Saiyuki Serial:Beautifully Broken Evolution
Author: NA57
Fandom: Gensomaden Saiyuki
Pairing(s): Goyjo/Sanzo, Goyjo/Sanzo/Hakkai
Warnings: almost all of then save Necro, scat and... i think that's all she skips
Spoilers:
Summary: 21 chapters of Goyjo defrosting Sanzo, a new kink in every chapter, even some dragon sex... and wouldn't you know... love finally prevails...
Nominated Category:
Best Fetish: Animated TV & Movies - Slash
Chapter 15: Points Of View
~Hakkai~
I woke up before the dawn.
The rain had finally stopped and the quiet was welcoming. I was pressed against Gojyo’s back, my arm around his waist. His long hair tickled my nose and smelled of spring rain. Oddly, while I loathed the rain, I liked the clean fresh scent of Gojyo’s hair. I think I associated that scent with comfort and home. I stayed where I was, letting the soothing warmth of Gojyo seep into me. I was going to get up and leave shortly but I wanted to delay it as long as possible.
I heard somebody snore softly and peered over Gojyo’s shoulder. Sanzo was sprawled on his back taking up more of the bed than should have been physically possible. Gojyo was lying partially on top of Sanzo, his arm across the monk’s chest and curled around his shoulder as if preventing Sanzo from leaving. One of Sanzo’s hands was tangled in Gojyo’s hair holding him in place. The emotion in that unconscious pose made my heart ache in a good way for them. If they worked past this bump in the road, they could have such joy with each other.
I wanted that for them.
I sighed softly. My time sharing the warmth and contentment of Gojyo was past. I didn’t regret what we’d done. I was content that I’d gotten to share a little joy with Gojyo and Sanzo. I didn’t think I’d ever get to experience something like what happened between us again, though. If all went well, Sanzo and Gojyo would start to repair their fractured relationship and despite what happened the night before, Sanzo didn’t share. I understood that. If I held Gojyo’s heart like Sanzo did, I wouldn’t want to share either. I’d be a greedy bastard and keep him all to myself.
Gojyo mumbled something in his sleep and I slowly sat up, hoping I wouldn’t wake either one of them up. Gojyo told Sanzo they needed to talk and I believed that. If Sanzo just went back to ignoring Gojyo after this… I think I really would beat the high and mighty snot out of him. I didn’t think Sanzo would though. There had been something in his body language and a world of feelings in his eyes last night. He wasn’t ready to admit to any deep feelings for Gojyo but I think he could finally admit to needing Gojyo. With Sanzo, small steps were about all you could count on if he decided to budge in the first place.
I ran a hand down Gojyo’s side and placed a kiss on his temple. I eased from the bed and retrieved my clothes from the drawer of the night stand. As I dressed, I ran the events of the night through my mind once again. The sex had been fantastic but it was the song in my head that fascinated me. Gojyo said he sang a song for Sanzo and that it was only for him. I assumed what I’d been treated to last night was something different given the reaction Gojyo had when I’d asked to hear the song he sang for Sanzo. It was still beautiful and I thought it would probably haunt me for a long time.
I knew there was more to Gojyo than just the face he presented to almost everybody. The song only confirmed it. So much emotion packed into something so deceptively simple. Love, caring, trust, desire and a level of lust that put to shame anything I’d ever experienced was in the song I’d heard last night. I wondered just what Gojyo could do with his demon song if he put his mind to it. I was also curious just what was in the song he sung to Sanzo.
I doubted I’d ever know that.
I was just pushing the last button through the hole of my shirt when I felt eyes on me. I looked to the bed to find Sanzo watching me through the tousled strands of his hair. Gojyo remained asleep with his head pillowed on Sanzo’s chest. The monk stared at me for several seconds with cold, narrowed eyes. A faint tinge of pink coloured his cheeks. I understood perfectly what he was saying without him uttering a single word.
Holding Sanzo’s eyes, I placed my palms flat against my thighs before bowing deeply from the hips, my back perfectly straight. I straightened and left the room quietly. I didn’t want to wake Gojyo. He’d understand why I’d left. He’d probably appreciate not having an audience for his talk with Sanzo.
~Sanzo~
Something woke me up from the peaceful sleep I’d been enjoying. I opened my eyes to see Hakkai, in profile, doing up the last button on his shirt. The memory of what I’d allowed and done the previous night was sharp in my mind. I felt a faint blush give warmth to my cheeks. I stared at Hakkai until he turned and looked at me. He had given me his word he’d say nothing about what happened between the three of us last night and I believed that. Hakkai was a man of honour. He wouldn’t break a solemn vow. I just wanted him to know that I was going to hold him to that promise.
Hakkai’s polite, blank mask was guarding his emotions. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking or feeling. He seemed to have no trouble knowing what my intense stare was about. He pressed his palms against his thighs, bowed low to me from the hips with his back ramrod straight and left the room without a word. I was satisfied with the promise implied in his actions.
I got the feeling that Hakkai learned more about this… whatever it was Gojyo and I shared than he should have. What was between us was private and I was a little pissed that Hakkai knew about it. In all honesty, I couldn’t blame that entirely on Gojyo, although he would have made a convenient scapegoat. Hakkai was perceptive even if he rarely said shit. I’d been shocked when he’d basically chewed me out the night before. Hakkai never voiced his feelings on anything. Never. I hadn’t realized how Hakkai felt about Gojyo. I knew they were very close friends but I’d never thought what that might mean.
Normally, I wouldn’t give a flying fuck.
I stared at the ceiling as I played absently with the ends of Gojyo’s hair. I wasn’t entirely sure why I’d shared Gojyo with Hakkai. I wasn’t exactly known for my sharing and giving nature. I knew I was a selfish bastard. I also knew Hakkai had just as much torment from the rain as I did. I’d probably known deep down that Gojyo likely held and comforted Hakkai when they lived together. The relationship between them… I’d never really given it much thought. It just was.
I remembered the way that Hakkai had looked at Gojyo last night and the fact that he didn’t deny that he loved Gojyo when I’d pointed it out to him. Hakkai said he loved Gojyo as a friend not a lover. But, if he had sex with Gojyo, didn’t that make him a friend and a lover? That thought made me unreasonably angry and I was positive that I really didn’t want to poke that dark mental corner of my brain yet. I quickly switched mental gears to avoid probing something I probably shouldn’t.
Last night was the first time I’d ever been involved with two people at once. It figured that Gojyo would be one of the two people. I’d always believed the idea was more complicated than it would be worth. I was wrong. But, no matter how good it was, I wouldn’t repeat the experience. Gojyo had better not even breathe so much as a hint of wanting to do it again or I’d shoot him somewhere vital. Last night was an aberration nothing more. If Hakkai was horny, he could just find himself another partner.
Gojyo was taken.
My heart started to hammer in my chest at that sudden, possessive thought. Gojyo wasn’t a thing to own. He wasn’t a possession. He was a person with a will of his own. But… I wanted him. I squeezed my eyes closed. I’d come to Gojyo in a moment of weakness and look what it got me. What happened to my ideals of not owning anything and holding onto nothing and no one? What was Gojyo doing to me?
I muttered softly to myself. This crazy behaviour was all the damned kappa’s fault. I changed my train of thought again. My brain was a mine-field of things I’d rather not examine too closely right now. I felt raw emotionally and I didn’t like it. That was definitely Gojyo’s fault. He seemed to make me feel that way more often than not. That was really getting on my last damn nerve. If he didn’t knock it the fuck off, I’d really shoot him.
I needed a smoke to calm my nerves.
I turned my head and saw my smokes and lighter on the night stand. I reached for them and had already lit a cigarette and taken the first puff when I realized how careful I’d been not to wake Gojyo from where he’d pillowed his head on my chest. I was annoyed with myself on the one hand but glad he remained asleep on the other. I wasn’t looking forward to the talk that Gojyo said we needed to have.
I wasn’t stupid.
I realized I’d hurt him after the fact. I hadn’t intended to do that. I hadn’t intended for him to call off our… arrangement either. I liked sex with Gojyo. I liked it a hell of a lot. I enjoyed the kink he introduced me to. Even though I’d never admit it to him, I even liked it when he just held me and stroked my skin after sex. I felt like I could relax and just be myself.
I let my mind drift as I enjoyed the nicotine hit to my system. Faint fragments of a song drifted through my head and I frowned. Gojyo had sung his demon song last night. I hadn’t thought to warn Hakkai about playing with Gojyo’s antenna while fucking him. I knew Hakkai heard the song. I was pretty pissed about that. I’d shared Gojyo’s body and a little kink with Hakkai because… well, just because. I didn’t like sharing Gojyo’s song. He’d told me I was the only one who could hear it. It was mine.
Hakkai’s surprise and sudden naked lust had been plainly visible on his face. He wasn’t expecting anything like what had happened. I’d probably reacted the same way when I’d first heard Gojyo’s song. What Gojyo sung last night was different from the one I usually heard from him. It wasn’t as rich and compelling. There’d been something missing from the song but I couldn’t put my finger on what that was. It was still a powerful thing but not as… soul stirring as what I usually heard.
I gave a snort of disgust at myself. Gojyo probably had dozens of songs that he could sing. I was just used to hearing one particular one. Or maybe the effect was different because two people were being seduced by his song. Like diluting the effect or something. I wanted to be mad at Gojyo for singing but that hadn’t been entirely his fault. Play with his antenna and you had a pleasure junkie on your hands.
I finished my smoke and found that I’d have to sit up to put it out. I nudged Gojyo only to have him tighten his embrace. I gave him a harder shove. I needed to put the damn smoke out and couldn’t do it from the position I was in.
“Let go, Gojyo,” I said softly hoping that he’d just let me up without really waking.
“Mmmm, stay,” he mumbled.
“Whatever. Just let me up,” I replied as I eyed the smoke that was almost burned to the filter.
Gojyo’s arm moved and I got up from the bed. He pulled the pillow I’d been using close and pressed his face into it. I butted out the smoke and stood over him, watching him sleep. A contented look was on his face. I brushed his hair back from his cheek and he sighed in pleasure. He mumbled my name and my chest suddenly felt tight with some emotion I didn’t want to examine right now. I decided to leave. Gojyo wouldn’t say anything if he saw me when Hakkai and Goku were standing right there. Yeah, it was a chicken shit thing to do but I’d had just about all the emotional upheaval I could deal with right now.
I wasn’t running and hiding. It was a strategic retreat so I could regroup and shore up my defences.
I dressed quickly and silently. I was reaching for my smokes and about to leave when the silver foil sticking up from the pack caught my eye. I shifted my gaze between it and Gojyo for several minutes as I thought about what Hakkai had said the previous night about my just leaving and Gojyo not understanding. I wanted to continue this… relationship with Gojyo.
I sighed softly in defeat.
Yeah, it was a relationship we had. I wasn’t sure where it was going or what it was exactly, but it was definitely a relationship. I tried to be mad about it. I didn’t want to need anything. But Gojyo had a way of getting under my skin. Half the time he was a painful irritant. The other half of the time he was something that forced me to feel and as much as I didn’t like being forced to do anything, it felt good. Not that I’d ever say anything, but I liked Gojyo and the way I felt when I was around him. At least, when he wasn’t being a pain in the ass, I liked him. The rest of the time I could happily shoot him.
I removed the foil. I needed to leave Gojyo a message. I wanted him to know that I was willing to see where this relationship between us would lead. I looked once more at Gojyo and a feeling of rightness settled in me, startling me.
I started my message.
~Gojyo~
I woke up alone in bed.
The places where Hakkai and Sanzo slept felt cold to the touch. Shit. They’d both left a while ago and neither one bothered to wake me. I thought I might know why Hakkai left. He didn’t want to cause a scene with Sanzo. Sanzo might be feeling some post sex regrets. He’d probably left because of that. I was still blown away by what he’d let happen last night. Never in my wildest dreams did I think Sanzo would get involved in a three-way.
Not that I had a single complaint about last night.
Something had been going on between Sanzo and Hakkai last night. It was almost like they’d been competing to see who could arouse me more. That was dumb though. Sure I loved Hakkai and I wouldn’t refuse having him in my bed again. Especially with Sanzo there, too. But Hakkai knew I didn’t love him like I loved Sanzo. Hakkai knew where my heart lay. Physically, they could both arouse the hell outta me. But there’d always be a little something extra in Sanzo’s touch because I loved him. Hakkai had been in love before. He knew about that subtle difference. He understood.
It had been unbelievably erotic to have both Sanzo and Hakkai spanking my ass. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven when I had Sanzo’s cock in my ass and Hakkai’s dick in my mouth at the same time. I’d completely lost all control when Hakkai started to fondle my antenna while I sucked him off and Sanzo fucked me. If it hadn’t felt so damn good, I’d have been embarrassed.
I suddenly sucked in a sharp breath when I realized what I’d done and how Sanzo would probably take it. I’d sung a demon song to both of them because of the intense pleasure forced on me from being filled at both ends and Hakkai stroking my antenna. It wasn’t a special song. More like a generic, lusty pleasure one. It was nothing like the one I created and sang for Sanzo but I didn’t think he’d know that. I groaned and rubbed a hand over my face. Any progress at fixing the relationship I was trying to have with the bitchy monk might have been shot to shit because I couldn’t keep a lid on my own demon powers.
Fuck.
I wasn’t sure why he’d allowed what he had last night. Whatever the reason, I was grateful that he’d taken the first step in coming to my room. I didn’t know how much longer I could’ve gone just waiting for him to get his shit together before I would’ve forced the issue. I was still hurt and mad over the way Sanzo treated me but I loved him, too. That made it a little easier for me to forgive him. Sanzo was a broken person emotionally. Not that I was all that perfect but compared to Sanzo, I was a model of normalcy. I wanted things to work out between us. I really believed that Sanzo needed what I could give him.
Sanzo needed love.
I sat on the bed and rested my head on my bent knees. That Sanzo hadn’t stuck around wasn’t a good sign. I didn’t know who left first. If Hakkai left first, things might not be so bad. He would have made sure that he didn’t wake anybody so there wouldn’t have been any kind of confrontation between him and Sanzo. If Sanzo had been the one to leave first….
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Why did he have to be so difficult? Why was I stupid enough to keep trying to coax him into a relationship with me? He’d already hurt me. I knew he’d probably end up doing it again. But I still wanted him. I still loved him. How retarded was that? Maybe this was karma biting me in the ass for my bed hopping ways.
I had to think positively about this.
Sanzo had come to my room last night. He’d needed me. He’d stayed when he didn’t have too. He’d had a damn hot three-way with me and Hakkai when I would have bet every single thing I owned that something like that would never happen. He’d stayed even after the sex when he could’ve just left. That had to mean something, didn’t it?
Fuck, I hated being this unsure about somebody.
I sat on the edge of the bed and reached for my smokes. I shook one out and had something else fall out of the pack along with the cigarette. It lay on the bed beside me, a shiny, small thing. It appeared to be an oddly folded piece of foil. I lit my smoke before carefully picking the scrap of foil up.
It was a butterfly.
I stared at the tiny creation in awe. It had been made from the foil from a pack of cigarettes. To make the intricate folds and not tear the foil must have taken patience and skill. It was beautiful. I was also guessing I was meant to find it. The butterfly had been in my cigarette pack after all. But who left it for me to find?
Hakkai probably knew how to make origami things. He knew how to do all kinds of stuff that wasn’t practical and was meant to just be pretty. He could do some of the most beautiful calligraphy that I’d ever seen. Stuff that put the work of the monks in a temple to shame. But why would he leave me an origami butterfly?
Sanzo might be able to do origami. His old master, Koumyou, used to fold paper airplanes. He might have taught Sanzo how to make other things. I had a bit of a hard time picturing Sanzo patiently folding paper to create something like the little butterfly that rested in the palm of my hand, but it was possible. I still came up with the same question though. Why would Sanzo leave me an origami butterfly?
I finished my smoke while staring at the butterfly. This was gonna bug the shit outta me. I couldn’t ask Hakkai if he made it. If it hadn’t been him, I doubted Sanzo would want Hakkai knowing about him leaving this for me. I’m sure that, to Sanzo, it was bad enough that Hakkai knew we were sleeping together. Sanzo might go ballistic if someone knew he’d left me a little treasure. The butterfly was left in my cigarette pack, not out in the open so I was pretty sure I was the only one who was supposed to see it. I couldn’t ask Sanzo. If it hadn’t been him, he’d be pissed that Hakkai was leaving me little presents. Hakkai and I would both be lucky not to get shot if that was the case. And it would shoot to hell any hope I had of having a relationship with Sanzo.
I frowned as I tucked the delicate butterfly back into my cigarette pack. I was going to have to find a better place to keep it where it wouldn’t get crushed. Sooner or later one of them would say something that would clue me into who made it and left it for me. I snorted at myself. Yeah, right. Hakkai wouldn’t say shit if his mouth was full of it and Sanzo would rather cut off his hand than admit he left me a gift.
‘Cause this was a gift.
Things like this weren’t just made for the hell of it and then put somewhere just anyone would find it. I was supposed to find the butterfly and because both of them were gone, I think I was supposed to be alone when I did. Whether that was so whoever left it for me wouldn’t get thanked or if they didn’t want to know if I just crumpled it up and threw it away, I didn’t know. I stood and got dressed.
I still needed to have a talk with Sanzo about where we were going to go from here.
~Goku~
I watched Gojyo, Hakkai and Sanzo during breakfast. Yeah, it looked like I was shovelling my face full… and I was, but I didn’t need to watch my food to get it into my mouth. Something was different between them. They weren’t like before but it didn’t feel like a fight was waiting to happen either.
I was confused.
Rain was never a fun time for Sanzo or Hakkai. Even after the rain stopped they would both be a little depressed for another half a day. Sanzo should have been picking at his food before pushing his plate at me to finish off. Hakkai should have just ordered a tea and spent the whole time staring off into space. I was supposed to get what they didn’t eat of both their breakfasts, damn it!
I was happy that they seemed to be back to normal, sort of. Gojyo couldn’t seem to sit still and he kept looking at Sanzo like he wanted to say something. Sanzo was pretending not to notice. Hakkai just ate his breakfast and drank his tea like the last two weeks never happened. Something happened last night and they all knew about it and I didn’t. They were keeping secrets from me when they all knew I hated that. I banged my cup down on the table.
“What happened last night between you guys?” I asked.
Gojyo looked surprised and nervous. Hakkai blushed and looked down into his tea cup. Sanzo’s hand started to slide his fan out of his sleeve as he scowled at me. Not one of them said anything.
“Something happened. You don’t want to kill each other anymore. I wanna know. It’s not fair that you guys are keeping secrets from me.”
“Nothing happened last night. Eat your breakfast. We aren’t stopping again until lunch time,” Sanzo said with a frown as he looked at both Gojyo and Hakkai.
“Something did happen. I’m not stupid, you know. I know about…” I started before Gojyo slapped a hand over my mouth and dragged me away from the table.
“We’ll go get the jeep packed up while you pay the bill, Sanzo,” Gojyo called over his shoulder. He let me go once we were outside.
“Were you trying to get our asses blown off, you dumb monkey?” Gojyo hissed at me as he pushed me into the wall of the inn.
“I’m not a dumb monkey, you stupid cockroach. Something happened last night between you guys and I wanna know what. It’s not fair that I’m the only guy who doesn’t know what’s going on,” I said as I shoved Gojyo away from me.
“You wouldn’t understand,” Gojyo said as he dragged a hand through his hair.
“This is about Sanzo and you, isn’t it? Did Hakkai tell you guys to kiss and make up or whatever? Sanzo’s not so…”
Gojyo’s eyes went wide and his mouth opened in shock. He looked quickly to the door of the inn before dragging me around the corner of the building. He braced his hands on either side of my head and leaned over me.
“Spill it, monkey,” Gojyo growled.
“I saw you and Sanzo once in the woods. You guys were… you know… doing it. I don’t care that you guys… uh… sleep together. Sanzo was happy for a while. You were happy too.”
Gojyo closed his eyes and he gave a short laugh. I wasn’t sure what he thought was funny. I was trying to be serious here.
“Don’t ever tell Sanzo that you saw us… doing it.”
“But Hakkai knows and Sanzo knows Hakkai knows,” I protested.
Gojyo opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, looking like a landed fish. He mumbled something under his breath and ran a hand through his hair. He finally took out his cigarettes and pulled one from the pack. He got a funny little smile on his face when he did that and I wondered what was going on with all my friends.
“Unless you want to get your ass shot off, keep your damn mouth shut. You know Sanzo would shoot first and maybe think about not doing that later.”
“But are you guys… better? Is everybody going to go back to being mad or are we all going to get along?”
“I’m trying to get along and make Sanzo happy. But it’s Sanzo we’re talking about so help me out a little here and keep the information you know about him and me to yourself, okay?”
I nodded at Gojyo. I could do that. I wanted Sanzo to be happy. How hard could it be to not say something?
Chapter 16: Neither Man Nor Beast
~Hakuryuu~
He smelled of sex.
I could scent it on him the moment he walked in the room with the dawn. He smelled of both Sanzo and Gojyo although the taste of the kappa was stronger than that of the monk. It didn’t matter. I hadn’t spent countless lives looking for him to give him up to either man. Five hundred years was a long time to wait for a lover. It was very fortunate that dragons had ages of patience.
I remembered everything about our time in heaven.
I remembered when he was a god and went by the name Tenpou. When I was the Dragon Lord of the Western Army of Heaven. When my name was Gojun and I was in love with my field marshal. He left heaven and me because it was something he had to do and my damn dragon pride wouldn’t let me bend. I’d learned that pride was a cold comfort when you had no one to be proud of you. It had been a harsh lesson but one I knew now I’d needed to learn.
It took centuries for the right circumstances to come together so we could be as one. I’d finally found him or he’d found me at the correct time. I wasn’t sure anymore which it was. It didn’t matter. I was with him. But this…. This was not to be allowed. I had not struck a bargain with the less than merciful gods in heaven to have it all fall apart now. I gave up everything for Tenpou once I fully realized what he meant to me. It was too late for that at the time but the gods hadn’t seen fit to tell me that.
I pleaded with them to let me go find him. I gave up an existence that was millennia old because it was meaningless without him. I bartered to keep my memories intact of my time in heaven and of Tenpou. They agreed with a speed I now realized I should have been wary of.
Tenpou struck no such deal with them.
He died and was reincarnated as I expected. The first time I found him was when I was made aware that he didn’t remember me or the love we’d shared. He’d been afraid of me then and ran away. I chased him to his death and felt such guilt and grief I wondered if I should just abandon my desire to be with him again. I’d held his body for a very long while that first time before I was able to lay him to rest. It was after that first time that I was also made aware that just because I remembered who I was and who he was didn’t mean that I’d find him in every life.
I waited and died and searched and died until I found him again. He wasn’t a man the next time but it didn’t matter. I loved his soul not the body that housed it. Again, I was too late by the time I found him. He’d married and had a family he adored. Because I loved him, I let him be happy with his children and husband. I watched over him until I passed to the next incarnation and prayed that he’d continue to live a full life.
I was a dragon again when we met this latest time. I was barely past the fledgling stage. I shouldn’t have been out on my own but after waiting for nearly fifty years, I didn’t want to miss yet another incarnation of his again. I left the nest and followed my heart. It was telling me that Tenpou lived again and that he was hurt and in danger. I searched for months and nearly died myself before he found me. I believe he was drawn to me as I lay broken and nearly dead just as I’d been drawn from the safety of the nest to search him out.
He looked remarkably like Tenpou in this incarnation and my heart leapt for joy. To feel his hands on me again had been a pleasure that was a dim memory. He’d healed me and I became his constant companion. I saw that he managed to find Kenren again, called Gojyo now, and that he’d been the one to save Tenpou. For that, Gojyo had the gratitude of a dragon.
I eventually met Konzen, now Sanzo and Goku who had been imprisoned in the mountain until his keeper found him again. The four of them were then sent on a journey but not before I had a visit from the Merciful Goddess hirself. Se told me that I was to go with them to help them. I was told that it would be useful for me to learn to take the form of a vehicle to carry them on their journey.
Se also gave me a warning.
This was the first time that Tenpou hadn’t run from me in terror or already been in a happy relationship I was loath to intrude on, no matter my feelings for him. I was told not to reveal to him or anyone in our little group who we all had once been. Se didn’t say why things were to be that way but the expression on hir face when I protested reminded me that I was in the presence of a god and if I annoyed that god enough, I could very likely lose Tenpou yet again through my own untimely demise.
But this latest outrage just couldn’t be borne.
Tenpou, rather, Hakkai was my treasure. Mine. And a dragon never willingly gave up their treasure. Gojyo had Sanzo as a lover and Hakkai as a friend. He didn’t need Hakkai as a lover, too. I couldn’t see Sanzo changing so much from how he had been in heaven to the man he now was. Konzen didn’t share when in heaven and I couldn’t see his latest incarnation doing so now either. I could see quite a bit of Konzen in Sanzo and I wished Gojyo the best if luck in dealing with the man. He was going to need it.
I wasn’t going to defy a god with the plan I would set in motion. I wouldn’t even be doing this now if Hakkai hadn’t come back smelling of sex and the men we travelled with. In the time that I’d been with them, Hakkai had never dallied with anyone to my knowledge. That he’d done so now, forced my hand. If the gods could stick to the letter of their word, so could I. Dragons were notorious for twisting words around to be other than what they had originally been intended to mean. I wouldn’t tell Hakkai a single word about my being Gojun or him being Tenpou. He was a smart man and if he happened to piece together what had come before… that certainly wasn’t my fault. I was going to be reclaiming my treasure and marking my territory. I’d waited patiently enough for the chance.
*********
Hakkai was deeply asleep as I put my plan into motion. Dragons could assume many forms. It just required practice to get each form right. I had the added benefit of remembering exactly how to assume many shapes from the last time I’d been a dragon. The jeep was fairly simple to master. I could be a little sloppy about how similar it was each time I assumed it and none of them would notice. But a human form….
I’d been practicing from the moment I was healed enough to attempt it.
I looked mostly the same as I did when I was in heaven. The biggest difference was my apparent age. While in heaven, I’d been a fully grown adult already thousands of years old. Now… now I looked like the human equivalent of my current dragon age. Even if I was generous, I still looked less than adult. Sixteen would be a good approximation. I had to laugh softly at that and the apparent humour of the gods. Thousands of years worth of memories and experiences in a sixteen year old body just aching to put to use that carnal knowledge.
I changed to the form I’d spent months practicing in secret. Even if I was just a teenager in form, I was still a very good looking male. My hair wasn’t as long and was much softer than when I’d been an adult. The scales that showed on my body were lighter and there were fewer of them. The line of hair over my spine was a baby-fine down, not yet the full ruff that an adult male had. Even the tracery of wings and tail on my back and down one leg weren’t as prominent as they would be once I reached full adulthood. At least I had no complaints with the state of my cock, dragons being a typically a well endowed species as a rule.
I approached the bed where Hakkai lay sleeping. I watched him for several minutes before sitting on the edge of the bed and reaching out to draw the covers back. I was startled when his strong fingers snared my wrist. His brilliant green eyes focused on me and if I hadn’t known him as well as I did, I would have thought he had only polite curiosity in the strange teen drawing back his covers in the dead of night. I knew he was seconds away from trying to do me serious bodily harm. I needed to re-assure him. I opened my mouth and no words came out.
I had no voice.
The grip of Hakkai’s hand on mine became almost painful as he sat up. I tried to speak and nothing came out but soft, raspy noises and little chirps of dragon-speak. I was horrified to feel my eyes prickle with tears of anger and frustration. I was so close to having the one I’d given up everything for and was being denied the chance to tell him what I’d held in my heart for more than five hundred years.
It was so fucking unfair!
I tipped my head back and keened softly, the only option left to me to express my sheer frustration. I’d never told Tenpou that I loved him when we were in heaven. I’d thought it an admission of weakness. I’d assumed he’d known how I felt by my actions and the gifts I’d given him. That damn dragon pride of mine had been at work again. Tenpou had told me often that he loved me and, fool that I was, I’d never reassured him his feelings were returned. I wanted to tell him now and couldn’t.
“Who are you and how did you get in here?” Hakkai asked in a voice of velvet covered steel.
I looked at him and opened my mouth again. No recognizable human speech came out and I snapped my mouth shut. Understanding dawned in Hakkai’s eyes although he didn’t let go of my wrist. Just the casual touch of his skin on mine was arousing. I was glad I’d transformed with clothes on instead of naked. To be in such a position, unable to explain myself while nude would have been embarrassing for both of us.
“You’re mute?” Hakkai asked in a gentler tone than before but still with command in his voice.
I shrugged my shoulder and nodded my head. I could speak, after a fashion. Hakkai simply didn’t speak dragon.
“Oh dear. Can you write?”
I shrugged again. If I couldn’t speak anything other than dragon, I was willing to bet that I couldn’t write anything other than dragon either. The gods were simply insuring that I didn’t breathe a word of him being a former god. I wanted to stop and consider why that was but the frustration of the situation made me shove such considerations to the back of my mind. At least gestures didn’t seem to be forbidden me. I raised my free hand and placed it over my heart before clenching it in a fist. Hakkai watched me intently, wariness evident in every line of his body. I extended my closed fist to him and slowly opened my hand. I was offering him my heart even though I knew he’d have no idea why I was doing so or if he even understood the gesture.
“I’m not sure….” he began.
I made a noise of irritation and yanked on the hand he was holding. He was caught off guard by the move enough for me to seal my lips to his and kiss him like I’d dreamed about for five hundred years. I kissed him as if it was the only chance I’d get to do so. For all I knew, it was going to be my only chance. He had worn only a pair of loose cotton pants to bed and I let my free hand glide over the bare skin of his chest. He let go of my wrist and fisted his hands in the folds of my yukata, participating in the kiss for several seconds before gently using the grip to push me away.
Hakkai blinked at me, surprised by the kiss and the feelings I knew he recognized that were in the kiss. He smoothed the wrinkles out of my yukata where his hands had gripped it and looked down into his lap for several seconds before looking back up at me. I could see he was confused by my being in the room, the emotions in the kiss and his own reaction to it.
“That was unexpected,” Hakkai said softly.
I reached out and touched his face gently. He jerked under the light touch of my fingers but I refused to pull my hand back. I was fully committed to experiencing the pleasure of my heart’s treasure again. I remembered every caress of his skin, every brush of his lips against mine, every stroke of my cock inside him. I would have him again and he would remember who we were and what we’d had together. I would settle for nothing less.
I slid my hand to the back of his neck and pulled him towards me again. He resisted the pull so I changed tactics and leaned into him instead, pressing him back to the mattress. His green eyes were wide as he stared into my red ones. The mask he usually hid behind cracked and I saw confusion, arousal and the tiniest spark of recognition deep in the emerald depths. I smiled slowly at him and dipped my head to lick lightly at his lips with just the tip of my tongue as I’d done countless times in heaven. A traditional dragon kiss reserved only for those with a special place in a dragon’s heart.
Hakkai placed his hands against my chest and pushed. I allowed him a little space although what I wanted to do was crush him closer to me and never let him go again. He had to clear his throat twice before he could speak.
“I don’t know who you are or how you got in here but I won’t take advantage of a boy.”
I gripped his chin with strong fingers and shook my head at him. He wasn’t going to be taking advantage of me. I hadn’t really been a boy in longer than I cared to think about. I took his hand and held it, palm flat to my groin and the growing erection I had. I needed him to understand that I wasn’t an untried youth and that I knew what I wanted. I wanted him and I was going to have him.
“Uh, yes, well, we all have urges….” Hakkai began even as his fingers curled around me and made the breath leave my lungs in a rush.
I shook my head at him again and made a frustrated little sound. I hauled him against my chest and called him ‘my love’ in dragon before I bit his throat. He hissed and tried to break free from my embrace but I refused to let him go. I may have looked like a sixteen year old boy but I was a dragon with a dragon’s strength. I began placing delicate bites and sucking the skin of his neck in a deliberate pattern. Hakkai froze under the nipping assault and his breathing sped up. When I stopped, his eyes were a little glassy from an erotic pleasure his mind may have forgotten but his body remembered. Whenever I had marked him in such a fashion in heaven, I’d loved him hard, wringing every drop of delight from his body that I could. I released him from my hold and pulled him from the bed to stand in front of the small mirror.
Standing, we were the same height. His eyes still held a slightly dazed look as I gripped his chin and turned his head so he could see the marks I’d made on his skin. Red lines decorated his neck from his ear to his collar bone; my name in dragon script. I trailed a finger over the marks and let a possessive rumble sound in my throat. I pressed myself to him and ground my hips against him with an unmistakable meaning. Some of the passion glazed look cleared from his eyes but a flush now coloured his cheeks.
“Y…you’re very striking and while that felt…. I don’t take casual partners,” Hakkai stuttered as he unconsciously pressed his ass against my groin.
I smiled and let my hands travel over his chest as I knew he’d enjoyed when we’d been lovers so many centuries ago. His breath hitched and a quiet little ‘oh’ of surprised pleasure left him. I gently raked my nails over his ribs and nipped at the fleshy join of neck and shoulder. His soft moan sent shivers of delight over my own skin. I flicked out my tongue to lick his ear and watched as he closed his eyes and licked his lips at the desire I was carefully fanning to life in him.
“I can’t….” Hakkai started as his hands came up to cover mine, reluctantly pulling them from him.
I growled a low warning at him. He knew, somewhere deep in his mind, who I was and who he had been. I believed that with every fibre of my being. I couldn’t remind him verbally and my marking his skin as I had didn’t trigger the memories either. A little of my impatience leaked through and I jerked him around and spun him back towards the bed. His leg collided with the mattress, throwing him off balance and he sat heavily. Anger darkened his face. I smiled at him in a predatory way and stalked to the bed. An angry Tenpou was exciting in bed. I had no reason to doubt that an angry Hakkai would be just as thrilling. Maybe it was time that I stopped playing around and just claimed him as I’d initially done in heaven. That might awaken his memories. I was also finding I wasn’t as patient as I used to be when I’d been Gojun.
“That’s enough….” Hakkai warned with heat in his normally calm voice.
He trailed off into silence as I shrugged off the fine yukata I was wearing. The soft, dove grey garment slithered to the floor, the pattern of scales woven into the fabric looking like a beautifully shed skin. I was naked under the yukata. I was also half hard just thinking of what I’d soon be doing with him. I let Hakkai look his fill. Anger warred with desire in his eyes. I got the feeling that Hakkai was used to being the dominating one in the encounters he choose to have and it wasn’t just my apparent age that was making him hesitate. He didn’t seem sure how to not be the dominating one or even if he wanted to be the submissive one. He would though. Whatever name he had; whatever face he wore; my heart’s treasure enjoyed being surrounded by my heat and power more than he liked enfolding me in his. Not to say he’d never get the chance to fill me. It just wasn’t going to be this time. This loving was about my claiming what was mine.
I pressed my hand to his chest and shoved him to his back. Surprise gave me enough time to straddle his thighs and manacle both his wrists in one of my hands. He tried to buck his hips to throw me off him but this was a game we’d played countless times in heaven and I knew all his tricks while he remembered none of my weaknesses. He struggled against my hold silently, making me work far harder too hold him down that I remember having too five hundred years ago. I found it unbelievably exciting and arousing to lay with him like this. His breathing had become harsh and a frown marred his brow but he was undeniably aroused by the little dominance game. The erection tenting the soft fabric of his pyjama pants was visible proof of that.
His mouth was set in a thin, angry line as his eyes travelled over my body. Now that I had him under me safely pinned, a measure of patience returned and I let him look at me closely. I dipped my head and gave him that licking kiss as I had earlier. He opened his mouth to protest and I took the chance to deepen the kiss.
I swept the inside of his mouth with my tongue wanting to taste all of him. The strong flavour of toothpaste overrode his personal tang. His tongue battled mine, trying to push me out. I watched his eyes as we fought for control of the kiss. The anger bled out of his eyes as arousal rose in him from the erotic battle we waged. Confusion lurked in his gaze as well as need. I knew with absolute certainty that he’d never, in this life, been forced to submit to another as I was demanding he do now. I let him see how much I wanted him, needed him.
Loved him.
The tension in him drained away as he became aware that what he was seeing was love and that it was for him. I could see that he was shocked as to why I would feel that way but he was hungry for the kind of love I was offering and grabbed at it like a starving man. I knew he longed for love and that he thought he’d lost the love of his life when Kanna died. That he’d loved her, I didn’t doubt. But what we’d shared in heaven was a love that spanned centuries and one that he could have again, if he choose to accept me.
I continued to kiss him as I let all the things I’d held bottled up since the very first time I’d had him in my bed in heaven break free and fill my eyes. His emerald gaze remained locked with mine and some kind of understanding passed over his face. I broke the kiss and watched him with a gentle smile. I believed he knew what he was seeing in my eyes. He had always been a stunningly intelligent man and he had been in love in this life time before.
He stunned me when he made a noise in his throat that I hadn’t heard in ages. It was capitulation and pleading in dragon-speak that made my heart hammer in my chest. The sound one dragon makes to another when recognizing their mate and signalling their willingness to breed. Tenpou spent hours learning how to make the sound exactly right because it pleased him to give me the joy of hearing him give himself to me so completely in my own tongue.
Hope bloomed in my chest and I crooned softly to him, accepting his words as I released his wrists. Memories would come with time. This small sound was proof. He likely didn’t realize what he’d said but the memories were there, buried deep in his head. He would eventually remember us as long as I continued to be patient. I licked his throat, moving down his chest as I murmured words of endearment in dragon to him. He brought his hands up to my head and I closed my eyes in pleasure as he brushed his fingers over the small horns budding from my skull and just peaking out from my hair.
“I’m to take what you’re offering, aren’t I?” Hakkai asked with quiet wonder in his voice.
I opened my eyes and nodded at him while caressing his chest, dragging my nails over his nipples and making them pucker. I let my hands drop to the waistband of his pants and gave a tug. He wriggled his hips to help as he fingered the elegant points of my ears. I slid the last bit of clothes between us away and groaned softly at seeing him naked and aroused. I took his erection in hand and started to stroke him firmly.
“You love me. As a lover… not a friend. You’ve loved me that way for a long time, haven’t you?” he asked in a shaky voice.
I nodded again and added a squeeze to the stroking I was doing to his erection. His sigh of pleasure made blood surge into my cock. My patience started to slip from my grasp again. I wanted to take my time and bathe him in all the affection I’d held in my heart but I was finding that even though I had millennia worth of experience, my current body was teenage eager. I smiled against his chest at the thought that at least I’d be ready to go again in short order. I kissed my way down his chest, stopping at the jagged scar on his belly. I’d nearly lost him yet again from that wound. I inhaled his scent and the arousal he was giving off, closing my eyes in pleasure. I licked the line of the scar gently making him shudder and try to twist away. I gave the scar one more, long lick before moving down his body.
I wanted to take his cock into my mouth but need was starting to press at me urgently. I wanted to take the time to enjoy the feel and taste of him in my mouth but if I did that, I’d likely push him over the edge and I wanted to be buried deep in his body for his first orgasm with me in centuries. Another time, I promised myself, I could feel his velvet length fill my mouth as his seed hit the back of my throat. I cupped the backs of his thighs and pushed his legs up, exposing his hole to me. He murmured a soft protest as I flicked my tongue out, teasing him before sliding it inside him. His surprised groan of pleasure was music to my ears. Dragons have a wicked tongue and I’d had endless time in heaven with him to learn how my lover liked me to use it.
My tongue swirled in and around his hole in exactly the way I knew he enjoyed. He was breathing in little panting gasps and before long, his hips started to roll with each thrust of my tongue inside him. His fingers stroked through my hair and rubbed the base of my horns with a skill I thanked the gods he instinctively remembered. I let go of one of his legs and impatiently pushed two fingers inside him. His back arched off the bed and he hissed his discomfort. His fingers tangled in my hair and he tugged hard. I allowed him to pull my head up but kept my fingers inside him, moving and stretching him.
I rose up to my knees and let him see how aroused I was. His eyes travelled down my body and he licked his lips when he finally saw me fully engorged. Mating with a dragon, even in human form, was not to be done without some preparation. While a dragon’s cock did produce lubrication, a necessary thing when sometimes breeding with a not so willing female, I didn’t want to hurt Hakkai any more than I had to.
“Oh my,” Hakkai said as he raised his eyes to my face.
I couldn’t help the surge of male pride at his reaction and smiled at him.
“I don’t usually… that is… I’m generally… oh my.”
I chuckled softly, feeling ridiculously pleased that he was impressed with the size of my equipment. Apparently, I hadn’t abandoned all of my dragon pride. I withdrew my fingers from his body and pressed the head of my cock to his hole. He tensed before relaxing and let go of the hold he had on my hair. I stroked my fingers over his cock until he was starting to rock his hips, distracting him before giving my hips a little jerk and pushing the head into him. Hakkai grunted and let out a harsh breath.
I pushed slowly into him, allowing him to adjust. He’d bitten his lip and his brow was furrowed as he waited for the sting of my entry to fade. When I was fully buried inside him, I voiced my pleasure in dragon and leaned down to lick at Hakkai’s lips again. He wriggled his hips and tangled his legs with mine. His arms came around my back and I felt his surprise when his forearms brushed against the baby fine hair travelling down my spine. Not giving him time to wonder over the uniqueness of that, I began the slow, measured thrusts that never failed to drive him crazy with want when we’d been in heaven.
He responded beautifully to me moving inside him. The mask he wore was long gone and only pure pleasure showed in his face. Noises of delight were forced from his body with every thrust. His cock was pressed tight between our bodies, sliding against my belly in the sweat glistening on both our bodies. He arched to meet every press of my hips, pulling groans of satisfaction from me. Need crowded me with this claiming. I wanted to be gentle and make it last but I was in a losing battle. I’d been denied him too long and dragon instincts flooded my brain. I growled low and sped up my thrusts. He made gasping sounds of pleasure and writhed under me. I shifted slightly; changing the angle I was penetrating him at and stimulating his prostate with every thrust. His short nails dug into my back and his body bowed as release caught him and smashed through his body. His lashes fluttered down as his mouth opened in a scream that I knew nothing human would hear.
I’d never heard a sweeter sound.
I felt his cock spurt between us and smelled his release. Saliva pooled in my mouth as memories of licking him clean of our combined seed crowded my mind. His body clenched tightly around my cock. A shudder wracked me as I pushed into him as far as I could and let my own orgasm rip through me. I keened with an intense joy as my seed pumped into him before collapsing over him. My breath rasped in my chest and my heart raced. Love making with him was even better than I remembered it to be. Hakkai panted under me, fine tremors shaking his arms and legs every so often. I smiled, pleased more than words could say. I’d brought intense joy him. Easily half my pleasure was because I’d made him feel so very good.
“This felt so very right,” Hakkai said in a languid voice as his hands began stroking the sweat damp hair over my spine.
I raised my head with effort and nodded solemnly at him. I didn’t want to move off him but I knew he would be uncomfortable soon with his cooling seed smeared between our bellies. I reluctantly left his body and moved from the bed to fetch a cloth from the wash basin on the dresser. As much as I would’ve liked to lick him clean, I didn’t want to completely shock him with such an intimate gesture. I’d given him enough things to think about for one night.
“Hakuryuu?”
I stilled at the basin before turning and coming back to the bed with a damp cloth. Hakkai allowed me to clean his belly and ass before speaking again. He was staring at me intently and reached out to grab my wrist when I would have moved away.
“You are Hakuryuu, aren’t you?” he asked as he sat up.
I nodded slowly as my heart climbed into my throat. As Tenpou, he’d known what I was from the beginning and the idea of sleeping with a dragon wasn’t something abnormal considering that some of the gods in heaven have extra limbs or extra eyes or even more than one sex. Some look even less human than I did. He wasn’t a god now and had no memories of what heaven had been like. It was entirely within the realm of possibility that he’d be horrified at what happened between us and refuse to allow me the joy of his body again. People were funny about cross-species relationships.
He wasn’t supposed to put together that I was Hakuryuu so fast. I should have known better. Hakkai was a very smart man no matter the name he went by. I’d wanted him to remember what we’d been to each other before I revealed to him that I was the young dragon he’d rescued from certain death. I wanted to be secure in his love for me before showing him who I was now. I wasn’t ashamed of being a dragon. I simply didn’t want to be kept from him because I was a dragon and he was not.
“Why, Hakuryuu? Why reveal this to me now? I don’t understand.”
I raised my hand and let it fall to my lap. How did I explain without words that I couldn’t bear to watch him be with another person yet again? How could I tell him that I wanted to be his lover for as long as we had and that after this turn around the sun was done, I’d find him again and start all over. I opened my mouth and closed it again in frustration when I realized I couldn’t tell him anything. I spread my hands and shrugged my shoulders.
“Ah yes, you’re mute. Or are you? You made noises that sounded different than … when we…” he trailed off with a faint blush on his cheeks.
I nodded and warbled a few sounds before touching my own chest. I made different sounds and touched Hakkai. His brow furrowed as he thought before understanding dawned in his eyes.
“That’s… dragon?”
I nodded.
“What’s the word for yes? You can teach me dragon, can’t you?” he asked intently.
I experienced a sharp pang of déjà vu. Tenpou had asked me that before during a break in an endless round of meetings that accomplished nothing but giving bored deities a chance to listen to themselves talk. I’d been surprised but answered. Tenpou had quietly asked me simple words through the rest of the meeting. I’d dismissed it as boredom at the time but been pleasantly surprised when my field marshal greeted me next time he saw me in careful dragon. His accent was horrendous and he mangled several words but he was making an effort to learn. I think I’d started to fall in love with him that day.
“I’m sorry. That was rude,” Hakkai said as colour climbed into his cheeks in embarrassment as he took my silence to mean I’d been offended by his request.
I shook my head and responded with the appropriate noise to signify no. I then nodded my head and gave him the word for yes. Excitement filled his eyes and warmth spread through me at causing him pleasure from such a simple thing.
“I have so many things I’d like to ask you. It’ll take some time for me to learn enough to really talk to you. I’m… you… this isn’t the only time I’ll see you like this, is it?” he asked a little hesitantly.
I smiled as a weight lifted from my chest. He wasn’t horrified by what happened between us. I shook my head and added the dragon word for no. I leaned forward and gave him the licking kiss once more, taking his hand and placing it over my heart. I looked into his eyes and told him I loved him in dragon once more before laying us both down on the bed. I held him and felt peace settle over me.
“I’m not to tell Sanzo, Gojyo or Goku about you, am I?” Hakkai asked softly as he played his fingers through the down on my spine.
I shook my head no along with saying the dragon word. No time like the present to start teaching him a language that would be difficult for him to learn. At least this time, because he was now a demon, he would have a little easier time with the sounds that exceeded human hearing.
“There’s more to this than it appears, isn’t there?”
I nodded my head.
Hakkai sighed softly and I could almost hear the gears in his head start turning. He’d figure things out eventually. I kissed him gently, making sounds of pleasure when returned the kiss and hugged me tightly. I had my heart’s treasure again and I didn’t intend to lose him.
Chapter 17: Rules of Engagement
~Sanzo~
I’d managed to avoid being alone with Gojyo for the rest of the day after that kinky three-way with him and Hakkai. Never in all my life was I so grateful for the constant presence of Goku and his thousand and one questions. I even controlled my need to go to Gojyo’s room that night. I wanted too but I figured he’d want to talk about… things I really wasn’t ready too just yet. Gojyo was puzzled by my sudden desire to hear about the best meat buns Goku’d ever eaten but I let him catch me looking at him a few times during the day and he seemed to relax fractionally. I think he caught on to the idea that I wasn’t turning away from him. I just needed a little time to get over the way that whole experience made me feel.
Emotionally raw was the best way for me to describe it. I’d been surprised by the kinky part of my soul that liked seeing Gojyo suck Hakkai off as I’d had his ass. It wouldn’t happen again but it’d been damn erotic. I’d also felt… smug in that I’d ultimately been the one who’d won the little contest between me and Hakkai for Gojyo. I’d never felt that way before about my role in any sexual experience.
Figures that I would with that damned pervy kappa.
I wasn’t sure that Gojyo got what the butterfly meant but he seemed to be taking it in stride. He didn’t say shit about it and for that, I was grateful. I don’t know what I would’ve said if he’d mentioned it. It’d been pure impulse that made me leave that for him instead of a note. I was surprised I even remembered how to make the damn thing.
I sat under a tree in a meadow of wildflowers and waited for Hakkai’s call of supper as I smoked. Hakkai had been acting a little strange the last two days and I didn’t think it had anything to do with what happened between the three of us. He’d get the oddest look on his face and blush bright red when driving every time he shifted gears. He got even weirder when Hakuryuu changed back into a dragon and settled on his shoulder like he usually did. The little dragon had chirped and nuzzled against Hakkai’s face. Hakkai blushed bright red and carefully placed Hakuryuu on a stump as he went about preparing the evening meal. The dragon tracked his movements and hissed when Gojyo or Goku got close to Hakkai. Hakkai shot quelling looks at the little dragon and coloured again when Hakuryuu chirped at him and shook his wings. Something was going on there but for the life of me, I had no idea what it could be.
Not like I cared or that it was any of my fucking business anyway.
Goku was back to his normal, cheerful self. I had to wonder what he’d been about to say that morning at the inn before Gojyo dragged him out the door. That whole incident was fucking suspicious but since Goku didn’t bring it up again, I let it drop. It likely wasn’t important anyway. I knew he didn’t like secrets being kept from him but I really didn’t think he’d understand my being with Gojyo. Hell, most of the time I didn’t understand my being with Gojyo. The sex was a very good reason but that wasn’t all there was to it. There was more than that going on that made me want to be with Gojyo.
I just wasn’t sure exactly what that something was.
I sighed as I finished the smoke and crushed out the butt in the dirt. The journey we were on was hard enough as it was. I really didn’t need all this emotional crap on top of everything else too. But I didn’t want to give up what I felt when Gojyo would just hold me against his chest and stroke my skin after sex. He made me feel good. I didn’t want to lose the pleasure and… comfort of having him curled around me as I slept. I’d noticed that I slept better when I had Gojyo’s arms around me. Not that I’d ever say that to him.
Damn it!
Things weren’t supposed to get complicated like this. It was supposed to be just sex. No feelings, no emotions, just sex. When the hell did emotions get involved and how the fuck did he manage to slip past my guard so completely? Nothing good came of my getting attached to someone. It always ended badly. Always.
I was so lost in thought that I nearly jumped out of my skin when Gojyo dropped down to sit beside me. He didn’t say anything, just leaned his back against the tree next to me, his shoulder touching mine. I started to relax fractionally. Maybe he’d forgotten about saying we needed to talk. Maybe he’d decided to just let things happen between us. I could handle that. I’d prefer that actually.
“Hakkai said supper will be ready in about forty-five minutes. I figure that’s enough time to set a few things straight,” Gojyo said as he lit a smoke.
I started to push myself up. Fuck, he wanted to talk. I wasn’t ready to do this. We didn’t need to talk about anything. We were fine as we were. The funny feeling in my guts was just annoyance, not nerves.
“Sit, Sanzo. We need to talk. I’ll either talk to you here privately or I’ll do it over some of that lovely stew we’re having for supper in front of Hakkai and Goku. Your choice, Sanzo. Either way is fine by me but I figured you wouldn’t want a curious monkey or a concerned friend for an audience. Hakkai’ll keep Goku busy while we talk here.”
I scowled at Gojyo. I really hated when people pulled crap like this on me. I wanted to whip out my gun and press it to his chest to make him shut his trap and give up on this whole talk thing. But once I thought about doing that, I thought about what happened almost every time I pulled my gun on Gojyo since we started sleeping together. My cock twitched to life, traitor that it was. I slumped back down and glared at Gojyo. He seemed completely unfazed by the look. I snatched the smoke from his fingers, surprised when he didn’t even protest that. That small gesture of allowing me to steal his smoke let me know just how serious he was about having this conversation with me.
“Fine. Talk,” I sulked as I dragged on his smoke and avoided his eyes.
“I want to know why you did what you did before. Did I do something to make you treat me like a piece of meat?” Gojyo asked as he stared straight ahead. Anger and hurt were in his voice as well as confusion.
Shit. I wasn’t expecting that question.
I’ve never explained my actions to anyone. I’ve never felt the need too. I hadn’t meant to make Gojyo feel like a piece of meat. I just thought… I was only trying to…. My throat tightened at the very idea of putting to words why I’d behaved as I did. Not that I was really sure anymore why I’d done what I did. It simply seemed like a good idea at the time.
“When I’m with someone for more than just a casual roll in the hay, I’m only with that person. I may cheat at cards and sometimes Mah Jong but I never cheat on the important things in life. I think you know I never cheated on you and since that’s the only reason I can think of to act that way… just… why, Sanzo?”
I sucked hard on the smoke. My stomach was tensing up and I didn’t like this feeling I was getting. This was why I never got involved with people.
“That hurt, Sanzo,” Gojyo said softly.
The smoke was leaving a bad taste in my mouth. At least, that’s what I was telling myself. I crushed it out and willed Hakkai to call out that supper was ready. Not that I thought I’d be able to eat with the way my guts were feeling. God damn Gojyo for doing this to me. Couldn’t he just take the meaning of the butterfly I’d left for him to heart and leave this other shit alone? Did he have any idea how hard it had been for me to leave him that message?
“Talk to me, Sanzo. Just tell me why you did it and I swear, I’ll never bring it up again.”
How was I supposed to answer that when I wasn’t sure how to explain it? Gojyo waited silently for me to answer. He plucked at the grass beside him but never looked at me. I’d had no idea he could be so patient but after nearly ten minutes of tense silence, I opened my mouth and said the first thing that came to mind.
“You made me need you,” I finally answered with accusation in my voice.
“I what?” Gojyo asked as he turned to face me.
“You. Me. This thing between us. You made me need it. I can want things but I can’t need things,” I tried to explain and failed. It sounded even stupider than I thought it would when I said it out loud. Gods but I sucked at this personal relationship thing.
“I think you need a hell of a lot of things, Sanzo, but I don’t see how that led to you treating me like a worthless whore,” Gojyo said with heat in his voice.
That made me whip my head around to stare at him. I never meant for him to feel like that. Gojyo had a lot of faults but he wasn’t worthless and he certainly wasn’t a whore. He gave more of himself to me than any one person ever had and never asked for anything in return except the dubious pleasure of my company. I still didn’t know why he even wanted that. I thought hard about that night and how it might have appeared to Gojyo.
I’d taken him with as little contact as possible. I’d used him to satisfy my desire not once but twice. I hadn’t been concerned with his pleasure that night when he’d always made sure that no matter what we did, that I found pleasure too. I remembered thinking that it wasn’t about what Gojyo wanted but about satisfying my needs. That he’d also found release hadn’t even been an after thought for me. A felt shame and disgust as I realized the only thing I’d neglected to do that night was leave money on the night stand. No wonder Gojyo felt I’d treated him like a worthless whore.
I had.
“I’m sorry,” I said in a low voice, the words sticking in my throat as I realized how shitty I was at this relationship thing. I didn’t know how to do this and I hated being uncertain.
I saw Gojyo’s shocked expression that I’d apologised before he masked it and I felt even worse. He hadn’t expected me to apologise to him. My stomach turned over with the idea that I might not have been the first person to treat him like that. That maybe he’d been waiting for that to happen. I closed my eyes as I remembered him calling himself a ‘dirty half-breed’. I’d fucked up bigger than I realized.
I wanted to shoot something. Preferably something that would scream and bleed a lot.
“I didn’t mean… I was trying… look, I realize what I did was wrong…” I said in a frustrated tone as I looked down and rubbed the edge of the sutra nervously between my fingers. This was going as bad as I knew it would.
“Okay. Apology accepted,” Gojyo said quietly as he turned back to stare at the meadow in front of us.
I snapped my head up. That was it? Just… okay? I wanted to question why but I was too chicken shit to actually ask. Part of me really wanted to know how Gojyo could accept my apology so easily while a louder part of me said to just shut the fuck up and not ask about things I wasn’t ready to hear. I wondered if that was the end of the talk that I’d been dreading for the better part of two days. It seemed anti-climatic.
“So where do we go from here, Sanzo? Was that night during the rain a final kinda thing or do you want to keep going down that road with me?”
I blew out my breath softly in annoyance and wondered why he was making me say it. Didn’t he get the butterfly reference? I knew he wasn’t stupid. A butterfly was a symbol of fragile beginnings and change. Even Gojyo should know that. Was he trying to make me say it out of some twisted kind of payback for how I treated him? I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. He was tense even though he was trying to look like he wasn’t. The thought that my answer was that important to him, surprised me. Nobody had ever put that much significance on me personally before.
“What happened that night will never happen again,” I said in a firm voice. Gojyo needed to know that Hakkai, or anybody else for that matter, wouldn’t be welcome in a bed he shared with me.
Gojyo flinched as if I’d slapped him.
“I see,” he said in a low voice. He looked down and his hair slid forward to hide his face in a practiced gesture.
Although he didn’t physically move, I felt as if he was distancing himself from me. I could almost feel misery leaking off him. I was screwing things up again. Damn it all to hell but I didn’t know how to do this. Why was I even trying? Why was he asking this of me? I’d never had a normal relationship in my entire life and certainly never a… whatever kind of thing I had with Gojyo. I had no idea what was expected of me or what I was supposed to do. I swallowed hard and reached out hesitantly to lay my hand on Gojyo’s arm. Gods but I hoped this was the right thing to do.
“I don’t know why I let Hakkai…. I don’t share, Gojyo. That won’t happen again. If that’s what you want…. I don’t share.”
“I know you don’t, Sanzo. That’s not what I was asking,” Gojyo said with a soft sigh. “I don’t want to pressure you but I need to know if you want to continue with what we have. I’m not going to force my affections on somebody who doesn’t want them. I’ve tried that once before and I swore I’d never do it again,” Gojyo said as he looked at me with a wary expression as if he expected me to tell him to fuck off.
I held his gaze for a few seconds before I looked away. When I’d kissed him that night, I’d stared into his eyes. Complex things moved through him as we’d kissed. He’d been relieved that I’d come to his room that night. He wanted me next to him and I somehow knew with rock solid certainty that if I demanded Hakkai leave, he’d have told Hakkai to leave. He’d told me once before that he liked me. After the kiss in the cave and the kiss that night, I was starting to think that maybe he felt other things for me too. Deeper things that I didn’t have the courage to ask him about right now. I really wasn’t sure how I felt about that. It was too new an idea. The thought that some one wanted me because I was… me. That stirred to life a storm of butterflies in my stomach.
“I don’t know what I’m supposed to say,” I grudgingly admitted.
Gojyo sighed softly again, “Either you want to keep having sex with me or you want to call it quits and just be friends. I want to keep going with this relationship. What do you want?”
I sat quietly and thought as I watched Gojyo begin picking some of the flowers that were growing next to where we sat. He stared off into the distance as his hands seemed to move of their own volition, plucking, weaving and braiding the delicate stems. His hair fell forward again, hiding his profile from me, giving me no clue as to what he was thinking.
Did I want to continue having sex with Gojyo?
Hell, yes. He was the most erotic, sensual person I’d ever met and the most considerate lover I’d had. He never made me feel uncomfortable because I didn’t know something and seemed to take great pleasure in introducing me to all kinds of bed play I never dreamed possible. With him, I knew my enjoyment mattered just as much as his own. Maybe more.
Did I want to try and have a relationship with Gojyo?
I was nervous and uncertain about that. It wasn’t that I didn’t want a relationship or thought that Gojyo wasn’t worthy of one. It was more like I didn’t think I was worth the effort. I knew I was screwed up in the head. We all were to some extent. But what if I let myself believe that I could have something and Gojyo realized what a colossal waste of time it was to try and have something with me? I didn’t want to have to deal with getting attached to someone and have them leave me. Again.
I shot a glance at Gojyo. He seemed to be waiting patiently for my answer. His fingers continued to work the flowers into an intricate circle. I didn’t think he was even aware that he was making anything. That was when I realized that he wasn’t nearly as patient and relaxed as he seemed. He was nervous as he waited for my answer and for some reason that made up my mind for me.
“You know I’m a prick and I’m not about to change. I want to keep this… thing between us going,” I said as took out a smoke and lit it to cover the sudden attack of nerves at saying out loud what I wanted. I was laying myself wide open for some serious hurt if this went wrong on me.
Gojyo’s whole body stilled for a heart beat before he relaxed. The smile he turned on me was filled with happiness. A lazy sensual heat and relief was apparent in his eyes. I exhaled a cloud of smoke to hide my surprise that my agreement meant so much to him. As usual with Gojyo, he seemed to sense that I needed a little space; he swung his gaze back to the meadow again.
“I think we need a few ground rules, Sanzo.”
The butterflies in my stomach burst into nervous life again. This roller coaster of emotions was going to give me an ulcer if it didn’t stop soon.
“If there’s a problem, tell me. Don’t pull that shit on me again. Nobody deserves that kind of thing,” Gojyo said with a look at me.
I felt heat tinge my cheeks in embarrassment. Now that I knew just how I’d made him feel, I was ashamed of my behaviour. If he’d done that to me, I’d have aimed for something painful, lingering and lethal when I shot him.
“You need to be able to talk to your partner to have any kind of relationship and make it work. If I do something that pisses you off, tell me. I’ll be sure to let you know if you piss me off.”
I smirked as I drew another lungful of smoke in. People could piss me off just by breathing the same air as me. I could talk, I suppose. It’d take some effort but I guess I could try.
“After sex, I get quiet time with you. I get to hold you and just… be. I’m not budging on that, Sanzo. If you can’t deal with that, then this goes nowhere between us.”
I exhaled a cloud of smoke again, this time to hide a small smile. I didn’t have a problem with that. I liked it when Gojyo held me. I didn’t feel comfortable enough yet to say that out loud to him. I might never feel secure enough to tell Gojyo that.
“Fine,” I said evenly.
Gojyo shot me a surprised looked. He obviously didn’t expect me to agree to that so easily. So far, if these were the rules Gojyo had in mind, I could deal with them.
“Is there any conditions you have, Sanzo? You’re involved in this just as much as me so if there’s something you want from me…” Gojyo trailed off.
I said the first thing that popped into my head and immediately wanted to kick myself.
“I suppose it’s pointless to demand you stop flirting.”
“With other people? If that’s what you want. I can’t guarantee I can. Its harmless fun and half the time I don’t realize I’m doing it. But if it bugs you that much, I’ll try not to. You do realize that it’ll seem suspicious if the only one I flirt with is you. Or did you mean you didn’t want me flirting with you?”
Gojyo shocked me with that. I didn’t know how to answer him. I knew the flirting was just Gojyo being Gojyo but some little part of me got angry every time he sweet talked a pretty girl or gave a handsome man a slow wink and a sensual smile. I had no idea where these possessive feelings for Gojyo were coming from. I didn’t own him.
But I wanted to make a claim on him.
I scowled at the way my brain seemed to not be working around Gojyo. He was right in that it would seem strange if he suddenly stopped flirting with other people. Not that it mattered now where Hakkai was concerned but Goku would certainly notice. Goku loved to point out when Gojyo got shot down by the ladies. I really didn’t want to be fielding any questions from Goku about what Gojyo and I did together. I just knew the curious monkey would ask, too.
“Sanzo? Did you mean flirting with other people or flirting with you?” Gojyo pressed.
“Forget it,” I muttered a little irritated with myself for even mentioning it.
Gojyo opened his mouth to say something more but ended up closing his mouth without saying a word. He sat next to me silently, his hands busy with the flowers he was weaving. He seemed lost in thought for a long while before I felt tension rising in him. I hadn’t said or done anything so I wondered what his problem was now.
Fuck, but relationships were nerve wracking.
“I want to know you beyond the sex and this damn journey we’re on,” Gojyo said in a low rush.
I turned to look at Gojyo in surprise. Know me? What did he mean by that? I started to ask when he spoke again.
“I want to spend time with you. Like this. You and me just… sitting and shooting the shit. Or not saying anything at all and just enjoying each others company. It can even be when we’re alone since you don’t want the monkey knowing what’s going on. I want the chance to know you better, Sanzo.”
“Why?” I asked suspiciously.
“Because, despite your nasty-assed attitude, I actually like you, Sanzo. It’s what lovers do. That’s what I want. You, as my lover. I mean it, Sanzo. I want a real relationship with you not just some fuck buddy thing of convenience. That was fine at the beginning but… I want more now. If that’s gonna be a problem for you, I need to know now, Sanzo.”
He’d thrown me for a loop. I found myself scowling. Was I ready for something like this? What would happen when Gojyo finally realized that I was nothing more than a fucking prick with an okay face and a decent body? Would he just tell me to fuck off and go find someone else when he got tired of dealing with my attitude? Could I handle that? I rubbed the edge of the sutra absently again. My hand jerked when I felt his calloused palm cover my fingers.
“I know you have… issues and stuff. We all do. I know I’m being pushy but if I don’t push you a little, you’ll just coast along. I think we can have something good together. I just… please, think about it, okay?” Gojyo asked softly as he leaned in and gave me a gentle kiss on the lips.
I was so surprised by the quiet plea in his voice and the tender kiss; I didn’t even think to protest that somebody could see us. He stood and ran a hand through his hair in a nervous gesture. There was a vulnerable look in his eyes when he met mine that stunned me before he looked back towards the camp and raised his arm in a wave. I’d never seen that sort of expression on his face before. The butterflies in my stomach crashed into frenzied motion when I realized I had the power to hurt him like nobody else. Why did he let me see that in his face? There really was a lot more going on with Gojyo than I thought. Was I really ready for something like this? Would I ever be ready?
“Hakkai is waving at us. Supper must be ready,” Gojyo said as he turned and started to walk back to camp.
He left me sitting there under the tree almost more confused than when he first sat down to talk to me. I watched him walk away from me and felt a tightness in my chest again. Could I do this? Could I have a real relationship with Gojyo? Did I want one? My heart pounded, whether from fear or excitement, I couldn’t have said at that moment. He was asking a hell of a lot from me and I didn’t know if I could deliver. I thought about the way he’d looked at me before he started back to the camp. My eyes widened when it hit me that he was unsure that I’d be willing to try to have a relationship with him. That maybe he thought my hesitating wasn’t because I was nervous about it but because he didn’t think I’d want to be with him.
“Gojyo,” I called.
He stopped with his back to me. “Yeah?” he asked warily.
“I don’t have a problem with that, just… don’t expect miracles,” I said gruffly.
“A guy can dream, Sanzo,” Gojyo said as he shot me a surprised yet happy smile over his shoulder before he continued on his way to camp.
I snorted at that comment. I was about to follow him when I spied the flower chain Gojyo had been making beside my leg. I picked it up and examined the elegant object. Several different types and colours of flowers were woven together along with some long grasses. Tiny flowers peaked out from the plaits of grass between the larger flowers. It was a beautiful piece of work. I almost expected it to fall apart when I picked it up but it had been braided skilfully and was surprisingly sturdy. Such a simple thing yet so… Gojyo.
I looked around surreptitiously before slipping the flower chain into the sleeve of my robe. For whatever reason, I was reluctant to leave it in the grass. I had no idea why I wanted to keep it. I just did. I stood and headed back towards our camp. I was nervous about opening myself up to a relationship. Past experiences hadn’t been kind to me. But, if I didn’t try, I might miss out on something I never dared dreamed I could have.
I suppose if Gojyo could dream, so could I.
Chapter 18: Love In An Alleyway
~Hakkai~
Another town and another trip through a local market to stock up supplies. The journey had long since taken on a familiar routine. There was a bit of a difference now though. One that I couldn’t have foreseen in my wildest imaginings. I had a lover to call my own that adored me far more than I deserved. That he was the last one I would have ever thought of for that position….
I’d finally stopped blushing like a school girl with her first crush every time I looked at him. That had taken almost an entire week for me to get under control. Gojyo kept shooting me strange looks but wouldn’t ask what was wrong. He knew I valued my privacy and would tell him if there was something troubling me. Sanzo raised a brow at me a few times but eventually seemed to dismiss my behaviour from his mind. It wasn’t impacting my abilities in our group so it didn’t warrant his concern. I was fairly certain Goku had no idea what was going on and I felt no need to enlighten him either.
I did still feel warmth touch my cheeks when I shifted gears while driving and I had to wonder if turning into a stick shift vehicle instead of an automatic had been deliberate on Hakuryuu’s part. Somehow, I thought it was. I couldn’t say for certain that the stick shift was his cock as I had no real understanding of the mechanics of his transformation skills, but it was a rather phallic thing. The very idea that I’d been feeling him up for months as we drove….
I was slowly learning that dragons were a devious breed.
I enjoyed the warm weight of Hakuryuu on my shoulder as I shopped. I’d refused Goku and Gojyo’s offer to accompany me. I was finding I was getting just as greedy to have my lover to myself as Gojyo was to have Sanzo alone. Even if he wasn’t in human form, he was still close to me and I felt… content. I felt bad that Goku was being left out of the loop without someone of his own to love but I couldn’t think of any way to fix that problem. I wasn’t sure that I even approved of the idea that Goku might be interested in sex. He may have physically been the oldest in our group but his attitude was more child-like than anything. I was really loath to have that spoiled in him.
Hakuryuu nuzzled my neck and made soft sounds of dragon-speak. We’d only had the one night to ourselves and the lessons for me to learn what he was trying to teach me were best taught away from curious eyes. I didn’t know why that was but Hakuryuu simply shook his head when I asked him if the others would get to see his humanoid form. A selfish part of me liked that I was the only one to see him that way. It made his sharing of his other form all that much more special to me.
His tongue flicked out and tickled my ear. I muffled a giggle and repaid him by tickling the soft spot where his wing joined his body. He made a chittering sound I knew was laughter and smacked me in the back of the head with his wing. I tugged on his tail in retaliation only to have him bite my ear with his needle sharp teeth. I hissed at the sudden pain and Hakuryuu immediately made noises of contrition as he licked the small wound he’d made.
I shivered at the touch of his tongue. Although we’d only been intimate once, that experience was burned into my brain. I vividly remembered what he’d done with that limber tongue. Heat flooded my face and my cock started to harden. I cleared my throat and discretely adjusted myself before approaching the next stall to purchase the fruit we needed.
The girl minding the stall smiled shyly at me. She flirted as she haggled with me over the price of the fruit. Hakuryuu shifted restlessly on my shoulder, his claws digging painfully into my skin through the fabric of my shirt the more the girl flirted with me. Annoyed rumbles sounded from his throat. I stroked his neck to calm him and was alarmed to feel heat radiating from his body. I paid the girl more than I should have simply to get away before Hakuryuu released the gout of fire he was preparing to unleash on the harmless girl.
“She was just teasing, Hakuryuu. Harmless flirting, like Gojyo does,” I said softly as I rubbed a finger between the horns on his head.
Hakuryuu hissed at the mention of Gojyo’s flirting and it occurred to me that bringing up Gojyo, flirting and harmless wasn’t the best thing with regards to Hakuryuu. He’d been very territorial around both Gojyo and Sanzo, hissing and shaking his wings at them when they got closer to me than he liked. I was surprised he hadn’t sent one of his fireballs their way, he became that agitated. I guessed that he’d smelled them on me when I’d gone back to my room after my night with them. It was reasonable to assume that my encounter with Gojyo and Sanzo is what prompted Hakuryuu to reveal himself to me as he had. I smiled at the thought that I owed them a thank you for inadvertently prodding Hakuryuu into action.
“Shhh, I’m not interested in her. I have you,” I said as I continued the gentle strokes.
Hakuryuu grumbled but let the fire in his belly die down. He flicked his tongue out, giving me the licking kiss he seemed to prefer. A blush rose up into my cheeks again as my body responded to him. I heard his pleased cooing at my reaction. I could smell my own arousal so I knew that he could as well.
“Stop that, Hakuryuu. People are going to start staring,” I whispered as I tried to steer my mind away from the mental images of Hakuryuu aroused and naked.
“Can I pet your bird?” a childish voice asked with an accompanying tug on my pant leg.
I looked down to see a little girl no more than four staring up at me. I was grateful at the distraction of the child. She turned chocolate brown eyes on me, smiling a gap-toothed grin and I couldn’t help the gentle smile I gave her. I crouched down to get to eye level with her and placed my bags on the ground.
“Hakuryuu isn’t a bird. He’s a dragon. You’ll have to ask him if it’s okay to pet him.”
She giggled and looked at Hakuryuu. “Can I pet you?”
Hakuryuu gave me a look and a long-suffering sigh. He made the sound for yes in dragon and lowered his head. The little girl stroked a chubby finger down Hakuryuu’s spine. He chirped his pleasure at the touch. She gave a squeal of delight at the silky texture of the hair and a radiant smile lit up her face. A harried woman hurried over and frowned at the girl.
“It’s a dragon, mommy. The dragon said I could pet him. He’s pretty,” the child babbled excitedly.
I watched in utter fascination as the most delicate shade of pink stole across Hakuryuu’s cheeks and nose at the praise from the child. I’d had no idea dragons could blush. I laughed softly, earning myself an annoyed look from Hakuryuu.
“Yes, he’s pretty but I told you to stay next to me, Ming. You scared me half to death when I couldn’t find you,” the woman scolded gently.
“I forgot,” the little girl said as she looked down and toed the ground.
“Thank you for finding her,” the harried mother said as he took the child’s hand and led her away.
“You are pretty you know,” I said as I brushed my fingers down his chest.
Hakuryuu’s blush grew to travel down his throat. He growled softly at me and nipped my finger. I didn’t think he liked being called pretty. Come to think of it, Sanzo didn’t like being called pretty either. Sanzo tended to shoot people who called him pretty. I was likely getting off lightly with just a bitten finger instead of a charred one.
I picked up the bags and started walking through the market place again, absently stroking Hakuryuu’s chest and belly as I weaved through the crowds. His claws dug into my shoulder as he shifted restlessly. His tail twitched back and forth and he rubbed his cheek against mine. Soft little noises escaped him and I wished that I understood more than the half dozen words of dragon that I did. I’d just turned from a stall and started walking again when Hakuryuu suddenly took flight and headed down an alleyway.
“Hakuryuu?” I called.
There was a shimmer in the air about half way down the alley and in the time it took me to blink, the dragon was gone and the handsome young man whose bed I’d shared stood in his place. I glanced nervously around but no one seemed to be paying the slightest bit of attention. I didn’t think anyone had seen him transform but I still felt a little flutter of unease at him doing so in such an open place. Why he’d done it, I had no idea. Hakuryuu stood with his hands on his hips, watching me for several seconds before he beckoned me to him with a little impatience. I entered the alleyway and stopped in front of him.
“What’s wrong? Did you see something?” I asked as I wondered if he’d spotted a demon.
Hakuryuu completely shocked me by fisting my shirt in his hands as he shoved me against the building, kissing me hard. I dropped the bags I was holding as I brought my hands up to grip his yukata. Some rational part of my brain was thankful that I hadn’t purchased anything breakable yet when the bags thunked on the ground. I found myself responding to his skilful lips and tongue before I could stop myself, very conscious of where we were and what we were doing. He pulled back from the kiss and stared at me for several seconds before a satisfied little smile played on his lips.
“Hakuryuu, what are you doing? Someone could see us,” I said a little breathlessly, not really wanting him to stop.
He shrugged his shoulder and licked my lips before pressing his body against mine from knee to chest. My eyes widened a little as I realized how aroused he was. I felt his erection digging into me and drew in a shuddery breath as desire spiked through me. Quickly followed by that was the knowledge that it was, quite likely, entirely my fault he was as excited as he was. I’d always petted Hakuryuu before and never given it any thought. Now, my petting of him took on a very different meaning. I’d been stroking my lover’s chest and belly softly as I’d shopped for close to half an hour. No wonder he was aroused. He leaned against me, grinding his groin against mine and pressing his lips to my ear.
//Yes? //
“This is insane, Hakuryuu. We could be discovered,” I said on a little groan as he started to nibble on the skin of my neck.
He growled softly and pulled my shirt up to run his hands over the skin of my belly. I knew I should be protesting. If anybody happened to look down the alleyway, they’d see us. The thrill that shot through me at the idea startled me. Gojyo rubbing off on me was my only explanation for my sudden wanton behaviour. Hakuryuu looked at me and smiled wide at whatever he saw in my face. His fingers worked the buttons of my pants and before I knew it, his warm hand was wrapped around my erection. I hissed softly as Hakuryuu stroked me. He licked my lips again before tilting his head and pressing his mouth to mine. His tongue invaded me. I brought my hands up to bury them in the silk of his hair, moaning softly as he firmly stroked me exactly as I liked it.
Just when I was really enjoying his forceful kiss, he broke it off. I murmured a protest and tried to pull him back to me. He grinned at me in wicked delight and sank gracefully to his knees. I had half a heart beat to realize what he intended before his mouth slid over my cock. I bit my lip to keep the pleasure filled groan from leaving me. The most erotic noises of delight left him as he worked my cock. My fingers found the horns mostly hidden by his hair and I stroked them, feeling my blood surge through me from the delighted sound he made at that action.
I watched him suck my cock with obvious pleasure. I’d never had a lover take such personal enjoyment from performing this intimate act. He jerked his yukata open and took his own erection in hand as he continued to pleasure me with his mouth. Soft growls left his throat, vibrating along my length and making me gasp at the sensation. He tugged my pants lower and a little frisson of nerves whipped through me. I was half naked in an alley with a young man quite plainly giving me oral sex. I groaned softly and closed my eyes as I realized it only made me more excited that we might be discovered at any moment.
The firm press of his finger against my hole was a welcome addition to the heat of his mouth on me. I shamelessly wriggled my hips and moaned as I felt him slide a finger inside. He stroked me in time with the sensuous glide of his mouth. I was panting when he added a second finger. Need was rising in me to feel him moving over me. I’d always been the dominate one in any relationship I’d had, but with Hakuryuu, it was different. I wanted him inside me. I needed to feel him loving me. I made half strangled noises as I rocked my hips for more of the dual pleasure of my cock sliding in the wet heat of his mouth and my ass being skilfully worked with his talented fingers.
I whimpered when both his mouth and fingers left me.
Hakuryuu stood and kissed me again. Not the teasing, licking kiss but a kiss of possession and passion. I could faintly taste the saltiness of my own pre-come on his tongue and hummed my approval as he devoured my mouth. Hakuryuu pulled back and licked his lips before gripping my shoulder and spinning me roughly around.
I gave a startled squawk and shot him a questioning look over my shoulder as I tried to turn back around. Hakuryuu pressed his hand between my shoulder blades, pinning me in place against the wall. He leaned in and growled something low at me in dragon, pushing my chest flat against the wall. I tried to push back but although Hakuryuu looked like a teen, he was far stronger. He growled the same sounds at me again and pressed me to the wall.
“Stay?” I questioned in a wavering voice as a thrill at being forcefully handled rushed through me.
//Yes, // Hakuryuu said as he delicately licked my neck.
I shivered and closed my eyes, remaining pressed against the wall as he wanted. Goose bumps travelled over my skin when I felt his hands cup the globes of my ass before spreading them apart. I moaned as I felt that clever tongue of his lick my hole before slowly pushing inside. I reached down to start stroking myself only to have Hakuryuu stop his delightful torture and pull my hand away. He caught my other hand and brought both of them to the small of my back where he manacled them together with one of his own. He spread my cheeks apart one-handed and continued his interrupted oral pleasuring.
I’d never before had a lover restrain me while playing with my body as Hakuryuu was now doing. Excitement slithered through my veins. I pressed my cheek to the rough brick of the wall and relaxed into Hakuryuu’s care. I let my eyes half close as sensations washed over me.
The rough feel of the wall against my cheek.
The low hum of conversations in the market place a stones throw from us.
The warm strength of Hakuryuu’s hand around my wrists, holding me in place.
The wet, skilful wriggling of his tongue inside me.
I had no idea when I started to plead with him in dragon. I barely even registered that I was making noises until the delicious feel of Hakuryuu tongue fucking me, stopped.
//Yes, yes, yes, // I chanted lowly to him over and over again.
//Yes, // he agreed seconds before I felt the thick press of his cock against my hastily prepared opening.
My breath left me in a shaky rush as he slid into me in one smooth thrust. The uncomfortable burn of his entry faded quickly as he made pleased noises and held himself still, deep inside me. His one hand remained around my crossed wrists. His other hand reached down between my legs and gripped me firmly. I groaned and licked my lips. Hakuryuu pressed his cheek against mine and whispered something to me that I hadn’t learned yet. Something he said often but that I didn’t understand and he couldn’t explain.
Then he began moving.
Hakuryuu’s hand glided over my cock in perfect counterpoint to the strong thrusts in my ass. I bit my lip again to stifle the sounds I wanted to make at the exquisite feel of having Hakuryuu roughly love me in an alley. He nipped my ear, flicking his tongue over the warm metal of the limiters, making me shiver. I had no idea how he knew exactly what to do to me to wring the pleasure from me that he did. Whatever the reason, I was grateful. In an embarrassingly short period of time, I felt my balls draw up tight as my orgasm approached.
“Hakuryuu, I…” was as much as I managed before my release rolled over me.
A low, pleasure filled moan left me as my cock spurted over Hakuryuu’s fingers. I dimly heard Hakuryuu’s satisfied hum as I panted and felt a shiver travel over my body. He paused in his rhythm, pushing into me as far as he could. He gave one last stroke to my sensitized cock, making gasp from the touch before he brought his fingers to my mouth. He made low sounds in his throat and pressed his seed covered fingers against my lips.
I didn’t know what he was saying but he seemed to want me to take his fingers covered with my release into my mouth. I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to do that. I’d never tasted my own seed before. It seemed like such a naughty, wanton thing to do. Hakuryuu growled the same sounds at me again and twitched his hips. His cock rubbed hard over my prostate and I gasped in pleasure. He slid two of his fingers into my mouth and licked my cheek as he hummed approval. I tasted the saltiness of my seed on his fingers and was surprised that it made my belly flutter in excitement. I curled my tongue around his fingers and sucked lightly. Pleasure rushed through me at his desire heavy growl before he started to quickly stroke in and out of my ass. He murmured words to me that sounded like endearments between sharp, nipping kisses along my jaw and neck.
My knees turned to water from the pleasure he was giving me and I would have fallen if Hakuryuu hadn’t let go of my hands and quickly wrapped his arm around my waist. The eroticism of what he was doing was overwhelming me. Tasting my own seed on his fingers while he continued to roughly take me from behind while pushed up against a wall had my heart continue its mad pounding. There was a sharp pain as he took the back of my neck between his teeth and bit me hard. A muffled cry of surprise was wrung from me when I felt my cock spurt, almost painfully, once more.
//Yes, // Hakuryuu hissed as he released my neck and jerked his hips hard into me.
I groaned at the feel of him reaching orgasm. He pressed himself tightly to my back and pulled his fingers from my mouth to trail down my throat. He panted heavily and caressed my hip for several minutes. He laid a quick succession of bites down the side of my neck, marking me. I shuddered when his cock slipped from me and started to turn around.
//Stay, // Hakuryuu said softly.
I turned my head in time to see him drop to his knees again. That wicked dragon tongue of his went to work on me, licking up the seed that dribbled down my thighs. I squirmed at the ticklish touch and laughed softly. He finished cleaning me up to his satisfaction and pulled my pants back up before letting me turn around. He gripped my chin with strong fingers and tilted my head to the side, examining the marks he’d made on me. He gave a satisfied grunt and leaned in to give me a licking kiss. I could taste him on his lips and found it surprisingly erotic. I could hardly believe the wanton creature I was becoming.
I wrapped my arms around him and held him to me with my nose buried in the silky hair near his ear. Despite the very real threat of being discovered, I was reluctant to let him go. I wanted to find a bed and lie beside him, just touching his body and discovering things about him. I wanted to fall asleep in his arms and wake up that way too.
I felt… at peace when he held me.
“As much as I enjoyed this, we have to finish the shopping and get back to the inn, Hakuryuu,” I said reluctantly.
Hakuryuu smiled softly at me and brushed the hair away from my face. He stared into my eyes as I watched emotions play through his. He said something quietly in dragon to me, touching my face lightly with his fingertips. He’d said it before to me, always with a feeling of satisfaction and possession.
“What’s that mean?” I asked, catching his arm when he would have moved away from me.
He pursed his lips and frowned as he tried to think of how to get me to understand. He finally repeated one sound and pointed to his chest.
“Is that your name?”
//No. //
“Me?”
//No, // he said but see-sawed his hand.
“Not me, but something close to that word?”
He nodded and waited for me to start guessing again.
“I?” he shook his head no. “Mine?”
//Yes, // he said with a broad smile.
“Say it again. I want to make sure I get it right,” I said with excitement.
I listened carefully to him make the sounds. Dragon was a difficult language. Some sounds were pitched lower or higher than human hearing and I was starting to think that body posture and expression might also play a role in getting the tone of the words right. He indulged me by repeating the word several times before I tried it myself. His eyebrows rose slightly and he bit his lip to keep from laughing.
“I said it wrong, didn’t I?” I asked in disappointment. He could understand me perfectly well, so there really wasn’t any need for me to actually speak dragon back to him.
But I wanted to.
//Yes, // he said with a chuckle before leaning in and licking my lips.
I started to ask him to repeat the word again when he snapped his head up and transformed in the blink of an eye. He settled on my shoulder just as Gojyo and Goku appeared in the mouth of the alley.
“Hakkai! Sanzo sent us out to find you. He said he’s down to his last cigarette and you have the credit card. What are you doing in this alley?” Goku asked as he skidded to a stop in front of me.
“Just taking a short cut,” I said with a small laugh as I bent to pick up some of the things that rolled out of the bags when I’d dropped them. I hoped neither of them would notice that my shirt was untucked and that I now had faint red marks of dragon script decorating my neck.
“But the inn’s that way,” Goku said as he pointed in the direction they had come from.
“Is it? I must have gotten turned around,” I said as I avoid the speculative look Gojyo was giving me.
“Hey, monkey, go find the stall with the meat buns while I help Hakkai pick up the last of the stuff here,” Gojyo said as he picked up a slightly bruised apple.
Goku started to say something but grumbled under his breath instead and left the alley. Gojyo watched him leave before handing me the apple. Hakuryuu growled at Gojyo and gave him a hostile look.
“I hope you used some kind of protection, Hakkai,” Gojyo said in a low voice.
I felt the blood drain from my face.
“I’ve no idea what you’re talking about, Gojyo,” I said with a nervous laugh.
“You never know what kind of disease somebody may be carrying; especially if they’re willing to have sex in an alley with a stranger. I don’t care if they say they’re clean. Come on, Hakkai. I know you know about this shit. Just… use some common sense, okay?”
I blinked in surprise at Gojyo for several seconds before a real smile formed on my face. Hakuryuu snorted and gave Gojyo a disgusted look. I laughed in relief and amusement when I realized that Gojyo only had it half right. I picked up the bags and looked at Gojyo.
“I’ll bear that in mind should I ever happen to have sex in an alley with a stranger.”
I watched as confusion chased its way across his face before I started walking out of the alleyway. Hakuryuu chittered and I think he may have stuck his tongue out at Gojyo. I knew that sooner or later, something would happen to give away the relationship I now enjoyed with Hakuryuu. Travelling as we were, it was bound to occur. Gojyo and Sanzo’s relationship was a perfect example of how a romance couldn’t remain hidden forever in such a small, close group as ours.
But until that time came, I was going to enjoy having my secret dragon lover all to myself.
Chapter 19: Blinded By Desire
~Gojyo~
I’d been getting hungry looks from Sanzo all day. If he didn’t knock it off, the damn monkey was going to notice and open his big mouth, getting us both shot. Hell, those looks of Sanzo’s were starting to make me nervous. I’d catch that little lip twitch of his that meant he found something amusing. He was looking at me each time it happened. Usually, I could figure out what Sanzo was thinking. This time… I had no fucking idea.
Well, I had sort of an idea, but it was more than just sex on Sanzo’s mind. Whenever Sanzo wanted a little bump and grind, he’d give me one very hot look and then I’d get nothing from him for the rest of the day. Except maybe a fan upside the head. Or a cocked gun pointed at somewhere vital. That was usually fine by me as that one look of his made my cock hard for the rest of the day as I thought about all the perverted things I’d get to do with him later.
I was still floored that Sanzo agreed to try to have a real relationship with me. I honestly thought he was gonna turned me down flat. He was skittish relationship-wise. I couldn’t blame him. He’d had some pretty shitty experiences getting close to people. I just had to make him realize that this wasn’t going to be the same as everything that happened before. Even if he’d said no to having a real relationship, I would’ve kept on sleeping with him. I enjoyed being with him for more than just the sex and I’d accept whatever he was willing to give me at this point. I was in way over my head with Sanzo. I still didn’t know how I’d come to actually love the bitchy monk.
One of those mysteries of the universe things, I guess.
We hit another town near dusk and I was stupidly grateful. Not because of the food. Hakkai was a surprisingly good cook even with the rations and a campfire. Not because of the booze I could get. Hakkai was kind enough, or maybe smart enough, to make sure there was always a bottle or three in with the supplies. A town meant an inn for the night. That meant a night spent in Sanzo’s bed which was a treat I looked forward to after days of camping out. Not being able to curl around Sanzo and inhale the smell of cigarettes and gun oil, which I was finding oddly erotic, was becoming a torture for me.
I was a sick, sick kappa if I was finding gun oil a turn on.
I fought with Goku over food at supper. Sneaky little bastard stole my last dumpling right off my plate when I turned to signal the waitress for another beer. He said he didn’t do it but who else pulled shit like that? Hakkai was wearing a stupid grin as he fed Hakuryuu some meat and Sanzo just raised an eyebrow before muttering to shut up and eat or he’d shoot us. I was surprised when Sanzo stopped me from going to the bar after supper with a hand on my arm.
“Two drinks, Gojyo. I have plans tonight and you don’t want them screwed up. Take a bath before coming to bed,” he ordered before turning and walking away.
Heat pooled in my groin. I loved it when Sanzo got all demanding. He was so intense when he decided to focus on something. When that something was me… I casually shifted the growing erection those thoughts were giving me. I wondered what he wanted to do with me. Sanzo with a plan could be damn scary in that fun kinky way I loved. I’d only been able to steal a few kisses and a couple of quick gropes the past four days. I was eager to really feel Sanzo’s skin under my hands again. If I was perfectly honest, I just wanted to hold him skin to skin. That I was going to get sex too was like icing on a cake. Beautifully sweet but not necessary for my enjoyment.
Not that I’d refuse sex with Sanzo.
I followed Sanzo’s demands. I had two drinks at the bar and bought a bottle to take back to the room. Sanzo liked a drink just as much as me and the local sake was actually pretty good. I washed the dirt of the road off me before letting myself relax in the heat of the pool. I let several different ideas of just what Sanzo planned to do with me float through my brain. This was going to be the first time since our talk that we’d had sex and it felt strangely new to me. I wondered if Sanzo felt the same way about it. I left the pool and dried off before wrapping the towel around my hips and heading for Sanzo’s room.
I opened the door expecting to find a naked and waiting Sanzo. I should have known better. Sanzo almost never did what I expected him to do. He was seated on a chair, reading a newspaper. He flicked a glance at me over the tops of his glasses and calmly went back to reading.
“Close and lock the door. Put the bottle of sake on the table. Take the towel off and stand there with your legs spread. Hold your forearms with your hands behind your back until I tell you not too,” Sanzo said without looking at me again.
I felt a smirk start to form. For this kind of kink alone, I would’ve fallen in love with Sanzo. I didn’t understand why I got such a thrill from him ordering me around the bedroom when I resented it anywhere else. Just some weird part of my brain, I guess. I did as Sanzo ordered, standing only inches from his crossed legs, waiting to see what he wanted to do with me.
I stood there for a full five minutes before he put his paper down, removed his glasses and looked me over with a critical gaze. I caught the lusty flash in his purple eyes when he stared for a few extra seconds at my half hard cock. I was waiting for him to touch me and was damn disappointed when he didn’t. He grunted, rose from the chair and moved behind me. I heard a zipper open and the rustle of things moving against each other. I guessed he was taking things out of his bag and my excitement went up a notch or three. Sanzo enjoyed the toys I’d introduced him to so much, he’d gone out and bought some of his own. I can’t even start to say how upset I was to have missed that little shopping trip with Sanzo.
I licked my lips in anticipation at what was to come. My cock stood at full attention.
“You’re going to let me do whatever I want with you, aren’t you?” Sanzo asked in a low tone from behind me.
“Yes,” I answered in a voice gone husky from the arousal he pulled effortlessly from me.
“You want a safe word or do you feel like being a little dangerous?” he asked as I felt the cold metal of the banishing gun slide down my spine.
“Dangerous,” I moaned softly at the feel of the barrel slipping between my ass cheeks. I trusted Sanzo with my life.
I heard a quiet laugh from Sanzo before he stopped touching me with the gun. That laugh made me more nervous than having a loaded weapon pressed against my spine. I was almost tempted to change my mind and ask for a safe word. Almost. I wanted to turn around and look at Sanzo’s eyes but he’d told me not to move. I’d agreed to play his little game. Sanzo hadn’t disappointed me yet with his bedroom ideas so I stayed perfectly still.
Even though I was expecting something like it, I still flinched when I felt the sting of Sanzo’s hand slapping my ass. When he slapped the other cheek even harder, I little groan left me. Damn, but he knew what I liked. Sanzo heard and a soft snort of amusement left him.
“Bend over the table. Keep your hands behind your back. Don’t move.”
I did what Sanzo told me too, pressing my chest to the table. My cock bobbed as blood surged into it from the erotically vulnerable position. The idea that he’d maybe take my ass as I leaned over the table came to life in my brain. Gods, but I loved kink with Sanzo. I’d known he’d be a natural at this kind of play. I was ready for the next slap when it came and bit my lip to keep the loud moan from escaping me. Sanzo started to lay a hard spanking on my ass. My cock twitched with every blow. I felt my desire climb as he grunted with effort. He was really putting his arm into it and despite his thin build, Sanzo was pretty strong. When he stopped, we were both breathing hard. My ass burned and I’m sure his hand was stinging too, but arousal was rushing through both of us.
Sanzo didn’t say anything when he moved away from me. I heard him rummaging around in his bag again and wondered what he was getting out. I had a real fondness for the vibrating butt plug he’d picked up gods knows where. I wanted to turn my head to see what he was doing but knew if I did that when he’d already told me not to move, this lovely game would be over. I heard him step behind me and waited.
“Close your eyes, Gojyo,” Sanzo said as he leaned against me.
I hissed softly as the material of his robe slid over my newly spanked ass. I smiled as I felt his erection through his robes. I wondered when he’d get naked. I’d been looking forward to feeling his skin on mine. To seeing him flushed a delicate pink with desire. Gods, but he was beautiful when he was aroused and wanting. My cock twitched at the mental image of Sanzo aroused.
“H-h-hey!” I stuttered as a cloth was pulled snugly over my eyes.
“Something wrong, Gojyo?” Sanzo asked as he tied the cloth tightly in place. I couldn’t see shit.
Well, damn. How did I answer that? It was just a blindfold. I wasn’t worried about what Sanzo was gonna do to me. He knew what I liked and what I could handle. I knew if I told him to stop, he would. But, I’d wanted to watch arousal build in his eyes as he played with my body. I wanted to see Sanzo lose control.
“Gojyo?” he asked with a little uncertainty in his voice.
“You surprised me. I’m fine. Go nuts,” I said as I put myself into his hands. I wondered if he understood the trust I was giving him.
He moved away from me and I could feel his eyes on me. Not being able to see anything was a little frustrating when I wanted to see, but it did make me glad that I was half youkai. My hearing and sense of smell was better than a human’s and if I completely relaxed myself, even my sense of touch became sharper. I drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, opening myself to my demon half.
I could hear Sanzo’s quiet breaths and very faintly, the sound of his heartbeat. I felt the air currents shift over my skin as Sanzo moved. I could smell my arousal as well as his. My skin twitched when I felt the barely there touch of Sanzo’s fingers over my back. It took me a few seconds to realize that he was lightly tracing every scar that he could find. I’d never in my life wished I had more scars than I did then. The ghostly touch was oddly erotic compared to the hot, prickly feel of my freshly beaten ass.
His fingers traced down around my hips, avoiding the red hand prints I was sure I had on my ass. Sanzo had gotten really good at giving me erotic spankings. I think he liked seeing his handprints on my ass. That was fine by me. I liked him putting them there. His fingers circled my wrists and he moved my hands to rest at my sides, releasing me from the slightly uncomfortable position of keeping them behind my back while bent over the table.
He moved away from me again and there was the sound of ice clinking in a glass. I heard him drinking and the soft thunk of the glass being set down. Air moved against my skin again and Sanzo was back behind me. I yelped in surprise when I felt the ice cube touch my reddened cheeks. I hadn’t been expecting that. Sanzo snickered and began outlining a handprint with the ice cube. It felt soothing on my hot skin and a little ticklish as the melted ice water trickled down the backs of my legs.
“Fuck,” I gasped as Sanzo licked the little rivulets of water from my skin. When the hell did he come up with this idea? What could I do to encourage more of these ideas?
“Later,” Sanzo said with a smirk in his voice. Who ever said the pissy monk didn’t have a sense of humour just didn’t know him well enough.
Sanzo finished playing with the ice cube and I felt him lean over me. He licked a line up my spine that raised goose flesh over me before pressing his still clothed body against mine. I felt his lips brush over my ear just before he licked the edge, making me shiver.
“Stand up, Gojyo,” he whispered before moving off me.
I pushed myself up and stood next to the table. I heard the soft pop of a cork and smelled sake. There was the gurgle of it being poured from the bottle but the sound was wrong for it to be going into a glass. I felt the air currents swirl seconds before Sanzo tangled his fingers in my hair and pulled my head down. He pressed his lips to mine turning my head a little to the side. I tasted sake on his lips and opened my mouth to lick at them. He opened his mouth and sake flowed from his mouth to mine. I swallowed as I wrapped my arms around him.
Sake tasted so much better when it was drunk from Sanzo’s mouth.
He’d pushed his robe down to hang off his waist. The supple leather of his sleeveless shirt rubbed against my chest and I groaned softly into his mouth. His tongue played with mine and I found that I liked his taste better than that of the very nice sake I’d brought to the room. He broke the kiss and panted lightly before pushing against my hold. I didn’t want to let him go.
“Undo the zipper for me,” he said softly against my throat between little nips.
Yes! Sanzo was gonna be naked!
Even though I couldn’t see him naked at the moment, I could still touch him. Naked Sanzo felt fan-freakin-tastic under my hands… as well as other body parts. I pulled the zipper down and let him step away from me to shed his clothes. I heard the slither of his robes falling down to the floor and the heavier plop of his leathers joining the robe on the floor. There was a scratchy rustle as he peeled his jeans off before he put his hand on my arm. He tugged me along until I felt the edge of the bed against my leg.
“Lay down on your back. I’m not done with this game yet,” he said as he gave me a little push.
I lay back on the bed and waited for what he was going to do next. I tried to remember some of the toys he might have stashed in that bag of his. He had that little mini flog he’d used on me before. He’d also picked up a crop somewhere. They were both fun to play with. Anticipation made me strain my senses to the max but didn’t give me any clue what he was about to do. I heard him moving things around before I felt the edge of the bed dip when he sat next to me. I shivered when I felt something soft travel over my skin in a random pattern. When he moved it back and forth several times over my nipple, I moaned.
“Guess correctly what each thing I touch you with is, and you get a reward.”
He expected me to think? When I knew he was naked and aroused and sitting right next to me? When I could smell and almost taste his desire on my tongue? Was he nuts?
“What am I touching you with, Gojyo?” Sanzo asked as he moved the object back and forth over the hard little nubs my nipples had become.
“What’s the reward?” I managed to ask with just a little breathlessness in my voice. I was proud that I’d managed to put that many words together without groaning in pleasure.
“A kiss. A few licks. A gentle bite or two. A good, hard suck. Whatever I feel like,” Sanzo said as he continued to brush the object back and forth across my nipples.
Sanzo continued to surprise me. I wondered what kind of perv I’d unleashed by introducing him to some of the stuff I had. I made a mental note to thank the gods that such a kinky soul lived in the bitchy monk and that he was willing to test out these ideas on my willing body. I tried to focus on the thing he was teasing me with but just the idea of Sanzo wrapping his lips around my hard cock as a reward was seriously distracting.
Not that my thought process were ever very good around Sanzo when he was naked.
“How many guesses do I get? Do I get a clue? Is there a penalty for a wrong guess?” I asked as I shifted, trying to feel more of Sanzo’s skin against mine. I was freakin’ amazed I’d gotten three complete sentences out. I deserved a medal for that.
“One, yes and you don’t get rewarded for guessing wrong,” Sanzo said with humour in his voice as he moved the object down my chest and started brushing it around my cock.
“Clue,” I said through my teeth when he dragged it down my length and teased my balls.
“It’s a tool.”
What kind of fucking clue was that?!
I tried to think as Sanzo started to draw random patterns over my dick with it. It was soft but a little prickly and small. I frowned as I tried to think but the pattern Sanzo was drawing over and over was distracting me. The twenty-watt bulb lit up in my head when I realized what the pattern was. Sanzo was writing a word over and over on my erect cock with… a paintbrush.
“Paintbrush,” I said with a triumphant smile and a little moan.
My breath left me in a rush at the feel of Sanzo’s tongue licking a wet line up my chest, over my throat and taking my ear lobe between his teeth gently. He sucked lightly on my ear lobe before letting go. Sanzo nipped a line down my throat, stopping to suck lightly at my collar bone. The whole time he was moving his lips over my neck; his fingers were busy plucking and pinching my nipples. My cock throbbed with the sensations he was giving me and I could feel and smell pre-come leaking from my dick.
A teasing, playful Sanzo was fucking dangerous to my control. I wouldn’t change a thing about that though.
“Correct. Next,” he whispered before moving back.
Cold metal pooled on my belly making me gasp. Sanzo dragged the object down around my groin and trailed it over my inner thighs. I heard the soft clinking of metal links together. It was a chain of some sort but a small, delicate one.
“Clue,” I hissed as he dragged the chain over the sensitive skin of my balls.
“You liked this a lot when you last saw it.”
He was doing it on purpose. The clues were damn near useless. There were a lot of things I liked that I’d seen. It might have been a necklace or a bracelet but I had no idea where Sanzo would get something like that. He didn’t do jewellery. He slowly dragged the chain back up my body and placed it across my chest. He teased my nipples with the cold metal ends of the chain for several minutes before I got a mental image of the time Sanzo wore the jewelled nipple clips after I suggested he’d look hotter than hell and probably like it.
“The nipple clips with the chain you wore before,” I said confidently as I tried not to squirm from the erotic teasing.
I groaned and pressed my head back against the pillows when he attached the delicate clips to my erect nipples. When he teased the trapped nubs with his tongue, my back arched from the sheer erotic delight of the act. I was panting harshly when he stopped. Sanzo’s breathing wasn’t the steadiest either.
“You’re doing better than I thought at this. Maybe I should pick something harder to guess?”
Something thin and silky was dragged from my ankles to my groin. I wracked my brains to try and think what it could be but nothing was coming. The feel of the nipple clips was distracting the hell outta me and the scent of Sanzo’s arousal was getting stronger every time I breathed in.
“Clue,” I said on a sigh at the silky, slippery feel. Fuck, but this all felt good.
“I made you beg when I used this last.”
Oh, big fucking help that was! Sanzo had made me beg on a number of occasions. He teased me by looping it around my cock and slowly stroking me with it. My brain tried to shut down and just wallow in the pleasure of having Sanzo slowly jerk me off with something wrapped around my cock. When he lightly looped the object around one of my wrists, it clicked with me.
“The silk rope,” I groaned.
I shouted when Sanzo closed his lips over the head of my cock and sucked hard. He was trying to kill me with pleasure. If my eyes had been open, they would have rolled back in my head. I settled for burying my hands in his hair and moaning his name. I could hear his heart rate speed up when I did that and the scent of his arousal spiked sharply. He worked his tongue around the head, stabbing into the slit. Need slammed into me hard. I wanted to fuck his mouth. I wanted to watch my cock slipping between his lips and hear those erotic little noises he made that let me know he liked sucking my dick. A lot. I whimpered when he released my cock. He moved over my body, straddling my hips and pressing his tight ass down on my dick.
His fingers moved lightly over my chest, tracing the scars I had there. The feather light touch was raising goose flesh on me again. I jerked a little when his fingers sketched lightly over the scars on my cheek. I was pretty sensitive about them but I didn’t want Sanzo thinking he couldn’t touch me where ever he wanted. When I felt his lips gently kiss the scars, my breath left me. I’d never had Sanzo touch me like this before. It was almost… reverent. My heart started to pound in my chest. I reached for the blindfold. I wanted to see his eyes. I needed to see his eyes.
“You take that off before I tell you too and I stop,” Sanzo warned as he moved off me.
I gave a little growl of frustration and clenched my fists in the sheets under me. He’d do it, too. He was enough of a prick to leave me hanging if I didn’t play by the rules I’d agreed to in the beginning. I got the feeling that I was missing something important by not seeing his eyes and the expression on his face. There was a different feel to Sanzo’s touches this time. If I could see his eyes, I’d know what was going through his mind. He had the most expressive eyes even though he tried to hide it. But, I wanted the soft touches to continue, so I left the blindfold where it was.
Sanzo waited a few more minutes before he settled back between my legs. I felt him shifting around and heard some strange noises but I wasn’t sure what he was doing. Something interesting as the scent of his arousal kept climbing, his breathing was coming faster, his heart sped up and he started to make some of those tiny noises of pleasure I loved to hear.
Damn the blindfold, I wanted to see what he was doing!
He removed the rope from around my cock and took me back into his mouth. I groaned as he started to bob his head. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to make me come. I was already closer to the edge than I wanted to be thanks to his little game and having to concentrate on nothing but sensations. Just when I thought I was going to have to tell him to stop, he let my cock fall from his mouth. A strangled whimper left me. I loved the feel of Sanzo’s mouth on me, something he knew damn well. He moved from the bed again. I lay there with my cock hard, my heart pounding and a film of sweat covering my skin.
I yelped when cold liquid dripped onto my belly and smelled sake seconds before Sanzo started licking it off me. His tongue dipped into my belly button and I couldn’t help the giggle that escaped me. He knew I was ticklish. Hearing that, he started to lick and nibble my skin, making me squirm and laugh. I felt him smile as he pressed his mouth high on the inside of my thigh and sucked hard. I was going to have a hickey there but I didn’t care. I liked that Sanzo felt the need to mark me with his teeth or hands. I also liked that I could make him smile, even if I couldn’t actually see it. Real Sanzo smiles were a rare treat that made me feel all warm and squishy inside.
So I’m a fool in love. Bite me.
He straddled my thighs again and stroked my cock leisurely. Before long, he had me moving my hips in time with his hand. I reached out and stroked his hips, letting my fingers wander up his chest to play with his nipples. He groaned softly and shivered at the touch and I smiled in delight. Sweet Merciful Goddess, but he had the most sensitive nipples on a man that I’d ever had the pleasure to play with. It was my turn to groan when he shifted and pressed the head of my cock to his ass.
I slid easily into him. He’d been stretching and lubing himself up when he was moving around earlier. Fuck. He knew I loved to watch when he did shit like that. Seeing Sanzo slip his fingers inside himself was fucking erotic. He sat in my lap with my cock up his ass and a moan of absolute pleasure escaped him. I was panting with the feeling of finally being balls deep inside Sanzo’s heat. Like any desperate junkie, four days seemed like forever to go without a Sanzo fix. He leaned down and kissed me with a passion I was pretty sure I was the only one to call from him. I kissed him back with all the desire he’d stirred in me. I worried for a second that he’d react to the love that was in the kiss I was returning. Feeling his fingers stroking through my hair as he made those sexy sounds of delight made my brain shut down and my body just feel.
The kiss was pure Sanzo. It was hunger and need and want. There was tenderness in it as well as threads of violence. Strength and domination as well as vulnerability and submission. It was a complicated mix of emotions just like the bitchy monk I’d fallen for.
“Fuck me, Gojyo,” he panted against my lips.
Nope, I was done fucking Sanzo.
I wanted to make love to one Toua Genjo Sanzo Houshi. I just hoped like hell he could tell the difference. I didn’t want to scare him off but he had to know that this relationship between us was important to me; to both of us. I knew we could have something special together. He just needed to let himself go and trust me. I wouldn’t hurt him on purpose. I only wanted him to give me the chance to love him like I thought he deserved. I wasn’t entirely sure he’d ever be ready to do that but I had to start the first steps with him. If I didn’t, I was pretty sure he never would on his own. He was too skittish about relationships.
He drew away, sitting up again but remaining perfectly still in my lap. Well, parts of him remained still. Every now and again, he’d clench the muscles in his ass. The intimate squeezing had me biting my lip and groaning softly in pleasure. His fingers traced patterns over my chest, my throat, my face. The touch was gentle, like you’d use to pet a kitten or a puppy. Every now and again, I’d feel him play with strands of my hair. Little pleasure noises would escape him when he did that. I almost snickered when the thought hit me that Sanzo was a hair whore. I decided to start letting my hair grow longer so he’d have more to play with.
More of my hair to play with meant more erotic sounds from Sanzo.
I noticed he was being very careful not to touch my antenna. I wouldn’t have minded if he did but this gentle loving was so very good it didn’t need the extra boost of demon lust. I moved my hands to his thighs and started touching him as he was touching me. Gods, but I loved the satiny feel of his skin. I stroked the lean muscles of his legs up to gently cup his firmly muscled ass and smirked a little when I thought that Sanzo had legs that went all the way up to make a perfect ass of themselves.
He covered my hands with his and I thought for a moment that he was going to move them away, that I wasn’t allowed to touch him in this little game we were playing. Instead, he started to guide my hands over his body, touching himself through me. Not being able to see him, going only on what my senses were telling me was more erotic than I would have thought. His soft sighs and pleasure filled groans were better to me than any demon song I could come up with. I was almost positive I’d died and gone to heaven because nothing in my life was ever this good. Sanzo started to roll his hips and I groaned. I pulled his hands along as I reached for his head and drew him down to kiss him. It was either kiss him senseless or tell him I loved him and I didn’t think he was ready to hear that yet.
I kissed him gently, as if I had all the time in the world to taste his mouth. I don’t know where I dragged up the willpower to do that when what I really wanted to do was hold onto his hips and pound into his ass as hard as I could. Sanzo wriggling his hips like he was… well, that wasn’t helping my control any. The feel of his hard cock trapped between our bellies and sliding a little in the sweat and drops of sake he’d missed was arousing us both more than we already were. Sanzo was the one to break the kiss as he sat back up.
He rose up on his knees before slowly sitting back down. I could smell his excitement and it made my arousal stronger. I knew if I touched his cock, I’d find the tip slick with pre-come. I could hear his heart pounding and the harsh breaths he was taking. He kept to the slow pace for just a handful of strokes before he started to make more of those erotic sounds I loved. He began to move faster while soft little moans and quiet groans of desire slipped out of his throat. He took my hand and guided me to his cock.
“Jerk me off, Gojyo. I want you to come with me. Now,” Sanzo demanded in a low, rough voice.
Ah, fuck. How was I supposed to ignore a command like that? I moved my hand over Sanzo’s cock, squeezing and twisting just how he liked it. A startled cry left me when he tugged on the chain connecting the nipple clips together. Damn, that was a beautiful feeling. A little pinch of pain with an erotic tugging sensation. I needed to remember to do that to him the next time he wore the nipple clips. I’d send him into ecstasy if I did that. I smiled at the delicious thought of Sanzo begging for more. He was gorgeous when he begged.
“Come for me, Sanzo. Give me your pleasure,” I said in a soft voice.
Sanzo groaned and moved faster over me. He slammed down into my lap and his body stiffened. His fingers dug hard into the muscles of my forearms as a low moan vibrated from his throat and his cock spurted in my fist. I gasped at the erotic feel of his ass clenching my cock as he peaked. I smelled his release as it spattered my belly and chest, the hot wetness pushing my desire to its limits. My hips jerked as my orgasm rushed through me. I called Sanzo’s name with a broken little sob as I came. He sucked in a sharp breath before grinding his ass down on my cock, whimpering with pleasure at the feel of my dick spurting inside him. Our breathing was harsh in the quiet of the room. I whined a little protest when Sanzo moved off me before I was ready. I wanted to enjoy the feeling of being inside him just a little longer.
I sucked in a surprised breath when I felt him licking up his seed from my body. He’d never done that before. It was a damn erotic, intimate thing and he totally astonished me by doing it. I’d done it to him before, but I liked the taste of Sanzo in my mouth. I didn’t usually swallow but, for him, I actually preferred it. I never expected him to swallow for me, but it made me feel damn possessive the times he did it.
He kissed me with banked heat. I could taste him faintly on his lips and hummed my approval. My tongue teased the seam of his mouth and he opened to let me in. If I’d have been able, I would have widened my eyes in surprise when I got an unexpected mouthful of the come he’d licked off me. Sanzo was amazingly perverted when he wanted to be. I loved it. I swallowed greedily and played with his tongue, enjoying the taste of him. Sanzo pulled back from the kiss slowly sooner than I wanted him too.
“I’ll take off the blindfold when I’m done with you,” Sanzo said quietly as he brushed his fingers over my throat.
I wondered what he was up to and why he wanted me to keep the blindfold on. A little hiss left me when he removed the nipple clips. He kissed both overly sensitive nubs gently before moving away. I sighed in pleasure when he dragged a warm, wet cloth over my dick and balls, carefully cleaning me. There was more rustling of things before I heard the click of a lighter and smelled tobacco. The bed dipped slightly as he sat beside me.
He pressed the filter between my lips and I inhaled with a little hum of pleasure. Sanzo leaned against my chest as he shared the smoke with me. I knew he was watching me. It should have bothered me to be stared at but I found that I only wanted to see his eyes. I wanted to know what was going on in that pretty head of his.
This encounter was very different from anything Sanzo had done to me before. Initial spanking aside, the entire encounter had been about teasing, gentle sex. I was surprised that Sanzo had put the effort into doing this. He knew I liked the gentle side of sex as much as I enjoyed the rougher play. But… Sanzo never initiated gentle sex with me. I think he used the forceful sex to keep a distance between us. To keep it just sex between two people.
Did this mean that Sanzo was really, honest to gods, gonna try to have a relationship with me? My heart stumbled in my chest at the possibility. I tried to want very few things in life. Reduced the hurt when I didn’t get any of it. But I wanted this with him. I wanted it so bad I that I actually had to bite my own tongue to keep from telling him how important he was to me.
How much I’d come to love him.
I heard Sanzo take a drag off the cigarette and move away from the bed again. His footsteps crossed the room and I heard him flick the light switch before he came back to the bed. He prodded me to move over before climbing into bed with me. He tugged the blindfold off and dropped it over the edge of the bed. I rolled into him, pulling him tight to my body. I don’t think he knew that after the complete blackness of the blindfold combined with my youkai senses, I could see him just as clearly in the darkness of the room as if a light had been turned on.
His eyes were soft with the afterglow of sex and completely unguarded. There was cautiousness in his gaze, like he was waiting for something bad to happen but hoping it wouldn’t. I pressed my lips together hard to keep from asking him if he was really gonna let himself get close to me like I thought he was. I could see the want in him, the need. Not sexual, although that simmered in the back of his eyes. No, it was the same thing that I wanted that I could see in his eyes before he closed them. Sanzo wanted to feel like he belonged. Like he had a place in someone’s world as more than a Sanzo priest or a pretty face or a nice body. Sanzo wanted to be valued because he was… Toua Genjo Sanzo Houshi or Kouryuu or whatever the hell he wanted to call himself. I wanted to give that to him but I wasn’t exactly sure how to tell him without making him bolt away.
Skittish was one way to describe Sanzo’s reaction to feelings and emotions. Homicidal was another and probably more accurate.
“Thank you, Sanzo,” I said softly as I stroked his skin lightly. I hoped he’d know that I was thanking him for more than just the fantastic sex.
One purple eye cracked open as a delicate blush travelled over his cheeks. Ah, so he did know. Surprise, surprise. He stared at me for several seconds before grunting something that sounded suspiciously like ‘pervy water kappa’. His hand reached up to tangle in my hair and a very quiet sigh of contentment escaped him.
“Shut the fuck up and go to sleep, Gojyo. Hakkai wants to get an early start for a change,” he grumbled but with a lot less heat than he normally would. I think Sanzo had been affected by the gentle sex too. “And, Gojyo, Goku didn’t take your dumpling. I did.”
I pulled back just enough to stare in shock at his face. Sanzo took food off my plate? That was… he… but…. A wicked smile kicked up the corner of his mouth at knowing he’d stunned me into silence. He opened his eyes and watched me almost shyly for several seconds before closing his eyes again and muttering to go to sleep. Sanzo was even more beautiful when he smiled. That he’d smiled like that for me…. I hugged him tight as I dragged covers over us, kissing him softly on the lips.
It was almost like walking a minefield blindfolded to try and have a relationship with Sanzo. So many things could set him off. But getting through that minefield was going to be so worth it in the end. Sanzo had a lot of passion crammed down deep inside him. I think he had love buried there too. I wanted to be the one to break both things free. As long as he didn’t start running when stuff got more serious between us, ‘cause they sure as shit would, we could both have what we wanted with each other.
Chapter 20: Dragon’s Treasure
~Hakuryuu~
I’d never really noticed how much time we all spent around one another. Now that I’d revealed myself to Hakkai and was sharing the pleasure of his bed, I was annoyed to no end with the small amount of time we actually had completely alone. I finally understood now why Sanzo and Gojyo were prone to long walks in the woods or going immediately to their rooms if we happened to be in a town. To have your lover within touching distance, yet not be able to actually touch them openly as you wanted….
I made a disgruntled noise as I shifted on the bed.
Sanzo was very ill. Gojyo was hovering and getting in Hakkai’s way as my lover tried to determine just how unwell the monk was. I could smell the sickness coming from Sanzo and buried my sensitive nose under my wing, trying not to breathe too deeply. When that didn’t seem to help, I gave up on blocking the foul scent and turned my head to watch what was going on. I hoped Hakkai would see the wisdom of placing Sanzo in a room by himself. I didn’t want my lover laid low by whatever Sanzo had.
“Sanzo seems to have the flu, Gojyo. The best thing for him to do is get plenty of bed rest and drink lots of fluids. It should run its course in about a week. We’re very lucky that we made it to this town before he collapsed like this. He’s probably been sick for a few days,” Hakkai said as he straightened. Only the monk being deeply asleep allowed Hakkai to examine him as he had without protest or gunfire.
“He did seem to be bitchier than normal lately,” Gojyo murmured as he brushed the sweaty hair off Sanzo’s forehead.
“You can heal him, right, Hakkai?” Goku asked as he turned pleading eyes on Hakkai.
“It’s the flu, Goku. He’ll be fine in a few days. Chi healing doesn’t always work on things like colds and the flu. I’m not entirely sure why. I’ll keep an eye on him but I don’t believe he’s in any danger. I do think we should move him to a separate room though. He needs quiet rest to get better.”
“I’ll stay with him, Hakkai. Go get another room. Just make sure it has a big bed,” Gojyo said as he sat on the edge of the bed and started to take Sanzo’s robe off.
“Hey! Why do you get to stay with Sanzo and take care of him?” Goku protested.
“Because I do, shit for brains,” Gojyo snapped with a glare.
Goku started to open his mouth to argue further. He snapped it closed when he looked in Gojyo’s eyes. His gaze darted between Sanzo and Gojyo before he looked down and toed the floor.
“I’m just saying if you need help or want to go take a bath or a have a cigarette or something, I could watch him or… stuff.”
Gojyo stopped undressing the monk and ruffled Goku’s hair with mumbled thanks. So, Goku knew there was something between Sanzo and Gojyo. Interesting. I wondered how he’d come to know that. There was going to be hell to pay when Sanzo found out that Goku knew about his relationship with Gojyo. This incarnation didn’t like his privacy disturbed any more than when he’d been Konzen in heaven.
And this incarnation firmly believed in the use of a gun to vent his anger and frustration.
Hakkai came back to the room shortly with a key to the room next to us. Goku gathered up Sanzo’s things while Gojyo slipped his arms under Sanzo and lifted the monk from the bed he’d collapsed on earlier. Sanzo roused enough to mumble death threats and struggle weakly in Gojyo’s hold. Gojyo held him tighter, whispering for him to relax and let Gojyo take care of him. I knew then that Sanzo was indeed very sick when all the fight went out of him and he let Gojyo carry him to the next room. I heard the low murmur of Hakkai, Gojyo and Goku as they settled Sanzo. Hakkai came back into our room alone and proceeded to strip the bed that Sanzo had been laying on.
I shot a quick look at the door. Goku was still talking to Gojyo in the other room. I transformed into my humanoid form, shut the door softly and leaned against it. Hakkai raised his eyebrow in surprise at me. I usually never changed unless I was sure that we wouldn’t be discovered. But, this forced stop was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I pointed at myself and gestured away from my body while making the sound for ‘go’ in Dragon. Hakkai frowned at me. He didn’t know that word yet but I was fairly certain he’d know what I was trying to say. Hakkai was a smart man and caught on fairly quick to what I was trying to teach him.
“We can’t leave, Hakuryuu. Sanzo’s too ill. The rest would probably do you some good too. We’ve been pushing you very hard lately,” Hakkai said quietly.
//No, // I said softly as I repeated the new word and the gesture.
“You want to leave? Why?”
I let an annoyed growl trickle past my lips. This would be so much easier if I could just speak. I didn’t want to simply disappear on Hakkai. With Sanzo so ill, he didn’t need to be worrying about me as well but it couldn’t be helped. I had no idea when another opportunity like this would come to me. I repeated the word and gesture again before approaching him. I pulled his head down for a fast kiss, stepping away from him sooner than I wanted to.
//Stay, // I commanded before I transformed back into a dragon and flew out the window.
Hakkai rushed to the window, calling me. I ignored him as I hovered in the air just out of his reach. This was something I needed to do. After concentrating for several minutes, I felt a gentle pull on my mind. Hakkai called to me again but I took off in the direction of the tug on my dragon senses. He’d understand when I got back. After all, I was going to get something for him that he’d been missing for five hundred years.
All dragons kept treasure. I don’t know why we felt the need to amass such a thing. We certainly didn’t need the monetary value of piles of gold and gems. My personal belief was that all dragons had an attraction for pretty, shiny objects. We were all probably kleptomaniacs of the highest order. Just because I’d been the General of the Western Army of Heaven didn’t exclude me from collecting a treasure. Mine was quite impressive in size and content but I’d had millennia to accumulate it.
There was one unwritten rule among our species about dragon treasure. We never shared our treasure with each other. We were, by nature, a greedy and possessive species. Long and bloody battles had been fought over something as simple as a string of pearls stolen from a horde. Not that a long, messy fight stopped us from stealing things from each other. The fight was half the fun of acquiring new treasure. But, dragons shared their treasure willingly with only one individual.
The one who captures their heart.
I’d shared my treasure with Tenpou, although, I’m fairly certain now that he hadn’t understood at the time the meaning behind the gifts of gems, sculptures and the odd scroll or book I though he’d enjoy. When Tenpou left heaven, he’d left everything behind with the exception of a necklace he never removed that had been my first gift to him when I realized he owned my heart. That necklace hadn’t been something I’d found or ‘borrowed’ from another dragon. The raw materials had taken time to find, but we were gods and time was one thing we had plenty of. I’d gone to the best craftsmen of the period and had the piece created specifically for him. I’d wanted nothing in that first gift to be traceable to another dragon. It was for Tenpou alone.
Dragons could find any piece of their treasure no matter where it was hidden or by whom. All we needed to do was focus on whatever piece we wanted to find and the location would come to us like a picture in our minds if it was close or like a mental tug in the direction we needed to go if it was far away. A dragon knew every single piece of treasure they owned right down to a specific coin that looked like hundreds of other coins. Tenpou’s necklace was created from things that became part of my treasure horde and given to the one who owned my heart. I’d be able to find the necklace no matter where it was.
The necklace I’d given Tenpou was far away from our current location. Buried five hundred years ago with him, I wanted him to have it again now that I’d found him and he’d accepted me. To make the round trip to retrieve it would take me more time than I had if I flew. I was about to do something that was probably stupid and certainly dangerous.
An experienced dragon could teleport themselves or items over great distances if they knew where they were going or exactly what they wanted. It had taken me several hundred years when I was first a dragon in heaven to learn how to do it. Teleporting drained the body’s reserves and was never done lightly.
A dragon my current age wouldn’t even know that such a thing was possible.
I settled myself on a high tree branch and began the mental process needed to accomplish bringing the necklace to me. This was going to be difficult for me to do and I’d likely have to bring it closer in stages or run the risk of draining myself to a fatal point. I could have stayed at the inn to do this but I didn’t want to alarm Hakkai by the amount of energy I was going to be expending. While I knew exactly how to do what I wanted, the body I currently had wasn’t mature enough to handle it all at once. I knew I was going to make myself sick and exhausted by teleporting the necklace but now that I’d been accepted by Hakkai, I had a driving need to give it back to him.
*********
Five draining days passed before I had the necklace. I’d had to move several times during my teleportation efforts. I’d forgotten how determined my lover could be. I’d heard him calling my name in the forest for the first few days. I didn’t answer him. I hadn’t accomplished my goal yet. He’d been angry and frustrated the last time he left but it couldn’t be helped.
I transformed into my humanoid form and held the necklace in the palm of my hand. The metal links were cool against my skin, the jade silky to the touch. I undid the clasp, re-fastening the necklace around my neck. When I transformed back into a dragon, the necklace would be hidden and safe until I changed once again. I was tired and planned to sleep once I got back to the inn. Now that I had the necklace, if need be, I could wait a little longer to give it to Hakkai.
I arrived back at the inn on dregs of energy and sheer will power alone. I tumbled into an ungraceful heap on the bed and immediately fell asleep. I woke once when Hakkai came into the room and spotted me. His words were politely concerned and reproving of where I’d disappeared to for nearly a week but his hands shook when he checked me for injuries. I licked his fingers in consolation for worrying him and slipped back into the rest I desperately needed.
I woke to darkness, warmth and the steady sound of Hakkai’s heart. I was laying on Hakkai’s bare chest, his hand holding me to him. My stomach rumbled with hunger. I lifted my head, unsure if I had the energy to go searching for food. I heard the change in Hakkai’s rhythm of breathing and knew he’d woken from just the small moves I’d made. My stomach rumbled again, louder.
“It would seem you’re hungry. Food first, then a bath. You’re filthy. If I knew enough Dragon to understand what you’d say, I’d demand an explanation. Since I don’t, let’s just say that I was very worried about you, I’d appreciate you never doing that again and we’ll leave it at that, shall we?”
I winced inwardly. Hakkai was very angry. Each word could have frozen water and was sharp enough to cut. While I didn’t like being on the receiving end of Hakkai’s anger, it did mean that I was becoming more important to him. My little retrieval mission seemed to have netted me more than just the necklace I was after. I now knew Hakkai was once again developing deeper feelings for me. Pleased with myself all over again, I leaned forward and licked his lips while cooing at him. He blushed and sat up, cradling me to his chest.
“Hakkai? Is Sanzo…,” Goku mumbled as he started to push himself up in bed.
“Sanzo’s fine. Hakuryuu is awake now so I’m going to feed him and clean him up. Go back to sleep,” Hakkai said softly.
“M’kay,” Goku said. In seconds, light snoring signalled that he’d fallen asleep again.
Hakkai carried me down to the lower level of the inn. He asked the night clerk for some light food to be brought to the bath house before heading there himself. The warmth of the room made me warble in pleasure. Hakkai spread a towel on the floor before placing me on it. He drew hot water and began washing the dirt off me. I stretched my wings out in pleasure from the feel of the water and Hakkai’s hands on me. The clerk dropped off a plate of food that made my stomach start rumbling again.
“Eat and then you can soak in the pool. The door locks from the inside so we won’t be disturbed,” Hakkai said as he patted me dry.
I licked his wrist before hopping to the plate of food. I wasted no time and dived right into the feast in front of me. In an embarrassingly short period of time, the plate was empty and my belly was full.
“Change and get in the pool. You were exhausted when you came back from wherever you had to go,” Hakkai said as he flicked open his pants and started to undress.
I transformed and just watched him move. He wasted no effort in disrobing. The play of muscles was nearly mesmerizing. He drew another bucket of hot water and quickly washed himself of the dirt that had transferred from me to him as I’d slept on his chest. When he was done, he shot a slightly impatient look at me. I was still wearing my yukata.
“Do not make me come over there and undress you myself. The heat of the pool will be good for you. Some of your muscles felt strained.”
I carefully kept the smile to myself at Hakkai’s bossy attitude. I nodded and gestured for him to go ahead and get into the pool. He frowned at me before lowering himself into the warm water of the pool. I turned slightly away from him before opening my yukata. I reached up and unhooked the necklace, palming it before shrugging from my clothes. I’d give it to him later, when his anger with me had cooled a little. I tucked the necklace into a fold of the yukata and joined Hakkai in the pool. I made pleased noises in my throat as I settled myself on the submerged bench next to Hakkai. We sat in silence for several minutes before I felt his hand lightly touch my arm.
“If you could tell me so that I understood you, would you tell me where you disappeared to and why?” Hakkai asked in a soft voice.
//Yes, // I said as I turned to face him. Anger still simmered in his eyes along with worry and concern.
“Quite frankly, I was terrified that something happened to you. I looked for you, you know. I’ve rarely felt that afraid. Please don’t do that again, Hakuryuu.”
I felt my heart speed up in reaction to his words. I made shushing noises and pulled him into my arms. I hadn’t meant to scare him. Truthfully, I hadn’t thought about how being unable to find me would make him feel. Hakkai’s arms wrapped around me, hugging me hard. I rubbed my cheek against his and crooned softly to him. He shuddered and squeezed me tight before relaxing his hold. I pushed a little away from him and spoke one word in Dragon.
“I don’t know that one,” Hakkai said as his fingers began playing though the fine down on my spine.
I pursed my lips. I said the word again in Dragon then mouthed what I wanted him to understand. I hoped that Hakkai would be able to read my lips. If he could, it would make learning Dragon that much faster for him and less frustrating for me to have him understand me. He frowned at me and I repeated the process several times until understanding dawned.
“You’re sorry?” he asked.
//Yes. Sorry, // I said with excitement that he’d been able to understand me.
“You won’t do that again, will you?” he asked sternly.
//No. //
“Good. Apology accepted. You know, you gave up several days when we could have had the room all to ourselves. Goku spent several nights with Sanzo and Gojyo. I felt positively lonely in bed all by myself,” Hakkai said as he leaned into me and gave me a fierce kiss.
I returned Hakkai’s kiss eagerly. Even though I’d made the decision to go off alone, I’d missed him too. He tunnelled his hands through my hair and pressed his body to mine. I gave a pleased groan at the feel of his warm, wet skin sliding against mine. His tongue teased the seam of my lips before I opened to him. I sucked lightly on his tongue as I roamed my hands over his body. He sighed into my mouth as I caressed him. I was surprised when he broke the very enjoyable kiss.
“Stand up,” Hakkai demanded.
I raised an eyebrow at him but did what he demanded. Tenpou was a challenging lover. I’d wondered if he’d retained that trait in this incarnation. In both encounters we’d had, Hakkai’d been passive and let me do what I wanted with him. While I enjoyed that, I liked the aggressive fire that I’d shared so long ago with my lover.
The hot water lapped at my thighs as I stood on the bench seat. Hakkai frowned slightly and traced a finger over the faint pattern of scales that arced over the outside of one of my thighs. I made a pleased noise in my throat at the touch and spread my legs a little more, encouraging his exploring hands. Much to my disappointment, he didn’t fondle the erection I was getting.
“Turn around,” Hakkai ordered with a little push.
I smiled at him and gave him a slow, licking kiss before doing what he wanted. He made a little noise of surprise when he saw my back. I was reminded that while I remembered Tenpou spending hours tracing the shadowy outline of my wings and tail on my back and down one leg, this incarnation had never seen them.
“This is beautiful, Hakuryuu. It’s like a silvery tattoo,” Hakkai said as he trailed his fingers over the marks.
I blushed with pleasure at the admiration in Hakkai’s voice. All the lives and time between dragon incarnations and I still hadn’t lost much of my dragon pride. We were such a vain species. I sighed in delight when I felt Hakkai’s lips press against the base of my spine in a nibbling kiss. A shiver went through me when his tongue dipped between my cheeks.
“Turn around and sit on the edge of the pool, Hakuryuu.”
I did what he demanded. Hakkai spread my legs apart and moved between them. My breathing sped up from knowing what he was going to do. His eye was caught again by the delicately scaled outline of my tail wrapping around my thigh. He reached underwater and grasped my ankle, pulling my leg up above the water. He stared at the shadow of my tail that wound around my leg to curl at my ankle. I made noises of pleasure as he very slowly licked the water from my leg as he traced the scaled pattern with his tongue. I was breathing hard by the time he reached my foot.
“I almost expected this to feel rough but it feels just like the rest of your skin. Smooth and silky. I’ve been curious about just how soft some of you feels,” Hakkai said with a wicked smile as his hands glided up my thighs.
I stopped breathing as Hakkai brought his mouth within inches of my cock. The soft puffs of his breath on my erect cock made it twitch. I finally drew in a lungful of air when I started to feel light headed. Just as I did that, Hakkai flicked out his tongue to tease the head and all the air I’d sucked in left me in a rush.
“Something wrong, Hakuryuu?” Hakkai asked with a perfectly straight face, polite concern the only expression he wore.
//No, // I said in a strangled voice.
I’d somehow managed to forget that Tenpou had been a wicked tease in bed. Apparently, that hadn’t changed. I rumbled in pleased resignation as Hakkai watched me from under damp bangs for my reaction. My treasure was going to torture me for worrying him as I had. My heart pounded with excitement. Gods, I’d missed this.
“Good. I’d hate to do something you didn’t enjoy,” Hakkai said as he ran his fingers lightly along my length.
I didn’t think I’d say anything either one of us could understand so I settled for sighing in pleasure. Hakkai kept his touch feather light. I was sure that if I closed my eyes, I’d mistake his fingers for shifting air currents.
“I want to take you into my mouth but I don’t think I can manage the whole thing. You’re quite well endowed, you know,” Hakkai said as he lightly circled the base of my cock with his fingers. “I wouldn’t want to disappoint you so maybe I shouldn’t even try.”
I whimpered softly at the idea that I wouldn’t get to feel Hakkai’s mouth on me. I was almost certain he was teasing me. Almost. I could only see the top of his head as he seemed to be studying how best to fit my cock in his mouth. He sighed regretfully and ran a blunt fingernail down my shaft.
“No, I think its better I don’t even try. You’d be disappointed and I’d be frustrated that I couldn’t accomplish my goal,” Hakkai said as he started to move out from between my legs.
He was actually going to stop? I wasn’t going to feel those soft lips wrapped around me? I wasn’t sure if I wanted to scream or cry.
//No, stay, // I demanded as I felt real aggravation at not being able to tell him I would love anything he did to me.
My back bowed when Hakkai moved quickly and suddenly locked his lips around the head, sucking hard. He slid his mouth half way down my cock before stopping and backing off. He began moving his mouth up and down me while his fingers stroked and fondled my balls. I gripped the edge of the pool hard enough to crack the tiles under my fingers as I enjoyed the feel of the mouth I’d waited five hundred years for.
It was worth every second of the wait.
Words of pleasure in Dragon escaped me. I let my head fall back and gave myself over to the pure joy of feeling Hakkai touch me so intimately. He dragged his short fingernails across my inner thighs and over my hips. He trailed them back to my balls, teasing me with light, ticklish touches. His teeth scraped across my cock gently, arousing me more with the tender roughness. I forgot how to breathe when he slowly slid a single finger inside me as he moved his mouth as far down my cock as he could. The unhurried rhythm of his mouth and finger was delicious torture. I wanted to rock my hips in time with his movements but his hand on my hip held me still. That little bit of firm control of my movements from Hakkai pushed my arousal even higher. I growled a protest when he suddenly let my dick fall from his mouth.
“I’m not sure I’m really giving you the pleasure I could be. I think if you show me just what you like, I could make you feel quite good,” Hakkai said as he curled the finger he buried inside me, pressing hard on my prostate.
I panted and squeezed my eyes shut tight for several seconds as delight shot through me. He may not consciously remember our time together in heaven but some part of his mind recognized me and what I’d enjoyed most. I actually whined when he let his finger slip from me.
“Show me what you’d like me to do to give you pleasure, Hakuryuu,” he said in that voice of velvet steel I loved to hear.
Hakkai was standing in front of me, water slowly trailing down his body. He was hard and for all the control that was in his voice, his eyes were filled with excitement. He leaned into me and licked my lips using lazy swipes of his tongue. I could faintly taste myself on him. I tunnelled my fingers in his soft hair and held his head as I deepened the kiss. He made low noises of approval as our tongues tangled. Desire surged through me. He gave voice to such wonderful, sexy sounds when he was aroused.
“Show me what you like,” Hakkai demanded softly as he pulled away from the kiss I was enjoying.
I growled at him again but there was no anger in the sound. I liked a dominant lover just as much as I liked a complacent one in my arms. I slid off the edge of the pool and wrapped my mouth around his cock in one move. I swallowed him completely, wrenching a shivery moan from him.
In order to eat prey in one gulp, dragon’s had no gag reflex. That skill was useful for other pursuits as well.
“Fuck, Hakuryuu,” Hakkai rasped as his fingers clenched in my hair.
I knew I’d surprised and pleased him as he almost never swore. The little twitches and jerks of his hips along with his suddenly harsh breathing made me smile in satisfaction around the cock in my mouth. Tenpou had never been able to take all of me into his mouth but I’d immensely enjoyed him trying. He’d adored that I’d been able to take all of him into my mouth. This incarnation was no different.
Hakkai said to show him what I like….
As I worked his cock with my mouth, I pressed first one then two fingers into him. My current, teenage body was not very good with the idea of restraint no matter how much I wished it differently. I was excited by Hakkai sucking my cock. I was further aroused by the feel and taste of my love in my mouth. His groans of pleasure and little panting gasps were making it impossible for me to hold my desire in check.
//Sorry, // I said as let him slip from my mouth and pushed him until the backs of his legs hit the edge of the pool.
I kept pushing him until he sat, and then lay on his back. He shivered slightly at the feel of the cool tile on his skin. I kissed his belly before I spread his legs. My cock brushed against his hole and his eyes fluttered closed as his breath hitched in his chest; knowing and anticipating what he was about to receive. I gripped my erection and pressed into him. He caught his lower lip between his teeth, hissing softly at the slight sting of my entering him. One of these times I was going to have enough control to slowly worship him for hours as he deserved before entering his warmth.
The muscles in Hakkai’s belly rippled and he moaned softly as I pushed all the way inside him. I closed my eyes at the exquisitely tight feel of him on my cock. This was exactly where I was meant to be. This was what I was meant to be doing. Giving pleasure to the one being who owned my heart and soul. I started to move slowly inside him, trying to prolong the sensations between us but my body was determined to betray me.
Hakkai felt too good and I had no control. My hips moved faster even as I groaned a denial. Hakkai opened his eyes and watched me. He moved his hand over his cock and started to stroke himself in time with my thrusts. Pressure to find release beat at me. My balls felt heavy and every stroke into Hakkai was pleasured denial of release. I was breathing in gasping pants, trying to wait for Hakkai to find release first.
Hakkai’s muscles tensed, taunting me with the possibility that he was about to come before relaxing again. He allowed a sly smile on his face just before his ass squeezed my cock, wringing a moan from me. My skin was slick with sweat from trying so hard to hold off my pleasure to wait for Hakkai’s and he was teasing me. I’d missed this so much. No other lover before or since had dared to play with me as Hakkai did. My fingernails dug into the skin of his hips making him utter a low groan of pleasure and the desire in his eyes climb higher. I was pleased beyond belief that he instinctively remembered this game we’d played countless times in heaven.
I leaned down and began biting and licking his chest and neck. I let my thrusts get harsher and tightened my grip on his hips until the faint scent of blood tinged the air. Excitement rushed through me at this rough game of pleasure. I snarled at Hakkai to come in Dragon before biting his shoulder hard. His back bowed and a sharp cry of gratification escaped him. Warmth spread between our bellies as the muscles in his ass began clenching with his release. I tasted his blood in my mouth and growled my delight as my release rushed through me. Hakkai cried out again, this time garbled words in Dragon, at the feel of my seed filling him.
We both panted heavily as our hearts raced each other from the intensity of release. I let go of the flesh between my teeth and licked the droplets of blood from his skin. I hadn’t meant to bite him hard enough to draw blood. I couldn’t exactly say I was sorry for doing it. I’d enjoyed it and judging from the dazed expression in Hakkai’s eyes, so had he. I settled for licking the wound and placing gentle kisses on the injury. Hakkai blinked slowly at me before drawing my mouth to his and kissing me with lazy heat.
“We really have to do that again,” Hakkai said in a husky voice.
//Yes, // I said as I laughed softly and nuzzled his neck.
I moved off Hakkai and felt satisfaction at his murmured protest as I left his body. I lowered my head and began licking the seed off his skin. His fingers tangled in my hair and tightened briefly as if to stop me before relaxing and letting me continue. He tensed as my tongue passed over the scar on his belly. I paused in my cleaning and placed gentle kisses along the ridge of flesh. Knowing how close I’d come to loosing him before I even found him made the breath catch in my throat. One of these days, I was going to have to thank Gojyo for saving Hakkai’s life.
Once finished with my cleaning, I pulled Hakkai back into the pool and pushed him to sit on the seat. I lightly touched his face, happy beyond words that I had him back in my life. He was my treasure and I needed to tell him that. Hakkai seemed to sense my mood and ran his fingers lightly over the faint pattern of scales on my cheeks. I took his hands in mine and spoke to him in Dragon before mouthing the words back to him, hoping he’d be able make out what I was saying once again.
“Slowly, Hakuryuu,” Hakkai said with patience as if we had all the time in the world for him to figure out what I was trying to teach him.
I repeated the phrase I’d said so often to him. I knew he recognized hearing it. He concentrated on listening and watching my lips form the words. I knew the exact instant he understood. A rosy blush coloured his cheeks.
“That means ‘I love you’, doesn’t it?”
I nodded and gave him a licking kiss. I stood and told him to stay. I left the pool and retrieved the necklace from the folds of my yukata. I returned to the pool and sat next to Hakkai again. He looked uncomfortable and refused to meet my eyes. Unease settled in my stomach at the sudden change in Hakkai’s mood.
“I… I can’t say it back to you, Hakuryuu,” Hakkai said in a quiet voice. “This is too new for me. I enjoy being with you and I obviously like you very much. But…. I don’t know why you feel the way you do about me or why I’m sure you’ve felt that way for a very long time. I’m sorry.”
I gripped his chin and forced his face up. He would eventually remember everything that had happened between us. I believed that. I could wait for him to fall in love with me all over again. I kissed him once more and opened the fist holding the necklace.
//I love you, // I said softly to him as I offered him my gift as I should have the first time I gave it to him in heaven.
Hakkai’s eyes widened in surprise. He stared at the necklace for several seconds before lightly touching it with a shaking finger. I watched him stroke the back of the small, white jade dragon pendant as he used to do in heaven when he was thinking deeply. He traced over the pale pink baroque pearl in the shape of a heart that was cupped protectively in the dragon’s claws. He looked from the tiny rubies in the dragon’s eyes to my own red ones.
“I’ve dreamed about this,” Hakkai said in an unsteady voice. “When I almost died, before Gojyo found me and I was delirious from the pain and blood loss, I saw this. I was so upset when I woke up and didn’t have it. I can’t even begin to describe how much I wanted to go look for it when Gojyo told me I didn’t have anything like it on me when he found me.”
It was my turn to be surprised now. My heart beat faster in excitement. I placed the necklace around Hakkai’s throat and fastened it. A sense of rightness and possessiveness settled in me. Hakkai was mine. The dragon rested just below the hollow of his throat. His fingers reached up and stroked over the pendant again.
“This was mine before, wasn’t it?” he asked as his brow furrowed in thought.
//Yes, // I said with a pleased smile as he recognized the pendant as belonging to him.
“You gave it to me, didn’t you?” he said slowly as he continued to stroke the jade and think.
//Yes. //
“We’ve known each other before this life, haven’t we?” Hakkai asked with a little wonder creeping into his voice.
//Yes, // I replied as I took his free hand and threaded my fingers with his.
“This is what you went away to get, isn’t it? You wanted me to have this again because it was important to me, to us.”
I nodded and pulled Hakkai into a fierce hug. He was brilliantly scary when he started to think and puzzle things out. I was overjoyed that he recognized the necklace and that he realized it was important. I had other things I wanted to give him. Treasure that I needed to share with him. Things he had when we were in heaven. That could all wait though.
I’d given him back what had been a promise between us in heaven. I’d done it right this time and told him I loved him as I gave him the first piece of my treasure. Hakkai rested his head on my shoulder as he continued to stroke the jade dragon. I kissed his temple before laying my cheek against his head closed my eyes in contentment.
I had the most important part of my treasure in my arms and a dragon never willingly gave up any of their treasure.
Chapter 21: Dawning Revelations
~Sanzo~
I didn’t like what I was smelling.
I cracked an eye open to try and find where the offensive odour was coming from and winced at the weak light filtering around the curtains. My mouth was desert dry and my throat felt like I’d swallowed broken glass. A headache was trying to form behind the eye I’d opened and I’d managed to identify the rancid smell as me.
I hated being sick.
I sat up slowly in case sudden movements would make me puke. My stomach seemed fine if very hollow feeling. I ran a hand through my hair and wrinkled my nose at the greasy feel. I was glad there wasn’t a mirror in the room. If I looked half as disgusting as I felt, I didn’t think I wanted to see myself at the moment. Even though I’d just woken up, I felt dead tired.
I pushed the blankets away and swung my legs off the edge of the bed. It was then that I noticed I was naked. I frowned as I tried to remember how I ended up in bed without my clothes on. My mind was a complete blank. Probably was that pervy kappa’s fault. Me plus bed always equalled naked in his head. I stood and made my way to the chair that had a robe draped over the back. Just travelling that little distance exhausted me. I scowled and muttered as I struggled into the robe. I needed to take a piss and there was no way I was moving out of this room bare-assed naked to do that.
I shuffled to the door, feeling like I was a hundred years old. The inn was quiet and I guessed it was barely dawn. I trailed a hand along the wall as I made my way to what I hoped was the washroom. The instructions of the clerk from when we’d checked in were a little fuzzy in my head. Frankly, I was amazed I even remembered that much from the night we’d hit the town. A sign on the last door was my salvation. I’d found the can!
Where the hell was that stupid kappa? Didn’t he know any better than to leave me alone when I was so sick? I’m sure Hakkai would have told him something about staying with an unconscious sick person. What if I hadn’t been able to get up and haul my achy ass to the toilet? I leaned against the wall with one hand as I felt sweat start to trickle down my ribs from exertion. I fumbled with the tie on the robe and gave a frustrated growl when it didn’t immediately give way. I managed to yank the robe out of the way with a snarl. Sweet relief was mine as I was finally able to relieve the pressure of my bladder.
I avoided looking in the mirror above the sink as I washed my hands and splashed some water on my face. I scooped some in my hands and rinsed my mouth. I still felt like crap but at least I felt like marginally better crap. The walk back to the room wiped me out. I barely made it to the bed before my muscles gave out. Sweat was cooling on my skin making me start to shiver. I was debating on if I had the energy to pull the blankets up when the door opened quietly.
“Sanzo? You’re awake?” Gojyo asked as he hurried over to where I lay.
I tried to glare at him but it seemed like too much effort so I just closed my eyes. I wanted to tell him to fuck off but he was fussing and pulling the blankets up over me. I let him do it because I was now cold and tired. I could always tell him to fuck off later. I felt a warm cloth wipe the clammy sweat from my face. I’d threaten to kill him later, too. After he finished what he was doing that made my skin feel not quite so uncomfortable.
“Go back to sleep for now, Sanzo. I’ll be here when you wake up again,” Gojyo said softly as he kissed my forehead.
I could faintly smell cigarette smoke on him and wanted one. I’d make him get me one after I’d rested my eyes for a few minutes.
*********
I opened my eyes and noticed that the weak light from before was gone. A small light was turned on, throwing a pool of illumination around Gojyo seated in a chair. I was pretty sure I was dreaming when I saw that he was holding a book in his hands and appeared to be reading. He must have heard me moving around because he looked up and smiled at me before putting the book down and coming to sit on the edge of the bed. He’d picked up a glass of water on his way to the bed and I eyed that greedily.
“How you feeling?”
“Like shit. Were you reading?” I asked in a scratchy voice.
“Hakkai lent me a book after the third day. Well, maybe lent isn’t the right word. He kinda threw it at my head. He’d been a little testy while Hakuryuu was gone somewhere,” Gojyo said as he laid the back of his hand against my cheek.
I meant to knock his hand away. I ended up gripping his wrist in a pathetically weak hold instead. I managed to glare at him but he didn’t seem to notice. That pissed me off. I wondered if I’d be able to hold my gun steady long enough to get a decent bead on him. As I was thinking of how much effort was going to be required to get my gun and aim, what Gojyo just said registered with me.
“Three days? How long have I been sick?”
“Almost a week. Hakkai said you had the flu and the best thing for you was rest. The inn is pretty nice and they gave us a great rate for the week. Hakkai did the haggling.”
A week? I’d never been that sick in my entire life. I pushed myself up to my elbows and motioned for Gojyo to give me the glass of water. I nearly sighed in relief as the cool liquid slid down my throat. I handed the glass back to Gojyo when it was empty and propped myself up against the headboard of the bed. As I sat up, I noticed that I was once again naked. That was Gojyo’s doing, I was sure. I rubbed a hand over my face and grimaced at the prickly feel of stubble.
“I need a bath,” I stated.
“Yeah, you do. Hakkai said to wait until you were awake and lucid. He didn’t want me accidentally drowning you if you started to thrash around and I didn’t want to explain how that couldn’t happen. Whenever you’re ready, we can get you cleaned up and get some food into you. Hakkai said soup for now but if you’re a good little monk, I can sneak you a meat bun or something,” Gojyo said with a smirk.
“I can bathe myself,” I said as I folded my arms across my chest sullenly.
Gojyo looked at me steadily. He sighed when I stared mulishly back at him.
“I know you got up while I was gone earlier. Probably to take a piss, right? You were bagged by the time you got back here. You couldn’t even get under the covers and were sweating like a pig when I stepped back into the room,” Gojyo snorted.
I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. I had been exhausted from just that short walk and covered in sweat afterward. I’m sure that little adventure added to my less than pleasant aroma. I didn’t want to have to rely on anyone but even as stubborn as I was, I wasn’t stupid. I needed help to get cleaned up going by my experience from my pathetic little trip to the can earlier. I could accept help when I needed it.
“Fine. You can help,” I said less than graciously.
“Good of you to give permission, Sanzo,” Gojyo said with what sounded suspiciously like laughter in his voice.
I shot him a narrow look but there was no smile on his face. He got up from the bed and moved towards the door. He stopped with his hand on the knob and gave me a stern look. I didn’t like it and wondered again where my gun was. I could always just shoot him on principal.
“Don’t move from that bed, Sanzo. I’m going to get some stuff to clean you up as well as tell the clerk that we’re using the bath house. I’ll come back and get you when everything is ready.”
I grunted at him and closed my eyes. I heard the door open and shut and I think I might have dozed a little before I felt the light touch of a hand on my arm. I didn’t need to open my eyes to know who it was. I’d recognize Gojyo’s touch anywhere. Strangely, that didn’t irritate me like it should have. I chalked it up to being sick and weak, refusing to dwell on the matter. He had a robe for me and helped me into it. He looked like he wanted to carry me but apparently still had some brain cells left and just stayed near my side. The walk to the bath house wasn’t long but I was incredibly grateful to sit down when we got there.
I watched as Gojyo threw the lock on the door and approached me. I must not have been as tired and sick as I thought because my cock twitched to life when Gojyo stripped his clothes off in front of me. He bustled around, laying out soap, towels and wash clothes. When he came back to me, he offered his hand to help me stand. I almost refused but the short walk under my own steam had made my muscles shaky and sweat break out on my skin again. I grumbled instead and let Gojyo remove the robe before he pushed me back onto the low stool I’d been sitting on.
Gojyo knelt in front of me and dipped a sponge into a bucket of water that had steam curling from it. He squeezed out the water over my shoulders and I couldn’t help the soft groan that escaped me. Gojyo smiled and began a rhythm of dipping the sponge in the bucket and wiping down my skin. The warm water, gentle strokes and quiet of the room, relaxed me. Even though Gojyo hadn’t applied any soap to my skin yet, I already felt cleaner. I probably smelled better, too.
“Tip your head back and close your eyes, Sanzo,” Gojyo said softly as he hefted a bucket of warm water.
I did as Gojyo instructed. I almost moaned at feeling the water run through my hair. Once my hair was thoroughly wet, I smelled a fresh, clean scent that immediately reminded me of Gojyo’s hair. His fingers start massaging my scalp and I made a little noise of pleasure as Gojyo slowly washed my hair. Nobody had ever washed my hair for me before. I’d never realized how intimate an act it was to have someone do that. I could really get to like this.
Not that I’d ever tell Gojyo that.
“Keep your eyes closed,” Gojyo whispered in my ear just before he began rinsing the shampoo from my hair.
He ran his hands through my hair and poured a few more buckets of clean water over my head. I was surprised at how careful he was being to keep shampoo from my face when it would have been so much easier to just dump the water over me. When he was satisfied, I heard the bucket thump back onto the tiles. I opened my eyes cautiously to see Gojyo picking up a small towel, soap and shaving cream. He came back and knelt in front of me again.
Gojyo lathered up the soap and started to wash my shoulders. His strong fingers massaged sore muscles as he cleaned. He worked his way down one arm and even washed between my fingers before moving to my other arm and repeating the whole process. He dipped a large ladle into a nearby bucket of clean water to rinse the soap from my arms. The bar of soap was lathered up again and Gojyo began washing my chest and belly. I bit my lip as his hands smoothed over my nipples. Even as crappy as I felt, the gentle touch of Gojyo’s fingers over sensitive skin was arousing. I was torn between enjoying the feeling of getting clean again and the sensual glide of Gojyo’s hands over my skin. I’d had no idea that having someone wash you could feel so good or arousing.
I closed my eyes and concentrated on the sensation of Gojyo running soap slick hands over me; cleaning me and relaxing me at the same time. I couldn’t remember anyone bathing me, ever. I was almost willing to make an exception to my stubborn self-sufficiency and let Gojyo do this again when I felt better.
I must be sicker than I thought.
When Gojyo’s soapy hands cupped my balls, I opened my eyes to slits and watched him. I expected him to start fondling me. Instead, he washed me tenderly with nothing to show in his movements that he was trying to arouse me. I could see that he was excited by touching me so intimately but there was nothing in his body language that said he wanted to jump me. That was a little confusing as Gojyo always wanted to do something sexual with me. Especially if I was naked and not protesting his touch.
Did Gojyo actually have restraint or was I just not desirable to him anymore?
I wanted to demand an answer from him for a question I didn’t have the courage to ask. Was his erection the result of handling a cock, any cock? Or was his hard-on because it was me he was touching? I scowled at myself as I stubbornly shoved those questions to the back of my mind.
Gojyo finished washing me and rinsed the soap from my body. I already felt one hundred percent better now that I didn’t stink. Gojyo had me close my eyes again as he used a soft, wet cloth to wash my face gently. There was the noise of shaving cream being prepared before I felt the silky touch of the stuff on my face.
“You need to sit still while I shave you, Sanzo,” Gojyo warned.
I opened my eyes to see Gojyo holding a straight razor. That was the very last thing I’d expected to see. I guess I’d just assumed Gojyo used a disposable razor like the rest of us. I’d never had a shave with a straight razor although I heard it gave a closer shave than a disposable one. Oddly enough, I wasn’t worried about him trying to harm me. I blinked slowly and frowned as I realized I trusted him not to hurt me. A half youkai was holding a weapon inches from my face, I was as weak as a newborn kitten yet I knew with absolute certainty I was safe with Gojyo.
When the hell did that happen and why wasn’t I more worried about it?
“I can do it myself,” my strange behaviour made me snap at Gojyo in annoyance.
“No, you can’t. You’ve been very sick and you’re not at your best right now. I’m not putting a straight razor in your hands. Don’t argue with me, Sanzo,” Gojyo said with surprising firmness in his voice.
I glared at him but instead of making him back down, he actually looked more determined to have his way. I eventually gave a very put upon sigh and muttered ‘fine’. Gojyo let a satisfied smile appear on his face at my giving in but he didn’t say anything.
He brought the blade to my cheek and drew it carefully down my face. The steel was cool against my skin. Gojyo swished the blade in a bucket and brought the razor back to my face. He worked efficiently and quickly. When he tipped my chin up to shave under my jaw, I let him. The steel of the blade was now slightly warm from the water. When Gojyo pressed it against the soft skin of my throat, I had no worries or fear for my safety.
That thought actually worried me more than having the straight razor at my throat.
When Gojyo finished shaving me, he set the razor aside after cleaning the blade. He carefully cleaned the little bit of shaving cream he’d missed. A quick rinse with cold water made me hiss and glare a little at Gojyo. He kissed me lightly on the lips before I could stop him.
“Stupid kappa. You’ll catch what I’ve got then we’ll both be sick,” I muttered in confusion as I tried to work out the strange mental revelations I was having.
“Nah. I slept beside you the entire time you were sick. Hakkai said if I haven’t gotten sick by now, I won’t,” Gojyo said as he stood and pulled me to my feet.
“You slept beside me? Why?” I asked in puzzlement as I allowed him to lead me to the pool and stepped into the warm water.
Why would Gojyo want to sleep beside me when I was a mobile germ factory? Even though I hadn’t taken a look in a mirror, I’d guessed that I was near the bottom of the attraction scale after nearly a week of not bathing. Why would Gojyo sleep next to me when he had to know that he wasn’t gong to get laid considering the condition I’d been in? I had no solid memory of the time I’d been out of it but I did have random snatches of things.
Cool clothes gently wiping prickly sweat from my skin.
Strong arms supporting me while wracking coughs tried to tear my chest apart.
A soft voice singing me to sleep when I’d been restless.
I frowned as I tried to bring the pieces of memory into focus. They weren’t coming but I was sure I was remembering Gojyo doing those things for me. Hakkai was the default doctor in our group. Why didn’t I think those memories were of him? Gojyo pulled me close to him and pressed my head to his shoulder.
“Why did you stay with me when I was sick?” I persisted.
Gojyo sighed and I felt him tense slightly before his muscles loosened. He began stroking my hair and I found my eyes closing as relaxation seeped into me. I was starting to feel tired again yet I hadn’t done anything. Gojyo had done everything for me and I’d actually let him. My mind started to drift from the soothing touch of Gojyo’s fingers through my hair. How the hell was he doing this to me? Why wasn’t I feeling like I wanted to shoot him for invading my personal space and taking over? Gojyo hadn’t answered me yet but I was starting to feel too relaxed to care.
Gods, but I hated being sick and weak.
“Because you were sick. You’re my lover, Sanzo. That’s what lovers do for one another. When I said I wanted a real relationship with you, this is the kind of thing I meant.”
“But there was no sex,” I mumbled as my fingers crept up to tangle in the wet ends of his hair.
He had great hair. I was tempted to ask him to let it grow longer. I adored the feel of it brushing against my skin. I loved the way it looked, felt and even smelled. A ridiculous little bubble of happiness rose in me when I realized that my hair smelled like his now. I smiled at that thought as I stifled a yawn.
Gojyo laughed softly and pulled me to sit in his lap. I could feel his erection pressing against my leg and while I liked the fact that he was aroused, I couldn’t seem to work up the energy to want to do anything about it. I was actually quite content to just let Gojyo hold me as he was.
“I’d never turn down sex with you, Sanzo, but there is more to a relationship than just sex.”
“Not just sex. Really good sex,” I said around a yawn. Fuck, but I was dead tired again.
“Yeah, it’s really, really good sex,” Gojyo said as he kissed the top of my head. “Are you falling asleep on me? I wouldn’t want you to drown or anything.”
“You won’t let me,” I replied as I gave up fighting the sleepiness that was stealing over me. Gojyo would keep me from drowning.
I felt Gojyo’s sharp inhalation and wondered why he seemed surprised to hear me say that. It was true. I was in no danger of drowning with a water youkai as my lover. The reason for his surprise didn’t matter. I was clean and warm and had been treated to one of the most surprisingly pleasurable experiences of my life that didn’t involve sex with Gojyo. That the experience did feature Gojyo anyway… I mentally shrugged my shoulders. I’d probably be pissed off about it later but right now, I was too content to give a flying fuck.
*********
I woke up to the disgustingly early chirping of birds outside my window.
I opened my eyes to see the faintest pink colouring the sky outside the window. Dawn was way too fucking early to be awake. But I felt better. Almost good enough to go searching for my gun to shoot the damn birds to shut them the hell up. I was a little confused as to how I was in bed when the last clear memory I had was of being held like a child in Gojyo’s arms in the warm water of the pool in the bath house and liking it. This being sick thing sucked ass. Not remembering chunks of time was starting to royally piss me off.
There was a warm weight across my back that only took me seconds to identify as Gojyo’s arm. One of my legs was thrown over one of his. My thigh pressed against his groin and my nose was buried in the crook of his neck. My fingers were tangled in his hair again. I listened to the steady beat of his heart under my ear and his deep, even breathing. I was startled to realize I felt happy tangled up with Gojyo. I waited for the anger and annoyance to come from having these feelings.
It didn’t and that shocked the hell out of me but not enough to make me leave the warm comfort of Gojyo’s arms.
I knew Gojyo was the one to care for me while I’d been sick. He said he did it because we were lovers and that’s what lovers did for each other. He said this was what he meant when he told me he wanted a real relationship with me. There was no panicky feeling of fear in the pit of my stomach from having somebody care for me like this. I felt valued. Treasured.
Loved.
Okay, that last thought set the panic alarm ringing. Only… it wasn’t making as much noise as it should have been. Gojyo hadn’t said anything to me about love. He’d only said he liked me that one time and that he wanted to have a real relationship with me.
There was that kiss he’d given me in the cave behind the waterfall. There’d been all kinds of complicated things in that. The kiss had feelings and emotions that’d scared the ever loving fuck out of me at the time. That kiss had been partly responsible for shitty way I’d treated Gojyo the next time we’d been together. I didn’t react very well to people showing affection towards me.
The deep kiss we’d shared the night it rained when Hakkai was with us had been intense, too. I’m not sure why I didn’t freak out over that one when it had the same feelings attached to it that the kiss behind the waterfall did. Maybe because it’d been like a victory kiss. A depth of emotion between me and Gojyo that I was sure Hakkai, perceptive guy that he was, had seen plain as day. I knew that Gojyo would never kiss Hakkai like he’d kissed me that night. I’m not really sure how I knew that, I just did.
Damn it!
I was probably reading more into his looking after my sick ass than I should. Gojyo was sending out signals that even I got that said he more than cared for me. But how much more? Why would Gojyo look after me when it was typically Hakkai who did that kind of thing? Was I really reading Gojyo right? Did he really love me or was I still under some kind of fevered delusion? I frowned as I thought, laying half on top of Gojyo and playing with the ends of his hair.
I didn’t really have any idea what being loved felt like.
No, that wasn’t entirely true. I know I’d been loved by Koumyou. That was a different kind of love but when I thought about it, the basic feelings were the same. I’d felt valued and treasured by Koumyou. I’d known that I was one of the most important people in his life without him ever telling me that. I got the same kind of feeling from Gojyo.
Fuck.
Why wasn’t I pissed off by Gojyo maybe loving me? I felt… pleased. Almost smug. I had to still be sick and half out of my mind to even be contemplating this and feeling so… contented. I had no idea why he might love me. I’d done absolutely nothing to encourage him to feel that way. I’d actually done several things that should have made him kick me from his bed and never welcome me back. That thought set off a little flutter of panic in my stomach before settling down with the knowledge that he did want me in his bed. But… Gojyo feeling anything even remotely like love for me made no sense and there was no way in hell I’d ever ask him how he felt about me. I’m not even sure what I’d do if he actually told me.
Would he expect me to say it back to him?
The flutter of panic returned and became a storm in the pit of my stomach. I drew in several slow, deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. I was being an idiot. Gojyo hadn’t said a damn thing to me about how he felt and he’d asked nothing of me in return. I’d say nothing to him about what I thought. If I was wrong… that kind of embarrassment was the killing kind. I’d have to shoot him to make sure he never said dick about it again. But I did owe him some kind of thanks for taking care of me when I’d been so sick. I lay there listening to Gojyo’s even breathing and heart beat under my ear trying to think of how to say thanks without sounding… not like me.
When the idea of how to show my appreciation came to me, I couldn’t believe it was so simple.
What worked once was sure to work again. I eased from the bed, hoping I wouldn’t wake Gojyo. He barely stirred, seeming dead to the world. I padded across the room to where I’d noticed our packs dumped the last time I’d woken up. I wanted a smoke in the worst possible way, but I knew the second I lit up, Gojyo would wake up and I wanted to get this thank you out of the way before he woke up.
I opened my pack and pulled out a tightly wrapped package. Keeping an occasional eye on Gojyo, I took out a pale green sheet of paper and sat at the table facing the bed so I could see if Gojyo woke up. My hands worked on auto pilot for the initial folds while my eyes stayed on Gojyo. When I did need to look down to watch what I was doing, I strained my ears for any change in Gojyo’s breathing. I let out a soft breath in relief when I was done and Gojyo hadn’t woken.
I took my little creation and quietly rummaged through Gojyo’s pack. The kit that held his shaving gear was a perfect place to put it where it wouldn’t get crushed and Gojyo would be the only one to find it. A small smile tugged up the corner of my mouth as I put the package of paper back in my bag and grabbed my smokes. I sat back down at the table and lit my first cigarette in nearly a week. The nicotine rush nearly made me dizzy so I closed my eyes and just enjoyed the sensation. When I opened my eyes to take my next drag, Gojyo was watching me from the bed.
“Feeling better, Sanzo?”
“Almost normal,” I replied around a stream of smoke.
Gojyo laughed softly and got up from the bed. I was suddenly very aware that we were both nude. He leaned down and kissed me gently on the mouth before stealing my smoke.
“You’ve never been normal, Sanzo. But I like you that way so don’t change, okay?” Gojyo said as he took a drag before handing me my smoke back.
Gojyo pulled on a pair of jeans and said something about hitting the can and my getting back into bed before catching a chill and getting sick all over again. The door closed gently behind him, leaving me blinking in surprise. At his first comment I’d been ready to get all pissy with him but his second comment took all the annoyance out of me and made me feel oddly complimented.
Gojyo’d said he liked me again.
Liked me the way I was and didn’t want me to change. I was ridiculously pleased. I finished my smoke without really noticing and headed back to bed. The pillow smelled like Gojyo. I closed my eyes in pleasure as I pulled the blankets up. Gojyo would come back to bed and pull me into his arms. I’d let him do it because I was starting to realize that’s where I wanted to be.
Chapter 22: Musical Chairs
~Gojyo~
I’d found another origami.
It was a pale green seahorse this time and I still wasn’t sure whether Sanzo or Hakkai was the one to leave it for me. I knew it wasn’t in my shaving kit when I’d shaved Sanzo after bathing him. He’d fallen asleep in my arms in the pool but he’d been awake and having a smoke before I woke up the next morning. I had no idea how long he’d been up before I noticed he wasn’t snuggled next to me.
Sanzo could have made it, but why? He wasn’t exactly known for the giving of gifts. Hell, he barely said thank you most of the time even when he knew he should. Making and giving me anything like the origami was kinda out of character for Sanzo.
Hakkai had thanked me for playing nurse to Sanzo when I’d passed him in the hall that morning. He’d also had some of my clean shirts folded in his arms and asked if I minded if he put them in my bag. I’d have probably just crammed them in there anyway so I said sure. Hakkai had been gone, the shirts tucked neatly in my bag and Sanzo dozing again when I got back to the room. The little seahorse could have been in the shirts Hakkai was carrying and I’d have never known.
But why would Hakkai be giving me origami? He wasn’t shy about saying thanks or giving gifts. He was pretty straight forward actually. I didn’t think Hakkai would make the effort to hide some thing like the origami but one of them was doing it.
I took the seahorse out of my shaving kit again and stared at it. It was just folded paper but it was beautiful. I was almost afraid to hold it, it looked so delicate. I wondered why I’d gotten a seahorse this time. It had to mean something, I just wasn’t sure what. Doing something like this took patience and skill. I held the seahorse for a minute more before putting it into a small wooden box I’d bought in one of the towns we’d passed through shortly after I got the butterfly. Whether the origami was from Hakkai or Sanzo didn’t matter. I didn’t want them getting crushed. One of them had taken the time to make something special just for me and I wasn’t about to let them get wrecked. I put the box back in my bag, near the bottom where curious eyes couldn’t just stumble over it, and left the bathroom. I could already hear Goku whining about how he was starving. There was a thud, a yelp and an angry command to ‘shut the fuck up’.
I knew then that Sanzo was really feeling better.
I dropped my bag off in the room and hurried down the stairs to follow the sound of the whining monkey in the restaurant. If I didn’t haul ass, Goku would take all the spring rolls and whatever else he could get his greedy hands on. And, I now had to keep an eye on Sanzo, too. I still couldn’t get over the sneaky bastard stealing my last dumpling that one time.
*********
Sanzo didn’t eat much but then again, he never really did. Goku had snagged nearly all the spring rolls. If I didn’t have fast fingers, he probably would have gotten them all. I even caught Sanzo’s hand sneaking towards my plate for my last pot sticker when he thought I wasn’t looking. I’d raised an eyebrow at him and he’d glared at me before making like he’d never had any intention to steal food off my plate. I don’t think he knew that it was a different kinda thing for him to take food from my plate than for Goku do it. Goku doing it was that annoying, pain-in-the-ass, little brother kinda deal. Sanzo doing it was more like what one lover would do to tease the other.
I’d have loved to feed Sanzo. I could almost feel his lips on my fingers as he took food from me. The way his tongue would curl around my fingers to lick sauce off. I shifted a bit in my seat, grateful that my jeans were a little baggy. The boner I was getting from the mental image of feeding Sanzo while both of us were naked would be painful if I was wearing tight pants. God, it would be so fucking hot to feed Sanzo, but that would have guaran-fucking-teed me a date with his gun in the un-fun kinda way if I’d tried that shit in a crowded room. I’d have to save that game for a more private kinda dinner.
Hakkai was being a little weird, especially around Hakuryuu. He was feeding Hakuryuu like he normally did and blushing like mad every time the stupid dragon licked his fingers. Every now and again, Hakuryuu would look at me and I swear to god, the damn dragon looked smug. I think he even stuck his tongue out at me once. Hakkai said I imagined that even as he blushed again. Hakuryuu still hissed at me when I got too close to Hakkai but he seemed to have calmed down a little. At least I didn’t feel like a fire ball in the face was a possibility every time Hakuryuu looked at me. I had no idea what his problem was or why he’d gotten a sudden hate on for me. I’d asked Hakkai what was up but he just laughed in that way he had that you knew wasn’t about being funny and said Hakuryuu was just being territorial and that dragons did that sometimes.
I snorted. Like he was some big fucking expert on them.
Hakkai was acting different, not just weird. He was a little mellower, almost content. I’d pointed this out to him and asked what’d changed. He’d looked startled for half a heart beat and given a nervous laugh when he said he was just relaxed after this forced break for Sanzo to get better. That wasn’t it. I’d lived with the guy. There was something he wasn’t saying, something more going on that he wasn’t telling me about. I wanted to be hurt about that but Hakkai seemed happy. Really and truly happy, so I wasn’t going to poke at him more. At least not right now.
We all had secrets of some kind.
Hakkai still had the gold card and paid for the meal before giving it back to Sanzo. Sanzo finished his smoke and said he was going back to the room. I watched him pick up a paper on his way out. Hakkai said rest was still the best thing for Sanzo after being so sick so I was glad that I hadn’t needed to prod him into going back to the room. Sanzo wasn’t sick and defenceless anymore and he was nearly back to his regular fan-whacking, pot-shot taking, pissy bastard self. If I’d told him he needed rest, he’d have hit me with that stupid fan or taken a bead on me with his gun. While that stuff could be fun in the bedroom, I wasn’t so happy with the idea when he was just being an asshole.
I was having a nice, quiet after dinner smoke when Goku started to whine about how he wanted desert. I had no idea where monkey-boy put all the food he ate. His gut should’ve exploded by now. I also felt like I owed him just a little for helping me out when Sanzo was sick. I couldn’t have looked after him without Goku’s help, especially since Hakkai had been going quietly even crazier than he already was when Hakuryuu disappeared on him and I’d had my hands full with a delirious monk. I pulled some bills from my pocket.
“Here. Buy whatever you want for desert. My treat. You did good, helping me when Sanzo was sick,” I said as I pushed the money towards Goku.
“You’re buying me desert? For real, Gojyo?” Goku asked his eyes wide in shock. The cash vanished even as he checked to make sure I wasn’t jerking him around.
“Yeah, for real. You were a big help with Sanzo. You know, helping me get food and water into him and dragging his sick ass to the bathroom and shit. Just remember to keep your mouth shut about knowing about me and Sanzo and especially about the stuff you heard Sanzo saying when he was out of it. He’ll shoot you first before he comes gunning for my head and I’m allergic to that kinda pain.”
“I’m not stupid, Gojyo. Even I know Sanzo’d be real mad if he knew what he said when he was sick,” Goku said, rolling his eyes at me before he raised his arm to get the waitress’s attention.
I stood and ruffled Goku’s hair. He could be an annoying little shit but he had been really good about helping me keep Sanzo comfortable. I left the restaurant and headed for the stairs. Maybe I could sneak in some more snuggle time with Sanzo. He seemed a little more mellow lately but that was probably ‘cause he wasn’t back into the top pissy form he usually was. I was sure, given another couple of days, he’d be back to his normal bitchy self.
I knew I was a grade ‘A’ masochist when I realized that I actually missed that about him.
I opened the door to the room and slipped inside. Sanzo was reading his paper at the little table that was in the room. He hadn’t bothered with his robe earlier, just throwing on his sleeveless leather shirt and a pair of old faded jeans. He’d taken off his sandals and socks and his long legs were stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankles. He lowered an edge of the paper to see who’d come into the room and grunted at me before going back to his reading.
My mouth went dry and a little bolt of arousal shot straight to my groin.
Sanzo’d tied his hair back in a stubby little ponytail. His glasses had slipped halfway down his nose. A lit smoke was pressed between his lips. He’d stared at me for all of three seconds over the rims of his glasses before grunting and going back to his paper. I didn’t think he had any idea how incredibly hot he looked like that.
I moved quietly to him, sinking to my knees beside him. I cupped him through the soft, worn denim making the paper rattle in his hands at the unexpected touch. He peered around the paper and narrowed his eyes at me.
“Fuck off. I’m reading,” Sanzo growled at me. There was a lot less heat in that than I was used to hearing.
“No shit. You can still read if I play with you, can’t you?” I said with a little challenge in my voice.
“Pervy kappa,” Sanzo muttered as he snapped the paper back into place. That was as close to permission as I was gonna get from him.
I grinned. I was slowly getting the hang of getting Sanzo to do what I wanted him too. A little challenge here, a tiny comment there and he’d either dive head first into what I wanted to do with him or he’d stomp off in a snit. I didn’t always get it right but I managed to have my way more times than not. Probably didn’t hurt my cause that Sanzo liked having sex with me and usually caved after a token protest.
I rubbed my palm back and forth over his hardening cock. He was still trying to read the paper but every now and again, the pages would twitch when I’d give him a gentle squeeze. I popped the fly on my pants, pushed the zipper down and wrapped my fingers around my dick. Seeing Sanzo sitting there looking hotter than hell made my cock hard before I even touched him. I rested my cheek against his thigh and closed my eyes as I stroked myself and him to the same rhythm. I smiled when I heard a shaky sigh from Sanzo and he gave a subtle push with his hips into my hand.
I rubbed my thumb over the head of my cock spreading the pre-come around. With my face so close to Sanzo’s groin, I could faintly smell the musk of his arousal. This was one of those times that I was grateful for youkai senses. I began slow, deep breaths, letting the smell of our arousal mix in my nose and goose my desire higher. Yeah, technically I was using my demon half, which I said I wouldn’t do to Sanzo without his permission; but I was doing this to tease myself not him. I started to add more squeezes to both our cocks. A tiny groan escaped Sanzo along with another rattle to the paper and a not so subtle hip thrust. I grinned wider.
Time to take it up a notch.
Worn jeans not only looked fantastic on Sanzo, they made working the button loose stupid easy. The fly came down smooth as butter. I slipped my fingers inside his jeans, stroking lightly over the skin of his belly. The paper shook slightly again at the light touch of my hand on his warm flesh. I opened my eyes to watch what I was doing.
I could only see a bit of Sanzo’s cock in the open fly of his jeans. I loved the fact that he went commando. He was such a naughty monk. I ran a finger between his cock and belly, making his dick twitch. The dark gold curls at the base were soft against the rough pads of my fingers. I wanted to press my nose into those curls and just inhale the smell of his arousal. I dragged a blunt fingernail down his length until the zipper stopped me from going any lower. I heard paper crumple and looked up to see Sanzo’s fingers curled into fists around the edge of the paper.
“Is it a boring story, Sanzo?”
“What?” Sanzo asked a little breathlessly.
“The story you’re reading. Is it boring? You haven’t turned the page in a while,” I said with a little smirk. God, but I swear the devil lived in my head and had control of my mouth sometimes.
“Fuck you,” Sanzo hissed at me with a truly impressive glare around the edge of the paper.
“Okay, that’s cool with me but, after I’m finished playing with you first. You look damn sexy with those glasses on and your hair tied back like that, Sanzo,” I said before licking a line up the exposed part of his dick.
Sanzo made a strangled noise in his throat and snapped the paper back up but not before I caught the blush on his cheeks. I was surprised the paper didn’t rip from the way he jerked it up. He made a disgruntled sound and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like ‘fucking perverted water sprite’ while uncrossing his ankles and spreading his legs apart a little.
I’m a smart boy. I can take a hint.
I stood and toed off my boots before shimmying my jeans off. I left my shirt on and peeked over the top of the paper at Sanzo while I did it. He kept his gaze fixed on the paper in front of him but I caught the quick tongue flick as he licked his lips. He knew what I was doing. Sanzo was a sharp cookie. He probably didn’t know what I had planned but that was half the fun of playing with Sanzo. I moved between his legs and went down on my knees again.
I drew his cock out of his pants and stroked him gently. I smeared the bead of pre-come over the head of his dick with my fingers. Sanzo let out a slow breath when I licked him again but he kept the paper up, pretending to read. That just wouldn’t do. I wanted to watch his expressions as I sucked him off. He was fucking gorgeous when he let himself enjoy what I did with him. One sure-fire way to get him to react was to take him into my mouth. He loved the feel of my lips on his cock and my hair brushing over his skin.
I always aimed to please my lover.
I leaned over Sanzo’s lap and opened my mouth, sucking him inside. My hair slid forward teasing the skin exposed between his open jeans and his shirt. I hummed softly around his cock, a little of Sanzo’s demon song creeping into my voice. I didn’t mean for that to happen but I wanted to pleasure Sanzo until he lost control. He probably wouldn’t notice the faint song anyway. He didn’t have youkai hearing but the undercurrents of it would affect him in only the most arousing ways. Sanzo groaned and tossed the paper to one side, finally giving up the illusion that he was actually reading it while I blew him. Not that I’d bought the idea anyway.
Gods, but I loved having the taste of Sanzo in my mouth. Something about the way his skin tasted, the feel of his pulse just under the surface. It didn’t have to be his cock either. His nipples were beautifully responsive to sucking and licking. His tongue was a treat to play with. I could and did spend hours nibbling and kissing his sweet ass. Granted, I loved his cock in my mouth but I was willing to have my lips and tongue on any other part of him he wanted to let me play with.
Sanzo threaded his hands through my hair. I looked up at him as I tongued the head of his cock enjoying the salty taste of him. He was watching me over the tops of his glasses, his eyes intense. Small sounds of enjoyment escaped me as I started to bob my head over him. Sanzo wasn’t quiet either. He was making the most delicious gasps and grunts of pleasure. I didn’t think it was possible for me to get any harder but hearing Sanzo make noises like he was, I was damn near painfully hard. My hand dropped to my lap and I started to jerk myself as I sucked Sanzo. Sanzo’s breathing sped up when he realized what I was doing as I gave him head and he licked his lips again. I sucked hard on him before slowly letting his entire cock slide down my throat. Sanzo groaned and his fingers tightened in my hair briefly before relaxing. I pulled back and teased the slit with my tongue making Sanzo bite his lip in pleasure. Bobbing my head over his cock had him squirming in his seat, his fingers clenching and releasing their grip in my hair.
“Not so fast, Gojyo. I don’t want to come yet,” Sanzo said through gritted teeth as a shiver moved over him.
“I don’t want you to come yet either,” I said, reluctantly letting his cock fall from my mouth to slap lightly against his belly.
I stood and leaned over Sanzo seated in the straight backed chair. Sanzo kept his fingers wound in my hair as if afraid I was going to go somewhere. Like that was gonna happen. I still had a firm grip on his cock with one hand and my own dick with my other. I gave both our dicks short, quick jerks. Sanzo tipped his head back to stare at me. A delicate pink flush of arousal was on his cheeks. Fuck, but he was beautiful. I moved closer until my nose was almost touching his. I stroked us both with a lazy rhythm and smiled when Sanzo’s eyes darted down to watch me jack us both off. Sanzo’s tongue flicked out to lick his lips again and I pressed my mouth to his when he did that groaning softly at the teasing touch of his tongue along my lips.
Sanzo made a noise of surprise before tightening his hands in my hair. We watched each other as our tongues tangled together. There was something different in the way he was looking at me. Some of the wariness and distance I was used to seeing was gone from his expression. If I wasn’t so damn horny, I would have taken the time to try and figure out just what exactly was with Sanzo. But, Sanzo sucked hard on my tongue and any thinking brain cells I had were drowned by lust.
“I have to feel you, Sanzo,” I groaned as I broke the intense kiss we were sharing.
I let go of Sanzo’s cock and gently untangled his fingers from my hair. He murmured a protest making me lean in and kiss him quickly. Sanzo was such a hair whore. I groped on the floor for my pants and the lube in one of my pockets. I smiled in triumph and squirted a generous amount into the palm of my hand before tossing the lube to the floor.
I slicked Sanzo’s cock slowly. He panted lightly and gripped the edge of the chair he was sitting on. I brought my lube slick fingers to my ass and smeared some around my hole. Sanzo watched me intently, a little frown on his face when I straddled his legs.
“What are you doing, Gojyo?”
“Having sex with you,” I smirked as I rubbed the head of his cock against my hole.
“But in a chair?” Sanzo asked as his eyes were drawn down to watch me tease myself with his cock.
“Yeah, in a chair. You’ll like this, I swear, Sanzo. Bet you’ll even want to do it again. Maybe ride me next time,” I said with a low moan as I pressed down on Sanzo’s cock.
Sanzo bit his lip and groaned as his cock slid smoothly into my ass. A long sigh of pleasure left my throat at the feeling of being filled. Sanzo felt damn good whether he was stuffing his cock up my ass or mine was in his. I was never sure which one I liked best with him. I brought my lube covered hand to my own dick and started to stroke myself slowly while grinding my ass in Sanzo’s lap. I cupped the back of Sanzo’s head with my other hand and sprinkled light kisses over his face. I nuzzled his neck and nibbled on his ear lobe earning a husky chuckle from Sanzo that sent lust rushing through me. He sounded damn sexy when he laughed like that. He needed to do it more.
“Feels good, Sanzo? Feels abso-fuckin-fantastic to me. I love having your cock in my ass,” I whispered into his ear.
A shiver moved through Sanzo and he threaded his fingers through my hair again. His lips brushed over my ear in a soft kiss that I swear made my toes curl and blood surge into my already painfully hard dick.
“Start moving and make me feel even better,” Sanzo demanded softly.
“You ask, I deliver,” I replied as I started to ride him like I’d been dying to since I realized he wasn’t sick any more and fine for exercises of the bedroom kind.
I leaned back a little, groaning when that pushed his cock deeper into me and pressed hard on my sweet spot. The zipper of his jeans rubbed against the backs of my thighs in an erotic counterpoint to the soft feel of the worn denim against my legs. I watched Sanzo watching me. Desire built in his eyes as I circled my hips. His breath was coming fast and hard and he groaned at seeing me jerk myself off while I rode his cock. I could feel tension running through his body. He was trying to hold back on his release, probably waiting for me.
“I want to feel you come in my ass,” I said against his lips before kissing him quickly.
“Then move faster,” Sanzo panted.
I didn’t need to be told twice. I gripped the back of the chair and started to seriously fuck myself on Sanzo’s cock. My other hand was tightly gripping the base of my dick. I wanted Sanzo to come before I did. I had plans on how this session was going to go and it didn’t involve me getting my rocks off just yet. I pumped my hips, nearly whimpering at how good it felt to have Sanzo’s cock moving in and out of my ass. Damn, if he didn’t come soon, my plans for his ass were going to be shot all to hell.
Just when I thought I was going to have to use a little demon power to stay hard after I blew my load, Sanzo stiffened and gasped. His fingers tightened in my hair and he jerked his hips up hard. Tendons stood out in his neck as his back arched. I slammed my hips down into Sanzo’s lap and held myself still as his cock spurted inside me. The feel of him finding release had me clenching my jaw and tightening my grip on my dick to keep from coming. He felt so damn good; it was going to be a close thing.
Sanzo sagged in the chair. Sweat darkened the hair around his face that escaped the stubby ponytail and he was panting lightly. He’d closed his eyes at some point, probably when he came. His face was relaxed and unguarded. He was beautiful and I had to bite my tongue to keep from telling him I loved him. Instead, I leaned in and kissed him on the forehead over the chakra that marked him as chosen by the gods. When I pulled back, he opened his eyes to stare intently at me.
“You didn’t come,” Sanzo said with an odd mix of annoyance and embarrassment.
“No, I didn’t. I’m not done with you yet, Sanzo,” I said with a slow smile.
He narrowed his eyes at me. The relaxed, open look on his face was replaced with wary caution. There was also the spark of excitement in his eyes but he was working to hide it. Sanzo really should know better by now. When it came to things of a sexual nature, I could almost read him like a book.
“What if I said I was done with you, you pervy kappa?” Sanzo asked in what I think was supposed to be a sneering tone. He failed miserably when I clenched my ass around his sensitized cock and a little moan of pleasure escaped him.
“You’d be lying. Say whatever you want anywhere else but be honest with me in bed, Sanzo. I’ll be absolutely honest with you,” I promised as I slowly stood and his cock slipped from my ass.
Sanzo sat in the chair with his spent cock hanging out of his jeans and a combination of lube and spunk rubbed into the fabric. I loved the erotic visual of him thoroughly screwed from the waist down yet looking only a little rumpled from the waist up. I grabbed his hand and pulled him up to stand next to me.
“I want to stroke my cock in and out of your ass. I want to bend you over that table and screw you senseless. Are you going to let me do that, Sanzo?” I asked as I rubbed the palms of my hands over his leather covered chest.
“I suppose it would be pointless for me to say I don’t like the idea.”
I think that was supposed to sound irritated but he sounded eager instead. I was a smart boy and knew when to keep my mouth shut. I pushed Sanzo to the table and pulled his jeans down to his knees before pressing a hand between his shoulder blades. He didn’t need any more encouragement from me. He pressed his chest to the table, pert little ass wiggling and just begging to be spread and filled. I scooped the lube up from the floor and squeezed a good sized amount over my fingers.
I rubbed the lube over his hole before shoving two fingers into him. He gasped in surprise and his ass clenched tight before relaxing with a little wriggle of his hips that said he enjoyed what I’d just done. I knew I wasn’t hurting him. He liked the sudden press of my fingers inside him. Hell, he fucking loved it whenever I did that to him. I fingered him; pressing on his prostate with every stroke and making him squirm.
“Gojyo,” Sanzo warned with a little impatience and growing arousal in his voice.
I pulled my fingers from his body and replaced them with my cock. Sanzo hissed at the slight sting of my entering him but he wasn’t protesting. His cute little ass squirming against me told me that he liked the feel of cock suddenly filling his ass. I pressed my chest to his back and covered his hands with mine. Our fingers laced together and I kissed the back of his neck exposed by the stubby little ponytail he’d pulled his hair into. I ground my hips into him, a pleasure filled rumble sounding from me at his tight heat.
“Damn, but you feel fantastic, Sanzo. Do you have any idea how erotic it is to feel your come running down my legs while I have my cock stuffed up your ass?” I whispered into his ear as I made tiny thrusts into him.
Sanzo shivered and grunted in response. The flush of arousal was back in his cheeks and his glasses were slightly askew with his cheek pressed against the table. I licked the corner of his mouth and had him try to twist his body to get a better kiss from me. He managed to pull his arms partially under his body and push himself slightly up on his forearms. He looked at me over his shoulder and the warmth and desire in his eyes was a sucker punch straight to my gut. I sucked in a surprised breath and tightened my grip on his hands.
“Your turn, Gojyo,” Sanzo said in a low voice.
“My turn for what?” I asked as I circled my hips and nipped the edge of his ear. Fuck but he felt fantastic.
“Orgasm. Sing for me, Gojyo. I want another orgasm,” Sanzo demanded.
I couldn’t have been more surprised if Sanzo had suddenly turned into a demon under me. Him asking, no, demanding that I sing for him was the last thing I’d expected. But if he wanted me to sing for him, so he could hear it, then I’d sing for him. I’d pretty much do anything sexual he asked me too. Yeah, he had me wrapped around his finger but I didn’t mind at all. I kissed the back of his neck again and let his song get loud enough for him to hear it. He shivered and moaned what sounded suspiciously like my name. My heart sped up at hearing him call me like that.
The song strengthened in tone and emotion, adding lush desire and currents of affection with little whorls of love. Every time I sang to Sanzo, the song became more complex because of my feelings for him. I didn’t mind that at all as it only made the experience better for both of us. My hips caught the tempo of the song and before long; I was lost in the pleasure of feeling Sanzo on my cock and the delight of singing for Sanzo at his request.
I could’ve let the song build us both up slowly but I was almost afraid of what would come out of my mouth if I did that. Already, Sanzo’s song had shifted in tone to include my feelings for him in the harmony. There weren’t any words to the song but it wasn’t words that gave the song power. The song ran on emotions and desires and I think mine were starting to become a bit too transparent. At least they seemed that way to me. I let myself go and thrust once more into Sanzo as my orgasm stormed through me. My release triggered Sanzo’s through the power of the song. He moaned and his fingers tightened almost painfully on mine. I heard the quiet splatter of his seed hitting the floor. He’d come again from just the effects of the song and the feel of my cock in his ass. Damn, I was good. We were both panting hard and I rested my cheek against his leather covered back.
My mind and body floated in the pleasure of release. My body enjoyed the taste, feel and smell of Sanzo. My mind loved the fact that I could be me with him and Sanzo accepted that. I was just Gojyo to him and he actually enjoyed some of the things my youkai half could do. He even wanted me to use some of my youkai power on him at times. I swear if I didn’t love him already, that would’ve sealed the deal for me.
How long we stayed like that was anyone’s guess. Sanzo eventually squirmed under me in a sign to let him up. I reluctantly moved off him and went to get a wet washcloth to clean us both up. I took care of myself first before rinsing the cloth out for him. I heard Sanzo light a smoke and when I turned back to face him, my cock wanted to stir to life again at the erotic picture he made.
Sanzo was sitting again in the chair beside the table. He’d taken his jeans off and slouched in the chair, legs spread with nothing on but the leather top and a well fucked look on his face. The glasses were still perched on his nose but the ponytail was gone and his hair fell around his face. He looked so gorgeous I wanted to kiss him before jumping his fantastic ass again. Instead, I crouched in front of him and cleaned him up, stealing his half finished smoke when I stood. I took a few quick puffs before crushing it out and hauling him to his feet.
He started to protest my stealing his smoke as well as pulling him from his seat. The protest was cut short by the kiss I gave him while I lowered the zipper on the back of his shirt. I broke the kiss and pulled the shirt from him, dropping it on the seat of the chair he’d just vacated. My own shirt followed before I pushed him towards the bed.
“It’s too early for bed,” Sanzo grumbled as he got under the covers anyway.
I clicked off the light and padded back to the bed, scooping up both our cigarettes, lighters and an ashtray on my way. The moon was just rising and giving enough light so that I had no trouble making my way to where Sanzo laid waiting for me. I put the smokes on the night table and climbed into bed with Sanzo. I pulled him into my arms and nuzzled into his hair. Sanzo let me do that with no protest which should have warned me something was up.
I glided my hands over his back and mouthed ‘I love you’ into his hair. I felt safe enough doing that. He wouldn’t know the difference between my kissing his hair and my lips moving in the words I didn’t think he was ready to hear. It was getting harder and harder for me to keep my trap shut but if I said anything, I was pretty sure I’d either scare Sanzo away or he wouldn’t believe me. There was also a better than average chance that both things also involved having him pull his gun on me and shooting me somewhere painful and lingering.
“You said I was the only one who could hear that song you sang for me but Hakkai heard it too that night. Did you lie to me?” Sanzo asked in a low voice with a trace of hurt.
Damn. I knew that was going to bite me on the ass later. It didn’t matter that my singing had been totally unintentional on my part. Neither me nor Sanzo thought to warn Hakkai against playing with my antenna while we were screwing each other. But, once Hakkai did start stroking my antenna, it was pretty much game over for me. But, I’d been hoping that Sanzo could tell the difference between his song and the one I sang that night. I didn’t think there was any comparison between the two songs but maybe Sanzo couldn’t tell. I sighed a little.
“No, Sanzo, I didn’t lie to you. You’re the only one to hear that song. You’ll be the only one to ever hear that song. It’s for you alone. What Hakkai heard was… a generic song of lust and arousal. Yeah, there was some affection in it but Hakkai is my best friend. Just for the record, that’s the first, and last, time Hakkai’ll hear one of my songs,” I said hugging Sanzo a little bit tighter.
Sanzo was quiet for a long time. I wasn’t sure what he was thinking or if he believed me. There was nothing I could do to prove that Sanzo was the only one to hear that particular song. Sanzo shifted against me and his fingers tangled in my hair. He pulled hard enough to hurt in the un-fun way.
“I’d better be the only one to hear that song, Gojyo. You said it was mine. I told you, I don’t share,” Sanzo warned with another sharp tug to my hair.
Even though my scalp hurt from where Sanzo yanked my hair, I was all kinds of pleased. Not only did he seem to believe me, he was being all possessive jealous over something as simple as a demon song. I cupped his chin, tipping his face up to mine. I stared at him; glad for the dimness of the room so that he couldn’t see the love I’m sure was plain in my eyes, yet, I could see the emotions in his. Best I could describe what I saw in his eyes was unsure possession. He wanted me all to himself but he wasn’t sure he could have me the way he needed. Sanzo didn’t realize yet that he already had me. He still needed a little time before he’d be ready to hear that, I think.
One of these times, probably soon knowing my luck, I was going to fuck up and blurt out that I loved him. To head that impulse off, I needed to call him something that nobody else did. Something affectionate that wouldn’t scare the crap outta him or get my ass shot off by the bitchy monk. Something I could use instead of telling him I loved him. Whatever it was, I’d have to make sure I didn’t call him that outside of the bedroom or he’d make sure I hurt real bad before I died. I smiled when the word came to me.
“The song is yours, anata,” I said softly before kissing him to silence any protest over the new pet name I’d just used.
Sanzo frowned but let me continue kissing him. I kept kissing him until the frown disappeared and his eyes closed as he participated in the kiss. The fire of the earlier kisses we’d shared was banked but the intense feelings leaked through. Our tongues played and tangled lazily together. When the kiss ended, I pushed Sanzo’s head to my shoulder, running the fingers of one hand through his hair in a gentle caress while I smoothed my other hand over his shoulder and back.
“You call me that outside the bedroom and I’ll shoot your balls off,” Sanzo grumbled as he threw his leg over mine and continued to play with the ends of my hair.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I said with a small smile.
Sanzo muttered something that could have been a threat but there was no heat behind the words. Sanzo hadn’t tried to do me bodily harm, which was a very good sign. I didn’t doubt that he’d come awful close to shooting my balls off if I called him anata in public like I’d just done. Not that I was suicidal enough to try it, but he seemed okay with my calling him that in private and it was more than I honestly thought I’d get away with.
Made me wonder though…. What’d changed in his head about us and when and how I was going to get him to tell me.
Translation note:
Anata, as Gojyo uses it here, is a Japanese term of affection (kinda like the English equivalent of ‘honey’ or ‘dear’). Anata used alone, in a private setting with inflection added would be like calling someone your ‘most precious one’. It also means ‘you’ in a casual conversation although that is not how Gojyo is using the word and, yes, Sanzo does understand the difference.
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