Scratches in a Chained Void

The Ultimate Saiyuki 53 Fanfic List M-Z

2008-12-01T01:58:34Z

Ultimate Saiyuki 535 Fanfic List
A to L | M to Z

---M to Z---

Madhumalati
Undressing http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3534311/1/Undressing

madwriter
Working it Out http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=544202084

Mandolina Lightrobber
Luscious http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3885719/1/Luscious

Mariphasa Hecatene
About 2 AM http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4237260/1/About_2_AM

Melody123
A Pleasant Surprise http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5514421/1/A_Pleasant_Suprise
I'll be There http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5496298/1/Ill_Be_There

metaldog5
Worth It http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3861542/1/Worth_it

MikariStar
Don't Sweat http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3437891/1/Dont_Sweat
Mouth to Mouth http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3488406/1/Mouth_to_Mouth
Unanswered Questions http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3454369/1/Unanswered_Questions

Mishaela
Lasting Impression http://www.discarnate.com/boysnextdoor/fiction/saiyuki/lastingimpression.html

missingkitsune (kenihiko)
A Kappa's Pain http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4347392/1/A_Kappas_Pain
Bad Friends http://community.livejournal.com/bad_friends/135702.html#cutid1
Blood Will Tell http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4948127/1/Blood_will_tell
Cherry http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600041479
Cofee Break http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600042312
Faith http://community.livejournal.com/bad_friends/171013.html#cutid2
Gojyo's Surprise http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600040991
Heaven's Gun http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600041944
It's a Surprise http://community.livejournal.com/bad_friends/154388.html#cutid1
It's okay to bleed http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600044726
Justice be Served http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4039126/1/Justice_be_Served
Liar http://community.livejournal.com/bad_friends/171013.html#cutid1
Merry Christmas Baby http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3966852/1/Merry_Christmas_Baby
Nothing Else Matters http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600040992
Now Of All Times http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4119014/1/Now_Of_All_Times
One day of peace http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600044907
Priest Sanzo Mama http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600042255
Remember my Love http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600042365
Secret Touch http://community.livejournal.com/bad_friends/166852.html#cutid1
something's different here http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600044886
Sometimes you're the monkey http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600045616
Tears From My Angel http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600042256
The Gift: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4138475/1/The_Gift
To Dream a Little Dream http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4044167/1/To_Dream_a_Little_Dream
What it's For http://community.livejournal.com/bad_friends/162300.html#cutid1
Why? http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600041162
Wish You Were Here http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4035545/1/Wish_You_Were_Here
You Are my Sunshine http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4284910/1/You_are_my_Sunshine
You Can't Do That http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600041687

missionX
The Schism http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3151885/1/The_Schism

MJJ
Master Sanzou's Lessons in the Back Garden: Sincerity http://mjj.laleeloo.com/saiyuuki/master_sanzou1.htm

moshesque
Ale Haze http://moshesque.livejournal.com/226135.html
Celibacy Interrupted http://moshesque.livejournal.com/235654.html
Granted http://moshesque.livejournal.com/221953.html

Mousebird
A Force to Be Reckoned With http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3205592/1/A_Force_to_Be_Reckoned_With
Demented Picnic http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3702466/1/Demented_Picnic

Mrs Rusalki
Crimson Craving http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic/view_st.php/26702

ms_legerdemain
Booty Call http://community.livejournal.com/laudanumdreams/10047.html#cutid2
Dreaming http://community.livejournal.com/laudanumdreams/7245.html
Friction http://community.livejournal.com/laudanumdreams/9596.html#cutid1
Penance http://community.livejournal.com/laudanumdreams/6354.html
Womanizer http://community.livejournal.com/laudanumdreams/4427.html#cutid1

My Conviction
Gallows http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3344762/1/Gallows
The Fight to Save Ourselves http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3237153/1/The_Fight_To_Save_Ourselves

Myka
Quenching a Thirst http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1719640/1/Quenching_a_Thirst

Naitachal666
Cold Hard Feelings http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3830191/1/Cold_Hard_Feelings

Nanatsusaya (Luna Aiko,peachpai)
Blondes are Better http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3656691/1/Blondes_are_Better
Indra Hath No Love For Mortals(co-authored with Shyria) http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1607229/1/Indra_Hath_No_Love_for_Mortals
It's Been Awhile http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1750487/1/Its_Been_Awhile
Summer Day(co-authored with Shyria) http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1905883/1/Summer_Day
The Cabin(co-authored with Shyria) http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1553698/1/The_Cabin

Naruto-senpai
Booze, Cigarettes and a Beautiful Priest http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3155397/1/Booze_Cigarettes_and_a_Beautiful_Priest

narziss
Lavender Dust http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic/view_st.php/91294

Navi99
Gojyo Finds a Kitten http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic/view_st.php/124631
Sweat, Not Tears http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic/view_st.php/125141

Nbr8GotItMemorized (halfdemonvash )
Flowers Bloom in Sunlight http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4298191/1/Flowers_Bloom_in_Sunlight
Not Enough http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4314583/1/Not_Enough

nimblnymph
Screwed By Circumstance http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600042552

Okami Tabor
Lonesome Strike http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3979350/1/Lonesome_Strike

Oozaru Angel
I'm the Only One Who Doesn't Know Anything http://oozaru-angel.livejournal.com/14153.html#cutid1
The Independent Variable http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3881620/1/The_Independant_Variable

Queen1973
Rainy Day http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600020536

Paxnirvana
Caught http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic/view_st.php/39568
Frenzy http://www.discarnate.com/boysnextdoor/fiction/saiyuki/frenzy.html

perishedlove
I Can Relate http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3071470/1/I_Can_Relate
Sleeping Beauty http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3055694/1/Sleeping_Beauty

Phoenix Daze
Let's Make a Deal http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3432758/1/Lets_Make_a_Deal
Together Again http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3537439/1/Together_Again

P.L. Nunn
Vindication http://bishonenworks.com/fiction_new/story_chapters/vindication1.php
Cruel Intentions http://bishonenworks.com/fiction_new/story_chapters/cruelintentions1.php
Lost Faith http://bishonenworks.com/fiction_new/story_chapters/lostfaith1.php

polly-esther
This is Not a Love Story http://polly-esther.livejournal.com/25443.html

pyrzym
Kappa http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic/view_ch.php/151936/529729#fic_c

QueenYokozuna
A Clear Afternoon http://www.geocities.com/iamnula/aclearafternoon.html
Bared http://www.geocities.com/iamnula/bared.html
Dragging Along http://www.geocities.com/iamnula/draggingalong.html

Ratt-San
Restless Night http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1593411/1/Restless_Night

ravengirl
Spun Out http://ravengirl76.livejournal.com/50201.html
Unspoken http://ravengirl76.livejournal.com/40630.html

redheadedslut_5
A Season Underground http://redheadedslut-5.livejournal.com/1415.html
Blackbird http://redheadedslut-5.livejournal.com/4293.html
Blood & Chocolate [Prologue][1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]
Drowning http://redheadedslut-5.livejournal.com/1276.html
Give It All Away http://redheadedslut-5.livejournal.com/1727.html
Him http://redheadedslut-5.livejournal.com/1927.html
Marlboro http://redheadedslut-5.livejournal.com/744.html
Never Leave Me http://redheadedslut-5.livejournal.com/2921.html
Older and Far Away http://redheadedslut-5.livejournal.com/3849.html
Of Birthdays http://redheadedslut-5.livejournal.com/5280.html
Strawberries http://redheadedslut-5.livejournal.com/1009.html
Tabula Rasa http://redheadedslut-5.livejournal.com/2495.html
The Rose-Tree http://redheadedslut-5.livejournal.com/3368.html

Reppa
The Golden Bird http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=35287

RinjiGrey
Lessons http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4329191/1/Lessons
Moments http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3954715/1/Moments
Rules http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4004947/1/Rules
Time http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3946196/1/Time

riverlad
Avanti part 1 Sacred Music: http://community.livejournal.com/bad_friends/116967.html
(REMOVED) Avanti: People's Parties http://riverlad.livejournal.com/38720.html#cutid1
(REMOVED) I'll Hurt Myself http://riverlad.livejournal.com/7158.html#cutid1
(REMOVED) Pills, Booze and Exploitation: http://riverlad.livejournal.com/8413.html#cutid1
Red Velvet http://community.livejournal.com/bad_friends/144200.html#cutid1
(REMOVED) Sometimes he Sleeps: http://riverlad.livejournal.com/6798.html#cutid1
(REMOVED) Take Your Medicine: http://riverlad.livejournal.com/9193.html
(REMOVED) Wet, Cold, Deep Contest http://riverlad.livejournal.com/7331.html#cutid1
(REMOVED) When Your Lover Leaves You: http://riverlad.livejournal.com/9548.html

Ritsuka Yuki
53 Drabble Smut http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5178453/1/53_Drabble_Smut

rizimu_skusha (Shin-no-Neckochan)
Beast of Burden (pre-53) http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3392436/1/Beast_of_Burden
Drinking Buddies Side B (x-over) http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3352792/1/
Mahjongg for the Gaming Soul http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3431109/1/Mahjongg_for_the_Gamin_Soul
Reservations (pre-53) http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3881362/1/Reservations
Simple Things (pre-53) http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3439295/1/Simple_Things
Where There's Smoke: Good Things Come in Pairs http://rizumu-sakusha.livejournal.com/36995.html

Saioji Yuko
Everything Breaks Sometime http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3190044/1/Everything_Breaks_Sometime

SafireGriffon
Aftershocks http://www.ficwad.com/viewstory.php?sid=55525
Come to Me http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3656378/1/Come_To_Me
Elemental http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3264811/1/Elemental
Fooled Me http://www.ficwad.com/viewstory.php?sid=55520
Intimacy http://www.ficwad.com/viewstory.php?sid=55524
Sunrise http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3705976/1/Sunrise

samsarapine
When the fighting stops http://samsarapine.livejournal.com/11737.html#cutid1

SanoGirl
Moonlight http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic/view_ch.php/156666/547993#fic_c

Satanic Mechanic
Keeping Score http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2309815/1/Keeping_Score

scribblemoose
From the Other Side: http://scribblemoose.livejournal.com/1169647.html
Interrupted http://www.scribblemoose.co.uk/pages/fiction/saiyuki/ad_fclt_interrupted.htm
Necking: http://scribblemoose.livejournal.com/1136543.html
Oasis http://www.scribblemoose.co.uk/pages/fiction/saiyuki/os_oasis.htm
Release (358) http://www.scribblemoose.co.uk/pages/fiction/saiyuki/os_release.htm
Too Good http://www.scribblemoose.co.uk/pages/fiction/saiyuki/ad_fclt_toogood.htm
Trick http://www.scribblemoose.co.uk/pages/fiction/saiyuki/ad_trick.htm
Want http://www.scribblemoose.co.uk/pages/fiction/saiyuki/ad_fclt_want.htm

A September Rose (saruzake)
10 Little Known Facts http://saruzake.livejournal.com/7459.html
Blind Date http://saruzake.livejournal.com/8700.html
Bull's-eye http://saruzake.livejournal.com/6583.html
Celebrating http://saruzake.livejournal.com/8741.html
Claret Night http://saruzake.livejournal.com/5451.html
Compensation http://saruzake.livejournal.com/13640.html
Cultivate http://saruzake.livejournal.com/7873.html
Defeated http://saruzake.livejournal.com/6820.html
Denial http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3485879/1/Denial
Drinking Buddies (x-over) http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3334068/1/
Dynamic http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3453802/1/Dynamic
Family Man http://saruzake.livejournal.com/8269.html
Give Me Peace http://saruzake.livejournal.com/5945.html
Going Out http://saruzake.livejournal.com/14864.html
Hard Labour http://saruzake.livejournal.com/9610.html
Interlude http://saruzake.livejournal.com/13367.html
Just Play Along http://saruzake.livejournal.com/25323.html
Last Night http://saruzake.livejournal.com/5211.html
Lay Claim http://saruzake.livejournal.com/10308.html
Mediator http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3461861/1/Mediator
Melting http://saruzake.livejournal.com/11411.html
Metta http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3359411/1/Metta
Nirvana (Metta III) http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3434447/1/Nirvana
Nothing New: http://community.livejournal.com/saiyuki_time/18629.html
Our Own World http://saruzake.livejournal.com/14675.html
Perfect Blue http://saruzake.livejournal.com/10688.html
Practice http://saruzake.livejournal.com/4701.html
Praina (Metta II) http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3392600/1/Prajna
Recap http://saruzake.livejournal.com/10897.html
Rewards http://saruzake.livejournal.com/13208.html
Sunrise http://saruzake.livejournal.com/15399.html
The Shore http://saruzake.livejournal.com/9353.html
Thief http://saruzake.livejournal.com/12570.html
Three By Five http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3519405/1/Three_By_Five
Unwell http://saruzake.livejournal.com/12239.html
Welcome Back http://saruzake.livejournal.com/9819.html
Where You Are http://saruzake.livejournal.com/12475.html
White and Gold http://saruzake.livejournal.com/14112.html
Why I Love You http://saruzake.livejournal.com/11662.html

setoxjoey fanboy
Vocabulary http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3378671/1/Vocabulary

Setsuna-X
Watching http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4032664/1/Watching
Schizzar
A Brothel? http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4861952/1/A_Brothelr
sffan
Water http://www.scarletseduction.info/efiction/eFiction1.1/viewstory.php?sid=146

Shadowgirl1
Service http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600045017

Sharpeslass:
Food for Thought: http://sharpeslass.livejournal.com/2271.html

Silver-Blue Sakura
An Invitation Accepted http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600048348
Sexual Interlude http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600048349

Stephor
Chang-an University http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600047239

SwirlyTirlyDirly
Big Spender http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4799134/1/Big_Spender
Just Friends? http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4793097/1/Just_Friendsr

The Prd
A Spartan Kind of Love http://community.livejournal.com/saiyukiyaoi/575818.html#cutid1
Rapunzel, Rapunzel http://community.livejournal.com/saiyukiyaoi/577061.html#cutid1

theskywasblue
Here Today, Here Tomorrow http://theskywasblue.livejournal.com/59578.html#cutid1
Some Like it Hot http://theskywasblue.livejournal.com/27286.html

Third World
The Maze http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=544188386
The Maze II: The Anthill http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=544206670
The Maze III:Sanctuary http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600041041

Toushikku (Blackened-Envy)
Coming From You http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600041230

Triyune
10 Reasons: http://triyune.livejournal.com/18048.html
Crystalline Chambers: http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600047779
Cubus White http://triyune.livejournal.com/73151.html
Darksome Call http://triyune.livejournal.com/13825.html
Deliverance, Delayed: http://triyune.livejournal.com/31328.html
Happiness is a Warm Coffee: http://triyune.livejournal.com/16327.html
Ice Queen http://triyune.livejournal.com/8963.html
It’s How We Play: http://triyune.livejournal.com/15211.html
Loosing the Anchor: http://triyune.livejournal.com/17634.html
Lost in Lunacy http://triyune.livejournal.com/9350.html
Meet Your Master http://triyune.livejournal.com/8529.html
One Night in Togenkyo http://triyune.livejournal.com/6227.html
Queen of Whores: http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600045324
Scum of the Earth: http://triyune.livejournal.com/26962.html
Stair case http://triyune.livejournal.com/65221.html#cutid1
Towers of Silence http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600021017

Turquoistar
Sanzo's Day http://yaoi.y-gallery.net/view/359942/

TygerLynn
Dynamics http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600041611

uruchan
Gotcha http://uruchan.livejournal.com/116019.html

Vamp (2light4dark)
Bonds of Silk http://minuswave.com/character/pairing/fiction/vampbondsofsilk.htm

vampunk
An Affectionate Gesture http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=544190836
Lap Dance http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=544185404

Viridian5
Lotus Land http://viridian.shriftweb.org/gs_lotusland.htm
Rise http://viridian.shriftweb.org/gs_rise.htm

vivid ambrosia
Facts Found In Sex http://vivid-ambrosia.livejournal.com/1137.html
Date Rape http://vivid-ambrosia.livejournal.com/7182.html
Fan Searching Induced Orgasm http://vivid-ambrosia.livejournal.com/440.html

volley15
What happens when a redhead a blonde hook up http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4258734/1/What_happens_when_a_redhead_a_blonde_hook_up

vulpes demonica
Gunning for a Dream http://vulpes-demonica.livejournal.com/7092.html
Crescent [1][2][3]

whisper
Back Seat http://community.livejournal.com/springkink/184440.html#cutid1

wind chijmes
Bonding http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic/view_st.php/94882

windwhisprer
Hate http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3347448/1/Hate

writersbane
Madness Tasted http://community.livejournal.com/saiyuki_time/79161.html#cutid1
Just This Once http://community.livejournal.com/bad_friends/132425.html#cutid1
Obsession Sighted http://community.livejournal.com/saiyuki_time/67429.html#cutid1
Scent Obsession http://community.livejournal.com/saiyuki_time/65265.html#cutid1
Senses Gone http://community.livejournal.com/saiyuki_time/88778.html#cutid1
Touching Madness http://community.livejournal.com/saiyuki_time/73600.html#cutid1

xcrstfallenstrx
Counterfeit Life http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5377973/2/Counterfeit_Life

xdarkangel001x
Not now Not ever! http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4360451/1/Not_now_Not_ever

XxShardsxX
You are my God http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3801062/1/You_are_my_God

xxVegetasTouristxx
Fourth of July http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3649495/1/Fourth_Of_July
Something Broken http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4487397/1/Something_Broken

yasashii-kawa
Time http://yasashii-kawa.livejournal.com/28544.html

YaoiCrazedFanGirl
This Is Why You’d Miss Me http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600046723

Yoru
Stain http://anime.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=544177068

Yuugen
Extension to A Force to Be Reckoned With http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4814456/1/Extension_to_A_Force_to_Be_Reckoned_With

ZanaRulez
In the Cold http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3205451/1/In_The_Cold
It Is the Smoke That Binds Us http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3205462/1/It_Is_The_Smoke_That_Binds_Us

go back to A to L

The Ultimate Saiyuki 53 Fanfic List A-L

2008-12-01T01:25:27Z

When We Remembered, Chapter 8, Part II

2007-11-11T00:46:02Z

“Nataku!” yelled Goku, and fell off the couch.

A shadow loomed over him and a hand reached out. He saw red. “Ngg, get away from me, perverted kappa.”

A stinging slap startled him awake. He found himself staring into red eyes, but a very much female face.

The girl didn’t look happy at all. “What did you call me?!” she demanded.

Goku blinked. “Oh, sorry. I thought you were, uh…”

The girl stood up and crossed her arms. “If you mean one of your friends, they already left.”

“What?” Goku scrambled to his feet. Immediately, he searched for that place in himself that always seemed to have a good idea whether Sanzo was okay or not. He didn’t have that bad stomach-achy feeling, but just the fact that Sanzo was out there somewhere without him made him uneasy. He looked around the room, but it was only him and the girl in it. There was no trace of the old lady who had suddenly gone all wacko. He didn’t really know how she’d done it, but she’d managed to knock him out somehow. Man, he really needed to get stronger if some old woman could do him in.

“Who’s Nataku?” asked the girl.

“Huh?”

“You kept saying that name while you were unconscious.”

Goku tried to remember. He’d been having some kind of dream, but it was fuzzy and he could only remember little pieces. But when the girl said that name, the face of a boy came into his mind. The face seemed familiar, like he’d dreamed of him before. That was kinda weird. The last time he’d had a weird dream like that was…

His stomach chose that moment to growl loudly.

“Is there any of that food we made left?” he asked the girl.

She raised her eyebrows. “You really did wake up hungry.”

***

Shihong and her escorts had just reached the door of the temple when Sanzo pulled himself onto the causeway. His hands felt raw from climbing Gojyo’s shakujou chain; he gritted his teeth and wiped them on his sleeve. Gojyo came up behind him and pushed past him.

“Shihong!” he yelled.

The tall youkai woman turned to face them. Her guards flanked her; armed to the teeth. Her choker had been replaced and she looked human again, but Sanzo still warily avoided looking her straight in the eye.

“Just give him back and we won’t have to hurt you,” said Gojyo.

Shihong smiled. She raised her arms and gestured around her. “Give back who? I’m afraid you must be mistaken.”

Indeed, there was no sign of Hakkai. “Don’t toy with me, bitch!” said Gojyo.

Casually, Sanzo pulled out a cigarette and lit it, using the action to cover his quick scan of the area. There were far less soldiers in this group than Shihong had left with originally, and the her red-haired underlings were nowhere in sight. That meant they’d split up somewhere along the road and most likely the side group had taken Hakkai with them. Sanzo sucked hard on his cig and wrapped his fingers around the gun inside his sleeve, but didn’t draw it. As much as that woman deserved a good beatdown right now, if Hakkai had been taken somewhere else, there was no point wasting time here. Tch, and after he’d climbed up all this way too. That was the last time he listened to the kappa. Now they would have to backtrack and—

The clink of Gojyo’s shakujo as he reeled in the chain made Sanzo refocus. Gojyo whirled the staff of his weapon around into a threatening posture and advanced towards Shihong.

“Tell me where he is,” said the kappa, “or I collect your fucking head, woman.”

Stupid idiot. He’s gonna get himself killed or zapped unconscious and then I’ll have to do everything myself. Sanzo growled under his breath.

“I’ll make you a deal,” said Shihong. “Perhaps the whereabouts of your friend might become known to me if the monk there hands over that tablecloth he’s got draped over his shoulders.”

Sanzo ground his teeth, “I should have known. You’re just as insane as all the rest of them.” He touched the sutra to reassure himself. “Do you even know what this is?”

“I know it’s become a valuable commodity,” said Shihong. “And I happen to collect valuable things that show up on my doorstep.”

“Well you and the rest of them can pry it from my cold dead hands. Get your ass back here, kappa. These scum aren’t even worth the fight.”

“Like fuck,” yelled Gojyo. “She’s gonna pay for what she did.”

“Moron, don’t argue with me. Hakkai’s clearly not here.”

Gojyou rounded on him. “That’s why I’m gonna make her tell me!”

“Right, because you’re that persuasive.”

“What the hell’s your problem? If you didn’t wanna get your pretty robes dirty your shoulda stayed in the jeep.”

“If you’re not gonna use that fucking head of yours then you shouldn’t try to dress it up.”

“Did you just insult my hair again?”

“No, I insulted your intelligence, shit-for-brains. If you can’t use it properly, shut the hell up.”

“Well sorry I’m not fucking Einstein. At least I’m trying to get my friend back.”

“The only thing you’ve ever accomplished is getting us in more shit that we started off in.”

“Yeah well—”

Gojyo’s remaining words were cut off as the ground suddenly shifted beneath their feet. Sanzo looked down and saw that they stood, not on stone or earth, but on a section of dirt-covered wood. Shit. He grabbed the kappa’s arm and tried to run, but before he could get farther than a step, the wood fell away underneath him and he found himself falling into darkness.

***

Gojyo woke up aching all over, from the back of his head all the way down his spine to his left ankle that throbbed like a motherfucker. He tried to move and found that he was sprawled on his back at an awkward angle. He managed to raise himself up on his elbows and cringed as his back muscles protested the movement. Whatever hole he was in was too dark to see properly, but a little faint light was coming from somewhere on his right, and as his eyes adjusted he could make out the thick iron bars of a cell door. Great.

“Sanzo, you in here?” When he didn’t hear a reply, he got up on his hands and knees and started feeling around. A lump in the corner looked suspiciously monkish, so he rolled it over and smiled with relief when he saw Sanzo’s pale face scrunched up with annoyance as he struggled back to consciousness.

“Welcome back,” sad Gojyo, and couldn’t resist reaching out a hand to brush back the monk’s bangs a little.

Sanzo slapped the hand away and sat up, grumbling to himself. He winced and tried to rub his back. Gojyo snuck an arm around him and put his own fingers to work lightly massaging the sore muscles there. Sanzo scowled at him but bore the touch.

“Looks like we’re in some kind of cell,” Gojyo told him, “but the bitch musta had something better to do cause I don’t hear anyone. You shoulda just Makai Tenjou’d her ass when you had the chance, y’know.”

Sanzo’s scowl deepened. “Shut up already.”

“Man, if Hakkai was here right now…”

“Then we wouldn’t be down in this shithole.”

“I just meant the guy knows how to pick locks. Fuck, you’re bitchy today. I would of thought…” Gojyo stopped and stared. “Uh… Sanzo…?”

The monk ignored him and mumbled something about losing a perfectly good cigarette.

“Sanzo, you’re gone hate me for this, but is the sutra in your robes somewhere?”

“What?”

“Cause it’s not on your shoulders…”

Sanzo’s hands flew up to clutch at where the sutra should be. When they encountered nothing but the cloth of his robe, they clenched and started to shake. “That fucking bitch!”

“Don’t freak out, okay? We’ll get it back, I promise.”

“Freak out?!” Sanzo pushed away from him, eyes wild and burning. “This is all your fault, cockroach.”

“Sanzo…”

“Don’t fucking talk to me! One more word out of your smart-ass throat and I’ll rip it out. You can stay and rot in here for all I care. I’ll get it back myself.” The monk started pacing around the cell, rattling the bars and slamming his fist into the walls.

Gojyo clenched his fists. Crap, the monk was gonna lose it. There was no reasoning with him when he got like this, but he wasn’t about to wait for him to sulk it off either. So he did the only thing he could think of. He snuck up behind him and wrapped his arms around him as tight as he could.

Sanzo fought him like a caged animal, flailing and kicking at anything he could reach. Gojyo kept his arms locked and held on as best he could as the monk dug his feet into the floor and slammed him up against the wall. Gojyo spun them around and repaid the action and then it became a back and forth push and shove as they shifted around grunting and tugging at each other. At last Sanzo stopped fighting him and they stood silent and still for a minute just getting their breath back. Gojyo loosened his hold and pressed his face into Sanzo’s hair. He wanted to say something comforting, but knowing him, he’d just ruin the moment.

“Sanzo,” he whispered, “just let me…”

The monk wrenched himself free and suddenly Gojyo found himself with his face in the dirt, his arm twisted behind his back and a hard knee digging into his spun.

“What the fuck? You stole that move from me, asshole.” Gojyo wiggled experimentally but couldn’t find any leverage.

“And you were dumb enough to let it be used against you.”

Gojyo felt hot breath against his ear an instant before sharp teeth jabbed into the cartilage.

“Did you just bite me?”

Sanzo didn’t answer, but a tongue replaced the teeth, tracing along his ear’s outer shell. Gojyo took a shuddering breath. He wished he knew what was going on in the monk’s screwed up head.

Sanzo shifted so that the painful knee rose off his spine and he felt the monk’s weight come down and straddle him instead. Gojyo’s arm remained pinned behind his back. The monk’s other hand fisted in his hair and jerked his head to the side.

“Make it up to me,” Sanzo whispered.

“Huh?”

“If I think about it being gone… her touching it, I…” Sanzo nipped at Gojyo’s neck, but gentler this time, coaxing.

“Don’t think about it. We’ll get out of here,” said Gojyo. “We’ll get it back, and we’ll get Hakkai back.”

“It’s all I have left of him…” Sanzo let out a frustrated growl. Gojyo had a good idea who “him” was – Hakkai had told him that much, but he doubted talking about the people of his past was what the monk wanted right now.

“You want me to take your mind off it?” he offered. This wasn’t exactly the place for what he wanted to do the next time he got the monk alone, but maybe they could both use a quick distraction.

“I want…” Sanzo let go of his hair and dipped his fingers under the waistband of Gojyo’s jeans.

Gojyo’s stomach flipped. Fuck, did he mean… he wasn’t sure he was ready for that. He wasn’t sure he’d ever be ready for that. He really needed some time to think about it.

Sanzo was apparently not in a patient mood, however. He finally let go of Gojyo’s pinned arm and sat up on his knees, urging Gojyo to lift his hips by tugging on the loops of his jeans. Gojyo rolled onto his side instead. He shook his freed arm, trying to get the feeling back into it. Sanzo lifted off his golden breastplate, but made no further move to undress. Instead, he bent down and attacked Gojyo’s mouth while his fingers fumbled at the button on his jeans.

Gojyo knew he should stop this now, but the damn monk tasted so good. When fingers finally dipped in to touch him through his boxers he couldn’t help thrusting into to them. The teasing touch of gun-calloused fingertips drove away his doubts. Sanzo hands explored his skin, slipping under cloth, up his chest to circle a nipple then down again to scrape through his pubic hair and cup him firmly. Gojyo groaned into Sanzo’s mouth and caught him by the back of the neck to forced his head to a better angle. The monk was already a better kisser than yesterday and for some reason that pleased Gojyo somewhere deep. Abruptly, Sanzo pulled back and pushed Gojyo’s shoulder until he rolled back on his stomach. This was Sanzo’s show and he was obviously feeding some fantasy here. Oh god, just the thought of Sanzo fantasizing about him… Gojyo forced down the uncertainties trying to crawl up his throat and lifted his hips so Sanzo could jerk his jeans and boxers down to mid-thigh.

Gojyo felt exposed; the sensation so unfamiliar that it stalled him. He buried his head in his arms and struggled to control the furious beating of his heart, trying not shudder as Sanzo’s hands squeezed the flesh of his ass. He’d let chicks take the lead before, so this shouldn’t be so hard, but dammit that had never involved getting another guy’s dick shoved up his ass. Holy fuck, he’d never be able to make gay jokes again.

“Sanzo…” he started, but the name came out too pleading for his liking. He still had some pride; if Sanzo could take it so could he.

Sanzo’s touch receded. He heard the rustling of cloth being shoved aside, then Sanzo’s zipper coming down. Dammit, if the monk would just say something to put him at ease here…

Hands grabbed his hips, then slid up his sides. Sanzo nibbled at his ear again, his warm breath teasing Gojyo’s skin in quick puffs. He could have sworn the monk was smelling his hair when a word slipped past his ear in a hushed, husky voice – a word he would have bet a year of smokes that he would never hear uttered from Sanzo’s mouth.

“Please…”

Oh fuck, like he could refuse when he put it that way. Sanzo had such a sexy voice to begin with, much deeper than you’d expect from a pretty type like him, and he knew how to use it like a weapon. It cut into Gojyo now, compelling him to push up on his knees and rock back against Sanzo’s hips. Sanzo moaned softly and thrust back, his open jeans scraping Gojyo’s thighs as the monk’s cock slid up the crack of his ass.

“Just fucking do it,” said Gojyo and then tensed up like a vice as he prayed to high heaven and that twisted sadist of a merciful goddess that Sanzo wouldn’t take that as invitation to spear into him dry.

Sanzo pulled back a little and Gojyo braced for the worst but a moment later he felt a tentative finger probe him quickly, then return to smear him with some goddawfully cold substance. The faint jasmine smell of it filled the air.

“You bitch, did you steal my hand lotion too?”

“Mountain air is bad for my skin,” said Sanzo. “And in case you didn’t notice, you’re the bitch this time.” He thrust two fingers in.

Gojyo nearly bit his tongue. “Not so rough, you dick.”

“Then tell how to do it!”

“It’s not brain surgery, remember?”

“You’re the one who’s not relaxing.”

“Just – oh fuck, there, do that again.”

The rest was rushed and crude and Sanzo seemed determined to treat his asshole like an insubordinate joker who had to be beaten into submission but by the time Sanzo had removed his fingers and positioned himself, sweat beaded Gojyo’s skin and he felt like his cock had sucked half the blood from his body. Sanzo’s hand on his hip trembled and he realized the monk must be nervous as fuck too.

Sanzo pushed in slow. Gojyo willed himself not to clench up. He freed one arm so he could reach down and fist his own erection since the monk sure as fuck wasn’t doing anything about it. All he could hear from Sanzo now were the little grunts and catches in his breath as he inched his way into Gojyo bit by bit. That was no good. He couldn’t see Sanzo from this position – he wanted to hear him more, feel them moving together. He rocked back and took the monk in to the hilt and hell yeah that felt better. Sanzo groaned and gave an experimental thrust.

“Dammit,” said Gojyo. “If you’re gonna do me, do me hard.”

Sanzo grunted and delivered. No more words were needed then, just the punishing rhythm they both fell into quickly, Sanzo jerking forward and Gojyo pushing back until the slapping sound of their impacting flesh echoed through the small cell. Gojyo held himself on one arm digging into the dirt and controlled the angle of their hips until the monk pounded right where he wanted him, that oh-so-good spot and he knew he was moaning like a fucking whore but he didn’t care; the monk was just as loud despite how he kept biting him through his jacket to muffle the sound.

When Sanzo finally clued in and reached around to take Gojyo in hand, he knew he wouldn’t last long. Slow just wasn’t on the menu here. He threw all his frustration and anxiety into the motion of their bodies and let the friction between them eat it up. Their skin slid together hot and raw and his body felt pressurized; innards compacted like a tight spring ready to explode.

Sanzo tugged at his balls and he gasped and splattered right there over the monk’s hand and the dirty cell floor. Sanzo gave two final thrusts and followed, collapsing in a dead weight across Gojyo’s back. They breathed in unison, panting away the dying rhythm of their coupling.

Finally, Sanzo pulled out of him and flopped onto the floor. He tucked himself back into his jeans and lay there staring up at the ceiling. For some reason, Gojyo didn’t want to lose the heat they’d built so quickly. He tried to ignore the release that threatened to seep down his thighs and tugged his pants up. Then he crawled over to Sanzo and lay down alongside him, propping his head up on the monk’s chest. When Sanzo didn’t push him away, he settled in and started tracing the cracks in the ceiling with his eyes. He smiled when one of Sanzo’s hands started playing with the ends of his hair.

“Oi, monk.”

“Hn.”

“Wanna lend me a smoke?”

“Ch. I only have one left.”

“Pleeeeaaase.”

“No.”

“We could share?”

“Oh for… fine.” Sanzo pulled out Gojyo’s lighter and flicked back the lid.

Gojyo stared into the warm flame and wondered if he could distract the monk enough to sneak it back.

When We Remembered, Chapter 8, Part I

2007-11-11T00:44:33Z

Chapter 8: The Cell

“Why don’t you let me talk to her?”

Sanzo gave the kappa a withering glare. As if he was going to let Gojyo sneak the girl away to one of the back rooms to administer his brand of comfort. He’d rather drag the information from her the hard way.

Gojyo held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, you can lead the interrogation.”

The girl actually seemed to be concerned about Goku’s welfare and had set about arranging him comfortably on the couch under a quilted blanket. Sanzo and Gojyo cornered her as she stood up.

“Why did you stay behind?” Sanzo asked her.

The girl pursed her lips. “I’m here to stop the violence, not add to it. Sometimes Mistress Shihong doesn’t know where to draw the line.”

“You tried to stop us from leaving,” Gojyo pointed out.

“Because we need you! You don’t know what it’s like – having something nearly within your grasp but seeing it fail again and again. Every day that I am still here, my family is out there suffering. It’s my fault, because I was born this way. If I can’t help them, then all my years here have been meaningless.”

Sanzo ground his teeth. That kind of talk just pissed him off. He glanced at Gojyo and sure enough the kappa was staring at the girl all sympathetic-like.

“Who was the youkai?” asked Gojyo softly. “Your mother or father?”

The girl ducked her head and dug her fists into the material of her skirt. “Father,” she said. “My mother was driven out of her village because of me, and the minus wave made my father become… well, you know.”

“Hn. And attaching yourself to another wacked out youkai was going to help things?”

“Mistress Shihong’s not evil! And she’s not a normal youkai; that’s why the minus wave didn’t affect her. She’s done more for me than I could ever repay her for. It’s just that we’re running out of time, and she’s getting desperate.”

“If you don’t want this to get worse,” said Gojyo, “Just tell us where she’s taking Hakkai. And who’s this doctor she was going on about?”

The girl leaned away from him, suddenly hesitant. “Did you… is Master Han really dead?”

Gojyo glanced at Sanzo. “You wanna field that one, monk?”

“Yes, he’s dead,” said Sanzo. “And that’s all I’m going to say about it.”

“The doctor is the one who helped Mistress Shihong build the pool room,” said the girl. “And that’s all I’m saying about him because that’s all I know.”

“You know where they’re going though,” said Sanzo.

“I… there’s an abandoned temple a little ways west of here. That’s where they meet. And that is all I know. But you shouldn’t go there. Your friend’s life won’t be in danger unless Mistress Shihong feels threatened.”

Gojyo banged his fist against the wall. “I think the part where we gave her the benefit of the fucking doubt went out the window about twenty minutes ago.” He turned to Sanzo. “Do we wait till the chimp wakes up? It’ll be easier with the three of us.”

Sanzo looked down at Goku’s unconscious face. He looked like he was just having a nap, mouth gaping open sucking in loud breaths with a bead of drool beginning to pool on his lower lip. He didn’t trust the girl, but he doubted she could cause the monkey any harm even when he was in this condition.

“He’ll wake up hungry,” he told the girl. “You’d be wise to feed him.” Then he turned and headed for the doorway that Hakkai and Goku had made their appearance from.

Gojyo rushed into step behind him. “Oi, Sanzo, does that mean we’re going? You know the way?”

Sanzo dug out his pack of cigarettes and stuck one his mouth, then counted the rest. Two left. It better not be a long trek. He shrugged. “How hard can it be?”

He felt Gojyo’s eyes on him as they made their way into another long rocky tunnel, this time with stairs. Joy. “What?” he finally demanded.

The kappa quickly looked away and ran his fingers through his hair. “Nothing. Er… thanks for coming.”

Sanzo pulled out Gojyo’s lighter that he had no intention of returning any time soon. “Whatever.”

***

Hakkai knew he was dreaming as soon as he opened his eyes. There was a time not so long ago when he would have found that odd. But lately it was simply the way of things. When he was not awake, he was dreaming, and when he was not dreaming, he was awake. The fact that he knew he was dreaming while he was dreaming had seemed odd at first, but the mind had a remarkable ability to adapt to such situations as they presented themselves. Truthfully, he didn’t mind the dreams because, like everyone else in his group, he knew what it meant to be plagued by nightmares and these dreams, at the very least, were not that. But they still unsettled him in a vague, difficult to determine way. Perhaps because he’d actually begun to believe that the dreams were telling him the story of a previous life… and she wasn’t in them.

He walked around in another man’s body in these dreams, a man named Tenpou. A part of him very much liked being this man, he had to admit. In this strange, heavenly world he was confident and unashamed of his eccentricities. The type of guy who had his hand in everything behind the scenes and wonderfully, had no trace of the self-hatred Hakkai had struggled with since he committed the savage act that had earned him demonhood. It was like meeting another, more useful version of himself, and that was encouraging. It put this second chance he’d been given at his life in perspective.

And yet Kanan did not seem to exist in this dream. Perhaps that meant nothing; after all, what would be the point of a soul enduring multiple lives if those lives always played out in the same way, with the same cast of characters? Tenpou didn’t seem particularly interested in attaching himself to anyone in that way. His life consisted of his books, his friends, his work, his soldiers; he didn’t seem unhappy without a family. Perhaps that was their central difference, because deep in his heart, a family was what Hakkai longed for most. Their little travelling group could be a substitute for a time, and for a while he had almost convinced himself that companionship and a purpose was all he needed. But lately his heart had been… restless.

In the dream, Tenpou had been reading late into the night. He finally found the passage he’d been looking for and marked it. Then he stood and stretched, regarding the stacks of books and scrolls that surrounded him. He’d have to clean his office again, or rather hoodwink Kenren into doing it. The last time he’d managed to get Konzen and little Goku to do it and they’d wasted more time then they’d actually cleaned, but the memory made him smile anyway.

He noticed that the cigarette between his lips had nearly burned down to the filter so he stubbed it out and waltzed out of his office with a whistle. Despite the late hour, his mind felt clear and alive and the night air would feel good on his skin.

He ended up strolling beneath the sakura trees, taking in the scent of the blushing flowers as his mind rolled over the latest bits of war history he’d read. He was so deep in thought that he nearly walked right into a tree trunk. He caught himself just in time and stepped back, chucking at himself softly.

Then he realized someone else was laughing too.

His warrior instincts froze him behind the tree, but when his brain caught up a moment later, he relaxed. That was Kenren’s laugh, unmistakably. He straightened his jacket and peered around the tree, wetting his lips in anticipation of a witty paraphrase.

The words caught in his throat. Kenren stood in the middle of the orchard, leaning with his arm braced against a tree, and he was not alone. A man with long hair that shone golden in the moonlight stood beside him. Konzen? What was he doing out here? For a moment Tenpou thought they must have come to find him, because he really couldn’t imagine those two together on their own. Despite the little foursome friendship they had formed, those two still seemed more determined to annoy each other whenever they met.

And yet they seemed to be quite at peace now. Kenren was speaking, too low for Tenpou to hear, and Konzen leaned back against the tree and listened with his head bowed. As quietly as he could, Tenpou snuck a little closer, the thought of them having a civilized conversation too precious to miss.

“People down there are just different, y’know?” Kenren was saying, “It’s a lot messier and more brutal, but somehow, I dunno, more honest I guess.”

“You would like that, wouldn’t you?”

Kenren twisted so that his face hovered above Konzen’s. “Promise you’ll let me bring you down there sometime?”

“What, on one of your wild platoon parties? No thanks.”

“Well I’d say just the four of us, but we’d have more fun if we could sneak off alone.”

“You mean, you think you’d get some action.”

Kenren chuckled. “In a hard t’get mood tonight, huh? Hmm, let’s see how long you can last.” And with that he bent down and captured Konzen’s lips in a long, hard kiss.

Tenpou reached up to grab his cigarette before it fell from his mouth, then remembered he hadn’t lit a new one yet. He watched the two men embracing for a minute longer, then stole back into the shadows and snuck away. Well, well, fancy that. Introducing those two had been a pet idea in his head long before it had ever happened. They were from such different worlds, drawing them together was bound to be interesting. He’d never have predicted this turn events though. Strange. Now he felt like a matchmaker. He tilted his head up and stared up at the moon. For the first time in a long time, he wondered if he’d been spending too much time with his books.

Inside, Hakkai thought, “… this life too?” and something within him threatened to crush.

He opened his eyes, and this time felt the dream slip away.

The first thing he saw in the cold greenish light was a stuffed rabbit propped up in a slouch across from his face.

“Hello, sleepy-head,” it said.

***

A small platoon of six guards was stationed outside the mouth of the tunnel.

“She really doesn’t think much of us, does she?” Gojyo observed as he brought his elbow down on the last guard’s head, sending him crumpling to the ground.

The gateway opened into a niche in the floor of the canyon. No sooner had they stepped out from its shadows then a whoosh of sliced air descended on them, accompanied by a loud “Kyuuuu!” Gojyo held out an arm for the little white dragon to land on. He scratched him affectionately behind its ear.

“Hey there, little guy. Did’ya see a really tall, flipped-out-of-her-gourd youkai woman, a bunch of soldiers and some red-haired chicks go by here? They’ve got Hakkai with them so we gotta track them down.”

In reply, the little dragon launched himself back into the air and transformed into his Jeep form on the spot.

“Oh thank god,” said Gojyo. “I really didn’t want to hike it.”

Sanzo was already heading for the front seat. Gojyo quickly sidestepped ahead of him and took the driver’s spot. At Sanzo’s pointed glare of death, he merely shrugged. “Hey we both know how you drive. We wanna chase them down, not run them over and flip down the mountain.” He grinned. Today at least, his fine ass wouldn’t have to get jostled around in the back seat.

Sanzo conceded with a grunt and took his usual spot. Gojyo smirked at him, jammed the stick into gear, and gunned it.

Hang on, Hakkai, we’re coming.

About a mile up the canyon, Gojyo realized that he had no clue where they were going. A temple had failed to materialize and there’d been no sign of Shihong and her cronies.

“Uh, Sanzo…”

“You’re fucking lost, aren’t you?”

“Hey, you were the one who was so damn confident that we could find it.”

“She’s got a couple dozen soldiers with her. Find their damn trail.”

“I’m driving. You find the damn trail.”

“Moron. They’re not gonna parade through the canyon. They probably took a higher path.”

“If you knew that, dickface, why didn’t you say so?” He suddenly wrenched the wheel and twisted the jeep into a skidding turn.

“The fuck?!” shouted Sanzo, bracing himself against the dash.

“I think I see a pass. Hang on, this won’t be pretty.”

The wheels spun a bit in the loose gravel but they kept enough speed to make it up the slope. From there the road narrowed into a thin, twisting path that hugged the mountainside. Gojyo shifted gears and leaned forward in his seat, watching carefully to make sure the wheels stayed on solid ground.

The wind picked up and whipped his hair across his eyes. He swore and lifted up a hand to clear his vision. The steering wheel immediately jerked and he had to grip it tightly again to keep them on track. He had a sudden new respect for Hakkai and his skills at offroad driving.

The biting wind refused to leave him alone though. “Shit.”

“What now?”

“I can’t see with my fucking hair in my face. Dammit. Could you put it up for me?”

“Do I look like a hairdresser?”

“C’mon, there’s an elastic in my coat pocket somewhere. Just get it outa my eyes so I can keep us on the road.”

Sanzo let out a frustrated hiss as he leaned over and started groping through Gojyo’s pockets. “Tell anyone about this and you’re dead.”

Gojyo feigned a pout. “You don’t like my hair? I grew it out just for you, y’know.”

“And then you whine every time you get it caught in something. Baby.”

“Mm, does that mean I get to call you baby too? Cause Sanzo-babe has a nice ring to it.”

Sanzo tugged hard on his hair, making him nearly veer off the road and by the time he’d gotten the wheel under control again he’d somehow ended up with Sanzo half in his lap, one of the monk’s hands on top of his and the other still tangled in his hair.

Sanzo blushed an endearing shade of red and quickly scrambled back. But then he leaned back and used him nimble fingers to draw Gojyo’s hair up into a surprisingly half-decent ponytail. Gojyo caught his hand as he pulled away and pressed a quick kiss on it.

An embarrassed silence fell between them during which Gojyo tried calculate his chances of survival if the monk decided to pull his gun and he had to jump from the jeep. He decided that he better hold off on the baby comments until they were on a less perilous path. But he couldn’t help smirking when he noticed the way Sanzo was holding the hand he’d kissed tightly in his lap, fingers twitching like he wanted to rub it but didn’t want Gojyo to see him do it.

“There!” Sanzo shouted suddenly, and Gojyo’s attention was torn away to the mountains on his left. Half-hidden in the rock, he could make out the ruined archway of a high temple.

“Oh wonderful. We can’t drive up there.”

“Tch. Just get close, idiot.”

“I’m trying, I’m trying. Jeez.”

He urged Jeep as far up the slope as he dared, then threw it into park and hopped out. Hakuryuu transformed as soon as Sanzo left his seat. The little dragon chirped at them then took to the sky – off to scout for Hakkai he guessed. Hakkai did take good care of his pet.

Gojyo took a good look up the slope up to the temple and groaned. If there were stairs, they were apparently on the other side of the mountain. This wouldn’t be an easy climb. He looked over at Sanzo, glad the monk would at least share his pain.

Sanzo pushed him against the rock and clapped a hand over his mouth. He nodded upwards. Gojyo followed his eyes and saw a thin stone causeway stretching from the temple back into the mountainous terrain to the east. A group of figures marched along it, faintly recognizable as Shihong and her soldiers.

Sanzo’s hand slipped from his mouth. “We caught up with them,” whispered Gojyo.

“So it seems,” said Sanzo.

“Let’s go. We can take them. They’re right there.”

“Moron. They’ll see us coming before we even get close.” Sanzo tugged him down until they were crouching against the rock, out of sight. “Just wait until they go inside.”

Gojyo wiggled around impatiently, trying to find a spot where sharp rock didn’t jab into his skin. He rubbed his hands together and started cracking his knuckles.

“Stop it,” Sanzo hissed.

“Stop what?” said Gojyo innocently. He cracked his knuckles again, even louder.

“Oh for fuck’s sake.” Sanzo threw a leg over his and grabbed both of his wrists. “Can’t you sit still for two minutes?”

“Can’t you go two minutes without jumping in my lap?”

“Fine, run up there and get yourself killed. See if I fucking care.”

“Yeah and I bet you’re really proud of that too. I bet if it was me up there you’d be halfway to the next town by now.”

“You’d bet I’d leave your dumbfuck ass if you were that stupid.”

Gojyo leaned in until their faces were just inches apart. “Cause I’m the expendable one, right?”

Sanzo’s breath felt hot against his face. “You really are… fucking stupid.” The monk closed the distance between them and for a long, delicious minute his tongue replaced Gojyo’s air. Gojyo’s arms wrapped around him, his hands sneaking down automatically to cup the monk’s bony ass. Then he remembered where they were and pulled back from the kiss with a gasp.

“Not here,” he muttered. “Not while…”

“Then sit still, shut up, and let me think.” Sanzo sat back on his heels and closed his eyes. Gojyo found himself watching the way the wind shifted his bangs. He had a sudden, burning, impossible desire to have known this man earlier in life, before so many worries of the world had been forced on him. And then maybe he could reminisce about just being horny teenagers making out in the back seat of a car to some goddawful music instead of always flashing back to that first memory of the monk arriving at his door and getting his face shoved in the dirt by yours truly.

Why was it that stuff like that kept pushing them together? It had been Hakkai that time too that he’d been trying to help. And even now, scaling a mountain to rescue the one good friend he’d managed to keep over the years, here was the damn monk at his side, confounding him once again.

Dammit, enough of this shit. “Can’t we just climb up using my shakujou and wing it from there?”
Sanzo opened his eyes slowly. “Fine.”

Gojyo grinned. “Good, ‘cause you’re going up first.”

Sanzo’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”

Gojyo gave his ass a meaningful squeeze. “So I get the good view – OW!.”

“You should have stopped while you were ahead,” said Sanzo, and slipped his fan back into his sleeve.

When We Remembered, Chapter 7, Part II

2007-11-11T00:43:36Z

Gojyo pushed past a group of dumbfounded girls and burst into the poolroom, skidding to a stop at the edge of the water. “Hakkai!”

Hakkai looked up from where he sat at the edge of the pool with his bare feet dangling in the water. His hands trembled and the length of paper he held crumpled between them. He looked much too pale, and Gojyo saw something that might be fear brimming in his eyes.

Shihong moved to stand behind Hakkai, bending slightly to touch his shoulders. “You did well,” she told him. She ran a finger up to his ear. “Now, perhaps if you removed one of your limiters…”

“Like hell,” said Gojyo. “You don’t know what you’re asking, woman. Leave him alone.”

Hakkai pulled his feet from the water and stood, a little shakily. “That is… asking a little much.”

Shihong pursed her lips. “If you keep your youkai self in a chokehold, you won’t be able to fully access its power.”

“That is my choice,” said Hakkai. The tense undercurrent in his friend’s voice made Gojyo grit his teeth. He marched across the room and grabbed Hakkai by the arm.

“Can I talk to you?”

Hakkai stiffened, then relaxed a little and nodded. He glanced at Shihong. “Excuse us.”

Gojyo dragged him into the office and shut the door.

“What the hell were you thinking, man? I thought we agreed to stay out of her experiments.”

“Her ideas are interesting, Gojyo. I was simply curious.”

“You could have triggered another collapse.”

“This journey is wearing on all of us, Gojyo. If there is a quicker way, we should explore it.”

“Even if we could cancel the Minus Wave like she claims, that wouldn’t put an end to anything. The whole point is to cut things off at the source.”

“Gojyo, you may be content spending the rest of your days like this, but I’ve been given a second chance at life. I want to regain what I lost. I…”

Gojyp put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I know, man, I know. Look, is this about the thing between me and Sanzo?”

Hakkai’s face slipped into a tight mask. “That tape…”

Gojyo jabbed him lightly in the ribs. “Did it freak you out? It kinda freaked me out. Mister uptight monk going all porn-star on me. Look, it’s a long story. We didn’t make that thing. Shihong’s weirdo son did. Just don’t fucking tell her that.”

Hakkai touched his arm. “Gojyo, you don’t need to pretend this is normal for my sake. You won’t quell the pain of your past like this. Sanzo doesn’t understand. He’ll hurt you without even realizing…”

Gojyo stepped back. “Woah, woah. Hakkai, buddy, just chill, okay? I know it’s weird, but… shit, you’re really twisted up about this, aren’t you?” A wave of guilt washed over him immediately. The last thing he wanted was to cause Hakkai grief.

Hakkai gave him a small smile. “Gojyo, don’t take this the wrong way, but you have a tendency to let your good nature leave you open to manipulation.”

“Aw, c’mon, I’m not that pathetic.”

Hakkai’s lips tightened. “I expected more from Sanzo. He may have his vices, but his principles are usually sound. And I expected more from you, Gojyo. I thought you were past this.”

“Look, I don’t know what Sanzo told you, Hakkai, but it isn’t what you think. If someone’s manipulating us, it’s one of those troublemakers up in heaven with a sick sense of humour. Sanzo didn’t start this. Heck, I kissed him first, so if anyone’s to blame… dammit, I don’t know how it happened but it’s up to me and him to work it out.”

“You want me to stay out of it.”

“I… just give me some time to figure it out for myself.”

“So you and that girl last night… that was you trying to figure things out?”

“Huh?” Gojyo blinked at him dumbly before a light finally went on in his head. “Ooooh, you thought…. No man, she left before anything happened.”

Hakkai sighed. “I have ears, Gojyo.”

“And apparently Sanzo screams like a girl.”

In the midst of another sigh, Hakkai froze and started coughing. Gojyo patted him on the back till he regained his breath.

“Hakkai?”

“Aa-ah?”

“You don’t think less of me cause I did it with another guy, do ya?”

Hakkai was silent for a long moment. At last he said softly, “No, Gojyo. That would be presumptuous of me.”

Gojyo slapped him once more on the back. “Thanks, man. I really needed to hear that. Don’t worry about me, okay? We just need to get back on the road.”

“I suppose you’re right,” said Hakkai. His eyes stayed fixed to the floor as though memorizing its harsh surface.

***

Goku sprinted into the parlour and ran smack into Sanzo.

“Sanzo! I felt another earthquake!”

Sanzo winced and picked himself off the floor. “Obviously.”

“Uh, sorry. Are you okay?”

“Ch. Figures your head would be as hard as a damn rock.”

“Have you seen Hakkai and Gojyo? They’re not in their rooms.”

Sanzo got a weird look on his face. Maybe it was just the strange light from all the lamps in the room, but his cheeks looked kinda red and he was standing funny. Goku was afraid for a moment that he really had hurt him, but the mood passed quickly and Sanzo seemed to come back to himself. He straightened and shoved his hands into his sleeves, which Goku watched warily for any sign of the fan.

A loud pounding noise made them both jump. It happened again, and Goku realized someone was outside thumping on the door. He and Sanzo exchanged looks, then Sanzo put a hand on his shoulder to tell him to stay still.

A moment later, one of the red-haired girls hurried into the room. She flipped a hidden latch and the door cracked open. He could see a man on the other side, dressed in the uniform of a guardsman. Goku tugged on Sanzo’s sleeve , but Sanzo kept staring straight ahead, the only sign of his interest a slight narrowing of his eyes.

The girl called for her mistress, and soon Shihong glided into the room. She spoke quietly with the guard at the door for a few minutes, then he whispered something in her ear. Whatever he said must have been bad news, because she shrieked, “What?!” and went outside with him, slamming the door shut behind her.

Sanzo muttered something under his breath that sounded like a bunch of bad words. He turned and headed for the doorway at the other end of the parlour but stopped when a couple girls came walking through it, followed by Hakkai and Gojyo. Goku bounced on his heels, happy to see them, but he felt Sanzo’s hand on his shoulder again so he didn’t run to meet them. A moment later he was glad he hadn’t, cause he got a bad feeling in his stomach like something smelled wrong. And he started noticing things, like how Sanzo kept glancing at Hakkai but Hakkai kept acting like he didn’t notice. And how Gojyo had his head tilted so that his hair hid his eyes, but had been staring at Sanzo since he walked through the door.

They better not be keeping secrets from him again. He really, really hated secrets.

Suddenly, Sanzo stepped away from him. “We’re leaving,” he declared.

“Eh, really?” said Gojyo.

Sanzo turned back to Goku. “You remember the way you came in?”

Goku nodded quickly.

“You can’t leave!” said the red-haired girl who had answered the door.

Sanzo ignored her.

The girl looked real upset. Goku wanted to tell her that it was no use; once Sanzo decided that he wanted to get going you couldn’t argue with him.

Gojyo walked over and sidled up to the girl. “Sorry Dandan, it’s been a blast but we gotta split. You gals let me know if y’ever host a redhead convention, ‘kay?”

The girl grabbed Gojyo by the arm and pulled him down so she could whisper in his ear. Ugh, who knows why she’d want to get that close to the pervy kappa. Goku expected Gojyo to use the chance to grope her, but instead he just kinda froze still and listened. That made Goku really curious to know what she was saying. He started to sneak over, but Sanzo caught him by his cape and started dragging him in the other direction.

“Aw, Sanzo, leggo!”

“I said, we’re leaving. Anyone who doesn’t come now is getting left behind.”

Something whizzed by Goku’s ear and he twisted his head in time to see a metal bolt bury itself in the far wall. Sanzo let go of him, spun, and drew his gun.

Shihong had reemerged into the room and beside her stood a soldier holding a crossbow aimed and ready. Behind them, dozens more soldiers began to spill through the front door. They were armed with a motley assortment of weaponry, but at least two that wormed their way to the front line brandished shotguns.

Instinctively, Goku summoned his nyoibo and held it ready, waiting for a cue from Sanzo. They didn’t usually pick fights with humans; he could probably beat them all himself but Sanzo might not want to hurt them.

Shihong took a step forward and he suddenly realized that her eyes were all teary. “What have you done to my son?!” she demanded. Her fingers crept up to clutch at the choker around her neck.

Hakkai moved and he moved fast. In what seemed like two second flat he braved the weapons that all swiveled after him and grabbed Shihong’s arm by the wrist. He smiled faintly. “Don’t,” he said .

She laughed at him in a kinda crazy-sounding way, wrenched free, and ripped off her choker.

The bad feeling that had been growing in Goku’s stomach hit him suddenly like a wave of nausea. He found himself staring at her, entranced by her shaking body as it changed and especially her eyes as they shifted from green to deep black…so black, like little pits he could drown in.

***

It all seemed like a bad dream of the real nightmare kind that put all that past life bullshit to shame. He’d wanted to put a bullet into that bitch as soon as she’d started transforming but Hakkai had decided oh-so-conveniently to stand in his way. He should have at least taken care of her himself then, but a second later Sanzo guessed what he should have known all along – she was no ordinary youkai. She never touched Hakkai but a moment later he started to slump, then toppled over.

Sanzo heard the kappa’s startled cry and then Goku collapsed right beside him. The gun in his hand shook and he took a second to steady it, aiming carefully so he could nail her right between her freaky-ass eyes. He couldn’t focus though; his head spun with sudden dizziness. Gojyo screamed “Don’t look at her!” and he managed to tear his gaze away before the blackness overwhelmed him.

He stumbled but caught himself, dug into the deep reserves of his pride to stay on his feet. The bitch laughed again. He focused on the floor by her feet, then the soldier next to her who as he watched slung his crossbow over his shoulder and bent to lift up Hakkai by his armpits.

“Don’t even think about it!” The telltale clink of chain accompanied Gojyo’s shout and the soldier had to duck quickly to avoid losing his head. But he didn’t drop Hakkai, just dragged him back into the suddenly chaotic disorder of booted feet. Gojyo growled with frustration; their enclosed surroundings made it impossible to for him to wield his shakujou properly. He switched to his fists and got in a few good hits but by then most of the soldiers had retreated out the door.

Sanzo raised his gun again but a group of red-haired girls ran forward and surrounded Shihong.

“My son is dead,” said the youkai woman. “Did you think I wouldn’t find out? And to think I was considering letting you go on your way. Looks like I’ll have to consult the Doctor after all. I’ll be borrowing the well-spoken one for now. If you want him back, you’ll stay here until I have returned. Come girls, it’s a long hike.”

At her beckoning, the girls followed the retreating soldiers out the door. Only the one who had been hanging off Gojyo hesitated.

“Dandan, come,” Shihong said sharply.

Dandan shook her head. “This is wrong and you know it. You put too much trust in that man.”

“Fine, stay with them if you care so much. But remember who you’re doing this for.” She spun on her heels and walked out. The soldiers with the shotguns covered her exit. The door grinded closed behind them.

“Ch.” Sanzo bent down to check Goku. He seemed to be breathing fine, just unconscious. He dragged him as best he could over to the couch. The girl came over and helped him lift him up. He glared at her. For all he knew her speech a moment ago had been a ploy, but the eyes that met his seemed open and honest. Damn it. It would be easier if he could just hate all of them.

“Fuck!”

Sanzo turned his head and saw Gojyo trying to force the front door open with his shoulder.

“Why won’t…this fucking thing…fucking open!”

Sanzo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Great, he was down to one idiot and would somehow have to come up with a brilliant plan by himself. Peachy.

Gojyo gave up on the door and started pacing around. “Alright, where’s this back way out? It’s this way, right?” He headed for the door by the kitchen.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Gee, I don’t know. Hakkai’s been kidnapped. I think I’ll go get him back.”

Sasnzo stood up, brushed off his robes, then grabbed the kappa by the arm of his jacket and dragged him into the kitchen.

“Sanzo, what the hell, man?”

He shoved him right up against the fridge and stood there glaring at him, hating that he had to look up to do it. “Listen you moron, just because we fucked, don’t think that means I’m gonna chase you all over this damn mountain. If you pull another Kami-sama stunt on me again, I fucking swear…”

Gojyo grinned. “Okay okay, your holiness, we’ll do it your way. Just tell me we’re not gonna just sit around here and wait it out.”

“Hn. As if.”

Gojyo’s hands snaked around him and slipped up his back. He tried to pull away but the hold only tightened and he found himself pressed up against the kappa’s chest in a bizarre approximation of a hug.

“Gojyo,” he warned, but the word came out less stern than he wanted. He breathed in the heady smell of the kappa’s shirt while Gojyo brushed his fingers down his spine. A part of him wanted to just close his eyes and relax into that touch. This was just the kappa though, and he felt ridiculously awkward just standing there and dammit he was Sanzo and didn’t do that touchy-feely crap. He finally pushed back hard enough to make Gojyo drop his arms and they stood there for a while a few inches apart, looking everywhere but at each other.

“That bitch is gonna pay,” say Gojyo at last.

Sanzo grunted an agreement. Indeed, better to focus on the shitstorm ahead. It made a heck of a lot more sense that the rest of it.

When We Remembered, Chapter 7, Part I

2007-11-11T00:41:48Z

Chapter 7: The Echo

Gojyo awoke in the dark with no concept of time or how long he’d been asleep. The damp, chilly room had no windows, making it impossible to tell if morning had cracked yet. He felt rested though, so he sat up and stretched, rubbing his arms to get some warmth back into them. When his eyes began to adjust to the darkness, he finally noticed the lump in the covers beside him.

His lips twitched into a smile. He would have bet money that Sanzo would have snuck back to his own room after what they’d done last night, but apparently that’s a bet he would have lost. The monk still lay on his side, curled up in the sheets with just his hair peeking out, dead to the world. Gojyo’s smile curled into a smirk. Guess I wore him out.

Gojyo shifted and propped his back up against the headboard. His hand reached out of its own volition and curled a strand of Sanzo’s hair around his finger. The monk had really fine hair, especially at the base of his neck, soft and smooth under his touch. He found himself rubbing his thumb along the back of Sanzo’s neck, the feel of his skin oddly soothing.

Well if we didn’t cross the line before, we’re pretty much over the edge now. He hoped he hadn’t just made a huge mistake. Sleeping with the guy who’s pretty much your boss usually ain’t the best idea. But it was the damn monk’s fault for coming into his room and practically demanding sex. Thank god he’d gotten rid of the girl first, or he might have got a bullet in his skull instead.

He didn’t really know why he hadn’t just jumped at that girl’s proposal. It’s not like he hadn’t dealt with chicks with outside motivations before. Usually it just made the whole seduction process a little more interesting; he got to peel back some of their layers with a little of Gojyo’s one-on-one sex therapy. But this time the game just didn’t hold the same appeal. Maybe it was because Shihong was obviously behind it and in spite of her righteous act, that woman reminded him of his mother.

Gojyo’s fingers drifted back up into Sanzo’s hair again. In spite of his enthusiasm the night before, he really did hope the others hadn’t heard them. Explaining something like that to Goku would be a bad scene and Hakkai… shit. As fun as it was to use him to tease Sanzo, he’d better make sure he set his friend right about all this before things got weirder. Crap, that’s gonna be an awkward conversation. Yeah, Hakkai, apparently I do guys now too. And I kinda slept with Sanzo. We still cool?

He glanced over at the door, wondering if Hakkai was awake yet. He was usually up and puttering around before the rest of them. This could be a good time to catch him alone.

On the other hand… he looked back down at Sanzo. It was probably in his best interest to escape before the monk woke up with a sore ass and possibly a load of regrets. But he kinda wanted to stay anyway, if only to prove he wasn’t wussing out about the whole thing. And dammit, it was his room. He bit his lip, suddenly impatient. How much longer was the guy gonna sleep? He couldn’t just wake him up though. Unless….

***

Hakkai watched Shihong unravel a long scroll down one side of the pool room.

“It’s activated simply by reading this?” He made sure she heard the doubt in his voice.

She flipped a switch on the wall, causing a low hum to break out in the room. A row on lights in a panel blinked on. “The machines do the work. The incantations simply activate the effect.”

“Then why does it matter who reads them?”

“The power of the incantation is drawn from the speaker. You could say that it even bonds with them to the extent of reflecting their genetic profile. It is an unstable process to begin with. It takes a high degree of skill and vision to produce any effect at all. But certain unusual genetic profiles seem to naturally spark a reaction.”

“If it’s only the genetics, you have plenty of halfbloods already.”

“The more who are linked by the incantation, the greater the wave we can produce. But yes, that is not the only factor. We are still missing something. The wave collapses almost immediately. My son thinks the overabundance of female participants is part of the problem, but it may be simply that my girls, while dedicated, lack the experience and training to properly access their youkai attributes. If that is the case, then surely a wave generated by a member of the famed Sanzo party would be more powerful.”

“But you have no actual evidence to support this supposition.”

Shihong smiled. “The beauty of a proper experiment, my dear man, is that even a failure gives the astute observer a clue as to how to improve the next trial. All I ask is your help to confirm or deny my suspicions.”

“Then you’ll leave Gojyo out of it?”

“If that is your condition, then I must accept.”

“Very well then. Show me what to do.”

***

They lay naked under a sakura tree, using Kenren’s coat as a blanket. The sun hung low on the horizon, suffusing the area in a warm, orange glow that made Kenren’s muscular torso seemed edged by fire. Konzen tried not to stare, his brow furrowing at the unsettling emotions fluttering in his gut. His head rested on Kenren’s outstretched arm and he could feel the fingers of that hand playing idly with his hair. It disturbed him that he liked such petting; he reached up and twined his fingers with Kenren’s to restrict the movement. The general countered by twisting onto his side and wrapping his other arm around his waist, nuzzling his face into the spill of golden hair.

Konzen sighed. “Why do you always have to touch me?”

Kenren chuckled. “Still grumpy? Musta not done my job right.” He took a deep breath. “Mmm, your hair smells good.”

“Stop drooling in it. It’s already all tangled.”

“Oh? If you come back to my place, I’ll brush it out for you.”

“Ch. I told you, I’m sleeping in my own bed tonight. Goku keeps asking awkward questions.”

“Heh, one of these days you’re gonna have to give him ‘the talk’, y’know. I want front row seats to that one.”

“Maybe I’ll make you do it. You keep telling people he’s your secret son.”

“Does that mean I get promoted to the role of Daddy? Cause Tenpou’s already got weird uncle.”

“Watch it, or I’ll demote you down to family dog.”

Kenren opened his mouth but Konzen slapped a hand over it before he could speak. “And don’t you dare turn that into a dirty joke.”

A wet tongue tickled his palm. Affronted, he jerked his hand away and grabbed Kenren by the hair instead, dragging him into a kiss where he could battle that slippery muscle properly. Kenren hummed an approval and rolled on top of him, using his elbows to hold up the bulk of his weight. He broke the kiss and grinned.

“This mean you’re ready for another go?”

“It means shut up and get to work.”

***

Sanzo awoke with a gasp, tearing his consciousness forcefully out of its haze. Shit, the dream was back. Why was it back? Holy fuck, why did it feel like his dick was on fire?

He glanced down and immediately froze at the sight of Gojyo’s head bobbing up and down over his groin. The idiot kappa pulled back and smirked at him.

“Mornin’, sunshine.”

“You…” He struggled for words but his body had more pressing concerns as Gojyo went back to his task. But his eyes stayed on Sanzo and the heat from them threw him over the edge far too quickly, catching Gojyo unprepared. For a long moment the kappa just blinked, staring up at him with Sanzo’s release dribbling down his chin. Then he swallowed and his hand moved up to wipe it away.

“Don’t,” whispered Sanzo, and his body moved on its own, catching Gojyo’s wrist and twisting him back until Sanzo straddled him, their noses hovering an inch apart. He closed the distance and swiped his tongue along the kappa’s jaw. Then his eyes flickered up to meet Gojyo’s and the look of shock there made him flush with embarrassment.

“Kinky,” breathed Gojyo.

“Shut up.” His fading arousal brought to light a certain nasty discomfort and he wiggled a bit to take more of his weight on his knees. He hesitated, then decided he might as well ask. “Did you dream last night?”

“Huh? Don’t think so. At least, I don’t remember. Why, did you?”

Sanzo frowned. That didn’t make any sense.

“Sanzo? You dreamt again? About our past life?”

Sanzo grumbled and tried to maneuver away, but Gojyo clamped his hands around his hips and held him in place.

“Sanzo?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Gojyo rolled his eyes. “Fine.” He fingers trailed irritatingly down Sanzo’s thighs. “Look, I’m gonna go talk to Hakkai, okay?”

Sanzo eyed him suspiciously. “What are you going to tell him?”

“What do you want me to tell him?”

“I want him to stay out of it.”

“Look, he’s just being Hakkai. I’ll just—”

Suddenly a tremor shook the room. The bed rattled and the furniture scraped loudly against the floor as it shifted. As it passed, Sanzo found himself gripping Gojyo’s forearms tightly. He quickly let go. “What the hell was that?”

“Shit,” said Gojyo. He pushed at Sanzo’s hip and Sanzo moved off him to let him up. He watched the kappa’s back as he dressed quickly, then began to do the same. Gojyo finished first and bolted out the door, leaving Sanzo to swear a blue streak as standing up sent a jolt of pain up his spine.

When We Remembered, Chapter 6, Part II

2007-10-01T20:42:34Z

Sanzo cracked open the door of his room and peered out into the hall. It sounded like everyone had retired for the night, but it was hard to be sure. He wished he could just collapse into sleep himself, but the last hour had proved that to be a fool’s hope. He fingered the tape in the pocket of his robe. An irrational fear kept gripping him that if he slept, the figures of his past life would somehow haunt him through this infernal device.

He snuck carefully down the hall then suddenly realized he had no idea which room Gojyo had ended up in. He froze, thoroughly annoyed at himself. What am I doing? Hakkai decides to run his mouth, accuse me of ridiculous things, and now I’m a total wreck because of it? He was way off base. It’s not like I’m worried about the stupid kappas’s feelings. I just better warn him that Hakkai saw the tape before this gets even more embarrassing.

Suddenly he heard the unmistakable soft rumble of Gojyo’s laughter. He peeked his head around a corner of the corridor and saw light spilling out of an open doorway. One of the red-haired girls stood leaning against the doorframe, speaking to the person inside. He heard Gojyo’s laughter again and had to bite his lip to keep from calling out something that would give him away. Of course the kappa was fine. He had landed in a den of women who were probably all willing to sleep with him for the sake of dragging him into their plot. Sanzo dug his nails into his hands, willing himself to turn and go back to his room, but instead he kept staring at the door like an idiot as the girl’s lips twisted into a seductive smile and she stepped inside.

He felt something bite into him deeply then and for a moment the shock of it dumbfounded him. No way was he jealous of that lecherous creature. But he wanted to walk into that room, drag that bitch out, and… and what? Gojyo liked women. Gojyo would always like women. No manner of past lives or brief flings driven by curiosity could change that. Maybe Hakkai was right. Maybe he’d managed to trap Gojyo into something he didn’t really want, or worse, couldn’t say no to because he was fucking Genjo Sanzo Houshi-sama.

What a laugh. Gojyo didn’t fear him. Didn’t really trust him either, but he could at least respect him for that. He’d always relished those times when he could scare the kappa, when he could point his gun at him and see the uncertainty flicker across his eyes and know he’d ripped that cockiness right out from under him.

Fuck. Why the hell do I even care?

He finally managed to uproot his feet and stepped back with one foot, then the other. It would be better for all of them if things just ended here.

A sudden commotion in the room ahead halted his progress. The girl stormed out, turned once to shout, “You’re the worst!” then whirled away again. Sanzo held his breath, but luckily she stamped off in the other direction. Gojyo’s door remained open and silent; the kappa didn’t come running after her like Sanzo half expected.

A small smile curled his lips. Apparently the kappa had managed to screw things up. No way he could resist rubbing this in. He sidled over to the open door and leaned casually against the frame like the girl had done. He retrieved his pack of smokes from the robes stripped down to hang from his waist and lit one. Inside the room, the kappa sat on the edge of the bed, rifling through the pack propped up on the floor in front of him.

“Looking for something?”

“Yeah, my damn smokes. I know they’re in—” Gojyo trailed off as he looked up and saw Sanzo.

“Your entertainment for the night ran away.”

Gojyo groaned and buried his head in his hands. “You messed me up real good, you know that? I shouldn’t have run her off, it’s just that I get the feelin’ Shinhong told her to be nice to me…” He grabbed up his jacket from the floor and jammed a hand in one of the pockets. “Aha! There it is.” He tapped out a cigarette and wrapped his lips around it, then searched the other pocket. “Dammit, where’s my lighter?”

Sanzo held up the lighter in his hand. Gojyo sent the girl away deliberately? Or is he just covering?

“Hey! That’s mine. When did you…?”

Sanzo stepped into the room, drawing the door closed behind him and locking it with a quick twist of his wrist. Gojyo started to stand up, but Sanzo pushed a hand down on his shoulder to keep him in place, then leaned down slowly to align the tips of their cigarettes. He heard Gojyo’s sharp intake of breath, then a small cough as the smoke lit.

“Er, thanks,” said Gojyo as Sanzo pulled back and sat down on the bed beside him.

“Whatever,” Sanzo mumbled, and secreted Gojyo’s lighter back into the folds of his robes.

They smoked in silence for a while. When the nicotine had sufficiently calmed his blood, Sanzo finally said, “Hakkai knows.”

Gojyo choked in the middle of an inhale and started coughing. “What?!” He croaked.

“He saw that damn tape that you just had to go and leave in the VCR.”

“He watched it? No way!”

“Yes way. And he went off on me about it, so you better tell him that I didn’t… that it was all your fault.”

“Hey, you’re the one who distracted me! Shit. Did he see the whole thing? Even… the part at the end?”

“I don’t know.”

“Oh man, I would have paid to see his face when he figured out what he was looking at. And I thought I was shocked.”

Sanzo gritted his teeth. “Shut up.”

“But he actually confronted you about it? I would have thought he’d be way too polite to ever admit he saw something like that.” Gojyo reached over and stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray on the nightstand.

“He seemed to be under the mistaken impression that I… took advantage of you somehow.”

Gojyo blinked at him. Then his mouth twitched. He hid his face behind a hand and a sound suspiciously like a snicker escaped.

“Kappa…” Sanzo warned.

But it was too late. Gojyo started giggling, then outright laughing, then clutched his chest so hard that he rolled right off the bed and lay twitching on the floor by Sanzo’s feet, tears leaking from his eyes, pressing his faced into Sanzo’s ankle to try to muffle the loud snorts that erupted from him.

Sanzo glared down at him and waited till the spasms passed and Gojyo regained control of his breathing. “Are you done?”

Gojyo suppressed one last giggle, then nodded, still gasping a little. A mischievous smile formed on his lips. “Sanzo? Let’s mess with him.”

Sanzo raised an eyebrow. “You’ve obviously bruised something in your brain.” He dug his fists into the sheets of the bed, trying hard to keep his mind of the fingers that teased their way up his ankle. Leaving his boots in his room had been a bad idea.

“Come on, it’ll be fun.” Gojyo attempted to put on a look of wide-eyed innocence. “You didn’t know, did you Hakkai?” he said in a weepy, higher-than-normal voice, “That damn monk’s been making me do sexual favours for him for years.” He sniffed and bit down on one of his thumbs. “I…I tried to stop him, Hakkai, but he points that gun at me and makes me call him ‘Master’ and when he wants to have his way with me, he ties a ribbon round my d—”

Sanzo kicked Gojyo hard in the ribs. Gojyo grunted, then dissolved back into fits of laughter.

“Idiot,” Sanzo hissed, more disturbed than he wanted to admit. “Don’t even joke about that.”

The seriousness in his voice seemed to reach Gojyo, who calmed and propped himself up on an elbow to look up at him. The kappa’s eyes narrowed in a way that suddenly made Sanzo feel exposed.

“How old were you the first time a guy came on to you?” Gojyo asked in a low voice.

Sanzo’s bit his lip.

“It was fourteen for me. I bet it was younger for you.” Gojyo sat up and leaned back on his hands. “Where do you think I honed my fighting skills? When you’re a kid on the street you run into a lot of toughs, but the sickos are the worst.”

Sanzo stared at the kappa with surprise. Hakkai had told him what he knew about Gojyo’s past, but it had never occurred to him to ask what happened during the years after the kappa had left his mother’s house. Gojyo always seemed to shrug off his hardships with a smile, making it easy to forget he was as fucked up as the rest of them.

“Hey,” said Gojyo. “Wanna hear something not even Hakkai knows? I started smoking to deal with the nights when I had to listen to my brother and my mom going at it in the other room. Pretty messed up, huh? I bet any weirdos you might have had at your monastery don’t even come close to matching my little fucked up family.”

“Gojyo…” Fuck, it was killing him to ask this question, but he had to know. “Did I cross a line when I… did what I did on that tape? And before… if you want to just forget it…”

Gojyo’s gaze slipped off to the side and he scratched his head. Sanzo realized that a rare blush had crept up the kappa’s neck. “Crossed a line… yeah I guess you could put it that way. But we both did that, and I kinda did it first, remember? It’s really fucked up, but… right now I want you more than that chick who was just in here.”

He spoke that last part so softly and quickly that Sanzo almost didn’t catch it, and when he didn’t he wondered if he heard it right. But it was enough.

He stood up and flicked his cigarette into the ashtray. Gojyo looked at him questioningly. “You just gave us a better way to mess with Hakkai,” Sanzo told him. He pulled off his shirt. “Which side is Hakkai’s room on?”

Gojyo’s jaw dropped. “Uh… next door on the left.”

Sanzo walked over to the wall and tapped it experimentally. “These walls are pretty solid. You’ll have to be quite loud.”

“Uh, Sanzo…?”

Sanzo untied the sash around his waist and peeled the rest of his robes off. He folded them carefully, making sure the Sutra and the tape were still tucked safely inside, and placed them on the dresser. He glanced back at Gojyo, who still sat on the floor at the end of the bed, looking perplexed. “Get undressed,” he told him.

“Excuse me?!”

“If we’re going to do this properly, we should be naked, right? Hop to it.”

Gojyo scrambled backwards until his back hit the far wall. Using it for support, he slowly pushed himself upright. “You wanna have sex?”

“That’s the idea. You don’t want to?” Sanzo smirked.

“It’s kind of sudden!” Gojyo almost shouted, then looked over his shoulder self-consciously. “Goku’s on this side, y’know.”

“Like I said, the walls are thick. And the monkey could sleep through a hurricane. You chickening out?”

Gojyo hesitated, licking his lips. “That depends. Am I the one whose gonna get fucked?”

Sanzo was highly tempted to say yes, just to see what the kappa would do. But he was already stretching his bravado pretty thin. Past this point he really had no fucking clue what to do. Besides, this was about proving that Gojyo wanted this as much as he did.

“Tell you what,” he said. “Drop the clothes right now and get over here and maybe you get to be on top.”

He’d never seen someone shuck off his clothes quite so fast before. It really seemed like he blinked and suddenly Gojyo stood in front of him, very naked, and very close.

“Let me help you with those,” said Gojyo, and dipped his fingers into the waist of Sanzo’s jeans.

Sanzo pressed against him, willing himself to stay strong and see this through. He wanted this. God, did he want it.

Gojyo nuzzled into his neck, sucking at the skin there as he popped the button on Sanzo’s jeans and eased the zipper down.

“Quickly,” Sanzo demanded, and tugged the kappa’s hair for emphasis.

In reply, Gojyo pushed him up against the wall and hooked his fingers into his jeans and underwear, peeling them down his thighs in one smooth stroke. As he bent down to extract his legs, he dragged his tongue along his belly and down his hip. When the last of the offending denim had been kicked free, Gojyo slithered his way back up and caught Sanzo’s lips in a rough kiss that left them both gasping.

“You want Hakkai to hear, is that it?” Gojyo murmured, his hard, muscled body pressed tight against Sanzo’s. “Why don’t you scream a little then?”

“Ch. Make me.”

“Is that a challenge?”

Any reply Sanzo might have given was cut off by the sensation of Gojyo’s hand wrapping around his erection. He jerked against that grip, a groan escaping his lips that he muffled by biting into Gojyo’s shoulder.

“Hey, none of that now. Let it out. Let him hear you. Scream my name.”

“You wish.” Sanzo pushed off the wall, forcing the kappa against the side of the bed until the back of his knees hit the side and he toppled over, dragging Sanzo down with him. The kappa had some moves of his own, however, and instead of landing on top, Sanzo found himself rolled onto his back, face to face with that infuriating smirk hovering over him.

“Kappa…”

“What? You said I could be on top.”

“I said maybe. If you’re good.”

“And what do I have to do to get on your good side, Sanzo-chan? Maybe a little of this?” He bent down and teased a line of kisses along Sanzo’s jaw. “Or more of this?” His hand tightened around Sanzo’s cock and gave it a few quick jerks.

“That,” gasped Sanzo, “definitely that.”

Gojyo’s lips trailed across his collarbone and down his chest, latching onto a nipple. Fuck, that felt so weirdly good, but he tugged on the kappa’s hair anyway, trying to urge him lower.

“Your turn, kappa.” He could still vividly remember their encounter in the tunnel, that wonderfully intense sensation…

Gojyo chuckled and nipped at the skin just below his hip bone. “Here?”

Sanzo groaned with frustration. He tried to sneak his own hand down, but Gojyo caught it and held it in captivity against his side.

“Oh, this?” The kappa asked playfully, and planted a kiss right on the tip of Sanzo’s erection. Sanzo gasped and bucked up.

“It does seem a bit lonely.”

“Goddamn it, kappa, just—” Then Gojyo’s hot mouth descended on him and reduced his vocabulary to a string of embarrassing noises. He could feel that glorious heat building from within, surging up, threatening to overwhelm him.

Then a finger began to prod him in a very odd place. He squirmed and let out a little whine when Gojyo pulled back.

“Hey, don’t tense up man.”

“Shut up. Put your mouth back where it was doing some good.”

“Hey, ah… did you bring something?”

“What?”

“You know, something we could use to uh, make it easier?”

Sanzo blinked down at him.

“You do know about lube, right? Cause even I know that much. Unless Sanzo monks have magic, self-lubricating assholes, you’re probably gonna want to use some. Jeez, and you still wanted to do this?”

“I grew up in a monastery, you perverted freak.”

“Okay, okay, hang on, let me see if I can find something.” Gojyo slipped off the bed and started rummaging around in his pack. “Aha!”

“Hand cream? Why do you carry around hand cream?”

“I don’t like it when my skin gets all dry, okay?”

“Wait, you’re not gonna put that ther—ah!” Gojyo’s mouth slipped around him again; an obvious distraction technique but he appreciated it. The finger suddenly wiggling around inside of him felt decidedly strange. Not exactly good or bad, just really odd. He tried to concentrate on the wonderful feel of Gojyo’s tongue instead, but even that wasn’t quite enough once the second finger went in.

“Is that… really necessary? Can’t you just…?”

“Man, you’re impatient. Hang on, a chick did this to me once. It feels really good once you find the—”

“Holy fuck!” A white light burst across Sanzo’s eyes and he arched off the mattress.

Gojyo grinned widely. “Told ya.”

“Just fucking do it already!” He regretted those words moments later when it felt like he was being split from within. He could deal with pain, but his body seemed determined to reject the thing invading his nether regions. Gojyo murmured soothing words in his ear and stroked his skin and kissed him, but it was all he could do to just grit his teeth and bear it. Then a last push and the pressure faded a bit, giving way to a bizarre fullness. He opened his eyes that he’d unconsciously squeezed shut and found Gojyo’s face inches away from his, watching him with a concerned look that grated against Sanzo’s pride.

“Move” he managed to say and Gojyo backed off, then slammed right back into him. Sanzo grappled for purchase, arms and legs wrapping around the hard body above him, nails biting into skin, fingers tangling in hair. Between them they found a rhythm punctuated by the loud creaking of the bed beneath them. With each thrust they inched backward until Gojyo hauled him up into his lap, pressing Sanzo’s naked back against the cold wall, the new angle making his toes curl. He pulled Gojyo’s head down into a bruising kiss, sharing air until their lungs seemed to pump in sync and he broke off gasping and shouting words that might have been harder, faster, oh fuck, and finally, Gojyo!

And the next thing he knew, his eyes broke into stars and he might have touched nirvana for a split second of blissful nothingness before crashing back down through a tunnel of hot white pleasure searing like fire. Gojyo’s arms wrapped tight around him and they twisted away from the wall. He collapsed onto sweat-sticky sheets with every nerve in his body singing at once.

His next thought said heavy and he pushed with his hands until Gojyo rolled off and he could breathe again.

A hand reached out and brushed the hair from his eyes so he could see Gojyo’s red ones burning into him. “You screamed my name,” said Gojyo.

“Did not.”

“Did too.”

“That fucking hurt, you ass.”

“I told you, you have to relax.”

“Hn. Well next time it’ll be you.”

“Next time?”

“Maybe. If you don’t annoy me.”

“Think he heard us?”

At that point, Sanzo really didn’t give a flying fuck. He wiggled around until he found a semi-comfortable spot then tucked the sheets around his body so the kappa couldn’t steal them in the middle of the night.

He shut his eyes, and when Gojyo’s fingers started stroking through his hair, he kept still and pretended he was already asleep.

When We Remembered, Chapter 6, Part I

2007-10-01T20:41:54Z

Chapter 6: The Scream

Sanzo muttered darkly to himself as he leapt up. Never trust a kappa to do anything right. He nearly slammed right into Shihong as he attempted to exit the room. She tried to strike up a conversation, but he quickly angled past her and told her take it up with Gojyo. He dodged a few red-haired women who luckily still seemed to be afraid of him and raced down through the pool room. Okay, get it together. No one went in that room after you left. Just destroy that infernal tape like that idiot kappa should have done in the first place and forget it ever existed. Simple. Go in, smash tape, go out. Go in, smash tape, go out.

He wrenched open the door of the office. Go in, sma—what the hell is Hakkai doing by the television?

The door swung shut behind Sanzo with a loud click. Hakkai jumped a little at the noise. His eyes locked on Sanzo and the colour completely drained from his face.

“Sanzo, ah…”

Oh shit, did he see it? Shit!

Stepping forward quickly, Sanzo pushed his way in front of the TV and jabbed the eject button on the VCR. The stupid machine whirred and took forever to spit out its prize. Sanzo grabbed the tape when it finally presented itself and jammed it down the sleeve of his robe. He clenched his jaw, straining the muscles of his neck to keep his head upright and unashamed. With as much pride as he could muster, he made a break for the door.

His fingers had just touched the door handle when Hakkai found his voice.

“What do you think you’re doing, Sanzo?”

Fuck, that’s Hakkai’s no-messing-around, won’t-leave-it-alone-till-you-give-in voice.

“I’m gonna pretend you didn’t say that,” said Sanzo. He reached for the door handle again, but before he could turn it, a hand clamped down on his shoulder.

“Sanzo, why…”

“It’s none of your business!”

Hakkai’s face remained calm and beatific, but his voice tightened. “Sanzo, I know sometimes you prefer to see us as servants, but that doesn’t give you the right to treat us with indignity.”

Sanzo spun around and fixed Hakkai with his best glare. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“We all have… urges, but even Gojyo knows better than to inflict his frustrations on his friends.”

Sanzo’s jaw dropped. “Are you my fucking mother? What part of ‘it’s none of your business’ do you not understand?”

“And yet you would leave something like that around in stranger’s house for anyone to find.”

Sanzo could feel the heat in his face. “Blame the idiot kappa,” he muttered.

“Blame him?! From what I saw, Gojyo was asleep while you were putting your hands all over him.”

Sanzo took a deep breath, resisting the urge to just punch Hakkai and run away. “How much did you see?”

“Enough. Sanzo, just tell me why…”

“I don’t fucking know why! He started it, so don’t treat him like some innocent.”

Hakkai’s lips thinned into a line. “Gojyo’s not like that.”

Sanzo snorted. “Not like what? A walking dick-on-legs?”

“You know what I mean. He may joke around, but he’s not the type to suddenly start batting for the other team.”

“Hn. How would you know?”

“I lived with him for three years. I can assure you that he only ever brought home women.”

He was really telling the truth then? “Maybe he didn’t want you to know.”

Hakkai clenched his hands at his sides. “Sanzo! I’m being serious. No matter what you think of him, Gojyo’s not someone you can just play around with.”

“He’s a big boy, Hakkai. Get on his case about it then and leave me out of it.”

“You talk like there’s more. H-how long? How long have you been doing this to him?!”

Okay, this is officially the most mortifying discussion I have ever been forced to engage in. Sanzo edged back towards the door again. “Just leave it alone, Hakkai.”

“I knew there was something wrong with him. The way he was tiptoeing around you… were you trying to keep it secret or did you plan all along to just throw it in my face? How can you do this? Gojyo’s more fragile than he looks. I told you about his past.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Sanzo hissed. “You’re blowing this all out of proportion. We just fooled around a bit. It’s nothing. I’m going to destroy this tape and forget it ever happened.”

“Is that how he feels about it too? Gojyo doesn’t have your rational mind, Sanzo. He holds you to a certain ideal. If you toy with him then toss him aside, it will be like his mother’s rejection all over again.”

“For fuck’s sake, you make it sound like we’re dating or something. Get over yourself. What, are you jealous or something?”

Hakkai’s controlled façade cracked completely. His eyes flared and he grabbed Sanzo roughly by the front of his robes. “I’m his friend, which is more than you’ve ever been for him. You know, when you ran off with Hazel that time, I stuck up for you. I convinced him to forgive you. Don’t make me regret that.” Slowly, Hakkai’s body relaxed and the arm holding Sanzo dropped back. He smiled – that terrible smile he always put on when he was pissed. “I won’t betray you, Sanzo. I won’t break our pact. But you should know that I don’t have the best control when it comes to the people I care about.”

With a little tilt of his head, Hakkai brushed past him and opened the door.

“You bastard, did you just threaten me?” Sanzo yelled after him.

“Of course not,” said Hakkai, and kept walking.

***

Hakkai managed to avoid talking to Sanzo for the rest of the day. Shihong graciously reshuffled the sleeping arrangements in order to give them all separate rooms for the night. A surprisingly ample array of apartments had been cut into the mountainside, and not recently, making him wonder what the space had been previously used for. The moment the rooms had been assigned, Sanzo had shut himself within his and hadn’t emerged since. A childish reaction, but Hakkai wasn’t sure what to think about Sanzo’s judgment anymore.

It had been a long time since he’d felt so irrationally angry. Such feelings belonged his old self, the one he kept carefully locked away, who was supposed to be dead. Perhaps, as Sanzo claimed, he was overreacting. No, overreacting would have meant giving in to his youkai side and slashing Sanzo’s smug face with his claws.

Those first few moments after he’d realized what he was watching on that tape, he’d just felt horribly embarrassed. If he’d shut it off then and walked away, perhaps he could have passed it off as a bad joke. Where and when such a thing had been recorded, he really didn’t want to imagine. But like a fool he’d kept watching, drawn by some morbid curiosity. And as he’d watched, it became more and more painful to see Gojyo’s sleeping form twitching and jerking while Sanzo… did those things to him. He knew he should be the last person to judge where taboo acts of love were concerned, but no matter what anyone said, what he’d had with Kanan had been pure. Yet as he watched that awful tape he kept seeing her in Gojyo’s place, and worse… trapped, taken advantage of, held captive by that monster…

Of course he was being irrational. But that didn’t make the warning he’d given Sanzo any less true. Despite Gojyo’s flippant playboy image, his friend had a very deep sense of moral justice. He held authority figures to a high standard, and somewhere along the way Sanzo had become someone he wanted to trust. But Sanzo had almost driven him away once before, and Hakkai feared any further betrayal of that trust would completely shatter the fragile equilibrium between those two. He didn’t want to lose Gojyo, and he especially didn’t want to have to choose between him and Sanzo. He owed them both large debts, but he wasn’t sure he could walk away from Sanzo, not when they’d come so far.

He sat in the parlour drinking tea with Shihong. They’d ended up together again since Sanzo had gone into seclusion and Gojyo had only terse words for her. His friend lounged on the couch with two red-haired women on either side of him, smiling and flirting like usual but a little too tense and forceful in his laughter. Beside him at a table, Goku shoveled down food like he hadn’t eaten in days but Gojyo didn’t even bother to tease him.

Hakkai frowned. Yes, something was definitely wrong.

“Your companions are irritatingly stubborn.”

He looked up with surprise, having almost forgotten the woman who sat across from him. He blinked at her, then smiled and rubbed the back of his head. “Ehehe, yes I suppose they are.”

Her disconcerting green eyes examined him thoughtfully. “You are no ordinary youkai yourself, are you? I wonder whether an incantation delivered by you would have an unusual effect.”

He returned her piercing gaze, feeling dangerous. “Perhaps tomorrow we could find out.”

“Oh? And what if your monk refuses?”

Hakkai glanced pointedly in the direction of Sanzo’s room. “He doesn’t own us. And he can’t refuse what he doesn’t know.”

“You’re a clever one,” said Shihong. “I like the way your mind works.”

“Glad someone appreciates it,” Hakkai muttered.

***

Goku patted his full belly with contentment. This wonderful feeling never lasted for long, so he had to enjoy it while he could. The girls here were way nicer than those guards had been back at the barracks so he didn’t know why everyone had to act so grumpy. Gojyo and Hakkai were trying to act normal but he didn’t buy it. They were hiding things from him again and he really hated that.

He hadn’t seen Sanzo for a few hours and he wondered if he was hungry. Sanzo had lots of smarts but he could be really bad about taking care of himself, especially when he was moody. Shutting himself off in the room the old lady had given him probably meant he was really moody and possibly dangerous, but Goku figured everyone felt at least a little better when they had a full stomach.

He went and found the nice girl who had been teaching him some cooking tips. She looked a lot like Gojyo and he really didn’t know what to think about that – it was like they met a bunch of Gojyo’s long lost sisters or something. That was kinda funny, cause Gojyo’s real brother didn’t look like him at all.

The nice girl helped him pile some leftovers onto a plate and he carried it carefully through the parlour.

On his way through, the annoying kappa stuck out a foot to block his path. “Oi, monkey, where are you going with that? Didn’t you stuff your face already?”

Goku stuck out his tongue at him. “I’m bringing it to Sanzo, stupid.”

“Well tell the pissy monk to stop moping and come play a game of cards or something.”

Goku gave him an odd look. It almost sounded like the kappa was worried about Sanzo. Weird. He’d have to corner Hakkai later and make him explain what was up. But right now, Sanzo was more important.

He knocked on Sanzo’s door and heard some muttering inside but no yelling or gunshots, so he figured it could be safe. The door was unlocked and he edged it open, careful not to spill the contents of the plate.

“Sanzo? I brought you some food.”

“Leave it and go.” Sanzo sat on the bed in the corner of the room with his back against the wall, staring blankly up at the ceiling.

“Don’t you like it here, Sanzo? I mean, it’s kinda strange that all these girls are like Gojyo, but they’ve been really nice to me so far. Oh, and Gojyo wants you to play cards with him, but I think that’s a bit weird too cause Gojyo doesn’t usually wanna play cards with us when there’s girls around. Especially not Hakkai cause Hakkai always wins and makes him look bad. But you win sometimes, right? I don’t think Gojyo would win at all if he didn’t cheat. He always cheats when he plays with me. He doesn’t think I know, but I totally do. He does this thing where—”

The edge of Sanzo’s fan blindsided him across the side of his head. “Ow!”

“You talk too much.”

Goku rubbed his head but couldn’t resist a little smile. He hated that fan but at least it meant Sanzo was paying attention to him. He set down the plate on the bedside table and stepped carefully out of range of the paper weapon.

“Goku…”

“Eh? Do you want something else Sanzo?”

Sanzo’s eyes stayed fixed on the ceiling, the fingers of his left hand twirling an unlit cigarette. “Do you ever regret being… bound to me? Would you rather be free to do your own thing?”

“Huh? What would I do if I wasn’t with you? It’d probably be really boring. And I wouldn’t get to fight bad guys and get stronger, and eat all sorts of nice things. Besides, without you I’d still be in that cave. I… didn’t like it there.” Suddenly uncomfortable, Goku fiddled with the sleeves of his shirt.

“Hn, guess I couldn’t get rid of you if I tried.”

“That’s right!” said Goku brightly. He skipped over to the door. “I’ll tell Hakkai and Gojyo that you have a headache, okay? You should eat something though. It’s really good, I promise.”

“Whatever,” said Sanzo, but Goku lingered just long enough to see him pick up the plate.

When We Remembered, Chapter 5, part II

2007-09-23T22:17:29Z

Gotta hand it to the monk – what he lacks in technique he makes up for in sheer willpower. Gojyo collapsed back onto the couch, brushing back the strands of hair that had stuck to his sweat-slick skin. He couldn’t remember his heart ever pumping this madly after a simple blowjob, and a real sloppy one at that. But the way the monk glared at him with that deadly-sharp gaze as his teeth scraped against too-sensitive flesh just screamed gorgeous danger.

Sanzo pulled himself up onto the couch beside him and casually wiped his chin. But the oh-so-serious expression on his face couldn’t hide the pink tint in his cheeks. Gojyo chuckled and grabbed him by the side of his head, dragging him in for a hard kiss. After a few moments of delicious tongue-battle, Sanzo shoved him back, grumbling, but Gojyo thought he saw the corner of his lips curl up into a fleeting smile.

Sanzo stood and started rearranging his clothing back into a modest monkly appearance. “Let’s go,” he said. “Hakkai and Goku will be waiting.”

Gojyo nodded, though really he wanted to languish in his satisfied haze a little longer. “Uh, Sanzo?” he said as he reluctantly rose and stretched then zipped himself up.

“What?”

“You notice the pool in the other room?”

“What about it?”

“So there’s some freaky shit going on here. Han’s mom told me some crazy story that they were trying to cancel the Minus Wave.”

Sanzo stopped in his tracks on the way to the door. “You met his mother?”

“Yeah. And she ain’t gonna be too happy with you, let me tell ya.”

“All the more reason to leave now.” Sanzo put a hand on the door handle, then glanced back warily at Gojyo.

Gojyo folded his hands behind his head and grinned. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of the chicks.”

“Ch.”

Easier said than done. The minute they stepped out the door the girls encircled them, forming a wall of soft female flesh and suspicious stares that seemed focused on Sanzo. Damn, how come the monk always gets all the attention, seriously?

A couple of the girls started whispering to each other and suddenly Gojyo wondered if they’d heard at least some of what had gone on in that room through the door. Normally that sort of thing didn’t bother him, but normally usually involved a hot babe in his lap, not a Sanzo monk with a wicked, wicked mouth. Fuck, the sooner he was back in the jeep sucking calming nicotine into his lungs, the better.

Well he wasn’t gonna waste time brooding about it. Sanzo did enough of that for all of them. Gojyo casually looped his arm around the monk’s shoulders and gave the girls a bright smile. “Yo beauties, the lady of the house back yet?”

The haughty one, Dandan, seemed to be the only one with the guts to frown and fold her arms at him. “You can’t leave,” she told him bluntly.

Sanzo shrugged out from under Gojyo’s arm. He’d adopted his usual aloof, cold pose, as if even the effort to speak was too good for the listeners. “You can’t stop us,” he said.

Dandan glanced warily at Sanzo’s hands, and Gojyo realized the monk must have come barging in with his gun drawn threatening to shoot up the place. Heh.

“Sorry ladies, wish we’d met under better circumstances. You ever get outa here you can look me up, kay?”

Sanzo reached back, grabbed him by the front of his shirt, and dragged him out of the pool room. “Stupid horny kappa,” he muttered. The girls seemed to be sufficiently intimidated by his glare to clear them a path. But when they reached the front door, Dandan rushed around them and planted herself infront of it. Sanzo gave her an exasperated look, and Gojyo wondered if he’d have to step between them to save the poor girl’s skin.

“Leaving so soon?”

Gojyo spun around in time to see Shihong step through a corridor that branched off to the right of the main room. Shit, she’s back. He searched her face for signs of fury, but if she had clued in to the death of her son, she was hiding it well.

“And just when I’d gone to the trouble to arrange a reunion.” She stepped up to Sanzo and seemed pleased that she slightly outmatched him in height. “How did you get in here, monk?”

Sanzo acknowledged her only with a slightly raised eyebrow. The tense mood, however, was quickly broken by a familiar cry.

“Sanzo!” A short form burst past Shihong and wedged between her and Sanzo. Goku bounced around and tried to get his whole story out in one breath, “Sanzo, you never came back last night so we were worried and then everything started shaking and they didn’t want to let us go find you but I beat up a bunch of guys and we escaped and we were looking for a way to get up to you when we met this lady and she showed us this really neat tunnel—”

Sanzo reached out a hand and put in on the monkey’s head, ruffling a little through his disheveled brown hair. Goku calmed immediately and fell quiet, a big smile plastered on his face.

Heh, cute. Gojyo found himself grinning like an idiot too as he looked past Goku and traded a nod with Hakkai. It always felt weird now when the four of them were separated for too long. He never thought he’d be the kind of guy who’d be comfortable spending all day with a group of dudes, but it had started with Hakkai and now it was just the way of things.

“I have returned your companions to you,” Shihong said to Sanzo, “but I would like to borrow him,” she gestured a Gojyo, “for a little longer.”

Hakkai shot him a questioning glance and Gojyo shrugged. When he got the chance to tell Hakkai the story, it was gonna be a heavily edited version.

“We’ve wasted too much time here already,” said Sanzo.

“Oh yes, your mission.” As Sanzo stiffened with alertness, Shihong continued, “Forgive me for not recognizing you earlier, great Sanzo monk. Word of your party has spread even to this isolated town. It wasn’t until I met all of your companions that I made the connection. I understand your haste, but what if I told you there was a quicker way?”

Sanzo frowned. “I assume you mean that nonsense about cancelling the Minus Wave?”

Shinhong’s gaze slipped over to Gojyo for a moment. “Your friend has filled you in, then. Your skepticism is understandable, but perhaps you would permit a demonstration?”

“Ahem,” said Hakkai. “Perhaps we could be filled in as well?”

Shihong gave him a cool smile. “At least one of you is well-mannered.”

Goku looked back and forth between her and Sanzo. “What? What’s going on? Aw, someone tell me!”

Gojyo grabbed the monkey by his shoulder and dragged him back from the scary-tall youkai woman. “Oi, monkey, didja miss me?”

“As if I would miss a big red cockroach!”

“Good, cause a night without a loud shrimpy chimp was a perfect vacation.”

“I’m not shrimpy!” yelled Goku, and he punched Gojyo in the stomach hard enough to make him grunt.

“Shut up!” growled Sanzo.

“Can we leave now Sanzo?” Goku asked after a brief wrestling match with Gojyo. “I don’t like this place. They didn’t even give us breakfast.”

Gojyo raised a hand, “For completely different reasons, I totally agree.”

Shihong glared at them, her long, elegant fingers twitching. “I promise I will not detain you for longer than necessary… eh, where are you going?!”

Sanzo had already turned away and stood by the front door looking for the mechanism that opened it.

“Ah, Sanzo perhaps we could hear her out?” said Hakkai. “She’s helped us so far…”

“Leave it, Hakkai,” said Gojyo. “Her experiments triggered that earthquake, so I wouldn’t be too keen on encouraging her.”

“That effect,” said Shihong, “is proof that we are getting close.”

Dandan stepped forward, the rest of the girls clustered in behind her. “You speak of wasting time, but do you think we have time to waste either? The effects of the minus wave have destroyed most of my family. If this conflict drags on I won’t have anyone left.”

“If you are really the famed Sanzo-ikkou,” said Shihong, “is should be your bound duty to assist us.”

Sanzo whirled around. “You know nothing of my duty,” he snapped.

Shihong put her hands on her hips and tilted her head up to emphasize her height. “That you choose to travel with youkai tells me you do not seek to destroy us entirely, but to stop the problem at its source. Are our goals not the same? Thus far I have managed to hold on to my sanity through my own means, while my brothers descended into madness. Surely you chose your companions for their similar resistance. All I ask is to borrow small measure of that unique capacity.”

“I didn’t choose anything,” Sanzo muttered, but he didn’t turn away again.

“Perhaps you could explain your methods, Ma’am?” Hakkai suggested in his best soothing voice.

“I told you, a demonstration would be more effective.”

“No demonstrations,” said Sanzo. “Tell us with words or not at all.”

“Very well,” said Shihong.

***

Gojyo sat on the couch in the main foyer with an unlit cigarette between his lips, watching a couple of the girls in the adjoining kitchen try to teach Goku how to cook. Sanzo and Hakkai were down in the pool room, listening to that woman pitch her yujutsu or whatever experiments. He should probably be with them, but he just couldn’t bear to stand around while she talked to Sanzo about how half breeds could do this or that. What a load of bull. When you start thinking the whole world is set against you, when you start building fucking giant walls and concocting heroic plans, that’s when things go to shit ‘cause you stop taking responsibility. Gojyo had been down that road once before and he damn well wasn’t ever going back.

The one thing he’d always liked about Sanzo was that the man didn’t bill himself as some savior. If you wanted to follow him, you got your own shit together ‘cause he sure as hell wasn’t gonna do it for you.

The cig in his mouth had gotten soft but for some reason he didn’t feel like lighting it. He examined it and decided it was a little too chewed up to be worth keeping, so he tossed it into the ashtray one of the girls had set out for him. In the kitchen, Goku had managed to spill sauce all over the front of the flowery apron he was wearing. The girls fussed all over him and for a moment Gojyo contemplated waltzing in there and drawing their attention to a real man. He didn’t get up though, just leaned back farther on the couch and turned his head up to stare at the ceiling.

Without a proper distraction, the monk’s words from before kept spinning in his head in that sexy-as-hell voice. He should be smug for getting what he wanted but instead the monk had to go and say that and completely throw him off guard. The thought of Sanzo under him and at his mercy, that was one thing, but no fucking way would Sha Gojyo play the woman’s role. Dammit, it had been a long time since he’d felt so insecure about a sexual relationship.

Gojyo slapped a hand over his eyes. Crap, how had he gotten in so deep already?

He heard footsteps, and peeled away his hand to see Sanzo stride into the room, looking agitated and flicking his lighter impatiently at the cigarette in his mouth.

“You should stop buying such shitty lighters,” said Gojyo. He casually reached into his pocket and flipped back the cap on his own, offering the open flame at arm’s length so that Sanzo had to bend down to partake in it. The monk muttered something that might have been a thanks or a death threat, hard to tell. He sunk down onto the other side of the couch, leaving as much space between them as possible.

“So…” said Gojyo.

“So she almost has me believing it could work… if what she’s doing wasn’t right on par with the crazies trying to resurrect Gyumaou.”

“What do we do about it then?”

Sanzo blew out a cloud of smoke and sighed. “As much as I’d like to leave it alone, what she’s doing is too dangerous to ignore.”

“Yeah I guess.” Gojyo ran a hand through his hair. “These girls are innocents though; they’ve just had it tough…”

“Don’t get all righteous on me, kappa. I’m not gonna shoot them.” Sanzo’s fingers fiddled with the edge of his sutra. “And you should know better than to use that as an excuse.”

“… I know, I know.”

“Ch.”

“Hakkai still down there?”

“He seems to find that woman… interesting.”

“Huh. Hey Sanzo?”

“What?”

“Did you take that tape out of the VCR? Cause, uh, I kinda forgot.”

“WHAT?!”

***

“And these incantations? What exactly are they?” Hakkai wiped his sleeve over his monocle to clean it of stray dust particles, then leaned in to take a closer look at one of the more oddly-shaped pieces of machinery that lined the pool.

“Would you care to take a look?” asked Shihong. “My research notes are in the office next door. If you look in the cupboard, you’ll find bound copies of the sources I used.”

“Really? You’d trust a stranger with them?”

“You’re hardly riff-raff from the street. I have nothing to hide here, Cho Hakkai.”

“Then thank you. I would like to educate myself as much as possible in this matter.”

“May I leave you to it, then? I think I would like a few more words with your Sanzo houshi-sama.”

“Of course.” When she left the room, Hakkai let the easy smile drop from his face and stroked his chin thoughtfully. She seemed sincere, but Sanzo had been awfully suspicious and quiet, and Sanzo certainly knew more about such matters than he. He decided that next time he had the monk alone he’d prod him for information. Sometimes he forgot how little informed he was on the practices of their enemies.

This youkai woman who wore a limiter like himself… her motives rang suspicious but her ideas were interesting. He was a little surprised that Gojyo had so vehemently refused to hear her out. Perhaps it was the sensitivity over his past, but still… the few times they’d run into other children of taboo, that incalculable bond of heritage always seemed to draw his friend in. To find so many here… well perhaps he saw Shihong as a threat to the others.

Hakkai wandered into the aforementioned office and began to collect the papers strewn about the table. Interesting indeed, but the woman had failed to mention that her “notes” were not exactly readable. He stacked the paper neatly on one corner of the table, then turned to examine the wall of shelves and cupboards.

One of the cabinets had been opened and a television left on, blaring static in silence. Hakkai reached over it to pull down one of the books on the shelf above. Ah, much better. This one he could read, and it had been illustrated with carefully drawn symbols and pictographs. He flipped through it, humming a little to himself. Sometimes he really missed the library he’d had during his teacher days.

He pulled down another book, then a third, then gave in and stacked them all on the table. Turning back to the cabinet, he scanned it for further reading material, but his eyes kept being drawn back to the annoying flicker of the television. He reached out to turn it off, then hesitated. A dozen or so videotapes lined the shelf below the television, each with intriguing labels like “Experiment C,” accompanied by a date. His finger pulled away from the power button. Sanzo had forbidden a demonstration, but if she had tapes here that could show them exactly what they were dealing with… He pulled out one of the tapes and attempted to insert it into the VCR, only to discover that it already contained a tape. Impatiently, he hit the rewind button. He adjusted his monocle and hoped that Hakuryuu wouldn’t mind waiting a while longer where he’d left him outside.

The VCR clicked and stopped whirling. He pressed play and stepped back. Time to see what caused that earthquake.

When We Remembered, Chapter 5, part I

2007-09-23T22:14:58Z

Chapter 5: The Tape

Sanzo managed to shove the door shut and lock it before any of the wretched red-haired women could follow him in. He could hear them pounding on the other side of the wood, wailing on about something or other. Bitches. This place was worse than annoying. Time to grab the stupid kappa and get the hell out. Bracing his back against the door, Sanzo turned and opened his mouth to rain wordly fury down on the object of his misfortune.

Instead his breath hissed out of him like a slowly deflating balloon. The kappa sat sprawled on a hideous flower-patterned couch to his right. Gojyo’s face had twisted into a ridiculous expression, lips opening and closing like a fish sucking water. Crimson eyes jerked downward and Sanzo’s followed, fixating on the hand that was jammed rather unsubtly into the red-head’s open pants. Fuck, leave the pervert alone for one minute and look what happens. A little thrill of lust shot through him and he bit his tongue hard to contain it. If the moron was jerking off to one of those harlots….

Sanzo’s frenzied brain had just begun to imagine the best place to rip Gojyo a new orifice when a flicker in the corner of his eye made him turn his head. It took a moment to process the grainy image playing on the TV screen but when it finally dawned on him what he was staring at, his hand clenched so hard around his gun that it began to rattle. He lurched toward the kappa and the next second felt his fist impact against the other man’s jaw, knowing him off the couch and onto the polished stone floor.

“Wait, Sanzo, I can explain—” Gojyo began but was cut off as Sanzo dug the edge of his palm into his throat and with his other hand aimed his Smith & Wesson right between the kappa’s eyes.

“You found it?!” he growled out. “You fucking watched it?!” A stream of expletives poured from his mouth until he ran out of breath and lowered his weight onto the kappa’s chest. He didn’t know what horrified him more, the fact that Gojyo had seen, or the fact that Han had recorded it in the first place. Thank god he’d shot that bastard dead.

“Hey! Hey!” Gojyo’s hands wrapped around the wrist under his chin, trying to pry him off. “I’m the one who should be pissed here – fucking corrupt monk molesting me in my sleep.”

Sanzo snarled and dug the barrel of his gun harder into Gojyo’s skin. “Say that again and you’re dead.”

Gojyo let out a frustrated hiss and squirmed underneath him. “For the love of… it’s no big deal ya big baby. I just wish you’d woke me up.” He pulled on Sanzo’s wrist again and when the pressure failed to let up, continued in a raspy, strained voice, “Look you can get rid of it and we’ll never speak of it again, okay? I promise I’ll keep my mouth shut…” the corners of his mouth teased into a grin, “if y’do it again while I’m conscious.”

Sanzo pulled back and swatted the kappa upside the head with the grip of his gun. As Gojyo curled his head into his arms and moaned with pain, Sanzo raised his gun and aimed it carefully at the TV across the room.

When he didn’t shoot, Gojyo peeked out from under his forearm and asked, “What?” The kappa craned his head back to get a look at the screen.

The grainy overhead shot of Han’s spare bedroom had disappeared. In its place was an image of a winding spiral staircase threading down into darkness and oblivion.

“That wasn’t on there before,” Gojyo muttered. As they watched, the viewpoint lurched away to focus on a group of armed men running down the stairs. A hand with a long-barreled gun raised and the men were quickly dispatched, but more appeared right behind them. A golden streak slipped by the edge of the frame and the view spun to follow it. When the image finally focused again, they could see a man with long golden hair clinging to a thick wire that hung down through the center of the stairwell, a small body dangling from his other arm. He slipped precariously lower, struggling to maintain his hold.

Sanzo’s eyes widened as he recognized his self from his dreams. How could that person – Konzen - be on this tape? And the boy he was holding, that had to be Goku…

The long-barreled gun appeared again and picked off an archer below, then aimed straight for the wire. Sanzo wanted to shout, warn, something, but his throat had closed up. The gun fired and the bullet hit its target dead on. But the wire didn’t snap immediately. Instead Konzen seemed to use the impact to start himself swinging and tossed the boy in his grasp towards a man on the stairs with shoulder-length dark hair (Hakkai?!). Then the wire began to shred and the view tilted into a blur. Unconsciously, Sanzo leaned forward, digging his nails into Gojyo’s shoulder. Was he witnessing Konzen’s death?

But then an arm reached out and latched firmly around a wrist and Sanzo found himself staring at his own dream-self’s surprised face, somehow saved by the wielder of the gun. Words seemed to be exchanged and Konzen, looking slightly embarrassed, allowed himself to be drawn up to safety. The picture faded into static.

“I said to you ‘you and your kid are more trouble than you’re worth’,” Gojyo explained in a uncharacteristically soft voice. Sanzo wrenched his eyes away from the screen to give Gojyo a surprised look. “And then you told me to shut up,” the kappa chuckled.

Sanzo swallowed hard, trying to process Gojyo’s words. So it had been Gojyo’s other self, that Kenren, who had caught Konzen? Memories of another incident, near the start of that whole Kami-sama idiocy, rose unbidden to the surface of his thoughts. A fall off a cliff was not on his list of acceptable ways to die, but he could have met his end that day if Gojyo had not been quick with his shakujo. Fuck, he hated debts. The kappa had never given him a good answer about why he’d saved him then either.

“When that tunnel started to collapse,” said Gojyo, “that scene just flashed through my head like a waking dream or somethin’. I dunno how it got on that tape though.”

Sanzo frowned. He really didn’t want to follow that train of thought. It suggested that those fucked up dreams would continue to taunt him. “Shut up,” he mumbled, and glared when he realized Gojyo had a silly grin on his face. “What are you smiling at you roach?”

The back of his thighs tingled as Gojyo’s hands settled there. “I’d say you owe me pretty good, monk. I obviously saved your butt in our past life and I’ve been being real nice t’ya in this one.”

“Tch, you better stop right there before your mouth gets you into trouble.”

“Oh, I’d say your mouth is a lot naughtier than mine.”

Sanzo shifted a little higher on Gojyo’s chest. “I think you just need more practice.”

Gojyo’s hands crept around Sanzo’s ass and up to his shoulder blades, tugging him down till Sanzo arched over him, resting on his elbows. “You trying to flirt with me, monk?”

No, I’m trying to get another blowjob, idiot. For some reason his eyes had become stuck to Gojyo’s lips and he couldn’t seem to look away. He suddenly became very aware that Gojyo’s fly was still open; that the kappa had been jerking off mere minutes before to a tape with a suspicious lack of females and a decided overabundance of one Genjo Sanzo. Dammit, this wasn’t the time for these thoughts. A horde of fem-Gojyos were camped outside the door and Hakkai and Goku could come looking for them any minute.

“Sanzo…” Gojyo whispered. “I’m kinda hurtin’ here.”

“Ch. And whose fault is that?”

“Yours, obviously. You’re not getting shy on me, are ya cherry-chan?”

“Shut up. You’re whinier than the monkey.” Sanzo shoved himself back to grind down hard against the kappa’s hips and relished the moan that escaped Gojyo.

The kappa’s eyelids fluttered shut. “Sanzo, please…”

Begging? He liked the sound of that. Sanzo glanced cautiously over at the door as though to assure himself that it was still firmly shut then set his gun down on the floor within easy reach. He snuck his hand down between their bodies to capture Gojyo’s erection. The kappa bit his lip and arched against the floor. One of his hands lifted from Sanzo’s back to clutch at the back of his neck. Sanzo allowed himself to be drawn down into a kiss but latched his free hand into Gojyo’s hair to keep him pinned to the floor. No way he was giving up control here.

When he finally broke the kiss, Gojyo ducked his head under Sanzo’s chin, breath feathering against his neck. Sanzo’s right hand began a steady rhythm that faltered only once when Gojyo began to suck at his skin.

“Don’t leave a mark, you ass.”

“Mmm, you left one on me.”

“What? I did not?”

“Yeah you did. On my dick. Take a look.”

Sanzo started to look down before he caught himself and tugged hard on Gojyo’s hair. Dammit, he’d almost fallen for that. “Nice try, but you’re the cocksucker.”

“Not according to the video evidence…” Gojyo squawked a little as Sanzo stopped pumping and clenched his hand. “Aw c’mon, it just wants another face t’face meeting.” He thrust his hips, trying desperately to regain the delicious friction. “Y’know you wanna.”

Sanzo considered the man below him; the pleading, lust-filled eyes, the scars that seemed to smolder in the flush of his skin, the fiery halo spilling over the floor. He leaned in to tease that full bottom lip with his teeth, then whispered, “No, I want to fuck you.”

When he pulled back, Gojyo’s eyes had widened in surprise the body under him suddenly went tense. “W-what?!”

“You heard me.”

“I think you’ve got it backwards, monk. In the dreams I was always the one doing the fucking.”

“So?”

“So no way! And you wouldn’t do it right!”

Sanzo frowned and raised an eyebrow. “It’s not rocket science.”

“Hey, you’re the one who hadta jump me while I was sleeping so I couldn’t compare your sucky-ass BJ to the awesome ones I’ve gotten from chicks.”

Sanzo felt a vein threatening to pop from his skull. He reached for his gun and jabbed it under Gojyo’s chin.

The kappa held up his hands. “Okay, okay, I take it back. Sorry, jeeze.”

“On the couch.”

“Eh?”

“Sit your ass down on the fucking couch.” Sanzo raised himself up on his knees to allow the kappa to wiggle out from under him. Gojyo blinked dumbly, but seemed eager enough to back away from the deadly weapon pointed in his face. He scuttled backward and pulled himself up onto the couch, clutching the upholstery with tight fists. He looked so deliciously disheveled with his hair awry and cock jutting from his open jeans that Sanzo murmured a soft approval and licked his lips. He secreted his gun back into his robes and as Gojyo watched, tucked away the sutra and set about slowly peeling back the upper half of his robes. He crept forward on his knees and put on hand on the kappa’s thigh.

“Are you scared of me, Gojyo?” he asked, and couldn’t help the small smirk that twisted his lips.

“Who the fuck wouldn’t be? Crazy, homicidal—”

“Good,” said Sanzo, and bent down to take Gojyo’s erection in his mouth.

When We Remembered, Chapter 4, part II

2007-08-24T07:33:41Z

This was so not fair. Gojyo had himself a lap full of ladies and all he could think about was the bitchy monk outside. Was he still out there? It’s not like he could just waltz down the cliffside and the way back was probably blocked by mounds of rubble.

He struggled to sit up on the couch that the red haired women had pressed him down on. Two of the girls threw their weight onto his chest to keep him from getting far.

“Look, ladies, I’m flattered and all but if you could just let me up…”

“You have to stay here and help us!”

“It’s been forever since we had someone like you.”

“Master Han will be angry if you don’t help us.”

“Yeah well your Master Han is…” shit, he couldn’t just tell him the guy was dead. They’d start bawling their eyes out or something. Crap. He was a sucker for tears and vulnerability, but right now these gals were just clingy, and he hated clingy.

They pleaded with their wide crimson eyes. At least five were draped over or touching him and he counted six more in the room they had dragged him into. Just where had Han found them all? Where they his personal harem or something? That was just creepy. He’d never been around so many of his own kind in one place before, and it made him uncomfortable.

“Uh, aren’t there any other guys with you?”

They shook their heads. “Male children of taboo are much rarer, didn’t you know that?”

“We only see one once every few years.”

“And Master Han doesn’t let us keep them.”

“Oh really? Then just what does Master Han do for you?”

“He saved us!”

“He’s going to make the world safe for people like us.”

Gojyo groaned. As much fun as it might be to spend a few days getting to know these chicks, a certain monk had probably reached a dangerous stage of homicidal fever by now. Okay okay, get it together. You just gotta play it cool like always.

When he had to deal with a pack of women in a bar, he always picked out one to play off the others. He scanned the eager faces of the girls in front of him, looking for the one with the most presence. He finally spotted her in the back, watching him with folded arms. She wore a simple green outfit made up of a long shirt and pants that looked handmade. Apparently despite Han’s gaudy sense of décor he wasn’t into lavishing riches on his tarts.

“Hey you,” he called to her. “What’s your name, beautiful?”

She regarded him suspiciously before stepping forward. “Dandan,” she finally volunteered.

“Well Dandan, this fine man you’ve ensnared is Sha Gojyo. And I’m always willing to help a pretty face. But you really gotta let the monk in here. He won’t like being left out in the cold. It’s not good for his blood pressure.”

Dandan’s lips pressed into a thin line. “That’s not possible. There are things in here not meant for human eyes.”

“Sanzo’s no ordinary human, let me tell you. He’s—”

“Enough. Dandan is correct. Your monk will have to wait. Our hospitality is extended to you and you alone.” Another woman entered the room. This one was older, probably in her fifties. Her gray hair had been bound up on top of her head and she dressed with a lot more class.

Gojyo chewed his lip. Older chicks he was not so good with. “And you are…”

“My name is Shihong. And I know a rogue when I see one. I’m sure my son took quite a shine to you.”

Son? Oh shit, Han’s mom. Not good. As the woman moved closer, he saw that her eyes were green, not red, and she wore a choker around her throat that looked suspiciously like a youkai limiter. A fullblood then, somehow become the den mother of a house of halflings.

“What’s going on here?” asked Gojyo. “What do you want from me?”

Shihong’s lips curled into a smile. “Would you like to see? Girls, let him up. It won’t do to smother the poor bastard.”

One of the girls wiggled nicely in his lap before she got up. Damn, this was gonna be a whole different kind of torture.

He made a show of stretching and slung an arm around Dandan’s shoulders. “Man, you gals sure know how to take a guy’s breath away.”

She frowned at him and ducked out from under his arm. “Don’t make presumptions,” he heard her mutter. That was cute. She got all huffy like the monk. Shit, like he needed to be reminded of that now.

Shihong led them down a staircase cut into the rock. Artificial lighting gleamed coolly along the ceiling. That had to be expensive. He had to wonder what he was getting into here, but the only other option was to fight his way out and that seemed like a terrible waste of pretty flesh.

The bottom of the staircase opened out into a long rectangular room. Strange machinery ringed the perimeter and a shallow pool had been cut into the center, lit from below by that same eerie lighting.

“Woah, this is quite the place you’ve got here. But unless you’re training for the Olympics I don’t got a clue what this is all about.”

Shihong’s faint smile turned grim. “Do you know why the combination of science and yujutsu is forbidden?”

“Science and yu-what-su?”

“Science and yujutsu. It is believed that they are forces that are inherently contrary and therefore to combine them would lead to unforeseeable results.”

“So you’re playing mad scientist down here? Thanks but no thanks. I’m more of a fists and flesh kinda guy, y’know?”

“The particular properties of your flesh is exactly why you and these girls are suited to this task.”

“Say what?”

Shihong leaned close to him and gripped his chin, catching a strand of his hair in the fingers of her other hand. “Are not children of taboo, the spawn of the union between a youkai and a human, also contrary creatures? Forbidden incantations spoken by children of forbidden blood … you could call that the ultimate setup for ‘unforeseeable results’…. or perhaps a perfect cancellation.”

“Sorry, but that just sounds like a lot of crazy-talk to me.” Gojyo turned to Dandan. “Hey, does she always talk like this? Cause my head hurts already.”

“Don’t toy with me, boy!” Shihong yelled, eyes flashing.

Woah, scary. Gojyo took a step back and shoved his hands in his jacket pockets. “Uh, thanks for showing me around your secret lair and all, but you seem to be doing fine without me, so I’ll just be on my way…”

“What if we could cancel the Minus Wave?”

Gojyo blinked. “Huh?”

“Halfbloods are cursed with a difficult fate, but it does not have to remain so. The Minus Wave that has caused youkai to rise against humans has placed you in a poignant position. Would it not be a lovely irony to turn your curse into your strength, to use your forbidden blood to cancel the Minus Wave and restore peace? If you could accomplish such a feat, children of taboo would no longer be feared, but rather praised as heroes.”

“You uh, seem to know a lot about this stuff. But I’m no hero, lady.”

“Not yet,” said Shihong with a smile, “not yet. Come, let me show you the machines and I will explain more.”

One of the girls stepped tentatively out from the rest of the pack. “Wait, Mistress Shihong. Outside…”

“Yes Xiaotong? What is it?”

“The last experiment did cause some damage. A piece of the wall has fallen.”

“What? Why did you not tell me this straightaway, girl?” Shihong frowned and began pacing back and forth. “This is not good. They will begin to suspect… I must go inspect the damage myself.”

So these people were responsible for the quake? Gojyo opened his mouth to tell them about the tunnel cave-in, then thought better of it. That could lead to all sorts of awkward questions.

“I must go,” Shihong repeated. She gave Gojyo a considering look. “We will speak more when I return. Until then…”

“We’ll take care of him for you,” chorused the girls.

“Yes, good care of him!”

Gojyo took a hand out of his pocket and rubbed the back of his neck. “Well ain’t I Mister Popular.”

“No, I don’t think so,” said Shihong.

“Eh?!” screeched the girls.

“This one is far too much of a troublemaker, I can tell. We’ll put him in the back room where he can keep his perverted thoughts to himself.”

“Hey!” said Gojyo. “They’re the ones who were crawling all over me!”

***

Sanzo sat on the cliffside trying to light a cigarette. Every time he thought he got a good flame going, the wind would conspire to gush in and blow it out. He could feel the beginnings of a migraine coming on and if he didn’t get some nicotine into his system soon he was gonna start blowing holes into the rock. Taking a deep breath, he shielded his lighter with his hand as best he could and tried again.

“SANZO!” The unmistakable voice of the monkey carried up to him on the wind. So the blasted air was good for something after all. Shoving the smoke with its tentative spark between his lips, he stood and searched the canyon below for the source of the voice.

A patch of mist cleared and he made out the blocky form of Jeep. Goku stood inside waving his arms like he was trying to land a plane. Sanzo caught the smile that threatened to work its way into his mouth and grunted instead.

“Up here, idiots,” he called. He refused to wave around his limbs like some loser tourist.

But they must have heard or saw him anyway, cause Goku started pointing and Hakkai stopped Jeep and got out.

“Sanzo!” he called. “Can you get down from there?”

Sanzo considered the sheer slope below him, then glanced back at the door in the rock that the kappa had disappeared through. “What, do you think I can ski or something? Find a way up here.”

Hakkai put a hand to his ear. “I can’t hear you too well, Sanzo,” he shouted. “We’ll try to find a way up.”

Sanzo nodded and stepped back from the perilous edge of the cliff. He folded his arms into his robe. Nothing to do now but wait some more. He sucked on his smoke and sneered. It had gone out again.

***

“Come on,” said Gojyo. “We can’t play unless you let me out.”

“We can’t,” said the muffled voice of the girl on the other side of the door. “Mistress Shihong took the key. Only Mistress Shihong and Master Han have keys.”

Gojyo groaned and leaned his head against the door. Apparently there was more than one tunnel leading to this place, because Shihong hadn’t left the way he’d come in. Whether that tunnel was still intact remained to be seen. He kind of hoped it wasn’t. The woman unnerved him, but he really didn’t want her finding out what they’d done to Han just yet. He had a feeling that wouldn’t go over too well.

He resigned himself to being stuck in the room for now and wandered over to the couch that was the only piece of comfy-looking furniture and plopped himself down. Unlike that eerie room with the pool, this place seemed pretty normal. It looked like it was mainly used as some sort of office. Scrolls and papers littered a desk in one corner and more of them were spread out over the table in front of the couch.

Gojyo picked up one of the papers and squinted at it. It was covered with all sorts symbols he didn’t understand along with notes in a thin, spidery hand. He could make out a few words, but it all sounded like gibberish. He tossed the paper back down and leaned back, folding his arms behind his head. He wasn’t sure if he should believe all that stuff Shihong had spouted about cancelling the Minus Wave or what. She sounded, if not sincere, at least passionate. He could respect that, but still, something didn’t feel quite right. He really wished Sanzo was here. He was sure the monk would have read through to the heart of all that doubletalk.

Thinking of the monk made him remember the tape that he’d tucked away in the inside left pocket of his jacket. He wasn’t really sure why he hadn’t destroyed it along with the rest of the TV equipment. It just seemed kinda special, not to mention fucking hot.

Oh great. Here I am stuck in a place with a bunch of good-looking chicks not counting the one granny and the thing that’s turning me on is a fucking tape of another guy going down on me. I’m officially fucked.

He pulled out the tape and stared at it. It really didn’t seem real. Sanzo just… didn’t do things like that. But that made him remember their lencounter in the tunnel and all that fumbling in the dark listening to Sanzo make those little noises of passion. Gojyo felt his cheeks getting hot and shook his head. If Banri ever caught wind of what he’d done he’d be gloating like a damn pimp. He remembered that one drunken night years back, long before he’d met Hakkai or the others, when he and his old buddy had almost crossed a line and an offer had been made. He’d been too chicken-shit to accept then and he’d have bet good money that he’d never change his mind. Fuck, he liked tits, that’s just the kind of guy he was.

He didn’t feel like a different person now, but that didn’t change the fact that he was sitting here, getting half-hard just thinking about fooling around with the very male, foul-mouthed, biggest pain-in-the ass ever to walk into his life monk. What there some sort of disease that made you dream weird shit and suddenly turn into a cock-junkie? Fuck.

He held the tape up to the light. Could it have really happened? Wouldn’t he have woken up. Could he be sure it was Sanzo and not Han in a blond wig or something?

The last thought gave him chills and made him spring to his feet. He really just needed to watch it again and be sure. He glanced wildly around the room and fixated on some tall cupboards opposite the couch. Maybe… he swung them open. Jackpot! Sitting right smack on the middle shelf was a TV and VCR combo. Man, they sure had all the toys here. Han or his Mommie must be really rich to be financing this shit.

Gojyo placed the tape against the mouth of the VCR. Did he dare?

Fuck, yes.

***

Sanzo touched something small and hard in the inner pockets of his robe. Frowning, he pulled it out and found himself staring at the little iron key he’d taken off Han’s corpse. He stood and had a look down into the canyon but it seemed that Hakkai and Goku were still tootling around somewhere where he couldn’t see. He rolled the key in his palm and turned to study the door in the rock. It couldn’t be that easy… could it?

He ran his other hand along the rock’s smooth face, feeling for imperfections. Sure enough, about halfway down his fingers brushed a small indentation. He bent down and blew on it to dislodge a bit of dust that clung there. It sure looked like a keyhole. Really, he could kick himself for not noticing it earlier. Maybe he could avoid those awkward questions about the kappa when Hakkai and Goku showed up after all.

He shoved the key into the hole and turned it. He heard a satisfying click, and like before, the rock sank inwards to reveal a passageway.

Wasting no time, he moved swiftly though and entered the adjoining room. He was greeted by several sets of wide, crimson eyes.

He raised his gun. “Where is he?”

***

Oh yeah, that was Sanzo alright. Gojyo sunk back onto the couch and found his hand slipping into his pants of its own accord. What would the monk have done if he’d woken up? Better yet, what would he have to do to get that mouth around his dick while he was conscious?

He hissed through his teeth as he touched himself. Since he’d been too busy doing the monk to get himself off in the tunnel, this was way overdue. He’d stopped feeling guilty. If Sanzo could molest him in his sleep, then at the very least he should be able to watch the replay. Oh fuck, Sanzo, you are one naughty, twisted sonofabitch.

He didn’t register the rising noises outside of the door until it was too late. The lock clicked and the door swung open, only to be pushed shut again quickly as the intruder slammed it in the faces of a group of distraught women.

Gojyo tore his eyes away from the eye-candy on the screen and froze like a deer in headlights, his hand still shoved into his jeans.

Sanzo stared back at him, apparently too shocked for once to summon a proper insult, face reddening as his eyes were drawn like magnets to Gojyo’s errant hand, then slowly, inevitably, to the other side of the room where the tape played on.

Oh shit, thought Gojyo, as he noticed the gun in the monk’s hand. Please, god, let him aim for my head.

When We Remembered, Chapter 4, Part I

2007-08-24T07:32:55Z

Chapter 4: The Door

Somewhere at the end of a fit of coughing, Sanzo realized that he could breathe. His mouth tasted like chalk. He spat to clear it and tried to push himself off his knees. A heavy weight prevented it, and he grunted at the pain still throbbing in his kneecaps. Something was draped over his head and shoulders and by touch he recognized Gojyo’s jacket.

He pushed back against the weight again. “Kappa, you alive?”

The weight receded, accompanied by a hacking cough.

Sanzo pushed back the jacket from his head and blinked, but could see nothing in the darkness. His exploring hands found a jean-clad thigh beside him. He dug in his nails; wanting, needing to hear some sort of reassurance from the other man.

“Ugh. I’m okay, monk. Shit.” Gojyo’s voice sounded raspy and strained by strong enough that Sanzo relaxed his hand.

“I think the tunnel caved in, said Gojyo.

“You think? Quit leaning on me and let me up before your band luck brings the rest down on us.”

“Gee, remind me next time to use your body as a shield.”

Using each other for support, they managed to scramble upright. As Gojyo shrugged back into his jacket, Sanzo was torn between wanting room to breathe and not wanting to lose the kappa in the dark. The space around them felt tighter, smelled tighter. He pushed back against the tunnel wall, but Goyjo’s hand followed him and clamped around his wrist. He could hear the other man’s breathing and braced himself for further invasion of his personal space, but it didn’t come.

Instead, Gojyo just tugged lightly on his wrist. “Come on, nothin’ to do but keep going.”

Sanzo allowed himself to be led deeper into the tunnel. He wanted to shake off Gojyo’s hand but couldn’t quite manage to make himself do so. Whatever had just happened, it couldn’t be good. Judging from the impressive sound that still buzzed in his ears, the collapse hadn’t been confined to a little stretch of tunnel behind them. It better not be Hakkai and Goku tearing up the place. He suddenly regretted leaving the monkey behind. Goku was his responsibility. Dammit, he had too many idiots to look after.

He turned a corner and had to throw up an arm to shield his eyes from a sudden stab of bright light.

“Shit, that’s bright,” said Gojyo.

Sanzo used the distraction to jerk his wrist back. He rubbed it absently as he waited for his eyes to adjust. He glanced at Gojyo and had to suppress a chuckle.

Gojyo caught him looking. “What?”

“You’re covered in dust.” He looked like he’d dumped a sack of flour over his head.

Gojyo grumbled and wiped his face with his jacket sleeve, then began shaking out his hair. “Last time I lend you my jacket,” he muttered.

Ahead, the tunnel ended in a stone archway. The floor continued onto a thin shelf of rock cut into the side of the mountain. Sanzo shouldered his way past Gojyo to step out first.

Good thing he wasn’t afraid of heights. On his right, a sheer cliff wall jutted high into a cloudy haze and on his left it plummeted down into a dizzying depth. Keeping his eyes fixed in front of him, Sanzo carefully made his way along the path to where it curled around the cliffside. As soon as he maneuvered the turn, a cold gust of wind slapped him hard. He pulled his body back against the rock on his right and felt Gojyo’s hand tighten around his upper arm. He looked over his shoulder.

Gojyo’s hair obscured his face, jostling into a tumbled mess in the wind. His tense stance made Sanzo frown. He opened his mouth, then shut it. The wind made it hard to breathe.

“Well fuck me,” said Gojyo, shouting to be heard.

Sanzo stared at him incredulously for a moment, then realized the kappa was looking past him. He turned his head forward. In the haze of the canyon ahead loomed the wall. A smug surge of triumph flooded through Sanzo as he realized they’d reached the other side. Then his eyes widened. He’d thought it was just the mist obscuring it, but no, a huge chunk was missing from the top of the wall. It looked like some giant creature had just taken a bite out of it.

A chill shivered through his skin, and not just from the wind.

“Think that’s good or bad for us?” Gojyo asked, lips close to his ear. Sanzo just shook his head and suddenly wanted a smoke bad. Damn this wind.

He scanned the wall, searching through the figures that crawled across it like ants for a sign of Hakkai and Goku.

“Oi, Sanzo, there’s a cut in the rock here. And another one. Looks kinda like a door.”

Sanzo tore his eyes away from the wall. Gojyo has his hands pressed against the rock face, tracing a line with his fingers.

“We don’t need a door, idiot. We need a ladder or a fucking rope, or… how long is the chain on your—” the wind swallowed the rest of his words as a rectangle of rock in front of Gojyo sunk inwards and three heads popped out of the opening. Sanzo’s hand dove instinctively for his gun even as he registered that the three heads, three girlish heads, all streamed with matching blood-red hair.

They reached out their hands toward Gojyo, catching him by the jacket. “In here, handsome, we’ve been waiting.”

“Look how tall and strong he is! Master Han brought us a good one this time.”

“Are you out there too, Master Han?” One of the girls peeked around the door and blinked as her gaze collided with the barrel of Sanzo’s gun.

“Who the hell are you?” he barked.

She squeaked and ducked back inside. The middle girl turned toward the commotion. “Oh, it’s a monk. A blond monk. How rare.” She glanced at the gun in his hand. “That’s not very nice, mister. But we can’t let you in. Humans aren’t allowed.”

“I don’t want in. I’m getting out of here before that stupid wall falls down entirely.”

The girl’s brow wrinkled in confusion. She looked past him and suddenly blanched. “Back inside, everyone!”

Sanzo glanced over his shoulder, half-expecting some further catastrophe, but the wall with its missing chunk hadn’t changed.

He turned back just in time to catch sight of Gojyo’s arm disappearing into the crevice in the rock. “Hey!” he yelled, too shocked to be more coherent. He stumbled forward, grasping, only to have bare rock slammed shut into his face. He heard a muffled voice call his name once, then he was left with only the howling wind for company. He kicked the rock hard and fury flooded through him when his booted toes protested with pain. “Fuck this shit! Give him back!” He pounded the rock with his fist. “Bitches! Fucking idiot kappa! Get back out here!”

The rock remained solid and impassive. Sanzo rested his forehead against it, gathering his breath, then slid down and sat with his back to the cliff face.

“Fuck, now I really want a smoke.”

***

“Ah, Goku, are you sure that was a good idea?”

Goku looked down at the guard crumpled at his feet. “He was being really annoying.”

“Ehehe, I’m not saying he didn’t deserve it, but he might have been able to lead us to Sanzo.”

Goku scrunched up his nose. “We don’t need him. I’ll find Sanzo.” He took off down the corridor at a run.

“Wait, Goku!”

He stopped at a fork in the corridor and waited for Hakkai to catch up. A bunch of guards ran past down one of the side halls, but didn’t pay any attention to them. Ever since the big earthquake, they’d all been in a panic. Goku was kind of glad, because it had been really boring just sitting around in the little room in the barracks that they’d been given, waiting for Sanzo and Gojyo to come back. He already missed Sanzo’s grumpy face and even Gojyo’s constant harassment and he sure didn’t trust the people here. They gave him weird looks and talked like he couldn’t hear them.

Hakkai pulled up next to him and gave each side of the fork a considering look. “There must be a back door,” he murmured. Hakuryuu sat on his shoulder with his tail curled around his neck. Hakkai scratched the little dragon under his chin. “Hm, left would give us more options, I think…”

But Goku was already running right. He knew he should listen to Hakkai, but sometimes there was a feeling in his gut that just seemed to shout Sanzo is that way. He ran down two more corridors, then skidded to a halt when a beam of light flashed across his vision. On his left, a staircase wound its way up to the higher levels of the wall. The third landing up had a window.

Goku made a beeline for it, leaping up the steps two at a time. He reached the window and grinned. It was little more than a slit in the thick stonework, but wide enough for him to fit through if he turned his shoulders. He stuck his head out and saw with delight that they’d reached the back side of the wall.

He looked up. “Woah, Hakkai you gotta see this! Part of the wall really did fall down!”

He pulled his head back in to give Hakkai a bright smile. “Can we go now? I’m gonna jump.”

“Ah, Goku, isn’t it kind of high…”

But Goku had leapt out into the air. It wasn’t that high. He liked the stinging feel of the wind on his skin and his feet only tingled a bit when he landed in a crouch. He turned to look back up at the window. “Come on, Hakkai!”

He saw Hakkai’s dark-haired head poke out. Goku instantly regretted not thinking of his friend. Maybe the jump was a little high. “Wait, Hakkai, I’ll give Nyoibo to you—”

Hakkai landed beside him with a punctuated thud, air and dust swirling around his feet. Goku’s jaw dropped a little. Sometimes it was easy to forget that Hakkai was a lot stronger than he looked.

Hakkai brushed a hand through his hair and adjusted his monocle. “Next time we use a proper door, alright, Goku?”

“Uh, okay.”

“Hey you two! You don’t have permission to cross the wall. Get back here!”

Shielding his eyes against the sun, Goku looked up to the top rim of the wall where a bunch of guards had gathered, looking down at them. He stuck his tongue out at them and turned and ran.

“Goku! We need to find a way up the mountain.”

“No, Sanzo’s this way, I know it.” He did know it. He didn’t know how, but he did. Things didn’t always have a reason. Sometimes they just were.

He heard a squeal of tires and suddenly Jeep was rolling alongside him, Hakkai grinning at the wheel. “In that case, Goku, we should travel in style, don’t you think?”

“Does this mean I get the front seat?”

***

When We Remembered, Chapter 3, part II

2007-07-09T07:29:52Z

Where did that stupid kappa go?

Sanzo’s hand clenched around his gun. He half-wished he’d been discovered just so the homicidal urges darkening his thoughts could have some release. What he really wanted to do was put a few more slugs in Han’s head.

He gritted his teeth. Take a deep breath. Find the red-haired idiot so you can get out of here and forget that this ever happened.

The hallway looked clear, so he backtracked and peeked into the doors a little more carefully this time. By the time he reached the third one his pulse had regained its erratic pace. What if those soldiers had found Gojyo and dragged him off some place? He bit his lip, using the pain to steel his nerves. Much as he hated to give the kappa any sort of credit, Gojyo could take care of himself.

The room behind the third door looked as unremarkable as the others. Sanzo had just turned back toward the hall when a hissed whisper nearly scared the skin off his bones.

“Sanzo – hey! Over here!”

He recognized the voice instantly and spun around to aim a suitable death glare. The kappa leaned against the doorframe of the adjoining room. His red eyes blinked away Sanzo’s stare and he smiled one of those sensual, unnerving smiles. He had stuck a new cigarette between his lips that hung there, unlit. Sanzo found himself envying it.

“Oi, Sanzo, check this out.” Gojyo crooked a finger, beckoning him closer.

Sanzo followed him, grumbling, into the bedroom. His eyes widened a bit when he saw the television – or what had been a television. The screen had been caved in and the case, along with most of the shelves that surrounded it, had been torn by large, sweeping gashes.

Gojyo rubbed the back of his head and managed to look suitably sheepish.

“Yeah, uh… sorry, kinda got a little carried away. You get to tear the shit outa the next one, ‘kay?”

“Whatever.” Sanzo sighed and thrust his gun back in his sleeve. Trust the kappa to steal the fun parts.

“That’s not what I wanted to show ya though. Take a look at this. You can kinda see it where I ripped up this shelf. I think there’s a door back here.”

Sanzo leaned forward and prodded at the spot Gojyo indicated. Something did seem off about the colouring of the wall there. He could feel a seam when he ran his fingers along it and it was cold to the touch. His skin tingled, but not so much from the discovery as from the sudden sense of someone watching him. He twisted his head to get a look over his shoulder.

He nearly bushed noses with Gojyo, who had snuck up close behind him. Instinctively, Sanzo shrunk back, but was caught by eyes burning like twin glowing coals. The kappa was a master of sultry looks, but there was no teasing in those eyes this time, despite the rather smug set of his lips. That gaze spoke one word, want, and it spoke it so bluntly that it slipped right past Sanzo’s defenses and unfurled inside him like a morning flower drinking sunrise for the first time.

Gojyo coughed and pulled back. The moment passed. Sanzo dug his nails into his palms. He forced himself to return his thoughts to their situation.

“If it is a door, there must be some kind of trigger.” Sanzo scrutinized the wrecked remains of the shelves. “If you haven’t destroyed it, that is.”

Gojyo suddenly chuckled and stepped around him. He reached up to one of the higher shelves that was relatively intact. His fingers wrapped around a glass obelisk.

“Hey Sanzo, what do ya wanna bet this is it?” His fingers slid suggestively up and down the glass form.

Sanzo snorted. “You even think alike.”

“Hey, don’t compare me to that toady bastard. I’m way smoother than he coulda ever hoped to be. You really wanna open this thing? We could just be walking into his porn stash.”

“Or a way out.”

“There is that.” Gojyo sighed, “Alrighty, here goes.” With a snap of his wrist, the obelisk turned horizontal. Sanzo heard the muffled squeak of gears and one whole half of the wall suddenly shuddered and began to move. A dark crack began to open up.

“See?” said Gojyo. “What did I tell ya? These rich dudes have got way too much time on their hands.”

The crack widened until it spanned about two feet. Then the gears creaked to a halt and the wall stopped moving.

“Pretty monks first,” said Gojyo, and pushed Sanzo forward.

Sanzo braced his arms against the sides of the opening, refusing to go in just because the kappa said so.

Gojyo’s hand slid up to his shoulder. “Afraid of the dark?” the kappa whispered in his ear.

Sanzo whipped out his fan and swatted the redhead right across the nose. Then he readjusted his sutra and stepped into the darkness.

He felt Gojyo move in right behind him. “You could at least not hit me in the face,” the kappa grumbled.

“I can’t see shit in here,” said Sanzo. “This is stupid. Turn around.”

Hands settled on his hips and breath tickled his ear.

“Don’t be scared, Sanzo. I’m right behind you. Just feel your way around.”

“I’m not scared, idiot. I just want a fucking flashlight.” Gritting his teeth, Sanzo strode forward, using the narrow walls of the passage as his guide. He’d never considered himself claustrophobic, but he didn’t like this one bit. He sped up his pace, forcing Gojyo to drop his hands and clutch at the back of his robes instead.

“Hey, not so fast, Sanzo! I can’t—”

Pain exploded across Sanzo’s nose as he crashed face-first into solid wall, Gojyo ramming up behind him. He fought to get free, twisting around and pushing Gojyo as hard as he could.

“Fucking hell! I am not doing this! Go back!”

“We just hit a turn, monk. I told you not to go so fast.”

The faint light from the room behind them backlit Gojyo and hid his face in silhouette, but he just knew the kappa had one of those asinine smirks on his face. He was not going to fumble around in the dark with this idiot. “I said go back!” He locked his elbows drove himself at the body blocking his way.

“Hey, hey, hey!”

He could hear Gojyo’s fingers scraping on the walls and suddenly the kappa tripped and fell right back on his ass. An odd click accompanied the thud as he hit the floor. Sanzo tried to get a leg over him when a horrific sound assailed his ears.

Gears scraping. A groaning creek. The crack of light ahead narrowed into a slim line and then perfect darkness closed in on him once again.

For a long moment Sanzo held still just listening to their breathing. Then he stepped back and aimed a good hard kick at the spot where he guessed the kappa’s ribs were. His foot collided with flesh with a satisfying thwack.

“Ow! Fuck! It wasn’t my fault, you pushed me.”

“Ch. Are you going to stay there on the floor all day?”

“Are you offering to help me up?”

“Were you born a moron or did your mother drop you on your head one too many times?” But Sanzo reached down anyway, caught the kappa’s shirt in his fist and pulled.

Gojyo gripped his forearm to steady himself and after much yanking and shoving they both managed to stand again in the narrow space. Sanzo stepped back but Gojyo gripped him tighter and didn’t let go. Sanzo’s skin came alive with anticipation and his joints locked, unable to move, wanting, not wanting. Hot breath parted his bangs and lips stole in to touch the skin there. Gojyo’s hand on his forearm crept a little higher and the pad of a finger circled his elbow. Sanzo shuddered.

“You know, Sanzo… if y’wanted more of Sha Gojyo y’coulda just said something.”

“Who says I want anything from a perverted kappa?”

Gojyo chuckled, sending gusts of air tickling across Sanzo’s skin. “You put on a good act, monk, I’ll give ya that.” The lips left his forehead and ghosted across Sanzo’s eyelid before settling on his ear. “But you’ve been very naughty and I don’t like being left out of things.”

Sanzo bit his lip to quell a surge of anxiety. He couldn’t know, could he? No, he was asleep the entire time, I’m sure of it. Even after that messy bit at the end, he just flopped right back down like a log. He’s just trying to get under my skin like he always does.

“I’m not having this conversation here, Gojyo.”

“Who said anything about a conversation?”

The lips left his ear and suddenly a hot mouth slammed against his. In the dark, the aim was a little off but quickly rectified. Sanzo reeled back, hating that he couldn’t see, couldn’t anticipate. Gojyo moved with him, hands sliding up his body, guiding him, pressing him against the wall.

Fuck, not now, not now. But his traitorous body didn’t agree. His lips parted under the pressure of that assaulting mouth, that vulgar tongue that prodded and probed and stole and all the harsh words he wanted to spit out. It hadn’t been like this before. Before they had fumbled about in quick, unsure bursts. This kiss knew what it wanted and wasn’t taking no for an answer. Gojyo pressed in on him until he forgot to breathe and wrestled his head away to the side to gasp long and hard.

Gojyo leaned against him, panting. “Fuck, why are you doing this to me? It’s never been like this with a guy, never.”

“Idiot. You… started… it.”

Gojyo buried his face against Sanzo’s neck. “You smell good.”

“What?!”

“You know, Han thought you were hot stuff. Just the idea of him touching you, I… I wanted to punch his fucking mouth in. How weird is that? Hell, I’m not even the jealous type. This is so messed up.”

Gojyo hooked a finger into Sanzo’s turtleneck and tugged it down enough to attach his wet lips to the base of Sanzo’s neck. His other hand roamed Sanzo’s back, kneading the muscles there with reassuring circles.

Sanzo couldn’t speak. If he could just pull himself together he could stop this before it went too far. That wasn’t what he wanted though. He wanted to pin the kappa against the wall and fuck him hard the way he’d been imagining since the first time he’d laid eyes on him. It wasn’t fair. The touching, the kisses made him feel too much already. They ate him up with flames that charred inside and out.

He barely registered Gojyo moving down his body, leaving his skin and nuzzling into the folds of his robes. He came back to himself only when he felt the bottom of his robe pushed back and cold hands dip under the waist of his jeans.

“Gojyo?” He gasped out and reached for the other man. His hand found the other’s hair and twisted his fingers into it.

Gojyo buried his face in Sanzo’s thigh and let out a deep, throaty laugh. “God, I can’t believe I’m gonna do this.”

“What do you think you’re—” his voice choked off into a moan as Gojyo popped the button on his jeans and reached in to touch him.

His hips jerked of their own accord and he almost came undone right there. Sanzo pressed his head back against the hard wall and fought to control his breathing, to concentrate on anything but the caress of Gojyo’s tongue on his sensitive flesh. He’s knees felt weak and the muscles of his thighs shook with the effort of keeping upright.

Gojyo’s hands snuck around to squeeze his ass and his hips jerked again, harder. He heard Gojyo gag a little and back off. In the concealing darkness, Sanzo allowed himself a smug grin. Whatever the kappa’s self-proclaimed skill in the bedroom, in this at least they seemed to be on more even ground. Had Gojyo had told the truth when he’d said he’d never been with another guy before? He’d always wondered… oh fuck that felt good.

Sanzo loosened his hold on Gojyo’s hair and brushed his fingers through it instead. A string of embarrassing sounds worked their way up his throat. Shit, too good, too good. He wanted Gojyo to say something, to break the moment, but of course the kappa was otherwise occupied. Sanzo swallowed and gathered his voice.

“Guess I finally found a way to shut you up.”

Gojyo made a sound that might have been a laugh had his mouth not been full and the vibration transmitted to Sanzo’s nerve endings cut short his attempt at cerebral control. Gojyo followed up with a hard suck. Reason leapt out the window to a screaming death and Sanzo surrendered to euphoria. He clutched at Gojyo’s head and dug his heels into the floor, letting the wall support him as he twitched and shuddered.

“Fuck! Gojyo!”

When he regained his senses he found himself sitting on the floor, wedged up against the wall with Gojyo still kneeling between his legs. He heard the kappa panting softly, his fingers digging into Sanzo’s legs a little too tightly. Still drunk on the buzz that seemed to be singing in his nerves, Sanzo slipped a hand behind the redhead’s neck and forced their lips together.

Oh god, I can taste myself on him. A little thrill shot up his spine and he almost confessed his nocturnal activities right there. He pulled back just enough to part their lips. “You…”

Gojyo’s voice grated out hoarsely. “It’s a matter of pride, you bitchy monk. Can’t have you showing me up. Gonna have to get you eatin’ more sweet stuff though. You’re way too bitter.”

Sanzo ducked in again and bit down on the kappa’s bottom lip to quiet him. “I like you’re mouth a lot better,” he murmured , “when it’s too busy to talk.”

“Oh?” Gojyo locked his arms around him pressed his chest flush against Sanzo. “You gonna keep me busy then?”

“Don’t push it, k—”

A loud rumble made them both jerk apart. Sanzo felt the tremor in the floor beneath him and a moment later it came again, louder, shaking the walls so that the whole building rattled around them.

“Shit!” yelled Gojyo, and he scrambled to his feet, pulling Sanzo with him. “What the hell was that?”

Sanzo’s more immediate concern was getting his fly to zip up, and he had finally succeeded when the next quake hit. He had to clutch Gojyo’s jacket to keep his balance and coughed when his lungs sucked up the fine dust that began to fill the air.

He pushed Gojyo down the passage. “Get going, we can’t stay in here.”

“No shit!”

They ran and Gojyo led the way this time to feel out the turns. With no time to plan a route, they ignored side passages and navigated forks at random. The air became cooler and Sanzo touched a wall and found, to his surprise, cold, moist stone. Gojyo slowed, breathing heavily. Sanzo leaned against the wall and spit to clear his mouth of dust. Fuck, he hated running.

“Fuck this,” he growled. “I want out of this fucking tunnel.”

“Hey,” said Gojyo, “you’re not gonna flip out on me and start shooting up the place, are ya? Cause bullets will ricochet like mad in here and I kinda like my skin the way it is.”

“It won’t ricochet if it’s buried in your fucking brain, cocksucker.”

“Hey! Don’t f—”

Another tremor shuddered the ground and a massive crash erupted in the distance like a wave of thunder. For a moment they just froze, listening, as the sounds grew closer and louder, a cascade of splintering wood and crumbling foundation and the air around them suddenly thick and dust-riddled. Sanzo felt something heavy and soft being thrown over his head and then Gojyo’s weight pressed down on him, forcing him to the ground. Air roared passed his ears and dirt scoured his skin. He couldn’t get a proper breath. The angry sounds pounded his eardrums and he squeezed his eyes shut.

When We Remembered, Chapter 3, part I

2007-07-09T07:28:28Z

Chapter 3: The Tunnel

“This is a stupid.”

“Yeah well, you got a better idea? It’s your bullet in his skull.”

“They’re going to find him in here.”

“Of course they’re gonna find him. I’m trying to buy us some time so we can get our asses outa here without having to cut our way through a fucking army. Are you gonna help or not? Grab his legs.”

Sanzo snorted, but bent down and grabbed Han’s feet by his boots. Together, he and Gojyo flung the body onto the guest room bed where Gojyo proceeded to arrange it under the sheets as though it was just some drunk mate of his who had passed out. He half-buried the head between the pillows so that the hole in the guy’s forehead wasn’t visible, then wiped his hands on his jeans and shrugged.

“Well he kinda looks like he’s sleeping. Kinda.”

Sanzo looked down at the body with one eyebrow raised, considering. He wasn’t sorry he had shot the guy, not really, but it meant that now he couldn’t ask the asshole what he’d meant by that dirty insinuation. He’d talked like somehow he’d seen… Sanzo felt a blush rising in his cheeks and quickly concealed it by coughing into his hand. “If you want it to look like he crawled into bed with us, shouldn’t he be naked or something?”

Gojyo held up his hands. “Hey if you wanna strip him, go ahead. Personally, that’s not my kind of kink. I’m gonna see what I can do about the blood in the other room.”

As soon as Gojyo stepped out the door, Sanzo swept his eyes around the bedroom. If that pervert had somehow managed to spy on them last night, there had to be some trick to it; it couldn’t be something as lame as peering through the keyhole. He examined the window, but that held no clues either – the room sat three stories up and didn’t even a thin ledge for a voyeur to make use of on the outer wall. Besides, Han hadn’t seemed like the type to skulk around his own mansion like a burglar. This room was so conveniently located, more likely it housed some secret passage behind the wall.

Sanzo rapped his knuckles experimentally along the walls and felt ridiculous when he could distinguish nothing abnormal. Maybe he was just being paranoid. Han might have just been talking out of his ass.

He glared at the body on the bed, trying to will it to reveal its secrets. Although the idea of touching it made him sneer with distaste, allowing the body to be found in a more humiliating state seemed quite appropriate. Mind made up, Sanzo peeled back the sheets and set to work divesting the dead man of his clothes.

He searched each garment as he removed it. In an inner vest pocket he found a pack of smokes – not Sanzo’s brand but he took them anyway. Getting the man’s rather tight pants off took some struggling but in those pockets he found something even more intriguing: an iron key. Sanzo tucked it into his robes and pulled the sheets back up over the corpse. He cursed when he noticed the blood that had begun to soak into the pillow. He wrenched up the head and turned the pillow over, trying for a better angle. Really though, anyone who got close enough to notice a little blood would be close enough to notice that the stupid asshole wasn’t breathing. Sanzo pulled back, then frowned. Something was shoved in the guy’s ear. He plucked it out and turned it over in his fingers. It looked to be piece of hard, flesh-coloured plastic, somewhat conical, with what looked like a tiny antennae poking out the fat end. Puzzled, Sanzo wiped it on the end of his sleeve and then experimentally stuck it in his own ear.

He was so focused on the odd feel of the thing that he barely registered the footsteps behind him.

“Man, Sanzo, you sure drained that guy’s head out good. I ended up just dragging a rug over it. There’s no way I’m gonna spend an hour mopping up that shit.”

Sanzo slapped a hand to his ear and stumbled back a step, bumping right into Gojyo. Hands caught his shoulders, steadying him. Gojyo chuckled. “Did I scare ya, monk?”

“Shut up!” Sanzo yelled, and immediately winced. The device in his ear fed his words back to him in a startling echo. He clawed the thing out and stared at it. Some kind of… hearing device?

Gojyo leaned over his shoulder to peer at the object. “Hey, since when did ya get an ear piece Sanzo? You baldy monks prone to going deaf or something?”

Sanzo stamped down hard on Gojyo’s foot then jerked away. “The dead guy had it, idiot.”

“Ow!” Gojyo hopped back, glaring daggers. “Dammit, whaddya trying to do, cripple me?

Cautiously, Sanzo put the device back up to his ear again and walked the breadth of the room, trying to pinpoint the range. “This thing is picking up everything we say in here.”

Gojyo’s jaw dropped. “That freak wired this place? Fuck, he better not have cameras. Pervy son of a bitch! Where’d he get technology like that? I mean the villages out here, we’re lucky if we see a fucking motor vehicle.”

Sanzo spun around. “What did you say?”

“I said these towns are dirt-shit poor—”

“Not that! Cameras?!”

“Well y’know, I used to know this guy who’d whore himself out sometimes when he got really low on cash. He’d bang rich old guys cause they paid well. He’d get drunk and tell me all the shit they’d make him do. Fuck, like I wanted to hear that. But he told me about one guy who put cameras in every room in his house so he could tape all the dirty shit that went on there and watch it back and wack off to it, I guess. Hey you okay, Sanzo? You look kinda pale.”

Sanzo felt the blood drain from his face and swallowed. He couldn’t help casting a paranoid glance around the room. Just the thought of some hidden lens recording everything that had happened last night… he shuddered and the skin on his neck prickled. Where would a pervert hide something like that? Hit by a sudden hunch, he looked up.

A tiny red light blinked at him from a small hole in the ceiling right above the bed.

“Motherfucker!” Sanzo shouted. His hand cocked back the hammer of his gun before he could remember drawing it and the red light disappeared into an explosion of fine particles. Shoving the warm gun back into his sleeve, he ran from the room.

He heard Gojyo behind him, trying to tell him to calm down. Calm down? He’d fucking calm down once he shot every fucking piece of electronic crap in this house.

***

Shit. He shouldn’t have mentioned the camera thing. Sanzo had completely lost it. The monk tore through the halls of the mansion, throwing open doors looking for who knows what. Gojyo didn’t really get what the big deal was. So Han might have been spying on them. Creepy, yeah, but hardly rampage-worthy. Even perverted voyeurs have better things to do than watch people sleeping. Since Han was now stone cold dead there was no use getting all uppity about it.

Grumbling under his breath, he tailed Sanzo down the hallway but hung back a little so he could keep a wary eye on the monk’s gun. He really wasn’t in the mood to dodge potshots. If they ran into a servant or soldier, Sanzo would do whatever he felt like doing and there’d be no stopping him. Besides, it was fun to watch Sanzo when he got all riled up. Most guys when they crossed that line got ugly-crazy, but Sanzo wasn’t one of those. He was… beautiful-crazy. Shit, that sounds stupid, but what else do you call it? The guy shouldn’t have any charisma at all, with that nasty personality, but he radiates something all right, something bright and dangerous. Maybe Goku has it right. All I know is when he’s like this I can’t stop watching him… I’ve gotta follow just to keep him in sight.

Suddenly, he heard voices echoing down the corridor somewhere ahead of them. Sanzo must have heard them too because he froze in his tracks. His gun arm twitched and for a moment Gojyo was sure they’d have a bunch of fresh bodies on their hands. Then the monk turned, gave a little jerk of his head that said hide, and dashed through the door on his left. Gojyo hesitated a moment, wondering if he had enough time to make it to the room the monk had gone in. Up ahead, the voices got louder, accompanied by heavy, booted footsteps. Shit, no good. He grabbed for the door handle on his right and dove in.

He found himself in a sitting room filled with more of that godawful décor. Off to the side, an open door looked into a bedroom. Gojyo stepped closer and smirked when he saw the large, oversized bed with black silk sheets and a dresser covered in an array of unlit candles. He’d bet all the gambling money in his pocket that this was Han’s room.

Out in the corridor, the footsteps stopped right outside the door Gojyo had so hastily jumped through. Fuck. Gojyo backed quickly into the bedroom and held his breath, listening.

“Maybe he’s in his room?”

“If he is then trust me, you do not want to go in there. Last time I made that mistake I wanted to gouge my eyes out.”

“But—”

“It’s best to give him privacy when he has guests. Come on, we’ll go wait in the front hall.”

The footsteps moved away and Gojyo let out his breath in a gush. He hated this duck and cover stuff; he always felt a lot better facing an enemy head-on. He wondered what room Sanzo had ended up in. The way the monk had been tearing around, he deserved to stumble into the women’s bath or something. On second thought, no way. A happy mistake like that would be totally wasted on that uptight monk. I should have ended up in the women’s bath. He can have… a room of horny old hags too senile to respect the boundaries of his robes.

Well like it or not, Gojyo was stuck in a bedroom that smelled of Vaseline and bad cologne and no beautiful naked ladies in sight. Still, if it did belong to their life-challenged host, maybe there was something here that could help them get through that damn wall? Back in his up-to-no-good days with Banri they’d once stolen a seal and some stationary from some bigwig in order to crash an exclusive party in a walled mansion. He’d hooked up with a really hot chick there, so it had been totally worth it.

Hands on his hips, Gojyo surveyed his surroundings. His eyes immediately locked on the wall opposite the bed where a set of built-in shelves housed a large television. Oh yeah, Sanzo would want to put a bullet through that. He ambled over to it. Might as well see what the guy was watching. For all Gojyo knew, it could be boring security footage that could actually be useful. Yeah right, more like the women’s bath.

His finger hesitated on the power button. Then again, considering the taste the guy had displayed… could be the men’s bath. Aw heck, what the hell. He pushed the button.

A frozen image slowly brightened into existence on the screen. Gojyo tilted his head and squinted. What was that? It kinda looked like…

With a trembling hand, he reached up to the player sitting atop the TV and pressed the play button.

His jaw dropped.

Holy Fuck.

When We Remembered, Chapter 2, part II

2007-05-25T07:49:42Z

When We Remembered

Chapter 2, part II

Now that he had a few beers in his belly, Gojyo felt a whole lot better about the situation. It had been a bit of a shock to find another guy of his heritage up here, but a lot of strange things had happened lately – this at least was one he could take in stride. It helped that the cards on the table seemed to be favouring him tonight. He had amassed a nice pile of winnings and had a sweet hand going to boot. Han laughed at all his jokes. He hadn’t quite figured out the guy yet, but his presence soaked up Sanzo’s attention, and that was all he could ask for at the moment. Gojyo wasn’t quite ready to be alone with the monk.

He watched Sanzo through the curtain of his hair. The monk could be a hard read sometimes when he clamped down those walls of his and retreated behind that stiff mask. But teasing that mask down was Gojyo’s favourite game and tonight all sorts of tells kept flickering across the monk’s face. Funny, he got that same little line between his brows when he was just about to… woah, woah. Don’t need to think about that right now.

He won the hand like he’d predicted and smirked as he arranged his large mound of chips into nice tall stacks. He hoped his luck kept up. Han was obviously loaded and it’d be nice to have some money in his pocket that hadn’t been leeched off of Sanzo’s gold card. Not that he was playing with his own money now, but still….

Sanzo emptied the beer he’d been sucking on and stubbed out his cigarette in the ash tray. “Washroom?”

Han gave him a quick set of directions and Sanzo left the room, but not before shooting Gojyo a look that said behave. Gojyo rolled his eyes. What did he think he was gonna do? He reached over and tapped his cigarette against the ashtray. Annoying monk. The dreams might be gone but things between them still felt unresolved. It wasn’t like he’d expected the Sanzo to still be in his room when he woke up, but…

A light touch on his hand jerked Gojyo out of his thoughts. Han brushed a hand through his hair and leaned forward until Gojyo could feel breath tickling his ear.

“So,” said Han, his voice low and deepened, “What do I have to do to get you in my bed tonight?” His fingers curled around Gojyo’s wrist and rubbed lightly up the underside of his arm.

Gojyo coughed and dropped his cigarette. He searched Han’s eyes hoping to find joking mirth there, but those red orbs burned with something much more sensual. Gojyo swallowed and faked a smile. “Sorry man, I don’t swing that way.”

He heard the doubt in his own voice and prayed Han didn’t pick up on it. Fuck. Where the hell did this come from? He crossed to the other side one night and he was suddenly a bright blip on this guy’s gaydar?

Han pulled back slightly, but his fingertips remained on Gojyo’s hand, feathering across his knuckles. “You sure about that?”

The air seemed suddenly thicker in Gojyo’s lungs.

“We’re children of taboo,” continued Han. “We were born unnatural. Coloured by passion. People think that chains us, marks us. But it doesn’t. It frees us.”

Han’s other hand disappeared under the table, and Gojyo felt a warm pressure on his knee. “Society rejects us, so why should we be expected to follow its rules?”

“You’re preaching to the choir, man. I live how I want; do what I want,” said Gojyo. He gulped down another mouthful of beer and licked his lips, avoiding the other man’s intense gaze. Way too creepy. Like looking in a mirror. He didn’t really wanna pick a fight. The beer and the good hands he’d been getting had put him in a nice, lazy mood. Maybe if he just ignored him, the guy would take the hint.

“And what you want is to play lackey to that foul-tempered monk? I can’t say I see the appeal. But to each his own, I suppose. He is a rather pretty monk. Say, if you are determined to reject me…” the hand on Gojyo’s knee crept a little higher up his thigh.

Gojyo squirmed in his seat. People often pawed all over him while he played cards… well, chicks anyway, but this guy was pushing his boundaries, and that was saying something. Why the fuck wasn’t Sanzo back yet? If that hand moved any higher up his thigh he was gonna pop this presumptuous little shit one in the gut and be done with it. “Look, man…”

“I don’t suppose he would be amenable? Or is he actually into the whole religious chastity thing?”

Gojyo’s jaw dropped a little. His chair scraped loudly against the floor as he violently pushed it back and stood. “Dude, who the fuck do you think you are?”

Han grinned, revealing his perfect white teeth. He leaned across the table, propped up on his elbows, and shot Gojyo a sultry look from under the unruly fringes of his hair. “Someone who can be very nice to you if you let me.” Reaching out, he slipped two fingers under Gojyo’s belt and tugged him closer.

Sanzo, of course, chose that moment to walk back into the room. The monk caught sight of them and froze, halfway through the doorway. Gojyo’s stomach flip-flopped helplessly. Shit, this can’t look good. Shit! Quickly, he dislodged Han’s hand from his belt and tried to act cool. “Yo, Sanzo – you took so long I started to wonder if you fell in.”

“Tch.” Sanzo shrugged and the surprise that had been written across his face gave way to his usual pissy façade. “Looks like you found a way to amuse yourself.”

“It wasn’t…” Gojyo stopped and bit his tongue. Fuck. No, he wasn’t gonna do this here.

Han’s eyes flickered between them. Suddenly, he chuckled softly and sat back. “Ah, so that’s it.” Using the table for leverage, he pushed himself to his feet and yawned loudly. “Forgive me, as much as I have enjoyed your company, I must retire. I’ll send word of my decision in the morning. Until then, please make use of the guest quarters through that door on your right. I’ll make sure your friends are given rooms in the barracks.”

Han sauntered towards the door, but when he reached Sanzo he paused and leaned in close with flagrant disregard for personal space. “We so rarely have guests, I’m afraid we only have one room made up, but if you would prefer separate lodgings I can instruct my servants to accommodate you. The room across from mine can be outfitted without too much trouble…”

“One’s fine!” Sanzo snapped. He pushed past Han and stomped across the room, wrenching open the guest room door. “Kappa!” he barked, and Gojyo jerked from his frozen stance to stumble quickly through the opening, narrowly avoiding the kick Sanzo aimed at his backside. Behind him, he heard Han chuckling again.

“Sweet dreams, my fellow taboo child.”

***

Inside the guest room, Gojyo watched as Sanzo paced around, stripping down the top half of his robe in short jerky movements. Only the sutra he handled with care, folding it and tucking it into the drawer of the bedside dresser. Beside the dresser stood the one large bed that dominated the middle of the far wall.

Gojyo swallowed. “Uh, y’now, the guy did offer us another room, Sanzo. If y’want I can get out of your hair and—”

Sanzo glared at him over his shoulder, arching an eyebrow. “You want that pervert crawling into bed with you in the middle of the night?”

“W-what? That’s not… Hell no!”

“Well neither do I.” Sanzo flipped back the sheets and crawled into one side of the bed. He turned so his back was to Gojyo and tucked himself cocoon-like into the covers.

Gojyo eyed the door, then sighed and kicked off his boots. A heated thrill began to pool in his groin but his head felt so twisted that it hurt. Fucking Sanzo. What the hell kind of game was the monk playing with him? Part of him wanted to jump the monk right now, pin him down to that bed and make him scream his name. Another part was telling him to run far and fast into the arms of the nearest willing chick and fuck her until he felt like a man in charge of his own life again.

His hands hesitated at his belt, wondering if he should just sleep in his jeans. Then he looked at Sanzo, rolled up in those sheets showing no skin whatsoever, and one side of his mouth quirked up. He stripped down to his boxers. That’s right. I’m the fucking sex god here. And if Sanzo doesn’t like it, he can sleep on the goddamn floor.

Gojyo flopped onto the bed and shimmied under the covers. He shifted around, trying to get comfortable. He began to feel more confident. Sanzo hadn’t attacked him yet, hadn’t even wacked him with his fan. Snaking out a hand, he brushed back the soft golden hair at the base of Sanzo’s neck and touched a finger to the skin there. Sanzo twitched and his skin goosebumped.

“Gojyo.”

The hard edge in the voice made him pull back his hand. He feigned a sleepy murmur. “Hmmm?”

“Stop breathing like a fucking dying cat and go to sleep.”

***

The cold seeped into his skin, down to his bones and Sanzo shivered. Blindly, he reached for the covers that seemed to have fallen off him and tried to nestle back into them. No such luck. Tugging did nothing at all; they were caught under something heavy. Muttering a thread of curses, Sanzo cracked open his eyes and sat up. Enough moonlight streamed through the window for him to make out the forms of the furniture that cluttered the room. The bed creaked and he turned his head to see the kappa sprawled out on the bed beside him, shifting a little in his sleep. The sheets had caught in a tangled mess around the idiot’s hips and legs but despite his naked chest he slept on as though oblivious to the chilly air.

Sanzo ground his teeth, tempted to just push the kappa off the bed entirely in revenge for stealing the sheets. But he found himself staring instead at the red hair fanning the pillow, the slightly parted lips, the tanned muscular torso stretched in perfect abandon. One time wasn’t going to be enough, was it? He sighed. These… desires were so infuriating. He may have managed to banish the dreams, but the fragmented memories of them still haunted him. It felt like something had awakened in his body, something he had kept under lock and key so long that its presence was foreign and frightening. Dammit, why did it have to be the kappa? Why couldn’t it be some nameless stranger that he could leave behind if things turned sour? Or someone safer. Hakkai was safe – he was even more of a repressed intellectual than Sanzo. He could talk to him precisely because he could process things in that abstract, detached way. And Goku. Goku was safe, unfailingly in his loyal, blind devotion. Hakkai and Goku both owed him for the changes he’d brought in their lives and though he didn’t really like to think of it in those terms, that made them trustworthy in a certain way that made it okay for them to be around.

But Gojyo…Gojyo was most definitely not safe. Honestly, he didn’t know why the kappa had agreed to partake in this wretched journey in the first place. Whenever he’d actually gone to the trouble to ask, he’d only been met by one of those glib, infuriating responses like I had nothing better to do. Bullshit. Maybe he’d gone along just because of Hakkai. The thought of that caused Sanzo’s stomach to tighten in a strange way. He shook his head, trying to dispel the train of thought. A sudden chill up his spine reminded him why he’d woken in the first place.

He tugged on his corner of the sheet again. It didn’t give. He braced a foot against Gojyo’s thigh and jerked the sheet hard. A bit came loose. He wrestled with it, muttering death threats against the kappa, and finally Gojyo unconsciously tucked his legs up just enough for Sanzo to rescue the sheet from beneath them. He unwound the rest of it and wrapped it around himself. He started to settle back down, but an odd shape out of the corner of his eye made him look back.

Oh.

With the concealing covers removed, Sanzo now had a front row seat to the very obvious tent jutting from the kappa’s boxers. Pervy cockroach. He better not be dreaming again. Or maybe it had just been the friction from him pulling on the sheets. For some reason, Sanzo couldn’t tear his eyes away. The other night he hadn’t really gotten a good look at any of the… important parts.

Feeling his cheeks heating, he glanced up at the kappa’s face and assured himself that Gojyo was still fast asleep. If tearing the blanket out from under him hadn’t stirred him, he must be pretty far under. Sanzo licked his lips. Fuck, these thoughts… It was just curiosity, really. Like the first time he ever played with himself. It couldn’t be helped.

Maybe if he just looked. Gojyo was out of it; he wouldn’t know shit. Then he could stop trying to imagine it and get some peace.

Tentatively, he reached out and poked Gojyo’s hip. The kappa didn’t react at all. “Gojyo,” he whispered. “You awake?” Nothing. He shifted until he was kneeling right beside him. Still nothing.

He slipped his fingers under the waistband of Gojyo’s boxers and gently pulled them down just enough to spring his erection free. Damn. No wonder the kappa was always being led around by this thing. It clearly redirected all the bloodflow from his head. Sanzo brushed his knuckles against the velvety flesh, watching Gojyo carefully as he did so. He thought he heard the kappa’s breath hitch a bit, but that was it.

One side of Sanzo’s lips curled into a little smirk. Getting the kappa all worked up while he was in no position to do anything about it suddenly seemed like a brilliant idea. He wrapped his fingers completely around Gojyo’s shaft and gave an experimental squeeze, feeling the blood pulse under the surface. This, at least, was familiar enough territory.

As he pumped, he watched the reactions that cascaded through the sleeping man with devious delight. It was like a delicious, sweet revenge for all the years of teasing. The kappa’s breathing deepened. His fingers twitched, clutched, then relaxed. His head tilted back and little grunts and breathy sighs escaped his lips. When Sanzo tightened his grip in a corkscrew motion, Gojyo hips actually snapped up and thrust into his hand.

Startled, Sanzo backed off for a moment, afraid he’d gone too far and Gojyo would wake. As soon as he pulled back his hand though, the kappa murmured and settled back down into stillness and deep regular breaths.

He should stop. He should really stop now. But when would he ever get this chance again?

His eyes drifted back down. An image from the dream kept flashing in his head. He licked his lips. Fuck it. No one would ever know, right?

Just… a taste.

***

The next morning, Gojyo couldn’t shake a troubling feeling of confusion, like someone had rearranged his headspace and things weren’t in their usual places. He couldn’t understand it because he’d woken up totally rested and feeling like a million bucks. Feeling so good, in fact, that all the awkwardness with Sanzo barely phased him at all. He’d floated through the morning with the kind of light step that he usually only got after a good roll in the sack. And that’s what unsettled him, really. Mornings weren’t really his thing, not after all the years he’d spent quasi-nocturnal. And sex had been the one thing not on the menu last night after Sanzo saved him from that perverted half-breed. Ha, feels good to say it to someone else for a change.

Sanzo… Sanzo had been avoiding his eyes. Which wasn’t unexpected, but… dammit he’d totally missed a golden opportunity last night to figure out what the monk wanted to do about everything that had happened between them.

They sat in a reception room fitted with the same gaudy décor as the rest of the building, waiting for Han to come give them his verdict. Gojyo had to wonder how a town that obviously enjoyed long-standing prejudices against youkai could ever accept a half-breed as their leader. There had to be a bigger story there. And what had happened to the previous halfbreeds who had sought to pass through here? Had they all been thoroughly sexually harassed as well?

A door slid open and both he and Sanzo turned towards the noise.

Han waltzed in, wearing a black uniform. His hair was slicked back and he looked a lot more polished than he had last night. He strode right up to where they were sitting and put a hand on each of their shoulders. “Mornin’ boys,” Han drawled. Damn bastard can’t keep his hands to himself.

Sanzo wiggled out from under the hand. “Well? Have you made your decision?”

“I think we can come to an agreement,” said Han. “But I would really prefer you to stay another night. We can bring up your friends from the barracks of course. How about I treat you both to a nice big breakfast for your trouble?”

Sanzo’s gun appeared in his hand. He twirled it casually on a finger. “I don’t think so. We’re not vacationing, and I don’t care for your kind of hospitality.”

Han eyed the gun, but didn’t back off. Instead, he leaned up against Gojyo and said in his ear, “He’s a real bitch, ain’t he? I understand why you keep him though. Even I don’t swallow.”

Bang.

When he saw the gun come up, Gojyo ducked instinctively. The sound of the shot momentarily deafened him and he blinked up at Sanzo, wondering why the hell the monk would choose to shoot at him now. Sanzo though, was looking past him, a stunned expression on his face.

Gojyo turned his head and saw Han sprawled on the floor. His brain finally caught up to what had happened. “Holy shit, you shot him! What the fuck?!”

Sanzo stared down at the gun in his hand. “I didn’t…”

Gojyo got up and kicked the body with his foot. “Think he’s dead?”

“I don’t care. He was an asshole.”

“Sanzo… sometimes you’re really fucking scary.”

When We Remembered, Chapter 2, part I

2007-05-25T07:43:00Z

When We Remembered

Chapter 2: The Wall

That morning, Sanzo woke up pressed up against a hot lovely something. His back seemed to be closest to the source of heat, so he rolled over, wanting only to nestle deeper into that uncommon warmth. A weight restricted his chest and his hands groped at it, trying to dislodge it so he could turn properly. His fingers touched firm muscle that tightened around him on contact.

Frustrated, Sanzo cracked open an eye. His vision adjusted quickly to the soft dawn light and he noted with curious detachment that the object across his chest – his naked chest – was a well-proportioned arm, tanned, toned, and wrapped around him as though he were the sort of creature one was wont to hug and cuddle. Since Sanzo knew himself to be not at all the cuddlish sort, this image made no sense, so he bypassed it and moved on to the body the arm was attached to.

Whoever uses taboo as a bad word has never seen red hair spilling across a pillow at sunrise. The pillow almost seemed to be smoldering. Sanzo swallowed and felt the tingle of breath against his skin under the nose nudged up to his shoulder. He reached over and brushed back some of that hair to trace twin scars.

Definitely the kappa. Right. And last night they’d… right.

But he’d finally gotten that dreamless sleep.

Still sticky though. Carefully, Sanzo peeled back the arm and extricated himself. Gojyo shifted and muttered something, but didn’t wake. Sanzo slipped off the bed and tugged at the twisted robes and jeans that haphazardly gripped his lower half. With a little fumbling, he located his black shirt on the floor and pulled it back on.

The door handle felt cold against his skin. He paused for just a moment, but didn’t let himself look back.

Shower first. Then I can think.

***

At breakfast, both of them acted as though nothing had changed. It was a surprisingly easy pretense. So he’d fooled around with the kappa to easy some tension – so what? What they’d done hardly even qualified as sex.

Sanzo paused halfway through chewing a piece of food. Did that mean he was still technically a virgin? Fuck, he hated that word. Really, when it came to men that was a ridiculous distinction. With a woman, the line was pretty straightforward. With guys it was a much hazier mess. And two men fooling around together… well it’s not like there was a rule book on such things… he hoped.

“Hey Sanzo, you gonna eat that?”

Blinking, Sanzo looked over at the Goku’s eager face and had to reassure himself that the monkey couldn’t sense his bizarre direction of thought. Wordlessly, he pushed his plate over.

“Awesome, thanks!” Two seconds later the plate was empty and the monkey was grinning smugly at Gojyo.

“Ah, Sanzo,” said Hakkai, “you really shouldn’t give your food away.”

The kappa smirked. “Watching your figure, monk?”

Sanzo attempted a burning look of death, but found himself watching Gojyo’s fingers instead as they produced a cigarette and lit it with easy practiced motions. He had to admit, the man had very talented hands.

Fuck. If these were the kind of stupid, asinine thoughts he was going to be entertaining as a sexually active male, then he should have stuck with meditation. He stood and patted his robes for his pack of smokes. “Let’s get on the road already.”

***

An old man overheard them discussing their route as they left the village and felt compelled to offer them words of caution. “Quickest way to the next town west is through that mountain pass over there, yup. But you won’t get past the wall, nope.”

Hakkai questioned the man but they couldn’t get much more out of him than that. Sanzo chalked it up to senility and they set out towards the pass anyway. Wall or no wall, there was no way he was hiking over some mountains when there was a perfectly good road.

Of course, the old man just had to be right. Half way up the pass they ran right smack into a huge ass wall. Actually, huge didn’t even begin to describe it. Snugly spanning the sheer cliff walls of the pass, it rose easily a hundred feet and looked designed to hold back an ocean. Without a likely water source nearby, Sanzo was left wondering just what the wall was meant to keep out.

If he craned his neck up, he could see guards patrolling the upper length of the wall, but the sound of voices drew his eyes to a fortress-like two-storey building built against the left corner. The door facing them swing open and a man in amour walked out. He moved with a slow, clunky swagger and sniffed the air as he approached them.

“Youkai,” he declared, and spat on the ground.

“Excuse me?” said Gojyo. “You trying to say something to us, fancy-boots?”

Sanzo glanced down and noted that the soldier was indeed wearing rather posh-looking footwear crossed with excessive buckles and polished to an impossibly dust-resistant shine.

“I smell Youkai,” said the man. “So you lot might as well go back the way you came. We don’t let that sort through the wall.

Sanzo hiked his feet up onto the dashboard of the jeep. “I won’t argue that they stink, but we will be passing through here.”

The soldier scowled. “You gonna argue with me?” He pointed at Hakkai. “That one is clearly wearing limiters.” He shifted his finger to Goku. “So is that one.” The finger came to rest on Gojyo. “And that one is a child of taboo.”

“Sanzo,” growled Goku, “I don’t like this guy. Can we beat him up?”

“Now, now, no need to resort to violence.” Another soldier emerged from the barracks to stand beside the first. This one’s boots were not so shiny. He clapped a hand on fancy-boots’ shoulder and whispered something in his ear. Fancy-boots just scowled harder, but he grudgingly stepped back and let Scuffy-boots take over.

“Our leader has an interest in half-bloods,” Scuffy-boots told them. “They have special permission to enter our town and meet with him if they wish. Our leader is the only one who can authorize the passage of Youkai through the wall.”

“Well, Gojyo,” said Hakkai, “looks like you’re our emissary.”

“Smells kind of fishy to me,” Gojyo muttered, but he hopped out of the jeep anyway. “Is there at least a good meal and some beer involved in this deal?”

“You better not eat without me, cockroach!” yelled Goku.

Sanzo stepped out of the jeep and crossed his arms.

Scuffy-boots eyed him appraisingly. “Er, forgive me if I’m not familiar with your order, monk, but it’d be best if you stayed here with –”

Sanzo jerked a thumb at Gojyo. “If you think I’m going to leave any negotiating up to that idiot, you’re crazy.”

“Hey!” said Gojyo. “What are you talking about? A dead parrot could smooth-talk better than you, corrupt monk.”

Sanzo raised an eyebrow. “And you’re repertoire is what, cheesy pick-up lines?”

Gojyo smirked. “You can’t argue with success.”

“If the monk wants to escort one of his pet animals, who are we to say no?” said Fancy-boots.

Sanzo cast a quick glance back at Hakkai, who nodded almost imperceptivity. If they had to fight their way through this place, they wouldn’t do it blindly. Hakkai smiled and waved. “Don’t worry, Sanzo, Goku and I will watch the jeep for you.”

“You mean we’re stuck out here?” said Goku. “This sucks. And I’m hungry.”

“Shut up, monkey,” Sanzo yelled reflexively. He started walking towards the barracks. “Let’s make this quick.”

Scuffy-boots rushed to keep step with him. “You seem to know where you’re going.”

“I only see one door.”

“Ah, yes… but there are procedures to follow here…”

“Buddy,” said Gojyo, “you don’t wanna get on his bad side. The monk’s kinda trigger-happy, if you know what I mean.”

Sanzo pulled out a cigarette and lit it as they reached the barracks entrance. “Tch. I only shoot idiots who get in my way.”

***

The narrow passageway up the mountain slope to the village proper was heavily guarded and designed to bottleneck any would-be intruders. It was also a bitch to climb. Sanzo had to toss his cigarette and was breathing heavily by the time they reached the top and were led into the compound at the village center.

“I hate stairs,” Gojyo muttered, and Sanzo grunted an agreement.

The “leader” obviously had no qualms about showing off his wealth. The room they found themselves in announced its opulence with gold statuettes, elaborately carved furniture, and rich draperies. Sanzo wasn’t impressed.

Apparently the kappa wasn’t either. “Woah, that’s a lot of tacky bling,” said Gojyo.

“I’ll leave you two here,” said Scuffy-boots, and shut the door behind them.

“Well, well, a blond and a redhead, must be my lucky day.”

Sanzo’s eyes sought out the new voice and found a man sprawled on a padded seat near the back of the room. One leg was propped up on the low table in front of him and his hands idly shuffled a pack of cards. So this was the town’s so-called leader? He looked a lot younger than Sanzo would have expected. And as the man leaned forward a bit out of the shadows, the reason for his interest in halfbloods became glaringly obvious. Shortish but shaggy crimson hair fringed matching crimson eyes on a face with a crooked, predatory smile.

Sanzo glanced at Gojyo and saw that the kappa’s jaw had gone slack. This wasn’t the first time they’d encountered another child of taboo on their journey, but finding one here, in a position of power no less, was more than a little unexpected.

“You’re…” Gojyo only managed the one word before his voice dried up.

“You can call me Han,” said the man across the room. He gestured at the two chairs conveniently placed at the table. “Care to join me for a game, boys? I hear you want through the wall.”

Sanzo narrowed his eyes. Everything about this place and this man put him on edge, but he didn’t want to show it. He approached the table cautiously and planted himself in one of the chairs. Gojyo did the same a moment later. You better not say anything stupid, kappa, Sanzo willed silently. In situations like this, he would have preferred to have the more insightful and restrained Hakkai at his side.

“You must be thirsty,” said Han. “What can I offer you? Wine? Beer?” His eyes lingered critically on Sanzo’s robes and sutra, “Water?”

“Oh man, a couple of beers would really hit the spot,” said Gojyo. He slapped a hand on Sanzo’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, the corrupt monk drinks like a fish.”

“That so?” said Han. “Well I won’t ask what a Sanzo monk is doing all the way out here. But I am curious as to how he came to be in the company of two youkai and a halfblood.”

Sanzo fished out his pack of Marlboros from his robes, letting his fingers graze reassuringly across the cool steel of his gun. “You seem to be putting a lot of effort into keeping youkai out of your town.”

Han started dealing cards. “Is that your way of asking me if I’m a self-hating child of taboo? I could ask the same of your red-haired friend.”

“It’s not like that,” said Gojyo, a little too quickly.

Han raised an eyebrow. Sanzo noted the stiffness in the kappa’s shoulders. He hoped Gojyo wasn’t going to get defensive. He really wasn’t in the mood to put in the effort to keep the kappa under control. He wanted out of this place.

“Are you going to let us through, or are we wasting our time here?” he asked.

“Yeah, just tell us what your creepy wall is all about,” Gojyo added. “Some of your guards out there are real dicks, by the way.”

Han chuckled. “Straightforward and blunt, I respect that. I thought we could get friendly first, but if you insist… the wall isn’t mine. That is, it was built by my father, who hated outsiders, loathed travelers, and absolutely despised youkai. Not that that stopped him from using them as he pleased, or yours truly would not be sitting here. My father is dead but the wall remains and frankly I have no particular desire to alter the protocols.”

Sanzo played with the pack of cigarettes in his hands and finally tapped out a stick. “I don’t need the life story. Just answer the question.”

“Will I let you pass through? Perhaps. But I like to know who comes and goes through my gates. So relax. Have a drink with me. Convince me that your companions aren’t dangerous.”

***

When We Remembered, Chapter 1, part II

2007-05-01T20:59:15Z

When we Remembered
Chapter 1: The Dream, part II

Why couldn’t a pack of youkai show up when he wanted them to? He really needed to hit something right now.

Gojyo stuck his head out the side of the jeep until the wind whipped back his hair with enough bite to be almost painful. If there had ever been any appeal to this journey, it had been shot to shit. He hadn’t asked for this, dammit. The way things were before hadn’t exactly been ideal, but it had been better than this.

The dreams hadn’t stopped. Instead, they were getting more detailed, even branching out into new scenes. Was this some sort of revenge for all the teasing? It wasn’t like he’d meant it. The uptight monk was fun to poke was all. Banri used to do it to him all the time. If some god was getting his rocks off by filling his nights with explicit displays of man-sex… that was so not cool. Gojyo liked the ladies, dammit! And while some of these dreams were…educational, they were seriously interfering with his playboy routines, not to mention male pride.

But the worst part was the way Sanzo was handling it. If they’d decided to agree to forget it, pretend all this crazy past life stuff meant nothing, well then that would have been something. But the monk had pulled inside a cocoon of bitchiness and was barely speaking to him. Gojyo was getting permanent welts on his skin from that fan, and the monk had taken to waving his gun to order him around.

He’d seriously had enough of this shit.

That night they camped out in the jeep. Not trusting his dreams, Gojyo stayed awake, listening to Goku’s light snoring. His hunch was rewarded when he heard a soft creak. He lifted his head just enough to watch the monk slip out of his seat and into the woods. He let a few tense minutes roll by, then extricated himself from the back seat as silently as he could and followed.

A nice bright moon lit the sky, and even in the dark shadows of the forest, the monk wasn’t too hard to find for a half-breed with at least a little in the way of youkai senses. Sanzo faced away from him, leaning against a tree, one of his arms shoved into his robe.

“It’s hard, ain’t it?” said Gojyo. “This whole fucking situation, I mean.”

Sanzo whirled around, quickly trying to adjust his robes. In the dim moonlight, he shot Gojyo a look of pure venom. “What the hell do you want?”

Gojyo took a few steps toward him. “This is driving me crazy, monk. If I sleep, I dream about that. If I don’t sleep, I start thinking about it. I know it’s bothering you too.”

“You don’t know shit. Leave me alone.”

“There’s gotta be something we can do to make it stop. I don’t like it either, so why don’t we just bite the bullet and figure this thing out?”

Watching carefully for any sign of the notorious gun, Gojyo edged closer until he could use his height to its full advantage and stare the monk down. Sanzo didn’t give an inch. His long bangs shadowed his eyes, making them difficult to read.

He might kill me for this, but at this point I’m willing to take the risk. It’s now or never.

Taking a deep breath, he grabbed Sanzo by the shoulders and dove his head down to crush their lips together.

Immediately, he felt Sanzo go rigid. It was his first real kiss with a guy and it pretty much sucked (not his fault mind you, but he couldn’t do much with Sanzo stiff as a board). He held it for as long as he dared, then pulled back cautiously.

Not cautiously enough. Sanzo’s fist slammed into his jaw with enough force to send him reeling backward. He stumbled and caught himself before he fell on his ass, throwing his arms up in a gesture of surrender as he caught sight of the muzzle of the Smith & Wesson pointed right at his skull.

“What the hell was that?” demanded Sanzo, practically shaking with fury.

“Woah, woah, don’t shoot! I just thought it might break the curse, okay? Isn’t that how they cure this stuff in the legends?”

Sanzo raised an eyebrow and looked at him as though he’d sprouted a second head. “You really are a moron.”

“Well I won’t get any smarter if you shoot me.”

With an exasperated sigh, Sanzo shoved the gun back into his robes. Gojyo sagged with relief and looked away. “Man, your past self was a lot cuter.”

Suddenly, without exactly knowing how it happened, he was on his back, arms braced above him, trying to stave off the flurry of blows Sanzo rained down on him. He bent his legs and managed to roll and take Sanzo with him, landing a good punch to the gut in the process. They twisted in the grass, trading hits until their knuckles were bloody. Finally Gojyo managed to scramble his way on top and used his greater weight to pin Sanzo down. The monk kicked and struggled anyway until Gojyo got a good grip on his wrists and locked his knees around his thighs. For a moment they were both still, the sound of their hard breathing harsh in the air between them.

Shitty monk. If he’d rather be beaten senseless I should just give him what he wants.

Blood dribbled down Sanzo’s chin from a split lip. Gojyo felt a bizarre urge to lick it clean. He shook his head to clear it. Okay, kissing the monk had been a dumb idea, but at least he was being proactive. If Sanzo had his way, they’d be squabbling like this until the monk finally snapped and shot him.

A part of him wanted to yell and scream but he couldn’t seem to get his breathing under control. Below him, Sanzo stopped wiggling and turned his face to the side, eyes squeezed shut. Gojyo shifted his grip and sat back a little. His eyes widened. Either that was the monk’s gun poking him, or…

Crap. Releasing Sanzo all at once, he rolled off quickly and turned away. He sat with his knees pulled up, head buried in his arms, willing the pounding of his heart to slow.

It was just too weird. For a moment reality had crossed with the dream and he could almost see Sanzo underneath him with long hair fanning across the grass like a river of sunlight. Gojyo took a deep, shaky breath. He was so screwed.

***

It was a new scenario this time. Somehow he had managed to lure the blond back to his bedroom. No preamble necessary, their eyes spoke what their mouths did not as they stood a little apart from each other, shedding clothes purposefully.

A pale, delicate hand reached out to touch him first, tracing a hot line down his chest. Kenren hooked the other man around the waist and tugged him close. They both gasped a little at the contact. Kozen reached up and pulled down his head into a rough kiss.

They fell onto the bed together. Kenren pulled back to take a gasp of air, then ducked his head back down to capture the blond’s earlobe with his teeth. Thin hands roamed his body and that hair, that bright golden hair, spilled across and between them in tickling, twisted rivulets.

Flowers were good. Women were good. A glass of warm sake even better. But dammit, what this infuriating, bitter-tongued man could do to him when he let himself go…

His hearth thumped. His chest struggled against the pressure constricting it, forcing breath in and out. His throat burned. A cold, intense pain dug into his temple.

“I should just kill you and get it over with.”

Gojyo’s eyes flew open. He jerked, trying to sit up, but the heavy weight on his chest refused to budge. The gun pressed harder against his forehead and he followed the line of the arm holding it back to intense, violet eyes.

“Sanzo?” He croaked. “What the hell?” Shit, he looks like he’s really lost it this time. I knew it; I knew this was gonna fucking happen. “Get the hell off me, you psycho.”

Sanzo dragged the gun down his cheek and under his chin, pressing upward until Gojyo’s jaw clicked shut. Gojyo swallowed nervously, trying to read Sanzo’s intentions in his face. Sanzo leaned forward a bit and was lit by some of the soft light filtering through the window from the lantern outside. His robes were puddled loosely around his waist, revealing the black top and arm warmers. Gojyo noticed for the first time how tired the monk looked. Those magnetic, droopy eyes had dark circles under them and his skin seemed even paler than usual.

Sanzo braced his left hand beside Gojyo’s head and leaned down even further. “You were wrong,” he whispered. “It didn’t go away.”

“Sanzo, I…”

He didn’t have time to finish. The gun pulled back and just as quickly, Sanzo closed the distance between them and caught his lips in a demanding kiss.

Gojyo’s eyes widened and he clutched at the sheets with his hands. At first he didn’t know what to do. Was this some sort of test? Was he supposed to kiss back? Then his instincts took over and he opened his mouth. Sanzo’s lips attacked him – wet, sloppy, and inexperienced but also deliciously eager. He could really taste him this time – the strong flavour of cigarettes twisted with beer and coffee and something else uniquely Sanzo.

When the monk pulled back for air, Gojyo lay still, panting slightly, his mind reeling. Maybe he was still dreaming. Sanzo sneaking into his room at night and ambushing him with a kiss did not conform to any reality he was familiar with. What the hell?

A draft slipped in from the window and made him shiver. No, this was real. He was lying here in his shorts and tanktop with the bedsheet slipping down his calves and a Sanzo monk straddling his stomach. The monk bent down his head again for another go. This time Gojyo was a little more ready. His right hand rose up to cup the back of Sanzo’s head and he caught the monk’s tongue and entangled it with his own. Sanzo moaned into his mouth and flattened out his body until their hips were nearly flush.

The sudden feel of all that hard, muscular flesh grinding into him brought Gojyo crashing down to earth. He wasn’t making out with some chick he’d picked up in a bar. This was a man, pressing very noticeable man-parts into his stomach. This was friggin’ Sanzo.

Gojyo broke the kiss and pushed his hand against Sanzo’s chest, forcing him to a safer distance.

“Look,” he mumbled, “I don’t do guys, okay?”

Sanzo snorted with disbelief. “You started it back in the woods, pervert.”

“I know, I know. But it didn’t work, so why…?”

“Do you talk this much when you’re with one of your whores?”

Gojyo gritted his teeth. The monk was not going to make this easy. “My ladyfriends don’t usually sneak up and jump me in the middle of the night.”

Sanzo swiped away the hand on his chest and forced it back down to the bed. “Listen, you,” he hissed, “This is a one time offer, got it? If you’re gonna play dumb, I’m out of here.”

Okay, so a part of him was curious. It was Sanzo, after all. A chance to see him drop some of that high and mighty arrogance and indulgence in a little passion for once… well who wouldn’t? Take away the bitchy attitude, and the guy was hot.

Shit, I just called Sanzo hot. Well, so what? I can appreciate a pretty face when I see it. Even when his eyebrows are furrowed like that. Heh, with his lips still wet and glistening from that kiss, it’s almost hard to believe the filth comes out of them. I bet once you got him warmed up, he would be the type to dark dirty.

As Gojyo watched, the corners of those lips started to twitch upward. Mesmerized, he couldn’t look away. It wasn’t quite a smile, but it was about as close he’d ever seen on the monk’s face. And it looked hungry.

“Don’t tell me you’re scared, Gojyo?”

The combined shock of that half-smile and his name spoken in such a sultry tone fractured the last bit of sense that had been keeping him afloat. He tightened his abdomen muscles and arched his torso off the bed, chasing after those offending lips. When they had been duly captured, he used the distraction and momentum to free his right hand and flip their positions. If the monk thought he could challenge him, well the sexy and log-legged Sha Gojyo would just have to show him how it was done.

***

Sanzo closed his eyes and tried to keep breathing. Gojyo had a hand up his shirt and his teeth teased the skin of his neck. He’d thought he could handle this. Just a one time thing and then maybe he could fucking sleep at night. So why did it already feel like he was drowning?

Every patch of skin the kappa touched tingled like burning ice. He wanted… he wanted so badly, but to lose control here… fuck. He wrenched his eyes open

Tugged off in haste, his shirt crumpled into a dark puddle on the floor. A tongue traced his collar bone, then licked a wet line downward. Lips brushed his right nipple, darted away, came back, sucked.

Sanzo dug his fingers into the read hair tickling his chest and pulled. Hard. “What the hell are you doing?!”

Amused red eyes regarded him. “Sexin’ you up?”

“They aren’t breasts!”

“I fucking know that! It felt good, didn’t it?”

It felt too good. “Tch. Do you even know what you’re doing?”

“Hey! Which one of us is the prissy, tight-assed virgin? Cause it ain’t me!”

“I thought you said you didn’t do men.”

“I didn’t mean… fuck you! In fact, since you seem to be itching for the main event…” In two quick motions, Gojyo had Sanzo’s jeans unzipped and jerked halfway down his thighs. The sudden gush of cool air hit Sanzo’s senses like a brick. He bit his lip and glared at the kappa, trying desperately not to show the fear and hesitation threatening to freeze his joints. Gojyo’s eyes, wide and dusky like sunset, held his and seemed surprised at his own actions.

“Not all th—” Sanzo started, then clamped his jaw shut.

“Okay,” said Gojyo, and kissed him. The pervert’s tongue invaded his mouth slyly but didn’t attack. Sanzo let out a little breath and tried to reign in his freewheeling emotions as his lower lip was nibbled and small kisses travelled from the corner of his mouth down along his jaw.

“Like this.” Gojyo whispered in his ear. “I think we can both handle it like this.”

The kappa’s hand brushed his erection and Sanzo ‘s hips jerked of their own accord. Gojyo’s mouth moved back to cover his, stealing the small sounds that escaped. He heard the rustling of cloth as the kappa freed himself from his shorts. That long, lean body descended to press against him. Gojyo rocked his hips and Sanzo’s arms snapped up to clutch the kappa’s shoulders. Between them, Gojyo’s hand curled and slid to grip them together.

“Like this… okay?” Gojyo murmured against Sanzo’s lips.

“Okay,” said Sanzo. “Just don’t freakin’ stop.”

The kappa chuckled. “Say it with passion, Sanzo-chan. Don’t fuckin’ stop sounds a lot better.” Then his hand began to stroke and finally there was no more talking.

***

When it was over, they twisted apart and lay for a while just breathing. Gojyo turned his head toward the window and smelled the moist scent of dew in the ribbon of night air breezing through a crack somewhere. He reached down to tug a corner of the sheet up around his waist and reached for his smokes on the nightstand. The flame lit on the first stroke of his lighter, making him smile. He took a long, deep, satisfying drag and wondered idly why he wasn’t more freaked out about what had just happened. Whatever. There’d be time enough for regrets in the morning. He started to tap out another stick, then thought better of it and turned to offer the monk the lit cigarette in his fingers.

He paused.

Sanzo had curled himself in the bedsheets, fast asleep. He looked remarkably peaceful for once. The golden strands of his hair framed his head in an unruly halo and he breathed steadily through slightly parted lips.

Yeah, so not cute.

Gojyo was wondering if he could sneak out without waking up sleeping beauty when he remembered that this was his room, and if anyone was leaving it should be the arrogant monk who had seen fit to take over his bed and steal most of his sheets. Well screw that. Gojyo stubbed out his cigarette and laid back down. If the monk was still here in the morning, that was his problem.

That night, the dream did not return. Nor did it appear the next night, or the night after that. Oddly enough, Gojyo found himself almost wishing he could have seen a little more, or at least found out how the story ended. But maybe that was the point – that it had never really ended, just sat around waiting all those years for the next chapter.

He couldn’t say he wasn’t still confused. The monk still pissed him off most of the time. But the regret he kept waiting for never manifested. Instead, somehow the whole mess felt right. Like something he’d been missing for a long time, so long that he’d forgotten what it looked like, had finally been returned.

When We Remembered, CH 1, part I

2007-05-01T20:45:02Z

This is a Saiyuki fanfic (5x3 or course) that I wrote a couple weeks ago to satisfy a thought that popped into my head that there really needs to be more fics that weave in the Gaiden characters (there's just not enough Konzen x Kenren out there ;)). Radly, enough, it won 1st place in Minuswave's latest fic challenge.
This is pretty much the first ever completed fanfic I've written - though "completed" is a relative term since I'm not prone to short fic and there's still a lot of story in my head that may or may not be continued in a sequel. Anyhoo, had to break it into two parts to fit in a post - it hasn't been beta'd or anything so feel free to point out errors. I made an illustration of sorts for it that you can see at the end of the second part.

When We Remembered

Chapter 1: The Dream

It all started because of a fucking dream.

No, that wasn’t quite right. It all started because they’d stopped at that fucking hot spring.

***

Sanzo’s lips curled into a sneer as he watched the kappa smooth talk the girl behind the counter. They’d finished off a pack of youkai just half an hour ago, but one whiff of a female and the cockroach was already back to thinking with his dick. Hakkai had to put on that scary-polite smile of his until the kappa backed off enough to let him settle the room arrangements.

Goku tugged on his sleeve. “Hey Sanzo, think this place has good food?”

Sanzo wacked him with his fan. “Since when do you care about quality over quantity?”

Gojyo strode back to them with a happy little sway in his hips. “Guess what – Hakkai was right, this place has a hot spring out back. There’s just one little catch.”

Goku crossed his arms and pouted. “I better not have to share a room with the cockroach.”

“Actually,” said Hakkai, “I was able to book us all separate rooms. Gojyo is merely trying to scare you with the silly story he—”

Gojyo stepped forward to loom over Goku, waggling his fingers. In a deepened voice he rumbled, “The spring is cursed… cursed!”

Sanzo wiggled his pinkly finger in his ear and feigned disinterest.

Goku rolled his eyes. “Yeah right.”

“Seriously, monkey,” said Gojyo. “You might wanna stay away from the water. That fine lady over there told me that the spring is supposed to reconnect people to their past lives.”

“Eh, really?”

“Yup, so if you go in you might revert back to a real chimp and start flinging your turds at us.”

“I’ll show you a turd!” Goku launched himself at Gojyo and the two wrestled around on the floor in a rather sad display of horseplay that seemed to involve mainly pulling each other’s hair.

Out came the fan.

“OW! That hurt, baldy!”

“Shut up, idiots.”

***

Sanzo padded back to his room, rolling his shoulders with satisfaction. His muscles felt more relaxed than they’d been in a long time. The others had dispersed to seek their own evening activities, for once leaving him in peace to head to bed early.

Gojyo’s claims about the cursed water crossed his mind briefly and he snorted with contempt. It might have been a useful story if it had scared everyone off so he could soak by himself, but the cockroach had failed to be the least bit convincing. As if he needed any more reminders of past lives. He’d heard enough of that shit from Homura. His life was now, the way he chose to live it, in spite of all the absurdities of this wretched journey.

He flopped onto the bed and turned his head to stare out the window into the calm and clear sky. It held all the promise of being the kind of good night he’d had so few of since they’d started West. No rain. A room to himself. No monkey snoring and mumbling about meat buns in his sleep. A night away from Hakkai’s false smiles and Gojyo’s annoying invasions of his personal space. And they wondered why he was always on edge. A guy needed to be alone once and a while. He had plenty of inner demons to keep him company. What he wanted most now was a long, dreamless sleep.

***

His reflection gazed back at him from the mirror-smooth surface of a pond speckled with lotus flowers. It was his face, but not his face. Long bangs fringed his cheeks and a sinuous trail of hair hooked down over his shoulder to nearly touch the water. His clothes felt unfamiliar, his body gauntly thin. Images tickled the edges of his mind and seemed to disperse into the pond – memories he couldn’t quite latch onto.

“Staring at yourself is kinda overrated, even for vain men. I should know. I’ll admit you’ve got the face for it though.”

He spun and his head jerked up to consider the lazy figure sprawled in the tree above him, soaking up the moonlight like some sleek nocturnal animal. The man’s arm hugged a jug of sake while his free hand combed through short, spiky hair.

Gojyo’s face, but not Gojyo’s face.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sanzo heard himself say, and with a start realized he was only a voyeur here inside a play that had already been written.

“It means you need to get out of this place before it warps your mind, man.”

“Tch. You wouldn’t know anything about my mind, Kenren. Or yours, for that matter. Dare I ask what you’re doing here? Shouldn’t you be out chasing women or bothering Tenpou?”

“Tenpou’s busy and I’m not in the mood to get roped into cleaning out his library, thanks. This is a night to be outside enjoying a beautiful view.”

He even has the same leer as Gojyo, thought Sanzo.

“Whatever.” The body Sanzo was trapped in tensed as though wanting to walk away, but leaned back against the trunk of the tree instead. They stayed like that in quasi-amicable silence for a while, listening to the soft breath of the wind across the pond.

Leaves rattled and suddenly Kenren’s booted feet thumped to the ground. Sanzo could only watch as his body blinked once and then that stupid grinning face blocked his vision; trapping him with a hand planted solidly against the tree.

“So how ‘bout it, Konzen?”

“Back off, idiot. Your breath smells like you drowned in that filthy bottle.”

Kenren unslung the jug from his shoulder and set it on the ground. “Man, insult me all y’want, but don’t insult the sake. It’s good stuff.”

“What do you want?”

Kenren’s eyes glittered. “I don’t think you’re ready to hear that yet.”

“I’m not in the mood for games.” Konzen ducked under the arm and tried to make a quick escape but Kenren’s hand shot out and caught his wrist.

“Sorry. Look, what I meant to say was how about I show you a good time, huh?”

Konzen spun back around and reclaimed his wrist with a jerk. “Don’t touch me.”

“Careful or you’ll burst a blood vessel, princess. Where’s the monkey?”

“Sleeping.”

“Perfect. Come on, you won’t regret it. This place is dullsville. Let me show ya how to have a bit of fun for once.”

“I am not going to be your drinking buddy. Go home.”

“You know, Tenpou once told me that I’d never understand you because I didn’t know what it was like to be bored to death. Aren’t you tired of it? The boredom? Being stuck in this stifling place?”

“Tch. I don’t need constant entertainment like a hyperactive child.”

“Have you ever been to the field where the monkey picks his flowers?”

Konzen stiffened and Sanzo could feel him weakening. Oi! Don’t fall for a dumb line like that, stupid. He’s still got that silly grin on his face. You better not go with him!

But the play had been written, and his objections had no weight here.

“Come on,” urged Kenren one more time with a wink, “I’ll show you.” He hitched the jug of sake to his belt and backed away a few steps.

Konzen stuck his hands in his pockets and sighed. His foot kicked the ground. “Fine. Just this once. And I better not see you back here again.”

They left together, and even their walk had the friction of polar opposites.

***

Sanzo sat up in bed, breathing heavily as though he’d just fought a battle. His clothes stuck to his sweat-bathed skin and he felt distinctly sticky.

What the fuck?!

The dream began to slip away, but still assailed him with vivid fragments. Lying in a field of flowers with the man who looked like Gojyo when he’d cut his hair that time. Drinking rice wine. The heavy scent of pollen and the arm that kept stealing around his shoulders. The argument that turned into something else. The giving in. Their naked bodies in the moonlight, crushing petals as they rolled and bit and crashed into each other…

No fucking way.

Sanzo nearly fell from the bed as he struggled to free himself from the twisted sheets. Standing at last on shaky legs, he looked down at himself, noting with some relief his usual sleepwear of black undergarments and faded jeans but fundamentally disturbed by the open fly and sticky track of evidence caked across his stomach.

My subconscious is making fun of me. That’s it. Because of Gojyo’s stupid curse talk. No way that ever happened even in some shitty past life. Especially not with someone like him.

A loud knock on the door nearly made him choke on his tongue. Hakkai’s voice filtered through the wood, letting him know they’d be heading down for breakfast soon. Cursing, Sanzo peeled off his shirt and tossed it into his pile of luggage to be dealt with later. He needed a shower. And a friggin’ bucket of ice.

***

He sat stiffly at the breakfast table, hoping like hell the others didn’t notice his lack of turtleneck and radiating fierce ‘don’t piss me off’ vibes as he hid behind a newspaper.

“Hey Gojyo, I think you were right,” exclaimed Goku between mouthfuls of food.

Sanzo peered cautiously over the top of his paper. Gojyo sat diagonally across from him, slouched in his seat and staring away across the room. Probably looking for that girl that started this whole mess.

Gojyo blinked as though waking from a stupor. “What’s that, monkey?”

“I think you were right. About the curse. I had a weird dream last night.”

“Lemme guess. You were in a jungle eating lots of bananas.”

“NO! I was picking flowers in a field…”

Shit!

“…and Homura was there. And we talked and stuff. And there was this other kid that I wanted to play with, who was really strong. But he was sad ‘cause his dad kept making him fight.”

Hakkai coughed nervously. “Ahahaha, I might confess my dreams were also rather peculiar.”

Sanzo held his breath, but Hakkai didn’t elaborate.

“Really?” said Goku. “That makes two of us! What about you, Sanzo?”

Sanzo whipped out his fan. “Don’t talk with your mouth full, stupid.”

Hakkai turned to Gojyo. “Gojyo, did you…?”

Gojyo pushed away his plate and stood up. “Uh, I’ve got something to do before we go, guys. I’ll meet ya outside, kay?”

Sanzo caught sight of the aforementioned girl cleaning a table at the other end of the room. He watched as Gojyo ambled toward her and followed her through one of the back service doors. Figures.

***

It was getting worse. The dream – that stupid, absolutely ridiculous dream – wouldn’t leave him the fuck alone. If it would just stay repressed like a proper nightmare then he could get on with this journey and forget that it had ever NOT happened.

But it wouldn’t go away. It kept reasserting itself while he slept, peeking out when he least expected it and then slipping away before he could wrestle it into submission. Even his usual nightmares weren’t free of its taint and it had begun to pop into his head even in daylight when his thoughts wandered.

Worse, no matter how much he fought against it mentally, his body betrayed him with another reaction. He was tired of waking up hard or sticky and having to worry about embarrassing himself when they camped out or shared rooms. It was difficult enough to try to sneak one by on Hakkai with the whole laundry situation. He was sick of it and lately his only comfort was cleaning his gun while imagining sinking a bullet into various parts of Gojyo’s anatomy.

The thing was, he should have seen it coming. He’d known for a long time that his… tastes weren’t entirely straight. But growing into adulthood mainly in the company of bald old men hadn’t exactly made him eager to explore that side of himself. Sex and that whole issue of getting close to people was something he just didn’t want to deal with. It stirred up bad memories of some of the worst years of his life, after his master was killed, when men had taken his striking looks to mean they could treat him like a woman, forcibly. Well he’d shot all those bastards who had tried to lay a hand on him, but that just made him realize it was too dangerous. Much too dangerous to let anyone breach the walls he’d fortified himself within.

He wasn’t sure if the others had noticed his slow descent into insanity yet. It helped that he could pass his bad temper off on some of the rainy nights they’d been having lately.

When Hakkai lingered in his room one evening after a rather tense game of cards, he thought the jig was up. He began to frantically sort through the various cover stories he’d been preparing. No matter how insightful Hakkai got, there was no way in hell he was telling him the truth.

“Sanzo, I want to ask you something.”

Yeah, here it comes…

“What do you think is bothering Gojyo?”

Sanzo had to choke back the speech that was nearly on the tip of his tongue. “What?”

The hell???

“Surely you’ve noticed how odd he’s been behaving. He’s too quiet, he hasn’t been eating as much, and he’s been reckless in battle like he’s trying to prove something. Even Goku keeps asking me if he’s sick.”

“How should I know what that idiot is thinking?

Actually, Hakkai, I’ve been trying not to look at him at all because I dreamt about our alter-egos having sex and now just a glimpse of that stupid smirk of his makes me freakin’ horny.

“I was wondering if you two perhaps had an argument. He’s been giving you a wide berth lately, and—”

“Why don’t you just ask him?”

“Ah, well I have, it’s just…” Hakkai sighed. “I suppose you’re right. He’ll tell me when he’s ready.”

“Is that all?”

“Yes, yes. My apologies. I’ll leave you to get some sleep.”

When Hakkai had shut the door firmly behind him, Sanzo sank down on the bed and lit a smoke. Gojyo acting strangely? He’d been occupied with his own problems the past few weeks, but now that he thought about it… Certainly the kappa hadn’t been up to his usual tricks, a fact Sanzo was supremely grateful for. But that could be caused by any number of things. Maybe he’d just scared him off by playing with his gun so much lately. Yeah, that had to be it. After all, he’d been fine enough after the whole hot spring fiasco to go fuck that girl or whatever.

***

If he’d known that the Kappa would be at the bar, he would have foregone the drink he’d been craving. But he’d walked through the door and the kappa had looked up and spotted him immediately, so it was useless to back away now. Fuck it. Maybe it was time he confronted the whole situation head on. The stupid cockroach was nothing to be afraid of, and if worse came to worse he could shoot him right in his sexy ass and be done with it.

He expected Gojyo to make some smartass comment when he slid onto the stool beside him, but the kappa only acknowledged him with a small nod and then resumed staring at his glass as though examining it for impurities.

Well I’ll be. Hakkai was right. He is acting weird. He should be over at one of the tables playing cards with women draped over him.

Sanzo reached into his back pocket for his pack of Marlboros. He’d put aside his robes for the night in favour of his favourite jeans and a black collared shirt. He was in a mood for anonymity, but with Gojyo here to call him ‘Sanzo’ he supposed that was a useless hope.

Unless Gojyo planned to stare into his glass all night. It was creeping him out.

“If you’re gonna act all depressed, let me put a bullet in you and save you the trouble.”

Gojyo shot him an icy glare. “I’m not depressed.”

“You’re staring at that glass like you want to crawl into it.” Sanzo attempted to light his cigarette and frowned when his lighter failed to materialize a decent flame.

Gojyo snorted and dug into the pocket of his jacket for his Zippo. “Here. Your lighters always suck.”

Soon they were both smoking, and Sanzo felt the edge of tension in his spine begin to melt away pleasantly. He watched Gojyo out of the corner of his eye, fixated on the red hair that spilled over his shoulders to screen his face. What would that hair feel like, running through his fingers? Shit, don’t think about that now. Think about something safe. The taste of this cigarette. No. The story I was reading in the paper this morning. Fuck, I can’t remember.

Gojyo suddenly sat up straight in his seat and cast a sidelong look at Sanzo that he couldn’t read at all. Then the kappa tapped his cigarette in the ashtray that stood between them and reached up a hand to wave the barmaid over.

A brunette with lips too large for her face sashayed over and shamelessly leaned over the counter as though presenting the cleavage popping from her low-cut blouse for scrutiny. For the first time that night, Gojyo’s lips curled into a familiar smirk and he raised himself up on his elbows to whisper into her ear. Sanzo watched the lines of his jaw moving and clenched a fist.

The barmaid nodded. “Sure thing, handsome,” she drawled, and walked away with a wink over her shoulder. Gojyo pulled back, his mouth now turned in a full-blown grin. He took a drag from his cigarette and blew a cloud of smoke toward Sanzo’s ear.

“Alright monk,” he declared, “how ‘bout we play a little game?”

Sanzo pretended to be fascinated by the bottles that lined the back of the bar. “Not interested.”

“You can’t say no until you’ve heard the rules.”

Is he out of his funk now or what? That didn’t take long. In spite of himself, Sanzo was curious. “You’ve got until I finish this smoke. Then I’m going to bed.”

“You’ll stay,” countered Gojyo, “’cause I’m buyin’ the drinks for once.” As if on cue, the barmaid materialized with a tray that she set down between them. “You boys play nice, now.”

Sanzo stared down at the two rows of shots – five for each of them, along with a salt shaker and a pile of cut lemons. “What is this shit?”

“Tequila,” said Gojyo. “You’ll like it, I promise. Or is it too much for ya?”

“Tch. Ask yourself that. You’re half-drunk already.”

“The game is Tequila Truth or Dare. The rules are simple,” said Gojyo. “I ask you a question. You can either answer it truthfully, or pass and drink a shot. Then you ask me a question and the same applies. You can’t ask the same question twice. First person to drink all their shots loses.”

“And what does the winner get?”

“The winner gets to dare the loser to do something, and the loser has to do it.”

“And what if I dared you to run around town naked with your hair in pigtails?” Shit, why did I say that? Don’t think about him naked. Bad. Think about… Goku stuffing his face with meat buns.

“You’d have to win first. So how about it?”

Usually Gojyo’s motives were pretty transparent. Tonight he was acting cagey, and Sanzo didn’t like it one bit. “Are you trying to get me drunk, kappa?”

Gojyo waggled a finger at him. “Na-ah. No asking me questions unless you play the game.”

“Fine. Whatever.” He was going to regret this, but fuck if he was going to back down to the cockroach.

“Good. I get to go first because it was my idea. My question is: did you have a dream that night at the hot spring?”

Fuck. Sanzo frowned and stared into Gojyo’s eyes, trying to figure out where he was going with this. There’s no way he could know. He’s probably shooting in the dark, just trying to get a reaction. Sanzo wiggled in his seat and felt the comforting coolness of his Smith & Wesson pressing into his lower back. That’s right, I can always shoot him. And admitting I had a dream isn’t really admitting anything.

“Yes,” said Sanzo, careful to keep his voice monotone and emotionless. “My turn. Why are we playing this stupid game?”

Gojyo’s face relaxed into the easygoing façade he used when he played poker. “To find out the truth. My turn. Were there flowers in your dream?”

Sanzo’s hands twitched. He wished his gun was in his hand instead of shoved down the back of his jeans. He should just lie. The kappa wouldn’t know any different. But curiosity still nibbled at him. He wanted to know what cards the kappa was hiding. “Yes. My turn. Since you’re so interested in dreams, I assume you had one yourself that night. What was it about?”

Gojyo dragged his tongue along his lower lip. “Straight to the point, baldy. I’m not telling you yet though. As Sanzo watched, oddly fascinated, the kappa licked the back of his hand and shook a little salt onto it. He licked the salt off slowly, holding Sanzo’s eyes as he did so. Then he sucked back a shot with a quick tip of his head. Finally, he shoved a slice of lemon between his lips and grinned. When he pulled the slice away, his lips smacked audibly. “Yeah, that’s good stuff. You’ve really gotta try it, monk. “Next question. What was your name in your previous life?”

“Konzen,” Sanzo answered without even thinking, his eyes still fixated on Gojyo’s lips. He froze, startled at himself, then quickly angry. Shitty cockroach. He wasn’t falling for that again. He fumbled for an appropriate revenge. “Who are you really fucking when you take all those girls into your bed? That bitch you had for a stepmother?”

Eyes flashing, Gojyo stared him down as he threw back another shot. Despite himself, Sanzo felt a bolt of pure lust rocket to his groin at the heat in those eyes as that mouth licked and sucked.

“That was below the belt even for you, Sanzo-sama.”

“You made up the rules, shithead. And I’m winning, in case you didn’t notice.”

“You wanna get personal? Fine. Who do you jerk off to – chicks or dudes?”

Sanzo nearly swallowed his smoke. As it was, he inhaled too fast and had to choke back a cough. Leave it to the kappa to make both choices sound vulgar. He battled with himself for a moment, fighting the flush that threatened to rise in his cheeks. At last he croaked out, “I am not dignifying that with a response.”

Gojyo shrugged. “You started it. Drink it is, then. Make sure you do it like I did.”

Sanzo was tempted to just swallow the shot straight, without the annoying ritual, but it occurred to him that perhaps it was time to give the kappa some of his own medicine. He copied Gojyo’s actions, liking the salt off his hand with one long swipe of his tongue. He swallowed the bitter liquid and traded the shot glass for a lemon slice. He let the pleasantly acidic juice run down the back of his throat and watched Gojyo from under the shadow of his bangs.

He was pleased to note that the kappa seemed slightly shaken. The half-breed licked his lips, then seemed to catch himself and turned the look into a glare.

“Next question,” said Sanzo. “Are those fancy things on your head just for show?”

Gojyo’s eyebrow twitched. “You should have to drink for asking such a shitty question.”

“Does that mean you’re chickening out?”

“It means how the fuck am I supposed to answer that? Stop insulting my hair, you arrogant prick.”

“Just drink the shot, moron.”

“Only if you drink one too.”

“It’s a simple question, dickface.”

Gojyo sighed. “Ass.” He picked up a shot glass.

Sanzo reached over and took one of his own. At Gojyo’s questioning look, he shrugged. “I’m thirsty.”

They down their shots simultaneously, and brushed fingers while reaching for lemons. Sanzo couldn’t quite suppress the shudder than flickered across his skin.

“My turn,” said Gojyo, a hint of hoarseness in his voice. “Was a guy named Kenren in your dream?”

Shit. This was getting dangerous. Sanzo opened his mouth, then shut it again. No, he couldn’t give the kappa that kind of ammunition. He should just open his mouth and say no.

“And don’t even think about lying,” said Gojyo. “I used to read bluffs for a living, remember? The only one who can poker-face me is Hakkai.”

“Tch.” Sanzo reached for the salt. Maybe it gave him away, but the kappa couldn’t prove squat.

Gojyo smirked as Sanzo set his third empty shot glass back down on the tray. “Looks like we’re even now.”

A bit of a buzz began to cuddle Sanzo’s brain. At this point he just wanted to get drunk and forget the whole conversation. Frankly, he couldn’t believe he had exchanged so many words in one sitting with the kappa. “Did you fuck that girl back at the hot spring?” he asked suddenly. “The one who told you about the curse?”

A wave of surprise crossed Gojyo’s features. “No,” he said softly. “I was kinda distracted. I just wanted to ask her a question.” He rearranged his face into that easy grin as though pulling on a coat. “Not that she didn’t want me. What a little hottie. If we’d stayed another day she woulda been all over me.”

Sanzo ground his teeth. “You’re delusional.”

“And you need to get laid, cherry-chan.”

Sanzo sneered and half-rose off his stool to fire back an insult, only to be caught off guard by Gojyo’s expression. The kappa looked as though he wanted to swallow his tongue, and a red flush was creeping up his kneck. Holy fuck, is he blushing?

Sanzo collapsed back on his stool, wondering idly if he’d just witnessed some sort of minor miracle.

“Next question,” growled Gojyo, obviously trying to distract him. “Was anyone else we know in your dream? Goku? Hakkai?”

No was a safe enough answer, but Sanzo hesitated. Perhaps it would be better to throw the kappa off track. Letting some of his unease show, he downed his fourth shot without a word. Before Gojyo could comment, he threw back, “What question did you ask the girl?”

Gojyo met his eyes, still looking oddly embarrassed. His voice sounded unnervingly serious when he answered. “I asked her if people who dreamed about their past lives just dreamt any old shit or if the curse showed them something for a reason.”

“And? What did she say?”

“That’s another question, monk. Mine first.” Gojyo leaned closer and almost whispered, “That dream, does it keep coming back, night after night, after night?”

Sanzo swallowed, and glanced sidelong at the last remaining shot on his side of the tray. Fuck, he hated losing. “If I drink, do I still get to ask one more question?”

Gojyo gave him a searching look. Then, as Sanzo watched in surprise, he finished his last two shots. “There. Now I have to answer. Now drink up.”

The last shot went down hard. Dammit, he should have walked away from this when he had a chance. But he wanted to know. “What did she say?”

Gojyo folded his arms on the counter and rested his chin on his arms. “She told me that the legend says you dream what you miss most – something you had then that you don’t got now. And she said if two people dream the same thing, then it comes true.”

Sanzo stood up, head spinning a little, willing himself to stay stiff, upright, unemotional. In the coldest tones he could manage, he said, “I’m going to bed.”

Gojyo said nothing, just nodded and looked away.

Continued in Part II

Saiyuki fanart dump

2007-04-08T05:03:35Z

Gonna be dumping some of my fanart and such here.

First off, some Saiyuki (5x3 because that's my addiction for some reason):