Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ Never No Answer ❯ Maybe it's childish and maybe it's wrong ( Chapter 9 )

Disclaimer: Saiyuki and the characters used in the following belong to Kazuya Minekura and the people who own her. Him? Does it matter at this point? (Drools over Sanzo some more)

"What the fuck is it now?" Sanzo spat out at the nervous crowd gathered around in the common room of the inn. He was in a new priest's robe, bone white instead of the usual cream and the sutra back upon his shoulders, looking absolutely furious with his hair still slicked wet against his head and that fresh glow from a rudely interrupted bath. Gojyo had given back the Smith and Wesson as well after Mei Li had started screaming about this being an emergency, deciding this was no time to play around- and also figuring that Sanzo was too pissed off at these new distractions than him. They had all quickly climbed out of the bath after pushing a sobbing and panicking Mei out for some privacy to change. Of course, Sanzo had managed to himself covered up from Gojyo's eyes again, using the towels and carefully slow maneuvering…despite the muffled screaming coming from the hallway. Goku had been changing into his clothing dripping wet, too excited to dry off before running out to see what all the commotion was about. So, Gojyo took his own time in drying himself off in the same sort of unrushed pace at the blonde, just in case Sanzo slipped up. The priest was being damned infuriating with his silence and pointed ignoring, as if Goku had suddenly become the only person in the world. Gojyo might as well of been dead, even less attention being paid to him, if such a thing was possible.

He had slept with the man last night! He deserved better than a fucking bullet as a greeting! The best he could get was Sanzo storming off because Hakkai was being a drunk, loudmouthed jerk when the situation called for a little bit of diplomacy. Gojyo couldn't really blame the man, pushed past his own limits himself with even Goku acting like he had tried to murder Sanzo or something, not just give him the best damn sex of his life. He could be sure of that, since Genjo Sanzo had been a virgin until a bunch of youkai had decided to take that! Didn't that deserve the least bit of thanks, at least something beyond the very cold shoulder Sanzo had turned toward him? Or had even Goku started getting in on the action, rubbing his scent all over Sanzo like a dog pissing on a tree?! Was any youkai demon good enough for old High and Mighty fucking Priest Genjo Sanzo?

…

Gojyo hated himself for thinking like this.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down and watch the crowd that was so far keeping a respectful distance from their priest. Goku was on the other side of Sanzo as the man stood toward the corner of the room, not the easiest to defend in case things started to get ugly. It looked like a possibility with these people, uneasy murmuring and a few grown men outright crying. Gojyo caught a few things, like `ghosts' and `possessed,' along with a lot of prayer and Sanzo's formal title. Of course, Sanzo looked patently furious at the whimpering group, having no patience for hysterics. Gojyo was beginning to think the man didn't have patience for anything.

"High Priest Sanzo! You have to save us!"

"My boy is bleeding from his mouth!"

"Help us, High-…"

"Mari just started screaming-…"

"Things started moving around!"

Everyone started yelling on top of each other, pressing in on Sanzo as the monk's shoulders just hunched further and further like he was preparing to explode. Goku threw his arms out in front of a nervous gentleman that tried to rush Sanzo for a blessing, yelling at another woman that started forward. Gojyo had his own hands full with a pair of twin brothers shoving him in the back, not pleasant in the slightest.

"Shut up! All of you, just fucking shut up!" Sanzo screamed above it all in his typical furious, Sanzo-like manner. At least that short temper was still the same. The crowd immediately went silent and backed up warily, and Gojyo couldn't tell if it was out of fear or shock that a High Priest would speak so. Gojyo had already long gotten jaded to the curses that fell out of Sanzo's mouth. Well, whatever the reason, everyone had gone pale-faced and close-lipped while Sanzo glowered at the lot of them, obviously waiting to make sure he had their complete attention. What Gojyo wouldn't give to know just what the hell was going through that stubborn blonde's pretty little head. Thank the Gods Sanzo was born with a saint's face and a body to die for, or Gojyo wouldn't have put up with all the man's verbal abuse and his foul, foul language.

"Now, then, one at a time. What the hell is going on?" Sanzo asked very coldly in a smooth and commanding voice that filled up the whole room without him even having to yell. Gojyo had to respect that about the man, if nothing else. The rest of the people just looked between each other, murmuring softly as they worried and tried to decide on a speaker amongst themselves. Goku just backed up cautiously so that he was near to Sanzo, twisting around to watch the whole crowd as if he couldn't trust Gojyo to cover the other side of Sanzo. All he had done was made love to the monk, not suddenly gone dumb and blind! Why did Sanzo and Goku think they were acting fair right now? Gojyo desperately wanted Hakkai to wake up, to come back and smooth things over.

"Well, it seems that this morning-…" an old man started, stepping forward to humbly address Sanzo with his head slightly bowed. Gojyo could have gagged at the respect Sanzo commanded, even if he didn't deserve it. It was astounding that the old, hunched over man still thought Sanzo was a decent human, much less a priest after that little outburst. Sanzo wouldn't know patience and fidelity if punched him right in the face.

"My dishes started breaking-…"

"Johan was screaming that they were killing him!"

"Everything was all turned over and-…"

"My wife started acting like I was raping her!"

"You brainless fools! I'm not going to help a frightened, whining bunch of superstitious morons. What did you fuckers do to piss all these ghosts off?" Sanzo boomed out in a harsh, uncaring manner that made every eyebrow rise up, if they weren't already. So much for the image of the holy and benevolent High Priest Sanzo these villagers must have once had. Gojyo didn't even believe it himself sometimes, half-expecting that chakra to fall right of Sanzo's blasphemous forehead one of these days. Gojyo wasn't even really sure himself what Sanzo was talking about anymore, but when it came to spiritual things, the thin prick had a few more credentials than anyone else. Sanzo sensed things that Gojyo was only vaguely aware of because he had the heightened senses of youkai blood. Normal humans couldn't even feel the power of an evil youkai with murderous intent, but Sanzo could click off numbers when they weren't even in sight of their attackers. Yup, High Priest Genjo Sanzo was pretty amazing…if you could ever get him to help in the first place. But, Sanzo didn't extend a hand for anyone unless they earned it somehow in the monk's crazy eyes, wouldn't even take bribes or money for his services. His inner workings were still a complete mysterious to Gojyo, the man wavering back and forth between unbearable, arrogant prick and an incredibly sensitive holy man.

"But…but, its ghosts," a man said softly in the back, but it was so quiet he might as well have been yelling. It was still a very good point, since Sanzo was likely the only priest for fifty miles. A few more people nodded in agreement before wincing and freezing when Sanzo glared at them. Gojyo could almost feel sorry for them being at the receiving end of Sanzo's anger right now…at least it wasn't him. Still, something had frightened the villagers and likely did have something supernatural about it. The fine hairs on the back of Gojyo's neck were dried out and standing up, a chill taking root in his spine. This wasn't any kind of youkai he'd dealt with before just pure-well, Gojyo couldn't really tell what it was, his senses not so fine, but there was something different about the inn.

"Sanzo?" Goku asked, obviously at a complete loss about what to do next. Gojyo moved forward between the shitty monk and a fat man trying to crowd him, opening his mouth to ask Sanzo a few questions himself- except he saw the look of complete and utter terror on that pale face before the blonde flew backward like someone had kicked him in the face, hitting the floor hard.

Everyone went silent and still at the High Priest going down in a dead faint as he had been tending to do lately, except this time something was different. Even Gojyo could feel something indistinct and spiteful in the air, Goku's face paling as well before he called out Sanzo's name. Gojyo quickly glanced over to the priest as well, lying motionless on the floor as if he'd just been shot dead…except Gojyo knew Sanzo was tougher than that. No, High Priest Genjo Sanzo liked to do things worse than death, affected by something that Gojyo couldn't even see, hands twitching on the floor as Gojyo assumed Sanzo was reviving.

It was horrifying to watch a seizure in the full, unforgiving light of the main room. Sanzo was actually foaming at the mouth, gurgling and jerking around on the floor with eyes rolled all the back in his head. Gojyo just moved, not even thinking as he ran forward, fell down to his knees to get them underneath Sanzo's head, steadying the blonde hair with both hands before the monk beat his skull open. Sanzo's hands flew out, an inhumanly strong and lucky swipe catching Gojyo across the mouth. His hair flew out from the loose knot he'd put it in earlier this morning, his teeth clacking together with the force of the monk's blow. The only reason he was able to stay sitting was because of the hoarse screams Sanzo was making between choking on his own saliva and muscles clenching beyond his control. He could hear Sanzo's bones creaking in protest to the spasms, the body twitching around as it hardened up like wood, went limp, and seized up again. Goku also joined in, tears flying from his eyes as he threw himself across Sanzo's chest, pinning his arms with his small body as well as trying to contain his movements. Sanzo didn't even know they were there, absolutely mindless with whatever pain or fit that had just struck him.

"Get a fucking doctor!" Gojyo screamed at the crowd, his voice more panicked than he would have liked. Of course Sanzo would completely and utterly freak out when Hakkai was sleeping one off! Gojyo tried to hold Sanzo's head as his neck snapped around; half-afraid it was going to break at the force of the muscle contractions. Goku was flopping around on top of Sanzo as the monk arched up off the floor, legs trembling with his knees locked out straight. The dumbass just wasn't heavy enough to keep Sanzo down as they struggled to keep the priest from hurting himself. There was a panicked, struggling mewling as Sanzo retched and lost the ability to scream around the muscles tensing.

"But, I thought your companion-…" a voice started, and Gojyo didn't even distinguish if it was male or female, just staggeringly dumb as Sanzo screeched wordlessly, his heels drumming on the floor.

"-Is drunk! Get a damn doctor here, now!" Gojyo roared right back before the question was even finished, tears stinging at the sheer helplessness of the situation. He didn't know what to do, didn't know what the hell had started this attack, couldn't fix Sanzo up like Hakkai. He didn't have a fucking clue to what was happening in the first place. All he could do was just pray that this was going to end soon, hunching over the monk as Sanzo bucked underneath Goku. He heard the cry for a doctor echo around and the sound of people moving to do something while Gojyo silently begged Sanzo to stop. He couldn't stand looking down at this face, jaw frozen open and only the whites of his eyes visible. Sanzo looked like he was being eaten alive and Gojyo couldn't do a damn thing.

"Gojyo, what's wrong with him?" Goku wailed out over Sanzo's screaming, the terror and tears obvious even if Gojyo couldn't see his face as the boy tried to hold Sanzo down. He didn't like this, not so fucking soon after they had just rescued the monk from that youkai, from Goku going crazy on them, from death a hundred times over. This couldn't be happening again. It was almost too cruel, too harsh to be anything other than reality.

"Where's the fucking doctor?" Gojyo shouted, utterly unable to answer that question. Hakkai would be able to, if the brunette had drank himself into oblivion last night! Just what the hell were they supposed to do when the healer himself needed to be looked after? There was a final, long and agonized scream like a cat on its deathbed, spittle hitting Gojyo on the side of his cheek before Sanzo's body gave one last shudder and went limp. Goku panted heavily on top of Sanzo's belly, Gojyo couldn't even move for a second, terrified that Sanzo had just died right then and there. He numbly put a hand underneath Sanzo's throat, too shocked to feel the heartbeat for a moment until he dimly heard Goku ask him if Sanzo was okay. Gojyo nodded when he felt something pulse weakly underneath his fingers, too stunned and frightened to actually speak. Adrenaline was rushing in his ears, overwhelming now that Sanzo had gone still. His hands were shaking pretty badly, but Goku was outright trembling as he finally backed off of the priest to sit back on his knees.

He absently wiped the bubbled spit crusting around Sanzo's mouth, knowing that the shitty monk wouldn't want to look a mess. Sanzo always cared about his appearance, the arrogant bastard. Gojyo ended having to rub his whole palm over Sanzo's lips to clean him up, trying very hard not to feel how soft and wet they were. It was in between rearranging the monk's bangs that he realized Goku was staring at him, pupils nothing more than small dots in his eyes as the boy nervously waited for Gojyo to say that everything was okay even though Sanzo was passed out on his lap. He turned his head to see the whole crowd whispering to each other behind their hands, eyeing Gojyo like he was evil incarnate. He shrugged, used to the harsh glares and cold judgment, supposing he was in some sort of fashion with his redhead and eyes; while he fondled the unconscious High Priest Genjo Sanzo, mass-murderer of all youkai. Gojyo immediately snapped his hands away from Sanzo's hair, fingers itching at the silky, damp softness. He couldn't be running his hands over Sanzo, at least not in public…and he couldn't leave the monk here to be gawked at by the locals.

"Is the doctor coming yet?" Gojyo demanded, much steadier now that Sanzo had stopped having a seizure. A few people shook their heads, making Gojyo wonder just how far away this doctor was. Either way, he couldn't leave Sanzo to lie here on top of Gods-knew-what was staining the floor with half the village trying to get a good look at the monk passed out cold. Gojyo easily gathered Sanzo up with an arm underneath his shoulders and knees, long and slender legs bending easily as Gojyo hoisted the priest up. He was rather used to the blonde's light weight after hauling him around the inn for the past couple of days, adjusted the limp mess as Sanzo's head rolled loosely on his shoulder. Goku stood up as well next to Gojyo, pale underneath his tan and his eyes haunted as he stared at Sanzo's face. Gojyo found himself wondering what he must look like now as well.

"Come on, Goku, let's take him upstairs," Gojyo suggested softly as the crowd's murmuring got louder. He tried to think of what Hakkai might have said in the situation and ended up just smiling weakly at the crowd as they quickly started changing to angry and frightened. All he ended up doing was laughing lamely before turning around to quickly beat it up the stairs with Sanzo in his arms, the task much easier than he would have liked. Goku followed behind him along with a few curses from some of the more upset villagers. They all would have to fucking wait, because an unconscious priest couldn't save anyone. Just where the hell was that doctor, and when was Hakkai going to wake up? Gojyo did not need to be the only one left to deal with this, Goku so stupid and overcome with worry as he poked his head around both sides of Gojyo as he walked up the stairs and down the hallway, trying to get a better view of Sanzo's face. Gojyo wondered if he should have been impressed when Goku obediently opened the door to their empty room, not wanting to set Sanzo down next to Hakkai to wake up to when either one of them came to. Gojyo honestly couldn't predict which would be worse at this point: Hakkai being hung-over or Sanzo waking up-again-from being knocked unconscious for whatever reason it may fucking be this time.

He laid Sanzo out on top of the sheets, taking a lot more time and care than he usually would simply because the monk felt so damned fragile right now. He fished the gun out of the monk's robes and set it on the dresser between the two beds, figuring it would be their luck right now to have Sanzo accidentally shoot himself in his sleep. Underneath the tough-as-nails exterior was a human, all pale, flower-soft skin that had never known a day's hardship beyond shooting at youkai all afternoon. Gojyo had had the rare experience of getting to run his hands along most of that weak, bruised flesh-and the thought of how close it had come to that being a nothing but a fucking corpse. Sanzo had almost died, freezing to death in his arms, in that mansion, on his lap not one minute ago! It wasn't just because Goku was watching; hopping from foot to foot behind him as if he expected a strong wind to come up and blow Sanzo away-Gojyo was feeling a bit of that same terror clench around his own heart. Curse Sanzo for prancing around like he was so damned self-sufficient and pigheaded to boot, quite ready to take on a band of rabid youkai and win…if he had just been backed up properly by the three fucking retarded demons that had sworn to protect him. He'd been wrong in just assuming Sanzo was a tough son of a bitch and could take care of himself, but he had proven himself to be nothing if not a survivor; and a damn fine-looking one at that. Gojyo stared down at the monk with his sun-colored hair dripping over his eyes, all the more beautiful because of his vulnerability; passed out after nearly choking to death on his own saliva in front of a live audience.

Sanzo really was going to kill him when he woke up.

"What should I do?" Goku asked with no small amount of concern to his side, forcing Gojyo to look over at the boy. The ape wasn't even watching Sanzo anymore, just staring down at the floor in what must be profound shame even though he'd done nothing wrong, on the verge of crying. Gojyo didn't feel far from it himself, knowing exactly how guilty and responsible Goku must feel right now as well. He might not have tried to kill Sanzo because of the youkai madness, but he had a hand in the destruction of Sanzo's defenses. He'd just wanted to see that mask break, show the emotion and, well, anything that pointed toward Sanzo having a heart made out of something other than black coal. And now, the whole deal was close to fracturing into a thousand pieces. Gojyo needed a doctor there, to give a professional opinion that Sanzo was going to be alright. He didn't like a still-as-death Sanzo tossed on a bed after such a downright terrifying physical reaction. Gojyo was going to take a while to banish that particular image of Sanzo going rigid as stone and screaming, helplessly frothing from his mind; just like the dead grey-blue color Sanzo's face had been when he'd almost frozen to death. There had been too damn many close calls lately.

"Goku, listen to me carefully," Gojyo lowered his voice, making sure that Goku was actually paying full attention to him. Big golden eyes fixed on him like two searchlights, eagerly wanting something else to do beyond sit there and worry. Gojyo might not have been able to do anything about Sanzo except wait there for a doctor to show or Hakkai to finally sober up, whichever came first, but he could at least distract Goku from worrying himself sick of Sanzo. Just be the usual asshole and piss everyone off and make them laugh about it at the end, instead of letting the two most depressing guys he'd ever met wallow in misery. Hakkai and Sanzo would never say as much, but Gojyo could smell his own kind.

"Go into the next room and grab all the drinkable alcohol left," Gojyo ordered as if this were a matter of life and death.

Goku stared back at him dully, his lips pressing together to form a disapproving line. Just when had the dumbass ape started to take after Sanzo so much? He didn't like the attitude the boy was giving him, switching between the happy, mindless ape and this overprotective punk-assed brat! Gojyo would like someone to point out one, one damn thing he'd done wrong beyond just going with the flow. He certainly hadn't planned on saying anything about last night, figuring that what happened between the sheets was best kept there if he ever wanted to try it again. But, if Hakkai already knew, what the hell was the point? Goku had to know, covered in Sanzo earlier with the faint trace of his own seed- meaning Sanzo must have run to Goku before their bodies had even cooled.

"Don't you think Sanzo will want it when he wakes up?" Gojyo countered in a happy voice, shrugged as he paced away from the bed...and rolled right around on his heel when he finally spotted two bottles next to an empty beer at the foot of the bed that shitty monk must have already stolen earlier this morning. He immediately started strolling back toward the liquor greedily before Goku jumped in front of him, forcing him to draw up short.

"Sanzo should have been eating breakfast!" Goku roared right back, angry and pure hatred in his eyes. Gojyo just stared down at the boy, feeling hurt, deceived, and a traitor all in one. He hated that Sanzo could so easily twist Goku around to be fighting with him, not like the typical spats and friendly wrestling, but unbridled rage over every single slight against the monk right now. He wanted to shake some sense into Goku for allowing himself to get carried away, if he wasn't so unsure of if the boy would break his arm or not. Everything had gotten rather touchy these days when it came to Sanzo.

"Goku, I don't know what to do right now," Gojyo had to try very, very hard to keep his voice steady and controlled. He meant it for so many different things that Goku would never know about...hopefully, would never learn about. He didn't want to get into the ethics of screwing your teammates with Goku. Not that he hadn't thought about it before, the idea of just having a nice convenient lay always on hand instead of having to work countless women all the way from scratch. Hakkai and he had just never hit it off like that, certainly a brotherly feeling that was deeper than friendship; but only that. Goku…Gojyo just shook his head, not even wanting to imagine the kid in bed with anyone. He'd probably kill his first lover accidentally, breaking a toy because the ape just didn't know how to control his strength. And, Sanzo…Sanzo had been absolutely, mind-blowing fucking fantastic. Gojyo didn't know where the monk had hidden away that sensitive, timid side of his soul, but he was rather determined to find it again. So- that meant Sanzo was going to be fine. Sanzo couldn't die before Gojyo got to peel back every irritating layer and get to the real man inside, not this washed-out sleeping beauty they'd been meeting lately.

"I'm scared," Goku didn't quite whisper it, but the words were powerful nonetheless. Gojyo wanted to say that he was scared too, terrified utter fucking shitless that Sanzo was going to die and he'd have to explain it to Hakkai when the man woke up. It was almost as bad as when they had first been running along the river, Gojyo numbly anticipating the moment they saw a blonde corpse washed up on the banks. If Sanzo had survived through all that, why did he have to fall victim to-whatever that had been in the common room now? With Hakkai unconscious in the other room, Gojyo had to be the leader, had to know all the answers for Goku and fix everything that was wrong with Sanzo.

Big fat fucking chance of that. Gojyo couldn't recall another time when he had felt at such a loss, trying to at least smile reassuringly at Goku but unable to even manage that. There was nothing but awkward silence for a moment as Goku just stared at Sanzo's unresponsive form, Gojyo clearly the last thing in the ape's empty head. He brushed his hair back after a moment, finally sweeping it back behind his ears and wiping the sweat from his forehead. He felt like he'd just run a race, arms still shaking as he held himself together in front of Goku.

There was a knock on the door before it was simply opened by Mei Li with a man that was actually shorter than her following behind. He could have groaned aloud at the sight of what must be their doctor. Gojyo didn't know whether to be creeped out or just plain frightened by the midget that entered, just barely taller than Goku because of the heeled boots he was wearing. He was in a small, all-white suit that was so small it was either child-sized or made specially for the poor bastard. His hair was a wild, salt and pepper bird's nest with eyebrows that matched the hairs growing out of his ears. Goku was doing his best to hide his snickering to the left of him, which Gojyo could only feel sick relief at. He couldn't relax enough to actually find this funny as the man strode in with his well-beaten suitcase.

"This is our village doctor, Chen," Mei Li started, introductions quite unnecessary as Gojyo stood aside and held his hand out toward the bed, impatiently directing the little man. Goku was practically vibrating at his side, waiting for something to happen and magically make Sanzo all better because they finally had a professional's help. The doctor waddled past, looking older as he came closer until Gojyo finally judged the man to be in his fifties. The man approached the monk unconscious on the sheets, almost eyelevel with Sanzo as he stopped by the head of the bed. He eyed the blonde for a moment before turning around to look at them with a slight frown, as if they were children playing a rather obtuse trick.

"You said the patient was the High Priest Sanzo?" he asked as Mei Li nodded, still there for some reason as the doctor looked around the room in confusion- not at Sanzo. Gojyo slapped his hands to his face, trying very hard not to rush forward and kill the man. Now wasn't the time to be worrying about titles! Weren't doctors supposed to treat all people equally, one life mattering no more than another or some medical shit like that? Gojyo missed Hakkai desperately, wanting the brunette there because he knew he could fully believe in his skills. Hakkai would know what to do immediately, no matter what- not spin around the room like a damned imbecile for being a man in his profession.

"Well, where is he?" the doctor questioned, looking just as impatient as they were.

"On the fucking bed!" Gojyo shouted, pointing again for the blind little maggot. Sanzo was pale-skinned and fair-haired, but he didn't fucking disappear on top of white sheets! He looked damn good on them, in fact, being the vile, beautiful, son of a bitch that he was. Gojyo couldn't take this kind of outright stupidity any longer! Was there something in the fucking water here? How could the man not notice Sanzo? The doctor glanced down at the bed again before back to Gojyo with one thick, white eyebrow arched in question.

"That's a girl," Doctor Chen answered back as if Gojyo had gone insane. Mei Li covered her mouth politely as she giggled quietly, much the wiser. Goku just rolled his eyes until they were locked back down on Sanzo as if the monk might try to kick the can the moment Goku stopped watching him. Gojyo laughed despite feeling like he was going to cry. He had to put a hand to his forehead, snorting and shaking his head the absurdity of it. Damn Sanzo's stunning good looks straight to hell when this was the reception they got half the time. Sanzo could be dying right now for all Gojyo knew, and the doctor wasn't going near the patient thought he was a woman.

"That's Sanzo, so would you help him, please?" Goku was impossibly the calm one, not even insulting the doctor's intelligence, just tried to get things moving before Sanzo went into another seizure. Gojyo did not want to see that, doing his best to just stand there silently with his hands in his pockets. He wanted to pace, mess up Goku's hair just to have the kid get pissed off at him, anything instead of simply being there, useless. The doctor threw his briefcase up on the other bed before swinging back around to Sanzo, shaking his head back and forth as he leaned over the blonde.

"You're kidding me," Chen grumbled just loud enough for Gojyo to hear as he started unbuttoning down the front of Sanzo's shirt. He had to grin at that despite how horrible the situation was, pretty confident that there were a few marks on that pale skin that belonged to him. There was a short cough of shock when the man saw the flat chest, obviously not believing them until he saw with his own eyes. Once that was done, the doctor opened up his case and pulled out an old, bulky stethoscope. Gojyo and Goku just watched him, both of them probably too apprehensive now to look anywhere else as the doctor started his examination. Chen didn't even bother to warm up the cold device before slapping it on the top of Sanzo's ribs, listening to the man's insides while he breathed weakly. Gojyo waited there, afraid to breathe himself unless it messed something up. He seemed to have been doing a damn fine job of it lately. Doctor Chen shifted the instrument around as Goku craned his neck for a better view, Mei Li gone silent as she was watching a miracle about to take place. The doctor stopped that abruptly without any explanation, thumbing back Sanzo's eyelids to check his pupils. It was when those wrinkled, unwashed fingers pinched the monk's jaw open to see inside his mouth that Gojyo couldn't be quiet anymore.

"Hey, buddy, careful with the priest," Gojyo warned, trying to keep the part of him that wanted to growl and bare his teeth down. He was half-human, but the youkai blood inside him made him territorial- or the fact that this was Sanzo, the legendary asshole that could slap people off in his sleep, out cold at the mercy of this miniature doctor. Gojyo had nearly gotten himself killed for touching Sanzo like that…in fact, was still undetermined on that death since the blonde's temper had yet to cool. Gojyo didn't know what the priest could possibly be getting his back up about last night, other than the fact that Sanzo had turned out to be a nice little screamer to what seemed like both their surprise. He was getting his ass wrung by Sanzo every waking moment, and this doctor could just slip in, fondle the priest for a good five minutes, and leave to never be seen again. It just didn't add up.

"Nonsense. I'm examining him," Chen snapped back, obviously not pleased with Sanzo's real gender as he dropped the monk's chin. Gojyo paused, noticing that the short, elderly doctor was blushing ever so slightly. He smirked down at the diminutive pervert; realizing that the good doctor had probably been attracted to Sanzo at first sight- and repulsed the moment he learned that `she' was the High Priest. Gojyo had almost made the same mistake himself, but thankfully Genjo Sanzo had immediately started speaking in that low, unmistakably male voice that would be so, so sexy-if it wasn't for half the shit that came out of his foul mouth. Sanzo seemed to have that effect on people, making men look twice when they shouldn't have glanced over in the first place, and women sigh longingly whenever he walked past…

…or lay there like the dead. Whichever he happened to be doing at the time.

"What are you finding out?" Goku asked nervously, as if the doctor was going to announce that Sanzo was allergic to monkeys. Perhaps this time it would be half-breed youkai. Sanzo certainly had been acting like he'd caught some sort of sickness that didn't allow him within three feet of Gojyo. The memory of how close Sanzo had been last night was growing further and further away. Gojyo was ready to settle on Sanzo just being able to walk and getting the fuck out of this town. He was sick of the bad things that kept happening here, didn't want to go back into the other room for the dying scent of their sex…It had almost been unbearable when he got Hakkai in a bed, only able to pull the man's shoes off before he had to leave. If it was possible, he wanted Sanzo more before he knew he couldn't have him.

"He's unconscious," Doctor Chen gave his diagnosis at last.

Goku fell right over, Mei Li dancing out of the way as the boy toppled back to his the floor face-first. Gojyo held his hands up to snap that wrinkly old neck before thinking better of it in front of the inn's help. He hoped that the man didn't ask to be paid, just because he didn't want to beat the shit out of the elderly…but there were times when one made exceptions. Even so, this man was the best thing they had to Hakkai until their smiling friend sobered up. Gojyo had to simply wait as the man folded up his stethoscope and placed it back in his case, crossing his arms and closing his eyes as he obviously tried to come up with something better than the blindingly obvious.

"It was a seizure?" Chen asked aloud, his memory probably long gone as Goku picked himself off the floor.

All three of them nodded, the same haunted look crossing their as they all recalled that horrible attack.

"My best guess is malnutrition. As soon as he wakes up, start feeding him lots and lots of broth. I doubt he can handle solid food," the doctor almost-laughed at the end of that very harsh, final judgment. Gojyo couldn't argue, stood next to Sanzo everyday while the man only seemed to get thinner. It seemed like everything had gone to growing tall enough to match that attitude, even if he was still shorter than Gojyo. This was just as much of his fault for not forcing something down that shitty monk's throat as it was Sanzo's for not eating in the first place. The selfish bastard didn't even know what he was doing to them in his own little quest to kill himself slowly. Goku's head dropped down to his chest, hair falling over the demon limiter and hiding his eyes. He had been the one begging Sanzo to eat something this morning, was likely blaming Gojyo for pissing Sanzo off too much to sit down for a meal. Or maybe it was himself. Gojyo knew he was regretting laughing along with Hakkai and teasing Sanzo…but, damn it, it hurt to wake up alone!

Doctor Chen reached into his briefcase and took out three vials, passing two back and forth between his hands as he peered at the labels. There was some mumbling as the man figured out the contents and eventually one little glass bottle was put back to be replaced two more. Gojyo wanted to question the doctor, wished he could read what was in those things as well and knew what it meant, but could only blindly trust as three of those tiny bottles were poured slowly down Sanzo's throat. The doctor wasn't soft about it, plugging Sanzo's nose and closing his mouth to get the man to swallow instead of trying to stroke it down his throat. Gojyo probably would have killed him if the old man had even dared to anyway, doctor or not.

"Give this to him when he wakes up, and please make sure it with some soup, perhaps some bread?" the doctor directed while he buttoned Sanzo's shirt back up, like he didn't expect his word to be followed at all. It was as if he was making their priest into a baby that could barely digest anything other than milk, and Gojyo had a desperately hard time remembering the last time Sanzo had eaten at a meal. There had been plenty of sake bottles, beer cans, and ashtrays stuffed full of filters but…usually Sanzo's plate was always left untouched until Goku finally got to it. It was a sad, sobering thought, Gojyo suddenly just as determined as Goku to get their monk eating again. Just when the hell had things gotten so bad? Kanzeon Bosatsu must be laughing it up real good in heaven.

"Can I get you anything?" Mei Li asked politely as the doctor started to pack his few things up.

"Yeah, a newspaper," Gojyo randomly came up with the first thing Sanzo would probably want when he woke up, like a good little servant. He could have strangled himself. One good lay and he was already jumping through hoops to please, to somehow get back in that shitty monk's good graces. Just what the hell did Goku do beyond eat, sleep, and ask stupid questions that made him so damn loveable to Sanzo? Mei Li just nodded as Gojyo grumbled to himself, standing there as she waited for more orders.

"Oh, and cigarettes, a lighter, beer, towels, a deck of cards…" Gojyo tapped out the items on his fingers as he decided to settle in for a long watch. He wouldn't be comfortable doing anything else while he knew Sanzo was lying here with…whatever he'd just been forced to swallow. Mei Li paled a bit as she mouthed it back to herself while Doctor Chen slowly shuffled over. Gojyo nodded her off as she started to escort the doctor out of the room, finally leaving. He half-wondered if he should lock Hakkai's door.

"And some food!" Goku added, but this time Gojyo doubted that it had anything to do with him being hungry. Mei Li smiled before closing the door behind the both of them and that miserable silence fell again. Goku took a few nervous steps to the left, to the right, and then finally went to the other bed and yanked a sheet off the cover. Gojyo said nothing as the ape threw it over Sanzo, the monk covered up to his neck like a bizarre table. At least the doctor had said Sanzo was going to wake up again. That was probably the best news he had heard all week.

"Hey, kid, I'm sorry. I already feel like shit about this," Gojyo tried, not able to sit there in silence a moment longer. It didn't feel right, not between them. Goku was like a little brother to him, too stupid to be left alone. Who knew what kind of mess he'd land Sanzo in next? Hakkai was a drunk, and if Gojyo wasn't there to watch them all, just what the hell would they do? Sanzo would have likely died for real months ago. That still didn't lighten the guilt. He should have been watching the monk, far too late to do anything but yell when he saw that youkai take Sanzo into the river with him.

"I…don't care. I just want Sanzo to be all better," Goku just shook his head, all that argument and stubbornness gone. Goku was just a scared kid that didn't really know what the hell was going on. The only difference was their age right now.

"Me too, Goku, me too," Gojyo agreed heavily, walking over to mess up the boy's hair half-heartedly as they both stared at Sanzo sleeping.

* * *

Hakkai hadn't felt this awful in his whole life, not even when he'd first come around after killing one thousand youkai. He had to lie in the bed and just moan pathetically at the loud creaking off the foundations settling, the explosive rustle of the sheets dragging over his skin, someone walking by with loud, jarring steps. The window was open, providing Hakkai with the singular torture of people's loud screams and laughter as they passed by in the street. Everything felt like a nail being pounded into his head, each sense suddenly only providing him with pain and discomfort. Hakkai could only sit there and swallow miserably while he waited for his stomach to stop cramping. He managed to sit up in the bed, noticing the empty bottles strewn about the place and groaning at the mere sight of them, fit to die with his mouth hollow and dry. He gathered up the energy to get to the bathroom, was inelegantly sick for a while, and took a punishing cold shower before he realized he must be in Sanzo and Gojyo's room since his didn't have a bathtub. After brushing his teeth and sucking down a few handfuls of water he grabbed from the sink, since he couldn't find a glass immediately. It was enough to make him feel like the living again.

He had a hard time remembering exactly what had happened the night before, but very certain from what had made a second appearance in the toilet he'd been drinking. Heavily. Hakkai didn't care if he had found some girl and had lost all his worries in her bed last night just as Gojyo tended to do, it wasn't worth feeling this sick the morning after…Hakkai closed his eyes, something very important demanding that it be recalled, but he couldn't think of it for the life of him. All he remembered was going back to the inn, well-beaten and feeling like he'd gotten off easy. Gojyo had taken Sanzo back up to the room reluctantly, and Hakkai was loathe to let the man do it as well after what Kanzeon Bosatsu had said…but after Goku's attack, he only had the strength to sling the smaller body over his shoulder and somehow make it up the stairs. Gojyo was still able carry Sanzo like a child made of glass, which was the only handling Hakkai would allow for the priest himself. He just had to accept it and lay Goku down in a bed before going down to the baths to try and relax. When that had failed, he had gone back to the rooms to check on Sanzo…

…and Kanzeon Bosatsu had been leaning against the door.

The rest of the night came back faster than Hakkai could dress and start running out the door, the hangover gone instantly. He almost fell over trying to put pants on, threw his arms through a shirt and didn't even bother with the buttons. Hakuryuu chirped from its nice little nest it had made on the pillows of the unused bed, sleepy and neglected once again. Hakkai recalled the moaning that had been coming from behind the `Goddess' of Mercy with her triumphant grim as her orders were followed. Oh, just what had that bitch-man thing done to Sanzo? Gojyo wasn't the type to stick around, to give Sanzo any sort of affection or endearments-which Hakkai was pretty sure Sanzo was starving for, even if he did cover it up with hard insults. The priest just didn't know any better, going at his rough pace without a thought for another person because that would be read as a weakness. That was part of his charm, because there certainly weren't a lot of other reasons to follow Sanzo. Just like a porcupine, Sanzo was cute until you tried to touch him.

Hakkai threw open the door to their other room, expecting…hell, Hakkai didn't know what he had been thinking he'd see, but it certainly wasn't this.

"Goku, how many times do I have to tell you, the Joker is the lowest face card?" Gojyo demanded tiredly, shaking his head at the boy as Hakkai's entrance was clearly unnoticed. The redhead was in nothing but a pair of boxers, five cards in one hand, a beer in the other, and a cigarette in his mouth. Goku and Gojyo were both sitting on one bed, a pile of cards between them and a few empty plates left to the side on top of the mattress. The light was on, brightly filling the room when it was dark night outside the window, giving it the comfortable glow of the closest thing they ever got to home.

"But, I like it! And `J' comes first in the alphabet anyway!" Goku argued back, both of them hunched over their cards, giving Hakkai a nostalgic pain for when he used to teach. He loved to watch children grow up and learn, assured that they would never have the same kind of horrible life he had. There would be no more madness taking over otherwise innocent youkai once they completed their mission, no more `demon' children being mistreated. Hakkai would usually start feeling sorry for Gojyo by now, but there was a High Priest's purity in a whole damn lot of question, fixing his gaze on the main culprit.

"I'm more surprised that you actually know that, you stupid ape," Gojyo teased the boy before Hakkai slammed the door, making the whole brand new assortment of alcohol on top of the table rattle against each other. There were covered wooden baskets stacked up on top of each other and several open plates of main dishes that had long since gone greasy and cold, cartons of cigarettes and a stack of newspapers littering the table, making Hakkai wince as he wondered what their bill would be this time. Goku and Gojyo both craned their heads around to finally look at Hakkai's entrance at last, looking for the world like two kids caught in the middle of a sleepover.

"Where is-…"

"Hakkai, you're awake! You have to take a look at Sanzo!" Goku immediately threw down his hand to whatever game they'd been playing, rolling off the side of the bed and jumping up to meet him. Hakkai blinked in confusion; the burning desire to demand every single detail of last night from Gojyo ignored as Goku grabbed his hand and dragged him over to the other bed, the nausea and headache coming back in full when he saw Sanzo unconscious, again. Hakkai didn't so much shake his hand free as drop it down, going numb as at what must have happened while he had gotten so drunk he'd blacked out. Sanzo's color was pale, as if such a thing was possible for that already paper-white skin, his hair wild and in his face. It looked like the only concern the two had taken for Sanzo was one thin extra sheet on top of the priest instead of tucking him all the way in bed. Just how long had he been asleep for Sanzo to take a turn for the worst yet one more time? Hakkai brushed Sanzo's bangs back first, revealing lightly bruised eyes, likely from exhaustion. He felt quite the same, except he'd been able to forget all his worries at the bottom of the glass. Hakkai didn't even want to imagine what might have happened to the monk last night…Likely the same thing that had been in that damned, cursed trash that youkai had chosen to paint on canvas. How inconsiderate could Gojyo possibly get?

"What happened?" Hakkai asked wearily, lifting up the cover to take Sanzo's wrist and feel for his heartbeat. He waited for the story with his thumb pressed against the big vein, eventually sensing a steady pulse. A small miracle in the face of this unimaginable hell come to life. Hadn't Kanzeon Bosatsu healed Sanzo, at least physically? Hakkai wasn't even going to speak on what the Goddess had done to the monk emotionally, deciding to wait until Goku left the two of them alone long enough to talk about what had happened. Hakkai knew exactly what kind of person Gojyo could be when the girl or occasional boy woke up the next morning, seeing more than a healthy share of them running out crying when Gojyo coldly put them down. Hakkai supposed it was better that way since they would never stay in a town long enough to start a serious relationship, but Sanzo was going to be there everyday. Hakkai wasn't going to allow Gojyo to get away with anything that changed their group or stressed friendships already worn thin. Hakkai had quite enough of irresponsibility and selfishness on everyone's accounts, including his own.

"Mei Li came and said that they were being haunted, so Sanzo was yelling at everyone to calm down when I felt something weird," Goku start to explain. Hakkai nodded at Sanzo telling the locals to `calm down,' though he much doubted that the monk had put it as gently. He could just imagine Sanzo reacting to a group of terrified, uneducated villagers who believed that he had near God-like powers. Hakkai supposed they would have to pay damages for all the holes Sanzo shot in the wall as well, sighing as he started to think of apologies, like usual. Still, it was strange that Goku would say he had sensed something, which spoke volumes for the villager's suspicions that they were being haunted.

"Yeah, it was fucking death on my shoulder, a complete chill down my spine," Gojyo was strangely poetic as he agreed, sucking down was little bit of the cigarette was left and even some of the filter. Hakkai frowned, not liking the shaking in Gojyo's hand when the man stabbed the butt out in an already full filter by his knee. Goku nodded in agreement, only making Hakkai more worried. If they had been so disturbed by whatever `something weird' was, then what had Sanzo felt like? Hakkai had a finer spiritual sense, but Sanzo's was a completely different level. It must be why he had fallen unconscious yet again.

"He fainted, and he started shaking real bad…really bad, Hakkai," Goku could barely keep the quiver from his voice just talking about it. Hakkai could guess that it had been a seizure from what Goku said, from the way the boy himself was trembling slightly. He glanced over discreetly at Gojyo, checking the man for a reaction as the redhead leaned over to sneak a look at Goku's hand. The man didn't even seem like he cared, almost naked and sipping on what was left in his beer can. Hakkai shook his head, holding it all in. The conversation he was going to have with Gojyo wouldn't be meant for Goku's ears, not when the boy thought the world of the monk and didn't even know how babies were made. Gojyo had once teasingly told Goku that man came and made deliveries after a couple placed an order for a child…and the boy still seemed to believe that. Hakkai didn't even want to have to start explaining same-sex couples on top of it.

"The doctor said Sanzo needed to eat more. He gave him some stuff," Goku trailed off as Hakkai checked the monk's throat for any swelling. There was some fresh bruising on his chin and the bottom set of what must be Gojyo's teeth on his neck. Hakkai could help twisting his head around to glare at the redhead once again, who only lazily blew smoke rings one by one. Heaven help the bastard if Sanzo had struggled, because the monk wouldn't even have anything left to spit on when Hakkai got done with him. At least there didn't seem to be anything seriously wrong with Sanzo, and the doctor was absolutely right about Sanzo's eating habits…it was just actually getting the blonde to eat that was as easily as sawing off his own hand. Hakkai wasn't bulletproof, so he ended up having to keep it all to himself after staring the Smith and Wesson down the barrel several times.

"What sort of `stuff,' Goku?" Hakkai demanded, suddenly a little bit worried. Sanzo having a seizure could have happened for a multitude of reasons, but that didn't mean he should be drugged up. Besides, who knew what sorts of home remedies were to be found in an isolated village like this? Just as the doctor had said, Sanzo was too thin-meaning his body would soak up any drug better than someone with the slightest amount of spare body fat. Hakkai doubted Sanzo's liver was up to the task of whatever the monk had been given, already destroyed from years of a never-ending drinking binge.

"I dunno, Gojyo drank some just to make sure and he's been like this since," Goku jerked a thumb over to Gojyo, who finally realized that he was being watched. Hakkai tilted his head, not seeing any difference in the man beyond the lack of clothing and proper conduct. He hadn't been drugged up last night, which was when Gojyo had acted so out of character and slept with their leader, regardless of if a deity had told him to or not. He looked just fine to Hakkai, better than a monk who looked like he had been through an incredibly harsh week plus. Hakkai really couldn't wait to get Gojyo alone, almost excited at the prospect of tearing the half-youkai a new one in Sanzo's steed.

"Hey, don't look at me like that! It's hot in here," Gojyo finally snapped, his words clear and precise as he shook a hand at them. Hakkai found it to be a touch cold in here, but he still didn't know what Gojyo had taken. He didn't like it already, or the thought of the same trash being inside Sanzo. Gojyo's tolerance for narcotics was near-ridiculously inhuman, and he was stripped down to his underwear. Beyond that, Hakkai didn't know how much he should attribute to drugs or the stress they all had been under lately. Hakkai still hadn't quite processed the fact that Sanzo had collapsed again, despite the fact he had just finished checking the blonde over. It was such an endless run of bad luck that Hakkai couldn't take right now, so he outright ignored it.

"What else did the doctor say?" Hakkai asked tiredly. Once he got that answer he could kill whom he saw fit, and Goku had obviously done nothing wrong this time. It was almost humorous how Gojyo's bad habits had never mattered before until he had actually landed in bed with Sanzo. How they have possibly made a match? This was probably just as much Gojyo's fault, as those youkai that had captured Sanzo as well. So much damage was building up with a single damn second to catch his breath! Hakkai was going to really give Kanzeon Bosatsu a piece of his mind when he said it next.

"The second Sanzo wakes up, he gets what's left in that bottle along with all the broth he can handle," Gojyo reported, shaking his beer can to judge what was left before crumpling the metal in his hand and tossing it aside. Hakkai didn't see a vial in plain sight to judge how much `a bottle' was, but he didn't think he wanted Sanzo to have any more of it…if Gojyo was stripped down to his underwear and being even more overbearing than usual. How could the redhead be drinking on top of it when he was already so obviously far gone? This was going beyond just drinking and into alcoholism. Hakkai supposed he should ask himself how he had kept drinking after he had started losing his memory of last night. But, Hakkai hadn't been the one watching Sanzo last night, so it should have been alright for him to take the first break in his entire life and enjoy a drink with a hermaphrodite of a deity. Sanzo shouldn't be near death, unconscious, and drugged up with who-knew-what in that short of time.

"Broth? That's ridiculous, it's far too salty! Who did you bring in here again?" Hakkai snapped, covering up his irritation for Gojyo with anger at whatever quack doctor they had brought in to see to Sanzo. In all fairness, he should be blaming himself for not being there to help when Sanzo had a seizure- but Hakkai doubted that they would be having to spend another night in this miserable hellhole if Gojyo had just managed to keep it in his pants. Even with all that hateful energy directed at Gojyo, Goku made a hurt noise as if it was his fault the doctor had been so bad. Hakkai forced himself to take a deep breath and calm down, trying to think about things for a moment. Usually Sanzo had all the answers, but he was the unconscious one right now. Gojyo had proven himself completely and utterly useless, and Goku didn't deserve to be caught in the middle of this.

"Goku, can you get the kitchen to make fresh rice, extra soft, and boil lots of water for tea?" Hakkai asked, not trusting any of the food that that had been lying around for Sanzo to eat in his situation. It would also get Goku out of there for a while. The boy paused, looking over at Gojyo suspiciously before back to Hakkai, trying to convey something with his eyes that he obviously couldn't say aloud. Even Goku could tell that the man wasn't to be trusted alone with Sanzo right now. Hakkai nodded to the boy before Goku seemed to be satisfied and left the room.

"Smooth, Hakkai. And just what's wrong with the food we already have here?" Gojyo sneered the second the door closed, both of them knowing that it had been a poor excuse to get Goku out of the room. Gojyo seemed content to sit there without moving a muscle, as if Hakkai had been the one to interrupt him in the middle of sleeping. He was destroying Sanzo's life methodically, in reality, with Kanzeon Bosatsu's blessing. Hakkai had remembered how the rain had suspiciously taken a turn for the worst last night, thunder and heavy rain loud enough to scare people who didn't suffer from childhood trauma. It was like those two were working in tandem, sneaking in through the small cracks to…well, it wasn't like Gojyo planned to do anything beyond stick his penis up Sanzo's ass. Hakkai wanted very much to kill the man, no questions asked, but he settled for childish bickering instead.

"It's all meat and oil. He'll get sick, damn it! Sanzo has a delicate conditi-…" Hakkai started; irritated that he had to explain this in the first place. It was because Gojyo was so damn doped up that he didn't even know how big of idiot he'd been.

"Bullshit. Hakkai, listen to yourself! You just said `Sanzo' and `delicate' in the same sentence," Gojyo interrupted, so dense and pigheaded that he almost put Sanzo to shame. If that was what he still thought of Sanzo after sleeping with the man? Hakkai didn't understand at all why Kanzeon Bosatsu had chosen Gojyo for the task, she might have well of told Goku to watch them and give advice. There probably wasn't a single person in the world that was meant for Sanzo, but it certainly wasn't Gojyo. Last time Hakkai had checked, Sanzo hated the half-youkai bastard almost as much as Goku bitching about being hungry all the damned time, as he had told Hakkai more than once. Hakkai didn't believe that was going to flip-flop into love so easily.

"You utter imbecile, he's a vegetarian, he was practically raised from the dead not two days ago, and you want him to eat barbeque beef?" Hakkai summed it up for Gojyo, wondering how the man got away with such a blinding lack of common sense. Besides, it would be best to pretend that it was food pissing him off right now, not the fact that Gojyo and had fucked Sanzo in oblivion. It was like trying to explain a balanced diet to Goku; Gojyo just stared at him blankly for a moment, eyes glassy as he visibly had to think on Hakkai's words. He might as well of been talking to a wall as Gojyo slowly came to realize that Sanzo's wasn't indestructible. Right now, in fact, the priest had shown himself to be anything but; unable to even speak up in his own defense. Hakkai knew that if Sanzo was awake right now, he'd been screaming far worse at Gojyo- but their undeclared leader still had yet to make it out the door of this crappy inn without fainting. A seizure. It was like Sanzo was trying to find ways to make things worse.

"You're telling me he still eats like a monk even though he doesn't act like one?" Gojyo shot back, clearly not about to admit that Sanzo had such things like a digestive track or a heart. Hakkai wondered how anyone could have gotten so jaded when Gojyo was usually one of the most sympathetic and compassionate one of them all, even if a High Priest sat in the front seat of Jeep. They could barely get through two towns before Gojyo was feeling sorry for some abandoned youkai orphans, sneaking them food and small toys in the alley since he didn't want the rest of them to know he had such a soft side. Sanzo would probably shoot him for helping the enemy if he found out as well, never one to make exemptions to the rules. So, why did someone who would risk life and limb for a bunch of underage strangers not even respect the fact that Sanzo was their friend and keep-his-damn-hands-off?! How were they all ever supposed to sit in the same room again and just talk civilly; or at least as polite as it could ever get with Gojyo and Sanzo's language. Gojyo was probably lucky Sanzo had a seizure or else their blonde would definitely be paying the half-breed back for last night, since there was no way he could have actually enjoyed it!

"I don't even know if he's been eating. He's been half-comatose lately," Hakkai returned coldly, glaring hard at Gojyo. Sanzo had probably collapsed from something Gojyo had done, horrible things that Hakkai couldn't help but assume. He had the pleasure of being woken up in the middle of the night from a woman screaming loudly in the room next door because of whatever Gojyo was doing many times before. Hakkai couldn't believe that the unfamiliar women Gojyo had taken to bed had been replaced by their very own High Priest Genjo Sanzo. It must be nice, to be able to forget that painting so easily. Gojyo must have thought it was all over once he'd burned it along with the rest of the mansion, as if that had fixed all of Sanzo's trauma as well and they could move on West. Not to sound like Sanzo, but what a fucking idiot.

"Don't try to blame all of this on me!" Gojyo pointed at Hakkai, offended like he had the barest shred of moral fiber to stand up on. He wouldn't have taken advantage of whatever weakness Sanzo must have shown last night. Hakkai couldn't understand how he had allowed himself to be distracted by Kanzeon Bosatsu instead of turning right back around to put a stop to something that Sanzo couldn't possibly have wanted. That discolored swelling on his jaw was proof enough, and Hakkai was glad he hadn't unbuttoned Sanzo's shirt. He doubted he could have stayed sane otherwise, sure there was worse below the neck.

"No, but I'm blaming the bruises on you. Did he fight? Did he say `no' to you?" Hakkai demanded icily to Gojyo's quickly paling face as he turned away from the bed at last. Well, at least the man wasn't so drugged up that he couldn't feel culpable for what he'd done. Gojyo couldn't met his eyes, dropping his head down to hide his face behind a long curtain of hair, even those two long antenna dropping down in shame. It still wasn't good enough, not for Hakkai, and certainly not for Sanzo. This was one thing that Hakkai wasn't going to turn a blind eye to simply because he was Gojyo's friend, and knew it was rather pointless to try and change his habits now. He might as well get Sanzo to stop smoking too.

"He…he did that himself," Gojyo heaved out slowly, as if it hurt him just to say it. He ran fingers nervously through his hair, no longer paying attention to Hakkai as he looked at something else. Hakkai's fingernails cut into his palms as he made fists, doing his best not to punch Gojyo off of the bed.

"Cut the crap, Gojyo," he hissed, so angry that the man would try to lie to him- and so poorly as well. Sanzo had depression, certainly, and let it all fester inside, but he was too damn proud to actually hurt himself. Sanzo wasn't the type to buckle under anything, even this. He was just stronger than that…or had always given off the impression. Hakkai didn't really know what to think anymore, hadn't been at this big of loss of words. All he could do was just be angry at Gojyo, who was doing his best to make everything get impossibly more complicated.

"Oh, fuck off, Hakkai. I caught him trying to shave his damned face off after punching his knuckles bloody," Gojyo snarled, his head snapping up to glare right back at Hakkai for blaming him. He had to pause at that, the truth a little too brutal to accept easily. He tried to imagine Sanzo freaking out, being so upset that he ended up hurting himself- even trying to cut himself. And, on his face? Sanzo may hate his undeniable good looks, but a scar across his cheek or such would be in plain sight for everyone. He would think that Sanzo would at least try to put it in a place where he might have been able to hide it from them. Hakkai thought he had known Sanzo best, able to understand how a man of intelligence and moderately refined lifestyle of the world's most holy of all Buddhist followers suffered doubly in these isolated and primitive villages with only the three of them for conversation…two of which didn't really count. Why had Kanzeon Bosatsu and Sanzo chosen Gojyo to be the one to breakdown in front of, to sleep with? Gojyo wouldn't know appropriate conduct in bed if it bit him in the ass! He was going to destroy Sanzo, who probably couldn't take anymore idiocy on top of what they dealt with every day, from Goku to the newest enemy youkai demanding they hand over the Scripture.

"He got fucked up…for real, this time," Gojyo whispered softly, more to himself than Hakkai. He reached down dragged an unopened beer out from the sheets, snapping it open and started to chug it down in a very suspicious manner. As if he had nothing to do with this time, even though he had been the one to mark Sanzo up all over again just when they had managed to get him healed as well. Hakkai hated to think about it, but he had seen Gojyo in the baths a couple of times and knew that he was fairly well-endowed. If Sanzo had been at the receiving end last night, Hakkai had more to worry about than just bruises. Perhaps Sanzo had fainted again because of internal damage, caused by Gojyo; but Hakkai certainly wasn't going to check unless the monk started complaining. In addition, who knew when he might be awake and screaming at them like usual?

"Yes, Gojyo, I noticed. Thank you for speeding that process along," Hakkai sneered, sickeningly polite in his praise. Gojyo had done a rather marvelous job of managing to give Sanzo yet more to think about, more likely regret and obsessive over this than have anything good result from it. Sanzo wasn't the type to fall in love, wasn't going to accept a casual dismissal from Gojyo like he did with the rest of his partners; neither would Hakkai. Goku would feel the same as well if anyone thought he could handle knowing about this.

"Why are you on the high horse? I didn't do a damn thing he didn't want- and if you think I would ever do something like that…Well, fuck, I don't think I could call you my friend any more," Gojyo argued aloud, shaking his head slightly at Hakkai in disbelief. Hakkai opened his mouth to immediately say something back- and then actually thought about what Gojyo had aid. He was telling the truth right then; because Hakkai knew that just like with Sanzo, underneath that hard front was a fragile and vulnerable personality. Gojyo was a pervert and an unthinking bastard, but he had never forced someone to bed.

"Then what did happen last night?" Hakkai demanded, sick of having to make assumption on what he might and might not have done with Sanzo last night. Sanzo didn't like it either way, but that was beside the point. It had already happened and nothing he could do was going to change that, so Hakkai just had to do his best to fix things up as soon as possible. This had the potential to destroy everyone's friendship if just left to Gojyo's oh-so-delicate handling of the situation. Hakkai considered himself lucky that Sanzo was even alive after he'd been unconscious for so long.

"Hakkai, that's kind personal-…" Gojyo started, looking a bit miffed and reluctant even now.

"If you don't tell me, I swear I'll make sure you don't ever touch Sanzo again," Hakkai promised, quite ready to fight about it. Gojyo only laughed at him, taking another sip on the beer before speaking again.

"Some threat there, Hakkai. He's doing a damn good job of that on his own," Gojyo scoffed, shaking his head at Hakkai's presumptions. Hakkai could only take a little bit of heart at that, not sure what Sanzo could have done in the short time that Hakkai had been passed out, but it didn't seem like he had managed to get too far before Sanzo had another relapse.

"Gojyo, I'm serious about this," Hakkai tried to impress that onto Gojyo without actually coming to blows over it. Even if he could accept the fact that Gojyo and Sanzo might have a sexual relationship, now certainly wasn't the time to start it. Not so soon after everything Sanzo had been through in the past couple of days, not to mention years. Sanzo was long-term or nothing at all, and Gojyo had never been the type to think about where he might be next year or the year after that. He had nothing planned for when this mission was over, didn't even contemplate life further than going West, along with a few drinks, smokes, and good sex along the way.

"You know what, fine. I sucked him off, and it was good. I screwed Sanzo into the mattress until he forgot about that fucking painting, so get off my back!" Gojyo yelled it at Hakkai, vulgar and inconsiderate. It only furthered the argument that this was nothing but one huge faux pas from the start. If Gojyo thought that was a favor, that one round of sexual healing was going to set everything straight with Sanzo, than Hakkai should just kill him now and save a certain monk the trouble.

Something hit the ground behind him and they both turned to see Goku standing there in the middle of the open door, staring at Gojyo like he'd sprouted wings and horns. No one could say anything, the shock of Goku's horrible timing taking over everything. Hakkai felt his jaw drop with absolutely nothing to say, Gojyo caught with his angry expression frozen in place and his gaze locked on Goku's in fear. There were no tears, no words, just nothing but complete accusation coming from those golden eyes before Goku twisted right around and was running away down the hall.

"Goku!" Gojyo yelled far too late, jumping off the bed and standing up before staggering and falling back down into a sitting position, miraculously managing to keep his beer balanced in one hand. He stared at the door swinging further open before back at Hakkai, obviously looking for an answer. Hakkai would have laughed if it wasn't so damn grave and disconcerting. It was bad enough that Goku knew about the painting, had seen it with his own eyes before he had berserked- but to know that one of his most trusted friends had slept with the man Goku had sworn his life to? Things were not going to be pretty. As the old saying went: `when it rains, it pours.' Just one more problem after the other.

"You better explain this to him," Hakkai ordered to Gojyo's suddenly blushing face, finally appropriately embarrassed.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: It just wouldn't be a fan fic if someone didn't overhear what they shouldn't. Nyahaha. Surprisingly enough, this is going along smashingly to a wonderful end, though you wouldn't know it from the way everything keeps developing. But I love cliffhangers. Don't you? The anticipation is half the fun!

About the chapter of answering reviews- I wrote everything `thank you' separately, no cut and paste for you guys! Reviews are met with me breaking my nose on the monitor as I rabidly eat up every word. Or cry at flames…before writing more to spite the bastards =^.^= I'll be answering them chapter by chapter now (I didn't know you could do it before. Seriously, I thought there was some sort of fan-fic rule against it. I don't get out on the internet enough. All my free time went to writing this). In particular alphabetical order-

Demon45- *hugs Demon45* let's get married; you'll just have to accept the fact I'm going to cheat on you with 2D anime bois. I'm trying very hard to keep Sanzo (and the rest of the guys) in character despite everything I put them through, so thank you for complimenting me on that!!

Evilkat- thank you for always reviewing my chapters/stories. Please, no bowing necessary when you write such a nice comment every time!!

Flamingolol- (first to review this chapter! Hooray!) Yay, accurately portrayed Sanzo is all I want out of life. I don't see him as one to eat cookies (cough-Gojyo- cough) and feel better. I'm more impressed that you can do cartwheels XD

Fogwolf- I'm tearing through Saiyuki right now, hooray for summer days. I hope the next few chapters answer all your fan fic desires. Lol, thank you for complimenting my style, I think most my grammar errors come from getting TOO into POV (weak cough and hopes someone accepts that excuse). And these characters are fun to force into new, embarrassing situations, be careful what you inspire! Nyhaha, thank you!

Iamzuul- yeah, I was hesitant to continue this BECAUSE I had it posted as a full story for the Boys Next Door Smut Contest (crossing fingers and praying some more). Aw thank you, I'm so happy you enjoy my Sanzo in all his Sanzo-ness.

Melanie- why must the plot bunnies gang rape me instead of waiting in line? I got in a Saiyuki-fix, so expect more. Thank you!

Ryushin- lol, `the epic.' Anyhoo, thank you for reviewing. Sounds like you have a sweet idea festering now, write it! Unfortunately, it looks like Hakkai is going to have some sober days and shitty nights ahead (like everyone else)

, so… yay!

Thandie-thank you for reviewing. Let me give you a fix of Sanzo-angst and fan-service, free of charge (and not as bad for you as drugs are! ...right?).

Cough. That takes care of it for now. And to everyone else- shyaa just thank you for reading my smut ^.^ even better if I made you laugh despite the bad grammar, that's why it's a fan fic. Gracias for reading this far!

Has anyone else noticed that Honey Bunches of Oats is half Frosted flakes and Cornflakes, just crunched up smaller than usual?