Dinner (gen)

[storypaint]

Title: Dinner
Author: rhap_chan
Fandom: xxxHOLiC
Pairing: gen
Prompt: Something with Watanuki and cooking please.
Rating: G
Word Count:
Warnings: none
Disclaimer: xxxHOLiC belongs to CLAMP. This fanfic is a derivative of canon material that is not my property. I do not profit from these writings. The opinions and actions expressed in these stories are not necessarily the views and beliefs of the original author or me.

Excerpt: One day she would give him his wish, or maybe one day she'd finish eating him alive, but in the end Watanuki would be changed.

Sometimes he felt like Gretel. But that was a stupid thing to think.

Watanuki lifted the pan, shook it expertly to prevent the rice from sticking, and poured in the next ingredient. He twisted around and pulled a handful of vegetables from the pile he had neatly chopped earlier.

"Is it done yet?" Yuuko called lazily from the next room. Watanuki scowled and told her that dinner wasn't done. He could feel her sulking.

Sometimes he felt like the little girl from the Hansel and Gretel story. She'd told that one last week when a strange couple of elvish people came in and asked for her help to prevent themselves from being eaten (it was some sort of cultural thing where they were from). She'd waited until the creatures had left-- waist-high they were, green as grass, with high inhuman voices and Watanuki was getting too used to her and her guests, because he'd barely stared-- and she'd told him the story. In a meaningful way, even, with a dry, quiet voice and those staring eyes.

"Once there were two children... and the witch took them and locked Hansel in a cage, but Gretel she made cook for her, feast after feast... and every day the witch came to Hansel and tested his fingers to see if he was good enough to eat...."

It was a strange story, quite macabre to be honest, and it made Watanuki think. It wasn't just the cooking thing... it was the way she looked at Doumeki as well, as if he had something else to give her, when he'd already given more than enough to help Watanuki. And the way Doumeki looked back-- stoic, unmoving, like usual, but more importantly-- fearless.

Watanuki switched the burner off and began to stir the food, thoughtfully. All wasn't lost, of course-- in the end, didn't they push the witch into the fire? But that was the children's story. Watanuki was sometimes naive, but he wasn't stupid. There was a different ending somewhere, depending on where you looked. There was always something different to see. She had taught him that.

He didn't want Doumeki to give her anything else (and he had a sudden vision of a finger like in the story, little more than bone, the life gone out of it, and Doumeki's steady eyes). But he couldn't help the cooking.

One day she would give him his wish, or maybe one day she'd finish eating him alive, but in the end Watanuki would be changed. He wasn't sure he liked this (un)subtle manipulation.

"Dinner is done!" he called, arranging the plates and grabbing a bottle of sake.

Sometimes he wished that he could still see creatures in the corner of his eyes. (It would make things so much simpler.)