*Warning: Manga/Anime Spoilers*

Dedicated to: Eria and Serene Ice Dragon. They both inspired this fic in many ways. :) You guys are amazing and awesome friends.

Beta: Eria

Disclaimer: I don't own YNM.

A Night of Horror: Kyushu Daily File #3

By EggDropSoup

After much begging, pleading and whining, Tsuzuki had finally persuaded Hisoka into a movie night. Hisoka didn't care what Tsuzuki picked out from the video rental store so long as it was only one movie and it wasn't a romance. Tsuzuki had been rather disheartened by that, insisting that the best movies were ones that had love and relationships in them but he decided that if he had to limit his selection to get Hisoka to agree then he could do that.

He stopped by a small, independently-run video rental store on his way to Hisoka's apartment after work. Not many customers were there when he had arrived, but the employees who worked there had been friendly, even offering to put the DVD in a bag for him. Yes, everything was going well so far and he felt that there could only be more good things to come as he walked the next few blocks to Hisoka's apartment complex.

What he didn't expect was how their movie night would really turn out.

The two Kyushu partners were sitting on a blue sofa in Hisoka's living room. Hisoka's apartment had very little furniture and decorative items. It wasn't because Hisoka was poor or had bad taste in décor; he just didn't choose to buy any unnecessary stuff-unlike his partner. So, other than the couch, the only other things in the living room were a coffee table and the television set in front of them.

The lights in the living room were off, and a companionable silence had fallen between them as they waited for the previews to end before the film started.

The movie seemed normal enough in the beginning, considering that the movie was obviously a western film. Tsuzuki decided that it must have been, judging by the setting of spacious yards and houses as well as the appearance of the actors. He just hoped that the original voices had been voiced over in Japanese. He didn't think he could keep up with reading subtitles for more than an hour.

The first character that was introduced in the beginning scene was a blonde, teenage girl dressed in a short black dress; she was leaving a party at her friend's parent's house because she had to get back home before her curfew. The other kids at the party all seemed to be having fun. The rooms in the house were occupied with underage kids drinking, smoking, and dancing and, in some rooms, having sex. The girl didn't seem to have done any of that though. It had only looked like she had come to hang out among her peers- the stereotypical good girl with a wild group of friends.

After the girl left the house, she had walked out to her small green sedan. The neighborhood that her friend's parent's house was located in was quiet and dark. The streetlights and surrounding groups of trees didn't let her see very well and the other houses in the neighborhood were far away.

After looking around uncomfortably, she quickly unlocked the driver's side door and got in, buckling her seat belt before looking up to adjust the rear view mirror. When the girl looked into the mirror, she saw the dark silhouette of a man sitting in the backseat behind her. She let out a scream but the man lunged at her and used the upper part of the seat belt to strangle her. He pressed the strap down until it dug into the flesh of her neck, crushing the larynx and suffocating her. No one inside the house had heard her scream or the struggle because the kids at the party were too busy dancing and singing to the loud music to notice the tragedy that had befallen their friend.

Tsuzuki and Hisoka both stared at the screen with mock looks of astonishment, not at all expecting the film to go in that direction.

"Well, maybe the rest of it won't be so bad?" Tsuzuki had offered weakly as the scene changed to a bunch of forensic police officers scanning the premises for any clues to identify the killer. Flash lights shined through the trees and yards as the armed police officers and attack dogs roamed around on screen.

Hisoka wasn't as optimistic. He had a feeling that it would only get worse.

And worse it got.

"Hisoka, it's so scary!" Tsuzuki wailed as he clung to Hisoka's arm, his loud cry rivaling the shrieks of the actress on the television screen as she ran for her life from the crazed serial killer.

Hisoka scowled at his partner's close proximity and tried to jerk his arm away but Tsuzuki wouldn't let go. "Get off of me, you moron. It's not real."

The big, doe-like eyes Tsuzuki cast at him looked haunted under the flashing lights of the television screen. "But that doesn't make it any less scary!"

"Then you shouldn't have rented it," Hisoka said matter-of-factly, not feeling sorry for him in the least. He jerked his arm away again and this time Tsuzuki let go.

"Why'd you pick this one anyway?" He grimaced as the killer stabbed one of the victims, blood splashing everywhere. He hadn't eaten anything before the movie, but the graphic nature of the film was starting to make him feel queasy. He turned his gaze away. "It seems rather morbid."

Something flashed in Tsuzuki's eyes and he shifted them away, biting his lips apprehensively before confessing guiltily, "Uh, well…I didn't really look at it before I rented it."

Hisoka eyed him suspiciously, "What do you mean?"

"Yes, I picked the video. But I didn't look at the title or description." The words were out of his mouth all at once. "I didn't even know it was a horror film until we popped it in."

"Are you an idiot?" Hisoka asked, clearly amazed at his partner's confession. He picked up the DVD case off the coffee table and pointed to the front cover with the image of a chain-saw wielding killer and the scared looking victims that stood with their mouths open in mid-scream. "You didn't see the obvious picture when you were checking it out?" If anything, the image of the weird guy in a mask with a chain-saw would be a dead giveaway.

"It was in the comedy section!" Tsuzuki argued, looking pathetic as he flinched again, recoiling at the sound of more screams coming from the television. His eyes were still glued the screen, not able to look away from the horrific scene. "You said no gushy romance films so I picked one from there instead." He swallowed. "The clerk put it in a bag so I didn't really think to look. I came over right after renting it."

Hisoka shook his head, picked up the small black remote from the coffee table, and stopped the movie. "Alright, I think that's enough. I'm turning it off."

The scene suddenly stopped and the screen turned a solid blue color. Tsuzuki whipped his head around to look at Hisoka, his face aghast. "But-but, what about the killer?"

Hisoka's answer to that was to stand up from the couch. He walked over to the TV with the movie case, ejected the DVD, slipped the disc back into its case, and put it on the coffee table in front of Tsuzuki. "If you're still curious about how it ends, then you can watch the movie at your own place. I'm not watching this anymore."

"But Hisoka, I don't have a DVD player!" Tsuzuki said, hoping that his woeful expression would make Hisoka reconsider, but his younger partner would not be moved.

"Well, then. You have a problem now, don't you?" Hisoka said, crossing his arms but he seemed to consider something as he pressed his lips together in thought. "I honestly don't think you can last through the whole film. You were way more disturbed by the content then I was."

"That's because it was really scary!" Tsuzuki insisted, hugging his arms around himself as he shivered. The room suddenly felt cold. "I won't be able to sleep tonight."

Hisoka rolled his eyes, "You're being melodramatic." But his crossed arms slackened as he continued with, "If you're really so afraid then you can stay here for the night."

"Eh, really? You mean that Hisoka?"

"Yes, you can stay," Hisoka answered, holding up a hand to prevent Tsuzuki from interrupting him. "But only on the condition that you have to sleep on the couch."

"But that's not fair!"

Hisoka shrugged; let his arms fall to his side. "Take it or leave it."

Sulking, Tsuzuki grumbled under his breath as he sunk further into the couch. Of course he'd take it. He didn't have any other choice.

After giving Tsuzuki a pillow and another blanket, Hisoka left his partner to fend for himself in the living room. Hisoka never took long to get ready for bed. He quickly undressed and redressed into his tank top and boxers, brushed his teeth, and set his alarm clock. It was the same routine he always did before collapsing on his bed and sliding under the covers.

His bedroom was just as frugal as his living room. In there, he only had a dresser, a bed, a nightstand, a lamp, an alarm clock and the fish tank that sat on his dresser. The dresser, bed, and nightstand were part of a matching set he had ordered online through a store sale. He had liked the dark redwood furniture set and his bed was a double-bed so it allowed him to stretch out more and not feel so confined when trying to sleep.

The lamp, he had bought at a thrift store. It wasn't a typical lamp that people bought. No one usually liked the shape or the silver, metal-like office lamps but it was a bargain price and he hadn't had any problems with it for years so why change it now? The alarm clock was a small, black, electrical one that he had gotten from a small strip mall when shopping for clothes.

The walls in his bedroom were bare, just like his living room and the other rooms in his apartment-making Hisoka's place look hardly lived in. And though his residence had furniture, it didn't really express what kind of person Hisoka was. In fact, the only thing in his whole apartment that showed a bit of his personality was the fish tank that sat on his dresser. No one would guess from looking at him that he liked fish. He didn't tell his coworkers about it and didn't make keeping them that big of a hobby.

Just sometimes he felt lonely and with a demanding job of being a shinigami, he could leave the fish for a few days and not worry about them while he was away. He liked their colors and personalities, how they got excited when they saw him. It made him feel peaceful to watch them swim around, not that he'd tell Tsuzuki that. He still had some pride he wanted to maintain.

Deciding that it was time to go to bed, Hisoka leaned over the nightstand and flicked off the lamplight, completely eclipsing the room. He was so exhausted the he found it quite effortless to close his eyes and doze off. All he wanted to do was rest and he had no problem with giving into tiredness if it meant that he could have a moment of respite.

He hadn't been sleeping long when the sound of the walls creaking woke him up. He opened up his bleary eyes and looked around as he listened to the snaps and thuds of the floorboards above his head rubbing against each other. The sounds they made seemed to echo through the walls a few times before fading back into silence.

Hisoka's apartment building wasn't very old and it wasn't unusual for temperature changes at night to cause the building to shift and make noises as it settled. It was just a minor annoyance that he didn't think much of, having lived there for several years, but sometimes the sounds were loud enough to wake him up.

When no other noises came, he settled back down into his bed. A sleepy fog was starting to take over his mind again and it gave him a great appreciation for how nice and comfortable his bed was. It was wonderful to not have to think, to just simply rest.

He was just about to close his eyes again when he heard a loud, unexpected whisper come from the dark. "Hisoka, did you hear that?"

Alarmed, Hisoka tossed off the covers and flicked the lamp at his beside on. What he got was a blanket-hooded Tsuzuki who was holding a pillow to his chest and kneeling at the other side of his bed. "Tsuzuki, what are you doing in my room? You're supposed to be sleeping on the couch!"

"I couldn't sleep! I kept hearing noises." Tsuzuki was still wearing his dress shirt and slacks, but had abandoned his tie and had unbuttoned and un-tucked his shirt to make lying down more comfortable. If Hisoka wasn't so tired or annoyed he would have appreciated the way the shirt hung open and exposed part of his partner's chest and stomach.

"The only noise that's going on is you talking." Hisoka deadpanned, his body relaxing slightly now that he knew it was just Tsuzuki and no one else. He frowned tiredly as he glanced at the clock on his bedside, the numbers reading three am.

He was pretty sure he had locked his bedroom door. That meant that Tsuzuki had to have purposely trans-located in order to get in. Normally, the presence of someone else would have startled him awake but he must have been too worn-out to be aware of Tsuzuki's company. That, or Tsuzuki had cheated and made sure to keep his emotions behind his shields, masking himself from Hisoka's empathy's detection.

But just because he didn't notice didn't make Tsuzuki's niggling and sneaky behavior alright.

He rubbed lazily at his eyelids with the heel of his palm. They felt heavy and he had to blink them rapidly to keep them from closing. He just wanted to go back to sleep. Why was that so hard to understand? "Now get out of here and go back to the couch. We have work tomorrow."

Instead of doing what he was told, Tsuzuki hesitated, gripping his pillow tighter as he hunched in on himself. "But Hisoka, I can't sleep."

"What do you mean you can't sleep? Just close your eyes and lay there. That should be simple, even for you."

Those purple eyes filled and that mouth trembled. "I'm scared."

What happened next was a battle of wills with Tsuzuki staring at Hisoka with large puppy eyes and Hisoka staring back with a fixed, unimpressed expression. The stare-off went on for several minutes before Hisoka, predictably, faltered at the intense pitiful expression Tsuzuki had aimed at him and ended up having to look away.

He let out a long, suffering sigh as he pulled the covers back over himself, but he left the covers on the side that Tsuzuki was leaning on pulled down. "Get in."

"Huh?" Tsuzuki blinked at him.

"You heard me," Hisoka began. "Now, either get in and go to sleep or go back to the couch. I don't care what you decide, but I'm tired and I want to sleep." He turned to the nightstand and flicked off the light before lying down again and turning onto his side, causing him to present Tsuzuki with his back.

For a long time he laid there in the dark silence, trying to fall asleep. His eyes were closed and he could hear Tsuzuki's light breathing as his older partner seemed to be weighing his options out. Normally, his partner's still-wake presence would probably bother him but the sound of his breathing seemed rhythmic, the steady tempo of it only helped to lull him back into a light snooze.

He was vaguely aware of the other side of the mattress being pressed down and the light shuffling of the covers before it was quiet again. There was strange warmth that pressed at his back and he unconsciously leaned into it, letting it soak into his skin comfortably. He felt calm and felt his body fully relax as he drifted away.

"Thank you, Hisoka," he heard Tsuzuki murmur behind him, his voice sounding so inviting and pleasant to Hisoka's ears and lethargic mind. His body reacted favorably to Tsuzuki's presence in his bed, causing him to turn over in his sleep so that he lay with his face mere inches away from Tsuzuki's. They were so close in fact, that if either he or Tsuzuki moved they would have ended up brushing their noses together.

Hisoka was unaware that he was nearly-invading his partner's personal space or the way Tsuzuki looked at him-still wide awake- with questionable eyes. All Hisoka was aware of was how appealing he found the body that lay beside him. He could feel his partner's emotions, the sudden hope and happiness that seemed to flutter inside the older man's stomach like butterflies. But there was something else. Something warm and lovely that he wanted to reach out and touch.

He couldn't identify it and he wasn't sure if he was ready to discover just what it was yet, but as he draped his arm on Tsuzuki's chest and pressed his hand down-blindly searching- he decided that for now it felt right. A silly part of him even decided that he wouldn't mind staying like that, -lying there with his hand pressed up against the warm skin of Tsuzuki's chest-against that place that felt like home.

Tsuzuki gave a sharp intake of breath and his heart thudded faster at their close proximity. Hisoka smiled in his sleep, feeling the steady thud of it vibrate under his fingertips and he closed his hand into a fist, wanting to catch it and keep it-if only for this one moment.

For now, he was home.

End.

Author's Notes: Title was Eria's idea. I couldn't think of a good one. There was just too much going on in this one-shot. XDDD

Hisoka, why are you molesting Tsuzuki in your sleep like that? Poor Tsuzuki is like, "What? What's going on?"

The end with Hisoka touching Tsuzuki in his sleep was supposed to represent Hisoka reaching out for Tsuzuki's love. The other part where Hisoka thinks that it feels like home? Remember how Hisoka says, "My place is here, in your heart?" And he compares Tsuzuki to his 'home'. So I wanted to express that. (The closed fist was supposed to be symbolic for a cage to keep it in) XD Not sure if that came across right. Hopefully it did and didn't confuse you guys too much. Well there's your humor and your romance. (Yes, in that order) XD It ended all fluffy-which was not intended…the humor just went blaaaaah. It's gone. It was there in the begining but now I don't know where it went. When I find it again, I'll let you know.

I think the only spoiler in this fic was maybe my giving Hisoka a fish tank? Since in the manga, he lives near a place where there's water and fish. I don't think there's any other ones...maybe some from Kyoto since I mentioned home? I put the warning just to be safe. Better safe than sorry. Thanks again, guys! Please review and let me know what you think!