The Trouble with H
Chapter Four: The Trouble with...Harisens
A/N: Another late-night installment, written, ironically enough, while hungry. [grins] Although I should beh working on my costume (I'm cosplaying Gojyo for a local convention!) or something...wait, don't I have a job? [blinks]
[coughs] Anyway...Gabby-koi has a cameo in this one, though I changed her name a bit. And for anyone who noticed a lack of youkai attacks, this one's for you! Enjoy!
---
By the time Hakkai and Gojyo reached the clearing, Sanzo was waiting impatiently. To make the monk's mood even worse, Goku had taken it upon himself to give a demonstration of what he would do, should the group meet another bear.
"Oi, Hakkai!" the boy called, seeing the two. "What took you so long? Find any more bears?"
"Um, no..." the brunette answered. "Gojyo got a cut on his arm, so I wrapped it up."
Gojyo held up the bandaged limb and grinned. "He's a good little nurse." Hakkai blinked, turning a fresh shade of pink.
Sanzo scowled, but said nothing. Goku glared at the redhead. "Hentai kappa..."
He shrugged. "Clueless monkey."
Hakuryuu flew from Hakkai's shoulder and transformed. Gear reloaded and in their normal places, the ikkou resumed their journey.
It wasn't long before habit returned to the swing of things, however.
"I'm hungry."
"Shut up," Sanzo glared at the boy from the rearview mirror. "You just ate."
"Yeah, but that was a snack. I'm hungry for a –meal- now!"
"Well that's just too damn bad."
Goku whined, slumping over. Sanzo had been moderately civil lately, even vaguely considered nice, in his own roundabout way. And now he was all ice again. This mood change depressed him more than the denial of dinner.
"I'm afraid it doesn't look like we'll make the next town tonight," Hakkai announced with a wince.
"That's just great," Gojyo crossed his arms. "Another night of sleeping outside."
"Get used to it," the blond muttered, "no on e wants to hear you complain."
Gojyo leaned between the front seats. "Hey, 'Kai," he grinned, making sure Sanzo heard him, "is it just me, or is his Holiness even bitchier than usual?"
Sanzo glared daggers as the half-breed leaned back into his seat. Hakkai wisely said nothing.
"That's not true!" Goku snapped in defense. "Sanzo was nice last night. He let me—"Realizing what he was about to say, the boy stopped, eyes widening and clamping his hands over his mouth.
"Hmm?" Gojyo grinned, unable to pass up such an opportunity. "What were you gonna say? Did Sanzo let his little pet monkey sleep in the bed last night?"
"Gojyo..." Hakkai warned. The redhead dismissed him with a casual wave.
"Is that –all- that happened last night?"
At that, Sanzo was up and swinging. Gojyo saw it coming, more powerful than usual. He must've really hit a nerve this time. He managed to duck as the harisen flew over his head, only to hit the next available target.
The fan hit Goku without warning, slamming into his head with enough force to send him back a bit. A bit was more distance than he had space, and the boy fell from the moving vehicle.
"Shit!" Sanzo snapped.
As soon as he realized what had happened, Hakkai stopped the Jiipu. The three remaining passengers hopped out, going back to where Goku lay. Hakkai reached him first, running, with Gojyo right behind him. Sanzo followed third, not running, but with a slight urgency in his step.
"Goku, are you alright?!" Hakkai knelt beside the boy worriedly.
"'M fine..." he muttered softly, sitting up. He rubbed his head. "That wasn't as fun as I've always thought it would be..."
Sanzo approached them, staring. "Are you hurt?"
Goku looked up, meeting his gaze and holding it. "No."
The blond turned. "Then let's get going."
He started back to the waiting jeep. Gojyo shrugged and followed. Hakkai helped Goku to his feet, while gold eyes stayed focused on the monk.
It was starting to get dark before they found a suitable camping spot. They were in the thick of the forest, and a clearing large enough to camp in was hard to find. That finally out of the way, Goku and Gojyo began to pitch the tent, while Hakkai started dinner. Sanzo offered to help neither task, deciding to sit at the fire and glare. Given his mood throughout the day, no one chose to argue.
After supper, the monk went to bed. The other three amused themselves with cards, but Goku really wasn't interested. He said his goodnights and scurried into the tent.
Inside, he was surprised to find Sanzo awake, lying with his arms behind his head, robes shrugged off to the waist. Violet eyes watched the boy sit down on the bedding next to him.
"Are you mad at me?"
Sanzo regarded him silently. Finally he replied. "Don't you ever get tired of asking that?"
He pouted slightly. "Yeah, but I worry."
The blond sighed. "I'll –tell- you when I'm mad at you, so stop asking."
"Sorry about earlier today," Goku muttered, looking at the ground.
"What about it?"
"I almost said what you told me not to. That's why you hit me, right?"
"Goddammit, you can be dense sometimes," Sanzo glared at the boy. "I meant to hit Gojyo, not you. So quit acting so damn whiney. It's getting on my fucking nerves."
Goku realized that might be as close to an apology one could get from Genjyo Sanzo. It was strangely comforting. He lie down beside his guardian and fell asleep quickly.
---
When Hakkai woke Sanzo for watch, the blond found Goku had shifted closer to him in his sleep. The boy was nestled against his back, almost identical to the previous night at the inn. Sanzo got up, inwardly trying not to disturb him, but outwardly looking as if he didn't care.
Hakkai couldn't be fooled so easily. He lay down between Goku and Gojyo, who had left Hakkai to watch after a few hours of losing cards.
"He looks so innocent, all curled up like that," the brunette commented, "Cute, don't you think?"
"Whatever..." Sanzo left the tent. Hakkai smiled knowingly to himself, then drifted off.
---
Morning came, and Sanzo was impatient to start on the day's journey. He entered the tent, noticing briefly everyone's positions. Hakkai and Gojyo were pressed side to side, although there was plenty of room. One of the redhead's arms was casually resting over Hakkai's waist. This was shrugged off. They could bang the bejeezus out of each other. As long as it didn't affect him or the mission, he didn't care.
Meanwhile, Goku had rolled over onto Sanzo's bedding. There was a smile on his face as he slept, as if contented by lying on the monk's pillow. Sanzo decided to ignore this as well, and woke them all up.
It wasn't until after breakfast that Sanzo noticed the harisen was missing. They were loading up Jiipu, and the monkey and kappa were grinding his nerves. He reached in his robes for the weapon, only to find it absent. He' knew he would've seen it if he'd left it in the tent.
Which left him with one possibility in mind.
"Goku," he called the boy while Hakkai and Gojyo were busy, deciding to keep this quiet. "Do you have my fan?"
Goku looked confused. "What? No, why would I?"
"You were sleeping in my place last night. Did you move it somewhere?"
He shook his head. "I didn't touch it, I swear."
Sanzo, convinced Goku was the only one who could've done something with it besides himself, was losing his patience. "If you return it now, there will be no repercussion."
Now the brunette looked offended. "I told you I didn't touch it! Why don't you ask Gojyo or Hakkai?"
"Ask Gojyo or Hakkai what?" the half-breed asked, as he and Hakkai entered the conversation.
"Sanzo says his fan's gone. Did one o you see it?"
"Can't say I have," Gojyo shrugged, climbing into his normal seat.
"Nor I," Hakkai followed, shaking his head.
Sanzo returned his gaze to Goku. The boy locked eyes with him, hurt evident in the golden depths. "Sanzo! I didn't take it! Why do you believe them and not me?!"
Hakkai tried to intervene. "You don't think Goku would lie to you, do you?"
He looked at Goku with the most depressing glare the monkey had ever seen his guardian use with him. His voice was low. "I will not tolerate this. If it is not returned within twenty-four hours, serious refractions will occur." Goku looked near tears, but the monk wasn't done yet. "And in that time frame, you are not allowed to eat."
"What?!" Goku blurted.
"Sanzo, I don't think—"Hakkai started, but the blond cut him off.
"If I catch either of you sneaking him food, you will be dealt with. And keeping in mind I don't have the harisen; I don't think you wasn't to risk the next best thing. Now let's go."
His tone left no room for argument. They began the day's drive. There was an uncomfortable silence pervading for most of the drive, at least to three of the party. Sanzo couldn't care less.
---
They reached the next town about mid-afternoon. Deciding it was better to stop there and resupply, rather than go on and stay another night in the wild, Sanzo had Hakkai stop at the inn.
"Hello!" greeted the innkeeper as they entered. She was about sixteen (too young, thought Gojyo) with wavy purple hair and green eyes. Most of her hair was tied back by a black bandanna, except for twin strands of bangs that framed her face. She smiled at them. "I'm Gaila. Welcome! Can I help you?"
"Do you have any vacancies?" Hakkai asked.
"Sure! We've always got a few doubles open." She flipped through her record book.
"Two please," Sanzo spoke up.
Gaila nodded. "Right! You can have nineteen and twenty. They're upstairs. Kyo-chan will show you. He's the blond upstairs. You can't miss him." She handed them the keys after payment and pointed to the stairs.
Hakkai thanked her, and the four of them went upstairs. Sure enough, there was a blond boy fussing with a hallway rug. He didn't look much older than Goku, with long hair tied back and cool blue eyes set behind wire-framed glasses.
Kyo looked up at them. "Hi. You just checking in?"
"Gaila-san said you could help us find our rooms. Nineteen and twenty." Hakkai replied.
"Sure. Down the hall, at the end of the left side," he turned his attention back to the rug. "Dinner's in a few hours, if you're interested."
Goku whined.
Sanzo insisted Goku stay with him, so he could be watched. He stayed in the room through dinner. Watching others eat would only fuel his own hunger, which had grown increasingly insistent over the course of the day.
To make matters worse, Sanzo was mad at him. They'd been doing well together, and then this had to happen. It upset him terribly that Sanzo didn't trust him. He'd never done anything to warrant this suspicion.
After dinner, Hakkai interrupted his depression fit, asking him to help with the supplies. The monkey trudged down the stairs, where Hakkai was waiting.
"Here," he whispered, handing Goku a small bag. Inside were a few meat buns, one of his favourite. "It's not much, but it was all I could sneak out. It should make you feel better, hopefully."
Goku's eyes shone with gratitude as he bit into one. "Phanks..."
"I knew you'd crack," Gojyo smirked, leaning on the doorframe. "You're so soft..."
"Sanzo's being quite unjust, I believe," Hakkai said matter-of-factly. "Are you going to tell him?"
The redhead snorted. "If you want to feed the animal, be my guest. I've got more going for me with you than Monk-boy anyway."
Hakkai smiled. "Well then. Could you make sure Sanzo doesn't find Goku eating? I'm going to check the supplies.
"I'm on it," Gojyo nodded, walking towards the stairs. He stopped to ruffle Goku's hair. "Enjoy your meal, you little monkey. Don't let Mr. Fan-up-the- ass get to ya."
He went upstairs, leaving Goku to his food and Hakkai to his task. The boy tried to eat slowly, to make it last, but hunger won out in the end. After three buns, the bag was empty. Sighing, he began his way back to the room.
A scream stopped him. It came from the adjoining restaurant. It had closed for the night, but Gaila and Kyo might be there. He dashed down the hall.
Gaila and Kyo were there, all right, and so were five angry-looking youkai. Kyo was trying his best to fend them off with a broom, but sharp claws soon rendered it to splinters.
Goku summoned Nyoi-bou. "You guys look pissed. Did you miss dinner too?" he smirked, successful in gaining their attention. Finding an armed adversary more interesting, they advanced on him.
Using the staff as a vault, he sailed over the attackers. Before they could turn, he tripped one of them. He sent both ends of Nyoi-bou into two others on each side. The other two were now aware of his place, and came at him full speed.
Two blasts of green light struck them, disintegrating them instantly. Goku looked up to see Hakkai standing in the doorway. The green-eyed youkai approached them.
"Is everyone okay?" he asked.
"We're fine, thanks to you guys," Kyo replied.
Gaila looked wide-eyed at their rescuers from behind the blond. "Kyo-chan, can we keep them?"
Kyo laughed. Goku's stomach took this opportunity to protest the day's treatment.
"Hey Hakkai, no offense, but I don't think the meatbuns did the trick."
"It would seem..." Hakkai picked up a table that had toppled during the fight.
The blow struck before anyone saw. The youkai Goku had tripped was up again, and aimed all his strength into a punch, hitting Goku straight in the back. The boy fell to the floor with a breathless cry.
Immediately, Hakkai countered with another ki blast, defeating the youkai permanently. Then he kicked up the unconscious Goku carefully.
"He's fine. He hasn't eaten much at all today, so he's a bit weal. Please call if you have more trouble." He nodded to the surprised humans, and then took Goku upstairs.
Sanzo's face changed instantly when he opened the door, from anger to surprise. He moved aside so Hakkai could lay the monkey on one of the beds.
"What the hell happened?" he asked.
Hakkai's usual soft tone was replaced with a sharper version. "Youkai attacked in the kitchen. Goku took a rather hard blow to the back."
"That shouldn't be enough to knock him out," Sanzo frowned.
"It is when he's hungry," the brunette replied flatly.
"Shit."
"We're just lucky it wasn't a huge attendance. The damage could have been worse." He stood.
Sanzo sat on his own bed, running a hand through his hair. Hakkai threw something at him. A flash of white and the harisen landed in his lap.
"It was inside your pillow when I checked the supplies. Please be sure of things before you place undeserving blame."
With that, he left, closing the door. Sanzo reached for his cigarettes.
---
Goku woke up the next morning in his bed. He sat up, wincing at the slight pain in his back. Sanzo walked in the room, carrying a box, which he set on the table.
"Breakfast," he muttered. Surprised, Goku sat down at the table. Sanzo pulled the food out, which the boy ate eagerly.
The blond sat down next to him. "Hakkai told me what happened last night. He also brought me this," he held up the harisen. "It was wrong of me to punish you without evidence."
Goku frowned. "It hurt, you know. We've been through all this shit, and you don't trust me."
"The blame was misplaced."
He slammed his fist down on the table. "Can't you just say you're sorry?! Can't you trust me?! You –owe- me!"
"I'm sorry, okay? Does that make you feel better?" Sanzo snapped back. "What the hell do you want from me?!"
Goku jumped up and, grabbing the monk by the shoulders, kissed him fiercely.
"That!" he answered. Their eyes locked, and he refused to look away."
Finally, Sanzo stood. "Fair enough."
"That's all you're gonna say?!" he started towards the door. A hand grabbed his collar and pulled him back.
He turned around, only to have Sanzo capture his lips this time. There was a driving force behind it, enough to make Goku fall if not for the monk's grip on him.
Goku managed to remain standing when he was released, if not a little shaky. He struggled to catch his breath. Sanzo tried unsuccessfully to conceal his amusement at the boy's reaction. He moved past him and to the door.
"Now we're even."
Once the blond was out of the room, Goku gave up trying to stand. He sank to his knees, absently running his fingers over his lips. He grinned suddenly, eyes shining.
"Holy shit..."
---
End! Sanzo's really mean in this one...poor Goku. [sighs] I'll make it up to him. Marvel at my craptastic attempt at a battle. And my naïveté. Everyone can write pr0n except for meh. [sweatdrops]
krazy-chan: Welcome! [smiles] Thankehs for the info. I had just gotten it from Karot, but it's appreciated nonetheless.
Zelgadis55: [squeals] Another new fan! I'm flattered! Hakuryuu always wins, I think. [grins]
KawaiiLilMarron: Coral or meat, baby, it's all the same to meh! [winks] Good luck on your ficceh too! I'm waiting for many pleasant updates!
Me-Nuriko: Yeah, Hakkai does seem to beh everyone's fave. It's that fragile thing. I think it's like Hakuryuu's Hakkai's kid or something, and doesn't want to share his parent...XD
KarotsaMused: I can't believe 3 seems to beh the best chappeh. That was the one I liked least after writing. [blinks] You're your own worst critic, ne? And yes, I giggled for quite some time at the thought of Goku fighting wildlife. It'd make an excellent picceh, if I could get my scanner back...[smiles]
Until next time guys!
Chapter Four: The Trouble with...Harisens
A/N: Another late-night installment, written, ironically enough, while hungry. [grins] Although I should beh working on my costume (I'm cosplaying Gojyo for a local convention!) or something...wait, don't I have a job? [blinks]
[coughs] Anyway...Gabby-koi has a cameo in this one, though I changed her name a bit. And for anyone who noticed a lack of youkai attacks, this one's for you! Enjoy!
---
By the time Hakkai and Gojyo reached the clearing, Sanzo was waiting impatiently. To make the monk's mood even worse, Goku had taken it upon himself to give a demonstration of what he would do, should the group meet another bear.
"Oi, Hakkai!" the boy called, seeing the two. "What took you so long? Find any more bears?"
"Um, no..." the brunette answered. "Gojyo got a cut on his arm, so I wrapped it up."
Gojyo held up the bandaged limb and grinned. "He's a good little nurse." Hakkai blinked, turning a fresh shade of pink.
Sanzo scowled, but said nothing. Goku glared at the redhead. "Hentai kappa..."
He shrugged. "Clueless monkey."
Hakuryuu flew from Hakkai's shoulder and transformed. Gear reloaded and in their normal places, the ikkou resumed their journey.
It wasn't long before habit returned to the swing of things, however.
"I'm hungry."
"Shut up," Sanzo glared at the boy from the rearview mirror. "You just ate."
"Yeah, but that was a snack. I'm hungry for a –meal- now!"
"Well that's just too damn bad."
Goku whined, slumping over. Sanzo had been moderately civil lately, even vaguely considered nice, in his own roundabout way. And now he was all ice again. This mood change depressed him more than the denial of dinner.
"I'm afraid it doesn't look like we'll make the next town tonight," Hakkai announced with a wince.
"That's just great," Gojyo crossed his arms. "Another night of sleeping outside."
"Get used to it," the blond muttered, "no on e wants to hear you complain."
Gojyo leaned between the front seats. "Hey, 'Kai," he grinned, making sure Sanzo heard him, "is it just me, or is his Holiness even bitchier than usual?"
Sanzo glared daggers as the half-breed leaned back into his seat. Hakkai wisely said nothing.
"That's not true!" Goku snapped in defense. "Sanzo was nice last night. He let me—"Realizing what he was about to say, the boy stopped, eyes widening and clamping his hands over his mouth.
"Hmm?" Gojyo grinned, unable to pass up such an opportunity. "What were you gonna say? Did Sanzo let his little pet monkey sleep in the bed last night?"
"Gojyo..." Hakkai warned. The redhead dismissed him with a casual wave.
"Is that –all- that happened last night?"
At that, Sanzo was up and swinging. Gojyo saw it coming, more powerful than usual. He must've really hit a nerve this time. He managed to duck as the harisen flew over his head, only to hit the next available target.
The fan hit Goku without warning, slamming into his head with enough force to send him back a bit. A bit was more distance than he had space, and the boy fell from the moving vehicle.
"Shit!" Sanzo snapped.
As soon as he realized what had happened, Hakkai stopped the Jiipu. The three remaining passengers hopped out, going back to where Goku lay. Hakkai reached him first, running, with Gojyo right behind him. Sanzo followed third, not running, but with a slight urgency in his step.
"Goku, are you alright?!" Hakkai knelt beside the boy worriedly.
"'M fine..." he muttered softly, sitting up. He rubbed his head. "That wasn't as fun as I've always thought it would be..."
Sanzo approached them, staring. "Are you hurt?"
Goku looked up, meeting his gaze and holding it. "No."
The blond turned. "Then let's get going."
He started back to the waiting jeep. Gojyo shrugged and followed. Hakkai helped Goku to his feet, while gold eyes stayed focused on the monk.
It was starting to get dark before they found a suitable camping spot. They were in the thick of the forest, and a clearing large enough to camp in was hard to find. That finally out of the way, Goku and Gojyo began to pitch the tent, while Hakkai started dinner. Sanzo offered to help neither task, deciding to sit at the fire and glare. Given his mood throughout the day, no one chose to argue.
After supper, the monk went to bed. The other three amused themselves with cards, but Goku really wasn't interested. He said his goodnights and scurried into the tent.
Inside, he was surprised to find Sanzo awake, lying with his arms behind his head, robes shrugged off to the waist. Violet eyes watched the boy sit down on the bedding next to him.
"Are you mad at me?"
Sanzo regarded him silently. Finally he replied. "Don't you ever get tired of asking that?"
He pouted slightly. "Yeah, but I worry."
The blond sighed. "I'll –tell- you when I'm mad at you, so stop asking."
"Sorry about earlier today," Goku muttered, looking at the ground.
"What about it?"
"I almost said what you told me not to. That's why you hit me, right?"
"Goddammit, you can be dense sometimes," Sanzo glared at the boy. "I meant to hit Gojyo, not you. So quit acting so damn whiney. It's getting on my fucking nerves."
Goku realized that might be as close to an apology one could get from Genjyo Sanzo. It was strangely comforting. He lie down beside his guardian and fell asleep quickly.
---
When Hakkai woke Sanzo for watch, the blond found Goku had shifted closer to him in his sleep. The boy was nestled against his back, almost identical to the previous night at the inn. Sanzo got up, inwardly trying not to disturb him, but outwardly looking as if he didn't care.
Hakkai couldn't be fooled so easily. He lay down between Goku and Gojyo, who had left Hakkai to watch after a few hours of losing cards.
"He looks so innocent, all curled up like that," the brunette commented, "Cute, don't you think?"
"Whatever..." Sanzo left the tent. Hakkai smiled knowingly to himself, then drifted off.
---
Morning came, and Sanzo was impatient to start on the day's journey. He entered the tent, noticing briefly everyone's positions. Hakkai and Gojyo were pressed side to side, although there was plenty of room. One of the redhead's arms was casually resting over Hakkai's waist. This was shrugged off. They could bang the bejeezus out of each other. As long as it didn't affect him or the mission, he didn't care.
Meanwhile, Goku had rolled over onto Sanzo's bedding. There was a smile on his face as he slept, as if contented by lying on the monk's pillow. Sanzo decided to ignore this as well, and woke them all up.
It wasn't until after breakfast that Sanzo noticed the harisen was missing. They were loading up Jiipu, and the monkey and kappa were grinding his nerves. He reached in his robes for the weapon, only to find it absent. He' knew he would've seen it if he'd left it in the tent.
Which left him with one possibility in mind.
"Goku," he called the boy while Hakkai and Gojyo were busy, deciding to keep this quiet. "Do you have my fan?"
Goku looked confused. "What? No, why would I?"
"You were sleeping in my place last night. Did you move it somewhere?"
He shook his head. "I didn't touch it, I swear."
Sanzo, convinced Goku was the only one who could've done something with it besides himself, was losing his patience. "If you return it now, there will be no repercussion."
Now the brunette looked offended. "I told you I didn't touch it! Why don't you ask Gojyo or Hakkai?"
"Ask Gojyo or Hakkai what?" the half-breed asked, as he and Hakkai entered the conversation.
"Sanzo says his fan's gone. Did one o you see it?"
"Can't say I have," Gojyo shrugged, climbing into his normal seat.
"Nor I," Hakkai followed, shaking his head.
Sanzo returned his gaze to Goku. The boy locked eyes with him, hurt evident in the golden depths. "Sanzo! I didn't take it! Why do you believe them and not me?!"
Hakkai tried to intervene. "You don't think Goku would lie to you, do you?"
He looked at Goku with the most depressing glare the monkey had ever seen his guardian use with him. His voice was low. "I will not tolerate this. If it is not returned within twenty-four hours, serious refractions will occur." Goku looked near tears, but the monk wasn't done yet. "And in that time frame, you are not allowed to eat."
"What?!" Goku blurted.
"Sanzo, I don't think—"Hakkai started, but the blond cut him off.
"If I catch either of you sneaking him food, you will be dealt with. And keeping in mind I don't have the harisen; I don't think you wasn't to risk the next best thing. Now let's go."
His tone left no room for argument. They began the day's drive. There was an uncomfortable silence pervading for most of the drive, at least to three of the party. Sanzo couldn't care less.
---
They reached the next town about mid-afternoon. Deciding it was better to stop there and resupply, rather than go on and stay another night in the wild, Sanzo had Hakkai stop at the inn.
"Hello!" greeted the innkeeper as they entered. She was about sixteen (too young, thought Gojyo) with wavy purple hair and green eyes. Most of her hair was tied back by a black bandanna, except for twin strands of bangs that framed her face. She smiled at them. "I'm Gaila. Welcome! Can I help you?"
"Do you have any vacancies?" Hakkai asked.
"Sure! We've always got a few doubles open." She flipped through her record book.
"Two please," Sanzo spoke up.
Gaila nodded. "Right! You can have nineteen and twenty. They're upstairs. Kyo-chan will show you. He's the blond upstairs. You can't miss him." She handed them the keys after payment and pointed to the stairs.
Hakkai thanked her, and the four of them went upstairs. Sure enough, there was a blond boy fussing with a hallway rug. He didn't look much older than Goku, with long hair tied back and cool blue eyes set behind wire-framed glasses.
Kyo looked up at them. "Hi. You just checking in?"
"Gaila-san said you could help us find our rooms. Nineteen and twenty." Hakkai replied.
"Sure. Down the hall, at the end of the left side," he turned his attention back to the rug. "Dinner's in a few hours, if you're interested."
Goku whined.
Sanzo insisted Goku stay with him, so he could be watched. He stayed in the room through dinner. Watching others eat would only fuel his own hunger, which had grown increasingly insistent over the course of the day.
To make matters worse, Sanzo was mad at him. They'd been doing well together, and then this had to happen. It upset him terribly that Sanzo didn't trust him. He'd never done anything to warrant this suspicion.
After dinner, Hakkai interrupted his depression fit, asking him to help with the supplies. The monkey trudged down the stairs, where Hakkai was waiting.
"Here," he whispered, handing Goku a small bag. Inside were a few meat buns, one of his favourite. "It's not much, but it was all I could sneak out. It should make you feel better, hopefully."
Goku's eyes shone with gratitude as he bit into one. "Phanks..."
"I knew you'd crack," Gojyo smirked, leaning on the doorframe. "You're so soft..."
"Sanzo's being quite unjust, I believe," Hakkai said matter-of-factly. "Are you going to tell him?"
The redhead snorted. "If you want to feed the animal, be my guest. I've got more going for me with you than Monk-boy anyway."
Hakkai smiled. "Well then. Could you make sure Sanzo doesn't find Goku eating? I'm going to check the supplies.
"I'm on it," Gojyo nodded, walking towards the stairs. He stopped to ruffle Goku's hair. "Enjoy your meal, you little monkey. Don't let Mr. Fan-up-the- ass get to ya."
He went upstairs, leaving Goku to his food and Hakkai to his task. The boy tried to eat slowly, to make it last, but hunger won out in the end. After three buns, the bag was empty. Sighing, he began his way back to the room.
A scream stopped him. It came from the adjoining restaurant. It had closed for the night, but Gaila and Kyo might be there. He dashed down the hall.
Gaila and Kyo were there, all right, and so were five angry-looking youkai. Kyo was trying his best to fend them off with a broom, but sharp claws soon rendered it to splinters.
Goku summoned Nyoi-bou. "You guys look pissed. Did you miss dinner too?" he smirked, successful in gaining their attention. Finding an armed adversary more interesting, they advanced on him.
Using the staff as a vault, he sailed over the attackers. Before they could turn, he tripped one of them. He sent both ends of Nyoi-bou into two others on each side. The other two were now aware of his place, and came at him full speed.
Two blasts of green light struck them, disintegrating them instantly. Goku looked up to see Hakkai standing in the doorway. The green-eyed youkai approached them.
"Is everyone okay?" he asked.
"We're fine, thanks to you guys," Kyo replied.
Gaila looked wide-eyed at their rescuers from behind the blond. "Kyo-chan, can we keep them?"
Kyo laughed. Goku's stomach took this opportunity to protest the day's treatment.
"Hey Hakkai, no offense, but I don't think the meatbuns did the trick."
"It would seem..." Hakkai picked up a table that had toppled during the fight.
The blow struck before anyone saw. The youkai Goku had tripped was up again, and aimed all his strength into a punch, hitting Goku straight in the back. The boy fell to the floor with a breathless cry.
Immediately, Hakkai countered with another ki blast, defeating the youkai permanently. Then he kicked up the unconscious Goku carefully.
"He's fine. He hasn't eaten much at all today, so he's a bit weal. Please call if you have more trouble." He nodded to the surprised humans, and then took Goku upstairs.
Sanzo's face changed instantly when he opened the door, from anger to surprise. He moved aside so Hakkai could lay the monkey on one of the beds.
"What the hell happened?" he asked.
Hakkai's usual soft tone was replaced with a sharper version. "Youkai attacked in the kitchen. Goku took a rather hard blow to the back."
"That shouldn't be enough to knock him out," Sanzo frowned.
"It is when he's hungry," the brunette replied flatly.
"Shit."
"We're just lucky it wasn't a huge attendance. The damage could have been worse." He stood.
Sanzo sat on his own bed, running a hand through his hair. Hakkai threw something at him. A flash of white and the harisen landed in his lap.
"It was inside your pillow when I checked the supplies. Please be sure of things before you place undeserving blame."
With that, he left, closing the door. Sanzo reached for his cigarettes.
---
Goku woke up the next morning in his bed. He sat up, wincing at the slight pain in his back. Sanzo walked in the room, carrying a box, which he set on the table.
"Breakfast," he muttered. Surprised, Goku sat down at the table. Sanzo pulled the food out, which the boy ate eagerly.
The blond sat down next to him. "Hakkai told me what happened last night. He also brought me this," he held up the harisen. "It was wrong of me to punish you without evidence."
Goku frowned. "It hurt, you know. We've been through all this shit, and you don't trust me."
"The blame was misplaced."
He slammed his fist down on the table. "Can't you just say you're sorry?! Can't you trust me?! You –owe- me!"
"I'm sorry, okay? Does that make you feel better?" Sanzo snapped back. "What the hell do you want from me?!"
Goku jumped up and, grabbing the monk by the shoulders, kissed him fiercely.
"That!" he answered. Their eyes locked, and he refused to look away."
Finally, Sanzo stood. "Fair enough."
"That's all you're gonna say?!" he started towards the door. A hand grabbed his collar and pulled him back.
He turned around, only to have Sanzo capture his lips this time. There was a driving force behind it, enough to make Goku fall if not for the monk's grip on him.
Goku managed to remain standing when he was released, if not a little shaky. He struggled to catch his breath. Sanzo tried unsuccessfully to conceal his amusement at the boy's reaction. He moved past him and to the door.
"Now we're even."
Once the blond was out of the room, Goku gave up trying to stand. He sank to his knees, absently running his fingers over his lips. He grinned suddenly, eyes shining.
"Holy shit..."
---
End! Sanzo's really mean in this one...poor Goku. [sighs] I'll make it up to him. Marvel at my craptastic attempt at a battle. And my naïveté. Everyone can write pr0n except for meh. [sweatdrops]
krazy-chan: Welcome! [smiles] Thankehs for the info. I had just gotten it from Karot, but it's appreciated nonetheless.
Zelgadis55: [squeals] Another new fan! I'm flattered! Hakuryuu always wins, I think. [grins]
KawaiiLilMarron: Coral or meat, baby, it's all the same to meh! [winks] Good luck on your ficceh too! I'm waiting for many pleasant updates!
Me-Nuriko: Yeah, Hakkai does seem to beh everyone's fave. It's that fragile thing. I think it's like Hakuryuu's Hakkai's kid or something, and doesn't want to share his parent...XD
KarotsaMused: I can't believe 3 seems to beh the best chappeh. That was the one I liked least after writing. [blinks] You're your own worst critic, ne? And yes, I giggled for quite some time at the thought of Goku fighting wildlife. It'd make an excellent picceh, if I could get my scanner back...[smiles]
Until next time guys!