Welcome to chapter eleven!

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Wow, eleven chapters and still going. This time, we meet a new character. I'm not going to go Lalala… THREE YEARS LATER… But I am going to skip through months. After all, we have to kill time until Hisoka's birthday. If you feel Tsuzuki and Hisoka are going fluffy, I apologize but, they are in love. :)

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There may be two updates today as I wrote enough for either one long chapter or two medium sized ones. I'm going for the latter because I make specific breaks in time for chapters.

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In case anybody is getting confused, Tsuzuki and Hisoka met early February, they were separated the end of February/early March, and Tsuzuki gets his new job end of April.

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Chapter Eleven: An Evening of Mistake

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Saiki stacked the last box on the pile next to the door. She walked back to the bedroom and sighed. Tsuzuki ripped a piece of paper from his notepad and began writing a note, using the wall as a table. "Are you sure about this, Asato?"

Tsuzuki nodded and continued writing. "I can't stand staying in this city knowing he's somewhere I can't reach." He picked up the picture frame with the picture of Hisoka, Saiki, and himself in it. He pulled out the picture, ripped himself off of it, and folded it into the note.

"You aren't even going to tell him you're leaving? What are the chances he'll get that note?" Saiki walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around him.

Tsuzuki picked up a small, brown box and placed the note on top of it. He set the box in the closet, Saiki clinging to him the entire time. "I just hope he does."

"You don't have to do this… I'll gladly go with you, you know." Saiki tried to keep from crying.

"I can't make you do that. You made a promise to your aunt about the restaurant. Besides, I don't know where I'm going…" Tsuzuki closed the door to the closet and walked towards the door. Saiki let go and watched him. He picked up some of the boxes and started out the door.

"Asato…" Saiki grabbed a box and followed him. "Do you want me to give him the message?"

Tsuzuki shook his head as he placed a box in the moving truck. His furniture was already organized inside. "If he comes back, I want it to be of his own will. I don't want to bother him anymore. I already screwed up his life enough."

Saiki burst out into tears and fell to the ground. Tsuzuki turned and looked down at her. "Why… Why did this happen… You'll never smile again, I just know it."

"Saiki…" Tsuzuki began to kneel down next to her when he was a man walking towards them. "Muraki!"

"Oh, my… It seems my plan backfired." He stopped behind Saiki. "A broken heart can usually be reformed any way a person wishes. I assumed I could reshape yours when the child was gone but, as I thought you are quite strong willed, Tsuzuki-san."

"Who is this?" Saiki rose to her feet and stood behind Tsuzuki.

"He's the real child molester. He hurt Hisoka in the past and he's the twisted freak who let the cat out of the bag on us." Tsuzuki glared at Muraki. "But the authorities don't believe the word of a school teacher compared to a well known doctor."

"Indeed. There are children wings in hospitals named after me. Who would think I am the bad guy?" Muraki smirked. He ran a hand through his hair and looked up at the darkening sky. "It's a shame the boy's gallant knight is living him. Perhaps I shall finish where we left off. He was a rather amusing toy."

"Shut up!" Tsuzuki lunged forward to punch Muraki but, he caught Tsuzuki's arm and pulled him forward. "If you as much as look at Hisoka, I'll…"

"You'll what, Tsuzuki-san? Unlike you, I am not court ordered to stay away from him. Besides, that truck full of belongings seems to state you are running away from your problem."

"You sick bastard…" Tsuzuki pulled free of Muraki's grip.

"I am only toying with you, Tsuzuki-san. I have no interest in that boy. He is merely my poppet." Muraki turned and waved. "As much as I would love to see you off, I am a doctor. Sayonara, Tsuzuki-san."

"Muraki…" Tsuzuki mumbled.

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"That's the last box…" Saiki sighed. "You're really leaving right now?"

Tsuzuki nodded. "I can't stay here. I'm sorry, Saiki. Goodbye." He kissed her cheek and pulled the door closed on the truck. Without knowing where he would end up, he decided to buy the truck and tow his car instead of paying a mover. He looked out the window at Saiki one last time and pulled away.

Saiki waved and stayed until his truck was out of sight. As she was turning to her own car, she was a familiar figure running towards the apartment. She gasped as Hisoka ran past her at full speed, seemingly not to notice her, and ran up to the apartment. Saiki bit her lip. She didn't think she could face Hisoka, especially since Tsuzuki had just pulled away. "I… could try and chase Asato down but…." Saiki looked up at the dark apartment and sighed. She got into her car and pulled away.

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"Tanaka-sama?" Hisoka walked into the den. Hana was sitting at a kotatsu reading. She looked up and smiled at him.

"Yes, Hisoka-kun? How was your first night? It's rather quiet when the girls are at school, isn't it?"

Hisoka sat at the table and put his legs under the blanket. Hana smiled and poured him a glass of tea. "There's something I want to talk to you about…"

"Of course, anything."

"I… When I become eighteen, I'm leaving to find him." Hisoka looked down at his tea. He couldn't bear to see what face she made.

"I understand…" Hana reached a hand across the table and took Hisoka's head in her hand. "As much as I wish you could accept us as family, I also know that you already have one. I won't hold you back. When you turn eighteen, I'll help you find him."

Hisoka shook his head. "No. I want to do it on my own. No matter how long it takes, I'll find him."

Hana removed her hand and smiled sadly. "You've had a hard life and you're still so young. Looking in your eyes, I can see that there's more you've faced than what the sisters told us. There probably much more than even they know." She nodded. "When you turn eighteen, I'll look the other way."

"Thank you…" Hisoka smiled and began standing up.

"Wait... Hisoka-kun, when you feel ready, I am willing to listen to everything that has happened to you. I want to know it all. Even if you cannot accept me as a mother, please accept me as a friend."

Hisoka nodded and sat back down. "Then…. If you'll listen… I'll tell you it all now."

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Hana tried to restrain her tears as Hisoka finished his story. "So much pain and hardship this young body has felt. Then, when you find you're first true happiness, it is taken away from you by someone you felt could never take any more from you than he already had. You've been through more in sixteen years than men who live to one hundred."

"Please don't cry, Tanaka-sama…" Hisoka poured her another cup of tea.

"If I could, I would find Tsuzuki-san now." Hana reached across the table and wrapped her arms around Hisoka. "I know that physical touch hurts you but, I can't imagine not embracing you at a time like this…"

Hisoka closed his eyes and watched the thoughts in Hana's mind play through his own. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her as well.

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"Well, Tsuzuki-san, we would be thrilled to have you teach at our university. You are quite qualified for a former high school teacher." The suit clad man across from Tsuzuki smiled and stood. He bowed and grinned. "Welcome aboard."

"Thank you sir." Tsuzuki picked up his briefcase and left the room. He sighed and walked through the college campus. It was now April and he had been away from Hisoka for a nearly two months. He looked around at the cherry blossoms. He and Hisoka were planning on going to Kyoto for the cherry blossom festival. Now he was in Kyoto alone. Tsuzuki walked to a bench nestled within a garden of the pink trees and sat down. He stared blankly as girls passed by giggling and boys passed by, angered at their giggling girlfriends.

"This sucks…" Tsuzuki mumbled. He yawned and cracked his neck. "At least it didn't take long to find a job."

"Excuse me?" Tsuzuki looked in the direction of the female voice. A tall woman with short, red hair was the owner of it. "If you sleep on the bench, you are liable to get robbed."

"Oh, heh…" Tsuzuki stood up and stretched his arms. "Sorry about that."

"Are you the new hire for the history department?" The woman questioned. Tsuzuki noticed her accent was American.

"Yeah. You are?"

"Smithe Marie." Marie stretched out her hand.

Tsuzuki took it and shook. "Tsuzuki Asato."

"I see. Tsuzuki-san, I am the librarian. I was asked by the dean to show you around campus." Marie began walking without Tsuzuki's response.

"I didn't really ask to be escorted around campus." Tsuzuki said sternly.

"Tsuzuki-san, I am taking time out of my day to do this, so I expect you to at least feign appreciation."

"Wow… That American attitude is something I haven't encountered in a while." Tsuzuki frowned.

"Mr. Tsuzuki!" Marie huffed. "I am doing this as a favor to you and…"

"I'm sorry…" Tsuzuki sighed. "I just lost someone important to me recently…"

Marie's face softened. "I understand. Please, allow me to show you around."

"The campus isn't a big problem for me. I looked around before coming for the job. It's more the city than anything…"

Marie smiled. "Then how about we go after my shift is up? The library closes in an hour, and then I'll show you the better parts of Kyoto."

"Sounds good…" Tsuzuki flashed a false smile. If he couldn't see Hisoka again, he could always try to move on.

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"Quite the car. I didn't know school teachers had it so good." Marie ran a finger down the side of the car.

"Actually, I won a lottery when I was in the United States." Tsuzuki opened the car door for her then proceeded to the driver's seat.

"American hospitality towards women. There's something I haven't seen for a while. You can be somewhat charming." Marie smiled.

"Why did you come to Japan?"

"Hmm? Well… I can't… It was a stupid reason…" Marie's face turned red.

"Can't be much stupider than why I came to Kyoto."

"Well, I came for a man. I worked at an advertisement agency in New York. A Japanese man came to do deals with our company to make a joint company between his Kyoto office and our New York one. He was there for two months and, when he was preparing to leave, he asked me to come with him. I agreed and moved to Japan. I stayed in a hotel. He told me that his apartment was small and wanted me to be comfortable. He said he would look for a larger place and then move me in. I stayed in the hotel for two months before I got worried.

One day, I found his address on a business card he accidentally dropped and I went to it. It wasn't an apartment but, rather a large house. I knocked on the door and a pregnant woman answered. I asked if this was his residence and she said yes but, he was at work. I asked who she was and she said she was his wife." Marie smiled an angry smile. "I was so embarrassed. My family had warned me about leaving the country with someone I hardly knew but, I didn't listen. They still think we are together. I couldn't tell them the truth… It's been four years since then. I got a job as a librarian here and have been here since."

"That's terrible…" Tsuzuki sighed. "Some people are just the worst…"

"Well, I told you my stupid reason, so what's yours?"

"I moved here to get away. I lost someone important to me recently and was too cowardly to stay in Tokyo."

"I'm sorry…" Marie slouched down in her seat.

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"It's getting dark. Thank you for showing me around." Tsuzuki placed their shopping bags into his trunk and got into the car. "Where do you live? I'll drive you home."

"Oh… uh... I live in Osaka." Marie blushed.

"Eh? You go all the way from Osaka to Kyoto every day for work?"

"I usually just stay at the library all night."

"Well, that won't do. You can stay at my place tonight. I have an extra bedroom." Tsuzuki started the car as Marie got in.

As they drove down the secluded Kyoto back road, Marie turned to Tsuzuki. "Why are you so nice to someone you just met?"

"Hmm? Well… I guess I just don't know how to be mean." Tsuzuki smiled sadly.

"There's so much pain in your smile… The person you lost must have been extremely special to you." Marie kept a hand on her head to keep her hair down.

"Yeah… But I told myself that I wouldn't let our separation get me down. I'm going to start a new life and someday smile again like I did then."

"That's admirable." Marie smiled.

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As they pulled up to a fair sized, three story house, Marie stared confused. "It's just you? Why did you get a big house?"

"I figured if I lived in a big, empty house it would encourage me to move on. It's been paid for in cash, so I don't have to worry about a nasty mortgage."

"Eh? Cash?" Marie looked over the house. It had to cost at least 80 million yen.

Tsuzuki pushed open the door and walked inside. Marie followed, slowly looking around as she did. The large house was nearly completely empty. "I haven't really gotten into the whole decorating thing, so all I have is the stuff from my apartment in Tokyo."

"Such a beautiful house. You really should get it decorated. Maybe hire a professional." Marie stared in awe at the beautiful traditional architecture of the building.

"I'll show you the rooms. Maybe you can help me figure out what to do with them." Tsuzuki led her through the house.

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"And, last is my bedroom." Tsuzuki pulled open the door at the end of the hall of the third story. The room was set up no differently than his apartment's bedroom had been and sitting on the nightstand on the right side was Hisoka and Saiki's picture in the frame.

Marie slowly moved about the room. "This room feels so sad and lonely…" She turned to the picture and picked it up. Tsuzuki rushed over and grabbed it from her. "That woman was beautiful. Is she the one you left?"

Tsuzuki sat the picture back on the nightstand and shook his head. "I left her behind too but, she wasn't the one taken from me…"

Marie stared into his beautiful, yet sad amethyst eyes. "We can't brood on the past. We both have to move forward or we'll never be happy again." She ran a hand against his face. "Perhaps we can travel the road to happiness together?" She leaned forward and kissed him. Tsuzuki didn't resist as they fell onto his bed.

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Tsuzuki rolled out of his bed. Marie was silently asleep. He stumbled down the stairs and to the door. He pulled it open and sat on the steps outside. He looked up at the stars and sighed. "Will I keep doing stupid things trying to forget you? In the end, I'm hurting innocent people to try and forget you." Tsuzuki looked down at his hands. Tears began to fall onto them. "I'd rather die alone than give up on finding you again…"