Don't ask, I don't know.
As always, I own nothing.
Guests
"Tatsumi-san?"
"Good evening Kurosaki-kun, what are you doing here so late?"
Hisoka blushed slightly. The truth was he'd fallen asleep near the end of the shift and had just woken up, but he didn't think the diligent secretary would appreciate hearing that truth. "I was just on my way home, you?"
"Unfortunately there are some renovations being done on my apartment, so I have to make other arrangements. I imagine I will just check into a hotel when I'm done here." Tatsumi gestured to the piles of papers on his desk. "I simply haven't had the time yet."
"You know Tatsumi-san, I have a spare room; you are more than welcome to make use of it."
Tatsumi eyed the youth standing in the open doorway of his office, mentally calculating how much he would save if he didn't have to pay for several nights in a hotel. "Thank-you Kurosaki-kun, I believe I may take you up on that offer."
XXX
Tatsumi followed Hisoka up to the doorway of the small house he rented and waited patiently as Hisoka unlocked the door.
"I do appreciate this, Kurosaki-kun."
"Think nothing of it Tatsumi-san." Hisoka led the way into the house, flicking on lights as he went.
Tatsumi looked around, pleased to note that Hisoka kept his house the way he kept his work area; neat, orderly and clean.
"This is the spare room." Hisoka opened a door to reveal a neat, spartanly furnished room. "The bathroom is the second door down the hall to the right, and the kitchen is that way." He pointed back the way they'd come. "Please feel free to help yourself to anything you need."
With Tatsumi settling himself quickly and efficiently into the spare room, Hisoka made his way towards his own bedroom, eager to get some more sleep. He was thwarted from his plans by a knock at the front door.
"Kurosaki-kun?" Tatsumi questioned, popping his head into the hall.
"Don't worry, I've got it."
Hisoka trudged his way back to the front door and pulled it open.
Tsuzuki stood on his front step looking sheepish and clutching an overnight bag.
Hisoka eyed him and the bag warily. "I hope you're not begging to stay here."
"Please Hisoka? I can't go home!"
"Why not?"
"I'm locked out!"
Hisoka let out a long suffering sigh. "How did that happen?"
Tsuzuki lowered his head and muttered something towards the ground.
Hisoka turned away from the door, leaving it open for Tsuzuki to follow him in. "Do you want to try explaining that again? With volume this time?"
Tsuzuki looked even more sheepish. "I locked my keys in the house, and my landlords are on vacation so they're not there to let me in."
"So how'd you get the bag?" Hisoka gestured to the bag clutched tightly in his partners' hands.
"I keep it at the office. I kinda got into the habit when I was partnered with Tatsumi; oh, hi Tatsumi, that way we could head to Chijou on a moments notice when we got a case and… Tatsumi?"
Tatsumi was standing in the hallway in pyjamas and robe, listening with amusement to Tsuzuki's explanation.
"What are you doing here?" Tsuzuki asked, staring at the secretary.
Tatsumi leaned against the wall in a casual pose. "My building is being renovated and Kurosaki kindly invited me to make use of his spare room."
"Oh," Tsuzuki said, sounding dejected. "Okay then…"
Hisoka let out another long-suffering sigh. "You can have the couch Tsuzuki; it's the best I can offer."
"'Sank-you Hisoka!" Tsuzuki bounced forward to glomp the youth, who neatly side-stepped the move.
"Che, right. I'm going to bed. Good night Tatsumi-san, Tsuzuki." He levelled a last glare at his partner. "And Tsuzuki, stay out of my fridge!"
XXX
Hisoka had almost made it to his room when the doorbell rang.
"Oh, what now?" He cried, throwing his arms up in frustration. He wanted to go to bed, damnit! Only the thought of his two guests kept him from stomping his way back to the front door (although Tsuzuki's presence by itself wouldn't have been enough to stop him).
Pulling the door open, Hisoka felt his jaw drop in shock.
"T-Terazuma-san?"
"Um, yeah." The possessed shinigami tossed down a cigarette and ground it beneath his heel. "I was wondering if I could crash here tonight."
"Why can't you just go home?"
Terazuma lowered his head and muttered something towards the ground.
Hisoka pinched the bridge of his nose with his forefingers, he was getting a headache. "Do you want to try explaining that again? With volume this time?"
Terazuma looked up, blushing crimson. "I dreamt that those crazy girls were after me, and when they caught me, I transformed. When I transformed in the dream, I transformed for real and, well, I don't have much of a roof left at the moment."
Hisoka let out a third looooong-suffering sigh. "Fine. I have an extra futon in my closet. You can set it up on the floor in my room."
"Hey, thanks kid!" Terazuma stepped into the house with relief, until he saw the figure sitting up on the couch craning to see the new arrival.
"Tsuzuki."
"Terazuma."
Hisoka could hear the threat in both their voices and feel the growing tension in the room. "Cool it. You fight in my house and you'll both be sleeping on the sidewalk." he gestured to Terazuma. "This way."
"Hisoka! You can't…"
Hisoka sent a very tired, very irritated glare towards his partner. "Shut up."
Tsuzuki pouted, but settled back down into the couch.
XXX
With Terazuma settling down on the futon on his floor, Tsuzuki snoring lightly on the couch, and Tatsumi firmly ensconced in the spare room, Hisoka made his way to the bathroom with his pyjamas under one arm (changing in his room was no longer an option). He had made it to the door and placed one hand on the knob when the phone rang. Hisoka let his head fall forward and hit the door; one, two, three times.
"Hisoka?" Tsuzuki's sleepy voice called softly.
"I'm coming," Hisoka growled, turning away from the bathroom door and heading for the phone. He glared at the ringing device for a moment before picking it up. "What do you want?" He asked, skipping all niceties, it was the middle of the night after all.
"Bon? Is that you? Thank god, I haven't been able to get a hold of anybody!"
"What's wrong Watari?"
"I got home from work a couple of hours ago and found out that my apartment building's been fumigated! No one's allowed back into the building for the next three days! I've been calling everyone I could think of, Tsuzuki, Tatsumi; I even tried Terazuma, but no one's home!"
Hisoka grimaced anticipating the coming question.
"Can I stay at your place? Please Bon? You're my last hope, otherwise I'll be sleeping on a park bench!"
The night seemed made for long suffering sighs and Hisoka gave in. "Fine, but all I have available is floor space."
"That's okay Bon," Watari informed him cheerfully. "I have a sleeping bag!"
Setting down the phone, Hisoka made his way back to the spare room and knocked lightly on the door. "Tatsumi-san? Are you still up?"
There was a momentary pause before the door swung open. "Is there something I can help you with Kurosaki-kun?"
"Do you mind if Watari sleeps on the floor in here? There's no room left in my room, and I don't really want to put him with Tsuzuki, they'll be chatting all night."
"Among other things, I'm sure. That's fine Kurosaki-kun, I don't mind, and I'm sure I can keep our overly-genki scientist in line."
Hisoka flashed him a grateful look. "Thank you Tatsumi-san."
XXX
Hisoka had just started brushing his teeth when the knock sounded at the door; he spat, and rinsed, and grumbled, and made his way out of the bathroom, belting his robe more tightly around his narrow waist.
The knock sounded again and Hisoka quickened his steps down the hallway, he paused to glare enviously at Tsuzuki who was once again snoring on the couch. Trying to put a reign on his growing bad mood, Hisoka schooled his features into neutrality and pulled open the door.
"Hell…" He trailed off in the middle of his greeting. "Gushoshin?"
The Gushoshin twins floated in the doorway, one in blue striped, two piece pyjamas and a matching nightcap. The other wore similar night clothes in red.
A blonde head popped up behind the pair. "Guess who I found on the way over!" Watari announced cheerfully.
Hisoka gave him a scathing look. "Who?" he asked in a voice dripping with sarcasm.
Watari's grin didn't falter. "Oi, Bon, don't be grumpy, they're friends in need!"
"Please Hisoka-san!" Gushoshin in blue said pleadingly, "We just need a place to stay for the night!"
"What happened to the library?" Hisoka asked with a slight note of real concern creeping into his voice.
"Nothing, the library is fine," Gushoshin in red told him.
"Then why are you here?"
"We had a nightmare."
"You both did?"
The twins exchanged a glance and nodded. "We realized we wouldn't be able to get to sleep again and when we saw Watari passing by outside and he suggested we come with him.
"What was this horrible nightmare about?" Hisoka asked, pinching the bridge of nose between his forefingers.
The Gushoshin shared another look and shuddered. "Thanksgiving dinner," they replied together.
XXX
Hisoka stood in the hallway, finally ready for bed, taking stalk; Tatsumi and Watari were sleeping in the guest room, Tsuzuki, still snoring, was fast asleep on the couch, Terazuma was using his extra futon, and much to his chagrin, the Gushoshin had passed out on his bed while he'd been in the bathroom. This meant that if he planned to sleep at all tonight, his options were limited to his reading chair, the kitchen floor (where Tsuzuki would probably step on him in the morning), or the bathtub.
Reading chair it was then. Hisoka made his way quietly across the living room to large easy chair before he realized that he had forgotten to grab a blanket. His shoulders slumped as he remembered the number of guests under his roof; there were no more spare blankets, they were all in use. He sat down and curled up, his head resting on one of the armrests, his feet dangling over the edge of the cushion, and buried his chin into the collar of his robe. He closed his eyes and tried to will himself to sleep.
His guests were dreaming.
He groaned and shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position, trying to block every emotion from his mind.
He tossed, and turned, and finally drifted of into uneasy slumber.
XXX
A red moon shone over the hill where the man and woman stood in an intimate embrace. A whisper of breath, a flash of steel, blood running red in the red light of the moon.
Running over the world…
Running, wet dew slippery under his feet, the hot rush of air gasping from his lungs, the pounding of his heart…
The pounding of running footsteps behind him…
The icy hands, hot with the red blood that closed on him, pulling him to the ground, pulling him away, pulling him apart.
'No witnesses, that's a rule…'
Fading away under a growing sense of calm…
Warm arms, protective, shielding…
Voices, soothing…
Calm, quiet, dark velvet warmth…
XXX
Hisoka came awake in stages, he was warm, comfortable, and his bed was rumbling.
No, his bed was snoring!
With a start, he opened his eyes. He was lying stretched out on the couch. More specifically, he was laying full length on Tsuzuki, who was snoring, one arm wrapped lightly around Hisoka's waist to hold him in place. A blanket was draped over the two of them.
Blushing, grateful that his partner was still asleep, Hisoka shifted slightly to find there was someone hanging on to the hand he had hanging over the edge of the couch. Shifting again, ever so slightly, Hisoka saw that Tatsumi was asleep sitting propped up against the couch, holding Hisoka's hand firmly in one of his own. Watari lay curled up on the floor beside the secretary, using one of his thighs as a pillow. Terazuma lay on Tatsumi's other side, stretched out from the couch, his head resting on his folded arms. A Gushoshin decorated each arm of the couch, whistling slightly in sleep. Hisoka blinked trying to take in the crowd around the couch.
"Are you okay?"
He turned his head to see sleepy amethyst eyes regarding him with concern.
"Why am I here?" Hisoka whispered, wide-eyed.
Tsuzuki grinned. "'Cause I got lucky?"
Hisoka blushed and smacked Tsuzuki's shoulder with his free hand. "No, I mean how did I get here."
The grin faded as Tsuzuki's expression became more serious. "You had a nightmare." Tsuzuki started rubbing his hand up and down Hisoka's back. "We couldn't wake you up. Actually, it took us a while to find you, all curled up in the chair like that. You weren't even covered up!"
Hisoka laid his head back down so Tsuzuki couldn't see exactly how red his face was turning, and muttered something about no more spare blankets.
"Yeah, we kinda figured something like that," Tsuzuki said softly. "Anyways, between Tatsumi and I, we managed to calm you down…"
Hisoka nodded.
"And we had to move you out of that chair, you would have been really sore if you slept there all night. We considered putting you into your bed, but nobody wanted to leave, so we all just kinda ended up here." Tsuzuki tilted Hisoka's head up so that he could look into his eyes. "Are you okay?"
"You already asked that," Hisoka reminded him. "And I'm fine."
"Really?"
"Yes, really," Hisoka grumbled. "And we should get up."
"Don't wanna, it's comfy here." Tsuzuki grinned as Hisoka glared. Then he yawned and stretched.
There was a loud squawk and a thump as one of the Gushoshin was knocked off the arm of the couch and hit the floor.
The noise was sufficient to wake the other sleepers. Watari snuggled deeper into a suddenly blushing Tatsumi's thigh, Terazuma sat bolt upright and somehow managed to knock the other Gushoshin off the couch. Both Gushoshin rose into the air looking mildly put out.
Tatsumi looked over at Hisoka, still spread out on top of Tsuzuki, and gave a little half-smile. "I see you're feeling better this morning." Tatsumi gently pulled his hand away from Hisoka's. "If you don't mind my invading your kitchen, I'll see about getting breakfast prepared." At Hisoka's slightly embarrassed nod, he turned his attention to freeing his leg from Watari's grip.
XXX
Washed, dressed, and fed, the group collected at Hisoka's door . Tsuzuki bounced cheerfully, ignoring the annoyed glares from Terazuma, as well as the mildly indulgent glances from Tatsumi. The Gushoshin in a nervous flutter, having realized that they had not brought clothes with them, and now had to sneak back into their library in their pyjamas were now being teased relentlessly by Watari.
Hisoka stood at the back of the group, looking over his shoulder at the pile of dishes sitting in the kitchen sink, the mess left on the table, and the crumbs that had scattered over the floor; the result of several enthusiastic eaters.
"Hey Bon! So we'll see you tonight, yeah?"
Hisoka's head shot up. "Tonight?" he questioned, uncomprehendingly.
"Well, yeah!" Tsuzuki confirmed, "after all, I'm still locked out, Watari's still being fumigated, Tatsumi's still being renovated and it'll take a few days for Fido to get his roof fixed." Tsuzuki ducked a swing from Terazuma.
XXX
Kanoe Katcho settled himself into his desk chair, took a sip of his coffee and pulled up his first file of the day. Just as he started to peruse the material, there was a soft knock at the door.
"Come in."
He was mildly surprised to see Hisoka slip into his office. The youth looked up at him and Kanoe swallowed hard as he received the full force of soulful, green puppy eyes.
"Could I stay at your place for a few days?"