-----18-----

Goku groaned loudly as he sat up, stretching his sore limbs and still-tired body as quietly as he could. Despite getting a decent night's sleep, he still felt a bit groggy and exhausted, but he wrote it off as a side effect of Seiten Taisei's little outing the day before. Or perhaps it could have been attributed to the exertive activity he and a certain blonde priest had engaged in before bed.

That thought brought a smile to his lips, even if it still ached a little where their bodies had been connected. He still wasn't sure about the connections that he had to these three men, but he knew that he was right where he belonged. Even with his thoughts still muddied up, he could tell that the monk had been uncharacteristically sweet when they were alone, which suited the golden-eyed boy just fine. He found that he liked the double side to the man he loved so much; it provided a very interesting dynamic to their relationship that was forming. He didn't mind Sanzo's need to shield himself in front of the others, just as long as he got to enjoy the other side to the man when they were alone.

"What the hell are you staring at?" the monk in question asked, sleepiness drawing the sting out of such a usual biting question. Apparently, he had begun to feel Goku's blatant staring and reacted in the only way he knew how. Though, he had to admit that the boy looked decidedly delicious like this, covers pooling around his waist as the morning light cast a luminescence around him. His breath caught, causing him to blush all over again. He certainly seemed to be doing quite a bit of that lately.

Goku laughed, leaning down to kiss Sanzo chastely on the mouth. "You, what else? There's certainly nothing else in this room worth staring at," he teased, squeaking when the larger man pulled him down hard against his chest and kissed him breathless. When they pulled back, he got the pleasure of seeing Sanzo smile again. "You know, I really like this whole dual personality thing. It's kind of kinky."

"Where did you learn that word? And what exactly do you mean by 'dual personality' anyway?" the priest questioned with a frown, though it more closely resembled a pout than anything else. It almost made the boy laugh, but he kept it in for Sanzo's sake.

"Never mind. It doesn't really matter," the smaller of the two murmured, cuddling close to his lover and letting out a sigh of contentment. A sudden feeling of deviousness filled Goku, shifting so that certain portions of their anatomy brushed, sending electrified shocks through both bodies. He wasn't up for another rowdy session like the night before, but that didn't mean that they couldn't enjoy themselves. There were other ways to have sex, after all.

Sanzo hissed in pleasure, taking the cue and immediately flipping the boy onto his back to pin his arms above his head. Their bodies brushed again, with Sanzo slowly grinding his hips into his lover's. Lips met again in a frenzied kiss, the air heating with the possibility of what was to come.

"Are you two up yet? It's almost time to go," Hakkai called through the door with a knock, breaking the tension that had been building in the worst way. Sanzo practically snarled, readying an acerbic reply until a tanned hand covered his mouth. He looked down to notice that the boy beneath him was giggling in silent mirth, reduced to mere shakes of his shoulders.

"If you say something, he'll know we're up. If you don't…" Goku whispered devilishly, smirking seductively. He pulled Sanzo down for another passionate kiss, taking the blonde completely by surprise. Who knew that the monkey could be so crafty? Sanzo decided that it would be best to listen to Goku this once, as the brunette's hand trailed promisingly down his abdomen and hinting at what was to come. Just this once.

-----

"You know as well as I do that they're up," Gojyo commented as he sipped his coffee, causing Hakkai to cock an eyebrow at him. He put the cup down with a contented sigh, smirking despite himself. "Come on, 'Kai. You remember when we used to be like that? Give 'em time. If Mr. High and Mighty's not in a hurry, we shouldn't be either." A seductive wiggle of his eyebrows accompanied his words, making clear his implications.

The healer blushed, chuckling to himself as he rolled his eyes. "No, I don't suppose we should. What do you propose we do to pass the time while they…'ready themselves' as it were?" the former teacher asked, playing right along with his own lover's little game. However, he let out an atypical squeal when the redhead pulled him into his lap to kiss him senseless. "Not here! What if they come downstairs? And what about your injuries?" he sputtered, surprised he could form coherent sentences with the way Gojyo was kissing his neck.

"I have a feeling that we won't be seeing them for a little while," the kappa answered, pulling off Hakkai's shirt in one fluid motion before attacking his chest with his tongue and lips. "Guess we better make it quick and dirty then, shouldn't we?" At Hakkai's ongoing protest about his still sore limbs, he huffed and motioned toward his leg. The healer had managed to mend the broken bones enough to resemble a simple fracture, wrapped securely and propped up on a nearby chair. His arm was in a similar shape, but since when did he let something like that get him down? Never. "They're fine. Now, where were we?"

Somehow, Hakkai couldn't find it in him to argue.

-----

"Doctor…as much as I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it appears that the experiment has failed," Dr. Huang informed Nii rather gloatingly, flushing hotly when it appeared that the man wasn't listening to anything she said. How typical. "Are you listening to me? I said-"

"I heard you, Dr. Huang. Somehow, I still think that you don't understand anything," he commented, studying the chessboard in front of him carefully before proceeding to make his first move. "The ends always justify the means, my dear. Bear that in mind."

The woman looked rightly confused, hoping that he would elaborate on his words. "What exactly do you mean?" she asked when he didn't, her impatience getting the best of her. She hated being ignored, especially by the man that she worked for. It seemed that he simply did it to infuriate her.

The scientist laughed merrily, which only served to make the woman angrier. "You're so silly, Huang. Life is so full of questions of 'what if' and 'if only,' wouldn't you agree? 'What if I had done this better?' or 'if only I had listened to what so-and-so said to me.' So often people find themselves caught in the endless loop of these questions, driving themselves insane with the ever elusive answers," Nii answered, though his words were completely unrelated to the question Huang had asked in the first place. At her continued confusion, he sighed resignedly as he moved another chess piece. "This was not an experiment to test that silly little drug, useful as it was."

Huang's eyes widened to an almost ridiculous diameter and feeling entirely foolish. "Well then, what was it?" she asked, flushing a little at how moronic she felt. He had played her, yet again, and she had easily fallen into his usual web of games. When he didn't answer, she chose to think the question through on her own. "Wait…you were…gathering information on the boy, weren't you? You knew…" she started, mind reeling with realization. "You knew he would transform, which is what you wanted all along, isn't it?"

"So simple a thing, isn't it? It wasn't fair that everyone else has gotten to see the great Seiten Taisei. Such a wonderful, powerful creature he is, isn't he?" the doctor practically sing-songed, chuckling almost playfully to himself. He was speaking in riddles again, but the woman had learned long ago that she needed to read between the lines if she truly wanted information out of the enigmatic figure.

"So, what do you have in mind for this new data?" she asked simply, deciding that it would more than likely be best to let things lie for the time being. She would ask again, when the doctor wasn't in such a teasing mood.

Nii shrugged, smiling pristinely at her. That look always unnerved her the most, since it made him look like he truly had no soul. "I haven't the faintest idea. If only Kougaiji were so perfect, right? If only our Prince could be so deadly," he replied vaguely, smirking knowingly despite the hollowness of his words.

"You are so frustrating! Call me when you have an idea!" Huang fumed, storming out of the laboratory and making a racket as she was walking down the hallway. The click-clack of her high heels slowly faded into the distance, leaving the only sound of whirring machinery in the lab.

Nii lit another cigarette, inhaling the smoke deeply as he picked up one of white pieces from the board to study it better. He smirked, clutching the pawn tightly in his hand as his shoulders shook in silent laughter. "That was a beautiful move, Koumyou…but I guess it's my turn again, isn't it? What sort of game shall we play next?"

-----END-----

(And so it is complete. Sorry about taking so long to get this finished, but I hope you enjoy this nonetheless. For all of those who stuck with me throughout the whole fic, as well as those who joined me sporatically throughout, thank you guys so much. Your reviews and comments were enough to make me want to keep writing this. While there will be a sequel, (eventually) I'm currently working on another project called "Liturgy." Again, thanks for taking the time to read my story and let me know what you think. You guys know who you are. -winks-)