Disclaimer: Seriously?

Chapter Two

Watanuki grumbled as he dished out the eggs and bacon, mixing in the spinach sauce he had prepared the night before. "Damn slave driver," he mumbled, teeth clenched. "Asking me to spend the night under the impression that she was worried for my health, when in reality she just wanted an easy breakfast. Of course, for her, it's easy, but for me it's torture. A western breakfast in the middle of December, this is ridiculous—"

"Oh, Watanuki," a voice called from the doorway, making the boy tense. "My bottle's empty."

Watanuki scowled, grinding his teeth together. He hunched over the bowl of grits he was preparing, beating it with newfound strength. He refused to look at that ungrateful woman.

"Watanuki," the voice all but whined, stressing the last syllable. Watanuki could hear shuffling as his employer appeared to drag herself into the kitchen. "I said," she muttered, slinging an arm around the boy's neck and resting her chin on his shoulder. She dangled the bottle in front of his eyes. "My bottle's empty."

The boy shook her off, snatching the container from her fingers. "You've been awake for thirty minutes," he growled, yanking the fridge open. "Yuuko, that is completely ridiculous. You shouldn't even be drinking this early in the day."

The shop owner sat on one of the stools next to the bar, sighing dramatically and placing her chin on the back of her hand, her elbow set firmly on the counter top. "But, Watanuki, how else will I stay awake through breakfast?"

The student snorted as he refilled the bottle from a pitcher kept in the back of the fridge. "I'm sure the fumes from the food would have woken you. You had no problem staying awake last night when I was making the sauce."

"I was still full with sake from dinner," Yuuko explained, eyes landing on the three half-packed bento boxes sitting on the counter. "Are these for today?" she asked, interrupting her employee's mumbling.

The boy looked over his shoulder curiously. "What? The bento?" He froze in horror when he saw that the woman was lifting an onigiri from Himawari's box. With lightning speed, he stormed over to the woman, grabbing her wrist, and placed the rice ball back in its rightful place with unnecessary delicacy. "Hey, watch it," he scolded. "That's for Himawari!"

Yuuko frowned, folding her arms in front of her. She watched the boy fuss over the box, inspecting it for any imperfections, for a few more moments before opening her mouth. "Yes, I guessed it was. How are you feeling today, Watanuki?"

Watanuki blinked, glancing up at her from the box he was checking. "Um, okay, I guess. Nothing out of the ordinary. Why?"

The fortune teller nodded, straitening up in her seat. "And your feelings for Himawari? Are they any different?"

The student's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Why would that matter?"

"Watanuki, we're both running low on time. Just answer the question," Yuuko demanded calmly, letting her eyes slide to the box on the outer left.

Watanuki set the box down, following the woman's line of sight curiously. "Well, they're about the same, I guess. Now what's wrong with Doumeki's bento? Is there something inside?"

Yuuko blinked, reaching forward and pointing at it before looking at Watanuki with an air of urgency. "You mean to tell me that this is Doumeki's? You're sure?"

The student's eyes widened, nodding. He looked at the box warily. "Why?" he asked, starting to move away from the counter. "Is there something I didn't see?"

"Yes," the shop owner replied, pinching one of the apple slices and lifting it to eye level. "This is in the shape of a rabbit."

At that, Watanuki raised an eyebrow, deflating. "That's it?" He sighed, releasing his tense muscles. Then he met her eyes challengingly. "You got a problem with that?"

"Of course," she commented, popping it into her mouth. The boy squeaked in horror. She slammed her fist onto the counter top, standing with an air of finality. "You must make a new batch, specifically for him," she announced.

"Why?" Watanuki cried, throwing his face into her personal space. "And why the hell did you eat—"

"But, Watanuki," the woman countered, crossing her arms and sitting back down. "Don't you think..." she trailed off, suddenly clasping her hands together under her chin like a lovesick schoolgirl, "that they should be in the shape of hearts?"

A thud was heard as the boy hit the floor.

Yuuko leaned over the counter to look down at him, lips pursed. "Please, Watanuki, what have I said about floundering about on my floors?"

The student groaned, catching onto the edge of the counter and pulling himself to his knees. "Then why did you say that?" he lamented, pouting up at the woman.

Yuuko shrugged and crossed her arms, looking away dismissively. "Well, I don't understand why you're so against it. After all, you did kiss him—"

"I did no such thing!" Watanuki denied, back on his feet so quickly it was a wonder he didn't get whiplash.

The fortune teller blinked at his scowling face. "Oh? Then what was that last night?"

The boy scoffed, turning around to throw the egg beater into the sink. "You were watching?" he growled.

He could practically hear the woman shrugging behind him. "Why, of course. I had to make sure I was receiving my proper payment."

Watanuki hunched farther over the sink with every word she spoke. "Whatever," he seethed, a vein popping out of his temple. "Besides, it was him who kissed me."

"Yes, but you let him," Yuuko reasoned, and the boy forced his mouth to stay shut. After a thought, she grinned, eyes glinting mischievously. "Yes, you should have heard Doumeki yesterday," she said conversationally, bringing the sake bottle to her lips.

Watanuki's ears perked up as he continued to wash the dishes. "What do you mean? He went home after the... payment," he told her, blushing slightly.

Yuuko chuckled knowingly. "But I went to thank him for it when he was outside. He was going on and on about it-it was really heartfelt."

The student stopped his movements, still refusing to turn around. "On and on... about what?" he asked, voice soft.

She shrugged. "Why, the kiss, silly, what else?"

Watanuki whirled around, face a deep red. "W-What?"

His employer squealed in delight. "Oh my, Watanuki," she gushed, cheeks reddening, and she laid a hand over one of them in mock shyness. "You're blushing!"

The exclamation only made the boy redden further. He shook his head, attempting to fling the blush away. It didn't work. "Never mind that," he ordered, waving it off. He leaned towards his employer. "Just tell me what he said!"

She giggled, cocking her head to the side. "Oh, well, he couldn't stop talking about how right it felt!"

Watanuki's eyes widened. "R-Right?"

The shop owner nodded. "I know, and then he kept saying that he was waiting for the right time—"

"Waiting?" the boy interrupted, shocked.

"—That's what I said!" Yuuko agreed, nodding vigorously. "And he was all, `Yes, I know it's a shock, but I've had these feelings for a long time and I was trying to figure them out. Who knew that that boy would make me question my sexuality? I mean, the desire is so much; and the dreams—'"

"DREAMS?" Watanuki shrieked, slamming his palms onto the counter.

Yuuko burst out laughing, covering her mouth with her hands. "Oh my god, you look like a tomato!" she exclaimed.

"Tomato, tomato!" Maru and Moro chimed in, signaling that they, too, had finally awaken.

Watanuki frowned, beating on the counter impatiently. "Shut up! Now, Yuuko, did Doumeki really say all that?"

Yuuko frowned back at him, crossing her arms. "Well, no, didn't you know that?" Watanuki slithered to the ground once more. Yuuko ignored him. "Doumeki rarely talks, and even when he does, he wouldn't talk like that. He'd word things differently, and even so, why would he tell me?"

The student climbed to his feet dejectedly, turning back to the dishes. "Jeez, Yuuko, you didn't have to freak me out like that. My morning was going perfectly well."

"What are you talking about?" the woman asked, slipping off her stool. "Your morning doesn't start until you spaz at least once." She sighed, stretching her arms above her head. Then she smiled at the boy. "I'll leave you to the rest of your work."

Watanuki rolled his eyes, reaching into the water to pull the plug. "Yeah, sure."

Yuuko made her way out of the room, stopping in the doorway to call over her shoulder. "Oh, and Watanuki."

The student turned to her tiredly. "What is it, now?"

She smiled. "Make sure to inform Doumeki that that was your first kiss."

The boy paled. "What—Why?" he whined, dropping the fork he was holding into the suds.

The shop owner replied with a closed-eye smile. "It's only polite."

"Wha—?" Watanuki began, but the woman left the room before he could finish. He turned back to his work, grumbling under his breath once more. "Damn woman, making me tell people things with no good reason. And she just had to give me the scare of my life! Saying that Doumeki's wanted to... to..." he trailed off, stilling his movements and standing up straight. After a thought, he lifted his hand, pulling his glove off carefully.

He lifted the bare hand to his mouth, running the tip of his index finger over his bottom lip. His first kiss.

It hadn't been what he'd expected it to be like, but it wasn't exactly bad, either. He could still feel Doumeki's hand on the back of his neck, forcing him to stay in place. And the brush of his lips, softer than they looked, along with the stroke of his tongue...

Watanuki saw himself blushing in the reflection on the window, and he cursed, pulling his hand from his lips. Ridiculous. Thinking of something like that.

He checked his watch, gasping at how much time he'd wasted listening to Yuuko's craziness. He ran about the kitchen, hanging up his apron and gloves while setting the table, all the while shoving his own breakfast down his throat. He stopped at the bento boxes, looking from Himawari's to Doumeki's. He sighed, scratching his head. The oaf would most likely notice that his box had one less apple slice, and would complain about it until Watanuki's ear fell off. But he was low on time.

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, the boy grabbed a knife from the drawer, taking one of Himawari's slices. He sliced it in half (perfectly, he might add) before tossing one half in each box. Knowing that it was still unfair, seeing as how he himself still had all of the original slices, Watanuki simply threw out a whole slice of his own. Satisfied, he closed all three of the boxes, slung them into a bag, and dashed out the door.

"That stupid oaf," Watanuki growled, checking his watch for what seemed the tenth time. "How is he late? This is the front of his own house!" The student crossed his arms, slinging the bag of bento and his school bag to his sides. "Well, he does need to take care of the temple," he reasoned, tapping his finger against his forearm contemplatively. "And it is a big building," he added softly, turning to inspect it.

The temple really was well kept, which was saying a lot considering the fact that the only one taking care of it was a high schooler. The garden was weeded. The path was swept. The rooms were all dusted.

Wait, didn't Doumeki have parents that lived with him? Watanuki guessed so, even though he'd never seen them. He wondered what they were like. They must've been proud of Doumeki. He was an archer, after all, and responsible. Annoying, of course, but responsible. And protective, he supposed. Annoyingly so. He was good at masking his emotions. Keeping things to himself. Hiding them.

Watanuki frowned, dropping his eyes to the pavement at his feet. For the second time that morning, he touched his lips softly. Doumeki's kiss was firm but... soft. Careful. It would have even been kind of nice if... if Doumeki had meant it. It's not that Watanuki liked the giant lug, it was just that... It was just... what?

"I'm going insane," the boy thought aloud, shaking his head.

"Oi."

Watanuki's eyes narrowed dangerously, spinning on the toe of his shoe to glare daggers at the source of his thoughts. "My name isn't `Oi,' for the last time!"

Doumeki was silent, standing in the entrance of the temple garden. His eyes watched the other boy carefully, gaze piercing.

Watanuki faltered. "W-What?" he asked, taking a step back.

Doumeki raised an eyebrow, keeping his mouth shut. A few moments of intense staring passed, then, "You're blushing."

The shorter boy lit up like a chili light bulb, shielding his face with his hands in absolute horror. "W-What? I am not—WHY IS EVERYONE SUDDENLY SO FREAKING OBSERVENT TODAY!" He paused when he saw that Doumeki was only using one finger to plug his ears with. "Hey, what are you holding in your other hand?"

The taller boy looked down at the hand Watanuki was talking about. "What, this?"

Watanuki's eyes widened. He was holding a leash. "A leash—Wait, you have a pet?"

Doumeki shrugged, pulling the leash forward and letting a small black Labrador puppy step out from behind him. The puppy gave a small whimper.

Watanuki's eyes widened further, and he stepped forward. "A lab? A black lab?"

The taller boy raised an eyebrow. "Wow, Watanuki, you can see."

The other student's eyes narrowed into slits, pushing himself onto his toes and into Doumeki's face. "Of course I can see, you dimwitted little—"

The puppy whimpered a second time, causing Watanuki to look down at it curiously.

"Your dog is whimpering," he noted, stepping back a few paces.

Doumeki rolled his eyes. "And your observation skills continue to amaze me." Ignoring the glare he received, the archer too turned to his pet. "He's been doing that since I put the leash on him. I don't know what—"

"Oh my god," Watanuki muttered, cutting him off. The boy's face contorted in horror. "What are you doing to his neck?"

At that, Doumeki immediately released the leash, watching in mild concern as the puppy scurried to the safety of Watanuki's shadow.

The shorter boy crouched low, taking hold of the dog's collar. He tsked, passing an icy look in Doumeki's direction. "You had it too tight," he explained, loosening the grip on the puppy's collar. "And, look, you got some of his fur stuck in the—"

"I've never taken care of animals before," Doumeki told him, moving to step up to the other boy.

Watanuki held up a hand, bringing him to a stop. "Stop right there; I think you've done enough damage to this poor soul."

Doumeki scoffed. "It's not like I beat him to death with a stick."

Watanuki decided to ignore that comment. "You're not used to having animals?" he asked, fixing the clasp of the dog's leash. "How long have you had this pup, then?"

"Good morning, Watanuki!" another voice shouted cheerfully, butting into their conversation.

Doumeki turned to Himawari as she stepped down the porch steps, handbag clasped firmly in front of her. "Hey," he greeted.

Watanuki didn't look up from where he was still fussing over the puppy, running a hand through its shiny coat. His lips curled in disgust. "Seriously, Doumeki, how can you live with yourself? When was the last time this dog was brushed, or bathed, for God's sake?"

"I washed him last night," Doumeki replied, glancing at him.

Himawari's smile faltered. "Yes, and I... I helped him."

Watanuki finally looked up at the sound of her voice, grin instantly brightening his dark face. "Himawari!" he called excitedly, but he didn't make any move to stand up from his position.

His two companions noticed, exchanging glances. Himawari dropped her eyes.

The puppy licked Watanuki's chin, bringing him back to the situation at hand. He turned narrowed eyes on Doumeki once again. "What did you wash him with, rain water?" He then looked back at Himawari, eyes softening. "Not you, Himawari, of course. I know you're too sweet to tell this tyrant off, so I don't blame you."

"We washed him the best we knew how," Doumeki explained, coming to crouch next to him. When the shorter boy threw his arms around the dog protectively, he snorted. "I'm not going to throw him into a ditch, idiot."

Watanuki rolled his eyes, reluctantly retracting his arms. "Whatever. So, how long have you had him?"

"Since 8 last night," Himawari cut it, taking a shy step forward. "I kind of... hit him into a chest by accident. Doumeki was kind enough to ask Yuuko for a key to open it, though."

Watanuki's eyes widened, eyes flicking to Doumeki. "You did?"

"Yeah," the taller boy replied. "It was my wish last night."

The boy's eyes widened further before looking away, blushing profusely. "I—I see," he coughed. His mind instantly played back an image of what exactly had happened the night before. The kiss. The hand. The tongue—

"Yes, well," Himawari said, smiling. "It's obvious that I can't keep the dog myself, and it was a stray, so..."

"I decided to take him in," Doumeki stated, laying a gentle hand on the puppy's head. It wagged its tail happily.

Watanuki shook his head. "But you're terrible at taking care of anything besides yourself," the boy muttered darkly.

There was a pause as Doumeki seemed to think about it, then, "Yep."

Watanuki snarled. "You're not supposed to agree to—!"

Himawari giggled, breaking the shorter boy from his rant. "Well," she said, stepping around the duo. "I'm going to go ahead and head out. See you at school!"

The two waved to her as she passed through the entry and onto the street. Watanuki frowned when she was out of sight.

Doumeki watched him thoughtfully.

The smaller boy turned to him before dropping his eyes to the puppy between them. "Himawari... knows about the payment, doesn't she?"

Doumeki shook his head. "Only about the part that has to do with her."

Watanuki looked up at that. "And what is that?"

The archer looked at the puppy as well. "I promised Yuuko and Kunogi that I wouldn't tell you."

Watanuki chose not to respond to that, instead ruffling the dog's fur. "Well, let's forget about it anyway." He coughed before changing the subject. "Anyway, I'm going to have to come over more often."

Doumeki raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Watanuki scoffed. "Because you can't take care of this poor animal by yourself. And I can wash it. And brush it. And walk it. You can too. Walk it, I mean. And, also, I—"

Doumeki tuned out of whatever was coming out of Watanuki's mouth, betting that it was only senseless insults at this point. His eyes dropped to the smaller boy's mouth. He could remember the soft lips as they quivered against his, and the warm, hesitant tongue, moving against his own. Watanuki had been so awkward, so inexperienced, but not in a terrible way. No, the kiss wasn't bad. Not bad at all.

Watching his lips move, Doumeki had the sudden urge to see how Watanuki would act if he was kissed for no good reason. Not because of a wish. Just because. With that thought in mind, he leaned forward, over the puppy between them.

It was intriguing, the way Watanuki's words cut short, the way his cheeks flared, the way his eyes widened, the way his breath hitched. Doumeki couldn't place the feeling that ran through his body when the sides of their noses brushed each other. The thrill that that came with the smaller boy finally being rendered speechless.

"Dou-Doumeki," Watanuki stuttered softly, leaning back on his hands, trying to maintain distance from the archer. "W-What are you doing?"

Instead of answering, Doumeki simply leaned in the rest of the way, brushing his lips against the other boy's. Watanuki froze under his touch. The archer pressed more firmly, hand pressing into the ground to keep his balance while the other lifted to grip Watanuki's chin. He pulled away for a fraction of a second, feeling Watanuki's jaw go slack from shock before moving back in, pulling the shorter boy's chin down and slipping his tongue inside.

Watanuki laid an uncertain hand on the archer's shoulder, finally responding to the kiss. His tongue met Doumeki's, pushing lightly, and he easily submitted to Doumeki's control, following the moves of his mouth. He gave a small sound of surprise when Doumeki bit on his lip, pulling it into his mouth. Watanuki grunted at the odd but pleasant feeling, closing his lips around the taller boy's upper lip.

It was when Doumeki's hand landed on his thigh that Watanuki pulled away abruptly, breaking the kiss. His cheeks burned as he stared into Doumeki's annoyed eyes incredulously. "What was that?" he asked breathlessly, voice an octave higher than usual. "D-Did Yuuko say you had to do that again?"

Doumeki shook his head, smirking. "No."

Watanuki's eyes widened, and his cheeks reddened further as he scrambled to his feet. The puppy barked at him, circling his legs cheerfully. "W-What? Then why—?"

"I wanted to," Doumeki explained from where he sat on the dirt walkway.

Watanuki moved his lips, but words seemed to evade him. He turned on his heel, leaning down to grab the puppy's leash. He then stormed up the porch steps, refusing to spare his companion a glance. "You are such a despicable human being," he was muttering, loud enough for Doumeki to here. "Taking advantage of me when I'm worrying about your dog."

Doumeki pushed himself to his feet with a small smile when the door slammed, dusting himself off. He was about to follow the smaller boy inside when he heard a scream for behind the closed door.

"AND HER NAME IS SHIROGANE!"

Doumeki paused in his steps. It was a girl? "Shirogane," he murmured, tasting the name. He liked it.