Disclaimer: Gensomaden Saiyuki isn't mine. So don't sue.

A/N: This wasn't done by me alone, this was actually a conversation with Gojyo and Sanzo! XD Sankyuu for you help in this, and of course Homura-san as well. Tenpou-chan would be my beta reader. Sankyuu all of you! This wouldn't have been possible without you guys. *glomps*

Taken for granted
(SanzoxHakkai)

...

"Kuso..." Sanzo muttered. Homura had returned, and he was back for revenge.

Gojyo slashed down with his shakujou. "Eat this, damn you!" However, Homura blocked Gojyo's attack with his sword. There was a loud clang as metal scraped against metal.

Sanzo cocked his gun, while Hakkai took out his kodachi. Gojyo dislodged from Homura's death grip. There was an eerie silence. No one moved for a while.

"Kisama!" Sanzo sent a flurry of bullets flying at Homura. At the same time, Hakkai lanched an energy ball. However, Homura eluded the pair's attacks by teleporting away.

"Teme!" Sanzo cursed loudly. "Where the hell did he go?!"

"He escaped..." Hakkai muttered.

"Kuso!" Sanzo started shooting randomly. "Come out Homura!"

"Oi! Watch where you're shooting dammit..." Gojyo yelled as a bullet whizzed past his ear and narrowly missed his head. Suddenly, Homura teleported in front of Gojyo and kicked him hard.

"TEME KONO YAROU!" Sanzo yelled at Homura, and immediately shot at him. Gojyo screamed in pain where Homura kicked him.

"TEME!" Gojyo yelled.

Sanzo ducked, as Homura's blade narrowly missed cutting Sanzo's head off. Hakkai launched another energy ball and Gojyo rushed toward Homura and punched him squarely in the face.

Homura gasped as Gojyo's fist connected with his cheek. He collapsed to the ground, slightly shocked. "Damn it... I won't give you your handicap..." He said as he unlocked his chains and shrugged off his coat.

"Bring it on Homura." Gojyo whispered his threat to Homura and lunged at him. Hakkai readied his kodachi and Sanzo slid into his offensicve stance. They were all ready to kick major ass.

"EAT THIS YOU *beep*!!!!" Gojyo yelled, voice filled with rage.

Homura blocked the attack with his bare arms. The blade of the shakujou sliced into his skin, but he did not care. Gojyo cursed loudly. Sanzo started chanting and Hakkai slashed down on Homura.

Gojyo did a backflip and kicked Homura on the back, and slashed him simultaneously. However, Homura still retaliated and taunted him. "How many times must I tell you to die?!"

"MAKAI TENJYOU!!!!!" Sanzo yelled and unleashed the Evil Sutra. Hakkai slashed toward Homura again, and togather the combined attack made him fall.

Gojyo released the shakujou's chain and it wrapped itself around Homura; Hakkai stabbed Homura in the abdomen. He spurted blood.

Sanzo grappled Homura from behind and pointed his gun at Homura's head. Hakkai and Gojyo followed suit and pointed their weapons at Homura.

"Sayonara ne... Homura." Gojyo whispered and they all combined their attacks.

However, Homura didn't die. With an evil chuckle, he emerged from the smoke with an evil grin plastered on his face. He rushed towards Sanzo with lightning speed; you could barely see his shadow.

"SANZO!!" Hakkai yelled. In a flash, his energy contollers were off. Hakkai let out a roar, and rushed toward the fleeting figure that was Homura. However, Homura was too fast, and teleported away before Hakkai reached him. It seems that Hakkai concern was in vain.

Hakkai roared, louder this time. His yell was more animal than human, and he sounded like he was in pain. Gojyo rushed behind Sanzo. "Oi, Sanzo... you..."

"HAKKAI! NO!!!!!!!"

Hakkai was deaf and blind to the world around him. He knocked Gojyo away, in the process hurling Sanzo to the ground as well. He stopped in front of Sanzo.

"You will not do this." Sanzo whispered. The youkai Hakkai did not seem to care. Despite the chains surrounding his body, Hakkai tore them apart and smirked, widely.

"Sanzo! NOW!"

"I... I can't..."

Hakkai roared again, ripping apart everything in sight.

Sanzo fell to the ground. "Hakkai... no..."

Sunddenly, the beast that was Hakkai roared, this time in genuine pain. It fell to its knees, clutching its abdomen, blood spurting out of his mouth, his breath coming in huge gasps.

"Sanzo!! IF YOU DON'T DO IT THEN WE'LL ALL DIE!!!!" Gojyo yelled, albeit oblivous to the frothing monster a few metres away.

"I..." Sanzo did nothing; he just stared, at the destruction Hakkai was causing.

Suddenly, Hakkai was on Gojyo. He growled and lunged at Gojyo, aiming at his throat. "SHIT!!!!" All Gojyo could do was hold Hakkai's wrists and wrestle him, to prevent himself from getting killed.

"SANZO!!!!!" Gojyo yelled as he kicked Hakkai away. "NOW!!!"

Instead of chating sutras, Sanzo got up and ran towards Hakkai and hugged him from the back. He stopped in mid-step, ill-accustomed to the lanky arms wrapped around his waist.

"Hakkai... stop it..." Sanzo whispered softly. "Stop... please..."

Gojyo grabbed the earrings and motioned for Sanzo to put it back on Hakkai. Sanzo displaced them on to Hakkai's left ear. Hakkai gritted his teeth in pain, breathed heavily, roared a last time and fell limp in Sanzo's arms.

"Hakkai..." Sanzo shook his partner, hoping for a response. "Hakkai!!"

"Sanzo, carry Hakkai. I'll go get Hakuryuu." Gojyo said and stood up, in search of the white dragon which was their mode of transportation.

"Kyuu kyuu!" Hakuryuu squealed. It knew it wasn't lost. It wasn't hungry or thirsty. But it could sense something wrong. Something had happened to Hakkai-sama.

Gojyo came over the dune, yelling for Hakuryuu. "Hakuryuu! We need your help now!" Surprisingly, the white dragon obliged and transformed into a jeep.

"Baka... baka cho... naze ka... NAZE?!" Sanzo half-whispered, half-yelled as he lifted Hakkai's unconcious body up.

"Sanzo! I found Hakuryuu... if we go fast we could get to the next village..."

"I'll drive."

"San-"

"Take care of Hakkai. Sit him in the back seat." Sanzo's face remained expresionless.

"Demo, Sanzo... you can't drive."

"I'll not let him die like this." Sanzo retorted as he ripped off the sutras. Suddenly, Hakkai winced and grabbed his stomach, coughing blood at the same time. Gojyo dug frantically around the jeep for a blanket, or at least something that vaguely resembled a blanket, to cover Hakkai with. "Oh fuck... he's bleeding..."

"Bandage him, Gojyo. Now."

Gojyo gave up the blanket and started seacrhing for bandages. He was sure it was somewhere. Where else did Hakkai get all the medical supplies when one of them was heavily injured?
"Fuck! We're out of bandage."

"Do it Gojyo! Use the sutra.. or something... I can't... I can't care anymore."

"Are you sure?"

"I can't." Sanzo's face covered in shadow. "But I'll try."

Hakkai coughed blood again, more this time. Gojyo insisted on driving, so Sanzo had no choice. He was too tired to argue. So he took to tending to Hakkai's wounds. The scar on his stomach had reopened, and Sanzo ripped open Hakkai's shirt.

"Come on Hakuryu.. come on!" Gojyo urged the white dragon to go faster. "Hurry! Your master's dying!"

"KYUU!"

*zoom*

"We're here." Gojyo ran out, looking for an inn and a doctor. "Sanzo, hayaku!"

"Hold on.. Hakkai, just a while more..." His voice was etched with worry and concern for his injured partner.

"Hakkai... please... say something..." But all he did was cough blood and wince again.

Gojyo burst into the room.

"Not that..." Sanzo whispered. He was near breaking point. "Don't cough out blood dammit! What more do you want?!"

"Sanzo! The doctor's here."

"Sanzo..."

"Doctor... help... please?!" He turned to Hakkai. "He said..."

"San.. zo..." Hakkai lifted a weak arm to grab Sanzo's.

Sanzo lowered his head. "...you're not going to make it..."

Hakkai smiled faintly. "Gomen..."

"No... no... why?!"

Gojyo was stiff with shock.

"Gomenasai..."

"HAKKAI!!" Sanzo cried.

"uso..." Gojyo shook his head. He could not believe what was happening to his best friend. "uso..." His eyes widened in horror.

"Sanzo... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." Hakkai whispered, gripping Sanzo's hand. "I... never wished... for anything... than to have... you love... me... just like I loved... you..." He coughed blood onto the bed. "... arigato..."

Suddenly, his hand fell limp.

"Hakkai?" Gojyo whispered his friend's name, unable to believe what had just happened.

"IYA!!!!!!" Sanzo yelled, and fell to his knees. Hakkai died with a smile still on his face.

"Kyuu..." Even Hakuryuu could feel it. It inched over to his master's hand and nudged them gently, hoping to get a response. Never would those delicate hands stroke it again...

//Flashback 1//

"Ne, Hakkai."

"Aa.."

"I... I..."

"Hai? You...?"

"I can't move..."

"Ah? Chotto ne..."

"Ita...i.."

Hakkai ripped off the white cloth on his shoulder and badages Sanzo's wound.

"Aa... arigato..."

Hakkai placed a finger on Sanzo's lips, shushing him. "Iya... don't talk."

//Flashback 2//

Rain as pouring outside. Hakkai and Sanzo were sitting inside a room, both were silent.

"Ne, Sanzo?"

"Hakkai..."

"Aa..."

Sanzo placed his hand gently on top of Hakkai's as Hakkai shifts closer. He smiles at Sanzo.

"Hakkai... I..."

"Aa..?"

"Ai.. aishiteru..." Sanzo whispers, his voice barely audible. "Aishiteru yo, Hakkai..."

Hakkai then leans over and kisses Sanzo gently. As they break apart, Hakkai smiles. "Arigato Sanzo..."

//End flashback//

"Why did you have to die...?" Despite himself, tears were rolling out of his cheeks.