Standard disclaimers apply. But Li's mine!
They found a house that had a mostly intact roof and settled there. Hakkai had set about healing everyone until he fainted on Gojyo. The half-breed quickly tended the healer's shoulder as Goku was sent for more water – he claimed to hear a river nearby – and Sanzo spread out the bedrolls.
"Idiot." Gojyo grunted as he pulled tight on the bandage. "Always...making me...miserable."
"Does it really make you miserable?" Sanzo was sitting on one of the rolls, a lit cigarette on his lips.
"You bet your skinny ass it does. Hate to see him kill himself taking care of someone else."
"Then you should've spent more effort in evading injury."
"I don't see you doing the same, namagusa bouzu. You're always the one out cold on the floor."
The gun was aiming for his head before he spoke another word. "Say that again."
"Tch. Namagusa." Gojyo refused to glance in his direction as he gently laid Hakkai on another roll. "How the hell you've lived this long being chased by youkai and without having someone like Hakkai around..."
Sanzo still kept the shourejiu trained on him as the half-breed sat back on his heels. When no word was forthcoming, Sanzo lowered the gun.
"The idiot always was too concerned for others' sake." He muttered, snuffing out his cig before he lit another. "Probably thinks it helps keep him from losing control." He blew out the smoke in his lungs. "Idiot only knows he can't bear losing anyone any more."
"That's the opposite of the path you took, isn't it?" Gojyo was plunking down beside him with a cig – his brand – in his hand. "Decided to be all high and mighty so no one could touch you, much less talk to you without you giving them shit. So much like a wounded animal."
"At least I'm not like you. Skirt-chasing, gambling, doing whatever suits your taste and fuck what happens after. It's a surprise you're still able to care for others."
"At least I don't have a pet monkey to look after."
They both glanced at the doorway where Goku had left earlier to retrieve some water.
"It must be easy being the saru." Gojyo muttered to himself and stood up. "I'm going outside. Scout out this place and look for something that might be useful. Unlike you, we don't get dreams of places we end up being in a few days after."
"Tch."
Sanzo remained where he was, smoking his cigarette in relative peace. As far as he knew, the dreams he had were no making of his. It was bad enough that he had to be saddled with three annoyances for this journey; a fucking dream about Generals and shikigami was definitely not on his list of things to do. Like that errant sixth sense he always had whenever a river was nearby. He snorted to himself, cursing whichever gods were in attendance.
The torn curtains by the window fluttered.
The hairs at the back of his neck prickled – then his gun was aimed at the shifting silhouette by the doorway.
"Show yourself." While he didn't feel any youki, nor any sort of menace, for that matter... he wasn't given to trusting things too easily.
The silhouette floated closer, still shifting as he backed away from it. "Stay right there."
It stopped its approach but continued shifting until-
Sanzo's eyes narrowed in annoyance at the form the silhouette finally settled on. "Damn."
"Indeed." The voice was the same. But his appearance was not. Despite the haziness of his figure, Sanzo could still distinguish the military countenance and the familiar clothing. But while the General Li they had first met bore signs of forest-travel, this one had blood splashed haphazardly over his armor. The translucent face was more gaunt, signs of hunger gone unsatisfied. His black hair and beard were unkempt. But most of all, there was stark despair in his eyes, so different from the calculating ones of the other.
"I still won't give you the sutra." His aim didn't waver.
But the figure only shook his head. "I'm not here for the sutra."
"Then what do you want?"
Sanzo backed away further when the figure looked up at him with suddenly intense longing.
"I am...just here."
"Don't play games with me!"
"I'm not." The figure kept its unnerving stare. "I'm here. Because I am."
Sanzo's surroundings changed abruptly. The curtains were no longer torn, and the decrepit walls became as white as newly painted borders. Hakkai disappeared, along with the rest of their camping equipment, and was replaced by a clean-shaven General Li in the middle of strapping on his armor.
"Hirasa..." a young woman stood by the door that led deeper into the house. When Sanzo and the others had entered, that part of the house was long blocked off by a collapsed roof.
Li glanced up from strapping his sword at his waist. "I will not allow those beasts to ravage our village without a fight, Uona."
"I know. And I agree." She stepped into the room, light falling on the cloth bundle in her arms. "But at least, promise your son you will return safely."
Li's hard gaze softened as he crossed the room to take hold of the bundle, brushing gentle fingers at the sleeping face.
All too soon, he was pushing the baby back to her arms and strode out the door.
"Hirasa!"
Li paused by the doorstep, glancing at her over his shoulder as he said, "I can't make promises I can't keep."
And he was out the door.
Sanzo was sitting nearby when Hakkai awoke, violet eyes staring off into space and a lighted cigarette dangling from his fingers.
The green-clad healer smiled casually and sat up. "I'm glad to see you're feeling good enough to smoke. Where did the others go?"
The monk blinked and slowly turned his gaze at him, the violet eyes unfocused.
"Sanzo?"
"What," Sanzo spoke, his tone both curious and aloof, "are we doing down here, Tenpou?"
A/N: Other than thanks to those deserving, I decided to keep silent and not promise anything. Wonderful Sf-sama's been a great beta-reader and if anyone's still reading this, you're great too for sticking with me so far. Those who review are just as wonderful. Thanks to all!
They found a house that had a mostly intact roof and settled there. Hakkai had set about healing everyone until he fainted on Gojyo. The half-breed quickly tended the healer's shoulder as Goku was sent for more water – he claimed to hear a river nearby – and Sanzo spread out the bedrolls.
"Idiot." Gojyo grunted as he pulled tight on the bandage. "Always...making me...miserable."
"Does it really make you miserable?" Sanzo was sitting on one of the rolls, a lit cigarette on his lips.
"You bet your skinny ass it does. Hate to see him kill himself taking care of someone else."
"Then you should've spent more effort in evading injury."
"I don't see you doing the same, namagusa bouzu. You're always the one out cold on the floor."
The gun was aiming for his head before he spoke another word. "Say that again."
"Tch. Namagusa." Gojyo refused to glance in his direction as he gently laid Hakkai on another roll. "How the hell you've lived this long being chased by youkai and without having someone like Hakkai around..."
Sanzo still kept the shourejiu trained on him as the half-breed sat back on his heels. When no word was forthcoming, Sanzo lowered the gun.
"The idiot always was too concerned for others' sake." He muttered, snuffing out his cig before he lit another. "Probably thinks it helps keep him from losing control." He blew out the smoke in his lungs. "Idiot only knows he can't bear losing anyone any more."
"That's the opposite of the path you took, isn't it?" Gojyo was plunking down beside him with a cig – his brand – in his hand. "Decided to be all high and mighty so no one could touch you, much less talk to you without you giving them shit. So much like a wounded animal."
"At least I'm not like you. Skirt-chasing, gambling, doing whatever suits your taste and fuck what happens after. It's a surprise you're still able to care for others."
"At least I don't have a pet monkey to look after."
They both glanced at the doorway where Goku had left earlier to retrieve some water.
"It must be easy being the saru." Gojyo muttered to himself and stood up. "I'm going outside. Scout out this place and look for something that might be useful. Unlike you, we don't get dreams of places we end up being in a few days after."
"Tch."
Sanzo remained where he was, smoking his cigarette in relative peace. As far as he knew, the dreams he had were no making of his. It was bad enough that he had to be saddled with three annoyances for this journey; a fucking dream about Generals and shikigami was definitely not on his list of things to do. Like that errant sixth sense he always had whenever a river was nearby. He snorted to himself, cursing whichever gods were in attendance.
The torn curtains by the window fluttered.
The hairs at the back of his neck prickled – then his gun was aimed at the shifting silhouette by the doorway.
"Show yourself." While he didn't feel any youki, nor any sort of menace, for that matter... he wasn't given to trusting things too easily.
The silhouette floated closer, still shifting as he backed away from it. "Stay right there."
It stopped its approach but continued shifting until-
Sanzo's eyes narrowed in annoyance at the form the silhouette finally settled on. "Damn."
"Indeed." The voice was the same. But his appearance was not. Despite the haziness of his figure, Sanzo could still distinguish the military countenance and the familiar clothing. But while the General Li they had first met bore signs of forest-travel, this one had blood splashed haphazardly over his armor. The translucent face was more gaunt, signs of hunger gone unsatisfied. His black hair and beard were unkempt. But most of all, there was stark despair in his eyes, so different from the calculating ones of the other.
"I still won't give you the sutra." His aim didn't waver.
But the figure only shook his head. "I'm not here for the sutra."
"Then what do you want?"
Sanzo backed away further when the figure looked up at him with suddenly intense longing.
"I am...just here."
"Don't play games with me!"
"I'm not." The figure kept its unnerving stare. "I'm here. Because I am."
Sanzo's surroundings changed abruptly. The curtains were no longer torn, and the decrepit walls became as white as newly painted borders. Hakkai disappeared, along with the rest of their camping equipment, and was replaced by a clean-shaven General Li in the middle of strapping on his armor.
"Hirasa..." a young woman stood by the door that led deeper into the house. When Sanzo and the others had entered, that part of the house was long blocked off by a collapsed roof.
Li glanced up from strapping his sword at his waist. "I will not allow those beasts to ravage our village without a fight, Uona."
"I know. And I agree." She stepped into the room, light falling on the cloth bundle in her arms. "But at least, promise your son you will return safely."
Li's hard gaze softened as he crossed the room to take hold of the bundle, brushing gentle fingers at the sleeping face.
All too soon, he was pushing the baby back to her arms and strode out the door.
"Hirasa!"
Li paused by the doorstep, glancing at her over his shoulder as he said, "I can't make promises I can't keep."
And he was out the door.
Sanzo was sitting nearby when Hakkai awoke, violet eyes staring off into space and a lighted cigarette dangling from his fingers.
The green-clad healer smiled casually and sat up. "I'm glad to see you're feeling good enough to smoke. Where did the others go?"
The monk blinked and slowly turned his gaze at him, the violet eyes unfocused.
"Sanzo?"
"What," Sanzo spoke, his tone both curious and aloof, "are we doing down here, Tenpou?"
A/N: Other than thanks to those deserving, I decided to keep silent and not promise anything. Wonderful Sf-sama's been a great beta-reader and if anyone's still reading this, you're great too for sticking with me so far. Those who review are just as wonderful. Thanks to all!