WARNING: MANGA/ANIME SPOILERS

Parings: TsuSoka (Tsuzuki x Hisoka).
Disclaimer: I own a blender, but not Yami no Matsuei. I wouldn't mind trading, though.
Beta: Luna-sempai. :)

Better Days
Author: EggDropSoup

Part 1.

It was late by the time Tsuzuki returned to his apartment, the dim sun setting to the west made him aware of how fast the time had passed. He hadn't shown up to work at all that day and he wondered vaguely if Tatsumi would yell at him and cut his pay when he went in tomorrow. Sighing, he made his way to his garden, the only sanctuary he had when he was feeling down. Working there always made him relax.

He lifted his hand to the latch of the gate, eyes narrowing when he found that it lifted without any resistance. Someone had unlocked it. Tsuzuki frowned, the only ones who had a key to the garden where his landlords and himself. Not many of the residents of the complex knew about it and he'd only ever showed one other person before…

Hisoka.

Shoving his hands in the pockets of his suit jacket, he wandered around the side of the fence and into his garden. Hisoka was on the patio, wearing snug jeans and a loose tank top that made his pale, slender shoulders exposed to the setting sun. Tsuzuki stopped and admired the way the faded denim hugged Hisoka's backside nicely. As always, the blond looked neat and tidy, careful to keep his shoes out of the wet as he continued about his task.

"It rained today," Tsuzuki called out.

Hisoka kept watering the plants. "Not enough."

He tilted his head to the side, regarded his partner. "Since when were you into gardening?"

"Since you talk about it almost every damn day." Hisoka shut off the nozzle of the hose, but continued to hold it as he turned around to face the older man. "Why weren't you at work today?"

"What?"

"You heard me."

"I had some things to take care of."

Hisoka's eyes narrowed and he clutched the hose tighter in his hands. "That's a lie, Tsuzuki."

Tsuzuki didn't reply, just stared out past Hisoka's shoulder. But out of his peripheral vision, he could see the way, quite clearly, how the blond's jaw tightened in a deep frown. "Behaving recklessly, not showing up for work… People count on you, Tsuzuki. You need to be more responsible."

Hisoka was right, but Tsuzuki didn't have to say so. "Were you worried about me, Hisoka?" he asked instead.

The blond's face took on flustered expression that quickly soured and Tsuzuki had to bite the inside of his cheek to hold back the grin at catching his partner off balance.

Ignoring the question, Hisoka responded indifferently as if the disturbance never happened. "Tatsumi-san wants us to present our reports in the morning at the staff meeting on the Shibuya case. Following that will be a debriefing."

"What time?"

"What time what?"

"Is the meeting?"

"At seven. I'm not here for small talk, Tsuzuki, nor am I here to be pacified. I came because-" Hisoka's eyes widened, and then narrowed as he stepped back. Tsuzuki had stepped forward and there was no mistaking the meaning of that slow smile. But Hisoka didn't need to see that smile to feel the emotions that rolled off of Tsuzuki in waves.

"Don't even think about it. I couldn't be less interested in kissing you right now."

"Then I'll kiss you and maybe you'll get interested."

"I mean it." Hisoka aimed the hose like a weapon. "Just keep your distance."

But Tsuzuki just took another step forward, not at all bothered by the prospect of being drenched. "Go ahead and shoot." He invited. "Or was that all talk just now?"

"Just stop it." Hisoka danced back several steps as Tsuzuki advanced. "This isn't a game, Tsuzuki. This isn't funny."

"You're just so cute when you're angry, 'Soka." He made a grab at his partner, and instinctively Hisoka tightened his fist on the nozzle. And nailed Tsuzuki.

The spray hit him in the chest and Hisoka snorted at the sight of the soaked brunet. "Serves you right! I'm not playing around with you. I'm serious, Tsuzuki."

Dripping, Tsuzuki made another grab, and feinted right. This time Hisoka scowled at Tsuzuki's persistence, dropped the hose, and ran.

Tsuzuki caught Hisoka around the waist, hauled him off his feet at the back end of the patio. Caught somewhere in between shock and disbelief, Hisoka kicked, squirmed, then lost his breath as he landed on the grass on top of Tsuzuki.

"Let me go, you moron."

"Don't see why I ought to." Hisoka scowled again at the smirk on Tsuzuki's face.

"Here you are, trespassing, watering my plants, spouting off lectures, calling me names…" Tsuzuki counted off, rolling to the side as he pinned Hisoka beneath him. Purple eyes were shining with absolute triumph and thin lips were spread out in a wide grin. "For having such a pretty face, it's hard to imagine all the mean things that come out of it."

Hisoka glared up at him with faintly blushing cheeks, evidently not liking these turns of events at all. "Stop it. I haven't finished fighting with you!"

"I'm sure you'll pick it up where you left off." He leaned down to nip playfully at the blond's chin, then his throat, his shoulder... "You always do."

"I-Idiot! You're wet and sweaty and I'm getting grass stains on my-" The rest of the words were muffled against his mouth as he felt Tsuzuki's fingers skim beneath his shirt.

There would be time for arguing later, Hisoka decided, as he reached his hands up to loosen Tsuzuki's tie.

End of Part 1.

Additional Notes:

Thanks to Luna-sempai for betaing and looking this over! I appreciate all her help and corrections, especially when she took the time out of her busy schedule just to help me with this.