Author: Mosh Note: You may not archive, re-post, or alter any of my stories without my permission. Please contact me first. Thanks! |
The dry dirt road didn’t seem to have an end. It formed an ever-expanding spider’s web through the countryside, weaving its way around and through hamlets, villages, towns, farming land, forests, drab grey mountains, deep secluded valleys. But for such a vast, old network, it was really nothing but dirt. A whole lot of dirt, endless, brown dir- “Na, Sanzo?” Sanzo stopped thinking and frowned irritably, not bothering to turn. Next to him, Hakkai smiled and drove. Sanzo didn’t need to look to know that was what Hakkai was doing - he did it a lot. In the back, Sanzo could make out the odd bored mumble from the kappa, though he wasn’t in mind to pay attention to the words. Probably grumbling about his lack of booze and women. The kappa was so clichéd. An old, abandoned barn whizzed past on Sanzo’s left. The motion was interchangeable - one moment they were moving, the next the landscape seemed to revolve around the car. How Sanzo looked at it depended on his mood. This stretch of the journey sure was taking a long, tedious time. It might not be so bad if it didn’t feel like they were stuck in a fucking never-ending cycle. Sanzo could’ve sworn the same run-down barn had passed them four times already today. “Sanzo?” “Shut up,” said Sanzo, staring off at the distant hills. The thing about being on the road so long was that things started to look the same after a while. You’ve seen one dilapidated tree, you’ve seen them all kind of thing. Not that Sanzo was in it for the scenery. “Can we stop soon?” Goku’s voice was closer now; Sanzo could tell he’d moved, now directly behind the passenger seat. At a better angle to whine more effectively, he figured. Sometimes Sanzo wondered if the monkey did it on purpose. “You already took a piss half an hour ago,” he pointed out. Goku paused before he answered. “… Yeah. Um, I need to go again?” He didn’t sound so sure of himself, then he amended. “I really need to go again.” Sanzo’s frown deepened. “Oy, monkey,” Gojyo piped up, in his customary lazy drawl. “What the hell have you been drinking?” There was a groan, right next to Sanzo’s ear; he fancied he could feel it too, a fleeting, familiar puff on his skin. He suppressed the urge to shiver. Goku had moved even closer and was now leaning on the back of the passenger seat. “I dunno…” said Goku. “I think it’s that apple stuff from earlier. And don’t call me monkey!” “I warned you not to drink it all at once, Goku,” said Hakkai, putting on the breaks a bit as Jeep lurched over a number of potholes in the road. “Yeah… sorry.” Goku didn’t sound sorry at all. His elbow jabbed into the back of Sanzo’s shoulder, but before Sanzo could say anything, Goku sighed loudly. “Please can we stop, Sanzo?” Up ahead, Sanzo could clearly see the outline of the next village. A church spire rose high, pin-sharp against the mellow white clouds. Far below that, he could make out a haphazard line of roofs; and then lower, a stone wall reached around the next cluster of buildings, cradling them in its arms. Pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, Sanzo echoed Goku’s sigh, although his was decidedly more frustrated. “Just make it fucking quick.”
* * *
Hakuryuu rolled to a stop outside the village church. Luckily, the high, angular roof provided ample shadow from the sun’s glare. It wasn’t hot, but it wasn’t cold either - a strange November, this year. Add to that the monotony of the current landscape, and Sanzo imagined it was a little like being stuck in limbo. Arms folded across his chest, he remained steadfast in the passenger seat as Goku leapt from his place in the back. “No more than ten minu-” Sanzo stopped, his eyebrows dipping as Gojyo vacated Jeep, too. “Where the hell are you going?” The kappa had drawn out his cigarettes and was in the process of lighting up as he turned. He drew in a lungful and said, “Find the nearest pub.” He walked backwards, a shit-eating grin curving around the cigarette dangling from his lower lip and one red eyebrow rising. “Why, you gonna miss me?” “Fuck off,” grumbled Sanzo. “Looks like we’ll be here a while.” Hakkai turned off Jeep’s engine, then flexed his hands a bit. He’d been driving almost all day, apart from their earlier pit-stop in the previous town - that’d been a fifteen minute break. “Sorry, Sanzo. I’d actually quite like to find something to eat. To keep me going,” he added, pulling out the guilt trip. Crafty bastard, thought Sanzo. Hakkai pushed open the driver’s side door and stepped onto the road. “Maybe you can find a nice quiet spot while we go about our business?” Sanzo didn’t want to ‘find a nice quiet spot’ - he wanted to get a fucking move on. But he knew without Hakkai and Jeep on his side, the journey would be set back even more. He clucked his tongue once and muttered, “Whatever.” “Hakuryuu, are you staying here in the shade?” “Kyuuu~” “All right, then. I won’t be long.” Hakkai offered Sanzo another smile before heading off down the street. At least it hadn’t been as smug as the kappa’s. Arms still crossed, Sanzo frowned and closed his eyes. He focused on the familiar weight of his Smith & Wesson in his robe pocket, and silently dared the others to be more than an hour. Three hours later they were finally on the road again, which was something. The same couldn’t be said for Sanzo’s mood. He clutched his harisen in his fist, and in turn Jeep and all of his occupants were eerily silent for the rest of the day.
* * *
“Aaahh, thank the gods,” moaned Goku, doing squat-thrusts on the pavement. “My legs were almost fully asleep.” “At least then they’d have caught up with your brain,” said Gojyo. “Stop complaining.” “Shut up, Kapp-!” “Silence,” Sanzo warned. He didn’t even bother to raise his voice - the deadliness he injected in it would’ve reached for miles had he wanted it to. They were standing outside a hotel. Well, hotel might have been stretching it. The place looked a bit like the barn they’d passed a grand total of eight times earlier that day - run-down, paint-peeling, one window shutter hanging off its hinges on the ground floor. It swung back and forth in the light breeze, whining softly. But Hakuryuu had been ambling that last couple of miles, and Hakkai’s head and eyelids had started drooping somewhat, as if both were connected by the same invisible string. Sanzo wanted to make haste, sure, but he wasn’t suicidal. Regardless of the state of the building, the lights that burned from inside looked kind of warm, kind of mellow. If the monkey and the kappa could keep out of each other’s way for the evening, he could catch up with the newspaper and have a few beers; he might even get some proper rest. Maybe he could drink himself unconscious and have such a vicious hangover tomorrow that he wouldn’t care what day it was, or how far left they had to go. Encouraged by that thought, he lead the way inside to ask where the bar was, while Hakkai organised their rooms. It went how it usually did: Gojyo and Hakkai sharing, him and Goku in another room. As Hakkai had once said, it was the least troublesome arrangement. But a few hours later, as Goku bounded into their room with a bag full of pistachio nuts he’d blagged from the barman and started moving around making noise, Sanzo wondered if Hakkai talked a load of shit. Even without the kappa around Goku was troublesome, and noisy, and hot with energy, like he’d been rubbed against the carpet for a few hours and then released as a statically charged ball. In truth, sometimes Sanzo didn’t mind it so much - the chatter, the fucking bouncing. Mostly on cool nights in busy locations, when he was in the mood to share a bed and not worry about their noises carrying to other rooms. But not tonight. Especially not tonight. After slipping out of his robe, Sanzo began peeling his leather sleeves down his arms, a prickling sensation crawling slowly up his back and spreading out beneath his skin. He yanked his top up over his head, dropped it on the floor. As he let his denims fall around his ankles and then stepped out of them, he was all too aware of Goku’s eyes on him, and a muscle in his side twitched. One glance over his shoulder found the younger man sitting on the other bed with his legs folded under him, idly munching on a handful of pistachios while he very blatantly stared at Sanzo’s arse. Sanzo turned away again, slid beneath the off-white sheets of his bed, and tried to ignore him. Goku cleared his throat, seeming to rejoin the room. “So, Gojyo said the barman said they have a circus coming here, Sanzo - did you know that?” “We only got here a few hours ago. How the hell would I know that?” Sanzo turned to face to the cracked and peeling grey wall. “I wonder if they’ll have animals… I really wanna see an elephant, at least once, you know? Or a tiger. Or both. But not at the same time. Though that might be pretty cool. Hey, Sanzo? What do you reckon would win out of an elephant and a tiger if they had a fight?” Sanzo took hold of the of the thin hotel pillow beneath him, pressing the edges to his ears. He closed his eyes. The strange woolly silence seemed to thunder in his head, but it was better than the unending chatter and sound of cracking pistachio shells coming from the opposite side of the room. A short while later, he felt the edge of his bed dip and he looked up sharply. Goku was leaning over him, sans pistachios and now stripped down to his white undershorts, one knee placed gently on the mattress. His mouth moved, but the words were muffled. Sanzo rolled his eyes and released the pillow. “What?” “I said, I hope you sleep well.” “Huh,” said Sanzo, not expecting that. “Go to sleep.” To his surprise, Goku offered a small, unusual half-smile that could possibly rival one of Hakkai’s. Then, Goku turned and plodded back over to the other bed. Sanzo almost sat up and asked him what the hell, but decided that would only open more dialogue. He was beat after such a long, frustrating day, and tomorrow would no doubt be worse. The smile bothered him, though, long after Goku put out the light. It had been wholly un-Goku, almost knowing with an edge of smugness. The fuck? Sanzo lay and looked up into the darkness above, his thoughts slowly sliding to the faint tick-tocking of a clock from the hall outside. He wondered if it would chime the hour soon, making it midnight. He ideally wanted to be asleep by then, but it wasn’t looking hopeful. “Sanzo…” Goku’s faint whisper floated in the darkness suddenly, soft and reluctant. “What?” Sanzo replied, his voice a little gruff. “I… Nothin’. Night.” When the chimes started to ring, Sanzo’s stomach tensed up and he turned over quickly, curling up in the bed. The springs creaked, but they didn’t drown out the lazy ding… ding… ding. He tried not to count them, and when the last chime faded to nothing Sanzo only had one thought in his head: Another year.
* * *
The smile was unreachable; it hovered above him, and no matter how much he stretched and strained his arms, how loud he cried out, it just slipped away like smoke drifting on a breeze. Sanzo gritted his teeth, instead going for the long, sunlight strands of hair whipping all around. But they, too, seemed to disintegrate in his fingers, bleeding across his skin to nothing. He dropped to his knees with frustration and despair, pounding his fists on the autumn earth, dry leaves crunching and scattering and prickling his bare legs. His hands became red raw as he scraped at the ground, sandaled feet just out of his reach. But the pain started dulling after a while and he thought he was going numb from it, until he found himself slipping - falling forward, moving upward, pulled away. Moving from dreamscape to reality was both welcome and crushing at the same time. Every part of Sanzo’s brain clung to the scene, to the man standing too far away from him, but something else was tugging at him - a warm, familiar presence curling all around. He felt his throat vibrate, then heard the noise he made echoing in his ears, though both things weren’t quite connected yet. He struggled to reach full consciousness. “What…” Sanzo was remembering now. He was older; that stuff just now was what his dreams were made of. It was the past, it hadn’t been real. It was his birthday. That was why he’d dreamed it. Yeah, he always did. Every year, like clockwork. Sanzo tried to shift in bed, but either his dream still clung to him, making his limbs too heavy to move just yet, or something else was restricting him. There was light, breaking like sunrise as he cracked his eyes open. It blinded him to begin with and he had to squint. “Sanzo?” He knew that voice. Actually, he knew the weight that pressed down on him, too - from the little squirm, the squeeze of bare legs around his thighs, the breath on his cheek, the soft voice in his ear. It was Goku. “What the shit,” he mumbled, then cleared his throat, “is going on?” “I dunno,” said Goku, leaning a bit closer; the mattress creaked under their combined weight. Sanzo forced his eyes open wider and could tell the brightness was due to the oil lamp burning on the nightstand, which Goku had re-lit. The window still remained shadowed behind the thin curtains - it wasn’t yet time to rise. “You started talking in your sleep and I thought something was wrong.” “You would sleep through an earthquake,” said Sanzo, huffing. Just my luck you’d hear my dreams, he didn’t add. “Stop sitting on me.” Goku didn’t move. “Are you… what…” Sanzo heard him swallow. “It’s half-three. Um… Sanzo?” Sanzo rested his forearm over his eyes. “What?” “Uh.” Goku shifted to the side, falling heavily onto the bed beside him. His legs were still half wrapped across Sanzo’s thighs, and one arm smoothed over his abdomen, fingers resting at his side. Sanzo was kind of sensitive there and he tried not to react to the touch, but he was sure Goku could feel the tick beneath his skin. “H-happy birthday.” Every inch of Sanzo’s body tensed. He removed his arm from over his eyes and turned his head slowly. All he could see then were two massive, deep brown eyes staring at him earnestly, and he barked out a laugh. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” “What?” An affronted edge crept into Goku’s tone and his brow dipped. “What’s so funny about that?” “I thought you just said…” Sanzo stopped laughing and glared. “You better not have.” “I-I did.” Goku pursed his mouth, then released it. “You won’t have one anyway but I wanted to say it because it’s a special day, even if it’s not a happy one. It still marks the time when you… I mean, it’s a day that remembers you’re alive and that another year-” “Shut. Up.” Sanzo stared at Goku for some time. He pulled himself back a little so he could clearly see more than just two large eyes, a nose, and a set of smooth lips. Goku matched his stare for a while, but eventually he crumbled, his gaze dropping and mouth curving down. “Hit me if you’re gonna.” Well, he wasn’t usually so damn resigned to it. Something in the utterly disappointed tone made Sanzo almost regret laughing. “How did you know?” Sanzo found himself saying. He hadn’t told anyone the exact day, not in all the years, not even Goku. It wasn’t an important day to anyone but him, and even that was laced with bitterness, a sense of loss, a sprinkling of weariness. It wasn’t even a real birthday, at that - just a fancy borne of an aging monk with a too big heart. “You know in January when we went to that New Year festival and you and Gojyo got into that drinking contest?” Sanzo had a vague recollection of a monster of a hangover. Of the kappa’s smug face. Of Hakkai the next day, warning them not to throw up in Hakuryuu or there would be trouble. “… yeah,” he said. “I, uh… kind of asked you then. When you were really drunk.” Goku hunched a little on the bed, most likely waiting for the harisen to rain down on his skull. It was tempting, but Sanzo didn’t make a move. His hands tingled, but not for the fan. The nightmare still lurked close by, on the fringes of his perception, and he was in no mood to whack Goku, or anyone for that matter. “That’s devious,” he said instead, after a while. “Especially for you.” “Well, you wouldn’t tell me otherwise!” said Goku. “And I wanted to know. I…” He scrambled up, launching himself over Sanzo’s body to get off the bed. “I just remembered, I have this… one sec!” His feet thudded across the floorboards as he crossed the room to the other bed, noisy as ever. Fuck’s sake, what is he doing now, Sanzo wondered tiredly. He listened to a rustling, the sound of clothes being tossed around, zips being undone, objects dropped on the floor. When Goku returned, he was carrying a small brown bag. He climbed back onto the bed, more carefully than when he had risen, and resettled beside Sanzo, next to the wall. “Here. Don’t kill me.” Handing the bag to Sanzo, he backed off as if wary of the reaction. The object inside the bag was rectangular in shape, thin, and heavy. Sanzo sat up a little, tipped the bag upside down so its contents dropped onto the sheet in the gap between them. Sanzo stared at it for some time. Goku was as silent as the grave, which was quite a feat considering when Goku himself wasn’t talking his stomach usually was. Holding the object up for closer inspection, Sanzo blinked as lamplight shone off the flat side, hitting him square in the eyes. It was metal, that much was confirmed. Turning it to a different angle, he noticed a small clasp on one of the longer edges. Flipping it with one finger, the metal rectangle popped open, revealing a dark red velvet lining inside and ten thin indents in a row, all the same shape and size - about the length of a- “It’s a cigarette holder,” Sanzo said out loud. “Yeah,” said Goku. His voice was quiet, a little careful. “Um, that was why I asked to stop yesterday. I saw it in a window in town. It was…” he trailed off. Then, after a moment of silence, “It was really shiny and the sun made it glint and I dunno… I thought of you. Hakkai would say I was encouraging you to smoke more than you already do, but I couldn’t not get it because it just seemed like the kind of thing you might need when we’re crossing streams. You know, so your cigarettes don’t get all soggy and you-” Sanzo pressed his forefinger against Goku’s mouth right then. The babble broke off, leaving a stark kind of silence in its wake. “Enough.” Wide brown eyes blinked up at him, loaded with frustration, embarrassment, worry. Slowly, Sanzo leaned down, dropping the cigarette box and instead taking a fistful of soft brown hair. He tugged, turning Goku’s head so when he finally pressed his mouth to Goku’s, it was a well-aligned fit. It was to shut him up, that was all. To stop the fucking endless blather. That was what Sanzo said to himself, and yet the thought flew apart as he felt hands fist in the sheet covering his chest. Those hands then released, and one of them slid around to his back, splaying there at the base of his spine. Goku let out a soft, contented noise into Sanzo’s mouth and followed his lead, making it clear he’d take whatever Sanzo decided to give him. Sanzo pulled back until their mouths were barely touching. “Are you annoyed with me?” Goku asked after a moment, pressing his face into the crook of Sanzo’s neck. “Always,” said Sanzo. Goku looked up at him and smiled a little sheepishly. “We can forget it.” The box still lay on the bed between them. Sanzo took it up, turned it over in his hands once, the light glinting off the side again. Reminded him of me, huh, he thought, reaching back to deposit it on the rickety bedside table. He pulled the sheet down so it was out of the way, and nudged Goku. “Take these off,” Sanzo instructed, tugging on the waistband of Goku’s shorts. Over the months, Goku had learned he wouldn’t be told twice, so he quickly struggled out of the material and slung it carelessly over Sanzo. It landed far off, a faint fwip against wood. Goku wrapped his arms around Sanzo’s shoulders and urged him down. “I thought you were gonna kick me out of bed,” he said, as he turned his chin up, asking for a kiss. “Sanzo…” No, Sanzo wasn’t going to kick him out. Maybe earlier, if he’d tried a stunt like this, when Sanzo had been trying to fall asleep, to beat the clock; when he’d been teetering on the verge of yesterday and today, and his master was only a few subconscious memories away. Sanzo thought about the cigarette holder. He was well aware the gift wasn’t cheap, nor was it shallow in intention. But it was the gesture that held the most weight, he couldn’t deny. The nightmare was far off now, so far he wondered if he’d ever dreamed it at all. It wasn’t his birthday right then - it wasn’t any day in particular. There was just the shabby hotel room, the bed, Goku’s body slight and firm and really there, pressed to him so tightly it was like he’d been glued, and a familiar hardness now surging up against Sanzo’s thigh. Goku thrust his hips forward, a little noise escaping his throat. “Hnn...” It would’ve been cute if Sanzo allowed words like ‘cute’ in his head. He didn’t, though, so instead he ducked down and drew Goku’s lower lip between his teeth, biting very lightly on the pliant, hot flesh. The hard cock against his thigh twitched, like it was answering. Sanzo’s dick responded right back, stirring more and more. That kind of dialogue always was the end of him. “So, um…” Goku said as Sanzo released his lip. He thrust a bit more, his voice with a slight edge now, a roughness. “Do you want the box or what?” Sanzo sighed. “You’re not going to let this go, are you? Look, I don’t need things like that.” He paused briefly. “The holder’s good, and I’ll keep it. But it’s not… trivial things like that… aren’t important. Other things…” Damn, it was hard saying what he was sort of very nearly almost thinking. “Things I keep close by, are important.” “What do you mean?” asked Goku, his eyes widening. “You really don’t like it? I could pawn it and get you something else.” “Idiot,” grumbled Sanzo. “That’s not what I mean. Use that tiny brain of yours if it’s in there, think about what I just said.” “Um…” Goku frowned at him, looking lost. He stilled his hips, as if moving at the same time as thinking was way too much of a distraction. Finally, after some time, Goku blinked, realisation slowly dawning on his face. His mouth drew up at the corners and seemed to flutter for a second, before he cracked a bright, toothy smile, and Sanzo was struck by the irrational urge to lick him, but managed to get it under control. “Wow, so there is something in there after all.” He tapped Goku’s forehead with his finger, just below the line of the gold diadem. “Hah, oh wow! Sanzo, I…” Goku beamed at him. “Che,” Sanzo muttered. “Don’t get too cocky.” “Ungh. Say that again.” “Shut up.” Sanzo flicked Goku’s nose. He’d had enough of this needless chatter, anyway. Rolling onto his back, he pulled Goku along with him so the younger man was lying across his body, one heavy, hot spill of young, firm limbs. Goku laughed then, delightedly, his breath fleeting against Sanzo’s cheek. “Will you stop messing around and just-” Goku squirmed, and moaned softly in his ear, and Sanzo’s words cut short. Which was fine, he didn’t need to say anything further - Goku wriggling on him, pressing his heavy erection down against Sanzo’s, was all he needed. He felt the ghost of lips on his earlobe, then they slid down to his jaw more firmly, and teeth joined in, nibbling on his jawbone lightly. Goku hummed, rotating his hips, starting to thrust, then quickly licked down the column of Sanzo’s neck, to the juncture, before moving back up. His eyes were starting to take on that unfocused softness that was familiar for times like these. Reaching up, Sanzo pressed the pad of his index finger against Goku’s mouth, and then slid it inside. Goku sucked on it enthusiastically, swirling his tongue around and around, getting Sanzo’s finger nice and wet. He then dipped his tongue down into the V, then back up over Sanzo’s middle finger, sucking that into his mouth as well. He moaned a little, anticipating what Sanzo was about to do. Withdrawing his hand, Sanzo reached down the length of Goku’s back, drawing his fingers from the base of his spine down, down further into the cleft of his arse, to his sensitive hole. “Uhhhh, oh…” There went the last shred of Goku’s coherency, Sanzo thought, as he rubbed his wet fingers back and forth, then pushed his index in a little way. Goku’s hips rose up; he tried to push back against Sanzo’s touch, urging him in further. He was always so intent on rushing, going for sex like he went for food - without a second thought, lead entirely by his hunger for it. Sanzo knew that, on a few occasions, he’d hurt Goku because of the young man’s impatience. Not that Goku would admit it to him. Although it had technically been Goku’s own fault, Sanzo hadn’t liked the pinch of his mouth. He hadn’t liked the moans, straining from Goku’s throat - more out of discomfort than pleasure. No, this time, Sanzo was going to prepare him well before they began, and no amount of begging or please, please fuck me now, Sanzo, please was going to rush him through it. Damnit. No. Definitely not. Somehow, Goku had enough brain cells left to sit up and spread his knees, planting them on the mattress at either side of Sanzo’s thighs, a lot like the position Sanzo had woken up to earlier. Goku also had more leverage now, and his thrusts got deeper, longer, more intense, cock an insistent silk-hot-hard nudge against Sanzo’s abdomen with every heave forward. Ahh, that felt fucking incredible. Sanzo clenched his teeth, trying to keep up with Goku’s uncoordinated movements. It was proving difficult, preparing him when he wouldn’t stay still, and yet there was no way in hell Sanzo was going to tell him to stop. “Fuck… just,” he grated out, pushing his finger all the way in as Goku drew back, then, a few thrusts later, finally adding two fingers. Goku’s body swallowed them eagerly, and the building tightness in Sanzo’s balls intensified when he thought about slowly pushing his cock inside that blazing heat. “Ohh, Sanzo, I wanna… I feel so good, can I-?” Shit, was there any point waiting any longer? Goku was going to make him come just from that rhythmic, crazy rubbing otherwise. Sanzo withdrew and settled his hand around Goku’s hip, squeezing him. He didn’t have to say anything: Goku was instantly rising up on his knees, reaching back and curling his fingers around Sanzo’s length, angling himself over it. He did all these things in slow-motion, or so it seemed to Sanzo as he watched, hovering between fucking bliss and fucking bliss. Goku was flushed from his face right down to his chest, infusing a coppery tinge to his bronzed skin. He looked nothing like the gangly young thing Sanzo had let follow him down from the mountain all those years ago, all wide-eyed and leaning how to exist in the world. The Goku he could see right then knew exactly what he was doing. He choked out a whine as he lowered himself over the head of Sanzo’s cock - he was going too fast, if he didn’t take it easy, he’d- But Sanzo’s concerns broke apart as Goku took him in, down, down, down and a little bitten-out curse, a little clench of muscle, and oh fucking there, all the way to the root of him. Placing his hands against Sanzo’s chest, Goku leaned over him - utterly still - breathing shallowly and with his eyes squeezed shut. Sanzo let out a sigh, needing the brief respite too; to adjust and not just come right up inside Goku then. “Y-you really… mean it,” Goku whispered, panting. “That I’m… I’m… important to… to you?” At a time like this! Sanzo started rolling his hips, not taking too much friction - not yet, anyway - but enough that delicious ripples travelled simultaneously down his length and up his spine. He was so deeply settled, and after a very slight angle change he knew he was grazing Goku’s most sensitive spot; the sudden hitch-choke of his breath confirmed that. “Ah! Sanzo…?” “Ugh, yes,” he barked out. “As if it wasn’t clear already. Goku, move. Move right fucking now.” Goku groaned loudly, filthily, and then he started to move. Just little jerks up and down to start with, as his body adjusted to the stretch of Sanzo’s length. He clenched his fingers against Sanzo’s chest, slipping a little because they were sweaty, or maybe it was Sanzo’s chest that was sweaty. Or maybe both, Sanzo didn’t really care. As Goku’s bounces grew in force and heady pressure, Sanzo found himself unable to rein in the low, chesty moan that welled up in him and burst forth like thunder. Goku liked that a lot - he sped up, his dick so full it was flushed dark, desperate, bobbing with his movements, shining at the head. It was a subconscious move, how Sanzo reached down with his hand, wrapping it around Goku’s cock. He kept his grip firm as the silk-hardness slipped back and forth in the circle of his fist, but not too tight that it would hamper Goku’s thrusts. Just enough to wrench a string of obscenities from Goku’s throat, the likes of which Sanzo was sure Goku had picked up from him. Heh. There was something to be said for Goku’s stamina, his ability to hold a rhythm; Sanzo would possibly scream if Goku stopped now. Right now, in the midst of the tight pull, as Goku rose up on the crest of sensation, riding him like a wild creature, then swallowed him, a mind-numbing sink, dropping back down on the tide. It was going to kill Sanzo at this rate. Sanzo pushed up with his elbows, then his hands, rising into a sitting position and curving one arm tightly around the small of Goku’s back, and one up around his damp neck. Goku followed Sanzo’s lead and dipped his head, mouth open and wet for a kiss. Sanzo urged him to keep moving, the wrenching ache in his gut - cock, balls, everywhere - becoming wonderfully, dizzyingly unbearable. As a quick, hot spurt of precome beat out onto his stomach, he knew Goku was about to crash. Sanzo pulled Goku’s desperate moans into his mouth, returning them full force with his own deeper, more ragged ones. And then Goku shuddered hard, his voice wavering and rising in pitch, curving up at the end into something like a mewl. The hardness pressed against Sanzo’s body jerked, and slick heat dashed up his stomach, hit his chest and slid like hot pearls down his torso. Goku cried out into his mouth, sinking onto his cock all the way and then clenching his muscles so hard Sanzo forgot how to breathe. At that point, suspended so high, a split second before the plummet and release he was chasing, Sanzo saw everything openly and clearly - knew it in his bones and skin and voice and movements and in his head. The things he had lost were in the past, and the things he had gained were real right now. He would not let those things go. He squeezed Goku hard, gave into the ache, came deep and unguarded and more intensely than he could remember, and held on vice-tight. Goku’s mouth was moving over his cheek, to his ear, and he was saying things, desperate things Sanzo couldn’t make out beneath the pounding in his skull. He didn’t need to hear those things, though - he could tell by the tone, the rush of the words, and if he had any spare breath he would’ve outwardly told Goku to hush, and he inwardly told Goku that he knew. He knew. After the first few, most mind-blowing bursts of his orgasm, Sanzo was able to unlock his limbs and rock them both backwards, so that Goku was half-lying and half-sitting on him. Sanzo was then free to push up a little, riding out the closing jerks of his cock, clinging to the sensation as long as possible as the flow ebbed, then finally, pleasantly subsided. “That. Was. Brilliant,” Goku panted against his shoulder, his body trembling like a current was passing through it. He let out a short laugh, then a long sigh. Sanzo didn’t say anything, but he had to admit, introducing Goku to sex had been one of his best moves. Yeah, it’d been on the cards for ages anyway, but right then, Sanzo wondered not for the first time why he’d held off so long. If he thought about it, the move from what they had been to what they were now hadn’t been as difficult or messed up as he’d anticipated. That was why he’d waited, made absolutely sure it wouldn’t ruin everything, destroy the weird balance within the ikkou, destroy the clear lines set between him and Goku. In the end, to Sanzo’s surprise, nothing much had changed, after that first kiss, the first time he’d pushed into Goku’s body, let Goku draw him close. Sanzo supposed it was because Goku was Goku, and he took everything Sanzo gave him with an open, unquestioning enthusiasm; without worry, trusting his judgement entirely and implicitly. That, and the fact that Goku had wanted it long before Sanzo could even admit to himself he wanted it too, and had just about floated up off the ground when Sanzo made it clear he couldn’t resist any longer. Mmm... Sanzo let himself drift in the mellowing come-down, shoving his nose into Goku’s damp hair and curving his arm around his waist. After a light shake, Goku made a contented noise, but it didn’t sound like he was fully alert. Or even semi-alert. Carefully pulling out of Goku, Sanzo rolled them over a little way, until Goku was settled on the bed beside him. He was like a freaking sack of potatoes, the way he flopped. “Don’t tell me you’re nearly unconscious already,” Sanzo said gruffly, against Goku’s ear. “Nmmhm…” “Lightweight.” Sanzo didn’t bother to rearrange Goku’s heavy limbs, even though the man was utterly hopeless; one leg now wrapped across Sanzo’s midriff, a sweaty arm slung over the mess cooling on Sanzo’s chest. Sanzo had just enough left in him to reach for the nearest material he could find - the disarrayed sheet beneath them hanging half off the bed - and wiped himself, cleaning up as best he could. It’d have to do. It was okay. After the sex they just had, Sanzo really didn’t give that much of a shit. Actually, he felt like he could just fall asleep then and there, for once follow Goku’s lead rather than the other way around. As he let his eyes close and deeply inhaled the musky sex in the air, let sleep creep up and tug at him. And for the first time, the first year on his birthday, he found he didn’t have the energy to think about any more nightmares. He didn’t have mind to concern himself with anything at all.
* * *
For the second time, Sanzo woke up groggy and half-paralysed. As his consciousness took its sweet time reaching him, he wondered what the hell was wrong. It didn’t feel like he needed to panic or go for his gun, but it didn’t feel entirely comfortable, either. It was seconds before he realised it was only Goku slung over him, restricting his movements. Again. When he opened his eyes, daylight fell dully through the curtains. He noticed the bedside oil lamp was still burning faintly, though he couldn’t remember it bothering him a few hours ago when he’d fallen asleep. He supposed he had to thank Goku for that. Untangling himself from the warm cocoon of Goku’s arms, Sanzo rose and cringed. His back ached from where he’d slept at an odd angle, and there were pins and needles in his leg from where Goku’s had lain across it during the night. All in all, he felt pretty good. Most surprisingly, he became aware that something was missing, although it wasn’t a bad realisation at all, just kind of stark. There was a lack of tension in his gut. There was no customary birthday downer. He didn’t even ponder what day it was too closely - he was too hungry, too in need of a hot shower followed by a hard dose of caffeine. Scratching the back of his neck, Sanzo threw one more glance at the young man sprawled across his bed, still totally zonked, and then grabbed his robe, heading to the nearest bathroom to clean himself up. Once showered and fully dressed, Sanzo found himself in the hotel corridor, debating whether he wanted a cigarette (left in his room) more than breakfast (all the way downstairs). It was then that he encountered Hakkai. “Ah, morning, Sanzo.” Hakkai slowed as he approached. “Did you sleep well?” He always asked that, even when they had to spend the night propped up in Hakuryuu and obviously none of them did sleep well, except for Goku who’d sleep just about anywhere. “No,” said Sanzo, almost out of habit, but as soon as he spoke he knew immediately that it wasn’t right. “Uh, yeah, I guess,” he added, and retied his belt around his hips, not looking at Hakkai. “Excellent. I’m heading down for some breakfast. Join me?” Well, at least now Sanzo didn’t have to debate any longer. “Fine, but let me rouse the monkey first.” He walked a few doors down and hammered on the wood. “Oy, Goku, get the hell up, we’re leaving soon.” After a ridiculous amount of time and some more pounding on the door, he heard a groan from inside his room, followed by some shuffling. A few minutes later, Goku appeared, bleary-eyed and hair stuck up in an insane tangle. Thankfully, he was conscious enough to remember to put on his underwear and t-shirt. Sanzo pressed his hand to the back of Goku’s head and steered him in the direction of the bathroom, before ducking into his room and finally snatching up his cigarette packet. He followed Hakkai downstairs to the bar and settled on one of the high stools. There wasn’t the most exciting selection on the menu board, but Sanzo found himself ordering almost half of what was listed. Gojyo surfaced a while later, grumbling about his lighter not working again and then ordering a beer for breakfast. Last to arrive, looking a bit more presentable now, was Goku. As always, his ‘morning!’ was accompanied by a loud rumble of his stomach. Things felt… normal. As they settled at the hotel bar and ate their meal there, Sanzo found he was ravenous, and ended up ordering a second helping of rice and miso soup. Then a third strong black coffee. “Wow, Sanzo, I’ve never seen you so enthusiastic this early in the morning,” Hakkai commented. “I want to make good time today,” Sanzo said, pushing his empty plate and bowl away from him. “No unnecessary pit-stops,” he added, his gaze flicking to Goku quickly. Goku’s cheeks went a little red and he smiled at Sanzo. “Sounds good to me.” Hakkai started to stack their finished crockery. “Leave that alone, mother hen,” said Gojyo, and downed the rest of his pint. “It’s what the staff are paid for, you know. Service that you paid for.” “That I paid for, more like.” Sanzo made a show of pocketing his gold card, and then turned and rose from his stool. “Let’s go.” He chose to ignore the mumbled retort from the kappa - something about the Sanbutsushin paying for everything, and tight-arsed monks who aren’t willing to buy decent lighters for their companions - and Goku’s loud protest that he hadn’t eaten enough yet. After a moment, Hakuryuu flapped out the door ahead of them to transform on the road outside. He let out a “Kyuuu~” and idled. It was sunny and a little nippy, which was how Sanzo liked it; fair weather, mellow blue skies. The town was quiet, too, which was also how Sanzo liked it. “Ah, what a glorious day,” Hakkai said, climbing into the front seat and smoothing his hands over the steering wheel. Hakuryuu rumbled happily against the curb. As Sanzo got in and settled, he felt the back of the passenger seat dip a little. “Yeah, today’s a good day!” Goku spoke pointedly, directing his words at Sanzo’s ear. He blew out a breath against the back of Sanzo’s neck, which might have been a little laugh, or just him being cheeky. Sanzo suppressed a shiver, wondering if he should reach for his harisen - not to hit back, just to hold, to make it clear Goku was testing his mood a little too much - but he really couldn’t be arsed. “We’ll make great time today, I can feel it. It’ll be dinner time before we know it!” Sanzo rolled his eyes, and with a soft snort he bowed his head. Trust Goku to have been thinking about his stomach. As they set off, chasing the sun as it led them ever West, Sanzo thought perhaps seeing the same things each day wasn’t so bad. At least they took his mind off certain other things. Then again, as the day wore on, the inevitable whining started up. “Shit, my lighter still ain’t working. There’s fuel, but no flame. It’s like all the lighters in the fucking world are against me - hey, monk? You gonna find it in your bullshit Buddhist heart to lend a sex god a light?” “Na, Sanzo, I need a piss. Can we stop soon? I’m hungry, too - when’s dinner?” “Shut up! Or I swear,” Sanzo turned to yell over the back of the seat, “I’ll kill both of you before the day is out!” And Hakkai… well, Hakkai smiled and drove. ~Fin~ |
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