The lemon has been moved to my Tumblr account, MP-KHR. There is a link in my author profile.

As lonely and hard as the past seven years had been, Bel greatly looked forward to tomorrow; finally, after so long, he would get to see Fran again as the younger's eighteenth birthday was finally rolling around after what had felt like an eternity of waiting. He had stuck true to his promise and hadn't seen the other for all those years, so he was also a little scared; what if his boyfriend had found someone else, or didn't love him anymore? From what Squalo had kept him updated on, it didn't sound as if his fears had happened – but still… He was incredibly lonely, and the possibility was unbearable.

In an effort to keep himself grounded, Bel was curled up in his double bed as he thought about what Fran would look like now that he was much older and should surely have grown out of his childish looks. The teal-haired male was adorable when he had been so young, but now that the blond was twenty-six and had been through very intense therapy since leaving the orphanage, he was now able to control his sexual thoughts relating to the younger and he found himself trying to imagine how his boyfriend would now look whenever he masturbated to thoughts of Fran.

I wonder if he's grown his hair out. Bel smiled as he tried to picture teal hair resting on frail shoulders. He wanted to grow it a tad longer. And if he's put on any weight; he was always so skinny. …I hope he likes my present… It's been so long; I hope he still likes magic.

Bel knew he wasn't going to get any sleep tonight; he was just too excited for tomorrow. He resigned himself to the fact that he was going to be awake for quite a while, so he grabbed the TV remote that was sitting beside him and flicked through the channels until he found the one he wanted. Wanton moans and gasps from the TV filled the air as he unzipped his pants and pulled his soft member out.

~~SEXUAL CONTENT REMOVED~~

He sighed happily to himself as he pulled his knees to his chest and closed his eyes, not wanting to clean himself up just yet. He reached blindly for the remote and turned the TV off when he found it. With a content sigh, he whispered, "I love you, Fran…"

Tired from his earlier activities, the blond slipped into a light sleep he would wake up from within minutes as memories of Fran ran through his mind.

~~Varia House, the next morning~~

Fran slept soundlessly in his bed as Lussuria creeped into the room with a large smile on his face. He leant down by the boy's side and reached out to shake a frail shoulder gently. "Fran~ Fran, honey, it's time to wake up."

Emerald eyes opened slowly before they blinked a few times as Fran tried to fight the overwhelming drowsiness. "Lussuria, it's…" Fran glanced at the clock on his bedside table before he frowned, "…it's almost lunchtime. Why didn't you wake me sooner?"

"It's your special day, hun." Lussuria wrapped his arms around the teenager and hugged him tightly. "And since you're the only child we have left at the moment, we decided we'd treat you just a tad more special than we usually would."

That's right… Fran thought as he rubbed his eyes. I was the youngest, excluding Lambo, and he was adopted by Tsuna's friend, Haru… It's just me and the adults…

"Get dressed and then come down stairs." Lussuria clapped his hands together in excitement. "You have to open your presents before Bel comes to pick you up."

A small smile crossed Fran's face at Lussuria's words. He appreciated the presents, but what he was really looking forward to the most was seeing Bel again; he had missed the older male so much, but he knew the blond needed to be by himself and that it was better for both of them for it to be this way until Bel had made progress in his healing. Still, that knowledge had never been enough to stop him from waking up during the night crying in loneliness.

Lussuria hummed happily to himself as he left the room, knowing today would be extra special for the younger; for so long, Fran had waited for the moment he would see his boyfriend again. He's going to be so surprised when he sees what a huge improvement Bel's made in his recovery. Even we couldn't believe it at first.

Fran clicked his tongue as he sorted through his clothing. He wanted to look good for Bel, but he didn't want to overdo it; he didn't see the point in going all out when they were just going to have lunch and then go shopping. He finally decided on some jeans, a black t-shirt and a blue hoody. He brushed his hair with a comb for a few moments, only bothering to get the knots out, before he made his way downstairs, eager to open his presents. He didn't mind getting only one present from each of the adults; he understood that money was tight for them now that they were supporting Bel financially, too.

"We didn't go all-out this year because we couldn't spare a lot for your presents and there are no other kids for you to enjoy them with anymore," Lussuria explained as he handed his present to the teenager, "but we're pretty sure Bel will make up for it with just coming to see you."

Fran smiled gratefully as he took the present. He didn't mind if they hadn't gotten him lots of things; he was happy to just spend the morning with them.

~~Bel~~

Bel could barely believe how long it had been since he had been at the Varia House, and it all still looked just like it had the night he had left. He parked his car against the kerb and walked down the footpath to the house. His hands shook as he turned the knob, and his legs felt like jelly; he was so nervous and yet so excited at the same time; all he wanted was to see Fran again.

"Fran?" the blond called out as he closed the front door behind him. He walked through the entrance hall and made his way into the living room, hearing the TV was playing. When he caught sight of Fran sitting on the couch, his breath caught in his throat; Fran had become even more beautiful than he had imagined; the boy's hair had certainly grown from all those years ago and it framed his face that didn't hold the childish look it once did – it looked much more mature now. And his eyes… So… beautiful…

"Froggy…" Bel breathed out. He felt as if he were frozen in place, and when Fran turned to look at him, his heart sped up; he swore he had just fallen in love with his boyfriend all over again.

Fran blinked, almost unable to believe he wasn't dreaming; after so many years of being unable to cope without Bel by his side… The man had finally returned for him, just as he promised.

"Sen…pai…" Fran knew if he were still as young as he had been when he was with Bel, he would have cried right now. However, after having matured and with the Varia's help, he had learnt how to control his emotions.

Bel was the one to close the distance between them. When he was close enough, he wrapped his arms around the boy and let a few loose tears slide down his cheeks. "I've missed you so much, Froggy… I love you so much."

Fran's arms – which Bel noticed were still just as skinny and frail as they had been as a child – returned the embrace. When he spoke, it was in a quiet tone. "Have you finally realised you're not a prince, Bel-senpai?"

"Ushishishi~" Bel tightened his hold on the younger. "I will always be a prince."

Fran rested his head on the blond's shoulder has he let out a happy sigh and relaxed into the hold; Bel was still the same old self-proclaimed prince, and it looked as if the blond hadn't changed at all.

"Bel-chan~!"

Bel could hear Lussuria running towards him, and he braced himself for the hug he knew was coming. He tensed instinctively when strong arms wrapped around him, but after a few seconds, he was able to relax, trusting the cook with his body; though he still had a long way to go, he was slowly overcoming his trauma, and touch wasn't as terrifying for him as it had once been, even if it still made him greatly uncomfortable.

"Hello, Luss," Bel greeted calmly. "Are the others here?"

"They all left~ It's just us here." Lussuria released his former charge and stepped back so that he could admire how handsome Bel had grown in the seven years they had been apart. The blond's eyes were still obscured by his bangs, but instead of his hair being perfectly straight as it used to be, it was now a tousled mop of hair that jutted out all over the place.

Just as Fran had, Bel had also matured into a very good-looking young man.

"Please, don't let me get in the way of your date~!" Lussuria giggled as he skipped back towards the entrance of the living room. "I just wanted to greet my dear Bel-chan~"

Bel flushed slightly at his plans being called a 'date'. In truth, that was what he wanted, but he didn't want to be the one to bring the subject up; he needed to know Fran wanted their relationship back without feeling pressured in the slightest.

"Fake-prince, are we going now?"

Bel didn't care much for what the younger had called him; he was more concerned as to why everything Fran said seemed to be in a quiet, reserved voice, almost bordering on monotone. He didn't want to draw Fran's attention to this, instead trying to act as if he were offended. He flicked the younger's nose playfully before he said, "You're still the same little brat I first met, aren't you? Back to that stage, are we?"

"Senpai, I'm getting bored waiting. Is your birthday present to me supposed to be this boring?"

"Ushishishi~ Somehow I feel as if you're a bigger brat than before." But I still love you, Fran. I'll always love you. "Get in the prince's car; I want to say goodbye to Luss."

"You'd better not kill me with your driving, senpai." Fran was already out of the room by the time Bel realised what he had said.

"Oi!" Bel shouted after the younger. "The prince drives just fine!"

Fran smiled to himself as he closed the front door behind him. I've missed him so much. It's been so hard without him, but now that he's here… I'm so glad he's back.

~~Lunch~~

Bel had taken Fran to his favourite sushi shop for lunch – will coincidentally was owned and ran by Yamamoto's family. It was nice to have a familiar face to talk to, but the dark-haired male had understood it was important to Bel to be alone with his 'Froggy' and took his leave after wishing Fran a happy birthday. As the two sat at a table, enjoying their meals, Fran was the one to bring up the topic of their time apart.

"Senpai, what have you been doing for all these years?" Fran asked as he poked at his fish, his small tummy already filled. "Lussuria told me Varia supports you financially because fake-prince can't get a job, but nothing else."

"Ushishishi~ It's not that the prince can't get a job…" Bel lied; his pride wouldn't allow him to admit that he couldn't get work anywhere because of his history, "…but that the prince doesn't want one. But the prince has been good. He's…" the blond shifted uneasily, finding it difficult to talk about, "…well, I'm slowly getting better…"

Fran reached across the table and rested his hands on Bel's wrist. "Squalo told me you don't cut yourself anymore, and it's been a long time since you've attempted suicide."

"I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye to you…" Bel's whisper was so sincere, Fran understood immediately that Bel had suffered from the separation just as much as he had.

Fran didn't reply to this – he didn't know how to. Today was going so great and he didn't want to ruin things by admitting that he himself had discovered suicidal tendencies while Bel had been gone because of how hard it had been for him to live without the other; he had become so reliant on Bel to keep him whole, he had crashed completely without him.

Instead, the two were silent as Bel ate more of his sushi and Fran turned to look out of the window, deep in thought. The blond didn't force him to speak, understanding that after seven years apart, things would be different. But when Fran spoke again, Bel couldn't help but notice how sad and lonely the teenager sounded.

"A day wouldn't go by when I wouldn't think of you, senpai…" The soft voice sounded thoughtful, as if he were trying to clarify his own thoughts by speaking. "Lussuria took me to doctors and 'therapists' all the time because I couldn't get out of bed without you… I wouldn't eat, and I was even more reluctant to bathe… It felt as if every single good thing about my life had upped and left with you, senpai…"

Bel dropped his head, understanding that he had hurt the younger – it had hurt him just as much to leave.

"…The doctors gave me pills that they called antidepressants," Fran continued on. "They told me I was depressed. I didn't understand what 'depressed' was until Mukuro sat with me and explained that Chrome was depressed as well. Mukuro promised that if I took my pills every day, I'd feel better in a few weeks." When he turned to look at Bel, he held a small smile. "I don't have to take them anymore because the therapists helped me get better – and now that you're back with me, I'm happier than ever."

"Froggy…" Bel felt the corners of his lips twitch upwards as he put his chopsticks down and rested his large hand over the ones still holding onto his wrists. "I… I'm so happy you're better…"

The two watched each other for a few seconds as their hearts simultaneously beat faster; neither of them had ever gotten over their love for the other, and they both knew it. What Bel wanted in that moment was to hold his Froggy and kiss and touch away the pain he had inflicted, to take away everything that had ever been done wrong to the younger. And Fran… he wanted to tell his senpai how much he was in love with him, and what he would give for their lips to press against each other's – to make love together and wash away both of their filthiness.

But of course, neither of them knew how to convey their feelings and a comfortable silence fell between them again.

Bel finished his meal only a few minutes later. He stood up and wiped away imaginary dust from his clothing before he spoke to the younger. "Are you ready to leave, Froggy?"

"I was ready a while ago, but we should leave now before you eat the place out of stock." Fran fought to keep the smile that threatened to cross his face at bay.

Bel laughed. He moved to Fran's side and wrapped his arms around the teen's shoulders. "The prince loves you, Froggy."

"I love you, too."

~~Nightfall~~

By the time Bel drove Fran back to Varia for dinner, neither of them were ready to part from the other. Bel had had dinner with them, and after they all finished, Fran opened his gift from Bel. It was a do-it-yourself magic kit, and one of the best ones the blond could find, accompanied by an oversized frog hat Fran knew was a gag gift. The younger had been ecstatic and carried them both upstairs to his room to put with his other gifts he had received, and Bel, who remained downstairs with the others, hummed softly to himself as he waited for Fran to join them once more.

"You can take the kid if you want him now, trash."

Bel blinked upon hearing these words from Xanxus. He turned to face the older man, not sure if he should believe those words or not. "…"

"Voi, just take the brat!" Squalo shouted upon seeing Bel's hesitance. "You know you want to!"

Lussuria and Tsuna, who were standing together, spoke as well.

"They're right, hun," Lussuria started. "Fran has missed you very much, and he can leave now if he wants."

"And you'd both be happiest if he went with you." Tsuna smiled as he finished his sentence.

It took Bel a mere second to gather the awareness to sprint upstairs in order to hug and kiss Fran and beg the younger to come live with him; he was so excited, hoping that finally the loneliness would go away if he could have his Froggy back with him all the time; all that was left was for the younger to agree.

Fran, who had just been stepping out of his room by the time Bel came flying around the corner, was quickly knocked back inside by a blond blur. He found himself engulfed in a tight hug, and he wondered if this was going to be their parting once more; it had only felt like seconds since they had seen each other today, so why did the other have to go again so soon…? Tears welled up in Fran's eyes at the thought, but when Bel spoke, he found himself opening and closing his mouth wordlessly in disbelief; Bel couldn't have… just said what he thought he did…

Bel spoke again, worried his Froggy hadn't heard him. "Froggy? I asked… if you would come live with me…?"

The teen nodded as he crushed his lips against Bel's. Within seconds, he felt long arms come to wrap around him and hold him close as the blond kissed back eagerly. Fran opened his mouth to allow the other entrance, and when a hot muscle started probing around his cavern, he moaned.

The two pulled away for air, and Bel raised his hand and ran his thumb gently across the younger's flushed face. "Do you still love me…?" He whispered. His voice was small, almost as if he were afraid of hearing the answer.

"I never stopped loving you…" Fran whispered back. "I want… to have my first time with you…"

Bel visibly flinched before he spoke in a painful voice. "I already took that from –"

Two fingers rested against pale lips to silence the blond. "I don't want to remember that time, senpai… I want to make love with you…"

Bel nodded in understanding; there was no reason to bring that time up andall that was needed was to wash away what he had done by showing the younger just how much he could love. He picked Fran up in his arms and carried him over to the bed he remembered used to belong to him all those years ago. He briefly wondered if Fran slept in there trying to pretend they were still together, before he pushed the thoughts away and laid the teen down on the mattress.

"Senpai…" Fran caught Bel's attention before the older male could do anything. He blushed and looked away as he whispered, "…I… I've never done this before… I'm not… sure of what to do, or what to expect…"

Bel pressed his lips against Fran's in reassurance. "It's okay, Froggy; the prince will take good care of you. Froggy just has to lay there and feel good, okay?"

Fran nodded. He watched as Bel slipped a hand beneath his shirt, and he remembered the times his boyfriend would pleasure him with his hands all those years ago – Bel himself had never wanted to be pleasured due to being unable to bear being touched because of his trauma and always gave everything to Fran instead. He wondered if now would feel different compared to when he was younger; whenever he masturbated since Bel's departure, it didn't feel the same as it did when they were young.

~~SEXUAL CONTENT REMOVED~~

The two laid panting heavily together as their highs slowly faded. Bel rolled off the smaller body beneath him and laid to the side, pulling Fran into his arms. The younger curled into the warm body beside him and rested his head beneath Bel's chin as the man groped for the blankets to cover them.

"The prince definitely won't let you go now," Bel whispered. He planted a kiss on top of his lover's head before he snuggled in as close as he possibly could and closed his eyes.

"I won't complain, Bel-senpai…" Fran whispered back. He closed his eyes as he battled his exhaustion, not wanting to sleep yet; he still had just one thing he had to ask Bel. "I'll only move in with you on one condition, senpai…"

"What's that?" Bel's hold tightened warily for a second before relaxing, knowing Fran too well to know that the other wasn't going to hurt him.

"…I want a puppy…" Fran was on the verge of sleep, barely coherent to understand Bel's reply.

A… a dog…? Bel wanted to say no, but seeing the way Fran struggled to stay awake after having just lost his virginity… How could he say no to such loyalty? "Ushishishi~ Only if you buy me a frog."

Fran nodded weakly, the only thing he could do as he fell into oblivion.

If he wants a puppy, he can have one, Bel thought to himself. The prince would do anything for him – that's what a prince does for the one he loves most, after all.