april kisses
under the weather
by: samthegreat
disclaimer: characters borrowed from the good people at clamp. Watch out for same sex
romantic themes.
Watanuki raised his clenched fists up to the sky and shook them with unfiltered rage. "Damn you, Yuuko!" He huffed and ignored the half sacred looks he was getting from the occupants of the street. "Damn that Yuuko. I hate her ruling over my life and making me do such stupid things." Those stupid things included his current mission. It had been a good day, specifically for one reason. Doumeki was out sick so he was able to forget that annoying face. Watanuki wasn't able to spend lunch with his beloved Himawari-chan, but still enjoyed himself in the comfortable silence that could only be accomplished alone. He didn't even dread going to Yuuko's shop for his usual afternoon of hard work. It wasn't until he actually arrived at the shop that he knew his day had been a series of misleading happenings.
"Watanuki's home!" The cute minions screeched as they clamped onto the thin boy as soon as he entered the door. "Hello, you two," he said in amused as he petted their respective heads. "Under the weather." He turned to see Yuuko step from behind a silk screen. "What was that, Yuuko-san?" "Doumeki. He's sick today, isn't he?" "Yeah, but how did you know?" She moved to her long physiatrist lounger and stretched out to her full length. "To take so much joy from another's misery. That's so cold blooded, Watanuki-kun." The bespectacled boy huffed and waved the thought away. "I'm sure he's not that miserable." The witch smiled her usual enchanting smirk and panicked shivers ran down the boy's spine. "Yes, and you will go and make sure of it." "What?" She turned over on her stomach and said with a note of dismissal, "And make sure you take some of those cookies you baked yesterday."
So now the tormented boy was on his way to the shrine to fulfill Yuuko's sick and twisted punishment. "And my day was going so well too," he moped as he began the long and slow climb up the shrine steps. He raised a shaky hand to the door of the shrine's living quarters and knocked softly, hoping that the inhabitants would miss his presence and he could go back to the shop with a guilt free conscience. Unfortunately, Doumeki's mother seemed to have exceptionally good hearing. "Hello," she answered the door with a question visible on her face. Remembering his manners, the blue eyed boy bowed deeply, "I'm Watanuki Kimihiro. I know Doumeki-kun from school. I brought him this in hopes that he gets better soon."
The woman's eyes lit up when she heard his explanation. "Oh, yes. Forgive me, Kimihiro-kun. I should have known you would stop by." She welcomed him inside. "Excuse me Doumeki-san, but how did you know I would be here today?" She smiled softly and in the same manner Watanuki remembered his own mother's grins, "Well, of course you would stop by to see Shizuka when he's felling unwell. He talks about you so often. Shizuka always speaks of you as his great friend. In fact, he told me to refuse all visitors unless you happened to stop by." She said all of this with a pride only a mother could know. Watanuki couldn't help but envy his rival for having a mother who obviously adored him so much that she would misunderstand all the teasing and snide remarks her son must make towards Watanuki as a genuine friendship. He chose not to correct the woman as she led him to the other boy's room.
"Shizuka has a fever I'm afraid," she said with concern as she entered the empty room, "He's taking a cold soak in order to bring it down. Why don't you wait here, Kimihiro-kun? He should be out in a moment." She closed the door behind her as she left the room. Watanuki's face changed from one of politeness to one of disdain. He looked around the room. It wasn't very big, but seemed comfortable. It was a bit messy and displayed the obvious signs of a doting mother's attempts to maintain a clean space for her beloved son. The shelves in the room were covered with archery ribbons and trinkets from his adorning fan girls. Watanuki felt sick as he looked upon the huddled items. Why did everything having to do with Doumeki have to remind the bespectacled boy of his less than stellar attributes.
Sour thoughts ran through his mind but stopped abruptly as his eyes fell onto a certain photo album. In roman lettering it was labeled "April 1st". Nervously, the blue eyed boy opened the book and scanned its contents. Inside, a pair of blue eyes hidden behind thin wire glasses stared back up at him. Pictures of him. Lots of them. "Ever since we first met," Watanuki muttered as he flipped through the album with awe. He felt the corners of his mouth tug up as he spotted a picture taken only a week before. It was an image of himself, Himawari-chan, Yuuko-san, and the strange black Mokona. They were in the park for a lunch picnic that Yuuko had insisted on. It was a nice afternoon, the boy had to admit. There has hardly any arguing between the two boys but, sure enough, the next picture Watanuki laid eyes on was one of a very irate looking boy in glasses screaming at a taller boy who had his ears cover. He couldn't help but smile.
From down the hall, Watanuki could hear steady foot steps approaching. He quickly shoved the album back where it belonged and tried his best to be nonchalant. "Oi." The taller boy nodded to the shorter as he walked calmly to his bed and plopped down. He snuggled down into his blankets and gave a content sigh. Watanuki blushed and extended the box of cookies he had prepared. "Yuuko-san made me come over. Here." Doumeki took the gift with a blank expression and muttered his thanks. An awkward silence filled the room. "So, your mom said you were expecting to see me." The bed ridden boy looked slowly up from his box of cookies with a slightly horrified look. "I..." he swallowed his mouth full of cookies, "I...I figured Yuuko would send you here." "Ah." The awkwardness ensued.
"So...how are you feeling?" Watanuki asked, trying to break the silence. "My mother said I have a fever," he shrugged as if it was unimportant and took another bit of one of the delicious, Watanuki-made cookies. The shorter boy frowned and felt his eyes stray to the album on the self. With out meaning to, he leaned down and placed his lips on the other boy's forehead. Said bed ridden boy froze. The chaste kiss lasted very shortly as Watanuki stood to his full height and looked at the other thoughtfully. "You don't seem too bad off." He looked down at the other boy's crimson and stunned face. "What?" "You…kissed me." Watanuki's head finally caught up with the rest of his body. He sputtered, "No, I didn't. That was just a way to check your temperature. I learned it from my parents." "A likely story," Doumeki yawned as he snuggled deeper into his blankets. "Now listen hear you!" At that time a knock sounded at the bedroom door.
"Oi," sighed the ill boy. His mother entered with the same bright smile as before, "Kimihiro-kun, will you be joining us for dinner?" The bespectacled boy looked over slightly at the other. "No," he said turning red, "I have to get back to work." She thanked him for his visit and left the two one their own. "You have to leave so soon?" "Yeah, Yuuko-san will want her dinner. Can't keep her waiting, now can I?" "Fine," the taller of the two said with a wave, "See you tomorrow." Watanuki looked over at the room's other occupant, "Are you sure you'll be able to make it?" Sinking deeper into his bed and closing his eyes, Doumeki commented quietly, "I think your lips have medicinal properties."
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