xxxHolic (Doumeki/Watanuki)

[manic-intent.livejournal.com]

Title: Minimum amounts of gay
Author: Anya
Fandom: xxxHolic
Pairing: Doumeki x Watanuki
Rating: G
A/N: [1,031] The little fox spirit asks for Watanuki's help.
Prompt: Oct 20 - xxxHolic, Watanuki/Doumeki: crossdressing – “You can’t escape the gay!”

Oct 20 - xxxHolic, Watanuki/Doumeki: crossdressing – “You can’t escape the gay!”

 

[A/N: I procrastinated sooo long for this one, and I still don’t really have much inspiration, so here’s something short.]

 

Minimum amounts of Gay

 

“It is a very important play to the children,” the fox spirit said apologetically.  Behind the oden shop owner, the little fox was so embarrassed that it kept patting its paws against its muzzle. 

 

“What about asking a spirit who looks female?” Watanuki inquired desperately.  He was distinctly aware that behind him, Yuuko was smirking.  “I know one!”

 

“It would give the play much more meaning for Eina-sama to be played by a human.” Yuuko said cheerfully.  “Is that not so?”

 

“I am afraid so,” the fox spirit adjusted his glasses and smiled ingratiatingly.  With the number of teeth this revealed, the expression still managed to look pathetic.

 

Watanuki sighed.  “I could, you know, maybe ask someone female, who can see spirits, um…”

 

“Ah, but we do not want too many humans we may not trust to enter our world, let alone the kindergarten, but you will not be a controversial choice, as it is well known that the Zashiki-warashi favors you.” Both fox spirits bobbed their heads.

 

 Watanuki felt the surreal sensation of logic slowly leaving his system.  “All right, I’ll do it.  Because it is important to you.”

 

“Thank you, Watanuki-san!” The little fox bounced forward and caught his hands excitedly, his tail fluffed with embarrassment and relief.

 

“But! No one is to tell Doumeki.” Watanuki glared hard at Yuuko, who covered her mouth with an elaborately laced fan produced from the billowing sleeves of her kimono.

 

“Oh? But it would be unfair to…”

 

“NO ONE IS TO TELL HIM.”

 

--

 

Routine made everything normal.  Or so Watanuki thought. 

 

Doumeki somehow sensed that something was different when he was walking Watanuki to Yuuko’s shop after school – the other boy paused at the gate and put a too-warm palm gently over his shoulder.  “Do you have a job today?”

 

Watanuki was a terrible liar, and his body language was no exception.  He twitched.  “No.”

 

“Hn.” Doumeki frowned only briefly, before glancing at Yuuko’s shop.  “What about I walk you home after your work?”

 

“No! I mean, no.  You live, um, far away anyway, and there’s a test on Friday.  So you can’t.  Walk me home.”

 

“Are you in trouble?”

 

Damn it all, did Doumeki have to be so damned direct?  And why was he embarrassed in any case? He hadn’t done anything wrong, nor was he in trouble – but his body was refusing to conduct this conversation in a mature, normal manner.  After all, dressing up as a woman did not necessarily mean he was gay, just like how technically going out with a boy, however surreptitiously, did not mean so either! Logic was his friend.  Noh actors of ancient times were men.  Therefore, he was not doing anything in the least bit suspicious, or unmanly, and as a result, could safely respond to Doumeki’s question in a decorous and mannerly way.

 

Watanuki blushed bright red, snapped “NO!” and took refuge as quickly as dignity allowed in Yuuko’s shop.  A backward glance (not that he was worried about that jerk’s feelings or anything) showed Doumeki staring after him in bemusement.

 

--

 

Yuuko’s shop was full of spirit children.  Upon asking Yuuko privately in the kitchen (whilst attempting to prepare sweet fingerfoods at short notice for said children) why said children could materialize in her shop, Yuuko shrugged and mentioned that her shop did not technically exist fully in the material world, and as such, even spirits with very low spirit power could manifest.

 

After fingerfoods were served, Watanuki found himself smiling fixedly while a very petite kitten girl and the little fox told him (and both very embarrassed) that in fact the play was tonight and they had not asked him to help them earlier because they had been too shy, and desperation had been the catalyst. 

 

Faced with eleven tiny, hopeful and furry faces, Watanuki could only continue smiling fixedly, panic inwardly and say that he was glad to help. 

 

With relief he found that ‘Eina-sama’ actually had very few lines, easily memorized.  The play was thankfully short, and the somewhat nervous rehearsal, presided over by Yuuko (who was enjoying herself far too much) went without much mishap.

 

The problem was the kimono. 

 

It was pink.

 

With sakura petals in pale lavender and gold.

 

Watanuki took a deep breath, then saw the soulful expressions on the children, and managed to smile instead.  “It’s… very beautiful.”

 

“Sana-chan made it,” the little fox said, and gestured at a small squirrel girl who was now so shy that she was hiding her face with her large tail.  “Last night!”

 

“You are very talented!” Watanuki said, in genuine delight, and the squirrel girl curled into a ball of embarrassed pleasure.  However, having said that of the kimono, Watanuki was now oblighed to try it on, desperately hoping it would not fit.  It did.  And then, despite his best efforts, Yuuko, armed with a make-up kit, attacked him.

 

 --

 

Play concluded with a minimum amount of gay, Watanuki stumbled gratefully out of Yuuko’s shop in normal clothes, and nearly knocked over Doumeki, who was lounging against the gate.

 

Watanuki could only stare dumbly.  Doumeki was in jeans, which meant he must have gone home to change at some point.  “Doumeki?”

 

“I’ll walk you home,” Doumeki said, looking him over cursorily.

 

“I said I wasn’t in trouble!”

 

“Good.” Doumeki said, and fell into step beside Watanuki when the latter flailed wearily at him to indicate speechless frustration and began to stomp in the general direction of his flat. 

 

On the way, grudgingly touched that Doumeki had come back to wait for him simply to see if he was all right, Watanuki explained what he had been doing for the day. 

 

“Dressing up,” Doumeki mused, “Like Noh actors.”

 

“Exactly!” Relieved, Watanuki grinned.

 

“I don’t see why you were so worried about telling me earlier,” Doumeki shrugged.  “After all, you normally wear an apron.”

 

“WHAT? WHAT’S WRONG WITH AN APRON?”

 

“Nothing.  It’s cute.”

 

“WEARING AN APRON CAN BE MANLY TOO.”

 

“…”

 

-fin-