"Once Upon a Time” Lasts Forever

Title: A Stitch in Time
Author: opalmatrix
Rating: PG-13 or T (very mild m/m, aftermath/retelling of violence, gore, cursing)
Warnings: painful, primitive treatment of serious injuries (not too explicit, though); AU, with some age shifting
Pairing(s): very early 585 - perhaps
Spoilers: the general outline of Hakkai and Gojyo's backstories, and Sanzo's origins
Notes: Written under the nostalgic influence of Sally Watson's YA historical romances and the Scottish portions of Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles, and probably originally inspired by cicer's Taboo and emungere's Bless the Beasts and Children, in both of which a very young Gojyo ends up in a better place ... which got me wondering about what influences a developing child's personality, and when. Beta (multiple rounds of beta ... ) and some very good suggestions by smillaraaq .
Summary: Young Hugh Chase thinks that both his vengeful mission to Scotland and his life are about to come to a bloody end, but in fact, the story is just beginning.

Title: Somewhere Between
Author: opalmatrix
Warnings: Gojyo's mouth, mild m/m
Pairing(s): 585
Spoilers: Events in Reload volumes 7 and 8
Notes: written for lady-ganesh, who likes to hear Gojyo talk. Happy birthday! (Unbeta'ed, I am afraid ... .)
Summary: The night before the ikkou are reunited with Sanzo, Hakkai has a lot on his mind. So, surprisingly, does Gojyo.

Title: Adjusting Expectations
Author: opalmatrix
Warnings: Swear words
Pairing(s): very mild Gojyo/Hakkai, if you read it that way
Spoilers: References to parts of Gojyo and Hakkai's Burial arc and the Be There arc
Notes: written for saiyuki_time, Challenge #51, Disappointed; time allowed: 20 minutes; time taken: 25 minutes ... I'm improving!
Summary: Why exactly is Gojyo trying to get drunk?

It was the first time that Hakkai had allowed Gojyo beer since Banri's erstwhile employers had broken four of Gojyo's ribs ...

Title: Growing Season
Author: opalmatrix
Warnings: Schmoop! And a few curses, because it's Gojyo.
Pairing(s): very early Hakkai/Gojyo
Spoilers: nothing much
Notes: Set maybe 6 months after the Banri Incident. Written for saiyuki_time, Challenge #46, Seeds; time allowed: 45 minutes; time taken: 60 minutes. Oops.
Summary: All Gojyo can do is plant 'em and hope.

Gojyo knows that Hakkai is not quite right, even after all these months ... .

Title: Wash Me Clean
Author: opalmatrix
Warnings: gore, nonexlicit nudity, swearing, m/m suggestiveness
Pairing(s): Hakkai/Gojyo
Spoilers: Hakkai's backstory
Notes: written for saiyuki_time, Challenge #43, Water; time allowed: 60 minutes; time taken: 75 minutes. And I've written this concept three or four times already. I fail. Title and theme from k.d. lang: "Wash / Wash me clean / Mend my wounded seams / Cleanse my tarnished dreams ... "
Summary: Not Hakkai's best evening: rain, and a drunk, muddy Gojyo.

Hakkai started harder at the words on the page ... .

Title: Down from the Red Hills
Author: opalmatrix
Warnings: (for all parts, taken as a whole) violence, lots of blood, torture, swearing, explicit m/m sex, dubcon
Rating: Part 1 - R (violence etc. only) ; Parts 2 & 3 - NC-17; Part 4 - PG-13 (swearing, adult concepts)
Pairing(s): Hakkai/Gojyo
Spoilers: nothing much
Words: ~33,500
Notes: This started out as a simple hurt/comfort "bedtime story" for myself. Then smillaraaq "adopted" the idea (my notion to help me write longer fics), and I meant to finish it in time for her birthday at the end of August. More than two months later, it's grown into a blessed novelette. Thanks very much to smilla for her support, encouragement, and input along the way, and to her and sanada for beta! Thanks also to vom_marlowe and her Saiyuki Kink Meme and its participants, and to louiselux and emungere and all the good folk at saiyuki_time. All of you have really helped me feel brave enough to write something this huge.
New!   Now with illustrations by danny_sama in parts 2, 3, and 4!
Summary: When a limiter-less Hakkai chases some fleeing youkai into the hills and doesn't return, Gojyo goes after him. The journey back is much longer than he ever expected.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

( When Gojyo woke the next morning, he knew Hakkai wasn't there ... . )

Title: Down from the Red Hills
Author: opalmatrix
Warnings: (for all parts, taken as a whole) violence, lots of blood, torture, swearing, explicit m/m sex, dubcon
Rating: Part 1 - R (violence etc. only) ; Parts 2 & 3 - NC-17; Part 4 - PG-13 (swearing, adult concepts)
Pairing(s): Hakkai/Gojyo
Spoilers: nothing much
Words: ~33,500
Notes: This started out as a simple hurt/comfort "bedtime story" for myself. Then smillaraaq "adopted" the idea (my notion to help me write longer fics), and I meant to finish it in time for her birthday at the end of August. More than two months later, it's grown into a blessed novelette. Thanks very much to smilla for her support, encouragement, and input along the way, and to her and sanada for beta! Thanks also to vom_marlowe and her Saiyuki Kink Meme and its participants, and to louiselux and emungere and all the good folk at saiyuki_time. All of you have really helped me feel brave enough to write something this huge.
New!   Now with illustrations by danny_sama in parts 2, 3, and 4!
Summary: When a limiter-less Hakkai chases some fleeing youkai into the hills and doesn't return, Gojyo goes after him. The journey back is much longer than he ever expected.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

( Waking with the taste of sick in his mouth was old territory for Gojyo ... . )

Title: Sense of Place
Author: opalmatrix
Warnings: nothing much.
Pairing(s): Hakkai/Gojyo
Spoilers: nothing much
Notes: Written for saiyuki_time challenge #31: Homesickness. Time allowed: 20 minutes. Time taken: 30 min.
Summary: The first weeks on the road were the hardest for Hakkai.

Was it at the market that afternoon, in the dusty little town that had been a dot on the map just that morning ... ?

Title: A Big Enough Umbrella
Author: opalmatrix
Warnings: m/m flirting and desires
Pairing(s): Hakkai/Gojyo (AU)
Spoilers: none
Notes: Written for saiyuki_time challenge #21, Clichés. Time allowed: 45 minutes. Time taken: about an hour. I was too extravagant again. And this is also bad because I suggested something very similar as a prompt to someone else already.
Summary: A rainy night, two lonely people, one umbrella. Cue the sappy music ... .

The work session with his project team mate had left Holton tired and tense ... .

Title: The Bottom Line
Author: opalmatrix
Warnings: Swear words, m/m groping, and smutty suggestions
Rating: PG-13
Pairing(s): Hakkai/Gojyo
Spoilers: Absolutely none
Notes: smillaraaq and I were discussing shopping scenes in fic and fiction, and the idea that although Hakkai would enjoy dressing Gojyo well, he's actually probably pretty tight with a budget. And that grew into this. Beta by smillaraaq.
Summary: Gojyo needs some new jeans. Hakkai's going to make sure they get their money's worth.

( It was the best menswear store in town. It had actual dressing rooms ... . )