Mr. Brightside

Chp. 1

Gojyo finished lacing his boots and stood up. "I'm going to go play a few hands of cards; see if I can rustle up a little grocery money. You wanna come?"

Looking up from the books and papers spread out on the table (Hakkai's latest correspondence course - something about plants?), Hakkai pushed his glasses up to rub at his bad eye. "I could use a break from studying," he said. "Just give me a minute to grab a coat."

The walk into town was quiet. They didn't pass anyone, and though the sun had already sunk below the horizon, they didn't hurry. Gojyo shoved his hands in his pockets to keep them warm and let his shoulder bump into Hakkai's. "Have you heard from his Holiness lately? Any work for us?"

It bothered Gojyo a little how much they'd come to rely on Sanzo's errands for their income. While it'd been easy enough to make a living playing cards back when it was just him, his gambling couldn't feed and house the both of them; not for long, anyway. Hakkai was the better gambler, but if he played too often, no one would play with them at all. Even so, Hakkai was good at keeping them on a budget and he tutored Goku and the occasional kid in town, but with winter in full swing things were a little tight for everyone.

"No, I'm afraid not. Sanzo and Goku still aren't back from that trip to the temple that requested the exorcism. With all the snow, it's possible that they may be trapped on the other side of the foothills until it melts," Hakkai said. His breath fogged around him like the smoke from one of Gojyo's cigarettes.

Gojyo chuckled a bit and shook his head. "Those poor bastards. If they get stuck dealing with Sanzo and the monkey 'til spring they'll probably wish they'd just let the restless spirits hang around."

Hakkai laughed, too. "Now, now - perhaps they'll take the opportunity to beg Sanzo to teach. After all, it's not that often a small rural temple is blessed to be visited by one of the highest ranking monks."

They joked and laughed as they went but it wasn't long until they'd reached Gojyo's favorite casino. It was little more than a bar with a number of tables for cards and tiles, but the drinks were cheap and it was popular enough that there was usually a bit of a crowd, even on weeknights. Gojyo ordered them each a beer and they sat down at a mahjong table and waited for two more players to join them. They payed for a few hours, their opponents changing occasionally. The other faces at the table weren't important; Gojyo found himself simply enjoying Hakkai's company and the challenge to trying to beat the guy. No one's luck was that good, and Gojyo knew if he could just pay close enough attention he'd find the secret to how Hakkai cheated and figure out how to counter it. Just because they were on the same team didn't mean that learning how to outmaneuver Hakkai wasn't a good idea.

About the time they switched to poker, Gojyo found a familiar bottle blonde in his lap, her large soft breasts pressed against his arm and chest. Part of him wanted to reach up and fondle her perfect tits, but he settled for a swig of his beer. Somehow the thought of letting his hands roam while Hakkai was watching him intently from across the table made him feel...he wasn't really clear on that, actually. Weird, he told himself. He wasn't into exhibitionism, and definitely not in front of his roommate.

Hakkai smiled blandly and set down a straight. Their last opponent groaned and threw his cards on the table as Hakkai pulled the last of the poor bastard's money towards the pile at his right hand. Gojyo's was only a little smaller, but only because Hakkai had let him win a few hands for appearances.

"Fuck, I'm out," the bricklayer they'd been playing against pushed away from the table. "A guy could go broke playing with you two assholes."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Hakkai said diplomatically at their opponent's retreating back. His only reply was a middle finger, raised over a broad shoulder as the other slumped into a seat at the bar. "Well, as there's no real point in playing against one another here when we could do so comfortably at home. Shall we?" Hakkai offered.

Gojyo snapped back to attention when the girl on his lap plucked a card from his hand, "Ne, Gojyo," she purred. "Maybe you'd rather come back to my place?"

"I'd love to, but I can't, babe," Gojyo said, bouncing her a bit on his knee. "It'd be rude since I came with a friend. Maybe another night, when it's just me, yeah?"

She leaned forward, her lips brushing against his ear as she whispered about the naughty things she wanted to do with him, to him. Gojyo was tempted, he really was. And he knew that if he said he wanted to go with her, Hakkai was more than capable of getting home safely, even with the blush of all the sake he'd had coloring his cheeks (the guy may flush a bit, but damn if he didn't act sober no matter how much he'd drunk). That wasn't really the point, though. Gojyo just couldn't do that to the guy. He sighed a little and stood, setting the blonde on her feet. "Another time, babe," she said with a smile and a wink.

She frowned up at him. "Damn you for being a good guy, Gojyo," she said, but there was no malice in it. "Another time, then."

Hakkai had pocketed his winnings and moved towards the door, and after doing the same and finishing his beer in one long gulp, Gojyo followed his roommate out into the sharp cold of the night.

"You could have gone with her, you know."

Lighting a fresh cigarette gave Gojyo a moment to think before he answered. "Yeah, but I'd rather walk home with you."

"I do think that's the most romantic thing you've ever said to me!" Hakkai said cheerfully.

Gojyo stopped dead in his tracks, the tip of his cigarette flaring brightly in the dark as he sharply inhaled.

Hakkai laughed and patted Gojyo on the shoulder. "I'm just kidding! It was a joke - don't look at me like that!"

Gojyo started walking again, his brain in overdrive. Where the hell had that come from? He'd known Hakkai had a weird sense of humor, but something about the way Hakkai'd said it didn't really feel like a joke. Gojyo finished his cigarette and stubbed it out in the gutter.

The moon was low in the sky, and it peeked at them between the tall tenement houses that made up the laborer's quarter. Most of the windows were dark this late in the evening, but raised voices, indistinct and unintelligible, echoed through the alleyways to their right.

"If you think any harder, you may spontaneously combust," Hakkai's tone was bland, almost disinterested.

Gojyo didn't buy it. He decided to take a chance, because he was a little drunk, and because why the hell not? He shook his head, cursed himself, and pushed Hakkai up against the nearest wall.

Hakkai didn't struggle, but his eyes went wide in surprise. "Gojyo - what.." He was cut short when Gojyo's lips slanted over his. The taste of tobacco and beer ran across his tongue and filled his nose like the smell of home. Gojyo was warm, his hand at the base of Hakkai's spine was strong. It was over before Hakkai could really grasp the situation and Gojyo was moving away, muttering an apology.

"Don't be sorry," Hakkai said, grabbing at Gojyo's sleeve. "You didn't do anything wrong."

Gojyo looked away, his hair washed to a deep purple by the moonlight. "Yeah, but you didn't want it. I just thought… nevermind, my bad. Let's go home."

"Gojyo, you didn't do anything wrong," Hakkai repeated. "I just don't know that I'm ready yet. After Kannan," how it still pained him to think of her, let alone say her name! Hakkai swallowed past the thickness in his throat, "After Kannan, I don't know that I can...have feelings for someone like that again. Please, don't take my reaction as a rejection."

"I understand. I'm still sorry," was all Gojyo said. He lit a fresh cigarette, just because he didn't know what else to do.

Hakkai's head was whirling. He'd known for awhile that Gojyo's carousing wasn't quite what it had been when he'd first moved in- Gojyo still flirted shamelessly, but Hakkai couldn't think of a night in recent memory when he hadn't come home by the time the bars closed. How many times had Gojyo made excuses to the girls in his lap or over his shoulder? Before Hakkai could think of anything else to say, they had rounded a corner and the shouting was much louder.

"Oh shit!" Gojyo swore as they both took off in a sprint towards the source of the noise. One of the tenement houses was burning, the entire first floor ablaze. A bucket brigade was already on the scene, and the house was directly adjacent to the river, but the water was frozen solid. Two men with axes were hacking at the ice, while others were throwing water at the flames from the water cart. The families that had escaped the fire were standing in the street, coughing and weeping.

As Hakkai got closer, he could see a middle aged woman leaning out a second story window. Neighbors stood below, as close as they dared, a bed sheet spread between them and shouting encouragement. The woman shook her head, her terrified cries punctuating the crackle and woosh of the blaze. Hakkai rushed to help, grabbing another bucket and thrusting it into one of the barrels on the back of the cart before passing it down the line. Several passes later Gojyo elbowed past him, the bed sheet in his arms. He dunked the bundle of cloth into the water barrel before draping it over himself like a cowl.

"Gojyo, no!" Hakkai shouted. Gojyo shrugged him off and entered the inferno. Hakkai followed after, not willing to be separated. Once inside he was briefly disoriented by the thick smoke and the uneven light of the fire. Gojyo was beside him before he'd caught his bearings, draping the wet sheet over his head as well. The hanyo pointed towards the iron stairs, still standing, and they moved towards them as one. Once upstairs, Hakkai turned left, heading for where he thought the woman should be. They found her passed out on the hot floor even as the fire rushed up behind them, blocking their escape. There was a terrible groan and a crash as the stairs collapsed.

Gojyo coughed, "Ok, so maybe this wasn't my best idea."

"Did you even have a plan?" Hakkai asked casually, kneeling to check the woman at his feet for a pulse. "She's alive, at least."

The room wasn't large, but it was nestled in the corner of the building nearest the river, and had two windows, one facing the street, the other looking out over the water. "I think we can make it. They've got the ice broken up now - if we hold onto her and jump…"

Hakkai shook his head, "We can't risk it. If we fall short, we'll hit the bank."

"I don't think we have too much of a choice. Would you rather hit the pavement? She was smart not to trust those guys down there - there's no way this cheap bedsheet would be enough to break a fall," Gojyo choked on the smoke. "C'mon."

Gojyo slung the woman over one shoulder while Hakkai wrapped his hand in his jacket and punched out the window. The sudden draft caused the flames to eddy and flare, and Gojyo fought down the urge to panic.

Hakkai peered out the window. "I'll jump first, and you can toss her down to me, and then jump yourself, alright?"

"Do it."

Without further hesitation, Hakkai stepped through the window and jumped. He plunged down, easily clearing the bank, but when his feet hit the water, he gave a harsh shout and didn't immediately resurface. "Hakkai!" Gojyo yelled. "Hakkai?"

Flames lit the water, casting harsh shadows that made it impossible to see. The building creaked, in its death throes. "Fuck!" he swore. "Fuck, here goes!" Gojyo climbed onto the windowsill, careful of the woman's head, and pushed off.

The water was so cold it felt like a punch to the chest. It closed over his head, but he was already kicking, treading water for all he was worth. Gojyo felt the woman start back to consciousness with the cold, and she was moaning and sputtering as they breached the surface again.

"Over here!" someone called. "Hurry!"

"C'mon, auntie," Gojyo said, dirty river water streaming in his face. "Kick a bit, help a guy out." Together they pulled for the shore, and in just a moment, Gojyo's feet found the rocky bank and he heaved them up out of the water. Grasping hands reached for them and Gojyo handed the woman over. Someone tried to pull him up, too, but he shoved them off. "Where's Hakkai? Where's my friend?" he asked desperately.

"We saw him jump, but he hasn't come back up," a voice said hesitantly.

"Damn!" and then it was back into the water. He swam downstream as quickly as possible, staying close to the shoreline. If Hakkai was even a little aware (his mind refused to say, 'if Hakkai is still alive') he'd try to make it to the bank. The cold was already getting to him, even with the exertion. His limbs felt heavy and numb with it, his fingers burning and stiff. Then he heard a noise to his right, the sound of splashing, and caught the reflection of moonlight off Hakkai's limiters.

"Hang on!" Gojyo called, but his voice was barely a whisper. "Don't die, you bastard, I'm coming!"

By the time he reached Hakkai, Gojyo felt the sick knot in the pit of his stomach start to loosen. Hakkai's face was white, his lips tinged with blue, but he was breathing and aware, and that, at least, was something. Once again Gojyo made for the shore, dragging Hakkai by the collar of his shirt. The helping hands were waiting for them, pulling them up onto the rocks and stripping them of their sodden clothes as soon as they were clear of the river. Warm blankets were wrapped around their shoulders and a woman with kind eyes dropped a towel over Gojyo's head and started wringing out his hair.

Hakkai was rolled onto his side, vomiting up water and shaking. Lanterns were brought over and suddenly everything was awash with light that made Gojyo blink and rub at his eyes. When he could see again, the sick feeling in his stomach came flooding back. Hakkai's right leg was at a horrible angle, white bone sticking out through the flesh above his ankle. He reached out but didn't dare touch, "Oh shit, Hakkai."

Laying back on the stones, eyes closed, Hakkai didn't respond. Gojyo wasn't sure if he had passed out or was just too hurt to talk, but either way, it wasn't good. He tried to stand but found he was trembling too hard.

"Don't try to move yet," said the woman drying his hair. "The constable sent some of his men to get a stretcher for your friend and they're going to take him to the clinic."

"Nah, take him home. I'll look after him, I've done it before."

"He's badly injured," she said.

"Yeah, but he's really private. When he was hurt before, the doctor came to our place a couple times. Please," Gojyo looked up at her. She looked a lot like the woman he'd run in to save.

"I owe you my mother's life. We lost everything we had in the fire, so I can't repay you in money, but I'll see what I can do to help," she kissed his cheek, "Thank you," and with that, she left.

Gojyo felt the warmth gradually return to his limbs. At some point a hot cup of tea appeared in his hands and he drank it without tasting it. He scooted closer to where Hakkai lay, covered in a thick layer of blankets. He was definitely unconscious now, and Gojyo was grateful for it a moment later when the constable's men arrived and transferred him to a litter. He managed to stand and followed after them. Back on the road they loaded the litter onto a wagon and Gojyo clambered on as well. He saw that the wagon's other occupant was the same bonesetter that had stitched Hakkai up, after Gojyo had found him on the road. Two deputies walked along in front, guiding the ox and talking in low tones.

Gojyo drifted, the rocking cart almost hypnotic. How had such a nice night out gone to shit so easily? He shuddered and gripped the blanket tighter. He watched Hakkai, his face pained and pale. He remembered how he'd cleaned and bandaged the deep belly wound, how he'd run into town, slipping in the mud and covered blood like a madman. Remembered how he had banged on the doctor's door and begged him to come out to the woods in the middle of the night and put back together the man who wanted to die.

He put his head in his hands. He could hear the echo of his childhood saying 'taboo. Bad luck' and his mom's voice 'this is your fault!' This was all his fault. Hakkai was hurt and half drowned, and it was because he'd run in without a plan, because he was running away from his stupid mistake. Why the hell couldn't he learn to leave well enough alone?

"Gojyo-kun," someone was talking to him, and Gojyo forced himself to focus.

"Mmn?"

"We're here. You should get some clothes on while I see to Cho-san." It was the doctor. What was his name? Yau? That sounded right. Yau. He only nodded and shuffled into the house. He pulled some sweat pants and a long sleeve shirt out of the dresser for himself and set for Hakkai. He went to the bathroom to dress and caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror. His cheeks were pink, and there was a bruise over his left temple that he didn't remember getting. He scrubbed his face with his hands and pulled his hair up into a ponytail. He'd have to wash it later, but the pipes were probably frozen, he'd have to put the kettle on and wash it in the sink.

When Gojyo came back into the main room, the doctor had had the constable's deputies lay Hakkai on the bed. He'd already set the leg and was smearing a thick cream over the wound where the bone had pushed through the flesh. He wrapped it next, loops of heavy linen from the middle of Hakkai's foot nearly up to his knee.

Gojyo spun one of the kitchen chairs around and sat in it backwards. His good jacket was gone, lost to the river - along with his money, he realized with an inward groan. But his old leather one was on the back of the chair, and he fished in the pockets, found half a pack and his favorite lighter and lit himself a cigarette.

Yau looked at him disapprovingly but said nothing, returning to his patient. He poked and prodded, listened to Hakkai's chest and back. About the time Gojyo was finishing his second smoke, the doctor was pulling small white packets from his bag and writing notes on them and on a yellow notepad.

"You're going to have to get some rest, but make sure you're checking on Cho-san every few hours," Yau said, coming to place the packets on the kitchen table in neat rows. "He swallowed a lot of water, and there is some in his lungs as well. I'll give him the first doses of his medicines as injections before I leave, but you must be sure to give the rest to him on time. I'll check on you both tonight after I close up the clinic." He pointed to a row of packets, "These are his painkillers. Pour the powder in water or tea and have him drink it every eight hours. These," he indicated the second row, "will help with the fever, and these are for when he starts to cough. I wrote down all the instructions on this paper. Are you sure you can handle this, Gojyo-kun?"

Gojyo nodded and stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray. "Is he going to be alright?" he asked.

The doctor sighed. "I think so, yes. Cho-san is very strong, but the pain and shock of hitting the ice like that was almost enough to drown him. He will likely be rather sick for awhile, and the break was bad enough that it will take much of the winter to heal properly. However, as I recall, Cho-san is a good patient. You, Gojyo-kun, not so much. Let me see your head."

Gojyo flinched away as the doctor reached for him. "I'm fine."

Yau frowned, "have it your way," he said, though not unkindly. He went back to Hakkai and drew several vials and syringes from his bag, pushed the needles into Hakkai's arm one after the other, and then packed all of his things away. "I'll see you tonight." Then he left, and Gojyo could hear the constable's men and the creak of the wagon as the the doctor climbed aboard and they headed back to town.

When he had gone, Gojyo sighed and went to sit next to Hakkai. Weak sunlight streamed in through Hakkai's meticulously clean windows. He hadn't realized it was morning. He was beyond exhausted, but he dressed Hakkai, carefully so as not to cause him any extra pain. He didn't know if it was the right thing to do, but he couldn't bring himself to take his normal place on the couch, so he climbed into the narrow bed beside Hakkai and lay facing the wall. He fell asleep listening to Hakkai's raspy breaths.

Author's notes: So, I've had this story floating around in my head for about 5 years now. I finally decided to write it, and have been using Google Docs on my phone between appointments (I work for myself) to edit. I've already completed the first couple of chapters, and I'll try to stick to something approaching a posting schedule. Couldn't find a beta once I was ready to post, so all mistakes are entirely mine. I'm sure there are a lot, but I can only continue to stare at this chapter for so long. I felt I needed to kick it out onto the net just to commit to the story.