Title: I Wish You Was Back

Rating: T

Category: xxxHolic

Pairing: Douwate

Summary: Doumeki yells at Watanuki over their latest mission in Yuko's shop before walking out. After a conversation with Yuko, Watanuki pays the price for Doumeki's wish leaving Doumeki to fix the pieces and get Watanuki back.

Disclaimer: I do not owe xxxHolic. If I did Yuko would still exist and not leave and Doumeki and Watanuki would go on more crazy missions for her where there is a bunch of moments those two have a lot more moments together.

~~ Story Begins ~~

"Shut up," a seventeen year old boy said calmy, his stotic expression staring at the spaz idiot in front of him.

The spaz idiot stopped flailing around and stared at his companion, the bi-colored teen glared. "You asked why I couldn't make Beef Stew and I'm - "

"You are too loud," the stotic man said, "I wish you were dead, maybe my life could be normal again for once."

"Doumeki," the spaz said concerned one hand already reaching out to touch the young archer but the archer moved out of the way.

"Shut up, I'm leaving!" he said turning around and leaving the wish shop where the bi-colored teen worked part-time.

"Watanuki?" a female voice asked from inside of the store's buildings porch, a black and gold kinomo floated across her body with butterflies scattered around, her arms were crossed while her black long hair was tied up.

"What's the price?" he asked not facing her.

"I do not like having one's life taken," she responded.

Watanuki turned around and stared at his employer, "You have mentioned that taking one's soul is worse than death. What is the price I have to pay for his wish to be fulfilled?" Watanuki looked away, "I've caused him so much hardships, it's the least I can do to pay him back."

Yuko stared at her young employee, a plan forming in her mind, "Are you sure that you want to fullfill his wish? There may be no way for you to return back to normal."

"I'm sure Yuko," he replied looking at her with the same determination he had when Doumeki lost his eye to a spider.

"The price will be your freedom and your memories of the outside world," she responded walking into the shop.

"Than they are yours, I no longer have a need for them if I am nothing more but a bother," Watanuki said followig her.

~~The Next Day~~

Doumeki arrived at school and tried to find Watanuki, a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach. That feeling possibly didnt help on four things, he couldn't sense Watanuki anywhere, he said the two words 'I wish' in Yuko's shop which was a big no-no in the 'do not do' section of keeping Watanuki safe, than when trying to sleep last night, he could sense his grandfather's disapproval of how he acted by the way the atmosphere was in the Temple, and finally after archery practice and meeting up with Kunogi, he asked her if she heard anything about where Watanuki was at and her innocent response was, "Whose Watanuki?"

That sent off all of the red flags and warning bells that Doumeki had in his internal system that something was definitaly wrong, especially knowing that Yuko had a plan for him if Kunogi could't remember thier spaz idiot of a friend but he did. He thanked her before taking off towards Yuko's shop.

'Beef stew is a simple enough dish,' Doumeki thought as he approached the gates to Yuko's shop, 'He can make out of season, style, and hard dishes but not beef stew and that idiot kept quiet on that cliff with a distant look in his eyes. He knew I wanted to be get done as soon as possible but that moron had to go and get distracted.'

When he entered the shop, he saw two little girls wait patiently for him. One with long blue hair in pigtails that reached the floor, her blue eyes matched her hair while her outfit always reminded Doumeki of a little imp while her twin sister had short pink hair with matching pink eyes and her outfit was that of a little angel.

"The mistress is busy right now! The mistress is busy right now!"

"What about Watanuki?" Doumeki asked his voice expressionless but seeing the two girls look at each other before answering caused even more alarm bells to go off.

"Which one?" the blue haired one asked holding her outside hand.

"Which one?" the pink haired one asked slightly after with her outside hand out.

"What do you mean by which one?" Doumeki asked not liking where this converstation was going as they walked inside the shop of wish granting.

BANG! CRASH! THUMP!

Doumeki looked towards the kitchen where the noise was coming from and the doors opened. A black rabbit with long ears that had a piercing on it came running out of the kitchen holding onto a cheap bottle of sake. "This sake has been claimed by Mokona! Take that Kimi!"

A spatula flew in the direction of Mokona, barely missing Doumeki who took a step back, by Watanuki who was wearing a white apron and bandana to keep his hair and sweat out of the food, "Give that bottle of sake back to me now or Mokona won't get any food or any alcohol tonight."

"Oi," Doumeki said towards Watanuki. "Watanuki!"

"Kimi, y-you can't be that mean to Mokona! Mokona is too cute for that!" Mokona said.

Watanuki and Mokona had a staring contest, Watanuki bent over with his hands on his hips while Mokona stared back his bottom lip trembling, "Fine," Watanuki said standing up straight and turning around flipping his hand over his shoulder, "I'll just tell Yuko that it's all your fault that I had to waste perfectly good unopened alcohol for supper and dessert because a pork bun decided to keep the unopened one for himself." He started to walk towards the kitchen before smiling a cunning smile and looked towards Mokona, "And we all know how much Yuko hates wasted and already opened alcohol."

"Kimi," Mokona cried, "You are so mean! I surrender my sake over to you!"

Watanuki grabbed the sake, "Thank you!" He walked into the kitchen with the bottle of sake. Doumeki quickly following him into the kitchen.

The twins giggled while Mokona gave a solemn look at Doumeki before walking into the kitchen with them.

"Oi," Doumeki said again in the kitchen causing Watanuki to turn around and give a confused stare at him, "Why weren't you in school today?"

"Uh," Watanuki said tilting his head to the side, "I'm afraid you are mistaken. I don't know you and I can't leave the shop. You see I have no soul but since you are here, that means you have a wish. I think Yuko is still working with a previous customer from last night but I'm sure if the price is right she'll grant you your wish."

"Idiot," Doumeki said. "You made Himawari worry."

"Hey! Who are you calling an idiot?" Watanuki asked flailing about, "Morons like you aren't allowed to be inside the kitchen because you'll make me burn something with your moron-ism and whose Himwari?"

"Hey Kimi," Mokona said jumping really high so Watanuki could see him. "The blowfish is on fire."

Watanuki spun around quickly and let out a yell, "This is exactly why no one but me is allowed in the kitchen!"

Mokona jumped on Domeki's shoulder, the stotic teen looked at the black rabbit, "Doumeki, that's Kimi, not the Watanuki you know. The mistress is with the real Watanuki and I'll guide you there, she wants to see you personally."

Doumeki took one last look at Kimi in the kitchen, flailing over to the cup boards to try and find something to replace the blowfish, before he followed Mokona's directions which lead him deeper into the shop where the only light started to come from the gem that Mokona had on his forehead.

Mokona had Doumeki stop in front of a room that had the doors closed, "He's here Yuko."

Doumeki looked at the door, shadows were flickering over from the inside of the room before a tall shadow resembling that of a woman appeared and open the door, her long black hair fell across her back as it blended in with the black skin tight outfit she wore that had a white phoenix rising from the ashes on her right hip all the way to her shoulder, "Hello Doumeki. Please come in and tell me what you think."

She stepped aside as Mokona jumped down and headed back towards the twins and Kimi. Doumeki stepped inside of the room and restrained from not breaking anything at the scene. There was another Watanuki only this one was laying down on his back in mid-air, with a purple aura keeping him afloat and protected, surrounding him were candles that were made of black wax and were lit with blue flames. "What happened?" Doumeki asked walking inside the room trying to keep his face and voice neutral like he always does.

"Is it to your liking? It was your wish was it not?" Yuko asked. "I had to make some adjustments. I do not like taking one's life but taking one's soul is always worse than death. I didn't have any other clothes expect for his clothing that he wore from school which happened to be the school's uniform." Doumeki ignored Yuko walking around him but instead focused on the slow breathing that Watanuki was doing, "You did wish for Watanuki to be dead in my shop yesterday. I don't know for sure what happened on the mission but I doubt you would want him dead, especially over beef stew. He was detemined to pay the price for you wish, he did feel indebted to you and if you wanted a normal life than what better way than this?"

Doumeki clenched his fists together tightly, "Is there a way for me to bring him back? To fix this?"

Yuko placed two fingers under his chin and lifted his chin up gently, "What would you do if I said no? You are the one who wished for his death in my shop, a soul being taken is worse than death. Watanuki chose that path giving up his outside memories and freedom creating Kimi who you met earlier, all in order to grant you your wish."

Doumeki moved his head away from Yuko's grip, "I'll find a way still, no matter what."

Yuko clapped her hands together, "Well you are in luck, there is a way and I will take my payment after you return Watanuki. Here's what you must do, realize why Watanuki was acting the way he did, learn as to why he can't make beef stew, but most importantly you must figure out how to make yourself see why Watanuki feels like he's always alone and prove to him that isn't the case any longer."

Doumeki felt his eyes close and his body fall before the area around him was dark. He was standing in the darkness even through he swore that his body was in mid-fall. Footsteps were slowly approaching him and his eyes were trying to adjust to the sudden darkness when he asked, "Whose there?"

"Idiot, you shouldn't be here. You have no right to be here but yet you are," a familiar voice said as Doumeki slightly lowered his guard at seein and hearing the Watanuki he's familiar with. "I fulfilled and paid for your wish, what more do you want from me? Why do you insist on following me everywhere? Shouldn't you be at archery club living a normal live like you wanted?"

"I came to get you back. It was a quiet at school today and Himawari was worried about you." Doumeki said taking a step close to Watanuki.

Watanuki quickly backed away,his eyes showing anger and hurt, "Liar!" Doumeki stared and tried to reach out to Watanuki but was knocked away by a pale hand. Watanuki took one more step back. One pale arm wrapped protectively around Watanuki, going over his waist with the hand resting the hand on his hip with the hand having fingers that were darkned either by dirt or blood or a mixture of both. Another arm wrapped itself around his chest, the arm was covered in bandages and the hand rested on his shoulder. "Himawari doesn't remember me. Why would she? All I'm known for is food, comedy, and causing everyone trouble. Why do you remember me? You don't care so why don't you just leave me alone!"

The hands grabbed Watanuki as Doumeki got up quickly and pulled the seer back, the scene changing from the pitch blackness to that of the cliff their lastest mission together where this whole entire mess started. Doumeki eye's widened a little bit as Watanuki was pulled over the cliff. "Watanuki!" he ran towards the seer and tried to grab him by his wrist or hand but missed the sleeve of the uniform barely, he could feel the threads of the fabric.

Watanuki vanished before his eyes and Doumeki for once hating all of the training that was put into keeping his face into a stotic expression. He wanted to yell out, he wanted to cry, and scream at Watanuki.

"Leave him alone! You have already hurt him enough! You will do more harm with him than good!" a female voice said angerily from behind him. Domeki turned around slowly ready to accept another scolding but was surprised (which he hid) at seeing a young woman around her late twenties, her inky black hair was held back by two hair pins Yuko was known to wear constantly, her crystal blue eyes wee lit with anger against her pale skin, clothes that were once pretty now stained with dirt, blood and tattered. One arm that had fingers darkned with fresh blood was behind her back where a small six year old boy was hiding and clinging to her arm. Her other arm was covered in bandages that had blood on them almost like it was her shied.

"Let me have the boy Watanuki!" the man attacking her said. His brown hair had white on one side, his black eyes held malice as he raiased his staff up and hit the woman in the face.

"Mama!" the boy yelled fear evident in his eyes and voice as his mother got stuck.

"You will never lay your filthy hands on my son, Reed," she replied, "Not over his father's body which you brutally murdered and not even over my dead body!"

"We shall see about that," he stated as he swung the staff at her again hitting her neck when a burst of black light came from the staff and attacked the woman.

"Mama!" the young boy cried with tears running down his face as the woman fell onto the ground. The boy shook her trying to her to move, "Mama! Mama!"

"Little Watanuki," the man whom Doumeki guessed as Reed stood over him, "Give it up, your mother is dead, your father has been dead for a while now, and you will now join them."

The man lifted his staff up that was still pulsalting with black light and slammed it down onto young Watanuki's head who had his tiny hands over his head to try and protect himself when a bright white shield responded to the staff's hit and knocked the staff out of Reed's hand. Little Watanuki looked up and yelled happily, "Mama!"

Doumeki couldn't see anyone, 'So this is when Watanuki started to see spirit.'

Reed had vanished, the bright light causing his staff to break and the magic to backfire on him, and little Watanuki was still trying to wipe his tears away when Doumeki heard Watanuki's mother spoke again, "Kimiharo, I'm sorry for making you cry but I need you to be a big kid now."

"Mama, what do you mean and why do are you here but you are sleeping on the ground there?"

Doumeki mentally flinched, "This is where Watanuki saw his mother get murdered and started experiencing seeing spirits. No wonder he was so distant, quiet, and so distracted. It wasn't his fault."

"I'm sleeping on the ground there because I'm dead, just like your daddy, you can see my spirit. A curse that man had put on your father which than he put on you."

"Why? Did I do something wrong to make him mad? I'm sorry if I did!" Watanuki said looking up.

"Yes and no, and don't be sorry my little fool. Now listen to me, I do not have much time and it will be something you will understand later. Now, Mama is sorry that she has to break her promise of making beef stew tonight. I know I'm not as a good of a chef as your father but I tried. I need you to promise me something?" A little head was nodded from the young boy, "Promise to never cry again, it breaks my heart to see you cry and that you will take care of yourself and your friends?

Doumeki actually flinched this time, "He didn't want me to taste his sadness that he would've incorporated into beef stew. That's why. How stupid can I be?"

"I promise Mama but without you and Daddy, where am I to go?"

"Go to Aunt Yuko's. You will not be able to see me but I will be there every step of the way. I love you my little fool."

"Mama, wait, please, don't go!" Young Watanuki said turning around towards the cliff where Doumeki was standing at and was looking up towards the sky.

The scene vanished and Doumeki was surrounded by pitch blackness again, the only thing that was diffferent was that the fallen body of Watanuki's mother.

Doumeki walked over to it slowly before kneeling in front of it, "I'm sorry. I didn't realize how important that cliff was to your son or the sad memoriues he incorporates into beef stew. I didn't want to be in the rain anymore and he knows I have an archery tournament coming up that is taking up most of my energy. I do not wish for your son to be dead or to have a normal life. My life felt empty until I met and started protecting your son. Please forgive me."

The body started to disappear and Doumeki looked up to see the version of Watanuki that he has gone on adventures with only his eyes were closed as he was sleeping. The hands thhat were holding him close slowly started to loosen around him causing the glasses wearing teen to fall forward. Doumeki moved quickly standing up and catching his friend before his hit the ground. Fear wormed itself into his mind again as Watanuki's body felt cold to him causing Doumeki to tightened his grip trying to share his body heat.

"Watanuki, oi, wake up," Doumeki growled trying to get him to wake up.

"What the hell Doumeki? I am awake, you're the one sleeping!" a voice said from somewhere causing Doumeki to open his eyes. A blue and amber eyes stared into Doumeki's eyes with relief, "Finally, you are awake. You've been asleep for a week."

Doumeki blinked and noticed the dark circles under Watanuki's eyes, "What happened?"

"You gave me an order for what you wanted for lunch but when I tried to explain why I can make beef stew, you fell asleep on me!"

Doumeki blinked and looked around, "Your apartment?"

Watanuki leaned back onto his knees, "Yuko assured me it would be easier for me to keep an eye on you here." Watanuki looked away, "Your archery club members, coach, and your personalized cheerleaders are quite angry at me for giving them the bad news."

"They will live. You okay? Usually by now you would be flailingi about something," Domeki said sitting up.

"I'm fine," he responsded getting up, "Just exhausted from doing four jobs but nothing I cannot handle. Today's a day off from all four, you better hail the great Watanuki before you."

"Four jobs?"

"Yuko's shop, the obvious one, doing your chores at the temple, putting away all of the archery supplies after practice and the touranment, and all of your homework so you wouldn't fall to far behind in class. All you have to do is copy my answers and hand them in. Himawari has made a note of all the student council activities you missed."

Doumeki's eyes narrowed, " I didn't ask you to do that and the archery club shouldn't have done that as well."

"Of course not, you was asleep you jerk," Watanuki responded back letting a yelp of pain escape his lips when Doumeki pulled him onto the couch, "Hey! You big jerk let me go!"

Doumeki pulled Watanuki's sleeve up and stared at the bruise that was slowly fading, "Who did this?" Watanuki looked away, "Your silence told me it was the archery club members. I'll deal with them later but for now I need to deal with you now."

"Why? What did I do now?"

"Listen to me," Doumeki growled, I do not want you to disappeaar whether it be via death or soul taking."

"Okay, I understand. Doumeki you are acting - "

"I almost lost you because I didn't know about the cliff," he watched as Watanuki's eyes looked shocked for a little bit before turning to guilt, "It was in a dream."

Watanuki shook his head letting his body relax slowly giving Doumeki a sense of ease that Watanuki wouldn't try to escape, "It wasn't a dream Doumeki. I was going to explain about that cliff but you seemed so angry and on edge, I didn't want to annoy you." Doumeki blinked as Watanuki suddenly glared at him, "You also have no idea how much that cliff means to me!""

Than Doumeki felt a sharp knee jab to his stomach which made him loosen his grip more on Watanuki enough so that the seer got out of his grip and got off of the futon. Watanuki was by the door by the time Doumeki understood what happened and Watanuki was staring at him.

"For some strange unbelievable reason, hitzuen hates me and decided that I have fallen in love with you. I will let you stay here one more night but I am going to Yuko's shop to sleep!"

The door to apartment slammed shut with Doumeki stairng at it, "Did Watanuki just confessed?" With that question out in the open, Doumeki got out of the futon and ran out of Watanuki's apartment.

~~At Yuko's Shop~~

"It's always a pleasure to kill three birds with one stone," Yuko said as she swirled a glass of sake.

"Yuko, how exactly do you intend to do that?" the spirit of Watanuki's mother asked.

"One bird is your wish of your son finding and starting your family's magical mating ritual at the price of your son working for me," Yuko said holding one finger before holding up two "the second bird is Doumeki's price of Watanuki confessing first to him, not making it to the archery touranment, and the knee to the stomach, the third bird is that I get an amazing breakfast and alcohol in the morning!"

The spirit laughed, "Let's ignore the fact that my son who is like a nephew to you to be safe, but you haven't changed than."

"Mistsuka, I have. Your son's wish is what changed me the most. I thought I had erased his memories of me but even before he really knew Doumeki, I tricked him into thinking that his wishs was for the spirits to go away. His wish through was for Himawari, Doumeki, himself, and myself to live forever."

"Smart boy, considering I watched Himawari and she just so happens to be your mate. Much like how Doumeki is Watanuki's mate," Mistuka said.

"Maru, Moro," Watanuki's voice was heard, "Please block the door so the idiot won't get in. Yuko! Please let me sleep the rest of the day in peace and tomorrow I will fix you strawberry pancakes with two bottles of sake than whatever you want for supper with ten bottles of sake, to sweeten the deal. If you keep the dumbass away from me until tomorrow morning at school than unlimited sake!"

"Oi!" Doumeki's voice was heard outside of the shop.

Yuko stood up and Mokona jumped on her shoulder, "Have a good night," Yuko and Mokona said happily, "Doumeki won't be near you at all~" She went to the door and started pushing Doumeki off of her property even through he was trying to get inside.

A door in the shop closed followed by a thud. Mitsuko floated towards the roomand smiled at seeing Watanuki sound asleep on the floor mat. She moved the blankets over top of him placing a gentle kiss on his forehead causing the teen to smile and mumble, "Mama."

Mitsuko smiled, "I love you, my little fool."

~~ End of Story~~

Read and Review please tell me how I did, your thoughts, opinions and your favorite point of the story. I hope I kept the characters in their character as much and as good as possible. Be prepared for more stories from me as well.