To Be As One

Fran, I love you.

She had many ways of saying those words to him – sometimes, she would whisper it quietly into his ear before they fell asleep in darkness; sometimes, she would squeal it in delight while choking him with a tight hug. Fran cherished each and every one of those moments.

As he sat alone on their bed, in the apartment that housed thousands of his memories with her, he regretted never telling her just how much she had meant to him.

What would you like for dinner? I'll cook.

When she first said that, Fran had, in his usual deadpan, told her that they were better off eating out because he was worried she would burn their home down. And, feeling insulted, the lass whipped up her specialty – spaghetti alla carbonara in deliciously thick and creamy sauce. Though admittedly not his favorite, Fran had found the meal to be one that that he could not get enough of.

He had unconsciously gotten up and strode into the dining area; he traced a long finger numbly along the table, and flopped onto one of the chairs. He should have told her then, how much he appreciated her cooking.

Want some?

Her head would be tilted back against the armchair, exposing her long neck, and she would be playfully nibbling on a marshmallow between her teeth. Fran hated her teasing, because it made him feel like a child. He ought to be advancing on her, not the other way round.

Right behind where he was sitting was her favorite armchair. It felt to him as though she would be sitting right there, grinning at him if he turned around now.

Forever is a lie, Fran. Don't ever be deceived by it.

And she would smile at him as she say it, but he knew; he knew that she was crying, deep down somewhere. Why though? He did not know then.

But now he understood; she had fallen for the lies that Forever told, only to realize that it was all fake. She couldn't walk with him forever now, could she?

Goodbye, Fran.

She would always say goodbye, and wave at him when she left for "work", but she would never say "I'll see you later". And when he asked her why, she replied without meeting his eyes, "because I don't make promises I cannot keep."

Of course, he thought, because she never knew if she could make it home alive after every mission.

His hands travelled to his right coat pocket, and the stiff fingers found the small pistol lying within. Fran's grip on the cold weapon tightened as the door to the apartment swung open just then, throwing the dark house into sudden brightness. But Fran did not flinch.

Sawada Iemitsu and Basil, the two members of CEDEF who had brought him the news of his lover's death two weeks ago, stood at his doorstep. Fran glanced at them over his shoulders, and wordlessly, he stood up.

"Sorrel wouldn't want you to get involved," Sawada Iemitsu said quietly, "are you very sure about this, Fran?"

He walked, very slowly, towards the leader and his young apprentice, never taking his hand off the handgun in his pocket. As he pushed past the two CEDEF members, Fran replied blandly, his expression blank,

"It doesn't matter. Let's go."

And so, from then on, that apartment will be thrown into darkness, and be haunted by memories of their love and laughter.

((Extended Ending))

"Oy, wake up, stupid frog."

Fran's eyes cracked open at the sound of the demented prince's voice, as well as the sudden weight on his abdomen.

"Bel-senpai," he drawled monotonously, "do you mind? You're heavy."

His blonde senior laughed creepily and sat harder onto Fran's stomach.

"The boss gave us work, so we need to leave right now~"

Belphegor was completely ignoring his junior.

"That's why I said, get off me, senpai," Fran repeated, tone still flat and bored, "I can't possibly move with you sitting on me."

The prince only sniggered even more.

"Find a way to move, then." He challenged the younger boy, but Fran chose not to budge; his senior will get up when he got bored of teasing. For now, he'll just continue to lie on the sofa and be comfortable…

Eyes fixed on the ceiling, the boy, now a little more matured, ignored the prince's noisy babbling and thought about the dream he was having before he was rudely awakened.

He missed her.

But because he was a part of the Vongola family now, Fran was closer to her than he had ever been.

His thoughts wandered to the pistol locked safely in his drawer, and smiled slightly.

Just like she had...

He too, would fight to his death in order to protect his family… weird and silly as they might be, he thought as Belphegor gave an impatient wiggle and pulled out a glinting knife from beneath his coat…

END

To Be As One is a sort of an add-on to Journey, where Fran's regret and decisions led him to join the Vongola Family. It got quite angsty, my bad. I was merely trying to relay certain emotions that ought to have been felt even by someone as calm as Fran, but I might have failed and made him OOC instead; sorry about that.

Anyway, just a little note: as most CEDEF members are named after herbs and spices, I named the OC after a herb as well. Didn't put much thought into it, but Sorrel sounded most like a name. I saw an Angelica, but... Sorrel sounded more sensible, I guess.

So yeah, basically it's kind of like an open ending. I couldn't resist putting in a bit of Bel, heheh.

I hope this wasn't too boring, because it's rather plot-less.