More crossover stuff. I do not own -Man or xxxHolic, but I love them both.

Prepare to have some fun!

Wantanuki sighed as he stirred the soup. Once again, he was following Yuko's strange orders and wondering if this was truly payment for his wish or if perhaps Yuko was just exploiting him. "We're going to be having guests tonight," Yuko had told him as he arrived for the day's work. "They will probably stay for several days, so I want you to make an extra large dinner tonight."

Being told that people were expected wasn't at all abnormal for the shop. After all, Yuko always knew these sorts of things in advance. What he didn't understand was their reason for coming. According to Yuko she wasn't sure if they had a wish or not, but rather that they were looking for something. It contradicted everything she said about the shop but maybe it was best not to argue.

The black haired youth lifted the ladle from the pot and took a sip. "That should be fine," he said. Wantanuki looked out the window of the kitchen. Dinner was almost ready but the expected visitors had yet to arrive. He sighed and began to arrange the food on the plates. -There's enough food here to feed ten people,- he thought. –I know this is the amount of food Yuko said to make, but how many visitors are we having? -

He was just finishing setting the table when Yuko appeared. A cat-like grin was on her face as she leaned against the doorway. "They're here," she announced.

"They are? I didn't hear anyone knock—" There was a cry of joy from Maru and Moro down the hall.

"Welcome to our shop!"

Yuko glided down the hall and Wantanuki trailed after her. Many strange people came to the shop, but the people in the entryway were the strangest of all the customers he had seen. "Uh…hello. Is Miss Yuko here?" A white haired boy asked the twins.

"I am Yuko," she said, dramatic as always. "Kumoi told me you four would be coming. It's nice to meet you."

Wantanuki looked at them. They were all dressed in black and white coats, a strange star embroidered on their chest. Three boys and one girl. The one who spoke had a harsh red scar over his eye and a golden ball with wings perched on his head. "Thank you for letting us come," he said with a slight bow. "I'm Allen Walker."

The tall redhead behind him grinned and gave her a wave. His hair stood in contrast to the green headband he wore around his head and the orange scarf around his neck. "Lavi Bookman."

"Kanda," grunted the blue-haired man. His high ponytail gave him a harsh look and a sinister katana was strapped to his back.

"I'm Lenalee, nice to meet you," the girl said. Her green pigtails reminded him a little of Himawari and he wondered what a cute girl like her was doing coming to a shop like Yuko's.

"It's a pleasure." Yuko bowed as well. "You must be tired after your journey. Wantanuki has prepared dinner." She gestured to him and he jumped, realizing he had been staring at them.

"Y-yeah." He bowed and then headed back to the kitchen.

"Please follow me," Yuko told them, leading the way to the dining room.

Wananuki sighed and hurried to finish preparing the food. "I still don't understand how they can enter if they don't have a wish," he muttered.

"Mokona knows!" The black fuzz ball jumped out from behind a pot and landed on Wantanuki's head.

He cried out and snatched at him. "Hey! You better not be eating the food!"

"They all have a wish, but Yuko doesn't know if they will even attempt to bring it up and make payment." Mokona wiggled out of Wantanuki's grip and bounced to the end of the counter.

Adjusting his glasses, Wantanuki picked up the plates. "Yeah well it still doesn't make sense." He served the food, wondering if the four of them could really eat it all. He served Yuko her sake and was about to leave again when she stopped him.

"Wantanuki," she cooed. "Why don't you stay and eat with us?"

He blinked. "Huh?" Usually when Yuko had guests, he would eat separate. Was she up to something? Allen was already serving himself a pile of food and Wantanuki eyed him with a frown, suddenly reminded of a certain other person who enjoyed eating his cooking. "Alright," he said sitting down next to Yuko.

"So, how is Kumoi?" Yuko asked Lenalee.

"Oh he's fine. Still as spastic as ever. He mentioned he knew you, but he didn't say exactly how." Her lips formed a small frown. "How do you know my brother?"

Yuko's dark eyes sparkled. "Let's just say he and I had a business transaction in the past. I like to keep tabs on my customers."

"I see."

Wananuki nearly fell over as he saw that Allen had already cleaned his plate and was helping himself to seconds. "Wha…. What?"

"Something wrong?" Yuko asked.

"He…ate everything!" Wantanuki exclaimed.

Allen stopped in mid bite. "Um, sorry about that. I guess you could say I have a large appetite."

"No, it's fine. I just wasn't expecting you guys to be able to eat that much." Wantanuki insisted.

"Lucky for you, Allen's the only one who eats that way," Lavi said. "Otherwise we'd eat you out of house and home."

Yuko downed her sake with a smile. "These people are exorcists," she informed him. "They're looking for something in the shop that's been causing me trouble. While they're here, I'd like you to assist them."

"Right," he said with a sigh. -Figures I get roped into this,- he thought bitterly.

Kanda gave him a cold stare. "You seem strangely comfortable with the assignment," he said.

"You can say I'm used to it," Wananuki said. "This isn't the strangest thing Yuko has asked me to do. One time I had to go and retrieve thirteen bottles worth of well water and bring them back here. So, it's no big deal, really." He had seen people appear out of the sky, spirits of all kinds and various other supernatural occurrences, so the idea of exorcists and such were a fairly easy thing for him to accept. But he did wonder if they had come from a different world like Sakura and Sayoran had. They looked out of place here and the only exorcists he had seen around here were people like Domeki who worked in shrines and had the ability to dispel evil spirits.

"Just what kind of shop is this anyways?" Allen asked, pausing in his eating.

Yuko leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands. "It a shop where we grant wishes. For the right price of course." She stood up. "But let's not worry too much about that. If you'll excuse me, there is another customer I have to deal with. Please feel free to eat as much as you like. Maru and Moro have already prepared rooms for you." Then she was gone. Wantanuki felt for sure there was something strange going on here. When people asked about the shop, wasn't that Yuko's cue to give her speech on hituzen and try and sell a wish to them? What was going on here?

"So how do you know Yuko?" Lenalee asked him. "Are you her son?"

Wantanuki turned and looked at her with wide eyes. "What?! No, most definitely not! How could you even think we're related?"

"Well you do look a little alike," Lavi said. "And you let her order you around."

He folded his arms with a scowl. "I'm her part-time employee. Let's just say I have something to pay for and working here is supposed to take care of that."

An awkward silence fell over them. There was a yelp as Mokona appeared on the table. "Wantanuki-kun," he yelled. "Time for sake!"

"No! No sake for you," Wantanuki yelled. "You already drank two bottles earlier!"

Lenalee leaned forward to look at the black creature. "What is that?"

Wantanuki and Mokona stopped. "Mokona is a Mokona," he proclaimed, escaping down the table. He paused as he saw Timcanpy. "Hello again." The golem floated over to Mokona and rested on top of him. "Never thought I'd see you again."

"Wait, how do you know Timcanpy?" Allen leaned down so he was eye to eye with Mokona.

"He came here once before with General Cross," Mokona said. "A looooong time ago." He ran in circles with Timcanpy.

"Hm…" Allen said. "Seems like Yuko knows a lot of people in the Order…."

"Yuko knows everyone," Wantanuki said. "Unfortunately for me…"

Maru and Moro burst into the room at that moment. "New guests! New guests!" they yelled. The two of them went over to Allen and grabbed his arms. "Time for bed! Time for bed!"

"Ah…ok." The twins pushed him out of the room and then ran back in moment's later and grabbed Kanda's arm.

The tall man pushed them away. "Hey, back off."

"Time for bed," they insisted, latching onto him again.

Lavi laughed. "Looks like they like you, Yuu."

"Don't call me that!" Despite his struggling, he was pushed out as well.

"I guess I'll show you two to your rooms too before you get kidnapped as well," Wantanuki said, standing up.

* * *

Yuko sipped a cup of coffee as she waited. The café was fairly empty considering the time of night. "Are you the Space Time Witch?" a voice asked from behind.

"I have been called that," Yuko said without turning. "Are you the one who has come for a wish?"

The young girl walked around and sat across from Yuko. She propped her feet up on the table and fiddled with the large umbrella in her hand. Road had a grin big enough to crack her face in half. "Yes, I want the innocence you have hidden at your shop."

Dark eyes narrowed as Yuko looked at the Noah. "Interesting…"

Dun dun dun!

TO BE CONTINUED……