Dammit.

Sanzo leaned against a tree trunk, trying to catch his breath while Seiten Taisei crashed through the woods behind him. The little shit was toying with him - Sanzo knew he had no real hope of outrunning Seiten Taisei.

Where the fuck was his gun? Minutes earlier, a flick of the Sage's booted foot against Sanzo's wrist had sent the weapon flying.

He had faced Seiten Taisei without his gun before, but there was too much of a chance that there might still be surviving youkai nearby. He looked around, and then he saw the silver glint of his Smith & Wesson; the gun dangled in a clump of brush that was clinging to the edge of a hillside path just off to his left. Sanzo headed down the narrow path and retrieved his weapon, pausing for a few moments to check it and reload.

Why the fuck did that stupid youkai take off Goku's diadem? Did he think that letting Goku revert to his demon form would make the brat want to join the Kougaiji Fan Club? Not even halfway through the leader's "come join us" speech, Seiten Taisei had ripped out the creature's throat and then started plowing his way through the remaining dozen or three youkai that remained.

Yeah, NOT a bright idea.

The chaos that followed might have been funny, if Seiten Taisei had not then proceeded to disappear into the dense woods nearby. When Sanzo followed after him the Sage had decided to play cat-and-mouse, darting in close for quick skirmishes, then letting Sanzo get away.

Sanzo did not think it was funny now. The older and stronger Goku got, the more difficult it was to get the Sage under control when the limiter broke. They had learned the hard way that just taking it off didn't make any difference.

A movement to his left caught Sanzo's attention, and moments later Seiten Taisei let out a howl and charged at him. Sanzo moved in an attempt to side-step the beast, and the rocky edge of the path beneath his feet gave way beneath him.

Suddenly he was tumbling down the hill, and the gun clattered to the ground. He hit the ground at the bottom, and then Sanzo felt a sharp pain at his temple and his world went black.

~.~.~

As Sanzo gradually floated up through the fog of unconsciousness, the first thing he was aware of was stroking, wet warmth along his right temple. Moments later it was his cheek that became moist. There was a semblance of rhythm to the wet strokes, and they were accompanied by the sound and feel of snuffling breath that puffed damply against his face. Something was tickling his nose as well. Sanzo cracked one eye open the tiniest bit and peered through long eyelashes. All he could see was spiky chestnut hair and a long, pointed ear.

The little shit was licking him.

Sanzo shut his eye. He wanted Seiten Taisei to think he was still out of it while he surveyed the extent of his injuries and figured out his next move. Sanzo determined he was flat on his back on the ground, and his hands were crossed on top of his chest, tangled in his robe sleeves. Seiten Taisei had those sleeves twisted tightly in one of his hands, effectively preventing Sanzo from moving his arms. The bastard was taking no chances – he obviously remembered that Sanzo needed a free hand to re-summon a limiter.

He didn't seem to have more than bumps and bruises. There was a slight burning sensation at his temple and cheek, and the fact that Seiten Taisei was licking those spots told him he must have some abrasions there that the monkey was attempting to clean.

With his fucking tongue.

The licking stopped. Sanzo kept his eyes shut and remained still, waiting to see what the Sage would do next. He soon felt a long, wet swipe along his neck, ending just under his ear. A hum of pleasure rumbled against his neck, and there was a second slow lick, followed by a third.

Fuck. He was not being cleaned any more. He was being tasted.

And oh, sweet Buddha, it felt good.

It was taking Sanzo's every effort to not move, an effort that was destroyed when Seiten Taisei's mouth closed around his earlobe and sucked on it. A wave of pleasure coursed through Sanzo's body straight down to his dick, and his eyes flew open as a groan escaped his lips. Seiten Taisei's head jerked back and a slitted gold gaze met Sanzo's.

"Let me go, brat," Sanzo rasped, and he tried to squirm away.

The beast quickly scrambled on top of his legs to pin him down, and he gave Sanzo a toothy, fanged smile. Then Seiten Taisei tilted up his chin and sniffed the air. He stilled and cocked his head, curious. He sniffed again, and as his pupils dilated his gaze moved to focus on Sanzo's groin.

Oh, fuck.

Seiten Taisei tightened his grip on Sanzo's sleeves, and then he parted the silk robes with his free hand and lowered his head to hover directly over the fly of Sanzo's jeans. He pressed his nose against Sanzo's groin and sniffed deeply, and a rumbling "mmmmm" rose from his throat.

Sanzo groaned again. This was not good. Between the friction of Seiten Taisei's nose pressing against his groin and the vibration from the noises he was making, Sanzo was now achingly hard. "Knock it off, monkey," he warned the Sage, and he was chagrined to hear how husky his voice was.

The Sage gave an experimental lick at the denim, and then he made a face and grunted his disapproval. Taloned fingers began to fumble with the button on Sanzo's jeans, and after the third unsuccessful attempt at undoing the button Seiten Taisei growled in frustration and ripped through the waistband. Sanzo held his breath and watched with fascinated trepidation while a claw hooked into the latch of the zipper and slowly pulled it down, freeing Sanzo's erection. Sanzo tensed when Seiten Taisei sniffed him again, and he shivered at the sensation of the beast's warm breath puffing against his sensitive flesh.

A hot, wet tongue ran along the length of his dick.

A moan burst from Sanzo's throat and he threw his head back, cursing as his skull hit the hard ground beneath him. "Fuck, Goku!"

This was not good at all. Yes, from time to time he might have entertained a few fantasies about Goku sucking him off. Maybe more than a few.

However, none of those fantasies included Goku's fanged-and-clawed alter ego.

Sanzo's breaths came out in jerky pants as he watched Seiten Taisei lap at the tip of his cock, catching the drops of pre-come that were already leaking out. He moaned when the wet heat of the beast's mouth engulfed him, and he hissed as fangs lightly grazed the tender flesh.

Seiten Taisei hummed again, and when he began to suck at the hard length Sanzo was lost. His back arched as the most intense orgasm of his life pounded through his body, and through a haze of pleasure he heard Seiten Taisei grunt in satisfaction while the beast hungrily swallowed his release.

Moments later Seiten Taisei meticulously cleaned him with that same wicked tongue and then resumed his spot on top of Sanzo's legs, looking terribly pleased with himself. But the smug look soon turned to one of discomfort as the monkey began to squirm, and with his free hand he grabbed at the front of his pants.

"Tch. Got yourself all hot and bothered, did you? Moron." Sanzo was too busy trying to catch his breath to bother berating him further.

Seiten Taisei attempted undo his pants, but was stymied by the same claws that had given him trouble minutes earlier. He growled in frustration and squeezed his erection through the fabric of his cargo pants while he squirmed some more.

"Oh, for fuck's sake—let me do it, idiot," Sanzo muttered, and he wriggled his trapped hand.

The Sage stopped moving and eyed him warily.

"You want to get off? Let go of my fucking hand." There was a part of Sanzo's mind that wondered at the sanity of his offer, but it was overruled by the much larger part that wanted to make sure that the monkey didn't get any bright ideas about what to do with that hard-on once he got it out of his pants.

Seiten Taisei loosened his grip on one of Sanzo's sleeves, and he gave a low warning growl while he watched Sanzo steadily.

"Yeah, yeah, I know—'Don't fucking try to make a limiter', right? Dumbass." The Sage followed every movement of his hand as Sanzo made quick work of undoing the stubborn button and zipper, and the beast let out a strangled noise when Sanzo grasped his ample erection and began to stroke it.

It didn't take long; a dozen or so pumps and a few flicks of his thumb had Seiten Taisei howling as his release spurted over Sanzo's fingers, and the beast's eyes slid shut as he rocked against Sanzo's hand.

Sanzo took immediate advantage, and he quickly released him and slapped his come-covered hand against the Sage's forehead. As he chanted, Seiten Taisei's forehead glowed brightly and a new limiter started to materialize. Seiten Taisei uttered a soft growl, more in disappointment than anger, and his eyes opened to fix a heated, possessive gaze on Sanzo while the transformation took place.

The limiter finished forming, and Goku collapsed on top of him. Sanzo struggled to sit up while he cradled the young man's unconscious form.

What a cluster-fuck, Sanzo thought, and he looked down at a very disheveled Goku. The monkey definitely needed to be cleaned up, Sanzo decided, and right away. It was one thing to make light of any injuries inflicted by Goku's demon side, but this ... if Goku woke up with semen on him he would assume the worst.

Sanzo couldn't let that happen.

He looked around and was relieved to find a small stream nearby. Lowering Goku to the ground, he tore off a piece of Goku's already ragged shirt and walked over to the stream. He washed himself up first, and then he dampened the fabric and returned to take care of Goku. Sanzo cleaned him carefully, and then he zipped and buttoned his pants. Fortunately his own jeans were only torn at the waistband, and that could be hidden under his robes.

Goku's cheeks were flushed, and his lips were reddened and swollen. Sanzo brushed a fingertip across a plump lower lip. They were so different, the two personalities that shared Goku's compact, powerful body. Sanzo had to admit there was a certain thrill to having been so intimate with an undeniably dangerous creature, but as he brushed back Goku's sweaty bangs he realized that he wished it had been the silly monkey. His silly monkey, who would have been incredibly noisy, who would have babbled his pleasure for the world to hear.

Who would have wanted to kiss him, and be kissed.

Sanzo lowered his head and covered Goku's unresponsive mouth with his, tasting his own come on Goku's lips. Too quiet, he thought. When he heard Hakkai calling his name he got to his feet and grunted as he picked Goku up.

"Over here," he called. "I found the brat."

Minutes later they had Goku safely stowed in the Jeep's back seat, and they sped off toward the next town. Sanzo stared at the passing scenery, and brushed his fingers over the abrasion on his cheek while he tried not to think about the velvet rasp of Seiten Taisei's tongue against his skin.

~.~.~

Goku woke abruptly in the back seat of the Jeep. He blinked a few times and looked around, trying to get his bearings. They were moving, traveling on a fairly even road (judging by the lack of bone-jarring bumps), and as far as Goku could tell it was late afternoon.

His head hurt. It was the kind of hurt that told him his other half had been out to play, and Goku sat up straight in the seat, his gaze darting about as he checked on his companions.

Everyone was ... fine. Well, as fine as they could be after dealing with a pretty large pack of youkai; Goku noticed bumps and bruises on his friends, but—most importantly—no one looked like they had mauled by Seiten Taisei. He sighed in relief.

"Well, look who's decided to join us," drawled a lazy voice to his right. "Mornin', glory."

"S'not mornin'," Goku said as he rubbed his eyes. "Sun's in the wrong spot—s'afternoon, late afternoon."

"Gojyo is unsuccessfully trying to be clever, Goku." Hakkai gave him a quick, appraising glance and then he returned his attention to the road. "You're correct, it's a little after five. How are you?"

"M'okay, just have a headache." Goku stretched, trying to work out a kink in his neck. "Ummm, did one of those morons take my limiter off? The last thing I remember was one of 'em grabbin' at my head."

There was a bark of derisive laughter from the seat in front of him. "It was one of the stupidest things I've seen them do yet," Sanzo said. "They thought you would join them if you were in your demon form."

Goku snorted. "Man, that was dumb."

"Yes," Hakkai agreed. "If they had survived I daresay they would have received a reprimand from Kougaiji."

Gojyo laughed. "But they didn't survive, did they?" He turned to Goku. "You took out the leader and a whole chunk of 'em before you ran off to play Nature Boy in the woods. 'Kai and I took care of the rest while your owner went to fetch you." He jerked a thumb at Sanzo. "Sanzo-sama didn't want his pet to run away."

"Fuck you, cockroach."

Goku leaned forward and gripped the back of Sanzo's seat. "I didn't hurt you or nothin', did I, Sanzo? You're okay?" He noticed some scrapes and bruises on the one side of Sanzo's face, and he frowned. "Did I do that?" Goku asked, and reached out to touch him.

Sanzo shifted away from him. "I'm fine. This wasn't you—I fell when a section of the path I was on gave way."

"Oh. Okay." Goku plopped back in his seat. "That's pretty awesome that I only went after the bad guys. I always worry about hurtin' one of you." Especially Sanzo, he thought, but he kept that bit to himself.

"Pfft," Sanzo said.

Gojyo reached over and dug his knuckles into Goku's scalp. "Maybe it's finally gotten through to Fang-boy that we're not dinner."

"Knock it off, kappa," Goku said, but he was smiling as he pushed Gojyo away. For awhile he watched boulders and trees pass by in a blur as Hakkai continued to drive along the dusty road, and then he spent some time admiring the way the afternoon sun glinted off of Sanzo's hair. His gaze traveled to a pale, bruised cheek again, and Goku was suddenly seized by the urge to lick the abraded skin, and then glide his tongue along Sanzo's partially exposed throat.

He blinked. What the hell? Goku swallowed the saliva that had pooled in his mouth, and when he shifted in his seat he realized he was hard.

He didn't trust himself to look at Sanzo after that.

They made it to the next town on Hakkai's map a few hours later, and Goku was surprised when Sanzo told Hakkai to book them individual rooms. I'm not gonna complain, Goku thought, and he luxuriated in a hot shower before they went down for dinner, happy to wash away the blood and grime of the morning.

That night he dreamed of running though a forest, and finding Sanzo standing alone in a clearing. When he ran over to the monk Sanzo kissed him, and Sanzo reached down to wrap long, slender fingers around his dick. Goku woke to find himself hard again, and he slid his hand beneath the waistband of his boxers and squeezed his aching erection.

"Sanzo," he gasped moments later as he came.

~.~.~

Clad just in his jeans, Sanzo sat on the ledge of the open window in their room and smoked a cigarette while Goku lay sprawled on his bed, snoring. It was an unseasonably warm night, and the monkey had shed his usual teeshirt in hopes of staying cool. While he smoked, Sanzo's gaze kept being drawn to a slim, muscled torso and then further down to travel over a toned, flat belly.

He cursed quietly and turned back to look out the open window. It was three weeks since their encounter in the woods, and he was finding it difficult to keep his eyes off the monkey.

Fuck those stupid youkai, he thought, and he took a deep drag off his cigarette. For the last couple of years he'd managed to keep his desire for Goku shoved into a box stored deep in a remote corner of his consciousness, where it only slipped out for an occasional masturbatory indulgence; Seiten Taisei's hungry mouth on his cock had ripped the lid off and allowed everything to rise to the surface.

He'd only compounded the stupidity by jerking the Sage off afterward. His reasoning had been sound at the time, but Sanzo knew he had failed to understand the enormity of his actions. Because now he couldn't forget the velvety feel of Goku's thick cock in his hand, or the wet stickiness of Goku's come spurting over his fingers. And now when he saw the monkey lick the sauce off a skewer of yakitori—or dango, or even a stick of Pocky—Sanzo would flash back to that same hungry mouth licking and sucking his dick, and he would get hard.

"—nzo," Goku murmured.

At the sound of his name Sanzo glanced over at the other bed. Goku was still asleep, but his hand had drifted down to rest over the front of his boxers. Sanzo watched the hand sweep up, then down, over an erection that was beginning to tent the worn cotton.

"Sanzo," Goku repeated sleepily, and his hand glided up, then down again.

Sanzo was so captivated by the erotic display that he completely forgot the cigarette that smoldered in his hand. "Fuck!" He dropped it when it burnt his fingers, and cursed again as he swatted the butt off his lap.

Goku stirred, and then he rolled over onto his side and began snoring again.

With shaky hands Sanzo lit another cigarette, and for a long while he stared at Goku's sleeping form. Did the monkey subconsciously remember what had happened between them? Did he dream of Sanzo's hand stroking his dick?

Did he remember having Sanzo's cock in his mouth, and hungrily sucking him off?

Sanzo groaned as his own rapidly hardening erection began to strain against tight denim. The obvious solution was to head to the bathroom to jerk off, but Sanzo found he couldn't take his eyes off of Goku's half-open mouth.

What if …

A dangerous, lunatic thought surfaced through the haze of his arousal.

What if I took the limiter off?

Just for a little while, he reasoned, and he stubbed out the cigarette and walked over to Goku's bed. Just long enough to pleasure each other. He knew the Sage would want to, and it looked like Goku would too.

The whole idea was wrong, on so many levels, but all Sanzo could think about was how good that mouth had felt on his dick and how much he wanted to feel it again.

The mattress dipped as Sanzo sat down on the edge of the bed, near the headboard. His heart was pounding, and he was achingly hard. Sanzo reached over and traced his fingers over the carved design in the golden limiter, and he felt its power humming beneath his fingertips. He took a deep breath and then he slowly eased the diadem off of Goku's head

~.~.~

For the first time, he does not wake in the middle of a battle or confrontation. He is inside, lying down, and there is softness beneath him. Smooth fabric rustles against his skin.

It is night, and the moon is bright in the sky. There is another brightness too, dim yellow light that softly glows inside the room.

Someone else is there, sitting next to where he lay. It is the golden-haired man with the mark of the gods upon him, the achingly familiar one who always sends him back into the stifling darkness.

The one whose flesh tasted so good, whose touch had felt so wonderful the last time he had escaped his heavenly binds.

The beautiful man watches him carefully, with dark, drooping eyes that show only the barest rims of violet.

He sniffs, and the musky tang of arousal fills his sensitive nose.

A zipper slides down.

The scent becomes stronger, and his mouth waters. He grins; his companion wants to be tasted again.

He tugs at the man's garment, and the man pushes it down and kicks it off, leaving nothing but pale skin, lean muscles and hardness standing stiff and erect amidst coarse golden curls.

Oh, the taste is just as good as before! This time the hands he had restrained are tangled in his hair, and hips buck upwards, driving the hard length deeper into his mouth. He lies between spread legs, slowly licking and sucking until he is rewarded with a hot flood of bitter-salt spend in his mouth, which he swallows hungrily.

He sits up and admires his handiwork. The man before him is breathing heavily, eyes shut, his golden hair disheveled and pale skin glistening with sweat. The sight makes his own sex achingly hard, and for a few moments entertains the idea of putting it in the man's mouth to be tasted.

No, he decides; and he easily sheds the thin cotton garment he wears. He would rather couple with this beautiful creature, and take him as his mate.

His attempts to enter the body beneath him are met with resistance, both from the man's hands and the tightness of his body. He growls a frustrated warning—he wants his golden mate and he will have him. The hands soon stop pushing at him, and he watches warily as the man gropes at a nearby pile of items. There is a click, and suddenly his length is coated with something creamy and smelling of almonds. All resistance is gone now, and he pushes deep inside.

Tight heat engulfs him. It is the most exquisite sensation he has ever known, and his eyelids slide shut while a deep groan escapes his throat. His thrusts are hard and fast as he gives himself over to the drive to rut, to possess, to take; but then he discovers that there is more pleasure in moving slower, in drawing out the glorious friction he feels.

As his movements slow, he senses a response. A husky moan makes him open his eyes, and he sees flushed cheeks and a dark, lustful gaze. His gaze travels down to where their bodies are joined, and he sees that the flesh he tasted earlier is reawakening.

He continues his slow, deep thrusts, and he groans when the man arches against him and climaxes. Sudden tightness sends heat surging through him, and for a few moments his hips buck in a frenzied rhythm before he empties himself into the trembling body beneath his.

He eases out, and then he starts to clean his mate with long, lazy swipes of his tongue. He takes his time, making sure to capture every drop of milky-white spend that clings to a pale belly and chest.

By the time he is done he is hard and ready to couple again.

This time his mate is ready too; the hand that coats his length with the sweet-smelling cream lingers to pull and stroke, and legs spread in invitation.

He slides back into delicious tightness, groaning when legs wrap around him to pull him fully inside. He drives into his mate's body, and grunts and growls escape his lips when hips cant up to meet each thrust. Moans fill his ears, and as they continue to rock together it pleases him that they are both taking pleasure from their coupling. He seeks out a pale neck and jaw to lick and nip, and he enjoys the response his attentions elicit.

The noises his mate is making, along with the smell of his sweat and musk, are unbearably exciting and he sinks his fangs into the tender juncture of shoulder and neck. There are more wonderful noises, and then he feels warm, wet release spread between their bodies. He howls and gives one last thrust as his climax overtakes him once more.

He rests his head on a heaving chest, and listens while their hearts beat in a cacophonous tattoo. Long, thin fingers card through his hair, and as they smooth back sweaty locks he becomes sated and sleepy, content to lay joined together in a tangle of limbs. He breathes in the intoxicating scent of their mating.

He barely notices when the fingers settle over his brow, and when he hears a murmured chant he grunts a halfhearted complaint and lets the darkness take him.

~.~.~

That was an awesome breakfast, Goku thought, and he rubbed his stomach contentedly as he entered his and Sanzo's room. I was super hungry, too. Sanzo's bag was already packed and by the door, so Goku only needed to get his things together before carrying everything downstairs to stow in the Jeep.

He grabbed his teeshirt off the floor and stuffed it into his duffel bag, and then he went into the bathroom to retrieve his still-damp boxers. Goku figured it was better to have them clean and damp than messy, but he still frowned at the offending underwear as he stuffed it into a corner of his bag.

Another wet dream. Worse, he'd been sharing the room with the object of that dream.

This morning's episode been the most vivid one yet. Goku flushed as bits of the dream flashed through his mind; images of Sanzo writhing naked beneath him, golden-blond hair damp with sweat and violet eyes glazed with desire while he rocked his hips in rhythm with Goku's driving thrusts.

Goku shook his head in an attempt to drive away the tempting thoughts. It was so weird how this dream and some of his more recent erotic fantasies had been of him doing stuff to Sanzo; Goku's fantasy of choice had usually featured sucking Sanzo off, then Sanzo fucking him afterward, not the other way around.

He had to admit, though, that in the dream it had felt pretty damn awesome to suck on Sanzo's cock and taste his come while Sanzo moaned with pleasure and threaded his fingers through Goku's long, wild hair. It had felt even better to fuck him.

Stop it. Goku resolutely pushed the thoughts away. "No point in gettin' all hot n' bothered again," he muttered to himself. "You only got one more pair of clean underwear." He zipped up the duffel and set it on the floor next to Sanzo's.

All that was left now was to give the room a quick once-over for any stray items. Goku had learned to do it the hard way, ever since the time he had left a whole bag of candy in their room and Sanzo had refused to return to the inn to retrieve it. He checked in his usual spots; under the pillow, on the nightstand, in the nightstand drawers. Remembering the time he lost a comic book, Goku dropped to his knees next to his bed and peeked underneath.

"—It was a priest who was staying in that room last night?"

A woman's voice in the hallway startled Goku, making him bang his head on the edge of the bed. He blinked and glanced at the partially-open door while he rubbed at his head. Was she talking about Sanzo?

"A Sanzo priest, no less," a man answered. "I saw him leave the room this morning, and he was followed by a younger man who kept talking about how hungry he was."

Yeah, they're talking about Sanzo. And me! But what about us? Goku sat up to listen.

"He had a young man in there with him? Sounded more like a beast to me, from the noises I heard," the woman said. "They're leaving, aren't they, Huan? I can't take another night like last night; between the bed banging against the wall and the growling and the way that man was moaning … I still can't believe he was a priest, carrying on like that."

"They're leaving this morning, my dear—I saw the priest join some other men outside, and they were loading their things into a strange green wagon. So don't worry, we won't have to move to another room."

"Oh, thank Buddha for that! What perverts!"

Goku heard the click of a door closing in the next room, and then there was silence in the hallway.

He stared at the door as he tried to make sense of what he'd just heard. The woman thought he and Sanzo had been having super-noisy sex the night before? "But we didn't," Goku murmured as he rose from the floor. "We've never." Even thought I wish we have.

But …

"… between the bed banging against the wall …"

Goku's heart started to thump painfully as he walked over to his bed. The worn, wooden headboard leaned against the wall; a wall that was shared with the room those people had just entered. He reached out and moved the headboard away from the wall.

There were numerous dents in the plaster, and the chipped paint and scuff marks on the wood indicated that the damage was recent. Very recent.

"… and the growling …"

Goku swallowed with some difficulty as he touched his diadem with trembling fingers. It can't be, he thought frantically. He looked at his hands, and realized that in his dream they had been tipped with sharp claws.

"No," he whispered.

"… and the way that man was moaning …"

The images flashed again, and Sanzo's dream-moans echoed through his mind.

Goku shook his head firmly. "No. That was all dreams, it didn't really happen," he told himself. "A-anybody coulda messed up that wall. It was prob'ly the people on the other side who were makin' all the noise."

The woman's words stayed with him, though, as he carried the bags outside and loaded them on the Jeep. Sanzo was over at the side of the inn, leaning against a tree while he smoked a cigarette in the shade. Goku watched him stub out his cigarette and walk over to join them, and he frowned when he noticed how stiffly Sanzo walked.

"What, did you have a bad night, Sanzo-sama?" Gojyo asked while he strapped the newly-filled water tank to the Jeep. "I heard you and the monkey had some noisy neighbors. Did they keep you … up … all night?"

"Fuck off, pervert," Sanzo said. "I slept on a crap mattress, that's all."

Goku saw him wince as he climbed into his seat.

"I'm sure you covered your virgin ears so you wouldn't hear your neighbors banging the shit out of each other," Gojyo said.

Sanzo twisted around in his seat to aim his gun at Gojyo, and when he did so Goku noticed a purplish bruise on Sanzo's neck, just at the neckline of his silk top.

"Now Sanzo, it's too early in the day to kill Gojyo," Hakkai said as he climbed into his seat.

Sanzo huffed and turned back around, and he tugged at the close-fitting silk. "Let's get moving, Hakkai—it's fucking hot already."

Goku blinked as more of the bruise was revealed.

It looked like a bite mark.

—a hungry mouth licking and sucking at an exposed neck, fangs grazing tender flesh—

"Goku, are you going to join us?" Hakkai's voice cut through Goku's reverie.

"Uh … sorry, Hakkai," he said.

Sanzo turned and glanced at him sharply, and Goku tore his gaze away from Sanzo's neck and climbed into the back of the Jeep. As he did so, his head swung near Sanzo's seat and Goku's nose caught a faint, oddly familiar muskiness that clung to the monk, mingling with Sanzo's own scent under the cover of sandalwood soap.

I know that smell, Goku thought. He frowned as he sat back in the seat, and then his eyes widened when he realized when he encountered that scent before. It was that morning, when he had been washing out his boxers. He was smelling traces of his own come.

On Sanzo.

~.~.~

He knows.

Somehow, Goku knew that something had happened between them.

For three long days, they had been on the road with no town in sight. Three days of Goku's puzzled, increasingly agitated gaze boring into Sanzo's back, adding to the weight of his own guilt. Three nights of avoiding being alone with Goku, because Sanzo couldn't even begin to know what he would say.

Oh, I just took off your limiter so that you'd suck me off like you did in the woods. And then things got out of hand and you fucked me into the mattress for half the night.

It was probably the monkey's goddamn nose, Sanzo thought. He had showered after he'd gotten Goku cleaned up and settled into bed, but traces of Goku's scent must have lingered on his body.

Before he could stop himself, his mind began replaying images and sensations—the lustful, possessive look in Seiten Taisei's slitted eyes as he relentlessly drove into Sanzo's body; the feel of sharp claws digging into his hips and fangs sinking into his shoulder, and the sound of his moans mingling with the almost purr-like rumbles of the beast's pleasure.

Sanzo pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to shove the thoughts far, far away. The last thing he needed was to get hard while he was sitting right in front of Goku.

And Goku … Sanzo knew that he was going to have to talk to him soon. The monkey's distress was palpable—to him, anyway—and the longer Sanzo put it off, the more difficult and awkward that talk was going to be.

"Please tell me we'll be reaching a town by nightfall, Hakkai," Sanzo said.

Hakkai glanced at him. "We will; I'm hoping we can arrive in time to have a decent dinner."

"Yeah, maybe a good dinner will make the monkey stop moping," Gojyo said.

"M'not mopin'," Goku protested.

"Well you're sure as shit acting weird. Sanzo-sama, you haven't been taking care of your pet."

"Shut the fuck up, cockroach."

"Yeah, asshole," Goku chimed in. "Maybe m'just sick of sittin' next to you, and havin' to breathe your stinky cologne. Who're you wearin' it for, pervert? The bears in the woods?"

The jibe provoked a violent tussle in the back seat, one that Sanzo had to break up with shouted threats and the appearance of his gun. He had to hand it to Gojyo, though; the kappa had managed to break the tension that had been coiling in Goku for the past three days.

Thankfully, Hakkai's estimate was dead-on and they arrived at a clean shabby little inn just before sunset. After procuring four rooms—and Sanzo ignored Hakkai's raised eyebrow—they all enjoyed a large dinner. Goku was almost his normal self, ordering everything on the menu and bickering with Gojyo. Sanzo made a peace-offering of letting him order extra desserts.

Sanzo finished his meal quickly and excused himself, and as he headed for the stairs he felt the monkey's gaze follow him. Maybe later, after a shower and a chance to relax and read the latest newspaper, he would go talk to Goku, Sanzo decided.

Once back in his room he showered until the hot water ran out, letting the hot water soothe road-weary muscles. After drying off and vigorously towel-drying his hair, Sanzo wrapped another towel around his hips and left the steamed-up bathroom.

Goku was sitting on his bed.

"What are you doing here?" Sanzo frowned at him. "You've got your own room."

"Did I hurt you?" Goku asked.

It was not the response he'd expected. "Excuse me?"

"That night at the inn," Goku said. "Sanzo, did I hurt you? Did I —"

"No," Sanzo cut him off. The monkey had obviously jumped to an extreme conclusion, and Sanzo realized that to avoid the issue any further would be cruel. His gut clenched at Goku's pinched face, his slumped shoulders—how long had he been thinking the worst?

Probably from the morning they left the inn, Sanzo thought.

He sat down next to Goku. "You didn't hurt me," he said. "It's not what you think."

Goku's brows were still drawn together. "But I dunno what to think! I know somethin' happened—that mornin' I smelled myself on you. Please, Sanzo, tell me what happened."

Sanzo took a deep breath and told him. Told him everything, right back to the attack by the band of youkai almost a month earlier.

Goku was silent for a long while after Sanzo finished, and his eyes were downcast while he plucked at a tear in his sleep shorts.

Sanzo let him be.

"I guess I can see why you didn't say anythin' about that first time," Goku finally said. "It's a little embarrassin'."

"Yes," Sanzo said, and he waited for the rest.

"An' then … you took my limiter off the other night so that I'd do it to you again." Goku's fingers continued to worry the fabric.

Sanzo swallowed with some difficulty. "Yes," he said quietly. "I … hadn't expected the rest."

"But you liked it?" The tear in Goku's shorts was now twice as long.

"I did." Sanzo's cheeks were flaming now.

Goku looked over at him, his honey-brown eyes wide with hurt. "Why didn't you just ask me to? I would have—I've been wantin' to do that kind of stuff with you. Or was it because you wanted him?"

"I-" Sanzo squeezed his eyes shut. "I … didn't know how to ask," he admitted. He stared down at his hands as he continued, "You're not separate people, Goku. To me, there is no him. There's only you—a wilder side of you, but you."

The mattress dipped as Goku shifted.

"You wanted to ask me?" Goku's breath was damp against his ear. "You wanted me?"

Sanzo turned to face him. Goku was very close, and there was a light in his eyes that loosened the tightness in Sanzo's chest. Sanzo reached over and brushed his thumb across Goku's mouth. "Yes, and yes," he said.

He suddenly had a lapful of monkey, and a hungry mouth sought his. Their kiss was ferocious, all teeth and tongues, and their hands wandered over each other's bodies, pulling each other closer while they explored every inch of bare skin. At some point his towel ended up on the floor, and Sanzo didn't know exactly when the monkey managed to shed his clothes, but when Goku pushed him back against the mattress and crawled on top of him they were both gloriously naked and hard.

"Sanzo," Goku whispered against his throat. He licked the fading bite mark on Sanzo's shoulder, and then kissed it.

Sanzo closed his eyes while Goku sought out every mark left by Seiten Taisei. He was being claimed, he realized; with each kiss Goku was declaring that Sanzo was his.

Goku's hot, wet mouth was everywhere, covering him with kisses, and Sanzo stopped him just long enough to grab a bottle of lotion. He slicked Goku's fingers and cock, and then he guided Goku's hand between his legs.

Goku touched him hesitantly. "Sanzo, I—"

"You won't hurt me," Sanzo told him. "Do what you want to do." He watched Goku's eyes darken with lust, and he was soon writhing in response to Goku's touch.

He moaned when Goku entered him.

"Sanzo … oh, Sanzo … it feels so good." Goku was babbling his pleasure, just as Sanzo knew he would.

This is how it should be, he thought. He found Goku's noisiness extremely arousing, and he rocked up against each of Goku's thrusts and reveled in Goku's giddy incoherence. They climaxed within seconds of each other; Sanzo moaned again and arched his back while Goku bucked convulsively and came hard inside him.

More kisses, this time languid and lazy as they drifted back down to themselves.

"Mmmm, that was so, so good," Goku said as he slowly eased out of Sanzo's body. He rolled onto his side and propped himself up on an elbow. "Will you fuck me sometimes? I've been wantin' you to fuck me for a long time." He leaned over and gave Sanzo another lingering kiss.

"I think that can be arranged," Sanzo said when they came up for air.

"Awesome," Goku said. He pulled and tugged at the bedcovers until he had the sheet drawn over them both. "Can I sleep here with you tonight?" He settled in next to Sanzo and draped an arm across his waist.

Sanzo considered the request. The monkey was a known bedhog, and a confirmed snorer to boot. But the body curled next to his was warm, and there was possible morning sex to consider. Possibly several rounds of middle-of-the-night sex as well, judging from the fact that Goku was already half-hard again. "I suppose so," he replied.

Goku snorted softly. "You suppose so," he said, and then he pressed his stiffening cock against Sanzo's hip. "You wanna do it again," he whispered against Sanzo's throat. "I wanna do it again too."

"Silly monkey," Sanzo murmured, and he pulled Goku's head back and kissed him.