Tantalizing the Senses
Chapter 3 – Smell

AN: One of my favorite fics in this series. Enjoy.

As always, I follow the manga as it is being released in Japan, so there will be mild spoilers – nothing overt – for up to around chapter 120. This one is set around chapter 100, which is the conclusion of the spider lady arc, just for minor references. Also, so far these shots have been somewhat similiar in theme. The next two are quite different.

xxxHoLiC belongs to the brilliance that is CLAMP.

..smell..

He wasn't really sure why he never noticed, but lately, Watanuki had been catching hints of a mellow sweet scent of smoke all around Yuuko's shop.

He knew where it came from, obviously. When Yuuko wasn't attached hands and lips to some container of liquor, alcohol or wine, she had her trusty pipe at hand, smoky wisps wreathing around her form as she accentuated one point or another with a flick of the instrument.

Watanuki was tempted to tell her that opium did away with many a young noble, too drowsy with its euphoric effects to notice how much life the drug withered away, but he suspected Yuuko would only flash him an enigmatic smile before indulging in her favorite vices. There was also the added fact that Yuuko had probably smoked the stuff for much longer that Watanuki had been alive and still looked at the cusp of youthful womanhood, healthy and far too vibrant for his peace of mind.

It was better to keep silent about things like that, lest Yuuko felt particularly vindictive and found some ridiculously dangerous "errand" for him to run again.

It was just that the smoke permeated everything, and now that Watanuki noticed it, he couldn't ignore it. He was so used the hearty smells of a meal cooking, or even the sweet chocolate scent of a dessert baking merrily away in the oven and there was always the slight buzz that alcohol gave off – it was impossible to avoid when one spent as much time as Watanuki did serving it.

Yuuko had dragged him away from the kitchen, however, and had let him loose in one of her many storage rooms with the instructions to "dust, clean, or whatever else it takes to organize this room and don't break anything or it's going on your tab." He had spent the entire day chipping away at the room, dusting, rubbing down some of the more grimy artifacts and occasionally dodging a lethal chest that tried to snap shut on his wrist and an innocuously looking quill pen that glistened with poisonous red ink.

The piece of cloth he had tied around his mouth and nose in an attempt to keep the dust from clogging up his nose had failed miserably in its task.

Watanuki had caught wisps of that damnable sweet smoke lingering in all corners of the room, even though the layer of dust on everything indicated just how long ago someone had even bothered to enter. It was making him slightly drowsy, and the aroma of old, heavy magic was cloying. He was sure every particle of dust was drenched in it, and didn't appreciate the itch it made in his nose, or the slight sting if any got into his eyes.

Maru and Moro had peeked in for a moment, more than willing to help with his chores, but they too had their own orders to follow, and with a few apologetic glances they had left. Watanuki could smell the faint smoke in Maru's bushy ponytail, in Moro's long skirt.

Somehow, Watanuki knew that the aroma of Yuuko's stupid opium would cling to him when he went home that night.

-----

It was Sunday afternoon, and somehow Watanuki found himself coerced into making lunch for Doumeki after the extra archery practice the other had. How he had gone from merely repaying favors to becoming the man's personal chef, Watanuki would never know, but after yet another close brush with imminent doom, saved only by a hand around his wrist, Yuuko had remarked almost flippantly that Doumeki deserved a raise, and the next thing Watanuki knew, he was catering to the other's every culinary whim. Even on weekends.

"It's not like you do much during the weekends," Yuuko had pointed out. "You only spend half the time at my shop, and you certainly don't receive enough homework to keep you occupied." She eyed him with the half-predatory, half-friendly gleam that always manifested when she was negotiating a transaction. "Besides, bento box lunches simply don't cut it anymore."

And just like that, his fate had been sealed.

"Did you remember the onions in the eggrolls?" Doumeki asked, taking a seat on the stairs near Watanuki, still clad in his archery uniform.

"Yes, I did. You are so self-centered," Watanuki retorted, wishing with all his heart that he could throw the box in his hand at Doumeki instead of putting it down before him like any civilized man.

"Hn."

It was when he was setting out the bento boxes with their carefully arranged rice, meats and eggrolls that Watanuki noticed the absolute absence of any scent. Throughout the entire weekend, Watanuki kept catching hints of that same sweetly smoky smell, even after he had washed his clothes and aired out his jacket twice.

He glanced around futilely, as if searching for the missing scent before his eyes settled on Doumeki.

Huh. Watanuki could have sworn the silly smoke still wafted around him when he sat down to wait for Doumeki earlier. He expected the smell of sweat or even the dusky powder the archers rubbed their hands down with the other's arrival, maybe, but certainly not this.

Perhaps he'd been staring a moment too long.

"What?" Doumeki asked him mildly, not sounding the least bit self-conscious, already digging into his meal.

It was like a whiff of pure, fresh air – literally.

"Are you checking me out?"

Those words snapped Watanuki out of his thoughts faster than lightning could strike. "Why the hell would anyone do that?" his voice screeched high on the last note, fighting hard to ignore the vibe of amusement that had been hinted at in Doumeki's voice.

Doumeki's only answer was one coolly raised eyebrow.

Not even bothering to grace that with a reply, Watanuki looked away, eyes darting around and finally settling on the thermos flask next to Doumeki.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Tea. One of my grandfather's favorite brews." As he spoke, Doumeki tipped some of the flask's contents into its cap, which served as cup, and handed that to Watanuki, sipping out of the flask itself before returning to his meal. "It's an equal arrangement, right? Your food for my tea."

Watanuki gazed at him steadily and bit back his almost reflex sarcastic reply. For once, he allowed the conversation to die away, breathing in the near-bitter fragrance of the tea and relishing the sharp fresh air all around him, not even minding too much that he was in Doumeki's company.

..end..

More AN: And… we have some progress with the couple! As always, reviews and con/crit are much beloved.