Title: Man To Man (Part 3 of the Torrent Thread)

Author: Befanini
Website: http://www.fanfiction.net/~befanini

Disclaimer: I have absolutely no rights whatsoever. For pointless daydreaming purposes only. XD

Rating: T, just to be safe.

Summary: Or kappa to monkey, if you prefer… Gojyo and Goku have a heart-to-heart. Companion piece to Torrent.

A/N: This wouldn't leave me alone until it was written. Goku's feelings about Sanzo and Gojyo just wouldn't give me any peace until they were sorted out. Hence this pointless snippet.

To all who have reviewed and enjoy my stories, thanks very much! Please check out my profiles page for my replies to your wonderful critique, hai?

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I am like a falling star who has finally found his place next to another in a lovely constellation, where we will sparkle in the heavens forever. –Amy Tan

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Growl

"Darn it… I'm hungry again…"

Hakkai peers over at Goku. "There's some leftovers in the pot over the campfire, Goku," he whispers.

"Yosh! You're the greatest, Hakkai!" Goku pulls on a sweater and hurries out of the tent.

Silence and darkness descend once more… but in a minute, Gojyo starts tossing and turning as well.

"K'so…" growls Sanzo, beside him.

"Eh, it's that bakazaru's fault! His growling stomach woke me up…"

"Well, you needn't wake everybody else up, do you!"

"Gomen, gomen… 'Ch. Now I need a smoke…" Muttering, Gojyo fumbles in the half-dark for his pack of cigarettes, then fumbles some more for his lighter. Hakkai turns over, mumbling. The dragon shifts irritably as well.

"Dammit, take mine and let us sleep already!" Sanzo hisses.

"Sankyuuu…" Gojyo bends down, retrieves the priest's lighter, and steals a quick kiss on the frowning lips. "Love you…"

"Shoo."

Gojyo stays put. Sanzo turns crimson. From Hakkai's corner comes a sleepy, bored drawl. "Answer him already, for Tenkai's sakes, or we'll never get any rest!"

Twitch. Then Sanzo grabs Gojyo's head and pulls it down. "Suki desu…" he whispers fiercely, annoyed purple eyes glaring into cheeky crimson ones. Gojyo steals one more kiss, then exits with a satisfied chuckle.

"Lunatic…" grumps Sanzo.

"You two give me a toothache," Hakkai mumbles sleepily. Sanzo jerks his sleeping bag over his head.

Outside, Gojyo finds Goku hungrily chowing down on warmed-over stew.

"Oi, eat slowly or you'll get indigestion." He flops down beside Goku and lights his cigarette from the campfire's embers, rendering Sanzo's lighter useless, after all.

"Yeah, yeah…" Goku replies.

"'Ch. It really boggles the mind, where you put it all…"

"In here, of course." Goku pats his stomach, and reaches for a second serving.

Gojyo stares. "Will you be able to sleep, after that?"

"Sure! No problem."

"Seriously, kid, you might get nightmares with your tummy so full…"

"You're giving me a nightmare, with your pointless talk!"

Inside the tent, Hakkai sighs. "Yare yare… don't make me get up to break up another fight, you two…"

"'Ch. I'll make it easy for you, Hakkai. You'll just have to dig two graves in the morning," growls Sanzo.

Outside, Gojyo looks at Goku consideringly. Then he makes up his mind.

"All right, then. Let me ask you a serious question."

"I think I prefer the pointless talk."

"Be serious, bakazaru!"

Goku sighs. "Fine, fine. Fire away."

Pause.

"Do you mind? About me and Sanzo, I mean?"

Goku looks at Gojyo questioningly. "Mind what?"

Gojyo frowns and drops his gaze, casually tapping off the ashes from his cigarette. "You know… that I'm boinking your sun…" he mutters, embarrassed.

Goku explodes in a hearty burst of laughter. Inside the tent, Hakkai gasps, and chokes. The "sun" twitches, muttering a stream of colorful curses.

Goku shakes his head. "Wow, kappa, so poetic…" he sighs, golden eyes still brimming with amusement.

His cheeks red, Gojyo meets Goku's eyes once more. "Dammit, Goku, just answer the question!"

Goku takes pity on him. He sets aside his plate with a satisfied sigh, and leans back on his elbows. He stares at the flames of the campfire and answers Gojyo calmly.

"No, I don't mind, Gojyo. Not at all. Why should I?" he asks candidly. "Unless, of course, because of the noises you two make sometimes…" He grins.

Gojyo stubs out his smoke and leans close, placing brown hands on the monkey's shoulders. He stares into Goku's face. "You're telling the truth, aren't you?" he asks in an awed voice.

Goku frowns at him. "Of course I am, baka erogappa! What's bothering you, anyway? What's on your mind?"

Inside the tent, all thoughts of sleep are forgotten.

"Maa, Sanzo, are those two actually having an intelligent conversation?" Hakkai asks incredulously.

"Hm. Stranger things have happened." Sanzo thinks back to the night when Homura died, just a few weeks ago. Then, Gojyo had offered comfort to Goku in a way that he, Sanzo, never could have done.

"Well…" Gojyo hesitates. "I mean, it's obvious how much you – uhrm—care about our High Priest, I just thought—"

Goku recoils, and waves a dismissive hand. "You thought wrong, obviously! I've never—" Goku's innocent, boyish cheeks flush at the bare idea. "Ugh! I've never thought of Sanzo in that way!" Goku wrinkles his nose.

"But you always say he is the sun to you."

"So? That doesn't mean I have romantic feelings for him… Eh, this subject is grossing me out! Can't we just talk about something else!"

"No." Gojyo is determined to have it out, now. "What do you feel for him, then, if not love?"

Goku rolls his eyes. "I DO love him, you stupid cockroach. Like a teacher. Like a father. He's… he's my sun," Goku finishes helplessly.

Gojyo nods. "He's your hero, huh? Your shining idol…"

"'He's my SUN. That's what he is."

"Got it."

Pause.

"Er…"

"Spill it, monkey."

"So what about you and Hakkai, then? What's your story?"

"So we're curious now, are we?" Gojyo grins.

Goku punches him in the arm. "You started this talk, baka erogappa!"

"Ok, I'll tell you!" Gojyo holds up his palms. "Hakkai and me…"

"Hai?"

"Well… Hakkai is very special to me…"

Inside the tent, Hakkai listens intently. Sanzo shifts restlessly.

"We're like blood brothers. He's like my conscience, Hakkai is…"

Sanzo meets Hakkai's eyes. Hakkai shrugs. But Sanzo gives him a firm nod. Hakkai smiles softly.

"Your conscience?"

"Yeah. Before he came along, I was just a bumbling, desperate, good-for-nothing… And then he showed up in my path, one rainy night, all blood-soaked with his guts hanging out… And he opened my eyes. He gave me a reason to live again."

"Sou ka…"

"He's the first true friend I ever had."

Silence. Hakkai covers his eyes. Sanzo crosses his arms behind his head, violet eyes thoughtful.

"And… what exactly is Sanzo to you, then?" Goku asks, after a moment.

"Well…"

"Are you embarrassed?" Goku grins.

"I am, actually," Gojyo affirms, wonderingly. Then he laughs. "Imagine that…"

Goku smirks. "I guess that means Sanzo is pretty special to you, too…"

Gojyo gives the monkey a grin, and reaches out to muss his hair. "Aw… so are you, bakazaru… You're all special to me…"

"Quit it!" Goku scowls, avoiding Gojyo. "He's my sun, and Hakkai's your voice of reason, so what is Sanzo to you?" he demands, insistently.

"Hikari." (Light.)

"Copycat!"

"Sorry. It's true." Gojyo shrugs. "He… he gives me hope. He inspires me. He makes me happy…" Gojyo stares off into the darkness. "Being by his side, everything seems more colorful, more interesting… I feel alive, you know?"

"Hai."

"He's your sun, saru, and I don't want to take that away from you. So let's just say that Sanzo is my air. I need him. That's all."

"That's everything," Goku corrects him, nodding in understanding.

"Hai."

Silence again, as they stare at the flickering flames. Then Goku speaks up. "Hakkai's your best friend, huh?"

"He is."

"You'll kill for him, huh?"

"I will. I'll kill for you, too, Goku," Gojyo tells him seriously. "With this mission and all its complications… you're my family now."

"You'll kill for Sanzo too, of course."

"No."

Hakkai jerks in surprise.

"I'll die for him."

Sanzo tastes blood as his teeth bite into his lower lip.

"Good."

"Huh?"

"Well, I was afraid I had to give you the whole 'If you ever hurt him, I'll kill you' sort of lecture, but obviously I don't have to."

"No, you don't. That's the truth, saru. I give you my word."

"Okay."

Gojyo stretches lustily and gives a mighty yawn. He gets up. "Well… I'm turning in…"

Goku nods absently. Then a mischievous smile lights up his face. "Oi, erogappa..."

Gojyo turns. "Nani?"

Goku raises his brows. "Just one thing…"

Gojyo is all ears. "Anything, Goku."

"Keep the noises down when you're – ah – 'boinking', if you don't mind…" Goku grins widely.

"You little twerp…" Gojyo does an about-face and advances menacingly.

The monkey yelps and jumps to his feet, hollering for help.

Inside the tent, Sanzo grumbles. "I'll never live this down…"

"Shall I dig the graves now, Sanzo?" Hakkai begs, trying to muffle a chuckle.

-owari-

Japanese mini-glossary:

Yosh: YES!

Bakazaru: stupid monkey

K'so: -swearword-

Gomen: Sorry

Tenkai: Heaven

Suki desu: I love you

Yare yare: well well/ boy oh boy (exclamation of exasperation/irritation)

Erogappa: Horny water imp

Sou ka: I see/ Is that so

Nani: What

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