Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ Metamorphosis ❯ Chapter One: Knowing You ( Chapter 1 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

CHAPTER ONE: Knowing You

After their friends were taken away, much to the relief of Genjo Sanzo and Kougaiji, Gyumao did not try to force his desires upon them once more.

After a curt wave of dismissal, the Demon King groaned, "Damn, they gave me a huge headache! I can't fuck you two in this condition. Go and leave me! We'll have plenty of time to get acquainted."

Sanzo wanted to say something to the youkai king, but Kougaiji took his hand and gave him a warning shake of his head. Wordlessly, Kougaiji led him out of the laboratory, up an elevator, through several flights of stairs, going to the main suites of the castle. Stopping at the closed doors of what was the youkai prince's chamber, Sanzo was about to request his own room, but stopped himself from doing so, remembering what Gyumao almost did to him.

"I think it would be better if the two of us stick together from now on," Kougaiji quietly suggested as he opened the door. "The Master's bedroom is at the end of this hallway."

It was a suggestion that Sanzo eagerly accepted, especially when he heard Gyumao's heavy footsteps coming up the stairs. Swiftly, they ran inside the chamber and somehow managed to shut the door without slamming it. For several minutes, they stood with their backs against the door, sweat trickling from their brows as the Demon King passed by. It was only when they heard the loud bang of a closing door did they heave relieved sighs.

When there was only silence, Kougaiji removed his boots and socks and padded over to his dresser, giving Sanzo the opportunity to scrutinize the youkai's chamber.

In truth, Kougaiji's room turned out to be a surprise for him, since he was expecting something more austere which suited the young demon's somber personality. The large stained glass windows let in the light of the moon and the stars as well as the brilliant sparks of the fireworks in the distance. In one corner was a small library filled with books and an escritoire with several diagrams and blueprints scattered on top. There was a low tea table and large fluffy cushions on the carpeted floor, obviously the area where Kougaiji received private guests. There was a large divan with a lamp beside it, possibly for naps or quiet reading. Peeking behind a beautiful peacock design-embroidered silk screen divider revealed a small door leading to the bathroom. The one thing that dismayed Sanzo, however, was the sight of the large four-poster bed in the far corner of the room.

"I'll take the couch," Kougaiji spoke behind him.

Turning, Sanzo saw that the youkai prince had bed gowns in his arms. "It's all right," he replied, eyeing those night clothes with obvious distaste. "I'll sleep on the couch. And I don't think I'll be wearing those. I usually sleep in just my jeans."

"I suggest you put these on," Kougaiji insisted. "We wouldn't want to tempt my father unnecessarily."

Acquiescing to the young demon's wisdom, Sanzo took the clothes that Kougaiji offered him, who then went inside the bathroom to retrieve the wash basin, towels and some bandages. While he was peeling off his tattered robes, Kougaiji returned with the things he needed. Bidding the priest to sit down on the bed, he proceeded to clean his wounds and dress them up with a soothing salve.

"By tomorrow, your wounds would be healed," Kougaiji mumbled. "This medicine is very strong, yet it does not sting when applied."

"I never figured you to be a healer," Sanzo remarked, watching through the large mirror as the youkai prince wrapped up his wounds in clean bandages.

"I learned this from..." There was a painful tug inside his heart. Haha me...Yaone-san.... Shaking away the ache, Kougaiji answered, "Lirin gets into all sorts of scrapes."

"A dutiful oniichan," the priest mused.

Pinning up the ends of the bandages, Kougaiji stood up and said bitterly, "I may be a youkai, but I am not a monster."

"I know that. Gomen. I didn't mean anything by what I said."

Rather than answer, the youkai prince repeated curtly, as he carried the wash basin back inside the bathroom, "I'll take the couch. Tomorrow, I'll have the servants bring in one of the beds from the guest room. In the meantime, you can use my bed. Just don't make a mess on my sheets."

The two men quietly got dressed in their bed gowns, bulky articles of clothing that were surprisingly heavier than monk's robes. Sanzo buttoned up the collar and the cuffs of the long sleeves. Feeling a twinge of guilt, the priest looked at the demon prince, wanting to say that they could share the bed instead. Kougaiji, however, was already curled up on the divan, back turned to him. Sighing wearily, Sanzo sank down onto the soft mattress, but leaving a space on the other side just in case the youkai would change his mind.

After the night's events, Sanzo thought he could get some sleep, but was unable to. Being in this large room in this dark castle...alone. Sanzo swiftly turned to the side to stare blankly at the wall. He didn't want to think about his friends; he didn't want to remember the looks on their faces after he had driven them away.

Alone.

Sanzo closed his eyes, gritting his teeth. No, I don't need them. It's better to be alone. With no one to protect, no one to lose forever.

A choked sob in the darkness.

But he was not alone.

Unmoving, Sanzo listened to Kougaiji's soul-wrenching sobs. Carefully turning over to peer at the youkai prince, he saw that slim figure trembling as he cried. He held something close to his heart, but Sanzo couldn't tell what it was.

A small voice was urging him to go to the young demon and offer him comfort. But it was something that he was incapable of giving. His Master Komyo was much better at it. Besides, it was his strong view that a few empty words of hope could never alleviate the pain. The hurt would always be there, so why even bother to raise the expectation that things would get better?

Apparently, Kougaiji arrived at the same conclusion he had, or the youkai simply remembered that he was now sharing his room with someone else, someone disagreeable. With one shuddering breath, his crying subsided and his back hardened once more. It took quite a while for that back to ease into the relaxed pose of sleep.

Comfort... thought Sanzo. Was it such a difficult thing to give?

When all was still, Sanzo stood up, taking the blanket with him, and went over to the sleeping figure on the couch. Carefully, he laid the blanket over Kougaiji, pulling it up to his chin. Sanzo never knew how easy it was to tuck someone in. Hakkai had been an expert at this. How many times had he watched his gentle companion tuck Goku into bed, or him for that matter.

Gazing down at Kougaiji's tear-stained face, Sanzo was startled by the uncharacteristic warmth inside his heart. Is this the reason why Hakkai enjoys doing this for us? How could something so simple feel so good?

Quietly, the priest went back to bed. This time, it was easier for him to fall into deep slumber. Unknown to Sanzo, at that simple act of kindness, a small door to his soul had opened a crack, allowing him to enter into a strange, yet happy, dream.

The dream was all in dark silhouettes. As Sanzo watched, a woman with long hair held out something to the child playing on the floor.

"Is that for me?" the child asked in breathless anticipation.

"Hai!" the woman replied cheerfully. "A gift from your Touchan and I." To the monk's surprise, it was the same voice of the woman he had been conversing mind-to-mind with earlier.

The child let out a happy cry as he took his surprise and embraced his mother tightly.

Another shadow stepped forward, this one very familiar but without the aura of menace. "What about me, son? Don't I get a hug?"

With a whoop, the child toddled over to his father, letting the brawny man lift him up so he could give that strong neck a bear cub hug.

As the woman approached her beloved family, the child murmured, "Aishitteru, Touchan, Haha me.

"Sanzo? SANZO! For heaven's sake, wake up! He's coming! He's...."

The loud bang of the door jolted Sanzo out of that pleasant dream and into a sitting position. Before he could gather his wits together, a hard hand grabbed his wrist and lifted him off the bed. Blinking to clear away the sleep from his eyes, he saw that Kougaiji was held in that same socket-wrenching way.

"What kind of fool attire is this?" Gyumao yelled at them, shaking them roughly like stuffed toys. "I will not have my brides dressed in sackcloth!"

Letting both men fall on the bed, the Demon King snatched fistfuls of their garments at the base of their throats and ripped them from collar to hem. Before either of them could regain a modicum of decency, Gyumao grabbed them once more and dragged them outside and into the hallway.

Stopping before the suite that previously belonged to Gyokumen Koushu, the Demon King kicked the door open and shoved the two young men inside. As Sanzo and Kougaiji looked on in stunned silence from their position on the floor, Gyumao opened cabinets and startled hurling one piece of clothing at them after another.

"These are the types of clothes best suited for you," the powerful youkai declared. "Satins, silk! Not those rags!"

When a folded yukata landed with a smack on Sanzo's face, all thought of caution flew away as he blew his stack.

Kougaiji's eyes widened in alarm as the growling priest gathered an armload of clothes. "SANZO, DON'T!"

But it was too late. Sanzo had already thrown his heavy bundle, the clothes connecting with Gyumao's broad back. Even when the Demon King turned to grant him a fierce scowl, the monk was too furious to be afraid.

"WARU!" Sanzo shouted in a rage. "Do you see the mess you just made? If you wanted us to dress like cheap strumpets, you should have told us right from the beginning, instead of dragging us out of bed and drowning us in clothes!"

"And would you do that?" Gyumao asked with a raise of a bushy eyebrow. "Dress like cheap strumpets?"

"Of course not!" Sanzo declared in righteous indignation. "Kougaiji and I have our pride!"

Fearful that the irate monk would incur his father's wrath, Kougaiji raised a pleading hand to him. "Sanzo, it's all right! I could wear...."

The priest's violet eyes flashed daggers at him. "URUSAI! You're a youkai prince and I'm a high-ranking monk! We deserve some respect!"

Surprisingly, rather than get mad, Gyumao burst into laughter. "I see that I would enjoy taming you. Unfortunately, you have no choice in the matter. You will clothe yourselves in the garments I want you to wear. And do not insist on wearing any conservative attire in my presence." He gave them fiendish leers. "It only makes me want to rip your clothes off and fuck you on the spot."

Although he was seething, Sanzo held his tongue. It was useless arguing with a mad man. But when the Demon King started to walk away, he cried, "Wait a damned minute! Who's going to clean this mess you made?"

"Oh, the two of you could handle it," Gyumao answered with infuriating casualness. "I want you to be at the breakfast table in thirty minutes and, please, do try to look nice."

Saying this, the youkai king shut the door behind him, just as the priest hurled another robe, the garment hitting the door.

"That insufferable brute!" Sanzo ranted and raved. "If I had my gun, I'd..." His eyes narrowed in disapproval at the sight of Kougaiji folding up the clothes neatly. "What the hell are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Kougaiji replied simply. "I'm cleaning up."

"Kougaiji-sama," the priest began with a shake of his head, "servitude does not become you."

"Do we have any choice in the matter?"

Sanzo did not have a rebuttal for that query. Grudgingly, he plopped down on his butt and helped the youkai clean up the mess that Gyumao had made, at the same time sorting through the garments. Seeing how revealing Gyokumen Koushu's clothes were, Sanzo crossed his arms over his chest and stubbornly refused to budge.

"I am not wearing any of these clothes," Sanzo declared, the distaste apparent in his voice. "They're hideous, and they smell like cheap perfume and lord knows what else."

"I have others stored, but I can't let you use them," the youkai prince answered. "They belong to someone... I'm going to order the servants to make garments for us that are to my father's liking or I'll see if I could convince Touchan to allow us to wear our regular clothes at least. In the meantime, we have to make do with these." Kougaiji handed him a violet yukata with sakura blossoms embroidered on it. "Try this on. It goes well with your eyes."

Sanzo snorted as he grabbed the offered garment. "Let me guess. I don't have a choice."

"Neither of us do." Kougaiji unconsciously rubbed what looked like a bar code tattooed on his left shoulder. "We just have to make a difficult situation more bearable."

Before the priest could say more, the young demon picked up a red yukata and went into the dressing room to change. With a sigh, Sanzo gathered the robe that Kougaiji had given him and entered the bathroom.

---

"Now this is more like it!" Gyumao exclaimed in hearty approval at the two young men eating silently before him with heads bowed. "There's nothing like having two pretty boys at the dining table to stimulate one's appetite!"

"Kono yaro!" Sanzo cursed under his breath, stabbing at his food with his chopsticks.

The priest heard Kougaiji's sharp exhalation. Glancing up, he saw that the youkai prince had turned pale. Before he could ask what was wrong, the answer came to him -- as a toe poking at his bare hip.

Sanzo slammed his chopsticks down on the table, causing the plates to jump. "We are not the main course! Let us eat in peace!"

Gyumao glowered at Sanzo, a noticeable tic at his right temple. "You should learn to curb that sharp tongue of yours, boy, if you know what's good for you."

"Sanzo, please..." Kougaiji's eyes widened at the sight of the tiny hand that reached from under the table and swiped the pork bun off his plate, quickly diving back down again.

That sudden movement did not escape the Demon King's notice. He lifted the table cloth and snatched the hungry figure hiding under the table.

"YOU!" snarled Gyumao, staring at Lirin who had the pork bun pressed between her lips. "I thought those blasted kami had gotten rid of you!"

Seeing the girl, Sanzo couldn't help but slap an exasperated hand to his forehead.

"Gomen, but I had to stay!" Lirin turned tearful eyes to her startled brother. "I cannot leave my oniichan!"

Kougaiji gripped his father's arm that was holding his sister. "Please let her go! She's also your daughter. Lirin means no harm. She only wants to be with me. We've always been very close, you see."

"Pests like these need to be exterminated," Gyumao muttered ominously, causing Lirin to blanch.

Chopsticks struck the Demon King dead center on the scar on his forehead.

Sanzo had stood up as well, hands clenched into tight fists. "If even one drop of blood should spill from that child's body, I swear I will never renounce my vows."

Gyumao dropped Lirin on the floor. Before Sanzo could blink, a slap fell on his cheek, causing him to fall face first on the table.

Feeling rough hands fumble with the hem of his yukata, the priest said in derision, "Are you so damned eager to have your cock fried to a cinder?"

Those hands left his bare hip to grab a fistful of his hair and lift his head off the table. There was a flash of a knife to his right.

"Perhaps I should cut out your tongue," Gyumao murmured in his ear. "So I won't have to listen to that foul mouth of yours any longer."

Suddenly, trembling fingers closed around his knife hand. The Demon King beheld his son, those red bangs shielding his eyes. Whether it was intentional or not, the right sleeve dipped enticingly from Kougaiji's shoulder and down his arm, giving the elder youkai an alluring view of his right chest.

"Don't do this! Please!" Kougaiji mumbled again and again. "Not my imouto! Not Sanzo! Please, no!"

"Are you willing?" Gyumao inquired, licking his lips at the sight of that tiny nipple.

Lower lip trembling, Kougaiji answered, "Hai."

Abruptly releasing the priest, the Demon King grabbed his son, sweeping the food off the table at the same time, and slammed him on the table top.

"Oniichan!" Lirin cried, hands pressed over her mouth in horror, as Gyumao proceeded to force his attentions upon the young demon.

Gritting his teeth, Sanzo took the fallen knife in his hand. Wrapping a tight arm around the Demon King's brawny neck, he positioned the sharp edge over his throat.

"Let him go!" the priest hissed. "Your quarrel is with me!"

"Sanzo, don't!" shouted Kougaiji, shocked at the monk's audacity.

"URUSAI!"

"Do you think you could kill me through such pathetic means?" Gyumao sneered at the young man behind him.

"Of course not! I'm not baka!" Sanzo snapped back. "I'm simply reminding you who it was that displeased you in the first place, and that person was me." Letting the Demon King go, he straightened up and let the knife fall from his hand. "I'm awaiting your punishment. Although you cannot fuck me, I'm sure you could think of something to put me in line. Oh, and while I'm being audacious, I demand that you permit Lirin to stay. She could be our personal servant. I will ensure that she will not interfere with you anymore."

Gyumao thought for a long moment. "That sounds reasonable enough. Very well! I accept your terms. The pest may stay, but if she should get in my way again...."

"She won't," Sanzo said firmly. Turning to Lirin, she told her coldly, "Take your idiot of a brother and leave us!"

"But, Sanzo," Kougaiji hesitated. "I can't..."

The youkai prince flinched as the priest turned sharp eyes towards him. Never had he seen Sanzo so angry before.

"I SAID LEAVE US!"

"Oniichan?" Lirin asked timidly.

Gripping his sister's shoulders, Kougaiji whispered, "Let's go, Li-chan. I'll have a servant bring some food for you in my room."

Brother and sister, swiftly but quietly, left the dining hall. Before the doors closed, Kougaiji glanced back, his eyes widening to see Gyumao walking towards Sanzo's proud form. He was snapping a thick belt in his hands.

"First things first," the Demon King told the monk sternly. "Let's see you grovel, priest."

---

Two long hours passed before the chamber door opened.

At the sound of that soft squeak, Kougaiji stood up from the couch where he and Lirin were sitting, having just finished giving his little sister a stern scolding.

"Sanzo, are you..." His next words were locked in his throat, because it was perfectly obvious that the monk was not all right.

From head to toe, Sanzo was filthy, as if he had crawled through a canal of food. Grime and food stains surrounded the priest's mouth. The marks of a belt on his chest were visible through the opening of his yukata. When he walked, he was favoring his aching behind.

Kougaiji ran to the monk when he staggered a bit. "Sanzo, let me...."

For his concern, the young demon was rewarded by a stinging slap which knocked him down to the floor. Staring up at the priest in shock, he saw that Sanzo was shaking in uncontrolled rage.

"Don't you ever, EVER do that again!" Sanzo roared at him. "I don't need you or anyone else to sacrifice yourself for me! You call yourself a 'prince'? You disgust me with your weakness! You are not the worthy adversary I used to know! The Kougaiji I knew would never give up his honor so easily, and certainly not to his demented father!"

Kougaiji went up on his knees and calmly faced the enraged priest. "I guess it goes to show that you really did not know me at all."

Sanzo stared at the youkai at his feet in silence. "DO NOT DO IT AGAIN!" he reiterated firmly, as he stalked inside the bathroom.

Opening the shower full blast, he leaned into the stream of water fully clothed, letting the stains be washed away from his body. But he knew that he could never be cleansed of the memory -- of Gyumao forcing him to crawl on all fours like an animal, making him lap up the food on the floor with his mouth, of the belt hitting him whenever he faltered or retched.

Sanzo did not want to give in to tears. Instead, he punched his fists again and again into the wall until they were bleeding. When he fell to his knees, his rage spent, all he could whisper was "Never again!"

As he closed his eyes in weariness, the last thing he heard was the woman's grateful, yet sorrowful, mind voice, saying, :Arigato gozaimasu, Sanzo-sama, for protecting my son.: