(Author's Notes – Chapter 2. Rawr. –Yawn- Should be better than the first… it's being written before midnight…)

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Powerful Psychics.

Chapter 2.

Cakes upon donuts upon gateaus were spread out across the desk shared between the shinigamis, Asato Tsuzuki and Kurosaki Hisoka. Hisoka was staring down at them with a level of disbelief usually reserved for Tsuzuki's more recently put-together partners.

"… Oy, Tsuzuki… how do you think you're going to eat all of this?" He murmured, mostly to himself, shaking his head. Turning, the shinigami seated himself at the only spare chair in the room. Which was not, for some reason, at the desk. Tsuzuki had probably shoved it aside in his rush to find somewhere to store today's sugar intake.

Tsuzuki himself was, at this moment, locked up in a brief meeting with Konoe. Hisoka had been banished back to the office, which bugged him. What could be so important that he would be exiled from the meeting? Tsuzuki and he were partners… they had to do everything together. The rule was to travel in pairs, after all.

So much for rules. They've been locked up together for almost an hour now…

"You look bored."

The voice came from the door, which was hanging open. Raising his head, Hisoka stared at Tatsumi blankly. The secretary was carrying a half-open folder. The writing on the label read simply; 'Kyoto.'

"… I suppose I am, a little. Tsuzuki's been gone for a while, and, well…" He glanced at the desk of cakes, for some reason, like the sheer amount of calories was the reason he felt uneasy. Maybe it was. Hisoka and sugar didn't like each other much.

"Ah, yes… about that…" Tatsumi gave a soft chuckle, raising his hand and settling his glasses more firmly on his nose, "… I'm afraid Tsuzuki left fifteen minutes ago."

"WHAT!" Standing up a little too quickly, almost falling straight back into the stair, Hisoka's face went red with anger almost immediately. "That-…! Ugh! Where did he go!"

"Kyoto, I think."

"Ky-… kyoto…?" Hisoka stopped. Just… stopped, right there, on the spot. Memories flooded back, but he pushed them away, gazing at Tatsumi blankly. Why…?

"Why would… I mean… why?"

"An assignment, of course." Tatsumi gave a half-smile, "… Watari suggested sending him there, now that he's recovered almost completely. You won't get anywhere if you don't confront your problems…"

Hisoka blinked at him, blankly, for a few moments. Then, breaking into a run, he was gone. Tatsumi gave a soft chuckle, closing his eyes and tilting his head towards the floor, "… You do care for him, don't you."

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Tsuzuki, that-…! Why would he leave without telling me! And what is the chief thinking, sending him to Kyoto! He's only been out of medical care for a week! That-… ugh…

Breaking out of the front entrance of Ju-Oh-Cho, into a courtyard lined with more sakura trees than anyone had bothered to ever count, Hisoka stopped. Petals flew up at his sudden stop in a brief whirlwind, then settled. Closing his eyes, Hisoka concentrated for a moment; sorting through the many threads of life in Kyoto at the moment. Sorting through the flames of life until… until…

There!

One blue flame. One descendent of death. Tsuzuki. Without opening his eyes, Hisoka's body shimmered briefly, and he disappeared.

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Tsuzuki Asato was standing in front of a ruined, burned building. You would never have been able to tell what it was in life, but now it was just a charred ruin of metal and blackened glass, and occasional little flickering shreds of torn paper. The wind was ruffling them occasionally, making it look like the wreak itself was shivering, slightly.

Tilting his head back to look at the sky, Tsuzuki sighed. His hand was held high, hovering just in front of his chest; holding his wrist with the other hand. Running his forefinger over the scar under his watch strap again and again.

"… Muraki… Where are you…?"

"TSUZUKI!"

"… Eh?" Turning around, the taller man barely saw Hisoka before they collided. The impact sent him flying back onto a fat chunk of metal; Hisoka's arms around his shoulders.

As they landed, Hisoka practically hissed with anger, rearranging himself on Tsuzuki's lap to glare at him, "What do you think you're doing? Running out without so much as a word to me! To here-… of all places!"

Ignoring the pain in his butt (the metal was just as painful to sit on as it looked), Tsuzuki offered a smile, reaching out to smooth a lock of Hisoka's hair unnecessarily. "… Thank you for coming, Hisoka."

All the blood rushed to the blonde boy's face immediately, and to his mind was a memory of what that flesh looked like bare. Not trapped in the painfully sombre suit, but bare and gleaming with sweat. How it felt to touch that skin; taste it. His hand shook as he slapped Tsuzuki's hand away and stood up hastily, crossing his arms and turning away.

"… Shut up. Let's get out of here… why are we in Kyoto anyway? What's the mission?"

Tsuzuki smiled, standing up slowly and slipping his hands into his pockets. "… Ah yes… about that…" He tilted his head to the ground.

"… Hm?" Turning around, Hisoka blinked at him.

"…" Looking up again, Tsuzuki gave a cheerful smile, "… I have absolutely no idea what the mission is."

CRASH!

Hisoka fell over.