Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ Happy Birthday, Baby ❯ A Tarnished Reunion ( Chapter 5 )

Before adding the last two chapters to this story, may I please thank those of you who left reviews for the previous version that was deleted from MM.org as well as some for the fic's current incarnation?

Without uplifting, positive feedback, my muses tend to curl up and die. Hence, if you wish to read more of either a specific fandom or even a continuity such as the one I am creating here, *please* take a moment to leave a brief comment or write to me privately at SFSDincher@aol.com. "Grading" is unnecessary and takes too long, just add a supportive sentence or two and my muses and I will try to make you happy if at all possible. This is especially important as far as the notes given after the fic ends go, but you'll see what I mean when you get there.

Last but not least, to K-Meyleon Sha: Could you please send me an email address to respond to your comments so as to protect my plot plans for future fics? It's hard to reply to your rather specific complaint about the pairing here publicly without giving too much away about future intentions despite the foreshadowing that was present prior to the end of chapter 4. Then again, once you read the story all the way through to the end, you might already know what Erato has in mind and not feel so badly now. Either way, thanks for the comment. It was wonderful to know that you enjoyed it regardless.

Be Well!

~~~Enigma~~~

(who isn't kidding about needing input, but the fans here at MM.org are quiet types who read without reviewing and he respects that since everyone has his or her own style and that's part of what makes fanfiction so darned fun in the first place!)

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Title: Happy Birthday, Baby [part 5/6]

Book 2 of the "Encounters Arc"

Author: Enigma

Series: Saiyuki

Written: September - October, 2002

Rating: NC-17

Main Pairing: (Gojyo x Hakkai)

Category: Yaoi, Romance, Angst, Lemons, Sap. AU-OOC.

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

Warnings: yaoi, very sweet romance, midlevel angst, multiple graphic and highly detailed lemons as well as numerous mini-citrus explosions (including manual, oral, *and* anal sex scenes), a major role for a little white dragon, coarse language as per the anime, transient animal injuries, sap, and tiny hints of humor. AU-OOC.

Spoilers: This story is set between episodes 7 & 8 of the anime and contains minor spoilers for several incidents that occurred prior to the group's first encounter with Chin Iisou as well as the Gaiden era plus events I assume took place before the beginning of the journey west. There are also a few spoilers for "Fateful Encounters" after chapter 21, but they are negligible.

Disclaimer: "Saiyuki" is the property of Kazuya Minekura, et al. This unauthorized work of unpaid fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; please do not sue me.

Lemon Disclaimer: Kindly note that in the Real World, "safe" sex should be practiced at all times. However, this is an "Enigma Yaoi Romance Lemon" and all bishounen in question are hence magically protected against the dangers of sexually transmissible diseases, therefore they can skip the condoms -- and they know it!

Advisory: Whenever dialogue is written in all lowercase letters, it is to be read as if it is spoken very softly, possibly in a whisper, a gasp, or in a tone not meant to be heard by those nearby.

Notes: After living together for over three years, Gojyo wants to finally give Hakkai the ultimate pleasure on his birthday, but while searching for him to do so, he recalls vividly another tasty first from his own birthday that changed their lives forever.

{{flashback delineators}}

*****

Upon arriving at the edge of the village, the couple paused and before Gojyo could turn to murmur one last private expression of affection to his lover, a familiar voice interrupted him.

"Ne, Sanzo!! Look! Meat buns!!" Goku's excited voice carried over the crowded street like a trumpet blast. As usual, there wasn't time for a response from his guardian before he added urgently, "Oh, and look! Freshly fried gyoza! Yumm!! Can I have some, Sanzo? Ne, ne, can I, Sanzo, can I?"

An equally familiar growl answered him, "Shut up, bakasaru! Your whining is giving me a migraine!"

Hakkai hid a chuckle behind one hand and then sighed before remarking, "Well, at least now we know they didn't leave town without us." Glancing at the attractive, lanky man beside him and noting that Gojyo had lit a cigarette which dangled negligently from his lips, he smiled the faux-smile which hid his emotions from all but his beloved partner and resumed the short trek into town.

During the three memorable years the pair had lived together, Gojyo had come to terms with his roommate's secretive side and now that he could read the theoretically inscrutable false smiles the brunette wore on a regular basis, he no longer found them upsetting. Shoving his hands into the pockets of his beige, jodhpur-like pants and sauntering after his lover, Gojyo replied with a chortle of his own, "As if Hakuryu would let either of *them* drive? Not bloody likely!"

Moving through the milling crowd easily, the pair followed the assorted pleas for food and the occasional smack of a paper fan against a thick head of earth-colored hair en route to rejoining their traveling companions. Before they could reach Sanzo and Goku, however, a delighted noise from high above caught their attention.

"Kyu!" Hakuryu sang out in welcome then spiraled down much too quickly from the azure vault with a gleeful, "Kyu!!"

Gojyo shaded his eyes with one hand and called out, "Oi! Dragon! Slow down! Where's the fire?" His words were light yet his concern was real and legitimate fear touched the corners of scarlet eyes when the small white figure failed to pull out of the dive as expected.

Equally concerned, Hakkai was about to add words of warning of his own, yet there was something oddly telling in the gleaming garnet-like eyes of his beloved magical friend and he held his tongue.

"Damn it all! Hakuryu!" Gojyo exclaimed in anguish as the dragon barreled into him, knocking them both down onto the cobblestone street in a tangle of limbs both human and draconic in nature. Rolling back up from where he'd landed with the small creature wrapped protectively in his arms, the half-breed gazed worriedly at the now whimpering dragon and demanded, "Are you alright, Hakuryu?!"

"K~yu," the snow-white form moaned in obvious distress, one wing bent at an impossible angle which it gazed at in misery.

Even as the sound of boot- and sandal-clad feet rushed towards them and onlookers gathered, Hakkai crouched next to his housemates with an obvious expression of pain on his face as he demanded already tortured tissues to bend in a manner that was especially painful. While trying to erase the expression of agony from his features before Sanzo and Goku arrived, he asked softly, "hakuryu? why did you do that?" His hands began to glow as he gathered his ki into a healing force which he directed to the dragon's broken wing, repairing it carefully in layers much as he had the panda cub's injury the year before.

"kyu," the dragon moaned apologetically yet with a hopefulness in its blood red eyes that was banished as a noisy boy started calling their names.

"Hakkai! Gojyo! Hakuryu!" Goku shouted while hopping up and down behind the crowd of spectators that blocked his path. He waved frantically hoping they'd see him, then proceeded to try to push his way through, worried about the little dragon who had just fallen from the sky.

"i see," Hakkai whispered back and then said very softly, "we shall discuss this later, my dear friend. such self-sacrifices should be avoided, yet i appreciate the gesture." As a slight sense of sadness swept over him, he then directed his still glowing hands to his lover's arm where the fall had left an elbow deeply gashed and badly bloodied, an injury Gojyo hadn't even noticed.

"what the hell was *that* all about?!" Gojyo hissed hotly before their friends could join them.

Shaking his head sadly, Hakkai answered in a whisper, "hakuryu thought that by being injured it might buy us a day without travel." He blushed slightly and added in a rush, "i think it remembers how difficult things were in June and wanted to give me a chance to recover."

"really? well, shit," Gojyo exclaimed in surprise and appreciation then glanced up to see bright amber eyes peering down at them from a familiar and currently frightened face.

"What happened to Hakuryu, Hakkai?!" Goku demanded worriedly, then added with equal concern, "Are you okay, Gojyo? Your arm's all ripped to shreds!"

With a snort, Sanzo remarked in annoyance from where he stood behind Goku, "Shut up, saru, can't you see Hakkai's almost done healing it? Baka!" He turned his robe-clad back on the group and glared at the villagers who had stopped to stare. With a tic forming in his cheek that made his eye twitch, he snarled, "What are *you* staring at, fools? Never seen a dragon before?" Not caring to hear their responses, he stuck the tip of his little finger in one ear for a moment, then fished his Marlboros out of a sleeve pocket and lit up. [1]

Those gathered around muttered various responses that ranged from annoyed comments about rude men to quiet questioning as to whether or not that was appropriate behavior for a monk to a few curious remarks about how odd it was to have a dragon in their midst. Finding that the five strangers was ignoring them totally, however, the villagers soon dispersed and returned to their mundane lives somewhat glad of the distraction however momentary it may have been.

As Hakkai completed the healing treatment for Gojyo's injured arm, he sighed tiredly since after experiencing two wonderful climaxes with his lover, the effort to heal both dragon and half-breed had left him temporarily drained. He turned towards Goku and answered the boy's earlier questions, saying, "It would appear that Hakuryu misjudged its landing, Goku, but luckily Gojyo was available to keep it from being injured too badly." After casting a brief grateful glance at his partner in silent thanks for doing what he could for their self-sacrificing housemate, he added, "They should both be fine in a few hours."

"Shit," Gojyo interjected in a more nonchalant tone than what he truly felt, "my arm's no biggie, Hakkai, but I think Hakuryu needs more than a 'few hours' to recuperate." The half-breed wasn't about to let the little dragon's efforts go to waste and then he added with as much innocence as he could muster, "But you look pretty wiped out, too, dude. Maybe you ought to go lay down or something, Hakkai. You seem tired."

"Perhaps that would be wise, Gojyo," Hakkai replied gratefully and winced as he stood upright once more. Reaching out for the small white form that had remained in Gojyo's arms, he nervously asked the blond standing nearby, "Um, Sanzo? Would you mind terribly if we delayed getting underway until this afternoon? I don't think either Hakuryu or myself are up to traveling at the moment."

Sanzo had been taking heavy, needy drags from his cigarette, the craving for nicotine overwhelming him and as the first Marlboro became too short to offer him much more, he pulled out another, lit it from the first one, and resumed puffing with annoyance. While blowing a stream of gray smoke into the air with obvious annoyance, he growled, "Suit yourself. I don't feel like walking, so I guess there's no choice in the matter."

Despite the fact that he hadn't expected words of sympathy for the magical being that was also their primary means of transportation, Gojyo found the robe-clad man's typical insensitive behavior more infuriating than usual after the morning's momentous events. With a growl of his own, he rose from the cobblestones and yanked off the now bloodied wrist-wrap he always wore and wadded it up as he snapped, "You know something, asshole, the world doesn't always have to revolve around you! Cut Hakkai and Hakuryu some slack for a change, you pompous prick!"

Casting what he thought was a knowing glance at the crimson-haired man, Sanzo inadvertently allowed Gojyo to actually see something else entirely as he spat back, "A 'prick' am I? Well, that's *nothing* coming from the likes of *you*!" Turning on the heel of one of his sandals and starting to stalk towards the edge of town, he added angrily, "I'm spending the day *alone*. Do whatever the hell you want, losers."

An expression of hurt blossomed in large amber eyes as Goku called out, "But, Sanzo! You haven't eaten breakfast yet!" His stomach growled very loudly and he clutched it as if in pain as he added miserably, "And neither have I!"

Keeping his cigarette firmly between clenched teeth, the blond reached into a deep sleeve-pocket, extracted the debit card entrusted to him by the Sanbutusin and flung it over his shoulder without looking as he snarled, "Then go feed yourself, ape! Fasting for a day suits me just fine!"

Snatching the golden card from midair before the boy who would undoubtedly spend way too much on Pocky and other non-nutritious treats could get it, Hakkai commented kindly to the confused youth, "Don't worry, Goku. We'll find a place to enjoy some brunch together before I take Hakuryu to get some rest, all right?"

"But what about Sanzo, Hakkai?" Goku asked worriedly, his eyes following his guardian's departing figure clearly wishing he could accompany the priest as usual. "Why doesn't he want to be with us today?"

Placing a warm, reassuring hand on the youth's shoulder intending not only to make the boy feel better but also to see to it that he didn't follow the testier than normal blond, Gojyo answered, "Sometimes a guy just needs to be by himself, Goku." Giving his lover a look that said they'd discuss the matter privately later since he had indeed seen far more in Sanzo's eyes than he had meant for him to see, he added brightly, "But you had a pretty good idea about getting some grub, saru! I could use something to eat!"

"I'm not a monkey, you ero kappa!" Goku replied out of habit more than anything else. Then he smiled a little and asked with renewed interest, "Ne, Hakkai? Can we get some meat buns and gyoza and fried noodles and stuff? I'm *really* super hungry this morning!"

"Kyu!" The little dragon that had remained in Hakkai's arms too weak after being healed to climb up and sit on its brunette friend's shoulder agreed. Its little belly felt quite empty after using up a lot of energy performing various aerial acrobatics and even though Hakuryu didn't regret for a moment what it had done to delay their departure, it knew it needed sustenance to help recover, too.

Chuckling while nodding with his usual façade in place, Hakkai agreed easily enough, "Certainly, Goku. We'll get both of you plenty to eat and I'm sure Hakuryu wouldn't mind some curry after all of his misadventures today. Isn't that right, oh little lord of the skies?" He smiled gently at the snowy creature who had done so much for all of them throughout the journey and beyond yet never complained about being taken for granted.

"Kyu!" The dragon agreed enthusiastically, then smiled and stretched its soft face up to nuzzle apologetically at Hakkai's jawline once more asking for forgiveness for being overzealous in its desire to protect its dearest friend from discomfort.

Gojyo shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants and smirked fondly at the repentant dragon while commenting with a chuckle, "'Little lord of the land rovers', don't ya mean, Hakkai? After all, Hakuryu spends more time as a 4-wheel drive Jeep than it does as a dragon lately. But it's still pretty damned nice to know we can rely on it to get us from point A to point B, all the same!" Continuing to smirk, he turned his attention to Goku and asked, "So, saru, where's a good place to fill our empty stomachs around here? You scoped out all the good eateries already, right?"

Utterly clueless as to what the crimson-haired man was getting at for the vast majority of what Gojyo had just said, the umber-haired youth grinned happily and started pointing at various food stands in the open market area saying, "That one over there had really yummy smelling meat buns. And the one over there," he favored a different stall with a gesture, "had great *big* helpings of fried noodles with just *tons* of stir-fried chicken chunks mixed in!"

Becoming enamored with the topic like usual, Goku hurried to point out a third location and enthused, "Oh!! And *that* one had gyoza all-you-can-eat for a good price! Even Sanzo said so." His last observation took the wind out of his proverbial sails and as he glanced at the silk-clad figure who was disappearing from view, he asked, "Ne, Hakkai? Are you sure we ought to let him wander off like that? There could be some crazy youkai around. Sanzo could get himself hurt or worse without us nearby."

Glancing at the dot that he knew was a sulky blond who rarely if ever showed his true emotions, Hakkai sighed and responded quietly, "He'll be fine, Goku. As Gojyo said, sometimes a man needs to spend time alone with his thoughts and if Sanzo has elected to take a day away from not only us but also food, we should respect that." The verdant gaze met a scarlet one asking for reinforcement, something his lover was glad to provide.

"You're absolutely right, Hakkai!" Gojyo added quickly, pleased when the boy looked less worried and returned his attention to the all-powerful lures of fresh, hot food. Continuing to keep the devil-may-care grin squarely on his handsome face despite feeling a growing desire to get his insightful lover alone and ask what Hakkai thought of Sanzo's rejection of them all, he added pointedly, "Why don't we find a good buffet for brunch like you suggested? After that, maybe Goku and I can 'liberate' that gold card of Sanzo-sama's from you and do a little shopping while you and the dragon get some sleep? After all, we ought to party a bit tonight even if Lord Grouch isn't here."

"'Party'? Why would we do that, Gojyo?" Goku asked innocently and then fell into step with the now faintly blushing brunette whom he asked, "Hakkai? What's that idiot kappa talking about?"

Shaking his head and refusing to answer directly, the green-eyed man said simply, "I'm sure that I have no idea, Goku. Perhaps he is simply pleased to get to stay an extra night in a town with so many lovely ladies to woo?" [2]

Holding back a sarcastic laugh since this was exactly and precisely the cover story the couple had agreed upon to protect their slowly evolving sexual relationship, Gojyo interjected, "How could you forget, Goku?! It's your sensei's birthday, monkey! Shouldn't we ought to get him a few presents?"

"It's your *birthday*, Hakkai? I am *so* sorry that I forgot!" The boy whimpered miserably, then asked in a subdued tone, "Why didn't anyone remind me sooner?"

Blushing faintly and following Gojyo's lead as they made their way towards a restaurant named "Panda Inn" which reminded him of certain events that took place on November ninth of the previous year, Hakkai responded with a shrug, "I didn't think it important enough to be worth mentioning, Goku." [3]

The amber-eyed boy regarded him with a stunned, hurt expression and then said sadly, "But you always give *me* a party on April fifth and we do the same, well, sort of, on November twenty-ninth for Sanzo." The very idea of a formal gathering to commemorate the violet-eyed man's birth date was absurd since the surly priest would never tolerate such a thing, but prior to the journey's start, they'd usually done something to observe it all the same. With an unhappy sigh, Goku inquired, "Why wouldn't we want to do the same for you, too, Hakkai?"

Deciding to intercede before his lover had a chance to think too much about the celebration they'd already shared, Gojyo reached out and mussed the youth's earth-toned hair firmly and said with a smirk, "That's 'cause Hakkai's too shy, Goku, why else?" With the youth's head pressed down and certain he wouldn't catch the loving glance he threw at Hakkai whose carefully neutral expression failed to conceal increasing discomfort, he added tenderly, "But let's just plan to celebrate in our room at the inn, all right? I think the birthday boy has had enough walking for one day."

As his cheeks blushed a deeper rose since it wasn't walking that was causing him to wonder if he could arrange for a hot bath with the innkeeper since a soak sounded unbearably wonderful at the moment, Hakkai commented, "That would be a wise choice, Gojyo. That way Sanzo will find us easily when he's decided he's had enough time alone and wishes to rejoin us."

Having successfully fought off the oppressive hand on his head so he could skip ahead a few feet and whirl about to point a finger at the human-turned-youkai, the amber-eyed boy agreed happily, "Great idea, Hakkai!! Maybe we can even play mahjong if he gets back early enough, too!"

"That would be pleasant," the brunette agreed while silently hoping Sanzo wouldn't disappoint Goku by failing to return in time for that.

As the unusual foursome approached the restaurant's entrance, heady aromas reached their noses and seemed to beckon them forwards like a siren calling sailors to their doom on jagged rocks. But unlike those mythical females who had only evil intentions, the bountiful buffet inside was overflowing with marvelous things that would help take their minds off their worries and give them comfort in more ways than one.

Hakkai was more than slightly thrilled to note a small assortment of analgesics was serendipitously available at the cash register and quietly purchased some even as Goku and Gojyo were being escorted to a table. He was relieved that he didn't have to impose on Hakuryu to transform briefly so that he could access the first aid kit it had available for them when it was in Jeep mode.

The little dragon beamed up at Hakkai from where it remained cradled close when they walked towards their companions and inquired affectionately, "Kyu?"

With a small, honest smile, the verdant-eyed man stroked Hakuryu's neck reassuringly and answered, "Everything's going to be fine, my friend. Don't worry."

Nodding, it gazed across the room at Goku who waved cheerfully at them and Gojyo whose eyes were filled with a fondness for the pair that was on its way to join them and agreed, "Kyu."

Before long, Goku had gleefully assaulted the serving tables and the restaurant's cooks scurried to prepare more of the many house specialties the hungry youth as well as all the other customers enjoyed.

With an enraptured young waitress' help, Hakuryu soon found itself surrounded by many little containers of assorted dishes. Gazing up at the girl who kept finding new items to bring over so she could pet it, the dragon kyued contentedly then devoured curried beef, lo mein, and more freshly steamed meat buns than anyone other than Goku who sat across from it.

The pair of lovers sat opposite one another as usual and even though it appeared as if Gojyo was more interested in enjoying chopstick battles with Goku over one tasty tidbit or another, he was actually keeping a wary watch over Hakkai. When some of the discomfort seemed to fade from cherished jade-hued eyes, he relaxed enough that he wasn't disturbed when understandable exhaustion entered them as the meal progressed.

For his part, Hakkai was studiously not allowing himself to worry over the missing member of their group since he truly wanted to believe Sanzo merely wanted a chance to get away for awhile so as to reflect on whatever unknown thing was bothering him.

The brunette feared there might be something terribly wrong considering the way the blond had been even more short-tempered and withdrawn than normal following the sorrowful incident that ended in the death of his childhood friend. However, without evidence as to the root cause of the priest's unsettled state there was no way to create a response to alleviate it, something Hakkai wished he could do but knew he couldn't unless Sanzo uncharacteristically let them know what he was thinking.

Since there was nothing to be done about it, Hakkai merely continued to smile his neutral smile as he and his companions enjoyed their meal together before going about the rest of their day as planned.

*****

Far from the noise of clattering dishes and a rambunctious boy who relied on him for almost everything as well as the pair of older youkai whose relationship was unpleasantly prominent in his mind, Genjo Sanzo wandered alone at the outskirts of town. The pack of Marlboros he'd opened before leaving the inn was tossed negligently aside, crumpled and empty as he stepped into a field of low growing flowers and grass where he paused to open a fresh pack before immediately shaking one out and lighting it.

"Oh, great," Sanzo grumbled with disgust as he glared at the glowing tobacco but refused to cast it aside, "now I'm chain-smoking. It fucking figures!"

After glancing skywards as a pair of brightly colored birds flitted past singing merrily together and annoying him further, he took a deep drag on the cigarette then looked around seeking a place with a bit more privacy and a lot less wildlife. Noticing a copse of trees nearby, he shrugged and started towards it never once realizing he was about to be confronted with something he would have more trouble coping with than he could ever imagine.

Passing into the small wooded area and realizing it was satisfactorily private, the priest indulged his usual habit of doffing his sutra and breastplate whenever possible then shrugged the top of his robes off his bare shoulders, letting the silk dangle from his belted waist utterly ignored.

Tugging at the high collar of his black leather bodysuit in a nonverbal complaint against its occasionally constrictive feel, Sanzo sighed and kept venturing deeper and deeper into the woods. The soft tinkle of water moving blithely along over stones worn smooth from its motion reached his ears but instead of being soothing to the already agitated man, it only jarred his frazzled nerves worse.

"Crap," Sanzo growled angrily. With a dark glare at the trees he was stepping past without really looking at them, he asked rhetorically, "First a couple of damned birds singing on cue like something out of a bad shoujo manga and now a damned cliché babbling brook. What's next? A fucking shower of flower petals and fluffy white feathers?!"

Luckily for him, neither of those things materialized but instead, as he stepped towards the spring that was the source of the stream, Sanzo saw something he'd never seen in any of the second-hand volumes of illustrated stories Hakkai had used to help Goku learn to read. There, spotlighted by a shimmering beam of sunshine was the impression of two forms as recorded by bent and broken blades of grass and he had a sudden sick intuition as to the identities of the parties responsible for the sight.

Shoulders drooping in defeat, the violet-eyed man sighed mightily and then snarled with unconcealed frustration, "It just fucking *figures*! I come all this way looking to sort out my thoughts and I end up with the evidence of what's been going on lately right in front of my damned *face*!" Deciding to refuse to relocate since he'd not seen anywhere else half as private as this was, an observation he grudgingly admitted his traveling companions had also made, he stepped across the stream and sat down.

Facing the stream as well as the spot his friends had occupied earlier, Sanzo let his eyes slip closed intending to focus his thoughts on trying to determine what was the source of the strange ill-ease he'd suffered recently which had heightened to an almost intolerable level that day. Unfortunately, his mind kept wandering back to what he correctly assumed had occurred in the same clearing earlier and the fact that he was fairly certain that he could actually smell the scent of masculine passion in the air around him caused him to groan very softly.

Amethystine eyes cracked open just a little and Sanzo growled to himself, "I do *not* smell anything! I'm imagining it!" His iced-violet glare shifted to the space in front of him and as he noticed telltale spots on the grass where certain fluids had dried, he groaned more loudly and realized that his nose just might be right after all.

An unwelcome sensation of tightness entered his lower body and he snarled something unprintable before rising and prowling around the clearing like a tiger in a cage arguing with himself, "I will *not* go back to town and face those fools right now! I will *not* go back and admit that I couldn't get my mind off this and that the whole thing is so *fucking* distracting I can't focus!"

Pausing as if he'd come across an answer that bore closer examination, Sanzo tilted his head slightly and commented as if testing to see if it fit, "Yes, that's all that's bothering me. I'm distracted by their weakness and their need for someone else to grant them something as mundane and therefore unimportant as physical release." Nodding slightly, he glanced about automatically to make sure he was alone and then quickly shucked off his robes entirely, leaving himself dressed only in black bodysuit, jeans, and long leather gloves.

Tossing the voluminous golden silk over a tree branch and ignoring it when it fell off, Sanzo snorted softly and returned to his spot on the ground, sitting there as if to meditate yet did something far from pious. Allowing his thoughts to run through images gathered through a lifetime spent surrounded by men who weren't as antisocial as himself, he opened the front of his jeans and sighed with relief as his hand wrapped itself all too familiarly around his burgeoning erection.

Some of the visions in his mind's eye were actually memories of dalliances of his own with certain anonymous monks and lesser priests who foolishly thought that being physically intimate with a Sanzo granted them power that it did not. The myth that consuming a sutra-bearer's flesh would grant immortality or eternal beauty was something maintained in the youkai community which echoed this idea. Neither belief made any sense at all to Sanzo, but he didn't particularly care.

All of the erotic thoughts, memories and the arousing scent that already hung in the air lead to a predictable yet more intense than usual result and before long Sanzo was washing his sticky hand in the stream while feeling somewhat more at ease.

Carefully remaining on the far side of the stream from where Gojyo and Hakkai had celebrated a birthday the priest had indeed forgotten all about, Sanzo dropped back down onto the ground and reached for his rumpled robes to retrieve his pack of Marlboros and a lighter. Laying in the cool grass and staring up at the leafy boughs over his head, he slowly smoked a cigarette, savoring the acrid burn as nicotine-laden gasses fed his addiction even as he contemplated what he'd decided had to be the solution he'd come there to seek.

"If that's all it took for me to relax, why the hell did I feel like I needed to get out here to do it?" Sanzo pulled another slow drag in and held it for a moment then released it in small smoky wisps that gently wafted upwards while commenting, "I never hold back from doing whatever the hell I feel like doing, so why hadn't I taken care of that sooner?"

Frowning slightly, the blond silently reminded himself that statement wasn't entirely true.

Sanzo would certainly never pleasure himself where the boy whose life he was responsible for and whose innocence he jealously guarded could've seen him, but that was rarely a problem. Goku slept more soundly than anyone he'd ever met and it was easy to slip past him as well as the elder pair of youkai to find an out-of-the-way spot at night whenever he needed release.

Growing confused again as the sweet mental lethargy of climax faded slightly, Sanzo took a deep pull on his Marlboro and asked the trees above him, "Why does it feel different to have done this here knowing the others had sex here this morning?" An atypical uncertainty entered his usually confident voice and he remarked quietly, "I mean, I'm fairly certain it was them, but I could be wrong, so maybe it doesn't matter."

From the canopy overhead, as if in answer to his queries, a leaf broke free and floated down slowly before coming to rest on the far side of the stream. Violet eyes had followed the gentle descent and as they watched the small leaf sailing downwards like a tiny ship sinking in an unseen sea he caught sight of two terribly familiar brown and white stubs.

"Oh, fuck," Sanzo sighed and put a hand over his eyes wishing the plant life wasn't trying to make him face things that he'd rather continue avoiding. "If those aren't hi-lites butts, I'm not a cold, murdering bastard." With a pained frown, he rolled so that his back was to the stream and muttered in a strained tone, "It really was them after all."

Turning away from reality and trying to block thoughts which had now gone right back to worrying at the pain in a heart he thought long dead, Sanzo refused to admit to himself or to the trees that what he truly felt at that moment was jealousy. Whether he was jealous of Gojyo and Hakkai's sexual relationship or something far more precious, he was even less inclined to consider, but at least the thoughts about the subject were less repressed than they had been in the past.

Much like a deeply buried splinter making its way to the surface, complex desires Sanzo had strenuously suppressed since the death of his mentor were working their way closer to the surface of his awareness where he would be forced to examine them. Whether the seemingly heartless priest would then exorcise those feelings and remove them from himself forever or give in to them was unknowable at this point.

But as always, destiny held challenges none could foresee. It was entirely possible that in seven weeks Sanzo might unexpectedly witness the irrefutable proof of the strength that his traveling companions' relationship granted them and find its value undeniable since love is never a weakness.

Eventually the uncomfortably introspective moment would pass and Sanzo would indulge himself in whatever else his mind or imagination challenged him to as often as the mood struck, frittering the hours away studiously avoiding serious contemplation of much of anything.

The day would pass Sanzo by without any additional grand revelations and despite the fact that he, too, would end up needing to bathe in the stream to remove certain odors, he wouldn't leave the copse of trees half as satisfied as the affectionate couple had. Instead, he would dress once more in his usual fashion and leave the leafy bower as the stars first poked past the failing sunlight to twinkle annoyingly overhead and cause him to curse them for being too cheerful.

The journey back into the village, past the red paper lanterns swaying in the evening breeze advertising noodles and grilled meats, would remind him of other primal needs which he would attend to without hesitation or much enjoyment.

*****

To be concluded.

Author's Notes:

[1] The way manga and anime characters stick their fingers in their ears as a sign that they are purposefully *not* listening to something is rather comedic and seems non-Sanzo-like to me, but since Minekura-sensei has him do this on a regular basis, I did, too.

[2] In case anyone wondered what I thought of the anime's constant references to Gojyo wanting to spend time with girls as well as his claim to need a woman in his bed at night, frankly, it all seemed like an act to me from the very beginning. To an extent, Gojyo's incessant comments about this echoed those of Yohji's in "Weiss Kreuz" and I certainly never took his remarks seriously either.

[3] Happily, the "Panda Inn" is an actual oriental buffet restaurant favored by the residents of the Casa de Llama which offers delicious gyoza and curried beef as mentioned here as well as all-you-can-eat sushi that my youngest enjoys immensely. Wouldn't Goku just love a place like that?

Please be advised: Parts 5 & 6 will be posted together.