Author's Notes: How... did -this- happen? ^^ Uhm, suffice it to say that I didn't know where this was going, and... well, this is how it's turning out. And now, the real challenge-- am I managing to keep everyone in character... under the effects of the potion? Is that even possible? Should I stop writing this thing all together? ^^

Uhm, the next chapter should happen sometime soon, provided I don't get booed or anything. Break from Watari for a bit, cause I want to focus on Tsuzuki and Hisoka for a little.

Warnings? Yaoi implications starting up. Fat owls. Possible OOC.

Enjoy!


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The Incident with the Owl
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Chapter 2: Surfacing Effects
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It was a fairly usual start to a fairly unusual day.

Which is to say that Watari awoke just a few too many minutes after he should have, cramped in several places from having slept the night away in a small metal chair in his laboratory.

What followed was a frantic dash to find a clean change of clothes- by some miracle, the explosion the day before had left them relatively unmarked- force his hair into a state somewhat resembling manageable, gather his clipboard and paperwork after a quick check for singe-marks, and dash out the door. Only to reach mid-hall and turn himself around to retrieve 003 from the perch where she slept peacefully on.

The office, too, was in its wonted state when he arrived.

Almost.

The fight that Tsuzuki and Terazuma were currently engaged in was particularly nasty, and as the gathered shinigami watched with mounting interest, insults began to reach new levels of creativity. Two minutes after he'd entered the room, it had escalated to the point where Watari was considering offering bets on the amount of upcoming property damage. At which point Tatsumi intervened.

"Tsuzuki-san," The secretary intoned, voice clearly disapproving. "Terazuma-san." Frowning, he peered at the two men over the rim of his glasses. "If neither of you have assignments to keep you occupied, I'm sure that I can find a better use for your time."

"I can't think of anything better than teaching that idiot his place," Terazuma was quick to snap in response. "Tell him to stay out of things that aren't his business, and--"

"What do you mean, 'things that aren't my business'?" The older man's eyes were flashing, anger showing in the line of his brow and the tone of his voice. "-Some- people like to be -nice- every once in a while- what's wrong with that?"

Abruptly, the scientist decided that he needed more information. Edging his way to where Hisoka stood on the sidelines, frowning heavily, Watari settled himself on the desk beside the boy. "Hey, bon," he whispered in a low voice. "What'd I miss?"

"Terazuma-san is jealous," the young shinigami replied simply.

Blinking, the taller blonde let his gaze trail back to the scene at hand. His mind, still trying to shake itself free of sleep's influence, attempted to wrap itself around the situation. "Of -Tsuzuki-?"

The boy's tone was suspiciously close to sulking. "Wakaba-san was being really touchy. You know how she is." Startled not so much by the words as Hisoka's reaction to them, the scientist stared at him hard, blinking.

But Tatsumi's level voice cut off whatever other questions he'd been preparing to ask. "I will find you both extra paperwork that will be -very- much your business, unless you stop this right now. Some people are trying to work here-- I'm sure they don't appreciate the distraction."

"Then tell him to keep his gods damned hands off my -partner-!" It was more of a roar than a yell, leaving every pair of eyes in the office to stare in shock at the man that now stood, panting with rage.

Approaching the color of a mid-summer strawberry, Wakaba crossed the floor in record speed, catching the man by the sleeve of his shirt. "I think that's enough, Hajime-chan," she insisted, embarrassment plain in the color of her cheeks. "Why don't we talk about this outside?"

Moments later, she was making for the door, fist clenched around the fabric of his shirt, dragging him along behind.

A stunned silence descended onto the work room for the space of five seconds-and when it cleared, half a dozen voices started up as one, talking among themselves in low murmurs. Reaching absently to pet 003, Watari wondered exactly what the hell had just happened.

"He started it," Tsuzuki mumbled defensively, wandering over to join his partner and the taller blonde. "It wasn't my fault, and now Tatsumi's mad." Pouting childishly, the man leaned over and cupped a hand over his mouth, voice a conspiratory whisper. "He's scary."

A moment passed. Two.

Hisoka stood, expression one of resigned martyrdom. "Let's go," he told Tsuzuki. No mention of his partner's acting like an idiot was made.

They were gone a moment later, through the same door that Wakaba had chosen for her escape. Watari sat staring after them, gaping like a beached fish.

* * *

"All day," Watari clarified, golden eyes darting nervously about Tatsumi's small office. Two of his fingers were working idly at the feather's of 003's neck, and the little owl was settled and content. "Just little things, but all so -strange-. Especially one on top of another. Haven't you noticed?"

From over the edge of an immaculately crisp sheet of paper, the secretary arched an eyebrow. "I've been working."

"Oh. Right." Giving a nervous little laugh, the scientist relaxed in his seat, relief apparent in his features. "Good to know some things are the same."

"You wanted to see me, I believe?" Deft handstrokes catalogued neat figures on the paper currently lying on the desk. "Was there a reason, or did you just come to gossip?"

"Ah... right. About that." A hopeful grin spread its way onto the scientist's face as he regarded the other man. The fingers buried in the little owl's feathers worked nervously faster, and she regarded him with a single open eye, peeved. "I was so -sure- that I'd get it right this time- the gender change potion, that is- but, well, my lab is a mess, and half of my equipment's in ruins, and... how much of the supply budget is there left?"

Watari blinked. -That- wasn't how he'd intended on phrasing it at all.

"You're incorrigible, you know," Tatsumi told him calmly. "Worse than Tsuzuki sometimes, I'm afraid. He at least doesn't expect to destroy things. It just happens."

Watari was out of his chair and protesting before his mind caught up to his mouth. "Sacrifices must be made for the sake of science!" Striking an enthusiastic pose and dumping poor 003 unceremoniously to the floor in the process, the blonde man clenched a fist and raised it high above his head. It was an inspired gesture.

"Not monetary ones, I'm afraid." Not lifting his eyes from the paperwork in front of him, Tatsumi couldn't see the defeated expression on his co-worker's face.

"I was afraid you'd say that." Settling himself back into the chair, Watari considered the other man, barely paying attention when 003 fluttered up from the floor to settle herself on her human's shoulder. Lost in ways to convince Tatsumi that his invention would save their department money, the scientist didn't noticed when the little owl began chewing contently on a strand of hair.

"A ha! If Tsuzuki were a woman, he could threaten Terazuma into dropping whatever fight came up-- less property damage!" Jolted by her human's sudden motions, 003 made her feathers as large as possible and set into the blonde strand with more determination.

Tatsumi didn't dignify the response with answer. "The owl is eating your hair," he observed instead, hiding a slight smile.

Gold eyes widened fractionally, Watari craned his neck to peer down at the little bird, an amused expression flitting over his face. "Looks that way," the blonde shinigami agreed cheerfully, plucking the owl from his shoulder and depositing her on Tatsumi's desk.

Out of habit, long fingers reached to untie the bow that held his hair back. It would be impossible to force a single strand into place-- from experience, he knew that the only hope was to rake it all back into the tie again. Shaking his hair loose, Watari tsked as he struggled to push it into some semblance of order.

"You should leave your hair down more often," the secretary observed, gaze no longer on his calculations. "It becomes you."

The world lurched peculiarly to a stop. "Eh?"

Tatsumi's blue eyes held an expression that was nearly as stunned as Watari felt. The scientist stared with strange fascination as the other man scrambled to cover up the words. "That is to say, it's a change from the usual. You understand."

"Right," Watari agreed- or tried to. "Not really," were the words that left his mouth, and instantly the scientist was kicking himself for not letting the comment go by without remark.

The clarification sent the icy waters of shock spilling over him for the second time in as many minutes. "Your hair is lovely," the secretary told him calmly-- and an instant later, utter mortification registered in the man's features.

The scientist fled the office, face close to matching the shade that Wakaba had achieved earlier.

Cocking her head curiously from her perch atop Tatsumi's desk, the owl began to preen.

~end part two~