It was almost unbearable. His tall, fit body. His talent in archery. His unbelievable popularity with the girls ( including Himawari-chan ). His quiet nature and expresionless face. It all pissed Watanuki off more than any one would ever know.

Why, oh why did the big oaf have to invite himself to lunch with us? Watanuki asked himself inwardly while fighting the urge to scream at Domeki. Domeki, noticing the rage building up in Watanuki's face, decided to leave before the bi-colour eyed teen started up on a rant on how he hated him. This always kinda hurt the taller teen, but he would not dare show it.

"I'm gonna go." Domeki said in his manotone voice and stood up.

"But, why?" Himawari asked kind of disappointed.

"…Practice." He mumbled in reply.

"Oh, for archery?" Himawari smiled.

"…Yeah, I'll walk you home." Domeki, said glancing towards Watanuki.

"I DON'T NEED YOU TO WALK ME HOME! DO YOU KNOW HOW WEIRD IT SOUNDS WHEN YOU SAY THINGS LIKE THAT!"

But by the time Watanuki had finished his rant, Domeki was gone. Then it dawned on him, Domeki was lying. He didn't have practice today, especially notat this time of day. He realized that he could care less what the big oaf did in his spare time. It still hurt him though, not knowing. He tried to think of something else…with almost no success.

Domeki made his way to Watanuki's shoe locker where Watanuki was just getting ready to leave.

"Oi."

"MY NAME'S NOT 'Oi'!" Domeki stuck his fingers in his ears for protection.

"Why can't you call me Watanuki? And what are you doing here anyway?" Watanuki asked, balling his hands into fists.

"I told you I'd walk you."

"I don't need you." Watanuki said while twirling on his heel and heading in the opposite direction. Domeki, Completely ignoring Watanuki, began to follow.

"STOP FOLLOWING ME!"

". . ."

"I'm serious, I don't need your help!"

"Our past experiences with the yukai say otherwise."

"SHUT UP, YOU BIG JERK!"

Watanuki began to stomp his way childishly in the direction of the wish shop. Domeki walked at a close and safe distance from the smaller teen. Domeki watched his friend attentively, taking in every movement and studying his pace. . . untill Watanuki took a quick detour down an alleyway. Domeki, determined not to lose sight of the boy, quickened his pace wich quickly turned into a sprint.

"Where'd you go, Idiot!" Domeki said/yelled in the direction of the alley. Then he turned down that same alley and his heart dropped. Where did . . . I lost him. Domeki thought. He closed his eye in an attempt to find Watanuki with their shared eye, but all he saw was darkness. Giving up on looking for Watanuki was not something that Domeki liked to do, but it was obvious that he wasn't there. Maybe he took another route and is already at the shop.

All the while, Watanuki hed been pressed against the back wall of a building, hidden in the shadows. I finally lost him. He thought as he held his hand over his right eye. Feeling quite accomplished, Watanuki turned to leave the alley with a smug grin plastered on his face. But that didn't last long when a bone-chilling sensation slapped that smile away. Shit! Watanuki turned around slowly, shoulders stiff and teeth clenched. Looming overhead was one huge ass spirit. It seemed to have wings, judging by its shape, oozed slime of a purple-ish hue on his shoulders and shoes, and stared at him with menacingly yellow eyes. Watanuki's breath got stuck in his throat when he ( he hated to admit it, but ) tried to call out Domeki's name. Because of lack of ability to form real words, Watanuki let out one of his loudest yells.

Almost a block away, Domeki heard Watanuki's outburst echo through ther empty streets. He knew leaving Watanuki alone would be the worst mistake of his life. Then, out of the blue, he was able to see the spirit in all it's glory. Good, I can see him now. Unfortunately, he could also see how much trouble the smaller teen was in. In the blink of an eye, Domeki had done a one-eighty and was on his way back to help the one he cared most about before it was too late. He had absolutely no clue how he would help though, he left his archery bow at school by accident. Ah, Irony. Thou art a heartless bitch.

Pain started to fill his chest. What if he's already . . . no, the idiot wouldn't let that happen to himself. Domeki tried to reassure himself, but the fact that Watanuki could already be dead made it hard to breathe. Domeki threw away that horrible thought and quickly made his way around a parked car and into the alleyway.

"TURN AROUND!"

"Wha-" He was cut off by a smaller body colliding into his sending both bodies tumbling to the ground.

"When I told you to turn around, I MEANT RUN!" Watanuki yelled.

Domeki felt so relieved that he wasn't too late and his important person was still alive.

"Get up! Are you stupid? We need to go! NOW!" Watanuki grabbed his hand, not his wrist, and began to run with him. Domeki didn't care that Watanuki was only holding his hand because they were in danger, the spectacled boy never held his hand. Domeki's stomach started doing flip-flops. Now's not the time for stuff like that. He thought.

His train of thought de-railed when something warm and wet ran over his hand. He looked down. Blood? More precisely, Watanuki's blood had gushed out of gapping wound on his fore arm , wich also happened to be covered in purple slime.

"Don't push yourself."

"What are you talking about now!"

"That wound, you're bleeding a lot."

"So?"

That was unacceptable. Domeki sped up and grabbed Watanuki, mid run, and ran with him in his arms bridal style.

"PUT ME DOWN! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"

"My shrine." Domeki replied.

"WHAT? NO, TAKE ME TO YUUKO'S!"

"My shrine is closer."

Watanuki really didn't feel like yelling tight at that moment and leaned on Domeki's chest, clutching his slimey, bleeding, throbbing arm.

At the shrine, they were finally safe from that yukai. Domeki grabbed his bandages and a cloth and began patching up Watanuki's arm.

"What is this purple crap?"

"I don't know, it latched onto my arm with its teeth and that purple stuff oozed all over my arm."

"Well, whatever it is, it's not coming off, it's almost like it's become part of your skin."

The way Domeki held his arm, it was so gentle and soothing that Watanuki couldn't help but feel at ease. He . . . really liked it.

"Hey, you zoned out."

A slight blush krept its way onto Watanuki's face.

"Uh, sorry . . . just leave it, it might go away on its own."

Watanuki turned his head around in a way that practically screamed 'DON'T LOOK!'.

"Stay the night." He said, not really giving Watanuki a choice.

"But, Yuuko-"

"She'll understand, I'm not gonna risk your life just to get you to that witch."

Watanuki was silent. Domeki didn't really expect an answer and left the room.

". . . whatever."

~ End of Chapter

Okay so this is my first FF and I'm kinda nervous about how this will go, but if you do read this, plz write feedback and critic, This is StarDustAnime29 and no matter how popular or unpopular the story becomes , I will put the rest of the chapters anyway. I might put this up on too. I don't own xxxHolic ( sniffles ).