The Storms That Bind Us

A/N Full description: A Sanzo/Hakkai fic. Set during the groups journey, not really a set time frame, but is after the "Kami-sama"(God)/"Detour arc in the manga. Basic story of a relationship that starts turning into unsure kisses, and flames up into full on sex as the story goes. Enjoy.

Chapter 1

Sweat beaded on Sanzo's forehead as he let out a muffled scream through the leather belt be was biting down on. His body jerked and fought to move, desperate to stop the pain coursing up his left leg like a hot coiling snake. The strong hands holding him held fast though, and he was denied his need to lash out.

Deep in the cavern of his thoughts he knew they were just trying to help, but his body didn't want to listen. All he knew was the pain, and the murderous rage he wanted to inflict on the demons who had ambushed them. They were already dead of course, he had blow a few heads open himself with his banishing gun before he fell unconscious.

He felt the bone being shifted and the grinding pressure of it as Hakkai forced it together. Another wracking pain shot up to his groin and he screamed again. Gods he could feel the grating sensation of it in his teeth even. He bit down harder on the leather strap.

"Hurry up, Hakkai!" Goku yelled as he held his legs, the injured one by the thigh.

"I'm trying, just keep him still!" A drop of sweat rolled in his eye and he blinked it rapidly away as he held the bones together with blood covered hands, going by feel alone.

"Easier said than done, Hakkai," Gojyo panted, holding down Sanzo's arms with a surprising bit of difficulty. The damn priest was thrashing hard like a trapped animal fighting for survival. It amazed him he had this much strength with all the blood he had lost. Gojyo looked down at his face. He could see by the cracking light of the small fire that Sanzo's eyes were wide with pain, but they were glassy like he wasn't seeing him. If not for the belt trapped between his gnawing teeth, Gojyo was sure he's break them against each other with the pressure.

"Almost there, Sanzo," Hakkai said, satisfied the bones were properly together. It had been a job getting it back inside the torn flesh. His hand held against the gaping hole where the bone had violently cut through when it snapped. The soft warm glow of his chi lit up the semi dark cave they took shelter in. The nearest town was fifty miles away at least. It was the best they could do at the time as night and a storm approached quick after the battle.

Goku looked at Hakkai with silent thanks, taking a deep breath as Sanzo's fitful fighting slowly eased up as the pain began to fade into something more tolerable. He let go of his legs to get up and get the dressings from one of their gear bags, and give Hakkai more space to finish healing. His hands were shaking slightly as he went about it, big eyes looking back over at Sanzo's more relaxed form. This wasn't the first time Sanzo had been badly hurt, but it always shook his insides when it happened.

"Get the fuck off me, kappa," Sanzo croaked as Hakkai pulled the belt from his slack lips.

Gojyo jerked and backed off him. "Nice way to say thank you, bastard."

"I'm supposed to thank you for holding me down like one of your random bitches?!"

"You...I'll have you know, I only hold them down when they ask!"

"Before or after you get them drunk?!"

Hakkai watched them as Goku slide beside him with the bandages and kit. Well, he could certainly see Sanzo was himself again. He shook his head a bit with the softest smile and looked at Goku. The young man was smiling as bright as the sun. Yes, he'll be just fine. Still, he couldn't let Sanzo tire himself further. He had lost too much blood, and with a break like that he was sure to get a fever.

"Gojyo, go take a break, have a cigarette, do something." Hakkai waved him off.

Gojyo growled a curse as he stood, gave Sanzo one last glare then wandered to the mouth of the cave to light a smoke and watch the storm raging outside. Hakkai watched the flare of his lighter before he turned his head back to look at Sanzo who was looking back at him with half lidded eyes. Even in his exhausted state the gaze was one of intense awareness. Hakkai took up a bottle of water and moved up to press it to his lips. Sanzo sipped the liquid, then lay his head back with a sigh.

"Whats the situation?" he muttered to Hakkai, lifting an arm so Goku could bandage a stinging cut that he had just cleaned.

"In short, we're in this cave because it's what was available to us. In fact we're only a few miles from the ambush site. Weather isn't the best right now either."

"Fucking rain." He sighed. A flash of lightening followed by a rumble of thunder mocked him. He looked back at Hakkai to continue.

"Plan so far is to head out at first light and get you to the next town. You need to be in a bed, not on a stone floor." He gave Sanzo another sip of water, then poured some on a cloth to wipe his sweaty brow. "We have all the sleeping bags under you to try keeping the cold out. With the fire, you should be fine for the night, but I don't want to risk a longer stay here."

Goku took over wiping his face gently as Hakkai moved back down to his leg to begin making a rather cheap cast. Their lack of supplies was inconvenient, and he had been planning to restock when at the town until they were violently disrupted from their travel. Even with his chi there was still healing he had to endure, which meant a long stay in one place, and that was never good as they had learned along the way. Still, they played the cards they were dealt, and had survived much already.

"He's asleep, Hakkai," Goku said soft, and began to clean up around the area.

"That's good, he needs it."

"He'll be okay, right?"

"Yes, Goku," he assured, looking over to watch Sanzo's face, which always appeared softer while he slept. "Better once we can leave here though. We'll have to take turns keeping watch tonight. I'll take first since I have to drive Jeep in the morning."

Goku looked around. "Where is Hakuryu?"

"Oh." Hakkai searched the dark surrounding with his eyes. He'd lost track once they had carried Sanzo inside out of the approaching storm. "Hakuryu?"

"He's here," Gojyo said as he came walking back, the white dragon sitting on his shoulder and eating something that had a small tail visible between his teeth. He chewed the crunchy morsel, wings giving a slight flap of satisfaction.

"Ugh, Hakuryu. That's gross." Goku's nose wrinkled.

Hakkai chuckled. "How do you think he ate before I found him, Goku? He couldn't very well sit in a restaurant and get fed."

"Yeah, plus, he doesn't shovel it pig style like someone I know," Gojyo smirked, looking straight at Goku.

"Hey, at least I..."

"Guys, stop alright? Sanzo needs rest."

Goku relaxed and went about arranging a blanket over Sanzo. Hakkai spoke soft to Gojyo about watch for the night as he finished putting away the rest of the supplies in the bag again. It was going to be a long uncomfortable night for all of them. Hakuryu curled up to sleep close to Sanzo to give him warmth as the other men settled down for the night.

The sound of rain was still heavy and Hakkai looked toward the cave opening with a mournful expression. Sanzo had said what he always thought himself. Fucking rain. It was something Sanzo and he both had in common, though Sanzo always suffered more for it. His mood darkened as much as the rolling dark clouds that came in with the downpour.

He eased up, gave the guys a look to see they were all asleep and walked to the cave mouth to watch it coming down. Another flash of lightening lit up the trees outside, his eyes looking over their branches, the wind blowing them madly around. He wasn't worried, if enemies approached, he'd sense them. He looked down at his hands as lightening flashed again, dried blood coated his skin from Sanzo's wounds.

He reached his hands out under the cold rain to wash it away, that in itself brought bad memories. The deep red color. The color of guilt. Not for all the demons he had slaughtered, but for the woman he couldn't save. His sister, his love, Kanan. Perhaps if he had sensed a little sooner, maybe she wouldn't have been taken. The rain always did this to him. What ifs, and maybes. It was pointless and only made his mind and body unsettled. Fucking rain.

He kept watch, eyes on the outside as the torrent of rain kept falling, seeming to have no end. He stayed that way until it was time to wake up Gojyo for his turn to keep watch. His redhead friend yawned and wandered over to sit in almost the exact same spot he had been, a blanket clutched around his shoulders.

He felt Sanzo's head for fever, and he did have a slight one. They'd have to move quick in the morning. He looked at Goku who was sleeping close beside him and smiled, giving Hakuryu a soft pet on the head as he lay by the fire, adding the last few pieces of wood to it. As he slowly fell asleep he could still hear the storms fury. When deep sleep finally took him, he dreamed of the sun.