Cats and Monks
a Saiyuki story
by Aimee
"And...here is the list." Hakkai walked up to Gojyo and handed him a long piece of paper with various things scrolled down it. "I'd go with you, but I have to tend to Hakuryu and Sanzo...well..." A look at the blonde priest, Hakkai just smiled. "Just don't go around goofing off with Goku."
"Yeah, yeah." Gojyo pushed his crimson hair over his shoulder and took a hold of Goku's cape. "Let's go, monkey."
"Aw, why do I get stuck with you all the time?!" Goku grumbled as they stepped outside onto the street, heading to the small town area. "First I share a room with you, and now I have to shop with you..."
"Would you shut up?" Gojyo pocketed the list and pulled out Sanzo's credit card. "If you are a good monkey, I'll get you a nice big lunch, ok?" He waved the gold card in the air, immediately hypnotizing Goku.
"Lunch?! You mean it?!"
"Of course. But you have to do something for me..." Gojyo's ruby eyes sparkled deviously, but Goku was too into the fact he was getting a large lunch to notice.
"Anything!"
"Go buy all the things while I go cruising for a chick." Gojyo set the card on top of Goku head and laughing, began to walk away.
"You stupid *Kappa!" Goku took a hold of the card and chucked it at the red target in front of him. The plastic hit off the top of Gojyo's head and flew to the side.
"You stupid monkey!" Gojyo turned wildly, holding his head as his eyes flashed angrily. "That hurt!"
"That's what it was supposed to do!" Goku stuck out his tongue and then stopped. "Uh oh."
"What?" Gojyo hissed, still rubbing the back of his head.
"Where did the card go?" Goku looked around them and around the street they were in. Like most of the other towns they went to, the ground was hard sandstone and practically the same color as the credit card.
"You stupid, stupid monkey!" Gojyo balled his hand into a fist and sent it crashing on top of Goku's head. "Sanzo is going to shoot us both if you lost it! Find - *hit* - it - *smack* - NOW! *hithitsmack*"
"Quit it, cockroach!" Goku ran from Gojyo's flying fists and began to look around the side of the building where he thought he seen it go. A flash of gold caught his eye and he smiled, bending down to investigate when he jumped back slightly. "Aw, no..."
"What?" Gojyo let out a heavy sigh, placing a new cigarette between his lips. "Don't tell me something happened to it. If so, this is all your fault." Shaking his head, he bent down to get level with the crouched Goku and picked up what the other seen. "Ohh..."
"Wait, I think it's alive." Goku carefully picked up the limp body of a small kitten. Its sleek black fur looked matted with what Goku realized was blood. "We have to help it..." Goku frowned deeply, his love for animals had made him want to cry at the sight of the tiny injured kitten.
"I didn't see a vet office in town." Gojyo raised his head and looked downwards to the busy street. "And don't even -."
"Let's take it to the hotel!" Goku turned his head, large gold pleading eyes met Gojyo. "We can have Hakkai use his powers to heal it. You heard him, we'll be here for a few days while Hakuryu rests."
"Goku, are you nuts?!" Gojyo stood up, placing one hand on his slender hip. "Sanzo is allergic to cats! Remember Betty?"
"It's name was Tama..."
"Betty..."
"Tama!"
"Betty!"
"Ok, ok! Whatever. Look, we can't leave it here." Goku looked into his hands, watching the shallow breathing through the black fur. "I'm taking him back. Sanzo will never know! We are in separate rooms remember?"
Gojyo sighed heavily and looked at Goku seriously. Goku was too headstrong and Gojyo sure didn't want anything to happen to the kitten. "Alright, but if we get busted, it's on your head monkey."
-
"Hakkai..." Goku opened the door to Hakkai and Sanzo's room just enough so his head could fit through. "Can you come here, please?"
Hakkai looked up from the small bed on the floor that he had fixed for Hakuryu, the dragon/jeep, and tilted his head slightly to the side. "What's the matter?"
"It's...um. Come here." Goku briefly looked at Sanzo, the blonde was nose-deep into the newspaper, yet one violet eye went to Goku, the look curious.
Hakkai stood up from his bed and walked over to the door. "What's wrong? Where is Gojyo... Oh my." Goku shut the door behind the taller man who had seen Gojyo hovering around his and Goku's door with the kitten in his hands. Goku took Hakkai's hand and the three disappeared into the room.
"We didn't know what -." "Not we, him." " - to do! It's hurt and we wanted -." "He wanted." " - to take it back here and maybe you can heal her and maybe nurse her back to health before we went?" Goku rambled quickly, Gojyo correcting him as he went on.
"But, Sanzo..." Hakkai gave them stern looks before meeting with Goku's pleading look. "If he finds out, it's not going to be pretty."
"Does that mean you'll help?" Goku's face light up instantly when Hakkai nodded and the shorter male's arms wrapped around Hakkai's body. "Oh! Thank you, Hakkai!"
Smiling, his eyes closed, Hakkai patted Goku's head. "Don't worry about it. Just hurry and get the things I sent you out for before Sanzo gets suspicious. Plus he's out of cigarettes, so that won't help." Hakkai took the kitten from Gojyo and went to sit on one of the two beds.
"Right away!" Goku and Gojyo left the room as a flash of green light emitted from Hakkai's hands, healing the kitten instantly. Hakkai smiled down at the kitten, petting it's fur slowly. The kitten seemed to have been attacked by another animal, but Hakkai was sure it would heal fully in no time at all. Letting the kitten sleep, he put it in the middle of the bed and wrapped a blanket around it, keeping it feeling secured. When he was satisfied, he walked out the door and back to his and Sanzo's room. As his hand hit the doorknob, he glanced down to his outfit. Small black hairs clung to his upper body as he struggled to brush them off.
When he figured he had gotten all the hair off, he walked back into the room, trying to be as cool and calm as ever, which worked well with him.
"What was that about?" Sanzo's head didn't move up from the large paper it was behind when he questioned Hakkai.
The brunette went to work getting clothes ready for the wash, keeping himself busy. "Oh, you know Goku and Gojyo. I write something and they don't know what it was."
"Hmph." Sanzo didn't buy that for a second. Though he chose not to press it, he didn't like the fact they were keeping something from him. He seen Hakkai walk around the room from the corner of his eye, still trying to read about the days events in the newspaper. Stories about demons attacking villagers all over the place, things Sanzo had to keep up on or no one else would. He chose to ignore his traveling companions and whatever it was they were up to when he picked up his mug of tea from the table. As he brought it to his lips, he stopped, his breath hitching quickly. "Hah-tchho!" His head fell forward, eyes closed as he sneezed unsuspectedly.
"Catching a cold, Sanzo?" Hakkai put on a small smile as he looked up from the laundry pile on the floor.
Sanzo moved the paper and looked over at the other man, eyebrow raising. "No." He took a sip of his tea and set down the mug. A slender finger came up to his nose and rubbed it slightly. There was a faint burning inside of his nose and he knew that feeling all too well, and it wasn't him coming down with a cold. The rubbing, which was meant to help, didn't, and he bent forward, his breath picking up once more. "Huuhhh...haa-kcchhh! Hhaa-schhhoo!"
"Here." Hakkai appeared at Sanzo's side with a soft tissue, and with a glare that could kill Sanzo took it from him and blew his nose. "You sure you are ok?"
"I'm not." Sanzo placed the tissue on the table and sniffed slightly. He knew something was going on, but he didn't want to bring it up just yet. For all he knew, he could be wrong.
-
Goku and Gojyo surprisingly got all the shopping done in record time. Fighting wasn't on their mind this time, but getting back to see how the kitten was doing was gnawing at them. It was funny to think that two demons, such as them, who went around killing other demons could have such a soft spot for animals.
Both had their arms full of bags that contained food, cigarettes, beer and other things needed for the four traveling companions. They opted to go to Sanzo's room first to drop everything off before returning to the cat so the monk wouldn't suspect anything.
"HAA-KSHHH!!"
Goku stopped halfway down the hall to Sanzo and Hakkai's room. "Uhhhoh. Did you hear that?"
Gojyo looked at the shorter male and laughed. "This is still on your head, stupid monkey."
Goku swallowed hard and ran the rest of the way and opened the door to his companions room with some difficulty from the bags. "I'm so sorry!" Panting slightly from running, he spotted Sanzo right away and was about to bribe, cry, and plead for the blonde not to shoot him.
"What are you talking about?" Sanzo set the paper down and took off his glasses.
Goku stood strait up and looked over to Hakkai who was waving him down behind Sanzo, shaking his head. "Oh, I... Uh. Sorry we're late!" Goku laughed uneasily as he set down the bags on the table in the center of the room.
Hakkai sighed and looked at Gojyo who had just entered. "I don't know what the monkey is spazing about." Gojyo shrugged and put his bags down next to Goku's.
As Hakkai looked through the bags, he handed Gojyo a few things. "Here are some things for your room, can you take them in there please?" Hakkai looked dead at Gojyo, inwardly telling him he could go check on the kitten if he wanted to.
"Sure thing." Gojyo handed a bottle of shampoo to Goku and nodded his head to the door. "Come on before you break down any more doors."
"Hold it! All of you!" Sanzo called out causing all three men to stop what they were doing. "What the hell is going on?"
"W...what do you mean?" Goku turned his head, body still frozen, to Sanzo. "We're taking..."
"Don't act stupid." Sanzo shut his eyes out of anger, crossing his arms across his chest. "You are all acting funny and I've been sneezing like crazy."
"Aw, the great Sanzo-Sama coming down with a cold?" Gojyo laughed to himself, great at acting normal and teasing the blonde.
"I will kill you." Sanzo opened his eyes, the violet gaze glaring at the red-haired half breed. "I know so...something..." Sanzo's cold and angry demeanor began to slip away when his breath became uneven. He felt the sneeze coming on, but didn't want it to break the anger he was trying to get across. "...something is going on and yo...you a..aahh..." His one hand slipped from his chest where it had been crossed and was raised to his mouth. "Haaahhh...HSHhhh! HaaSCHHH! Damnit!"
Gojyo gave him a deadpan bored look. "Are you going to threaten or sneeze on us? AHH!" He had barely enough time to move when Sanzo drew his gun and shot it at his head, clipping a few strands of crimson hair. "You idiot! That was too close!"
"I told you to not..." Sighing heavily in mid-sentence, Sanzo waved his hand. "Whatever, get out of here then."
Gojyo rolled his eyes and nodded for Goku to follow him. "Come on. Before the priest starts shooting again. Geeze." Once the two were out of the room, Goku looked up at Gojyo with wide eyes.
"Wow! You acted so natural!"
"Stupid!" Gojyo smacked him behind the head as they went into their room. "Running in there like that! I can't wait for Sanzo to find... Aww!" Gojyo walked over to where Hakkai left the kitten and smiled brightly. The kitten was no longer breathing uneven and slow like before. Instead it picked it's head up when the two came into the room.
"Aww!" Goku dropped the shampoo on the bed and went over to the kitten. "Heeey, looks like you are feeling better." He gently pet the kitten's head, smiling happily.
"Hakkai gave me some milk, I'll get something to put it in." Gojyo looked around the room and sighed. "Tch, there isn't anything up here. I'll have to get a bowl from the restaurant downstairs. Make sure the kitten doesn't try and move around too much." He opened the door to the room and jumped back. "Sanzo?!"
Goku's head shot up from the bed, but could only see the back of Gojyo and the door, Sanzo hidden between the two.
Sanzo narrowed his eyes, his hands on his hips. "My card, kappa*." Sanzo held out his hand which shifted from his hip. "I don't want you running it up on hookers off the street."
Gojyo's surprise was turned into anger at that point. "You stupid monk! I don't have to pay for sex, mind you." Digging in his pocket, he handed the card to Sanzo with a smirk. "You, on the other hand..." He stopped when the silver end of the gun was exposed next to his head.
"You wish." Sanzo looked down to the bottle of milk in Gojyo's hand. "What are you doing wi...huuuuhhh...hhAAATTCCCHHH!" A violent sneeze escaped Sanzo causing him to double over hand covering his mouth and nose. "Hhhttchhh! Hhhtcch! Huhhhh...tccssh!"
Gojyo bit his bottom lip nervously, trying to move himself further out of the room so he could shut the door...to no such luck.
"What is going on in here?!" Sanzo's hand slammed against the door, making it shoot open with a bang.
Goku scooped the kitten in his arms, putting it under his shirt. "Sanzo! What's the matter with you?"
"Stupid monkey! I seen wha...whaaa...Haaattcch!! Ha-aahhccchh!" Sanzo figured through his clouded head that he wasn't helping himself and walked quickly back to his own room, loud sneezing filling up the hallway.
"Oh no! We are so dead!" Goku removed the confused kitten from his shirt and set it back down on the bed. "What are we going to do? Change our names! That's it! Change our names and...uhh... join a band of gypsies!"
"You are so stupid." Gojyo placed a hand over his face and sighed. "Tch! What's he so mad about? It's not like we are under his supervision anyway. I'm an adult!"
"So am I!" Goku frowned and stood up.
Gojyo turned and smirked. "Yeah, you wish." Shaking his head, he went back to the matter at hand. "Ugh, forget him. I'm going to get a bowl for the cat."
-
Sanzo returned to the room, hand still covering his nose and mouth. He wasn't stupid and knew there had to have been a cat around to trigger his allergies. And by the way the others were acting, they had something to do with it. When he went to get his card, he heard Gojyo through the door say something about a kitten. Sanzo looked around the room and didn't see Hakkai. He figured he was off doing some more laundry. Atleast he'd get some peace.
"Huhh-tcchh!" Sanzo sneezed into his palm and went to the connecting bathroom and pulled some tissues from a box on he sink and went back to the main room. Going back into the room, he sat heavily on his bed and blew his nose hard. He noticed his eyes started to itch and water, his fisted hand coming up to rub his closed orb. He hated feeling miserable like this, wishing he wasn't so weak against something like a cat. Sighing, he leaned back against his bed and let out a small laugh.
He remembered the first time he found out about his allergies, back when he was in the temple with Koumyo, one of the monks living in the temple had a cat and when Koumyo took Sanzo to see it, he couldn't stop sneezing. He hated it. He hated feeling weak.
"Sanzo?" Hakkai opened the door and poked his head in. "You alright?"
"Tch, what a stupid question." Sanzo placed his tissued baring hand on his lap and sighed. "So, what's with the cat?"
Hakkai summed up what happened and to his surprise, Sanzo smiled gently.
"Well, we are only here for three days, I guess I'll live." Lifting his head up, his violet eyes shined to Hakkai under the golden curtain of hair. "Both the Kappa and monkey know they will be punished for this, right?"
Hakkai laughed softly, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "Yes. I'm sure they do."
Sanzo smiled smugly and rubbed under his nose, another twinge of burning had stared. "Good, I wouldn't want them to be too surpris...sed..." Sanzo ducked his head down, catching his nose into the tissue. "Hhhh...tchh! Huh-tch...Haaa...Huuhh-TCHH!"
"Want me to get you anything?" Hakkai frowned gently, watching Sanzo blow his nose.
"Yeah. Hckt-TCH!... New traveling companions."
I don't own Saiyuki or any of the characters, they belong to .
I just won't believe that after a day hanging out with a cat Sanzo's allergies were gone. I refuse! Lol. So, this probably happens during Saiyuki Reload when they all know about the allergy thanks to Tama-chan!
* - Kappa means "water-sprite/fairy".