The font looks odd on the preview page. If it's still odd when it comes up i'll change it as soon as possible. Chapter is extra long. Next chapter will contain a (one sided) pairing that is... rare. If you don't like it when it comes up next time, just tell me in the reviews and i'll re-write it. Review please!
"Goku." The teen looked up, "I need a new set of robes now, so we might as well go get changed together." The monkey nodded and continued clinging with one hand as Sanzo made his way through the crowd, the monks parting before him. Once up in the small room, after the door had closed behind Hakkai an Gojyo, the calmly composed blonde of the floor below gave way for a highly irritated blond.
"You stupid ape! What the hell do you think you're doing, getting covered in mud and getting it on me!" Goku clutched his head, where a white fan had come crashing down.
"Sanzo! I didn't mean to! Sorry!" He dashed past the monk's arm reach, "I didn't mean to! Tell him Gojyo, Hakkai!" Hakkai stepped in smoothly,
"It wasn't his fault Sanzo. He simply got tripped." All this got was a 'ch' and Sanzo threw a towel at he brunettes head,
"Go shower off." Goku happily ran into the other room and Sanzo stripped his outer robe off, revealing a black t-shirt and jeans. "Stupid baka." He added as he rummaged in the small closet for another set of robes.
"It truly wasn't his fault Sanzo. It seems a few of these monks don't particularly like Goku." Sanzo's eyes narrowed,
"The mud. They tripped him on purpose?" his voice was deadpan, but his eyes seemed to be violet fire. Gojyo didn't seem to notice, but the ever observant Hakkai took it all in stride.
"Yeah. Not really nice you religious guys." Gojyo teased easily, leaning against the door frame while the sound off running water came from the adjacent bathroom. The sound of running water and slightly off-key singing. "Which reminds me, who are these people who came to see you, oh great Sanzo?" Sanzo shot the redhead a glare, but deigned to answer,
'Just some religious hypocrites. They come ever year." He took out another robe from the closet and threw it on the bed, taking out a cigarette and inhaling deeply, "The monks bother me till I lecture." He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, the light of the room revealing the dark rings under them.
"Didn't sleep well last night?" Hakkai asked calmly. Sanzo glanced up,
"I guess not." At Sanzo's answer Gojyo laughed,
"Don't tell me you're afraid of the rain too?" He stopped short when he saw the look Sanzo was giving him, and the piercing look Hakkai was bestowing on him. "Gee." He backed away slightly until their gazes were fixed elsewhere.
"You're taking Goku for the day?" Hakkai nodded pleasantly at the question, "Here." Sanzo extended a roll of bills and Hakkai arched an eyebrow. "It's for food." Nodding with his understanding the money was tucked into a pocket of Hakkai's clothes and the shower stopped along with the singing. Soon a very wet Goku came in cheerfully, dressed in soccer shorts and a blue shirt,
"Didn't you even bother drying monkey?" Gojyo asked this when Goku shook his head like a dog, spraying water all along the red head.
"Nope!" He pulled on his socks and sneakers and a jacket before pronouncing himself ready to go with a 'I'm hungry!" Sanzo had pulled on his robes again and winced slightly at Goku's loud voice.
"Just get going already will you?" Goku sprinted out the door before coming back a moment later,
"Bye Sanzo!" He waved enthusiastically and disappeared into the corridor,
"We'll drop Goku off tonight sometime." Hakkai said and Gojyo started out the door also,
"Yeah, whatever." Sanzo paused for a moment, prompting Hakkai to ask,
"Yes?" Sanzo shook his head,
"Nothing. It's just that I won't be back until almost morning." Hakkai looked at Sanzo's weary face and spoke again,
"I don't think that a night of non-sleeping will be very good for you, after not sleeping last night." Sanzo shrugged nonchalantly,
"Whatever."
"Goku is more then welcome to spend the night." Sanzo's face cleared slightly and he mumbled,
"Thanks. I don't want that Baka saru to bother me again." Hakkai nodded and smiled thoughtfully.
"Of course." They left the room and went on their separate ways, Goku clambering into the back of the jeep while Gojyo got shotgun,
"Hakkai?" Hakkai didn't turn around while driving, but answered,
"Yes?"
"I'm hungry!" Gojyo flicked another cigarette into life and spoke impatiently,
"Shut up monkey! We haven't even gotten on the road and you're already complaining!" Goku looked taken aback for a moment and then responded,
"Yeah? Well at least I'm not a water sprite!" Gojyo and Goku continued their friendly verbal abuse of each other until they pulled into the small parking lot next to a tall building. Hakkai commented as Goku leapt out of the jeep,
"There's a meat bun seller across the street Goku. Why don't we go purchase some?" Goku's mouth opened and he raced to be next to Hakkai, pulling him forward,
"C'mon Gojyo!" The red head followed reluctantly, and after they had bought out the entire shop they went to the sixth floor and opened door one hundred and five. The front room was both a living room and a kitchen, the paint slightly peeling but a pleasant yellow color. The couch was second hand and had patches over it in random places, but everything in the room was neat and tidy, a tribute to Hakkai.
"You can eat at the table there Goku." Hakkai pointed to a small white table and Goku obediently sat, popping meat buns into his mouth at an alarming rate.
"Slow down!" Gojyo tried taking one from the sitting boy, but only got a handful of air for his efforts, since Goku had grabbed the meat bun in question. "Hey! Give me one!" Goku didn't answer, but continued shoving them into his garbage disposal of a mouth. Hakkai ignored the fight breaking out and put a kettle of tea on with a resigned air. After all the meat buns were consumed and the tea was drank, Gojyo commented,
"Hey, monkey?" Goku looked up at him, grinning widely.
"Yeah?" He threw himself on the couch, drawing his legs under him.
"I have a playstation if you're into that kinda thing." Goku looked inquisitive,
"What's a playstation? Can you eat it?" Hakkai laughed slightly,
"It's a video game system Goku." Goku shrugged,
"Um, what?" Gojyo sighed and tried to explain, then changed his mind and opened the drawer under the battered TV, revealing the gaming system. He flipped it on and turned the TV on also, popping in a martial arts game. Once Goku understood that you could control your people to kill demon zombies, he was enthusiastic and challenged Gojyo repeatedly.
"Hahaha! You lost lecher water sprite!" Hours later Gojyo was getting increasingly frustrated at his repeated loses and only rose from his spot on the coach when Hakkai tapped him on his shoulder,
"Gojyo, it's seven thirty. Shouldn't you be getting ready for work?" Gojyo jumped up and combed a hand through his crimson hair before donning a black button down shirt and khaki pants.
"Shit!" He took a pack of cigarettes from the counter, ignored Hakkai's disapproving sounds, and headed out the door. "I'll be back at three, but don't you dare still be awake Hakkai!"
"Bye!" Goku looked up from the game for a moment and then looked at the only remaining person in the room. "Hey, Hakkai! You want to be my opponent?"
"Sure." Hakkai sat crossed legged next to Goku and they played for a few moments. While the next stage of the game was loading Hakkai asked,
"Hey Goku? Why do you live with Sanzo?" Those few words had a huge impact on the teen, he dropped his controller and bit on his bottom lip thoughtfully,
"Cause." Hakkai sighed.
"Because why Goku?" Goku answered slowly, as though carefully picking his words.
"Cause Sanzo saved me. I was all alone forever and ever and he took me out." Hakkai's brow furrowed slightly.
"Alone? Where?" The response came quickly,
"It was in a cave on a mountain. Someone said later it must have been a place for prisoners of war, because the area it was in was in a heated battle at the time, but I don't remember any of that." Goku shrugged. "I had stuff on my hands," Here he rubbed his wrists reflectively, "And my ankles, and I couldn't get out for years and years. I wanted, I wanted so much to be in the sunshine that filtered through the bars, but I couldn't make it." He stopped then and sat back, an unreadable expression on his face. Hakkai prompted him on,
"Where does Sanzo come in Goku?" The boy smiled brilliantly,
"Sanzo came, and the bars broke, and the chains melted and I went out on the sunshine with him!" He spoke very fast and very happily so that it took a few seconds for Hakkai's mind to process the words.
"I see. So because he saved you, you love him?" Goku shook his head,
"I probably would anyway, no matter what he was like, but this is Sanzo! After he let me out we stayed at an inn and I had a really bad dream about being back in the cave. When I woke up he was right next to me." Hakkai imagined the scene in his head with Sanzo saying "Stupid monkey! Won't you shut up for one minute and let me sleep?" but Goku shattered this illusion by going on, "He, he just stood by me, didn't say a word. He sat on the edge of my bed until I fell asleep." His eyes shone with utter adoration.
"He did that?" Hakkai's tone was a little skeptical,
"Yeah. He did it every night for a week. After that we were in the temple and I guess I stopped screaming in my sleep, so he didn't come any more. But I still got scared sometimes, and I." Goku blushed faintly, "I would go all the way to his room and he'd move over and make room for me." Hakkai watched the expression on the boy's face, noticing the blush fading rapidly. "Of course, I don't do that any more."
"Don't do it any more because he made you stop coming to his room?" Goku found the brunettes question odd, but answered honestly anyway,
"No. He never sent me away. I just didn't have any more bad dreams any more." Hakkai nodded and noticed the slightly dropping eyes of the younger boy,
"Goku, are you sleepy?" Goku shook his head slowly,
"No…. not sleepy…" His eyes wandered precariously close to closing and Hakkai stood,
"Why don't I make the couch into a bed for you then?" Goku nodded slowly, golden eyes glazed.
"'Kay." The bed was quickly switched and Goku fell down on the pillow with a dull sound, his slow breathing coming to Hakkai's ears.
"I would never have imagined it of Sanzo." Hakkai mused while continuing his fifth revision of his essay. He was having a particularly hard time picking a subject for things he enjoyed, since there had been very little since the death of his sister.
"Hiya." The door was open, Gojyo was leaning against the door, red hair streaming down his shoulders and black shirt smelling faintly of tobacco, perfume and liquor. "Whoa. Monkey's energetic even in his sleep." He commented as a pillow was flung dangerously near his ear from the deeply asleep primate. "Maybe that's why Sanzo…" Whatever he was about to say was cut short,
"Was work pleasant?" Hakkai had fallen slightly asleep in the hours to Gojyo's arrival, and only had awakened when the door was flung open. Gojyo took in the shadows under Hakkai's eyes and the violently tossing monkey before saying lightly,
"You're not going to get much sleep with the monkey, if you planned on sharing with him. Work? Yeah, it was fine." Hakkai glanced over at Goku, who managed to take up the entire area of the couch, and still have all four limbs draping over in some way.
"I don't mind."
"Yeah right Hakkai. We'll double up tonight, and that way I wont feel guilty when you or the monkey wake up bruised. Might have trouble explaining that one to Sanzo." Hakkai blushed softly and nodded,
"You don't mind?" Gojyo shook his head,
"It's no problem. Wouldn't have offered if I minded." He went into the bedroom, followed by Hakkai, and pulled off his shirt, discarding it into a laundry bin after a pointed look from the green eyed man. Hakkai had long since changed into a loose shirt and pants, and followed Gojyo after the man flopped down on his bed and flicked the light switch off with an easy gesture. Before any awkwardness on Hakkai's part had set in he had fallen asleep, breathing softly, his cheek resting against one of his slim arms. Gojyo put both his tan arms under his head and gazed up at the cracked ceiling through the clearing darkness, whispering to himself as he cast a sideways look at the brunette besides him,
"Why is it that you feel so familiar?"
"Hey, guys?" Goku's voice cut off as he looked at the inside of the room. It's wasn't that the occupants inside were doing anything strange, they were simply sleeping peacefully, it was the aura of complete safety around them that drew the earth spirit up short. He grinned briefly and then shut the door quietly, returning to the living room to try to make breakfast by himself.
"Mhhmm." Gojyo's first feeling when he woke up was that he had never felt so completely calm in his life. His second thought was that something was very decidedly wrong. Nothing that was in sight, Hakkai was still immobile, his brown hair and the pillow obscuring his face, but something was still wrong. Very wrong.
"Oww!" Gojyo listened to the words for a second before realizing that Goku was still there, and that the loud proclamation had been followed by a large crash. He jumped out of bed with grace and landed on his feet on the floor, wrenching open the door to take in the scene that lay before his wine colored eyes.
"Monkey!" The kitchen was covered in a thick paste of what looked like flour and water, and Goku was in the middle of it, it was wafting into his hair, and streaks already ran down his face.
"Waaa!" Goku looked close to tears and Gojyo looked around the mess some more, it was obvious the monkey had been trying to cook something, the question was, what in the hell was it? "I'm, I'm sorry! I was just hungry!" He backed away slightly from the enormous mess, leaving his footprints in the flour. "And, and…"
"Good morning." Hakkai was suddenly next to Gojyo, completely calm and eyeing the scene with interest. "You seem to have made quite a mess." Goku looked at the kitchen and shook some of the flour out of his hair.
"Sorry!" Gojyo rolled his eyes, but the monkey did look sorry, his golden eyes were large and apologetic.
"It's okay you stupid monkey. Just don't try to cook anymore." Goku nodded solemnly.
"Why don't, why don't you go to the street vender and buy some breakfast Goku? Gojyo and I will clean up, and after you've eaten we'll drive you back to the temple." Goku nodded enthusiastically,
"Yeah! I bet Sanzo's really lonely without me." He took the bill from Hakkai's hand without another comment and sprinted out the door,
"Why did you say we'd clean up the monkey's mess?" The untidiness was eventually cleaned with much complaining on Gojyo's part, and a lot of bland smiling from Hakkai, and Goku returned and the food was handed out. Piling into the jeep took a few moments, because bother Gojyo and Goku wanted shotgun, and eventually a very sad monkey clambered into the back seat, with a victorious Gojyo laughing at him. Hakkai went at the exact speed limit on the way to the temple, and the ten minutes passed quickly, soon they were parked safely in the back lot, gazing up at the imposing building.
"Well, we better go return the monkey." They exited the jeep, which gave a soft sound and Hakkai patted it's hood fondly,
"We'll be right back Hakuryu." Yoh was in the back foyer, sitting in the corner and looking mournful,
"Hello. Is anything wrong?" Hakkai greeted him. The boy looked up briefly,
"Master Sanzo," He paused, "Seems to be in a slightly bad mood." Gojyo smiled,
"Are the other priests gone then?" The boy nodded.
"They left first thing in the morning. Then all I did was ask Master Sanzo if he required anything, and he told me," The boy looked close to tears, "He told me to go the hell away." Tears trickled down his face.
"Oh my. I doubt it's anything you did." Hakkai tried to placate the child. Goku eagerly chipped in,
"Yeah! If he really was angry he would of said……." What followed was a long list of expletives that Goku recited as if by rote, and Yoh's eyes widened as big as saucers.
"Goku?" Sanzo was at the entrance, eyes shadowed darkly and looking thinner then usual.
"Sanzo!" The energetic monkey threw himself at the monk, wrapping his arms securely around his neck and burying his face in his neck. Sanzo didn't move, but his face relaxed slightly,
"Baka! Get off me!" Gojyo grinned widely and pulled Hakkai along with him,
"Well, looks like you guys are fine together. See ya, ya monkey and you corrupt monk."