Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ Fateful Encounters ❯ The Rebirth of a Scandalous Dandy ( Chapter 17 )

Title: Fateful Encounters [part 17/?]

Author: Enigma

Series: Saiyuki

Written: June - December, 2002

Rating: R

Pairings: (Gojyo + Hakkai)

Category: Shonen ai/yaoi, Angst, Romance, Action/Adventure, Blood, Language. AU-OOC.

Archive: fanfiction.net & mediaminer.org [author: "E-sama the Llama"]

Warnings: shonen ai/yaoi, angst, romance, action/adventure, anime-based bloodshed, crude language matching the characterization of the series, original characters to support the main characters from the anime and not detract from them, medical and other squick, additional warnings and pairings possible as fic comes into being over time. AU-OOC.

Spoilers: Since this is based on episodes 15 & 16 of the anime, there are definite spoilers for them, but there are also minor spoilers for other aspects of the series which I will try to keep to a minimum so readers both new and old can enjoy this tale.

Disclaimer: "Saiyuki" is the property of Kazuya Minekura, et al. All original characters featured herein (including but not limited to: Zan, Long, Kiko, etc.) are © Enigma, 2002, and are not to be used without permission. This unauthorized work of unpaid fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: What might have actually happened after Gojyo found and rescued a severely injured Gonou (a.k.a. Hakkai) three years prior to their journey to the west? How will these revelations change not only their own lives but also Sanzo and Goku's as well?

*****

Staying curled against Gonou's warm and inviting form all night long resulted in a predictable reaction for his bedmate and when morning came, Gojyo was quite literally aching with the need for sexual release.

Cursing himself silently for not taking care of some of the lingering reaction he'd had to Tonpu's unwitting flirtation the night before, the crimson-haired man eased himself from the bed carefully so as not to awaken his companion. Noting that with a soft, somewhat disappointed sigh, Gonou had rolled onto his back almost the moment he was out of bed and stayed asleep, Gojyo felt relieved that he wouldn't have to face him with a raging erection all too obvious in the flimsy pants he'd worn to bed.

After making sure the curtain that separated the bathroom from the living area was closed, the scarlet-eyed teen quickly turned on the water in the shower and let it warm as he stripped off his nightwear and tossed it in the laundry bin. Without waiting for the temperature of the spray to reach the level of heat he usually preferred, Gojyo stepped under it all the same not hesitating as he reached down and grasped his demanding hardness firmly. There was no gentleness in his actions as he brought himself to completion for he felt he deserved no mercy but by the same token he was also realizing that enough was enough.

While scrubbing himself clean after eliminating the most urgent of his needs, Gojyo finally faced certain facts and with a disgusted snort, he commented to himself, "That's it. I'm just not meant for this damned celibate lifestyle!" A quick tally of the sorts of people he assumed did have to live that way caused him to laugh sarcastically as he added, "Fuck, how do all those stuck-up monks and priests live like that anyway? Going without all the time would *kill* me!"

As he shampooed his hair, the gambler pondered something his blue-haired friend had mentioned the night before and decided that perhaps a visit to the bar wasn't such a bad idea after all. Even though he hated to think that he was considering going out for the simple purpose of finding someone to have sex with, if one of the ladies who were usually so fond of his prowess was interested in him that evening he'd readily accommodate her.

Or "them" the sensualist's libido amended gleefully as he considered the possibilities that more than one previously lonely girl might be in the mood for a taste of what had been absent from their lives for the last few weeks.

Decision made, Gojyo tried to stop thinking about that topic before he became aroused again and finished his shower as quickly as possible hoping to be able to get some nice hot coffee ready before his roommate woke up. He knew there wasn't much he could do for his companion other than to try to make him as comfortable as possible, but he rightly assumed the pain that had developed following the prior evening's events wouldn't fade quickly.

Toweling off his hair and pulling on a robe, Gojyo pulled the curtain open and was satisfied to note that Gonou was indeed still slumbering undisturbed by the noise of the shower and was therefore none the wiser about what he viewed as his less wholesome activities as well.

Relieved and somewhat more at peace with himself than he had been in awhile, the damp-skinned man would eventually brew coffee for them both to share and the morning would get underway in its usual quiet manner. It would prove to be an uneventful day since the bedridden man did indeed need to rest a great deal so as not to aggravate the over-worked scar tissues that had barely started to hold his abdomen together properly once more. The former teacher was totally innocent of the fact that his unwise choice the night before had interfered with his recovery, but he would pay the price for that in roughly two weeks when he would find himself in conflict with a unique boy and his guardian.

*****

By late evening, Gojyo was becoming frustrated with the fact that he couldn't think of a good way to tell his companion that he wanted to go out for awhile. There had been no crises to face and since Gonou seemed to have recovered from the prior night's overexertion, there was no valid reason for the half-breed not to leave for a few hours, but he felt guilty about it all the same.

As he finished washing the dinner dishes and discarded now empty take-out boxes, the crimson-haired teen ran any number of seemingly casual ways to say what he wanted to through his head yet didn't think any of them were good enough. With an annoyed snort, he groused silently that he was starting to sound like a kid asking his folks if he could go out on a date and it was bothering him enough that he ended up walking back into the living area with an uncharacteristic frown on his face.

Glancing up from where he rested against a mound of pillows while reading the newspaper with his usual neutral smile on his placid face, Gonou noticed the atypical expression and asked, "Gojyo? Is something wrong?"

Surprised by the question and uncertain what his friend had noticed to be asking about it, the gambler shoved his hands in his pockets nervously and didn't really answer as he replied, "Um, why do you ask, Nanashi?"

Folding the paper carefully and setting it aside, the brunette gave him a less emotionless expression and explained, "You've seemed distracted for the last few hours and now you're frowning. I wondered if something was bothering you?"

Annoyed that he was so easily read by the perceptive man, Gojyo nodded and said apologetically, "Actually, there *is* something on my mind that I was meaning to talk to you about, baby." With a sigh, he sat down on the bed facing the brunette so the reclining man wouldn't have to peer up at him.

"Oh? What might that be?" Gonou inquired, hopeful that he might be able to help his dear friend in some small way.

Glancing down at the blue bedspread where it rested around Gonou's waist and reminding himself of the night before and exactly why he needed to seek feminine companionship, Gojyo licked at suddenly dry lips and admitted, "Well, I was thinking I might go out for awhile tonight. Tonpu kinda teased me about not dropping by the bar for awhile and even though I'm not crazy about the idea of leaving you here alone for too awfully long, I thought I might just go over there and make him eat his words." He found he couldn't look up at the moment for fear of seeing hurt or disappointment in the emerald eye he treasured so he glanced at the newspaper as if it fascinated him.

Chuckling gently with a soft delight since granting his companion's wish was so easy and feeling quite glad he'd asked a possibly rude question in the first place, Gonou reached out and briefly touched his friend gently on the cheek as he said, "I think that's a marvelous idea, Gojyo." As startled eyes the color of sunset blinked at him, he explained, "You've been nothing but wonderful to stay here with me so much, however, I firmly believe you ought to go out and have some fun for a change."

"Wait a second," Gojyo disagreed hurriedly and reached out to return the caress by finger-combing his friend's hair even though it didn't need it as he stated firmly, "I *have* been having fun with you, baby! It's just that I kinda need a different type of 'fun' tonight, if you know what I mean."

Smiling warmly in thanks for both the comforting touch as well as the trust the other man was showing him, the former teacher agreed, "I understand completely, Gojyo. Please, don't give it another thought and just enjoy yourself for awhile, all right? I'm sure that I'll be perfectly fine."

"Thanks, baby, you're the best!" Gojyo accepted delightedly and got off the bed planning to change for the evening yet hesitated as he realized he had an important obligation to attend to prior to taking care of his own needs. Turning back to the incapacitated man, he held up an index finger to accentuate the seriousness of his words as he stated, "But there's something else I gotta do *first*, Nanashi!"

Frowning slightly since he had no idea what was going through the crimson-haired man's mind at that point, Gonou asked in confusion, "What might that be, Gojyo? There is no need to delay."

"Oh yes, there is," Gojyo insisted with a fond smile and a wink before he prepared some things that he thought his friend might want in his absence.

After bustling around in the kitchen for a few minutes, the half-youkai quickly had a hot, fragrant cup of Lemon Zinger ready along with a few snacks all of which he presented to his cherished companion with a flourish. Bowing deeply at the waist and holding out a tray which bore the tea and sweets, he announced in his best imitation of an elegant servant to a member of royalty, "For you, good sir!"

Blinking in surprise since he hadn't even considered the ramifications of being unable to get out of bed to get the simplest of things for himself while alone, Gonou felt his cheeks heat slightly and he accepted graciously, "Oh, Gojyo, how very thoughtful you are! It never even occurred to me that I might get thirsty or hungry later." With deep appreciation in his verdant eye, he added sincerely, "Thank you so much."

Reaching down and trailing a fingertip across an attractively rosy cheekbone, Gojyo answered in a more serious yet still affectionate tone, "No, thank *you* for being so damned understanding about me being in need of a night out."

"It's rather easy to be understanding when one has such a considerate host setting such high standards for taking care of his friends, now isn't it, Gojyo?" Gonou answered with a shy smile.

"Flatterer!" The crimson-haired man teased yet found a touch of warmth in his own face due to the unexpected compliment.

With a somewhat lighter heart since he still been feeling guilty about abandoning the brunette, Gojyo decided it was time to put on something more exciting than the casual wear he usually wore around the house while spending time with his roommate. After all, if the ladies liked a sharp-dressed man then that was what they would get!

Chuckling softly again as he set the newspaper aside entirely before picking up a book he'd left on the night-table beside the bed, Gonou settled more deeply into his pillows and tried to get comfortable expecting to soon be alone for several hours at the very least.

Finding clothes for an evening of pursuing willing women and possible profit if there was anyone at the bar in the mood for some poker was much easier for the lanky teen than outfitting himself for the ceremony at the temple had been. Mere moments were spent at the closet and before long, Gojyo had replaced his long-sleeved tee-shirt with the skulls on it as well as the khaki pants he'd worn that day with something more striking.

Whistling cheerfully as he replaced his everyday hair-tie with one of the long, black, velvet strips the women seemed to find irresistible even though he himself thought they looked too feminine in his cascade of fire-hued waves, Gojyo arranged his hair so that twin earlocks hung loose beside his face. Twisting his head this way and that while looking in the bathroom mirror, he decided that the silken tresses hid the twin scars on his left cheek sufficiently and stopped worrying over it preferring to focus on his clothes.

The scarlet-eyed man brushed invisible lint from his midnight blue, silk tank-top then did the same for his perfectly faded and "ripped in all the right places" jeans before feeling as if his outfit was good enough for the jacket that matched the pants. Then he topped the whole ensemble off perfectly with a simple gold chain around his neck that drew the eye to the smooth upper planes of his suntanned pectoral muscles which then dived away beneath the shimmering fabric teasingly.

After giving his reflection a roguish wink and knowing he looked damned good, the suave half-breed pulled on a pair of charcoal-gray boots then strutted back into the living area in time to see an emerald eye glance up at him and then widen in amazement. [1]

"Oh my," Gonou gasped softly, blinking rapidly and not quite knowing what to say.

Snickering slightly, Gojyo arched one pencil-thin eyebrow expectantly before inquiring playfully, "Shall I assume this means you like the duds, baby?" Giving him a runway turn like a fashion model from a GQ photo shoot, he smirked confidently and felt as if success was surely to be his that night if he had this strong an effect on someone who didn't even see him as a potential sex partner.

Nodding slowly, the former teacher answered in an awed tone of voice, "Most assuredly, Gojyo. You always make even ordinary clothes look magnificent, yet when the garments themselves are so stylish, the effect is quite breathtaking." Then, as if he didn't even realize he was still speaking, he added softly, "simply stunning."

Beaming brightly since he'd rarely received such heartfelt and glowing compliments before, Gojyo stopped posing and relaxed a little as he said, "Well, I don't think I'm 'all that and a bag of chips', mind you, but I think this ought to do for tonight. [2] After all, this is just a simple trip to the local watering hole, no biggie."

Regaining a bit of his composure, Gonou allowed his sincere, encouraging smile to return and he said simply, "Either way, I stand by my assessment that you look quite wonderful this evening." As he remembered Gojyo's earlier words about what he wanted to do while he was out, the brunette added with gentle humor, "I hope that Tonpu enjoys eating his words alone. You're apt to steal all the ladies from him again dressed that way."

Smirking and resisting the urge to say that was the plan, Gojyo recalled that their blue-haired friend had complained about that exact thing the night before and then he shrugged, "That's his problem, I guess." Taking a few steps closer, he placed a hand onto his friend's shoulder warmly and smiled more sweetly than he planned to for the rest of the night while saying softly, "I'll be home later, Nanashi. No need to wait up for me, though, so if you're tired, get some rest, all right, baby?"

Peering up at the man who seemed utterly transformed by something as simple as anticipating an evening away from his side and yet not feeling hurt by that realization, Gonou returned the sweet smile without realizing it and replied, "You worry about me far too much, Gojyo. Like I said before, I'm sure I'll be fine." He placed his own hand atop the other man's and stroked it lightly with his thumb, adding, "Now go. There's a whole night ahead of you. Get out there and enjoy it."

Gazing at his companion for a moment more and truly wishing things could be different between them, Gojyo agreed, saying, "I'm going, I'm going. I just got one more thing to do before I'm outta here." Without further explanation, he leaned down and gave his roommate a quick kiss on the cheek before winking at him and sauntering from the apartment fully intending to follow Gonou's advice.

Placing a hand on his tingling skin in wonderment, Gonou's smile broadened into something far too bright for anyone to be allowed to witness and then he merely sighed and remarked to himself, "I wonder if he even knows how electric his kisses can be at times? No wonder Tonpu said Gojyo attracts all the women, how could they resist?"

Not finding this assessment any more strange than the fact that he could acknowledge masculine beauty without sensing sexual overtones, the former teacher merely sighed quietly and picked up the novel from where it lay nearby hoping to lose himself in the tale.

*****

More hours than expected would pass by all too silently for the bedridden man, and when his roommate finally returned drunk beyond imagining, covered in kiss marks created with numerous colors of lipstick, smelling of cheap perfume and sex, he wouldn't be surprised.

The half-breed would stumble in, struggle to get his boots off, then totter over to the bed and greet his roommate with slurred speech and a dreadfully self-satisfied grin before passing out practically on top of him.

With a sigh and a shake of his head since this wasn't at all unexpected, Gonou would then be glad that most of Gojyo's body was already on the bed and with only a minor bit of effort, he would get the poor inebriated sot as comfortable as he could. Then the brunette would turn out the light hoping his companion wouldn't awaken with the worst hangover of his life as a result of the night's festivities.

Even as Gonou would arrange himself so that he too was comfortable, a possessive hand would snake itself around his waist and pull him close unexpectedly recreating the position their bodies had lain in the night before.

Forgiveness for his friend who would have no idea what he was doing would be easy to come by and since in truth, Gonou found having Gojyo share the bed with him quite comforting after being alone all evening, he'd certainly not complain. Granted, he wouldn't be thrilled to awaken at one point to find hot, sloppy kisses being trailed along one ear while he was being called by some woman's name he didn't recognize, but a gentle nudge of an elbow would solve that problem.

As to how Gojyo might react to the events that transpired during and after his revelries was a difficult thing to predict since the half-breed's memory of the night would be as filled with holes as his body had been filled with alcohol, but that was a worry for later. With any luck at all, perhaps he might have found a way to loosen up a little and stop fussing over his roommate so much, but considering his capacity for guilt and self-hatred that was not a foregone conclusion by any means.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

[1] It is a challenge as well as a pleasure to get to create new outfits for the bishounen in my stories since I try to select things that are both in character and appropriate to the plot without getting too insane. The inspiration for this particular outfit came from several sources including Minekura-sensei's "Backgammon" books and a gorgeous, hard yaoi manga by Asagiri You entitled "Gogo no Ihoujin" which I recently purchased from my dear friend Melissa. I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank my fashion-conscious daughters for helping me put together this ensemble, something we reconfigured several different times until it had the "Chibi Stamp of Approval" something that I hope the readers agree with.

[2] On the off-chance someone might not recognize the tag-line Gojyo used here, it's from the unbearably funny animated show "Johnny Bravo" which is part of the Cartoon, Cartoon Friday line-up on Cartoon Network here in the US. I can definitely see our beloved half-breed getting a good laugh from watching poor Johnny never succeed in his quest to get a date, but whether or not Gojyo will ever greet anyone with an Elvis-esque, "Hey, pretty momma!" remains to be seen.