Title: 2nd
Author: brainfuneral
Pairing: 59 (Kindof an
unusual pairing, I know! But there are
whispers of 58 and a little implied 39 also – so hopefully people will be
willing to give it a try!)
Rating: PG for kissing
Summary: "I
don't know how I'm supposed to kiss anybody else after that."
Warning: Spoilers for Reload volume 8 – takes place
directly after Even a Worm 27.
"Perhaps we should take a break here and rest for
a few minutes," Hakkai suggested, breaking the oppressive silence that had
fallen over the sullen occupants of the Jeep.
From his vantage point in the front seat, Gojyo eyed
Goku, who was staring at some point far in the distance. "Hey, monkey, you
hungry? I think we've still got
some jerky left that hasn't gone green."
Goku's eyes wandered to meet Gojyo's. "Huh?
Oh, yeah, that sounds good."
Frowning, Gojyo turned to Hakkai, whose worried eyes
matched his own.
"Let's stretch our legs, shall we? I'm sure Hakuryu
will be glad to be rid of us for a few minutes, won't you, Hakuryu?" Hakkai pasted on a smile and stepped out from
the driver's seat. Hakuryu
beeped his horn in reply and transformed.
Once in dragon form, he flapped over to circle around Goku's head,
nudging the young man's tousled brown hair with his snout. Goku patted the animal's head absently.
"I think maybe I'll go for a walk. I won't go far," Goku said, and started
to meander in a seemingly random direction, not waiting for a reply from Hakkai
or Gojyo.
Once Goku was out of sight, Hakkai said in a low
voice, "perhaps I should speak to him.
Burying the youkai girl was obviously very difficult for Goku." Hakkai stroked Hakuryu's
wing absently as the dragon settled on his shoulder.
Shoving his hands in his pockets, Gojyo looked in the
direction Goku had gone and sighed. "Never
thought I'd actually wish that asshole were here."
"Indeed.
Sanzo would know how to comfort Goku.
Well, his own brand of comfort, anyway." Hakkai shifted his weight back and forth and
smiled at Gojyo. "Well, I'll see
what I can do, though I'm certainly no Sanzo."
"Thank god for that." Gojyo dug a cigarette and his lighter from his
pocket. "Actually, let me go. I'll talk to the kid." Hakkai looked surprised, but didn't
reply. "I'm pretty good at dealing
with guys who've just lost their first lady loves." Aiming a smile and a wink at Hakkai, Gojyo
started off after Goku.
He heard Hakkai chuckle softly and say, "good luck, Gojyo."
He caught up quickly with Goku, who had seated himself
on a fallen log and was apparently deep in thought. Goku looked up absently when Gojyo came near,
but remained silent. Gojyo plopped down
next to the abnormally quiet young man and clapped a friendly arm around his
shoulder. He lifted the cigarette to his
lips with the other hand and flicked his lighter. Inhaling a deep breath, Gojyo held the
tobacco-laced air in his lungs for a moment before blowing a stream out of his
mouth and into the clean forest air.
When Goku spoke, it was soft and Gojyo strained to
hear him. "She kissed me. It was my first kiss. And then she died."
Squeezing Goku's shoulder, Gojyo said, "that really blows, man."
"Yeah. Yeah it really does!" Goku's voice finally became animated and he
threw his hands in the air. "I
mean, why did she do that? It's hard
enough that she went off to die without me, but why'd she have to kiss me
first?"
Gojyo took another drag of his cigarette before he
replied. "I think she … she wanted
to experience that kiss too, you know? Before all the shit went down. Just to have something nice
to hang on to, if only for a few minutes."
"I don't understand."
"I know, man.
Women are … women are tough. But
in the end, she gave you something to remember for the rest of your life
too. So you won't just remember her
dying when you think of her, you know?
You'll think of her living, at least for those few seconds, while you
kissed her."
Goku's head dropped to his hands, and the pair
remained silent for a moment. Gojyo's breath of cigarette smoke and a bird's call filled the gap
where words didn't need to be.
"It's just … it was my first kiss, you know? I don't know how I'm supposed to kiss anybody
else after that." Goku lifted his
head and finally looked at Gojyo, whose arm still blanketed his shoulder.
Gojyo ground out his cigarette in the log beside his
leg. Looking at Goku, he grinned and
said, "well, that's easy. You just do." With that, Gojyo leaned forward and captured
Goku's lips in a sloppy kiss.
Too stunned to pull back, Goku's lips parted and Gojyo
tilted his head, pressing their mouths together seamlessly. Gojyo released Goku after a moment and took
in the shocked expression on the young man's face. Placing a hand on the back of Goku's neck,
Gojyo gently brushed his lips against Goku's once more. He held Goku, mouths clasped together, for a
few silent moments.
"There.
Now you've had your second one."
Gojyo grinned at the wide-eyed young man on the log next to him. Goku's mouth moved as if he were going to
speak, but no words came. Gojyo stood
up, tousling Goku's hair as he rose.
"I know it's not the one you really want, but I'm
sure you'll get that one eventually. If
anybody will, it's you."
"Gojyo-"
"But! I need to have a crack at that
crappy monk first, for leavin' you in the lurch when
you needed him. Then he's all yours for
the smooching, third time's the charm."
Goku turned candy-apple red from the scalp down. "I … hey, Gojyo!"
Gojyo laughed and turned to go. "Come on, monkey! Time's a-wastin'! And Hakkai's waiting for us – I sure as hell
don't want to make him mad, he'll lecture us to death."
"I - Hey, don't call me monkey!"
|
_____________ |