Title: Spring Parties and Mistletoe

Pairing: Doumeki/Watanuki of course.

Ratings/Warnings: PG-13, boys kissing (duh).

Doumeki sighed as he sat down in the center of the temple. At least he'd caught a few hours of sleep.

Insomnia had been his constant companion for years, and had acutely worsened since he had become Watanuki Kimihiro's protector. That fact didn't really bother him, because he'd always understood that everything in life had a price. Yuuko had never had to explain it to him.

At first he'd only protected the other boy because he'd felt it was his duty. His grandfather had always told him to protect those who were weaker than himself, and that if he had the ability to help someone with anything, then he should. He wasn't really sure when simple duty had become complicated love, but he'd realized it when that ghost had tried to take the Seer away. He had a feeling that he'd loved him way before that, though.

When he'd realized he was in love, he'd accepted it (as he did most things) and decided that being at Watanuki's side was enough to make him happy. He'd said it over and over to himself like a mantra, and eventually he'd made it true. Until Watanuki had fallen out of that window and almost died in his arms.

Then Doumeki had finally understood all the crazy, desperate, selfish things people did just to win someone's love. Even though he had finally understood it, he'd had no idea what to do about it. So things had stayed the same, except he was growing more and more miserable with the entire situation.

Why was it that Watanuki was the only one who didn't see how he felt? Yuuko had always known, and it hadn't taken long for Kunogi to pick up on it. They'd both told him it was very obvious. If only the idiot could just see it like they had, then he wouldn't have to do anything about it at all. Both of the women had given him advice, but neither was particularly helpful (he was sure that Yuuko's advice would scar Watanuki for life).

He sighed again as he slumped backwards to lie down.

"I wonder what you'd tell me to do, Grandfather." The archer murmured into the darkness. "Would you approve of him? Would you tell me to pursue him? Leave him alone?"

Doumeki let a soft smile grace his features as he pulled up the memories of the man who had practically raised him. "I know you like him." He said, answering his own question. "He says you talk to him. You wouldn't care who I was in love with, as long as I was happy. You'd tell me to go after him."

The archer stretched as he got to his feet.

"Even now, you help me. I hope you're resting well, Grandfather."

Feeling a little better about the "Watanuki Situation" (as he had began to call it), Doumeki left the temple to do his chores.

After he finished his chores, he'd gotten ready for school and waited for Watanuki at the gate. They'd walked to school together, the Seer complaining the whole way about having to carrying their lunches (until Doumeki had taken them from him) then about the lack of his beloved Himawari-chan (who had told them yesterday that she would be spending lunch helping the teacher again). All in all, everything had been quite normal until after school, when Watanuki told him that he'd received a note from Yuuko-san, sending them on another job. Which was how Doumeki found himself standing on a deserted street corner in the early evening, the winter air chilling rapidly as the sunlight disappeared.

"And why is it that Yuuko-san never sees fit to tell me what it is we're waiting for, or who we're waiting for, or how long it's going to take?!" Watanuki demanded of him, flailing his arms around like always. Doumeki simply shrugged and looked around. "And it is so damn cold!" the younger teen added as an after thought.

Doumeki opened his coat.

"Come here." He said simply, deciding the direct approach was always best.

It took a full fifteen seconds for Watanuki to understand what exactly Doumeki was offering, and than turned the brightest shade of red the archer had ever seen. He preemptively stuck his fingers in his ears.

"WHAT THE HELL, YOU PERVERT! LIKE I'D SHARE A COAT WITH YOU!!"

Doumeki merely nodded and closed his coat, doing his best to suppress a shudder.

"Are you cold?" Watanuki demanded, still eyeing him angrily. The archer only shrugged again. "CAN'T YOU AT LEAST ANWSER A SIMPLE QUESTION, YOU BIG PILE OF IDIOT?!" he yelled, shaking his fists in the air and stomping his foot a little. "And maybe you wouldn't be cold if you had a hat or a scarf, like a normal person!"

"I have mittens." Doumeki offered helpfully, pulling his hands out of his pockets to show he was wearing the moss green mittens that Watanuki had made for him. The younger boy blushed again, and tried to cover it with a fierce (in his mind, anyway) glare.

"And who do you have to thank for that? Without me, you'd freeze to death." He said smugly. He was about to launch into a lengthy rant about how Doumeki could never survive without him when someone behind them cleared their throat.

He turned around to find a young man watching them suspiciously, a decorated paper bag dangling from his left hand.

"Um, this is a delivery from Kakei-san…" he began, holding out the bag.

"Yuuko-san sent us. Thank you." Watanuki said with a polite smile.

"Kakei-san wanted her to know that he's not going to tell her, and that she'll just have to wait and see." The boy said quickly, nervously messing with his dark blonde hair.

"Um. Right. I'll be sure to tell her." Watanuki replied, slightly baffled.

"Thank you!" the other boy said with a quick bow, and raced off.

"That was strange." Watanuki commented as they began walking towards the shop.

"Hmn." Doumeki agreed, sending Watanuki into an entirely new rant.

Yuuko met them at the gate, snatching the bag from Watanuki as soon as she could.

"Oh that Kakei, he always sends me such wonderful sake!"

"You sent us to pick up your sake?!" Watanuki yelled, shaking his fists at her.

"Of course I did! I didn't have the time." She explained patiently, a smile plastered on her face.

"And what exactly were you doing?"

"I was getting ready for the spring party!"

"A spring party!" "A spring party!" chimed the girls, who were running around the yard.

"But, Yuuko-san… it's only February." Watanuki said.

"Of course it is! How else are we going to convince spring to come, unless we have a party for it?" she answered, eyes twinkling.

Watanuki sighed in defeat.

"When did you decide to have this party?" he asked her.

"Why, just this morning! I was going to have it tonight, but then you wouldn't have time to make us all those wonderful snacks." she replied. "Now come make us dinner."

"Sure." The Seer muttered, watching dejectedly as she walked towards the house.

"Oh, and Doumeki-kun, you absolutely must attend tomorrow night, at six." She called over her shoulder. The archer, who had been a silent observer until that point, murmured a polite "Of course" as she disappeared through the front door.

"I'm just going to stay here tonight." Watanuki sighed. "So you don't have to walk me home."

Doumeki nodded silently and watched as Watanuki trudged his way into the shop.

"So, Kakei said that, did he?" Yuuko asked with a delicate frown as she blew out smoke.

"That's what his messenger said, anyway." The teen confirmed. She sighed dramatically.

"He's just like you, Watanuki. No sense of fun!" she exclaimed and began to laugh to as he sputtered protests.

Although he didn't have Watanuki's insights, Doumeki knew enough to bring a bottle of plum wine from his grandfather's cellar, figuring he'd owe the witch something by the end of the night. He showed up at the shop's door promptly at 6 o'clock, much to the delight of the girls, who chortled happily while taking his coat. He could hear Watanuki yelling at Yuuko, complaining about her alcohol intake, and her twinkling laugh as she ignored him.

He bowed politely to things and people he didn't recognize as he made his way towards Watanuki. Yuuko noticed him before Watanuki did, and her eyes went straight to the bag he was carrying. She smiled ever-so-slightly before turning back to Watanuki's shouts.

"Oi!" Doumeki called out, diverting the other teen's attention as the Witch slipped from the room. "Is the Inari sushi ready yet?"

"WHO SAYS I'M MAKING ANY, YOU CREATIN!" came the angry retort before Watanuki stormed back into the kitchen. Doumeki followed quietly, plucking food off serving trays as he went.

"Anyway, I have something to tell you." Watanuki said as he pulled a pot off the stove, not needing to look to know that the archer had followed him. Something tightened in Doumeki's chest as he processed Watanuki's words.

"Alright." He said carefully, setting down a half-eaten roll.

"I saw Haruka-san last night," Watanuki began and Doumeki let out a breath hadn't realized he'd been holding. He'd known better then to get his hopes up, anyway. "He talked a lot about you," the Seer continued, finally turning way from the stove to look at the other teen. "He told me that he was really proud of you. It wasn't like he told me to repeat that, but… I just thought you should know."

Doumeki stood silent for a long moment, thinking of his grandfather. He thought it was odd how grief could wash back over a person as though it had never left.

"Doumeki?" Watanuki asked softly. "I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's fine." Doumeki interrupted. "Thank you for telling me."

Watanuki nodded, suddenly uneasy. Before either of them could say anything more, Yuuko breezed into the kitchen.

"Wata~nuki." She crooned in a sing-song voice. "The guests are getting impatient and we're out of hot sake!"

"Well if you all didn't drink it like it was water, you wouldn't be out!" he snapped, turning back to the stove. "It's almost ready! Stop distracting me!"

She laughed merrily as headed out of the kitchen, passing Doumeki as she did so. With a smile and a glance towards the door, she snagged the plum wine he'd brought off the counter and continued out of the room. He followed her gaze and saw a sprig of mistletoe hanging innocently from the doorframe.

He smiled as he saw it. Watanuki had managed to avoid being caught under it with anyone at the Christmas party (that neat trick had cost him a very rare book of his grandfathers), and Doumeki hadn't had the guts to try to use the plant to his advantage then. He moved to the door way and took a deep breath.

"Oi."

"What have I told you about that?!" the other teen snapped, spinning around and glaring.

"Come here."

"Don't order me around, you jerk!" Watanuki growled, stomping over to where Doumeki stood. "I'm busy!"

Doumeki took another deep breath and pointed up. Watanuki dropped the spoon he'd been holding.

"I-" Watanuki began. "I'm going to kill her."

"Right. So…" Doumeki began, suddenly regretting the whole tongue-tying thing.

"It's not like I like it any better then you, but you know the thing about traditions and, and…" he began to ramble, face turning red as the implications finally settled. Doumeki nodded, unable to say anything at all. Instead, he leaned forward and kissed Watanuki gently on the lips. They both stood absolutely still for a long moment before Doumeki's hand came up to cup the back of Watanuki's head and pull him closer.

It was short and awkward and when it was over, Watanuki couldn't help staring at his protector. The silence was too full, too dangerous, so to break it, Doumeki blurted out a rushed, "I'm in love with you."

After a moment of wide-eyed shock, all Watanuki could think of to say was a startled, "Really?" to which Doumeki nodded, face serious.

"Oh." replied Watanuki, nodding a little. "I… Well-" he began. Just then, the smell of something burning wafted past them, and Watanuki's attention shifted entirely to the stove and pot that was boiling over. He ran to it, relieved to have a distraction.

Doumeki watched silently as Watanuki saved the food and cleaned up the mess. He stood out of the way as the other teen loaded up serving trays and dashed out of the kitchen with a mumbled, "I'll be right back."

Leaning against the counter, the archer sighed once he was alone, dragging a hand over his face. Although it hadn't gone as bad as it could have, it hadn't exactly gone well either. This loud voice in his head was telling him that he'd ruined everything, and as the minuets ticked past he was beginning to agree with it. After half an hour, Watanuki finally returned to the kitchen.

"I'll walk you home tonight." Doumeki said quickly as he started for the door. Watanuki grabbed his arm as he went past.

"Wait." He said quietly, a look of annoyed embarrassment on his face. "I… You really meant it? Like, you won't make fun of me later or-"

"I meant it." Doumeki cut him off.

"Ok," Watanuki replied slowly and nodded a little. "But don't think I'm making you food anytime you want it."

Doumeki stared at him for a moment before saying, "So that means you…"

"Now who's the idiot?" Watanuki answered, leaning up on his tip-toes to kiss Doumeki on the mouth.

Yuuko grinned from her dais as she sipped plum wine.

"Wasn't it better to be surprised?" Kakei murmured from her side.

"Maybe just this once." She replied with a laugh.

END.

AN- So, I didn't get around to writing a Christmas fic, but wanted to use mistletoe anyway (it's too fun and cliche to pass up)... so I did. XD

Thanks for reading.