Part 3 - childhood mischief
Hakkai was as quick to let Sanzo go as he was to sweep him up and just in time, too, the blond monk made a fair imitation of an affronted cat as he hissed and clawed out of the youkai's embrace.
"Bastard! Did you think that I just sit here, taking this." Sanzo hissed.
"No, but you looked so adorable that I couldn't help myself."
Sanzo just snorted.
"The garden and all the rooms inside this wing are only for your use." Hakkai explained cheerily. He sat on the bed as if nothing had happened.
What! Is he crazy?
"I had the library here well stocked with every sort of book you seem to fancy. Daily newspapers, too, some of which will come from unconquered lands and even a few without propaganda in them."
Sanzo could have sworn that Hakkai winked at him. It made him smile wryly before he felt the weight of the collar and was reminded of the situation they were in.
"Do you think bribing me would tame me?"
"No, your gun is in the bedside table drawer with your reading glasses, if it comforts you." Hakkai said, suddenly somber.
Sanzo risked a look at the small table and there it was.
What is he playing at? I can't fight my way out of this prison but surely he can't underestimate me this much...to give me a chance to injure him?
"No, your gun is in the bedside table drawer beside your reading glasses, if it comforts you."
For all the good that will do... Was the implied thought in that, Sanzo could not fight a few thousand youkai all by himself and the blond knew it, too. He was stubborn but not altogether lacking in good sense.
It took the four of us to get this far and now...I've broken that, past repair...
There was no really room for regrets on the path Hakkai had chosen.
If I had not...
If he had not then he would not be sitting here, having finally a chance with the blond. A ghost of chance, that's true but still a chance that he wouldn't have had with Goku forever hovering around the blond.
They remained like that for a while.
Hakkai sat again on the bed. Sanzo had to admit the action had lowered his guard down by a bit. If not for the collar around his neck, Sanzo could almost pretend that they were the Journey still.
As if it could be that innocent again...
Sanzo's mental voice uttered caustically as he sat on the other side of the bed. Such dangerous thoughts didn't even merit consideration. It had been week since he had first been imprisoned in this suite.
Though time had little meaning here...
A day passed very much like the other. Dates were just empty numbers printed on the newspapers that came in every day. Sanzo spent most of that time exercising in the garden and reading.
I must wait for the proper time to strike...
There was a fair chance that the youkai hordes will melt back into the population if Gyuma Ou was to be killed and he was in the right place to do just that.
I lack only the opportunity...and the weapons...
It was a false hope, he knew. There were too many youkai in the place and he was still hobbled by the collar around his neck.
Though it could be that I am getting too used to this...
The comfortable silence hung like an accusation in the air.
"Aa. I know you might still harbor some resentment towards me but it would be best for us to resolve our differences, ne?"
Resentment would be the least of it... Best to resolve our differences, best for you perhaps... I will never be resigned to being your pet...NEVER!
The blond monk continued to read as he fumed, pretending not to care.
"You are my one and only mate after all."
Sanzo snorted.
"You might not believe it but it's true enough. I'd give you anything in my power to make you happy."
"Drop dead."
Hakkai chuckled.
"You are feeling better. You aren't my pet you know."
Sanzo just snorted again.
"I would release you if you accepted how the world works now. I won't have you endangering yourself for something impossible."
Damned! He knows me too well...
It was going to be hard to do anything at all with those watchful green eyes on him.
"Afraid that your human pet might jeopardize your position in court?"
Hakkai laughed. That did not surprise Sanzo at all since the evasion on his part was so obvious.
"All I care about my position is it keeps you safe. No more no less. I never was one to play with politics, I prefer military matters and books."
"You always did." Sanzo asserted, surprising even himself.
Where did that come from?
The words disturbed Sanzo deeply. He knew, somehow, they were true though he could not say what he knew it. The silence after was that of the same awkwardness a small child causes when he said some embarrassing truth to a guest in front of his parents. He had no way of knowing that the words had echoed down the deep spring of time to bubble up his lips at this moment...
"This is why I don't like dabbling in politics." Tenpou said as he closed the door behind them in the drafty shack. They had gone in another direction from Kenren and Goku to confuse pursuit but it caught up with them at last.
I wish we don't need to join with them up again...in here I could almost pretend...
It was a dangerous thing to do. The past month had been an enlightening one for the ex-Marshal. This was not the first time they had been alone nor it was the second but Konzen was the same as always.
Did you expect him to change? He sees me as his childhood friend...he always did...
Tenpou knew that he should be contented with what he had with the blond and stop yearning for more but...
It's hard...
"And your involvement with Kenren wasn't politics?" Konzen panted as he leaned on the opposing wall, sitting on a sack of something. He flushed rather becomingly as water and slush streamed down his neat blond ponytail. Tenpou had to fight the urge to kiss him.
He would not appreciate it...and would make him uncomfortable of my company...
The gods controlled the weather of Heaven. The World Below was another matter. They had chosen to hide themselves in northern climes this time because the heavy clothes could conceal much.
"That was my first attempt at politics. I'm just a straightforward military man for the most part. Besides, I knew what I was doing then. The military would brook no interference in their affairs even by someone as powerful as Litouten. They'd rebel first. But this--this was chancy. The position of Fighting God has always been outside of the military."
"Why did you mix yourself up in this anyway?" Konzen snorted.
"You know why." Tenpou said tiredly, forgetting himself enough to say it out.
Fool, it was your own choice to follow him--he didn't force you--and you saw this coming but chose not to say a word about it...
Tenpou had more blame than most. Still, Konzen turned his head, having nothing to say to that.
He thinks it was his fault...but then I could hardly tell him otherwise...
Suddenly, Tenpou winced as the adrenaline wore off.
I think I got a wound from that slash...
Tenpou knew that one of their pursuers had managed to get a lucky stroke under his guard, he'd thought it was just a scratch. It certainly did not trouble him that much during their escape.
It must be a little more serious than that...
There was a brief rustle of cloth as Tenpou took off his coat to assess the damage. The clot pulled free along with the thick material and the wound began to bleed freely. He gave it a cursory glance and decided that it merited some bandaging. He looked in one of his coat pockets and began to unwind a strip of cloth kept for that purpose in one of the coat pockets.
"You're hurt!" Konzen exclaimed.
"It's nothing, just a shallow cut." Tenpou said, taking perverse satisfaction in the concern in the blond's voice. The cut was truly shallow and partially cauterized. Still, it stung.
It's a good thing that gods never had to worry about infections and that we heal much faster than ordinary mortals... I just have to worry about bleeding dry...though there's no only in that...
He had read about those other things in books.
"Tenpou, it's bleeding. It's not nothing..." Konzen protested as he came close, his face uncertain.
So innocent...you've never even seen blood before, have you Konzen? What did you think would happen when you rebelled against High Heaven all for the sake of one heretic child?
It took a lifetime of self-control built over from staying in courts of Heaven for Tenpou to keep from saying it.
I don't need to remind him of his lover...we are alone together and his thoughts are on me...and that's all that matters...
"I just need to bind it till it heals." He explained instead and started to bandage himself.
"Let me do that. It was my fault anyway." Konzen said.
Tenpou looked up startled, bandage forgotten on his hand. He didn't know that Konzen had noticed it at all.
"You thought I wouldn't know. You got hurt because you tried to defend me." Konzen said as he took the bandage end from Tenpou and wound it over.
He got the injury because an attacker trying to hamstring Konzen had distracted him. The blond god had been shooting with a tranquilizer gun and defending himself somewhat, still Konzen was not a match for trained warriors and there had been so many of them.
"You are not a warrior Konzen, you do the best you can but even real warriors can't fight against overwhelming odds."
And for someone with little training you did rather well...
"Damned, they've found us..." Tenpou swore as they ran through the village square, dodging darts and blades.
There are just too many of them for us to fight alone...Curse Litouten for dying in front of witnesses...and curse me for not thinking that Konzen would keep himself out of it...
It had come to this. They, Konzen, Kenren and most of all Goku, were fugitives hunted by the Armies of Heaven and rather than stay still in Heaven to face their punishment, they had taken their lot here in the World Below. While there was no place in Heaven that could be hidden from the Emperor's wrath, here it was on even footing.
Or as even as it could be...
At least it took the bastards long enough to locate them. Splitting the group had been a good idea. It certainly helped keep their pursuers off balanced and this way both trained fighters had only one non-combatant to worry about.
Though animal instinct seems to do well enough for Goku...
Tenpou couldn't resist the jab against his absent rival as he tossed a ki ball at a pursuer while shooting another with his tranquilizer gun. Things seemed to slow down for Tenpou as it was in every battle. Everything was always ever crystal clear and cold as if seen through a mountain stream. Every move and counter was laid out plainly in his sight.
Only five now...
Tschak! Hisss! Tschak!
No, three...
Another gun whispered along his, claiming it's share of victims.
Tschak! Tschak! Tschak!
Konzen had insisted on getting one of the lighter guns to help. It worried Tenpou a little.
If he was considered little threat to status quo and they would go easier in his sentencing...
But Konzen had been adamant about doing his share of the fighting. His eyes sidled left to Konzen. It was so that he had dropped his guard ever so slightly.
Clang!
The sword came down fast and Tenpou barely managed to raise his gun to parry the blow. He had very little warning except that it had stopped raining darts. He looked straight into mismatched eyes, purple and gold.
Shit! He must be the new Fighting God...
Tenpou knew this heretic, of course, everyone in Heaven did. The man was Homura of the Flame, the itan in the Clan of the Emperor, the hidden disgrace.
He fights well enough...
Tenpou tossed a ki ball and Homura backed away somewhat singed. They circled each other warily. Tenpou took a quick look at Konzen seeing he wasn't faring well.
The white haired shadow that came with the office of Fighting God, Shion, was harrying Konzen with his whips. The blond god's clothing was torn in several places from the lash.
He's toying with him...
A dart or two thudded quit close to the handle.
Ah, Konzen, you'll teach him to respect you yet...
The whip was coming for another pass and Tenpou could see that it wasn't playing this time.
That blow could cripple Konzen...
He threw a ki ball and dodged to sideways to Konzen.
Not quite fast enough...
As Tenpou had anticipated, Homura took advantage of his distraction to attack. The flaming sword grazed his arm, drawing blood. Before Homura could get out of range, he shot at the itan but this time the dart went home in the neck. The itan collapsed and Shion had to break off the attack to run to itan's side. The rain of darts began again. Tenpou pushed Konzen down as the darts whizzed a finger-length over their heads. He had the presence of mind to teleport them both to another location, this time a deserted forest clearing with a shack in it.
So here there they were now, resting from that close call.
"Hn! It was my damned fault. You wouldn't have gotten in the way of that slash if you were fighting with Kenren, you two would have gotten away without a scratch." Konzen snorted.
Startled, Tenpou looked into the purple eyes. He didn't think that Konzen could have seen that.
Everything was happening so fast...
What had made Tenpou so good a strategist was that he could keep track of most events in the battlefield. He never thought that Konzen would have noticed, busy as the blond was with Shion.
Hell, Kenren would have had concentrated on his own battles and leave me to take care of mine...
"You don't think I was as much a fool as that. Didn't you?" The blond fussed at the bandage, refusing to meet Tenpou's gaze.
"Why didn't you go for the military, Konzen?" Tenpou moved forward to get a better look at the blond.
Konzen looked up so fast they nearly bumped noses. [1]
"What do you mean by that?" Purple eyes were truly puzzled by Tenpou's question.
Amazing...he doesn't know... A pity about his position, he could have gotten far in the military...
Tenpou himself had taken his childhood friend for granted as a soft bureaucrat, someone who'd been born and bred for the endless round of red tape in Heaven. He felt somewhat ashamed that he'd never thought there was more to Konzen than that.
This is a side of him I've never seen even when we had been children...
"You don't think I was as much a fool as that. Didn't you?" Konzen refused to look directly into the green eyes.
I got you into this...this mess...
Tenpou had said as much before he got himself under control. His old playmate had some affection for Goku but that alone would not have let the cautious Tenpou Gensui into politics outside the military.
And I caused this directly...by being in the line of fire...
Konzen knew that what he had said was true that if Tenpou had been with Kenren instead of him...
He wouldn't have worried so much...
Part of it was the green eyed god's affection for Konzen, the other part of it was concern for his inexperience in battle. He knew that the latter concern had some merit.
I had no lessons in strategy or tactics...no practice in shooting a gun or sword fighting...though the gun felt natural in my hand...and I did manage to hit some of the targets...
So maybe Tenpou shouldn't worry so much about him but still...
"Why didn't you go for the military, Konzen?" It was his turn to be startled. He looked up not knowing that Tenpou had moved, his face nearly colliding with the other's.
I was just thinking he shouldn't underestimate me...
"What do you mean by that?"
He can't mean what he I think he just said...
Konzen forgot his earlier thoughts of self-sufficiency at those words. He had been raised to be the Old Hag's assistant for as long as he could remember. The military dealt with matters Down Below and had nothing to do at all with him. The filth and the earthiness of it all was not something he had been raised to deal with.
Like I told you that other time...but...that is what I'm doing now, isn't it?
Heaven was barred to him now for defending Goku. He had brought down so many with him in upholding his charge.
Funny, I got you into this, Tenpou...when it was you who kept getting us into trouble when we were striplings... You can almost say it was karma if it wasn't so much more serious... This isn't at all like camping out with the Old Hag's tablecloth for a tent out in the palace gardens when we could run back in when the occasional spring shower comes down... [2]
They had been both about ten at that time...
"Why are we doing this again?" Konzen asked as he rearranged the couch cushions yet again to find a more restful position. It was the fourth time he'd ask the question for the night.
They had sneaked away from their rooms as soon as their nannies had left them tucked in their beds into this little nest they had made of some unused cushions and a tablecloth from the Palace.
"Because we're pretending that we're soldiers Down Below. They make tents to sleep in like this."
"You'll never have to do this in the Army of Heaven, don't you?"
"Yes, we do. When we're running an offensive against the demons, we might not have the time to get back here to sleep."
"That's good but I don't know why I have to stay with you... I don't need to camp out and this seems so...dirty..." Konzen shifted again on the cushions.
"Aren't you even curious?" Tenpou asked.
"Umm...yes... But this is so uncomfortable..." It was rather stuffy under the 'tent'. They had tied a curtain tie to two young trees for support so the roof of the tent was rather low. The space between the trees were barely adequate for them to lie down with foot or so to spare.
"And are you going to let a little dirt and discomfort stop you?"
"Well, I guess not." Konzen subsided as always. He was a retiring sort preferring quiet solitude and meditation when he was not buried in his studies. Tenpou was the only one of the other Heavenly children he played with and only because his Aunt had forcibly introduced them.
Tenpou was of the military command caste, destined to be one of the high officers of Heaven's Armies. Konzen found out soon to his disadvantage that the other child's solemn face hid an adventurous and commanding nature.
I know I'm going to regret this...
It was not the first time he'd follow Tenpou into one sort of mischief or the other. He knew well what would happen.
Like that time he asked me if I wanted to play Down Below monkeys with him, how our nannies shrieked when we had clambered up the cabinets... Or the time we painted ourselves like savages from Down Below...
Be that as it may, Konzen hadn't yet learned to say his friend 'no' then.
And of course Konzen did regret it, it took three nights for them to be discovered. It had rained that night and they got soaked under the sheet.
Since it wasn't tent material...
They had stumbled in quite soaked and making a racket.
The sort that can't be ignored...somewhat like now... We made so much noise in Court and offended the Powers That Be...
Though this time the consequences were more disastrous than a scolding for best cushions ruined.
I think this adventure is probably the last we'd ever be on... I wouldn't be surprised if they sentence us outright to oblivion for this...
Suddenly, Konzen was aware of Tenpou's face still so close to him, perhaps too aware. The man's breath touched his neck with feathery fingers making him shiver.
Does he...? What...
His thoughts fell into an incoherent jumble.
Though it could be the chill...
Without the distraction of enemies, the chill in the air was starting to creep into Konzen's bones. He shivered again.
"I think that we should spread our cloaks over each and sleep together for warmth." Tenpou said finally and the moment passed much to Konzen's relief.
What was that about anyway?
What was that about?
Hakkai knew that it was too much to ask that Sanzo understand his position but at that moment...
At that moment...it seemed as if he did in a way... And that he believed...
It was only truth. That he would do anything to be with Sanzo was a given, the love he felt for the blond was beyond the petty rules of the world. He would lie, steal or even kill, to get the man. Exchanging weaseling words and dancing the courtly dance seemed small prices to pay.
Maybe, I don't have that a long wait, after all...
"What are you staring at?" Sanzo snapped, standing up to look over the newspaper rack. The odd moment of deja vu seemingly forgotten.
Hakkai had let his gaze drift back to the monk's face in his preoccupation.
Or maybe not...
He chuckled silently to himself.
Well...he is worth the wait...
-TBC-
Author's Notes:
[1] Tenpou kiss him already, damned it! Do you need a sign from Heaven? And Kanzeon-sama, don't answer that...this is the wrong story for that... Somewhere, snickering could be heard.
[2] Me and my sibs used to 'play tent' with the cushions from the living room set. We had tall coffee table with green-glazed ceramic elephants 'legs' in the living room with a carpet underneath it for the tent. We'd pull off the cushions and put them on the carpet and hide under the table.
Next chapter will have the cushions revisited (Because I'm fond of them!) Any violent reactions? I'm being very liberal with canon here...