fic: The Ties That Bind
Jul. 5th, 2013 11:20 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bonnefoisTitle: The Ties That Bind
Series: xxxHolic
Character/pairing: Doumeki/Watanuki
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1008
Author's note: DBS, escape, distraction, kindness, victim, unexpected
In the middle of the day, darkness descended around him. Clouds of swirling spirits, flashes of eyes like lightning. Watanuki pushed at the mist, reaching out through to the world outside, and to safety. The last swirl began to close shut, a prisoner's door sealing to his fate. Through that one sliver, he could see a hint of black uniform. A bow string pulled back from the arc of a bow. The arrow soared through the air, one by one until the darkness passed.
Watanuki fell to the ground, panting for breath. The solidity of ground didn't help the dizziness from the influence of the obake. Doumeki stepped forward.
"You're late," Doumeki said, his voice terse.
"That's the thing about being attacked by monsters!"
Doumeki grunted, and hoisted his bow over his shoulder. Had he been hurt? Watanuki made a mental note to check later.
Not like he wanted to rub it on Doumeki's broad, manly shoulders or anything! Watanuki flushed bright red just at the thought.
Doumeki clutched at his shoulder, grimacing in pain. The black uniform was stained with blood. All Watanuki's fears were realized as he saw Doumeki bent, overwhelmed by the wound.
"Lean on me," Watanuki said evenly, even though he felt anything but calm.
"I don't—"
"LEAN. ON. ME!"
"Too loud," Doumeki muttered, but he complied this time. They slowly walked towards home together, while Watanuki's mind raced. Would a mortal cure help a wound from the obake? He could only try and find out. If not, then he'd rush to Yuuko's and go from there. Would he pay for a wish to keep Doumeki safe? Without a thought, no matter what that wish would cost him.
*
Inside the spare shed at Doumeki's residence, Watanuki began to collect supplies. Underneath a dusty box of books was an old first-aid kit. The plastic had yellowed, and the red cross had nearly been rubbed off, but upon checking the insides, it all seemed sound enough.
Doumeki sat on a stool. He was stripped to the waist, with a criss-cross of scars over his chest. Too many scars for a normal Japanese teenager. But then, Doumeki was no normal teenager. He fought a near daily battle against the obake on Watanuki's behalf.
Watanuki pulled out the bandages, and averted his gaze. His face was hot and flushed and he knew it. It just kept making him angrier and angrier, going into an unbroken spiral. He muttered murderously under his breath as he got out the salve. Stupid Doumeki for getting himself hurt, for having such broad shoulders, for embarrassing him and making his heart race like this.
"What?" Doumeki said, frowning at him.
"It's embarrassing!"
"We're both men," Doumeki said.
"That doesn't make it any less embarrassing with your—your shoulders and your muscles and scars and—" Watanuki broke off, turning swiftly away. His anger was more intense than ever. It felt like he'd explode from sheer rage, like a cartoon character. Well, that and all these unsaid things now bubbling up inside him, just making him even angrier.
Doumeki just looked at him.
Watanuki puffed out his cheeks. "Stop looking at me like that!"
"You first," Doumeki said evenly.
"I said it first," Watanuki said, sounding as petulant as a child.
For a few seconds, they just looked at each other. Both were unwilling to stand down. The tension filled the air, a tension Watanuki was unwilling to address. Finally, Watanuki was the one who turned and began to fuss through the bandages. Anger had turned to fear. What would I do if Doumeki wasn't there anymore? He didn't want to know the answer to that question—he didn't even want to think it. Instead, he busied himself with finishing the task at hand.
Watanuki pocketed scissors to cut the ace bandages, and turned back to Doumeki. He spread out the salve on Doumeki's shoulder. The skin beneath his fingers was warm, and left a shiver of something he didn't even want to try and figure out inside him. Watanuki swallowed, a slight tremble in his hands as he spread the last of the salve.
"T-there," he said, hating the tremor in his voice.
Watanuki began to rise away, but a tight grip stopped him. Doumeki had caught him by the wrist. He gave Watanuki an intense, searching glance. Suspicious, even.
"You've been acting strange ever since the obake attacked you," he said slowly.
"I'm not possessed!"
Doumeki's eyes narrowed at him.
"I told you, I'm not possessed!"
"Then, why—"
"I'm acting like this because you're an idiot!" Watanuki burst out.
A stupid idiot who'd gone and gotten so entwined in Watanuki's life that he couldn't imagine a world without him. Someone who filled his life in ways he hadn't expected, who made him angry and would never leave him alone.
"You're the idiot," Doumeki muttered.
"No, you," Watanuki said back in irritation. Yet, there was a fondness between the glares and the you idiot's.
Watanuki applied the last of the bandages and stepped back.
"If it gets worse, you come and get me, even if it's the middle of the night. Understand?" Watanuki said.
"You sound like a housewife," Doumeki said.
Watanuki could think of no comeback to that, except a huffy Well! Watanuki turned back to putting the first-aid kit back in order. He was deeply irritated and relieved all in one.
"If the shoe fits," Doumeki said.
"I—" For once, words failed him, so he just stuck his tongue out. Doumeki always brought out the maturity in him.
Doumeki gave him that look. The you are such an idiot look that didn't need the accompaniment of words to get its point across.
He held out his hand to help Doumeki up. At just the edge of his vision, he could see a long, tangled red string fading like a ghost between them.
Series: xxxHolic
Character/pairing: Doumeki/Watanuki
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1008
Author's note: DBS, escape, distraction, kindness, victim, unexpected
In the middle of the day, darkness descended around him. Clouds of swirling spirits, flashes of eyes like lightning. Watanuki pushed at the mist, reaching out through to the world outside, and to safety. The last swirl began to close shut, a prisoner's door sealing to his fate. Through that one sliver, he could see a hint of black uniform. A bow string pulled back from the arc of a bow. The arrow soared through the air, one by one until the darkness passed.
Watanuki fell to the ground, panting for breath. The solidity of ground didn't help the dizziness from the influence of the obake. Doumeki stepped forward.
"You're late," Doumeki said, his voice terse.
"That's the thing about being attacked by monsters!"
Doumeki grunted, and hoisted his bow over his shoulder. Had he been hurt? Watanuki made a mental note to check later.
Not like he wanted to rub it on Doumeki's broad, manly shoulders or anything! Watanuki flushed bright red just at the thought.
Doumeki clutched at his shoulder, grimacing in pain. The black uniform was stained with blood. All Watanuki's fears were realized as he saw Doumeki bent, overwhelmed by the wound.
"Lean on me," Watanuki said evenly, even though he felt anything but calm.
"I don't—"
"LEAN. ON. ME!"
"Too loud," Doumeki muttered, but he complied this time. They slowly walked towards home together, while Watanuki's mind raced. Would a mortal cure help a wound from the obake? He could only try and find out. If not, then he'd rush to Yuuko's and go from there. Would he pay for a wish to keep Doumeki safe? Without a thought, no matter what that wish would cost him.
*
Inside the spare shed at Doumeki's residence, Watanuki began to collect supplies. Underneath a dusty box of books was an old first-aid kit. The plastic had yellowed, and the red cross had nearly been rubbed off, but upon checking the insides, it all seemed sound enough.
Doumeki sat on a stool. He was stripped to the waist, with a criss-cross of scars over his chest. Too many scars for a normal Japanese teenager. But then, Doumeki was no normal teenager. He fought a near daily battle against the obake on Watanuki's behalf.
Watanuki pulled out the bandages, and averted his gaze. His face was hot and flushed and he knew it. It just kept making him angrier and angrier, going into an unbroken spiral. He muttered murderously under his breath as he got out the salve. Stupid Doumeki for getting himself hurt, for having such broad shoulders, for embarrassing him and making his heart race like this.
"What?" Doumeki said, frowning at him.
"It's embarrassing!"
"We're both men," Doumeki said.
"That doesn't make it any less embarrassing with your—your shoulders and your muscles and scars and—" Watanuki broke off, turning swiftly away. His anger was more intense than ever. It felt like he'd explode from sheer rage, like a cartoon character. Well, that and all these unsaid things now bubbling up inside him, just making him even angrier.
Doumeki just looked at him.
Watanuki puffed out his cheeks. "Stop looking at me like that!"
"You first," Doumeki said evenly.
"I said it first," Watanuki said, sounding as petulant as a child.
For a few seconds, they just looked at each other. Both were unwilling to stand down. The tension filled the air, a tension Watanuki was unwilling to address. Finally, Watanuki was the one who turned and began to fuss through the bandages. Anger had turned to fear. What would I do if Doumeki wasn't there anymore? He didn't want to know the answer to that question—he didn't even want to think it. Instead, he busied himself with finishing the task at hand.
Watanuki pocketed scissors to cut the ace bandages, and turned back to Doumeki. He spread out the salve on Doumeki's shoulder. The skin beneath his fingers was warm, and left a shiver of something he didn't even want to try and figure out inside him. Watanuki swallowed, a slight tremble in his hands as he spread the last of the salve.
"T-there," he said, hating the tremor in his voice.
Watanuki began to rise away, but a tight grip stopped him. Doumeki had caught him by the wrist. He gave Watanuki an intense, searching glance. Suspicious, even.
"You've been acting strange ever since the obake attacked you," he said slowly.
"I'm not possessed!"
Doumeki's eyes narrowed at him.
"I told you, I'm not possessed!"
"Then, why—"
"I'm acting like this because you're an idiot!" Watanuki burst out.
A stupid idiot who'd gone and gotten so entwined in Watanuki's life that he couldn't imagine a world without him. Someone who filled his life in ways he hadn't expected, who made him angry and would never leave him alone.
"You're the idiot," Doumeki muttered.
"No, you," Watanuki said back in irritation. Yet, there was a fondness between the glares and the you idiot's.
Watanuki applied the last of the bandages and stepped back.
"If it gets worse, you come and get me, even if it's the middle of the night. Understand?" Watanuki said.
"You sound like a housewife," Doumeki said.
Watanuki could think of no comeback to that, except a huffy Well! Watanuki turned back to putting the first-aid kit back in order. He was deeply irritated and relieved all in one.
"If the shoe fits," Doumeki said.
"I—" For once, words failed him, so he just stuck his tongue out. Doumeki always brought out the maturity in him.
Doumeki gave him that look. The you are such an idiot look that didn't need the accompaniment of words to get its point across.
He held out his hand to help Doumeki up. At just the edge of his vision, he could see a long, tangled red string fading like a ghost between them.
