Disclaimer: I do not own Yami no Matsuei.

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During his days as the partner of a certain amethyst eyed brunette, Tatsumi had, day after day, witnessed Tsuzuki consume a seemingly undigestable amount of candy. Amazing as the fiasco was, the true phenomenon never came until the bills arrived, a painfully large amount of money scrawled across the bottom of the flimsy paper.

For the holidays after that, and every other special occasion, Tsuzuki could not, even if he hid, escape the onslaught of cards that always had "You owe me money and a happy new year!" in big, colorful letters written over the front. And Tatsumi, in turn, never forgot to be merciful, sending a small box of chocolates with a few of the so-called holiday greetings.

It was charming that the brunette found so much happiness in a small (or large) amount of sugar, the secretary mused. As long as Tsuzuki felt content with where he was, Tatsumi knew there to be no other material possession Tsuzuki adored more than candy. The happy sounds reverberating from the amethyst eyed subject of thought as he munched on a chocolate bar was proof of that.

Tatsumi smiled, peering at the shinigami pair through clear glasses. Predictably, Hisoka slammed his pen on the desk, finally fed up with Tsuzuki's slacking. The secretary was impressed, though, that the blond's temper was suppressed for so long.

"Idiot! You've been eating this whole morning!"

The brunette took a last bite and lowered the candy from his lips, turning his head to look at the blond who sat beside him at the desk. "But, Hisoka! It would be a waste to let all this chocolate just sit there," Tsuzuki said with big eyes.

"I'd rather it go to waste than listen to you eat for another three hours!"

Tsuzuki wagged a finger in the boy's face, in mock but stern scolding. "Shame on you, Hisoka. You know letting food go to waste is a sinful act."

The blond scowled, pushing the hand away from his line of sight. "And indolence is supposed to be not sinful?"

Tsuzuki winced and stared at the boy with false tears, sad inu form in full effect. "You're so mean."

Hisoka only scuffed, turning back to his report. With the several seconds of blissful silence, the blond was able put down two more words to the papers before all was brutally shattered by an excited "I know!" from Tsuzuki.

The brunette held out his beloved box of candy to the boy and grinned. "Have some! Then you'll know how great it is!"

"No, I don't want any," Hisoka said exasperated.

"Just one bite. It won't hurt!"

"I told you, Tsuzuki. I don't want any."

Tatsumi watched from his forgotten/unnoticed corner of the office, morbidly entertained while Tsuzuki continued coaxing Hisoka into tasting the candy. An amused smile made its way across his lips when the blond, for the second time that day, lost his composure.

"Don't you care about anything besides chocolate?" The words were shrill and loud and finally silenced his partner.

Tsuzuki blinked at the sudden lash, though it wasn't the angry tone that made him quiet. The brunette turned around, facing the desk again, and propped his chin in his palm. Hisoka's words running through his head as he thought. All the while, the fury Hisoka had felt seemed to dissipate, and he regaurded his partner, concerned, wondering if he had hurt the man. Quietly, he debated on whether he should apologise or not when Tsuzuki turned back, a smile on his lips. "Of course."

Hisoka stared dumbly, the statement not making any sense to him. "What?"

"You asked me if there was anything I cared about besides chocolate. There is."

Tension dispersed as the blond realized that the brunette had simply been thinking, not hurt. "Baka. That was a rhetorical ques--"

"I love you," Tsuzuki said "even more than chocolate."

The boy blinked, dumbfounded for not the first time that day. The words were clear and articulate, yet Hisoka had difficulty fully registering the line. Then his brain kicked in, and his cheeks became the color of roses. "I..Idiot." He looked away.

Tsuzuki laughed, particularly delighted with the sudden vibrant flush of red on the blond's cheeks. Discreetly, he broke off a piece and slid it between the boy's lips while he was still in a daze. Emerald eyes widened as sweet and bitter flavors filled his senses, and he found himself savoring the taste of chocolate on his tongue, blush never leaving.

"Soka-chan likes it, yes?" Tsuzuki grinned in that annoying, triumphant way.

Hisoka glared, regaining himself with the loss of the essense of the candy. The blond paused--contemplating something--picked up his pen, and continued with his papers for several moments, then paused again and looked at the brunette with an intense gaze. "Shut up."

The statement was so unexpected that not only did Tsuzuki fall backward in his seat, Tatsumi himself stumbled a bit in his corner, catching Hisoka's attention.

"Tatsumi-san? You're still here?"

Being the experienced shinigami that he was, Tatsumi quickly straightened himself and calmly smiled, though his glasses were a bit crooked. "Yes. It seems that I was so immersed in these files that I forgot this wasn't my office." He stacked the papers. "I must be going. I have an appointment scheduled for two o' clock."

And away the secretary went, leaving the two to ponder his odd behavior.

Down the halls Tatsumi walked, still slightly taken aback, but he chuckled, remembering the scene. When he discovered Tsuzuki's love of sweets, it had cost him several thousand yen. Now, in discovering Tsuzuki's love for Hisoka, he nearly lost his composure. Tatsumi's revelations about the brunette just always came with a price.

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BWUAHAHA! I finally finished! And I'm EXTREMELY excited!XDXDXD I actually think I produced something remotely decent this time, so I'm very happy.8D Review! Please?