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Gojyo leant against the kitchen wall, next to the sink where he had been working. He’d come up for a breath of fresh air. Well a smoke really. He looked over his handiwork as he lit up. He smirked in approval.

They had long ago discussed getting a new place, a bigger place. But the truth was that after living in the house for so long, this was their home, and all the memories that they had made for themselves, all that they had become to one another, this house was a tangible part of their connection. A link. Not just between each other, but a part of a chain of knitted cures and healing.

But a larger living space would be nice. He could set up like a little study corner for Hakkai’s books and teaching material. In the course of the years, the teacher had amassed quite a library. It was getting so that it could get quite lethal around the place. And the shelving unit in existence now was overloaded with books, some of them precariously too. Gojyo certainly didn’t want to be brained over the head by a pile of books like before…wait a minute. Had that ever happened? No, not that he could think off. Not yet anyway. But that thought like memory was there like a feeling of déjà vu.

However at the back of his mind Gojyo worried about Hakkai. Gojyo had noticed Hakkai’s anxiety even if he said he wasn’t thinking about it. Hakkai should not have to feel like this. If he could make everyday a day filled with joy for Hakkai, he would. If he could make Hakkai laugh in anyway possible at least once everyday he would. Never mind that he did frequently do things that would invite misfortune upon his head (literally sometimes), but if it elicited a laugh from Hakkai Gojyo would do it again. But you couldn’t do something more than once around Hakkai, because he would wise up to you.

And silently Hakkai stewed.

So right now his main concern was Hakkai.

So perhaps they should plan to visit.

Then they would come home and it would all be so much water under the bridge; and it would be so easy to say, well some friends you just got to let go. With long distance friendships people tend to drift apart. No big deal it’s a part of life.

But Gojyo was stubborn and selfish and didn’t want to let go. After all if he was not that, Hakkai wouldn’t be in his life and now even Jien (after being on opposite sides for a while) was still a part of his life now, all that way away.

The only thing he had to do was of course persuade Hakkai that it made sense to make the visit. But Gojyo was not the only one with a stubborn streak in him. Hakkai could be as stubborn as rusty nails too, the man would argue with you till you were blue in the face that black was white if he so wished… and it would be you that would end up believing it too. So how could he do this with tact; alright scratch that. Tact was not Gojyo’s strong point. How to do this at all?

He supposed he could appeal to his sense of right-ness. Not righteousness mind, because neither Gojyo nor Hakkai would ever claim themselves to be that. They were too jaded, disillusioned and any faith they professed to have was in themselves and in each other. But a sense of doing what was right- they could deal with.

Ah! His birthday was coming up, if he asked Hakkai to grant him to go along with him for a visit as a birthday present, he wouldn’t say no. He might balk at the suggestion but he would go. Gojyo was not sure though, he did not normally ask for things. He didn’t feel like he deserved to ask for things. Hakkai had given him more than he could have ever hoped for in life just by deciding to stay all those years ago and being there in the here and now. The request felt a little like blackmail and that made it even worse. Gojyo’s head was beginning to hurt. He was going around in little circles. Blood and bloody ashes…he cursed inwardly, friend or no that girl had better have a bloody good explanation.

And his inner mind was beginning to resemble the mess he’d made of the kitchen. He was almost done except for clearing up. What the hey…Gojyo decided the first course of action was to tidy up the disaster area before Hakkai got back from teaching that day. At least then Hakkai would see that he had not been idle that afternoon. Hopefully he would be pleasantly surprised that he’d got off his proverbial butt to actually carry out what he had been promising to do for a while.

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Hakkai walked down the row of shops. He stopped outside a children’s store. He thought for a moment as if to gather courage then he wandered in. He was not sure how or why his feet had brought him here. No matter. He was in here now. He looked around bewildered, where to start. So he walked over to the toys. Toys were toys and they tended to be universal and at least with toys you didn’t have to worry about size or colour. Then he saw it. It was a little wooden pull along toy. It was either a snail or an insect. He wasn’t sure. A little round red face with antennae and the wheels were green and a yellow string. It looked like an excellent choice although he certainly was no expert. But there was scope for learning from this toy and that was at least a little important.

Soon he was back on the street and slowly he was on his way home, his mind rushing around at a thousand clips for each synaptic connection, his anxiety a little more than his off handedness was wont to show.

Perhaps there was a reason for it all, and he wasn’t it. He looked at the paper bag in his hand. Well some child had been bought a present already and it would not be fair to keep her waiting too long for it. 

Kyuu. Hakuryu had come out to meet him on the path. I hope the house is still intact. He said to the dragon as Hakuryu draped himself round Hakkai. All he got was a little snort. Hakkai smiled at his pet. He stroked the little snuffling head nuzzled by his ear, and was rewarded with a purr of content.

Hakkai decided although it was quite late in the school year, it would not take too much out of his schedule to take time out for a visit. It would only take about a week out of his teaching time. In all it should not take any more than six days or seven now. It was November after all and the weather this time of year could be unpredictable.

Hakkai looked up as the house loomed close; no smoking ruins yet. Gojyo couldn’t do that much damage, he was only going to fix the dripping tap and the leaks in the kitchen sink. And really he was actually quite good at it…he played the hopeless bumbling fool for Hakkai’s benefit really, to make him laugh. He appreciated Gojyo’s efforts and the laugher was always real. And it would not be home otherwise. Because when Hakkai laughed it always prompted laughter from the redhead too. And Gojyo’s laugh was a sound like no other and it never ceased to cause wonderment in Hakkai that there could be such a warmth filled sound. 

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Gojyo was sat on the doorstep, watching and waiting for Hakkai. Watching the sun set. The burnished sky, resplendent in its coat of pinks, oranges and red. The colours played with Gojyo’s hair making it seem alive on its own. Head leant back exhaling a lungful; cigarette in hand and his eyes had a thoughtful look about them, and the sun catching his eyes. To Hakkai there never was a more beautiful sight…Now that a red curve winds across the shingles- Now that hands washed in early sunrises climb and spill scarlet on a white lattice weave…

In a single languid movement Gojyo stood up and waved a welcome as he flicked ash to the ground and the butt followed crushed under his heel.

“Hey what d’ya have there?” Gojyo teased him trying to pry the package from Hakkai’s hand, fingers barely touching for all the trill of sensation that passed between them.  

“It isn’t for you…but you can take a look anyway” as Hakkai handed it over for Gojyo’s perusal.

“Hey! I like this. See it even looks like me!” as he held it up next to his face. Suddenly the realization hits him “So we are going?” as he gave Hakkai an undecipherable look from underneath his lashes. So they had come to the same conclusion after all.

“Yes.” Hakkai nodded in affirmation. “We can leave first thing in the morning.”

Gojyo felt like hugging the man. So he did. As well as kissed him long and deep. And this was alright, for this was what they shared together, their life and their dance. And so it has been for what seems like forever and a day...and even that would probably never be enough.

For thru’ the bitter floods
of rain and blood
For reaching across nightmares;
The realm of fears
and wounds that tear
into the very fabric of their souls
To touch
Healing and sealing
The jagged edges
made one
into a seamless none
Making light
sun bright;
That which sears
sight
and distorts vision.
As marred perfection.
It becomes comfort
like coming home
As lifelines found
Enmeshed and lashed
Together bound

Tight

And that at least is right
And that at least feels right.

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Author’s note: “Now that a red curve winds across the shingle- Now that hands washed in early sunrises climb and spill scarlet on a white lattice weave” from The Crimson Rambler by Carl Sandburg.

“Forever and a day” originates as a corruption of the now obsolete “forever and ay”. William Shakespeare

“Taming of the Shrew” Act4Sc4: “Farewell forever and a day”

And that last bit of poetry is actually mine.