Title: Alcohol Induced Incident
Date: 2 May 2004
Disclaimer: I don't own Gensomaden Saiyuki nor Saiyuki RELOAD nor any other Saiyuki derivative.
Notes: Written for "38 Incidents Project".
= = = = = = = =
Again, their path crossed that of Kougaiji and his little band. And again, their contest of strength and will was interrupted by a third party. This time, it was a giant monster with really bed smell. Both parties were so disgusted at the appearance of the monster that they united in order to defeat it utterly. Really, sometimes Sanzo didn't know if Kougaiji and his gang were really friends or enemies. It didn't matter much either way, anyway.
Sanzo also didn't know why he had always got to fight the smallest, loudest, and most annoying member of Kougaiji's gang. He shoved another roast pork bun into the girl's mouth before getting up to do his bit in the battle. The union of both parties' strength had managed to cripple the monster considerably. Sanzo clasped both his hands and muttered the first few syllables of the sutra.
The monster shrieked in agony. It moved about violently, kicking, screaming and trashing at everything within reach as it was realising its inevitable fate. Unfortunately for one member of Kougaiji's gang that wasn't quick enough to react, the monster had scored a blow through its last desperate vent of anger before crumbling into oblivion.
"Yaone!" shouted Kougaiji, his stepsister and Doku almost at the same time.
"Yaone-san," Hakkai also ran to aid his earlier opponent. "Are you alright?"
The female youkai had hit the nearby wall because of the blow. Apparently there were some deep cuts in her right arm and leg. Blood leaked freely from the wounds. She winced when she looked at them but didn't say a word.
"Let me take care of it," offered Hakkai.
Sanzo looked at the commotion in silent annoyance, turned away at the sight of Hakkai kneeling in front of the female youkai, as if in disgust.
"My, my," said a sly voice nearby. "Is someone feeling jealous?"
Sanzo turned to face the source of the voice.
"If you don't want a hole in that red head of yours," replied the monk, walking away. "Shut the fuck up."
Gojyo made a pretentious bow, "As you wish, O Exalted One."
= = = = = = = =
Another day had passed when they arrived in a new town and soon settled in. As usual, the green-eyed youkai had the task of getting the groceries, this time accompanied by Goku who had insisted to come.
Gojyo announced that if anyone wanted him, he'd be in the bar downstairs. To his surprise, he'd found the monk had already been there, several cans of beer lining in front of him. Gojyo settled himself next to the monk.
"So what's bringing you here?" inquired Gojyo after ordering his drink.
"It's a public place, isn't it?"
Gojyo chuckled, "You're still as tense as this even after five cans? Amazing."
Sanzo downed another can of beer, ignoring the remark.
= = = = = = = =
"Oi, Hakkai!"
Someone shouted his name, as the green-eyed youkai entered the bar.
"Here, here!"
"So there you are," said Hakkai, sitting across the red-haired man. "I was wondering where's everyone since the bedrooms were empty."
"What do you want to drink?" offered Gojyo.
"Ah, thanks," replied Hakkai as politely as ever. "But no, I don't feel like drinking tonight."
"Why?" suddenly another voice asked.
Hakkai turned to face the monk, noted the shade of red that's creeping on the monk's face. "No reason in particular."
"So why don't you want to drink?" asked the monk again, petulantly.
Hakkai frowned, "Sanzo, how much have you drunk already?"
The monk shrugged, "Not much."
Hakkai turned a questioning glance at the red haired man who mouthed the word "drunk" silently and held up both hands, indicating the number 10. He sighed, there's no way they could make it early tomorrow with their leader helplessly drunk like this.
"Come on," Hakkai strode towards the monk and grabbed his sleeve. "Let's go upstairs."
"No," replied the monk stubbornly. He pried off Hakkai's hand. "Let's drink first."
"You're drunk, Sanzo," stated the green-eyed youkai wearily.
"No," the monk waved an impatient hand. "You just don't like drinking with me, do you?"
Hakkai stared at the monk, confused as what to say. He turned to his other companion to find some enlightenment as to what's the monk was on about in his rambling but Gojyo only shrugged his shoulder.
"You prefer," Sanzo began. "You prefer that youkai, don't you?"
Hakkai's frown was deepening. "What are you talking about, Sanzo?"
"If it was her," the monk stood up, swaying a little bit. "You wouldn't say no, would you?"
"Her?" Hakkai was more perplexed than ever. "Who?"
Gojyo couldn't contain his laughter anymore. "Gods! Is that it? That's... oh gods, this is too unreal to be true!"
Hakkai looked at Gojyo with wide eyes, "You know what this is all about?"
Gojyo laughed, walked around the table and tapped the monk's shoulder, "He's got it bad for you, Hakkai."
And before the green-eyed youkai could reply, Gojyo looked at him and laughed some more and then strode towards the stairs, presumably going to his room.
Hakkai shook his head and grabbed the monk's arm, "Alright, you have enough drink. Come on."
This time, the monk let himself to be led to the stairs.
= = = = = = = =
Hakkai placed the half unconscious monk onto the bed carefully and made a mental note to ask Gojyo about what had happened in the bar earlier. Something funny, apparently, or at least, funny according to the red-haired man.
He was pulling a blanket over the apparently sleeping figure when a hand grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him down so that he's lying on top of the monk. His head almost hit the monk's head because of the pull. Another hand pinned him down on the back so that he couldn't get up. Hakkai gasped.
"Sanzo!"
Hakkai tried to get up but the grip on his body was tightened to the point that it was hard to breathe. "Sanzo, let go of me."
"No," replied the musky voice near his ear.
"Sanzo!" protested Hakkai. What on earth is wrong with him? thought Hakkai so puzzled with the monk's strange behaviour.
There was no reply. He turned his head to face the monk and found that the man had his eyes closed. Had Sanzo really fallen asleep or was he faking a sleep?
Hakkai's brain worked furiously. What was actually going on? First, Sanzo wanted to drink with him and he had refused. But that's just because he's drunk and that's that. And now?
Suddenly, Hakkai recalled what Gojyo had said.
"He's got it bad for you."
He felt Sanzo's chest rose and fell beneath him. It felt... strangely reassuring, strangely real, strangely comfortable. He didn't realise how he had missed this, being intimate with someone, being this close with another human being. How long had it been?
Rose and fell.
Rose.
And fell.
"He's got it bad for you, Hakkai."
Sanzo thought that he liked someone. A female youkai, apparently. Hakkai mused, did he mean Yaone-san? But that was ridiculous. He had never-
Then he remembered the many occasions where he had always been acting kind towards the female youkai. But that was just politeness. A vague kind of friendship, he could call it that, but nothing more.
Was that why Gojyo laughed so hard?
Hakkai smiled in silent. I suppose it's really funny, he conceded.
Sanzo's chest rose and fell. His body was so warm. Hakkai closed his eyes and continued to listen to the rhythm of the other man's breathing. It made him sleepy all of a sudden.
Why was he feeling sleepy now? No, he couldn't sleep here. He should get up now. He shouldn't lay comfortably like this. But his eyelids didn't seem to want to open. Sanzo was just drunk now. What would the monk say in the morning when he found that he hadn't been sleeping alone?
The grip on his body had somewhat loosened, when exactly Hakkai couldn't say. Why was he unwilling to get away now that he had the chance? Was it the warmth that's holding him down?
He shifted his body to a more comfortable position beside the monk's slender figure. Sanzo's hand was still around him. He placed his on top of Sanzo's chest. It seemed right to do so. Hakkai dozed off. The monk smelled of cigarettes and alcohol but it was okay. The bed was a bit cramped but that was fine too.
Hakkai tried to assemble some thoughts in his drowsiness. He'd get some sleep now. And get up before dawn to move to his room. Sanzo wouldn't notice.
Yes, that seemed to be the best plan.
His breathing had become one with the monk's when sleep took him over. He would get up before dawn.
Maybe.
= = = = End = = = =