Had to be Fate
Two days had passed and as Goku sat out in the yard of the house he shared with Sanzo, he was at his wits end of what to do for the two stupid men.
He'd tried talking to Hakkai during school but every time he went to the staff faculty room he was "told" that Cho-sensei was too busy to see him right now and come back later. Of course when he did Cho-sensei couldn't be found. It was official, Hakkai was ignoring Goku. It also didn't help the poor boy that his own guardian rarely came out of that study of his. Every time he told the blonde writer that he'd gotten them dinner, a muffled grumpy voice told him to leave it in the kitchen and to go away because he was busy. Instantly the soft echo of fingers tapping at a keyboard would soon be heard. It appeared Sanzo didn't wish to see him either.
Pouting in the tree that he now rested against, he listened to a back door open and turned his attention to it as his golden eyes came across Yaone hanging up some washing.
"Ah, Yaone-san!" Goku happily voiced as he waved at the restaurant owner before jumping the fence as he decided to ask her what she'd do in his situation.
"Goku-kun, what is the matter? You look terrible." She voiced worriedly and sat the 14 year old down on one of the outdoor chairs before sitting in another. Though Goku did speak cheerfully, the look in his eyes and the slight frown upon his lips told her something was up.
"Ne Yaone-san, if two people you knew were having a fight, what would you do?"
"Do you know what they are fighting about?" She asked and watched Goku hum 'sagely' as though trying to think real hard on what it could actually be.
"Well I'm pretty sure Hakkai likes Sanzo and um…hmm…Sanzo might be angry about it." Goku scratched his head trying to get his jumbled thoughts together. "Hakkai was staying over for a bit, but then something happened and all of a sudden Sanzo and Hakkai don't talk anymore and every time I ask Sanzo what's wrong he tells me to go away and Hakkai is ignoring me at school as well. I'm worried…" The brown haired boy pouted and observed Yaone smile softly at him as she pat him affectionately on the head.
"So that's why he seemed a little strange over the past couple of days. It also makes more sense now that I know what the commotion was about from the restaurant too." She spoke more to herself then Goku even though he was listening in.
"Who is strange?"
"Hakkai-san, he's been wandering about the restaurant wanting to help as though needing to get his mind off of something and so now it must be because of Sanzo-san."
"What do I do though?"
"Well do you know whether or not Sanzo-san likes Hakkai-san at all?" At the negative shaking of Goku's head Yaone sighed lightly before continuing on. "Unfortunately you can't force them to see each other bu-"
"THAT'S IT! THANKS YAONE-SAN!" Goku cheered happily, leaping from the chair and heading over the fence once more. Before disappearing completely over, Goku popped his head back over.
"Can ya send Lirin-chan over?" At Yaone's slight nod of the head, not sure what she said that made Goku smile again or think of a plan she headed inside to call out for Lirin to go visit him. Of course when Yaone said to go over she meant through the front door, but kids will be kids and Lirin went climbing over the fence much like Goku always did.
"You just interrupted me in eating meat buns Goku, what is so damn important?" The orange haired girl spoke in exasperation, one hand holding half a meat bun.
"You have meat buns?" Goku replied, eyes sparkling just thinking of the tasty treat before he shook his head and got back to what he wanted to plan before he forgot all about it. "No, listen, I have a plan on how to stop Sanzo and Hakkai from arguing."
"Oh?" Lirin voiced, not truly listening as she munched happily on her meat bun.
"We'll set them up!" He whispered to the girl, since they were in his backyard. Goku knew Sanzo always had his window open and freakishly he had good hearing as well so he needed to be extra careful. "You see I'll drag Sanzo to the park and you bring Hakkai to the same one. You know the one just across from Yaone's restaurant?" With Lirin nodding her head happily, she grinned and gave Goku a victory sign.
"I'll bug Hakkai so much that Yaone wants to see him and needs help in the kitchen and he'll come instantly…or something like that!"
"And I'll…well…I'll think of something to convince Sanzo with later, now gimme!" Goku snatched the ¼ of a meat bun from Lirin and shoved it into his mouth.
"AH! YOU GIVE THAT BACK!"
"You suuuuuuuuure?" He spoke with his mouth full, voice muffled as he and Lirin burst into fits of laughter.
"Ah that's gross Goku! Anyway I'm still hungry and I've got more at the house if you want to come over?"
"We can think up how the hell I'm gunna get Sanzo out of that study of his too." Goku spoke as they headed into the house, moving to the kitchen to grab soft drinks before heading down the hallway to stop in front of Sanzo's closed door.
"Sanzo, I'm going to Lirin's." Goku voiced but received no answer from the "cave occupant". Lirin frowned at this and now knew what Goku was talking about as she too was being ignored when she chimed for the blonde man to come out but usually he'd tell her to rack off but not this day. The two teenagers left and headed for Lirin's place to discuss the times and "unexpected" meeting place.
Xxx Inside the Study xxX
Sanzo sat leaning against the backing of his chair, a deep frown on his face and a cigarette burning away in his ashtray (which was full to the brim with other cigarette butts). He was not in the mood for typing his latest works, a biography in fact on himself titled 'Kouryuu'. He was never one to share anything with others, but he'd been persisted (forced) into doing the biography by his editor/publisher (his Aunt). It was either a 'do it yourself' project laying all his thoughts even up to the present day into a book about his true self or she would write it for him and blow everything and anything out of proportion. Sanzo hated doing it, but what else did he have to do? Staring around his room, Sanzo let out a sigh. Nothing, he had nothing better to do then type up some lame ass book about himself that no one would understand…or so he predicted.
He'd heard Lirin and Goku voice they were going to the other brat's house and he snorted at Kougaiji having to put up with his fridge being emptied out in five minutes flat. Thinking back on that Sanzo corrected his mental time and placed it to 2 and a half minute because now Goku was in the house and he and Lirin could eat anything.
Taking off his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose, Sanzo stood up stretching his body as he had been sitting down for far too long and headed out of the study to grab a beer from the fridge.
Stepping into the kitchen he opened the fridge to discover…no beer. Making his usual 'che' noise Sanzo slammed the door closed and headed for his study, grabbing his wallet to place it into the back pocket of his jeans before placing his light blue shirt back over it and then placed his keys into his front left pocket. With that done Sanzo stood at the doorway, placing on his sneakers and then headed off, door slamming closed behind him.
Xxx From Kougaiji's Kitchen Window xxX
"Ne Goku, did you know Sanzo was going out?" Lirin spoke as she stared with wide eyes out the window.
"What?" Goku stared out the window to see the blonde walking off. "Crap!" Goku yelled, dumping his meat bun on the counter and he raced out the door, Lirin in toe and only for the fact that Goku had snatched up her wrist to come with him.
"SANZO? OI, SANZO! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?" Goku yelled as he ran to catch up with his guardian who was walking down the street and ironically heading in the direction of Yaone's restaurant.
"To get a drink saru…and no you can't come, I'm heading for a bar." Sanzo snapped back making Goku stop in his tracks.
"Lirin, the plan is working!" Goku happily voiced.
"We haven't even placed it into action though." Lirin responded which got Goku blinking widely at her and muttering 'oh yeah'.
"That doesn't matter, the only bar he goes to is the one near Yaone-san's restaurant, so go get Hakkai already! We gotta get him to come see Sanzo."
"How do I know where Hakkai is?" Lirin pondered aloud, scratched her orange hair as she did so.
"I don't know, ask Yaone-san and I'll meet you out the front of the restaurant. I have to make sure Sanzo stays in the bar. Ja!" He voiced and raced off leaving Lirin to blink at his disappearing figure. She shrugged her shoulders and took off back to her house.
Xxx Yaone's Restaurant - Two Hours Later xxX
"Oi Goku!" Lirin yelled as she waved to the teenager who was pacing back and forth from near the entry of the restaurant. Besides Lirin was Hakkai who was calmly watching the sunset through the park just across the street. He was wearing a pair of black jeans, a black long sleeved shirt and an opened short sleeved shirt over the top of that which was dark green. It had an imprint of a baby dragon flying on the back of it outlined in black.
"What took you so long?" Goku muttered to Lirin as she had raced towards him while Hakkai continued to walk oblivious to the teenagers' plans.
"Hakkai insisted on walking and he was so damn slow and trying to convince Yaone-oneechan to make Hakkai come to the restaurant earlier was real hard too!" She griped back and the two hushed from their whispers and smiled broadly at the silently blinking Hakkai.
"Goku, Lirin never told me you would be here as well."
"Mmhm!" Goku happily voiced and observed as Lirin pointed towards the bar not too far down the street, the one that Sanzo was in at the very moment. "Yaone-san wanted you to grab cartons of beer for the bar from that place there. Can ya do that now before heading inside? She gave me specific instructions to make you do that first." Lirin "smartly" voiced and innocently smiled up at Hakkai watching him nod his head and walked off, not even hearing the two snicker lightly as he was too preoccupied with thoughts of a certain writer he'd officially freaked out and pissed off.
Xxx Inside the Bar xxX
The place was poorly lit as Hakkai entered and headed straight to the bar to try and get the attention of the bartender behind the counter, ubt that wasn't possible when the employee of the place was currently serving a customer.
"Get me another beer." Came the gruff voice that Hakkai had grown accustomed to in a matter of days as he turned surprised eyes to the slumped man sitting on a bar stool with several (a lot) empty beer cans.
"Sir I think you have had enough already." The bartender spoke nicely, but this man was obviouskly new and didn't know he was speaking to as within a blink of an eye he was jerked forward, Sanzo's hand fisting in the front of uniform as he growled out his order.
"I said get me another beer."
"Y-Yes Sir, right away!" The bartender was finally let go by Sanzo and rushed to get him another beer, but didn't when Hakkai shook his head at him and quietly mouthed he knew the grumpy man nearly falling off the stool. Taking a deep calming breath Hakkai made his way over to the slouched blonde.
"Maa, maa Sanzo, I think you've had enough." With that spoken Hakkai effortlessly pried the half empty can from Sanzo's hands and watched as narrowed and slightly hazy eyes stared up at him. Not only that Hakkai thought he was seeing things as it looked like Sanzo was pouting up at him. Of course Hakkai shook the thought from his mind and helped the blonde up, swinging his arm over his shoulder while his other went around his waist.
"How much has he drunk?" Hakkai questioned the bartender and listened to a gripe of 'not your business' from Sanzo before he burped and his head flopped down, chin resting on his chest.
"Yare, yare desu ne… I should have brought my jeep." He mumbled to himself as he paid for the drinks Sanzo hadn't (because he wasn't conscious now) and half dragged the blonde out of the bar. Looking around for the help of either Lirin or Goku he found neither of the teenagers and began to ponder as to whether this was a set up or not. He'd have to call Yaone later and stared down at Sanzo's slumped head.
"Who would have thought I'd have you in my arms, ne Sanzo?" He spoke quietly to himself and began walking off, noticing there were no taxis around.
"Not by my choice…"
"S-Sanzo, you're awake!" Hakkai murmured in surprise and watched the blonde push away from him, staggering to stay on two feet.
"Just how much did you drink Sanzo?" Hakkai persisted in his questioning once more and instead observed as Sanzo stumbled away. Instead he quickly caught up, pushing Sanzo away from the curb so he wouldn't fall into any oncoming traffic and kept close eye on his feet to make sure he didn't trip and fall flat on his face.
It took awhile but Hakkai finally stood at the front door of Sanzo's place as Sanzo tried the doorknob but realized it was locked. Fishing through his pockets he found his keys and missed the keyhole each time he tried to unlock the door. Hakkai suppressed the urge to laugh and took the keys from Sanzo, hearing a 'che' froim the man at his side as he successfully unlocked the door with his first try and pushed it open. Sanzo brushed past, obviously heading for his room but was jerked back in surprise, eyes widening slightly as Hakkai had a hold on the back of his shirt.
"Your shoes Sanzo/" Pointing down at the sneakers Sanzo was wearing Hakkai arched and eyebrow as he kicked them off and stumbled further down the hallway in search of his bedroom. It was evening now, the sun past the horizon and quite early, but it appeared when Sanzo drank, he drank a lot and quickly and when he was drunk all he wanted was sleep. Quickening his pace Hakkai helped Sanzo towards his bed, noting this was the first time he'd ever been in Sanzo's room and found it extremely tidy. Curtains were drawn closed and Hakkai left Sanzo for a moment to turn on a bedside lamp.
"You really should sle- SANZO!" Hakkai gasped in surprise as instead of Sanzo flopping down onto his bed and falling asleep like Hakkai had thought he would, he was instead slammed up against the wall near the lamp, his wide emerald eyes staring into narrowed and calculating hazy amethyst orbs. Warm breath laced with the intoxicating smell of alcohol assaulted Hakkai's senses as he stared down at Sanzo's lips. His heart thumped in his ears as Sanzo's grip on his shoulders increased and the hotness of his body drew ever closer making him gulp at what could happen or was going to happen next as his eyes did not draw from the lips that were creeping closer to his own. A mere brush of dry lips against his own had Hakkai's heartbeat pounding erratically as Sanzo mouthed a drunk induced word that could meaning a thousand and one things to him.
"Why…?"
"Sanzo!" Hakkai voiced worriedly as he caught the man within his arms, not wanting him to fall unconscious to the floor with a loud thud. Pulling him towards the queen size bed Hakkai placed Sanzo into it, smiling at the redness of his cheeks and fingers (not being able to resist) caressed disheveled blonde strands of hair away from Sanzo's closed eyes.
"Why indeed Sanzo…" He muttered to himself before moving away from the sleeping novelist as he slid to the floor, resting his head back on the mattress, knees raised and wrists resting comfortably against them. Hakkai closed his eyes as he waited for Sanzo to awaken, he not even noticing the two heads that popped through the gap in the door before it closed silently once more, the two teenagers giving each other victory signs before creeping out of the house once more.
# To be continued #
Authors Notes: Ah, this shouldn't be going for much longer, maybe another two chapters and then it'll be finished. It's not coming along as quickly as I thought it would and so its beginning to weigh down on me so I'll wrap it up when it hits Chapter 10. Besides I'm sure it's been forgotten by readers…