heavenlyHOLiC
Disclaimer: I don't own the xxxHOLiC characters or the plot. ;.; All rights reserved to CLAMP.
Summary: Watanuki meets an unfortunate accident and dies. Everyone reacts their own way… but something is eerie about his death… Something isn't settling right with Doumeki.
Warning: Possible language, possible violence, shonen-ai implications
Pairing: Dou/Wata if you want it to be.
A/N: Omg 10 reviews so far! Aaah! so happy - Thanks so much and here's your long awaited Doumeki reaction.
000
It was raining now… The sun was shining yesterday… cloudless…rainless… sky. But yesterday wasn't what it was today. Dreary and dark, clouded with rain.
Their class had decided to come out of respect for their departed member and stood in the rain, holding their umbrellas in the air. Not many cried, in fact, no one save for young Himawari had. The most expression the boy's classmates had offered was their shock at the loss.
Doumeki stood out from the crowd gathered in the cemetery, clad in his usual temple wear, soaked by the fallen rain. He would be performing the funeral service today.
It was only fitting, someone had told him, for him to be the one to settle his soul for the afterlife.
He cringed in pain.
He walked forward to the casket and paused in front of it. He had not closed it yet, because he still had something to give.
He carried out the ritual prayers for safe passage and spoke a few words of grief. He became silent after the last word had left his mouth and his eyes widened just a little before they resettled themselves.
He reached into his belt line and pulled out what appeared to be a broken arrow… the fletching half. His classmates looked at him with curious expressions plastered on their faces as he reached into the casket.
He couldn't look at the sleeping boy's face, he wasn't sure what effects it would have on him and he could not show his grief at the funeral… Not here.
He took his hand in his own and folded the hajaya arrow into his cold grasp and neatly replaced the hands back onto the lifeless chest where they originally had been.
He took a moment to pause and say a few silent words to the deceased boy in front of him. He closed his eyes and when he opened them, he was peering into the boys face.
It was paler than normal, if that had been possible. Glasses were still in place, it just wouldn't appear to be Watanuki without them. He only appeared to be sleeping. He had to be.
A flash of lightening struck around the area and it snapped him out of his thoughts and he quickly shut the casket when a hurt expression crossed his face. He turned around, head down and away from the crowd and walked away from the staring faces. His normal face was back in place… but it doesn't change the fact that he was saddened.
Himawari watched her friends' back as he walked away from the casket, through the puddles that made little splashes when he stepped in them.
111
Doumeki made his way to school; it wasn't out of the ordinary. He went every school day. But… something was amiss in today's schedule. There was a certain someone who was not with him.
Watanuki…
He looked beside him where normally a lanky boy would be. He could almost imagine him flailing about, complaining about one thing or another and then somehow making it Doumeki's fault.
He really didn't care though. He knew well enough, as did Watanuki, that they were friends. Albeit they had an odd relation with each other, but why else would the blue-eyed boy continue to walk with him? Why else would the dark haired archer put up with the loudness?
But now…
He just…
…
112
The bell rang for class to begin. Doumeki was already in his seat towards the back. A few straggling students piled their way into the room before the teacher arrived. Doumeki couldn't have cared less at that point.
Currently his eyes were fixed on the back of the boy in front of him… Said boy turned around, almost as if in slow motion, it seemed like a memory as the ice blue eyes made contact with his own.
He paused and watched the boys mouth open and shut slowly with a smile on his face before it turned into a pout and his brows narrowed in annoyance. The archer could almost hear the wails of irritation coming from the figure in front of him.
And then the seat was empty once more…
Doumeki turned his head to the side and propped his head in his hand. Today would be difficult.
113
Watanuki was gone.
He had come to accept that fact… He had come to accept that he would not see his face today… but he had not come to terms with the long time deprivation of his friend.
It was sunny out today. Not like the day of the funeral. There was a faint, warm breeze that came through the area. The grass was green and the trees allowed a few rays of light to filter in through their leaves.
Doumeki was making his way around the school grounds and then… he stopped.
He could hear his heart pounding and suddenly, he had never been so scared in his life.
He gasped. It was silent, save for his uneven breaths… and he could feel his face heat up, right beneath his eyes.
He clenched his teeth and for a moment his brows lifted into a pained look and he took a hand to his mouth as he tried to force away what was coming. He made a little noise. He couldn't be like this.
He fell to his knees and turned his head away from the patch of grass near the trees… their meeting area.
He had subconsciously made his way to the place where they would eat home made bento. It was routine for him… and suddenly he couldn't take it any more.
Watanuki was gone… He was really gone… Not just for today, but… forever.
He would never see him in class. He would never walk him home. He would never again eat his passion filled bento. He wouldn't have to save him nor would he get to sample his sweets. He would never see Watanuki again.
It scared him.
His eyes grew warm and damp…
…
No one was around to hear his muffled noises as he bent over himself in the grass and stifled every little thing threatening to seep through.
114
"Oi, Doumeki," a member of the arching team came over and took a seat next to their star archer. The sight of the dark haired boy sitting on the bench, bow in hand disturbed him greatly. He had known Doumeki would be upset, but… the look he threw at the target was too much.
He received no answer.
He frowned a bit.
"Doumeki… I know you were close to Watanuki…" The archer flinched at the name. It was a noticeable flinch, only visible for a split second. He had touched a sore spot. "I'm not sure what you saw in him… but he's gone now. You need to suck it up and practice! We have a meet coming up and we need you Doumeki!" The boy pleaded. It was true, without the aid of their star it could be a close call…
He turned to his teammate and threw him a look. His brows were narrowed and his eye looked as piercing as the arrows that he shot with deadly accuracy.
The boy jumped back at the look and just mumbled a sorry and went back to practicing.
This was hard on him, Doumeki thought as he stared back at the ground and buried his face in his hands and tapped his knee up and down rapidly in attempts to soothe his hot face, to try and draw away his thoughts. He couldn't deal with this.
He stood up and left the practice range.
115
It was strange to think Watanuki was gone. He clutched his chest in pain…
It was so strange… Nothing seemed right and it was … so sudden. But perhaps that's really how death worked: sudden and hurtful. It made sense he supposed.
He worked around the dead almost all his life because of his job at his temple. He was used to seeing dead bodies, their lifeless faces and motionless forms. Not even the slight rise and fall of a chest… just… nothing.
… But to see a classmate like that… to see a friend like that… to see Watanuki… like that…
Another pang and he leaned against the sidewalk wall, fist curled to his chest and forehead rested against the cold stone.
Something was wrong though… He was in so much pain… so much devastating pain… but… it didn't feel like sadness or grief… it felt like…
Guilt?
Pain?
Something was wrong with those… He should be overwhelmed with sorrow he thought… and maybe that's what sprung the guilt… But why was he in so much pain?
Why did this hurt him so much? He threw a fist at the wall and shoved himself off, his face and eyes becoming noticeably warm again against the cool concrete wall.
Watanuki is gone… he thought to himself. I just have to accept it… He held his head up higher and continued to walk home.
But… something just didn't feel right…
116
It was dark now.
The ebony haired archer lay on his bed dressed in his nighttime attire, arms propped behind his head as he stared at the ceiling.
He hadn't moved for hours. The thoughts he had tried to rid himself during the course of the day had come flooding in the moment he had stepped onto pure grounds and he could feel himself crumbling.
He had felt sick and spent some time lying on the cool tile of the bathroom floor, rubbing his face into his sleeve, his expression never faltering.
Now he could not sleep even though his red eyes told him otherwise. He sat up and threw off his blankets and made his way downstairs… Perhaps some tea would clear his mind for some well-needed rest.
It only took a few minutes for him to make it and he found a comfortable spot on the floor near the door panel that led outdoors. He sipped slowly on the hot tea in his hands. Indeed it did settle his stomach and its magical and sedating taste calmed him slightly.
It was quiet again and he went to take another sip…
And it was black… Darkness came about from his right side. He dropped his cup of tea and jumped to his feet, surprised by the oncoming slot of black.
He could still see from his left that he was in his living room and he gave a small intake of breath. There was no way this could be happening.
In the darkness… there was something there… a figure? … a person maybe? He squinted to try and make out what it was he saw in the distance.
He blinked.
And his vision returned to normal. He blinked again to see if it would return and he looked around, whipping his head from left to right to make sure he wasn't imagining things.
…
Then it hit him… My right…
…
His breathing became rasp and shaky…
And he sank to his knees, touching a hand to his right eye…
Something was not right.
000
Next Chapter: Right Reveals
A/N: Okay! We have a plot started! I'm not telling you what happens next now because it's plot time. Now here's the real test of whether you truly like this or not. Lol Thanks for the reviews again!