Author's Notes: I took a vacation for a bit, which means that I have done Absolutely Nothing Productive. While I was gone, though, this started to stew in my mind, just kind of asking to be written. And every now and then, I'd think of something to add, and tuck it away. Then, tonight, the whole first scene filtered in, bits and pieces at a time, and I decided that I should get started before I forgot.
Sooo. This first part is kind of odd, even though the fic was meant to be more serious, as a whole. Dunno if it'll get there, but I want to stick pretty closely with my original idea.
Uhm, when Hisoka mentions getting sick, I'm using the manga as a reference. In the King of Swords arc, he gets sick from being around too many people for too long. I'm only assuming that's what always happens.
Questions, comments, hate mail always appreciated. ^_^ -Extra- points for anyone who can help me with a chapter title.
Warnings? Yaoi. Possibly angst, later on. Uhm, Watari's failed experiments. Think that's all.
===============
Outside Looking In
===============
Chapter 1
===============
"Tadaa!" exclaimed a heavily accented voice, with entirely too much cheer.
Hisoka lifted his eyes from the small pile of paperwork on his desk with an expression half curiosity, half trepidation. For some reason, it didn't surprise the boy when he found himself eye to eye with a grinning blonde scientist, complete with hovering owl and beaker on a small silver platter. The liquid in said beaker, the young shinigami was disturbed to note, had reached a suspicious shade of mauve.
"Already?" he asked distractedly, filling in a few more blanks on the current form with short, neat pen strokes.
"Yup!" Watari removed the beaker from the platter to set it carefully on the edge of the desk, beaming pride. "I told you, bon, it's a simple formula! Fail proof -and- quick!"
"Fail proof?" The boy turned wide green eyes to regard the potion mistrustfully; the color was horrifically unnatural. And it was still fizzing. "Will it -work-?"
"Absolutely!" Settling himself on the desk beside the beaker, the scientist made himself comfortable. "Drink up-- that way, we can work out any glitches before the party."
Hisoka, who had been reaching for the beaker, froze in mid-motion. "What happened to fail proof?"
"Oh! No, no! Not like that!" Raising both hands as though to ward away the boy's death glare, Watari gave a nervous little laugh. "What I meant is that I might need to change the amounts on some of the chemicals-- it should work differently, depending on how many people you're around."
"Oh." The boy's eyes trailed from the grinning blonde, to his owl, to the formula. Slowly, he picked up the glass beaker. "And I won't get sick?"
"It should get rid of everything caused by your empathy. So unless it's just nerves..." the taller man shrugged.
Lifting the container to his lips, Hisoka took an experimental sip. And grimaced. "It's sweet," he announced, accusingly.
The scientist covered a chuckle with a cough. "I added sugar," he admitted. "It smelled pretty bad."
Annoyed green eyes fixed him with a hard look. "How -much- sugar?"
Absently, Watari reached long fingers to scratch 003 under the chin. "I might have gone a little overboard," he admitted.
"A little?" The boy snorted, but took another small sip in spite of the words. "It's like something Tsuzuki would drink."
"Something I would drink?" came a hopeful voice from over his shoulder, accompanied by the wild thrashing of a puppy tail.
"Idiot," Hisoka accused calmly, not at all startled by his partner's sudden approach. "Not unless you want to try Watari-san's newest concoction."
"Speaking of which," the scientist prompted, smiling happily. "Feeling anything yet, bon?"
"Uhm." The boy concentrated briefly, searching for the telltale signs of others' emotions. "That you'd hoped for a flashier result."
"Oh." Watari frowned, thought for a moment, and then offered the partners an optimistic grin. "Maybe if you drank a little more?"
"Maybe." The young shinigami took another sip, doubtfully. He didn't look convinced.
"What's it supposed to do?" Tsuzuki asked, settling himself comfortably into one of the chairs. "And how much sugar did you put in?"
"Ah!" the taller blonde exclaimed, delighted that someone had shown interest. 003 nearly fell from her perch on the man's shoulder at his sudden forward movement. "Well, you see, bon was telling me that he doesn't like big crowds because of his empathy... so I made him something to get rid of it for a little while, so he can come to the party next week."
"I still don't see how you got Chief Kanoe to agree to a party in the office, after hours." Tsuzuki frowned in thought, childishly confused. "If it was me, he never would have..."
"Let's just say it's going to be a -surprise- party," Watari laughed, reaching up to take the owl from his shoulder. She peered at him curiously, still half asleep.
"Oh." Violet eyes widened. An answering grin began to form. "-Oh-." Ignoring his partner's glare, Tsuzuki pushed obliviously onward. "I get it. So, what about the sugar?"
"More than you put in your tea," the boy told him disdainfully. Settling the beaker back to the tray, he pushed it away, attempting to put some distance between himself and the concoction. "It's not working," he announced. "I'm not drinking any more."
Watari lowered the brim of his glasses to peer into the beaker, shifting the little owl to his other hand. "Aw, bon... You didn't even drink half."
"It's not working?" Tsuzuki echoed, peering at the mixture hopefully. "At all?"
The young shinigami sighed. "Not even a little. I can feel both of you, and everyone in the hallway." Wide green eyes turned up toward the potion's creator. "Didn't you say that a little should be enough?"
The tall blonde stroked his fingers through the bird's feathers as he spoke, considering. "The only thing I can think of is that the sugar might have neutralized it." He offered Hisoka an apologetic smile. "Sorry, bon. I'll go whip up another batch right a--"
"Tsuzuki!" the boy yelped, cutting his co-worker off mid-sentence. "You -idiot-!"
Two pairs of horrified eyes, one green and the other golden, turned to watch as Tsuzuki scooped the melted sugar from the bottom of the now-empty beaker, licking it from his fingers. "You were right," he agreed happily. "It -is- just like I make my tea."
"Tsuzuki-san," Watari protested, "You shouldn't drink the fruits of science in place of tea!" Abruptly, his eyes took on a foxlike glint. "Feeling any effects, though?"
"He isn't an empath," Hisoka pointed out acidly.
The blonde shinigami sighed, deflated. "Ah, well. I suppose you're right." Returning 003 to her customary spot on his shoulder, the scientist offered a cheery wave. "Well, I'm off to make up some more! Be back soon!" And with that he was gone, whisking from the room with all the energy of a whirlwind.
"Me too!" Tsuzuki announced, returning the beaker to its spot. "The chief's been hoarding pastries in the break room, and--"
"Not so fast," the boy cut in, catching his partner by the hem of his coat before the man could slip from the room. "-My- half of the paperwork is done."
"But... but..." Shining violet eyes turned pleading. "Hisoka... the pastries will be gone..."
The young shinigami stood, fixing Tsuzuki with an appraising look. "I'll bring you back some," he offered, by way of compromise. "How's that?"
"You -do- love me!" the man cheered, all ears and tail and tiny hearts. "Something with blueberries, okay? Blueberries?"
Hisoka had to fight to keep the smile from his lips. "Don't push it."
And with that, he was off in search of blueberry pastries.
~end part one~
Sooo. This first part is kind of odd, even though the fic was meant to be more serious, as a whole. Dunno if it'll get there, but I want to stick pretty closely with my original idea.
Uhm, when Hisoka mentions getting sick, I'm using the manga as a reference. In the King of Swords arc, he gets sick from being around too many people for too long. I'm only assuming that's what always happens.
Questions, comments, hate mail always appreciated. ^_^ -Extra- points for anyone who can help me with a chapter title.
Warnings? Yaoi. Possibly angst, later on. Uhm, Watari's failed experiments. Think that's all.
===============
Outside Looking In
===============
Chapter 1
===============
"Tadaa!" exclaimed a heavily accented voice, with entirely too much cheer.
Hisoka lifted his eyes from the small pile of paperwork on his desk with an expression half curiosity, half trepidation. For some reason, it didn't surprise the boy when he found himself eye to eye with a grinning blonde scientist, complete with hovering owl and beaker on a small silver platter. The liquid in said beaker, the young shinigami was disturbed to note, had reached a suspicious shade of mauve.
"Already?" he asked distractedly, filling in a few more blanks on the current form with short, neat pen strokes.
"Yup!" Watari removed the beaker from the platter to set it carefully on the edge of the desk, beaming pride. "I told you, bon, it's a simple formula! Fail proof -and- quick!"
"Fail proof?" The boy turned wide green eyes to regard the potion mistrustfully; the color was horrifically unnatural. And it was still fizzing. "Will it -work-?"
"Absolutely!" Settling himself on the desk beside the beaker, the scientist made himself comfortable. "Drink up-- that way, we can work out any glitches before the party."
Hisoka, who had been reaching for the beaker, froze in mid-motion. "What happened to fail proof?"
"Oh! No, no! Not like that!" Raising both hands as though to ward away the boy's death glare, Watari gave a nervous little laugh. "What I meant is that I might need to change the amounts on some of the chemicals-- it should work differently, depending on how many people you're around."
"Oh." The boy's eyes trailed from the grinning blonde, to his owl, to the formula. Slowly, he picked up the glass beaker. "And I won't get sick?"
"It should get rid of everything caused by your empathy. So unless it's just nerves..." the taller man shrugged.
Lifting the container to his lips, Hisoka took an experimental sip. And grimaced. "It's sweet," he announced, accusingly.
The scientist covered a chuckle with a cough. "I added sugar," he admitted. "It smelled pretty bad."
Annoyed green eyes fixed him with a hard look. "How -much- sugar?"
Absently, Watari reached long fingers to scratch 003 under the chin. "I might have gone a little overboard," he admitted.
"A little?" The boy snorted, but took another small sip in spite of the words. "It's like something Tsuzuki would drink."
"Something I would drink?" came a hopeful voice from over his shoulder, accompanied by the wild thrashing of a puppy tail.
"Idiot," Hisoka accused calmly, not at all startled by his partner's sudden approach. "Not unless you want to try Watari-san's newest concoction."
"Speaking of which," the scientist prompted, smiling happily. "Feeling anything yet, bon?"
"Uhm." The boy concentrated briefly, searching for the telltale signs of others' emotions. "That you'd hoped for a flashier result."
"Oh." Watari frowned, thought for a moment, and then offered the partners an optimistic grin. "Maybe if you drank a little more?"
"Maybe." The young shinigami took another sip, doubtfully. He didn't look convinced.
"What's it supposed to do?" Tsuzuki asked, settling himself comfortably into one of the chairs. "And how much sugar did you put in?"
"Ah!" the taller blonde exclaimed, delighted that someone had shown interest. 003 nearly fell from her perch on the man's shoulder at his sudden forward movement. "Well, you see, bon was telling me that he doesn't like big crowds because of his empathy... so I made him something to get rid of it for a little while, so he can come to the party next week."
"I still don't see how you got Chief Kanoe to agree to a party in the office, after hours." Tsuzuki frowned in thought, childishly confused. "If it was me, he never would have..."
"Let's just say it's going to be a -surprise- party," Watari laughed, reaching up to take the owl from his shoulder. She peered at him curiously, still half asleep.
"Oh." Violet eyes widened. An answering grin began to form. "-Oh-." Ignoring his partner's glare, Tsuzuki pushed obliviously onward. "I get it. So, what about the sugar?"
"More than you put in your tea," the boy told him disdainfully. Settling the beaker back to the tray, he pushed it away, attempting to put some distance between himself and the concoction. "It's not working," he announced. "I'm not drinking any more."
Watari lowered the brim of his glasses to peer into the beaker, shifting the little owl to his other hand. "Aw, bon... You didn't even drink half."
"It's not working?" Tsuzuki echoed, peering at the mixture hopefully. "At all?"
The young shinigami sighed. "Not even a little. I can feel both of you, and everyone in the hallway." Wide green eyes turned up toward the potion's creator. "Didn't you say that a little should be enough?"
The tall blonde stroked his fingers through the bird's feathers as he spoke, considering. "The only thing I can think of is that the sugar might have neutralized it." He offered Hisoka an apologetic smile. "Sorry, bon. I'll go whip up another batch right a--"
"Tsuzuki!" the boy yelped, cutting his co-worker off mid-sentence. "You -idiot-!"
Two pairs of horrified eyes, one green and the other golden, turned to watch as Tsuzuki scooped the melted sugar from the bottom of the now-empty beaker, licking it from his fingers. "You were right," he agreed happily. "It -is- just like I make my tea."
"Tsuzuki-san," Watari protested, "You shouldn't drink the fruits of science in place of tea!" Abruptly, his eyes took on a foxlike glint. "Feeling any effects, though?"
"He isn't an empath," Hisoka pointed out acidly.
The blonde shinigami sighed, deflated. "Ah, well. I suppose you're right." Returning 003 to her customary spot on his shoulder, the scientist offered a cheery wave. "Well, I'm off to make up some more! Be back soon!" And with that he was gone, whisking from the room with all the energy of a whirlwind.
"Me too!" Tsuzuki announced, returning the beaker to its spot. "The chief's been hoarding pastries in the break room, and--"
"Not so fast," the boy cut in, catching his partner by the hem of his coat before the man could slip from the room. "-My- half of the paperwork is done."
"But... but..." Shining violet eyes turned pleading. "Hisoka... the pastries will be gone..."
The young shinigami stood, fixing Tsuzuki with an appraising look. "I'll bring you back some," he offered, by way of compromise. "How's that?"
"You -do- love me!" the man cheered, all ears and tail and tiny hearts. "Something with blueberries, okay? Blueberries?"
Hisoka had to fight to keep the smile from his lips. "Don't push it."
And with that, he was off in search of blueberry pastries.
~end part one~