Kage: Well I was sort of hoping for a little more reviews but beggars can't be choosers. I don't want to let any fans down so here's the next chapter. Thank you for your support and feed back is well welcomed! Sorry for taking so long to update, but I do not plan to stop posting on this fic so just hold tight and updates shall come!

Tifa Hikari: I'm glad you're still with me, sorry for the wait but yup it's finally here. I do hope you like the way things go in this.

Laustic: Thank you and I'll try to keep a regular posting schedule so you can continue reading.

Warning: None! The rating should cover everything and anything presented in this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own this anime.

One Last Step

Chapter 2:

Ten years have passed since the ministry was faced with such a crisis, that it became a game. Even to this day, pictures were stilled tacked to message boards, either as a warning reminder or just to mess with the two involved. Despite the humiliating pictures, one blonde could now just walk by them, smirk and go onto work. Those days were memorable, even if a few things did go wrong.

God, I sound like Konoe or Asato talking like that. The teen shook his head, smiling to himself by his thought and the name he used to address his partner. Only a few years ago did he start calling him that, even after that had already hooked up. But none the less it was an accomplishment the two shared.

Making his way to the office, Hisoka sat down viewing over some paper work from the last case. Nothing out of the ordinary, just a normal case. Except just like this one, they were being followed, Hisoka noted. He couldn't tell if his partner realized it or not but for the past two years, he always felt a painful presence lurking in the shadows only feet behind them.

The youth had tried to use his empathy to read who ever it was, but he couldn't for some reason. Instead it caused his body to arch in pain, just like before. He dismissed it though since his curse marks haven't flared into full force in over ten years, so it couldn't have been Muraki. The ever so often nightly pains, was his own mind torturing him now a days, but still…the pain felt the same.

Shuddering a moment, he hoped to all heavens that it was just a coincidence. Ten years of peace with his boyfriend was nice. Hisoka blushed just as the office door opened revealing the person who had just entered his thoughts.

"'Soka-chan! I brought back lunch for us!" The brunet ran up to his younger partner, giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek. Hisoka still blushed at every move and advance Tsuzuki made on him, but not as often would he freak out or feel embarrassed. Although despite how many years they were together, they still had never had sex. It was something that still chilled the youth.

Don't get him wrong, they had tried. Several times, but anytime the boy began to cry, apologize, shake or just flat out say he couldn't; they'd settle for cuddling and touching. These two things never bothered the empath, no matter where Tsuzuki touched him anymore. Even if to give each blow jobs, Hisoka just hopes Tsuzuki doesn't expect too much from him, because he knew he couldn't give it.

Although, never once had Tsuzuki complained so it really didn't matter. After pulling out the sandwiches and salads for their lunch, Tsuzuki perched himself on Hisoka's desk.

"You have a chair you know."

"It's too far away from you though."

"Then just pull it closer, you're going to ruin my desk and if it breaks, Tatsumi will kill you." Making a small meeping noise, the man jumped off the evil money stealing desk but decided on a new spot than his chair. Hisoka's of course, even if he was in it, he sat right in the boys lap. "Tsuzuki! Get off me, you're too heavy!"

"Aw 'Soka-chan! Say it nicely." He was smacked. "That's so mean! I'll get off when I'm done eating, deal?"

"No. Get off now."

"Pleeeeeeease!" He begged, going puppy and cuddling himself on his lover. "Hmm…comfy, I think I like it here. Even if you hit me, I'll stay. Yup yup." Tsuzuki nodded as if conversing with himself.

The crushed teen just blushed lightly and sighed. Not exactly saying no to the older man's childish behavior, they both ate. Until the office door opened again, revealing Tatsumi who had never seen this position from the two before and just stared. Growing embarrassed, Hisoka quickly tried to shove the heaver man off of him, but failed miserably.

"Aw not yet! I'm almost done!"

"We're leaving." He mumbled.

"Huh?" Tsuzuki looked up to see Tatsumi before disappearing with Hisoka as he transported both to earth. "Why are we here? And our food, it's back at the office!"

"Be quiet, we'll just find somewhere else to eat. That way it's peaceful." He replied walking off. Tsuzuki smiled. He loved his lover so much, especially now that he'd actually started to open a little more and give reason to what he did. It felt nice, not lie a bickering pair anymore….just a pair? Tsuzuki shook his head. That didn't make since.

He just obediently followed Hisoka as they started to exit the park and head towards the city. Suddenly Hisoka felt strange again, that feeling again….

"Hisoka?"

"It's back, our stalker. And he's closer than usual." Without warning, a hand fell on Hisoka's shoulder.

"Bouya, listen to me." Both froze, and Hisoka turned around sharply to look into silver eyes. Immediately, he slapped the hand of him. The spot itching and burning where it was as he stared at the boy in front of him, just a little taller than him but the age looked the same.

Tsuzuki turned as well as his eyes widened. "Muraki." He whispered but both boys heard as emerald eyes looked at violet worriedly and asking as if to confirm it for him or it just to be a dream or nightmare.

"So you know me shinigami, good makes this a hell of a lot easier." The two didn't know how to speak, but one question came from Hisoka's lips.

"You've been stalking us for two years, why?"

"I have every right to." He twitched, Muraki liked the power he seemed to have over this boy and continued. "You and me seem to have a bond, since I can't seem to sleep or walk without having this gut feeling to follow you when I feel you."

"F-feel me?" Hisoka tried to play it stupid, since this Muraki wasn't suppose to have any previous memories of before.

"It's like you're in me, or I'm in you, so I've easily been able to follow you. Plus at just the thought, I make you ache in pain. I think its fun." The blonde glared. "That's not nice Bouya, now shall we walk, I have business to discuss with you two."

"And if we refuse?" Muraki smirked. Within seconds, a ripping feeling courses through out Hisoka's body, causing his feet to buckle and fall.

"Hisoka!" Tsuzuki caught him. "Alright, you have our attention, just stop that."

"I did." Violet eyes glare daggers at the boy in front of him.

"He did Tsuzuki, I'm fine. It was just a blitz."

"Oh but I've been practicing on the little animals in our backyard. I could make it last if you'd like."

"No, let's walk." The brunet looked at the youth to make sure he didn't want to just teleport out of there. "Let's hear him out first, ok? Something's just different for some reason." He whispered and the man nodded as both followed the silver haired boy.

"So what do you want to talk about?"

"Always to the point Tsuzuki-san?" Both twitched but realized they had said each others name and this could just be him being polite…who knows. "But yes, I don't have much time. About ten years ago I was abandoned and a man named Oriya found and raised me. He talked a lot in a strange point of vision or reality, as if we both lived another life or mainly me. Up until I met you two I cared nothing for it. But you, Bouya, after seeing you I wanted to know more. I knew my mind was erased somehow and I traveled to try and get it back..." He paused looking at them a moment.

"Finding I wasn't human and had abilities as well as you two wasn't enough, I wanted everything. So I stayed out longer, stalking you two of course since my mind seemed to snap every time I was around you. Although after a while I went home….only to find out the only person I knew in this life time was dying. My powers….they did nothing, they only hurt but yours, I watched you two. You can heal." He stopped walking. "I want you to save Oriya."

Tsuzuki looked at Hisoka but the boy already had a response ready. "Everyone dies, it's not something you can stop. It's how a human life goes." He laughed.

"I'm not human and I live on, what do you have against that?"

"Your existence was an accident, Oriya is human. As human he'll die if on the kiseki. You're just going to have to bear with it." Hisoka didn't even care to sugar coat a single word, nor did he want to stick around to listen to the teenaged Muraki's complaints. Turning sharply on his heel, the blonde started to head in the opposite direction.

Briefly stunned for the latter's actions, silver eyes quickly narrowed, glaring daggers into the back of the boy. Despite earlier's little demonstration, the emerald eyed shinigami still wanted to defy his words. He smirked, even at a distance he knew he could bring that brat to his knees. Violet eyes widen sensing the danger his partner had just put himself in.

"I'll go see him." Tsuzuki cracked out suddenly. Muraki only turned to look at the other man dumfounded, waiting for further conformation. "I'll go to the Kokakuro and see what I can do for him."

"There's no ifs or maybes, save him or that boy will suffer for the rest of eternity."