XXXHolic Fan Fiction ❯ The Other Half ❯ Wet Towels ( Chapter 2 )

Hello again. I'm back and I'm still fighting the cravings for lovely, lovely new chapters. I'll try my best to distract myself with this fickie. Like I said before, I really do appreciate comments and constructive criticism.

 

Oh, and before I forget; I wanted to let you yaoi fans know that this story will almost definitely be limited to fluff. I never have been a big yaoi fan. Now shonen-ai is totally different. I just can't handle reading (let alone writing) about my favorite innocent little characters doing naughty bad things. So, if you're looking for that, I'm sorry to disappoint you. However, I'm planning on writing enough squishy fluffiness to kill those who can't handle it, so please look forward to it. I know I have a tendency to drag things out (If you've read my other romance fics, you'd know.), but I'll try my best to make it worth your while. ^_^

 

Disclaimer: If it was mine, Watanuki would wear a maid's uniform at LEAST once. Have you seen him in this uniform? I think not. Tell me if you do, tho! <3

 

***Chapter Two: Wet Towels***

 

It was lucky that Doumeki couldn't feel the hatred seeping from the boy sitting across from him. If it had been visible, the air would have been thick with it. The taller boy calmly sipped the tea his friend had made, and didn't bother to say a word.

 

Watanuki was wearing an expression between uncontrollable anger and someone who was suppressing every profanity in his vocabulary. His hands were clenched in his lap and his teeth were grinding against one another. The tea he had poured for himself remained untouched. He watched Shizuka drain the last of his own tea from his cup and carefully place the empty container on the table in front of him. Then he met the boys glare with an impassive silence.

 

Kimihiro slammed his fists on the table, his patience finally at an end. “What the hell is wrong with you!?!?” It was a miracle the tea didn't spill.

 

“Why are you yelling?”

 

“Why am I-?” He clutched his head. “Why am I yelling?? You just barge into my house uninvited and demand I make you tea and then, not only did you `forget' to thank me, you don't talk at all!! What kind of person does that!?!?” He finished his little rant by throwing his arms up and wracking his body like a madman.

 

“You look like an idiot.”

 

Before he could stop himself, Watanuki leaned over the table and grabbed the collar of Doumeki's shirt. He shook the highschooler like he was trying to get that last quarter out of a piggy bank. “You're not listening to me!!”

 

Shizuka didn't fight it. It wasn't long before the smaller boy stopped, slightly out of breath. He stared carefully at Watanuki's face. He still had a handful of his shirt in each hand. From this close, he could see how thin the boy was. There were dark circles under his eyes that he knew were from a life of very little sleep. It was easy to guess why. If I could I'd always be here…

 

Kimihiro realized he was still clutching his friend's clothes and began to let go. "…Sorr-" Before he could pull his hands away, a larger one placed itself around his wrist. Already standing in an awkward position over his table, his surprise set him off balance. “W-woah!” His long legs tangled and before he knew what happened, he was on top of a broken table and a much more broken tea pot. “Gah!! It hot! It's hot!!” He flailed his arms and legs like someone had thrown him into acid.

 

Doumeki quickly got over his shock and lifted the boy off the table and onto the floor. There were a few pieces of shattered tea pot still stuck to the boy and he brushed them off immediately. “Are you alright?”

 

“Do I look alright to you!?” It was reassuring to hear the boy's sarcasm. It meant it couldn't be that bad.

 

He was right, though. The boy didn't exactly look like he was in top condition at that moment. Red marks were beginning to appear on Kimihiro's hands and his shirt was soaked in the hot tea. Without waiting for permission, Doumeki began to unbutton his friend's school uniform.

 

“Wha- Wait! What do you think you're doing??” He squirmed and slapped uselessly at the taller boy's hands.

 

“I'm checking for burns, idiot.” He released the last button and peeled the boy's undershirt off. Just as he had expected, there were red burns across the boy's stomach with a few on his chest as well. “Do you have any burn ointment?”

 

“Why would I have something like that?” Watanuki snapped, hoping his companion would assume his face was bright red because of hot water and not because he was half-naked while his chest and stomach were being touched all over by another boy. “Ow! Stop that!”

 

Doumeki stood up and looked around. “Where do you keep your towels?”

 

“They're over there.” He pointed in their general direction. “What are you doing?”

 

Shizuka grabbed a handful of towels and threw them in the sink. “Just stay there and hold still.”

 

“Don't order me around, dammit!!” He tried to sit up and shake his fist, but realized very quickly that it wasn't a good idea. Every time he moved, he could feel the tug of burnt flesh. “Ow! Dammit, this is your fault!!”

 

Doumeki carried an arm full of wet towels, ignoring the fact that they were soaking his own shirt. “It's my fault you tried to strangle me?” He sat down in front of the boy with the towels in his lap.

 

“Hey, you're getting water everywhere!!”

 

“Shut up.” He placed a cool towel across Watanuki's lower stomach. When the boy gasped, a small chill ran down his spine.

 

“That's cold!”

 

“It's not that cold; you're just hot from the tea.” He continued placing the towels on the burns.

 

“Ouch!”

 

“It wouldn't hurt if you'd stop squirming around like that.”

 

“It's because of those big monster hands of yours!!” Watanuki gasped again. This time because Doumeki's hand had brushed against a sensitive spot on his side. “Would you cut that out!? That's enough already!!”

 

Shizuka checked to make sure all the red marks were covered before he stopped.

 

Kimihiro scowled. “Now what am I supposed to do? Do you want me to lay here for the rest of the night??”

“For a while…”

 

“What!?” He wriggled around in agitation, causing a towel to slide off. “How am I supposed to clean up this mess??” He gestured toward the broken table with a toweled arm. “And do you really think I can make your lunch from here??”

 

“I'll buy lunch tomorrow.” He straightened the towel before standing up.

 

Watanuki was shocked. “What?”

 

“I said don't worry about lunch tomorrow.”

 

“You…”

 

“Just make twice as much next time.”

 

“Why, you…!!” He writhed around trying to face Doumeki who had begun picking up the broken tea set.

 

“I said stop moving around.”

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“Are you that dumb?”

 

“How dare you!! Ouch! Dammit!!” Several towels ended up on the floor.

 

The taller boy sighed without realizing it. “You're an idiot.”

 

“Shut up, you!” He rearranged the wet towels before the other boy had a chance to get closer. “Stop cleaning that, I'll get it later! Just leave, I'll be fine by myself. The tea wasn't that hot, so cut it out!”

 

Ignoring Kimihiro's protests, Doumeki finished picking up the bigger pieces of ceramic and eyed the table which was now sporting a lovely crack down its center. “What should I do with this?”

 

“Well, I certainly can't use it anymore!”

 

Without responding, he put the two halves of the former piece of furniture to the side. “Where's your broom?”

 

“I said stop it! I can clean it up later!” For some reason, it really bothered Watanuki to see his friend being so… well, nice. He didn't like the idea of owing the other boy more than he already did.

 

Since he hadn't received the answer he wanted, Shizuka opted to look for the broom himself. It wasn't long before he discovered the cleaning instrument.

 

“Gah!! That's it!” Kimihiro threw the towels off himself and stood up. He was able to hold back a groan, but his wince didn't go unnoticed.

 

“I told you to hold still!” Doumeki strode across the small room, ready to tie the boy down if it was necessary.

 

“Leave me alone, I'm fine!” As if to prove his words, he slapped a hand against his belly. “It hardly hurts at all anymore, see? I don't remember you becoming my mother, so stop acting like you are!”

 

The taller boy considered for a moment. “Do you have a shower in this apartment?”

 

“What??” The question nearly made the boy fall over.

 

“Do you?”

 

“Yeah…” He nodded his head toward a door in the corner. “Are you…?”

 

“Take a cool shower.”

 

“What? I don't have to take orders from you!!”

 

“Just do it.” He grabbed his friend by his bare shoulders and pushed his toward the door.

 

“W-wait a second, I need a towel!”

 

Doumeki grabbed a towel that had escaped his earlier raid and threw it at the boy. Without another word, he shoved Watanuki into the bathroom and shut the door. Shortly after, he heard the sound of the door locking followed by that of running water.

 

Shizuka turned and examined the room. He really did hate cleaning.

 

***Chapter Two: End***

 

And it's done! Shorter than the last chapter, but it could be worse, I think. I wonder if there's a record that can be broken for how many exclamation points one person can use in a story. I swear everything Watanuki says ends in at least one! ^^;

 

Anyway, tell me what you think! I want to know if anyone's enjoying this fic as much as I am. I especially want feedback on the way I'm writing the characters. I'm trying hard to keep them IC, but I won't know if I'm doing a good job unless you let me know! Tell me~!!!