There is attempted sexual abuse in this chapter but nothing graphic. However, there will also be mentions of the subject later on for character history. If this upsets you send me a PM and I'll explain the characters' histories there.
It irked Bel to know that he had been put in charge of taking care of the now-ill Fran – it wasn't his fault the stupid kid had gotten sick by playing in water, so why was he being punished for the brat's stupidity? It was bad enough he already had to let the little shit into his room or else he'd get yelled at!
But the worst part of it was that the fucking adults didn't even trust him to babysit the brat in the first place! They were constantly sticking their noses into Bel's business, and it was driving him mad!
The boy wasn't happy; though his guardians had been gone for most of the day and left Hayato in charge of everyone, Lussuria and Squalo had still come back at lunchtime with the bed they had bought for Fran so that he wasn't sleeping on the floor any longer. It had agitated the blond greatly, but no matter how much he protested and told them that he didn't want that bed – let alone that kid – in his room, the adults hadn't listened to him and still set the bed up on the other side of Bel's room (after hours of cleaning up the blond's mess, of course). As if that wasn't enough, they had come again some hours later with more furnishings and clothing, pretty much giving Fran the other side of Bel's room – and despite how upset the boy clearly was over it, they still hadn't listened to him when he may as well have begged them to let him have his room to himself again.
Bel hated sharing, and he hated that little homewrecker even more; never before had he been forced to share his room until he came along, and Bel hated him for it!
Deep in thought about this, Bel sat on the bedside table that had just been placed in its position not even an hour ago on Fran's side of the room. His scowl was huge, and his glare was so heated, it could have melted ice. He was watching the sleeping child, and all he wanted to do was take his pillow and smother the little fuck until he wasn't breathing any longer – but he knew that if he did that, Squalo would know it was him and he'd let Hibari take him back to the jail for much longer than just the standard couple of days they gave him to teach him 'lessons'.
The blond threw the wet rag he was holding down onto the floor; he had had enough of doing what Squalo was making him do when he didn't fucking want to – it wasn't his fault the brat had fallen in the stream! He stood up again so that he could walk over to his bed in order to stand on it and look into the tank sitting on the windowsill above his bed.
"Mammon..." Bel smiled to himself as he gently pulled the black frog out from its home and stroked a finger down its back. The frog was the only thing he could truly smile around, a natural smile that didn't show just how twisted he really was – when he was with the frog, he truly was just a kid. "Ushishishi~ Mammon, let's have some fun together~"
Bel glanced back at the kid that was sleeping uninvited in his room. He snuck ever closer until he was near enough to drop the frog on the feverish face; maybe he couldn't smother the other, but that didn't mean he could do things like this since Squalo couldn't prove shit.
Fran's eyes shot open as he pushed himself into a sitting position. He looked dazedly around him as if searching for something in particular; he had felt something cold on his face, and it had truly startled him from his sleep.
"...B-bel..." The little voice was weak as the younger addressed Bel, but the blond had no sympathy; he was too busy grabbing Mammon from the bed and holding it against his chest.
Belt tutted, cutting Fran off before he could finish speaking. "You will address the prince as Bel-senpai, peasant."
Fran's exhausted eyes stared at the blond for a few seconds before he said in a tone as monotonous as ever. "But you're a fake prince, Bel-senpai."
Bel grit his teeth together. He was about to reach out and wrap his hands around that tiny neck, but a gasp of fright soon stopped him. He raised a hidden eyebrow behind his bangs as he watched Fran trying to inch himself away from the frog that had jumped onto his lap.
Bel couldn't help but laugh at the other's expression; Fran looked uncomfortable, almost as if he was frightened. "Ushishishi~ What's the matter, Froggy? Scared?"
Through his hazy eyesight, the teal-haired child could see the smirk on the other's face; Bel was enjoying this, wasn't he? "Don't call me 'Froggy'. My name is Fran, Fake-Prince."
Bel stepped forward and reached out to grab the boy's wrists with his left hand. He held the frail arms above Fran's head, resting them on the headboard behind them so that Fran couldn't push him away. He straddled the tiny waist beneath him and leant in close enough that he could feel Fran's breath against his face. He whispered in the deadliest tone he had. "If you keep calling me a fake prince, I'll make sure you hurt."
For once, Fran was scared. The older boy was so close and, no matter how much he struggled, Bel wouldn't get off him. He could feel his heart starting to race as memories of his past flashed through his mind. His breathing came in ragged gasps but Bel didn't seem to care; he only closed the distance between them and bit down on the boy's ear.
Fran yelped as teeth broke through the sensitive skin on his ear and droplets of blood dripped onto the black shirt he was wearing. Tears welled up in his eyes as he tried to buck the stronger boy off him, but it was no use; Bel was too heavy to be shifted.
Bel's hidden eyes watched the stream of blood drip down the pale skin, leaving red smears in its wake. He felt himself becoming aroused at a rapid pace, his pants restraining what so desperately wanted to be free. He moaned loudly as Fran's struggling caused their groins to rub together, and he couldn't help but smirk in lust when he realised his pleasured noise made the smaller male freeze in horror; did he know what was going to happen?
"Mmm, fuck…" Bel licked his lips. He remembered how the adults had left hours ago, and though he didn't know if they were back yet, he didn't think they were; he hadn't heard them for a while now. He licked at the younger's throat before saying, "I wanna fuck you so hard, you'll never be able to walk again…"
Fran shivered as a hand caressed his cheek. His body shook as he realised he was going to be used the same way he always had. But... why...? Wasn't... Weren't the people here different...?
Fran felt betrayed as he closed his eyes and resigned himself to his fate; it looked like he'd never escape from the torture he had always experienced, and all he had done was set himself up for disappointment by telling himself it wouldn't happen here. There was no use struggling; even if he did get away, it would only make things more painful in the future.
Tears slipped down his cheeks as Fran heard the familiar sound of a zipper being undone. He opened his mouth obediently and prepared himself for the unwanted intrusion and foul taste that always left him feeling sick for hours after the act had been done. He may as well just get it over and done with, and then if he were lucky, he could have a break.
"Ushishishi~" Bel smirked as he pulled himself out of his pants and moved so he could press his hardened member against the pale cheek before him. "Does little Froggy know what's going to happen? Are you a slut? Have you done this for others before like the slut you are?"
Slut... Fran thought to himself sadly. It was true he had always been referred to as a slut, even by the people at the other orphanages he had been to. It was something he had never been able to escape, so he supposed he really was a slut if so many people told him that was what he was ...I guess I am... But Bel... I... I hate myself for having believed this, but... I thought you were different... I thought you were different...
Bel didn't press for an answer; he assumed Fran already knew the truth. He laughed to himself at the thought, and he was just about to press himself into Fran's mouth, but the door opening behind him stopped him; either one of the other kids was bothering him, or the adults had come home and were checking on him. He didn't know which scenario he would prefer; he knew he would be in trouble no matter who had opened his door.
"Voi! Trash, Xanxus told me to – what the fuck are you doing?!"
Bel turned around to glare at the man who had intruded upon his moment. He made no attempt to cover up his actions; he knew Squalo had already seen what he was doing, and there was no point in trying to deny it. "Leave the prince alone with his toy, peasant."
Squalo, who had been shocked at what he had walked into, knew he shouldn't have been surprised; if they hadn't had a choice with the sudden, unexpected arrival of Fran and then said boy getting sick, they would have had time to work something out – Bel was far too unstable to be left alone with a young kid like Fran because the blond's twisted mind could lead to anything.
The gardener moved forward and pushed Bel onto the ground before he scooped Fran up into his arms and held the child close. He grabbed hold of blond hair as roughly as he could so that he could drag Bel down to his boss' office, intent on getting the brat dealt with while he sought out Tsuna to take care of Fran; while he knew Bel truly knew no better, he wasn't letting something like this go unpunished; if they hadn't have come home when they had, who knows what could have happened to Fran.
When Xanxus looked up from his desk where he had been signing documents, it took only one glance at the furious Bel and then the crying Fran to understand what had happened. He had known something like this would happen, but he hadn't expected it so soon; he had thought they would still have a few more years before Bel's mental state got to this stage – he swore the boy still had a grasp on what was right and wrong and enough self-control, but he guessed he was wrong and Bel's impulsive nature was only becoming more and more overpowering.
Xanxus scowled. He pointed to the chair in front of his desk. "Sit down, Trash. We need to have a talk."
"I'll be back when I find Tsuna," Squalo said as means of excusing himself. He backed out of the office, knowing Xanxus was about to tear into Bel for what had happened, and he didn't want to expose Fran to it; the kid was stressed enough without having to witness the rage Xanxus had in him.
Squalo looked down at the kid in his arms. His eyes softened; Fran's arms were wrapped around his neck as if he were absolutely terrified, his face buried in the strong chest as he cried. He shifted the kid so that he had a better hold on him, not willing to put Fran down any time soon; he was loud, but he cared deeply for the kids in his care – he wouldn't be here if he didn't, after all.
Squalo kept his voice as soft as possible – which wasn't very soft at all – as he tried to help. "Voi, did he hurt you?"
Fran didn't speak; he only nestled closer to the man. He didn't move until he felt Squalo stop, and he looked up when he heard Tsuna's worried voice.
"What happened to him?"
Fran whimpered and tensed as he felt an extra set of hands on his body. He clung tighter to Squalo for a second, too scared to let go of him, but the concern in the brunet's voice had been genuine; did that mean Tsuna really was different from the others?
The teal-haired male turned to look at the brunet who had taken him from Squalo and was now holding him to his chest. He could see the brown eyes that watched him were filling with tears. He blinked, unable to understand this; why would Tsuna cry over something that didn't even happen to him? No one else had ever cried over him and, if he cried over himself, it had always resulted in a punishment.
Fran reached up to rub at the tears that were now trailing down Tsuna's face. He couldn't help but question the older boy's motives. "...Why are you crying...?"
Tsuna sniffed before he replied, nodding in appreciation at the now-retreating Squalo for bringing the child to him. "...I... I feel like it's my fault this happened..."
Fran couldn't understand this at all. How was it Tsuna's fault? It was his fault it had happened – just like it was his fault everything else had happened. "...I..."
Sawada knew what Fran was thinking, he carried the boy to the living room where he had been previously as he started explaining. "I should have been taking care of you, but I was busy in town, and no one else had time on their hands. We thought it would be okay for Bel to watch over you for just a few hours until someone's schedule freed up, but... I... I'm so sorry..."
"...It wasn't your fault..." Fran whispered, too tired to pick a fight. He understood what it was like to blame himself over every little thing, and he didn't want to do that to the brunet who seemed to like him somewhat; it didn't feel right to him to let Tsuna shoulder the blame when it was clearly his fault. "...It... It was mine..."
"No, it wasn't! It was never your fault! Don't blame yourself!"
Fran sighed but didn't argue. He closed his eyes when Tsuna finally walked into the living room, not wanting to know if anyone else was in there; he just wanted to be left alone with Tsuna, not in the mood to deal with anyone else. He was tired and he had had enough.
To Fran's disappointment, there were three other people in the living room; Lambo, Hayato and Takeshi. Takeshi was sitting on the couch, playing with Lambo with a huge grin on his face. Hayato was sprawled on the seats next to them while a cigarette hung out of his mouth as he watched the TV. Three sets of eyes looked up when Fran coughed a painful-sounding cough.
"Tenth!" Hayato sat up at the sight of the brunet. He wasn't oblivious to Fran, and he couldn't help but wonder what had happened. He had a feeling Bel had done something; it wouldn't be surprising if that were the case because he had always had a feeling that the other was unstable enough to try and sexually assault someone – it was just a matter of time before it happened, he knew. "Tenth, what happened? Is he why Squalo was shouting?"
"Yeah..." Tsuna lowered his voice as he addressed Takeshi, wondering if Hayato should be dismissed as well; he worried about telling the others what had happened to Fran because it was such a personal thing – but at the same time, they deserved to know the truth so they could help keep an eye on Bel. "...Yamamoto, can you please take Lambo out of the living room and find Ryohei to keep an eye on for me? Xanxus should know what's come up but if he asks, tell him to talk to Squalo, okay?"
"Sure, Tsuna." Takeshi's dark eyes drifted to Fran, and the concern in them was clear; he was so kind-hearted, it would hurt him to not be able to do anything. As he stood up with Lambo on his shoulder, he reached out to ruffle teal hair, trying to help in his own little way. "See ya, Tsuna."
"Tenth?" Hayato knew it wasn't like Tsuna to be so worked up about something as to send others away. He wanted to help his beloved Tsuna the way the other had helped him – without Tsuna, Hayato shuddered to think about where he would have been. "Tenth, can I help?"
Tsuna smiled sadly, knowing how much Hayato wanted to be of use. "Sure you can. Can you please go and tell everyone I'm looking after Fran and to try and give us some space? Make sure no one bothers us, okay?"
"Of course, Tenth!" Hayato saluted as if he had been given the most important mission in the world and took his orders seriously. He left the living room, his undying loyalty to the brunet never wavering – if he had been told to keep people away, he would fight to the death and beyond to make sure his orders were fulfilled.
Once they were alone, Tsuna started talking, knowing Fran deserved an explanation. "Fran, I know this may be hard to understand, but I don't think Bel was in his right mind when he did that."
Fran lifted his head and stared into brown eyes with his own exhausted ones. "...I... don't understand..."
Tsuna twisted his hands nervously before he started trying to clarify. "I mean... Bel was brought here a long time ago. See, he... no one believed that he would get better, and they always gave up on him. When he was little... he didn't have a very nice life... Maybe you can understand this, Fran. His mother passed away in childbirth, so it was just him and his twin brother. This might be very difficult to hear so if I'm upsetting you, tell me, but... have you noticed his obsession with blood and knives?"
"Fake prince is a psycho..." Fran mumbled in his way of agreeing.
"I don't believe he was always that way, and if he had a better childhood he would have been a different boy," Tsuna said gently. "See, his twin brother was older than him, and... well, their father blamed Bel for his wife's death as she had died giving birth to him. His father would beat Bel and... and, well... he would... touch him in places he should never have been touched. It got to the point where Rasiel, Bel's twin, picked up on his father's hatred and started doing the same to Bel. The abuse got worse… There was penetration, and… And serious… serious physical assault… He was all cut up from a knife when he was rescued… We don't know the exact circumstances, but we do know Bel killed his brother and father. We think the abuse just got to him too much and he couldn't handle it anymore."
Fran couldn't feel sorry for Bel; while he himself had been touched in bad places and beaten as well, he had never tried to do the same to others or take someone else's life. Maybe Bel had been hurt, too, but that didn't give him the right to take it out on Fran when he had nothing to do with that. "..."
"I just want you to understand that, because of his upbringing, Bel's instability is triggered by blood. Maybe it brings everything back to the surface – we won't exactly know for sure - but we've established that, in his own little way, Bel is trying to protect himself. He just doesn't understand how to do it or how to control himself. Maybe he's like you in the sense that he's scared as well. Maybe he's not as strong as he thinks he is and he's trying to scare every potential danger away. He doesn't tell us anything so we can only make assumptions based on what we know and have seen. And though what he did to you was so very wrong, I don't know if he was truly aware of what he was doing. Bel sometimes… snaps…"
Fran shifted on Tsuna's lap so that he was closer to the older male. He whispered as tears started slipping down his cheeks. "...I'm scared... I hide it because I was taught to, but... what gives him the right to take his stuff out on me...? Haven't I been hurt enough...? Tsuna...? He's so selfish... I just wish the pain would end... I don't like living with my memories... It hurts knowing that when I just started to trust him, he... He turned out to be just like everyone else..."
"I know..." Tsuna wrapped his arms around the boy, rocking him slowly. "...I know..."
"...What did I do to be hurt like this...?" Fran's eyes slipped closed as oblivion slowly claimed him. He was vaguely aware of Tsuna whispering back to him but he couldn't make the words out as he fell asleep.
Tsuna held the boy close for a few minutes more before he stood up and carried him out of the room. He found Takeshi sitting in the dining room with Lambo, laughing as the boy ran around the room with a baseball, trying to keep it away from the young man.
Takeshi and Lambo looked up at Tsuna's entrance, waiting for the brunet to speak.
"He's sleeping," Tsuna explained at the questioning silence. "I... I don't know what to do with him, though... I'm too scared to leave him alone in case Bel gets him..."
Takeshi tapped his chin before he smiled brightly. "I know Mukuro and Chrome were going to go into town today. Maybe you could let him sleep in their room and when he wakes up, they can take him to the park or something."
Tsuna smiled sadly before he nodded, knowing it was a good idea; Mukuro was a responsible person and Chrome was so sweet. He was sure the two would take care of the little boy so, heading out of the dining room and up the stairs, he could only hope they were willing to take on the responsibility of Fran.
It didn't take long for Tsuna to climb the stairs and knock on the twins' door. "Mukuro? Chrome?"
Chrome was the one to answer the door, with a slight blush on her face. She was so very shy, and it was hard for her to talk to anyone other than her brother. She bowed her head in submission as she backed away for her guardian to enter.
"Hello, Chrome." Tsuna smiled. He looked around the room and found Mukuro laying on his stomach with headphones over his head and his Walkman next to him as he read magazines with a peaceful smile on his face. The brunet chuckled to himself, knowing the blue-haired male hadn't even noticed him. "Mukuro."
Mukuro continued to hum to himself until he felt one side of his headphones being lifted. He blinked and turned to face Tsuna. "Oya, Tsunayoshi, did I do something wrong?"
"No, not at all, Mukuro. I was just wondering if you and Chrome could look after Fran for a while. See, he's… been upset, and Yamamoto said that you and Chrome were going into town. Could you let him sleep in here and take him with you when he wakes up?"
Mukuro sat up so he could get a better look at Fran. He smiled at the child, feeling his brotherly side coming once more as he reached forward to take the kid himself. "Of course, Tsunayoshi."
"Thanks." Tsuna ruffled spiky hair. "Have fun in town, okay? Be careful."
Mukuro hummed in response. The brunet turned around to leave the room, stopping only to pat Chrome's shoulder in goodbye; he knew how she was uncomfortable with touch, so he always tried to keep it as gentle as he could. "See you soon, Chrome."
As expected, Chrome didn't reply; she just bowed her head further and backed away. Tsuna didn't mind; the girl's anxiety levels were high enough as it was without having it pointed out to her.
Tsuna sighed in relief once he had left the room; he knew Mukuro and Chrome would be patient and caring towards Fran, so he wasn't concerned with putting the kid into their care for a few hours; they were both too sweet once they had learned to trust someone. He made his way back downstairs to find Hayato, knowing the other would want to be back by his side like an overly-attached puppy.
Hopefully things would work out and Fran would be happy here – not just Fran, but Bel, too. All the kids who had been brought here. They all needed second chances in life – especially Bel who had been beaten and raped daily for years until he had gone insane from the abuse, seeking the only way out he could see.