After Acts

Title: Act 300
Author: seizansha
Word Count: 3165
Disclaimer: it's CLAMP's universe, I'm only playing in it.
Author's Note: it's a longer one, and Dômeki just can't stop talking. Yeah, they're both ooc, but this is a future fic, they have to grow up. And this is the first real hint of 104... very faint, but it's there. ^^' A shout-out to my niece and nephew for helping with the minor details.

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Scene 1

He's sticking to his threat.

But he'd be doing exactly what he'd told Dômeki he wouldn't do.

So he caved compromised.

They'd be staying the night at Kishi and Hiruko's.

Only one night. He'd pick them up bright and early.

Scene 2

"Of course. I understand Kimihiro-kun," she paused as she caught sight of him in the main room. She half-chuckled into the phone, "You don't have to explain anything Kimihiro-kun, I understand. The girls will only stay tonight." She caught him perking up, "See you at seven then dear," she finished before hanging up.

"Excuse me, Kishi-san, I didn't mean to overhear your telephone conversation..." The gruff voice was tinged with hope and confusion.

"Don't worry Dômeki-kun, I was hoping you would," she winked at his jump. "You don't have much time to plan anything, but I'm sure the girls won't mind."

Scene 3

He had to admit he was surprised he wasn't followed home. And he wasn't escorted to the school. Maybe the idiot finally caught on...

... or maybe he went too far...

Quickly shaking it off as the gate came into sight, he wasn't surprised that they were patiently waiting at the door.

He was surprised to find that he was trying to contain his happiness, knowing how'd they react. He somehow managed to hold on until they'd gotten home before he told them. "Moro, Maru, I'm changing the punishment this time. You can stay at the teahouse for tonight, but you won't be spending next Saturday at Papa's."

Surprise, sadness, then surprise flashed across their faces so fast he almost chuckled. "Thank you Daddy," they chorused before heading to the kitchen table.

Scene 4

He'd decided to wait outside for Watanuki. Knowing him, he was still upset about earlier. But then he hasn't been acting like he used to.

Guess parenthood really does change a person.

Catching them round the corner, he quickly went back to the teahouse. The laughter and giggles made him smile; it was back to normal. At least someone was happy, he was almost as nervous as he'd been the first day outside their door.

Of course he wasn't showing it.

He wasn't sure how Watanuki would react, he didn't need to give him something else to dwell on.

Kishi came out and joined him just as they got to the gate. Watanuki flinched at first sight, the twins running up to hug him and Kishi. "Go put your things away girls. Hiruko's trying a new dish again and it'll be ready soon," Kishi started, ushering them inside.

"I'm gonna pass tonight Kishi. I'm just not in the mood to try anything Hiruko's concocted." Watanuki answered.

He could almost hear Yûko's laugh. 'It's hitsuzen.'

"You could come with me for dinner," he thought he sounded nervous.

Watanuki only turned to him, confused. "With you?"

"I was gonna make zaru-soba."

"Hot or cold?"

"Whichever you want," he answered with his smirk before turning to leave.

"Hot, and it better be good." Watanuki immediately replied, absently following, "It better not be store bought instant crap either."

He smiled, shaking his head, "No, just the soup base."

Scene 5

It suddenly dawned on him as they got to the temple.

He was going alone to Dômeki's house for dinner. An actual date... even though it was last-minute and he was goaded into it...

At the door he realized it. "You actually can cook?"

Toeing off their shoes, Dômeki only nodded. "Not as good as you or the girls, but yeah, I can cook."

Absently following, he asked, "Then why did I have to keep making you food?"

That smirk riled him as Dômeki opened the fridge. "You owed me, remember."

He only growled, "Then why did you keep asking for stuff?"

"A couple of reasons," he answered as he put the pot on. "I was asking for things I couldn't make. You're so proud of your cooking you couldn't not make it." Dômeki smiled, thinking back, "I'm not so arrogant. If someone's better than I am, I'll let them do it."

He couldn't help the blush, turning to the vegetables on the counter, "Guess that explains when I was sick, Kishi and the girls doing most of it," he muttered as he started rummaging through drawers, looking for a cutting board or a knife.

The slight tug on the spinach in his hand made him jump, his other hand caught in a gentle grip made him look up. That face was a safe distance away, amused. "No, I'm cooking for you this time," Dômeki released his hand, taking his other off the spinach. "Leave it to me."

He could only give a weak smile as he was easily lead into the living room. At a total loss, he just stood there, watching Dômeki go back to the kitchen.

Scene 6

He'd thought he'd have to kick him out a few more times, since Watanuki couldn't stay out of the kitchen when food was cooking. But he'd gotten the zaru soba completely cooked and prepared without any interruptions.

It was too quiet for the next thought in his head. Watanuki always grumbled about having to clean up others' messes.

A pinprick of fear struck his heart at the next and he rushed out of the kitchen. It pricked again as he found the outer shoji door open in the living room. He stumbled over himself trying to cross the room, ready to yell his heart out. The words died in his throat.

Watanuki was sitting on the porch, just left of the door, rocking his arms across his chest. Soft humming pulled him closer. Catching the movement out of the corner of his eye, Watanuki turned, "Oh, is dinner ready?" he calmly asked, smiling as he stood up, turning back in.

"Yeah..." he let it hang, his gaze never leaving the covered bundle in Watanuki's arms.

He only smiled as he moved the blanket, revealing what looked like a panda cub. "I got asked to watch over Zhi. They're fighting over territory and want to make sure he's safe." Watanuki already answered, heading for the kitchen.

Blindly following, he found him already at the table, "Shouldn't you be there, trying to help, stop it?"

Watanuki only shook his head. "That's the very first thing Hiruko told me. Don't get involved in territory fights. He showed me what they're like; all the yelling and fighting. I may want to help, but I'm not that dumb. Besides, I get involved and everyone thinks I'm playing favorites."

He accepted his words as he sat the food out, "So you stay out of every fight?" he asked as a mix of fear and relief rose in him.

Switching Zhi to his left, Watanuki sighed, "No, it's impossible to stay out of every fight. I'm still not sure what's worse; playing marriage counselor or trying to stop some huge bloodthirsty multi-armed thing." He caught his chopsticks stopping halfway. "It's another reason I try to stay in this district, close to the teahouse..."

It was left hanging and he knew why. His grip on his chopsticks wavered again. "Marriage counselor?" he tried to keep his tone curious, "What else do you do?"

He tried to huff with his mouth full. "Sorry. It's been a lot like all Yûko's jobs were. Help this spirit find something, get rid of something for this one, help that one do it's job-" he was cut off by soft crying.

"Mama... Mama..." a sleepy boy's voice came from the bundle.

Putting his chopsticks down before uncovering the panda spirit, Watanuki smiled softly. "Sorry Zhi, Mama's not here."

"Where's Mama Kimi-kun?" he couldn't help smiling at the cub's nickname for him.

He also caught the slight blush, "Mama and Papa had to take care of some bad guys, so they left you with me so you'd be safe." He paused, petting his head, "Don't worry, they're alright, just go back to sleep."

"'m thirsty," the cub replied, sitting up.

Watanuki handed his teacup to him, letting him do it himself. Handing it back, Zhi turned his way. "Who're you?"

Realizing he was still smiling, he nodded softly, "My name is Shizuka."

"Hiya," he tried to speak through a yawn.

Placing a gently hand on his shoulder, Watanuki softly coaxed Zhi to lie down again. "Go back to sleep little one, you can talk to Shizuka later."

He felt one of those pinpricks heal at hearing that.

Covering the little cub again, Watanuki just sat there, humming softly until he was sure Zhi was asleep again.

"I have to admit it's pretty good," Watanuki's compliment snapped him out of his stare.

Feeling the heat rise in his face, he tore his gaze down to his bowl. "Thanks," he replied, not really sure why he was blushing.

Watanuki picked up right where he'd left off: "... there's a lot of helping ghosts, summoning and exorcising. It's the rare times a human's asking for help that are the really weird jobs. If it's not involving ghosts, it's magic so old no one realizes it is."

He tried to keep eating though the guilt was eating him. "So it's been no different that it was at Yuko's."

The sigh made him uneasy. "Only I had to figure it out myself." Watanuki sighed, resignedly putting his chopsticks down again before taking a drink. "There's no time off with this job," he added before standing.

Following as Watanuki started to the living room again, he expected to find an adult panda spirit or two outside. But as the shoji was opened for the second time that night, his overprotectiveness roared back to life.

Six otter spirits - beaten and bloody, with what looked like chemical burns - were anxiously waiting for him. Both jumped as each of them stated talking. Hearing the same story from six different perspectives confused the hells out of him - all he could understand was 'it' was coming back - but it seemed Watanuki got every detail. The old determination was back on his face as he turned to him, "I've got to go back with them, they need to be stopped."

"How do we get there?" he hoped it worked.

But suddenly the cub was in his arms. "It'd be better if you stayed with Zhi. He'd be in even more danger if I brought him with me," Watanuki turned to him. He took the softness around his eyes as concern. Those eyes had the same effect as they did in the past; all he could do was nod.

The tiny thankful smile healed the other pinprick as Watanuki turned away, joining the spirits before all seven vanished.

Scene 7

After healing the river guardian, the intense battle against the four malicious ghouls and helping patch up the otter spirits, he'd never been more eager to go home.

But he couldn't yet... he had to go back... for Zhi.

Reappearing in the courtyard, he was surprised to find Dômeki had left the shoji sitting wide open. Quietly stepping in, he slowly started through the house, turning to the kitchen at the slightest sound.

He'd never been so glad he could hide his presence now.

Dômeki sat at the cleared table with his back to the door. Apparently Zhi was awake in his lap: "And even though the seer didn't notice it, the archer knew the seer didn't really want to admit that they really knew each other, needed each other."

"Why not?" the sleepy mumble made him smile.

Dômeki 'hnn'-ed, "The seer had already lost his parents and other important people in his short life so he was scared he'd loose the archer too if he admitted his feelings." His arms shifted, his right staying bent across his waist gave away why, "But the big villain that had been after the seer his whole life finally showed himself, and the archer, the seer, and the witch had to work together to stop the villain from ever hurting the seer again." Leaning against the wall near the door, he just let him continue: "After a long hard battle, the villain was finally defeated by the seer's other powers."

"And even though the archer had promised himself a long time ago that he would wait until forever for the seer to admit his feelings, the archer realized after that battle the seer wouldn't need his protection anymore. And that thought scared him. So the archer tried to tell the seer his feelings."

He lowered his gaze when he realized where the story was heading. "But the seer had asked the witch to grant his wish, and before the archer could tell him, the witch offered to fulfill it. A few minutes passed and the seer realized he didn't want that wish granted anymore," Dômeki paused, sipping his tea before lowering his voice. "The witch only smiled and told the seer that she never planned to, they all knew she was actually teaching him to fulfill his own title. The witch smiled as she said that she was no longer needed here, but she'd grant the seer's true wish before she left. And as she hugged the seer, the two soulless servants of the witch's started glowing before falling asleep across the nine-tailed fox spirit."

"As the witch left, the archer saw how much the witch had now left on the seer's shoulders. Two young girls to raise and a whole realm to watch over. Neither the seer or the archer knew what to do. The archer was so confused, so scared that he made a terrible mistake. He ran. He loved the seer with everything he had, everything he was, but he had been terrified of the seer's reaction, whether it would have been good or bad. The archer kept telling himself that he didn't want to add to the seer's problems, confusion. The archer knew he wasn't needed anymore, and he was scared he was taking the seer's feelings as much more than they were. The archer felt he would be nothing more than another burden. And he could not do that to the one he loved."

He stepped closer, letting Dômeki know, "But in all the time the archer was gone, he found his mind always wondered back to the seer; what he was doing, how he was living, feeling... how the seer felt about him." Dômeki barely turned to him, "The archer realized he was being stupid and selfish. The seer might not need him in battle anymore, but the seer could have used any support and help the archer should have given his friend."

All he could do was wait as Dômeki turned completely. He jumped at the shock in his eyes, that he snapped up in seconds without moving the chair, waking Zhi. "What the hells happened?" Dômeki's voice quivered with pain and rage.

He tried to shrug, but the bruise he just knew was darkening made him freeze. Trying to smile just made the dry blood flake off, reopen the cut by his eye. "Told you, you can't stay out of every fight," he answered the concerned look, "It's not so bad, really."

Dômeki took his right wrist, making him look at the scratches. "No, it is." He barely whispered before looking at him again, "Let's patch you up."

Still holding his arm, Dômeki spinning him toward the hallway almost brought him to his knees, he tried to hold back the cry. He hadn't thought his ankle was so bad. An angry glare was all Dômeki gave him before he stepped back beside him, his free arm bent and braced between them as he took hold of it. "You should have said something sooner."

He cringed at the pain and the venom in his voice, "It wasn't hurting that much before," the twitch made him feel guilty. "It's been a few hours though... probably got used to it..."

Had to admit he wasn't really surprised as Dômeki took him past the bathroom into one of the spare rooms. He left him standing just inside the door before handing the sleeping spirit over. He could only watch as Dômeki pulled out every futon in the room; lying one out before placing one still folded up beside it, folding the last one over once more and lying it across one end of the first one. Blindly handing Zhi back, he smiled at the gentle way Dômeki put him on his own bed, slowly stroking his back as he settled into it before covering him with another blanket.

They caught both smiles as they turned to each other. He suddenly could only stare at what was apparently his futon as he heard Dômeki stand, come to his side again. "Come on," that normally gruff voice just rumbled beside him. He didn't realize he'd raised his hand until he felt a calloused one grip his firmly, the other one settling on his hip.

Scene 8

He thought he was nervous before.

Watanuki had calmly and almost quietly sat there while he took care of his injuries. Even when he discovered the bruise on this back, the nasty gash through the center, he obediently removed his shirt and endured the antiseptic and bandages. No grumbling, no complaints.

After three rolls of gauze, finishing off the band-aids, and the only elastic wrap he had; here he was anxiously waiting outside the bathroom. Knowing Watanuki wouldn't be comfortable changing into a barrowed sleep yukata in front of him, he'd offered to help him to the bathroom while he got an ice pack. He barely caught the sigh before the door opened. If he wasn't so scared, he would have smirked. He hobbled out with his dirty clothes neatly folded in his arms.

He still didn't say a word as he helped him back into the room, back down on the futon. Seeing both ice packs, Watanuki only nodded as he stayed sitting up, leaning forward as he arranged the longer pack over his right shoulder, down and across to his left. He only got a few hisses as he gingerly set the bigger pack over his ankle.

Still not one word. Standing to leave, he finally got a whisper. "Thanks... for taking care of me, letting us stay."

"You're welcome..." he whispered back. He couldn't hold back the sigh. "I... I understand that you hate me. I haven't been back for long... but I'm seeing what I put you through. I don't know if I can get you to love me again, but I do want to be a part of your life again. I want to make it up to you, do whatever I can to help. If that means being nothing more than a friend, an uncle, I will." Watanuki just hung his head.

He nodded anyway before leaving the room, stopping in the doorway. "The last two years hurt too much."

He didn't see him turn to the door as he left.