Disclaimer: I don't own xxxHolic.

Author's Note: My first xxxHolic one-shot! Yay! Enjoy!

The Heart's Price

If Ame-warashi knew she was here, especially so late at night, she was sure to yell. But for deep inside Zashiki-warashi's heart, she really couldn't bring herself to care – she had to come here, to the shop where wishes were granted.

All because the person she loved was here, and only he could grant her her wish.

However, as she looked at the old building, her hands gripping at the stone of the pure-water well that she appeared from, she felt nervous and scared – she feared his rejection above anything else. What would he say about her coming here? Would he grant her wish? And if he does, what would be the price for granting it?

After all, Kimihiro Watanuki is different than the previous store owner. But he, like the Dimensional Witch, will grant any wish he feels he can grant, right? Surely he can grant hers...

Shaking her head fiercely, Zashiki-warashi felt her resolve slipping. "No...I-I can't ask him...I can't tell him my..." she said softly, making the motion to return through the well.

"Hmm? Zashiki-warashi?"

She froze and turned towards the sound of her name, and promptly turned red at the sight of the man of her affections staring at her. He had grown taller since the last time she had saw him, and much more handsome in the loose-fitting tan-patterned kimono he was wearing. She felt meek and childish in comparison, wearing what most humans called a summer's dress, pale while and conservative to fit her innocent nature.

"Wa-wa-watanuki-kun!" she stammered, almost falling backwards into the well, but steadied her footing onto the ground, "It's been awhile. H-how are you?"

Smiling faintly, Watanuki replied, "I've been all right. I'm sure you're the same?"

"Y-yes..."

She began to fidget, her face still red as she played with her fingers, her eyes shifting from him to the ground and back, and her lips moving but with no sound escaping them.

The shop owner noticed her strange behavior and quirked his brow. "Is there something you're here for? A wish...perhaps?"

She let out a squeak – he had gotten right to the point! Looking straight at him and forcing herself not to fidget or blush anymore than she already was, she spoke, "Y-yes. I have a wish for you to grant...i-if you don't think you can't grant it though, th-that's okay?"

"What's your wish?"

She gulped down her beating heart – now or never! "For you to listen to my confession," she said firmly.

Silence passed between them, then Watanuki smiled, "Why don't you come inside?"

Zashiki-warashi bit down on her lip. She kept telling herself not to blush as she watched Watanuki sat down next to her, his attention completely on her. She couldn't blow this! This was the moment she was waiting for!

"What is it that you need to tell me, Zashiki-san?"

Gulping down her heart again and her hands gripping at the hem of her dress nervously, the shy vestal sprite licked her lips and began, "F-for years, I've been watching you. I've admired you...how you care about others, and even showed care towards spirits like myself...how you are willing to risk your life in order to save someone you feel strongly towards..."

Her eyes flickered towards her hands for a moment, then back to Watanuki. "You even...risked your life to save me...and the mere thought leaves me in such happiness to this day. I think it was that day...that I realized that I loved you," she said, her body quaking with her words, "I feel that love grow everyday, and so many times before this I wanted to confess to you so much that I thought my heart would burst...but I've always been afraid...afraid of what you would say...if you would instead reject me because you liked another..."

She bit on her lip again, "But tonight I couldn't hold back anymore...I needed to tell you my feelings...to have you grant my wish to hear me out...to hear me say I love you, Watanuki-kun. And now I await your response, and the price I must pay for my wish."

She closed her eyes, waiting for the rejection to hit her as she expected, but instead all she heard was a light chuckle and shuffling of cloth towards her. Her eyes opened to see what he was doing, only to watch him press his lips to hers in the next second. She gasped, and he smirked against her lips, taking advantage of her opened mouth. Shakily, she moved her hands to grip at his kimono, pulling herself a bit closer as her tongue clumsily wrestled with his, releasing a low moan from her throat that she didn't know she was capable of. She faintly felt his arms wrap around her waist, pulling her into his lap, and her face heated up as she felt how close her body was to hers now.

"Wata-" she tried to say when their lips parted for a moment, but was cut off when he kissed her again, his tongue exploring her cavern thickly and his fingers drifting across her waist, smirking again at the little gasps and moans the sprite was making at his touch.

Finally, when the need for air was too great, they parted, foreheads still touching and Zashiki-warashi's hands still gripping at Watanuki's kimono as if her life depended on it. He licked his lips, taking the sweet taste that could only belong to someone so pure, then chuckled lowly as he ran a thumb over her now swollen lips. Their breathing was both labored, tired out from their passionate kiss, and it took all her strength to keep her from fainting in that very moment.

"I've received the price," he spoke at last, his voice a breathless whisper, "And I've also given you my response to your confession."

She tensed up, moving back in order to get a clear view of Watanuki's eyes. Even behind the frames, often could be used by humans to deceive others, she could tell he wasn't lying to her – that kiss was meant to tell her he reciprocated her love. She felt tears brimming up her eyes, threatening to spill down her cheeks, and he smiled as he kissed under her eyes.

"No tears, Zashiki-san...no...angel is better for you, I think..." he said, his fingers motioning over the angel-wing clips in her hair.

"Wata...Kimihiro-kun..." she whispered in awe, her face tinting in a very faint blush, "I...I..."

He chuckled again as he intertwined his fingers with hers, his lips again meeting hers softly. "I love you too," he whispered before pressing her to the floor, ready to show her how passionate his love can go.

Yeah, going to stop it there. Not going to write a lemon, since I know it'd be horrible. But I still love how this story turned out. Don't know about anyone else, but if I was in Zashiki-warashi's place, I'd be loving every moment of this! Anyway, hope you enjoyed!