Something Like Love (xxxHolic)

Chapter 20 - Saying Good-Bye

School was done and the two were headed to the shop. Everything seemed normal between them after the event in the infirmary, but they knew that something was different. There was a stronger charge between them than before. Both individuals felt it, and could not deny that it was because of their *cough cough* love that was finally reciprocated.

They walked through the gates of the shop, easily slipping from one dimension into another. Before they could open the door, it opened by itself. Maru and Moro stood there, with Mokona in the middle. Both of their eyes were glazed over, as if they were under a spell. Mokona seemed like himself, at least.

"What's wrong, guys?" Watanuki had to ask. Something felt very wrong.

"It's nothing." Mokona answered. "Yuuko has a customer right now."

"Then shouldn't I be in there helping?"

It shook its head. "No, the customer wants to be alone with her and her only. Besides, it's getting late anyways. She won't be needing any drinks tonight."

"Are you sure, Mokona?" Watanuki asked, trying to look inside the shop. He was stopped by the two girls, who moved in front of him with their blank gaze. "What's going on?"

"This is something that Yuuko doesn't want you two involved in. It's too dangerous." Mokona said.

Maru and Moro started moving forward, making Watanuki stumble backwards into Domeki's arms. Watanuki looked into the two girl's eyes and somehow sensed that they were crying behind the blank expression they had. Watanuki and Domeki kept on stepping backwards until they exited the gate.

Maru and Moro ran back inside the shop and closed the door. Watanuki caught a glimpse of Mokona wearing a difficult expression on his face. Watanuki turned from the store and started walking fast to who knows where with Domeki by his side.

"What the heck is happening?" He wondered out loud.

*The rest of the chapter is cannon and is taken from the xxxHolic manga. Some parts are edited for story (and copyright) reasons.*

Two voices rang from behind them. Two very alike voices.

"Oh, Watanuki-kun!"

"And Domeki-kun too!"

"Ah..." Watanuki said, raising his head to the two twins Kaoruko and Sakurako.

"It's been a while!" Kaoruko grinned.

"On your way home?" Sakurako asked. "We could all have tea together, if you like."

"No, it's fine." Watanuki replied. "I'm just thinking about what's happening at the shop right now."

"Shop?" The twins questioned.

"Yuuko-san's..."

"Yuuko-san?" They asked with a confused look. "Who's that?"

Watanuki stood there, frozen. The twins' words scared Watanuki so much. His legs turned and he started running back to the shop.

"Watanuki-kun?"

"Wait! Kimihiro!"

Watanuki couldn't hear them, his mind was racing as he ran as fast as he could back to the shop.

"They don't know Yuuko-san?!" He asked himself. "Why wouldn't they?! There must be something wrong!"

He turned a corner and came up to the shop again. "It's still here, like it always was. There's nothing wrong, right...?"

He took one step through the gate and everything around him went pitch black.

"Huh...?" He looked around him in confusion, starting to panic. He tried to convince himself, "I see... this is another dream...