Title: The Journey
Date: 29 July 2004
Author: Sariyuki
Disclaimer: Saiyuki belongs to the wonderful Minekura Kazuya sama whom I worship on daily basis
Notes: Happy Sanzo/Hakkai Day! Dedicated especially to 383 Mafia.
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It all started with the mission, the journey to the West.
Sanzo stole another glance to the man next to him for the hundredth time. The object of his observation was busy driving and minding the road so he was safe enough to assume that the man wouldn't notice.
Lately he often caught himself staring at the other man in odd moments, such as this, and that annoyed him considerably. As if there was a need to look at the face.
Sanzo took another glance.
But there was something about the man that called to him. It was infuriatingly annoying. Was it the man's calm composure that fascinated him? Sanzo didn't know. But there was something that seemed to draw him closer and pulled him nearer to the man. Was it the way the wind blew and ruffled the dark coloured hair that had him captivated in the first place?
Sanzo couldn't recall when this habit of watching his companion began. These days it was almost automatic that he should seek the presence of this man, as if his life had depended on that. Of course it wasn't true. Sanzo knew it wasn't. It was just that they had become familiar with each other and the way the man radiated calmness and -
Still that wasn't a very good excuse for always seeking the man's presence. Sanzo knew it and he scowled at himself for that. These days, his mind was - almost - always occupied by these useless musings.
His face was a picture of deep contemplation. There was something irritating about the way his mind worked lately. It seemed to have a mind of its own. It seemed to want to gravitate to a subject that Sanzo didn't want to think about. Why this was so, Sanzo wondered. Was it because of those mesmerizing green eyes?
Sanzo managed not to sigh at his own reverie. This is getting bad, he thought warily. He needed something to do but he had run out of smokes.
"Hakkai."
Hakkai turned his head slightly and smile, "Yes, Sanzo?"
Another thing was his smile, Sanzo's thoughts continued. It was maddeningly calm and infuriatingly beautiful at the same time and yet it didn't seem to mean anything at all. That fact annoyed Sanzo sometimes even though he wouldn't want to admit it. Well, he'd better attempt some conversation with the man than doing nothing. All this mucking around in his head could drive him insane.
"When will we arrive in the next town?"
"Hm...," Hakkai consulted the map and nodded to himself. "I think we'd be able to reach the next town just before sunset."
"Good," Sanzo replied. "I'm dying for a smoke."
Hakkai smiled again. "Maybe this is time for cutting down on those smokes?"
"Ch," Sanzo replied. "Not while I'm alive."
Hakkai chuckled and replied, "As you say, Sanzo."
And that was that.
Well, so much for a conversation, scowled Sanzo inwardly and blamed the annoyingly audible background noise that was now too loud to be ignored. How could anyone concentrate on making conversation with such rackets going on?
"SILENCE, you two idiots at the back!"
That didn't seem to have the effect that Sanzo was hoping for. The two idiots at the back kept going on and on. Weren't they ever tired of repeating the same things over and over again? thought Sanzo irritably. His head started to pound and the side of his temple twitch visibly. Sanzo made a grab at the gun on his side. He really needed to shoot someone. Or better yet, some people.
A hand touched the sleeve of Sanzo's robe. "Now, now."
Okay, maybe shooting wasn't really a good idea, in the mission's point of view, Sanzo gritted his teeth. He slid the gun back into his robe grudgingly. Perhaps a little bit of tact could do the trick, just like Hakkai said once upon a time. Sanzo scowled at the memory, he didn't believe it, of course.
"We'll be in town in another two hours or so. Be patient, ne, Sanzo?"
Sanzo glared at his smiling companion but that didn't seem to have any desirable effect on the man. "We'd better be. Or some people might get hurt."
Hakkai laughed the last comment off as if he didn't believe a single word of it, somehow it irritated Sanzo to no end. He could shoot the two idiots at the back, he knew he could. If he wanted to, he really could. And he could shoot Hakkai too, if Hakkai didn't stop laughing and glancing at him like there was something funny on his face. The idiot.
And then, there was always this routine. A day on the journey without it wouldn't be a complete day.
"Ne, Sanzo," a whiny voice spoke to Sanzo's ear.
He tried to ignore it.
"I'm hungry, Sanzo."
Sanzo pretended to sleep. He shut his eyes more tightly.
"Ne, Sanzo. Why didn't you answer me, I'm hungry!"
Twitched.
"Sanzo, when are we going to eat?"
"Sanzo? Sanzo!"
"SHUT UP!"
The gun was pointed skywards and a loud bang was ensued, leading a forced silence in the vicinity. Sanzo growled to make a point. "Can't I have peace in this freaking journey?"
Goku covered his ears with both hands.
"Oi, oi," drawled Gojyo. "There's no need for that sort of thing, you know, Exalted Sanzo-sama."
There was an audible click of the gun. "You want to die?"
"Now, now," Hakkai interjected. "Don't worry, Goku, I'm sure we will arrive in the next town before dinner time then we could all eat to our hearts' content. So be patient, okay?"
Goku cheered.
"And Sanzo, leave Gojyo alone and go back to your seat, you're distracting my driving."
"Ch," chorused Sanzo and Gojyo almost concurrently. But the monk obliged Hakkai and sat back. His mood would be improved considerably if only he could smoke. Sanzo closed his eyes and tried to ignore the craving. Maybe he could rest for a while, he thought.
Three minutes and eight seconds later...
"Ne, San-hmph!"
"Hmmph! Mmmh!"
Goku suddenly found Gojyo's hand clamping his mouth. He extended his hands to get at his attacker, flailing wildly trying to claw at Gojyo's laughing face.
Sanzo pretended he didn't hear a thing.
"Did anyone hear a voice? I thought I hear something?" asked Gojyo with the air of false innocence.
"Mmmph!"
Hakkai smiled at the road ahead and did his part of the routine smoothly, "Everyone is so lively today despite the hot weather. I'm so glad."
"What are you talking about, man?" replied Gojyo, while still trying to pinch Goku onto one of the back seats. "I almost die out of boredom. This is just sooo boring!"
"Mhhm, mmhph!"
"Ahaha," laughed Hakkai. "Isn't this just nice, Sanzo?"
Sanzo opened his eyes and shot a glance at Hakkai. "What is?"
"The journey, of course," replied Hakkai.
"Ch," muttered Sanzo. "It's freakin' boring."
"Is it?"
"Definitely."
Hakkai gave his companion a curious glance and caught Sanzo's gaze on him. His smile widened ever so slightly as the monk averted his gaze and scowled. In the background, the sound of Goku and Gojyo bickering went almost unnoticed.
The way things are going now, thought Hakkai amusedly, this journey is going to get even more interesting. He had noticed the way Sanzo had been giving him looks lately and was rather enjoying the special attention given to him by the monk.
Hakkai indulged himself in another smile. It couldn't be a bad thing now, could it?
Just as he stated earlier, it was decidedly nice.
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