That face
by: samthegreat

disclaimer: same as always

He had been coming over to Watanuki's apartment everyday since the night of Himawari's party. Said blue eyed boy looked up from his homework and over to the taller boy, who just happened to be sleeping on his sofa. That's how it had been everyday. They would enter the apartment and Doumeki would ambush the shorter boy with passionate kisses. They would move to the coach (or sometimes the bed). It was always Watanuki who stopped the act from going into the areas beyond heavy petting and making out. He sighed and inwardly congratulated himself on his self-restraint. Not everyone would be so willing to stop a lustful and wonton Doumeki as he grinded on top of them. No matter how much he enjoyed himself in their romps, he wasn't ready to cross that line.

He blushed as he reached over and shook the taller boy. "Hey, wake up. It's time to go over to Yuuko-san's so I can prepare her dinner." Doumeki sat up and stretched as if he was trying to reach the heavens. A small portion of his stomach exposed itself as his shirt rid up. Watanuki looked quickly away, embarrassed. "Why do you look away from me when you obviously don't want to?" "What are you talking about?" he said defensively. Doumeki motioned to the growing tightness in the shorter boy's pants. He turned quickly away and willed his lower half to behave. "Very funny, mocking something I can't control!" "Why do you want to control it? It's natural and I really enjoy it." Doumeki was giving him that lustful look again. "Let's just go," he mumbled.

Watanuki sighed as he slaved over the hot stove. He would have much more preferred to be lounging about like Yuuko-san and Doumeki were. He listened absently to their conversation. "How have you been today, Doumeki?" "Fine." "Do anything interesting today after school?" "I was over at Watanuki's apartment all day." "Again? You've been there after school every day this week haven't you," she said with a smirk, "Sounds a little suspicious to me." Watanuki interrupted nervously, "Oh ho ho. I know! Doumeki is so annoying. But I can't get rid of him. He comes over after school now to bother me. I guess he doesn't think he's annoying enough during school." Yuuko looked at the nervously laughing boy disapprovingly, "I suppose." Watanuki returned to the kitchen to escape Doumeki's hurt eyes.

On their way home, Doumeki was silent. The shorter boy had learned that this was never a good sign. "You're upset." "How'd you guess?" Watanuki sighed, "I'm sorry." "Why can't you just tell Yuuko about our relationship? Hell, she probably already knows about it." "I…I just can't. I'm not ready." They stopped in front of his apartment building. "I'll see you tomorrow," Doumeki shouted over his shoulder as he began to leave. "Wait," the bespectacled boy intruded, "Um, you want to come up for a while." The taller boy turned back to his reluctant lover. He was blushed and refused to look at the archer. He had offered this in hopes of pacification, but Doumeki wouldn't let it be that easy for him. "That's okay," he turned back around to leave, "I don't want you doing anything you aren't ready for. Just forget anything ever happened between us. It's probably for the best, Watanuki."

The next day, Doumeki wasn't in school. Watanuki starred into his too-full bento box. He couldn't eat all of this by himself. He always depended on the boy with the healthy appetite when he prepared the box every morning. "Sorry, I know I'm late." I looked up at Himawari with a weak smile and assured her she wasn't late. As they ate and Himawari chatted about the days events, he looked to his side where the taller boy usually occupied. It just wasn't the same. When had he become so accustomed to the other boy?

After school, he resolved himself. He would go to the shrine and apologize to the other boy. He climbed the stairs to the shrine. The bespectacled boy looked around. He remembered the last time he had been there. That time he had acted like a fool as well and Doumeki forgave him without a second thought. Maybe he would get lucky this time too. He approached the front door of the shrine's living quarters. I knocked gingerly. He waited and waited. No response. The blue eyed boy signed, defeated and disappointed. He couldn't help but feel that Doumeki was doing this on purpose just to toy with him. With one last look over his shoulder, he left the grounds of the shrine and headed to the wish granting shop.

"You look a little tense today, Watanuki." The elegant shop keep turned her eyes from her little black companion to her indentured servant. He ignored her and continued airing out her various possessions. Yuuko shrugged and continued to drink as the black Mokona took its time moving its chess piece across the two toned board. "Check!" it shouted happily. "Oh, Mokona! You're so cool!" The two giggled and took swings from their beer cans. The makeshift maid sighed in his misery as he imagined what drunken requests would be made of him that afternoon. "Really," he heard her silky voice cut in again, "You do seem tense. A little annoyed, maybe worried. Trouble with Doumeki, maybe?" He huffed and pretended to be concentrating at his task at hand. She smirked and congratulated herself for her intuition. "Lover's quarrels are always so pointless, but very romantic."

He spun towards her horrified. "Doumeki and I are not lovers!" She smiled softly as she examined the chess board before her. "Really, we aren't! Why would you think that! I can't stand him! Plus, I love Himawari-chan! I really do." Yuuko nodded silently but kept her smirk. Watanuki stood up with a furious look in his eyes. "Fine, don't believe me. But I'm not involved with him at all!" He turned to retreat from the room. "Watanuki." He turned back to the beckoning woman. "The heart may seem like the biggest traitor at this moment, but it just knows more sooner than the rest of your body. This is a time to trust in the unknown, because it is going to happen anyways. Your heart already decided it for you." She silently moved her bishop and smiled graciously at the black Mokona. "Check mate! Now, Watanuki! What's for dinner?"

The next day at school was uneventful for the bespectacled boy. He hadn't seen the taller boy all day. Lunch came and he walked slowly to the outside grounds of the school. "He's probably doing this to torment me," he muttered as he hung his head even lower. "Oi, talking to yourself? Aren't you strange enough?" The shorter boy spun around and faced the other. He fumed. "Why haven't you been in school? I've been worried." "Why worry," the archer replied blandly, "There is nothing between us." With that, Doumeki pushed pass the shocked boy and retreated into the crowd of students. He moved to follow the taller boy but was stopped by the cheerful voice of Himawari-chan. "Hi Watanuki-kun! Let's have lunch together." He gave her a half smile as he tried to look around her small but imposing frame. "That sounds nice," he commented absently as he looked on to the other boy.

His eyes shifted quickly to the girl in front of him and noticed her worried face. "Watanuki-kun, are you alright? You look a little pale and nervous." "No," he whispered as he felt a stinging in his heart, "I'm not alright." His hand flew to his chest and he clenched his school uniform tightly. 'Your heart already decided it for you.' "That's right," he mumbled slightly. "Watanuki-kun, are you feeling ill? Hurt? What's wrong with you?" Sweet Himawari-chan. So nice of her to worry, but Watanuki knew that this sort of pain she could not help with. "I'm not alright," he yelled and he grabbed at his chest, "Because I'm in love with Doumeki Shizuka!"

The school seemed to stop in that moment. With his hand still to his chest, he froze and allowed his to roam the school grounds. Himawari-chan looked surprised by his out burst while the rest of the students and facility in the general area looked at the boy with confusion and annoyance. But there was only one response he was worried about. Doumeki was turned towards the shorter boy with a small smile. He nodded and turned to retreat to their usual lunch spot. He saw Himawari-chan's smile out of the corner of his eye. "Oh," she said with her usual brightness, "Is that all?" She giggled as she made her way towards Doumeki. Defeated and humiliated, Watanuki sulked and slowly headed towards the other two.

They began their lunch in the usual manner as Himawari chatted happily and Doumeki took large helpings from the bento. Watanuki sighed and looked over at the taller boy. Mutual understanding passed between them and it was quickly replaced by Watanuki's annoyance. "Oi, this tempera is a bit burnt. Tomorrow be more careful when you make it." The shorter boy growled and things seemed to be normal. As for the rest of the school, every one continued on their way because, honestly, no one was really that surprised.

Alright. That's that end of the story. I planned on closing it here because I think the story ends nicely without becoming to trait. Either way, thanks to all that reviewed and I'm glad this story seemed to go over well with so many people. There are far too little xxxholic stories out there and I'm glad there is a reliable and dedicated audience.