Rainbow.
1. Hitsuzen
T: This fic is inspired by the same plot bunny as 'I wish' but has been twiddled enough that it should read like a completely separate story. This is currently a work in progress and as I've only given myself a two chapter buffer area the update speed may slow down further down the line. There is a more comprehensive XXXholic crossover here so some vague knowledge of that series would be useful. Angst, Slash and spoilers for the entirety of X and for the more recent developments of XXXholic.
I own nothing here apart from the plot…please pity me for that fact!
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He little trusted any of the locations that Yuuko sent him to, fearful always of wayward spirits harassing him and perhaps even injuring him.
He trusted this particular assignment even less, if only because of the slight hint of concern that had been in his employer's voice.
"Why couldn't I have bought cherry blossom tea from the shop down the road?" He enquires, the question more for himself than for his 'companion'. Nether the less he receives a quiet, "Hn," from Doumeki as a signal both that the stoic archer had heard him and that he had no want to discuss such matters.
Undeterred Watanuki continued with his rant, complaining about Yuuko's craving for odd things, her annoying habit of sending Doumeki even though he did not truly need the archer with him and the oblique pieces of advice she always gave him on trips like this.
Indeed so busy was he in ranting that he failed to pay attention to where his feet were taking him and, before he knew it, he was walking through Ueno Park.
"Didn't you say that Yuuko told you to stay away from short cuts today?"
"What do you know? And what's with the sudden attempt at conversation? I was beginning to believe that you'd forgotten to say anything other than 'hn'…" He trails, mid flow, as a sudden creeping sensation washes over him.
"There is something here."
His feet lead him down through the cherry groves until he is stood beneath the tallest, and most probably the widest, cherry tree he has ever seen.
The aura from this tree is a dark, oppressive, thing that speaks to him of death and the power that such a thing holds.
"We need to destroy this tree." Almost the instant the words are out of his mouth Doumeki is at his side, his fingers reaching around to grab at his bow.
Then there is a firm pressure about his ankles and everything has turned upside down.
"I would not advise doing that, if I were you." The voice is an empty thing, which sounded more as an automated voice than that of a human being.
If he struggled he could just see a strip of black cloth out of the corner of his eye and, curious despite the situation, he enquires,
"Who are you and what is this tree?"
"To know is to die, child."
There is a sharp crack a little below him and for a brief instant he can see Doumeki's face before the branches have again closed about it.
"It seems that that boy wishes to keep you safe." The voice remarks, the vaguest hint of an emotion contained now within it.
The world is turned, then, back to its proper alignment and, at last, he can see the owner of the voice clearly.
He is dressed, from head to toe, in black a fact that makes the white of his skin seem almost sickly in its pallor and that emphasises the two separate hues of his eyes.
The right is a warm hazel and the instant he sees it he knows it for the eye of a hunter. The left is a vivid green and, unlike its counterpart, it is void of all intensity…is as an eye that one might see upon a corpse.
"What are you, child and why did you come here?"
He thinks to lie, but knows, somehow, that should he do that the situation would get infinitely worse, both for himself and for Doumeki.
"I am simply an errand boy on the way to fetch some cherry blossom tea for my employer." The other is at his side then, the odd, mismatched eyes, assessing him with controlled patients.
"That is, on the surface, true and yet there is more to your tale.
"For a simple errand boy would not be able to see both this tree and myself, nor would he bare an eye such as that in the right side of your face."
This close to the other he could smell the clawing scent of decay upon his skin, a scent that came not only from old blood, but from the lingering traces of spirits.
Though he begins to be truly frightened by this other he can not, yet, give away the true nature of his job and thus he opens his mouth to again voice a surface truth.
The words are stopped by the appearance of one of Yuuko's odd butterflies; the creature flittering a moment about his face before it came to land on the others shoulder.
"So this is 'hitsuzen', is it?" He enquires after a moment. Watanuki obviously looks as confused as he feels for the stranger informs him, "It seems you were sent deliberately to meet me." Before he makes a sweeping gesture with his hand that causes the tree to lease both Doumeki and himself.
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Yuuko is waiting for him at the front door, her slim form wrapped into a kimono covered in bright pink cherry blossoms.
The stranger bows politely to his employer and says,
"If you had wanted to talk to me, Yuuko-san, you could simply have come to see me."
"I believe that you would simply have dismissed me, Subaru."
"So you chose to endanger the boy?"
"Watanuki can look after himself."
"If that were true he would have still his true right eye."
Yuuko tenses, just barely and, a false smile coming to her lips, she remarks,
"Our guest would appreciate some of those sweet pastries you made last week." So desperate is he to get away from the oppressiveness of their 'guest's' aura that he complies to the command without complaint.
Yuuko is talking quietly to their guest when he brings the pastries and, not wishing to disturb her more than is necessary, he sets the tray down at the threshold of the doorway.
He makes it but an inch down the corridor before her voice is calling him back, her normal teasing tone present again in the request.
"Watanuki, I wonder if I might have a moment to introduce you to our guest." He wishes to refuse and yet there is something in her manner that suggests such a thing would result in a further addition to the dept he owed her.
"Of course, Yuuko-san."
"Subaru, this is my young ward Watanuki Kimihiro. Watanuki this is Sumeragi Subaru, thirteenth head of the auspicious Sumeragi clan."
"Then this is the Onmyoji you mentioned once before?"
"That is correct."
"Why did you not mention that he was a practitioner of the dark arts?"
Yuuko looks to Subaru and the Onmyoji smiled a small, empty, smile before replying,
"I was not always a practitioner of the 'dark' arts Watanuki-san and perhaps that is why Yuuko-san failed to mention it."
"Thank you for your time, Watanuki. I will call you when we are done."
Thus dismissed Watanuki settles into cleaning the treasure room and eventually he becomes so bogged down in polishing and dusting that he forgets about their mysterious visitor.
Yuuko does eventually call him and after requesting a glass of chilled kirsch she informs him,
"Do not go near Ueno again."
"What is that tree?"
"A dark necessity that you are better off forgetting."
"What of Sumeragi-san?"
A distanced look comes to her eyes and, after a moment of silence, she replies,
"That is up to him."
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T: Chapter one out of the way! I wanted to have Watanuki actually meet Subaru this time and after a little while debating this set up came about. The bit about Watanuki's feet leading him on the short cut without coherent thought can be viewed either as ingrained habit or Hitsuzen.
Shamefully Doumeki has come out as the stoic individual that fan cannon has crafted him into rather than the well balanced character in the manga…in my defence he's most likely doing it to deliberately cheese Watanuki off!
Finally Subaru will have noticed Watanuki's half eye because he is both Sakurazukamori and well versed in the whole eye issue! Next chapter Sunday at the latest but until then R+R…it makes me feel wanted!