To Tomoyo-hime, from Anna ♥
Title: One Foot in Front of the Other
Author: Anna [hungrybookworm]
Recipient: tomoyohime8
Series: xxxHOLiC
Characters/Pairing: Yuuko/Clow, Mokona
Rating: G
Author's Notes/Warnings [if any]: I hope it came out alright! Enjoy :) I tried to make it as in-canon as possible, but the way canon’s going at the moment, all of it might be AU next week! XD
One Foot in Front of the Other
Yuuko leant back in her chair slowly, her eyes narrowed in thought as she gripped the wine glass firmly in her hand. It was dusk, and dark shadows were already spreading across the room. Not quite dark enough to turn on the lamps, but still dark enough to create an uneasy and murky atmosphere. Yuuko didn’t mind; there wasn’t anything dangerous lurking around tonight, nor did she find the dark threatening in any way. In fact, she almost relished it.
Something warm and furry fidgeted in her lap. Mokona was curled up like a cat, its ears pressed against its head and its dark body almost invisible in the folds of Yuuko’s black dress. It was just the two of them tonight. Watanuki was out on an errand, and Maru and Moro were working hard to keep the shop stable and intact. They were doing a good job as well, since the walls had stopped flickering for just over an hour, and were showing no sign of starting up again. For now at least. Yuuko didn’t doubt the two of them in the slightest. She knew they were doing their best.
The rich smell of red wine mixed with the lingering incense, creating a sharp but relaxing scent. Yuuko breathed it in deeply, before taking another sip from the glass. She was allowed a few moments to relax. Interfering with Fei Wang Reed’s plan was incredibly stressful, especially considering all the red tape and rules she had to avoid and keep intact. One slip and her entire plan could collapse, giving Fei Wang Reed a clear path to his goal. That she absolutely could not allow.
Reed…
Would Clow have done things differently?
The question came out of nowhere, and Yuuko smiled and gave a little laugh. It was a stupid question really. He might’ve been less ruthless than her, perhaps, but other than that, Yuuko was sure that everything would be very similar. Not exactly the same, but very similar.
How similar?
She closed her eyes briefly, not particularly eager to go down that path of thought just now. There were thousands of variables and probabilities involved in dealing with time and the future. Right now she just wanted to turn off that part of her brain and enjoy a quiet drink.
Of course, now that Clow’s image was in her head, he wasn’t going to go away anytime soon. She could already see the bespectacled creep waving at her with that annoying smile on his face, as solid and as real as he had been on the last day she saw him. She could see every line on his robe, every strand of hair on his head - she could even hear his voice and the way it echoed in the room. She could almost smell him as well, so fresh was the image in her minds eye, as if he only went away a matter of hours ago rather than several years.
A little part of Yuuko still expected him to walk into the room, or poke his head round the kitchen door with a smile, or to tut quietly as she chugged down her fourth drink in a row. That part of her never really got used to him being dead.
Because he was dead. Absolutely, truly, completely dead, and nothing could bring him back. Not even Yuuko herself. It was the cold, hard truth and she’d told it to herself so many times that it’d almost lost its emotional impact.
“Yuuko.”
Mokona was awake and looking straight up at her, concerned. “Are you alright? You look sad.”
Yuuko smiled again, reaching down to tickle the little thing’s head. “I’m fine Mokona. I was just thinking about Clow, that’s all.”
“Oh,” Mokona’s ears drooped and it glanced downwards. “Clow…”
The room fell into silence. Mokona curled back into a ball, and Yuuko stroked it softly. The shop seemed horribly quiet now, and for a few seconds she almost wished that Watanuki would hurry up and come back.
How silly! She smiled craftily and eyed up her now-empty wine glass. Watanuki would come back in due course, once he had done what he’d had to do. Life goes on. Even if she did half-expect Clow to pop up from somewhere at any moment, she had to remember that he wouldn’t. And as long as she remembered that, she kept moving forward. Watanuki needed help and guidance, after all. All of those children did.
There was a rumbling noise from outside, and the sound of a door opening. Watanuki had returned and he didn’t sound too happy. Mokona’s ears pricked up, and the smile on Yuuko’s face broadened. Time for a wine top-up.
The End
Author: Anna [hungrybookworm]
Recipient: tomoyohime8
Series: xxxHOLiC
Characters/Pairing: Yuuko/Clow, Mokona
Rating: G
Author's Notes/Warnings [if any]: I hope it came out alright! Enjoy :) I tried to make it as in-canon as possible, but the way canon’s going at the moment, all of it might be AU next week! XD
One Foot in Front of the Other
Yuuko leant back in her chair slowly, her eyes narrowed in thought as she gripped the wine glass firmly in her hand. It was dusk, and dark shadows were already spreading across the room. Not quite dark enough to turn on the lamps, but still dark enough to create an uneasy and murky atmosphere. Yuuko didn’t mind; there wasn’t anything dangerous lurking around tonight, nor did she find the dark threatening in any way. In fact, she almost relished it.
Something warm and furry fidgeted in her lap. Mokona was curled up like a cat, its ears pressed against its head and its dark body almost invisible in the folds of Yuuko’s black dress. It was just the two of them tonight. Watanuki was out on an errand, and Maru and Moro were working hard to keep the shop stable and intact. They were doing a good job as well, since the walls had stopped flickering for just over an hour, and were showing no sign of starting up again. For now at least. Yuuko didn’t doubt the two of them in the slightest. She knew they were doing their best.
The rich smell of red wine mixed with the lingering incense, creating a sharp but relaxing scent. Yuuko breathed it in deeply, before taking another sip from the glass. She was allowed a few moments to relax. Interfering with Fei Wang Reed’s plan was incredibly stressful, especially considering all the red tape and rules she had to avoid and keep intact. One slip and her entire plan could collapse, giving Fei Wang Reed a clear path to his goal. That she absolutely could not allow.
Reed…
Would Clow have done things differently?
The question came out of nowhere, and Yuuko smiled and gave a little laugh. It was a stupid question really. He might’ve been less ruthless than her, perhaps, but other than that, Yuuko was sure that everything would be very similar. Not exactly the same, but very similar.
How similar?
She closed her eyes briefly, not particularly eager to go down that path of thought just now. There were thousands of variables and probabilities involved in dealing with time and the future. Right now she just wanted to turn off that part of her brain and enjoy a quiet drink.
Of course, now that Clow’s image was in her head, he wasn’t going to go away anytime soon. She could already see the bespectacled creep waving at her with that annoying smile on his face, as solid and as real as he had been on the last day she saw him. She could see every line on his robe, every strand of hair on his head - she could even hear his voice and the way it echoed in the room. She could almost smell him as well, so fresh was the image in her minds eye, as if he only went away a matter of hours ago rather than several years.
A little part of Yuuko still expected him to walk into the room, or poke his head round the kitchen door with a smile, or to tut quietly as she chugged down her fourth drink in a row. That part of her never really got used to him being dead.
Because he was dead. Absolutely, truly, completely dead, and nothing could bring him back. Not even Yuuko herself. It was the cold, hard truth and she’d told it to herself so many times that it’d almost lost its emotional impact.
“Yuuko.”
Mokona was awake and looking straight up at her, concerned. “Are you alright? You look sad.”
Yuuko smiled again, reaching down to tickle the little thing’s head. “I’m fine Mokona. I was just thinking about Clow, that’s all.”
“Oh,” Mokona’s ears drooped and it glanced downwards. “Clow…”
The room fell into silence. Mokona curled back into a ball, and Yuuko stroked it softly. The shop seemed horribly quiet now, and for a few seconds she almost wished that Watanuki would hurry up and come back.
How silly! She smiled craftily and eyed up her now-empty wine glass. Watanuki would come back in due course, once he had done what he’d had to do. Life goes on. Even if she did half-expect Clow to pop up from somewhere at any moment, she had to remember that he wouldn’t. And as long as she remembered that, she kept moving forward. Watanuki needed help and guidance, after all. All of those children did.
There was a rumbling noise from outside, and the sound of a door opening. Watanuki had returned and he didn’t sound too happy. Mokona’s ears pricked up, and the smile on Yuuko’s face broadened. Time for a wine top-up.
The End