The Storms That Bind Us

Chapter 6


"I'm hungry." The sound of Goku's voice floated from the backseat. None of the three men gave comment, only the sound of Jeep's purring engine audible. "I said, I'm hungry," Goku insisted.

Hakkai glanced in the mirror and met red eyes staring back. Gojyo had been strangely silent since the attack. Their young companion had been going on about his stomach for the past hour, yet Gojyo had not responded with his usual quipped annoyance. Sanzo was asleep in the passenger seat, having resumed his interrupted nap, so his silence on the subject was no surprise.

If felt like Gojyo's eyes were piercing him, so much so that Hakkai looked back at the road more quickly than normal. Something was obviously bothering his friend. When he and Sanzo had emerged from the wood to meet them, all had been as it usually was. Both had been sitting in Jeep, Gojyo having a smoke and Goku munching on a cookie he'd found hiding in one of the gear bags. Nothing had been amiss, or it had seemed at the time.

"Hakkai, when are we stopping? I'm really starving here."

"Soon, Goku, I promise. I want to try getting as close to the next town as possible. I'm afraid we'll most likely be camping out tonight."

"I don't mind roughing it as long as there's food."

Hakkai chuckled. "Yes, we have plenty until we stop in the town tomorrow, don't worry."

Hakkai looked back in the mirror again expecting to see Gojyo's intense gaze, but he was looking off at the scenery, locks of red hair covering the side of his face. He wanted to ask him about his worry, but he thought it best to let it rest for now until he could get him alone. Sometimes the solitude of ones own thoughts was best.

By the time they stopped, the stars were high, and the moon full. The night was warm, but not overly so. Perfect camping weather. Hakkai hummed soft as he cooked over the small fire. Sanzo was reading an old paper he snagged from the hotel with a bored expression near the fire light.

"Old news," he said, then looked at Hakkai. "How long to the next town?"

"Five hours tops, unless we run into more trouble."

"I'm sure you'd like more trouble," Gojyo muttered, jabbing at the fire with a stick.

Hakkai looked at Gojyo, and again felt bewildered by his troubled expression. Did something happen during the fight that unhinged his friend? Surely not, it would take a lot to get to any of them as far as battles went.

"What's your problem, Kappa?" Sanzo said with irritation. "You've been moping all day.

"Nothing. I'm gonna take a piss." He got up and trudged deeper in the wood without a backward glance, not even reacting to Goku's remark.

"Too much info, bug." Goku said through a mouth full of bread, then shrugged and continued to eat the food Hakkai handed him. Jeep gave a soft cheep and curled at Goku's feet, eating vegetables and looking at his master.

Sanzo growled a soft tsk, then went on reading his paper unfazed. Hakkai couldn't let this go anymore and got up, gave Sanzo a soft nod and followed Gojyo's footsteps through the trees. Sanzo watched his back, then let it go. If anyone could figure out what was wrong with the Kappa, Hakkai could.

Hakkai stepped over fallen branches and passed lightly by the thick growth of trees and bushes. Gojyo's trudging steps ahead had gone silent and his eyes searched out his presence. The bright moonlight showed Hakkai he was close, then the soft flare of his lighter lit up his face. The red embers of his cigarette brightened as he took a deep drag. Hakkai stopped a few feet from him, not sure how to begin.

"Something wrong?" Gojyo started first.

"I came here to ask you that very same question, Gojyo."

Gojyo chuckled without humor. "Yeah, guess I didn't hide my emotions so well this time."

"You know you can talk to me, Gojyo. Did something happen while Sanzo and I were gone today?"

Gojyo forced out a puff of smoke and laughed more. The humorless sound of it was almost creepy. For the first time since he met Gojyo, Hakkai felt uncomfortable. He shifted slightly from one foot to the other, looking closely at his shadowed face to meet his eyes.

"You tell me the answer to your own question," Gojyo snapped out, voice wavering slightly.

It hit Hakkai so suddenly he physically staggered back a few steps. It made sense now. How could he not have figured this out sooner? It should have been so damn obvious, but he had pushed it aside as something else entirely. Hakkai swallowed and forced himself to keep contact with Gojyo's red eyes.

"Yeah, I saw you both, Kai."

Gods. "Gojyo."

"How long have you two been fucking then?"

"Gojyo, our relationship just began. It was right after Sanzo was injured. It just happened."

"Just happened? We've all know each other this long, and it just happened?"

"I know this must be a shock." He sighed and looked up at the stars. He hadn't wanted Gojyo, not Goku to find out this way. His eyes widened. "Does Goku know?

"No, I didn't tell him his master was sucking cock in the woods."

"Gojyo, that's crude!"

"And a fact, Kai!" His voice was hushed, but guttural. Hakkai was stunned by his fierceness. He had never seen so much anger from his friend directed at him. "That fucking monk is so tight assed, I didn't think he knew what a cock was."

"Why are you so angry?" His own emotions were getting the better of him now and he felt the urge to hit him. "Is it disgust, or do you feel like you have been betrayed because we were taking our time on bringing it up?! Either way it's our business, Gojyo!"

"You think that's what my problem is?" he growled out and crushed the hot ember of his cigarette in his fist. "You think it's something as simple as that, Kai?" His expression was calculating and animal.

Hakkai matched his turbulent rage with narrowed eyes and a threatening step forward. Gojyo didn't flinch, but grabbed one of Hakkai's wrists so fast it caught Hakkai off guard and he was pushed back against a tree. The rough bark dug into his back and he gasped out as Gojyo forces his hands at his sides and attacked his mouth with a forceful kiss.

Hakkai, shocked and unable to react, stood wide eyed as Gojyo's tongue slide and explored his open mouth. He tried to say his name and shift away, but Gojyo's hold tightened and the kiss becoming more forced. Hakkai squirmed, then felt the press of Gojyo's knee between his legs, only making his pinned position more constricting.

He was strong, they both were, but if Hakkai really wanted to get away, there wasn't much keeping him from striking out in some way. His feet shifted around and he grunted soft around the muscle working and sucking around his own tongue. He could taste the cigarette Gojyo had been smoking, much like Sanzo's kisses, but this kiss was far different. It was full of hurt and anger, that Hakkai now felt he somehow caused.

Gojyo growled low against his tongue, forcing Hakkai's arms up to pin them more firm against the hard tree. Bark dug into his hands, but he still did not fight any harder than he could have. He could have bit into the soft flesh invading his mouth, he could have hooked one of his legs to knock him off balance. He even had to option of building a chi attack, but he would not allow himself to hurt Gojyo.

Gojyo's knee rubbed up and over his groin and he whimpered, the sound muffled between pressed lips. His lower body was in Gojyo's control, stirring up arousal that he tried to fight. Hakkai came more to his senses and jerked his head to the side to break contact and gasped for air when their lips broke apart.

"Gojyo." His voice was calm as his heart thudded wildly in his chest. Their breath was harsh in the quiet of the night. "If this is what you need to do to prove your anger, then I won't fight."

Gojyo's hands loosened and he shifted away from Hakkai's body and slid heavy on the ground. Hakkai let his arms drop to his sides and he slid with him, back resting against the tree he was just pinned against. He was sure he'd be laying in a heap if not for it's support. He quietly watched Gojyo light a cigarette with shaky hands and saw his eyes were wet as the lighter flared up.

"Don't be stupid, Kai," he whispered as he killed the flame with a flick of his wrist. "I could never force anyone, especially you."

He took a slow drag, inhaling the smoke. Hakkai watched every movement with soft eyes, his kiss swollen lips parted. His insides stopped quaking and went numb as the reality of Gojyo's violent reaction sank in. It wasn't any of the reason's Hakkai had thought, but something painfully worse.

"When I saw you with him, all I could think was, why isn't it me?"

"Gojyo.."

"All the times I could have said something, and I never said a damn thing. I thought I was just being stupid, you know?" Hakkai watched him and let him talk without interrupting again. "You know me, Kai. I love the ladies." He chuckled soft, blowing a puff of smoke.

Gojyo pulled one knee up to his chest and turned to face him more. "I could make up all kinds of excuses why I never said what I felt. Maybe I was confused cause you were another guy. I never been into guys before you. Then there was the fact that you lost your woman so violently. I figured you wouldn't want another relationship, that it might hurt you too much."

Hakkai listened, not moving a muscle. He had never, not once, had any clue that Gojyo had sexual feeling for him. His friend had hidden it so far down that Hakkai never found it. Perhaps he hid it through the many women he would regularly bring to his bed when they lived together. They had always been close friends. Hakkai always felt as much since that first night Gojyo found him dying on that stormy night. He'd wanted to die, but Gojyo refused with his actions as he'd carried him to his home to make him live.

"I lost my chance, Kai. I lost you to a stuffy ass Sanzo priest of all things. Ain't that irony?" He laughed soft, but this time it was the light sound genuine humor.

"Gojyo, I'm sorry," Hakkai whispered, his heart aching.

"Don't apologize. It's my own fault." He shrugged and stood, brushing leaves and dirt from his pants, then put his hand out to him. Hakkai took his warm hand and stood with his help, legs still feeling weary. His eyes softened more when he felt the burned flesh on Gojyo's palm from his cigarette.

"Let me heal this." He turned Gojyo's hand to look, but Gojyo pulled it gently away.

"Kai, I can handle that pain, felt a whole lot worse." He smiled sadly.

"Sorry," he said again before he could stop himself, and he got a punch in the arm for it. "Ouch." He rubbed at the ache and gave Gojyo a agitated look.

"No more sorry, Kai. Hell, lets be honest. You're probably better off with the priest." He smirked and winked. "I love tits and long sleek legs too damn much." Hakkai's mouth dropped open as Gojyo laughed and headed back toward camp with his cool, cocky stride. Hakkai slowly smiled, knew that all was right again and followed, his own soft laughter filling the night.