A Conditional Love

-Hyrate-

Hyrate here. One Tribute to xXxHolic's awful ending

Yaoi implied.

Watanuki placed his pipe down the table, with its smoke travelling upward around the room and outside, and leading to what seemed to be an endless flow. In front of him, seated before his eyes were the two important people for him, and they had just told him something that concerned both parties. The first person was a tall, stoic looking man, who has a short hair and narrow face. He was wearing a white collared uniform, with his face as impassive as ever. The next person seated next to him was a young lady with a long blonde and wavy hair, and greenish-blue eyes with a beauty mark under her left eye,with a little sultry looks. She was wearing a kimono that emphasized her beautiful features even more.

The magician eyed the two with livid eyes.

"You don't have to do this." he started coldly.

"You know it must be done." answered the impassive young man before him.

"We agreed to do this, Kimihiro-kun, both I and Shizuka-kun agreed..."

Watanuki, who was usually reserved and composed since he inherited a magic shop from a certain butterfly witch, clenched his fist under the table.

"Kohane-chan, you don't have to do this for me," he injected gently so as not to offend his friend, "You can find someone better than him- he gestured his head on Doumkei's direction- and love him with your heart. But not like this, Kohane-chan..."

The blonde girl shook her head and said, "I will do this for Kimihiro-kun... I want Kimihiro-kun to be happy."

And with that she stood up, bowed her head a little and left the room to the two men. Watanuki could only watch her go for he didn't know what to say. Kohane-chan was going to marry someone who she doesn't even love. How could this be? And with all people...

With Kohane gone, Watanuki could only grit his teeth in anger and he suddenly grabbed Doumeki's collar roughly with his slender fingers that weren't used to violence- except that moment- and pull him up.

"Doumeki!" he said in heated anger as he shook the tall guy roughly, "Kohane-chan-! Why Kohane-chan!"

"It's already been decided." was the impassive answer. "She's doing it for you."

"I didn't ask for this!" the magician hissed and it was only he could to contain his tears that were threatening to fall on his cheeks as he slammed both his arms on the stoic man's chest, "I didn't ask for this!" he bellowed more louder, clutching tightly on Doumeki's uniform and clenching his fist. How many times must he experience heartaches? How many times must his friends sacrifice for him? Was this how Yuuko-!

"We know." Doumeki slowly reached for Watanuki's arms and put it on his side quietly as the magician dropped his head and leaned on the tall man's chest in defeat. "Kohane didn't want you to be alone... when we are gone."

Watanuki's pupils widened a little, and then after that dropped his shoulder helplessly. The two friends stood there like that for a few minutes in complete silence. Until the magician opened his mouth and mumbled.

"Doumeki. Sake."

"Hn."

Moments later found the two sitting on the veranda with a bottle of sake between them with their respective cups. Watanuki was silent as he drank and smoke his pipe, while Doumeki continued sip slowly from his cup.

"What do you think will happen to me?" was the magician's question in the night. Doumeki did not answer. "I will live... and live... and live! Until the time comes when I will be taken away- the same way the previous owner of this shop was taken."

He drank on his cup and then chuckled with his head bowed.

"I am the saddest thing."

"That is why..." Doumeki put his cup down as he stared at the magician, "Kohane didn't want you to be sad. That's why."

Watanuki stared with blurred eyes at the stoic man as he finally understand what he was saying. An occurring thought came to him as he suddenly turned a lazy head on the stoic man's direction.

"Do you love each other?"

Doumeki took his time to answer as he took hold of his empty cup, placed it near the bottle of sake, and poured some contents in it. The magician continued to watch as the quiet man drank from his cup in slow sip, and then placed the empty cup back beside the bottle.

The golden eyes meet the cool blue.

"You are important to Kohane. And you are important to me. Your question is already answered."

Watanuki remained looking at the quiet man before him, before finally grabbing hold of the sake bottle near him and raise it up to the night sky as he shouted, "To immortality... and to death!"

He swig the bottle to his lips and took everything in one gulp. Doumeki could only watch him as he let the empty bottle slip down his hand. Without a care in the world, the magician laid with his back on the cold floor and stared at the dark ceiling above him. His yukata slid down his shoulders, and his thighs were clearly exposed but he did not care. All he cared about was something that was hurting inside him for his two most important friend.

He felt Doumeki moving before him but didn't give any attention. He just wanted to know if sharing this feeling could lessen the pain Yuuko felt when it was she who was binded in time.

That was when Doumeki's head appeared to where the dark ceiling was before. The magician realized the stoic man was on top of him.

"What are you doing?" he whispered weakly as Doumeki leaned down and planted a soft kiss on his lips.

He must have been too drunk, he decided.

Watanuki did not refuse, nor give any inclination to stop Doumeki as the stoic man slowly pulled his yukata down his shoulders and started kissing it. He just laid there, staring blankly on the dark ceiling-free-from-Doumeki's-head and waited for what was to come.

Doumeki felt the weak body's response to his kisses and didn't want to stop. The slender body of the magician was intoxicating him, especially now that it was exposed to him too much. He touched every part his hands could reach with gentleness you would not expect from someone who has large hands. He was afraid he might break the tranquil feeling of the magician if he went with him roughly, so he started it smoothly by pulling his elegant yukata away and kissing every bare parts he could see. He slid his left hand down the exposed thighs and took hold of that something in between. Watanuki filled his lungs with air as the caress of Doumeki started to affect him and closed his eyes in the process.

Doumeki leaned down and nipped on the magician's neck, down to his chest, into his stomach and stayed below where he took his time to give his magician a pleasure through his mouth. He was answered by a few moans and gasps. After a few minutes of working, he gently slid up again and kissed Watanuki on the lips. When the kissed finished, the golden eyes meet with the cool blue once more and Doumeki was hit by a sudden realization. Silent tears were sliding down Watanuki's cheeks.

"Doumeki," whispered the magician, "Don't you ever... make Kohane-chan cry... or I won't forgive you."

The young man stopped, their eyes still locked with each other. Until Doumeki closed his eyes and moved up, and away from the magician.

Watanuki turned his body to one side and closed his eyes. He felt Doumeki still standing before him quietly and waiting. When he gave none, the tall man turned around and left, with his footsteps echoing in the dark hallway of the magic shop.

Watanuki clenched his fist, and then curled his body which, after a few moments, started shaking uncontrollably.

He wished Doumeki didn't have to go...wished that no one would have to...that everything remains the same... but everything was already decided by time... and he was the one who would suffer the most because of the inevitable... Just like Yuuko.

"Watanuki?" came the black Mokona's voice. The magician, who was already back on smoking with his legs crossed as usual outside the veranda shifted his head a little.

"What is it?"

The black Mokona jumped lightly near him and then stopped upon reaching his legs.

"Doumeki said he will return tomorrow,"

Blow of smoke. Then-

"He should. Otherwise we all would be hungry here, don't you think so?"

"Oh yes! Doumeki is a big box of grocery!"

Watanuki smiled a little and then returned on smoking.

"Mokona?"

"Hai?"

"What if one day Doumeki stops to come... will you miss him?"

"Huh?"

"Nevermind..."

Silence filled the two as the magician stared up at the moon."

"Yuuko..."

Watanuki looked down at the black Mokona who was still looking at him.

"Yuuko asked me the same question..."

Watanuki stared but didn't say anything until Mokona continued, "She asked me what if someone that comes here often suddenly stopped coming... I didn't answer so she told me what she thinks... She said that people in this shop are faithed to come and go..."

The magician shifted his eyes to one side.

"But she also said that there are those that stays until they can because there is something here that is precious to them," Mokona continued, "Yuuko told me no matter what happens they will always return. So if Doumeki disappeared one day, then we just have to wait, because I'm sure he will return, because there is something here that is precious to him, Watanuki."

Watanuki leaned his back on the pillar and smoked again, this time with a little spirit on his eyes as he said,

"Shall we wait for him to comeback tomorrow?"

"Lets!" was the enthusiastic reply and the magician treasured the feeling that someone was still going to comeback to him tomorrow.

-end-