YAMI NO MATSUEI – DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS

THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP…OR NOT?

Chapter Eight: The Long Wait for Home

Watari's pet owl, 003, happily fluttered about inside the laboratory as she waited for her master to return. As she saw him walk in, she flew and perched on his shoulders. She tilted her head a little as she sensed that something was wrong. She then softly hooted, astutely noticing that his mood dramatically changed.

After hearing a couple of rather inquisitive-sounding hoots from his pet owl, Watari told her, "I didn't join Seii, girl. He's with Tsuzuki."

It was not what Watari said but the way that he said it that made the owl hoot softer still…a rather consoling sound that she knew helped her master before from time to time since she had been created.

Today, however, was different…and it saddened the owl that she felt helpless in bolstering up her usually-upbeat master's sagged mood. The laboratory was quiet, with her watching her master work in silence.

Another thirty minutes had passed when the blonde scientist heard someone ask, "Hey, Watari – what result did you get?"

And Watari's calm answer to Tsuzuki was, "Bon has the analysis summary report. You're right. That residue was spiritual or even demonic in origin."

Although Watari was acting how he normally did, Tsuzuki felt that something was wrong. He asked his best friend, "What happened to the singing and dancing?

Watari smiled softly, still keeping a façade for the other to see, "It's already that part of the day, so I've expended all the energy I have and the mugs of coffee have already worn off from my system."

"Tatsumi's not feeling well, either. He's still outside relaxing."

"Oh, really?" asked an oblivious-sounding Watari. "So that's where you disappeared to?"

"I was there first, taking a nap. He came outside much later. We talked…had tea…chatted…."

A chuckle escaped from Watari's lips before he joked, "Did he give you another one of his lectures about not blowing up things and facilities? I sure had that tirade last week."

Tsuzuki pursed his lips and then shook his head. "No, nothing like that… He seemed…bothered…."

Watari blinked then rested his gaze on Tsuzuki. "Bothered?"

"Yeah, bothered…but not in a bad way. He wanted to say something but he did not. I can see it in his eyes. We just ended up talking about everything else." Tsuzuki then let out a subtle sigh, adding, "Or maybe he's just not feeling well. He's been rather spaced out today. That's very much unlike him. I also asked him how his weekend was…."

"What did he say?"

"He said that it was one of his most restful weekends in a very long time. He loved it."

"I see…" murmured Watari as he noticed the clock. He then began the process of tidying up the laboratory starting with gathering the specimen slides and placing them in the right sample filer."

Tsuzuki helped Watari clean up, with Tsuzuki so tempted to ask his friend as to why he suddenly became sad. Yet he chose to leave his friend be since his friend rarely showed signs of sadness and that the latter normally would open up to him.

After the long silence between them, Tsuzuki was startled as Watari asked, "If Tatsumi ever asked you to partner up with him again on a permanent basis, would you do it?"

"Hisoka's my partner…and that scenario's highly unlikely."

"It's just a 'what if' question…"

"Hmmmm…" Tsuzuki then stopped what he was doing and then sat in one of the stools. "I won't…for his sake. He left for reasons that I don't know but understand. I couldn't blame him because I was very bad during those days. He couldn't look at me for days when I had those lapses. Three months was more than enough for him…or for anyone. Hisoka's the only one who lasted this long with me. It'll be unfair to hold on to him when he didn't want to stay."

"What if Tatsumi asked to come back…to pick up from where you two left off?"

Tsuzuki chuckled inwardly at the question, which by the way, the two normally with each other when it would be just the two of them. "What is this – The Match-Up Game?"

Watari just laughed, being his usual goofy character. "It's not like you haven't played this before. Now come on – spill…"

"Partnering up just as the four of us did to retrieve Troy in Kyoto, yes. Partnering up for work's sake, yes…."

When Tsuzuki stopped and thought that he had answered Watari's question to the latter's satisfaction, he blinked when Watari said, "I'm not just talking about work. I'm talking about all types of partnerships."

Shaking his head yet still oblivious, Tsuzuki gave his friend a pursed-lipped smile, "You sure are in a rollercoaster mood today. "

"Come on…please…?" asked Watari looking all innocent as he gave his plea just as he would do when he would coax Tsuzuki to be the one to get up and grab goodies from the kitchen during their movie nights.

And how could Tsuzuki say no?

So Tsuzuki replied with a smile, "All right… Work – definitely yes. Friendship – definitely yes… Family, as in brothers – definitely yes because that's how we all are here in the Division… The type of partnership – the very one that drove him away years ago when we were partners, no…and I know he has more common sense than I do to make sure that it never happens again. He won't repeat the same mistakes twice or more. We're too much alike in many ways. We both know that, fact and it's not good for either of us to be together in that type of relationship.\"

There was a long silence between the two friends, with Tsuzuki watching Watari go in deep thought.

"Watari…if I didn't know any better, I'd say that you have feelings for someone we know so well – the very same one who yells at us to grow up whenever we screw up by causing more damage and making a dent in the Division's budget."

"No, no…" said Watari with a wry smile. "You two just never talked about it. It way before my time or Bon's time…but all I know is that it was really bad."

"It's not bad. Not at all," Tsuzuki said as he leaned on the laboratory counter. It had been a long while – close to forty five years now since he and Tatsumi became partners. His eyes blinked a bit as he tried to recall the past and the feelings associated with it. He surmised that if there were any ill feelings, it was more out of his self-guilt for not being a good partner to Tatsumi or being better in handling his emotions and lucidity.

And so Tsuzuki explained after the long pause, "We were partners. One day he said that he couldn't partner up with me on a particular case that was just given to us. I told him that it was all right and we'd partner up next time. Then he said that there wouldn't be a next time...and it was not just what he said but the way that he said it that made me understand what he really wanted to say. So we parted ways. He freelanced between our Division and EnmaCho while I worked alone. A couple of months after we separated, he permanently became Kacho's right-hand man."

Watari pondered about what Tsuzuki had just confided with him. He knew that his friend trusted him too much to lie – whether or not Tsuzuki knew Watari's real reason for asking all these questions in such an innocent fashion.

"Now it's my turn to ask you a question," said Tsuzuki with a smile as he let his gaze rest on his friend. "If the opportunity was there, would you date Tatsumi?"

The blonde scientist just blanched at the question.

"Now come on. I answered your questions, so answer mine. Would you or would you not date Tatsumi?"

"Let us just say that yes, I would…how would you feel about it?"

Tsuzuki chuckled. "Now that's not fair. You're asking me another question."

"No, it's part of your question to me. You two have a history."

"Bonds never sever. Tatsumi and I will always be friends. You know how I feel about Hisoka. I think Tatsumi would be happy to see me happy for a change. If the two of you ever date and end up together, I'd be very happy for both of you. It's time for Tatsumi to be happy, and I like to see you happy too."

Watari smiled as tears beaded at the corners of his eyes.

"You're such a muffin-heart, Watari," Tsuzuki teased as he looked at his friend then hugged him. "Did you start listening to one of those radio dramas again? Is that why you're in this sappy mood right now? You know how those things make both of us cry, or think too much, or both."

The blonde scientist chuckled as he reciprocated the friendly, caring hug. "Yeah, I did. I'm fine now. I just got depressed with one of the character's problem." He did feel a bit better, although there was still much to settle within him.

And Watari surmised that Tatsumi had much to assess and settle within him as well.

Although Watari did confirm that Tsuzuki was too much of a good friend. He knew that from the very beginning since the amethyst-eyed shinigami was the first who made him feel at home when he first transferred in the Shokan Division from the Realm of the Five Generals – a secret that no one save for Enma, those from the Realm of the Five Generals, and he only knew.

In fact, another secret was that Watari was one of the Five Generals – the Chief Researcher. The second secret was that he was directly and intimately involved in the Mother Project. The third secret was that the Watari Yutaka who worked for the Five Generals was totally different from the Watari Yutaka who now worked for the Shokan Division.

"Hey…you still with me here on Meifu?" asked Tsuzuki as he amicably slapped Watari's arm.

"Uh, yeah... Just got tired the last part of today…"

Tsuzuki saw the time.

It was ten minutes before five in the afternoon.

"I have to go back to my desk. Time to go home…." Tsuzuki then looked at Watari, asking him with a tone laced with concern, "Are you going to be okay? Are you okay?"

Watari nodded and smiled. "I'm fine. Just tired…. So I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay – see you tomorrow!" said Tsuzuki a couple of seconds before he turned around and dashed towards the door.

The blonde scientist turned around and then his heart felt as if it stopped beating when he heard Tsuzuki's steps halt then said, ""I'm sorry, Tatsumi. Thanks for tea and see you tomorrow!"

Tsuzuki and Watari were not the only ones who were startled…so was Tatsumi when Tsuzuki almost collided against him when the secretary was about to enter the lab nearly the same time that Tsuzuki dashed out the door.

Tatsumi bade goodbye to Tsuzuki and then entered the laboratory. He closed the door behind him and said, "Do you need help cleaning up? I spent the rest of the afternoon outside per Kacho's directive."

"Oh, I've cleaned up the laboratory already. You should've gone home if Kacho's given you permission to take off."

The secretary shook his head then smiled at Watari as he approached the latter. "I don't want to walk home alone. I want to walk home with you and 003."

"But you have a headache and you're not feeling well."

As his smile for Watari became warmer, Tatsumi said, "Yes, I do…but I'd feel better as we walk home together."

"Then let us go home…." Watari then picked up his backpack, flexing his shoulders seconds before 003 flew from one side of the laboratory towards him. He then glanced sideways to make sure that his pet was now comfortably perched on his shoulder. He stroked her feathers and asked, "Ready, girl?"

The owl made soft noises as if she replied yes to her master's question.

The two then walked outside using the laboratory's back door – the same door that Watari used earlier in his hopes to join Tatsumi for tea. They took the longer route which afforded them the lakeside view through most of the part of their walk.

Tatsumi felt better now. He still had his headache, but the air, solitude, the talk with Tsuzuki, and the time to think helped him tremendously – the time to think being the most help to him.

After about fifteen minutes' worth of silence as they walked, Watari asked Tatsumi, "Afternoon tea didn't help you?"

"It somewhat helped," said Tatsumi who still had no idea that Watari was not as comfortable as he was during the silence between them. "I'll feel better once we get home – once we get to relax."

"So are you going to tell me why you're so absentminded or preoccupied today?"

"I tend to think too much. It's my strength and it's my weakness." Tatsumi then slid his hands inside his coat pockets to keep them warm. "Konoe-san knows about us, by the way."

Watari felt as if he had just gone deaf after what he just heard. "Kacho knows? How…?"

"I told him about us in a circuitous way. The old man has good intuition for such things."

The blonde scientist was still stunned. "But why didn't you deny about us?"

Tatsumi glanced sideways, his tone lighthearted as he replied, "No confirmation and no denial, remember? If I'm going to choose between the two, I'd rather confirm the truth about us. Would you rather have me deny about us?"

"No, you're right. I was just surprised."

"Something's up," thought Tatsumi as he felt that Watari was troubled about something although the latter was doing an excellent job to fool him in thinking that everything was fine.

To satiate his curiosity, Tatsumi's steps led him and them under one of the many sakura trees in this pathway. They were already half-way home, but he could no longer wait.

Facing the lake and letting the area's calming ambiance sink in his being, Tatsumi asked his lover while his gaze rested on the other. A soft yet disarming smile escaping from his lips, "I kept wondering all day why I've been so distracted. Do you want to know what I've been thinking about all day, Yutaka?"

With mixed emotions, Watari did his best to meet Tatsumi's gaze but was a tad self-conscious to do so. He could not understand where the entire afternoon's events were leading to and how it would affect them. Although his outer demeanor seemed calm and that he was in his usual mood, his stomach was figuratively in knots.

Yet Watari kept the façade as he replied with a reciprocating smile, "A way to yell at your subordinate for blowing your budget while not being placed in the doghouse by your lover?"

Tatsumi chuckled and leaned against the tree while Watari's back was turned away from the lake, his blue eyes being so expressive in showing how he felt. His eyes took a more mesmerizing hue of azure as the lake water's reflection of the setting sun bounced against them. "I was – and been – thinking about how much I've changed in such a short time. There are many things that I wanted to do with you at the office and couldn't. Things which include but is not limited to this…"

Tatsumi then drew Watari closer and kissed the other passionately…rendering him vulnerable on all aspects of his being as he poured everything that he felt for the other through the lingering and explorative series of kisses while he locked the other in an affectionate embrace.

Reciprocating the kiss and weakening on the knees, Watari wrapped his arms around Tatsumi's neck. Although still plagued by them, he pushed aside his doubt-filled thoughts at this time and immersed in the heartfelt passion that the other poured out to him.

End of Chapter Eight

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.

Author's Notes

The Five Generals has been mentioned in the manga – the entity/agency in charge of the Mother Project. Watari had worked for them prior to his transfer to the Shokan Division. What was not established in the manga was the fact that he was one of the five generals (or chiefs). What was implied, however, was that he held a high position there due to his intimate involvement in the Mother Project.