Disclaimer: I obviously do not own Yami no Matsuei, thank you very much.
Note: In the manga, Byakko states that Hisoka couldn't recognize him in human form because it was the first time Hisoka had gone to the Imaginary World. However, Kotaro and Kojiro had both been in their human forms when they arrived to open the gate and when they spoke to Kannuki. To settle this confusion, I just decided that it took a helluva lot more energy to keep the Shiki in human form in the human world and just went with that. Also, for the sake of Hisoka's sanity, I made him recognize Byakko. Don't bother asking me how, because even I don't know. I just thought Hisoka had been mentally traumatized enough.
Enjoy!
That's What Love Is For
Chapter Four
Little Strokes Fell Great Oaks
It didn't take them long to materialize on Earth, and even less for them to make their way to Muraki's old hide-out. The trek to the old laboratory made ice skitter up and down Hisoka's spine. Every step was a memory, one that brought a sense of dread that wanted to drag his feet, as if he were stuck in a mire so thick it was difficult to move.
Tsuzuki seemed almost curious, the chit. He hadn't had to walk this path like Hisoka and Tatsumi and Watari had. There were no painful memories, no remembered emotions, that bogged him down. Instead it was like he was going to a campsite he'd once heard about, one he'd never gone to before but had listened to stories of.
The walk was more painful for Hisoka, though of course he didn't show it. The ground became an object of fascination, the buildings artworks to be studied. He couldn't believe the... mundaneness of the world around him. It looked like any other town, any other residential area. They were passing through the last of the houses, moving toward a more uninhabited area. Hisoka remembered seeing it before, hardly noticing how the houses seemed to disappear from around him. He'd been too concerned with what was ahead.
Now he could appreciate it a bit more, and be thankful for it more. The people in these houses hadn't been touched by the fire Tsuzuki had called upon. None of them had suffered.
But Hisoka had.
And then they all stopped as one. The feelings of dread that dragged at the pit of Hisoka's stomach morphed to further solidity, moving from past horrors to include the present.
"That looks like a fire," Watari breathed.
"Move," Tatsumi barked.
They ran then, Hisoka forcing himself faster. He gained a short lead on the others as he moved and the dread in his gut spread to his chest. He recognized the area. He knew exactly where that fire was.
The smoke was getting thicker the further he ran, clogging his throat and dulling his already overworked senses. They'd entered what was close to an empty space, building interspersed along the street but everything in the area abandoned. They looked like empty warehouses from an old sitcom, but they still had signs hanging from them, proclaiming a comic books store and a barbershop. The street was marked with potholes. He continued on past these old stores, even though his legs didn't feel like they wanted to support him for much longer, but when they finally spun past the last turn, it was obvious that it was too late. The lab building burned orange, flames licking up the white walls.
"Shit!" Watari cursed. Hisoka heard the others gaining up, each turning around the corner. Instinctively his ears caught the sound of Tsuzuki catching up.
"Tenku, son of Souryuu! I, Asato Tsuzuki, call upon you! Quench these flames!" Tsuzuki placed his hand before him, and out came the temple that had once housed Touda. It raced forward to encompass Muraki's lab even as Tsuzuki came to a halt beside Hisoka.
"Is it too late?" Watari asked, his voice tight.
Hisoka just watched, wondering whether he should feel frustrated, angry, or disappointed. Somehow he wasn't surprised by this; Muraki was always just one step ahead.
"This is bad," Tatsumi murmured, watching as Tenku pushed the flames back from the small part of the roof that hadn't collapsed. "If the curse is wiped away, either by the water or the flames, our chances of being able to get rid of this curse are drastically cut."
Hisoka knew that. But still he felt an odd sense of detachment. It was a good thing, he decided, that he hadn't quite let his hope of surviving take hold of him. It just hurt, very much, to think that he might leave Tsuzuki, after all.
He flinched then – his scars were burning.
"He's close!" he shouted, trying to be heard above Tenku's raging waters. Tsuzuki turned to him, eyes wide.
"What?" Tsuzuki looked around wildly.
"I knew you'd come."
All four swiveled around. Muraki stood behind them, his white coat billowing in the wind created by Tenku's feverish work. That smirk of his was wide and exultant.
"I'm afraid it's too late for that, little Shini's. I burned the curse to ash. Honestly, I should have done it months ago. I should have known you wouldn't just do as I said, my little marionette. You always did try to break free of your strings."
Muraki's eyes were on Hisoka's. He gritted his teeth in fury and fisted his hands against the pain searing his skin. "Muraki," he hissed. "Just what are you planning?!"
"My little doll," he sneered. "How about you return to me?" The man had the audacity to hold his hand out. "Return to me, and I can make the dreams stop."
Hisoka tensed. "You gave them to me to begin with!"
The smirk only widened. "I know."
"Muraki! This time you will pay for all you've done!" Tatsumi leaped in front of Hisoka, his hands already twisting through the air. Hisoka's shadow lifted from the ground and swirled into a mass of blackness. Several pieces shot off to attack Muraki, surrounding him.
Sleep.
Hisoka staggered and clutched his head. Shit. The voice reverberated in his mind, deep and ominous and chilling. He knew Muraki's voice, knew it instinctively, as easily as a heart knew fear. His heart thumped loudly just once, and suddenly he felt a heaviness in his limbs that hadn't been there before.
"Hisoka!" Tsuzuki shouted, the first to notice.
Watari grabbed him and held him up. "Boyo, what's wrong?!"
Muraki jumped away just as Tatsumi's attack smashed into the ground. The shadows bounced right back up, though, and proceeded to chase Muraki around the small field that surrounded the smoking building.
"Hold on, Tatsumi, Hisoka! I'm almost done here!" Tsuzuki called.
Sleep.
"Aahh..." Hisoka leaned into Watari's arms. Everything was fuzzy and spinning, but if he closed his eyes, he was certain he'd fall asleep.
Damn it all. It was a spell. But why did it seem as if the words were in his very skull?
Muraki pulled up his own hand, his first two fingers up. A bright white light shone, momentarily blinding Hisoka, and then a familiar white dragon lunged for Tatsumi's head. Tatsumi had to jump back to avoid the dragon's teeth.
Sleep.
"Stop!" he shouted, grabbing his head with both hands and shaking it wildly. He wouldn't sleep. He had to stay awake; he'd be less than useless unconscious, and they were all going through this for him!
"Boyo!"
Shadows swirled around Tatsumi, blocking him from the dragon's jaws. And then Tsuzuki was there, too, and Tenku was retreating. "Byakko!" Tsuzuki shouted, and Muraki smiled.
"I suppose this is good-bye for now, my little puppet." Muraki gave Hisoka a wide grin. "I will return for you shortly."
Hisoka whipped his head up in carnal rage. "Go to-!"
Sleep.
"Aah!" Hisoka gulped in a breath and staggered back. Watari lost his grip on Hisoka's shoulders and the boy just fell to the ground, no longer able to keep his feet underneath him.
"Hisoka!"
"Boyo!"
"Kurosaki!"
He just groaned and felt his eyelids fall shut without his permission, and his hands fell to his sides.
"No – Hisoka, don't sleep! Watari, keep him awake!"
No, he wouldn't fall asleep. Everyone was trying so hard to help him. He wouldn't be any more useless than he was already; he wouldn't fall asleep; everyone would be worried about him...
"Boyo!" Tsuzuki glanced back from the battle against Muraki's pet dragon, only to see Watari shaking Hisoka's prone form like a rag doll.
"Don't let him sleep!" he shouted again. "No matter what, he can't sleep!"
Watari turned to him. "But he's not waking up, and I'm shaking him as hard as I can!"
"Tsuzuki, go," Tatsumi ordered. "Byakko and I can handle this."
Tsuzuki hesitated, but in the end he nodded and raced over to Hisoka. His face was pale, even paler than it usually was these days. He knelt down and lifted Hisoka into his arms. Watari quickly scooted back. "Hisoka, can you hear me? Hisoka!" And despite himself, he shook the boy. "Hisoka, you have to wake up!"
Hisoka flopped uselessly in his arms, and panic seized his chest still. But just as his emotions spiked, he felt a small, sudden twitch from the boy in his arms and watched as those eyes fluttered as if fighting off a desperate weight. "Ts... Tsuzuki..."
He almost gasped in relief. "That's it. That's it, Hisoka. Come back to me."
Hisoka's eyes fluttered again, though they didn't open. Tsuzuki distinctly heard Hisoka groan, and he clutched Hisoka closer. "Come on, Hisoka. Wake up. Come on."
There was a roar then from behind, a squealing, pained cry that signaled the dragon's defeat. Gathering Hisoka more carefully in his arms, Tsuzuki stood. "We have to find somewhere to rest, at least for now."
Tatsumi nodded. "Understood. Watari, you stay here. See if you can find anything usable from those remains. Byakko should stay to protect you."
"Gotcha."
"Tsuzuki, you and I will go with Kurosaki to a hotel. We need to plan our next move."
Tsuzuki nodded, his gaze grim. "I agree."
Hisoka could hear Tsuzuki's voice, a constant buzzing in his ears. He could Feel Tsuzuki's fear and anguish, a mixture so potent it stole his breath. He heard a repetitive humming, a repeating of words... don't fall asleep, he heard, and understood. He was causing trouble again.
"Sorry," he whispered, and there was a break in Tsuzuki's voice before a hot rush of relief surged through Hisoka's mind.
"Hisoka! It's all right; we're all okay. Watari's checking the remains of the laboratory now. We should know whether there's anything usable in a few hours."
Hisoka forced his eyes to open, even as his chest felt heavy with the weight of sleep. "What did he do?" he whispered. He tried to think back, but all he could remember was the order to sleep and the overpowering urge to do so.
"I don't know. I was hoping you could tell me."
His eyes finally focused enough for him to see that he was staring at Tsuzuki's chest. He blushed deeply and turned his head to the other side. Tsuzuki and Tatsumi were jogging down a sidewalk, obviously keeping themselves hidden from mortals.
"He told me to sleep," Hisoka sighed. His eyes were too heavy to keep open. "I'm so sleepy..."
"Don't go to sleep," Tsuzuki ordered, and the words seemed familiar. He wondered how many times Tsuzuki had said them since he'd fallen. "We're close to the hotel – wait until we're there. I may not be able to wake you up like this."
Hisoka frowned. It was humiliating, but... "Tatsumi?"
"I..." Tsuzuki hesitated. "I don't know if he can, Hisoka. Watari wasn't able to wake you up, no matter how hard he tried."
Watari couldn't wake him?
"Great," he muttered, and forced his eyes open again. "Sorry for the trouble." His words were mumbled.
"Don't worry about it, Kurosaki," Tatsumi told him, his first words since Hisoka had become aware. "It's more important that you try to keep up as much of your strength as you can. All right?"
Hisoka frowned. That sounded a bit... suspicious. "All right," he said finally, unable to work it out in his head. Completely against his will, his eyes shut closed once more.
"Hisoka, stay with me," Tsuzuki called. "Stay awake."
"Uhmm," Hisoka managed, and curled into Tsuzuki's chest. "Warm..."
He Felt Tsuzuki's embarrassed pleasure at his words and smiled softly. He spent the time listening to the pounding of Tsuzuki's feet on the sidewalk and the thrumming of the man's heartbeat beneath his ear. Every once in a while Tsuzuki would ask him a question, but he only answered with a short, "Still awake," and really that was all Tsuzuki wanted.
Hisoka could tell when they arrived back at the hotel; the air was suddenly cold, and he shuddered into Tsuzuki's chest.
"Sorry, Hisoka. We'll be in the room soon, okay? We're almost there."
He only hummed.
Tatsumi was the one to open the door leading to their room, and Tatsumi was the one to snap the covers down. Tsuzuki placed Hisoka on the bed as if he were porcelain. "Hisoka, can you look at me?"
Damn it; he was being useless again. Hisoka struggled to open his eyes and barely managed to turn his head to Tsuzuki.
"Hisoka." Tsuzuki leaned over, placing his weight on the bed and giving Hisoka a full view of the man's face and chest. "Hisoka, it's important that you stay awake. Okay?"
"'Cause Tatsumi's here," Hisoka sighed, too tired to make himself any louder. His eyes shuttered closed again. "And I don't want him to see."
Tsuzuki was quiet for a moment. Distantly Hisoka became aware of Tsuzuki's emotions – concern, surprise, warmth and sadness. He knew he had the ability to piece together what it all meant, but he just couldn't find the energy to care at that moment. "That's right, Hisoka. You don't want anyone to see."
"'T's okay if it's you," he whispered.
Tsuzuki gripped Hisoka's hand tightly, even as the man's emotions swirled even more. "Hisoka, you can't fall asleep."
"I know; it's weak."
"No, that's not what I meant." Hisoka was pulled from the edge of unconsciousness but the onslaught of Tsuzuki's rising panic. "You can't go to sleep – keeping Byakko out isn't a big deal, and Tenku wasn't hard to bring out, either, but when Watari returns, I'm going to be tired. I – I don't know that I'll be aware enough to..."
Hisoka let his thoughts drift slowly as he considered this. The largest part of him was less than interested, and it was telling him to just go to sleep. It would hurt later, but who cared? He was so damn tired. But then he heard the more rational part of his mind dissect what was happening – the fact that he was so damn tired because Muraki had used a spell on him, and the fact that he wouldn't get enough rest for the sleep to matter. Muraki could only plan to hurt Hisoka when he entered the dream again, and he wasn't certain he'd be able to deal with it too well.
He had to get up.
"Okay," he sighed, breaking into the fear that was rising in Tsuzuki's mind. "Okay. I get it." He struggled to sit up. Tsuzuki quickly moved to help, but Hisoka waved him off. He needed to be able to focus on getting himself up. He hadn't known his lethargy could be worse than what he'd gone through before Tsuzuki had set up residence in Hisoka's home.
"Kurosaki. How long do you think you can remain conscious?"
Hisoka turned rather blearily to Tatsumi. "I shouldn't be awake right now," he said, but for some reason he wasn't able to use his full volume. As if he couldn't find the energy even for that. "I don't think I would be, if Tsuzuki hadn't kept talking to me."
Tsuzuki's fear rose a bit at that.
Hisoka needed to be standing. If he kept lying down, then there was no way he was going to remain awake. "Muraki wants me to return to the dream. He must want to use up the last of my strength – he doesn't want me to stop existing – just enough. If I'm weak enough, he believes Saki's soul will be able to defeat mine."
Tatsumi moved to the side of the window, his gaze peering stolidly outward. Shadows danced at his feet. "Without the ability to remove the curse, all we can do is bide our time. If he wants you alive, he will do what he can to get you before you disappear. Worse to worst, we will catch him then and make him tell us how to reverse whatever curse he placed on you."
"Would that work?" Tsuzuki murmured. "He doesn't need Hisoka, I'm sure. He might not come at all. And if he did, we'd have to make sure he was not only stopped but caught. And then, if we did catch him, we'd have to be able to get him to tell us, and the more desperate we are, the more he'll withhold."
"That's a good amount of if's," Hisoka agreed, carefully testing his feet before walking over to the television stand. He rested heavily against it and bowed his head. If sleepiness was a weight, he would be crushed by now. He panted slightly in the effort to maintain himself.
Tsuzuki came to stand next to him, his worry falling beneath his barrier until all Hisoka could feel from him was a warm, steady strength and encouragement. He sighed in gratitude.
"Yes, Kurosaki, it is. And it's far too dependent on far too many variables for my taste. Which means we need Watari to come through for us."
And as if on cue, the door slammed open. "Did someone call my name? I, the great Watari, have come to unburden you all of your misery!"
Behind Watari immediately bounded Byakko, his long hair flashing out behind him. "Tsuzuki!" And in an instant the older Shinigami had been glomped from behind. Byakko turned to Hisoka, looking ready to jump him, too, but Tsuzuki grabbed the Shikigami and pulled him back.
"Tatsumi, you might be interested to see this," Watari said, waving something in his hand. Tatsumi strode across the hotel room and ducked his head to listen to what Watari said. Byakko, meanwhile, tugged and pulled against the hand on the cloth at the nape of his neck, trying to free himself so he could get to Hisoka. The teenage target was barely aware of the eminent danger, struggling to keep his eyesight focused.
"Byakko, calm down for a minute. Hisoka isn't feeling well."
Byakko blinked up to Tsuzuki in confusion. "Of course he isn't," he said plainly. "He's fading."
Tsuzuki's grip slackened as Byakko's words hit him. "Fading? He – he should be getting better."
Byakko's slitted eyes turned to Hisoka. "He is, I guess." Free of Tsuzuki's grip, the cat-man lunged and caught Hisoka up in a crushing hug. Hisoka huffed out a breath and glared back at his attacker.
"Let go of me, dammit."
"Little kid!" Byakko shouted, but he wasn't being derogatory so much as attempting to use a nickname. Hisoka's glare darkened still further at the words. "You're so weak! I can almost see through you!" And the Shikigami pulled Hisoka off his feet and swung him back and forth.
"Get – off-!" Hisoka pushed against Byakko's chest as best he could, but it was useless.
Byakko looked down at him, serious for a moment, and let his grin slip into a warning glance. "Don't let yourself fall," the immortal ordered, "unless you want to give Touda another chance."
Hisoka's breath gushed out of him again, this time in shock.
"Great! Glad you understand!" And that ridiculous grin was back, and Hisoka was being twirled around again. His head pounded in dizziness.
"Byakko! Let go of Hisoka now!"
Tsuzuki's fury, the tone rarely used on his Shikigami, made Byakko finally put Hisoka on the ground. Surprised by the sudden return of land, Hisoka stumbled, once again catching himself on the TV stand. His body trembled slightly with strain.
"Tsuzuki," Tatsumi called then, forcing Tsuzuki's focus away from Hisoka's troubles. "Come here for a moment."
Tsuzuki sent Hisoka another glance before doing as told. "What is it, Tatsumi?"
Hisoka knew damn well that they were all discussing something that had to do with him, and he was absolutely pissed that they were leaving him out of it. But trying to get away from the stand, let alone make it to the other side of the room, was proving to be rather impossible. He glared at the stand, wishing he had the strength to go on a short destructive tangent. As if he'd actually follow through with the impulse, anyway.
Hell, at this point, maybe he would.
"I – I don't know," Hisoka heart Tsuzuki stutter, and turned his head to it. The world swam.
He wasn't aware he was falling until Byakko caught him, gently cupping his head in one hand and curling the other around Hisoka's waist. A tight yelp of fear told Hisoka his mishap had not gone unnoticed by the other Shinigami in the building, and before he could regain his balance he was surrounded.
"Everyone, give him space," Tatsumi ordered, and Hisoka quickly found himself with only Byakko and Tatsumi near him. His eyes sought out Tsuzuki, waiting by the bed, easily accessible. Only then did Hisoka let himself close his eyes and try to calm the swerving motion of the world around him.
"I'm all right," he managed after another moment.
"Somehow, Kurosaki, I doubt it."
Hisoka threw the man an annoyed stare.
"I need you to concentrate on something for a minute, Kurosaki. Can you do that?" Tatsumi looked like he was seriously considering Hisoka as a vegetable.
"Of course I can," he snapped, and he pushed himself away from Byakko's comfortable arms. His eyes flicked back over to Tsuzuki, to the man's obvious distress, and turned back to Tatsumi. "What is it?"
Tatsumi nodded over toward Watari, who came over and placed something small and white in Tatsumi's hand. Then he moved back, once again giving Hisoka the space to breathe. Byakko, no longer helping Hisoka, scooted back, as well, toward where Tsuzuki sat. Hisoka didn't miss the careful glance Byakko sent the older Shinigami.
Nor did he miss the thrumming feel of worry and hope that shimmered along Tsuzuki's very skin.
"Kurosaki, do you Feel anything from this?"
Hisoka focused on the little shard in Tsuzuki's hand. He recognized it as a piece of metal, curled from heat and white. Laboratory white. From the inside of Muraki's lab? Hisoka bit his lip, knowing full well that touching the thing and concentrating on its Feel would make him even sleepier, even more vulnerable and weak. But he also knew that Tsuzuki and Tatsumi wouldn't ask him to check if they didn't absolutely need to know, for whatever reason.
Besides... this could hold the answer to ending the dreams.
Hisoka raised his hand and touched the small piece of metal, opening his mind to it. Instantly he flinched and cried out, and at once Byakko was pulling him back. As soon as the contact was severed between him and the metal, Tatsumi closed a fist over it. "Kurosaki?"
He gulped air into his lungs, even as he fought to understand the harsh sting of thoughts and feelings and – and words. They clumped together into one large bundle of thoughts, harsh and brutal. Hope, anger – lots and lots of anger – and determination. And madness. He shuddered; that shard of metal positively reeked of Muraki's madness.
But beneath that had been something else – words, thoughts, colors. He struggled to put it together, but they fell apart whenever he tried. He'd definitely seen the color red, and he'd heard words – ovei poQo Boc.
He had to Feel more.
"I'm fine," he assured everyone. The anxiety everyone was feeling was only oppressing him, strangling his senses and making it difficult to deal with the lethargy that crawled through his mind. "I said I'm fine. Calm down."
Tsuzuki was the first to clamp down on his emotions, understanding quickest just what Hisoka needed. Tatsumi was only a short second after him, and finally Watari calmed a bit, though not much. The faint, mystical buzz from Byakko could never be fully wiped away, but at least now Hisoka didn't have to contend with the others' high emotions, as well.
"I need to Feel that again," he said quietly.
Tsuzuki immediately began to object, but Byakko stopped him short with a quick shake of his head. Hisoka leaned forward, toward Tatsumi's closed hand, and waited impatiently for the man to unclench his fingers, making it once again possible for Hisoka to reach for the small piece of metal.
This time he didn't flinch away from the Feel of Muraki's insanity, nor did he flinch away when, after digging deeper, he Felt the small stain of Tsuzuki's despair and desperation. Instead he delved into the sparks of color and heat and pain, the fury of a man who'd been defeated. And slowly he could Feel something he recognized: the ice-hot clutch of a false fire.
"Ti Quc," Hisoka said finally. "That's the word that repeats over and over on the outer circle." He thought back, back to the days when Chief Konoe had trained him in the defensive arts. "It's Ancient Greek, I think. Nightmare."
"And how does he control it, Kurosaki?" Tatsumi pressed.
Hisoka looked deeper, fighting as much as he could, relaying as much information as he found. "The outer circle housed five others, and each of those held two circles within. The outer edge says Ti Quc, the inner 'Ev Qia Qetoc.' It normally just means to reside in the mind, but 'Qayuc' is written in there, as well – puppet." He furrowed his brow. "It's a miracle the spell didn't backfire, or mess up more than just the target. In the middle the word 'Qeoc' is written over and over again, even more often than Ti Quc."
"Qeoc?" Tsuzuki asked, the first word he'd spoken since Hisoka had started his description.
"It means fear."
Tsuzuki flinched.
"The words are all random, none of them stringing together into the normal string usually necessary. Muraki was obviously relying on the language and the form to take care of everything for him, since he didn't have the time or perhaps awareness to form cohesive sentences."
"What do you mean?" Watari asked. "No awareness?"
"It Feels like he's lost a lot of blood," Hisoka admitted. "He's angry, surprised, but a little proud. I can only guess that Tsuzuki injured him."
And Hisoka was proud of that, too.
"I think I stabbed him," Tsuzuki said, "but I don't remember."
"In any case, he wrote with his own blood, sealing the curse as one he would have dominion over. Over the quick spread, he wrote ovei poQo Boc. It means terrified by dreams, and it was written in huge letters. It was the source of the curse – the reason why I see my greatest fear in my dream. It acted as the tie, I suppose, coalescing the ideas Muraki had tried to create."
"Last minute and choppy," Watari said with a frown as Hisoka broke off contact with the piece of metal for the second time. He practically fell back onto the floor, but he managed to retain his balance long enough to snatch at the stand again. His eyes slid to slits. "I don't know how easy it'll be to get this curse reversed, boyo, but I can tell you I'll do it. No matter what."
"We need to get back to Meifu," Tsuzuki said quietly. He turned to Byakko. "Can you...?"
"Of course!" And Byakko bounced over to Hisoka's side. Without a word the Shikigami flung Hisoka into his arms, quick but kind in his movements. It said something about Hisoka's level of exhaustion that he only humphed in annoyance. "No sleeping before the kitty, little kid. Got it?"
Hisoka opened a bleary eye to glare tiredly at the cat-man. He didn't bother to respond.
"I agree with Tsuzuki. We need to get back where we can be more certain of everyone's safety. Watari, I expect you to make this your first and full priority." Tatsumi stood beside Byakko as his tail flicked back and forth.
"Of course," Watari snorted, immediately pumping his fist into the air. "You have me working on this, after all – I will solve this enigma in no time!"
"Good."
"Thank you, Watari." Tsuzuki clasped Watari's hands in his before moving over to Hisoka, hovering carefully over the boy. "All right, Byakko. It's time to go."
"Aren't you getting tired?" Byakko asked. "Do you want me to head out?"
But Tsuzuki shook his head. "I'm feeling a bit tired. If I fall asleep, I'll need you to wake me up. Otherwise, I won't be able to help Hisoka."
"Yeah, it'd be bad if he fell asleep at this point," Byakko agreed, his tail lowering slightly as he thought.
"We're leaving, you two," Tatsumi called dryly. Tsuzuki yelped and ran forward then, Byakko romping carefully after him.
"Wait – wait, Tatsumi! Meanie!"
Hisoka did his absolute best to not fall into the dark oblivion of sleep. Logically he knew damn well that he wouldn't be getting any rest. Sleep would only last for a few minutes before the nightmare began, before the fire returned and the Dream-Tsuzuki began torturing him. And if he fell into that dream again, he most likely would not be waking up.
But all the arguments didn't seem to matter – only the fact that he was sleepy, ridiculously sleepy, and wanted nothing more than to rest.
Tsuzuki wasn't the one carrying him – no, this Feel was too damned noisy, too ethereal to be human. It had to be Byakko, the annoying imp, who was traipsing him around in his arms. Hisoka wasn't happy about that. He never really got along with Byakko – or, more, they got along, but Byakko annoyed the shit out of him, constantly jumping around and landing him on the ground in some way. He didn't want someone carrying him around – it left him far too vulnerable. The only one he trusted in that way was Tsuzuki.
But Tsuzuki wasn't far away. He Felt the transition from the mortal world to Meifu, with its very air more tranquil and still than the ever-changing mortal world. He felt Byakko lightly moving, his arms bunching as they kept the stress of movement from Hisoka's body. Hisoka's head bobbed lightly against Byakko's chest.
Tsuzuki was in front of Byakko, to his left, his emotions ranging from relieved to tired to hopeful to wary. Each was picked at lightly, then clothed over in an effort to conceal them from Hisoka – not to hide, but to help.
Hisoka was still so damn tired from the spell Muraki had placed on him somehow – most likely Watari would find out, and would come to a solution, now that they all had something to go on. He was glad for that, and proud that he'd been able to do something despite the state he was in. He'd managed to take care of himself, at least a little. He'd been useful.
Now all he had to do was stay awake for the unknown hours it would take for Watari to figure out just what the hell Muraki had done.
"The – GuShoShin – he and Watari should both work together on this, shouldn't they?" Though Hisoka felt bad saying he wanted both to work non-stop for his sake and thus neglect their other duties, he knew that the two working as one would most likely get a result much faster than if Watari did it alone.
"I'm sure Tatsumi already thought of that," Tsuzuki told him, and Hisoka jumped a bit at the words. It was only then that Hisoka focused on more than just Byakko and Tsuzuki, and with a vague sort of horror, he realized that he had completely forgotten about Tatsumi, and hadn't even bothered to notice that the secretary was no longer with them.
He struggled desperately not to close his eyes and lull in Byakko's arms.
"Hisoka? Are you awake?"
"Yeah," he mumbled. Then, "thank you, Byakko."
"No problem, kid! Anytime." And with no more than that, Byakko began talking about... Hisoka blinked dumbly. He didn't even bother to interpret the words Byakko was spewing forth. It was enough that it wasn't completely silent, that he knew he was supposed to pretend to be listening, and therefore made an effort to grunt at what may or may not have been appropriate times. Tsuzuki, seeming to perhaps catch on after a few minutes, entered the monologue and made it into a conversation, one in which Tsuzuki would randomly ask Hisoka a question, forcing him to engage his mind long enough to respond.
That was how they made it to Hisoka's apartment, and that was how Tsuzuki managed to get Hisoka propped up in one of his dining chairs. Only then did Tsuzuki have Byakko leave the room, warning the Shikigami not to stray far. He needn't have worried; Byakko quickly spied the Othello book draped on the floor and quickly pounced on it, his sharp nails biting into the binding.
Hisoka put his head down on the table.
"Hisoka, you can't sleep. I know you want to, but you absolutely can't. I'm – I'm tired, Hisoka. I can't..."
Tsuzuki's hesitation momentarily cut through the clouds of lethargy, and Hisoka rolled his eyes toward Tsuzuki. "Do you wanna sleep?" he asked, and tried ineffectually to stifle a yawn.
"No. If you're up, I'm up."
"That's dumb," Hisoka said baldly. "We switched from that whole 'sleep at the same time' thing because of how dangerous my dreams became. If both of us is awake when we aren't on a mission, it's only because we're stupid. Now get a couple of hours' sleep."
"Hisoka, I can't leave you alone right now."
"I'm not alone; I have your annoying albino cat for company."
"Hey! I'm not an albino!"
"Whatever, snow leopard," Hisoka muttered, knowing full well Byakko could hear him. "Go to sleep, Tsuzuki. Your pest of a pet can wake me up when I start falling asleep."
"Hey! Keep it up and I'll find a more effective way to wake you up."
"No, you won't," Tsuzuki ordered, but he sighed in defeat. "Please, Hisoka, just be careful."
"I won't do anything more dangerous than picking on Byakko," he managed around another yawn. He pulled his head up through sheer force of will.
"Like picking on a Shikigami isn't dangerous," Tsuzuki muttered darkly, but then he brightened. "That's all right, though, because Byakko knows some good insults, too. Why don't you trade some? Learn from each other?"
"Tsuzuki, he's a giant cat." Hisoka smirked.
Tsuzuki just shook his head and entered the bedroom, giving Byakko a warning look as the cat man left the room.
He needn't have worried about that, either; Byakko and Hisoka got along well enough to trade insults with each other, after all.
"How you doing, kiddo?" Byakko immediately rushed to the refrigerator, opening it and frantically searching the shelves. On a yell of triumph, he pulled out the milk, his earlier question apparently forgotten. "Yay!"
"Don't drink all of it, you glutton," Hisoka ordered, glaring sullenly from his point at the table. He could easily see resemblances of Tsuzuki in Byakko, his eagerness and chipperness and the way he was easily pleased. Especially by sweet foods.
Byakko couldn't respond to Hisoka's warning, since he was already chugging the drink down.
The day was gone by now, though Hisoka couldn't say just how much time had passed, and the sun was making his exit off the stage. How many days had passed since the nightmares had gotten worse? Just one? Almost two? He couldn't quite recall. The fear and worry and desperation was making everything fade into a blur. His mind could only remember pieces – the fear of being trapped in place, the pain in his ribs, the terror in Tsuzuki's chest.
But at least he could also remember the time with Tsuzuki under the sakura trees, the feel of Tsuzuki's lips on his. He blushed slightly at the memory. Yes, something good had come from all this. If only he could feel as if their relationship had actually changed in some way... if only he could be absolutely certain that the two of them were... what? A... couple? He blushed again at that.
"Hey!" Byakko clunked him on the head with one fist. "Are you still awake?"
"Yes," Hisoka hissed, pulling up his gaze to spear the Shikigami was a harsh glare. "Why the hell did you hit me?"
"Because it'd wake you up," the bastard explained happily.
Hisoka bristled, wanting to yell at the damn cat but not wanting to wake Tsuzuki up. The cat man took the chance to whisk himself away to dig once more through Hisoka's fridge, his tail lightly whapping Hisoka in the face.
Hisoka grabbed his tail.
Immediately the man froze, his tail's fur puffing in indignation.
"Don't eat all my damn food," Hisoka snarled. "And don't drink all my milk. And don't hit me!"
Only when Byakko nodded did Hisoka release his hostage, and Byakko curled his tail in his arms and blew on it softly.
"Ridiculous," Hisoka muttered, and task accomplished, dropped his head once more on his arms. He had to stay awake, but he was so damn tired... he huffed a short breath. He should be used to exhaustion by now. He'd dealt with it for months.
He couldn't believe it was almost over. The resolution seemed so simple... so ridiculously easy. Nothing was ever easy with Muraki.
What... what was going to happen, now that the answer was within reach?
Hisoka's head snapped up at the sound of a carton clenching in on itself and jumped to his feet. It was too late, of course; the bastard Shikigami had just finished off the last of the milk. "Dammit, you stupid cat! I told you not to drink all of the milk! I use that to cook! Now how am I supposed to make something for Tsuzuki?"
Byakko turned to him there, ears perking. Hisoka flushed.
"I – look, just because you're settling Tsuzuki's paranoia – don't give me that look, of course I know that's why you're here – it doesn't mean you get to eat everything I-"
He stumbled back. Belatedly he realized just how fast he'd stood, just how fast the world was spinning. His eyes blinked stupidly, trying to make sense of the colors and Feelings. Automatically his feet tried to catch him as he lost his balance, but they got tangled in the chair and he fell back. His legs hit the edge of the chair and pushed him further, until his weight finally shoved both himself and the chair to the floor.
Hisoka didn't even feel the landing.