Goku fidgeted as he watched people walk past, heading toward the gate which served as an entrance into the zoo. He'd shown up too early, having been paranoid about being late, and still had several minutes until Sanzo would show up. The blond tended to be very punctual, showing up not more than a few minutes before the appointed time. Goku had been late for their second date, and had been so embarrassed that he now made sure he'd get there on time even with the sometimes unreliable public transport.
Although it was rather late in the evening, the zoo would still be open for a few more hours and so was still quite busy. He hadn't realized that it would be such a popular spot for couples, and watched with more than a little envy as they walked past, holding hands and even kissing each other.
Yesterday, Goku had actually gone to the public library and looked at a few books about relationships and dating. He hadn't checked any out and certainly wasn't about to tell anyone, but he had found some good information. Apparently, after the first couple of dates, couples started doing more physical things like kissing and such.
Of course, the books were mostly through the 'parent' view of dating. Taking your time, being safe, healthy decisions to make. They recommended going for dinners and activities that allowed the couple to talk, and recommended a LOT of talking.
Unsurprisingly, all of the information was veered toward male/female couples. Even so, Goku doubted it was much different. Farther down the road, the two of them would have much different issues to deal with, but for now, it was just like any other kind of date.
Goku glanced up at the clock at the entrance. It was just passed five minutes to six, and he sighed. Okay, next time, he'd be early. But not by twenty minutes, because it was just far too boring to stand here by himself.
Looking around at the crowd, Goku paused when he met a pair of eyes watching him. He frowned slightly, as he didn't recognize the person as someone he'd met before. The man looked to be quiet old, easily in his sixties, but his green eyes were well-focused on him. Eyes that seemed to know him.
Goku broke the gaze, confused, looking instead at the young girl holding the green-eyed stranger's hand. She was probably around eight, and was chattering happily to "Grandpa", apparently excited about the trip to the zoo.
When he looked back up, the elderly man had focused again on the line, and Goku dismissed it. Probably the man had thought they'd known each other, then realized he was mistaken.
It was then he spotted a familiar face, and Goku smiled widely as Sanzo approached from the bus stop across the street. As always, his heart fluttered a little and he felt a building excitement within him. All of those doubts he'd had just a week ago seemed so far away now, replaced by a happiness that made them seem insignificant. He was quickly falling in love with the blond, knew that and didn't care in the least. He doubted he could of met a more perfect person for him.
The wait in line wasn't very long, and soon the two of them were strolling around the grounds. As the zoo was outdoors, they'd actually had a lot of room to build with and it was quite large. There were different branches, with bigger animals to the right, aquarium animals in a building to the left, a picnic area in the middle. There was even a small dinosaur park to the east of the entrance, behind the building which held the smaller petting zoo.
"Did you eat anything before you came?" Sanzo asked as they paused in front of the gorilla pen.
The question caught Goku in the middle of a thought, and he had to ask Sanzo to repeat it. Since the blond had arrived, there had been a nagging thought in the back of his mind that he should take the other's hand. It was easier said than done, since it would make the fact that they were on a date obvious. Would Sanzo be okay with that? Or would he pull away?
"No, I didn't have time because of the bus schedule," he replied absently, his eyes stealing down to Sanzo's hand yet again.
Well, there was only one way to find out.
"When we circle back to the picnic area, how about we grab something we can talk around with us?"
Goku nodded absently, and slowly slipped his fingers into the natural circle of Sanzo's own. "Um, if you want to," he replied.
Everything seemed to stop for a few seconds that stretched until they felt like hours. Then Sanzo's fingers tightened around his own, and everything went back to normal. Why did everything feel like it was going to be this big epical moment, then end up going so smoothly? Not that he wasn't appreciating the situation, but things always seemed so much easier AFTER he'd done them.
"You got your final assignment today, right? Is it going to be difficult?" Goku asked as they made their way toward the lion pen. He couldn't help but be a little distracted by the feel of the other's warm palm against his own. The other man had slightly lanky hands, but the skin was as smooth as Goku had thought it would be. He could even feel the little calluses from typing on Sanzo's fingertips.
"Yes, but that's not surprising for how important it is. I'm sure everyone's work is going to be difficult. I have a little advantage, though, mine actually took place in Tokyo."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, about a year ago. A student named Yamakura was killed."
Goku felt his stomach drop, and he couldn't seem to breathe properly. The name seemed to echo in his mind. He could remember it clearly, that night with Mazaki that had changed everything he'd thought about himself and the world around him. He'd thought they were friends, good friends despite only knowing each other a short time, but Mazaki had thought they were more. And he hadn't wanted to take no for an answer when Goku had told him he just wasn't interested.
He didn't remember what had happened after Mazaki had dragged him into that alley to 'talk in private'. He'd woken up at home the next day, but he'd heard quickly on the news. Mazaki, dead, looking like he'd been mauled by a wild animal. And, despite the fact he didn't have any memory of it, Goku knew he was somehow responsible. That was when he'd sworn to himself that he would never allow himself to get so close to another person again.
Sanzo had noticed his reaction, and was staring at him with a confused expression. "Goku, what's wrong?"
The brunette shook his head, pulling his hand away from Sanzo's. "It's... I have to go," he stammered. How could he say anything? There was no way he could explain away his reaction. Could Sanzo already suspect something? The blond certainly wasn't stupid. If he hadn't before, he would now! Every instinct Goku had screamed for him to get away. There were no words he could say, nothing he could do, and he had to escape before he was forced into making a mistake that could cost him everything he'd gained in the last week.
"Goku, wait!"
He heard Sanzo call him, clear as day, but didn't slow his pace as he raced toward the front entrance. He didn't hear echoing footsteps behind him, and was both hurt and relieved in the same moment.
At least it allowed him to slow down and catch his breath once he reached the picnic area. He doubted the bus would be by for at least another half hour. Sanzo might spot him waiting there, and he couldn't face the blond right now. He had to figure out some way to at least marginally explain first. He could hide in a different part of the zoo until the bus came.
Goku glanced around, wondering which direction to go, when he came face to face with the elderly man he'd seen at the entrance. He was sitting at a picnic table, while the little girl was busy throwing coins into the nearby water fountain.
"You look upset. Something happen between you and Sanzo?"
He'd been about to start on his way when the words stopped him cold. Goku frowned, once again looking the man over. He was still certain he'd never met him before. "Do you know Sanzo?" he asked.
The elderly man shrugged. "In a way. The same way I know you. My name is Hakkai, by the way."
"I don't think we've actually met. What do you mean?"
"Ah, well, are you having the dreams?"
Goku's brow furrowed. "What in the world are you talking about?"
Hakkai looked genuinely surprised by this. "You haven't had the dreams? That's been the one thing we've all had in common over the years. Well, I suppose your situation is rather different from ours. We weren't even sure if you would be reincarnated."
"Yes, well, I don't think we know each other," Goku stammered, ready to head on his way once again. Whatever this guy was talking about, it sounded more than a little crazy.
"We do, I can assure you. I just want to offer my help, Goku. Gojyo and I saw what happened in the newspapers last year. We knew, from the description and how the police found the body, it had to be you. We've been talking about it, about the difficult situation you must be in. We've both known you for a long time, and if it's like before, you must be so confused. We may not be able to give you all of the answers you want, but I think we could help you understand a lot of it."
Goku didn't know what to say. He was tempted to believe what Hakkai was saying. But how could a complete stranger know so much about him, about things that even he didn't know about?
Hakkai stood slowly, reaching forward with a slightly shaking hand as he held out a card for Goku to take. "It must be confusing for you. But I want you to think about what I've said. If you decide to take me up on my offer of help, you can find me here."
Goku accepted the card, which was actually just a piece of paper with an address scrawled across it. Looking up, he saw that Hakkai had turned back to the child he was with, as though the conversation hadn't happened.
His mind spinning with all that had happened in the last half hour, Goku slowly made his way toward the bus stop.
Did Sanzo suspect that he was the killer?
Did Hakkai really hold the truth of what happened that night?