Disclaimer: Yami no Matsuei's not mine. And "Stay Away" is by L'arc en Ciel.

Naritai. (I want to become.) By Miyamoto Yui

Chapter 6 - Understanding. [final]

I stared at Muraki as he was engulfed by the darkness.

"You can't." I mumbled.

I can't believe my hand is reaching out for him. After what he had done to me right now and I had let him.

I watched you kiss me.

Grab.

Muraki did not turn around as he warned, "Let go of me, Tsuzuki."

He's. He's the same as me in some way. I can feel it.

"Look at us. You have become someone inhuman. And I want to become human." I laughed at our faults. "Isn't that funny, Muraki? Isn't it as twisted sick as your mind?"

I then turned him around and grabbed his collar as he let me pound his back upon a wall in the alleyway. "You think you can pick who lives and who dies? Even if that child's parents were first cousins!"

"He would have to live with a stain all his life that wasn't made by him," he answered with his eyes like slits.

"But who are you to kill him?!" I shouted as my hands trembled. I then shook my head. "You don't know.you don't know anything."

"You know why I let you have your way with me?" I asked loudly.

I wanted to find this answer myself.

"I wanted to know if you really cared for anything."

He just looked at me unmoved.

"And you do." I clenched his jacket until my fingers bled from pressing my fingernails into my skin. "You pushed me away because you were scared that I would know."

Silence.

"This.this is how you kiss someone." I pulled his hair and kissed him on the mouth with full force and just as passionately as I had with Hisoka but not as lovingly.

He stared at me alarmed. "Tsuzuki."

Even he can be surprised. He must really-

"Wakatta," he said as I let him go. "You win for today, Tsuzuki."

He then walked off once more as I stood there watching him.

I don't know why I did that. But I knew that only we understood what that meant. Something beyond words. It wasn't love or obsession.

I thought I would kiss someone who was just a shell. But I was just as surprised to find that his cold body held warm lips.

He.had hope yet.

I then left even more distressed than ever and walked home quickly.

I wanted to lie in my bed for a while. I didn't even feel like eating.

Then, I saw something on the ground and picked it up. It was a green jade piece. "Hisoka. It's like his eyes."

Hisoka. I didn't mean to betray you.

You always try so hard to make me happy and I try to do the same. But I feel like I just cause you more pain. The more we get close, I try to push you away.

You even let me touch you and caress your body while I was trying to find an answer to why you cared so much for me.

It was then that I realized how far you would let me go.

You would let me do anything. Except die.

And I looked away in shame as I dressed back up while you continued to sit on the desk after putting on your clothes. You stared at me with such sad eyes and I couldn't take it.

"Causes stain.stay away," I had sung softly as I dressed.

"You shouldn't care so much for me," I mumbled to him after I had finished.

"I can't help it," he answered. "You cared about me. Even though you didn't know me, you came to rescue me from Muraki. I never forgot that."

He held my hand with both of his. "I'm just telling you that you can come to me too."

My eyes closed painfully. He let go and I left the room.

"Maybe happy. Maybe happy. I dare say I'm happy," I sang softly with a heavy heart.

I was running away from him. It's because I love you, Hisoka.

I'll hurt you too if you stay with me.

Just like with the children a long time ago. They said I was a blemish to the community. And I wondered why. I always thought about that while I was trying to get away.

Doki doki doki.

I slit my wrists, but my body wouldn't let me die.

And still, I wandered around Japan with no purpose. I was angered and disappointed with the fact of why I had to live if no one wanted me at all.

Then. I met Tatsumi.

Someone had died before I could save them. They were burned to ashes even though they were calling out to me.

It was all my fault. I didn't get there in time.

I tried to slit my wrists again and I went insane. I laughed so much to take the pain away from me. "Please kill me," I had prayed. "No more. I don't want this anymore."

In that abandoned warehouse, I was smiling at the reality of it all.

And I wanted to end it. To even try to see if my perfect body would at last be mortal.

It is a burden to live. There are happy moments, but when you know you have the possibility of living forever, what's the point?

"Tsuzuki!!! TSUZUKI!!!!!!!!" I had never heard Tsuzuki scream so loud in his whole life as I saw him run towards me in the flames with his hands out to me. I was fading to unconsciousness as my eyes closed and he was coming closer and closer.

"We have to break up," he said shortly after this incident.

And I hated him for it. He pushed me away when I finally started to show some affection and wanted to trust someone.

But I can't help but love him. He saved my life.

"Do you think I did the right thing?" he had asked me once after Hisoka had saved me from Suzaku's flames.

It was then that my annoyance and pain vanished. I realized how much he had cared all long. We were the same. We pushed people that cared for us away.

I looked up to the moon. "Please.someone tell me what to do."

Where did I come from? And where am I going?

A shinigami is a death angel. A human is someone with a compassionate heart and understands humanity in general.

I am neither. And yet I am torn by both.

I don't know what I want though. I'm always going to wander around not knowing what to do. I don't understand myself, what I am, and what I'll become if I keep this up.

The more things I find, the more lost I become.

But I want to continue to understand. And I want someone to understand me.

To truly accept me without me being scared to let them know who and what I really am.

It was then that I looked at the green jade in my hand. All I have is hope.

I turned around to find Hisoka in back of me. We stared at each other in surprise.

"Hisoka." I smiled wistfully. I then grabbed him and embraced him. "I'm sorry I ran away again."

Plop. His brown grocery bag fell to the floor.

"It's all right. You know I understand." He hugged me back and I could feel him smiling with his monotonous tone. "You know I am going to get you back."

My eyes closed as I placed my head on his shoulder. For the first time in my life, I feel like something has been lifted from me.

My guilt for being what and who I am is starting to melt and fade away.

"I will hurt you if you stay with me, Hisoka." I said almost unable to say my words.

In endearment, he answered firmly, "I don't care."

End.

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Author's final notes: Okay, so that was REALLY ooc. But I thought it was very thought provoking so that's why I made this chapter. And it was sweet in some sadistic way.

I guess this is really a personal achievement. Eight fics in two days!!! I'm so happy! _And_ I've finished this fic within a day and a half. ^_^v

I would have started with Hisoka, but then I thought that Tsuzuki is the thread that weaves everything together, so I thought it would better to focus there. Yes, there is nothing really resolved, but I did that on purpose. I myself am troubled if I want Tsuzuki with Tatsumi or with Hisoka. I love both and would be happy if either got him. But as one reader said, "But I hate triangles!" Yes, they do make someone sad, but that's life. * sighs * What can we do? I named the chapters after a prayer that I say every night. "Faith, hope, charity, love and understanding." I thought this would be a nice feel since they are shinigami. The Angels of death tortured. And I picked certain people for specific chapters. But I loved the feel of how they all went together. Plus, I wanted it as 6 for evilness, yet imperfection. Yeah, I know. I think too much. And Akane, I couldn't find your e-mail so I wanted to personally thank you. I was happy when you said I inspired you to make fanart. ^_~ And thanks to you K-chan for pointing out my error! ^_^v

Again, I love love love Hisoka!!!!! His green eyes drive me nuts just like Subaru's!!!!

Thank you for reading! Love, yui

8/3/02