My Brother's
Keeper
Author : lillypuff
Email: lilly_puff22 (at) yahoo (dot)
com
LiveJournal: http://lillypuff.livejournal.com
Pairing : mainly Gojyo x Goku,
mentions of Sanzo x Hakkai, some one-sided stuff as well
Rating : soft R
Warning(s) : some kissing and whatnot,
angst, language, Gojyo being a bad influence *grins*
Summary : When we cannot have what we want, we learn to want what we have…
Disclaimer : Sadly, Saiyuki does not
belong to me. I wish it did =) Don't sue me, I don't have any money anyway.
Random Notes: Gojyo x Goku FTW? lol Yes, I actually do
like this pairing *grins* This was
written for the minuswave.com Mix 'em Up Challenge #2 last month. Um, this was my first time writing these
particular pairings, so please forgive the lack of outright smut, I couldn't do
it for some reason *laughs*. To my
complete surprise, this took first place! 0.0
I've cleaned this up a bit since it was first entered in the challenge,
no major changes though.
A loud voice rings out over the sounds of an engine, "Move
monkey, you're in my personal space!"
A second, younger voice, answers in defense, "You're the one
who's in my
space you stupid water sprite!"
A rustling of clothing and supplies can be heard and a third voice
decides it is an appropriate time to make its opinion known.
"How about this," the voice suggests with the support of
a gun to further drive the idea home, "both of you sit down and shut up or
else I'll put a bullet in your heads."
"Now now," a fourth voice chimes in, one that is far
calmer and eerily more cheery then the other three, "let's all settle
down, we are almost to the next town."
The threat from voice three combined with the pleasant request
from voice two seems to have conveyed the message properly.
Voice two mumbles an apology.
Voice one mumbles a colorful string of curses.
The engine "kewh's" in relief.
*****
Hakkai watches with all seeing eyes as
Sanzo tosses a key to Gojyo who, of course, catches the projectile with ease.
"You're rooming with the monkey
tonight," Sanzo says in his best commanding tone.
To Hakkai's surprise, Gojyo only
shrugs and picks up his single duffel bag.
The healer can tell that Sanzo is expecting an argument from the red
head, but he gets none; though there is one other party member that has not yet
voiced his opinion on the subject...
"Saan-zo…"
"I don't want to hear it Goku,"
Sanzo replies to their youngest traveling companion, "I want a good night's
sleep this time. You snore and the
idiot kappa has been whining about crappy bars and a poor selection of women
for the past couple weeks." Hakkai
does not miss the sideways glance that Sanzo flicks in his direction.
"But…" the look on Goku's
face is one of silent hurt and the healer has to wonder if perhaps he is
partially responsible for that.
"No buts Goku…"
Hakkai is starting to think he should
stop this before it goes any further but Gojyo beats him to it. It would appear that their half breed
companion was full of surprises these days.
"Come on ape, go drop your gear
off in the room, then we'll get something to eat," Gojyo pauses, perhaps
for dramatic effect, "My treat."
For a minute Hakkai thinks that Goku
will decline Gojyo's generous offer to feed him with poker winnings that are
never a sure fire source of funds; but after a moment's thought on the
proposal, Goku seems to perk up a bit, even if only slightly.
"OK, Gojyo," the young man
replies, smiling as he takes the key from the red head and begins to race up
the inn steps, two at a time.
"That's a good monkey,"
Gojyo calls out after him and Hakkai can't quite make out Goku's response, but
he knows it probably has to do with 'stupid water sprites'.
With a snort and a flick of his hair,
Gojyo turns to follow Goku who has already disappeared from the top of the
stairway; glancing back briefly to smile at the healer.
Hakkai returns his friend's
smile. Thank you for that Gojyo, he thinks to himself as he turns to look
at Sanzo, who was currently doing a passable impersonation of a shocked priest.
*****
When Gojyo enters the room he finds
Goku sitting on the bed closest to the window, staring up at the sky through
the grimy glass, a look of longing plastered on his face; gentle rays of
moonlight shining around him.
The red head sighs as he throws his
bag on the room's second bed, not bothering to turn on the lights. He is growing tired of seeing that look.
"Oi Goku, what're you staring at?"
Gojyo asks his younger companion as he reaches out to ruffle Goku's hair.
Goku quickly shakes his head out from
under Gojyo's brotherly affection, but does not make any response.
After a minute or so of waiting, Gojyo
sighs once more, "Suit yourself. I'm
gonna go get some food 'n' beer, you comin' or not?"
At first Goku doesn't make any
response, but when he finally scoots off the bed and nods, Gojyo smiles a
little. He could always trust the
monkey's stomach to win out over just about anything else.
As the two men exit their room and
walk down the inn hall Gojyo notices when Goku spares a glance at the room that
temporarily belongs to their other traveling companions. He may not be the most perceptive guy in the
world, but Gojyo knows that look and
he doesn't like it.
"So, where we gonna eat, monkey?"
Gojyo asks in hopes of distracting Goku.
"I'm not a monkey," Goku
replies and Gojyo is happy to see a bit of a smile return to the young man's
face. Their stupid little game of
bickering and name calling was becoming an escape for both of them.
"Ya kinda look like one,"
Gojyo continues to taunt and when Goku swings out to hit him Gojyo allows the
punch to make contact before putting Goku in a headlock.
"Ch. Guess I'll pick then," Gojyo says through a laugh as he
begins to drag Goku down the stairs, the young man trying to wiggle free of the
hold he has suddenly found himself in.
*****
Eating with Goku is always a test of
one's reflexes. Despite the fact that
their table was currently covered with assorted plates of food, and that they
were minus two members of their party, Gojyo still had to fight for his dinner. He
was used to it though. He knew the right time to reach out and swiftly grab
several pieces of tempura - when both of Goku's hands where full. He knew that the best time to snatch a few
beef ribs was when Goku was distracted by a duck plate they had ordered. That's just how things were with Goku and
food.
When dinner is done, Gojyo silently
thanks the gods that the restaurant is fairly cheap, but even so, he figures he
will need to find a good poker game in the next couple days.
*****
Goku follows Gojyo as they exit the
restaurant, his stomach currently sated from the large meal. It had been good food, and the waitress had
been really nice, and pretty too. Goku
assumed that had pleased Gojyo, considering the way he had flirted with her
whenever she had come to check on them.
But Goku had to wonder what all that
accomplished for the water sprite. More
often then not Gojyo complained about not "getting any" even though
he was always flirting with various women.
And then there was the way Gojyo
looked at Hakkai. It wasn't the same
look he gave all those women, but instead a curious look, sort of a loving look
and often a sad look as well. Until
recently, Goku had thought that maybe Gojyo and Hakkai were fooling around and
all the flirting and complaining was merely a cover up; but when he began to
realize that it was Sanzo and Hakkai who were fooling around, things began to
click into place…
"Oi, Goku," comes Gojyo's
voice and Goku looks up at the red head, "Stay here for a minute, I need 'ta
run next door."
"OK," Goku replies, nodding.
I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, Goku thinks to himself as he watches Gojyo enter what he knows is
a bar, but I know he's trying to make up
for the things he cannot have…maybe we both are…
When Gojyo exits the building a few
minutes later carrying a six pack of bottles plus another, larger bottle, Goku
begins to wonder if drinking is just another way that Gojyo fills the void.
*****
When they return to their room, Gojyo
places his purchases on the small table beside his bed before gracefully
plopping down on the mattress behind him.
He watches as Goku scurries to his own bed, once again taking a position
at the window.
Gojyo sighs and grabs a bottle of
beer. He opens the bottle and takes a
swig before letting his curiosity get the best of him.
"Goku?" he asks quietly, "Why
do you always do that?"
"Do what?" the young man
asks, seemingly oblivious.
"Stare out the window like that,"
Gojyo replies.
"Oh," Goku half mumbles, "well…"
Gojyo catches the underlying sadness
in Goku's few words and interrupts him before he can say anything else, "You
don't have to tell me, forget I asked."
When Goku made no further reply, Gojyo
takes a long swig of his beer before grabbing a second bottle and proffering it
towards the young man.
"Here," Gojyo says to the
brunette who turns to look at him mildly confused, "You look like you
could use a drink."
"But…what about Sanzo?"
Gojyo shakes his head and tosses the
bottle gently towards the young man who catches it effortlessly. "I'll deal with the monk if he finds
out."
"Ok," Goku replies, still
looking apprehensive, as if he was expecting Sanzo to burst through the door at
any moment. Eventually he puts aside
his reservations and removes the cap of the bottle, then takes a tentative sip.
When Goku's expression begins to
soften a little, Gojyo laughs. "Like
it?"
"It tastes different," Goku
responds, a tiny bit of foam on his mouth, "but I like it."
"Well, enjoy it while you can,"
Gojyo teases before taking another sip.
*****
It still tastes a bit weird, even
after an entire bottle, but Goku likes the beer Gojyo had given him. It makes him feel light and airy and he
likes the way it bubbles against his tongue before he swallows.
"Can I have another one?"
Goku asks, hopefully.
"Sure thing, monkey," Gojyo
replies as he tosses another bottle at him.
Conversation had been next to nothing
since Gojyo had given him the first beer.
They had sat in silence, occasionally glancing at each other from across
the room on their separate beds. Goku's
mind kept wandering back to Gojyo's earlier question. He was beginning to feel bad for not answering it.
Looking up at Gojyo, Goku twists the
top off the second bottle, then takes a deep breath.
"I used to do that when I was in
the cave," he says, almost as if speaking to no one in particular.
"Huh?" is Gojyo's only
response, he is obviously confused about this seemingly random statement.
"I use to stare at the moon at
night when I was in the cave."
"Oh," Gojyo replies before
finishing off his third beer and grabbing for the fourth, and last, from the
six pack.
"I remember once I tried to stare
at the sun, but it hurt my eyes; so at night I'd stare out at the moon and
during the day I'd sleep curled up next to the bars under the warmth of the
sunlight."
When Gojyo doesn't say anything in
response, Goku wonders if he should stop talking, but the warm look on Gojyo's
face is enough to convince him to continue.
"They were the only friends I
had, the sun and the moon. They kept me
company, until Sanzo came and took me away.
But even now, sometimes I feel like they're all I have."
*****
Gojyo tries to suppress the anger that
is bubbling up inside him. Setting down
the beer bottle, he picks up the bottle of whiskey he had also purchased. With little ceremony he unscrews the cap and
takes a swig.
"What's wrong, Gojyo?" Goku
asks.
"Nothing," is Gojyo's short
response.
It's a lie, yes; but a necessary one;
or so Gojyo thinks. He is torn between
wanting to run across the hall so he can beat the crap out of that shitty monk
and wanting to comfort Goku, to make sure that the young man knows he is not
alone. Despite the obvious tension as
of late, the four of them are closer now then they had ever been before they
were sent on this stupid journey.
"Goku, you know you have us,
right?" Gojyo asks, pausing to gauge the young man's reaction. When Goku takes a sip of his beer, but says
nothing, Gojyo takes that as a sign to continue. "Hakkai and me, we care.
You can come to us if you need anything. And I'm sure that false priest cares too, just in his own way."
"You really mean that?" Goku
asks seeming to have actually perked up a bit.
"Yup, sure do."
Goku smiles and the sight of it warms
Gojyo's heart a little; it's such a carefree and innocent smile. Well, maybe not completely innocent,
considering the monkey is working his was to a good buzz at the very least, but
it definitely makes the young man look far happier then he did earlier in the
day.
Gojyo watches as Goku practically
chugs the remainder of his beer and he can't help but laugh.
"Slow down there champ,"
Gojyo manage to spurt out between chuckles, "that's the last of the beer."
"Oh," Goku replies through a
burp, "Bummer."
"Well, there is whiskey," Gojyo says, shaking the bottle slightly.
When Goku's eyes light up like twin
suns, Gojyo can't help but laugh harder.
*****
"No, no," Gojyo practically
yells at Goku as the young man slides off of the bed nearest to the window and
lands in a heap on the floor. "You have to put more feeling into it. Watch!"
When Gojyo can tell that Goku is
watching him from his resting place on the floor, the red head grabs the edge
of the blanket he has tied around his neck, pulling the makeshift cape up to
cover most of his face.
Eyes narrowed, Gojyo takes a deep
breath before whispering the three dreaded words that were a sure fire sign
that he was more then drunk:
"I…am Batman!"
He pauses for a moment, and when Goku
erupts into fits of laughter, Gojyo jumps down from the bed he had been
standing on to strike his best superhero pose as the blanket fell back down to
his side.
"See, nothin' to it," Gojyo
proclaims through a lopsided grin.
"Okie, lemme try again!"
Goku exclaims, though he doesn't move from his spot on the floor. "Just as soon as the room stops
spinning."
Gojyo extends his hand to the young
man on the floor, "Need help?"
Goku shakes his head violently, "I
can do it m'self, you dumb monkey."
"Um, Goku," Gojyo manages
between bouts of laughter, "I'm the idiot kappa…you're the dumb monkey."
"Oh yeah," Goku replies
matter-of-factly, "I'm the dumb
monkey."
"Yup, glad we got that straight."
"Gojyo…"
"Huh?"
"What're we doin'?"
"Batman impersonations."
"Oh, right…why?"
"I have no idea…" Gojyo
replies honestly as he slumps down onto the floor next to Goku.
*****
"Gojyo, do you think Sanzo and
Hakkai are happy?"
"I hope so," Gojyo replies,
wondering where the conversation is going and not liking the prospects. It's really not a conversation he wants to
have.
"Me too," echoes Goku as he
inches closer to the red head, then leans over until his head is resting on
Gojyo's lap. The half breed is unable
to keep from noting that the younger man's head is resting precariously close
to a certain sensitive area of his body.
Gojyo stares silently at the back of
Goku's head for a moment before speaking, "Um, what're you doing, Goku?"
"Resting…you're comfy."
"Oh, um, thank you, I guess,"
Gojyo replies with a pat on the younger man's head. He had meant to remove his hand after that, but he found himself
not really wanting to. Instead he
begins to run his fingers through Goku's short brunette hair. When Goku lets out a content sigh, Gojyo can't
help but snort.
"I like that," Goku whispers
and Gojyo smiles, applying more pressure as he occasionally entangles his
fingers within the young man's hair.
When Goku rubs his head against Gojyo's lap the red head closes his eyes
and lets out a little moan from the contact.
"Roll over on your back,"
Gojyo tells Goku and the young man seems happy to comply, even going so far as
to settle his head back into Gojyo's
lap. The red head squirms a little and
rests his free hand on Goku's stomach, the other hand still moving amongst the
younger man's hair. The two men stare
at each other in silence until Gojyo slides his hand under Goku's neck, raising
the younger man up to him slightly.
When their lips first touch, Goku is
incredibly still and Gojyo wonders if maybe he misinterpreted something along
the way; but when Goku begins to kiss back, Gojyo realizes two things. First:
this is what Goku wants, and
second: he can tell from the way Goku is kissing back that he's done at least
this much before. Gojyo pushes away all
the thoughts of what that could mean
since it really wasn't the best time to start asking questions, especially when
he was pretty sure he already knew the answers.
When Goku starts to moan into his
mouth, Gojyo slides his hand under Goku's shirt, caressing the lines of the
younger man's tight, muscular frame.
Lifting his head, Gojyo takes a deep
breath, eyeing Goku.
"Bed, now." He manages and
Goku shakes his head enthusiastically as he rolls off of Gojyo's lap and begins
to get to his feet.
Gojyo watches as Goku falls onto the
bed after standing up and he can't help but chuckle. When he crawls onto the bed and hovers over the young man's body
he can't help but smile and when he leans in to kiss Goku again, he can't help
but pray to the heavens that Sanzo doesn't find out about this.
*****
"Gojyo…Goku?" Hakkai calls
through the door after knocking for the third time. "Are you two alright in there?"
When he gets no response, the healer
tries the door knob, finding it unlocked.
Slowly he opens the it, hoping for the best but prepared for the worst,
which was that the two had finally driven each other mad.
When he steps inside the room and
finds Gojyo spooning Goku in the bed
near the window he has to admit to himself that this scenario had not crossed
his mind. Frankly, he isn't quite sure
what to do, so he does the first thing that pops into his head, he begins to
exit the room.
"Oi, please tell me it's not
morning already," comes a harsh voice that sounded eerily familiar. Of course it was Gojyo, but it was a Gojyo
that Hakkai remembered from what seemed like
so long ago in a land of small apartments, even smaller beds, and all night
drinking and poker binges.
"It is," Hakkai replies.
"Fuck."
After Gojyo's rather blunt assessment
of the situation, Hakkai notices Goku is beginning to stir.
"Oh man, why does my head hurt so
much?" the younger man asks in a voice that sounds much too young for his
age.
"That would be the hangover,"
Gojyo replies, chuckling.
Hakkai's eyebrows furrow and he has to
keep himself from yelling, "You got him drunk?" the healer manages to
ask semi-calmly. If Sanzo found out,
they might all be dead.
"Yeah, but he need's to work on
his Batman impersonations," Gojyo replies matter-of-factly.
Not knowing exactly what that means,
Hakkai does the only thing he can do; he sighs, "Look. Sanzo wants to
leave right now and he sent me to fetch you two. Unless you want him in here, I recommend you guys get
moving."
"Alright, alright," Gojyo
replies, "We'll be down in a few minutes."
"Thank you Gojyo," Hakkai
responds in a calmer voice. "I'll keep Sanzo busy until then."
"Thanks 'Kai,"
"Thank you, Hakkai," Goku
barely manages to mumble.
"You are both welcome,"
Hakkai replies, a tiny smile starting to spread on his face, "but don't
think you two are getting out of telling me exactly what happened here."
Gojyo groans, "I thought that
would have been obvious."
*****
"Did you really mean what you
said, Gojyo?" Goku asks as he finishes tying the laces of his boots.
"You mean about your
impersonations? Yeah man, you need to
work on those," the red head responds, smiling.
"Not that you dumb kappa,"
Goku replies through a laugh before regaining a more serious tone, "I
meant about you being there when I need it?"
"Every word of it," Gojyo
replies as he runs a hand through the younger man's hair.
"Thanks."
"Uh-huh. Now let's get our asses downstairs before
Sanzo comes to pay us a visit."
Goku nods and grabs his bag before
slowly walking out the door. Gojyo
watches for a moment before following after.
Last night he would have said that neither of them had what they truly
wanted in this world; but now he was starting to wonder if that might be slowly
changing.
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