Off Hours by silvershadeus                                                                                                                      

"You know how Watari is, Hisoka. He's always wrapped up in his work." Tsuzuki said, as though the green-eyed boy standing next to him should know exactly what that meant. 

Which incidentally, he did. Watari was just odd that way. Wholly devoted to his work, whether it be for his fellow Shinigami or a potion to turn him into a woman. Or any of a million other things. Amazing, really.

Reaching for his trench coat, Tsuzuki smiled as he caught the little crease on Hisoka's forehead that meant he was debating something with himself. He did that a lot more lately, struggling with past traumas and present kindness.

Tatsumi had mentioned in passing once that Hisoka must have been trying to find some common ground between the two. A happy medium between his cool, detached air and the young boy he should have been allowed to be. The kind person that Tsuzuki only saw in rare flashes.

Green eyes slid to violet, lips turned down in a slight frown.

"That's not good for him, is it?"

Turning to look at his partner, Tsuzuki barely managed to stifle his laughter behind a raised hand. As if Hisoka really had any room to talk. 

When they weren't working, Hisoka could be found holed up somewhere with a book or two. It took real effort and careful strategy on Tsuzuki's part to get the younger Shinigami to get out and about while they weren't working on a case. 

Usually his schemes involved getting Hisoka irritated enough at him to follow along behind, sniping at him until he realized that Tsuzuki had planned things that way. Then he would spend a few moments questioning Tsuzuki's heritage and sanity. And then...and then he would enjoy the moment with Tsuzuki, making the effort that Tsuzuki had gone through to draw him out more than worthwhile. 

"No...but you know how he is." Tsuzuki replied a little ruefully. 

Watari was one of those people that you were always grateful for - even if you didn't always think about them. He made so little effort to be noticed or draw attention to himself outside of his experiments. Tsuzuki knew however, that should Watari suddenly disappear things would fall apart without him. 

He was vital to them in a way that couldn't really be explained. Vital in a way that a living being needed air to breathe, and yet happened to take it for granted that there would be air... And yet he was so much more to all of them.

"But shouldn't we - " Hisoka tried again, sounding as though he didn't really expect Tsuzuki to agree with him.

"We already asked, Hisoka. He said he was too busy working on something new to come with us. Maybe he'll come with us to watch the fireworks next week."

Tsuzuki was pleased that his partner was beginning to open up enough to show his worry about one of their friends. He also regretted the fact that Watari had turned down their offer to visit a carnival on Earth with them. He was sure the blonde scientist would have loved it, what with its countless portable technological marvels and concession booths filled to overflowing with sweets and other tasty foods. 

Watari had given them one of his apologetic smiles and said 'Perhaps next time,' in a way that said he would probably miss the next time as well. It was a bit disheartening, that one of Hisoka's first attempts to break out of his shell should meet with such disappointment. But oddly enough, the green-eyed Shinigami hadn't seemed to mind overly much. 

He was simply worried about Watari being cooped up in his lab all the time, but with Watari that was a given. Something to be expected. 

Looking over as Tatsumi walked past briskly with a 'Do not bother me, I am busy' expression on his face, Hisoka smiled faintly. Tatsumi was headed in the direction of Watari's lab. 

Maybe...

"Hmmm...maybe he will, Tsuzuki." He agreed absently, missing the odd look his partner gave him.

Shrugging into his own coat, Hisoka grabbed the book he had brought in with him to read during the lunch break and looked up at Tsuzuki.

"We'll be late if we don't hurry." He said rather unnecessarily as Tsuzuki was at the outer door holding it open for him.

"You'll love it, Hisoka! They have this stand with these really tasty..."

Rolling his eyes as Tsuzuki proceeded to go into detail about the different foods they would have to try at the carnival, Hisoka followed his partner. And if there was the tiniest of smiles gracing his lips as they left, neither of them commented on it. 

As usual, Watari's lab was a mess. Beakers and odd contraptions littered whatever flat surfaces were available. Central to the controlled chaos that seemed to thrive in Watari's lab was a large contraption made up of glass containers, metal support stands and glass tubing. It sat on the worktable at the heart of the room. Something thick and pale purple was sluggishly flowing through the glass tubing. 

Something off in a back corner bubbled and fizzed in a disconcerting manner. It must have been a good sign however, that Watari didn't seem overly worried by the sounds it was making. He was bent over a microscope set on a counter under the only window in the lab. He looked up occasionally to scribble notes on an open notebook to his left. 

003 circled above it all hooting quietly to her self as though wondering just why she chose to remain with her odd human partner.

Pushing his glasses up a little higher on his nose, Tatsumi eyed the lab with a mixture of dismay and resignation. No matter how often he politely requested that Watari keep his workspace neat and tidy - for his own safety if nothing else - the mess always creeped back after a few days. If he hadn't known better, Tatsumi would have assumed that Watari was doing it deliberately to spite him. 

But he did know better.

Watari simply was not a neat and tidy person by nature. His mind worked in so many directions at once that it would have been madness for him to try and organize anything into a semblance of order. 

And that would have cut down drastically on his efficiency. Which would have hindered their ability to solve cases in a prompt and timely manner. Which would have had dire consequences on their financial situation, due to job-related expenses that would pile up from employees working in the field. Which would have... 

Sighing, Tatsumi removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Thinking about the whole situation was enough to give him a headache - he couldn't imagine actually going through it.

No, it was best that Watari kept his mess. He at least knew where everything was in his lab and how to find the rest. If that was how he worked best, then so be it. It wasn't as if there were anyone else up to Watari's level of skill and ability to take his place.

Clearing his throat to announce his presence, Tatsumi donned his glasses once more and made his way over to Watari. 

There were loose sheets of paper scattered across the counter that the microscope was placed on as well as several notebooks. All were completely filled with Watari's handwriting and curious little doodles that were squeezed into the margins.

Taking a closer look at a sheet of paper nearest him, Tatsumi was surprised to see a little stick figure with his name in a little bubble next to it. There was an arrow pointing from his name to the stick figure. 

Curious, that.

Watari looked up just then, and froze as he caught sight of Tatsumi looking at his doodles...er, notes.

"Tatsumi! I didn't hear you come in." Watari cried, smiling a little sheepishly. "What are you doing here? Didn't Tsuzuki and Hisoka invite you to go to the carnival..." 

Trailing off, Watari tipped his head to the side and studied the other man thoughtfully. Tatsumi usually didn't venture into his domain unless he had something important to say to him or a request for his help. But oddly enough, Tatsumi seemed a little...uncertain? Perhaps even nervous?

Certainly not. Tatsumi was many things, but uncertain and nervous he was not.

Usually.

"Tatsumi?"

"I declined their invitation." Tatsumi said, straightening his glasses and brushing off imaginary lint. "They deserve some time to be alone together, don't you agree?"

There was something in his voice that Watari didn't quite understand, but he did know the look in the other's eyes. It was one he'd seen many times directed at Tsuzuki and his new partner. Warm affection laced with a hint of wistfulness. 

Regret for what could have been.

"I suppose they do at that. They have been working rather hard lately, haven't they."

Tatsumi smiled, not meeting Watari's eyes.

It was true, they had been. Working odd hours and getting little to no sleep in order to solve their cases. They deserved a moment of relaxation to themselves. And they certainly didn't need either Watari or himself long to have fun. 

"What brings you down here then, Tatsumi? Do you need help with a case?"

Looking up, Tatsumi fiddled with his glasses again, although they were perfectly straight.

"I came to see if you would like to have dinner with me. Hisoka mentioned that you missed lunch, so I thought that perhaps you would - "

Watari smiled, the skin around his eyes crinkling. 

Tatsumi really was quite adorable was he was uneasy. 

" - but if you would rather not, I understand, of course. You have things to do with your work here, which of course takes precedence - " Tatsumi was saying, wiping his glasses with his handkerchief and avoiding making eye contact with Watari.

Watching him, Watari was hard pressed to hide his smile. 

Tatsumi was beyond adorable when he was nervous.

003 swooped in, curious as to what the two humans were talking about. She hovered in front of Tatsumi, cocking her head side to side as though trying to puzzle out why he was acting so...strange.

"Ah, 003. It's not polite to stare." Watari chided, reaching out to tap her on the head gently. 

Tatsumi looked up at her quiet hoot of indignation, accidentally meeting Watari's eyes.

"Watari..."

Scooping 003 out of the air, Watari transferred her to his shoulder, effectively breaking eye contact with Tatsumi. Reaching up to scratch 003's ear tufts, he turned back to Tatsumi.

The other man somehow managed to look nervous without looking nervous. Watari supposed it had something to do with the fact that if anyone who did not know Tatsumi was to see him like this, they wouldn't know that he was nervous. But he did know Tatsumi, rather well in fact. Well enough to know when he was nervous.

Which he was. 

It was endearing, in a way. And somewhat humbling, that Tatsumi would feel that way in his presence. It spoke well of him, and perhaps things to come...

"Dinner sounds great, Tatsumi. Give me a few minutes to get everything cleared away here and we can leave." 

Smiling, Tatsumi nodded and proceeded to do just that.

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