Bel was glad that Squalo was living with them now; it meant that he was no longer alone whenever Dino left for work. He didn't mind how quiet Squalo had become; he was happy to just curl up on the couch next to the older male and soak in the other's warmth. The long-haired man was depressed, though, and because of that, he couldn't often find the strength to play with Bel whenever the blond was in a playful mood.

Bel didn't mind; like now, as much as he wanted to play with Squalo in the snow outside their home, he was content sitting on the floor with the man as he ever-so-gently got used to putting his guardian's new prosthetic hand onto the other's useless stump. He was glad the man trusted him to play with his prosthetic; he could only imagine how frightening it must be to have one's hand hacked off of their body with a blunt meat cleaver.

Squalo took a sharp breath as he bit his lip. He spoke quietly, nothing like the loud, assertive tone Bel had known him for as a child. "Careful, Bel, it hurts when you don't do it right…"

The blond gave a soft noise as he patted Squalo's wrist in apology. He tried again, this time more successful in his attempt and eventually fitting the prosthetic hand on correctly. He gave a proud smile as he sat back on his haunches with his hands on his thighs, waiting for the other's praise; nothing made him feel better about himself than getting a head pat and a 'good job, Bel'.

The long-haired man winced as he looked at his fake hand. He shuddered as he reached for the black glove he had sitting beside him so that he could pass it to Bel and pretend that, once it was hiding the hideous fake, his hand had never been cut off by his ex. He frowned for a few seconds more before he looked at Bel and gave the younger a small smile. "Thanks, brat; you're getting better at it."

Bel leant forward so that he could wrap his arms around the stronger male. He pulled away so that he could grab his notepad and pen from the coffee table they were sitting in front of and wrote in handwriting messy from excitement. Will Squ play in the snow with me now?

Squalo's pupils dilated from fear as he shook his head. His hands fumbled as he looked towards the curtains he had closed as soon as he had entered the living room that morning. "M-maybe it's a better idea for us to stay inside, brat… Just in case…"

But I always played in the snow with Hayato at our apartment and nothing bad happened. And Dino plays with me, too, sometimes. It's okay, Squ.

"I don't want to go outside, Bel…"

Bel poked his tongue out between his lips as he slowed his handwriting down to give him more time to think. Is Squ scared of going outside because Xanxus never let him?

Squalo hugged himself as he nodded. He knew he shouldn't have tried to treat Bel as if he wouldn't understand because Bel could understand him more than either of them would ever want to admit. "He… I wasn't allowed outside because… he knew I would have ran away…"

Squ can come outside with me, Bel wrote. No one will hurt Squ.

The older man shuddered. "N-not now, Bel… Maybe another time… You can… go play outside if you want…. Stay where I can see you, though…"

Bel knew not to push; he remembered how scared he himself would get whenever his friends would get too forceful with him. He gave Squalo another hug before he wrote, I'm gonna go get Mink. I won't go past the footpath, Squ.

Squalo gave a smaller smile. "Be careful, brat…"

The blond kissed Squalo's cheek before he got up to find his pet. He hugged Mink tight as he hurried out of the house and into the snow, excited to be able to play in it again; he had come to love snow after spending so much time in with Gokudera and their friends. He dropped Mink to the ground so that the animal could jump around in it as Bel started working on a snow man. From the corner of his eye, he saw the living room curtains opening and Squalo taking a seat back on the couch so that he could keep an eye on the blond.

Bel was happy, and he couldn't help but giggle to himself as he chased after Mink in the snow. His smile widened when he saw Dino's BMW coming down the road, and he picked Mink up so that the animal wouldn't run in front of the car. He was excited for his guardian to be back home, and once the BMW was parked safely in the driveway, he helped the older blond bring in the groceries. However, his happy mood slipped when he and Dino went back inside and found a panic-stricken Squalo standing in the entrance hallway, looking as if he were about to cry.

Dino chewed his lip as he stepped forward to put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Squalo, what's wrong?"

Squalo felt sick; as soon as he had seen a car trailing behind Dino's, he knew there was trouble; what if… Xanxus had found them again…? "That car… Did it follow you…?"

"Why do you ask?" Dino put the bag he was holding down onto the ground. He extended one arm ever-so-slowly, understanding when his friend flinched violently and stumbled backwards. "Squalo? I'm not going to hurt you; you know this."

Squalo shook his head. He steadied himself before he spoke again. "…That car…"

"I don't know if it followed me because I'm not sure when it got behind me." The taller blond leant down, his hands on his knees as he used a gentle tone with his damaged friend. "I'm sure it's nothing, Squalo; it wasn't his car, was it?"

"No… But it slowed down when it passed; I saw its brake lights…"

"The roads are icy from the snow, and it was probably still slowing down instead of moving across to go around me as I pulled in. It's alright, Squalo; I promise."

Squalo frowned deeply. He didn't know how to convey his stress; he instead looked over to the smaller blond who had been standing so quietly behind the other with his pet mink in his arms as he swung his own shopping bag slightly. He noticed that Bel's usual smile was gone, the youngest of the three most likely upset by the negativity he could sense; his young companion had always been hypersensitive to others' moods. "Brat, come lay down with me…"

Bel nodded. He dropped his own bag to the ground before he held his pet tighter and followed behind Squalo as the long-haired man led him to the bedroom. He was silent as he stepped into the room and walked in further in as Squalo closed the door behind them. He dropped his mink to the mattress before he climbed on, making himself comfortable as he waited for the other to join him.

Squalo didn't hesitate to lie down next to the blond. He soon wrapped his arms around the younger when his companion rested against him, glad that, despite everything, Bel was still so sweet. He glanced up at the window to make sure it was locked tight, and it was then he realised; had he locked it or not…? He wanted to get up and double-check it as well as pull the blinds down so no one could see in, but the smaller male was just about asleep, and Squalo didn't want to disturb him; he wasn't the only one in this household who struggled with insomnia.

Unable to tear his eyes away from the window, Squalo found himself far from sleep as his mind played tricks on him, his anxiety spiking as the terror he had felt around Xanxus tore him apart. He couldn't help but bury his face in against soft golden locks, allowing himself to cry as quietly as he could for his level of distress. The younger shifted in his arms a few times but otherwise remained asleep, and the silver-haired male couldn't help but wish his companion had woken; he needed someone to talk to, even if the smaller male wouldn't talk back to him.

Had getting away from Xanxus been worth the constant terror he now lived with, waiting for the moment his ex found him and did worse than he had ever done before? Part of Squalo wished he had been shot, his life ended, instead of others coming in to save him; death would be much better than this.