Home for the Holidays
Post Journey 58/K+
Thick, wet flakes fluttered down like dying butterflies. Hakkai glanced at the gray sky with its pregnant clouds and wondered if they'd make it back in time. Goku had one of their charges in his arms, the other tree were milling about underfoot half adorable sweetness, half slobbering on his loafers. He couldn't tell if he was disgusted or not as the golden female nosed his gloved palm. Glancing at the string of shimmering spittle, he leaned a bit heaver towards the disgusted side.
Thwacking the damp cloth against his thigh he pulled the reigns a bit to get them moving. No use getting trapped in a blizzard when there was hot chocolate and spiked eggnog waiting for them back at the house. He coughed softly to get the gold-eyed youths' attention and then smiled, it wouldn't be long now.
"Come on, I'm sure the others will be there by now. We can drop the dogs and still make the party if we hurry." he encouraged lightly.
"You really think they'll come?" Goku hugged his burden a bit closer, wet nose to wet nose, and huffed out a fuzzy white puff of air.
"I don't see why not. It's not like we're enemies anymore." Hakkai replied breezily.
"Yeah, but Hakkai..."
Hakkai glanced down into pensive eyes a reassuring smile plastered across his face. "I received a letter from Ms. Yaone saying that Kougaiji's group would be there, so there's no reason to think they won't join us for Christmas, now is there?"
Goku still didn't look convinced, but he wasn't pouting anymore which was enough for Hakkai. He had his own concerns with their impending festivities, mainly whether he should give Gojyo the gift he'd picked out or not.
"Hey Hakkai?"
"Yes Goku?"
"Do you think it'd be okay if we didn't exchange gifts until later? I don't really want Gojyo around when I give Sanzo his, he'll only make fun of me."
"I'm sure he won't, but if it makes you feel more comfortable, we can postpone any exchanges until we're alone."
Goku brightened up immediately, "Great! Thanks Hakkai! Oh wow, you can see the whole town from here!" the teen exclaimed, racing through the snow drifts to the top of the hill. Hakkai let out a long suffering sigh and dropped the dog's leads, trusting them to stick close to their favorite sitter. Goku had a way with animals after all.
He smelled the smoke before he heard the crunch of snow under heavy boots. Smiling softly he called out for Goku to head on back without them. Goku glanced back at him, confusion flitting over his boyish features before a knowing grin split his face and he tossed a stick for the dogs to chase down the hill.
"Hey there." a heavy arm wrapped around Hakkai's waist warmly.
"Gojyo." he murmured, leaning back against the black-leather jacket, it's furry hood tickling the tips of his ears.
"You guys were taking to long. No way was I gonna play housewife with that pissy prick all afternoon." he grumbled into Hakkai's hair, nosing the mufflers aside until he could breathe hotly against the shell of his ear.
Hakkai chuckled softly, turning in his embrace until Gojyo could wrap him up in his own coat, hands snaking up and down chilled arms. "So you actually invited them, huh?"
"I told you I would be. Do you really not want your brother to know about us when everyone else does?" he sighed.
Gojyo shook his head, "Nah, that's not it. He doesn't have any rights to talk about my preferences anyway. Besides, that's not why I trekked up this godforsaken hill in 4 feet of snow."
Hakkai glanced up at him, head cocked to the side and brows furrowed, "Why did you climb up here? We'd be back in about ten minutes."
Gojyo ran a hand through unruly locks as he shifted restlessly, the cold settling into his bones. Twinning his fingers in Hakkai's he tugged impishly, "Come on, I've got something to show you."
Hakkai frowned slightly but followed behind him as they followed the trail back down the hill part way before Gojyo peeled them off onto a side track, one Hakkai knew led to their small lake. "Gojyo..."
"You know this makes ten Christmases, Hakkai?"
"Ten?"
"Yeah, three before, then those six shitty ones on the road and back. This year makes ten. I'd never really thought about it before, but today, cleaning and getting ready, it hit me. Ten years. I swear sometimes its felt twice that long, but..."
He paused slightly to glance back at Hakkai, a tender smile teasing his lips, "I've never had anyone around that long before. Never knew anyone who'd have wanted to be around."
"Oh, Gojyo..."
"You remember that one time on the bridge, you talked about us in our forties. Hell, I couldn't imagine living through the next week, let alone twenty years and now I can't not imagine being with you. Forty doesn't seem so far away now, but at least Sanzo will hit it first."
"Hey Hakkai?" Gojyo stopped so suddenly on the edge of the forest that Hakkai slid right into his back with a dull thud, a muffled yes coming from somewhere around his shoulder blades and muffler.
Gojyo pulled him around until Hakkai's back was pressed up against his chest, his arms wrapped around him, chin resting on his shoulder, lips fluttering against his neck.
"Merry Christmas." he whispered as Hakkai gasped.
In front of them from the forest line to the lake's edge were a handful of little Christmas trees decorated with tinsel and dozens of glowing paper luminaries, their candles twinkling in the soft breeze of the night. Hakkai felt tears on his cheeks and hastily brushed his mittens over the wind burned surfaces.
Reaching up he pulled Gojyo down into a scorching kiss that set both their pulses racing. "Here's to another ten together," he whispered prying Gojyo's fingers open and settling three small silver cuffs into his hand.
Gojyo's eyes went wide, "You sure, 'Kai?" He asked, the metal tinkling in the pale moon's light. "You've always said you wouldn't take them off again."
"This is who I am. This is who we are. I won't hide from that anymore. Not anymore." He murmured around extended canines and flicked his longer hair out of his eyes, the mismatched green and gold pinning Gojyo to the spot.
Raising a gloved hand he lightly traced the dusky green vine pattern over high cheeks and nose, shivering as they moved beneath his touch, a wondrous smile brightening his features.
"No more hiding, huh?"
"No."
"Then are you gonna tell Jein or am I?"
Hakkai laughed openly at his nervousness, "Why don't we just go and see if they're here yet first? I'm sure the rest will just fall into place. This is our home after all. And these are our friends. Our family."
Gojyo pulled him in again for a bone crushing embrace, "Our family...."
***
Several hours later with more than one bullet hole embedded in their walls Gojyo leaned in and whispered against Hakkai's elongated ear, "I think the family's a bit disfunctional, Kai. Sure we can't trade in for a better one?"
He spent the next ten minutes dodging a ridiculously large paper fan and his brother's obsessive hair ruffling. Ah hell, he thought, hiding behind Kougaiji just long enough to drag him and that Goku-clone sister of his into the fray, this family's not too bad. He caught Hakkai's eye and grinned like an idiot. Yeah, not too bad at all.
~Fin.