Best of Both Worlds

Chapter Six
Sanzo wandered back through the part of the town lined with shops and convenience stores, the remainder of the twenty thousand yen in his pocket. It was getting later in the evening and many shops were preparing to close down for the night. Sanzo stopped at the first convenience store and picked up several packs to last him the next few days. As he left the store and came back out into the street the area suddenly seemed familiar to him…this was the street. Maybe the cart was still there…No. He thought and lowered his head. There’s not even a point in wondering. Someone else is going to be keeping it. But…that someone else…might know what happened. Before he could change his mind again he turned left down the street in search of a small apple cart. About 30 yards from the convenience store he stopped at an apple cart with the same simple quaintness… It was being kept by another young woman, closer to Goku’s age than his. She didn’t seem to notice him as she took a few notes in a small notebook but Sanzo couldn’t help but look at the new shopkeeper and see her…the other woman…Yumei.
They had the same dark brown hair; only this girl’s was kept short. Her eyes were shadowed but Sanzo could still see that they were the same blue…They were even of similar build. She looked up suddenly and her eyes widened. “Excuse me…” she said. “But…Are you…Would you happen to be…the priest Genjo Sanzo?”
Sanzo just stared at her for a moment. “How do you know my name?”
“My name is Kouru. I had a sister named Yumei.” She replied and that’s all he needed to hear. So they were sisters. He said nothing. “I’m getting ready to close my shop.” She said quietly. “If you’d like to talk, I’ll be finished here in about ten minutes and then we can go out for tea or something. Alright?”
“Fine.” Sanzo said and leaned against the small tree giving shade to the cart.

The tea wasn’t very good, though it wasn’t terrible. Perhaps it was only Sanzo’s mood. Nothing would have tasted good but a cigarette and beer. Though he carried several packages with him, Sanzo was forced to obey that dreaded ‘no smoking’ sign. “Yumei wrote me several letters about you.” Kouru started. “She made you sound like such a great guy.” She put down her cup of tea and looked across the table at Sanzo. “She cut her wrists, Genjo Sanzo.” She said earnestly. “They didn’t find her because she’d hidden herself in the cellar of a very old building…to do it alone. To…die alone.”
“Why?” Sanzo asked quietly.
“Yumei was a good person.” Kaoru started. “She was a good person but she had her problems. For years she’d been a gambler, acquiring debt here and there until she couldn’t pay it back. Finally, about the time you must have met her she’d earned enough to pay back what she owed but one of them…he was a demon…Decided that no amount of money would suffice foe dae damages she’d caused so he demanded her servitude. If she didn’t obey him…he threatened to kill me. I was her only family then…For more than a month I watched my sister waste away, not knowing what she’d become. She thought…She thought that death was a better path for her.”
“Stop.” Sanzo said tapping the rim of his glass with his finger. He noted the tears gathering in her eyes. “If this is too much for you-”
“No!” she said suddenly. “I just…don’t talk about it very often. I think, though that she would have wanted you to know.” She took an envelope from her pocket and placed it on the table. “This is one of the few things I have left of hers…this letter. It says everything. I wish I’d found it sooner but she hid it so well… It was weeks before I found it. o loo looked up at her. She had tears in her eyes. “I think you should have it, Genjo Sanzo. I know you never got a full explanation. I can’t begin to relate to you the horrible details and emotions written here.” She wiped a tear from her eye. “She’s buried in the cemetery just outside town, if you ever want to go.”
Sanzo took the envelope from the table and stood. “Thank you…Kaoru.”

When Sanzo returned to the hotel he found Gojyo and Goku in the main lobby of their floor passing insults and cards back and forth. Gojyo lost interest in teasing the monkey as he realized that something was different about Sanzo. “Sanzo?” he asked but the monk ignored him.
Goku peeked his head around Gojyo. “What’s wrong, Sanzo?”
“Nothing.” Sanzo replied and went into his room closing the door behind him. He sat down at the desk in the room and placed the envelope in front of him. He stared at it. So it was the same story between he and Hakkai only with slightly different endings. Kanan had avoided her fate and died to avoid bringing a monster into the world. Yumei wasn’t as strong and wasted away…Her strength had never been in herself. Yumei had relied too much on the strength of others.
So many questions still unanswered…only the letter could give him the answers. He sighed and took up the envelope, pulling the multiple sheets of paper free from it and unfolded them. For a moment he looked at the writing, forgetting the meaning of words. Even her writing was beautiful…

My Dearest Kaoru,
Writing this letter is not an easy task. However, I feel that you must know the truth about what has happened. I have confided in you the events of my past…the amount of money I owe and to whom. I have told you that I earned enough money to repay my debts. However, this statement is not completely true.
Some months ago one of the demons to which I owed a larger sum of money paid me a visit and I offered to him what I owed with no hesitation. But he demanded more of me. He demanded angrily that I become his slave and pleasure him at his leisure. I boldly refused but it made no difference to him. What he couldn’t have by choice he took by force, raping me and torturing me by telling me that your life was in his hands. I had no choice but to obey him, Kaoru. He would have killed you. I am sure of it.
I do not know what you think of me now, sister, but I think nothing of myself. I feel broken, worthless. I can’t look at myself anymore without hating what I see. I am not a strong woman. I can no longer endure this torture…this hell that has become my life.
You have always been my strength, Kaoru and I have been happy but more so these past months. There is a man who calls himself Genjo Sanzo that I have come to love… One of the few things I still want to hold onto in this world. I’ll never get the chance to explain all of this to him. If ever you should meet him, Kaoru…please tell him everything.

There was more to the letter but Sanzo couldn’t stand to read it. He dropped it to the desk without refolding it and retreated to his bed at the far end of the room. He curled up halfway and closed his eyes. There should have been rain that night. It would have been more fitting. If there had been rain… He remembered the first time he told Yumei’s story to Hakkai. Resting in his arms that night had been oddly comforting. Now there was only a deep despair. Sanzo, pull yourself together. He thought. This isn’t who you are. You’re not weak enough to break down and cry like a woman! Gojyo’s words came back to him suddenly:
“…And I was thinking how much you actually look like a damn woman.”
Hakkai had said that once, too but not in the same way. “Sanzo, you remind me some of Kanan, I suppose. Sometimes I wonder if we shouldn’t feed you more.”

“Sanzo…” It was Yumei’s voice… “Do you eat at all?”
Sanzo smiled. “I get asked that a lot.” It wasn’t a rainy night but they were together. Sanzo was sitting in his leather underclothes on the extended windowsill in her room on the top floor of her house. She was lying in his lap, his hands twisted in her hair. “I eat only what I need to, I suppose.” He replied and turned his gaze back out the window. “Goku usually eats half my food anyway.”
She laughed and sat up, resting her head on his shoulder. “It’s beautiful out tonight, right, Sanzo?”
“Yeah. No rain.”

Sanzo sat up suddenly, realizing he’d fallen asleep. “Shit, Sanzo…” he said to himself placing his head in his hand. “Don’t dream things like that…don’t remember things like that.” He looked at the clock on the wall. It was just after midnight. He wondered if Hakkai was awake…but he doubted he was in the mood to keep him company. Hakkai was probably mad at him, though he wasn’t making any attempt to show it. And Gojyo…He didn’t feel like a fight. He was tired and distracted…Gojyo would wind up getting the best of him. But he wanted…company and there was no way he’d even think about touching that monkey. He shuddered at the thought of it. NO WAY. Sanzo quickly forgot about Goku and thought again of Hakkai. It’d been a while since he and Hakkai had been together. He shrugged and decided he might as well try. Hakkai usually didn’t argue anyway when Sanzo needed company.
He left his room and pressed an ear against Hakkai’s door. He heard the turning of a book page. Hakkai wasn’t asleep yet. Sanzo knocked on the door twice and opened it. Hakkai looked up from the book for a moment and then went back to reading. “It’s late, Sanzo.” He commented and Sanzo couldn’t tell if he was still angry or not.
“Yeah. I know.” He came in and shut the door behind him.
Hakkai put the book down on the table and looked up at Sanzo. Hakkai was at least annoyed with Sanzo. He stretched his arms and stood from the table. “Gojyo’s busy?” he asked.
Sanzo shrugged. “I didn’t bother.”
“And here I thought you two were serious.”
“Serious?” Sanzo snorted. “That damn Kappa…He doesn’t even know what serious is. You’re not busy, are you?”
Hakkai’s uncertain expression changed into a smile. “No. I was just trying to pass the time. If you’d like my company for the night, Sanzo I’ll gladly give it.” That’s the phrase huallually got when Hakkai was trying to play with him.
“Alright.” Sanzo said and pulled Hakkai closer to him. “That’s what I was hoping you’d say.” Sanzo kissed him tenderly, a kiss he saved only for Hakkai. There was no struggle for dominance as there had been with Gojyo. Hakkai was mainly submissive to Sanzo’s demands. What Sanzo wanted from Hakkai, Sanzo got but Sanzo wasn’t as violent with him as he’d been with Gojyo. Hakkai was sensitive…having sex with Hakkai was emotionally like having sex with a woman. That’s what Sanzo wanted that night… He slid Hakkai’s shirt over his head and moved his lips to Hakkai’s neck, kissing gently and tracing his fingers over the metal bands on his ear. Sanzo’s clothing fell faster with Hakkai than it had with Gojyo. Hakkai was more familiar with the motions. In a short time both of them were standing naked, Sanzo pressing his erection against Hakkai’s and tracing slowly around Hakkai’s member. Sanzo pushed Hakkai back against the wall. Hakkai hit the wall with a slight thud and suddenly felt the warmth of Sanzo’s tongue tracing around his belly button and then southwards along the thin line of hair. He lifted his tongue suddenly and placed it on the tip of Hakkai’s erection. Sanzo always teased him thus because Hakkai allowed him to. Squeezing, licking kissing…he’d nipped at Hakkai only once and that was the instant end to the night. Hakkai was no longer interested if Sanzo’s teeth became involved. Hakkai’s hands shot forward and gripped Sanzo’s hair as Sanzo took the whole of him into his mouth. This was an art of timing with Hakkai. If Sanzo moved too soon Hakkai’s reaction would be completely against what Sanzo was trying to accomplish. Hakkai would become so lost in Sanzo’s methods of pleasuring him that he’d have little to no interest in pleasuring Sanzo. Sanzo’s job was to make Hakkai NEED to pleasure Sanzo…to want away from his grasp…and more often than not he was quite effective in his methods though Hakkai’s style of pleasuring was quite different. Sanzo withdrew his mouth and Hakkai let go of him. He’d done a fine job of it this time. Hakkai raised his lover to his feet and kissed him, moving his tongue into Sanzo’s mouth. Sanzo stepped backwards and miscalculated his distance from the bed, tripping backwards onto it. It didn’t matter. Hakkai climbed on top of him and wrapped one of his beautiful, soft hands around Sanzo’s member. Hakkai had developed unparalleled skill in the use of his hands. He knew everywhere to touch… He moved his hands over Sanzo quickly…slower…faster again. The variation of speed quite annoyed Sanzo but how could he argue when Hakkai was doing such a damn good job of it. But he wasn’t going to let Hakkai overpower him…no matter how good it felt. Sanzo pulled away from him. He was done with foreplay. He grabbed Hakkai firmly by the shoulders and placed him on his back. “Stay.” Sanzo ordered and Hakkai made no attempt to move. Sanzo went back to his robes and returned with a small bottle of lotion. Sanzo carried it with him nearly all the time for such occasions, though sometimes he didn’t bother using it. Hakkai didn’t care either way at the time but later on it made a difference. In the rare instances that Sanzo was the one on his back, Hakkai refused any offer of lubricant. Of course, the contact wasn’t the same. Hakkai never pretended not to notice that Sanzo was the larger man but Sanzo never bothered to point it out, either. It didn’t matter.
Sanzo smeared his index and middle finger on his right hand with the lotion and placed them inside Hakkai who moaned instantly. “Sanzo…?” it was gasped in the form of a question. Sanzo acknowledged his name with a glance but still tending to Hakkai. He never spoke at this point but to ask to have his turn with Sanzo as he saw fit. Usually, he didn’t ask. He was content to allow Sanzo full control.
“Whatever.” Sanzo said. It was his version of consent, Hakkai knew but Sanzo needed Hakkai first.
Sanzo tossed the bottle down beside the bed and climbed onto Hakkai. Sanzo forgot the torturous foreplay from before and proceeded gently…as if making love to a virgin. But the first thrust forward was done with enough force to cause Hakkai to cry out. Hakkai could be loud, Sanzo knew but usually he wasn’t. Usually he remained quiet and submissive to the end. But Hakkai missed Sanzo’s touch….the taste of his sweat as he licked Sanzo’s shoulder blades free of the gathering perspiration. Nothing about Sanzo’s movements were violent…the word Hakkai would have used would have been firm…. commanding. Sanzo was in charge.
But like Sanzo, Hakkai relied on timing. Hakkai watched Sanzo’s lips form curse words but make no noise and watched as Sanzo licked the perspiration off his lips. He was moving faster…gripping tighter…coming closer close to a climax but Hakkai wasn’t going to let him have it in that position. Not this time. Hakkai suddenly rolled over onto Sanzo who let out a shriek of surprise… Hakkai being aggressive? Hakkai moved away for a moment as Sanzo moved over onto his stomach. It was easier for Hakkai that way…to Hakkai, it seemed more natural. Since he’d become a demon he’d come to appreciate the ways of nature better. Sanzo rested on his knees and elbows as Hakkai pounced on him. Kissing Sanzo’s and and shoulders and he felt his lover shudder after the sudden entry. Hakkai preferred such a position over Sanzo because it was the first one he had taken. He wrapped his arms around Sanzo’s stomach and rested his head against his back, still allowing his hips to move freely against Sanzo. It was like an embrace…it was comforting. It was what Sanzo truly wanted from Hakkai that night and Hakkai knew it. “Sanzo…” Hakkai whispered with his lips against his lover’s back and ejaculated. Sanzo shook beneath him and cursed. Hakkai’s lips curved up into a smile. He’d been first that night. First to climax, first to release…but first to give up Sanzo’s name. It was so had not to say his name…it slipped so easy from Hakkai’s mouth.
Sanzo’s arms gave way as Hakkai moved off of him and to the pillow beside him. Sanzo remained on his stomach, facing away from Hakkai waiting for his breath to return.
“Hakkai?” Sanzo said.
“Yes?”
“…Thank you.”
“What for?”
“For hating the rain as much as I do.”