That face

by: samthegreat

disclaimer: Watanuki and Doumeki aren't mine, but I could probably by Himawari-chan off of eBay…

"I won't lie to you. It will be very dangerous," Yuuko-san said seriously as she swished around the liquor in her glass. To have Yuuko-san actually admit that she was sending me on a dangerous mission made me extra nervous. "Luckily," she continued, "I'll be sending Doumeki along with you." I paled. Ever since that night at the movies, I had been avoided moments where the two of us might be alone.

"What exactly do we need to do," he asked. "A contact of mine will leave something very important, very valuable at a very dangerous location." "So all we have to do is go and pick it up. That's it?" "That's all," she said with a smirk. I knew there was going to be more to it than just this. I wanted to leave the shop, to get away from Yuuko-san's smirk and promises of disaster. I wanted to escape the slow glances and secret smiles Doumeki was giving me. Tomorrow was Saturday and the day after that I'd have to handle whatever this crazy mission entitled. I sighed loudly.

He insisted on walking me home. Protesting just got me more of those looks and smiles, as if he was secretly winning a war. "My archery competition is tomorrow," he added with a sort of casualness that suggested it was a big deal to him. "Maybe you'll come." "Not a chance," I said defensively, which was strange. I felt him give me a look I knew I would give in to, so I avoided his eyes all together. I did see his mouth begin to open but before he could say anything, I caught a glimpse of Himawari-chan.

"Himawari-chan!" I waved happily. "Watanuki-kun, Doumeki-kun! Hi!" Then she turned her full attention onto him. "Doumeki-kun, are you ready for tomorrow?" "I suppose." She smiled and turned to me, "You'll be there tomorrow, won't you Watanuki-kun?" I shook my head and was about to protest when she pouted sweetly. "Oh, Watanuki-kun, you just have to come. We need to cheer our Doumeki-kun on to victory." I was adamant about not going, but she was just so cute when she pouted. "Sure, Himawari-chan. I'll be there."

We said goodbye to Himawari-chan and continued home. He was unusually quiet, but I felt his eyes as a constant on me. I had enough. "What?" He was expecting it. "I ask you to come to my competition tomorrow and, oh no, you can't. But all Kunogi has to do is smile and you're so willing to accommodate." "So, what's wrong with that?" "You still like her!" he shouted. I never thought I would hear him shout. I think he was surprised too. I was still mad though, "Of course, I still like her. Did you think that one bad experience would change how I felt about her? Did you think I'd magically forget, that I'd give up and turn to you?"

I wasn't aware of what exactly I was saying until it was already out. I could tell by the way he refused to look at me that I was right. This was a truth that I couldn't handle, not right then. "Just forget about it," I mumbled. I began to walk away. "Oi, Watanuki, wait." I ignored him.

The next morning, I dreaded going to the competition. I had to, though. I met Himawari-chan there. She chatted excitedly and was in disbelief that I had never been to one of his archery competitions. "Doumeki-kun is so wonderful. He looks so cool when he strings his bow!" I ping of jealousy spread through my chest. I envied Himawari-chan. I envied her ability to give compliments so easily without having to be concerned about the different ways they could be taken. I was jealous that she could refer to Doumeki with a –kun at the end and physical contact between her and him or me and her could be laughed off so casually. There was nothing secret about Himawari-chan. She wasn't trying to deny anything like I was. No. she was honest like Doumeki.

"Oi, there he is!" She shouted his name and waved cheerfully. I looked down from the bleachers to see him look up straight at her, wave, and smile. It pained me again. I was privilege to those sorts of smiles because I blocked them before he could create them. I just watched on as he loaded his bow and took his first shot. Perfect, of course. I watched his stance, the graceful way he drew the boy, the way he held his breath right before he let it go. To myself, I could finally admit just how cool he looked. I was attracted to his tall frame and thin figure. Attracted to the underlying strength and the grace he used to control it. And that face, for all that I had hated it, didn't look so bad when it was concentrated on the target.

I felt the blood drain from my face and concentrate in a very inconvenient place. Horrified, I quickly excused my self to Himawari-chan and stood carefully to go to the rest room. His arrow missed its mark. It was slightly off center. Himawari-chan cried out disappointed and insisted I stay to watch him make a comeback. I sat back down and he was perfect again. Then I thought, had he been watching me? My attempting to leave, had that caused him to falter? The rest of the match, he had no problems. He was perfect.

A crowd of people rushed him after he had won and I took it as a cue to leave and prepare for the next day's mission. I had just left the school grounds when I heard his common greeting. "Oi." I turned to face him. I refused to lower my eyes but even more importantly I was refusing to apologize. I think he knew that. He neared me and gingerly cupped my jaw. "Nice match. Congratulations," I said boldly. "Yeah?" he asked not at all surprised. "Yeah." If he had kissed me then, I wouldn't have fought. I would have told that spot in my stomach, 'See, I'll give it a try. Now, shut up.' He was leaning in but never met me. Himawari-chan…

"Congrats, Doumeki-kun!" She embraced him loosely. She turned merrily to me, "Now, aren't you glad you came Watanuki-kun!" I couldn't help but smile and nod. As she chatted on about how we should celebrate, I looked over at Doumeki. He mouthed, 'I'm sorry.'

And now I'm stuck on this stupid bus heading for the middle of nowhere just for Yuuko-san's damn mission!

Watanuki slammed shut the journal as he said for the hundredth tie that day, "No, you can't read it!" Doumeki didn't look deterred, "I'm sure it's full of important things." "That's right." He gave the shorter boy a secret look. "Do you write about me?" The other nodded. "So, I'm important to you." "You're annoying, that's what you are!" The bus came to its final destination and the two feuding boys got off. Down the road was what had to of been the creepiest Western style mansion with the worst stench that Watanuki had ever encountered. He began to cough. "Oi," he felt a hand being placed on the back of his neck, "Stay close to me, I'll protect you."

They headed to the house. The front door opened with a creak and billows of black smoke assaulted the shorter of the two. He gave into a fit of coughing as the taller led him inside with soothing, "It's okay, I'm here. I'll protect you." But it wasn't okay. The inside was a work of horrors. Floating monsters, suicide maidens, invisible demons, and ghosts in general occupied the house. They all had two things in common: they all wanted Watanuki, and all hated Doumeki. He was able to drive the more sinister spirits way, but Doumeki knew that the house was big and dangerous and Watanuki couldn't make it all the way through.

"Oi, where are we supposed to go?" "Yuuko-san said it would be in a paper bag on a mantle in one of the back rooms," the bespectacled boy huffed with exhaustion. It was too much. The homicidal stares of the ghost and the horrifying feeling of certain doom were too much for him. He sank down to his knees as a terrible and awesome power crept up behind him. "Oi, it's okay. Just breathe." He looked up at the other boy. "It's not okay," he motioned behind him slightly, "Something's about to get me." He said it so calmly, as if to announce, 'This is my death, I enter into it of my own free will.' In that moment, Doumeki felt what the other felt and was horrified. Grabbing the other boy, He through Watanuki out of the way as whatever monster was after the smaller boy, grabbed a hold of the archer instead.

His body was sent upwards and with a painfully series of thuds and cracks, Doumeki gave into the monster and screamed. Jus as soon as it started, it was over. The monster had a prize and quickly dragged Doumeki out of the room and into an unexplored area of the mansion. Watanuki was too terrified for words. Well, all except for one, "Doumeki!" Ignoring the pain in his chest and the loaming villains, he took off running in the direction the monster had carried the other. He skidded to a halt as he saw a large granite mantle with a non-descript paper bag. With out thinking twice, he grabbed the bag and continued his search.

He huffed as he came to the room he knew Doumeki was in. In one corner, lay the crumpled boy. He rushed to his side. "Doumeki! Doumeki! Answer me right now, Doumeki Shizuka!" The boy opened his eyes slowly and smiled the same smile he wore at the archery competition. Watanuki smiled back through his tears. He knew that though he had look at Himawari-chan, that smile was really for him. "Are you alright? Can you stand?" The taller boy shook his head and lightly ran his hand over his cracked ribs. "Why?" he heard the shorter boy demand. "Why do you always put yourself in danger for me? Tell me! Why?" Doumeki offered that smile again, "How could I let my Kimihiro get hurt. Don't you know idiots have a low pain tolerance?" Watanuki let out a sob as his arms encircled the other boy. They were going to die and he knew it. The monsters were hungry and the boys were delicious. "It's okay," he told the archer, "I'm here." The first spirit struck and he knew they were dead because he heard a horrible scream.

But he hadn't moved his lips. He looked up to see a man dressed in crimson and black slaying the monster. Two others, and blonde in blue and a boy wearing a cape doing a series of kicks, where assisting. He recognized them. With the last spirit slain, the man in black huffed and looked down at him, "He dead?" He shook his head, "No…but, you're those clients of Yuuko-san. Why are you here?" The one in blue smiled, "The dimensional witch told us if we wanted something valuable, we'd have to come help the two of you since you'd most likely be slacking off and making out."

The boy with glasses paled and was about to protest as the tall man in black moved to carry Doumeki. "Be careful, Kurogane-san," the brown haired boy said softly as he threw an understanding smile at Watanuki. As if by magic, they were in Yuuko-san's shop yet again. The girl who had been with the group before hand was there and ran over with a worried expression. "Is he okay? Is anyone else hurt?" "We're all fine, hime," the boy reassured her with a smile. "Good job." Yuuko stood in a floral kimono. She handed the boy a box. "I think you earned this." "And it will help us get the feather in that world." "But of course," she said with a smirk. He thanked her and the white Mokona spread its wings and sent them away to another world.

She looked down at the two boys. "He'll be fine, Watanuki. This much damage will heal." Watanuki handed her a bag. "Ah, good," She looked at the bag's contents greedily and pulled out…

"Manga! You had us almost killed for manga!" Watanuki was irate as he prepared their evening meal. Yuuko-san poured a drink for the bandaged Doumeki and ignored his rants. "Don't you ignore me, Yuuko-san! What was the meaning of this whole mission?" She looked at him innocently, "What, I think it was worth it." He was about to scream again, but a hand on his neck stopped him. "Oi, calm down." The bespectacled boy sighed and returned to the kitchen. "Oi, Doumeki-kun, Watanuki listens to you so well now." The taller boy grinned into his glass of liquor, "Of course he does. I'm his important person." From the kitchen came the protests, "Annoying, annoying! Not important!"

reveiw