"Senpai…"

Bel poked his head out from beneath his blanket at Fran's voice. He was trembling slightly from the anxiety being back in Italy was invoking in him, but as much as he wanted to be left alone, he still recognised the well-hidden distress in his friend's voice. "…?"

Fran moved from the bedroom door so that he could join Bel on the bed. He looked to his lap as he tried to lock his emotions away, but he was failing, and he didn't know how much longer he would be able to keep up his emotionless façade. "…Senpai… I… H-he's followed me…"

Bel frowned. He reached out so that he could pull Fran to lay down next to him. He lifted the blankets over the younger so that they could hide beneath them together. He didn't need to talk; Fran knew the blond cared because said blond was holding him close and nuzzling their cheeks together.

A single tear rolled down Fran's cheek as he returned the embrace; even though Bel was mute, the older male was the only one who had ever been able to bring him comfort. "Senpai… He… I hate Mukuro… He knows where I go to school…"

Bel leant up on his elbow so that he could reach across to his bedside table and take his phone. He unlocked it and begun typing. What did he do?

"He said… that he couldn't stand to know I was leaving him… So he came back to Italy so he could still have me…"

You need to tell Dino, Froggy; I hate knowing he hurts you. The older male dropped his phone to his chest so that he could hug Fran tight.

Fran felt sick. "Senpai… I don't… I don't want anyone to know… I… I'm scared…"

I'll tell Dino if you want me to.

"No… Senpai, you don't… You don't know what he says to me… If anyone finds out, he'll… He said he'll… He knows I'm closest to you… I don't want him to hurt you…"

Bel didn't know how to respond to that; Fran was being threatened into silence, and he knew that it was working well – Fran wasn't about to admit what was happening to him any time soon, if ever. The blond could relate; he'd only ever told Fran and Gokudera about his own abuse, and if anyone else knew, it wasn't because he had told them.

"Bel-senpai, I… I just…" Fran's shoulders heaved with emotion. "…I.. W-why did he… have to follow me..?"

Bel wanted so badly to be able to protect Fran, but he knew there was nothing he could do; as much as he wanted to help, he couldn't.

"…I want to die, senpai… Please…"

I don't know what to do, Froggy. Bel felt tears of his own well up in his eyes; it was agonising to think about losing Fran, and he wondered if that was how Dino and his friends always felt whenever he attempted suicide. I love Froggy. Please don't die.

The teal-haired male fell silent as he read his friend's message. He didn't want to hurt Bel, but he felt so sick, he didn't know what else he was supposed to do; he had thought he would finally get away from the abuse by moving to Italy, but it had been pointless; Mukuro had only followed.

Will Froggy come to me first if he ever tries to kill himself? I want to help Froggy.

"Senpai… He said he's going to make something bad happen… I'm scared…"

Before Bel could reassure the younger that he would do his best to protect Fran, Dino knocked on the bedroom door and entered. The older blond looked distressed, and when he looked at Bel, he looked heartbroken. He spoke in a quiet voice, one that told the smaller blond the other really didn't want to have this conversation. "Fran, can I please talk to you in the living room, please…?"

After Fran had gotten out of the bed to follow Dino out of the room, Bel also went to stand up. However, he froze when his guardian shook his head at him.

"No, Bel, you stay in here, please; I need to talk to Fran in private."

Neither Fran nor Bel liked the sound of this, but there was no protesting; they knew better than to do so when Dino was visibly bothered.

What told Bel that Dino had really bad news was the fact that, in just minutes, Fran's agonised cries sounded throughout the house.

~~XX~~

Where's Fran?

Dino swallowed thickly as he looked at the screen of Bel's phone. He felt sick, and he didn't want to answer the question, knowing how much it would hurt his charge. He looked away. "…Fran… has gone to live with a foster family… Someone… found out he isn't mine legally…"

Tears welled up in Bel's eyes as he started typing at his phone again. Why didn't he say goodbye to me…?

"Because he was taken too quickly, Bel." The older blond reached out so that he could thread his fingers through Bel's tousled locks. "I'm really sorry, but there was nothing I could do…"

Who took him? Bel's heart started racing as he recalled what Fran had told him earlier, about Mukuro having followed them to Italy and wanting to start trouble. He was scared; what if Fran had been given to Mukuro, and no one knew what they had done? Was it a pineapple man?

Dino frowned. "Pineapple man? What are you talking about, Bel? I don't know who has him; I'm sorry."

A pineapple man hurts Froggy. By now, Bel's typing became erratic. He misspelt words as his fingers rushed to tell Dino what was happening, but he didn't care; he knew he was breaking the promise he had made to Fran to never tell anyone, but he didn't have a choice; if he kept silent over the abuse, Fran might have to live with Mukuro. I told Froggy I wouldn't tell anyone, so I didn't. But Froggy told me today that the pineapple man followed him, and said he was going to make something bad happen.

"Why didn't you say anything sooner, Bel?!" Dino jumped to his feet as he fumbled for his phone within his pants pocket. "You should have told me as soon as Fran told you what was happening! Never mind now; I'll try and fix it, but next time, tell me sooner!"

Bel flinched. He wasn't used to Dino getting mad at him, and he felt uncomfortable. He hid back beneath his blankets so that he didn't have to see his guardian; he was stressed, and he didn't need Dino to make him feel worse when he had only ever tried to do the right thing.

It was times like these Bel wondered why he even bothered…

~~XX~~

"Bel! Dinnertime!"

Bel looked over his shoulder as he heard Dino called for him. He wondered what had happened when Dino had made that call regarding Fran earlier, but he hadn't questioned it; he was almost too afraid to ask. He gave a sigh as he looked back at the computer he shared with his guardian; he was talking to Gokudera on Facebook while the younger male got ready for his classes, and he didn't want to leave.

"Bel! Come on! Computer time's over!" Dino was in a bad mood, and as hard as he tried, he couldn't keep his agitation from his voice. "Bel!"

Bel ignored the older male again. He typed away at the keyboard so that he didn't have to focus on the footsteps that were coming closer to him. Dino says it's dinnertime, but I'm not hungry. He's in a bad mood.

Bel watched as Gokudera's chat box showed the silver-haired male was typing back, but before he could see the younger's reply, the screen went black as the power went off. He flinched as he looked over his shoulder, tense as he found his guardian standing behind him with his finger on the power button to the computer. He swallowed thickly, knowing he was in trouble now.

"Bel, you've had enough time on the computer!" Dino reached out and grabbed Bel's shoulder. He tried to tug the younger from the computer chair, but Bel only gave a loud cry of fright and tried to pull away. "Bel! Get up!"

Bel got up from the chair, but not because Dino wanted him to; he instead fled from the living room and into his bedroom. He slammed his door shut behind him and made sure it was locked before he curled up on his bed beneath his blankets, shaking; Dino knew being grabbed like that was frightening for him, but the older blond had done it anyway.

"Bel…"

The smaller blond flinched when he heard his doorknob turn.

"Bel, I'm sorry… Come out and eat; it's time for dinner… Bel…" Dino sighed. "…I'm sorry…"

Bel stayed under his blankets, just wanting to be alone.