As Flowers that Bloom (Challenge #68, Bloom; the ikkou; PG-13)
Title: As Flowers that Bloom
Author: opalmatrix
Warnings: mild m/m
Pairing(s): Gojyo/Hakkai, Sanzo/Goku
Spoilers: mild for Reload 9
Notes: written for saiyuki_time, Challenge #68, Bloom; time allowed: 45 minutes; time taken: 65 minutes. I'm not sure how well this hangs together. (And clearly I need to think of this as a Wednesday deadline now rather than a Thursday one.)
Summary: An unexpected rainstorm brings forth new life.
The desert village was so small that it didn't have an inn, and the tavern was the front room in the house of the family that brewed the best beer.
"But we have open hearts," said the old lady who seemed to run the place. "We'll find room for you to sleep, never fear."
"I'll take the Holy Man," said one tall guy. "That's got to be good luck, right?"
"Huh," said Sanzo, and Goku looked like he wanted to object.
"That's very kind. I quite understand that no one is likely to have room for all four of us," said Hakkai. "But perhaps two households might each have room for two of us?"
"Oh, sure," said the tall guy, after a moment. "I'll take the short one, too."
The boss lady looked around sternly. "Shohui, what about you? Your son and daughter-in-law just moved out."
"Is he really a Holy Man, Baoli?" asked the skinny dame who was under the gun.
"Yes, he is!" said Goku, fiercely.
Baoli grinned, showing lots of white teeth for a lady her age. "I said so! I know these things, don't I?"
"What about the rest of these men, though?" said Shohui, anxiously.
Gojyo tried to smile as sweetly as possible. "We're good boys, Auntie."
Sanzo whacked him with the harisen. "They're my servants." Gojyo glared and him and rubbed his head. The big man laughed.
"Looks like he's got 'em under control, Shohui."
Shohui sighed. "Well, all right."
There was some laughter, then, and the villagers helped them move their stuff into the two houses. Gojyo and Hakkai's room in nervous Shohui's house was tiny - the bed took up almost the whole thing - and almost painfully clean. Other villagers brought food and drink to the home of the big guy, whose name seemed to be Manyao, so that the four of them could eat together. As usual for such a small place, everyone went to bed early, which didn't particularly bother Gojyo. There was a clean bed, and a room with a door, and Hakkai.
In the middle of the night, the whole village went nuts. There was cheering, singing, and gongs being banged. It took a few minutes for Gojyo to figure out that it was raining.
"What are they, nuts? They're partyin' out in the wet!"
"This is still mostly a desert," said Hakkai, stroking Gojyo's hair sleepily. "It's a wonderful thing for them to have rain."
In the morning, everyone was all smiles, even their timid hostess. She sang as she cooked them breakfast. A pair of boisterous youths showed up to take their baggage out even before they had finished eating. One of them clapped Gojyo on the back:"Your master brought us luck!" Gojyo choked on his bun.
"Sanzo's comin' out of this smellin' like a rose, ain't he?" he said, once he could talk again. Hakkai laughed.
They went out into the clean-smelling morning, Gojyo was shocked to realize that it was actually several hours after sunrise. "I'm surprised Sanzo let us sleep so late," murmured Hakkai.
"Yeah! How come we got so lucky? Hey - what're they all starin' at?"
The villagers were standing about on the road out of town, looking at the scrubby landscape. They had Sanzo in their midst. Goku was in back of the main bulk of the crowd, joking around with a couple of the younger guys. He grinned at them as they came up.
"Hey, Monkey - what's up?"
One of the village boys laughed at the nickname, and Goku cheerfully popped him one in the shoulder. They tussled for a couple of minutes, which made Gojyo feel strangely jealous. Goku looked brilliantly happy this morning, as though he'd caught the villagers' festival mood. "They're sayin' that there are some flowers in the desert here that burst into bloom so fast you can watch it happen. They want Sanzo to say a blessing for it. They're real happy with us!"
"Sanzo doesn't usually care for that sort of thing," observed Hakkai.
"Yeah, what's got into him?" Gojyo was lighting a cigarette. "We got to sleep in late, and everything."
Goku looked at Gojyo and blushed. Gojyo stared back. Huh?
Just then, the small crowd burst into cheers. Goku's new friends dragged him forward, pointing. Hakkai and Gojyo followed them.
A line of rose and lavender was erupting slowly in the wake of the sun as it touched the grey-green, shrubby plants along the road. Sanzo was putting his priestly crown on, and the crowd shuffled back a little to give him space. He began to chant.
"I always forget how pretty he sings," muttered Gojyo. And then, as Hakkai nudged him with an elbow: "What? Oh, wow!"
Goku was staring at Sanzo with shining eyes and a red flush along the tops of his cheeks. And as Sanzo turned, taking in the village as well as the desert with his gestures, they could see - faintly but distinctly - a red, oval mark on his throat, just above the high neck of his black singlet.
Gojyo sniggered. "Tell me that's not what I think it is!"
"Sshh. Poor Goku."
"Poor, nothin'! He finally got some."
"I should have guessed the minute I saw Goku," said Hakkai, softly. "The desert isn't the only thing that's bloomed."