They got Kelly Esoka settled back into her bed at the hospital.  Though it was unlikely that she would ever regain consciousness, she was still breathing on her own, which would at least give her family a chance to say goodbye.   It was a cold comfort and one that did not sit well with Tatsumi.

 

Neither Guardian seemed inclined to converse as they ghosted back to the hotel in their spirit forms.  Rematerializing, they had maintained their companionable silence as they got ready for bed.  Following Watari’s example, Tatsumi had taken a nearly scalding hot shower, which helped ease the ache in his muscles but did little to dispel the chill Tatsumi felt in his soul.

 

Tatsumi had been silently grateful when he’d surfaced from the cramped bathroom to find Watari already curled up in his own bed, eyes closed.  He’d feared the younger Guardian would indulge his typical nocturnal patterns of working on the laptop till the wee hours and Tatsumi was in the mood for quiet.

 

An hour and a half later, despite the quiet and after tossing for what felt like the hundredth time, Tatsumi gave up trying to sleep and sat up in the bed.  Throwing his legs over the side, he lowered his head to his hands and scrubbed at his face with his fingers.  The frustration he felt made his skin itch and he pressed his face into his hands in an attempt to keep his sigh soft, so as not to wake the man sleeping in the other bed across from him.

 

As hard as he tried, Tatsumi could not shake the earlier events of the evening, particularly when they had settled the shell of Kelly Esoka back in her room.   Tatsumi had touched her dry cheek, feeling the remaining flickers of her life’s energy.  He took scant comfort in the fact that Kelly’s twilight existence would be brief.  Before long she would pass to the Netherworld, as her fate dictated, but from there she would be able to watch over her infant son.

 

I wonder if she understands?  Bah, I wish I could understand.

 

Pulling his head out of his hands, Tatsumi looked over at his partner. Watari had turned over on his back and still appeared to be fast asleep.  The younger Shinigami had the blankets pulled up to his throat, one arm crossed over his chest, the other thrown up over his head, pinning down fly away hair.

 

He’s going to regret forgetting to braid it.  Tatsumi thought to himself with an inward smile, his eyes soaking up his partner’s moonlit features.  Watari looked peaceful, serene even in his slumber and Tatsumi couldn’t decide if he was envious, furious or pleased that Watari seemed to be handling the outcome of the case so well.

 

Much better then I am, hell, better than I did.  If ‘Taka hadn’t been there… Tatsumi firmly squashed the ‘what ifs’.   Which is why we work in pairs.  I’ve been on my own for too long.

 

Tatsumi sighed once more before standing up and weaving his way through the cramped room to the window.  The curtains stood open, giving the Kagesukai a clear view of the night landscape.  The light of the full moon was still obscured by the remaining storm clouds but Tatsumi’s preternatural eyesight allowed him to watch the night’s shadows as they played hide and seek through the leaves of neatly kept shrubs.

 

Laying one arm against the cool glass, Tatsumi rested his forehead against his wrist and concentrated on his own breathing, trying to settle his thoughts in the hopes of getting back to sleep.

 

This is silly, Seiichirou.  You know the decision was the right one.  The Fenalla might not have meant anything evil by its actions, hell, it was only reacting to the most basic of life’s instincts... a mother’s desire to survive and protect her offspring.  But Kelly did not ask for that bargain.  The spirit of Kelly Esoka would not have wanted to survive at the expense of others. Still, I can’t help feeling that Kelly’s death was a tragic injustice.  Damn it, this shouldn’t have happened.

 

The echo of Tatsumi’s closed fist hitting the glass of the window resounded through the small room and the elder Shinigami froze, fearing he might have woken his sleeping partner.  When no sound issued from the bed behind him, Tatsumi exhaled softly and let his thoughts wander again.

 

Ultimately, the Fenalla had no right to choose one life over others.  None of us have that right, as ‘Taka said.

 

“You’re brooding.”

 

Watari’s voice was a night whisper, yet it cut through Tatsumi’s thoughts like a hot knife, causing the older man to start.  He hadn’t heard Watari get up but all of a sudden the younger man was at his side, leaning a bare shoulder against the window, studying Tatsumi’s profile even as Tatsumi watched the landscape below.

 

“This has got to be the grimmest part of our jobs, ‘Taka.”

 

Something about the true night invited brutal honesty and a certain familiarity that Tatsumi would never have allowed himself in the light of day.

 

“It is definitely one of the less desirable parts.”  Watari’s voice was soft and serious.  Tatsumi had come to recognize that the gentle tone was a rare invitation into the younger man’s complex soul, and he turned his head to face his partner.

 

“Did we make the right decision?”

 

Arms crossed over his chest, it was Watari’s turn to look out the window at the garden below.

 

“Yes.”

 

“How can you know?”

 

“Because if I let myself dwell on the ‘what ifs’ this case will claim another victim and I refuse to give it the satisfaction.”

 

Watari’s answer, like the burning amber eyes he turned towards Tatsumi, was full of a healthy sort of anger.  As easygoing and carefree as Watari appeared, Tatsumi was learning to chart the depth of emotional strength and diversity in the younger man.

 

“I just can’t be sure, ‘Taka.”

 

“It’s all right, Seii.  We did our best with this case and we’ll do our best with the next one as well.”

 

“Next one?”

 

“Next one.”

 

“What makes you think there is going to be a next one ‘Taka?”

 

“Because Gray Knights are a fact of our lives, Seii and you can’t bring yourself to give over a case that you wouldn’t handle yourself.  You’re not a coward, Seiichirou.  You won’t let this beat you.”

 

“I won’t?”

 

“Nup.”  Watari returned with easy confidence, turning to stare out the window. “Besides, with me as your partner how can you fail?” 

 

Tatsumi studied Watari’s features, reflected in the glass of the window.  Taking a deep breath he shifted his gaze back out to the night.  They stood shoulder to shoulder watching the clouds move through the night sky until the moon finally broke free and cast its pale light down on the Earth below. 

 

Reaching up, Tatsumi threaded his fingers through a heavy lock of Watari’s hair.  Drawing the soft strands across the back of his hand, he studied the play of the pale light through the brilliant highlights.

 

“You should braid your hair, ‘Taka.  You’re going to get knots.”

 

Watari smiled gently, casting his partner a sidelong glance. Then shrugging lightly, he looked back out the window, making no move to brush Tatsumi’s hand away.

 

“They’ll work out, Seii.  They always do.”

 

Tatsumi paused in the act of carding his fingers through his partner’s hair, looking at the younger man’s profile.  The double language of Watari’s words was not lost on the Kagetsukai who couldn’t help smiling back.

 

Lowering his hand and turning away from the window, Tatsumi said. “Just so long as you don’t keep me waiting while get yourself pulled together in the morning.”

 

“Yeah, yeah.”  Watari flicked a lazy hand over his shoulder, his fingers brushing lightly across the taller man’s bare shoulder.

 

Tatsumi smiled to himself and moved back towards his bed.  Settling on his side, he listened to the whisper of sheets from the bed beside him as Watari settled back down.

 

~~“They’ll work out, Seii.  They always do.”~~

 

Yes, yes they just might, ‘Taka.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Epilogue.

 

“At which point, Watari-san extracted the Fenalla from the body of Kelly Esoka and summoned the succubus back to Meifu.”

 

Tatsumi stood in front of Konoe’s desk, hands folded neatly in the small of his back as he gave his report to the Section Chief.  Beside him, Watari stood trying to extract a lock of hair from 003’s beak.  As the senior partner, Tatsumi had been charged with giving the mission report, and Watari had interjected only brief comments in response to direct questions from the Chief.  The rest of the time he’d been engaged in soft conversation with the peeved owl.

 

Across the broad desk, the Chief sat back in his chair and rubbed his heavy jaw with his thumb in a pensive gesture.  He could see signs of strain marring Tatsumi’s brilliant sapphire eyes and, not for the first time, he cursed the nature of Gray Knight cases.

 

“Very well.  Good work gentlemen, I will expect the written reports on my desk by close of business today.”  Konoe wanted to say more but his Secretary’s stoic expression didn’t invite the platitudes he would normally have offered to any of the other Shinigami.

 

“Thank you Konoe-sama.”  Tatsumi bowed his head and discreetly trod on Watari’s instep to gain the younger Guardian’s attention.

 

“Huh?  Ah, yes.  Thank you Konoe-sama.”  Watari also ducked his shoulders in a bow, which caused the little owl perched there to take flight, a lock of the blonde’s hair still caught in her beak, tugging at it and eliciting a yelp from the scientist.

 

Konoe covered his chuff of laughter behind a cough and a fierce frown.

 

Unappeased by her human’s attempts at groveling and further displeasured by his abrupt motion, 003 flew over to Tatsumi, settling on his shoulder, all the while hooting at Watari in a chiding manner.

 

“You didn’t have to pull my hair, and what did I tell you about your language?”

 

003 proceeded to respond with a series of hoots and chirps that needed no translation.

 

“003!”  Watari cried, scandalized.  He reached towards the little owl but 003 snapped her beak at him before crawling further along the collar of Tatsumi’s suit coat.  Hiding within the older Guardian’s thick hair, she continued to mutter owlish expletives from the safety of Tatsumi’s neck.

 

Closing his eyes, Tatsumi wrapped his dignity around him like a cloak and, ignoring Watari’s attempt to retrieve the owl walked out of the office before the Chief blew an immortal blood vessel trying not to laugh.  Allowing Watari to proceed him out into the bullpen, Tatsumi closed the door and stepped up beside his partner, watching the commotion across the room as Tsuzuki and Terazuma argued over who had the right to the last breakfast-cake.

 

“Aw, Terazuma, you took the last one yesterday.”

 

“And I’m taking this one today because you’ve already had five of them.  Five, Tsuzuki!!!  That’s a whole hand!”

 

“Terazuma!  You’ve learned to count.  Can you get to twenty if you take your shoes off?”

 

“Why you…”

 

Across the room, Hisoka passed what looked like a couple of pocky packs over to Wakaba who crowed gleefully as she obviously won some sort of bet.

 

Immune to Tsuzuki and Terazuma’s spats, Watari continued attempting to coax 003 back to his own shoulder

 

Well, this all appears frighteningly normal, Tatsumi thought ruefully to himself before saying out loud.

 

“Just leave her, Watari-san.  She’s obviously, and may I say rightfully, miffed at you and if she or your hand, crawls any further down my shirt I’m going to request a formal introduction to someone’s parents.”

 

Watari paused in mid reach and looked at his partner in shock.  Tatsumi’s voice had not risen above its normal dulcet tones, and Watari knew the words were for his ears only, still…

 

“Tatsumi-san… a joke, you told a joke!”

 

“I am merely attempting to rescue my tie.”

 

“Of course.”  Watari answered in a tone that clearly said he was humoring the older man but he stopped trying to extract 003, who was staring at him with a triumphant expression.

 

The pleasant distraction provided by the sensation of owl and Watari’s hands on his neck momentarily taken care of, Tatsumi drew in a deep breath, preparing to shout down Tsuzuki and Terazuma before the two idiots tore apart the bullpen.  He barely got the first syllable of Tsuzuki’s name out before Tatsumi was interupted by the sound of a muffled explosion. 

 

A second explosion, louder than the first, caused Tsuzuki and Terazuma to pause in the act of pummeling each other.  Hisoka jumped off the edge of Wakaba’s desk, turning towards the door as both he and the female Shinigami watched a cloud of smoke billow down the hall.

 

“Wha?”  Wakaba asked, a pocky stick in her mouth.

 

At that moment there was a series of smaller explosions, one right after the other and the hall was soon filling with multicolored smoke.

 

Tatsumi reached slowly up towards his glasses, unable to ignore the softly spoken,  “Whoopsie.” Which issued from his partner’s mouth.

 

Pushing past the Kagetsukai, the scientist dashed towards the doorway.  Pausing in the doorway Watari twirled, lab coat fanning more smoke into the room. 

 

“I don’t think it’s anything to worry about but let me know if any of you begin…ah well, best not dwell as they say, you’ll be able to tell if anything is amiss.”

 

With a reassuring smile, the blonde Shinigami disappeared down the hallway chased towards his burning lab by the sound of his partner’s bellow.

 

“WATARI!”

 

 

 

 

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