by Empath no Tenshi
‘Come to me. . . My precious puppet. . .’
‘Go away. . .’
‘I still dream of you. . .’
‘Don’t touch me!’
‘Ivory skin. . . Eyes like gems. . . You were beautiful as a blooming sakura. . .’
‘Go away. . . go away. . .’
‘Let me hold you again. . . just like that night. . .’
‘GO AWA-----Y!!!!!’
“Hisoka! Hisoka! Wake up!”
Emerald eyes shot open and met concerned amethyst ones, as a young boy wakes up form his nightmare, his breathing comes in gasps. He looks around, only to realize that he is in the infirmary, with his partner sitting on the side of his bed, worry present in every inch of his face.
Hisoka: “Tsuzuki, wha. . . Why am I here? Weren’t we supposed to. . .”
Tsuzuki brushes hair away from Hisoka’s face and flashes to him his ever-cheerful smile. . .A smile Hisoka knows only too well, that which hides all the sadness his partner has inside.
Tsuzuki: “Ah. We were just done with our last case, and we came here this morning to deliver the report, when you collapsed before we even came to Kachou’s office.”
Hisoka suddenly recalls everything and mutters an apology to Tsuzuki. Tsuzuki simply smiles and shakes his head.
Tsuzuki: “Iie. It’s okay. You’ve been really pale lately, and you’re not eating at all. I think your tiredness has just finally worn you off.”
Hisoka shrugs.
Hisoka: “I guess.”
Tsuzuki turns to inu-chibi mode and wags his tail.
Tsuzuki: “Dakara I told you, you should eat more!” *pouting*
Hisoka: “Urusei!” *he’s glaring again. Oh boy. . . ^_^!
~)-0-(~
After letting Watari check on him one more time (Watari wouldn’t let Hisoka go until he’s sure that he’s fine), he went out of the infirmary and headed for his house. But. . . not alone. Tsuzuki insisted that he wanted to walk Hisoka home. Or at least that’s what Hisoka wanted, to just go home and relax, before. . .
Tsuzuki: “Ne, ne Hisoka. Let’s go take a walk! It’s still early afternoon. Besides, we don’t get to go home early this much. It’s nice that we weren’t given a large amount of paperwork today, because we just came back from an assignment.”
Hisoka: “That’s because you never even TRIED finishing your half of the paperwork early. If you did, we could have had more chance to go home earlier than usual.”
Tsuzuki: “Hidoi!!! *sticks his tongue out* Anyway, what I wanted to say was, since it’s still too early to go home, why don’t we take a walk for a bit.”
Tsuzuki uses his good ol’ puppy-dog-eyes trick, which only works too well. Hisoka, who’s been quite used to this, just glares at his partner and reminds him of their work tomorrow.
Hisoka: “So we absolutely can NOT go slacking off today, because we have to be early for work tomorrow.”
Tsuzuki: “But. . . but. . . it’s just once in a while. Come ON Hisoka! Let’s go. Please?”
Hisoka: “Tsuzuki--”
Tsuzuki becomes a little puppy again and grabs Hisoka’s arm.
Tsuzuki: “Please! Please! Pleeeeeeaaasssse!!!”
Hisoka sighs and raises his arms up in the air.
Hisoka: “I give up. . . BUT--”
Little Tsuzuki looks up to him, tail still wagging.
Hisoka: “We won’t take long alright?”
Tsuzuki: “HA---I” *heart*
~)-0-(~
And so they take a walk at the park. Tsuzuki grabs onto Hisoka’s arm and points to an ice cream booth screaming ‘I want some!! I want some!!’ and pulling Hisoka towards it. Hisoka abruptly pulls his arm away--
#@# BOINK!!! #@#
Needless to say his sudden action causes Tsuzuki to fall down, face flat on the floor.
Tsuzuki: “Itai! Hisoka HI--DO--I~!!!!!” *crying in SD-puppy form*
Hisoka: “Ba~ka”
Hisoka walks away leaving poor lil puppy Tsuzuki behind. (He’s still crying. . .^_^!) He stops right in front of the ice cream booth and buys ice cream with THREE scoops!!! He walks back to puppy Tsuzuki and hands the ice cream to him. Tsuzuki looks up to him, stops crying in nanoseconds and starts licking his ice cream.
Tsuzuki: “Thank you, Hisoka!”
Hisoka: “Hmph. Baka. . . You’re acting like a kid.”
~)-0-(~
They continue their strolling before they headed downtown. The stores were all decorated with teddy’s, red ribbons and balloons, as well as red (some were even glittering) hearts. Today, after all, just happened to be Valentine’s day.
They went into some of the stores. When a bookstore captured Hisoka’s interest, Tsuzuki said that he’d rather look for a sweets shop in the meantime, (let’s face it, books and the like were just plain BORING for Tsuzuki). They agreed to meet at a nearby restaurant- just a simple and cheap one yet very well known for its mouth-watering delicacies.
When he left the bookstore, on his way to the restaurant, Hisoka passed by a sweets shop. He decided to look if Tsuzuki was there. He wasn’t, but, on his way out, something caught his eyes. On the far side of the shelf, barely visible, because the bigger boxes overshadowed it, a little heart-shaped glass container was there. It was so lovely. The salesperson noticed how Hisoka looked at it interestedly and showed it to him. Inside, there were lots of different kinds of rare sweets, from dark chocolate, to milk chocolate, and even fruit-flavored candies. It was a bit expensive, though, but what the heck, he bought it anyway.
Hisoka: “I’ll take it.”
--‘I bet he’ll like this. . .’--
~)-0-(~
When Hisoka got out of the store, he noticed that he was a bit late from their appointed time. --‘Tsuzuki must be waiting’ -- he thought, feeling a tinge of guilt. So he ran towards the restaurant, once or twice he nearly tripped. (Or maybe he did >_<) It didn’t matter anyway, Hisoka absolutely hated being late for anything. *how cute* He never was, and never will be. That’s why he felt that he had to hurry.
He finally arrived. After looking around, he felt relieved when he realized that Tsuzuki wasn’t there yet. So he sat down and wait. . .
And he waited. . .
--‘I’ll let him off this time. . . I was late too anyway.’--
And waited. . .
And waited. . .
Waiting. . .
Just ten more minutes. . .
--‘Could something have happened. . .?’-- he thought
Five minutes. . .
--‘Or. . .’--
Hisoka: “That’s it! I’m leaving!”
--‘I guess I’ve been ditched. . .’--
Just when Hisoka was about to stand up and leave, Tsuzuki arrived in the nick of time. (That is, just about time to stop Hisoka from leaving) He was carrying an oddly BIG paper bag, and had his usual warm smile.
Tsuzuki: “Yo! Hisoka. Sorry I’m late. I just can’t resist it. There were so many sweets. I can’t help it.”
Hisoka: “If you didn’t come, even just a second more, I could’ve left already.”
Tsuzuki: “Gomen ne. *guilty smile* So what do you want to have? It’s my treat.”
Hisoka: “Oh really now? Are you sure about this? I mean, not to be rude but, do you even have any more money left?”
Tsuzuki: “Of course! Here look. . .”
Tsuzuki puts out his wallet and shows his money. . . or is there???
Tsuzuki: “Eh? Sonna, where did all my money go?”
Tsuzuki searches his wallet in vain, and finally realizes that he--
Tsuzuki: “WAAA!!!!! I’ve spent them all. Son~na, I just spent my whole month’s salary!!!” *in chibi-mode*
Hisoka: “You jerk. . .”
~)-0-(~
After eating dinner, (which, of course, was taken from Hii-chan’s money) they continued their stroll at the park. It was a beautiful evening. Feeling a bit tired, Hisoka sat down on a nearby bench and Tsuzuki, too, sat beside him.
Tsuzuki: “You okay?”
Hisoka: “Ah. Just a bit tired, I guess.”
Tsuzuki: “Oh! Oh! By the way, I have something for you.”
Tsuzuki, like an excited little kid, beamed widely and handed out the paper bag to Hisoka.
Tsuzuki: “Open it! Open it! Open it!!!”
Hisoka shots Tsuzuki a curious look, then looks inside the paper bag. He slides his hand in and pulls his present out very carefully.
Hisoka: “A teddy bear. . .?”
It was so adorable, super cuddly, and very very cute, despite the fact that it nearly reached his waist. (very big teddy)
Tsuzuki: “ ’Thought you needed it. I know that there are some times that you hide and cry in secret, especially at night. So you won’t feel alone when you’re crying anymore, because at least you’ve got something to cuddle and hold on to.”
Hisoka looked down on the teddy, then sighed.
Hisoka: “You’re treating me like a child.”
Tsuzuki: “But I mean it Hisoka. *he’s really serious. . . and yes, he IS capable of that ^_^!*
--‘There are nights when you think I’m asleep, but I actually hear you crying and calling for help, calling my name too, especially if you have nightmares.’--
Hisoka. . . sometimes I just wish that you open up to me and tell me about it. . . About what’s bothering you. . . about what’s hurting you. . . or if there’s anything at all that I can do to help.”
There’s a very clear expression of sadness in Hisoka’s eyes, and he can’t seem to find the courage to look up to his partner’s eyes as he speaks.
Hisoka: “It’s just. . . It’s not as easy as that. . .”
Tsuzuki feels a bit guilty, he thought that maybe he’s pressuring his precious partner again. And he doesn’t want Hisoka to ever push him away once more. NO, definitely not after how he has worked so hard to get this close to him. So, he smiles at him instead.
Tsuzuki: “It’s okay. . . I’ll be waiting.”
--‘Even if it takes forever.’--
Hisoka slides his hand on his pocket this time, and pulls out a pretty box. He handed the heart-shaped glass filled with sweets to Tsuzuki.
Hisoka: “Here. I thought you might like it.”
Tsuzuki loved presents. He loved sweets. But most of all, he loved just about everything that comes form his dear Hisoka. At first, Hisoka thought that Tsuzuki might turn to inu-chibi mode again and start screaming like mad about his little present.
However, he didn’t.
He just sat there in silence as he stared at Hisoka’s present. Hisoka began to worry, thinking that his partner may have not liked it after all. But why? But before he could even think about that, Tsuzuki turned to Hisoka and smiled. Not one of those ‘common smiles’ nor a ‘masked smile’. No, it was different. It was his rare, GENUINE smile that only Hisoka ever had the privilege to see.
Tsuzuki: “You. . . I think you’ve given this to me a long time ago.”
“Eh?” Hisoka blinks curiously at his partner.
Tsuzuki: “Well, maybe not exactly this, but something very much like it. . . Only sweeter, better, more fragile, and very very special.”
Hisoka still doesn’t get it. He just looks at Tsuzuki, with big question marks hanging over his head. And complete with a flashing sign saying: ABSOLUTELY CONFUSED.
Tsuzuki, without warning, reaches out his hand and touches Hisoka’s chest, at exactly the spot where his heart is. (Nah ah ah. No malice here ^_~) Hisoka is startled but Tsuzuki simply smiles even more and keeps his hand there.
Tsuzuki: “You gave THIS to me a long time ago. I think you really did, and you just proved it to me. . . back then, in Kyoto.”
Hisoka stares at him, speechless.
Tsuzuki: “I know I’m careless most of the time. But I never, ever, let precious yet fragile things slip my hand, and fall and shatter to pieces.”
Hiskoa: “Tsuzuki. . .”
Tsuzuki gazes into Hisoka’s beautiful emerald eyes. He pulls his hand back and holds his present as if it was his life’s stone. . .as if he’d die *again* if it ever fell apart.
Tsuzuki: “I promise, I’ll take very good care of this. . . And that which you gave me, a long time ago.”
There was a long moment of silence between them. . . Hisoka just stares at the floor. . .
Tsuzuki: “Hisoka. . .?”
Hisoka: “No one. . . No one ever treated me like this before. . .”
--‘As if. . . I’m very special. . .’--
Hisoka hugs his new teddy tighter, as if ready to cry. . . He buries his face into it, then he feels Tsuzuki’s arms pull him closer, into a hug. Tsuzuki gently strokes Hisoka’s soft locks, and lets him lean on him as the young one lets his tears flow freely. It didn’t matter to him even if he was actually crying in front of his partner. It felt good, surely much better than crying all by himself in cold nights.
--‘Then please. . . don’t break it. . . After all, you’re the only one who can do so. . .’--
Quote from the song “Eternity”: (Okay, I confess, I’m not sure if the title is correct.)
“I won’t promise that I’ll heal you. . . But if you want to I will try.”
-Owari-
Author's Notes: =^w^= Well, there you go. . . Hope you liked it!!! For those who are still wondering about what exactly Hisoka gave to Tsuzuki since that time in Kyoto back then. . . it was his heart. (he opened it to someone again, after such a long time)