Disclaimer: I don't own xxxHolic, as only CLAMP can produce such magnificence. I, SheherazadeSohma, just own the story.

A Different Side of Me

First Act

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"Don't you think we got a wonderful assignment today, Watanuki-kun?" Himawari chirped a few minutes after the last school bell rang. She briskly slipped her books and papers into her briefcase as Tampopo the bird chirped lightly at her shoulder.

Looking up from where he'd been staring dazedly at his desk, Watanuki was tempted to moan out a "Noooooo". But, predictably, the sight of his beloved's beaming face changed his tune to a somewhat cheerful, "Oh, oh, of course, Himawari-chan! It's…spectacular…"

His gaze went back to fixating on the fine grain of his desktop. His stupor was interrupted by a shadow falling on him and long, dark spiral curls entering the corners of his vision.

"What's wrong? You don't like the assignment?"

Watanuki sighed, glancing up at his earthbound angel. "There's nothing wrong with it…it's just that, though this is a simple project, I may end up doing a poor job on it."

"What does a song have to do with homework?"

Watanuki's despondency fled, replaced by a knee-jerk hostility. He swore his hatred and hair-trigger temper would react to that voice even if he went deaf.

"Can't you wait outside like you always do? Even a few more minutes minus your irritating presence would be appreciated!"

Doumeki strode into the classroom, giving no acknowledgment that his bespectacled associate had even opened his mouth. "What's this about songs, Kunogi?"

Himawari brightened again. "Our English teacher decided to have a do a fun project! We're going over poetry originally written in English, and people haven't been too excited about going over rhyme and meter, things like that. So, to liven things up, he's having us pick a song in English that we like, figure out its meter, how it rhymes, any similes or metaphors, and then we get to explain what the song as a whole means. We also have to say if it has any special meaning for us."

Doumeki nodded his understanding, then glanced down at Watanuki's annoyed expression.

"Seems elementary. Why are you griping?"

"I am NOT griping, you twit!" Watanuki heaved in a deep breath to calm down; it wouldn't do to go full-blast into a violent, fog-horn volume rant with Himawari in such close proximity. "I'm just saying that I don't know what song to use. I don't usually have the time to listen to Japanese music, much less English, so I don't know where to start. And it's not like I can comb at my leisure, since the assignment is due in two days. With my job and other homework, my time gets eaten up."

"Pick the 'Happy Birthday' song and call it good."

"You imbecile! What kind of student do you think I am! If I pull a random song out of a hat, one that I don't care about, it'll show in my work, and I'll get an awful score! Even a half-wit could figure that out," Watanuki spat.

"Ah…" Doumeki looked thoughtfully at him—not that it changed his trademark deadpan expression much. "You don't want to go half-baked on this."

"Of course not! I mean, come on—if I have the will and stamina to clean the cobweb infested lair that is Yuuko-san's shop, and maintain it, and maintain the supply of sake and snacks that disappear down her gullet, do you think I could stand to do a crappy assignment? It's nearly impossible for me to do a half-hearted job!"

Doumeki glanced once more at Watanuki.

"I guess you'll fail then."

"SHUT UP, MORON!"

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"Oi."

Watanuki determinedly marched ahead of Doumeki, a death grip on his briefcase.

I'd fling it at his head, but something tells me he'd dodge, or not even notice anything had hit him, he's that dense

"Oi."

I won't even deign him with a reply, not unless he says my name. If he has to waste my time with whatever he has to say, the least he could do is properly address me—

"Oi!"

"Hhhk!"

He let out a surprised choke when a force nabbed his collar while he still strode full speed ahead. Watanuki's arms pinwheeled as he stared up at the blue sky. He'd have fallen over completely if not for the hand still gripping his shirt.

"All right?"

"You nearly hung me without a rope, stupid!"

"Sorry."

"The hell you are!" Watanuki straightened and rubbed his abused neck. He was giving Doumeki the evil eye, but of course the idiot was a natural-born repellant of evil spirits and the like. "What is it?"

"A couple things. First, you're supposed to walk with me, not ten feet ahead."

"It was not ten feet, and as long as I'm in your general demon-repelling vicinity, I don't see the problem."

"Secondly,"—Of course the bastard would ignore him.—"why not ask for help finding a song? Maybe Yuuko-san. A point in the right direction. Seems a small thing to ask."

Watanuki stared at him though he'd belted out the entire score of The Marriage of Figaro.

"And why in the name of all that's holy and magical would I do that?"

"Surely you've asked her things before."

"Um, yes, I've asked her things, but not for things—at least, for as few things as possible," he corrected.

"I've asked her why it seems that she only cleans her store room once every millennia. I've asked her what she would do if she didn't have me to badger and work to the bone. I've even asked her how the hell Mokona can eat and drink triple its weight without exploding or dying from blood alcohol poisoning," Watanuki ranted. "But I ask her for as little as possible."

He turned to continue his furious trek to the shop.

"The first time I asked her to grant a wish of mine, I got slapped with indefinite slavery to a crazy-cakes witch who can bend time and space. Can you blame me if don't phrase anything that sounds like a request around her?"

A few seconds passed with no reply, and Watanuki began to wonder if Doumeki was following him.

"There's always 'Mary had a Little Lamb', then."

Doumeki cocked his head to the right, not batting an eye at the briefcase that whizzed past his ear.

"YOU ARROGANT ASS!"

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"Good afternoon, I'm back!"

Watanuki neatly removed his shoes at the shop's front entrance, mentally bracing himself for another day of fun and giggles with his taskmaster and her diminutive minions.

Well, he corrected himself grudgingly, I guess that's a bit harsh. There are days where it's actually pretty nice working here. I adore Maru and Moro…when they're not chanting…and Mokona…when it's not chanting…and munching…and guzzling…which is quite a bit of the time. And it's not like it's downright horrible working for Yuuko-san…some of the time…I've learned quite a few things from her. Being her employee can be enlightening, and amazing, and…

He turned and rose—only to stop halfway when he found his nose five inches from a generous bosom barely covered in green silk.

…Revealing.

Watanuki jerked back, meeting Yuuko Ichihara's slightly smirking, ever-knowing gaze. As usual, Yuuko was dressed to the nines, regardless or whether anyone came to the shop today or not. An empire-waisted, low cut, flowing dress of dark green was the attire today, decorated with royal blue butterflies flying rampantly across the skirt. A sheer and gauzy dark blue wrap twined through her arms, covering her bare shoulders. Yuuko's incredibly long black hair had somehow been relatively tamed into a fancy updo, with a few long strands left to sway down.

Huh, it's Pride and Prejudice gone wild. Typical Yuuko-san.

"Welcome back, Watanuki-kun."

"Welcome back, Watanuki!" chirped Maru, popping out from behind Yuuko's right.

"Welcome back, Watanuki!" chirped Moro, doing likewise from the left.

"Watanuki, Watanuki! Puu puu puu puu!" A ball of black fur with rabbit ears careened around the corner and zoomed straight for the boy, smacking him in the face and dislodging his glasses. "April first has returned, heh heh!"

The pipe fox spirit, Mugetsu, was fast on the dark creature's heels, swiftly wrapping its tiny, serpentine length around Watanuki's neck and kissing his cheek.

Watanuki pried the dark half of the Mokona pair off and tried to straighten his askew spectacles. "Mokona, you little rodent, you nearly smashed my nose in!"

"Mokona is too soft and squishy for that!" The little fuzzball let out a giggle and bounced upon his shoulders and head. "Boing, boing! But if Watanuki is hurt, Mokona can kiss him better! Mwah mwah mwah!"

"Gah, don't, eh—" The beleaguered teen tried to fend off the black pork bun and the pipe fox spirit as he turned to Yuuko and the girls. "Hello, Maru, Moro, Yuuko-san. What's the to-do list today?"

"Well…" Yuuko twirled one of her loose locks playfully, her scarlet eyes turning devious. "I think it's time for some spring cleaning!"

"It's autumn, Yuuko-san!"

"But that's to be done after you serve a little afternoon repast," she continued, blithely ignoring him. "Don't stint on the sake like you did last time."

"You're not listening! And if I don't stint, your liver will give out sooner than later!"

"Oh, liver shmiver."

"Liver shmiver!"

"Liver shmiver!"

"GAH!"

Even if he were paid, it would never be enough.

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As it turned out, the witch had been teasing—surprise, surprise—about doing a thorough spring cleaning, thus, Watanuki only had to do the standard daily chores the shop required.

However, Yuuko had definitely not been joking about a sake-filled afternoon snack.

Surprise, surprise.

"I don't compliment you enough on your culinary expertise, Watanuki-kun," Yuuko sighed blissfully. "This sashimi platter is exquisite."

Watanuki couldn't help but let a small grin sneak onto his lips. If there was one good thing he could say about Yuuko, it was that, while she often made strange and impossible demands for food (reminiscent of a certain stoic blockhead he knew), she was never unappreciative of his cooking.

"Thank you, Yuuko-san." He went over to where his employer reclined leisurely on a divan. She had let down her hair, and was now clad in a purple yukata patterned with crescent moons and starbursts in silver thread—when Yuuko Ichihara lounged, she lounged in style.

"More sake?"

"Of course." Yuuko eyed Watanuki archly. "I hope you realize I can easily tell you've watered it down."

Her vassal huffed, refusing to feel ashamed. "We're running low on eki-kyabe to remedy a hangover, so it's best you don't go hard on the liquor."

Yuuko smiled gently as she lifted her cup. "When you're not flailing your arms like noodles and shrieking like a banshee, you're actually quite sweet and solicitous, Kimihiro Watanuki."

The boy blushed. "Ah, please, Yuuko-san…"

"You're actually very sweet-tempered with quite a few people," she went on, "including Himawari-chan, the Zashiki-Warashi, and Kohane Tsuyuri, etcetera." Yuuko cocked her head to the side, staring up at her bashful servant.

"I wonder why that gentleness vanishes in Doumeki-kun's presence."

Watanuki's eyes turned dark in a flash. "There are numerous and uncountable reasons why I detest that guy!"

"It's puzzling though," Yuuko protested. "Mugetsu protects you, but I had to send you to the pure waters of Reisan to change him back to his small form. The Zashiki-Warashi tried to rescue your lost right eye and failed—you had to go save her. The little girl of the hydrangea was completely dependent on you for rescue. Kohane-chan was saved from her mother's violence when you intervened and took the blows for her. And Himawari-chan…"

Yuuko's gaze darkened. "She offers you smiles and friendship, but an association with her has lead to near-lethal consequences, as we have seen."

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"Though it's not their fault, these people you've held dear have done relatively little for you in comparison to Doumeki-kun. In fact, there have been times where your friendship with them has lead to disaster, and Doumeki helped you. The little kitsune's plea for your life at the Demon Parade was heard because he had the broken end of Doumeki's arrow. You were able to save the little girl and yourself because Doumeki-kun held onto the ribbon for hours in the rain. Doumeki gave you half his right eye. Doumeki shot an arrow through the mother spirit you cared for—he didn't want to lose you, even though he knew he might still lose you.

"Doumeki-kun has saved your skin many times with his bow and arrow, with his swiftness, with his mere presence—and yet, you scorn him like the plague."

Watanuki's head was bowed, blocking whatever his expression was.

"…Your point?"

He heard Yuuko shift, propping herself up on the divan. Her long, sleek arm rose. Pale, spindly fingers found his chin, gently forced his gaze to meet the witch's.

"You have some soul-searching to do, Kimihiro Watanuki."

It took enormous willpower to keep his limbs locked, to not swat Yuuko's touch away and rush out of the room. Whatever she was trying to say was making him unbelievably panicked, setting off sirens in his head and a thrill up his spine.

"You've become a master at deceiving yourself—I don't think I've met another person so full of stubbornness and naïveté in a matter like this. Your fear, obstinacy, and confusion have turned Doumeki into something he is not, blinded you to what he is, and prevented you from realizing what your feelings truly are. They have even caused you to show only the roughest side of yourself to him, when he deserves to see the best.

"If you do not get past these self-imposed obstacles, the scarlet ribbon will fray…and break."

Watanuki stared down at her, the 'obstacles'—fear, obstinacy, and confusion—visible on his face. This woman (employer, drunkard, friend, mystery, shadow, illuminator, mother-figure, childlike and worldly, sibyl and sorceress) had stripped him of every defense and pretense in less than three minutes.

"Yuuko…san…"

Her eyebrow arched.

"I need…to get out of here."

A small nod, a slow blink of piercing eyes.

"Go."

He flung himself out of the smoky room, ripping off his apron and head kerchief as he sprinted for the front door. When he dove out of the house, he gulped the fresh air, glad to have escaped the shop seeping with smoky incense, the heady scent of liquor, and the aura of magic that clung to the enchantress.

After a few seconds, Watanuki snarled and raced back into the shop.

He had forgotten his shoes and book bag.

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Sheherazade's Blah Blah Blah

Thank you for taking the time to read (and hopefully review) the first part of this two part piece! This is my first time posting a xxxHolic fic, so hopefully everyone's in character. I know it's long, but hopefully quality makes up for quantity. I'll post the second half of Different Side in a day or two.

Please review! Reviews always make my day.