With the help of Tsuna's close friend, Enma, the patients had all quickly settled into their new homes. The brunet had just come home after helping Lussuria and Leviathan move in to the small house Enma had agreed to give to them; Tsuna had organised all of the furniture himself, and even gotten them groceries out of his own money – it was the least he could do when Lussuria was feeling so anxious about all of this, not quite remembering how to live outside of the facility, much less living independently.
It had taken a while, and once Tsuna had returned to his own home, he had been looking forward to having a rest; it had been an exhausting past couple of days now that he had been out job hunting.
Alas, the second the brunet walked through the front door, all thoughts of resting disappeared from his mind when Mukuro cornered him in the entrance hall, his usual playful smile wider than usual; the younger could only imagine what mischief he had planned for today.
"Tsunayoshi, may Fran and I go into town today?" An excited look flashed across the older male's face before he hid it, uncomfortable with expressing himself so openly; he much preferred to hide behind his playful smile, leaving everyone to wonder just what exactly was going through his mind.
"Oh?" Frowning, Tsuna would have loved to take them, but he just didn't seem to have the energy today. "What about tomorrow? I'm pretty tired at the moment."
"No, no…" shaking his head, Mukuro continued on, "…it cannot wait. It is important, but if you need to rest, I am sure we could find our way into town by ourselves."
Tsuna instinctively worried over the idea of letting his patients wander off by themselves, but he knew that if he could trust any of them to stay out of trouble, it was Mukuro; the man had his head on right, and he wouldn't bother anyone who didn't approach him first.
"But what about Fran?" Looking around for the boy who usually stuck to them like glue, Tsuna was surprised that Fran didn't seem to be anywhere close by. "I trust you, but what if… What if he runs away again…?"
"My little one will not do that again; I am confident of it." Sending the younger his most charming smile, Mukuro tried his hardest to convince his boyfriend. "I will take excellent care of him as I know you would, too."
"Well…" Reaching into his pocket, the smaller male's hand resurfaced with his phone. "If anything happens, you have to ring Gokudera-kun's number, okay? Give me a few seconds so I can set it to speed dial for you."
Mukuro waited patiently for the phone to be placed in his hand and, once it was, he smiled sincerely. "Thank you very much, Tsunayoshi. Fran is feeding the animals, so I will wait for him before we leave."
The two kissed before they broke apart, talking about their day so far as they walked into the living room together. Rasiel and Gokudera were seated on the couch, watching the TV, and they looked up at their entry. The blond cared little for this and instead returned his attention back to the program, while Gokudera smiled and greeted his friend.
Fran, who was standing up on a chair so that he was eye-level with the birdcage hanging from the curtain rod, turned around at their voices. He pulled his hand out of the cage, having been stroking a feathery back as Kojiro ate his seeds eagerly.
"Are we going, Master?" Emerald orbs fixed on the blue-haired male as he slid the cage door shut, his hands trembling subtly as they tended to do.
Mukuro nodded, standing by his lover's side. "Yes, we are. Are you ready?"
"I have to get my shoes, first." Jumping down from the chair, Fran moved to get footwear, leaving the older three alone.
Tsuna sat down on the couch next to Gokudera, pulling his wallet from his pocket. He opened it and pulled all of his money out, counting it in silence before making four piles with it. Mukuro watched with interest as one stack of notes went back into the wallet in silence, wondering what Tsuna was doing; it honestly reminded him of his cousin's obsession with money, the way she would count it so peculiarly.
"Tsunayoshi?" Surprised when one lot of money was handed to him, Mukuro was surprised; he hadn't expected this – he had, in fact, been expecting to have to steal what he wanted. "What is this?"
"There's one-hundred dollars there for you." Smiling, Tsuna passed out more money. "Thirty for lunch for you and Fran. This is another hundred for Fran to spend."
"Oh…" Tenderly wrapping his fingers around all the money, Mukuro felt his chest tighten; he was truly shocked by the younger's generosity, having never had money before from anyone; he had grown so used to being forced to steal for survival when he was younger, he had never before imagined he would have money later on in his life.
Leaning down to hug his therapist tight, Mukuro smiled naturally. "I love you, Tsunayoshi."
"I love you, too." Pulling away when Fran came to their sides, the brunet reached out to put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "You be good for Mukuro now, okay? If anything happens, call Gokudera-kun straight away."
"Will do." Taking Fran's hand in his, Mukuro passed his charge his share of the money. "Look, little one; you can buy something of interest today."
A small smile crossed the youngest's face as he accepted the money; just like Mukuro, he hadn't thought he would ever have money, too. "…Can I… go shopping with it…?"
"Yes, yes. You have one-hundred dollars to spend."
Tsuna felt his heart warm as he noticed the joy that crossed his patient's face; Fran's usually-dull eyes shone with happiness as a big smile stretched to the edges of his face.
"I don't want to spend it all…" Fran whispered, moving to press against his guardian's side. "I want to save up, so I always have money… I might need it one day…"
"Good thinking." Turning around to head towards the entrance hall, Mukuro knew he was lucky to have gotten such a smart charge; Fran appreciated what little he had, and he was content with just the love he got from the people around him. "Let's go, little one; we have a long walk ahead of us."
Fran followed behind closely, turning around briefly so that he could wave goodbye at Tsuna and Gokudera. Tsuna smiled and waved back at him, worried for the youngest's safety, but also knowing that Mukuro wouldn't let anything happen to him.
"I'm surprised you're letting them go off on their own," Gokudera said quietly, having not expected for this turn of events; he would have instead believed Tsuna would keep the two under constant supervision, not willing to risk losing either of them.
"They'll be okay," the brunet replied. "At least… We'll see if they're ready to go off on their own after today, anyway; they have lives to live just like us – I can't keep them locked away from the world."
"…Yeah, that makes sense…" Nodding slowly, Gokudera did agree; the patients were just as deserving of being alive as they were. "I see where you're coming from, Tenth."
Reaching out to pat his friend on the shoulder, Tsuna turned to see what was showing on the TV; it wouldn't do anything positive to stress about Fran and Mukuro, after all.
~~XX~~
"This is a really big place, Master…" Feeling his confidence drop at the crowds of people that seemed to be crawling around every inch of the multi-storey shopping centre, Fran hid behind Mukuro, looking at the ground with wary eyes. His small hand gripped tightly the back of his guardian's jacket, trying to hide himself from everyone around him.
"It will be okay, Fran," the older male promised, squeezing the hand in his. "We only have to talk to someone when we are buying things. You want to get Tsunayoshi a nice birthday present, too, don't you? You have to be brave just for today; I will not let anyone harm you."
Nodding, Fran hesitantly followed close behind the man, tensing whenever someone came too close to him, but able to control his normal reactions to stress; he wasn't crying, no matter how hard it was to fight back his tears, nor was he whimpering whenever someone accidentally brushed against him.
Mukuro was so proud of how well the boy was coping, but he didn't say anything; he was sure Fran already knew how well he was doing, too.
The two hadn't walked for very long before they stopped, hearing someone call their names. Turning around, they found both Belphegor and Mammon approaching them.
"Viper." Nodding politely to his cousin, Mukuro coaxed Fran out into their view. "Belphegor. What are you two doing here?"
"Shoichi and Spanner said they needed to get something, and they wouldn't let us stay home by ourselves." Running her fingers through her long indigo locks, Mammon put her hand on her friend's forearm. "Bel needed to go to the bathroom, so I said I would take him; we were going to get lunch afterwards."
"Let us join you." Walking alongside his cousin, Mukuro made small talk as they made their way to the bathrooms. Fran was mostly silent by his side, shivering slightly from anxiety, but he talked quietly with Belphegor whenever the blond addressed him.
Belphegor himself was lost away in his own little world, trying to ignore the things he saw that he believed to be real. He was daydreaming, tired from such an early morning, but soon enough, his attention was caught by something he saw in one of the displays.
"No, I'm not – Bel? What's wrong?" Mammon, who had been talking to Mukuro about a mutual interest, stopped when she noticed the blond seemed intrigued with something he could see through a shop window.
Belphegor didn't reply; he just made his way into the store where he plucked up a large plush toy from a bin set. He walked back out of the store without a care in the world, thrusting what appeared to be a green frog teddy into Fran's arms.
"For you." Shrugging as if it was no big deal, Belphegor shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat, remaining still as emerald orbs fixed on him.
Fran was confused for a few seconds before his eyes sparkled and he hugged the plush toy. He thanked the older male as he hugged the blond's arm with one of his own, not wanting to let go of his gift just yet. "Thank you, senpai."
Letting the younger do as he pleased, Belphegor turned around as one of the shop keepers approached him. He growled and backed away, not wanting to be approached by someone he didn't know; while he was starting to learn that some people could be trusted more than others, it didn't mean he was ready to learn whether or not strangers were safe to let near him.
"You need to pay for that."
Turning his nose up into the air, Belphegor ignored this, instead finding that the ceiling was rather interesting in this moment. "…"
The shop keeper, an older male with short black hair with a strong build, moved to Fran at this, attempting to take the plush toy from the younger. Fran whimpered and moved to hide completely behind Bel, prompting the blond to shove the man away from them in an aggressive manner.
Mukuro, who could see the blond was about to snap, moved in between the two, careful to keep his distance from Belphegor as he tried to calm the situation down. "I am very sorry about his behaviour, sir; he truly does not know any better. I will pay for it and then we will be on our way. My sincerest apologies."
Just glad the shop keeper was being peaceful about the situation, Mukuro turned to look over his shoulder as he followed the man into the store, finding Mammon scolding her fellow Varia patient for his behaviour as Fran warily came back out from behind the blond.
Just glad that the situation had been handled without anyone getting hurt, Mukuro didn't mind handing over the money for the plush toy; he could see how much Fran appreciated his gift, after all.
~~XX~~
"Ah… Reborn…" Stepping away from the front door, Tsuna allowed the older male entrance into his home, wary about the fact that the other was going to work out what they had all done regarding the patients. "Why are you here…?"
"I know what you're hiding, No-Good Tsuna." The dark-haired man looked down at the younger, his face shadowed by his fedora. "Did you really think having Enma forge those documents would convince me?"
Looking away, Tsuna frowned; he should have known better than to try and fool this man; Reborn seemed to know everything that went on in the brunet's life. "…"
"I'm impressed by your attempts, however." Reaching into his pocket, the stronger male resurfaced with a packet of cigarettes. "What are you planning to do with them all now?"
"…Help them adjust back into normal lifestyles and hope it'll be enough for them." Looking back at the board member, Tsuna spoke confidently, knowing they could do it if they just worked hard enough with their patients.
"And if that doesn't work?" Raising a lighter to the cigarette now in his mouth, Reborn lit it. "What will you do then, No-Good Tsuna?"
"If that doesn't work…" A flicker of heartbreak crossed Tsuna's face at this own thoughts. "…If that doesn't work, I… I guess we'd have no other choice but to find somewhere else for them…"
"Would you give them to Enma?"
"Enma's hospital isn't equipped to deal with their levels of need, Reborn, or else I'd have pleaded with him to take all of them as soon as we were told about this."
Reborn nodded in understanding. "I won't tell anyone; I was expecting something like this to happen – I just wanted to see how you would all handle it."
Letting out a breath of relief, Tsuna smiled. "Thank you, Reborn…"
"Just don't let your uselessness rub off on them." Pulling the stick from his lips, Reborn let a puff of smoke into the air. "No-Good Tsuna."
"Oh, jeez… Thanks, Reborn," the brunet muttered dryly.
"Yeah, well, I'm going again." Turning around to open the door, Reborn exited the house. "Don't let me down like you usually do."
"…" Sighing, Tsuna waved in a dismissive manner before he kicked the door shut; he really had no idea how he had lasted so long with Reborn having been the one to have helped him out with his career for all these years. "At least he's not going to torture me this time…"
Heading back into the living room, Tsuna sat on the couch once more. He picked the book he had been reading up from the coffee table, noticing that Gokudera was already asleep, and Rasiel didn't seem far off it himself.
The brunet's suspicions were proved correct when, not long later, a head of blond hair dropped itself onto his lap and the older male snuggled in close. Threading his fingers through soft locks, Tsuna didn't mind the other's proximity; he was too busy enjoying his book, after all.
~~XX~~
"Tsunayoshi."
Opening his eyes slowly, Tsuna found Mukuro standing in front of the couch. He yawned, lifting a hand to rub at his eyes, having fallen asleep himself. "You're back, Mukuro…"
"Yes." Placing a plastic bag down on the coffee table, Mukuro leaned in and kissed his boyfriend passionately. "We had a good time."
"That's great." Sitting up a little straighter, Tsuna was careful not to disturb Rasiel's sleep. "What did you get?"
"I will show you soon; Fran is outside talking to the others." Walking over to the window across from them, Mukuro made sure that his charge was alright. He smiled as he found the boy being held against Belphegor's stomach, the youngest listening as the other adults spoke amongst themselves, shaking off Byakuran's hand as the white-haired male ruffled his hair mockingly.
"The others? Who?" Jumping off the couch, Tsuna joined his boyfriend by the window, surprised to find two cars parked outside the front of his home. "Why are Shoichi, Spanner and Dino here, Mukuro?"
"Because." Taking a seat on the couch, Mukuro grabbed a bottle of water out of the plastic bag.
Not sure what the older male was hiding, Tsuna left the house to greet his friends, not sure what was happening; it was unusual for everyone to gather here without talking to him first.
"What's going on?"
Looking over at Gokudera who seemed to have only just woken up, Mukuro explained. "The others had a surprise birthday party planned for Tsunayoshi; we all just finished getting his gifts."
The silver-haired male groaned, sadness filling his green orbs. "I didn't get him anything…"
"I got something for you." Nodding to himself, the older male offered a smile. "I knew you would hate to miss out, so I made sure you had something to give him, too."
"…" Surprised by these words, Gokudera looked at his lap; Mukuro knew the silver-haired male didn't like him, so why…? "…Thanks…"
"You are welcome, Hayato."
Falling silent, Gokudera wondered if he had made a mistake in treating the patients as carelessly as he did, because from what he had witnessed for himself since their escape, they seemed to have more heart, more feelings than he had ever believed they would – this was the icing on the cake.
Outside, Tsuna came to his friends' sides, putting his hand on Dino's arm as he frowned. "Why is everyone here?"
"Because it's your birthday, Tsuna!" Dino wrapped his arms around the younger male, hugging tightly; he had always viewed the brunet as his little brother, and with each passing year, this view only solidified.
"Is it?" Blinking, Tsuna was quick to realise that they were right; he had been so caught up in other things, he had completely forgotten it was his birthday. "Oh, it is!"
Pulling away from the smaller male, Dino's hazel eyes shone with gentleness. "Kyouya and Xanxus didn't want to come, but Squalo's here."
Squalo, who had been standing partially behind his best friend in awkwardness, brought himself out into full view; he wasn't used to such formal gatherings like this, and it made him feel self-conscious. "Hey, brat…"
"Hey, Squalo; how are you?" Glad to see the Varia patient looking so well, Tsuna knew the long-haired male was in a perfect environment now; he was back with his best friend in a home that could adequately give him the kind of care he needed – no longer did he hold a pale, almost sickly look to his face; he was now a healthy, radiant colour and was putting on a bit more weight to counter his previously-thin frame.
Shrugging, the older male muttered, "Fine, I guess."
"That's great." Gesturing towards the house, Tsuna addressed them all. "It's cold out here; let's go inside."
Making their way inside, Dino said, "Lussuria told me that he would have come out, but he wanted time to adjust to his new home; he'll come over and see you another day instead."
"Hey, that's fine." Closing the door behind everyone, Tsuna didn't mind in the least; as long as Lussuria and Leviathan were okay, that was all that mattered. "I'll go and check on them later and see if there's anything they need."
Stepping into the living room, everything was normal until Belphegor took notice of his brother curled up on the couch. The blond frowned deeply, his body starting to shake instinctively as memories flashed through his mind. He screamed loudly, reaching up to claw at his face as tears welled up in his eyes.
"Viper, get him into the bedroom." Tsuna reached out, pushing Mammon closer to her friend. "Calm him down; we'll sort it out on our ends."
Mammon nodded, placing her hand on the small of Belphegor's back in order to push him forward. She sighed when the other stubbornly planted his feet in the ground, refusing to go anywhere near the older twin that was now sitting up and rubbing at his eyes sleepily.
"Come on, Bel." Moving so that she was in between the twins, the woman tried to tug him along again. "It's okay; he's not going to hurt you. Come on."
Belphegor frowned deeper, hesitantly putting one foot forward before he hurriedly passed the slightly-taller blond who was eyeing him off like a piece of candy.
Fran stayed where he was, watching their departure anxiously; he didn't like how his friend had reacted, and he was worried that the older male might be feeling bad; if there was anything he could do to help, he wanted to be able to do so.
"You can go after him, Fran."
Looking up at the brunet talking to him, Fran nodded. He followed after his fellow Varia patients quickly, hoping he could find them soon; the quicker he reassured himself that Belphegor was okay, the faster he would feel better himself.
Back in the living room, Tsuna was careful to keep an eye on Rasiel as he addressed his friends, not willing to chance the blond sneaking off. "Does anyone want some wine?"
Rasiel watched as his host left the living room to return a minute later with a bottle of wine and some glasses. He narrowed his eyes when he noticed there wasn't enough glasses for them all, working out that he wasn't going to get any. "Where's mine?"
"You can't have alcohol with your medication, Siel," Shoichi explained gently to his patient. "It's not good for you at all."
"You're giving it to him!" The blond accused, pointing to Squalo as he watched the long-haired male take the glass that was being handed to him. "Why's he getting some?!"
"He can have a small amount; his medication is more tolerant than yours." Spanner thanked his friend as he accepted his own drink, knowing he needed to calm Rasiel down; while he was usually more docile than his twin, he made up for it in being more dangerous than Belphegor was.
"Yes, Siel; we wouldn't give you something that will harm you." Putting the bottle of wine down on the coffee table, Tsuna smiled at his guest. "I'll get you something else."
"I want that! Give it to me!"
"Alright; I'll go get you some from the kitchen." Intending on giving the blond cordial instead, the brunet left to get the rest of his guests drinks; he had to be careful on which patient he allowed alcohol; they all had different medications that mixed differently with alcohol, and the last thing he wanted was to harm them.
Further in the house, Mammon was just getting Belphegor to sit on Tsuna's bed when Fran opened the door and poked his head into the room.
"Is Bel-Senpai okay...?" Coming closer to the bed, Fran reached out to brush his fingers against the older male's shoulder. He wasn't surprised when Belphegor shuddered beneath the touch, understanding completely; he also feared touch from those he loved the most when he was feeling bad.
"He will be," the woman promised. "He just wasn't expecting to see his brother here."
Nodding, Fran moved to pull the desk chair over to the bed. He sat on it in silence, not sure what to do.
"Are you feeling better now, Bel?" Threading her fingers through soft blond locks, Mammon waited patiently for the younger's laughing fit to stop; his mind must be in a mess as he tried to sort through his thoughts and emotions regarding his brother and the things Rasiel had done to him.
"I hate him, Mammy~" Laughing again, Belphegor scratched at his face. "I hate him so much~"
"I know you do."
Fran, who wasn't used to this behaviour, ghosted his fingers against the man's arm. "Senpai?"
Belphegor, who seemed to have only just taken notice of the boy's presence, reached out, pulling the younger onto his lap. "Froggy~ When did you get here?"
"A little while ago..." Hoping to help his friend, Fran pointed to the TV tucked away in the corner. "Want to play Mario Kart with me, Senpai? It's fun..."
Cocking his head to the side, Belphegor blinked. "What's that?"
Wriggling off of the other's lap, Fran moved to set up the console. "It's a game... It's fun... Tsuna lets me play it with him..."
Accepting the controller Fran returned with, Belphegor warily turned it over in his hands, not sure what to make of it; never before had he seen something like this before. "What do I do with it...?"
Helping the blond learn the controls, Fran was patient as he started the game, knowing that he, too, had been confused at first.
Once the characters and the track had been selected, Belphegor pushed down on one of the buttons. He gasped slightly as his character moved forward, an excited look on his face as he all but forgot about his previous distress. "I moved it, Mammy!"
Smiling to himself, Fran also started to move his character now that Belphegor knew what to do.
Fran didn't mind losing to the older male once the other had caught on how to play; all that mattered was that the blond seemed to be having so much fun, even hours later he still wanted to play – so when someone came in to check on them, and then told them they needed to come out and take a break from the game, the blond wasn't happy at all.
"Come out into the living room for a while now, Belphegor." Spanner was the one coaxing the Varia patient out, Shoichi busy tending to Byakuran's needs.
"I want to keep playing!" Making a loud moaning noise, Belphegor dropped himself forward onto the bed, spreading his limbs out in an awkward manner as he protested against the other trying to pull him off the bed.
"Come on, Bel." Mammon, who had long-since dozed off, was now awake and trying to get her friend out of the room.
"It's not healthy to spend so much time on video games, Belphegor. You need to come back out for a bit."
"Siel's out there!" Moaning louder, the older blond shifted. "I want to play!"
"He's not; he's gone into the office to sleep some more." Pointing to the gaming console across from them, the stronger blond then added, "I'll buy you one of these so you can play at home," Spanner promised. "I'll buy it in a few weeks, but if you be a good boy and come out now, I'll get it for you tomorrow."
With a frustrated groan, Belphegor lifted his face from the mattress to stare intently at his psychiatrist. "But will you play with me if I come out now?"
"Yes. I'm sure Byakuran and Sho will play, too, and maybe if Tsuna allows it, we can bring Fran over for the day for a play date."
Belphegor nodded, content with this compromise. He reluctantly got off the bed and made his way through the hallway before he found himself back in the living room.
"Where the fuck have you been, brat?" Squalo twirled a half-empty glass of wine in his hands, his dark eyes a little softer than usual as he regarded the younger.
"What's that?" Making his way over to the long-haired male, Belphegor snatched the glass away so that he could sniff it; it had been a long time since he had seen anything but water, orange juice and chocolate milk.
"Give it back, shithead!" Snatching his wine away from the other, Squalo sneered. "It's something you can't have."
"Why do you have it, then?" A large pout crossed the smaller male's face as he stomped his foot on the ground in frustration, not understanding why he was being left out. "I want it! You've had enough, so give it to me!"
"This is only my second glass, brat! I didn't even finish the first before it went hot! I've had hardly any, and I'm not giving it to you for you to make yourself sick with!"
"Belphegor, you can have this." Pouring cordial from the jug they had been using to make Rasiel think he had wine, too, Tsuna was relieved when the older male accepted it without complaints; Belphegor was a hard one to handle, though it was through no fault of his own.
Standing up from the couch, Dino stretched before he looked down at Squalo, smiling. "Are you ready to go?"
Nodding, the younger male swallowed the last of his wine before getting to his feet. "Can we stop and see Takeshi on the way home?"
"Yeah, of course, Squalo." Helping his friend from the couch, Dino ruffled silver hair in affection. "He'll be glad to see you."
"Are you going to be alright driving?" Always wary of serving alcohol to those he knew would be driving again soon, Tsuna could only hope his limitations on what he would allow to be consumed would be enough to keep everyone safe.
"Yeah, of course, Tsuna." Grinning brightly, Dino could only adore the younger's concern. "I have high tolerance; this is nothing. We'll be just fine."
"Alright. I'll see you guys later." Hugging the blond tight, Tsuna then moved to Squalo, patting the other's arm gently; it was common knowledge that Squalo didn't like to be embraced by anyone but Xanxus, even if most people didn't even realise the two were intimate together. "Bye, Squalo. Tell Yamamoto I said to get better soon."
"Yeah, I will…" Pulling away from the younger's touch, Squalo moved closer to his best friend, still a tad uncomfortable about being here; while he was fine living with Xanxus and Dino, it was strange being in someone's home he wasn't all that close to. "Bye…"
Wrapping his arm around the smaller male's shoulders, Dino led the long-haired man to the entrance hall, talking animatedly as he did so. Squalo listened in silence, and though it would seem he wasn't paying any attention at all to people who didn't know him very well, the younger was hanging on to every word his friend spoke, having greatly missed the times where the blond would spend hours telling him about his day.
Turning around to look at his other guests, Tsuna took a seat again. "Are you guys staying a bit longer?"
Shoichi and Spanner both nodded, content with where they were. "Not too much longer, though; we still need to get home and start on dinner." Standing up to take the book Belphegor had started ripping pages out of, the redhead then added, "And find something to keep Belphegor amused with. I am very sorry; I'll replace the book for you."
Waving a dismissive hand, Tsuna shook his head. "It's not important; I've already read it anyway." Taking notice of the stuffed toy tucked tightly in Fran's arms, he then asked, "Where did you get that from, Fran? Did you buy it?"
"Bel-senpai gave it to me…" Looking down, Fran shifted uneasily. "…"
"Yeah, it's Froggy's, so back off!" Belphegor shouted, working himself up. He balked when Mammon put her hand on his shoulder and shook her head, but it didn't stop him from growling at them in warning one last time.
Standing up from the couch, Spanner stretched before he addressed his fellow blond. "Let's go home now, Belphegor; you're getting tired."
"I'm not tired!"
"Yes, you are. Come on." While Spanner worked on coaxing Belphegor out of the house, Shoichi gathered Byakuran and Mammon and walked them outside to the car.
Tsuna followed them out to the car, asking, "How's Belphegor doing now?"
"Well, I think he trusts us a bit more each day." Opening the door for Byakuran, Shoichi watched as the white-haired male got into the back seat. "Sometimes he comes in through the night and sleeps next to us. He always seems to move closer each time he does it; he was close enough last night that I could feel his body heat."
"He doesn't sleep with Viper? I thought they were sharing rooms."
"I think he just likes to alternate a bit." Looking up at the front door opening, Shoichi smiled as he noticed that Belphegor was finally obeying, following Spanner out to them. "Are we ready to go, Spanner?"
"You drive, Sho; I've had wine." Handing his lover the keys, Spanner leant down to kiss the older male's lips gently.
Nodding, Shoichi waved goodbye to his friend as he and his boyfriend entered the car. Tsuna watched as the vehicle left his property before he looked down, finding Fran had come out to stand close by his side.
"What's wrong, Fran?" Ushering the boy back inside, Tsuna was as patient as ever.
Hugging his plush toy tight, Fran whispered, "I want to play Mario Kart with you again…"
"We can do that, Fran." Ruffling teal hair, Tsuna smiled. "Go grab the cartridge from my bedroom and we'll play in the living room today."
Nodding, Fran hurried into the house, wanting to quickly get everything set up so that he could play ASAP. Tsuna could only chuckle, just glad that Hibari had allowed for all this; these patients made him so happy, and to see the progress that most of them were making from the sad, angry and fearful persons they all had been from the start, it made Tsuna overjoyed, and confirmed that he was doing something good for others.
Though he loved all of his patients, Fran held a special place in his heart, feeling kind of like the big brother to the boy who desperately needed love and tenderness. As long as the youngest could receive the affection he had been denied for so long, Tsuna knew he could make as much progress as Mukuro had – all he needed was support and encouragement to help him gain the motivation to keep getting better.
~~XX~~
"Takeshi."
Dark eyes looked away from the wall Yamamoto had been staring at, wishing he could turn his head and see his guests. "Squalo… I wasn't expecting you. It's nice to see you."
Jerking his thumb over his shoulder, Squalo shrugged. "Yeah, well… The Bucking Horse is here, too."
"Hey, Dino…" Letting a genuine smile slip onto his face, Yamamoto said, "I have good news; the nurses say they will take this neck brace off of me soon. I'll be really happy when they do; it the edge of it cuts right into the back of my head and it's so uncomfortable."
"Does that mean you're getting better?" A hopeful look crossed Squalo's orbs, fumbling with his hands anxiously; if Yamamoto was going to get better, then… Then that meant he would probably be okay in the long run, right…?
"That's what the doctors say. Look; I can roll my feet around, and move my hands. I twitched my entire leg yesterday, and I can start to feel my body again."
A soft smile crossed Squalo's face as he nodded. "So you're recovering quick, then?"
"I haven't stopped trying to recover; I sit here all day every day trying to force movement out of myself. I want to go home; it's all I want, Squalo – I will get out of here as soon as I can."
"You always were a high-spirited person, Takeshi," Dino pointed out, overjoyed to hear that his friend was making progress. "What is the prognosis?"
"They say that the faster I recover, the better, but whatever damage is left after two years is probably going to be permanent. It doesn't matter, Dino; I have two years to get better, and I'm really getting there! And to be honest… I feel as if this has helped me understand the patients better. I'm sorry I could never really relate to you before, Squalo, but now… I can only admire the strength you've shown to still be here with us, because… Because right now, I think I feel just like you do, and… It truly is Hell… Maybe… Maybe I can't understand you completely, but… the loneliness… And the wish to be anywhere but here… How could you fight it for so long, Squalo? You're… You're so strong, and this had made me appreciate you more than ever."
Looking anywhere but at the younger male, Squalo scratched his darkening cheek, embarrassed; he had never been very good when it came to talking about feelings, after all. "…Yeah, I… Ahem… I've missed you, too…"
"When I get better, I'm going to come back to work as soon as I can, and I'm going to work with you guys so much better." The excitement in Yamamoto's tone was clear, and it caused Squalo to look at Dino with a confused glance; had no one told him they had all lost their jobs…?
Shaking his head at his best friend, a soft look crossed Dino's face. He then turned to Yamamoto, smiling as he said, "I'm sure they'd really appreciate that, Takeshi. We had better get going now. Try and get better soon; everyone misses you."
"I will, Dino. Bye, Squalo; it was great to see – well… hear you, again! Come back any time."
"Yeah… Bye, brat…" Leaving the room with Dino, the long-haired male could only hope that Yamamoto would be better soon; he truly missed having the comfort he felt around the other, trusting the younger just enough to divulge bits and pieces about how he was feeling.
"Are you okay, Squalo?" Patting his friend's arm, Dino glanced towards the smaller male.
"Yeah… Just thinking." Sighing, Squalo shrugged again. "Let's just get the fuck home; Xanxus is probably getting agitated again – you know how he gets when he doesn't see me for a few hours. Fucker only leaves me alone when he's going to nap through the day."
Knowing how Squalo seemed to be the only person who could somewhat relax Xanxus, Dino agreed wholeheartedly; he didn't like separating the two, even if only for a few hours, knowing that the dark-haired man held just as much importance in Squalo's life as Dino did.
"Let's go home, then, Squalo; I have tests I need to grade, after all."
Home was a word that had long-since lost its meaning to Squalo, nothing but an adjective people used to show they were better off than him, happier in their own lives with somewhere to go home to. He had forgotten long ago what his parents' house looked like, and the love and safety and warmth he had once upon a time felt in it – it was nothing but distant, foggy memories he consciously chose not to think about.
But now, having a home again… Well, it was safe to say that Squalo could, once again, understand why people always seemed to subconsciously refer to their houses as homes; homes were where you were happiest, surrounded by those who loved and accepted you unconditionally, just as Dino always had – the way his parents hadn't been able to.
Dino had stuck by his side when he was at his lowest, talking him out of suicide, sticking like glue to him so that Squalo didn't have the chance to do it. He had been the one to clean out of his self-inflicted wounds, to plead with him to stop, but no matter what, he had always been there.
Even Xanxus, someone who was quite detached from the world around him, had stuck around with him for all this time. And Lussuria… Well, he was quite the motherly type, and loved everyone around him.
Squalo could understand now why Dino had never let him go through with suicide, promising that maybe not now, but some day, it would be okay again. Maybe things would never be completely okay; maybe he would never shake his depression, his lack of motivation – maybe the thoughts of suicide that still plagued him would never truly stop – but that didn't mean he couldn't be happy; even if he still cried himself to sleep, he was starting to remember what it was like to feel joy, to have fun doing things with those he loved.
Squalo would never tell Dino this, but he loved and appreciated the older male for having kept his promise for all these years, for forcing him to keep going, to see the light at the end, because he was happier than he had been in almost twenty years.
Maybe Dino hadn't been lying when he had promised that Squalo would be happy again one day.
I'm going to end this here now because there's a lot going on in life for me and I'm feeling pretty unmotivated for a lot of stuff. Ultimately, I wanted to end this fic in a way that showed that, even when you're at your lowest and you feel trapped and helpless, there's always others there to lean on and that you can still be happy, if only partially. With everything that's been happening, it's probably clear through the last couple of chapters I hadn't really had my heart on writing, so it probably didn't turn out a well as I wanted it to.
I'd love to hear your feedback on this story as a whole because it was actually a lot harder to write than it probably seems. Constructive criticism is always welcome; it motivates me to improve my writing.