Yami No Matsuei Fan Fiction ❯ Mistletoe Conspiracy Plot ❯ part 17 ( Chapter 17 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

By: Mikarin

Mistletoe Conspiracy Plot

By Mikarin

continuation... from part 16

Happy Holidays...2 years late, really late. Better late than never. Life is on the way, and Life is fun.
if there is anyone out there... there is hope and thanks.

(Previously...)

How unpleasant! His last thought fleetingly came and went. If he had to have a nightmare, he'd rather be chased by a creampuff than be molested by a pervert, any number of them.

(Let's continue...)

Well…?!

The field trip down the basement had been, uh, enlightening and traumatic.

Watari and Tsuzuki climbed on the elevator very quietly. They looked at each other, then the back head of Tatsumi who climbed last and pressed the button back to their floor keeping a very calm and impassive demeanor.

An uneasy silence settled in the elevator during the ride.

Tsuzuki portrayed stunned, opaque eyes and slightly open lips in awe. His clothing was more in disarray than before. While Watari had wisps of hair hanging by the front of his face and his usual slightly singed lab coat somewhat mangled onto his shoulders. A collar that was tucked skewed with a corner flap inside. His owlish eyes open slightly more than usually missing the mischief and fun to the usually whimsical curve to his lips now flat.

Tatsumi refrained from saying anything during the elevator trip. Nor did he turn around to face his comrades. His lips were pressed firmly suppressing any kind of emotion. But the look on his eyes shone with what it could be misconstrued as extreme smugness, feeling the dual set of eyes behind him. His companions looked rattled enough, as far as he could see through the hazy reflection against the elevator doors.

Watari and Tsuzuki once again exchanged glances from the corners of their eyes, as they made contact; they broke it off immediately and looked down to their shoes trying not to think anymore after arriving back into the warm bosom of their welcoming office floor.

Party at full swing, Wakaba carried a couple of cups and blinking at the returning trio she noted something strange. The somber aura around the three was most disturbing, Coming to a halt, she eyed Tatsumi first, then, behind the imposing man, saying nothing at all she simply extended the warm liquids to her colleagues…Returning her eyes to Tatsumi, she asked carefully, “Is something wrong Tatsumi?”

Wakaba really didn't want to hear the answer for she feared that it might be unpleasant and kill her Christmas cheer. She only wished it wasn't that white-coated psycho.

Pushing his glasses up to place, Tatsumi regarded her calmly and offered a warm smile, or as warm as Tatsumi was capable washing away the sternness from his voice. “Nothing to worry Wakaba-san, our colleagues simply need to warm up from the cold.”

“Is that so,” she brightened up immediately, “Well then, drink up.” She encouraged and made a grab for Watari, engaging his arm and started pushing them toward the food and drinks table. She could see that Tsuzuki was the first to react to the warmth that ran down his stomach as the color to his face returned.

Smacking his lips, “Oh, what miracle of miracles Tsuzuki, you're looking better already.” Watari quipped already sipping the last drop from his cup and giggling.

Tatsumi turned to eye his crazy co-worker while Tsuzuki blushed. Raising an eyebrow at the odd behavior from both grown men, Tatsumi eyed the cups on their hands warily.

“Ne, Wakaba?” finally Tsuzuki spoke, though to Wakaba's surprise, it sounded somewhat subdued and insecure. “Have you seen Hisoka-chan anywhere?”

Wakaba, in fact, hadn't, not since this morning what with the mistletoe madness. Feeling the sadness that was beginning to radiate from Tsuzuki at the lack of an answer, she suddenly felt the need to hug someone. She shook her ahead sadly and swapping arms from Watari to Tsuzuki she offered her brightest smile and patted his back as she came to a halt at the food table.

“Don't worry Tsuzuki. Believe it or not Hisoka-kun makes an effort to be with all of us and he really does like you as his partner, otherwise he wouldn't stay here with you and help you do your paperwork or let you get away with half the things you do. That is why we should understand that Hisoka-kun is doing the best he can and we shouldn't ask for anything more. But we should try to be with him when he's lonely because Tsuzuki, you know better than anyone Hisoka-kun doesn't know how to ask for company when he needs to be alone.”

Tsuzuki looked at her with wide open eyes and finally a smile began to warm up the corners of his mouth.

Tatsumi understood well what Wakaba was trying to convey to Tsuzuki. He often felt the same way and found excuses to leave but remain in good company. Watari seemed to understand such moods, when Tatsumi showed up unexpectedly at the lab with a lame excuse. However, lately Watari had been able to detect him and rush into his office to pull him away with some hair-brained idea.

They would end up drinking tea outside or coffee at some shop sporting a silent conversation with Watari making the occasional note and Tatsumi catching some scribble, cringing at the thought of lab costs. Yet, enjoying his solitude…with someone…not alone.

“Thanks Wakaba-chan. Say is that pie!” Tsuzuki's eyes glittered. Wakaba stood a little ways from the hungry look and let the older man attack the aforementioned pie, `apple'.

Wakaba grabbed a couple of cups from the table, poured a hot golden brown liquid and offered one to Tatsumi.

Eyeing it warily, his brow rose in question. After studying the warm golden brown liquid, Tatsumi forwent the nagging doubt at the back of his head that whispered `beware of strange and unidentified substances that look innocent to the bare eye,' when he looked up only to become engrossed looking up to see Watari sip from his cup merrily…

Sensing an audience, Watari looked pass the sweet and warm cup between his hands and found blue eyes looking back with a somewhat lost but searching look in Tatsumi. So he smiled licking the corners of his lips and unconsciously began to fidget with a tread from the cuff of his coat sleeve.

Wakaba backed a bit out of the way with a guiding hand on Tsuzuki's elbow near sighing at the implications that look on both her beloved co-workers were sending to each other.

If only if…

Meanwhile Tatsumi could only think, so close matching to the color of certain crazed scientist. And with the drink on his hand, he loosely swooshed it comparing the waves to the flickers of color in Watari's eyes.

With Wakaba and still eating Tsuzuki leaving his path unobstructed, Tatsumi hardly noticed taking a couple of steps closer.

With pie gone Tsuzuki once again began to voice his woes of worry and concern for his missing partner. Shoulders sagging he walked off, Wakaba at his heels showering him with words of comfort, and passing bites of deliciously made food and drink.

Drink, drink, drink…while on the fringe crowed the Chief to a different tune very unlike himself. People were getting lively(er) and shadows spun around the room as Terazuma ducked between bodies and three giggling girls played peak-a-boo with him by teasing him mercilessly using his fear of the feminine magic touch they possessed.

Inadvertently the Hokkaido pair had captured a candid moment between Terazuma and a wondering hand that surprisingly did not invited Kuro to the ongoing roaring party. Though, the throngs of people made him bristle just brushing within an inch of a swinging skirt.

Somewhere along the way a daring hand pinched him…Same hand?

Yuma could bet money…and Saya dare her…only the pictures would tell…Lucky!

Terazuma was frightened…he was still him.

In the meantime, the Chief took a break to refill his glass…and his stomach.

Tsuzuki walked out with a thermos from Wakaba patting him on the back and a bento to tie him over and share with Hisoka…once he found him.

Poor Tsuzuki, she thought as she waved him off. Turning a completely 180° on her heels and the merciful look in her eyes changing completely to a wickedly conspirational smirk as she marched towards her new target(s).

Making his way out of the Diet Building, Tsuzuki realized he had looked everywhere and no Hisoka. He felt tired. Without Hisoka Christmas partying was lonely. It was making him feel depressed since he had wanted so badly to share Christmas with Hisoka.

Tsuzuki had to accept, however, Hisoka had a hard time in crowds and it wasn't his fault. And sometimes he forgot about Hisoka's empathy. He had inappropriate thoughts that in occasion he spoke aloud and Hisoka put up with much of what Tsuzuki did. Even go into crowded places against his better judgment to humor Tsuzuki or placate him.

Tsuzuki knew that Hisoka did not expect much of him. After all he was the laziest shinigami in the department and he was also the oldest, so he was dirt-set on his ways a little too much. It came with the age.

Walking home, he thought that he would stop by his place after all and pickup Hisoka's secret Christmas gift that he had planned to give the boy privately. He wanted to see Hisoka's reaction without his empathy affecting him or picking up others. He wanted the joy of a private showing of Hisoka's own set of emotions.

Tsuzuki giggled.

Hisoka could blush and he wanted to see just how far down he could milk it.

And as skittish as Hisoka could be, this was Christmas and he was allowed to be touchy-feely without a penalty, as long as the show of affections was limited to away from prying eyes and no leaving the floor to be swung around the room.

Tsuzuki smiled.

Hisoka was just so soft and cuddly, like a kitty. And hissed and scratched at your arms just like one too.

Hisoka always showed up when he was good and ready and not a minute too soon, or too late, unlike him. So, he would go back to Hisoka's apartment and wait until Hisoka felt safe enough to return on his own.

Although at the back of his mind there was still the nagging concern that he needed to assure himself Hisoka was perfectly fine. Tsuzuki couldn't help himself. It bothered him that Hisoka had pulled a Houdini that perfect and no witnesses. And Tsuzuki had always been able to eventually find his latest hiding-hole, but not today.

Tsuzuki frowned at his flitting last thought. It was a bad one. He shivered and refused to acknowledge it, though the possibility—no, not this time.

His shoulders dropped and shuffled around the contents on his arms to fish for his keys.

Refusing to invite bad omens, he hadn't tried to widen his search. It was freezing and heavily snowing on the real world. But perhaps…could Hisoka be hiding in some bookstore?

Swinging his door open, Tsuzuki checked his watch. If they were even open, a bookstore would have already closed sometime ago.

Jiggling his pants to check for his keys, he finally found them in his coat pocket.

Click!

TBC... part 18 next

A/N: I don't have a beta. A beta is welcome.
I cannot see the error of my ways for I have grown blind and I squint... and am hard of hearing (marely for enterntainment purposes only).
Til next time... however long it takes.