KHR: Storm Warning (Fran, Bel)
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Mild Angst, Hurt/Comfort
Summary: Fran is the new mist and Bel is irked. Continuation of Meeting of Mist.
The story felt unfinished so here we go again.
Storm Warning
"Mammon is dead. You're in, Fran," Commander Squalo said without ceremony. Fran stood stone-faced at attention under the core Varia's scrutiny.
Levi-san, the perverted old man, was looking at him with a funny blush on his face. (Gross.) Lussuria-okama was smiling brightly as he waved him to come over, holding out something tight and leather. (Scary.) Bel-senpai was standing off to the side, scowling in fierce protest. (Mean.)
And Xanxus-san, their high, exalted leader... he wasn't even there.
"I refuse to accept him. He isn't qualified," Bel spoke up.
"Shut it, Bel. It's not your decision to make."
"Don't let the Commander title get to your head, Squalo. You're not the boss of me. You're not the boss of anyone. We all only answer to Boss."
"Well, Xanxus put me in charge, so that makes me your boss by proxy. Now stop being a fucking baby so we can get on with our counterattack," Squalo argued back, with a whack to Bel's head.
"Hmph." Bel sniffed with disdain and turned a back to the proceedings. "We did just fine without a cloud. A weak-looking mist like that will only get in our way."
"He's not as weak as he looks. He has a Hell ring." Squalo nodded at Fran.
Fran blinked and nodded back. Squalo slapped a hand to his forehead.
"VOI! Show them your Hell ring. Moron."
"Oh." If Fran was embarrassed, his expression didn't show it. He patted his pockets absently and started to search through the inner linings. "It should be here somewhere."
"..." Bel gave Squalo a pointed look, and Squalo retaliated with another violent whack.
"Do that again and be disemboweled," Bel threatened, taking out his knives.
"Ufu~ Bel-chan is grumpy because he misses Mammon~" Lussuria twittered sympathetically, ruffling Bel's hair. "So cute how you're grieving when you used to fight him all the time."
"Mess up my hair and be castrated," Bel switched targets, but his threats were automatic reflex, distracted and lacking the usual passionate bloodlust. Had he been his normal self, he'd already have sliced them both up without courtesy of warning.
"Ah, found it," Fran announced, holding out his ring for the others to see.
Bel was by his side in an instant. "Where did you get that?" he hissed, grabbing Fran's wrist. "That's not yours!"
Fran tried to tug his arm back, to no avail. The skinny prince was deceptively strong. "Mammon gave it to me."
"Liiiiiiies. Liiiiiiiiies. The filthy peasant tells lies!"
"He did!" Fran insisted, panic rising as Bel started to crush his bones. "Right before he left, in the hallway! After you disappeared, he ripped off the Varia patch and--"
Bel's mouth twitched and flattened into taut, angry lines. "He. Didn't. Do. That," he denied, punctuating each word by stamping Fran's foot with a sharp heel. "He wouldn't, you poisonous, lying snake." STAMP.
"Ow~ senpai. That really hurts," Fran flinched, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. "Please stop it, it's making me cry."
He threw a pleading look at Commander, who shrugged with a look that said, "Work it out yourself." (Long-haired idiot.)
"You stole it from him, you low-life thief, when he could have used it to fight back." Bel grinned humorlessly. "Shishishi. He never had a chance. You might as well have killed him yourself."
"It's not like I asked for it, or even wanted it. He forced me to take it and forced me into this spot. Ah, such a terrible person, leaving me such a mean senpai like you."
"I think he's telling the truth," Levi tried to pry Bel away.
Bel shook him off. "Mammon never gave anything to anybody, not for free. He was a greedy little thing. I know that better than anyone."
He gave a sudden twist and Fran grimaced in pain, hand opening and ring dropping from his grasp.
Bel caught it mid-air and slipped it snugly on his right ring finger, next to his own storm ring. "I'll be taking this, you fake mist," he drawled, daring Fran to disagree.
Fran hid his hands in the folds of his coat pockets. "Do whatever you want," he said, refusing to be baited. "It's not like you can use it. Besides, I don't want a promotion. It'll only make me a more visible target."
"The prince is never wrong. Told you he was a coward," Bel smirked in disdain, point proven.
"...you called Mammon that, too."
Bel froze momentarily, then pulled Fran close by the shirt so that he could hiss in Fran's ear, voice low, venomous, and brimming with barely contained rage. "Don't pretend you understand anything, you eavesdropping insect. It angers me greatly and I already dislike you."
Fran wisely did not talk back until Bel had released him, expression impassive as he straightened out his clothes. "I don't like you either, senpai. You call me a liar but you're really dishonest yourself. You regret telling Mammon to go kill himself because he actually did. And now you're unfairly taking out your guilt on me."
It took all three other Varia members present to hold Bel back while Fran scuttled off, legs shaking and courage spent.
-----
To Be Continued.
-----
Will be finished off as a trilogy: Clear Skies Ahead
EDIT: Story continued here: After the Rain
Also posted to fanfiction.net
Genre: Mild Angst, Hurt/Comfort
Summary: Fran is the new mist and Bel is irked. Continuation of Meeting of Mist.
The story felt unfinished so here we go again.
Storm Warning
"Mammon is dead. You're in, Fran," Commander Squalo said without ceremony. Fran stood stone-faced at attention under the core Varia's scrutiny.
Levi-san, the perverted old man, was looking at him with a funny blush on his face. (Gross.) Lussuria-okama was smiling brightly as he waved him to come over, holding out something tight and leather. (Scary.) Bel-senpai was standing off to the side, scowling in fierce protest. (Mean.)
And Xanxus-san, their high, exalted leader... he wasn't even there.
"I refuse to accept him. He isn't qualified," Bel spoke up.
"Shut it, Bel. It's not your decision to make."
"Don't let the Commander title get to your head, Squalo. You're not the boss of me. You're not the boss of anyone. We all only answer to Boss."
"Well, Xanxus put me in charge, so that makes me your boss by proxy. Now stop being a fucking baby so we can get on with our counterattack," Squalo argued back, with a whack to Bel's head.
"Hmph." Bel sniffed with disdain and turned a back to the proceedings. "We did just fine without a cloud. A weak-looking mist like that will only get in our way."
"He's not as weak as he looks. He has a Hell ring." Squalo nodded at Fran.
Fran blinked and nodded back. Squalo slapped a hand to his forehead.
"VOI! Show them your Hell ring. Moron."
"Oh." If Fran was embarrassed, his expression didn't show it. He patted his pockets absently and started to search through the inner linings. "It should be here somewhere."
"..." Bel gave Squalo a pointed look, and Squalo retaliated with another violent whack.
"Do that again and be disemboweled," Bel threatened, taking out his knives.
"Ufu~ Bel-chan is grumpy because he misses Mammon~" Lussuria twittered sympathetically, ruffling Bel's hair. "So cute how you're grieving when you used to fight him all the time."
"Mess up my hair and be castrated," Bel switched targets, but his threats were automatic reflex, distracted and lacking the usual passionate bloodlust. Had he been his normal self, he'd already have sliced them both up without courtesy of warning.
"Ah, found it," Fran announced, holding out his ring for the others to see.
Bel was by his side in an instant. "Where did you get that?" he hissed, grabbing Fran's wrist. "That's not yours!"
Fran tried to tug his arm back, to no avail. The skinny prince was deceptively strong. "Mammon gave it to me."
"Liiiiiiies. Liiiiiiiiies. The filthy peasant tells lies!"
"He did!" Fran insisted, panic rising as Bel started to crush his bones. "Right before he left, in the hallway! After you disappeared, he ripped off the Varia patch and--"
Bel's mouth twitched and flattened into taut, angry lines. "He. Didn't. Do. That," he denied, punctuating each word by stamping Fran's foot with a sharp heel. "He wouldn't, you poisonous, lying snake." STAMP.
"Ow~ senpai. That really hurts," Fran flinched, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. "Please stop it, it's making me cry."
He threw a pleading look at Commander, who shrugged with a look that said, "Work it out yourself." (Long-haired idiot.)
"You stole it from him, you low-life thief, when he could have used it to fight back." Bel grinned humorlessly. "Shishishi. He never had a chance. You might as well have killed him yourself."
"It's not like I asked for it, or even wanted it. He forced me to take it and forced me into this spot. Ah, such a terrible person, leaving me such a mean senpai like you."
"I think he's telling the truth," Levi tried to pry Bel away.
Bel shook him off. "Mammon never gave anything to anybody, not for free. He was a greedy little thing. I know that better than anyone."
He gave a sudden twist and Fran grimaced in pain, hand opening and ring dropping from his grasp.
Bel caught it mid-air and slipped it snugly on his right ring finger, next to his own storm ring. "I'll be taking this, you fake mist," he drawled, daring Fran to disagree.
Fran hid his hands in the folds of his coat pockets. "Do whatever you want," he said, refusing to be baited. "It's not like you can use it. Besides, I don't want a promotion. It'll only make me a more visible target."
"The prince is never wrong. Told you he was a coward," Bel smirked in disdain, point proven.
"...you called Mammon that, too."
Bel froze momentarily, then pulled Fran close by the shirt so that he could hiss in Fran's ear, voice low, venomous, and brimming with barely contained rage. "Don't pretend you understand anything, you eavesdropping insect. It angers me greatly and I already dislike you."
Fran wisely did not talk back until Bel had released him, expression impassive as he straightened out his clothes. "I don't like you either, senpai. You call me a liar but you're really dishonest yourself. You regret telling Mammon to go kill himself because he actually did. And now you're unfairly taking out your guilt on me."
It took all three other Varia members present to hold Bel back while Fran scuttled off, legs shaking and courage spent.
-----
To Be Continued.
-----
Will be finished off as a trilogy: Clear Skies Ahead
EDIT: Story continued here: After the Rain
Also posted to fanfiction.net