The atmosphere was thick with a mist of humidity that the approaching evening air served to cool as dusk slowly subdued the afternoon into darkness. The gentle rain that fell quietly throughout Meifu was enough to satiate the flora of the district, but light enough for a resident to be outdoors unaided by an umbrella.
With the shimmering streets relatively free of inhabitants, a small creaking was the only sound heard in a quaint park above the soft lull of the rain. A solitary figure shifted his hunched position on a small wooden bench in a secluded area of the park; a large apartment complex towering over the canopy of the raindrop-glittering sakura was the sole testament to the industrial world that encompassed the small figure's concealed organic haven. Oblivious to the precipitation that caused his flaxen locks to turn deep amber, his slowly blinking eyes regarded the surrounding landscape apathetically.
Tucked safely within the warm confines of his subconscious, he concentrated on metaphysically mending the mind that he had all but destroyed the night before. It would heal fine on its own in no time, but he was grateful for the distraction caused by the task of doing it himself.
The fight with the fallen Seraph had left him exhausted, both mentally and physically, but it was nothing compared to the emotional drain of seeing his partner becoming as hopeless as he was in Kyoto. He scrunched his nose as tried not to analyze the events of the previous night.
But somehow, in the heavy absence of vibrant emotions and cheerful conversations about the main ingredients to various pastries, Hisoka could not help but think of Tsuzuki. His features softened as he realized that if he really wanted to, he could in fact make apple pie with all the information Tsuzuki had given him. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat as the thought of his partner genuinely happy made his spine tingle with hopefulness.
But just as quickly as his body quivered at his partner's delight, his shoulders suddenly defensively tensed as reality depressed his senses. During the fight, the Empath's mind had been assaulted with the same pained emotions he believed he had left behind with the fire in Kyoto. Not just Tsuzuki's guilt and sorrow, but also the helplessness and fear in Hisoka himself. A frustrated sensation gripped him at the memory of his desperate partner, and Hisoka's conflicted heart tightened in confusion. A tremor shot through his torso as worry washed over him in a conditioned response to the idea of dependency.
He shut his eyes tightly, knowing full well that all of their arguments and fights were just innate tests he instinctively set to gauge the loyalty of his partner: And Tsuzuki had put up with all of it, and passed with flying colors. 'Well, sort of,' he sullenly recalled as he absentmindedly fingered the outline of his previously cracked jaw. Strangely enough though, the memory of his smashed mandible evoked an uncomfortably strange sense of trust and camaraderie within him. His delicate brow creased in contemplative anxiety over his intense desire to forgive the incident completely. Although the knowledge that his bond with Tsuzuki was strong enough to withstand an extremely violent and emotional battle with each other, the bitter sorrow that enveloped him at the thought of his partner not fully trusting him in return overshadowed that positive aspect.
Frowning at the grim attitude of his consciousness, an immediate slashing sensation at the base of his neck reminded him of why he was trying to distract his recovering mind from partner analysis in the first place, as the entire process was giving him a headache. As he allowed himself the unsubstantial relief of an aggravated moan, he focused painfully on not setting off any more emotional landmines in his brain.
Fidgeting slightly, an annoyingly soft nudging sensation that sought permission to enter at the threshold of his currently relaxed shields suddenly won his attention. He replied curtly by focusing hard on his empathy to urge his other voice to leave him alone until he got better. He grudgingly recalled the last time he had engaged in a conversation with himself no more then 24 hours ago. Although his psychological breakdown had been enlightening, it was hardly enjoyable and had used a lot of energy that he was unwilling to part with at the moment. Rubbing a damp temple that hid behind sodden bangs, he recalled with a slight shiver his most recent breakdown due to that other voice.
But persistent in its goal, Hisoka felt the soft mental tap was once more. With annoyance distorting delicate features, he wondered why it had the tact to be courteously gentle and not just barge in like it always did.
Curiosity over the determination of the aura waiting patiently outside his mind finally won over irritation and the Empath cautiously opened a clear mental channel to allow admittance to the irritating force. His shoulders relaxed slightly as he decided that if the only companion he could currently get for the afternoon was himself, than he would make do.
'You'll get sick out here, it's raining and getting kind of dark.' The voice felt strained with forced control against his empathy.
'Shinigami don't get sick' he answered back grudgingly without giving the presence a second thought as he concentrated once again on his wracked mind. He simply grasped the large dark trench coat around his lithe frame in silent reply. 'Wait... What trench coat?'
Startled emeralds shot open as he jumped back against the bench, slipping on the slick surface. Hisoka's own shocked expression was effectively mirrored in Tsuzuki's.
Instantly worried he had unintentionally hurt his recuperating partner, Tsuzuki's gaze shifted restlessly as he struggled with the notion of letting Hisoka be alone.
Seeing instead feeling the indecisiveness quiver over his partner's form caused a familiar lump to form in the Empath's stomach. Hisoka shook it off as the back of his fist dolefully kneaded his forehead in defeat, wanting nothing more then to be able to read his partner like he used to. He inwardly quivered with inadequacy at the fact that Tsuzuki continued to block his empathy.
However, as he noted the elusiveness in Tsuzuki's eyes and the way the man slowly retreated with an understandingly warm, yet forced smile, a sudden dependent heat shot through his small form. Sitting up straight, he quickly found a plausible excuse to keep Tsuzuki their without directly asking him to stay. "What happened to Semyaza?" The question was a distant second to what was really on his mind as the words were directed at the ground in forced apathy. He shifted slightly on the saturated bench in a gesture of admittance, and Tsuzuki gratefully took up residence beside his partner.
The Empath agonizingly triumphed in his attempt to mask his desperate expression while he was both comforted by his partner's apparent delight and pained as he was unable to feel the authentic happiness that had not only become bearable, but comforting. Glancing over to his partner, Hisoka watched the lines of his brow slowly deepen with distress as he contemplated the boy's question.
Tsuzuki tensed with a familiar ache of regret and grief as he recollected how their case had ended. They had failed to capture the fallen angel master, and Ingethel and Azazel had both been killed. Tsuzuki's jaw seized as he reasoned that he had been right there and yet he had done nothing to prevent it. How could he tell Hisoka that his carelessness had been the cause of their deaths?
Tsuzuki's posture dampened in shame as he recalled how he had allowed himself to take so much comfort in his partner's embrace the night before. His skin reverberated in disgust at the idea that he had again tarnished Hisoka's innocence with his own intrepid wretchedness. But on the same accord he could not deny the intense longing that had been quenched by the overtly meaningful gesture. A conflicted warmth played on his features as he recalled the feeling of being safe and protected, and to experience the same closeness he and Hisoka had achieved and lost all in the same instance at the end of the Kyoto case.
He willed his body to stop the minute trembling that broke through as he felt Hisoka's questioningly steady glare trained on him. Steeling himself further, fear prompted Tsuzuki to reinforce shields that were already beyond what his partner could forcibly read. His shoulders quaked against the pressure mounting beneath his skull as he absently wondered how serious aneurysms were.
Tsuzuki denied himself the luxury of the emotional release he was desperate for as he forced his voice to adopt a neutral tone. "We've been taken off the case." Tsuzuki paused, picking his words carefully as his hands gripped nervously at his pants, causing a squishing noise to issue from the rain-soaked fabric. "With Ingethel's... passing, the Celestial Council has reinstated their control and will appoint someone new to head their investigation."
Hisoka would have painfully recoiled at the waves of guilt and anxiety smashing uninhibitedly into his empathy, but instead he winced despondently at the overwhelming void their absence caused. He felt strangely helpless against the untamed forced with which Tsuzuki's shields were held in place.
"Oh." Hisoka's response was light and controlled as it concealed the unnerving apprehension that made his stomach complain uneasily.
The silence that descended left the boy in danger of fracturing his teeth as his jaw compressed under the heightened anxiety. Hisoka knew that their implied post-case ritual was starting again. He could hear the harsh melody of his own breath grow deeper as he waited in an anxious silence for his partner to say something that would end the case completely, and all the events therein never to be revisited and everything would shift back into normalcy as if it had never occurred.
This circumventive protocol had been pleasantly refreshing when he first became a Shinigami, but as time went on, Hisoka wanted nothing more then to ease the maddeningly absurd amount of tension between him and Tsuzuki.
Tight knuckles whitened against the dark coat around his shoulders as Hisoka's jaw clenched further against a protest that was vying to be heard. His heart and mind waged a merciless war on each other. Hisoka's aching chest sent a plea to surrender to the flaring pressure behind his eyes, but his temples throbbed in denial of the pitiable release. He suddenly stiffened as his shoulder blades rubbed against the bench, causing a deafeningly eerie creak to crash upon his delicate senses.
Searching desperately for a place to settle his gaze, Hisoka's eyes came down timidly on the dark fabric that sheltered his figure from the elements to pool softly in his lap. He looked regretfully at the trench coat that Tsuzuki had yet to replace. Hisoka's brow gathered in contemplation as fingertips absently picked at the repellent fabric that his partner often kept himself concealed within. Although it had been through the wash, the hellacious lacerations still injured its innate elegance, and it held the faint metallic aroma of too many battles. 'He hates that smell, is he trying to torture himself?' With a scowl born of concern, he wrote himself a mental sticky: 'Buy Tsuzuki a new coat.'
The sudden irritation that accosted Hisoka's features destroyed what little confidence Tsuzuki currently had as he shrunk as far as he could into his corner of the bench. The man's shoulders hiked with an unguarded twitch as he tried to extinguish a sudden ache mounting at his temples.
His partner's apparent discomfort piqued Hisoka's concerned curiosity and he was uncertain if the small wave of dread he felt escape his partner's heavily guarded mind was a good sign or not.
"Hisoka, I..." Tsuzuki shifted anxiously as his fingers fidgeted with nervous demeanor on his lap. "I meant to ask you. Um, about... about your---"
"I'm not resigning." The statement was controlled, but hinted at a private shame. He had not had a chance to discuss it with his partner and he knew it was at least the partial cause of some of the man's most recent stress.
"What!? How come---!?"
"Do you want me to!?" Hisoka shot an exasperated glare up to regard his partner in questioning aggravation.
"No!" came an automatic worried defense. His voice lightened as he added, "I'm just... surprised." Gazing at the ground, he knew he was happy at the discovery, but his stomach still lurched apprehensively as a sudden rumble of thunder purred faintly in the distance. "And, I'm sorry..." Tsuzuki amended as he silently recalled everything he had done to drive his partner to consider resigning.
Hisoka nodded in acknowledgment, hopeful anticipation and trepidation both quarreling to lay claim to his cleverly mastered detached expression as he awaited further explanation.
Tsuzuki's heart pumped in a mournful rhythm at the ardent concern the Empath had offered him during the fight that had put Hisoka in danger. His hands self-consciously rubbed forearms with an aggression that went unnoticed to him knowing that on so many of their cases, Hisoka suffered because of Tsuzuki's own weak mental perseverance.
A disapproving chill spread through him as he mentally reinforced his decision to distance his partner until he had mended his own tattered soul. Capturing his bottom lip nervously in his teeth, his heart silently plummeted at the thought of losing his partner who he understood held a significant amount of sway over his sanity.
Slowly brightening his visage with familiar effort, Tsuzuki quickly tried to dispel the worry he knew was creeping into his previously impassive expression. In his best parody of a convincingly reassuring voice, he stated casually, "We can't change what happened." His tone took on a hopeful apprehension as he continued. "I think it would be best if we try to move on."
Hisoka's entire body tightened at the unwittingly evasive proclamation, the only movement the sporadic twitching of a nerve that threw one eyebrow into a mild epileptic fit. Angered shock was vivid across the small expression that refused to face his partner as he sat in cold profile; eyes focused furiously on nothing. Hisoka distantly noticed Tsuzuki slowly making the section of bench between them larger.
Move on to what? If they simply forgot about what they had been through, that would put them right back were they were after Kyoto. Hisoka's body instinctively expelled a sharp breath in opposition to that outcome.
Tsuzuki gave a defensive start at his partner's reaction. "Hisoka?" With Tsuzuki's shields reinforced, Hisoka could only hear the uneasiness in his partner's fearfully timid voice.
"Forget it." Hisoka crossly declined between sealed teeth, not really losing his nerve so much as his straining nerves were just becoming too difficult to endure.
"What did I do?" The cautious prodding was heavily laden with concern. Tsuzuki had not expected his apology to fix everything, but he had certainly not expected it to have an adverse effect.
"Nothing." Hisoka's tone spiked with increasing animosity.
Needing to know what was wrong if Tsuzuki would be able to fix it, the habitual stubbornness that the boy offered him was anything but refreshing as his tone traded concern for earnestness "Please don't lie."
"You're one to talk!" Twisting to face the man, the sharp counter was instantaneous, and Tsuzuki instantaneously retreated to the farthest corner of the bench. Which unfortunately for Tsuzuki was not all that much farther than he had already managed to get as he fumbled clumsily against the intricate, wrought iron armrest.
Confusion and painful shock both craved dominance on Tsuzuki's face as they compromised and twisted his expression into a cruel personification of anguish. Although the exact implications of what the boy meant were still ambiguous, he had no time to formulate a logical reason as Hisoka's accusatory tone brought up old pain. Instinctively ordering every one of his defense mechanisms into play, Tsuzuki bit back a pained gasp as a sharp throb behind his brow stung his senses.
The familiar fear of discovery that flared within Tsuzuki caused the Empath to cringe as he could sense the man's shields strengthen further in defense. He resentfully mused that it was bitterly unfair for the man he allowed to have so much power over him, abuse him so unwittingly.
Seeing as how Tsuzuki was showing no signs of regaining his ability to speak, Hisoka shattered under the crushing silence. Turning completely on the bench to face his startled partner, his wildly overtaxed mind was at a loss to pinpoint a reasonable course of action.
Tsuzuki impulsively lifted a defensive arm in front of his chest as he pulled back slightly, cautiously regarding his infuriated partner.
And Hisoka snapped.
"Don't start this again!" The words were sharp and quick and carried a disturbingly dark anger. "Why do you think blocking me will solve anything, why can't you be honest with me!?" The boy's nails bit deeply into the sodden wood of the bench. "I can't help but feel what you do when you're in one of your 'moods,' but what hurts most is that you won't be honest enough to let me help you!" The rage in his tone conflicted with the concern in the words he allowed to emerge unchecked. "I don't know what's going on! But you're in pain and there's nothing I can do because you won't let me!" The pain imbued in the words struck his face in darkened shades of anguish "And it hurts!" A tense hand impulsively clenched the wet fabric over his pounding chest, as his eyes desperately searched his partner's face for understanding.
The shame that ran through Tsuzuki's body at the thought of harming Hisoka was at odds with the turbulent fear seething uneasily in his abdomen. He had intentionally hid himself from his partner, but he had no idea it affected the boy so severely.
A heavy, sharp sigh escaped Hisoka as his face set in confused resentment. Fatigue defeated him and forced him to lean back into the sodden bench, which became increasingly more uncomfortable with each passing minute. With a light prickling to the base of his skull, Hisoka felt his consciousness groggily recede as his body leeched of energy. Pressing a hand tight to the forehead that greedily sought comfort, his shoulders hiked in instinctive defense as an expression of distressed defiance to a sudden pain crossed his face.
The less then audible whimper Hisoka fought was like a fire alarm to his partner's senses as the man closed the gap between them, pushing away the tension that had previously occupied the space. Intrinsic worry struck Tsuzuki's features and swallowed his common sense as he instinctively offered a concerned touch to sooth his partner's shivering form.
Hisoka recoiled with an unrestrained gasp as Tsuzuki's cool touch connected with one tense arm. Hisoka's heartbeat rang forcefully in his ears, causing white noise to consume his sense of hearing as a ruthless pain rang freely through his slender frame. Feeling his body curl violently into itself at the piercing contact, his exhausted mind unexpectedly smashed helplessly through his partner's overwrought shields as the concerned grip refused to relent.
Tsuzuki issued one colorful oath as the familiar flood of his partner's synchrony destabilized his overwrought shields. His aggressive opposition against the nonconsensual union was unbearably painful as he issued a choked cry that was eerily distant to his ears.
Savage flashes of emotions and memories that flickered with the static of forgotten details surged painfully through the Empath as his weakened mind feebly attempted to will them away. He would have screamed in pain had his throat not choked on the gasping breaths he felt his body trying to take in. Hisoka lifted his arms protectively around his head as felt his own shields shatter successively like fine crystal under the pressure of his partner's psyche. The intensity of the synchrony built until the Empath felt a surge of growing pressure suddenly rupture as a physical pain flooded his body and expelled him from his mental expedition by means of sheer shock and exertion.
With a strangled gasp of air into his tortured body, Tsuzuki awoke immediately as his hands shot out violently to reassure him of his position in reality. When his fingers were met with lush, wet greenery, he noticed that he was on lying on his back on the ground and feather light drops assaulted his startled eyes as he fervently attempted to keep them open. The dreary taste of blood that ran down to his lips was a cruel reward from the erratic mental war with his partner.
At the fevered realization of what had just transpired, he willed himself up quickly and bit back against the harsh pulse that rung ruthlessly through his forehead at the abrupt movement. Falling back hard on his elbows he realized he was heavier then before. His eyes intuitively traveled down his chest.
An acute panic chilled his nerves as his eyes widened in shock. "Oh. Shit."
The Empath lay unconscious and splayed out uncomfortably over the man's abdomen, taking in uneven, clipped breaths. The instinctual urge to gather the boy into his arms and heal away the pain that conspicuously adorned the boy's cataleptic features with sheer force of will was suddenly abandoned in place of an unnatural fear that slowly paled the man's features.
In a matter of seconds the Empath had torn through his entire system of self-preservation and protection. Sweat beaded his forehead and easily soaked into dark wet bangs as the limp body brought about torturous memories of continually being suffering's catalyst. Panicked tears threatened to release under the immense pressure, as his fear became a cruel reality. Horrified eyes morbidly refused to let go of the image of his partner before him; Hisoka deserved anything but the pain that seemed characteristic of knowing Tsuzuki.
Rational thought slipped out from underneath him, sending him crashing hard into a maddening fear. Escape was the only survival skill at his current mentality's disposal.
Shock tore gruesomely across his features and his breath was rough in a suddenly dry throat. It did little to overcome the sound of his pulsating heartbeat while he tentatively applied pressure to the boy's arm with no obvious reaction. Tsuzuki cautiously rolled his delicate partner off his lap and gently to the ground, wrapping him quickly and securely within the trench coat. He hastily attempted to secure solid ground under his feet, but suddenly found himself unwilling to partake in any form of locomotion. Waiting his trauma out on the wet ground, his breath caught as the back hem of his suit jacket was abruptly captured.
Tsuzuki's resolve collapsed at the desperately weak grasp. Panic crushed the air from his lungs as tension held his body in a state of paralysis, refusing to let his horrified eyes turn to meet the boy behind him.
Too shaken to perceive them clearly, Hisoka's current overwhelming vertigo served to ward off most of the uninhibited suffering that fell in heavy sheets across his vulnerable empathy. The erratic fear that had previously emanated from Tsuzuki when the boy could tell his partner wanted to flee was still there, but Hisoka quivered hopefully as he now felt concern grow intensely alongside the anxiety and confusion. A surge of bittersweet joy ran through him as his emergent migraine indicated that he was able to clearly read his partner for the first time since Kyoto.
Feeling his senses return, Hisoka came to a haphazard sitting position behind his partner on the sodden grass. "You're not going anywhere." Although the statement was hoarse in the boy's throat, the factual tone was undeniably soft. However, the comforting undertone went unnoticed by the man while Hisoka tightened his features as his mind was abruptly stung by his partner's impulsive panic.
The back that faced him set a blockade between him and his partner that sent a lonesome shiver through his body, and his mind cried out for reassurance. Unable to restrain his instinctive urge, Hisoka leaned forward and desperately pulled the man from behind. Wrapping slender arms urgently around his tensed partner, Hisoka shut his eyes tightly against the tears of relief at the nearness they had both had a hand in denying each other during the entire case.
"You can't get rid of me." It was little more then a desperate plea as Hisoka allowed his exhausted body to lean against Tsuzuki's ridged back. Hisoka took in deep shuddering breaths as the power depletion and empathetic strain made it increasingly difficult to remain awake, let alone talk.
Tsuzuki froze at the aggressive force of the arms around him. Regardless of the man's apprehension, his need for affection forewent any logic that would tell him otherwise, as the rare display from his partner shattered his defenses. Slowly melting in the sweet comfort of the embrace with a light whimper, Tsuzuki relaxed with desperation guiding his actions as he shifted to turn around in his partner's urgent grasp. Like a child clutching the sheets in the aftermath of a nightmare, Tsuzuki's arms enveloped the security of his partner fiercely. Trembling with uncertainty, Tsuzuki ardently pushed his cheek against his partner's lithe chest, as if the more extreme the contact, the safer he would be.
Registering his partner's tight grip around his small torso, and the shuddering warm breath trembled against his lithe chest through his damp shirt, Hisoka graciously gave in to his partner's silent request for affection. Relaxing his posture, he rested one hand protectively around his partner's back as the other lightly stroked ebony hair made glossy from the rainwater.
"Please... don't leave me." Tsuzuki's voice was fearful and undeniably needy as he instinctively huddled closer into his yielding partner.
The unrestrained insecurity in the tone was heartbreaking and the boy could only clasp the embrace harder in a feeble attempt to alleviate the painful anxiety the man had spent his afterlife trapped in. Comprehending the gravity of what he had put his partner through made the Empath's own grievances about his partner seem irrelevant.
Hisoka knew that the embrace was more then to just satiate Tsuzuki's appetite for physical contact, it was a fundamental display of dependency and the need of another's reassurance. He could feel the crushing pressure in his head being replaced by the soothing warmth of Tsuzuki's previously repressed need for devotion, security, and for Hisoka himself. Knowing full well what it was like to live without protection and reassurance, Hisoka was not about to deny him such essentials as he willingly savored the comforting flavor of Tsuzuki's codependent touch.
"I would never leave you." Hisoka emphasized the genuinely urgent whisper with a possessive squeeze. His uncertainty quickly diminished as the tingling embers of his partner's contentment drifted throughout his mind, encouraging his newly fledged instinctive affection. Tsuzuki relaxed into warm contentment as a small tentative palm relaxed into a slow rhythm across his shoulder blades. As Tsuzuki's breath fell in even intervals over the boy's shirt, Hisoka scanned the landscape quickly before returning his full attention to his partner. "I'm... sorry for scaring you," he began uneasily in a soothingly hushed tone "it's just that, it was so hard for me to trust you, to trust anyone." His voice fell to a whisper as he continued, "Can't you do the same for me?"
Gripping his partner tightly, Tsuzuki's lips trembled nervously as they prepared to form a plausible response. "I'm sorry," he urgently assured, gripping the coat around the boy tighter as he continued in a lighter, secretive tone. "You're... stronger then I am." Refusing the potential discomfort of eye contact, Tsuzuki mumbled his genuinely humble response into the boy's shirt.
A disenchanted frown tugged heavily at Hisoka's features as his partner's admission roused a bitter sorrow from the confines of his small chest. Sadistic irony twisted unsettlingly inside him as he futilely wished that he could take back ever wanting to be stronger then his partner. The realization of the liberal amount of dependency Hisoka had placed in Tsuzuki's habitual strength blindsided him, sending a reflexively apprehensive tremble down his spine as he stiffened in response. A steadily escalating wave of anxiety assaulted his empathy as Tsuzuki's frame tightened under his protective embrace.
Frightened by the mounting tension of the body he clung desperately to, Tsuzuki tightened his jaw in fraught determination. The warmth between them seemed to grow colder as he censored his fear long enough to be honest. "It's not that I don't trust you... I'm scared. I wouldn't be able to handle the rejection... not from you." Tsuzuki barely choked out the end of the sentence before fearful sorrow completely claimed his voice.
"Then trust that I won't." Comforting arms tenderly reaffirmed Tsuzuki's security as an urgent need compelled Hisoka to alleviate the fear he was currently accosting his partner.
Frantically consenting to the safety that enveloped him, Tsuzuki allowed unabashed defenselessness to enter his tone as his fears assuaged in his partner's tolerant presence. "But... I can barely deal with it myself. I wouldn't want--"
An annoyed sigh effectively cut off the pained remark, as it seemed the man had every excuse in the book just waiting to be used. But his partner was determined to render them all groundless.
"The kind you can't handle on your own is the type that you should share." His textbook response was made intimate by his patiently soft tone as he rested his cheek atop his partner's head. He was certain the gesture would comfort his partner, even though it sent nervous tremors tumbling through his own stomach.
Tsuzuki's eyelashes gathered unwept tears at the unusual affection of his partner's behavior and soothing words. Unrelenting bliss eclipsed anxious hope as he realized that after all he believed he put his partner through, Tsuzuki still had Hisoka's unwavering acceptance. Huddling his smile against the boys chest, Tsuzuki relished in the pure safety indicative of that relentless strength.
Feeling a rush of relieved fondness delicately grace his empathy, delicate fingers clenched urgently to the fine cotton fabric of the white dress shirt that clung to Tsuzuki's damp form. "When you hurt, tell me why... so I can make it better." Uncertain if he was really ready to tell Tsuzuki, the sentence was soft and barely audible.
Tsuzuki nodded his head with delightful eagerness in response against his Hisoka's chest, his face gliding smoothly across the contours as he savored the pleasurable proximity to his partner. His body shivered in sheer exhilaration of the fact that the warm body he was clinging to clung back with equal fervor. Unprecedented bliss sent a fevered chill throughout Tsuzuki's body and the burden of secrecy became obsolete in the presence of the warm figure pressed against him.
With a heavily contented sigh that sounded suspiciously akin to a pleasurable whine, Hisoka relaxed with overwhelming relief as the tranquil sincerity emanating from his partner curled soothingly around his mending senses. Sweet pressure slowly built behind contemplative eyes as the Empath identified the persistent foreign emotion radiating from his partner as the same unadulterated trust and reliance that Hisoka had come to place in Tsuzuki. The unconditional faith was desperately returned as the man fervently clung to his partner, sealing their unspoken contract through pure force of sincerity.
Half-lidded eyes clouded in pleasure as sweet emotions induced a shower of delicate heat down Hisoka's spine, embellishing his senses. A relieved smile came surprisingly easily to his features, radiating sheer contentment, as he reflexively pulled his partner closer into the already tight embrace. He was eagerly anticipating this union becoming their new post-case ritual.
Snuggling farther into the embrace Hisoka graciously offered him, Tsuzuki idly wondered why he had doubted his partner's devotion. Tsuzuki was unsure how he knew from his position cuddled against Hisoka's torso, but he was certain that his partner was smiling. A light chuckle escaped him as he reveled in the security he felt as his partner privately regarded him with a gentle twist of youthful lips.
With a playful grin, Tsuzuki focused his thoughts on what it would be like to express to the boy just how much he appreciated those lips...
But as Hisoka's heartbeat suddenly pumped hard against Tsuzuki's still grinning cheek, the man courteously derailed the train of thought that had shaken his partner. He gave a small sigh and lightly pushed back to rest on Hisoka's lap where he had a better view of the charming crimson hue dusting the boy's cheeks. Hisoka stared down at the man complete in shock as Tsuzuki simply smiled wistfully in reply.
'Some other time, perhaps.'
The EndHere's that thing I haven't put up yet- Disclaimer: Matsushita-sensei owns Yami no Matsuei.
I hope you all enjoyed the story, and thank you so much for reading it. I know this chapter was late... but I do hope you will review regardless... Its my first ending, I need to know how I did -smiles- -smiles-.
Thank you Chiharu Ylliana, you are a magnificent editor -smiles- -hugs-.
Dear Reviewers: You guys do the authors here at a great service by reviewing, so I want to reward you. On my homepage, there is a dedication to SapphireDragon. The particular picture has been inspired by all my reviewers-smiles-. Again, thank you all!
SapphireDragon: (or is it DarkSapphireDragon now ?) as mentioned above, I dedicated a picture to you on my webpage, since you were kind enough to say you would dedicate your first story to me –smiles-. I can't wait for you to start posting –smiles-.
DragonMelody: Don't worry; I have a few more YnM story ideas sitting in my hard drive –smiles-.
Fin-Phoenix: I don't mind if you sound like you just repeat yourself in your reviews, at least that way I know I am still doing this right –smiles-.
Zatken: Thanks for so many constructively encouraging reviews –smiles-.
Dazzle1: As always, you're too kind –blushes- -smiles- -ego explodes-
YaoiYaoiYeah: Thanks for piling on the reviews so heavily in one shot –smiles-
Sorry I can't personally respond to any more reviews, but I really want to get this posted –smiles-.