Author's Notes: Doo dee doo. Omg, I forgot the Disclaimer! –panic!-

Disclaimer: I don't own Yami no Matsuei or any characters therein!

Hey, Literary Eagle! Thanks for reviewing! Always a pleasure to write something that someone enjoys and looks forward to! –grin-

Hi lunarkitty14! Now, now I couldn't hurry that much or the chapter would be crap. I'm a slow and steady kind of writer, but I'm very glad that you enjoyed the first chapter. –giggle-

Hey oh, Nicole, buddy ole pal, thanks for your kind encouragement!

-waves at happygreendragon-Wow. Thanks for the enthusiastic review:3 Here you are.

To all Readers: Thank you for reading this story!

Other Notes: The timeline, starting with E.N.C.D.M and moving to this story, is definitely after Hisoka got his Cactaur (the Kamakura saga hasn't happened or won't) Hisoka got his Cactaur and returned to Meifu with Tsuzuki, stung and disappointed about how weak Cactuar was, while Watari and Tatsumi had already cleaned up the Kurosaki family issue, finding out some 'nice' tidbits about Hisoka's family/background; nothing leaked out to anyone outside of the case.

I think there are plenty of good fanfics out there on Kurikara Ryoh's relationship with Hisoka and excellent fanfics on what exactly happened with the Kurosaki line with the snake God Yatonkami, that have left me with no need/want to try to further improve upon.

With that said, please enjoy reading!


We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,—
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties.

Why should the world be overwise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.

-- excerpt from We Wear The Mask, by Paul Laurence Dunbar


Poor Simon-kun. You worked well to alert me to how the subject was affected by the potion. Your end will not be in vain!

Thoughts about his smashed and unfixable (due to its unfortunate compression between a hardback book and an office table) compact video camera formed as Watari idly walked down the hall, whistling to himself as if nothing was out of place. A smile that fit strangely with the energetic man was on his face.

Earlier, he had made sure to distract Tatsumi with the small matter of his tallied expense budget today, and delivered a dozen donuts specifically for Kachou to stay put in his office.

He didn't have to worry about Saya and Yuma since they were still not back from their current case.

But for Wakaba to do her part, he had dropped certain suggestive hints that implied about love potions in certain breakroom foods and that two particular persons were late for a very specific reason. Of course the way he said it only made them deduce their own conclusions, since neither was really the case. Watari was good at that.

In effect, the gossip mill would be hard at work thanks to the seed that Wakaba would plant.

It'd probably make it difficult for those two, but, really, he was tired of how they were in a state of limbo... figuratively, obviously since spiritually Shingami were in a constant state of unrest neither here nor there in the first place.

The problem with their relationship was that it was not moving, neither forwards nor backwards.

Watari fiddled with his glasses.

It was high time that somebody did something about those two, and Watari hoped that what he had done would at least create a flowering bud, however miniscule.

"Watari-san." If the cold, cutting voice didn't, the dark gleaming glasses gave away the owner's identity.

"Hai, Tatsumi?" Watari gave him a cheerful grin.

"According to the paperwork you gave me… we were overbudget by nearly 30 percent by your damages alone!"

"Ahh… Yes, you're quite right." Watari continued smiling. "But I'm sure Tsuzuki more than quadrupled that, what with destroying the library so many times, and then damages in the Mortal plane."

Tatsum frowned, glare lessening adjusting his glasses.
"That may be true Watari-san, but it would be very helpful if you cut back on wrecking your lab every other day. I suggest you start on that before analyzing another's faults."

The blue eyes grew slightly colder and much more scathing as his tone of voice became lecturing. "Also, based on your explanation for monetary augmentation and on your past unfulfillment of goals in wise spending that you yourself set up, I am denying an increase in allotment for your budget next quarter. Furthermore, I am looking into withholding parts of each of your paychecks as a penalty for the property damages incurred by your lab explosions."

With that Tatsumi turned back around to his own tidy office.

Watari didn't feign the small wince on his face.
Ow. He's touchier today than usual. I wonder what's bothering him? Besides that, my expenses report shouldn't have taken him that long.

Watari's face had a slightly puzzled look on it, before he let it fade into one of his more comfortable smiles. "Ja ne, I'll be back to work then!"

Hearing Tsuzuki and Hisoka's quarreling several offices away, he decided to re-enter his lab to avoid another encounter with the sensitive green-eyed Biseinen.


Tatsumi sighed. Of all days, it was today that Watari decided to give me his Expenses Report and his Future Budget Report…

It made the secretary wary just thinking about it.

Seeing Watari walk away, Tatsumi shut the door, quietly.

Kachou had long ago appointed him to sorting things out with missions to prioritize, and the one that fell in his lap today was a mess. There were far too many candles extinguishing and names written into the Kiseki before the Mortals' destined time was up.

There were no reports of mutilated bodies or strange serial murders, and all the people seemingly vanished without a trace. Beyond an estimated age range of 17-28, the only recognizable pattern was that they were all financially independent and single. Not even their personality profiles, ethnicity, gender, or location came up with a reasonable pattern as to pinpoint a demon summoning or other sinister plot. Whoever or whatever was behind this was extremely superior at remaining hidden.

He had already briefed Kachou on the seriousness of the situation, but at the moment he wouldn't brief anyone else on the case until he received more information on it from the Documents Collection and Informants Division. It wouldn't do to send an ill-prepared team out on a case of this severity. (Whereas in normal cases, the mission is briefed to and then handed directly over to a Shinigami team within the affected District. Then, after receiving a file of minimal information on the persons/spirits affected, it was up to the Shinigami team to research more in depth and then complete the job.)

However, he couldn't wait too long before sending out a team out because that would muddle things up with the other Divisions, and more lives would be taken before their time.

While he hoped it wasn't a comeback from that notorious man, he realized that would probably be foolish to automatically toss that possibility aside. After all, the man's name wasn't in the Kiseki, which meant his wick was burning somewhere within the Hall of Candles.

Too bad it was expressly forbidden to trespass upon the Count's territory and specifically forbidden to snub a life out with the worst consequences imagined awaiting the perpetrator; EnmaDaiOh-sama himself would implement a punishment so severe that nary a Shinigami or any other death spirit would ever prematurely end a life in that way.

Tatsumi looked towards the commotion he heard right outside his door, attention especially piqued by the many hurried knocks, followed by shouting and whining at the door.

Slipping the folder containing the case into the lower right drawer of his desk, he sighed, knowing full well who would be coming in to see him.

"Come in."

"Soookaaaa! We can borrow some clothes from Tatsumi I'm sure he won't—" Tsuzuki looked in, smiling happily. "Oi, Tatsumi! Sorry about coming in late today… but Hisoka's having problems."

Relieved that Tsuzuki was in good spirits, but not inclined to show it on his face, Tatsumi leaned back into his chair; it creaked quietly.
"… What sort of problems?"

But, he wasn't paying attention to Tatsumi anymore; the dark-haired Shinigami was right outside his office door, tugging on something that squawked indignantly. Trying to pull the stubborn Kurosaki-kun inside no doubt.

"Bakabakabaka! I'm not going to--!" CRASH.

Tatsumi looked down at the two, unperturbed by their compromising position. Though inwardly he noted that the two didn't seem particularly fazed by it.

It was a sign of their comfort with one another that had only seemed to grow since the incident at Kyoto.

He banished the memory of that disaster, then recalled Wakaba's conspiracy that he had heard that morning. Smiling brightly, she had pronounced vehemently to everyone within hearing range that Tsuzuki and Hisoka were an "item".

He had, of course, caught wind of that newest rumor, when his daily round brought him to the throng of lazy slackers. It was his duty to check that all cogs of the Shinigami office were working efficiently, especially since he was in charge of the budget.

When he broke up the gathering crowd smartly with a firm word or two about deferrals that would reduce the value of their paychecks if they did not do their work, Watari, who seemingly conjured out of nowhere, was almost too cheerful in stuffing a thick compilation of his expenditures into the budget secretary's hands.

As Hisoka struggled to get up, his lean chest exposed faint outlines of curse-marks through the strips of his shirt. Snapped out of his short reverie, Tatsumi cleared his throat, standing up, and gave Hisoka a concerned look. "Why are your clothes ruined, Kurosaki-kun?"

He blinked when he refocused on Hisoka's face. That wasn't Kurosaki, was it?

Disentangling himself and firmly keeping Tsuzuki's trench coat appropriately wrapped around him, Hisoka stood up, calmly dusting himself off, and stared at Tatsumi with a look of feigned disinterest on his face.

Tatsumi re-cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses. He would only be lying to himself if he didn't think it unnerved him how tall Kurosaki had become.

Based on Kurosaki's expression, Tatsumi deduced that he would be less than helpful at explaining his situation at the moment; the secretary raised an inquiring eyebrow. "… Tsuzuki-san. What did you say happened to Kurosaki-k—.. san?"

"He drank coffee!" Tsuzuki said, beaming as if he had won the lottery.

Tatsumi stood corrected; Tsuzuki's response was most unhelpful, but coupled with the resident scientist's behavior that morning and Kurosaki's present condition there could only be one logical answer.

Looking back at Hisoka, Tatsumi stated as both a question of confirmation and of the rhetorical. "Watari?"

"Aa." Kurosaki uttered sullenly in reply.

"So am I to assume you need a suit on loan from me?"

Hisoka shook his head and turned towards the door, long pieces of his denim jeans dragging on the floor and his shoes in tatters; because of the sudden growth spurt, his slender feet had burst forth from the front of his soft sneakers.

Knowing that he would leave before borrowing from the money-pinching secretary, Tsuzuki immediately jumped into chibi inu form whining distressingly. "Tatsumiiiii! He needs to buy new clothes of his own, neh? Neh?"

Tatsumi coughed looking away at the adorable sight Tsuzuki made. "Tsuzuki-san, buying new clothes would be expensive… nor can I allow Kurosaki-san to take time off because of his predicament; you and he are needed during this busy time of the year as our best Shinigamis."

"If clothes are so expensive, 'Sokaa needs more moneyyyyy." Tsuzuki whimpered for an added effect, sticking out his lower lip, eyes widening and watering up.

The secretary paused for a moment thinking shrewdly, then moved to the side of his office that was adjacent to Kachou's, laying a hand on a panel on the wall left-handed to his desk. "Kurosaki-san. Over here if you will."

Frowning, Hisoka obeyed, albeit hesitantly. He'd much rather stay at home until the potion wore off. Unfortunately, after the lull things, as Tatsumi had mentioned, would get very hectic soon at the office, perhaps in a matter of days. He'd just have to make do with his ungainly frame.

Deliberately, Tatsumi pressed the wall until there was a soft click, and the wall popped open to reveal a mini closet. He pulled the sliding drawer-compartment out that held one full suit and belt hanging from the horizontal bar pointing out perpendicular from the wall. The bottom level had an assortment of folded ties, a pair of socks, a pair of polished, brown dress shoes, and two plastic bags of undefinable white cloth.

Tatsumi reached down plucking up both plastic bags.

"Boxers or briefs?" He asked in all seriousness, gesturing to either of the pairs of underwear, not in the least bothered by what he was asking.

Very irritated, Hisoka balked, stuck between a rock and a hard place. "I'm not answering that."

" 'Soka likes briefs!" Tsuzuki piped up; his emotions clearly read as amusement.

Hisoka paled before blushing to a bright, tomato-like red color, inhaling to scream at Tsuzuki at the top of his lungs, but was dissuaded when the bag with the appropriate garment was placed into his hands; Hisoka glared at the offending item, scowling.

Tatsumi calmly returned to his desk, sitting down, and shuffled through his papers, not a hair out of place.
"I am regrettably certain that they will fit small on you; in that case, I will add an small sum to your bank account today to go buy clothes for yourself. Think of it as a bonus paycheck in advance. I am only rewarding it early because of your special case, and also because I have not properly rewarded you for teaching Tsuzuki to stop spending ludicrous amounts on useless things and preventing further property damages."

Tsuzuki made a choked noise like he was insulted by what the stolid secretary said. "Oi! I'm not that bad!" He waved his hand around clutching a 100yen bill, sticking his tongue out. "I still have some."

The secretary's glasses flashed reflected light and he smirked unable to contain a sharp warning about cutting the chibified man's paycheck again if he regressed back to his usual improper handling of his money. This led to whimpering and whining on Tsuzuki's part.

Hisoka, meanwhile, was left staring at the underwear in his hands, unable to move. If he had understood Tatsumi correctly, then he was really being thanked for taking care of Tsuzuki. Unfortunately, his advanced empathy had yet to receive thoughts from Tatsumi, so he couldn't tell directly, but the soft, very subtle undercurrent of emotions thrumming quietly from him seemed to hold an enormously protective and inflexible responsibility towards Tsuzuki.

Am I just taking it out of context..? Did Tatsumi just say 'Thank you' again for saving Tsuzuki's life?

Making a face at the secretary and letting out a loud huff, Tsuzuki turned to Hisoka smiling cheerfully. Having picked up the clothes, he ushered the frozen Hisoka out of the office.
/This way, this way/

But Tatsumi doesn't need to thank me... he's the one that saved us..

Still gaping towards Tatsumi, who by this time was already bent over his work studiously marking his pen over a report, he was half-dragged down the hall by his bubbly partner.

Automatically reading him, Hisoka felt like he had come in contact with too much oxygen, and because of his dizziness pulled away both physically and empathically before he passed out.

Met with a door, Tsuzuki suddenly tugged on Hisoka's arm towards the office bathroom.
/C'mon/

"Wai-wait a minute!" He resisted Tsuzuki's gentle urging, clinging to the frame of the door.

There were several giggles coming from the other hall offices; Hisoka quickly shut his mouth blushing and was pulled in.

His partner set the clothes down; his left hand palm face up outstretched. "Can I have my jacket back..?"

"You're treating me like a child." Hisoka stated angrily, pointing his finger at his chest.

/I didn't mean it that way../
A flash of sadness arced across Tsuzuki's face, and he nodded too hyperactively with his fake, yet sincerely apologetic, smile. "Sorry! ..I'll guard the door for ya."

"Wait." Hisoka had stepped forward to apologize, but decided actions would speak louder.

Letting the door shut, Tsuzuki paused, turning back only to have his bundled-up jacket shoved into his face, blocking his view.

Hisoka with one arm wrapped around himself held Tsuzuki's jacket out, blushing fiercely. "I'll.. call you in if I need help."


He'll see 'them'! I thought to myself overtly self-conscious handing over the jacket as I felt the inscriptions of my curse dully smolder, as it had been prone to doing of late.

I anxiously crossed my arms with a scowl on my face trying not to fidget under his longer-than-necessary, unwavering gaze.

The depth in his eyes lit up when he smiled, while his mind seemed to still its progressively spontaneous and quirky thoughts for the moment. "'Kay! I'll be right outside the door." The door clicked softly shutting into place, after he stepped out.

Not the reaction I was expecting, but that was a good thing.

I mindlessly slipped off my ruined shoes and socks, and removed my shredded shirt. When I moved to pull off my torn up jeans, what was left of my underwear fell off in pieces. At first I stared and then immediately averted my gaze from the sight of myself, blushing.

Dolt, of course you'd be larger. Comes with age.

Shivering, I took the bag Tatsumi had handed me and opened it, slipping on the— Wait… SILK! He gave me silk briefs!

I quickly put on the underwear all the way, preferring to have some rather than nothing on under the immaculately pressed dress pants he gave me.

Then hurriedly twisted into the dress shirt provided and buttoned it up. Stretching down to pick up the socks I caught my reflection in the mirror, and couldn't help staring.

Forcing myself to stop looking at the foreign face in the mirror, I put on the socks, hurriedly stuffing my feet into the shoes, and was thankful that they weren't unbearably tight. After tucking in my shirt and buttoning my pants, I threaded the loops of the pants with the belt and buckled it.

Tatsumi was right. The clothes were a bit smaller than I needed.

The cuffs went to right below my wrists, the pants were slightly above my ankles, and the shoes were too short and too wide for my long, thin feet.

I quickly picked up my torn clothes and shoes laying about and stuffed them down the refuse bin.

Not bothering with the jacket that had come with the suit since it looked uncomfortable, I held the hanger in one hand and the tie in the other.

The near-tentative knocks that resounded from the door, I knew who they belonged to.

"Hisoka..?"

I stared at the tie in my hand. I knew I didn't need help putting it on having learned from Tsuzuki, but...
"I'm coming out." I opened the door, and Tsuzuki stood there grinning at me as usual.

His eyes swept along my form from top to bottom, before fixing on my face.
/Wow, he looks cute in Tatsumi's suit/

"Your tie's not on." He pried the narrow cloth from my curled fingers as I wrapped my mind around the thought that he found my present condition 'cute'. After looping it around my neck, he folded the collar down before re-straightening the tie, so it would hang three-quarters down on the larger side. He expertly knotted the tie, even as his own was sagging half-done.

"There." His happiness picked up again, before I could get a clear reading of that half-serious.. nostalgic feeling.

Shoving the jacket hanger into his hand, I walked back towards the communal office space. Narrowing my eyes I dubiously asked him if he had finished his reports yet.

"Yep! Which means we can go to Chijou for a quick lunch break! So, let's go!" After plopping the jacket on top of his desk, he yanked at the sleeve of my long-sleeved shirt earnest to go.

"No. It means I don't have to worry about picking up your slack. I have to go finish mine now."

Another whine emitted from him, but he didn't chibify. He merely pouted falling silent as I settled down behind my desk not able to finish my reports in my usual fervor. I felt strange and restless, more than likely from the uncomfortable clothing I was forced to wear.

By the end of my report, my back and neck were aching from tight muscles. Then when I stood up to stretch, the shirt made a loud ripping sound and a button from my right cuff zinged off, ricocheting off the table and pelting Tsuzuki in the face.

He caught it easily once it bounced off his cheek. I stared at the angry mark on his face that faded effortlessly as he grabbed my left wrist and unbuttoned the button on it, intent on rolling the sleeve up some; I grabbed his hand before he rolled it up, feeling the burn of my curse marks brighten. The tip that began past my wrist was uncovered and its light fluttered nervously. His eyes fixated on it; he let me drop his hand because he understood my apprehension (The subtle nuances of emotions juxtaposed with the thoughts that kept streaming through from him validated that statement), and smiled. "You done yet? I'm starving!"

/Gotta wonder if there's a reason why his curse-marks dim or brighten../ He mentally catalogued that observation, while I tried to ignore that he had been thinking mostly of me since the coffee incident.

Yet, again I rolled my eyes at him, finally pulling on the suit jacket. "All you think about is food." A lie, but he didn't mind, going along with the conversation. In fact, it was glaringly obvious that he was used to being a conversationalist with a less-than-agreeable partner.

"Well one of us has to, partner." He grinned. "Besides, there must be a stomach somewhere in there." He poked the middle of my lower back before grabbing my arm and dragging us out. "I just have to find it!"

/Fooood. I'm famished/

I snorted as his mental voice whined, but let him poke me.

"Hey, where are we going to eat? I feel like Thai, what about you?"

"I told you I hate spicy food." I groused out.

"Awww, Hisoka stop being so picky…" /such a kid still../

"I'm not a kid!" I thwapped his head, but he merely grinned sheepishly.

"Hai, hai. Then where do you want to eat then?"

"I don't care, but I want something that has at least some nutritional merit to it."

"You're no fun, 'Soka." A look passed over his face, then snapped his fingers excited. "Oh, I know just the place!" /-cackle-/

I directed an 'enlighten me' look, but he wagged his finger. "Nah uh. It's a secret."

/I'm thinking of apple pie! Hee./

"Whatever." Somehow irked that he wouldn't think about where we were going to eat, I shoved my hands in my pockets as Tsuzuki dropped a hand on my shoulder and transported the both of us to the realm of the living.

TBC.