Irresistible Force : Immovable Object
by Laekin
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He’d look good splattered against the air duct walls! All I need is a pinpoint of light and the shadow it would throw and then… Tatsumi closed his eyes, shifted his glasses and reined in his murderous thoughts. Watari was only part of the problem, Tatsumi forced himself to admit, a good portion of his foul temper stemmed from being cooped up in the air ducts of the hospital for the past three hours. How the hell Watari managed to fold himself into a comfortable position on the narrow beams in the ceiling, Tatsumi couldn’t begin to fathom. Something to do with his engineering background was the only answer the Kagetsukai could come up with. Along with looking annoyingly comfortable, Watari had also been humming, whistling and even singing badly off key for the entire three hours. Though he was concentrating on the faint glow coming from the palm pilot he held, the blonde Shinigami hadn’t shut up in all that time. It was driving Tatsumi nuts. Every time he settled in to ponder the events of the afternoon Watari would brutalize some innocent piece of music and the younger Guardian didn’t even seem to be aware of his annoying habit. It was playing havoc with Tatsumi’s concentration and the elder Shinigami simply could not focus. “Watari-san.” Tatsumi decided enough was enough. “Hmm?” “Would you please stop that?” “Stop what, Tatsumi?” “That noise.” “Noise?” “Your pathetic attempt at music making.” “Ooooh, that noise.” “Yes, that noise. Stop it.” “But, Tatsumi it helps to pass the time.” Watari countered cheerfully. “The time can be passed contemplating the case.” “Or brooding about it.” Watari’s eyes never left the mini computer in his hand. Tatsumi felt as if he’d been hit in the face with a bucket of cold water. For a moment he was speechless, staring fiercely at the bent head of his partner. Then, slowly, his eyes softened. You cagey little bastard. The palm pilot in Watari’s hand gave a soft beep, after which the younger Guardian looked up at his partner with an inscrutable expression. “Of course, we could talk about the case. That would help pass the time.” Tatsumi stood silent. It felt like it had been… over a century since someone had so neatly outflanked him. It had been a little less than half a century since anyone had given enough of a damn to make the attempt. When was the last time anyone ever tried to keep me from hurting myself? Tatsumi realized he couldn’t remember. It was a strange sensation and it turned his neatly ordered world further on its side. Giving his head a shake, he turned away from Watari and turned his concentration back to monitoring the comings and goings of the night nurses. “Not now. Given the time frame, the succubus should be making an attempt tonight and I don’t intend for another person to die in this hospital.” Tatsumi spoke with a dark fierceness, his blue eyes intense as they stared a hole through the ceiling tile beneath his feet. His eyes downcast, Tatsumi didn’t catch the speculative glance his partner cast between the little computer in his hand and Tatsumi’s own profile. Watari nipped at the inside corner of his mouth, stroking his thumb across the screen of the palm pilot, as if he could rub away the information displayed. He’d spent the past half-hour reading through the uploaded reports from Wakaba and GoShoShin and while gratified to have his suspicions confirmed he was now wrestling with how to broach the subject with his partner. Try as he might, Watari couldn’t shake off the scene he’d come upon earlier that afternoon. ~~~~Flash Back ~~~~ “Jonathan Kelli Esoka. I told my husband it was silly to give a boy a girl’s name but he absolutely insisted.” Kelly Esoka sat in one of the comfortable rocking chairs placed in the waiting area of the nursery. Her son was cradled in her arms, sleeping after his lunch. In a tone that brooked no discussion of the subject, Tatsumi had informed Watari that he would find and speak to Kelly Esoka. Watari had quirked an eyebrow at his partner’s imperious nature but he’d let it go for the time being. He recognized that when Tatsumi was stressed he used his high breeding and borderline arrogant manners as a shield, not unlike the way Tsuzuki used food and childishness. EnMaDaiOh save me from non-coping coping mechanisms. Finished with his own questions, Watari lurked in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest as he observed the scene before him. Tatsumi was sitting on a couch just to Kelly’s right perched forward a little so he could better see the infant’s face. Sapphire blue eyes, which cast the fear of Hades into grown Shinigami, were flickering between child and mother with an almost wondering expression. We spend so much time dealing with Death I suppose he’s forgotten the other end of the circle of life. Watari thought to himself a gentle smile on his lips as he watched his reserved partner. Jonathan Esoka had woken up and rather than fuss the baby was returning the Guardian’s regard with a curious expression on his tiny face. Seeing that the child was awake, Tatsumi extended a long index finger towards the small fist, which had worked free of the blanket. Delighted, the infant grasped the finger only able to get the first knuckle in his tiny hand but Watari could tell the baby had a pretty good grip. The two adults shared a chuckle as the baby checked the finger out as a possible source of milk and Watari’s eyebrows ricocheted into his hairline as he watched Tatsumi put up with having his finger gummed. Damn it! Where is a camera when you need one, Baaahh! Too cute. As if he sensed his dignity being threatened, Tatsumi looked over his shoulder. His eyes held a wary expression as they fell on the lurking form of his partner. Watari grinned impishly but gave his head a slight shake. No one in Meifu would believe him if he tried to relate what he’d just seen. Tatsumi’s secret adoration of children was safe. Adoration or perhaps fascination with a healthy mother/child bond. The thought, unbidden, reared its ugly head and wiped any hint of amusement off the scientist’s face. He was more aware of the painful pasts of his coworkers than many of them gave him credit and Tatsumi’s history was second only to Tsuzuki’s in the blood bath category. Forcefully stuffing those thoughts back down into their dark little cubbyholes, Watari walked on into the room, crowing gleefully. “Tatsumi-san! There you are. Well, of course there you are, if you were somewhere else you wouldn’t be there.” The abrupt shifts in Watari’s mood had not gone unnoticed by his partner and Tatsumi rose slowly, watching Watari warily. In his heart, Tatsumi didn’t believe that Watari would do anything indiscreet, it was just that he didn’t know what the unpredictable blonde might do and Tatsumi hated not having total control of a situation. “Watari-san, I’d like you to meet Kelly Esoka and her son Jonathan Esoka.” Tatsumi spoke in formal tones, hoping to gain some modicum of influence over his partner. Watari paused a few feet away and executed a neat bow at the waist, blonde hair skimming across his shoulders and into his eyes as he grinned at Kelly. “My pleasure, Esoka-san.” Kelly watched the entrance of the young man with frank fascination. In contrast to Tatsumi’s slightly reserved demeanor this Watari-san was a whirlwind of motion and bright, warm smiles. Blonde hair, amber eyes and a slightly leaner build evidenced that he was no kin to Tatsumi, yet when he stepped up beside the quieter man, Kelly couldn’t shake the impression that they were somehow connected. There was wisdom in their eyes that spoke of shared and similar experiences. “It’s nice to meet you as well, Watari-san. I apologize if I’ve tied up Tatsumi-san and kept you waiting for something.” Watari waved a slender hand, dismissing the apology even as he shook his head. “Not at all. I’d just wondered where he’d wandered off to.” At that moment, little Jonathan gurgled drawing the attention of the adults. “And a pleasure to meet you as well, young sir.” Watari exclaimed bending and holding a finger out for the child to grab. Jonathan, however, was more interested in the long silky hair now dangling within reach. His small fist reached out and caught hold of a hunk of Watari’s hair and in typical baby style he began to check it for edibility. “Oh! Jonathan sweetie.” Kelly exclaimed, torn between laughter and a hint of embarrassment as her son began to chew on a near stranger’s hair. Watari simply chuckled and hunkered down on his heels to be more at a level with the infant. Talking to Jonathan in the same direct manner he used with 003, the Guardian extracted his hair, offering his finger as a replacement novelty toy for the restless youngster. Now it was Tatsumi’s turn to observe Watari’s interaction with the child. Interestingly enough, Watari spoke to Jonathan as if the child could understand him. There was no silly baby talk or other concessions that adults sometimes made when dealing with children. Straightening, Watari turned towards his partner and though he was smiling broadly, his amber eyes were serious as they settled on Tatsumi. “I’m afraid that I need to speak with you, Tatsumi-san.” The implication of privately was obvious. Tatsumi, unwilling to displace Kelly, nodded and turned towards the young woman. “Please excuse me, Esoka-san. I enjoyed meeting Jonathan-kun.” “Of course, Tatsumi-san. It was nice to see you again, your cousin is very lucky.” “Thank you.” It had been on the tip of his tongue to point out that Jonathan was a very lucky young man when he remembered that Kelly Esoka was not well. Tatsumi turned away, he hoped, before the sorrow he felt showed on his face. Kelly Esoka might have missed the clouded expression on her new friend’s countenance but Watari got a good look at it. Sucking on a tooth pensively he suppressed the urge to shake his head. Damn it, Seiichirou. You can be as bad as Asato. ~~~~ End Flash Back ~~~~~ Looking back down at the little computer in his hand, Watari saved the information to retrieve later and turned the palm pilot off. Tucking the useful little gadget away in the breast pocket of his coat, the blonde Guardian settled more comfortable on his heels and reviewed his options. Watari knew that the best approach would be to hand the palm pilot over to Tatsumi, let the older man read the information on his own and draw his own conclusions. Which is exactly what I would have done… if I hadn’t witnessed that little scene earlier. Damn it. It’s what needs to be done. He’s an adult. He knows the risks of this business. He should be able to handle what this information implies. Frustrated, the blonde Shinigami punched his knee lightly with his closed fist. The motion drew a questioning look from his partner. Tatsumi’s blue eyes held a certain wariness as they met and held Watari’s penetrating stare. He knows. The thought struck the younger man in a flash. He has to know. He just doesn’t want to be certain. Ah, my friend I wish we had the luxury of ignorance, but you know as well as I that ignorance is a bliss we can no longer lay claim to. Taking a steadying breath, Watari set himself a difficult course. It was never easy to make Tatsumi face his own demons, hell it could be positively afterlife threatening, but there was nothing to be gained by coddling the elder Guardian. Not at this stage of the investigation. At this stage of the investigation, mortal lives were in the balance and Tatsumi needed a kick in the ass. A very delicately applied kick in the ass, but gentleness could come later, for now Tatsumi needed strength. And so help me if I end up shadow splattered over this air duct wall I’m charging him hazardous duty rate! Tatsumi watched as Watari’s face became shadowed and shuttered. Without needing to hear the words, he knew what was coming yet he still flinched when his partner’s soft voice echoed in the small space between them. “I have an answer from the Division.” “No.” “ ‘Kaba is certain that the succubus is a Fenalla, tied to a mortal woman in a bargain that exchanges a mortal existence for the Fenalla while returning some great reward upon her host.” “Now… now is not the time Watari-san.” Tatsumi’s voice was like ice. Watari firmly continued with the report. “GoShoShin, upon my request, also ran a check on the victims in this case. In each instance the victim was either under suspicion of, or convicted of a crime ranging from drug pandering to rape to manslaughter.” “Watari…” Tatsumi snarled between clenched teeth. “A Fenalla rarely takes lives in the course of her bargain unless that is the crux of the bargain. Continued life for the mortal woman in exchange for hosting the succubus, and if such a bargain would be struck, a Fenalla would seek out those she deemed least deserving of life.” Tatsumi ground his teeth together but he gave up trying to get his partner to shut up. The change did not go unnoticed by Watari, who watched the older Guardian closely as he continued. “Tatsumi… Seiichirou. It is my opinion that Kelly Esoka, facing death and desperate to remain with her child, entered into a bargain with a Meifu denizen, in this case with a Fenallatina Succubus. Perhaps she didn’t totally understand the terms of the bargain, that in exchange for her life, others would have to perish.” “No, no she couldn’t have known, she could not have understood.” Tatsumi broke his unnatural stillness and shook his head. “Perhaps she didn’t.” Watari relented a little. He could see how this information was affecting Tatsumi. He didn’t believe that Tatsumi had been unaware of the possibility of this outcome, the Secretary was too intelligent and too experienced to fool himself in such a way. What Watari could understand was the way the brain would refuse to acknowledge what it knew to be true until it was actually forced to confront the spoken words. Tatsumi had to face the truth of his own suspicions, and Watari could see the inner struggle the other man was battling. I’m sorry, Seiichirou. How the hell did you become so attached, so quickly? Did you learn this from Tsuzuki, or did he learn it from you? Sometimes I wonder, my friend… sometimes I wonder. As he watched, Tatsumi’s profile became shadowed as the older man drew inwards. “I don’t sense anyone in the corridor. We should get into better position.” Watari frowned sharply as Tatsumi evaded his emotions. And that, my dear friend, is why you are slowly destroying yourself. Well, not on my watch. You’re too important to me. “Seiichirou…” Watari began reaching forward, catching at Tatsumi’s sleeve stalling the other man’s reach for the air vent screen As Watari’s fingers closed around the exposed skin of his wrist, Tatsumi paused and turned, slowly, to face his partner. It was like being back in Kyoto, standing on the edge of that hellish fire. Watari’s amber eyes, filled with steely resolve, catching him and holding him firm in the face of a decision that struck too close to his heart. “We don’t know for sure, Yutaka.” Tatsumi whispered, still holding on to a desperate hope beyond hope. “And when we do?” What will you do then? “When we do… we’ll deal with it then.” Tatsumi’s voice was brittle and the arm Watari held trembled very slightly. Watari was no fool he could tell that Tatsumi was being pushed to confront a set of demons not entirely unlike Tsuzuki’s. While the younger Shinigami did not want to see his partner bottle up more pain, he also recognized that Tatsumi was very close to losing perspective and becoming lost. For the first time in the case, Watari felt a personal frustration of his own. That Tatsumi had taken on this Gray Knight in the first place and that the circumstances of the case had skewed in the direction they had gone. It was as if EnMaDaiOh had sought out a situation guaranteed to drive Tatsumi to the brink and had set it in the Kagetsukai’s path deliberately. A mother/child dynamic was the closest thing to an Achilles heel that Tatsumi had. It defined everything about the man. Tatsumi’s reserved nature, his almost fanatical obsession with money and providing for those in his care, his lamentable habit of wanting to mother those close to him, all of it stemmed from the dysfunctional relationship he’d had with his own mother. This damn case was tailor made to mess with Seii’s head. How the hell am I going to hold him together through this? For the most part Watari Yutaka was a self-confident individual. Very little disconcerted him and despite his carefree and gregarious nature, he was extremely unflappable. But this time the stakes were extraordinarily high and Watari was beginning to feel the pressure. Somehow, in the twenty odd years they had worked together, Tatsumi had become extremely important to the younger Shinigami and Watari recognized that he was scared of losing Tatsumi before they had a chance to explore what could be between them. Watari felt a stab of uncertainty strike it’s way through his heart. Please, don’t let me fail him. |
