Melody of Oblivion
58/K+
Time seemed to stand still as he watched the little brass music wheel turn around and around in his palm. Long, alabaster fingers cupped the mahogany box lovingly with their work rough pads, lightly caressing the perfect surface. The song wound down as his eyelids drifted shut. A soft click in the dead silence of the burnt out room as it shut off and a soft, satisfied sigh escaping thin lips was the only warning he gave.
Burgundy eyes widened as those lips broke into a brilliant smile-eyes crinkling at the edges as those same pale fingers tipped the fragile piece of beauty out into the ether. The stop motion twirling as it cascaded end over end like his heart thundering in his ears; shattering wordlessly against the broken tiles scattered underfoot.
The silence afterwards was deafening.
"Ha..Hakkai, what he hell?!" He whispered aghast, hand reaching out unconsciously for his broken and bloody partner.
Hakkai just smiled tenderly while taking the outstretched fingers and pulling Gojyo to his feet beside him; he never let go.
"That was the last thing of hers' I'd kept." He whispered, leaning heavily against his friend, a weary sigh smothered by a tender smile.
"Yeah? Then why'd you go and …?" he gestured at the splinters and twisted gears littering the burnt out husk of Hontou Castle around them.
Hakkai smiled again and gently reached out to trace Gojyo's scars. "I have no need of an illusionary perfection when I have such a truth in my hands."
Lifting their entwined fingers to his lips he pressed a fleeting kiss to the blood and ash streaked palm, watching as his best friend's eyes went wide with dawning understanding.
"For real, 'Kai? After all this time?"
"No. All this time, Gojyo. Always and forever."
"heh, I thought it was just me." He murmured, leaning in closer until their foreheads rested against each other's, their noses nudging slightly and ….
"Tch, idiots. So fucking slow on the uptake as usual." Sanzo growled, picking his way over the mutilated demonic corpses and broken walls.
Hakkai raised a quizzical eyebrow as Goku bounded after the surly monk. Their youngest member paused to grin Cheshire-like at them before clasping his hands behind his flowing mane; looking very much the cat that just caught the elusive mouse.
"Well, I'll be damned," Gojyo breathed shocked and amused. Hakkai just smiled. As they started on the journey home he thought he'd never stop smiling. Really smiling.
~Fin.