Brothers
Surprisingly, it took him a while to realize that two of their party were missing. Mostly because he had been dozing in the cool shade, trying to nurse Hakuryuu back to health with water and what food they had left. The ride had been too fast and too hot for the little dragon and the following breakdown had been inevitable.
Curious, he cast a glance over to Sanzo, but the priest just shrugged at him, guessing the question before it had to be asked. Apparently he was enjoying the quiet. Hakkai smiled when he saw his comrade glance up and around, as if the missing two would show up any moment. Sanzo cared, even if he would never admit it.
"Want to go look for them?"
The priest shook his head. "Nah, they'll turn up when they get hungry."
Nevertheless, those little looks at the woods didn't stop, and Hakkai finally got up, leaving their exhausted dragon to sleep.
"I'm going to-" he smiled, and scratched the back of his head nervously.
Sanzo waved his hand in a nonchalant gesture, seemingly uncaring. Hakkai nodded. He had guessed Sanzo would shrug it off.
The woods were spread below the chain of mountains they had been heading for the past few days. The green lazily stretched toward the desert until it dared to venture no further. They had gone deeper inside, in the knowledge there had to be water somewhere, and maybe a road to some small mountain village where they could stock up.
They had rested only on Hakkai's insistence. A rest would do them all good, especially before climbing up that mountain road. And maybe he had insisted a little more firmly because those secluded mountain villages were always more conservative when it came to demons, and he wanted them rested and not at the edge of their seats when confronted with the villagers. He didn't care what he had to say or do to get Sanzo to stay here for the night, but considering how easily the priest had given in, Hakkai guessed that the other man had had the same thoughts. He just hadn't voiced them.
After a stretch, he walked off in the direction he thought most likely. There was a small foot trail through the underbrush, and Gojyo and Goku were nothing if not curious on that account. They were both kids – Goku would want to follow the trail because he never had a childhood to be explorative in, and Gojyo would follow it to make up for what he missed. Hakkai sighed. Sanzo should probably follow the trail too - to make up for a childhood he had been forced to give up too soon. Shaking his head, he cast a look back. Sanzo was watching him, so he waved and smiled before venturing deeper into the woods.
The sound of water splashing and excited laughter lured him in. Hakkai stayed in the shadow for a moment, not doubting for a second that his two comrades knew he was there. He stood still, wanting to stay an invisible spectator just for a bit longer. Smiling, he watched them standing in the flowing water with their pants rolled up to the knees. The garments were wet to the thighs but neither of them cared much about staying dry. The boy was grinning broadly, shifting through the shallow river with a rock in his arms.
A customary cigarette was hanging from Gojyo's lips as the tall man followed with another stone. Of all the things Hakkai had been afraid those two would be doing without supervision, building a dam was not one of them.
"Put that big one over there!" Goku shouted and pointed. Gojyo complied, hefting a larger stone up to carry it toward the weakest points of the dam. Goku followed with moss, dirt, and chunks of grass to stick it between the gaps.
"Hey, Hakkai!" Goku turned toward him and waved. "What do you say? Isn't our dam awesome?"
There were streaks of dirt on his face and clothing, and mud was caking his hair, but he was the happiest Hakkai had seen him in a long time. He stepped out of the line of trees and praised their work, like he had done with his students a long time ago, in a previous life. Goku soaked the compliments up like the kid he was, and Gojyo gave him a quiet smile and an inviting wave with his hand.
Accepting, Hakkai stepped closer and sat down on the grass, content with just watching them. This was not an activity he was supposed to participate in. His job wasn't to play with Goku, or get into food fights with him; his role was to be there for Goku when he had questions on life, or the difference between right and wrong. Hakkai wasn't jealous so much as he was proud that Gojyo was finally taking up his role in Goku's life.
Well done, big brother.
He closed his eyes and put his arms behind him to prop himself up. Listening to their playful insults and the splashing of water, he relaxed. After a while, he inclined his head.
"Hey, Sanzo… don't you want to sit with me for a while?"
The rustle behind him and the quiet footsteps coming his direction told him that it wouldn't be much longer until Sanzo would take his own, most important, role.