Angels

"I love you. I love you, 'Taka. Don't go. Stay."

And then lips descended on his and Watari felt the rest of the floor
melt away. Tatsumi was one hell of a convincing kisser. It was gentle,
slow, soft… so very, very wonderful. And he opened up under him, met that
inquisitive tongue, let himself sink into the loving contact that demanded
nothing. Arms were around his waist, holding him tenderly.

"That mean 003 can stay, too?" he breathed when Tatsumi released him
again.

His whole body tingled, his lips were burning – and it felt so good.
He had stopped thinking, was only reacting, and those words had been the
first on his mind.

"Huh?"

"Well, you love me, you love my owl."

There was a mischievous glint in those blue eyes. "I even love your
penguin if it makes you happy."

Watari had to laugh. His hands were resting on those narrow hips, only
the robe separating his fingers from the warm skin. He longed to run his
hands over every inch of Tatsumi, hear him moan and cry and his name, wanted
to feel Tatsumi again like last night.

"So you want to make me happy?" he teased.

"I think I just said that."

"I'd be very happy if we could maybe return to your bedroom," Watari
purred.

"Oh?" Blue eyes darkened a little.

"Yes."

"Then how about I go about making you happy?"

"Wonderful idea."

And those lips were back, this time adding a touch of hunger to the
kiss that soon grew as Watari answered it with a hunger of his own. The
blond pressed his lips onto the other man’s, feeling Tatsumi yield under
his rising passion. Pushing back the man against the kitchen counter, he
continued to kiss and stroke, brushing the thin fabric of the robe aside.
Tatsumi moaned under him, grabbing the counter behind them, the movement
stretching out the slender body in front of his eyes even more.

Watari couldn’t resist tasting the soft skin, lapping at the pulse
point of the other man’s throat while his fingers went on a journey again,
teasing and touching, until he reached the sensitive skin of the inner
thighs, hearing Tatsumi’s breath hitch, feeling those long legs spread.
Letting his teeth scrape over one peaked nippls fis fingers wandered even
deeper, finding Tatsumi already hard and ready. A few strokes made Tatsumi
whimper and shiver, and Watari couldn’t help the soft moan that escaped
his own throat. Pushing a finger even deeper he found no resistance, and
Tatsumi cried out softly, moving against the invading digit.

Seiichiro, Watari thought with wonder, I could take you here and now
and you wouldn’t even mind.

“’Taka,” Tatsumi moaned, shivering weakly and Watari carefully removed
his finger, holding his lover close.

“Bed, Seii,” he whispered hoarsely, and Tatsumi nodded against his
neck.

Watari managed to detach himself long enough to turn off the oven,
feeling no regret that his breakfast would probably shrivel up and die
and go to waste, because what he had here, in his arms, was the greatest
treasure.

 

Watari just pushed Tatsumi back onto the bed and got rid of his own
clothes in no time, seeing how those blue eyes regarded him, clouded with
passion and lust. Tatsumi pulled him down onto him, wrapping his arms around
him and spreading his long legs wantonly in a silent plea.

“’Taka … want you … “

And who was Watari to refuse?  Tatsumi gasped and moaned as he
entered him, bucking under his touches and meeting his every thrust while
devouring his mouth hungrily. A part of Watari was simply speechless as
how unrestrained the Shadow Master could become, so oppo his his usual
demeanor he showed to the world. But yet here he was, panting and sobbing
and so beautiful while nearly lost in his desire.

Watari saw no further reason not to give in to that longing of his
own and with a strangled cry he buried himself deeper into the other man’s
body, hearing him cry out his name as climax overtook them both.

*

Running lazy fingers through the wild, blond strands, Tatsumi felt like
humming to himself. His whole body thrummed with the echoes of Watari,
of his touches, his kisses, his very being so close, inside and out. Their
passion spent for now the two men lay together, Tatsumi cushioning his
head against one narrow shoulder, listening to the soft sounds from his
lover. Watari wasn't asleep, merely dozing, a blissful smile on his lips,
one arm possessively around the older shinigami.

It felt good.

It felt so incredibly good.

Giving himself up, letting go, experiencing all of this and more, having…
him. Tatsumi felt his smile grow as he twirled a blond lock around his
finger.

Something niggled at him and he frowned a little, still playing with
the hair.

"'Taka?"

"Hm?" came the soft noise that told him his partner was currently very
much relaxed.

"How do you know about Tsuzuki?"

Watari blinked his eyes open, their amber golden irises reflecting
the light in the same fascinating way Tatsumi had seen before, and gazed
at the inquisitive face.

"Huh? Tsuzuki?"

"You know what I felt for him once."

It had been on his mind ever since Watari had said it. Not consciously,
but it had stuck around.

"Oh, that. Well, I've got eyes, Seii."

The older shinigami blinked. "What?"

"Oh, come on! It was clear as day. Maybe not right away. I mean you
and Asato have known each other for a while now and I wasn't around back
then, but after Kyoto… even before that… I saw it, Seii. It was in your
voice, your eyes, your behavior."

Watari looked unconcerned, was even smiling, as if the whole topic
wasn't any more shocking or revealing than the weather.

Tatsumi felt cold all of a sudden. It had been his secret, well-kept
and maybe only known by the one entity that knew everything that went on
around here, Enma-Daiou.

If Watari knew… who else did?

"Who did you tell?" he asked roughly.

Now there was a look of indignation in those warm eyes. Watari pushed
himself up, dislodging the naked man using him as a pillow, and glared
at him.

"Now listen here, Tatsumi!"

Oh-oh… back to the formal address…

"I don't go around gossiping, and I sure as hell don't go around blurting
out private little things! What happened between you and Tsuzuki is no
one's business, not even mine. I know you feel strongly for him and that
thing about not getting along with him as a partner is plain bullshit.
But -- I – Do – Not – Spread – Secrets! Understood?"

Tatsumi stared at him, nodding dumbly.

Watari's features softened again. He gazed at the older man and reached
out, cupping one cheek. The smile was back, warm and reassuring.

"As you said, you loved him, Seii. Very much. And you let him go because
of it, because you didn't want to see him get hurt."

"Have you gone telepathic now?" Tatsumi joked weakly.

"No. I just know you and I know Tsuzuki. I thought… well, maybe you
might get another chance together." A shrug. "You always looked at him
so longingly, you protected him so fiercely… and all he did was react like
an innocent child. When he hurts, you hurt. I could see it. I thought there
might be a day in the future when you and him…"

"No," Tatsumi interrupted. "No, there never was a chance… Not with
him, anyway." Tatsumi pulled the slender man into his arms, caressed him,
carding his fingers into his long hair. "You are what I want. Never doubt
that. I love you, ‘Taka."

Watari almost purred in pleasure and delight.

"Tsuzuki is my friend," the Shadow Master added softly. "I can't stand
aside and see him get hurt, but I don't want more of him than his friendship."

"You have it, Seii. You always had it."

"Yes, I know. He gives it conditionlessly, his friendship, his love,
his protection. He is innocent in so many ways, and hardened in so many
others. He's a contradiction in itself. You can't but love and want to
protect him."

Watari nodded. Of course he knew, Tatsumi realized. The two shinigami
were best friends and had always been ever since Watari had arrived in
Meifu. And Watari had been ready to simply go, forget their night together,
to give the two men a chance.

He tightened his hold, burying his head in the mane of hair. He wouldn’t
give up the best thing that had happened to him.

“Love you,” he repeated once more.

Watari’s hands were stroking over his ribcage, soothing, strong and
gentle. He echoed the words softly.

Suddenly there was a hooting noise and Tatsumi blinked in surprise
as a small, tennis ball-sized owl fluttered inte bee bedroom, settling
on the foot end of the bed. Large yellow eyes regarded the two men.

"003!" Watari exclaimed, a smile on his features as his little companion
hooted and hopped into his open palm.

Tatsumi was dumbstruck. Finally he managed a, "What the heck?"

Watari grinned like a little kid, tickling the tiny bird with one finger.
"There you are, little one. I know I'm bad. I totally forgot about you!"

003 hooted and looked at Tatsumi, who was still a little speechless.
She hooted again.

"How did she get here?" he asked dumbly.

"Well, she didn't take a cab, so I guess she flew?" Watari chuckled,
still grinning as he looked up from petting the bird.

"But…"

They lived miles apart! Cities, actually!

"She knows where I live and flew here?" Tatsumi tried to clarify things.

"I don't know about knowing where you live, Seii, but 003 can find
me wherever I am," his lover explained as if it was the most natural thing
in the world.

"I see."

Tatsumi had actually no idea w 003 003 came from. She had appeared
from one day to the next, about a day after Watari had become a servant
of Enma-Daiou, and Watari had only said something about her falling into
his lap or the like. The owl had become a fixture in this world, a constant
companion to the blond engineer, and no one could imagine Watari without
her.

003 hooted softly, then butted her tiny head against her master's fingers,
nipping playfully.

"Yes, I'm sorry. It won't happen again. You see… I didn't really plan
on not coming home."

He hadn’t planned…

Tatsumi gazed at his lover, amazed at his own luck to have this man,
to hold him, to love him. Watari had given him a wonderful gift. Tatsumi
felt himself under scrutiny again, then the owl just made a few soft noises
to herself.

So… had he met approval?

Watari leaned against him as if it was the most natural thing in the
world, still holding the bird.

“I hope you plan on staying,” the Shadow Master murmured.

A smile answered him, warm and caring. “As long as you want me to.”

Tatsumi knew he was grinning like a little kid now. “That would be
a very long time then.”

“Good.”

A yawn escaped the blond and Tatsumi chuckled. He felt tired himself
because even restorative shinigami powers couldn't substitute for real
sleep. 003 fluttered onto the wardrobe and looked around the bedroom, then
found herself a roosting place, a tiny feathery ball on the edge of his
old wardrobe. Tatsumi had to smile a little.

He watched Watari fall asleep, watched the features smooth out, and
he smiled to himself.

Yes, this felt good. He felt good. For the first time in this afterlife
the loneliness and cold were no longer his only bed partners.

"I love you, 'Taka," he murmured as he settled down next to the naked
man in his bed.

As he drifted off himself he thought he heard an approving hoot from
above.

Well, so I got your blessings, hm?

Good to know.

 * * *

Monday morning came too fast. From one day to another things changed
and Watari watched his lover come to work, dressed in his usual suit with
matching tie, hair neat, blue eyes behind glasses that hid so much. His
strides were measured, his face gave nothing away, and the blond scientist
sighed a little.

More in remembrance than disappointment or resignation.

The past weekend had shown him so much of Tatsumi Seiichiro, so much
others would never see. Starting from unguarded blue eyes, a handsome face
without the glasses, and the tousled hair, to the nicely shaped, muscular
body hidden underneath that well-tailored suit. Yes, he had been privy
to something special. To Seii. His lover.

They had talked a lot after finally leaving the bed. Things were clearer
now and Watari had been amazed and humbled by the revelation that Tatsumi
had admired and loved him from afar for a while now. Jumping over his own
shadow, so to speak, and following his heart had been out of the question
for the older shinigami, and it had taken this forced vacation, a misjudgment
of locations and Watari’s stormy approach to finally push the subject.

Warmth coursed through him and Watari fought down the impulse to smile
that silly little smile that had threatened to overtake him on several
occasions this morning.

But they had an agreement. This was work; here they were colleagues,
occasional partners in a case if need arose, and Tatsumi was still, technically,
his superior. Watari could work with that. He was a professional and he
wouldn't pounce the man on sight.

Then again…

Golden eyes briefly checked out the tall figure, then he smiled to
himself and walked into the lab. He still had his research to finish.

The job came first.

There was always the time after office hours.

They continued to work together on the odd case or two and their private
relationship gave them a new understanding of their work relationship on
top of that. There was an ease between them that spoke of trust, and Watari
savored it.

He loved Tatsumi. Deeply. Unconditionally. And nothing would ever change
that.

~fin~

more to come