Note: Lots of thanks to Wintersturm who helped me through all kinds of these fanfic's problem.

Ch. 2 Fated Chance Meeting

Below the night sky in Nagasaki, ran a man in black trench coat, searching desperately for something. He staggered and bumped into almost everyone in his path. He ignored the shouting and cursing directed his way, instead kept on searching for his lost partner.

He came across the corner and paused when he heard a crunch below his feet; he has stepped on a can of drink. Tsuzuki frowned; while it wasn't common for un-drink coffee cans to litter the streets, he had a hunch that the drink can was significant as he saw another can close to the corner. His instinct told him to turn at the corner and he did so.

He gaped at the scene before him in horror. It was that person who he had almost successfully dragged him down to hell in Kyoto back then. The one who he was willing to give up his life along with, if it means that he could kill the man.

What took Tsuzuki to gasp was the small form he saw in the doctor's arms, lying limply unconscious. Their faces were an inch apart. The surgeon's pale lips moving dangerously close to the boy's.

"HISOKA!" Tsuzuki shouted for the boy but Muraki was the one who turned to him instead. "Hmm…I was expecting to see you…Tsuzuki-san. It's been a while," he smiled wickedly. "It must be fate that we always run into each other."

Tsuzuki found himself unable to move, cold sweat made its way down from his forehead to the cheeks. Much as he hated to admit, he knew in his heart, he was afraid of the doctor, after all what he had been through. But he couldn't afford to run away either, not when his partner was in the psychotic bastard's hands. He clenched his fist. "Let him go! Muraki!"

"Hmm? Why should I? Does this belong to you?" He raised his hand to caress the boy's cheeks, "I guess not. I was the one who claimed this beautiful doll from the very beginning."

Violet eyes glinted up in anger. He hated to think about how Muraki was still alive, and as long as he does, if they met, Muraki would still repeat those statements again and again. He felt like punching that smirking pale face.

But much to Tsuzuki drunken state, he swayed, his feet was unsteady. Still smirking, Muraki walked closer to the shinigami with a bundle still in his arms. "I see you're not feeling well, Tsuzuki-san, sa-ke again? Hmm…" His silver eyes shifted from Tsuzuki to the boy in his arms swiftly for a moment, then back again to Tsuzuki. "…So Bouya's going to get those drinks for you…what a lovely caring," he said, though his tone suggested the direct opposite. "But a cold drink when you needed a hot one...such Bouya." He shook his head mockingly with a soft low tone chuckle.

"Shut up!" Tsuzuki shouted through clenched teeth while Muraki continued, "Is it always like this? You get drunk, break down vulnerably, and leave the boy to look after you. I wonder if he would feel how hopeless you are."

"Let…let him go!" Tsuzuki repeated aloud as he clenched his fist, aiming to give the doctor a blow right into his face. Muraki was faster, he stepped aside with the boy still dangling in his arms, Tsuzuki fell down as a result.

"You haven't change, Tsuzuki-san, how long would it take you guys to learn that you cannot rush me." Muraki let a sigh escaped his lips. "I see you want the boy back that much, here's your reward for doing your best." He threw Hisoka who fell down directly into the Tsuzuki's waiting arms.

Instantly, Tsuzuki looked down at his partner worriedly.

Seeing the boy was physically unharmed, but he would never know what the doctor might do beyond physically harm, he whirled his head up to the standing doctor and demanded, "What did you do to him, Muraki?"

"I didn't do a thing to him," Muraki closed his eyes, raising his hand up tucking it between his chin as if he was deep in thought. He adjusted his eyeglass before his eyelid slowly opened, "because…doing it with you seems to be a better idea."

Before Tsuzuki could utter a word, Muraki was already kneeling down close in front of him who held the young empath protectively in his firm arms. "I really should claim you as well." Muraki ignored the bundle that was between him and Tsuzuki as he shifted closer enough to press his lips against the stunned shinigami's.

He frozed, violet eyes widened in fear. His brains stopped functioning while his lips was still being caught by the cold one. He went numb while the only thing he acknowledged was nothing but pain of his past, in his mind and in his heart.

At the instant, a flash of memory came back to him.

--- It was dark; some place he didn't know, only the green light was glowing dimly from the middle corner of the room. His dark violet eyes stared straight blankly, not reflecting the figure that was in front of him, the silver-haired man in white.

"Grandfather…your patient had returned." The man in white bent down to level with another man whom was lying on the operating table. "I've been waiting forever…for this moment" He spoke to the insensible man as he brought his pale hand over another man's chest before resting it on his cheeks. He closed his silvery eyes, savoring the moment.

Seven seconds was all that the violet-eyes man stared blankly while his slightly parting lips were touched by another's. Then tears began flooding up his dimmed eyes, and were more than enough to fell down his cheeks. Still he remained motionless. The man in white took notice.

"Nightmares? Tsuzuki-san?" The man in white gently brushed away his tears. "Don't worry, soon…you will never dream again." He then brought the man's face between his hands and planted his own face on the crook of his neck. ---

Back to reality now, Tsuzuki cried. He didn't know exactly how or why, he just did. He didn't even notice it until he felt warm drops of tears fell off his cheeks, landing on Hisoka's face.

Those unacceptable memories overwhelmed him.

"Urr," the boy's stirred snap Tsuzuki out of his paralysis. Tsuzuki shut his eyes tight and bit his lips hard against Muraki's own.

Pale, bitten lips retreated almost instantly and Muraki stepped backward while rising to his feet steadily. "Such violent act, Tsuzuki-san," he chukled, "but that's why I like you." He licked the red drops of blood tainted his lips. "Well, since I'm done with you two, I'll leave, for now," he turned his back on the two shinigamis.

"Wait! Damn it! Why couldn't you just leave us alone? Muraki!" The doctor halted.

"Leave you? You two are the one who ran into me this time." The doctor said sardonically as he glanced back from out of the corner of his eyes. "Well well, sooner or later I'll have to see both of you again." He paused, adjusting his eyeglass, "till we meet again." He disappeared into the night.

Tsuzuki took a deep breath. Gathering the bundle in his arms, his eyes settled weakly upon Hisoka, whispering, "I'm sorry." He wrapped his arms around the unconscious boy, and shuddered silently.

Tsuzuki swung the door open and entered their living quarters. The apartment was rather old and shabby with only one small bed and a futon prepared for sleeping. Aside from that, not even a piece of furniture was to be seen.

The man laid the youth on the bed, removing the boy's shoes; he placed them near the door.

Tsuzuki sighed softly as he was able to find some clean cloth. Upon finding it, he soaked it with fresh water from the attached bathroom before bringing it over to wipe it gently over Hisoka's pale face and hands. Yet the sleeping face showed no hint of response.

At least it was good enough that it doesn't look like he was in anguish and agony just like the time he was having the nightmare about that guy. Just to make sure, though, Tsuzuki pulled Hisoka's long sleeve back, revealing his pale and small arm. He sighed in relief; the red curse marks remain hidden from view. He smiled to himself, thinking that Hisoka would smack him for doing such thing.

Satisfied that his partner was fine for a moment. Tsuzuki then pulled up the thick blanket and tucked the boy in. After that, he made his way towards the bathroom.

Sprinkling the water onto his face, his hands rested on the sink while he gazed at the man in the mirror who merely gazed back at him. A waved of unidentifiable emotion washed over him. His hand clenched, and trembled, Tsuzuki's head hung downward, his dimmed amethyst eyes stared at the running water.

Abruptly, he placed his hand under the cold running water and brought it up to brush his lips. Again, he rubbed, and wiped his lips. Again and again, Tsuzuki repeated the action until his lips began to feel sore and swollen despite the cold water.

'Why did I…cried? And….that memory…have I been…touched by him…in that way before?' He can't remember any of those events. He didn't know much; in fact, he didn't know anything at all, about what had happened exactly after he had prisoned himself in his own consciousness. He didn't even want to think about it.

'So Muraki was really alive.'

Tsuzuki clutched his temple nervously, trying to shake the thought out of his head. There was a small sound of movement from the outside. Upon hearing this, Tsuzuki rushed out only to find Hisoka still unconscious but he shifted his position a little.

Feeling somewhat gladdened by this fact, Tsuzuki sat himself on the futon on the floor beside the bed, next to the sleeping boy. Violet eyes rested on the small form, watching the boy breath softly, his chest rising up and down evenly under that thick blanket.

He smiled faintly as he laid his hand upon the boy's small one. "Everything's going to be all right, Hisoka." Tsuzuki didn't expect the empath to respond, but the boy was there. Hisoka was there.

"I have a chance to carry you to bed again." He merely chuckled to himself softly. "You might not know, I'm so used to carrying you to bed by now that I'm starting to like it. It was different, comparing to the first time when you passed out." Then he thought to himself that the first time he had to carry the boy, he was complaining why should he carry such a little angsty brat like this back to the room. But later on in many other times, which he can't think of off-hand; he did carried Hisoka through all that whenever he fell.

"You would probably call me an idiot if I told you I'm pretty proud of myself that I have the ability to grab you before you fall. I guess I'm with you long enough to read the signs of when you'll fall, and I'll have my arms just ready for that."

"But when it comes to him…" His smile faded, "I'm sorry Hisoka, I should've gotten you back to Meifu like we were supposed to. If I have done that, you wouldn't have to meet him. If only I hadn't been drunk. If I had been there with you."

Tsuzuki buried his face into the white sheet of thick blanket before his eyes drifted close.

to be continued