Doumeki x Watanuki

Pairing
Pairing:	Doumeki Shizuka x Watanuki Kimihiro
Alternative name(s):	104, DouWata, Doumeki x Watanuki, Donuts
Gender category:	m/m, yaoi
Fandom:	xxxHolic
Canonical?:
Prevalence:
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It has become a trademark of CLAMP's work to include a generous amount of m/m implications and UST in their stories and xxxHolic proves to be a worthy successor of that tradition. However, with Kimihiro Watanuki and Shizuka Doumeki, the main protagonists of the series, CLAMP chose to seek a character dynamic that's a bit different from other well known pairings.

Canon?

As with many of CLAMP's pairings it's a definite "almost" when it comes to the question, whether they are (platonic or non platonic) lovers in the manga or not. Aishuu is of the opinion that "This relationship could be defined as 'practically canon.'" and continues:

A lot of the canon support for the pairing comes from comments from Yuuko, who occasionally acts as a narrator to give insights into situations Watanuki is put in. She tells him to keep Doumeki close, since his exorcism abilities will help Watanuki. Interestingly, Himawari also has a habit of pushing the two together, talking about their closeness.

It is important to note that on the last few pages of the manga series, set 100 years in the future, we learn that at some point Doumeki got married (presumably to Kohane) and fathered children. But even then Watanuki remains somewhat of the Shizuka family's "assignment", the central point around which everything revolves. Additionally - from a shipper's point of view - those glimpses into the future take up a mere few pages compared to the rest: 19 manga volumes devoted to the relashionship between Doumeki and Watanuki.

That relationship is shown on several levels. First, of course their physical interaction. Doumeki and Watanuki are school mates, they meet each day, they walk to school together, spend their time there together, eat lunch together and often enough walk home together as well. In addition, Doumeki is simply there every time Watanuki needs him - no matter what time of day or night it is or what supernatural realm Watanuki has managed to get lost in. Second, the gestures. Frankly, it's almost baffling with how much ease these two manage to show us the picture of a married couple. Doumeki orders food and Watanuki cooks it, albeit grumpily. Watanuki exhausts himself and Doumeki watches over him almost obsessively. There are countless little moments where one includes the other in a natural and often unconscious manner, Watanuki pouring the Sake for Doumeki, Doumeki taking something off Watanuki's hands and so on.

In addition, both go far and beyond what regular school mates would do for each other, even sacrificing parts of their bodies for each other. Aside from Yuuko, Doumeki is the only one to truly see Watanuki and in return it's his very existence that keeps Watanuki sane. And then there is, as Aishuu mentions, the outsider's perspective. Himawari is keen on stating how close Doumeki and Watanuki are and Yuuko's hints and jibes make it easy to see her having fun at the expense of a newlywed couple.

Fandom

Fanfics

• The Professor's Wife by foolish_mortal
• Abort, Fail, Retry by evil_whimsey
• Extenuating Circumstances by rallamajoop
• The Telling of One Billion Ghost Stories by rallamajoop

Fanarts

• Assorted Arts by Yiy
• Happy Valentine by ゆず
• 百四 by アンティキティラ

Fanvid

• [百四 (Doumeki X Watanuki)] ごめんね。I'm sorry. by sunflower613
• [xxxHoLic] -DouWata- Watching Your World From Afar by frankh silko de rolo
• doumeki & watanuki - [i can feel you fade away] by faith gigliorosa
• DouWata - Accidentaly in love by Lay Shaly

Meta

• The thing with DouWata in Holic by IzarTN

Resources

• Doumeki x Watanuki Ship Manifesto (LJ)
• doumekiwatanuki (LJ Community)
• 104 (Fanfiction.net Community)