The temple was quiet when Haruka entered the grounds. With the shrine maidens sent home and the grounds closed to visitors the place hadn't seen much activity of late. The plants were becoming in need of attention and the grass needed to be mowed again. Watanuki had spent a great deal of time sweeping the walk ways clear of leaves and debris but he couldn't keep up with everything on his own. Akane spent most of her time working on paperwork and patron relations as she usually did, and the rest of it helping Watanuki take care of the house work and the laundry and keeping Doumeki off his feet.

Haruka was looking forward to getting this spirit dealt with.

The kitchen was fairly quiet too as he entered the main building and removed his shoes. He did hear giggling coming from the sitting room, though. Careful to keep the sword behind his back he quietly opened the door to the sitting room and saw Watanuki hop around and attempt to reach something on his back. Akane was giggling.

"It tickles!" Watanuki squawked and twirled a little in place as he tried to reach further behind him.

"He's just trying to show he loves you!" Akane gushed.

"Aaagh!" Was the teenager's not so eloquent reply.

Doumeki's quick hand managed to pull something out of the collar of Watanuki's shirt and held tight to the squirming creature. "You'll break your neck if you keep this up."

"You could have helped a little sooner!"

"I'm injured."

"You don't seem to think you are when you're told to rest!"

The pipe fox continued to pull against Doumeki's grip against its slim body but found itself stuck. It squeaked at Watanuki pointedly.

"Have you named it yet? Akane asked.

"Oh, uh, no, not yet," Watanuki said sheepishly. He held his hand up on front of the pipe fox in invitation. Doumeki released it and the creature slithered over to its favorite person. It looked up at Watanuki and squeaked again, seemingly in agreement with Doumeki's mother. "Um..." Watanuki thought. "I think... Mugetsu, because your eyes are so small."

The newly named fox spirit squealed in delight and wound itself around Watanuki's neck and kissed his cheek affectionately. Watanuki laughed and gently pulled the creature away as he proclaimed that it still tickled so much.

"It's a good name," Haruka said from the doorway. With the excitement caused by Mugetsu no one had noticed him yet.

"Haruka-san!" Watanuki gasped. "You're back! Is everything okay?"

"Did you find anything?" Doumeki asked.

Haruka entered the sitting room proper. "Yes, I believe I have." He found Watanuki's dark blue eyes and smiled softly. "I have something for you, Kimihiro-kun."

"F-For me?" The boy blushed. Haruka wondered when the last time was Watanuki had received a gift of any kind. Too long, probably.

"Here." Haruka pulled the sword from behind his back and presented it in both hands.

Watanuki became still and almost pale. His eyes were captivated by the item in Haruka's hands. His hands twitched, as though he had tried to move and take it but was impeded by something. "Is that..." He started to ask quietly.

"Your father's sword," Haruka confirmed.

Watanuki finally managed to extend his reach and take the item. His breath hitched as his hands tightened around the sheath. "How?" He asked, his voice strained.

"Ame-Warashi-san always gives good advice."

"I can't believe... this sword..." He blinked rapidly to try to ward off the tears that stupidly wanted to spill. "I would spend hours when I was young looking at that picture. So many times I wished I could have this, just for a moment, to have something real that was his..." He also thought perhaps if he had the sword he might be a little safer from the horrible things that pestered him, as though a part of his father were in this sword and would always protect him.

"If the rain spirit is to be believed, then you're supposed to use this to help destroy the spirit that is after you."

"I..." Watanuki rubbed his eyes and slowly digested what Haruka said. "What!" He shrieked when he realized the implications. "I don't know how to use a sword! I could lose a limb just trying to take it out!"

"I can use it," Doumeki offered. "A bow is only good for long range combat. I've had a little training in kendo."

"Who said you could use my father's sword!" Watanuki barked in reflex. Doumeki raised a sardonic eyebrow, the look that said I'm staring at an idiot crossing his face once again. "Er, I mean, fine! As long as it kills the spirit, I don't care. Just... don't break it like an idiot!"

Doumeki rolled his eyes and set the crutches aside. Despite Watanuki's protests he had been healing very quickly and could stand for a short time without the annoying things. He held his hand out to take the sword.

"Be careful," Haruka warned, because it was important for both of them to experience the effects of this item first hand rather than a simple worded explanation. The gravity of his tone made Doumeki pause and stare at his grandfather. Mild concern was a little visible on his face.

Doumeki took the sword in his hands. He gripped the handle with his right hand and pulled it out of the case. He gasped immediately and nearly dropped to his knees. His whole arm vibrated and he put a hand on the wall to steady himself. "What-" he tried to get out but only managed to drop the sword and clutch his hand to his chest. The skin was red like a burn.

"Shizuka!" Watanuki rushed to his side and helped to support him and inspected his hand. "What did you do?"

"Nothing," Doumeki said as he still tried to get his breath under control. "That sword-"

"Is a living weapon from what I was told," Haruka cut in. "It has a sort of consciousness all its own and it is very, very angry about the death of Kimihiro-kun's father. It's reacted like that to everyone that has tried to hold it since then."

"A magical sword?" Akane asked from her seated position. "How interesting."

"Then... what about me?" Watanuki asked worriedly.

"It's been waiting for you," Haruka informed him.

"But, I can't use a sword!" Watanuki complained. "What I supposed to do with it? You or Shizuka should be the one to use it! It'll be a waste if it's with me!"

"Then you will have to convince the sword to let someone else use it."

"Convince a sword?" Watanuki asked flabbergasted. "How do I talk to a sword?"

"Pick it up and find out," Haruka grinned.

"Be careful," Doumeki said next to him. "The emotions that sword can send through you can be overwhelming."

Watanuki swallowed worriedly and knelt down next to the weapon. His fingers twitched in agitation before clamping quickly around the metal.

He nearly blacked out from the rush of Important son found, avenge avenge avenge Avenge! Dangerous outside walls, strong will, fight power strength sincerity, avenge important father! Watanuki gasped just like Doumeki had, but instead of anger he felt the sudden heady feeling that he was practically invincible. Watanuki let go and trembled. "That thing is dangerous!"

"Why?" Doumeki asked with a hint of concern in his voice.

"Because! It made me feel like I could take on anything! Like I should just rush out to that spirit right now and attempt to attack it, as if I could win! I'm not stupid enough to think that's true, I don't care how magical the sword is!"

"It's just a weapon," Haruka said. "It does not have the capacity to reason like any of us. It acts solely on instincts and impressions of its perceived environment. You must have a strong force of will to control it."

The rain spirit said they needed this sword, so someone had to use it. The teenager was determined to make the sword let someone else handle it. Watanuki rubbed his hands down his pants because his palms were feeling sweaty after all this. Somehow it seemed wrong to put a sweaty hand on such an item.

He expected the onslaught of emotions this time so he was prepared for everything. He managed to interject his own thoughts amidst the frenzied need to fight and avenge! He wasn't sure he was saying things right in his head, but he needed the sword to know that Doumeki was the one that needed to use it and he was incapable of protecting himself with it because he had never been trained.

No! The sword insisted. Strong, can fight! Important son of important father can fight!

I can't! Watanuki urged back. I can't learn to use you fast enough! We have to save the hydrangea plant, too, and we are running out of time!

Can feel important son's strength! The sword asserted.

I trust Shizuka! Watanuki's mind screamed back. You must trust him, too!

For what felt like a long while the sword's will battled his own in a sea of intangible thoughts. Watanuki held fast to his determination and his conviction that the sword needed to trust in his judgment and listen to him regarding this matter. Eventually the storm of emotions subsided significantly as the weapon relented. Trust...the son trusts him. Will trust Shizuka.

Watanuki sighed with relief and moved to pass the sword over to Doumeki. "It's fine now. Go ahead."

Doumeki looked skeptical but took the handle anyway. After a few moments he felt a grudging respect filter through the item's metal and up through his skin. "Better," he sighed.

"Good," Haruka said, pleased. "I'm glad it worked out."

"So, what do we do now?" Watanuki asked.

"Give me another day," Haruka said as he sat down next to Akane. "I'll have to work the sword's magic into the ritual that we will use to destroy the Old One."

The teenager nodded stiffly, nervous for the final confrontation but eager for it all to be over.

"Don't worry, Kimihiro-kun. Everything will be all right," Haruka assured him.

"It will be," Doumeki agreed and wrapped an arm around Watanuki's middle.

"I hope so," Watanuki said softly.

"You can trust in us," Akane said with surety. "We all love you by now, Kimihiro-kun. We won't let anything happen to you."

. . . . . . . . .

Doumeki watched as Watanuki carefully unwound the bandage on his leg and started cleaning the wound. His leg was healing faster than Haruka predicted it would. The stitches had been taken out just the day before. Watanuki insisted on still wrapping it because the healing scar from surgery was still red and tender and Doumeki tended to ignore himself when it came to injuries. He was scolded by his partner frequently for this. Doumeki found he didn't mind.

Watanuki dabbed at the scar gently with a cotton ball and antiseptic. His face was scrunched up rather cutely in Doumeki's opinion as he inspected his work. "It's looking a lot better," he commented. "You're not feeling much pain anymore?" His eyebrows rose up in concern when he looked up to the other teenager's face.

Something tickled inside his chest as Doumeki looked at that expression. Strange how insanely good he felt being on the receiving end of Watanuki's undivided attention. "No, not much."

He nodded and went back to cleaning. "Good. It's almost healed, I think. I'll wrap it up one last time tonight. Your skin still looks a little sore."

"All right," Doumeki agreed quietly. He really didn't care what Watanuki did as long as his elegant and delicate fingers didn't stop gliding across his skin.

Watanuki smoothed anti scarring medication over the area and started wrapping it back up in fresh gauze. He moved with infinite care. Doumeki watched intently as those lithe hands finished the work and taped the bandage in place. They were on the futon in their bedroom, Doumeki seated and leaning back on his hands as Watanuki knelt by his side.

Fingers traced the edges of the bandage, hesitant to leave. "Your leg is much better, right? You can put pressure on it now and it doesn't hurt?" The fingers spread out a little further, creeping up Doumeki's thigh shyly but needing.

"Yeah," Doumeki agreed. His heart thudded loudly and he was suddenly afraid to breathe too heavily. He definitely wanted his partner's hands to keep wandering further up. There was a furious blush on Watanuki's face. His hands froze in place for a moment and he looked scared enough to run. Doumeki remained still as stone and waited with baited breath.

Without warning Watanuki shifted his body weight up and maneuvered himself until he was straddling Doumeki. His hands gripped Doumeki's shoulders for support. He tried not to sit too fully on the other boy's lap and instead ended up closer to his face. "I-Is this okay?"

Forget baited breath. Doumeki plain lost his breath. "Yeah," he rasped in a husky voice. "It's fine."

Fingers moved from his shoulders and up behind his neck to bury themselves in his short black hair. Doumeki could scarcely believe it. He had to be dreaming. Really, he did. Watanuki was actually taking the initiative! He tried not to let his hand tremble has it slid up beneath Watanuki's yukata to clutch at his upper thigh.

The poor boy looked absolutely nervous. There was nothing for him to worry about when it was always Doumeki that initiated intimacy, but he'd never taken the leap before. He usually tried to express the exact opposite sentiment whenever asked. He was certainly too embarrassed to ever say more than that on the topic.

He found he missed the contact, though. Being so close to someone actually felt really good and the more they did it the more his body wanted it. It was like getting addicted to sugar.

Doumeki kept very still as Watanuki's fingers worried at his hair line and the boy continued to blush. If he was going to start everything Doumeki wanted him to follow through with it.

Watanuki released the breath he was holding and kissed him. At first it was a shy touch with hardly any pressure. Doumeki turned his head slightly to the side for a better angle and the kiss deepened.

This was going down as his favorite day ever. Really. Doumeki was going to make a national holiday out of it. Every year at this time he decided he was going to take a holiday and celebrate the night that for the first time Watanuki kissed him all on his own, straddled him, and, even if it wasn't actually vocalized, asked for sex.

Shaking but determined hands slipped the yukata down Doumeki's shoulders and exposed his upper body. The kiss became harder and then there were teeth nipping at red lips and everything felt right with the world. Doumeki slid his one available hand further up Watanuki's leg and squeezed his rear. He wasn't concerned with the other teen's yukata being removed. He was lacking any underware and that was all that mattered in his opinion.

Watanuki quietly moaned out Doumeki's name at the fondling. He closed his eyes and bit his lip in such a way Doumeki thought it was the most seductive thing he'd ever seen. Strong and steady hands rolled them over until Watanuki was pinned under Doumeki's weight. "Shizuka!" He gasped in surprise.

Doumeki did not deign to answer him with anything other than another kiss.