Two days had passed since Tsuna had last seen Fran, and the brunet wasn't sure if he was going to again; they hadn't exactly parted on the best of terms – so when a raging Belphegor stormed into the Vongola Headquarters, shouting as he threw knives all over the place, he could only wonder if there was a reason he hadn't seen the illusionist again.

"Tell me where my frog is!" Though Belphegor was usually calm and soft-spoken, it seemed he was pissed off enough to raise his voice – but why? "You're hiding that stupid frog from me, aren't you?!"

"Belphegor, calm down!" Ducking to avoid the three knives that were thrown at his face, Tsuna whimpered, glad that his friends knew to stay back; he would never forgive himself if they got hurt like this. "What's wrong?!"

"My frog is missing, and you took him from me!" Snarling, a handful of knives sailed past Tsuna once more, the wires that trailed behind cutting the younger's cheek. "Give him back!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Belphegor! I truly don't!"

In Belphegor's line of work, he had seen countless people beg for their lives. He had been blatantly lied to by someone desperate enough to save their own lives. He'd listened as others sold out their friends, their family – just so they could live a few minutes longer. The rarest thing, however, was having the genuine truth told to him.

The blond had been in this business for long enough to learn when people were lying or telling him the truth, and he knew that Tsuna was being sincere.

Lowering the handful of knives the Varia Storm had decided would fit perfectly into the Vongola Guardian's stomach, Belphegor sneered. "You don't have my frog?"

"I swear I don't know anything, Belphegor..."

Sneering, the young man crossed his arms against his chest, turning slightly to the side. "We woke up a few mornings ago to find him gone from his bed. We thought the stupid frog would come back, but he hasn't, and is the prince is really very horny and needs him."

"I'm very sorry, Belphegor; I don't know how to help you." It worried Tsuna to hear that Fran seemed to be missing, and knowing what he did about the illusionist... "Do you think he'll come back?"

"I don't know. Call that stupid pineapple; I bet the frog is with him." Stomping his foot when Tsuna tried to tell him he couldn't do that, Bel snarled as he raised his knives again. "Get my dumb frog back now!"

"Alright, alright!" Sighing, Tsuna stepped back from the older male. "I'll go down to Kokuyo Land and see what I can do, alright?"

"I will come with you." Peering out at the smaller male from beneath his bangs, Belphegor let a grim expression cross his face before he added, "I know the tuna-fish won't do shit if I don't otherwise."

As much as Tsuna didn't want for the blond to be following him, he reluctantly led the way after explaining the situation to his friends; if he didn't do as Belphegor demanded, someone was going to get hurt – or possibly die.

I just hope he won't kill me if I hit a dead end with Kokuyo Land...

~~XX~~

The walk to Kokuyo Land had been unnerving with Belphegor tagging along by his side, the other laughing at the most random of times as he played with his knives in what one could perceive as a threatening manner.

It wasn't until they stepped into the grounds of Kokuyo Land did the blond speak again. His nose was crinkled in distaste as he said, "This is not fit for a prince."

"You can stay by the road if you want, Belphegor…" Hoping with all his being that the young man would take the offer, he was instead disappointed as the blond just growled and moved further up the path.

"I am a prince; I am not staying by some dirty roadside to inhale car fumes." With that said, Belphegor started walking up the hill, as prideful as ever.

Sighing, Tsuna followed behind him at a distance, surprised that the other seemed to know exactly where he was doing – but then again, if questioned about this, the Varia member would simply claim that he was 'a prince'.

Soon enough, the two were stepping into the abandoned building the Kokuyo Gang called home. Ken and Chikusa didn't seem to be around, and Mukuro was easy enough to find; the blue-haired man was curled up on the couch, a few magazines spread around him as he broke off a piece of chocolate from the bar in his hand.

"Oya?" Heterochromatic eyes fixed on his two guests, his usual playful smile widening. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Give me back my Froggy!" Belphegor demanded, pulling three knives from his pocket. He held them in the air as he snarled, stepping closer to the younger male. "He's not yours, you stupid pineapple!"

The illusionist's smile faded at these words, instead replaced by an agitated sneer. He, too, drew his weapon, getting off the couch to close the distance between Belphegor and him. "You never know when to shut up, do you, Belphewhore?"

Tsuna could tell a huge fight was about to break out between the two, and he also knew not to get involved in it; he needed to use this distraction to find Fran, because if he tried to stop the conflicting ones, he knew he was going to get hurt – Belphegor and Mukuro were dangerous, and the ten years they had had to get even stronger would surely leave him little chance of winning.

Slipping away from Belphegor's side, Tsuna disappeared down a corridor. He wasn't entirely worried for his own Mist Guardian, certain that the blue-haired male could tear the Varia Storm to shreds if he so desired, whether it be physically or mentally, and it was something he didn't want to see; Mukuro was ruthless, as much a murderer as his opponent was.

Stopping at the first door he came across, Tsuna opened it and poked his head in, finding nothing but emptiness before him. It continued on like this several more times before the brunet finally found who he was looking for, the boy curled up on a dirty, moth-eaten futon with nothing but a thin blanket that had seen better days to keep him warm.

"Fran?" Stepping into the room, Tsuna closed the door behind him as he approached the teal-haired male, worried to see that Fran wasn't responding to him. "Fran…!"

Kneeling by the illusionist's side, Tsuna reached out and put his hand on a bare forearm, finding the older male quivering beneath his touch. Biting at his lip, the brunet looked behind him to make sure Mukuro wasn't about to barge in; he was certain that, no matter what he did, the Vongola Mist was going to come after them, and he wouldn't be happy.

"Fran…" Sitting the slighter male up against the wall, Tsuna found the other's Varia uniform scattered over the dusty hardwood floor, evidence as to what had been happening to him. Gathering the clothing into his arms, the Sky Guardian tried his hardest to get the other dressed as soon as he could; they needed to get out of here, and now – if Mukuro and Belphegor joined forces to get Fran back… "Fran, please wake up…"

Emerald eyes were shut tight, the boy's breathing laboured. Though Tsuna couldn't see anything immediately wrong with him, he knew this could be caused by Mukuro's illusions – and if that was the case, the mental damage could be extensive.

Finally tugging the other's clothing back onto the trembling body, Tsuna pulled Fran over his shoulder. The illusionist was lighter than he appeared, making it easier to get him over to the window and push him out of it; if they went back the way Tsuna had come, they would no doubt run into the two men who had caused this.

After having just climbed onto the windowsill, Tsuna shivered as a loud, pained scream echoed through the building, and the brunet didn't need to go back and see who had made it to know it had ripped itself from Belphegor's throat – but why he was screaming, Tsuna didn't think he ever wanted to know.

~~XX~~

When emerald eyes opened next, it was to the same walls he knew belonged to the Vongola Headquarters. Groaning inwardly, Fran tried to roll onto his side, only to stop as his rear ached in pain.

"You shouldn't move around so soon."

Tensing at the familiar voice of the Vongola Decimo, Fran knew he was in trouble; the younger had no doubt worked out for himself what his true relationship with Mukuro was; the older illusionist being his teacher was just a cover-up for the fact that Fran was nothing but a toy.

"What am I doing here?" Fran stared up at the roof, as bitter as ever.

"I brought you here." Tsuna, who was sitting on a chair just beside the bed, shifted uneasily.

"Why?"

"…When Belphegor came here looking for you, he demanded to go check Kokuyo Land." Tsuna looked away at the memory, hoping the two older guardians hadn't killed each other. "He and Mukuro started fighting, so I went to find you myself. …I wasn't expecting for… for that to be awaiting me…"

"…" Fran shrugged, letting his eyes slip closed. "…I guess you could say I got used to it. That's what the beaten wives always say, right? That, or I deserved it; I was being punished. It's my fault." A bitter laugh escaped the illusionist's throat at these words, even though he knew nothing about the situation was funny.

"I've worked everything out – I saw enough to know I'm right." Running his fingers through brunet locks, Tsuna cocked his head slightly to the side. "Don't go back to either of them."

"And where do you propose I go instead, Vongola? Back to France? Why? I have no parents and my grandmother is dead; there's nothing left for me there."

"Stay here, with the Vongola." Tsuna had never been so confident in his own words until this moment, leaving no room for argument. "Maybe we have to go back to our own time, but I know our future selves would take you in, Fran. I know I would, even ten years from now. Please, listen to me, Fran; stay with the Vongola where you will be safe from them."

"Aren't you forgetting that my Master is Vongola?" Hatred swept across the boy's face at the mention of his teacher. "How will I be safe here if I'm still in contact with him?"

"I wouldn't let him be alone with you, Fran," the Sky Guardian promised. "I would never let him come near you, and I swear I would do whatever it took to keep him from hurting you again."

Fran was tired, but what was he to say to the younger's pleading? He didn't want to agree, but he didn't want to keep protesting, either; he just wanted to go back to sleep and never have to wake up again. "I don't –"

Tsuna cut the slighter male off by pressing his lips to Fran. He didn't know what on Earth had possessed him to do such a thing; just that he had moved without conscious thought. He wasn't complaining, however; for whatever reason, this felt okay.

Pulling away from the stunned male, Tsuna blushed slightly, absolutely no idea what had come over him, or why, for the first time, he was thinking about someone else the same way he thought about Kyoko. He still loved Kyoko. …Right…? And never before had he had these feelings towards someone other than her, so why, all of a sudden and with no warning whatsoever, was he directing them towards Fran?

"I-I'm sorry…" Twisting in uneasiness, Tsuna jumped up from his chair, getting ready to leave. "I shouldn't have done that… I'm sorr – F-fran…?"

Looking down, Tsuna found the other's small fingers had curled into his blue jacket, pulling him close. Dazed emerald eyes were looking up at him, the other licking his lips repeatedly. Speaking in a soft, faraway tone, Fran said, "I have never been kissed before."

"I don't know why I did that…"

The other's eyes cleared at these words, Fran as expressionless as ever. "It's not unwelcome."

Feeling his cheeks become impossibly red, Tsuna pulled himself out of the other's grasp and fled the room, his mind running a mile a minute; why had he done that? Why was he feeling these things towards another male?

But most of all, why did Fran seem to have enjoyed it…?

Hoping to surround himself with his friends and forget what had happened, Tsuna sought out the first person he could find, not willing to tell them what had just transpired; it was something he should keep to himself, he was sure of it.

Back in Fran's room, the boy just watched as the other disappeared before he shrugged, closing his eyes once again; sleep sounded amazing right about now.