Paint My Silence [Wish]

Pairings: DouWata. Obviously. They had sex, after all, twice even.

Warning: Oh look up there, it says sex. And oh, what was it again? Doumeki and Watanuki are both males? Obviously yaoi.

Disclaimer: I do not own xxxHolic and the devil arms Ebony and Ivory, but I do own what is there to be owned. Amen.

-

The sun was beating down on him and he knew he hated the birds that sang outside his window more than ever.

He pushed himself to a sitting position, blinking away the morning dust in his eyes, and the last traces of slumber lingering in his mind. He wasn't surprised to not find any fabric upon his body, save the blankets- and he pushed them away without much thought, standing to his full height by the side of the bed, and looked out of the window as he did so.

The glass was fogged up due to the climate- and he wiped away a bit of frost so he could see out, silently admiring the view of white snow drifting and dead trees being clothed by something other than green. Inside his room, naked, it was a good thing the furnace was on; he had woken with the blankets on him too, thick and soft, and he wondered what woke him from such a comfortable sleep.

He headed for the bathroom and proceeded to his morning ceremonies- coming out with a towel around his waist and another around his shoulders. It was only then did he bothered to check the time, briefly glancing at the grandfather clock in the corner; it was around eight am. He was surprised he woke up that early.

He quickly wore the usual working clothes- a clean dark suit with a holster underneath (he figured it served a more fashionable purpose, somewhat like a must for sight rather than need), with dark leather shoes and plaid pants of the same color- and left his room, making sure to close the door behind him and keeping in mind to look for something sweet other than chocolate to burst him out for the morning.

The corridors was somewhat empty, save for the few maids he saw scuttling here and there, always greeting him a polite "Good Morning, Sir Doumeki," before shuffling away. He passed by the portrait of Yuuko, the woman who had once owned the shop, and felt a grudging respect for her as his amber eyes traced her haughty features. He decided that she had must've been a whole lot stronger than his Kimihiro, because nobody should ever be allowed- or be skilled enough- to raise the dead. He tilted his head, meaning to say something, but the words died on his lips- and stayed there in his mind, like a mantra again and again, as if in doing so the woman in the portrait would be able to get his message; He's safe now, I've given him his soul, Doumeki thinks in his mind. Stop your smiling. He isn't yours anymore.

I know, she mouths, and Doumeki's eyes widened, but he did not step back or look away. Take care of him.

He smiled, and Yuuko smiled back (but he wasn't sure; maybe he was going crazy or something, because portraits don't mouth OR smile back, but then she was smiling the first time he had looked at her), and they both understood something only a mother and her son-in-law could understand. It was like an exchanging of gifts- and with the permission of having her son, the son-in-law would therefore trade his carefree life in order to take into full responsibility over his ward- something less ceremonious and formal, anyway.

He looked away, meaning to resume his journey towards the dining room (oh he was hungry, that was for sure) when his eyes met a familiar dual-colored pair, one golden and the other blue; he found himself smiling in spite of himself, and Watanuki was smiling back, though he looked a bit and confused and well- he looked surprised.

"Good morning, Doumeki." greeted Watanuki cheerfully, "Are you talking to one of the portraits?"

They both knew it sounded extremely stupid, and they laughed- Doumeki with a soft sound under his breath, his shoulders shaking in silent mirth, and Watanuki a high, somewhat feminine-but not too grand- giggle, and Doumeki was more than happy now, because a dead Watanuki with a soul was livelier than someone without.

"Come," said the Dimensional witch, turning partly on his heel, yet still leaning to see if Doumeki would follow; "Let's have breakfast now, we have a long day ahead of us."

And of course Doumeki followed.

-

Life had somewhat reached a level of tediousness that Doumeki couldn't believe to have achieved- things were usual, familiar now, and there was nothing new that further happened to the two of them; though life wasn't unpleasant as things went on, and Watanuki was happy (and he was glad the young man was, really), he sometimes couldn't help but wonder what he was waiting for. What he was paranoid for. Watanuki's attitude didn't really change- he was mysterious and unreadable to other guests, he was kind to his servants, and he was gentle and -sometimes- noisy with Doumeki. The bodyguard, in all honesty, had never felt so at peace in his life, and that is the cause of his uneasiness.

Maybe it's because he could feel an insistent, terrible presentiment that there was something going on, something nasty and life-threatening, and maybe it's the calm before the storm they were experiencing. At first, when the month of December had finally brought the icy snow unto them, Watanuki was nothing but smiles- for the customers were few, and the young man was restless, and Doumeki couldn't help being proud of saving the Dimensional witch's soul; he could imagine Watanuki not having one, and he always did, sometimes just to make himself feel better. He felt selfish.

And then in winter nights Watanuki was more than eager to have sex- or something like that, since he was always the one starting the kissing and the bedding stuff- and Doumeki was more than happy to oblige, since it was cold and sex was warm (a shallow reason, to be honest) and Watanuki was over-enthusiastic, which was cute and sexy and too much for the bodyguard to handle. Doumeki partly wondered if his parents were okay with him throwing his life away with the supernatural, but he figured, would I really be happy working for them? Somehow, facing demons and protecting an already dead person offered more comfort, more solace, and more fun.

Doumeki liked the cuddling after in sex. It proved to be the nicest and the warmest position, ever. It was like holding a teddy bear, a really thin one, and ruffling teddy bear fur- well, he really liked cuddling Watanuki. In fact, he liked holding the boy close, even without the sex. He figured that sex isn't complete with the sweet aftermath. Even when he told his ward this, the young man had whole-heartedly agreed, and had whole-heartedly kissed him. And they didn't do it that time at all.

But as the winter ceased and spring came forth, the customers grew in numbers- what was once two, three customers every two days or so, people started coming in between the usual span, and the two were busy once more. Well, Watanuki was, anyway, because there wasn't really any more need of taking care of Watanuki, now that things were well. But the young man had started to lose the childish light in his mismatched eyes, and there were times Doumeki caught him just staring, their carefree days over once more.

"What's wrong?" He asked, when the loss of twilight in mystical eyes started to unnerve him, a hollow time before bed; and Watanuki had said, "Nothing," as what was expected, but when Doumeki leaned in for a kiss, or for at least an intimate moment, the Dimensional Witch had pulled away, curling upon himself on the edge of the bed.

Doumeki didn't know what to do then, and had only stared.

A few weeks later, when the Sakura blossoms had started to fall, Doumeki once again brought his employer to the same distant mansion they had gone to before, but this time the bodyguard knew he had his twin guns with him, and that served as some sort of assurance. Watanuki was looking as distant as ever, possibly even more- and halfway through the drive Doumeki decided it to be the right time to find out exactly what was troubling his employer and what was so important of going back to Kentaro-sama, the man who had requested their presence in the first place.

"If you won't tell me," Doumeki said threateningly, gripping the stirring wheel; "I am going to park this car immediately, stop driving, and we're not getting out." It seemed like an empty threat, somewhat, because Watanuki giggled, and though it usually brought butterflies to Doumeki's stomach, it only unnerved him now.

"That would deem unnecessary," said the Dimensional witch, smiling softly at his bodyguard. "I would hold myself responsible if...something happened without you knowing anything."

Doumeki's hold on the stirring wheel ceased, but he steeled his expression, deciding it best to follow stoicism once again. "Then say."

"Very well," said Watanuki, and he adjusted his seat so that he could relax a bit; lax hips stretched subconsciously on their own, and Doumeki caught a glimpse of white skin, and he hated Watanuki for being sexy like that- "If you remember, I did say I only partly granted Kentaro-sama's wish."

Doumeki blinked, inching closer to his employer. "And his wish is?" His heart had started to beat fast, and he realized there was something incredibly wrong with whatever that sick guy Watanuki had in debt.

"He wants skin." Replied Watanuki, his face going blank and pale; he looked so much like a corpse now. "Skin and flesh and blood. And in return, he would set Kohane-chan free."

Why was it always a sacrifice for someone else?

-

Maybe anybody could call it selfish, but Doumeki couldn't help feel angry, and he refused to talk the rest of the way. It was taking him all his attention to keep himself from turning the car around and driving home, and he guessed that Watanuki knew his urges, because some time during the drive Watanuki had told him how important it is for them to come to the mansion, and how important it was for Kohane to be free from Kentaro's clutches, as if it would be enough to justify his decisions then.

Doumeki was uberly tempted to say, Kohane-chan looked incredibly well when I've last seen her, and how exactly are you going to give him skin and flesh and blood? Even more was he tempted to say, but every time he attempts to he shudders, was Are you planning to skin yourself, for them?

So he says neither, and it's all like the things left unsaid, and he's got this nasty feeling in his gut that won't go away.

One thing he says, however, or asks- "And how did you partly grant his wish?"

Watanuki looked incredibly shaken at the question, but it was only a second before he collected himself and replied; "He...examined me. Checked the wares."

Doumeki glanced at him, his eyes momentarily leaving the road. "What?"

The Dimensional witch closed his eyes, leaned into the softness of the car seat; "I was naked, wasn't I?" And it was all that needed to be said.

Doumeki was biting his lips then, the tight grip on the stirring wheel causing his knuckles to go white, and he said, "I don't like it. This wish."

"Do I really have a choice, and do you really have a say in the matter?" Watanuki said.

"I care a lot about you, and I'm your bodyguard. And yes I have a say." Doumeki sighed, and then, "You can always choose not to grant it."

"I know that, but Kentaro's reciprocating equally anyway, and Kohane-chan needs me." Watanuki's eyes were twinkling, but Doumeki wasn't sure if it was the same intensifying gaze he always had or tears. "And as long as they pay well, and it doesn't disrupt the whole of the cosmos, I will grant their wishes."

An idea crossed Doumeki's mind, and he decided to voice it, realizing it might be what Kentaro was after. "Even for sex?"

The resolve in Watanuki's frame was frightening. "Even for sex."

He gripped the wheel and drove on.

-

"Welcome, Master Watanuki and Sir Doumeki." Greeted the butler, a familiar elderly man from before, bowing as he opened the door for them.

Watanuki nodded his greeting, and Doumeki gave a short wave before turning to his employer. "You really don't have to," he whispered quietly, but in his voice there was a tinge of hopelessness, because there was enough reason for Watanuki to grant the wish.

"Stay with Kohane," is what Watanuki told him, before ascending the stairs and disappearing into a room.

Doumeki looked around, and caught sight of Kohane, a little girl with blond wavy curls and deep brown eyes. He approached her, and Kohane smiled at him. They really did meet then, Doumeki thinks.

"How are things?" Asked Kohane, and the bodyguard saw the paper balloon in her hands, and realized she was wearing a spring dress with yellow flowers and it suited her. Keep your mind busy to forget, they always say.

"Well." He replied, and it couldn't get any better.

There were coins in his pocket, and he demonstrated a few tricks for the little girl's pleasure, palming and pocketing, tossing and vanishing. Kohane, though seeming to be mature enough to not giggle and squeal at his works, had her eyes shining in wonder, and Doumeki smiled to himself. Keep your mind busy to forget.

"Master Kentaro can make things disappear like that too, or so he says." Kohane said after a while, and Doumeki thought, shit, here we go. "He also likes to wear sunglasses, even in the morning. I don't know why."

"Aren't you close?" Doumeki asked.

"He doesn't talk to me." Replied Kohane, frowning. "He's always busy somewhere, and when he does see me, we don't talk. And he's always touching my hair, and smiling, and it would seem to be a warm gesture but it's not."

Doumeki touched her hand. "Are you not happy with him?"

Her eyes, a nice color of dark chest nut, were swimming in tears. "I'm scared."

And he knew Watanuki was, too.

-

He's not getting much, but what he see is a portion of what is happening, and it's enough because all he wants to do is to find out what exactly Watanuki's giving away. It's like watching an old film, all crackled and scattered; and when something finally seems solid, it's hazy, but all in all it's okay. Because he's seeing skin, hearing cries, a flash of knife and a flash of red; and he closes his eyes and says, to Kohane; "I have to go to him."

The knife's blade is soft, eerily soft, against his skin.

"I want to come along," Offered Kohane.

It's painful. Terribly painful. How can anybody survive sex that's so painful?

Their steps echoed off the mahogany walls as the two climbed the stairs, muffled slightly by the carpet that decorated the second floor.

His hands are bound, and his mouth is muffled, and he's realized he's staring at a pair of teeth in each way there should be eyes.

"The Master bedroom," Said Kohane, and Doumeki ran for the grand doors of it, the girl trailing behind.

It seems all familiar now, and the teeth in the eyes are terrifying, and he's got a terrible gut feeling that- in all the thrusting and pain and blood and semen- someone's going to finish what he-

Doumeki burst into the room, all anger and adrenaline replaced by shock and wonder and fear.

He's here to finish what he left behind.

Kentaro was gone, and in his stand, cornering Watanuki with sex and a blade, was Skurai, and he was smiling at them all.

---

A/N: First and foremost, an apology. I've dawdled for so long that I only have finished right NOW, at exactly 4:30 AM, and I don't have an excuse to explain myself. I'm so sorry guys. D: I blame DMC for this, because I've concentrated too much on finishing the game three times, hahaha. So yeah, there wasn't any time for this, though I haven't really abandoned it. I doubt I'd update next week though, but maybe the week after that- I'm going to take a vacation somewhere else, in the city maybe, and I won't bring my laptop with me. For the sake of my cousins and the money that's going to be spent buying Sandman. 8D I'm really sorry.

Anyway, onto some notes. I was planning to make Kentaro a demon or something, who eats people, but my sister suggested that it'd be better to have him become Skurai instead, because the guy is such an awesome serial killer and she's a fan of Hostel. Oh god, Hostel. That movie made me sick to the stomach, swear. So anyway, that's the change of plot. Woosh.

And someone's gonna die, but I won't say who. I'm mean that way, giving out spoilers that leave a craving. Daaaarnnnn youuuu.

And I'm in love with Vergil (is bricked) so yeah.

Thanks to the people still reading this, and to those who still review. I haven't forgotten. I love you people. xD And I promise to put a mighty good sex scene after a battle scene (or something) in the next chapter, but it'll be the penultimate installment. Meaning, it's the second before the last. D:

Onto my vacation now,

Hitsuiro Issa.

[EDIT] In the end, I was never able to upload it before I left my place. =_= So it's super late. I swear I'll make it up to you guys. xD How about some fanservice for the next chapter? xP