It's Raining - Oneshot
"Ah, dammit Gojyo! At least give me a chance, man!"
The notorious redheaded gambler reached to the center of the table and collected the small wad of bills. A wide grin spread across his face, cigarette dangling from his lips. "Now what fun would there be in that?"
The man sitting across from Gojyo slammed his fist down on the table top. "C'mon then, one more! Opening bet twenty dollars!"
Gojyo arched a brow, still smiling around his cigarette. He didn't doubt for a second that he wouldn't be challenged to another round, even despite the fact that he'd won quite a bit of money from just about every other patron in the bar. "Twenty dollars? Ya sure ya got that much?" Gojyo chuckled as he leaned back in his chair slightly to reach into his pants' pocket for that larger bill.
His fingertips brushed against a cool metal object, and at that very instant, Gojyo fished out said item and froze.
The house key.
The house key he was supposed to have left with Hakkai for whenever he decided to go to the market.
"What's the matter, Gojyo? Afraid you're gonna lose?" The man laughed, everyone else around him remaining silent. Gojyo rarely lost a game, so it wasn't smart to mock him.
Gojyo visibly cringed when he heard the thunder crash outside, light streaming into the tavern windows with each flash of lightning.
Shit.
He stood, slipping the key and his winnings back into his pocket. "Sorry fellas, gotta cut the night short."
Within seconds, Gojyo bolted out of the bar and headed for home.
"Well, this is a predicament."
The first fat drop of rain hit his cheek and slid down his face. With a sigh, Hakkai looked up, realizing that he was most certainly in for an afternoon downpour. A warning boom of thunder rumbled across the skies as if to make his assumption even more obvious.
It was his fault, really - he'd reminded Gojyo to leave the house key that morning but had completely failed to when he decided to go to the bar. Though he was usually remarkably good at remembering such things, the absence of the house key had completely slipped his mind until he'd returned from the market, groceries in hand, and went to unlock the door.
He'd considered finding an alternative means of entrance and thought better of it - they couldn't afford to replace a broken window and Gojyo didn't have a back door - so all he could do was wait. Taking a seat beside the doorway, Hakkai leant back against the wall and pressed back as far as he possibly could beneath the slight overhang of the roof. He knew that he was in for quite the wait; Gojyo was spending the night at the bar, and he had no idea when the redhead would notice he had the key or choose to return home. If he hadn't even remembered, then why would Gojyo?
The rain was pouring even harder now.
Gojyo's heavy footsteps splashed in the massive puddles scattered along the trail. His quickened pace did not cease, only focusing on getting home to Hakkai.
His clothes were sopping wet by the time he reached the edge of the forest, and he didn't doubt that Hakkai would be more than completely soaked by this point.
To make matters worse, it was cold. Both the rain an the wind.
If Hakkai got sick, Gojyo felt he was entirely to blame.
Gojyo ran through the woods, dodging branches and leaping over some of the larger puddles. He didn't anticipate that Hakkai would be angry. Hell, he was probably coming up with some excuse as to why he was locked out.
Through the rain, Gojyo spotted the brunette sitting by the door. "Hakkai!" he called, thunder then booming across the sky.
Huddled by the front door, Hakkai heard Gojyo approaching even through the rain and occasional claps of thunder. He was running, that he knew, and he was soaked through to the skin. The first thing that crossed his mind was the redhead's health - he didn't want Gojyo to catch something from running outdoors in such a mess.
He smiled as Gojyo neared, despite the fact that he was freezing cold and soaking wet. "I do hope you have the key," Hakkai said with a nervous laugh, "because if you don't, we're both in a bit of trouble."
Gojyo managed a smile as he leaned down to collect Hakkai in his arms. "Yeah. Lucky for us, I do have it." He fished the key out of his pocket and quickly unlocked the door.
Pulling Hakkai into the house, Gojyo flicked on the light and removed the brunette's sopping wet jacket and allowed it to be dropped onto the carpet with a heavy plop.
"Shit, I'm sorry, Hakkai..." Gojyo shed Hakkai's shirt as well. The longer he kept the clothes on, the longer he was going to remain cold. Hakkai's body was freezing to the touch, Gojyo's fingertips feeling soft, subtle tremors along his paled skin.
"You don't need to apologize, Gojyo."
Not used to being focused on in such a manner, Hakkai smiled and bent to retrieve his wet shirt and jacket from the floor. He may have been cold, but it was nothing a change of clothes couldn't fix.
"It was my mistake."
Gojyo led Hakkai into the bedroom, ridding himself of the shirt he had been wearing. It was like Hakkai to always try and blame himself. But in the end, Gojyo was the one with the key, and Hakkai was the one left out in the freezing rain.
"My mistake, Hakkai." He reiterated, shamelessly removing his pants and tossing the soaked garment into the empty hamper. He trudged over to his small closet, pulling out one of the few blankets he had.
Hakkai shook his head, dropping his own clothes into the basket. Bare-chested and still damp from the rain and his own wet clothes, he shivered slightly in the cool air - the room was never quite warm enough in the later months of the year.
"No harm done." Hakkai said, choosing to end the potential argument before it even began. "Now, you change into some dry clothes. I'll get a towel from the bathroom."
Gojyo smirked. It was the first time Hakkai ever agreed with him.
For that moment, he wished he had a way to document such a momentous occasion.
The instant Hakkai proceeded to the bathroom, Gojyo extended a hand and grabbed his cold wrist, tugging the brunette over to him.
"I've got a blanket big enough for the both of us." He pulled Hakkai against his gradually warming body.
He allowed Gojyo to tug him across the distance between them, smiling again. Only the redhead could turn this into an opportunity for some sort of intimacy.
"You'll catch cold if you don't dry off." Hakkai said, but even he knew his protest was weak. Gojyo was considerably warmer than he was despite the fact that he'd run through the rain as well, and leaning against him did feel nice.
Gojyo looped his strong arms around the shorter man, repeatedly kissing the side of his lover's face. "Your pants..." he hummed, warm hands slowly descending down Hakkai's back, "...they're still on."
Hakkai couldn't help but smile - Gojyo certainly wasn't being subtle, though he never exactly had been. He leaned in to kiss him, bringing his hands up to wrap loosely around the redhead's neck.
"And I suppose you'd like to take care of that problem for me?"
Gojyo groaned, hands instantly going to the front of Hakkai's pants. "Shit, Hakkai..." he mumbled, lightly nipping the other man's lower lip. "...you know just what to say to get me all riled up."
Hakkai managed a chuckle, threading his fingers through Gojyo's red hair. "Mhmm. I can feel that."
Gojyo crushed his lips to Hakkai's in a bruising kiss, bringing him down onto the bed.
"Your pants aren't coming off fast enough."
-End-