Simple Things

A Story for the Smoke Signals Thread

By Nekochan

Author's Note

This is another one of my few stories that can stand on its own, but if you have to read anything before this one, Beast of Burden would be a good one. You know how most people get plotbunnies? I got a few literal ones on campus the night I started writing this (laughs). Oh and Chibi Goku is totally channeled by my little brother, DJSpaceMonkey. He was such a cute little kid . . . then he grew up (HAHA).

Inspiration song for Goku: "Move Along" by All American Rejects, because he may be a cutey, but he's a cutey with a lot of endurance and one of the most optimistic mindsets ever, I think. For Gojyo, we have "Cosmic Castaway" by Electrasy (Titan A.E. OST), a rather gutsy but powerful 'outcast' song. Then, for Hakkai there's "Seasons of the Vine Medley" from the Disneyland Resort, California Adventure in their vineyard area; it really gives me the air of a happy, but bustling area with people merrily going about their work in a homelike setting.

Arigatou Minasan! (Thanks everyone!)

Nekochan

(-)(-)(-)

Evening - Near Gojyo (and Hakkai)'s House, outskirts of Chang'an

Amidst the lush green blades of grass, a fluffy brown rabbit sat rubbing behind its right ear with its paw.

Barely a few feet away, strips of gold could be seen between the strips of grass.

The rabbit perked up both ears just as a shadow appeared above it.

"BUNNY!"

Eyes going wide, the rabbit darted off into the forest, leaving Goku to crash into the ground, getting dust and dirt all over his long red shirt and black pants.

"Aww, man . . ." the boy grumbled as he stood up, not bothering to dust himself off, or make sure his hair was still tied back, or look at the smudges on his hands. "Let's see . . ." Bunny, bunny, bunny . . . BUNNY! He'd spied another not much farther away. Hee hee, I'm gonna' get th' bun-ny . . . He sang to himself as he crouched low again.

In the clearing, one rabbit was sitting low to the ground and nibbling on something.

'NOTHER BUNNY! Goku crowed again to himself as a second, grey one showed up.

The grey one came running right up to the other and jumped into the air, making the brown one cower. When nothing else happened, the grey one jumped again.

"Hee hee, funny bunnies . . ." Goku chuckled quietly, placing his hands on the ground, getting ready to pounce and wiggling his hips in anticipation. BUNNIIIIII--

"GOKU! WHERE ARE YOU, GOKU? IT'S GETTING LATE!"

Distracted, Goku collapsed mid-pounce as his head jerked downward and he realized that he'd stepped on his own ponytail. OWOWOWOWOWWWW! He pouted when he saw the rabbits take off running, "Nooooo, I don' wanna' . . . " It didn't matter that no one could hear him, he was just that bummed at not catching his quarry. But that's Hakkai's voice . . . an' he'll be super-worried if I don' go back . . . Still grumbling to himself, the young brunette made his way back to Gojyo and Hakkai's house, trudging the whole way. As he approached, he heard Hakkai scolding Gojyo.

"Look, Hakkai, it's not my fault! The kid wore me out and-"

"And you just fell asleep and let him go running off into the woods?"

"Well, yeah . . . I played in the woods all the time as a kid . . ."

"Gojyo, you really should've known better than to let him- Goku!"

" 'M back," (1) Goku mumbled sullenly, standing in front of Hakkai.

Hakkai sighed, looking at the boy with a worried expression as he crouched low and placed both hands on Goku's shoulders, "What on earth could have been so interesting that you didn't hear me calling for the past fifteen minutes?"

"Bunnies."

"You mean like hip-hop little rabbits?" Gojyo asked curiously, "What were you playing 'Ferocious Predator' or something?" He brought his cigarette back up to his mouth.

Goku shrugged, "If that's what ya' call it."

"Perhaps he saw a hare, Gojyo," Hakkai pointed out.

"Hair?" Goku pointed to his bangs, eyes goggling.

Gojyo let out the smoke from his mouth in a long drawl, reaching over from his leaning spot against the wall to ruffle Goku's hair. "Haha, Goku, you don't know what the difference between a rabbit an' a hare is, do ya'?"

"Yeah I do! Those bunnies were rabbits and this--" the enraged chibi tugged on one of his bangs, "--is a hair!"

"Gojyo, I asked you last night," Hakkai said in an exasperated tone, "Please do not get him riled up before bed; I promised Sanzo that he would get to bed on time while he was staying with us for these few nights."

The playboy dropped his cigarette to the ground, crushing it out with his foot. "Fine, fine, geez, I'm sorry. Is it really beddy-bye-time for bonzos then, Mommy-dearest?" (2)

"I will act like a mother if you make me, Gojyo; I promised Sanzo-"

"I got it, Hakkai, I was just teasing, man," the redhead apologized, clapping his roommate on the shoulder as he walked towards the front door. "See you guys in th' morning, right?" He disappeared inside.

"Night, Gojyo!" Goku called before turning back to the taller brunette. "Umm, Hakkai? Could I maybe have a snack 'fore bed?"

"Yes, shall we then?" Smiling brightly at the young boy, he led the boy inside the house as well.

(-)

In Hakkai's narrow room, there was space enough next to his bed and in front of his dresser for Goku to lay out his futon. There, to try and help the boy settle down, Hakkai had taken to brushing the long brunette hair before braiding it when Goku had come a few nights ago.

Sanzo had told Hakkai many things to watch out for regarding Goku's care while he was staying with Gojyo and himself, but one of the most important had been when Sanzo had told Hakkai, "Don't let him throw a tantrum."

"What do you mean 'Don't let him throw a tantrum'? Goku isn't that sort of child, Sanzo," Hakkai had insisted.

"I'm telling you, Hakkai, to not get the kid riled up. I can't have him running around here for the next week with so much going on - I won't be able to keep an eye on the monkey long enough to make sure he doesn't get into trouble," Sanzo had responded.

Hakkai looked up at Sanzo, who was staring intently down at his tightly folded hands. "Why are you so afraid of him getting upset?"

"I'm not afraid of that empty-headed, bottomless pit of a child. However . . ."

" 'However?' Sanzo, if you're truly intent on leaving him in my care, then I need to know what you're thinking. Is something wrong with Goku?"

Sanzo had sighed, then, and met Hakkai's serious gaze. "You remember how a couple of days ago I yelled at Gojyo for 'playing too rough' with Goku?"

Hakkai had nodded, easily recalling it, "They were playing Tag, if my memory serves me correctly."

Sanzo had returned the nod. "Frankly, I couldn't have cared less how rough they play . . . but Gojyo was grabbing at Goku's head. The accursed fool was this close to ripping Goku's diadem off his head."

"Do you mean his golden circlet? I'll admit I've always wondered what it was, but isn't it just a harmless-"

"Taking Goku's diadem off is about as harmless as you taking those ear-cuffs off, Hakkai." Purple eyes had bored into green, trying to convey the severity of the statement.

"So . . . it's a Youkai Power Limiter, then . . ." Hakkai had whispered softly.

"No, Goku's not a Youkai."

"Then . . ."

"Do you know the legend of the Seiten Taisei?"

Hakkai had thought for a moment before responding, "I've heard of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven that apparently wreaked havoc on the Heavens, but if you're implying that Goku is-"

"I'm not implying anything. He is the Seiten Taisei, Hakkai. I brought him down from Mount Gogyou myself and the Sanbutsushin confirmed it." Sanzo had looked out at Goku tearing about the courtyard with Gojyo in hot pursuit. "All we know now is that he's my charge; I can't do anything about it and I can't change the fact that he'll just get trampled underfoot if he's here in the coming week. I can't depend on Gojyo for anything but keeping the kid occupied, but I trust that you can keep him alive for a week."

"So that's why you said 'don't let him throw a tantrum'," Hakkai had sighed wearily, the weight of this information sinking in.

"Right, because when that kid throws a tantrum, he has a tendency to break walls with his fists."

Hakkai put the brush down and started separating Goku's hair into three strands, holding two in his right and one in his left to start the process. My, I haven't done this in a while-

"Naa, Hakkai?" Goku piped up, breaking Hakkai from his reverie.

"Oh, yes?"

"Why's Gojyo so mean t' me all th' time? Actually . . . Sanzo, too, ya' know?" The boy was absent-mindedly petting the very content dragon in his lap.

Hakkai sat up a little straighter, trying to think of how to answer while he passed one lock under and then over the other two. "I don't think they're necessarily 'mean', Goku . . ."

"Yah huh, they really are! Gojyo treats me like a lil kid an' Sanzo just hits me all th' time for stuff when-I-don'-even-know-what-I'm-doin'-WRONG!" Goku wailed helplessly, sagging his shoulders. "I mean, they never do stuff like this with me."

Hakkai pulled upward on the locks ever so gently to make sure they were tight. "Well, we can't really blame them Goku."

"Hm?" (3)

"I know you didn't know this, Goku, but I used to be a schoolteacher."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. So, I think I can say with certainty that I know a fair bit more about children than Gojyo or Sanzo."

"Prolly."

Hakkai was able to let his hands keep working while he talked, his muscle memory making them work in smooth motions. "I also had a great deal of time on my hands to read up on things."

"Things?"

"Yes, not just the things I taught, but also things to help me get along with children better."

"Like?" Goku turned back to look at Hakkai, now eagerly engaged in the conversation. Th' other guys never talk to me like this!

"Goku, you must keep looking straight ahead or the braid will come out crooked," Hakkai insisted, only the slightest hint of scolding in his voice as he took all three strands in his left hand and gently coaxed Goku's head back to its original position with his right.

The smaller brunette pouted, "Oh, sorry."

"As I was about to say . . ." The older man continued as he took up the braiding again. "Well, like psychology-"

"Sai-colla-whatty?"

"Sah-yee-kohl-oh-gee," Hakkai pronounced the word slowly, "It means 'The study of how the brain works'."

"Uwaa, cool!"

Hakkai couldn't stop the light chuckle that escaped his mouth. "Is it really?"

"Well, yeah, I mean, ya' know all this amazin' stuff an' you can totally fight too!" Goku exclaimed, trying to keep looking forward the whole time, even as he balled his fists in excitement. "Ya' musta' been th' most awesome-est teacher EVER!"

Hakkai actually started blushing, "You give me entirely too much credit, Goku."

"Nuh uh! You're more awesome than that jerk-face an' even Sanzo!" Goku laughed.

"Now, Goku . . ." Hakkai pleaded, "Gojyo just treats you like a younger brother. You know, so he can pretend that he hasn't really grown up all the way yet, either."

"An' Sanzo?"

"From what I gather of Sanzo's past, there probably weren't many people around his age where he grew up."

"So?"

"So, people learn to sociali- I mean, act naturally around people their own age starting from when they're very young."

" 'Kay."

"But if Sanzo didn't have any age-mates - that's what they call people around your own age - then he never had the time to be a child, he had to grow up very quickly so he could 'live' with the older people around him. It's very common, unfortunately, especially with only children."

"So . . . you weren't an only child, Hakkai?"

The older brunette smiled despite the dark look that came over his eyes and was grateful Goku couldn't see it. "No, Goku, I grew up in an orphanage around many other children-"

"So it was like havin' a ton of sibs, right?"

Hakkai blinked, stopping his braiding. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

Goku took advantage of the halt and looked over his shoulder at Hakkai. "It was like havin' a bunch of brothers an' sisters, right?"

"Well, uh . . ."

"That musta' been so cool . . ." Goku turned back to facing front as he continued, "Maybe I had a buncha' brothers too . . . Heh, I guess I musta' 'cuz I didn't turn out like Sanzo-" Goku instinctively cuddled his head, anticipating the sting of the harisen.

Thankfully Hakkai managed to hold onto Goku's braid in spite of this. "Don't worry, Goku, I won't hit you. Negative reinforcement doesn't help children, I've learned - that's what they call it when you hit a child for doing something bad, instead of congratulating them when they do something good."

"That's what Sanzo does all the time," Goku pouted as Hakkai finished braiding his hair & securing the tie at the base of it.

"Some adults think it works better."

"Well then adults are stupid-head's, like Gojyo an' that 'Hair' thing, the damn kappa."

"Goku!" Hakkai gasped.

"What?"

"You shouldn't curse-"

"Why not? Gojyo an' Sanzo say stuff like that all the time, don't they?"

"That may be true, but that doesn't mean it's right . . ." Hakkai tried to explain.

Goku pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. "Man, adults are so weird."

"You may not like to admit it, Goku, but you'll be an adult soon, too, won't you?"

"Why's that?"

"Sanzo tells me you're turning seventeen soon."

"So?"

Hakkai sat down next to Goku, resting his weight on his left hip. "Well, according to the law, you'll be an adult when you turn eighteen." (4)

"I don' wanna'!" Goku pleaded, reaching over to tug on Hakkai's arms. "If it means I gotta' smoke an' be mean an' stuff then I really don' wanna'!"

"Goku," Hakkai put his hands on the boy's shoulders to try and make Goku look at him, "You can be any kind of adult you want to be."

"Meanin' I could be nice like you?"

"Well, I admit that I'm a little extreme in that regard compared to Sanzo and Gojyo." (5) Hakkai chuckled a little as he said so. "You should just be yourself, Goku."

The smaller brunette appeared to contemplate this for a moment, golden eyes still shining in the dimly lit room. "How do I be myself?"

"Well . . ." Hakkai thought, too, for a moment. "You're getting your new outfit soon to show Sanzo when you go back to the temple tomorrow afternoon, right?"

"Yeah."

"Is there anything else about yourself that you'd like to change - anything that you think I could help with?"

"Hmm . . ." the boy twirled the end of his ponytail in his hands. "I really like spendin' time with ya' like this Hakkai . . . but . . ."

"But what, Goku?"

Golden eyes looked up into green and Hakkai was certain he saw the tiniest hint of maturity there. "D'you think we could cut my hair?"

"Is that what you really want, Goku?"

The boy nodded as he smiled. "Yeah. Maybe it'll make Gojyo an' Sanzo be nicer t' me . . ."

Hakkai furrowed his brow a bit, trying to school his look to be less of a pitying one. "Why do you say that?"

"Well, none-a' you guys have hair 's long 's mine . . ."

"Gojyo's growing his hair out again, though, Goku."

"Well . . ." the smaller brunette shrugged his shoulders, "Then, won't my hair grow out again, too?"

"Yes, in time it will," Hakkai answered.

"Then, I wanna' cut it, so I can watch it grow out again," Goku replied then got a little quiet. "Idunno' how it got this long before . . . So, if it's gonna' be this long, I wanna' remember it. Then, I'll know how long I've been around you guys, too!" He beamed up at Hakkai. "Right?"

"So, when you said it was 'bedtime' . . ." Gojyo's voice called from beyond the door, "Did you mean 'right then' or like two more hours from now?"

"You meanie-kappa, we were talkin'! 'S nonna' yer business!" Goku yelled.

"Look, Hakkai, if the chibi can't get t' sleep, I did have somethin' else in mind that might do the trick . . ."

Hakkai got to his feet as he called back, "Oh? And what might that be?"

As Hakkai opened the door, Goku's expression changed from angry to awe. The living room no longer looked like one at all. There were sheets running from one side of the room to the other, attached to chairs and the shoji screens and the table, creating an obstacle course underneath of it, darkened slightly by all the layers between it and the light on the ceiling.

"Sometimes kids just need t' run themselves ragged before bed, I think," Gojyo drawled from the left side of the door, his hair up in the short ponytail. He was wearing his white tank top and jeans which looked like they'd been haphazardly thrown on very quickly. "Wanna' play, Goku?"

Goku tried to hide his interest. "I'm not a baby, ya' know."

"Oh?" Gojyo chuckled, "Does that mean you're too old to play with niichan now?" (6)

Goku puffed up his cheeks in embarrassment. "No . . ."

Hakkai placed a hand on Goku's shoulder, encouraging him. "Just be careful not to scratch your knees."

"Last one in's a bakazaru!"

"Hey, no fair, ya' cheatin' kappa!"

Soon, Goku was crawling quickly through the maze of furniture and sheets, marveling at the colors as the light desperately tried to penetrate the fabric. Gojyo started throwing wads of paper onto the sheets for Goku to kick up into the air from underneath the constructed maize.

Before long, Gojyo also got under the sheets, chasing Goku around on his hands and knees, tickling the poor boy to death when he finally caught up with him. Finally, Hakkai gave in and joined in as well so he & Goku could gang up on Gojyo, but the tables kept turning until eventually both Gojyo & Goku were chasing Hakkai, Gojyo & Hakkai would chase Goku, and then Hakkai & Goku would chase Gojyo.

The game even extended to Goku jumping out from under the sheets, running around to another entrance, and crawling back inside.

Forty-five minutes later, Goku caught Gojyo in hug around his middle when the chase had once again gone beyond the sheets. Gojyo was expecting to get tackled to the ground, but when he turned back to tease Goku about it, he noticed the heavy-lidded look that had come over the boy.

"Hey, Hakkai, I think somebody's a little tired, now."

"Nuh 'm not," Goku whined, still clinging to Gojyo.

Hakkai emerged from the sheets. "Oh my, I think you may be right, Gojyo."

"I said 'm not slee--" The boy yawned helplessly, "Not sleepy."

"Sorry, kiddo, but I really think you are. Do I have to carry ya' t' bed?"

"Nuh uh."

"Come on, Goku, it really is time for bed," Hakkai said as he gently pulled Goku away from Gojyo and steered the boy in the direction of his bedroom. "Can you say thank you to Gojyo for playing with you?"

"Th'nkyu," Goku mumbled.

Hakkai gave Gojyo a 'good-job' look over his shoulder.

"Heh," Gojyo chuckled, turning his head a little, "No prob, kiddo. I'll take care of things out here, Hakkai."

The taller brunette smiled broadly, still holding onto the sleepy Goku. "Thank you again, Gojyo. Goodnight."

"G'night," Gojyo replied as he shut the door to Hakkai's room.

(-)

The next morning - Gojyo (and Hakkai)'s House, outskirts of Chang'an

Hakkai was now used to making enough food for both Goku and Gojyo, but it didn't make the task of splitting it evenly any easier. It had become apparent two days earlier that Hakkai could no longer simply bring one communal plate of food to the table, lest both Goku and Gojyo scramble to take it from him rather than sharing. So, he had started bringing two smaller plates of exactly identical food for both of the scroungers.

"You stole that off my plate" and "Give that back" were the two most common phrases heard at that table. For better or worst, though, Hakkai had made sure all three of them were sated by the end of the meal.

This morning, however, none of that was necessary, since Gojyo had apparently slept in. The living room was clean and the table put back in its regular place along with the chairs, but snores could still be heard coming from beyond the curtain to Gojyo's room. No matter how much Goku had pleaded, Hakkai refused to let him wake Gojyo up and instead eat quietly at the table.

"Naa, Hakkai, we gonna' cut my hair today?" Goku asked happily, bringing the last of his plates to the kitchen for washing.

"We can do that as soon as I get a pot of coffee brewing for Gojyo when he wakes up. Actually, maybe we'll get lucky and the scent will wake him up for us," Hakkai said bemusedly as he smiled.

"After that, d'you think we could spar?"

Hakkai looked at Goku with a puzzled expression as he kept working. "Why on earth do you want to spar with me, Goku?"

"Well," Goku pouted a little. "I asked Gojyo the other day if he'd spar with me an' he said he wouldn't, the stupid-head."

"And? What did he say?"

"Said I didn' have a weapon an' so he wouldn' do it."

Hakkai raised an eyebrow. "Ah, well, I guess that Gojyo's form of 'unarmed fighting' is more barroom brawling than practiced martial-arts anyway."

Goku shrugged. "I dunno what either-a' those things are; I jus' do what comes t' me when I get attacked. He showed me that weapon-a' his, though, man that was cool. Do you have a weapon too, Hakkai? How come ya' never showed me? Do ya' jus' do han'-ta'-han' stuff like me? Like that one time we gotta' spar? That's why I wanna' spar with ya', Hakkai, 'cuz you were so cool then! Ya' must've gotten even cooler!"

Hakkai could only smile at the boy's babbling, amazed he hadn't even needed to take a breath. "Actually, Goku, I don't have a weapon either."

"Really?" Goku looked half-disappointed, half-intrigued with his hands still balled near his shoulders from his excited chatter.

"Really," Hakkai said as he nodded, moving to another plate. "I learned a little while ago to use something kind of like magic, called chi, but other than that I just fight unarmed like you, Goku."

The boy slouched against the countertop, laying his head on his arms. "Man, that'd be SO cool ta' have a weapon. Then I could smack tha' heck outta' Gojyo." He grinned up at Hakkai, his attitude completely infectious.

"Now, now, Goku, that's not nice," Hakkai admonished, giggling a little in spite of himself.

"Sorry, but it would be a lotta' fun."

"I have no doubts that you would enjoy it."

(-)

"Goku . . ." Hakkai prompted as he leaned over Goku's left side, "Now, Goku, are you sure that you want me to cut your hair for you?"

"N, I really do," (7) Goku acknowledged, sitting on the edge of the tub facing inward. "I ended up steppin' on my own darn ponytail last night when I was chasin' th' bunnies, an' that wasn't fun, so, yup, I really don' wan' it anymore."

Hakkai took the scissors in his right hand. "All right, then."

"I mean, same thing happened right before Sanzo cut my nails a long time ago," the boy explained as he stared forward obediently.

"How so?"

"Well, it was really nice havin' 'em long t' peel fruit an' stuff."

"I see."

"But then I just kept tearin' my blanket or rippin' Sanzo's robe or somethin'."

"Ah."

"That really hurt though, him cuttin' my fingernails an' toenails, so, d'ya' think this is gonna' hurt, Hakkai? It won't hurt, right?"

Hakkai laughed a little. "Goku, I'm already done."

"Huh?" Goku started to turn, but Hakkai held the ponytail in front of Goku's face, still tied off with the red ribbon. The boy could only stare in awe at it as he took it in his hands.

"It didn't hurt, right?"

"Woah, no it didn'! Hakkai, you're totally amazin'! I didn' feel a thing!" Goku pronounced.

"No, no, you're very welcome," (8) Hakkai answered with a chuckle. "Now, if you'd like, I can trim it just a little more so it's not flat in the back."

"Yeah!"

The older brunette started snipping the hairs on the back of the younger's head into a rough point shape before Goku started up again.

"Naa, Hakkai . . ."

"Yes, Goku?"

"What was Gojyo talkin' about last night, anyway? That thing with th' bunnies an' my hair?"

"Ah," Hakkai recalled as he worked. "Well, you see Goku, you know that the proper name for a 'bunny' is a rabbit, right?"

"N."

"Well . . ." Hakkai continued as he set the scissors down on the sink countertop, "There is another animal very similar to the rabbit, called a hare-"

"Ya' mean it's pronounced th' same as this?" Goku tugged on his bang like he had the previous night.

"That's exactly right and when that happens we call that a 'homonym', Goku."

"Hom-a-nihm . . ."

"Right. Well, the hare looks just like a bunny-rabbit except that it is a little bit bigger, with longer ears and legs, and it does not burrow underground," Hakkai explained further.

"Man, you know everythin'!"

"I wouldn't say that, Goku," the taller brunette insisted. "Well, there you are, all done and looking so grown up, too."

"Really? Lemme see!" The boy jumped to his feet and jumped over the edge of the tub to the mirror above the sink. "SWEET! Sankyuu na!"

"It was nothing, really-"

Goku was suddenly extremely excited. "Can we spar now? I wanna' try on my new outfit too!"

"You want to get your brand new outfit dirty when I just finished it yesterday?" Hakkai asked incredulously.

"Well, I gotta' see how it feels to move around in it an' now with my hair cut too it'll be even better!"

"Is that so?" Hakkai chuckled as he smiled, "I suppose I should go get it for you and let you change."

(-)

"WAI!"

Hakkai looked over at the backside of the house, where Goku stood admiring his new outfit in the sunlight.

New jeans, cool boots, a loose shirt, an' bracers for my wrists - awesome! Goku thought as he looked the articles over. "I still can't believe ya' got these cool claws on here!"

"I still can't believe you asked for them," Hakkai insisted, walking over with two long staves in his hands. He had changed into his mission attire, agreeing with Goku's reasoning that it might be a good idea to get used to fighting in a new kind of outfit.

"Well, they just looked so cool - an' the cape too! You made it just the right length, Hakkai!" Goku exclaimed as he spun in a circle.

"I'm very glad that you like it, Goku. Now . . ." Hakkai tossed one of the staves to Goku. "I know you wanted to spar with me, but I thought that you might enjoy learning to parry."

" 'Parry'? Is that whatcha' call stick-fighting?" Goku asked, pointing at the stick he now held.

"It's what you call it when you defend yourself with a staff, yes," Hakkai replied. "Shall we?"

Goku spun the stick to be parallel with the ground and behind his back. "Let's do it!"

How did he know one of the ready positions? Hakkai wondered, but decided to focus on the match, so he mimicked Goku's pose.

Goku dashed forward, leaping into the air, much like Hakkai remembered him doing that fateful night two years ago. He brought the staff down and so Hakkai brought his up to block. Goku grinned excitedly, but Hakkai kept his attention on the staff in the boy's hands, noticing that Goku was continuing to spin over his head.

Hakkai backed up, away from where he knew Goku would land, but Goku just dug into the ground and came at Hakkai again. So, the older man dodged to the side and called out, "You're fast, Goku, I know that, but this was supposed to be about you learning to block, not me."

Goku pulled the staff close to his body as he spun around again. "Sure, then, just come at me!"

As Hakkai stood there contemplating how best to 'come at' Goku, he couldn't help but return to how on earth Goku had even learned to fight with a staff in the first place. 'The first strike always comes from the pupil' . . . Hakkai really didn't like going on the offensive, so he decided to try a technique he hoped Goku didn't know.

Goku stood ready, twisting the staff in his hands, on edge and trying to prepare himself. Suddenly, he saw Hakkai moving forward, bent forward a little lower to the ground. Goku was just trying to locate Hakkai's weapon when he saw the end of it come rushing up in front of his face.

Vertical, he thought, noting the position of Hakkai's staff. So, he swung his own staff out in front of him, from right to left, as he jumped backwards. He grinned at the shocked expression on Hakkai's face and broken staff in Hakkai's hands. With a bit of a chuckle, he spun his own staff and clasped it between both hands in front of him.

Only then did Goku note the red color of the staff and the gold orbs set into both ends of it. Wait, it was wooden- Goku thought as his vision trailed down the weapon and to the ground. There, lying at Hakkai's feet, was another staff split down the middle. "Hey, but . . . I just . . . Did I . . . What!?" Goku stammered.

"When I attacked you, I broke your parrying stick," Hakkai explained in a far-off tone, scarcely believing it himself. "Then, you reacted by reaching behind you and bringing that other staff forward to snap mine."

"But . . . how did I get this thing?" Goku tried knocking on the staff. It was metal and about three-quarters his height as he placed it on the ground. "It just appeared out of thin air!"

'Do you know the legend of the Seiten Taisei?' Sanzo's voice echoed in Hakkai's head. What was the Great Sage's weapon called-

"SWEET!" Goku shrieked, making Hakkai nearly jump as his attention went back to the boy. "Hakkai, check this out!"

Hakkai watched, stunned, as Goku lightly tossed the staff into the air, where it disappeared. Then, even more startling, Goku re-clenched his fist, as if he were watching the invisible weapon return to his hand, and the staff reappeared there an instant later.

"Isn't that the coolest thing you've ever seen?" Goku cried, eyes widening and twinkling with amusement. "Like it's a red-n'-gold staff that knows when I wanna' use it! That's so totally amazing! Now I can go wake Gojyo up an' make him spar with me 'cuz I've got a weapon now, too! Rakkii, rakkii . . ."

An intelligent golden rod . . . The Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod! Hakkai realized, remembering the words of the legend.

"I've got a cool nyoi-bo an' Gojyo's stuck with a clumsy shakujou!" Goku continued to sing to himself, heading around the side of the house and for the front door.

I guess Sanzo will be . . . interested to hear about this, Hakkai thought. He decided to quickly follow Goku, realizing then what the boy was planning on doing . . . exactly what he'd been planning on doing to poor Gojyo since that morning. "Wait just a minute, please, Goku!"

Goku only laughed some more before speeding up to get inside before Hakkai, even shutting the door behind himself.

"Oh dear . . ." Hakkai groaned as he opened the door. It was at that moment that he heard two very distinct, very familiar voice tones.

"BANZAI!"

"SONOFA-"

Hakkai tore back the curtain and found, as he had expected, a recently-pounced-upon Gojyo, wrestling with a gleeful Goku.

"OH, NOW YOU'VE GONE AN' DONE IT, MONKEY!"

"Haha, Gojyo screams like a girl!"

Hakkai could only grin weakly, watching and waiting to see if they could keep from falling off the bed.

"I DO NOT, BAKAZARU! And when tha' hell didja' get yer hair cut? Whose got the 'weird head' now, huh?" (9)

"Th' kappa with th' antennae, that's who!"

"SHUT UP!"

"YOU ASKED!"

"Now, now, you two," Hakkai said just loud enough that we was sure they could hear him over their bickering as he patted the air in front of him gently, "Goku, you'll want lunch before we head out for the temple, right? And I'm sure Gojyo could do with some coffee, right, Gojyo?"

"Wow, is it really time for me t' leave already?" Goku actually sounded a little disappointed.

"Geez, kiddo, ya' don't have t' act all bummed. 'S not like ya' can't come back or anythin'." Gojyo reached up and ruffled Goku's short hair.

Hakkai's easy smile returned. It really is amazing how fast they can switch between rough arguing and brotherly affection.

Goku quickly jumped off the bed, making his nyoi-bo appear thrust right in Gojyo's face. "Come on, then, ya' slowpoke, last one there's a short-legged hare!"

Gojyo blinked down the staff at Goku's grinning face, mouth agape just a little since he was torn between 1) an automatic retort to being called a slowpoke, 2) a question about the weapon that Goku had just summoned and was now pointing at him, and 3) a retort about what a stupid insult Goku had just come up with.

"Wha'sa' matter, Gojyo-niichan?" Goku taunted, "Doncha' know what a hare is?"

Gojyo fumed, pointing one of his long arms at Goku parallel with the nyoi-bo. " 'Course I know what a hare is, you bottomless pit! Now get this thing outta' my face an' yer ass outta' my room so I can change!"

"Come now, Goku," Hakkai insisted, pulling Goku back from the 'wall' that the curtains made into Gojyo's room. "See you in a bit, Gojyo," he said as he drew the curtains closed.

"Yeah, don' take too long primpin', kappa!" Goku called.

"Shut UP, monkey!"

(-)

That afternoon - Keiun Temple, Chang'an

"I can't wait t' show Sanzo!" Goku was practically walking on air as the three of them walked through the temple halls to Sanzo's workroom.

"Your outfit or your staff?" Hakkai inquired, smiling pleasantly at Goku's enthusiasm.

"Kyuu," Hakuryu chirped, apparently trying to participate in the conversation from Hakkai's shoulder.

"Both!"

Gojyo was stalking behind both of them, grumpily mumbling to himself.

"Now, Gojyo, you're not still mad at Goku for this morning are you?" Hakkai called over his shoulder.

"Oh, no, I got over this morning real quick."

"That's good to hear."

"But then . . ." Gojyo scowled as his voice took on its most sarcastic tone possible, "A certain pip-squeak decided he just had to flaunt his superior knowledge of small rodents in my face!"

Goku waved his hand in front of his face. "Yeah, yeah, my bad fer usin' words I actually know th' meanings to!"

"Tch. Whatever." Gojyo went back to glaring at the baseboard as they walked.

"Oh, look, we're here!" Hakkai announced as he opened the doors, the others trailing in behind him.

Sanzo was bent over his desk and wearing his reading glasses, flipping through pages upon pages scattered about.

"Dewei, I told you to stay out, you shitty excuse for an assist-" Sanzo looked up as the words fell from his lips, "Oh. It's just you guys."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean, you corrupt priest?" Gojyo demanded, irritation levels rising.

"Hakkai," Sanzo sighed, taking his glasses off and rubbing his temples with his first two fingers, "I believe I wasn't expecting you for another hour or two."

Gojyo did not take being ignored lightly and so just went over to a wall, leaning against it with a look resembling a storm-cloud.

"Ah, is that so?" Hakkai chuckled with his hand behind his head. "Perhaps Hakuryu was a little eager today."

"Kyuu?" Hakuryu's ears perked up at his name and he raised his head to look Hakkai in the face.

Suddenly, a blank expression came over Sanzo as he looked to his left. "Hakkai . . ."

"Yes?"

Sanzo continued staring, a stress mark appearing over his eyebrow. "What the hell is the monkey wearing?"

Goku had apparently dashed forward and planted himself at Sanzo's feet by his desk, awaiting notice before reanimating with a jump. His arms were waving so wildly that he nearly hit Sanzo in the face. "Look, look, Sanzo! Isn't this so cool?" Goku spun around happily. "Hakkai made it for me, just like his an' Gojyo's an' then Hakkai cut my hair an'-"

A resounding thwack echoed throughout the room. Sanzo had leaned back over to his right side, propping his chin in his right hand and his arm on the desk. He was looking extremely irritated as evidenced by the harisen still planted on Goku's head. "Is that all you guys did this week; cut his hair and play dress-up?"

"OW! No, Hakkai an' I sparred too an'-"

Sanzo raised an eyebrow. " 'Sparred'? With Hakkai?"

"N."

Sanzo glared in Hakkai's direction. "I take it nothing bad happened?"

Hakkai's smile widened. "Actually-"

"No, check it out!" Goku ran out in front of Sanzo's desk. He threw his right hand out in front and made to grasp the air there, but the nyoi-bo appeared and it settled in his grip. "Cool, huh?"

For a moment, all was silent as Sanzo took the scene in. "You gave him a stick."

"Eh?" Goku was quite startled by this proclamation.

It really is true . . . Gojyo snickered from afar, Simple things amuse simple minds, but it sure is fun to watch.

"Hakkai, you gave the kid a stick? As if it isn't bad enough that he brings tree-branches back here from Tenkai-knows-where and now he has a freakin' stick, too?" Sanzo demanded, rising to his feet.

"Hakkai didn't give it to me! I just . . . made it appear, like learnin' a new fightin' technique or somethin'," Goku supplied.

"Oh?" Sanzo stuck his hands inside his sleeves. "And what else, praytell, did you 'learn' while staying with Hakkai?"

Goku thought for a moment, sticking his forefinger in his mouth, before answering quickly, "Th' difference 'tween a bunny-rabbit an' a hare!"

"What?" The stress mark was getting bigger. "What kind of imbecile doesn't know that?"

"OI!" Gojyo was on his feet and stalking back towards the others. "All-a' you smart-asses are really-"

Hakkai, however, was not so easily fooled and stopped his best friend before he could go any further. "You don't know either, do you, Sanzo?"

Gojyo's jaw dropped, awed by the notion.

"Really?" Goku asked cautiously.

"Of course I know," Sanzo insisted, fuming.

Goku and Gojyo shared a look before erupting into laughter. "Sanzo doesn't know!"

"Hakkai . . ." Sanzo was nearly shaking with rage.

"Yes?"

"From now on, all of Goku's instruction will be done in my presence."

"I see. Well, I can certainly understand why."

"Sanzo doesn't know!" Goku and Gojyo continued to cackle.

"DAMARE!"

(-)

This fic is dedicated to my little brother, DJSpaceMonkey,
Who often has me debating between strangling him and laughing with him
And who often makes me shake my head, sigh, and say:
"Simple things amuse simple minds,
But it sure is fun to watch."

(-)(-)(-)

-owari-

3/13/2007

(1) " 'M back", slang for "I'm back", here representing the Japanese "Tadaima."

(2) Typical of Gojyo to use sarcasm, here is a reference to the more 'cutesy' language used between a mother and their child, " 'Kaasan . . . Hontou ni mou 'yasumi?" might be a good Japanese translation for it. "Bonzo" is a word my mother either made up or stole, but she said this phrase to her four children all the time.
Edit: I spoke with my parents and actually there IS a meaning behind 'bedtime for bonzos'. Bedtime for Bonzo was an old film starring one Ronald Reagan in which there was a monkey named 'Bonzo' that was apparently QUITE the chore to try to put to bed. When Ronald Reagan became President, the term 'bedtime for bonzos' got extended to the administration in the sense that it was 'like trying to put monkeys to bed'. WOW at the irony / serendipity / whatever you want to call because I SWEAR I did NOT know that before I stuck this in the fic. (Falls over in a fit of laughter)

(3) One-word questions or comments and short utterances like this are considered polite conversation in Japan, to let the other person know you are still listening. It is called "Aizuchi."

(4) While it is true that eighteen is the age of adulthood in the United States, this is actually a reference to the Chinese adult age at present; they just happen to overlap.

(5) In the anime, Hakkai can be heard to speak in a conversationally polite fashion on an absolutely regular basis, unlike the other three, who speak in a very casual style. The only time that Sanzo can be heard to speak in as formal a manner as Hakkai is when he is speaking to the Sanbutsushin or high-ranking members of the Buddhist faith; Gojyo never uses this more polite style unless he is sarcastically being super-polite.

(6) Niichan literally means "older brother". However, if Gojyo were referring to himself as Goku's older brother, he would have used the term 'ani' ("my older brother"). The use of 'oniisan', however, is more in keeping with the usage of 'brother' for any young man of about Gojyo's age, since the Japanese mentality is as one big family. Thus, all of the family terminology (in polite form) can be used for random people you meet on the street. There should be no doubt, however, that Gojyo is using both senses - blood relative and casual familial - because 'niichan' is less formal than 'oniisan', but more polite than 'ani

(7) There are many words of acknowledgment in Japanese, as there are in English. In order from most polite to most casual is: Hai, Haa / Aa, Ee, and N. This N sound is simply a nasalized sound with your mouth closed. It is however not the same as the word Nn, that's two-syllables of nasalization with your mouth closed, which is the most casual form of a 'No' answer, and thus must be used with care.

(8) This is another example of Hakkai's overtly polite speech, with the Japanese equivalent being: "Ie, ie, dou itashimashite."

(9) In Ep #16 - Be There, Goku says that Gojyo's head looks weird with his hair cut short.

Seriously, though, I love my kid brother (hugs DJSpaceMonkey) and Chibi Goku is the definition of energetic cuteness (genki na kawaii koto). I know that the 'hair' and 'hare' joke really doesn't work in Japanese, but it was just too funny (and cute) to pass up when dealing with these guys. I'm also convinced that the reason Goku does not say 'Haraheta' (I'm hungry), even once in this fic is because Hakkai actually keeps him fed! (Laughs)

Here I was thinking that I was going to write Friends with Benefits, but then I started running into a few continuity issues. One night, as I was attempting to figure out how to solve FWB's problems with ASeptemberRose, we came upon not one, not two, but FIVE rabbits in one little patch of greenery. ASR started shouting "BUNNY!" and Simple Things was born. Hooray for ADD. ASR also made a comment that I wholeheartedly agree with: Goku and Gojyo are in league to destroy all spell-checkers with their accents and casual speech style. There's a character in my epic, Forever Destiny, that speaks with an accent, but not nearly as much or as often as these two, it seems.

So many things from this story came directly out of my own personal childhood memories or those of my brother - brushing and braiding long hair before bedtime, the blanket 'fort', how meals are served at breakfast, Goku chasing rabbits and looking for sticks, lessons in vocabulary, and, of course, haircuts. The reason this story is so long, I swear, is because without the ever-present harisen-wielding priest, Goku just gets to just babble on and on with Hakkai. As for the Sanzo-abuse, I'm sorry, but if something works, I'm not ashamed to keep doing it. It's not always Sanzo-abuse . . . just, mostly Sanzo-abuse (snort).

Nekochan

Japanese Definitions

Chibi - little / small with a childlike cuteness connotation

Naa - A word to get someone's attention, slang form of "Nee", meaning literally, "Right?" but used in the sense of "So..." or "Say..."

Uwaa - Exclamation of surprise / awe, similar to "Wow"

Kappa - a kind of water youkai

Sankyuu na - the Japanese pronunciation of "Thank-you" plus the exclamatory-agreement sound "na"

Rakkii - the Japanese pronunciation of "Lucky" as if to say "Lucky me" or "Lucky you"

Bakazaru - stupid monkey

Harisen - Sanzo's paper fan

Damare - "Shut-up!" literally "Be silent!" or "Silence!"