[log][ongoing]

[scienceinacan.livejournal.com]

When; October 5, Evening
Rating; PG
Characters; Watari Yutaka [scienceinacan] & Tatsumi Seiichirou [kageseii]
Summary; Coffee, Tea or Talk? ♥
Log;

The rapid click-clacks coming from Yutaka's workspace came to an abrupt halt as he finally took his first break for the day. Much of yesterday, when he wasn't out with Mamimi, Naota and Canti, had been spent assembling the parts for the machine together with Tatsumi. They finished that some time ago, and all that was left now was the programming.

That meant that he really had nothing else left for Tatsumi to do. As good as an assistant Tatsumi was, and even if he could probably be a very good support during, say, a hacking of Mother even, the coding for this particular program was extremely complicated. Yutaka couldn't imagine Tatsumi ever grasping the concept behind it. Of course, that didn't mean that he wanted Tatsumi to ever grasp it!

Yutaka yawned and stretched his arms, and then looked around for Tatsumi.

Quietly, he wondered if the kagetsukai was still around, or if he had returned into that cave he called his personal office.

Comments

[kageseii.livejournal.com]

The evening had been a surprisingly long one - at least, it so seemed for Tatsumi. Already it was slipping into late in the evening, and yet there still remained some work to be done on whatever device it was he had been asked to help with. What exactly it was, Tatsumi had only a vague idea. As far as he was concerned, the vague idea was good enough when he knew the intent behind it.

He was certain, anyway, that if he did ask, it would only raise even more questions than it would satisfy them. This was Watari he was dealing with, after all, and time was money.

He only knocked once before he pushed the door open. He hardly could be taken aback by anything Watari might have been doing - unless, of course, it had anything to do with altering a human's natural state. But it wasn't anything if not a typical sight - Watari's fingers racing over the keyboard - when he stepped in with a food tray. "I brought coffee if you'd like some," he explained as he set it down on the lab counter. It was getting late, after all - ten past eleven, last time he checked his watch.

[scienceinacan.livejournal.com]

Yutaka hadn't noticed Tatsumi leave and come back in, he hadn't even heard the offer when it was said. Once he spotted the kagetsukai, however, and beside that food tray on that counter, he knew exactly what Tatsumi would have done and responded accordingly.

"I'd like some, please, Tatsumi~" he said in a sing-song tone, and with a cheerful smile. He yawned, and stretched his arms a bit, and then he was off his chair and headed towards the counter.

"Special coffee just for me, I can't help but feel loved!"

[kageseii.livejournal.com]

Tatsumi almost wanted to glower a bit at the other shinigami. Of course, he chalked it up to the late hour and bit his tongue while pouring in a bit of creamer into the coffee cups. "Be grateful I even made you any," he retorted mildly as he shoved the coffee forward to Watari. Although he knew that Watari needed coffee like he needed rest. And didn't it already feel like midnight? He cleared his throat while he poured a spoonful of sugar into his own coffee - not too much, but enough to mask the cheap taste. Generic brands merely needed a few enhancements, really.

"Although you should actually sleep before one in the morning, Watari-san," he added sternly, taking a drink of his otherwise black coffee. "No wonder you don't rise before two in the afternoon on most days."

[scienceinacan.livejournal.com]

"And you know that because?" Yutaka asked back with amusement, knowing it would get Tatsumi riled up a bit with its implications.

He untied his hair first, and then retied it into ponytail, to get all those loose strands, before finally picking up the cup Tatsumi had shoved towards him. "That's hypocritical of you, by the way, considering you're the one who probably spends all-nighters with those cold, hard numbers..."

Okay, Yutaka laughed inwardly, he didn't mean that implication. Even if Tatsumi might not get it, his mind was already there and forming hilarious images of Tatsumi curled up with numbers, and money.

[kageseii.livejournal.com]

Tatsumi took a long swill of his coffee and looked over sceptically at the other shinigami. Was he seriously implying the situations were the same? A lifted brow almost challenged the notion while he brushed past Watari to examine the work they both had so far completed. A device for some sort of translation of material or data... he knew that much. "I only do it rarely, you know - and it's for business matters, Watari-san," he returned over his shoulder before looking over it to his co-worker. After all, Watari was the night owl of the two - and he had already downed about a fourth of that cup, so he noted silently.

"Besides, my business affairs don't wake people early in the morning with loud noises." Which he usually heard in the middle of the night while either attempting to sleep or calculate depositions. He sighed heavily, mostly to himself, as he took another sip of his own coffee. "It's getting late, even now," he mumbled under his breath while he examined his watch once more. Quarter after eleven.

[scienceinacan.livejournal.com]

"Those loud noises, Tatsumi, are the sounds of important scientific discoveries in the making~ You should learn to appreciate them better!" was Yutaka's near-automatic response to that. Even if he knew very well that half the time, those bumps and little explosions in the morning rarely amounted to anything worth noting, Yutaka was sure that, in the same way Tatsumi's extra obsession with the budget was justified, his over-times were justified too. Just, a bit noisy.

As if he'd just said that train of thought out loud, he turned to the friend he had perched on his shoulder for leverage. "003 thinks so too!" he declared, giving the small owl loving pets with his fingers, making sure to make her hoot especially sweetly. "So I can't be wrong ♥"

Yes, take that Tatsumi, he thought. 2 against 1.

[kageseii.livejournal.com]

He wasn't in any mood to argue, much less over something as silly - and as unnecessary - as the argument presented before him. Choosing to act as though he had heard nothing, he took another drink of coffee and looked back to the machinery before him. Besides, sometimes those scientific skills came in handy - mostly times when a co-worker's safety was in jeopardy.

And so, keeping with the avoidance dance, Tatsumi changed the subject. "You're lucky this equipment wasn't that difficult to install," he mused, pushing his glasses up while he examined a lever - and then quickly tightened it. "A challenge, I'll admit, but not difficult." He had seen far more complex gadgets before - and some he had even deconstructed himself in investigations. Even if it had been difficult, though, he still would have done it - and if only because he knew the necessity behind the invention.

[scienceinacan.livejournal.com]

Tatsumi was good at that; avoiding topics he didn't want to talk about, and swiftly changing the subject. If it was any other topic, Yutaka would have insisted on it, but for this he saw no reason to pursue it. What would he aiming for? Tatsumi's whole-hearted agreement for his cause? He doubted that would ever happen.

"That's because the complicated stuff is in the program itself~" the scientist explained, and then thought he could do some changing subjects too.

"So~ Tatsumi, how are you?" How are you after Bon's brush with a little demoness? How are you after I almost broke Tsuzuki down?

Yutaka was sure the kagetsukai would get all those.

[kageseii.livejournal.com]

How are you? When was the last time he had been asked that? Too long, if he had to think to remember it. Tatsumi looked back over his shoulder, this time turning around to look right at Watari steadily. He had lied before - it was easy with certain matters. "I'm fine, Watari-san," he answered, even though a slight edge on his voice almost belied his words. But there was no need to discuss such useless things when time was ever so precious.

"Have you tested this contraption yet?" Tatsumi rapidly asked, looking again at the interesting helmet-like device. Just exactly what it did seemed such a mystery to him - but it certainly had to do with the recent drama which had unfolded.

[scienceinacan.livejournal.com]

Again, with the subject change. Yutaka thought it was amusing whenever Tatsumi did that. Didn't he realize it only made people like him want to press harder? If he offered a little more honesty, gave enough without giving too much, he would silence his curious little friend easier.

Though, of course, Yutaka thought life would be so much difficult for him if Tatsumi learned how to do that for things like this.

"Mmm ~ Not yet ~ But I have the people to test it on; no worries ♥" Yutaka answered, as if his previous question hadn't been spoken. After that, and without missing a beat though, he followed up with a "You know, Tatsumi, it's good to know Bon out there keeping Tsuzuki supported, and vice-versa."

Watari Yutaka wanted to get Tatsumi to talk about it, and so, he thought to himself, he would.

[kageseii.livejournal.com]

"Yes, it's much less taxing on you and I to watch after them constantly," he quickly answered, setting the helmet down gently while he turned again to his coffee. It had been almost bitter-sweet to have Tsuzuki join them in the City - relieving, to be sure, that he was quite all right, but he knew it was safer for him not to be here. And he had a few good reasons listed in his mind right now for such an opinion. "At least they're both in capable hands," he added aloud before taking a swill of coffee.

Capable hands - each other's, and certainly not his own.

[scienceinacan.livejournal.com]

Yutaka thought he heard something else in the kagetsukai's voice. He might not have said it, but Yutaka knew Tatsumi enough to know that there was a high chance he was practicing happy self pity right at that moment. "... You don't mind at all, do you, Tatsumi?"

The scientist gave his friend a sly sideways glance, before drinking more from his cup. "You're perfectly fine with them getting closer like this and leaving you out?"

Mmm. Nosy nosy, Yutaka thought. Maybe that question was going a tad bit too far, but at the same time, he justified it with the fact that if he didn't ask straight out, he would never get an answer. He was fine and dandy with reading people by their tiny gestures and whatnot, but nothing could ever beat a straight and honest answer sometimes!

And, with Tatsumi, there was certainly more guessing than actual answers.