Izumi walked over to him with two pathetic looking plates of brunt buttered toast and eggs in hand.

"Here's breakfast." He said handing a plate and fork to him. He sat next to him taking a bite of his toast. Nishi placed the plate on his lap staring at it.

"I'm not really hungry." Nishi yawned as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Well to bad you need to eat." Izumi said taking another large bite of toast. Nishi felt slightly agitated. Izumi was reminding him of a nagging adult.

"How old are you?" Izumi asked suddenly.

"...Thirteen." He answered hesitantly.

"Your too short for thirteen you need to eat or you wont grow." Izumi said taking a bite of egg. Nishi rolled his eyes.

"You sound like a mom." Nishi said nibbling at the unburnt parts of the toast. Izumi smiled watching as the boy finicky turned the toast over examining before every bite.

"Apparently I don't sound like your mom or you would be taller." Nishi huffed trying not to roll his eyes again. Izumi found teasing the boy entertaining.

"Well how old are you?" Nishi asked trying to direct the conversation away from himself.

"I'm sixteen." Izumi answered. The boys eyes widened.

"What? Your lying! You have to be like twenty!" Izumi started to laugh shaking his head.

"Its nice to know that you would let some strange twenty-something adult take you to there home without question." Izumi said sarcastically. Nishi felt the corner of his lips twitch and repressed laughter. He gave up on the toast and picked up his fork to try the eggs.

"It worked out alright." He said softly with a small smile on his face. The eggs were slightly better then the toast so he finished them.

Izumi took there plates to the sink and washed them. He went back into his bedroom coming out with a school uniform on his arm. He went into the bathroom but left the door open. Nishi watched as he took out the tie in his hair letting it fall back. The man took out a brush from the drawers and brushed out his long hair.

It strangely reminded Nishi of his mother. In the mornings after getting ready from school, he would sit on his mothers bed and watch as she got ready for work. She'd stand in front of her mirror brushing out her long black hair and putting it up in a messy bun before carefully putting on her eyes shadows and liners.

Izumi just stared into the mirror as he brushed his hair he looking quite bored.

Nishi's mother on the other hand would endlessly complain that her lips were to thin or that she was starting to get wrinkles.

Nishi would try to reassure her lightly she looked fine. Truthfully thought she was the most beautiful women in the world. In fact she was the only women in the world he didn't find insufferably annoying. He always felt the strong urge to protect her. It was unfortunate he couldn't protect his mother from the things his father did away from her.

He felt his fists curl but shook his head. There was no point in getting mad now. Izumi closed the bathroom door and in a few minutes came out dressed in a high school uniform.

"I guess you weren't lying after all." Nishi said plainly.

"Nope. I was lying this is just to trick you." Izumi smirk going back into his room coming back out with his school bag.

"Do you want money for a subway ticket?" Izumi asked. Nishi felt his heart drop.

"Oh, you want me to leave..." Izumi who was searching through his school bag stopped and looked up at the boy confused. He had a key in his hand.

"No, I just figured you wouldn't want to hang out here all day. I don't even have a TV or anything." Nishi's heart started to calm down.

"I don't really like television..."Nishi said as Izumi handed the boy a small key giving him a weak smile.

"You should go for a walk." He said softly. Nishi nodded quietly. Izumi picked up his bag and went out the door locking it behind him.

oOo

Nishi was left unsure of what to do. He got off the sofa and folded the blanket neatly.

Realizing how full his bladder was he went to the bathroom to relive himself. As he washed his hands he caught sight of himself in the bathroom mirror.

Something was surprising about seeing his reflection. He was still himself. After all that had happened, even though he felt so different he still saw the same person in the mirror. Nishi felt a slight relief, it was like he had never died.

The closer he looked at himself the stranger he felt. He leaned in closer to the mirror his nose practically touching it. He closely examined his face. His skin looked different it looked clearer. His eyes had always been a little bloodshot even when he was getting enough sleep but they didn't look even slightly red. They were completely clear like he was a young child.

The mirror began to fog up from his breath, he felt panicked. Was he the same person? Nishi leaned away trying to clear his mind of the questions. It seemed like just as he was feeling better about this he got worse again.

Nishi ran his fingers through his hair noticing it needed to be washed. Izumi had told him he could take "a shower, bath, whenever" so he looked around for a towel. Sure enough in the cabinet they were neatly folded fluffy white towels. He played with the taps trying to find a proper temperature and undressed.

Upon stepping inside the warm water running down his back relaxed his frantic thoughts earlier. He moved his head back feeling the hot water hit the crown of his head massaging him. He looked around the shower finding the shampoo and soap.

Nishi had always hated showering. He liked being clean he just didn't like smelling like his mothers flowery shampoo's and soaps. They always left a lingering scent that was much more suited to a women. Just another nonsense reason for his classmates to pick on him.

Izumi's shampoo had a very attractive clean smell to it. Nishi had defiantly discovered the origin of the pillows intoxicating scent. As he washed he looked down to notice his arms. His heart sank and he felt sick.

The boys who bullied him had left heavy ugly bruises all over his arms just two days before. Now they were complexly gone without a trace. Nishi started straining his mind to think of any scars or birthmarks he had. Sure enough the scar on his hand where a class mass mate had cut him was gone. So was the birthmark on his knee. He had never given those marks any thought but now he felt strange with them gone. The hope Nishi had was shattered he wasn't himself anymore. A sudden lightheaded feeling came over him. He hurried to get out of the shower pulling on of the fluffy white towels around himself.

He sat on the cold bathroom floor near the toilet. He felt so pathetic. The room felt like it was sinking Nishi sat with his eyes closed praying he didn't vomit. In a few minutes it started to calm down. His legs still shaking he got up and started to dry his hair with the towel. He picked up the brush Izumi had left and prepared himself to look in the mirror. He didn't feel sick again seeing himself. It just made him sad. He brushed his hair. Parting it at the side as always. Setting the brush down Nishi sorted out the bathroom hanging the towel up and redressed into his school uniform. He went back to the sofa and unfolded the blanket getting back underneath it.

Nishi looking over to the keys he had left on the coffee table he didn't feel like going for a walk anymore. He had no idea how long Izumi had been gone but he wanted him to come back. It had only been a little while perhaps not even a full hour. He needed someone around.

It was moments like this he wished the hardest he could hug his mother again. In the worst days of bullying form his classmates he stayed in his room the whole night curled up on his bed. The sad feeling of being victimized and weak. The entire hopelessness and pessimistic rut and the train of thought that it would never get easier.

In times like that he would go to his mother. Nishi wouldn't tell her what was wrong and he would try his best to keep a neutral face. He would just catch her as she walked down the short hallway to her bedroom. He wrapped his arms around her embracing her for an extended amount of time with out a word. She was warm she smelled like perfumes he could her her heart beat a steady rhythm.

"Something wrong?" She always asked quietly as she kissed the side of his face.

"I love you." He'd always say trying to squeeze her tighter to his chest.

"I love you too sweetheart." She said with a sad reflection in her voice as she smoothed his hair with her fingers.

Nishi slowly let go of his mother's warmth and turned to walk back to his room feet dragging. He felt embarrassed for himself in his pathetic ways to seek comfort. His mother slowly turned around frowning.

"Some people are idiots honey, you may not understand this now but some people are just human trash and you have to be stronger then this." Nishi didn't look back at her. He just went to his room and dreaded the hell that would be another day at school tomorrow.

The sound of a car alarm outside pulled Nishi away from his memory.

The boy curled up on the sofa trying to fall back asleep. At least if he was asleep he didn't have to think about it.

oOo

All day Izumi had thought about the boy, he wasn't entirely sure why. The way he gawked wide eyed at the carnage of the game fascinated Izumi. The facial expressions seemed burned in his mind.

Izumi tried to rule everything out to be just simple intrigue. In his heart he knew that wasn't true. There was a strange attraction there. However their was an age gap and seducing the kid under these circumstances would probably be permanently damaging. Izumi felt a guilty smile wondering how flustered the boy would get if he really tore some aliens in gruesome ways. Or how much of an overload it would be to a thirteen year old's senses if he were to touch him in place's sensitive virgins don't get touched very often. Izumi smile grew wider internally. A little toy he could use and corrupt.

Still on some level Izumi wanted to disregard it all and just have someone whose company he could enjoy. He wanted companionship and someone to be his equal he could train him and they could fight together. He thought about how defiant the boy had been about finishing breakfast. With such an ill temper he was very entertaining Izumi snorted in a chuckle tapping his pen against his notebook as his teacher lectured the class.

He knew he couldn't have it both ways.

oOo

Izumi went straight home after school. He was very curious as what his new visitor had done all day.

He opened his apartment door to find the boy asleep on the sofa. He was slightly taken back he had more excepted the boy to wander off perhaps even go home. He closed the door behind him and set his things down trying to make as little noise as possible as he approached the sofa.

There was enough space between the arm of the sofa and Nishi's head for Izumi to sit. He sighed feeling his back relax. He slouched down and gazed down at the boy who was sleeping peacefully.

He looked much happier now then he had left earlier that day. He was curled in a ball with the blanket wrapped around him. Izumi listened carefully to the sound of his breathing.

Izumi slowly brought his hand to the boys head.

His fingers softly stroked his hair. It was very soft like feather down. He ran his fingers through some more growing more confident the boy would stay asleep. There was very comforting about it.

Izumi felt the nagging urge to touch more, as much as he could get away with. The boy wasn't stirring at all so Izumi slid his fingers to touch the boys face. Stroking the soft cheek. His eyes stayed closed his eyes flutter slightly. Izumi felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand as the boy let out a shaky exhale. Izumi pulled his hand away. His heat was racing in his chest he sat next to him silent for a few minutes.

The boys eyes squinted and slowly opened pupils dilating as he heavily blinked.

"...Izumi?" The boys voice was hoarse and groggy. Izumi felt a flutter of happiness in his chest when the boy said his name.

"What, what the fuck were you doing touching me?" Nishi asked confused as his eye lids drooped again looking like he was about to fall back asleep.

"I wasn't touching you." Izumi said quickly hoping the boy would forget. Nishi sat up propped on one arm staring at him in confusion. Suddenly he seemed to wince in pain grabbing the bridge of his nose.

"Fuck. My head hurts." Nishi groaned. Izumi looked at his spare house keys sitting exactly where he had left them for the boy.

"Did you even get up after I went out?" Izumi asked going to the bathroom's medicine cabinet to retrieve some aspirin.

"I took a piss and showered but that's about it." He grumbled rubbing his temples. Izumi handed him the pill.

"Do you want me to get you a glass of water?" Izumi asked. Nishi didn't answer and just swallowed the pill quickly.

"You probably made yourself sick from sleeping for so long." He said sitting back down he crossed his legs. Casual elegance was the first thought that came to Nishi's mind.

"You should learn how to take care of yourself." Izumi said while he smirked waiting for the boy to fly an insult his way.

Nishi's eyes narrowed looking at Izumi sitting on the other side of the sofa.

"Why are you helping me so much?"

Izumi looked at him blankly for a few moments.

"It hasn't hurt anything." He said plainly sounded like he himself was unsure of the answer.

"Yeah but when you had me kill that monster before, it was weak and I got points."

Izumi nodded seeming to be waiting for something. Nishi's eyebrow arched in question.

"What?" He asked feeling frustrated as the man had a small condescending grin that infuriated Nishi. Izumi gave a short and shallow laugh seeing the boy losing his temper already.

"It was just three points," He said sternly.

"Its nothing to get worked up about." Izumi tucked some of his long hair behind his ears.

Nishi glanced at him and looked away.

"Still." He said bitterly.

"You don't like being under informed do you?" Izumi said turning his head to look at the boy.

"Who does?" Nishi answered feeling Izumi watching him made him slightly uncomfortable.

Izumi took a deep exhale.

"Oh, you would be very surprised. Lots of people would rather live in the dark." Nishi shook his head. Rejecting the idea at once.

"Well I'm not one of those people." He said quickly. The upper corners of Izumi's lips quirked up.

"Good, neither am I." His voice came out soundly like the purr of a cat it felt very praise full.

Nishi felt a moment of slight satisfaction like he had said the correct answer to a teachers question. Only it wasn't some dumb school teacher, it was Izumi. A skilled fighter, that could slaughter alien beasts to hell and flooded sewer gutters with their thick blood... the blush started to creep up on him again.

"You know," Nishi said looking the man in the eyes. "you sounded like a real condescending jackass just now." The boy had a big smile on his face. His eyes shined with more intent for mischief then to hurt feelings.

"You agreed with me." Izumi refuted.

A silence over came the room as Nishi threw off the rest of his blanket cover folding it neatly.

An extremely awkward silence stretched looking at the light fading outside Izumi felt the need to ask more questions.

"So do you want me to take you home?" He asked.

Nishi crossed his arms lounging back on the couch.

"Not really." He said the corners of his lips jerked up to a smile but his eyes looked sad.

"You do have a home right?" Izumi asked slowly cocking his eyebrow.

"Well." Nishi looked out the window. "Yeah, I guess I do."

"Its not like an orphanage or something right, you have parents?" Izumi said finding some element of this conversion uncomfortable. He enjoyed having Nishi around however if a loving family was rounding up search parties for this boy as they spoke.

"Yeah, I got a dad." Nishi said patently.

"Look, I need to know how you died." Izumi said looking at him seriously.

"Why?" Nishi asked his posture stiffening.

"Sometimes when people go to the Gantz room..." Izumi wasn't sure how to word this without crushing the boy. Had he realized he might not be the same person? "Sometimes, their 'old self' is still alive."

Izumi felt his insides cringe walking on eggshells hadn't worked and in Nishi's eyes sparked the look of horror and sadness as Nishi ran his fingers through his hair his face looked pained and sick like he might cry.

Izumi repressed the urge to roll his eyes.

Not another crier.

"I knew it!" The boy gasped sounding short of breathe. Izumi thought he might be hyperventilating.

"I knew I wasn't the same person! I just knew it!" He shook pulling his knee's up to his chest he sat and cried on about mostly unintelligible things.

"There not my memories its all just a lie, I just started up were some poor bastard left off!" Nishi was almost screaming now streams of tears across his face. Something distributed Izumi about Nishi's fit while it was annoying and disgusting as it was actually starting to feel bad for himself, he had always tried his best to push those thoughts about an existence through Gantz away.