Red Wings and Pale Blue Swirls
A/N: I figured I would make use of my free time to write a short little story about my favorite xxxHolic characters. I'm choosing to merge two of my loves; anime and…a surprise for you readers ; ) I own nothing, so read and enjoy!
Yuuko Ichihara lay on the couch in her living room, panting and gasping, her hands clinging to any part of her part-timer, Kimihiro Watanuki, they could manage to find. "Watanuki," she moans, pulling him closer. "It hurts."
"You wanted to do this," Watanuki reminds the dimensional witch. "You can't back out now." His breathing is quick and short, his glasses fog. "Where are Maru and Moro?" he asks, realizing that he has not laid eyes on the pale twin girls since this entanglement began.
"I…sent them…out back," Yuuko explains, between gasps of air. "I didn't…want them to…see this." Her teeth clench, and beads of sweat form on her forehead. "Why does it hurt so much?" She looks up at him, her ruby eyes sparkle.
Flabbergasted, Watanuki tries to pull away, though the witch's grasp is too powerful. "You said you knew it was going to hurt," he says sternly. "I was told that it would hurt less than I thought," Yuuko explains before crying out in pain and clutching the slender youth towards her. "Clearly I was misinformed."
Watanuki looks down towards the source of the pain. "Well, it wont be much longer" he assures his employer. He stops fighting against her wandering hands, gives up squirming for her sake. She buries her face in his chest, and he feels her shoulder muscles tense. She looks up at him, and for a moment he sees something behind her dazzling ruby eyes; he sees genuine pain.
"I can't take much more of this," she admits, her words leaving her lips in the form of a whimper. Feeling helpless, Watanuki strokes Yuuko's long hair, hushes her, and wraps her hand in his own.
"Is it done yet?" she asks, her eyes pinched shut. "Just about," Watanuki reassures her. "When will I know?" she whines. "I'm pretty sure you'll feel it," he responds, laughing to himself. Of course she'll feel it.
"It's done," the artist says, wiping down Yuuko's ankle and then his tools. Yuuko takes a deep breath and finally releases Watanuki from her grasp. She lifts her slender leg up, and gazes at the design permanently etched into her ankle.
"I like it," she smiles at the artist as he removes his gloves. She slides her hand into her kimono near her cleavage, and pulls out an envelope. "It should all be there," she tells the man. He opens the envelop and counts his fee.
"Watanuki will show you out," she says, lying back on the couch and striking a dramatic pose. "I need to rest after my ordeal." Watanuki does as he is instructed, and leads the artist out of the shop.
"Is she always this dramatic?" the artist asks before sliding the door open. Watanuki nods, and the two men bow their good-byes. He makes a pit stop in the kitchen to grab a bottle of sake before hurrying back to his employer, who has begun smoking opium from her pewter pipe. Her expression is slightly glazed, and her eyes are focused on the butterfly on her ankle.
"What do you think of it, Watanuki?" As he places the platter of alcohol on the coffee table, she raises her ankle to his eye level. Pushing his glasses up by the bridge, he examines the tattoo; a ruby-winged butterfly with pale blue swirls surrounding it. Watanuki nods, "It's very you."
"I thought so too," she says, placing the pipe between her smirking lips. "I guess it was worth the pain after all," he points out, settling on his knees near the table.
"It didn't hurt that much," Yuuko says, casting her eyes to the ceiling.
A/N: What can I say? I love tattoos…and I appreciate reviews.