Hidden Meanings

By: Lazuli

Xxxholic gift-fic for moonklutz

Clamp owns 'holic, not I.

Watanuki flails and shouts and Doumeki pretends not to listen. He's heard it before, the rants about Yuuko and the jobs she gives him, the little respect and the daily trips for sake. He doesn't pay attention to the words that are shouted at his face, but instead he listens to the words underneath.

I'm lonely, I'm scared—I'm tired of this. I don't want to see them anymore.

Always the same, the pleading tone and gestures for helps hidden by frenzied movements and incoherent bursts of words. Never said aloud, as if actually admitting that he wanted help would make people shun him for it.

So Doumeki does what he can—distracting Watanuki with requests for food— he knows that Watanuki uses it as a means of distraction against what he can't escape from—he keeps the unwanted words from being heard as he taunts Watanuki into shouting a challenge.

He protects Watanuki from the spirits that he can't see, but always follow Watanuki, who can see them. Yuuko told him to guard Watanuki, but he doesn't do it because of her. He does it for a reason that he hasn't found out yet, but he'll continue to watch over and protect him.

One day he'll hear the words that Watanuki really wants to say, instead of the ones he's always hiding under.