Breaking Tradition by silvershadeus

Disclaimer: I do not own Yami no Matsuei, I'm just borrowing it for a little bit.

This fic takes place in the "Calculated Risks" timeline

Tatsumi walked into the break room in time to catch the tail end of a conversation between Watari and Wakaba. One which involved a great deal of smiling and laughter that wasn't exactly cheerful and not quite sinister, but rather skirting the edges of both.

And then they turned to see him hovering just inside the doorway, empty mug of tea in hand and not liking the looks they were giving him at all. Things tended to happen when the two of them teamed up. Things that put anything the combined forces of Watari and Tsuzuki were capable of to shame.

"Tatsumi! Just the person I wanted to see." Watari said by way of greeting, smiling at him as he set a large paper bag aside. "Do you happen to have any plans tonight?"

Eyes narrowing as he tried to keep them both in his field of vision Tatsumi edged towards the break room sink. "Would you mind if I asked as to why you're inquiring?"

Watari shrugged, gaze sliding to meet Wakaba's. "We haven't really seen each other all week, so I thought it would be nice to do something together, maybe get something to eat, but if you're busy - "

Something like guilt hit him then, and he found himself agreeing to dinner before Watari had finished talking. The smile he was rewarded with made up for the flash of unease he'd felt at agreeing so readily. After all...

"Great, I'll be expecting you around seven then." Watari said, gathering his things and walking out of the room with a parting wave.

Tatsumi stared after him for a moment, wondering if it was too late to take his words back when he realized Wakaba was still there.

Staring at him.

Smiling at him with the same smile she so often favored Hisoka with. "I'm so glad you took Watari up on his offer, Tatsumi." She said, voice lowered as she glanced at the door as though she was afraid of being overheard. "The truth is I feel guilty because I had to cancel the plans Watari and I had for tonight, but if you'll be there I'm sure everything will be fine."

And then she giggled.

Tatsumi's hand tightened on his mug. "Pardon?"

Wakaba shook her head and leaned forward, crooking her finger at Tatsumi who obligingly leaned closer. "Take this with you tonight, but don't open it until later." Wakaba told him in a tone of voice that brooked no argument. "It's for after."

Tatsumi stared at the bag she'd pressed into his hand and tried not to let his apprehension show. "'For after'?"

Wakaba nodded, cheery smile in place once again. "Watari always forgets it, but I think it's the most important thing to have."

"...I see." Tatsumi said, completely and utterly at a loss for anything else to say.

Wakaba grinned at him and took her leave, an extra bounce in her step that did nothing to alleviate the steadily growing sense of trepidation Tatsumi felt.

Despite any misgivings he might have had regarding the whole affair, Tatsumi managed to arrive at Watari's apartment a little before seven. He brought with him the bag Wakaba had given him and a container of jasmine tea that Watari had expressed a fondness for the last time they'd had dinner together. As far as protocol went for concerning such things it was far from typical, but then again so was Watari, not to mention this odd little relationship of theirs.

Watari opened the door just as he was lifting a hand to knock, a smile on his face. "Right on time as usual, Tatsumi." Watari said, moving aside to let him in. "Make yourself at home, I need to let 003 out first - she's been itching to go out all evening."

Raising an eyebrow, Tatsumi held the paper bag up. "Is there a place for me to put this? Wakaba gave it to earlier and told me to bring it tonight."

Watari cocked his head to the side as he looked at the bag. "She did? That's strange...I wonder why - "

Tatsumi's eyes narrowed as Watari broke off, eyes widening in realization.

"Oh. Oh! I see now." He muttered to himself, looking around for a clear spot to put the bag. "You can leave it here on the coffee table for now, we'll need it later."

And again, Tatsumi felt that little stab of unease, wondering what he'd been thinking to agree to -

"Is that the jasmine tea we had last time?"

Looking up at Watari's question, Tatsumi considered the possibility that perhaps he had some sort of weakness to that particular expression on Watari's face. Surely the wistful little smile wasn't helping matters any.

Clearing his throat, Tatsumi held the container out, feeling a bit…uneasy as he spoke. "I thought since you seemed to like it so much you might care to have some of your own."

Watari smiled as he accepted the gift with heartfelt thanks and it was then that Tatsumi knew he was helpless against that smile. Oddly enough, that didn't seem to worry him as much as it should have, all things considered.

Once dinner was done with and the dishes cleared away Watari turned to Tatsumi with a smile that wasn't quite so much friendly as it was more…predatory.

"And now for the after." Watari declared with a great deal of enthusiasm that did nothing for Tatsumi's nerves.

Tatsumi stared, the feeling of trepidation he'd nurtured throughout the day rousing once more. "'The after'?"

Watari smiled, holding up the bag Tatsumi had brought as he gestured at the hallway leading to his bedroom. "Of course! This is what tonight is really about, you know." He said, leaning towards Tatsumi and lowering his voice to a whisper. "Dinner was just a bonus."

"...I see."

Watari shot him an amused look as he straightened up, but said nothing as he opened the bag Tatsumi had brought, poking at the contents with a thoughtful air. "Oh...now see, I always forget about this." He said, pulling a small plastic tube out of the bag to show Tatsumi. "Wakaba always tells me it's the most important thing, but I get too caught up with everything else to remember."

It was at that point that Tatsumi gave serious consideration to –

Watari took Tatsumi by the arm and began pulling him down the hallway. "Well, come on, we need to get you out of those clothes if we're going to get anything done tonight."

Tatsumi followed reluctantly, giving the door one last longing look before Watari pulled him into his bedroom, closing the door behind them.

Watari released his arm as they stepped into the bedroom, moving towards the bathroom attached to it to set the bag down. "Sorry it's such a mess, I didn't have time to clean with everything else."

Tatsumi looked around and failed to see what Watari was apologizing for, but made the proper noises out of politeness anyway, which earned him a small grateful smile. He watched as Watari opened the closet door to pull out a terrycloth bathrobe.

"Here…this should fit you." Watari said holding it out to him as he turned around. "Go change into this while I get things ready out here."

Taking the bathrobe it occurred to Tatsumi that he probably should have asked Watari exactly what it was they were going to be doing. Every indication pointed to something he'd rather not think about just yet, and yet…Watari seemed perfectly at ease. So clearly –

"Tatsumi? Is something wrong?"

Sighing inwardly, Tatsumi's grip on the bathrobe tightened and he disappeared into the bathroom with only a little bit of apprehension. After all this was Watari, and Watari knew better than to… Watari knew better.

Ten minutes later Tatsumi found himself wearing the bathrobe sitting on the closed lid of Watari's toilet while Watari himself puttered around by the bathroom sink in a t-shirt and sweatpants. There were two bags on the counter and Watari was placing the contents onto the counter, pausing every once in a while to peer closely at the labels on the containers.

"Facials?"

"Didn't Wakaba tell you?" Watari asked, holding a small jar up to the light. "This is sort of an annual tradition of ours, kind of like a 'girls night in', but she had to cancel tonight because she had other plans."

"…I see." Tatsumi said, feeling a bit…on the dazed side at this turn of events.

Surely the reality far outstripped anything he might have imagined. There was still that feeling of…disquiet within him, but it was lessened by -

"Not that you're a replacement for her or anything, you know." Watari said quickly as he turned to meet Tatsumi's gaze. "I just thought this might be a fun thing for us to do."

Tatsumi had nothing to say to that, so he settled on watching Watari organize the jars and bottles using some sort of system he could only guess at.

"You don't mind, do you?"

Looking up, Tatsumi was surprised to see that Watari actually seemed to be a little bit…uncertain as to his reaction.

"No, this is fine."

Watari smiled at him and turned back to what he was doing with a little smile. "All right, that should just about do it…now to get the water ready."

Tatsumi watched as Watari disappeared from the bathroom, wondering just what he'd gotten himself into when Watari returned with a large steaming bowl and a towel over his shoulder.

"You'll need to come over here for a bit, Tatsumi. There's a stool here for you to sit on, and this really won't take too long."

Eyebrow raised, Tatsumi did as he was asked, settling onto the stool while Watari set the bowl down on the counter next to the assorted jars and bottles.

"Take off your glasses off, please," Watari asked, holding a hand out, "you won't need them for this next part."

Giving Watari a wary look, Tatsumi removed his glasses and handed them to Watari, who smiled and placed them on the bathroom counter.

"Okay, now lean back a little while I pour the water in, I wouldn't want you to get burned." Watari said, picking the bowl up and waiting for Tatsumi to lean back before pouring the hot water into the sink. "Now lean forward a little and try to relax."

Tatsumi leaned forward, Watari's hand on the back of his neck until his face was over the sink, tensing when Watari draped the towel over his head and sink.

"Step one of any really good facial," Watari recited, a smile in his voice as he gave Tatsumi's neck a reassuring squeeze, "is steaming. All you have to do is sit there for a few minutes and relax, the steam does the work for you."

"Watari…"

"Hmmm?"

"Do you and Wakaba do this sort of thing often?"

"Often enough, though we usually trade hair care tips, watch movies, and eat ice cream too. It's kind of a bonding thing for us."

"Then why – "

Watari smiled at the confusion in Tatsumi's voice. "Well, I seem to remember mentioning that you didn't strike me as being a flowers and chocolates kind of person at some point."

"You did." Tatsumi agreed, a hint of wariness in his voice now. "But I fail to see – "

"We've all been so busy with work lately, and I thought it might be nice to spend a little time together while we can, and it wouldn't hurt you to be…pampered once in a while."

"'Pampered'?"

Watari smiled as he examined the bottles on the counter one more time. "Not exactly something you'd want to get out around the office as it would ruin your reputation, I know. It's just…"

"Watari?"

Watari sighed, crossing his arms as he leaned against the bathroom counter looking at Tatsumi. "It's difficult trying to decide what to do for someone on Valentine's Day when they're not a flowers and chocolates kind of person, you know. Judging by all the propaganda that gets thrown around this time of year it's downright scandalous not to do the traditional things."

"I hardly think propaganda is an appropriate term in this case, Watari."

Snorting, Watari checked his watch and moved to pluck the towel off Tatsumi's head. "Ha, shows what you know, Tatsumi. Have you seen the advertisements lately?" he asked, pulling the plug to the sink and setting it aside. "They're getting more and more…unnerving."

Tatsumi raised an eyebrow, holding still as Watari patted his face dry with the edges of the towel. "I'm afraid I must have missed them."

"Then you should consider yourself a lucky, lucky man, Tatsumi."

Tatsumi smiled to himself as Watari searched among the bottles and jars to hold the plastic tube Wakaba had supplied for them up for his perusal.

"Step two of any really good facial and the one I usually forget," Watari said with a smile, "facial scrub."

Tatsumi stared, not at all sure he liked hearing those two words in the same sentence combined with the smile on Watari's face.

"It's really not as bad as it sounds, Tatsumi. Really."

Tatsumi sighed and decided that he really should do something about building up a defense against that Look of Watari's.

Watari gave him a small smile and unscrewed the cap of the tube. "Good, now try to hold still, please."

Tatsumi did as he was bid, watching Watari as he applied the scrub onto his face, fingers moving in small circles as he worked.

"You know, you have really nice skin," Watari mused, leaning back to peer critically at Tatsumi's face, "Wakaba and I really have to work at it to get ours looking good."

Tatsumi stared, not quite sure what to say in the face of a situation he never would have expected.

"Tatsumi?"

Clearing his throat, Tatsumi focused his gaze on a point just over Watari's shoulder. "Thank you."

There was no mistaking the laughter in Watari's voice as he dropped his hands to his side, stepping away to clear a path to the sink. "You're welcome. Now let's get this stuff washed off so we can move on to the next step."

Tatsumi's eyes snapped to Watari's face at that, something akin to dismay in his voice. "There's more?"

Watari laughed as he turned the faucet on, adjusting the water before beckoning Tatsumi over. "Welcome to the world of beauty care, Tatsumi. This is but a small taste of what women go through to look their radiant best."

Tatsumi's eyes narrowed. "That sounds like something Wakaba might say."

Watari gave Tatsumi an innocent smile, fingers closing on the sleeve of his bathrobe to pull him closer. "It should, since she tells me that whenever we do this."

Sighing, Tatsumi gave in, letting Watari wash the facial scrub off and pat his face dry with a fresh towel. "Good, now sit down where there's more room for me to work." Watari ordered as he pointed at the toilet. "We're almost done."

Wondering just why he'd ever agreed to such utter madness, Tatsumi sat on the closed lid of the toilet once more, watching Watari warily as he selected a small blue jar moved the stool closer.

"Step three of any really good facial, and my personal favorite is the facial mask." Watari said, opening the lid and scooping out a healthy dollop. "This will probably be a little cold, so try to hold still, all right?"

Tatsumi drew back at that, eyes narrowing slightly, but Watari caught the back of his head with a hand, holding him firmly in place. "Try not to squirm." He advised as he brought his other hand up to smear something cold and wet across Tatsumi's cheek.

Flinching away from the sensation, Tatsumi was once again held firm by Watari's hold. "Sorry, sorry," Watari murmured, working at spreading the mask evenly over Tatsumi's face.

Tatsumi frowned but said nothing as he once more focused his attention on that point just over Watari's shoulder, finding that it was a little more difficult this time around as –

"It smells like mint."

"That's the key ingredient, you know. It's my own recipe, perfected over the years." Watari paused, a slow smile touching his lips as Tatsumi tensed beneath his hands. "No Shinigami were harmed in the making of it, so no need to worry, Tatsumi."

Scowling, Tatsumi dragged his gaze to Watari's eyes narrowing at the look on his face.

"The whole point of this facial was to get you to relax, you know."

Snorting, Tatsumi looked away. "You hardly make it easy."

"Oh? I thought I was doing all right - at least I haven't received any complaints." Watari frowned, fingers sliding along Tatsumi's jaw line. "Well…any major complaints."

"I wasn't aware I was allowed to lodge complaints in the first place."

Watari laughed, releasing his hold on Tatsumi to lean back and study his work. "I think we're done for now, we just need to let this dry and then we can wash it off."

"How long will that take?"

Watari glanced at his watch. "About half an hour or so, give or take a few minutes."

Tatsumi frowned as he realized that left them at something of a loss as to what to do with those thirty minutes. "What do you usually do during that time?"

Watari got to his feet and set the jar on the counter after replacing the lid. "Well…we usually just watch movies."

Tatsumi smiled. "I think I can honestly say that this has been the most…unique Valentine's Day I've ever experienced."

Watari turned to look at him, eyebrow raised. "How so?"

"Dinner, a facial and now movies. Definitely a little different than the usual."

Watari grinned. "Well, I do try."

"I'm sure you do." Tatsumi murmured, standing. "Now shall we?"

Watari sketched a little bow as he held the bathroom door open for him. "After you."