Fic - A Night on the Town

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Night on the Town
D M Evans
Disclaimer – not mine. All rights belong to Kazuya Minekura et al, no profit made, just a little fun
Rating – PG-13 (worksafe)
Pairings – none, Goku centric
Prompt/Claim - dark/light Goku & Sanzo, Saiyuki
Time Line/Spoilers – Based right after the early Goku and Sanzo histories revealed in the Reload series, set just a few days after Goku’s prescence is made known to the monks, no real spoilers unless you don’t know how Goku met Sanzo
Summary – At loose ends one evening, young Goku goes exploring.
Author’s Note – written for fic_variations for the June theme of dark/light (okay so it’s suppose to be a ficlet. It is…just on steriods…) Thanks to evil_little_dog for the beta.



The night is the hardest time. The temple went so quiet, so still, he could almost imagine that he’s back on Mt. Gogyou and that Sanzo and the sun were all a pleasant dream. Mostly he just sleeps through it, waiting for daylight. At least then he can hear the monks going about their business. Usually they won’t talk to him unless it’s to yell. It’s not his fault he does things wrong. It was just all so new and he wanted to learn. It was always worse when Sanzo’s duty took him away, like now. He’s so alone, afraid in the dark, and Goku knows he’s new to most things but he knows enough to understand he’s really not wanted.

Maybe if he goes looking for Sanzo…no, that would only make him mad. Goku sighed. All he could do was wait but the temple was so boring. No one would miss him if he went out just for a little while. He pulled on the new clothes Sanzo had gotten him, the silk so soft on his skin that it felt like wearing butterflies. Goku made a soft sound at the memory of being so high in the mountains that his only companions were the occasional butterfly or bird that had gotten a little brave. Forgoing the shoes, his feet didn’t like them, Goku went out the window and slinked out of the temple before any of the monks spotted him.

Sneaking around with chains was hard to do. They were so heavy. He wished he knew why he had to wear them. His cot always groaned when he got into it and when he ran the chains left welts on his chest and thighs. More than once Goku had hit himself square between the legs with the chains dangling from his wrists, bringing stars to his eyes. He hated them. They felt like lingering nightmares of his time in the cave.

Goku didn’t get too far before he saw a fat cat rummaging in the temple’s garbage. The boy’s eyes lit up and he tried to catch it. Before he knew it, the wily cat had lured him all the way to the town. Sanzo said he wasn’t supposed to go there by himself but he was already on the streets. Goku didn’t see the harm in exploring. It might be fun.

His nose led him to a place filled with wonderful smells. Goku went inside and everywhere he looked, he saw people eating and better stuff than rice and beans and the fruit he stole from the trees in the temple yards. His mouth watered, drool threatening to leak out of the corners of his open lips. Goku darted to the nearest table where there were empty chairs and plates still on the table. There was just a little food left on them. He grabbed a white, slightly sticky, fluffy ball and bit into it. Meat! There was meat inside it.

“Filthy brat!”

Goku heard the waitress’ shriek just before her towel found his back. Yelping, he ran out of the building, his backside stinging. He knew he could have taken the towel from her, stopped her but Sanzo didn’t want him doing things like that. Escaping was the better plan. At least he had the chance to snag a whole tray of goodies right out of another waitress’ hands. Chains rattling, Goku ran and shielded his purloined food until no one was chasing him any more.

Satisfied that he was safe, Goku sat on a bench and sniffed all his new goodies. The skewered fruit was the first into his mouth just because he liked that it was on a stick. Dried, persimmons, ummm! There were buns filled with meat and little dumplings and oh, something so sweet that he had to gobble them all up. He didn’t know food could taste so good.

“We saw you steal that!”

Goku’s head snapped up at the new voice. In front of him were three older boys, scruffy as him, with sly looks on their faces. “I was hungry,” Goku said as if it explained everything. Sanzo had yelled at him for taking stuff, too, but he never really said why he shouldn’t do it.

“It was really brave,” one of the boys said. “We could use someone like you. Wanna help us?”

Goku smiled. He had just made friends, his first friends besides Sanzo. “Do what?”

“First, tell us why you have those shackles on. Law men aren’t gonna be looking for you, are they?” the tallest of the boys asked warily.

Goku shook his head. He didn’t know what that meant but he didn’t think anyone was looking for him.

“What did you do to deserve such wicked shackles?” the smallest boy asked, reaching out to touch the shackles.

Goku looked at his wrists and the thick heavy metal encircling them. He remembered being in his cave and his throat closed over. The look in these boys’ eyes was somehow different than the monks. The monks looked at him like he was always doing wrong. These boys looked at him in pity and it made Goku want to cry. “I don’t know.” They had been on him all his long life but Sanzo had told him not to tell people really how old he was, that him being in a cage for five hundred years was too scary. Goku wasn’t sure he understood why but he believed Sanzo.

“Are you sure about this, Rong?” the middle-sized boy asked the tallest.

Rong nodded. “Wei backed out. We need a fourth.” Rong looked at Goku. “So, you wanna help?”

“What do I have to do?”

“We’re going to have a little fun and help ourselves to some stuff. There’s plenty for everyone,” Rong said, putting a hand on Goku’s shoulder.

“Is there food?” Goku asked, thinking about all the delectable not-rice and beans he had just sampled. He wanted more. The food was better than what Sanzo usually brought him.

The smallest boy laughed. “Food?”

“Lin, if that’s what he wants, that’s what he’ll get,” Rong said. “Come on.”

Goku followed the boys, wondering what kind of goodies he might get. Rong led them down several streets to a big house. Goku stared at it for a moment before Rong tapped his shoulder. “Come on, we’re going inside.”

“You live here?”

Roy rolled his eyes. “Why would I steal from myself?”

Goku wrinkled his nose. “I don’t want to steal.”

“What did you think we meant?” Lin asked as if he thought Goku was the dumbest person he had ever met.

“He’s not going to be any help, Rong,” the middle-sized boy, Huo, said in disgust.

“Well, we need a look out. Okay, you stay right here and if you see law men, you warn us,” Rong said, shaking a finger at Goku. “We’ll bring you some food if you do. Cry like a cat to warn us. Can you do that?”

Goku meowed impressively. “I like kitties.”

“Wonderful. You do that if you see law men,” Rong said.

“And run!” Huo added. “Just not that way.” He pointed down the street. “All the bars and brothels are down there. That’s who owns this house, a rich madam, they say.”

“Okay,” Goku said. He had no idea what a bar or a brothel was but apparently they were bad. Goku watched the boys go in and then he waited. And waited, and waited some more. Being look out was really boring. Finally, he just got bored and decided it wasn’t worth it. He meowed at them, just in case he should, then meandered off, straight down the street he had been told to avoid. Goku couldn’t help it, he could see another kitty on the corner and he wanted to catch it.

Goku trailed the kitten to a large home before it darted under the porch. He tried to get it but stopped when a beautiful woman in a bright, gaily printed dress stepped out. Goku’s breath caught. He’d never really seen a woman up close, barring the one who had chased him from the place with food. This woman’s face was painted and she smelled so sweet.

She smiled at him. “What’s a little boy doing in a place like this? Oh, come here, sweetie,” she cooed at him and Goku went over to her. “Are you lost?”

Goku looked about and he wasn’t sure really where he was but he figured he could track his own scent back to the temple. However, she took his hesitation as a sign of yes, he was lost and she ushered him inside.

“Ladies, look,” she called, her hand between Goku’s shoulders, steering him along into a room filled with pretty, painted women. “I think he’s lost.”

“Isn’t he a little young for the Scarlet Lotus?” One of the ladies laughed.

“He’s probably one of the clients upstairs’ brat,” another said. “He’s probably supposed to be watching him.”

“Why does he have on shackles?” a third asked, peering at Goku. He found her painted eyelids fascinating.

Goku tucked his hands behind him but there was no hiding the ones on his ankles or neck. “I don’t know.”

“You poor thing,” the woman who found him said, running her hands through his hair. “Want to stay with us until your dad shows up?”

“Don’t have one. The monks look after me,” Goku replied, leaning into her touch. It felt good.

“The monks? I can only imagine how they look after you,” one of them said and the women exchanged knowing looks.

The first woman’s eyes seemed so sad and she hugged him. “Poor baby.” She tried to pick him up, looking stunned when she couldn’t budge him. “You’re so heavy.”

“It’s the shackles,” he said, rattling one of his chains.

“What if the law men come looking for him? I mean, why would monks have a little boy chained up?” one of the women asked, shooting Goku a nervous look.

“Law men only come here for one reason,” another replied, waggling her hips and the others laughed.

“Do you have food?” Goku asked hopefully. He didn’t know what the women were talking about. It only confused him and he didn’t like that. There was so much he didn’t know. Why hadn’t Sanzo ever brought him to a place like this? The women were so nice even if they did confuse him.

“Awww, sweetie, we’ll get you something,” the first woman said. “Here, you sit on the couch with us.” Goku was only too happy to comply. He sat down merrily on the soft couch. The first woman, Li-Ying, sat next to him, pulling Goku against her. “We’ll take care of you until the monks coming looking since I don’t think we have any of them upstairs.”

Goku didn’t correct her, knowing no one was coming. He was all too excited to be someplace new and Li-Ying and her friends felt different, soft and comforting as they took turns sitting with him and hugging him while they fed him all sorts of sweets and candies. Some of them even popped fruits right between his lips for him. Sanzo and the monks never did that! Some men came inside, some men left but none of them paid him any mind. They just picked a woman and went up if that’s the way they were headed.

“You’re looking sleepy,” Li-Ying said, cuddling Goku against her soft, pillowy breasts.

He snuggled against her, drinking in her sweet scent as a mahjong tile tipped from his fingers. They were trying to show him how to play but it was very hard and he was very sleepy. His head felt like it was made of clouds.

“Maybe we shouldn’t have given him that plum wine,” one of the girls said.

“I told you that, Mei. He’s just a boy.” Li-Ying stroked Goku’s hair and his eyes felt so heavy. He just wanted to go to sleep but he had to get home sometime.

“He really liked it though,” Mei protested.

“What is that doing here?”

Goku was startled wide awake at the sharp tone of voice. He rubbed his eyes and looked up at an older woman and she seemed so angry.

“We found him wandering the streets outside, Mrs. Wu,” Li-Ying said somewhat apologetically.

“Well, put him back where you found him. This is a place of business not an orphanage.” Mrs. Wu stabbed a finger towards the door.

“But Mrs. Wu…”

“Do you want your pay docked?”

Li-Ying scowled but she got up. “Come on, Goku. I’m sorry.”

“Can I have more rice balls first?” Goku asked.

Li-Ying wrapped them all up in a napkin for him and escorted him to the door. They passed a tall redheaded man and his blond companion with really long pointy ears. He felt funny to Goku.

“Boy, they sure start ‘em young around here or is that on the menu?” the blond asked, nodding at Goku.

“No he’s not!” Li-Ying said hotly, hustling Goku out faster. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. I know my way home. Thanks for the yummies!” Goku said cheerily, a little unsteady on his feet. He could hear Mrs. Wu yelling at someone saying they didn’t serve their kind here.

Li-Ying bent down and kissed his cheek. Goku felt them go hot as she went back inside. He trotted off as Mrs. Wu was tossing out the two new men. Goku didn’t pay them any mind. It was very late. He needed to get back to the temple.

Goku started for home on legs that felt a little wobbly and he didn’t know why. His head felt light though and his belly was warm with all the yummies the pretty ladies had given him. He wondered if he could come back another night for more snuggles and sweets. It would be very nice.

Making it home without getting distracted, Goku slipped into Sanzo’s bed. He liked sleeping there on the nights Sanzo was gone. The bedding smelled like him and it made Goku feel safe. Sanzo had said he would never leave Goku alone but it was a lie, sort of. Whenever the Three Aspects sent Sanzo somewhere, he made sure the monks looked after Goku but it just wasn’t the same. The days were darker and the nights too long. At least the ladies at the Scarlet Lotus made the night seem nicer.

Something slapping into his head woke Goku out of a sound sleep. “Yo, monkey, get the hell out of my bed.”

Grunting and rubbing his eyes, Goku stumbled out of bed. “You’re back, Sanzo!”

“Obviously. Damn, you got the sheets all hot,” Sanzo grumbled, sliding into his bed as Goku dejectedly dragged into his cot. It groaned under his weight.

“I’m glad you’re back, Sanzo.”

“Sleep now,” Sanzo muttered. “Talk when I’m not exhausted.”

Goku pouted but settled himself. It was enough that Sanzo was home.

“Hey, why does my bed smell like perfume and plum wine?” Sanzo rumbled.

“Oh, that’s because the ladies at the Scarlet Lotus smelled like that and they gave me glasses of wine,” Goku shared happily.

He never even saw the fan coming.