The rarest pair I can think of without it being obviously karin
hmmm
i would be open to it but ive never considered it before.
if i were gonna write it, i think i would have it be like a - childhood friends to lovers kinda thing? but the childhood friends is less "we're best friends!" and more - your adopted murderer (zabuza) is friends with my adopted murderer (kisame) so i guess we're friends?
haku doesnt seem like hed be SUPER receptive to a friend, especially one who he'd view as potential competition, but suigetsu is easygoing enough to not be competition, but competitive and competent enough that i think haku would eventually come to respect him regardless.
when they get older, i think suigetsu is the one who falls first and initiates, in kind of a shit eating way. haku is too loyal to zabuza, but i think suigetsu could get under his skin in a way haku would learn to tolerate, even if begrudgingly.
Subject: Haku dreams about the past and ends up accidentally rekindling some old feelings.
Pairing: Implied SuiHaku, childhood.
Setting: AU, roleplayverse. Seal Beach, Ca.
Warnings?: GEYYYYYYYY
Dedicated to: Morail. For being the best OTP partner ever. I saw you say that today would be a bad day so I finished this for you. Hope this makes your day suck a little less!
"The Zula Patrol! Only on—"
"So no one told you life was gonna be this—"
"Next, on KCAL 9 ne—"
"Low, ri, der, is a little hi—"
"There's no chance unless you—"
Haku shut off the television with a more dramatic flourish and button press on the remote than was necessary. Satellite television with all of the fancy extras, over 6000 channels that actually played television, and another few thousand music channels, and absolutely nothing was on. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. He'd been looking for the last thirty minutes, he should know.
He tossed the remote onto the far end of the huge L-shaped couch and flopped over onto Teacup. She probably wasn't supposed to be on the couch, but so long as Feferi wasn't here, Haku never told her no. He snuggled into the bullmastiff's side, and she took a deep breath, exhaled it as a long, contented sigh. Teacup was never bored, it seemed. She didn't care if the shows were bad or if Haku used her as a pillow while screwing around on the internet. She was just happy to sleep and be next to him at all times. Which was also fine by Haku. Having Teacup around had cured a great deal of his anxiety, and he was used to the massive dog shadowing him from room to room every day in this otherwise empty house. Feferi was in Florida for the time being, taking care of her grubs. She said she'd bring them out when she could. Haku both hoped that was soon and that it wasn't soon. He found that he wasn't lonely.
His brow furrowed in thought as he came to that same revelation again. Huh. Not lonely. Weird. And it wasn't just because of Teacup. He was happy to talk to people over skype or on the phone, yeah, but he found that he didn't desperately need it like he had before. He wasn't constantly seeking out attention and acknowledgement from other people since moving out here to the beach house. He'd never in his life been so at peace. Leaving the Oregon house had been good for him. Maybe Zabuza leaving had been good for him in the end, too. The more he looked on it, the more the relationship that they'd had, even in the years before they'd spent that month as a couple, hadn't been good for him, mentally. If anything, they'd only strengthened his anxiety and fear of being alone. He'd been like a dog himself.
Haku blinked hard. No no, he wasn't going to think about that. No matter how philosophical it started, no matter how much he thought about how much better it was now, if he continued that line of thought for too long, his heart would start aching. No matter what he did, the stupid organ would always start aching after a certain point. He'd been dealing with it by not letting it get to that point. He sat up and reached over Teacup, and picked up a different remote. This one was for the iHome thing. He pushed play, and his iPod, nestled atop the black contraption, woke up, and started playing music. Some instrumental score from a movie. He put the remote on the floor, where he could easily reach it, and curled back up against Teacup's stomach. He reached up to scratch behind her ears, and her tail gave a few attempted wags, but it was well wedged into the corner of the L. Haku smiled, and let his hand rest lightly on her collar, closed his eyes, and enjoyed the music, and the perfectly pleasant air circulating through the house, and relaxed in the knowledge that he wasn't required to do anything, and he didn't have anywhere to go.
Two songs passed before that song came up. It was one of the ones he couldn't listen to. It reminded him too much of Zabuza. He used to play it in the car and sing to it to tease him, after they left Los Angeles and the Seven Swordsmen Autoshop. But at this point, he found he couldn’t open his eyes, and his hands were so heavy. He could feel himself slipping. Haku tried to fight. He didn't want to dream about Zabuza. But sleep had sunk its claws in, and refused to let him go.
Breaking rocks in the, hot sun
I fought the law and the, law won
He was twelve years old and in the back of Zabuza's old truck. They were on a bumpy stretch of freeway and all of the clutter on the floor kept bouncing, since there weren't shocks in this old truck. I Fought The Law by The Po Boys was playing. His right eye was closed and the heel of his right hand was pressed into it because it hurt, and his left hand was fumbling for something to throw. Suigetsu was laughing harder than before, but there was that note of shock in the singsong sound, since he hadn't meant to hit Haku in the eye with that skittle. The giant bag in his lap had been so full when he'd opened it, and there were still so many, and so to entertain himself, he'd started throwing them at Haku, despite Haku's repeated protests. But Haku was patient with Suigetsu. He'd put up with it, especially since Mangetsu and Zabuza, sitting in the front seat, were of no help. Occasionally they told Suigetsu to stop, but never so much as turned around to make sure he did. And that last throw had hit Haku in the eye. And it hurt.
He was done being patient.
His fingers closed around something lightweight that he could throw, and he flung it. It ended up being a cassette tape. The little gray cartridge hit with one corner, square in the middle of Suigetsu's forehead. The younger boy yelped and started rubbing the spot. Haku laughed triumphantly. Served him right. Suigetsu frowned and kicked out, hit him in the shin. Naturally, Haku kicked back. Suigetsu undid his seatbelt, leapt across the gap, and tackled Haku squarely in the stomach. Haku took the opportunity to punch Suigetsu in the kidney.
The scuffle didn't last long. Suigetsu was yanked away by Mangetsu, who had undone his own seatbelt to break up the fight. Haku ducked instinctively, and managed to dodge Zabuza's hand on the first round, but it caught him upside the head on its way back. "Will you both knock that shit off?" Zabuza snarled from the front. Haku stuck out his tongue at the back of Zabuza's head but said nothing.
"He fucking started it!" Suigetsu objected, pointing at Haku. This earned him his own smack upside the head from his older brother.
"Don't fucking swear, Suigetsu, you little shit, you're ten!" Mangetsu gave a long sigh, and started muttering. "Let's take one car, he said. It'll save gas, he said. The boys'll get along just fine, nothing to worry about, he said…"
"You shut the fuck up."
Mangetsu raised his hands in truce. "Okay, okay, just so long as you know you were wrong, Peaches."
"That doesn't sound like shutting up."
Mangetsu chuckled, and Suigetsu sighed impatiently. "Are we there yet? We've been in this car for, like, all day!"
"Almost. The off ramp is just up ahead. Calm your tits. We'll get there when we get there." Mangetsu's tone was lower, and almost soothing. He didn’t want to break up another fight.
Suigetsu crossed his arms and started pouting, as though this would make the car ride go faster. Haku giggled, and ignored how his cheeks flushed when Suigetsu looked up at him curiously. At twelve, he'd already thought that Suigetsu was ridiculously cute. But, at the same time, he was twelve. And two years older than Suigetsu. He was doing very well simply ignoring the butterflies and the flushed cheeks, though. It was very rarely anything more than he could handle.
It was another ten or fifteen minutes before Zabuza parked on Main Street, Seal Beach. Haku's stomach rumbled loudly as the scent of food wafted into the car. He knew better than to ask for any of that, though. They were here to go to Ruby's on the Pier, after all.
The young men both exited, and Suigetsu and Haku both clambered over the seats, flopped on their backs, and scrambled out of the car. Haku stretched straight up and stood on his toes. Suigetsu was running literal circles around Mangetsu, before he suddenly slammed on the brakes. "Aren't you cold?"
Haku looked down at his ensemble. Just an old once-navy Jackie Chan Adventures T-shirt, a pair of tan shorts that were too long, and cinched tight around his waist because they were too big around, and a pair of beaten blue Converse. He looked up at Suigetsu, who was wearing blue jeans and a worn Jack Skellington sweatshirt that was far too big. He shrugged, and shook his head. Suigetsu almost looked disappointed. "Oh…"
Haku was about to open his mouth to ask why, when Zabuza cut him off. "You two go ahead. Just don't jump in front of cars or rob anyone or get kidnapped. We'll be there a little after dark." He didn't have time to ask after that, because Suigetsu snatched his wrist and started dragging him through the crowd, out toward the ocean. He didn't slow down until they reached the crosswalk at the very end of the street, and he waited impatiently for the light to change. Haku used the moment to inhale the salty air. It was cold, but he hardly felt the nip. To him, cold weather was comfortable weather.
Suigetsu didn't drag him across the street when the light changed. Instead, he bumped his hip against Haku's when the green man appeared, and waited until Haku was walking before he started to walk. Haku looked over and slightly up, at Suigetsu's face. Though he was older, Suigetsu was already an inch or so taller than him. It wasn't fair, but Haku's rough start in life, and his mother's genes, meant he would always be small. "We're not running anymore?"
Suigetsu shrugged. "I think we left them far enough behind." He grinned, and as his lips pulled tighter, his snaggled left canine tooth was much more obvious. Though his teeth hadn't been sharpened yet, that one was already very long and pointed, and Mangetsu feared it might become even more obvious as time went by. It never seemed to bother Suigetsu, though, and Haku liked it. "Besides, I don't want to get you too tired before we even get there."
"I'm fine."
"No, you're skinny."
Haku rolled his eyes. "So're you."
"Yeah, but I eat a lot." He poked Haku in the ribs, which made the older boy squeak and jump about a foot away. This only made Suigetsu's grin turn into more of a smirk. "You eat like a girl. Like the ones who're on diets all the time."
"I do not!"
"You do too!" They started to tread across the wooden planks of the pier. Haku found that there were a lot less people out this way. Not as many people must be going to Ruby's today. There were people fishing over the railings in places. At one large gap, he walked to the railing and leaned over the side to look at the water. The sun was getting close to setting, which meant it was getting close to six. It cast an orange light over the water.
Suigetsu leaned over the railing next to him. "What're you looking at?"
"Just the water."
"Well, don't fall in. I still haven't taught you how to swim yet."
Haku snorted. "As if I would."
Suigetsu shrugged, and frowned at the wooden boards to the other side of him. "Just saying… 'Cause I don't want you to fall it. 'Cause then I'd have to jump in to save your skinny butt and my clothes would get all wet."
Haku ignored the leap his stomach made. "I don't even think you could swim in that big old hoodie."
"I can so! I can swim in anything!"
Haku raised his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay, you can swim in anything." He started walking down the pier again. They were already halfway there. "But you'd really jump in after me?"
Suigetsu trotted up next to him, but wouldn't make eye contact when he answered. "Well, yeah. Of course I would. You're my best friend, Haku." After a moment of roving, his amethyst gaze met Haku's chocolate one, and he grinned sheepishly. "You can't go drowning before I teach you how to swim!"
Haku beamed, and redirected his gaze to the planks in front of him, ignoring the blush rising to his cheeks. "No, I guess not, huh?"
He didn't pay much attention to where Suigetsu ended up leading him, and the next moment he looked up, they were at the very end of the pier, behind the restaurant. No fishermen were back here, and a small bench was pressed up against the back of the building. "I thought we were going in…"
"But the sun's setting, and this is the best place to see it from?" Suigetsu rubbed his cheek, and for a moment, Haku thought he saw… a blush? No, couldn't be. It was just the lighting.
Suigetsu flopped onto the bench, and Haku set himself down gently beside him. Suigetsu looked back over at him, eyed him up and down. "Are you sure you're not cold?"
Haku opened his mouth to say no, he was just fine, but didn't get the chance to. Black suddenly coated his vision, and the sound of the ocean became muffled. It only lasted a moment, though, and then suddenly his head was free. He realized that his cheek was pressed against Suigetsu's, and his breath caught in his chest for a moment. They were sharing the sweatshirt. He could feel Suigetsu's arm behind him, and realized that he'd taken his arm out of the sleeve. Haku slipped his arm through. It was very warm. His stomach was doing flips. He could feel Suigetsu's smile. "I thought you looked cold."
Haku couldn't stop his smile. "Yeah, I guess I was."
From there, they sat quietly for a few minutes as the sun sank over the horizon. Quiet moments with Suigetsu were rare, and Haku couldn't help but wonder what was quieting Suigetsu's chatter. He couldn't really look over to see Suigetsu's face, but the quiet felt like a calm, pensive one. He realized that he really enjoyed it.
The horizon grew brighter as the sun dipped under the waves, then the sky started to darken. He felt Suigetsu take in a deep breath.
"Hey, Haku?"
"Hm?"
A pause, then a small sigh. "Nothing."
.::.
Haku's eyes opened rather suddenly. He didn't feel tired, even though he had just awoken from a nap. Teacup's breathing was still slow and even. She was still sleeping.
He stood up, and she woke up, stepped down from the couch to follow him into his room. From the top drawer of his dresser, he pulled out his photo album, and then he sat down on the bed. Teacup jumped up to join him. The last time he had flipped through it, from front to back, had been over a year ago. He started with only a moment of hesitation. A filthy little boy with matted black hair and a gaunt face stared warily at him from the top of the first page. Below it, the same boy, clean, with his hair untangled. His face was still gaunt.
He flipped the page.
The next picture was taken inside the Seven Swordsmen Autoshop. There was a Camaro in the background that Kisame and Ringo were working on. In the foreground, he and Suigetsu were sharing a sandwich. Suigetsu was enigmatically telling him a story, and his left hand was blurry because it had been moving around so much. Haku was watching him raptly. His cheeks were slowly filling out at that point. He was nine years old in the picture, and Suigetsu had only recently turned seven.
They went on from there. Almost every picture, except for a handful, seemed to be of him and Suigetsu. He always seemed to be looking at Suigetsu. Sometimes they were both looking at the camera. He watched years go by in pictures. There was one of him and Suigetsu on swings when he was ten. Suigetsu was wearing that same sweatshirt they had shared. There was one from when he was eleven of them pretending to be making a getaway in one of the shop cars. Suigetsu was driving, and Haku was leaning out the window, pointing an invisible gun. Another when he was twelve, and he and Suigetsu were both playing co-op mode on MarioKart Double Dash. They were both leaning into a sharp turn, at the same angle.
It was one near the end that really caught his attention. One he'd never really paid much attention to before.
This one was taken two weeks before Zabuza decided to leave LA. His hair had grown out pretty long by this point. It was ponytailed back in this picture. They were at the front desk, the picture had been taken from the entrance to the shop, so it was at something of an angle, and neither he nor Suigetsu had been aware of the presence of a camera until the flash had hit them. It was why he'd never really given this photo much focus. After all, they weren't even paying attention. He was bent over the math worksheet, focused on a tough problem. Suigetsu was looking at him.
That alone made him pause.
He realized that this was the only photo where Suigetsu was looking at him.
And his expression…
His smile was much softer than it was in the other photographs. It gave his features a more gentle look. He looked very content, with his attention riveted on an unknowing thirteen-year-old Haku.
Haku felt his stomach do a familiar flip.
He shut the photo album with a snap. Teacup lifted her head quickly, ears pricked. Haku put the album away quickly, and sat back down.
He hadn't seen Suigetsu in five years. This was ridiculous.
He probably didn't live around here anymore. The Seven Swordsmen had probably closed down. And even if it hadn't, and Suigetsu still did live around here, he probably wouldn't recognize Haku, let alone remember him.
"You're my best friend, Haku."
Haku groaned and flopped backwards on the bed. Teacup wriggled her way around to snuffle worriedly at his face. He pet the top of her big head to reassure her. To try to reassure himself. Even though he knew he couldn't. All he could hope was that he'd come to his senses soon.
