Illness

Gojyo leaned down and planted a sympathetic kiss on his bed-ridden partner's forehead. Buried up to his chin in covers, the priest coughed hoarsely, shuddering at the further pain it caused.

"You look terrible," the red-head cooed, shifting his hand through Sanzo's bangs.

"I'm fine," came the slightly irate reply. Gojyo just laughed.

"You're sick as a dog. Is it really that bad to admit it?" he asked. The monk shifted on to his side, turning his back to the kappa and curled further into the blankets.

"I'd rather not whine about it endlessly like you do," Sanzo said gruffly.

Gojyo shrugged, sinking down to the bed on his elbow beside his sick friend.

"It makes me feel better... Don't you like the attention when people have to take care of you?" he continued to pry. A muffled snort came from the blanket lump.

"No. I don't want people wasting their damn time. I want everyone to leave me alone." One purple eye peeked out briefly, shooting a glare at the red-head. "That means you too."

Gojyo sighed, ignoring the monk's plea for privacy, and gently ran his hand along the part of the covers he knew to be covering Sanzo's back.

"Poor thing... Do you need anything?" the kappa crooned. Long fingers crept upwards, massaging the crook of the blonde's neck.

"No. Go away," the priest grumped. Gojyo continued to pinch at the hot flesh carefully for a few more moments in silence. Sanzo was finding it harder not to sigh at the kappa's ministrations, which regrettably felt rather nice. He resolutely refused to give Gojyo any feedback, because once encouraged, the red roach would never go away.

"Aw, you must feel awful," the half-breed continued, his sympathetic tone sounding unfamiliar to the monk. Deciding it was probably false, Sanzo grit his teeth and moved the blankets aside so that he could sit up and glare at Gojyo. His hair hung around his head in a fluffy blonde cloud, ruffled from tunneling under the bed sheets in a vain attempt to get to sleep.

"How would you know? Like you've ever been sick..." he groused, coughing into his hand.

Gojyo looked taken aback. "Of course I have!" the red-head insisted.

"No you haven't. All you do is carry the damn diseases and give them to me. Just like a real roach," Sanzo replied. "I bet you've got a bunch of human and youkai illnesses. Plus some weird half-breed ones."

"Aw, thanks. You're so kind to imply that my hygiene is sub-par."

"Wow, learned a big word there, kappa. I'm surprised, considering your brain is sub-par too."

Used to the verbal abuse, Gojyo didn't take any of the monk's insults to heart. It was really just his way of making himself feel better, and it never bothered the red-head too much to play the part of the worthless idiot. Unless it went too far. Gojyo liked to think he got his superiority fix when they had sex.

"I have been sick. I'm sure I've thrown up before..."

Sanzo's laugh was weak and sounded congested. "Sure. From the booze, when you drank too much."

The kappa fidgeted. "Euh...not from that...some other time..."

"Fine, from that one time you ate rotten meat." Sanzo raised an eyebrow.

"It smelled okay..."

"I'm sure. You'd eat anything anyway."

"I would not! Don't confuse me with the monkey."

"You're both idiotic beasts."

Gojyo sighed in exasperation. His short temper was reaching its limits and it was all he could do not to get up and slam the door on the diseased monk. He was trying to make Sanzo feel better with a little company and some conversation, but the brat was being ungrateful as usual.

"I'm sure Hakkai could vouch for a few times that he took care of me when I was sick," he continued in an effort not to lose this little battle.

"Right, like the times you faked it to get him to fuss over you?"

Gojyo grit his teeth, gripping the corner of the mattress in irritation. Sanzo was not making it easy for him to stick around. "I didn't fake it...well, not every time...." Seeing Sanzo's little grin of triumph he added, "And so what? At least I have somebody who'll fuss over me," and then instantly regretted it as he caught a flash of hurt in the blonde's eyes. Sanzo just shrugged and turned away from him again.

The half-breed bit his lip, feeling like a complete idiot for saying something cutting like that. The priest was sick for fuck's sake. He lifted a hand and ran his fingers through Sanzo's hair guiltily.

"Aw, Sanzo...I didn't mean that."

"I don't care. Go away."

Gojyo inched forward and nibbled apologetically at the priest's ear, who responded by bucking his head backward slightly to get him off.

"I'll take care of youuu," the kappa fluffed, kissing Sanzo's shoulder lightly and hugging him from behind. The act earned him a half-hearted elbow to the gut.

"I don't need an idiot looking after me," the monk grumbled. He was glad he was facing away from Gojyo, as his lower lip had begun to form a small pout. The priest felt very worn out from being ill and the kappa's gentle cuddling was actually beginning to lull him to sleep. As if reading his thoughts, the half-breed shifted closer and gathered Sanzo against him, stroking his head with compassion that the monk rarely received from his horny partner.

The priest began to relax grudgingly, letting Gojyo trace his back with large lazy fingers. The steady sound of his breath in Sanzo's ear was comforting and the drum of his heart against his back reassuring. It was a startling idea that the stupid red-head could be this gentle. Usually he was rough and impulsive, quick to satisfy his own needs regardless of the feelings of whomever he was using. The priest had lain in bed a few nights, hurting from nail wounds and sore from harsh treatment, watching Gojyo slumber on beside him, blissfully unaware of what his own indulgence had wrought.

This was different. The kappa wasn't gaining anything out of this. He was being nice—just because....because Sanzo needed him to be. It seemed surreal

Large fingers slipped down his nose and brushed at his lips, for once not quite in a sexual way. It was like a big dog trying to pet a tiny kitten- clumsily, but with care. Gojyo's hand moved back to his neck, tickled the cords of muscle that stood out from Sanzo's skin, and dropped as the kappa draped his arm carefully across his waist. Violet eyes falling shut, he snuggled deeper into Gojyo's chest and yawned. The half-breed smiled.

"Nice, isn't it?" he rumbled.

"What?" Sanzo asked, sleepily.

"Being taken care of..." the red-head replied.

"I could do just as well without you."

Gojyo's chuckle jostled his head. "I know." And just because he was who he was added, "Maybe if I nurse you back to health you'll repay me with something nice." The kappa added a gentle bump of his hip against Sanzo's rear.

"Gojyo?"

"Mm?"

"Shut up. I like you better when you don't talk."

"Will do."

It wasn't long before the blonde monk dropped off into a deep sleep required by the ill to fight off disease and repair damage done- one large kappa tucked against his back with a protective arm wrapped around his stomach. Maybe having a cold wasn't so bad when you let someone fuss over you. But he would never tell Gojyo that. Gojyo wasn't allowed to win their arguments.

"Get better,:" the red-head mumbled gruffly and planted a kiss on the top of Sanzo's head.