I spent a weekend on a small vacation and this story had been burning to be written so as soon as I got home I jumped right on the computer and started to do what I do best. Of course it's going to be horrible so be gentle with those reviews!
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Saiyuki, never have, never will. This is meant merely for your enjoyment, not my profit.
Gojyo woke with a start, not sure what exactly had roused him from his slumber. A light rain pounded the windowpane, drawing the kappa's attention to the empty bed across the room from his own. The blankets were rumbled like someone had been tossing and turning, and the pillow's corners were twisted as if someone had been wringing them over and over. Gojyo sighed and pushed his covers aside before swinging his legs over the side of the bed, deciding to go look for his roommate. After all, Hakkai couldn't get too far without someone noticing.
The water sprite found his brown haired youkai friend outside on the porch, with just his hands exposed to the rain, palms aimed heavenward. The water pooled in his hands and spilled to the ground. Gojyo leaned against the wall and stared at his friend.
"Hakkai, you should be in bed," he whispered. The brown haired man didn't turn, just smiled.
"I couldn't sleep," he said softly.
"So I realized," Gojyo sighed. Hakkai tipped his hands and watched the water run off. He then turned to face his roommate.
"I'm sorry if I worried you Gojyo," he apologized. The water sprite sighed impatiently.
"That's not the point Hakkai. You've been losing sleep every night for a week. Something buggin' you… Hakkai…" he said as he walked forward, closer to his friend, who just smiled.
"I'm fine Gojyo," he answered. "I've just been thinking about…" He looked at his hands. "Things…" He turned and put his hands in the rain again. Gojyo grasped Hakkai's wrists and pulled them back. The brunette gave a rare frown and tried to put his hands back to where they were.
"Hakkai, the rain can't fix everything," Gojyo said sternly. He moved his grip from Hakkai's wrists to his hands.
"I can try can't I?" the demon slayer whispered sadly as he looked down at his and Gojyo's hands. The kappa sighed and pulled Hakkai off the porch and into the rain. Slowly the pair became drenched.
"Listen Hakkai," he said as he held the youkai's hands palm up. "If you let all your emotions pool up, they'll escape somehow anyways," he murmured as the two watched the water collect in Hakkai's hands and run over before splashing to the ground. "But if you let it out, it won't collect," he said as he turned Hakkai's hand over. The brown haired youkai looked up into Gojyo's crimson eyes and frowned again.
"I don't get it Gojyo," he said flatly. Gojyo sighed, trying to figure out how else to explain to Hakkai that he needed to share what he was thinking.
"Listen Hakkai, share your problems with me. What's been buggin' you? You can trust me," he said. Hakkai pulled his hands away and walked towards the porch.
"It's… nothing," he said quietly. Gojyo wasn't convinced. He slowly followed Hakkai onto the porch and into the house. When they got back into the room Hakkai walked over the window and looked out sadly. Gojyo glanced at his friend before peeling off his damp shirt and throwing it into a corner.
"Please tell me?" he finally tried as Hakkai pulled his own shirt off, exposing the scar on his stomach. Gojyo gazed into his forest green eyes and gave him a pleading look, trying not to gaze at the blemish on the youkai's perfect skin.
Finally Hakkai sighed and walked over to his dresser, pulling a dry shirt from one of the drawers. With slow movements he pulled the shirt over his head, hiding his scar again.
As he pulled the cloth over his face, his headband slipped down over his eyes and his monocle fell to the floor, shattering.
"Oops…" he said as he pushed his headband back up and looked down at the small pile of broken glass and twisted wire. Gojyo walked across the room and bent down, sweeping the glass into his hand. As he straightened he toyed with the pieces.
"Do you have a spare?" he asked as he realized it was beyond repair. Hakkai shook his head.
"No, I don't. But that's okay," he said with a smile. "I can just get another one!" Gojyo sighed and dumped the broken mess into Hakkai's outstretched hand.
"Whatever. You should get back to bed though," he said as he held back a yawn. Hakkai grinned.
"You're the tired one. But alright, I'll try to sleep," he said as he dumped his broken monocle onto his bedside stand and sat on the bed. "But I'm not making any guarantees that I will. There's too much on my mind."
"Well maybe if you'd tell me things there wouldn't be so much on your mind," Gojyo pointed out. Hakkai shrugged and crawled under his blankets as his kappa friend also got into his own bed. Eventually Hakkai did fall asleep, still tossing and turning, but asleep none-the-less. Gojyo was a different story. He didn't fall asleep right away. Instead he lay on his side, staring at his roommate, thinking. There was something wrong with Hakkai, he just wouldn't share it, and Gojyo couldn't figure that youkai out. Why did he have to be so difficult to understand?
Okay so this wasn't the BEST chapter in the world; really short if you ask me… But anyways, keep your eye opened for the next chapter! Oh and tell me what you think of this one.
