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Those Left Behind	By : stephfarrow94 Category: +G to L > Katekyo Hitman Reborn Views: 5549 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Those Left Behind
- 2-2
- 3-3
- 4-4
- 5-5
- 6-6
- 7-7
- 8-8
- 9-9
- 10-10
- 11-11
- 12-12
- 13-13
- 14-14
- 15-15
- 16-16
- 17-17
- 18-18
- 19-19
- 20-20
- 21-21
- 22-22
- 23-23
- 24-24
- 25-25
- 26-26
- 27-27
- 28-28
- 29-29
- 26
- 27
- 28
“Are you dressed, Fran?” Knocking on the door to his bedroom, Tsuna waited patiently for his charge’s reply. He stepped back when the door was opened slowly, smiling down at the boy. “Do you like it?”
Fran tugged nervously at his new school uniform, a vast change to his green Kokuyo one; Tsuna had enrolled him in at a Namimori school instead, having worked hard to get the school to place him in the classes Dino taught; it would be best putting him with someone he knew, even just a little, instead of forcing him into a room full of strangers. “…”
“What would you like for breakfast?” Taking Fran’s hand in his, the brunet tugged the younger down the hallway, knowing he had to get some food into the other’s stomach; the boy hadn’t eaten dinner the previous night, having instead slept for most of the day.
“…” Licking at his lips in anxiety, Fran looked away. “…Not hungry…”
“What about a toasted sandwich?” Soft brown eyes looked fondly down at Fran, knowing the patient just needed coaxing; with lots of love and patience, he was slowly kicking his eating disorder. “Just something to nibble on a bit.”
Turning to look up at Tsuna, Fran licked his lips again before he nodded slightly. “…Okay…”
“Dino will be here soon to get you.” Sitting Fran at the table, Tsuna patted teal hair before he moved to make breakfast for his charge. “Just stay by his side and he will look after you; I promise. There’s another two students, down at the middle school, who used to live with me and my mother. Their names are Lambo and I-Pin; Dino will introduce you so you can make new friends if you ever decide you’re ready for that.”
Fran nodded stiffly, not sure if he would like that – he would be happier sitting somewhere alone, just like how he always distanced himself from all of his classmates back at Kokuyo. “…”
Humming softly to himself as he went about preparing the food, Tsuna smiled as he overheard Mukuro and Gokudera conversing in the living room; Mukuro was another patient the silver-haired male greatly disliked, so it was nice to hear him giving the other a chance.
“Once school is finished, Dino is going to take you back to his home so that you’re not being crowded.”
Fran blinked, tensing at these words, worried that he was being shipped off to someone else instead. “…Am… I coming back here…?”
“Of course you are, but it’s just easier for all of us if I can get you from Dino’s home.”
“Okay…” Accepting the plate that was now being handed to him with a mumbled, “Thank you…”, Fran picked at his toasted sandwich.
Smiling at his charge, Tsuna left him to eat what he could; the boy needed to learn how to be away from them, becoming far too clingy – if they kept encouraging him to stick to them like glue, he would never learn to function properly in life.
Entering the living room, Tsuna found the older two seated on the couch comfortably. Sitting next to his boyfriend, Tsuna claimed the taller male’s lips with his own.
“Tenth…” Gokudera offered a shy smile, still getting used to this new development; though he didn’t exactly appreciate who his best friend was with, he was happy that Tsuna was happy. “You’re still going to take me to see Yamamoto today, right?”
Tsuna understood completely; after what Fran had said in front of him, the silver-haired male had been confused, not knowing what to think; he wanted to talk it out with his boyfriend, understand what had happened, learn why no one had told him about this – did they think he couldn’t handle it? That he wasn’t strong enough to know he had been cheated on, with a patient much less?
Gokudera could handle that and more; it was having everyone hide it from him he couldn’t handle – he wasn’t some dumb teenager who was going to have their heart broken, and sure it hurt – it hurt a fucking lot – but he knew it wasn’t of the world, and in all honesty, this was Yamamoto they were talking about; he wouldn’t have done it just for the sake of cheating – especially not with someone like Fran.
“Of course we are, Gokudera-kun; I promised we would sort this out today, didn’t I?” Patting his friend’s head, Tsuna could feel his stress ebbing away with his best friend’s presence; Gokudera always had made him feel more at ease. “We’ll go once Dino comes to get Fran; we can’t leave him here by himself, and Mukuro has to go back to the facility today as well.”
Gokudera nodded, talking a bit softer with the other two. They made room when Fran came back into the living room, curling up on the couch close to them all, letting him sit and listen to their conversation, and once Dino arrived to collect him, Tsuna was the one to make him comfortable with the blond.
“Dino will be very good to you,” the brunet promised his charge, grabbing the schoolbag he had placed by the side of the couch. “He’s very good with kids, and he’s going to make sure no one bothers you and that you’re okay with your work. He knows you can’t read very well, so whenever he can, he’s going to sit down with you and guide you through everything. Stay by his side and I promise you will be safe there.”
Fran trembled as he accepted the bag that was being handed to him, having packed it the night before with Tsuna’s help. He moved back to Mukuro’s side, pressing into the man in fear as he watched Dino out of the corner of his eye.
“If you want to come back home during class, Dino will call me.” Smiling up at his blond friend, Tsuna was grateful he had the man on his side; Dino was such a kind person, and it was exactly what Fran needed in his life. “I’ll come and get you straight away.”
Fran nodded, liking the sound of that; he knew that it meant that if he became overwhelmed, or was finding it too difficult, he could come home without punishment; on the rare occasion he had gone to school before his arrival at the facility, he wasn’t allowed to come home, no matter what, and if for whatever reason the boy did find himself in his home, he was beaten ferociously for it.
“I’ll just get your lunch off the bench, Fran.” Tsuna disappeared into the kitchen for a few seconds before he returned with a bento, handing it to the younger. He chuckled as the other held it in both hands before he said, “It will be easiest if you put it in your bag, Fran.”
The youngest did as he was told, unzipping the bag so that he could slip it in amongst his new school books. He flinched when the blond put his hand on his shoulder, but he didn’t say anything; he still didn’t know Dino very well, and he didn’t want to risk making the other angry with him.
“Are you ready to go?” Dino smiled down at the boy, reaching out to take Fran’s hand in his; he had already been told that the youngest seemed to enjoy people holding his hand, probably finding more comfort in that alone than he had ever found in his father. Fran whimpered at the contact, but he didn’t pull away.
Fran nodded, reaching out towards Tsuna for a hug. He rested his head on a strong shoulder as the brunet wrapped his arms around him, and once he had gotten his hug from Mukuro as well, he started feeling a bit better; never before had he known the safety and comfort of a hug, so it always meant a lot to him to get them, especially when he was feeling bad.
“Let’s get going now, Fran.” Dino was as kind as ever as he ever-so-gently tugged at the boy’s hand, just enough so that he would feel slight pressure. “Do you mind if we stop and get a coffee on the way? I’ll get you something, too; whatever you want.”
Tsuna watched as Fran started moving with Dino, the boy looking up at his new guardian. He heard the other whisper a tentative, “Milkshake…?” before Dino smiled and nodded, agreeing happily. He waited until the two had left the house before he turned to Mukuro and Gokudera, cocking his head to the side.
“Do you guys want to leave now, or in a bit?” The brunet accepted warm arms that wrapped around him, pulling him close; Mukuro was quite the cuddler, and was much more affectionate than one would think about him.
As docile as always, Mukuro simply smiled as he rested his chin on top of his lover’s head. “I do not mind, Tsunayoshi.”
“Could we leave now, Tenth?” Gokudera yawned softly, his green eyes looking at his best friend with admiration.
“Sure; are you ready, Gokudera-kun?”
The older male nodded, looking away as he saw Mukuro claiming the brunet’s lips with his own. He jumped slightly when he felt his wheelchair being moved, turning his head ever-so-slightly to find that Tsuna was now wheeling him out of the room and towards the front door.
The silver-haired male could only sigh, hoping he was finally about to get answers.
~~XX~~
Licking his lips nervously, Fran stared into the office he was standing outside of, almost too afraid to step in; only too many times had he been brought into his old teachers’ offices, forced to go through the same things he did at home.
Dino acknowledged this, but he didn’t pressure the younger into anything; he simply sat down at his desk, smiling as gently as always as he pulled a stack of tests towards him, letting Fran come in at his own pace; it wouldn’t do to rush him when the boy was probably already terrified as it was.
Licking at the straw in his milkshake, Fran shivered, trying to get the courage to come closer to Dino; as scared of the blond as he was, he knew the other wasn’t a bad person; he had seen the way the man interacted with the other patients, as gentle and kind to them as Tsuna.
Finally, stepping into the threshold, emerald eyes wandered over the bookshelves and filing cabinets placed around the room. It was all neatly organised, a few photo frames here and there. Amongst the computer that sat on the desk Dino was seated at were files, and what looked to be dozens of students’ homework.
But what surprised Fran more than any of this was the fact that his guardian seemed genuinely happy to be here, content going over homework with a red pen, correcting and making notes on the papers; the teachers back at Kokuyo had hated their job and the students even more.
“Will you close the door behind you, please?”
Fran whimpered at this question, shaking his head; he knew well enough to know that if anything was going to happen, it could possibly be deterred by the possibility of someone catching them in the act.
“Okay; you can leave it open.” Shooting Fran a charming smile, Dino dropped the subject instantly, seeing how scared Fran was.
Moving with legs that felt as if they could collapse under his weight any second now, Fran approached the chair seated on the other side of the desk. He sat down cautiously, placing his milkshake on the hardwood tenderly with shaking hands. Looking more closely at the photos he could see, emerald eyes fixed on one that showed two familiar-looking people.
Reaching across the desk to tug at Dino’s jacket, Fran gulped and looked away under the soft gaze. He pointed a trembling finger to the photo, waiting in silence as he wondered if the other would understand what he was asking.
“Oh?” The blond reached out, picking up the framed photo. He smiled fondly down at it before he turned to Fran, turning it around to show the student. “This is a photo of Squalo and I when we were young. He looks very different with short hair, doesn’t he?”
Fran nodded, still not lifting his gaze; instead, he whispered, “…W-who hurt him…? For him… to be sad all the time…?”
“No one hurt him, Fran.” Dino was gentle as he explained this, understanding that the boy instinctively didn’t understand people didn’t have to be hurt to be depressed; it was something that could occur biologically without any psychological damage. “I guess he just… was unfortunate in that his brain chemistry is abnormal. It’s out of his control, what has happened to him, and though he feels a lot like you do, I’m sure, he hasn’t been hurt like you have; it’s just happened to him naturally.”
“…” Fumbling his hands with each other, Fran lifted his head to look up at the stronger male. “…You don’t… h-have to be… scared… to feel like… me…?”
“Of course not, Fran.” Dino would have loved to hug the boy and comfort him with everything he had, but he knew not to push himself onto the youngest; Fran was scared of his own shadow, and he didn’t need to feel as if he couldn’t trust the people around him. “Squalo came from a rich family, and he had everything going for him; he was smart, his parents loved him, and he got anything he wanted. He didn’t have many friends – in fact, it was just me he had by his side – but he didn’t care about that; he’s never been much of a people person, preferring to be by himself a lot of the time, but the most important thing to know was that he was happy, Fran; he was the happiest person I knew back then. He was always smiling, and though he didn’t laugh much at all, you could tell he had his own weird sense of humour. But all of a sudden, it just felt as if the world had been turned upside-down when he started crying, and didn’t even know why. He started becoming very down and withdrawn, and… eventually, he started to self-harm. Suicide attempts weren’t uncommon, and I was honestly terrified to leave him alone; I was always on the phone with him or coming over to his house to make sure he was okay, but… I guess his parents didn’t want to deal with it and took the easy way out by abandoning him to that facility. I visited him as much as I could, but he had really been hit hard by his illness.”
Looking down at his arms, Fran hesitantly slid his sleeves back before he showed his arms to the blond; jagged scars crisscrossing his flesh until there was nothing unmarred. “…I used to… to cut myself all the time… Sometimes I burnt myself… I’ve tried to… to kill myself as well…”
“May I touch them?” Moving his hands just into the younger’s view, Dino smiled when he received a wary nod in response. He was tender as he cupped the boy’s wrist in his much larger hands, rubbing his thumbs against the scars. He could see the tears that had welled up in emerald eyes, and he could only smile in a reassuring manner at his new student. “Has anyone ever touched them like this before?”
“No…”
“It feels nice, doesn’t it?” Always mindful to not hurt or scare the younger, Dino never pressed down too hard; he left a soft, gentle touch in his wake. “Squalo once said that it made him feel safe whenever I would touch his scars like this; he felt as if it gave him hope that he could be happy again. Does it make you feel better, too?”
A single tear slid down Fran’s cheek as he nodded, feeling all of his negative emotions wash away, replaced instead by what he was slowly coming to know as love, and protection, and most of all, the wish to push forward and try and find a future where he, too, could be happy and no longer afraid of the world around him.
Getting off of the chair he was sitting on, Fran warily approached Dino. He watched the man for a few seconds before he closed the distance between them, curling his small fingers into the teacher’s shirt. He shivered as strong arms enclosed around him, but he knew he was safe; nobody, not even the most deceiving of persons, could give such a gentle touch like that without being genuine.
Dino smiled as he hugged the boy close to him, rubbing the younger’s back in a kind manner. He let the patient cry, knowing it would do him some good to flush out his emotions. “It’s okay to cry, Fran; you can always cry around me. If you ever need to talk to someone, I’m here for you.”
Crying harder, Fran was trying to understand the fact that, though he had suffered so greatly for so long, things were getting better for him; though he was still as distressed as ever, he knew he was safe with the people he had been brought to, that he was loved and cared for greatly now.
Maybe it would take a long time for him to get better, but at least he could see just how lucky he was to have the people he did now, and he wouldn’t trade any of them for the world.
~~XX~~
"He shouldn't be in front of that TV so much, Sho." Looking through the living room window, Spanner spoke in a concerned tone. "It's not healthy for him."
"I know, but there's really nothing else we can do." Sweeping the veranda in a relaxed manner, Shoichi frowned. "He's bored, and he doesn't know what to do with himself now that he actually has stuff to do; he's so used to being kept in his room, there's too much for him now. Why not make something to keep him entertained? He likes puzzles; give him a challenge so that he's using his head."
Spanner nodded, leaning against the railing. He crossed his arms against his chest, sighing. “I want him to join us.”
“I know you do…” After having talked it out with Spanner and agreeing to let Bel share their bed if the older blond so wished to accept the offer, Shoichi still couldn’t say he was too thrilled about it; he would much rather keep the younger male to himself, but sometimes compromises were needed when it came to your most loved one. “Just find a way to keep him entertained for today, and you can ask him tonight.”
Spanner nodded. He reached out, caressing his lover’s face tenderly before he leaned in, claiming the older male’s lips with his own. “I love you, Sho.”
“I love you, too, Spanner.”
The blond smiled for a while longer before he went back into the house, moving into the living room to see Belphegor. The older male was curled up on the couch, a pleasant smile on his face as he watched the TV. His new pet was curled up on his chest, licking his paws as he flicked his tail occasionally.
“Hey, Belphegor.” Standing by the end of the couch, Spanner smiled down at his patient. “Are you hungry? It’s time for lunch. What do you want?”
Bel scowled as his peace was interrupted. “I’ve told you not to call me that; it’s Bel!”
“I’m sorry, Bel.” Sitting by Belphegor’s feet, Spanner never dropped his smile. “Are you hungry?”
Bel’s scowl deepened as he looked away, the voices in his head whispering away at full force once again. Reaching up, he tugged at his blond locks, growling. Spanner waited the episode out, never judging as his patient screamed and shouted at invisible beings, watching as the other recoiled from things only he could see; he was starting to get better with his hallucinations, his new medication giving him plenty of peace – while the older blond might never not hallucinate again, at least he wasn’t living in them anymore, unable to make them stop for even a few minutes.
Panting softly, Belphegor reached out, taking hold of his pet’s tail. He turned obscured eyes back onto Spanner, dropping his head down onto the arm of the couch. “…”
Reaching out, the stronger male brushed his fingers against the back of Bel’s hand, wishing the other would allow more touch; he was sure that Belphegor would soon come to love the affection he could be showered with if he would just trust them.
Not surprised when the patient pulled away with a hiss, Spanner just continued to smile, unable to take it to heart; Belphegor had suffered greatly, and just didn’t want to be hurt anymore. “I’m going to go and make some lunch. After that, I’m going to make you something to keep you busy with.”
Belphegor, who hadn’t had any interest in his psychiatrist until he heard that last sentence, sat up. He wrapped an arm around Mink, holding the animal against his chest, threading long fingers through his hair. “I want you to make it now.”
“I said I’ll do it after lunch, Bel. Have some patience.”
“The prince demands it be done now!”
Spanner chuckled, amused by the older male’s pushy behaviour. “But I’m hungry, and so it might not be as fun for you if I can’t concentrate without food. I promise as soon as I’ve eaten, I’ll make it for you.”
“…” Lying back down on the couch, Belphegor made himself comfortable once more. “…I want to watch you make it.”
“Sure thing, Belphegor. Want to help me with lunch? It’ll give you something to do until then; I know you’re very bored at the moment.”
Bel frowned as this was pointed out to him; while it was true he was feeling more bored than he had in a long time, he didn’t know how to combat it; back at the facility, he could mostly entertain himself by daydreaming, knowing there just wasn’t anything else for him to do unless he wanted to let the boredom make him more insane than he already was by just lying there all day every day, staring around him and screaming at the people who dared bother him.
But here, he was suddenly thrust into a life where he could move around and do things other than daydreaming, and he really didn’t know what to do; it had all happened so suddenly, he was almost afraid of moving away from the TV, it being the only other thing he had had access to in the last eighteen years of his life.
Getting up off the couch hesitantly, Belphegor stretched his heavy limbs; he wasn’t used to moving around so much, and his body had a lot of catching up to do. Clutching Mink close to him, the older blond followed the other into the kitchen.
“Mink has to stay out of the kitchen, Belphegor.” Pulling the key from his pocket in order to unlock the cutlery drawer – having to secure anything their patient could potentially use as a weapon was a bother – Spanner pulled out eating utensils. “It’s very unhygienic to have pets around when you’re cooking.”
Belphegor shrugged, dropping his pet carelessly to the ground. He ignored the soft squeak Mink made, instead stepping over him to come closer to the other male. He flinched and hissed instinctively when Spanner moved too quickly towards him, backing up until he hit the wall behind him. He watched with uncaring eyes as the taller male knelt down to pick Mink up, holding him to his chest.
“You can’t just drop him like that, Belphegor,” Spanner explained, running a gentle hand over the animal’s body to check for damage. “You could hurt him badly.”
Belphegor just shrugged again, moving to the fridge to pull out the chocolate milk. He put it down on the counter, waiting in silence for his newest favourite treat to be served to him; sushi was his all-time favourite, but ice cream and chocolate milk were a close second.
“Go put Mink back in the living room and I’ll pour you a glass,” Spanner promised. He frowned as the animal in his arms started growling at him, knowing that for whatever reason, Mink didn’t like anyone but Belphegor, even if said blond wasn’t very good at pet ownership.
Moving over to snatch the mink from the younger male, Belphegor was quick to leave the room and deposit his pet back onto the couch. “Stay here, Mink; don’t follow me everywhere; it annoys me.” Growling when a small tongue licked at his cheek, the man punched the creature in the head, shoving Mink away from him. “Don’t lick me! I already told you I hate it!”
Shoichi, who had just come back into the house and saw his patient’s outburst, ran forward. He grabbed the animal away from the violent male, clutching Mink close to him. “Belphegor! You never hit your pets like that!”
Stomping his foot on the ground in frustration, Belphegor started on Shoichi next. He pushed the younger male away from him, throwing his arms up in the air as he shouted, “Well, I’ve already told him to not lick me and he hasn’t listened!”
“That’s because he doesn’t understand what you say to him, Belphegor…” Making sure to keep calm lest he make the situation worse, the redhead tried to explain things. “Animals can’t understand human speech, and what you just did to him would have terrified him! He doesn’t know that he did anything wrong… Remember all those times you’ve gotten in trouble at the facility, but you never understood what you had done wrong? What if one of us did to you what you just did to Mink, and you had no idea why. Wouldn’t you be scared and upset, as well?”
“…” Turning to look anywhere but at Shoichi, Bel shifted uncomfortably; he could remember only too clearly being kicked awake, screamed at, and beaten without having any idea of what he could possibly have done to warrant such behaviour; it had happened so often, Belphegor had even taken to staying up all night just in hopes it would stop it from happening.
Holding Mink out in front of him, Shoichi offered a small smile. “How about you give him a pat and tell him it’s okay, Belphegor?”
Stomping his foot again, Bel made an agitated noise. “No!”
Sighing, Shoichi hugged Mink close to him once more. “Belphegor, I will give Mink away if you don’t start treating him better; you can’t hit him all the time! He has feelings and emotions, just like you.”
“No, he doesn’t; animals don’t have feelings!”
“Then why is he shaking in my arms right now? He’s scared.”
Bel frowned at this question, only just letting himself take notice of the animal’s shivering form. He was used to animals being scared of him all the time, believing them to feel only fear and nothing else – after all, he had never seen an animal smile, or even frown before.
The blond didn’t usually care if an animal feared him or not because he would almost always kill it in the end, but for some reason, it didn’t feel right to have Mink scared of him; he didn’t want to kill Mink, no matter how angry the animal always seemed to make him feel.
Growling to himself, Belphegor reached out, pulling Mink roughly from the taller male’s arms. Cradling his pet against him, the blond snarled when Mink squeaked and tried to escape the embrace. Unable to hold his anger back, the man shook the animal violently as he screamed, “Stop being scared, you stupid piece of shit!”
Shoichi knew enough of his patient’s background to know that those were the kind of things the blond had had shouted at him before he had killed his parents; it was not surprising that the weaker male was still caught in that vicious cycle, unable to escape it and could only treat others the same way he had been treated.
Reaching out, Shoichi purposely put his hand on the volatile man’s shoulder to distract him, ducking the punch that was swung at him. He took the opportunity to remove the now-terrified animal from Bel’s hold, backing away as the other advanced on him. He fingered the sedative he and Spanner kept in their pockets for times like these, only wanting to use it as a last resort.
“Belphegor, stop!” Speaking in a confident tone, Shoichi now stood his ground. “I know you’re scared and upset, but you need to listen to me!”
Bel, who was used to so few people standing up to him, stopped. He was angry, feeling as if he were about to lose complete and total control of himself any second now and go into that stage where he just blacked out without any memory of the things he did.
“Look at him, Belphegor!” Holding Mink out in front of him again, Shoichi shouted over his patient’s voice as the other demanded to stop being called by his full name. “Look at him! This is your pet! He’s reliant on you for love and safety! A pet should never be so scared of their owner, they’re shaking and trying their hardest to escape! You’re acting like a bully to him, and that is unacceptable! You’re scared of people, too, aren’t you? You’re scared of a lot of people, because you know what they can do to you. You know what it’s like to be scared, so don’t you dare put your pet through the same things you went through when all he’s done is love you!” Speaking in a soft tone now, Shoichi continued on. “You loved your family, didn’t you? You loved them so much, but they hurt and betrayed that love. You’re doing the same thing to Mink, and that is so wrong… Please, I know it’s hard for you to own a pet and know how to look after it, but… I can see you’re trying; the Belphegor I knew would have killed it by now. Let Mink love you, Belphegor; I know you’ll soon learn to love him back if you do.”
The idea of being loved was alien to Bel, and it terrified him down to his very core; he was so used to being hated and mistreated wherever he went, the very prospect of kindness scared him.
Wrapping his arms around himself in an attempt to protect himself, Belphegor slowly backed away until he hit the wall again. He looked to the ground as Shoichi followed him, muttering incoherent things as his heart thumped erratically against his chest.
“I know you want to have someone treat you well, Belphegor,” Shoichi said softly, glancing at Spanner, who had been standing in the doorway watching the whole thing in silence. “Viper treats you so good, doesn’t she? I bet you wish everyone treated you the same way; I’ve seen the way you’ll let her touch you however she pleases, but you’re scared of anyone else’s touch. It’s because you feel safe with her, isn’t it?”
Belphegor nodded, his breathing becoming slightly harsher due to his panic. “…”
“Well, you know that you can’t be loved without showing love to others first, right? The same goes for kindness; Viper is naturally a kind and understanding person, having been dealing with a similar illness to yours since she was young; though she understands your behaviour is not your fault and loves you for who you are, not everyone is like Viper; most people will not look past your aggression and see you for you; that’s why you need to be kind to others for them to treat you well.”
“…” Looking to the side, Belphegor shook his head, not understanding ‘kindness’; all he knew was violence and hatred.
“Are you confused?” Shoichi moved closer when the older male nodded. “Do you not understand how to be kind?”
Nodding again, Belphegor flinched as his pet was held out to him again. “…”
“I’m sure you’ve learnt enough from Viper to understand at least a little bit.” Watching carefully as trembling hands accepted the animal, Shoichi said, “How would Viper show kindness to Mink?”
Frowning, Belphegor instinctively mimicked his best friend’s actions, holding Mink as gently as he could in one arm while he used his free hand to stroke through silky white fur. “It’s okay, Mink… It’s okay… You’re safe…”
Shoichi smiled as the animal’s quivering slowly died down, Mink instead moving to nestle into the striped shirt his owner wore. Bel continued to pat him, speaking in the same soft tone Mammon always used with him whenever he was feeling bad.
“Does it make you feel better being kind, Belphegor?” Shoichi reached out slowly as he received a nod in response, brushing his fingers against the older male’s forearm. Belphegor shivered and pulled away, hissing purely out of instinct, but he made no comment on the other’s actions. “Don’t yell at or hit Mink anymore, Belphegor; Viper would never do that to you, would she?”
Shaking his head, Belphegor moved to sit back down on the couch, looking at his pet. He didn’t completely understand what he was feeling, but whatever it was, it was different to what he was used to; he didn’t feel like he was drowning in his own hate and anger, as if it were consuming each and every little particle of him – instead, he felt… content, with what he was doing.
Accepting the cup of chocolate milk that was handed to him half a minute later, Belphegor swallowed most of it before putting the cup down on the coffee table and lying across the couch. He let Mink rest on his chest, looking at the animal through half-lidded eyes; he was suddenly feeling absolutely exhausted, and he needed sleep.
Knowing just how much he loved falling asleep with Mammon caressing him so gently, Bel continued to pat Mink as he soon drifted off into oblivion, desperately needing a rest; his emotions had caught him off-guard today, and he needed a break from them.
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