Needy

Chapter One: Hisoka:

He spent his summer alone. Hisoka seemed withdrawn from his colleagues since mid-August. At first, no one thought much about it. (Most of them were “busy” after all.) The boy even acted everything was okay. Tsuzuki tried to invite him out to dinner.

“Hey,” the older shinigami said. “That new sushi bar opened yesterday. Want to come out with me?” Hisoka shook his head.

“Nah, I’m good,” he replied. This went on for five days. Finally, Tsuzuki couldn’t understand why.

“Hisoka,” he spoke up on August twenty-eighth. His partner didn’t look up from his paperwork.

“Uh-huh?” he asked. Tsuzuki’s eyes shifted around for a brief second. He leaned in close.

“Is it a new girlfriend?” Tsuzuki whispered. Hisoka jerked his head upwards with a shock.

“What?!” he shouted. His partner had the answer he needed just by looking at the expression on his face.

“Okay,” Tsuzuki said. “Of course not. Sorry.” Hisoka tilted his head at him.

“Why?” he asked. The older shinigami shrugged him off.

“Nothing, it’s just…” Tsuzuki tried to think of how to say it. “You haven’t been around much lately.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re going home earlier.”

“Well, so do you.”

Tsuzuki nodded uneasily. “Well, yeah… but that’s me.” Okay, this isn’t going as I had it in my head. He cleared his throat.

“Is everything okay?” the older shinigami asked.

“Yes,” Hisoka replied. His partner breathed out.

“Good,” he said.

“Are you okay?” Hisoka asked. Tsuzuki jerked his head upwards.

“Huh?” he asked. “Oh, yeah! Yeah! I’m fine, Anna-chan’s fine! Everything’s fine!” Tsuzuki tried to laugh it off as Hisoka looked at him funny.

Right…

Tsuzuki calmed himself down and came out with, “I just miss you, that’s all.”

Hisoka raised an eyebrow at him. “Why?”

“Well, when was the last time we were together alone outside of work?”

“A year maybe?”

“Exactly! We should go out for dinner or something.”

Hisoka smiled and shook his head. “Thanks, but no thanks.”

“You sure? I just want to know why.”

“I’d like to be alone for a little while. I can’t tell you reasons right now.”

Tsuzuki sat back in his chair. “Well, I’m always here for you if you want to talk.”

“I know.”

Neither man spoke for the rest of the night. Hisoka went home without a word. Tsuzuki could only watch and worry about his partner.

Hisoka-kun…

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Hisoka walked up to his apartment. He unlocked the door and took off his shoes. The shinigami made his way to the living room. He smiled in the doorway.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Hisoka said in a soft voice. Jessie sat on his couch in a daze.