"I'm really... I'm really fine."

Doumeki didn't believe him for an instant, although his hand was left hovering in mid-air as he hesitated in reaching for Watanuki's arm. But then he decided, and gripped the thin, bandaged limb in his hand gently. "No, you're not."

"I can... I can walk." Watanuki didn't look so sure of himself, though, bare foot on the tatami with his legs shaking beneath him. "Let go."

"No."

"Doumeki-"

"No."

His retort came out on one breath, and he looked down at Watanuki's frazzled, annoyed face with determination. Golden brown and cornflower blue, and Watanuki kept his gaze for a moment before biting into his lip and slowly holding out his hand.

"... Fine, you can help," he murmured.

Doumeki blew out a breath in relief, and allowed Watanuki to place his hand in his free hand, giving him more stability as he stood. "Go slowly," he warned lowly, and tightened his grip on Watanuki's hand.

It was unsteady progress, punctuated with quiet, and yet in a paradox, hyperactive commentary from the Maru and Moro and Mokona. Yuuko had gone out earlier, for something that Doumeki did not know or would possibly understand, and Doumeki was elected for helping Watanuki on his first day out of bed. He had wanted to go to the back, so he could sit outside, and Doumeki was obliging if he was the one to make sure Watanuki was alright.

"I can't believe it's been a week," Watanuki muttered as he folded himself on the porch. "I'm still so tired."

"Not surprising." Doumeki sat down next to him, tucking his legs lotus and resting his hands on his kneecaps.

Watanuki didn't respond, and the silence was only punctuated with the blow of the breeze and the sounds of life, nature, around them. He wasn't particularly upset by the silence, and Watanuki seemed pleased to be out of the room that become a makeshift hospital.

Watanuki's black hair ruffled in the breeze, and then he turned to look at him. "... Haruka-san saved me."

Doumeki looked at him curiously. His grandfather? He must have been dreaming, again.

"After I fell, I..." Watanuki pursed his lips. "I was dying."

The words twinged at the deepest part of Doumeki's consciousness. He inhaled slowly and did not close his eyes as he wanted. "I know," he said, instead.

"And I... Yuuko-san said... that I must have been on the rift between the living and the dead... and Haruka-san stopped me when I was about to go."

"Oh." Doumeki had never given his grandfather enough credit. For more reasons than one, and this was one time that he was eternally grateful that Haruka visited Watanuki in his dreams.

"... My parents were there."

The breeze rustled their hair again, and it inordinately made Doumeki shudder. Watanuki didn't seem to notice, staring off into the yard. His expression was unreadable, and entirely wrong.

Doumeki wanted to ask, and he wanted to change the subject. He did neither.

"Kimihiro."

Watanuki winced, looking over at him sharply. His expression was still as unreadable as before, but his eyes were... sad.

Doumeki looked away. He had a sudden, burning desire to do something that he may regret, if only it would erase that look from Watanuki's face. "... That's what your parents called you, right?" he asked.

Watanuki didn't respond, and didn't respond, clearly working through whatever ploy that this might have been. But there wasn't one, and Watanuki came up short, with a pathetic "Yeah".

"Kimihiro," Doumeki repeated. It felt strange on his tongue, although not wrong. He had never said Watanuki's first name before, and it rarely crossed his mind that while he was called Shizuka everyday, not a soul on earth called Watanuki by his first name.

"Doumeki," Watanuki interrupted, hesitantly. "What... you..."

Doumeki closed his eyes briefly, curled his hands into fists. Then he splayed one hand flat against the porch and leaned over to kiss Watanuki's cheek. His self control barely allowed him that, when he so desperately wanted to take the words out of Watanuki's mouth with his own lips, overcome by the urge to fix anything - everything - that he could. Watanuki deserved more love than he would ever receive on this earth.

Watanuki gasped, the inhale of breath whisking through parted lips, and nearly fell over as he swayed sideways from him. Doumeki reached to steady him automatically, wincing internally when Watanuki flinched from his outreached hand.

"U-Uh." Watanuki stared to the side and then turned away, staring hard into the distance.

Doumeki wasn't sure if it was positive that Watanuki wasn't trying to run away, or crawl away, in his state. Or maybe he was merely in shock, partly the same way that Doumeki felt right now. Partially in shock, and partially wanting more. Uselessly wanting more.

"... W-Why?"

Doumeki tilted his head towards him slightly, not intending to meet his gaze if he even looked back. "... Obvious," he said shortly.

Watanuki swallowed.

It wasn't a declaration, but he wasn't pushing him away, either.

Doumeki drummed his fingers against the porch briefly. "Can I kiss you?" he asked softly.

Watanuki's shoulders tensed. He was silent, and then turned slightly towards him. "... On the cheek?"

"No."

Watanuki looked at him fully, and he was glaring now. "You greedy pig, what do you think-"

Doumeki kissed him.

Watanuki shut up immediately, his eyes going wide. Doumeki reached for his shoulder, reminding himself to be gentle on Watanuki's battered body, and pressed into the kiss.

He didn't know anything about romance. He had never kissed anyone or been kissed. Romance was low on his list of priorities, because Watanuki had been his most important priority for some time now. But the two had somehow coincided, and Doumeki found himself wondering how long it would take for kissing to be less awkward, less confused and hesitant. Until then, he had to settle with knowing he had purpose in his kiss, however awkward it may have been.

He pulled away slightly. "... Okay?" he asked quietly.

Watanuki was bright red, and he wasn't pulling away. After a long, long moment, he nodded.

"Good." Doumeki reached up to push his fingers into Watanuki's hair, and muffled Watanuki's protest against his lips.

But then, miraculously, protests were forgotten; Watanuki was no longer still against the kiss. He was responding. Just as awkwardly and unpracticed and it all made Doumeki want to laugh, almost. He didn't, curling his fingers against the nape of Watanuki's neck and holding him there loosely. He didn't want to let him go, and, if he were to be honest, he was even particularly scared to.

Watanuki turned his head away after a moment. He was impossibly more red, and that almost made Doumeki smirk.

"... Don't be greedy," Watanuki muttered. "I'm still tired."

Doumeki blew out a breath and actually did smirk then, although he effortlessly got to his feet. "Bed," he explained, in response to Watanuki's look.

Watanuki's lips parted in shock, bashfulness lending into irritation and maybe just worry-

"You still need to rest," Doumeki intoned. "I'm not prone to being salacious," he added, and held out his hand for Watanuki.

"Oh." Watanuki sighed and pressed his hand against his eyes. "You've got me so flustered. Wait, why am I telling you that?" He huffed softly and reached up to take Doumeki's hand.

Doumeki studiously kept his silence and helped Watanuki back into the shop, letting him crawl back into bed. He did not return to his stance next to the door, only straying a few steps away from Watanuki's bedside this time.

"What?" Watanuki demanded, after he'd crawled into bed and fumbled with the blankets and looked up to see Doumeki watching him.

"... Kimihiro," Doumeki breathed, again. Again, again. He was more fond of the name than he had previously thought. He had never really thought about it, but now he would have to curb himself from needlessly saying it. Like now.

Watanuki was still blushing, and that was fine. Doumeki was fairly certain that he was similarly red, and he didn't let him bother. "Stop that," Watanuki hissed, although halfheartedly. "Let me sleep."

Doumeki nodded and turned for the door.

"Wait, ah-"

Doumeki glanced back questioningly.

"... Just... stay with me," Watanuki muttered, averting his eyes. He was embarrassed, and that was endearing. "... okay?"

That was more than enough for Shizuka.

I was pretty canon (more or less?) in the first chapter, but I had originally written this as slash. I wanted to make it flow better, so I added this as a bonus. That way, canon fans stay canon in Ch1, and slash fans get slash here! Best of both worlds.

I do not own xxxHolic. Thank you for reading!