Delicious Blood I

[flakedice]

An xXxholic fic.

For all those who have so patiently waited, Vampire-bait Watanuki returns.

Title: Delicious Blood
Rating: PG
Pairing: Watanuki/Doumeki
Chapter: 1/2
Comment: AU.  Sort of.
Warning: Bad language. Watanuki, you bad man!
Summary: The vampires are out to chomp on him and Doumeki's protective streak is nearing a mile wide.  Vampire-bait Watanuki goes to Yuuko for a solution.

AN: When he first stomped onto my screen I knew he was going to return rather soon.  So here he is, Vampire-bait Watanuki.  Set around the first meeting with Yuuko. 

Delicious Blood

I

"Get off, bitch!"

In a show of strength that few would have given him credit for, the young man took a firm grip on the young woman clinging onto his arm and flung her into a nearby wall.  There was a satisfying thud and several bits of loosened masonry rained down on the crumpled girl.

"Why can't you guys leave me alone?!"  Watanuki usually considered himself a laid back kind of guy.  Only two things could reduce him to spastic fits of rage.  And one of these was vampires.  "I don't care how good my blood tastes!  Find some other poor sod to chomp on!"

The rubble shifted as the fallen girl shifted.  "Watanuki?"

"Don't just-"  What the girl had said finally penetrated his mind.  "Oh God.  Himawari!"

As quickly as he had thrown her, Watanuki was helping her to her feet, helping to brush off the dust and rubble.  "I'm sorry.  I though you were one of those creeps."

The girl smiled, apparently unharmed, and backed up a step.  "It's alright."  Her gaze suddenly dropped.  "It's my fault-"

Watanuki didn't miss the way her tongue sneaked out of her mouth to lick her upper lip.  Or the narrowing of her pupils.  He took a hasty step backwards.  It wasn't her fault she was born a vampire.  It was just one of those things.  The way that the portals that popped up all over the city were.  But he wasn't going to risk a chomping either.

Watanuki didn't care that she was a vampire.  She was his friend.  And that counted a lot in this day and age.  There weren't many people that you could depend on.  Himawari had already proved herself countless times; both when she accompanied him into the portals and helped him fend off the vamps who didn't know of him.

And if she had her quirks, well they weren't too bad.  She hadn't exactly taken a bite out of him yet.  And she had apologized that time at the playground.  The kids had looked like Bloody Marys on legs, apparently, and it had gotten a bit too much for her.

And just now it wasn't that she'd actually attacked him.  He'd just seen the dog and instinctively assumed that the hold on his arm was a prelude to a major chomping.

And while her thirst sometimes did get the better of her sometimes, there was always-

"Oi!"

The second thing that could shatter Watanuki's calm was a certain being who went by the name of Doumeki.

And here he was.  Sauntering down the street at his customary unhurried pace and with the bow that struck terror into the vamp community casually slung over one shoulder.  Ignoring Watanuki's burning gaze, he kept walking until he was standing between the two of them, placing his body between Watanuki and Himawari. 

"Kunogi."  A nod to the girl.  And that was it.  No other welcomes, nothing.

"Don't just push in you, bloody sod!"  Watanuki gave a shove at the wide back that faced him for good measure.  It only pissed him off more that the hulk in front of him barely rocked an inch.

Himawari just smiled and took a couple of paces back.

If Watanuki was vampire bait, Doumeki was the poison.  Vamps usually couldn't stand to be near him, with the exception of Himawari, and even she kept a polite distance.  Watanuki had often wondered why it was.  His pet theory was that, with their extrasensory perception, they could sense how disagreeable he was and instinctively veered off.  He'd once thought that the guy simply had too much garlic in his blood but he'd had to scrap the idea.  He didn't taste like garlic at all.

"Well, are you going to stand there all night or are we going to go eat?"  The three of them had arranged to get some food at their regular watering spot to pan out the details of their next expedition into a portal.  There'd been a lot appearing recently and they were agreed in taking advantage of the fact.  But if Doumeki delayed any longer, they wouldn't get a seat to sit on.

Doumeki simply turned to him and raised an eyebrow like the delay was his fault.  Watanuki resisted the urge to kick him in the shin and stomped off.

~x~X~x~

Dinner was spent much the way it had been recently.  Himawari and Watanuki had a decent conversation and made some minor adjustments to their plan of operations for the next portal expedition.  Doumeki shovelled food into his mouth and made laconic comments when he wasn't giving his evil 100 eyes stare to every vamp in the joint.

Watanuki tiredly wondered whether it had always been this way.  He didn't think it had.  He was sure at some point they had all simply relaxed and had fun over some drinks.  Doumeki hadn't talked much even then, true, but he'd still taken a larger part in the conversation, even if it wasn't with words.

It wasn't even like he was going to get jumped by any of the vamps here.  He was a regular and everyone knew who he was.  The regular vamps were decent and kept a wide berth to give him some peace.  And the bouncers knew to warn any newcomers to keep away.  The only ones who were likely to approach him were humans and then only to try and pick him up.  But Doumeki's stare was enough to keep them away as well. 

It was kind of sad.  He hadn't been groped properly for a while.

Finally the discussion wound to a close.  Himawari made her goodbyes and left.  Watanuki finished his beer and stared at Doumeki over his glass while he made plans.  They didn't have anything to do tomorrow morning.  Perhaps he could convince the big lug to leave the bow outside the bedroom for once.  The odds were good for an interrupted night.

Decided, he set the empty glass down and tapped Doumeki's shoulder.  The other man nodded and they began to make their way out of the press.  Vamps and humans alike obligingly made way and they were soon outside. 

It was getting dark and Watanuki was glad of his leather jacket.  He stuffed his hands in the pockets and started off to their apartment.

He was pulled up by a hand on his elbow.  He didn't resist this time.  He knew exactly who it was. "What?"  He wasn't in a good mood and dinner had done nothing to improve his outlook.

Doumeki's eyes were on his for once.  "I've got something for you."

Watanuki ignored the surge of sudden happiness that rose in his chest.  He was not some pansy who got excited about a surprize present.  "What is it?"

Doumeki shook his head.  "Not here."

~x~X~x~

They ended up in the abandoned park near the radio tower.  The place had been hit hard during one of the invasions from the portals and no one had bothered to the repair the place.  No one let their kids play there, either, so it was always deserted.

Watanuki parked himself on their usual bench and waited for Doumeki to join him.  As usual, the over-protective lug was giving the park one of his once-overs before taking a seat.

"Here."  Watanuki took the jumble that was shoved at him.  It took him a moment to sort out exactly what it was, but when he did, he exploded.

"What the hell is this?!"  He shook the studded collar for emphasis.

Doumeki didn't even blink.  Or meet his gaze, for that matter.  He was busy scanning the vacant park for any vamps that were undoubtable lying in wait behind the chain link fence or the sand box in the corner.  "A collar."

"I can see-"  Watanuki cut himself off and took a deep breath.  His partner was a bit thick - no doubt due to constant paranoia that ate at his brain.  To get a coherent answer, you had to phrase your question simply so he could understand.  "What is it for?"

"For you."  Doumeki took his gaze off the park bench on the other side of the park, having finally dismissed it as a hiding spot. 

The confirmation made Watanuki want to hit his head against the nearest tree.  Or better yet, Doumeki's.

"Let me get this clear."  He wanted the stupid bastard to know what the hell he'd just done.  It was possible, as socially inept as he was, Doumeki had no concept of the meaning of the leather accessory.  "You want me to wear this" a shake of the collar "and these" a nod at the pair of studded wrist braces "which are practically a statement that I am the snack'n'sex toy of a vamp?" Anger seethed in the words, though he'd managed not to shout yet.  If he wasn't so pissed, Watanuki'd be proud of himself.

Doumeki simply remained silent, waiting for the rest of it.

Predictably the calm silence set Watanuki off.  "I don't belong to anyone, you bastard! Nor am I about to parade myself around as some vamp slut.  I have a reputation to maintain!  What are you thinking?!"

"You're mine."  A calm statement that ignored everything he'd just said.  And with that Doumeki went back to surveying their surroundings for any threat to his love-toy.

Watanuki fisted his hands, ignoring the bite of the collar in his hand.  Doumeki had all the social acumen of a sea cucumber.  But he was a friend.  He was good in dangerous situations and kept most of the vamps away. 

Watanuki struggled with finding a good enough reason not to kill the other man.  And it wasn't as if he were ugly or entirely unsexy.  And if he did eat enough to put them over budget each week, at least he helped with the washing up.

The memory of what had happened after their last washing session passed through his mind and he winced.  If was unfortunate that the vamp had decided to take a stroll outside the kitchen window.  At least his lunge for Doumeki's bow had prevented it being fatal.  Unfortunately the rest of the evening had been spent cleaning up the damage wrought by the discharged arrow (1).

And he'd just managed to get Doumeki's white top transparent, too.  He'd been looking forward to peeling it off.

Still, he couldn't really be too angry with Doumeki.  Even if he did have a bad habit of overreacting, the threat of death by draining was still very real.  There had been that vamp from one of the other cities.  Unlike most he hadn't been concerned with social niceties.  It had only been Doumeki's arrow that had made the difference between a singed vamp and Watanuki's throat being ripped open.

Watanuki sighed.  God, I just wish that there was some other way.

Watanuki blinked as the dog materialized a few feet in front of him.  It was white and ghostly, its edges rippling as if it were a reflection on water.  It stared at Watanuki and slowly its jaw dropped open and its tail started to wag.

"A dog?"  Doumeki had noticed his fixed attention and the bow was already in his hands.

"It's okay, its white."

Doumeki didn't lower his bow.  "Are you going to follow it?"

Watanuki recalled what he'd been thinking when it had appeared.  Perhaps he'd finally find a solution.  "Why not?"

~x~X~x~

The dog had led them halfway across the city and now the jungle of concrete and iron was becoming more dilapidated.  Lights in windows were suddenly cut of with a clang as the two men passed, the inhabitants drawing the steel shutters closed.  Doumeki darted suspicious glances around but Watanuki didn't even bother.  They were nearing the outskirts of the city and beginning of the portals.  He didn't blame the wariness of people who no doubt bore the brunt of it.

The dog trotted ahead of them, tail swaying happily from side to side like some benevolent flag.  It had kept to the same pace till now but suddenly sped up and turned a corner.  Watanuki burst into a run and caught a glimpse of its fading form before it vanished entirely.

"An empty lot?" Doumeki had been right on his heels.

Watanuki frowned.  "You can't see it?"

Doumeki peered into the lot suspiciously then looked at Watanuki.  "See what?"

"There's a building there."  He sketched the outline with a hand in the air.

Doumeki brought his bow off his shoulder. "I don't see it."  

"Maybe it's like the dog."  Watanuki was intrigued now.  He'd always seen things that others couldn't.  And the dogs had always guided him without fail.  Black for danger, red for - well he wasn't quite sure but usually it was interesting things - and white for success.

And a white dog had led him here.

"I'm going inside."

Doumeki's hand clamped on his arm.  "Not without me."

"Fine."  There was no point arguing.  Doumeki would follow no matter what.

But when he walked through the fence around the building moments later, he was alone. 

~x~X~x~

1) Doumeki’s arrows carry a rather explosive impact in this universe.  Pretty much like powerheads - basically the equivalent of an explosive-tipped crossbow bolt

Poor Himawari.  She's always got something wrong with her.  Clears the way for Doumeki, though.

~x~X~x~

On to Part Two

(I'm dividing it for dramatic effect.  And so you don't have to scroll forever :)

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