phone was to text the man, and he didn't feel like reaching across to the coffee table to grab his notepad and write. Maybe if he were lucky, the older blond would eventually develop mind-reading powers and make things much easier for them both.

"Bel?"

Bel wished he had a blanket to curl up under; it was chilly, and the storm raging outside wasn't helping matters much.

"Bel, it's time for lunch." By now, Dino had come to kneel by the couch. He was frowning at his charge, and it didn't take a genius to see that the man was feeling just as stressed as Bel was. "Come on; you need to eat something; you haven't eaten for two days now."

The boy knew Dino was worried about him. He knew that everyone was worried about him. Knowing that information only stressed him out further; he didn't mean to cause so much concern, but he didn't know what to do or how to fix things; all he knew was that he was in so much pain – some of it even physical, though he refused to tell anyone that – he could only act out and wish for his own death.

"Bel." Dino reached out and grabbed Bel's shoulders. He tried to pull the boy from the couch, but the smaller male only let out a loud cry of fear and pulled away from the touch. The young man sighed. He ducked his head and was silent for almost two minutes before he mumbled, "Your lunch will be in the microwave for when you're ready to eat…"

Bel whimpered and reached out to grab Dino's sleeve when the man stood up and turned back to the dining room. He waited until his guardian was looking at him again before he opened his arms wide as he asked to be picked up.

Dino gave an exhausted look at this. He didn't speak for a few seconds, but when he did, it was in a quiet mutter that proved just how tiring it was to care for someone broken into so many fragments. "You're sixteen, Bel; I'm not going to carry you…"

The boy made a soft noise as he tried to extend his arms further; oh, how he hated Dino not being a mind-reader…

Dino gave in. He knew that if he didn't give in to the other's childish wish, Bel might go another day without eating – and no matter what, he couldn't let that happen. He picked the boy up and held him securely against his chest so that – hopefully – Bel could finally get something into his tummy.

"I'm going to take a nap after we eat, okay?" Dino was gentle as he sat Bel down at the table; he just wanted for the younger to be okay. "Try and keep it down for a while. We'll do something together later today."

Bel nodded. He tried to ignore his stomach churning at the sight of his lunch; the last thing he needed was to vomit when there was already nothing in his stomach to throw back up.

"Is there anything you need for me to get you? We can get it when we go back into town." As exhausted as he was, Dino could never treat Bel badly; he loved the kid too much to take his stress out on the younger when the boy already had enough to deal with it as it was.

Bel shook his head. He pushed his plate away before he pulled his knees up to his chest.

"You know, Bel, if you aren't eating, you – hold on." Dino pulled his phone from his pocket when he felt it vibrate. He frowned as he noticed the caller ID read 'Squalo', and he truly hoped the younger male wasn't calling him with bad news; he wasn't sure he would be able to handle anything else today. He clicked the answer button before he raised the phone to his ear. "Hey, Squalo. How are you?"

Bel stared down at his lap as he listened to Dino talk on the phone. He didn't think anything had happened to Squalo as the adults' conversation seemed to be calm and just a general catch up, but it was what the stronger blond said next that really bothered Bel.

"Bel's fine, Squalo. We're having lunch at the moment." Dino waited for Squalo to finish talking before he said, "Yes, he's been eating properly the past couple of days; he's putting on a little weight. …Ahaha, yeah, he's doing great; he's made a couple of new friends and he's started dating now. …No, Squalo, he's in a safe relationship; I wouldn't let him be in one that would hurt him."

Bel didn't understand why Dino had lied about his wellbeing; he wasn't eating, and there was no way he was putting on weight – he would be losing weight, if anything, but he wasn't even sure if that were still possible with how thin he already was. While the rest of it was true, why would Dino tell Squalo lies in the first place?

Was it that… Dino just didn't want Squalo to worry…?

"Bel."

Bel looked up at Dino's voice. He frowned when he found the phone being held out to him.

"Squalo wants to talk to you."

Bel hesitantly accepted the phone and raised it to his ear. He hummed a little to let his old guardian know he had the phone. "…"

"Hey, brat." Squalo was quiet, but Bel couldn't pick up on the other being upset; in fact, he sounded the happiest Bel had heard him in a while. "Xanxus got himself locked up again for a few days. It's been really peaceful with him gone. I went to see Lussuria and Mammon earlier, and it was good to see them again. It's been… a long time…"

Bel knew Xanxus kept Squalo isolated in the house. He didn't think the silver-haired man was even allowed in the front yard, let alone seeing his friends, so it was great to hear that Squalo had seen his friends again. "…"

"Dino told me you're dating now. Have you got a girlfriend?" At the silence on the other end of the line, Squalo continued on, knowing he had received a no in answer. "So it's a boyfriend, then."

Bel hummed. He heard the worry in Squalo's voice, but he understood; the man was probably scared of Bel ending up in a relationship like his own.

"Is he good to you, brat? He doesn't hurt you, does he?"

Bel hummed again. The corners of his lips twitched slightly as he remembered his time with Gokudera yesterday. They had been at Bel's home for a while before they went into town and watched a movie together. The younger male had been so kind to him, making sure that he was comfortable everywhere they went and never forcing Bel to stay out of his comfort zone for long.

"I'm glad." Squalo let out a sigh. "Just be careful, alright? If he ever hurts you, I don't want you to stay with him. …Does he make you have sex with him?"

Bel remained silent. The topic of sex hadn't come up between them yet, and the younger hadn't done anything sexual to him. Gokudera was patient and understanding, and that was why Bel felt a little more comfortable around him whenever they spent time together.

"Good… If anyone ever tries to make you have sex with them and you're not ready for it, don't say yes, alright? It's your body, and you never have to do anything with it that you're not comfortable with."

Bel hummed in agreement. He had already had this talk with Dino when the man found out his charge had a boyfriend. He appreciated that Squalo cared enough about him to have the same talk with him, though; he loved Squalo so much, and he hoped that one day, he could go back to Italy to see him again.

"Okay, I'm going to get off here and go to bed; it's pretty late. Be safe, okay? I love you, Bel."

Bel's lips turned into a small smile. He gave a happy hum into the phone before he gave it back to Dino; he hoped Squalo knew that Bel loved him, too.

Dino smiled back at his charge as he slid his phone into his pocket. He grabbed his plate and stood up to put it on the bench, despite having not eaten much of his own meal. "I'm going to go nap now, Bel. Remember; don't turn the TV up too loud, okay?"

Bel nodded. He, too, wanted to get up and go back to the couch, but he just couldn't seem to find the motivation to move. He stayed where he was until Dino had long-since left, and all he could do was push his plate away and use the table as a pillow.

Needless to say, when Dino came back out an hour later, he had to carry Bel to his bed as the boy just couldn't seem to wake up.

~~XX~~

When Bel woke up a few hours later, he couldn't get himself out of bed; he just laid there and stared at his wall. He didn't even want to turn his TV on; he only wanted to lay beneath his blankets forever.

"Bel?"

Bel looked over to the doorway as Dino poked his head in through the open door. "…"

"I found your phone. It was in the laundry." Dino came to sit on the edge of the bed so that he could watch Bel play with the device. "Tsuna texted me before. He said that Reborn's taking him and his friends out to that island resort, and they want you to go with them."

Bel whimpered at this; did his friends really expect for him to go with them to somewhere like that…? "…"

"It's okay, Bel. It'll be fun. You should go with them." Dino smiled. He put his hands on the boy's shoulders as he soothed the younger, hoping Bel would agree to go; it would be so good for him to get out of the house with his friends for once.

Bel shook his head. He started typing on his phone until he was ready to show Dino what was bothering him. I will only go somewhere with you. It's scary going places without you. What if someone hurts me?

"Bel…" Dino reached out and hugged Bel tight. He could feel the younger returning the embrace. "Bel, I can't always be with you. Okay? What if something happens to me one day and you don't know what to do because you've never been without me? You're sixteen; it's time for you to start learning how to be independent. Go and spend some time with your friends, alright? I'm sure it'll be fun."

Bel shook his head. He pulled himself onto Dino's lap and buried his face in against the man's chest. He shuddered as he felt the other's fingers threading through his hair, but he didn't pull away; he only wanted for Dino to stay with him.

Dino allowed the boy to remain like that for a while before he spoke again. "Bel, if something does happen to me, I want to die knowing you're safe and that you can look after yourself. Please do this for me; go and spend your school holidays with your friends. I'm going to stay here and have my own break. No one's going to hurt you there, Bel; you're safe, especially since Reborn will be there. So please, go with them. You'll be happy there; I'm sure of it."

It was terrifying to think that he was going to go somewhere so busy without Dino; it was a struggle to keep himself from hyperventilating over it. But if Dino really wanted him to be with his friends…

Bel pulled away from his guardian so that he could wipe at his damp eyes. He gave a small, hesitant nod, not wanting to go at all, but knowing just how much Dino had sacrificed for him; this was the least the boy could do to thank him for all the love and care he had been given for all this time.

Dino smiled. "Tsuna said the ocean liner leaves tomorrow morning. I'll drop you off at his house by six tomorrow, okay?"

Bel nodded. He wished he could just stay home…

"I'll help you pack. I'm really happy for you. You need this." It was true; if Tsuna hadn't invited Bel along, the boy would have spent his school holidays in bed, doing nothing. It was no way for the younger to live, and hopefully if he learnt how much fun he could have with his friends, it might encourage Bel to spend more time with them outside of school.

Bel wasn't happy for himself. No; all he wanted right now was to go back to sleep and never wake up again.