Chapter 8:
Tsuzuki spent most of the afternoon sleeping and the sun was setting now. He didn't intend to sleep for so long but surprisingly the nap made a world of difference. Given how he was feeling earlier; if he had gone without resting he was sure after one knock on the door he would pass out.
He stopped in front of the house with a paper in one hand and some of Hisoka's things from the institute in the other. He nearly dropped all of it as he stopped in front of the house. It was massive, not castle massive but large enough to guess that the mortgage was enough to buy six Eiffel towers, well maybe that's an exaggeration; it was more like three Eiffel towers.
He walked up the stone steps and knocked on the door with one of the gold doorknockers settled in a lion's mouth. He could hear some yelling from behind the door and suddenly it opened. A woman with shoulder length blond hair, roughly in her forties, appeared at the door. Her face was the crankiest he had ever seen but there was something familiar looking about her and for a moment he couldn't quiet put his finger on it until she narrowed her electric green eyes at him and looked him over.
"Oh," The woman said in an innocent tone "Who are you?" Tsuzuki noticed that now, instead of looking like a cranky old lady, she was leaning against the door with her arms folded attempting to squish her boobs together to make cleavage. She was failing miserably.
"I'm Tsuzuki Asato; I'm here to visit Hisoka." He bowed and said as politely as he could despite the woman's now callous face.
"Hisoka? Why do you want to see him?" She said with out shame of the obvious disgust in her voice.
"I'm his friend, and I came to give him some stuff he left at the institute." He looked up to see that the woman's tone matched her face.
"Friend?" She blared as if the idea of it was simply absurd "Just how old are you?"
"Uh…Twenty six." He sounded a little bit unsure.
"Twenty six! Why is a twenty six year old man hanging out with a high school boy?! You better not be trying to get him to lend you money because I won't put up with it!" She screamed at him causing him to jump a bit.
"What did I do to be yelled at?!" He wondered as he backed up defensively.
"Oh no! I'm really not trying-"
"Mom, who are you yelling at?" A voice emerged from behind the door. Familiar green eyes widened in shock of the man on the doorstep. "Tsuzuki." He gasped a bit. He then turned to his mother, "Jesus, don't you have any manners?!"
"Manners? Your not one to talk young man, you have no right to talk to me that way."
"Whatever," He sighed and turned back to Tsuzuki "Please, come in…"
"Uh no, no, that's ok. I just wanted to drop your things off here… I'll just be going now…" He said with a nervous chuckle.
"No, don't let my mother intimidate you. Its cold, at least come in and warm up before you head back." He insisted, his eyes a mixture of stress and concern.
"God... He looks miserable." Tsuzuki thought as he looked into those heartbreaking emerald eyes. He just smiled as he gave into the eyes and stepped inside.
It was warm inside the mansion but it didn't make up for the cold-heartedness of its keepers. It was garnished with expensive decorations and antiques which made it seem more like a museum than a house. Hisoka's mother stood behind them as Tsuzuki took off his coat and hung it on a rack, her arms were folded and she was tapping her foot in an irritated fashion and her eyes were plastered on the violet eyed man making him feel incredibly uncomfortable. It felt like the woman was stabbing a hole through his back with her eyes, Hisoka sensed it and spoke up before his friend ran away in terror.
"Let's go to my room…it's a little more relaxed up there." He made a gesture and led his companion up the stairs while giving a brief glare of annoyance to his mother. The rest of the house was much like the foyer with its elaborate adornments placed strategically about the rooms.
"Wow this place is huge! I can't even imagine what it's like to live here." He commented as he looked around.
"Believe me you don't want to…" Hisoka said in an aggravated tone as he opened the door to his room. Tsuzuki sat the bag of Hisoka's things down by the door and walked over to the boy's bed and sat down still looking around like a lost child, it was surprisingly empty compared to the rest of the house. There was a bed, a book shelf with some books, and a few boxes indicating that his room was previously used storage before he came home.
Silence passed between the two, Hisoka remained standing and stared at the amethyst eyed man on his bed with a perplexed look on his face.
"You came to see me…why?" The boy thought as he continued to gaze.
Tsuzuki coughed in hopes to break the silence and then thought of something to spark conversation. "So…how's life?" Suddenly he mentally slapped him self at how stupid a question it was.
"As if I couldn't tell he was depressed…"
"It sucks." The boy stated as he sat down on the floor bringing his legs up to his chest, he made a small groan as he probably pressed on a few wounds.
"Are you going to come back to West Wind?" He asked
He took a moment before answering "No."
Tsuzuki winced as if being shot "How come?"
Hisoka sighed and looked down at the floor where the light from a street lamp made a shadow, "My father's health is declining. Therefore it's my duty as a son to take over his business."
"Ah, the age old scenario…" Tsuzuki sighed, "Is that what you want?"
"Hell no, but there isn't much I can do about it. I'm only sixteen and my parents run my life." He paused for a moment, "They're even setting me up with girls."
"I'm sorry to hear it…" Tsuzuki murmured as he watched the vulnerable looking boy rock slowly.
"It's like I'm some expensive dog that has to breed to keep its master fat and happy…I might as well do what they say though…"
"What? Why? Don't you want to marry for love?"
"…I'd like to say that but…I just don't know…" He now sat cross legged with his head down and his hands gripping at his hair, "I've been so confused lately!"
"What's confusing you?" Tsuzuki moved to the floor and put a hand on his back in attempts to comfort the blonde.
"These feelings…" The boy noted.
"I don't know! It's something new to me. It's like a thousand things are running through my head at once and I can't control it! At some points I don't know whether I want to laugh or cry! It's like some warm thing glowing inside my lungs yet it's prickly and it leaves me with the strangest high…"
Tsuzuki continued to kneel quietly, his hand slowly slipping off the boys back.
"Normally I can block these feelings out by using a barrier," Hisoka proceeded, "but these ones don't go away and I can't tell whose they are or where they're coming from…"
Tsuzuki felt his body temperature rise and his throat constrict.
The blonde's head suddenly whipped up, "Unless…" He whispered in what sounded like horror. He looked over to Tsuzuki, who was about as confused he could get, and started to crawl closer to him and Tsuzuki in response crab walked away not taking his eyes off the boy.
"It makes sense…so much sense…" Hisoka said as he continued to crawl, "These feelings are mine!…but why I have them I'm not sure…"
"Hisoka…?" Tsuzuki called trying to break the boy's insistent train of thought.
"It gets worse only around you…so maybe…I…" He continued as he was almost directly onto of Tsuzuki who came in contact with a wall. Their faces were now with in an inch of each other and the violet eyed man's face was burning hot.
Hisoka stood on his knees looking down at his friend, "I need proof…" he said as he tilted the older man's head upward. Tsuzuki looked up at his friend who was illuminated by the streetlamp, only a few features on his face were highlighted yet the light caught on every little hair around his head creating an almost angelic looking aura. Tsuzuki felt his heartbeat speed up rapidly along with his breathing as he tried to comprehend the events that were taking place.
"Hisoka?" He whispered.
No answer, instead with a swan like grace, he closed the gap between them slowly and pressed his lips against Tsuzuki's. Contrary to other kisses Hisoka had, Tsuzuki's lips were soft and rivaled that of sun warmed flower petals. The feelings he found in himself stayed and only when Tsuzuki was added to the equation was the feeling altered. He sensed the love from himself mixed with the purple eyed man's panic and confusion and it left a small ache in his chest. The kiss lasted for what seemed like an eternity until they parted. It was simple, there was no panting or going back for more, it was just brief, simple, and innocent.
Hisoka fell back on his legs and stared at the ground again with a contemplating look on his face. "So they're mine…" He said softly to himself, "So…I'm in love…" He suddenly felt a wave of joy, relief, and over all happiness and for the first time in his life it was his own, 100% his. It was like being sheltered in a world of black and white for years only to finally be released and exposed brilliant color.
He looked over to his partner to see him in a bemused daze, slightly shaking and still pressed against the wall. Tsuzuki abruptly rose and left the room mumbling something that sounded like "I have to go get some air." Hisoka watched the man leave, it took him a few moments to realize that Tsuzuki was obviously upset and he ran down to the foyer to catch him but the older man's coat was no longer occupying the coat rack. He shoved his own coat and shoes on and ran out into street. Not too far down the block he saw Tsuzuki sitting at a bus stop, he was bent over; his elbows on his legs and his fingers laced in front of his face.
"No…I shouldn't have let him do that…it's not right—but oh God I wanted it—but he's my friend—well I guess he really doesn't think that anymore – but is that such a bad thing?—yes because I'm going to hurt him in the long run—I cant let it continue on--"
"Why not?" A sad voice responded to his thoughts.
"Hisoka!" He looked up at the boy a little startled.
Hisoka sat down next to him, "Why can't you be with me?"
"I just can't. It's just not going to go well."
Hisoka lifted a hand up to the side of Tsuzuki's face and moved some hair out of his eyes and then brushed his finger tips over the skin of his cheek. "You feel the same as I do…Don't you want to be happy?"
"I don't have to tell you that I'm exhilarated by what you did but I know at some point I'm going to hurt you and I'd be happier if I didn't get to see you cry over me."
"Believe me; I think that that sadness is worth the time I'll spend with you. Life without you is dull," He took a small breath and turned to meet violet eyes "Even if it's for a short while…I'd love to be with you."
Hisoka grabbed onto the other man's hand and held it in his own, "Please…"
Tsuzuki looked over to pleading emerald eyes. He felt his body relax with a slight exhale, looking at those eyes made his stomach do back flips. He smiled and brushed lips with Hisoka who made a slight moan but recovered quickly and wrapped his arms around Tsuzuki's waist bringing him closer to deepen the kiss.
T.B.C… R&R