3. Encase

T: In which we reach the end of this very brief sequel. Warnings remain precisely the same as they did in the previous chapter and I still own nothing that you see here other than the plot.

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He'd woken with the chesty and yet weirdly numb sensation he associated always with a heavy night's drinking and, suddenly very on edge, he'd tottered his way into the 'living room'.

His partner had been curled up on one end of the western style sofa, which dominated the room, a book balanced, precariously, on his knees.

"There's a coffee waiting for you on the side." The words are spoken in the other's normal, aloof, tone and, combined with the familiarity and kindness contained within the act of making him coffee, it had been enough to convince him that things were still as they should be between them.

He'd drunk his coffee, taken a long soak in the hot spring and then settled himself down at his partner's side.

For a little while after that the silence had carried on, heavy yet companionable, then Hisoka enquires,

"How's the weather?"

"There were a few flakes drifting in the wind as I came back in."

"Ah, that's good." The other responds before returning his attention back to his book.

He watches the tranquil sight a few moments more then turns his attention out into the landscape stretching out just beyond their window.

"It's strange, don't you think? The slightest shift in the wind, one insignificant change and then, poof, all the life outside that window would be lost in a blanket of snow." The idle contemplation spills from his lips without much thought and it is only when he feels Hisoka tense that he realises how it might sound.

The soft snap of a book closing and then,

"Perhaps it was not the best of ideas to come to a place like this"

"I'm sorry, Hisoka, I didn't mean it like that…truly." He says, pausing in order that he might shift his gaze back to the other and then adding, "Being here was never about the Onsen or the isolation, it was about trying to understand why we've drifted so far apart…about how that was even possible when you feel as a part of me."

A gentle flush of colour on those pale cheeks then a typically brusque response of, "Sentimental fool," and, smiling a little to himself, he enquires,

"Is that really what you think of me, Hisoka?"

He expects the other to tense, to again turn the conversation onto a safer path and yet, instead, the younger Shinigami makes a tiny noise of surprise in the back of his throat. The confusion he feels for this unusual twist registers quickly with the empath and, instead of giving a verbal reply, he points towards the window.

Turning he is met with only whiteness and again that sure and certain feeling that he is totally alone with his partner.

He has only to see the distress in those oh so expressive eyes to know that he can not, as yet, turn this into an advantageous thing…to place a comforting hand on one frail shoulder and enquire,

"What's wrong?"

"As she left yesterday Camille mentioned that they were going into the village today…" There is the barest of moments where he can not see why the other is so very afraid and then it clicks. If it were possible for a Shinigami to die because of extreme heat, then it would also follow that extreme cold would also kill them.

He is about to give voice to a ream of gentle comforts when the phone begins to ring.

Hisoka is there a moment before him, the concern on his face easing as he answers the thing. A brief conversation and, as he places the thing back onto the hook, he gives the un-needed explanation of,

"It was Camille."

"Is everything all right?"

"Uh huh…apparently they decided to wait out the earlier snow fall just to be on the safe side."

Again the silence drifts in between them, then, Hisoka says,

"I think that you are truly the nicest man in the world, that you did not deserve the life that you lived and that, without you, I have no reason left to exist."

He feels his breath catch, feels himself getting just that little closer to the other and so, before he again looses total control, he asks,

"Can I kiss you?"

The smallest nod of the head and then they are meeting in the middle, his senses lost in the simple pleasure of touch and taste.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

It has been a year since the trip to the Onsen, ever the romantic he'd wished to celebrate the fact with a return visit; however, his ever practical partner had wrecked that particular idea with a swift run through of their current financial situation.

Not one to be easily defeated he'd begged, whined and pleaded until the other had had no choice but to acquiesce to a quite candle lit dinner.

In truth very little had changed since that magical day, Hisoka was still prone to dark moods and irrational violent outbursts and he still found himself hiding the 'bad days' behind childish antics and overly wide smiles. However, the simple knowledge that he was loved unconditionally by the one that he, in turn, loved, meant that the bad days were now few and far between…that he could see how hard it was becoming for Hisoka to cover over the smile that kept working its way onto his lips.

"You're smiling that sappy smile again." The statement is wrapped in laughter and, smiling all the wider, he counters,

"You too."

Hisoka flushes a wonderful shade of pink and becomes suddenly very interested in his food.

He can not stop the bubble of laughter and, when his hilarity receives a shadowed glare, he finds himself all but reduced to tears by the simple glee.

Leaning over in order to cuff him, lovingly, about the head Hisoka is about to voice some intelligent recrimination when he is interrupted by the cheery melody of his phone.

Mouthing a silent apology he sidles his way out into the fresh evening air and, with a soft intake of air, flips the thing open,

"Hello?"

"Tsu, it's Hijiri."

"Hiji is this important, it's just tonight is kind of special…"

"I know, you've told me at least a thousand times this week that today's your anniversary and I am sorry for interrupting, it's just…"

"Yes?"

"I've decided that I want to ask Camille to marry me, but I've absolutely no idea about how to do it. So I was thinking…"

"Look give me another hour and I'll come and help."

"Thanks, Tsu! I owe you for this one!!"

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T: Oh Hiji I'm sure you'll come to regret that, because not only is Tsuzuki the wrong one to go to for that sort of advice but also he does have a party to get 'revenge' for! Anyway that's it folks! Thanks for being such amazing reviewers and hopefully I've not disappointed you too much!!