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Somewhere I belong	By : JJBlue Category: Descendents of Darkness/Yami No Matsuei > General Views: 1663 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Descendants of Darkness (Yami no Matsuei), nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
Title: "Somewhere I belong - Chap. 2"

Author: J.J.

Warning: It's an AU... it contains not too descriptive rape, probably some OOC, unbetaed, use of Japanese words (the Dictionary is at the bottom), a bit of sappiness, some spoilers...

To the 2, 3 people who are reading this fic and want more... work keeps me quite busy. I almost never know if I've time to write or when I've time to write. Please be patient. I've almost everything planned out. I just need time to write it.

Extra Warning for this chapter: This chapter is placed in Kamakura, in the Kurosaki house and, due to this, you get to see Hisoka's 'lovely' family and the two local monsters... You also get to know Tsuzuki's Shiki Touda better. Oh and in this chap Touda did some not too polite comments. This chapter also contains a tiny reference to the 'YuYu Hakusho' anime series. You'll find more explanations about it in my notes (and also in the Dictionary) and it's _NOT_ needed to know 'YuYu Hakusho' to understand the fic. This chapter has a good amount of Japanese terms. Many of them were already used in the previous chapters or are canon terms that probably YnM fans know already (someone still has no idea what 'Shinigami' means/is? Enma? Shikigami? Akuma? Sensei?), anyway I suggest you to read the Dictionary _FIRST_ just to be sure, so you can check if there's a term you never heard before and after read the fic. Also this time there are a lot of notes but you shouldn't have trouble reading them _AFTER_ the fic.

Notes: I've been inspired by what Hisoka thought in Vol. 3: 'No one... saved me... But maybe Tsuzuki... If you had been there... you would save me...'.

Warning over notes: This fic is filled with notes. You will find them at the bottom. Each time you see a number between brackets it means there's a note connected to the word/sentence that preceded it. Many of them explain references to other series, to YnM manga only or YnM anime only facts for who didn't get to read the manga or see the anime, explain apparently illogical things or warn you there's an explanation for illogical facts but that you'll get it later. However I suggest you to read the notes _AFTER_ you finished the fic unless the word/sentence connected to the note is really tresomesome for you to understand. Anyway the fic should be still understandable without the notes. Notes are merely extra explanations for who wants to know more or search for spoilers.

Disclaimer: "Yami no Matsuei" belong to Matsushita Yoko. I'm merely using her characters because I love them... expecially Touda, Tsuzuki and Hisoka...
"Breaking the Habit" lyrics belong to Linkin Park. "YuYu Hakusho" belong to Togashi Yoshihiro. "Hohoemi no Bakudan" belong to Mawatari Matsuko. Ehy, do I own something here? Oh yes, I own the plot and a sensible heart which would surely break if you give me harsh reviews... so please be honest but nice ok?

Summary: 1993. Kamakura. A certain silver haired psycho was feeding himself with a poor woman's energy when the Kurosaki's heir spotted him. He had a plan for the boy but someone else was there and decided to interfere...

"Memories consume

Like opening the wound

I'm picking me apart again

You all assume

I'm safe here in my room

[Unless I try to start again]

I don't want to be the one

The battles always choose

'Cause inside I realize

That I'm the one confused

I don't know what's worth fighting for

Or why I have to scream

I don't know why I instigate

And say what I don't mean

I don't know how I got this way

I know it's not alright

So I'm

Breaking the habit

Tonight."

[Linkin Park - Breaking The Habit]

Darkness was all around him. Yet, at the time, it seemed to make sense to walk through it,
to walk barefoot in that house he never saw and yet... _knew_.

The floor was cold. It was the first thing that broke into the numbness
wrapped all around his mind. Somewhere in the distance a girl was singing a...
lullaby he never heard before. He couldn't see her but her voice was soft and
gentle and so filled with love and caring it almost made him cry. He looked
around. Feelings were starting to come back to him and that dark place was
starting to feel... scary as the song faded. He reached a room (but how he
could know there was a room there in all that darkness? He had no idea...)
and looked inside. It... there was no light in it just... a green glow, like a
phosphorescence of some sort. There were people in the room but they were just
too far for him to see their features, as the room was all of sudden,
impossibly large and they were in the farthest corner from him. They looked
like a man and two boys... and they were talking, he knew they were talking but
he couldn't make out their words. Even their feelings were blurry to his
senses... Then, all of sudden, the man vanished and the two boys were left alone.
They... were still talking but the discussion had probably taken the wrong turn
as they both were shouting words he couldn't make out. Their feelings too were...
shouting in his mind, fear, hate, love, panic, disgust, anger, desperation, all
of them raising and becoming a tangled mess with his own till he couldn't stand
the sign no more and left the place screaming as if an Akuma was following him
and in his mind, maybe, he was. He ran, ran without even looking where he was
going, the world spinning around him as if it was... waving and he had no idea
how he could keep his balance, only that he had to keep running. He ran for
hours, days, or maybe they were only minutes or seconds, then he tripped as he
placed one of his feet on something soft and warm. (He tripped, didn't he?
So why he had felt as if tiny hands had gripped his feet?) He looked down
and saw he had... (No, it couldn't be!) He had... walked over a naked baby,
who now was laying on the floor, her purple eyes wide open, her dark brown
longhaired head ripped from her smashed body. He screamed again, crawling
backward, as a scent started filling the room, the room whose floor was now
strangely wet. Dazedly he looked to one of his hand to see what was the wet,
sticky substance. In the darkness he shouldn't have been able to see it as if
he shouldn't have been able to see the baby and yet the red liquid, which now
covered all his hand and part of his arm as if he had stuck it inside a basin
filled with it, was clearly visible to his eyes. Blood. He was covered in
blood. There was blood everywhere. He was a murder, a monster... He forced his
paralysed body to move, to turn, to run away and, as he was about to escape, he
found himself facing a wall. A wall covered with dolls, all sitting in an
ordinate way over shelves. They were all staring silently at him with those
glass eyes and porcelain faces, with ruby painted lips that were half opened as
if they were about to talk and yet they couldn't, frozen in that moment
forever. So pretty and yet so western looking, all with honey blond curly hair
and clear eyes and clothes people must have wore in Europe in the early 1800
with matching small hats and tiny shoes. He blinked, confused, then turned and
looked down at the floor. The baby, the baby he believed he killed, was nothing
else than a doll. Weird enough the doll's now honey blond shorthaired head was
back at its original place, but the doll looked covered in scribbling he hadn't
noticed before and her eyes were green, exactly like the ones of the other
dolls. He allowed himself a hysteric laugh as he realized his mistake and was forced
to learn to one of the shelf to sustain himself. Then, his laugh finished as
abruptly as it started and he fought back the desperate wish to start sobbing.
He was lost and he wanted to go back home but... did he have a home? Someone who
wanted him back? He couldn't tell and panic flared through him. He didn't want
to stay forever in the dark. He screamed, screamed for help, screamed for his
parents and was about to run away from the room when a figure showed up from
the door. He paused and looked up at the man in front of him. He couldn't make
out his features but he could clearly feel his anger.

"You... you discharged Veronica⁽¹⁾." The man spat.

"Otousama?" He asked tentatively. "Otousama, I don't even know who this
Veronica person is..." He said back walking.

"You discharged Veronica! You killed your own sister! You' cur cursed
monster who should have been strangled at birth!" The boy shacked his head in
denial but the man hit him, hard, with the back of his hand, sending him flying
against the shelves, causing the dolls over them to fall on the ground. He slid
on the floor, the now dolls covered floor, sobbing.

"Otousama, otousama please... I'll promise I'll be good... don't abandon me
you too..."⁽²⁾ He begged.

"It's too late Nyngyou⁽³⁾. You discharged Veronica and now you'll take her
place in my doll collection." The man said, his ice blue eyes shining and,
finally, he realized he wasn't his father. He looked around and realized now
all the dolls wore his face and were naked and were screaming and he was naked
and he was screaming too as the man descended on him but he couldn't escape and
he knew no one would came to save him and he knew he would hurt him horribly
and he didn't want it and... and...

"Show me the gruesome brilliance of a dying soul departing..."⁽⁴⁾ The man
demanded but he didn't knew what it meant and he didn't want it so he screamed,
struggling as hard as he could, he screamed till he believed he had no voice
anymore as his arms were gripped and he... he heard his name being called... and
there was no more darkness.

He was still screaming and waving his arms in a desperate attempt to
free himself. An unknown voice was calling his name, loudly, as he was gripped
and held still. He struggled more, terrified, screaming and kicking without
result. The stranger's hold on him tightened but the emotions were just... wrong.
There was no lust or malice, just kindness and worry. His eyes filled with
tears as he squirmed pitifully and... and he slumped, without strength anymore
against the stranger's body, breathing hard, sobbing desperately and trembling
madly as he waited for the worst to come.

Nothing happened. The unknown arms kept holding him gently, almost
lulling him as he started making out a gentle voice murmuring soothing words.
A nightmare. Is bes been only a nightmare⁽⁵⁾. He blinked twice, trying to
make out his surroundings. He felt confuse, sleepy,
sore. He also felt worried, sympathetic, sorry. No, wait. Those weren't his
emotions. He closed his eyes trying to... sort things out. He was the confuse,
sleepy, sore one. Then the one who was holding him must be... Holding him? Someone
was holding him? He was actually resting in someone else's arms? And it didn't
hurt?⁽⁶⁾ He struggled again, trying to bolt up. His body protested loudly at this
and he couldn't suppress an agonizing whimper. Pain flared through his brain.
It hurt! And the places were he hurt... No, no, no it couldn't have happened... it
couldn't... his mind protested weakly as yesterday night memories were replayed
in his brain. He screamed in denial then hid his face against the stranger's
chest trying to hide himself against him, against his only source of comfort,
wishing desperately to drown in those caring emotions he never experienced in
his life. He cried all his tears as those arms held him gently, cradling him
against the man's chest then... He remembered who he was. Forcing himself to
regain control over his emotions he bit his lips in attempt to force tears back
and stopped clinging to the man. It wasn't proper for the Kurosaki heir to
behave like that. He forced himself to divide from the stranger even if, inside
his head, a voice was protesting so loudly it was almost deafening and tried to
sit up erect.

"Don't. It's better if you lay down." The man warned him, his voice
gentle and caring as his emotions. Something inside him wanted to obey, wanted
desperately to obey, to please in everything this man who wasn't rejecting him
but... but domidominating side had other ideas. He tried to rebel, to squirm and
sit and ended up loosing the battle as the man forced him to lay down and he
couldn't just summon the strengths to raise himself once again alone. "Here,
there you are. You'll feel better if you rest." The man commented as he...
smoothed his hair with a kindness he didn't knew possible to have and that
caused him to blink to force back those treacherous tears that were treating to
fall again. He searched with his gaze the man's face and blinked again in
confusion as he stared at him. He had expected many things but he was caught
completely unprepared by gentle eyes of the same colour of the amethyst earring
his mother sometimes wore and a warm smile.

"Hisoka? How are you?" He asked gently. Hisoka turned away, without even
bothering to answer. No one had asked him that by so long he had no idea how to
behave and answering was only going to mean he had to deal with more memories
of the past night. All he asked for was to curl up and forget everything. It
didn't matter anymore if they closed him in the basement forever to root as
long as they let him forget and stop that thing from happening again.

"That awful, mn?" the man continued caressing his hair. He didn't sound
mad for his lack of reply. He had no idea why he was allowing the man to touch
him, why he wasn't squirming away and hiding in the farthest corner of the
room. He only knew... he felt save there as if something inside him was
absolutely sure the man wouldn't hurt him. He allowed the care the man radiate
in waves to envelop him like a protective shield, then his eyes widened again
as his brain provided to remember him _when_ he saw amethyst eyes
before and he turned abruptly, causing the pain to flare again and unwilling
tears to rise in his eyes.

"You... you were there, weren't you?" He asked anxiously. The man sighed
as he gently brushed his hair out of his green eyes and nodded sadly.

"I'm sorry I came too late. I wish... I could have spared you that..."
Hisoka turned away trying to look uncaring as a certain person, in his
situation, surely would.

"Where are we now?" He asked tiredly. The place looked familiar and yet...
he couldn't remember it.

"Your home's guestroom." The man answered, surprise in his voice. "I
guess it's not used that often if you don't recognize it."

"You've no idea of how is the room I'm familiar about." Hisoka commented
before falling silent.⁽⁷⁾

"You _are_ Kurosaki Hisoka, aren't you?" The man asked as if a sudden
suspicion came to his mind.⁽⁸⁾

"Yeah, I'm Kurosaki Hisoka, son and heir of the 16^th head of
the house Kurosaki Nagare, descendant of the 'heroic' Kurosaki Ren and
all the stuffs." He replied bitterly as if he hated the whole thing.⁽⁹⁾ "Who are
you anyway? You aren't one of our servants, are you?" He wasn't fully sure
about it. Almost all the servants did their best to avoid him and anyway he
wasn't allowed to interact with them more than necessary but, well, probably
servants wouldn't get to stay in the guest room...

"No, I'm not. I'm Tsuzuki Asato and the grumpy guy behind me is Touda."
Hisoka glanced toward his direction and realized in the room there was another
person who, more than grumpy, looked threatening and ready to kill. Tsuzuki-san
however didn't seem worried at all about it as he smiled affectionately at his
companion. Hisoka blinked, surprised he hadn't 'felt' the man before,
than realized that Tsuzuki-san's presence was so... overwhelming... he seemed to
cover up everything else, even his own feelings felt... dimmed when Tsuzuki-san
was close, let not mention when the man touched him...

"Tsuzuki. If you are quite finished spo spoiling the kid maybe we could
leave and take that damned train." The other man spat, interrupting Hisoka's
thoughts, irritation evident in his voice. Tsuzuki sighed. He knew Touda had
planned to leave at dawn. The man had a particular gift to woke up at whatever
unholy hour he decided and, as soon as the sun showed up, he opened his eyes
and insisted they left the house. Of course he also knew that Touda, when he
had just woken up, wasn't... fully working... too sleepy to think coherently and
moving mostly... in automatic.⁽¹⁰⁾ Proof enough was that, in the last company trip,
had Tsuzuki not stepped in, Yuma and Saya⁽¹¹⁾ would have managed to dress him in
one of their weird outfits without him realizing a thing... Anyway, it didn't
require big effort, really, to 'persuade' Touda to agree to wait till Hisoka
would wake up while he was in that state. Of course, when he later fully woke
up, he wasn't exactly pleased to say the last... Anyway, after Tsuzuki had saw
how miserable Hisoka had looked when he awoke, he decided that being there
trying to take care of that poor child was worth dea wit with a quite angry
Touda later...

"I guess you've to go." The child stated bitterly. Tsuzuki gave him a
guilty look. Hisoka chewed his lower lip. He was used at being alone and yet
now that he had found someone who wanted to stay he didn't want him to leave.
Especially considering that now being alone looked ten times scarier than
before... The man ruffled his hair affectionately as if he was really hesitant to
leave him. Through that gentle contact Hisoka could clearly perceive waves of
care, worry and regret as if the man really cared for him and he... No, he wasn't
going to behave like a baby, cry and beg the man to stay, just five minutes
more, just a second more, just the time it would took him to persuade himself _that
thing_ wouldn't happen again, that _HE_ wouldn't find him
again, that he was finally save now. He wasn't going to do any of the sort as
he felt the man removing his hand and... and tucking him up better and... and
standing up and... and... he curled in a very tight ball refusing to look at him as
he said him "Goodbye and take care" and he felt him walk away and... and... and
someone asked the permission to enter in the room. Now that Tsuzuki-san was
far, his cursed, demonic power was filling him not only just with the man's
strong emotions but also with the one's of the man's friend and with the one's
of the maid whom he recognized as Miya. She was the one his parents trusted to
do all the work they wanted to be done without other ears to be informed about
it. Usually she was nice enough even if she was totally terrified by him as if
a mere nearly 13 years old boy could manage to pose a threat to a woman. While
Miya and Tsuzuki-san exchanged small chat on the door he tried snuggling under
the covers. Why he had to be cursed with this demonic power of perceiving other
people's emotions? Why? What did he do so wrong? His self-recrimination was
interrupted when he felt Tsuzuki-san's emotions escalating to such a rapid pace
he wondered how the man could deal with them.

"We're invited for breakfast? Really?" He exclaimed with the happily
surprised tone of a 5 years old. No, make it a 3 years old.

"Tsuzuki. We must go back to Tokyo." His companion snapped, his
annoyance barely perceptible compared to Tsuzuki-san's enthusiasm.

"But Touda! It's breakfast! We're not eating by yesterday afternoon!"
The man reasoned.

"Is filling your stomach the only thing you can think of?"⁽¹²⁾ The other
replied, apparently even more irritated and yet, Tsuzuki's enthusiasm
increased, as if he just knew Touda was going to give up.

"No, obviously I also think about you." The man said innocently causing Miya
to blush deeply unsure if the sentence had a... 'romantic' meaning or if it was
merely a joke between friends.⁽¹³⁾ "Can we stay eh? Eh?" Tsuzuki insisted. Touda
shrugged.

"Do as you prefer. I just know you'll drive me insane if we leave
without you having this stupid breakfast." Tsuzuki merely grinned back. Miya
forced back her embarrassment and announced to Hisoka-sama he too was waited
downstairs for breakfast. Hisoka forced himself to sit.

"Otousama wants me to have breakfast downstairs?" He asked surprised.
From when his... 'anomaly'... had started to show he had been forced to stay
away from his family, hidden, segregate, like a dirty secret no one want to
talk about. He didn't expect this invitation, especially after what had
happened the night before. Came to think he didn't expect his father wouldn't
send him straight in his cell in the basement after he had been brought back
home.

"Wouldn't be better if he had breakfast in bed?" He heard Tsuzuki-san's
gentle voice asking and this time the man's tone was childish but adult and
serious as if he possessed as switch that allowed him to move easily between
the two.

"Danna-sama ordered..." Miya started obviously embarrassed.

"I'll come downstairs." Hisoka cut in, using a passable imitation of his
father's authoritarian tone as he was stubbornly forcing his sore, weak body to
stand up. He didn't have to do all the work alone. Tsuzuki-san, after sighing
loudly and muttering something about stubbornness, moved toward him, untangled
him from the cover and... picked him up. He immediately complained, at the same
time holding tightly to Tsuzuki-san in fear to be dropped, unused at being
carried around and fully conscious he was expected to walk, no matter what his
conditions were. All his complains were answered with a "Don't worry, I'll
carry you only till under the stairs." and a friendly smile which, in
Tsuzuki-san's opinion, settled the discussion. Hisoka didn't consider the
discussion settled butwas was so astonished by the man's response he couldn't
think anything else to reply in the time it took Tsuzuki-san to carry him
downstairs. He still managed to look offended in his own dignity as the man set
him down and to stoically refuse to look at him as Miya escorted them, act that
Touda-san regarded with annoyance and Tsuzuki-san with amusement as if his
proper indignation was merely a childish display. Truth to be told Tsuzuki
wasn't just amused; he was also admiring the courage Hisoka was showing in...
dealing with that had happened to him. Of course he didn't know the Kurosaki
were expert into hiding their own emotions and that Hisoka had been trained
from childhood to... ignore them or pretend to. Surprising enough, Hisoka's
cursed power for once, was helping him, in fact, concentrating on other
people's emotions he could keep at bay the turmoil that was inside him.

The room in which they were escorted was wide for Tsuzuki's standards
but pretty normal for a family as important as the Kurosaki. The open doors
were showing him a well-cared garden that immediately caught his interest. He
would have liked to give a look to the plants in it. Kurosaki Nagare and the
woman he supposed was his wife were already seated, waiting for them. Hisoka
greeted formally his parents and sat composedly as if nothing had happened.
Tsuzuki greeted as well, even if less formally, and sat next to the child.
Touda merely sat down close to him, without bothering with greetings, his bad
mood still clearly evident. Kurosaki-san introduced them to his wife, Rui.
Apparently he had already informed her about what happened because she greeted
them politely and thanked them formally for the help they gave to her son. A
bit too much formally because, at least in Tsuzuki's opinion, she sounded like
she was thanking him because he had passed her the salt... Anyway he forced the
thought in the back of his mind and gave her a warm smile as he answered her
thanks. She blinked at him as if she never saw someone smiling and then
attempted a smile too. Tsuzuki noted she needed to work on it but decided to
avoid mentioning the thing entrentrating on more intriguing matters, like the
breakfast the servants were placing in front of him. One of the hugest he had
ever seen, second only to the ones he had in GenSoKai. If every time Touda
punched a guy he gets a breakfast like that he had to make a note to remind him
to hit people more often. Well... just not that hard... Without wasting time he
attacked the food, enjoying fully every bit of it.

Even if Hisoka rarely had breakfast with his family and even more
sporadically he was allowed to eat with his family when there was one or more
guests he was sure the Kurosaki house didn't had such a 'singular' guest
as Tsuzuki-san from the time in which the oh so great Ren woke up and decided
to become a hero defeating the local Kami. It was amazing how Tsuzuki-san could
enjoy so much the breakfast in front of him and in the same time talk so much.
Plus he complimented a lot about how delicious the food was, pleasing greatly
the maids who were all smiling happily at him and serving him in the same way
they would have with a cute, starved child. Touda-san, on the contrary, had
still to say a word even if Tsuzuki-san managed to persuade him to share part
of his breakfast with him.

Nagare, probably realizing there was no way to keep Tsuzuki-san silent
without rudely telling him to shut up, decided to move the topic from 'How
good breakfast was' to something more interesting.

"Tsuzuki-san, yesterday night you mentioned you're an Onmyoji..." His
father started. Hisoka caught the maids' disappointment at hearing their guests
weren't singers⁽¹⁴⁾ and all their interest and curiosity about this new
development.

"Well... sort of..." the man replied.

"Sort... of?" His mother politely inquired. Hisoka looked up at
Tsuzuki-san curiously as well.

"Well... being Onmyoji was my family tradition. Everyone had to be one. I
was taught everything an Onmyoji had to know it's just... well I know all the
stuffs but all I do and I'm good at is to use Jujutsu." He explained. "If you
would try relying on me to know your future... well you're challenging fate. It's
Ruka who has..." He trailed off and his expression turned serious and... sad? for
just a second. "Never mind." He said waving a hand dismissively as if he had
said something silly, apparently fully back in his good mood. "I'm sorry I've
interrupted you Kurosaki-san. What were you going to say?"

His father started making questions about Onmyoji and Jujutsu. Strangely
and surprising enough he seemed very interested in it. Hisoka wondered if it
was a proper interest for the head of the family. Head of the family... he didn't
even asked him how he was... His mother seemed curious too. Maybe they only
wanted to know if his... 'anomaly' could be exorcised or if he really was
some sort of Bakemono and Tsuzuki-san could... take care of him. Tsuzuki-san
seemed to enjoy the conversation. Apparently he really knew a lot about this
particular topic. It also turned out Tsuzuki-san used his knowledge working for
a government organization⁽¹⁵⁾. His parents were surprised at that.

"It's just a tiny department." Tsuzuki-san explained. "And we're mostly
used to proof how what's causing mass panic in a village _isn't_
a Bakemono but... well, something else. You've no idea how much people is
persuaded they have a Yurei in their fridge."

"So, they're all false alarms?" His father asked in a weird tone, as if
his life depended on Tsuzuki-san's answer.

"No, no, I've seen my share of monomono, Akuma and other weird stuffs.
If the Bakemono is real and not just thrth rth of some mass hysteria we're
supposed to... dispose of it. We're just back from a quite messy case..."
Tsuzuki-san's gaze lowered as his sadness became evident in his voice, yet the
man forced it back and continued with his normal happy smile. "Anyway it's just
a thing that didn't happen that often and that's why we have the lowest salary
and Tatsumi is always complaining about the fact we don't have to overspend...
Which I guess is good because when it's a real Bakemono who's causing the
problem is really complicate to fix things... Anyway in the end we could be
considered 'Bakemono no Taijiya'⁽¹⁶⁾, Monster Sterminators... even if some
call us 'Ghostbusters'..." He
said pronouncing the western word with a bit of difficulty⁽¹⁷⁾ "and others... with a
less nice name."

"And Shikigami⁽¹⁸⁾? Does they exist too?" Hisoka asked, his quiet tone a bit
forced. His parents glared at him. He wasn't supposed to take part to the
adults' discussion but he had read about the mythological creatures that lived
in another world, extremely powerful deities that controlled the 4 elements and
that sometimes chose to serve a human and they always intrigued him. It had to
be amazing to have someone as powerful as a Kami as servant. Maybe, if he had
one, a ferocious, powerful, dragon looking one if he could choose, what
yesterday night facts would have never happened. Beside... he really needed a bit
of attention and the chance to distract himself before he lost control and
allowed his feeling to manifest.

"Oh yes. Shikigami surely exist." Tsuzuki-san said looking at him with
open amusement as if he just made a funny joke. Touda-san just seemed even more
annoyed than usual. "Some of them are also particularly cute when they're just
woken up." The man added chuckling earning such a glare from Touda-san that
Hisoka unconsciously shrunken back. Tsuzuki-san instead, merely turned toward
the man and asked him if he was going to finish what he had in the plate or
not. Touda-san simply said Tsuzuki-san was an idiot and gave his plate to him.
The man thanked joyfully and proceeded to clean it up.

It was then Kurosaki Iwao, Nagare's oldest brother, decided to show up,
uncaring if he was welcomed or not.

"Nagare, who are those parasites with those horrible table manner?" He
asked as soon as he noticed the two guests in his usual authoritarian tone as
if _he_ was the master of the house, impolitely pointing at them.
Tsuzuki-san and Touda-san didn't seem to look insulted.

"We've horrible table manners?" Tsuzuki whispered to his friend.

"You, most surely, have them." The other stated coldly without even
bothering to look at the newcomer.

"Meanie!" The man replied in a childish whine. Hisoka's expression
softened as if, for the first time in only Kami knew how many years, he felt
tempted to smile. He didn't anyway, forcing himself to imitate his father's
serious expression. He knew he wasn't allowed to do anything else. Iwao
instead, fumed. He wasn't used at being ignored.

"Tsuzuki-san, Touda-san, I'm pleased to introduced to you my older
brother, Kurosaki Iwao." Nagare said in his usual formal, cold tone causing
Tsuzuki to wonder if the man ever showed something else beside that cold
politeness. "Niisan, those men did a great service to our house rescuing Hisoka
from an... unpleasant situation." Nagare continued in the same tone while his
brother sat near to him. Tsuzuki gave him a curious glance.

Kurosaki Iwao seemed quite different from his brother. He was obviously
older than Nagare, probably in his early 40 and with those tick glasses, beard,
and long hair he couldn't definitely be considered as good looking as his
younger brother. To increase more thntrantrast between the two while Nagare was
coldly formal and polite Iwao was bossy, rude and passionate.

Well, brothers didn't necessary have to resemble each other, he and Ruka
for example... His thoughts were rudely cut as he remembered the main, actual
difference between he and his sister.

Hisoka, who had observed Tsuzuki-san studying his uncle, was surprised
to see the man lower his head, heavy bangs covering his eyes as a deep feeling
of sadness, regret lon longing washed over the man, so deep, it seemed it was
threatening to drown him too. Then, as if he too could feel the man's emotions,
Touda-san placed a hand over Tsuzuki's arm. Hisoka caught the two exchanging a
silent glance then Tsuzuki brushed off his sadness as easily as he would have
done with dust and returned his attention on his uncle who, right now, was
arguing with his father, as usual.

It was weird to see the two argue. His uncle would yell, wave his arms,
be rude and offensive and his father would just stand there, his back straight
as he answered politely to every accuse of incompetence in his leadership of
the Kurosaki house. While his uncle clearly radiated hate he could perceive
almost nothing from his father... only... tiredness... and something else he was
never able to fully grasp.

He cringed as he caught Iwao-ojisama glancing at him with venom, finally
realizing he was there as well, and then proceeded to move his complain from
what a pitiful leader Nagare was to what a shame for the whole family Hisoka
was. The child lowered his gaze; heavy bangs covering his green eyes. He wasn't
sure he could deal with it, right then, but he wasn't going to show it, no
matter what.

It turned out someone managed to inform Iwao about Hisoka's last...
escapade⁽¹⁹⁾ and even if the man didn't knew all the details (but planned to find
out them) it was clear the little he knew made him felt allowed to criticize
the child for getting involved in a murder as if Hisoka actually tried to take
part in it.

"That _child_ has no capacity to carry on the family
name!" He yelled pointing at Hisoka who was staring at the ground as if he
never saw something more interesting with his jaw tightly clenched to avoid any
treacherous sob to escape. He almost jumped out of his skin when Tsuzuki-san
took his hand into his and squeezed it comfortingly. He could only stare in
shock at the kind man as his uncle continued to rant oblivious of the fact, his
attention fully on Nagare. "_He_ will not benefit this family!
You should have disp..."⁽²⁰⁾ Iwao bit his tongue, remembering some topics weren't to
be discussed in front of strangers, especially when one of the two strangers
was looking at hn a n a very not friendly manner "Anyway I don't see what _he_
is doing here,ing ing breakfast with the family! You should already have closed
him in his cage in the basement and let him there so he'll learn to not get out
at night!" The man exclaimed. He never really liked Hisoka, not even before he
knew about his 'curse'. The boy was going to inherit what should have
been rightfully his, what Nagare stole from him years ago only Kami knew how.

"You're going to close him in the basement?" It was the first time
Hisoka heard Touda talking to someone who wasn't Tsuzuki-san. It was... scary. He
didn't raise his voice nor really move and yet... the amount of loathing and the
anger in his tone made everyone expect he would kill Iwao-ojisama on the spot
for merely suggesting it. For once his feelings were even stronger than
Tsuzuki-san's ones.⁽²¹⁾

"But it sound like closing him in a prison!" Tsuzuki-san didn't sound so
'murderous', more like... 'hurt' at the thought of someone being
trapped, but he echoed Touda's disliking for the idea perfectly. "You can't do
that Nagare-san⁽²²⁾, it's..."

"Tsuzuki-san, Touda-san I would ask you to stay out of my family
business." His father said in the cold, impersonal tone he always used and that
Hisoka tried so hard to imitate and that would have probably heard for the last
time, if Tsuzuki-san hadn't held Touda's arm to stop him from reacting. The man
seemed positively set to kill whoever would consider trap someone in a prison
like an acceptable solution, and now was looking disappointed at Tsuzuki-san
who had stopped him. However Tsuzuki-san wasn't paying him attention, his now
cold gaze turned on his father.

"Then so, pray tell me, what will you do Nagare-san should he
accidentally broke a plate? You'll kill him on the spot? If being segregate is
what he get for such a small infraction..." He asked coldly, his anger rising
dangerously and somehow managing to affect his father too.

"Tsuzuki-san, that has been how all the Kurosaki had been punished." He
explained as if he was trying to make it look like a normal punishment for a
disobedient kid, "Anyway" He added, "I don't plan to 'segregate him' as
you put it."

"You don't plan too?" Hisoka and his uncle exclaimed simultaneously and
Hisoka wouldn't be able to tell who was the most surprised. Anyway his uncle
recovered fast and started complaining.

"Niisan I would ask to you as well to stay out of my family business."
His father replied. It was the first time Kurosaki Nagare didn't bow his head
to his older brother's wishes and, no matter how loud Iwao complained, the man
didn't plan to change his mind. Iwao however, apparently knew when to admit
defeat.

"The police need the description of the murder. They asked me to ask your
so called heir for one since he saw him."⁽²³⁾ He said in apparent annoyance. Truth
to be told he was very interested in having more details about what happened to
Hisoka (all he knew was that the child had saw a murder and than had been
carried back unconscious by a couple of strangers) and see if it could be used
to his own advantage.

"What? I have to... to..." Hisoka paled and looked at his parents but they
didn't look affected by it at all. They couldn't ask him that! He wasn't going
to relive the scene no matter what!

"Hisoka, calm down right now." His mother ordered. "It's normal the
police wants some information from you since you saw the murder and he tried to
attack you. It's their duty to capture who threatened the well being of the
Kurosaki heir." His mother said apparently finding more serious that the man
had tried to harm a Kurosaki than the fact that he killed a poor woman. Hisoka
didn't care about it and shacked his head panicking, his hold on his
self-control shattered, the memorof hof his previous ordeal too recent for him
to be able to revive them.

"No, no, I won't do it... I can't..." He moved shakily to stand but a
strong, gentle hand gripped his wrist. He turned toward the man with a betrayed
expression on his face but the other held his gaze.

"Ehy, calm down. You're tougher than you look kiddo. Beside, don't you
want that guy to be arrested?" He wanted the man arrested, he wanted him
arrested and ripped into pieces slowly and painfully, all under his gaze. He
swallowed, forcing himself to relax as he felt back into his place managing
also to slide slightly toward Tsuzuki-san, willing he could hide himself behind
the man's kindness, understanding and sympathy. He couldn't stop himself from
trembling thought. "Good child." The man said ruffling his hair in an
affectionate gesture. Hisoka stared at him in shock, green eyes open wide. He
couldn't remember the last time he got a compliment. Tsuzuki-san blinked at him
in confusion then turned toward the others to meet the same shocked and
confused expression over Hisoka's relatives' faces.

"Ehm... did I do something wrong?" He asked as he retreated his hand,
folding it in his lap uneasily. He got no answer at first, so he turned to
Touda who simply shrugged.

"He let you touch him" The oldest of the Kurosaki brothers finally
muttered as if this was an amazing thing. He didn't like it. If Hisoka weird
powers were gone the boy would have more chances to be considered an acceptable
heir. Kurosaki Nagare cleared his throat apparently to force himself out of his
own stupor. He saw the man touching Hisoka before but then Hisoka hadn't been
fully conscious. Now he was and yet the boy didn't go into hysterics or 'blasted
him away'⁽²⁴⁾. As for Hisoka's mother... she looked like she had no idea what to
think about what happened. If Hisoka was becoming 'normal' it would have
been a good thing, wouldn't it, she asked herself looking almost pleading at
Nagare for some sort of help.

Tsuzuki sighed, deciding the Kurosaki's weird habits were beyond his
comprehension.

"Would it help if I tell what I saw of the guy?" He asked trying to
sound helpful. "Not that I saw much of him since everything happened pretty
fast and there wasn't that much light. Anyway... he was clothed in white, wasn't
he?" He said turning to Touda as if for confirmation. The man nodded. "And had
white hair I think. Or grey. He must have been taller than me. And older... not
by much... And..." He paused as if he was about to say something then decided
against it, his expression darkening. "Touda you've better eye sign than me in
the dark..." He said turning again to his companion for help. The other looked
back at Tsuzuki as if the two were passing some silent communication between
them then shrugged, crossed his arms over his chest and continued. "Pale skin,
clear eyes half covered by his hair, strong cologne. Musk⁽²⁵⁾." He
said scrunching
his nose as if in disgust. "I bet one can follow his tray." Everyone turned
toward Hisoka expectantly. The boy lowered his gaze, clenching his firsts in
his lap. His lower lip was a bit swollen since he had keep biting it for the
whole time Tsuzuki and Touda talked.

"I... I don't remember much, really..." He muttered trying to keep his voice
firm and failing miserably.

"Come on boy, I'm sure you were the one who got the closer look after
all. Don't tell me you are so dumb you didn't see anything useful!"

"I wasn't exactly enjoying the meeting, you know!" Hisoka shouted unable
to held back as his green eyes shined even more due to the tears that were
threatening to fall.

"You, cursed whelp..." Iwao said as he longed to Hisoka aiming to yank him
closer and give him a lesson about respect. The child cringed but didn't move,
with a look of stubborn challenge. After what had happened to him he didn't
really care about what his uncle could do to him. Iwao however never reached
him since Tsuzuki gripped the man's arm before he managed to touch Hisok

"I think that's enough. He shouldn't have yelled but he had a bad time
and we're only stressing him further." Iwao tried freeing himself but Tsuzuki
didn't bulge. Touda made a tiny, little smirk. Evidently he was still angry
with Iwao for the
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Somewhere I belong