[Yami no Matsuei] "Conflict of Interests" (PG)
Author's Note: Written for 
fic_promptly's Author's Choice, Author's Choice, Sometimes a virtue can be your biggest vice. Featuring Tsuzuki and Hisoka. Follows on "Interrogation with an Energy Vampire" and "Can't Use the Shadows to Hide From Me".
"I want to go in there," Hisoka said, standing before the two-way mirror looking into the interrogation room, only a sheet of glass and half the room between him and the pale man who sat within. After Terazuma had worked him over and Tatsumi had had a few polite but choice words, some of the venom seemed to have passed out of their suspect. He still sat with his hands folded in on his crossed knees, but he had his head bowed, his pale face thoughtful, no doubt a mask for the confusion and loss of control he had experienced.
"Is that really wise, though? After what he did to you?" Tsuzuki said, coming up beside Hisoka.
"You were in there. Why shouldn't I go in?" Hisoka said, glancing at his partner.
"I suppose there's nothing to hold you back, but... that might be what he wants you to do," Tsuzuki said.
"Are you saying that because you're really worried for me, or are you saying that because you want to wrap me in cotton balls?" Hisoka said, sensing both in the older shinigami.
"I don't want you getting hurt more than you already are: he's done so much to you, and there's still a link between your spirits," Tsuzuki replied, looking Hisoka in the face. But the younger shinigami could still sense that deep concern, that desire to keep his partner out of the line of fire. "Even Tatsumi didn't think it wise to send you in there, said something about a conflict of interest."
Hisoka looked away with a soft snort. "Like you should talk: you went in there and confronted him, and he's got a thing for you. Don't deny it: you feel something for him yourself."
Tsuzuki sighed. "Yeah, you got me there. I only went in--"
"To protect me, I know. You can't keep getting between me and the world, you know. You're my partner, not my parent. And even still, a parent knows when to take the blows for their child and when to step aside and let them fight their own fight."
"Are you accusing me of over-protecting you? I'm just trying to be a good partner to you; you've had my back, now it's time for me to have yours," Tsuzuki replied, irritated now.
"Tsuzuki, you're a good man and the best partner I can imagine, but sometimes, your kindness is more like a vice than a virtue," Hisoka replied, patiently.
"A vice? Since when?" Tsuzuki snipped, darting a glare at his partner.
"You let yourself get into harm's way more often than anyone would consider healthy," Hisoka elaborated. "And you let that monster beat up on you in the worst way. You care more about others than about yourself: you might snap and snarl at Muraki, but inside, you worry for that beast, no matter what you say."
Tsuzuki blinked, mouth open in dismay. "Do you... you don't think I'm betraying you to him? Because any time I've stuck my neck out for him to bite -- metaphorically, of course -- it was to keep him off you, to keep him from sniffing around you."
"Stop running circles around me, I'm not a kid that you can bamboozle so easily," Hisoka snapped.
"Shhh," Tsuzuki hissed, looking to the two-way mirror.
"I won't be shushed, either," Hisoka snapped.
"I'm not fooling, he's looking at us, I swear," Tsuzuki said, stepping out of the range of the mirror.
Hisoka looked up. Muraki had not shifted in his chair, but he had lifted his chin, his face toward the mirror, though he kept his eyes lowered into his lap, a small, sly smile flicking across his face.
"Isn't that room sound-proofed?" Hisoka asked, voice lowered.
"It is and it's secure against spells, but you know how strong his senses are," Tsuzuki replied. "He could have his feelers out here somehow or other."
"Me, it's me he's using," Hisoka groaned.
"You think he can listen to us through the link?"
"Not everything, but I'm sure he can sense my anger," Hisoka said. "Maybe I was wrong about your kindness, Tsuzuki."
"Yeah. If we hadn't been arguing about that, we'd never have figured out his tricks," Tsuzuki replied.
"Let's take this outside," Hisoka said, leading the way into the hall.
fic_promptly's Author's Choice, Author's Choice, Sometimes a virtue can be your biggest vice. Featuring Tsuzuki and Hisoka. Follows on "Interrogation with an Energy Vampire" and "Can't Use the Shadows to Hide From Me".
"I want to go in there," Hisoka said, standing before the two-way mirror looking into the interrogation room, only a sheet of glass and half the room between him and the pale man who sat within. After Terazuma had worked him over and Tatsumi had had a few polite but choice words, some of the venom seemed to have passed out of their suspect. He still sat with his hands folded in on his crossed knees, but he had his head bowed, his pale face thoughtful, no doubt a mask for the confusion and loss of control he had experienced.
"Is that really wise, though? After what he did to you?" Tsuzuki said, coming up beside Hisoka.
"You were in there. Why shouldn't I go in?" Hisoka said, glancing at his partner.
"I suppose there's nothing to hold you back, but... that might be what he wants you to do," Tsuzuki said.
"Are you saying that because you're really worried for me, or are you saying that because you want to wrap me in cotton balls?" Hisoka said, sensing both in the older shinigami.
"I don't want you getting hurt more than you already are: he's done so much to you, and there's still a link between your spirits," Tsuzuki replied, looking Hisoka in the face. But the younger shinigami could still sense that deep concern, that desire to keep his partner out of the line of fire. "Even Tatsumi didn't think it wise to send you in there, said something about a conflict of interest."
Hisoka looked away with a soft snort. "Like you should talk: you went in there and confronted him, and he's got a thing for you. Don't deny it: you feel something for him yourself."
Tsuzuki sighed. "Yeah, you got me there. I only went in--"
"To protect me, I know. You can't keep getting between me and the world, you know. You're my partner, not my parent. And even still, a parent knows when to take the blows for their child and when to step aside and let them fight their own fight."
"Are you accusing me of over-protecting you? I'm just trying to be a good partner to you; you've had my back, now it's time for me to have yours," Tsuzuki replied, irritated now.
"Tsuzuki, you're a good man and the best partner I can imagine, but sometimes, your kindness is more like a vice than a virtue," Hisoka replied, patiently.
"A vice? Since when?" Tsuzuki snipped, darting a glare at his partner.
"You let yourself get into harm's way more often than anyone would consider healthy," Hisoka elaborated. "And you let that monster beat up on you in the worst way. You care more about others than about yourself: you might snap and snarl at Muraki, but inside, you worry for that beast, no matter what you say."
Tsuzuki blinked, mouth open in dismay. "Do you... you don't think I'm betraying you to him? Because any time I've stuck my neck out for him to bite -- metaphorically, of course -- it was to keep him off you, to keep him from sniffing around you."
"Stop running circles around me, I'm not a kid that you can bamboozle so easily," Hisoka snapped.
"Shhh," Tsuzuki hissed, looking to the two-way mirror.
"I won't be shushed, either," Hisoka snapped.
"I'm not fooling, he's looking at us, I swear," Tsuzuki said, stepping out of the range of the mirror.
Hisoka looked up. Muraki had not shifted in his chair, but he had lifted his chin, his face toward the mirror, though he kept his eyes lowered into his lap, a small, sly smile flicking across his face.
"Isn't that room sound-proofed?" Hisoka asked, voice lowered.
"It is and it's secure against spells, but you know how strong his senses are," Tsuzuki replied. "He could have his feelers out here somehow or other."
"Me, it's me he's using," Hisoka groaned.
"You think he can listen to us through the link?"
"Not everything, but I'm sure he can sense my anger," Hisoka said. "Maybe I was wrong about your kindness, Tsuzuki."
"Yeah. If we hadn't been arguing about that, we'd never have figured out his tricks," Tsuzuki replied.
"Let's take this outside," Hisoka said, leading the way into the hall.