In the busy airport of Namimori, the Varia group waited for their flight back to Italy to start boarding. Takeshi was with them, sitting in the plastic chair with Fran on his lap. The two were cuddling, soft kisses being shared between them as they tried to make the moment last for as long as they could.

Bel was sitting a distance away from them, moping. He had been feeling down lately, his dates – or at least what he had thought were dates – not having worked out. Lussuria sat next to him, comforting him gently.

Squalo and Xanxus were standing at a kiosk not too far from them, getting food and drinks for everyone.

"I don't want to go back to Italy…" Fran said quietly, breaking his kiss with Takeshi. He was feeling uncomfortable with strangers' eyes on them, but the younger male made him feel safe, and he was mostly able to ignore their judgements.

"I know…" Takeshi rested his forehead against Fran's, sighing. "I wish you could stay, too…"

Squalo made his way over to the two youngest, handing them each a can of coke. Looking at the dark-haired male, he asked, "When are your school holidays, kid?"

"In about a month," the fifteen-year-old replied. "Why?"

"How would you feel about coming down to Italy for them?" Squalo offered, opening his own can after throwing two more at Lussuria and Bel. "We'll pay for your flight and everything else. You can bring your friends if that makes you more comfortable."

Takeshi's eyes widened in surprise as he tightened his hold on Fran, disbelieving at these words; he almost couldn't believe the family he had only just started getting to know were offering such a thing. "…But… W-why…?"

"Because the trash loves you, and it's clear you love him back," Xanxus growled, dropping a few bars of candy on the teenagers' laps. "You've done a better job with him in just a few months than we could in ten years of trying to raise him."

Takeshi looked down as his boyfriend's small hand tugged at his blue jacket. He looked into pleading teal eyes, understanding the unspoken question; Fran desperately wanted him to accept the offer.

Smiling, Takeshi looked at the two men, nodding. "I would love that. Is it okay if Fran can come up here, as well? Maybe we can take turns on school holidays?"

"Sound good, brat?" Squalo asked the teal-haired boy. He grinned when Fran nodded, a hopeful look in his eye. "Then I don't see a problem with it. Boss?"

Xanxus just shrugged, walking away from the group.

"But when you come down here…" Squalo's grin widened as he observed Takeshi, his dark eyes glinting, "…I call dibs on training you in the way of the sword."

"Oh, sounds great, Squalo." Takeshi smiled. "Thank you for accepting me so readily; it really means a lot."

Fran and Takeshi shared another kiss as Squalo moved to check on Bel, the blond not having travelled too well since what he had taken as a breakup – even though Hibari hadn't said anything about dates or relationships at all – had occurred; what Hibari had seen in the blond was a mere interest, nothing at all of a romantic kind – but Bel, in his quest to move on and soothe his pain, misread the signals.

"Drink your coke, shithead," Squalo said, sitting beside the two. "Don't keep moping – he obviously isn't worth your time if he asked you not to contact him again. You'll find someone eventually; you just have to keep trying, no matter how much it hurts."

Bel just nodded, his head resting on Lussuria's shoulder as the flamboyant man played with his hair. "I… I thought I finally found someone… But I had misconstrued everything… I feel so stupid…"

"You're not stupid, sweetie," Lussuria reassured. "You were just very excited. That's all."

"When we get back to Italy, I'll take you to a strip club," Squalo offered. "What do you want? Males or females? We haven't had a men's night out in a long time."

Bel shrugged. "Don't care; it all turns me on the same…"

It was silent between them as Lussuria threaded his fingers through blond hair and Squalo tried to think of what he could say to cheer the younger up. Xanxus was gathering up their tickets, the boarding call for their flight having just been announced.

"Fran, we've gotta go, darling," Lussuria called, pulling Bel to his feet.

Fran sighed as he stood up, his hand held tightly in Takeshi's. They kissed for a long minute before they said their goodbyes, hugging each other tightly.

"I love you, Fran," Takeshi whispered as he stroked teal strands of hair. "I'll organise to come and see you soon."

Fran nodded. "I love you, too, Takeshi… I'm going to really miss you…"

Takeshi kissed Fran's nose before he released the boy's hand, waving at the adults the seventeen-year-old lived with.

"Bye, sweetie!" Lussuria called out to Takeshi, his companions saying their own farewells to the teen they now saw as part of their own family.

Fran held Bel's hand as they went through the checkpoint together, a bit unnerved by the crowd they were in. The older male was silent as he walked and, just a few minutes later after taking their seats, barely acknowledged the stranger that had been placed with them; all he did was pull Fran onto his lap, hugging him tightly.

"It'll be okay, Bel-senpai." The boy patted Bel's arm gently. "You'll find someone who loves you. Perhaps Japan just isn't the place they live in."

The brunet woman who had been seated next to them gave them strange looks, but she didn't say anything, minding her own business.

"Excuse me, sir, but he needs to be in his own seat for take-off."

Bel looked up, nodding at the stewardess. He let Fran clamber back into his own middle seat, sighing as he turned to look out of the window.

"Oh, it seems we have a habit of booking the same flights."

Bel turned back around at the familiar voice, taking note of Mukuro and an unfamiliar girl sitting in the aisle across from them. He felt his cheeks heating up as he took note of the girl with Mukuro; the same pineapple-cut hair, an eye patch over her right eye, a black skirt and a green jacket similar to what Mukuro wore.

"This is my dear Chrome," Mukuro introduced to Bel, knowing Fran had already met her during his stay in Japan – it was quite the coincidence the same teenager the boy had gotten to know was the same one that accepted his Chrome as a friend. "Chrome, this is Bel."

Bel blushed as he looked away, clearing his throat. Fran sniggered; the older male never had been good with talking to girls.

"I-it's nice to m-meet you, Bel-san." Chrome ducked her head politely, her hands gripping her skirt tightly.

"Chrome is coming down for a holiday," Mukuro explained as he pulled his iPod out of his pocket. "Play nice."

The palm of Bel's hands started to sweat as he struggled to find something to say. He looked towards the front of the plane when he heard Squalo call his name, and he blushed further when the older male gave him the thumbs up, a huge grin on his face.

What the hell are they doing listening in on me…? Bel cleared his throat again as he turned his attention back to the girl. "It's nice meeting you, too, Chrome…"

Chrome had a blush that matched Bel's, and the boy could only roll his eyes, knowing that his guardian had developed another crush – this time on someone who clearly returned it.

"Bel!"

Bel looked up again as Squalo threw a piece of scrunched up paper at him. He sighed as he caught it, unsure of it he wanted to open it or not – knowing Squalo, it would probably have something embarrassing written in it.

'Ask her out already!' was written on the page.

Bel nervously handed the paper to Fran as he gathered up the courage, almost too scared of getting his heart broken again to go through with it.

"I… I was wondering if…" Bel scratched his cheek as he glanced away, the pain of being rejected all too familiar in his heart, "…if you'd like to catch a movie sometime…?"

Chrome blushed darker as she nodded. "O-okay…"

Bel felt as if a huge burden had been lifted off his shoulders at this, slowly finding it easier to talk to the girl he had just met.

Towards the front of the plane, Lussuria was taking money from Squalo and Xanxus.

"One day," Xanxus growled.

Squalo sniggered. "Oh, please, boss; Bel isn't that horny… I give it two days."

"You two should have more faith in him," Lussuria scolded as he slipped in his own money. "Four days."

Lussuria marked in everyone's bet on a blank sheet of paper, entitled Days until Bel fucks the hot chick – the title courtesy of Squalo.

And Fran, who was just happy to hear that Bel was getting along with someone he liked so well, smiled brightly as he took a page out of Mukuro's book and slipped his own earphones on. I give it an hour after the first date before Bel will ask for sex.