by Empath no Tenshi
(Okay, I confess, I stole this title from the song. I can�t help it!!! I luv this song. Please don�t sue me for this, me have no enough money to afford even the cheapest lawyer. *sigh*.)
���� Golden eyes were wandering about in the halls of EnmaCho, scouting around for unsuspecting guinea pigs, like a hunter stealthily waiting for his prey. When a pair (namely a certain brunette and his emerald-eyed youthful partner) passed by, an evil grin spread across this longhaired blonde�s face. Our dearest Watari Yutaka has found his new victims. . .
���� �Ohayou! Bon! Tsuzuki-san!� Watari greeted them, with a sweet and innocent smile.
���� �Aa. Ohayou, Watari. . .� Tsuzuki gloomily greeted with a pout.
���� �Eh? What�s wrong? Why the long face?� Watari asked curiously, tilting his head sideways.
���� Tsuzuki glanced at Hisoka, and the latter seems to be in a very bad mood. He met Tsuzuki�s eyes with a cold glare, which made the older shinigami turn into inu-chibi Tsuzuki and hide behind Watari. Without a word, Hisoka walked away and went into their office, leaving his baka partner behind.
���� �Ne, Tsuzuki, what DID happen??? Bon seems to be in a really foul mood.� Watari asked interestedly.
���� �Well you see. . .�
��� And Tsuzuki narrated to him everything that happened that morning.
���� >>> Apparently, he decided to join Hisoka for breakfast as he customarily did. However, they had a little disagreement. Hisoka wanted to have his usual breakfast of tea. . . only tea. He didn�t have appetite in the morning, so he�d settle himself with just that. Tsuzuki wanted to persuade Hisoka into eating something. . . anything! He even offered him his newly bought cinnabuns that he�d never share with anyone at all, just so Hisoka�s stomach would contain more than just tea. But Hisoka still refused.
���� �Tsuzuki I told you. . . I don�t have appetite in the mornings! I�ll eat something, but maybe later, when I feel hungry already.�
���� �De~mo Hisoka~ even just a little, tinny winy bite? It won�t hurt.�
���� But Hisoka still ignored him. It�s true, though, that when you don�t have appetite in the morning, you can�t force yourself to eat no matter what. (Take it from me, I�m like that ^_^!) And Hisoka is one of those who have that kind of problem.
����� Then again, Tsuzuki can be just too stubborn sometimes. He even went as far as offering to spoon-feed Hisoka, which the latter abruptly refused. But Tsuzuki wouldn�t give up that easily either. He kept on persisting. Hoping that Hisoka would take a bite, he shook the cinnabun a few inches from Hisoka�s face, thinking that if the youth smelled it, he�d be tempted to eat. Hisoka still ignored it, so Tsuzuki insistently pushed the food forward.
The result?
�Itetetete. . . Tsuzukiiiiiiiii---!!!!!�
�Ah! Hisoka! Gomen!�
���� Fresh, hot, tea was spilled onto Hisoka�s shirt. <<<
���� �And after that. . . he didn�t eat anything anymore. He didn�t even make another tea. He just changed, walked out of the house, and walked towards the office. I tried to offer him some more cinnabuns. . . but he wouldn�t even speak to me anymore. . . � Tsuzuki sniffled.
���� �No wonder. . .� Watari said thoughtfully.
���� �WAAAAAAA!!! But I didn�t mean it!� Little inu-Tsuzuki was now crying.
���� �Now. . . now. . . of course you didn�t. Don�t worry. I�m sure bon knows that too.� Watari said, patting the little puppy on the head.
���� �De~mo, he�s mad at me~~~. . .� Tsuzuki pouted
���� �I know! Why don�t you go make him tea and give him something to eat? I�m sure he�s pretty hungry by now.� Watari said, then something clicked inside. A light bulb suddenly flashed above his head. �Oh! Wait a minute! I�LL go make tea. Why don�t you just go and wait for me at the cafeteria ne? Then you can give it to bon and you�ll be forgiven in no time!� Watari said cheerfully.
��� �Okay!� Tsuzuki said, now beaming.
����� � Hehehe. . . I�m sure it�ll be a success this time. And if it DOES turn out to be a success, it won�t make much of a difference. Bon looks like a girl as he is now anyway, so I�m sure he�s the perfect test subject. On to my sex-changing potion experiment number 129,875,628,634,529!!! Hehehe. . .� *evil grin*
~)-0-(~
���� Meanwhile, Hisoka was on the office that he and Tsuzuki shares, working on their usual paperwork. He glanced over at Tsuzuki�s desk only to realize he still wasn�t there.
���� �I wonder what that idiot is up to this time. . .�
���� Just then there was a knock on the door.
���� �Tsuzuki. . .?�����������
���� �Tsuzuki-san? Kurosaki-kun?� came in Tatsumi�s voice.
���� Hisoka stood up and opened the door to let Tatsumi in.
���� �Working hard, as usual eh, Kurosaki-kun?� Tatsumi affirmed with a warm smile that�s rarely seen from the stern secretary�s face.
���� At first, Hisoka wondered if they have a new case, but thankfully Tatsumi only came to deliver more forms (their usual paperwork) and to remind them that their report for their last case is due tomorrow. He was just about to hand new bills to Tsuzuki (with a great big sigh) when he noticed that the person in question wasn�t there.
���� �Are? Where�s Tsuzuki-san?� he asked with a questioning look at Hisoka.
���� �He came with me to the office today. He�s probably on the cafeteria or with Watari-san.� Hisoka said with a nonchalant shrug, which were both true. (Ne, Hii-chan, you psychic or something??? =^w^=)
���� �Well anyway, I better go now. Please do remind Tsuzuki-san to finish his paperwork as well. . . that�s if he doesn�t want his salary to be lessened, already so small as it is.� The secretary said with a sinister look in his eyes.
���� �Ha. . .hai.� Hisoka replied politely (or should I say nervously??? ^_^!)
���� And without further ado, Tatsumi walked out of the office.
���� �I wonder where that baka is. . .� Hisoka thought a bit irritated, but nonetheless worried.
���� Just then, a very nervous Tsuzuki walks inside the room.
���� �Well, it�s about time. What took you?� Hisoka asked monotonously. (Which, for Tsuzuki, was a very bad sign.)
���� �Anou. . . Here. I brought you tea. I thought you might want some.� Tsuzuki said head bowed and with all humility. Slowly, he offered the mug to Hisoka. They stood there in silence for a moment, then Tsuzuki felt delicate fingers slowly take the mug from his hand. He looked up to Hisoka, and the youth muttered a very soft �Thank you�.
���� Tsuzuki turned to inu-chibi again and started wagging his tail happily. �Waaaaai! You�re not mad at me anymore?�
���� �Hai hai. . . not anymore.� Hisoka said, and his expression has noticeably softened.
����� �WAAAAIIII! *heart* � Tsuzuki exclaimed heartily.
���� Hisoka began to sip his tea. There was something different from the taste, he noticed. Sure, Tsuzuki was awfully terrible at cooking, but surely he wouldn�t mess up even tea. So he ignored it anyway. Besides, Tsuzuki looked so happy, so he made sure to make it look like he liked the tea very much.
���� �Oh by the way, Tatsumi-san said that our report�s due tomorrow. Also. . .�
���� He shot a you-better-keep-this-in-mind look at his partner, and Tsuzuki looked at him nervously now.
���� �He said that you better work on your forms, or else. . .�
���� �*gulp* or else. . .?� He asked nervously, dreading the answer.
���� �He�ll lower your salary, AGAIN.� Hisoka gave threatening emphasis on the last word.
����� �EHHHH!!!?� Then Tsuzuki scrambled to his seat and didn�t lose a second to start working. He was busily immersed in writing (or probably even scribbling nonsense) when he heard something.
���� @@@@-POOF!-@@@@
���� There was smoke all over the place.
���� �Nani?�
���� He turned to look at Hisoka over his desk and his pile of paperwork as the smoke started to clear.
���� �Hisoka?�
���� But there was no Hisoka.
���� �Hisoka? Where are you?� Tsuzuki asked again, beginning to feel panic rise up in him.
���� He stood up from his chair and frantically looked around, and when he looked at where Hisoka was standing before, his eyes fell on the cutest thing ever in existence. It was a little kid no older than 5 years of age, and his eyes were blinking innocently looking around the room. He looked up at Tsuzuki, and Tsuzuki just had to force himself not to jump on the little figure and glomp him.
���� �Hi. . . Hisoka. . .?�
���� -----knock-knock-knock-----
���� �Ah by the way, Kurosaki-kun, I forgot to tell you earlier that. . . �
���� Tatsumi�s eyes widen in shock. The look on his face would�ve been a blackmail material, if only Tsuzuki had a camera. Anyway, Tsuzuki was too absorbed in staring at Hisoka to even notice that. He didn�t even notice that Tatsumi came in.
���� There was an odd moment of silence before Tatsumi registered what had happened.
���� �I believe someone has some explaining to do.� Tatsumi said, having a VERY dangerous look in his eyes and a vein popping out of his head.
~)-0-(~
���� Tsuzuki carried the silent and still confused Hisoka in his arms. He can�t walk, given that he looks like a doll wrapped in a really huge blanket, because his clothes were too big for his now smaller form. He and Tatsumi brought very little Hisoka to Watari�s lab. Watari�s mouth fell open, then sighed in disappointment.
���� �Oh well. . . I guess it didn�t work again.� Watari said
���� Tatsumi�s eyes narrowed on Watari. He was giving him the this-better-be-good look, and our blonde scientist knew that look very well (He always got it EVERYTIME he made his lab explode, or failed in his experiments. And this case happened to be one of the latter), so he started explaining.
���� �Anou, Tsuzuki-san, can you bring bon over here? I need to run a few tests on him.� Watari said cheerfully.
���� Tsuzuki held on to Hisoka tighter protectively by instinct, and didn�t let go until Watari assured him that it was only to check if there were any �side-effects� that could be harmful to the child. After a few check-up�s he declared that Hisoka is fine and there seems to be no health-related problems.
���� �In any case, I think it�s best for Kurosaki-kun to be taken home for now. And he is free from work until Watari comes up with an antidote, or at least until the effect of whatever excuse of a potion he did wears off. Tsuzuki-san, I would advice that you bring Kurosaki-kun home, and take good care of him. You�re excused from work as well.� Tatsumi said pensively.
���� Watari looked at Hisoka and talks to him in the friendliest manner he can.
�Ne, bon, you don�t feel anything strange do you?�
���� Hisoka blinked up at him curiously.
���� �Hisoka. . . please tell us. We want to help you.� Came Tsuzuki�s pleading voice.
���� �Hi. . . so. . . ka. . .?� The little boy spoke with a really sweet voice.
���� Tsuzuki looked at Watari nervously. Watari tried to speak to Hisoka again.
���� �Ne, bon, you. . . don�t remember anything?�
���� The little child blinked at Watari again, then paused for a moment to think. After a long moment, he shook his head.
��� ��I see. . . I think this is pretty normal. Since bon has been turned into a child, it�s probable that some of his memories were locked away. It�s like this; more or less this experience is like he traveled backwards through time. So, naturally, his brain would only be able to remember as far as his memories of that age. I suspect that he can�t remember anything else beyond that.�
���� Noticing the worried looks on Tsuzuki and Tatsumi�s faces, Watari continued further, shaking his hands in the air frantically.
���� �Don�t worry though. As I said, it�ll only be locked up in some part of his brain. He still has them, it�s not like they�ll disappear, because that�s impossible. Remember, our memories are also attached to our soul, not just our mind, so it transcends even time.� He said with a warm smile.
���� The two sighed with relief. They introduced themselves to Hisoka one by one, and Tsuzuki approached little Hisoka.
���� �Ne, Hisoka-chan. I�ll take you home now okay?� he said with a very sweet and friendly smile. He opened his arms in a welcoming gesture to Hisoka.
���� Little Hisoka looked at him for a while then smiled cheerfully at Tsuzuki.
���� �Okay!� he said with his warm and dulcet voice.
���� Loud crashes were heard all throughout EnmaCho as the trio fell over simultaneously.
���� �Did Hisoka just. . . smile???�
���� If they weren�t dead yet, these three would�ve died of heart attack all in one day.
~)-0-(~
�������� Watari theorized that since Hisoka�s attitude was molded by the harsh childhood memories that he had, they shouldn�t be surprised if there is a difference in his personality. Tsuzuki took this as an opportunity to at least, in a short period of time, he�ll do everything in his power to give Hisoka the childhood he never had. . . one which is filled with affection, care, and love. . . everything that a young child would yearn for.
���� Wakaba, after hearing about the incident, was more than eager to volunteer to buy some clothes for Hisoka, which was lucky for Tsuzuki, given the very low paycheck he receives. Despite his high position, he has microscopic salary, which is, of course, his fault being the �destructive demon� (1) that he is. He didn�t like the idea of leaving Hisoka all by himself at home, so he decided to bring him to the office. By midmorning of the little Hisoka�s first day in the Shokan bureau, nearly all of the employees were gathered around Tsuzuki to ruffle Hisoka�s hair or glomp him to death (oops, he�s already dead ^_^!). At first, little Hisoka seemed to enjoy their attention. He was smiling at each and every one of them rather cutely, some coworkers even commented �Awww he�s so kawaii�. But he soon became tired and clutched on to Tsuzuki�s sleeve, so the amethyst-eyed man had to shove them off before they begin to affect the boy empathically. After all, Hisoka�s empathy is an inborn ability, so even as a child, he already has them. Naturally, strong emotions still tend to have an effect on him.
��� Later that afternoon, Tsuzuki took Hisoka to a sweets shop. But, much to his disappointment, he realized that Hisoka never had a liking for sweets even as a child. But then, semi-sweet stuff, like pancakes, cookies and rice crackers, were okay for him. Tsuzuki decided to buy some ice cream and gave one to Hisoka. He accepted it and ate cheerfully.
���� �Thank you!� he said sweetly, and hugged Tsuzuki.
���� Hisoka was no longer afraid of physical contact with others, at least for now, because everyone around him showered him with warmth. For the first time, he didn�t feel scared of the people around him. They never threw thoughts of hatred towards him, so he felt perfectly comfortable with everyone. Inside, Tsuzuki mused that it would�ve been nicer if Hisoka continued to be like this until he grew up, he was so sweet, open and warm. He was carefree and cheerful, and very trusting. But then it pained Tsuzuki a lot, to realize that, if Hisoka was indeed like this when he was young before his life had changed because of his empathy, then how vulnerable Hisoka really was. He had such a soft and fragile heart, which had been cruelly crushed by his parents at such a young age. And not just his parents. . . but more so by that maniacal bastard of a doctor. . .
��� �O. . . nii. . . chan. . .� Hisoka sobbed. (He began to call Tsuzuki onii-chan because they are living together for now. He also calls Watari and Tatsumi the same, as well as other employees of EnmaCho. Except for Kachou, of course. He calls him tousan. Hisoka was just too cute for them to refuse.)
���� Tsuzuki abruptly looked at Hisoka, and saw that the little one was trembling and sobbing, his small hands clutching his arm. Tsuzuki suddenly realized that he must�ve been projecting very strong emotions that the little empath felt. He gently lifted him up and cradled him in his lap.
���� �Shhhh. . . it�s okay. I�m sorry. Hush now, Hii-chan. . . Shhhh. . .� Tsuzuki said stroking his hair.��
������ Hisoka relaxed, and his breathing became even. A few moments later, he fell asleep in Tsuzuki�s arms. The scene was so adorable, Tsuzuki looked so contented and happy having Hisoka in his arms just like this.
~)-0-(~
���� Hisoka, small as he is, was still helpful to the office. (Besides, if he didn�t work, Tatsumi would deduct that from his paycheck.) He�d take simple errands from their coworkers, like give this message to whoever, or take this to whoever, and even tell this to whoever, which Hisoka would carry out obediently. In return, he would usually get a hair ruffle from Tatsumi, a pat on the head from Kachou, a hug from Watari, a kiss from Wakaba, and even a rare smile from Terazuma. But, of all these gestures of affection that they gave him, his favorite was Tsuzuki�s nose rub. Once, when Tsuzuki took a sleeping Hisoka home, he discovered something. He went up to Hisoka�s room to wake him up for dinner, and as he was gently shaking him, his face was just inches apart from Hisoka�s. He couldn�t fight the urge to kiss the boy�s cheek, but when Hisoka�s beautiful emerald eyes opened sleepily, he rubbed his nose against Hisoka�s very gently, as his sister used to do when they were kids. And surprisingly, Hisoka seemed to like it. They�ve been doing it ever since.
���� A few days later, Watari was already able to come up with an antidote for Hisoka�s condition. However. . .
���� �In order for him to go back to normal, he has to remember something that would make him want to be back to the real Hisoka. Otherwise, there�s a danger that the effect of the potion won�t be reversed at all.� The blonde scientist explained.
���� �So what you�re saying is. . .� Tsuzuki pondered aloud, but Watari continued the sentence for him.
���� �That it�s totally up to bon. . . If his heart would want to go back to the Hisoka that we�ve all known.�
�And this time. . . it�s his heart, and not his mind, that will make the decision. He�ll come back if there was anything at all that was strong enough to attach his heart to us. . .�
~)-0-(~
���� Tsuzuki decided to take Hisoka out on a walk at the park later in the afternoon, and he plans to take Hisoka to some places that might be familiar to him. Tsuzuki�s hoping that maybe, if Hisoka�s memories begin to come back, there would be something that would turn him back to the old Hisoka. Much as he wanted to have sweet little Hisoka much longer, he was more determined to bring him back. He knew that this can�t go on forever, besides, he�s beginning to miss Hisoka�s scowls and glares anyway. ^_^! (Of all the things to miss about his partner. . . Tsuzuki-san hena yo.)
���� �But then, it wouldn�t hurt to keep him just a bit longer. . .� Tsuzuki thought naughtily. Then he grinned slyly at his new plan.
���� In a few seconds, they were in a playground, since Chijou was just a teleport away anyway.
���� �Nah, he probably didn�t get to enjoy this much in his childhood� Tsuzuki thought, so he wanted to do everything to let Hisoka have fun. �Besides, he won�t be this much of a fun-lover once he turns back into the old Hisoka.� he added with a sheepish smile.
���� Hisoka�s sweet little laughter was like music to Tsuzuki�s ears as he pushed his swing. He never saw the boy enjoy this much since they became partners, mainly because he�s just not into such things. He�d prefer sitting in silence and be in solitude. After enjoying themselves in the playground, they went to the nearby park and he left little Hisoka sitting on a bench to buy some ice cream. On his way back, he heard some kind of uneasy noise, like there�s some kind of trouble going on. He ran back to Hisoka as fast as he could, as he realized that the noise came form the direction where he left the child. When he reached there, he saw the little boy frozen in shock and staring at something in the distance.
���� �That man was trying to rob that woman of her bag. . .�
���� �That poor woman, he stabbed her like crazy when she didn�t give it. . .�
�
���� �Somebody, call an ambulance or something!�
���� �It�s too late. . .�
���� �And that poor child. . . he saw everything. . . at such a young age. . .�
���� What Tsuzuki heard from the witnesses told him everything that happened. But the last part caught his attention the most. He looked at where Hisoka�s sight was fixed on. And there, lying on the ground, was the corpse of a woman covered in blood.
���� �Hisoka. . .�
���� He rushed over to the child�s side and hugged him tightly. He stroked his hair and chanted words of comfort to the fear-stricken and beyond shocked kid. Gently he carried him in his arms, and they transported back to Meifu. This matter was not for them to handle anyway.
���� From a beautiful day, it has been turned into a horrible nightmare.
���� Tsuzuki laid Hisoka on the bed. He was still expressionless, and did not respond to Tsuzuki at all no matter how many times he tried to shake him and call his name. Tsuzuki was frantic. He didn�t know what to do anymore. He stood up and turned to walk towards the telephone. There was no other way, he had to ask for Watari�s help. Then he felt small hands clutching his sleeve tightly.�
�
���� He turned to look back at Hisoka, and the sight broke his heart.
���� Little Hisoka was trembling so much, and he was gasping for breath, as tears flowed down his soft cheeks uncontrollably. Tsuzuki took him once again in his warm embrace, then cradled him in his arms. It was bad enough that the old Hisoka would occasionally cry in his arms, but for Hisoka this young and to cry like this. . . it was way beyond painful. He waited for the little one to fall asleep, then tucked him under the covers. Soon, he, too, went to bed and slept beside little Hisoka, still keeping him in his arms.
���� Tsuzuki awoke suddenly upon hearing little Hisoka�s startled cry. The child sat bolt upright then curled himself into a ball. He was trembling worse than he did a while ago, and fear was very evident in his stunning green eyes.
���� �Hisoka. . . what�s wrong. . .?� Tsuzuki asked worriedly, and yet very, very gently.
���� �Scary. . . so scary. . . red moon. . . sakura. . . blood. . . pa-- pain.. . .� Hisoka managed to say in a whisper, which was barely audible.
���� Tsuzuki�s eyes widen in terror. He understood. . . he should�ve known. The incident earlier was more than enough to remind the young empath of that night. . . once, when the moon was red as blood.
������ He wrapped his arms around him protectively and reassuringly, as deep sorrow and anger flashed within those beautiful amethyst depths.
~)-0-(~
���� When Watari was informed of the incident, he was there in less than a second. He checked on the boy as he was asleep, but waited for him to wake up before he did further tests. His pulse beats were still quite weak from the trauma, but more or less he was beginning to recover. He also told Tsuzuki of the possibility that the boy would still have reoccurring nightmares, because as said before, his memories are still with him, only locked away in some part of him. And more than that. . .
��� �This is bad, at this rate. . . bon might not want to go back to his old self at all. . .� Watari mused.
���� But then, as he looked at Tsuzuki, hope sparkled within him.
���� �And yet maybe, with his help. . . It may not be impossible at all.�
���� And he continued to stare at the two with a smile, as little Hisoka was, for who knows how many times already, again being gently cradled by Tsuzuki in his arms.
~)-0-(~
���� Hisoka was recovering alright, that is, physically speaking. He was still cute little Hisoka, but now minus his warmth, sweetness and openness. Which, in other words, was just an elf version of the real Hisoka. . . the silent, stoic, and resigned one. However, being a child, he isn�t as tough as the sixteen-year-old teen. He didn�t pretend tough nor hide his sadness. He�d cry occasionally whenever he was alone. However, he starts thinking that maybe he was such a bad kid that he deserved it to happen to him. This, no doubt, was a sure sign of his memories coming back, because this was exactly how the real Hisoka was during his childhood. . . always filled with self-loathing.
���� It was probably a good thing that Hisoka�s memories were beginning to come back, only. . .
a) if it wasn�t such a pain in the head- imagine, a five-year-old having memories of a sixteen-year-old!
b) if it wasn�t the exact opposite of what they needed to reverse the effects of Watari�s potion. . . the boy had to remember GOOD memories for crying out loud!
c) if Tsuzuki wasn�t too much of a self-blamer. . . thinking that it was his fault that this happened, which only added up to the problem they are already facing.
���� Watari had to sedate Hisoka several times in order to give him dreamless sleeps, which the boy was quite thankful for. Tsuzuki felt so painful for what Hisoka was going through, and it didn�t help that he felt an undeniably large amount of guilt for the boy�s condition. He was the one who came up with the idea of going to Chijou.
���� Hisoka was brought to the infirmary due to dehydration, but was soon released given that he�ll recover faster in a more familiar and comfortable environment. Hisoka never did like hospital settings, even when he was alive. If someone suffered three years of excruciating pain in the hospital and died liking the place, I dunno, the world must be ending already. . . or that person is simply a. . . pain freak or something???��
���� One night, while Tsuzuki was watching over a sleeping little Hisoka, he reached up to his bedside table�s drawer (where he put all his most priceless possessions), and took out what looks like a leather-bound album. He flipped the pages and looked at the photos from their last vacation. His eyes stared at once at that green-eyed boy who never smiled in any of the photos. He chuckled upon remembering how his partner would blush adorably, scowl at him really cutely, scream at him charmingly and of course, call him baka lovingly. Someone remind me when romantic love came in. Or maybe, Tsuzuki was asleep and is already dreaming before he even knew it. ^_^!
���� That morning, as Tsuzuki was cooking breakfast (or was trying to cook without burning his kitchen), little Hisoka has just woken up and is sleepily looking around when he felt something hard beneath the sheets. It was the album. Tsuzuki must�ve left it there last night, and didn�t notice it when he rose this morning. Hisoka scanned through the pages and memories came back to him as he saw pictures of him, Tsuzuki and their other coworkers at the beach.
~)-0-(~
FLASHBACK:
���� It was a very hot summer season. The staff of EnmaCho decided to take a three-week vacation at a beach resort in Okinawa. It was nice to be here not for a case, but simply to relax and enjoy the summer, much like a company outing. They stayed at Rika Miyagi�s inn, and she allowed them to stay there for free out of gratitude for what they did for her the last time. (Which, of course, made Tatsumi very very happy) They played beach volleyball, which Hisoka refused at first, but was forced to play due to lack of players. (Kachou didn�t want to join) For someone who played for the very first time, Hisoka was doing pretty well. Having Wakaba on the same side wasn�t good for the opposing side either, because she was a pro. This, in the end, made their team win. After a tiring play, they went for a swim. When Tsuzuki and Hisoka walked towards the shore in swim wear, the girls they passed by were left drooling and hypnotized. Hisoka flushed with embarrassment, but made heat a perfect excuse. Tsuzuki was rather enjoying the attention.
���� �What?� Tsuzuki heard Hisoka say while they were enjoying the water.
���� �Something wrong bon?� Watari asked.
���� �Did you say something just now. . .?� Hisoka asked the two.
���� �Tsuzuki and I were silently admiring the sunset. Why?� Watari said, looking at him curiously.
���� �That�s odd. . . I thought I just heard someone�s voice.�
���� �Is your empathy bothering you. . .?� Tsuzuki asked worriedly
���� �I guess. . . I think I�ll just go back to the inn for now.�
���� �Okay. . . Go get some rest ne? I�ll go check on you later.� Tsuzuki said with a smile.
���� �Baka.� Hisoka rose up and began to swim towards the shore.
���� It was early evening already by the time Hisoka got up form his nap. He heard voices from outside, so he assumed that everyone must be back by now. He changed into his denim pants and a simple black shirt. He went out of the room only to find everyone happily chatting around the table. When he walked in, everyone greeted him with a warm smile, which he returned with a polite nod. He told his partner that he wants to go for a walk on the shore for a while, and then went out of the inn.
���� He was just strolling along the beach, when he heard the strange voice again. Hisoka looked around everywhere to see who it was, but there was no one else near him. Some of the people were at least a kilometer away from where he was walking, and the voice spoke to him in merely a whisper.
���� �Please, help me. . .� said the voice
���� �Wha. . . where are you? I can help you. . . but how?� Hisoka answered.
���� �I�m in the cave. . .� said the voice again
���� �The one I�ve seen before. . . but that�s a bit far from here. . . How come I can hear this voice. . .? Through my empathy. . .?�
���
���� �I�m coming!� and Hisoka ran towards the voice.
~~~~~~~~
���� The cave was dark, and it didn�t help much even if it was a full moon either. And Hisoka simply, well. . . hated the darkness. He searched relying on his other senses except sight. It was hopeless really, to try and see anything if you can see nothing no matter how hard you try. He also used his empathy to feel the person.
���� �Where. . . where are you. . .?�
���� �I�m here. . . near the inner lake.� ( I call it inner lake because it was like a hole in the ground with water on it. ^_^� I made that up. Tee-hee.)
���� Hisoka looked for the source of the voice and found it exactly where it said it was. Where he found the speaker was a beautiful spot. There was a hole underneath that made it look like an underground lake, but there was also a hole right above, where the moonlight can pass. The voice came from a girl about five years younger than Hisoka, perhaps still in elementary. She introduced herself.
����� �My name is Yuki. I came here on a school trip, a swimming competition. The goal was to reach the cave first. I came in second, but the first swimmer enticed me to explore the cave for a bit. But I got lost, and was never able to come back.� She told Hisoka
���� �How long have you been here?� Hisoka asked
���� �Well, I don�t remember. . .�
���� That bothered Hisoka.
���� �How could she have survived in here? Even just for a few days. In the first place, there�s no food and water here. There�s water, yes, but not fresh water, but saltwater which can�t be drank. Is it possible that. . .?�
���� �I think. . . you�re. . . dead.� Hisoka said bluntly, but avoiding her eyes. She definitely wouldn�t be so happy with that.
���� �EH!!!!!?� Yuki exclaimed
���� �I can feel it. . . There�s something not quite right about you. You don�t have the aura of a living person.� Hisoka tried to explain.
���� �But that�s impossible!!! I. . . I. . . I can�t be. . .� she shouted back.
���� But deep inside. . . she knew it was true. . . and she� had to accept it.
���� Sorrow. . . anger. . . regret. . . homesickness. . .
���� Her emotions seeped through the empath and made Hisoka shiver. It was cold enough inside the cave. . . and her emotions had to make it worse.
���� �You. . . ha- have t-to m-m-move on. . . y- your time here. . . is over.� Hisoka managed to say through his shivering.
���� �NO!!!! I don�t believe you!!!� she screamed.
���� Without warning, she strangled him. Hisoka felt himself falling and hit his head hard on something, before they slipped into the hole. And down, down, down they go. The lower they went, the colder it felt.
���� �Tsuzuki. . . Help. . .�����
~~~~~~~~
���� � A voice. . . I can hear someone�s voice. . . who. . .�
���� �Hisoka. . . Hisoka. . . can you hear me. . .? Please, come back. . . Hisoka. . .�
���� �Tsuzuki. . . I�m sure. . . it�s him. . . but where. . .?�
���� �Hisoka. . . I need you. . . we all do. . . so please. . . if you can hear me. . .�
���� �Need me. . . why would you need someone like me. . . I�m just. . .�
���� �Please. . . I want to see your beautiful eyes again. . . open your eyes. . . Hisoka. . .�
���� �I. . . Tsuzuki. . .�
���� �Together. . . forever. . . you said you�ll let me be with you. . . forever!�
���� �Together forever. . .�
���� �You promised. . . that you can be my reason for living. . . if I ever lose you. . .�
���� �Tsuzuki�
���� Hisoka woke up feeling the sheets all over him, and it felt warm. The last thing he remembered was. . . it felt cold. So darn cold. But now no more, he felt warmer. And he felt someone clasping his hand. His eyes sleepily fluttered open, and the first thing he saw were beautiful amethyst eyes shining within a smiling face.
���� �How are you feeling. . .?� Tsuzuki asked gently
���� �Fine. Though my head still hurts like hell.*He noticed bandage wrapped around his forehead* Hey. . . Your eye bags. . . their horrible. . .� the boy pointed out.
�
���� Tsuzuki can only chuckle. If Hisoka can make sarcastic comments like that again, then he�s well enough. It didn�t matter if he didn�t get any sleep, as long as he can be by his side. He began to stroke the soft blonde locks, when. . .
���� �Tsuzuki, what happened?�
���� �You were out cold, I mean really cold, for the past three days.� Tsuzuki explained, before Hisoka cut his statement.
���� �Th- three days!?�
���� �Uh-huh. You were so cold. No wonder though. We found you in that cave, or should I say, under it. I had to dive into the water, fearing the worst. When we found you, Watari tended to you at once. And he said that your condition was pretty serious.�
���� �Cave. . .�
���� �You don�t remember? You said you�d go out for a walk that night. After almost an hour that you didn�t come back, I began to worry. I looked for you together with Watari and Tatsumi. They were worried about you too. Heck, everyone was. And with all that worry that we were projecting, I began to panic when you didn�t respond. Then I heard you, I think you called out to me.� Tsuzuki had one finger on his chin now, in a thinking gesture.�
���� �I called out to you. . .?�
���� �Yup! I�m really pretty sure you did.� Tsuzuki said cheerfully.
���� �And you heard me. . .�
���� "Arigatou.� Hisoka shyly muttered, with a tinge of blush in his cheeks.
���� �Anything for you.� Tsuzuki said beaming.
�
���� Tsuzuki was now projecting comforting emotions. Worry. . . care. . . reassurance. . . and love. Hisoka felt sleepy, but before he could doze off, he had to ask one more thing.
���� �There was a spirit there. Did you see it?�
���� �Un. She was crying, she said she did something horrible. She was the one who told us that you fell in. But anyway, that�s why Yuma and Saya aren�t here right now. They escorted her to Meifu for judgment. And Terazuma and Wakaba were tasked to bring her body back to her family. . . so that she can rest in peace.�
���� � She must�ve died of hunger without even realizing it. It�s amazing though, how her will to be with her family was strong enough to sustain her life force for that long.�
���� �Oh. . . I see.�
����
���� �No point in telling him she WAS why I fell in. Oh well. . . Slee. . . py. . .�
��� �Hisoka felt his eyes go heavy and. . . he was asleep.
~~~~~~~~
���� The next day, Watari came in to remove Hisoka�s bandages.
���� �Feeling better bon? You scared us to de-- A lot!� Watari said in his usual genki tone, with waves of great relief gushing forth from him.
���� Then there was a knock on the door. Tatsumi came in.
���� �Kurosaki-kun. I heard you were recovering now. How do you feel?� Tatsumi asked with a friendly smile.
���� �Fine. Arigatou gozaimasu, Watari-san, and Tatsumi-san.� Hisoka replied, blushing.
���� �I really gotta do something about this damn blushing whatnot.� he mused, as he felt heat in his cheeks.
���� �Anyway, I just dropped by to tell minna-san that today is our last here. Enjoy yourselves while you can, because tonight, we pack. And tomorrow, I expect everyone in time for work.�
���� �Hai!� The three replied in chorus.
~~~~~~~~
���� Hisoka, for the nth time, was walking along the seashore. But this time, not alone. Tsuzuki was walking along with him. Not that Tsuzuki didn�t trust him, it�s just he always felt so happy being with his partner. He especially liked being with him in a comfortable and peaceful atmosphere, not on a life (or afterlife) threatening situation, like facing demons or a certain maniacal doctor.
���� They stopped and sat there in silence. Hisoka�s eyes shut as he relaxed in the wind. Tsuzuki took this opportunity and spoke to him.
���� �Hisoka, I. . . please don�t scare me like that again ne. I. . . I never want to lose you.� Tsuzuki�s words were simply put, but the impact was so deep, for he said it with all sincerity his heart could give. And Hisoka felt it.
���� �I�m sorry. . .� was all Hisoka could say. He was never good at expressing himself. Well, he DID live 16 years all by himself.
���� �No, there�s nothing to apologize for. I just need you to promise me. . . that we�ll be together. . . forever.�
���� �Whatever you want. Baka.� Hisoka said, with a soft expression on his face. (He calls Tsuzuki baka out of habit. He doesn�t really mean it. . . much ^_^! )
���� END OF FLASHBACK
~)-0-(~
������ �Together. . . forever. . .� Little Hisoka remembered. All of a sudden, he felt arms wrapped around his shoulders from behind.
���� �Yes. Together forever. . . do you remember now. . .?� Tsuzuki whispered. �Please. . . come back. . .�
���� �Tsu. . . zu. . . ki. . .�
���� @@@@-POOF!-@@@@
���� And he was back.
���� The beautiful, emerald-eyed, blonde youth was back to his sixteen-year-old self, with the blanket covering his lithe form. Tsuzuki jumped to him and glomped him.
���� �Tsu- Tsuzuki! Get off!!!� the boy said rather harshly.
���� �Awww, but I missed you so much!!!!� Tsuzuki said without even bothering to get off the poor smaller boy. Then without warning, he pinned him down, his face lowering. Now, with their face merely an inch apart, Tsuzuki closes the gap and. . .
NOSERUB!!!
#@#-HIT!-#@#� >.<#
���� �What the heck do you think you�re doing Tsuzuki Asato!!!!!� Hisoka screamed angrily.
���� �De~mo~ Hii-chan used to like it as a child!!!� Tsuzuki pouted.
�
���� �And quit calling me Hii-chan!�
���� Tsuzuki turns to inu-chibi and glomps Hisoka again. �Go~~~men!�
���� �Hmph. Get out.�
���� �Eh?�
���� �I need to change. Or do you want to be late for work?�
���� �Oh. Okay!�
~)-0-(~
���� And so life was back to normal again in EnmaCho. (if you can call their lives normal at all. . . *sigh*) Everyone went on with the usual (and unusual) workings in the Shokan Division. As for our duo, they have a new mission coming up, but they are to leave the day after tomorrow, enough time for all the necessary data to be gathered and prepared.
���� That afternoon, they went to the park for a stroll. Tsuzuki tried to offer ice cream to Hisoka, which the boy refused, so he ate it as well. Hisoka sat on one of the benches to read and relax for a bit. Tsuzuki sat beside him humming happily. It wasn�t long before Hisoka laid down his book to close his eyes and listen to Tsuzuki instead.
���� �Ne, Tsuzuki. Arigatou.� Hisoka suddenly said.
���� �Eh? For what?� Tsuzuki asked curiously.
���� �I don�t remember all of it, but there�re bits and pieces. . . I can still remember some of it in fragments. . . What happened, I mean.�
���� �Your childhood. . . I mean -temporary- childhood?�
���� �Ah. I�ve never had any of it, happy memories I mean, at least not any that I can remember. . . when I was still alive. So, thank you.� Hisoka timidly admitted.
���� �So what made you want to come back?� Tsuzuki asked, even though he had a pretty good idea about it.
���� �The promise.� Hisoka replied simply.
���� Tsuzuki looked pensive for a moment before he spoke.
���� �Hisoka. . . always remember that I�ll stand true to my promise ne?� Tsuzuki said with a heartfelt smile.
���� �And me too.� Hisoka said, looking straight into Tsuzuki�s eyes.
���� And they found each other in a warm embrace for a long time.
���� Meanwhile. . .
���� Somewhere in the distance, a certain blond scientist and his pet owl are watching with very satisfied smiles. (Yes, owls can smile too. XD )
���� �I guess, once in a while, Watari Yutaka�s experiments yields good results. Ne? 003.��
-end!-