Guarire--KHR Fanfic
Title: Guarire
Author: Reidluver
Characters/Pairings: Bel, Mammon, with a side of Lussuria & Fran
Rating: PG
Warning: Varia language
Summary: Just because they're assassins doesn't mean they can't feel. Just because they're assassins doesn't mean they can't have people who are important to them. Just because they're assassins doesn't mean they can't be affected by death. Just because they're assassins doesn't mean they aren't human.
Guarire is Italian for "to heal'
“ . . . ‘choo!” The tiny sneeze echoed throughout the expansive corridor and Mammon glanced around quickly, hoping no one had been there to hear it. Thankfully there had not, and the little illusionist’s shoulders slumped forward with relief. For one thing, the last time Lussuria happened to hear him sneeze when he wasn’t using his ability, the Sun Guardian had called it . . . cute.
Naturally, being the size of an infant prompted everyone to see every action of his as “cute” but . . . that didn’t mean Mammon had to like it. A fee was always issued when that hateful “c” word (or any variant of it) was uttered . . .but still. Mammon could read minds after all. The thing that irked him the most about it other than having himself be looked at in that light (because what kind of grown, self-respecting man would want to be called cute?-aside from Lussuria) it was more that it was a constant reminder that he was cursed. Stuck forever in this wretched body unless-
“Achoo!” Mammon once again looked to see there was no one around and then hastily wiped his itchy nose with a handkerchief. He stubbornly ignored his sore throat, plugged ears, and irritated nostrils and tried to focus on conjuring an illusion. He could make the flushed cheeks disappear and-
“Mammon!”
The Arcobaleno barely had time to curse before he was lifted into the air unceremoniously by a certain prince. So the mission in Belize with Squalo is over then. I need to make a note of that in my books. “Bel, put me down,” he said, not bothering to keep the irritation out of his voice.
“Nu-uh~”
Mammon’s mouth twitched with displeasure. He really wanted to be left alone and be miserable by himself, both for the fact that no one would see him feeling less than perfect and for the privacy. Ever since being brought back to life by Uni, Mammon had felt slightly . . . uncomfortable around the rest of the Varia.
He had expected disappointed glares and the cold shoulder, considering how he had died. Giving up and essentially committing suicide was the most taboo act one could commit as a member of the Varia. It was worse than getting Xanxus’s meal order wrong. Mammon was sure they would consider him less than worthy to be “Varia Quality.” In fact, once he was alone with the Varia in that green clearing, Mammon was half-expecting Xanxus to fire him on the spot.
But he didn’t. No one had been mean to him. They treated him like normal, almost better in the absolute smallest of ways. Like they were . . . relieved.
“The Prince caught you and I’m putting you down when I feel like it.”
Mammon narrowed his eyes in frustration under his hood. Normally he’d just bug Bel to get him to leave him alone when he wanted, but Mammon didn’t really have the strength or patience for that today. And so the Arcobaleno started concentrating on an illusion to get away-
“A-A-choo!” Dammit.
Bel held Mammon at eye level so he could see his face easier, and the Arcobaleno noted with dread the way the blond’s grin widened and grew more mischievous. There was no getting out of this now. Once again Mammon cursed his shrunken size. Of course his adult form was no giant, but it was infinitely better than this.
“Does the baby have a cold?” Bel asked, feigning innocence while he was perfectly aware of the answer.
“No, I don’t. People sneeze all the time without being sick.” Mammon was going to say more, but had to instead pull out his handkerchief and sneeze into it.
“The Prince doesn’t think so. Ushishishi~ I’m going to take care of the sick baby!” Bel held him closer and took off toward the kitchen.
When they arrived, they met Lussuria and Fran who were standing by the island. Lussuria was decked out in his usual pink, frilly apron and it sounded like he was scolding Fran for spoiling his dinner, judging by the way he jabbed a metal ladle in the other man’s direction.
The green-haired illusionist looked up from his container of chocolate pudding. “Yo, sempai, predecessor-san.”
Lussuria spun around with the grace only he possessed and beamed. “Oh hey you two~ I’m about to make dinner, is there anything you want to request?”
Mammon opened his mouth, sensing a chance to escape, but Bel beat him to it. “No can do-the baby is sick! Ushishi~ And now the Prince is going to take care of him.”
The martial artist gasped and placed a hand to his cheek, staring at Mammon in concern. “Oh you poor thing~! Just tell me what you need honey and I'll get it for you.”
As Mammon tried to think of the best way to use Lussuria's worry to his advantage and escape Bel's grip long enough to make good use of his illusions, Fran made his way over and held out his hands. “Why don’t you let me do it instead, sempai? I’m pretty sure you’ll just end up making poor Mammon-san sicker, failing as a prince and all.”
“Hell no!” Bel clutched Mammon closer to his chest and looked at Fran as if he were appalled that the illusionist had the audacity to suggest something like that. “Why would the Prince ever let a shitty toad as yourself take care of my Mammon! You were just his replacement, froggie-don’t let that get to your head.”
Fran blinked. “So why am I still here if Mammon-san is back? Can I leave now?” His eyes almost looked hopeful.
“While that would be nice . . . no,” Bel said. “The Prince has found you to be an entertaining pet so instead of tossing you back into the pond I’ve decided to keep you. Ushishishi~”
“Sempai . . . I’m not your pet-”
“Gotta go!”
Ignoring Lussuria's calls to come back, Bel tore down the hallway at a speed far too childish for one his age, and before Mammon knew it they were in Bel’s unruly and messy room. The blond navigated through the objects strewn about the floor with practiced ease and then dumped Mammon into a pile of silk blankets. They were so soft Mammon easily sunk into them as if they were quicksand and couldn’t get out no matter how much he struggled.
Bel laughed at Mammon’s discomfort. “Just wait there like a good baby while the Prince gets everything ready to take care of my Mammon.” Then he disappeared out of Mammon’s sight and the Arcobaleno immediately set about trying to escape his cushion prison. It proved to be rather useless, seeing as how he was immediately assaulted with a sneezing fit and his energy was slowly deteriorating as an effect of his illness. Not to mention that Bel came back a total of two minutes later.
“Oh no you don’t!” Bel said, noticing the Arcobaleno’s feeble attempts at escape. “You’re going to let the Prince take care of you.” He then sat down on the bed and pulled a protesting Mammon into his lap. “Now first we have to get you warmed up.”
“Muu . . .” Mammon could only lay there in Bel’s arms as the Prince wrapped him roughly in a deep maroon blanket. It was done so tightly Mammon could barely breathe at first.
“Ushishishi~ . . . we should take your temperature next!” A thermometer was placed in his mouth (rather gently, Mammon noted with surprise) and he merely waited until the device beeped. Bel took out the thermometer and read the digital display.
“39°C. That’s a fever all right, baby. You couldn’t fool the Prince!”
“….Fine. Whatever.” Mammon tried to hide his sniffles with an exasperated huff. “But if you want to take care of me you’ll have to pay the price.”
“Ushishi~ You’ve got that backwards, Mammon. When someone’s sick it’s the patient who pays, not the other way around. But I suppose you’re in luck because I am a Prince and therefore can afford your prices!”
Mammon had to admit that was true. Bel never seemed to have any difficulty paying the prices the he charged the blond. And Mammon stubbornly stood by the belief that it was the only reason he would continuously put up with the prince.
“You thirsty, Mammon?” Bel asked, interrupting his thoughts.
The Arcobaleno mentally cursed himself for allowing his cold to distract him so easily and sighed. Chances were that Bel would force him to drink something no matter what he said. And his throat was a little scratchy.
“. . . Maybe.”
“Then would you like the strawberry milk the Prince got for you?” Mammon perked at the mention of his favorite drink but he quickly changed his expression to one of indifference.
“I suppose . . . if you’ve already gone through the trouble of getting it I might as well have some.” Mammon glanced around but did not see a glass anywhere. “Bel, where-”
“Ushishi~ Here’s the drink for the baby!” Bel said gleefully, magically pulling out a container from behind his over-sized striped shirt. He brought it toward Mammon’s mouth but was stopped by Mammon’s glare and powerful shout.
“I’m NOT a baby! What the hell are you doing?!”
The . . . the nerve of him! Calling him a baby was one thing but a . . . a baby bottle was going too far!
“All right, all right, Mammon. No need to get so worked up. Ushishi~” Bel unscrewed the purple top off. “Just a harmless little joke,” he said as he held out the cup and didn’t look sorry at all.
Mammon simply ignored him and grabbed the proffered beverage, his mouth in a small pout. “Just make sure you never try something stupid like that again or I’ll fine you a million times over.” For some reason, Bel looked completely furious for a moment, so much that Mammon wouldn’t be surprised if the blond’s eyes turned red. Any other person would be scared shitless, but Mammon was so used to Bel’s bipolar tendencies it didn’t faze him.
However, he couldn’t help but feel like this time was different, as if there was something he was missing.
Yet when Bel broke into giggles and hugged Mammon like the stuffed animal the self-proclaimed prince thought he was, the Arcobaleno figured the fever was impairing his judgment. He quickly finished the small glass of milk and tried to mentally brace himself for the next activity Bel had up his sleeves. His patience was quickly wearing thin and he hoped everything would be over soon.
Nearly an hour later at the mercy of even more ridiculous activities that the Arcobaleno chose to forget for the sake of his sanity (though he was thankfully free of the restricting blanket) Mammon finally lost his patience completely. He rotated himself in Bel's lap so he was facing the blond and glared. “Bel-it’s just a little cold! Stop! Why are you making such a big deal out of it?!”
The blond’s grin paused for a moment in surprise before it turned into more of a thin, forced line. After a moment’s hesitation, he said, “That army baby called earlier to say there was a chance you’d suffer from a small cold as an aftereffect from being brought back to life. He didn’t want you to worry, so he wanted to let you know . . . it’s not like last time.”
Mammon’s eyes widened under his hood with understanding and there was a slight twinge of guilt in his chest. Of course-this was how it started with the non-Trinisette rays. At first, no one had been alarmed because while it was uncommon for Mammon to get sick, it’s not like it was a rare occurrence. Only when the condition worsened and all the other Arcobaleno reported similar symptoms did it become an issue. And of course by then it was too late, even though there was really nothing they could do anyway.
Various memories flashed by; of trudging through the mansion like nothing was wrong; the feeling of anger and hopelessness-both at himself, Byakuran, and the damned curse; his fellow assassins trying to act like they didn’t notice; a silent Prince keeping watch over him at night when he thought Mammon was asleep, as if that was enough to fight back the illness, as if that could prevent the inevitable-
Mammon's face softened. “I . . . suppose I won’t charge you. For this time, anyway.”
Bel nodded stiffly but said nothing. There was an uncomfortable silence as they both just sat there, with Mammon watching the blond intently while the other looked everywhere but at the fellow assassin in his lap. The normally exuberant prince was completely rigid, hands clenched at his side, jaw set, and it seemed like he had to expel a considerable amount of effort to keep his breathing steady.
Mammon slowly and carefully stood up. It didn’t do much for his height, but it was more about the principle of the matter and the importance he was trying to convey. ". . . I'm not going anywhere this time, Bel," he said, voice barely above a whisper. He gave the lightest of touches to Bel's arm.
The prince broke free of his sudden paralysis and let out a choked laugh. "You'd better not. No lying to the Prince, it's . . . you can't. Not allowed."
There was another brief moment of silence, then Mammon reached up and gently brushed back Bel's bangs. At the same time, he lifted his own gaze and let the hood slide off his head. Steel gray met purple. The two of them had reached a point where there was no need to hide their eyes from each other. They respected and understood each other’s need to hide their eyes from the rest of the world.
"I promise it won't happen again. I won't let it," Mammon said, staring purposefully into Bel's eyes. "I bet it on all the money I own."
Slowly, all the worry and fear in the prince's gray eyes were replaced by simple relief. His expression then settled into a warm smile that most would believe the man incapable of making, though Mammon knew better. The amount of people who had seen that smile could be counted on one hand, and the illusionist couldn't help but feel a small amount of pride at being one of those people. Mammon returned the equally rare smile and Bel gently pulled the Arcobaleno into an embrace.
Contrary to earlier in the day, Mammon returned the gesture. His tiny hands gripped the fabric of Bel’s shirt and he buried his face into it, allowing himself the rare opportunity to seek comfort in physical contact. In response, Bel nearly curled around the Arcobaleno by pulling up his knees and rested his head on top of Mammon’s. The illusionist rather felt like a favorite toy that a child sought out after a nightmare.
"I won’t let that happen again,” Bel whispered, so softly Mammon wasn’t sure if it was spoken or he was unconsciously reading the blond’s thoughts. The how wasn’t important though-the only thing that mattered to Mammon was the powerful and raw emotion in Bel’s voice. It was painful and broken. The illusionist couldn't help but feel guilty, although he knew it was through no fault of his own.
During his illness, there were times where it seemed that it was harder on Bel than it was for him. Considering the concern came from a sociopath who delighted in the misery and pain of others, Mammon couldn't help but feel rather touched. He also couldn't deny that he felt the same about Bel, whatever this was. Assassins weren't supposed to have friends or people that were precious to them. It was dangerous, and the reason why Mammon made sure to distance himself from others. Money was all that mattered. But somehow . . . this blond, self-proclaimed prince had barged into his life and became an important person to him. Mammon would never admit it of course, but he would never regret it.
"I'll never leave you, Bel. I promise."
Not too long after, Mammon found himself curled up on Bel's lush bed, still wrapped in the others sinewy arms. No words had passed between them since. They had merely enjoyed the simplicity of each other's presence; a luxury that had been denied them for far too long for both of their tastes.
His royal highness had succumbed to sleep not too long ago and the Arcobaleno fought back a sigh, seeing as how he was the one who was sick. But Bel had just come back from a mission (Mammon was ever so grateful Bel had the decency to shower first and get a change of blood-free clothes) so Mammon couldn’t blame him all that much. But no matter. He yawned and sunk back into the blond's arms.
“Goodnight, Bel." Mammon snuggled a little closer to get comfortable and was soon fast asleep, feeling happier and more at peace than he had in a long time.
Author: Reidluver
Characters/Pairings: Bel, Mammon, with a side of Lussuria & Fran
Rating: PG
Warning: Varia language
Summary: Just because they're assassins doesn't mean they can't feel. Just because they're assassins doesn't mean they can't have people who are important to them. Just because they're assassins doesn't mean they can't be affected by death. Just because they're assassins doesn't mean they aren't human.
Guarire is Italian for "to heal'
“ . . . ‘choo!” The tiny sneeze echoed throughout the expansive corridor and Mammon glanced around quickly, hoping no one had been there to hear it. Thankfully there had not, and the little illusionist’s shoulders slumped forward with relief. For one thing, the last time Lussuria happened to hear him sneeze when he wasn’t using his ability, the Sun Guardian had called it . . . cute.
Naturally, being the size of an infant prompted everyone to see every action of his as “cute” but . . . that didn’t mean Mammon had to like it. A fee was always issued when that hateful “c” word (or any variant of it) was uttered . . .but still. Mammon could read minds after all. The thing that irked him the most about it other than having himself be looked at in that light (because what kind of grown, self-respecting man would want to be called cute?-aside from Lussuria) it was more that it was a constant reminder that he was cursed. Stuck forever in this wretched body unless-
“Achoo!” Mammon once again looked to see there was no one around and then hastily wiped his itchy nose with a handkerchief. He stubbornly ignored his sore throat, plugged ears, and irritated nostrils and tried to focus on conjuring an illusion. He could make the flushed cheeks disappear and-
“Mammon!”
The Arcobaleno barely had time to curse before he was lifted into the air unceremoniously by a certain prince. So the mission in Belize with Squalo is over then. I need to make a note of that in my books. “Bel, put me down,” he said, not bothering to keep the irritation out of his voice.
“Nu-uh~”
Mammon’s mouth twitched with displeasure. He really wanted to be left alone and be miserable by himself, both for the fact that no one would see him feeling less than perfect and for the privacy. Ever since being brought back to life by Uni, Mammon had felt slightly . . . uncomfortable around the rest of the Varia.
He had expected disappointed glares and the cold shoulder, considering how he had died. Giving up and essentially committing suicide was the most taboo act one could commit as a member of the Varia. It was worse than getting Xanxus’s meal order wrong. Mammon was sure they would consider him less than worthy to be “Varia Quality.” In fact, once he was alone with the Varia in that green clearing, Mammon was half-expecting Xanxus to fire him on the spot.
But he didn’t. No one had been mean to him. They treated him like normal, almost better in the absolute smallest of ways. Like they were . . . relieved.
“The Prince caught you and I’m putting you down when I feel like it.”
Mammon narrowed his eyes in frustration under his hood. Normally he’d just bug Bel to get him to leave him alone when he wanted, but Mammon didn’t really have the strength or patience for that today. And so the Arcobaleno started concentrating on an illusion to get away-
“A-A-choo!” Dammit.
Bel held Mammon at eye level so he could see his face easier, and the Arcobaleno noted with dread the way the blond’s grin widened and grew more mischievous. There was no getting out of this now. Once again Mammon cursed his shrunken size. Of course his adult form was no giant, but it was infinitely better than this.
“Does the baby have a cold?” Bel asked, feigning innocence while he was perfectly aware of the answer.
“No, I don’t. People sneeze all the time without being sick.” Mammon was going to say more, but had to instead pull out his handkerchief and sneeze into it.
“The Prince doesn’t think so. Ushishishi~ I’m going to take care of the sick baby!” Bel held him closer and took off toward the kitchen.
When they arrived, they met Lussuria and Fran who were standing by the island. Lussuria was decked out in his usual pink, frilly apron and it sounded like he was scolding Fran for spoiling his dinner, judging by the way he jabbed a metal ladle in the other man’s direction.
The green-haired illusionist looked up from his container of chocolate pudding. “Yo, sempai, predecessor-san.”
Lussuria spun around with the grace only he possessed and beamed. “Oh hey you two~ I’m about to make dinner, is there anything you want to request?”
Mammon opened his mouth, sensing a chance to escape, but Bel beat him to it. “No can do-the baby is sick! Ushishi~ And now the Prince is going to take care of him.”
The martial artist gasped and placed a hand to his cheek, staring at Mammon in concern. “Oh you poor thing~! Just tell me what you need honey and I'll get it for you.”
As Mammon tried to think of the best way to use Lussuria's worry to his advantage and escape Bel's grip long enough to make good use of his illusions, Fran made his way over and held out his hands. “Why don’t you let me do it instead, sempai? I’m pretty sure you’ll just end up making poor Mammon-san sicker, failing as a prince and all.”
“Hell no!” Bel clutched Mammon closer to his chest and looked at Fran as if he were appalled that the illusionist had the audacity to suggest something like that. “Why would the Prince ever let a shitty toad as yourself take care of my Mammon! You were just his replacement, froggie-don’t let that get to your head.”
Fran blinked. “So why am I still here if Mammon-san is back? Can I leave now?” His eyes almost looked hopeful.
“While that would be nice . . . no,” Bel said. “The Prince has found you to be an entertaining pet so instead of tossing you back into the pond I’ve decided to keep you. Ushishishi~”
“Sempai . . . I’m not your pet-”
“Gotta go!”
Ignoring Lussuria's calls to come back, Bel tore down the hallway at a speed far too childish for one his age, and before Mammon knew it they were in Bel’s unruly and messy room. The blond navigated through the objects strewn about the floor with practiced ease and then dumped Mammon into a pile of silk blankets. They were so soft Mammon easily sunk into them as if they were quicksand and couldn’t get out no matter how much he struggled.
Bel laughed at Mammon’s discomfort. “Just wait there like a good baby while the Prince gets everything ready to take care of my Mammon.” Then he disappeared out of Mammon’s sight and the Arcobaleno immediately set about trying to escape his cushion prison. It proved to be rather useless, seeing as how he was immediately assaulted with a sneezing fit and his energy was slowly deteriorating as an effect of his illness. Not to mention that Bel came back a total of two minutes later.
“Oh no you don’t!” Bel said, noticing the Arcobaleno’s feeble attempts at escape. “You’re going to let the Prince take care of you.” He then sat down on the bed and pulled a protesting Mammon into his lap. “Now first we have to get you warmed up.”
“Muu . . .” Mammon could only lay there in Bel’s arms as the Prince wrapped him roughly in a deep maroon blanket. It was done so tightly Mammon could barely breathe at first.
“Ushishishi~ . . . we should take your temperature next!” A thermometer was placed in his mouth (rather gently, Mammon noted with surprise) and he merely waited until the device beeped. Bel took out the thermometer and read the digital display.
“39°C. That’s a fever all right, baby. You couldn’t fool the Prince!”
“….Fine. Whatever.” Mammon tried to hide his sniffles with an exasperated huff. “But if you want to take care of me you’ll have to pay the price.”
“Ushishi~ You’ve got that backwards, Mammon. When someone’s sick it’s the patient who pays, not the other way around. But I suppose you’re in luck because I am a Prince and therefore can afford your prices!”
Mammon had to admit that was true. Bel never seemed to have any difficulty paying the prices the he charged the blond. And Mammon stubbornly stood by the belief that it was the only reason he would continuously put up with the prince.
“You thirsty, Mammon?” Bel asked, interrupting his thoughts.
The Arcobaleno mentally cursed himself for allowing his cold to distract him so easily and sighed. Chances were that Bel would force him to drink something no matter what he said. And his throat was a little scratchy.
“. . . Maybe.”
“Then would you like the strawberry milk the Prince got for you?” Mammon perked at the mention of his favorite drink but he quickly changed his expression to one of indifference.
“I suppose . . . if you’ve already gone through the trouble of getting it I might as well have some.” Mammon glanced around but did not see a glass anywhere. “Bel, where-”
“Ushishi~ Here’s the drink for the baby!” Bel said gleefully, magically pulling out a container from behind his over-sized striped shirt. He brought it toward Mammon’s mouth but was stopped by Mammon’s glare and powerful shout.
“I’m NOT a baby! What the hell are you doing?!”
The . . . the nerve of him! Calling him a baby was one thing but a . . . a baby bottle was going too far!
“All right, all right, Mammon. No need to get so worked up. Ushishi~” Bel unscrewed the purple top off. “Just a harmless little joke,” he said as he held out the cup and didn’t look sorry at all.
Mammon simply ignored him and grabbed the proffered beverage, his mouth in a small pout. “Just make sure you never try something stupid like that again or I’ll fine you a million times over.” For some reason, Bel looked completely furious for a moment, so much that Mammon wouldn’t be surprised if the blond’s eyes turned red. Any other person would be scared shitless, but Mammon was so used to Bel’s bipolar tendencies it didn’t faze him.
However, he couldn’t help but feel like this time was different, as if there was something he was missing.
Yet when Bel broke into giggles and hugged Mammon like the stuffed animal the self-proclaimed prince thought he was, the Arcobaleno figured the fever was impairing his judgment. He quickly finished the small glass of milk and tried to mentally brace himself for the next activity Bel had up his sleeves. His patience was quickly wearing thin and he hoped everything would be over soon.
Nearly an hour later at the mercy of even more ridiculous activities that the Arcobaleno chose to forget for the sake of his sanity (though he was thankfully free of the restricting blanket) Mammon finally lost his patience completely. He rotated himself in Bel's lap so he was facing the blond and glared. “Bel-it’s just a little cold! Stop! Why are you making such a big deal out of it?!”
The blond’s grin paused for a moment in surprise before it turned into more of a thin, forced line. After a moment’s hesitation, he said, “That army baby called earlier to say there was a chance you’d suffer from a small cold as an aftereffect from being brought back to life. He didn’t want you to worry, so he wanted to let you know . . . it’s not like last time.”
Mammon’s eyes widened under his hood with understanding and there was a slight twinge of guilt in his chest. Of course-this was how it started with the non-Trinisette rays. At first, no one had been alarmed because while it was uncommon for Mammon to get sick, it’s not like it was a rare occurrence. Only when the condition worsened and all the other Arcobaleno reported similar symptoms did it become an issue. And of course by then it was too late, even though there was really nothing they could do anyway.
Various memories flashed by; of trudging through the mansion like nothing was wrong; the feeling of anger and hopelessness-both at himself, Byakuran, and the damned curse; his fellow assassins trying to act like they didn’t notice; a silent Prince keeping watch over him at night when he thought Mammon was asleep, as if that was enough to fight back the illness, as if that could prevent the inevitable-
Mammon's face softened. “I . . . suppose I won’t charge you. For this time, anyway.”
Bel nodded stiffly but said nothing. There was an uncomfortable silence as they both just sat there, with Mammon watching the blond intently while the other looked everywhere but at the fellow assassin in his lap. The normally exuberant prince was completely rigid, hands clenched at his side, jaw set, and it seemed like he had to expel a considerable amount of effort to keep his breathing steady.
Mammon slowly and carefully stood up. It didn’t do much for his height, but it was more about the principle of the matter and the importance he was trying to convey. ". . . I'm not going anywhere this time, Bel," he said, voice barely above a whisper. He gave the lightest of touches to Bel's arm.
The prince broke free of his sudden paralysis and let out a choked laugh. "You'd better not. No lying to the Prince, it's . . . you can't. Not allowed."
There was another brief moment of silence, then Mammon reached up and gently brushed back Bel's bangs. At the same time, he lifted his own gaze and let the hood slide off his head. Steel gray met purple. The two of them had reached a point where there was no need to hide their eyes from each other. They respected and understood each other’s need to hide their eyes from the rest of the world.
"I promise it won't happen again. I won't let it," Mammon said, staring purposefully into Bel's eyes. "I bet it on all the money I own."
Slowly, all the worry and fear in the prince's gray eyes were replaced by simple relief. His expression then settled into a warm smile that most would believe the man incapable of making, though Mammon knew better. The amount of people who had seen that smile could be counted on one hand, and the illusionist couldn't help but feel a small amount of pride at being one of those people. Mammon returned the equally rare smile and Bel gently pulled the Arcobaleno into an embrace.
Contrary to earlier in the day, Mammon returned the gesture. His tiny hands gripped the fabric of Bel’s shirt and he buried his face into it, allowing himself the rare opportunity to seek comfort in physical contact. In response, Bel nearly curled around the Arcobaleno by pulling up his knees and rested his head on top of Mammon’s. The illusionist rather felt like a favorite toy that a child sought out after a nightmare.
"I won’t let that happen again,” Bel whispered, so softly Mammon wasn’t sure if it was spoken or he was unconsciously reading the blond’s thoughts. The how wasn’t important though-the only thing that mattered to Mammon was the powerful and raw emotion in Bel’s voice. It was painful and broken. The illusionist couldn't help but feel guilty, although he knew it was through no fault of his own.
During his illness, there were times where it seemed that it was harder on Bel than it was for him. Considering the concern came from a sociopath who delighted in the misery and pain of others, Mammon couldn't help but feel rather touched. He also couldn't deny that he felt the same about Bel, whatever this was. Assassins weren't supposed to have friends or people that were precious to them. It was dangerous, and the reason why Mammon made sure to distance himself from others. Money was all that mattered. But somehow . . . this blond, self-proclaimed prince had barged into his life and became an important person to him. Mammon would never admit it of course, but he would never regret it.
"I'll never leave you, Bel. I promise."
Not too long after, Mammon found himself curled up on Bel's lush bed, still wrapped in the others sinewy arms. No words had passed between them since. They had merely enjoyed the simplicity of each other's presence; a luxury that had been denied them for far too long for both of their tastes.
His royal highness had succumbed to sleep not too long ago and the Arcobaleno fought back a sigh, seeing as how he was the one who was sick. But Bel had just come back from a mission (Mammon was ever so grateful Bel had the decency to shower first and get a change of blood-free clothes) so Mammon couldn’t blame him all that much. But no matter. He yawned and sunk back into the blond's arms.
“Goodnight, Bel." Mammon snuggled a little closer to get comfortable and was soon fast asleep, feeling happier and more at peace than he had in a long time.