Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ Fateful Encounters ❯ Introspection, Angst, and Growing Closer ( Chapter 11 )

Title: Fateful Encounters [part 11/?]

Author: Enigma

Series: Saiyuki

Written: June - November, 2002

Rating: R

Pairings: (Gojyo + Hakkai)

Category: Shonen ai/yaoi, Angst, Romance, Action/Adventure, Blood, Language. AU-OOC.

Archive: fanfiction.net & mediaminer.org [author: "E-sama the Llama"]

Warnings: shonen ai/yaoi, angst, romance, action/adventure, anime-based bloodshed, crude language matching the characterization of the series, original characters to support the main characters from the anime and not detract from them, medical and other squick, additional warnings and pairings possible as fic comes into being over time. AU-OOC.

Spoilers: Since this is based on episodes 15 & 16 of the anime, there are definite spoilers for them, but there are also minor spoilers for other aspects of the series which I will try to keep to a minimum so readers both new and old can enjoy this tale.

Disclaimer: "Saiyuki" is the property of Kazuya Minekura, et al. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Zan, Long, Kiko, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of unpaid fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: What might have actually happened after Gojyo found and rescued a severely injured Gonou (a.k.a. Hakkai) three years prior to their journey to the west? How will these revelations change not only their own lives but also Sanzo and Goku's as well?

*****

At seven in the morning on the third day after Gonou had regained awareness, a sharp knocking sound forced Gojyo to drag his eyes open far earlier than he wanted to.

Slightly out of touch with reality as he usually was first thing after waking up, the half-breed yawned and asked the man sleeping in his bed, "What the fuck's going on, Nanashi-babe?"

As he tried desperately to become alert at what he considered to be an inhuman hour, his own question reminded the gambler of the brief discussion the pair had had a few days prior about the nickname Kiko had suggested for the mysterious, injured man.

While trying to find out what his roommate might want for dinner one evening, out of force of habit, the crimson-haired man had addressed Gonou as "Nanashi" without a second thought. When the former teacher blinked at him in curious surprise and asked why he was using a Japanese word meaning "anonymous", Gojyo had merely shrugged and explained that it seemed to fit him since there wasn't any identification on him when he'd been rescued. Nodding and smiling placidly like usual, the emerald-eyed man agreed without regret saying merely that having a wallet with him hadn't been on his mind for quite sometime.

This remark was accepted at face value and as per Gojyo's promise to himself not to ask about the man's past, he let the matter drop. Now, of course, the pair were quite comfortable with their naming conventions and when a certain violet-eyed monk demanded to know if Cho Gonou was with Gojyo, the half-breed could answer with total honesty that he'd never heard of anyone by that name.

Focusing on the sound of someone tapping again at his door and scrubbing a hand across sleep-encrusted eyes so he could focus better on the slumbering brunette who hadn't been disturbed by the noise, he added with a soft snort, "Never mind. It's probably just Dr. Long dropping by to check on ya." A wish for coffee slipped through his mind as he negligently shoved his bedroll apart while climbing out of it and grumbled, "That man needs to work on his timing, ya know?"

Ignoring the appearance of the rumpled jeans and ragged-looking tank-top he'd slept in, the crimson-haired man stumbled to the front door and opened it to the totally unexpected view of a very young monk in apricot-colored robes. Blinking in shock since he typically had little or no contact with the local Buddhist temple or its personnel, Gojyo asked, "Um, is there something I can do for you?"

"I have been sent to find Sha Gojyo," the shaven-headed youth who looked to be no more than fifteen years of age explained. Since he didn't get an immediate response, he added, "Is this the correct address?"

"Yeah, it is, kid, but what do you want with me?" The nineteen year old asked, understandably confused by the strange situation.

"Your presence is requested at the temple this morning at eleven," the monk answered as if that was all that needed to be said.

Gojyo frowned and cocked his head to the side as he asked in growing annoyance, "Why? Who needs *me* in that musty joint?" He snorted softly and complained, "I don't usually bother the people there and they don't bother me, I thought that was a pretty good system."

Frowning at the openly disrespectful attitude that he rarely encountered, the young holy-man explained, "The guardian of a boy who died recently placed your name on a list of people she thought would wish to be present for one of the mourning services to aid his spirit in its journey. Do you not wish to attend?"

The gambler stumbled back a step, his bare feet suddenly less capable of supporting his weight as he put a hand to his head and wondered why he felt a little dizzy as if something inside of himself was strongly warning him not to accept the invitation. Throughout most of his life, Gojyo had very deliberately avoided attending death rites of any sort and even though he desperately wanted to refuse to go to this one in particular, he would since it would have been wrong not to attend.

With a slight nod, the half-breed finally answered, "No, I'll be there."

"Are you ill?" The monk inquired, unfamiliar with the reaction lay people had to what he himself viewed as nothing more than the natural and reassuring cycle of life, death, and resurrection which would hopefully end when transcendence was achieved.

Refusing to look into the baffled onyx gaze of the younger man, Gojyo closed his eyes for a moment then answered tiredly, "No, this is just a bit of a shock, that's all." Forcing himself to try to recapture at least some of his usual aplomb, he looked at the youth and smiled weakly as he explained, "I'm not big on funerals of any sort."

Giving him a look that said he thought the man was weak and somewhat foolish, the monk responded, "Everyone dies at some point and this is a celebration of the child's life as much as anything else. Why should that bother you?"

Mind flashing with images of the service held after his mother's violent death at his brother's hands sprang to mind as did vague recollections of the deep sense of loss he'd felt in other traumatic situations. He just shook his head knowing the youth would never understand, he was too protected in his insular world of religious routines and daily rituals.

With a deep sigh and a firmer expression on his face, Gojyo stated simply, "Never mind. Tell Zan I'll be there at eleven, all right?"

The monk bowed slightly, the rustle of his silken robes barely heard above the early morning noises of the village as he answered, "As you wish." Then without further comment, he hurried away intending to extend the same invitation to others on the grieving physician's list as he'd been instructed to.

Feeling badly shaken, the scarlet-eyed man slumped against the door that separated him from someone who definitely would have been able to help him cope if he'd thought of it and simply stood there for a few minutes working hard to convince himself that he could handle whatever lay ahead.

*****

At the same time that Gojyo began speaking with the young monk, within the cool darkness of the apartment Gonou was being pulled into wakefulness by a growing sense of disquiet.

Even before his non-bandaged eye could open fully, the brunette could detect a subtle change in the room and with a slight frown furrowing his brows, he dragged the reluctant eyelid open and he peered around searching for the man he had no hesitation considering to be his friend. His gaze immediately fell upon the empty bedroll on the floor which was thrown in utter disarray by Gojyo's too rapid awakening in response to the knock at the door.

Realizing he was alone in the main section of the small apartment, the bedridden man quietly called out, "Gojyo?" [1]

Expecting a reply either from the bathroom or the kitchen and getting neither, he leaned up onto one elbow with moderate discomfort and noticed that the curtains hanging above the openings to both were open fully and the rooms were unoccupied of course. Becoming worried since the other man had never once left him alone without making sure he was okay first, Gonou called again more loudly, "Gojyo? Where are you?"

Still there was no response and with a pained sigh, the patient eased himself back down and forced himself to lay upon the pillows trying not to worry too much and feeling strangely empty without the lanky redhead nearby.

Gazing at the unlit light fixture on the ceiling, Gonou wondered why he'd become so strongly attached to the other man whom he'd only really gotten to know a few days earlier. It made no sense to the former teacher that he would've allowed anyone to matter that much to him knowing he had one more deed to complete before turning himself in to the authorities for whatever rightful punishment awaited him. While caught in the grips of sorrow and grief, he had committed heinous atrocities, murdering entire clans of youkai, killing women and children as well as the men whose faces reminded him all too well of the hideous beast who had pushed his beloved Kanan into the arms of death.

Unbidden, a single sob of remembered sorrow passed his lips and he was briefly awash in the too vivid memory of the hot splash of the gentle, child-like girl's blood upon his face as she stabbed herself to death with his own dagger. Somehow, though, the recollection of the terrible sense of loss he'd felt on that most hated of days only acted to reinforce how strongly he felt disturbed by the unexplained absence of the handsome man who had fortuitously been his constant companion since he came out of the coma.

Whereas Gojyo was still lost in the state of denial regarding his physical attraction towards Gonou despite the increasing number of cold showers he'd been taking lately, the brunette had failed to think even so much as a single impure thought about the other man.

There was nothing strange in the fact that the quiet, emerald-eyed man considered the rangy, half-breed good-looking since he had always had an innate appreciation for beauty in its innumerable forms. The fact that Gojyo had a habit of walking around his apartment only half-dressed most of the time gave Gonou plenty of chances to observe his physique which only enhanced the exotic appeal of the sun-tanned teen's red hair and eyes. [2] Oddly enough, however, these observations and conclusions were totally non-sexual in nature.

It was important to note that Gonou had rarely focused on carnal matters even when in a relationship with the braided girl whose death haunted him, a simple fact that would be reflected quite clearly in the way in which he would one day describe their relationship to Gojyo.

"She was more like a sister than a lover to me," he would say and mean every word as his roommate peered at him through loose red bangs wondering what that might mean for the relationship he was trying hard not to wish for with the quiet man.

In direct contrast to Sha Gojyo, matters of the heart were far more important to Cho Gonou than mere physical gratification and because of that sexuality had always taken a backseat to emotional comfort and fulfillment. The former teacher never took it to the extreme of considering Platonic love to be the ultimate form of expressing affection, however, and if fate would allow him an opportunity to experience lovemaking with the well-endowed half-breed it was entirely possible that his entire philosophy might be overruled someday. In fact, if he ever gave himself over fully to the pursuit of sensual pleasure, he might find bold new ways to view more than one of his companions on a journey yet to come but it was premature to speculate on that at this point.

At this particular moment in time, it was all the brunette could do to stifle a wave of unhappiness as he wondered over and over where exactly his missing roommate could be and whether or not he was alright.

Before long, though, the front door opened and exceptionally bright early morning sunshine flooded the apartment, temporarily blinding the bedridden man who immediately called out in a hopeful voice, "Gojyo? Is that you?"

Startled by hearing his friend's voice having incorrectly assumed the man was still asleep, the crimson-haired teen answered quickly, "Yeah, Nanashi, it's only me."

Failing to notice the fact that he could barely see in the darkened room, Gojyo stepped forwards quickly, negligently shoving the door closed behind him and cutting off the sunlight as he asked, "Did I wake you? I'm sorry, but there was this--" his voice trailed away as he literally stumbled across his own pillow which was laying in the middle of the room. Growling as a hand snapped out to steady himself on the small table near the bed and missed, he snarled angrily, "Fuck!"

"Gojyo!!" Gonou exclaimed in concern. Without a moment's hesitation or the smallest bit of thought for his own safety, he automatically lunged towards his friend, desperately reaching for the flailing gambler's hand before screaming due to the pain that lanced through his not yet healed abdomen and he collapsed back onto the bed.

Even as Gojyo's forward momentum caused him to crash onto the floor, eyes the color of freshly shed blood went wide, a reflection of how terrified he felt by the thought that the recently injured man might've reopened the sutures that held him together.

Scrambling to the side of the bed and quickly kneeling next to it, Gojyo urgently inquired of the man whose face was now contorted in agony, "Are you all right, Nanashi?!?" No response was immediately forthcoming from the man who couldn't get enough oxygen into his pain-wracked body, though, and he added anxiously, "Do I need to go get a doctor?! Are you bleeding again?!?"

Weakly waving a hand between himself and his frightened friend, Gonou gasped for breath and assured in an agonized voice that didn't agree with the statement, "No, no, I'm fine, Gojyo." Forcing his one visible eye open again, he added, "Really, I'll be fine in a minute. I just acted without thinking, that's all."

"'That's *all*'?!" The crimson-haired teen exclaimed in horrified disbelief. Without apology or explanation, he worriedly grasped his friend's face with both hands and peered at him desperately as he said, "You probably just did a helluva number on yourself! Damn it all, but I just slipped a little! Why the *hell* did you risk your safety trying to keep me from falling in the first place?!"

Enjoying the sudden warmth of skin-to-skin contact that helped him finally calm down enough to banish any outward signs of the lingering discomfort he felt, the emerald-eyed man answered honestly, "I don't really know, Gojyo. As soon as I saw you beginning to fall, it just seemed natural to want to reach out and help you any way that I could. It's almost as if…" An odd expression crossed his face while he tried to find the words that could express what he felt, but Gojyo didn't have the patience to let him find them on his own.

Caressing the soft skin under one hand with the pad of his thumb, the half-breed leaned closer and urged gently, "It was only 'as if' what, Nanashi? Please, tell me." He couldn't help but wonder if the overwhelming sense of déjà vu he was feeling was shared by the person whose hands now rested lightly on his bare arms.

With mild confusion swirling in the jewel-toned, verdant orb that gazed unashamedly back at the one soul whose presence was giving him more comfort than he might've ever predicted, Gonou answered quietly, "It's as if this has happened before. I know it's impossible and I can't explain it, but I just didn't want to see you get hurt, that's all."

A tender smile blossomed on Gojyo's lips as he found the answer he'd been hoping for and was answered by one filled with a gentle gratitude that hinted at unspoken affection. Somewhere deep inside the two men, a pair of immortal spirits rejoiced yet again that even if it was only for a moment, they had been in perfect harmony.

The sweet moment was broken by a sudden twinge of pain Gonou felt as he tried to adjust his position on the bed so as to accommodate the man whose strong hands continued to cradle his face so tenderly. "Ouch," he winced, then immediately regretted his weakness.

"Oh, shit!" Gojyo suddenly exclaimed more softly than before yet not without guilt even as the half-formed thought of kissing the man he held so close dissolved entirely and he insisted firmly, "Let me check your sutures, Nanashi. You might've pulled some of them out or something." Releasing his grasp on his roommate's face, he moved to pull back the bedclothes and gave the other man a glance that asked for permission to unbutton the cotton shirt he loaned him since Gonou's clothes had been destroyed before they met.

Displeased to lose the warm, reassuring contact they'd shared yet knowing it was true that there was a danger that he had re-injured himself, Gonou answered with a soft sigh even as he dropped his arms back to his sides and let his friend take charge, "Of course, Gojyo. Whatever you think is best."

After giving him a grateful smile before turning his full attention on baring the thick swath of bandages on the pale man's abdomen, the gambler-cum-nurse quickly and efficiently unbuttoned the soft shirt. He then spread it open and took a quick, assessing glance at the other man's torso from collarbones to the waistband of the borrowed sweatpants he was currently wearing.

Nodding to himself and feeling relieved that there weren't any signs of blood immediately apparent, Gojyo gently began to remove the bandages while Gonou forced himself to close his eye for fear of seeing the guilt-stricken look that would undoubtedly cross his friend's face if he was injured anew.

A few tense moments passed in silence as the crimson-haired man checked each of the numerous sutures one at a time discovering to his great relief that they were unaffected by the rash motions. The slight frown that crossed his elegant features when Gojyo was once again reminded of the severe scarring the other man would bear for the rest of his life because of the life-saving surgery had already vanished when he said softly, "Well, we dodged a bullet this time, Nanashi." Giving the man who finally opened his eye to peer at him quizzically a gentle, reassuring smile, he added, "I'm happy to report that your stitches are fine after all."

"That's a relief," Gonou answered with a slightly distressed smile that hinted at the ongoing pain he felt which hadn't faded back to the dull throb he usually endured without complaint.

"Let me get some fresh bandages on these," the scarlet-eyed man said before adding pointedly, "and then I think you need some of those painkillers Long left for you."

Not pleased with the idea of taking the strong prescription pharmaceuticals that caused him to sleep for hours on end, Gonou counter-offered, "I don't hurt all that badly, Gojyo. Couldn't I just take some regular analgesics and see if that would be sufficient?"

"Some anal-whats-its?" The confused nineteen year old asked even as he moved to pull out the box of bandages he'd been storing under the bed for easy access.

The former teacher chuckled softly despite the tiny pain it caused and explained, "That's 'analgesics', Gojyo. You know, like aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen, that sort of thing?"

Pulling out a roll of gauze and tape to cover the terrifying mass of raw, puckered flesh and sutures, the crimson-haired man answered with a slight laugh of his own, "Oh, you want some Tylenol, right? Why didn't you say so in the first place?" He gave Gonou a slight smirk that implied he was attempting to be funny and lighten the mood, then added more seriously, "Sure, we can give that a shot, but if you don't feel a lot better in an hour or so, we go back to the other, okay?"

"That'll be fine," Gonou agreed with a more genuine smile than his usual neutral one and then he lay still as his friend continued his careful, life-preserving ministrations.

There was an atmosphere of warmth and caring in the room as the taller of the two men continued to kneel beside the bed, placing fresh bandages over his friend's wounds. Both of them found unexpected comfort in this intimate act of giving and receiving aid, something that would buoy them both up each and every time it was repeated as Gonou's extensive post-surgical wounds healed.

After completing his task, Gojyo successfully ignored the strange impulse to place a thankful kiss atop the thick gauze that protected his roommate from infection even as he carefully buttoned the shirt once more and straightened it before pulling the covers back in place warmly.

Rising so he could go to get the medicine as planned, the half-breed remarked, "I'll put on some coffee and grab the Tylenol for you now, Nanashi. Need anything else?" Brushing a hand through some of the slightly mussed chocolate hair that lay upon the white pillowcase, he smiled and added, "Oh, and remind me to help you wash your hair sometime soon. It's too pretty for it to be all messed up because I keep playing with it."

The vaguest hint of redness crossed Gonou's cheeks and then he shook his head slightly answering the question and ignoring the secondary comment altogether, "I'll be fine, Gojyo. You worry too much."

Laughing lightly and heading towards the kitchen where he kept his small arsenal of things to fight the rare hangover he'd experienced in the past, the lanky gambler called over his shoulder, "Nonsense! Nothing but the best for *my* roommie, ya know!"

Serendipitously, the moment of crisis when Gojyo had thought his companion might be injured again had erased most of the lingering darkness caused by his conversation with the young monk. The knowledge that within a few hours he would be forced to face his fears and remembered pain when attending the service for Kiko wasn't lost, of course, it was merely pressed into the recesses of his mind by other more urgent matters.

As the other man passed out of hearing range, Gonou contemplated the possessive tone in the other man's voice and then remarked softly to himself in quiet surprise, "Oh my. *That* was unexpected."

The emerald-eyed man simply lay there listening as his friend hummed a random tune to himself and put some coffee on to brew. Smiling slightly as he recalled the fact that Gojyo had actually gone to a fair amount of trouble to borrow some beans from a neighbor hoping to make Gonou's time with him more pleasant, he enjoyed the aroma that wafted from the kitchen.

Belatedly realizing that he would need to sit up to take the medicine, the brunette carefully eased himself into a seated position while resting heavily against the headboard of the bed. Reflecting on earlier events, he commented with a slight frown, "But I don't believe Gojyo told me what was going on earlier. I wonder what he was doing up so early?"

Returning with some water and the bottle of Tylenol, Gojyo asked, "Oi, were you talking to me, dude?" Smiling and seating himself on the bed facing his friend without hesitation, he handed the glass to the emerald-eyed man and added, "The coffee should be ready in a bit, okay?"

"That sounds good, Gojyo, thank you," Gonou smiled gently and then accepted the pair of white tablets he was offered, swallowing them gratefully before inquiring, "If you don't mind my asking, why were you outside earlier? You seemed distracted when you came in."

Running a hand through dark red hair that had yet to be washed or brushed properly, the scarlet-eyed man sighed deeply and wished he could avoid discussing this topic but knew that wasn't a good idea. With a sad smile, he explained, "One of the monks from the local temple came by to tell me there's some kind of ceremony or something for Kiko this morning and Zan wants me to be there."

Holding the glass of water in both hands and feeling somewhat confused by the sense of sorrow his friend seemed to radiate, Gonou asked gently, "I take it you'd rather not go?" Receiving a slight nod of acknowledgement and agreement, he added, "If you're worried about leaving me here unattended, please don't. I'm sure a few hours alone won't be a problem."

Shaking his head slightly, the unhappy teen explained, "It's not just that, Nanashi. I've kind of got this hang-up about funerals and death rites and crap like that."

Gazing steadily back at the man who sat so close to him on the bed, Gonou quietly encouraged, "How so? Are you uncomfortable to be around the deceased?" With a supreme act of willpower, he suppressed a shudder of revulsion as his own despicable acts came to the forefront of his mind since that was the last time he himself had been in the presence of corpses. His friend needed his support and now was not the time for guilt, he reminded himself with more than a little of his own smoldering self-hatred.

Giving his companion a look that asked for understanding regarding something he himself could barely put into words, Gojyo explained, "I'm not bothered by being around dead guys or nothing, I just can't stand all the people crying and stuff. Especially the women." The image of the tear-streaked face of his mother flashed before his mind's eye as it always did whenever he was in the presence of a weeping woman. Shaking the image from his thoughts, he added more fervently, "Gods, but I *hate* to see a lady cry and I can't imagine Zan'll get through this without a few tears here or there."

"Ah, I see," Gonou remarked gently then moved to reach out and place a hand lightly on one of Gojyo's, giving it a brief squeeze of encouragement before releasing it as he said with compassion, "I feel the same way, Gojyo. But from everything you've told me about not only Dr. Zan herself but also the boy you cared so much about, I think you'll feel better if you attend whatever service she's chosen for him."

Looking away and wishing that the brief caress of his hand hadn't ended so quickly, the scarlet-eyed man muttered, "Yeah, I guess so." Forcing himself to put on a façade of confidence, he then turned back to his friend and smirked slightly before saying, "But I'm not going to worry about it right now. The coffee ought to be ready any minute now, so let me take that glass of yours and go get us both some java, okay?"

Continuing to smile encouragingly, Gonou nodded and handed him the glass commenting, "I look forward to the day when I can help out around here, Gojyo. Simply staying in bed all the time while you wait on me hand and foot seems terribly wrong."

Standing up and heading towards the kitchen, Gojyo found the strength to laugh at this comment and answered truthfully, "I don't mind a bit, Nanashi." Pausing and looking at the other man's handsome face he felt relieved all over again that he hadn't been hurt earlier and he added, "In all honesty, this is the best thing I can remember ever doing with my otherwise misspent life. It's nice to feel useful and needed for a change."

Instantaneously snapping his own mask of faux-happiness into place to cover the realization that he couldn't say the same thing for himself in any way, shape, or form, Gonou merely nodded agreeably. Noticing that the other man expected a response, he hurriedly commented, "I'm sure you've done plenty of other good deeds, Gojyo, but I am quite grateful all the same."

Frowning slightly and noting that he didn't like the way the other man hid his emotions from him but preferring not to make an issue of it, Gojyo slowly nodded in return then answered, "You're welcome, of course." Banishing the slight crinkles at the corners of his long-lashed eyes that spoke of his concern, he then went back to getting them something hot to drink.

Sitting once more alone in the bed and staring at his empty hands, Gonou allowed the mask to slip away briefly as his thoughts went back to wishing he himself was of more use to his host than he was. Granted, he was drastically underestimating the impact of his presence alone much less the numerous gestures of concern and care that the other man was finding comfort in, but this was how he felt.

Surprisingly, by the time sunset painted firelight hues in the sky above the small village, the brunette's desires to help his companion would be answered but not in any manner that he could've foreseen in his current dejected state.

Indeed, there would be tears as Gojyo feared, quite a lot of them in fact. Yet there would also be the most unanticipated of smiles when the silent urgings of the immortal spirit of a military strategist without parallel were given heed and Gonou found the inner strength to offer something that would ease his friend's sorrow quite effectively. In a moment of deep despair, the sensation of a gentle set of lips brushing against one's own could be more healing than the touch of an angel's wing and this was to be the emerald-eyed man's gift to the one who had mattered most to his soul throughout eternity.

How the current incarnation of a self-assured, hot-blooded general of a half-millennium prior might react to such a boon remained to be seen, of course. But considering who the cocky, sensual gambler had been before the life-altering encounter with the wounded stranger, it was safe to say it would be a positive reaction of one sort or another.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] Please allow me to make one small aside regarding how hard it is occasionally to resist the desire to use certain aspects of the original dialogue from the show. I found it most amusing that when he's still "Gonou", the emerald-eyed man adds the honorific "-san" to Gojyo's name yet when he returns as "Hakkai" the honorific is gone and I was tempted to include it here since I thought it was interesting. However, since I try to avoid such linguistic inconsistencies and usually translate as much of the Japanese into English as possible--other than nicknames like "bakasaru", "kappa", etc--I decided against incorporating this since the use of "Mr. Gojyo" would sound incredibly stupid and not at all in keeping with Gonou's character.

[2] During the flashbacks in episodes 15 and 16, it's rather obvious that Gojyo prefers to lounge around his apartment in a state of at least partial undress most of the time, hence the references to Gonou having plenty of time to see a great deal of his body on display. Of course, in the context of *this* story, our crimson-haired sensualist has had more than his share of seeing his attractive new roommate naked in the course of nursing him back to health, so fair's fair, ne?