Early next morning, around 3 a.m.

Hisoka arrived home from work. He walked towards the bedroom to see if Tsuzuki was asleep. There was nobody in the bed. Right by the windows, Tsuzuki was drinking sake. People usually didn't get drunk from sake. But he had been drinking since 7 p.m. when Hisoka left.

At first, he drank out of loneliness. Then, out of sadness. Then, regret. Then, anger. Then, fury. Finally, he drank simply because he could no longer stop. Before he lost his sense, there was a split of a second that he wished Hisoka were there, in front of him, so he could apologize to Hisoka and tell him he loved him. But after he lost his sense, he could only see the darkness outside the windows. The darkness inside him. And the darkness of his life before death. Although it had been almost eighty years, he bore with him the burden of guilt that followed him every instant. Of all the partners he had, only Hisoka could make him feel love, and thus, human-like. Sometime, things were too good to be true, and he wondered, was it all a dream? A product of his imagination? When he lived, he remembered spending time in a hospital, and was alternating between periods of sanity and insanity. Was Hisoka for real? Or could he be just an illusion? Did he invent someone in his head, someone that he could fall in love with? Did this person exist, or had he fallen in love with an object of his own imagination? Or could it be that, God pitied him and brought an angel to his sides, so he could try happiness? And if God did, then where was God right now? Why was he hurting so bad right at this very moment? Why couldn't God help him a little?

There was a saying, love is the only remedy to a broken heart. But then, why is love the only cause to a broken heart too?

How could he make Hisoka see the love he felt for him? What should he do to show the boy the ache in his heart? Where could he take the boy so they could be together and nobody could split them apart? When could he finally have Hisoka all for himself? Why did they have to work? Why did their job have to be so damn dangerous? They already died once, couldn't they live in their death peacefully? What happened if the serial rapist hurt Hisoka? Could the boy survive a second rape without going insane? What if Hisoka were killed by the rapist? The poor thing already died once, did he have to go through it again? If yes, would he lose his soul and forever remain a ghost with nowhere to land? What would Tsuzuki do if Hisoka suddenly vanished like smoke?

Enough. It was useless to ask so many questions. He did not know the answers anyway. Neither did he care. All he knew, was that no matter what, he would not let Hisoka die again before Tsuzuki himself vanished from the surface of the earth. He was determined to stop the boy from doing anything dangerous from now on. Even if that meant locking him in the house everyday.

"Tsuzuki", Hisoka called his name, standing behind him.

Tsuzuki did not turn around. Trying to suppress the turmoil inside him, he ordered with an emotionless tone, "You're not going Sunday midnight."

Pissed that the old man could be so stubborn, Hisoka insisted, "I'm going. No matter what, I AM GOING. It's my job!"

Tsuzuki turned around with an angry look on his face. Under the quarter moon, amidst the darkness of the unlit bedroom, his face was cold, pale, and … evil. For a split of a second, his dangerous eyes reminded Hisoka of … Muraki.

The boy could read the boiling fury inside this man. It was the first time he saw something about Tsuzuki that frightened him. This devilish stare. As if at any moment, the man would …

"You ARE NOT going Sunday." Tsuzuki repeated one last time.

Although somewhat scared, the short-tempered boy could not help but argue "I am."

At the speed of light, within the blink of an eye, Tsuzuki pushed the boy to the floor and jumped on top of him. He used both hands to grip Hisoka's hands, and both legs to block Hisoka's legs. Grounding on top of the boy, Tsuzuki put his lips around Hisoka's neck.

Hisoka thought he was going to kiss him harshly. But he was shocked when he felt something sharp. Tsuzuki was… biting him. Using all his strength, Tsuzuki dunked his sharp teeth deep into the boy's neck, piercing through the skin, and biting as hard as he could.

"Aarrghh! Tsu—zu—ki!!!" Hisoka screamed in pain. "Tsuzuki! Stop!! Stop! Tsuzuki!" Trying to fight back, but at no avail.

Tsuzuki bit deeper, harder. Some fluid spurted out and wetted his lips. He sucked the red liquid. His lover's blood. If blood was the only thing that could wash the ache in his heart, then he would need more of it… If scaring Hisoka was the only way to warn him to NOT disobey Tsuzuki, then he would do it more often...

Amidst the painful screams, streaming blood, and running tears of Hisoka, one could not imagine the burning hell inside Tsuzuki himself. Every bite he bit on Hisoka, left ten scars in himself. Every drop of blood he swallowed from Hisoka, made him pour hundred tears in his whimpering heart.

Love hurts.

Love hurts.

Love hurts so damn much.

(comments anyone? I tried to describe the dark feelings, but I'm not very good, so it may turned out a little bit strange, lol)