Title: "Gifts - Chap. 10: Complicated"
Author: J.J.
Warning: It's an AU and it's BASED ON THE MANGA... it contains not too descriptive rape, some OOC, some use of Japanese words (the Dictionary is at the bottom), a bit of sappiness, some spoilers...
Notes: This work is based on the manga. It makes perfect sense if you haven't read it but you will find things going differently from the anime... oh well since this is an AU and things will go differently from the manga too it shouldn't be a problem.
About the characters... Tsuzuki's character is based on the first volume of the YnM Manga and that's why he's more serious. If you get the 1st volume of the manga you'll see a more adult looking Tsuzuki than in the rest of the series. As for Hisoka... He's purposely partially different from the original.
Inspiration came from the YnM manga and a lovely pic from Akane available at her 'Cursed Moons' Web (The pic is the one called 'TsuHi-raburabu')
Warning over notes: This fic is filled with notes. You will find them at the bottom. Each time you see a number between brackets it means there's a note connected to the word/sentence that preceded it. Many of them explain references to other series, to YnM manga only or YnM anime only facts for who didn't get to read the manga or see the anime, explain apparently illogical things or warn you there's an explanation for illogical facts but that you'll get it later. However I suggest you to read the notes AFTER you finished the fic unless the word/sentence connected to the note is really troublesome for you to understand. Anyway the fic should be still understandable without the notes. Notes are merely extra explanations for who wants to know more or search for spoilers.
Disclaimer:
"Yami no Matsuei" belong to Matsushita Yoko. I'm merely using her characters because I love them... especially Touda, Tsuzuki and Hisoka...
Ehy, do I own something here? Oh yes, I own the plot and a sensible heart which would surely break if you give me harsh reviews... so please be honest but nice ok?
Thanks: To Lothlorien for betaing this! Thank you a lot!
Summary: Alternate version of the 'Nagasaki Arc' Manga version. What if Muraki managed to break Hisoka and Enma planned Tsuzuki & Hisoka's partnership?
"Chill out
What you yellin for?
Lay back
It's all been done before
And if you could only let it be
You will see

I like you the way you are
When we're drivin in your car
And you're talkin to me one-on-one
But you become

Somebody else
Round everyone else
Watchin your back
Like you can't relax
You tryin to be cool
You look like a fool to me
Tell me

Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you're actin like you're somebody else
Gets me frustrated
Life's like this you
You fall and you crawl and you break and you take what you get
And you turnin into
Honestly, you promised me
I'm never gonna find you fake it
No no no"
(Avril Lavigne - "Complicated")

Hisoka groaned when he woke up. He was alone, Tsuzuki nowhere to be found. He felt lost, abandoned and miserable. Well, he wasn't really alone since Watari-san was around, but still...

"What's wrong, Bon? Missing Tsuzuki?" the man asked him in his over-cheerful tone. Hisoka didn't reply. Even if Tsuzuki had assured him Watari-san's only love and passion was his lab he still didn't feel comfortable with the man. "He'll be back soon, you know," Watari-san added, ignoring Hisoka's lack of reply.

Hisoka remained silent. Tsuzuki could have waited for him to wake up. Why had he left him there? Was he a nuisance to him now? Probably. And maybe... maybe he was also disgusted by... by what NUSHI-SAMA did to him... or by the fact that he was an empath or...

"If it makes you feel any better he threw me out of my bed to make sure you didn't wake up alone." Hisoka turned his gaze on Watari-san. Knowing this helped, but not much.

"Why did he leave?" he asked in a small voice. He hated sounding so weak and vulnerable. That wasn't how he was supposed to be, how he wanted to be, but he couldn't help it. Watari-san shrugged.

"Who knows? Tsuzuki comes and goes as he pleases and he usually has a perfect excuse for it which mostly involves buying sweets." Hisoka looked even more miserable if possible. His partner had chosen sweets over him? Watari frowned. It wasn't his place to say anything but... but Tsuzuki seemed attached to Bon and he wanted this partnership to have a chance. "Bon. Tsuzuki's excuses aren't always the real reason behind his actions. Tsuzuki is a very private person, after a fashion. I'm sure he loves baked goodies but I'm also sure that sometimes getting them doesn't require all the time he takes. I'm also sure you're very important to him, more than any cookie could ever be." It was more than he should have said, really, but... Bon seemed to consider his words.

"He visited a lot of restaurants," the boy said then, out of the blue.

"Pardon?" Watari asked, confused.

"When we were in Nagasaki... he visited lot of restaurants and I followed him but I was confused... I didn't understand how restaurants could be related to the investigation... I understood only later that he was trying to lure the vampire. I... it wasn't that he admitted it, I just felt it." Watari smiled.

"If you'll ask him he'll probably say he was merely hungry."

"But he didn't visit those restaurants for that! He may have been hungry, but... but he wanted to find Maria more!" Hisoka explained. Always, always, there was something hidden behind Tsuzuki's apparently silly behaviour. It was just that Hisoka was not always able to grasp it. Watari-san nodded.

"I see you're starting to understand our Tsuzuki. So, Hisoka, may I ask what you are going to do now? Will you quit being a Shinigami and return to ShinKou-Cho or will you stay?" Hisoka turned his gaze away.

"I... I don't know. I've been only a nuisance and a dead weight to Tsuzuki, and..."

"That's not true, Bon," Watari-san interrupted him. "Tsuzuki said you've been very good for your first time."

"And what make you think he was being honest, Watari-san?" Hisoka asked bitterly.

"I don't know if he was being honest, but I saw the way he fussed over you like you were his most precious person or something. Tsuzuki is the worrying type, and he tends to worry about everyone but... not to that extent. Trust me, even if you were the biggest nuisance in this world, somehow you're a nuisance he loves." Hisoka blushed. Watari laughed. "Don't expect him to tell you this unless he's pretending to joke. He never asked people to stay. He should have but he never did it. Tsuzuki doesn't like to force people." And if he discovered he was telling Hisoka all these things he would be quite angry. Oh well, it was for Tsuzuki's well being, Watari told himself. Hisoka considered.

"I... I'll consider staying... but only if he wants me to," the boy said in the end. Watari hoped Bon was going to find out Tsuzuki's wishes using his empathy. He knew Tsuzuki wasn't the type to reveal his real wishes himself.


It was raining. Tsuzuki decided he didn't mind as the rain was soaking him. It felt good to be wet, as if rain could cleanse him from his many sins, could wash away the blood that stained his hands. It couldn't, of course, but he could always hope. He was good at deluding himself.

All in all it hadn't been bad. The ruler of Meifu was quite a good lover and very handsome. Had Tsuzuki been another type of man he would have been delighted to have the chance to share the bed with Enma DaiOh-sama. Tsuzuki had, of course, considered being his lover, he had done so in those long, empty nights in which his loneliness got even more intense than usual, and the need of the presence of someone, no matter who, was so strong it almost drowned him. However, Tsuzuki knew he needed something more than a way to satisfy his physical needs from a relationship. Enma was a great bedmate, but that was all he was capable to be. Tsuzuki felt nothing for him and he didn't like the idea of sharing a bed with him to get something. He didn't like to use people, not even those like Enma, whom he didn't like at all. To him it didn't seem honest, even if he knew Enma was aware that that had been the only reason Tsuzuki had agreed in the first place. To ease Tsuzuki's guilt there was the fact that Enma's interest for him was merely physical. The ruler of Meifu was a cold-blooded bastard but he wasn't stupid, Tsuzuki recognized that. He also knew the man was one of the few, if not the only, who knew what Tsuzuki was and wasn't scared or horrified by it.

To have a relationship with one of his workmates was out of question. Should they find out what Tsuzuki was...

Besides, none of them would stay with him and he handled being abandoned bad enough when it was merely a matter of work. He didn't even want to consider how he would feel if he should have been abandoned again by someone he loved.

No, he was destined to stay alone and it was better that way.

Hisoka...

He didn't want to think about the boy. Hisoka was the only one that he somehow had desperately wanted to keep. Maybe it was because he reminded him of himself. Maybe it was because he was connected to him, because Hisoka had been capable of hearing his voice in his mind the way only Ruka had been able to before. No, he shouldn't confuse the boy's empathic gift and latent telepathic abilities with the close bond he had shared with his sister, the only person who had been like him.(1) Tsuzuki frowned at the memory. Could they really do it only because there was a strong bond between them? Or was it another sign that they... weren't normal children, that they had Mazoku's blood in their veins?(2) He didn't really want to know, he decided, as he shook his head and went back to the problem currently at hand. Why did he feel so connected to Hisoka? Why was Hisoka so important, so precious to him? Was it because he pitied him? Because the boy was a cute little thing? Or was it merely because that small creature filled a need, fit next to him like a missing piece in the puzzle that his life was?

No, he shouldn't think about Hisoka like that, it wasn't like he could keep him.

Enma had been magnanimous. Not only had he signed the order that allowed Hisoka to stay in Enma-Cho, but also the one which allowed him to return to ShinKou-Cho should the boy wish to do so. Tsuzuki had no doubts that if Enma was that generous, it was because he believed the boy would leap at the chance to dump Tsuzuki as soon as he could.

Tsuzuki didn't mind. He was used to being abandoned. It didn't mean he took it well, just that it didn't come as a surprise.

As soon as he had the signed orders in his hands and had satisfied Enma's demands, Tsuzuki had been left free to go. Free. He had to report to Konoe first, of course. The man wasn't that pleased that Tsuzuki had blown up another building.

All damage done in ChiJou was reflected in Meifu. Tsuzuki knew that but he didn't care all that much. If he blew up a building it was because he couldn't do otherwise, and most of the time it wasn't even his fault. Even if he hadn't summoned Suzaku, he doubted that Muraki's Magami would have done no damage. Buildings didn't matter to Tsuzuki. Lives were the things which were really important, the only things Tsuzuki wanted to save. He would never feel really guilty for a building. However, he knew better than to tell that to Konoe.

Konoe informed him that Maria's Reikon had been returned to the China section. Her stepmother had been found dead, murdered by unknown hands. Apparently the China section wanted this investigation and he was more than pleased to leave it to them. Then he and Konoe started a not exactly pleasurable discussion about who lived using other people.

Tsuzuki knew he wasn't any better than Muraki. He too murdered people for an obsession, an obsession that didn't even allow him to die. He wouldn't forgive himself for it.

As soon as he got out of Konoe's office he'd been tempted to visit Hisoka, but ended up avoiding him like the plague. He didn't know what to say to the boy. He wanted him to stay, there was no way to deny it, but he knew it was better for Hisoka to leave. He didn't want to influence his decision so he simply hid from him. It wasn't the bravest decision and Tsuzuki knew it, but he preferred to have him learn from Konoe that he could finally leave Enma-Cho.

However, it was getting late. The sun was setting. If Hisoka chose to leave Enma-Cho this might be his only chance to tell him goodbye. So there he was, under the rain, waiting for his soon to be ex-partner in order to have a last chance to see him. He groaned. Such a stupid and pitiful thing to do. There were days in which he hated himself even more than usual.

"You'll get a cold if you stay under the rain," Hisoka's quiet voice interrupted his dark thoughts.

"Talk about yourse..." he started to say, then, "Hisoka you're out under the rain without an umbrella!" he exclaimed worriedly. Hisoka shrugged.

"So are you," the boy replied without daring to look at him. It always amazed him how Tsuzuki worried for someone as worthless as him. It surprised him and it made his heart squeeze painfully in his chest. He needed that worry, he adored being on the receiving end of it, it was like a drug, a soothing balsam for all his emotional wounds. He didn't think he could handle living without it.

"Silly boy, here, at least come under here," Tsuzuki said in that half affectionate, half worried tone only Tsuzuki used with him, dragging Hisoka back, under Enma-Cho's arch. "Here you are," the man said once they were sheltered, then regarded Hisoka's wet form carefully. "Are you cold?" he asked, frowning as he noticed a tiny tremor running through the small body. Hisoka shook his head in denial. It wasn't cold that was making him tremble, it was something stronger and more powerful to which he didn't want to give a name.

"Why did you leave?" he asked in a small voice. He hated himself for it, for being so dependant on that man, for being so weak in front of him, for not being able to hide all this. He hated himself for it, but at the moment, he didn't care much. All that mattered was Tsuzuki's reply. He felt Tsuzuki's emotions shifting behind uneasiness and settling for something cold he couldn't identify.

"I got hungry," Tsuzuki stated. The tone was so wrong he didn't need empathy to know he was lying or that Tsuzuki absolutely didn't want to talk about it.

"You could have come back later," Hisoka pointed out, trying to not make it sound like a pleading whine and failing pitifully.

"I thought you already left without saying good-bye," Tsuzuki replied, leaning against the wall. Tsuzuki was trying to act cold, detached, his emotions carefully controlled. Yet, maybe due to that excessive control, Hisoka could tell there was something wrong.

Some people exited from Enma-Cho and waved at Tsuzuki. Tsuzuki waved back with a smile, but Hisoka could clearly feel there was no happiness behind it, and a tiny hope managed to find its way into his heart. Might it be that Tsuzuki also wanted to be with him but was simply trying to hide it for some unfathomable reason?

"Liar. You were waiting for me," he said quietly as soon as they were alone, desperately hoping he was right. Tsuzuki had felt like he was waiting for something when he had joined him. Could it be...?

"The chief was crying, wasn't he? Asking you to hang around until my next partner could be decided," Tsuzuki said, ignoring Hisoka's accusation. He hated it when Konoe did that. It was embarrassing, unrequested and unfair. Konoe shouldn't do it for him, and other Shinigami shouldn't feel guilty for leaving him. He didn't want Hisoka to feel guilty for leaving. He wanted what was best for Hisoka and that was why he was going to keep the boy distant from him. He wasn't good for Hisoka.

"Guess it can't be helped, KyuShu isn't very popular," Hisoka mumbled. Konoe had asked him to stay. Only, Konoe's request wasn't the reason why Hisoka wanted to stay. Tsuzuki sighed. He could picture the scene. He had seen it several times. He didn't like it. "However," Hisoka continued trying to sound determined and not like a scared child who feared he could be refused "That's not why I said I wanted to stay."

Tsuzuki turned to Hisoka, confused. The boy wanted to stay? With him? But just yesterday night he'd told him that he became a Shinigami only because it was the condition that Enma set to allow him to move over, and that he hated the whole job! Or maybe... this was the reason.

"Hisoka, do you really believe Enma will keep his promise?" He was treading on dangerous ground by asking this, he should really know better than to tell to someone else that Enma was a liar, but he had to. He couldn't allow Hisoka to do something he would regret in the long run only because Enma had lied to him. However, Hisoka shook his head.

"No, but when I accepted to became a Shinigami I thought it was worth it to try and take the chance. Enma wouldn't have accepted a refusal anyway," the boy admitted. He was an empath. Enma wasn't as good as Tsuzuki at hiding his feelings. His emotions were a lot more... obvious. And a lot more... unpleasant. Tsuzuki nodded in understanding.

"You know if you stay here we'll be sent back to ChiJou again. You may have to face other perverts again," Tsuzuki reminded him, trying to dissuade him. Not that Tsuzuki would allow them to try anything but the day might come when he had no say about it.

"... If you don't want to be partnered with me, go ahead and say so," Hisoka said simply in a very small, depressed voice. "Konoe said Enma ordered me to live in my partner's house if I stay. He didn't explain why but I guess it's because he doesn't trust me for what... NUSHI-SAMA did to me. I'll understand if you say you can't trust me either and... and don't want me around after... after what you know about me..." As NUSHI-SAMA had said who would want anyone as ruined as Hisoka around? Who?

"It's not that!" Tsuzuki exclaimed heatedly. "You probably don't know yet, since you entered this world due to Enma's request, so I'll tell you this. Shinigami are normally a collection of people who died with regret. Those with strong enough attachment to the real world and who pass the tests are given bodies again and the permission to come and go between Meifu and ChiJou. Because we're a bunch of egoists who hunt other people's lives for our own purposes, there's a lot of us who take advantage of our freedom to pursue our own agendas. We work in pairs to ward against that, to keep an eye on each other, to spy on each other. It's a dirty world. We're not really nice people. We're no better than Muraki. We kill for our own purposes. To realize a wish we deem more important than people's lives. Do you really want to meddle with such people, Hisoka? Do you really want to have a role in such a dirty world?"

"I want to stay with you!" Hisoka exclaimed even more heatedly, and then he lowered his gaze and his voice in embarrassment. "I want to stay with you. I understand if you don't want me around but I... I want... I want..." the boy trailed off, stubbornly refusing to cry. Why couldn't Tsuzuki just say if he wanted him or not? Why did this have to be so complicated? Tsuzuki smiled down at him, but Hisoka didn't notice it, too busy staring at the ground in an attempt to control himself. Watari had tried to warn him, Tsuzuki thought. Despite everything Hisoka wanted to stay with him. Almost needed to stay with him. And he needed Hisoka to stay as well.

"You know? It's the first time I've been paired with a handful such as you. Still a child. Stubborn and won't listen to a word I say," the man said. Hisoka's gaze lowered even further, failing to notice the affection in Tsuzuki's voce. He just knew Tsuzuki wasn't going to keep him. Who would? He almost jumped when he felt Tsuzuki's hand brushing his hair and raised his gaze to meet kind purple eyes. "But I want to be with you as well, Hisoka. If you're sure you want to stay," Tsuzuki said simply, as he gently ruffled Hisoka's hair. The boy blinked then bit his lip, lowering his gaze again. He refused to cry like a baby. "So, will you be my partner from now on, Hisoka? I'll keep you safe, I promise," Tsuzuki assured him.

"I'm... I'm fine without your help!" he said, trying to save his dignity, but by then, tears were already trickling down his cheeks.

"Now, now, don't say that. You're a very special charge left in my care by Kacho," Tsuzuki commented affectionately, gently dragging him close and wrapping his arms around the boy's trembling form, as if shielding him and allowing him to hide against him. "You're sure you want to stay, Hisoka?" Tsuzuki asked again. The boy looked so small and frail against him that he was afraid he would hurt him if he held him a little tighter and yet he wanted to, he wanted to hold him as tightly as he could and never let him go. Hisoka nodded as he snuggled closer to Tsuzuki, finding shelter in his arms, the only place in which he felt safe, the only place in which he believed he belonged. "Then I'll keep you forever, you know. I won't let you go," the man murmured in a quiet warning right next to Hisoka's ear. "I'll keep you, and I'll keep you safe, I promise."

For Hisoka it sounded too good to be true. He leaned against Tsuzuki, believing that it was only a matter of a few moments and then he would wake up and discover he had never left NUSHI-SAMA and... As he expected the magic moment was broken as he sneezed. Tsuzuki immediately divided the two of them. "I told you that you shouldn't get wet!" the man exclaimed in a worried tone, "We must get back home so you can change into dry clothes," Tsuzuki added, ignoring Hisoka's mumbling that he was fine.

"Won't it bug you that I'll be living at your house?" the boy asked hesitantly as Tsuzuki pushed him again back against himself and rubbed his back in an attempt to warm him up.

"Naaah. There isn't a lot of space in my house but unless you have lot of luggage we'll fit somehow. By the way, where is your luggage?" he asked looking around. Hisoka pointed at the sports bag he'd let fall to the floor when Tsuzuki had hugged him. He didn't really want to move from Tsuzuki's arms. Tsuzuki picked his bag up for him. "Only that?" he asked. Hisoka nodded. He didn't have many belongings. Life hadn't had much meaning to him when he came to Meifu, and so while he'd been at ShinKou-Cho he'd bought only the strict necessities, and when they'd asked him to move to Enma-cho he'd taken with him even less. He had left the bag in the office while they were working on the case, since no one had bothered to assign him a house, and had retrieved it only before walking out to search for Tsuzuki. However now that he thought about it, it seemed almost embarrassing that he owned almost nothing, as if he was some poor orphan kid.

"Oh, it'll fit without a doubt," Tsuzuki commented, smiling reassuringly at him as if he actually understood what was going through Hisoka's head right then. Hisoka blushed as Tsuzuki pulled him close to him and proceeded to hide him under his long coat to keep him safe from the rain. Hisoka knew it wouldn't be exactly comfortable to walk that close to Tsuzuki but he wasn't going to complain. The man was warm and the arm around his shoulders made him feel safe, accepted, loved. He leaned shyly into the embrace, inhaling Tsuzuki's scent. It felt like baked sweets. He was going to learn to love that scent.

"I can carry my own bag, you know, Tsuzuki," he informed the other male, still keeping his head lowered to hide his blush. He felt as well, as safe, as happy as he would have never believed he could be.

"I know. I don't mind carrying it for you," Tsuzuki replied in an affectionate whisper, his warm breath brushing Hisoka's skin gently. "I don't mind doing anything for you," he said in an even softer tone, so low that Hisoka wasn't sure if he had heard it right, yet the feeling was there and it was a feeling in which it was worth drowning, in which he loved drowning. "I'll even be your personal porter if you wish me to."

"Stupid man," the boy murmured affectionately in such a low tone Tsuzuki couldn't hear it, feeling very warm as Tsuzuki was smiling down at him, so warm he wasn't even noticing the rain falling over them. He loved that smile. It was funny but he was feeling just like he had received the biggest gift in his whole life. The affection and the acceptance of someone else. No, he really couldn't feel the rain right then. As far as Hisoka was concerned in that moment the sun was shining so much everything was wrapped in warmth and light. As far as Hisoka was concerned that was paradise.

The end...

JJ's Notes:

1. No, I've no idea if Tsuzuki and Ruka had a telepathic bond. I just find it fitting. In many stories siblings have a 'mind connection' and since Tsuzuki and Ruka are suspected to not be fully human is even more fitting for them to have one.

2. Why I've said that Tsuzuki had Mazoku's blood? Well... Tsuzuki had been accused to not be human. Muraki hypothesized he had the blood of an Oni but I guess it was merely because they were watching 'Momijigari' a story about Oni. In some stories it's said that demons have purple eyes. I assumed it's a Japanese folklore concept and so it makes sense Tsuzuki believes himself to be a demon. Why I used the word 'Mazoku' and not 'Akuma'? Because 'Akuma' means loosely 'Evil Demon' while 'Mazoku' means only 'Member of the Demon Race'. Since Tsuzuki isn't an evil being I favoured the term 'Mazoku'.

JJ's Extra Notes:
Ah, terrible, JJ made Tsuzuki wonders if he could become an issue with Enma!
I know, I know, it's terrible, but it's also logic. Tsuzuki is a very lonely person and Enma is the only one who knows what Tsuzuki is and is willing to keep him 'company'. I say Tsuzuki should have been tempted however, since he doesn't like Enma at all, he always refused.
Why I don't have him wondering if he could be an issue with someone in his office? Because Tsuzuki is the type who keeps a certain distance from people, afraid that if he'll show himself he'll be refused or worst. So he might have considered a relationship with one of them but he had ended up keeping them far as he tried to do with Hisoka.
I know people would have liked to see Tatsumi and there was an apparition planned for him but in the end I removed that scene. Tatsumi had almost no role in the 'Nagasaki Arc' manga version and making him do something merely for the sake of having him do something... well, it seemed pointless. I'm sorry Tatsumi fans...
What else?
While I can say I liked having Tsuzuki pondering under the rain it was pure hell to have him interacting with Hisoka... and I'm still not too satisfied with the result... as for why Hisoka should go living with Tsuzuki... well, Enma wants to keep him under control and can someone blame me for catching this chance to have him and Tsuzuki living together? Plus in the state Hisoka is it'll be better for him to live together with someone...
The 'Nagasaki Arc' manga version is quite different from the anime one. Since Viz recently printed the first YnM volume I guess now there are many more people knowing this. Anyway... for those who want the basic differences...
In the manga Tsuzuki reports to Konoe alone. Konoe tells him he won't get a bonus and that Maria's stepmother is dead but the China section will take care of the investigation. Tsuzuki then rants about the fear of vampires and how he and Muraki are similar. Later in Enma-cho's infirmary when Watari removes the bandages from Hisoka the boy tells him he plan to stay. Then Hisoka joins Tsuzuki who's currently waiting for him under the rain. The two talk. Hisoka tells him he knew he had been killed and that's why he accepted to become a Shinigami but that, after he had met Muraki he still couldn't sort things out because there was too much darkness in Muraki's soul. Then he tells Tsuzuki that if he doesn't want to be partnered with him they can break their partnership. Tsuzuki asks him to be his partner. Hisoka says he's impressed by how Tsuzuki could care for him and asks him why he does so. Tsuzuki says that is because Hisoka is his partner (JJ's note: Yeah, sure Tsuzuki, it's just for that, keep telling it and maybe we'll believe it one day). Tsuzuki remembers he forgot to buy the Katsutera for Konoe. In the office Konoe asks where his Katsutera is.

Dictionary:
-sama: "Lord" or "Lady"
-san: "Mr." or "Mrs."
Akuma: Demon
Bon: Boy
ChiJou: Land of the Living
DaiOh: "Great King". Enma's title
Enma: "Demon of Darkness". Ruler of the Land of Dead
Enma-Cho: "Office Enma". In the 5th district of JuOhCho. It's ruled by Enma himself and controls only Tokyo's territory. It hosts the Shokan-ka
JuOhCho: "Ten Kings Office". Meifu's bureaucratic organization ruled by Enma. It's in charge of judging the deceased in Japan
Kacho: "Section Chief". Konoe's title
Mazoku: Member of the Demon Race
Meifu: Land of the Dead
Nushi-sama: "Master" or "Owner" or "Lover"
Oni: Mythological Japanese Monster who looks like a demon
Shinigami: "God of Death", "Death God". Nickname for the Shokan-ka workers
ShinKou-Cho: "Office ShinKou". In the 1st district of JuOhCho. It controls Okinawa's territory
Shokan-Ka: "Summoning Division". Division in Enma-Cho that deals with summoning the dead to appear at court. It enters in action only when the souls of the dead don't go spontaneously to Meifu

'Gifts' Ending notes
Originally this was born to mix 3 different wishes:
1) my wish to write something about how was Tsuzuki's life in Enma-Cho when no one was looking and his relationship with Enma.
2) my other wish to answer to the question: 'What if Muraki had kept Hisoka?'
3) my third wish/need to write a Tsuzuki/Hisoka fic after seeing Akane's 'TsuHi-raburabu' pic.
The title, 'Gifts' might seems weird but 'Gifts' are, after all, the main plot of this fic.
Tsuzuki and Hisoka (and Muraki too) end up in the situation they are because they're 'gifted' (Tsuzuki is gifted with a not-human power and Hisoka with empathy).
Enma paired Hisoka with Tsuzuki presenting him as a 'gift' to win Tsuzuki's loyality.
Tsuzuki gets to keep Hisoka in the end exchanging him with the 'gift' of one night spent with Enma DaiOh.
Tsuzuki & Hisoka's affection, comprension and acceptance for each other are the best and most needed 'gifts' for the two of them.
Will this fic be continued?
Maybe. Maybe not. It depends by the fact I get inspiration and TIME to do it or not. Reviews normally encourage me but I can't promise they can make me continue this for sure.

Information Sources
Manga translations were either made by Theria or by me using the YnM Star Comics Italian translation as reference.
Anime translations were either made by Tetris no Miko or by whoever subbed my YnM dvd.
Lyrics transcriptions come from various lyrics webs. I'm sorry I don't remember them all.

Thanks
To Lothlorien for betaing this and giving me all her support! Thank you a lot! Without your help and your work this story would never have been as it is! Thank you, thank you!
To Lothlorien, MK, Nancy, Chubby-King-Chocobo, Kurosaki Aniko, shitsumon, Chibi Rinku+ Aniko, Vera-chan, Touya's Angel, Daemonchan, Chaos-Empersonified, GoldenRat, Silverfox1, kaori-chan, Mitts, xXLil Yu JahXx, Baka-Chibbi, Black Angel of Destruction, Terry, Xelena, Mlaine, jailnaziking, Alanna Evelyn, Wakaba-sama, EmmaB, ctt, Zanzou Youko, kaori-chan, Amy Levi, tenshiamanda, DarkSapphireDragon, Emelyn C. Greiser, Meritite, Jazmin, day dreamer, Emily, Rach for their reviews! Thanks a lot! Your support made me really happy and encouraged me to finish this fic!
To Yoko Matsushita for her wonderful story, to Hana to Yume & Hakusensha for printing it, to Star Comics for printing it in Italy, to J.C. Staff for giving life to the wonderful anime series.
To the Various Authors of the Song Lyrics used.
To Theria for her YnM manga translations, to the Owners of the web Mangagedon, Rainkitty and Compulsion for the scanlations of the manga, to Tetris no Miko for her translations of the YnM Tv Series scripts.
To Akane for creating the pic that inspired it all, to Lothlorien & tenshiamanda for suggesting ideas with their reviews.
To yaminomatsuei e-group & Tsusoka e-group for hosting this.
To Everyone who read this. I hope you also liked it!


Replies to reviews:

To Everyone who reviewed: Thank you! You're a great encouragement for me! My apology for the long wait...

To shitsumon: I hope this last chapter satisfied you! Yes, I also like serious Tsuzuki; Tsuzuki had his serious moments even if sometimes people forget it.

To Silverfox1: Enma is supposed to be evil... As for Suzaku... well, yes, she's mean to Touda but I guess it's because she's the impulsive, overprotective type... and she's also a bit messy...

To Vera-chan: Well, I'm helped by the fact I'm following the manga plot. The manga is dark and that's part of its charm. As for the 'filler' chapters... there was no space for them. I had to add something but to add too much would have ruined the rhythm of the original story. It's, after all, a 'remake' of the Nagasaki Arc. I didn't want it to deviate too much from it but in the same way I didn't want to rewrite it. I'm glad you like how everything turned out and I hope you'll enjoy the ending.
I'm sorry for the typo. It's entirely my fault. I added the preview at the last moment and I forgot to spell check it. Thank you for your wonderful review! It made me very happy!

To tenshiamanda: You sure know how to make the best compliments! Thank you for your support during all the fic, you took time to review almost each chap of this fic and I've really appreciated it!

To DarkSapphireDragon: See? Everything had ended well! I'm not that evil after all! I'm glad you liked the previous chap. I hope you had enjoyed the ending as well!

To Kurosaki Aniko: LOL. It's not that hentai! I'm glad you like this fic! Tsu x Hi forever!

To Chubby-King-Chocobo: (Blush) I hope this chapter will make you happy as well. As for Enma being a pervert... yes, in a fashion he is. He's a God with no morality.

To Nancy: I'm glad you like it!

To MK: I'm happy you like 'Gifts' as well. I love both SeixSu and TsuxHi. They both have great potential even if recently I'm obsessing over SeixSu... Must be the post-traumatic shock of seeing Seishiro's dead... I'm still crying over it... The 'Nagasaki Arc' isn't my favourite in the manga either, even if I do adore Tsuzuki in the 'Nagasaki Arc' and I find it had a lot of potential. However I had to start this AU with the 'Nagasaki Arc'...

To Touya's Angel: Ehm... where did you get the idea Enma is invisible? He's quite visible... Matsushita Sensei never showed his face fully but she showed us enough to know he's visible, young looking, apparently handsome and with long dark hair. The best pics of Enma are in chap 57. Around in the net there should be a flash version of it. Maybe are you mistaking him for HakuShaku (the Earl), the keeper of the castle of candles who is invisible only as long as he wears his mask? Besides I don't think that being invisible would stop a guy from having sex with another. It might be highly uncomfortable but it's not like being incorporeal.

To Chibi Rinku: Sure I read them! No need to blush!

Warning:
In the next days I'll upload on my Journal the original draft of 'Gifts' that in the end evolved in this fic. I might end up uploading there something that I planned to use as beginning for 'Gifts 2' too, since I'm not sure if there will be a 'Gifts 2' or if I'll use that piece in it.


Don't grumble silently, please let me know what you're thinking of this!
Send me your comments!