Title: Reincarnation

Summary: A short little ficlet about Jakotsu, Bankotsu, and dreams: "Ne, Bankotsu no oo-aniki, do you believe in reincarnation?"

Warnings: Hints of shounen ai. If you like it, read it. If not, read it anyway, so you can become further desensitized towards it. (...and learn to like it. )

Notes: Set pre-Inuyasha timeline. I.e., before the Shichinintai were killed... er. The first time, that is. (Anyone else find the fact that these people were killed twice in brutal ways vaguely disconcerting? Heh.)

Disclaimer: Oh, man, I wish. Hot DAMN.

Reincarnation

"Ne, Bankotsu no oo-aniki, do you believe in reincarnation?" Jakotsu asked as he knelt down beside his partner, handing the other a bowl of rice.

"Che'. No," was Bankotsu's response. "Why?"

"Why not?"

It was a calm August morning, surprisingly cool. The Shichinintai had decided to make camp in a small meadow the night before, opting for the seclusion of the forest as opposed to the comfort of one of the surrounding villages. Besides, in all likelihood, they would be ordered to kill off said villagers, and Bankotsu had a thing about being secretive. He preferred being outright with murder, as opposed to catching them off-guard. Jakotsu had always liked that about him.

"You're the one who asked the question," muttered Bankotsu, shooting his taller friend a skeptical glare. "Why should I answer?"

"Ooh, Bankotsu no oo-aniki, just answer," Jakotsu whined.

"I don't want to."

"Yes, you do."

"Why is it such a big deal?" Bankotsu asked, glancing over at the tents as Mukotsu poked his head out, looking bleary. "I already told you; I just don't believe in the stuff."

"I want to know why."

"Well, why do you believe in it, then, Jakotsu?"

And of course Jakotsu wouldn't tell him about the dreams he had been having, the ones where he would be in a different world; where the buildings were impossibly tall and the forest was gone, and people were everywhere, yet there were no demons to be found. There was a particularly big building, and there were children everywhere, all dressed in the same types of uniforms. And Jakotsu would be dressed in one, too, and he would walk into a room, and there Bankotsu would be, dressed likewise, and he would wave and say, "Oi, oi, what took you so long, Ja–?"

"Oi, Jakotsu!"

But this was here and now, and Bankotsu was looking annoyed.

"Ne, baka!" Bankotsu hit him lightly on the back of the head, and Jakotsu pouted on instinct. "You ask me a question and then ignore me, how does that work?"

"Eheheh," Jakotsu laughed, trying to brush off the dreamy feeling. "Sorry – I didn't mean to ignore you, aniki!"

The apology wasn't necessary, as Bankotsu was already smiling again, eyes focused entirely on Jakotsu, reminding Jakotsu of the time before the Shichinintai. When it was just the two of them, and they would talk about everything and nothing at the same time. But then Renkotsu came, and Suikotsu, and all of them, and Bankotsu had to – out of necessity, because they needed a leader and Jakotsu wasn't it – become more "oo-aniki" than "aniki."

But Jakotsu didn't mind, not much; it was Bankotsu's idea, and it made him happy, which made Jakotsu happy, too.

"So, why is it?"

"Why is what?"

Bankotsu choked on his rice, and stared at Jakotsu, looking as if he was trying to decide whether to laugh or not. Choosing to snicker a bit, rolling his eyes, Bankotsu said, "Why do you believe in reincarnation, baka? Che', you are the worst person to have a conversation with, I swear..."

Jakotsu giggled, rolling his eyes back at Bankotsu, and replied, "I don't know. I just do."

"Well, I just don't."

"You have to have a reason not to, aniki," Jakotsu reprimanded. "Practically everyone believes in reincarnation."

"That doesn't mean I have to," Bankotsu sniffed, haughtily ignoring the implication that he was like "everyone." He continued, "I mean, why should I worry about the afterlife? Why should I care if bad karma affects my next life or something? The way I see it, people should live for the moment, not what's to come."

"Mmmh," Jakotsu murmured, nodding. "But what if you're wrong, aniki?"

"What if I am?" Bankotsu asked back. "Then I was wrong. I can deal with that." Raising an eyebrow at Jakotsu, he smiled knowingly. "Why, Jakotsu, is your conscience getting a hold of you?"

"Huh?"

"Are you starting to feel guilty for all those people you've killed?"

Jakotsu blinked, startled. The thought hadn't even crossed his mind, not since the first week after he and Bankotsu had set out together, killing for money, humans and demons alike.

Bankotsu read his expression and asked, "It's not that?"

"No," Jakotsu replied simply, the confusion fading from his features.

"Why are you asking, then?"

And Jakotsu thought about how, in his strange dreams, they would be together in the room, talking about stuff that always slipped away before Jakotsu could remember it. But then someone would come in, and Bankotsu would leave, off to do something for someone, and all Jakotsu could feel after that was a sense of overwhelming sadness, as he stood alone in the room.

And then it would all fade away, and he would be left, surrounded by dead bodies and drowning in blood.

"I was just," Jakotsu began, frowning slightly as he contemplated his words, "I was just –" Bankotsu leaned forwards, curious, "I wondered if, in our next life... we would still be friends. If we would still know each other." If we could still be together, even then, Jakotsu did not say, but Bankotsu read it in his eyes.

Bankotsu smiled, a slow, deep smile instead of his usual, quirky one.

"Sure, Jakotsu," he said, patting his friend on the shoulder. "Just for you, I'll believe in reincarnation enough to tell you that. Don't worry, we'll be together in our next life, too. All of us." Both of us was not added, but was assumed, and therefore wasn't necessary.

"That's good," Jakotsu said, smiling. "Even if you don't believe in reincarnation."

"And even if you are a little weird," Bankotsu teased.

Jakotsu laughed.

And that night, Jakotsu did not dream.