Title: Predilection
Authoress: Hikaru Risqué Kudou
Ratings: PG
Chapter: 4/7
Genre: Shounen-ai / Mild yaoi, General , Romance, Angst, Humour
Pairings: Sanzo/Goku, Gojyo/Hakkai, one-sided Homura/Goku (as always)
Warnings: Minor OOC-ness, clichéd plot, the authoress' imperfect English, grammatical errors, late update, etc
Summary: Conflicts, fears and confusions arise as Sanzo and Goku struggle to explore and understand the foreign feeling they have for each other.
DISCLAIMER: Kazuya Minekura-sama owns Saiyuki and I own the storyline of this fic.

Authoress' Notes: Thank you so much to Ami (Ami-chan! Write more humour to cure my never-ending depression, I beg of you!), real-circus (You're right. It is love, but Sanzo just doesn't know it yet. I'm just trying to introduce a 'new' Sanzo – who is still doubtful about his feelings towards Goku…) and gallatica (So sorry for the typos! I couldn't type flawlessly on a laptop…) for the generous reviews! You guys are the best!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

A good night's rest would put anyone back on their two feet, and thankfully this applies to Homura also. The poor god had a hard time shutting his eyes in peace at first—for one thing, that lamented God of Peace, Anshi, had been paying his a visit in his dreams against his wishes. Just as Homura was about to give Son Goku a passionate, one of a kind kiss, Anshi had taken Son Goku's place, giving Homura eerie chills running up his spine. Good thing Homura had quick reflexes to spring back.

'And he calls himself the God of Peace,' Homura mused. 'He gives a whole new definition to the word peace. Yet he blames me for all the peril happening in the world below.'

But Anshi was the least of his problems—he had to worry about his student as well. Who said being a Toushin Taishi is easy? And which bumbling idiot came up with the idea of assigning him to look after Shihou?

Crossing his legs, he leaned back in his throne. His fingers dribbled the armrest in impatience, he could not help but to wonder what had befallen Shihou—and Zenon, for that matter. Homura was beginning to regret his decision in sending Zenon off to look for that "twisted god with no sense of direction". Three hours had passed, and still no sign on them.

"This is ridiculous," mumbled he to nobody in particular. "Three whole hours—and still counting. Now I'm stuck here alone because Shien's off looking for Zenon. How many gods does it take to find one God of Misdirection?" He sighed miserably, his attempted humour failed to mend his mood. "I knew I should've paid dear Son Goku a visit."

He resumed his wait.

-+-+-+-+-+-

"SANZO! I'm hungry!"

"Urusei!" The blond swiped his harisen on Goku's head. "You just ate a mile ago! Can't you come up with something else to say? I'm sick of listening to that same phrase over and over again—be it in real life or in fanfics!"

"Hidoi!"

"Ahou!" Sanzo folded his arms, and resumed his ponderings on the lust moment he had had with Goku. In the end he settled for blaming Gojyo for the incident, believing that the cockroach's perverted ideas was starting to rub off on him. Yup, Gojyo.

"Geez, Sanzo," Gojyo chipped in. "You, of all people, should know that the saru's stomach is fifty times larger than his brain."

"Horny cockroach!" Goku shot back. "It does not! Will you stop making fun of me?"

"Oh, yeah?" Gojyo stuck his tongue out. "At least my brain is larger than yours."

"I'll rip both of your heads off!" Sanzo threatened. "Then we'll all see who has a smaller brain!"

"If you'll ever find their brain cells, Sanzo," Hakkai joined in, laughing.

"Mou, Hakkai!" Gojyo pouted. "You're hurting me! I thought you loved me!"

"Of course I do."

"Ne, ne, Hakkai…you love Gojyo, don't you?" asked Goku.

"…ah…" the monocled youkai was blushing faintly. Answering Goku's question was not as easy as answering Gojyo's, he should think. He glanced at Gojyo in the mirror—the latter was glaring at Goku suspiciously.

"But there's nothing special about Gojyo! He bullies me around—"

"Say WHAT?" demanded Gojyo. He did not appreciate Goku's remark about himself.

"…and he's such a meanie…"

"Oi, oi, you're going way overboard…Can't you see I'm right here?"

"…and I can't see how you could possibly love him! He has none of those charming qualities…"

Gojyo flared up. "That's IT! I'll kill you!"

"I said QUIET!!" bellowed Sanzo crossly. "I'll be the one who'll kill all of you *^&%$#@s! So shut up already!"

"Now, now, Sanzo…Goku's only asking me a harmless question…Gojyo's the one you should—"

"Hakkai~! How could you suggest such a thing to this corrupted monk? Don't you love me anymore?"

Hakkai solely chuckled in response.

"I don't know why I still haven't kill all of you…" Sanzo grumbled to himself.

"That's because you love us! Ne, ne?" offered Goku.

There was a long, uncomfortable interval of silence soon after Goku's (brilliant) deduction as the other three tried to register Goku's words in their grey cells.

"…Err, that's not it?" said Goku, cracking his brain to search for another reason.

"A foursome rarely works…" said Gojyo, grinning.

Sanzo, having found control over his muscles, began whacking poor Goku. "Baka! Don't say anything you don't know about! I do not love, you hear!? Korosu!!!!"

"Never have I seen a clearer confession…" muttered Gojyo. A split second later, he found himself receiving his own fair share of Sanzo's formidable harisen.

-+-+-+-+-+-

Zenon pushed the door open weakly. His energy had long deserted him, what with all those walks around Tenkai. Sure, he did see one or two objects of interest—Ritouden's case in court, for example.

It was quite silly, actually. The attorneys were cross-questioning the culprit—the five inches, sweet-scented pink soap bar. Needless to say, the soap responded remarkably well to the police's warning ("You have the right to remain silence. Any word from you will be used against you in court!"), that it even refused to say anything in its defence during its trial.

Even after they had dunked a bottle of green, slimy substance on it—said to grant any inanimate object the ability of speech—the soap did not utter anything. Thus they were left with no other alternative other than to postpone the trial until further notice.

"Homura…" Zenon entered, and after giving way to Shihou to walk first, he shut the door quietly but firmly. Perceiving Homura had fallen asleep on his throne, he walked up to his boss.

"…Son Goku, get stronger…mmm…"

Zenon wrinkled his face. "He even talks in his sleep, for goodness's sake! Man, he really loves that Seiten Taisen…"

"Should I wake him up?" asked Shihou. "He'd develop a terrible backache if he sleeps like that…bad for his posture…"

"Well…"

Without waiting for Zenon's green light, Shihou had stood next to his tutor. "Homura-sama…I hate to wake you up but I'm here…" He shook Homura's shoulder lightly.

Zenon, surprised, took a few steps backward. 'I can't believe he's so brave…brave yet stupid…'

Shihou got his own dose of surprise from Homura when the latter suddenly grabbed hold of him, stood up abruptly and before Shihou realized it, his mentor was already pinning him to the floor. By then Shihou was too petrified to move a muscle, too dazed to say anything.

Homura, on the other hand, was still dreaming. Shihou observed that his mentor's mind was too occupied in his dreams, that he had unconsciously played out what his dream was all about. Homura nuzzled his nose against Shihou's neck, adding to his already overdosed revelation.

"&^%$..." Zenon mentally kicked himself. "What should I do? Think Zenon, think! ARGH!"

Homura lips were only a few inches away from Shihou's. Totally freaked out, Shihou screamed.

Right before Zenon's eyes, both of them vanished into this air. "Oh, double *^%&…now I'll have to look for them again…"

-+-+-+-+-+-

"Onii-chan!" Lirin protested as Kougaiji dragged her along the hallway, his hand firmly clutching her collar. "Hanasei yo! I didn't do anything wrong!"

Kougaiji kicked the laboratory door open with his foot. "Nii! Give Lirin her frigging doll set back!"

Nii, smiling placidly, placed his cup of hot cocoa on the table. "Good evening to you, Kougaiji-sama. What brings you to my humble dwelling place? How may I help you?"

"Cut the crap, Nii. I said give her *%^&$#@ doll set back. I disagree to this trade you made with her."

"Oh…"

"And Lirin, throw that Barbie monk away, for my sanity's sake!"

"No!" Lirin shook her head adamantly. "It's mine! You gave the set to me for my birthday! So it's mine!"
"Lirin!"

"Kougaiji-sama, I'll return the set to you if that's what you want," said Nii.

"Oniichan…I didn't know you play with dolls…" Lirin commented.

"That's because I don't!" retorted Kougaiji. "I'm going to return them to the *&^%$#@ shop to get my money back! Now give me the damned set, Nii."

"But, there's only one problem…" began Nii.

"As if I don't have enough problems on my hands…"

"Their tea party only ends in two hours' time. My bunny's playing host and you know he hates any sort of interruption—Kougaiji-sama? Why are you screaming like that?"

-+-+-+-+-+-

Kanzeon Bosatsu was, as always, in her chair, facing her flower pond. Her head resting on one hand, she shifted the position of her legs. Just because she was one of the most prominent goddess in Tenkai did not mean that she was immune to leg cramps.

She stiffened a yawn. Watching (read: spying) over her nephew's idiocy was getting on her nerves, what with him still being a stubborn *@#%^$&, not confessing to Goku about his true feelings. As if that was not bad enough, Sanzo was in a state of denial. Somehow she looked forward to the confession day, and she would love to record the moment on tape, thus immortalizing the scene for all eternity. Plus, it would make a great material for blackmail.

But somehow something told her that there would be some—entertainment occurring that day.

"I wonder what it could be…"

Out of the blue two figures materialized above her prized pond. There was a flash of ear-splitting shriek, before it dissolved into water, and that huge splash. Caught unprepared, she had too little time to make her escape that she was drenched through. The cold water chiselled her like sharp icicles.

Her guests emerged, gasping for air. The next second saw Homura yelling his throat out to Shihou, all sorts of profanities gushing out lucidly.

"Nice of you two to drop by, err, in," said Kanzeon, still seated in that pose. "No pun intended."

"Sorry for the intrusion," Homura said after dumping Shihou back into the water. "Apparently Shihou Narusu is testing his abilities."

"I don't mind at all. It's not often I get visitors."

"Homura-sama…" Shihou had swum back to the surface. "K—Kanzeon Bosatsu-sama…I'm terribly sorry. See, Homura-sama was about to, to kiss me. I was terrified out of my wits, because I've never, ever done it before, and this is all so unprepared, so sudden. I never thought the great Toushin Taishi would—" Shihou spluttered haphazardly.

"Drown yourself, Shihou," said Homura, heaving himself out of the water. "I'd never kiss you." Damn, it was such a wonderful dream…Homura grabbed one end of his soaking cape and twisted it, in an attempt to dry it.

"You're going to catch a cold, dear, if you stay in there," Kanzeon told Shihou. "You shouldn't blame your student, Homura. You're to show, uh, a good example to him."

"Kanzeon Bosatsu-sama, it's my entire fault. I shouldn't have tried to wake him up. You know all those theories about the unconscious part of the brain?" said Shihou.

"Of course I do, dear Shihou. Now, now, Homura…don't glare at him like that, the poor dear. Pull him out."

Homura mumbled something, but he grabbed Shihou's outstretched arm all the same.

"Now shoo…I need my private moment of peace." Kanzeon waved her hand lazily, gesturing towards the nearest exit. "See you around."

"H-Hai, Kanzeon-sama! But first—" Shihou looked at her expectantly.

"Yes?"

"Can I have your autograph?"

Homura groaned in abasement.

-+-+-+-+-+-

Something was dreadfully amiss; Sanzo could smell it, although he could not place a finger on it. The night was quiet—too quiet, that he began to suspect something was bound to occur. In normal cases he would not object to peace and quiet (especially at night, when he was hoping to get some shut-eye), but he was having an uneasy feeling, disturbing his sleep, and keeping his eyes wide open.

"Mmmm…buns…I want…" Goku mumbled as he turned his body to the other side.

They were too far from the nearest town, forcing them to spend the night on Hakuryu. Hakkai had apologized profusely for his "inefficiency as a driver", but Sanzo had dismissed Hakkai's utter nonsense. Hakkai, still asleep behind the wheel, chuckled silently for some unknown reason. Sanzo looked at him, confounded.

"Mmmm…Sanzo…I want…Sanzo…"

Sanzo hurriedly shifted his gaze to Goku's reflection in the mirror. His face softened as his eyes surveyed the perfection that was Goku, flattered to hear Goku's utterance, amused that he was an actor in Goku's dream.

But wait, what was that creeping on Goku's thigh? Angered, he produced his infamous harisen and delivered a blow at the nuisance flawing the masterpiece called Goku.

Rudely awakened from his sleep, Gojyo jerked his hand away, clasping the sore hand in his other, not without letting out a deep yell. "Damn it all, corrupted monk! What was that for? Why do you always interrupt my special time with Hakkai!?"

"$^%#&*^! That's all you think about! If you're dying to screw your precious Hakkai, then stop touching Goku!!"

"H-Huh? What the $%—"

"Don't pretend you don't know, you—child abuser!"

"S-Sanzo?" ejaculated Goku, who was now wide awake, no thanks to the uproar.

"Oh, dear…poor Gojyo…" whispered Hakkai, sweat-dropping.

"Sanzo, stop hitting me already! I didn't do—whatever it is you're accusing me of doing—on purpose! I was asleep! Aaiieee!"

"Sanzo, calm down and explain to me, slowly…exactly what did Gojyo do?" asked Hakkai, trying to halt Sanzo's cruel attack on Gojyo.

"He was molesting that saru!" Sanzo barked. "As if having that perverted Homura molesting Goku is not enough!"

"Sanzo, if you're unhappy with our position, I suggest that we make some changes…"

"This horny cockroach can sleep on that tree! A bonus for him if there are thorns cushioning him!"

"Hakkai!" wailed Gojyo, begging his lover for his aid.

"Sanzo, it's okay, really…" Goku, assisting Hakkai, tried to pacify Sanzo's burning rage. "It wasn't intended…" 'But why is Sanzo so furious?'

"You're not coming anywhere near Goku, you hear!" insisted Sanzo, berating Gojyo.

Hakkai sighed. "Goku, trade places with me."

"Eh?" Goku blinked, clueless. "Why?"

"According to the grapevine, Sanzo's worried about your wellbeing being seated next to Gojyo. He doesn't trust Gojyo enough—"

"Since when did I trust any of you?" A snort.

"Hai, hai. Don't look at me like that, Sanzo. I promise we're not doing it tonight, so you've nothing to worry about. Right, Gojyo?" Hakkai's persistent smile induced Gojyo to agree half-heartedly. "Ah, thank you, Goku. Good night, everyone."

Goku did not move an inch. He merely gawked at the steering wheel, and occasionally at Sanzo on his left.

"What?" Sanzo muttered coldly.

"Ah, nothing."

"Don't touch anything. I'll kill you if you do."

"I understand." After a long silence, Goku spoke, "Um, Sanzo…"

"…"

"I'm dying to know…how'd you know Gojyo was touching me? Were you watching me the whole time?"

"Baka, I just happened to." 'One white lie never hurts…'

"I—I see." Goku did not comprehend what he was feeling. He only felt that way when he was—out of food.

Was it—disappointment, deprivation?

"Go to sleep, saru," ordered Sanzo.

Nodding, Goku rested his head on the seat. He observed that Gojyo had his arm around Hakkai, both asleep in the backseat. Hakkai had an unusual smile plastered on his face—quite different from his typical one.

"Sanzo, why is the cockroach hugging Hakkai?"

Sanzo's eyelids opened slowly. "Don't look at them."

"Mou, Sanzo…that's not the answer I was looking for."

Not interested to waste his time and energy whacking Goku, Sanzo gave in. "They like it that way. I don't know what idiots think."

"Oh." Goku sounded satisfied enough. "Good night, Sanzo."

The wind got rather rough, and the cold breeze sent shivers tickling their skin. Barely asleep, Sanzo observed that the monkey next to him was shuddering.

"…cold…" Grimacing, Goku wrinkled his forehead, hissed. He sat up. "And there's no extra blanket. Sanzo, aren't you cold? It seems to me that Hakkai and Gojyo are not. Am I the only one who feels cold?" He pulled his blanket, covering his shaking body. "They're not having blankets but they are fine…"

In reality, Sanzo was feeling a bit chilly too. But part of him was more worried about Goku.

"They're not cold because they feel warm to be seated like that," said he slowly. "You want to sit like that too, don't you?"

"Eh?" Goku blushed. "No, it's all right." A sneeze. "Sorry."

"Baka saru…don't refuse what will benefit you."

"Uh? But…"

"Fine, then. Catch a flu and see if I care." Sanzo turned away. 'Stupid Goku…'

Goku reflected for a minute. Finally coming to a decision, he crawled in Sanzo's direction and sat on his lap. Mildly surprised, Sanzo stared at Goku.

"I feel warm already. You're right, Sanzo." Goku grinned. He placed his cheek on Sanzo's chest. "And I can hear your heartbeat. It's fast…"

Sanzo never felt that volume of nervousness before. He himself sensed Goku's heartbeat on his chest, adjacent to his own. Their hearts were beating as one—equal in speed.

"Baka…speak for yourself."

Goku chortled. "Sanzo, you're so warm…Can I sit here until morning?"

"I don't want those two at the back to see us like this." This was partly true. He imagined he would feel very out of his depth to be caught in that compromising position with Goku. Gojyo would make fun of him, and Hakkai—with that smile…

Goku straightened, his voice rather weak. "If you say so." He made an attempt to return to the driver's seat, but Sanzo automatically grabbed hold of him, ceasing his movement.

"Don't give me problems, saru. I'll leave you behind if you fall sick."

Goku's expression lightened up. He brought his face closer to Sanzo's neck. "Good night…and thank you." Goku snuggled lightly lest he irritates Sanzo with his consistent moving.

Sanzo was having a peculiar fuzzy feeling inside him. He never experienced it before, for he remembered clearly being in his late master's arms was way different. This time, it was warmer, yes, and more…pleasant.

The hand that was on Goku did not want to let go. He wanted them to stay in that arrangement forever; and the thought of lust never did cross his mind. He could control his hands; never did they endeavour to tear Goku's apparel away.

Only two thoughts lingered in Genjo Sanzo's mind at that time—he felt comfort—not any comfort, but real comfort with Goku in his arms, and that no matter what, nobody—and he really meant nobody—touches Goku without his permission for then on.

Oh, and thirdly…he had to make sure he would wake up earlier than any of those two lovebirds behind him the next morning.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Hikaru: A number of unnecessary details, don't you think?
Ru: Oh, great! I took a break from my angst to serve you and your fic, and now you're telling me you're not happy with the outcome? Why the heck must you be a damned good perfectionist?
Hikaru: So now you're blaming me!? What kind of a muse are you?
Ru: A depressed one. *bows to reader* And now if you'll excuse us, we'll have to resume our debate on which of us is more depressed…