Fandom: XXXHOLiC
Characters: Ichihara Yuuko, Watanuki Kimihiro, Unnamed Male Mystery Character, Doumeki Shizuka
Theme: 14 - Wine
Warnings/Ratings: I wrote, "hell," in here once. Somewhere.
In A Nutshell: On dark, clear nights like these, she'd drag out some of it and sit outside on the grass, recalling bitter things, sweet things, all things; things she could toast to and things she never would.
Disclaimer: If anything, Holic owns me.
At first she had thought it had tasted awful. It was bitter, sour, intangibly something that absolutely did not suit her. She had pushed back the glass distastefully while he laughed at her, telling her she would just have to get used to it and before she could ask him just what the hell he had meant by that he'd held up his glass. Instead of saying the usual, "Kampai," he had said, "To the future." She had clinked her glass to his and muttered, "The future," back at him, taking another swig of the God-awful stuff and thinking that it at least took the edge off of things.
More years later than she'd like to think, he was gone and she was sipping that same vile substance. Not all alcohol tasted the same, thankfully, because in her line of work, she had really needed it. However, on dark, clear nights like these, she'd drag out some of it and sit outside on the grass, recalling bitter things, sweet things, all things; things she could toast to and things she never would. She heard the door slide open behind her and though she did not remove her eyes from the sky she knew it could only be one person.
"Would you like a drink, Watanuki?" Her voice floated over to him lazily, as if it had all the time in the world. Maybe it did; she didn't really want to know.
"No thank you, Yuuko-san. I was just wondering if-"
"There's anything else to do? No, you may go home now." Her mouth twisted into a smirk. "I daresay Doumeki-kun has been waiting out there for quite some time."
Contrary to the usual outraged yelling that would have normally followed this comment, only a shift of air resembling a sigh wandered over on the light breeze. "Good night, Yuuko-san."
"See you tomorrow, Watanuki," she said, never tearing her eyes from the sky. Another sigh wafted over and the door slid shut once more.
Good for you, Watanuki, she thought, idly breaking her gaze into the stratosphere to look at the glass she was holding and what it contained. I hope you never need this. With that, she fixed her stare upon the stars again and raised her glass.
"To the future."
That was not random in any way at all.
Sorry it sounds weird; I've been trying to cut down on my use of contractions (Yet I just said, "I've").
So I've already written the next one and that will be up shortly.