Chapter 5. The Missing Piece

Gen had been staying for almost a week now. "Arghhh, I can't get this part right," Gen shuffled his hair in distress. Goku's head popped up from the studio room, "Huh? What is it?"

Gen was surprised, as if he just realized that he was not in his own room. However, his face brightened just a little bit after seeing Goku. "You. Maybe you can help," his hand motioned Goku to come. Goku put down a digital camera he had been carrying on the coffee table and plopped down beside Gen. After securing his headphones on Goku's head, Gen played the unfinished song.

Light sounds tapped the back of Goku's head and he closed his eyes. When the melody began, Goku found himself floating above the rippling deep waters. The music gradually became so immense and the feeling of longing became far greater than the music he found before. Gen made a smug smile looking at Goku's expressive faces throughout the song, but at some point the cute face showed some signs of distress. Reaching the end of the music, Goku felt something else. It sounded like life itself emerged through the music and tried to reach out to him, and Goku found himself longing for a sound that would greet that life. But the music ended before he knew it. It was just, incomplete.

Goku opened his eyes and stared blankly at… whatever he was staring.

"So?" the voice sounded much more impatient than Gen intended.

"I feel I wanna touch it, ta feel it with my hands," Goku raised his right hand trying to grab whatever that was.

"Huh? Speak human, moron," Gen was restless.

Goku turned to look at him, "I can feel the longin', way stronger than the other one. An' I feel life approachin' through the music, but I feel somethin's missin'."

Gen nodded.

"Like... like.. I wanna raise my hand and touch it. That life. I wanna listen to the sound of my hand in that music, maybe..." Goku suddenly grabbed his head with both hands, and it seemed like he was thinking so hard. "I dunno, I can't really describe it, ya know," he said at last.

Gen sighed. That was indeed what Gen had been thinking as well, but how to make it work in his music… was the problem. He reached for his e-cigarette and inhaled deeply. He felt the nicotine surged through his lungs and it calmed his mind a bit. He could feel Goku staring at him and he tilted his head a bit. He wanted to glare the man off but instead he was drawn into the depth of wide golden eyes. Somehow, he felt the golden eyes calling to him, not out loud, not even with a speech.

Suddenly, a sound chimed in his head.

Suddenly, Gen leaned his head on the sofa bed and snickered. "Right," he mumbled before he brought the e-cigarette to his mouth and inhaled once again. Goku was surprised by the sudden movement, "What is it?" Gen exhaled a lungful smoke, "I need to get back to my room."

Not more than 10 minutes later, Gen searched for his keys in his pockets. It was the first time he went back to his room. In the end, he borrowed Goku's clothes while he stayed. Goku followed behind as Gen entered the cramped apartment.

Goku's jaw dropped by the sight of the room, almost full with musical equipment. Where the sofa bed was in his own room, there was a large desk with two big screens and a mixing panel, and also a very comfy luxurious chair, complete with its foot stand. Gen motioned Goku to stand in front of the desk and gave him a microphone, "Hold this for me." Goku took the tool and while Gen went to a room, he let himself be amazed by the room once again. At the side of the room, there was a rather small rack full of books, and Goku's gaze fell to the top row. The books had a distinct design and Goku noticed it was a series of... travelling books? Journey to the center of our being, Goku once again made use of his superhuman eyesight. And his eyes widened by the name of the author. Hakkai.

Gen came out with a golden bowl. He sat on the floor near Goku and set up what Goku recognized as a singing bowl in front of him. It had been more than a hundred years since Goku last saw it. Without looking, Gen held out a hand and Goku instinctively gave the microphone. Gen set the microphone to a mic stand, right over the singing bowl. Then he went to grab his phone, long fingers working and soon he put the phone beside him.

Brushing aside his previous thoughts, Goku watched keenly as Gen closed his eyes and breathed a few times, deeper each time. At some point, he picked the mallet with one hand and held the singing bowl in his other one. He opened his eyes and struck the singing bowl. The sound was clear and deep and it resonated across the whole room. Another gonnnggg and Goku felt his whole body resonated with the sound. Gen then proceed to move the mallet, gently circling the edge of the bowl over and over again. The reverberating sound was small at first, but gradually getting louder and at some point Goku's body started vibrating with it. Goku felt amazing, relaxed yet aroused at the same time. A few more rounds and Gen abruptly struck an edge, holding the mallet now above his head. Goku shivered and he thought he just experienced eargasm. The accent lingered a few seconds before progressively disappeared.

After it became totally silent, Gen slowly lowered both his hands and put the instruments on the floor. He then picked up his phone and nodded, "That should do it." Gen swiftly stood up and brought the singing bowl back to the room.

Gen came out of the room, "C'mon let's…" he lost his word when he found Goku, stunned with glittering eyes. Gen stepped closer and found tears forming in those eyes, "Hey, what's wrong?" confused and worry all over his face.

Goku snapped, "O-oh, it's nothin'," but tears started streaming then. Goku could not hide his face from the piercing violet gaze so he decided to just tell the truth, "I guess it's just the memories." Gen raised an eyebrow, "Memories?" Goku wiped away his tears, "Yeah, when ya play the singin' bowl, my memories started to show up and suddenly I feel nostalgic and real sad." Goku smiled a bitter smile and Gen had to bite his lip. He was heartbroken seeing the sincere lively man showed this side of him, and worse, he did not know how to react.

Anxious, Gen put both hands in his pockets, "Yeah it's kinda amazing, to be able to listen to yourself when listening to a singing bowl." At those words, Goku chuckled and the sincere smile came back. Gen's tense shoulders relaxed at once. "Okay then... let's go back now," Gen walked towards the door before Goku grabbed his arm, "Wait, don'cha wanna grab some spare clothes?" Gen thought it was not a bad idea. He went back to his room to grab some.

Goku made his way towards the book rack, "Hey Gen, what's these books, Journey to the center of our being about?" He pulled one out and started flipping the pages. "Oh that? They're poems. My friend wrote it when he travelled with his friends," Gen came out with a gym bag. Goku reached the end of the book and found a painting of the author. He could not really make it, but somehow he recognized Hakkai in it. "They're good. Just take some with you if you want," Gen was now standing behind Goku and Goku could smell the lingering smoke from Gen's breath. Heat suddenly found its way to Goku's belly. Goku quickly took two more of the books, "O-okay, 'll take these," he said before swallowing.

Three hours later, Gen was still sitting in front of his laptop, a scowl in place. His hand sought for the e-cigarette when he remembered the e-cigarette was being charged at the moment. Frustrated, Gen slammedhis laptop and put down his headphones.

But now that he's not wearing the headphones, he could hear Goku's snore. It was small and steady, and Gen turned to find a sleeping face a little too close to his own face.

Gen watched Goku's face for some time and the more he watched, the stronger he felt his feelings. What is this feeling exactly? Gen could not fully comprehend what he felt. It's a bit of familiarity, a bit of longing, a bit of calling to him, drawing him closer... and closer… and closer… and he pressed his lips on Goku's forehead.

"Hn…San... zo..." Goku murmured.

Both of Gen's eyes went wide. At just those words, he suddenly felt nauseous. Flashes started to fill his mind and his head hurt so badly, as if it was going to explode.

The Smith and Wesson was once again in his hands, but now he could see himself clearly as the day. A blond with droopy violet eyes, scowl in place. There was also something else on his forehead, was it a red dot? "Sanzoooo!" The boy with the yellow cape ran towards him. The idiotic wide grin decorated the round-faced brunette. Yes, a brunette with a golden diadem. The boy… was definitely Goku, only younger.

"Sanzooo! I can smell meat buns over there! Let's go an-" Whack! A harissen landed roughly on the brunette. "Ouch! Why'd ya hit me for!" Goku covered his head with his hands. "Shut up, you bottomless pit!" The voice was slightly deeper and way grumpier but obviously his own voice.

A ride in a green jeep through the forest when suddenly there were many men with pointy ears, or youkais he finally remembered, showing up, "Hand over the sutra, Genjyo Sanzo!" Goku was the first to leap and smash those youkais with his NyoiBo. Clunking noise from chains soon followed, and soon he felt too much seeing the bright yellow light flashing again and again. He closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, he was walking in a forest. His breaths were short and he knew that he was at a high altitude. He reached his destination and looked inside the prison cave. There it was. The so-called monster. Golden diadem rested on brown long hair, who was looking at him like an idiot with those wide shining golden eyes. He extended his hand and when it made contact with its hand, the prison crumbled.

Gen opened his eyes, sweat dripping from his chin. He rubbed his throbbing temples, trying hard to slow down the overflowing memories.

"Gen? What's wrong?" Goku had leaned his upper body on his elbows and looked at Gen worriedly. Gen, who had remembered everything, could not hold himself from blushing. Luckily the universe was at Gen's side, the overly dim light hindered Goku to see the pink colors in his cheeks. Gen tried to process what was happening, but all he could muster was that he was too close to his most trusted person, who was also his lover, and his... sun. And that his lover had grown to be a still healthy and now wealthy man with a stable job. And remarkably sexy too, he noted while seeing the perfect muscled body above the loose t-shirt.

Eager mouth caught his, tasted tart of cheese and strawberries from their dessert. Only these flavors tasted much more delicious on the coarse tongue which was invading his mouth. One of his hands brought the brunette even closer to his hungry mouth while the other slowly went down to-

"Gen?" Goku's distressed voice brought Gen back to the present.

Gen shook his head. He was overwhelmed with all this and he still had to finish the darned music. After a few deep breaths, Gen decided that he would figure things out slowly and keep the discovery to himself until the time comes. "I'm fine. Maybe I just need some water."

"Uh... okay. I'll go get some for ya," Goku got up from the sofa bed and went to the kitchen. Gen's gaze followed Goku quietly, as he did a couple of times before. But Goku, with his overly sharp senses, felt a difference in the treatment. Even though the change was not completely unpleasant, Goku was rather worried. He knew something had changed.