Disclaimer: I don't own Saiyuki or any of the characters. That honor belongs to Kazuya Minekura.
This was a thank you gift for the woman who ran a Valentine Smut exchange on Lovejournal.
Kanzeon Bosatsu was bored. Sitting in her chair, looking over the lotus pond, she wondered how her little group was doing. It had only been two days since she'd last watched them and while they hadn't made much progress towards India, they were a blast to watch.
Gojyo and Hakkai were officially a couple but that didn't surprise the Merciful Goddess very much. After all, she had known them in heaven when their names were Tenpou Gensui and Kenren Taisho. They were a handful then and a handful now. While she enjoyed watching the antics of those two, the ones she really loved to watch were Genjo Sanzo and Son Goku.
It was Valentine's Day down in the lower world and currently Hakkai was feeding Gojyo chocolates in their suite of rooms. Both men were lounging in their gifts from one another; Hakkai in a pair of boy shorts that said 'Love' on the waistband and Gojyo was wearing a pair of black silk boxers with a matching black silk robe. Hakkai fed a chocolate to Gojyo. Sucking Hakkai's fingers after taking the chocolate, Gojyo grinned a sly grin. If only he knew the Merciful Goddess was watching…Well, it was Gojyo after all and he wouldn't give a damn who was watching!
The Merciful Goddess stopped watching the pair of lovers as Gojyo began to kiss Hakkai's neck. She knew all too well where this was going. Smiling at the pair, Kanzeon Bosatsu let them fade as she began looking for the couple she was really interested in.
"Good morning, Merciful Goddess. You're up early this morning." Jiroushin, her right hand man and…well, if she was to be totally honest, her loyal and willing slave. The older man stepped up to stand beside the large, ornate chair that Kannon favored to sit in while she watched over the little ikkou down below.
"Good morning, Jiroushin." A long black ponytail fell over Kannon's right shoulder, the end almost trailing in the lotus pond. Hmm, she could have sworn she just saw Sanzo's bright blonde hair. Ten bright red toenails tapped in the water, little droplets of water clinging to the slender toes. He was right there, outside the inn, smoking another cigarette. Eyes scanning the water, trying to see down below, a frown marred the beautiful features of the Merciful Goddess's face.
"There he is!" A warm smile broke across her face.
Jiroushin's eyes followed the end of the carmine red fingertip, trying to focus on just what Kannon was pointing at. Peering through the lotus flowers, Jiroushin finally caught sight of her target. Genjo Sanzo…or as the Merciful Goddess still liked to call him, Konzen Doji. Once, he was her beloved nephew up in heaven, a man who sat behind a desk, stamping his name on document after document. A man who had been bored beyond words until one day, Kannon found a little monkey to keep him company. A monkey with great golden eyes and a belly that was never full. A little monkey named Son Goku.
The pair had become almost constant companions, with Konzen's love and acceptance of Goku growing every day. After Nataku stabbed himself and Goku broke his diadem, going crazy and slaughtering hundreds in heaven, the little group tried to make their escape down to the lower world. Kannon wiped a tear from her eye as she remembered the horrible outcome of the attempted escape.
Orders had been given for Son Goku's death but Kannon had spirited the child away, sealing him in a rock cave far away from searching eyes. Hundreds of paper sutras covered the rock bars of the cage, sealing Son Goku inside until the day, Konzen's reincarnation could find him. As she looked at Goku, chained and frightened in that bare, frozen cage, Kannon shut her emotions off, once again determining that this was the best possible outcome for the tiny child.
"He will come and find you one day." Red tipped fingers ruffled unruly brown hair.
"When?"
"I don't know, darling. But his soul is connected to yours." She wiped the flowing tears away from his flushed cheeks. "You just need to be patient."
Goku shook the bars of his cage, but they held fast. "Please don't keep me locked away. I'm so sorry for what happened." Golden eyes met deep brown ones. Goku's breathing hitched as he tried to talk around his sobs. "When Ten-chan fell…" The stone floor was wet with Goku's tears. "And then Ken nii-chan…" The sobs increased and Goku gulped them down. "Konzen…" The sky echoed with Goku's howls of pain. All life on the mountain top stilled as if they too, mourned with Goku.
The Merciful Goddess laid a hand on Goku's forehead, covering up his golden diadem. Tears ran unchecked down her face as she performed an act of ultimate kindness. Wiping all the memories of Tenpou Gensui, Kenren Taisho and Konzen Doji from Son Goku's mind. As she watched, the huge golden eyes became blank but the hot tears continued to flow until all traces of the three men who had been so important to Goku, faded away.
Those haunted eyes became focused again. "Who are you?"
Kannon hid her face from Goku. "Just a friend from long ago."
A pristine white handkerchief was in front of her eyes. Smiling through her tears at Jiroushin, Kannon wiped away the tears that those long ago memories brought. She didn't know why she was so sad. After all, Kenren and Tenpou had found each other once again and unless she missed her guess, so would Konzen and Goku.
"Do you miss them that much, my lady?" Jiroushin's voice was rough with emotion. Even after five hundred years, he too, still missed the mischief makers. Although, he would die before admitting it to Kannon.
"I do, Jiroushin, I really do."
Their attention was brought back to the lower world as they saw Goku slip out the side door and stand beside Sanzo. Almost as tall as Sanzo, Goku had really grown in the two years since the start of their journey. The heavenly pair watched in silence as Goku spoke to Sanzo. Whatever Sanzo said, must have angered the younger man, for Goku sneered at Sanzo before turning his back on the monk and start to walk away.
Kannon sighed and turned to look at Jiroushin when Sanzo's sudden movement brought her attention back to the lower world. Within two steps, Sanzo had caught up to Goku, spinning him around and staring into those golden eyes. As the watching pair held their breath, Sanzo brought his mouth crashing down on Goku's. It only took Goku a few seconds to realize what was happening and soon, his arms were wrapped around Sanzo's neck and he was kissing Sanzo back. Sanzo broke the kiss and taking Goku by the hand, led the grinning brunette back into the hotel.
Two pairs of eyes met each other, one full of surprise, one full of joy. The Merciful Goddess would still watch over the ikkou but she no longer had to worry about them as she once did. Their souls were complete once again.
Kannon got up out of her chair and stretched. "Come on, Jiroushin." Walking away, she turned to make sure the gray haired man was following. She winked at him, her hips swaying with every step. "I'll let you paint my toenails." As Jiroushin took in the saucy grin of his boss, he thought that even though the troublemakers were now down in the lower world and it was a lot more boring up in heaven, there still was some fun to be had up here, now and then.