American way of Death a Yami no Matsuei fan fiction by JG
The next day at the office, most of the office members were tense and silent. With the exception of Terazuma, who had no memory of either Bert-San hitting him, or of his own words to Hisoka. Bert-San and he still went chatting on like old war buddies. Hisoka found Bert's purposeful deception making him dislike the American even more. He frowned in disapproval, turning his eyes away. His thoughts were a glum storm with no relief in sight when the door burst open. Saya and Yuma ran in with their usual gusto. Hisoka shrank back into his seat, waiting for the inevitable cuddling, coddling and preening by them he found so intolerable. But to his surprise they looked right at Bert in puzzlement.
"That's not him!" Saya said to Yuma.
"Ojii…" Yuma muttered to herself, looking at Bert in disapproval.
Tatsumi smirked to himself, taking a second to push his glasses up to regain his composure for a second.
"Where is he?" Saya asked Tatsumi.
"Ladies, remember yourselves." Tatsumi said. "Who are looking for?"
"For the new American Shikigami, but this isn't him." Saya explained.
"What's his name?" Bert asked.
"R. Knight!" Saya and Yuma squealed in unison. "Oh my god! And we saw him! He's a beautiful as his name! Sougoi!!!"
"Oh, you mean Randall?" Bert asked.
"Randall-san?" Watari interjected, and he sounded almost as excited as the girls.
"Oh is that his name?" Saya gasped. "Oh how wonderful!"
The door burst open again, and the three Kanawa sisters: Yukikok, Tsukiko, and Hanako from Souteicho rushed in.
"What are you witches doing here!" Terazuma yelled, but they ingored him. The most aggressive of the three sisters, Yikikok, looked right at Saya and Yuma.
"Back off you two!" She screeched. "We get a crack at him before you two harpies do!"
"Oh you think so?!" Saya scowled.
"Yes I do!" Yukikok continued."You don't even know where he is! I saw you come rushing in looking for him here, but I know he's only arriving today. So he's not here yet, baka! Besides, I'm sure he'll be much more interested in us- we are much more sophisticated than you country bumpkins!"
"Hey!"Saya and Yuma yelled. "Take that back!"
"Shut up and get out of here! All of you!" Terazuma yelled into the fray. Hisoka covered his ears, he felt sick to his stomach with all these hostile energies mixing with female hormones flying around. He felt his partner look his way, he closed his eyes to try to find some silence in himself as he was bombarded with all these emotions. He couldn't make out exactly what the girls were yelling at each other, but their voices became shriller and shriller. Then to his surprise they stopped. He opened his eyes and he saw all the girls were looking down at Bert in surprise.
He simply rolled his cigarette in his fingers like it was the most interesting thing in the world.
"What did you say?" Yukikok said in surprise.
"I said your quarry has arrived, ladies. But he's not here."
"Where is he?" Tsukiko asked.
"On the other side of the campus. He just got here." Bert shrugged, again not looking up at them.
"How do you know?" Yukikok demanded.
Now Bert looked up at her and tapped his nose. "But you better hurry, Ladies. I'm sure there are some other ladies that will be just as eager to meet him as you will. And he's quite the ladies man."
The girls' faces dropped for a moment and in a mad rush, they left the room like a whirlwind. The slammed the door behind them. The door had barely been shut, when Watari and Bert laughed aloud, looking at each other in the shared joke.
"Well," Bert shrugged, "It was the best way I could think make them want to leave. I'm sure Randall will forgive the smudge on his reputation."
"So where he is, really?" Watari asked.
"Across the field, heading this way." Bert stated.
The windows in the office were open and a spring like breeze was blowing in from the field that stretched out before the office building. In the distance they could see two forms walking towards the building. The details of who these figures were not visible to anyone. But the scientist knew, as if by instinct, who they were.
"Oi!" Watari yelled out the window, waving his hand fiercely. "Randall-kun! BB!" His voice echoed out across the field, and one of the figured waved back to him. Whatever people were before hand, it was forgotten as they saw the other two American Shikigami arrive. It was a long walk up to the building, so as they waited for their arrival.
"Watari." Hisoka asked, "How do you know these people?"
"Oh, I went over to America a long time ago, to do research." The scientist explained. "It was before you came on. I was assigned to the office where Summers-Chan and Bert-san worked. Randall-kun came on later. When the research was done, I came back here."
"Oh.. Uhm, what did you research there?" Hisoka asked.
Bert's eyes darted to Watari's face momentarily. Hisoka thought he saw a glimmer of a warning in Bert's eyes. Watari stretched and smiled.
"Oh, Bon. You know my passion has been the female mind. Well circumstances arrived where I could study that and more. But its all old news now. Hey they are getting closer. Oi! Randall-san! Hurry up!"
"We're coming!" was the call back. "We gotta a cooler!"
Hisoka saw them as they came now into view. The taller one was as tall as Tatsumi, but built very broad. He had to be in his late twenties, or at least was when he died, Hisoka noted. He was wearing jeans and some shirt from some sporting team it looked like. Baseball? Thought Hisoka. He was very muscular and he walked with athletic grace. As he came more into view, Hisoka saw he had blonde hair tightly buzzed. He was dragging a large Tupperware looking box behind him on wheels. Hisoka noted to himself that that must be what a cooler was. Over his left shoulder he held a baseball bat, with a glove shoved on it. But his pale skin and expression was what Hisoka noticed the most. This person seemed to beam as it were, his skin sparkled with some type of light that seemed to come out of him. His expression was straight forward and honest. Hisoka felt nothing hidden or dark in this person or in grey eyes. He seemed to beam forth light and vitality and joy.
There was a figure behind him, carrying what looked like grocery bags. It was a Caucasian female, skinny with light brown hair in a long braid down her back. Hisoka recognized immediately the image from Bert's mind and saw that it was K. Summers. Her expression was far more timid, and her blue eyes seemed to dart about as they came closer. But there was more to it than that, Hisoka saw that on her face surrounding her right eye, she bore some type of marking. It was a of a bear paw. As she came nearer and nearer, Hisoka sensed that there was something more to her than what she appeared. It was if something slept within her mind, not something evil, but something powerful. Hisoka did not know why, but he thought of the trees and the mountains outside his childhood home. Whatever it was in her- it ran deep like the river, and was old and powerful like the mountain. She was wearing a brown shirt and doeskin pants that only seemed to accentuate her brown hair. But her leery eyes were blue like the sky. Suddenly the three eye cat, that most had forgotten as it had slept in one of the office chairs, leapt on the window sill. The girl saw it and smiled putting her bags down scooped the cat up in her arms. The she leaned over to Watari and hugged him through the open window a long time.
"BB." He said quietly. "How was your trip?"
The reply was not what anyone expected. Without warning all within earshot heard a voice, a feminine voice in their head that was not their own. Again, Hisoka was reminded of the woods and mountain outside his ancestral home.
*All right. Thanks for emailing me Watari, other wise I think we would have been lost about how to get here.*
"Yeah," Randall smiled. "Thanks for the directions."
"What was that?" Tsuzuki said, I swear I heard a voice in my head.
"You did," Bert said flatly. "That was psi-talk. That's how Summers here talks."
"Really?" Tatsumi asked, surprised.
*I'm sorry if I surprised you.* the female voice broadcasted again in everyone's head. *I hope I didn't upset you. But I cannot talk as you can. I lost that ability some time ago.*
"Your broadcast has gotten a lot stronger, Summer-Chan, since last I felt it." Watari said. "I remember when it was barely more than a whisper."
Summers smiled shyly.
"Can you hear what were thinking?" Tatsumi asked, thinking about the discussion he had had with Bert last night after Tzusuki left. He was cautious and suspicious.
Summers shook her head.
"Then how does it work?" Tatsumi asked.
"Well, I got an idea." Randall interjected. "I got some good old American BBQ stuff here," he said motioning to the cooler. "I figured since were all stuck here together, its best for us to get along. And the best way for us to get to know each other was to have a BBQ. I got some supplies and stuff for it before I came.
"And it's a nice day." he shrugged. "What do you say? I don't want you all to think were all like Mr. NRA over there."
Bert scoffed. "And I see you brought your baseball stuff ready for a game? I'm sure your ready to get ass handed to you, Rand."
"Aw, come on old man." Randall smiled. "I think it's the other way round."
"Who are you to call me, old?" Bert interjected. "Oh by the way, you had a new fan club looking for you. Apparently your picture got over here before you did."
"Oh great…" Randall rolled his eyes. So did Summers behind him.
*Some things never change.* she thought. Her thoughts had the edge of sarcasm to them, and the felt like a dull thorn in Hisoka's mind.
"What food did you bring?" Tsuzuki asked eagerly.
"Oh, just you know…the usual stuff." Randall shrugged as he opened the cooler. Tsuzuki's eyes fell on heaps of chicken, brisket, hot dogs, hamburgers, fish, meat, mustard potato salad, onions, jalapenos, and pickles. His eyes watered and he squealed in delight. He turned his eyes then to Tatsumi and gave him a pleading look.
That was all that was needed, that afternoon the office of EnmaCho had their first BBQ.
"Oh! That's hot!"Wakaba gasped. She grabbed her glass of water and drank quickly. "Oh make it cool down!
"Watch out for those jalapenos. Here, water wont work. use bread." Bert said.
Bert handed the tearing Wakaba some bread of white bread which she ate quickly. She like the rest of the members of the office were all sitting around on a blanket spread out on the grass. Near by, Randall had assembled a BBQ grill he had with him. He was flipping the brisket on it, as the rest were eating. He had insisted on this, because as he said- its not like he really needed to eat anyway. Plus as he said he "didn't stand on ceremony."
This casualness in Randall's demeanor caught Tatsumi as very odd. After all he was formal about everything. He didn't know quite how to react, or how to feel about it. And the amount of yen that had to be spent to bring all of this American fare here, was enough to give Tatsumi an aneurism. Tatsumi did not like to see money wasted, and if it was the EmmoCho's paycheck money....He wondered, but didn't want to say anything. It would be rude to ask such a personal question.
"So where did you get the money for all this stuff?" Tsuzuki asked bluntly. "Your paycheck can't be that much!"
"Tsuzuki!" every Japanese member of the office cried out in unison. The offending Shikigami hunkered down in waiting for the blows that were to come. Bert and Summers looked at him in surprise. Randall laughed out loud, boisterously. Tatsumi was amazed that Randall-san had brushed off such a breech of personal conduct, as if it were nothing. Even to Americans, the question of how much you make was offensive.
"you don't have much of an internal filter do you?" Bert-san laughed.
*I like that.* Summers broadcast. Her thoughts were warm and gentle. *It makes me trust him. Rand, the fish-*
"Oh don't worry, I didn't forget." Randall said. He opened another cooler and pulled out a huge slice of salmon, already sliced into shashimi slices. It was enough to supply a restaurant for a week. Randall put it all on the American girl's plate. The Japanese Shikigami blinked in amazement at the amount of food it was. All except Tsuzuki.
"What – she gets all of it?!" Tsuzuki cried.
"Tsuzuki!" Tatsumi scolded.
"What?" Randall said. "Oh, no, hang on there's more." And out of the cooler came two more pieces of salmon of the same size.
"Soigoi!"Tsuzuki and Watari cried, each one getting the tears out their eyes.
Tatsumi couldn't help but look at Randall in amazement. "You honor us with your generosity, Randall San."
"Oh, its nothing." He shrugged. "I have a family inheritance as it were."
"How can you have inheritance if you dead?" Terazuma asked.
"Hmm. Its complicated." Randall stated simply. " I guess I don't think about it all that much. It's only money."
Tatsumi almost choked on his food at Randall's last remark.
"Besides," Randall continued. " I try to always have a lot of food when I have these things. Katie's a big eater."
Summers blushed. During this exchange she had started eating the salmon with her bare hands, eating one slice after another quickly. Hisoka was amazed at the amount she could eat, as were the other Japanese Shikigami, with the exception of Watari.
She must have sensed, their surprise.
*Sorry. My metabolism is…very high.* she apologized.
"Oh it only means, your genki, Katie-chan!" Watari smiled.
Tsuzuki nodded in agreement.
"So where are you from?" Terazuma asked Randall.
"Well I wasn't born in Texas, but I got there as fast as I could." Randall said, checking on the tenderness of the brisket.
"Huh. The only place in the world where people BBQ on Easter." Bert said. "Thought was the weirdest thing."
Randall snickered a little. "Yeah, and you didn't blink an eye first time I used my light nova, Montana-man."
"Light Nova?" Hisoka asked. "What's that?"
"Oh its just something I can do, its no biggie." Randall said, shooing the suggestion away with his hand. "I mean, I'm a light bearer, right? So Light Nova is nothing that unusual for my powers."
"Yeah, except that the power of it can level a building." Bert stated wryly.
"What's a light bringer?" Tsuzuki asked.
"Its like Tatsumi's power, but with light not shadow." Watari explained.
"yeah, Light nova puts out a wave of light so intense that its almost like a physical force some kind." Bert added. " Like I said, it can level a building."
"Well," said Randall, starting the cut the brisket. "You can always tell a light bringer by their skin."
"So that's why your skin shines." Hisoka said.
*One of the major offices to the American Office of the Dead is in Texas.* Summers sent. *We were all stationed there. *
Randall brought the brisket to the area and gave everyone a piece.
*Forks* Summers thought out.
"Oh yeah, thanks." Randall said tearing open a bag of plastic wear and passing it around.
"Can you tell me more about that," Tsuzuki asked. "More about that psi-talk."
"Its like telepathy," Watari explained. "It was just in the beginning stages of it when I was over in America last."
"Can you read thoughts with it?" the chief asked.
"Only if they are freely offered." Watari explained. "Like with talking."
The chief paused for a second then nodded, accepting Watari's explanation.
Summers sighed deeply.
*I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable.* she thought out. *Your not the first one, and not the last.. to think.. I'm freakish this way…*
"Uhm, I didn't mean," Chief Konoe said in apology.
*But I don't use it that much, I don't talk all the time. It would be too tiring.* Summers sent, looking around not making eye contact trying to find the right thoughts or feelings to send. Hisoka felt her embarrassment and something more, shame over what she was.
*But there is one good thing with psi-talk.* she said offering a counter argument in her defense. *you can't lie*
"Can't lie?" the chief asked.
"Yeah," Bert nodded.
"That's right. You can't." Watari said. "Not with Psi-talk. Its impossible."
"Can anyone learn it?" Tsuzuki asked.
"Its really hard for someone like you or me to learn it," Bert said. "It took me years. And I'm talking years from a very good teacher. And she's not coming over here anytime soon from what I know."
*Too bad she didn't teach you any manners* Hisoka thought out Bert.
*Watch it, kid.* Bert thought back.
And to Hisoka's surprise there was now a third voice. It was Summers.
*Bert, have you been fighting again?* Summers thought.
Hisoka looked at Summers, questioning. *Can others hear this?*
*No* Summers replied. *This is a private channel I guess you could say. But never mind that, was Bert mean?*
Hisoka felt his anger at his humiliation last night rise in his mind. Summers seemed to sense what he was feeling.
*Oh, it was that bad.* she sent to him. *I'm sorry. Damn it, Bert!*
*Oh, Baby Bear.* Bert thought, and cut himself off. Hisoka felt the pain of slightly hurt feelings coming from Bert-san.
Bert sighed. Hisoka felt him leave the mental conversation. Hisoka was aware of him answering questions from Tsuzuki about how he, a mundane, he called himself could learn what was thought of unlearnable save for a gifted few. But really, Hisoka did not pay this much attention. His attention was still on the mental conversation he was having with Summers.
*I am sorry* Summers said.
*How did you learn to do this? To everyone. I can't broadcast like that.* Hisoka felt a pang of jealousy come up within him.
*I had to…Summers sent. *I had to…. Evolve, I guess is the right word.*
Hisoka felt something come over him, he thought of his own short comings, and an dull anger filled him.
*Don't be jealous.* Summer sent.
*I wish I could evolve like that.* Hisoka thought glumly.
*No you don't.* Summer sent. The feeling of these thought was definite, concrete.
*Why?* Hisoka thought.
*Because- you have to die to the old self, to evolve to the new.* she said.
*That shouldn't be that hard. * Hisoka thought. *Its not like-*
*It's not that type of death." Summers warned. "It's a death of the mind."
Hisoka felt memories of pain from her wash over him. They were memories of pain and betrayal and violation. He thought about his own violation by Muraki's hands. Her feelings of violation were no different. The body or the mind, it didn't seem to matter.
*Gomen.* Hisoka thought back to her.
*Its okay.* Summers thought back to him. *The past is gone, there is nothing that can be done to reclaim it. It moves like a river, away from us. Only what's now is important.*
*River..I sense certain things with you- mountains, rivers.. why?* Hisoka asked.
*Your full of questions for our first meeting. I don't have to surrender all myself now, do I?* she asked.. *I didn't ask about the mark on your skin, did I?*
*What?!* Hisoka sent, and looked quickly down at his skin. He couldn't see his curse marks, so how was it that this person knew about them ? About him, he was vaguely aware of the others getting up and stretching and talking about staring a baseball game.
*You can see it?* Hisoka asked her.
She nodded. Hisoka felt shame rush into him.
*Don't worry.* Summers thought *No one else can see it. Like I know that no one else can see this mark over my eye. And I won't mention it to any one else.*
It took Hisoka a second to collect his thoughts.
*Sorry.* he thought, * I guess I just, I dunno..*
*Well, this whole thing isn't easy for us either.* Summers said.
There was a pause between them.
*Okay, so how do we start again?* Hisoka asked.
*Well… I guess we could start with our full names. Mine is Katie Summers.*
* Kurosaki Hisoka.*
Most of the others of the office were busy playing the game baseball. Not everyone knew the rules, but Randall was more than happy to break the rules down, and accommodate them for the numbers of players. As Tatsumi looked at the younger Shikigami he was full of admiration, and oddly something like embarrassment. For weeks he had been dreading the American's arrival, and stereotypes had plagued his thoughts. Bert alone was barely tolerable, but with the presence of the other two his demeanor seemed to soften a great deal. He was like some proud father in some strange way, competing against Randall in a friendly manner, and telling Summers to be careful as she walked off by herself.
But it was Randall himself that Tatsumi was the most impressed with. He had not expected such generosity, and even though he was unabashedly casual, which puzzled Tatsumi's sense of ceremony and formality- he did not find his company unpleasant. Tatsumi also noticed that while Terazuma obviously favored Bert, Tsuzuki was much friendlier with Randall-san. Of course the food Randall-san had brought had drawn Tsuzuki like a moth to the flame.
Tatsumi was also impressed with how Randall-san used his powers. He was all but a conduit and controller of light. As he threw the ball to Terazuma at bat, Tatsumi saw shafts of light come out of Randall's fingers, pushing the ball along with incredible speed and power. And when it was his turn at bat, the bat seemed to have tendrils of light as hit it out of sight. It was if the light also gave him abnormal speed and strength as well.
Hisoka was missing all of this. He had found the encounter with them, overwhelming. He and the other empath had stayed together on blanket a long time after the game started, and though no one could hear their conversation is seemed to be a very long and intense one. When the conversation was over, Summers got up and told Bert she was going for a walk. Hisoka sat on the blanket, chin in hand, lost in thought. Tatsumi observed in some amusement that the empath's eyelids seemed to get heaver and heavier until his head dropped down on his chest. Tsuzuki saw this and smiled, but let empath keep on sleeping. The encounter, though not unpleasant, had been tiring to him.
Far from the game, and Katie Summers was passing by three Japanese sisters. They looked to be sisters, they were obviously related. Though they were very well groomed, their eyes were cruelly sharp. She heard the sisters snicker to themselves about her own appearance, just loud enough so they made sure she heard. Katie brushed it off and plunged into wandering off the paths in the underworld realm. She was reminded how little, in life or undeath she like people in general. And though the Japanese counterparts seemed to be alright, she was glad that these girls were not part of that office. Girls who had such cruel smiles reminded her of someone she would rather not think about. She pushed these thoughts out of her mind, and walked in nature as only she could walk. She felt at peace and complete when she did.
When the game was over Randall-san ran over to where the blanket was. He looked down on Hisoka and cocked his head to the side.
"And I thought Katie could sleep like a bear." He said amused. He shrugged and started cleaning up. Tsuzuki scooped Hisoka up in arms and started walking home. He heard Wakaba complain about never being taken home like that, and Terazuma trying to escape her touch. There was the bang of Terazuma's transformation, punctuated by Bert's laugh.
"What is that about?" he guffawed.
There was some general confusing, but Tsuzuki didn't hear the full of it. The wind blew by, gently ruffling Hisoka's hair as the empath shifted his head, putting it against Tsuzuki's chest. On the way home, Tsuzuki thought a great deal. It wasn't like him to ponder a too many things, he was no great reader of books or anything like that. But he thought more and more about all of Bert's talk about psi- talk. Tsusuki had already communicated once with Hisoka, in Nagasaki when they synchronized their powers for the first time. But to be able to do it on a regular basis, all the time – Tsuzuki found himself wanting that, that intimacy of mind link where there could be no barriers between him and Hisoka.
As their relationship had matured to the physical, there was something more that Tsuzuki found he wanted. He found himself missing Hisoka every time they parted ways. After all , they did not spend the night at each others home all the time, and when Hisoka was in his house and Tsuzuki in his apartment , Tsuzuki found himself thinking about all those little things that Hisoka did- the way he walked or sat in a chair reading, the sound of his voice, even the way he stirred his tea. It was these little things he wanted and Tsuzuki wanted them around all the time. In short, Tsuzuki found himself thinking as he opened the door to Hisoka's house, he wanted to share more than just his body. He wanted to share his life. To live together, to talk together and have those intimate details around him all the time. Only that would be enough.
He put Hisoka to sleep in his bed, and fed the fish on the dresser next to it. He knew Hisoka would probably complain he fed them to much, but they just looked so hungry to Tsuzuki, so he had too. He sighed and stretched and walked into the living room. He knew there was really no reason for him to stay, but he didn't want to go. He heard Hisoka's breathing in the next room. But Tsuzuki thought the little house was so quiet. How could he stand it so quiet? Hisoka didn't own a television, something Tsuzuki found almost impossible to live without. It was full of books all neatly arranged on shelves, but Tsuzuki wasn't much of a reader. He tried to raid Hisoka's fridge, but there were no sweets. He made a mental note that he would have to make sure there was always something sweet on hand when they lived together.
The assumption of that thought caught Tsuzuki off guard. What is Hisoka said no? After all the empath needed quiet to deflate, and Tsuzuki didn't think he could be quiet all the time. After all they liked different things. Maybe Hisoka would say no because he was too messy, or too loud, or just too bothersome. And maybe, he would say no.. because..
He wasn't human.
Both the thoughts of Hisoka's possible no, and what he was bothered Tsuzuki so much, he put them out of his mind as soon as could . No it was ridiculous. Hadn't Hisoka told him the only place for him was by his side?
He remembered again back to the afterglow of the first time they lain together, how calm Hisoka looked, laying in his arms. Tsuzuki had never seen him at such ease. So of course, Tsuzuki told himself, of course the answer would be yes. Even if it took a while to happen. After all other things had taken a while to unfold, but when at last it had felt so natural, like it was meant to be. Tsuzuki's thoughts went to those green eyes, and he remembered how many times he looked into them, and he felt as if those eyes held everything in them he held dear. That he would do anything for those eyes. But what if those eyes turned cold when the question was asked? Again, what if the answer was no?
Tsuzuki remembered that it was thoughts like this that meant his hands tremble slightly every time he touched that smooth skin when he they first became lovers. Tsuzuki had been so embarrassed for his nervousness. He was no novice, unlike Hisoka. Tsuzuki did not equate Muraki's assault with experience in love making. In Tsuzuki's eyes, Hisoka was still a virgin. And Hisoka's blushes and wide eyes endeared him more to Tsuzuki than he could ever say. They looked at him to guide him in this intimate dance, and at Tsuzuki was afraid he would stumble. He had asked Watari for advice. Watari had teased him that it was because of over abundance of want and emotion that made his hands tremble so, and not to worry. Things would unfold as they were meant to. The scientist was right of course.
Speaking of Watari, Tsuzuki thought, he made a mental note to make sure to have the scientist tell him more details about his trip to America. But for now, Tsuzuki felt boredom tug at him, and he couldn't stand to be bored. He decided to get some air, plus he felt the walk would do him some good to put his fears to rest. He listened again for Hisoka's breathing. Yes, he was still sound asleep. He made sure the door was locked, and left Hisoka the small house.
It was a pretty afternoon, and the sun was beginning to set. Tsuzuki walked a bit to the park, where he saw what had to be a tourist. She was Caucasian and American by her accent. She had a small child with her, that clutched to her dress anxiously. She wore a floral dress that flattered her figure, but it was not this that Tsuzuki noticed. He noticed her very long and full chestnut hair and deep brown eyes. She looked this way and that, trying to get her bearings.
"Are you lost?" Tsuzuki asked.
"Oh yes. My son and I are looking for our hotel. Can you help us?" She showed him a hotel brochure for a luxury hotel that was not far from here. Tsuzuki directed her to turn at the next street up and then go over small walkway bridge towards the direction of the hotel.
"Oh thank you so much!" She smiled at him. "This is my son's and mine first trip here, and its hard to come here alone."
"Alone?" Tsuzuki asked.
"Yes. My husband passed away a few years ago…I am here in this country on my own. He has family here."
"Oh Gomen." Tsuzuki said, bowing deeply.
"There is no need to apologize. I'm glad you were able to help me. I hope to see you again, Mr.."
"Tsuzuki-san." He nodded.
"Ah. My name is Jenni Hiru. Its funny to have such a western name with a Japanese one, isn't it."
"Oh, uhm, I think it sounds very nice." Tsuzuki stammered, trying to think of something to say.
She smiled sweetly at him. "Are you the nicest man. I bet someone is very lucky to be with someone as nice as you. People like you are never single."
Tsuzuki blushed at her flattery.
"Thank you again." She said and shook his hand, and Tsuzuki was surprised how cold he found her fingers.
"Oh, you best go in as soon as you can." He said, "You have a chill."
"Oh," She blushed coyly at him. "I have bad circulation. My fingers are always cold. How sweet of you to notice. Thank you again for you help."
As she lead her child around the corner. As she did so, her necklace, a golden chain must have popped its clap. It fell to the ground and she walked on, not noticing it.
"Oh, Ma'm." Tsuzuki called out, and went to pick up the necklace. He turned the corner and called out to her. But she was no where in sight. This puzzled the Shikigami as there was no other alley way or side street she could have gone into. Yet where could she have gone? He frowned in puzzlement and decided he would go by her hotel in the morning and drop it off at the desk. She would be sure to miss it.
This small event was to change Tsuzuki's life permanently, but he did not know it yet.
He felt a hunger pain and decided to go get some dinner for himself and Hisoka. Chinese sounded good. He made sure to pick up some egg drop soup, because Tsuzuki believed soup was always good for healing any ills, physical or not. He also stopped at the local bakery and picked up a small cake for himself. With his burdens he returned back to Hisoka's house.
The empath was still sound asleep. Tszuki put the found necklace on the end table near where he took off his shoes, so he would not forget it the next morning. He put the food on the table. On his way to the bathroom he bent down and kissed Hisoka on the cheek.
"'Soka. I got dinner."he whispered.
"mmm." 'Soka murmured and turned in his sleep. Tsuzuki smiled.
Tsuzuki turned on the shower and took his clothes. For a moment he looked at his reflection in the fogging up window. Then he opened the shower door. One look back was all it would have taken to avoid disaster, to let him be aware that something was wrong in his world. Tsuzuki would have seen his reflection remain in the mirror after he left, and transform to the image of the woman he met on his brief walk outside. She smiled sinisterly and vanished from the image of the mirror. One look would have avoided disaster, one look would have alerted him. But this enemy was subtle in manner and device, and so the mirror fogged up without a trace of her.
On the end table near the door the necklace itself stirred to life, unbeknownst to either Shikigami. It twisted like something living and wound its way snake like down the leg of the table. It slid across the floor and up to where Hisoka was sleeping. His face began to twist as the dream began cloud his mind.
Hisoka dreamt he was lying in his bed and Tsuzuki was in the shower. How did he get here, but he did not know. Had they just made love,? He did not know. His body felt heavy, he could barely breathe. Something was pushing on his chest. Suddenly he realized someone was sitting on to of him, and he awoke with a start. The same woman from his nightmare last night was squatting on him. She may have been beautiful, after all her hair was long and in thick auburn waves. Her figure and face was attractive. And maybe this would have been an erotic dream except for her eyes. Her eyes were full of malice and ill intent.
"What-the—" Hisoka said in his dream, but rest of the words never made it out of his throat. He suddenly found the woman's hands around his neck and they were squeezing. Her hands were cold, so cold they burned. Her grip was stronger than a man's, stronger than Tsuzuki's or Tatsumi's. He found himself gasping for air, unable to breathe. And all the while during her attack, a sinister smile came across her face.
"You do have nice eyes, boy." She hissed. "In fact, you are as beautiful as he said."
Suddenly he felt her hands coming together, crushing his larynx. Then in mockery of his agony, she bent down and kissed him. Her lips here hard and cold like iron, and her breath smelt like something dead a long time. He didn't know if it was the crushing or the stink that was worse.
Hisoka jerked up out of the dream, gasping for air.
"'soka?" Tsuzuki called out to him.
It took the empath a moment to realize where he was. He was not in the office. No, this was home. He touched his throat, to make sure that it was still intact.
"'soka?" Tsuzuki said again. Hisoka turned to see the elder Shikigami was naked and dripping wet as he sat on his bed side.
Hisoka blushed. "What are you doing? Your soaking!"
"Oh," Tsuzuki said. "I was in the shower and I heard you cry out. I couldn't let my 'Soka cry out like that without doing something."
"Baka!" Hisoka said. "Your getting everything wet!"
"I thought you liked that." Tsuzuki smiled. Hisoka felt his cheeks flush. It was embarrassing reacting so bashfully like this, but he couldn't help himself.
"Are you feeling better?" Tsuzuki said, touching his cheek.
"I wish.. I wish I wouldn't have these nightmares. I don't know what they mean.." Hisoka whispered.
"They'll pass." Tsuzuki says. "They always do."
"This feels different. I don't know, I can't put my finger on it. But its not like before…" Hisoka said quietly.
"Well, don't worry." Tsuzuki smiled. "I'm here to protect you from any hentai." Tsuzuki smiled.
"Baka! You still have shampoo in your hair!" Hisoka fussed. "I'm gonna have to totally change the sheets now."
Tsuzuki smiled and kissed him, then went back to his shower. Hisoka heard him start singing one of his ridiculous songs over the sound of the shower's water. Hisoka took the sheets off, but as he did so he couldn't help but look over his shoulder. Was someone watching him? He reached out with his empathic sense, but did not feel a presence. Or if there was something there, it was so well hidden, he could now find no trace of it. Still he felt like someone had been there for a moment in his dream. He hadn't felt a presence that dark since..Muraki.
Tsuzuki was starting to put conditioner in his hair, when the shower curtain opened.
"Wha.."Tsuzuki said in surprise. Hisoka stepped in, naked. Tsuzuki stepped aside and let him have some room under the running water. But Hisoka did not seem to be interested in showering. He wrapped his arms around the elder's shoulders and put his head against his chest. Tsuzuki folded his arm around him in at return embrace.
"It was just a dream.' Soka." He whispered. "Nothing more."
"I hope so. I wish sometimes I didn't have this. I wish I couldn't see things I couldn't understand." Hisoka whispered. "My empathy…it's a curse."
"Maybe you can learn something from that Summers-chan. " Tsuzuki suggested.
Hisoka nodded. "She's so much farther than me..its embarrassing."
"Myers-san said he had a teacher. Maybe that was who taught her."
"I guess. I never had anyone teach me anything about.. this." Hisoka stated.
"..I think I would like to learn too." Tsuzuki said quietly.
"What?" Hisoka looked up surprised.
"Why not? I want to know what my 'Soka is thinking. What is he feeling? What does he want to eat today?"
"But why?" Hisoka asked.
Tsuzuki bent down and kissed him tenderly. Hisoka felt warmth spread over his body as his partner did so. Tsuzuki's breath was upon his wet cheek as one hand wrapped around his waist and the other cupped one cheek of his bottom.
"You know why." Tsuzuki whispered passionately, drawing him closer.
Hisoka leaned forward and kissed him back. He felt the soul of his partner could drive away any darkness that could threaten him. The sound of the shower and the embrace of both the water and Tsuzuki caused Hisoka to relax. They embraced and melted together, it was a gorgeous beautiful dance. Tsuzuki lifted his partner off his feet, supporting him with his hands under his rear. Hisoka wrapped his arms and legs around Tsuzuki tightly. The elder leaned his partner agaist the shower wall as they joined. Tsuzuki relished Hisoka's gasps of pleasure as much as the act it self. When the joining was over, Tsuzuki kissed him long and deep.
"" soka.."Tsuzki whispered. "I don't want to go home. Not tonight, not ever. I don't want to sleep apart from you. Not any more. Live with me."
Hisoka looked at him. His face flushed with emotion and his eyes quivered with tears.
"Yes." The empath whispered.
Tsuzuki embraced him, overjoyed.
"I love you," Hisoka said quietly. Tsuzuki could hear the lump in his throat.
Tsuzuki kissed his watering eyes.
"And I love you." Tsuzuki whispered back. They were quiet and held each other for some time. Such tenderness, Hisoka had not known could exist. And that it was his, and his alone. And for Tsuzuki, that surrender of yes, was the most precious thing he had ever heard.
The dinner was cold by the time they came out of the shower.
Hisoka put some new sheets on the bed while Tsuzuki put some of the dinner on separate plates.
"So, when do you think we should start looking for a new apartment?" Hisoka asked from the bed room.
"Well," Tsuzuki said has he hit the button on Hisoka's microwave oven. "Tomorrow is Sunday. Office is closed. So we can start then."
Tsuzuki was glad he got Hisoka this microwave. Though the younger had been resistant to warm up to technology, it was at Tsuzuki's insistence that he have several things. A microwave and rice cooker so you can have warm food, Tsuzuki had said to him. And a phone so you can call me if you need me. The empath hardly used the phone, but Tsuzuki was still glad he had these things. Now he just had to get him to start carring a cell.
"You know, we can sell off some of those things." Hisoka said as he sat at the table. "We don't need two microwaves, two rice cookers and two phones. We could use that money if were going to live together."
Hisoka couldn't help but blush at these last words. Tsuzuki smiled at this. Then something exploded in the microwave.
"I put it on too long!" Tsuzuki cried.
"Ah!" Hisoka putting his face in his head and shaking his head. "Baka"
The next morning Tsuzuki forgot to return the necklace he had found. He forgot all about it, and about the woman he had met on his stroll. There was only Hisoka. Hisoka, Hisoka. Hisoka who had said yes. They had breakfast together, and left to go look to see where they should live together. And Tsuzuki felt so happy, as he realized at together would soon be how they spent every day.
Unknowing to either of them, as soon as they left, the woman reappeared on Hisoka's bed. She smirked in triumph at her own cleverness.
"What a fool." She scoffed. She got off the bed and opened the door. On the door step was standing the child Tsuzuki had seen, but that child's flesh seemed to melt away. What was left standing was what perhaps had been a man but it was now misshapen and twisted to such extremes that it was more dwarf like. She wasted no time and struck it across the face.
"Dog!" She spat, "Go and gather supplies we will need for the ritual. Hurry or I'll make your torment all the worse." It cringed, and slumped off, for it was no longer able to run or walk as a normal man might. She closed the door and picked up the phone, dialing.
"Mushi, Mushi." Muraki's voice on the other end greeted her coldly.
"Now I understand why you were so taken with them." She teased. " The weaker has pretty skin, and those green eyes. Gorgeous."
She knew he smiled on the other end of the phone. "Will he suit your purposes?"
"I think so. But I'll wait until your done with him first."
She laughed.
"Perhaps, my lady would care to join in the amusement?" Muraki asked.
"Maybe. We'll see." She shrugged. " We have time. The ritual will take some time."
"Hmm. I'm patient." Muraki replied. "time to start moving the chess pieces in place."
And that is how evil came upon Hisoka and Tsuzuki and the entire office off the Emma Cho. For evil never comes in the front door, it comes in sweet words with a smile and before you know it- its is upon you using your kindness as a weapon against you.
