A/N: ^^; So sorry to be so long in updating this! College is a lot more
time consuming then I thought it'd be! I hardly have time for even reading
anymore x.x Thanks for the reviews, though! It's kept me motivated and
I'll finish this for you guys, it'll just take a little time!
And a BIG thanks to SF who took time out of her busy schedule to beta
this! It totally needed it
Also.they've been together for at least a month by now. The basketball
game was in the summer, and Goku had spent the last few weeks of school
when he was first picked up, so they know each other a little better now.
For those who thing Goku isn't quite as warmed up to Sanzo as he should
be.you have to consider his situation. He doesn't want to betray either
Hakkai or Sanzo, and so he's cautious more than anything right now.
Disclaimers: As always, not mine!
CHATPER IV
Not even managing to look up as Goku entered, Sanzo turned his head halfway to the side, away from the evening news. "There's ramen on the stove."
Surprised by this gesture, the boy wandered into the kitchen. He discovered that the ramen had nearly finished and, finding a hot pad, carefully pulled the noodles off. Pouring the soup into two bowls with the full intent of having equal amounts in each, Goku hesitated a moment before looking around somewhat guiltily and tipping a little more to his. After all, he was a growing boy. Goku shoved a bag of chips into his mouth to hold, grabbed the two bowls, and headed back into the den. Handing Sanzo's ramen to him, he sat down tentatively on the couch, at the corner opposite of the cop's. Shifting painfully, he watched the news for a little while. It was the same as always -- crime, potential war Somewhere Else, inflation. The same thing that had been reported in as many ways since there had been news. Unsure of why the cop was so interested in it, Goku stared a few minutes at the TV, absently listening to a harried-looking anchor spell out the most recent disasters. Quickly growing bored, he looked over at Sanzo.
"I played basketball today," Hoping to start some sort of conversation, to waylay the guilt that wouldn't go away, Goku paused, allowing Sanzo to add a comment of his own. Receiving none, he continued along a different tangent, "Do you think we can go grocery shopping soon? We're running low on food, and I'd really like to get some ice cream. School doesn't start for another two months. Why'd you make me go for the last few weeks, anyway? They didn't even make me do anything. It was really hot today, and- " Sanzo scowled at him, breaking the tirade.
"Shutup." Scowling over at the boy, Sanzo finally broke the tirade. Gladdened to get some sort of response, Goku continued on.
"-some of the kids had gotten a fire hydrant open. I didn't actually go in the water, because I was playing basketball. I'm really good! I might be short, (and that's only because I haven't hit my next growth spurt!) but I'm fast, so I'm always picked near the first. Big Jay almost always gets picked last. He's not a bad player, but he's fat. Also, today was so humid! When you get wet on days like today, it might feel good at first, but your clothes get humid too, and then they stick to your skin, which-"
"You're hurt."
This silenced Goku, for Sanzo had never commented on his health or observations before. Goku had begun to believe Sanzo only looked at him to glare, or to locate for when he wanted to hit him with a rolled up newspaper.
"Yeah."
And that would be the end of that, because Sanzo never inquired about his personal life and Goku wouldn't volunteer information on this particular subject.
"How?"
Looking over at Sanzo in surprise, he was doubly shocked to see Sanzo looking back, studying him. "I got into a fight."
Sanzo grunted, and Goku thought that was really the end. There was a moment of silence, and then Sanzo spoke again, though the words seemed forced, "How badly were you hurt?"
"Um, I fell." Holding up his forearms to prove this, he continued a little hesitantly. Since when had Sanzo cared about what he did? "And a few bruises from the fight." It would be wise not to mention the knife wound, because then the cop might question how it'd been bandaged, and he would have to lie.or tell the truth. And neither were favorable options, so the unspoken truth was always the best.
"And a knife wound."
Silence.
So Sanzo knew. So then did he know that he went to Hakkai's? That he was betraying him, by not telling?
"You met up with Hakkai."
"Yeah."
And then Sanzo smiled. It wasn't a large one, and it wasn't so arrogant as to be a smirk. It was instead, the small, rather pleasant smile of one who was pleased things were going his way. "Good. I've been short on evidence. Cho's so good at covering his tracks. When you feel you're getting close, I'll start wiring you, and this whole case should be wrapped up pretty quickly." Finishing his ramen, Sanzo stood up, flicking off the TV. "Let's go get some ice cream."
"Yeah!" Jumping up at this offer, Goku winced as the movement tore his side.
"Are you going to be all right?"
"Yeah." Accepting this for an answer, Sanzo nodded and headed out, expecting the teen to follow him. Tailing without question, grateful he hadn't suggested the hospital, Goku considered the cop. He wasn't a bad guy, and he had a nice streak, though he worked hard to keep it buried.
He was mean, that was true, but he also seemed.tired.
And it wasn't that hadn't-slept-enough tired. It was the same way that Hakkai was tired.
And Goku hadn't quite figured that out yet.
* * * *
Gojyo stood at the base of the stairs, just inside of the door. Wearing a rather smooth outfit, he felt ready for the night. Idly flipping a coin through his hands, he looked out across his club, a swell of pride filling him. He had raised this by himself. People had offered help along the way, but in the end it was his brainchild, and his actualization.
And this from a guy who'd never had a future.
Dealing mostly in legal ventures, he was careful to cover up his.less legal activities. Hakkai ran some of his business through his club, but he was very discreet about it, and left no tracks.
It helped make their relationship work.
Hakkai was an enigma, Gojyo reflected. Perhaps he was driven by some form of vengeance.yet he lacked the twisted drive that Gojyo had seen in most men of that class.
For any other person, Gojyo would've sworn it was insanity and left it at that.
But Hakkai was different.
And Hakkai, if anyone, could pull this off.
* * * *
Sanzo cast a glance at the boy beside him. He was covered in ice cream. Somehow in the time that he wasn't looking, Goku had smeared it across his face, and then across his hand as he tried to wipe his face clean, and then back on his face as he'd went to take another bite.
He was, quite possibly, one of the most annoying people Sanzo had ever met.
He was loud, hyper, and obnoxious with no manners or decency. But he also lacked the corruption that seemed to be overflowing in everything else, and that was refreshing. Glancing over again, he was surprised to see gold eyes staring back. Instead of flicking away, they held.
The two stayed in the stare down for a few more moments before Goku's eyes flicked away. He seemed almost troubled, and Sanzo was on the edge of giving the matter further thought when a smile erupted on the boys face, wiping away any concerns the cop might've had.
"Thanks for the ice cream, Sanzo! You should've gotten more then just vanilla, though."
"Why?"
"Because it's more exciting! Vanilla's only good if you put toppings on it. Especially chocolate syrup!" Goku explained patiently, waving his cone around to accent his point. He'd gotten it past the lip, so there was no longer a problem of it tipping over.
"If I wanted chocolate, I would have gotten chocolate and not chocolate syrup on vanilla."
"No, you're not getting it! It's the -flavor-. Vanilla tastes better with chocolate syrup" (and gummy bears and sprinkles and nuts, Goku tacked on for good measure.) ".because of the way it all mixes together. The ice cream is all soft, and the chocolate is gooey, and it tastes really good together."
"."
"Have you ever tried it?"
"No."
"Then you can't say anything."
And that was that. Goku finished the rest of his cone, chatting on idly amid grunts or complete lack of attention on Sanzo's part. The two walked back to Sanzo's apartment, with Goku doing a fairly good job of staying close to his guardian as he rambled off stories that the cop listened to with only half an ear.
The rest of the evening passed in silence on Sanzo's part, feeling there was no need for idle chit chat. (Not that there ever was a need, but Goku didn't seem to understand that.) The boy occupied all his time chattering, anyway. It wasn't until Goku had finally retired to his room that Sanzo stopped by, standing at the doorway of the boy's room. Goku, who had been turned on his side looked up as the bright light from the hallway was blocked by the long shadow of Sanzo. Surprised at the appearance, he raised his eyebrows slightly.
"Sanzo?"
"Why do you talk so much?" Sanzo scowled at the boy, expecting some inane answer. The boy seemed full of them, and so he was surprised when the silence after his question stretched, and when Goku did reply, it was in a muted tone.
"Because if there's noise, I don't feel so alone."
Silence.
He didn't know what to say. He hadn't been expecting that, hadn't been expecting any sort of admission. But Goku was staring back at him, face serious, eyes glowing as they reflected the dim light from the hallway. Feeling uncomfortable, he glared at the boy and spit out a response. "Don't be an idiot. I'm here." And that was that. There was no secret meaning, no subtle message. It was just stupid. Closing the door, leaving it open a crack to let the hall light in, he headed back to the den to turn off the TV and prepare for the night. Not thinking much about what he'd said to Goku, he had failed to catch the change in expression on the boy's face before he had closed the door.
* * * *
Leaning back in the chair of his desk, the late afternoon light filtering through the dusty windows, highlighting dust motes that shifted in aggravation every time someone walked past, Sanzo looked over the slip of paper in his hand. He was to meet a new informant in the club "The Red Flower." Clubs weren't a rare request for meetings, though most preferred informants preferred to meet one on one. They were less likely to get caught that way. Either this man was secure in his position, whatever it was, or he was new to the game.
Gojyo? What kind of name was that, anyway? Sighing, Sanzo leaned forward, placing the papers on his desk in aggravation. It was going to be another long night.
* * * *
Arriving in the club, Sanzo took in the dimmed surroundings. The place had just opened, so there weren't many people yet, but it was rapidly filling up. The music playing over the numerous hidden speakers was loud but not to the point of a headache. Interestingly, it wasn't the dull, repetitive beat of some techno song but a jazzy swing tune.
That was a point to the club's favor, anyway. Maybe that music came later, but Sanzo could appreciate the old style swing for now.
Heading to the bar counter where he was supposed to meet his informant, he paused before sliding into one of the stools. The bartender looked up at him. Taken back by the red-hued eyes, the cop found it hard to look away. Blinking, he realized belatedly that they had to be contacts. Feeling foolish, he nodded a greeting at the man.
"What can I get for you?"
"Just a Guiness."
"Sure thing." Filling a mug up from the tap, the bartender set the beer before Sanzo. "Ever been to Ireland?" Shooting his eyes up to study the man before him, the cop suddenly became wary.
"Once, in the spring."
"I heard it's nice."
"It is."
"Money up front?"
"Half."
Nodding, Gojyo smiled at the blonde who's face had become even stiffer, if that was possible. Why was this man doing this? It's not like he was in desperate need of money or anything. He was a bartender.
"What do you want to know?"
"What is Hakkai's deal?"
"He wants-"
"Gojyo!" A new voice interrupted the two, and the bartender shifted his attention to the new arrival. Sighing, aggravated by the interruption, the cop took a drink from his mug.
"Goku!" A smile broke out on Gojyo's features as he recognized the new arrival.
Wait, what?
Turning, Sanzo's eyes widened as he saw his charge approaching at a trot. The boy stopped suddenly when his gold eyes locked with violet.
"Sanzo." Managing to croak out his guardian's name, Goku stayed a few feet away, frozen in guilt.
"What are you doing here?"
End Chapter IV Um, I'll try get the next chapter out soon!
CHATPER IV
Not even managing to look up as Goku entered, Sanzo turned his head halfway to the side, away from the evening news. "There's ramen on the stove."
Surprised by this gesture, the boy wandered into the kitchen. He discovered that the ramen had nearly finished and, finding a hot pad, carefully pulled the noodles off. Pouring the soup into two bowls with the full intent of having equal amounts in each, Goku hesitated a moment before looking around somewhat guiltily and tipping a little more to his. After all, he was a growing boy. Goku shoved a bag of chips into his mouth to hold, grabbed the two bowls, and headed back into the den. Handing Sanzo's ramen to him, he sat down tentatively on the couch, at the corner opposite of the cop's. Shifting painfully, he watched the news for a little while. It was the same as always -- crime, potential war Somewhere Else, inflation. The same thing that had been reported in as many ways since there had been news. Unsure of why the cop was so interested in it, Goku stared a few minutes at the TV, absently listening to a harried-looking anchor spell out the most recent disasters. Quickly growing bored, he looked over at Sanzo.
"I played basketball today," Hoping to start some sort of conversation, to waylay the guilt that wouldn't go away, Goku paused, allowing Sanzo to add a comment of his own. Receiving none, he continued along a different tangent, "Do you think we can go grocery shopping soon? We're running low on food, and I'd really like to get some ice cream. School doesn't start for another two months. Why'd you make me go for the last few weeks, anyway? They didn't even make me do anything. It was really hot today, and- " Sanzo scowled at him, breaking the tirade.
"Shutup." Scowling over at the boy, Sanzo finally broke the tirade. Gladdened to get some sort of response, Goku continued on.
"-some of the kids had gotten a fire hydrant open. I didn't actually go in the water, because I was playing basketball. I'm really good! I might be short, (and that's only because I haven't hit my next growth spurt!) but I'm fast, so I'm always picked near the first. Big Jay almost always gets picked last. He's not a bad player, but he's fat. Also, today was so humid! When you get wet on days like today, it might feel good at first, but your clothes get humid too, and then they stick to your skin, which-"
"You're hurt."
This silenced Goku, for Sanzo had never commented on his health or observations before. Goku had begun to believe Sanzo only looked at him to glare, or to locate for when he wanted to hit him with a rolled up newspaper.
"Yeah."
And that would be the end of that, because Sanzo never inquired about his personal life and Goku wouldn't volunteer information on this particular subject.
"How?"
Looking over at Sanzo in surprise, he was doubly shocked to see Sanzo looking back, studying him. "I got into a fight."
Sanzo grunted, and Goku thought that was really the end. There was a moment of silence, and then Sanzo spoke again, though the words seemed forced, "How badly were you hurt?"
"Um, I fell." Holding up his forearms to prove this, he continued a little hesitantly. Since when had Sanzo cared about what he did? "And a few bruises from the fight." It would be wise not to mention the knife wound, because then the cop might question how it'd been bandaged, and he would have to lie.or tell the truth. And neither were favorable options, so the unspoken truth was always the best.
"And a knife wound."
Silence.
So Sanzo knew. So then did he know that he went to Hakkai's? That he was betraying him, by not telling?
"You met up with Hakkai."
"Yeah."
And then Sanzo smiled. It wasn't a large one, and it wasn't so arrogant as to be a smirk. It was instead, the small, rather pleasant smile of one who was pleased things were going his way. "Good. I've been short on evidence. Cho's so good at covering his tracks. When you feel you're getting close, I'll start wiring you, and this whole case should be wrapped up pretty quickly." Finishing his ramen, Sanzo stood up, flicking off the TV. "Let's go get some ice cream."
"Yeah!" Jumping up at this offer, Goku winced as the movement tore his side.
"Are you going to be all right?"
"Yeah." Accepting this for an answer, Sanzo nodded and headed out, expecting the teen to follow him. Tailing without question, grateful he hadn't suggested the hospital, Goku considered the cop. He wasn't a bad guy, and he had a nice streak, though he worked hard to keep it buried.
He was mean, that was true, but he also seemed.tired.
And it wasn't that hadn't-slept-enough tired. It was the same way that Hakkai was tired.
And Goku hadn't quite figured that out yet.
* * * *
Gojyo stood at the base of the stairs, just inside of the door. Wearing a rather smooth outfit, he felt ready for the night. Idly flipping a coin through his hands, he looked out across his club, a swell of pride filling him. He had raised this by himself. People had offered help along the way, but in the end it was his brainchild, and his actualization.
And this from a guy who'd never had a future.
Dealing mostly in legal ventures, he was careful to cover up his.less legal activities. Hakkai ran some of his business through his club, but he was very discreet about it, and left no tracks.
It helped make their relationship work.
Hakkai was an enigma, Gojyo reflected. Perhaps he was driven by some form of vengeance.yet he lacked the twisted drive that Gojyo had seen in most men of that class.
For any other person, Gojyo would've sworn it was insanity and left it at that.
But Hakkai was different.
And Hakkai, if anyone, could pull this off.
* * * *
Sanzo cast a glance at the boy beside him. He was covered in ice cream. Somehow in the time that he wasn't looking, Goku had smeared it across his face, and then across his hand as he tried to wipe his face clean, and then back on his face as he'd went to take another bite.
He was, quite possibly, one of the most annoying people Sanzo had ever met.
He was loud, hyper, and obnoxious with no manners or decency. But he also lacked the corruption that seemed to be overflowing in everything else, and that was refreshing. Glancing over again, he was surprised to see gold eyes staring back. Instead of flicking away, they held.
The two stayed in the stare down for a few more moments before Goku's eyes flicked away. He seemed almost troubled, and Sanzo was on the edge of giving the matter further thought when a smile erupted on the boys face, wiping away any concerns the cop might've had.
"Thanks for the ice cream, Sanzo! You should've gotten more then just vanilla, though."
"Why?"
"Because it's more exciting! Vanilla's only good if you put toppings on it. Especially chocolate syrup!" Goku explained patiently, waving his cone around to accent his point. He'd gotten it past the lip, so there was no longer a problem of it tipping over.
"If I wanted chocolate, I would have gotten chocolate and not chocolate syrup on vanilla."
"No, you're not getting it! It's the -flavor-. Vanilla tastes better with chocolate syrup" (and gummy bears and sprinkles and nuts, Goku tacked on for good measure.) ".because of the way it all mixes together. The ice cream is all soft, and the chocolate is gooey, and it tastes really good together."
"."
"Have you ever tried it?"
"No."
"Then you can't say anything."
And that was that. Goku finished the rest of his cone, chatting on idly amid grunts or complete lack of attention on Sanzo's part. The two walked back to Sanzo's apartment, with Goku doing a fairly good job of staying close to his guardian as he rambled off stories that the cop listened to with only half an ear.
The rest of the evening passed in silence on Sanzo's part, feeling there was no need for idle chit chat. (Not that there ever was a need, but Goku didn't seem to understand that.) The boy occupied all his time chattering, anyway. It wasn't until Goku had finally retired to his room that Sanzo stopped by, standing at the doorway of the boy's room. Goku, who had been turned on his side looked up as the bright light from the hallway was blocked by the long shadow of Sanzo. Surprised at the appearance, he raised his eyebrows slightly.
"Sanzo?"
"Why do you talk so much?" Sanzo scowled at the boy, expecting some inane answer. The boy seemed full of them, and so he was surprised when the silence after his question stretched, and when Goku did reply, it was in a muted tone.
"Because if there's noise, I don't feel so alone."
Silence.
He didn't know what to say. He hadn't been expecting that, hadn't been expecting any sort of admission. But Goku was staring back at him, face serious, eyes glowing as they reflected the dim light from the hallway. Feeling uncomfortable, he glared at the boy and spit out a response. "Don't be an idiot. I'm here." And that was that. There was no secret meaning, no subtle message. It was just stupid. Closing the door, leaving it open a crack to let the hall light in, he headed back to the den to turn off the TV and prepare for the night. Not thinking much about what he'd said to Goku, he had failed to catch the change in expression on the boy's face before he had closed the door.
* * * *
Leaning back in the chair of his desk, the late afternoon light filtering through the dusty windows, highlighting dust motes that shifted in aggravation every time someone walked past, Sanzo looked over the slip of paper in his hand. He was to meet a new informant in the club "The Red Flower." Clubs weren't a rare request for meetings, though most preferred informants preferred to meet one on one. They were less likely to get caught that way. Either this man was secure in his position, whatever it was, or he was new to the game.
Gojyo? What kind of name was that, anyway? Sighing, Sanzo leaned forward, placing the papers on his desk in aggravation. It was going to be another long night.
* * * *
Arriving in the club, Sanzo took in the dimmed surroundings. The place had just opened, so there weren't many people yet, but it was rapidly filling up. The music playing over the numerous hidden speakers was loud but not to the point of a headache. Interestingly, it wasn't the dull, repetitive beat of some techno song but a jazzy swing tune.
That was a point to the club's favor, anyway. Maybe that music came later, but Sanzo could appreciate the old style swing for now.
Heading to the bar counter where he was supposed to meet his informant, he paused before sliding into one of the stools. The bartender looked up at him. Taken back by the red-hued eyes, the cop found it hard to look away. Blinking, he realized belatedly that they had to be contacts. Feeling foolish, he nodded a greeting at the man.
"What can I get for you?"
"Just a Guiness."
"Sure thing." Filling a mug up from the tap, the bartender set the beer before Sanzo. "Ever been to Ireland?" Shooting his eyes up to study the man before him, the cop suddenly became wary.
"Once, in the spring."
"I heard it's nice."
"It is."
"Money up front?"
"Half."
Nodding, Gojyo smiled at the blonde who's face had become even stiffer, if that was possible. Why was this man doing this? It's not like he was in desperate need of money or anything. He was a bartender.
"What do you want to know?"
"What is Hakkai's deal?"
"He wants-"
"Gojyo!" A new voice interrupted the two, and the bartender shifted his attention to the new arrival. Sighing, aggravated by the interruption, the cop took a drink from his mug.
"Goku!" A smile broke out on Gojyo's features as he recognized the new arrival.
Wait, what?
Turning, Sanzo's eyes widened as he saw his charge approaching at a trot. The boy stopped suddenly when his gold eyes locked with violet.
"Sanzo." Managing to croak out his guardian's name, Goku stayed a few feet away, frozen in guilt.
"What are you doing here?"
End Chapter IV Um, I'll try get the next chapter out soon!