READ THIS PLEASE: The chapter right after this one is what happened when I tried to wrap up the story. It leads straight into a sequel that I prolly will not write unless there is a lot of interest from a lot of very patient people. I will explain further at the end of that chapter exactly why I did not just leave it be.
Okay...this is the last official chapter for those who want a happy, that's-that-and-they're-a-couple ending. The chapter after the next one is the omake chapter I promised, though I had to alter it so that it would fit in with the ninth chapter.
Also, I BEG you, please criticize this. Half the reason I write fanfiction is so I can improve my writing skills, but I need a bit of help to see what needs work. My AIM addy is on my bio page if you want to talk to me about how I can improve. Thanks.
Digitalized: Thank you for ph33ring my originality. ; ; No one else ever ph33rs me. I need to be more like Tatsumi-san.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story. They belong to Yoko Matsushita. The setting is mine, tho.
})({
The forest around Tsuzuki's cottage was silent, save for the soft rasp of his feet against the dusty path. Nothing stirred under cover of the fog, or even in the heights of the trees. The bats and owls were just as conspicuously absent as their prey. No creature of the Forest was born without being able to sense somehow if anything was wrong within their home. Tsuzuki took notice of their silence and broadened his awareness.
Faintly, ever so faintly, he could feel Muraki's presence around him. It was muted, muddled, and he realized with a start that the mist was absorbing it. The wizard's energy would be spread throughout the entire forest; soaked up like water in a sponge.
Laughter rang out from the garden, and Muraki was all of a sudden visible, as if he'd been standing near the roses all along. It was the same clinging rose bush he had stood near at the start of their first encounter, and again he stepped away holding a blossom.
"You've noticed my magic." His amusement and the calm certainty that came with it grated on Tsuzuki's nerves.
"I came as you asked. What did you have to discuss?"
Muraki studied the rose for a moment, as if considering his answer, before looking up to regard Tsuzuki.
"Monster."
Emotionless though it was, the word struck with a jolt, rooting Tsuzuki to the spot. He watched in silent horror as Muraki glided closer through the mist.
"Demon. Filthy half-breed." He paused. "They called you these things and worse. Yet...you kept wanting to stay with them."
"How...?"
Muraki smiled. "I've been searching for you for a while now. Since I first heard about you five years ago."
Tsuzuki paled.
"You must have heard the rumors, even traveling in such a hurry as you were in. I admit, I wasn't sure I would be able to find you considering how little I had to go on and how vague your tracks were."
"No...no, I didn't.... I didn't...!"
"Didn't hear the rumors?" He circled Tsuzuki, false confusion coloring his voice as he played out his game. "You didn't hear about that poor town? How they killed a girl for bringing a demon into their midst?"
"...Stop it...!"
Muraki's circles wound tighter, eyes never leaving his prey. He reached out, trailing his fingers lightly from the top of Tsuzuki's ear to the point of his jaw, drinking in the sight of him, enjoying his guilt and the shudder that came from the touch.
"You never heard about how the demon escaped? Or about how it went mad?" He leaned closer, letting his lips brush over Tsuzuki's other ear. "Would you like me to tell you what the demon did?" he whispered. "How it took it's revenge?"
"No.... No...!"
"The rumors say it laughed the entire time, crying bloody tears of mirth as it slaughtered an entire town. Tell me, did you enjoy it, Tsuzuki-san? Taking from them what they took from your sister?"
"Stop it!" Tsuzuki clapped his hands over his ears, doubling over as if he'd been hit and jerking away from Muraki. "I didn't! I didn't mean to! I didn't want to hurt them! I didn't want to!"
"No? After what they did you had no desire for revenge? They hated you, made you the scapegoat for anything that went wrong. They took your family away and left you with nothing. They would have killed you. Yet you say you had no wish to hurt them?"
"I don't!"
"You're lying. I can see your lies. You and I are no different, Tsuzuki-san. They shun us, despise us. Aren't you tired of submitting to that?"
"Hisoka...and Tatsumi--"
Muraki cut him off, moving in closer once more. "Are no different from the humans. You think the elves trust you? They only use you for your magic. You've no ear for gossip, Tsuzuki-san. Did you not hear them whispering in the village? The mage, they say, has welcomed evil into the forest." He laughed. "And my little broken doll.... He has nowhere to belong, and he will hate you for not being able to help."
"I tried! I tried to help him!"
"You have failed, and when he leaves you here in this wooded prison he will come to see how harsh his existence can become. I imagine...he'll end up in the same position you were in five years ago, with an entire village's blood on his hands."
"No!"
"Have you grown attached to him? Would you like to spare him that future? We can do that."
"What...?"
Muraki stepped forward, smiling, as Tsuzuki backed away. "We can destroy them all."
})({
Hisoka swore vividly as he stumbled along the path. Dashing through the woods jarred his body, turning it into one large ache. Tsuzuki had told him that he had great capacity for healing magic, but so far he hadn't learned enough to patch up a scrape, much less deal with any of the wounds Muraki had inflicted. Grimly, he realized that he had reopened one of the cuts, as something warm trickled down the side of his leg.
He was just as crazy as that idiot, to be running after Muraki in the shape he was in, but it was his right to be able to face the wizard. His pain had earned him the right to see that Muraki paid.
Slowing his pace, he limped along as quietly as he could. Tsuzuki's cottage was nearby and he didn't want to be noticed until he'd at least had time to gauge the situation.
He switched to astral sight, noting the twisted magic that tainted the mist. It had been impossible not to notice it with his curse flaring in connection, and he hoped that Muraki would not be able to sense his presence through his magic.
Creeping through an eternity of damp mist and looming trees, he finally made it to the very edge of the clearing. From his hiding place in the shadows, he could just barely catch some of what was being said. So he watched, changing his vision back to normal, as the clearing exploded in light.
})({
"D-destroy...." The word came as a hushed whisper, dread, fear, and horrible guilt obvious in the tone.
"Of course." Calm and collected, Muraki was the polar opposite of the shaking man that had all but collapsed before him. He was close to his goal--so close--and tonight would see the beginning of the end.
"Do you know what this mist is, Tsuzuki-san? No...you would not. Few do." He raised his hand with a flourish, trailing tendrils of sliver that slowly settled back into the silver pool. "It is a Gateway, the largest of the natural Gateways. With the proper spell, one can pass through. All it takes is the incantation to activate the Gateway, strong will to indicate who is passing, and a few drops of blood from a creature of the realm one wishes to visit. It's very simple, really, but unfortunately that spell only works one way."
He looked down, smiling. "Poor Tsuzuki-san. It seems you are ill-equipped to be a murderer. It's in your nature, you know. Your very blood calls for the death of others. The massacre five years ago is proof of that."
"I didn't want to!"
"You did. You enjoyed it, too, somewhere deep down. You felt justified. Why fight it? You'll only do it again."
"I won't!" He clamped his hands over his ears, blocking out Muraki's voice.
"Ah, but you will, though perhaps not in person." Slowly he drew a long ceremonial knife from a sheath at his waist. "A demon sacrifice to open the Gateway to hell.... Your death will seal this world's fate."
With a gesture, five spindly pillars of arcane light shot up through the mist around Muraki. The light spread from the focuses he had set earlier, forming a pentagram around him. An answering shape sprang to life behind Tsuzuki, and the mage was lifted and bound in mid air.
"I wish a crossing," Muraki hissed. His lips moved, chanting in an ancient language as the mist responded. Light began to build, illuminating the clearing to a brilliance even brighter than daytime provided. The mist shone harshly, throwing everything into sharp relief as Muraki's voice rose, commanding the magic.
He stopped suddenly, and the light flared. It dimmed to a bearable level, as columns of mist swirled upwards, arching and meeting to form a doorway between Muraki and Tsuzuki. The light pulsed, waiting for the continuation of the spell as Muraki reached out and drew the knife in a careful line across Tsuzuki's throat. The cut healed almost before the contact was broken, leaving the magic untouched by blood. Muraki smiled.
"I wonder how long it will take to kill you." He slashed this time, opening a gash deep enough to allow a splatter of drops to rain into the mist before the healing began. The light changed, threads of crimson streaking through the Gateway. The magic pulled at Tsuzuki, trying to draw him in as Muraki's spell held him fast.
"It is open. Once I kill you this entire forest will become a portal. Your brethren will come, charged with my revenge!" He laughed, readying for another strike.
The knife never made it to its target, however. A figure appeared out of the mist, shouting in rage as it grabbed his arm. He felt something rip into his skin, and he shook the thing off, sending it thudding to the ground between himself and Tsuzuki.
Mist rolled off his form as Hisoka stood, glaring hatred at Muraki and baring fangs coated in the wizard's blood. He spat contemptuously into the mist as the magic's pull extended to Muraki.
"Do you think you can stop me, boy?" He didn't even try to hide his fury. "I hold your life in my hands!"
Hisoka screamed as the curse flared brilliantly. It ripped at his psyche and his physical self, trying to tear him in all directions as the wizard's blood and magic tangled within the spell.
Muraki was braced against the draw of the Gateway. The only thing that kept him from being pulled through was the magic's hold on Tsuzuki. The columns twisted, writhing under the pressure of being caught in the middle of a spell. Restless swirls of mist stirred faster and faster about the legs and waist of all three present as the Gateway pulled, endeavoring to complete the spell that held sway.
Collapsing under the pressure of it all, Hisoka grabbed Tsuzuki's hand, reaching mentally for the mage's emotions. He drew the overwhelming tide to himself and yanked hard, pulling it with him into oblivion.
})({
Everything hurt. Absolutely everything. There was no direction, no emotion, nothing but pain. Slowly, very slowly, other sensations filtered in. There was a heartbeat, the flow of blood through veins, and the shallow drag of breathing, but nothing external, not yet.
The next recognition was the flood. Thoughts, feelings, memories...the entire sum of another mind was emptying slowly out of him, draining away. He lay in the middle of the current, floating along with it, as if he would rush away like flotsam along with everything else. Still, there was nothing of his own, aside from the heart, veins, lungs, and the pain.
There were images in the flood. A young girl picked flowers to weave into chains. The same girl with a kind smile and an outstretched hand. These images were warm and safe, loved, but tainted with a dark melancholy.
The darkness increased, bringing anguish, rage, and more pain. There was fire now, and blood, but the images were being washed away faster, passing him by. Something anchored him against the flood, but the images and emotions kept sweeping past.
Angry people, uncaring people, someone familiar...with blue eyes and a hidden smile. There were friends now, and a boy. A skinny, angular thing that appeared in so many thoughts. The boy yelled, scowled, listened, and watched, but never smiled. Yet, these memories carried happiness with them greater than any others since the girl. For the first time since his senses had begun to return, he had a thought of his own: Why?
The flood was lessening now, fast becoming a trickle, and he felt empty and full at the same time. His own self expanded, extending his awareness, but the feeling of losing something important grew.
Outer sensations were returning as he began to fit himself within his own skin again. The pain changed, becoming sharper in some places, duller in others. His senses were dimmed, and it was still dark, but he could feel the tickle of wind on his skin. Something solid and warm was wrapped around him.
Crickets sounded, heralding the return of hearing. Whatever held him was shaking, and he could hear sniffling and shuddering breath indicative of someone crying.
Everything still hurt in more ways than he thought it was possible to hurt. He just wanted to sleep until the pain went away, but the person holding him was keeping him from dropping back into unconsciousness. He didn't know who was crying or why; he just wanted them to stop.
He shifted, groaning and wincing, unable to do more than that. He couldn't remember ever being so tired, couldn't remember much of anything, really.
The crying faltered. "Hi-Hisoka...?"
He grumbled, muttering nonsense in an unsuccessful attempt to speak. The arms around him tightened, rocking him gently, and relieved joy struck him in a thick wave. Fingers were stroking his hair, which felt unbelievably nice amidst the pain, and he found himself being lulled back to sleep despite the voice near his ear thanking whatever deities would listen for his survival.
})({
The next time Hisoka woke he was considerably more comfortable, though fairly disoriented. Tsuzuki was still holding him, but rather than being sprawled on dewy grass, they were tucked into a bed, cozy and secure. He shifted experimentally and Tsuzuki mumbled in his sleep, nuzzling his hair contentedly.
It was a strange position to be in, caught up in a tangle of warm arms and sheets. Tsuzuki's presence shifted around him like tides. He could feel his broken arm aching and the sting of a few various cuts in counterpoint to the relaxed calm that had claimed him. He had no idea how long he laid there, basking in soothing emotions and a comfortable closeness he had never thought possible.
He was drifting off again when the door opened and Tatsumi entered. The elf smiled, seeing he was awake, and moved to take a seat in a chair next to the bed. It was the same chair Tsuzuki had dragged over, and it clicked into place in Hisoka's mind that they were in Tatsumi's house, rather than home in Tsuzuki's cottage.
"Good evening, Hisoka-kun." Tatsumi's voice was low and even, pitched to be easy to hear without waking Tsuzuki. "I suppose I owe you some measure of thanks for what you did, though your methods left something to be desired."
Hisoka met his gaze evenly, blushing very faintly, and shrugged.
"'Soka...."
He hadn't even realized Tsuzuki was awake until the mage spoke, breath tickling his ear. Hisoka snapped his head around, startled, as the embrace tightened.
"Thought you were never gonna wake up. Are you okay?"
"Yeah."
"Thank goodness." He kissed Hisoka's hair, burying his face in the fine strands. Tatsumi stepped outside to let them talk. "I don't know what happened." His voice faltered, and the contentment soured, becoming dark guilt. "When you fell and Muraki disappeared I just sat there and stared. I'm sorry. Hisoka, I'm so sorry."
Hisoka shook his head. "I took your feelings into me to make the spell let you go. No emotions means no strong will."
"That's why...." The mood lightened fractionally, and Tsuzuki continued. "Things started coming back, and I remembered you and I panicked. I thought you were dead. But then..." he laughed softly, "then you grouched at me and passed out again. I brought you here. Tatsumi helped bandage your wounds--you'd reopened a big one--and we put you to bed. You've been asleep for three days."
"I've slept longer. You worry too much."
"Can you really fault me for it? I love you. I went to face him to protect you and you.... Thank you, 'Soka. For saving me."
"Don't worry about it."
Tsuzuki smiled and kissed his forehead. "I'll go get you something to eat." He moved to get up, but paused as Hisoka rested a hand on his arm.
"Wait. Is it okay to just...stay here for a while?"
His smile grew, and he settled back down. "Of course. I'll stay with you as long as you want."
Nodding, Hisoka drifted slowly back into the rhythm of heartbeats and soft breaths, safe and warm where he belonged.
Okay...this is the last official chapter for those who want a happy, that's-that-and-they're-a-couple ending. The chapter after the next one is the omake chapter I promised, though I had to alter it so that it would fit in with the ninth chapter.
Also, I BEG you, please criticize this. Half the reason I write fanfiction is so I can improve my writing skills, but I need a bit of help to see what needs work. My AIM addy is on my bio page if you want to talk to me about how I can improve. Thanks.
Digitalized: Thank you for ph33ring my originality. ; ; No one else ever ph33rs me. I need to be more like Tatsumi-san.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story. They belong to Yoko Matsushita. The setting is mine, tho.
})({
The forest around Tsuzuki's cottage was silent, save for the soft rasp of his feet against the dusty path. Nothing stirred under cover of the fog, or even in the heights of the trees. The bats and owls were just as conspicuously absent as their prey. No creature of the Forest was born without being able to sense somehow if anything was wrong within their home. Tsuzuki took notice of their silence and broadened his awareness.
Faintly, ever so faintly, he could feel Muraki's presence around him. It was muted, muddled, and he realized with a start that the mist was absorbing it. The wizard's energy would be spread throughout the entire forest; soaked up like water in a sponge.
Laughter rang out from the garden, and Muraki was all of a sudden visible, as if he'd been standing near the roses all along. It was the same clinging rose bush he had stood near at the start of their first encounter, and again he stepped away holding a blossom.
"You've noticed my magic." His amusement and the calm certainty that came with it grated on Tsuzuki's nerves.
"I came as you asked. What did you have to discuss?"
Muraki studied the rose for a moment, as if considering his answer, before looking up to regard Tsuzuki.
"Monster."
Emotionless though it was, the word struck with a jolt, rooting Tsuzuki to the spot. He watched in silent horror as Muraki glided closer through the mist.
"Demon. Filthy half-breed." He paused. "They called you these things and worse. Yet...you kept wanting to stay with them."
"How...?"
Muraki smiled. "I've been searching for you for a while now. Since I first heard about you five years ago."
Tsuzuki paled.
"You must have heard the rumors, even traveling in such a hurry as you were in. I admit, I wasn't sure I would be able to find you considering how little I had to go on and how vague your tracks were."
"No...no, I didn't.... I didn't...!"
"Didn't hear the rumors?" He circled Tsuzuki, false confusion coloring his voice as he played out his game. "You didn't hear about that poor town? How they killed a girl for bringing a demon into their midst?"
"...Stop it...!"
Muraki's circles wound tighter, eyes never leaving his prey. He reached out, trailing his fingers lightly from the top of Tsuzuki's ear to the point of his jaw, drinking in the sight of him, enjoying his guilt and the shudder that came from the touch.
"You never heard about how the demon escaped? Or about how it went mad?" He leaned closer, letting his lips brush over Tsuzuki's other ear. "Would you like me to tell you what the demon did?" he whispered. "How it took it's revenge?"
"No.... No...!"
"The rumors say it laughed the entire time, crying bloody tears of mirth as it slaughtered an entire town. Tell me, did you enjoy it, Tsuzuki-san? Taking from them what they took from your sister?"
"Stop it!" Tsuzuki clapped his hands over his ears, doubling over as if he'd been hit and jerking away from Muraki. "I didn't! I didn't mean to! I didn't want to hurt them! I didn't want to!"
"No? After what they did you had no desire for revenge? They hated you, made you the scapegoat for anything that went wrong. They took your family away and left you with nothing. They would have killed you. Yet you say you had no wish to hurt them?"
"I don't!"
"You're lying. I can see your lies. You and I are no different, Tsuzuki-san. They shun us, despise us. Aren't you tired of submitting to that?"
"Hisoka...and Tatsumi--"
Muraki cut him off, moving in closer once more. "Are no different from the humans. You think the elves trust you? They only use you for your magic. You've no ear for gossip, Tsuzuki-san. Did you not hear them whispering in the village? The mage, they say, has welcomed evil into the forest." He laughed. "And my little broken doll.... He has nowhere to belong, and he will hate you for not being able to help."
"I tried! I tried to help him!"
"You have failed, and when he leaves you here in this wooded prison he will come to see how harsh his existence can become. I imagine...he'll end up in the same position you were in five years ago, with an entire village's blood on his hands."
"No!"
"Have you grown attached to him? Would you like to spare him that future? We can do that."
"What...?"
Muraki stepped forward, smiling, as Tsuzuki backed away. "We can destroy them all."
})({
Hisoka swore vividly as he stumbled along the path. Dashing through the woods jarred his body, turning it into one large ache. Tsuzuki had told him that he had great capacity for healing magic, but so far he hadn't learned enough to patch up a scrape, much less deal with any of the wounds Muraki had inflicted. Grimly, he realized that he had reopened one of the cuts, as something warm trickled down the side of his leg.
He was just as crazy as that idiot, to be running after Muraki in the shape he was in, but it was his right to be able to face the wizard. His pain had earned him the right to see that Muraki paid.
Slowing his pace, he limped along as quietly as he could. Tsuzuki's cottage was nearby and he didn't want to be noticed until he'd at least had time to gauge the situation.
He switched to astral sight, noting the twisted magic that tainted the mist. It had been impossible not to notice it with his curse flaring in connection, and he hoped that Muraki would not be able to sense his presence through his magic.
Creeping through an eternity of damp mist and looming trees, he finally made it to the very edge of the clearing. From his hiding place in the shadows, he could just barely catch some of what was being said. So he watched, changing his vision back to normal, as the clearing exploded in light.
})({
"D-destroy...." The word came as a hushed whisper, dread, fear, and horrible guilt obvious in the tone.
"Of course." Calm and collected, Muraki was the polar opposite of the shaking man that had all but collapsed before him. He was close to his goal--so close--and tonight would see the beginning of the end.
"Do you know what this mist is, Tsuzuki-san? No...you would not. Few do." He raised his hand with a flourish, trailing tendrils of sliver that slowly settled back into the silver pool. "It is a Gateway, the largest of the natural Gateways. With the proper spell, one can pass through. All it takes is the incantation to activate the Gateway, strong will to indicate who is passing, and a few drops of blood from a creature of the realm one wishes to visit. It's very simple, really, but unfortunately that spell only works one way."
He looked down, smiling. "Poor Tsuzuki-san. It seems you are ill-equipped to be a murderer. It's in your nature, you know. Your very blood calls for the death of others. The massacre five years ago is proof of that."
"I didn't want to!"
"You did. You enjoyed it, too, somewhere deep down. You felt justified. Why fight it? You'll only do it again."
"I won't!" He clamped his hands over his ears, blocking out Muraki's voice.
"Ah, but you will, though perhaps not in person." Slowly he drew a long ceremonial knife from a sheath at his waist. "A demon sacrifice to open the Gateway to hell.... Your death will seal this world's fate."
With a gesture, five spindly pillars of arcane light shot up through the mist around Muraki. The light spread from the focuses he had set earlier, forming a pentagram around him. An answering shape sprang to life behind Tsuzuki, and the mage was lifted and bound in mid air.
"I wish a crossing," Muraki hissed. His lips moved, chanting in an ancient language as the mist responded. Light began to build, illuminating the clearing to a brilliance even brighter than daytime provided. The mist shone harshly, throwing everything into sharp relief as Muraki's voice rose, commanding the magic.
He stopped suddenly, and the light flared. It dimmed to a bearable level, as columns of mist swirled upwards, arching and meeting to form a doorway between Muraki and Tsuzuki. The light pulsed, waiting for the continuation of the spell as Muraki reached out and drew the knife in a careful line across Tsuzuki's throat. The cut healed almost before the contact was broken, leaving the magic untouched by blood. Muraki smiled.
"I wonder how long it will take to kill you." He slashed this time, opening a gash deep enough to allow a splatter of drops to rain into the mist before the healing began. The light changed, threads of crimson streaking through the Gateway. The magic pulled at Tsuzuki, trying to draw him in as Muraki's spell held him fast.
"It is open. Once I kill you this entire forest will become a portal. Your brethren will come, charged with my revenge!" He laughed, readying for another strike.
The knife never made it to its target, however. A figure appeared out of the mist, shouting in rage as it grabbed his arm. He felt something rip into his skin, and he shook the thing off, sending it thudding to the ground between himself and Tsuzuki.
Mist rolled off his form as Hisoka stood, glaring hatred at Muraki and baring fangs coated in the wizard's blood. He spat contemptuously into the mist as the magic's pull extended to Muraki.
"Do you think you can stop me, boy?" He didn't even try to hide his fury. "I hold your life in my hands!"
Hisoka screamed as the curse flared brilliantly. It ripped at his psyche and his physical self, trying to tear him in all directions as the wizard's blood and magic tangled within the spell.
Muraki was braced against the draw of the Gateway. The only thing that kept him from being pulled through was the magic's hold on Tsuzuki. The columns twisted, writhing under the pressure of being caught in the middle of a spell. Restless swirls of mist stirred faster and faster about the legs and waist of all three present as the Gateway pulled, endeavoring to complete the spell that held sway.
Collapsing under the pressure of it all, Hisoka grabbed Tsuzuki's hand, reaching mentally for the mage's emotions. He drew the overwhelming tide to himself and yanked hard, pulling it with him into oblivion.
})({
Everything hurt. Absolutely everything. There was no direction, no emotion, nothing but pain. Slowly, very slowly, other sensations filtered in. There was a heartbeat, the flow of blood through veins, and the shallow drag of breathing, but nothing external, not yet.
The next recognition was the flood. Thoughts, feelings, memories...the entire sum of another mind was emptying slowly out of him, draining away. He lay in the middle of the current, floating along with it, as if he would rush away like flotsam along with everything else. Still, there was nothing of his own, aside from the heart, veins, lungs, and the pain.
There were images in the flood. A young girl picked flowers to weave into chains. The same girl with a kind smile and an outstretched hand. These images were warm and safe, loved, but tainted with a dark melancholy.
The darkness increased, bringing anguish, rage, and more pain. There was fire now, and blood, but the images were being washed away faster, passing him by. Something anchored him against the flood, but the images and emotions kept sweeping past.
Angry people, uncaring people, someone familiar...with blue eyes and a hidden smile. There were friends now, and a boy. A skinny, angular thing that appeared in so many thoughts. The boy yelled, scowled, listened, and watched, but never smiled. Yet, these memories carried happiness with them greater than any others since the girl. For the first time since his senses had begun to return, he had a thought of his own: Why?
The flood was lessening now, fast becoming a trickle, and he felt empty and full at the same time. His own self expanded, extending his awareness, but the feeling of losing something important grew.
Outer sensations were returning as he began to fit himself within his own skin again. The pain changed, becoming sharper in some places, duller in others. His senses were dimmed, and it was still dark, but he could feel the tickle of wind on his skin. Something solid and warm was wrapped around him.
Crickets sounded, heralding the return of hearing. Whatever held him was shaking, and he could hear sniffling and shuddering breath indicative of someone crying.
Everything still hurt in more ways than he thought it was possible to hurt. He just wanted to sleep until the pain went away, but the person holding him was keeping him from dropping back into unconsciousness. He didn't know who was crying or why; he just wanted them to stop.
He shifted, groaning and wincing, unable to do more than that. He couldn't remember ever being so tired, couldn't remember much of anything, really.
The crying faltered. "Hi-Hisoka...?"
He grumbled, muttering nonsense in an unsuccessful attempt to speak. The arms around him tightened, rocking him gently, and relieved joy struck him in a thick wave. Fingers were stroking his hair, which felt unbelievably nice amidst the pain, and he found himself being lulled back to sleep despite the voice near his ear thanking whatever deities would listen for his survival.
})({
The next time Hisoka woke he was considerably more comfortable, though fairly disoriented. Tsuzuki was still holding him, but rather than being sprawled on dewy grass, they were tucked into a bed, cozy and secure. He shifted experimentally and Tsuzuki mumbled in his sleep, nuzzling his hair contentedly.
It was a strange position to be in, caught up in a tangle of warm arms and sheets. Tsuzuki's presence shifted around him like tides. He could feel his broken arm aching and the sting of a few various cuts in counterpoint to the relaxed calm that had claimed him. He had no idea how long he laid there, basking in soothing emotions and a comfortable closeness he had never thought possible.
He was drifting off again when the door opened and Tatsumi entered. The elf smiled, seeing he was awake, and moved to take a seat in a chair next to the bed. It was the same chair Tsuzuki had dragged over, and it clicked into place in Hisoka's mind that they were in Tatsumi's house, rather than home in Tsuzuki's cottage.
"Good evening, Hisoka-kun." Tatsumi's voice was low and even, pitched to be easy to hear without waking Tsuzuki. "I suppose I owe you some measure of thanks for what you did, though your methods left something to be desired."
Hisoka met his gaze evenly, blushing very faintly, and shrugged.
"'Soka...."
He hadn't even realized Tsuzuki was awake until the mage spoke, breath tickling his ear. Hisoka snapped his head around, startled, as the embrace tightened.
"Thought you were never gonna wake up. Are you okay?"
"Yeah."
"Thank goodness." He kissed Hisoka's hair, burying his face in the fine strands. Tatsumi stepped outside to let them talk. "I don't know what happened." His voice faltered, and the contentment soured, becoming dark guilt. "When you fell and Muraki disappeared I just sat there and stared. I'm sorry. Hisoka, I'm so sorry."
Hisoka shook his head. "I took your feelings into me to make the spell let you go. No emotions means no strong will."
"That's why...." The mood lightened fractionally, and Tsuzuki continued. "Things started coming back, and I remembered you and I panicked. I thought you were dead. But then..." he laughed softly, "then you grouched at me and passed out again. I brought you here. Tatsumi helped bandage your wounds--you'd reopened a big one--and we put you to bed. You've been asleep for three days."
"I've slept longer. You worry too much."
"Can you really fault me for it? I love you. I went to face him to protect you and you.... Thank you, 'Soka. For saving me."
"Don't worry about it."
Tsuzuki smiled and kissed his forehead. "I'll go get you something to eat." He moved to get up, but paused as Hisoka rested a hand on his arm.
"Wait. Is it okay to just...stay here for a while?"
His smile grew, and he settled back down. "Of course. I'll stay with you as long as you want."
Nodding, Hisoka drifted slowly back into the rhythm of heartbeats and soft breaths, safe and warm where he belonged.