Chapter 6: Then you get desperate

The sound of breaking glass caught Goku's attention as he was walking through the hall on his way towards the kitchen. They had been pent up in the lodge all day and now the sun was setting behind the mountains. It was pretty and he stayed at the window looking outside for hours while Sanzo smoked and read the paper, grateful that he was being quiet for once. There was no better time when the sun was so alive. "Right before it dies out, saru? You make me sick." Well, a Sanzo comment was a Sanzo comment. At least he talked.

Gojyo spent most of the time flirting with the tavern waitress and drinking. Typical. But Hakkai...Hakkai didn't seem to want to talk to anybody. He apologized for not being able to cook for them. Too tired, Hakkai said. And that was that. Sanzo wouldn't allow anybody to pester the man about food. No question. No answer either. "Just leave him alone." the priest snapped earlier. "You're finally getting to him. It was inevitable." Goku didn't believe him though. Hakkai always had time for him. Hakkai never got mad with him. Hakkai had the patience of a saint.

Now Hakkai was acting like a ghost. It worried him tremendously. He crept to the room the healer and Sanzo shared- not even bothering to wonder why the monk refused to go in. And why he preferred Goku's company that day instead of Hakkai's. It just wasn't done. More likely that the stars would shift their positions and there would be a completely new sky to look up at. It just wasn't *natural.*

Goku found the door ajar and peeked in.

"I'm not human." he heard Hakkai mutter miserably. "I'm a goddam youkai!" His hands went to the cuffs at his ears and upon touching them, he drew his hand back as if he were burned.

"Um...Hakkai?"

At the sound of Goku's voice, the man in question whipped around like a thief caught red handed in the middle of a heist. "Goku!" His eyes widened. There was no concealing the broken mirror at his feet where a random ball of ki had hit. He was just looking at himself...and then it just...it just flew out of his hand, shattering everything.

Bad enough to think he was human. Condemnation to know that he was a youkai. Nataku killed people like him. A better man. Right. With a youkai in heaven, all was sure to go to hell. He was sure of it.

"You're hand's bleeding!"

"What? Oh." Tenpou looked absently down. The boy was right. It was stained red. When he looked up again, Goku was digging through Hakkai's luggage and after a moment produced a first aid kit. "Sit down." Tenpou dumbly obeyed and fell into a stiff armchair in the corner of the room.

Sitting at his feet, Goku got a basin filled with water and began to wash the superficial wound that stretched across Tenpou's palm.