"How did I get myself into this?" Watanuki sighed wearily as he trudged down the aisle.

"Is this what you need?" Himawari called holding up a bag of flour further down the aisle.

"No that's self-rising flour. There should be one labeled all-purpose beside it." Watanuki explained picking up several bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and peanut butter chips.

"It's so nice of you to do all the baking Watanuki." Himawari beamed.

"I'm not doing it all!" Watanuki said waving his hands to cover his embarrassment. "The girls in my home ec class are baking cakes and cupcakes too!"

"That's so nice!" Himawari praised. "I wish you were making oatmeal raisin cookies. They're my favorite."

"Of course I'll make them Himawari-chan!" Watanuki streaked down the aisle grabbing oatmeal and disappearing around the corner to get raisins.

Himawari followed behind him with the shopping cart. When she found him he had a box of raisins in each hand carefully reading the labels. After a few moments, he nodded, put the box in his right hand back on the shelf, and dropped the other into the buggy.

"What else do you need?" Himawari asked as he picked up a few cans of fruit.

Watanuki consulted his list mentally ticking off the items in the buggy. "That's everything we can get here." He said almost sounding apologetic. "We'll have to go somewhere else for the out of season items."

"That's fine; I didn't know anyone had out of season fruits in this part of town." Himawari chatted happily as the checked out.

"There's not that many places in town, but some of the smaller stores that buy locally can get things the larger stores can't." Watanuki explained as they walked out weighed down by bags.

"You're really smart Watanuki." Himawari complimented him.

"Not really." He denied blushing. "I just cook so many out of season dishes for Yuuko and Shizuka that it made sense to find out."

Yesterday

Watanuki was making his way up the stands to watch Doumeki practice since he'd agreed to walk home together. He noticed that a few of the girls from his home economics cooking course were there as well. Several minutes into the practice he heard them giggling and shuffling around. Watanuki didn't really think anything of it since the boy shooting right then was a popular upperclassman.

"…should ask him…" He heard and the sound of shuffling about.

"…you do…class together…" Watanuki frowned wondering if they were talking the young man on the field.

He just hoped they wouldn't interrupt practice or the rest of the team, Doumeki included, would insist on staying later to make up lost time. He signed hopelessly when he heard the distinct sound of someone climbing down the stairs.

"Excuse me, Watanuki-kun?" One of the girls said timidly.

Watanuki blinked back his shock. They wanted to talk to him?

"Yes?" He said facing the girl. She sat at the station opposite his group in class.

"Well… you see… we're having a bake sale to benefit the Archery club…" She trailed off apparently gathering her courage. "We were wondering if you would help."

"You want me to help?" He repeated not entirely sure what that entailed.

The girl became flustered. "W-well, everyone says you're the best cook in class and I thought maybe you might help us."

So they wanted him to cook. The poor girl looked so earnest and he didn't really mind all that much. "Sure. It's not a problem."

"Really?" She asked hopefully.

"My boyfriend is on the team, so it's not a problem." Watanuki reassured her.

"Oh thank you!" She beamed running up the stairs. "He said yes!" She announced enthusiastically. Watanuki turned to watch the next archer thinking that everything was taken care of. Not ten seconds later he was surrounded by girls talking quite animatedly about plans for their booth at the upcoming school festival.

Doumeki nearly snapped his arrow in half when he saw his Kimihiro surrounded by girls. Surrounded by pretty girls. Surrounded by pretty girls that were talking to him. Surrounded by pretty girls that were talking and laughing and smiling at him.

Focus. He took a deep breath. He needed to focus on the target. He needed to focus on the target not on Watanuki. He needed to focus on the target not on dragging Watanuki away from those sirens.

Focus. He took another breath and with some difficulty cleared his mind. The arrow flew true and struck the target dead center. Though he may have pulled back with more force them he needed since it was lodged in the center halfway down the shaft.

One of his team mates whistled. "Nice shot."

"Don't tease him. The poor guy was distracted." He glanced meaningfully at the stands.

"Yeah, if my boyfriend had all those girls hanging on him, I'd be jealous too." This time only the fletching could be seen."

"You better stop." The first boy smirked. "The next one is liable to go clean through the target."

"Isn't that your girlfriend leaning in close like that?" The second boy asked pointing.

As predicted the next arrow went completely through the target lodging in the sandbag behind the target.

"What is she doing?" The first boy hissed as his girlfriend was indeed huddled close to Watanuki saying who knows what.

Doumeki debated going up there and dragging him away. He was really starting to think it was a good idea when the girls tripped down the stairs waving their goodbyes.

Watanuki felt eyes on him as he waved goodbye. Turning around he was a little surprised to see several members of the team staring at him. Doumeki was giving him a particularly possessive look. He couldn't be… jealous? Watanuki dismissed that thought. Doumeki was a popular guy he was used to girls hanging around.

Thankfully, the rest of practice passed uneventfully so he was able to write up a list of everything they would need for the bake sale. Since he knew where to get most of the out of season items for cakes and pastries, he was now in charge of doing the shopping. Maybe Himawari would like to go with him…

Doumeki decided against changing. It had nothing to do with the fact that Watanuki thought he looked "cool" in his archery uniform.

"Shizuka, do you have Himawari-chan's cellphone number?" Was the first thing Watanuki asked when he reached the ground.

Doumeki suppressed a flare of jealousy. "Yeah."

"I hope she doesn't have club tomorrow." Watanuki mumbled holding his chin thoughtfully.

"She doesn't." Doumeki told him stoically even though that little flare was acting up again.

Watanuki started remembering that the sale was supposed to be a surprise. "Oh, well, good." Watanuki latched onto his arm knowing that psychical contact tended to make lull the archer into complacency. Doumeki smirked at the obvious tactic but let the matter drop for now.

"Hello, Himawari-chan?" Watanuki asked uncertainly.

"Hi Watanuki!" Himawari greeted pleasantly.

"I was wondering if you would go shopping with me tomorrow." Watanuki asked hesitantly. "One of the girls in my cooking class is organizing a surprise bake sale to support the Archery club."

"What a great idea!" Himawari exclaimed. "I'd be happy to help you Watanuki!"

"Watanuki the mistress wants sake!" "Bring the more sake!" Moru and Mora chanted dancing around the spirit seer.

"I have to go I'll meet you after school. Bye Himawari-chan." Watanuki said gratefully.

"I'll see you. Bye Watanuki!" Himawari answered.

"Tell Yuuko to hold her horses." Watanuki scowled stomping back to the kitchen grumbling about "that crazy Yuuko" and "sake, sake, and more sake".

Today

"Watanuki, where are you going to cook all these things?" Himawari as they walked out the last store with the final ingredient.

"The girls are going to meet me outside Yuuko's shop. They'll get the ingredient they need and I'll fix the cookies in Yuuko kitchen." Watanuki explained then scowled. "Of course, I have to make her cookies too as payment for using the kitchen."

"I'll go with you." Himawari offered with a smile.

"Himawari-chan!" Watanuki said with sparkles floating around his head and little waterfalls of gratitude falling from his eyes.

Doumeki turned down the street hoping that this grocer had the fruit his mother wanted. His eyes narrowed when he caught sight of Watanuki giving Himawari his 'happy sparkles' look. He watched them turn and walk further down the block.

He briefly considered following them. He trusted Watanuki, but Himawari, well, that was a different story. Watanuki had a fan club of his own not that he knew about it. The pipe fox and the Zashiki-Warashi, to name a few, were completely in love with him.

His gaze drifted back to list. He would trust Watanuki even if seeing him with Himawari made him a little jealous.

Watanuki staggered out of the shop. He hadn't felt this tired in months. Unfortunately, that meant he didn't see the rock in middle of the sidewalk until he tripped over it. Fortunately, he was saved from becoming intimately acquainted with the ground.

"Hey." Doumeki greeted him.

"My name- I'm too tired for this." Watanuki muttered drooping.

"I could carry." Doumeki offered expecting a tirade.

Watanuki chewed his bottom lip as he mulled it over in his head. They were dating now and he was really tired…

"Okay." Watanuki agreed. "As long as you don't throw me over your shoulder like a caveman." He added after a moment.

Doumeki was surprised and pleased. He pulled Watanuki's arm over his shoulder and lifted him bridal style.

"You smell good." Watanuki sighed burying his nose in Doumeki's neck.

Doumeki didn't know what the spirit bait had been up to today, but he could hardly argue with results like this.

The next day

Doumeki was walking through the stalls looking for Watanuki. Himawari let slip that the spirit plagued teen would be at the festival. That in itself was confusing since Watanuki generally avoided these kinds of things unless Himawari asked him to go or Doumeki accompanied him.

There was a large crowd milling around a stall at the end. Intuition told him "look there" so he waded through the crowd. Two girls were sitting in behind the stall counter. It looked like they were selling baked goods.

Watanuki emerged from the curtain that probably hid the rest of the merchandise as it was. "This is the last bag." Watanuki held up a gallon size freezer bag of his favorite butterscotch chocolate chip cookies.

People surged forward practically throwing their money at the stall attendants. He didn't have to wait long for the crowd to thin out as the last cookie was sold.

"Look at all the money we made from your cookies Watanuki-kun!" One of the girls was beaming at him.

"Most of the cakes and other things are gone as well." Watanuki blushed trying to downplay his part.

"You're having a bake sale?" Doumeki asked with one brow raised.

The girls started. "Doumeki-kun!"

"Hey Doumeki!" One of the upperclassman from the team jogged over. "Hey, Mika, what are you doing here?"

"This was supposed to be a surprise." Mika sighed. "We were raising money for Archery club's spring training fund."

"Look at all the money we made!" The other girl said as she sold the last piece of cake. "We couldn't have done it without Watanuki-kun's amazing cookies!"

Watanuki flushed embarrassed by her praise. Doumeki smirked at that.

"Where's my cookie?" Doumeki asked with a straight face.

Watanuki scowled at him. "You could have had one if you got here earlier!"

"They were amazing." The girls sighed dreamily.

"Hey!" The upperclassman said alarmed by the look on his girlfriend's face. "They couldn't have been that good."

"You're just lucky I saved you some!" Watanuki huffed thrusting the bag under Doumeki's nose.

"Try one." Doumeki offered one to the distressed senior.

"Thanks." He mumbled gingerly biting into the cookie. His eyes widened and he practically inhaled the rest. "That's the best cookie I ever had!" He clapped Doumeki on the shoulder. "You're a lucky man."

"Let's get out of here." Watanuki muttered dragging him away.

"Kimihiro." Doumeki pulled Watanuki into a gentle kiss. "You helped because of me, thank you."

"Don't read so much into it, Shizuka!" Watanuki protested feebly.

"You can't fool me." Doumeki grinned.

Watanuki huffed. "So what if I helped because of you." He said defensively. "I'm allowed to take an interest in my boyfriend's hobbies."

"Kimihiro." Doumeki said pulling him closer. "Next time, I don't want those girls hanging all over you like that. And I mean Himawari too."

Watanuki's mouth fell open. "You were jealous?" For some reason that pleased him. "I'll try to keep them at arm's length just for you, Shizuka." He smiled linking arms with the exorcist.

Yuuko's shop

"Watanuki made cookies!" "The cookies are great" Mora and Moru chanted.

"Watanuki's cooking is even better now that he's dating Doumeki." Black Mokona commented laying on his back stuffed full of cookies and milk.

"He's learned to use the sweetest spice of all." Yuuko mused breaking the last cookie in half to fit it into the milk cup. "Love."