Looking back, neither of them could say for sure whose idea it had been to raid Yuuko's personal stash of sake. It was also difficult to determine what exactly it was that had made them do it.
Personally, Himawari blamed it on the unbearable early morning heat.
Doumeki, who understood himself better than that, knew that the reason had more to do with the desire to find relief from certain other unbearable, oppressive, and all-consuming feelings. He strongly suspected it was the reason Yuuko took so much of the stuff. Although, he knew she'd never admit it to anyone.
They both knew that Yuuko would not be happy if she found out. It was just that there was so much of it. Part of them thought perhaps she wouldn't miss it. The rest of them barely cared. It occurred to neither of them that Yuuko would demand compensation if she found out what they'd done.
The plan was just to have a little bit. They both found it oddly exciting to be drinking so early in the morning, "The perfect start to summer vacation!" Himawari toasted.
Yuuko and Watanuki were late. To pass the time, Doumeki kept pouring. Nearly an entire bottle later, the two were both drunker than either had ever been.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, Doumeki registered how odd this was. He'd had sake before, even Yuuko's sake, but it had never affected him like this. Must be the heat, he thought. It was hard for Doumeki to decide whether he felt better or worse. The dizzy spinning was nice, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to hide his inebriation when Yuuko and Watanuki arrived. He also knew that Watanuki would be angry with him. Especially since Kunogi was involved. Watanuki was… possessive of Kunogi.
For her part, Himawari was feeling rather giddy. No wonder Yuuko liked this stuff so much. Himawari took another sip and wished Watanuki would arrive soon. He was so funny and always made her laugh. She liked Doumeki-kun, too, but he was usually quiet. A good friend, but not as lively as Watanuki. It made Himawari happy to think that her two friends complimented each other so well. It's nice that they are so close, she thought.
"When do you think they'll get back?" she asked him.
"I don't know, Kunogi" he replied refilling both of their sake bowls.
It was always Kunogi, never never never Himawari. It wasn't that Doumeki didn't feel that he could address her by her first name, as Watanuki did. It was just that Watanuki preferred think that he was closer to Kunogi than Doumeki. Doumeki was glad to let him think that, just because it pleased him. "He is such an idiot," Doumeki thought for about the hundredth time that morning.
Something lovely and silky brushed against Doumeki's arm. He reached out and caught the dark coil of Kunogi's hair. Doumeki pulled the curls through his fingers, "So pretty," he murmured absently.
"Thank you, Doumeki-kun," Kunogi replied carefully, managing to keep most of the slurring from her voice. Doumeki was rather impressed. Especially since she seemed to be having a hard time sitting upright. She swayed toward him and Doumeki reached out instinctively and placed his hand on her shoulder to keep her from falling over.
The movement brought their faces closer together. When their eyes met, they both froze. Neither moved for what seemed like a long time. Before either of them knew they were going to do it, their lips touched.
There had been times when Doumeki wondered what it would be like to kiss Kunogi, but he couldn't say he was surprised by what he felt when he did, "… nothing," he thought.
Himawari couldn't account for the noticeable lack of passion in the kiss. Not that she had any special feelings for Doumeki, but still, kisses were supposed to be passionate, weren't they? Maybe she was doing it wrong. Himawari deepened the kiss. Still, "…nothing," she thought.
They pulled away from each other, both blushing. And not just from the warmth of the morning. Or the sake.
"I'm sorry," they both said in unison. Then they looked away.
"I wish you were him," they whispered at the same time.
Himawari's head shot up to look at her friend. Doumeki looked back at her. Usually the boy wore no expression at all. Now she saw her own misery mirrored on his face.
It was then that they noticed the person standing in front of them.
"I can grant your wishes," Yuuko said.
They blinked up at her, drunkenly.
"For everything you desire you have to pay an equal price in return," she continued, innocently.
Even in his current state, Doumeki recognized that gleam in her eyes. He knew it well. He had gladly paid for her services before, but this was out of the question. "Right. We were just leaving." He grabbed Kunogi's wrist and pulled her off the front porch. He must have put a little too much force into it because she became overbalanced. She tripped down the steps and crashed into him. Doumeki stumbled, but managed to keep them both upright.
"It was nice to see you, Yuuko-san!" Himawari sang out as Doumeki dragged her toward the gate. "Please tell Watanuki-kun we came to see him!"
"Are you sure you don't want to wait? Watanuki should be here any minute. In the mean time you and I could chat," Yuuko called after her.
Doumeki felt Kunogi hesitate. Doumeki suspected that it was more from the allure of Yuuko's business proposition than the prospect of seeing Watanuki. Normally he would let Himawari make her own decisions, but he knew Watanuki would never forgive him for standing by and letting Himawari strike a bargain with Yuuko. And Doumeki would never forgive himself for letting her do it when he knew full well there was no need for Yuuko's interference.
"He would never forgive us," he hissed in Kunogi's ear. Of course, by "us" I mean "me", he thought. She nodded slowly, thoughtfully, as if she were really unconvinced. He walked faster, pulling her behind him.
"The sake," Yuuko purred sweetly from behind them. "Shall I just add it to Watanuki's tab?"
Doumeki stopped dead. Suddenly, he felt much less drunk. He dropped Kunogi's wrist and turned back toward Yuuko with his usual stoicism. He stuck his hand in his pocket and calmly walked back to the witch. "Don't you dare," he told her. "I'll pay." He pulled his hand out of his pocket and dropped something small, flat, and shiny into her outstretched hand before turning away and walking back to Kunogi.
Yuuko watched as the two of them left the yard. When they were gone she looked at what Doumeki had dropped into her palm. It was a tiny piece of tin foil, folded into a perfect origami fox. Gently, Yuuko picked it up and studied it, assessing its value.
Watanuki approached Doumeki and threw a boxed lunch at him. "Here's your bento. No complaining!" the boy snapped before sitting down at the opposite end of the bench, as far from the other boy as he could possibly be without being outright rude.
Doumeki began unpacking the lunch Watanuki had made him. He knew Watanuki was waiting for him to say thank you. Instead he asked, "Is there sushi rice?"
"YOU MIGHT SAY THANK YOU, YOU BASTARD! NO! THERE IS NO SUSHI RICE! IT'S MISO SOUP AND ONIGIRI""But I like sushi rice," Doumeki pointed out, preparing for another entertaining and altogether enjoyable lunch.
"YOU ARE IN NO POSITION TO BE MAKING REQUESTS!"Doumeki shrugged.
Watanuki let out an exasperated, "AUGGGG!" and turned his body away from Doumeki.
Kunogi had something to do during lunch today, and without her there to keep the conversation going, the boys ate in utter silence. Watanuki was an excellent cook and Doumeki devoured his meal. Watanuki picked at his. And sulked.
When Doumeki was finished he stacked the trays and neatly tied the handkerchief around them. To pass the time, he began ripping large piece of scrap tin foil into small squares. Then he took one of the squares and began folding it into a crane. When he was finished he set in on the bench next to him and took another piece of foil.
"What are you doing?" Watanuki asked.
"I'm making origami cranes."
"I can see that. Why?"
There was really no reason why, but Doumeki replied with a complete lie that he knew would get a reaction from Watanuki. "Kunogi taught me how to do it the other day during a student council meeting. She said I should practice."
Watanuki fell off the bench. Then he jumped up and began shouting and alternately waving his arms around and holding his head and generally looking like an idiot. "WHAA! HIMAWARI TAUGHT YOU HOW TO FOLD ORAGAMI CRANES?! I DON'T BELIEVE IT! WHY?! AHHH!"
Doumeki calmly continued folding the foil. "You're so noisy," he observed, with his usual lack of emotion.
Watanuki sat back heavily on the bench and fumed. Then crossed his arms over his chest and pouted. He watched Doumeki out of the corner of his eye for a few more minutes.
Doumeki pretended to ignore him and smoothed out another piece of foil.
"STOP IT!" Watanuki finally screamed. "AUGG! YOU'RE SO ANNOYING!" He slid over and snapped up the last piece of tin foil. Doumeki watched as Watanuki deftly folded the foil, smoothing out the creases with his long fingers.
"There," he said, tossing it to Doumeki, who snatched it right out of the air. "Learn to fold something else," Watanuki said over his shoulder as he walked away.
Doumeki studied the little fox for a few moments before putting it in his pocket.
"The price cannot be worth more than the favor," Yuuko muttered to herself.
Mokona poked his head out from under her hair. "You're thinking of a way to give it back to him, aren't you?"
"I can't very well keep it. It's worth too much. Hardly a fair trade for one bottle of sake."
"You could keep it on credit. You know it's only a matter of time before he wishes for something else."
"I could," Yuuko agreed, and closed her hand protectively around the fox. "But I won't. " She waved her free hand dismissively. "I don't like the hassle of keeping accounts."
Mokona giggled. "You're getting soft in your old age."
Yuuko swatted at the creature and turned toward the shop. Clow, she thought, what would you say if you could see me now? As usual, when Yuuko thought about Clow Reed she needed a drink. She picked up the open bottle of sake, and in an uncharacteristic lack of grace, threw back her head and drank deeply right from the bottle.
"Yuuko-san!" called a disapproving voice. "You're already drinking this early?"
Yuuko regarded the lanky, bespecled young man walking toward her. "Good morning, Watanuki. You just missed Himawari-chan and Doumeki-kun."
"Himawari was here?" Watanuki looked around excitedly as if the girl might reappear.
"Doumeki, too."
Watanuki balled his hands into fists. "That jerk!"
"You know, Watanuki, plenty of people drink this early in the morning. Especially during summer vacation," Yuuko observed.
"Nobody I know," Watanuki said.
Yuuko did not bother to correct him and poured the rest of the sake into one of the bowls Doumeki and Himawari left.
Watanuki watched her. "Have you eaten anything, yet today?" he asked.
"No," Yuuko lied. Watanuki's cooking was the best.
He made an exasperated sound. "I told you you're going to ruin your stomach and you liver if you drink all the time and never eat anything. I'll make you something." Watanuki brushed past her and mounted the steps of the porch.
A door slid open and the shop's other inhabitants appeared. "We'll help Watanuki!" Chorused the two child-like creatures that stood in the doorway.
Watanuki sighed in resignation. The two soulless little imps rarely made his job easier. "Okay Moro-chan. Maru-chan. Let's go."
"Tamagoyaki with sausage and watermelon slices on the side," Yuuko called after him.
"Tamagoyaki!" cheered the little girls, throwing their hands in the air.
Watanuki turned to look at Yuuko. "YOU'RE IN NO POSITION TO BE MAKING REQUESTS!" he bellowed. The twins held hands and danced around him singing about watermelon.
Yuuko raised her hand to her mouth to (almost) conceal a smile and looked levelly at her part-time employee.
Watanuki gave Yuuko one final glare and turned around and stomped into the shop. Moro-chan and Maru-chan skipped after him, still singing.
He is so adorable when he's annoyed, Yuuko reflected. No wonder Doumeki delights in tormenting our dear Watanuki.
Later that summer, when they were all sitting on the porch after dinner, Watanuki would wonder why Yuuko insisted that Doumeki go out for more sake when she ran out of it. Watanuki was usually the one she made run all the errands. Then he would wonder why Doumeki returned with a bottle of her most favorite (and the most expensive brand). He would ultimately decide that she was just trying to prolong his servitude to her. Then he would be annoyed at that bastard Doumeki for helping her do it and resolve not to speak to him for the rest of the evening.
He would not notice the small foil fox Yuuko handed Doumeki or the look of sheer gratitude on the other boy's face as he slipped it into his pocket.