(A/N: Sorry it's taken so long to update. But here it is! I warn you, this chapter may not be as good as the others. One of my betas has been having a lot going on, so out of respect for her I chose not to bother her about it. But, I want to dedicate this chapter to Windy, Cyh, and Niru, whom all looked over it and offered me their betas and more. Thanks guys.)

Chapter 12:Et nihil mihi deerit

Hakkai wasn't surprised to find Sanzo standing on the small porch outside the building, the man leaning against the rail as he smoked. Tendrils of white curled around him and gave him an almost otherworldly appearance.

It wasn't until Hakkai took a seat on the porch swing that he looked up. "What the hell do you want?" His face was set in a glare even as his eyes still looked far off in thought.

Hakkai smiled slightly, folding his hands in his lap. "I just wanted to let you know that Goku's sleeping in his room and his wounds have been tended to." His voice was light, relieved at the nice turn after the events of the afternoon. The smile never faltered from his lips. Leaning back and staring out into the night sky, he let a sigh escape from him. "Hard to believe that we've been here for almost two weeks. So much has already happened."

"Are you trying to make a point?"

The brunet chuckled to himself, not at all surprised by the other man's reaction. "I suppose I am. Sanzo, if I'm correct, we just witnessed Goku receiving another Stigma. And if that is the case, then-"

Sanzo cut him off abruptly. "Then we won't do anything. I am putting a stop to this right now. We're leaving tomorrow morning, first thing."

Hakkai couldn't help the rush of surprise that flooded into his expression, getting to his feet to face the blond. "We can't just leave now! We have to do something to help Goku," he argued, fighting to keep his tone even. Surely Sanzo could understand the necessity of this mission?

Taking a particularly long drag on his cigarette, Sanzo waited several beats before answering. "The brat was fine before this, and he'll be fine afterwards." He waved his hand dismissively, crushing the butt into the wood before tossing it out onto the ground. He didn't move to light another, not wanting the other man to see that he was still shaking. The encounter with Goku had rattled him, sure, but the last thing his pride needed was Hakkai knowing that. "We're not telling Homura about this. I don't care what that asshole wants with this whole business, but he's not coming anywhere near this place."

So, we're just going to up and leave, just like that," Hakkai answered, folding his arms and frowning. "Without so much as an explanation."

"Exactly. If you've got a problem with it, you can stay here for all I care." Sanzo crushed the cigarette into the wood before tossing it carelessly onto the ground. He didn't bother lighting another before turning towards the door, indicating that this conversation was over.

As per usual, the brunet was unfazed by the callous tone. With a smirk, Hakkai leaned up against the porch railing Sanzo had been previously occupying and folded his arms across his chest. "If you insist. Though, it sounds to me like you're running. Is there something you need to confess?" The man's tone was genial enough, but they both knew better than that. The blond flinched, whirling around so fast that the other priest knew he had struck a nerve somewhere.

"What was that?" Sanzo asked in a low voice, giving his companion the best glare he could muster. He knew full well what Hakkai was inferring, but there was no way he could deny it, to himself at least. The other man didn't need to know what had been going on in his head as of late.

"You heard me. Sanzo, there is a reason we're here, I'm sure of it. Goku doesn't need to be just left here. I want to know why this is happening and what it has to do with Homura. And if I am guessing correctly, so do you."

Damn Hakkai and his ability to read him like a book. "Whatever. It's none of my business. I just know that the prick isn't coming anywhere here." Or Goku. It was left unspoken, but the implication was clear.

Hakkai's expression softened, turning to stare out into the stars that were dotting the sky. It was such a clear night, with the waxing moon riding high in the sky. "Exactly. But, is it wise to just leave either? Won't it be suspicious? After all, you haven't been reporting to him properly, have you?"

With his hand still on the doorknob, the blond couldn't stop the smirk that broke out across his face at that. "I've been busy. He'll understand. Besides, when we get back to the Vatican, you'll just write up your little report telling him that it was a hoax and all a misunderstanding. Some village idiot trying to get sympathy from the Church. Simple as that." His comment earned a chuckle from his companion, though tension shot through him when the brunet spoke next.

"How are you going to tell Goku? He's gotten awfully attached to you…"

Sanzo gripped the doorknob harder, the sound of his teeth gritting together filling the silence that blanketed them. He did not need to be hearing this, and damn him if he was going to admit it. Attachments burned, he knew that well enough. Perhaps it was time that the boy learned that as well. "He'll just have to learn to live with it, won't he? It's not my fault he went and got attached, now it is? Like a fucking puppy or something." He tried to will his body to open the door and escape this conversation, but his muscles refused to work properly.

"Listen to yourself! Sanzo, I know you can be unreasonable when the mood strikes you but honestly, this is going too far. We have to do something, don't you understand?" Hakkai's voice was raised now, getting to his feet and moving closer to the blond with determination on his face.

Growling under his breath, Sanzo fisted his hands in Hakkai's robe and pulled him close, able to see the green eyes widening in reaction. "Why are you so insistent on pressing this? It has something to do that red-haired punk in there, doesn't it?" When no answer came, he ground out, "We're leaving in the morning, and that's final." Without another word, he shoved Hakkai back into the porch railing before storming back into the hospital.

-----

Sanzo stormed down the hall, his mouth set in an angry line as he headed to one room in particular. He pushed roughly past Gojyo, knocking the other man off balance.

"Hey! Watch where you're going, you prick!"

The blond ignored him and slammed the door to Goku's room behind him, leaving the redhead to wonder if he'd woken the boy up.

"I wonder what crawled up his ass and died," Gojyo mumbled to himself, smirking when he noticed Hakkai entering the building and heading to the research room. He had wanted to get the other man alone for some time now to talk, and this would be the perfect opportunity. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he headed down the hall behind him, sure to take his time and keep his steps light.

-----

After Hakkai had collected himself from Sanzo's outburst, he found himself in the records room again. He needed something to numb his mind from the thoughts that were swirling around in his head. Why had he been so insistent on them staying here? Was it that he wanted to help Goku, or was it some twisted penance for what he did so long ago? Setting his glasses down on the table beside him, he rubbed at his eyes and swore under his breath. "Why is this so hard?"

"Because is anything ever easy?" a familiar voice called from the doorway, mouth curving into a smirk at the reaction it received. Gojyo pulled up the chair next to him, sitting down heavily and propping his feet on the table. "Seriously, man. You're going to rot your eyes out in here."

A smile blossomed on Hakkai's face, closing the book that he had been pretending to look over before the red-haired man's arrival. "Too true, I suppose. How's Goku doing?" He put his glasses back on, examining them once before deciding that they needed to be cleaned. A nervous habit, perhaps, since it was the first time he and Gojyo and been really alone since the day he had cleaned his wound.

Gojyo sighed once, though the smile never left his face. "Still sleeping, luckily. And he asked about that prick friend of yours before he dozed off." His mouth formed a tight line then, running a tanned hand through his hair and looking away from the priest. Looping his hands and settling them in his lap, he kept his eyes trained on some indefinable spot on the table so their gazes wouldn't meet. "Sanzo went into his room in a right state. But, it'll be nice that he's there when Goku wakes up."

"It bothers you, doesn't it? Are you sure you aren't jealous?" Hakkai teased, chuckling when he heard the redhead's indignant snort. "I guess I could see why. Goku is much like I was when I was younger, before life turned itself inside out. And why Sanzo of all people…" His eyes widened fractionally when he realized what he said, but Gojyo's lack of response didn't tell him if the redhead had heard or not. A glance to the man beside him didn't tell him anything either.

No such luck. "I'm not jealous because of that…just…I don't know. Goku's been through hell and back again, and he doesn't need some uppity bastard coming in and then throwing him away. How your friend became a priest, I don't even want to know." A sigh escaped him, leaning further back in the chair and soon Hakkai found himself staring into vivid crimson eyes.

His eyes trailed to the scars on Gojyo's cheek, blurting out before he realized it, "But so have you." As soon as the words escaped his mouth, he winced and waited for a response. He hadn't intended on revealing what he had learned from Aria in regards to Gojyo's past, his cheeks flushing slightly in embarrassment. "I'm sorry…I-" he started to say, but he saw Gojyo shake his head as a sad smile crossed his face.

"Don't apologize. So now you know. So what? My mom hates me and my dad raped a foreign girl that had moved here with her family, and here I am today. A half-breed." Gojyo shrugged, his words laced with the faintest hint of a sneer as if daring the other man to pity him. He wasn't sure how much the other man knew about him, and he didn't want to go into the more interesting things he had experienced in his lifetime. He was still smarting from the encounter with Jien and from the nightmare he had been having. A ghost pain danced across his face and he had to suppress the urge to touch his face. "People around here don't take too kindly to mixing races, if you know what I mean."

Hakkai's smile soon matched the other man's, folding his hands in his lap and staring down at his looped fingers. He had expected the other to be angry at him for invading his privacy, and he felt guilty for it. He stared down at his hands, his still-stained hands that he was sure would never come clean. "I guess I can understand that," he replied after a moment. "But, that doesn't make you dirty, Gojyo. If either of us is dirty, it would be me." He paused, practically able to feel the tangible tension that had risen at his words. His hands broke apart and one trailed across his stomach, tracing the scarred flesh through the cloth of his robes. A bitter laugh bubbled up from his chest, looking at the other man to find the redhead looking him with a questioning look. "I suppose it's only fair…"

"What's only fair?" Gojyo asked, not sure he liked where this conversation was heading. So far, the priests had remained a mystery, as he and Goku had discussed a previous night. The two of them had been comparing theories about the two priests out of a mix of boredom and curiosity. He still wasn't sure about them, and Hakkai's words made him uneasy.

At first, Hakkai didn't answer, leaning to rest his elbows on the table as he stared at nothing at all. The smile on his face was unnerving, not reaching his unseeing eyes until he jerked, seeming to come back to himself. "I didn't start out as a priest, you know. I used to be a teacher in a small village just like this one." He glanced at Gojyo then, the sinister edge of his smile softening as he began to lose himself in his memories. The redhead said nothing, as though prompting him to continue. "I lived there with Kanan. She was my entire world…" His words trailed off, his fist clenching against the wood of the table.

"You don't have to tell me this, you know," Gojyo insisted, looking straight into those brilliant emerald eyes. So sad, and yet he knew that look well.

As though he hadn't heard him, the priest continued on. "We were happy, her and I. We lived in our own little house, had enough food to eat, and had a good life. That is, until the day…someone came into our house, I guess to rob it. It was a preposterous idea, given that we didn't have much. I found her bleeding on our bed, and I held her as she died. They struck me on the head, and I blacked out after that. When I woke up, I saw the bastard rifling through our possessions, so close to her body…and I lost it." He stopped then, looking away as he clutched his stomach in memory. Anger flooded through him, nearly making him forget that someone else was in the room with him; at least, until he felt a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I killed the man that did it, and his two accomplices. One of them nearly tore out my eye, and the other didn't get the chance to hurt me." He took of his glasses to show Gojyo what he meant, allowing him to see the duller shade of green of his left eye a bit closer. "The last man, the one I was sure had killed Kanan…I drove my knife into his chest just as he swiped me across the stomach. I was lucky I didn't die, but…perhaps it would have been better if I had."

Gojyo wasn't sure what to say to that, but he understood anger and frustration well enough. His hand squeezed the other man's shoulder again, offering a grin. "Don't say that, okay? It's not your call whether or not you deserve to live. You're a priest, you should know that."

A bitter, ugly laugh escaped from Hakkai's parted lips, startling the other man into letting him go. "You'd like to think that, wouldn't you? Tell me, what sort of man makes a good priest when he was sleeping with his own sister?"

The question was pointed, and a wrong turn on Gojyo's part could send the priest into a rage. His eyes narrowed expectantly, daring the redhead to say something.

At first, Gojyo stayed quiet, until a rich laugh of his own came pouring out before he could suppress it. He tried to stop before the priest got the wrong idea, but it was a futile attempt; he just kept laughing until his sides ached and tears poured down his face. When he finally managed to catch his breath, he looked Hakkai square in the eyes. "Is that all? Shit man, there are worse things. Maybe I'm just twisted, but so what? Love is love, right?" he asked simply.

Hakkai was struck dumb for a second, eyes widening as he took in what the other man had said. A trickle of laughter escaped him, but soon he found himself stifling giggles behind his hand. "I guess…I guess you're right. I should have known better. Well, the villagers weren't too pleased about us living together in the first place. No one knew she was my sister, but they didn't like us living in sin. After they heard I killed the ones who did it, they sent word to the Vatican to have someone come and 'cleanse' my soul."

"And that's how you got stuck with Prissy Pants, right? Touching," Gojyo snickered to himself, his smile widening when he heard the brunet's quiet laughter echo his own. "So, let me guess…someone decided that the best way for you to clean up your act would be to make you a priest? I guess that works."

Wiping his eyes with his sleeve, Hakkai looked at the redhead with a genuine smile on his face. It felt good to laugh, and it was nice that someone didn't judge him for his sins. "You're a good man, Gojyo. Goku is very fortunate to have you for a friend."

If Gojyo would have been the type to blush, he would have been fire engine red. However, he shrugged it off and folded his arms behind his head to dissuade the pleasure fluttering in his gut at the compliment. He offered Hakkai a saucy wink and with a fleeting thought, he leaned over and pressed a kiss to the other man's mouth. He wasn't sure why, but it had felt like the right thing to do. He pressed closer, giving the man more trust than he had given anyone in a long, long time.

At first, Hakkai was far too stunned to react, gut fluttering madly at the feeling of such an intimate act. It had been far too long since he had felt another's touch, but after a moment he began to respond automatically. Some part of him wanted the kiss, and he knew it.

Before either could deepen it, Gojyo pulled back. He grinned recklessly at Hakkai, tipping an imaginary hat to the man before taking his leave.

Hakkai was left sitting in the room, running the pads of his fingers across his still tingling lips before they curved into a satisfied smile. He picked up the book with renewed interest, deciding that maybe it would be a good time to get some work done.

-----

Gojyo went walking down the hall once more with his hands in his pockets and a bounce in his step. He whistled a merry tune as he sauntered, causing some of the nurses to stare as he past. He didn't really notice them, his mind still sitting somewhere in that small room at the end of the hall.

(Translation: And I shall want nothing)