You've Got Something
Summary: Hakkai's Sunday takes a strange turn with an unexpected phone call and an even more unexpected meeting.
Notes: Chapter 11 and 12 were part of an experiment in contrast. Similar themes, and the same scene written from two points of view. Enjoy!
12: Considerations
Sunday mornings were for coffee with milk, for steel-cut oats left in his slow-cooker overnight dressed with dried cranberries and slivered, blanched almonds, and for resting. Hakkai liked to sleep a little late – six a.m., if he didn't wake up naturally before that – and read a novel on his porch until his coffee carafe went empty. That had been his routine since he'd gotten his bakery open, and it had only changed a little since a certain man had popped into his life by chance.
He'd gotten over his fever and returned to work on Saturday, but when he'd gone back to work, hoping Gojyo would peek in to check on him, Goku was the one who showed up. He had asked for his usual overly sweet and creamy cappuccino and a plain black coffee for Gojyo. While he waited for Sanzo to make the drinks, he whispered to Hakkai that Gojyo had been working through a cold, but that Gojyo hadn't wanted to worry him and he was mostly feeling better now but still wanted to keep away from Hakkai until he was at one-hundred percent. Hakkai would have taken some soup (good soup, to be precise, made by his hand and recipe) to the poor man, but Goku didn't know and couldn't say where Gojyo lived.
"We hang out after work sometimes, go for burgers and shakes or whatever, but he's never invited me over. He says it's kind of a sty, anyway, and not set up for company." Goku had shrugged, and Hakkai had stifled his disappointment as best as he could.
Hopefully, he'd get to see Gojyo today. He checked the time as he finished his first novel of the morning, and wondered if it was a reasonable time to try to contact him now. Gojyo had done his best to be so kind and considerate of him, he dearly wanted to return the favor. Imagine, someone going out of their way to take care of him! Usually he was the one to take care of others, when he had friends he cared enough about to do so. Gojyo's methods were unorthodox, certainly, but after a day under his care, he felt better than if a miracle worker had worked his magic. He wanted to show his gratitude somehow, and certainly in some other way than making sure none of Gojyo's (dreadful) soup went to waste.
(Even if it was inedible when his taste buds started working again, it was excellent fertilizer for his petunias.)
As if to answer his thoughts, Hakkai's phone rang. Surely it was a sane time now – but it wasn't yet fully light, and the number on the screen wasn't Gojyo's, nor one he recognized. He answered it with a hesitant: "Good morning, can I help you?"
"Oh, Hakkai, dear, has it been that long since we spoke?"
"Koumyou!" Despite the forced cheer in his voice, Hakkai's heart sank. He'd deleted Koumyou's phone number from his contacts in a fit of spite three years ago, and he'd never expected to speak to him again. It had been a shame to cut off communication, because he sometimes liked Koumyou better than the reason they'd met and spoke as often as they had in the first place. That held true even today. "Goodness, it has been some time, hasn't it? Kouryuu tells me you're well."
Koumyou giggled on the other end of the line. "It's true, fit as a fiddle. And you? Kouryuu has said that business has been good."
"It has, yes, surprisingly so." Hakkai reclined back in his chair. "The first year is the hardest, so they say, but somehow or other, we've become very popular very quickly."
"Oh, I can hazard a guess as to your popularity. Your sweets are better than any others in the city, your breads are beautiful, and frankly, I hear the women who pass through gossiping about the handsome baker on Main Street, and how very handsome he is."
Hakkai suppressed a chortle. "Ah, do I have competition?"
"Gracious, no! Though I imagine there are at least a few eyes on Kouryuu." Koumyou heaved a sigh that dissolved into a little laugh. "That reminds me. Have you met Goku? He's a pleasant boy who's been speaking to Kouryuu, we just had him over for dinner yesterday evening."
"You invited him? Not Kouryuu?" Hakkai gripped the phone tighter. He couldn't have imagined that went over well.
"Oh, yes, and we all had a delightful time. You know how Kouryuu is, he's so awfully shy."
"He is. Fortunately, Goku's the precise opposite. I've met him a few times, he's a delight." Hakkai relaxed his shoulders when he realized how tense they'd gotten.
"He certainly is." Kouryuu paused, but Hakkai could sense that he was biting his tongue. "He mentioned you were seeing someone new."
Hakkai sat forward, resting his elbow on his knee and focusing on the dew gathered on his shrubbery. "Ah… so I am. For several weeks, actually."
"That's fantastic!" Koumyou sounded genuinely excited, and Hakkai exhaled. It was uncanny, having to tell his ex-lover's father that he was moving on, and Hakkai only recognized the jitters in his gut now that they were dissolving. "I'm actually quite happy to hear it. Really, truly. Toudai, too. You're young, you deserve to be happy with whosoever you choose."
"Of course," Hakkai demurred, and shifted the phone to his other ear. "Er…" The question burned on the tip of his tongue, but he had been trying to cut the name in his mind off like a gangrenous limb, and even acknowledging that hewas on his mind would open a whole host of scabbed wounds. "You… it's not upsetting you, is it?"
"Like I said, not at all. Really, it's as if you forget that we were connected through Kouryuu first. I care for my son's friends as I do my son. In fact, I would love to meet the gentleman – or woman, or person of any shade, of course."
"It's a man." Hakkai's chest squeezed when he thought of him. "His name is Gojyo."
"Gojyo." There was something curious in Kouryuu's tone, and Hakkai sensed a tension he couldn't place when he repeated the name. "Yes, I believe Goku mentioned it was his employer."
"He owns a small garage. He's quick-witted, despite his languid, easygoing mannerisms, and very smart when he's not playing himself off as a rake." Hakkai found himself smiling. "He's incredibly charming. I don't think I've ever met anyone quite like him before."
"That's wonderful to hear, dear boy." Koumyou sighed again. "I'll let you enjoy your day off. Take good care of the new fellow, and please don't lose my number. As I said, I'd love to meet him."
"We shall see, of course, when our schedules align."
He and Koumyou traded fond farewells, but the moment he hung up, Hakkai noticed an unread text message on his phone:
"Whatever plans you have with that punk, cancel them. We need to talk. Come to the bakery."
Hakkai furrowed his brow. "Really, Sanzo." He would have chided him, but it wouldn't be worth the snippy passive-aggression he'd get in return. He typed a message in return. "I'll dress and be there shortly."
It wasn't yet eight, so likely Gojyo was sleeping off the last of his cold. Hakkai didn't want to disturb him yet. How he'd hate to disappoint him. Still, he typed up a quick text informing him of the bad news and rose to force himself to get ready.
He should have been trying to remember if he had a clean work apron or if he should have packed a lunch, but he found himself still caught on Gojyo's disappointment. How he'd hate a crestfallen expression on that proud face, how he'd much rather see him smiling. How much he would give to see that crooked, roguish smile today, more than a thousand trays of perfect muffins and an acre of satisfied customers.
Koumyou had said he deserved to be happy. It should have made him nervous how happy he was to merely think of Gojyo; he should have been more wary of it. Instead, he wanted to embrace it.
Hakkai entered through the back of the shop with his apron tied in a neat little bundle, but threw it on over his tee and tied it before stepping into the workspace. The Sunday crew was busily cleaning up after the morning bake and scaling for the afternoon dough mixing, but one by one, they greeted him. He peered over their shoulders at the muffins still being iced and packed, at the bowls of flour and rye on the scales, at the bench. Pippi, in particular, stepped back as he examined the puff pastry on her block and ran his finger on the table under it.
"Much less flour than before." He displayed his finger, with only a little flour dust on the pad, and granted her a smile. "I appreciate that you've accepted my minimalist advice with regard to drying out our pastry. Thank you."
Pippi raised an eyebrow. "You sound like you doubted me."
"I didn't, no. Trust, but verify, yes?" He patted her shoulder and moved on, because the dough was getting warm while they chatted and Sanzo was peering in the window and looking unmistakably impatient. "Go ahead and get the pastry cool, it looks lovely and I'd hate to be the cause of tarnishing it."
Sanzo was manning the counter with Houmei, the junior-most apprentice baker. Sanzo liked to observe the customers, to listen to what was said, their comments, their criticisms, and he would usually feed it all back to Hakkai, albeit usually in sharper tones than he would ever hear directly. Today, the moment Hakkai got into his earshot, he pointed at the bread racks.
"The naan Sharak and her team produced last night was obliterated within two hours. They didn't make a lot, but the people who knew what it was were rabid for it." He sniffed, but didn't turn to face . "But more than a few had no idea what it was and were wondering why we were selling fat tortillas."
Hakkai laughed over his bemusement. "I'm glad her experiment went well. Perhaps it can be a special, since it's not a common product. I'll consult with her next our paths cross, and we'll go from there." He finished with a sigh, then leaned forward to catch Sanzo's eye. "But that could have waited until Monday. What's going on?"
Sanzo grunted, and finally gave Hakkai the grace of eye contact. "We need to talk Christmas. Because you've been sick, we've gotten behind on planning. It's going to be insane from the end of November through the end of the year, and all we've done so far is start planning a tentative list of holiday items and a schedule of weekly specials. I was running the numbers and doing some comparisons on the numbers for similar businesses in my magazines."
"Ah." Somehow, Hakkai had read the tone of Sanzo's text differently. "I admit, I've been a bit lax in my preparations."
Sanzo sneered, then sighed and uncrossed his knees, then grabbed their order book off the counter. "No better time to start than the present. I know we're going to need pies, and cakes. What flavors of pie?"
Hakkai crossed his arms as his mind shifted gears into business mode. "Apple and pumpkin, obviously; popular harvest flavors. Pecan is popular as well, but it can be hit or miss and I haven't felt out the area well enough to know for certain. I could ask someone who knows the area." A smile escaped to his face as he thought of a certain someone he'd ask, but he shook it off and refocused. "Do you think customer polling…"
He and Sanzo talked for an hour, plotting the escalation, possible schedule shifts, additional ordering, and how to best determine what they would need. "The American half of town will go wild for pies at the end of November, like we'd determined, but I'm not certain if the Japanese side of town will follow suit." Hakkai tapped his pen on his lip and reviewed the sheets he'd torn off of the order ledger. Orders and customers had steadily flowed in and out as they'd talked, but Hakkai had noticed Sanzo's gaze flick away from him and across the shop floor more than a few times. His arms remained tightly crossed over his chest, but Hakkai pretended he wasn't scouring Sanzo's body language for clues as to what was going on in his mind. "As for recipes, I'll begin research tonight, after I go to the grocery store, and set a night aside in the next two weeks for taste-testing."
"All hands on deck?"
"I'd rather make it voluntary, but I'd like to encourage as many of our assistants and apprentices to show up as possible." He tucked the pages away. "The bread team will be there, of course, but Sharak's main contribution is usually, 'This is too sweet.'" He considered Sanzo's expression a moment longer. "You may invite your parents, of course."
Sanzo scoffed, his hands tightening around his lower arms. "They won't come. Not that they don't like your stuff, but if Toudai has more than a little, Koumyou pecks at him, and Koumyou won't eat so Toudai doesn't get jealous." Hakkai noticed Sanzo's knuckles go white. "He's so cautious, it's annoying. His diabetes hasn't worsened. It's everything else that's the problem."
"Ah." Hakkai bit his lip for a moment. He knew that Toudai's health was a sensitive topic, and one Sanzo was loathe to speak of. Not even in private, so certainly not here. He made a mental note to call Koumyou again and inquire, but went on, "You should invite Goku."
"He has the palate of a monkey. He'll think anything is good."
Hakkai laughed aloud, until he remembered they were still in the shop and muted himself to a conversational chuckle. "Certainly he'll have things he prefers." He paused, and studied Sanzo's expression. "I'm inviting Gojyo."
Sanzo's face wrinkled as if someone had thrust a lemon under his nose at that exact second, and Hakkai began to get a much clearer picture of what was Sanzo was really thinking. "I get the distinct feeling you dislike him."
"He's a moron." Sanzo groped at his vest pocket, but Hakkai pushed his hand away from his cigarette box and continued to wait, unblinking, for further explanation. "My opinion of him isn't the one that matters, but you're rushing whatever you're trying to accomplish with him."
"I disagree." Hakkai turned on his heel to face Sanzo directly. "I did not set out to accomplish anything with him, as you put it. We met, we happened to have chemistry, and I intend to see how long the reaction lasts."
"The reaction, as you put it, is practically incendiary. You know he could be throwing up a smokescreen. You'll get burned if you're not careful."
"Ahaha. Imagine, you concerned that I'll get hurt in a relationship."
Sanzo put his foot down and straightened his back. "If you get wrecked again, then you'll be useless to the business, and that's not good for the bottom line."
"What is the bottom line, Sanzo? Money? Success? Fame and fortune?" Sanzo scoffed and rolled his eyes, as Hakkai calmly stood his ground. "No, you've never cared about any of those things. Life is for living, is it not? And many will say that one who does not love has not lived." Hakkai pursed his lips, then let his chin drop. "You're right. I was all but disemboweled in the aftermath of my… relationship with Nii. And it took me time to recover, but I'd like to think I'm stronger for my scar tissue. I would think you would be happy that I found the strength to let myself be picked up by a charming stranger that happened into my sphere and try to move on."
"'Charming strangers' are usually just assholes with a good cover." Sanzo tightened his arms where they were crossed again, his voice a dangerous hush.
"Ah, so I suppose you won't be inviting Goku after all? He has you fairly charmed, from what I can tell." Sanzo swore under his breath as Hakkai studied him again. "Your father called me this morning. He told me that Goku had passed on the news that I was seeing someone again, and that he was happy for me. I suppose it was presumptuous of me to think you were at all happy on my behalf."
Sanzo bit back another blue word, shaking his head. "You hardly know him. I don't, either. He could be just like that asshole–"
"– We're in the shop, Sanzo, mind yourself. Do we need to go outside?"
"No. I have nothing more to say than this: Watch yourself. Take a step back and really look at the damned man. And for fuck's sake, don't go throwing yourself down another black pit when you know how much that bottom hurts."
Hakkai was about to reply, when the shop bell chimed, and Gojyo rushed in and Hakkai was struck silent. He was dressed in what appeared to be workout clothes, a tank that was stuck to the skin of his back and doing nothing to disguise the musculature of his abdomen and arms, and red shorts that left little of his thighs to the imagination. He shone with sweat, huffing a little as he caught his breath, and Hakkai looked at him – really looked at him – and his mouth went dry, though his insides were still tense. He managed a wan smile as Gojyo approached him with his usual, easygoing grin and his hands behind his back. Hakkai discreetly tipped his eyes over Gojyo's short-shorts, then met his gaze with his usual smile.
"I'm surprised to see you this soon, though not unhappily so. Did you leave your gym for me?"
Gojyo laughed sharply and tossed his hair, but Hakkai caught his shoulders stiffen. "Nah, I was just out for a run." He hesitated, then brought his arms forward. "And, uh, I saw this." He showed his hands and revealed a decently-sized cookbook – an antique cookbook, one Hakkai knew he'd never seen before. His chest suddenly felt both tight and empty all at once, as Gojyo bashfully lowered his face and managed a churlish grin. "It made me think of you." Hakkai took the cover in – a beautiful, ornate pie decorated with dough in the shapes of grape vines and leaves, something that would have been unreasonable for the shop but lovely at home – and that tight sensation in his chest turned into an implosion.
Gojyo had listened to him, and did something, unprompted, to meet his desires. He hadn't asked for it, and yet Gojyo had wanted to please him. This wasn't just the act of a charmer looking to squirm his way into his pants, he just wanted to make him happy.
All of a sudden, Gojyo was backing away, and he forced a sharp laugh. "That's all. I'm sorry for interrupting ya at work–" It was then that Hakkai noticed many of the regulars staring, and stifled a titter. Such a proud man, getting self-conscious so easily!
"This is very kind of you." Hakkai realized he was hugging the book, and squeezed it to his chest as if Gojyo had just laid his soul in his palms. "You were just thinking of me, were you?"
"Well, yeah." Gojyo stopped trying to escape and grinned with all of his teeth. "You said you like to read, and you like cookbooks, and it's way retro, and everything that's old sorta comes back after a while, right? So, it made me think of you, and nothing makes me happier than that, y'know?"
Sanzo groaned behind him, but Hakkai ignored him, silently pleased that he didn't have to argue another second to prove him wrong. "You're far too kind. I'll enjoy this, and I'll think about you every time I open it."
Gojyo's ears turned red, and Hakkai's pulse fluttered like a hummingbird's wings. He didn't care that the entire shop was watching now, he'd throw his arms around Gojyo this very moment were the counter not dividing them. Gojyo, for his part, waved a little. "It's nothing, just, I thought it'd make you smile. Good thing it did, right?" He startled, and dug into his back pocket. "Oh, yeah, while I'm here, I need a quick favor."
"Anything." Hakkai leaned over the counter, and Gojyo held up his cell phone.
"I don't have a picture of you yet. Think you could, uh–"
"Oh, certainly!" Hakkai was starting to feel a little self-conscious too, and he dusted his collar and apron. Gojyo held his phone up, and Hakkai put every bit of pleasure he felt for Gojyo's gift into his smile, until he heard him take the picture. Gojyo turned it back to himself and grinned, wearing delight like a string of fairy lights (all lit up, practically glowing), and Hakkai couldn't help it. Wouldn't it be nice to show Koumyou the sweet, smiling man who'd captivated him? Wouldn't it be nice to see his face whenever he wanted? He took his phone out. "Quid pro quo, if you don't mind."
Gojyo knit his eyebrows in confusion for a split second. "Quid pro – oh, you want a picture, too?" He quickly tried to groom himself, swiping the loose strands of his hair into a facsimile of his usually-straight part. "I'm kind of a mess."
"You're always at least a little bit of a mess." Gojyo stilled, and Hakkai reinforced his smile. "I think messy suits you." Gojyo's cheeks got pink again, and he chortled and tossed his hair over his shoulders, then set his hands on his hips, the very image of a man's man despite his short shorts.
"Shoot away, babe."
Hakkai waited just a second to make sure Gojyo wouldn't blink, knowing he couldn't capture his natural swagger, his air of debauched charm, or all the flutters of anxiety and warmth that dueled in Hakkai's chest when he looked at him. He took the picture, capturing Gojyo's smile, his proud figure, and turned it towards Gojyo so both of them could look. Gojyo guffawed and tossed his hair again. "At least my hair looks okay." He shrugged. "Well, it's me." Hakkai hummed softly in agreement, then turned to find his nose nearly touching Gojyo's, and a helpless smile overtook him. He kissed Gojyo on the nose.
"It is you, and I think I rather like that." He liked that very much, everything in that picture, everything standing in front of him, from the kindness in his heart to the way he got embarrassed.
"Hakkai." Sanzo had busied himself helping Houmei, but paused to tear Hakkai from his reverie. "We weren't finished."
"Oh." Hakkai felt all of his joy curdle at once, but took a breath to sigh it out, and focused on Gojyo so he'd resist the urge to grant Sanzo his falsest smile and his most withering stare. "I should get back to attending to business. Would you care for a coffee before you go? The Gojyo special?"
"Gojyo special?" He sounded amused, if nothing else, and Hakkai felt a little shiver in his throat when he cocked his eyebrow. "I got my own special?"
"Your favorite. Coffee and espresso with chocolate, no milk, no sugar." Hakkai took a cup and marked it with a smiley-face, but Gojyo chuckled and shook his head.
"You really got my number, babe." He ran his thumb over his abs. "Still, I just had a workout, I oughta keep it light. Can I have an iced coffee with nonfat milk?"
"Anything you'd like." As easily said as done, Hakkai poured the coffee from the cold press, added a scoop of ice, and swirled in a little milk, then presented it with a flourish. He touched Gojyo's fingers as he withdrew his hand, his rough, callused knuckles a welcome little scrape on the pads of his fingers. "If you'd like dinner with me later, I can offer that, as well."
Gojyo beamed, his fingers tightening around his coffee cup, and Hakkai found the joy rising back through him bit by bit. "Dinner sounds awesome. Text me when you want me, alright?" He threw Hakkai a carefree little wave as he left, and Hakkai stifled a laugh as he turned back to Sanzo.
"I'm afraid his phone would never stop ringing if I did that."
Sanzo grunted with disgust and hooked Hakkai by his collar. "Come on." He glanced to Houmei. "Knock if you need help." Then, he yanked Hakkai into the kitchen.
Hakkai pulled out of Sanzo's grip the second they were through the doors. "I'll thank you not to drag me around like a stubborn dog on a leash. Is something the matter?"
Sanzo sucked in air, then glanced back at the kitchen staff, all of whom had stopped to stare. Then, he released hot air in a rush: "Stop being stupid. I tell you to take it slow with him, and the next second, you're draping yourself all over him in public."
"Your discomfort with PDA is not at issue, and really, Sanzo, it's not as if we were removing clothing or even going anywhere near second base. I believe this is how most people act when they encounter their paramour."
"Paramour." Sanzo sneered the word, then put his finger in Hakkai's face. "Listen. Nii came home last night. He was asking about you. I don't know how long he's been in town or how long he'll stay, but he asked about you."
Hakkai had been about to scold Sanzo for talking down to him, but that stopped him. He felt the places that Gojyo's presence made warm freeze over as the words sunk in. "Oh. Oh, is that so?"
"I didn't want to tell you." Sanzo patted at his pocket and yanked a cigarette out. "I don't want you wrapping yourself up with him again. I'd rather him not find an opening to worm his way back into your life. I imagine him seeing you with someone new might give him an 'in.'"
"No, I understand." Hakkai shook his head. "But what do you want me to do? Stop seeing Gojyo?"
Sanzo mouthed his cigarette, but didn't light it. After a moment's consideration, he muttered, "No. He's an idiot, but he's been good for you."
Hakkai sighed and put his forehead in his hand. "Then what is it you want me to do?"
Sanzo considered it for a moment, his focus pinned to the end of his cigarette, but he grunted and shrugged. "Watch your ass and don't do anything stupid. That's it. I need to actually smoke this." With that, he spun on his heel and strode for the back door, already fetching out his lighter as it swung shut behind him. Before Hakkai could recover, the door to the shop swung open and Houmei popped her head in.
"Sorry to interrupt, boss, but I could use a hand!"
Hakkai smoothed his expression over. "We were just finished, no apology is necessary." He adjusted his apron and stepped out, and Houmei gestured to the man at the counter.
"He asked about a special you'd mentioned, I thought you'd be the right person to ask."
Hakkai realized he recognized the customer: a younger man, with platinum blond hair slicked back under a black beret, a cordial smile and a drawl. "Gracious, I didn't realize you'd be fetchin' the bossman." He flapped a skinny hand. "Don't mean to get the young lady in trouble or nothin'! Just a little, teensy question! Is the 'Gojyo Special' an off-menu item?"
"Gojyo Special?" Hakkai repeated, surprised. "Er, no, that's… that's just how my boyfriend, Gojyo, likes his coffee best. Ah, you're Hazel, aren't you?"
The young man gasped. "Why, yes I am! Does my reputation precede me?"
"No, I remember you. You were there at the pub when that fight happened, you called the police."
Hazel looked thrilled. "Why, you remember me! I hadn't thought you would!" He thrust a hand out. "We exchanged only a few words, sir, but to be formal, the name's Hazel Grouse. I'm happy to be of service to an out-and-proud couple."
"Oh, my." Hakkai cupped his hand over his mouth. "I'm not certain we're, erm, 'out-and-proud,' as you'd put it, though neither of us are hiding our preferences nor ashamed of them. But I appreciate the assistance of a Good Samaritan. On that note, whatever you would like today will be on me."
"Why, thank you!" Hazel beamed, clasping his hands. "Now, I was asking the young lady what the 'Gojyo Special' was, and she didn't know."
"It's only something he's asked for, and something I prepare. Coffee, espresso, and chocolate, no added milk or sugar. It's a cross between a mocha and a blackeye. Would you like one?"
"Yes, please!" Hazel folded his hands on the counter, beaming. Hakkai turned to make it, but caught other customers joining the line out of the corner of his eye, raising their hands.
"One for me, too!"
"And me! I want a large!"
Houmei's jaw dropped, her eyes boggled, and Hakkai stood gobsmacked as fifteen other people lined up, chattering about the new drink. He recovered first and tapped her shoulder. "Ring it as a mocha with an added espresso shot." He put his smile back on for Hazel. "Just a moment. One Gojyo Special, coming right up."
He delved into the work, Gojyo's name in his ears and his smile in his head. He could forget the fears that crept around in the corners of his mind like grinning shadow puppets, lost on the thought of Gojyo, sweet and strong, glowing in his view.
