Semi-crack, crossover...Just cuz I was reading XxxHolic fics...Obviously, I don't own anything.

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PART-TIME WORKERS UNITED

"You think YOUR job is bad?" Mai Taniyama gave an annoyed bark of laughter. It was a Saturday, and she'd wandered into the drug store with a two-page-long list of supplies that Naru and the other workers absolutely needed. So, of course it was the young part-timer who was sent out to buy them, no matter that it had taken her over a half hour to even find a drug store in this strange area.

"Well, it's worse than yours, I'm sure!" The boy she'd literally run into in the shop was pretty interesting, she had to admit. He was tall and lanky with eyes that didn't quite match and an energetic (read: flailing) mode of conversing.

"My boss is completely INSANE! She's an alcoholic, never explains anything, sends me out on jobs that she KNOWS I can't complete on my own. PLUS! She makes me cook, clean, and KEEPS TEASING ME about this absolutely ANNOYING guy who is NOT my boyfriend!" His arms waved frantically, as if it somehow demonstrated his point.

"Ha! At least your boss has a personality! My boss is arrogant, narcissistic, and CRANKY!" At this point, Mai began pacing the aisle, ignoring the various allergy medications that Monk-san had asked her to buy for him.

"He does nothing but bark orders, tell me that I'm stupid, get me into dangerous situations without taking any responsibility for them…And, I swear, the guy's a robot! The only emotions he ever shows are irritation and smug superiority!"

Her fellow complainer—whose name she'd learned was Kimihiro Watanuki—looked a little suspicious.

"Are you sure his name isn't Doumeki? That sounds just like the guy my boss keeps trying to hook me up with!" For all that he'd been complaining about the boy, Watanuki certainly didn't seem to like the idea that Doumeki might have friends that Watanuki didn't know about.

"Nope, my boss spends almost all of his time at the office or on cases, so unless you've ever needed a 'ghost hunter,' you've never met him." Mai noted the almost panicked look on the boy's face, which turned into relief as the smaller of the store's workers came over to the pair.

"Um, excuse me, is anything wrong?" The feminine-looking boy, whose nametag read 'Kazahaya' flashed them a strained smile. Mai realized that they'd been practically shouting in the middle of the store.

"I'm sorry; we just got carried away." From the resigned look on Watanuki's face, Mai thought that such scenes must happen to him often. She wondered if he had some sort of problem with controlling himself.

The strained look on the Kazahaya's face turned into an genuine, if rueful, smile. "So I heard. Comparing how much your jobs suck?"

"YES!" Both Mai and Watanuki exclaimed.

"Well, trust me, my side job has GOT to be worse than either of yours! I'm sent out on these ridiculous 'missions,' never having any idea what I'm doing!" While Kazahaya's flailing didn't have the frenetic energy of Watanuki's, the pout on his face made it even cuter. Mai flinched as she realized that the boy was actually prettier than her.

"My boss sent me out to wander a haunted school BY MYSELF!" She was determined to win this.

"My boss made me dress up like a GIRL!" So, it seemed, was Kazahaya.

"My boss STRIPS when she gets really drunk!" It looked like they were all pretty determined.

"He sent me to an all-boys school, and THEY ALL THOUGHT I WAS GAY!"

"My boss is TRYING TO TURN ME GAY!"

"WITH MY ANNOYING-SMUG-IDIOT OF A CO-WORKER!"

"SHE'S SUCCEEDING!"

There was a moment of silence as the other two contemplated Watanuki's admission. The poor boy looked terribly embarrassed, even his flailing had stopped as he grabbed his traitorous mouth.

Hesitantly, Kazahaya offered an admission of his own. "Well, I think I might be gay, too…

"Um…I think I'm in love with my jerk-of-a-boss." The boys turned horror-struck faces towards the glum looking girl. It was one thing to have your boss hint that you were in love with your co-worker or friend; it was a completely different to actually be in love with your boss! Both boys shuddered at the thought of their own bosses.

Again, it was Kazahaya who broke the silence, "Why don't you quit?"

"No family." Again, the two spoke in unison. They blinked at each other for a moment before smiling. Kazahaya grinned, as well.

"Me neither." The three stared at one another, realizing just how alike they were. It was funny that they should meet like this; it was almost like…

"Hitsuzen." At Mai and Kazahaya's blank looks, Watanuki explained, "Fate, destiny, kismet…"

"Yep, yep…" Mai nodded, then paused to consider. "You guys know how to use a computer?"

"Only the basics," Kazahaya admitted. Watanuki nodded. "We have them in school."

Mai smiled, pulling out a pen and notepad. "Have you ever heard of online clubs and forums…?"

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Later that week, Doumeki was getting curious about what Watanuki was doing on the computer for the entire lunch break, so, of course, he quietly crept up behind the smaller boy. And, of course, Watanuki noticed and immediately began yelling and flailing, trying to block Doumeki's view of the screen, all the other boy could pick out was the title of the page: PART-TIME WORKERS UNITED.