Small Price to Pay
Disclaimer: This is a purely non-profit story for entertainment purposes only. The characters of Saiyuki belong to their respective owners.
Author's Notes: Not too many notes this time… this isn't set at any certain period, but I just felt like Gojyo's always making sure Sanzo doesn't do something stupid when he's injured, so here's the result.
Small Price to Pay
The routine had become so normal between them that, when once again Sanzo lay injured on a musty bed in some tiny inn, Gojyo found it only natural to be the one sitting beside his bed and watching him.
Their resident priest had managed to give 'bombshell' a whole new meaning; his body literally looked like it had been bombed several times in several places, and all that was left was a haggard-looking man who was none-too-healthy. Of course, none of them really took good care of their bodies; it was virtually an agreement written in the contract that said "Head West".
He looked over at the limp body that was currently occupying the bed, and had the greatest urge to annoy Sanzo. Nothing too big… but poking him in the head several times would probably be enough to get the man up in a flash, reaching for his non-existent gun. Over on the table, out of arm's reach, was the priest's weapon of choice. This last fact made the idea even more appealing, but he didn't really fancy the lecture he knew Hakkai would give him afterward. Bored, he took out a cigarette and lit it. The other two were on an errand to buy food (Goku had been more than enthusiastic), so he was left here in case Sanzo woke up and did something more than stupid. Hakkai predicted that Sanzo probably would be up and about rather soon, but so far that was proving to be untrue. Since the inn didn't even have any booze (and Hakkai pointedly refused to buy alcohol for him), keeping himself entertained until Sanzo could wake up to do it for him was proving to be difficult. He paced, he whistled… but Sanzo was out cold, and he was left wondering what righteous, non-drinking people did in their spare time.
It was strange, really. He had never considered the other guys his 'friends', but now that he thought about it, life without them would be so… mundane. No matter how much he complained about Goku's stupidity and lack of manners, if the darn monkey had suddenly smartened up one day, he would certainly not like the change. If Hakkai didn't pick up after all of them, or try to keep the peace, they would be buried under their own filth about 100 miles back. And if Sanzo weren't so reckless and human… they wouldn't have gotten half as far and he wouldn't always have the pleasure of saving the blonde's ungrateful (tight) ass. He had never noticed it happening, but some… 'bonding' thing had occurred somewhere along the way. Although none of them would ever say it, they had become almost… family. The proper kind of family none of them had ever had.
The lack of booze and women had left him feeling extremely horny, so that hours later, he had smoked a record number of cigarettes. He reached inside his pocket to pull out another smoke when his hand made contact with air. Sighing, he got up off his chair and went to rummage through Sanzo's clothes, finally finding his prize: the priest's very own stash of smokes. He dug his teeth into the cigarette a little to taste its flavour, and lit it with Sanzo's zippo. Putting everything back where he found it, he inhaled the sweet scent and exhaled in a contented sigh. Sanzo could afford much better stuff than he usually smoked, and it was only on these lovely (and now more frequent) occasions when he could get even close enough to steal one. The feel of it in his nasal tract was bliss, and it reverberated throughout his entire body. He shivered; had he been alone, jerking off would've been his number one priority.
"You friggin' prick."
He turned around to find Sanzo wide awake, the violet of his eyes maliciously cold.
"Well, well… look who's back from the dead," Gojyo smirked, taking another puff.
"I told you never to touch my stuff," Sanzo said in a dead voice, but the underlying steel was evident.
"Hey, at least now we know how to wake ya up when we need to. Besides, you weren't really around to… what's the word… enforce that rule."
"I don't care if I'm dead, I'd come back to kick your kappa ass."
"Oooo… I'm frightened," Gojyo mocked, still drawing away at the cigarette. "Ahh… this tastes good…"
Before he could even blink, Sanzo had gotten off the bed and swiped the gun from the table and was pointing it at his head.
"Why the fuck are you always here to pester me? Why the hell can't I sleep in frickin' peace?"
"I'm just here to make sure you don't do anything stupid, of course."
"I don't need a goddamn babysitter… especially not one like you."
"Oh, of course not," Gojyo said sarcastically. "But I had to save you and haul your ass back here, so you better not—"
"Shut up. Give that to me," he growled, pointing to the half-burnt cigarette. "Now."
"Yes, mighty Lord Sanzo." Gojyo had thrown up his hands in mock-surrender. "Here, take it."
As Sanzo reached over for his prize, Gojyo lunged at the hand holding the gun, and the cigarette was forgotten as the two wrestled for supremacy. Sanzo delivered a swift punch to Gojyo's gut, and he was about to return the favour when a voice in his head that sounded far too much like Hakkai's told him that he'd re-open Sanzo's wound. He pulled his hand back at the last second, and was rewarded with a left hook to the side of his head that left him sprawling.
"Aww, fuck," he muttered as Sanzo pulled the gun out and pointed it at his head.
"Get the hell up," Sanzo commanded, looking thoroughly pissed. "Moron, you should've hit me when you had the chance. I never knew you had such a soft spot for me."
"I got a hard spot for ya, too, but re-opening your wound would get me lectured, so you can thank Hakkai for his nagging."
Sanzo cocked the gun.
"Hey, listen… if you're gonna shoot me, does that thing at least have a silencer? 'Cause I didn't wanna hear Hakkai then, and I don't wanna hear him now."
"Who says you'd be alive?"
Gojyo laughed. "I guess it's a chance I'm not willing to take."
Sanzo continued to glare, but finally scoffed and put the gun away. "Stupid perv…" he muttered as he walked back to the bed and threw himself down. He closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. Instantly, another body was on top of his own.
"Perv, am I?"
Gojyo could be quick as well, and he managed to pin Sanzo's hand up above his head as he straddled the man's hips. Scowling, Sanzo tried to punch Gojyo with his free hand but ended up worse off than before as Gojyo pinned that one above his head as well.
"Yeah, you're a perv! Get the fuck off me!"
Moving strategically, Gojyo managed to pin down both of Sanzo's hands with one of his own (Gojyo was entirely grateful that Sanzo hadn't recovered his full strength) while his other reached down the blonde's body and found the bulge developing in his pants.
"Yeah, I'm a perv," he smirked, "but you don't seem to mind."
Sanzo buckled against his hold, but Gojyo was firm. "Fuck you," he threw back, and Gojyo could only smirk.
"Actually, I was going to fuck you… but fuck you, fuck me, we're still fucking each other," he said cheerily. He undid Sanzo's pants and pulled them down. What he saw greatly impressed him. "Daaaamn, Sanzo… I should've done this to you sooner."
Gojyo couldn't help but stare at what was before him, and Sanzo finally got fed up of waiting. Taking the opportunity presented by Gojyo's distraction, he got free of the hold on him and reversed their positions, pinning Gojyo in the same fashion.
"If you're going to do something, do it right," Sanzo growled, and promptly stripped Gojyo. The red-haired man didn't even care about the comment, as Sanzo's hand closed around his aching member and all other thoughts ceased.
-
Sanzo woke not long after, having already slept a good many hours during the day. Beside him was the outline of Gojyo's body, his chest rising and falling evenly in tranquil slumber. The moon was already out and everything else was silent. He reached over the edge of the bed and his adept hand found the cigarette box and zippo right away. Lighting it, he let the smoke rejuvenate him.
It was stupid, he supposed. Everything about their relationship was stupid. They didn't care for each other more than was absolutely necessary, nor did they want to. The only thing they had in common was the cigs. He had lost a whole cigarette… a whole stinking cigarette to that bum. Villages were rare and cigs even rarer, which was why he never shared with anyone. But still… he had to grudgingly admit (only to himself) that Gojyo had saved him a few times, and that he wasn't too shabby in bed. Against the… perks, he would gladly (though not admittedly) waste another cigarette.
He took another puff, and let it out in a sigh.
It was definitely a small price to pay.
END