The day before everyone was due to leave for the resort, the young trio went to stay with Squalo so that the man could take them to the ferry the next morning. They were led there by Mukuro, who was also staying with them for the night as he wouldn't have had any other way to get to the ferry otherwise.

"Is there going to be enough room for all of us?" Gokudera frowned at the idea of being stuck in an overcrowded hotel room; he was too unsociable to be comfortable with such a thing, and he would have much rather stay at his own home for the night – but thanks to Yamamoto asking for the younger to join them, he couldn't help but say yes.

"Oya, I would think so; they have booked out several rooms between them all; it is only Squalo and Xanxus who are sharing a room with Belphegor." Mukuro looked at the smaller male with a knowing stare; he himself was greatly uncomfortable around people and found it difficult to be amongst so many unless he knew them well. He knew Gokudera was a lot like him and Bel, but he would never say it out loud as the silver-haired male would only throw a fit. "I have stayed the night there comfortably, so it should not be an issue."

Gokudera nodded. He tensed instinctively as they walked through the entrance of the hotel, and he was almost tempted to run back to his own home; this was putting him on the spot, and he didn't like it. He let out a sigh of relief when he felt Yamamoto grab his hand, and he couldn't help but squeeze back. He said nothing as they walked to the back of the hotel; he simply watched as Mukuro knocked on one of the doors before it was opened a few seconds later.

"Hello, honey." It was the man Gokudera remembered was named Lussura, and he couldn't help but scowl; sure, the man seemed kind, but there was something about the other he didn't trust, and he couldn't put his finger on it. "Come on in."

Gokudera was the last to walk into the hotel room, and the first thing he noticed was the two bodies lying on one of the beds; Squalo propped up on his elbow so he could see the TV, and Belphegor curled up against his chest with his hand hiding his mouth as he slept. Squalo, who had one arm wrapped around his charge, moved his finger to his lips.

"Shh; he's sleeping." Squalo glanced down at Bel when he felt the younger shift against him, trying to press closer. "Poor brat's been having nightmares all night."

Mukuro gestured to the unused bed across from Squalo's. "We can sit on Belphegor's bed. Lussuria will be going to buy lunch for us soon."

Before the younger group could reply, there was a knock at the door. Lussuria went to answer it again, and this time he came back with the housekeeper in tow. He gestured to Bel before he said, "Please be quiet; the boy is sleeping."

The youngest three, who had never really spent much time around Bel's guardians, were surprised by how gentle they were to the blond; Squalo was so loud and intimidating, they hadn't anticipated to see the long-haired man showing so much love to his charge like this.

"Is it really okay for us to go with Belphegor?" Even now, Tsuna could still hardly believe their offer; the tickets to that resort were expensive, and he would have thought Squalo would be on a tight budget to try and get them another home.

"Yeah, of course, brat; he just wants to be with his friends. He's really looking forward to tomorrow."

Tsuna offered a shy smile. He looked to Gokudera and Yamamoto, finding that while Yamamoto looked as happy as ever, Gokudera was looking very uneasy. "Gokudera-kun, are you okay?"

"He will be fine, Tsunayoshi; he is nervous." Mukuro, who had moved into the small kitchen area to make himself a cup of tea, smiled at the brunet.

"Shut up, Mukuro!" Gokudera couldn't help but snap angrily; what gave the other the right to let everyone know what he was feeling? "Don't go -!"

"- Gokudera-kun! You just woke Belphegor." Tsuna sounded disapproving, and Gokudera knew the smaller male was upset with him. He looked over to the blond, seeing the older male looking over his shoulder at them with a scowl on his face. He said nothing; he simply watched as Bel moved up the bed to press his cheek against his adoptive parent's throat as he went back to sleep.

Yamamoto dropped his face into silver hair. "Gokudera shouldn't be so loud when people are sleeping."

"Shut up, idiot…" Gokudera didn't pull away from the other; he instead moved closer to his boyfriend.

Squalo dragged his fingers through golden locks as he observed the younger group. He was feeling agitated by the one Bel had told him was named Hayato, but he didn't say anything; it wasn't his place to scold someone else's kid – besides, he had been Belphegor's adoptive parent for long enough to be able to see just how alike Hayato was to Bel, and he kind of felt sorry for the other; he didn't know Gokudera's story, but he could still see enough to tell that the teen was damaged. He wondered if the other two could see it as well, or if they knew what had happened to their friend. He wasn't going to pry, but still… Something had hurt the kid, and it had stunted the other's social skills – he could understand; he related to that, too.

At least Hayato had friends, and people who cared about him, though; Squalo remembered a time when he would have given anything to be able to say the same about himself and Belphegor.

~~XX~~

"Gokudera… Gokudera, wake up."

Gokudera's eyes opened early the next morning to Yamamoto shaking him. He frowned; did the other have to get him up when it was still dark…? What time did the ferry leave, anyway? Surely there was still enough time for him to get more sleep…?

"Gokudera, you have to get up now; the ferry leaves in an hour."

The silver-haired male mumbled something under his breath; did the other have to be so annoying right now? He didn't get up until Yamamoto shook him again, and with an irritated growl, he pushed himself into a sitting position and found that the light of the hotel room had been switched on some time during his sleep and he hadn't even realised; just how exhausted was he?

"Gokudera-kun, I was starting to think you'd never wake up." Tsuna was standing not far from them with Mukuro by his side. They each were holding their bags as if they were just about to leave.

Gokudera frowned. "Are we going already? I haven't even gotten dressed."

"Well, Squalo's still in the shower, and he said he'd drop us off when he got out. Besides, Belphegor's not even ready, either; he's still asleep, too."

Gokudera was almost relieved to hear those words; he didn't need to be coaxed out of bed this time as he was taking the opportunity of getting dressed without the blond creep awake to watch; he knew how much of a little pervert the other was, and he didn't like the idea of being spied upon while he was trying to get changed. "I'm getting ready now!"

Tsuna and Mukuro each moved away to give their friend privacy as he changed, but it seemed not everyone had the same decency; as soon as Gokudera's shirt dropped to the ground and the hem of his sleeping pants met his thighs, there was a soft laugh from Bel's bed before the blond said, "Giving me a strip tease, are you, Hayato-kun? How generous~"

Mukuro and Yamamoto laughed, but Tsuna looked uncomfortable and was the one to restrain Gokudera before the older male went wild on the blond. But then, as soon as it started, Bel stopped laughing as he looked down to his lap. His cheeks became coated in red and, within a second, he rolled onto his other side so that his back was to the younger kids. Mukuro's laughter came harder, as if he knew something the younger group didn't. He

"Why are you laughing?" Tsuna let go of his best friend so he could instead look at Mukuro.

"Kufufu~" Mukuro shook his head. "I should not comment; Belphegor will be unhappy with me otherwise."

"What are you brats mumbling about?"

The teens looked to their right as Squalo's voice filled the room. The man was walking out of the bathroom, dressed for the day. He listened to what the younger ones were saying as he moved to his bed to see if Bel was awake or not, and to his relief, his charge was. "Voi, Bel, get dressed so we can lea – what the fuck?"

It wasn't every day Bel sprang up from the bed and wrapped his arms around his guardian's neck as if he were a scared child seeking comfort, but when the blond whispered into his ear, he understood. He pat the boy's back gently and whispered in turn, "Go have a quick shower and then get dressed."

Bel hummed and did as instructed. Gokudera couldn't help but roll his eyes; trust the pervert to have been having wet dreams.

"Gokudera, are you going to finish getting dressed?" Yamamoto was perched on the end of their bed, amused by the fact that his boyfriend had just been standing there half-naked. "Or is that what you're going to go to the resort in?"

"Fuck off!" Gokudera huffed as he moved to grab his casual clothing.

"Kufufu~ Hayato certainly is no morning person, is he?"

"Fuck you, too, Mukuro!"

"Here I was hoping you were going to save yourself for me. I'm so jealous of Mukuro right now."

Gokudera froze at Yamamoto's playful teasing, and he couldn't stop the blush that was rising all the way to his cheeks. "S-shut up, moron!"

Tsuna couldn't help but laugh softly; he was glad that the older two's bickering had become playful instead of serious because he could see how much happier the two of them were now that they were dating, and he would hate for anything to come between them.