Cat-chan: I'm so mean... I took a pic of Hisoka in the neko-maid uniform as a request for someone. I think he hates me now.
Setsuko: Ne, I think he's happy. Tsu-chan's been ogling him all day!
Cat-chan: Tee hee -heart- I'm surprised they haven't at it yet.
Setsuko: Huh?
Cat-chan: Oops! You don't understand yet do you?
Setsuko: What do you mean? Go at what?
Cat-chan: Well, when two people love each other very much-
-Tsuzuki and Hisoka appear out of nowhere-
Tsu and 'Soka: Nothing! Nothing!
Hisoka: Forget that idiot said anything.
Tsuzuki: Yeah. -looks real nervous, but keeps looking at Hisoka(who is in normal clothes drooling fangirls)-
Cat-chan: Fine, the birds and the bees talk will wait until later. Until then, enjoy chapter... uh... 13 right?
-all three characters fall down as she sweatdrops- You don't even remember.
Cat-chan: Whoops, nevermind! It's chapter 23! Heh, well I was kinda close. Kinda...

Chapter 23: The End of Nothing

His reaction was understandable; hell anyone would be pissed off if someone they really cared about just up and left without saying a single word and all because they were pushed away. It was obvious that the empath would yell and be angry. That still didn't make Setsuko feel any better. She had been the bearer of bad news and now she had to deal with the reaction.

"That idiot! How could he just leave without saying anything? I know, it's my fault but he could've warned me! Why did he leave? I mean, he didn't even have a good reason! 'I'm going to go think'. Ah, like hell he is! He's going to go kill himself, that's what! Tsuzuki no baka!" Hisoka ranted, trying to get rid of all the pent up anger and self-loathing via his partner, "And you didn't even try to stop him! You just let him go! Why Setsuko? Why?"

Her lower lip trembled, chocolate eyes wide, "I-I'm sorry nii-san! I-I d-didn't mean t-to! I wanted h-him to stay! Really I did!"

"I know you did, it's not your fault. I'm sorry." he was calm for a moment, but the anger was redirected towards himself, "I just had to act like a fucking coward didn't I? I couldn't face him. I couldn't be near him. I couldn't help him. It's my fault. My fault that he's gone and not coming back!"

Setsuko shook her head, "B-but he promised to come back!"

"He shouldn't make promises so easily!" Hisoka retorted.

Her resolve hardened, but her eyes welled up with tears, "He's coming back!"

"No he's not! If what you said is accurate and true, then he doesn't plan on coming back! He was just fooling you so that he could leave in peace! That bakayarou!" he shouted, banging his fist into the wall.

The outburst had acquired an audience fairly quickly, hushed and startled by the two. They were going back and forth in a way no one had ever seen them act towards the other before. Setsuko was normally trying to be a peace maker and didn't like to fight. Hisoka just chose to leave her be since she was a child. Now both were arguing at a questionable volume, attracting the attention of both Watari and Tatsumi.

"Shut up! Don't call him that!" she argued, "He's just upset because you hate him!"

Hisoka glared at her, "I don't hate him! And I can call him whatever I want to!"

"Only nice things!" Setsuko yelled at him.

"Well I don't feel like saying anything nice to him!" he continued, "Why didn't he just come to talk to me?"

She provided the answer, "Because he thought you hated him and were afraid of him! Besides, whenever he wanted to talk to you you'd leave! It's not his fault!"

"I never said it was! I just want some answers!"

"Kurosaki-kun, Itsuki-chan. That is enough." Tatsumi stepped in, breaking up the flushed youths one angry and the other upset, "Calm down and we'll go into my office and discuss what has happened."

Both looked to the floor, "Hai."

Reluctantly, Setsuko and Hisoka followed the scientist and secretary back to Tatsumi's office.

For another two days, Hisoka's near to normal behavior continued with nothing too out of the ordinary occurring. Watari and Tatsumi had managed to calm him down by promising to go look for Tsuzuki as soon as they could. He made them promise several times just to be sure though. It didhim good, he was now treating Tsuzuki's absence as a regular day thing. Secretly, Hisoka was constantly telling himself his idiot of a partner was just out buying sweets or helping an old woman cross the street or whatever little good deed of the day he felt like doing. As long as whatever darkness that lingered in both their minds stayed away, the empath was relatively content. So he had been relatively content for 49 hours and 27 minutes. Setsuko was counting.

The child was hoping beyond hope that this behavior of Hisoka's would last until Tsuzuki's return, which would hopefully be soon. They had heard nothing from the brunette, thus serving to worry Setsuko. She knew that thegreen eyed shinigami's newfound stability would not last much longer without Tsuzuki. And wouldn't you know that she was right. On the third night of normalness for Hisoka, his dreams were interrupted with a nightmare. The first nightmare in about two weeks.

Backing up a little, Tatsumi and Watari had managed to calm down both Hisoka and Setsuko. The two reconciled with each other and held no further grudges. The girl couldn't be mad at anyone for very long, and the empath was not all that mad at her as he was at his partner and himself. So the shinigami and child all reverted back to as normal a schedule as they could get without the purple eyed shinigami. Time was money after al. Hisoka did his paperwork diligently, having less spasms then before but losing focus quite easily. Setsuko would help him with the files and whatnot when she could. Thus the two days that passed by rather calmly.

Of course, the boy had shown some concern that his partner didn't return in the allotted time that they had. If he could've, Hisoka would've been all over Chijou searching for the brunette, however Tatsumi didn't permit the boy to leave Meifu. He didn't believe that Hisoka was stable enough to handle the travel. The secretary did allow him to go to Tsuzuki's apartment and the area surrounding it to check to see if he had returned there. Watari always accompanied him on these rendezvous, Setsuko would tag along too, on occasion. Tsuzuki was never there. With Tatsumi forbidding him to go to Chijou, that made Hisoka mad enough as it was. So it would only seem fit that his frustration with the secretary increased when he wasn't allowed to get a new apartment either.

"Not yet." he had said, "For now you'll stay in the infirmary. You're just not ready yet."

Hisoka hated the infirmary. It reminded him of the three years he suffered under a constant fever, ached and felt nauseated, and spent his days watching the lives of others go by as he waited to die. Watari noticed this and offered to let the boy stay with him in his apartment. Tatsumi reminded him that the scientist basically lived in his lab as it were. So Wakaba then asked Hisoka if he wanted to stay with them, but Terazuma pointed out that they had no room. Well, it wasn't like Hisoka wanted to be a charity case. So the infirmary was the only option for him, it was where he would stay. It was also where he awoke from the first nightmare that plagued him in two weeks.

"Bon? Bon, wake up. It's only a dream." Watari shook him awake, having been startled by the cries that reached him in his lab, "Bon?"

Emerald eyes opened tentatively, his breath came in soft, quick pants. He furiously wiped at the beads of sweat gathered on his brow. Propping himself up on his elbows, he swallowed a few times to help diminish the bile and fear in his throat. Hisoka's gaze swept the room, passing Watari and searching for something recognizable. Whatever it was, it wasn't there.

Watari placed a gentle hand on Hisoka's shoulder, "Bon, are you okay? What are you looking for?"

The waves of concern washed through him because of the contact. He grunted and swiped the hand away. Had the scientist not seen his eyes, he would've believed the empath to be fine. Instead, wide green eyes looked up into his. Uncertainty and a sense of loneliness shone in their depths. He was the epitome of innocence right there.

"Where's Tsuzuki?"

Watari clenched his teeth upon his lower lip, he'd never heard Hisoka sound like that before, "W-what do you mean bon?"

"I called for him." Hisoka clarified, frowning at the scientist's guilt, "I called out for him, but he didn't come. He always comes when I call. Where is he?"

The blonde man raked a hand through his wavy locks, "Hisoka… you do remember that Tsu's not here, right? He left three days ago."

"But why didn't he come back? Setsuko said he'd only be gone a little while! Well, it's been a little while!" the teen raised his voice, despite it's shakiness.

Watari chewed on his lower lip, "I know bon, I know. Tsuzuki should be back by now. You're right, it's been too long. Would it make you feel better if Tatsumi and I went to go find him?"

"Hai." Hisoka mumbled, "You don't have to talk to me like that." he was referring to the child-like way Watari had spoken to him.

The scientist smiled half-heartedly, "Right, gomen. I'll go call up Tatsumi right now, then Wakaba-chan too."

"Why Wakaba?" he asked, confused at that.

"Someone needs to look after you! Besides, it's four o'clock in the morning and you shouldn't be left alone. You know Tsu would kill me if I did." Watari winked at him, "Well, come along 003! We must go call 'Sumi-chan! I'll come back to check on you in a second, bon! And Wakaba will be here soon too!"

Before the scientist bounded out the door, Hisoka called out, "Setsuko too? I need to talk to her."

"Sure thing bon." Watari nodded, then left the infirmary.

Once he was sure that he was far enough away that Hisoka couldn't trace his emotions, the golden haired shinigami sighed and fell into a slump. He hadn't liked seeing the kid like that. Obviously Tsuzuki was needed more than they thought.

He flipped out his cell phone and immediately dialed Tatsumi's number, "Tatsumi? Sorry to be calling you so late and all… What? Oh, no, not really. Well, nothing I couldn't handle. Bon just had a bad dream. But, Tatsumi… I think it's time we've found Tsuzuki. This has gone on far too long."

"No Watari-san, you will not be accompanying me." Tatsumi informed the scientist, having just arrived at the office and taking care of what needed to be dealt with before setting off to find Tsuzuki. "You are needed here."

Watari frowned, "Ne, Tatsumi, Wakaba-chan and Terazuma-san can take care of the office while we're gone. They're not incompetent you know."

"I know, but if anything goes wrong Watari-san… I want you to be here in order to help it or inform me of it. Keep an eye on Kurosaki-kun and Itsuki-chan. Something's not quite right between the two of them. I want you to make sure that nothing happens to them while I'm gone. Understood?" Tatsumi stared his blonde friend right in the eye.

The scientist opened his mouth, "But-!"

"This isn't up for discussion. I asked if you understood."

Watari nodded reluctantly, yet somewhat relieved that he'd be able to still look in on Hisoka for the time being. "If anything suspicious happens, I'll call you. And when you find Tsuzuki, you call me okay?"

"Of course." Tatsumi nodded and slipped on his jacket, "I'll be back with Tsuzuki-san soon. Take care until then."

The blonde waved with fake cheer, "Hai, you too. Ja ne Tatsumi."

The secretary vanished without another trace. Watari stood in the empty hall of the Summons Section, quietly contemplating all that was going on around him. He did this until Wakaba entered with Setsuko only fifteen minutes later.

"Ohayo Wakaba-chan, chibi-chan." he smiled at them, regaining his genki composure. "Terazuma wasn't up to the trip?"

Wakaba looked incredulous, "Watari-san… it's four in the morning. Not exactly time to be saying 'ohayo'. And Hajime-chan was sleeping. What's the problem?"

"Well, bon requested chibi's presence and I needed to discuss something with you." Watari clarified before bending down to the child's level, "Chibi, bon's in the infirmary. Why don't you go and make him feel better?"

"Hai Yuu-chan." she gave a quick salute to the scientist and squeezed the older girl's hand before bounding off towards the infirmary.

Wakaba looked back to Watari with some concern, "I'm worried about them, Watari-san."

"So am I Wakaba-chan… so am I." he shook his head, "But right now I need your help in looking up information on a demon. Tatsumi has just gone off looking for Tsuzuki, so hopefully when he gets back we'll be able to sort more of this out."

The copper-haired girl smiled faintly that something was being done about Tsuzuki's absence now, "Well then, what demon and why?"

"Haruna; a parasite demon that feeds off the fear of her victims. She's the demon inhabiting chibi's body via the curse." he informed her.

Wakaba gasped, "A demon? But… but how?"

"The good old doctor made sure of that when he placed the curse on her." he grumbled, "We were going to tell you, but the right moment just never came."

She looked thoughtful, "So that's why she seemed so drained a little while back. Poor Aka-chan, keeping a heavy burden like that inside her. I would never have managed."

"It's okay Wakaba-chan, we just need to find some way to exorcize the demon. When the GuShoShin come in we can enlist in their help too. Until then, we'll make do with my lab okay?"

Wakaba followed the scientist down the hall in the opposite direction of the infirmary, "Hai Watari-san."

Setsuko poked her head into the room, diverting Hisoka from his main focus, wallowing in guilt and worry for his partner. He glanced up at her briefly, then looked back at the ceiling. It seemed to fascinate him. The girl smiled shyly when he looked her way, yet it didn't fade when his gaze left her. She stepped all the way into the room, but remained near the door in case he wanted to send her away. He said nothing that implied her leaving in any way, so she took it as an initiative to move closer to him.

"Hi nii-san. Yuu-chan said you wanted to see me?" she inquired, standing by his bedside.

Hesitating, Hisoka nodded after a bit, keeping his eyes trained on the ceiling, "Ah… y-yeah…"

"Well, what about?" she tilted her head to the side, trying to see his face, "Something wrong?"

Emerald eyes hardened, but he said nothing. He did sit up though. Hisoka's concentration drifted from the ceiling to his bed sheets. He found everything nonliving to be extremely interesting to look at right then. Although he normally did prefer to stare at inanimate objects. They couldn't stare back.

Setsuko noted that what she asked was kind of obvious, so she added onto it, "Other than the curse of course." she waited for another reaction, but received none. "It's easy, silly. If you don't want to talk then just nod your head for yes and shake for-"

"I know how to answer." he cut her off, bitterness lacing his tone.

She blinked at him, "Okay then, what happened? You don't look too good."

"I…" words once again failed him, his hands fisted in the sheets, "I had another nightmare."

Her face fell immediately after hearing those words, "Oh… I'm sorry nii-san. I'm so sorry. Was it the one where Tsu-chan-"

"Muraki." he interrupted her again, this time nervously, "It was about Muraki, not Tsuzuki. I'll never think of him that way again."

She nodded uncertainly, fidgeting in her seat. The air around them seemed to grow thicker with each passing second. Neither knew what to say, there didn't seem to be anything more to say about their predicament. Setsuko could see that there was something on Hisoka's mind, but it was all up to him on if he wanted to voice it or not. She wouldn't pry. In the meantime, Hisoka was having a debate with himself. It was obvious something was wrong, Tsuzuki had been gone too long for things not to be wrong. That wasn't like his idiotic partner. Either something had happened to him or he was going to do something to himself. Because he was upset. Because he had nothing to live for. Because he had been pushed away by the one person who wanted to stay by his side. Hisoka had pushed too hard.

"Dammit." the statement resulted in a startled gasp from his younger companion, "Why do I always do that? Why do I always push people away?"

Setsuko reached out her hand, gently placing it on his shoulder to offer some sort of comfort, "It's the only thing you know how to do. It's how you grew up."

The small gesture and understanding words were enough to break the last of Hisoka's mental barriers. Burying his face into his hands, he took shaky breaths to keep the tears away. He cried entirely too much. When did I become such a wimp? Setsuko patted his back lightly. The boy tried to push her away, but gave up in the end and allowed the tiny comfort.

"I-I don't know what to do!" his voice was muffled, yet still pained, "I don't know anything anymore! Why does Muraki find such pleasure in tormenting us? Why!"

She shook her head, "I don't know why nii-san. It sounds like he's always been like that."

"But why Tsuzuki?" his eyes bored into her own, demanding an explanation.

Setsuko gulped and averted her gaze, "I don't know…"

"…Sorry…" the empath felt a pang of his own guilt for interrogating the girl like that. Of course she wouldn't know. She's just as confused as I am if not more.

She nodded, still not looking at him, "It's okay."

"No, it's not." he sighed, leaning back from his slumped over position.

Setsuko looked back up to him, "But you're angry and upset. You have every right to be."

"But that's no excuse." Hisoka sniffed, massaging his temples.

"Yes it is." she concurred. "When you miss the people you care about… that's a perfectly good excuse to be mad or sad. And you miss Tsuzuki, don't you?" She used his real name to show how serious she was about the matter.

Hisoka was silent for a while, then replied, "Yeah." then he fell forward and Setsuko had to grab his shoulder to keep him from falling over completely.

"I-I need him… S-setsuko… I don't know what to do without him… I feel lost and scared… I want Tsuzuki to come back… but that's just selfish of me…" Hisoka was bordering on hysteria, clenching and unclenching his fists and clamping his eyes shut.

Setsuko had nothing to say. There were just times where you couldn't say anything to make someone feel better. Maybe if he had something that reminded him of Tsu-chan… Then an idea came to mind.

"Wait right here nii-san." she told him softly, "I'll be right back, I promise."

He nodded, "O-okay…"

Scampering off towards the office Tsuzuki and Hisoka shared, she recalled having gone with Tsuzuki to scrounge for any of the empath's belongings in the fire. They had found an old teddy bear, charred and torn and filthy and missing an eye and patches of fur. But it made Tsuzuki smile. That bear must've meant something to the brunette and Hisoka too if it was at his apartment. Well, they had taken it back to the office and Tsuzuki stuck it one of the drawers in his desk. Sure enough, it was still there.

"Here nii-san!" Setsuko beamed as she held out the stuffed bear to the green eyed youth, "Tsu-chan and I found it in your apartment ashes. It's yours right?"

Hisoka stared at it, wide-eyed and trembling, "That… It was in one piece?"

"Well, for the most part." she shrugged, handing it to him. "It's kinda messed up in some places… but other than that it's good!"

He took it in his hands and gently stroked the remaining fur, "Baka… Tsuzuki bought this for me… I don't know why, but… he somehow knew." You may not know this, but when you sleep you like to cuddle. The bear was pressed to his chest, "Stupid idiot Tsuzuki." So that's what this is for, when I can't be there for you. He buried his face in the bear's fur, "I never even said thanks… You never knew how much it meant to me… A stupid bear. But it meant a lot." Because I know you care. "Tsuzuki, I'm sorry. I don't deserve it."

Everything seemed to play itself out in slow motion. She could see the bear being ripped, it's head separated from it's body. It was already torn up, but at least it hadn't been missing any vital parts until now. The ripping of fabric echoed loudly in her ears. The next thing Setsuko knew, the bear was in a crumpled heap on the floor and Hisoka brushed right past her and out the door.

"You've got to name the bear Hisoka! It won't be happy without a name!"

"Baka. It's a stuffed toy. It doesn't have any feelings."

"Mou, Hisoka, that's 'cuz you hurt the bear's feelings! Now it's sad. Oh! Can I name it then 'Soka? Pretty please?"

"Go ahead. I won't stop you."

The truth is Tsuzuki… Hisoka pushed open the doors leading to the gardens of JuOhCho. That despite what I said… His pace quickened as he tried to get away from everything. I really did love the bear you got me… Away from Watari and his tests, away from Tatsumi and his rules, away from Setsuko and those confused eyes, and away from that stupid bear. And not because it looked like me or because I had a bear like that when I was a kid… It was cold, but he didn't care. I loved it because you got it for me… He felt dizzy, but he always felt dizzy nowadays, it was nothing new. And I did name it… There was something different, but he couldn't put his finger on it. I named it Kokoro… after you and your stupid, overly large heart. There was definitely something different, people were coming out of their houses and shouting something he couldn't distinguish. The ground was shaking too, or maybe that was him… he couldn't tell anymore.

It wasn't until the sky split open and a searing pain entered his body did it occur to him that something was wrong. It worsened when the face of the person who murdered him appeared right before his eyes. Smiling that smile that was given right before someone died.

This is it… I'm going to die. Muraki won. Again. I'm going to die without saying anything to Tsuzuki. Because he's not here to save me. Because I'm an idiot. Because Setsuko gave me the curse. Because Muraki gave it to her. Oh… it makes sense now… too bad it's all coming together right as I'm about to become Muraki's pawn again. Someone's screaming. Who's screaming? Oh, it's me. There are dark things everywhere. What are they? Demons I think. They're laughing at me. Because I can't stop screaming. Why am I screaming? I hurt. I hurt so much that's why. I don't want to hurt… but maybe I deserve it. I think I'm saying this out loud because the laughter's getting louder and Muraki's smile is growing. More sinister. More dark. I'm scared. Help me. I think I'm bleeding. I'm not sure anymore. Who's emotions am I feeling? Oh right, it's the people who live in Meifu. They're all panicking. I think it's because a building just collapsed. The screaming won't stop. My screaming. My throat hurts. I should stop. But I can't.

Just like how I want Tsuzuki. But I can't have him.

I think I want to die now.