Into the Darkness

A Descendants of Darkness Oneshot

I

Gentle snow was drifting down from the dark clouds, washing the night sky into a shade of billowy gray. Asato Tsuzuki stared out the window, regarding the peaceful drizzle thoughtfully with striking amethyst eyes. But the tranquil ambiance that had filled the hotel room was soon broken when he reached into a small bag.

Crunch.

Tsuzuki chewed loudly on the handful of potato chips, not really seeming to notice that he had inavertedly ruined the mood.

Over from the large hotel bed, Hisoka Kurosaki glanced up long enough from his book to roll his eyes at his partner, who had begun to eat again just an hour after their dinner. With a silent sigh, he blinked his emerald eyes and lowered them back down to the text, choosing not to comment.

Tsuzuki continued to munch on his after dinner snack, glancing at the dim white glow that seemed to brighten the dark streets. Winter was beautiful here in Canada, albeit extremely cold. But still, the scenery was a nice change from the blasting city of Tokyo, and the quiet was like a soft blanket pressed against his ears.

Even still, a chill shot down Tsuzuki's spine as he remembered exactly why he and Soka were cruising around with the Mounties instead of heading back to the Judgment Bureau HQ.

The answer: it was all his fault.

It had all started about two weeks ago while the two were on a mission at a boarding academy in England. The events had turned out to be much greater than the Bureau anticipated and Tsuzuki had been forced to use three of his Shiki at once. Although he annihilated the threat, he had also burned down a sports stadium in the process, costing the Bureau millions in cleanup.

Naturally, when Tatsumi saw the bill on his desk, he immediately decided to make it his goal to skin Tsuzuki alive, hang him, gut him, burn his remains, feed them to a shark, and repeat the process as desired.

And just as naturally, when Tsuzuki found this out, he had thrown Hisoka over his shoulder and declared that they needed a lengthy vacation. Canada hadn't been his first choice, but it seemed random enough to give the Bureau's secretary the slip, at least for a while.

The tall brunet gave a goofy smile to the windowsill and inwardly prayed that Tatsumi would not find them, shifting around to glance at Hisoka.

The teen was laying belly down on the bed, his elbow propping up his chin as he lost himself in his book. The gushoshin twins at the HQ library had acquired him a couple textbooks on spells, and Hisoka had devoured them with vigor, so much so that it gave Tsuzuki a headache just to think about all the things he was learning. He sure didn't care for books. Too many big words. Not to mention the Bureau wouldn't let him near the library anyways. Not after he'd accidentally burned it down. Twice.

But rather than think about all those icky little swirling lines of text, Tsuzuki's eyes drifted up to Hisoka's face, taking in his mild but determined concentration. A few strands of flaxen hair drifted in front of his eyes, and the teen raised his pale fingers to push it back. Tsuzuki's expression took on a loving tint as he watched Hisoka silently read. The bedspread underneath him was a gentle blue and brought out the light pallor of his skin and hair. Hisoka had always been pale, and it tended to worry Tsuzuki. He had a weak constitution even before he'd died, considering that his parents had kept him locked in the darkness for much of his mortal life. Not to mention the fact that Muraki had poisoned him to slowly die over three painful years. Tsuzuki fretted over his condition, even though Hisoka chided him for doing so, considering he wasn't the healthiest death guardian either. In fact, he was a perfect vision of gluttony.

But on the flip side, Hisoka's pale physique was also very beautiful, even to the point that he was constantly pestered by Saya and Yuma to try on dresses. His body was petite and his arms and legs stretched out in a quiet, willowy form. And the face that sat atop those feline shoulders was even more so, overset by large verdant eyes and his mop of gold wispy hair.

Tsuzuki unconsciously felt his body stir, but he caught himself and quickly straightened up, shoveling more chips down as a distraction. His partner's empathic powers were every bit as sharp as he was, and those types of feelings were better left hid.

At least until bedtime. Hisoka hated early and spontaneous fucks, and Tsuzuki didn't have to be a genius to know why.

Even though he quickly suppressed his desire, he still saw a slight shiver course through the blond's shoulders. But since Hisoka didn't look up and glare at him, he determined there was another cause.

"If you're cold we can turn up the heat." Tsuzuki said mildly, motioning to the thermostat on the wall.

Hisoka's eyes rose and he gave a single nod, watching as the tall man went over to adjust the temperature. Having just finished a chapter on talismans, the blond had intended to take a break, and Tsuzuki's movement provided a brief distraction.

His emerald eyes silently watched Tsuzuki cock his head, trying to determine which set of buttons would accomplish his will. He raised a large hand and ran it through his thick chocolate locks, the overhead light giving his hair a vibrant sheen. The soft glow also curled down to highlight Tsuzuki's ruddy skin and the muscles underneath that gave him such a strong, sleek form.

The moment they'd set foot in the room, Tsuzuki had untucked his dress shirt and ditched his tie, and the sheer white fabric was a bit wrinkled from his lounging. Hisoka had always privately thought that he preferred Tsuzuki that way, looking relaxed and a bit disheveled. It suited him more, considering he was a couch potato heart and soul. And it also gave Hisoka a bit peace of mind. After all, an empath could only truly be relaxed when he was around others who were also at ease.

After finally managing to navigate the thermostat controls, Tsuzuki went and flopped down on the bed next to Hisoka, grabbing the remote and turning on the TV. The blond tucked his book away and stared dryly at the screen.

"Hey Soka," Tsuzuki said with a crooked smile. "Come sit by me."

"Why?" Hisoka replied impassively.

"Because." The big lug whined. Hisoka sighed in exasperation, but propped himself up and crawled over, sinking down onto the other set of pillows. His emerald eyes flickered as he saw Tsuzuki stretch an arm across the headboard, mere inches from his head of golden hair. Without a word, Hisoka lifted his head and allowed the older man to tuck his arm around him, shuddering as he felt man's emotions seep into him like a river. Luckily the flow was calm and mild tonight, which was infinitely easier for him to process. Tsuzuki was no stranger to the rules. If he wanted physical contact with Hisoka he couldn't be in an overly emotional state. And naturally because of that, the two didn't touch casually very often, Tsuzuki being quite flamboyant with whatever he was feeling.

But Hisoka was glad that his partner's mind was quiet. The room still a bit chilly, the teen surprised his partner by scooting closer and resting his cheek against Tsuzuki's broad chest, settling in next to the large, warm body. The brunet wrapped his arm around Hisoka, a little blip in his emotions letting Hisoka know he was quite happy with the gesture. The blond let out a quiet breath and resume staring at the TV, a sense of contentment settling over him.

But it wasn't long after they had situated that the 64-ounce slurpie Tsuzuki had chugged earlier called him at earnest, and Hisoka's face took on it's normal irritation as that idiot fled to the bathroom.

The blond laid back down and tried to resume watching TV, but for some reason unease began creeping at the dark edge of his mind. He rolled onto his side, watching the door intently as his panic began to build, even as he told himself over and over that there was no reason to fret.

Yet even as he tried to soothe his mind, images of fire and Touda's shrieking serpent form flashed before his eyes.

"Tsuzuki?" He called, barely able to keep his teeth from chattering. The door opened a second later and the big lug looked out curiously.

"Yeah?"

Hisoka turned and looked at him and there was such profound relief in his eyes that it shocked his partner.

"Soka, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," He answered with a weak voice, wiping away tiny beads of sweat from his forehead. Knowing his partner, Tsuzuki immediately knew that something was wrong and he stepped over to the bed, placing a gentle hand on top of Hisoka's head.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked quietly. Hisoka gritted his teeth, trying to keep an impassive face as he spoke.

"About you."

"What about me?" Tsuzuki smiled. "Am I eating too much junk again? Do my habits amuse you?"

"No but your actions do."

"Eh?"

Hisoka sighed, running his slender fingers through his hair.

"Here we are running from Tatsumi like he going to brutally murder you, and yet I remember a time when you summoned your deadliest guardian shiki and tried to burn yourself. It's just a little ironic. You told me you were too tired of living to go on."

Tsuzuki's dark brow creased and he lowered his eyes as Hisoka spoke of his attempted suicide. He knew it had affected the boy deeply.

"Hisoka—"

"Though I suppose I can identify," The blond cut in, looking more stressed by the minute. "When I was suffering in the hospital of the illness Muraki gave me, I wished for death. So many times, just so I wouldn't have to feel anymore. And then I end up being a death guardian. It's the ultimate form of irony: I didn't start truly living until after I'd died. But even still, I was so cold hearted and felt worthless that I still couldn't take value in my own life."

Hisoka turned away from the older man as his shoulders began to shake with emotion, but he let out a small gasp as he felt a strong pair of arms wrap around him. He felt Tsuzuki's thoughts and feelings fall on him like the smack of a wave, and yet, they were so warm and full of endearment that it felt like a strong tranquilizer. The teen relaxed limply in Tsuzuki's embrace, though tears still dripped as the brunet began to speak.

"Hisoka, you were never once worthless. You just had so many people throw you to the ground and break you that you no long had the strength to pick yourself back up. Your parents, Muraki, even me at one point, and I'm sorry for that."

"Tsuzuki—"

"But Hisoka, you know why I can look forward to each new morning instead of feeling guilty about my existence and the lives I took? Because I have you.

"When I wanted to die, you ran through those flames and begged me not to leave you alone. You were both selfish and selfless at the same time. And yet now, I thank the gods every day that you did."

Tsuzuki cupped Hisoka's pale chin and gently lifted it up, giving the boy a thankful smile. Hisoka felt his cheeks warm at the amount of affection those violet eyes. His pale lips parted as Tsuzuki leaned down and kissed him, sending another rush of feeling down into the dark depths of his soul.

Lemon to come next.

So this is my first Descendants fic, though I'm completely in love with the series, especially Hisoka. I hope you enjoyed reading and I would love to hear from you.

Sincerely,

TBF101