Fandom: xxxHoLiC
Rating: G
Length: 100 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: The title is from Connecting through the Voice by the Kumamoto Renshi 2010 (Shuntarō Tanikawa, Hiromi Itō, Yasuhiro Yotsumoto, Wakoko Kaku, and Jerome Rothenberg), translated by Jeffrey Angles. And a thanks to elany for the title-picking help!
This story is inspired by the ending of the 2022 live action film, with a bit of anime character bleed/through.
Summary: In which Doumeki has the last word.


When Watanuki accepted the fate of the wish shopkeeper, he resigned himself to losing his friends to the swiftly flowing river of time. Himawari had already moved away, subject to her own fate though she bore it with much more cheer than he could fathom. Doumeki would—

Doumeki would go to school, and practise archery, and work at the temple, and go to university, and—

“No,” Doumeki said.

“No, you want something else for your lunch bento?” Watanuki grumbled. “You’re so picky; I won’t always be able to cater to your every whim—”

“No,” Doumeki said. “I’m staying with you.”