Ficlet!
I finally managed a ficlet instead of a drabble! Yay! I'm moving up in the world, albeit slowly.
Title: Privacy
Author: Rapunzel
Rating: PG-13? (I tend to rate on the high side, just to be safe.)
Summary: Watanuki tries to explain the concept of privacy to the pipe fox spirit.
Disclaimer: xxxHOLIC belongs to CLAMP.
"Now look," Watanuki said, "I'm not sure how much of what I'm saying you can understand, but I thought I should try asking first."
The pipe fix spirit twined around the wrist of the hand that was holding it and peered into Watanuki's face, its tiny head tilted slightly to one side as if it were listening intently.
"Now I don't want you to get the wrong idea," Watanuki said, still talking despite the lack of response from the creature he was holding. "I'm glad that you like me so much, really I am."
The fox spirit slithered a little further up his arm and leaned forward to nuzzle his face affectionately.
"I know you're just trying to protect me and all that," Watanuki continued, "and I appreciate it, really I do. You've helped me out of some tight spots before."
The pipe fox spirit left his wrist completely and twined around his neck, which seemed to be its favorite perch, still butting its small head against Watanuki's chin.
"I don't mind you leaving the shop and coming to school with me," Watanuki said. "As long as Yuuko-san doesn't start charging me for it, I have no problem with that. And I don't mind you coming home with me either."
Reaching out, he made an effort to recapture the tiny creature and held it out in front of him again to give it what he hoped was a stern stare.
"I don't even mind you sleeping on the bed with me some nights," he went on. "But damn it, I draw the line at having you in there when Doumeki's staying over!"
The fox spirit seemed to blink at the abrupt change in tone, although it was hard to tell for certain since its eyes were so small. Then it drooped slightly, as if hanging its head in dejection.
"It's not that I don't like you," Watanuki hastened to say. "It's just that... well, I can't have you in there when Doumeki's over. It's just... just..."
"It makes him feel self-conscious," Doumeki put in, speaking up for the first time. He'd been sitting in the corner watching this little discussion with amusement.
"I didn't say that!" Watanuki snapped.
Doumeki shrugged. "You did say it made you feel like it was judging your performance," he said.
Watanuki went beet red in the face. "Stop putting words in my mouth!" he howled.
The fox spirit turned its head back and forth, staring at first one and then the other during this exchange. Finally, it slipped off Watanuki's arm again and went back to rubbing against his face.
Watanuki sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping. "I don't think he gets it."
Doumeki didn't look the slightest bit put out at the news. "We could always try my method," he said.
"Oh, and what's that?"
Doumeki got up and walked over to where Watanuki was sitting. Gently disentangling the fox spirit from the boy's shoulders, he set it aside and drew Watanuki to his feet, leading him towards the bedroom.
"It's very simple," he said, brushing off the pipe fox spirit as it tried to follow. "It's called shutting the door."
Title: Privacy
Author: Rapunzel
Rating: PG-13? (I tend to rate on the high side, just to be safe.)
Summary: Watanuki tries to explain the concept of privacy to the pipe fox spirit.
Disclaimer: xxxHOLIC belongs to CLAMP.
"Now look," Watanuki said, "I'm not sure how much of what I'm saying you can understand, but I thought I should try asking first."
The pipe fix spirit twined around the wrist of the hand that was holding it and peered into Watanuki's face, its tiny head tilted slightly to one side as if it were listening intently.
"Now I don't want you to get the wrong idea," Watanuki said, still talking despite the lack of response from the creature he was holding. "I'm glad that you like me so much, really I am."
The fox spirit slithered a little further up his arm and leaned forward to nuzzle his face affectionately.
"I know you're just trying to protect me and all that," Watanuki continued, "and I appreciate it, really I do. You've helped me out of some tight spots before."
The pipe fox spirit left his wrist completely and twined around his neck, which seemed to be its favorite perch, still butting its small head against Watanuki's chin.
"I don't mind you leaving the shop and coming to school with me," Watanuki said. "As long as Yuuko-san doesn't start charging me for it, I have no problem with that. And I don't mind you coming home with me either."
Reaching out, he made an effort to recapture the tiny creature and held it out in front of him again to give it what he hoped was a stern stare.
"I don't even mind you sleeping on the bed with me some nights," he went on. "But damn it, I draw the line at having you in there when Doumeki's staying over!"
The fox spirit seemed to blink at the abrupt change in tone, although it was hard to tell for certain since its eyes were so small. Then it drooped slightly, as if hanging its head in dejection.
"It's not that I don't like you," Watanuki hastened to say. "It's just that... well, I can't have you in there when Doumeki's over. It's just... just..."
"It makes him feel self-conscious," Doumeki put in, speaking up for the first time. He'd been sitting in the corner watching this little discussion with amusement.
"I didn't say that!" Watanuki snapped.
Doumeki shrugged. "You did say it made you feel like it was judging your performance," he said.
Watanuki went beet red in the face. "Stop putting words in my mouth!" he howled.
The fox spirit turned its head back and forth, staring at first one and then the other during this exchange. Finally, it slipped off Watanuki's arm again and went back to rubbing against his face.
Watanuki sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping. "I don't think he gets it."
Doumeki didn't look the slightest bit put out at the news. "We could always try my method," he said.
"Oh, and what's that?"
Doumeki got up and walked over to where Watanuki was sitting. Gently disentangling the fox spirit from the boy's shoulders, he set it aside and drew Watanuki to his feet, leading him towards the bedroom.
"It's very simple," he said, brushing off the pipe fox spirit as it tried to follow. "It's called shutting the door."