Disclaimers: The standard rap. These aren't mine, and they never will be!
But maybe one day I'll write characters that'll have fanfictions written
for them! How great would that be?
Feels Good to be a Gangster
Chapter VI
Crawling gingerly over the shattered glass, Goku winced as a sliver embedded itself in his palm. Raising his hand to his face, he spent a moment trying to dig it out. There was a small drop of blood beading on his palm, and Goku knew the moment he pulled the glass out it would bleed more profusely. Managing to pull the shard free after another moment of digging, keeping the glass pinched between his thumb and forefinger, he peered at it before throwing it back to where the other parts of the window were.
Staying low to the floor, just in case the hit man was still in the other apartment, he made his way as quickly as possible over to Gojyo and Sanzo. At news of Sanzo being shot, he'd felt his heart drop, his breathing suddenly becoming restricted and difficult. It had been a brief, but noticeable reaction. Sanzo hadn't made a cry when he'd been shot—did that mean he was already dead?
Eyes closing tightly, Goku clenched his teeth. He'd lost both his parents and had had to spend the last nine years or so in the hell of a social system. His adoption by the cop had freed him from that, and now, only months later, to have him dead? He would have to return to that juvenile center, because nobody wanted him. And he had another two years there.
He couldn't do that. With a certain amount of trepidation, he crawled around the corner of the other couch where the other two were. Gojyo was bent over Sanzo, his face hidden by the fall of streaked black hair.
"Gojyo?" The bar owner turned around, a wry grin on his face. Sanzo's left shirtsleeve was soaked red at his up near the shoulder. The starched white of his shirt only served to highlight the red. What raised Goku's alarm though, was that the man was unconscious. Was there a shot somewhere that he couldn't see?
"Ah, he's okay. It's pretty superficial." Gojyo said, still grinning as he caught Goku's look. "But he hit his head on the table when he went down."
"What?"
* * * * *
The world was a painful place to be, particularly in this semi-conscious state. Sanzo's first realization was that his head hurt, a lot. The second was that he was horribly irritated. Clenching his teeth, he warily opened his eyes. Slowly the events of the previous(?) night came back to him, and he scowled. Someone had come after him—or hadn't Gojyo said he was being followed? He'd heard Goku's shout and had reacted instinctively, and just as he was diving to the ground, a bullet had caught him, twisting his body as he fell, and then nothing.
What had happened? Tenderly moving to touch his head, he was surprised by the scraping of something next to the bed. Turning wary eyes to the side, he was surprised to see his charge, sitting expectantly on a chair. Gold eyes lit up immediately as he saw him turn. Dammit, he was in a hospital room.
"Sanzo! You're awake!"
"Fuck, not so loud, idiot!"
"Oh...does your head hurt? Gojyo said you hit it really hard on the table."
"What the hell do you think?" Violet eyes narrowed in irritation. The boy had bags under his eyes, and it was obvious he was tired. Everything about him seemed exhausted—even his normally unruly, wild hair drooped. "When was the last time you slept? You look like hell." Goku looked slightly abashed as he ran a hand through his mussed hair.
"I slept last night." His voice held a note of rebellion, as if accusing the cop to contradict him. Sanzo was doubtful—if he –had- slept, it hadn't been well. A moment of silence passed, and then he shrugged. He wasn't his father; Goku could take care of himself.
It was apparent the boy had been here all day, though. Sanzo was somewhat amazed—he hadn't thought it possible for Goku to stay settled in one place for so long. And there wasn't anyone here to keep him entertained. Had he stayed by his bed the whole time? It was late afternoon; the summer sun was low in the sky. Golden red beams filtered through the window, highlighting each and every dust molecule. They were on a continual move, dancing into the beams and becoming highlighted briefly as they swirled lazily. And then they were gone, other motes replacing them. "What time is it?"
"Almost five. You've been out for a while."
"The hospital let you stay here?"
"Gojyo convinced them that maybe it was a good idea." Goku trailed away slightly, eyes focusing on the dust motes. He didn't think Gojyo had set up the gunman, but he wasn't sure. Gojyo was a friend of Hakkai, didn't that make him okay? The bar owner was annoying, but he didn't seem like a bad guy. Stretching in the uncomfortable plastic chair, he bit his bottom lip. Things were getting more confusing.
"Where is he?"
"Uh...he left." Goku shrugged uncertainly. Gojyo had laid low and insisted Goku do the same thing. There had been no more shots, and no pounding on the apartment door, something that Gojyo had been worried about. After they were sure they were safe—at least for now, Gojyo called for the ambulance. He was convinced Sanzo was going to be fine despite Goku's frantic worrying. He had disappeared before the ambulance or police got there. "Some police from the department were checking out your room and the place across the street."
"They find anything?"
"I don't think so."
Sanzo eyed the boy carefully. He wasn't lying, at least not right now. He knew he shouldn't trust the boy, but it was hard not to. He had underestimated him, though. Goku was obviously adept at forming connections. He had found Hakkai and was gaining his trust quickly.
They were both getting pulled into something deep, though. His apartment had been targeted, and it hadn't been whoever had been following Gojyo. Whoever it had been had known about the empty apartment across from his. "Fuck."
"Eh, Sanzo?"
"It was Cho. Cho sent somebody."
* * * *
Hakkai Cho looked down at his desk, his good eye studying the fine wood. Papers were stacked neatly near the edge, and his G5 sat in the middle, the small light on the edge of the screen glowing a soft white as it indicated it was asleep. Gojyo ridiculed the computer. "A Mac? Who uses Macs? They're lame." But it was fast, and virtually resistant to viruses –because- it was a Mac. It also worked well with his 15'' SuperDrive Apple laptop.
"I need to talk with him."
"He probably thinks it was you who shot at him." Gojyo looked across the desk, playing absently with the rubber on the sole of his boot, easily accessible because of his crossed legs. Last night had been close; he could've been shot, too. Hakkai wasn't too happy.
"That's why we need to talk. I can use him against Gyokumen. "
"I hate that fucking bitch." Gojyo scowled. He had run up against her a few times. She was creepy. Nothing about that woman was right, and her slow take over of the West side of the city had pissed Hakkai off to no end. It shouldn't have been possible, but now she and her gangs had control of almost the whole West side. She owned a lot of the police, too, but he had his own fair share, so it was more or less balanced.
"Have you heard about her newest gang leader? And about what she's been doing?"
"Yeah..Kougaiji? And hasn't she been getting in more on the drug business?" Gojyo's eyes shifted momentarily to the black screen of the Apple and he unconsciously grimaced at the machine. Jesus, a Mac?! Hakkai usually had better taste than that.
"He's her half son, or something along those lines. She's gone into business with the Columbians." Hakkai caught Gojyo's grimace, and where his eyes were placed, and decided to ignore it, though his constant smile became a little realer for a moment.
"The hell?" Jesus, was the hell was this woman doing, getting it on with the Columbians for some C? The stuff wasn't as popular as it used to be—this wasn't Miami Vice. But it was still a lucrative business, and she was purportedly good at selling other street drugs.
"Mm. I don't know everything yet, but...her lover, Gyumaoh, is married to some other woman—Kougaiji's mother. Somehow she's coerced him to work for her."
"Is he any good?"
"He's driven."
"So how do you plan on getting that cop? And why do you plan on using him? Why not somebody else?" Gojyo looked across as Hakkai, eyes scrutinizing. It seemed ridiculous to use the man who was after him and to trust him. In return, Hakkai only smiled.
"Because I know who killed his partner."
* * * * *
"Sanzo, I don't think you're supposed to be leaving..." Goku followed after the cop who had decided he had spent enough time in the hospital. He still had his bandages wrapped around his arm, and more around his head, throwing his golden strands into disarray. Violet eyes narrowing, he shot a glare at the boy.
"I hate this fucking place. I can walk, can't I?" He'd been light headed when he stood, but the doctors had promised that it was a mild concussion and had dealt with it for the most part. He wasn't going to spend another day so the doctors in their white coats could come in and poke and prod him, giving those false smiles and the 'You're doing so well!' comments.
Apparently realizing this, and not arguing too much, Goku grinned. "Can we get some food? I'm really hungry. The food here sucks." Goku was of the notion that all hospital food was for people without teeth, as if all the injured and sick people had somehow lost all their teeth, as well as their sense of taste.
"Yeah, I'm starved. We'll take a bus to get back."
"What about your clothes?" Sanzo had slipped out of the bed and was carefully pulling on his pants that had been hanging in a bag on the corner. Slipping his watch on over his wrist, he clasped it and spent a moment staring at his wrist, making sure it was working. Convinced it hadn't been broken, he looked up at Goku.
"I hate those fucking robes. Once size fits none. And I hate hospitals; the damn nurses want you to take your clothes off at the slightest thing. And if you're not awake to do it, they do it for you. Horny bastards, all of them."
"But your nurse was a male..." Goku began uncertainly. His name was Jeff; he had short black hair and light brown eyes. In the day or so that Goku had been sitting beside Sanzo, Jeff had come in at least twice bearing food that wasn't hospital Jell-o.
Sanzo didn't say anything, simply looking up as he pierced Goku with a glare; his hands paused in the middle of tying his shoes. "I didn't need to know that." Sanzo's movements were somewhat stiff and forced, but Goku wasn't going to say anything. Sanzo didn't seem the type of person to listen, and he was pretty sure Sanzo wouldn't take all his clothes back off now.
"Whatcha gonna do about a shirt?" They had cut the sleeve off, and then the whole shirt when Sanzo had been brought in. Goku had wondered how Sanzo was supposed to get another shirt.
"You said I had a male nurse, didn't you?"
"Yeah."
"Was he my size?"
"Umm, maybe a little larger."
"Go find him and ask him for his shirt." The cop was sitting on the edge of the bed, carefully prodding at his shoulder. He winced slightly, but overall it wasn't too bad. His pain was still hurting like a bitch, but that wasn't anything that a bottle of aspirin couldn't solve.
"His...shirt?" Rubbing his nose, Goku looked at Sanzo doubtfully. Sanzo pierced him with another glare.
"He wears scrubs, I'm sure he has more then one. I'm not walking out of here without a shirt.
* * * *
"So who was it?"
"I'm sure you're familiar with Dr. Nii."
* * * *
"Aww, but Sanzo, I don't want to stay in a here!" They were staying in a hotel room, paid for by the force, until Sanzo's apartment was fixed. The empty room in the building had been searched for evidence, and there were supposedly a few leads.
The hotel was small, with two single beds in one room, tacky artwork on the ceilings, and a TV that had cable and HBO. It was the one improvement over Sanzo's apartment, in Goku's opinion. Sanzo didn't believe in watching much TV besides the news. To his credit, Goku –had- managed to convince Sanzo he needed at least a DVD player.
They had watched "Gladiator" on the first night, and Sanzo had grudgingly admitted he liked it, but only a little bit. Goku was happy with that, Sanzo hadn't bitched at all, and any admission to liking anything at all was a win.
"We won't be here long, so shut up. And get your stuff off that bed. I'm sleeping near the window."
"I thought you learned your lessons about windows."
* * * *
"So tell me about this Nii guy." Gojyo was sprawled across the couch, eyes tinted red by contact lenses peering at his friend. They had moved away from the desk, and Hakkai had situated himself into a comfortable black-leather chair. He was watching the reflection of the white wine he was holding against his pant leg, a yellow, translucent swirl. After a moment he dragged his green eyes up to meet red. Hakkai knew Gojyo knew a little about Nii, but not much. As far as Gojyo was concerned, he was a man not to be messed with.
"You know that Gyokumen is fucking him on the side?"
"And that she's more or less Gyumaoh's official mistress, yeah." Gojyo took a drink from the dark beer he was holding loosely in one hand. Hakkai always offered a drink, and would always take one for himself if any of his guests did. But he never –ever-drank from it, and most people never noticed. Gojyo had, and told him that he didn't need to pretend when it was just the two of them.
Hakkai had smiled and laughed quietly, and that was the only reply Gojyo got on the matter. And every time Gojyo drank a beer, Hakkai was there, holding his wine. Red or white, some of the finest that could be had, and nothing stronger, but he never took a sip.
"Gyokumen thinks she's in charge—she orders her step son to act as a middleman, and she traps him there by threatening his real mother. She's done a commendable job of hiding all this from Gyumaoh, which isn't too hard considering he's never around."
"So what's the catch?"
"Nii's the catch. Gyokumen thinks she's running things and using him, but it's the other way around." Emerald eyes had fallen back to the glass, his gaze unfocused, as he lost himself. Outside there was the sound of screeching wheels and a blaring horn, and then there was a crash and the sound of glass shattering.
"And so what?"
"Nii is our enemy. He's trying to kill Sanzo, and trying to set me up at the same time because I'm a more obvious figure than he. And once I'm gone he has the city."
"Well, shit. You ready for it?"
Hakkai smiled.
End Chapter
A/N: First off, sorry this took so long. This semester has had so much more work then I first thought.
Next, I want to thank my reviewers so much. You guys have really helped me along, you don't even know! Shunkashuutou is a short, four chaptered character introspection I'm doing, and it's dedicated to all of you! (Except for Fall, which is dedicated most especially to Aki, who is the bestest betaer ever!) It's sort of a "Thank you' for staying through with me. I hope you all are not disappointed by this chapter!
Third, a HUGE thanks to Aki, and before that sf. Both of them are so busy and these chapters really look like chickenscratch before they're gotten too. Aki, you don't know how much I love your doing this for me!
So, please review again, everyone! I made this chapter longer for everyone!
Also, super thanks to Iapetus who pointed out the italics error, and to Ravens who's been pushing me to get the next chapter up!
-K. Firefly
Feels Good to be a Gangster
Chapter VI
Crawling gingerly over the shattered glass, Goku winced as a sliver embedded itself in his palm. Raising his hand to his face, he spent a moment trying to dig it out. There was a small drop of blood beading on his palm, and Goku knew the moment he pulled the glass out it would bleed more profusely. Managing to pull the shard free after another moment of digging, keeping the glass pinched between his thumb and forefinger, he peered at it before throwing it back to where the other parts of the window were.
Staying low to the floor, just in case the hit man was still in the other apartment, he made his way as quickly as possible over to Gojyo and Sanzo. At news of Sanzo being shot, he'd felt his heart drop, his breathing suddenly becoming restricted and difficult. It had been a brief, but noticeable reaction. Sanzo hadn't made a cry when he'd been shot—did that mean he was already dead?
Eyes closing tightly, Goku clenched his teeth. He'd lost both his parents and had had to spend the last nine years or so in the hell of a social system. His adoption by the cop had freed him from that, and now, only months later, to have him dead? He would have to return to that juvenile center, because nobody wanted him. And he had another two years there.
He couldn't do that. With a certain amount of trepidation, he crawled around the corner of the other couch where the other two were. Gojyo was bent over Sanzo, his face hidden by the fall of streaked black hair.
"Gojyo?" The bar owner turned around, a wry grin on his face. Sanzo's left shirtsleeve was soaked red at his up near the shoulder. The starched white of his shirt only served to highlight the red. What raised Goku's alarm though, was that the man was unconscious. Was there a shot somewhere that he couldn't see?
"Ah, he's okay. It's pretty superficial." Gojyo said, still grinning as he caught Goku's look. "But he hit his head on the table when he went down."
"What?"
* * * * *
The world was a painful place to be, particularly in this semi-conscious state. Sanzo's first realization was that his head hurt, a lot. The second was that he was horribly irritated. Clenching his teeth, he warily opened his eyes. Slowly the events of the previous(?) night came back to him, and he scowled. Someone had come after him—or hadn't Gojyo said he was being followed? He'd heard Goku's shout and had reacted instinctively, and just as he was diving to the ground, a bullet had caught him, twisting his body as he fell, and then nothing.
What had happened? Tenderly moving to touch his head, he was surprised by the scraping of something next to the bed. Turning wary eyes to the side, he was surprised to see his charge, sitting expectantly on a chair. Gold eyes lit up immediately as he saw him turn. Dammit, he was in a hospital room.
"Sanzo! You're awake!"
"Fuck, not so loud, idiot!"
"Oh...does your head hurt? Gojyo said you hit it really hard on the table."
"What the hell do you think?" Violet eyes narrowed in irritation. The boy had bags under his eyes, and it was obvious he was tired. Everything about him seemed exhausted—even his normally unruly, wild hair drooped. "When was the last time you slept? You look like hell." Goku looked slightly abashed as he ran a hand through his mussed hair.
"I slept last night." His voice held a note of rebellion, as if accusing the cop to contradict him. Sanzo was doubtful—if he –had- slept, it hadn't been well. A moment of silence passed, and then he shrugged. He wasn't his father; Goku could take care of himself.
It was apparent the boy had been here all day, though. Sanzo was somewhat amazed—he hadn't thought it possible for Goku to stay settled in one place for so long. And there wasn't anyone here to keep him entertained. Had he stayed by his bed the whole time? It was late afternoon; the summer sun was low in the sky. Golden red beams filtered through the window, highlighting each and every dust molecule. They were on a continual move, dancing into the beams and becoming highlighted briefly as they swirled lazily. And then they were gone, other motes replacing them. "What time is it?"
"Almost five. You've been out for a while."
"The hospital let you stay here?"
"Gojyo convinced them that maybe it was a good idea." Goku trailed away slightly, eyes focusing on the dust motes. He didn't think Gojyo had set up the gunman, but he wasn't sure. Gojyo was a friend of Hakkai, didn't that make him okay? The bar owner was annoying, but he didn't seem like a bad guy. Stretching in the uncomfortable plastic chair, he bit his bottom lip. Things were getting more confusing.
"Where is he?"
"Uh...he left." Goku shrugged uncertainly. Gojyo had laid low and insisted Goku do the same thing. There had been no more shots, and no pounding on the apartment door, something that Gojyo had been worried about. After they were sure they were safe—at least for now, Gojyo called for the ambulance. He was convinced Sanzo was going to be fine despite Goku's frantic worrying. He had disappeared before the ambulance or police got there. "Some police from the department were checking out your room and the place across the street."
"They find anything?"
"I don't think so."
Sanzo eyed the boy carefully. He wasn't lying, at least not right now. He knew he shouldn't trust the boy, but it was hard not to. He had underestimated him, though. Goku was obviously adept at forming connections. He had found Hakkai and was gaining his trust quickly.
They were both getting pulled into something deep, though. His apartment had been targeted, and it hadn't been whoever had been following Gojyo. Whoever it had been had known about the empty apartment across from his. "Fuck."
"Eh, Sanzo?"
"It was Cho. Cho sent somebody."
* * * *
Hakkai Cho looked down at his desk, his good eye studying the fine wood. Papers were stacked neatly near the edge, and his G5 sat in the middle, the small light on the edge of the screen glowing a soft white as it indicated it was asleep. Gojyo ridiculed the computer. "A Mac? Who uses Macs? They're lame." But it was fast, and virtually resistant to viruses –because- it was a Mac. It also worked well with his 15'' SuperDrive Apple laptop.
"I need to talk with him."
"He probably thinks it was you who shot at him." Gojyo looked across the desk, playing absently with the rubber on the sole of his boot, easily accessible because of his crossed legs. Last night had been close; he could've been shot, too. Hakkai wasn't too happy.
"That's why we need to talk. I can use him against Gyokumen. "
"I hate that fucking bitch." Gojyo scowled. He had run up against her a few times. She was creepy. Nothing about that woman was right, and her slow take over of the West side of the city had pissed Hakkai off to no end. It shouldn't have been possible, but now she and her gangs had control of almost the whole West side. She owned a lot of the police, too, but he had his own fair share, so it was more or less balanced.
"Have you heard about her newest gang leader? And about what she's been doing?"
"Yeah..Kougaiji? And hasn't she been getting in more on the drug business?" Gojyo's eyes shifted momentarily to the black screen of the Apple and he unconsciously grimaced at the machine. Jesus, a Mac?! Hakkai usually had better taste than that.
"He's her half son, or something along those lines. She's gone into business with the Columbians." Hakkai caught Gojyo's grimace, and where his eyes were placed, and decided to ignore it, though his constant smile became a little realer for a moment.
"The hell?" Jesus, was the hell was this woman doing, getting it on with the Columbians for some C? The stuff wasn't as popular as it used to be—this wasn't Miami Vice. But it was still a lucrative business, and she was purportedly good at selling other street drugs.
"Mm. I don't know everything yet, but...her lover, Gyumaoh, is married to some other woman—Kougaiji's mother. Somehow she's coerced him to work for her."
"Is he any good?"
"He's driven."
"So how do you plan on getting that cop? And why do you plan on using him? Why not somebody else?" Gojyo looked across as Hakkai, eyes scrutinizing. It seemed ridiculous to use the man who was after him and to trust him. In return, Hakkai only smiled.
"Because I know who killed his partner."
* * * * *
"Sanzo, I don't think you're supposed to be leaving..." Goku followed after the cop who had decided he had spent enough time in the hospital. He still had his bandages wrapped around his arm, and more around his head, throwing his golden strands into disarray. Violet eyes narrowing, he shot a glare at the boy.
"I hate this fucking place. I can walk, can't I?" He'd been light headed when he stood, but the doctors had promised that it was a mild concussion and had dealt with it for the most part. He wasn't going to spend another day so the doctors in their white coats could come in and poke and prod him, giving those false smiles and the 'You're doing so well!' comments.
Apparently realizing this, and not arguing too much, Goku grinned. "Can we get some food? I'm really hungry. The food here sucks." Goku was of the notion that all hospital food was for people without teeth, as if all the injured and sick people had somehow lost all their teeth, as well as their sense of taste.
"Yeah, I'm starved. We'll take a bus to get back."
"What about your clothes?" Sanzo had slipped out of the bed and was carefully pulling on his pants that had been hanging in a bag on the corner. Slipping his watch on over his wrist, he clasped it and spent a moment staring at his wrist, making sure it was working. Convinced it hadn't been broken, he looked up at Goku.
"I hate those fucking robes. Once size fits none. And I hate hospitals; the damn nurses want you to take your clothes off at the slightest thing. And if you're not awake to do it, they do it for you. Horny bastards, all of them."
"But your nurse was a male..." Goku began uncertainly. His name was Jeff; he had short black hair and light brown eyes. In the day or so that Goku had been sitting beside Sanzo, Jeff had come in at least twice bearing food that wasn't hospital Jell-o.
Sanzo didn't say anything, simply looking up as he pierced Goku with a glare; his hands paused in the middle of tying his shoes. "I didn't need to know that." Sanzo's movements were somewhat stiff and forced, but Goku wasn't going to say anything. Sanzo didn't seem the type of person to listen, and he was pretty sure Sanzo wouldn't take all his clothes back off now.
"Whatcha gonna do about a shirt?" They had cut the sleeve off, and then the whole shirt when Sanzo had been brought in. Goku had wondered how Sanzo was supposed to get another shirt.
"You said I had a male nurse, didn't you?"
"Yeah."
"Was he my size?"
"Umm, maybe a little larger."
"Go find him and ask him for his shirt." The cop was sitting on the edge of the bed, carefully prodding at his shoulder. He winced slightly, but overall it wasn't too bad. His pain was still hurting like a bitch, but that wasn't anything that a bottle of aspirin couldn't solve.
"His...shirt?" Rubbing his nose, Goku looked at Sanzo doubtfully. Sanzo pierced him with another glare.
"He wears scrubs, I'm sure he has more then one. I'm not walking out of here without a shirt.
* * * *
"So who was it?"
"I'm sure you're familiar with Dr. Nii."
* * * *
"Aww, but Sanzo, I don't want to stay in a here!" They were staying in a hotel room, paid for by the force, until Sanzo's apartment was fixed. The empty room in the building had been searched for evidence, and there were supposedly a few leads.
The hotel was small, with two single beds in one room, tacky artwork on the ceilings, and a TV that had cable and HBO. It was the one improvement over Sanzo's apartment, in Goku's opinion. Sanzo didn't believe in watching much TV besides the news. To his credit, Goku –had- managed to convince Sanzo he needed at least a DVD player.
They had watched "Gladiator" on the first night, and Sanzo had grudgingly admitted he liked it, but only a little bit. Goku was happy with that, Sanzo hadn't bitched at all, and any admission to liking anything at all was a win.
"We won't be here long, so shut up. And get your stuff off that bed. I'm sleeping near the window."
"I thought you learned your lessons about windows."
* * * *
"So tell me about this Nii guy." Gojyo was sprawled across the couch, eyes tinted red by contact lenses peering at his friend. They had moved away from the desk, and Hakkai had situated himself into a comfortable black-leather chair. He was watching the reflection of the white wine he was holding against his pant leg, a yellow, translucent swirl. After a moment he dragged his green eyes up to meet red. Hakkai knew Gojyo knew a little about Nii, but not much. As far as Gojyo was concerned, he was a man not to be messed with.
"You know that Gyokumen is fucking him on the side?"
"And that she's more or less Gyumaoh's official mistress, yeah." Gojyo took a drink from the dark beer he was holding loosely in one hand. Hakkai always offered a drink, and would always take one for himself if any of his guests did. But he never –ever-drank from it, and most people never noticed. Gojyo had, and told him that he didn't need to pretend when it was just the two of them.
Hakkai had smiled and laughed quietly, and that was the only reply Gojyo got on the matter. And every time Gojyo drank a beer, Hakkai was there, holding his wine. Red or white, some of the finest that could be had, and nothing stronger, but he never took a sip.
"Gyokumen thinks she's in charge—she orders her step son to act as a middleman, and she traps him there by threatening his real mother. She's done a commendable job of hiding all this from Gyumaoh, which isn't too hard considering he's never around."
"So what's the catch?"
"Nii's the catch. Gyokumen thinks she's running things and using him, but it's the other way around." Emerald eyes had fallen back to the glass, his gaze unfocused, as he lost himself. Outside there was the sound of screeching wheels and a blaring horn, and then there was a crash and the sound of glass shattering.
"And so what?"
"Nii is our enemy. He's trying to kill Sanzo, and trying to set me up at the same time because I'm a more obvious figure than he. And once I'm gone he has the city."
"Well, shit. You ready for it?"
Hakkai smiled.
End Chapter
A/N: First off, sorry this took so long. This semester has had so much more work then I first thought.
Next, I want to thank my reviewers so much. You guys have really helped me along, you don't even know! Shunkashuutou is a short, four chaptered character introspection I'm doing, and it's dedicated to all of you! (Except for Fall, which is dedicated most especially to Aki, who is the bestest betaer ever!) It's sort of a "Thank you' for staying through with me. I hope you all are not disappointed by this chapter!
Third, a HUGE thanks to Aki, and before that sf. Both of them are so busy and these chapters really look like chickenscratch before they're gotten too. Aki, you don't know how much I love your doing this for me!
So, please review again, everyone! I made this chapter longer for everyone!
Also, super thanks to Iapetus who pointed out the italics error, and to Ravens who's been pushing me to get the next chapter up!
-K. Firefly