Despite all the presents Bel had been given for his birthday, he had ignored them and made his way back upstairs so that he could be alone; Fran was downstairs with the others, enjoying himself like Bel was unable to, and the blond found it too painful to see how he wasn't the only one who could make his boyfriend smile and laugh.

Bel really wasn't looking forward to today at all; he knew it was only a matter of time before Xanxus and Squalo approached him and kicked him out; he knew they wanted to get rid of him, so why would they wait another day to do so? He could deal with that, but what really bothered him was that he knew they wouldn't let him take Fran; they would leave him on the streets all alone, hungry and cold and lonely.

The boy stopped walking so that he could lean against the wall and gather himself; his emotions were getting out of whack again and he was sure he was going to start crying any moment now. He heard footsteps coming up the stairs, but he didn't care about that; he was too busy trying to control his breathing lest he burst into tears on the spot.

"You can get the hell out now."

Bel flinched at the words. He lifted his head so find Ryohei was standing a few feet away. He felt sick, and he was glad for his long bangs; he didn't want the other to see the tears that were already in his eyes. He didn't understand what Ryohei's problem was; the grey-haired male seemed to have it out for him and him only because he never treated anyone else the way he treated Bel, and the blond just didn't know what he had done to wrong the other enough to deserve this. "…"

Ryohei closed the distance between them and shoved the smaller male. "You're not wanted here. You only got stuff from us because Xanxus made us buy you things. We all hate you to the extreme. We'll be glad when you're finally gone."

"You don't have to tell me that; I can see it for myself, you asshole." Bel gritted his teeth as he tried his hardest to keep his temper in check; he honestly didn't want to fight; he just wanted to go to his room and be left alone with his thoughts.

"Just go kill yourself," Ryohei snarled. He shoved Bel again and sneered when the blond lost his footing and fell. He held no sympathy when Bel's elbow made a nasty crunching sound as it collided with the corner of the doorway and he let out a yelp of pain; he just said, "We'd have all been happier without you around."

Bel was silent as pain shot through his right arm. He could remember his father telling him those sorts of things almost word for word all those years ago, and he could do nothing to stop the terror that was quickly overwhelming him.

Ryohei smirked in triumph when he noticed how Bel's body started quivering. He leant down and reached out to grab a handful of blond hair so that he could pull the older male's face close enough to spit in it.

Bel was barely conscious of pushing himself forward and clenching his hands fists as he started fighting against what, in his mind, he could only perceive as his father. However, Ryohei was much stronger than what his scrawny body could handle, and it took the younger male next to no effort to pin Bel to the ground with his own muscled body. He gasped as his eyes widened at the familiar feel of someone's body on top of his, and panic surged through him.

"Get off!" The eighteen-year-old screamed at his delusion. "Get off me!"

Ryohei didn't heed the screams and instead fought back. Fists and blood flew everywhere as Ryohei attacked and Bel receded into the deepest depths of his traumatised mind, something he hadn't done in quite a while; he was losing himself, and it wasn't going to be easy to snap him back out of it.

By the time help had rushed upstairs and separated Ryohei from the blond, Bel had already curled up into a bloodied ball and was quivering violently as tears slipped down his pale cheeks. He whimpered repeatedly, too scared to open his eyes and look around him; he couldn't bear to see himself back in that bedroom he thought he had finally escaped from.

Fran, who had come upstairs at the commotion, slipped past Tsuna's side and approached the now-silent Bel. Tears welled up in his eyes as he noticed the blood that was coating his blond hair red. He leant down and put his tiny hands on Bel's shoulder to try and get the other to look at him, but all it caused was a horrified scream that erupted from the older male's throat.

"Come away, Fran," Lussuria called out. "Bel needs to be by himself."

Fran moved back to Lussuria's side and, when the cook picked him up and starting walking away, he couldn't help but notice everyone was leaving Bel where he was. He tugged at the man's shirt and whispered, "Why is no one helping Bel-senpai…?"

"Bel will go to his bedroom when he's ready, hun," Lussuria explained. "He doesn't want anyone to touch him when he's like this because it scares him."

I don't think it's nice of them to leave him alone… Fran thought to himself. What if he wants someone to sit with him?

Fran knew he couldn't leave Bel by himself; it wasn't fair when the blond was so scared and upset - if he were in that state, he'd want someone with him, too. Lussuria didn't question why Fran was quiet as they walked into the living room; he was sure the younger was trying to understand what had happened. He smiled, heartened by how sweet the boy in his arms was.

"Can you stay down here until Bel comes down by himself?" The man asked as he deposited the teal-haired kid onto the couch. "Let him be until he comes to you, Fran. He's very… sick at the moment, and he won't be himself."

"What do you mean?" Fran blinked innocently up at the cook, not understanding what Lussuria meant; how was Bel not himself? Bel was only scared!

"Bel doesn't understand where he is at the moment. His mind regressed to an earlier time in his life where he was suffering. But once he comes out of that state, he's usually hypersensitive to effects of the trauma. He can be… well, dangerous at these times. He can't recognise anyone and because of that, he tries to take his anger and pain out on anyone and everyone. He needs to be alone so he can calm down in a safe environment – safe for both him and everyone else.

Fran nodded. He had heard loud and clear what his carer had said about Bel being dangerous, but he didn't think the blond would hurt him; they loved each other, after all. Maybe he could go upstairs and help cheer Bel up? He knew that Lussuria wouldn't let him go back upstairs if he asked, so he lied to the man. "I'll stay down here, Luss… I understand…"

"Thank you, hun." Lussuria patted green hair before he left the room.

Fran waited until Lussuria was gone before he made his way upstairs, careful to avoid any sound so he didn't catch anyone's attention. When he reached the top of the stairs, he noticed Bel had disappeared from the floor and was nowhere to be seen. He guessed the other had already gone back into the bedroom, so he made his way over to their room and opened the door to stick his head inside. The bedroom light had been turned off so, he flicked the switch on and stepped inside, shutting the door behind him as he went.

"Bel-senpai?" Fran tilted his head as he noticed the way Bel was sitting on his bed and staring down at his lap. It was a little unnerving to see such a blank expression on the other's face, and he didn't know what to think. "Are you okay?"

Bel looked up at the boy's soft voice, but he didn't speak. Instead, he got to his feet and moved to Fran's side so that he could circle around the younger like a lion ready to dive in for the kill.

"Senpai?" Fran felt uneasy beneath the blond's gaze; Lussuria was right, and he was now realising he should have listened to the man. For once, he felt scared of the older male, and he wanted to leave – now. "Senpai, I… I've got to go…"

Fran turned around and groped for the doorhandle, but Bel was quick to slap his hand away before he could open it. The child gave a startled whimper as he turned back around to search for the blond's hidden eyes as if he would find an answer to the other's behaviour within them. He didn't get a chance to question the other; Bel's hands gripped his shoulders tightly as long, slender fingers dug in hard enough to leave bruises.

Bel was silent as he dragged Fran to the bed and threw him onto it. Still he said nothing before he climbed on top of the younger and trapped the smaller body beneath his. It was only once he had the child quivering in fear beneath him did he hiss in a deadly voice, "What he did to me wasn't fair…"

Fran shivered, wondering if he should shout for help, but he doubted anyone would hear him and something told him that if he tried it, Bel would only hurt him.

"It hurt and he never stopped…!" Bel continued on. His hand trailed down Fran's body and rested on the boy's hips. "I hate him for it!"

When Fran felt a hand slip beneath his pants, he knew this was wrong; it wasn't the same as what they used to do together – it was like what they did to him. He placed his tiny hands upon Bel's and whispered in the most frightened tone he had used in years, "Please don't, senpai… Senpai, please… S-stop...!"

"Everything will be okay," Bel whispered with a mocking tone. He traced his finger against Fran's opening as he felt rage build up inside of him; why did he have to suffer the way he had? Why couldn't he have been loved? "He told me that when he first did it to me. Do you think everything will be okay?"

I-I don't think he even realises who I am…! At this realisation, Fran had never felt so scared of Bel as he did right now; if Bel didn't know who he was, there was no telling what the other would do to him in this state. "Senpai, it's me! F-fran…"

Bel scoffed in disbelief. "Fran? Who the fuck is Fran?" With that said, he forced his finger inside the child and earned a horrified whimper of pain.

"S-stop!" Fran cried out. He tried to shove Bel away from him, but he wasn't strong enough; all it did was get himself crushed beneath the weight of the other.

"I changed my mind." Fran knew the older male was toying with him now. "I don't want to prepare you."

Fran watched as Bel unzipped his pants and pulled out his hardened member. He felt frozen in terror, having no idea what to expect. He let out a sob, it being all he could do right now.

Bel wasted no time in ripping the child's pants from his hips and aligning himself with the younger's entrance. He smirked, knowing the boy was tense; it would hurt this kid beneath him, just like it hurt him. He thrust his hips forward and moaned as he sheathed himself inside the child he had no idea was the one he loved most; all he felt was the tightness around him, and the blood that was spilling aroused him even more – he needed blood, more blood, as much blood as he could get.

Fran screamed in agony, having never experienced pain like this before; it felt as if his whole body was being split in two. His tiny hands pushed at Bel but he couldn't budge the other; all he could do was thrash and writhe and try to get away as the other's hips rocked violently into him, but all it seemed to do was allow more blood to pool on the mattress around them.

As Bel thrust as hard and as fast as he could possibly manage into the tiny body beneath him, he raised his own wrist to his mouth. He bit as hard as he could, trying to draw his own blood as his mind became far too hazy to fight against his trauma.

Fran screamed and cried beneath the older male, feeling as if he were being torn in half. He wanted it to stop, but as hard as he screamed, Bel wouldn't listen. He couldn't handle this new pain; it was too much on his fragile body, and all he wanted was for Bel to kill him so that it would stop.

~~Down the hall~~

Mukuro and Chrome, who had started going upstairs to their room not long after Fran had wandered up, were the first ones to hear the child's screams. They could only imagine what the blond was doing to him in this state; there were several times Bel's trauma had gotten so bad, they had started calling him 'Prince the Ripper' for the things he had done.

As soon as they arrived at the bedroom, Mukuro kicked the door open. They didn't need to ask what was happening; they could see it for themselves. Chrome put her hand to her mouth in horror while Mukuro charged forward, tackling the blond off the child he had come to see as his little brother. Fran curled up into a shaking ball as he cried now that he wasn't being pinned down to the mattress, and his attacker rolled onto the floor, brawling with the blue-haired teenager.

With the door now open for the whole house to hear, Fran's screams had been enough to draw everyone back upstairs, but Chrome was the first person to approach Fran and pull him into her arms. Tears welled up in her eyes as she saw all the blood flowing from the boy's torn body, but she didn't know what to do; how was she supposed to help Fran in this state?

Mukuro knew that Bel was too lost to know what was going on, and it was dangerous to leave him unrestrained. He pinned the blond to the floor, and once Squalo and Xanxus had stepped in, he explained the situation briefly to them. But before the two adults could grab Bel and keep him contained, the blond knocked Mukuro away and got to his feet, running from the room.

Squalo tried to chase after his charge but it was no good; Bel was fast and the blond had escaped from the house before he could even get to the stairs. He pulled his phone from his pocket, knowing he had no other choice but to call Hibari and have him help look for the uncontrollable teenager before anything else happened.

Tsuna was the one who, as carefully as he possibly could, pulled the child from Chrome's hold and into his arms instead so that he could carry Fran into the bathroom and tend to his wounds. He grabbed some soft pads from the medical cabinet and, as gently as he could, used it to wipe away the blood. Fran whimpered and fidgeted, but he allowed Tsuna to try and treat his injury, knowing the brunet was too kind-hearted to try and hurt him.

Once most of the blood had been wiped away, Tsuna held a pad to the injured area as he moved to fill the bathtub with warm water, hoping to soothe the pain for the boy before he called Shamal to make a home visit; he knew Fran – as sheltered as he was – had only been in a hospital enough times to count on one finger, and after such a distressing event, he didn't want to take the kid there and stress him further where he would be unfamiliar with everything.

Poor Fran… Tsuna held the victimised child closer to him as he waited for the bathtub to fill and rubbed the sobbing boy's back soothingly. He's been through so much… And Bel… He's so lost, and now…

I sincerely hope they'll both be okay after this – as much as I doubt it…

~~Bel~~

Bel sobbed into his knees as he sat by the river an hour from the Varia House. His mind had cleared, and he could remember exactly what he had done. He had never hated himself more than he did right now, and all he wanted was to kill himself so that he could never hurt Fran again.

I didn't mean it, Froggy… Bel thought, trying to contain his thoughts. I-I… I didn't even know who you were… I just… I just wanted everything to end… I'm so sorry…! I'm so fucking sorry…! I don't deserve your love after this…! I… I'm… so… sorry…

Footsteps crunched across the grass as Hibari and Dino approached Bel from behind. Hibari – by his nature – didn't attempt to try and understand why the blond had done what he had. Dino, however, sat silently by the younger male and looked out over the river.

"They're all worried about you, y'know?" Dino broke the silence after a few minutes. "Squalo's still looking for you, even after all these hours you've been gone. Xanxus is searching, too. Should I tell them where you are or would you rather more time out here?"

Bel shook his head as tears continued to roll down his cheeks. He hugged his knees tighter as he rocked back and forth. He needed someone to talk to, and he knew from experience how helpful and kind Dino was; if he could talk to anyone about it, he could talk to Dino. "…I was so much… like my father… I played with his head before I… Before I took his purity away… I'm a monster… I don't deserve him…"

Dino hummed thoughtfully as he wrapped his arm around Hibari when the skylark sat next to him. "I don't think that's exactly true."

Bel turned to look at Dino in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"He means the difference between you and him is that your father knew exactly what he was doing, while you didn't," Hibari answered for his lover.

"Thank you, Kyouya." Dino kissed his boyfriend's lips before turning his attention back to the troubled teen. "Squalo told me that Fran understands. He knows he should have listened to Lussuria when he was told to stay away."

"…He hates me, doesn't he…?" Bel felt a fresh wave of tears slide down his cheeks. "…I'm… I never… meant to hurt him…"

"So this is where you are."

Three heads turned when an unexpected voice sounded from behind them. They came face-to-face with a sad-looking Yamamoto who had also joined the search for Bel.

The dark-haired male took a seat on the other side of Bel before he said, "Tsuna was really distressed when he told me what happened. He asked if I could help look for you."

Dino smiled at these words and nudged Bel with his elbow. "See? Look at how many people care about you. You have me and Kyouya, and even Takeshi. I bet your dad would never have had this many people care about him. Surely that helps you understand you're not like him."

"…" Bel rested his face on his knees as he tried to hold back his sobs; he was in so much pain, both mentally and emotionally, and he was sure he was going to throw up from the stress any minute now.

Yamamoto, as carefree as always, wrapped his arm around Bel's shoulders and hugged him tightly. "I heard about what happened."

Dino removed his brown jacket and rested it over the boy's frail body. "Fran's going to be okay, if that's what you're thinking about, Bel."

"…He's going to hate me…" Before the blond had met Fran, he could live with being hated – but over time, the one person he had come to find he couldn't stand to dislike him was Fran.

"He doesn't hate you," Hibari said.

"Yeah, Tsuna told me he's been asking for you," Yamamoto chipped in. "Poor little guy doesn't want to sleep until you come back."

Bel couldn't understand this; shouldn't Fran hate him after what he had done? Why was he acting as if being raped was insignificant? He felt sick to his stomach, and he knew it was from all of the emotion clashing inside of him, needing to be let out but instead forced deep down inside his stomach. "I…"

"I don't think Fran knows how to hate," Dino pointed out. "He just seems so content with his life at the moment. I think all he wants is some food and somewhere warm to sleep, and he's happy."

Bel sighed as he shook his head. "…It doesn't matter… I can't go back…"

"They all love you at Varia," Yamamoto said softly. "They always talk about how far you're coming along and how proud they are of you."

"And if you've had a bad day, they always seem to mention at the most random of times how worried they are about you." Dino smiled.

"They won't show it, but they care about your wellbeing." Hibari mumbled, not used to talking so civilly to people he didn't respect.

"The kids aren't like that…" Bel whispered. "They all hate me."

"I remember once upon a time," Dino started, tilting his head back to look up at the sky, "a young Bel who seemed to have a death wish. That Bel was always cutting his wrists and trying to kill himself, and so many long days did he have to stay in the hospital. I remember when I was helping Tsuna and Yamamoto out with looking after the kids while Xanxus, Squalo and Lussuria stayed with him at the hospital, all of those kids seemed to fret all day and night about whether or not young Bel would be okay. They'd always ask if I had heard anymore news, and some of them even cried at the thought of losing their blond friend."

Bel blinked, having never heard this before; did those kids… care…? But what about… Ryohei always told him to kill himself…

"But… Sasagawa…"

Dino smiled at this. "Ryohei was the one who worried most, every single time. He looks up to you in a lot of ways, but I don't think he knows how to express this, so he can only let his fear of losing you get in the way of how he really feels."

"…Have I…" Bel hugged himself as realisation dawned upon him. "I've… I've been blind this whole time… I've really… had friends…?"

"They're a bit rough around the edges when it comes to how they show their feelings, but they've always cared about and looked up to you."

"Why would they look up to someone like me?" Bel honestly couldn't understand this. "I'm… I'm such a sick person…"

"They look up to you in ways you couldn't imagine, Bel," Yamamoto explained. "After all, you're their prince, right?"

Bel nodded. "…I… I don't want to go back to the Varia… Can you tell them I've left?"

"You can tell them that yourself," Hibari said.

Bel frowned at the thought of going back; just the idea of it gave him extreme anxiety – after what he had done… to face everyone again... "…I…"

"If you go back just to tell them you want to leave, they won't stop you," Dino explained. "They all knew you'd want to leave as soon as you could, and they'll let you go because they know it will make you happier. That's all they want for you; your happiness."

"…Okay…"

Dino smiled as he helped Bel to his feet. "We'll take Kyouya's car."

Yamamoto reached out and ruffled blond hair with his usual grin on his face. "I hope whatever you do from now makes you happy. Look after yourself, kid."

Bel nodded at the dark-haired male before he followed Dino and Hibari to the police cruiser that was parked against the kerb. He got into the back of it when the door was opened for him, but he didn't speak; he was being crushed beneath the weight of his thoughts, and he was sure that if he opened his mouth to say anything, he was going to vomit.

I'll have to say goodbye to Froggy while I'm there… Bel's throat caught in a lump as he tried to swallow his emotions again. …I… After what I've done, I understand what Lussuria and Squalo tried to tell us… I can't be around him any more…

Froggy… I'm going to miss you…

~~Varia~~

Bel stared down at his feet as the eyes of all the occupants of Varia House – minus Fran and Mukuro who were together in the blue-haired male's bedroom – fixed on him. Hibari and Dino were standing behind the blond with the Italian male's hand on Bel's shoulder.

"…I've decided I want to leave…" Bel said quietly, avoiding all eye contact. "…I… I had a talk with Dino and the others… I realise now I've been an important person here, and I… well, I acknowledge that now… But after what happened with Fran and I… I think it's better for us to go our separate ways… Can you look after him for me…?"

Lussuria, who was sitting on the couch crying into a handkerchief, nodded. He adored Bel, knowing the blond was special to him, but as the old saying goes, 'If you love something, set it free'. Squalo and Tsuna who were standing around the living room, couldn't help but feel the emptiness in their hearts; after all the time and love they had put into Bel, it was hurting them more than they had anticipated to know that he was going to leave them.

"We'll handle your living expenses,"tSqualo muttered quietly. "We'll pay for you to sleep in a hotel room somewhere for the night. There will be a house for you by midday tomorrow."

Bel nodded. "…I… I want to say bye to Froggy…"

No one stopped Bel as he headed to the stairs; they understood the two would need to talk in private, and they weren't going to intrude upon that. When he was standing in front of Mukuro's bedroom door, he was almost too afraid to knock; how could he face his boyfriend after what he had done…? He had hurt his beautiful Froggy in the most unforgivable way, and now if the younger didn't hate him, he was about to break the other's heart by leaving.

Bel didn't remember knocking on the door; all he knew was that, after an indiscernible amount of time, the door opened and he was looking into heterochromatic eyes. Neither he nor Mukuro knew what to say, so the blue-haired male simply stepped away from the door to allow the blond entrance; if Bel was going to do something, Mukuro was there to stop him.

The blond felt like a ghost as he glided silently over to the bed where Fran was laying with the covers drawn up to his chin. His emerald eyes watched the newcomer warily, as if he didn't trust the other to not try and hurt him again. In the most awkward manner he had ever used, Bel cleared his throat and muttered, "Hey, Froggy… I, uh…"

However, Fran didn't seem to need to hear anything from his boyfriend as he said without hesitation, "I forgive you, senpai… I… I should have listened to Lussuria…"

"…Froggy…" Bel scratched the back of his neck, too scared to reach out and touch the boy in fear of how Fran would react. "…I… I won't be at the Varia anymore…"

"What?" Fran's eyes filled with tears as he tried to push himself into a sitting position, only to whimper in pain before laying back down. "I don't want you to leave, senpai… I want you to stay here…"

"Froggy, we can't see each other anymore," Bel gently explained. "I hurt you, and no matter what, I should never have lost control like that… I need to be by myself so I can try and heal from everything I've been through… Do you understand?"

As much as Fran understood those words, he was feeling selfish; he didn't want the other to leave, and all he could do was whisper, "I don't want you to go, senpai… Don't leave me alone… Please…"

Bel blinked back the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks. He reached out and pushed a lock of hair out of Fran's eyes before he leant down and placed a kiss on the boy's forehead. "I'll make you a promise. Okay?"

Fran nodded. "Okay…"

"…On your eighteenth birthday, I'll come and visit you and see how you're doing. But until then, I need that time to find myself."

"Okay, senpai… Can… Can I have one last kiss before you go…?"

At these words, Bel couldn't hold back the tears any longer; this was hurting him way too much, and that nauseas feeling returned. He leant forward to press his lips against pale ones, and when he felt the smaller male kissing back with the same passion he had used for all their time together, he wondered how he'd ever be able to live without Fran – but for the younger's happiness and wellbeing, he had to try.

The older male dropped his forehead to rest against Fran's. He looked into emerald eyes and whispered, "If there's ever anyone who makes you as happy as you can be… and can take care of you better than I ever could… I'll be happy for you, Froggy… You don't have to wait for me… I love you…"

"I love you, too, Bel-senpai…"

Bel stood up and turned to leave, wiping the tears that slid down his cheeks away as he did so. He nodded at Mukuro in a silent farewell, finding it difficult to keep walking as Fran started crying; all he wanted was to turn back around and hold his boyfriend until all of Fran's pain and suffering vanished, never to return. As he closed the bedroom door behind him, Bel heard Mukuro try and console the boy, and his chest clenched in agony; what if Fran were to replace him? He didn't know if he could live with that.

All I've ever wanted was for you to be happy, Froggy… If forgetting about me is what it takes… I'll understand… But I'll always love you… Be happy, my Frog…