Waking up some six hours later, with no memory of what had happened, but
rather unscathed and well-rested, Tsuzuki could only come to one
conclusion. If you plied him with enough liquor he was a complete and utter
kink.
This impression was not at all helped by the fact a shirtless Muraki was laid out on the coffee table, a little on the scorched side and covered in candle wax, looking far happier than any semi-conscious person had a right to be. Cautiously he collected his clothing as best he could, and went to dress (much to the delight of the motel staff) in the hallway.
But he had more important things to worry about now then lecherous cleaning ladies!
He had to rescue Hisoka!
Finishing his complimentary buffet breakfast with due haste, he made his way back to where Hisoka (and Terazuma) had been held hostage. Truth be known, he might not have even found out where Hisoka was being held if Oriya did not routinely cc Watari the ransom notes as well (just in case Tsuzuki forgot to check the mail).
Once he got to the aforementioned hide-out, he quickly apologized to the captives, who didn't even question where he'd been for the last eight hours, or why he wasn't wearing his own pants - which was rather encouraging (even if they were glowering rather menacingly behind their gags). If he was lucky they wouldn't ask at all and he wouldn't have to make up a lie, maybe involving killer bees and ladies in alligator shoes.
"Tsuzuki! What took you so long?" Accused Hisoka, having successfully disengaged the gag.
Curses. Foiled again . . . maybe if he'd just foregone that second serving of bacon . . .
Tsuzuki opened his mouth to make a response but was interrupted before he could begin. "Muraki? What happened to Muraki?" Yelped Hisoka, absolutely merciless (in Tsuzuki's opinion) to the possibility anyone in the room might have a hangover. When Tsuzuki winced in pain, Hisoka cried out again, "Tsuzuki? Tsuzuki! Did he hurt you? Is he coming back here?"
An opening!
"Ah . . . he was unconscious when I got away, I don't know how long we have to escape . . . he could be here any minute!" Responded Tsuzuki effectively hushing him. "Let's just get out of here!" He cried, making short work of the human hair that had been used to bind Hisoka. Finally Hisoka thought he might have some kind of insight into that offhand comment Tatsumi had made about Tsuzuki being a hair-puller. Having untied Hisoka, he grabbed his free arm tugging him toward the exit.
"Uh . . . Tsuzuki . . . muttered Hisoka, pointing back at Terazuma who was still restrained.
"Oh. Him." Tsuzuki hummed thoughtfully for a moment. "No time?" He suggested. There was a rather significant pause on Hisoka's part, almost as though he might genuinely be considering this option. Which he was. However Terazuma (unasked for or not) was still his partner.
"No!" Barked Hisoka finally, prompting Tsuzuki to toss aside the magazine he'd picked up to amuse himself while Hisoka was thinking. It was a few months old and someone had already done the crosswords. Probably Oriya since all the eight letter word answers were filled in 'K A Z U T A K A'. "We can't leave him for Muraki!" Hisoka finished altruistically, almost in denial of the fact that he'd been musing on how big of a bad mark it would leave on his permanent record if he'd just agreed.
Which had incidentally given Muraki the time he needed to wake up and return.
Actually, it only took five minutes to walk from the motel to home if you knew the way. It had only taken Tsuzuki so long because he had to stop for directions twice and pastries once. Muraki had spent the other twenty-five minutes squeezing himself into a too small pair of pants (since Tsuzuki had obviously taken his own as some kind of souvenir - gratifying yet inconvenient). It had been a tight fit, but Muraki had learnt that day that there was indeed more than one way to get into Tsuzuki's pants (and despite popular belief, only two of them involved zippers).
Incidentally, he fully intended to take advantage of this new wealth of knowledge as soon as possible.
"But why would anyone in their right mind want to kidnap Hisoka?" Asked Terazuma, genuinely confused, once he had had his gag removed. As far as he could tell Hisoka, while a little on the fem side, was nothing more than a whiney brat, one might even compare him to one of those yappy dogs.
"Well I wouldn't really say Muraki was exactly in his right mind . . ." Mused Tsuzuki, which wasn't exactly as defensive as Hisoka would have liked.
"He only kidnapped me to get at Tsuzuki!" Exclaimed Hisoka.
"Really?" Remarked Terazuma thoughtfully, caught up with the idea of a new rival. Frankly he was disappointed with Tatsumi who didn't seem too worried about his interest in Tsuzuki. Of course there was the possibility Tatsumi was so sure of Tsuzuki he didn't need to react, but Terazuma didn't want to even contemplate that right now. "Why bother?"
"Huh?" Responded Hisoka intelligently.
"Well . . . I mean why not just send Tsuzuki some sort of flyer about free chocolate samples or something and kidnap him directly." Hisoka just stared at Terazuma blankly.
Muraki, hidden behind the door, took notes. That might just work.
"That would never work!" Sputtered Hisoka enraged. "For obvious reasons!" Since the reasons were supposedly obvious, Terazuma didn't respond. After all, he didn't want to look stupid.
"Why not?" Asked Tsuzuki confuzzled, earning an extra hard glare from Hisoka, yet at the same time grateful looks from Muraki (still hidden) and Terazuma.
"Just because!" Glared Hisoka vehemently.
"Because why?" Insisted Tsuzuki. "I love chocolate! I'd definitely come for chocolate. It would work and you know it!" Accused Tsuzuki defiantly. Crossing his arms over his chest, still completely oblivious that the recommended plan preyed heavily on his own simplicity.
" . . . and this Muraki guy would have the element of surprise since Tsuzuki wouldn't be suspicious. Coming to rescue you he'd already know it had to be a trap and would have backup." Pointed out Terazuma.
"That's right!" Chimed Tsuzuki. Of course, this had been rather presumptuous on Terazuma's part since Tsuzuki had indeed had no backup organized, and once the original seduction plan failed . . . well . . .
Hisoka, who rarely saw this decisive side of Tsuzuki, was finding it difficult to keep from blushing. So forceful. So manly. "Let's just get out of here!" He grumbled angrily, shoving past Tsuzuki with a lot more physical contact than was absolutely necessary to achieve it.
Muraki, impressed with this new, more logical approach to abducting Tsuzuki let them leave. On one hand this gave him more time to formulate his new approach, and on the other, without resistance there was no reason for Tsuzuki to destroy his apartment, and yes, frankly the insurance company was starting to get suspicious with the number of times it had been torched already.
This impression was not at all helped by the fact a shirtless Muraki was laid out on the coffee table, a little on the scorched side and covered in candle wax, looking far happier than any semi-conscious person had a right to be. Cautiously he collected his clothing as best he could, and went to dress (much to the delight of the motel staff) in the hallway.
But he had more important things to worry about now then lecherous cleaning ladies!
He had to rescue Hisoka!
Finishing his complimentary buffet breakfast with due haste, he made his way back to where Hisoka (and Terazuma) had been held hostage. Truth be known, he might not have even found out where Hisoka was being held if Oriya did not routinely cc Watari the ransom notes as well (just in case Tsuzuki forgot to check the mail).
Once he got to the aforementioned hide-out, he quickly apologized to the captives, who didn't even question where he'd been for the last eight hours, or why he wasn't wearing his own pants - which was rather encouraging (even if they were glowering rather menacingly behind their gags). If he was lucky they wouldn't ask at all and he wouldn't have to make up a lie, maybe involving killer bees and ladies in alligator shoes.
"Tsuzuki! What took you so long?" Accused Hisoka, having successfully disengaged the gag.
Curses. Foiled again . . . maybe if he'd just foregone that second serving of bacon . . .
Tsuzuki opened his mouth to make a response but was interrupted before he could begin. "Muraki? What happened to Muraki?" Yelped Hisoka, absolutely merciless (in Tsuzuki's opinion) to the possibility anyone in the room might have a hangover. When Tsuzuki winced in pain, Hisoka cried out again, "Tsuzuki? Tsuzuki! Did he hurt you? Is he coming back here?"
An opening!
"Ah . . . he was unconscious when I got away, I don't know how long we have to escape . . . he could be here any minute!" Responded Tsuzuki effectively hushing him. "Let's just get out of here!" He cried, making short work of the human hair that had been used to bind Hisoka. Finally Hisoka thought he might have some kind of insight into that offhand comment Tatsumi had made about Tsuzuki being a hair-puller. Having untied Hisoka, he grabbed his free arm tugging him toward the exit.
"Uh . . . Tsuzuki . . . muttered Hisoka, pointing back at Terazuma who was still restrained.
"Oh. Him." Tsuzuki hummed thoughtfully for a moment. "No time?" He suggested. There was a rather significant pause on Hisoka's part, almost as though he might genuinely be considering this option. Which he was. However Terazuma (unasked for or not) was still his partner.
"No!" Barked Hisoka finally, prompting Tsuzuki to toss aside the magazine he'd picked up to amuse himself while Hisoka was thinking. It was a few months old and someone had already done the crosswords. Probably Oriya since all the eight letter word answers were filled in 'K A Z U T A K A'. "We can't leave him for Muraki!" Hisoka finished altruistically, almost in denial of the fact that he'd been musing on how big of a bad mark it would leave on his permanent record if he'd just agreed.
Which had incidentally given Muraki the time he needed to wake up and return.
Actually, it only took five minutes to walk from the motel to home if you knew the way. It had only taken Tsuzuki so long because he had to stop for directions twice and pastries once. Muraki had spent the other twenty-five minutes squeezing himself into a too small pair of pants (since Tsuzuki had obviously taken his own as some kind of souvenir - gratifying yet inconvenient). It had been a tight fit, but Muraki had learnt that day that there was indeed more than one way to get into Tsuzuki's pants (and despite popular belief, only two of them involved zippers).
Incidentally, he fully intended to take advantage of this new wealth of knowledge as soon as possible.
"But why would anyone in their right mind want to kidnap Hisoka?" Asked Terazuma, genuinely confused, once he had had his gag removed. As far as he could tell Hisoka, while a little on the fem side, was nothing more than a whiney brat, one might even compare him to one of those yappy dogs.
"Well I wouldn't really say Muraki was exactly in his right mind . . ." Mused Tsuzuki, which wasn't exactly as defensive as Hisoka would have liked.
"He only kidnapped me to get at Tsuzuki!" Exclaimed Hisoka.
"Really?" Remarked Terazuma thoughtfully, caught up with the idea of a new rival. Frankly he was disappointed with Tatsumi who didn't seem too worried about his interest in Tsuzuki. Of course there was the possibility Tatsumi was so sure of Tsuzuki he didn't need to react, but Terazuma didn't want to even contemplate that right now. "Why bother?"
"Huh?" Responded Hisoka intelligently.
"Well . . . I mean why not just send Tsuzuki some sort of flyer about free chocolate samples or something and kidnap him directly." Hisoka just stared at Terazuma blankly.
Muraki, hidden behind the door, took notes. That might just work.
"That would never work!" Sputtered Hisoka enraged. "For obvious reasons!" Since the reasons were supposedly obvious, Terazuma didn't respond. After all, he didn't want to look stupid.
"Why not?" Asked Tsuzuki confuzzled, earning an extra hard glare from Hisoka, yet at the same time grateful looks from Muraki (still hidden) and Terazuma.
"Just because!" Glared Hisoka vehemently.
"Because why?" Insisted Tsuzuki. "I love chocolate! I'd definitely come for chocolate. It would work and you know it!" Accused Tsuzuki defiantly. Crossing his arms over his chest, still completely oblivious that the recommended plan preyed heavily on his own simplicity.
" . . . and this Muraki guy would have the element of surprise since Tsuzuki wouldn't be suspicious. Coming to rescue you he'd already know it had to be a trap and would have backup." Pointed out Terazuma.
"That's right!" Chimed Tsuzuki. Of course, this had been rather presumptuous on Terazuma's part since Tsuzuki had indeed had no backup organized, and once the original seduction plan failed . . . well . . .
Hisoka, who rarely saw this decisive side of Tsuzuki, was finding it difficult to keep from blushing. So forceful. So manly. "Let's just get out of here!" He grumbled angrily, shoving past Tsuzuki with a lot more physical contact than was absolutely necessary to achieve it.
Muraki, impressed with this new, more logical approach to abducting Tsuzuki let them leave. On one hand this gave him more time to formulate his new approach, and on the other, without resistance there was no reason for Tsuzuki to destroy his apartment, and yes, frankly the insurance company was starting to get suspicious with the number of times it had been torched already.