[Yami no Matsuei] Late Fees
Title: Late Fees
Genre: General
Rating: G
Warning: Tiny little spoilers referring to events that take place in the Devil's Trill arc and volume 6 of the manga. (Really tiny.)
Summary: Sighing, Tatsumi turns to face the space under his desk, crossing his arms. "You do realize that I will need the use of my desk at some point, don't you?"
Comments: For threewalls who requested Tatsumi/Watari with the prompt 'overdue library books'.
Tatsumi honestly doesn't think he expects too much out of his co-workers: arriving to work on time, putting in an honest day's work, perhaps working over-time when it's necessary, acting like professionals - or at the very least giving the impression that they are not in fact not five year-olds. These all seem to be all very reasonable to him and sound as though they are in no way ridiculous or unfeasible expectations, and he's pleased that his co-workers usually tend to agree.
So, then. To the matter at hand.
"What are you doing?" He asks, directing the question to the space under his desk as he pulls open the top drawer of his filing cabinet.
"Hiding."
Tatsumi frowns, because he can't seem to find the file he's looking for. "I see. And judging by the fact that you've thought to take refuge in my office, the reason you're hiding does not directly impact me in any way?" he asks, closing the drawer and opening the one below it. "Or anything I might eat, drink or somehow come into contact with during the course of the day?"
"No?"
Sighing, Tatsumi turns to face the space under his desk, crossing his arms. "You do realize that I will need the use of my desk at some point, don't you?"
"Yes..."
Tatsumi waits, eyebrow raised.
"How does after lunch sound to you?"
Eyes narrowing, Tatsumi turns back to the file cabinet.
"This is the only place they won't follow me."
He pauses, and flips back through the files he's already checked. "And you're being followed because?" Tatsumi glances back when he hears his desk chair being pushed aside.
There's a beat of silence and then a hand sticks out from under his desk waving a piece of paper. "Late fees."
"Late fees."
A mournful little sigh and the hand with the paper withdraws. "Late fees."
Tatsumi has to stifle a sigh of his own, this time around as he shuts the filing cabinet drawer and pulls his chair closer before sitting down in it. "I don't suppose you'd like to come out and talk to me face-to-face like an adult instead of hiding under my desk?"
The 'like a five year-old' portion of that sentence goes unspoken, but definitely not unheard.
"No." Comes the answer, in a suitably sullen and petulant tone of voice. "I would not."
"I see." Tatsumi murmurs, giving serious thought to flinging his office door open and announcing the presence of the wanted man's position. "Then would you care to tell me why your late fees have you cowering under my desk?"
Another moment of silence, and then the hand makes a reappearance, complete with the piece of paper. "You're familiar with the library?"
Tatsumi's eyes narrow at the reminder. "The one that has a distressing tendency to burst into flames at unexpected moments?"
"It's actually more of an explosion, but yes. That one."
"Yes." Tatsumi says. "I'm somewhat familiar with it."
"Apparently I have some overdue library books from before the library demonstrated just how...flammable it is."
"Just how long overdue are they?" Tatsumi asks, afraid he already knows the answer to the question.
The hand holding the paper makes a gesture that Tatsumi can only assumes he's meant to take it, so he does, watching the hand as it retreats beneath his desk once more. "Read for yourself."
Tatsumi skims the paper, and then goes back to read over it more carefully when he realizes just how -
"I know." The voice tells him, sounding a little stunned. "I'd forgotten I'd even borrowed some of them. I couldn't even remember why I checked that last one out. It had nothing to do with anything I've researched. Ever." It adds with a strange little emphasis, as though trying to tell him that Tatsumi shouldn't judge based on the fact that there's a historical romance on the list.
"Yes, well. That was an exceptionally well-researched novel." Tatsumi points out, carefully neglecting to mention the other components woven into that particular book. "That doesn't explain why you never returned these, however." He adds at the silence that follows. "The due dates for these books are from well before the first...incident involving the library."
"Well, you know what they say," the voice says, trying for light and whimsical, "time really flies when - "
"Watari."
"Shhh! They might hear you!" Watari hisses, sticking his head out to glare at Tatsumi. "If they find out I'm hiding in here I'll never have a moment's peace again!"
Tatsumi stares at Watari, certain this time that the man's clearly lost what little sanity he had left.
"You have no idea how incredibly disturbing it is seeing the two of them on the warpath like this, Tatsumi. No one's safe, and I mean no one." He frowns, looking a little confused. "I didn't even know they charged late fees."
"That may well be because of the reduced funding the library is receiving thanks to the second...incident. I don't think the higher-ups are exactly thrilled at the prospect of spending money on something they assume is going to go up in a puff of smoke days after being rebuilt. They're just trying to make up for the losses however they can."
The look on Watari's face is an interesting mixture of dismay and betrayal. "You're impressed, aren't you. You're actually impressed that they two of them are after my head just because I have a few...late fees."
Tatsumi just stares.
"Okay, so maybe it's not jut 'a few', but you have no idea what it's like, Tatsumi. They keep popping up everywhere I go, and I swear they've managed to get Hisoka on their side somehow." Watari says, crawling out from under Tatsumi's desk and leaning against the side of it. "I barely managed to make it in here without them seeing me."
"You do know that there's an amazingly simple solution to your dilemma, don't you?" Tatsumi asks, giving Watari a meaningful look.
Watari grimaces and shifts uncomfortably. "I already thought of that, but I can't seem to find any of the books on the list anywhere. I think...I think I may have misplaced them."
Tatsumi's eyes narrow when Watari fails to meet his eyes as he speaks. "You 'misplaced' them."
Watari squirms and makes a face, glaring at the neutral-toned carpeting in Tatsumi's office as though it has managed to find a way to personally offend him in some inexplicable manner. "Yes."
Tatsumi considers inquiring further, but given Watari's past record, decides that it's really not worth the headache and lets it go. "You could always pay them what you owe." He suggests cautiously. "I'm certain they'd leave you alone if you did."
Watari sighs and bangs the back of his head on Tatsumi's desk. "I would, but according to that," he says, lifting a hand to point at the paper in Tatsumi's hand, "I owe three years salary."
Tatsumi takes another look at the paper and frowns. "Are you including the interest?"
"Interest?" Watari asks, eyes going wide in horror.
Clearing his throat, Tatsumi fold the piece of paper up and places it in his shirt pocket.
"This is never going to end, is it." Watari asks, looking up at Tatsumi.
Tatsumi considers lying, but he's never cared for it and Watari deserves better. "Not until you manage to either pay your late fees or return the books."
"I'm doomed." Watari mumbles, resting his head against Tatsumi's desk. "Unless you could...?"
"No." Tatsumi answers, smiling a little at the hopeful expression on Watari's face. "I'm not going to lend you money, and I'm not going to get caught up in your library troubles."
Watari snorts, giving Tatsumi an amused smile. "No, I didn't think so. Your interest rates would probably be worse than theirs anyway."
"Most likely." Tatsumi says dryly.
Watari's smile widens. "So it's all right if I hide out in here for the rest of the day?"
"Does it matter if I say no?"
Watari's makes an honest attempt at looking serious. "Of course it does."
Tatsumi sighs and stands, holding a hand out to Watari. "Come on, I still haven't had my tea yet." He smiles when Watari's eyes widen, mouth opening to protest. "And I'll protect you from any debt collectors that might come our way."
Watari scowls at him for making light of his dire situation. "You're laughing at me."
"Why would I laugh at a grown man who has gone so far as to hide under my desk to prevent being found by a pair of librarians seeking overdue library books?"
Watari sighs and grabs Tatsumi's hand, letting him pull him to his feet. "You're never going to let this go, are you."
Tatsumi shakes his head, leaning closer to whisper. "No, but I'm thinking of trying to negotiate reduced fines or at the very least some sort or reasonable payment plan for you."
The look Watari gives him for that is a mix of gratitude and exasperation. "How very kind of you."
Tatsumi just smiles. "Thank you."
"You're really kind of impossible when you get like this, you know." Watari says, warmth and affection underlying the annoyance in his voice.
"I know." Tatsumi says, smiling in a way that lets Watari know the feeling is completely mutual.
Genre: General
Rating: G
Warning: Tiny little spoilers referring to events that take place in the Devil's Trill arc and volume 6 of the manga. (Really tiny.)
Summary: Sighing, Tatsumi turns to face the space under his desk, crossing his arms. "You do realize that I will need the use of my desk at some point, don't you?"
Comments: For threewalls who requested Tatsumi/Watari with the prompt 'overdue library books'.
Tatsumi honestly doesn't think he expects too much out of his co-workers: arriving to work on time, putting in an honest day's work, perhaps working over-time when it's necessary, acting like professionals - or at the very least giving the impression that they are not in fact not five year-olds. These all seem to be all very reasonable to him and sound as though they are in no way ridiculous or unfeasible expectations, and he's pleased that his co-workers usually tend to agree.
So, then. To the matter at hand.
"What are you doing?" He asks, directing the question to the space under his desk as he pulls open the top drawer of his filing cabinet.
"Hiding."
Tatsumi frowns, because he can't seem to find the file he's looking for. "I see. And judging by the fact that you've thought to take refuge in my office, the reason you're hiding does not directly impact me in any way?" he asks, closing the drawer and opening the one below it. "Or anything I might eat, drink or somehow come into contact with during the course of the day?"
"No?"
Sighing, Tatsumi turns to face the space under his desk, crossing his arms. "You do realize that I will need the use of my desk at some point, don't you?"
"Yes..."
Tatsumi waits, eyebrow raised.
"How does after lunch sound to you?"
Eyes narrowing, Tatsumi turns back to the file cabinet.
"This is the only place they won't follow me."
He pauses, and flips back through the files he's already checked. "And you're being followed because?" Tatsumi glances back when he hears his desk chair being pushed aside.
There's a beat of silence and then a hand sticks out from under his desk waving a piece of paper. "Late fees."
"Late fees."
A mournful little sigh and the hand with the paper withdraws. "Late fees."
Tatsumi has to stifle a sigh of his own, this time around as he shuts the filing cabinet drawer and pulls his chair closer before sitting down in it. "I don't suppose you'd like to come out and talk to me face-to-face like an adult instead of hiding under my desk?"
The 'like a five year-old' portion of that sentence goes unspoken, but definitely not unheard.
"No." Comes the answer, in a suitably sullen and petulant tone of voice. "I would not."
"I see." Tatsumi murmurs, giving serious thought to flinging his office door open and announcing the presence of the wanted man's position. "Then would you care to tell me why your late fees have you cowering under my desk?"
Another moment of silence, and then the hand makes a reappearance, complete with the piece of paper. "You're familiar with the library?"
Tatsumi's eyes narrow at the reminder. "The one that has a distressing tendency to burst into flames at unexpected moments?"
"It's actually more of an explosion, but yes. That one."
"Yes." Tatsumi says. "I'm somewhat familiar with it."
"Apparently I have some overdue library books from before the library demonstrated just how...flammable it is."
"Just how long overdue are they?" Tatsumi asks, afraid he already knows the answer to the question.
The hand holding the paper makes a gesture that Tatsumi can only assumes he's meant to take it, so he does, watching the hand as it retreats beneath his desk once more. "Read for yourself."
Tatsumi skims the paper, and then goes back to read over it more carefully when he realizes just how -
"I know." The voice tells him, sounding a little stunned. "I'd forgotten I'd even borrowed some of them. I couldn't even remember why I checked that last one out. It had nothing to do with anything I've researched. Ever." It adds with a strange little emphasis, as though trying to tell him that Tatsumi shouldn't judge based on the fact that there's a historical romance on the list.
"Yes, well. That was an exceptionally well-researched novel." Tatsumi points out, carefully neglecting to mention the other components woven into that particular book. "That doesn't explain why you never returned these, however." He adds at the silence that follows. "The due dates for these books are from well before the first...incident involving the library."
"Well, you know what they say," the voice says, trying for light and whimsical, "time really flies when - "
"Watari."
"Shhh! They might hear you!" Watari hisses, sticking his head out to glare at Tatsumi. "If they find out I'm hiding in here I'll never have a moment's peace again!"
Tatsumi stares at Watari, certain this time that the man's clearly lost what little sanity he had left.
"You have no idea how incredibly disturbing it is seeing the two of them on the warpath like this, Tatsumi. No one's safe, and I mean no one." He frowns, looking a little confused. "I didn't even know they charged late fees."
"That may well be because of the reduced funding the library is receiving thanks to the second...incident. I don't think the higher-ups are exactly thrilled at the prospect of spending money on something they assume is going to go up in a puff of smoke days after being rebuilt. They're just trying to make up for the losses however they can."
The look on Watari's face is an interesting mixture of dismay and betrayal. "You're impressed, aren't you. You're actually impressed that they two of them are after my head just because I have a few...late fees."
Tatsumi just stares.
"Okay, so maybe it's not jut 'a few', but you have no idea what it's like, Tatsumi. They keep popping up everywhere I go, and I swear they've managed to get Hisoka on their side somehow." Watari says, crawling out from under Tatsumi's desk and leaning against the side of it. "I barely managed to make it in here without them seeing me."
"You do know that there's an amazingly simple solution to your dilemma, don't you?" Tatsumi asks, giving Watari a meaningful look.
Watari grimaces and shifts uncomfortably. "I already thought of that, but I can't seem to find any of the books on the list anywhere. I think...I think I may have misplaced them."
Tatsumi's eyes narrow when Watari fails to meet his eyes as he speaks. "You 'misplaced' them."
Watari squirms and makes a face, glaring at the neutral-toned carpeting in Tatsumi's office as though it has managed to find a way to personally offend him in some inexplicable manner. "Yes."
Tatsumi considers inquiring further, but given Watari's past record, decides that it's really not worth the headache and lets it go. "You could always pay them what you owe." He suggests cautiously. "I'm certain they'd leave you alone if you did."
Watari sighs and bangs the back of his head on Tatsumi's desk. "I would, but according to that," he says, lifting a hand to point at the paper in Tatsumi's hand, "I owe three years salary."
Tatsumi takes another look at the paper and frowns. "Are you including the interest?"
"Interest?" Watari asks, eyes going wide in horror.
Clearing his throat, Tatsumi fold the piece of paper up and places it in his shirt pocket.
"This is never going to end, is it." Watari asks, looking up at Tatsumi.
Tatsumi considers lying, but he's never cared for it and Watari deserves better. "Not until you manage to either pay your late fees or return the books."
"I'm doomed." Watari mumbles, resting his head against Tatsumi's desk. "Unless you could...?"
"No." Tatsumi answers, smiling a little at the hopeful expression on Watari's face. "I'm not going to lend you money, and I'm not going to get caught up in your library troubles."
Watari snorts, giving Tatsumi an amused smile. "No, I didn't think so. Your interest rates would probably be worse than theirs anyway."
"Most likely." Tatsumi says dryly.
Watari's smile widens. "So it's all right if I hide out in here for the rest of the day?"
"Does it matter if I say no?"
Watari's makes an honest attempt at looking serious. "Of course it does."
Tatsumi sighs and stands, holding a hand out to Watari. "Come on, I still haven't had my tea yet." He smiles when Watari's eyes widen, mouth opening to protest. "And I'll protect you from any debt collectors that might come our way."
Watari scowls at him for making light of his dire situation. "You're laughing at me."
"Why would I laugh at a grown man who has gone so far as to hide under my desk to prevent being found by a pair of librarians seeking overdue library books?"
Watari sighs and grabs Tatsumi's hand, letting him pull him to his feet. "You're never going to let this go, are you."
Tatsumi shakes his head, leaning closer to whisper. "No, but I'm thinking of trying to negotiate reduced fines or at the very least some sort or reasonable payment plan for you."
The look Watari gives him for that is a mix of gratitude and exasperation. "How very kind of you."
Tatsumi just smiles. "Thank you."
"You're really kind of impossible when you get like this, you know." Watari says, warmth and affection underlying the annoyance in his voice.
"I know." Tatsumi says, smiling in a way that lets Watari know the feeling is completely mutual.