Written for nyghtrain for the 2011 yuletide_smut Saiyuki giftfic community on Dreamwidth. Prompt: Possessive, jealousy, mate - Gojyo comes to the realization that Hakkai is his mate and sets out to claim him. The only problem is that Hakkai is in a relationship with Sanzo and Sanzo is very possessive. Heartfelt thanks are due my beta reviewer, Whymzycal. However, I touched this last; all remaining mistakes are mine.

Goku was the first to find out. It happened this way:

Hakkai was standing at the counter, his back to the table where Goku was seated and for once eating breakfast without interruption from Gojyo. Sanzo breezed in, ever-present newspaper under his arm, snatched a cup of coffee, and breezed out.

Hakkai sensed that Goku had gone still behind him. He turned around and saw knowledge in those wide golden eyes. He only got as far as saying "What—?" when Goku said, "I'm fine with it as long as Sanzo's happy."

Hakkai shook his head. "Happy with what?"

Goku gave him a pitying look. "You an' Sanzo fu—"

Hakkai held his hand over Goku's mouth to prevent him from saying it out loud. He wasn't sure if it was because he wasn't ready to think about it so forthrightly or because Sanzo would be furious if Goku used that word.

"Don't worry, I didn't see or hear nuthin'. I just smelled ya on him," Goku said as he pushed Hakkai's hand away.

Hakkai cursed Sanzo and his habit of falling asleep without showering first.

"So why are you telling me about it and not Sanzo?" Hakkai asked, looking stern.

Goku shrugged, his eyes bright and guileless. "'Cause Sanzo would hit me over the head, call me a stupid monkey, and say it was none of my business. But I thought I should tell one of you." He shoveled another spoonful into his mouth.

Hakkai was relieved they had Goku's blessing, even if Sanzo neither sought nor cared about it.

Gojyo, as Hakkai later discovered, was not nearly as accepting when he found out. It was the end of a scorching day at the end of a trying week. All four of them were tired and cranky from traveling through endless desert scrub. They'd been relieved to find a few trees and a narrow stream. After setting up camp, Gojyo and Goku left to collect firewood, and Hakkai to get water. Sanzo tagged along to supervise.

Neither of them had expected Gojyo to be looking for them because Goku had heard someone – more likely several someones, from the noise – stumbling through the woods. Gojyo hadn't expected to see Hakkai, his back pressed against the trunk of a tree, kiss Sanzo while Sanzo rubbed Hakkai's crotch. Gojyo stood still, mouth agape, before bolting.

Hakkai's eyes blinked open to the vision of Gojyo staring at them from not more than ten feet away before he ran. "Something's going on. We should go back." He smoothed down his clothing and picked up the now-full water jug.

Sanzo snorted derisively. Still, when Hakkai left, he followed him back.

It turned out that the noises came from a ragtag bunch of youkai who were no match for them, but the disruption soured their mood. Gojyo fumed all through dinner and dragged his bedroll as far away as possible afterward, climbing inside it and turning his back on everyone.

Just as Hakkai was about to go over to him and ask him what was wrong, Gojyo freed himself from the bedroll, cursing all the while, and bolted into the woods to be alone with his thoughts and his cigarettes. Hakkai relaxed minutely when he saw smoke lingering over a particular spot, but at a quelling glance from Sanzo, didn't follow him. Maybe Gojyo wasn't yet ready to talk about what was upsetting him anyway.

Gojyo cornered Hakkai the next day after they'd decided to stop to buy supplies because they weren't sure they'd be able to reach the next town by nightfall. The two of them got out and headed for the store. Sanzo stayed in his seat, smoking a cigarette and making sure no one vandalized their vehicle. Goku stood sentinel nearby while he practiced martial arts moves. He'd been banned from shopping trips after making a pest of himself over food one too many times.

Gojyo couldn't help taking a parting jab at Sanzo as they walked away. "Guarding Jeep, my ass. He's just being lazy." Hakkai didn't disagree, but didn't bother to respond.

To Hakkai's chagrin, the shopping trip turned into Gojyo's opportunity to unburden himself. "What the fuck are you thinking, screwing around with Sanzo?" he said, accusation thick in his voice, when they rounded the corner by the produce section.

"Can you keep your voice down, please? What I do is my own business, not yours," Hakkai said. He knew that Gojyo hadn't seen them fornicating, but he'd seen enough that it was useless to argue with him about it.

Gojyo only looked angrier. "Don't forget, he's the bastard who hunted you down when all you wanted was to bury your sister. All he cares about now is finding that damn sutra."

"It was his job to find me."

"I'm the one you should be with. I know you better than Sanzo does, and we have more in common."

Hakkai tried to ignore Gojyo for the moment so he could shop properly. It was difficult to put together meals that everyone would eat while they were camping out and still provide adequate nutrition. And delaying his response gave him more time to pull his scattered thoughts together.

After grabbing cans of Spam, lentils, and green beans off the shelf and carefully placing them in the cart, he replied, "Really? I'm tidy; you stub your cigarettes out in empty beer cans. I like to cook; your idea of cooking is to throw together food that's sat in the refrigerator so long that it's spoiled. You like to carouse and chase women, and I like to stay home and read. That's something Sanzo and I have in common."

Gojyo shook his head. "Sanzo doesn't give a shit about anyone."

Hakkai wheeled the cart around a corner and checked out the canned fruit before saying in an even tone, "Sanzo has more emotions than you give him credit for. He just shows them differently than others. Besides, I'm the focus of his anger less often than the rest of you." He prudently didn't mention that it was Gojyo and Goku's frequent immature quarrels that drew most of Sanzo's ire.

"We're both youkai, ain't we?" Gojyo asked as they headed toward the checkout.

Hakkai looked around and was relieved to see that no other customers were nearby. It was bad enough that the cashier was close enough to overhear their conversation. "Yes, that's something Sanzo can't possibly relate to. Look at how he gets on with Goku," he said dryly as the cashier rang up the order.

"That's not what I meant. What he knows is how to keep Goku in line," Gojyo said as he hefted his share of bags.

"It's bigoted to think only youkai should be with youkai. Look at your parents."

Gojyo looked offended as he shook his head, his hair falling into his face. They headed for Jeep, their arms full of grocery bags. Sanzo and Goku were nowhere to be seen; maybe Goku had successfully pestered Sanzo into buying him some food.

Gojyo set the bags he'd been carrying in the rear compartment. "I'm no fucking bigot. Look at what happened to them! They killed themselves because of prejudice from both sides. They nearly took me with them, too."

Hakkai placed his bags next to Gojyo's. Gojyo grabbed his wrist and said, "Let's go over there." He pointed to the mouth of the alleyway next to the store they'd just come from. "I don't want His Nosiness listening in when he returns."

Hakkai followed him reluctantly because he wanted to keep an eye on Jeep. Anyone could come by and swipe the groceries from the open compartment.

They were just inside the alleyway when Gojyo used his grip on Hakkai's wrist to spin him up against the wall of the store, then grabbed him by the tunic instead.

"Let go of me, please. Your fingers are digging in, and you're wrinkling my tunic," Hakkai said. "Also, it hurts."

Gojyo lifted his hands as if he'd been touching hot coals. But instead of dropping them to his side, he curled them around the back of Hakkai's neck and leaned in for a kiss. Whether from shock or pleasure, it took a few seconds for Hakkai to recover and push him away.

Gojyo wiped his lips and said, "There's more where that came from. I'm sure I can satisfy you better than Sanzo does."

Hakkai raised an eyebrow. "I thought all your experience was with women. Sex with men works differently; we're not interchangeable."

"I know that," Gojyo sputtered. "I had to do a lot of things to survive before Banri showed up." He paused for a minute. "Are you telling me that Sanzo has been with men before? iSanzo?/i"

"I don't know. I haven't asked, and I'm not going to." Hakkai kept the fact that Sanzo didn't act inexperienced to himself.

Gojyo made a face before leaning in for another kiss, pressing against Hakkai so he could feel how hard Gojyo was because of him. Instead Hakkai pushed him, knocking him to the pavement.

"What the fuck is the matter with you?" Gojyo yelled, wiping loose asphalt off his hands.

"Trying to force yourself on me doesn't feel very friendly," Hakkai said. "Go away, Gojyo. Don't make me hurt you."

"Fine," Gojyo snapped as he stood up unsteadily. "Just wait until Sanzo shows his true colors. Then you'll tell me that I was right."

Hakkai sighed as Gojyo limped away. Maybe this liaison with Sanzo was more trouble than it was worth.

They made it to the next town just before sundown. Gojyo grabbed Hakkai by the sleeve as they were going in and hissed, "C'mon, Hakkai. Are you fucking him because he bullied you into it?"

"No, I'm not, and it's a little hypocritical of you to suggest it considering what you did earlier. Why do you care anyway?"

Gojyo colored a little. Hakkai's eyes widened. He hadn't been inclined to take Gojyo offering himself as an alternative to Sanzo seriously at first, but he should have, it seemed. Still, he asked, "You want me?"

"What if I do?" Gojyo said defiantly. "I didn't think you were interested in men. And you needed time to get over Kanan's death."

Hakkai gave up trying to reason with him and said, "We need to go in. They're waiting for us."

Gojyo huffed, but followed him in. Since the inn only had two rooms left, Sanzo had put Gojyo and Goku together, leaving the other room for him and Hakkai. Hakkai could tell that Gojyo was seething as a result. It was just another thing he'd have to smooth over in his role as group diplomat.

"We need to talk," Hakkai told Sanzo that night as they washed up. The little white dragon, who had taken to Sanzo's presence with barely tolerant resignation, hovered in the corner waiting for the sink to be free. He slept there now instead of in Hakkai's bed.

"So talk," Sanzo said as he brushed his teeth.

"Gojyo isn't very happy."

"Tell me something I didn't already know."

Hakkai suppressed a snort, seeing as Sanzo himself was possessed of a permanent case of the sulks. "About us, I mean," he clarified.

"That's obvious," Sanzo replied. He'd moved on to shaving by now. He liked to save time in the morning by shaving at night.

"He was shocked by what he saw, but he's also jealous."

"Not surprising. He's been attached to you right from the start."

"It's not just attachment, though," Hakkai explained as he stepped in front of Sanzo, toothbrush in hand, for his turn at the sink. "He thinks – he's gotten it into his head that he's the one I should be with, not you."

Sanzo turned and stared at him. "We were never lovers, not even when we lived together," Hakkai continued. "But he says he didn't approach me out of deference to my feelings for Kanan and because he didn't think I'd be interested."

Sanzo said neutrally, "Would you have been interested if he'd asked?"

"I don't know. I didn't know then that I might be attracted to another man."

"He might be making it up, you know. The idea might not have occurred to him until now."

Hakkai sighed. "I know." He was vaguely aware of Sanzo staying in the room a few moments beyond what he needed to, his eyes boring into Hakkai's back, but forgot about it as soon as Sanzo left. He finished brushing his teeth and splashed cold water on his face when it seemed as though he would have to wait an eternity for the water to heat up.

Their conversation had gone better than he'd expected, but he still felt a bit apprehensive when he walked into the room. The first thing he noticed was Sanzo sitting at the table at one end of the room, his back to Hakkai and newspaper open. Hakkai relaxed at the familiar sight.

"So Gojyo wants you now that he's pissed his chances away," Sanzo said. He snapped the newspaper closed and stalked closer. Without consciously intending to, Hakkai backed up a step.

Hakkai gasped when Sanzo shoved his pants and boxers down and wrapped his mouth around Hakkai's cock. Neither of them had tried this during their previous encounters. Hakkai hadn't wanted to embarrass himself and reveal his complete lack of experience on that score. He'd assumed that Sanzo was either equally ignorant or considered it too servile. Apparently, he was wrong on both counts.

Hakkai groaned as Sanzo teased the tip of his cock and then licked the throbbing vein underneath. He swallowed until Hakkai's cock bumped up against the back of his throat.

Hakkai had to go completely still in order to prevent himself from climaxing. What with the sensation of his cock steadily hitting Sanzo's soft palate and the astonishment he still felt, Sanzo's fervor threatened to overwhelm him. Once he regained control of himself, he only allowed himself a few cautious thrusts; he wouldn't put it past Sanzo to graze him with his teeth if Hakkai pissed him off.

Sanzo wrapped his hand around the base, preventing Hakkai from thrusting. He put his other hand on Hakkai's inner thigh, hollowed his cheeks, and began bobbing his head, achieving a similar effect without as much risk of choking. Hakkai had to turn away from watching Sanzo's lips slide up and down his length. If he hadn't, it would have been all over.

Gasping, his face crinkling as he fought to keep control over his uncooperative body, Hakkai realized his fingers were curling into Sanzo's hair. He started to remove them before he got carried away when he felt his thighs tremble and his balls tighten. He barely had time to give a warning before ejaculate gushed down Sanzo's throat. Sanzo closed his eyes and just took it.

Once Hakkai's tremors stopped, Sanzo wiped him off haphazardly, pulled up his pants, and pushed him toward the bed Sanzo had claimed. "Get on the bed and strip," he commanded.

Hakkai was willing to do almost anything Sanzo wanted after a blow job that good. Lying on the bed and getting rid of his clothes didn't seem like too much to ask.

Sanzo pulled his shirt off and stretched on top of Hakkai, his erection nudging Hakkai in the thigh. He slid his tongue into Hakkai's mouth, kissing him greedily and grinding against him. The friction of rough denim against bare skin and the presence of the hard-on underneath it gradually brought Hakkai's cock back to life.

Hakkai groaned when Sanzo broke contact in order to slide downward, sucking and nipping at Hakkai's neck hard enough to hurt. Sanzo slid down further and grazed one of Hakkai's nipples with his teeth. Hakkai suppressed a gasp. Sanzo teased the nipple with his tongue until Hakkai arched beneath him, moaning. Sanzo looked at him, pupils so dilated that his irises had all but disappeared.

Hakkai protested when Sanzo slid off the bed. He made a startled noise when Sanzo pulled him down to the foot of the bed until his butt was almost hanging off the edge. Sanzo removed his jeans, exposing the hard length of his cock, and tapped Hakkai's inner thigh impatiently until Hakkai realized that Sanzo was asking him to spread his legs.

Sanzo inched a lube-slicked finger in until Hakkai had gotten accustomed enough to it to begin rocking, then worked another finger in until Hakkai began rocking against that as well. Satisfied that this was enough preparation, Sanzo slathered gel on his cock. He stood at the foot of the bed, one hand grasping Hakkai's inner thigh and the other guiding himself, and plunged in.

Hakkai was caught by surprise; while Sanzo's technique couldn't be called gentle, he had always given Hakkai time to adjust before. Bliss soon overcame whatever discomfort he felt, though, as Sanzo's aim sent spikes of pleasure up his spine.

The bed jiggled and the springs squeaked as they rocked back and forth, bodies plastered together, speeding up until Hakkai stuffed his hand in his mouth to prevent himself from making a sound. Gripping hard, Sanzo pulled Hakkai's hand out of his mouth, telling him "I want to hear you." From then on, it was all ragged breaths and barely suppressed moans interspersed with yelps when Sanzo hit Hakkai's prostate again.

Sanzo leaned forward and thumbed the head of Hakkai's cock, smearing pre-come, before wrapping his hand around it. He muttered something that Hakkai couldn't make out at first, but eventually realized was "You're mine" repeated over and over again like a mantra. If Hakkai hadn't been so close to orgasm, the pleasant flutter in his stomach would have warred with squeamishness at the words, but as it was, all he felt was warmth that Sanzo wanted him that much.

Hakkai's cock pulsed and twitched as his release spattered Sanzo's hand and his own stomach. Sanzo pulled out a few seconds later as stripes of semen splashed against Hakkai's chest.

Hakkai groaned as he pushed himself up from the mattress. While he'd enjoyed himself, he'd been taken aback by how possessively Sanzo had behaved. He hoped it wasn't a harbinger of things to come.

When he saw what time it was, he groaned again. He didn't usually sleep in like this. When he tried to, Sanzo wouldn't let him. Since Jeep insisted that Hakkai drive unless he was unable to, a timely departure depended on him being ready to take the wheel at the appointed time. Maybe his oversleeping meant that Sanzo had decided to leave late or even stay in town another day. That would be fine with him.

He vaulted out of bed when a more likely scenario occurred to him.

Gojyo loitered in the alley behind the inn, smoking his first Hi-Lite of the day and minding his own business, when some asshole attacked him from behind. He turned around, a little embarrassed that some youkai punk had gotten the drop on him, to discover Sanzo socking him on the jaw.

"What the fuck, man!" Gojyo sputtered when he recovered from his shock enough to pay Sanzo back. Sanzo successfully evaded him until he flung himself at Sanzo, pinning him to the ground the same way he had when they first met. Hakkai had been the cause of that fight, too.

"No gun?"

"This is personal. I want the satisfaction of kicking your ass without any help."

"What is wrong with you?" Gojyo said, exasperated. "We're supposed to be on the same side, not trying to take each other out."

"Fuck you."

"Not for all the tea in China. Besides, you have Hakkai for that, don't you?"

Taunting Sanzo proved to be a mistake. Sanzo flipped him and landed a right hook hard enough to make Gojyo see stars. It hurt enough that he'd be sporting a shiner for a few days as well.

"I think it's time for me to take off on my own again, 'cept this time I'll ask Hakkai to come with me."

"Pfft. That's if you can convince him to leave with you."

"You left because of Goku, you shitty monk!" Gojyo struggled to sit up. They glared at each other, panting heavily. "I don't know what game you're playing," Gojyo continued, "but back off, because if you hurt Hakkai – and I know you will – you will answer to me." He got to his feet and they began circling each other.

"Listen to me, shit-for-brains, because I'm not saying it again. You didn't act when you had a chance to."

"You've never been interested before. Why now? What's in it for you?"

"None of your fucking business, but we're not sitting around swapping stories," Sanzo sneered.

Gojyo couldn't wrap his brain around the idea of Sanzo having an interest in sex, let alone an interest in sex with Hakkai. Nor could he see Sanzo going to any trouble to make to make the experience pleasurable for his partner, whoever it might be. "You won't be able to stop yourself from hurting him someday. I would never do that to him."

Sanzo snorted. They squared off against each other, but just as Sanzo flexed his knee to give Gojyo a mighty kick, Goku and Hakkai rounded the corner.

"Stop this," Hakkai told Gojyo as he stood between him and Sanzo, "or you'll have to go through me to get to him."

"You too, Sanzo," Goku said as he stepped in between Sanzo and Hakkai. "You guys are supposed to be the grownups, for cryin' out loud! It's very confusin' when I haveta be the grown up one."

Sanzo whipped out his fan and hit Goku over the head with it.

"He's right," Hakkai said. "This is childish. Please stop."

Gojyo chimed in. "You can do better."

Hakkai put his hands on Gojyo's shoulders and looked directly at him. "That's for me to decide, not you, especially when you make yourself into his rival." He turned around and started to walk away.

Gojyo reached over and grabbed Hakkai's hand. Goku darted around Hakkai and grabbed Gojyo's other hand, trying to pull him away. Before he knew it, Gojyo had turned into a living wishbone, Goku tugging him by one hand and Gojyo tugging at the other. Sanzo stood there scowling, his arms crossed.

"Stop it, both of you!" Hakkai shouted just before Goku yanked hard enough to throw Gojyo off balance and force him to let go of Hakkai's hand. Sanzo steadied Hakkai so he wouldn't lose his balance like Gojyo had.

Goku dropped the arm he'd been tugging on and clapped his hands over his ears. Everyone froze where they were. They had never heard Hakkai lose his temper and yell like that before, not even when he'd tutored Goku.

"I am not a prize to be fought over. I am a person–" Hakkai noticed Gojyo squinting at him and corrected himself, remembering their conversation about youkai – "excuse me, a being in my own right." He gave both Sanzo and Gojyo the evil eye. By this time, Sanzo had moved a step or two away and was trying to look unconcerned, as if he hadn't just rescued Hakkai from Gojyo's clutches.

Goku started laughing uncontrollably. That was possibly a mistake, as Hakkai could easily turn scary, but at least it got him to stop yelling. Goku smothered his laughter long enough to say, "You're the popular girl that Sanzo and Gojyo are fighting over." He'd seen men come to blows over a woman often enough when they spent the night drinking in a bar. Seeing Sanzo and Gojyo fighting over Hakkai only highlighted how ridiculous it was.

Hakkai turned back to the two rivals and said, "Goku is right. You are treating me like those men treat the women they fight over. I don't like being fought over. I can speak for myself."

He stalked away, his dragon companion landing gracefully on his sash. Unfortunately, Hakkai slipped on a pebble and stumbled. A startled Jeep dug in before flying away. Hakkai straightened his clothing and brushed himself off with all the dignity he could muster before righting himself.

Shortly after sundown, they reached the monastery that Hakkai had convinced Sanzo was a better place to stop than the vast wasteland through which they were traveling. Jeep transformed into a dragon as soon as they piled out and held onto Hakkai's sash tightly. He'd become clingier since Sanzo and Gojyo had started fighting over Hakkai. Hakkai stroked his long neck, hoping to provide the sense of security he seemed to need.

Sanzo pounded on the door. A young monk with a shaven head appeared. He didn't even look at them as he said, "I am sorry, but due to security concerns, the temple is closed to outsiders. I'm afraid—"

"I'm afraid you're mistaken," Sanzo broke in. "If you looked, you'd know who we are."

After glancing at them in abject fear, the monk bowed deeply and said, "My most humble apologies, Priest Sanzo! I didn't realize who I had the honor of addressing."

"Get up," Sanzo said disgustedly, poking at the monk's bald head with the toe of his boot.

The monk sat up and said, "And these must be your youkai helpers. Welcome."

"They're not exactly youkai," Sanzo said, but he gave up when the monk clapped his hands and told the underlings who materialized in response to usher them to the guest rooms.

"Excuse me," Hakkai said mildly. "I need a meditation room to use tonight."

"You are keeping vigil?" the monk asked.

Hakkai glanced at Sanzo, whose lips were pursed, before bowing his head and saying "Yes." After breakfast, he'd told the two rivals to back off and let him decide for himself what to do. He turned to Goku. "Goku, would you please take care of Jeep for me tonight?"

"Sure! I'd be glad to," Goku said, pleased at this vote of confidence. The little white dragon kyuu'd. Goku scratched him under the chin and asked, "Ya want me to catch ya a mouse or somethin'?"

Jeep shook his head, evidently meaning that he could catch his own mice. The monks shuddered at this reference to the dragon's carnivorous nature.

After eyeing Jeep suspiciously, the monk who'd answered the door led Hakkai to a small room off the main meditation room. He retrieved a futon and pillow and put them on the floor. "Will you be eating dinner with the others first, or are you beginning your fast now?"

"I'll eat first and then return here." Hakkai didn't look forward to dining with Sanzo and Gojyo, but he didn't think it was a good idea to forego dinner altogether.

They were served a simple meal of fish, vegetables, and rice, which they ate in the guest room set aside for them rather than in the dining hall with the monks. Hakkai was relieved that Sanzo had been given his own room. He'd been worried that Sanzo and Gojyo might come to blows if they had to share a room.

Gojyo and Goku were on their best behavior. Staying where they knew they wouldn't get any more than what they were served had a salutary effect on their bickering, although neither of them was all that happy with the Spartan meal. Sanzo ate sparingly and didn't talk. Hakkai didn't say much of anything either. Off in the corner, Jeep crunched the bones of a mouse he had caught.

"I'll see you all later," Hakkai said as he wiped his mouth with a napkin and got up from the table.

"Good luck with the fast, Hakkai! I don't think I'd be able to make it," Goku said, looking to see if any food was left. Gojyo grunted; Hakkai took that to mean "good night."

Sanzo stood up. "I'll walk with you," he said.

Hakkai shook his head. "The point of this is not to have any distractions."

"My room is on the way," Sanzo said, steering him out of the room as Gojyo glared.

A few doors away, Sanzo pinned Hakkai against the wall and leaned in for a kiss that left Hakkai breathless before he recovered and slid out of Sanzo's embrace. Once free, Hakkai said lightly, "You're not playing fair."

"I wanted you to remember what this is all about," Sanzo said before opening the door and disappearing into his room. His peculiar behavior made Hakkai wonder if he might be keeping a vigil of his own.

When he returned to his room, Hakkai discovered that someone had left dozens of lit candles there. The incense holder was empty, but the scent of sandalwood wafted through the room, reminding him of Keiun and the incense that permeated the atmosphere there, and of Sanzo, who used soap fragrant with sandalwood.

He sat in the half-lotus position Sanzo had taught him when he'd still been confined to the temple. He let his thumb and index finger touch. But instead of trying to clear his mind, he let his jumbled thoughts transform themselves into images of waking up in a stranger's bed after Gojyo had rescued him; of cooking and eating and drinking, late night talks, and card games; his annoyance with Gojyo's slovenliness; and Gojyo's generous spirit. Then came memories of a beautiful and angry young priest tracking him down and praying for Kanan's restless spirit; Sanzo advocating for his release and teaching him how to control his chi so he could heal instead of hurt; of advice that Sanzo would never apply to himself; of harsh words and bad decisions; and of the passion Sanzo displayed when they were by themselves.

For all of Gojyo's joking ways, Hakkai knew his offer was serious. Most likely he would be a more gifted and versatile lover than Sanzo; he was more experienced and generous, although Sanzo might have had more experience with men. But Sanzo possessed an intensity that Gojyo didn't have, and Gojyo wasn't likely to stop chasing women just to please Hakkai. Womanizing was part of his DNA. Unlike Gojyo, Sanzo wasn't likely to sleep around behind Hakkai's back. He didn't usually like people well enough to want that that kind of closeness. Hakkai was still astonished that Sanzo wanted it with him.

For one crazed moment, he contemplated having them both. If only they weren't at each other's throats now, with similar personalities to boot. Those who were too much alike often clashed like they did.

The thought of all three of them taking pleasure in each other made him dizzy with desire. His cock stirred as he visualized Sanzo taking him from behind while Gojyo brought him off with his hand. But it wasn't in the cards. Men that possessive would never agree to share.

Pushing away any thoughts of a threesome, he considered telling both of them no. It was the logical answer to his dilemma. The group's equilibrium would be restored – eventually, at least – and he wouldn't be pulled in two different directions.

But sometimes life trumped logic. He didn't want to be bullied into giving Sanzo up just because his best friend was angry and jealous instead of happy for him. He would miss whatever it was that brought them together, even if all it amounted to was sexual attraction.

Sanzo had risked something to have him. Gojyo hadn't. While Hakkai wasn't a piece of property to which Sanzo could lay claim, for some absurd reason, they fit together. If only he could convince Sanzo that whatever this was, it should be mutual, not one-sided.

Hakkai blew the candles out and composed himself for sleep.

Hakkai was careful not to tip his hand at breakfast the next morning. Sanzo scowled and tried not to look like he was waiting for Hakkai's decision. Gojyo acted like a puppy that was eager to please but afraid his master might send him away.

As he was leaving, Hakkai, speaking quietly so Sanzo couldn't overhear, took Gojyo aside and told him to meet him in the garden behind the temple in ten minutes. Goku was still wrapped up in caring for Jeep and wasn't paying much attention to anything else.

At the appointed time, Hakkai led Gojyo, disreputable black eye and all, to a bench at the rear of the garden. "Listen, and don't tune me out if you don't like what I have to say."

Gojyo made a face. "You've already made up your mind. You're choosing him." He sounded more defeated than angry. Hakkai wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad one.

"Don't put words in my mouth. You know, you and Sanzo are a lot alike."

"Yeah, we both want you."

"In personality, I mean." Gojyo looked at Hakkai blankly. "You're sarcastic and complain a lot, though about different things. And you both lost your only parent and were set adrift at a young age."

"Everyone treated me like half-breed filth! That bastard got a good education and knew he'd always have a roof over his head and food to eat before he had to leave the temple."

Hakkai looked at Gojyo pityingly. "Sanzo may have had a more privileged upbringing than you, but his life wasn't easy. I saw how temples are run, you know. Acolytes get up early, go to bed late, and work diligently in between. It's a very structured, disciplined way of life. I'm not sure you could tolerate it."

Gojyo frowned, and Hakkai continued. "All I'm saying is that both of you were left to fend for yourselves at too young an age. But even though you turned to thievery and who knows what else—"

Gojyo shook his head. "I don't want to talk about what I had to do to survive," he said, so softly that Hakkai could barely hear him. "I'm not saying I deserve you, just that I deserve you more than he does."

"It doesn't work that way. You wound up generous and loving, but with a rough exterior. Sanzo became bitter and cynical. You might not have known where your next meal would come from, but he thought he was being followed and hunted. He'd have stayed away from temples; they would be the first place pursuers would look. He must have worked or begged to support himself instead."

Gojyo scuffed the ground with his boot. "So he had a shitty time of it. Why are you telling me this?"

"You'll always have others to turn to. That might not be true for him."

"What the fuck do you see in him anyway?"

Hakkai made a strangled noise. "He's not exactly the lovable type, you know."

"That's not an answer."

Hakkai sighed. "I have feelings toward him, but I'm not sure exactly what those feelings are."

"Not sure, or don't want to think about it?"

Hakkai ignored him. "It would be so easy to get hurt – both of us, not just me; I can hurt him just as badly as he can hurt me." As a look of horror crossed Gojyo's face, he hastened to add, "Emotionally, not physically. If he feels positive toward anything, that becomes something else that can be taken away from him. For him to clash with you over me, however stupidly – that's something rare."

Gojyo lit a cigarette, looking around to make sure none of the monks could see him. "Goddamn it, Hakkai, stop trying to make me feel sorry for him." He dropped the lighter into his pocket.

"I like him, despite his difficult personality. And Goku does, and so do you, deep down. You are generous enough to want what's best for him."

"And you're what's best for him?"

Hakkai shrugged. "He seems to think so."

Gojyo shook his head. "You'll be the one doing all the work and molding yourself to fit him, not the other way around."

"You're not giving him enough credit. He listens to me; he has even before this. Just being in a relationship is a big change for him. And there's more in it for me than you seem to think there is."

Gojyo looked at him searchingly. Hakkai knew he didn't have many tells, not even with Gojyo. It was part of what made him so effective at poker. "So you're saying the sex is good?"

Hakkai smiled and said, "I have nothing to complain about, but that's not all there is to it."

"Aha! I knew there had to be more to it than that. Maybe he's not unresponsive, but it's Sanzo. How good can it be?"

The door from the temple to the garden creaked open. Sanzo emerged and eyed them distrustfully. ""Get your asses in gear. Goku's putting everyone's shit in Jeep."

Hakkai and Gojyo watched as Sanzo strode out the side gate leading to the front of the temple. Hakkai knew that Sanzo was not only checking up on them, as well as trying to figure out what he'd told Gojyo, but was also goading them to hurry along by telling them that Goku had been saddled with their share of the work. He didn't intend to let Sanzo's impatience prevent him from saying what he needed to say, though.

Hakkai turned to Gojyo and said, "It'd be better for you to return to Chang'an than to stick around and be disruptive. Making a fuss about us isn't going to deter Sanzo from his mission."

"You want me to leave?" Gojyo said, startled. He turned away slightly, clearly hurt.

"I want you to stay. But if you do, you have to accept the situation."

Gojyo stared into the distance. "I don't like it," he said finally, "but I guess I gotta lump it." He got up. "Let's get going before His Holiness has a shit fit. We sat around talking about our feelings long enough that my 'nads are beginning to shrink."

Hakkai laughed, relieved. Now all he had to do was work on Sanzo's possessiveness.

When they arrived in town just after sundown, the inn had only one room available. Hakkai, anxious to sort things out, was disappointed that this meant they'd have to wait until they reached the next town (or later) to have some privacy.

To his surprise, Gojyo casually mentioned over dinner that he'd seen a bar nearby and was heading there as soon as he finished. "It serves food, too. I saw an ad for spicy chicken wings in the window." Hakkai could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"Can I go, Sanzo? Can I?" Goku piped up.

"At least I won't have to listen to the two of you argue all night if you're both somewhere else," Sanzo said. He pulled out the gold card and tossed it to Gojyo. "Don't wipe us out," he warned him. "We're not delaying our departure just because you have a hangover. And don't get the monkey drunk."

"Aw, Sanzo, you're such a party pooper!" Goku said, pouting.

Hakkai smiled warmly at Gojyo when he and Goku left. Gojyo acknowledged it by slapping Hakkai's hand.

"I guess it's just the two of us," Sanzo said blandly once they were gone. "You want to sit here and have a drink, or return to the room?"

"Let's go back to the room," Hakkai said. "But I'd like to talk a bit first."

"I thought you'd be tired of talking by now."

"I am, but there are a few things we need to clear up first."

They walked down the hall and up the stairs in silence. Sanzo sent Hakkai sprawling on the nearest bed once the door was closed. After a kiss that threatened to suck Hakkai's tongue right out of his mouth, Hakkai made a supreme effort and pushed Sanzo away.

"You didn't like that?"

"I liked it very much, but we need to talk first."

"You're your own person, I don't own you, got it. Can we cut the bullshit and get on with it?"

Hakkai put a hand on Sanzo's chest to stop him from lessening the gap between them. "Let me go first sometimes. You don't always have to dictate what we're going to do."

"You act like you like what I do to you."

"I'm not saying I don't like it. Things shouldn't be so one-sided. That's as much my fau-" he paused and edited what he was saying midstream – "responsibility as yours. I let you take the initiative at first because I was less experienced and surprised about the whole thing. That ends now."

"That sounds like an ultimatum."

"You're not the only person involved in this, and if you don't recognize that, eventually this will stop working for me."

"Fine. Go ahead, take the first step." Sanzo leaned back and crossed his arms, scowling.

It wasn't all that surprising that Sanzo was insulted and going to be difficult about it. Hakkai sat up and said, "Maybe you'd like a challenge." He leaned over and retrieved the lube. "Take off your clothes."

Sanzo shot him a look. "Make me."

Hakkai sighed and reached for the knot of the sash keeping Sanzo's robe closed. Sanzo pushed him away.

It looked like Hakkai would have to use his guile and strength. He hoped he wouldn't hurt Sanzo in the process.

Hakkai concentrated his chi and reached for the knot again. The heat radiating from his hand kept Sanzo from pushing it away this time. He let his chi dissipate as he undid the knot, yanking his hands away at the last minute as Sanzo tried to land a disabling blow after he realized that Hakkai was not using his chi anymore.

Hakkai took up a defensive stance as the sash fell to the floor and Sanzo's robe swung open. Sanzo pulled the robe off his shoulders and let it fall to the floor before stepping forward.

Hakkai launched himself at Sanzo, nearly knocking the wind out of him. He grimaced at the sound of Sanzo's head hitting the floor and hoped that Sanzo was hard-headed enough not to incur any damage from it. While Sanzo lay there, momentarily stunned, Hakkai stood up, chest heaving, and offered him a hand.

Sanzo studied him, then shrugged and reached for Hakkai's hand. Just as Hakkai tried to use his leverage to spin Sanzo around, Sanzo flipped him onto his back. But he ventured too close, and in a move reminiscent of the one he'd employed against Gojyo during the Best in the World tournament, Hakkai used his legs to toss Sanzo into the air. Sanzo wound up face down on the bed with Hakkai's knee pressed against his lower back and an arm twisted behind him. Hakkai started to pull Sanzo's shirt off one arm at a time. Sanzo thrashed about like a freshly landed fish, but wasn't able to free himself.

When he reached around, Hakkai discovered that their struggle hadn't kept Sanzo from becoming aroused. He stroked Sanzo's denim-clothed groin, hoping to persuade Sanzo to drop his defiant act. He felt somewhat like a man trying to subdue a tiger by petting it.

The more he rubbed, though, the calmer Sanzo became. Hakkai eventually let go so he could roll Sanzo over and remove his jeans. Sanzo looked at him with glazed eyes. He didn't move when Hakkai finished stripping him, revealing the impressive erection that had been trapped underneath.

Hakkai smeared lube on his fingers and began sliding his hand slowly along the length of Sanzo's cock. Sanzo closed his eyes, his legs falling open. After some time, he blocked Hakkai's hand and shook his head. Even without words, Hakkai knew what he meant.

Hakkai started working a finger inside Sanzo while Sanzo rocked against it. When he added another finger, Sanzo moaned. Hakkai pressed his hand against his groin to relieve the throbbing.

"Hurry up," Sanzo ordered. Hakkai smiled and kept on fingering him. When he felt he'd opened Sanzo up as much as possible, he leaned over and spoke softly into Sanzo's ear. "What is it you want me to do?"

Sanzo glared at him. "You figure it out." But his squirming body and twitching cock spoke for him.

Hakkai wiped his hands and shed his clothes, wanting to share all of himself, not just the façade he showed to the world. While he removed his limiters and put them where they'd be easy to find later, he prayed to whatever deities might be listening that he wouldn't badly injure Sanzo or lose control of himself in the process. Sanzo had played with the limiters once while buried deep inside Hakkai, but had only removed one of them. Hakkai's insides expanded, his mind turned feral, and his teeth started to lengthen before he came hard, but Sanzo had put the limiter back on right away. They'd never talked about it and they'd never tried it, or anything else like it, afterward.

Hakkai said, "If you want me to stop, say so and help me put the limiters back on." For some reason, his tongue felt thicker and he found speech more difficult in youkai form. He didn't understand why; their counterparts from Houtou had no problem with it.

Sanzo looked at him, curiosity, desire, and a hint of apprehension on his face. Hakkai crawled on top of him and planted sloppy kisses on his neck and collarbone, leaving livid raised marks on Sanzo's skin. His claws raked Sanzo's back and his vines twined around Sanzo's body, holding him tightly as the leaves waved languidly.

Hakkai waved the lube in front of Sanzo's face. Sanzo took the hint and the bottle, slathering lube on Hakkai's cock, which was longer and thinner now. Hakkai's pointed tongue licked across Sanzo's perineum and around his anus. He then sat up, sinking into Sanzo with one powerful stroke.

Sanzo cried out when Hakkai began snapping his hips. Hakkai's lips curled in a predatory smile as he listened to Sanzo lose control. Finding Sanzo's prostate proved tricky, but after some trial and error, he settled into an angle and rhythm that kept Sanzo writhing and moaning. After taking them to the brink of orgasm more than once and pulling back, Sanzo ground out, "Hurry the fuck up and let me come."

"You belong to me as much as I belong to you," Hakkai said in a fierce tone of voice as he reached to stroke Sanzo's cock. He positioned his fangs over the spot where Sanzo's shoulder and neck met and bit down hard. He could feel Sanzo's cock jump just before he came, his semen coating both their bellies and Hakkai's hand.

He pulled back and saw Sanzo's face relax and go slack. Hakkai wished he could prolong the moment, maybe even bottle it for later. Sanzo could certainly use it.

Hakkai was close himself. His balls tightened, his abdominal muscles tensed, and his toes curled as he dug his claws into Sanzo's shoulders, vines waving frenetically and his cock finally pulsing with his release.

When he came back to earth after the euphoria of orgasm, he discovered that he'd left deep gouges in Sanzo's skin. He rolled off so Sanzo could retrieve his limiters; his claws prevented him from picking them up himself. Before getting up, though, Sanzo bit the same spot Hakkai had, holding Hakkai in place and sucking.

Hakkai wondered what that was about as Sanzo brought the limiters over. "I can take it from here," Hakkai said once the first limiter was on and his claws started to retract. He winced when he saw the scratches on Sanzo's back. Blood oozed where Hakkai had bitten him. He wondered how badly it hurt.

He stretched his arm out to heal the wounds, but Sanzo stopped him. "Just put some salve on." Hakkai stared at him. "You put those marks there for a reason."

Hakkai still felt regretful, but Sanzo's words made him feel better – at least until he realized that they meant that Sanzo didn't care if he inflicted pain on him. "All right. No special treatment," he agreed. He cleaned the wounds, pausing a few times when Sanzo's stoicism cracked and he winced, applying an antibiotic ointment afterward. He taped gauze over the bite mark; Sanzo's clothing might rub against and aggravate it, and the bandage wouldn't show under the high-collared shirt Sanzo wore.

He went into the bathroom to take care of his own wound and was surprised to see Sanzo following him. Sanzo soaped a wet washcloth and ran it over the open sore.

"You don't have to do that."

"You said you didn't want this to be one-sided," Sanzo said gruffly, wringing out the washcloth and applying ointment. He handed a square of gauze to Hakkai so Hakkai could hold it in place while he taped it on.

"Thank you," Hakkai said quietly and kissed Sanzo on the cheek. He hoped Sanzo realized that he was thanking him for more than the bandages.

Hakkai had just started putting the supplies away when they heard someone unlocking the door to the main room. Hakkai shut the bathroom door so they wouldn't be seen in their unclothed state at the same time as Sanzo moved further away from it.

"Hey," Goku called out. "Where are you guys?" Then they heard a startled "Oh!"; presumably, he had just discovered the clothes they'd left on the floor.

"We're in the bathroom," Hakkai said, raising his voice so Goku could hear him. Sanzo rolled his eyes.

"You're not dressed, are ya? Stay there until I tell ya to come out. I'll get into bed and pull the covers over my face."

"Okay," Hakkai replied. Sanzo grunted. Hakkai heard rustling – he assumed it was Goku changing his clothes – and the squeak of springs before Goku called out, "Ya can come out now."

As they emerged, Hakkai asked him, "Where's Gojyo?" Sanzo picked up his jeans and put them on before getting into bed.

"He went home with a girl he met at the bar," Goku muttered from underneath the covers. "That's why I came back."

Hakkai found his pajamas and put them on. He was about to get into the bed he'd claimed earlier when Sanzo lifted his covers. Hakkai's eyebrows rose almost all the way to his hairline, but he slid into bed next to Sanzo anyway. Sanzo rolled to the side, his back to Hakkai and his face to the wall, making more room in the narrow space.

Shoulders hunched, Sanzo told the wall in front of him, "If Gojyo's not back on time tomorrow, we're leaving without him."

"Of course, Sanzo," Hakkai said, amused at this face-saving statement. In an uncertain world in which the two of them had an ill-defined relationship that included screwing each other senseless, they could still count on Sanzo insisting that they leave on time the following morning. That in itself inspired confidence in the underlying orderliness of the universe that might not otherwise seem justified.