A Brand New Life

Disclaimer: I don’t own Saiyuki or any of the guys

This chapter gets lemony towards the end, so you have been warned.

Yuuko stormed out of Hakkai’s room and found Gojyo and Dr. Shirota talking quietly. She marched up to Gojyo and stood in front of him, legs spread and hands on her hips.

“Is this a joke?” She didn’t wait for him to reply. “That man in there is nothing like you described! He is rude and nasty!” Gojyo looked at her in shock. “You knew I wouldn’t take this job unless I thought he would be a willing patient and…and you know what he said to me?” She watched Gojyo shake his head no. “He said I was fired!” She waited. “Well, what do you have to say for yourself?”

Gojyo didn’t move. Maybe she was the wrong person to care for Hakkai. She reminded him of a female Sanzo. He half expected her to whip out a fan from nowhere and whack him on the top of his head.

He put his hand up. “Let me go talk to him and get this all straightened out.” He rose and went to Hakkai’s door. He knocked softly and went in without waiting for an answer.

Hakkai turned his head away from the wall, mouth open, like he was ready to yell again. His face softened when he realized it wasn’t Yuuko coming back. He still looked angry but didn’t seem ready for another battle of words. “Hello.” The words came out flat and emotionless.

Gojyo pulled up a chair and set it by the bed. He dropped down and looked at Hakkai, one eyebrow arching. He decided to wait and let Hakkai squirm a little. It didn’t take long for Hakkai to start talking.

“Where is she?”

“Who?” Two could play this game, Gojyo thought.

“You know very well who I mean. I wake up to find a strange woman over me, blanket down to my waist, and she’s touching my scar.”

“Sounds like fun to me.”

“Please don’t lump me in with you. Then she tells me, she’s been hired to care for me. In a house, that Sanzo and her grandfather bought for me. I would appreciate some answers, Gojyo.”

In all the years he knew Hakkai, seven to be exact, he never saw him like this. Anger showed on Hakkai’s face. He usually hid it with smiles but you knew he was raging on the inside. It wasn’t the fact that a woman was in his room when he woke up, but Gojyo thought it might have not been the right woman in the room. He’d suspected for a long time that the demon slayer had feelings for Yaone but never said anything to Hakkai.

Gojyo leaned back in the chair and lit a cigarette. “Are you pissed because a woman was checking you out, or are you pissed that it wasn’t Yaone?”

Heat crept up Hakkai’s neck and he turned away from Gojyo again. Bingo. Right in one. “You kinda knew she had a thing for Kougaiji, right? I didn’t think your feelings for her ran that deep.” Silence filled the room.

“I don’t need love. I just want someone to come home to, someone to be there during the long nights. I guess I knew all along that she favored Kougaiji over me, but I still hoped.” Hakkai’s eyes closed and he didn’t say another word.

Gojyo knew this was all he was going to get of Hakkai for now and let the subject drop. He took a deep drag on his cigarette. “What did you think of Yuuko?”

Hakkai lifted his head off the pillow. “She was extremely forward and I don’t like that. She seems bossy, rude and pushy.” He let his head drop. He was still too weak to move much.

“Kinda reminds you of someone, don’t she?” Hakkai looked confused. “She’s a female Sanzo.” He grinned at Hakkai.

For the first time since Gojyo entered the room, Hakkai truly smiled. “Did you check her for a fan?” Both men laughed but stopped when Hakkai grimaced in pain. “ I do feel ashamed. I was angry and I took it out on her. I must apologize to her. Is she still here?” Gojyo nodded. “Could you please send her in again? I am getting tired and I would like to rest soon.”

Gojyo went to the window and threw his cigarette out. “I’m not supposed to smoke in here.” Grinning, he went to the door but stopped before opening it. “I’m glad you’re ok.” That was all he would say and it was enough. Hakkai smiled. The deep bond of their friendship didn’t need fancy words. Gojyo pointed his finger at Hakkai, “Be nice.” He grinned and left the room.

While Hakkai waited for Yuuko, his mind drifted to the final battle. He had been battling a few youkai and doing well, until the largest revealed he was a mind reading, shape-shifting youkai. Hakkai had laughed when the youkai turned into Kannan. If the youkai thought that turning into his dead lover was going to make him lose focus, he was wrong. He had come to terms with Kannan’s death and while he would never forget her, he was ready to move on. Hakkai taunted the youkai and that enraged the youkai further.

Then the youkai turned into a smaller female, about 10 years old. The figure had bright green eyes and long hair. What caused Hakkai to freeze was the childlike voice calling him, “Daddy”. The youkai must have been a distant relative of the tribe Hakkai killed on the night he became a demon. There was no other explanation how the youkai knew Kannan was pregnant.

Hakkai shivered as he pushed the memory aside. He was too weak to deal with it right now and he wanted to be calm when he apologized to Yuuko.

Yuuko had calmed down and was sitting in the chair Gojyo had vacated. Dr. Shirota was nowhere to be seen. Her face was still stormy and she was tapping her foot. “Well, what happened?”

“He wants to apologize.” Hmph, she grunted. “Seriously, he does. Look, he has had a bad life and he was hoping for something to happen that didn’t.” Gojyo wouldn’t explain any further. If Hakkai wanted her to know, he would be the one to tell her. “Please, give him a second chance.” Gojyo pleaded with her with his eyes. She caved. Puppy-dog eyes did her in every time.

“Fine”, she huffed at him, “I’ll talk to him.” The remark about his past made her heart soften a little towards the man in the other room. She knew first hand how a life could change in an instant and decided to give him another chance. “Will you wait here?”

“I think I’ll go find Sanzo and monkey boy and see how they are coming with the house. We need to set up an entire house by tomorrow.” She look confused at Gojyo’s last comment. “Dr. Shirota says Hakkai can be moved into his house then. We’ll want to have it all set up for you so you can focus on Hakkai.” He rubbed his hands together. “Then I get to look for my bar.” She smiled at his enthusiasm, he did remind her of a little boy sometimes. “See ya, babe.”

“Gojyo! We talked about this! Don’t call me ‘babe’!” She yelled to him but he was already out the door, bounding down the street, whistling. She shook her head. In spite of herself, she already considered Gojyo a friend. Her thoughts turned to Hakkai and she frowned. Might as well get this over with. She collected her thoughts, knocked on the door and went in.

Hakkai opened his eyes when he heard the knock on the door. Yuuko peeked around the door and raised her eyebrow. If he was going to start arguing, she would leave. He smiled and she still waited. “Please, come in and sit down.”

His mood seemed better, so she came in, leaving the door open just in case. She took the chair by the bed, moved it back a little so she could look at him better and sat and waited. She would not be the first to talk. She folded her hands and laid them in her lap. She slapped a placid look on her face.

“First, let me apologize for my earlier behavior. I was surprised to wake up and see you. I am still a bit disoriented, as I am sure you can understand.” She nodded. “My name is Cho Hakkai.”

“I know, Gojyo told me”, she snapped out.

Hakkai smiled. Gojyo was right, she did remind him of a female Sanzo. Her body language told him she wasn’t ready to forgive him yet. He decided to try a different approach. He wasn’t the negotiator for their little group for nothing. He really did have a way with people that the others lacked.

“I want to explain to you why I behaved as I did towards you.” He struggled to find the right words. Should he start with his early life? His life with Kannan? He decided the best place to start was when he met Gojyo. “I met Gojyo seven years ago in a forest. I was near death and I welcomed it. Gojyo refused to let me die and he took care of me for several weeks.” Her eyes widened with surprise. Whatever she expected him to say, this wasn’t it. “I had lost someone very dear to me; in fact, we were talking about marriage. When she died, part of me died with her.” She understood that. When her parents were killed, she wished she had gone with them. If it wasn’t for her grandfather’s love, she wouldn’t have made it through that time of her life.

“I understand. I lost my parents four years ago.” She didn’t elaborate. She didn’t go through the pain of losing a lover, but she could understand the pain of losing someone she loved.

“The years passed and I met a woman I thought I would be quite content to spend the rest of my life with. I didn’t love her like my first love, Kannan, but I respected her immensely and thought we could make a good life together.” The sadness on his face touched her and she reached out for his hand. He was surprised but didn’t show it. He was afraid of breaking the tentative truce they had arrived at.

“When I opened my eyes and saw you, the anger I felt of being left behind again surfaced. I am truly sorry I took my anger out on you.” He squeezed her hand. She squeezed back. She smiled at him, dropped his hand and sat back in the chair.

“I accept your apology and although we got off on a poor start, I hope we can be friends.” She didn’t realize how much she had been afraid that she wouldn’t be able to keep this job. Her shoulders relaxed and she took a deep breath, letting it out with a whoosh. “I think I should let you rest. Do you need anything before I go?”

“If you don’t mind, I would really like some water.” She nodded and left the room in search of the kitchen. She was back in a few minutes, a small glass in her hand. “I’ll help you up a little so you can drink.”

She put the glass on the stand by the bed and put her right arm slightly under his shoulders. He was warm and she could feel the muscles in his back bunch up as he made an effort to help her. He smelled good, too, like the outdoors after a rain. She blushed. Where did that come from? He held out his hand for the glass and her blush deepened as she realized she couldn’t reach it. She laid him back down and picked up the glass and handed it to him. Her hands were shaking.

“Thank you, Yuuko.”

She helped him up again. As he drank, she focused on his hair to try and take her mind off of the feeling of his skin. His skin was surprisingly soft but she could feel the strength in him. Stop it, she told herself. Look at his hair. Was it as silky as it looked? It was a rich brown, like a newly plowed field. Ah! That’s not working! Hurry up and drink!

Hakkai looked at Yuuko, wondering why she was still holding him up since it was obvious that he was done drinking. He nudged her hand that was lightly touching his arm with the water glass. She was staring at his hair. Did he have something in it? It had been awhile since he washed it. He hoped there was nothing disgusting in it. He nudged her hand again.

She jumped a little and saw he was holding out the glass for her to take. Flustered, she removed her arm before letting him back down. He hit the bed with a soft thump, a grimace on his face. “Oh! I’m sorry!” She clasped her hands in front of her and began twisting them. “Do you need anything else? No? Ok, well, then I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.” She ran to the door, shutting it behind her with a bang.

Hakkai smiled at the sounds coming from the other side of the door. He could hear what sounded like a forehead hitting the door and her muttering, “stupid”, over and over. She was kinda cute.





The next morning dawned bright and clear. Yuuko dressed in her best blue kimono, having changed several times before she settled on the one she was wearing. She went downstairs planning on making the morning tea but was surprised to see Goku at the stove, making breakfast. She greeted the man with a smile. Daisuke was already reading the morning paper and sipping his tea. Her stomach growled as she smelled something good.

“I’m sorry it’s not more but all I can really make is meat buns. Sanzo got tired of me begging for them all the time and had Hakkai teach me how to make them.”

“T…that’s fine”, Yuuko stammered. “Is Hakkai a good cook?” She took a bite of a meat bun and sighed in pleasure. They were a lot better than she could make. Rice balls were about the only food that she could cook with confidence…if she didn’t let the rice boil over or stick to the pot. Her grandfather tried many times to teach her how to cook other things, but no matter how hard she tried, it seemed hopeless.

“Oh yeah, he’s fantastic. We met a woman on our journey who’s cooking was so bad, Gojyo, Hakkai and I passed out from eating it. But, Hakkai kept helping her and she became a good cook.” Yuuko winced. Goku laughed at the memory. Daisuke looked at Yuuko over his paper and opened his mouth to speak. Yuuko pulled the paper from her grandfather’s hands and helped him out of the chair.

“Come on, Grandfather. You and Goku-kun need to be at the store soon, so you’d better get going. Let me help you.” She leaned down to his ear. “Don’t you say a word about my lousy cooking”, she whispered.

“Goku!” Daisuke motioned to Goku. “Come on, child. I’m sure the store is going to be very busy today. Myhiko probably told everyone in town where you are going to be and they will want to meet you.”

Goku handed Yuuko a key. “This is the key to Hakkai’s new house. We will be moving him in today and I thought you might like to go see the house and get used to where things are. We furnished the kitchen and living areas and both my bedroom and Hakkai’s are all set. Your grandfather was a big help in getting what we needed and telling us what we didn’t need.”

“Who is bringing Hakkai to his house and what time will that be?”

“Gojyo said he would be at the doctors around 10 with Sanzo and they will be bringing Hakkai home. You have about an hour, so why don’t you go to the house and get familiar with it? I’m going to get to the store to help Daisuke-san open.”

Yuuko watched Goku leave. She was a little nervous about taking care of Hakkai but with all the healing knowledge her mother left her, she felt she could handle any problem. She picked up the key Goku left for her, along with her medical supplies and left the house.

She stopped at the house that was now Hakkai’s. It was a good sized house with two stories and a large front porch. She noticed that there were no curtains in the front windows but since she wouldn’t be living there, it didn’t bother her. She opened the door and stepped in the cool house.

The front door opened into a nice living space to the left and a kitchen off to the right. She went in the kitchen first. The men had done well. She ran her hand over the new table and chairs, marveling at the workmanship. It was a large kitchen with stove, refrigerator and even a hutch to put linens. She pulled out drawers and opened cupboards making note of how much food there was. Goku must have been in charge of that.

Leaving the fully stocked kitchen, she moved into the living space. There wasn’t much, just a futon sofa and a rocking chair. There were a few floor lamps but not much else. The furniture looked lost in the vast room. No pictures hung on the wall and like the kitchen, no curtains. Yuuko made a metal note to ask Hakkai if he wanted her to pick out some things to make the place more homey. There was a nice fireplace that would be a help in winter.

Yuuko was about to leave the living room when she heard voices. Going back in the entryway and opening the door, she was glad to see the familiar red hair of Gojyo. He was arguing with Sanzo about the best way to bring Hakkai in the house.

“It’s feet first, asshole! I’m already on the damn porch and you want me to get off just so you can go first? Nn, I don’t think so.” Yuuko could see the coldness creep into the purple eyes of the priest.

“I said move it or I promise I will shoot you.”

“You’ve been saying that for years and yet I’m still here. Why is that I wonder? Oh yes, your aim sucks!”

“That’s it, you kappa. I’m finally going to do it.” He made a move like he was going to put the stretcher down, when Yuuko had enough of listening to them.

“That’s enough! Priest Sanzo, please forgive me for yelling, but…knock it off.” He glared at her. She stepped out of the house and walked down to him. Standing nose to nose, she looked right into his eyes. “Take Hakkai-san in the house right now. This is not good for him. He is still healing from a bad injury and you two think it’s a good idea to stand out in the open air and argue about which is the best way to get him in the house?” They stood that way for what seemed like minutes, but in reality, it was over quickly. Sanzo had met his match.

Yuuko walked back in the house. “Put him in the living room. I have already decided that he will sleep on the futon in there.”

“Hmph”, Sanzo snorted. “We already made a bed for him upstairs. And that’s where he’s going.”

“Did you or did you not hire me to take care of Hakkai-san? You did hire me and I say he goes in the living room. It will be easier for me to take care of him there. I won’t have to be running up and down the steps all the time.’ Yuuko folded her arms across her chest. She wasn’t budging on this.

“Fine”, Sanzo spit out. “Move your ass, Kappa. I want to get as far away from this crazy woman as soon as possible.” He nudged Gojyo into moving again.

Hakkai watched the exchange with amusement. He never thought he’d see the day when Sanzo backed down from anyone, let alone a woman. A woman that barely came up to his shoulders. He tilted his head backwards towards Sanzo. “I rather like her.”

“Shut it.”

The two of them got Hakkai settled. Yuuko went upstairs and found pillows and a blanket in the room Hakkai was supposed to sleep in and brought them down. She was surprised to see Gojyo and Sanzo had left. She was alone with the handsome man.

He looked thinner but she supposed that was because the bed was bigger. She moved over to him and raised him up and put the pillows under his head. She caught herself smelling his hair. It had been washed since yesterday and it shone. She had the sudden urge to run her fingers through it but she stopped in time. She took the blanket and placed it over him, trying not to meet his eyes.

“The doctor’s wife washed it for me yesterday.” She knew he was looking at her. She wasn’t like this around men and it bothered her. Why was she acting this way? It finally registered to her that he had spoken.

“I’m sorry, what did she wash?”

“My hair. I noticed you staring at it yesterday and I thought maybe I had something in it, so I asked her if she could please wash it.”

He noticed her looking! Yuuko wished the floor would swallow her up. She stammered, “yes, well I thought there was a bug in it…”she trailed off.

He couldn’t help but notice the blush across her cheeks and he thought it was charming. Whoa, Hakkai. Where did that thought come from? After Yaone made her choice, he resigned himself to being alone. He was not going to let another woman break his heart again.

His eyes began to close as exhaustion came over him. “I am sorry but I really would like to rest now.” He shifted on the futon to a more comfortable position and closed his eyes.

Yuuko made her way to the kitchen where she found some books to read. Her mind was spinning. She wouldn’t deny that she found him attractive but she wasn’t looking to fall in love. She opened one of Hakkai’s books and began to read.

Hakkai laid in bed, his mind drifting back to the final battle. He could no longer put off thinking about that night. His daughter. That’s what the mind reader turned into. The daughter who would have been 10 years old this summer. The daughter Kannan killed when she killed herself.

Hakkai thought about how the mind reader could have known about his daughter. When the shape-shifter turned into Kannan, flashes of the night she committed suicide went through his mind. The youkai used the information he got from Hakkai’s memories to torture him with a fake daughter. But, it’s not that the youkai knew Kannan was carrying a girl. He just chose that form because there was a chance it would make Hakkai break. And he did. Hakkai pushed the memory of that night deep into his mind and went to sleep.

Yuuko woke to the sound of moaning and thrashing. She lifted her head from the kitchen table and tried to get her bearings. She knew it was almost night from the lack of light coming through the window, but she was still shaking off sleep and didn’t know where she was.

“No, not that!” It was Hakkai, screaming in his sleep. She jumped up from her chair and ran into the other room. He had kicked the blankets off and was holding his head. He was having a nightmare. She felt his forehead. He was burning up! She was afraid of this. She ran to get her medicines but another scream made her run back to his side. He was trying to crawl off the mattress.

She pushed him down on the mattress. He tried to push her away. His eyes flew open. They were bright with fever and seemed to look right through her.

“Kannan! Where have you been?” He pulled her to him, trapping her arms on his naked chest. “I thought you were dead. I saw you die.” He began to cry. “You came back to me.”

Yuuko needed get free before he really hurt himself. There was no permanent damage to his back, but his other wounds were barely beginning to heal. She began to struggle but he was too strong for her. She hoped if he thought she was Kannan, he would calm down. She moved closer to his face. “I’m here, Hakkai. Don’t worry, I won’t leave you again.”

He kissed her. Yuuko was too shocked to move. He pulled back and nipped at her bottom lip, sucking it in his hot mouth. Her heart pounded in her chest. She had been kissed before but all the previous kisses left her either nauseous or annoyed. This one was making her shake with desire. He slid his tongue along the seam of her lips and when she didn’t open, he grabbed her chin, forcing it down.

His tongue swept the inside of her mouth, his lips almost bruising hers as if he couldn’t get close enough to her. His tongue was doing the most wicked things. Heat pooled in her belly and she shyly responded with a tentative touch of her tongue to his. He groaned. The sound shot straight to her core. She struggled to free her hands and Hakkai seemed to realize that she wasn’t trying to get away, she was trying to get closer. She lay next to him and did what she had wanted to do since she first met him. Her hands slid through his hair and her nails scraped his scalp gently. It was as soft as it looked. He shuddered and deepened the kiss.

His hands roamed her back, cupping her bottom, and pulling her flush against him. She could feel how aroused he was. In the back of her mind, she knew she should pull away but her body felt boneless. His hips gave a little thrust up and she broke the kiss with a gasp. Oh, how could so small a movement do this to her? He rolled her on her back, pushing her thighs apart with his knee and pressed his hips to hers. She felt his mouth on her neck. Licking and nipping at her neck, he made his way to the juncture of her shoulder and neck. He gently bit down, drawing a ragged moan from her. He circled his hips, hitting a spot that made her breathing hitch. She couldn’t help it, her hips moved on their own accord, pushing up to meet his. He bit down harder, leaving a mark. Her hands shook as she pressed him closer.


Goku whistled as he got closer to Hakkai’s house. He liked the job and the townspeople he met seemed to like him too. Well, that could be because he and the rest of the group were considered heroes. But, it was Daisuke-san that really made him feel welcome. He had teased Goku about how many times Myhiko came into the store that day and he was already getting attached to the small, old man.


Hakkai’s hands moved to cup a breast over her kimono. “Kannan”, he whispered. Yuuko’s eyes flew open. All desire left her as she pushed Hakkai off and crawled off the futon. She felt like screaming. Not only did she roll around like a whore but he was burning with fever and all she could think of was the pleasure he was giving her. Tears welled in her eyes. She was so confused. She twisted her fingers together, “Get it together, Yuuko.” She ran her fingers through her hair, pressing her palms to her head as if she could press the memory of his kisses out of her mind. “The fever. I have to get the fever down.”

Goku opened to door to find Yuuko in the kitchen. She was muttering to herself, threading her fingers through her hair. She looked so upset, he ran to her and grabbed her arms. “What is it? Is it Hakkai?”

She gave a little scream. “Oh, Goku, you frightened me!” Her hands flew to her throat. She seemed to snap back into control. “Hakkai is having a nightmare and he has a fever. I need your help. You go stay with him while I mix something to bring his fever down.” Goku nodded and went to the living room. Yuuko mixed the medicine that her mother taught her was best for high fevers and went to Hakkai.

Goku sat on the futon next to Hakkai, talking quietly to him. “He calmed down as soon as he heard my voice.” Yuuko nodded. She looked at Goku. “Can you give it to him since he recognized your voice?” Goku nodded and spoke to Hakkai softly. Hakkai smiled and opened his mouth. Goku spooned the medicine in and handed the spoon back to Yuuko.

“What did you say to him?”

“I told him I found some sake and would he like to have some before Gojyo drinks it all.”

Yuuko gave a shaky laugh. Her hands were still shaking and she couldn’t seem to stop them. “If you are alright, I’m going to go home.” Goku took her by the hand and walked her to the door, telling her to be careful and he would see her in the morning. She ran to her house as fast as she could. She opened the front door, closed it behind her and saw that her grandfather had already gone to his room for the night.

She ran to her room, threw herself on her bed and cried herself to sleep.