A/N: ZareEraz here! Another little ficlet that I wanted to get out of my word processor! I will be updating Addiction soon, but school's kinda heavy right now so all I can manage is these short stories. But I promise not to make you wait too much longer for that one! :3 Enjoy!

Love the Boys

"Hi, Doumeki! Where's Watanuki today?" Wari asked as the archer sat down in his seat at the back of the classroom, his girlfriend missing.

"She's sick." Doumeki informed the other boy, hanging his school bag on his desk hook. This morning when he'd gone to pick her up when they hadn't met at the temple, he'd walked into a cold-ridden girl shivering in her blankets, not looking half as energetic as Watanuki usually was. That worried him first off but what she made him do afterwards worried him even more just because it was Watanuki and she was always getting into some kind of trouble. "And she wouldn't let me stay with her."

"Aw, that so bad. I'm sure she just wanted you to be in class." Wari said, leaning back against Watanuki's empty corner seat.

"No. I'm pretty sure she just didn't want to be babied."

"And we all know that you love to dote on her!" Wari chuckled, watching Doumeki's stone face. "In your own way, anyway. Does she need anything after school?"

"Some soup stock and more tea." Doumeki replied.

"I'll go shopping with you if you like." The curly-haired boy offered.

"Thanks." The archer rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper to show his classmate. "She even gave me a list and the name of the store she want me to go to. And directions to get there. She's so idiotic." Doumeki rolled his eyes at his meddling girlfriend.

"Well, she's meticulous if nothing else!" Wari giggled.

Just then the teacher walked in and called the class to order. Wari waved at Doumeki and walked up to his seat near the front. Doumeki put the paper back in his pocket so he didn't lose it and get yelled for it later. Class went along just fine, and Wari told Doumeki between periods that he was taking really good notes so that he could give copies to Watanuki so she wouldn't be behind. Doumeki thanked Wari and then wondered why he didn't think of that. But then he let it go because Wari's notes were probably better than anything he could write. Besides, Watanuki always complained about his handwriting even though he could read it just fine. The next teacher came in to start the next period and everyone in the class hushed again. Doumeki kept sneaking glances over at Watanuki's desk, silently missing her presence in class. She was always doing something in her seat, whether it be taking notes with her serious face or doodling out of boredom. She would also look out the windows to watch people walking down the street with the cutest, wistful look on her face. She was so pretty in those moments when her mouth shut up and when she thought no one was watching. All her annoyance and worry faded away and her face was just peaceful and calm. It was rare to see Watanuki like that because her face was so expressive – which made it easier to read her moods, but did little to help anyone else calm her down. Even for just one or two days, Doumeki missed that. He missed Watanuki . It started to rain outside, just little sprinkles pinging against the window.

Class passed quickly and soon the students were let out on break. If class was fine then lunch was a disaster. Since Watanuki fell sick yesterday afternoon, she'd been unable to make any lunches for the next day, which meant that Wari and Doumeki had to eat cafeteria food (because Wari avoided cooking and Doumeki either didn't want to cook or couldn't or he just wanted Watanuki's cooking). And while it wasn't too bad, the two boys had just been pampered by Watanuki's homemade lunches for far too long for them to enjoy school food. They sat down in the stairwell both took a bite of their tonkatsu sandwiches, chewed slowly and then sighed.

"I miss Watanuki." They both admitted at the same time. The boys looked at each other and then Wari giggled at them. Doumeki's mouth had a hint of a smile.

"Man! We're pathetic today!" Wari chuckled. "One school day without Watanuki and we're hopeless!"

"It's just because she's so annoying and now it's peaceful. It's throwing me off." Doumeki replied.

"Liar. You're just worried about her." Wari shot back taking another bite of his sandwich. "Und yoo iss er unches."

"I'm not denying that one." Doumeki finished off his tonkatsu and then drank his juice box like a boss. Wari finished his sandwich as well and then took all their wrappers and garbage to the trash can outside, getting slightly wet in the process. Then they just sat there on the steps.

"Lunch usually takes a lot longer, doesn't it?" Wari asked.

"Yes, because it takes me longer to steal Watanuki's food when she's around." Doumeki replied.

"That and we always have tons of food to begin with, I think."

"Yep." They sighed again and sat in comfortable silence until lunch period was over and then went back to class.

Gym class was held inside because of the pouring rain outside, and everyone was doing mat exercises. Doumeki felt unchallenged as he was working out because Watanuki was usually trying to one-up him and right now, the rest of his classmates were just doing what they were supposed to. Doumeki was fine with that, but gym class was always more amusing when his girlfriend was pretending she was better at physical exercises than him. And Wari didn't laugh as much because none of their "comedy routine" stunts were happening. Of course, the curly-haired boy was cheerful, but he was always that way. By the time class was over, Doumeki was so ready to be out of there. He wanted to see Watanuki, had been wanting to see her all day.

And that's why both Doumeki and Wari were the first ones out of class. Both their club activities had been cancelled, Doumeki's from the rain and Wari because his advisor from French Club had a graduate test she had to go to for university. So they were both out the door as soon as the bell rang, grabbing their umbrellas and walking out into the rain. Watanuki's note came out and the pair of teens navigated the water-logged streets crowded with umbrellas to the store that Watanki specifically asked Doumeki to visit. Once inside the brightly lit shop, Doumeki and Wari wandered around the food isles until they found the soup stock that Watanuki wanted and then had a friendly argument over which tea Watanuki wanted because she'd neglected to write down what type on the list. They argued over green tea, black tea, jasmine tea, and the finer points of serving barely tea when it wasn't really summer anymore. And then Doumeki couldn't decide whether Watanuki would like green tea better or ginger tea while Wari was still insisting on jasmine tea. Their discussion was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Doumeki! Wari!" Yuko ran up to the two boys, her shopping bag full stuff. Her appearance surprised and didn't surprise the two teens, and Wari smiled at the witch in response and Doumeki just stared at her.

"Hi, Yuko! What brings you here?" Wari asked politely.

"I ran out of my favorite beer and had to come get some more myself since our Watanuki's not feeling so well today." The witch replied, brushing off her black skirt and shifting her red jacket on her shoulders, her long black hair was pulled up into a huge bun today (probably because she didn't want it to get soaked by the rain as it billowed behind her like it usually did).

"That's why we're here too. Watanuki sent us to get some stuff." Wari said.

"Well, she sent me but Wari's tagging along." Doumeki corrected.

"I see. Well, I'm going to head back to my shop now, because I left Mokona in charge and you know how it gets without supervision!~" Yuko smiled, pivoting around on her heels and heading towards the checkout. "I think the green tea is going to be just fine for Watanuki! And tell her to take the next two days off from work to get better! I don't want her spreading her sickness to me!~" Yuko called over her shoulder. And then she pivoted around again and pointed at the two teens. "And Watanuki better love you for this!~" She winked and then spirited herself away.

Wari and Doumeki looked at each other after the witch left and just shrugged at her odd appearance before grabbing three different brands of green tea and some cold medicine to boot before leaving the store.

Once again under their umbrellas, the boys walked to Watanuki's apartment, climbing up the steps to the second floor. Doumeki rummaged in all of Watanuki's key-hiding spots (it was wedged in the window pane this time) and knocked before opening the door.

"Come on right in, why don't ya?" Watanuki grumped at her boyfriend as he took off his shoes in her genkan. Her voice was all scratchy and thick from her sore throat and nasal congestion and no matter how fierce she tried to sound, she felt horrible and it showed in her voice.

"I knocked." Doumeki replied, placing his closed umbrellas next to the door.

"Hi, Watanuki! How are you feeling?" Wari called, kicking off his own shoes and walking into the girl's apartment with the grocery bag.

"Hi, Wari! I didn't know you were here!" The girl's voice picked up, sounding a smidge more cheerful. Wari peeked out of the kitchen and into the girl's living room/bedroom to find Watanuki trying to sit up. She didn't look any better than when Doumeki had first seen her. "I'm sorry you have to see me like this but I'm happy you stopped by." Watanuki was polite as she finally sat up, folding her hands in her lap. Doumeki walked into the room and Watanuki smiled wearily at both of her guests. "Excuse me for not getting up. I'd also offer tea, but you've brought it with you. Didn't you?" Watanuki eyes Doumeki warily and the archer pointed to the bag Wari was holding.

"We've got it!" Wari replied cheerfully.

"Good. Thank you." Watanuki then tried to get up, despite her previous statement and Doumeki dashed to her side, trying to get her to lie down on her futon again.

"Rest, Watanuki."

"But I need to make tea…" She argued weakly. "And I'm hungry. That's why I had you buy stock for me."

"How about this? We'll make the tea and then you can instruct us how to make the soup so you don't have to get up." Wari suggested with a bright smile. Watanuki thought about it for a few minutes and Doumeki waited for her to smack that idea out the window and just do it herself (because that was just the way the girl functioned) and Wari waited for her to cave to his request (because that was just the way the girl functioned…around him).

"Fine!" Watanuki snapped, "But I'm still coming into the kitchen to supervise!"

"Okay!~" Wari clapped his hands together in delight. Doumeki was mildly surprised that Watanuki gave in so easily, but it was Wari after all, Watanuki wouldn't deny him anything. He should've remembered that. And Doumeki was slightly jealous because Wari had Watanuki wrapped around his finger.

"Now just let me – Whoa!" Watanuki had tried to stand up on her own, but Doumeki put the kibosh on that and swooped in to pick up his girlfriend before she could trip over her clumsy feet and crack her head against something (which she was bound to do even when she wasn't sick). Watanuki started protesting, but once cradled in Doumeki's arms with a blanket thrown over her, she shut up because there was no fighting against the archer. Wari watched the couple as they walked into the kitchen, his smile softening. He was slightly jealous of his friend. Watanuki wouldn't shut up around him because she was always trying to please the curly-haired boy or talk to him. Doumeki was the only one that Watanuki would shut up around, her cute look plastered all over her face. Doumeki may not know it but he had Watanuki wrapped around his finger, her troublesome, fussy personality was just her way of showing him that she cared.

Doumeki dumped Watanuki into a kitchen chair and made sure that the blanket was wrapped around her before yanked Wari into the room to get cooking. Watanuki told them to wash their hands first and put on one of her many aprons. Wari took the one that said "Good Lookin' is Cookin'" just because it made him laugh and Doumeki (that bastard!) took the pink one that Maru and Moro had sewn little black and white Mokona's all over it and wrote in sharpie "Get Me Some Sake!~" just to tease the girl. Watanuki growled at him when the archer had dug it out of the back of her closet and Wari just laughed even harder than when he picked out the apron he was wearing. And then a bad-mood Watanuki instructed them in the surliest voice possible on how to make Miso soup.

"The tofu and Miso paste are in the fridge. Get the green onions out for later, they will need to be chopped. Wari, would you please put the pot on the stove? Doumeki, soak the seaweed and then drain it, and add it to the pot once the water has boiled. And then add the dashi soup stock – No, Doumeki! Don't put the dashi in until the water's boiled!" A few minutes of silence. "Wari?"

"Yes?"

"The water's boiling. You can turn the heat onto low now."

"Okay!" The boy did as he was instructed.

"Doumeki, add the dashi now and whisk it. Then add the tofu and the drained seaweed. Then put the Miso paste into another bowl and ladle half a cup of the broth into the bowl and whisk it. Yes, like that." Watanuki watched the boys work. "Make sure its smooth, idiot. Wari, you can turn the oven off. Doumeki, add the paste to the pot and stir it well. Taste it and see if it needs more Miso. Good?"

Doumeki let Wari ladle the soup out into bowls for all of them and then started preparing the tea. Soon everyone was eating, Watanuki sipping on tea and taking the medicine that they boys had brought for her. She seemed better now, happier after having eaten. They all talked around the table until Watanuki almost fell asleep in what was left of her soup. That's when Doumeki scooped her up again and deposited the girl back into her bed (after a quick – embarrassing on Watanuki's part – bathroom break). Watanuki was soon sleeping, the noise from Doumeki and Wari cleaning up in the kitchen and washing the dishes not even registering on her radar.

They finished cleaning up the kitchen in no time and got ready to leave. Wari wrote a note for Watanuki to read when she woke up and placed it under her glasses, which were resting by her head. He smiled at the sleeping girl and whispered for Doumeki to come check out her "cute face." The archer tiptoed over and leaned over Wari to look at his girl. She was deep enough asleep that she didn't even notice them, her eyebrows smooth with her mouth open slightly to breathe with her cold, her cheeks flushed with fever. It was one of those rare calm moments that Doumeki treasured in all the chaos that was Watanuki and he smiled softly. Then he tapped Wari on the shoulder and gestured that they should probably leave to let Watanuki rest. The teen smiled back and stood up, both boys walking to the door and grabbing their bags and headed out, closing the door behind them quietly. Watanuki slept on, unaware that her visitors had left. But they hadn't left her alone.

Get well, Watanuki! We'll be waiting for you to come back to school. Remember to eat the rest of the soup in the fridge, get lots of rest and we've left a couple water bottles within your reach so you don't get dehydrated or pass out from fever on the way to the sink because Doumeki said that you'd do that if we weren't there. :3 Doumeki will be back to check on you later and Yuko sends her wishes. She said to tell you to take the next two days off at work to recover. We'll see you later!

Love, the boys

A/N: Let me know what you think! :3 See you next time!