A/N: I drew this quick fanart where Tsuzuki held Hisoka as a child, well he was a guinea pig for one of Watari's experiments. Where Hisoka paints an X on Tsuzuki's cheek making him think he wasn't so cute anymore. So I wanted to expand on this. I remembered this old chapter in the manga where Tsuzuki and Watari turned into kids but kept their memories in tact. In this one, Hisoka has no recollection of his current life so that will make this a lot more interesting. I tried not to make it too long but it ended up this way.
Thank you for reading and tell me what you think.
-Lucicelo
Little Surprises at the Workplace
Watari kept himself from whistling a joyous tune while he scanned the area around the main kitchen. Everyone resumed their jobs but someone always sneaked back inside for a quick snack. He found no one so he hurried on inside. Flipping his hair over his shoulder, he searched for an open container. The vial in his white coat remained tight, sealed with a cork. He didn't need it seeping into his own skin. Someone else needed to ingest it for him to write down the effects. Although, he tweaked this serum from one of his old adventures. One he shared with Tsuzuki many years ago.
Opening the building fridge, he checked through the food. The industrial fridge held the whole Judgment Bureau's food. Everything taped and named. This way no one fought over a missing juice or eaten sandwich. He remembered when someone ate Chief Konoe's lunch when he forgot to write his name over it. He had never seen the man chase after the culprit so fast. Their budget went down after the repairs. It wasn't Tsuzuki who ate his food.
As he prodded the containers, he grumbled when he found none got left open. All closed shut. Any attempt at opening them would make it obvious someone tampered with them. He sighed. Checking more of the food on the rest of the shelves. An idea came to mind.
He looked through the drinks and he saw one with Hisoka's name clear across the label. A clear row with five of them filled to the top. One of the iced teas was half full. A mischievous grin formed. Careful in his maneuvers, he unscrewed the top. If he moved it from the row, he might place it back in the wrong place. He took out his vial and used his teeth to pull off the cork. He tipped it over and some of the liquid splashed inside. Then, he put the cap back on the bottle. He closed the fridge. His grin never left his face.
He jumped when he heard someone walking down the hall. Making sure his vial got sealed shut, he shoved it back into his pocket. He snatched an apple from the counter and hurried next to the sink. Taking a huge bite, he watched Hisoka walking inside. Perfect timing in his opinion.
Hisoka stared up at Watari, he asked. "I thought you never left your laboratory, Watari. This is a surprise."
Watari formulated a quick excuse. "It's such a beautiful day today." He bit his apple again. "You know, sunshine in my face and smelling the fresh air."
"You're inside."
"Snack break." Moving away from the sink, Watari passed Hisoka. "See you later kid!" He exclaimed over his shoulder. "Eat more food to grow more meat on those bones!"
Hisoka narrowed his eyes, muttering. "Not a kid..." He went to the refrigerator and took out his iced tea. "I'm already 50 at this point." He opened it and took a long sip, smacking his lips, he closed the fridge. "Ridiculous."
He left the kitchen and went down the hall. What awaited him back in his office was a stack of paperwork. He already expected Tsuzuki to show up late like every single day. Carrying pastries in his hands, exclaiming being stuck in traffic. Something he never believed. Tsuzuki always used it when his favorite bakeries opened up a new recipe. Tsuzuki couldn't wait until after work or used his lunch hour. Not that it lasted long for anyone who came into the office. Investigations gave them unlimited time for food.
When he made it halfway to the office, dizziness overcame him. Hisoka placed a hand to his head and he rubbed at his temples. His vision blurred. He blinked to rid himself of the cloudiness in his eyes. It went away but returned. He stopped near a wall and slid down onto the floor. Placing the iced tea bottle next to his body. He breathed through his nose and felt his stomach lurch.
He checked down the hall and saw a pair of girls walking toward him. His eyes widened when he recognized them. Getting on his knees, he tried gathering his balance but he fell back down. They squealed and ran toward his direction. He groaned. Yuma and Saya shouldn't had found him. Unless, they searched for him on purpose. Shutting his eyes, Hisoka tried blocking away their emotions and commentary. It made his head hurt even more.
"Hisoka! There you are!" Yuma exclaimed, she held onto Saya's hand and they hurried down the hall. "Good thing we found you! Watari told us he saw you near the kitchen. We have a surprise for you."
Saya grinned. "And we are so glad he told us!" She held the strap of her purse tight and announced. "We have new Pink House fashions for you to wear! Well, we have the magazine and you can choose one out of the pages."
Hisoka's eyes widened, he gritted his teeth. It was too last to escape them. Another dizzy spell hit him and he fell onto his side. Both women dropped their bags and went to his side in a panic. Fussing over him while checking his body for anything wrong with him.
Hisoka cursed Watari under his breath.
An explosion of clouds appeared which made Yuma and Saya back away. When the smoke cleared out, they gazed at each other from what they say. Moments later, they screamed in delight.
Tsuzuki made it inside of his office in record time. He dumped his box of donuts before he slumped onto his seat. Taking in deep breaths, he scanned the area and noticed Hisoka's lack of presence in the room. This peaked his interest. Hisoka always made it before he even appeared inside of the building. Leaning back on his chair, he peeked outside of the door. He heard no one coming down the hall way. He opened his box of donuts and bit a chocolate covered one with a lot of sprinkles. He groaned and wiggled in his chair over the deliciousness. This came close to his love for apple pie. Almost.
He heard the familiar exclamations of Yuma and Saya. From their words, Hisoka was coming down the hallway. Tsuzuki grinned. Now, he got a chance to flaunt getting back from lunch early. Tsuzuki chuckled as he bit his doughnut again. He waited a long time for this moment. He taped his box of doughnuts and placed it on the side of his desk. A good distance away from his stack of unfinished paperwork. He even held a pen and peeked over his shoulder.
Nothing happened.
Tsuzuki huffed. Hisoka must of ran off to escape Yuma and Saya. Oh well. He put his pen down on his desk and opened his drawer to reveal a large bag of different snacks. Licking his lips, he grabbed and few and placed them on his desk. He opened them and went into eating them. Although, he took meticulous care in not dropping any crumbs. Hisoka complained about it enough that Tsuzuki rather avoided having him repeat himself. He knew how to clean up after himself.
An explosion happened. Tsuzuki let out a sigh, at least no one would yell at him for this one. He was inside of his office for once. Whoever made that mess needed to get yelled at before Chief Konoe assumed he did it. Tsuzuki munched down more snacks.
The rapid clicking of heels came closer to the room caught his attention. Tsuzuki turned his chair around in time for Yuma to run inside of the door.
"Tsuzuki!" Yuma cried out loud as she entered the room. "You have to help us! I think we have problem out here."
Tsuzuki dropped his snacks inside of his drawer and shut it closed before he forgot. No one needed to know about his snack stash. "Why? What happened? Does it have something to do with the explosion that happened?"
"It's Hisoka and-" Yuma explained as she checked back on the hallway and sighed. "Looks like he ran off," She sighed. "Let's hope Saya manages to catch up to him before we lose him."
Tsuzuki laughed in amusement. "Hisoka always does it when you guys come over. What's different this time?"
Yuma bit her lip. "I don't know how it happened but...Hisoka turned into a little boy."
Thinking he heard wrong, Tsuzuki rubbed his ear and coughed into his hand. "Are you sure about that?" Yuma nodded her head. "Watari did it again—shit." Tsuzuki sprinted out of the door, Yuma ran right after him.
Tsuzuki and Yuma searched every single place they thought the running duo went into. No results came up. The library only got Tsuzuki kicked out within seconds. This earned him a chuckle from Yuma who went on ahead in a different direction. She thought she knew where Hisoka ran toward since he went there whenever they chased each other. This left Tsuzuki running though the halls. Finding no results while trying to keep himself from alerting everyone else. From the de-aging effects, Hisoka's clothing were too big on him. Maybe he should had picked up some clothes for Hisoka.
He passed an array of windows and a long pink dress with frills caught his eye. He stopped, staring outside, he saw Saya fall onto the ground. Face planting onto the grass. Grimacing at her fall, he noticed Hisoka running behind a tree. It seemed Hisoka didn't care about his lack of clothes as he continued on running. He went behind a bush or ran past it, Tsuzuki couldn't tell.
Searching the area, he saw no one. He didn't need someone going to tell Konoe or even worse, Tatsumi. Taking a chance, he hopped over the windowsill and ran toward Saya. She was already on her feet and she jumped when he placed his hands on her shoulder. She spun around and hit him with her purse. He yelped. Good thing it felt weightless to him.
"I'm so sorry!" Saya gasped as Tsuzuki rubbed his cheek with a pout. "I thought you were some creep."
Tsuzuki teased her. "Nice aim."
"Tsuzuki!" Saya huffed before she turned around. "Oh no, Hisoka ran off again."
Tsuzuki sighed. "Damn," Hisoka couldn't have gotten far with his little legs. A plan formed inside of his head. "For a little runt, he's pretty fast." He yelled out loud on purpose, placing a hand near his mouth to amplify his voice.
Hisoka popped his head out of the bushes. Leaves and sticks tangled through his sandy blond hair. The rest of the body remained hidden inside of the shrubbery. His big green eyes narrowed when he locked eyes with Tsuzuki. Indignation and annoyance clear in his eyes. The intimidation factor went down due to his size and his adorable face. Almost made Tsuzuki and Saya coo in delight. They managed to keep themselves together.
Tsuzuki sighed in relief. Hisoka didn't wander too far from them. He waited on Hisoka to explode when he laid eyes on him. Readying for an onslaught of anger, Tsuzuki put his hands up in surrender. Hisoka just stared at him. He took his downsized appearance into account but he seemed different somehow.
Saya leaned close to Tsuzuki, asking him. "Why isn't he saying anything? He is just looking at us."
"I don't know, usually he gets mad over something like this."
"I know right? He might have gotten embarrassed." Saya pondered as she kept her eyes on Hisoka.
"Maybe."
Tsuzuki removed his blazer and walked toward Hisoka. "Before you think about running, remember, you have no clothes on." Hisoka frowned and stayed put. "Alright, good." Tsuzuki wrapped his jacket around Hisoka's body. "This is a lot of mischief you got into." Hisoka tried escaping from him. "Be a good boy and let me help. Stop looking at me like that, I'm not being a weirdo."
"Yeah right," Tsuzuki picked up Hisoka in his arms as Hisoka looked around. "The last man who tried taking me said the same thing."
Tsuzuki chuckled. "You broke that guy's nose, Hisoka." He made sure Hisoka didn't fall from his arms. "He didn't grab you too long before you used your fists. You have a real nice left hook."
Hisoka furrowed his eyebrows. "What are you talking about mister? The man tied me up and left me in a room. I stayed there for a while. I forgot how many days. I was hungry too."
Alarm bells went off in Saya's head when she inquired. "Hisoka, how old are you?"
Hisoka puffed out his covered chest. "I'm six."
Tsuzuki groaned out loud. "Now, we need to talk to Konoe and Tatsumi. I'm not looking forward to that. You're coming with me, right Saya?"
Saya presented an innocent smile on her face. "Sorry, I can't help you. I'm on vacation."
"Mean."
After decades working for the bureau, Tatsumi expected a perfect week once in a while. He wished for so little. No explosions and repairing the damage. Losing no money. Their whole budget bore no cuts. Headache free days where he looked forward to work. No days without the usual troublemakers in his office. On the days he let his guard down, something happened through the halls. Ruining the rest of his week.
Tatsumi breathed through his nose, rubbing his temples. He tried to keep himself from showing his annoyance. "Watari, you are lucky Tsuzuki notified me before going to the chief. Explain everything to me and in detail. Is this an easy cure like the last incident?"
Watari grinned with pride. "A success is what happened!" He waved at Hisoka who ignored his gesture. "Look at the kid, isn't he adorable? Don't tell me you guys never wondered what he looked like as a kid? He's an angel. Don't worry it will wear off one of these days."
Hisoka glared at Watari when he stated. "I'm not adorable or an angel." Watari didn't hear him and kept on talking about his experiment.
"In a few days or more?" Tatsumi narrowed his eyes. "We can't have guardians incapacitated again. The workload has gotten up at an exponential rate in the last month. You better find a cure for this before any big investigations come up."
Tsuzuki raised his hand and piped up. "Hisoka can't remember anyone."
Hisoka glanced up at him. "Of course I don't know you people. I don't even know where I am."
Watari whipped out a notebook and wrote it down. "That is something I didn't expect when I made all those tweaks. Hmm...when Tsuzuki and I turned into kids we remembered everything. We didn't lose our memories in the process. Maybe I added a little too much of something in the concoction to get this development.."
Tatsumi glanced at Watari. "You should have never made those modifications in the first place. We had a written solution with the other one. Who knows when he will turn back to normal."
Tsuzuki sighed as he placed his chin on the top of Hisoka's hair. "You messed up this time Watari."
"Get off of me!" Hisoka declared.
"Whoops, sorry Hisoka." Tsuzuki told him as he lifted his head off of Hisoka's soft hair.
"Hmph." Hisoka turned his head from Tsuzuki, he waved his hand up and caught Tatsumi's attention. "When can I go back home mister? Or will the police come get me again?"
Tatsumi arched a brow at the last inquiry. He turned to Tsuzuki, all he did was shrug his shoulders. "Kurosaki-kun." Tatsumi looked down at him when he answered. "We can't take you home per say."
Hisoka inquired. "Am I staying here forever?"
"Not exactly." Tatsumi smiled. "Our location is pretty far from your home. So, I will try to see what can be done about this situation. In the meantime, you will be staying with someone here. It can be anyone you feel the most comfortable. We don't know how long this arrangement will last, so pick well."
"Oooh me!" Watari smiled with a bounce in his step. "I can write down every single detail about him. I will not leave out any details from my observations and-"
"I'm not going with him." Hisoka answered as he gripped Tsuzuki's white shirt. "I don't trust him. He's weirder than this guy."
"Kid!"
Tsuzuki hesitated when he said. "Um...thank you?"
"You want Tsuzuki?" Hisoka nodded his head, Tatsumi said. "Then, it's settled, you will stay with Tsuzuki." He turned to the man in question. "Does Kurosaki-kun have any money?"
Tsuzuki answered. "Of course he does, he saves every little penny."
"I have money?"
After an exhausting trip through the Bureau store, Tsuzuki felt tired. It seemed Hisoka didn't want to wear any of the usual clothing in the store. Every single t-shirt and shorts he showed Hisoka got rejected. Hisoka might had gotten some familiarity with the clothing back home. They struck luck when he found some hakama and yukata in Hisoka's size. Hisoka warmed up to the familiar clothing and tried them on immediately.
In the end, Hisoka trotted around with a hakama with dark green pants. When Hisoka tried carrying his own bag, it fell down onto the floor. His pout and reluctance to ask for help almost caused Tsuzuki to chuckle. Despite the age difference, he was still the same Hisoka. Tsuzuki carried it around without a problem. Hisoka muttered a thank you before he walked in front of Tsuzuki.
Tsuzuki checked the time on his watch when he commented. "Hisoka, do you want to go back to my place?" Hisoka glanced over his shoulder. "Office hours are over and I am so hungry." He added in. "I'm assuming you're hungry too?"
Hisoka nodded his head. "Yes,"
"Then, it's settled! Let's go eat!" Tsuzuki crouched down and picked up Hisoka, he struggled a bit in Tsuzuki's arms. "What's wrong with me carrying you? We have to get to this restaurant I know before the special runs out."
Hisoka crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, I don't want to get carried around like a kid."
Tsuzuki poked Hisoka's forehead. "You are a kid. But, I will let you down when we get to the door. Deal?" Hisoka nodded his head. "Sweet! Let's go! You are going to love the food."
"It better be good."
They made it to the restaurant an hour the before the deadline. Tsuzuki almost cried at their luck. Both settled in a table in the far end of the Chinese restaurant. Tsuzuki didn't know Hisoka's extent of sensitivity to the public. Risking such high exposure to a little boy wouldn't give them any favorable results. Throughout their whole afternoon, Hisoka walked around like a normal kid. Unless, his gift developed at a gradual rate and he didn't have the sharp intuition until he grew older.
Tsuzuki read the menu while wiggling in his seat. Everything in the menu sounded delicious and tasty. He wanted to eat everything and even the dessert menu. His lack of money posed a real problem. His stomach growled loud at the thought. Peeking up from the menu, he noticed Hisoka standing on his seat, looking around at the decorations. The awe on his face was endearing.
When the waitress came around, Hisoka sat back down on his seat. He placed his hands on his lap and looked innocent. The waitress smiled at the duo as she took out her notepad and her pen.
"Welcome, I'm Akiko. I will be your server for the evening. Are you two ready to order? We have two specials tonight."
"We are here for the first special." Tsuzuki nodded his head in glee. "Also, this mini combo without any chili." He pointed to the menu. "The kid has a real sensitive tongue to spicy food." They both chuckled while Hisoka looked at the dessert menu. "For drinks, we will have orange juice and soda. Oh, and later on we will have almond jelly for dessert."
"Sounds good," She wrote down everything and noticed Tsuzuki taking the menu from Hisoka. "Is he your son, sir?" The waitress inquired with a small smile.
"He's not my father, miss" Hisoka pointed out.
Tsuzuki ruffled Hisoka's hair, Hisoka pushed his hand away. "He's not my kid. I'm looking after him for someone."
Akiko giggled. "My mistake. I will be right back with your drinks."
Tsuzuki rubbed his hands. "I can't wait." She left their table and Tsuzuki sighed. "It's been so long since I have come in here. I will be so full and sleep well tonight!"
Hisoka glanced at him when he said. "You didn't take me from the house did you?"
"Huh?"
Hisoka explained. "If you were mean you wouldn't buy me clothes or even feed me nice food. Also, you are not hiding me somewhere where no one can see me."
Tsuzuki shook his head in amusement. "We didn't take you from anywhere. Trust me, an office building has no business taking children. So...what was the last thing you remember? You couldn't have run around naked on purpose when you were home."
Hisoka's face turned bright pink. "I don't go around naked. That's for babies." Tsuzuki hid his smile behind his hand. "I was eating breakfast in my room."
"Your room? You didn't eat with your parents or something?"
"No. I never eat with my parents. I eat with one of the nannies I have at home." Hisoka poked the salt shaker. "When the bad man took me, my parents didn't hug me when the police man took me home. When I asked them to hug me they said no."
Tsuzuki's hand clenched into a fist, he hid it under the table. "Did they look worried at least?"
"No."
Tsuzuki saw his sad face so he offered. "Okay, whenever you need a hug, just come to me." He opened his arms. "I will always hold you real tight."
"I don't want to get squished." Hisoka said as Akiko came back and placed their drinks in front of them. "Thank you, miss."
She smiled. "You're welcome."
Tsuzuki thanked her and she left their table. "I give real nice hugs. Trust me on that."
"Yeah right." Hisoka sipped his orange juice. "You must be lying."
Akiko placed their platters in front of them and their conversation lessened. Tsuzuki focused on grabbing a little of everything while Hisoka hesitated on some of the options. It took Tsuzuki eating a bite for Hisoka to deem it safe. Hisoka even stole some of the yummier pieces of food. This brought on a flashback from when they first met and ate at a similar restaurant. Tsuzuki relished at the thought while he sipped his drink.
Tsuzuki took out his wallet and placed his own money on the bill. In good conscious, he couldn't use Hisoka's own money to pay for their meal. Using them for his clothing was a necessity. He ate a majority of the food so he paid.
He carried Hisoka out of the restaurant despite his exclamations.
When Tsuzuki set Hisoka down onto the ground, he fished out his keys and unlocked his door. Eating so much delicious food brightened up his day. Food never brought him down after such a eventful day. The bureau never turned into a bore with colorful characters walking around the place. Looking down at Hisoka, he saw him rubbing his eyes. He even yawned big while trying hard not to fall asleep on his feet.
"Okay! We're here!" Tsuzuki announced as pushed open his door. "We can share the bed and the fridge is full if you want-" Hisoka ran past him and wandered through his small abode. "Hey!" Tsuzuki closed the door behind him and followed after him.
Hisoka wandered through the living room and the kitchen but he touched nothing. Keeping his hands to himself, he got on his toes to check the taller furniture. He stayed silent while he checked the area. Staring at the modernized furniture and the photos hanging on the walls. He noticed a familiar face standing in front of a large building with Tsuzuki next to him. Tsuzuki grinned while the blond teen made no attempt at a smile. He lingered in every single photograph featuring this person.
Tsuzuki trailed alongside him, holding Hisoka's bag of clothing in one hand. Watching Hisoka, he caught him staring at his own pictures. The teenager version of him. He swung the shopping bag from behind his body. Checking the time on his watch, he sighed. Sleep time.
"Hisoka?"
"Yes?" Hisoka stood in front of another photograph.
"We have to go to bed." Tsuzuki informed him. "We will wake up late if we don't do it now."
Hisoka turned away from the photo and pointed at it. "Why does he look like me?"
"Why do you think he looks like you?" Tsuzuki stretched his arms over his head and yawned. "You know you can ask me anything right? I'm a little sleepy to answer real big questions you might have for me but go right ahead."
Hisoka tapped his finger to his chin when he asked. "How did you know I don't like spicy food?"
"That's simple. I know you real well to know never to offer you spicy food. You almost choked the last time you grabbed some of my food." Tsuzuki walked toward his bedroom and opened the door.
Hisoka walked inside of the room when Tsuzuki turned on the light. "I don't remember you. Your name is familiar but I can't think of anytime I saw you."
"I know, you already said that when we were with Tatsumi this morning." Tsuzuki handed Hisoka his pajamas from inside the shopping bag. "You won't believe me, but you're sixteen. To answer your question from before that kid in all the photos is you."
Hisoka's eyes widened when he said. "So..I'm already an adult then?"
Tsuzuki laughed, Hisoka's reaction was so precious. "Oh no, you're sixteen. That's still a little kid compared to me. Almost everyone in the office is older than you now that I think about it."
Hisoka huffed, "That's an adult!" He changed into his pajamas and hopped onto the bed.
"Not at all." Tsuzuki sing songed.
"Yes it is." Hisoka stated as he went underneath the blankets and pulled them up to his chin. "How old are you then?"
Tsuzuki pondered, saying his true age seemed ridiculous when said out loud to a child. "I'm twenty-six."
Hisoka turned away from Tsuzuki when he muttered. "Old man." He gazed over his shoulder and asked Tsuzuki. "Why am I little then? You said I'm sixteen."
"Well-" Tsuzuki loosened his tie, kicked off his shoes and laid on the bed. "There's a real simple answer for that. You're under a potion." Hisoka turned around with furrowed brows. "Watari slipped it in your iced tea. Don't worry, it happened to me too. I remembered everything. I don't know why you just have your childhood memories."
"Is that a bad thing?" Hisoka gripped the blanket with his hands.
Tsuzuki assured him with a smile. "It's not bad. Tatsumi already has Watari making an antidote. Knowing him, he's sitting in the room with him. These things don't last very long anyway. I'm sure you will be back to normal in no time." He anticipated for Watari to fix this problem soon.
Hisoka commented. "You don't look so sure. That man might not be able to fix whatever happened to me."
"He might."
"Your face doesn't say it."
Tsuzuki patted Hisoka's head with a laugh. "Alright, little ones need to sleep." He reached to turn off the light when Hisoka pulled his shirt. "Yes?"
"Can you leave the light on?"
"Whatever you want, Hisoka."
Tsuzuki let out a deep sigh.
His hand ached from all the paperwork he wrote. After all, Hisoka went through them without a problem. His legible handwriting made him a tad jealous. He remembered Hisoka's upbringing, no wonder everything came out perfect. His family's expectations rose higher than anyone else. Whenever he tried asking questions about Hisoka's family, he clamped up and ignored him. Most of the time, he diverted the conversation onto something else.
He tried not bringing up the topic. Having heard from outside sources on the true nature of Hisoka's family life, he held resentments. Reasons he wouldn't understand if he didn't witness or live with him. He understood his reservations. His own secrets remained hidden from his partner and Hisoka never pushed him. It was common courtesy to do the same.
He shook his hand to relieve the tension. It didn't help much. He wondered how Hisoka wrote so many reports without his hands cramping up. Half the time, Hisoka finished everything in one sitting before taking a small break. He watched Hisoka in envy when he watched him waltz out of the room. On some occasions, he thought he caught Hisoka smirking at his distress.
Tsuzuki convinced himself that it was a trick of the light.
Looking up from his paperwork, he saw Hisoka using a paintbrush. Dipping it inside of the ink bottle before making another stroke on the paper. He assumed calligraphy would distract Hisoka from the dullness of the room. An office building had no area where children kept themselves entertained. He wanted to keep on talking with Hisoka but paperwork came first.
He pinched his hand. Hard. Without the usual Hisoka around, he turned somewhat responsible. Only one day passed without him!
Tsuzuki tried not to pout, as he picked up his pen.
He wanted Hisoka back.
Rubbing the sore spot on his hand, he sighed before resuming his signatures. He already had people commenting on his new work ethic as they passed his office. Some did a double take before going on their way. Maybe, spreading around the rumor on how he started doing his work for once. At least, the rumor made him look nice and that he blew up a section of the bureau again.
Tsuzuki peeked from the corner of his eyes and caught Hisoka's drawings mixed in with the calligraphy. Hisoka accumulated a nice pile of pictures that were in a neat row in front of him. He even added in more detail to the first one while he tried not to stain his new pale blue hakama. Tsuzuki couldn't help but smile at the image. Hisoka took onto drawing without complaint. He looked excited on drawing anything without any structure.
His stomach grumbled. Tsuzuki dropped his pen on top of his papers. Grinning, he lifted himself off of his seat and went toward Hisoka. The little boy stopped drawing a cat when he got close enough to him.
"Okay, kiddo. Time for lunch." Tsuzuki picked up Hisoka in his arms, he saw he held the ink container with his brush in his other hand. "You can go back to your calligraphy and drawing later." He held Hisoka up with one arm while he took the ink from him. "You can pick the restaurant this time."
Hisoka nodded in confirmation but said nothing. He lifted up his hand and a grin formed on his face.
"What are you—" Tsuzuki stopped when Hisoka painted an 'x' on his face. So not cute!
Hisoka stuck his tongue at him and waved his brush around. Daring Tsuzuki to comment without uttering a word.
Tsuzuki didn't have the heart to reprimand him. He never saw Hisoka acting immature or even childish. Tsuzuki always wondered if Hisoka went into slight moments of mischievousness.
It seemed when given the chance, he behaved like any normal child.
When he placed the ink container on the table, he wiped his cheek with his sleeve. "Good one." He grinned. "You got me there." Hisoka smiled with pride as Tsuzuki took his brush from his hand. "Where do you want to eat?"
"Somewhere that makes good stew."
"Gotcha."
Wakaba knocked on the door before she entered Tsuzuki's office with a basket in her hands. The smell of sweet baked good filled the air which made Tsuzuki whip his head toward the door. Hisoka looked up for a few moments before he went back to his drawings. He never saw this girl before but she seemed real nice. She brought in sweets inside of the room and her smile was genuine to him.
"Hey guys! I brought in some extra treats if you want them." She placed the basket on their desk and fanned her face. "Make sure to finish everything before I come back to get my basket back."
Tsuzuki cried in happiness as he launched from his chair and held her tight in his arms. "Thank you so much Wakaba! You made those glazing cinnamon rolls right? I craved some tasty pastries but no one wanted to buy them for me."
Hisoka gazed up from his drawing of a samurai when he commented. "He gave all his money to the waitress when we went to lunch today. That's why he couldn't buy them when we came back."
Tsuzuki whined as Wakaba chuckled at his predicament. "Hisoka, you are not supposed to say that."
"It's the truth." Hisoka tilted his head. "I thought it was better to tell the truth than to lie."
Wakaba nodded her head. "That's a real good point Hisoka." She winked at Tsuzuki. "Try following Hisoka's bright example more often."
"He got that from me!"
"Sure you did."
Hisoka shook his head and ignored them. Although, he kept peeking at the basket on the table. Losing himself in his curiosity, he put down his brush and went toward the table. Climbing on top of the chair, he moved the cloth aside and looked inside. He saw a variety of boxes filled the interior and the smell of the pastries overwhelmed him a bit. In a good way. He wanted to eat one.
Wakaba leaned close to Tsuzuki and whispered to him. "So, he doesn't know any of us?" Tsuzuki shook his head. "Wow...I heard from everyone that Hisoka got turned into a kid by Watari. I almost didn't believe it. Hisoka never eats anything Watari ever offers."
Tsuzuki shrugged his shoulders. "Watari admitted he poured it in Hisoka's iced tea. It was already open and he left it in the fridge."
Wakaba cringed, she remembered some of Watari's old victims of his experiments. "That was a big mistake on Hisoka's part."
"At least he's a real calm child." Tsuzuki refrained from commenting on Hisoka painting his face. "Half the time, he's either reading or drawing on paper. He doesn't run off and stays with me the whole time."
Wakaba smiled big. "That's good to know. Most children I ever met cause mischief where ever they go."
"Hey miss."
Wakaba turned toward Hisoka. He held a half eaten cinnamon roll in his hand and his face smeared with glaze. "I see you got in the rolls already." She commented in amusement, Tsuzuki scrambled to the basket and Hisoka put his body over the basket. "What do you think?"
Hisoka answered as he licked his lips to gather more of the glaze. "It's real good."
"Aw, thank you."
Tsuzuki pouted. "Hisoka! Move out of the way! I want one."
"No." Hisoka told him, he ate the rest of the roll. "You will eat everything and I won't get anything."
"You will get something."
"You are a liar. You grabbed the rest of my lunch. You left me hungry."
"Yeah right, you stopped eating it. That means fair game."
Wabaka watched their bickering and she stood in the background. This was more amusing than watching her partner write their reports. She already did her own so she had time on her hands. Pulling up a seat, she braided a section of her hair while Tsuzuki continued on pleading to Hisoka to let him grab a pastry.
Hours later, Tsuzuki licked his lips after swallowing the last bit of the cinnamon roll. The last one from the bunch. A reward for continual work ethic. He smiled big as he picked out another pastry from the basket. Taking one savory bite, he groaned in happiness. He put it on the napkin next to his papers and he resumed working. When Hisoka turned back to normal, he wouldn't believe it when everyone told him he did their work.
His handwriting and signatures provided all the proof.
Checking up on Hisoka, he saw him sitting on the floor. His hand clenched the brush in his hands hard enough that it shook. Scooting his seat closer to him, he caught Hisoka rubbing his stomach.
"Hisoka? Is something wrong?"
"Tsuzuki..."
Tsuzuki signed his name on another paper before placing the pen down onto the table. "What's hurting?"
Hisoka put his brush down and answered. "My tummy hurts."
Tsuzuki sighed. "I warned you not to eat all those cinnamon rolls. I can eat that many but you can't handle so much." He got up from his desk and crouched down beside him. "I can bring some tea or ginger ale." He tried patting Hisoka's head but he hunched down.
"N—No." Hisoka muttered. "I don't want anything. It's getting worse..."
"Oh, okay." Tsuzuki bit his lip. "Want me to hold you? A little bit until your pain goes away?" Hisoka nodded his head. "Alright," He scooped up Hisoka in his arms and went back to his desk. "I give you full permission to scratch me so you don't hurt yourself. I won't get mad."
"Promise?"
Tsuzuki ran his fingers through Hisoka's hair. "I promise." Once he said it, Hisoka dug his fingers into his skin and he flinched. "Are you sure you don't want me to get any medicine? I can tell it hurts."
"No." Firm in his tone, Hisoka used a different hand to grip Tsuzuki's trench coat. "I don't want anything."
Tsuzuki got comfortable in his rolling chair and turned away from his desk. "Whatever you say." He continued on touching Hisoka's hair, keeping an eye on his facial features.
The potion must had gone through Hisoka's system. Affecting his whole body and wracking the pains of his growth. Tsuzuki kept on assuring Hisoka under his breath, trying hard not to panic. His own remedy for an almost identical situation didn't hurt at all. Although, his bones hurt for a few days after the sudden growth spurt he attained. He felt horrible for Hisoka and hoped this passed soon.
In a blink of an eye, smoke filled his sight. He coughed into his shoulder and waited for the smoke to dissipate. Through the smoke, he made out Hisoka's figure. The sudden heaviness on his lap confirmed Hisoka went back to normal. The grip on his trench coat and his arm loosened. A sigh of relief escaped Tsuzuki's lips. At least the difficult part passed and there was nothing to worry about.
When the smoke cleared, Hisoka regained his senses as he fell onto the floor. Tsuzuki got up from his chair when Hisoka raised his hand up to stop him. He managed to get on his knees and curled himself slightly into a ball. He tried concealing areas but Hisoka resigned. Tsuzuki saw more than enough for him to attempt hiding himseld.
"Lend me your coat." Hisoka coughed into his hand, his face red as a tomato when he gazed up at him.
Tsuzuki shrugged the coat off his shoulders and made no other comment. Hisoka looked embarrassed enough. "Here you go." He placed it on Hisoka's shoulders.
Hisoka wrapped it around his body and stood up on his feet. "I'll grab something to wear." He ran out of the room, leaving behind the tattered remains of the clothing he once wore.
Tsuzuki picked up the small pieces and he couldn't help but snicker. He saw more than enough of Hisoka during their investigations for this sudden wave of shyness. Then again, he caught him in such a compromising position and at work no less. Placing the pieces of cloth in the garbage, he sat back on his seat.
He waited to hear what Hisoka remembered.
Hisoka walked back inside of the room and sat down on his desk. He endured grins and whispers from coworkers when they saw noticed he wore Tsuzuki's trench boat. They even noticed his lack of footwear. The onslaught of commentary entered inside of his mind and brought on a pulsating headache. Two days of no empathy weakened his barriers down to almost nothing. With the oncoming investigation, he wouldn't have to face any of those people for a good amount of time. These people knew of his dilemma but it wouldn't stop the rumor train.
He hoped someone did something stupid soon just to squish the gossip concerning him.
His memories as a child resurfaced with each minute that passed. To his relief, nothing big happened in those two days. He expected an onslaught of embarrassing memories but nothing surfaced. If anything, he saw himself painting Tsuzuki's face. Tsuzuki's face brought him so much amusement as a child. Even more in his current age. Too bad his empathy hadn't developed enough to gain a real feel in Tsuzuki's shock.
He wasn't surprised that Tsuzuki took good care of him. When push came to shove, Tsuzuki handled his responsibilities without a problem. He even made sure to feed him and had him sleep at reasonable hours. His younger self did well in trusting Tsuzuki over Watari. Despite his lack of powers at that age, he chose the right person. Watari would had studied every little thing he did to check his results.
"Hisoka?" Hisoka nodded his head to confirm he heard him. "Are you feeling alright? Better? I got kind of worried there for a second."
Hisoka moved a stack of paperwork onto his own desk, "I'm feeling just fine. The rumor train will be off the charts for the next week or so."
Tsuzuki opened his secret drawer and snatched up a muffin. "Well, this place is never normal for long. The news of you running around in my trench coat will be old news tomorrow." Hisoka glared at him. "I didn't plan this you know!" Tsuzuki pouted. "Although, you looked cute in my trench coat."
Hisoka threw an eraser at Tsuzuki and he dodged it without a problem. "I'm not cute. At all."
Tsuzuki grinned. "Little Hisoka was adorable."
Hisoka rolled his eyes. "You will never see little me ever again."
"It's too bad. I'll miss the little you." Tsuzuki munched on a muffin while Hisoka worked on his paperwork. "I carried you everywhere and you were such a cute kid. You still have the cute face but you're too tall for me to carry. I can still try." He wiggled his eyebrows. "Too bad I never took a picture of you." Tsuzuki smirked when he added in. "I did our work for two days so I can take some time off from doing it for a while."
Hisoka snorted as he moved onto another paper. "Yeah right, I'll expect you to continue on working. This proves you are not that useless." He twirled his pen around in his hand. "Is Watari banned from the kitchen?"
Tsuzuki nodded his head. "Tatsumi made sure to put a sensor on the entrances to the kitchen. They will go off if he steps in there."
Hisoka rubbed his temples. "That's good news."
Tsuzuki bit his muffin again before he asked. "What made you leave your iced tea in the fridge anyway? You know the unspoken rule of leaving anything open in the fridge. At the very least, everyone seals their lunches in real tight containers."
"Carelessness." Hisoka narrowed his eyes as he gripped his pen tight enough that it shook. "It won't happen again."
Watari hid the new de-aging instructions inside of a secret hiding spot. His little pet held onto his curls while he moved around his lab. When he stood up straight on his feet, he let out a laugh. Dancing on his feet, he pumped his fist in victory. The fact this experiment lasted two days meant this needed no antidote. Although, he couldn't count out that Hisoka drank a small amount to cause the effect.
Grabbing his book of failed experiments, he noticed one he abandoned decades ago. The side effects made it useless but maybe some tweaking might turn it into a success. He placed it on his work station and read it over again.
003 pulled onto one of his stray curls and Watari sighed. "Wrong one? Should I pick another one?" A tweet confirmed his suspicions. "Man...I kind of want to see how to make this hair growing potion work." He turned the pages of his booklet and kept getting his hair pulled. "C'mon, some of these were good!"
"If you keep talking to your bird, people will think you are insane."
Watari sighed and placed a hand to his forehead. "Tatsumi, are you going to keep on supervising me? I thought you had more important things to do. Unless, you enjoy watching me work." He winked at him.
Tatsumi walked over to Watari and tore the booklet from his hands. "I'm taking this away from you."
Watari arched a brow. "Those are my failed creations. None of them will cause any harm you know."
"Then, you won't mind taking this away from you." Tatsumi pushed up his glasses and waved the book in his hands. "You have a new investigation. I'll give you the details in the briefing room."
Watari swung his legs with a grin. "Just the two of us right?"
Tatsumi walked toward the door when he informed him. "The chief is busy with new recruits."
"That's exactly what you said last time."
The end.
