Out in the Wash, Hakkai, G
Title: Out in the Wash
Author: cicer
Warnings: None
Pairing(s): Mostly Hakkai-centric. Perhaps a tiny bit of Hakkai/Gojyo?
Notes: For Prompt #43: Water. 1,000 words exactly. Took almost exactly an hour.
When Jeep finally transforms, he deposits them unceremoniously in a trench of mud. It has grown deep and sticky from the rain, and Gojyo slides and trips over a rock. Sanzo swears loudly and Hakkai tries to keep too much of their baggage from falling into the mud.
Jeep circles overhead, once, before hiding high in a nearby tree. Hakkai sends him an understanding look so he will know Hakkai doesn’t blame him. It’s raining so hard there’s not much point in pressing on.
Hakkai knows Sanzo won’t see it that way, but notes that fortunately Sanzo appears too busy trying to keep his soaking robes from falling into the ankle-deep mud to complain too much. Still, Hakkai knows better than to try to enlist his help with the baggage.
“Ah, Goku. If you would...?” Goku stops sloshing through puddles and runs over to take a few of the bags. Gojyo, still sliding his way out of the mud puddle, stumbles his way over too.
“Shit,” he says, and smiles when Hakkai turns to look at him. There’s a smear of mud across his cheekbone and Hakkai forces himself to look away.
“I suppose there’s no point in trying to go any further,” Hakkai says. He sends a look at Sanzo, who has wrenched himself free of the mud but doesn’t return his glance. Hakkai supposes that’s as near as an agreement as he’s likely to get. “We might as well set up camp someplace dry.”
Gojyo looks dubiously at the forest around them, and Hakkai can guess his thoughts. “It’ll be better once we get under the trees,” he says to nobody, and Gojyo helps him lug the remainder of their belongings under the nearest cluster of trees. The rain does thin somewhat once they are under the trees, caught by branches and leaves.
“Nn,” Gojyo says, and slides down to sit against the trunk of a tree. A fat raindrop catches him on the cheek, streaking the mud. He wipes it aside carelessly and it smears further. “Doesn’t look like there’s much point in trying to set up a tent. We’re already about as wet as we’re gonna get.”
Goku has sprawled on his back in the wet grass, his mouth open to catch the rain. Sanzo is sulking off to the side, some distance away from the rest of them, near another group of trees. Hakkai does not bother to point out to him that it might be wiser to stick together in the storm; Sanzo is already wringing the water out of his robes and doesn’t look happy.
Hakkai remains silent out of sympathy. He knows only too well what it’s like to hate the rain for reasons that have nothing to do with inconvenience.
“Shit, shit.” Gojyo tugs off one of his boots and tips it upside down. An impressive amount of mud washes out. “Shit, look at that. We’re going to be getting mud out of our stuff for weeks.”
Hakkai is inclined to agree and doesn’t look forward to the next laundry day. Goku is nearly covered in mud from head to foot, though at least he doesn’t appear to mind. Hakkai sighs, and Jeep drops reluctantly from his perch to wind around Hakkai’s neck. His small body is warm, and the rain slips off his scales so quickly that he seems almost dry.
Gojyo flicks his lighter and tries to light a cigarette from the dampened packet he’s pulled from his pocket. The ground around Sanzo’s feet is already littered with cigarette butts and he appears to be working on his third. He is staring off into the trees, and seems to have almost forgotten that the rest of them are there. Hakkai looks away.
Hakkai knows he should set up a tent, despite Gojyo’s well-founded protest that they are already soaked. It won’t be pleasant when the sun goes down and it gets colder, and the sky is giving no sigh that it will clear anytime soon. They’ll all want shelter later, and Goku will be hungry soon. He leans back against the tree anyway, and Jeep sticks his muzzle into the collar of Hakkai’s shirt.
“Hey.” Gojyo shifts closer to his side, until Hakkai can feel the dampness of his clothing and the warm skin hiding underneath. Gojyo stubs out his cigarette in the grass and gives him a smile that is only a little bit forced. Hakkai knows that Gojyo knows what he’s thinking, and he hates himself for being so transparent and making Gojyo worry about him. “You want me to start a fire?” Gojyo asks, and leans against his shoulder.
“There isn’t much point, is there?” Hakkai says, with a laugh, and turns his face to the sky so Gojyo can’t look him in the eye. It’s too hard to lie to Gojyo these days, and often not worth the effort. Hakkai is tired now, but not too tired to try. “I think it would be washed away as soon as you got a spark.”
The sticky humidity that has lingered most of the day creeps under Hakkai’s shirt and makes it cling to his stomach. He can feel the thin fabric rubbing against his scar, and it makes him itch all over. Jeep’s tiny breaths gust over his ear, just beneath his limiters.
For a moment Hakkai almost wishes that Gojyo would go away, but then the moment passes and Gojyo leans against him, a heavy warm weight on his arm. He is wringing his hair out, distractedly. The drops fall on Hakkai’s leg like a miniature storm. “Hey, look,” Gojyo says, squinting at the heavens. “I think it’s clearing up. Maybe.”
There is a distant, weak rumble of thunder, and Hakkai looks at Gojyo’s face, half-hidden beneath wet, tangled hair. From his sprawl, Goku begins to mumble about food. “It looks a little lighter, doesn’t it?” Gojyo says, and smiles at him.
“Yes,” Hakkai agrees, slowly, and makes himself smile back. “Yes, it does.”
Author: cicer
Warnings: None
Pairing(s): Mostly Hakkai-centric. Perhaps a tiny bit of Hakkai/Gojyo?
Notes: For Prompt #43: Water. 1,000 words exactly. Took almost exactly an hour.
When Jeep finally transforms, he deposits them unceremoniously in a trench of mud. It has grown deep and sticky from the rain, and Gojyo slides and trips over a rock. Sanzo swears loudly and Hakkai tries to keep too much of their baggage from falling into the mud.
Jeep circles overhead, once, before hiding high in a nearby tree. Hakkai sends him an understanding look so he will know Hakkai doesn’t blame him. It’s raining so hard there’s not much point in pressing on.
Hakkai knows Sanzo won’t see it that way, but notes that fortunately Sanzo appears too busy trying to keep his soaking robes from falling into the ankle-deep mud to complain too much. Still, Hakkai knows better than to try to enlist his help with the baggage.
“Ah, Goku. If you would...?” Goku stops sloshing through puddles and runs over to take a few of the bags. Gojyo, still sliding his way out of the mud puddle, stumbles his way over too.
“Shit,” he says, and smiles when Hakkai turns to look at him. There’s a smear of mud across his cheekbone and Hakkai forces himself to look away.
“I suppose there’s no point in trying to go any further,” Hakkai says. He sends a look at Sanzo, who has wrenched himself free of the mud but doesn’t return his glance. Hakkai supposes that’s as near as an agreement as he’s likely to get. “We might as well set up camp someplace dry.”
Gojyo looks dubiously at the forest around them, and Hakkai can guess his thoughts. “It’ll be better once we get under the trees,” he says to nobody, and Gojyo helps him lug the remainder of their belongings under the nearest cluster of trees. The rain does thin somewhat once they are under the trees, caught by branches and leaves.
“Nn,” Gojyo says, and slides down to sit against the trunk of a tree. A fat raindrop catches him on the cheek, streaking the mud. He wipes it aside carelessly and it smears further. “Doesn’t look like there’s much point in trying to set up a tent. We’re already about as wet as we’re gonna get.”
Goku has sprawled on his back in the wet grass, his mouth open to catch the rain. Sanzo is sulking off to the side, some distance away from the rest of them, near another group of trees. Hakkai does not bother to point out to him that it might be wiser to stick together in the storm; Sanzo is already wringing the water out of his robes and doesn’t look happy.
Hakkai remains silent out of sympathy. He knows only too well what it’s like to hate the rain for reasons that have nothing to do with inconvenience.
“Shit, shit.” Gojyo tugs off one of his boots and tips it upside down. An impressive amount of mud washes out. “Shit, look at that. We’re going to be getting mud out of our stuff for weeks.”
Hakkai is inclined to agree and doesn’t look forward to the next laundry day. Goku is nearly covered in mud from head to foot, though at least he doesn’t appear to mind. Hakkai sighs, and Jeep drops reluctantly from his perch to wind around Hakkai’s neck. His small body is warm, and the rain slips off his scales so quickly that he seems almost dry.
Gojyo flicks his lighter and tries to light a cigarette from the dampened packet he’s pulled from his pocket. The ground around Sanzo’s feet is already littered with cigarette butts and he appears to be working on his third. He is staring off into the trees, and seems to have almost forgotten that the rest of them are there. Hakkai looks away.
Hakkai knows he should set up a tent, despite Gojyo’s well-founded protest that they are already soaked. It won’t be pleasant when the sun goes down and it gets colder, and the sky is giving no sigh that it will clear anytime soon. They’ll all want shelter later, and Goku will be hungry soon. He leans back against the tree anyway, and Jeep sticks his muzzle into the collar of Hakkai’s shirt.
“Hey.” Gojyo shifts closer to his side, until Hakkai can feel the dampness of his clothing and the warm skin hiding underneath. Gojyo stubs out his cigarette in the grass and gives him a smile that is only a little bit forced. Hakkai knows that Gojyo knows what he’s thinking, and he hates himself for being so transparent and making Gojyo worry about him. “You want me to start a fire?” Gojyo asks, and leans against his shoulder.
“There isn’t much point, is there?” Hakkai says, with a laugh, and turns his face to the sky so Gojyo can’t look him in the eye. It’s too hard to lie to Gojyo these days, and often not worth the effort. Hakkai is tired now, but not too tired to try. “I think it would be washed away as soon as you got a spark.”
The sticky humidity that has lingered most of the day creeps under Hakkai’s shirt and makes it cling to his stomach. He can feel the thin fabric rubbing against his scar, and it makes him itch all over. Jeep’s tiny breaths gust over his ear, just beneath his limiters.
For a moment Hakkai almost wishes that Gojyo would go away, but then the moment passes and Gojyo leans against him, a heavy warm weight on his arm. He is wringing his hair out, distractedly. The drops fall on Hakkai’s leg like a miniature storm. “Hey, look,” Gojyo says, squinting at the heavens. “I think it’s clearing up. Maybe.”
There is a distant, weak rumble of thunder, and Hakkai looks at Gojyo’s face, half-hidden beneath wet, tangled hair. From his sprawl, Goku begins to mumble about food. “It looks a little lighter, doesn’t it?” Gojyo says, and smiles at him.
“Yes,” Hakkai agrees, slowly, and makes himself smile back. “Yes, it does.”