Birthday Lunch

A.N. Yeah. Sorry. This one sucks. I know, so don't flame.

Watari Yutaka, (self-proclaimed) chief scientist and head doctor…ish thing… of Meifu walked through the halls from the break room.

He had just successfully drug—no, added an ingredient to the coffee without being caught. (Luckily, Bon hadn't shown up for work yet, so there was no fear of being caught via empathy).

He was humming a happy tune to himself and all but skipping to his lab when he heard a profound sigh, followed by a thumping sound.

He looked around for where the sound had come from.

The only possible place was Tatsumi's office.

Oh, god. Watari said to himself, I wonder what payment is overdue this time…

He walked to the door, which was slightly ajar, and peeked in.

Much to his surprise, Tatsumi's desk was completely devoid of any paper work. Instead, Tatsumi was banging his head on the hard wood.

"Tatsumi…?" Watari murmured.

The secretary looked up, a red spot on his forehead. Obviously, he hadn't heard Watari come in. "Is there some way I can help you, Watari-san?"

"Umm… I just…." Watari searched for words.

"What is it, Watari-san? I'm busy."

Time to be blunt, Watari said to himself. "What's wrong, Seiichirou?"

"There's noth—"

"Don't tell me there's nothing wrong." Watari snapped. When Tatsumi opened his mouth to retort again, Watari realized he had no choice.

He closed Tatsumi's door and sat on the desk. "Look. You aren't helping yourself by acting like this." He softened then. "Please tell me. I want to help."

Tatsumi looked away. "It isn't important."

Watari glared. "If you don't tell me, I shall be forced to get Tsuzuki ho ask you."

Tatsumi's shoulders fell.

"This is about Tsuzuki and Bon getting together, isn't it?"

Tatsumi didn't answer, instead, he put his head in his hands.

"You didn't know?"

The kagetsukai's head shook.

"When did you find out?"

"Yesterday," came the answer. "I saw them kissing when they left together."

"You didn't guess before that? It's pretty obvious."

"I just… I suppose I just feel alone." Tatsumi looked up suddenly. "I am happy for them, don't get me wrong!"

Watari smiled. "I know you're happy for them. We all are. Is that all that's bothering you?"

Tatsumi shrugged.

Watari looked around in an attempt to find out what else was causing pain for his friend.

His eyes fell upon the calendar hanging on the wall.

The date was circled.

December 27th… That's… That's…

"Tatsumi… is it your birthday?"

"Yes, unfortunately…"

Watari frowned. "What's so bad about your birthday?"

Tatsumi sighed. "What's not bad about my birthday is the real question."

"Alright, that's it." Watari grabbed the secretary's hand and pulled him up from his chair. "I'm taking you out to lunch."

"Watari-san, it's only ten. We can't go out for another two hours," protested the overwhelmed man. "And anyway, do you even have the money to pay for lunch?"

"I don't care about the time and I know of a nice, cheap place we can go to."

He opened the door, grabbed Tatsumi by the wrist, and began to pull him in the direction of the door.

The scientist saw Tsuzuki and Bon sitting in their office, and remembered his potion in the coffee.

Oh, crap… Watari quickly went to the break room and poured the tainted drink down the drain. So much for my experiment…

When he got to the main door, the blonde quickly turned, and Tatsumi turned with him.

"Everyone," he called, so all those in nearby heard him. "I'm taking our beloved Secretary out for a quick bite to eat. Please play nice while we're gone." And, with an afterthought, he added, "Don't forget to thoroughly clean the coffeepot before you make anymore…"

With that, Tatsumi was pulled from the office and out into the sunlight.

Tsuzuki watched as the two men left.

"Oh, god."

Hisoka looked over at him. "What is it, Tsuzuki?" He asked innocently, although he already knew the answer.

"It's Tatsumi… Hisoka… He's upset about us…!"

"You don't know that, Tsu—"

"Yes, I do! I know him as well as I know you, and I know when he's upset at me."

Hisoka bit his lip and then closed their door.

He sat on Tsuzuki's lap, facing his boyfriend, his own legs straddling Tsuzuki's thighs.

"Look. I know how well you know Tatsumi, but you can't do this." When Tsuzuki tried to look away, Hisoka put his hands on either sides of the man's face, then pressed their foreheads together. "You can't blame yourself for this. I promise you that Tatsumi will be fine, he just needs time to accept us."

Tsuzuki stared into the bright emerald eyes. "How do you know he'll be okay?"

Hisoka smiled. "Watari's with him, and we both know how Watari feels about Tatsumi."

Tsuzuki nuzzled Hisoka's cheek. "Okay. I believe you."

Tatsumi blinked.

He had been dragged to a tiny teahouse in Kyoto, in which Watari was, apparently, a regular.

The blonde had ordered for the both of them, without even telling the brunette what was being ordered.

He didn't understand why Watari was so intent on cheering him up. Many people had tried to help him, but no one was able to really make him happy… not even Tsuzuki.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by Watari talking to him.

"Seiichirou, why are you so upset?"

"Why are you referring to me by my given name, Watari-san?"

"We're outside of work, so call me Yutaka. Why are you upset?"

"Do you really need to ask?"

Watari fought the urge to hit Tatsumi. "Is it so bad that Tsuzuki and Bon are together?"

"No, but…"

"But…?"

When Tatsumi didn't continue, Watari continued for him.

"Let me guess. At least when they weren't together, there was a chance of you being able to have Tsuzuki, but now that they are together, that possibility is gone. Am I right?"

Tatsumi nodded.

"I know how you feel, Seii. Don't worry, you'll get through this."

"How? How can I let go?"

"You don't think I'm in love with someone?"

Tatsumi was taken aback. He had never considered the possibility of Watari in love.

"Who…?"

Watari sent the Kagetsukai a mock-glare. "You're being nosy."

"But… who on earth…?"

Watari blushed (A rare sight!), then looked to meet his companion's eyes. "You. I am in love with you. But I knew how you feel for Tsuzuki, so I knew I could never have you."

Suddenly, the waitress was there, passing them their food. Tatsumi's dish was simple and well chosen, but he didn't want to eat, especially knowing that the man across the table from him was in love with him.

They ate slowly, in a semi-awkward silence, neither of them enjoying his food.

Watari was finished a few minutes before the other man, and this gave him a few minutes to think.

He hadn't planned on confessing, and he felt terrible for doing so on his crush's birthday.

But I brought him out to cheer him up, and that's what I'm going to do!

When Tatsumi finished, Watari took care of the bill, and led him out the door.

Soon, they were back in Meifu, in the grove of Sakura trees.

"I suppose we ought to get back…" Watari said, turning. He was feeling down because he had failed at his mission.

"Wait."

Tatsumi grabbed his hand.

"I know you really tried today, and I want to make it up to you…"

Watari looked back at him. "The only way to make it up to me is to feel better…"

When the blonde turned again, Tatsumi pulled him around and into a kiss.

It was the first kiss Watari had had in his afterlife, and he had forgotten just how nice kissing was.

When they broke apart, Tatsumi was smiling gently.

"Thank you so much, Yutaka. You made my birthday worthwhile…"

Then, he pulled the other to go and congratulate Tsuzuki-san and Kurosaki-kun on their relationship, as well as to tell them about the new one he, Tatsumi himself, was in.