[Complete]

[exchevalier]

Who: Watanuki and Charles
When: Saturday evening
Where: Watanuki's cafe
Rating: PG?
Warnings: Emo.
Summary: Watanuki is blessed with Charles' delightful presence.

Comments

[supraiz_ghosts]

Watanuki was actually in the back room, adding up the totals for the day. He was bent over his desk, adding and subtracting numbers furiously. True, he could use a calculator, but he preferred to do his numbers by hand. It felt more secure that way.

When he heard someone speak up, he set down his pen and stood up. Almost immediately, though, he let out a pained yelp and grabbed his back. Bending over like that was a bad idea, it seemed. "owowowowow!"

[exchevalier]

Not quite the response he'd expected, Charles blinked and, after a moment's debate, followed in the direction of the sudden noise he'd just heard. Once he'd found the right room, he leaned in through the open door and knocked lightly on the doorframe. "Um."

[supraiz_ghosts]

Watanuki was holding the bottom part of his back as he tried to stretch himself up and back as far as possible. He also has his eyes squeezed shut and his head tilted back a little as well. It was an interesting sight, but it was clear that he had a crick in his back and he was trying to pop it.

[exchevalier]

Apparently he wasn't about to be acknowledged, so Charles stepped inside, observing the scene at hand with a raised eyebrow. "Well, it looks like it's a good thing I'm not here to steal your money if this is how you react to the sound of someone entering your establishment after hours," he said.

[supraiz_ghosts]

Finally his back cracked, and he let out a sigh as he relaxed. After a moment he glanced at Charles out of the corner of his eye, and he said, "For one, I knew you were coming over. Secondly, Mugetsu is out in the cafe, and he would have stopped any robber before they got back here."

[exchevalier]

"Of course," Charles responded with a dismissive wave of his hand. "So, this is where the magic happens, then?" he asked, eyeing the desk.

[supraiz_ghosts]

"Yes," Watanuki said as he straightened his glasses, "This is my little office. There's not much to it, but it works." He pointed out the door and said, "To the left is the front area, and to the right is the kitchen."

[exchevalier]

Charles looked and nodded. "It's... nice," he said, with genuine, if subdued, approval.

[supraiz_ghosts]

This was not news for Watanuki. He was proud of his work here, and it showed on his face. "Well I do try to make it nice," he said, "And it's extra-clean now, because we just finished rebuilding."

[exchevalier]

Charles looked at him for a moment, wondering briefly what it would be like to have that kind of honest pride in something, then focused his gaze elsewhere. "You certainly got back on your feet quickly. You must have very dedicated employees."

[supraiz_ghosts]

"That, and very dedicated friends," Watanuki admitted, "I wouldn't have been able t do any of this without them. I owe them a lot."

He sighed. It was strange, but he was starting to get used to having these people he could rely on.

[exchevalier]

Of course. "I'm sure," Charles replied emotionlessly.

"I-I'm not really sure why I came here," he added after an awkward pause, tugging on his ribbon uncomfortably out of habit.

[supraiz_ghosts]

Watanuki could sense the awkwardness in Charles' voice, and he could tell that something was up. He decided to just let it be, though. If he needed something, then he would figure it out eventually. "A lot of people aren't. You can stay here while you think about it, though."

And with that, Watanuki returned to working on his paperwork.

[exchevalier]

"Thank you." Charles took a seat against the wall, eyes fixed blankly on the floor.

After a long silence, he looked up slightly. "What was it like to be her only one?" he asked in a tone that was almost uncharacteristically soft.

[supraiz_ghosts]

Watanuki had already returned to crunching numbers by that time. He was crouched over his desk again, and it was easy to see how he had hurt his back the first time. When Charles spoke up, though, Watanuki stopped scribbling in his book and glanced over at the other out of the corner of his eye. "Very taxing," he said honestly, "She's a very demanding person."

[exchevalier]

"Mm." Charles nodded slowly in agreement; he'd always known that much to be true.

"But she never... she never did it to you?" he asked, shifting slightly and averting his eyes again, looking every bit the twelve year old he had been almost eighty years ago.