Into His Keeping
13th July 2008
Series: The Seer
Summary: Shizuka worries, Watanuki heals, the two finally have their first lesson, friendships solidify and… just who needs who, anyway?
Warnings: Turmoil, self-doubt and occasional comfortable silences. And a new character is introduced. Or is he really 'new' at all?

"Doumeki-san," Watanuki breathed, voice firm but definitely lower than his usual volume. He turned his head to watch the monk kneel by his bedside and reached out a hand which Shizuka automatically took. "I hear you sealed the Arms chest."

"Ah," the monk replied affirmatively.

"Whatever you did, it feels solid," the young noble murmured, mostly to himself, shutting his eyes a moment. His gaze cleared and he met Shizuka's stare searchingly, "And whatever you did to me, thank you."

He tensed, then wondered belatedly if in his surprise at those words he had reflexively squeezed Watanuki's hand. The short clutch he received a moment later confirmed his suspicion. But surely… surely Watanuki didn't know exactly what he had done..?

"What kind of an idiot do you take me for, that you'd think I wouldn't be able to tell?" the noble muttered, chin tucking down a little, the tiniest of frowns wrinkling between his brows. "Anyway, letting me know you take care of me would mean trusting me at least a little. And it makes it easier to trust you when I know you trust me, don't you think?" He huffed.

Shizuka stared. He hadn't thought of it like that; he was the one supposed to be doing a duty and serving his master. Already the many small concessions not commonly allowed to one of his kind meant the young noble treated him better than he had ever been told he could dream of being in a Commission.

And then he felt a sting of guilt; Watanuki didn't want him and would probably be angry at being stuck with him. Watanuki didn't owe him anything, a small voice prodding in his heart, contract or not?

"Contract or not," Shizuka murmured, thumb brushing over the back of Watanuki's hand briefly, "I should not have let you be harmed in the first place."

"You didn't mean for it to happen." His voice had weakened, his gaze had lost its clarity and it was obvious Watanuki was quickly fading.

"You need more rest," Shizuka said softly, making to withdraw his hand but Watanuki clutched it tightly.

"Don't go," he whispered, eyes wide a moment, his last attempt at fighting his fall into slumber. "The nightmares aren't…"

Watanuki couldn't hold out for much longer, his eyelids heavy and dark with the need to sleep. But there was urgency in his glazed expression, biting his lip because he didn't want to beg, all suggesting that going to sleep alone was the very last thing he wanted; alone into the darkness where he couldn't control his fears. The idea that Watanuki chose him at his hour of need made Shizuka's throat tight.

He cleared it, wrapping his fingers around the grip in his own, sitting on the floor now and getting comfortable before he quietly replied, "I will keep you safe."

Shizuka really did end up staying in Watanuki's room.

He wouldn't leave his master. Which was fine because Jason would stop by to bring food and water, would fuss a little over his cousin but in the end Shizuka's lingering resentments, his little glares and not so well subdued hostility would get to him and he'd leave. Shizuka had yet to call on him to take his place by Watanuki's side… and he rather suspected Jason knew he never would. He'd spent all of the night and day by his master's side and would continue to do so.

He wasn't going anywhere.

The evening of the second day after Watanuki's infection, Shizuka met another member of the Dancing Dragon's company; he'd answered the soft knocking on the cabin door.

Quiet little thing, the monk thought, looking down at the young boy's sun-darkened face. He was possibly no older than fifteen, with brown hair and eyes, possessing a slender but strong frame and a placid countenance. Shizuka had an impression of quiet kindness.

"Who're you?" He bluntly asked in English, looking the kid over.

"Everybody calls me Aran," the boy replied politely, not fazed in the slightest, blinking up at him. "I'm the Captain's assistant."

Jason's assistant, then. Shizuka paused when he realised the kid was studying him just as intently. "What do you want?"

"I was worried about Watanuki-sama," Aran said easily, again not bothered at all by the monk's rudeness. "May I visit with him, sir?"

From the way he pronounced the name as well as the address, Shizuka took a guess and switched to Japanese, his tone softening, "He's asleep. This isn't a good time."

"Oh I see," Aran commented, easily switching without even a blink. "Then I'll come back later when I have time again. Thank you, sir." With a little bow, he turned away.

"Oi." Aran politely turned back around to face him, the monk nodded, "I'm Doumeki."

Aran bowed again, "A pleasure to meet you, Doumeki-san."

In Watanuki's bedroom, Shizuka resumed thinking on the dilemma of how to get some rest and still keep an eye on his master. The bond between them told him he'd be in for good rest tonight.

Initially he'd unrolled his futon beside the bed but had been unable to see his master without pressing up off the floor. When he went to move the bedding a little further back to get a better perspective, he found he didn't want to be so far away. Shrugging, and despite it being something unprecedented from one of his Order, he shifted Watanuki to lie closer to the railing of the bed, scooted his futon closer, reached up to sneak his hand between the little railing bars… and clasped Watanuki's hand in his own.

Sleep came easier after that.

It was the light clenching of that hand in his own which awoke him. Half his face still buried in the pillow he looked up at the bed to find his master had curled on his side toward him, half of Watanuki's face obscured by the first rung of the railing. They each stared calmly into the other's one visible eye.

Watanuki's good breeding forced him to speak first, "Good morning."

"Good morning," the monk returned, voice still a little rough from sleep.

A pause. Then quietly, "I feel much better." The one ear Shizuka could see turned faintly pink.

"Hn." For a horrible moment, Shizuka thought Watanuki might thank him but it passed and he relaxed. "You should rest some more."

"I will."

He and Watanuki still watched each other, the attention not scrutinizing or anything in particular. Just… looking. Eventually, Watanuki blinked. And blinked again more slowly. Kept company by Shizuka's waiting gaze, he fell slowly back into slumber.

Watanuki slept still and deep that night. And Shizuka knew no nightmares came to haunt him.

"Not bad," Shizuka said.

"Not bad?" Watanuki repeated sarcastically, a small and rather adorable scowl on his face.

The monk nodded, "It's alright."

"Don't patronize me!" Watanuki glared, gesturing to the faint wax splatter which had been a candle, "It's gone."

"The objective was to light it," Shizuka agreed. "Not blast it out of existence."

Two days after the incident with the infection, Watanuki had wanted to get out of bed. He claimed to be feeling much better but even his accelerated healing hadn't finished its course and Shizuka had suggested they amuse themselves indoors… with lessons.

So in his bedclothes and sitting up in bed, Watanuki suffered learning elemental summonings for the first time. The lesson was going pretty well, in the monk's opinion. He'd set up a dozen candles in a row on the table across the room for Watanuki to use as target practice for a minor Flame spell.

Shoulders slumping, hands curling into the blankets in his lap, the noble murmured, "It's no use, I don't know how to get it to manifest quietly." He leaned toward Shizuka, giving the quiet monk a challenging look, "You do it."

Turning his head back to the table across the room from him, Shizuka eyed the next candle beside its obliterated brother and curled his hand into a seal. He muttered, "Flame."

Watanuki frowned at the innocently lit candle. "It's lit."

"It appears so."

"Argh!" Then Watanuki sighed and scooted closer. Gritting his teeth he growled, "Please explain the hand seal to me again."

Shizuka shifted toward his master and curled his right hand, four fingers curved, thumb gently folding toward the base of the smallest finger. "An open circle." He held it out a little toward the young noble. "You try."

Lifting his hand toward the monk's, Watanuki angled himself so he could form the same seal side by side to Shizuka's example. He studied the two poised hands and blandly commented, "They look more like open ovals."

Ignoring him Shizuka continued, "The source channels comes up through your arm, past your wrist and out of your palm, and the fingers are the funnel which guides the fire." He leaned over and traced the index finger of his other hand over the gentle curl of Watanuki's thumb, "This is the shape. It curls the flame around from your wrist into the circle and around into a rotating funnel." Glancing down at Watanuki, "You know already that fire is difficult to contain, better to generate only as much as you need and redirect it."

"It seems to naturally wind when I use it," Watanuki commented, puzzled. "I don't think I direct it that way."

Shizuka considered the way his master had used fire to defend himself, two days prior, at their first lesson. "Maybe, you just knew that was the way it should flow." He shrugged, "It doesn't matter." He pointed down the cup of Watanuki's curled hand to the very centre of his palm. "There. Bring the fire from there. When it's born, use your other hand to guide the fire. Just in the beginning, to help you get used to hand seals."

Obediently Watanuki raised his other hand, index and middle finger extended with the other fingers curled shut. "With this."

"Yes."

Watanuki leaned in, dark blue eyes briefly looking far off before returning to him and he softly commented, "It feels… distant."

Not really, the monk thought, mind wandering off topic a moment as he wondered when they had come to sit so close to each other. "It is. The control of hands is different from the control of mind." He watched his master, who seemed not the least bit bothered by their proximity. "This way you're less vulnerable. You're vulnerable enough as it is."

"I won't be vulnerable much longer since I'm going to harness my abilities!" Watanuki snapped, hands tensed into claws with his frustration. With a glare he grumbled, "Just you wait, you know it all."

They watched each other a moment, Shizuka unpleasantly aware of how much he happened to enjoy having his master so close. He didn't mind the temper, admired the rosy cheeks and pink ears, and he liked the scent of mint and musk he inhaled on each breath. It disconcerted him a little, the ease with which they could look at one another without it meaning anything in particular.

"Give it a try," Shizuka said softly and scooted a little away along the bedside.

"Hmph," Watanuki turned, curled the seal before his chest, other arm extending toward the candle on the table. "Flame."

The blast was still a little stronger than it ought to be, melting away the candle's top half, but certainly much better than the earlier scorching fireball. Shizuka blinked, "Better."

"Not yet," Watanuki muttered and aimed at the next candle. "Flame." This too burst into fire instead of gently coming alight as Shizuka's had. "Again."

Shizuka held still, willing to wait for the next time his master asked for help.

However, this time, instead of merely repeating himself, Watanuki paused and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He relaxed a little then quietly, calmly, murmured, "Flame."

And with the gentlest of whispers as though softly coaxed, the candle wick bloomed into light… and Watanuki smiled with satisfaction.

"Perfectionist," Shizuka muttered gruffly under his breath.

With a haughty sniff, Watanuki raised a brow at him. "Damn right."

TBC

Author Notes:

Thank you everyone for your sympathies on my recent bad luck. Things are looking up for me and the muses are cooperating too, so I guess in the end it all worked out. My original fiction is seeing a lot of action lately so I apologise if the updates for this story trim down to only a few times a month. But it will be finished because I love this story and I can't wait to write out all the things I have planned for them! And the data is backed up, too, that's how serious I am about finishing this!!

Next, thanks to the folllowing people who reviewed and aren't registered users so I couldn't reply to you individually, or who left a short note in their reviews (so I wasn't sure if I should reply or not because there weren't any questions):

blah
keri2004
Azamiko - yep, just my number plate. Thank God just that, actually.
llvoxll - no head banging on the wall. I need it to finish this and about ten other stories as well...!
katiesquilts - as always, dear, a pleasure to hear from you. Thanks for your sympathy.
Rysha and Affie - thanks to you both, love to hear from you, as always, since you actually TALK about personal stuff. It's nice to be shared with. I hope you enjoy your visit at your mom's, Affie.
forevernyu
Aaidurii - nope, not yet!
Anifantwist - Thank you very much, it's lovely to read your appreciation. And welcome to the readership!
Not Me - Thank you for your sympathies and concern. As to CLAMP charas, a few will. Not too many though, or this will cross the xxxHoLic boundaries.
sakura007 - slash coming up! And by the way, I like your username, it makes me think of Sakura (Tsubasa Chronicles) as a secret agent!
Thimble - Thank you. I did put some thought into this background. More coming!
LunarGeography - the monk's lives aren't a common bit of knowledge... unsticks foot from mouth Wait and see, it will all make sense eventually. Thank you for the msg!
GoddesOfWrath - Thanks for the cookie! And don't worry, Shizuka will be just fine.
GoldenRat - Thanks, I relate better to Doumeki, really. I'm glad you're enjoying his perspective.
squeefan
Lonewolfe001 - The explanations come later, be patient my dear reader. It will all unfold.
Paon - Urgh! That happened to me once, too. I invested in an external drive after that; I recommend it.
God of Laundry Baskets
LambSam
.xXxRoCk aNgEL xXx.
-w- easy enough - You'll see! This story goes through a few countries, actually. I hope you enjoy the ride.