storypaint (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
storypaint) wrote2009-11-23 08:42 am
storypaint) wrote2009-11-23 08:42 am
The Dreamer's Action (Watanuki and Kohane gen)
Title: The Dreamer's Action
Fandom: xxxHOLiC;
Length: 1125 words
Prompt:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
31_days: 31 Oct 09 // little sparrows, mind your place!
Pairing: Clow/Yuuko; mostly Watanuki and Kohane gen
Other: Set in The Dreamer's Question universe; will not make a lot of sense otherwise.
Excerpt: The first time Shizuka dragged Kimihiro home, a black eye blooming on the shorter boy's face, Clow dressed the wound, clicking his tongue all the while, and later, Yuuko listened.
The first time Shizuka dragged Kimihiro home, a black eye blooming on the shorter boy's face, Clow dressed the wound, clicking his tongue all the while, and later, Yuuko listened.
"She's just a little girl," Kimihiro said, his eyes bright with concern. "She can see these things, but she can't exorcise them."
"And it was a spirit who blacked your eye?" his mother asked, resting her head in her hands, leaning forward with that stare of hers focused on her son. Her tones were ones of professional interest, rather than comcern, but that was Yuuko. She'd rather investigate than worry.
Watanuki looked away. "It was her mother," he admitted. "She thinks that I interfere somehow."
"Well," Yuuko answered, smiling slightly, "you are, aren't you?"
"She needs somebody," Kimihiro said. Yuuko reached out to stroke the hair out of his eyes, taking away a little of the ache as she did, tucking it into her own fingers. She had the day off tomorrow, anyway.
*
He brought her home two weeks later, a little girl with large dark eyes who stood in the front hall, looking like a kicked puppy. A well-kicked one, from the bandages wrapping too much of her skin.
Clow bustled around, setting her up in Sakura's old room and fussing over her like she was his own child. Kimihiro was apologetically determined that she should stay.
"It can't go on like this," he said. Clow patted him on the head and made a pie. The whole family had a tendency for bringing home strays, and there were usually a few cats and dogs stalking around the house until they were ready to go home again.
Yuuko hovered in the shadows, not even providing her usual commentary. Kimihiro looked askance at his mother's silence.
"Have I done something?" he asked Clow while they were doing dishes. Clow chuckled.
"Are you that attached to your mother's teasing?"
He wouldn't give Watanuki a better answer than that.
*
"Are you Kimihiro-kun's mother?" Kohane asked when the witch made her way to Sakura's old bedroom that night. When Yuuko nodded, the girl smiled. "You have the same kindness, underneath."
"You are a bright girl," Yuuko said. She sat down on the edge of the bed.
"And thank you for the spare clothes," Kohane continued. They'd found her some of Sakura's old pajamas to wear, though they were too large for her. She was much smaller for her age than Sakura had been.
"You're welcome," Yuuko answered. She looked down at the girl. "You have a wish, don't you?" she said.
It had been a long time since Yuuko had granted wishes. Even when it had been her business, long before she'd married (though she'd met Clow near the end), she hadn't done it often. Wishes were difficult. Maintaining the balance was something done cautiously. But she'd done it until she'd woken up one morning and realized that the treasure room was empty-- each person had received what they needed. Her tenure was done.
Even after all these years, she could recognize a wish, however.
"I do," Kohane answered, but hesitated. "I'm not sure what it is yet."
"Bright girl," Yuuko repeated, smiling. She got up and left.
*
"Do you think he's going to follow in your footsteps?" Clow asked her when she came in to bed. His gaze was somber and it followed Yuuko as she found her pajamas. He had a book in his hand, but he wasn't reading it. Finally, she sighed.
"Hitsuzen," she said, climbing into bed. She reached over and took his book and his glasses, and then shut off the light.
"Shopkeeping can be lonely," he said into the dark.
"No," she answered, curling up and cuddling into his arm. "People can be lonely. I don't think that will be a problem for Kimihiro."
"True," he answered fondly, kissing her forehead and then shifting so he could sleep.
*
Kohane visited her mother every Saturday, with Kimihiro and Shizuka in tow; rather, it was more that Kimihiro didn't want her to go alone, even if it meant that the two of them waited outside patiently the whole afternoon.
"They're like guards," Himawari said, giggling. Kimihiro blushed. He'd been doing that a lot, even though Himawari coming for dinner was quite an ordinary occurence by now.
"Do you really wait the whole time, Onii-chan?" Kohane asked, and then lifted her hands to her mouth, seeming embarrassed of the slip. Kimihiro just grinned.
"We do," he answered, "Imouto-chan."
Kohane's eyes were bright. "My mother is doing much better lately," she said. "Now that the press have stopped visiting so much..."
"Good," Himawari said cheerfully.
*
That night, Kohane found Yuuko in the living room, engrossed in a manga, though she set it down when Kohane came in.
"I think Kimihiro-kun has granted my wish," she said to the witch. "I think I can teach my mother to be happy."
"That's all right, then," Yuuko answered, "as long as it was granted."
"But I don't know how to pay him," Kohane said quietly.
"He's never had a little sister before," Yuuko said. "That's payment enough, I think."
"Thank you," she said, hugging Yuuko briefly before darting off to get ready for bed. Yuuko smiled reflectively, looking up at the ceiling, before picking up her book again.
"I blame Clow," she said to no one. "He's the softy."
*
When Kohane went home, Kimihiro moped about for a while, even though he was happy she could be with her mother again. Clow decided he needed cheering up.
"Like this?" Yuuko asked, though she was smiling. She was only protesting because she hadn't thought of it first. Clow winked.
"...What?" Kimihiro asked, glancing from one parent to another.
"You're going to be a big brother!" Clow said, grinning hugely, placing a hand on Kimihiro's shoulder and wrapping his arm around Yuuko possessively.
"WHAAAT?"
"Don't worry, you'll still be our baby," Clow continued. "Just not the youngest."
"Mmph?" Kimihiro said, bewildered, before he managed to extract himself from Clow's grasp and wander from the room.
"When do you want to tell him that the Mokona will be different?" Yuuko asked cheerfully, leaning her head back on Clow's shoulder.
"Not for a while," Clow answered. "He seemed so happy, after all!" Yuuko nodded in agreement.
"They could even call him Onii-chan!" she purred.
"My wife is brilliant," Clow answered.
"Good thing, too," Yuuko replied, grinning. "Kimihiro is just like me, you know."
"You're both very kind," he said, leaning down to kiss her. She caught his lip in her teeth and the conversation derailed swiftly after that.
(And yes, they told him eventually. Kohane, at least, thought the Mokona were very cute.)
Fandom: xxxHOLiC;
Length: 1125 words
Prompt:
31_days: 31 Oct 09 // little sparrows, mind your place!Pairing: Clow/Yuuko; mostly Watanuki and Kohane gen
Other: Set in The Dreamer's Question universe; will not make a lot of sense otherwise.
Excerpt: The first time Shizuka dragged Kimihiro home, a black eye blooming on the shorter boy's face, Clow dressed the wound, clicking his tongue all the while, and later, Yuuko listened.
The first time Shizuka dragged Kimihiro home, a black eye blooming on the shorter boy's face, Clow dressed the wound, clicking his tongue all the while, and later, Yuuko listened.
"She's just a little girl," Kimihiro said, his eyes bright with concern. "She can see these things, but she can't exorcise them."
"And it was a spirit who blacked your eye?" his mother asked, resting her head in her hands, leaning forward with that stare of hers focused on her son. Her tones were ones of professional interest, rather than comcern, but that was Yuuko. She'd rather investigate than worry.
Watanuki looked away. "It was her mother," he admitted. "She thinks that I interfere somehow."
"Well," Yuuko answered, smiling slightly, "you are, aren't you?"
"She needs somebody," Kimihiro said. Yuuko reached out to stroke the hair out of his eyes, taking away a little of the ache as she did, tucking it into her own fingers. She had the day off tomorrow, anyway.
*
He brought her home two weeks later, a little girl with large dark eyes who stood in the front hall, looking like a kicked puppy. A well-kicked one, from the bandages wrapping too much of her skin.
Clow bustled around, setting her up in Sakura's old room and fussing over her like she was his own child. Kimihiro was apologetically determined that she should stay.
"It can't go on like this," he said. Clow patted him on the head and made a pie. The whole family had a tendency for bringing home strays, and there were usually a few cats and dogs stalking around the house until they were ready to go home again.
Yuuko hovered in the shadows, not even providing her usual commentary. Kimihiro looked askance at his mother's silence.
"Have I done something?" he asked Clow while they were doing dishes. Clow chuckled.
"Are you that attached to your mother's teasing?"
He wouldn't give Watanuki a better answer than that.
*
"Are you Kimihiro-kun's mother?" Kohane asked when the witch made her way to Sakura's old bedroom that night. When Yuuko nodded, the girl smiled. "You have the same kindness, underneath."
"You are a bright girl," Yuuko said. She sat down on the edge of the bed.
"And thank you for the spare clothes," Kohane continued. They'd found her some of Sakura's old pajamas to wear, though they were too large for her. She was much smaller for her age than Sakura had been.
"You're welcome," Yuuko answered. She looked down at the girl. "You have a wish, don't you?" she said.
It had been a long time since Yuuko had granted wishes. Even when it had been her business, long before she'd married (though she'd met Clow near the end), she hadn't done it often. Wishes were difficult. Maintaining the balance was something done cautiously. But she'd done it until she'd woken up one morning and realized that the treasure room was empty-- each person had received what they needed. Her tenure was done.
Even after all these years, she could recognize a wish, however.
"I do," Kohane answered, but hesitated. "I'm not sure what it is yet."
"Bright girl," Yuuko repeated, smiling. She got up and left.
*
"Do you think he's going to follow in your footsteps?" Clow asked her when she came in to bed. His gaze was somber and it followed Yuuko as she found her pajamas. He had a book in his hand, but he wasn't reading it. Finally, she sighed.
"Hitsuzen," she said, climbing into bed. She reached over and took his book and his glasses, and then shut off the light.
"Shopkeeping can be lonely," he said into the dark.
"No," she answered, curling up and cuddling into his arm. "People can be lonely. I don't think that will be a problem for Kimihiro."
"True," he answered fondly, kissing her forehead and then shifting so he could sleep.
*
Kohane visited her mother every Saturday, with Kimihiro and Shizuka in tow; rather, it was more that Kimihiro didn't want her to go alone, even if it meant that the two of them waited outside patiently the whole afternoon.
"They're like guards," Himawari said, giggling. Kimihiro blushed. He'd been doing that a lot, even though Himawari coming for dinner was quite an ordinary occurence by now.
"Do you really wait the whole time, Onii-chan?" Kohane asked, and then lifted her hands to her mouth, seeming embarrassed of the slip. Kimihiro just grinned.
"We do," he answered, "Imouto-chan."
Kohane's eyes were bright. "My mother is doing much better lately," she said. "Now that the press have stopped visiting so much..."
"Good," Himawari said cheerfully.
*
That night, Kohane found Yuuko in the living room, engrossed in a manga, though she set it down when Kohane came in.
"I think Kimihiro-kun has granted my wish," she said to the witch. "I think I can teach my mother to be happy."
"That's all right, then," Yuuko answered, "as long as it was granted."
"But I don't know how to pay him," Kohane said quietly.
"He's never had a little sister before," Yuuko said. "That's payment enough, I think."
"Thank you," she said, hugging Yuuko briefly before darting off to get ready for bed. Yuuko smiled reflectively, looking up at the ceiling, before picking up her book again.
"I blame Clow," she said to no one. "He's the softy."
*
When Kohane went home, Kimihiro moped about for a while, even though he was happy she could be with her mother again. Clow decided he needed cheering up.
"Like this?" Yuuko asked, though she was smiling. She was only protesting because she hadn't thought of it first. Clow winked.
"...What?" Kimihiro asked, glancing from one parent to another.
"You're going to be a big brother!" Clow said, grinning hugely, placing a hand on Kimihiro's shoulder and wrapping his arm around Yuuko possessively.
"WHAAAT?"
"Don't worry, you'll still be our baby," Clow continued. "Just not the youngest."
"Mmph?" Kimihiro said, bewildered, before he managed to extract himself from Clow's grasp and wander from the room.
"When do you want to tell him that the Mokona will be different?" Yuuko asked cheerfully, leaning her head back on Clow's shoulder.
"Not for a while," Clow answered. "He seemed so happy, after all!" Yuuko nodded in agreement.
"They could even call him Onii-chan!" she purred.
"My wife is brilliant," Clow answered.
"Good thing, too," Yuuko replied, grinning. "Kimihiro is just like me, you know."
"You're both very kind," he said, leaning down to kiss her. She caught his lip in her teeth and the conversation derailed swiftly after that.
(And yes, they told him eventually. Kohane, at least, thought the Mokona were very cute.)
no subject
Great fic! :D
no subject
no subject
The Mokona are coming, the Mokona are coming!
no subject
Yes, they are. XD It's a shame Watanuki isn't younger in this or I would write the Epic Babysitting Mokona Saga.
no subject
Well... more that the Mokona will ever be mature enough to be left by themselves without supervision.
no subject
no subject
That's my mind though...
no subject