:: Perfect World ::

Gensomaden Saiyuki

Disclaimer: I don't own Gensomaden Saiyuki, which rightfully belongs to Minekura Kazuya.

Rating: R

Pairings: Homura/Goku, past Homura/Rinrei

Warnings: AU-ish, angst, language, yaoi, lime

Notes: And thus begins the angstfest. You all will know what I mean by the end.

Also, I am contemplating whether or not I should skip updating on the 22nd. I have SATs that weekend, and while it's only on one day, the last time I found myself mentally exhausted. Updating when I'm in that mode... even such a simple thing makes me cringe. ButI'll try to come to a decision by the next update.

Constructive criticism and feedback is appreciated.


Chapter Seventeen

He could tell who it was by the footsteps. They were quiet, like someone who had practiced stealth, but the art hadn't been perfected. He could hear the dirt and gravel shifting every so often.

So when Goku tried to sneak in through the front door, Zenon delivered a good solid punch to the boy's head.

"Ow" Goku cried, falling to his knees and clutching his head. He hissed in pain, rubbing his skull. Rolling his eyes, Zenon grabbed the boy's collar and jerked him back to his feet.

"You," he growled, "have missed nearly two weeks of practice. Two. Goddamn. Weeks. Where the fuck have you been?!"

"Obviously not here," Goku retorted. That earned him another sharp-knuckled whack to the head.

Scoffing, Zenon folded his arms over his chest. "You brat," he said in disgust. "You probably got lazy and forgot half the things I taught you by now." It was clearly an exaggeration, but Zenon felt he head every right to poke at the boy. No one, absolutely no one skipped out on his practice sessions and got away with it. It had already happened once before; hadn't the idiot learned anything from that?

Clearly not, he thought in annoyance. In reality, he kid was lucky Zenon wasn't as rough with him as he could be. If Goku thought his training was going to be hell... well, one could say that Zenon was highly looking forward to watching that week's lessons with Shien.

"Well, it's still noon," he said while starting toward the training room. "So let's get to it."

"Wait."

The seriousness in the boy's voice made Zenon go completely still. He recognized that tone. He knew it all too well, in fact. It was the tone that said Goku was going to get him involved with something highly stupid-- and likely including Homura in some way, shape, or form.

Without turning, Zenon spoke curtly. "Whatever it is, the answer's no."

"Zenon... please."

Now he cringed. Zenon knew he was tough, knew he was more than capable of resisting Goku's childish whims. He could ignore the whining, could put up with it longer and better than his other companions. The reason for that was because while his temper was short he actually had a high tolerance when it came to children. Even though Goku was nearly sixteen years old, Zenon still saw him as a child.

However, the voice he'd just used had been closer to that of an adult. Goku was going to ask a huge favor of him, and Zenon was going to have a hell of a hard time turning him down.

He sighed heavily, turning just enough so he could see Goku from the corner of his eye. "If it involves Homura in any way, I seriously don't want to get mixed up in it."

"I know," Goku said quietly. "But it's really important, Zenon... and you gotta promise you'll keep it a secret. You can't tell anyone."

Zenon's brow twitched. "If it involves our mission, I'm going to," he warned the boy.

"I..." Goku trailed off hesitantly. "I'm not sure if it does."

He found it.

Zenon wasn't sure how he knew without asking; he just did. Goku was fidgeting, unusually uncomfortable, and that was hardly ever a good sign. The kid usually took to people, was normally comfortable around just about anyone. Even strangers. Hell, Zenon was positive Goku was more than relaxed around him.

That only meant that it was a huge secret, that it was something Goku seriously wanted to keep quiet about, and that he clearly had to tell someone or else he was going to explode. Zenon knew from several centuries of experience that emotional eruptions were one of the ugliest scenes one could witness.

"Where?" he asked heavily.

Goku didn't seem surprised that he already knew what it was about. He bit his lower lip, his eyebrows drawn together in thought. "Well... if what Mariko told me was right--"

"Mariko?" Zenon arched an eyebrow, feeling a smirk tug his lips despite the seriousness of the conversation.

"Shut up," Goku said irritably. "If what she told me was right, there's a house that was southeast to a town I visited... so... it'd be southwest from here."

Zenon stared at the boy. If what he knew about geography was correct, even just a little bit, what Goku was basically saying was that he had gone west. But why west? They had already been through some of that area, so there was nothing for them to go back to. The only things west were Houtou Castle and the party traveling there.

In other words, Homura was right, he thought grimly. This did not bode well for their future plans.

"So why can't I tell Homura?" he asked. Zenon had a feeling it had something to do with Goku's clinginess toward the man; he tended to follow Homura like a lost puppy at times, as though the man were going to lead him to salvation.

"Just... don't," Goku finally said. "I'll tell him. I really will," he promised when Zenon gave him a skeptical look. "Just not yet. I need..." He trailed off.

"You need to think about it," Zenon guessed.

Goku nodded. "Something like that. Yeah."

Damn it, Zenon thought irritably, reaching up to grind a knuckle into his temple. There were definitely more downsides in agreeing to keep quiet, but there was that damned voice in him telling him that, hey, he had Goku's trust. The kid was turning to him for help, even if the reasons were stupid and childish.

He sighed. "Fine," he muttered. "I'll keep your damn secret. But if you don't tell him soon, I will."

"I'll tell him," Goku said hastily. "Really! Just promise you'll keep quiet for a little while."

He had the sinking feeling this was only going to end up in disaster. Even so, Zenon simply nodded and gave the boy a good-natured smack upside the head. "Yeah, yeah. I promise."

"Promise what?"

Homura's voice startled them both; Goku actually yelped and took a step backward. Rolling his eyes, Zenon turned to look at their leader. A quick glance told him enough; Homura hadn't heard the entire conversation.

"Well, that's just nosy," Zenon said flippantly, shifting his weight to his other foot. "How unlike you, O Conservative Leader."

Homura seemed to be in a good mood; he chuckled softly at Zenon's sarcastic tone. "I will have to watch myself from now on," he said, smirking. "It seems I am acquiring some bad habits."

"Hm. I wonder who from?" Zenon shot Goku a sideways glance.

It took the boy a few moments to put the pieces together. When he did he growled. "It's not my fault if Homura picks up my habits!"

Zenon snorted; the brat had just admitted he tended to be sneaky without realizing it. Typical. He give Goku a good-natured but still rough noogie on the head, causing the boy to whine in protest. It was times like this Zenon really felt Goku was like a sort of brother to him-- or maybe even the son he had lost.

No. He wasn't going to think about it. It was bad enough Homura was dragging his past around with him. It was just as bad that Shien walked about constantly berating himself, even if he didn't realize it. Someone had to keep a straight head in this group, and while Goku didn't have a past to fret over he was not Zenon's first choice when it came to keeping a sense of composure in the group.

"Zenon." He paused in tormenting Goku long enough to look up; unfortunately, that gave Goku the chance to escape. Before Zenon could grab the boy again Homura continued. "I realize he has a lot to make up as far as his lessons go, but today he will be starting with me."

Zenon studied Homura's expression for a few moments. His appearance was calm, which didn't mean much, but he seemed more at ease now than he had been for the past few days. It seemed he really had been worried about Goku, despite his flippant attitude.

Then again, it was Homura. The man held fast to the few friends he had.

Shrugging, Zenon managed to grab Goku by the collar before the boy could try sneaking out. "What the hell. Nothing I can do about it," he said simply, giving Goku a rough push toward Homura.

"Ack!" Goku nearly tripped on his face; he whirled to glare at Homura. "Watch it, you bastard!"

"You watch your mouth," he returned crossly. "You already have hell to face when I get to pound you into the ground."

Goku stomped his foot, childishly indignant. "You don't train me like that! That's Homura's job!"

"Who said it was training?" Zenon growled. "I'm going to kick your little ass for skipping out on two weeks of practice!"

While Goku struggled to think of anything he could say to that, Homura shook his head and smirked. "You two will never cease to amuse me," he said before nodding to Zenon and walking off. "Come, Son Goku."

The brunette grimaced, as though the utterance of his name left a bad taste in his mouth. He shot Zenon a final look that the man could only interpret as a reminder of his promise to keep quiet. Zenon waved at him to go along; he wouldn't say anything for the time being. Seeming relieved, Goku finally hurried after Homura.

Maybe he was relieved, but Zenon sure as hell wasn't. He groaned once they were out of earshot, folding his arms over his chest and leaning against the nearest wall. Things were already tense enough between Homura and Goku, even if Zenon didn't know exactly why or how tense.

Put simply, this stunt Goku was pulling was not going to end well. Zenon could only hope that it wouldn't bring things crashing down around them, because then he'd damn well have to kill the kid.

No matter how much he had taken to the boy, he would never forgive him if he ruined their chances of starting over in the new world like they deserved to.

------

The boy didn't seem tense. In fact, there was a considerable lack of tension that Homura decided had both to do with his taking time away from his companions and the boy's meeting Genjo Sanzo.

He knew that was where Goku had disappeared to the other day. His absence had admittedly startled Homura, and when he didn't turn up by morning Homura had realized what had happened. Likely a combination of encountering the man and getting turned down for the night had made Goku rebelliously determined to find Sanzo.

Homura wasn't angry, nor was he disappointed. It had been expected, really. What else could Goku do once he found his sun? Homura wasn't too worried that Goku would betray them, not after all they had been through. No, betrayal was most likely far from the boy's mind. What had compelled him to go on his brief little journey had been mere (but obviously urgent) curiosity.

However, despite the lack of tension and Homura's belief that Goku wouldn't betray him, something was clearly bothering his lover. Goku kept fidgeting, rubbing the back of his neck and scuffing his toe against the floor. His gaze would constantly flicker to and away from Homura, though he tried to pretend other things in the room interested him.

In fact, it was beginning to become annoying.

Homura decided to take the boy's mind off his current thoughts. "Well?"

Goku blinked, finally looking him in the eye for longer than a few seconds. "Well what?" he asked, genuinely puzzled.

Smirking, Homura leaned against the wall of the elevator. "How was your training?"

Now Goku looked completely baffled. With his childish looks it added a cuteness to his features that was appealing in a way that should have made Homura feel as though he were a pedophile, despite Goku's actual age.

"What training?"

The elevator stopped, the doors sliding open with a soft ding. Homura stepped out and into the room; it was vast and sturdy, bearing few pillars for one to knock one's opponent into during a fight. He heard Goku scramble after him.

"I know you went west," he said simply, glancing back at the boy. Goku flinched. "So I sent you a little gift to ensure your skills would not rust."

"Huh?" Goku shook his head. "I didn't get any gift, Homura."

"I see." Homura stopped in the center of the room before turning to face his pupil. It was too difficult to keep a straight face, so he allowed his lips to curve into a knowing smirk again. "I suppose they were too easy for you and Konzen to deal with, then."

Goku blinked, suddenly looking thoughtful. Within seconds the implications of what Homura had done seemed to sink in; the surprise transforming Goku's face was clear.

"You sent them after me?" the boy squawked. "Homura! You told them they could kill me, you ba--"

Homura calmly covered the boy's mouth before the expletive could be finished. "Ah, so you did get my gift," he said, amused. "I certainly hope you did not let Konzen do all the work for you."

With a muffled protest Goku wrenched himself away. "I didn't," he protested. "I kicked their asses, no problem! But you--"

"I see," Homura interrupted loudly, lifting his eyes toward the ceiling in mock thought. "So even when they were at their best, you defeated them easily."

"Well, yeah..." Goku hesitated, thinking over their conversation. Understanding finally lit his eyes. "Oh..."

Smirking, Homura remarked, "Your anger faded rather quickly."

"Shut up," Goku grumbled, folding his arms over his chest. He seemed more at ease now, no longer angry with his lover. "I thought you'd be mad if you knew I went to... see him," he finally added slowly. "I mean... not that I'm gonna leave you guys or anything, but--"

Homura shook his head, pressing two fingers against the boy's mouth to silence him. Looking him directly in the eyes, he said calmly, "I understand." He drew his hand back. "After living with you for three years, I know you would not betray me so easily."

A long sigh escaped the boy's lips. He gave Homura a smile that told the man he had dissipated most of the boy's worries. There was still something Goku was hiding, but Homura couldn't begin to guess what it was. He decided it probably wasn't important. If it was he would find out soon enough.

There were more important things for them to do right then, anyhow. Without speaking Homura reached out, taking Goku's wrists firmly in his hands. The boy glanced down at his hands, and then gave him a questioning look.

"We are going to train," Homura replied to the silent inquiry. He closed his eyes briefly, an incantation rising from the depths of his memory. Moments later Goku's hands twitched in fear, as though he knew what was coming. Perhaps he did.

Homura loosened his grip as cool metal began to form beneath his palms. Goku's arms suddenly grew heavy as the god added weight to the solidifying shackles. A small whimper reached his ears, one he recognized as Goku's.

All the more the reason they had to do this. Homura finally let go, taking a step back and opening his eyes. Goku wasn't looking at him anymore, his wide golden eyes fixed on his shackles in a mixture of horror and terror. Homura had a good guess as to how the boy felt right then; he was probably remembering the cave he had been trapped in for so many years, feeling the physical weight of the shackles, similar to those that had kept him enclosed in Gogyo mountain for centuries. If he was growing claustrophobic, that wouldn't startle Homura at all.

He had to say the boy's full name twice to get his attention. "Listen to me," he said firmly. "I realize you severely dislike this--"

"Dislike?" Goku interrupted in a choked voice. "I hate it! Homura, why--"

"Hush." He must have hit the right note, because Goku promptly shut his mouth, his lips thinning to white lines. "Added weight is the best way we can improve your strength rapidly from here on in."

Goku shuddered, flexing his arms as though testing the shackles' weight. "Isn't there another way?"

"We do not have time for our other options, unfortunately," Homura murmured. At Goku's perplexed expression he immediately went back on subject. "I want you to train with Shien and Zenon wearing those as well."

"Gods..."

Homura sighed, fleetingly wondering if there was anything he could say to put his pupil at ease. Goku was going to have to learn to get through things on his own, but that didn't mean Homura couldn't encourage him in some way. He knew what it was like to be completely alone, without anyone at all willing to help you. Goku did not deserve to go through that at all.

Then it occurred to him. He took a step backward, observing his own restraints before he returned his gaze back to the boy.

"It feels odd, does it not?" he asked. "As though your powers are being trapped within you, perhaps."

Goku clenched his fists, mumbling something that sounded similar to an agreement. Even so, Homura knew that wasn't all of what was bothering him.

"Or perhaps," he continued, "it makes you feel physically trapped. Even though you are free to move about, the chains make you think otherwise."

Raising his head, Goku finally gave a mute nod. He tried to speak a couple times, but each time had to clear his throat before any words could come out. "Is... that how you feel with those on?" He stared at Homura's shackles, slowly lowering his arms. "Homura... please take them off."

He sighed. "I already told you. You have to--"

"Not mine," Goku cut in. "Take yours off."

Startled, it was Homura's turn to stare. Yes, they'd had a conversation about why he couldn't remove his chains before, that the heavens wouldn't allow it, but Goku had never requested he actually remove them. Despite the fact he was rebelling against Heaven, Homura had his reasons as to why he wouldn't take them off. One was that if he did without their consent they would instantly realize something was wrong and take action to stop their plans. Another was that after hundreds of years wearing them, from childhood to adulthood, Homura was simply used to them. The final was that...

"No," he said once he'd regained his composure. "You are not ready for that."

Goku scowled. "What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

"You're not ready," Homura repeated, drawing his sword out. Without another word he lunged at the boy, swinging. He purposefully gave Goku enough room to duck, allowed the boy to hurriedly call forth his weapon. Homura straightened up and turned to face his pupil again, weapon held ready. Goku had his staff clutched in both hands.

Homura attacked again.

------

The door practically slammed open as the boy stumbled into the room. More amused than concerned, Homura followed him and closed the door behind them. Goku practically collapsed to the bed, groaning.

"Owww," he whined. "What's wrong with you?"

Arching an eyebrow, Homura strode over and sat down on the edge of the bed beside the boy. "Wrong with me?" he repeated, placing his hands over the boy's arms.

"Yeah," Goku grumbled. "You were a hell of a lot harder on me than usual. My arms hurt..."

Homura murmured something wordlessly to show he was listening. He was far more focused on removing the shackles, and when they disappeared Goku's arms went completely limp. Apparently he hadn't been kidding when he'd complained of an unusual amount of pain there.

"Perhaps I did work you too hard," Homura said, his voice a little sympathetic.

"Damn right you did. I shoulders ache," the brunette continued to complain. "And my legs. And my back. And my feet. And I can't feel my fingers."

Homura snorted, sure by now that the boy was exaggerating. "It could not have been that bad."

"Fight yourself and find out," Goku answered crossly.

Still more amused than anything, Homura scooted closer to his lover's torso, placing his hands on Goku's shoulders and kneading his fingers into the muscle there. Goku hissed, tensing momentarily before he obediently went lax beneath Homura's touch.

"My apologies." He worked his fingers against Goku's neck, knowing that was where the boy was going to be the most sore. "Shall I make it up to you?" he asked teasingly, knowing full well the answer Goku was going to give to that.

Sure enough Goku opened his eyes, giving the man a lopsided grin. "Dunno. Think we can have sex?"

"If that is what you want."

"Hell, yeah!" Goku tried to sit up, but the pressure Homura applied to his shoulders was enough to keep him down. Even so his grin broadened. "You really owe me after what happened last time. Don't you dare get moody on me again!"

"Perhaps we should talk less, in that case," Homura retorted, mildly stung at what the boy was implying. He decided to shrug it off; Goku did have a valid reason to be upset with him. He was, after all, still a teenager.

"Right," Goku agreed eagerly, squirming away from Homura's touch and sitting up, hastily pulling his sweaty shirt over his head. "Less talkin', more screwin'. I gotcha."

Endearing, if a bit crude, Homura decided, leaning over to give the boy a chaste kiss. Goku didn't seem ready to play that game, however, because he quickly tangled his fingers in the man's hair, biting at his lower lip. Obediently opening his mouth, Homura noted with some amusement that Goku seemed eager to be in control.

In fact, the boy was just plain eager, already tugging at Homura's shirt, then pushing impatiently at his cape. Homura had to practically pry the boy off so he could safely do that himself, ignoring Goku's annoyed look when he only unsnapped one shackle to remove his shirt before quickly reattaching it.

"Patience, Son Goku," he chided when Goku made a rude noise in attempt to prod Homura along faster.

Goku practically tackled the man back down to the bed, nipping fervently at Homura's neck. "Patience is for people who've gotten laid," he growled. "All clothes. Off. Now."

Endearing, crude, and impatient, Homura thought, smirking as he reached down to unbutton the boy's pants. Really, it was no wonder he was attracted to him. Even though he was practically the polar opposite of Homura's first love, he found him appealing.

Or perhaps it was because Goku was practically the polar opposite of his first love that Homura allowed himself to find the boy desirable.

"Homura, are you even paying attention?"

Always quick to save himself, Homura shot the boy an innocent look as he unzipped his pants. "Have you not heard of taking your time?" he teased lightly.

Shaking his head, Goku urgently began removing the last of his lover's clothes. It was then, during a brief moment when Homura allowed his eyes to lapse shut, despite the feel of rough hands upon him, that the name slipped into his mind.

Rinrei...