Fandom: xxxHolic
Characters: Doumeki Shizuka, Watanuki Kimihiro
Warnings/Ratings: None.
In A Nutshell: Incoherency, as usual.
Disclaimer: I don't own xxHolic.
Initially, Doumeki Shizuka did not go to the shrine often. In fact, he'd gone only seven times before, one for each previous year of his life, each on New Year's Day. His father never attributed success to religion and his mother had apathy toward it with an almost pagan fervor, so Doumeki Shizuka, age eight, saw more checks to the squat, little building than the building itself.
Today, however, he felt different. Not entertained by the constant cacophony of playmates or the television or any flashy toys and suddenly incapable of faking his contentment, he made an escape to find the quietest place he could.
He wouldn't have thought the shrine would be so empty, having only ever gone on the packed festival day, and came upon it with a sense of pleasant surprise, trotting up on short, little legs to find the embodiment of a sanctuary.
The grass and trees boasted their greenness, alive and inviting, so unlike his home, where all was dead, cold, and lonely. He walked through the gate uncertainly, positive that something would indicate his unwanted presence, out him as the outsider. Nothing did, and he gave a sigh of relief, sitting under the largest tree and reclining to his back.
Blue sky shone through the leaves, so like a comforting blanket that he nearly dozed off. Then he saw the eyes.
Sapphire, breathtaking, startling, and most certainly, staring. He sat up, alarmed, as the eyes (and the attached boy) attempted to flee. Doumeki caught him by the back of the hakama, yanking him down so hard that it caused his sandals to fly off haphazardly.
"You were watching me," the gold-eyed boy stated, less accusatory and more interested, despite his usual desperation to avoid this very type of person: his peer.
The other boy flushed. "I was curious! I've never seen you here before." Doumeki, understanding this, offered him a hand up. Blue-eyes, suddenly livid, sprang to his feet on his own, picking up the downed sandals like an afterthought. "And just what gives you the right to pull me down like that, anyway?! That was really rude, you know!"
Doumeki shrugged. He did know. He didn't care. He began to walk away, but there was a tremendous tug on the back of his collar, toppling him to his back.
"How do you like that?" The blue-eyed boy giggled, very proud of himself, as he extended his hand to the heir to the largest fortune in Japan. Doumeki took it and righted himself. "Name's Watanuki. Yours?"
April First? He couldn't judge; his own family name and disturbingly fitting given name were strange enough, but still. April First? "Dou… Shizuka." No sense in telling a stranger his family name, especially since a stranger that retaliated against him probably didn't know just how powerful his parents were. At least, not yet.
Doumeki was beginning to think he liked it that way.
Then he realized that there was no sense in telling a stranger his name at all.
"Well, Shizuka-chan-"
"Don't."
"Don't?"
"It sounds girly." He'd spent enough time being girly to last him his entire life.
"Shizuka?"
"Shizuka," he affirmed with a nod.
"Shizuka, then. Why don't you come to the shrine?"
"You don't have to when you send money," he explained.
Watanuki nodded, understanding. "Why come at all, then?"
"It's quiet."
"I can't stand that about this place."
"I like it," Doumeki challenged.
"You should come more often, then," Watanuki chastised. Doumeki, not wanting or needing someone new to boss him around, began to leave, walking to the gate. "See you Thursday!" The blue-eyed boy called cheerfully.
The wealthy boy spun around quizzically. Watanuki just smiled a Cheshire-cat grin.
Doumeki Shizuka, age eight, turning back around, thought he just might not come back ever again.
…
"Never, ever underestimate the power of suggestion," Watanuki declared on Thursday as Doumeki meandered up to the gate. He'd been waiting, evidently, broom in hand.
"Today's April first," Doumeki said, ignoring the blue-eyed boy's smug remark.
"Yes, and?"
"Your birthday?"
"How'd you guess?" He seemed genuinely astounded.
"Watanuki, spelled April first."
"Hey, are you making fun of my name?" He flailed.
"It's very obvious about things."
"What is?"
"Your name."
"Well, of course it seems that way now that you know!"
"Hn." An awkward silence ensued.
"You're not even going to wish me happy birthday?" Watanuki crowed.
"Happy birthday," Doumeki deadpanned.
"Humph. You can't have many friends with an attitude like that."
"I don't."
"Erm…"
"And?"
"Well," Watanuki tried to backpedal," that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Doumeki stared.
"It's so cool out," he backpedaled even farther.
"No it's not," Doumeki corrected.
"Well, sorry I'm a bit cold-blooded!" He looked up, adding, "But it's definitely going to rain."
Doumeki looked up at the cloudless sky, then back at the other boy, who was now walking off. The golden-eyed boy marched after him.
"I'm sorry; I've got to attend to this funeral! I totally forgot!" It seemed as if there was suddenly a great mass of people, mourners, keeping him from his new companion, who rushed into the shrine.
Not feeling a need to bother with following him any further, he began to push and excuse his way out of the heart of the crowd, nearly out when a voice called, "See you Saturday!"
As he exited the gate, he reflected on how awful it was to have a funeral on someone's birthday.
That night, it rained.
…
Doumeki showed up on Friday. Watanuki, who was sweeping, appeared to have failed to notice the rich boy approaching him.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, leaning the broom against the steps awkwardly before the golden-eyed boy could even tap his shoulder.
"You said Saturday."
"Yes, and today is Friday." Watanuki's eyebrows arched.
"Yes." Doumeki wanted to see the boy on his own terms, when he wanted to, and he always had his way when he was intent upon it.
Watanuki grinned. "What if I just said that to make you come today, instead, so I could see you every day?"
"I could have some Sunday."
"But you didn't."
Doumeki turned and left.
For a week.
…
Watanuki was waiting by the gate impatiently, tapping his toes, when Doumeki arrived.
"You never told me you were rich when I asked who you were!" He flailed his arms wildly, looking like some ridiculous, exotic bird.
"That's not who I am," he replied, unfettered.
"Of course it is! Who you are is what you eat, what you do, what you see, who you're with, who you love…"
"You only asked for my name."
"But that's who you are, too! A name is so important…" Watanuki paused, glancing at the tree. "Did you not tell me because of publicity? Or did you think I'd turn you away?"
"You could have figured it out. We're famous." Honestly, the wealthy boy was surprised it had taken him so long.
Watanuki huffed. "Well, would you like to climb that tree, your Highness?" He didn't wait for the response, which came only through the silent act of following, anyway.
Doumeki scaled it much faster, lowering a hand to the struggling shrine boy, who stuck out his tongue and pulled his lower eyelid down in return, nearly losing his balance. After clambering onto a sturdy-looking branch on his own, he informed his companion, "It's a very safe place, up here."
Doumeki didn't even bother with the irony.
It's been a while, eh?
