YAMI NO MATSUEI – DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS

THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP…OR NOT?

Chapter Ten: What Do You Get When You Fall In Love?

To the Readers,

Ah the title, where did it come from?

Remember that song I'll Never Fall in Love Again? It is a very cute and upbeat song composed by Burt Bacharach a long while back. I thought it was appropriate to apply it to how Tatsumi and Watari are going about in terms of their relationship.

Happy reading...and belated Happy Valentines Day.

Luv lots and huggles,

PJ Zatken

"You seem better…."

Tatsumi lifted his head from the budget pages he had been reviewing. He was about to stand up and acknowledge Konoe, only for him to sit back down as the elder man motioned him to skip the formalities.

Konoe closed the door behind him and said, "Are you feeling better today?"

"Yes, Kacho…. I was able to rest last night," was Tatsumi's reply as he gave his chief a soft smile. He then rested his hand on a one-foot stack of papers inside their respective folders. "This stack is for you to review and sign. The papers with the red tabs are the places where you need to sign if you wish."

"I have a favor to ask you, Tatsumi-san. I'll be assigning you to work with Watari on a retrieval assignment in his area. If you'd like to read ahead, the transmittal sheet along with the data files are being compiled by the Gushoshin. They'll give you a copy of the folder for your review before our weekly case meeting."

Tatsumi then nodded, his mind today much more focused for work. "Will you be asking me to buy souvenirs for you, Sir?"

"Of course, but I suggest that you find a birthday present first before you go for souvenirs," was Konoe's advice which had been accompanied with a knowing smile.

"Birthday…? I don't –"

Then after a pause of silence as he gave the chief a probing gaze, Tatsumi then realized what Konoe had been implying. "Oh, I see…. It's been marked on my calendar already. I just lost track of the date."

"Yes, so now you remember. It's a week away. I can send you up there a day ahead of him so that he wouldn't suspect that you'll be gift-shopping. If you do it on a weekend, he'll suspect that you're up to something."

"This is very kind of you, Kacho. If my workload's in a manageable state by the time I have to leave, I'll take you up on your offer."

"But don't let him know that you know about it."

After Tatsumi nodded, Konoe then asked, "I'm confident that your relationship wouldn't affect your work and your duties. If any, you'd probably have Watari-san adhere to stricter standards because of it. As long as nothing changes, I'm fine with it."

"Thank you. I don't know what to say…" were Tatsumi's words of gratitude, with him taking a subtle sigh and pondering over how his relationship with Watari had been unfolding for them.

Konoe had a genial smile for his secretary as he said, "I'll see you in our afternoon meeting, Tatsumi-san. Meanwhile, let me take these folders with me for review. Just get them from me after our meeting."

"Yes, Kacho…."

The chief then retrieved the folders from Tatsumi's desk, with Tatsumi opening the door for him and then leaving the door open as he returned to his work.

As Tatsumi worked, the question that had been playing at the back of his mind was, "What am I going to get Yutaka for his birthday? It's also our one-month anniversary. Time really flew by quickly."

And then Tatsumi smiled, thinking about everything that he and Watari had shared thus far and adding to his thoughts, "But I wouldn't have it any other way. I need to find a gift that expresses what I feel about him…or should I buy two gifts since we're celebrating two occasions?"

So Tatsumi focused on his work, dead-set in taking up Konoe's offer and knowing that he needed as much time as he could to choose and buy the perfect gift…or gifts.

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Tatsumi came in and joined the rest of the Shokan Division team minus Terazuma, Wakaba, Tsuzuki, and Hisoka since they were still on active duty. He had a three-inch binder that came from Enma-Cho, with him bringing it back for Konoe's review per the higher-ups' instructions.

Konoe nodded as well as Watari, and the Gushoshin Twins. He motioned Tatsumi to join them and briefed his secretary by saying, "Gushoshin, please turn on the projector and let us review what you've gathered so far. Tatsumi, are you ready to talk about these profiles?"

"Yes, Kacho…. I reviewed the folders before my meeting at Enma-Cho."

With a nod, Konoe then said with a gentle and pleased smile, "Thank you, Tatsumi. We'll start whenever you're ready."

Upon Tatsumi's prompt, Gushoshin Elder turned off the lights inside the conference room while Gushoshin Younger turned on the slide projector.

The first picture showed a handsome and dapper-looking middle-aged man with silvered hair. Although he was good-looking, there was a hint of cruelty veiled on his face. As the man's picture showed before everyone, Tatsumi explained, "This is Kowabara Kenji, one of the top bosses for a worldwide gaming company. The Earl at the Castle of Candles reported a rise of kiseki-listed individuals whose souls still remain missing and unavailable for judgment before Enma-DaiOh-sama. The abrupt appearance of their names on the list and the discovery of their bodies days after suggest foul play. All of the dead have been associated with Kowabara – either as a rival, a staff member, or an associate. Another interesting tidbit is that every single victim had their eyes missing."

Hearing that last statement from Tatsumi sent a chill to everyone's spine, but that did not stop Tatsumi from sticking to the facts and prompting Gushoshin Younger to go to the next slide.

The second picture showed a handsome young man with shoulder-length wavy brown hair and glasses. The young man was a trademark geek, but was still handsome nonetheless especially without the glasses. "This is Miyazawa Ran – a software engineer and an avid gamer himself. He has been employed at Kowabara Gaming for nearly two years now after he graduated from college. He's being wooed by other companies especially after his projects have been money-making successes."

Watari interjected, his eyes scrutinizing the picture before them, "But he looks like he's barely twenty."

"Miyazawa just turned eighteen last month, to be exact. He's what one would call a prodigy. His name appeared on the kiseki just yesterday. We think that it's just too timely for that to happen especially since the offers of employment from other companies increased," was Tatsumi's reply, his eyes focusing on Watari. His lips remained pursed as he let out a subtle sigh, his fingers interlaced before him while he cradled his chin on his hands.

Konoe then added, "Kowabara's due to board a luxury liner called Santa Lucia. He has booked half of the ship for a company party, so all one hundred twenty five of his employees – including Miyazawa – will be there. Our job is to find out the whereabouts of the missing souls, Kowabara's involvement in the deaths and the souls' disappearances, and to save Miyazawa Ran."

Once the Gushoshin turned on the lights since the slides have already been shown, Konoe said, "The ship is leaving the same port as the Queen Camilla had once embarked. I want Tatsumi to get a two-day lead before Watari joins him to avoid suspicion. Each of you has a copy of the case file. The two of you will work together on this case. Your accommodations and your cover are in your folders."

Everyone then nodded, bowing slightly before Konoe and quietly leaving the room.

As Watari closed the door and left behind Tatsumi and Konoe, Tatsumi then said, "I'll leave tonight, Kacho. Thank you…for everything."

With a smile escaping his lips, Konoe told his secretary, "Just bring back some souvenirs and we'll call it even."

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It was late at night when Tatsumi returned to the guest registration at the Santa Lucia, his feet tired and his body feeling sluggish. In a shopping bag that he carried were the gifts that he painstakingly picked for Watari.

Once he stood before the person on duty behind the reception desk, the secretary told her, "Good evening. I'm Tatsumi Seiichiro. Has my luggage been delivered to my room?"

Grace, the reception clerk on duty, said with a warm smile on her face, "Yes, Tatsumi-san. We delivered your luggage at Suite 210 just as you have requested. Please enjoy your stay."

"I will," was Tatsumi's reply. He waved farewell to Grace, headed towards the elevator, and went straight to his room. When he opened the door to his cabin suite and the lights have been turned on, he closed the door behind him.

The cabin suite was huge and was filled with all modern-day amenities found in five-star hotels – the perks of having money, or at least pretending to be someone with money. Part of him felt uncomfortable since he considered such luxuries as wasteful.

As Tatsumi unpacked his suitcase and arranged his clothes inside the closet and drawers, he internally justified that the four of them were undercover and that there were two important occasions to be celebrated once Watari joined him. As he accepted that his posh surroundings were all right considering the circumstances, his mind began drifting back on Watari especially whenever his eyes would glance on his cell phone.

"I miss you. I wonder what you're doing right now," thought Tatsumi along with a subtle sigh. "You and I unfortunately would have to wait until we're together again."

After he prepared for the evening and exited out of the bathroom with his pajamas on, Tatsumi laid on the large and soft bed. He let out a yawn which had been stifled a couple of times as he sneezed, his head beginning to throb a bit.

Tatsumi sat up and picked up his cell phone. After restraining himself on not to do so, he called Watari's number and thought that no harm would come to calling his lover and possibly being overheard. As long as he did not talk about the case, everything would be fine.

As the automated response came on and the line began beeping, Tatsumi smiled ruefully, "He's in Meifu. I guess he didn't go to Chijou tonight, just as we'd normally do every Friday weeknight when we get paid."

In spite of feeling sluggish, Tatsumi kept thinking about the two gifts that he purchased for Watari – one for the latter's birthday and another for their one-month anniversary. "I do hope that he'll like what I have in mind for him."

But then again, Tatsumi would just have to wait and see – all while he tried to ignore the cold that he seemed to have caught. He kept thinking about Watari, his tired body eventually giving in and letting sleep take over. As he slept, vivid images of being with Watari in so many innocent and carnal ways filled his dreams.

Little did the shadow master know that the blonde scientist was lying in bed at home in Meifu also thinking about him.

End of Chapter Ten

Normal Disclaimer

I do not own Yami no Matsuei and its lovable characters. However, I do own this fic and Chief Satori and other original characters.