Title; The Rose

Rating; Still M. Basically just for the next chapter….

Disclaimer; Muahahaha! MINE! -sees lawyers- Uhm, I mean…the plot. Yes, uhm, nice plot. I don't own the characters at all…. Uhm. -run-

Author's Notes; Last chapter was fun to write, simply because Watari is fun to write (as is Hisoka.) This chapter is Tsuzuki and Tatsumi conflict, but how can Tatsumi deal with the recipient of his affections talking to him about feelings for another? Badly, of course! (Insert evil and/or maniacal laughter here.) This, like Tatsumi's introspective chapter, was a bit difficult to write, but I enjoyed it anyway. I hope you guys enjoy it, too, and please tell me if you feel it was too OOC. I'm one of those strange people who goes back and rewrites stuff she doesn't like. -gasp-

One flight down
There's a song on low
And your mind just picked up on the sound
Now you know you're wrong
Because it drifts like smoke
And it's been there playing all along
Now you know
Now you know

-Norah Jones, One Flight Down

To Tsuzuki, Seiichiro Tatsumi's office was a danger zone. His only reasons for going there would be due to his screwing up the budget, his not working, his not turning in his work, or Tatsumi was worried about him. The latter? It never happened.

Or rarely ever, anyway, as Tatsumi tried to appear professional. There would always be the occasional times when Tatsumi invited him in for a cup of tea which Tsuzuki would attempt to prolong (both out of enjoying time with his friend and killing those non-working work hours,) which would end in The Look, and the stern warnings to get back to work. He never really clearly explained those warnings, but bodily harm seemed to be the most plausible ending to them.

Or the scary butcher knife.

Now, though, Tsuzuki found himself knocking lightly against Tatsumi's door. As he waited with somewhat bated breath, he wondered the most tactful way to approach this (and maybe he should have considered this earlier,) but Tatsumi's voice broke swiftly through his train of thought.

"Come in."

The voice sounded somewhat wearied, or else just very quiet. Tsuzuki couldn't be sure without seeing the man, however when he entered, Tatsumi was not at first looking at him, but his gaze cast down to the files on his desk. "Tatsumi? Do you have a free minute?"

The other man finally looked up, taking in the purple eyed Shinigami before he took off his glasses, rubbing his eyelids. "If it really is a minute, Tsuzuki-san. I'm rather busy at the moment." To belie his words, he motioned towards one of the chairs in front of his desk and placed his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose.

"Yeah, it'll be quick," Tsuzuki assured him and took a seat as indicated. Despite the hours that had already passed in their day, there seemed to be only a few documents in the box marked 'Out' and ten-fold that in the box marked 'In'. Usually, it seemed the secretary would have more done than that, and case files over on his filing cabinet seemed completely untouched. "I was just wondering if everything was okay. You seemed a little off today."

Tatsumi leaned back in his chair the slightest bit, and crossed his arms. "Yes. Well, as I said, I do have quite a lot to do." He raised one of his eyebrows over the rim of his glasses, adding in a swift, though not unkindly way, "Will that be all?"

It didn't take great intelligence to know that Tatsumi was attempting, none too subtly, to get rid of the other man. However, as anyone can vouch for, Tsuzuki was not easy to get rid of when he became determined. "Tatsumi, is that it? 'Cause Hisoka said he was getting some stuff from you." He debated momentarily about dropping the hammer, but decided against it. That would be his last ditch attempt.

The older man shifted in his seat a little, though not out of place, rather as though he hadn't moved in quite a while before Tsuzuki had begun knocking on his door. "Perhaps Kurosaki-kun misunderstood."

"Tatsumi, you know he wouldn't."

There was a moment of silence, and Tatsumi seemed more willing to wait it out, for all its awkwardness, rather than elucidate on the situation at hand. The silence could stretch on for an eternity, if Tsuzuki could manage to hold his tongue and attempt to wait it out. It was fortunate that he couldn't, though, and instead, settled back in his chair to add more to his previous statement.

"Hisoka was also telling me that Watari was projecting even worse than you are." Despite what might have been said by…well, the larger part of Meifu, Tsuzuki was not an idiot. He noticed the Shadow Masters narrowing eyes, the way his mouth tightened into a firm line. Still, though, he did not speak. "It's not the budgets, Tatsumi. Can't you tell me what's really wrong?"

"No." Tatsumi spoke at last, shutting his once partner down with a single word. "Now, if you would be so kind, Tsuzuki-san…." He trailed off and motioned towards the door, his meaning clear. "I did mention I'm extremely busy right now."

Tsuzuki did not move, his mind thinking quickly. He had tried to be serious, had tried being nice, and even a little manipulative (though the latter hardly came easily to him.) Okay, so the eyes didn't quite work on Hisoka. But Hisoka was insanely good at ignoring him, so maybe that had something to do with it (or the fact that they spent almost everyday together, even weekends.) However, maybe it might have a better effect on Tatsumi. "I know, but, please Tatsumi?" To illustrate his point, he widened those pretty amethyst eyes of his. "I was worried!"

"About Kurosaki-kun who probably has an extremely bad headache," Tatsumi replied, and added, "I believe there's some form of mild painkiller in the break room." He pointed to the door once more. How funny. He should have known better.

Tsuzuki rarely gave up in a fight…to anyone who wasn't Hisoka, anyway.

------

Hisoka's eyes swept along the computer screen, his chin on his palm, elbow on table. There were always writers' sites on the internet, and though most authors were only fair, there were a few who outshone even some published works he'd read. Though he largely preferred classics.

It was rare that he had time to scroll through these, lacking a computer at home, and usually forced to finish Tsuzuki's paperwork as well as his own. Deny and refuse to do it though he might, Hisoka ended up doing a large part of their combined office work anyway. However he had managed to finish his own work for the day, and Tsuzuki wasn't hear to wheedle him into doing his, so he had some free time.

The sound of a raised voice emitted from Tatsumi's office, followed by a lower, more pleading tone. Hisoka merely froze for a second, not even bothering to move his head, his eyes shooting over to the door.

"Idiot."

He went back to gazing at the screen, and unprovoked in his memory, he recalled what Tsuzuki's response to that had been only a few days ago. "Aw, but Hisoka, I'm your idiot!" Which had led to a hug, blushing on his part, and yelling (also on his part.)

Hisoka glanced towards the door again, hearing his partner's soft, cajoling tones and feeling the heat rise to his face again. "Hm." Hisoka softly huffed and began reading. He was thinking about Tsuzuki again.

…Damnit.

------

Much cajoling, more stern talking to, numerous attempts to have Tsuzuki out of the office, and many minutes later, Tatsumi had finally given up, flopped back down to his seat with a sigh (he'd eventually stood up and sternly told Tsuzuki to leave or be removed.) Haltingly, and attempting to be vague, he had explained the gist of the night before, and once finished, he looked up at Tsuzuki, resettling his glasses on his nose. "Satisfied?"

Tsuzuki was silent, weighing in his mind and drawing his own conclusions. Things made a lot more sense now. "Kinda… it explains why Watari was acting as weird as Hisoka said he was."

"As long as he's not destroying things."

Tsuzuki knew better than to believe that the off-hand way the secretary spoke was really how the man felt. "No, apparently the explosion was only minor."

Tatsumi's head jerked up from his work, and he glanced at Tsuzuki over the rim of his glasses. Slowly, he remarked, "Explosion?"

"Yeah, it was an explosion," Tsuzuki repeated. "Hisoka couldn't go back to check on him. Watari was projecting so much he nearly fainted." A little white lie, but it was for a good cause. Tatsumi was gonna kill him after all was said and done with this. "Anyway, Watari's--"

Tsuzuki was cut off by Tatsumi's raised hand. Making sure the Shinigami would remain silent, he continued his questions. "How bad was the explosion?"

"I dunno…" Tsuzuki pretended to think, then replied, "Um, there was a lot of black smoke, he said, and a couple crashes, so I guess some stuff broke…."

For some reason, Tatsumi seemed very close to twitching again. "And it didn't occur to you," he began to ask, "Tsuzuki, that you might want to check that he didn't manage to blow up everything in the general vicinity? Or start another fire?"

Tsuzuki shrugged a little, hiding a smile. "Nope. I wasn't there. I told you; Hisoka was." He could see the calculating side of Tatsumi coming out. Both a way to get Tsuzuki out of his office, and make sure Watari was wasting anymore funds than he usually did.

Of course it was all calculating. Not that he was actually worried, really. Nope, not at all. Tatsumi stood, moving around his desk towards the door, which he now held open. "Tsuzuki-san, if you ever wish to see your paycheck again, you will leave; now." Combining the glare that was enough to make small children (rather like Tsuzuki) cry and send even Muraki running (well, perhaps not, but that doctor was a few crayons short of a box, anyway.)

In any case, Tsuzuki got the message and with a quick, "Bye, Tatsumi!" he raced out the door and towards the (relative) safety of the office he shared with Hisoka. Once inside, he closed the door, only to find Hisoka's reaction to be less excitable than he had hoped. Where were the questions, the need for gossip? The boy had gone back to his computer screen in a matter of seconds. "Hisoka, you're never gonna believe this."

"Don't care."

Tsuzuki seemed to ignore this less than encouraging statement, and would not let it get him down. "Tatsumi is headed down to Watari's lab now! When he kicked me out he left, too, and he must have been going there."

Hisoka still only offered his partner a small look before going back to his computer. "Or he was getting a cup of coffee."

"No," Tsuzuki said, drawing out the word slightly. "He's got to be going to Watari's lab, because I told him about the explosion that happened."

Now Hisoka looked up, suspicious. "The explosion before I talked to him? The little one?"

"Uhm, yeah, that's the one." Previously very eager to speak with Hisoka about the situation, Tsuzuki was now looking avidly at the wall paper just to the left of Hisoka's ear.

Hisoka's eyes narrowed. "You told him it was a small explosion, didn't you?"

Tsuzuki smiled, attempting to placate his partner. "It slipped my mind, Hisoka."

As Hisoka slammed the door which Tsuzuki had left open, shouting was heard. Needless to say, Tsuzuki, commander of the Twelve Protector Shikigami, was rather scared of Hisoka, who had never had a Shikigami.

------

Tatsumi wasn't quite sure why he was walking down to Watari's lab. Of course there were the logical reasons; Watari had blown something up, possibly wasting more of the funds that they didn't have to waste, and it shut up Tsuzuki and got the nut case out of his office.

It was nice to see Tsuzuki in there, though, and occasionally talk with the younger man, but to have him come in to talk about Watari? It had been…awkward to Tatsumi, a man who above all else, avoided such situations.

None the less, he knew the logical reasons hadn't been why he was traversing the Ministry building to talk to a man he was specifically avoiding, about a lab accident, that, in all honesty, he didn't really want to know about. Just thinking about the damage made him wince.

Still, he none the less found himself standing in front of the scientist's door, hesitating before knocking. Nervousness had never been one of his weaknesses, though it plagued Tatsumi now, causing him to chastise himself before firmly rapping his knuckles against the door.

"Come in."

Most certainly Watari's voice and he sounded fine, so perhaps this had been a foolish idea to come. However to leave would have meant that he had come purely on behalf of Watari's well being, and it hadn't been that. That would've been ridiculous, seeing as how the man attempted to blow things up on a near daily basis.

Tatsumi stepped into the office, expecting to find broken instruments and charred walls. There were none. A slightly acrid smell of old smoke in the air, but things seemed fine otherwise. Watari sat at the lab table, his computer before him and working on what appeared to be a crossword. His hair was falling into his eyes, and his glasses were slipped down his nose, but he looked up, saw Tatsumi, and a look of surprise, smiled. "Oh, Tatsumi," he greeted. "I hadn't expected to see you." He rested his newspaper and his pen against his lap, offering the other man his full attention.

Yutaka Watari was an eternal optimist, Tatsumi realized. No one else would pick out the most difficult crosswords and cryptograms and complete them in pen, so sure were they of their answers. "No, I only stopped by due to something I heard from Tsuzuki." He glanced around the office once more, as if expecting to suddenly have something burst into flame. "He mentioned there was an accident in here?"

"An accident?" Watari asked, looking confused. "Oh, you mean the one from this morning! It wasn't that bad though. If you keep water and phosphorus in an enclosed space, the reaction can be violent, and it kinda started a fire-- I think it hit the Bunsen burner and I think I lost a set of notes, but…." He trailed off, shrugged. "Either way, nothing too bad happened. Just a lot of smoke."

Tatsumi had a brief, but mind you, very strong, urge to hurt Tsuzuki. Very strong, that urge. He repressed it, rather replying with, "Oh, I see. Tsuzuki had made it out to be worse than it actually is, but none the less I'll take my leave."

The smaller man jumped up, holding out one hand. "Tatsumi, wait a second. I wanted to talk to you, anyway."

------

"Stalking is illegal!"

"This isn't stalking, it's spying."

"Then it's still not right."

Tsuzuki cast his younger partner a resigned sort of look. They were spying, okay, it wasn't as if they were stealing. They were just doing some off-hours detective work.

"And I'm fairly sure some form of this is illegal," Hisoka responded, hoping this would end the argument and stop his partner from dragging him down to Watari's lab. He should have known better, as it didn't.

"Yes, well, we're dead." And with this inarguable point, he continued to drag Hisoka until they reached the door to Watari's lab. He glanced through the window; neither man was looking at the door, and he could just see Watari stand up to make Tatsumi stay. "We got here just in time."

"I am not watching this; it's an invasion of privacy!" Hisoka hissed.

Tsuzuki turned his head slightly against the door to hear the conversation, and muttered, "Yeah, well, I'm curious and I wanna see what happens."

------

Tatsumi paused, about to turn to the door, but instead looked at the blonde man now standing before him. "Yes?"

Watari took a deep breath, and began. At a faster rate than anyone should ever speak, no matter what the circumstances. "I wanted to apologize for last night. It was really out of line. I don't know what I was thinking-- well, I mean, I wasn't thinking, obviously, and I know that you have feelings for somebody else, and we're just friends. I'd rather not lose that friendship, 'cause to throw away thirty something years because I was being stupid is such a waste. And you don't have to forgive me, but I'd really hope you would…."

Unable to keep up beyond that point, Tatsumi merely blinked, and half tuned out, watching as the scientist spoke with his hands, shaking his head occasionally while his lips never seemed to pause to so much as take a breath.

The obvious thought was that Watari would continue on this tract for quite a while, as the man was only too able to find the right words to keep speaking until he got whatever was going through his mind out. And he often had a lot going through his mind. Had Tsuzuki or Terazuma begun talking like this, he would threaten them with pay cuts or simply tell them to shut up. Wakaba, Yuma, or Saya would have earned a little bit longer on their lunch hour to go away.

Neither of these would have worked with Watari; a pay cut had no reason here, shut up would only hurt the man, and lunch had already passed. So this, of course, left only one logical thing to do. It wasn't as if he wanted to do it, but it was the only way to stop Watari from talking.

------

Watari was more than happy to continue, however in mid sentence, the secretary's mouth descended upon his. Within a moment his back was against the lab table, the other's hand reaching through heavy curls to cradle the back of his neck.

From the moment it had begun, Watari accepted and understood; he was not the one in control here. Chapped lips, light as a feather, brushed across his own, and as Watari attempted to push into them, they drew back, teasing.

Refraining from opening his eyes to glare at Tatsumi, he leaned back once more, only to feel that touch again. And if Tatsumi was going to be difficult, why should he be easy? Despite more insistent prying, his lips remained sealed, until out of impatience, or merely a desire to one-up the scientist, Tatsumi nipped the man's lower lip.

Opening his mouth either out of surprise, surrender or something far more pleasant, even Watari himself wasn't sure, and he felt just the tip of the other man's tongue, but as before, any overly active attempts to respond were ignored.

The single question came to mind, where the hell had Tatsumi learned to kiss like this? Watari was half leaning against the table for support, though his other arm had wrapped around the secretary's neck, hand gripped the once neatly pressed suit jacket.

And conscious thought was lost once more, when Watari could feel the ghost of a touch along his lower spine, and why had he not done this last night? When Watari would have most likely dragged him up to his apartment? Hell, he was about two seconds away from just pulling Tatsumi onto the floor.

------

"They're kissing!" Tsuzuki hissed, wide-eyed. Had he really just seen Tatsumi kiss Watari? He rubbed his eyes with his fists. Nope, still happening.

Hisoka looked up at him from where he sat. "Really? Well, there, you saw, now can we go?" He really didn't want to know about his superiors' love lives…especially with each other.

Tsuzuki glanced at him incredulously. "Are you kidding? I can't believe this!" He turned back to the door.

"No, what you won't believe is what Tatsumi will do to you when he catches you spying on him," Hisoka retorted, looking annoyed. "Pay cuts, physical harm, threats of being fired, loosing his shadows on you…."

"…Maybe we should go."

Hisoka stood and started down the hall. "Glad you see it my way. Now you have to do your paperwork, so I don't lose a cut of my paycheck because of it."

Tsuzuki caught up with him, pouting. "But, Hisoka…."

"No buts, you promised you would."

But they both knew. Hisoka would argue for a while before "helping him" (basically doing it for him.) Tsuzuki would smile and thank him and hug him, get yelled at, and then want Hisoka to spend time with him.

Hisoka would perhaps take him to that one bakery on the corner, in Kyushu. They had a lot of snacks Tsuzuki liked. But only this once.

------

Tatsumi pulled back, after what seemed to be an eternity, and far too short for Watari. Maybe because he hoped for that to happen, and for it to last for an eternity?

Fearing his legs would give out on him, Watari placed his palms on the desk behind him, and lifted himself up to sit on it, his legs dangling. The secretary stood before him, looking so awkward, and attempting to hide it so badly. Very cute. However, this was hardly the time to say, much less think something like that.

He cocked his head slightly, once ascertaining that Tatsumi would not speak first, and said, "Okay," noticing his voice sounded ever so slightly breathless, he continued none the less. "I just have one question."

"All right," Tatsumi muttered, glancing at the man who had apparently taken all of this quite calmly. He knew what to expect; questions about the night before and his hurting the other man. Maybe about why he had kissed the man here, spur of the moment, even.

"Why the hell did you stop?" Watari looked up at him over the rim of his glasses, arms crossed, and obviously serious.

Chuckling slightly, Tatsumi moved forward once more. Though both were equally happy, there were no eyes spying on them, as there had been before (though unknowingly on their parts.) Even 003, who had come in for one moment, left after seeing the situation. Humans had this weird concentration with their mouths. Very uninteresting.

------

Just as the day was ending (for those of the employees who did not regularly stay late,) Tatsumi called into his office the youngest of the Shinigami. "Kurosaki-kun." Tatsumi glanced up when he entered and removed his glasses. "I wished to speak with you briefly."

Hisoka took a seat, though it was not offered and raised his eyebrows. "About?"

Tatsumi watched him for a moment, and replied with, "I wished to ask you a question. I have no doubt that Tsuzuki-san followed me after my talk with him, and I wondered if you might know the best bribery to keep his mouth shut."

Hisoka actually smiled, or maybe it was a little smirk, but either way it did not speak confidence. "You don't know Tsuzuki. He traded it into Kannuki about an hour and a half ago for a batch of her cookies." He stood, and headed to the door. "Your best bet at this point would be to pretend you don't hear anything. Kannuki will tell Yuma and Saya. Everyone, even those who don't care, will know. Sorry."

Tatsumi watched him go, his elbow on the desk and his fingers supporting his forehead. It was the oddest feeling, somewhere between hysterical laughter and distress. But then, he thought, as he composed himself, perhaps this wasn't the worst situation in the world. So they knew? Perhaps they had known about Watari's feelings for longer than he had; perhaps he had been the one to never understand that the man had been there, calmly waiting for him.

Yes, Watari had always been there. He had just been the last to know. Tatsumi felt like laughing again, and maybe he was going insane. It would explain a lot.

Author's Notes; First off….I apologize! Gomen nasai! Je suis désolé! And that's about as many languages as I know. To explain, and this isn't meant as an excuse, this chapter was delayed due to writer's block and a summer virus that has spread around my area like wildfire. Extra Strength Tylenol has become my new best friend.

This chapter turned out so completely different than I'd imagined it. The opening quote was even different, but now it's pretty and metaphorical! However, I really hoped to just get it out, as it solidified the final two chapters. The next would be the chapter with shounen-ai (not yaoi, and warned you now and I will again when it's posted,) and the epilogue? Fluff! Yay! Then onto stuff that kept coming to me when I was writing this.

To my reviewers- Five of you? Thank you so much. - I hope this lives up to your expectations. Yougods of my teenage self-esteem.

Eternalsailorsolarwind- You have reviewed every chapter and I love it so much. Thank you! Yes, Hisoka is Anger Management Boy. It's like a super hero name. Him and Tsuzuki; Spazz-man and Anger Management Boy to the rescue! xP I'm so weird. Yeah, Tsuzuki was too hyper last chapter, looking back, so I attempted to calm him down a little in this one. Did he come off better do you think? I loved the idea of Watari going metaphor crazy. He confuses people (he confuses me, and I'm writing him!) Yes, Tatsumi tried unsuccessfully to get Tsuzuki out of his office for many minutes before giving up. Perhaps Tsuzuki used the puppy eyes on him? With cute puppy ears?

Evilfrogger86- It's not that Hisoka doesn't know. He figured out that Watari had feelings for Tatsumi a while ago, and maybe they were mildly reciprocated, but for him, it's sort of like, "Okay, whatever." Versus Tsuzuki, "They like each other!" Yes, lots of Tsuzuki in this chapter. Bad, puppy! No spying!

PuppetofDreams- I tried that. He's bad about the being beaten with a stick thing, and Tatsumi's scary when he's violent. However, -points above- there's your make-out. I don't like to make that sort of thing vague, so it might be too descriptive. You'll have to tell me if you think it's bad. -

Samuraiduck27- Thank you! I know. -has read practically all the Tatari stories on this site- Though if you're thinking of some good ones, check out Something Like Chemistry. Very awesome. And I hope I updated soon enough for you. Three days?

Shadowlark71- It is out! Yay! -dances around- Yes, I think it has been too long. Nine days? -gasp- -whacks self with notebook- Eep! Yesh, damn writer's block. Damn you, I say! I love writing Watari like that; I'm really glad you thought he came out well, though. Watari writes himself, and I don't know why. He's just so flamboyant, that if you phrase it write, nothing's over the top. And then he can be so subtle and confusing too. Thank you, as Tatsumi continues to be a pain in my butt. Ne, bad Tatsumi!

Well, here's the over-due chapter. I hope it lives up to your expectations, and that the kiss wasn't too clichéd or overdone. I wanted it to come off as more natural, and sort of like, Tatsumi finally just kinda gets it… or else just wants Watari to stop talking. You never know with that tricky secretary!

Until next time--which should not take so long!--I remain humbly yours,

--Phoenix