Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ Tainted Love ❯ Chapter Six ( Chapter 6 )

TAINTED LOVE
© April 17, 2005 By Rory V. Pascual


CHAPTER SIX

"What is…THIS…doing here?"

Sanzo glared at the doll sitting primly in Hakuryu's front – HIS favorite – seat. In his agitation, the monk was chugging out smoke puffs like a locomotive.

Hakkai simply smiled at the angry monk. "The seat's big enough for you two. I hope you don't mind."

"I DO MIND!" Sanzo snatched the doll by the head and stuffed it in the narrow space between the front seats.

Gojyo, who had just finished securing their supplies in the trunk, saw what the monk did. "Sanzo, don't do that or you'll wreck her. There's enough room here in the back."

As Gojyo was about to reach for the doll, its had suddenly made a 360 degree turn to face him. There was even a wicked smile on its lips.

"WHA…" The redhead jerked back in shock.

At that moment, Goku leaped into the back seat. Seeing how pale his seatmate was, he asked in concern, "Something wrong, Gojyo?"

Gojyo blinked at the doll, finding its head still facing front. Dismissing it as a trick of the light, he picked up the doll and placed it on his lap.

"It's nothing," he said, rubbing his knuckles over his eyes. "I just feel a little sleepy."

"You look like you haven't gotten any sleep at all," Goku commented with a grimace.

In truth, the half-breed had a restless night. His dreams were plagued by dark shadows that reached out for him. He had woken up, gasping for air, when he felt a cold hand caress the tattoo on his left shoulder. Gojyo thought it was Goku who had touched him. But the saru was snoring blissfully in his bed. What caught his eye was the doll lying beside him, sharing his pillow and blanket. It had been strange, the redhead had thought then. He could've sworn he had seated the doll on top of the night table.

The sound of Hakuryu's starting engine brought Gojyo back to the present, as well as the bedroll that Goku had covered the floor on the back with.

Seeing the questioning look on Gojyo's face, Goku grinned shyly. "It's not much, but I think it's comfortable enough for you to sleep on." Plopping down, he patted his lap. "Here! You can sleep on my lap."

There was a dark scowl on Hakkai's face at the thoughtfulness the saru was displaying towards the undeserving half-breed. Sanzo, however, nodded in approval, and it was this gesture that carried more weight to the boy.

Gojyo was touched by Goku's kindness. "Sankyu, Goku. I'll get you a nice, big pork bun when we get to the next town." As Goku let out a happy whoop, he curled up on the bedroll and laid his head on the boy's lap. Remembering Goku's aversion towards the doll, he cradled it close to his chest, making sure that not even a single strand of brown hair touched the boy.

As they drove out of the town, there was hard bump that jarred everyone in the jeep. Gojyo felt Goku's protective arm over his upper body.

"Watch where you're driving, Hakkai!" Goku complained. "That bump rattled my teeth!"

Hakkai burst into laughter. "Suimasen, Goku!"

"Somehow," Sanzo began, his back stiff and eyes focused on the snow-covered road ahead, "that sounded most insincere."

Ignoring that sally, Hakkai advised, "Better hang on tight then. You can't see anything under all this snow."

Gojyo was just too tired and sleepy to join in their conversation. With Goku's fingers playing with strands of his hair, the half-breed closed his eyes and fell asleep.

~~~~~

"It's so cold…so cold…"

He was lying on a hard, felt-covered wooden surface. Not only was he chilled to the bone, he was also too weak to stop those hands from touching his bare skin.

A tear trickled from his left eye, going down his scarred cheek. "Please…give me back my clothes. I feel so cold."

The raucous laughter was deafening to his ears.

"Gojyo?"

"Don't worry! We'll warm you up pretty fast!"

"Sanzo, Hakkai! I think something's wrong with Gojyo! Gojyo!"

"Please don't touch me! Don't do this to me anymore! If you do, the flames…."

Green glass eyes stared back at him intensely. "You can't burn me a second time, Sha Gojyo."

A raspy voice answered that taunt, a voice that he knew also belonged to him. To that part of him who desired revenge and destruction…

As searing heat started to build up inside him, he asked in turn, "Do you wish me to put that claim to the test?"

"SANZO!"

Gojyo woke with a start as Hakuryu lurched to a sudden stop. Before he could ask what was going on, a gloved hand was gently laid over his brow.

"He's got a touch of a fever," Sanzo glowered at Goku, who was blowing at his hands. "It's nothing for you to panic about. He'll be fine once we find a warm shelter from this storm."

The half-breed blinked at the snow that was falling upon him. The frigid wind blew in gusts, stinging his eyes and chilling his body despite the thick cloak that was laid over him. He shivered involuntarily.

Goku showed his palms to the monk. "A 'touch of fever' can't do this!"

Gojyo saw Sanzo frown. A not surprising gesture since Goku's palms were badly burned. Already, his skin was breaking out into blisters.

Hakkai started Hakuryu's engine and resumed driving. "Just hang tight, guys. The toymaker told me there's an old mansion not far from here. We can stay there until this storm blows over. I'll heal your hand too, Goku."

"What about Gojyo?" Goku declared rather harshly. "He's sick too. Aren't you going to heal him?"

"Didn't Sanzo say that it's just a mild fever? I'm sure he'll be all right once we get to the mansion."

"But…"

Gojyo took Goku's blistered hands in his grasp. "Don't worry about me, Goku. I'm fine." He gave the boy's fingertips a grateful kiss. "Thanks for caring about me," he whispered, as he fell asleep once more.

~~~~~

Goku's cheeks had colored when he felt Gojyo's lips brushed against his fingertips. However, that tender kiss came with another surprise. The minute Gojyo's lips touched his skin, a soothing rush of cold flowed from his fingertips to his wrists like a wave of water. As he gazed at his hands in astonishment, blue rays crisscrossed over the blisters, leaving his skin new and whole.

~~~~~

"Are you sure we're staying in this place?" Goku asked dubiously.

The mansion was an imposing structure of black granite, standing on an overhang overlooking a deep ravine. Hideous gargoyles stared down at them from the parapets. Iron gates were not needed to secure the place. A dark, pervasive aura surrounded the mansion, putting Sanzo and Goku on edge.

"Well, we can't go back to town in this weather," answered Hakkai, pulling the hood of his cloak over his head.

Sanzo accorded the young man a curious glance. Hakkai didn't seem to be affected by the mansion's aura, and he was the one among them who was supposed to be attuned to evil presences.

"It doesn't look too bad," Gojyo remarked with a shiver. "As long as we can get out of the cold." A tiny head peeked out from the redhead's hood. "Right, Hakuryu?"

There was another curiosity, thought Sanzo. Hakuryu was coiled around Gojyo's neck like a muffler, giving the half-breed much needed warmth. It was usually he and Hakkai who were inseparable.

A cold wind blew and Gojyo shivered again, hugging the doll close to his chest. Hakuryu's beady red eyes glared down at the doll and gave it a menacing hiss. Hakkai glared sharply at the dragon.

"Now, now, Hakuryu," Gojyo patted the dragon's tiny head, ignoring the exchange of angry glances between master and pet. "Be nice to Kanan."

Goku yanked down his left lower eyelid and stuck his tongue out at the doll as well.

The redhead sighed at that childish gesture. "You too, Goku."

"Let's go." Sanzo headed straight for the front door. "My butt is freezing out here."

"And that would be most unsightly," chuckled Gojyo, unable to resist teasing the monk. "A namaguza bouzu with a frost-bitten bum."

Surprisingly, there were no gunshots, neither did the "Harisen of Terror" materialize in the monk's hand. All the monk did was to declare gruffly, "I'm letting you off the hook this time, gokiburi kappa."

But as he neared the saru, however, Sanzo whipped out the oversized fan and smacked Goku a good one on the head.

"Why'd you do that for, kono hage?" Goku exclaimed furiously, clutching the growing bump at the top of his head. "I didn't say anything!"

Sanzo simply replied, "Sorry for you, I needed an outlet," and went inside the mansion, with the others following close behind him.

The air inside the mansion was heavy with dust and the scent of mold and mildew that Goku let out a sneeze. So did Hakuryu, as he flew out from inside Gojyo's hood and perched on an old lamp. It was obvious that the place hadn't been lived in in years. Cobwebs hung on the ceiling and chandeliers. All the furnishings and paintings on the walls were covered with white sheets.

"I'm going to look for candles and, hopefully, some lamps," Hakkai announced. "Why don't you guys check upstairs? A house this size, there's bound to be lots of bedrooms. Wouldn't it be nice to sleep in separate rooms for a change?"

"Gojyo's sick, Hakkai," Goku pointedly reminded him. "Shouldn't you two be together?"

"Oh, Goku! I told you I'm fine." Gojyo carefully sat the doll in an armchair, saying cheerfully. "I'll be right back, Kanan." He turned to Goku with a broad, playful grin on his face. "I'll beat you to the best room in the house, bakazaru!"

"Is that a challenge, ero kappa?" Goku smirked back, yanking his sleeve up in readiness.

The half-breed did not answer that question. Instead, he raced up the stairs, Goku's angry cry of "No fair! That's cheating!" echoing behind him.

Gojyo reached the second floor, breathless and laughing hard. "Is that what you call sick? Hah! I'm faster than you, bakazaru!" His laughter died, however, when he realized that Goku was not with him. He called out nervously down the dark staircase. "Hey, Goku, you chicken shit! Don't tell me you're scared!" But there was no answer from Goku or his other companions downstairs.

"Cowards!" Gojyo muttered under his breath, as he turned on his heels to explore the second floor.

Down the hallway the redhead went, pausing for a few minutes to peek inside the rooms. All the bedrooms held a distinctly masculine air – containing crafted but still utilitarian furniture, small libraries, and a minimum of vases and decorative pieces. It was obvious to Gojyo that the previous residents of the mansion had been mostly male.

A small door on the right caught the half-breed's interest. Carved on its smooth surface was the snarling visage of a demon. Curious to find out what was inside, Gojyo turned the knob, only to find it locked. He was about to force it open when a strange sound caught his hearing.

Slap…swish…slap…swish…slapR 30;swish…

It was coming from the staircase behind him.

Slap…swish…slap…swish…scritch̷ 0;scratch…

It sounded like someone was slowly crawling up the stairs on hands and knees, fingernails scratching and a long dress scraping on the steps with every ascending move.

"That isn't funny, Goku!" Gojyo called out to the boy in growing annoyance.

Gojyo's heart gave a lurch when a small hand appeared at the top step, a hand much smaller than the saru's. Instead of Goku's white sleeve, it was a pink sleeve buttoned at the wrist. Overcome by fear, Gojyo did not wait to see who or what that hand was attached to. He fled to the door at the end of the hallway.

As he pushed the door open, Gojyo's eyes flew wide in shock. Floating on top of the huge four-post bed was the doll. It raised its hand to him in invitation, bidding him to enter.

"GOJYO!"

The redhead screamed in surprise. He would've fainted if Sanzo hadn't grabbed his shoulders.

"Damn it, Sanzo!" Gojyo exclaimed angrily. "You scared the shit out of me!"

"I could say the same thing about you," Sanzo snapped back, rubbing his pounding chest. "I've been looking all over for you. Hakkai found the kitchen and he's cooking dinner. Goku's already there. You know how that fool ape is. There's no way you can pry him from the dining table."

"We'd better go down then before Goku eats everything."

Sanzo's eyes narrowed at the partially opened door behind the half-breed. "What's in there?" he asked, trying to peek through.

"Oh, it's the Master's bedroom," answered Gojyo. "I found it first so I'll be sleeping in here."

"I didn't say I was going to sequester your precious find from you," the monk said dryly.

As he reached for the doorknob, Gojyo was about to utter a retort. But as he looked down, the words he was about to say came out as a strangled gasp, seeing green glass eyes staring up at him. Closing the door a lot harder than he intended, he grabbed a startled Sanzo's wrist and pulled him away from the room.

"What're you waiting for?" Gojyo declared. "Let's eat!"

Sanzo didn't say anything as he allowed the redhead to lead him toward the staircase. Judging from the pallor on Gojyo's face, it was painfully apparent that something had shaken the half-breed badly.

The monk took a quick glance behind him to see the door that Gojyo had slammed was open a crack. As he looked on, the door slowly closed with a soft click.

~~~~~

Dinner proved to be a quiet affair, as all four of them wanted to get into a warm bed. Hakkai selected the room at the other end of the hallway, not hiding the fact that he desired distance from the half-breed. The bedroom that Goku chose was closest to the Master's bedroom. For whatever reason, Sanzo chose the room beside the door with the carved demon.

Gojyo watched as his friends entered their respective rooms. When he was finally alone, he was again seized by dread. He knew the doll was inside. As he suspected, it was no longer sitting in the armchair where he had left it in the living room. He wondered if he should sleep in another bedroom or, better yet, room in with Goku. But the saru would tease him to death for being a coward. Worse, he was afraid of Hakkai's anger if the older man should find out he had abandoned the doll.

"Gojyo…"

The half-breed nearly jumped out of his skin. Whirling, he saw Sanzo standing behind him with a pillow tucked under his arm.

"For God's sake, Sanzo, are you trying to kill me with a heart attack?" Gojyo exclaimed breathlessly.

"I'm sleeping in your room tonight," was Sanzo's simple answer.

"Why?" Gojyo sneered at the leader of their little group. "Don't tell me the great Sanzo-sama is afraid of sleeping in a spooky old mansion all alone?!"

"You're the one who's afraid, fool!"

Without preamble, Sanzo opened the door wide and strode inside the room. Gojyo gaped, dumbfounded, as the monk headed straight for the bed and reached for the doll seated with its back against the pillow. Before the redhead could stop him, Sanzo hurled it in the far corner of the room.

"DON'T…SAY…A THING!" Sanzo warned the half-breed. "You should be thankful I didn't toss that thing into the fire where it belongs. I don't want to cause more trouble for you."

Gojyo closed the door and went to pick up the doll, placing it on top of the escritoire. "That is most considerate of you, Sanzo-sama," he said thoughtfully, tightening the doll's bow that had come loose. "But…won't Hakkai get the wrong idea if…"

"I couldn't care less what he thinks about me or you. After all, he's already arrived at his own misguided conclusions. Unless…what he believes in is true."

"Frankly, I don't know what's true or not anymore, and I don't want to remember, not after all this time."

"Gojyo, I wish you'd tell me what happened."

Gojyo shook his head. "It's not like you to poke into other people's affairs."

"I make a few exceptions. Besides, you healed Goku's hands, and I thank you for that, although I'm curious to know how you did it." Sanzo gave him a rare smile. "But we can talk about it some other time. Goku wants you to sleep and I'll see that you get some. Now, come on and get into bed."

"Just to sleep?" Gojyo inquired with a hint of hesitation.

"Only to sleep. Try to pull something and I'll kill you."

"Believe me, Sanzo, doing it with you is the last thing on my mind!"

Stripping down to just his undershirt and jeans, Gojyo lay down on the right side of the bed, just as Sanzo got into the left. He was yanking the covers up to his chin when he stopped.

The doll's head was turned to the side, facing him. The shadows flickering over its features made it look sinister, demonic…

Gojyo swiftly turned to the other side, only to find something more frightening. Sanzo's violet eyes were glowering back at him.

"What's the matter now?" the monk asked in sleepy gruffness.

The half-breed lowered his gaze in embarrassment. How could he tell the older man that he thought the doll was alive?

Gojyo blushed hotly when a hand cupped his behind. "Hey! What do you think you're doing, kuso hage? I thought we were only going to sleep!"

"Sorry. I thought that was your back. You have a nice, tight butt though."

Gojyo reddened even more when Sanzo gave his hiney a playful slap. "Damned monk! You really are a pervert!"

The monk's hand rose to the redhead's lower back. Before Gojyo could pull away, he was enfolded in a warm embrace.

"How long have you been a closet pervert, Sanzo-sama?" Gojyo asked the monk with a grimace.

"Urusai…" Sanzo mumbled. "Cold…"

"You're cold? Jeez, you're as hot as toast!"

"I was talking about you, baka! You're as cold as an icicle. Now shut the fuck up and come here!"

Shivering, it was only then that Gojyo realized just how cold he really was, and it wasn't because of the snowstorm outside. With a sigh, he laid his head on the monk's chest. Gojyo drifted off to sleep, with Sanzo's fingers running soothingly through his hair.

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