Title: Foundling
Author: KirishimaAyama
Pairing: 1869
Warnings: 1869, implied sexual themes, implied BelxFran
A/N: This is crack. xD

You can visit Fran at http:/ / www . formspring . me / minifran (remove spaces)

First Published: 04/08/2010 and shamelessly promoted after that

Disclaimer: I'd make this canon if I were Akira Amano

FOUNDLING

…

Mukuro blinked at the small child who had collided with his legs, wide mismatched eyes taking in the small figure curiously as the youngling stumbled backwards, almost falling on his backside before Mukuro managed to catch him and raise him to eye level. The child was a little heavier than he had expected, but Mukuro lifted with ease inspecting the youngster thoroughly.

Disheveled green hair, green eyes. He was very obviously not Japanese yet, funny enough, the toddler also reminded Mukuro a lot of Hibari. Maybe it was the direct, fearless stare. Yet strangely trusting...

"Where did you come from?" Mukuro murmured, a hint of a smile on his face.

He noticed several subtle details with his trained illusionist's eye - it was important for one not to miss the small details if one was trying to create a perfect illusion after all. The child's face was tear-streaked and his clothes appeared dusty, there were also several scratched on his palms. From the way he reached out his arms towards Mukuro also, as though he wanted to latch on and never let go... had he been abandoned?

There was something about those small clutching hands held out towards Mukuro desparately that made him instinctively draw the child into his arms. The youngster immediately threw arms around Mukuro's neck and hugged tightly. Mukuro stood for a beat, slightly bemused before his lips curved into his customary smile and he laughed.

The soft 'kufufu' made the child lift up his head and he looked into Mukuro's wicked ones with his innocent aquamarine pools.

"Can you talk, little one?" Mukuro asked the child.

The child turned his head to Mukuro and nodded.

"Do you have a name?"

"... Fran."

Mukuro gave a short nod, and began to walk again, the child cradled against him. Fran did not make any other sound as they traveled, merely secured his hold better on Mukuro and allowed him to take him wherever he wanted.

"Who is that?" Hibari asked bluntly the minute he spotted them from his vantage point outside the lodgings they shared, slightly apart from the main Vongola household.

He was propping up a wall as though he had been waiting for them – something he would no doubt deny – but for once it would be true, the 'them' part anyway.

"A foundling." Mukuro replied simply and the look on Hibari's face spelt it out quite clearly that the child was not welcome.

Fran took that moment to turn around and aim his clear direct gaze at Hibari who frowned and straightened up from where he had been leaning. The frown intensified as Hibari strode forward and unexpectedly made as if to hit the child.

"Kyoya, what are you doing?" Mukuro pulled the child back quizzically and Hibari's hand whizzed past where Fran was milliseconds prior. The air movement generated by the motion ruffled Fran's hair. Mukuro didn't comment on Hibari's brutality as to hit a child. As if it were any use telling Hibari hitting children was wrong.

"Look for yourself." Hibari replied evenly, although he still glared at the youngster.

Mukuro turned his gaze towards Fran, and although he could see through it easily, could see the illusion Fran had cast around himself. Fran seemed to have copied himself into Hibari's likeness, and for a minute, Mukuro was hit with nostalgia at how Hibari once looked.

"Oya, oya." Mukuro murmured. "What do we have here."

"I'd like to ask that." Hibari spoke up, although the question (although it had been a statement, really) had not been directed at him.

Mukuro smirked, glancing at Fran. "Doesn't he look like you?"

Hibari raised a cool eyebrow, made a disparaging noise and disappeared back inside their lodgings. "Don't bring him in here." He called after him.

Which Mukuro chose to ignore.

Mukuro stepped through the doorway and the first thing he did was dodge the tonfa thrown at his head, and sidestep the second tonfa aimed towards his midriff. He did it automatically and swiftly with practised ease ... well, it wasn't as though he hadn't done that enough times.

Mukuro grinned at a now-scowling Hibari and placed the child on his own two feet.

"This is Fran."

"Like I care what the herbivore's name is."

Mukuro continued as though he hadn't said a word. "I'm Mukuro, and this is Hibari." Mukuro introduced to the child.

Fran looked from Mukuro to Hibari.

"Mukuro... Hibari..."

"But," Mukuro continued. "You seem to have a strange power, hm? So I suppose you better call me Master."

"I've always been able to do that." Fran's voice was quiet as he looked at Mukuro steadily.

Mukuro smiled again. It was pleasant to come across those with true power. Many had the hidden potential - like his Chrome - which he had been able to unlock, but he had met none that either had his natural power or that matched his power yet.

"You still need training though, little one." Mukuro replied with a note of sternness in his voice.

"So, I call you Master?" Fran asked in his calm voice. "And you will train me?"

"And I'll take care of you too. Ah," Mukuro noticed Hibari watching their exchange in a slightly curious manner, even though his arms were folded in a gesture of displeasure. "Say hello to mummy."

"WHAT?" Hibari's voice was like a crack of lighting and he was over there in a flash, tonfas somehow miraculously in his hands again. "I will bite you to death, you despicable herbivore!"

"Set a better example for the little one!" Mukuro threw back, as he picked up Fran and dodged Hibari's swipe.

"Shut up!"

"Kufufu." Mukuro laughed as they continued their mockery of a battle.

"Mummy." Fran murmured eventually, sending Hibari back into eliminate-mode and they skipped around the room again before Mukuro was eventually struck down with a well aimed hit.

"Don't EVER call me that. You hear me?" Hibari looked coldly at Fran who appeared rather unfazed but nodded his head fractionally as though Hibari were actually speaking at a normal tone and volume.

"Why so tsundere, Kyoya?" Mukuro asked from the floor.

There was a loud sound of metal hitting bone as Hibari hit Mukuro once again.

Calmed down again a few ... hours later, Mukuro slumped haphazardly on a couch with an ice pack to his cheek as Hibari allowed Fran to approach him. Scrubbed and dressed in some clean - if not rather baggy, as both occupants of the house were adults - clothes, Fran walked over to the forbidding skylark with an air of extreme nonchalance and blinked up at him as though he were something quite curious.

If nothing else, Hibari was impressed by his absolute unfazedness.

It eventually dawned on Hibari that Fran wanted to be picked up, and with a required sigh, he bent down and pulled the child sideways onto his lap. Not really picked up, but at least, Fran was being held like he wanted. Fran blinked from his new vantage point, and slightly worried besides himself, Hibari wrapped his arms around Fran to reduce any chance of him falling. Fran turned his head and gave Hibari his direct aquamarine gaze, lay his head across Hibari's chest and ...

...promptly fell asleep.

Hibari's head jerked back in surprise and he glared across at the smirking Mukuro who gave his customary laugh – though it must have hurt, with that injury on his cheek.

"See? Mummy, indeed."

Then he was out of the couch and running as fast as he could as Hibari flung a tonfa at him, still clutching the sleeping Fran securely to him in one arm. Hibari glanced down at the child, the small head lying trustingly against his chest, and gave a soft sigh.

Well, there was no choice, he supposed. If they had found a child, he supposed it was their responsibility to take care of it. ... But no, it wasn't an 'it', it was a him.

Hibari got up slowly with unaccustomed gentleness and went to place the child on the bed.

They had almost forgotten themselves.

Mukuro had only just managed to fend off another violent attack (as punishment) from Hibari and was half-sitting against the wall where he had landed as Hibari thoroughly kissed him. Whether it was in anger or retribution, it didn't really seem to matter anymore. It was strange though, how often they ended up in these unexplainable situations when they were seemingly in the middle of some fight only moments before.

Hibari loomed over Mukuro now, directing the kissing and Mukuro accepted with an amused twist of his lips. Hibari reached one hand underneath the hem of Mukuro's shirt and had pushed it up roughly before they both heard the soft patter of feet and a sleepy looking Fran stepped out of the darkened bedroom.

"What are you doing?" He enquired in a lazy-sounding voice, quite obviously still sleepy.

"Nothing." Hibari replied, returned to his cold tone as he yanked down Mukuro's shirt again to hide his bare midriff. Mukuro's gaze was somber as he looked from child to lover. Then he smiled wickedly and unexpectedly pulled Hibari down with a hand around the back of his head for a long kiss where it seemed they had promptly forgotten themselves again as it stretched on for minutes on end.

Finally Hibari seemed to remember and pulled apart roughly as Mukuro smirked. Fran was still exactly where they left him, head cocked and looking a little - only a little - more awake. He nodded his slowly head as if to say 'Oh, it's like that' with the maturity of an old man.

Hibari frowned at Fran as the child showed no sign of surprise or confusion on his face, feeling a little awkward and confused himself.

"So, does that make you my daddy?" Fran voiced to Mukuro, as though it were the most normal thing to say in these circumstances.

"If you're doing it that way, then that would be me." Hibari interjected, raising an eye at the accepting Mukuro underneath him.

"But you're already Mummy... how can you be both?" Fran asked reasonably.

"… IF YOU CALL ME THAT ONE MORE TIME-"

Hibari leapt off Mukuro and towards Fran who seemed to have survival skills enough to know that running was a very good idea. As well as using illusion. The youngster melded into the blackness of the bedroom as he raced through the doorway.

Mukuro sat up but remained on the floor, laughing openly and richly at Hibari's murderous expression as he peered into the gloom. Having fun at Kyoya's expense. Definitely something he liked.

"I'm not done with you yet." Hibari hissed in annoyance, glaring back at Mukuro, but Mukuro decided to interpret that how he liked even though he knew Hibari hadn't meant it that way.

With a cunning smile, Mukuro flicked his long ponytail back over his shoulder and went to the front door to leave - they did actually have things (like missions) to do after all.

"Tonight then? Mummy?" Mukuro teased as he left the room, closing the door in time as an egg splattered on the inside of it.

"I really hope you don't think that Mukuro and Hibari gave birth to you." Tsuna said, addressing the young child in front of him who looked to be kitted out in the most ridiculous frog suit. Well at least it matched his hair and eyes.

"I don't see why not..." Fran replied in his calm, monotonal way. "I heard about how babies are formed. The male sticks his..."

"Okokok, stop there." Tsuna said, having gone a bright shade of pink. "I see."

"And I know that... although it's a bit weird, but mummy puts his..."

"STOP!" Tsuna yelled, slumping to the ground in despair over his Mist and Cloud Guardians and their private lives. "I just didn't need to hear that."

"Hear?" Fran cocked his head to one side. "Also, I sometimes also hear things at nigh-"

"AARRRRGH!" Tsuna yelled, hands over his ears. "I DON'T NEED TO HEAR ANYMORE!"

That was the last time he would ever agree to babysit Fran for Hibari and Mukuro.

"Hm."

Gokudera and Yamamoto glanced at each other a little nervously. Although it was just a short sound, neither of them understood what it meant. Or what was going on behind that calm face.

"Hm."

"I-is something the matter, Fran?" Gokudera asked with a forced-looking smile.

"Not really." Fran said, cocking his head to one side in that manner he had, blinking innocently.

Gokudera and Yamamoto took a deep breath.

"But you two're like Mummy and Master, aren't you?" Fran continued, his clear eyes innocent.

"Ah... Ahaha... What do you mean?" Yamamoto asked, smiling carelessly as always, not quite understanding the reference even as Gokudera's gaze skittered away and he tried not to look to guilty.

"Like you two do those things at night together. You make strange noises and, when I come in the next morning, mummy and Master are-"

"WHOA." Gokudera yelled, throwing up his hands, then tried to soften his tone and words (word) with a forced laugh. "That's not for us to hear, kid."

"Oh." Fran blinked. "So anyway, are you the mummy or daddy?"

It wasn't any wonder, surrounded by this madness that Fran became who he was.

"Senpai."

Belphegor didn't turn but merely waited for Fran to catch up. "What?"

"Wait up."

"No way." Bel replied, though he stopped long enough for Fran to catch up anyway. As Fran emerged from the trees, the light glinted off the daggers which had been stabbed into Fran's hat, quite obviously by Bel himself.

Bel reached up and yanked the curved blades back out. "I need these."

"Then stop using them so carelessly."

Whump. They were stabbed right back into different holes.

"Hm."

"I'm going." Bel announced, ignoring Fran, and heading towards their destination without a backward glance.

Fran followed without argument, happy to follow his senpai anywhere.