Mukuro and Chrome didn't wait too long for the kid on their bed to wake up; it had taken perhaps twenty minutes at the most. Fran was disorientated, and his eyes were heavy with sleep as he glanced around at his surroundings warily. He flinched and pulled away when Mukuro approached, almost as if he was expecting a beating – he was probably was, Mukuro thought sadly.

"Hello, little one." Mukuro offered a smile to show he meant no harm. "Good of you to wake up."

Fran looked down at his lap. His face almost immediately took on his usual expressionless look, and Mukuro hated to know that it was directed at him; he was a lot of things, but he wasn't about to hurt this little kid he could see was so much like him when he was younger – hell, even now, he could still see himself in Fran.

Mukuro knelt down next to the bed and reached out to run his hand through teal hair. His smile was as soft as ever as his heterochromatic eyes looked into Fran's. "Chrome and I are going into town and Tsunayoshi believed it would be a good idea for you to come with us. Would you mind getting dressed into some clean clothes?"

Fran froze at the suggestion for several reasons. One; he was being asked to take his clothes off, and two; getting new clothing would require him going back to Bel's room, and three; he didn't want to risk any sort of run-in with Bel if he could help it. He tried to convey his discomfort as he got rid of his façade and whispered, "Can I just wear these…?"

Chrome was next to talk, trying to help the little boy understand. She could sense his nervousness and she understood where he was coming from; though neither she nor her twin brother had suffered sexual abuse like she knew Bel and Fran had, they both had been used in horrendous experiments until they were rescued by police. She could understand why he was so afraid of other people; she herself was still very anxious of others.

"Fran…" Chrome pushed the digits of her fingers together shyly as she avoided eye contact. "…M-maybe… if it's Bel you're afraid of… M-mukuro or myself could get your clothes for you…?"

Fran wasn't sure what to make of this; was there a plan behind her offer? Maybe while he was still in their room, they would find Bel and bring him there? Or… maybe they were just… being genuinely nice…?

Though Fran found it difficult to believe such a thing, he couldn't deny the fact that the people he had met here – besides Bel, as much as it hurt – had truly been different from everyone else; no one else had ever stepped in during his torment as they had only ever joined in, nor did anyone ever let him cry or talk about his feelings with him.

If Fran trusted these two… what would happen?

What have you got to lose, Fran? The boy thought to himself as his eyes slipped close. You have nothing. No family or friends, a place to call home – not even a single possession. What else can they take from you they haven't already? Everything else was already gone.

As if she sensed the younger's dilemma, Chrome turned to her brother and smiled shyly. "P-perhaps you should get his clothes, Mukuro… I'll stay with him."

Mukuro nodded, knowing his sister was right; it was probably better that he, as another male, was the one to leave – he could only imagine the distrust Fran had for men as a population. "I will be right back, Fran."

Fran watched warily as the older boy left, trying to steady his racing heart; he had no idea what to expect, and it was only stressing him further – what if the other brought Bel back with him?! Anything but that…

Neither Fran nor Chrome said a word until Mukuro returned a few minutes later with a change of clothing slung over his arm. He handed them to Fran slowly, trying to make himself seem less threatening than he was probably already viewed as; he could understand if Fran was terrified of him; he had been that way when he was the kid's age, after all.

"Would you like for us to leave the room while you change?" Mukuro offered. He backed away as he saw the fright in those wide teal orbs; he didn't want to scare the younger any more than he already was. He sighed inwardly when Fran nodded; he wasn't offended by the younger's mistrust of them because what was really bothering him was that the kid was suffering on the inside. "Okay; we will just be downstairs getting our money from Squalo. We will be back very soon."

Fran tilted his head as he watched the twins depart. Money? They had money? Since when did kids in orphanages have money? Never before had he heard of orphans having money, and he was honestly feeling a little jealous and left out; he wanted money, too...

What am I missing…? Fran thought to himself sadly as he unbuttoned his shirt. …Why am I.. so surprised by the things in this place…? It's clear it's different to the other orphanages here, but… I feel so out of place… I don't belong here – I belong back where people can hurt me… It's all I'm good for, right? What use am I here…? Even Bel can see that, trying to put me back in my place…

The boy was slow as he changed his clothes, the paranoia of hidden cameras making him feel as if he was going to throw up. He kept stopping to glance around him and search desperately for the familiar glint of a lens; he had never been allowed to dress himself without having a camera filming his every move. The fact that he couldn't find any broke the boy's heart.

"I don't understand…" Fran whispered to himself as he wiped at his wet eyes. He tried his hardest to keep his emotions in check, but the overwhelming sense of being so unlike the others was driving him crazy – if they didn't have camera in their rooms… If they weren't used like he had been… Why was he so different from everyone else...? "Why… Why do I…?"

Fran dropped the old pair of jeans he wore previously to the ground as he sat down. He leant against the end of Chrome's bed as he hugged his knees to his chest and buried his face against his knees while his tiny body quivered as he fought against his tears.

The door opened slowly before Mukuro's hesitant voice answered, almost as if he was wary of walking in on a half-dressed Fran. "Are you dressed, little one?"

When he got no reply, Mukuro bit his lip and poked his head around the door. His stomach dropped when he saw the way Fran was sitting, knowing something had happened. He turned to Chrome and whispered for her to wait outside so that he could approach the child and try to help.

"Did something happen?"Mukuro asked as he sat next to the little boy. He was patient, not minding if Fran needed to take his time before he could express himself; he knew what it was like to lock everything away and refuse help, after all.

Fran shook his head. He bit down on his lip as he turned tear-filled eyes to heterochromatic ones. "…It… It's because nothing happened…"

The blue-haired teen couldn't understand what Fran meant, but he didn't have to ask; Fran continued speaking.

"…Why… do you not… have cameras in your room…?"

Mukuro's mouth opened in a silent gasp as he understood what was behind those words. He reached out to place his hands as gently on frail shoulders as he could, and he kept his voice low as he replied. "People filmed you, didn't they…?"

Fran nodded. His voice became monotone again as ifs feeling emotion for this topic was too hard for him. "…They always had cameras in my room… They made me… watch myself…"

Mukuro closed his eyes at this information. He wanted to pull the younger into a hug, but he knew it was probably too much for the distressed child; someone who went through what Fran had shouldn't want to be touched – at least, no so soon, and by people he didn't know. "I understand…"

"…I can still feel their hands on my body…"Fran whispered. "…I hate it… I feel so dirty…"

"…May I ask…?"Mukuro's voice was gentler than it had been in a long time towards anyone other than Chrome. "…What did they do to you…?"

"They always touched me… down there… and used my mouth… They hurt me… And hated me and used me…"

Mukuro hummed softly. He was sincere as he spoke; his heart went out to this damaged little boy next to him. "I am sorry, little one. I will not ask any more about it. Let's go now, okay? I will buy you an ice cream with our money."

Fran blinked at these words. He knew what ice cream was, but he had never had it before; it was something he had always wanted to try, but never believed he would get to. "…Did… you say… ice cream…?"

Mukuro noticed the disbelief and confusion in Fran's voice; had he never had ice cream before? Or even offered some? He nodded, hoping the boy would believe him. "Chrome and I always get ice cream when we go into town."

Fran smiled softly as trust and excitement soon overpowered his negative thoughts; Mukuro seemed to be a lot like Tsuna and Dino, such a vast contrast to the kind of people who was used to.

Mukuro smiled back, hoping he had gotten through to Fran. He turned around to walk out of the room, knowing Fran would follow, but he was stopped by a tug on the hem of his shirt. He looked down and found Fran's tiny hand wrapped in his shirt, looking uncertainly up at the teenager.

"What is it?"Mukuro asked in a soft tone as he knelt before the boy. He blinked when the little boy slipped his hand into his, but he soon understood what Fran wanted; the child wanted to hold hands. "Kufufu~ I see. Let's go, then. We will get some ice cream first. Do you have anywhere in particular you want to go?"

Fran shook his head. He had always wondered what it felt like to have someone hold his hand and, now that he was finally experiencing it, he had to admit it was so very comforting, a warmth so unlike the one that caused him pain engulfing his hand, and it made him feel better than he could ever remember feeling.

The teal-haired child didn't know how to convey it aloud, but he didn't care where he went as long as he could keep his hand in Mukuro's. Unbeknownst to him, Mukuro was content with the physical contact too, feeling as if he was able to protect someone the way no one had wanted to protect him or Chrome when they were younger.

~~With Bel~~

Bel lay on his bed with Mammon on his chest as he glared up at the wall as if it was the cause for all his misery. He had finally been let out of Xanxus' office after hours of being yelled at, and he was glad to be by himself; he didn't know how much longer he could keep his sanity in this fucking place. He wanted to leave, to go somewhere he wouldn't have to deal with anyone, but he couldn't do that because every fucking time he tried to run away, Hibari would have the entire fucking police force out searching for him before he could get too far.

Bel hated this place and he hated his life.

"I hate it here so fucking much, Mammon…" Bel whispered to his frog. "I fucking hate it… I want to leave already…! It's no place for a prince here! And that stupid kid… It's all his fault! It's clear Squalo and Xanxus are playing favourites with him! And I bet I know why… It's because he wasn't raped and beaten! Mammon, it's not the prince's fault his family hated him… I didn't ask for this…! I just… I just didn't want them to hurt me anymore… I wanted it to stop… It hurt so much… But then… that stupid kid comes, and he… He's so special because he only got the joys of giving blowjobs… He doesn't understand what it's like to have everything taken from you by your fucking family…! He's so fucking lucky to have been left his virginity, and he doesn't even appreciate how lucky he is… I hate it here and I hate him, Mammon…"

Bel sighed and reached up to wipe at his eyes before he placed his frog on the bedside table so that he could roll onto his side. He closed his eyes and pulled the blankets over his skinny body, hoping for sleep to claim him so he didn't have to think any longer; though he'd never admit it to anyone, not even himself, he was jealous of Fran and he'd give anything to have been in the other's position – maybe his life wouldn't have been perfect, but he would still have his dignity.