A narrow margin of 10K
Dec. 7th, 2006 02:24 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
keire_keFunny thing happened recently. I was writing this story and I couldn't seem to stop. I usually have trouble with breaking 3K and the story ended up being just short of 13. It's a lousy time to lose the ability to write short stories, seeing as I've to submit the C&CW coursework next week. x_________X
I had something to say, but I completely forgot what it was. Damn. While I try to remember, please enjoy the ficcy.
Quite uncharacteristically, Sanzo was leaning against the counter sipping on his morning caffeine supply. He was usually the first one up, but very rarely the one to make coffee. Catering he preferred to push onto other people.
“You look like shit, captain,” Gojyo greeted him, helping himself to a cup.
“I didn’t get much sleep.” Another quite uncharacteristic action, for Sanzo to reply to an affectionate (in a manner of speaking) insult without a curse word. Gojyo stared at him for a moment. Something was clearly not right.
The room filled up quickly. The smell of Sanzo-made coffee could wake the dead, if only because the beverage itself was so thick that the caffeine was a palpable presence on the ship. Lirin bounced in, as usual. No one knew and no one particularly wanted to know what got her started in the morning and kept her bouncing throughout the day. Kougaji, when asked, told them to blame it on sugar and hope no other white substance was involved. If it got him through all of her life, he argued, it would work for anyone. He was sharp as ever in the mornings, but his enjoyment of the time left much to be desired. Yaone bowed politely upon entering, before seating herself in her usual chair.
“I’ll go an wake the two creeps,” Gojyo announced after a few minutes of waiting. Breakfast time was a serious matter – his morning meal will not be deterred by a couple of assholes who couldn’t be bothered to get there on time.
“Don’t.” Gojyo paused. “They’re not eating with us.”
“What, they offered to get you laid and you knocked them overboard?”
“Hakkai,” Sanzo said, ignoring the taunts. “Could you please explain why you make it a habit to cart around naked kids as your luggage?”
The room was suddenly still as a tomb. Hakkai raised his head and very carefully removed the spectacles from his face.
“I was led to believe that your ship does not perform baggage controls. In fact, I believe I specifically stated that what I transport is my responsibility alone. I made a point of stating that in writing.”
“Well, promotion time is over. Answer the question.”
“I fail to see how it is any of your business, captain,” Hakkai answered coolly. “I paid for transport and lack of questions. You operation doesn’t strike me as entirely legal, so I see no reason for this enquiry.”
“You’ll get a refund for questioning. I happen to draw the line of legal at human trafficking.” Sanzo crossed his arms. The staring contest went on, making every other person in the hall uncomfortable and also a little awed. Not many people could match Sanzo when he decided someone deserved to be stared at. Usually because his stares were often punctuated by gunshots, but that was beside the point.
“Very well,” Hakkai conceded eventually. “I assure you I have no intention of selling nor harming him. In fact, I do not plan to benefit from his presence, in any way. I decided it was best to transport him in this manner, until we reach a community less inclined to support the government.” Sanzo raised a questioning brow. “He would be searched for. My concern is to keep him safe.”
“Safe from what, exactly?” Gojyo asked, leaning forward. Hakkai glanced in his direction. He seemed to be considering his options.
“Things he did nothing to deserve,” he said eventually. His expression strongly suggested that the subject was officially closed. “Understand this – I mean him no harm. He had consented to travelling in this manner.”
Sanzo gave him another of his measuring stares and nodded. “Fair enough. But I’d rather know now if you have any more surprises in store. Like a firing squad in your medical bag.”
“That seems to be all.” Hakkai smiled his universal smile.
“Wait, wait! You’re gonna just take his word for it?” Jien rose in his chair and looked at Sanzo incredulously.
“Goku said the same thing, pretty much,” Sanzo said, turning to refill his cup. “Only with a great deal more enthusiasm.” Hakkai looked up sharply.
“Goku- Is he awake?”
“Not at the moment.” He took a long sip. “If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t go nosing through your stuff,” he added. “The feds did.”
“The feds? Sanzo, we’re in deep space here, how’d feds- Wait. Those two creeps. Hell.” Jien sat down heavily. “We’re so fucked.”
“Quite.” The room fell silent once again.
“May I see him please?” Hakkai asked eventually, having finished his coffee. Sanzo, busily staring into his own, offered a vague grunt in response. “Captain, he was in forced comatose state for a number of days. I would like to ensure that he sustained no damage.”
“Looked just fine to me.”
“Nevertheless, I would like to see him.”
“Knock yourself out. He’s in my bunk.” The moment the words left his mouth, he realised what a grave mistake that admission was. Gojyo gave him one of his stares and grinned widely. He knew blackmail material when he saw it.
“Woohooo, our esteemed leader is an actual human being after all! Now I need to see the kid for myself.” Lirin giggled in the background.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, where else was I supposed to put him? We had one free cabin and I needed to lock the feds separately!”
“Sure, sure. You keep repeating that, eventually you just might believe it.” Gojyo pushed himself away from the table and stood up. “Well, I suppose we better feed the kid now, so let’s get him and have breakfast!”
“Where the hell you think you’re going?” Sanzo abandoned his cup and hurried to catch Gojyo in the doorway.
“Where do you think I’m going? To the captain’s bunk of course! Always been curious and hey, like I would pass an opportunity to get into your bedroom.” Nimbly he sidestepped the furious captain and made his way into the corridor adjacent to the crew’s cabins. Sanzo’s wasn’t locked, for once. Gojyo grinned and thumbed the door open, the rest of the crew and passengers breathing down his neck, one with fury, the rest with mere curiosity. And boy, did the mystery extra deliver.
Gojyo noted with some surprise that the kid looked to be about Lirin’s age – general whereabouts of twenty. Somewhat on the short side, as much as it could be estimated while he was horizontal, but the muscles of his arms, as well as the general curvature of the body underneath what was undoubtedly Sanzo’s rarely worn t-shirt and shorts, was nothing short of alluring. Some thought went into display too – he was lying on his back, his head twisted backwards, which forced his spine to arch off the mussed up bed.
The strange pose was a result of what looked like a bizarre staring contest. The kid was completely engrossed in maintaining eye contact with the great silver tabby, also known as Kouryuu, the worst nightmare of the crew. The feline mirrored Goku’s position on the sheets, spread out on the back and twisting its graceful neck to stare at the human.
Someone behind Gojyo, probably Yaone, coughed politely and immediately both the kid and the cat shifted, from laying down to squatting on their haunches in one smooth movement. They stared at the newcomers briefly. Unlike Goku, however, Kouryuu dismissed them off-paw and in a purely feline fashion took several dignified steps to settle himself on the kid’s lap.
A lazy, welcoming grin made its way onto Gojyo’s expressive face.
“Hey there, Goku was it? We were just about to start breakfast, won’t you join us?” Goku’s eyes skimmed the crowd, seemed to find what he was looking for, because he was nodding, a slow smile curving his lips.
“Okay,” he said, but didn’t move. He looked down, his face forming the most adorable confused pout. It took a little while, but eventually Sanzo realised the problem was that he was unsure how to remove the considerable mass of the purring animal from his legs. Sanzo solved the matter by striding forward, grabbing the reluctant cat by the scruff of the neck and depositing it gently on the bed.
“Come on,” he said gruffly and Goku followed.
“Yeah, there’s a celebration to be had,” Gojyo said somewhere behind them. Sanzo shot him a glare that was half-suspicion and half ‘what the fuck are you on about?’ “Please. You two are so obviously meant to be together.” Sanzo felt his teeth grate.
“What?” It was one of his unique talents, being able to pack five curses, two questions and a vast amount of annoyance into one simple syllable.
“Not only did you let another human being into your bed, and frankly, that’s a fucking big clue right there, but your crazy fur ball actually likes him. And that, my friend, is a sign from the Heavens if I’ve ever seen one.” He beamed and bowed, spreading his arms theatrically. Sanzo closed his eyes and rubbed his temples warily. He ached for a smoke, if only to entertain the notion of putting it out on Gojyo’s head.
Goku, on the other hand, seemed completely unmoved by the insinuations, if he noticed at all. He smiled up at Hakkai and followed the rest of the crew into the mess hall.
“Because you would have conjured another spare cabin,” he growled. Gojyo’s smile just got wider, but diminished quickly when he realised they lost their audience. “I couldn’t leave him alone,” Sanzo said quietly. Gojyo stopped smiling altogether. There were at least five retorts begging to be voiced, but he knew what the captain was trying to say here, so he refrained from commenting.
“He’s a danger, you think?”
“I think that you don’t pack people into crates if you want to save on a ticket.” Gojyo nodded.
“Not gonna argue with that.” He grinned. “I’m not taking back what I said though.” Sanzo rolled his eyes and followed the rest of the crew.
After the rather uneventful breakfast, Hakkai excused Goku and himself from the table, gently steering them towards the infirmary. Sanzo raised a brow and motioned for Gojyo to follow. The two of them leaned against the wall opposite the pointedly transparent windows, watching Hakkai ruffle through his bag and ask questions. No sound emerged, of course – the soundproofing was there for a reason – but the angle was good and Sanzo could read lips. ‘How are you feeling?’ ‘Does anything hurt?’ ‘Did you have trouble waking up?’ Seemingly satisfied with the answers (‘a little weak’, ‘no’ and ‘no, but fell asleep again’), Hakkai said something with his back to the glass. Goku nodded in reply and tugged his shirt off.
“So?”
“So what?” Gojyo replied smartly, appraising the kid out of habit. The muscles were all smooth shapes and curved lines, blending into one another underneath the golden skin. A sight most lovely to see, and he was definitely qualified to judge.
“Anything you can tell me?” Hakkai turned to his patient, a stethoscope around his neck. He pressed the chestpiece to Goku’s heart for several seconds. Sanzo and Gojyo couldn’t hear what was going on, but they knew the routine well enough – inhale, exhale, hold your breath, chest, back. Simple enough.
“I thought you were the non-verbal communication expert here, seeing how you grunt your way through life.”
“I know when to stop hitting. Usually them not moving is a pretty big clue.” Gojyo grinned.
“I can’t tell you much,” he said looking into the infirmary. “Goku trusts him, if that’s what you wanted to know. But I wouldn’t exactly say they’re friends. It’s more like a no-other-options kind of trust.” Sanzo nodded.
“And?”
“Not much else. The good doctor is about as expressive as a stone wall. I never thought I’d meet someone as blank as you, but shit, you’re a neon notice board compared to him. Seeing how you only have two modes, pissed and fucking pissed, anyway.”
“What about Goku?”
“He makes up for it, in his own weird way.”
“Weird way?” Inside, Hakkai tied a rubber strap around Goku’s forearm and swiped a cotton pad on the inside of his elbow.
“The kid is more comfortable in there than he was in the mess. That’s fucking weird, by my standards.” Gojyo winced when Hakkai casually buried a needle in Goku’s left arm, drawing blood. His wince was amplified when the doctor set the now crimson syringe aside, unpacked a fresh one, filled it with a bluish liquid and, without much ado, stuck it back into the kid’s arm. “See, this is what I’m talking about. He’s getting injected right and left and he’s cool as interplanetary debris. No discomfort whatsoever.”
“… Like it happened every day?”
“Yeah.” Gojyo shot a troubled glance at Sanzo. “You thing that’s what this is about? Someone was pumping the kid full of some experimental shit and Hakkai took offence?”
“Maybe. Maybe not.” Hakkai was talking again, but this time with his back to the glass. Damn. “Listen, keep an eye on him,” Sanzo said eventually.
“The good doctor, you mean?”
“At least until I can get some info.”
“I didn’t think he was lying.”
“I know. But he wasn’t exactly informative either.”
“What did the kid say earlier?”
“Not much. Hakkai ‘is nice’ and got him out. That’s all he knows.”
“All he knows, or all he’s saying?”
“Both,” Sanzo said. Inside the infirmary Hakkai was doing something with the blood sample and the analysing equipment, what exactly he couldn’t say. Something still seemed wrong, he thought as he watched the two, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Hakkai was genuinely concerned and Goku went along with the examination readily. So why was he feeling so uneasy?
I had something to say, but I completely forgot what it was. Damn. While I try to remember, please enjoy the ficcy.
Quite uncharacteristically, Sanzo was leaning against the counter sipping on his morning caffeine supply. He was usually the first one up, but very rarely the one to make coffee. Catering he preferred to push onto other people.
“You look like shit, captain,” Gojyo greeted him, helping himself to a cup.
“I didn’t get much sleep.” Another quite uncharacteristic action, for Sanzo to reply to an affectionate (in a manner of speaking) insult without a curse word. Gojyo stared at him for a moment. Something was clearly not right.
The room filled up quickly. The smell of Sanzo-made coffee could wake the dead, if only because the beverage itself was so thick that the caffeine was a palpable presence on the ship. Lirin bounced in, as usual. No one knew and no one particularly wanted to know what got her started in the morning and kept her bouncing throughout the day. Kougaji, when asked, told them to blame it on sugar and hope no other white substance was involved. If it got him through all of her life, he argued, it would work for anyone. He was sharp as ever in the mornings, but his enjoyment of the time left much to be desired. Yaone bowed politely upon entering, before seating herself in her usual chair.
“I’ll go an wake the two creeps,” Gojyo announced after a few minutes of waiting. Breakfast time was a serious matter – his morning meal will not be deterred by a couple of assholes who couldn’t be bothered to get there on time.
“Don’t.” Gojyo paused. “They’re not eating with us.”
“What, they offered to get you laid and you knocked them overboard?”
“Hakkai,” Sanzo said, ignoring the taunts. “Could you please explain why you make it a habit to cart around naked kids as your luggage?”
The room was suddenly still as a tomb. Hakkai raised his head and very carefully removed the spectacles from his face.
“I was led to believe that your ship does not perform baggage controls. In fact, I believe I specifically stated that what I transport is my responsibility alone. I made a point of stating that in writing.”
“Well, promotion time is over. Answer the question.”
“I fail to see how it is any of your business, captain,” Hakkai answered coolly. “I paid for transport and lack of questions. You operation doesn’t strike me as entirely legal, so I see no reason for this enquiry.”
“You’ll get a refund for questioning. I happen to draw the line of legal at human trafficking.” Sanzo crossed his arms. The staring contest went on, making every other person in the hall uncomfortable and also a little awed. Not many people could match Sanzo when he decided someone deserved to be stared at. Usually because his stares were often punctuated by gunshots, but that was beside the point.
“Very well,” Hakkai conceded eventually. “I assure you I have no intention of selling nor harming him. In fact, I do not plan to benefit from his presence, in any way. I decided it was best to transport him in this manner, until we reach a community less inclined to support the government.” Sanzo raised a questioning brow. “He would be searched for. My concern is to keep him safe.”
“Safe from what, exactly?” Gojyo asked, leaning forward. Hakkai glanced in his direction. He seemed to be considering his options.
“Things he did nothing to deserve,” he said eventually. His expression strongly suggested that the subject was officially closed. “Understand this – I mean him no harm. He had consented to travelling in this manner.”
Sanzo gave him another of his measuring stares and nodded. “Fair enough. But I’d rather know now if you have any more surprises in store. Like a firing squad in your medical bag.”
“That seems to be all.” Hakkai smiled his universal smile.
“Wait, wait! You’re gonna just take his word for it?” Jien rose in his chair and looked at Sanzo incredulously.
“Goku said the same thing, pretty much,” Sanzo said, turning to refill his cup. “Only with a great deal more enthusiasm.” Hakkai looked up sharply.
“Goku- Is he awake?”
“Not at the moment.” He took a long sip. “If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t go nosing through your stuff,” he added. “The feds did.”
“The feds? Sanzo, we’re in deep space here, how’d feds- Wait. Those two creeps. Hell.” Jien sat down heavily. “We’re so fucked.”
“Quite.” The room fell silent once again.
“May I see him please?” Hakkai asked eventually, having finished his coffee. Sanzo, busily staring into his own, offered a vague grunt in response. “Captain, he was in forced comatose state for a number of days. I would like to ensure that he sustained no damage.”
“Looked just fine to me.”
“Nevertheless, I would like to see him.”
“Knock yourself out. He’s in my bunk.” The moment the words left his mouth, he realised what a grave mistake that admission was. Gojyo gave him one of his stares and grinned widely. He knew blackmail material when he saw it.
“Woohooo, our esteemed leader is an actual human being after all! Now I need to see the kid for myself.” Lirin giggled in the background.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, where else was I supposed to put him? We had one free cabin and I needed to lock the feds separately!”
“Sure, sure. You keep repeating that, eventually you just might believe it.” Gojyo pushed himself away from the table and stood up. “Well, I suppose we better feed the kid now, so let’s get him and have breakfast!”
“Where the hell you think you’re going?” Sanzo abandoned his cup and hurried to catch Gojyo in the doorway.
“Where do you think I’m going? To the captain’s bunk of course! Always been curious and hey, like I would pass an opportunity to get into your bedroom.” Nimbly he sidestepped the furious captain and made his way into the corridor adjacent to the crew’s cabins. Sanzo’s wasn’t locked, for once. Gojyo grinned and thumbed the door open, the rest of the crew and passengers breathing down his neck, one with fury, the rest with mere curiosity. And boy, did the mystery extra deliver.
Gojyo noted with some surprise that the kid looked to be about Lirin’s age – general whereabouts of twenty. Somewhat on the short side, as much as it could be estimated while he was horizontal, but the muscles of his arms, as well as the general curvature of the body underneath what was undoubtedly Sanzo’s rarely worn t-shirt and shorts, was nothing short of alluring. Some thought went into display too – he was lying on his back, his head twisted backwards, which forced his spine to arch off the mussed up bed.
The strange pose was a result of what looked like a bizarre staring contest. The kid was completely engrossed in maintaining eye contact with the great silver tabby, also known as Kouryuu, the worst nightmare of the crew. The feline mirrored Goku’s position on the sheets, spread out on the back and twisting its graceful neck to stare at the human.
Someone behind Gojyo, probably Yaone, coughed politely and immediately both the kid and the cat shifted, from laying down to squatting on their haunches in one smooth movement. They stared at the newcomers briefly. Unlike Goku, however, Kouryuu dismissed them off-paw and in a purely feline fashion took several dignified steps to settle himself on the kid’s lap.
A lazy, welcoming grin made its way onto Gojyo’s expressive face.
“Hey there, Goku was it? We were just about to start breakfast, won’t you join us?” Goku’s eyes skimmed the crowd, seemed to find what he was looking for, because he was nodding, a slow smile curving his lips.
“Okay,” he said, but didn’t move. He looked down, his face forming the most adorable confused pout. It took a little while, but eventually Sanzo realised the problem was that he was unsure how to remove the considerable mass of the purring animal from his legs. Sanzo solved the matter by striding forward, grabbing the reluctant cat by the scruff of the neck and depositing it gently on the bed.
“Come on,” he said gruffly and Goku followed.
“Yeah, there’s a celebration to be had,” Gojyo said somewhere behind them. Sanzo shot him a glare that was half-suspicion and half ‘what the fuck are you on about?’ “Please. You two are so obviously meant to be together.” Sanzo felt his teeth grate.
“What?” It was one of his unique talents, being able to pack five curses, two questions and a vast amount of annoyance into one simple syllable.
“Not only did you let another human being into your bed, and frankly, that’s a fucking big clue right there, but your crazy fur ball actually likes him. And that, my friend, is a sign from the Heavens if I’ve ever seen one.” He beamed and bowed, spreading his arms theatrically. Sanzo closed his eyes and rubbed his temples warily. He ached for a smoke, if only to entertain the notion of putting it out on Gojyo’s head.
Goku, on the other hand, seemed completely unmoved by the insinuations, if he noticed at all. He smiled up at Hakkai and followed the rest of the crew into the mess hall.
“Because you would have conjured another spare cabin,” he growled. Gojyo’s smile just got wider, but diminished quickly when he realised they lost their audience. “I couldn’t leave him alone,” Sanzo said quietly. Gojyo stopped smiling altogether. There were at least five retorts begging to be voiced, but he knew what the captain was trying to say here, so he refrained from commenting.
“He’s a danger, you think?”
“I think that you don’t pack people into crates if you want to save on a ticket.” Gojyo nodded.
“Not gonna argue with that.” He grinned. “I’m not taking back what I said though.” Sanzo rolled his eyes and followed the rest of the crew.
After the rather uneventful breakfast, Hakkai excused Goku and himself from the table, gently steering them towards the infirmary. Sanzo raised a brow and motioned for Gojyo to follow. The two of them leaned against the wall opposite the pointedly transparent windows, watching Hakkai ruffle through his bag and ask questions. No sound emerged, of course – the soundproofing was there for a reason – but the angle was good and Sanzo could read lips. ‘How are you feeling?’ ‘Does anything hurt?’ ‘Did you have trouble waking up?’ Seemingly satisfied with the answers (‘a little weak’, ‘no’ and ‘no, but fell asleep again’), Hakkai said something with his back to the glass. Goku nodded in reply and tugged his shirt off.
“So?”
“So what?” Gojyo replied smartly, appraising the kid out of habit. The muscles were all smooth shapes and curved lines, blending into one another underneath the golden skin. A sight most lovely to see, and he was definitely qualified to judge.
“Anything you can tell me?” Hakkai turned to his patient, a stethoscope around his neck. He pressed the chestpiece to Goku’s heart for several seconds. Sanzo and Gojyo couldn’t hear what was going on, but they knew the routine well enough – inhale, exhale, hold your breath, chest, back. Simple enough.
“I thought you were the non-verbal communication expert here, seeing how you grunt your way through life.”
“I know when to stop hitting. Usually them not moving is a pretty big clue.” Gojyo grinned.
“I can’t tell you much,” he said looking into the infirmary. “Goku trusts him, if that’s what you wanted to know. But I wouldn’t exactly say they’re friends. It’s more like a no-other-options kind of trust.” Sanzo nodded.
“And?”
“Not much else. The good doctor is about as expressive as a stone wall. I never thought I’d meet someone as blank as you, but shit, you’re a neon notice board compared to him. Seeing how you only have two modes, pissed and fucking pissed, anyway.”
“What about Goku?”
“He makes up for it, in his own weird way.”
“Weird way?” Inside, Hakkai tied a rubber strap around Goku’s forearm and swiped a cotton pad on the inside of his elbow.
“The kid is more comfortable in there than he was in the mess. That’s fucking weird, by my standards.” Gojyo winced when Hakkai casually buried a needle in Goku’s left arm, drawing blood. His wince was amplified when the doctor set the now crimson syringe aside, unpacked a fresh one, filled it with a bluish liquid and, without much ado, stuck it back into the kid’s arm. “See, this is what I’m talking about. He’s getting injected right and left and he’s cool as interplanetary debris. No discomfort whatsoever.”
“… Like it happened every day?”
“Yeah.” Gojyo shot a troubled glance at Sanzo. “You thing that’s what this is about? Someone was pumping the kid full of some experimental shit and Hakkai took offence?”
“Maybe. Maybe not.” Hakkai was talking again, but this time with his back to the glass. Damn. “Listen, keep an eye on him,” Sanzo said eventually.
“The good doctor, you mean?”
“At least until I can get some info.”
“I didn’t think he was lying.”
“I know. But he wasn’t exactly informative either.”
“What did the kid say earlier?”
“Not much. Hakkai ‘is nice’ and got him out. That’s all he knows.”
“All he knows, or all he’s saying?”
“Both,” Sanzo said. Inside the infirmary Hakkai was doing something with the blood sample and the analysing equipment, what exactly he couldn’t say. Something still seemed wrong, he thought as he watched the two, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Hakkai was genuinely concerned and Goku went along with the examination readily. So why was he feeling so uneasy?
