Rhyming Games

Author's Comments and Recommendations: I have been recently informed that there is a simple way to use italic and bold words in our stories here. But this way requires a lot of time of my part, and it's after three in the morning and my contacts are making my vision blurry, so listen up. I have an account on Y!-hosting Gallery, a yaoi-based art community that many of you may already know about. I have been posting this story there since its beginning. Those versions HAVE italics, which is helpful for showing when someone's thinking or - as in this chapter - speaking through a closed door. So if you would like a more aesthetically pleasing reading experience, I recommend viewing it there.

The link to the first chapter is here: http://yaoi.y-gallery.net/view/232139/

The link to this current seventh chapter is here: http://yaoi.y-gallery.net/view/262316/

Also, there's art! Go figure! If you'd like, check out some of the drawings I've done. Very little fanart, but still good stuff, if I do say so myself.

Alright, enough of the pimping of the self here. If you don't mind a depressing lack of inflection in your narrative, please read on!

Chapter 7: Stupid Fights and Sleepless Nights


When Gojyo reached the bathroom door, it was closed. But the smell was strongest there and he could clearly hear heavy breathing on the other side. Hakkai was in there, and he was getting to the bottom of this.

Hakkai, meanwhile, had barely collected his thoughts enough to shut the door. He was feeling extremely light-headed and very unsteady on his feet. He was leaning against the wall, trying to pant as quietly as possible. The claws of one hand brushed the shower curtain and caught a bit on the fabric. He knew that Gojyo had come home. He could hear him stomping through the apartment, loud as day. Gods, what now?

“Hakkai! Hakkai, I know you’re in there and something’s up, now tell me what’s going on!”

Think, Hakkai… you can do this… But that warm, heavy feeling of ultimate contentment was still thrumming through his veins, and he just couldn’t muster the energy to face his roommate right now. He elected to remain slumped against the wall.

“Hakkai! Hey!”

“I… I’m fine, Gojyo…” came a wheezy reply through the door.

“Well good for you! I asked you what’s going on! I can smell something seriously off in there! Open up!”

“Smell? Oh… It’s nothing, Gojyo… I’m fine…”

Gojyo very nearly pulled his hair out. He would have, but one of his hands was on the doorframe, and the other was trying to desperately to console his aching hard-on. He settled for growling a little.

“Look… It’s my apartment, and you’ve been acting really freaky lately. A couple days ago I came home and you were completely spaced out. Don’t think I didn’t notice how out of it you were. If you don’t tell me what’s going on, I’ll just break the lock. Or the door. Your choice, man!”

Aw, but did he really want Hakkai to see him like this? Sporting the wood-that-wouldn’t-quit?

“It’s nothing… honest… I’ll be out soon. Please don’t break the door, Gojyo.”

Gojyo huffed in frustration, muttered a vague curse at everything, ever, and leaned against the wall outside the bathroom door to wait, giving his desperate erection a few pity squeezes and strokes through his jeans. If push came to shove, he could hide it behind his coat.


Hakkai wanted nothing more than to bask in the afterglow of his first youkai orgasm. But that’s wasn’t an option now. He knew he didn’t want Gojyo to see him like this. Bad enough that the kappa could smell him. And boy, what a smell! Hakkai was almost impressed by the powerful reek of sex he had unleashed upon the bathroom.

First things first. He should replace his ear cuff at once, and maybe he’d be able to think better. A few staggering steps and a close call with his claws, and he managed to clip the thing back on his ear.

“Hakkai?” Gojyo called when he heard a distressing moan from within. There was no answer. “Hakkai!” Nothing. “Shit…”

Shit… Hakkai’s sentiments exactly. The transformation back was quick and relatively painless, and once he was back in his familiar form, he felt comfortable, if considerably weaker. But while he still felt a bit dizzy, he was lucid enough to be horrified at the state of the bathroom. And what was more, he’d slashed through his pants like a maniac. They’d have to be replaced and soon. There was no way he could let his friend see him like this. Whatever happened, he had to keep Gojyo out of the bathroom.

Gojyo had just raised a hand to begin pounding on the bathroom door when he heard Hakkai say, “I’m going to take a shower now, Gojyo. I’m sorry if I’ve worried you. I’ll be out when I’m done.”

Why that little…!

“Please don’t be angry with me. I’ll explain later,” the voice continued. A moment later, Gojyo heard the shower turn on, and then the sink faucet. There came sounds of movement and clinking and things sliding on the counter. Then the sound of the shower curtain being pulled back and the sound of clothes being dropped on the floor.

And damn it all, it was hard to think with his body in such a state! Gojyo could tell his erection had almost thought about softening when his concern for his roommate had peaked, but now he had only that powerful smell to keep him company, and his body was well aware of it.

Gojyo was mad, and frustrated, and at his wit’s end, but as soon as he was sure Hakkai was safely showering, he limped out to the living room couch and freed himself, praying he could end it quickly.


After cleaning the counter and all the other unfortunate, now sticky, victims of his lust, Hakkai wiped what he could with disinfectant, hoping to kill the smell. He took the hand towels into the shower with him so that he could wash them, too. He heaved a sigh of relief when he made it into the shower without any further input from Gojyo. Poor Gojyo…

As he stood and wearily scrubbed himself, his thoughts went like this:

I am a fool. I should have been more careful. I should never have come back to the apartment like that. God, I feel tired. Good, but tired.

Physically, he felt great. His blood was still singing with the rush of his latest transformation. But the mortification he felt at being caught like he had… and knowing he had to leave the bathrom eventually and face the redhead’s wrath and inevitable interrogation… was pressing on his mind and leaving him utterly dispirited.

At least the transformation went more quickly this time, and wasn’t as painful. It was so intense the first time… And at least I’m aware of myself now. I didn’t remember anything after putting the limiter back on before. I think I’ll remember this nightmare. Poor Gojyo… he doesn’t deserve all this. I shouldn’t have brought my problems to him. I should be dealing with this alone.

Wait… Gojyo…

Gojyo said something about me being spaced out when he came home before. He must have seen me that night, the night I can’t remember. Good god, what was I doing? It was enough to freak him out, anyway… Lord, I hope I didn’t embarrass myself too badly…

What am I thinking?! This right now is probably the most embarrassing situation I’ve ever been in. And I told him I’d explain, too…

He must have smelled it, my… my come. He must have guessed what I did. At least the jerking off part. I wonder if he can smell something different from when I was in my other form. Do I have a different scent then? Can he tell?

God, I’m so tired. And so very, very screwed…

About twenty minutes later, Hakkai could stall no longer, and finally emerged from the bathroom with a towel around his waist and another around his shoulders. He’d only come to one real decision while showering, and that was not to remove any more limiters for a very long time.

He found the bedroom empty and hoped pathetically that Gojyo had left the apartment. He quickly shut the bedroom door and found himself some clothes, hiding the ones he’d ruined. The winter air was definitely more noticeble on thin, wet, human skin. He took a moment to put himself together and prepare for confrontation.

Anxious and ashamed though he was, he felt a lingering calm: what was left of his post-transformation buzz. He was grateful for it, for it let him school his features back into their mask and walk into the living room with some semblance of dignity intact.

He found Gojyo waiting calmly at the dining table, a bottle of booze in hand, his face like a thunder cloud. Ruby eyes met his as soon as he appeared in the doorway. The glare his roommate pinned him with was mostly anger, but Hakkai noted gloominess and petulance in it as well.

“Enjoy your shower?” Gojyo said slowly, mockingly.

“Not especially,” Hakkai replied. The green-eyed man took a deep breath then, and gathered the willpower to take the initiative. A deep breath, and… he noticed the smell of Gojyo’s arousal that he smelled before, the smell of his sex… interesting. Hakkai supposed he was noticing it more now that he’d recognized it in his youkai form. He was glad it didn’t have the same effect on him as it had half an hour ago.

“I suppose you’d like me to explain now,” he said.

“Ya’ think?!”

Something about the way Gojyo spat out his reply made Hakkai feel suddenly rebellious. What right did Gojyo have to demand explanations? If he thought about it, none of this would ever have happened if Gojyo hadn’t ignored his no-nudity rule. That’s what started this whole stupid thing…

“I’d rather not,” he stated calmly.

Again the glare. “What? You told me you’d explain! And you sure as hell had better! Not just tonight, but three nights ago, too. And you being all uptight these last few days. If there’s something going on, I wanna know about it. It’s my apartment, damn it.”

Perhaps in his ire, the kappa missed the hard glint that settled in his roommate’s level gaze. “I’m sorry Gojyo, but it’s personal, and it’s not really any of your business.”

Gojyo gaped at him like he’d sprouted another head.

“None of my business? Did I hear that correctly? Look, I don’t care about you jerking off – every guy’s got needs, I get that – but I know for a fact that there’s something else going on here.”

“Like I said, it’s personal and none of your business. I apologize if I’ve worried you or annoyed you. I promise it won’t happen again. I really don’t see why you’re so upset.”

Gojyo couldn’t find a reasonable retort to that, because the only thing that was truly making him upset was his own troublesome infatuation. And yeah, Hakkai was being a pain right now, and there was definitely something dodgy going on, but that alone wasn’t what had him on edge.

It was the way Hakkai looked right now… The way his long-sleeved night shirt clung to his slightly damp skin… The smell of him, all freshly showered… The way his messy brown bangs fell over his left eye and made him look… kinda dangerous…

Oh…


Hm. Well, you know what? He can just look dangerous all he wants. It isn’t enough to scare Sha Gojyo away, no sir.

“Alright, look,” Gojyo said, rising from his seat. “You wanna sneak around and keep secrets? Fine. You want some privacy? Fine. You just let me know when you manage to pull your head outta your ass, and we’ll get along just fine.”

Green eyes narrowed further, but the scowl was soon replaced with a chillingly polite smile.

“Is that how it is, then?” Hakkai replied. “Thank you so much for setting me straight. I was unaware of how much my presence was disrupting the delicate balance of your life. I shall try to be more considerate in the future.”

“Hey, don’t pull polite that crap on me!”

“No really, Gojyo, I had no idea my personal problems were upsetting you so greatly. Who knew you’d be so sensitive to changes in my mood? I’m almost flattered that you noticed.”

“Quit it—”

“But if my occasional “shower” is cramping your style that badly… perhaps I’ve simply made a poor choice in roommates.”

“Will you quit it?! I told you I don’t care about you jerking off! But I smelled something else, and I smelled it three nights ago, too! Just what’s so personal that you’ve gotta hide it from me? You’d think after telling me everything else you’ve done—”

“Gojyo.” Hakkai’s suddenly serious tone cut through the redhead’s tirade.

Hakkai realized it was unfair to keep this from his friend. Would the other man even be his friend for much longer if they kept up this pointless bickering? But still, he was embarrassed by his need to experiment. And by his lack of control. He really didn’t want to explain his exceptional interest in his youkai nature, because despite frequent evidence to the contrary, Gojyo was more clever than he looked. He just might piece together his interest in youkai with his recent interest in… self-love.

“Gojyo, it’s just a personal thing. I was curious about something, and… and now I’m not. You don’t have to worry about finding me like that anymore. I promise.”

Was that too much information? Would Gojyo still be curious?

But Gojyo just stared back at him, a frustrated and deeply unhappy expression on his handsome face.

“Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to call it a night,” Hakkai said gently.

“…Yeah. Sure,” Gojyo mumbled. “Goodnight.”

And with that, the redhead trudged over to the couch with his bottle of booze and slumped down onto it. For the first time, Hakkai felt like a true heel for automatically taking the bed while the apartment’s original occupant was consigned to the lumpy, frayed, suspiciously stained sofa. He almost spoke up again… But he didn’t. The conversation had ended as well as could be hoped. Best not press his luck.

So he turned and calmly walked back into the bedroom. He gave the air a cursory sniff, detected only the scent of shampoo and disinfectant from the bathroom and the earthy, masculine smells of a room shared by men, and was quick to turn out the lights and crawl beneath the covers. He’d closed the bedroom door most of the way, but left it cracked so that it wouldn’t be like he was kicking Gojyo out of his own room. He was still a little woozy from before, and he thought sleep would come quickly, but he found that the world of dreams eluded him as he laid and watched the light from beneath the door.

And thought about Gojyo.

Gojyo pretty much figured there couldn’t be a more sorry bastard than him at that moment. Alone with his bitter thoughts of failure and hopelessness, he took another deep swallow from his bottle and hung his head. So much for throwing the bastard out into the snow. Man, that had been one hell of an orgasm he’d had while the guy showered. After he’d taken care of that, he just felt mad. And sad. And pathetic.

And the worst part was? Even when Hakkai had come out afterwards, and his own cock had been to tired to take interest, he’d experienced the horrible, eye-opening, gut-wrenching, totally unfair realization that he still wanted the guy. When his body wasn’t asking for sex, some part of him still wanted Hakkai. He didn’t even know why he wanted him! Or how! If he’d been forced to act on that feeling just now, he had no idea what he would have done. It’s not like he was picturing himself rushing into the guy’s arms and holding him tight. The very thought of trying to… romance the guy set his teeth on edge.

But something told him that if he’d gotten up and just walked a little closer… just stood in Hakkai’s space and breathed the same air… that would have been just fine. That would have been… nice.

Gojyo lingered on the couch for over an hour, with just the table lamp on and his alcohol and his unproductive thoughts to keep him company. He hadn’t heard Hakkai shift or roll over in a while, so he figured the guy must be asleep.

He didn’t think about it too hard. He just got up and walked slowly over to the bedroom. A light touch to make the door swing open revealed that Hakkai was curled up fast asleep, just as he’d thought. He’d never really watched the guy sleep before. He walked over and stood next to the bed where he could see Hakkai’s face. Then he knelt down and had a closer look.

Hakkai sure had a nice face. And pretty eyes. And a great smile, when he really smiled. Gojyo remembered the first time he saw a real smile from Hakkai. It had caught him by surprise, because up ‘til then, he hadn’t realized how fake all the smiles before it had been. And he remembered just staring for a moment or two, a little mesmerized.

Some tough guy he turned out to be. Some lady’s man. He was pathetic, crouched here by his own bed, watching his friend and roommate sleep. Sharing his space. Breathing his air.

And Gojyo couldn’t help but think…

This is nice.

To Be Continued...
(Thanks once again to those kind and wonderful reviewers who are sticking with me. I read each and every one of your comments and every word is appreciated like you wouldn't believe.)