A Royal Spring Chapter Seven

Aww man, I was so upset about the reviews for chapter five that I forgot to include a future scene. *facepalm* Well, luckily, I got a couple reviews this time, so it's no biggie. *looks at clock* What the heck? How's it still 5:26 am? *clock changes* ... Lol.

The next day, still present time

"Hey, senpai," Fran said, "I know it's not the nicest thing for me to point out, but could you stop clinging to me like that? It kinda hurts."

Belphegor made a small noise of protest as he was pushed back a little. "Nng, Froggy," he whined.

"You can hug me, but can you not strangle me in the progress?" Fran asked, "I'd like that."

"No-fun-Froggy," Bel grumbled. Fran laughed lightly, combing through the princes hair with his fingers.

"Silly senpai," he whispered, letting himself be hugged.

'I may as well enjoy this affection while I can,' the kouhai thought. 'After all, it's not like I get it very often. Not like this, at least.'

"I love you, Froggy," Bel murmured against his kouhai's chest. Fran smiled.

"Love you too, senpai."

KNOCK KNOCK.

Fran sat up, ignoring Bel's protests, and looked to the door. "Who is it?" he called, tiredly rubbing at his eyes.

"It's Mammon," the reply came almost immediately.

"What's up, Mammon?" Fran said, ignoring the knife that Bel put in his side.

"May I come in?"

"No," Bel denied.

"Sure," approved Fran at the same time, "Come on, senpai, it's not like he's Levi."

Mammon headed in and muttered, "Thanks, you two, I just want to visit for a bit."

"Oh? That's new," Bel snickered. Mammon glared at him, then looked attentively at Fran.

"So how's the future?" he asked, "I'll bet I'm rich. I am, right?"

Fran chuckled. "I figured you wanted to know that much. So I'll tell you this. You have enough money to buy a country." Mammon began to cheer, before Fran placed a hand on his head and said seriously, "But you aren't even close to being happy." Mammon quieted, confused, and Fran sighed. "You'll understand one day."

Mammon began to consider what he'd been told as Fran smiled, remembering what he'd been ordered to do by the Arcobaleno's future self.

Flashback... or forward, I don't know... It's a flashback for future Fran

"Fran, you're going to the past, right?" Mammon said, "I need you to deliver a message to my younger self."

"A message?"

"I want to change something as well. Since we're trying to direct the past into another world, it shouldn't be any trouble."

"I don't know, Mammon."

"Tell me to stop pursuing money. No, actually, tell me to discover things other than money. Things like comrades."

"I can't do that," Fran said, "It's risky to tell you flatly to change yourself."

"... Hmm... Then say this. I'm sure to ask how this version of myself is doing. So tell me that I have enough money to buy a country... then say that I haven't reached happiness. Feel free to add 'your touch' to it, just get that much across."

"... Okay."

End Flashback.

'Mission accomplished,' Fran thought, looking back to Bel and grinning.

"What'cha thinking about, Froggy? It's kind of creepy that you were patting Mammon's head and then you look back at the prince all romantic-ish. It makes the prince worry," Bel announced.

"Huh? Oh, no, I'm not thinking anything abnormal," Fran said, "And no, I'm not thinking about children. We're in the Mafia!"

"I know," the prince returned, "That's why it's not healthy to think like that."

"Hey, you two are being wierd, cut it out," Mammon said, and his teammates quieted, before laughing.

"Sorry, Mammon," Fran apologized, "Anyway, is breakfast ready?"

"Should be," the Arcobaleno told him, "Shall we go?"

"Uhh, 'we'?" Bel repeated.

"Sorry, Mammon, need to get dressed," Fran chuckled, "Wait outside for us?"

"Sure," Mammon agreed, walking out of the room. Bel put a hand on Fran's shoulder.

"You don't need to be so nice," he whispered, "We aren't used to it. And it's not healthy for us as Mafia."

Fran looked back at his senpai and sighed. "Ahh, you have a point, I suppose... I'm just so happy. Getting to relive peaceful times like this..."

Bel smiled and hugged the Mist guardian. "I know that you're enjoying your time here, but... just remember that we're still Varia."

Fran hugged the prince back. "I know. Sorry, senpai."

Ten years in the future...

Bel woke up slowly, thinking at first that Mammon had crawled into his bed, when he realized that the man hugging him was Fran. He turned around in his kouhai's embrace to face him, and smiled as he watched the younger man's expression change in his sleep. He reached a hand up and brushed it over the Mist's cheek, before leaning in and kissing him softly on the forehead.

'So peaceful,' he thought. 'If only you could be like this forever, Fran.'

"Nng," the illusionist grunted, starting to awaken, his teal gaze fluttering open. "Senpai...?" he breathed, looking up. His eyes focused, and he yawned, tightly hugging the older man. "Oh, yeah...," he whispered, "I forgot."

"Ushishi, figures," Bel snickered in a gentle voice, "you'll probably have to train with Rokudo today, though, in order to learn this one technique that your older self perfected only a week ago. After today, though, we'll be inseperable."

Fran blushed deeply, knowing that his senpai always tried to be princely, but today, crown or no crown, he was being more of a prince than Fran had ever experienced.

The couple walked down to the same old dining room, with same old Lussuria performing cooking stunts, and same old Squalo yelling about it. At least, that's what Fran had expected.

"Hey, who's cooking?" he asked Bel.

"Squalo," Bel replied, "Haha, don't look so wierded out, Lussuria just happens to be on a mission."

Fran sighed with relief and followed Bel to the table, then looked around. "Where is everyone? It's so quiet...," he mumbled.

"That you, Fran?" Squalo called from the kitchen, "Xanxus is sleeping in, Luss is on an assignment, Levi's with him, Mammon is god knows where, maybe I should yell for him."

"No, no, Squalo, please don't," Bel replied, "I'm rather enjoying the quiet."

Squalo snorted in response, before saying, "Mukuro should show here soon, too."

"Master?" Fran repeated, "Why's he even here?"

"Why? To train you, of course," Squalo answered, "Well, he's been here since your older self perfected this one technique. He'll probably leave once you've mastered it as well."

"Master's gonna make me the master of something? That's nice," Fran said tiredly, leaning against Bel's shoulder and yawning.

"Aww, Fran, go ahead and take a little catnap on my shoulder," the prince invited, wrapping an arm around the Mist guardian. Fran closed his eyes and began to doze, and Mukuro walked after the kouhai had fallen into a light sleep, looking exhausted. He saw the sleeping illusionist and smiled at Bel, taking the seat on the other side of Fran. Bel gave the illusionist his signature cheshire grin, which he hadn't used in a while, and whispered, "Isn't he cute?"

"Kufufufufu," Mukuro chuckled quietly, "He's adorable, Prince the Ripper."

Bel held his lover close, and said in a low voice, "I promise you, Fran will save him." Mukuro shook his head, his smile turning sorrowful.

"I can only hope," he murmured, looking at the young Fran with regret, "but I never trust hope. It always seems to fail me."

"Stop being such a downer," Bel snickered, reaching over and pinching the illusionist's nose. Mukuro rolled his eyes as he was released, though he seemed more cheerful already.

"Kufufu, you're such a child," he told the prince.

"Yeah, you wanna go, pineapple?" Bel asked, clenching a fist.

"If we fight, then Fran will be angry," Mukuro said, looking away and taking a newly found intrest in his cup of water.

"Don't just play it cool like that," Bel hissed, "I hate that attitude."

"Senpai...," Fran murmured, "Stop moving around so much. It's annoying."

Bel sighed and sent Mukuro a death-glare that seemed to be completely blocked by his own bangs. "You aren't that scary," Mukuro chuckled, "Until you fight seriously."

Bel relaxed, then grunted with defeat. "You're worse then Fran. I'll bet he got his attitude from you."

"Fran's always been a strange case," Mukuro laughed, grinning. Bel groaned and patted Fran on the head.

"You gonna say hi to your master?" he asked.

"Hi, pineapple," Fran replied tiredly, nuzzling into Bel's chest. Mukuro got a little agitated, and he reached a hand over, placing it on Fran's shoulder.

"Am I going to get a PROPER greeting?" he asked, twitching slightly from the strain of keeping his smile in his rage.

"Not now, 'm tired," Fran said, looking over at the illusionist. He paused, then blinked a couple of times, and rubbed his eyes. He stared at Mukuro for a couple more seconds, before saying, "No pineapple?"

Mukuro groaned and returned to his suddenly-intresting-again glass of water, and took a drink, looking indigant. Bel giggled as Fran eased back into his own chair, looking at the older illusionist almost apologetically. Almost.

"So now you're a watermelon?"

-End Chapter

Hahaha, I'm so going to use that against my kouhai's self-proclaimed 'Master' once summer vacation is over...

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