It sure was a trying night for Tsuzuki. He just revealed so many new and terrifying facts to his forgetful partner, and the expressions that passed over the boy's face haunted the guardian the whole night. He didn't sleep hardly a wink, and when he decided to stop lying in bed, he walked the half dozen blocks to a coffee shop and waited outside for it to open. Strangely enough, 20 minutes inside, who should come up to him but Tatsumi and Watari, holding a file.

"….Hey, guys. Why are you up this early?"

"We should be saying the same to you. Don't tell me… you didn't sleep much?" Tsuzuki's head went down.

"I hardly slept a wink. Seeing Hisoka in this state… not having him remember who I am, even a little…!"

Watari had great sympathy for him, and gave him comfort with a hand on his shoulder. Although he knew the situation would soon take a turn for the worst. He wasn't one to rush into messy situations, but it had to be done, and with a small nod of the head, Tatsumi sighed and placed the file on the table in front of Tsuzuki. The tired brunette stared at the closed file for a moment in confusion before reaching out and opening it just some. He nearly jumped at seeing its contents and shut it tightly again.

"B-but this is…!"

Tatsumi nodded his head.

"We both talked about it, and agreed that this should probably be your next move. If his memory doesn't come back, he'll be in trouble. This might bring at least some of it back."

"But it's too soon! Showing him this might do horrible things to his injured mind…! Tatsumi, please… just give him another couple of days! He might remember more, and…"

But Tatsumi wouldn't have it, and shook his head, eyes slightly darkly.

"This can't wait. You know as well as I do the danger he's in right now! Look inside yourself, Tsuzuki… do you honestly think this can wait another day?"

Tsuzuki could not disagree. NO matter how worried he was for Hisoka's health and sensitive mind, there were other dangers that he had to consider. So many things to think about and so little time… He had no right to object, and ended up bringing the file with him as he went off to teach his class.

--

That morning for Hisoka was sure awkward. He lie in bed for a while simply staring up at the strange ceiling which had suddenly become comforting and familiar. But then, what was a person to do once they discover that they're not actually alive? So… he's dead. The rapid healing of his wound made slightly more sense to him, but then what about his friends at school? Would he risk walking around without his bandages now? Would his classmates think it strange? Maybe… but, then again, none of them honestly knew how bad the wound had been, apart from the students he was staying with, and, debating it in his head, he decided that he could fool them into thinking he was just fine.

Just fine… WAS he just fine?

The image of Tsuzuki came back to him, shrouded in white with his hand extended out to him, and it made him blush. What was it about the man that made him feel so many things all at once? Confusion, pity, envy, comfort, frustration, and a mix of many others…it was a lot to go through, but once it settled in, Hisoka wasn't that afraid, anymore. It was like he'd known about it all his life, and accepted it. He was a guardian of death…

"Right."

And with that, he rose from his covers, dressed himself, and went off to school. Instead of surprised questioning, he only received sighs of relief as responses to his healed head, which made things a bit easier. Half of the morning had passed with ease, and by the time it came to attend Tsuzuki's class, he was tense again. Standing at the outside of the classroom, he suddenly felt something that he hadn't before. Some kind of… guilt? He couldn't be sure, as it also felt like hesitation and fear and protectiveness… The assault on his mind was almost enough to give him a headache, but almost as soon as those feelings had a chance to form, they vanished. Not quite understanding, Hisoka opened the door to catch Tsuzuki, sitting at the teacher's desk, looking very mature and serious. It was a side he hadn't quite seen lately, but something in the back of his mind told him it was a look to despise. Such a pained expression, so dark and loathing was not fit for such a kind person…

"Tsuzuki?"

At the call of his name, Tsuzuki looked up and the darkness was gone. Had the older man been focussing on something- if so, Hisoka could not tell, even with his unusual ability to read what's on people's mind. It was strange to get the feeling of being blocked out. Maybe it wasn't something he wanted to know, so he dropped the issue. Somewhat tiredly, Tsuzuki waved to him, and only moments later, the other students started filing inside. Hisoka waited for a moment, trying again to read his "partner" before giving up and moving to his seat. Tsuzuki started with class normally, talking about the upcoming assignments and the test the class had taken just before he arrived. 'His act is very convincing' Hisoka thought to himself. He continued to listen, though not to the lecture- instead, he was content just listening to the sound of Tsuzuki's voice. It was calm and fluid, perfectly relaxed and professional, with an occasional joke to keep the class from getting bored and spacing off. Strange how the simple sound of his voice made people want to listen…

Before he knew it, the class was already half over, and he was being asked to read a passage from the textbook in front of him. He hadn't really been paying attention, but Tsuzuki probably could tell, and made sure to hint as to what part of the book he was to read by feigning forgetfulness on his own part. Also very convincing… Hisoka made sure to call his teacher an idiot in a calm manner before reading. As he read, though, he wondered if he'd been too hard on Tsuzuki and looked up to see him smiling, anyway. His face showed understanding and acceptance, but before sitting again, he made sure to flash him an apologetic smile.

However, it was not long after that moment that Hisoka felt a painful sting in his head and some sort of flash go through his mind, causing him to temporarily wince. The surrounding students and a concerned Tsuzuki questioned him, but Hisoka's first instinct was to shrug them off and act natural. However, as the class returned to their previous tasks, there was something Hisoka knew he couldn't ignore. He had seen something in the brief moment the flash had hit him. Some sort of monstrous creature… He didn't know if it meant anything, but just in case, he took a piece of paper from his binder and wrote down all the details he could recall and only started on a small sketch of the creature before a clapping up front brought his attention back to school.

"Okay, class… I've finished grading the tests from the other day, and now I'll pass them out."

Tsuzuki went down each row, commenting one each test to the students as he passed them out. By the time he reached Hisoka, their eyes met in a way that was strange. It was serious again, even though the rest of his expression was calm and collected. How unusual, the color and shape of this man's eyes… different, and yet unique in such a way that mesmerized you… he almost didn't want to stop staring.

"Very good, Hisoka… thorough and complete! Though, be sure to review the content on the second page… it might be handy!"

And then he was gone again, moving on to the next student. The second page… what was on the second page, he wondered? He honestly couldn't remember, so he decided to check; but when he turned the page, the very first thing he noticed was a yellow sticky note. Looking around to make sure nobody else saw, Hisoka removed it from the test sheet and lowered it to his lap before reading it.

'Teacher's lounge. 12:10.'

- -

Sneaking out of the cafeteria with food wasn't allowed, so once class was let out, Hisoka walked around casually until the noon and then walked past the lunchroom to the teacher's lounge. Although, he thought, wouldn't it make sense to meet in a place where there was a little more privacy if Tsuzuki wanted to talk? The teacher's lounge was off-limits to students, but… Ah well. He didn't feel like sorting out the twisted logic, and decided that chewing Tsuzuki out in person would be easier. Using skills he never knew he had, he managed to sneak his way through the halls and up to the door to the lounge. Only then, he stopped.

"Um… should I knock?"

But before he had to, the door opened, causing Hisoka to jump. Good thing it was only Tsuzuki. The man waved quietly and pulled him inside the big room before closing the door. Hisoka took the time to look around the spacious room, which was fully equipped with vending machines, a coffee machine and some magazines. Teachers had their own kind of fun, he supposed. Turning back around, he saw Tsuzuki slumping down into one of the chairs at a small round table, an unmarked file on the top of it, and decided to join him, sitting just across. Tsuzuki yawned, and only then did the man's professional facade start to slip.

"You look tired. Being a teacher for 2 days can't be THAT bad."

"Mm? Aha… no, no… Well, preparing a lesson plan is really boring, but, what're you gonna do?" And he shrugged. After that, he stayed real quiet, answering only small questions and glancing down at the closed file every now and then.

"Where are all the teachers?"

"Apparently they all go out for lunch every other day, so we have the room to ourselves."

A pause, and a glance down.

"You hungry?"

"Not much… you?"

"Nah."

Another pause, and a glance down.

"Is Tatsumi doing okay?"

"Yeah, he's good! He says hi."

"I see."

This was starting to get redundant.

"Sorry about calling you an idiot in class."

"No worries. Believe it or not, it doesn't even bother me anymore!"

Too redundant. At this point, Hisoka was nervous, gripping the material of his pants so hard he was afraid they would tear. Finally, he looked up and steadied himself, prepared for anything.

"Tsuzuki."

"Mm?" He looked up, at last.

"When are you going… to stop treating me like a child and tell me why we're here?"

The stern sound of Hisoka's voice startled Tsuzuki, almost as if he were himself again, and for a while, all he could do was stare at his partner. Hisoka… Remembering that a question usually warranted an answer, he sat upright and leaned against the top of the table.

"Well… I've been thinking about the things we talked about last night."

"…I remember. To tell you the truth, that's all that has been on my mind today."

"Are you regretting hearing it at all?"

He paused and then lightly shook his head. "I'm glad to know something… even if it is a bit unusual. So, what exactly…?"

"Hisoka, there isn't really a way for me to sugar coat this."

"Then don't. I've taken it straight so far- don't waste any of my time by tiptoeing around it."

Tsuzuki nodded and took a deep breath. It was just as hard for him as it was for his partner. Once he had the words planned out in his head, he once again met Hisoka's gaze.

"Your life is in danger."

Talk about blunt. But, that WAS how he wanted it.

"You're contradicting yourself. Last night, you said I was dead, and what can hurt the dead?"

"Plenty. Let me explain… when a person of the mortal world does, their soul usually passes on and they usually line up for rebirth or eternal rest. However, every now and then, an exceptional person passes on with attachments or something else unique, and they have the opportunity to become guardians, like us. Once they are accepted and trained, they, in a sense, become immortal. We have an amazing ability to cast spells and heal rapidly, compared to normal people, and we can shift our energies to blend in with people of this world to do our jobs."

"Guiding lost souls, right? I remember hearing about that one."

"Right. However, we, too, have limits. We work, sometimes, in dangerous situations, so the quick healing comes in useful, but if we receive so much damage that our abilities can't heal fast enough, our souls pass on again. Probably for good."

"Probably? What, you don't know?"

"No… we've been lucky so far."

"So, how long have I been dead?"

"About three years, I think."

"And you?"

"Aha… closer to 75."

Hisoka's jaw hung open.

"You're OLD!" A bop on the head was his reward.

"I'm "experienced," not old. Ya brat."

"Geezer." They stuck their tongues out at each other, but after a while, the feud was forgotten, and Hisoka began to get curious about the folder on the table.

"Okay, so… you said my life was in danger. Why?"

"Well…" Tsuzuki fingered the folder.

"What is it?"

"The case file. The one for the case we were working on before you disappeared. But… once you see this, you can't UN-see it. Are you sure?"

"If it's the case file, then I've already seen it. Even if I can't remember. So just show me, already."

Still, Hisoka's forwardness made Tsuzuki stare in shock. Hisoka was still Hisoka, even if he didn't remember, and so, forcing down the fear and uncertainty, he flipped the file open. Almost immediately, Hisoka's hand went to his mouth, the bile rising in his throat, seeing pictures of mutilated people.

"A-are those…?"

"Yes. These are the victims. This creature has been running amuck for nearly a month, and already, it has claimed the life of seven people. And this…" He started, sifting through the images for one of a young male student, "Is one that was taken almost 5 days ago, before we found you."

"Before you found me, it…"

Lightly shaking from the horror and anger, Hisoka looked down and away. Instead of trying his hardest to find the killing machine, Tsuzuki spent all his time trying to locate him. All of it made him so upset, but he could not yell out or cry or fall into Tsuzuki's arms, as something was holding him back. Finally, though, a slight warmth on his hand brought him back and he looked up at Tsuzuki.

"Hisoka… don't feel guilty. In fact, you should be afraid right now."

"Why…?"

"Because we believe that thing… is going to come back for you."

"! What do you mean!"

"You scent is all over it… and once it heals, even a little, we believe it might come back to kill you."

"But you don't know it's even still alive…!"

"No, it is …I can feel it. Look deep in yourself, Hisoka, and you'll feel it, too."

He tried. It wasn't something easy to accomplish, trying to sense a monster, but still, he tried. The attempt hurt his head and he wanted to stop, but before he got the chance, the image of the slimy creature crashed into his unprotected mind. The sight of it and the strange weight on his senses knocked the wind out of him. It was terrifying… Another flash passed before him, showing him short still-shots of a battle in some kind of warehouse. He couldn't breathe. It was all too much, so when he felt a slight tugging on his mind, he broke contact with the monster and was suddenly thrust back into the conscious world. For a long while, Hisoka just sat there, gasping, trying to refill his lungs with much-needed oxygen, and he was very grateful for Tsuzuki's hand on his, radiating calm.

"I should have mentioned… you need to be careful, when trying to connect another's mind to your own. If you go too deep or concentrate too hard, you may lose yourself in others."

"Yeah… you should have mentioned that."

Gasping again, Hisoka looked up, and for some reason, his gaze automatically shifted to Tsuzuki's arm. In the flash, he saw blood, a cut, and himself with a handkerchief.

"Hisoka?" And the boy looked up at his calming face.

"Tsuzuki. …How's your arm?"

"Mm? Oh, this?" Tsuzuki moved his arm around freely and painlessly. "All better!"

"Good…" Tsuzuki smiled, even if Hisoka didn't.

"So, based on what I've told you. Do you trust me enough to come with me?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Today is technically my last day… I was only meant to stay until I could make contact with you. Tomorrow, I have to go back to trying to find the monster. But… I'm reluctant to leave you alone."

"…I want to go with you. Maybe working on the case will help me remember." Tsuzuki smiled.

"As you wish."