Chapter 02 - A Shocking Revelation

That night was the most wonderful thing Watari had ever experienced.

Even the morning had went peacefully. Watari had expected to hear Tatsumi scream like a proper coloratura soprano after they had woken up embracing each other, and the man to start looking for his pants quickly before Tsuzuki and Bon came to work, but no. After waking up they had just stared into each other's eyes and caressed each other's faces for a while before getting up.

And that was that. Tsuzuki and Bon didn't have a clue about what had happened and even if they did they didn't at least show it, which suited him and especially Tatsumi, the blond scientist reckoned. It would be for the best if nobody knew about it. Watari did know that at least Tsuzuki and Bon already knew about his feelings towards Tatsumi, but the night they had spent together should remain as their own secret.

But after a while Watari again began to suspect the possibility of poisoning more and more. He started to get these constant, almost paralyzing moments of fatigue which didn't go away no matter how much he slept each night. They were soon followed by an everyday morning sickness that sometimes even made him throw up. Things went on like this for a couple of weeks. Eventually Watari started to fear for his health and he was becoming even more convinced that the pink potion had something to do with it.

One day at work he suddenly became so dizzy that he had to sit down to catch his rapid breath.

What on earth's the matter with me? My arms and legs ache from fatigue, I feel terrible every morning, I'm always hungry... Am I ill? But shinigamis can't get any serious illnesses! Then what is this?

Watari felt like crying as he pondered the questions that had occupied his mind for quite some time already. He didn't have the nerve to go to a doctor or tell about his situation to the others. They had already noticed Watari's bad state and proposed him to take some time off from work to rest but Watari knew with almost certainty that it would be futile. So he continued to work despite everybody's protests. Watari even noticed Tatsumi giving him concerned looks, but the scientist still convinced everyone that he would be fine.

But eventually he started to doubt it. His unnatural, continuos state of nausea couldn't be a coincidence. There had to be something behind it.

Watari wandered to the library to get a moment of peace to think. He made his way amongst the tall bookshelves, absent-mindedly looking at all of the thousands of books that were written about every imaginable subject, and followed his feet almost unconsciously to the section of medicine and science.

Suddenly his eyes caught the name of an average-sized brown book. Watari let out a small gasp, grabbed the book in his hands and read it for a moment. The look on his face turned more and more shocked and terrified as he read on.

Finally he closed the book silently and placed it carefully back in the shelf. After that he left the library immediately and headed for the pharmacy, trying to convince himself that his fears were absolutely ridiculous.

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The next morning, after he had finished his morning routines - a visit to the toilet, breakfast and the combing of his hair - Watari took a small package he had bought from the pharmacist with him to work. There was a frightened look on his face and his arms were slightly shaking. After a few hours he would know for sure.

When he arrived at work a genki Tsuzuki greeted him with a piece of cake in his hands. "Good morning, Watari-saaaaan! Want some cake?"

"Not now, thanks, maybe later", answered Watari smiling and headed for his lab. If there's anything left of it by then... he thought with smile and listened how Tsuzuki was now offering the cake to Hisoka. Then he remembered again what lay ahead of him and tightened his lips into a thin line...

After about two hours Watari was finally sure about what was wrong with him.

He couldn't believe it. He didn't WANT to. The whole idea was insane and like a bad joke, a nightmare - and yet, if his own eyes weren't lying to him the truth at the moment was exactly what it looked like.

Watari was numb from shock for a while, but eventually an inevitable realization managed to invade his thoughts - that this wasn't only his problem, but...

It took a long while to gather the courage to walk out the lab and to the door of the office. Watari was scared to death to face Tatsumi, and his heart was beating almost painfully against his chest. How could he explain everything?

Well, it has to be done anyway, he thought, swallowed hard and knocked on the secretary's door.

There was a silent "Come in", and Watari slowly opened the door and peeked into the room. Tatsumi was sitting behing his desk his head turned to the documents that had ended up on his table for all various reasons. He didn't look angry. Good, thought Watari.

Tatsumi wrote his name in one of the papers and then lifted his gaze, noticing the blond shinigami. "Morning. What is it, Watari?" he asked getting up.

"E-eeeeeeh..." Watari tried to think of something comprehensible for an answer but could only stutter. "There's something..."

"Well then tell me. Are you still feeling ill?" the secretary continued walking past his desk in front of Watari and put his hand on the man's shoulder. "What is it?" he asked, breathing calmly against Watari's cheek.

Watari shivered and stroked Tatsumi's bangs. "I need to tell you something. And I think it's best if Tsuzuki and Bon heard it, too", he finally said quietly.

"Alright", answered Tatsumi slightly puzzled, took a hold of Watari's hand and led them to the conference room. He left the blond man alone for a while and went to fetch Tsuzuki and Hisoka so that finally all four of them were present.

"What is it, Watari-san?" Tsuzuki asked as fluffy dog ears popped out from his head. Watari stood there in front of his tree colleagues and friends, his gaze glued to the ground, and then finally said:

"You all know that I have been feeling sick lately..."

"Have you gotten better already?" Tsuzuki asked immediately, concern shining from his eyes and his whole being. Hisoka and Tatsumi just stayed quiet and stared at Watari confused, waiting for him to continue.

"Well, the thing is that..." Shit, this isn't going to be easy. "... that I finally found out today what's been wrong with me. And still is."

"What is it?" all three of them asked in unison. Watari hesitated for a while, and then said unbelievably calm:

"Long story short: I'm pregnant."

The effect was stunning.

The room became silent as a grave. The looks on Tsuzuki's, Tatsumi's and Hisoka's faces were beyond shocked, like they never would have suspected in any circumstances to hear news like this ( as they probably hadn't ).

Tsuzuki finally managed to gasp: "What?"

Right after that Hisoka asked: "How do you know?"

Watari took a small, translucent tube filled with some liquid from his lab coat pocket.

"I-is that..." Tatsumi stuttered with a weak voice as he stared at the small object that the scientist was holding.

"A pregnancy test, yes. I bought it yesterday from the pharmacist and did the test this morning. The results were positive." Watari pocketed the tube again. "So, I am expecting a child."

"Whose?" Hisoka asked.

Another silence. Nobody dared to say anything for a short while. Finally Watari answered:

"I guess I have to confess it someday, there's no helping to it..." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, gathering the courage again. "I... slept with Tatsumi... about six weeks ago. Right after I thought I'd finally invented the thing I've always tried to develop." Watari lowered his head even more so that his eyes were covered by shadows.

Again nobody could think of anything to say. Tsuzuki and Hisoka stared at both Tatsumi and Watari, Tatsumi himself keeping his dumbfounded gaze on Watari the whole time.

Suddenly they heard a quiet sob and noticed a single teardrop gleaming on Watari's shadow-covered face.

"I don't blame you for any of this, Tatsumi", Watari said abruptly with a quivering voice. "This is all completely my fault, and it was unfair to drag you into this, too. Not that I knew..."

The man's voice diminished to plain whining as he tried to finish what he had to say. His whole body shook as new tears ran down on his face. "I-I'm terribly sorry for all I've caused, most of all to you."

Watari lifted his head a bit and looked into Tatsumi's eyes. The eyes of the blond-haired shinigami were filled with grief.

"I-I guess it's best that I go... outside for a while... to think. I'm sorry again. I..." Watari glanced at Tatsumi's beautiful blue eyes one last time. His voice didn't shook a bit when he continued in a quiet voice.

"I love you, Tatsumi."

After having said that the scientist wiped his eyes and face with his hands, turned around slowly and walked out of the room. Despite everything none of the three shinigami's still in the room could follow him. The shocking situation had frozen them to where they stood.

At that moment, Tatsumi honestly didn't know what to think.