CHAPTER TWO
Gojou let himself sink deeper into the hot water with a sigh of blissful relief. One inch further and it would cover his ears, which meant not hearing any more of Gokuu's cheerful happy chatter. He closed his eyes in bliss at the prospect. After all, he only actually needed his nose above the surface of the water, for the whole breathing thing, and the rest could take care of itself as he slipped quietly away and let the hot water soak into his poor tired muscles.
Another imperative asserted itself. IAlcohol./I
But that meant facing a cheerful Gokuu.
Gojou sighed mentally. Life wasn't fair.
Sanzou was in the next bathroom along. Perhaps if Gojou could bear to remove himself from this beautiful, beautiful hot water for just a minute, he could hammer on the wall and suggest that the monk took his pet monkey back.
Sanzou had threatened mass murder if anyone disturbed his private soak; therefore, Gokuu was in here pestering poor tired Gojou. He luxuriated in self-pity. And Hakkai wasn't here to distract the kid because Hakkai was up in his bedroom checking on Jiipu, who'd been coughing and sneezing for the last few miles, and who had managed to convey the signs of oncoming pneumonia even as a jeep, let alone as a pitiful little dragon. Good for Hakkai. Nice helpful Hakkai. Sod Hakkai for not being here to keep Gokuu busy.
The door creaked open, and Hakkai's voice said, through the steam, "Sumimasen. I hope you weren't waiting?"
Gojou hoisted himself out of the water enough that he could open his mouth without drowning. "Nah. You couldn't keep me and this hot water apart if you tried." The room was thick with clouds of blessedly warm mist. He could dimly see Hakkai piling his clothes neatly by the door. "Hey! Gokuu! Hakkai could use some beer!"
"Wine," Hakkai corrected him. "If it wouldn't be a bother, Gokuu . . ."
"I'll have the beer, then." Gojou subsided back into the water. So hot. So beautiful. "Run, monkey boy! Run!"
Gokuu pulled a robe around him, and headed out of the room, grumbling to himself, as Hakkai joined Gojou in the large tub. A few moments later, he poked his head back inside.
"Got the beer?" Gojou inquired.
Gokuu ran one hand through water-spiked hair. "Gojou! Hakkai! I just passed someone who looked just like Kougaiji!"
Gojou was fairly sure there was something unlikely going on here. "Looked like, you say?"
"Well, he was a human," Gokuu explained earnestly. "And he didn't try to attack me or anything."
It was probably pure coincidence. More to the point . . . "Sanzou ought to know about this," Gojou declared, and kicked at where Hakkai's ankle should be under the water, in the hopes of prompting spontaneous agreement.
"After you've got the wine," Hakkai said helpfully. Good old Hakkai, Gojou mused in a surge of sudden affection. Always had the right priorities.
"You're sure?" Gokuu asked uncertainly. Maybe he was remembering the bloodcurdling threats which Sanzou had been making earlier. It was amazing how much sheer icy venom could be got into a simple promise to kill anybody who interrupted the hot bath, the beer, and the cigarettes.
"Absolutely." Gojou envisaged a soak Iwithout/I Gokuu nearby. "After you've got the beer. Run, monkey boy, run!"
---
Kougaiji and Doku huddled just beyond the curve of the stairs which led to the bathroom corridor, where they had hastily retreated after spotting Son Gokuu. Normally outright confrontation would have been indicated, but Kougaiji had decided to withdraw for a moment and assess the situation. The numbers all seemed to add up. This looked unexpectedly promising. He luxuriated in the combination of dry bathrobe and possible sutra.
"He called out to both Gojou and Hakkai," Doku affirmed softly. "I heard that too. Which means they're both in Ithat/I bathroom. And the other one along the corridor on that side is occupied as well, and since there were only the four names in the register, Ithat/I one has to be where Genjou Sanzou is."
"And not even Genjou Sanzou would take one of the sutras into the bath with him," Kougaiji agreed in a whisper. "Which means they probably left it in a bedroom, and probably Genjou Sanzou's bedroom."
IMost/I promising, indeed.
"And . . . yup, there he goes to get the beer." Doku leaned around the corner to watch Gokuu heading for the kitchens. "Shall we find Yaone?"
Kougaiji considered. "No time. The longer we leave it, the more chance of one of them going up to their rooms or running into us as Son Gokuu nearly did. Come on."
Four possible rooms on the corridor. Two could be ruled out at once, as they Ididn't/I already have a reek of cigarettes penetrating through the closed door into the corridor. That left two others.
Kougaiji tapped one finger against his lips, to remind Doku of the need for silence, observed his bodyguard's simple yet effective attempt to mime that he'd open the door and check the room out first, signalled an emphatic negative -- after all, they knew the Sanzou-ikkou were all safely downstairs -- and opened the door quietly, stepping into the dark room.
A pair of long bare arms reached down to wrap around him, pulling him back against their owner's chest, one arm pinning his arms to his sides, the other shackled hand tracing down his bare chest and sliding under his robe. "Konzen Douji . . ." a dark voice murmured in his ear. "At last . . ."
There was a pause. "You aren't Konzen Douji," the voice breathed.
A loud crack, as of a stool against a distracted head. A familiar hand -- good old Doku, blessed Doku, never fully appreciated before Doku -- was dragging him out of the clasp of those shackled hands, Iwhat in the name of all the various hells, including those reserved since birth for my stepmother and Nii Jieni, is that toushin taishi doing here/I, out of the door, and down the inviting stairs.
"Hide," Kougaiji gasped, regaining his breath as they reached the corridor of bathrooms. He remembered his previous encounter with Homura. Things wouldn't be improved by the fact that he and Doku were wearing limiters and effectively human. The toushin was apparently looking for someone called Konzen Douji, and on a night like this he was frankly welcome to him. Though what he was doing in Genjou Sanzou's bedroom . . . a divine visitation, perhaps? He waved a vague hand towards the bathrooms. "You go in there, I'll go in here!"
Confident in his liegeman's abilities to take care of himself, he ducked into the first bathroom on the right. Small matter if that was the one which might contain Cho Hakkai and Sa Gojou. He was sublimely confident of being able to handle them.
The room was full of steam. Excellent. Ignoring the surprised mutter from the bath, he dropped his robe mid-step and swung himself over the edge into the steaming water, sinking instantly to eye level.
Two pairs of eyes looked at him, one set crimson, the other set green, from where their owners were also nose-deep in the water.
Now what was the proper protocol in this case?
---
Sanzou looked up as the door crashed open. A flurry of large human came through at a rush -- Idamn it, now I'm going to have to get my gun wet or drop my cigarette/I -- discarded one of the inn's standard robes, and joined him and Gokuu in the tub with a crashing tidal wave of displaced water.
ICould I not have even one evening free of idiots?/I he mused irritatedly. IAstonishing resemblance to Dokugakuji, henchthug to Kougaiji, check. Somewhat obvious limiter-type large bracelet on wrist, check. Air of profound embarrassment at current situation, check. Stupid comment from monkey . . ./I
"Sanzou," Gokuu asked loudly, "is that Dokugakuji?"
"Of course it isn't," he snapped. ICheck./I
"No way," the newcomer agreed, submerging hastily.
"He couldn't be," Sanzou pointed out firmly.
"Absolutely not," the definitely-not-Dokugakuji stated.
"But, Sanzou . . ."
Sanzou's eyes met those of the definitely-not-Dokugakuji. ITonight someone else can take care of the problems. All the problems./I "Shut up, bakazaru," he recommended.
---
Yaone settled blissfully into her own tub, her very own tub, her nice private quiet steam-filled bathroom with a bath full to Ioverflowing/I with boiling hot water just for her. She let herself settle back into the water, bracing her shoulders against the side of the bath, back turned defiantly to the door, Igo away outside world/I, and stretched her arms out on either side. A bundled towel held her hair off her face and allowed her to simply savour the delightful sensation of heat and relaxation. The world contained nothing but blinding steam and hot water and the drumming of the rain outside. Yes. Outside. That was the important bit. It was outside and she was inside.
She didn't even care that Dokugakuji would get to scrub Kougaiji-sama's back.
---
Kougaiji heard the creak of the opening door, and sank beneath the surface of the water like a lotus at dusk.
There was a pause. "Marshal?" Homura's voice was audible even through the water that filled his ears. "General?" Another silence, as of a hunter drawing the coverts and finding his prey absent. "Later," the dark voice promised, and the door closed with another creak.
Slowly Kougaiji let his head rise above the steaming surface. IIf forced to take to your bath in a hurry due to political inconvenience/I, came the distant echo of his tutors, Ialways comport yourself in such a way as to achieve the respect and gratitude of those in the bath with you./I
"If you will allow me a moment to collect myself," he said politely to the two pairs of suspicious eyes fixed on him, "I will fetch some more alcohol."
---
Gojou let himself sink deeper into the hot water with a sigh of blissful relief. One inch further and it would cover his ears, which meant not hearing any more of Gokuu's cheerful happy chatter. He closed his eyes in bliss at the prospect. After all, he only actually needed his nose above the surface of the water, for the whole breathing thing, and the rest could take care of itself as he slipped quietly away and let the hot water soak into his poor tired muscles.
Another imperative asserted itself. IAlcohol./I
But that meant facing a cheerful Gokuu.
Gojou sighed mentally. Life wasn't fair.
Sanzou was in the next bathroom along. Perhaps if Gojou could bear to remove himself from this beautiful, beautiful hot water for just a minute, he could hammer on the wall and suggest that the monk took his pet monkey back.
Sanzou had threatened mass murder if anyone disturbed his private soak; therefore, Gokuu was in here pestering poor tired Gojou. He luxuriated in self-pity. And Hakkai wasn't here to distract the kid because Hakkai was up in his bedroom checking on Jiipu, who'd been coughing and sneezing for the last few miles, and who had managed to convey the signs of oncoming pneumonia even as a jeep, let alone as a pitiful little dragon. Good for Hakkai. Nice helpful Hakkai. Sod Hakkai for not being here to keep Gokuu busy.
The door creaked open, and Hakkai's voice said, through the steam, "Sumimasen. I hope you weren't waiting?"
Gojou hoisted himself out of the water enough that he could open his mouth without drowning. "Nah. You couldn't keep me and this hot water apart if you tried." The room was thick with clouds of blessedly warm mist. He could dimly see Hakkai piling his clothes neatly by the door. "Hey! Gokuu! Hakkai could use some beer!"
"Wine," Hakkai corrected him. "If it wouldn't be a bother, Gokuu . . ."
"I'll have the beer, then." Gojou subsided back into the water. So hot. So beautiful. "Run, monkey boy! Run!"
Gokuu pulled a robe around him, and headed out of the room, grumbling to himself, as Hakkai joined Gojou in the large tub. A few moments later, he poked his head back inside.
"Got the beer?" Gojou inquired.
Gokuu ran one hand through water-spiked hair. "Gojou! Hakkai! I just passed someone who looked just like Kougaiji!"
Gojou was fairly sure there was something unlikely going on here. "Looked like, you say?"
"Well, he was a human," Gokuu explained earnestly. "And he didn't try to attack me or anything."
It was probably pure coincidence. More to the point . . . "Sanzou ought to know about this," Gojou declared, and kicked at where Hakkai's ankle should be under the water, in the hopes of prompting spontaneous agreement.
"After you've got the wine," Hakkai said helpfully. Good old Hakkai, Gojou mused in a surge of sudden affection. Always had the right priorities.
"You're sure?" Gokuu asked uncertainly. Maybe he was remembering the bloodcurdling threats which Sanzou had been making earlier. It was amazing how much sheer icy venom could be got into a simple promise to kill anybody who interrupted the hot bath, the beer, and the cigarettes.
"Absolutely." Gojou envisaged a soak Iwithout/I Gokuu nearby. "After you've got the beer. Run, monkey boy, run!"
---
Kougaiji and Doku huddled just beyond the curve of the stairs which led to the bathroom corridor, where they had hastily retreated after spotting Son Gokuu. Normally outright confrontation would have been indicated, but Kougaiji had decided to withdraw for a moment and assess the situation. The numbers all seemed to add up. This looked unexpectedly promising. He luxuriated in the combination of dry bathrobe and possible sutra.
"He called out to both Gojou and Hakkai," Doku affirmed softly. "I heard that too. Which means they're both in Ithat/I bathroom. And the other one along the corridor on that side is occupied as well, and since there were only the four names in the register, Ithat/I one has to be where Genjou Sanzou is."
"And not even Genjou Sanzou would take one of the sutras into the bath with him," Kougaiji agreed in a whisper. "Which means they probably left it in a bedroom, and probably Genjou Sanzou's bedroom."
IMost/I promising, indeed.
"And . . . yup, there he goes to get the beer." Doku leaned around the corner to watch Gokuu heading for the kitchens. "Shall we find Yaone?"
Kougaiji considered. "No time. The longer we leave it, the more chance of one of them going up to their rooms or running into us as Son Gokuu nearly did. Come on."
Four possible rooms on the corridor. Two could be ruled out at once, as they Ididn't/I already have a reek of cigarettes penetrating through the closed door into the corridor. That left two others.
Kougaiji tapped one finger against his lips, to remind Doku of the need for silence, observed his bodyguard's simple yet effective attempt to mime that he'd open the door and check the room out first, signalled an emphatic negative -- after all, they knew the Sanzou-ikkou were all safely downstairs -- and opened the door quietly, stepping into the dark room.
A pair of long bare arms reached down to wrap around him, pulling him back against their owner's chest, one arm pinning his arms to his sides, the other shackled hand tracing down his bare chest and sliding under his robe. "Konzen Douji . . ." a dark voice murmured in his ear. "At last . . ."
There was a pause. "You aren't Konzen Douji," the voice breathed.
A loud crack, as of a stool against a distracted head. A familiar hand -- good old Doku, blessed Doku, never fully appreciated before Doku -- was dragging him out of the clasp of those shackled hands, Iwhat in the name of all the various hells, including those reserved since birth for my stepmother and Nii Jieni, is that toushin taishi doing here/I, out of the door, and down the inviting stairs.
"Hide," Kougaiji gasped, regaining his breath as they reached the corridor of bathrooms. He remembered his previous encounter with Homura. Things wouldn't be improved by the fact that he and Doku were wearing limiters and effectively human. The toushin was apparently looking for someone called Konzen Douji, and on a night like this he was frankly welcome to him. Though what he was doing in Genjou Sanzou's bedroom . . . a divine visitation, perhaps? He waved a vague hand towards the bathrooms. "You go in there, I'll go in here!"
Confident in his liegeman's abilities to take care of himself, he ducked into the first bathroom on the right. Small matter if that was the one which might contain Cho Hakkai and Sa Gojou. He was sublimely confident of being able to handle them.
The room was full of steam. Excellent. Ignoring the surprised mutter from the bath, he dropped his robe mid-step and swung himself over the edge into the steaming water, sinking instantly to eye level.
Two pairs of eyes looked at him, one set crimson, the other set green, from where their owners were also nose-deep in the water.
Now what was the proper protocol in this case?
---
Sanzou looked up as the door crashed open. A flurry of large human came through at a rush -- Idamn it, now I'm going to have to get my gun wet or drop my cigarette/I -- discarded one of the inn's standard robes, and joined him and Gokuu in the tub with a crashing tidal wave of displaced water.
ICould I not have even one evening free of idiots?/I he mused irritatedly. IAstonishing resemblance to Dokugakuji, henchthug to Kougaiji, check. Somewhat obvious limiter-type large bracelet on wrist, check. Air of profound embarrassment at current situation, check. Stupid comment from monkey . . ./I
"Sanzou," Gokuu asked loudly, "is that Dokugakuji?"
"Of course it isn't," he snapped. ICheck./I
"No way," the newcomer agreed, submerging hastily.
"He couldn't be," Sanzou pointed out firmly.
"Absolutely not," the definitely-not-Dokugakuji stated.
"But, Sanzou . . ."
Sanzou's eyes met those of the definitely-not-Dokugakuji. ITonight someone else can take care of the problems. All the problems./I "Shut up, bakazaru," he recommended.
---
Yaone settled blissfully into her own tub, her very own tub, her nice private quiet steam-filled bathroom with a bath full to Ioverflowing/I with boiling hot water just for her. She let herself settle back into the water, bracing her shoulders against the side of the bath, back turned defiantly to the door, Igo away outside world/I, and stretched her arms out on either side. A bundled towel held her hair off her face and allowed her to simply savour the delightful sensation of heat and relaxation. The world contained nothing but blinding steam and hot water and the drumming of the rain outside. Yes. Outside. That was the important bit. It was outside and she was inside.
She didn't even care that Dokugakuji would get to scrub Kougaiji-sama's back.
---
Kougaiji heard the creak of the opening door, and sank beneath the surface of the water like a lotus at dusk.
There was a pause. "Marshal?" Homura's voice was audible even through the water that filled his ears. "General?" Another silence, as of a hunter drawing the coverts and finding his prey absent. "Later," the dark voice promised, and the door closed with another creak.
Slowly Kougaiji let his head rise above the steaming surface. IIf forced to take to your bath in a hurry due to political inconvenience/I, came the distant echo of his tutors, Ialways comport yourself in such a way as to achieve the respect and gratitude of those in the bath with you./I
"If you will allow me a moment to collect myself," he said politely to the two pairs of suspicious eyes fixed on him, "I will fetch some more alcohol."
---