Hey, this is based on the anime and what I can find on Google search, so...forgive any inaccuracies. Note: this is yaoi! Don't like, don't read! Also, this is my first time experimenting with these specific pairings, so this story is prone to a little OOCness as I navigate the pairings and how they'd work and/or being stopped in the middle if I don't like it. Sorry! Read and review, please! :)

Yutaka Watari heard Hisoka screaming and jumped up to go to him. By the time he got to the infirmary, however, Tsuzuki was already there, comforting the boy. The blonde was clearly shaken, pale and trembling, and Tsuzuki was doing his best to comfort him. This was a fairly common occurrence, now that Tsuzuki was back on his feet after the event in Kyoto. Back when he was still bedridden, it had been left to Watari to comfort the boy, who would awake from his nightmares, sobbing and terrified, the usually-invisible tattoos on his torso glowing a vibrant red. Of course, after Watari had seen them once, Hisoka had made a habit of always wearing a shirt that closed all the way up to the neck and covered his arms, so no one else would see them. The scientist now silently turned and walked away. He had yet to tell anyone about the tattoos, signifying Muraki had not died in the fire like everyone assumed he had.

Sighing, he sat down at his desk to continue tinkering with his latest attempt to create a gender-changing potion. Of course, he had yet to succeed – though he'd created many interesting potions along the way – but he continued trying, anyways. There was a tap on his door.

"Come in," he called distractedly. Tatsumi poked his head in. Seeing that it was safe, he stepped in, shutting the door behind him. With a weary sigh, he leaned against the door.

"How are they?" he asked softly. The engineer didn't even look up from his work. He knew what he'd find if he did though. Tatsumi's normally alert, dark blue eyes would be glazed and red with too many hours awake. There would be tired lines and bags under his eyes. Unable to keep up the effort of looking stern, he would just settle for a blank expression. His clothes, normally pristine and militarily neat - the head of the office had an absolutely Spartan disciplinary code – would be wrinkled from being worn for three days straight.

"Well, Tsuzuki is making a startling recovery, as usual, and Hisoka will be out of bed, soon, but the emotional damage…well, that could take a bit longer for the two of them," Watari replied. "Hisoka has nightmares almost every night, and Tsuzuki is…well, not…not himself."

"I know."

"And he's avoiding help more than usual. Both of them are." Tatsumi's hand came down on Watari's shoulder.

"You should get some rest. We have a room for that, you know."

"I'm fine. It's you who should be sleeping, sir." The scientist shinigami chuckled. "I do appreciate your concern, though."

"I just need you able to do work, when we need you."

"I know. I will be. Speaking of which…" he started, then hesitated. If he brought up that Muraki was still alive, now, Tatsumi would exhaust himself trying to find the insane doctor. No, it was best to wait a little longer. He shook his head. "Never mind."

"Are you sure?" Tatsumi's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"I'm sure. It was nothing important." He fiddled with a single curl of his long, caramel hair, trying to focus on his experiment, which was hard with the other man standing right behind him. Tatsumi released his shoulder.

"Alright then…I think I'm going to get some sleep."

"You do that." He listened as Tatsumi left. With a sigh, he stood up. He couldn't focus anyways. Grabbing his coat, he left the building and headed home to grab a shower and some clothes – maybe he could even find something to fit Tatsumi. No doubt the other shinigami would appreciate a fresh set of clothes. He let himself into his apartment and went to the bathroom. He turned on the water to let it heat up and began to strip. The ribbon in his hair was the last thing to go before he stepped into the shower. The hot stream of water pounded soothingly on his shoulders and back. With a groan of relief, he shut his eyes and let his head lean back to accept the water onto his face. His hands deftly reached for the soap, squeezing a large dose of the pinkish, watermelon scented liquid into his palm. Rubbing his hands together to work up a lather, he began to rub it over his skin. Next, he squeezed some shampoo into his hands and began to rub it into his scalp. Long, slender fingers combed through his hair as he rinsed it. Exhaling deeply, he lingered a few moments longer before turning off the water and getting out. Snatching a towel from the closet, he began to dry off.

Feeling much relieved, he wrapped the towel around his waist and went to his room to get dressed. He had just gotten his pants on when the door swung open, and he spun to find himself staring into the cold, unsympathetic, silver eyes of a certain platinum-haired doctor. Shaking, he took a step back.

"M-Muraki…" he whispered, eyes wide.

"Don't look so shocked, Watari-san. After all, Tsuzuki-san and the boy survived, did they not? Is it so surprising that I would as well?"

"No."

"Who all knows I am alive?"

"Why would I tell you?" The doctor's hand snapped out and grabbed a fistful of his hair, yanking on it hard.

"Because if you don't, you might not live much longer," he snarled.

"Just Hisoka," Watari admitted, tears of pain welling up in his eyes. Muraki smiled.

"Let's keep it that way, Watari-san."

"What do you want?"

"Peace and quiet."

"So you can plan your next crime?" The comment was punished with another tug on his hair. "Ah! S-stop!"

"Watari-san…have I made you angry?"

"You hurt Hisoka and Tsuzuki!" Watari replied furiously.

"Oh, I don't think of it that way."

"Because of you-!"

"No, no. Not because of me. Oh, Watari-san…I was there for Tsuzuki-san when no one else was, remember. It was I who embraced him, I who stayed with him when he was going to take his own life. What's more, the boy and Tatsumi-san both went to him as well. If anyone has failed them, Watari-san…it is you."

"What are you talking about?!"

"Oh, they suffer, and what do you do? You turn a blind eye and bury yourself in your lab. Oh yes, I have seen you on those long, lonely nights, watching from the door as Tsuzuki-san and my little doll try to console themselves in their own agony."

"Y-you're lying! It's not like that!" Muraki pulled his hair tighter.

"Am I? Even Tatsumi-san visits them, but you…you only visit while they sleep. You're too ashamed to even look at them. And it was Tatsumi-san that plunged into the flames to save them. You, Watari-san, stood there and did nothing."

"Stop!" Again, his outburst was silenced with a sharp yank of his hair. Tears flowed down the scientist's cheeks both from pain and guilt. "N-no…I…it's not like that. I didn't…I didn't abandon them." The hand in his hair gentled, cool fingers massaging his scalp soothingly.

"Shhhh," Muraki murmured, suddenly soft and kind. He drew the man against his chest, combing his fingers through those damp locks. "Do we have an agreement, Watari-san?" he whispered. "Don't hurt them even further. Think how devastated Tsuzuki-san would be, and how angry Tatsumi-san…he would destroy himself searching for me, and he's already so tired…" Watari nodded numbly. "Good." The doctor released him and disappeared in an instant. Shuddering, the blond shinigami sank to the ground, holding his head in his hands. Why am I so helpless? He thought miserably. Why couldn't I do anything? He was right here…

Tatsumi awoke to find a set of clothes folded neatly next to him. He sat up, rubbing his eyes and picked up the piece of paper on top of them, reading it.

"Hey, I thought you'd like some new clothes. I think these should fit you, I hope, and I tried to get as close to your usual style as possible. – Watari." He smiled a little and took them to the bathroom to shower and change. He took a quick, cold shower – mostly just rinsing off – and then got dressed into the clothes Watari had left for him. They weren't a perfect fit, but it was close enough, and it was better than his other clothes. He then went down to the lap to thank the shinigami. When he knocked on the door, however, he received no immediate reply, so he let himself in. The scientist was fast asleep on his desk. 001, 002, and 003 were all snoozing in the corner, huddled together. Tatsumi walked over to him to take his glasses off, which is when he noticed tearstains on the other man's cheeks. Frowning, he wiped them away. It just seemed wrong, like seeing Tsuzuki turn down sweets. Watari stirred and Tatsumi yanked his hand away as if he'd just been caught stealing.

"T-Tatsumi-san?" Watari mumbled, sitting up, rubbing his eyes. "My glasses…"

"You were sleeping, so I took them off for you," Tatsumi explained. "Thank you…for the clothes."

"Oh, it's nothing. Did I get your size right?"

"They're a tad small, but it's not a problem. I really appreciate it. Are you alright?"

"What? I don't know…what you mean."

"You look…shaken. Is everything okay? Did something happen?"

"Hm? N-no…just a nightmare." Watari forced a smile, and though Tatsumi knew it was fake, he decided not to push it. After all, if the scientist wanted to say something, he would. If there was one person in the office who didn't mind being open, it was Watari, right?

"Right, well, why don't you get some sleep on a real bed – er – couch?"

"I will, thanks. Oh, there's coffee and lunch in the kitchen."

"Thank you." Watari stood, stretching, and left. Tatsumi followed him out. "I'm going to go check on them."

"S-sure thing." The secretary frowned slightly at the hesitation in Watari's voice, but by the time he thought to actually say anything, the other man was gone. He stared after him. Is he hiding something? He wondered. I'll talk to him about it later. With a sigh, he went to check in on his previous partner and the newest member of the team. He stopped in the doorway. Hisoka was sitting with Tsuzuki, cradling his head against his chest and petting his hair gently. Tatsumi took a hesitant step back. I don't think I'm wanted, right now, he thought, trying to banish the tightness in his chest. I guess Hisoka really has done it. I had my doubts, but it seems Tsuzuki finally has himself a permanent partner. Feeling a bit like an intruder, Tatsumi backed away, unnoticed. Why does it hurt so badly to admit that? I was the one who quit our partnership. I should be glad he's found someone that can handle him. He made his way to the kitchen, forcing those thoughts from his head. I am glad for him, for both of them.

Watari had left a bowl of ramen for him on the counter. He smiled. If he had to be stuck in the office with someone, at least it was someone as considerate and kind as Watari. He never had to worry about the other shinigami being intrusive or rude or slacking off or anything. In fact, despite the scientists love of pranks, Tatsumi would venture to say he was the person he got along most with in the office.

With Tsuzuki, he was strained at best. Hisoka and him, while having an understanding, were a little at odds, and he always felt strangely defensive around the boy. He hardly interacted at all with the Gushoshin, so they didn't really count. He had no love for Wakaba, who he saw as entirely too bright and a little abrasive. As for Terazuma, he found his rivalry with Tsuzuki bothersome, not to mention his lack of control of both his Shikigami and his ego. And any other relationships he had around the office were strictly business. With Watari, though, he had a sort of understanding. The scientist knew better than to involve Tatsumi in whatever experiment, prank, or any other nonsense he was planning. On top of that, despite his brazen requests for more money, he always took Tatsumi at his first answer, never pushing further, and he always seemed to always have a good use for the money he was asking for. Then there was his remarkable sensitivity. Watari always knew when to shut up and let a matter drop and when to offer some kinds words or when to just leave a cup of coffee or hot tea on his desk. None of his other coworkers possessed that same, acute prudence and discretion. He smiled a little and began to eat.