Indiscriminate Happenings
Fandom: xxxHoLiC
Characters/Pairing: Doumeki, Watanuki, Kohane
Prompt:9:3- Lessons
Rating: K+
Chapter Genre: Fluff/Family
Summary: Sometimes the kindest words are actions.
I

Kohane was a quiet, well manner girl who disliked negative confrontation. So when the other kids at school teased and pushed at her, bullying her, she refused to retaliate, coming home with bruises and scratches her mother never cared to look twice at, either too busy reveling in her latest boyfriends money or too angry at whatever was going on in her self-centered life to focus on her daughter. So Kohane suffered in silence, taking the cruel barbs from her classmates and often times spending her afternoons in the local park instead of going home, preferring the meager physical abuse to the totally disregard she received from her mother.

It was a day that was particularly bad that he came and shooed them away, a stern expression and a sharp, reprimanding word for the group, all of them staring downcast, biting their lips and next to tears for the way they had treated her. When he finally relented and allowed them to leave he turned with a soft smile on his lips, gently asking if she was all right. Before she could politely excuse herself and escape to a quiet place he offered to bandage her wounds and make her a hot meal to combat the chill of the autumn air, their breath hanging in the air.

She couldn't look into those kind blue eyes and say no.

And that was how she got acquainted with Watanuki Kimihiro-san, a kind young man who offered her solace in the form of his uplifting company and a hot meal on cold days and offered to give her free cooking lessons after school had ended for the both of them. He was usually very punctual and precise when coming to meet her, but today he was late and she could see the kids from her elementary school, usually warded off by the presence of an adult, begin to creep back, smiles on their faces at the prospect of a renewed victim.

The one who put a stop to it this time wasn't Watanuki-san.

Calm golden eyes stared down at her after the group, boys and girls, had run away whimpering with their tails between their legs, scampering home or to find another person to vent their frustrations on. He handed her a handkerchief and she accepted, wiping the blood from her split lip off her chin.

"Thank you," she said softly, handing him back the soiled napkin. He looked at it, folded it up, and handing it back.

"In case it happens again," he stated when Kohane looked at him with wide eyes. A small smile spread over her lips and she accepted his gift, tucking it into her bag for the next time. When she returned to her seat he joined her, neither saying anything and sitting in silence together until an out of breath Watanuki came running down the path, his bag swollen from the numerous textbooks inside of it. She thought that his shoulder must have been in pain.

"Kohane-chan!" he called, waving as he drew near. "I'm so sorry I'm late! Are you all right?" He affectionately patted her head, smiling until he caught sight of the torn skin on her lip and the quickly forming bruises acquired not an hour ago. "They attacked you again?!"

"It's fine, Watanuki-san." The preteen grabbed his hand and tugged him in the direction of his more then modest home. Watanuki sighed and paused, turning to the strange man that stood a few seconds after Kohane, having been too preoccupied with his worry to notice him sooner.

"Did you help her?" His answer was a brisk nod and an intent stare from intense golden eyes. Vague recognition built in him but he pushed it aside, too grateful there had been someone other than him to come to her rescue in time. "Thank you. Would you like to join us for dinner? As thanks." The man seemed to think for a second on the offer, glancing at Kohane who smiled and tilted her head in affirmation of the extended invitation. Seeing no reason to deny free food (and disregarding the fact that he honestly didn't know these people at all but the smaller man seemed nice, kind of familiar, and was really cute), he nodded, sticking out his hand and introducing himself to the two.

"Doumeki Shizuka." The bespectacled man smiled politely and accepted the hand, shaking it before bowing shallowly.

"My name is Watanuki Kimihiro and this is Tsuyuri Kohane-chan," he replied, turning and walking down the path, waiting for the other two to follow then continuing. They walked for roughly ten minutes, by Doumeki's count, the two in front of him making small talk about their days, Watanuki's hands constantly shifting his bag on his shoulder in an attempt to relieve the weight that gravity was having a field day playing with.

Finally they arrived, pale fingers expertly unlatching the wooden gate between two enormously Hydrangea bush, flowers blooming and giving off a welcoming scent. The yard was fairly small, but it was equipped with a beautiful and meticulously cared for garden, all the flowers still somehow in bloom despite the currently cool temperature. The house was small, a cottage more than anything, but the acquisition of a house even this size in a city like theirs was an amazing feat and Doumeki vaguely wondered ho much it cost him or how long it had taken to find. He continued his observations, noting the pale shade of green worked into the borders of the oak coloured wood that made up the house itself and the wide windows covered by dark drapes hiding the belly of the house.

Watanuki quickly unlocked the house, ushering them both inside and out of the cold, rubbing his hands together to ward away the chill. They all abandoned their shoes and exchanged them for slippers, making a beeline for the kitchen where Watanuki began pulling ingredients out at what was seemingly random, arranging them on the counter while Kohane fetched a pair of aprons, tying on onto herself and handing the other to the collage student. Doumeki took a seat without prompting, sitting back and watching his host kindly instruct the girl around the kitchen, gliding expertly around the room and handling the appliances like he was meant to be there and no where else; he was an artist manipulating his medium.

So caught up in his watching Doumeki didn't notice the passing time until the table was set and dinner was served and hour and a half later. He examined the meal for a moment as the two began to quiet down and eat before taking a small bite. The flavor flooded his mouth and sat deliciously on his tongue as the morsel was chewed and slid into his stomach. Grunting his approval he continued to eat, barely looking up as he did so, enjoying the food to it's fullest. Kohane glanced at him, smiled, and returned to her own plate, happy that there was someone other than them now and having the feeling that Doumeki-san would be staying with them for a long time.

And she was happy.
II
…I worked all day on this. Admittedly I did split my time between it and Hetalia, but still. I got in a lot of cute Spain/Romano fics. :D And Rent. Angel~!!!!! . Why'd you die?! -.- Stupid diseases killing all the people in the support group. *NowI'mreallytemptedtodoadrugdrabble* Ugh, I got home from work at 10:30 tonight and then I have to do my mom's cleaning tomorrow. XP Stupid. Hmm, I'll dream of unicorns tonight~! *lolEngland*