Disclaimer: Yami no Matsuei is the creation of Matushita and associates. FF is non-profit, meant for entertainment only.

FF can be archived anywhere, just let me know where. Please send no flames, I'm sensitive. For all other comments 0_o you may contact me at kaoru_koishii@yahoo.com

Category: Yami no Matsuei

Title: An illusion is nothing more and nothing less, at first glance.

Rating: PG-13

Summary: A post-Kyoto fic. Tsuzuki accidentally drinks one of Watari's potions. The potion seems to take Tsuzuki's memory making things even more complicated for an ill Hisoka. To make things worse Tsuzuki believes Hisoka to be a girl.

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Chapter Four

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Tsuzuki looked around the busy city. It was much colder here than back home. Everywhere he turned people where either in thick sweaters or coats. He himself only wore a trench coat while Hisoka wore a pale yellow coat; lined in some thick material he didn't know the name to.

The feeling of contentment washed away as he remembered the scene they had made at the office the day before. Tatsumi and Watari had come to fetch him not five minutes after Hisoka had left. They had made him stay away from the temperamental blond till it was almost time for them to clock out. Things had been awkward then, they had gone home together but things were far from fine between them. He had stopped to buy dinner for them even though he'd know the jade-eyed shinigami wouldn't take any. Still Hisoka had waited patiently and without comment as they'd waited for the take out. When they'd gotten home, the boy had gone to bed leaving him alone, feeling angry and guilty.

Tsuzuki sighed and began walking down the busy street heading away from the water and further into the city.

"Where are we going?"

Those were the first words Hisoka had said to him since yesterday at the office. "Urushikawa Hayashi's home." The brunet responded without turning to look at the small shinigami. His eyes kept sight of the road in front of them. His thoughts were on the pictures they'd seen back at the office. He wanted to see the house. The first of three crime scenes. He wanted to see what it had been about those three couples that had sent the murderer mad.

They veiled themselves against human eyes as they drew closer to the house, entering the house from behind they went in unnoticed.

Tsuzuki looked around the living room the dark stain on the hardwood floor standing out above everything else. It was the spot where Urushikawa had fought against the intruder. He'd called out to his lover, Inoue Haru warning him to get the gun.

Tsuzuki left the living room and walked into the bedroom. The bed had a dark stain in the middle that encompassed most of the bed. This is where Inoue had been repeatedly raped before he'd been killed. Pictures in the house had shown Inoue as he'd been before the murderer had disfigured him. Soft blond hair and large aqua blue eyes. The man had been petite, his good looks bordering on feminine prettiness.

They were here because the murderer had somehow been able to trap their spirits.

"The man was wearing a mask when he did all of this." Hisoka spoke; a step away from entering the room Tsuzuki stood in.

Tsuzuki swept out of the room feeling angry that anyone could do this to a fellow human being. He could only image the feelings Hisoka would be picking up. Anger, fear, hate, revulsion. He set his jaw and walked faster.

Hisoka ran a bit to catch up to his long strides. He wanted to see the other houses but he didn't want to endanger Hisoka but if he pulled back now Hisoka would know why and that would only make things worse between them. He had to understand that he could not always shield the boy from the horrors of mankind, no matter how much he tried. They were Shinigami.

Tsuzuki and Hisoka stood in the kitchen of Sasaki Hajime. He and his lover had been slain in the same fashion. Just like in the first instance the lover had been repeatedly raped and then disfigured before he'd been killed. "Is it the same here? Was he wearing the mask?" Tsuzuki's serious tone earned him long glance from his smaller partner. "Yes, he never took it off."

"Let's go then." Tsuzuki said as he reached the backdoor holding it open for Hisoka. Together they made their way down to the last house.

All three murders had been committed in the same city. It was no more than fifteen blocks from the first house to the second and about eighteen from the second to the third. The killer had picked out the couples not because of their sexual preference but rather because he'd wanted to engage in the physical act. He'd slain the protector of the household and moved onto his real prey. A man much too pretty for his own good and because of that they'd both been murdered.

Hisoka stood next to Tsuzuki at the light, waiting for it to turn. They had spent the day looking around, finding out what the couples had all had in common.

Hisoka looked at the busy people walking around; the dull roar of their conversation pushed to the back of his mind as he looked on indifferently. A push from the back toppled him off the curve and into the street where he was quickly snatched back by a large hand. Tsuzuki brought him to stand in front where he could shield him from everyone else. Hisoka turned to the right trying to catch sight of who'd pushed him. He caught sight of a familiar face . . . . but it couldn't be . . . . him.

Fujisawa.

He'd met the boy in Nagasaki at Saint Michel Senior High School. The case where Izuru Okasaki and his teacher Mitani had fallen prey to demons exploiting the feelings they'd had for each other to orchestrate a murder that had drawn attention of the Enma Cho. A case in Tsuzuki's district.

He felt himself being pulled along by the end of his sleeve. His eyes turned upward to meet those of the taller man. This case was taking it's told on the brunet as well. He could tell. He'd been sensing it from the moment they'd entered the first house. Tsuzuki had grown angry and frustrated the longer they seemed to be without clues.

"We should find a place to eat before we get a hotel." Hisoka suggested as they walked down the street.

The older man spared him a glance before he looked around where they were. "Let's just go in here." Tsuzuki's voice was weary. He'd picked the restaurant in front of them. The entire day had been spent following leads that led him nowhere. He sat in the red booth across from his partner neither of them had said much to the other. He hated cases like this.

Tsuzuki picked up the menu in front of him. American food. He smiled a bit. He'd lucked out.

"What can I get for you?"

Tsuzuki smiled largely at the waitress making her blush. "I'll have a number seven please."

The waitress smiled at the brunet. "And for you." She turned to the boy. "Just a salad." He said brusquely. The woman turned to the brunet who was looking the boy intently. "And to drink?" She asked.

"Tea and an ice cream soda." Tzusuki responded, turning his eyes back to the waitress. She nodded as she finished writing down the order before she left.

Hisoka kept his face turned away. His eyes trained on the tv in the far corner. His eyes casually drifted to the people sitting below at the bar. They caught sight of dark hair and malicious eyes before someone stepped in front of him. When the person moved, Fujisawa was gone. Why did he think he kept seeing that boy? Was it because of what he'd said to him long ago at the school?

Fujisawa had looked him over then, "You're Kurosaki? I see . . . . you really do look like a girl." He hadn't responded and Fujisawa had continued. "You," He'd drawled. "Look like the type that wants to be raped."

"What's wrong?" Tsuzuki's voice cut into his thoughts. Hisoka looked down at the table and realized it wasn't the mans' voice but his hand that had broken him out of his thoughts. Tsuzuki's thumbed brushed the top of his hand in a light caress.

"Nothing." Hisoka responded glancing up at his partner. He pulled his hand away knowing the waitress had seen them. He could feel her shock and her . . . . . envy. It almost made him snort out loud. What could she possibly have to envy? She was alive and she was pretty. She seemed happy all the way around. What could she envy?"

Tsuzuki frowned before he pulled his hand back so the waitress could set their things on the table. "Thank you." He said smiling at her. She returned his smile and left.

Tsuzuki kept his thoughts on his food as he ate. Hisoka seemed extremely sensitive today. They finished their meal and headed out in search of a motel.

Twenty minutes later they were situated in a nice hotel. They had gotten two rooms with an adjoining door. Hisoka had immediately gone to bed and he was left alone. He turned his tv on and let the chatter lull him to sleep.

Tsuzuki's eyes snapped open at the feel of steel as it penetrated the flesh of his chest. He made a fist and knocked back the masked man. The blood ran down his torso for a few seconds before the wound healed. The man jumped at him again and he was knocked back with the weight of the other.

Hisoka rushed through the adjoining door. His psychic power tossed the masked man into the wall where he slid and slumped to the wall. His knife fell on the carpet without noise.

Hisoka stood by the door as Tsuzuki moved to the slumped man. He kneeled in front of the body blocking the site of the man from Hisoka. "It's Fujisawa." Hisoka said as he approached the kneeling man. "He was the one." He paused feeling his energy drained. "He came here tonight to do the same to us."

Tsuzuki glanced over at Hisoka who looked extremely pale. "Are you all right?" He asked worriedly. He rose to look at the young shinigami. Hisoka only gazed at him as he moved closer. "In the room of the first house. I . . . I saw what he did." Hisoka said softly. Tsuzuki felt a tearing in his heart. He wanted so much to comfort him but he was afraid of hurting the boy. He placed a shield on his emotions and hugged the boy to him. His whole focus stayed on the shield. He hugged Hisoka tighter storing the feel of the young boy into the back of his mind for a later time. His head dropped to the boys' neck nuzzling him for a bit. They stayed that way for sometimes. Too short a time from Tsuzuki's point of view. Slowly he withdrew not sorry he'd embraced the boy. Hisoka's eyes opened slowly to gaze at him.

"We should leave tonight." Tsuzuki said once they no longer touched.

Hisoka nodded his head and went back to his room to get his coat. Tsuzuki picked up the body and left. He knew Hisoka would catch up as soon as he was ready.

**************

"It was the cursed knife trapping the souls." Tsuzuki finished explaining before he fell silent.

"I'm glad the case was resolved quickly." Konoe stated. "You'll just need to finish the report and hand it to Tatsumi before Friday please." Konoe said looking at Hisoka then Tsuzuki before he continued. "All right, that's all." He said adjourning the meeting.

Tsuzuki walked away from the meeting and headed out of the building rather than to his office. Hisoka watched him go before he went to their office to get started on the paper work.

Watari waited for the boy to enter his office before he went after the brunet. He walked out into garden surrounding the building, where Tzusuki stood under a cherry blossom tree. His back to the building the brunet seemed lost in thought.

"Tsuzuki," he said as he got closer to the troubled shinigami.

Tsuzuki didn't turn. He stayed silent for several minutes before he was able to speak. "The boy is the same age as Hisoka." Tsuzuki began. "He was beyond crazy. I didn't realize why he'd come after us until Hisoka pointed it out." Tsuzuki paused. "I left Hisoka at the hotel while I left with Fujisawa, hoping he would wake up so I could kill him."

"Tsuzuki." Watari said taken back.

"He went to where we were with the single purpose to hurt Hisoka like he did the others." Tsuzuki's voice picked up anger. "If I had been human . . . ."

"You are human Tsuzuki." Watari interjected.

Tsuzuki didn't answer. "If I had been alive he would have killed me and moved onto Hisoka."

"You can't blame yourself for something that didn't happen."

Tsuzuki didn't respond. His body became still as he went back to staring at the cherry blossom covered fields. Watari shook his head sadly. There wasn't much he could say to make the man feel better. Hisoka was harder to talk to after incidents like these. Besides he had a feeling the boy would come around to comfort the sad shinigami when he was ready.

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Hisoka looked around the clean living room. His house felt so empty. He had become used to the idiot's company faster than he would have thought. It hadn't been easy getting used to a lonely house again. It had been two weeks since the Kumamoto case. Two weeks since Tsuzuki had decided it would be best for him to be on his own. He hadn't called either. Hisoka picked up his book, leafing through the pages until he found the marker.

Tsuzuki had seemed like he was back to normal. He'd gone back to been cheerful and flirting with him but there was something amiss in all of that. He had tried to sense what was wrong but Tsuzuki had build strong walls around himself and Hisoka was allowed to sense only what Tsuzuki projected, not what he was really feeling.

His eyes focused back on the page. Two months on the same book, that was a new record for him. He'd been so interested in reading the book when he'd first bought it. He rose from the couch and picked up his keys, sliding them into his pocket as he moved to get his coat. It was cold out but not so cold he couldn't spend time at the park. He picked up his book and headed out.

Hisoka paused just before he reached the tree he always sat under, surprised to see someone in his spot. He walked slower until he reached the foot of the man resting in his spot. "Oi, you can't sleep here."

Purple eyes opened slowly. He smiled lightly at the fair-haired boy. "I was wondering when you'd come." He said as he rubbed sleep from his eyes. "You owe me a picnic."

Hisoka stood by the man's side a moment longer before he decided to take a seat. "You're in my spot." He said stubbornly. Tsuzuki smiled and drew the boy closer against his chest. "How about we share." Tsuzuki whispered over the boy's head.

"That's not what I meant." Hisoka huffed in indignation. "You should move."

Tsuzuki held onto the boy despite his better judgment. "I should do a lot of things." He answered evenly. "but I only do what appeals to me. Perhaps if you made me some sort of offer . . . ."

Hisoka turned his crimson face up to look at his soon to be dead partner. "Hentai. Shut up." He snapped.

Tsuzuki only smiled in response. "Why don't you read your book so I can go back to my nap." He said reaching for the book in the boy's hand. Hisoka snatched the book away from the older shinigami.

He tried to ignore the amusement coming from the other man. He was aware he was sitting between the man's leg and resting on his chest but he tried to ignore that too. If anything, he was good at denying the mans' existence all together. His eyes focused on the words on the page of his book until there was nothing but the story.

Tsuzuki smiled at the picture they made. He had missed the boy very much. It would be sometime before he willingly took another one of Watari's potions. It could have ruined everything if not for the fact that he had fallen for Hisoka again. He took a deep breath, both his chest and Hisoka rising with the movement. "How bout some lunch?"

Hisoka knew it wouldn't be long before he was interrupted. He sighed regretfully as he closed his book. "I suppose you're hungry." Hisoka said slowly.

Tsuzuki flexed his muscles before he stood with Hisoka in one fluent movement. "I believe I owe you a meal." Tsuzuki said as he took the smaller shinigami under his arm leading him away from the park.

"Please." Hisoka snorted sarcastically. "You owe me a lifetime worth of meals the way you eat."

"That, I can arrange." Tsuzuki said smiling down into the elfin face. Hisoka blushed and turned his face away.

- Owari

I hope you everyone enjoyed the story. I had fun writing it. Though I must say writing four chapters is a new event for me usually I make my stories ten chapters or plus. Hmm, maybe the next one I write, I'll make that long. Maybe. Either way thanks for reading. I'll see you all in the next fic.