Saiyuki: Reborn

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Chapter 17


\"All right. This weekend.\" Jin glanced uneasily to Goku. \"I guess it
can\'t hurt to wait a little longer, as long as you\'re all right.\"

Huyen snorted. \"I\'m fine.\"

Lan glanced at Goku\'s turned back. //We shouldn\'t leave him. He might
run off, at this poin He He moved across towards the kitchen. \"How
about I order some food?\" he offered. \"Since we\'re all here already,
we might as well share a meal, hmm? I\'ll even treat this time.\"

Goku frowned. //I know what you\'re doing, even if...you\'re right.//
His fingers curled, shoulders hunching. //Damnit, how can I just sit
here when Huyen has a curse on him? What if this guy just decides to
kill him? I can\'t just....//

\"Sure--whatever.\" Huyen returned to the sofa with a sigh, sagging
into the thick cushions. \"Nothing spicy.\"

Jin frowned at him slightly, then glanced past to Goku. //Maybe now\'s
not the time to mess with him. But we\'re all gonna go crazy, if he
sits there for much longer.// He wandered over, tapping Hakkuryuu
lightly on the nose. \"Hey, kid. Yer gonna catch cold over here.\"

\"I don\'t get sick,\" he muttered. Goku glanced up at Jin, willing him
to understand. //I know you get it--you know what those gangs can be
like. We can\'t take Lan and Huyen there.// Even as he thought it,
however, he knew it was a worthless argument--Gojyo was just as
stubborn as Sanzo, and if they were both in the mind to go.... He
looked out the window again. \"You\'re all stupid.\"

\"We are, aren\'t we?\" Jin gave Hakkuryuu a push so he could sling his
arm over Goku\'s shoulders, giving him a slight shake. \"That\'s why we
work so well together, right? We\'ll get this done, business as
usual.\" And then softer, so only Goku would be able to hear, \"You
know there\'s no point telling him not to come. Lan and I\'ll look out
for him--you just worry about the demon.\"

Goku lowered his head, feeling something tremble in his chest. \"You\'d
better,\" he whispered, shoulders hunching. \"You...you\'d fucking
better. I\'m not going through another *fucking* seven hundred
*fucking* years without him.\" He shook his head, wishing Jin wasn\'t
so damn close. //Gojyo, I can\'t. I can\'t live like that again.//

Jin\'s eyes thinned seriously. \"I know,\" he said back, just as
quietly. //I\'m the one that found him first, after all. The two of us…
I\'m sure Goku doesn\'t want to hear about it, but we were pretty close
for a while, there.// \"We\'re not gonna let that happen, all right?
Now will you come back?\" He gave Goku another little shake. \"I know
you\'re about to jump outta your monkey skin, but Huyen\'s nervous. At
least let him know you\'re not gonna run off, \'cause you know he\'d
just be two steps behind ya.\"

Goku continued to stare blankly for several more seconds, but he was
unable to stay angry with the man for long. He nodded slowly. \"I
won\'t go,\" he murmured. \"At least not tonight.\" Goku fixed his friend
with a serious look. \"But if he gets hurt again by this thing, I\'ll
find him. I\'ll kill him.\" Deciding the matter was done, Goku pulled
away to walk around behind the couch. He leaned down to drape his
arms across Huyen\'s chest. //I\'m...I\'m not going without you
again.// \"You okay?\" he asked softly into his ear.

Huyen jumped, startled from his deep thoughts by the sudden
contact. \"Goku….\" He reached up, curling one hand around Goku\'s
arm. \"Yeah,\" he said softly, tugging him a little closer. \"Are
you?\" //Don\'t leave me.//

He snorted lightly. \"I\'ve been better.\" Ignoring Jin, he tightened
his arms around his lover. //I\'m not.// \"We\'ll...take care of it,
okay?\" he whispered. \"I\'ll take care of it.\"

\"Don\'t go anywhere,\" Huyen warned, closing his eyes. //I know where
he is now, too. And you know I\'ll follow you.// \"I\'ll do whatever you
say, but we\'re doing this together. You know that.\"

Goku frowned, but.... \"I don\'t like it,\" he replied plainly. His
fingers curled. \"I don\'t like it at all, but...fine.\" Goku turned his
face into the boy\'s neck, letting the familiar scent and the brush of t hat hair calm him. \"I\'ll protect you for sure, so...it\'ll work out.\"

Jin sighed as he watched the pair, and he offered Hakkuryuu his arm
for the trip to the kitchen. He slid up next to Lan, who had just
finished ordering food for them. \"Hey.\"

Lan glanced up, and from the look on Jin\'s face could guess what was
happening in the next room. He smiled faintly and offered the young
man a pat on the back. \"They\'re making up, I hope?\"

\"Yeah, something like that.\" Jin leaned against the counter. \"Goku\'s
not going anywhere, for now. But there\'s no telling how long that\'ll
last.\" He sighed. \"Damn, if only we\'d caught this thing earlier,
y\'know? The poor kid….\"

He nodded. \"It is too bad, but perhaps it\'s better that we discovered
it now, with Goku.\" He removed his glasses to rub at the bridge of
his nose. \"It\'s been so long, I\'m not sure how well you or I or Huyen
could handle a demon of any kind, let alone one as old as this guy
has to be.\" //He\'ll be...almost as strong as Goku, won\'t he? To still
be alive.... //

\"Yeah, no kiddingt\'st\'s just hope a good ol\' 44 will be able to hurt
it.\" Jin smirked lightly. \"It\'s a shame. We really kicked ass back
then. I\'d hate to think I\'ve lost my touch.\"

Lan chuckled softly. \"Perhaps we should find you a staff?\" he
suggested, leaning against the counter as well as he replaced his
glasses. \"It wouldn\'t be too hard to fix a chain onto the end, would
it?\"

Jin laughed, shaking his head. \"That was a few hundred years ago, you
know. And only one of my lives. I think I\'d be better off with a
gun.\" He mimicked the backlash of a pistol with his hand. \"What about
you? Do you really think you\'ll be able to blast something?\"

\"Well, I haven\'t used any of my chi really, save a few little tests
on my own, but I found the location, didn\'t I?\" He smiled, relaxing a
bit more against the counter. //We really are so lucky, having him
here. It was so close....// \"You know, we might want to stay here
tonight. Just to be sure Goku doesn\'t try anything stupid.\"

\"That doesn\'t seem like a bad idea,\" Jin agreed, edging a little
closer despite himself. \"It\'d be like a big sleepover. Maybe keep
some of the pressure off.\" He urged Hakkuryuu onto the
counter. //Though I wouldn\'t mind having Lan to myself. Funny, how
easily I\'ve gotten used to him.//

Lan smiled as the dragon squeaked indignantly, obviously put out at
being continually set aside. As Hakkuryuu fluttered out of the room,
he glanced briefly at the other. //It is good to have him here. I
think...it\'s been a while since I\'ve seen him.// \"We\'re lucky,\" he
said suddenly. \"That you\'re here. That you survived.\"

\"Yeah, isn\'t it funny?\" He wondered briefly if their new demon friend
might have something to do with it, but that didn\'t seem likely. If
he was trying to hurt Huyen, killing him would make more sense. \"It
is kinda annoying, though, now that you\'re this much older than me.\"
He clasped Lan\'s hand, giving it a light squeeze.

Lan raised an eyebrow. \"Annoying?\" There was a faint chill that went
up his arm at the touch. //I wonder...what we were like in our past
lives. How close we were....// \ is is this annoying?\"

Jin shrugged lopsidedly. Though this wasn\'t exactly the best time for
something like this, he was feeling all too grateful for their sudden
reunion, and he leaned closer. \"Well, you know. I\'m not used to
having to look up at you.\" He trapped Lan\'s chin, tugging his face
down as if to prove his point.

Lan\'s eyes widened faintly, a tiny shiver passing down his
spine. //Were we....// He watched Jin for a quiet moment, just taking
in the strange, but pleasant, tension between them. His own hand slid
along the counter behind the other boy. \"Funny. It doesn\'t seem to
bother me as much.\"

Jin smirked. \"I didn\'t think so.\" He straightened a little, pulling
Lan closer. \"Do you remember...our last lives before this?\" //\'Cause
I do, and…damn.// It made his lips tingle a little. \"We were
pretty...active back then.\"

Those words seemed to open up his memory, and a series of heated
images ran suddenly over his sight to make him gasp. //We were
lovers, then. Jin and I....// His gaze sharpened. \"Were we....\" He
reached up, cupping the boy\'s cheek and pressing a thumb gently
against his mouth, tracing thin lips.

//Yeah, you remember.// The blush rising in Lan\'s cheeks was proof
enough, and just like him. //Goku\'s got his, and I\'ve got mine, I
guess,// he thought with a smirk as he drew Lan into a kiss. //Not
surprising, after how long we\'ve been together…. God he feels good.//

Though he was a bit surprised by Jin\'s boldness, he couldn\'t ignore
the thrill it gave him. //Though, we shouldn\'t leave those two
alone.... But....// He smiled faintly, turning slightly to make it
easier to return the kiss. //They can wait a while longer.//

Jin kissed him firmly, as if making sure that this really was his
lover, who he had met time and time again over the centuries.... //We
really must be lucky, to remember each other. To start anew over and
over.// But then he remembered Goku and Huyen, and it made his
affections somewhat softer. //Really lucky.// Slowly, he pulled
back. \"What did you order, anyway?\"

\"Don\'t remember,\" he replied with a smirk. \"But they\'re delivering.\"
Lan pulled him back for another kiss. //I want to remember all of
this--I want to remember him.//

//Good.// It was a little strange having Lan taller than him, but he
wrapped his arms around the man\'s waist, tugging them together. It
was everything he\'d hoped it to be, even if their bodies weren\'t
exactly the same as they used to be; he could still feel Lan shiver
when he worked his fingers into the small of his back, still knew how
to kiss him. It might be all he ever needed to know.

He remained for several more minutes, just kissing his former lover,
remembering the feel and taste of him. //Once we\'re in a better
place...we\'ll have to remember fully.// Distantly he heard a knock on
the front door, and with a disappointed murmur he pulled back. \"I
have to pay for that.\"

Goku lifted his head, waking from his thoughts. He was still draped
over the couch where he and Huyen had been silently resting, just
relaxing against the other. As he pushed upright his arms tingled
with lost feeling. \"Lan?\"

Jin snorted, not wanting to pull away, but he was a little
embarrassed about hanging all over Lan when Goku and Huyen were so
serious in the next room. \"I got it,\" he assured, tugging his wallet
out of his back pocket as he headed into the next room. \"You\'re still
blushing.\"

Huyen glanced up, reaching back to keep Goku close as Jin
entered. \"What was that?\"

\"Nothing, nothing. Just stay put.\" Jin met the delivery boy at the
door, paying for the food, and carrying it to the table. \"Time to eat
up.\"

Goku glanced up as Lan entered the room, wondering.... Shaking his
head, he hopped over the edge of the couch to sit beside Huyen.
He...felt a bit unsteady, and his arms were beginning to sting--he
shook them, wincing.

Lan knelt at the table, setting out utensils and a few plates in case
they were needed. He then helped Jin to organize the food, though he
kept an eye on the pair on the couch. //They still look really
serious.//

Huyen reached out briefly to rub at Goku\'s arm, as if trying to help
ease their discomfort, before setting into the food. \"Thanks for
this, Lan, Jin.\" He wasn\'t really hungry but he knew he was going to
need it.

\"No problem. Looks like Lan got us a lot of meat.\" Jin glanced at
Goku hopefully, but it didn\'t look like he was about to perk up
anytime soon.

\"I thought we would need it,\" he replied easily, handing out the
cartons. He purposefully handed Goku a box of his favorite pork and
rice, hoping to coax a better reaction from him.

Goku accepted, recognizing the attempt as what it was. //I know,
guys, but....// He took a moment before starting to eat. //I\'m not
loosing him again. I just can\'t go another 500 years without him. I
can\'t....// He shifted closer to Huyen, needing his familiar warmth
to calm his stomach before starting to eat.

Huyen leaned against him slightly, trying to reassure him as best he
could as he started into his own meal. The taste helped wake him up a
bit. \"So,\" he said easily as he put his cigarette out. \"Did you two
make out in there, or what?\"

Jin choked on a bite of pork, and he pounded briefly on his chest to
get the meat down. \"That\'s none of your business,\" he retorted,
giving his foot a sharp kick under the table.\"

Lan blushed faintly as well, though he managed to keep his composure
otherwise. \"We could ask the same of you two, after all,\" he added.

Goku glanced around at them, surprised by the accusation and the even
more incriminating responses by his fellows. //Jin and Lan? But....//
He looked at Huyen. \"Are they really?\"

\"He did mention a few things, when we first met,\" Huyen replied,
still not looking up. \"Something about a few amazing sex dreams.\"

\"Hey,\" Jin protested, flicking some rice at him. \"That was private,
you little shit.\"

Goku straightened, looking at the other pair in a new light. //Were
they really lovers? Gojyo was so against it before.//

Lan coughed into his hand before raising an eyebrow at Jin. \"Amazing
sex dreams?\" he asked lightly. \"You neglected to mention that, Jin.\"

Jin glanced between them in exasperation. \"Hey, lay off, all right?
That was a long time ago.\" //And…also recently, but hey, I\'m not
complaining.// He buried his face back in his meal.

Huyen smirked slightly, pleased to see that Jin really was
happy. //I\'m glad. The two of them have each other, and the four of
us are together…I\'m really glad. Even if things are a little…
stressful right now.//

---

Huyen wasn\'t surprised when he couldn\'t sleep very well that night--
it didn\'t help when Goku kept tossing, more than usual. Eventually he
slipped carefully out for a cigarette, just to have some room for
himself for a bit. //Goku...this really is going to work out, won\'t
it. And then…I won\'t be the same anymore.// He took a long breath
from his cigarette as he headed into the bathroom for a drink of
water. //Will I not be Huyen anymore?//

Jin groaned as he sat up, rubbing at his forehead. He had a monster
of a headache. //Fuck, what did I do? Feels like it\'s about to pop
right off.// He pushed to his feet, but on the way to the bathroom
found it already occupied. He leaned against the doorframe with a
weak smile. \"Can\'t sleep?\"

Huyen glanced up. \"Oh, hey. Yeah.\" Huyen flicked his cigarette over
the toilet as he downed a glass of water. \"Goku kept kicking me. I\'m
gonna have bruises.\"

\"Heh, he always was like that.\" Stumbling forward, he began rummaging
through the medicine cabinet. \"When we shared rooms back then, I\'d
wake up with a black eye. Not the best thing for picking up chicks.\"
He flinched as his head gave another throb. \"Fuck, don\'t you keep any
drugs around here?\"

Huyen frowned slightly. \"We\'re a damn pharmacy.\" He selected one of
the bottles to offer him. \"Are you all right? You look kind of pale.\"
There was something strange in the air he couldn\'t place, and he
reasoned it was just because he was still so tired.

\"Fucking headache,\" he muttered, downing a pair of pills without
water. They stuck briefly in his throat, and he stole Huyen\'s glass
for a drink. Finally, he leaned up against the wall to catch his
breath. \"Damn.\" He sent a faint smirk at the other. \"Hope it wasn\'t
something I ate.\"

\"Or maybe you and Lan should take it easy,\" Huyen replied
lightly. \"You two were eyeing each other all evening.\" //Though I
can\'t say I mind. It\'s a little strange, thinking of him with someone
else, but we could somesomething to keep the tension off me and
Goku.//

He snorted, rubbing at his temple \"You should talk,\" he muttered. \"I
saw your sheets in the hamper.\" //Fuck, it\'s not going away. When
will these damn pills kick in?// He sent Huyen a glare. \"You were a
priest--can\'t you do something about this?\"

\"Do something?\" Huyen repeated blankly. \"If I could, that really
would have come in handy before.\" He indicated the toilet. \"But sit
down--I\'ll see if there\'s anything I can do.\"

Jin reached out to close the door. \"Just so we don\'t disturb the
others,\" he explained, using the light coming in from the window to
find his way. He sat with a groan, closing his eyes.

Huyen couldn\'t help but smile slightly as he approached. //This…feels
kind of familiar.// He stepped forward, drawing his fingers over
Jin\'s scalp in a gentle massage. //Thank God he\'s all right. I…really
did miss him, for so long….// He sighed as he closed his eyes as
well, concentrating as if he might be able to will the other\'s pain
away.

Jin smiled at the touch, sighing. \"Mmm...I remember those magic
fingers...\" he murmured. He relaxed slightly, enjoying the feel of
Huyen\'s thin hands along his scalp. After a moment his own hands rose
to rest along the backs of the boy\'s knees.

//This really is familiar.// \"I….\" Huyen smiled bitterly in the
darkness. \"I\'m glad you\'re back,\" he said quietly. Somehow the
darkness, the quiet, allowed him to speak his mind more clearly.

\"Me too,\" he replied just as softly, gradually moving his hands over
the backs of Huyen\'s legs, pulling him a bit closer. His headache was
still throbbing, though somehow the pain seemed a bit distant. \"You
don\'t feel quite as skinny as you used to,\" he mused, lightly
pinching his skin.

\"It\'s hard not to eat when you live with Goku,\" Huyen replied,
frowning a little at the change in Jin\'s hands. He let it be for now,
figuring it was just his headache getting the better of him. \"Is this
helping?\"

Jin smiled faintly. \"Yeah--a lot.\" He straightened faintly, pulling
Huyen suddenly closer so his knees slid between the boy\'s legs. \"Mmm…
yeah, much better.\" His fingers strengthened, gradually creeping
higher.

\"H-Hey, come on,\" Huyen muttered, reaching down to tug at one of
Jin\'s hands. The touch was spreading a familiar shiver through him,
though now he felt a little guilty for it. He kept moving his other
hand, though. \"If you\'re horny you can go wake Lan up. I\'m sure he
won\'t mind.\"

\"Don\'t wanna,\" he complained childishly, not letting the boy deter
him. \"Besides, you\'re right here.\" Jin let his hands slide with more
strength, creeping along the insides of his thighs, gradually trying
to pull him closer. \"Come on--just for a bit....\"

Huyen rolled his eyes, but...this wasn\'t so bad. He knew he should
have protested more, but if Jin just wanted someone to touch for a
while, he didn\'t mind that much. That was how it had always been
between them. \"Don\'t get carried away,\" he warned, returning his
other hand to the back of Jin\'s skull. He massaged the tense muscles
there strongly. //It\'s just Jin. We\'ve been together before--this
doesn\'t mean anything.//

Jin hummed his reply, pleased. He urged the boy even closer until he
could rest his head against a firm stomach. \"Feels good.\" Still
moving his hands, he let one creep up, higher and higher until he
could grope gently at Huyen\'s ass. \"Really good.\"

\"Hey….\" Huyen hissed softly, but he regained himself a moment
later. //If Goku caught us, he\'d be upset. And that\'s the last thing
I need right now.// He let Jin do as he pleased only briefly before
reaching down, forcing Jin\'s hand lower once more. \"I said don\'t get
carried away. My ass doesn\'t belong to you anymore.\"

Jin growled a soft protest. \"Aww, come on,\" he murmured, trying with
his other hand, tilting his head to nuzzle at him \"Don\'t be so shy,
Huyen. You used to like it when I grabbed your ass.\" He spread his
legs faintly, forcing the other\'s to do the same.

Huyen snorted, but his bare feet slipped suddenly on the cold tile,
and with an indignant squawk he landed in Jin\'s lap. It sent a tiny
jolt through him. //We can\'t do this. It\'s....// \"Stop fooling
around,\" he admonished, trying to draw back. \"You know we shouldn\'t.\"

Jin held him tight. \"And why not?\" he asked, voice a low hiss. \"No
one\'s here--no one will care.\" He worked his hands strongly, tracing
the end of Huyen\'s spine the way he used to like it. Grinning
faintly, he flicked his tongue across the boy\'s lips.

Huyen gasped, squirming when he realized suddenly how much Jin\'s
attentions were affecting him. //He feels good--this is all so
familiar, how we....// \"Stop it,\" he demanded, his voice sounding
suspiciously like a moan. His mind was feeling suddenly foggy, and
when he tried to picture Goku, to remember why this was
wrong...somehow he was having a difficult time recalling his
face. //Goku…?// He shook his head, trying to wriggle free of his too-
strong hands. \"Jin, this isn\'t funny.\"

\"I\'m not joking,\" he whispered, suddenly pulling the boy into a kiss--
strong and forceful, just the way Huyen liked it. His hands groped
over his back, hips, and thighs. \"Fuck, you feel good,\" he went on in
a growl, and he tugged Huyen hard into his lap.

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