Author's Note: Wow...I forgot how much school sucked...o-o sigh...wish I was still on vacation...Anyways, my fanfic's going to cover a rather long span of time in this chapter.

Wasabii---Thanks for letting me take the week off and not hitting me this time... :)

Akiko Koishii---Aw...It's okay –pat pat- You want pocky? Pocky makes everything better.

Koryu-Sanzo---T-T I have been hit...and procrastination is fun until the work is due tomorrow. o-o

Meppers-Im---Thanks for reviewing! –hands you a tissue-

Schizo the Mentally Disturbed---You have the longest name I have ever had to type for a review reply! Your prize is...CRAYONS! For they shall rule the world! ((I blame my friends for saying that too much)) Thank you for reviewing, and of course I shall continue this.

Stepher-chan---Well, it's an AU fic so he has parents o-o funky, eh? And thanks for reviewing!!!

Chapter 7: Yearning

-)Hakkai POV(-

It was a long flight and I slept rather lightly the whole way. When I was getting close to my destination, I began to feel slightly nervous. What would this new place be like? I had taken a course in English but still...this was America. It was a strange new land.

The moment I stepped off that plane, I was already unsure of myself. I passed through crowds of unfamiliar faces, slightly confused even though I knew where I was going. It was early morning there, the city lights still shining in the darkness that was beginning to fade away with the presence of dawn.

I made my way down the streets, noticing the strangeness of the city. There were rich people, and beggars, run-down buildings and brand-new ones. Yet, they were not conflicting. Everything seemed so balance for a place where so many opposites met. A tall gray-colored building caught my eye and I made my way towards it.

Climbing the steps that led to the entrance, I gripped the handle of my suitcase tightly. I was really here. I was really at my new school, overseas from the place I called home. The feeling was saddening and exhilarating at the same time.

For the first few weeks, I moved comfortably into my new room, and met my colleagues. The place was slightly old but I thought it gave it a bit of a quaint charm. One of my teachers was a rather nice man named Mr. Wakabayashi. He had come from Japan as well and now made his living there. He seemed to understand what I was going through and felt more like a friend than a teacher to me.

Even though my days were full of excitement, I never stopped thinking about Gojyo. At times, my mind may have dwindled slightly away from him, but never too far. Nights were sometimes restless; the bed seemed to be too big without him. Gojyo...

-xXx-

-)Gojyo POV(-

Everyday seemed dull and somewhat pointless to me now, as if everything had been smeared with the color gray. It was a routine...get up, watch TV, eat, go out for a walk or for cigarettes and alcohol... It was too overdone. The only thing I looked forward to were phone calls from Hakkai, which were very rare and shorter than I wanted it to ever be.

I had suggested phone sex at one point, but Hakkai was too embarrassed to carry it out so I had to abandon the idea in the end. I few weeks without getting laid was heaven compared to a few weeks without Hakkai around. I felt like I was losing myself, fading into that ever growing wall of gray.

Sleep was the worse. I couldn't get more than five hours of sleep at night and sometimes I'd just fall asleep in a chair from fatigue, but I never woke up feeling any better. I keep telling myself that it's only a month until I get to see him again, and I know it will be worth it. Yet...what might happen after?

x-Z))-0-((Z-x

-)Goku POV(-

I hadn't wanted to believe it...at all. I didn't want to think about it. The truth was my scores in high school had been too low to get me into any of the colleges with Sanzo. In fact, I didn't get into ANY colleges at all. I had pouted, yelled, cried, but no matter what I did, it hardly mattered. There was no way I was going anywhere.

So I got stuck at home, reluctant to let Sanzo leave me, but he told me it'd be okay...he told me...

-FLASHBACK-

-)Narrator POV(-

"But Sanzo, I don't WANT you to go! I don't want you to be so far away from me!"

"You know I have to! It's not like I have much of a CHOICE! Stop being so selfish already!" Goku falls silent and looks like he's about to cry, but Sanzo wraps his arms around him.

"Look, you bakasaru," the nickname was spoken with affection, "I'll visit whenever I can. You'll make it through this. You're too stubborn to just give up on me like that and I know it, so just hang tight...for us."

-)End of FLASHBACK(-

So here I was, two weeks after Sanzo had left, and a complete wreck. I was sitting alone on a park bench, all curled up and just staring into the distance. It was cold, but I was too deep in thought to let it bother me too much.

There was a slight rustle to my left and a shadow blocked the light from a nearby lamp post. I looked over to stare into eyes that were a sharp, bright violet color. Long crimson hair was blown out by the wind. The figure was garbed in leather and wore several chains. He looked familiar to me...and then I knew it. I had scene him at the restaurant where we had eaten our last meal with Hakkai.

"What are you looking at?" asked the man. I jumped slightly at the unexpected words. I hadn't even noticed I had been staring.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to stare," I said dropping my gaze.

"Golden eyes...I've seen you before, haven't I?" he asked and I managed a slight nod. "So what are you doing in this park alone by yourself?" I heard a small creak as he sat down on the wooden park bench next to me.

"Just...thinking about things...oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name's Goku," I said in a bit of a respectful manner.

"Goku... )1( Someone who can apprehend and cannot be seen by the eye..." said the stranger, leaning back against the bench.

"Huh?" I was deeply confused by what he had said.

"That's what your name means. As for me, my name is Kougaiji," he said, sitting up slightly. "Anyways, I have to go."

"Why?" It had seemed less lonely with only a little bit of company around.

"If you want to know, you're more than welcome to find out," he said getting off the bench and starting to walk off. I quickly scrambled off the chair and went after him, finding it better to be in the company of someone I knew very little about, than completely alone.

)1(- This is the true meaning of Goku's name. If you don't understand it...you're not alone.

Author's Note: Well, that's it for now, and for the heck of it...I tried a pork bun and they really are good o-o I can understand why Goku likes them so much now. XD