Standard disclaimer applies.
LOL. Read. This story should all be posted within the next 48 hours--there's three chapters...and yes I am bored and have a lot of time on my hands because it's Christmas break...hehehehehe. PLEASE REVIEW!
Enjoy.
Gojyo tapped his fingers restlessly on the table. The silence of the inn coupled with the light drumming of the rain on the drought-hard ground was making him nervous. He wasn't used to silence; he preferred noisy activity at all times, which was probably, now that he thought about it, why he fought so much with Goku. If he didn't fight with Goku—if it were just Sanzo and Hakkai and himself in the Jeep—it would be silent.
The thought of Hakkai made him swallow anxiously. He tucked one strand of red hair behind his ear and absently scratched the place on his jaw where it had been. Hakkai wasn't much one for small talk—he would make it, sure, if he thought he needed to. Hakkai was always the one who buttered up the innkeeper or servants at the inns they stayed at, the one who placated the townspeople if something happened to go wrong while they were roaming the West. But when they were alone, he didn't talk. He and Sanzo made quite a pair that way.
Gojyo swallowed again. To disguise it, he took another gulp of the sake that sat on the bar in front of him. It was his second, and he was already feeling slightly out of it. He just couldn't take that much liquor, unlike Hakkai…Damn it! What was with him thinking of Hakkai all the time? It was insane.
He emptied the glass and then began to roll it around in his fingers. Why was he thinking of Hakkai? His brain strained to work it out through the cloud of sake, fumbling its own thoughts in the absence of any particular knowledge. Hakkai…Hakkai...it clicked suddenly and he sat up straighter on the stool. That was why. He swallowed again. Damn. He hadn't wanted to remember. Gojyo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Why did he always have to remember shit like this? He didn't want to do it, didn't want to at all, but felt somehow compelled to do so.
"Hey."
Gojyo looked up to see the barkeeper staring at him strangely. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
The barkeeper raised an eyebrow. "You look as if someone just killed your dog."
"I don't have a dog."
The man snorted. "Fine, you look like someone just broke your heart."
Gojyo jumped. "What? What do you mean? Why did you say that?"
"Who was it? Some village chick?"
Gojyo shook his head violently. "No one broke my heart."
"Ah, come on, you can tell me." The barkeeper smiled. "Everyone tells me. I'm a barkeeper. Everyone tells the barkeeper what's bothering them."
Gojyo shrugged and began to roll a cigarette, deliberately putting on a calm façade. Inside he was shaking. Who was this guy?
"Nothing wrong. Just had a little too much sake, is all."
"Uh-huh." The barkeeper shrugged. "I get it. Well, if you want to tell me, I'll be down there." He walked off towards the other end of the bar where a customer was waiting.
Gojyo let out a breath in relief. Finally that guy was gone. He didn't know what the man wanted, but his interest was a little disturbing. The way he was prying into things was almost like Hakkai…the youkai was obsessed with discovering answers. Damn it! There it was again!
He didn't want to deal with this anymore. It was time he told him. He couldn't get out of it…he had to get over it. He just had to. He couldn't keep on like this—it was tearing him apart. Gojyo licked his lips. He…he didn't want to hurt Hakkai. He didn't want this to ruin their friendship. But he had to say it. He couldn't go any longer without saying it. He got up from the stool, turned towards the door, swallowed, and began to walk towards it. Hakkai had to hear the truth, even if it destroyed their friendship. But there was still hope…