Ooh! I just got reload six. Sanzo has nightmares and Gajyo has to hold
him down. They're both shirtless, too. How is that NOT inspiring? I
would think it would be Hakkai that got nightmares, though.
This chapter's dedicated to Internal Chaos, by the way. Distributes pocky
"I loved you."
Goku stared hard at the table. At least, he expected the Fan of Doom to come crashing down onto his head. There was also the possibility of being shot.
But last time, he hadn't said anything, and he'd spent fifty years wishing he had.
"I figured you might."
No Fan of Doom. Definitely no gunshots.
"What?"
"Well, first of all, you've been following me around since I got here. There's something more than friendship there. Either you're a stalker, or you're looking for a lost love."
So Kouryuu had known all along that Goku had been following him.
And he hadn't done anything. At the very least, he should have taken a few potshots at the younger man.
"I want you to tell me why I keep seeing things. Why this stupid voice keeps yammering nonsense at me. Tell me everything."
Kouryuu's purple eyes met gold. They were darker this time, Goku noticed. Softer somehow.
"Are you sure you want to know?"
"If I didn't, I wouldn't have asked. Now spill."
Goku considered.
"I never really figured out a bunch of this stuff. But I guess it would have started with Kannan."
"The goddess of love and mercy?"
"Self-love, more like. She's a horrid bitch, but I can't tell the story without her. She's the one that decided I should stay with you. Forever, apparently."
And so the story unfolded. Of heaven and Nataku, of Chang'an and it's high preist. The journey west, hindered by every demon with working limbs. The most important of which was-
Gojyo didn't pretend to know Hakkai. He didn't pretend to know what the man had done.
But it sure gave him a lot of nightmares. And they were getting worse as time passed.
It was almost frightening to know that behind the brunette's calm smile, such horrors were hiding.
His nails left red lines down his forearms, over and over again. He didn't even know he was doing it.
Who says there isn't pain in dreams? I feel pain.
I can see blood. Is it mine? I'm not sure. It's someone's.
Is there anyone else here?
Or are they already dead?
"Hakkai… cut it out! Goddammit… you're hurting yourself!"
I can't move… I think there's someone on top of me. Is it them that's been hurting me? Have I been hurting them?
It doesn't hurt anymore…
Somehow, this was okay.
Somehow, kissing Hakkai was okay.
Hakkai had stopped struggling beneath him. The tension in his hands melted away.
It occurred to Gojyo that he had that sort of effect on a lot of people. Generally, they were female, but…
Somehow, this was okay.
At least he wasn't trying to tear his arms open anymore. His fingers curled around Gojyo's own, which were keeping them pinned to the bed and securely apart.
Hakkai's eyes opened wide.
Oh, shit.
I think I might have just blown it.
I… don't think I went to sleep in quite this close company.
Gojyo scrambles off me in quite a hurry. He looks quite upset.
… shit, what exactly did I do?
There's blood on my hands.
Am I still dreaming?
Who's blood? Mine?
There's blood on my forearms. Scratches. Not deep enough to hurt much.
Deep enough to bleed.
He won't look at me. He's busy with the blood on his hands and arms.
I really don't want to know what conclusions he's coming to.
And I don't want to say anything. Like he'd believe me.
Who the hell goes around kissing guys in their sleep?
If it were me in his position, I'd have kicked my ass by now.
But he can't. He can't do anything.
…shit, I think I just blew it.
"Did… did I hurt you?"
"Huh?"
Hakkai turned his bloody palms outward.
"Is this yours?"
"No."
"I see."
Hakkai was silent for a moment.
"I'll get you a towel or something. Do you need bandages for your arms?"
"No, thank you. They've already stopped bleeding."
He didn't ask for an explanation. I didn't really want to give him one.
Maybe it would end up alright after all.
"It's okay, really."
Gojyo ran the bloodied towels under the water, watching the pristine liquid turn a dull pink.
"It's not. I shouldn't have…"
"Gojyo-"
"It won't happen again. Trust me. I don't want you afraid to sleep in here or anything dumb like that. It won't happen again."
Hakkai studied his hands, more for somewhere to look than anything else.
"If you change your mind-"
Gojyo braced for a threat he knew the brunette would be able to back up, eventually.
"Wake me up first. Alright?"
Not exactly what he expected. Hakkai gave him a wide, disarming smile.
"Sure."
"This is taking too damn long!"
Yisou punched a metal wall, which surprisingly did more damage to the wall then his hand.
"Should have just killed that bastard myself."
Probably would have been easier, too.
But he didn't need any extra attention just now. Imagine the sort of reception he would have if the humans discovered that his right earring was actually a power limiter.
No, that would not go over well at all.
But if Kouryuu wasn't going to come through for him, he would have no choice but to do it himself.
Or…
Maybe…
He grinned to himself, remembering a line from some movie he'd seen somewhere.
There are fates so much worse than death.
"And I was stuck there for a friggin' long time," Goku concluded. That had taken longer than he'd thought. Dinner had come and gone, and the waitress had long since stopped giving them the death glare. They were gonna be there all night.
"You get stuck a lot."
"Shut up!" He was only locked up because he couldn't be killed. That he'd figured out on his own, a long time ago. "Anyway, it's only when you do somethin' dumb like getting killed."
"Ooh, smart monkey. He's figured it out."
"It's not that hard, mistress."
"Well, he's not that bright."
"Then I won't get killed anymore."
Heh. Easier said then done. Speaking of killed-
"So what about Hakkai?"
"What about him?"
"Are you still gonna kill him?"
"Probably not. He disappeared right after I-" Kouryuu froze. "You… wouldn't have anything to do with that, would you."
It wasn't a question.
"I… may have."
"Stupid monkey."
"Don't call me a monkey!"
"You are a monkey."
"I am not!"
"Yes, you are. Where'd you put him?"
"I'm not telling."
"Yes, you are. Come on."
He grabbed the younger man by the back of the shirt, all but dragging him out of the tavern.
"I'm not telling you yet."
"And I'm not leaving you alone until you do."
"What if I don't tell you ever?"
"Then I'll stay forever."
This seemed slightly appealing to Goku until the Fan of Doom made it's appearance.
"Ow! Owowowowww! Fine! Quit hitting me and I'll take you in the morning."
"It is morning."
"No it's not."
"Yes, it is. It's a little past one."
"That's still night. They're probably asleep."
'They?"
"Yeah, Hakkai and the guy he's staying with."
"Gojyo?"
"No!"
"That's the no that means yes and you're trying to cover."
"No it's not."
"Yes it is. Come on."
"Where are we going?"
Goku freed his shirt from the other man, opting to walk beside him in a way that made it seem less like he was being kidnapped.
"Back to my place."
"I thought you were going to follow me forever."
"I am. Except I'd rather go home. So you're coming with me."
Well, that was alright then.
If anybody has requests, ideas, thoughts, complaints, comments, etc, I'd love to hear them right about now.
This chapter's dedicated to Internal Chaos, by the way. Distributes pocky
"I loved you."
Goku stared hard at the table. At least, he expected the Fan of Doom to come crashing down onto his head. There was also the possibility of being shot.
But last time, he hadn't said anything, and he'd spent fifty years wishing he had.
"I figured you might."
No Fan of Doom. Definitely no gunshots.
"What?"
"Well, first of all, you've been following me around since I got here. There's something more than friendship there. Either you're a stalker, or you're looking for a lost love."
So Kouryuu had known all along that Goku had been following him.
And he hadn't done anything. At the very least, he should have taken a few potshots at the younger man.
"I want you to tell me why I keep seeing things. Why this stupid voice keeps yammering nonsense at me. Tell me everything."
Kouryuu's purple eyes met gold. They were darker this time, Goku noticed. Softer somehow.
"Are you sure you want to know?"
"If I didn't, I wouldn't have asked. Now spill."
Goku considered.
"I never really figured out a bunch of this stuff. But I guess it would have started with Kannan."
"The goddess of love and mercy?"
"Self-love, more like. She's a horrid bitch, but I can't tell the story without her. She's the one that decided I should stay with you. Forever, apparently."
And so the story unfolded. Of heaven and Nataku, of Chang'an and it's high preist. The journey west, hindered by every demon with working limbs. The most important of which was-
Gojyo didn't pretend to know Hakkai. He didn't pretend to know what the man had done.
But it sure gave him a lot of nightmares. And they were getting worse as time passed.
It was almost frightening to know that behind the brunette's calm smile, such horrors were hiding.
His nails left red lines down his forearms, over and over again. He didn't even know he was doing it.
Who says there isn't pain in dreams? I feel pain.
I can see blood. Is it mine? I'm not sure. It's someone's.
Is there anyone else here?
Or are they already dead?
"Hakkai… cut it out! Goddammit… you're hurting yourself!"
I can't move… I think there's someone on top of me. Is it them that's been hurting me? Have I been hurting them?
It doesn't hurt anymore…
Somehow, this was okay.
Somehow, kissing Hakkai was okay.
Hakkai had stopped struggling beneath him. The tension in his hands melted away.
It occurred to Gojyo that he had that sort of effect on a lot of people. Generally, they were female, but…
Somehow, this was okay.
At least he wasn't trying to tear his arms open anymore. His fingers curled around Gojyo's own, which were keeping them pinned to the bed and securely apart.
Hakkai's eyes opened wide.
Oh, shit.
I think I might have just blown it.
I… don't think I went to sleep in quite this close company.
Gojyo scrambles off me in quite a hurry. He looks quite upset.
… shit, what exactly did I do?
There's blood on my hands.
Am I still dreaming?
Who's blood? Mine?
There's blood on my forearms. Scratches. Not deep enough to hurt much.
Deep enough to bleed.
He won't look at me. He's busy with the blood on his hands and arms.
I really don't want to know what conclusions he's coming to.
And I don't want to say anything. Like he'd believe me.
Who the hell goes around kissing guys in their sleep?
If it were me in his position, I'd have kicked my ass by now.
But he can't. He can't do anything.
…shit, I think I just blew it.
"Did… did I hurt you?"
"Huh?"
Hakkai turned his bloody palms outward.
"Is this yours?"
"No."
"I see."
Hakkai was silent for a moment.
"I'll get you a towel or something. Do you need bandages for your arms?"
"No, thank you. They've already stopped bleeding."
He didn't ask for an explanation. I didn't really want to give him one.
Maybe it would end up alright after all.
"It's okay, really."
Gojyo ran the bloodied towels under the water, watching the pristine liquid turn a dull pink.
"It's not. I shouldn't have…"
"Gojyo-"
"It won't happen again. Trust me. I don't want you afraid to sleep in here or anything dumb like that. It won't happen again."
Hakkai studied his hands, more for somewhere to look than anything else.
"If you change your mind-"
Gojyo braced for a threat he knew the brunette would be able to back up, eventually.
"Wake me up first. Alright?"
Not exactly what he expected. Hakkai gave him a wide, disarming smile.
"Sure."
Somehow, it was all okay.
"This is taking too damn long!"
Yisou punched a metal wall, which surprisingly did more damage to the wall then his hand.
"Should have just killed that bastard myself."
Probably would have been easier, too.
But he didn't need any extra attention just now. Imagine the sort of reception he would have if the humans discovered that his right earring was actually a power limiter.
No, that would not go over well at all.
But if Kouryuu wasn't going to come through for him, he would have no choice but to do it himself.
Or…
Maybe…
He grinned to himself, remembering a line from some movie he'd seen somewhere.
There are fates so much worse than death.
"And I was stuck there for a friggin' long time," Goku concluded. That had taken longer than he'd thought. Dinner had come and gone, and the waitress had long since stopped giving them the death glare. They were gonna be there all night.
"You get stuck a lot."
"Shut up!" He was only locked up because he couldn't be killed. That he'd figured out on his own, a long time ago. "Anyway, it's only when you do somethin' dumb like getting killed."
"Ooh, smart monkey. He's figured it out."
"It's not that hard, mistress."
"Well, he's not that bright."
"Then I won't get killed anymore."
Heh. Easier said then done. Speaking of killed-
"So what about Hakkai?"
"What about him?"
"Are you still gonna kill him?"
"Probably not. He disappeared right after I-" Kouryuu froze. "You… wouldn't have anything to do with that, would you."
It wasn't a question.
"I… may have."
"Stupid monkey."
"Don't call me a monkey!"
"You are a monkey."
"I am not!"
"Yes, you are. Where'd you put him?"
"I'm not telling."
"Yes, you are. Come on."
He grabbed the younger man by the back of the shirt, all but dragging him out of the tavern.
"I'm not telling you yet."
"And I'm not leaving you alone until you do."
"What if I don't tell you ever?"
"Then I'll stay forever."
This seemed slightly appealing to Goku until the Fan of Doom made it's appearance.
"Ow! Owowowowww! Fine! Quit hitting me and I'll take you in the morning."
"It is morning."
"No it's not."
"Yes, it is. It's a little past one."
"That's still night. They're probably asleep."
'They?"
"Yeah, Hakkai and the guy he's staying with."
"Gojyo?"
"No!"
"That's the no that means yes and you're trying to cover."
"No it's not."
"Yes it is. Come on."
"Where are we going?"
Goku freed his shirt from the other man, opting to walk beside him in a way that made it seem less like he was being kidnapped.
"Back to my place."
"I thought you were going to follow me forever."
"I am. Except I'd rather go home. So you're coming with me."
Well, that was alright then.
If anybody has requests, ideas, thoughts, complaints, comments, etc, I'd love to hear them right about now.