Disclaimer: I do NOT own Saiyuki. If I did, I would be the envy of fan girls everywhere but I'm not sadly. I also do not own Mingmei who is the property of NoxKindxOfxLife. The only person I own at this point is Mayumi.
Mayumi tossed and turned in her sleep, what kind of dream was this? She had never had it before...
She was a field of flowers, in the middle of a paradise. This was too good to be true. She was dressed in a long flowing white and black kimono that seemed to have a long train behind it. She wore nothing on her feet but it was clean enough for that. Her hair was a mix of violet and black that went down to the small of her back and her eyes were a pure blue, like a crystal clear lake.
"Where am I?" she asked herself.
A deep chuckle sounded behind her and she turned around abruptly. Standing there was a man with long hair that outshone the sun and went past his legs. It was longer than any woman's she knew. His eyes were a violet color and droopy, almost like a pouting dog in her opinion. His robes were a lavender color and he wore a half smile half frown on his face.
"In Heaven silly woman. Now, come on before I lose you again Tomoko" he told her.
She blinked and suddenly images went through her mind. Once she snapped out of it, he was standing in front of her, his face close to her making a blush come over her cheeks.
"I swear…why did I fall in love with you again…? Oh right, I was bored" he said teasing her. She puffed her cheeks and put her hands on her hips.
"How dare you speak to me like that Konzen!" she said. "I will tell your aunt the way you treat me" she added. He smirked and tipped her chin up with his hand.
"Do you really think I'm afraid of that old hag?" he asked. Tomoko sighed and wrapped her arms around the god's neck. "No…but I know you're afraid of me at times" she said with a smile on her bright scarlet lips. He kissed her softly and then put his hands on her waist.
"Of course, who wouldn't be almighty Goddess of Wisdom?"
It was like watching one of her romance novels…only she was putting on the show. But this all seemed so familiar…and why did she have feelings for this Konzen?
"Just shut up…at least I do all my paperwork with a bit of enthusiasm." Then she unwrapped herself from him and started to run off.
"Catch me Konzen!" she said happily. He shook his head and began to walk after her with a stoic look on his face. She made Heaven worth while but he wasn't going to show that to anyone else.
Especially since that perverted soldier, Kenren, could come out at any moment and flirt with his goddess. Yes he claimed her, all in the name of love. A love only few people knew about which was his aunt Kanzeon, Goku, and Tenpo.
Tomoko was different from other goddesses. She went down to earth every so often disguised as one of them to observe their behavior. It was fascinating actually, she never could get enough of them and it was also where she got her upbeat attitude.
She used to be cold and stoic but ever since working with Konzen and the Merciful Goddess, she had fallen in love. Deeply in love. It had taken him awhile to get it but he did and returned the feelings.
Now all they had to do was keep it a secret and it seemed to be going well enough. Once she had gotten back to her quarters she could hear his footsteps on the marble ground. Didn't he ever learn, bare feet always hid you better?
He opened the door slowly to find…nothing? Damn it, she was going to irritate him. "Tomoko? Come on, I promise I won't hurt you…much" he said walking in the room.
This was their game of cat and mouse only she won more than half the time. Tomoko turned off the lights as she closed the door and grinned in the dark. She could have sworn she felt him smirk.
"Well now, Tomoko. I see you're in a cheerful mood" he said monotone and felt her jump on him.
"I know…I finished all my paperwork for today" she said smiling. He brushed back some hair from her eyes and swung her around a bit. "So have I love" he told her and kissed her on the mouth. She returned his kiss and both of them fell onto her bed, starting to make love for what seemed like the millionth time since he had went that far with her in their relationship.
The next day, everyone awoke to a scream, only Mayumi and Sanzo woke up calmly. Goku rubbed his eyes and looked around. "Is it time for breakfast?" he asked.
Hakkai shook his head and looked out the tent. "What's wrong Gojyo?" he asked.
Mayumi smiled evilly and sat up fixing her messy hair. Gojyo was holding the piece of hair.
"Look atwhat they did!" He held up the hair then brought it to the side of his face, caressing it lovingly.
Sanzo sat up, running a hand through his golden locks. "I guess that's a sign from Buddha to cut off all that nasty hair."
Mingmei looked at Gojyo and his hair. Obviously he really treasured his hair. Hakkai laughed and had to hold his stomach from the cramping. "I knew they would get you" he said calming down.
Goku laughed in the tent too rolling on his back. Mayumi smirked and threw the covers off herself. "You look like a decent human now instead of some nasty bug" she said. That was what he got, one down two to go.
Mingmei shook her head. "Such drama over hair. Hair will grow back, Gojyo-san." She sat up in her bed and stretched looking over at Hakkai with a smile.
"But it was my hair. Gojyo isn't Gojyo without these beautiful red locks" he complained.
Gojyo was still sitting there running a hand over where Sanzo had cut it. "Rub your hair as much as you like...it's not going to make it grow any faster" Sanzo told him.
Mayumi chuckled and grabbed the locks of hair from him. "It'll grow back one day, you look better without all that nastiness anyway" she said throwing it outside. She could care less about hair. If she didn't look nice with long hair she would have cut hers short too. Goku and Hakkai both eased back in their tent. They were still on Sanzo's hit list.
Sanzo quickly got out from under the blankets. "We're leaving."
They all began to tear down camp and load the stuff into jeep.
Today the pain was a little better for Mingmei, but it still hurt. Once everything was packed and ready to go they all climbed in. Gojyo looked like an idiot with a big chunk of hair missing and was being teased about it by Goku the whole way.
"Goddamn kappa, he got you good" he said pointing at him. Apparently his mood had become better over night much to Gojyo's annoyance.
"Shut up ya stupid ass monkey" he told him feeling the side where his hair was cut. Damnit, now he would have no choice but to cut it short. It had been awhile since he did it last but he didn't particularly like doing it either. His hair and eyes were a reminder of what he was.
Goku looked over to Mingmei and smiled. "Hey, you need a nickname if you're gonna travel with us" he told her. She blushed and looked over at him. "Thank you Goku-san, but that won't be necessary at all" he said.
Hakkai chuckled and looked to Mingmei in the rearview mirror. "I think he has a point. Everyone here has a nickname of sorts so you could be included" he explained. Goku sat and thought of one just as Gojyo was doing the same.
"Ming" he and Gojyo said at the same time and glared at each other for a second. That was strange when they said things at the same time. Mingmei giggled and nodded her head. "Yes, I like that, it will do" she told them stopping the impending argument.
Goku leaned over to get closer to Mayumi and tapped her shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked at him with a sleepy look.
"Nani?" she asked. He smiled at her while resting his head slightly on her.
"How come ya don't like to fight with us? I know you said you like a good match" he said.
"I wasn't trained in hand to hand combat. I know how to fire my gun and use a bow. I can help from long distances instead of close up fighting. That's what you all are for" she said with a smirk and put her hands in her sleeves. Sanzo looked over at her out the corner of his eye and mentally sighed to himself.
She made a good point, she couldn't fight up close much or else she would die all too easy. She needed to learn martial arts from a master instead of a book like she was doing. He had seen her training before and she had potential. But he would let her see that on her own, she was too stubborn to reason with.
They all stopped at an inn in the next town and unloaded out of the jeep. Finally a bed instead of a mat. Sanzo walked into the inn to get three rooms.
Gojyo stood outside for a bit. "This place is depressing...where's all the action?"
"Maybe they're plagued by demons... probably set up a curfew." Ming said, taking her bag and heading into the inn after Sanzo. She was still limping, but it wasn't as bad as it was yesterday.
Hakkai took her bag and supported her on his shoulder. "You really should ask for help" he said with a smile. He noticed her limp and wanted to make sure she got better but she would have to stop being stubborn about it.
"I don't like to burden myself" Ming said to Hakkai, thoughshe tookhis help anyway. She was quite stubborn and always thought that plaguing herself with others help only made her more of a problem.
Hakkai helped Ming to her bed and sat her down gently. "If you need anything please don't hesitate to ask okay? We're here to help you" he said with a bright smile. She was so beautiful, she didn't deserve to be hurt like that and depending on others to take care of her but he would gladly do it.
Ming sat on the bed staring at Hakkai. She would hesitate, a lot. It was hard to change what you had been doing for so long. That was probably why she had ended up traveling by herself because she didn't even want to bother asking her dear friend to come with her.
And because she was too stubborn to ask for her friend to come it made her vulnerable to that evil man who had attacked her.
Hakkai just patted her shoulder and sat on his own bed getting ready to got to bed. He was quite tired and he knew he had a lot of shopping to do in the morning.
Ming stood up grabbing some clothes out of her bag and went into the bathroom to change. Soon she came back out wearing a tank top and a pair of shorts. She put her hair up into a bun. The bruises were very visible on her thighs. She wished she had pants to sleep in, but sleeping in jeans were uncomfortable. She pulled back the covers on her bed and gingerly crawled underneath them.
Hakkai looked over and then gathered his clothes. He was going to wash up but turned back around. "Are you sure you don't want me to wrap those?" he asked. He knew she would probably say no but it never hurt to ask.
Ming was turning onto her side. "No. I'm fine."
She looked up and realized she had the bed by the window. Sudden fear came over her and she sat up and pulled the drapes closed. She then laid back down and pulled the blankets almost over her head. She didn't want to look at the window.
Hakkai went into the bathroom and came out about twenty minutes later with only shorts on and drying his hair with a towel. He felt better now. Looking over at Ming, he sat on her bed and patted her back. "I'm here for you Ming, you can count on that" he said softly.
Ming turned and looked up at Hakkai. "I will try to keep that in mind."
She looked away from him, letting the fear go back into her eyes. Damn her thinking mind, how she had such an imagination and it was scaring her. "Hakkai. You wear clips on your ears...for some reason I don't suppose they're just for fashion."
Ming had been following the demons that seemed to move through town. She wanted to study them, she didn't fear them. Until the night she was raped. She happened to have been raped by a demon.
Hakkai looked down and then went to his own bed sitting cross legged. "Well...I am a demon. But I don't bite, I promise" he reassured her. She must have known about the limiters demons wore to prevent themselves from going bloodthirsty.
She closed her eyes still listening to Hakkai. "If you bite, you would most likely would of bitten me already." She also had figured out that Gojyo was a half-demon. She was trying to learn all she could about demons, so she knew quite a lot.
Hakkai didn't look like a demon, but the clips on his ear kind of made her come to the conclusion. She had met demons before they went berserk. She was quite the researcher but had yet to meet a demon who used to be a human. To her it was still just a legend.
Hakkai sighed and laid down. He didn't like telling anyone that he used to be very human. But that changed when he slayed over one thousand demonsjust to save her...and then she went and killed herself. He blamed himself for not protecting her, for not being there. A tear went down his cheek and he turned under the covers so he could sleep and so she wouldn't see him.
Ming could feel sleep coming unto her, soon she was fast asleep. For now she wasn't having a nightmare, instead it was a dream. A very nice dream where she was flying through the clouds without a care in a world. Something she hadn't dreamed about in a long time.
Goku took his own bags and went to the room he was sharing with Gojyo, he wanted to eat and sleep again. Gojyo went into the room he was sharing with Goku and stood in front of the bathroom mirror staring at his hair.
Goku sat staring at him from his bed. "Hey, you don't look that bad" he commented. He knew how much the sprite loved his hair but he had to just let it grow back. Gojyo walked out of the bathroom. "I'm glad my hair grows fast."
Goku blinked and yawned. He was going to take a shower then sleep. And then eat everything they had on the menu in the morning at a nearby restaurant. Life was sweet you were a kid.
Gojyo started to cut his hair until it was in a short style that the women went for. He looked good but he was still missing his hair. Damn it, he was going to kill that pissy priest one day. He noticed Goku in his bed and ruffled his hair.
"Night" he told the monkey and climbed into bed after taking off his clothes down to his boxers and got under the covers. Tomorrow, women and booze.
Sanzo got to his room and noticed there was a working shower. How lucky were they to get another inn with working plumbing. Mayumi looked around as she walked into the room, she could smell demons a mile away and it wasn't a good thing. Hopefully nothing would be stupid enough to attack the party.
Mayumi threw her things on the bed and walked into the bathroom. Ha! She finally beat him to it and hummed in content as she turned on the water and went back to gather her nightgown.
Sanzo glared at Mayumi. "What do you think you're doing?" He obviously had wanted to shower first.
Mayumi smirked and walked into the bathroom. "Ladies first" she said and closed the door behind her.
Sanzo was still glaring. He could always save water, but he didn't feel like taking a risk. He laid down on his bed, on his back. He yawned and lit a cigarette. Mayumi finished and came out dressed in a black nightgown that was almost see through and sat on her bed with one leg hanging off the side.
"You can go now" she said getting her clothes for tomorrow. She had bought another outfit besides that kimono to wear in case her robes were dirty and they were for the moment.
Sanzo stood up. Great he had a second hand shower and the water probably wasn't going to be cold. He sighed and walked into the bathroom, closing the door. He took off his clothes and got into the shower.
Mayumi sat up in the bed and ate the last of her strawberries while reading again. He had actually gotten a one bedroom this time, he was being flexible. Plus it didn't make any sense to sleep in separate beds since they were closer now.
Soon, Sanzo came back out of the bathroom. He had a towel wrapped around his waist, obviously having forgotten his change of clothes in his bag.
Mayumi looked up and snickered. "Did the monk forget his clothes?" she teased.
That's why she always remembered to pack her things and keep them with her. Although he did look good in a towel, so wet and...damn him. She went back to her book before he could see the blush on her face.
Sanzo pulled out a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. He took off the towel then pulled on the shorts, then the shirt. He threw the towel to Mayumi and it happened to go over her head.
Mayumi growled and threw the towel on a chair. "Watch it monk, I might make you pay" she said and read her book again. If only he knew what she read all the time, he might think she was a pervert.
Sanzo sat down on the bed, taking a cigarette from his pack. He had looked over her shoulder a couple times to see what she was reading, he knew exactly what she was reading but didn't think anything of it. Women were one of the creatures he didn't want to figure out.
Mayumi giggled at one part and put her face closer. It was such a romantic scene! The candlelight, the nice dinner...only in people's dreams would that happen. More like her dreams, she always dreamt about things that she could never have. Once the chapter ended she closed her book and out it on the dresser next to her.
"Goodnight" she said and turned on her side to face the window.
Sanzo was sitting in the bed and looked down at her. "Night." He wasn't very tired at the moment. So he sat there smoking his cigarette. He really was probably going to get cancer, or not be able to move as fast as he could now.
But the cigarettes were just too good to give up. Once he was finished with his cigarette he put it out in an ashtray and turned off the light. He got under the covers falling asleep in a few minutes while hearing Mayumi's shallow breathing as she slept.
She was dreaming of good things until she saw blood on her hands. The temple was burning...and everyone she loved had died. The blood from their bodies was on her hands and it wouldn't go away. That metallic smell, the crimson red that came from inside them as the demons tore them apart.
She woke up in a cold sweat and tears running down her face.
"Damn it" she sobbed into her hands quietly. Sanzo was already asleep next to her and she didn't want to wake him. So she took the pain and went back to sleep, she had to shop tomorrow.
The next day Hakkai woke up alert and ready to go. People were actually outside and doing activities. It was better than that eerie silence the night before.
Ming heard the moving around in the room and her dream went quickly from good to bad. She woke up and looked to her wrist. The bruise was even worse. The bruise wasn't noticeable but now it was. Had she hurt her wrist in her sleep? She knew people could dream of something and somehow end up doing it in their sleep.
Hakkai looked over to her and smiled. "Good morning Ming. You look like something's troubling you, what's wrong?" he asked. She looked scared and he didn't want her to be that way.
Ming forced a smile onto her lips. "I'm... I'm fine." She moved her arm under the covers to not worry him about how the bruise had somehow gotten worse.
Hakkai sighed and gave her a warm smile. "Alright, if you want breakfast will be in the restaurant not far from here" he said walking out the room. He had shopping to do
She wasn't very hungry because she didn't often eat breakfast. Once he was out of the room she pulled the covers off of herself and went into the bathroom to take a shower. She placed her clean clothes on the counter in the bathroom and closed the door. She got undressed, took her hair out of a bun then got into the shower. She was going to milk the shower of as much water as she could.
Mayumi woke up and rubbed her eyes. She had to get shopping then she was going to see if there was a hot spring somewhere. But first, she had to get out without Sanzo noticing the other thing she had bought for him not too long ago.
Since they were going to spend a bit of a day here Sanzo had no reason to wake up early. Instead he was still asleep when she woke up. He could feel Mayumi get out of bed, and instead of waking he moved into the middle of the bed, taking it up for himself. It had been a very long time since he had slept in a big bed like this one.
Mayumi looked behind her and walked into the bathroom with her bag. She came out dressed very...different. Then she looked all over the dresser until she found her wallet and walked out. Thankfully he didn't open his eyes, she was going to be a surprise for later.
Sanzo turned in his sleep, grabbing her pillow and placing his cheek on it. The pillow smelled like her. Jasmine and light cigarettes. The scent was intoxicating to him and he loved it, but he refused to show Mayumi just hoe much he cared for her.
Hakkai knocked on the monk's door. He was probably still asleep. "Sanzo? I need the card" he said. Sanzo woke up. Hakkai was disturbing his sleep. Sanzo crawled out of the bed and grabbed the card. He walked to the door and opened it handing Hakkai the card.
"Here. I'm running low on cigarettes."
He then shut the door and went back to the bed and crawled back under the covers. Going back into the position he had been in when Hakkai woke him. Hakkai blinked and walked away. That was like Sanzo alright, a little too much. He must not have had enough sleep last night or something. But then again, that was always Sanzo for you.
(A/N: These two scenes are happening at the same time until a specific point, you'll get it as you read okay?)
Later that day, Mayumi came back humming to herself and carrying about two bags. She was content and she hoped Sanzo was up by now. Goku saw her and his mouth dropped open.
"Mayumi?" he asked.
She walked past him, it was the outfit that had shocked him. Hakkai came back in from his shopping and saw Goku staring into space. "Um...okay..." he said walking off.
Ming was still in the shower. She wanted to stay under the water forever. She wanted to wash the sin from her body. Hakkai came back into his room and heard the shower running. "Ming? Are you in there?" he said through the door. Hadn't she gotten dressed already?
Ming heard Hakkai. "Yes..." she answered. Well she guessed it was time to get out of the shower. But she was having such a wonderful time. She turned off the water and grabbed a towel then stepped out of the shower. She dried herself off then quickly dressed into a pair of jeans and a short-sleeve shirt. She came out of the bathroom with a smile on her face.
Hakkai looked her over and saw her pruned skin. "I think you should cut it to only ten minutes" he teased.
Ming looked to her bare arms, and blushed slightly. "Gomen, I got carried away."
Really she wanted to stay under the shower for a long time. "Water has a way of making me feel like I can actually scrub away my sins." She moved over towards her bed and grabbed her jacket. She was glad that he hadn't noticed the bruise on her wrist, she wouldn't know how to answer to that one.
Hakkai had noticed she was acting so strangely. "Well, sins you can never wash away. They're there and will always be there. But all you can do is go on and smile. And if you can't smile then cry until the tears run out" he said. He knew how she felt, he wanted to be rid of his sins too but he couldn't. They would always be there. Ming nodded, pulling her jacket on.
"I know that sins can never be washed away, but it's nice to imagine. Sin is like blood, you can't live without it. And if you do, you're not living."
She ran a hand through her hair which was straight at the moment. Her hair was always straight when she got out of the water, but it would go back to it's normal state once it dried curly.
Hakkai stared at her for the longest, she reminded him of someone. She was intelligent and very wise. But she was also one of the most beautiful women he had laid his eyes on in years. He blushed an looked away.
"I'm sorry Ming...I didn't mean to stare it's just...I was thinking that's all" he said turning away. He promised himself he wouldn't love anyone else, never again. It was too painful to do.
Ming smiled at Hakkai. "No need to apologize. It's quite fine." She hated the word thinking, because she was haunted by the actions of that word. She sat down on her bed and grabbed her hair brush, running it through her hair a couple times before setting it down.
Hakkai sat down on his bed and started sorting through the items he bought, anything to get her off his mind. But he could think of her even as he did it. Was she really so attractive to him?
Well, that was a definite yes but she was too much like him. Like a wise girl once said, a positive and a positive can only push away each other. But Ming wasn't totally like Hakkai, she really was quite different.
She was just so calm and a bit depressed at the moment. Her limping had stopped and her lip had healed a bit. She healed quite quickly, now if only the bruising would go away. She grabbed a journal from her bag and flipped it to a new place and began to scribble words into it.
Hakkai finished and put out all the things he had gotten for everyone else. Sanzo's cigarettes, Goku's meat buns, Gojyo's beer, Mayumi's wine, and he had gotten Ming a pretty kimono wrapped in a box. It might be nice for her to get something and it matched her aqua green eyes. He was good. He smiled to himself and laid on his back. He was tired, he needed another hot spring to relax in.
Ming looked up from her writing and closed the book, resting it in her lap. The journal was a log of all the demons she had encountered or heard about. Being a researcher meant lots of work and a lot of that work was writing.
Hakkai looked over at her with that same smile. "I think your hair looks much better down" he said.
It did, with all that curliness. He was going to give her the kimono later, leave it a surprise.
Ming touched her hair with her long, thin fingers. "It may look better but it really gets annoying when it hangs in my face." She told him. She loved her hair, but it was so much of a pain in the ass.
Hakkai laughed a little and then looked up at the ceiling again. "If you want, we could look around the town" he said. If she didn't want to he would go with Gojyo or Goku, he didn't blame her if she didn't want to. She was still shaken up about that night.
Ming smiled. "That'd be nice. Might keep my mind off of things" she told him.
Gojyo walked out of the room seeing the monkey looking off into space. He waved a hand in front of his eyes and snapped his fingers. "Goku...earth to Goku..."
Sanzo was half awake, still laying in bed.
Goku snapped out of it and pointed down that hall. "Mayumi! She's not wearing her robes! Her clothes...they're normal!" he said in shock. She never wore anything besides it not counting her nightgown.
Mayumi walked in and set her bags down. "Sanzo, wake up" she said happily. Something was up, she sounded too happy for her own good. Sanzo mumbled then turned onto his back and opened his eyes. He looked her over.
"What are you wearing?"
Mayumi smiled and turned around like a model. "I bought this as a surprise that day. I get hot in those robes you know. I think I look nice and my chest is actually noticeable" she said with a smile. She felt so free out those robes!
The outfit was a pair white shorts that went only to the high inner side of her thighs and her chest had a white tank top that had a v cut in the middle and showed off some cleavage. She still wore her sandals but with no tabi socks on this time.
Sanzo's eyes wandered to her chest. They did show a lot better and he didn't blame her for not wearing the robes. They were awfully heavy and got hot during sunny days. His eyes then went back to her face. He was done examining her so he turned back onto his side and closed his eyes. He didn't want to wake up just yet.
Mayumi caught him staring at her breasts and went over to hit him with a pillow. "Secret pervert!" she yelled.
Goku was walking down the hallway telling Gojyo he had to see something and she sighed. Why'd he have to go and tell him?
Sanzo grabbed the pillow from her hands. "Not my fault, you pointed them out." She did too. Telling him it made her chest more noticeable, of course he was going to go and look. It was instinct and he liked that instinct.
Sanzo placed the pillow under his head. Gojyo and Goku came into the room to see Mayumi.
"Wow you're right Goku" Gojyo said eyeing Mayumi hungrily. She looked way more than good enough to eat.
Sanzo removed his gun from under his pillow and pointed it at them. "Learn to knock and get out." He wasn't in the mood for Goku and Gojyo yet.
Mayumi growled and sat on the side of the bed. "Don't mind him we all know he isn't a morning person" she said.
Goku grinned and gave her a thumbs up. "I think you look great, you've got a real woman Sanzo" he said walking out the room. He didn't want to be shot at. Gojyo followed Goku out of the room as well. Sanzo already cut his hair, there was nothing stopping him from shooting him either
Sanzo growled and pulled a pillow over his head. He hated ignorance in the morning...well he hated ignorance all the time, but it was worse in the morning.
Mayumi blinked and sighed as she started to sort her things. New books, a carton of light cigarettes, strawberries, and bullets for her gun. She was going to be content.
"It's almost twelve in the afternoon, you have to get up sometime" she said sitting her legs underneath her and eating strawberries again. She was addicted to them.
Sanzo threw the pillow his head was resting on at her. "I can sleep as long as I want" he told her, laying on his stomach.
Mayumi growled and placed the pillow in her lap to serve as a desk for her strawberries. "Watch it, I can kick your ass" she threatened.
Sanzo chuckled. "Kick my ass? I would love to see you try." He was twice her size so he really would like to see her try and kick his ass. Mayumi put away her precious berries and threw the pillow on the bed.
"Fine" she said and jumped on top of him. She was going to wrestle him, she could do that better than martial arts thanks to her younger brother.
Mayumi pinned his arms over his head with one hand and took his gun with the other. "This won't do" she said putting it out of his reach. Her grip felt about as strong as a demon's if she really tried.
Sanzo smiled up at Mayumi, he twisted his hand out of her grip and grabbed her wrist, he moved a hand to her waist and pushed her onto her back. He quickly straddled her, placing his legs over hers so she couldn't move them. He held each wrist separately with different hands.
Mayumi pouted and looked up at him. "But...but...no fair!" she said like a child. She hated it when she was disabled from using her legs, they were her secret weapons sometimes. He smiled down at her, the smile of doom. She tried to get out of his grip and then grinned having thought of something.
"Sanzo? Does this really look right to anyone who just comes in here?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
Sanzo didn't budge. "I don't care if this looks right or not." He told her.
Mayumi growled and struggled to get her wrist out of his grip. Damn he was strong and stubborn, evil man. "Alright you win. I give...but there's something I've been meaning to ask you" she said looking straight at him.
Sanzo let out a 'hn.' and got off of her. He sat on the side of the bed with his legs hanging from the side. He grabbed his pack of cigarettes and lit one. He blew out some smoke. "And what is that?"
Mayumi sat with her knees up to her chest and her hands on top of them. "I...want to know more about you. Your past...I never read your mind that far because I wanted to hear it from you" she explained.
Sanzo took a deep drag on his cigarette and slowly blew out the smoke. He scoffed and stood up. "Good, there is nothing to tell." He walked into the bathroom to retrieve his robes he had left in there from his shower.
Mayumi looked at the bathroom door and then put her head on her knees. he had told hers, but...he wanted to keep his a secret? Just what exactly happened? And what the hell kind of relationship did they have if he kept things like that from her? She began to tear up but wiped them away, she was strong. If he wanted to be quiet, fine with her.
Sanzo soon came back out from the bathroom, straightening the sutra on his shoulders. He looked to her, she looked too sad. If she wanted to know she should have just probed his mind.
Mayumi looked up at him with cold eyes like when they first met and got up brushing herself off. "I assume we'll be leaving soon, maybe you should prepare" she said walking past him and taking her robes and folding them up.
Sanzo sat down on the bed. "We'll leave tomorrow. I just felt like changing into my clothes."
She sighed and went downstairs to wash them, they were filthy and she also wanted to get away from him. She didn't become emotional for anyone, least of all him. Mayumi washed her clothes with more force than usual and made them extra white, just the way she liked them.
Hakkai got up and started to walk out the room. "Come on...and we should bring Gojyo and Goku with us" he suggested to Ming. She followed after him, heading to Goku and Gojyo's room.
Gojyo was sitting in his room, throwing a ball he had found against the wall. "Man this so boring." he complained, throwing the ball to Goku.
Goku was laying upside down on his bed in boredom, this place was nothing unless someone wanted to do something. Why couldn't they be attacked for once? At least they had something to do then. He caught the ball and threw it against the wall and then back to Gojyo.
They knocked on the door and Gojyo and Goku both ran to the door, hopefully something to ease their boredom had come up. Gojyo pushed Goku out of the way and opened the door.
Goku growled and squeezed under him.
"Please tell me a demon attacked" he begged. Hakkai laughed and pat his head.
"I'm afraid not, but we're going to see what else the town has around before we leave" he said. Goku grinned and put on his shoes ready to go. He was anxious to get out of there.
Ming enjoyed Goku's upbeat personality, it was very refreshing. Gojyo put on his sleeveless jacket then put his hands in his pockets.
"Let's go then." They walked out of the inn past the monks room where there was some muffled talking.
Ming took a deep breath of the air. It actually was so much better than being in that stuffy room.
Goku walked into the fresh air and looked around. "I see a restaurant and another one over there! And there's one there!" he pointed in all directions.
Hakkai sighed and pet the little dragon on his shoulder. "I think he's scaring Hakuryuu right now...but I wouldn't be surprised" he said.
Goku was looking at all the places with food like he was going to eat from each one. "Um...let's go" Hakkai said in a soft tone. "Gojyo, please get Goku" he asked.
Gojyo sighed and went off to go get Goku. He grabbed Goku by the shoulder but was having problems pulling him away. "God! Goku... get a grip, man!"
Ming watched as Gojyo struggled with Goku, trying to get him away from the restaurant. "What a lively bunch." She said, crossing her arms over her chest. She was also going over the things she might need over in her head. She had used up her journal and needed a new one.
Goku pouted and looked longingly at the restaurant. "But...but...the food... he said sadly. He was growing hungrier by the minute and his stomach was getting upset.
Hakkai sweatdropped and pet Hakuryuu again. "Um...well, I guess you could say that Ming. Is there anything you want while we're out here? I still have the card you know" he said.
Ming nodded to Hakkai. "Yes, I need a new journal, but I can pay for it myself. I actually make good money with what I do." She was paid a lot for her research, that was also why she went traveling so much.
Gojyo grabbed Goku. "Come on!" Finally he was able to pull Goku away. "We'll eat when we get back. I saw Hakkai bring in some meat buns."
Goku let himself be dragged away. He looked at the restaurant that was becoming a distant memory and his stomach was not happy. But the word meat buns brightened him up.
"Really Hakkai?" he asked.
Hakkai smiled and looked down at him. "Yes, now we're just going to explore a little, might as well enjoy ourselves right?" he said.
Goku nodded his head and followed them with his hands behind his head in a carefree way.
They walked around for a bit. Ming watched as stores passed them by. She needed to find a bookstore that would have a journal that she could buy.
Finally she spotted one. She turned back to the three she was with. "I'll be right back." She walked into the store and picked up a black book with empty pages. She paid for the book then came back out holding it in her hand. Good, now she could continue writing down everything she had came in contact with the past few weeks.
Hakkai looked at the notebook in her arms and gave a small smile. "I'm glad you've found something to do with yourself when we aren't fighting demons" he commented.
Goku gave him a 'hey what about the rest of us?' glare and walked ahead. He was missing Kiora again, just when he had thought he had gotten over her. But he couldn't, she was too embedded in his mind. He sighed and looked around the stores until he saw a clothing store that had some clothes he would wear.
"Um...Hakkai?" he asked in a small voice. The demon looked over and sweatdropped. "Alright, you need some more anyway" he said.
Gojyo placed his hands into his pockets. This little outing was just about as boring as sitting in that stuffy room. They weren't doing anything really. No booze, no flirting with hot chicks, they were just walking around and going into random stores. But he guessed that was what Hakkai had told them they'd be doing. What else he could he expect from the great Cho Hakkai?
He looked around, hoping maybe to find some woman he could just go flirt with, probably something to pass the time away. They were stopped in front of a bar. There was a heavy guitar sound coming from the bar and a melodic voice.
The guitar's revs were deep and dark and the voice that accompanied the guitar was sexy and sensual. The music was hypnotic and very mysterious. Gojyo turned to Hakkai and Ming.
"I'm going to go in there." He pointed to the bar then entered. Ming watched him leave and disappear into the darkness of the bar. He was a strange one. She would have to write a bit about him, after all he was a demon...well half demon.
Hakkai blinked and then rubbed the back of his head. "Well I guess it's just the three of us" he said. Goku shook his head and then started walking again.
"I want to go look on my own, I'll be back later" he said walking off.
Hakkai sighed and looked at the monkey's back. Maybe he just had to think, he had been a bit more...well, not Goku-ish lately and he had good reason.
"Okay...then I guess we can walk and talk in private then Ming" he said looking at her with any smile that would make a woman blush like the devil.
Color came over Ming's cheeks as she looked away from the smile Hakkai had given her. She quickly thought of something to say to break the growing silence. "So…Hakkai...can you tell a little about being a demon?"
She found demonology to be quite fascinating. After all she was a demonologist.
Hakkai felt the color on his cheeks go even redder than they were and cleared his throat.
"Well, I myself am a...special type of demon. I can use chi for attacking. Spiritual energy to most people. But...well, there isn't much to say. I've always had these limiters on so I basically know hardly anything about my more demonic side" he said. Not all truth and not all a lie. He didn't want to tell her about his past, at least not yet. It depressed him and made others stay away from him.
"A special type of demon you say. Interesting..." Ming could feel the uneasiness coming from Hakkai. She didn't want to ask him anymore questions about the matter, it seemed to bother him. Instead she smiled and turned around to continue walking.
Hakkai walked and saw a small shop, well, more of a cafe. It wasn't crowded and they did have his favorite drink.
"How about we stop for a drink? Then I'll get you anything you want afterwards?" he asked. He wanted to change the subject soon, he really didn't want to get depressed in front of her. Ming nodded and followed him inside.
Mayumi went upstairs after washing her robes and drying them to see Sanzo reading a paper and smoking a cigarette. She seemed to glare at him and then went to change her clothes. Damn this outfit, she didn't feel like wearing it in such a bad mood. She came out in her robes and picked up her novel she had to finish reading.
Sanzo flicked some ashes into an ashtray and looked up from his paper. His glasses were sitting low on his nose so he could peer over them at her. Once the glance was broken he pushed his glasses back up and went back to reading the paper.
"Why the sudden change in clothes?"
Mayumi sat on the bed cross-legged and opened her book. "Nothing..." she replied monotone and got into her book again.
Sanzo finished reading all the articles that he wanted to read and closed the newspaper. He folded it into a square, or like they had gotten it, and placed it on the table. He put out his cigarette in the ashtray amongst what seemed like a million other cigarette buts. Then he looked over to Mayumi and sighed. That woman was so hard to please, what the hell did he see in her?
Something other people didn't care to see. Someone like him, someone who refused to love at the expense of being hurt again. No one wanted that and he could relate to Yumi in many ways. Their lives were completely different minus the fact that both their master's were murdered by demons and both of them grew to have high titles as monks.
It had to be harder on her, being a woman and all. He himself didn't like the idea of a woman being a monk. But Mayumi was an exception, because she was that much different. And it had taken him that long to notice it.
There was also something he couldn't put his finger on about her. It was different yet familiar. Oh well, he'd figure it out later or something like that. No use in worrying over nothing.
Mayumi sighed and closed her book, she couldn't concentrate at all.
"I'm sorry for that earlier...I just wanted to know from your own experiences. I don't like to go into painful pasts, I can feel that pain myself. But I understand you completely...and I want to know more about you" she said and looked up at him.
Sanzo looked over to Mayumi, taking another cigarette out of the pack he held in his hand. He put it in his mouth.
"I would tell you, but I figured if you really wanted to know about me you'd just probe my mind. Besides, I don't feel like getting all depressed and stoic."
Mayumi sighed and uncrossed her legs so she could lie on her back and spread her legs out in the process. "It must really be bad...maybe I'll save the mind probing for another day. I just wanted to know...I've never had someone care about me the way you do" she said looking up at the ceiling.
Sanzo lit the cigarette, a long drag from it. "Well, maybe not totally bad. I just really don't want to talk about it."
Sanzo stood, walking over towards Mayumi. He moved a hand through her hair and kissed her lightly on the top of her head. He then left the room to get something to drink.
Awww! Sanzo does have a heart! He just acts like he's a wet mop! Anyway, reviews are welcomed. Oh, the next one introduces a new enemy made by NxKxOxL and has a lot of Gojyo in it. Just what was he doing the whole time while everyone else was talking during this chapter? You'll have to review to find out.