Yami No Matsuei Fan Fiction ❯ Ascend from the Darkness ❯ Chapter 3

Part Three

Hisoka carefully set his cup down on the small table and glared icily over the smooth surface at his partner. "You mean to tell me that you talked to someone related to one of the victims…and you didn't ask him anything?"

Tsuzuki's eyes widened and he slid down a bit in his chair. "No."

"Nothing? Not a single question?" The blonde leaned on the table and rubbed his forehead. "Of all the idiotic…." Hisoka snapped irritably, his head was pounding from the incident earlier and this wasn't helping him any.

"But…"

"I swear, it's times like this I'm tempted to go to the chief and tell him that enough is enough. I want to work with a competent partner!" A sharp pain shot through his temples causing him to wince.

"Hiso…"

"Just hush for a while! I can't think!" The blonde Shinigami stood and walked over to his bed, falling face first onto the mattress. "Just until my head stops…huh?" He looked up in surprise as a hand appeared in front of his face. Looking past Tsuzuki's long fingers he scowled up at the smiling Shinigami.

"Aspirin," Tsuzuki said simply sitting on the bed beside him. "It'll help."

The blonde rolled over and sat up, taking the bottle from Tsuzuki's hand. "Thank-you," He said quietly as he opened it, shaking two of the white pills out onto his hand.

The brunette took the bottle and handed him a glass of water, waiting while he swallowed the aspirin before speaking again. "Will you listen to me now?"

Hisoka nodded sullenly.

"I intend on visiting Komiya to ask him about his sister. Today was not a good time." Tsuzuki stood and looked down at the blonde. "He was pretty distraught when I saw him, questioning him would have just made him more upset."

"I suppose," Hisoka conceded reluctantly. "I just want to get this case over with and get back."

The brunette's eyes showed a quick flash of pain. "I'm going to take a shower; you should rest and get rid of that headache." He said walking around the small bed, stopping at the door he looked back at Hisoka. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize that working with me was still such a bother. I thought we had gotten past that somehow."

Hisoka stared at the closed door with wide eyes. Can...I stay with you? "Damn!" He muttered lying back on the bed. It was supposed to get easier!

In the tiny shower stall, Tsuzuki leaned both hands on the tile wall and hung his head down, letting the hot spray beat on the back of his neck. Maybe Hisoka should request a new partner, he thought to himself as his muscles started to relax under the heat of the water. He's been with me longer than anyone else has…and it doesn't seem to be getting any better for him. Maybe someone less 'attached' would be better.

He sighed and lifted his face into the spray. I'm selfish…I don't want to let him go.

When the tall brunette emerged from the bathroom, Hisoka had fallen asleep without even getting under the blankets. Tsuzuki finished toweling his hair and tossed the wet towel into a hamper by the door and headed for the small table in the corner. Sitting down he picked the case file back up and tried to read through it, but instead he found himself leaning on the table and watching the young Shinigami sleep.

Curled up on his side, one hand resting under his cheek, with all the worry gone from his smooth face, he looked like the child he had been at his death. Tsuzuki frowned slightly to be stuck at sixteen had to be hard on Hisoka. Even though emotionally he was older, his body would always be that of a sixteen year old. He knew it bothered the blonde immensely…no matter what, or how long he was with them, there would always be some that would always view him as a young boy. He knew that was part of the reason that his partner was so angry at times.

It was easier for him. He had died at twenty-six…he had sought death. And then upon finding it, found that he couldn't quite let go of his attachment to the living world either. That was why he became a Shinigami. Hisoka on the other hand had had no choice. Death had been forced upon him and he had become Shinigami to try and solve the mystery of his own death.

Closing the folder, Tsuzuki decided he'd best get some sleep himself. He obviously wasn't going to get much accomplished here. Crossing the floor to his bed, he paused for a moment to gaze down at his partner. Yes, after this case, he himself would request that Hisoka be assigned a new partner. It was clear to him that that would be the only way the boy would be happy.

Climbing into his own bed he turned out the light and closed his eyes.
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"N o!"

"Please?"

"No!"

"But….we have to eat!"

Hisoka turned to glare at his partner. "Not pastries! You eat too many sweets."

"Just one?" Tsuzuki batted his eyes at the blonde.

"I said…." Hisoka stopped and sighed. He could maybe get something accomplished if Tsuzuki were otherwise occupied. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out few bills and handed them to the brunette. "Fine, you go get something for both of us and I'll meet you there."

"Thank-you!" The brunette Shinigami's eyes brightened as he took the money from Hisoka and bounded down the street.

"Just take it easy! If you go over budget, Tatsumi will kill us both!!" The blonde yelled after him.

Tsuzuki waved over his shoulder as he disappeared around a corner.

Hisoka shoved his hands in his pockets and turned in the opposite direction.
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Tsuzuki cast a last longing glance at the pie case beside him as the clerk handed him a small bag and he thanked her. Setting one cup on top of the other he picked them both up, holding them steady with his chin and dangled the small white bag between his fingers.

The bells above the shop's door jingled lightly as a young woman opened it and then stood aside, holding it open for the tall brunette. Smiling brightly, Tsuzuki thanked her and stepped out of the shop. He's just turned in the direction of where he was supposed to meet Hisoka when he was hit from behind, the cups flying out of his hand.

Turning around quickly his eyes fell on the slim form of Komiya Miyoko sitting on the sidewalk behind him. "Komiya!" Tsuzuki leaned down and helped the boy to his feet. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," The boy said brushing off his black school uniform. "I'm sorry," He said looking up at Tsuzuki. "I was running late and wasn't looking where I was going."

"It's alright," The Shinigami laughed, "as long as you aren't hurt."

"At least let me replace those," Komiya pointed at the cups lying on the sidewalk, their hot contents seeping into the concrete.

"Ah, it's okay!" Tsuzuki smiled brightly.

"I insist," The boy pushed Tsuzuki back through the shop door.

After paying for the coffees and leaving the shop again, Tsuzuki remembered to ask the boy if he could speak with him later that day. Smiling brightly, Komiya gave him his address and told him to be there after he got out of school for the day. He'd be happy to talk to him, give him whatever information that he could on his sister.

"Although, I'm not sure there's much I can tell you," The dark haired boy said as he walked away.
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Hisoka stood in the darkened alleyway his fingers brushing lightly over the rough surface of the brick wall on one side. Just below where his hand lay there was the faint trace of blood staining the porous material. He closed his eyes and frowned in concentration. Suddenly opening his eyes he turned around as Tsuzuki stepped into the alley.

"Anything?" The taller man asked.

The blonde shook his head and accepted the cup from Tsuzuki. "Change?" He asked holding out his hand.

"I wonder how we are supposed to find out what's happened when we have next to nothing to work on." Tsuzuki said as he dug into his pocket.

Hisoka lifted the lid from the cup and took a sip as he stepped backwards, leaning on a set of fire stairs running up the side of the building. As he came in contact with the metal rungs his green eyes widened and the cup slipped from his suddenly numb fingers.

Fear of overwhelming intensity shot through him. Images flashed before his eyes, leaving him gasping for breath. He could feel the cold metal of the ladder pressing into his back, the shadowy form of a person loomed over him raising their hand towards him. Letting out a yell, Hisoka raised him arms to defend himself.

"Hisoka!" Tsuzuki's voice broke into his mind. "Hisoka!"

The blonde shook his head violently his vision clearing to reveal the tall brunette standing in front of him, his violet eyes full of concern.

"Are you alright?" Tsuzuki asked.

"Yeah." Hisoka rubbed his forehead. "I wasn't expecting that."

"What did you see?"

"I'm not sure….felt is more like it." He looked up at the ladder. "I think she was trying to escape using this, but something isn't right…" He looked around him. "I think she was climbing down not up."

Tsuzuki looked puzzled. "But we checked this building, they had never heard of Choshi Inoue."

"Yeah, I know." Hisoka moved away from the ladder. "Maybe we should ask them again."

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Tsuzuki followed the blonde out of the alley. "I ran into Komiya Miyoko and we are supposed go to talk to him later today."

"Well, maybe he can tell us something then." Hisoka pushed the door to the apartment building open. "I need to check in with Watari also, see if he was able to translate those symbols."
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Hisoka sat at the small table in their room and rested his cheek on his folded arms, watching Tsuzuki walk around the room. A bust; this entire day had been a bust. They still didn't get any information from the people in the apartment building, which wasn't a surprise to him. They hadn't known anything before either.

But Watari had gotten nowhere on those symbols and that Komiya kid…the blonde sighed. Komiya seemed more interested in fawning all over Tsuzuki, rather than talk to them about his sister.

"Who ever saw such a bunch of rubbish!" The blonde Shinigami grumbled to himself. The boy was clearly infatuated with Tsuzuki as impossible as that was. And why does that bother you, he asked himself as Tsuzuki sat down across from him.

"Hey, Hisoka," Tsuzuki leaned down and peered into the blonde's green eyes.

"What," The boy said tonelessly.

"Are you alright? You've been quiet since we left Komiya's."

"I'm fine." Hisoka stood up to get away from him. "Nothing's wrong! I'm going to sleep."

Tsuzuki watched the blonde climb into his bed and roll on his side, back to the brunette. After a moment with a light shrug he went to get into his own bed, wishing as he closed his eyes, that his partner would talk to him more.

He couldn't get Hisoka to open up to him; no matter what he did. He could tell that something was bothering him…all he wanted to do was help.
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TBC̷ 0;…