escapefromreality | Fic: Parental Affection (Saiyuki)

Kouryuu gets grumpy about something said to Goku.

"Up! Time for soft play!"

"'M notta baby," Goku slurred into his pillow.

"I've got to get my amusement where I can, monkey," Kouryuu said. "Come on, Cho's not coming today, let's get to the gym before it's crowded." Yeah, that worked. Goku bounced out of bed, eyes bright and pleased.

"Really? With you?"

"Who would have thought that there's a weekend every fucking week?" Kouryuu said. "Up! Hair! Shoes!" He went and washed quickly, returning to find Goku more or less ready. "Teeth, and let's say good morning to Grandpa."

Goku tried his usual trick of sneaking an absolute fucking fistful of incense, but calmed down and used the proper amount when prompted, standing very carefully on a stool to drop it in the little brazier. He chanted his prayers with enthusiasm, then looked cautiously at Kouryuu beside him, hand upraised, prayer beads wrapped around his hand and wrist.

"Kouryuu? Grandpa loves me too, right?"

"Of course he would have. He was kind of dim-witted that way."

"Don't be mean! I'm being serious!"

Kouryuu looked at the little face, uncharacteristically worried. Someone had been putting thoughts in that empty little head, and it sure wasn't him.

"Yeah? What's up?"

"It's just . . . he's dead. So, how does he know about me? And, um, if he was reborn he'd forget you and there's no such thing as reincarnation anyway and –"

"I do not," Kouryuu said in deep annoyance, "pay Cho to discuss his bizarre minority religion with you. Don't you listen to him about perfectly normal things like reincarnation, Goku. Your grandpa isn't getting reincarnated because he's an enlightened being. So he's always there to help people. Even you, monkey, ok?"

Goku looked at Koumyou's picture longingly, like he was imagining getting a hug. Kouryuu squashed the memory down. No point to it.

"Are you sure, Kouryuu? Even though I'm not a full human?"

It was like having cold water thrown over him.

"Where did you hear that? Goku? Who said that to you?"

Goku cringed down a bit and didn't reply. Kouryuu grabbed his communicator up off the table and swore as he saw how much the charge had been run down.

"Quit playing games on this! I'm not letting you near Cho any longer! Dammit, Goku!"

"It wasn't him!"

"Was it that lowlife he lives with? I'm going to fucking –"

"Kouryuu, please! Gojyo didn't mean anything!"

He glared at Goku, then tugged him off the stool and over to his coat on the hook. He pulled the card wallet out of the pocket and shoved the ID in Goku's face.

"What does this say? Well?"

"That's my name," Goku whispered. "And your name, and our pictures, and, and –" He sniffled. "But yours has gold at the bottom and mine has blue, and it means I'm just –"

"Just nothing!"

"I'm just made of left-over bits of monkeys!"

Kouryuu felt his vision go hazy with rage. He got a hold of himself as Goku stepped back, a look of awe on his face.

"Shoes," he said. "Coat. We're having breakfast out. We're having an extra-long session in the gym so I don't kill anyone. I'm taking over your education myself; I hope you like Buddhist doctrine and comparative religion because that's what I've got."

"Will you teach me those spinny high kicks?"

"No."

"Can I have cake for breakfast?"

"Yes. Shoes."

** *

The gym was empty enough when they got there. Kouryuu liked it, even though he stuck out amidst the clientele. It was good not to be in one of the flashy university gyms, where someone would inevitably stare and whisper. That's Rin Kouryuu! The sanzo's boy – you remember the case? Yes, wasn't it awful? Look, he's fostering an orphan too! He'd really let himself go for a long time, rather than train and face the stares. Here he was just a student in a cheap gym, bringing a kid while it was still quiet enough not to annoy other users. After all these months no one paid him or Goku much attention at all.

While Goku amused himself scaling the climbing wall, Kouryuu warmed up and then went through the full set of exercises he'd done every day in the monastery. A proper set of reps now that he wasn't a kid. He was halfway through his push-ups when a heavy weight landed on his back.

"Giddy-up," Goku said.

"Idiot, off," Kouryuu said.

"Nope."

"Fine. See if I care."

It was agonising, but he kept going, keeping his form as perfect as he could, relishing the sound of Goku's laughter. From deep in his memory a sunlit morning floated up, bare scrubbed wooden floorboards under his small soft feet as he watched Koumyou shifting slowly, fluidly from one stance to the next to the next. And the sheer joy of jumping on him as he did push-ups.

Has Heaven sent me a blessing again?

Yes! Me!

Dear me, and right in the middle of my exercise.

"One hundred!" Goku crowed.

"I'd have done more if I hadn't developed a horrible growth on my back," Kouryuu gasped, and laughed along with the stupid monkey. "Grandpa would have loved you a lot," he said, looking at Goku's face, cheerful again as it should be. "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"I love him too," Goku said, his eyes round with sincerity.

"Good. Go and practice with the skipping rope. I want you properly tired out. I'll do some weights and maybe someone will be dumb enough to want to spar for a few rounds."

"Will you teach me the spinny kick then?"

"No."

Kouryuu watched him skip away and headed for the weights, a grim expression on his face. He was going to show that interfering Sha Gojyo the fucking spinning high kick for sure.