AN: Thanks to all the reviewers who have commented on my story so far! And a BIG thank you to all of my readers who have been so patient with my slow writing pace! I hope my writing hasn't been dwindling down in comparison to earlier chapters; it feels like I'm rewriting my sentences more often than usual. Heh...that's my OCD kicking in. Anywhoo, as if I haven't kept you all waiting long enough, I'll cut this AN short and present to you...Chapter 4! Enjoy!! :)

To ElementistMagicAkua: I really needed that knock to the head to get me going. Haha, thanks!! XD


The length of time it took Tsuzuki to coax Ringo out from underneath the sofa was a long and difficult process. Naturally he rushed to his drawer to throw on a pair of slacks, only to hurry back downstairs to tend to the situation at hand.

Minutes passed by as he positioned himself awkwardly on the floor, the side of his head barely touching the carpet, feeling around for any sign of a furry arm or leg that he could grab onto. Whenever he got close enough though, he was met with a quick swipe of Ringo's paw. Despite having satisfactory aim, every single mark that he left on Tsuzuki's hand disappeared within seconds of each other, much to Hisoka's utter dismay.

"Ringo-chan, come out already! What's gotten into you all of a sudden?"

It's your own fault for being so free with yourself. And with a guest in your house, nonetheless! Leave me alone!

Prior to this event, Tsuzuki had deemed it appropriate to take a warm shower to refresh his mind while reflecting over the day's events. Meanwhile, Hisoka was left alone to acquaint himself with the apartment on his own accord. He did his best thinking in the shower; the searing heat of the water splashing down on his face, the trickling stream of scorching hot water making contact with his sensitive skin, the balmy steaminess of the tub, all of these provided comfort to his strained body and helped to diverge his frenzied thoughts elsewhere.

After finishing up, it was routine of him to just slap on a towel and walk around the house to dry himself off, his pink-colored skin instantly cooling down with the sharp contrast of air. There was nothing like taking a bath in the middle of the afternoon to wake up his senses. It was next in line following his love for sweets.

The same couldn't be said of Hisoka, however. He was more than ready to let sleep overcome him, letting down his guard and preparing himself for a quiet afternoon nap. He certainly didn't ask to be rudely woken up by an invigorated Tsuzuki, flaunting his exposed chest and slender legs around like it was nothing to be ashamed of. It wasn't to say that he never saw an unclothed man before in his life, but to be that close to someone, Tsuzuki no less, it was almost too much for a little kitten to take in all at once!

And you want to know why I'm acting like this, he muttered to himself, the aftermath of his embarrassment still warm to his cheeks.

"Ringo-chan," Tsuzuki sighed heavily and propped himself onto his knees, "You're going to carry on like that, huh?" He frowned as his question was left unanswered.

Cats. Go figure.

He knew he was getting nowhere, the effects of his coaxing most likely being counterproductive. Cats would be stubborn like this and if Ringo wanted to come out, he would do it according to his own rules. Hisoka watched as his shadow trailed away from view, surprised at how easily he conceded defeat.

What is he up to now? he asked himself, unsure of what the man was getting at. Was this a trap? If he stepped out in that moment, would he jump out from behind and grab him? Just to play it safe, he waited for a few minutes on high alert, his ears twitching in all directions each time he heard a foreign noise.

When there was no sign of any imminent danger, he hesitantly crawled out from beneath the couch, calculating each step he was taking while searching around for Tsuzuki's whereabouts. Investigating left and right, he checked above the stairs and in each room on the main floor, abruptly halting in his tracks at the faint sound of humming coming from outside. His eyes travelled over to the kitchen area, spotting a partially opened screen door at the very end.

Hisoka gazed from afar as Tsuzuki leaned over the flowerbed to pull at a persistent weed.

He cocked his head to the side. ...what is he doing?

~*~

"All of you are looking so enthusiastic today. The weather's fantastic, isn't it?" Tsuzuki exclaimed as he bowed the spout of the watering can in his hand, sprinkling his prized possessions with a splash of refreshing water. Their leaves bounced back with vigor, flinging tiny droplets of dew back towards his face as he continued to quench their thirst.

"There you go. Nothing like a cool drink to get you going, huh?" he asked, laughing at the flowers which smiled back at him with glistening petals, "I guess I'll take that as a thank you."

At that moment, he perked his head up at the sound of a twig snapping in half, spotting a curious little kitten a couple of feet away, snooping around in a sunny patch of grass while minding his own business. It didn't take him too long to come out of hiding, he noticed with a smirk.

He fought the urge to play with Ringo, deciding it best to leave him alone to poke his nose around the blossoms. He didn't want to scare him away again. For all he knew, this time Ringo stood a chance to escape out in the open. That wasn't a good thing. He once again shifted his attention back to tending his garden.

Hisoka momentarily looked up at the man at the same instant he turned away. I didn't know that he had such a green thumb. He's really enjoying himself, Hisoka thought to himself as he plopped his body down in a bed of flowers, surrounded by the beautiful scenery that was Tsuzuki's backyard. As it was, it seemed like every other living creature was enjoying their stay there; birds were happily chirping the day away while squirrels were busy hoarding acorns, scurrying across the yard with their small feet and bushy tails.

Just then, his cat-like instincts kicked into action, his pitch-black pupils dilating wide as saucers as he stared at a finch within close proximity, hopping on its scrawny legs and pecking at the dirt. Despite having lived as a feline for only a few hours, this predatory feeling was almost second nature to Hisoka - the thrill of the hunt. He hunched low to the ground, his shoulders pushed back, eyes penetrating into his directive, paws on the ready to attack at any minute. When he was certain that the bird wasn't paying any heed to him, he wiggled his rear from side to side, his back twitching with the movement. He waited for the right moment to pounce.

The finch snapped its head around, facing the opposite direction, oblivious to being leered at from a distance. His pupils doubled in size, adrenaline coursing through his veins like madness.

...NOW! He pushed off on his hind legs, lunging forward with great fervor.

"I don't think it would be nice of you to bother that poor little bird," Tsuzuki stopped him in his tracks, stepping in front of him to block his path.

Wah! Hisoka jolted to a sudden stop, kicking off on his legs two feet into the air out of sheer fright.

He reprimanded him for his actions. "You're four times its size! It's hardly a fair battle, don't you think?"

I was just having a little fun of my own...it wasn't like I was going to kill it. He sulked. I was only going to ruffle up its feathers a bit, that's all!

"Anyway, I'm going back inside," he spoke as he pulled the backdoor open, "You coming with? I think there's some fish sitting in the fridge with your name on it," he grinned as he held the door for him. "That should keep you away from the birds."

Hisoka craned his neck back towards the grass, finding an empty spot where the bird previously was. I could have had it. I was so close too!

He sighed hopelessly and slowly advanced to the house. Guess I've got nothing better to do now.

~*~

The rest of the day was...pleasant to say the least. Hisoka stood by Tsuzuki's feet as he toiled over the stove, finding it hard to imagine how messed up his partner's sense of smell was. He was scared to admit that he wasn't anticipating Tsuzuki's cooking. And he had good reason to do so.

He scrunched his nose at the fish that he had cooked up especially for him, fearing that he would be up all night with terrible indigestion. As luck would have it, Hisoka flicked his tail at the dish, raising his nose high in the air as he walked away from it, much to Tsuzuki's dismay.

In spite of the dinner's mishaps, the evening ended on a relaxing note, accompanied by two couch potatoes, a remote, and a television. Even though he was reluctant to do so, Hisoka laid his chin upon the man's lap, drifting in and out of consciousness as Tsuzuki continued to watch late-night shows. It was minutes later when Tsuzuki glanced down at a slumbering kitten, his body convulsing as if he were dreaming.

He smiled tenderly as he rubbed his own sleep-filled eyes. "I suppose it's time to call it a night. You've had a long day, haven't you?"

~*~

Midnight fell as soon as the two put themselves to sleep in their own beds; Tsuzuki snuggling his body underneath the warmth of his comforter in his own room, and Hisoka curling up into a tight ball out in the corridor. Tsuzuki had initially placed him to sleep beside his chest, but the events from earlier on that day prevented Hisoka from lying next to his side for the rest of that night. He simply refused to be that close to him. He lifted a paw to cover his face as he took in a heavy breath, letting out his final sigh for the day.

Silence quickly dominated the apartment, aside from the sounds of soft snoring and cricket chirps from the backyard.

"Ngh...I swear I didn't mean to...! P-please, you've got to believe me..."

...what's that? Someone's talking in their sleep...?

"W-why......?! I didn't do anything to--!"

Hisoka squinted a heavy eyelid open, his deep sleep interrupted by stifled sounds of moaning, short gasps, and the abrupt rumpling of bedsheets. He found himself lying on a carpeted floor in the middle of the hallway, the commotion seemingly coming from the slightly ajar door to his left. It took him a few seconds to compose himself and remember where he was, his clarified thoughts immediately falling upon that of his partner. He listened more intently, the painful tone of muffled cries and sharp intakes of breath sounding an awful lot like...

Tsuzuki...?