Back at the inn, Gojyo, Goku and Hakkai sat facing each other. Gojyo crossed his arms.

"No joy. All of them said it was a group, and that it was some kind of legend," said the kappa.

Hakkai nodded. "An old woman told me that there used to be some sort of tribute collection, and that it ceased quite some time ago. Also, there is more than one demon."

Goku straightened. "Then we just gotta find the nest, right?"

Though that was what he intended, Hakkai frowned. "I didn't get any clue where the demons might be-"

"-Goku-nii-san! Goku-nii-san!" shouted Hong as he barged into the room. "I asked my dad, an' he said the demons come from Black Wind Cave of Skeleton Hill, down the eastern cliff road. Is that where you wanna go?"

All three of the ikkou turned to look at the eager young boy. Gojyo grinned. "All right, Hong! Thanks a heap."

Hong beamed. "Did I help?"

"Yes, you did. Thank you." Hakkai smiled back. The boy left the room happily.

The impatient Goku jumped to his feet. "Let's go!"

"It's dark, dumbass," Gojyo said, dragging Goku down again. "We'll head out at first light."

"How can we keep waiting?"

"Because if we head out now we might get lost," explained the green-eyed healer calmly, "and that would waste more time. Try to sleep, Goku. We'll need your energy tomorrow."

Goku bared his teeth. "How can I sleep when Sanzo's in danger?"

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

The snores were loud enough to wake the dead. Since they weren't dead, Hakkai and Gojyo couldn't fall asleep. They leaned against the same wall, enjoying the coolness of the plaster seeping through Hakkai's thin shirt and Gojyo's tank top.

"So much for being worried," sniggered Gojyo. He rested his arms behind his head, watching the youngest-looking member of their party roll and toss about, murmuring something about prawn noodles and chicken soup.

Hakkai chuckled softly. "He's a kid, Gojyo. Leave him be."

"Yeah, but now the brat has spread eagled himself across two beds." Gojyo pointed with a nudge of his chin. "And I hate sleeping on the floor. It gives me backache."

"I can sleep on the floor," suggested Hakkai, but the redhead waved away the suggestion.

Gojyo pushed Hakkai down on the mattress, then settled himself behind his best friend. His long legs and lean body formed a warm cradle for Hakkai. "I ain't gonna have you half-asleep and behind the wheel tomorrow. Unless you're turned off by a guy spooning you-"

"Gojyo!"

"-we'll rest this way then," muttered the irrepressible red-haired hanyou. Gojyo's amused tone was evident as he draped his other arm over Hakkai. "I like this. Snuggable."

Hakkai felt his own blush travel up his neck and over his entire face. "Gojyo, we're not... I mean, this isn't the time to flirt."

He felt a puff of warm air on his neck. Gojyo whispered against the fine hairs on the back of his neck, "Best time. Kid's asleep, prissy monk gone, just you and me on the same bed."

Hakkai hissed again. "Gojyo!"

"Alright, alright," chuckled Gojyo and he backed away slightly. "But I gotta say, I like you sleeping in my arms. Reminds me of the time when you first came to my place."

Shutting away the memories deliberately, Hakkai said, "You like any warm being sleeping in your arms."

"Uh-uh. I like hot, sexy babes all helpless in my embrace."

What a thing to say. Hakkai couldn't resist prodding Gojyo in the belly despite the risk that Goku would wake up.

Gojyo's whisper was right next to his ear. "You're rolling your eyes."

"Yes, I am."

"And you're also blushing."

"... I'm not."

"I know you, Cho Hakkai," murmured Gojyo. "Get some rest, my friend. Tomorrow's a big day."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Though he had told Hakkai to get some sleep, Gojyo was unable to rest. For one thing, he was worried about Sanzo. For another, having Hakkai asleep in the same bed as he – though nothing new, they had done this before when Hakkai was recovering from that horrific wound – having Hakkai asleep in his arms was comforting and exhilarating at the same time.

He watched the man before him relax into a slow breathing pattern, before he rested his own head against soft brown hair. He carefully placed his arm over Hakkai's waist, knowing that even if Hakkai woke, he would not throw off Gojyo's arm. Thus comforted, Gojyo drifted into dreamless sleep.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Hakkai, on his part, was extremely aware of the warmth behind him. It had been a long time since he had shared a bed with anyone (tents with three other smelly males do not count), and though Gojyo was his best friend Hakkai felt uncomfortable having the lanky man's limbs draped over his waist and pressing behind his knees. Still, he forced himself to mimic the breathing rhythm of sleep so that his friend could relax enough to sleep.

The redhead's rhythmic warm puffs of air dusted against the fine hairs on Hakkai's neck. Aware that his friend was asleep, the healer deliberately matched his inhalations and exhalations to Gojyo's, and with that as the background beat to his slowing thoughts Hakkai fell asleep, and dreamed of endless hills all night.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"WAKE UP!"

Hakkai instinctively straightened upon hearing the yell.

"Ow! Kai, by dose!" Gojyo groaned as he rolled away from Hakkai. His eyes teared. "Dat's one way do wag be up. Don do dat again!"

Apologetically Hakkai hopped off the bed and pulled on his shirt. Gojyo stretched before he lounged to the side of the bed to-

Goku grimaced. "Why do you have to sleep naked?" he asked Gojyo with a groan.

"Begause dis beaudihul body deserb to be disblayed." The hanyou rubbed the bridge of his nose a few times and wiggled it. "Okay. Better. C'mon, time's a wasting. Monkey, you'd better get lots of food in ya before we go. I'm not about to stop in the middle of a rescue operation to feed that bottomless pit."

"I have no appetite-"

"-but you need the strength," Hakkai said firmly. "As do you, Gojyo. We'll breakfast, then head out to Black Wind Cave."

The three of them did finish their meal much faster than usual, and the white dragon wasted no time in hurtling up the steep downhill path that would lead up a cliff to Skeleton Hill. The sparse vegetation wasn't to Hakkai's liking; there was little to no cover shielding them from the residents of Skeleton Hill. The jeep squeaked as it trundled and roared over uneven ground.

Skeleton Hill was bare as bone. Hakkai could make out a few spindly trees and those called to mind thin grasping fingers. Gojyo and Goku were silent in the backseat for once. The very air thrummed with anticipation.

When they reached Black Wind Cave, it was a minor disappointment. There was a vague resemblance to a skull, sure, but it wasn't big. Two barred openings higher up a rounded cliff face acted as 'eyes', while the incisors for the jaw was an opening barred by double doors. Goku called up his staff, ready to bash his way in, when Gojyo stopped him.

"What are we waiting for?" the shorter male demanded.

Gojyo blew out a line of cigarette smoke and then stubbed the cancer stick out with the heel of his boot. "We don't know for sure that the monk is inside," he reminded Goku quietly.

Hakkai had Hakuryu settle on a ledge away from the direct line of sight of the eyes. "How do you recommend we proceed then?" he asked with a polite smile.

"Aren't you the leader of this ragtag crew?" Gojyo teased.

Hakkai and the redhead exchanged a look. Goku jiggled on his feet, anxious and antsy.

The healer shrugged. "Knock knock?"

"Who's there?" murmured Gojyo under his breath.

Hakkai was the one who approached the door, since he was the most harmless-looking and also the strongest out of the three of them (bar Goku at full Seiten Taisei state).

"Excuse me, we're lost travelers looking for shelter," Hakkai called out after pounding twice on the door.

Gojyo rolled his eyes. "Still a lousy liar when it counts," he sighed.

"Shut it," Goku muttered. He bounced on the balls of his feet. "Sanzo's inside, I know it."

A figure appeared at one of the windows above. "That has to be the lamest excuse to come see us sisters, handsome man."

"Come on now, if they're all as cute as that, I don't mind pathetic excuses." Another appeared at the other window. She flipped her long dark-violet hair, showing off her tanned skin and the pointed youkai ears. "Well, did you bring your friends along now?"

The first peered at Gojyo and Goku and wrinkled her button nose. She was less of a vixen than her – presumably – sister. "The tall one can stay," she announced, "but we don't take kids."

"So you pretty ladies really are... ladies?" asked Gojyo, his charm at full force.

Hakkai could only watch and admire his best friend at work. Gojyo had a way with women that was near mythical; no female was safe from him once he decided on wooing her.

As Gojyo bantered with the ladies, Hakkai observed his friend. First the slight tilt of his head to display that long, smooth neck; the arch of his back that showed off his full height; a flicker of a smile playing on the left side of his mouth near the scar – there it was – and then an almost-bashful downward glance; slender but strong fingers pushing his long fringe back to create momentarily the redhead's bedhead-look; a saucy grin and a shift of the pelvis. Somehow, with all the banter, Gojyo managed to convince the ladies to invite all of them in.

Soon the doors were opened. Hakkai bowed to the attendee, also a youkai, and then allowed Gojyo to take the lead. The inner tunnel was warmly lit, though slightly smoky. Multiple doors screened private rooms from prying eyes. Gojyo strode on without deviating to either side; Hakkai kept Goku in between himself and Gojyo. That redheaded Casanova was more familiar in such settings anyway-

"Who said we were taking customers?" a shrill voice screeched from another room. A tall, imperious woman stormed out, her coat trimmed with feathers. She had almond eyes and creamy skin, and a voice that could clean crystal. "Send them out!"

"But they came to us, sis."

"So? I have a wedding to prepare, and they aren't welcome!" she shrieked. Then she noticed the three men in the corridor. Her eyes narrowed. "You three, hmm? OUT! Out out out out!"

Gojyo held up his hands. "Wait a sec. You said you have a wedding to prepare?"

She snarled. "Yes, I do."

"Congratulations!" Hakkai clapped his hands once. "Who's the lucky guy?"

"You might have heard of him." The woman fluffed up her hair. There was a smug look on her face. "Just the one and only Genjyo Sanzo."

...

...

"Hold on," said Goku, one hand held up. "You're saying that your groom is Sanzo?"

"You want to marry Sanzo?" Gojyo stared at the tall youkai female.

Hakkai blinked a few times, that being his only reaction.

"You three know Genjyo-kun?" asked the woman suspiciously.

The ikkou looked at each other and burst into raucous laughter. They kept laughing until Goku almost choked and Hakkai had to pound him on his back.

Gojyo waved a hand and said, "We'll go now. Do let us know when the happy date is, will ya? We'll bring a large wedding gift."

The woman regarded them with narrowed eyes, but made no move to keep them. Goku hesitated for a second until he was yanked backwards by Hakkai to exit the tunnel.

"But Sanzo is-"

"We'll be here for the wedding dinner," announced Hakkai with his patented fake smile. "We're staying in the town and, uh, just send it to Gojyo."

"Me?" hissed Gojyo silently.

"Yes." Hakkai beamed at Gojyo and shut the hanyou up. They skedaddled out of the youkai brothel (that being what it was) and when they got to Hakuryu, one look at one another was enough to set them laughing again. The dragon cheeped worriedly when it counted only three of its friends, but all three were too consumed by the thought of Sanzo in wedding robes to soothe their tiny companion.

"Marry? Marry that pissy, foul-mouthed, inveterate anti-romance monk?" Gojyo howled, wiping tears from his eyes with the back of his hand. "I wanna see his face when he heard that!"

Hakkai was doubled over, gasping for breath. "Oh, to be a fly on the wall..."

Goku panted as he lay flat on his back. "When we rescue him, he's gonna be so pissed that we delayed it..." He bounced up to a sitting position again. "We ARE rescuing him, aren't we?"

"Of course we are," Hakkai said. "It's just that we have no idea where he is, no idea how many enemies we have inside, and I'm afraid that they'll collapse the tunnel down on us which, to put it succinctly-"

"-would be a pain in the arse," finished Gojyo. He lit up another cigarette. Though he had been the one who initiated that bit about coming back for the wedding dinner, he knew Hakkai. The healer would give credit where it was due, but Goku tended to fight for praise when it was given to the redhead. He blew out a thin stream of smoke. "Now to find an inn which would put up a pair of handsome men and their pet monkey while knowing that youkai are coming to visit someday."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Sanzo clenched his fists and slammed them into the marble tabletop. It was not a smart move, considering that his wrists were bound in irons now and the marble was pretty damn hard. He ignored the pain in his knuckles. This was more important.

"They what?" he all but shouted.

"So they're your friends?" asked Ame. She was dressed this time, in filmy silk which did nothing to mask her body.

"No." Sanzo hissed imprecations between his teeth, reserving his most vitriolic curses for a certain redhead who, he was definite, was the one that suggested coming back for the wedding dinner.

Ame tossed her hair. "That's good to know," she murmured and trailed a hand over Sanzo's hand. The monk jerked his hand away, and Ame giggled. "So shy. When Big Sister gets to you, she'll definitely enjoy ripping that shyness from you, Genjyo Sanzo."

"Big Sister?" asked Sanzo warily. "What do you mean 'get' to me?"

Ame smirked. "Well, Genjyo-kun," she began, and lunged out of Sanzo's limited reach. "Big Sister intends to be married to you by next evening, on the night of the Blue Harvest Moon."

"The fuck she is!"

"You don't get a say in this," she informed him sedately and headed for the door, which now had three guards watching it. They unlocked the iron gate and let her out. "What Big Sister wants, Big Sister gets. And she wants to be married to the best human male this world has to offer... and that just so happens to be you."