1. He was naked.

2. In a room not his.

3. With a man he didn't know.

4. Who obviously didn't know the rules of propriety.

People leave rooms when other people get dressed. Unless they were lovers, which most certainly they were not. Question number two. In Gojyo's style: Where in the fucking hell was he?

"Where am I?" Hakkai fidgeted nervously under the other man's piercing gaze which seemed too roam over too much over his body for comfort.

"In a heluva lotta trouble if you don't quit playing around." he took a drag. "But damn, we must have fucked pretty well last night for you to /still/ be out of your senses. Come on. Can't keep the Goddess of Mercy waiting , you know." He paused, then stalked forward with nothing less than a near possessive smirk curving the corners of his lips. "Or are you waiting for me give you a good morning kiss? Hey, I thought we didn't have that type of relationship."

"Um..." But what else could he say with that man's forehead pressed against his? He smelled incredibly good. With fresh cologne.

What else was he supposed to do? When their lips lightly met in a kiss that kept soft and only soft. Such things happen at times...when your mind draws a complete blank for a good eternity. That's when your body starts to do the thinking. And now, it was thinking.../nice...very nice.../

A bit how he imagined Gojyo would kiss him, though he never had. They weren't like that...or like this...

But then his mind woke up. Finally. /Gojyo.../ Breaking the contact, Hakkai shrunk back and covered his slightly swollen lips. "That's...enough."

"Yeah, you've had enough, Marshal, even though last night you kept asking."

"What are you taking about?" the poor healer demanded, his mind whirling in the possibilities of that statement. Who in the world was this? "Excuse me for being rude, but I believe you are deluded. In any case, an introduction would be appreciated..."

"Okay. Fine. Have it your way. Play stupid." And with that, the man walked out the door, most likely waiting for him on the other side.

Okay. He could handle this, Hakkai repeated to himself. WORSE THINGS have happened.(Not that this was anything too bad...) THIS was just an oddity borne of consequence. Deja vu in the eyes of a stranger... And he didn't like it, bodily pleasure or not.

Wrapping the sheets around him and padding to the door, he said through the cracks, "Just let me shower, okay?" he said with as much composure as he could muster up.

He felt like he hadn't showered in days...even though he distinctly remembered going to the bath house last night and having a nice long and well deserved soak.

From the other sound came a choke as if the other had swallowed the smoke of his cigarette. "Geeze, don't /do/ that without warning me first! It's, like, really freaky."

"What? Surprising you like this?"

"No, saying that you're gonna take a shower."

"So are you saying that I shouldn't? Is that how things are done here? What strange customs...And while you're at it, could you please tell me where I-"

"Take the damn shower, Tenpou. Even I won't let you see Kanzeon-sama smelling like sex."

Like...sex? But he didn't even...what was...and why was...

Hakkai had a vague idea, and the only piece of solid ground in the whole thought was the fact that he was absolutely positive that Tenpou Gensui was dead. As surely as Hakkai breathed, he knew that Tenpou Gensui was a pile of five hundred year old ash.

And then he found a mirror...

***

Chapter 4: Without A Trace

Author's note: I'm going to have to raise the rating on this fic to 'R' sometime in the future. Kinda gives a hint as to where this thing is going...

Chapter 4: Without a Trace

It could be the coldest sight in the world, looking in the mirror and looking straight into the eyes of a stranger. Worse, when it was a dead stranger. Then, not so strange. Long dead. May he rest in peace beside...

He saw Cho Gonou. In the mirror. Staring back. /That/ dead past. With the longer hair and two good eyes. Without the scar. Just smooth, sweat drenched skin. No blood. Pristine.

Without the traces of murder...

"You never die, do you?" asked Hakkai dumbly to the looking glass before turning on the water and getting in the shower.

It felt different, to wake up and have all your sins washed away with the body that committed them...

***

"You're going to die, Tenpou. Accept at least that much."

"Doom-sayer." snapped Tenpou back at the Goddess of Mercy as her image wavered in the inn's bedroom mirror.

Explained and analyzed forwards and backwards, he heard. Though refused to understand. And the only thing he knew to do was curse Litouten to the depths of hell- wherever he was now. Whenever it was...

"I will not die." he concluded with recalcitrance, but Kanzeon sensed that hint of doubt that tainted his voice. /I will not.../