Fic: Through the Mill of Love (Saiyuki, Gojyo/Hakkai, adult)

[lady_ganesh]

Fandom: Saiyuki
Theme: I Will Find You
Title: Through the Mill of Love
Author: lady_ganesh
Pairings: Hakkai/Gojyo
Notes/Summary: At the brothel he's investigating, Hakkai sees a long-forgotten face.

This fits the Tanibata challenge x2: the theme and the prompt I picked up. Points to Sanzo watch your back Crawford. Thanks so much to emungere for the speedy beta.



The children crammed together, trying to get the best angle of sight. Newcomers were rare. Fan's elbow was crammed into Gonou's ribs, but he was going to see what would happen, and Fan certainly wasn't going to stop him.

The boy standing outside the orphanage looked about his age but was skinner, and his clothes were dirty and too tight for him. His hair was bright, almost jewel-colored red. It had been cut very close to his scalp.

Fan shoved at Gonou, but he stood his ground. He heard one of the younger children behind them. "Someone said he was selling it. What does that mean?"

"You know," Fan said. "Selling his body. To men, probably. It's a sin."

"Why would anyone do that?" Gonou asked. He tried to picture what a boy his age would do to sell his body. He remembered someone talking about getting naked, but he couldn't figure out what they did after that. Did it hurt?

"Money, stupid," Li said.

"Don't call people stupid," Fan said.

"Enough," Gonou said. "We have to be quiet if we want to hear what they say."

As it was, they had to strain to hear.

"He'll need a good scrubbing," Sister Ren said.

"Obviously," the man said. "He's strong, though. He can work."

Sister kneeled down. "Do you want to work, young man?"

The boy shrugged. "Guess so. What do you want me to do?"

"You'll be a student here," she said. "But if you are, you must help with chores, just like the other boys and girls. Do you think you can do that?"

"Sure," he said, kicking at the dirt with his ratty, broken-down sandals.

"We'll let you meet the other children after you get cleaned up, does that sound all right? I'm sure Sister Sophia can find you some fresh clothes."

At that, Sister glanced over at the window, and the children scattered. The rest of their questions would have to wait.

The boy was at breakfast the next morning. "Hello, children," Sister Sophia said. "We have a new young man here with us today. His name is Gojyo, and he's eager to begin learning with us. He'll also be helping with wood for the fire."

Gojyo was in clean clothes, but he still looked ragged around the edges. "Hi," he muttered at the dirt.

No one sat next to him at breakfast. He and Gonou both remained in little circles of silence; Gojyo because he was too new for friends, and Gonou because he was too strange.

At lessons, Gojyo seemed to be behind everyone, but he was friendly, and the girls especially seemed to like it when he smiled and thanked them for their help.

Sister Sophia and Sister Ren both watched him, silently, and Gonou wondered if they were deciding whether or not to keep him. Sometimes discipline problems were sent to other orphanages. Well, at least that's what they told the children. Gonou had his suspicions.

At any rate, Gojyo seemed all right. He and Gonou never spoke - Gonou never spoke with anyone but Kanan - but Gonou caught those red eyes glancing his way a few times. Whatever had happened to him, he wasn't violent or difficult, and he even began to curry favor with the sisters, which was why Gonou was so surprised when he was missing at breakfast one morning.

Kanan sat next to him. Normally she sat with the girls, but sometimes at mealtimes she brought him news. "His brother came and took him away. Said he was a runaway."

He thought about saying I wasn't looking for him, but he knew better than to lie to Kanan. "You think--"

"I don't know," she said. "The sisters were talking about him, but I didn't hear anything he said. He was tall, really tall, and had black hair, but he looked a little like Gojyo."

"You liked him," he said. "You'll miss him."

"Everybody did," she rejoined. "Even you."

"I never even spoke with him," Gonou said, mildly.

She smirked. "I know." She handed him an extra slice of bread, taken no doubt from her share. "Here, there's extra."

"You don't have to--"

"I want to," she said, and winked at him.

He shoved the slice in his jacket. She was a good sister, but she could be such a know-it-all sometimes.

She wasn't right, anyway.

Cho Hakkai, fallen Catholic, lousy Buddhist, and now, apparently, errand boy to the Three Aspects, walked through the market and wondered if any of the priests would notice if he bought a few dozen crab shell pies on his way back to the temple. He could probably make his way through most of them by the time he got back. What would they say if they smelled the meat on his breath, anyway? The master of their temple had snuck in a whole turkey the other day.

And it smelled so good. Vegetables were fine, but nothing beat a good hot pot with beef or a steaming pie bursting with seafood. Or dumplings. He should've made Sanzo sneak in dumplings. Perhaps next time.

The city was much busier than the little town near the temple he was accustomed to. He had never been one for cities, even when he was Gonou, but he supposed putting up with this one was the price for his sins. A lost holy artifact, or should he say another lost holy artifact. "If the damn things were so important, the monks should’ve kept better track of them," Sanzo said, and Hakkai was inclined to agree.

At any rate, he had heard a rumor that the Merciful Goddess's artifact was here, in the rooms of a high-priced courtesan, and so here he was, trying to figure out which courtesan it might be. He had already put out a few feelers, claiming he was a high-end dealer of specialty merchandise, and Sanzo's contacts had helped him come out with a few authentic-looking items, including one genuine antique, a gaudy gilded ceramic depiction of the Bodhisattva Kannon, to be used in case of emergencies. Hakkai suspected that Sanzo actually hated the ugly thing and was hoping it would get smashed to bits.

A few discreet inquiries at the market moved him closer to his goal. One of the city's better brothels, filled with beautiful women--and a few beautiful men--was run by a woman who loved antiquities and holy relics. "You won't be able to get in to see her, though," the man at the yakitori stand told him. "She don't see visitors."

"I'm sure my merchandise--"

The man shook his head. "Nah, she's too suspicious for that," he said. "Too many monks sniffin' around, trying to get their precious toys back. These days she only talks to customers. You get in there, taste the merchandise, maybe she'd let you in on some kinda deal."

"I suppose no monk would do such a thing," Hakkai said, eating his yakitori with relish. It really was delicious.

"You got it, friend. You want another?"

"No, this will be enough. Thank you."

The brothel was placed, as most such establishments were, just far enough out of town to be discreet, but not quite far enough to be wholly disreputable. It was almost sunset, and apparently something was about to happen, as there was quite a crowd at the front of the building. Hakkai decided to hang back and wait. Maybe he'd be lucky and there would be some kind of raid. That would afford him a chance to--

A flute began to play, and an older woman in an exquisitely embroidered cheongsam appeared. The madam, Hakkai assumed. She bowed extravagantly to the crowd and then gestured at the door.

The women, dressed in simple robes, came out in single file. Their simple dress only accentuated the soft curves of their bodies, their clear skin, their perfectly arranged hair and makeup. Most of them had ebony-dark hair, though one girl's was a flash of auburn. A few were youkai, but most were human.

Two men followed. The first was handsome enough, a roguish face, blond-white hair, the pointed ears of a youkai.

The second man took Hakkai's breath away.

His hair was a familiar scarlet. His face had changed -- not just age, Hakkai noted, there were three parallel scars crossing his cheek -- but it was still recognizable. Familiar.

Gojyo, wasn't that it? Yes. Gojyo. There was no doubt in his mind.

The prostitutes formed a line on the building's front porch, smiling, the picture of elegance and beauty.

I can't afford him, Hakkai thought, with absolute certainty.

Fortunately, the pawnbroker in town didn't have much of an eye, and Hakkai rationalized the sale of the candlesticks as a way to improve his local reputation. Perhaps the madam would seek him out, if she knew Hakkai had rarities and was willing to sell.

So two nights later, Hakkai once again found himself at the brothel, in the room of a man listed as "Spessartine."

He was wearing a rather finer robe than the one he'd been wearing for public viewing; perhaps the madam wanted all her flowers to look the same, when displayed on the veranda. Perhaps Gojyo was vain. Either seemed likely. The room was clean but cluttered, and less elegant than the gilded parlor Hakkai had waited in.

"Good evening, sir."

"Please," he said. "Call me...Cho."

"Cho," Goyjo said, bowing deeply, and his red hair fell loosely around his face. He glanced up at Hakkai as he straightened. Would Gojyo recognize him? Did Hakkai want him to?

There was much Hakkai found familiar in the face waiting for his response. He realized that Gojyo had been beautiful as a child, too. Of course. He carried himself far more elegantly now, but a familiar charm glittered in his scarlet eyes.

"What's your pleasure?" he asked. He settled down in the cushioned chair that was the room's only furniture, apart from the bed.

"I--" Gojyo was watching his face. "I'm not entirely certain."

"Time's yours." Gojyo leaned back. "You read the menu, right?"

The menu had detailed a dizzying set of options, though kissing was forbidden and anything too strenuous or violent had to be arranged in advance. The overwhelming number of choices had driven him to booking a twenty-minute block of time, rather than having to make any sort of decision at the time. Now, though, he was at a loss.

"I mean, I get guys who just want to talk sometimes," Gojyo said, reaching for a cigarette and lighter on the dressing table, "but you ain't done much talking yet."

"Please...please don't smoke," he said.

"Hey," he said wryly, putting the cigarette back. "You found one thing you want. Keep going."

"You could...I suppose you could remove your robe."

Gojyo smirked. "I suppose I could."

You're being absurd, Hakkai told himself. As if he doesn't do this every night.

Gojyo stood, and made something of a production of sliding the robe off. The silk flowed over his smooth, clear skin, and Hakkai felt his body starting to respond. Absurd, he repeated to himself.

Hakkai had never thought of himself as particularly attracted to men, but Gojyo was indeed beautiful. His body was slender, but not without musculature, and he moved with smooth, admirable grace. The hair on his chest and groin was darker than the ruby shade of his hair.

Hakkai had never stared at a naked man before.

Once he started, it was a bit difficult to stop.

Gojyo chuckled. "First time with a guy?" he said. "You shoulda said."

"I've--" Hakkai looked up, at Gojyo's face. He was smiling, but not unkindly. "I'm afraid it's been quite some while since I've been with anyone at all."

Gojyo walked over and took his hand.

"I'm not a child," Hakkai said, as Gojyo led him to the bed.

"Yeah," he said. "But maybe you need some training wheels." He sat down and carefully unzipped Hakkai's fly. Hakkai had gotten...well, really quite hard, without really paying attention. Gojyo had condoms on the bedside table, and he opened the package expertly. His fingers were slender. Hakkai wondered what they would feel like in his mouth.

Gojyo slid the condom over Hakkai's cock, and Hakkai felt the ache down to the soles of his feet. He looked up for a moment, red hair, long, dark lashes, scarlet eyes. "Relax," he said. "It'll be fun."

Fun was not the word Hakkai would have chosen. Gojyo's mouth was warm, and he kept his eyes open, watching Hakkai's face like there was some hidden truth inside it. Hakkai's knees felt weak.

Hakkai found himself relieved to have the barrier of the condom; without it he surely would have lost himself within seconds. Instead, he closed his eyes and let himself enjoy the pleasure. How scandalized the monks would be, he thought with a grim thrill.

It was good, though. Good enough that Hakkai stopped thinking completely for a little while, reached out and let Gojyo's soft, soft red hair fall through his fingers. When he came, Gojyo stroked his hip and guided him down onto the bed.

They lay side by side for a while, as Hakkai caught his breath. Gojyo was still quite hard. "Would you like me to--"

"I got the rest of the night to work," Gojyo said. "Don't worry about me."

"Ah yes," Hakkai said. "Of course."

Gojyo's long fingers touched the cuffs on his ear. "You're youkai?"

"Yes," Hakkai said, and tried to ignore the churning in his gut. "Can we speak of something else?"

"Sure," Gojyo said, his fingers walking down Hakkai's shoulder instead. "No problem. You wanna do anything else, or are you good?" He lifted his head a little. "You got--eh. Six minutes?"

"I'm fine," Hakkai said. "Perhaps I should--"

"Nah, you paid," Gojyo said. "Stay if you want."

Hakkai zipped up his pants, but didn't move further. There was something comforting about being in bed with someone, even if that someone was a prostitute and relative stranger. He touched Gojyo's bare shoulder; there was a fading bruise there. "Was this--"

"It's fine," he said. "Don't worry about it. C'mere." He pulled Hakkai closer to him, touching his back, nuzzling him at the join of his neck and shoulder. "You smell good."

"I...I bathe?"

Gojyo chuckled. "You planning on staying around?"

"Only a few more days. I have some...business I would like to do. I understand your madam has a taste for antiquities."

"That she does," Gojyo said, and licked at his collarbone.

Hakkai wriggled. "Ah," he said. "At any rate, I have a rare item that might well catch her interest."

"You ain't just here for me?"

"I suppose...not entirely," Hakkai confessed. "But...you were the individual I chose."

Gojyo ruffled his hair. "I'll take that, then."

It was absurd, how comfortable it felt. Certainly it was Gojyo's job to put his clients at ease, but there was still something more, something indefinable and pleasurable. Hakkai allowed himself to touch Gojyo, but he confined himself to Gojyo's hair. He tried to think of his penance, of red, red blood, but it was impossible. His mind kept drifting back to where he was, the man he was with. His fingers in Gojyo's mouth. His hands on Gojyo's hips as he drove into his body. He closed his eyes.

Sinner, still. Sinner, always.

"So," Gojyo said. "If you wanna swing by again, maybe we can get Auntie to check out that artifact of yours."

"Will you give me a discount?"

Gojyo laughed. "That's up to Auntie. Who knows, maybe she'll like you."

A soft bell chimed.

"Time's up," Gojyo said. "Hey, look at me."

Hakkai looked.

Gojyo kissed him. It was just a moment, his lips pressing quietly against Hakkai's, but it set Hakkai's heart pounding again. "Don't tell," he said, winking.

"No," Hakkai said. "I-- Of course not." He got up from the bed. "Do I just--"

"You paid," Gojyo said, waving one hand dismissively and grabbing his robe with the other. "You're good to go."

It was now or never, Hakkai supposed. "You're...I believe I know your name. It's Gojyo, isn't it?"

Gojyo froze, the dark silk covering his shoulder. "No one calls me that here."

"I'm sorry. I thought it was you...we were in the orphanage together, briefly. I wasn't certain at first but--"

"Not many people out there with hair and eyes like mine," he said, and didn't bother hiding the bitterness.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't intend to upset you."

"Eh, it's fine," he said. He focused on Hakkai's face. "You...you were that little guy. The one who wouldn't talk to anybody but your sister. I didn't remember you were youkai."

"Yes," he said, and it was his turn to feel gut-punched. "I...it's a long story."

"She was real nice to me," he said. "Snuck me an extra cake once."

"She was very kind."

His eyes widened. "She's not--"

"She's been gone more than two years."

"Oh, shit," Gojyo said. "I'm sorry."

"You couldn't know."

"I'm still--"

"Thank you," Hakkai said. "I hope...I hope I didn't take advantage of--"

Gojyo snorted. "You paid, fair and square."

"You had a brother, didn't you? He picked you up. From the orphanage."

"Yeah," Gojyo said, and he was shut off now, somewhere else. Of course, perhaps Hakkai was as well. "Mom decided she wanted me back, I guess. Worked all right for a couple of years."

"And then...."

"Then she got sicker, and then she died," Gojyo said. "And...yeah. It kind of went to hell after that."

"I'm sorry."

"Shit happens all over," Gojyo said. "Anyway. Have a good night. Maybe I'll see you again."

"Perhaps," Hakkai said, putting his hand to his mouth.

And that, Hakkai supposed, was that.

As he walked out of the brothel, he could hear the sounds of lovemaking, snatches of music, a cough that might have been tuberculosis. He felt very tired.

Back in his rented room, Hakkai weighed his options.

He was a paying customer. It might be enough to gain an audience with Auntie. He could even propose a trade: that hideous sculpture for a night with Gojyo.

But that was more about his own desires than the task at hand. Sanzo had warned him not to make a fetish of his repentance, but he suspected buying hours with a prostitute was not the way to move beyond such things.

The kiss, though, was what lingered. It was always the forbidden pleasures. Hakkai wondered what another kiss, a deeper one, would have been like.

As it was, the temple was going to be scandalized by his expense reports.

He took the sculpture out of his satchel and stared at it. It truly was hideous. There was still another ugly fake he could try to sell, too.

He wasn't going think much more productively without something to eat.

Downstairs, it was busy. The evening's gambling was already underway, and Hakkai remembered that there was another way to raise funds. He sat at the poker table.

"I wonder if you might deal me in?" he asked.

An hour later, his stomach was full, and his wallet was rather improved, as well. He still had no answers.

Two nights later, as he walked back to the brothel with his pack under his arm, he thought only of the antiquities, of a chance to speak with "Auntie" about the items he still held.

And then the prostitutes came out to the railing, dressed in identical blue robes that night, and he saw the purpling bruise on Gojyo's neck.

Hakkai's body came alive with anger.

He paid for an hour and a half without blinking and waited in the lobby, not trusting himself to speak to anyone but the quiet, friendly women who offered him sake and snacks on trays. If any of the men who passed had been the one responsible for that bruise....

He refused to think about it. Instead, he watched the clock, and the lovely girls in their pale blue gowns. They didn't appear to be the women who had been on the railing, who had been wearing a deeper shade of blue. The other man, the blond one, didn't come out either.

He was beginning to take notes of the standard procedures of a whorehouse. How delightful.

"Mr. Cho?" The girl was slender, pretty, though not as voluptuous as the women who showed themselves at the railing on a nightly basis. "Spessartine will see you now."

"Oh," he said, and got up.

The halls were still lined with rich fabrics, and Gojyo's room still smelled like incense.

"You're back," he said, and to Hakkai's surprise, he smiled in a way that felt sincere.

"I wasn't sure if you'd want to see me again after...."

He shook his head. "Nah, it's fine. Just...call me Spessartine here, okay?"

"Of course," Hakkai said.

"I don't even remember your name," he said, a little shyly. "Come on, sit down."

"It's...it's Hakkai now, anyway." He followed Gojyo's gesture and sat on the embroidered spread. "Do you choose any of this yourself? It's lovely."

"Nah," Gojyo said. "All provided by the house. Only thing I own is me."

"Oh."

Gojyo smiled. "Don't feel too bad. Money's good, and I'll retire with a nice chunk of change once my contract's paid out. Right now, Auntie wants me while I'm young and pretty." He opened his robe and let it fall down to his waist. The bruise was less visible now. Hakkai narrowed his eyes.

"Don't," Gojyo said. "Don't worry about it. Auntie was pissed I didn't cover it up enough on the balcony, she was afraid it would scare off customers."

"But you're hurt," Hakkai said, reaching out and putting his hand just above the bruise.

"Looks worse than it feels. And the guy paid for the privilege, don't worry. It's business." He smiled a little, teasing. "You don't ever have to do anything you don't wanna do for business?"

Hakkai shook his head. "Not precisely like that, no." He focused his chi.

"Hey," Gojyo said. "What are you--"

"Hold still," Hakkai said. "I'm the client, remember? You have to listen..."

Gojyo was right; it wasn't too much of a wound, but it still must have been painful.

"It's warm," Gojyo said. "Why is it--"

"It's chi," he said. "I use it to heal. It's a very old technique...requires focus and concentration." He stopped. "Is that better?"

Gojyo put his hand up to his shoulder. "Yeah," he said. "It is. Thanks. But you didn't have to--"

"I know," Hakkai said. "I paid for your time. And I wanted to."

"So," Gojyo said, pulling at Hakkai's shirt collar and beginning to work on the buttons, "what are we doing now? You must have something in mind. You want me to wash the makeup off?"

Hakkai felt his face heating. "You know," he said. "I'm not...I'm not supposed to be--"

"Oh, right," Gojyo said. "Orphanage was Catholic, right? You guys feel guilty about everything."

Hakkai chuckled. "It's not that. I'm supposed to be working."

"Oh, right, antiquities."

What was it about this man that made Hakkai want to confess? "More or less."

"I bet it'll wait half an hour," Gojyo said, pulling Hakkai's shirttail from his pants and pushing the unbuttoned shirt from Hakkai's shoulders. "Shit, aren't you even hard yet? I'm losing my touch."

"I'm afraid I'm a bit distracted."

"I'm all better," Gojyo said, tickling his ribs gently. "You fixed me. C'mon."

Hakkai wanted to. Wanted to more than he could even say. He bit his lip and shook his head. "I thought you might like some time to yourself. Or we could talk for a while, or--"

Gojyo laughed. "What if I really, really want to suck your dick, Hakkai?"

Hakkai felt his face burn, and the heat dropped lower, pooling in his groin. "I--" He shook his head. "I'm not entirely sure."

"You must get offers."

"I live at a monastery," he said. "I have had a few, but...I confess they are rarely enticing."

Gojyo shook his head. "Seriously? You're a monk?"

"Not precisely," Hakkai said. "The story is rather complicated."

"You can tell me after," Gojyo said, and stroked his face. "Come on. I wanna kiss you again."

"You're not supposed to--"

"I won't tell if you don't," Gojyo said. This kiss was different than the last, hungry, passionate, open-mouthed. Hakkai fell to the bed, and let himself be carried away by Gojyo's mouth, his fingers, his cigarette-thickened voice.

He'd never felt anything like it, and it was all too easy to lose himself, forget the temple, his penance, forget everything but his own desire.

He'd never....

He'd never wanted anyone but her, and that door had stayed closed. As it should have, but--

But his desires had not lessened.

He still dreamt of her. Not even Sanzo knew that.

Gojyo broke the kiss. He must have liked what he saw on Hakkai's face, because his own face was smug and delighted. "Come on, what do you want? You could tie me up. Guy tied me up with my own hair once, that was pretty hot."

Hakkai just stared at Gojyo's hair, how thick and sleek it was. "Was it?"

"It was longer then," Gojyo said, pulling his hair back with one hand. "But I bet we could--"

"I need to tell you the truth," Hakkai stammered, before they were once again sidetracked. "I--"

"It's okay," Gojyo said. "Don't stress about it. We got time."

He shook his head. "But I--"

A knock came at the door. Not a knock, a series of knocks. Pounding. Gojyo's face creased in alarm. "They're not supposed to--" He rose from the bed, grabbing at his robe and throwing it on as he walked to the door. His legs looked long and graceful when he moved. "What the fuck is--"

Hakkai couldn't see what happened; he only knew that Gojyo put his eye to a peephole in the door, cursed under his breath, and ran to the window. He threw it open, grabbing Hakkai with one arm and Hakkai's pants with the other and shoving everything toward the window. "Run," he hissed. "Go, go."

Hakkai took a few seconds to catch on, but the pounding at Gojyo's door spurred him into action. He pulled his pants on and crawled out the window, the pounding hard enough to shake the door and the window frame. At least Gojyo's room was on the ground floor. He fell to the cool ground and wished Gojyo had grabbed his shirt as well. Still, at least he had his pants.

"What the shit, Spess?" said a deep, masculine voice. "We knock, you open the hell up. Where is he?"

"Took off," Gojyo said. "You gotta be more polite with the customers, man, they--"

Hakkai heard the slap, and his breath caught.

"What the fuck?" Gojyo said. It sounded like his hand was on his jaw. "You're not supposed to fuck with the merchandise, Shen."

"You knew Auntie wanted her hands on him."

"Yeah," Gojyo said, and Hakkai heard him spit. "That's what I was doing, genius. Now you've scared him off. He and his fancy temple shit's gonna be long gone--"

He was cut off again. Was it a punch, a kick? Hakkai felt his hands forming into fists.

"Don't bullshit me. You're in enough trouble. You had orders from Auntie."

"Well, if Auntie was a little more patient, she--"

"Get out that window, Bo. Find him, he can't have gone far. I'll deal with this asshole."

"Yeah, you better send Bo, not like you can fit through--"

Another punch. Well.

This was unfortunate. Sanzo had always reminded him it was important to minimize damage. He could leave them alive. That was a step in the right direction, wasn't it?

He put his hand up to his earcuffs, then decided they wouldn't be necessary.

Bo was halfway through the window when he caught sight of Hakkai in the dark. "Boss," he called. "I found--"

Hakkai took Bo by the shoulders and pulled him out of the window. The idiot had a knife in his right fist.

It was easy enough to take it.

"Shit," Gojyo said, wiping blood from his wrist. "Did you kill him?"

Hakkai poked at Bo's unconscious body with his foot. "No," he said. "I've been working on my penance."

"Oh...okay," he said.

"You might want to get dressed," Hakkai said, digging his shirt up from the detritus next to Gojyo's bed. It had a few spots of blood on it, but nothing he hadn't done shaving. It would be fine. "Have you seen my shoes?"

"I think they're over by...what the dresser used to be."

"We really ought to be going. Were they part of 'Auntie's' staff?"

"They are, yeah."

"Have they been responsible for the thefts, then?"

"Yeah," Gojyo said. "Probably. Look, I wouldn't have set you up. I told Banri about you, but I figured--"

"It's all right," Hakkai said. Ah, there was his shoe, underneath Shen. Shen was definitely breathing. Excellent. Hakkai shoved his bulk aside and recovered it. "I was here to be set up." He picked up his bag. "Ah, we did manage to destroy the sculpture. Sanzo will be pleased."

"I wouldn't think you'd want-- Wait, you know a Sanzo priest?"

"It's a long story," Hakkai said. "I can tell you on our way."

"I'm still on contract," Gojyo said, a little reluctantly.

"I believe Auntie has violated that contract," Hakkai said firmly. "I'm sure we can find you more suitable employment."

"I can flirt and play cards," Gojyo said. "That's about it."

"See?" Hakkai said. "There are two useful skills already...." His hand closed over an unfamiliar object. "My goodness," he said.

"So," Hakkai said, "between my personal expenses and the need to find appropriate housing for Mr. Sha...." He pushed a slip of paper across the desk. "In fact, I think it might be time for me to move out of the temple. As you've often said, I need to begin moving forward, not just walk in place."

Sanzo squinted at it. "You're kidding me. This after you broke a priceless treasure of the Bodhisattva Maitreya."

"Well," Hakkai said. "I discovered the artifact hid something rather...unique." He produced the sapphire from his pocket. It was almost as big as a chicken egg, and brilliantly colored, a deep, oceanic blue. "I believe this is--"

"The Maitreya sapphire," Sanzo said, his eyes going wide with recognition. "Missing for three hundred years." He reached for it, and Hakkai raised his eyebrows.

"Yes," he sighed. "Yes, I'll pay the full expenses."

Hakkai dropped the sapphire into his palm. "Your generosity is much appreciated."

"Only you would end up finding this fucking thing," Sanzo grumbled.

"Gojyo helped. As did the gentleman from the brothel. I believe he fell on it."

Sanzo snorted. "I can't wait to see what the monks think of this," he said, waving the paper again.

"I admit, it did occur to me."

"Sanzo!" Goku bounced back into Sanzo's office, Gojyo trailing in his wake. "Sanzo, Gojyo's gonna teach me how to fish!"

"Don't bring them into the temple," Sanzo said.

"Catch and release," Gojyo said. "Less work that way too."

"If we find a place to live soon, we can have you over," Hakkai said to Goku. "Then you could bring the fish home to us."

"I ain't cleaning any fish," Gojyo said.

"That much I'm capable of."

"Wait, can you cook?"

"Hakkai's a real good cook," Goku said. "He made hot pot for us once, but we had to sneak in the beef."

"You won't have to sneak at our place," Gojyo said, putting a hand on Goku's head and ruffling his hair. "We'll have hot pot and-- shit, I dunno, what can you cook?"

"I can cook all sorts of things," Hakkai said, and felt the smile crossing his face. "Though Goku and Sanzo may have to bring the groceries sometimes."

"We can bring fish, too," Goku said. "Gojyo an' me."

"Sure," Gojyo said, easily. "Is there good fishing around here?"

"Hell if I know," Sanzo said.

"We'll find out."