Saiyuki: Blooming Reassurance
~Chapter Five~
Three months have past. The Sanzo party is still on their journey to the West. Hakkai has slowly gotten over the abandonment that was in his heart. They all still missed her, but they didn't say or show it anymore. They only continued their journey.
******
Bright sunshine shone into the now vacant room. Hakkai woke up after a good night's sleep. He's been sleeping pretty well for the last couple of months. There were nights he'd toss and turn in his sleep, but those were nights that it was raining. Those type of nights always had that effect on Hakkai and Sanzo for that matter. Neither one of them could sleep when it rained.
Hakkai stood on the porch of the inn they were staying at. They've been there for a couple weeks now. Goku's been sick for about a week and a half now. They weren't exactly sure what was wrong, but they noticed he was feeling bad when he wouldn't eat. Eating is like oxygen to Goku. He can't live without it. The door creaked as it opened. Gojyo stepped out and stood beside Hakkai. He placed a cigarette on his lips and lit it. He took a few puffs and sighed.
"How's Goku?" Hakkai asked.
"The little runt is still sleeping. Sanzo's watching him for right now."
"No improvement, huh?"
"Nope. Have you tried using your healing powers on him?"
"My healing powers only work on injuries and you know that."
"Yeah. I forgot. How are you doing?"
"I'm fine. I'm sleeping better now."
"That's good." Gojyo said, walking away.
"Where are you going?"
"I need to take a walk."
Hakkai just stood there watching Gojyo walk off. He turned and walked back into the inn. He walked up the stairs and into Goku's room. In a chair beside the bed, sat Sanzo. Hakkai pulled up a chair and sat beside Sanzo. They just sat there watching the sleeping monkey demon. He would stir in his sleep every so often, but never woke.
******
Amerie walked through a small town. She's been on her own for the last three months. She was somewhat surprised that Kougaiji let her leave like he did. She just continued walking. She saw no need to think about what happened three months ago. She's undergone a change. Her attitude has changed. She was living in peace wandering around from one town to the next. She looked up and saw a young man with long crimson hair walking towards her. He looked strangely familiar. (Gojyo!) She exclaimed to herself. She stopped and looked at him. He looked up from the ground and saw her. His eyes grew wide.
"Amerie?" He said, stopping in front of her.
"Hello Gojyo." She said.
"You look different." He said, looking her over.
"Thanks." She replied. "What are you doing here?"
"Goku's been sick. We've been here for two and a half weeks now."
"Oh no. What's wrong with him?"
"We don't know. He just got sick one night. I'm heading back to the inn. Why don't you walk back with me?"
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
This had to be fate. She remembered writing a note to Hakkai telling him they would see each other again. How odd was it to bump into Gojyo? They walked to the inn that Gojyo, Goku, Hakkai, and Sanzo were staying at. Amerie didn't hesitate one bit. She walked right in and followed Gojyo upstairs. The door to Goku's room opened and out stepped Sanzo. He saw Amerie and paused. He had a bit of a surprised look on his face. The door to Goku's room was still opened. Amerie looked inside and saw the still sleeping Goku and the back of Hakkai. He was still sitting in the chair beside the bed.
"What are you doing here?" Sanzo hissed.
"Sanzo, give her a break. We bumped into each other in town." Gojyo whispered. They tried not to raise their voices.
"That was a nice greeting, Sanzo. Really, it was." Amerie whispered back, with a bit of an angry hiss in her voice. She walked past the monk and the half demon and into Goku's room. She closed the door behind her.
"That was quick." Hakkai said, turning around in his chair. He slowly stood up, looking at Amerie. He wasn't sure if she was real or just an illusion.
"Hello Hakkai." She said. Her beautiful voice rang in his ears.
"A... Amerie. Wh... What are you doing he... here?" He stammered.
"Relax, Hakkai. Don't worry. I won't be here long. Gojyo told me about Goku and I came to see how he was doing." Amerie said, walking closer to the bed. She looked at the sleeping Goku. Sweat covered his face and made his brown hair stick to his face. She reached out and touched his cheek with her fingertips. His skin was extremely hot.
She stood there, still touching his boyish face. His body began to shudder. Then, she removed her fingers. She turned and walked out. Again, leaving Hakkai baffled. She walked past Sanzo and Gojyo. She stood on the porch with her hands in the pockets of her black waist length jacket.
Inside Goku's room; Sanzo, Gojyo, and Hakkai stood beside the bed. After a couple minutes of complete silence, Goku's arms moved and he sat up somewhat awake. The look on the three men changed from worry to shock and relief. (Amerie just healed Goku.) Hakkai thought.
"I'm hungry." Goku yawned.
"Yep. He's fine." Hakkai said, with a laugh.
"Huh?" Goku said.
"Let's get this monkey something to eat." Gojyo said.
"What are ya'll talking about?"
"Just get up." Sanzo said, whacking Goku on the head with his fan. This time, Sanzo whacking Goku was showing Goku that he was worried about him.
"Alright." Goku said, slowly standing up and rubbing the top of his head.
Gojyo, Sanzo, and Hakkai walked out of Goku's room, to let him get cleaned up. Hakkai walked away from them and outside. At first, he stood slightly behind Amerie, watching her. She was still as beautiful, no. She was even more beautiful than he remembered her. Then, he stepped up and stood beside her.
"How's Goku?" She asked.
"He's fine. He's awake and wanting food."
"Good." Amerie said, take her hands out of her pockets and began to walk off when she felt something grab her left arm.
"Amerie. Please, don't go. Don't leave me alone again." Hakkai pleaded, holding her arm.
"Hakkai..." She whispered.
"I... I love you." He confessed.
Amerie's heart sank when she heard those words. Her head lowered, then turned a bit to see him. "Why would you love someone like me?" She said, in a low voice barely audible to Hakkai.
"Life has ways of making one see things differently. Fate has brought us together again. I shouldn't have let you leave. I should have told you how I feel, but I didn't. So, I'm telling you now. Amerie, I love you and I want to be with you."
Amerie was speechless. She could only stand there. The grip on her arm loosened, but his hand remained. She longed for his touch, but couldn't tell him. He was one of the reasons she left Kougaiji and the others. She looked at him. There was a different look in his eyes. It wasn't a look of hatred, anger, sadness, pain, lost, or loneliness. It was a look of want, need, lust, and love.
Minutes passed by. Goku, Sanzo, and Gojyo walked outside. They stopped and stood there. They saw Hakkai and Amerie. Hakkai held Amerie's arm loosely. No one said anything. Hakkai looked at Amerie. The look in her eyes was a look of shame and sadness. He released her arm and looked down at the ground. He didn't expect her to stay. Sanzo, Goku, and Gojyo walked away heading for the tavern in town, leaving Hakkai and Amerie alone.
