Another sequel request up!
This one is for miyukis_4, who wanted to know what happened after On the Other Side of the Storm.
PS. also connects to The answer.
And so...
Doumeki isn't sure how long he stands in that old, sacred alley with Watanuki leaning against him all sharp bones and angles. A long time is as close as he gets to knowing. Long enough that he's shifted to rest against the bricks behind him. Long enough for his shoulder to grow numb under the pressure of Watanuki's bowed head. Long enough for him to lift a hand and rest it on Watanuki's back, on that vital, awkward bump where spine becomes neck. To turn his face into Watanuki's hair and rest his cheek there.
Watanuki hasn't moved at all aside from leaning forward to follow Doumeki's backward lean. His breathing is steady, an even flow of cool-warm-cool over Doumeki's chest, in the shallow cup under the wing of his collarbone. In-out-in, over and over and Doumeki breathes in counterpoint by instinct, warm-cool-warm against the top of Watanuki's head, breathing in the air he's released.
A tableau of holding on.
He sees when Yuuko walks by, of course. He doesn't say a word to Watanuki, simply tightens his hand on his bow and waits. A moment later and Watanuki stiffens abruptly against him.
"It's gone," he says. A moment after that and he straightens, turning to face the mouth of the alley.
By instinct or design, Yuuko strolls into view at that same moment. She pauses, her gaze even and calm. "It's gone," she says.
Watanuki glares at her. "Yes," he says, "he is."
They all know he means the Pipe Fox spirit. Doumeki finds a little more dislike in his heart for Watanuki's boss as she removes a long, slender pipe from the sleeve of her robe and says, holding it up and examining it, "It was bound to happen."
"Hitsuzen?" Watanuki asks, his voice a sneer, a cruel, snide taunt. Baiting her, Doumeki thinks. Baiting the Time-Space Witch. Baiting the Witch of Change. The Butterfly.
Yuuko looks suddenly young and vulnerable to Doumeki, with her hair spilling like long, silk ribbons around her face as she lowers the pipe. "Yes," she answers.
Watanuki runs at her and Doumeki is, for once, not quick enough to catch him. Terrifyingly not quick enough.
"Not everything is 'hitsuzen'," he screams at her, a loud, raw sound in the sanctity of this hallowed ground. "You can't blame 'hitsuzen' for what you do! For your choices!"
She is quick enough, however. Yuuko catches him by reaching out and cupping his face in her hands. Her eyes are sad and old in her young, young face. "His name," she says, raising the spirit's pipe between the two of them, "was Inari no Nyuusen. Chosen. A name he took by choice."
Doumeki can only see Watanuki in limited profile. It's enough to see the anguish wash into his eyes and out again. Something stoic and otherworldly flickers in him and Doumeki knows again why he follows after this boy. Why he protects this selfish, immature, hyperactive, cranky, beloved boy. "We have school tomorrow," he says. Because they do. And because he, himself, is selfish.
Yuuko kisses the top of Watanuki's head and murmurs something to him that Doumeki cannot hear. Not because her voice is too quiet or because he is too far. Because it is something he isn't mean to hear. She holds Inari no Nyuusen's pipe out to him. "His," she says simply. "Now yours. Dozoku-shin-Doumeki has asked it for you."
He doesn't reach to take it. Nothing is free, not with her. "And the cost?"
Watanuki stiffens and glares at his boss. "No," he tells her.
"It is not for sale," she tells him what he already knows. "It will be yours as long as you continue to pay for its use."
"Don't," Watanuki says.
But Doumeki reaches for it all the same. "I've already paid for it," he reminds him. He looks Watanuki in the face. Lets him see whatever he can, or will. Still, it is he who turns away first and not Watanuki. He looks to Yuuko.
"There will be books of your grandfather's that will teach you what you need to know for that," Yuuko says, letting the spirit pipe slip free from her fingers to Doumeki's. "Walk Watanuki home, will you?" she asks, her high heels making an oddly comforting tap-tapping sound as she walks away.
Doumeki slips the pipe into his pocket and steps out of the alley. His arm is still numb from where Watanuki let himself be held together. He uses that hand to catch hold of Watanuki's own.
And he walks him home.
***
ETA: In the Shinto religion, each family has a god that protects the family and looks after them. That god is called 'Dozoku-Shin' and it's more like a classification than a name. So Dozoku-shin-Doumeki is the god for Shizuka's family.
PS. also connects to The answer.
And so...
Doumeki isn't sure how long he stands in that old, sacred alley with Watanuki leaning against him all sharp bones and angles. A long time is as close as he gets to knowing. Long enough that he's shifted to rest against the bricks behind him. Long enough for his shoulder to grow numb under the pressure of Watanuki's bowed head. Long enough for him to lift a hand and rest it on Watanuki's back, on that vital, awkward bump where spine becomes neck. To turn his face into Watanuki's hair and rest his cheek there.
Watanuki hasn't moved at all aside from leaning forward to follow Doumeki's backward lean. His breathing is steady, an even flow of cool-warm-cool over Doumeki's chest, in the shallow cup under the wing of his collarbone. In-out-in, over and over and Doumeki breathes in counterpoint by instinct, warm-cool-warm against the top of Watanuki's head, breathing in the air he's released.
A tableau of holding on.
He sees when Yuuko walks by, of course. He doesn't say a word to Watanuki, simply tightens his hand on his bow and waits. A moment later and Watanuki stiffens abruptly against him.
"It's gone," he says. A moment after that and he straightens, turning to face the mouth of the alley.
By instinct or design, Yuuko strolls into view at that same moment. She pauses, her gaze even and calm. "It's gone," she says.
Watanuki glares at her. "Yes," he says, "he is."
They all know he means the Pipe Fox spirit. Doumeki finds a little more dislike in his heart for Watanuki's boss as she removes a long, slender pipe from the sleeve of her robe and says, holding it up and examining it, "It was bound to happen."
"Hitsuzen?" Watanuki asks, his voice a sneer, a cruel, snide taunt. Baiting her, Doumeki thinks. Baiting the Time-Space Witch. Baiting the Witch of Change. The Butterfly.
Yuuko looks suddenly young and vulnerable to Doumeki, with her hair spilling like long, silk ribbons around her face as she lowers the pipe. "Yes," she answers.
Watanuki runs at her and Doumeki is, for once, not quick enough to catch him. Terrifyingly not quick enough.
"Not everything is 'hitsuzen'," he screams at her, a loud, raw sound in the sanctity of this hallowed ground. "You can't blame 'hitsuzen' for what you do! For your choices!"
She is quick enough, however. Yuuko catches him by reaching out and cupping his face in her hands. Her eyes are sad and old in her young, young face. "His name," she says, raising the spirit's pipe between the two of them, "was Inari no Nyuusen. Chosen. A name he took by choice."
Doumeki can only see Watanuki in limited profile. It's enough to see the anguish wash into his eyes and out again. Something stoic and otherworldly flickers in him and Doumeki knows again why he follows after this boy. Why he protects this selfish, immature, hyperactive, cranky, beloved boy. "We have school tomorrow," he says. Because they do. And because he, himself, is selfish.
Yuuko kisses the top of Watanuki's head and murmurs something to him that Doumeki cannot hear. Not because her voice is too quiet or because he is too far. Because it is something he isn't mean to hear. She holds Inari no Nyuusen's pipe out to him. "His," she says simply. "Now yours. Dozoku-shin-Doumeki has asked it for you."
He doesn't reach to take it. Nothing is free, not with her. "And the cost?"
Watanuki stiffens and glares at his boss. "No," he tells her.
"It is not for sale," she tells him what he already knows. "It will be yours as long as you continue to pay for its use."
"Don't," Watanuki says.
But Doumeki reaches for it all the same. "I've already paid for it," he reminds him. He looks Watanuki in the face. Lets him see whatever he can, or will. Still, it is he who turns away first and not Watanuki. He looks to Yuuko.
"There will be books of your grandfather's that will teach you what you need to know for that," Yuuko says, letting the spirit pipe slip free from her fingers to Doumeki's. "Walk Watanuki home, will you?" she asks, her high heels making an oddly comforting tap-tapping sound as she walks away.
Doumeki slips the pipe into his pocket and steps out of the alley. His arm is still numb from where Watanuki let himself be held together. He uses that hand to catch hold of Watanuki's own.
And he walks him home.
***
ETA: In the Shinto religion, each family has a god that protects the family and looks after them. That god is called 'Dozoku-Shin' and it's more like a classification than a name. So Dozoku-shin-Doumeki is the god for Shizuka's family.