Saiyuki: Reborn

Title: Saiyuki: Reborn
Author: Shuukitty
Summary: Years and years later, Goku searches for the friends he thought he lost.
Rating: NC17
Pairing(s): It’s a surprise!
Feedback: Desired and appreciated
Characters: The boys of Saiyuki—some names have been changed to protect the innocent.
Betas: “Shuukitty” is the combined efforts of Tanithkitty and Croik, co-writers.
Author’s notes: This is a continuation after the first series. This fic was written as a one-on-one RolePlay, so the POV switches just about every paragraph. Please be considerate and do not borrow original characters or situations without permission. Characters may be a little different due to rebirth. ^_^;
Thanks for reading and please enjoy!
Italics for thoughts
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, save the OCs, and I’m not making any money off this fic.

Saiyuki: Reborn
Chapter One:

The stars were pale that night when Huyen blinked and felt the press of chain link fence against his back. He couldn\'t remember how he had come to be here; the gentle sway of distant water told him he was by the wharf, in the southern district. His ribs were aching, and when he licked his lips he tasted blood.

\"Oh. Right.\" Huyen kept one hand pressed over his left side as the other swept through his hair, tugging it out of his eyes. There had been a fight. His head was swimming a little, making the details difficult to recall, but he should have been out of their territory by now. Groaning, he used the fence at his back to push to his feet. \"Guess...I ought to go home,\" he murmured dryly, following the linked metal toward the direction of the city. He hadn\'t come off too badly, other than his bruised side, so it wasn\'t bad going. Until he heard a rattle of metal nearby, and a few coarse voices. He straightened, violet eyes darting among the shadows that were proving suddenly to be human figures. And…he should have known it wasn\'t that late at night after all.

\"Heeh, lookie here.\" Shaourin stepped out in front of the stranger, grinning. \"Blond baby on the wrong side of town or what? Doesn\'t look too good, either.\" He laughed as a little more than half a dozen others joined him, circling the injured teen. \"Seems like you made a wrong turn somewhere, hon. Those aren\'t Beast colors you\'re flying.\"

Huyen snorted, smearing the blood from his cut lip across the back of his palm. \"I\'m not here for a fight,\" he said evenly, taking a quick scan of each youth in turn. Normally, he wouldn\'t have been too worried; he could handle enough of them to slip away. But he was still unsteady, and the blow he\'d taken to the pavement earlier was making it hard to focus clearly.

Shaourin grinned. \"Sure ya ain\'t, kiddo. Maybe you should ask us for help then.\" The surrounding figures laughed. \"It\'s dangerous out here, after all.\"

\"Hey.\" The group quieted as another figure came forward. \"What\'s all the fun, boys?\"

\"Fresh meat,\" Shaourin replied laughingly.

Goku came up beside the tall, dark boy, smirking with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his black leather jacket. \"Shouldn\'t play with your food, you know,\" he shot back.

Huyen\'s attention snapped to the new boy, and something in his somewhat dazed mind clicked; this really was Beast, which controlled most of the southern side of the city. He had strayed further than he\'d thought. And I\'m going to die. Because they won\'t let me go unless I beg.

Huyen straightened, forcing his hand from his side as he fished a cigarette out of his front coat pocket and lit it. As far as he was concerned, it was the sweetest thing he\'d ever tasted. \"All right, then,\" he muttered. \"You guys going to fuck me over or what? Because if not, I\'d like to head home.\"

Goku\'s head came up. That voice.... His eyes widened, just a bit, and he had the strangest feeling that he was looking at a ghost. His fingers curled in his pockets.

\"Yeah, we\'re gonna fuck you up good,\" Shaourin retorted angrily, motioning for the others to move closer. \"Little school boy wants to act tough, eh? Well--\"

\"No.\" The group paused in surprise as Goku moved ahead of the taller boy. His eyes flashed dangerously in the light of a flickering streetlamp as he approached the blond stranger. He placed himself straight across from the boy, studying the curl of his mouth, the droop of his cigarette, the slope of his eyes. \"Stand up,\" he ordered, \"if you can.\"

Huyen snorted. \"I am standing,\" he muttered, though he did force himself a little taller, staring down at the boy. Something about the way wide golden eyes regarded him made his stomach twist nauseously. \"And don\'t fuck with me. I\'m not asking for pity and I\'m not interested in joining your little street club here, so either let\'s get down to it or get the hell out of my way.\"

Well aware of the eyes on him, Goku easily stepped forward. He gauged his punch carefully--high on the stomach, just strong enough to knock the wind out of the boy. He easily caught the teen over his shoulder and turned to his gang with a grin. \"Wouldn\'t want a kid like you with us anyway,\" he retorted, and he laughed along with the others.

\"Want us to take care\'a him?\" Shaourin asked eagerly.

Goku shook his head. \"He\'s not worth the fuss. You guys go get some booze. I need some ‘my time.’\" That earned another laugh and a few catcalls, which he accepted with a sly grin, before Goku began to carry the thin blond down a quieter ally.

Huyen coughed weakly, clinging to Goku\'s shoulder as he was pulled away. His ribs, already bruised and aching, were burning now as he tried to take in a full breath. Damnit. Damnit! Not like this…. When he finally found some strength he threw his weight away from the smaller teen, managing to break free and land haphazardly on his feet. But he was still gasping and dizzy, and with his arms wrapped around his chest he sank against the wall of the alley, coughing hoarsely.

Goku blinked, but since they were out of sight from the rest of the group, he let the other go. For now. He leaned against the opposite wall, for now just watching the teen with wide eyes, trying to take in everything at once, wondering.... \"Was it a school gang?\" he finally asked. \"That got you.\"

Huyen glared at the boy through his bangs, but he hadn\'t quite gotten his breath back, so he didn\'t try to reply. Why is he looking at me like that? After a moment he was breathing normally again, and he leaned back against the cold stone. He didn\'t move his arms, though. \"What difference does it make?\" he replied at last, his voice croaking. \"But...yeah. Fuck.\" He turned his head away so the other wouldn\'t be able to see the raw, tense anger in his eyes.

\"Hmm....\" His chest tightened faintly. Maybe? It\'s been years and years, but...maybe...? He\'d learned not to allow his hope to get the better of him, so Goku pushed away from the wall and approached the teen again. \"Well, you\'re not out of the woods yet, kid. It\'s really too bad you came down to this end of town.\"

Huyen\'s eyes snapped to him again, fierce and bright. \"Don\'t talk to me like I\'m some junior high punk,\" he snapped, his fingers tightening. Though he should have known better than to provoke the leader of Beast--if the rumors were true he didn\'t stand a chance of leaving here--he wasn\'t about to lay down and die at the feet of a kid no older than him. He managed to get his feet beneath him and stand. \"Maybe I\'m not in the best shape, but I won\'t go down easy.\"

Goku chuckled at that. \"If I wanted you down, you would be flat by now,\" he said matter-of-factly. \"And I\'m older than I look.\" He regarded the teen with softer eyes. It\'s close.... The attitude is about the same, but.... Shrugging, Goku continued closer. \"Now stop being stubborn. If you want out of here, you\'ll have to let me carry you, otherwise it\'ll look suspicious.\" He smirked. \"Don\'t make me punch you again--I don\'t think your guts can take it.\"

Huyen took a sharp step to the side, away from him, glaring suspiciously. \"What are you talking about?\" he demanded, but his voice was low and even. \"I...don\'t want to owe you anything.\"

Goku waved a hand carelessly. \"Believe me, I have no need of a debt from you. Now just behave.\" Before the teen could escape again, Goku caught his wrist, with a quick movement pulling him over his shoulder once more. \"I can\'t just let you walk out of here or it\'ll draw suspicion on me. Just be still and enjoy the ride.\" Chuckling to himself, Goku started down the ally once more.

Huyen started to protest, but when his bruised stomach shifted against a slender shoulder he cringed and fell silent. Well….fuck. At least I\'ll be alive a while longer. Realizing there really was no way to get out of this with his pride intact he gave up. \"My name is Huyen,\" he muttered.

Good. Better to be smart, for now. Goku shifted the other gently, trying to take some of the strain off his stomach. \"Huyen, huh? Interesting name.\" Smells like smoke.... He closed his eyes a moment, turning his head just a bit to catch another quick breath of the familiar scent. \"I\'m Goku. Son Goku.\"

\"Son Goku….\" Huyen felt something twinge in his chest, which he reasoned was his ribs. He closed his eyes. \"I don\'t understand why you\'re doing this.\"

Goku smiled to himself, turning down another street. He tapped the other lightly on the back. \"Let’s just say...you remind me of someone,\" he finally replied. \"And you didn\'t beg. Everyone begs.\" Huyen.... I\'ll have to remember his name. Though he doesn\'t seem to remember me.

Huyen took in a swift, quiet breath at those words. \"…remind me of someone….” He realized how foolish he was, and he shook his head slightly. But he couldn\'t force away the almost nauseous feeling in his gut when those words replayed in his mind. He sighed. \"Whatever.\"

That\'s just like you, he thought, then shook the thought away.

Goku continued to walk in silence until he reached the edge of his gang\'s territory. Even then...he found he didn\'t want to let the other go right away. But it was getting late, and chances were Huyen had parents wondering about him somewhere. He paused, hidden from the main street. \"You still awake back there?\"

Huyen blinked his eyes open, realizing with dull surprise how far they\'d come. \"Yeah.\" It seemed Goku was letting him go, and he slid down carefully onto his feet. They didn\'t want to hold his weight at first, and he had to grip Goku\'s shoulder to keep from falling over. After a moment he\'d found his balance. \"Well...this is it, then,\" he murmuring, turning away. He rubbed idly at his sore stomach and chest.

Goku stuffed his hands back in his pockets, watching the other leave. It can\'t be him. After all this time.... He licked his lips as a bit of streetlight caught on Huyen\'s hair. Sanzo....

He looked away, feeling a familiar ache in his lungs. He forced it aside, pulling an easy grin into place. \"Watch your back next time,\" he called after the other. \"Take care, sunshine.\" Goku flinched, just a bit--he hadn\'t meant to say that last part.

Huyen paused, one foot half lifted to take another step, but...suddenly frozen. He set it down once more, and turned, taking another full look of the boy. Why does it feel so.... \"Hey,\" he said suddenly, without intending. His mouth felt suddenly dry. \"You...didn\'t know Wen Jin, did you? Of the Generals?\"

Goku\'s eyes widened, and his smile faded just a bit. \"Red mohawk. Died about two years ago.\" He nodded, feeling a chill run through him. Gojyo…. I wasn\'t in time. If only I-- \"Yeah, I heard of him. Saw him once or twice.\" Then, does that mean...?

Huyen looked away. \"Yeah. Yeah, he was….\" He cut himself off abruptly, and took in a shaky breath. It still hurt--more than it should have, but maybe just as much as he wanted it to. He took another step away, as if in retreat. \"I\'m one of his. I know that doesn\'t mean anything, but...whatever.\" Stalling, he reached for a fresh cigarette to light. \"Thanks, I guess. If I died back there...I wouldn\'t be able to face him.\"

Goku straightened, biting his lip to keep from saying another name. \"He certainly wouldn\'t have let you live it down,\" he replied, trying not to shift his weight anxiously. If Gojyo found him.... It can\'t really be him, can it? He had the sudden urge to approach the boy again, to push back the thick bangs covering his forehead and see if.... His fingers curled. Even the way he smokes.... \"He\'s probably up there right now, drinking some cheap beer and laughing at us.\"

Huyen frowned. That sounded...just like him, so much like him that someone like Goku shouldn\'t have understood him that well. Laughing at…\'us\'? \"Fuck you,\" he snapped suddenly, the bitter taste on his lips getting the better of him. \"You didn\'t know him.\" And though the outburst only made him more ill he turned and started to stalk away. \"Maybe you\'re the one who should watch his back, Son Goku.\"

Goku watched him start to leave again, and he found himself stepping after. He stopped, planting his feet firmly. Don\'t. If...if you\'re wrong.... Though.... Goku turned as well, still looking over his shoulder. \"Guess that means I\'ll see you again, Huyen,\" he called back.

Huyen held a hand up over his shoulder as a close approximation of a wave. Maybe. He scowled around his cigarette as he moved out into open streets, starting the long walk home. Son Goku…damnit. He hunched his shoulders against the night wind. He reminds me of someone, too.

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Goku lay back on the tall school wall, eyes trained to the sky through his dark sunglasses. He listened to the whispers from below, smiling to himself at the curious comments being made about him. The day was a bit cloudy--the sun was hiding again--but for once the dark day wasn\'t bringing his mood down. He folded his arms behind his head casually. Sooner or later, the school would empty out a bit more, and the local gang would approach him--he was looking forward to it. His stomach was tight, chest aching with trying to keep his pulse from rising too much. Because he could smell a familiar scent, and the anticipation of waiting all week for this was finally starting to get to him.

When Huyen heard about their evening visitor he felt his stomach fall into his shoes, even as his pulse clawed into his ears. So, he came. He\'d been expecting it, almost, if only because it fit with his lousy karma of late. Son Goku hadn\'t left his thoughts all week. He\'d even found him in his dreams, and it was beginning to wear him thin and anxious. Those bright eyes… But he couldn\'t do nothing, and so as the rest of his companions began to crowd about their uninvited guest he followed, though hanging back.

Chao-ran, the current leader of the Generals, approached Goku first. \"Hey, kid,\" he called, bracing a hand against his hip. The others fanned out around him, a few with baseball bats. \"The bell says it\'s time to go home. You better run back to your mamma.\"

\"I return those words,\" Goku replied, and though he didn\'t turn or move, all his attention was on the blonde he\'d caught briefly in the corner of his vision. He wasn\'t worried about these boys--the wall was tall enough that they wouldn\'t be able to easily reach him, and it wasn\'t like bats could cause him any real damage, anyway. He bent one knee, crossing the other casually over it. \"Besides, I\'m just waiting for something--no harm in that, right?\"

\"Waiting for something?\" Chao-ran echoed, a slight scowl twisting his features. He signaled for the others to stay back. \"Why don\'t you tell us?\" he suggested. \"Maybe we can...speed it along.\"

Huyen still didn\'t step closer. He\'s here for me, of course. He blew a quiet stream of smoke as his stomach continued to twist. What the hell does he want? And…how can I handle this?

Goku yawned and stretched, extending his limbs before folding them in again. He smiled up at a particularly large cloud--it looked like a manjuu. \"I\'m waiting for the sun to come out,\" he replied simply.

Huyen stiffened, and just as the rest of the gang began to protest angrily he let his cigarette fall, snuffing it out with his toe. Swiping briefly at his hand he stepped forward; the rest of the teens fell silent, to Chao-ran\'s disgust. \"What do you want?\" he called, shoving his hands in his pockets.

His smile grew, stomach curling at the sound of that voice. You do know me, don\'t you? You found Gojyo. Now I\'ve found you, haven\'t I? \"I already told you,\" he replied playfully, keeping his eyes carefully trained skyward. \"I\'m waiting for the sun.\"

The clouds parted then, allowing yellow warmth to spill down on them. Goku sighed happily, tilting his chin into the bright rays as if expecting some other touch. Or a kiss. True to his word, though, he pushed himself quickly to his feet, hands tucked in his pockets and eyes safely hidden beneath his glasses. His grin was only for the blond teen below him, though. \"There we go. I guess I\'ll be leaving now.\" He raised his hand in a playful wave as he began to walk along the edge of the wall.

\"What the hell...?\" Chao-ran snatched a bat from the closest teen, though there really was no way for him to reach Goku. \"Where do you think you\'re--\"

Huyen set a hand on his shoulder, silencing him and the other boys once more. \"Is that it?\" he called to Goku\'s back. His fingertips felt numb. He\'s looking for…the sun…? \"You\'re just leaving?\"

Goku paused, and he turned back with a grin. You\'re wondering now, aren\'t you. Do you remember me, Sanzo? He forced the sudden rise of emotion aside--not in front of these people. \"Don\'t worry,\" he called light-heartedly. \"I\'ll be back.\" To see you. I\'ll keep coming back until you remember me, Sanzo. Konzen....

\"The hell you will--\" Chao-ran started to protest yet again.

And again Huyen cut him off. \"Don\'t bother,\" he retorted. Something cold and fierce burned behind his ribs. \"If you\'re looking for the sun, it\'s not here anymore.\"

\"Oh, it\'s here,\" Goku replied, starting on his way again. \"It\'s just shy. But I\'ll be back.\" He continued to the edge of the wall. \"Bye boys!\" he called with a laugh, hopping easily off the ledge and starting down the street.

Huyen\'s face was still as he watched Goku\'s turned back. But there was still a dull pain in his lungs, a chill in his fingers, and before he knew what he was doing he’d broken out in a flat run. Damn him. Damn it all! \"Don\'t you walk away from me!\" he yelled, already aiming a punch to the back of Goku\'s head.

Goku turned, a bit surprised, but he still managed to easily dodge the teen\'s attack. He danced backwards, amused. \"Are you really going to fight me?\" he asked, keeping his voice low. \"You just healed from the last time, didn\'t you?\" He ducked another blow, smile widening. \"Or do ya just not want me to leave?\"

\"You don\'t know anything!\" Huyen charged again, too angry to be surprised by how easily Goku could dodge his punches. He didn\'t care that everyone was staring, stunned by his outburst, by his recklessness. With those eyes on him he felt as if he couldn\'t breathe, couldn\'t even see straight. An abrupt surge of injustice propelled him, and with a growl that was almost a sound of pain he finally managed to catch Goku by the collar, slamming his back up against the wall around the school.

Goku even barely winced, too taken by the twisting emotions on the other\'s face. The feel of bare knuckles brushing his throat sent little tremors all through him, and his eyes widened when that too familiar blond hair caught in the sunlight; it made him feel very small all of a sudden. He held still, though, waiting--wanting to know what the ghost in front of him might say.

\"You….\" Now that he had the boy he didn\'t know what to say, and Huyen gasped quietly for his lost breath. \"You should stay away from here,\" he murmured at last, so that only Goku would hear him. Shaking just enough that only Goku would know. And when he spoke the words he\'d intended, they sounded jagged on his breath. \"I\'m not what you\'re looking for. I can\'t be.\"

Goku\'s breath quivered in his lungs. \"You are,\" he replied simply, letting his glasses slide just enough that he could meet those deep eyes without barriers. \"And you\'ve been looking for me, only you don\'t know it yet. I can\'t stay away--I won\'t. I\'ve--\" His throat abruptly closed, and he fought to get himself back in control--he wasn\'t a child anymore, after all. \"I\'ll leave if you want,\" he tried instead, \"but I\'ll be back. I won\'t wait much longer for you.\"

Huyen\'s eyes thinned, and for a moment he stayed very still, tightening his fingers in course fabric. With an abrupt snort he pulled back, and shoved his hands in his pockets so they wouldn\'t be shaking visibly. \"I think you\'re wrong,\" he muttered, turning his head away. \"And don\'t come back here--I don\'t want you causing trouble for me.\" He paused, licking his lips. \"But...I\'ll be out tomorrow, down by the elementary school. If there\'s something else you want to say….\"

He smiled faintly. You do know. You do know me. \"If you\'re not there, I\'ll come find you,\" he warned. \"Even if I have to sniff you out.\" Goku stood away from the wall, straightening his coat and glasses--his fingers brushed over his golden headband. And suddenly he couldn\'t stay still; rather than bowling the teen over, he turned and began to run. \"Until tomorrow!\" he called over his shoulder, feeling suddenly lighter than he had in years.

Huyen watched him go for only a moment; then he turned, determined to leave before the others had a chance to ask their questions. Son Goku…I hope you\'re not disappointed. He swept a hand through his hair, fingertips alighting briefly on the small dot on his forehead. I\'m not going through this again.

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