"Can I see you for a second Fran?"
His teacher stopped the boy as the rest of the class emptied. Fran approached the desk of mahogany admiring the sketches scattered all over. The man behind the desk stopped his writings to look up at the boy.
"When's your next class?" He asked boredly.
"This is my last class for today."
"Good." He said with a click of his tongue. "I need to talk to you."
"Yes?"
"But not just you."
"You asked to see me Professor?" Fran winced at the voice that came from the doorway.
"Belphegor please come in." The teacher's smile looked menacing, but it was normal for the snarky professor. "Francis I saw that eye roll." He chuckled.
Fran wasn't sure why Professor Mukuro called him Francis at times, but it didn't really bother him.
"Frog." Belphegor greeted bitterly as he came up to the desk.
"Royal fakeness." Fran returned the compliment.
"THIS." The dark professor intervened. "Is why I asked you two here."
"What is 'THIS'?" Bel asked obviously annoyed.
"Watch your tone Belphegor." Bel made a face at use of his full name again.
The man continued. "THIS, you have to have an idea of what I'm talking about. You two have been getting on my last nerves for the last couple of weeks."
"With all due respect, I don't know what you mean sir." Fran said innocently.
Bel scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Yer wasting my precious time pineapple head."
That resulted in a smack of the head from the professor.
"You mean to tell me your shenanigans- your constant tormenting of each other is all in my head? That I'm imagining you two throwing pens and papers at each other every class, putting paint and thumb tacks in each other's seats? And don't make me remind you of the mess you two made last Tuesday in the supply closet." The professor was now looming over the two terrified students.
"The frog started it." Bel accused quickly.
"Did not." Fran defended just as fast.
"Did-"
"Oh my god." Mukuro cried irritated, "You two deny your quarrels and have the nerve to quarrel in front of me?"
"Uh-"
"That's why," He paused to regain his calm stature, "you guys are going to take part in a little experiment of mines-"
"I'm not a lab rat pineapple head-" Mukuro smacked Belphegor upside the head and continued.
"FAILURE to do so will result in a failing grade. Failure of positive results will also result in a failing grade."
That wasn't fair, Fran had an A in the class, god knows if his royal fakeness here was even passing the class. "Profes-"
"Francis a failing mark would be such a disappointment considering that you are my favorite." He tsked. "But favoritism in this issue would just not be fair would it?"
Fran couldn't argue, not because his professor had a valid argument but because the aura coming from the professor was absolutely terrifying. He assumed Bel thought so as well because not a sound came from the obnoxious heir.
Mukuro took the silence and continued to explain his punishment. "Starting tomorrow, the both of you will stay after class for as long as it takes, for as many weeks it takes, and work on a painting of each other." He ignored Bel's groan in protest. "However, I do not expect this piece to be a portrait, it can be as abstract or in your case," He eyed Bel fully aware that he had undeniably no skill in the arts. "as awfully done as you please. As long as the two of you are able to justify the piece to me when it is done. The task is, aside from not ripping each other's throats out, is to paint the other's most appealing quality."
"What does that even mean?" Bel snapped.
"It means what it means. Now out with the both of you." He shoo'd both of them out of his office. "I'll see you two tomorrow."
"Can I turn in a blank canvas? Froggy here doesn't have any good qualities," Bel complained loudly walking in, Fran wondered where he went off to since they had just gotten out of the same class together, "unless you think bitter and stuck up is a good quality."
It was the first day in their cruel punishment, well Fran supposed there could be worst things.
"In that case I'm going to have to find a way to depict 'assholeness' in an artistic form for your quality." The younger one retorted coldly.
The professor threw a chalkboard eraser at each of the students to keep them from continuing.
"You two..." he began through gritted teeth, "are grown men, NOT five year olds. Now I suggest you start acting as such if you want to avoid failing this course and, considering, not get killed by the hands of me."
With that the man exited the classroom, slamming the door behind him. Fran assumed this meant that he wasn't going to supervise their punishment, which he figured was for the better. If he were to supervise t
two, he might actually kill them.
Fran looked at the blond sitting across from him, his eye twitched. God as much as he admired his professor, this was ridiculous.
"This is ridiculous." Bel said breaking the silence and quoting Fran's thoughts. He was sitting with his arms crossed in front of his canvas, Fran couldn't tell if he was looking at him because of his insane hair.
"What's with your hair?" Fran asked straightly although no one would ever be able to tell that he was being serious.
And Bel didn't think he was. "What's with yours?" He countered.
"I wasn't mocking you," Fran said honestly, "I'm just curious, but if you'd prefer not to tell me it's fine."
"My mother wasn't my father's wife," Fran wasn't expecting such a swift answer, Bel uncovered one of his eyes for him to see. "My father and his wife had brown eyes, mines are blue, I don't really care if people know but my father did, he didn't want his people to know that his only heir was a half blood."
Fran didn't know a lot about his father other than everyone loved him, and his loss was great. Even after his passing the people in his town would still bless the man.
"I see, and even after his death you continue to keep his secret?"
"He wasn't a good father one could say, but that doesn't mean he wasn't a good man. He respected me, in return I respect him and his wishes."
"Hm.." Fran thought, "I wasn't expecting such an admirable response."
Bel shed a grin. "That's because you live under the impression that I'm a complete asshole, you should know that I'm only partially an asshole."
"Is that so? I've hardly seen so. You should try being less of an asshole, just a suggestion."
"I'm going to propose to you a proposition;" Bel leaned forward in his stool. "I'll work on being less of an asshole, if you work on being less of a smartass prude- er... no offense."
Fran considered the thought. Well there was only one way to return to the professor's good side, and this would make it simpler.
"Very well then, let's paint."
That task looked to be far easier than it actually was.
Their professor had been really specific as to what their assignment was. This wasn't something they could just pull out of their asses and bullshit their way through. Seriously, where to start?
"Yeah… I've got nothing." The young emperor admitted in defeat after 15 minutes of staring at his canvas and another 5 staring at his subject.
"Yes I'm considering slipping out to get something to eat but I doubt the Professor would agree with me on that." Fran said also tired of staring at his canvas.
Bel made what Fran assumed was a face of thought. "That's very true, but I agree with you on that so.." He set the mess he had made on his palette down on the counter, "Let's go."
Professor was going to kill the two. Fran had started to write out his last will and testament in his head when he realized that he didn't have anything to testify.
"Will you stop looking so constipated, you're the one who suggested that we'd leave." The emperor said with a bit of irritation as they made their way down the street.
"I didn't suggest that we'd leave," Fran retorted with a hint of sourness. "I suggested getting something to eat, as in at the cafeteria, or my dorm. Not in the streets of Rome. I'm not sure if you're aware of this but we're not allowed off campus during school hours."
"Aye, you promised you were going to be less of a prick." The blond made a grandiose motion at the busy streets. "What would be a better opportunity?"
"Something that wouldn't get us killed by the professor."
"Oh don't worry the professor is probably the least of your worries now." Bel said in a tone that made Fran believe that he was speaking from experience. "I'd take it that you haven't been unfortunate enough to meet the Dean of Students."
"No… and I'd very much prefer not to." Fran wasn't one to show fear but that doesn't mean he never experienced it.
"He's a loud one, rather irritating, a bit more capable of murder." The blond said this rather nonchalantly, Fran wasn't sure if he was serious. "I wouldn't worry if I were you; he's not too severe on first timers, especially Freshmen"
This did not make the younger feel better.
"Fran, relax, we'll be fine." He gave him a smile that was intended to be reassuring, although Fran wasn't sure if he was buying. Although he appreciated not being called Frog. "Plus even if we do get caught, might as well make it worth it."
Yeah, Fran was dead.
"Where are we going anyway?" The green haired teen had only just noticed that Bel was leading them somewhere.
"Food." Bel answered simply, "Good food."
"This isn't food, this is desert." Fran had been expecting something entirely unaffordable, but was actually a bit relived when they arrived at the small café. It was a bit hidden and not a lot of people were around, but apparently the emperor was a frequent visitor. Taking from how the waitress knew his usual order anyway.
"Desert is pastries, I don't like pastries. This is food. Eggs, Milk, Cream. Food." The blond said sticking a spoonful of gelato in his mouth.
"And Sugar. A lot of sugar." Although Fran wouldn't deny this was the best of the confection that he had ever tried.
"Small details." The heir waved off.
"Do you come here often?" The younger already knew the answer but asked anyway.
Bel nodded, "My mother would bring me here when I was younger, my real mother obviously."
"It's nice that you were allowed to see her."
"Yeah my father really liked her; she had a very strong presence for a person of her stature. And he respected her for that." Bel was staring at something in the distance. "We had to keep a low cover though; therefore I became familiar with some interesting but hidden places, which turned out to be more useful than I thought."
Fran wanted to ask more of his real mother but figured he had already asked enough personal questions.
"What?" The blond asked after a minute of Fran unconsciously staring at him.
"Ah, I was just thinking, you answered my questions even though they were of private manners, it was a bit unexpected."
"Yeah, it's odd, I wouldn't normally tell people things about myself so easily," Bel agreed, "I think it's because most of the time I'm surrounded by idiots, and although you may be annoyingly stuck up, you're not an idiot, I find that fairly respectable."
Was that a complement?
"Plus isn't that what this assignment was about? All the sentimental crap? Your turn."
"My turn?" Fran didn't really have a backstory in comparison to the emperor.
"Yeah, what were the frog's parents like?"
Fran shrugged, "I don't know, I've lived with my grandmother my entire life."
"What happened to your parents?"
"I don't know."
"You mean to tell me that you've never asked?"
"Well I figured I would be told at the right time."
Bel was either making a face of disbelief or consideration.
"What's your grandmother like?" He would settle for that.
"Um, she's nice I suppose. Very grandmothery."
The blond hoped Fran could tell that he was giving him an 'are you serious' face under his hair.
"Fran. You suck at sentimental crap."
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Enjoy :)