Title: Don't Sniff the Paint
Series: Saiyuki
Pairing: 58; Rating: T (hurt/comfort)
Setting: random time between Banri and the start of the journey.
AN: My brain stopped working so you get this, hope it's not too bad!
"You're kidding me, right?"
"Now what makes you think that, Gojyo?"
Hakkai dropped the plastic tarp and several buckets of white and blue paint onto the ground and glanced up at the hanyou, typical unreadable smile plastered on his face. Gojyo sighed, Hakkai might not look like he was annoyed, but after this many months together, Gojyo'd figured out most of the man's facial expressions.
"But, seriously man, I could be at the bar or something..." his argument drifted away like the gray-white smoke curling around his fingertips; that was Hakkai's 'if you finish that thought you won't eat for a week' look. He hated that look mainly because he knew the dude was serious. That and he'd gotten use to Hakkai's home cooked meals.
"Fine! What the hell do I have to do?"
"Ah, I'm so glad you're willing to part with a few hours and help me maintain your house. Please go change into something more suitable and then bring the paintbrushes from the kitchen table, would you?"
Fucking Hakkai and his God-damned domesticity was starting to piss him off. That and the way he reminded him that technically he should be the one doing things like painting and cleaning and buying stupid washing machines and worrying when the light in the bathroom didn't come on for over a month, but that shit was just so lame, the whole thing pissed him off. Throwing on a pair of old jeans and white shirt he stood glaring at the paintbrushes like they were some poisonous viper that'd bite him if he got too close.
"Stupid fucking paintbrushes..." he growled under his breath.
He picked up the rollers and stomped back out to the front yard, squinting as the bright afternoon sun glinted through the trees and reflected off Hakkai's glasses and insanely bleached white shirt. He'd put in the order for a monocle yesterday in town, but Gojyo still didn't get why he even bothered, it's not like he could see out of his right eye or anything.
He stopped short. "Fuck," he desperately wanted to blame that shitty monk for that, but the truth of the matter was it was his own fault. That night he was the one closest to Hakkai, he knew the man was unstable, but he didn't think he was that screwed up!
"Gojyo, if you're done staring at me, could you please help with this tarp? If the wind picks up anymore I don't want to be covered in paint."
"Eh? Yeah, sure, whatever." Gojyo dropped the rollers and brushes and set about placing rocks on the edges of the oh-so-neatly folded tarp; was there anything the guy did that wasn't perfect?
"Ah, hell." The soft voice to his left had him glancing up into the sun, there was a definite disgusted tone dripping from that ever pleasant mouth that had his eyebrows drawn up in shock, Hakkai never cursed, even when he ripped his own eye out of its socket the man was all pleasant and polite.
"Hakkai?"
"Ah, forgive me, seems I've made a mess of things before we've even started." The way he was holding his hands up, cradled against his chest had the red-head up and on his feet, crossing the distance between them in the space of a heartbeat.
"Fucking hell, Hakkai, how'd you manage that?"
"Ah hah, it's nothing, I'll go wash it off and be back in a moment."
"No way, we've gotta get you into town and see the doctor, who knows what the paint will do?"
"No."
"What?"
"Its fine, I'm fine, just give me a moment to clean up and wash the blood out of my shirt. I'll be right back."
Hakkai turned abruptly and started back to the house, leaving Gojyo gaping at his back; did he honestly think he could handle a cut that deep? At the very least it'd need proper cleaning and stitches!
Following the green-eyed youkai into the house he continued his monologue, "Hakkai, seriously, we need to..."
Gojyo stopped short at the door to their bathroom, "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
Hakkai's face was as pale as his shirt, an ashen gray that belied the severity of the pain from the cut. Crouching over the edge of the tub he had poured most of a bottle of rubbing alcohol over the gaping wound. Blood from his mouth where he'd bitten through his bottom lip from the pain mingled with the swirling crimson staining the sparking porcelain, another of Hakkai's manic habits.
"Shit man!" Gojyo leaned down and ripped the bottle from Hakkai's grip before grabbing a wash cloth and wrapping it around the still bleeding thumb.
"I swear to God, you are so fucked up sometimes! We could have gone to the fucking doctors!" tying off the make-shift bandage he'd ended up sitting on the floor with Hakkai pulled in between his legs, the smaller man leaning against him heavily with his dark green eyes screwed shut. His breathing was shallow and Gojyo briefly wondered if he'd passed out already.
"Hey..."
"I'm okay, please, just for a minute, I'll be fine in a minute..."his voice trailed off painfully.
"You know, you're one of the stupidest smart people I've ever met, 'Kai. What made you think pouring a whole bottle of alcohol over it was the smart thing to do?"
"I just, the blood, I didn't want to see the blood on my hands." Hakkai buried his face in Gojyo's shoulder, red hair mingling with brown as he glanced down.
Gojyo sighed, "Stupid, what is it you always tell that idiot monkey?"
Hakkai glanced up at him confused.
"If you get dirty all you have to do is go wash it off. This is the same thing; all you had to do was wash it off, no need to beat yourself up while doing it. See?" Gojyo gingerly pulled the washcloth back and exposed the pink puckered flesh to the air, turning his hands back and forth to prove there wasn't any more blood on it.
"See? You just have to wash it off." Twisting the bandage back into place Gojyo pulled Hakkai in closer, resting his chin on the top of his head.
"I don't think I can... "
"Yeah well, that's what I'm here for, ain't it?"
"...." Hakkai sucked in a little breath and curled in closer against Gojyo's chest, "Yeah, I guess so."
"Damn straight. Someone has to be the smart one around here."
Leaning back against the wall Gojyo smiled as Hakkai's soft laughter rolled around them. He'd make the man go to the doctor later, but for now, this was okay too.
Fin.