Don't Turn Around

Chapter two: The Stalker

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters or XXX Holic. CLAMP does, and for good reason. D


Watanuki walked along his school's hallway, looking happy. He would soon be having lunch with Himawari-chan.

"I can't wait," he said, sporting a goofy smile. Then his smile turned into a smirk.

"And since we're not having lunch in the usual spot, Domeki won't be able to find us," he said, seeming proud of himself. He walked into the classroom grinning. Watanuki put his bag on one of the tables and grabbed an apron. He was going to warm up the yakitori on the stove because if he put them in the microwave they risked getting soggy.

Watanuki shivered suddenly and looked around the room.

"Is the air conditioning broken or something? It's freezing in here," he said rubbing his arms and then turning on the burner. He then put the pan on it and took the yakitori out of its bento.

"Himawari-chan should be here any minute," he hummed, picking up one of the yakitori kabobs and preparing to put it on the pan. Just then many things happened at once. Watanuki felt something push him forward, sending his hands forward into the hot frying pan, just as Himawari, followed by Domeki, passed through the doorway. He let out a cry of pain and pulled his hands away from the pan as Himawari-chan gasped and Domeki ran over to him. He grabbed Watanuki around the wrist and pulled him to the sink. Turning on the water, he placed Watanuki's hands beneath the faucet.

Himawari-chan ran over to him, looking worried.

"Watanuki-kun! Are you alright?" she asked.

The boy nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. The temperature wasn't on too high so, I shouldn't have any bad burns," he said, trying to smile reassuringly as he winced. But she still looked concerned.

"What happened?" she asked worriedly. Watanuki frowned.

"I don't know, it was almost as if…"

"…You were pushed?" Domeki finished as he walked over to the pan and started warming up the yakitori himself.

Watanuki looked surprised.

"How did you know?" he asked, staring at Domeki's back.

"Well, either you were pushed or you were doing some weird, idiotic dance," Domeki said shrugging, "Both situations seem likely for an idiot like you."

Watanuki glared at Domeki and yelled, "What's that supposed to mean you jerk!!"

Himawari-chan started laughing.

"You two sure are good friends, always putting on that dual comedy act," she said smiling. Watanuki looked stricken.

"Himawari-chan, you've got it all wrong! I hate this jerk," he said glaring daggers at Domeki's back.

"Well, if you can yell like that then you must be okay," Domeki said as he turned to face them. He had one of the kabobs in his mouth.

"Hey! Who said you could have one?" Watanuki cried, throwing his hands in the air. He winced as they started to burn again.

"Keep them under the water," Domeki advised, "I'll go get some bandages." He walked out of the classroom.

Himawari-chan watched him go.

"Were you really pushed?" she asked.

"I don't know," Watanuki said, his eyebrows creasing, "But if I was, a spirit is the culprit since there was no one else in here with me." A feeling of unease settled in the pit of his stomach. He remembered Yuko's concern when he'd told her about injuring himself at the pharmacy yesterday. She had asked him if he had seen any spirits…yet both times he had seen nothing.

"Aaaugh! Why did Himawari-chan have to be on clean up duty today?" Watanuki complained, "Now I'm stuck walking alone with this jerk!"

Domeki had his fingers in his ears as they walked.

"Shut up," he said.

"Grr…" Watanuki lowered his complaints to a faint growl.

"Does it hurt?" Domeki asked, looking at Watanuki's hands. The other boy sported a faint blush and looked away grudgingly.

"Of course not!' he said and started walking faster. Then he froze. There was a man staring out at him from a small arrangement of trees. He blinked once and the man was gone again.

"That spirit didn't look very friendly," Domeki said, stopping beside him.

"It's the same one from yesterday," Watanuki said slowly, his face worried.

"Why don't you ask Yuko-san about it?" Domeki suggested.

"Yeah…" Watanuki said quietly. He walked slower the rest of the way to the shop, his mind deep in thought.

"The spirit of a man, you say?" Yuko asked as she sipped on some sake. She was sitting on her porch, Watanuki at her side, staring up at the crescent moon.

"Well, that's what it looked like," he said, dangling his legs off the end of the porch, "I saw him yesterday as well."

"And has he done anything to you?" she then asked. Watanuki shook his head.

"No. Both times he just kept staring at me," Watanuki said and shivered slightly as he remembered the man's penetrating eyes.

"Most likely that was because Domeki-kun was around. And both times you were hurt, you were alone?" she asked.

"Yeah, but I didn't see any spirits around either," he said.

"Spirits, especially those who were formally human, do not always have to manifest themselves into physical form," Yuko said and looked at Watanuki.

"So, what you're saying is, there's a spirit stalking me and trying to hurt me for no reason," Watanuki said, clearing exasperated.

Yuko shook her head and said, "I think its reason for following you is quite clear. You attract spirits wherever you go. This one is no different, though he probably doesn't understand why he is so attracted to you."

"But then why is he hurting me?" Watanuki cried, tugging at his hair. Yuko's brow furrowed.

"I think that may lie in what kind of person he was before he died," she said darkly before smiling, "And, now, for giving you all this information, I want you to make me a magnificent dinner! 3"

Watanuki glowered at this.

"You freeloader! Next time tell me when you're going to take payment for answering my questions!" he cried and stomped off towards the kitchen, "Jeez!"

"Oh, and, Watanuki, I think it would be best if you stayed here tonight," Yuko said. Watanuki stopped for a moment, nodded then walked into the kitchen.


Yay! Chapter two is done! R&R please!