As requested by MeLaNch0LYdreams. (This drabble was originally called Crawl from Cat's Out of the Bag, Chapter 21).
**This is my entry for the July Drabble Challenge hosted by yukinothekoneko. Enjoy! :) ~SEi
P.S. The setting is before Yuuko-san's 'disappearance' and let's just suppose Watanuki had a phone. In this case, a cellphone.

x x x

Watanuki was bored. He was REALLY BORED. He had cleaned his apartment like... a gazillion times and now he was cleaning it again. So now it's gazillion times plus one. He didn't have anything to do in his apartment. He didn't have internet connection - in fact, he didn't even have a computer; he had read all the books in his bookcase; he could cook but there was only one of him so.. that would be boring and a waste if he accidentally made more - a habit he had from always making food for Yuuko-san, the glutton Doumeki and Himawari-chan.

He sighed. If he went outside, the spirits would surely attack him. And there was nothing to do outside. He had already went shopping for groceries. He didn't like clothes shopping or toy shopping since there was no need to buy them; he never went window shopping before either since he never tried to. Suddenly, he had an idea. He had a phone, yes. He had Himawari-chan's phone number, yes. So he called. She picked up but she said she was busy. She suggested calling Doumeki since they were 'friends'. Then she said goodbye. Doumeki? Did he know the oaf's phone number? Yes he did. But that was because Yuuko had told him to get it 'just in case of emergencies'.

Should he risk his day by calling Doumeki? He stared at his phone for a few seconds. Yes he would. He would do anything to get out of this boredom. He looked up Doumeki's name in the contacts list and clicked Call. He waited.

"Hello?"

Doumeki picked up so fast that Watanuki didn't know what to say. He had thought he would have to wait a while and during that while, he would think of what to say. He stammered, "E-Eh? U-uh h-hello...?"

"...Who is this?"

"H-huh? Oh, it's, um-"

"Watanuki?"

"Y-Yeah..."

"..."

"Doumeki?"

"...So what do you want?"

Watanuki frowned. "You don't have to say it so blandly," he said, even though he knew what kind of face the other guy was making (hint: it starts with an s).

The line was silent. At least he didn't hang up, right?

"S-So uh, a-are you busy right now?"

"...Yes."

"Really? What're you doing?"

"Talking to you."

"That doesn't count!" Watanuki screamed into his phone.

"..." From that silence, Watanuki imagined Doumeki with the phone away from his ear. "You don't have to yell."

"Hmph." Even though he sounded angry, Watanuki had a slight smile on his face. He was having fun talking on the phone - even though it was with Doumeki. "So are you actually busy?"

"Yeah."

"With what?"

"Walking." No wonder, thought Watanuki. He could hear Doumeki's breathing through the phone.

Even though that wasn't really called 'being busy', Watanuki asked (because he was curious), "Where are you going?"

"Your place."

"Wh-What?" Watanuki exclaimed.

But Doumeki had already hung up. Watanuki heard the beep beep beep of the other line. Just as he closed his phone in confusion, the doorbell rang. Already?

He went to the doorway and opened the door. "Geez, you should have-" Watanuki cut himself off when he finally noticed who his visitor was. It wasn't Doumeki. It didn't even look like Doumeki. It wasn't even human. It was a spirit. A very weird, green slash purple, eight-eyed, gooey one. With a human-looking hand (though gooey) that Watanuki supposed rang the doorbell. The monster came toward Watanuki. "...Food..."

Watanuki, with his hand still on the doorknob, swung the door and closed it but it was futile. The gooey thing got in through the little gap between the door and the wall and loomed over Watanuki menacingly.

Ugh... This is not good. He looked at his door through the spirit. What happened to the charm that was on it? He looked around and found it on the floor. It must have fallen off when I tried to shut the door... Grr, what should I do now?

"...Food...Must...eat...food..." It slowly glided toward Watanuki.

"Gosh, you sound like Doumeki," he said to the thing, a little pissed off-edly, as he backed up.

"...Food...Food...Yummy...food..."

"Okay, fine. You're not like him," he said. And then he mumbled, "That oaf never says 'Yummy'."

"...Food...!" The monster jumped on Watanuki and knocked him down, pinning him to the floor with its massive gooey-ness.

"Urgh! Get off of me!" Watanuki tried to push it off but his hands just went through the thing.

The spirit used his goo-hand and pressed on Watanuki's throat. "...Food..."

Watanuki couldn't breathe. He grabbed the hand with both of his hands - fortunately, it was somehow solid - and tried to pry it off. The more he tried, the harder the monster pressed on his throat. "G-Guh!" He was losing his breath. He gasped for air.

"...Food...soon..." Watanuki could hear a happy tone in the spirit's 'voice'.

Suddenly, he heard the door open and a voice. "Oi. The door was open."

Watanuki was feeling faint. He gasped and all that came out from his strangled throat was: "D-Dou..-me-...-ki..." Help...me...

"Oi, what's wrong?" All Doumeki saw was Watanuki lying on the floor with his hands clutching something near his throat and the seer turning more pale than he already was. Then, he briefly saw a purple see-through thing with eyes through his shared eye before Watanuki's eyes shut completely and with just that, he ran over to where Watanuki lay.

He didn't hear the piercing shriek as the spirit dissolved into the air, didn't notice the bits of the spirit come back together behind him and exit out the front door in haste. He didn't care at all about the spirit right now. He'll kill it later, somehow. Watanuki was his first priority at the moment.

He put his ear to Watanuki's chest and listened for a heart beat. He was still alive. He put a finger near Watanuki's nose. He was alive, but he was not breathing. CPR or water? Doumeki thought. CPR would require mouth-to-mouth. As for water, he could just let it slide into Watanuki's throat and let him choke on it. Doumeki decided to do CPR. Getting the water now was going to take time and while he was getting it, Watanuki's heart could stop at any of those minutes that he was gone.

Okay. Ready? Doumeki opened Watanuki's mouth slightly apart and inhaled a large breath. Go. He put his mouth to Watanuki's and let go of his breath. He then pushed Watanuki's chest with both hands. He repeated those steps until he heard Watanuki gasp and then choke. He lifted Watanuki into a sitting position and let the seer cough and gasp for air. He patted Watanuki's back until the seer's breathing was at a normal pace.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Y-Yeah..." Watanuki sighed. Then, he clicked his tongue. "Hm?"

"What is it?"

Watanuki frowned and stuck out his tongue. "Aesh ike wahermeron..."

"Hah?"

"I said, 'Tastes like watermelon'."

"Oh. I had watermelon before I came."

Watanuki stared at Doumeki, wondering why he said that. And then he realized how he 'came back to life'. He felt his ears go hot.

"Oi. Do you have a fever now? Your face is red." Doumeki reached for Watanuki's forehead.

The seer stopped Doumeki's hand before it reached his forehead. "N-No, I'm like, totally fine right now."

"What's with you? You sound like a girl."

"D-Don't worry about it, dude!" He let go of Doumeki's hand and put both his hands up in the air like a shield.

Doumeki frowned. "..." He put his hand down on his lap. "So... Why'd you call me?"

"N-No reason, really."

"Really?"

"I just said 'really', didn't I?"

"..."

"Really, really." Watanuki forced a laugh to add to his persuasion.

"...Hn." Doumeki was still suspicious but he let it drop. He stood up. Suddenly, his stomach growled loud and clear.

It was Watanuki's turn to frown. "Geez. You just said you ate watermelon before you came here!"

"I did. But that was fifteen minutes ago."

"Exactly! It was only fifteen minutes ago!" In his mind, he thought: It was only fifteen minutes? It feels more like an hour passed... Must be when I-

Doumeki interrupted Watanuki's thoughts. "Make something."

"Wh-What?"

"I'm hungry. Make something." He started for the kitchen.

"Y-You-!" Watanuki got up and ran after him. He blocked the kitchen doorway just as Doumeki got to it and said, "I-I'll make something, okay? J-Just don't raid my kitchen!"

Doumeki smirked. "Fine." He headed towards the living room. He was probably going to read manga or something.

Watanuki sighed in frustration. Why the heck did I call him for? He stomped to his refrigerator and opened it. It was full of the groceries he was going to transfer to Yuuko-san's refrigerator. Hmm... What should I do...? Suddenly, he had an idea (for the second time today). He went to his cabinets and checked if he had some of what he was thinking of serving the glutton in his living room. Yes, he did. He grinned slyly to himself and took it out. He prepared it quickly and when he was done, he head towards the living room with it plus chopsticks in his hand and put on a poker face that Doumeki specialized greatly at.

He found Doumeki lying on his stomach on the floor reading manga just as he had thought. He placed the food on the table and said, "Here you go."

Doumeki looked up from his manga and at the food. "Instant noodles?"

"Yup. It's the only thing I have."

Doumeki sat up. "You're lying."

"I'm not lying."

"..." Doumeki eyed him.

"The groceries in the refrigerator are Yuuko-san's. Not mine."

"..." Doumeki's stomach growled again. "..."

Watanuki gave a smile.

"...Itadakimasu..." Doumeki took the chopsticks and began eating. He finished it in less than three minutes. He held the cup up to Watanuki's face. "Okawari (Second[s please])."

Watanuki felt his anger rising inside him. He growled in a low voice, "Y-You could at least say 'Thank you' first, you know?"

"Hmph. You say it first."

"Huh? Why should I say 'thank you' for?"

Doumeki smirked. "I saved you, remember?"

Watanuki remembered once it was mentioned. His ears burned again. "I-I didn't ask for your help, though!" I did, but still...!

"Doesn't matter. I still saved you."

Grr... Watanuki inhaled and exhaled loudly. He looked away before stammering, "Th-Th-Th-Th-Th-Tha..." His voice lowered to a whisper. "...Thank you..."

Doumeki smirked. That'll do.

Watanuki turned to face Doumeki again and frowned immediately. "Now you say it!"

"Okawari."

"Grrr...!" Watanuki stomped towards the kitchen again to make two cups of instant noodles. Yelling at the oaf was making him hungry. When he came back, Doumeki watched him as he put the cups on the table and seat himself across from him. Watanuki began eating first, avoiding Doumeki's gaze... and smirk.

He was barely halfway done when he heard "Okawari" again. He slammed his chopsticks down on the table and said, "Geez, you can have mine!" He put his cup in front of Doumeki and then folded his arms. Doumeki looked at him disbelievingly. Watanuki just gave a 'hmph' and looked away.

"...Thanks."

Watanuki widened his eyes and turned his head back to Doumeki to see if the guy had really said what he had just heard. But Doumeki was slurping his noodles loudly.

Must be my imagination...? Watanuki thought.

FIN.