Bed Side Burden

His legs felt like lead.

Which may have not been so bad - he'd struggled through worse, he could struggle through heavy limbs! - if it hadn't been for Yuuko and the pork bun harping at him from the moment that he'd woken up for Watanuki's light and fluffy pancakes Watanuki's light and fluffy pancakes! (Maru and Moro had gotten into the fray.)

Now his legs felt like lead and his head was throbbing.

"They're the ones who drink all night long and I'm the one who wakes up feeling like I spent the night in the liquor cabinet! This just isn't fair, can't they see how much of a monster they are, demanding pancakes without fair warning the moment that I crawl out of bed-"

"Hey."

That voice. It wasn't high-pitched and cheerful and beautiful. It wasn't that happy voice that he'd come to sometimes expect on morning walks. It was just that monotone, flat, disgusting voice that made the hair stand up on the back of his neck.

"What are you doing here?!" he bristled. "I go completely out of my way for Yuuko's breakfast and it makes me late on my way to school and you're still here-" He spun around to face the arrogant brute of his companion, but came to a sudden stop as dizziness made his head swim.

"... Is something the matter?"

Watanuki knitted his fingers into his hair, rubbing at his forehead. "No... I'll be fine."

Doumeki stared back at him unblinkingly, face impassive. It was that same, expressionless face that the smug bastard always wore.

Vertigo forgotten, his hackles rebounded. "Don't just stand there with that dumb look on your face! I swear, your face is bad enough to make a baby cry!" he retorted, turning to storm away. "Why are you so late this morning, anyway?"

"Cleaning."

Watanuki scowled, clutching the bento closer to himself. "Well, can't you clean late on some other day? Why do you have to walk with me?"

"Spicy chicken."

He was giving him orders for lunch again?! "Not today, you jerk!" he retorted, bounding ahead as quickly as his feeling-like-lead legs could carry him.

"Are you okay, Watanuki? You look pale."

"Oh, no, Himawari-chan, I'll be fine."

"He doesn't look good."

"Neither do you, who asked you, you stupid jerk!" Watanuki groaned, clutching at his knees. How could Doumeki get more irritating? It was like he got worse by the day. Either that, or Watanuki's nerves were shot, which was entirely possible today. He felt horrible.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Himawari needled, leaning in. "You're not pushing yourself too hard again, are you?" Her face was etched with concern.

Watanuki's heart was filled with happiness. He wanted to jump to his feet and parade around to prove he was fine. He didn't feel like doing that, though, so he supposed it was a moot point. He shook his head instead. "Uh uh."

"Okay... if you're sure," Himawari said slowly.

Watanuki smiled wearily.

Doumeki's chewing seemed impossibly loud.

"... D'you have to chew so loudly? It's called closing your mouth when you chew, you ungrateful brute!" Watanuki sighed, slumping forward to put his head in his hands. "I'm too tired for this."

When he looked up again, Doumeki was still chewing on his egg roll, except he was looking at him intently.

"... What are you looking at?" Watanuki grumbled.

"Nothing." Doumeki popped the last of his roll in his mouth, swiping his glass to hold out to him. "Tea."

"Can't you get your own!?"

By the end of the day, his legs not only felt like lead and his head was pounding, but he was sincerely doubting his ability to get himself to Yuuko's shop before he crashed. Of course, she'd probably want food, and drinks, and more drinks, and the cleaning done-

Watanuki sighed, closing his locker.

"Hey."

"Seriously? Why are you here?" Watanuki clutched his bag between tense fingers. "Don't you have some club to get to or something?"

"No."

Watanuki glared up at Doumeki. "Yes, you do, it's Wednesday. I thought you had practice for some big meet coming up."

"No."

"Uck, whatever." Watanuki walked around him, striding for the front doors. "Do what you want. If you get thrown off the archery club, don't come looking to me for any consolation."

That might have been the end of the conversation, as well as the termination of Watanuki's daily dose of Doumeki for the day, if it hadn't been for the fact of the long-legged stiff dogging his footsteps to the entrance, through the front doors, out the gate, and down the street. But there was no rest for the weary, or the sick and tired, because the long-legged stiff with his obnoxious breathing and no talking was following him down the street.

Why did Doumeki's stop have to be on the way to Yuuko's shop? Why?

Surely the universe hated him. Surely that was evident from the spirits that he saw daily, whether they were small or large. Surely that was evident from the way that his head was throbbing in time to his heartbeat, and the way that exhaustion had crawled into his body and made him breathless too quickly. Surely-

Watanuki came to an abrupt stop, passing his fingers against his lips.

"... What's wrong?"

For some reason, Doumeki's voice didn't grate on Watanuki's nerves as much as it might have a few moments ago.

"I... don't know." Watanuki swallowed, reluctant to allow his lips to part to speak the words. The nausea was new, and nearly debilitating, drawing him to a stand-still even though he wanted nothing more to get back home, or to Yuuko's shop. "I feel..." he trailed off listlessly.

Doumeki's eyes narrowed slightly. "You're not well."

"... Yes," Watanuki muttered, leaning against the wall slightly. "Well, no, I'm just a little tired, but I'm... I'm sure I'm fine," he mumbled.

"Have you seen any spirits lately?"

Watanuki shook his head, and stopped when it made the world spin. His legs felt wobbly. He pressed his palm flat against the wall. "Just the usual small ones, nothing... out of the ordinary."

"So, why-"

His legs really were too weak. Just as suddenly as the nausea had come on, the weakness had, too. Maybe it was because he'd stopped. Maybe it was because he'd taken a break to lean against the wall and now he couldn't get back into the swing of things, but he felt his legs crumple before he could do anything.

"Watanuki!"

He was saved the mortification of being caught in Doumeki's arms; his legs giving out seemed to take Doumeki by surprise as much as it did him. He collapsed onto his knees and caught himself with his hands on the pavement, watching it wobble under his gaze.

"Watanuki." Doumeki was in front of him, level with his gaze. Crouched in front of him, apparently... "Hey! Stay with me."

A warm hand pressed against his forehead. It was a familiar feeling, marred by an unfamiliar hand against his skin. He supposed it should have irritated him, but he didn't have the energy just then. His eyelids drooped.

"Watanuki...!"

A/N: It's been a long time since I've written for xxxHolic. But I got back into the anime and now I'm re-reading the manga, and I wanted to write a (gen? could be pre-slash? I waver on the status of their relationship xP) sickfic. No real place as to where it's set, but probably before Kei/the Doumeki-Watanuki eye exchange. It'll be multi-chapter, so look for new chapters soon!

I do not own xxxHolic; thanks for reading, and any of your comments will be appreciated. Stay tuned!