Disclaimer: I don't own Saiyuki or its characters.
Green-Eyed Retribution
By NekoMegami-chan
It was late and Hakkai was tired: they all were. And twelve hours spent crammed into Jeep, exposed to the hot sun and bouncing down a rough dirt track had strained even Hakkai's nearly inexhaustible patience. Sanzo, on the other hand, had been pushed to the breaking point.
The explosion came just after dinner, right in the middle of the inn's common room. Gojyo had committed some minor infraction, prompting Sanzo to begin beating the half-youkai about the head and shoulders with the paper fan accompanied by a string of curses that could make a sailor blush. Sanzo had been particularly on edge for days, and Goku, still sitting at the table amidst a graveyard of sauce-smeared dishes, simply looked relieved that the abuse wasn't directed at him.
Gojyo had his arms up to shield his face and Hakkai could see that while the redhead would have dearly loved to punch Sanzo's lights out, he wisely refrained from doing so, choosing instead to shout and make comments about what a shitty monk Sanzo was.
When, after several minutes, Sanzo seemed unlikely to stop, Hakkai decided to intervene on his best friend's behalf. "Sanzo," he said.
Sanzo aimed a scathing glare at Hakkai. "It's none of your damn business," he snapped, turning back to deliver another hearty smack to the top of Gojyo's head.
In an instant Hakkai was behind Sanzo and holding the blonde man's wrist firmly, the paper fan arrested mid-swing. "Why Sanzo, my friends are my business," Hakkai replied calmly, smiling the smile that he occasionally wore to remind his companions that he was a youkai for a reason.
Sanzo's gaze met Hakkai's, and the air between them nearly crackled under the pressure generated by the clash of two such powerful wills. "What the hell do you think you're. . .," Sanzo began acidly.
Still smiling, Hakkai unceremoniously plucked the fan from the monk's hand and brought it down on Sanzo's head with a sharp swat. "Sanzo, shut up."
Gojyo blinked. Goku stared. Sanzo sputtered in shocked rage. Hakkai stuffed the fan back into Sanzo's voluminous sleeve, released the other man's wrist and cheerfully announced, "Well, I'm off to bed. Good night everyone."
x x x
A/N: To those of you who have been kind enough to read and review my other fics, I have an announcement!
I have once again started work on "Living With Our Consequences"!
Yes, it's true :) Ditch Gospel has been kind enough to prod me to write for it once again, and will be beta-ing for me as well. So please expect the latest chapter of Consequences very soon. Thanks for reading!