A/N: Hey there, fellas! Because I'm getting great ideas right now, I thought I'd type up the next chapter as soon as I could. There'll be more B26 in this chapter!

Chapter II

How to Stay By Your Side

11:30 PM, Varia HQ

The Varia settled in the living room, sighing in relief as they sat on the sofas. However, Fran, after a good long nap on the plane, explored the huge living room.

Squalo walked to a nearby table and pulled out some papers.

"I guess it's back to work for us." he sighed. He handed a brown envelope to Levi. "Here's the information on your new mission." Levi nodded and went out the door quietly. Mammon excused himself and floated out of the room, yawning as he did so. Lussuria stayed in the room, however, seeing there was still work to do.

He bended down to pick up the stack of papers on the table.

"Let's get going and finish these reports, Squalo. We don't want to keep the boss waiting." he said, winking at Squalo.

The long-haired captain shot him a look, but ignored the urge to yell at the flamboyant man. Instead, he walked up to Bel, who was busy playing with his knives on the sofa.

"Voi, Bel, show the brat to his room." pointing to Fran, who was busy opening and closing every drawer he saw in the living room.

"What? Why does the prince have to show the frog brat to his room? The prince isn't some servant." he complained, showing no smile on his face.

"We're busy!" Squalo argued as he walked out of the room. "Baby officers take care of little rookies!"

"Che." Bel couldn't argue with that. After all, he still had to wait another ten years before he could officially proclaim that he ISN'T a baby officer anymore. He then stood up from the sofa and called out to the kouhai.

"Frog! Get over here. The prince doesn't have all night."

Fran scurried over to the prince and followed him out the room.

Then they walked.

Down the long hallway that never seemed to end. At least for the both of them, as there were an awkward silence between the two, and they just couldn't find anything to talk about. Sometimes, Fran would stop to look at some rooms they pass by and get lost in the hallway, leaving Bel to come back for Fran and yell at him with an annoyed tone.

Fran, just a few feet behind Bel, looked around.

"God, this place is huge." the teal-haired boy thought. "I wonder how they got used to a house this big..."

He looked up at the figure in front of him, the prince. He was slouching and walking in a fast pace with his hands in his pocket. Fran looked down at that. The kouhai learned from Lussuria recently that they weren't on good terms ten years into the future.

He heard that they would bicker and argue nonstop, even going as far as to hurting each other physically, bloodshed included. Fran felt a small pang on his heart. It hurt him.

It hurts.

He had felt this feeling so many times before. It wasn't new to him.

The feeling of hate for himself.

He had always been hated as a child. But for him to feel it again in a foreign place where he knew no one...? It hurt just as much.

Fran started slowing down, then suddenly, stopped. His eyes were fixed onto the ground as he though he found the floor interesting to stare at all of a sudden. Bel noticed that the presence behind him was gone, and looked over his shoulder to see if Fran got lost...again.

But, instead of seeing an empty hallway behind him, he saw Fran, about two meters from the prince. Bel, sensing the change in the mood, tried to break the silence.

"What's wron-"

"Hey, senpai. I have a question."

...senpai.

Senpai.

That was a name Bel hadn't heard in a while, and he had to admit, he missed hearing it in that monotone voice. He was a bit curious though, did Fran finally get his memories back, seeing that he remembered what he used to call the prince ten years into the future?

"Why are you calling me that? Bel wanted to know.

"Eh? Lussuria told me that-"

Oh.

"Nevermind." Bel interrupted. "What was it you wanted to ask?"

…

"Senpai...do you hate me?"

…!

Silence. There was a long and awkward silence, and neither of the two knew what to say to break it. Fran looked down on the floor, his eyebrows knitting together as he slowly spoke.

"You know, back at my village, I was used to being hated." he started. "I've always hated myself too. I hated everything about me."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Fran fidgeted as he pulled his hat down to his eyes. "I hated my hair, so I wore a hat over my hair all the time. I tried to make sure that everyone would be too busy looking at the hat rather than my hair. I hated my scrawny body, my personality, my eyes..."

The prince wanted to say something at that moment, that Fran's eyes were one of the few things that Bel noticed first about the frog, but he didn't. He just remained silent as Fran continued.

"But you know, grandma told me that the people who truly see the worth in you are the ones who will always stay by your side."

Then Fran asked again in a solemn voice, "So, do you hate me, senpai?"

Fran could hear his own voice crack, but he couldn't care less. He wanted a confirmation. He didn't even know why he wanted to know what Bel really thought of him. He couldn't get the hanging thought out of his mind.

They were quiet for a few good minutes, then Bel spoke, turning his head away from the illusionist, so that his back was facing Fran.

"Well, you're pretty annoying."

Fran could feel the weight on his heart get heavier, weighing him down like a lead, but he kept quiet. Bel continued.

"You're obnoxious, noisy and pretty much a pain in the ass."

So...

Fran didn't expect him to be this blunt, but took it all in anyway. He just looked down on the floor, not saying anything.

"But..."

Fran snapped his head up, trying to listen intently to what his senpai was about to say.

"...The prince doesn't hate you...you know."

The teal-haired boy's eyes widened at that. He sensed the insecurity from the senpai's voice, but the kouhai could tell that the prince was serious. For him to have so many negative traits, but his senpai doesn't hate him, still? Could there be a small thread tying them together, a tiny detail that made Bel want to stay?

He tried to hide a tiny smile as he started walking towards the prince. He held the prince's hand and held onto it tight.

"What do you think you're doing, frog?" Bel asked, his voice had no signs of annoyance, but his mouth was formed into straight line.

"I'm tired of getting lost, senpai. It's much more convenient this way."

Bel pondered about that for a few seconds, sighing as he tightened his grip around his kouhai's hand.

"Hold on, then." he quietly replied as they started walking.

I'll continue to hold onto your hand...

...as long as you stay by my side.

Next Chapter: How to Properly Greet the Boss

Phew~! I'm glad I was able to finish this! Did you like it? I think Fran was a bit OOC here, but I'm pretty content with this right now! The next update will be next week, so look forward to it!

R/R PLEASE~! I need some comments/criticism! :)