Title:Safe And Secure
Fandom:Holic
Genre/s:General/Friendship/Rommance(?)
Rating:PG just to be safe.
Summary:They both get something out of this. But their teetering on the line between friendship and more. And neither is sure their ready to let themselves fall one way or the other. Watanuki/Doumeki.
Warnings:Uhhh... written by a sick Mog who was drowsy and light-headed from the cough syrup. Also written purely as it came to me with no alterations save for spell-check. Therefore, I cannot guarantee it'll make sense. But I hope you'll enjoy.

Doumeki likes this new contented feeling that he gets. That feeling of ease that he hasn't felt since he first met Watanuki comes back at night. Because he's not far enough away to worry that something might attack the other boy during the night.

It's still a strange feeling that he's getting used to. It's more than just the weight of another living human wrapped tightly in his arms or the warm breath on his neck. It's more than the feeling of someone's head nuzzled against his chest and fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt.

It's not being so close he can smell all the scents of Watanuki. Watanuki smells clean. Fresh. He smells of soap and fabric softener and shampoo. Doumeki can't get enough of it.

Those are all wonderful feelings. Doumeki loves and cherishes each and every one of those feelings. But the strange feeling comes from the level of comfort between them during the late hours.

During the day time, everything is still the same. Watanuki shouts and waves his arms around and gets attacked by random spirits. Doumeki still eats the lunches in silence and plugs his ears in protest to the noise and saves Watanuki. Watanuki still fawns over Himawari.

Doumeki doesn't expect any of it to change anytime soon.

He's not jealous of the attention the girl gets. She makes Watanuki happy, after all. And that's what's important. Even if his smile is for her, at least he's smiling for something.

They aren't a couple. They don't go on dates or hold hands or kiss. It's just for mutual comfort. Doumeki can sleep properly knowing Watanuki is safe and Watanuki can sleep properly knowing the same. Doumeki is a security blanket. And how and when had this all started?

Perhaps it was that night that Doumeki was too battered to make it home and Watanuki was too tired and sore to argue. And Watanuki's apartment was closer. At first it was uncomfortable. Awkward. But somewhere during the night Watanuki found his way into Doumeki's arms.

He was embarrassed to awake there, and wouldn't admit to how good it felt. So Doumeki spoke up. Afraid to lose this new feeling.

"I slept better last night. Knowing for sure that if anything happens, I'd be here."

Watanuki had muttered something about Doumeki's being stupid to worry and how he didn't care if it made Doumeki feel better because in no way was this ever going to happen again.

"You slept better too, though, didn't you?"

From there, something had changed. Watanuki had never admitted to it, but he didn't protest when Doumeki returned the following night. At some point the awkwardness faded. And things changed yet again.

One day Watanuki showed up at the temple before night fell. No words were exchanged but from then on, they slept there. Later Doumeki would learn that Watanuki was slowly forgetting. His memory was slipping away and now he couldn't remember where his apartment was.

Yuko said there was a reason and he left it at that.

But he was worried. Afraid. What if Watanuki forgot everything? What if one day he just slipped away? What if there was nothing anyone could do to save Watanuki from vanishing?

He was surprised to find Watanuki echoing his thoughts.

"Do you think I'll forget it all, Doumeki?"

It wasn't usual for them to speak during this time together. Watanuki seemed to prefer to think of the whole ordeal as some strange dream he kept having. Speaking made it seem more real, somehow. And if Watanuki were happy in denial and it wasn't hurting him, Doumeki let him.

"Do you think I'll start forgetting everything little by little until nothing is left? And if I do, what's going to keep me from disappearing?"

"It's not a one-way street you know." Doumeki found himself saying without thinking. "As long as everyone remembers you, none of those people are going to let you go. They all love you too much."

Watanuki tilted his head back and he gazed up at Doumeki's face, his own filled with curiosity and concern.

"Doumeki... you talk like your not a part of it. Are you saying..."

Doumeki cut him off. "Of course not." And then as an afterthought. "Idiot."

Watanuki frowned and lowered his head. At first, Doumeki thought he'd upset him and ruined it all. But then Watanuki pushed his forehead against Doumeki's chest. And there was relief in his voice as he whispered low and soft. "I'm...I'm glad."

Doumeki buried his nose deep in Watanuki's soft black hair and sighed. He wondered if maybe things were beginning to change again.

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