Whoot! Second chapttteer. And I'm slightly more awake albeit after a 12 ½ hour shift with the tools being crappy all day, BUT I DIGRESS! XD TsuSoka cuddles shall happen…eventually…in the meantime! *slithers off to write* XD

Was he really going to do this?

As Hisoka stared up at the building before him, he questioned-not for the first time-the wisdom of seeking advice from this particular source. But he was out of options. Konoe, Tatsumi, the Gushoshin twins, even Watari…well, sort of, he didn't want to think about Watari's solutions…but all in all, they had all said that what he wanted was more or less impossible. To allow his body to continue it's physical aging. Or rather, just to set him up in what would have been his adult body. Was that so much to ask? Did he really have to spend eternity as a sixteen year old?

Hisoka felt renewed determination at that thought as he headed up the steps and knocked on the door of the Count's abode.

There was a moment of silence before the door creaked open and the mottled little butler Watson poked his head out with a droopy smile. He stepped back to allow Hisoka entrance before he closed the door behind him.

"Is the Count home, Watson?" Hisoka asked politely of the little butler.

"Yessss…with a guessst." Watson slurred slightly in his funny speech. "Thisss way, pleassse."

"Oh…a guest…then I shouldn't-"

"Count! You have another guesst!" Watson called out after he had knocked on the door of the dining room entrance before he slid it open.

Hisoka's eyes fell on the Count, dressed elegantly and with his usual mask and then he stared at the Count's, 'guest'.

Waves of raven-black hair cascaded around a pleasantly curvy body as eyes of a startlingly pale shade of blue flicked over in Hisoka's direction. Dark plum lips formed a slight frown as an elegant brow lifted set against a smoothly arched face. The woman was dressed in a dark-blue and violet gown, and the beauty looked rather like a queen. Just who was she?

The Count looked over at his latest 'guest' with surprise and he exchanged a glance with the woman before he said with a smile in his voice. "Ah, Hisoka…this is a surprise, Tsuzuki isn't with you?"

"No." Hisoka said shortly and the Count lifted an invisible brow before he inclined his head. "I see, such a pity…well, Hisoka, this is Lady Levurae, Lady Lev for short. I must ask that you don't speak of her visit with anyone, hmm? I assume that you've come for a favor, so let's say as a favor back, this will be our little secret?"

Hisoka blinked in surprise as he stared at the pair. The Count wanted him to keep a secret…and in exchange for…what he'd come to ask for? What had he stumbled onto? "I…alright then…"

The Count clapped his hands together. "Wonderful! Now then, what is it that I can do for you? Don't be shy, Lady Lev is a close friend." he smiled. All the while, Levurae's eyes never left Hisoka and her expression was decidedly blank, nor had the count opted to introduce Hisoka to her.

"Well…" Hisoka trailed off and he couldn't help but glance at Levurae. He didn't want to talk in front of her, but he couldn't just ask the Count to remove his guest for Hisoka who was uninvited anyway.

A voice like a tinkling bell entered the air. "Speak at your leisure, boy. I am no threat to you who are the partner of the one he holds dear."

Hisoka's brow furrowed as he didn't quite understand that statement, but he inclined his head. He didn't know who the woman was, but…it seemed that she wasn't going to be leaving anytime soon so he returned his attention to the Count. "I was wondering if…you knew of any way…is there…" he cut off as a faint blush darkened his cheeks. He couldn't do this…what was he thinking?

"It's alright, be open. I won't bite…well, only Tsuzuki~" the Count all but purred and Hisoka fought the urge to roll his eyes as he finished. "I wondered…if there was any way to allow a Shinigami to age further…"

" 'Age further'?" The Count repeated before understanding dawned. "Ahh, I see. You mean that you wish to grow up."

Hisoka blushed faintly. "T-That's not…I am an adult! I just mean…"

"In body." The Count said simply and Hisoka managed a curt nod.

"You wouldn't be the youngest Shinigami to join, so you're not the first to wonder…but thus far, there's been nothing in the Ministry capable of that feat. On a human, it would be simple enough but for a guardian of death…you are entirely set into your current being, to disrupt that…it would be much less so."

"So there's nothing?" Hisoka asked a bit bitterly.

"I didn't say that…just nothing in the Ministry as of yet." The Count murmured.

Hisoka's eyes widened. "You know of something else? Tell me. Please."

The Count was silent a moment before he met Hisoka's gaze. "There-"

"Count! There'sss…a new ssssoul…it'sss one of them…"

The Count cursed under his breath as he pushed his chair back with a bow. "Please excuse me for a moment…there is a matter I must address." he said as he left the room. Hisoka wondered just what was meant by 'one of them'. Was something going on?

"So you wish that, is that it?" Levurae's soft voice was heard again and Hisoka jumped slightly, startled as he turned to face her. "What is it exactly that you wish?"

Hisoka wouldn't have really had an answer, but he found words tumbling from his lips before he could stop himself, he couldn't seem to control it. "I wish that I was an adult, that Tsuzuki understood my position more…that I could protect him…I wish to be his equal, a true partner…"

"Your true wish?" she queried softly.

Hisoka nodded and all the while, he was mentally scolding himself. The words were true enough but he couldn't believe that he'd told them to a strange woman, it was as if he couldn't stop himself.

Levurae considered that a moment and nodded. "You who are dear to his dearest…your wish will find you, I hope that it finds you well." she murmured before she rose. "I too must attend to other matters…pleasant dreams, Hisoka Kurosaki, partner of Asato Tsuzuki…" and with that, she left the room but not before Hisoka did a double take, because he was certain that he'd seen her ears and that they were…pointed.

Hisoka shook his head as he rose and brushed the image from his mind…it would be rude to leave so suddenly, but he felt that it was…necessary…he needed to get home and sleep, and the urge to do so was suddenly rather strong…that woman…she had affected him somehow, hadn't she…?

"…your wish will find you…I hope it finds you well…"

The way she'd said that last bit…it was polite and yet, to Hisoka, it brought only one thing to mind, it sounded like a veiled warning…

Be careful what you wish for.

Mmm. Bedtime. XD So I was going to have a random fairy on Earth try to grant his wish, and yada yada, but I like this better I think. So yesh. XD Enjoy~