When Gokudera arrived at Tsuna's house the next morning to walk to school with the brunet, he first went upstairs to check on Bel.
"Tenth?" Gokudera stepped into the younger's room, finding the brunet making sure that Bel was comfortable before he left. "Tenth, how's he doing?"
"He slept through the night." Tsuna tucked Bel into the bed, making sure his pillow was fluffed up enough for him. "He woke up coughing, but he seems okay. I've left him a glass of water and mum is going to keep an eye on him for me."
Gokudera nodded to his friend as he knelt down before the bed. He felt Bel's hand immediately grip his, the blond grinning widely.
"You just live to be annoying, don't you?" Gokudera couldn't help but feel a warmth in his chest as he spoke to the older male, reaching out to cup Bel's cheek. "Worrying us all like that and now acting as if you hadn't almost just died..."
"Hayato-kun..." Bel's voice was weak, breathless as he gestured for the Vongola Storm to come closer to him. "Hayato...kun..."
Gokudera moved closer, knowing that talking left Bel struggling to breathe these days. "What is it?"
Bel didn't reply verbally; he instead pressed his lips against Gokudera's, tightening his hold on the younger's hand.
Gokudera was frozen in surprise before he relaxed, returning the kiss. He opened his mouth, pressing his tongue against Bel's lips, asking for entrance. It was granted but, within seconds, Bel pulled away, coughing.
"Okay, Bel?" Gokudera should have known better than to take away Bel's breath like that - he had spent months on a ventilator, trying to compensate for his lungs that had stopped functioning properly.
Bel nodded, turning his head away as he coughed into his hand. Gokudera had a feeling the blond didn't want to be seen like this.
The silver-haired teenager grabbed the glass of water Tsuna had been talking about, raising it to dry lips. Bel drank greedily for a few seconds before he pushed the glass away, rolling back onto his side to smile up at Gokudera - a genuine smile that lacked the blood-thirsty quality that made Bel who he was.
Gokudera leant down again, reaching out to kiss Bel on the corner of his lips. Neither of them said anything as Gokudera left the room - they didn't have to. They both knew that, despite having met on a very wrong start, they had put all that behind them, able to accept the other for who they were.
Now that Bel was alone, he yawned and curled back into a ball, closing his eyes as he waited for everyone to finish school.
~~XX~~
Bel was happy when, hours later, Tsuna's bedroom door opened again and the trio stepped in. He dropped the gaming controller he had been holding, trying to push himself up to greet them.
"Hey, Bel." Tsuna smiled at the older teenager while Yamamoto slung his arm around frail shoulders. Gokudera shrugged, not really sure what he was supposed to say.
The Varia Storm waited until Gokudera approached him before he said, in a voice hoarse from rarely being used, "Hayato-kun... Bath...?"
"I guess." Gokudera reached out, pulling Bel from the bed. He wasn't as strong as Yamamoto so he couldn't carry the older male into the bathroom, instead supporting one side while Tsuna held the other, trying to get Bel to walk to the bathroom.
Bel's legs were jelly, his toes dragging along the floorboards, unable to be moved by willpower alone. Gokudera was smart enough to link this fact with the frown that was crossing the older teenager's face.
Tsuna was quick to leave the bathroom once he knew the older two could handle themselves, returning back to Yamamoto who waited patiently in the bedroom.
"How hot do you have your baths?" Gokudera had sat Bel on the closed lid of the toilet, working the taps to the bath.
"Hot..." Bel muttered, looking at his feet.
The silver-haired teenager didn't push Bel, knowing the blond must be feeling crap over being unable to look after himself. It was silent between them as the younger male handled the bath, but once it was time for Bel to get in, the blond didn't make it easy.
"No...!" the blond whined in a childish manner, pulling away from the younger's hands. He slipped off the toilet seat, sprawling out on the ground. He shook his head, trying to catch his breath after the fall. "...The prince... can... do it..."
Gokudera shook his head, knowing Bel couldn't, but not to argue - he knew all the older teenager wanted was to not feel so helpless and dependent.
Green eyes watched as Bel struggled to push himself into a sitting position, knowing there was no way the blond was going to walk over there. He withheld a laugh as the other eventually resorted to dragging himself across the ground to the tub, greatly amused by the frail boy's perseverance.
Bel coughed as he stopped for a minute, gathering his breath. He then reached up to the top of the tub, trying to use the side to pull himself to his feet.
The silver-haired male didn't believe Bel was going to get into the tub by himself but, after what felt like at least ten minutes, his eyes widened as the other eventually toppled over the side head-first, his legs swinging limply into the air as the blond disappeared under water.
Gokudera dragged Bel out from under the water, holding the older teenager steady as the skinnier male coughed and spluttered, gasping for air.
"You idiot, what did you think was going to happen?" Gokudera shook his head disapprovingly once Bel regained control of himself, shooting the younger a mischievous grin.
"Did... it..." Bel moved closer to the side of the tub so that he could rest his wet hair against Gokudera's clothed chest. "Can you wash... the prince's hair...?"
Gokudera could only roll his eyes before he shrugged, reaching out for the bottle of shampoo sitting on the edge of the tub. He couldn't help but shake his head as Bel busied himself with a rubber ducky he found sitting within arm's reach, amused by the teenager's childish nature - for one of the most blood-thirsty, strongest assassins in the entire Mafia, he was still only a child at heart.
"Bel!" As if Bel had read the younger's thoughts, the blond splashed water at him, giggling all the while.
Yep. Definitely still a child.
I think this would be a good place to end this fic, leaving it an open ending for whoever wants Belto go where (stay in Japan or go back to Italy), or if you'd rather a closed ending with an epilogue next chapter regarding that, I can do that as well. Whatever you guys want.