Character(s): Doumeki, Watanuki, hinted Doumeki x Watanuki, mentions of others
Summary: In his life, there has only been one thing that Doumeki waits for, unerringly, with utmost patience. His precious person. Doumeki-centric drabble.
Waiting for a precious person to return is not an easy thing to do. Doumeki could be considered an expert at it by now, for the times he has had to wait, for the times he has had to keep faith and trust in his precious person to return.
Before they met, he had always been waiting. He had no one close to him, not even his mother, after his grandfather passed away. In school, he didn't talk much, didn't show any expression, and for that, just a little bit, he might have been hated. The days seemed to pass in a haze of simply being, without any purpose. There was nothing that could interest him, not even archery, which he only kept practicing for the memory of his grandfather. He was waiting, although he didn't know it at the time, he was waiting for someone precious to him to appear.
When his eyes met with blue, on the school stairway of all places, he paused for a moment and his heart eased. He's here. Even the loud rants of the boy could not dampen his lightened spirits, because he had finally stopped waiting.
He didn't know how to approach the other, feeling the awkwardness of social bonds for once, and thus he waited for the next chance he could. He cut into the conversation the only way he knew how, with a dry quip in response to the boy, to which the response was an utterly satisfying explosion of words from the other.
From then on, every day meant walking to school with a loudly complaining Watanuki beside him, meeting Himawari on the way, and receiving his homemade bento for lunch. Suddenly he was surrounded by sound and emotions and laughter, and his heart stirred with feelings he had long forgotten about. These were his friends, and he was no longer silent.
The days passed, some filled with the peaceful routine of daily life, and others heavy with the dangers of another task. He usually accompanied the other for the dangerous missions and though there would be complaints shrieked into his ears, the fact remained that the other could push him away at any time.
For that, he could wait. He could wait for any amount of time, just to see his precious person again. He has waited six hours in the rain, he has waited half a day in that shop, and he has waited for scant minutes in the midst of danger- but those are mere moments when he has been waiting since he was born.
Even as Watanuki waits for Yuuko in the shop, even as the years pass and Doumeki changes, and he becomes a husband, becomes a father, and leaves behind his legacy to protect the one he's waiting for. Even when the time comes that a lonely shop owner stands in his shop yard in the middle of a storm so he can cry on the day of the funeral of his closest friend, with a letter clutched in his hands.
Doumeki is always waiting for Watanuki.
"…have you been here all this time?"
The stoic expression on the other's face hasn't changed, even after so much. He could cry for the familiarity of it, but he has already shed enough tears today.
The beautiful lady in the elaborate kimono smiles, and pushes him towards the other. He can only follow, legs numbed by shock. He doesn't notice as Yuuko leaves, because his heart knows that he'll see her again soon. After all, it was hitsuzen.
The only response to his question was a nod, and the other stands to meet him halfway, one arm reaching out to him like he knew his legs could give way at any time.
"You're an idiot."
A smirk now, on that serious face, no longer worn by wrinkles and all the trappings of age.
"…say something."
There's a note of desperation in his voice, something he hasn't heard in a while, not after his last century or so. It made sense, since he was in front of the one person who could coax the wildest responses from him once upon a time.
"Welcome back."
His vision blurs, there's something wet on his cheeks, and his legs finally give way, but there are warm arms around him, holding him up and supporting him like always. He takes a breath, knowing what he has to say, to someone who has waited for eternity for him.
"I-I'm home."