Author's Note: I know this is late. In my defense, I had it all written about two days before the end of the month, but unfortunately my editor (also known as my big sister) was too busy to look it over. I had no choice but to wait. I'm pretty close though, aren't I?

Disclaimer: I don't own Yami no Matsuei.

Chapter 4

Muraki had managed to tow Hisoka halfway out the door before they were unexpectedly called back.

"Wait," a voice called. It sounded scratchy and hoarse from disuse, but it didn't matter. Hisoka would have known it anywhere.

He turned around just in time to see his partner sitting up slowly, and for the third time that day, Hisoka had to force back the tears forming in the corner of his eyes at the simple miracle that was his partner moving and looking at him for the first time in weeks.

"Tsuzuki," Hisoka whispered, pulling himself out of Muraki's grasp and stumbling towards him in a sort of stunned half daze. The doctor made no move to stop him. He was a little shell-shocked himself.

Tsuzuki's hand reached out as if to touch Hisoka's skin, but it never quite made it. Instead, it simply hung uselessly in the air, unable to bridge the invisible gap between them. "I know you," the man said wonderingly. "I've seen your face in my dreams."

Hisoka smiled and nodded, even though he had no idea what Tsuzuki was talking about. All that mattered was that he was here; that Hisoka wasn't alone anymore. Everything else was irrelevant.

Soon, however, the marveling expression gave way to one of bewildered confusion, "But I've never met you before, have I? How do you know my name? Who are you?"

Hisoka's smile faltered slightly as he tried to remain unaffected by Tsuzuki's words. He had been expecting this. Of course his partner didn't remember him. In this moment, there wasn't anything to remember. But he couldn't repress the small feeling of hurt resonating in his chest, especially when Tsuzuki's first whispered words had unknowingly filled him with such hope.

"I'm a friend," Hisoka said simply, "That's all you need to know."

Tsuzuki's answer was a heartbreakingly sad smile, "I don't have any friends."

Hisoka was about to answer with a firm assurance of the contrary, when he was interrupted by the very deliberate sound of a throat being cleared.

"It's so wonderful to see you awake…Tsuzuki-san, was it? I'm afraid you've never been conscious long enough for us to be properly introduced." Muraki said, a cruel mockery of a smile gracing his lips.

"I'm well aware of who you are, Doctor," Tsuzuki responded coldly, his eyes simmering violet embers, "You're the man who refuses to just let me die."

Muraki looked momentarily taken aback, but soon the expression was smoothed over and returned to that horrible smile. "Well, as a doctor, it is my job to preserve life. I can't just let it be wasted."

Tsuzuki shook his head, "That argument doesn't apply to an unholy being such as myself. I shouldn't be alive. I should never have existed at all!"

From the moment he had woken up, Tsuzuki, while admittedly confused, had been oddly calm considering he had just been revived from a coma. However, this composure was rapidly fading away in favor of all-consuming misery.

"I'm a monster, a demon! I deserve to die like they did!" Tsuzuki cried. Then, as if to emphasize his point, he twisted his head and slammed it soundly against the steel frame.

Muraki gave a cry of alarm, and ran over to restrain him, all the while calling desperately for help. Tsuzuki twisted wildly in his arms, blood pouring from his head like a crimson stream.

All Hisoka could do was stand there and watch in utter horror. He had read about Tsuzuki's suicidal tendencies in his file; had even witnessed a few attempts in person, but nothing could have prepared him for this. How could a person switch from composed to suicidal in a matter of seconds? One minute, he was calmly conversing, the next he was writhing and yelling, all for the single goal of hurting himself.

What could be so bad that he didn't believe that he deserved to live? Tsuzuki had never spoken of his past, and as Hisoka wasn't exactly forthcoming himself, he had never pressed him about it. But Hisoka honestly couldn't imagine the sweet, caring Tsuzuki he knew to have ever done anything that warranted death.

But this wasn't the sweet, caring Tsuzuki he knew.

And really, how well did he know Tsuzuki anyway? All of Hisoka's judgments were based solely on outside observations of his personality. How ironic. Here he was, an empath, but he still had no idea what went on in Tsuzuki's heart and mind.

But whenever Hisoka had touched Tsuzuki, all he had ever felt was warmth. He cared so much for others. He tried so hard to save people, including Hisoka, and he was always heartbroken when that just wasn't possible. He was a truly good person, perhaps one of the few. He couldn't die. Hisoka wouldn't let him.

"Stop it, Tsuzuki." Hisoka said quietly. Tsuzuki was making such a racket, it didn't seem possible that he would be able to hear his small voice, but he did. Even more amazing was the fact that he actually listened. His movements stilled; startled purple eyes gazed at Hisoka's face.

Hisoka smiled and leaned close to his face, "Please don't throw your life away. It would make me very sad."

Tsuzuki's eyes widened as Hisoka reached out to cup his face. He could feel the misery and self-loathing convalescing in Tsuzuki's heart, and silently willed the pain to go away, even if just for a little while.

"I want you to live, Tsuzuki," Hisoka said firmly, "Even if it's selfish of me, I want you to live. People need you. I need you. Please don't leave me alone again."

The words must have sounded strange coming from someone who for all intents and purposes, was a complete stranger, but Tsuzuki didn't seem to think so. Instead, he simply leaned into Hisoka's soft touch and nodded slowly.

"Okay."

Considering that Muraki had been adamant that Hisoka stay away from his precious "patient zero", he was surprisingly compliant when Hisoka asked to be allowed to stay in the same room. Hisoka was suspicious of the reasoning, but since he was getting what he wanted he didn't press the matter.

The first part of the afternoon was a scramble of activity as Hisoka made the move. It wasn't as if he had to pack or anything, but some of the furniture in Tsuzuki's room had to be rearranged to accommodate another bed. Finally, a space had been set up for Hisoka to sleep, and he found himself being left alone with Tsuzuki, who had watched the whole moving process as an impassive observer.

It only took fifteen minutes of utter silence for Hisoka to realize what a fool he was. He had told himself over and over again that this Tsuzuki was not the same one he knew. Regardless, no matter how he had tried to prepare himself, a part of him had still fully expected Tsuzuki to act the way he was familiar with. Not even the man's near suicide had convinced his brain otherwise.

Only now, with Tsuzuki staring blankly out the window, did Hisoka realize just how much the man had changed. Or rather, hadn't changed. Not yet. It really wasn't all that different than when Hisoka had visited his bedside, except Tsuzuki was now staring out a window, rather than just empty space.

"Talk to me."

The voice was quiet and hesitant, but at the same time so unexpected that Hisoka almost fell off his newly acquired bed.

"What?" he asked, confused by the sudden, rather vague request.

"Talk to me," Tsuzuki repeated, which didn't clarify it for Hisoka at all.

"Uh…okay. About what?" Hisoka asked. He didn't want to lose this chance now that Tsuzuki was finally speaking to him.

The purple eyed man shrugged, "About anything, I don't care. Just talk."

"Why?" Hisoka asked. He felt like he was trying to coax a baby rabbit out of its hole.

Tsuzuki hesitated for a long moment, and just as Hisoka had started to berate himself for pushing the man too far, he finally answered.

"I just…like the sound of your voice."

"My voice?" Hisoka parroted, raising an eyebrow.

Tsuzuki nodded, and Hisoka was very pleased to see that he had finally torn his gaze from the window.

"I could hear it when I was…out," he explained timidly, "I couldn't really understand what you were saying, but it was very…warm. It was nice."

Hisoka blushed, "Oh," he replied, not entirely sure how one was supposed to respond to such a comment, "Is that why you let me to stay here? Most people would think it was odd to have a total stranger ask to move in with them."

"No," Tsuzuki said, "Not entirely anyway. I can't really explain it, but I feel like I know you. But how can that be? I'm certain that I've never met you before."

Hisoka smiled. With gentle movements, he walked over to sit on Tsuzuki's bed.

"I think I went about this the wrong way," Hisoka decided, "Why don't we forget everything that happened earlier and start over?"

Hisoka held out his hand, "I'm Kurosaki Hisoka. It's very nice to meet you."

Tsuzuki stared at the offered fingers for a long moment before gently clasping them in his own, "I'm Tsuzuki Asato."

The smile he offered wasn't nearly as large and friendly as Hisoka was used to, but it was progress all the same.

"I'm surprised you allowed Kurosaki-san to stay in Patient Zero's room like that, Sensei," the young woman said. "It's unlike you to risk such an important research subject to be compromised."

The woman was one of the few other doctors the hospital possessed, although not even she knew what the patient's true purpose was. She only knew that the man was a sort of pet project of the doctor's, one he kept highly secret.

Muraki's lips twisted in a smile that was all teeth and no warmth, "I assure you I have no idea what you are talking about. Patient Z—excuse me, Tsuzuki-san, is merely another patient and nothing more. And even if he was otherwise, I don't believe that it would be any of your business."

The woman smirked, "Fine, be that way. Your little science experiment, whatever it may be, doesn't really interest me one way or another. I was merely curious."

Her colleague chuckled, "My dear woman, I believe you have just answered your own question."

"What?" the young doctor blinked in confusion.

"Curiosity. That was my sole reason for granting that boy's wish. Simple curiosity."

It lurked in the shadows, always in the shadows, watching as the boy spoke softly to his violet eyed companion. Already the child was proving far more valuable than expected. With the boy acting as its queen, there was no doubt in its mind that he would bring its plan into checkmate.

Author's Note: Just a note on the female doctor. I'm aware that back then, a woman doctor would have been very rare. However, it wouldn't have been entirely unheard of, and Muraki doesn't strike me as a man who would care about gender. Also, I wasn't able to fit this in the chapter, but most of the reason the woman didn't question Muraki about Tsuzuki further was because she didn't want to risk losing her job. She most likely wouldn't be able to practice anywhere else, which is yet another reason Muraki hired her.

Deadline: Probably sometime in January. I'm really busy with my other project, plus the holidays are coming up. Depending on how much time I have on my hands and how bored I get, it may be sooner.

Please review? I'm really very needy and require constant love.