Extra addiction: With Me (Alt. Title: Spiral)

"What is in a name? That what which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." --Juliet (Romeo and Juliet)

Kohane has nothing but saddening memories of her name, but Kimihiro gave her back her name and she knows that when he did he also gave back her soul. It was sweetly soft, almost painfully so, like the gentle flurry of snowflakes as they fall like feathers.

It was slow motion, when he came between her mother's fist and her. At that time she wondered, would her mother love her if she let her hit? She almost felt angry at him for stopping her mother. Would her mother hate her? The people filming said they were still live. Was her happiness more important than that of her mother? Did Kimihiro think so? What they said about her mother...

But when her mother screamed her fury at him, she knew. She could see everything in clarity, even with both eyes closed. She felt her mother's blows through him, each time her mother's fists beat upon his back, a little shudder, the slightest vibration, she knew. Still, he was so polite.

Her mother had stopped calling her name. Was it because her name reminded her of father? Was it because she'd told mother about father's infidelity? Then it was her fault. And each time mother faltered as the syllables of her name fell trembling from her lips, the quavering slashed at her heart. The painful smiles, the near touches, it was almost a relief to have her name stop coming from mother's lips.

Mothers. She'd never asked Kimihiro about his mother. Every time she saw him, he never once mentioned his family. And every time she mentioned her own, a painful expression would flutter across his features and his face would pale, the change quick and excruciating like the prick of a needle... And even as she sat there, cradled in his embrace sobbing in her disgrace, he'd even said sorry. He said it wasn't her fault. Sorry for mother, sorry for crimes he never did. But mother, mother, she'd fallen into her own trap, the spiral of her own disaster.

Her happiness, perhaps mother could slowly relearn her happiness.

Her happiness, and slowly Kohane would know her own. Because he never let her forget that she was a child, and he'd never said that was wrong.

He gave her his name because she's special. She could feel his fleeting smile, eyes closed.

She wished he'd open his.

(Reference Ch. 103-106, Ch. 147-157)

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A/N: This one was an extra chapter because someone requested it, in truth I was considering making a chapter that included Kohane but it wouldn't have focused solely on her, I think I like it this way better. So anyone, comments, requests, criticism or reviews?

+Andy

PS. If I get something wrong please tell me because I don't actually own xxxHolic (well duh) because I never got the chance to buy the books so I can't reference with much accuracy.