Disclaimer: As per norm, I don't own xxxHolic.
The night sky was dotted with little twinkling stars, looking like diamonds on black velvet with a full moon hanging proudly next to them. Yuuko raised a sake cup to her lips and enjoyed the warm sake running down her throat. Releasing a satisfied sigh, she placed the cup back down and looked across at her visitor.
"Everything's going well, I trust?" Yuuko cocked her head slightly, a bemused smile adorning her features.
Her visitor took a long drag on a pipe stick. "Of course, it's just starting though, just wait and see."
Yuuko refilled her sake cup and raised it high in toast. "Here's to affinity then."
Early the next morning, there was a knock on the door. Watanuki looked up from his chopping board and wondered who would call upon him this early in the day. A quick glance to his wall clock showed that it was ten minutes to eight.
The knocks on the door started again. "Hai, coming!" Watanuki placed his knife back on the chopping board and walked to open the door.
Doumeki Shizuka stood outside the door dressed in a coat that was wrapped securely around him, his left arm crooked awkwardly around what seemed like a huge bulge inside his coat. "About time you opened the door."
Watanuki blinked and began to huff in annoyance. "Well, excuse me for walking to the door! Who the hell do you think you are? And what the hell are you doing here thi…"
A soft gurgle emitting from Doumeki stopped Watanuki in mid-rant. Surprised, Watanuki stared at the bulge that was now wiggling about. A tuff of dark hair appeared first, before a cherubic face peered out of Doumeki's coat, green eyes staring in wonder at Watanuki.
Doumeki took the baby out of his warm haven and shifted him in his arms so he was in a more comfortable position.
Watanuki blinked at the sight. "A baby?"
"I found him in a basket in front of the temple this morning. There was a note with him, asking that this baby be taken care of first and that he will soon be taken back," Doumeki explained, handing the note over to Watanuki and trying to keep it out of reach of the inquisitive baby.
Watanuki took the note and studied it carefully.
'I am entrusting my child in your care for the time being. As I am facing great peril at the moment, I have no choice but to leave my baby in a safe place elsewhere. I have come across your temple on many occasions and have found it to be one of great solace. Since I have no one else to turn to, I sincerely hope that you can take care of this child until I return.'
There was no name on the note, just the request that Doumeki had mentioned.
By the time he lowered the note, Doumeki had walked past him and into the apartment, looking around for a place to put the baby down.
"Then? If this baby was found in your temple, why did you bring him here?" Watanuki asked suspiciously.
Doumeki settled the baby down on an easy chair and turned to shrug at the other boy. "Well, I figured since you were of housewife material, you could take better care of the baby."
"H-housewife material?!" Watanuki sputtered indignantly.
Doumeki gave him a bored look. "You can cook and clean, can't you?"
"B-but!!" Watanuki was about to retort something rude back when the baby began to wail.
Doumeki stared at the child. Spotting the bewildered flicker in Doumeki's features, Watanuki sighed and walked over to pick up the crying baby. "There, there," he cooed and checked if the diaper was soiled. Finding it still quite clean, he passed the baby over to Doumeki. "He's probably hungry."
He walked to his kitchen to warm up some milk. Digging through his cabinet, he found a suitable water bottle and filled it with the milk. He returned to the room where the baby began to drink up his breakfast greedily.
After he emptied the whole bottle, the baby's eyelids began to droop. Snuggling into Doumeki's warmth, he grabbed onto Doumeki's shirt and slowly drifted off to sleep.
When Watanuki returned once again from washing the bottle, he found the baby sleeping soundly in the archer's arms. The archer was unconsciously rocking the child and staring down at his face.
As Watanuki took in the sight of Doumeki gently holding a baby to sleep in his arms, a familiar strangeness began to overcome him. He felt compelled to walk towards the archer and began to take slow tentative steps. In his mind, he was well aware of what he was doing but couldn't summon up enough reason or strength to resist.
By the time he was at Doumeki's side, the archer had realized that Watanuki was just a breath's away. "Oi, Watanuki."
Watanuki glanced down at the sleeping baby and stroke his soft hair. Bringing his eyes up again, he stared into Doumeki's ones and his heart started to race. His conscious mind was completely blank yet his subconscious mind couldn't be more alert.
Watanuki again waited for his sub-consciousness to berate or give him a few jolts but there was nothing. And then, he realized that the archer's lips were now gently brushing against his own.
Closing his eyes, Watanuki pressed his lips against Doumeki and leaned into the kiss.
A/n: Erm… yes the baby's there for a reason. Abit strange maybe but wad the heck. I thank all you reviewers and readers of my story sincerely. (bows) Please do keep them coming in yeah?
Oh and sorry for a short chap after being on a month-plus hiatus. I had to try and update this story.