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Sanzo ignored the squabble over the last cool bowl of grass jelly, opting instead to stink the room up with a smoke as he shook out the paper and read the fascinating news that some people he'd never heard of had married their daughter off to the son of other people he didn’t give a damn about.
Goku watched him snap the paper out in front of him, focusing on the way the rings holding up his tight sleeves encircled his biceps as his robes fell loosely back from his shoulders, and almost didn't notice when Gojyo stuck his spoon into the jelly.
"And it's a victory for the manly, courageous Sha Gojyo!"
"Hey! That's mine!"
"Mmmmmm-hrrrm?" Gojyo said, swallowing half the bowl in one wobbly spoonful.
"It’s like eating with malnourished sharks," Hakkai said in the jolly way that generally came just before he told you that you were the most disgusting thing he'd seen in months, and that included the shit youkai he'd had the misfortune of falling in with. Or just into, as Gojyo said.
"Here, have it," Goku said, shoving the bowl at Gojyo. "Jelly's for kids."
"Huh? Are you OK? Sanzo! Goku's not feeling well!"
"Don't care," Sanzo said, turning the page.
"No, you don't get it, he turned down food!"
"You don't get it, I don't care."
"Sanzo, that's not a very nice attitude," Hakkai said.
"Being nice is for fools and kindergarten teachers."
"I see," Hakkai said, and buried himself in a book written in some foreign script, refusing to look up.
"You're in good form tonight," Gojyo said. "Is the virginity pinching especially tightly? Ow!" He put his arms over his head, trying to protect himself from the furious onslaught.
"And you shut up, too!" Sanzo yelled, hitting Goku over the head as well with the rolled-up newspaper. It made a difference to the fan, at least.
"I didn't say anything," Goku said.
Sanzo glared at him, and then whacked him again. "That's for being weird!"
* * *
They played poker later, which Goku was terrible at. But Sanzo had agreed to play, which meant that he thought that no one would disturb them for the rest of the night, which meant he was going to relax. Goku pretended he wasn't watching as Sanzo rolled up the Maten Sutra, took off his breastplate and eased his arms out of the thick fabric of the over robe, letting it pool around his waist. Under the boxy robes he was slender, his tightly muscled body developed through hard daily living, not exercise for the sake of exercise. He peeled the sleeves away, revealing the details of his biceps and forearms, and tossed them onto his bed. Goku looked down at the table, his mouth dry. He picked up the hand of cards as Sanzo settled at the end of the table. They might as well all have been blank for the sense they made.
The game ended with Goku owing everyone more money than he thought might be in the world. The incessant mockery was worth it, because Sanzo's bare arms had been in his view for hours.
* * *
"Let's do some shopping for supplies!" Hakkai said, as if he was announcing an eagerly awaited treat. He looked meaningfully at Gojyo and Goku.
"Auuuggghh," Gojyo said. "Why me, man?"
"Because I'm not going," Sanzo said, although apparently asleep.
"Look at him! He's the laziest damn animal I've ever seen! Is snoring a monastic value?"
Sanzo's pillow hit Gojyo in the head. Goku looked at the bed; he didn't appear to have moved, but was now pillowless.
"Fucking hell," Gojyo muttered. "Come on, Goku, let's leave Sleeping Beauty to his own devices. Maybe a passing youkai prince will kiss him awake."
Sanzo's hand rose from its limp position on the bed to give Gojyo the finger.
"I'm gonna stay too," Goku said.
"What?"
"No, you're not," Sanzo said, eyes still closed.
"We'll buy some meat buns," Hakkai said, with a bemused little smile. "Come along."
"No, really, I've got – a headache."
"Go away, monkey."
"A headache?" Hakkai said. "Have you ever had one before, Goku?"
"Er, I'm not sure? But I have one now."
Hakkai was looking concerned. And sceptical. Goku thought his teacher-senses were probably twitching.
"Come on," Gojyo said, "He's just sulking about losing at cards. The baby monkey can't take a bit of joshing!" he finished in a sing-song voice.
"Don't call me a – oh, my poor head," Goku said pathetically.
"Whatever. Come on, Hakkai. If we're not saddled with a kid we could –" Gojyo raised his eyebrows.
"Hmm? Ah. Ahaha. Well, I hope you feel better, Goku! I'll buy some aspirin."
"Hey!" Sanzo said sitting up. "Don't leave me with –" The door shut behind them. "For fuck's –" He glared at Goku. "Quiet. I want quiet, understand?"
"Yes, Sanzo."
He watched Sanzo lie down again, and then retrieved the thrown pillow, silently bringing it over to the bed. Sanzo's eyes snapped open.
"What?"
Goku smiled and held up the pillow. Sanzo rolled his eyes, then grabbed it, stuffing it under his head. He turned over and began to sink into sleep again. Then he stiffened.
"Are you watching me?"
"Am I allowed to say anything?"
Sanzo rolled over, real fast, and recoiled as he found himself nose-to-nose with Goku kneeling at the bedside.
"I can't cure headaches! Get lost!"
"Wouldn't you find it easier to relax if you took your robes off?"
"I – what?"
"They wouldn't get all wrinkled. Hakkai gets so annoyed about the wrinkles."
"Why would I care what Hakkai thinks about my robes?" Sanzo said, like Goku was speaking a new and unfamiliar language. Any moment now he'd decide that it was just normal nonsense, and then Goku knew he'd get a whack with the fan.
"He wouldn't get the chance to annoy you by sighing and talking about how some people don't take care of their clothes," Goku said.
The fan didn't appear. Sanzo looked – amused.
"He means you, monkey."
"I think he means all of us," Goku admitted. "But at least it means that no one else has to worry about getting the laundry together."
"Hah!" Sanzo said, surprising them both. He looked at Goku for a second longer, then sat up and shrugged out of the robe, letting it fell down around his waist. He undid the belt and hauled the whole mass of heavy fabric out from under himself. "Hang it up."
Goku obeyed with alacrity, turning back to see Sanzo scrubbing his fingers through his hair, the contrast between the black fabric of the underlayer and the pale skin of his shoulders making Goku's thoughts still entirely for a second. Back in the temple Sanzo hadn't worn jeans under his robes, but then back in the temple Goku hadn't actually given much thought to what was under them. Now he found he missed the glimpses of shin, untouched by the sun.
"You're looking at me weird again."
"I'm hungry," he said as he drifted back. That always explained everything.
Sanzo sighed, like he didn't know how he could possibly have been so wicked in a past life so as to be saddled with Goku in this one.
"We'll get some food after I sleep."
"Aren't these tight?" Goku said, and feeling his heart doing odd somersaults, reached out to trace the top of Sanzo's sleeve. "Wouldn't you find it easier to sleep without them?"
"Of course they're tight, how else would they stay up?"
There was a pause. Goku had a fingertip hooked inside the top of one sleeve. It was very possible that his heart would explode and he'd be spared ever having to answer the question gathering in Sanzo's eyes.
"Is that what this is? You think I'm in pain?" Sanzo said, looking bewildered and a little haughty.
"I can see the grooves they leave," Goku said, which was perfectly true and he didn't have to add that he thought about those grooves a lot at times when he was in the shower or on the toilet or when he suddenly came out of a very interesting reverie and begged Hakkai to sop Jeep so he could run off behind an isolated bush, pretending to have an upset stomach.
"Idiot," Sanzo muttered, brushing his hand away, but not with force. He eased the sleeves down his arms and tugged their rings from his fingers before tossing them at Goku. "Hang those with the robe."
Goku went to obey, feeling the smooth fabric running between his fingers, warm from Sanzo's flesh. He turned back to see Sanzo lying, head propped on one hand, watching him.
"If you have a headache you should sleep too."
"Yeah," Goku said, and didn't move to go back to his own room, or even to lie down on Hakkai's bed. He looked at the walls, the floor, the ceiling and back to Sanzo, who rolled his eyes and patted the bed beside him.
"You'd better be damn quiet."
Goku lay down, his back to Sanzo, and scooted nearer.
"Hey. I draw the line at cuddling."
"Good night, Sanzo."
"Middle of the day," Sanzo muttered, "Idiot," and was asleep almost at once, his breath even and warm on Goku's neck as he immediately rolled closer.
Goku closed his eyes and let himself relax.
* * *
"We're back!" Hakkai said cheerfully, opening the door to Goku and Gojyo's room. Oh. No Goku. Behind him Gojyo stumbled around, giggling like a schoolboy after his first drink. Dear me, the fellow acted like a gangster and a hard man, but challenge him to one little drinking contest – He turned to catch Gojyo as he tripped. "Whoops -a-daisy! Someone had a little too much imported alcohol, I think!"
"Crocodile water!" Gojyo said merrily.
"Is it?" Hakkai said, heaving him into the room and onto his bed. "How so?"
"Snaps! Snap-snap, like a crocodile!"
"Schnapps, Gojyo. I think it went to your head. Lie down like a good boy."
"Not fair," Gojyo said dimly. "You drank more, how're you still standing?"
"I don't like to lose anything. Now, let me find Goku and give him these aspirin."
If Goku wasn't in his own room he had to be - how tiring – still in Sanzo and Hakkai's room. Hakkai sagged against the wall for a moment, head spinning, then picked up the bags of supplies and dragged them across the corridor. He took a deep breath and resumed a fairly sober appearance, then opened the door. He paused. He thought about the likelihood of alcohol-induced hallucinations. He re-evaluated just how drunk he was, then carefully put the bags inside and went back to sleep it off on Goku's bed.
Arms twined around each other, Sanzo and Goku slept peacefully on.