Disclaimer: I don't own xxxHolic, the ladies of clamp do. I'm just borrowing them.

Warnings: Same as before ;)

Chapter 2…After school

After School Aya and Watanuki walked to the archery field to watch Doumeki's practice and work on their homework. Sitting on one of the old hay bales set up at the back for the fangirls (fanboys too if truth be told) that came to watch the archers (well one acrcher mostly, namely one Shizuka Doumeki), the raven and gold heads touching as she explained the Trig homework they had gotten that day. Math was not Watanuki's best subject and Aya was a total wiz. The time flew by as they waited for the Archer to finish with his club activities. Every so often looking up to watch as Doumeki made yet another Bulls eye.

The Archer watched the two covertly when he wasn't shooting. Watanuki didn't usually come out to the practice field. He usually waited outside the locker room for him or in the library when doing his homework. But he was here today, and that was good, very good. Doumeki didn't need to worry that some spirit was going to get him while he wasn't there to protect him. It was one of his best practices in a long time.

And the only girl who was NOT watching his every move was the reason Watanuki was here. When he closed his eyes and concentrated on her, the feeling he got was clean, clear and warm. Looking at her thru the eye he shared with Watanuki, there was a soft constant glow about her. He wondered if Watanuki had noticed it yet. That Watanuki seemed to be breathing her in like a flower, and not gagging up a storm meant she was no evil spirit in disguise. Well, that settled it in his mind. He would 'Protect' her too if it was needed. Smiling to himself as he put his bow away. He realized his life was about to get even more interesting.

And what did she have in that case she took with her everywhere? Well he would find out eventually, patience was a Doumeki trait.

Watanuki and Aya where putting away their schoolbooks when Doumeki came out of the locker room.

"Oi"

"MY NAME IS NOT 'OI', FOR THE THOUSANDTH TIME!" okay, so some habits are really hard to break.

[Loud]

Sticking his finger in his ear to save his hearing, he noticed that Aya was doing the same. She looked over at him and smiled knowingly. She knew right off that he irritated the other teen on purpose just to see his response. He just couldn't help himself, it was so amusing. He smiled back or seeing as it's Doumeki we're talking about here, he smirked. Confirming what she suspected.

This set Watanuki completely off, and Aya was treated to full blown Watanuki spaz attack. Ranting, Yelling, Flailing, Dramatics the whole works. It was a beautiful Melt Down.

Once Watanuki had caught his breath and calmed down, he had the grace to blush. Rather becomingly if you had asked either of the two teens he was with.

"Better now?"

"Actually yeah, a lot. Hey wait, aren't you going to go on about what great 'Friends' this Jerk and I are or something like that?"

Looking kind of confused her brows knit together "No, Why would I? " Seemed kind of dumb to her, to just point out the obvious.

"Ah, never mind, let's go shopping, we have to get enough to feed this bottomless pit. " Life was good, Watanuki thought as he headed off towards the market. The Bottomless Pit and his new 'comrade in arms' to help fill that endless pit, in tow.

In the end they bought enough for Aya to make two batches, one for their bentos tomorrow and one so that Watanuki could take it to Yuuko's. The boys helped her carry it to the Kunogi's. She told them that she and Himiwari would see them both tomorrow at school, lasagna in hand.

Doumeki continued to walk with Watanuki until they reached Yuuko's shop.

"Do you think Yuuko, Mokona and the girls would like this chocolate?" Doumeki asked.

"I'm sure those drunken gluttons would be happy to add a total sugar buzz to their day. But don't you want to keep any of it?"

Rummaging around in the bag that was full to over flowing with chocolates that girls had been giving him all day long, he pulled out the box that Aya had given him that morning from her and Kunogi.

"Just this, I know that the chocolate from this shop is good" he also pulled out another box. Taking a chance, he handed it to Watanuki. "This is for you" He waited to see if Watanuki would blow a gasket. Fingers ready to protect his ears if needed.

"I-I.. Th-thank you." Huh? No melt down? Instead the slender teen was looking at the ground and avoiding looking at him. Worried, the archer, grabbed the other teens chin forcing him to meet his gaze.

"You feel okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine" The blush that had already been tinting the smaller teens face darkened. Doumeki let go of the other boy's chin, but continued to hold his gaze. "I just realized a few things today, okay. I have some thinking to do, a-and well… m-maybe." With those words, the despair that had recently begun gripping Doumeki's heart began to ease and Hope planted a small seed. It was start. No need to rush things.

Closing his eyes, he released the breath he was holding His head dropping until his forehead was against Watanuki's, his hand resting on smaller teens shoulder. Both boys stood there like that for several moments.

"You should go inside and kill the pork bun, I think I saw a camera flash."

"WHAT?!" Grabbing the bag of chocolates Watanuki ran into the shop screaming…

"That's it, get over here you grinning excuse for an animated plush toy, I'm making Dim Sum outta you. Yuuko! Don't protect that thing! Waaaa Not you too! That's it, NO SAKE TONIGHT!

"Watanuki-kun is so meeeaaannnn" Came the wailing female voice from inside the shop.

"So mean" "So mean" Chanted the perpetually cheerful little girls.

Shizuka Doumeki, stoic archer extraordinaire practically skipped all the way home. Well at least on the inside.

Life was good. It was...

Hitsuzen