Summary: Fear of loneliness spurs Hisoka to seek Tsuzuki's company one night, leading the pair to new discoveries about themselves and each other.

Rating: K+

Genre: Romance/Hurt/Comfort

Characters: Kurosaki Hisoka, Tsuzuki Asato

Words: 2,281

Author's Note: Inspired by the song "Tuesday Morning" by Michelle Branch. Listening to it one day, I just began to imagine Tsuzuki and Hisoka in a situation described by the lyrics and decided to write it out. No lyrics to the song are actually included.

The latest case had been a trying one. After so long, Muraki had finally shown his face again. Neither Shinigami knew he was involved until it was too late. He had summoned a demon in order to lure the pair in, waiting until the perfect opportunity to make his strike. It wasn't until Tsuzuki had been distracted that he finally made a move, assaulting Hisoka mentally before taking him physically. The man had managed to get away, leaving Hisoka alone with him until Tsuzuki had managed to catch up. Muraki had vowed to kill the empath in front of Tsuzuki, intent on breaking the elder Shinigami. Things hadn't quite gone as planned, however, and Tsuzuki had beat Muraki and forced him to retreat.

After the case, the partners had decided to take a walk as a way to relax and unwind. They had wandered through a park, with no real destination in mind. At first, Tsuzuki had been feeling terribly about letting Muraki get away with Hisoka. It took some effort, but, finally, Hisoka managed to convince Tsuzuki that he wasn't to blame. The mood had shifted after that, going from uncomfortable and depressing to content. There was something about just being together that lifted their spirits, especially after a dangerous mission.

It wasn't until the sun began to set that they realized it was getting late. Reluctantly, they prepared to part ways for the night. Tsuzuki had turned, ready to walk away, when Hisoka suddenly stopped him.

"Can I...can I stay with you?"

The question had caught Tsuzuki off-guard. He turned back around, looking at his partner curiously. "Huh?"

"Are you deaf?" Hisoka snapped, glancing at the older man before looking away and saying, "I...want to go back with you...if that's okay..." While he could use the excuse he didn't want Tsuzuki to be alone after what had happened, as he had a habit of beating himself up about such incidents, the truth was, Hisoka didn't want to be alone.

Tsuzuki smiled. "Of course it's okay." It was unusual, unprecedented, in fact, for Hisoka to request such a thing, and the fact that he had slightly worried Tsuzuki that something was wrong, but he was still happy that, if something was wrong, Hisoka was willing to go to him for help. After all, there was nothing Tsuzuki wanted more than to help his partner in times of need.

With that, the pair made their way back to Tsuzuki's house. Both being rather tired, they got ready for bed. Hisoka had opted to just sleep in his clothes despite being offered a large shirt to wear as pajamas. He had also opted to sleep on Tsuzuki's couch. They said their goodnights, and shortly after, both were fast asleep.

Pleasant rest was interrupted, however, halfway through the night, when plaguing thoughts manifested themselves as nightmares.

Hisoka found himself back in Muraki's lab. His curse marks were flaring, the pain almost unbearable. As he looked up, he saw the man responsible, grinning wickedly. In the demented doctor's arms was his partner. Though he was looking right at Hisoka, it was as if he wasn't actually seeing anything. Just as he took a step forward to save Tsuzuki, fire erupted before him. In a flash, the entire building was on fire, Muraki and Tsuzuki in the middle of it. He yelled for his friend, hoping to get him to wake up, but Tsuzuki didn't stir. As he was about to walk through the fire to get to them, he suddenly felt cold hands around his neck. Muraki had somehow gotten behind him. The doctor's grip tightened, constricting Hisoka's airway as he let out a disturbing laugh.

Hisoka shot up, sweating and breathing heavily. Another nightmare. As he tried to calm himself down, he glanced over at the door to Tsuzuki's room. It was half-closed and he couldn't see in it. Getting off of the couch, he made his way to the room, quietly pushing the door open a little more and taking a step inside. He wasn't sure why he wanted to suddenly see Tsuzuki so badly, but the urge was too strong to ignore.

Tsuzuki moaned in his sleep, distressed. Reaching out with his empathy, Hisoka sensed he too was having a nightmare. Perhaps he had sensed Tsuzuki's distress in his sleep, thus affecting his dreams. He took another quiet step forward when Tsuzuki awoke with a start. At first, Tsuzuki didn't notice the smaller man standing in the doorway. After taking a moment to gather himself, he spotted his partner.

"Hisoka?"

The younger Shinigami turned away, glad for the darkness in the room, as it prevented Tsuzuki from seeing the blush he knew was creeping across his cheeks. "S-sorry. I was...um...worried..."

Tsuzuki smiled, a reaction Hisoka supposed he should have expected. "It's okay, no need to apologize." A moment of silence passed before Tsuzuki asked, "Are you alright?"

Hisoka looked back over at his partner, wondering how he always seemed to notice when something was wrong. "I could ask you the same thing. I...sensed you were having a nightmare..."

"Oh. I'm alright now. But what about you?"

"I'm fine."

There was another moment of silence before Hisoka walked across the room, sitting down on the edge of Tsuzuki's bed. The fear of being alone was becoming unbearable, and being near Tsuzuki made him feel so much better.

"Are you sure you're alright Hisoka?" Tsuzuki asked, worried due to Hisoka's action.

There was a heavy sigh from the younger Shinigami. There wasn't really anything wrong with him. He'd had nightmares so many times, he was used to them. It wasn't as if he'd come to Tsuzuki because he was scared of a dream. He wasn't entirely sure why he was still in the older man's room, or sitting on his bed. Tsuzuki was fine, there was nothing to worry about, so why hadn't he just gone back to the couch to go back to sleep? Why was he suddenly so afraid of being alone when Tsuzuki was only a room over? Was it because the threat of losing him had become so real in the past, and seeing Muraki again had only reminded him just how close he came to losing the only person who had ever cared so much for him?

"I'm alright, really. I just...I don't know. Never mind. I'll go back to bed." Hisoka's movement to stand up was stopped when Tsuzuki suddenly took hold of his arm.

"Hold on. Umm...you can...stay in my room, if you'd like."

The empath turned to face his partner, trying to read his thoughts. They seemed slightly muddled, similar to his own, but there was a clear sense of warmth in them.

"I'd like it if you stayed. It might sound weird, but...I just want to be able to see you." The purple-eyed man glanced down and released his grip on Hisoka, figuring his partner wouldn't want to stay. After all, Hisoka was never one for sleeping near another person unless it was in a hotel room for a case with no other option. "Sorry...you can go back."

Hisoka blushed as he considered Tsuzuki's offer. He felt awkward, yet, he wanted to stay. He still didn't understand why he had such a strong desire to be near his partner, but he decided to act on it. "Let me get my pillow."

Surprised, Tsuzuki watched as the younger man walked out of the room, only to return holding the pillow he was borrowing. He looked around, as if unsure where to put it. Tsuzuki scooted over, leaving more room on his bed, patting the area next to him and giving a small, hopeful smile.

Blushing once again, Hisoka placed his pillow at the head of Tsuzuki's bed, and crawled in beside him. Tsuzuki's smile grew as he settled down. He enjoyed having his younger partner near, and he knew willingly laying next to him took a lot of trust on Hisoka's part.

"So what's on your mind? I know something is bothering you."

Hisoka thought for a moment, unsure of how to word what he wanted to say without upsetting Tsuzuki. He was afraid of losing Tsuzuki, but he wasn't about to mention his frequent nightmares about it, nor did he want Tsuzuki to start thinking about Kyoto again and get depressed. "I'm...worried about what might happen now that Muraki's back, I guess."

Tsuzuki frowned. "I know what you mean. I don't want him to hurt you..."

"Is that what your nightmare was about?"

"How could you tell?" He gave a sheepish grin, though it couldn't quite be seen in the dark, it could be heard in his voice.

"I sensed it...it was causing you so much distress, I could feel it even in my sleep. I was having a nightmare..." Hisoka was silent for a brief moment, hesitating, but decided to continue. "It started like they all have been lately. Muraki has you trapped, and I can't get there in time to help you. This time, it changed. Muraki had let you go and come to me instead. When I woke up, I realized you were having a nightmare too. I figured...what you were dreaming about was what affected mine to change."

There was another few seconds of silence as Tsuzuki thought about what he had been told. Not only had his dream affected Hisoka, but his partner was actually scared of losing him as well? "Yeah...that's what it was about. Muraki had you, and I couldn't do anything to help. I could only watch..." He trailed off before he spoke up again, "Hisoka...you're very important to me. At this point, I honestly don't know what I'd do without you. You saved me, from Muraki, from myself..."

"Tsuzuki..."

"I don't want you to go, Hisoka. I couldn't take it if you did. It would only be a matter of time before I lost myself again."

"Idiot. I'm not leaving. I told you already..." Hisoka scooted closer to Tsuzuki and wrapped his arms around him, burying his face in his older partner's chest. "I need you."

The hug surprised Tsuzuki, but he didn't hesitate to return it. As much as he cared for Hisoka, loved him, he hadn't expected Hisoka to feel the same. Hisoka, despite his usual dislike of physical contact, didn't want to move. He was beginning to realize the bond he shared with Tsuzuki was something much deeper than he'd previously thought.

For a long while, the two simply laid like that, silently embracing one another. Finally, Tsuzuki spoke, "We should try to go back to sleep. I'm sure you're tired."

Hisoka gave a low grunt in agreement and withdrew his arms, but did not move farther from Tsuzuki. The elder Shinigami kept one arm wrapped around his partner, moving the other to softly stroke Hisoka's hair. "Go back to sleep."

The empath could feel the caring and love emanating from Tsuzuki, further enhanced by the gentle fingers running through his hair and the arm holding him close. It made him feel safe and...wanted. Perhaps this was part of what he had been seeking. Tsuzuki was so gentle and loving, and now Hisoka was beginning to figure out just how Tsuzuki felt about him, and how he felt about Tsuzuki.

The older man watched his partner fall asleep, not closing his eyes and continuing to soothe Hisoka until he was sure that he was sleeping comfortably. Even after his breathing slowed, Tsuzuki continued to watch him, running his fingers across Hisoka's cheeks and brushing his bangs back. He'd never expected this to happen. While he'd wished it, he never believed it would be anything more than a wish. After all, why would somebody like Hisoka want to be so close to somebody like him? It didn't seem possible, yet, Hisoka had managed to make Tsuzuki finally feel like he was actually worth something. He was actually needed by someone.

Despite his fatigue, Tsuzuki didn't want to sleep. This was too precious a moment to miss. But, perhaps, it wouldn't be the last. If Hisoka really did care for him as much as it now seemed, this was only the start of many treasured moments between them.

The need for sleep eventually overcame the Shinigami. Just before dropping into unconsciousness, he moved his arm down to loosely wrap around his partner's waist, letting him fall asleep with the knowledge that Hisoka was there, and wasn't going to leave.

-xxxxxxxxxxxxxx-

Green eyes fluttered open to sunlight filling the room. For the first time since they had gone to bed the previous night, Hisoka could fully see Tsuzuki lying right beside him. The older man looked so peaceful and content. There were no fake smiles trying to hide pain. Even in sleep, the empath could feel the genuine happiness his partner was feeling. He was still in Tsuzuki's arms, and made no move to change that.

Watching his partner sleep, Hisoka reflected upon what had happened the previous night. Not only had he discovered the deeper meaning behind his bond with Tsuzuki, but he had communicated this understanding as well, both through his actions and words. Tsuzuki, too, had confessed that he felt something much more than a simple friendship toward him. They had discovered more about themselves and each other in that one moment than Hisoka thought possible. There was only more for them to discover from here.

The door had been opened, and they had begun to walk through, hand-in-hand.