Some fluffy, angst mild 858 for ya. Hahaha. XD

Title: Lemon Cake

Rated: PG-13

Warnings: sexual situations (undescribed, mind you), adult innuendo, profanity, shounen-ai

Summary: When life gives you lemons, make a lemon cake. Very, very mild 858.

Note: This was written for a good friend of mine. :)

DISCLAIMER: Saiyuki remains the property of Kazuya Minekura and all other owners. It's not mine.

---

Itai.

Itai yo.

It stung, it stung so much.

Mentally, he would scream until the voice inside his head would form some sort of brain laryngitis.

However, outside, he wouldn't utter a single copy of the pain that clutched at the lower half of his body. Not so much a shriek or cry, but the occasional whimper or two. His body, however, did shout for relief. Tiny little fingers clutching tightly into wide, broad tan shoulders. Little ankles buckling, form shaking.

Then, like that, it was over.

Thank Kanzeon Bosatsu.

No, ey was the goddess of mercy, right?

Fuck hir then.

With blood that only flowed to his shoulders, that which had equal red eyes, a bandaged cheek, a sore body and a broken soul leaned down and pulled up his pants.

The older man was almost completely dressed, neatly fixing the buttons on his once crisp and unwrinkled white shirt. The boy noticed by the clarity of his skin, the way his hair styled and the pride in his eyes, he was a rich man and a perfect target for orphans such as him.

"Here, bouya," the man smirked. He held his fist out to the small child, opening it.

Gojyo caught the coins in his small hands. As the man started to move out of the alley that certainly did not fit his expensive suit and neat white grin, Gojyo counted the money. After the last coin was counted, he blinked twice then growled.

"Ojiisan!" he snapped. He ran to the business man, snatching the back of his coat tails. "Ojiisan! This isn't the right amount! You promised 90 yuan! There's only 41 yuan!"

The man frowned, clearly back into his business mode. He turned and glowered at the small child. "What? You think you deserve the entire 90 yuan?" he asked, with a tease in his sneer.

Gojyo was not amused, his frown clearly showed that much. "I want the rest of the yuan!" he snarled with a defiant tone.

The man did not like being back talked by someone so tiny and young. "Little brat," he grumbled. Before Gojyo could counter, the man grasped him by the front of his dirty white tank top and yanked him forward, lowering face to meet the pouty, cut one. "You don't treat your elders with such disrespect. You should be proud of what you got!" The man then grinned all his perfect shiny teeth again and added, "Besides, you weren't that great a lay."

Gyo's jaw clenched tightly. "Fuck you!" He sucked in air, then spit a raspberry right in the man's face.

The adult, the elder, did nothing in reaction for a moment or two. Rather, he kept Gojyo's shirt in one hand and took a handkerchief to wipe the spit off his cheek with another. When he was clean enough, he tucked the hanky back away, then backhanded the red head across the face. With a grunt, Gojyo's head jerked to the side, neck cracking. Released, he flopped back on his rear, turning on his side and sitting up hastily.

The business man laughed, pulling out a cigar to smoke like the devil would after gambling a soul and winning. "In this world, you little slut, you'll find you won't always get what you want," he chortled. Gojyo flinched at the hiss of a match struck, lighting the tip of the cigar. The man removed the object, blew smoke in Gojyo's direction. "Though I am surprised a little kid like you knows how to count."

Gojyo's pride and body hurt too much to argue or even scream at his ex-costumer. The man just laughed again, swished hand at him and left the child alone.

Gojyo scrambled to his feet quickly. No, no, if he remained sitting, where he was once pushed, he'd feel weak. Stand on your feet, you're stronger then. Put your face to the wind, not your back.

Though as much hell fire his red eyes bared for that rich man. No matter how much his frown could freeze a warm wind. No matter how tight his fists were clutched, no matter how straight his spine was. None of it mattered when tears still rolled down his cheeks and dripped from his chin.

Nothing mattered at all when you still can't hide the pain.

---

Counting the money bitterly over and over again, Gojyo began to create an even larger misanthropy for the other 50 of his genetics. He did not know of the kind hearted people out in the world. All he ever met was pigs, the kings of drunks and the horniest pedophiles in the entire land of ancient China. He knew out beyond this town were more and more towns, probably with better people. But he had been traveling for a while now and fuck that having seen those elusive angels.

Either way, he had money. Enough for some food, at least.

He made his way through a series of alley mazes that led to the market in the middle of the town. Coins clanged against one another, making jolly little noises that did not match the mental cursing of a sailor in the ten year old's mind.

One coin.

Fucking asshole. Stupid old geezer.

Four coins.

Fucking asshole. Fucking liar.

Six coins. Soft pads of running feet behind.

Don't screw with the wrinkled dicks. They're all a bunch of cheapskates.

Seven coins. Pads louder, louder...

Just... FUCK.

"Hey, kiddo!"

Gojyo turned, before screaming when suddenly a teenaged boy, an orphan like him, grabbed a handful of his hair and yanked it back. It caused the younger boy to drop all his money and release two numb tears at his lashes. The teenager smirked and grabbed the money just as quick as he had grabbed Gojyo.

"Thanks!" the thief beamed. He shoved Gojyo aside. Gojyo's bare feet skidded along rough earth, before he caught his balance and stood weakly.

Gojyo's entire body shook with rage and pain.

"FUCK!"

No one could hear him scream. And no one was certainly going to see him cry.

---

"Meat buns! 1 yuan! Just 1 yuan for one meat bun!"

An exhausted, sore Gojyo watched with dark, tired eyes as a man strode by with a cart of hot meat buns. His eyes followed both the man and cart as they passed, the bellowing of the man's advertising of the food fading.

The smell of the sweet buns was strong. It pierced Gojyo's empty stomach. He hadn't eaten since yesterday evening. And that was just the leftovers of unagi he managed to win over from a couple stray cats.

The smell was so strong, it was pungent. Gojyo had to retreat to a clutter of trash cans, bend over and puke. Nothing came out but bile that tasted utterly disgusting, clinging to his taste buds, promising to linger for a little while. Gojyo fell to bruised knees, panted. He left his bangs to fall over his eyes, but plucked the wet strands of hair from his moist lips.

"Are ya sick or sumthin'?"

Gojyo's left eye blinked only as he turned and looked back. Standing behind him was a young lady, about his age. She was dressed nicely, a typical child of the middle class. Not rich, not poor, just content enough to live. She was cute with her curious, surprised face. Eyes were wide and green, brown hair tied back in a bun.

"No," Gojyo replied. He wiped an arm over his mouth, removing the bile on his lips. Of course he was sick. He was ten times paler than a goddamn corpse. But like he was going to tell that to any stranger, be it just an innocent little girl.

"Then why ya throwin' up? Ate too much?"

What she said was funny. It made Gojyo grunt a chuckle. It was like some sick joke she just told. "I ain't eaten," the kappa child mumbled.

The girl tugged at her loose strand of brunette hair. "Ya really hungry then? 'Cause sometimes I throw up if I'm reeeeeally hungry," she asked.

"I guess."

"Ain't got no money?"

He thought over an answer. "No." Aw, fuck it.

The girl had a pitiful look on her face now. Geeze, he hated that. Everyone gave him that look. The girl then beamed and clapped her hands. "Wait here a minute!" she commanded.

Gojyo blinked, watching curiously as the brunette ran over to a little food stand not too far from the trash cans he threw up on. She apparently tried to get the attention of the woman trying to sell a cake to an old lady. Ignored, the girl shrugged, then grunted as she just took a small cake out of the stacks in the shelves on the stand.

Making sure her mother wasn't looking, she fled to Gojyo and yanked him behind one of the trash cans. "Okay, mama wouldn't like me doin' this, but, since you ain't eaten and got no money..." The girl breathed, then pushed the cake out to Gojyo.

Gojyo's brain did not register this as some sort of offering. What was she doing?

"Well," the girl muttered, "eat it!"

"Why?" Gojyo's mind apparently forget what a kind gesture was.

The girl rolled her eyes. "If ya don't like lemon cake, then too bad! S'all I could get!" Then, like a proud little lady, she nodded with a snooty frown.

Gojyo wasn't about to complain about what sort of cake it was. He now realized it was his cake. And that meant, ihe/i could eat it.

Now, usually, when given a gift with absolutely no strings attached, one would give a thanks or maybe even a hug or something. But once Gojyo knew he wasn't going to be asked for a quick lay for the food in return, he dug fingers into that cake, blocking out the entire world. It was only him and the cake now.

He was delighted when he felt the cream in his fingernails and the fluffy interior of the cake between his fingers. He remembered, a year or so ago, when he had last played with his food like this, cake being it exactly. He was with Jien, making some sort of mother's day gift that turned into a food fight in the kitchen that turned into a big mess that turned into something terrible to a depressed and manic woman when it was all just fun and games which turned into a hit which turned into a scream...

Gojyo's eyes squeezed shut. Shut! Up!

Messy hands shoved two fistfuls of cake in his mouth. The girl was stunned, even if she knew the boy hadn't eaten. Gojyo took large, quick bites, swallowing prematurely. The moment it hit his stomach, he felt true bliss and went to shoving more of the junk food down his throat.

"Don't eat so fast! You'll choke or get a belly ache or sumthin'!" the girl ordered, like the mother he never knew.

"Wahsokahy!" was the very incoherent reply around a mouthful of yellow cream and cake.

The little girl just sighed. She watched Gojyo eat until nothing was left on the small platter. Not even a crumb or streak of stray icing. No, Gojyo picked the plate up and licked it clean. He then dropped it and let out a loud belch. One that made the girl turn her nose up and blush.

"This was really good!" Gojyo laughed. He felt all his adrenaline rushing, all because he got to eat a small cake.

The girl pointed blankly at his face. "Ya got it all over yer mouth," she informed.

Gojyo blushed a little, embarrassed around such a "high class" girl. He wiped the frosting off the corner of his mouth with his palm, then promptly licked it off. Not like that impressed the girl, but she really didn't care about his manners by now.

"Did that feel ya up?" she asked.

"Yup."

"Good!"

"Ray! Ray, what are you doing over there?"

The girl jumped to her feet, her mother glaring at her and the orphan. "Wah, sorry mama!" the girl, Ray apologized.

Her mother caught the empty plate in her eyes. "Did you give that boy a cake for free?" she demanded.

"Sorrryyyyy! He was hungryyyy!" Ray whined.

The woman puffed her cheeks and slammed her hands on her hips. "You get over here right now, young lady!" she snapped.

Ray turned and smiled at Gojyo. She bowed and then ran to her mom, getting a proper scolding and little slap on her hand. The woman scowled back at a dazed Gojyo, before dragging her daughter angrily to their little cake stand.

Gojyo sat there for a few minutes. He couldn't see Ray, as her mother blocked her child from his view on purpose. He looked back at the plate, picked it up, and gave it another lick down. Just incase he missed anything.

Now full and content, Gojyo was now very thirsty. However, when he got to his feet, his quench for water didn't matter. Nothing mattered when a smile was back on his face and he was able to run off with a skip in his feet again.

---

"You're not going to get a word out of him, you know."

"I know, but--!"

"Well, I'll tell him that you went out if he asks."

"Oh, you will? Thanks, Hakkai!"

Cho Hakkai grinned his typical, sweet, not-so-plastic smile at Son Goku. "Just promise me you'll put on a..." he trailed off when he noticed Goku was all ready out the door and into the rain. Sighing, he shook his head then looked back at the closed and locked door in front of him. Behind it sat a very gloomy Genjo Sanzo, who masochistically watched the rain from the safety of a glass window.

Hakkai frowned. He really wished Sanzo would learn to adapt to the rain. It made it easier for him to relax and the stress level a bit lower for the others. Either way, trying to talk to Sanzo in any form was useless when it rained. The blonde would shrug you off with a flick of his cigarette and never once look at you.

When it rained, man, it poured.

Hakkai couldn't blame him for disliking the rain, though.

Hakkai didn't like it as much; not as much as him, but still... Hakkai did have to thank the rain, though. That night, it did help wash away some of that blood...

"B. O. R. I. N. G."

Hakkai snapped out his depressive train of thought and looked into the open room across the hall. Sitting perfectly in its frame by the window and in front of the table was Sha Gojyo. The red head would look at the rain, then to his cigarette as it leaked smoke, then back to the rain again. He was just about to lay out on the table and fall asleep.

Hakkai chuckled, moving his way into the room. "Haha, gomen nasai, Gojyo. But it's raining way too hard out there. Hakuryu can't navigate in such weather," he explained. Said dragon was warm and cuddled into a single pillow on Hakkai's bed, pleasantly slumbering after a six hour long drive.

Gojyo just frowned, a little upset. "We only stopped because of him..." he muttered. He let his pout reflect in the window.

Hakkai just sighed and kept a crooked smile on. "Well, you know how it is..." He said nothing more as he walked up to the table, stood there and looked outside the window as well.

"Still." Gojyo exhaled loudly. "Boring. No girls are out in the rain, either."

"Didn't try the pub?" Hakkai rose a finger.

Gojyo draped his arms over the table. "Don't want to go outside... too far away... weeet..." he whined and moaned.

Hakkai let out an amused chuckle. "You're just as bad as Sanzo, ne," he jeered. He gave a glowering Gojyo a little tug on his antennae-esque hair strand.

"Hell no." Gojyo swatted at his hand.

"Well, you still seem a bit glum," Hakkai noted.

"Mmm..." Gojyo mumbled, softly and repeatedly poking the butt of his cigarette in an ash tray. Yes, an ash tray. For once.

Hakkai didn't like the lack of cheerfulness in the room. Usually Goku's high spirits and Gojyo's meaningless, pathetic little quarrels with the monkey kept the mood level at average. But Goku was out, Sanzo had himself holed in his room and Gojyo was so bored, he was depressed.

Then, lightbulb.

"Oh, I know what'll cheer you up!" the one eyed youkai stated, excitedly. Gojyo rolled one crimson eye back at him. That very same eye watched as Hakkai left the room and down the stairs, where he could see him no more.

Gojyo made silly, self-pitying moans as he rubbed down his eyes and shook his head. God, he'd wish he could just run out to a bar, chug down a brandy and hit on some lovely waitresses. That'd make him break out of this little funk. But noooooo. The rain kept everyone inside and glued to their seats.

Everyone went into lazy mode when the rain fell.

Gojyo included.

After chanting "so goddamn bored" ten times, slowly and angrily, into the wood of the table, he heard foot steps drawing near and a cheerful, "I'm back!"

Gojyo rolled his head to the side with a long, drawn out groan to watch Hakkai stride into the room. Hakkai had something small and covered in both his hands. "I'm lucky the downstairs cafe is serving food. We won't have to go out and get any dinner tonight," he said.

"Weeee." The taboo sighed.

"Here."

Gojyo sat up, blinking confused eyes when Hakkai sat a plate of lemon cake on the table in front of him. His gaze shifted to his three year old best friend. Hakkai had both eyes shut, curved to look happy, just like his smile. "Lemon cake was all they had. I hope you don't mind," he said.

Gojyo didn't know what to say. His jaw unlocked, shut. He looked back at the cake. A fork sat beside it, both it and the cake on a single white saucer.

"You seemed so shocked over a piece of cake," Hakkai gibed playfully. Continuing his tease, he took the fork, cut off the edge, stabbed it in the three little spikes and held it to Gojyo's lips. Gojyo's head jerked back, just slightly. "You want me to feed it to you, huh?" Hakkai giggled.

Gojyo... very... slowly... smiled.

Gojyo placed elbows on the table, chin in his hands. "Ahhh--" he purred, opening his mouth.

Hakkai, glad Gojyo was in a better mood, played along. He stuck the fork in his mouth, taking it back out when Gojyo took the cake and ate it. He enjoyed the flavor, respected it, took slow bites and swallowed. A smile of bliss and heaven crossed his face. He almost looked drunk.

"That's what I like to see," Hakkai purred. He flicked his thumb across the cake, getting icing on it. He smeared the icing on the corner of Gojyo's mouth and laughed. "I like it better when you look drunk."

Before Gojyo could say anything, Hakkai leaned in and licked the frosting from his lips. Gojyo smiled, warmly, and nudged lips to the brunet's. He snuck a hand up, cupping his face, and pulling him into a kiss.

They could both taste lemons in each others mouths.

A good piece of cake remained untouched. It was never finished, however.

That didn't matter, though. None of this mattered but a kiss that was worth way more than 90 yuan.

---

"I've always thought with relationships, that it's more about what you bring to the table than what you're going to get from it. It's very nice if you sit down and the cake appears. But if you go to the table expecting cake, then it's not so good."
-Anjelica Houston

---

OWARI

After Notes:

--Itai: it means "hurts" or "it hurts". Yo is just adding exclamation to something. So basically, it's saying, "It really hurts.
--Unagi: squid tentacle sushi wrapped in hot horse radish.

--Ojiisan: it means "old man", "older man."

--90 yuan: According to my resources, 90 yuan is about 10 US dollars. Gojyo was given 41 yuan, which is around 5 dollars. Gojyo, you cheap whore. XD

--Lemon cake: is very good. GODDAMN IT IS GOOD.

This didn't turn out as planned. I had a few other ideas in mind. But I couldn't think of any idea where Gojyo has, like, a relationship with cake (as suggested by friend). I just... I can't do much with something that won't do anything. Period. But be cake. XD So cake is just an important piece in this story. Hope that's okay!

Reviews and C&C are love. Flames go to CrowTChickATaolDOTcom, plzkthx!