Author: Jessiedark

Rating: NC-17
Pairing(s): Sanzo/gojo
Disclaimer: I don't own Saiyuki and I'm not making any money from this story.
Summary: Gojyo, Sanzo; was supposed to be a Hurt/comfort for caeseria but missed the mark a bit. Enjoy

Sanzo lowered his gun and felt the sick wave of post battle nausea. He hated that feeling, and it wasn't alleviated by the cigarette he stuck in his mouth. The innkeeper had been dumbfounded when Sanzo pulled out gun, the cigarette had him narrowing his eyes in doubt as he looked at the robes, the cigarette and the two men loping up to him.

"That was annoying," Hakkai observed. He looked tired, his eyes more sunken than when they had stopped an hour ago. First, the 18-hour drive to this, the only decent size town for fucking weeks, and they were beset in the first hour.

"They weren't even a half-assed threat." Goku agreed. "Do ya' think dinner is ready?"

"I suspect our meal might be delayed, but will be here shortly," Hakkai assured him, ushering Goku, and Sanzo, into the inn. Hakkai directed his next comment to the man in charge. "But I suspect there is some bread available while you wait, and Saki, or better, whisky for Sanzo."

The bemused man fell under Hakkai's spell and hurried off without voicing the doubts he was experiencing. Settled at the table Hakkai removed his monocle and rubbed at his eyes, "Sanzo, please don't smoke at the table." The monk considered a debate, but Hakkai looked exhausted, so he complied.

Goku began immediately on the bread, with his usual gusto, and lack of manners. Washing down his third mouthful Goku looked around. "Why isn't Gojyo back?"

All three of them froze. Gojyo frequently went his own way in towns, but Gojyo always, always, returned to them as soon there was trouble. Gojyo should have been back whining about his injuries in dramatic fashion, and fussing over Hakkai. Two of the three chairs hit the floor as all of them headed out.

"That way," Hakkai directed as they set off at a near run in the direction Gojyo had taken.

They hadn't gone far when the sound of a crowd reached them. A low rumble of threat, like an indecisive dog. Following the sound the three men saw a tableau older than time. Gojyo crouched bloodied and angry against the wall of building. Before him, in a half circle, a ragged crowd stood holding rocks, bricks, pieces of wood, shoes and whatever else they could find. A man raised his hand and all hell broke loose.

Hakkai rushed to Gojyo's side, a barrier coming up to cover them as a bit of brick hurled through the air. Goku's nybo took the brick out and the youth was amongst the rabble his hands and weapon knocking away the would-be projectiles. Sanzo raised his gun and fired into the air.

When all eyes were on him he just glared back.

"He's a hanyou, he brought those youkai here!" the tall man with hard eyes must have been the ringleader. Sanzo discarded the plan to shoot him out of hand. It was always so messy when he had to explain shooting fucking morons.

"He fought them." A woman spoke from the shadow, her clothing ragged, she looked bruised and battered.

There was an awkward silence and a few people slipped away. Sanzo felt his stomach roll, a couple of children, barely school age, let their hands fall and rocks slipped out to crack on the pavement.

Sanzo risked a glance to the side. Hakkai was crouched over Gojyo who was a bloody mess. "We need to get him back to the hotel."

"I suggest you all go the fuck home, now," Sanzo ordered, reaching for cigarette as he put his gun away.

The monk walked over to Gojyo and Hakkai. The hanyou looked rough, his face a mess of blood, one arm crossed protectively over his body, unclear if he were protecting injured ribs or if his arm was broken. Goku looked worried as he stood over them.

"Ok, let's go back," Sanzo rolled his eyes as Goku glanced around. "I'm sure dinner is ready."

"Yea!"

"I need to," Hakkai took a deep breath and ran his fingers over Gojyo's face.

"Leave it 'Kai," Gojyo's voice was rough, "we can deal with it at the inn."

"No, Gojyo, you are in pain," Hakkai sounded tired; he'd been tired when they stopped and the fight, now the healing, was taking his reserves.

"I've had worse," Gojyo started to struggle up but one handed he fell sideways and into Hakkai's arms.

"Just stop," Hakkai whispered, his chi starting on Gojyo left arm. For a minute the taller man struggled then he relaxed, his body molding to Hakkai's his head falling to Hakkai's shoulder. There was something in the total submission that slid into Sanzo's mind and remained there, an image of trust, intimacy.

Goku shifted, impatient. Certain Gojyo would be fine, eventually; he was more focused on dinner. Sanzo was impatient himself, but he knew better than to argue with Hakkai in this mode.

"I'm sorry, Gojyo," Hakkai whispered. He traced a gentle finger against Gojyo's cheek, when the other man turned his head Hakkai gripped his swollen, bloodied nose and pulled, pushing, adjusting. Gojyo yelled more pain than surprise and even Sanzo winced in sympathy.

"Fuck, Hakkai," Gojyo was panting as the chi began to heal the injured bone.

"I know, it's important to get the bones set as soon as possible." Hakkai tried to stand, still holding Gojyo, both of them looked a little worse for wear.

"God dammit," Sanzo tossed his cigarette aside. Goku was helping Hakkai up and Sanzo found himself steadying Gojyo. They struggled their way back to the inn, Gojyo was leaning heavily on Sanzo, and for once he was mercifully silent.

The innkeeper looked confused and doubtful as they staggered in. One glare from Sanzo's cold eyes had the man subsiding. "Bring our food to the room, with sake, extra towels and sheets," Hakkai ordered, then remembering his manners. "Please."

Gojyo was heavy as he leaned stiffly against Sanzo while he half carried half dragged the hanyou up the stairs. Sanzo wondered briefly at how Gojyo had relaxed against Hakkai, but acted as if being forced to lie against Sanzo was causing him to grind his teeth. Part of it could have been pain, his breathing was harsh, ragged and Hakkai kept giving him worried looks.

"Goku, take Hakkai in the other room, let him rest. Hakkai I will keep an eye on your problem child." Sanzo balanced Gojyo and fished out the key to open one of the rooms. "Bring Gojyo's crap over here once Hakkai is settled and you can get yours."

"Ok, Sanzo," Goku paused, the key in his hand, "do you really think dinner will be here soon."

The door swung open but Sanzo didn't look back, "Yeah, Monkey, it will be up soon." Gojyo tried to step away on his own and staggered, Sanzo steadied him. "I'm not letting you fall on your face, Hakkai will not be pleased." Sanzo got Gojyo to one of the chairs and tried tried to figure out what to do with the damned bloody mess. Gojyo had left bits of dirt blood on Sanzo's robes in all ready a mess from the fight.

"Here ya' go, Sanzo," Goku popped in with Gojyo's backpack.

"Take that other chair and set it up in the shower, then turn the water on warm," Sanzo directed.

Goku dropped the pack, looking doubtful. "Ok, Sanzo, sure."

Gojyo flipped his hair out of his face and winced. "What is that for?"

"You stink. So you are having a shower, since you can't stand up, you can sit." Gojyo looked skeptical but nodded. Fuck he was a bloody mess, his face had been a nightmare before Hakkai got to him. Even now Gojyo still had bruising around his left eye and his cheek and lip were swollen. Sanzo had to lunge forward and steady Gojyo when the man nearly fell out of the chair trying to take his boots off.

"Fuck," Gojyo was panting from pain and weakness. Goku emerged from the en-suite and blinked.

'Get his boots off, will you Goku," Sanzo lit a cigarette. He was grateful he wouldn't have to kneel at the damned redhead's feet and pull his boots off. Gojyo managed to get his coat and shirt off. For a moment all three of them stared at Gojyo's belt buckle.

"I can take my own damn pants off." Gojyo announced, with fairly limp bravado.

"I can handle it from here," Sanzo began, just as there was a timid rap on the half open door. A middle-aged woman stood carrying a loaded tray, behind her a young man and another woman carried a second tray and several sheets and towels.

"Goku, take the food over there, Hakkai will tell you what to bring back." Sanzo glanced at the young man with the glasses and a pot of sake, he jerked his head toward the table and the man, well trained in service put the tray on the small table. He stared openly at Gojyo's battered body as he passed. Gojyo grinned lopsidedly at him.

"I'll bring some bandages," the second woman set the linens down and exited quickly. Goku had followed the food, but returned almost immediately with a tray obviously arranged by Hakkai.

"He says for you to eat something, and he doesn't think it would be a good idea to let Gojyo take a shower, even with a chair," Goku paused, then finished in a rush, "unless you keep an eye on him."

"Whoa, no one watches Sha Gojyo shower unless invited." It was the longest sentence Gojyo had put together since they found him. Sanzo suspected the lack of animation in the tone meant that his words were more pro forma than serious.

"Ok," Goku sounded as if he considered saying more, but hurried out to his food instead. Gojyo glanced at the bathroom, the sound of the running water.

"In a minute," Sanzo was shrugging out of his robes as the woman returned with bandages and a small bottle of soap. She didn't even look flustered as she dropped off the items and tugged the door shut behind her. Something about the average people that were not intimidated by him always made Sanzo feel a bit awkward.

Once the scripture was tucked away and another cigarette lit Sanzo crossed back and hauled Gojyo to his feet. "Fuck, warn a guy," the taller man complained. Sanzo didn't bother to answer, just dragged Gojyo to the bathroom and then, this was the tricky part.

"Get your belt, step out of the god-awful pants."

"You've always wanted to say that to me, haven't you, Princess." Gojyo mocked, again more pro forma than his usual barbs. Sanzo felt his jaw go rigid as the words hit too close to home.

Gojyo managed his belt buckle awkwardly with one hand, his other clung rather embarrassingly to Sanzo's shirt. He felt weak, dizzy and as if he were drunk, even though he'd had exactly three beers before the fucking youkai burst in. They'd fucking broke his arm before he'd dispatched them.

Gojyo shook slightly and the pants slid down his hips, he managed his underwear and avoided Sanzo's gaze. He was still completely nonplussed the monk was helping him at all. "Nice to see you putting your skills to work," Sanzo drawled, not looking. Gojyo managed to get in the chair and pulled a towel onto his lap. Sanzo left but returned almost immediately with an ice bucket. He filled the bucket and Gojyo closed his eyes before the first wash of water.

Using the washcloth Gojyo began to scrub at the blood and dirt on his chest and legs. Sanzo rinsed him again. Sanzo handed him he shampoo from the tub and Gojyo glared at it. "Get mine, from my pack. That shit will destroy my hair." For a second Gojyo thought Sanzo was going to shoot him. The monk stalked from the room, and from the sound, up ended Gojyo's pack, then returned with the toiletries bag. Gojyo managed to fish out the shampoo with conditioner and tried not to see the smirk on Sanzo's face. At least the monk was helping him get cleaned up. There was so much blood on him even his pants had begun to stiffen. Most of it had been from his broken nose.

Bracing himself for the worst Gojyo fished out his shaving mirror and squinted into it. His face looked like the last 100 miles of bad road. His nose was distorted and swollen, his cheek and eye bruised, his mouth twisted from the swollen lip.

"Hakkai fixed all the serious damage. I'm sure he'll be in to neaten you up as soon as he feels a little better." More of Sanzo's hard drawl. Gojyo nodded, really what was the point of arguing, all he wanted to do was sleep.

It was a further exercise in not looking to get Gojyo dried off and into pajama pants then situated on a bed. Sanzo actually brought him some food and a cup of sake. Gojyo was pretty sure he must have been hit a lot harder in the head than he remembered. He was obviously hallucinating.

There was another rap on the door and Sanzo opened it to admit Goku, again. "Hakkai wanted to come over, but I distracted him." He blinked at Gojyo. "Nice hair," he referred to the towel dried barely combed mess. Gojyo had not asked Sanzo to help comb through his hair and had found he didn't have the energy himself. He'd slept with it uncombed before. It would be the least of his worries in the morning. Gojyo flipped Goku off and resumed pushing food around, he wasn't really hungry, but like Sanzo, didn't want to hear about it from Hakkai if he didn't eat.

"Anyway," Goku rushed on when Sanzo gave him look number 3, 'why are you here and why should I not shoot you?'. "Hakkai said for Gojyo to have one packet of this now, in a glass of water, then he can have more in four hours. It's for pain."

"My ears work fine," Gojyo held out his hand for the pile of paper envelopes containing some sort of noxious Hakkai approved medication. Goku glanced between them.

"Hakkai said to give it to Sanzo."

Gojyo felt his eyes roll as Sanzo jerked his chin in Gojyo's direction. "I'm not his keeper." Goku got a glass of water and Gojyo mixed in the medication then drained it. He made a face then rinsed the taste away with another slug of sake.

"You might not want to drink with that, if it's the greenish shit he gave you," Sanzo advised.

"It's not an issue," Gojyo assured him. He had another slug of the drink and tried to relax. His face was sore and his body felt battered. Worse was something else, something in his soul ached from today's events. He closed his eyes. He didn't even know how it started.

At some point Sanzo must have taken the cup of sake because Gojyo realized suddenly it was out of his hand. His thoughts couldn't tarry on that issue too long. He was still trying to sort out, come to terms with how it had happened. How had he ended up pressed to a wall with nice men and women and children throwing shit at him? He'd fought youkai, he'd put a table cloth around a young woman who'd been grabbed by some youkai, she was terrified, roughed up, but grateful. Then Gojyo had turned to head out back to Hakkai, Sanzo and Goku.

Then he had been confronted with several men who had been headed to the disturbance. Some of them had shouted, then some others had come and someone had yelled about Gojyo's curse then a rock hit him. Gojyo recalled, clearly the summoning of the shujko and the realization that not only were there women in the crowd calling him names, shouting he should die and he was cursed, but there were children.

He couldn't swing his weapon with one broken arm and his eyes swollen shut. He'd hit one of the kids, he couldn't risk it, and he couldn't get away. For a moment he'd thought he'd die there. But they'd come, again. Hakkai, Sanzo and Goku, rescuing him again.

He remembered them, 'cursed' 'evil' 'kill him'. Over and over they'd yelled. Gojyo wanted to explain he hadn't called the youkai, he hadn't brought them. "It wasn't me." He was yelling inside his head shouting he wasn't the enemy.

"Shut the fuck up," Sanzo told him, the monk's voice cut through the crowd and Gojyo's own shouts. Gojyo sat up and blinked around him. The light next to Sanzo was on, but spilled only a little illumination.

"You say something?" Gojyo asked. He had to piss, which meant trying to get out of the bed, which was not an appealing thought.

"I told you to shut the fuck up," Sanzo repeated. "You were screaming, well trying to scream, mostly you sounded like a sick duck trapped in a drain pipe."

"Lovely, I'll be sure and put that on my resume," Gojyo managed to get his legs off the bed and sat there, head hanging waiting for his body to jump and trot nimbly to the toilet. Eventually he gave up and staggered gracelessly into the bathroom. He brushed his teeth and managed a few swipes at his hair while he was in there. Sanzo was watching him over the wire rimmed reading glasses, his expression blank, assessing. Gojyo knew that look. Sanzo was thinking. Whether or not he would ever share those thoughts was anybody's guess.

Gojyo flopped back on the bed and realized his body was one big throbbing pain. He considered all of his options, not the least of which was to do something so Sanzo would put him out of his misery.

"Are you and Hakkai fucking?"

The question was so absurd, and so out of character for Sanzo that Gojyo was speechless. He wasn't sure if he were still dreaming, or in a nightmare. If he were hallucinating or how the hell to respond to something so absurd. Sanzo obviously wanted to know if he and Hakkai were fuck –buddies or lovers or something. Why would he want to know? It wasn't like Sanzo to ask about their personal lives. Sanzo didn't want to know about them.

"What the fuck business is it of yours?" Gojyo felt annoyed, more than annoyed. He'd gotten used to that shit back when, from people who didn't know them. From people who didn't know Hakkai, didn't know how much he'd loved Kanon. Sanzo should know better, Sanzo should know Hakkai wouldn't lower himself to a half-breed man.

"Probably none," Sanzo's concession made Gojyo look more closely at him.

"Why the fuck did you ask me then?"

"Curious," Sanzo admitted, his voice relaxed, conversational. Sanzo got like this sometimes. Gojyo eyed the sake pot. Sanzo wasn't usually a friendly drunk, but sometimes the flesh and blood human part actually came out and acted like a person. Usually only for Hakkai and Goku.

"I don't say yes or no to those questions. You wanna' know ask Hakkai."

Sanzo nodded as if he agreed. "You want more pain medicine?"

"Yeah, I guess I do," Gojyo lifted himself to get under the blankets. He realized there was no water in the glass, he'd just come from the bathroom. He glanced from the empty water glass to Sanzo, then to the packet of powder. Sanzo looked back him, his expression bland.

Gojyo wished, desperately, Hakkai were with him. He knew his friend was exhausted and needed to rest, but he really wanted someone to take care of him. Get him a fucking glass of water. Sighing Gojyo pushed himself upright. "You could ask."

"So you can tell me to fuck myself?"

Something dark crossed Sanzo's expression, he cursed before getting up and stalking off to fill the glass. A fair amount sloshed over the side when Sanzo slammed it down on the table, Gojyo thanked him any way, and wondered at the dark glare he received in return.

"Why did you let them stone you?" Sanzo's voice was harsh, startling Gojyo as he mixed the powder in.

"I didn't let them," Gojyo corrected angrily.

"You didn't try to stop them," Sanzo fired back.

"Doing what?"

"You had your weapon, I've seen you use it with your off hand."

"Yeah, that's what the cursed hanyou needs to do, just lash out with a huge blade at crowd of women and children. There were children there."

"They were not going to be a loss to the gene pool," Sanzo shot back. Gojyo slugged the horrid mixture down as if it were whisky and considered his options.

"I'm going to sleep. But why don't you lighten the fuck up and admit you wouldn't have risked the kids either. I know better, you pretend cold, calculating all about the mission. You wouldn't open fire on kids. You didn't open fire on kids."

Sanzo shrugged, then nodded, as if he were agreeing with Gojyo, or ending the fight.

Gojyo subsided and closed his eyes. He thought about Sanzo asking him why he'd 'let them stone him' as if he really had a choice. Well he had a choice, and he'd taken the best of a rotten set of options. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep. The nicotine fit hit him then. He couldn't sleep until he had a smoke, and his cigarettes were across the room. He took a ragged breath and heard Sanzo light his own cigarette. Gojyo wished they were close enough he could drag in some second hand smoke.

A brief moment later he felt Sanzo's presence next to the bed. The monk held Gojyo's cigarettes and lighter. Gojyo sat up and took them, "Thank you."

Sanzo nodded, his cool blue eyes slipping over the bruises on Gojyo chest and face. The touch of his gaze felt almost like a cool cloth, oddly soothing. Gojyo winced at his own thoughts. Sanzo and soothing did not belong in the same sentence.

"You aren't a curse," Sanzo's voice was low, definitive and Gojyo was reminded of the look when they had come for him after the fight with Kami-sama. "People are stupid, gullible and pathetic and they repeat ignorance more quickly then they spread cold germs. You are just a person. You had one youkai parent and one human parent. Anything that happens to people around you is on them."

"Ok," Gojyo sighed then glanced back up at Sanzo, who was still standing over him. "What?

"Hakkai saved your looks, it'll be fine when the swelling goes down." Sanzo's fingers feathered over the bruise on Gojyo's cheek and Gojyo blinked stupidly at him.

Sanzo remained standing over Gojyo, his blue eyes phasing from cool to darkly hot. Gojyo inhaled smoke and assessed his situation. Sanzo had looked at him. The assessing look of attraction; Gojyo knew he had looked, and Sanzo knew Gojyo had looked, and Gojyo knew Sanzo knew, the cycle poised on the edge action.

Sanzo took the action, his mouth closing over Gojyo's as the injured man exhaled. It was a real kiss, not an invasion and not awkward mock kiss as a prelude to sex.

The kiss slipped from Gojyo's bruised lips to caress over his battered cheek and swollen eye. Gojyo clumsily managed to grind out his cigarette as Sanzo's mouth moved to press, very carefully, on his battered ribs.

"What exactly are we aiming for here?" Gojyo finally asked, his voice rasping, almost breathless.

"Nothing in particular," Sanzo kissed Gojyo again, deeper, his tongue tangling with Gojyo's and the taste of Marlboro and sake deadened Gojyo's pain more than Hakkai's powder.

"I'm not sure what I . . ." Ok this was the worst. He wanted to fuck Sanzo or, to be completely honest, he'd be ok with being fucked by Sanzo. Only right now Gojyo wasn't sure his body was able.

"It's all good," Sanzo spoke into Gojyo's ear while his hand, so pale and so fucking strong, slipped over the outline of Gojyo's erection. Gojyo moaned in agreement. Sanzo got the pajamas off Gojyo with none of the reserved he'd had in taking off the jeans.

His open admiration of Gojyo's revealed body was more indication that seeing a nude, aroused man, was not an unfamiliar experience for him. Gojyo suspected standing briefly in the pale glow of the reading light was a new experience. But stand there he did. Sanzo had removed his pants and Gojyo reached out a hand, his fingers barely brushing Sanzo's hip, but bidding him stay still.

"I never had the guts to really look," Gojyo confessed hoarsely, really looking now. Sanzo's legs were long, muscled more than one would expect, and his hips and chest were toned, so pale his scars faded into the skin, except for a few angry red ones, the freshest. Gojyo leaned up and placed his lips on the scar beneath Sanzo's collarbone. From a week ago. Gojyo had killed the youkai that had made the mark, staining Sanzo's pale robes as red as Gojyo's hair.

"Damn it," Sanzo pressed against both Gojyo's kiss and his hand at Sanzo's hip. A moment later the monk eased into bed and Gojyo found more marks to trace with his lips, until he ended back as Sanzo's mouth, both of them panting and hungry for the other.

Sanzo was careful of Gojyo's bruises, more careful than Gojyo himself as they lay tangled mouths and hips pressed close; they battled again, each trying to send the other over the edge first. Gojyo surrendered, unwilling, and unable to resist Sanzo moaning and hot against him.

The liquid heat of Gojyo's orgasm was more fuel for his assault on Sanzo. Through the haze of his own pleasure Gojyo was able to watch Sanzo, his head arched back his body a rigid line of need until finally, finally he broke, curving into Gojyo, gasping and shaking as pleasure took him. Gojyo sighed, then licked at the mess on his hand. Sanzo made a face, then kissed Gojyo, as if to steal the taste.

"Gift horses aside," Gojyo mutters as they lay there, sharing a cigarette, "but why this, and why now?"

"Why not?" Sanzo took the cigarette back. "I was pissed at you."

"You get pissed at me all the time. This is not your usual response."

"I thought I'd try something different," Sanzo retorted dryly. "You wanna' complain?"

"Fuck, no!"

"The fucking will probably have to wait for next time." Sanzo finished the cigarette and got out of bed. Gojyo rolled that over in his head. The fucking. Next time. Would there be a next time? Who was getting fucked? Would Hakkai be mad if he realized they were making a mess? The last thought made Gojyo giggle a little. And really, giggling in bed was not his usual thing.

Sanzo returned from the bathroom with a warm cloth and towel. "Wipe up," he ordered, his usual disdainful Sanzo voice, and Gojyo responded automatically. It was awkward with only one good hand. His left arm was starting to ach, a lot, and he was nowhere near time for another dose of Hakkai's magic medicine. Sanzo took the towel back and rolled his eyes.

Gojyo was trying to get comfortable, growing more restless when Sanzo returned from the bathroom carrying another pile of towels. "Budge over," Sanzo directed, bemused Gojyo complied and Sanzo, still nude, slid into the bed. "Here," Sanzo pulled Gojyo's aching arm to his chest, cushioning it on the pile of towels and putting a cool damp cloth over Gojyo's arm.

"Go to sleep," Sanzo snarled as if he could order Gojyo's sleep like he ordered them in the damn jeep. As those long fingers stroked lightly over the injured back of his arm Gojyo began to drift off to sleep.

"So what happens when I wake up?"

"Goku says he's hungry, Hakkai fusses, and you piss and moan about something."

"Ok, you gonna' shoot me?"

"Probably, but not too soon, Hakkai'll fuss."

"Yeah." Gojyo nuzzled into Sanzo's shoulder and turned his head to kiss the soft skin beneath his cheek. Sanzo sighed softly and it wasn't a sound of anger. The hand not stroking his arm rose and threaded through Gojyo's hair. He knew, from watching, Sanzo had gentleness in him, but he'd never expected to experience it.

"We pretending this never happened?" Gojyo's voice was thick with exhaustion.

"What never happened?" there was a hint of the sly laughter in Sanzo's voice that made Gojyo smile. The fingers in his hair slipped over the bruised line of his nose, the cool touch chasing pain before it and calling sleep in the wake.