Kanzeon Bosatsu spread a well-manicured hand. "So, without further ado, may I lead us into our first award, Best Slash Fanfiction. As presented by the leading pairing of the fandom-- Sha Gojyo and Cho Hakkai."

And then there's something like a roar. Applause. Lots of. Applause, and squealing. And there are some girls up in the balconies brandishing hand-painted signs.

All long, long before the curtains on the second stage tier shake aside, and a ball of red hair and too much tuxedo comes tumbling out.

Though it isn't until Hakkai comes staggering out, trying to straighten his bow tie and hide a hickie at the same time, that the screaming really gets deafening.

Later, rumors will circle that hidden agents (Nii's) with tranquilizer guns were responsible for finally quieting the crowds, but it'll never be proven. In any event, Cho Hakkai smiles, because that's what Hakkai does, and Sha Gojyo manages to stand more or less upright and leer at nothing. Though this quickly turns into leering at his partner.

Hakkai, determinedly unfazed by his shoulder being used as an arm rest, clears his throat, notes never to let Gojyo drink before an awards show again, and addresses the audience.

"Subtext-- Ahem, subtext has always been the staple sustenance of any thriving online fandom, and Saiyuki has certainly become no exception," he says, smile fracturing a little. "From the unexplained glance to the suspiciously ambiguous line, we are involved in a series where we are meant to read into and draw our own conclusions. Tonight, we take a look at the authors that have not only given examination to this facet, but have expanded upon it in a way artistic and articulate, and--"

"And hot as hell," Gojyo adds.

"Yes, thank you, Gojyo."

"Serious get your jones on, like."

"Er, well put."

"Like that makes me wanna do this--" Gojyo begins to demonstrate, leaning in toward Hakkai's earlobe.

Hakkai, in the interest of propriety, starts to turn red. "Ah, G-- Gojyo."

"Hmm?"

"Would you care to introduce the nominees?"

Gojyo hesitates on the verge of a lick. His eyes drift back to the cue cards on the podium.

With some effort, he pulls himself off Hakkai and massages his brow, squinting at the notes.

"Right. Uh...

"The nominees for Best Slash Fanfiction are:

"Ante by Trismegistus."

"It might help, General," said Tempou, pausing for a moment, "if you put your hips into it a little more."

The kappa clears his throat.

"Brevity by K.A. Rose."

With his boots on, Hazel barely had to reach at all, and was aided even more by Sanzo meeting him halfway. Quite before either of them even started to compute what they were doing.

"So territorial," Hazel said cheerfully. "I didn't see your name tattooed on him anywhere. And believe me, I looked."

A faint glow outlined Hakkai's hand. Chi.

This was about to turn into a bloodbath, and Gojyo didn't even have his pants buckled yet.

"Gojyo..."

"I'm going, I'm going.

"Domesticated by Celrevia."

He knows that the day Gojyo says "goodbye" is the day that he isn't going to be coming back.

Hakkai puts the cigarette in his mouth and inhales twice. It pulls at a buried memory he can't quite place his finger on, before he chokes.

Gojyo is the first to draw back, breath unsteady and vague alarm stirring somewhere behind his crimson eyes. He looks around as if unable to recognize his surroundings. He looks at the blond and the brunette too distracted with each other to notice his hesitation, and for the life of him cannot remember what names to call to get their attention.

He craned his neck low and opened his mouth against the ear with the intention of making Hakkai come alive on top of him. In a perfect world that would have involved hot breath and a stabbing tongue, but instead he only said, for the second time in his miserable life, "Hakkai. Hakkai, wake up; I'm still not Kanan."

"Oh shit." He stuttered. "Er, sorry, Tenpou. I can come back later ... Oh fuck." He muttered not really wanting to interrupt what looked to be a very private moment, although true-be-known he was kind of disappointed that the Gensui had chosen that ice-cold blond over him.

The kiss was aborted; Goku gasped in pleasure and surprise when Sanzo's hand tightened around him, head jerking back and the metal circlet connecting with a solid clack against the wall.

"Ah, but..."

"Next one, please."

"Fine. Aherh...

"Room by Bhex."

It felt like the first time that day he really looked at Hakkai. Used to be, one of Hakkai's smiles or innocent gestures caught his attention and he looked. At least once a day, he looked; it had become a sort of private ritual. He used to think it meant nothing, that it was just something Hakkai did and he reacted to.

Now he was looking, and thinking that was probably the closest to a private moment they would ever have.

"All the more important that you give me time. I personally would rather not receive any of heaven's enlightening kicks. I think you hold enough enlightenment for the four of us."

...

"I couldn't've just read that right."

"You did," Hakkai says grimly.

"I don't wanna know, do I?"

"It's not so bad..."

It was, thus, an opportunity they feared wouldn't come again -- at least, not until after India, if there was an 'after India' -- and so, crowded or not, narrow or not, the two of them fit themselves neatly into the back seat and began to make out like teenagers.

Gojyo remains unimpressed. "There's probably some painful punchline at the end."

"Ah, yes, well..." Hakkai clears his throat again and moves things along himself. "The next nominee..."

"Where You Go by Mistress Renet."

"Sanzo, I--"

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" Sanzo said.

"Yeah," Goku said. "You did." He raised up, just a little, on his knees and moved in closer. "I'm shutting up," he said, and took Sanzo's face in his hands, pressed in for a kiss as Sanzo's lips parted to snap at him again.

Three unmarked graves outside his window, but he could tell who occupied each. Once or twice he saw shadows lurking in the forest and remembered something Hakkai had said of how Sanzo would be too proud to give them the last rites, the sacred sutras needed to break their spirits from their corporeal bodies.

Liar. Yes he would. He would have. Really. He just never thought it'd come to that.

And now he'd forgotten the words.

"Shall we wonder later?" Hakkai suggests.

"I'm scared to. Hold me?"

"Later." The healer brings that smile back as he faces the audience. "Now it's time to declare the winners for Best Slash Fanfiction."

He pauses and glances at his cards in surprise. "It seems that we had a three-way tie for the second and third places. The staff used their casting vote to pick one of the three for second place, leaving a two winners for a tied third place.

"So in Third Place, for the Bronze Sutra, we have Hir Wicked Style by Nightfall and Domesticated by Celrevia."

A quadrant of the audience breaks into applause.

"Both of whom win, in addition to this Bronze Sutra, a Saiyuki Reload mini shitajiki each!"

"Hey, that's kinda sweet," Gojyo says, grinning.

"It gets better. Want to announce the next one?"

"Hell, why not. In Second Place, for the Silver Sutra... Where You Go by Mistress Renet!"

Just as the clapping had died into a lull, it swells again. Someone whistles.

"Who also gets a Chibi Sanzo keychain, to go with her award."

"I'm told the Sanzos are always hard to get," Hakkai notes, impressed.

Gojyo rolls his eyes up. "You have no idea."

"And finally," Hakkai continues, "in First Place, for the Golden Sutra and the Saiyuki Image Album 1 Audio CD... Ante by Trismegistus!"

Gojyo has to clap his ears shut amid the applause. Even the fangirls up in the balconies are screaming for this one.

"Congratulations, Trismegistus!" Hakkai shouts over the cheers. "And to our other winners Mistress Renet, Nightfall and Celrevia, and all of our participants! Great job to each and every one of you!"

"And if you girls want to get some more research in on your off time," Gojyo adds, cupping his hands together to project, "the hotel we're staying at is-- OW!"

Hakkai beams politely and lowers his elbow. "Thank you, everyone. And now back to our mistress of ceremonies."

He bows, and with a bit of a tug, Gojyo bows too. The lights go down over their podium, but it takes much longer for the applause to go down.

Proceed >>