Hi everyone. This is my first time writing for this fandom and I am excited to get started. I hope everyone enjoys this story that I put together. I try to update every week, sometimes every other week. Have a great day.
Disclaimer: I don't own Yami no Matsuei.
It had been a long day, a day of endless stacks of paper work. Each piece bleeding in with the rest to make one giant mess of words and letters in Hisoka's brain. It had been a long day of fighting with Tsuzuki to get him to do his work, instead of sneak off to the break room for snacks. It had been a long day of headaches and a never-ending workflow. And, now that it was over, Hisoka was exhausted. It was the kind of exhaustion that beat down on you, made you trudge on the way home. It was the kind that made every light seem too bright and every voice too loud. It was the kind of exhaustion that made you just want to collapse into a bed, pull the covers over your head, and drift off into a dreamless sleep. Letting your mind recuperate until the process started again the next morning.
The last case that Tsuzuki and he completed was actually relatively simple. Too simple to cause this massive headache at least. A young woman had died and failed to report. Naturally, Hisoka and Tsuzuki investigated and found a fairly gentle spirit that just wanted to go to one last piano concert. She had always been a fan of classical piano and hadn't wanted to miss a concert she had looked forward to for the longest time. Naturally, Tsuzuki empathized with her and somehow managed to convince Hisoka to let her stay on Earth a little while longer.
After the piano concert, the woman went quietly. There were no tears, no begging, nothing. Hisoka had to give the woman credit, at least she knew what she could and couldn't control. She went without fuss.
This case was simple. It was boring. It was still hard. No matter what the case was, there was always something difficult about it. In this case, the woman's resignation to her fate made Hisoka feel like he had done something wrong. This woman had never hurt anyone and yet, she had to die while others roamed the streets. It wasn't fair and Hisoka hated it.
Of course, the case also had tacked onto it an obscene amount of paperwork. Honestly, it wasn't that hard of the case. In fact, it was so cut and dry that Hisoka would probably forget about it in a matter of days. And yet, despite this case being simple and about as dangerous as a kitten, there was still hours of questions that needed to be filled out. How long did it take you to find the deceased? How much was your expenses? Was there any property damage? What spells did you use? It was like a never-ending sea of questions.
But, Hisoka could put that all behind him now. The paperwork was done and it would be a few days until Hisoka and Tsuzuki needed to go out into the field. Hisoka could take this chance to breath and catch up on some books he was reading. It would be a nice few days, Hisoka decided.
He stopped to take a deep breath in, the evening air filling his lungs. He was glad he got out of the office before the sun set. It really was a nice walk home and Hisoka hated that he was afraid of the dark. His eye caught a small shop that had not been there a few months ago. Curious, Hisoka stepped closer to see that it was, in fact, a bakery. A small thing nestled between two larger buildings. It looked like someone's house had been taken right out of the countryside and plopped in the middle of the city. It looked warm and inviting inside. Just like a bakery should look.
Hisoka's eyes raked over the rows of cakes and pastries that lined the walls. Maybe he should get something for Tsuzuki. The man didn't really deserve a treat, but it might convince him to work hard for at least half the day. It would still be a struggle, but Tsuzuki would appreciate something sweet like this. He was always glum after a case, even one like this.
Hisoka shook his head and turned away from the window. He was spoiling Tsuzuki too much. First it would be a cake every once in awhile. Then it would be cakes every month. Then, every week. Finally, Hisoka would be buying Tsuzuki a cake every day of the week. Hisoka still didn't know a lot about how this whole being dead thing affected the health of someone, but eating that much cake could not be good for anyone, even Tsuzuki.
But, Tsuzuki did so much for Hisoka. If Hisoka kept up his resolve then maybe one cake every so often wouldn't actually be that bad.
"Idiot," Hisoka cursed under his breath. It was all Tsuzuki's fault for making Hisoka feel things. Back when he didn't trust anyone, things were easier. He didn't have to worry about something stupid like buying a cake for a grown man. But here he was, still trying to decide in the back of his head whether Tsuzuki would like chocolate or vanilla. It was embarrassing really.
"I should be able to get someone a cake if I want and not sit here thinking about it!" Hisoka cried, waving his arms around and pacing back and forth along the length of the window. He was distantly aware that the shop owner probably thought he was crazy.
In the end, it came down to one simple thing: Tsuzuki cared for Hisoka. He made sure Hisoka ate. He made sure Hisoka slept. He made sure that Hisoka felt safe. Just thinking about it made Hisoka's stomach flutter pleasantly. He never had anyone care about him. And now that he had someone who actually worried about him, Hisoka found that he was enjoying the feeling a bit too much to let it go. Besides, Tsuzuki kept his emotions tightly locked away, probably even more than Hisoka. He knew the man was hiding something from him, but no amount of pushing would get Tsuzuki to open up. He hid his emotions behind smiles and the hyperactive personality of a three year old on too much sugar.
Giving Tsuzuki chocolate cake wouldn't help with the whole hyperactive part of his personality. But Hisoka felt that it would tell Tsuzuki that he did care about him, even if that caring was just in the form of chocolate cake. Hisoka turned back towards the shop and pushed his way through the door.
A bell tinkled, alerting an elderly woman that Hisoka had entered the shop. She looked up from her crossword puzzle and stood, smoothing out the wrinkles of her dress.
"Hello, dear, what can I get for you?" the woman asked. Hisoka thought she looked rather like someone's grandmother. She had wrinkles around her eyes and a plump figure that looked like something you would like to hug. She matched the shop well. The yellow walls with pink trim, the lacey doilies covering tables and chairs. Some things looked like the woman had knitted them herself. The smell inside was also rather enticing. It smelled warm and exactly like a bakery should smell. Along the walls there were several different deserts Hisoka could choose from. Jars of cookies, separated by flavor. Cakes, pies, and tarts, each looking perfect, like something out of a magazine. Hisoka felt his mouth watering despite the fact that he wasn't a big fan of sweet things.
The woman herself was clearly proud of every pastry she baked. Hisoka could feel her emotions, but they were pleasant, like a blanket. She spent hours each morning crafting the perfect recipes to display. Nothing short of perfection was ever seen on display. This was someone who clearly loved their work.
Hisoka looked around, trying to see if there was anything Tsuzuki would want. Well, Tsuzuki would probably want the entire store but Hisoka's bank account had limits. Tsuzuki was getting one cake. That was it.
He saw a chocolate frosted one and went to inspect it. It wasn't very big, you could only get about four or five slices. There were little strawberries circling the top, making a little crown for the cake. It was perfect.
"How much is that cake?" he asked, pointing to the sweet. The woman turned and carefully took the cake down from the shelf.
"Oh, this is a good one. It has a strawberry filling in the center as well as the strawberries on top. That would be 1624.93 yen," the woman replied. She beamed with delight and held the cake out so Hisoka could get a better look. Hisoka nodded and shelled out the money.
"Is this for someone special, a girlfriend?" the woman asked. Hisoka felt himself blush. Even just thinking about getting a girlfriend made Hisoka's palms go sweaty and his mouth go dry. What would he even do with a girlfriend? How often was he supposed to go on dates? Did he have to go to dinner and a movie or were there other options?
"Um, no, it's for a friend. I wanted to thank him for all the help he's given me the past few months," Hisoka answered. Hisoka decided that he didn't need to lie about this. The woman could stand to learn a little about Tsuzuki. She wasn't going to do anything with the information and Hisoka wanted to let someone else know that he did appreciate Tsuzuki. By tomorrow, she would probably forget everything Hisoka had said. The woman smiled and carefully placed the cake in a box.
"I'm sure he'll love it. Everybody loves cake as a gift. Take care now," she said, waving goodbye to Hisoka as he exited through the door.
The night air cooled Hisoka's face and he couldn't help but smile. He had never given someone a gift before. He wondered how he should go about it. Maybe he should put a bow on the box, or would that be overkill? No, just handing to Tsuzuki would be enough.
Hisoka could practically see the smile on Tsuzuki's face as he opened the box. First he would be confused as to what Hisoka had given him. But then, once he realized that it was a delicious cake, Tsuzuki would probably glomp Hisoka and hug him tightly, making Hisoka both uncomfortable and happy at the same time.
Hisoka was so lost in his own world that he didn't notice an unsavory emotion. An emotion that had caused Hisoka so much dread in his rather short life. It crept up on him, slipping in his subconscious before slowly overtaking the rest of his mind. A sick and twisted feeling, one that he could recognize almost anywhere. And, as soon as he realized what was happening, it was already too late. There was nowhere for him to run. Nowhere for him to go. Hisoka was trapped here with a man that was more a monster than anything.
"Well, well, what is such a young child doing out on his own so late at night?" Muraki said. His voice came from behind Hisoka. It was as if those words held some sort of power. As soon as Muraki uttered them Hisoka's feet became glued to the ground. They refused to move, only letting up their attachment so that Hisoka could turn and face his soon-to-be attacker.
Muraki emerged from the shadows as the moon emerged from behind the clouds. It was the color of blood and it sent shivers down Hisoka's spine. He had stayed too long in the bakery. He shouldn't have been out this late. He never was. He was so caught up in getting Tsuzuki a cake that he didn't even realize that the sun was no longer up. Before him, Muraki stood, smiling in his pure white attire. One might compare him to an angel. Although, angels didn't kill people for no reason other than to satisfy their own curiosity. The pure white that Muraki loved so much was never stained by any blood, though. It was as if there was something keeping the blood from sticking to the cloth. But now wasn't the time to speculate if Muraki just had a good dry cleaners, now was the time to fight. If Muraki was here, then that wasn't good news for Hisoka. And he would be damned if he went without a fight.
"What do you want?" he hissed. He could feel the curse marks start to burn as they began to etch themselves on his skin. Hisoka's heart was pounding. His legs were shaking and his stomach began to twist and turn, making him nauseous. Any moment he might throw up or collapse. It was a horrifying feeling, and one that he couldn't seem to escape. He was here, alone with the man who had killed him. Hisoka wanted to be gone. He wanted to be somewhere safe. He wanted to be with Tsuzuki. Tsuzuki was safe. Tsuzuki would protect him. Tsuzuki would come
"I don't think Tsuzuki will be coming to your aid tonight," Muraki chuckled. His ability to know what Hisoka wanted was frightening. Hisoka didn't dwell on this for very long. He had a job to do, and he would be damned if he cowered like a child.
"What do you want?" Hisoka shouted, hoping to attract some attention. Muraki was darkness, and death, and fear. His mere presence made Hisoka freeze in place, unable to move. Muraki chuckled and pushed up his glasses, revealing the fake eye that made Hisoka's hair stand on end. The only thing that kept Hisoka standing was whatever spell that had been placed on him.
"Is that a present for our dear shinigami?" he asked sweetly. Hisoka jerked back, his feet still glued to the floor.
"No," he lied. It was a stupid thing to do, considering Muraki probably knew everything about Hisoka, but he lied anyways.
"My sweet doll, you can't hide anything from me. I know you're not one for confectionaries," Muraki said.
"If you knew, then why did you ask?" Hisoka snarled. Each passing moment made Hisoka more afraid for his life. Muraki was toying with him. He was planning something. He was going to make Hisoka feel a lot of pain very soon. He wanted Tsuzuki and he wanted him snow.
"Why did you lie?" Muraki asked. His smile was widening to an impossible limit. He was close enough for Hisoka to smell his breath. It smelled like blood and death. The decay rotting away in the perfect smile, showing to all who dared look hard enough what Muraki really was.
"You haven't answered my question!" Hisoka shouted. "What do you want?" Muraki smiled and took a step towards Hisoka. If only Hisoka could clear his mind long enough, he could teleport away from here. It had to be this spell that Muraki placed on him. It was making it impossible for Hisoka to do anything beyond stand here and shake.
"You can't use any of your powers here," Muraki explained, taking another step. He was close enough to Hisoka by now to reach out and touch him. His hand brushed along the side of Hisoka's face, paralyzing him further. The hand remained, gently caressing Hisoka's skin. Muraki's eyes bored into Hisoka's, pushing through and making his barriers come crashing down. Now, Hisoka was fully exposed to this mad man. It was so painful, having all these emotions forced on him. But Hisoka couldn't even manage a scream.
"Haven't you noticed how weak you've become. It's all my influence, my doll," Muraki continued. Hisoka tried to jerk away from his hands, but couldn't find the strength within himself. "Remember, as long as I live, you belong to me. There is nothing you can do to escape from me," Muraki said. Muraki's emotions continued to bombard him without any rest. And not just emotions, memories as well. People Muraki killed, the screams of his victims echoing in Hisoka's mind. It hurt. Hisoka felt himself screaming in pain and vaguely wondered if anyone was coming to help. Could anyone even hear him? He really just wanted Tsuzuki.
And that's the end of the first chapter. I hope everyone has a wonderful day and I should be updating sometime next Saturday.