Summary: Doumeki gets an opportunity he cannot refuse. Watanuki gets mauled by a kitten. Hints of Doumeki x Watanuki

AN: It would be a wonderful world if everyone kept his word. Oh well. I still think the world I a pretty awesome place despite everything, but that's me, the optimist. At any rate, enjoy the writing and try not to die of overdoses of the usual things authors warn for, varying from bad writing to cuteness and so on.

Warning: Er, the usual?

Credit: Edited by Arrhythmic Song. So it's made of own and win.

Lucky Charm

There was a system to it, as there was a system to anything people could get their hands on. In this case, he would start on the outside and work his way in; he would go round with slow deliberate strokes. Discipline. The small tracks in the dirt had to flow together. Sweeping in an even motion turning inwards, all the way inwards until there was that perfect point in the middle where everything joined up. And then he would start over. Endurance. It gave him a feeling of calm, in his mind, his heart. It made him at ease with being. It lasted forever and was meaningful in its insignificance, in its banality and mortality. It was peace.

It used to work him up so much. Every single sweep with the broom represented all his hatred for everything. With every motion the little bells tied to the handle would jingle softly, aggravating him, daring him, taunting him. The tracks never locked and would become uneven until in the end, the bells jingled constantly and his grandfather had to pry his trembling hands off the broom and lead his shaking form into the temple to bandage him.

Now Doumeki could circle the yard forever, the handmade tracks in the dirt representing his order. He drew even lines in the sand and soil, taming the ocean, circling Japan and untangling the chaos in his head. Doumeki's broom hadn't had bells on it for years, but if it did, the temple would still bask in silence.

He preferred this to meditating. It was easier for him to focus when he was doing something with his hands. Doumeki always opted to swipe the courtyard and didn't mind swapping with the other people. His grandfather had always said he wasn't meant for temple life. Doumeki disagreed; he couldn't imagine himself anywhere else than here.

There was one other place he spent even more time than the courtyard: the small personal library the shrine had. It was small and quiet, and old scriptures, books and texts were piled up in on large wooden shelves. His grandfather had taken him there and told him that if later, when he was older, he deemed the situation grave enough, he would definitely find what he was looking for in here.

Doumeki never had a reason to look for anything particular in the library. Instead, what he found was peace and quiet, much like in his daily chores.

This time, however, Doumeki was looking for something, and though running the risk of upsetting the spirits of his ancestors, he damned the whole damn building because couldn't find anything useful in the whole damn thing. Nothing on demon dogs in the sky, nothing on star signs being devoured, nothing on apocalypses caused by goddesses with a burn-out. In short, nothing that could help Watanuki.

Speaking of the idiot. This was a whole new level of mess he'd worked himself into. Even though it was not his fault, it never was, which made the whole situation so painfully, well, painful. It was one thing to have the weight of the world on your shoulders, which was and
wasn't the case here, because Doumeki was absolutely positive nothing would happen in the time Watanuki was guarding the dog. If that goddess had been here for millennia, it meant Watanuki's watch was a mere millisecond in the whole grand scheme. That was all fine, as far as Doumeki was concerned. But it was another thing to balance independent life and studies at the same time. Watanuki had no support anywhere, and nobody cared about an orphaned student dropping out of middle school. Doumeki wasn't entirely sure he would care if he hadn't known Watanuki. But he did. Know him, that is.

Watanuki had slept over for five nights now, curled up on the spare futon placed in the most leftmost room of the shrine. It was the room Doumeki and his grandfather had used for meditation, years back. It was serene and felt right. Doumeki assumed that would be the best place for the boy to get some rest, though by the looks of it Watanuki would've slept in the middle of an arcade on a bank holiday.

At any rate, it was impossible to wake the idiot up. Doumeki wished he got 100 yen for every time he had to say ridiculous lines such as 'wake up, it's time for bed' and 'I am not a pillow'. Admittedly the latter only happened twice, and so far he hadn't had the chance to remind the boy of it. It wasn't as if he was waiting for the opportune moment, but it was always good to have something like that in handy, just in case –the rare and improbable case- Watanuki ran out of things to yell about.

Another yellow and probably priceless book was added to the stack on the desk Doumeki had marked 'useless'. As far as modern and ancient spirituality was concerned, Watanuki was seeing things and should consider medical help -something Doumeki thought very ironic and not at all funny. Stuffing all the books back into their respective corners he gave up for the time being. It was time to meet Watanuki at Yuuko's place.

Apparently between the dog-sitting, housework and school, Watanuki had managed to get himself saddled with another one of Yuuko's assignments. He wondered how the boy would take it.

"Death"

"Really."

"Yes." Watanuki muttered. "Death."

"I see." Doumeki remarked, pulling slightly on Watanuki's collar to stop him from walking into the road. "There is another way, I'm sure."

"Death." Watanuki assured.

"It is only to the city district and back."

"In the afternoon on a Friday. Never mind, I will do this and get it over with. It is just an errand, it won't be bad. Of course, by saying that I just made sure it will be bad. And since when have any of that woman's outrageous requests not been bad for me? Not that she listens. Everyone ignores me and my wishes. If I were gone she would say 'where is my nightcap?' and forget who brought it in the first place. This is the most underappreciated job ever. And putting all that aside I have to study for my exams as well because I do want to go to high school despite what all the guidance counsellors seem to think and, and-" Watanuki took a deep breath. "-why are you here?"

"Yuuko said I better accompany you."

"Why? So you can annoy me?"

"To make sure you don't get lost."

"What!"

Doumeki disregarded the rest of the offence and wondered if he would ever put up with that much abuse from any other person. Of course, other people didn't suddenly dance in the middle of the street yelling 'get it off'. Or called him useless on a regular basis. Or stood as close to him in the subway as now; eyeing the far end of the cart. Also, Doumeki added as an afterthought, other people didn't get stopped in the street by strange foreign men who bowed down and yammered on in a strange language. Or disregarded that many traffic rules in what Doumeki feared to be, in some corner of his mind, a suicide attempt as a result of a black mood.

"I said, hey!"

Doumeki stumbled a step backwards and rubbed his ear.

"What?"

"You're ignoring me." Watanuki said disgruntled.

"What?" Doumeki asked again.

"Never mind."

"Where are we going?" Doumeki enquired carefully after they turned another corner. Watanuki, like any middle schooler, knew his way around big city centres and shopping malls. But right now, Doumeki had the distinct notion they were zigzagging their way aimlessly through the school uniforms and mothers with children.

"I don't know." Watanuki said.

"You don't know?"

"No, I don't know. Yuuko said I would know when I was there."

"I see."

"Before you say 'do you feel anything', no I don't," Watanuki turned around and pushed his glasses further up his nose and glared. Sometimes Doumeki recalled seeing the same gesture in his head when he woke up at night. Watanuki did it often when he was irritated. It figured that the Watanuki in his dreams was annoyed with him as well. "And just so you know, we are walking until I do, which will last forever in this place because it is crawling with, with…"

"With?"

"Did you feel that?"

"No, I didn't." Doumeki turned his head slightly to the side, avoiding Watanuki seeing his expression. The times Watanuki was funniest were the worst times to laugh at it.

The boy stuck his nose in the air and blinked a coupe of times. Doumeki was sure that if he'd had cat ears and whiskers they would quiver with query. The conversation was over and Doumeki made no comment as he followed the boy through the crowd until he stopped so sudden Doumeki nearly bumped into him.

"We're here. I think." The boy said, before he abruptly turned around and squeezed his way through a group of girls into a shop, which on closer inspection, turned out to be one of those 'cute pet' petshops.

Doumeki followed warily. Places like this were not meant for people like him. Watanuki didn't seem to be bothered as much and was standing in the middle of a group of cooing girls peering into a large glass cage in the window.

"What are you doing?" Doumeki asked.

"I'm looking for something."

"For what?"

Watanuki either didn't hear or just ignored the question. At any rate, Doumeki was feeling decidedly more on display.

"What are you looking for?" he asked again.

Watanuki went from one cage to the other.

"A soulmate."

Doumeki was not sure he'd heard that correctly.

"For you? Here?"

Watanuki again didn't hear him, or ignored him. By now Doumeki wasn't the only one who saw the abnormality of them being here.

"Found it!" Watanuki's voice carried throughout the shop.

Good, Doumeki thought.

"Are you here looking for a pet?" A girl asked. Doumeki turned his gaze downward to a pair of bright eyes, long eyelashes, full lips and a very developed chest. The crest on it announced proudly that the chest and the girl it belonged to were from one of the better girl schools in the district.

"No."

"Oh," she pouted exactly the same way the shrine maidens did when they wanted Doumeki to take over one of their chores. "You're here with your girlfriend, right?"

"No." Doumeki looked out for the black and white that was Watanuki.

"Uhm, do you have a girlfriend, or somebody you like?"

"No." Doumeki spotted Watanuki in the back, struggling with Yuuko's purse while at the same time trying to contain the kitten clawing all over him.

"Uhm, well, would you want to go out with me sometime?" the girl asked, batting her eyelashes most seductively. She was so close now Doumeki could actually feel the heat radiating from her body.

"Sure." He said.

"Ee! Really?"

"Sure."

Doumeki had to admit the kitten destroying Watanuki's uniform looked adorable. Well, it had all the trademarks of adorable anyway. It was cute, cuddly and slightly clumsy. Exactly like everything else in the shop including the customers. And there were many customers. So many customers and they were everywhere, staring at him. Doumeki was but one boy. One boy in a pet shop filled with squealing girls. He couldn't even count Watanuki anymore, as the idiot was completely in synch with the female collective mind anyway.

"So, my name's Honda Sachiko, can I have your number?" the girl asked, holding up her mobile phone.

"I don't have a phone." Doumeki said.

"What? Really? But how will I talk to you?"

"Wait here." Doumeki patted her on the shoulder and started making his way over to the back.

"Finished with the girls? Here to give me a hand like Yuuko told you to?" Watanuki scowled, the kitten tightly in his arms.

"You found it?" Doumeki asked, leaning closer to the cat. "The soulmate?"

"This is the one, I know it."

"It has funny ears."

"Yuuko likes funny things, you know that, she collects them- and you can stop giving me that look!"

Doumeki wasn't really giving a look, but as long as Watanuki still listened to himself when he was talking, he supposed he'd take the blame.

"You can buy it just like that? No papers, no identification?"

"Yes, the shopowner knows Yuuko." Watanuki said, extracting the creature from his arm.

"You can have it?"

Watanuki shook his head again, pink blush forming on his cheeks.

"That woman didn't give me enough money." He mumbled. "I'm thinking."

Doumeki squinted at the cat again and looked Watanuki over some more. The skinny look wasn't as serious as it seemed. The dark circles under his eyes were prominent in a way Doumeki had rather not, but he was working on that. The little marks on his arms reddening and forming a pattern of cat claws enhanced the notion of his white skin. Doumeki closed his eyes for a moment. It was so easy to linger on everything that was wrong with the boy's appearance.

"This month's instalment of tuition fees is coming up, right? You're saving up to move, right? I'll pay for it."

Watanuki didn't say anything.

"Go outside, it's too busy here." Doumeki said, giving the boy a slight shove. "You can thank me later."

Watanuki didn't even retaliate.

"Why is it always a stormy night?" Watanuki complained.

"Oh lighten up, there is a little wind, a little rain, you did a good deed!" Yuuko said. She was holding one of the most menacing umbrellas Doumeki had ever seen and waved it around so much she should have been as soaking wet as Watanuki and him were right now. She wasn't, of course, which explained the cheerful smile. "She has been very lonely, it was a good thing you did today, Watanuki."

Watanuki said nothing and kept staring at a perfectly dry little bench under a cedar tree further ahead. The cat was walking circles and jumping up and down trying to catch the dogtail swooped around by the old lady. Not that Doumeki could see her or the cat toy, but Watanuki had said she was there, and judging from how happy the cat was, it was probably true.

"What happens to the cat of a dead person?" he asked.

Yuuko turned her large half-lidded eyes on him.

"I imagine they will take good care of each other. A bond that strong cannot be broken by death, many people all over the world have proved that time and again even if they don't realize it."

"That's what you said to the exorcist who visited you, right?" Watanuki said and pointed at his eye. "Remember? The one who wished for-"

"At this hour you better not say things like that out loud, Watanuki." Yuuko smiled.

Watanuki quickly lowered his hands and stuffed them in his pockets.

"I also want to thank you for helping, Doumeki." Yuuko winked. "So tonight only you can ask for whatever you want and Watanuki here will give it to you."

"What? What!" Watanuki inched slightly backwards.

Doumeki had never really thought that the boys' eyes could open this wide in blind panic. Despite everything had they had been through he wasn't sure he'd ever seen Watanuki in that state ever. It was refreshing in a way.

"Will this be a wish?" He asked.

"Well the value of what you gave me was not so high that I can grand you your every desire, but if you want to call it a wish, you can."

"I have to decide tonight?"

Yuuko laughed. "Value decreases over time, tomorrow your monetary sacrifice will mean less than one of Watanuki's lunches."

"Hey!" Watanuki protested.

"I want to discuss this in private." Doumeki said.

"Excellent, we have a deal then! Hold this!" Yuuko handed Watanuki her umbrella and her bag. "Go to Doumeki's and prepare me some nice warm alcohol for when we get back? We won't be long, and we'll have to bandage those scratches up as well, I'm sure Doumeki won't mind you using his shower."

"I am not for sale…" Watanuki grit out.

"Yes." Yuuko said, leaving it entirely in the middle. "Off you go. I have some business to talk about."

Watanuki shot them one last glance before turning around to stomp off into the night -as well as anyone could stomp off carrying a gigantic black lacy umbrella anyway. It was kind of endearing to see Watanuki struggle with the umbrella, just as it had been with the cat. Doumeki hoped quietly it wasn't the struggling that tickled his particular fancy. Still, he thought Watanuki kind of belonged in that pet shop himself. He resembled most creatures there. It would have been a better job for sure.

"So, what is it that you can't ask me in front of Watanuki?" Yuuko interrupted. "Is it scandalous?"

"He will protest." Doumeki shrugged.

Yuuko cocked her head and smiled.

"He always protests, but first things first! I want your number."

"Why?"

"To reach you. If I am to give you what you want, you need to give me something extra. You don't have it on you now."

Doumeki should have known Yuuko knew what he wanted before he asked. He speculated for a brief moment if she knew what he wanted before he even knew it was what he wanted.

"Watanuki has my number." He said.

"Good enough." Yuuko clapped her hands. "Then, shall we haggle?"

Doumeki nodded, ignoring the reminder he was giving himself that he wasn't special really, not the way Watanuki was. Haggling with the likes of Yuuko was dangerous for normal boys like him.

"You are an underappreciated child, Doumeki."

"I know." Doumeki said.

Yuuko leant in closer; her long hair brushed against his hands and tickled his ear.

"You are a good friend."

"I know." Doumeki said.

TBC

I don't really do this cliffhanging thing. I mean, what if I fall? Anyway, I hope you had a good read out of it, I hoped to make up for my tardiness by making it a bit longer, then again the ending probably ruined that, but hey.

Thank you very much for all your positive and constructive messages everyone! Do leave some more. See you next month!