Disclaimer: I don't own xxxHolic or any of it characters -sigh-.

Summary: Doumeki finds out what art really is.

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Miss Yazawa(1) always thought she was a good arts teacher. She didn't do the practical exercises much, because some students just couldn't manage. She also tried to explain as much as she could what art really was, despite any personal tastes.

One day, she decided to make an assignment to her students. They would be paired up with another person and they both should tell her what art really was, and give examples by making something they would call art and picking something made by someone else too.

When she looked at Doumeki Shizuka's name she felt like she would pair him up with Watanuki Kimihiro, because something in the universe compelled her to.

After hearing said penalty (or so he would describe it), Watanuki knew someone that would describe it with one single word.

"It's Hi-Tsu-Zen, Watanuki!"

The tall woman, smelling like liquor and cigarettes, giggled at him, as fate once more declared that Watanuki was for ever stuck with Doumeki.

"NO MORE SAKE FOR YOU!!" the boy shouted, winning the argument.

"Oh noooo!!! Watanuki-kun is being meeean!!!"

"Being mean! Being mean!"

The teen sighed at the sing-a-song voice of the girls. Then he sighed at the still drinking black Mokona, and finally gave a big sigh to Yuuko. Pouring more sake in her glass he thought about what they would do about the assignment. They had four days to do it, 'And if art seems so hard to define for ME, imagine that IDIOT trying to do it!'.

After the huge amount of work, the bespectacled boy finally stepped out of the shop, feeling that after the large quantity of work he had done, he needed a hot bath and a nice warm futon. He had his dinner already set (namely, the food Yuuko-san didn't eat) and was starting to feel relaxed again.

Watanuki knew that never lasted long, anyway.

"Oi."

He only glared at the stoic male, feeling too tired to remind that troll that his name WAS NOT oi. So he continued walking towards his house, knowing that Doumeki would follow him no matter what he said. The walk was quiet and peaceful, and when Watanuki reached his house, he said:

"You can come in if you wan't, but I WON'T cook for you!"

"Hn" Said the archer as he entered the house, slipping his shoes off.

"We have to discuss about that arts project. (I still can't believe I was paired up with YOU of all people!!!)"

Doumeki nodded and sat by the table. Watanuki's thoughts, meanwhile, were far away thinking about how much he would give to be paired up with Himawari-chan. Without even noticing he set the cutlery for both him and Doumeki.

"Why are you staring at me?" said an annoyed Watanuki, noticing the never lifting gaze of the taller teen on him, and giving him a plate with half of his leftovers.

Doumeki merely looked at the plate and said nothing. 'Must be the habit' he tought.

"So," the spirit-bait sat himself with his share of food in front of Doumeki "I'm sure the art's book has something on the definition of art, right? Still, my book was kind off destroyed last week while running from that thing -your fault- so I don't have it here."

"..." Doumeki was too busy eating.

"Why can't you EVER answer anything PROPERLY!!"

"You should let me do the written part and get the examples." The bespectacled boy almost stared in surprise at the reply " Unless you wan't me to draw something, of course...".

"THAT'S JUST FINE!" Watanuki yelled before the idiot chose the drawing idea "SO, am I supposed to paint or something?"

"You could cook"

"Oh!" Watanuki seemed to like the idea.

"Inarizushi"

"Huh?"

"For me."

And so the stoic teen was kicked out of the house, in a very LOUD fashion. From the outside of the house he heard the othe male yell "TOMORROW WE WILL DO THIS PROJECT! AND NO INARIZUSHI!!!"

Doumeki allowed his face to form a small smile.

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Both teens were at the outside of the shrine.

One concentrated in papers and books by a small table placed on the grass and the other painting something. They worked quietly and none of them talked about the fact that the shorter boy had brought inarizushi, as well as other treats.

"I'm done." Doumeki stated.

However, Watanuki didn't seem to hear it, probably because he had never painted something, really, ans was concentrated. Maybe when he was little, or maybe at school, still, it was a mysterious field to him.

Doumeki watched the way the usually loud teen bit his lip and furrowed his brows. 'Cute' he thought. Once in a while, Watanuki stepped away from the painting, stared at it and started to paint again. That was when Doumeki noticed something.

The Seer's mismatched eyes were really beautiful. Even though Doumeki found them beautiful when they were only blue, now he looked at the other's eyes with a different feeling. A bond, a connection that made him dizzy from staring at said eyes, and still made him want to understand them more. The golden one, his own one, looked decided in Watanukis gaze, while the blue one had a calmer tone, maybe from being blue, maybe from being originally his.

That was when Doumeki decided that his whole work about art was wrong. He decide to wait for Watanuki to end his small painting.

By the time he did, Doumeki was certain that the definition he found was wrong.

"What?" the ever annoyed voice asked.

"I said I misunderstood the concept of art."

"WHAT? We were here ALL DAY!!! HOW COULD YOU GET IT WRONG?" Watanuki flailed his arms around as he always did, while yelling random curses at the Sky.

Doumeki put his finger on his eardrum, in fear of becoming deaf.

"Let me read it!"

So Doumeki passe the paper to the angry teen, Who read out and loud the words written there.

"Art is the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions. Hum.. It encompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations, and modes of expression, including music and literature…"(2) Now he looked puzzled "What's wrong with that?"

"That's not art."

Watanuki's curiosity got the better of him " What is art, them?"

Doumeki stared at him for a short space of time and then Watanuki was sure he caught the glimpse of a smile. The stoic teen walked up to him, took his glasses off and lifted his chin. Luckily for the archer Watanuki was too shocked to do anything about it.

"Your eyes."

And with that statement, he turned on his back, gathered his papers and patiently waited for Watanuki's brain to process the information. When it did, however, Doumeki was sure that at least one of his ears couldn't hear nothing anymore.

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In the end, Watanuki really thought the comment about his eyes was oddly sweet, in a creepy sort of way. Still, he didn't believe the stoic male had meant it and certainly didn't expect him to go thourough with it.

But Hitsuzen never once failed at him, and indeed it wouldn't now.

Miss Yazawa really thought of herself as a nice teacher, that could explain well without droning on about a subject for hours.

But when she asked our pair about art, and she heard that it were Watanuki Kimihiro's eyes, she was sure she had done something wrong.

Still she gave them one point for originality.

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(1) I don't think their techers have NAMES. Just me and the power of imagination.

(2) This is wikipedia for you

OH GOD I'M SUCH A HOPELESS ROMANTIC! I'm sorry about this, but if you really like it, please review 3

-Ann