Hi again, everybody! Two updates in one day, how do you like that?

Truth is I had tons of free time today, just a few clients and no time consuming errands. It was super nice for obvious reasons, but also because I could work on two different fanfic projects! Also all of the feedback and love I've been getting on this has kept me super motivated, so thank you all so much!

So this chapter... I know the single bed was kind of a tease, but I'm afraid nothing too exciting happens. Not yet, anyway. I'll let you see for yourselves~

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to xxxHolic and I'm making no money off of this.

"I don't know what's wrong with me, I'm sorry!"

"I want to help you! Help us!"

"What if there is no help?! You'll abandon me!"

"How can you say such a thing?!"

Watanuki sat bolt upright, gasping for breath and drenched in cold sweat, his pounding heart and whirling mind flooded with so many colors and sounds and feelings he felt he might drown in it. He reached out blindly for something, anything, and his hand found Doumeki's arm. "Watanuki?" His name reached him under the flood and yanked him back up above the water. "Watanuki, what happened?" But Watanuki was still gasping and shuddering too hard to form words. "Breathe." He was vaguely aware of Doumeki taking hold of his upper arms. "Breathe with me. In… Then out… Yes. Again." Watanuki came down by degrees, matching his breath with the words until at last he got his wits about him. "Are you all right?" Doumeki asked, in a similar tone to how he'd spoken at dinner, but even more so, the way he spoke after their most dangerous missions for Yuuko.

"I'm, I'm okay," he managed to reply, shakily. He looked into Doumeki's face, the only clear image in the dark haze of night time without his glasses. His usual expression was taut with concern. "I'm, okay," Watanuki said again, "it was just a nightmare."

"That wasn't a nightmare," Doumeki contradicted him. "It was that girl, Yuriko, wasn't it?" Watanuki flushed and tried to wriggle out of Doumeki's strong grip.

"Get off," he snapped. Doumeki let go at once, but in the brief struggle, Watanuki's yukata was pulled down over his shoulder, revealing his flushed, sweaty chest. He cried out and rushed to cover himself up, blushing even deeper and turning away, though of course not much was visible in the darkness. He fixed his yukata, muttering angrily, then seized his glasses and shoved them on. When he finally turned around, he found Doumeki was beside him, holding out a glass of water.

"Please don't argue," he said, preemptively.

"URGH!" However, Watanuki seized the glass and drank half the water in one gulp, knowing an immediate, deep relief in spite of himself.

"Will you tell me what happened?" asked Doumeki. Watanuki finished the rest of the water, took a deep breath in and sighed it out before answering.

"I did see Yuriko," he said, staring into his empty glass. As usual, he hated to admit Doumeki was right, but there was nothing to be done about that. "She was arguing with her husband."

"Do you remember what they were arguing about?" asked Doumeki, quietly. Watanuki thought hard, his knuckles whitening around the glass.

"She said, 'I don't know what's wrong with me,'" he replied, slowly, furrowing his brow as more words seemed to flow from some unknown spring in his chest, "which makes me wonder if she's being possessed. Yuuko-san's talked about that before, and," he looked up at Doumeki, "that would also explain why I get so affected being near her." Doumeki nodded, his expression unchanging, though his eyes were unusually intense in the darkness. A moment's silence passed. "Well, say something!" snapped Watanuki, and it was comforting to return to his usual impatience and irritation.

"What else is there to say? I agree with you for once."

"For once?!" Doumeki took his hands off his ears before replying.

"So the question is: how do we get close enough to her to figure out what's going on without you passing out?" Watanuki growled a few swear words and threats in reply. "Our best shot is probably to do an activity with her and her husband."

"Don't decide things without me!"

"Did I decide anything?" Doumeki asked, patiently. "And like I said, we don't have to do any of the after dinner ones."

"SHUT UP!" Watanuki exploded, scrambling to his feet to go refill his glass of water, spewing more vitriol the whole time.

"Tomorrow let's find out what their plans are," said Doumeki, when Watanuki returned, sipping on his water.

"Fine," he replied, grudgingly, though he agreed it was the best course of action. He placed his water beside the futon, took off his glasses and crawled back under the covers.

"Are you sure you're all right?" asked Doumeki.

"Yes," replied Watanuki, through gritted teeth. Doumeki was still watching him. Watanuki pulled the blankets up to his chin, rolled onto his side to face away and curled in snugly around himself. He shut his eyes tight, but didn't hear Doumeki lie down again.

Just let him take care of you, Watanuki, for goodness sake! But of course, that wouldn't be nearly as entertaining.

I think of reviews when I summon my kekkai, leave me some!