Chapter 20

He remembered everything.

He remembered his first meeting with his doll under the blood red moon.

He remembered when he first encountered the man who had become his obsession, since he had found his grandfathers' records, and of course, the picture.

He remembered the accident that had lead to these strange and unexpected circumstances.

And he remembered everything that had happened in the last week.

Everything…

What did they expect? He thought as he watched Watari coming back to his bed carrying a bottle of pills and a glass of water. That I'd regain my memory, grow fangs and start attacking anything that moved?

He accepted the water and pills with a nod and a smile of thanks. I know how to play the game better than that.

Swallowing the pills, he settled back into the bed. And if I play the game well, I can have everything I want before anyone is the wiser.

As his eyes drifted closed, a last unsettling thought ran through his mind. So what do I want?

XXX

Tsuzuki watched through narrowed eyes from his perch on the edge of Hisoka's bed as Muraki accepted the pills from Watari. The doctors' presence in Meifu didn't really sit well with him, and he was hoping the man would recover quickly and return to Chijou.

Somehow it just seemed so wrong that Muraki Kazutaka was a welcome visitor in the realm of the dead, and it had been Tsuzuki himself who had brought him.

Looking over Tsuzuki could see that he was not the only one who was discomforted by Muraki's presence. Tatsumi's icy blue eyes closely observed the exchange between Watari and Muraki, distaste evident on his normally stoic features.

As Muraki feel back to sleep, Watari made his way across the room to his co-workers. "How's bon doing?' He asked quietly as he got closer.

Tsuzuki looked down at the sleeping face of his partner and continued to gently stroke the younger man's back. "He's fine, tired but okay."

"Watari-san?"

Watari's head whipped around as he turned to face the shadow master.

"How long is that man going to be here?"

Watari shrugged. "Well, it's not like there's anything physically wrong with him, He's just exhausted like bon is. I imagine that they'll both probably be out of it for a while."

"I don't trust him." Tatsumi stated.

Watari frowned slightly. "He seemed okay. He asked how bon was and he seemed to be really concerned."

Tsuzuki frowned in turn and unconsciously leaned closer to Hisoka in a protective gesture

"We should take him back to Chijou as soon as possible." Tatsumi's eyes hardened as he glanced over at the now sleeping man. "Mibu-san will undoubtedly be waiting for him."

Watari nodded. "When he wakes up again we'll see about sending him back."

XXX

Muraki blinked as he came awake again. The pounding in his head had diminished to a bearable level, and he felt much better now than he had at his previous waking.

He looked in the direction that the blonde scientist had headed in as he had fallen asleep. Against the far wall there was a row of beds, and in the third to last one he recognized the secretary of the Shokan sleeping peacefully, Tsuzuki lay sprawled across the last bed in the row, snoring slightly. But the bed in between them was empty, the sheets slightly rumbled.

"Kazutaka?"

Muraki turned his head to the slender form perched on the edge of his bed, regarding him intently and he found himself looking into a pair of deep jade eyes. He was surprised, even with his memories of the last week, he still expected the boy to react to him as he'd always done, with anger and fear…

"I'm just having a hard time thinking of you as Muraki, you're not the same."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Hardly, I like you much better this way."

"So I don't seem like Muraki to you. Very well, then just call me Kazutaka."

"Hisoka-kun, are you all right?" Reaching up a hand he brushed the fall of blonde hair aside and studied those eyes in turn. His doll looked mildly startled, but allowed the contact. He had seen anger, hate, fear and pain in those green depths, but now he could see something else reflected there…

"I did this, didn't I?"

"I'm sorry."

Hope.

"Is the bouya that important to you?"

"Yes, he is that important to me."

"Why?"

"When I picked him up, it felt right. He was mine, and I'm going to keep him."

He made up his mind. He was going to reclaim what was his.

Hisoka swayed slightly, and Muraki caught his arm and held him upright. "Bouya?"

"I'm alright, I'm just tired and…"

"Something's wrong with your abilities."

Hisoka looked up at him. "How did you know?"

Muraki allowed a small smile to touch his lips. "Because, bouya, every time you wake up, the first thing you do is to feel for my mind."

Hisoka's gaze slid away from the silver blue one, looking guilty.

"But I haven't felt you do that yet, so I would assume that something has happened."

Hisoka nodded. "My empathy's not working, Watari-san says that I probably just over-taxed it and I'll be fine in a few days."

This time Muraki hid his smile, it was amusing how fate seemed to be on his side. "That must be troubling for you."

A deep sigh answered his statement. "I never thought I'd miss being an empath." Hisoka moved to rise, but Muraki caught him by the hand and gently pulled him back down.

"What time is it bouya?"

"A little after six. You should probably get some more sleep, and then we'll take you back to Chijou."

"Aa. Does that mean you're going to take me home?" Muraki was surprised again to see amusement flash in those emerald depths, and even more surprised to find that some part of him was pleased to see it there.

"I'll take you back to Oriya-san's place anyways."

Muraki finally released the smaller hand from his grip and Hisoka stood up.

"I'll hold you to that bouya."

XXX

"No."

"Tsuzuki…"

Tsuzuki's features were set, his normally warm violet eyes as hard as stone. "No way, absolutely not!"

Hisoka glared daggers at his partner. "I'm just going to take him to the Kokakuro, and then I'll be right back."

"Forget it." Tsuzuki glared at the pale doctor who stood a little ways behind his partner, silently observing. "Tatsumi and Watari can take him back."

Hisoka was already shaking his head. "No, Tatsumi shouldn't be up yet, he's still hurting, and don't deny it Tatsumi-san." Hisoka turned towards his superior. "I don't need empathy to see that it hurts you to move around too much."

Tatsumi closed his mouth on the denial he'd been about to make.

Hisoka turned back to Tsuzuki "And if you'd been awake an hour ago, you'd know that Kanoe sent Watari to Chijou a while ago to deal with a small problem that popped up in Osaka."

"I don't want you to go." Tsuzuki stated, frowning. "What if he won't give you back?"

Hisoka's eyes widened. "What?"

"When we were at Shion Univerity, the ruins there, he wouldn't give you back to me."

"Tsuzuki…"

Tsuzuki looked up, his violet eyes clearly showing the worry he felt.

Hisoka threw his arms around the man's neck. "Baka. This is where I chose to be, with you, and I will always come back to you, got that? Always, 'cause this is where I belong."

Tsuzuki wrapped his arms around Hisoka's waist and held him tightly until Hisoka pulled away.

"So I will take Kazutaka to Chijou and then I'll be back."

Tsuzuki sighed, relenting. "Alright."

"Don't worry Tsuzuki, I'll bring you back something."

Tsuzuki brightened slightly at that. "Something good right?"

Hisoka's lips twitched. "Aa. Something good." He turned to Muraki. "Are you ready?"

Muraki nodded.

Tsuzuki watched as Hisoka reached out and took Muraki's hand and he saw the victorious smile that appeared on Muraki's face just before he and Hisoka vanished.

"Hisoka…"

………………………………...

So this is the end of Kazutaka.

Thanks to everybody who read and everybody who reviewed. The reviews I received actually changed the direction of this story several times.

The story is not over, but the part about Kazutaka is, so there will be a sequel, and I hope everyone will watch for it!

Arigato!