The Last Time


His blood was boiling. He knew it, after all, he could feel the hot liquid throbbing through every vein and artery in his entire body. Though he loved the Shinigami with every fiber in his body, at the moment, that love was now pure, unadultrated hatred. The office that he spent most of his time working in, normally (though obsessively) clean and immaculate, was nothing but one giant mess. The floor was covered with manila folders and paper after paper, covering a grown man's ankle easily. Two of his six-foot tall case files had been knocked over like dominos, and the records within had been spilled. Those records had been carefully filed by their exact date, down to the very second he had finished writing his neat (but cramped) signature, by their size, and thumbnailed in case debts were acquired.

Oh, he so did hate Tsuzuki...who was currently ranting like a ninny.

"Tsuzuki!" The shadow-master butted in, grinding his teeth together painfully. "I can't understand a word you're saying. Now, start over, and explain to me how you managed to tear apart my office!"

"Well...uh...well...you see...Tatsumi...I...erm..."

"Get on with it!" Irritated, he pulled off his glasses and shut his eyes, pushing the palm of his right hand into his eye. The blood that was rushing through his head was beginning to form a huge headache. The Shinigami replied by inhaling deeply, and cutely pushing the tips of his index fingers together in front of him, looking like the naughty child who stole cookies before dinner.

"Well you see it started when I went to Watari's lab because I had to go drop something off and so I went in there but Watari wasn't in there so I just kinda decided to wait and then I started looking around because Watari's lab is really spiffy, I mean he's got all those tubes and colorful liquids even though some of them stink, but I guess that comes with the job...and so I was poking around and making faces at myself because the tubes and stuff reflect, but then I found a ball, it was one of those little bouncy balls, y'know, and it was bright green so I went "ooh!" and I picked it up and dropped it to see if it would bounce and it did so I went "wee!" because it made me so happy and I twirled around, but I didn't throw it because I would've broken something and Watari would've been mad, and then you would've been mad and then I would've had an even bigger debt than I already have...but then Watari came in and said something and he scared me so I let go of the ball, and it smacked into the window, bounced off, crashed into some of his tubes before it beaned Watari in the head...he made this funny noise and flew back and he had something to drink so it went flying and it landed on Hisoka who screamed and jumped to the side because it was probably hot, and he stepped on Gushoushin who squawked just like a chicken, and that scared 003 so she flew around making a bunch of noise and went out into the hall and doo-dooed on the floor, and I think she flew smack into Chief Konoe's head, because I remember hearing him scream, and I guess he was right by your office so he kinda fell in and landed on your case files and caused it to spill everywhere...?"

After he finished his rant, he sucked in a huge gulp of air and slumped over. Tatsumi had gone completely silent during the entire thing, the only sounds in the office now Tsuzuki's gasping and the occasional sound of Watari and Hisoka attempting to catch the terrified owl outside. After a few moments of uneasy silence, he looked up, glaring firmly at the man standing in front of his desk.

"You do realize Chief Konoe has several large bruises from his fall, Hisoka is suffering from slight burns on his arms and face, Watari has a goose-egg on the side his head, Gushoushin is hobbling around, and there's a terrified bird running around?!"
"It was an accident, Tatsumi!" He whimpered in reply. "Watari scared me!"
"..." The treasurer let out a sigh. "Still, there are more things to repair now! We have to replace the supplies broken in Watari's lab because you decided to play around as usual."
"It was an accident...I didn't mean to...!" He protested, stepping forward to place his hands on Tatsumi's desk. "I'll clean up your office, and the lab, but please don't put it on my tab. It's bad enough I have to work for three hundred years to pay my debt already!"
"Tsuzuki--"
"Please?" He sniffled, giving Tatsumi big puppy eyes. Tatsumi glared at him.
"Tsuzuki, you still have to--erk!" He paused when Tsuzuki suddenly leaned closer, and gently placed a kiss on the very tip of his nose.
"Just this once, Tatsumi, pleeeeeeeeeease?" The Shinigami begged, staring into his eyes. Tatsumi paused once more, staring back at the man who resembled his mother so much...
"...fine." With a cough, he looked away. "Just get out of here."
"Yay!! You won't regret this, I promise Tatsumi!"

Without another word Tsuzuki left, leaving Tatsumi alone in his office. The man sighed and then put his head down, the wood cool against his forehead.

He was going to have to learn how to say no, he mused. It only took one word...but then, Tsuzuki is fairly good at convincing people otherwise.

"That's the thirteenth time, and the last," he muttered. "Even though I said that the last time."



End.



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