A/N: Ahh, I am so sorry it took me so long to update, but better late than never right? Anyways, I'll let you start reading.
Disclaimer: I don't own xxxHolic.
3rd Tare: Spring
--
Mari had waited patiently as I had asked her, and we were now walking together to school, all awkwardness aside. And in truth, she was a really lovely girl, happy, unnervingly easy to talk to, and somewhat...motherly in a way, it sickened me.
How could Doumeki ever possibly consider double crossing this girl? I feel so disgusted for being the reason for it, I'm so disgusting.
We managed to get a couple blocks away from my apartment when Mari's sweet disposition began to change.
"Ne, Kimihiro-kun. Don't you think Shizuka and I make a good couple."
I had already become considerably proficient in lying during our previous conversations and answered smoothly. "You really suit each other."
"I think so too." She said smiling in my direction. "But I have a feeling he's become uninterested."
That was the understatement of the year, I thought wryly, but then slapped myself for acting so cruel in such an unethical situation.
"Why would you say that, I'm sure Doumeki just...has his reasons." Mostly me...
"I really hope that's all it is." She said sighing, but then she stopped, and I did so as well, turning to face her. "What is it?" I asked as she continued to stare at the pavement.
She stared at me, trying to detect some sort of wavering, any slip of tongue, or facial features. She sighed again, and rustled with something in her jacket pocket.
"Do you love him?" She whispered inaudibly and my facade slipped just the tiniest bit. "Wh-What? What are you talking about Mari-san?"
"Do you love him?" She asked in a more direct tone, staring more intensely at me. "Do you love Shizuka, Kimihiro-kun?" My mind went blank, how was i supposed to respond to that? When did she start to suspect?
"Th-That's a ridiculous question to ask Mari-san." I said, trying to sound unfazed, trying to assure her to her insanity. She then pulled something out of her pocket, a small paper rectangle of sorts, and I gasped at further inspection. "Mari-san, what's that?" I asked, scared of the answer.
"Probably something important to you." She said darkly, once again averting her gaze from mine. "Its to bad really." And she held the picture in front of her face, holding each end. I tried to step closer, as if I was in disbelief of my stupidity. How could I forget that, why did I even let her into my house? And then she slowly tore the paper down the middle, causing my heart to ache slightly and my hand to reach out to stop her.
She delivered a quick slap to my face as she let the torn piece blow in the wind caused by the busy street's passing cars. "How stupid do you think I am?" She asked, her voice etched with fast approaching tears. "I've known since the day I found out there was a new student, I knew he would leave me." My hand was pressed firmly on my now reddened cheek and I was still having difficulty processing the information being given to me.
"He'll leave you too." She said, fully confident in her conviction. "You'll become old to him and he'll just throw you away." My eyes widened at the realization, what she was saying was probably true. "No." I whispered, scared at how my voice rang with panic stricken denial.
Mari's face scrunched in anger and she approached me, causing me to back a little closer to the street. "He will. Why do you think he would leave me?" Another step forwards, another backwards. "I loved him! Who are you to take him away from me?" She screamed, her voice muffled slightly by the passing cars behind me. "I loved him so much, you could never understand! I loved him I loved him!" She turned hysterical, and I was now at the edge of the sidewalk, completely incapable of defending myself.
All of her statements had stricken me to the core, all of my fears, worries were coming to fruition. She grabbed the front of my coat and held me closer to herself, so she could whisper in my ear.
"At least have the decency to wait your turn." She whispered, and then she force fully pushed me off the sidewalk, into the oncoming traffic into the blaring horns, and the last things I remember was a tight, secure embrace, and Doumeki's worried figure rushing towards me, blurring out Mari's twisted smile.
...
I awoke in an unusual house, tucked tightly into a large bed in the middle of a dark room, netted curtains with intricate butterflies fenced me into my stuffed chamber. I tried to sit up but fell back as my head began to swirl.
"Where am I?" I whispered to myself, not expecting to receive an answer.
"You are in my shop." Came a soothing voice. I turned towards the sound and was welcomed by a tall, lithe woman with cascading black hair and a draping kimono. I looked at her questioningly and she held up her hand before I could speak.
"I am Yuko, and my shop grants wishes to those who seek them." She said, in an overly-wise-to-the-point-of-creepiness sort of tone, but for some odd reason i fully believed the in the answer she had given me, all unusualness ignored.
"What happened?" I asked, not even realizing it was my own voice I was hearing. I heard Yuko turn, her clothing rusting with the action. "I am not the one to tell you, now rest, there will be more waiting for you when you wake." She slid the door open, but I stopped her in her retreat.
"Yuko-san?" I asked hoping she would listen to my request. "I have a wish I would like to have granted."
...
//
Mari had been dragged along with us as we followed the mysterious girl who had seemed to materialize out of thin air, just in time to pull Watanuki to safety. Watanuki was nestled safely in my chest, and his sleeping form was probably the only thing that kept me from lashing out at the stunned twit behind me.
Now the mysterious girl was another case entirely. I was completely awestruck as I watched her save Watanuki's life. When Mari had pushed Watanuki into the street, I felt like my entire life was collapsing, and I unconsciously ran towards the soon-to-be incident, preparing to block any being that dare try and take Watanuki away from me, but then he was saved, and I was as well. For the first time in my life, I was indebted to someone.
I had approached the now unconscious Watanuki who was laying crumpled beneath the stranger, who stared angrily at me as I knelt besides them.
"Its about time you two showed up." She spat angrily at me. "What the hell were you doing, watching this happen?" She asked, anger still spewing from her aura. Apparently she had been aware of my tailing of Watanuki and Mari, which somewhat comforting in an unusual stalker-ish sort of way.
The girl didn't wait for an answer as she stood up, brushing off the accumulation of dirt that had collect on her clothing. "It doesn't matter. What matters is the fact that you are coming with me, and we're leaving right now." She stated and started to walk away.
"Where are you going to take us?" I asked, as I picked up Watanuki more concerned over his well being and getting him somewhere where I could tend to his unconscious state then listening to the probably really-dangerous-when-angry stranger walking away.
"Somewhere where we can this all sorted out. And you," She said, pointing at Mari, "you come too, we are going to need to do something about you." She then looked at all of us. "You owe me."
//
...
"That is fine Watanuki-kun. Your price is already being paid." And just then, a mirror image of myself walked into the room, except for the far more feminine aspects of the strangers face, and the pure beauty that radiated from her. "You two play nice now okay?" Yuko teased as she left the room. I felt a small smile creep onto my face.
The familiar stranger came and sat next to my bad, hands folded loosely in her lap, gaze on her hands. "Watanuki-kun?" She asked, in a guilty sort of tone. "Yes?" I asked in response. "I need you to do something for me." She said in a saddened tone and my entire being felt obliged to do it, to fulfill this complete stranger's every want and need. "Anything." I stated, and the girl's head jerked up and she stared at me in disbelief and I smiled back at her.
"You were the one who saved me weren't you?" Asked, answering her unspoken question of why.
...
//
"Mari, I need to talk to you now." I stated to the dazed girl sitting on the wooden porch. She looked at me, eye's slightly fogged. "What is it Doumeki-san?" She asked, her voice quivering slightly. "Just come with me." I stated bluntly as I grabbed her wrist, pulling her into the open lawn.
I stopped and faced her slightly shocked face. "What were you thinking?" I growled out. My fists clenching as my previous anger began to emerge. "Why would you do such a horrible thing?" I asked her my voice rising.
"I-I don't know, it just happened." She whispered, turning her face quickly away from me. Tears started to accumulate in her long lashes. "I would never, I never meant to, I really didn't." She insisted, but my anger didn't subside.
"He could have died Mari, you could have killed him." I stated, and the girls tears started to stream, flooding her cheeks and cascading down her chin. "No, I wouldn't, I swear, I would never." She began to shake her head in disbelief, and she turned around to escape. I quickly grabbed her wrists, turning her around and I stared intensely at her. "Why would you do that?" I asked her again and her face turned angry at her restriction.
"I loved you. I loved you and you just tossed me aside, did as you ple-"
"I didn't toss you aside." I stated, angrier then I thought possible. "You just wouldn't let me go. I've been trying to tell you for weeks, trying to make it easier, but you just held on. Snap out of your denial and accept the fact that its over between us!"
"No, no, its not, I loved you so much, how can you just say that?" She asked, exasperated, trying to break free of my hold. I breathed out, trying to collect myself. "Exactly, you loved me, that doesn't mean that you still are in love with me. You can't love me, because I don't love you. And just to clear up any questions, I did love you, I wouldn't accept such a strong emotion so half-heartedly, I truly did love you, but now-"
I drifted off, the only sound between us was Mari's small sobs. She sniffled and then looked up at me. "You...you really love him don't you." She stated, realization breaching her features, and I released her now relaxed hands, which fell to her sides before she brought them to her eyes to wipe away her stray tears.
"You're really in love with him." She repeated, and I nodded. She sniffed again and then adorned a huge smile. "I'm so sorry Doumeki-san, I should have accepted it, I'm really sorry." She whispered again, and then she turned and walked back into the house, for what I wasn't sure.
//
--
All the preparations had been made, and I was once again in my ceremonial black and white garb Yuko had created for these situations where her assistance was necessary.
It was so unusual to have Watanuki's given consent, without him even asking to know about the situation, this Watanuki was so much more relaxed then the ones I had previously encountered, in fact, he didn't seem fazed at all once I had enlightened him to the details his agreement entailed.
"Whatever keeps us together." He had stated, and all I could do was nod and I attempted to exit the room when Watanuki pulled me back. "What will happen to Mari?" He asked, and I shrugged. "Its in Yuko's hands, and that of hitsuzen." Watanuki nodded and then drifted to sleep.
So now here I waited with Yuko and Mari, all awaiting Doumeki and Watanuki's entrance.
The two boys eventually came, fingers laced as they approached us. Watanuki turned to Mari, his face apologetic, and he stared at the dewed grass.
"I-I'm so sorry, Mari-san, I feel so awful." He started, but Mari shook her head. "Mmnmm. No Kimihiro-kun, I'm the one who is sorry, I was so out of line, I don't even know what came over me. Just please, take care of him." She said, truly sincere, and I couldn't help but smile at Watanuki's relieved expression.
"Of course." He exclaimed, and Mari jumped him, delivering a huge hug. Watanuki seemed slightly taken back, but soon returned the embrace. "Thank you." They had whispered in unison.
The pulled away, and Doumeki and Mari exchanged understanding looks and nods, no words were spoken, but inaudible understanding was exchanged between them.
Then Yuko approached them and proceeded in giving her usual instructions, which all three of us followed instantaneously, completely submissive to Yuko's will.
The same unexplainable warmth began to fill me and soon I felt as if I was being carried from the ground, absolutely weightless, blissful.
--
...Yuko's perspective...
I watched as my trio began to disintegrate into the night sky when an unusual wariness crept through me. "Be safe." I whispered to the sky. I then turned to Mari, who seemed mystified by the display in front of her.
"I'll miss them." She stated, her voice saddened. I smiled at the girl.
I began to walk towards my home, but stopped just next to the motionless adolescent. "I have a small token to give you Mari-chan. Watanuki was particularly insistent that I give it to you." I said as I dug into the folds of my kimono and pulled out the small strip of photo booth pictures which had been the manifestation of Watanuki's previous wish. I handed it to her and she gasped in surprise, clapping her hand over her mouth, more tears appearing in her eyes.
"What is this?" She asked quietly. "How did you?"
"He wished for you happiness, and he wanted you to find it soon." I stated and the girl looked at me then fell to the ground hugging the photos to her chest. I then walked into the mysterious shop I called my home.
...
--
I had been floating for too long I realized, but just then I felt the familiar pull that happened every time I reentered Ain. I then felt as if all of my strength had left me once I passed through the usual dimensional tare, as if I was suddenly emptied of my insides, and I began to black out, fazing in and out of consciousness as I began to loose altitude. Soon, my rate of descent continued, and I was just barely hanging on when I felt my feet lightly touch the ground. Relief spread through me as I finally let go, falling to the hard ground.
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A/N: Ah, I am so sorry it took me so long to update, its been pretty hectic! Anyways...Please review! Pretty Please!
