Title: Strange Circumstances
Author: Janie Hart
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Just referenes to TerazumaWakaba, TsuzukiHisoka, and some huggies.
Chapter: 4
Comments: Is Hakushaku-sama more correctly translated as "the earl" or "count"? Or both? I'm using "earl" here.

-

Strange Circumstances by Janie Hart
Part 4: Welcoming

"So, what do you want to know, Hisoka-kun?" Yuma declared as they walked down the blossom-covered lane on their way to the Castle of Candles.

Hisoka gnawed on the inside of his cheek, and figured it was as good of a time as any to satisfy his morbid curiosity about this. He shifted one of Yuma's bag - which he had volunteered to carry - to one shoulder, and asked, "So Shinigami really store up too much energy? Is that what Watari-san said?"

"Yes, I think that's the best explanation," Yuma answered while she picked off a twig that had fallen onto Saya's long hair. Saya giggled and thanked her partner with a tiny kiss on the finger. "You feel stronger, and better than you've ever been, but it gets a bit - hmm - unhealthy if you keep all that extra chi inside without some kind of outlet. Nothing to worry about otherwise."

The young man licked his dry lips, reddening. "And so, the outlet you find most convenient…"

"Is pure sex."

"I-isn't there any other way?" he muttered bitterly. Then he remembered Tsuzuki's depressed expression, and felt bad himself. He shouldn't be so terse at them.

"Well, our hormones really do sky-rocket. It's like… a menstrual cycle, just without the bleeding and cramps and crabbiness."

That was really more than Hisoka needed to know. He shuddered.

Saya took pity on him. "I guess you could work out the energy by training - fighting, doing archery, and the likes."

A bit of hope. "Does it work?"

"Well, did Hajime-kun try living like a monk for a week once," Yuma added, thinking. "He worked non-stop at the dojo all day and night by himself. But, uh…"

Hisoka tilted his head, not sure he wanted to hear the conclusion. "But what?"

Saya gave an embarrassed laugh. "It wasn't enough. No sleep, no rest - he was exhausting himself silly. So Tatsumi-san went to talk to him, and, well…"

"Oh God." Hisoka stared at them in fascinated horror. He couldn't even imagine what they were suggesting.

"Shh!" Wakaba finally interrupted, frantically waving her hands about. "We're not supposed to ever talk about that."

"Ah, Hajime-kun is so shy…" Saya sighed. "And Tatsumi-san is so, waaah, manly."

"Waaah" Yuma added with her own little dreamy sigh.

"Wah…" Wakaba pouted with an tense expression.

"Shy?" Hisoka huffed under his breath in disbelief.

They continued on their way.

The thing about Meifu is that distance was a matter of being able to suspend your belief. In this ageless land of the dead, time was not an issue. A walk that looks to be an hour takes a handful of steps, a mile to the restaurant is a minute, and the terrified flights into the night - with your mind running in cycles with the echoes of petals all too soft on the skin - feels like forever before stopping at doorway of your room. But it did not matter whether if it were hours or minutes later, somehow the youthful group simply was at the front entryway to the Castle of Candles.

"We're here!" Yuma cried, tugging her partner along with her as they rushed up the steps.

Hisoka was less enthused, staring off into the distant fields of sakura. He wasn't thinking about Tsuzuki - or, rather he was trying not to think about Not Thinking about Tsuzuki. Not thinking about Tsuzuki, or Tatsumi for that matter, and this new facet of Terazuma. And he was definitely not thinking about how the idiot must be feeling guilty again, as if this were all the man's fault. But at fault for what? There was nothing to feel guilty over, Hisoka decided. It was their… pseudo-spiritual biology? Something they couldn't help, so his partner shouldn't be feeling bad…

Wasn't he supposed to Not Think?

"Kurosaki-kun, is something wrong?" Wakaba asked as she dropped back to walk with him.

"Ah, no, it's nothing," he answered and turned to find her keen orange and brown eyes focused sharply on him.

Watson, the decrepit little zombie butler of the earl's, greeted them with a bow and a shaky "Welcome." Then he ushered them in through the long hallways and high ceilings, almost proudly marching as he lead the four teens through the plush estate.

Wakaba spoke up again as Saya and Yuma discussed rooming situations with Watson.

"Are you worried about Tsuzuki-chan?" she said, as if she were the empath instead of him.

"No, I'm not," he lied, voice flat as a tire. He fiddled with the strap on the bag he carried and hoped that was that.

She smiled kindly, not put off by the cooled tone, and surprised him with her next comment. "Well, I'm worried about Hajime-chan."

Hisoka cocked an eyebrow. "Oh? Why would you be worried?"

"It's just…" She looked down shyly. "I - I like him. And I think he likes me. This isn't a very easy time for him, and I wish that I could be there for him. Maybe it's fate being ironic, giving me someone precious to cherish, except I can't even hold him. I just hope… I hope he doesn't think I'm abandoning him or that I'm afraid of Kuro-chan when I leave off with Saya-chan and Yuma-chan."

Hisoka stumbled a bit, but quickly regained his footing. Strange that her words would echo what he was feeling about Tsuzuki. She blushed cutely at his stare of wonder, Hisoka knew why Terazuma would have her as a partner. Wakaba had an innocence and honesty that was refreshing, and a kind of heart that understood people naturally and without the use of empathy.

"I always thought that might have been able to remedy Hajime-chan's problem with women, but I was wrong," she said mildly.

"And what would that be?"

"I thought it would work if Watari-chan used one of his potions to turn me into a boy. But you proved that wrong," she laughed nervously.

There was a second when Hisoka tried to find some kind of purposeful insult in that, but finding none, he gave a low chuckle. No, Wakaba-chan as a boy? Although, she'd make a cute boy, he thought, stumbling awkwardly again.

"Kyaa!" Saya squealed. "Hisoka-kun is laughing? Why is he laughing!"

"What are you two whispering about? Share, share!" Yuma demanded while menacing them with her suitcase.

"These are your rooms," Watson interrupted with a bow and an unsteady shake of his jaw. "Dinner will be at six."

-

Dinner was to be an interesting event, of course. For one, if the girls couldn't convince him to wear a dress, they at least wanted Hisoka to dress up in a tuxedo. The girls themselves were in their finest, and giggled over every detail like old maids at a ball. They tugged at his sleeves and fixed his tie to see if the impromptu black suit donated by the earl was up to their standards, and Saya and Yuma found it to be satisfactory. Wakaba hung back and laughed as the teenager snapped in annoyance as their hands threatened to slide over places a little too private for comfort.

"I'm not a toy!" he told them, and they stopped.

Although the castle was filled with candles decorating every stand and ledge, the heat was always tolerable - comfortable, even - and rather than the smell of smoke the air was filled with a subtle scent of something. If one were a romanticist, they might say the air smelled alive, for the flames were not real fire but the fire of the soul shining through their short life.

"How does he keep track of them all?" Hisoka asked as the group strolled towards the dining hall.

"I don't know," Wakaba admitted. "I doubt it's easy."

Difficult if it were, Hisoka couldn't tell as soon as they reached the long table, covered in delicious food. Hakushaku-sama's billowing clouds of emotions were nearly suffocating as they billowed into him, but once he had gotten over the shock Hisoka found he could block out most of the more… interesting… waves.

"Good evening," Hakushaku-sama purred. As always, he was an invisible man with only a mask and a pair of gloves visible.

The girls chirped a hello, and Hisoka gave a small bow. Hmm, the Earl couldn't be naked, could he?

"I see we have another member to the group, this year," the man said. "Tsuzuki-san's partner, if I recall?"

The comment was spoken casually, but Hisoka all at once felt like he was being sized up, and then slowly undressed by those unseen eyes. He shivered, and nodded. "I'm Hisoka. Kurosaki Hisoka."

"Please sit next to me," the earl offered, and although the Shinigami couldn't see it, he could definitely hear that interested smile. "I want to know everything Tsuzuki-san has been up to."

"Don't get any funny ideas, Hakushaku-sama," Yuma warned. Hisoka suddenly was thankful for her frank presence. "This is his first time going through this, so don't do anything stupid that we'll have to beat you up for."

The gloves floated up in a surrender motion. "Is that what you say to your host? How frightening."

"We'll protect Kurosaki-kun's heart, no matter what!" Wakaba piped in with another one of her bright smiles while she hooked an arm around Hisoka's elbow.

"He'll be fine with us," Saya added as she did likewise, holding his hand. Yuma, not to be left out, threw an arm around his shoulders.

It was an odd position for Hisoka, so unused to casual touching, but at the same time he was blanketed in so much simple affection that he blushed. Affection was an intimate emotion, but given so freely and easily he felt more secure and relaxed than he had in a long time basking in such open warmth. It was surreal.

"Y-you three…" he stuttered. They squeaked at his bashfulness, laughed, and released him so they could go find their seats. Even next to Hakushaku-sama, and as he breathed in the juicy aroma of turkey and rice and a number of other savory dishes, he thought to himself that things were turning out better than he had hoped.

-

To be Continued