Title: Alpha and Omega
Anime: xxxHolic
Pairings/Characters: dou/wata (it was slight earlier. Oh well). No hima/wata though, please don't be fooled by what will take place. Amen. The usual cast and my OC characters; more characters AND more elaborative pairings once the story progresses. Hopefully.
Rating: T for now (because there will be blood and yaoi. Haha.)
Disclaimer: xxxHolic not mine. But I do own something, amen.
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Late
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Foolish people who don't look back
Tend to lose their noble way;
Victims of countless surprise attacks
With to blood signify the end of day
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It wasn't new to Tsukomi-sensei to see a certain student, particularly Watanuki Kimihiro, to be wrapped up in bandages. The said boy was always known to be a trouble-maker; Watanuki enjoyed waging numerous wars against the Archery club's star (some popular guy named Doumeki Shizuka), and was always running around as if he was being chased. Watanuki was a good student; though he wasn't really the top of his class, he maintained satisfactory grades, properly behaved (most of the times), and was never one to speak out of hand. Watanuki wasn't friendless either; he was immediately friends with Iris Manson, the recent newbie, and Himawari was happy with him. Even Doumeki himself was always beside the bespectacled boy, despite the protests.
Watanuki, though, was sometimes out of shape. Or most of the times. These days, it wasn't surprising to see his seat empty and skin patched; Tsukomi wondered if it was the possibility of DV (or domestic violence), but then Watanuki was an orphan and lived alone, so that in itself was highly unlikely.
Like usual, Watanuki was spacing out, staring blankly at the window beside him. He was absently fingering the bandage that almost wrapped the whole of his arm, long fingers slightly tracing the fabric. Sometimes, a sigh or two would issue from his mouth- and his cheeks would redden a bit, his palm automatically coming into contact with his lips. Tsukomi was about to call for the said student's attention when suddenly, the door opened, and in came Himawari Kunogi-chan.
Kunogi was a student who smiled often- that was one of her well-known traits. But she wasn't smiling at all once she entered, just proceeding to her seat unceremoniously. Tsukomi watched with mild interest as Watanuki was broken from his stupor to gape at the said girl, but any amount of his staring didn't earn him anything as much as a glance, and after a while, reclined to a worried crease in his brow. After a while though, whenever Watanuki did something (like report to the board or whatever), it's Kunogi who's staring, and the said action has caused Watanuki to fidget a bit. Tsukomi himself was quite surprised at the emotion Himawari held when she did look at Kimihiro; it wasn't rage, and it wasn't desperation either. It was that of a hungry look- the kind of look a predator had when eyeing a prey.
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"Are you feeling well, Himawari-chan?"
Watanuki was standing before the said girl as he asked this, with his head tilted to the side and his hands looking fidgety. As expected, Himawari didn't bat an eyelash at his statement, only staring at her blank table with an equally blank look. Watanuki considered touching her- and yet afraid to do so- and was about to leave when he decided, well, maybe it'd have her notice him. And so he did touch her. He laid his hands on the upper part of her arms, gently shaking her, leaning down with the same question on his lips.
"Are you feeling well, Himawari-chan?"
Her reaction wasn't immediate, but she did look up at him before he retracted himself. Her eyes did not hold the same delight they had whenever she usually met Watanuki's bi-colored ones, with hers a deeper shade of green, but having lost its spark only caused it to darken more. Her lips did not move to reply even, but they did curl up- and she smiled at him, but it hadn't caused him to flutter and spaz about; quite contrary, it left him immobile, even as she eased out of his grip, even as she left the room.
There was a hand on his shoulder, and he shakes his head as he turns to the owner of the hand. It was Iris, looking worried, and as the bell rang she only stated the obvious; "There's something terribly wrong with Himawari-chan."
Watanuki nodded gravely before gesturing to leave for lunch.
-
If Doumeki could have been more vocal and honest, he would have said that he missed Watanuki's flailing and screaming.
Such movements clearly stated "I'M WATANUKI KIMIHIRO" at anybody's face, and Doumeki always found it amusing that even the littlest teasing from the archer would cause the spirit seer to enter a full range tirade about, well, anything in particular. And yet, with all the things that had happened, Watanuki had grown much sober- and Doumeki knew that if he did start to jibe, Watanuki would see him as someone completely inconsiderate- which was most likely since he was the kind of person who'd wait in the rain with a ribbon in hand for hours- and with the danger the current situation held for Watanuki, he thought it best not to aggravate the already befuddled spirit seer any longer.
"You forgot the soy sauce." He stated blankly, as Watanuki handed him over his bento to eat. The bespectacled boy only frowned as he opened his own bento, looking down at the food he had taken so much time to prepare. The intricately-made sukiyaki was arranged at the upper right, forming a slightly triangular form, before meeting up with the rainbow-colored tamagoyaki and eggrolls, slices of carrots and lettuce lining the inside of the bento, herding the lot with a square container that contained mayonnaise, and another of soy sauce. Watanuki saw all of this, and frowned.
"I most certainly did not forget the soy sauce, you moron." He said, but the emotion was gone, and Doumeki only huffed in response.
It felt so awkward with just the two of them, eating by the stairs that led to the classrooms, with the twins having to deal with something in the teacher's lounge and Himawari being somewhere else at the moment. Doumeki had long noticed the girl's absence, so in an attempt to have Watanuki say something, to try a conversation, maybe, he decided it best to ask about it.
"Where's Kunogi?"
Watanuki flinched at the mention of the girl's first name, entirely pissed that Doumeki had said so without using any suffix, and entirely reluctant to speak anything of her.
"Er," he began, poking at his meal; "She's eating somewhere else, it seems."
Doumeki raised his eyebrows at him as he continued to chew down the food he had without as much as batting an eye. "Ah."
"DON'Y YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY?" Watanuki half-flailed, wanting to hit Doumeki, to hit anything, at the sudden burst of exasperation raging in his veins. He wasn't really mad at anyone, but with all the tension he held, it did him good to vent out.
Doumeki caught hold of his right wrist as he did flail, and the gesture quieted the spirit seer down, who was staring at him with a surprised look on his blushing cheeks. Despite the sign of discomfort, he did not pull away, and Doumeki thought it best to lean forward and capture the slightly parted lips, and so he did.
Memories of the previous night flashed blindingly in Watanuki's mind, and as a sign of surrender he whimpered, slowly pressing his thin frame against Doumeki's firm own, unmindful of the bentos that luckily landed squarely on the bottom step, spilling nothing. He felt Doumeki's warm hand press upon his cheek, felt the archer's thick strands of hair in his fingers, and was about to give in to the playful nudge of tongue when he realized, oh hey, we're in public.
He pulled away almost reluctantly, his face flushed, and even Doumeki seemed uncertain of what to do. But the archer always recovered first- and so, as he did, he said; "I want you to watch your back, alright?"
The warning bell then rang, and Doumeki proceeded to help tidy up the bentos, frowning at the leftovers that weren't supposed to exist in his.
"I would like some sushi rolls tomorrow." He stated as he left, Watanuki ranting behind his back, and he could feel himself smile at the familiarity of it all.
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"Mou, Watanuki-kun," Said Iris, as the two sat on their tables facing each other; it was two periods before the much-awaited dismissal, and it was also one of those rare periods wherein the teacher called in sick. Iris was swaying her legs as she smiled at Watanuki, who still looked a bit flustered about whatever happened during lunch. "You look a whole lot chipper!"
Watanuki smiled a bit, placing his fingers on his lips. "Well, I had a decent meal." He said, then figured that he was being obvious enough, and so changed the topic; "W-where's Himawari-chan?"
He didn't know how many more times he was going to ask people that. It was starting to grow tiresome. But with the way Himawari was acting, and since she was his friend, he couldn't help but feel really worried about her.
"She left for the infirmary while you were asleep in class," She replied, tilting her head a bit to the side in an adorable fashion, crossing her legs in the process. "She said she had a headache or something. You're never really sure."
"Maybe I should go visit," he said as he got down from his table. "Would you like to come with me?"
Iris brought her hands to her mouth, her brows creasing in disappointment. "Ah, I was going to watch Haris play soccer," she declined, referring to her twin who was part of the group taking PE lessons right then; "I'm sorry, Watanuki-kun."
Watanuki raised a hand to pat Iris' shoulder. "That's alright, I'll see you then."
Iris waved at him as he made his way to the door. "Take care, Watanuki-kun! Please send Himawari-chan my regards."
And so, Watanuki walked past the numerous corridors and descended stairs; the infirmary was located in the first floor, near the lobby, so that it would be easy for patients to be picked up by their parents when sent home. Watanuki had never been sent home with his parents, of course, but he was familiar with the infirmary's white walls and intoxicating smell; in fact, it wasn't surprising for him to be in a place like it.
He pushed open the infirmary door and greeted the nurse a cheerful hello, and the woman greeted back. They had nurses in the infirmary, not doctors, since it was rare for someone to be sent with a lethal wound or whatsoever. "Is Himawari kunogi-chan here?" He asked as the nurse invited him to sit in front of him, probably thinking he was a patient.
"Ah, Kunogi-chan? She's restless, but she doesn't look well. She left for the roof top, I think, she wanted some air." The nurse smiled faintly as Watanuki was about to react. "Don't worry, I sent someone to accompany her. Why don't you see for yourself?"
Watanuki thanked, bowed at, and smiled at the nurse before he left the room, hurriedly bounding up the stairs. He doubted that whoever the nurse sent to accompany Himawari would do a good job- what with Himawari's condition and state of mind. The man wasn't even aware of anything that was happening! What if he would get dragged into the mess Watanuki and his friends were stuck in?
When he arrived at the roof top, there were exactly two things his mind took note of.
One: The nurse sent a girl, and that's not really a good thing.
Two: The said girl was busy buying drinks in the vendor machine, her back at Himawari, who was clutching at the rails as if she wanted to jump.
Watanuki ran towards his possessed friend, gently holding her arms before she could plan to hit him or anything. "Himawari-chan," he said a bit sweetly, only to imply that he wasn't meaning any harm. "Let's go back to the infirmary, okay?"
He suddenly felt Himawari quiver in his touch, leaning forward to obscure her face from his view. She started to hiccup, badly, and Watanuki realized that she was...crying. Oh god, Himawari was crying.
"I...I'm scared..." she said between sobs, and guilt twisted the spirit seer's gut; "Sometimes I know what's happening, but I feel so weak when I do, and then there are times when I do things I don't want to do, things that I shouldn't do, but I'm no longer in control-" she made a movement to pull away, but Watanuki held fast- Himawari shouldn't leave his touch, because if she did, she might lose herself again. That was his theory anyway.
"Watanuki-kun..." she sobbed once more; "Help me, please! I'm really sorry, and I'm really scared. Please help me..."
"What can I do?" he inquired, mentally kicking himself for the slight quiver in his voice. He felt Himawari make a move to face him, so he allowed her, and his bi-colored eyes were met by the familiar green orbs of the girl, though this time they were filled with tears. Himawari clasped her hands above her chest, leaning forward till their noses touched, and from her lips came a whisper only he could hear; "Please kiss me."
Watanuki's heart skipped a beat. A red color had somewhat sipped into his cheeks, and he realized with faint horror that he was blushing. This wasn't his first, obviously, so why was he blushing?
It was Himawari he was going to kiss. Someone he had once fussed and purred over, but that was before Doumeki, and he wasn't even sure of what he felt for the archer. Now, facing Himawari like this, talking to her likes this, it felt entirely new and- he was scared too.
But Himawari looked too distraught to decline, and so he nodded bravely before leaning down to seal her lips with a kiss.
There wasn't anything special about the kiss. There were no butterflies and birds twittering in the distance, no scenic sunset with the sand and the sea; all he could feel was the slightly prickly feeling of something entering his lips as Himawari moved her head to the side to get better access to his mouth- it was something that moved into his mouth, onto his tongue, and Watanuki was about to freak out when he felt Himawari's own tongue trailing his teeth, and though he wasn't really responding and into it, he didn't push her away. He had his hands firm at his sides, eyes open, whereas Himawari had thrown her arms around his neck and was kissing him with her eyes closed, like there wasn't tomorrow.
But whatever it was that entered his mouth was closely followed by two more or so, and about that time when he heard the distant bang of a door being shut closed, and he saw Haris moving towards them from the corner of his eye; before he knew it, he was pushed away, and he looked around, dazed, and saw Himawari slip to the floor. There was still something moving in his mouth, he was sure, and he opened it to put a finger inside- when he felt someone else's finger (fingers, in fact) enter his mouth instead and roved inside like the person was trying to grab something. But the thing had long gone, and Watanuki could feel it sliding down his throat, making him sputter and gag at the hand inside his mouth.
He heard Haris swear before he felt he was pushed down to the floor, and a slim female body sat on his abdomen, expert hands trailing his throat before pushing sharply at his collarbone. Watanuki gasped at this, wondering why in the world Haris was doing something that slightly resembled harassment to him, and why everything had started to make less sense, and who was that person entering the door now?
"Watanuki!"
Doumeki. He was too familiar with the archer's voice, he thought, as Haris was brought away from him, and he sat up, violently coughing as he did.
Haris was too fussed and angry to explain everything, so she turned on her heel to leave the three, with Doumeki leaning over Watanuki and Himawari lying unconsciously in the distance.
Meanwhile, there seemed to be an unexplainable pain that surged through his lungs, and he couldn't breathe at all, so he resolved to coughing fits. He was coughing so bad that he wouldn't be surprised to see blood from his mouth. He curled up as the spasms continued to rack through his body, with his hand clutching painfully at Doumeki's shirt, and he was thankful for the support the archer supplied him. But everything changed as the coughs ceased; his body started to move all on its own.
And so, he could only watch as Doumeki stared at him with wide eyes as he smiled uncharacteristically sweetly at the archer, from whom he wriggled away from all too soon. His legs weren't wobbly as he had thought it would be, and though he would have wanted to thank Doumeki, to at least say something before he left, his body moved on his own, and he was forced- somewhat- to leave the last safe place in the world.
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A/N: OH YEAH I'VE REACHED CHAPTER FIVE. There is hope. (is happy) Thanks to the people who had faved or added this to their story alerts, and thanks soooo much to those who had bothered to review. People like you will go to heaven. xD
Now I really hate this chapter. v.v'
I really would appreciate to hear from you guys. Dx
See you all in chapter six! Cheerio! OwO