Disclaimer: Weiss Kreuz belongs to Koyasu Takehito and Saiyuki belongs to Minekura Kazuya. I'm just a fan-girl with more than one obsession. XD

Thanks to: ASeptemberRose for coming up with Drinking Buddies in the first place and letting me write this side story. :-D

A/N: I've been into Weiss Kreuz for years, but Sept recently got me into Saiyuki. She wrote Drinking Buddies with my input for the Weiss characters' voices and then I got permission to fill in the gaps with what Omi, Hakkai, Ken, Goku, Aya, and Sanzo were doing while the playboys were out … and what on earth Aya and Sanzo made a bet about – better still, why?

Also: While I give no explanation as to why or how Aya and Youji as well as Gojyo and Sanzo got together, I have always loved Nekojita's Violet Eyes series and Befanini's Torrent thread the best tales for how these unlikely pairings could come about. If you wish to read these series, Befanini is on this site and I can provide anyone with the link to Nekojita's site.

However, this story is technically part of ASeptemberRose's Nachtregen epic and in it she also gives her rendition of the events … or at least Gojyo & Sanzo's side of it. Hmm … I may have to ask her to let me write Youji & Aya's! smile

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Drinking Buddies Side B #1 – The Definition of a 'Good Time'

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Scratching his head, Youji walked out of the greenhouse and paused to laugh at the sight he beheld: poor Ken was on closing duty. He took up his usual position at the cash register to continue observing the scene. Long legs stretched and crossed over top of the machine and arms bent behind his head, he looked for all the world like a sunbather with his trademark sunglasses on.

Aya glared in the lanky playboy's direction. If it hadn't been closing time, Aya would have reprimanded him for such unprofessional behavior.

"Thank you for your business! Good-bye! See you tomorrow! Yes, yes, thank you! Have a good afternoon!" After shoving the last babbling schoolgirl out of the shop, Ken sighed, letting his forehead fall to the door as he flipped the sign on the front window of the Koneko no Sumu Ie to 'We are / CLOSED / for the day'. "You'd think we were never going to open again the way they go on an' on every night at close."

"Still, I bet it's nice to have an adoring crowd, even as a florist." Omi smiled in his friend's direction as he swept the floors. "Or is it still tough being so popular, Ken-kun?"

"Personally, I don't mind it…" Youji began, but he stopped and grinned when he noticed Aya's eyebrow twitching.

More like addicted to it. The glare was maintained in Youji's direction; they really didn't need a daily reminder of just how much he enjoyed any form of attention.

Ken blushed furiously and tried to suppress it as he turned on Omi. "Hey, Omi, they're your 'adoring fans' too! More of them know you from school, anyway!"

"It doesn't matter who brings them in if they don't buy anything," Aya grumbled as he shuffled through their short stack of receipts from the day's order.

Youji smirked. "It just means less work for us, which means no after-hours working today, right, Aya?" He unfolded his legs from on top of the register and sauntered over to the redhead with only two strides. Whispering ever so softly as he bent over Aya's shoulder, "I can think of a few more productive ways to spend that time."

Just then a squeak came from the direction of the greenhouse as the door was opened. The four florists turned to see one of their guests standing in the doorway smiling, wiping dirt off his hands in a satisfied manner. It was the man with short brown hair and a monocle. Qi was the only name they knew for him.

"My, my, I simply cannot decide which of your jobs is more stressful. I certainly am happy to have been working in the back all day."

Omi looked embarrassed as he replied, "But a guest really shouldn't be burdened with such work at all."

The man continued smiling as he gave a little laugh, appearing to relax a little, "Oh but I don't mind in the least, Bombay-san. I'm sure I saw each of you in the back at least once today, so please don't think I was lonely. Also, I used to have a garden, so I enjoy this kind of work – and this is my way of saying 'thank-you' for lodging us for the time being."

Ken chimed in since Omi remained embarrassed by the honorific. "You Saiyuki guys are full employees of Kritiker now, right? So it's only until you guys get a permanent base – I mean, we're even getting stipends for letting you stay here."

"True, but we still don't know how long it will be before that base is operational." The tall brunette clasped his hands together. "So, what shall I make for dinner?"

Omi gave a little sigh and Ken laughed before saying, "I'll eat just about anything home-cooked, but Aya might –" It was then that he noticed Youji and Aya were missing. "I swear I'll never understand how Aya puts up with a tomcat like Youji."

"Prolly 'cuz he makes it worth his while." Everyone's heads turned to the speaker, who was standing at the base of the stairs down to the basement. It was the redhead they knew as 'Fei', lit cigarette dangling from his lips. "If Siberian's done, the monkey's goin' abs'lutely nuts downstairs – wants a rematch with you at foosball."

Ken snorted. "Does he really think he can beat an ex-J-Leaguer at a soccer-style game?" He turned to Omi. "I'm excused since I'm keeping him occupied, aren't I?"

Omi nodded. "Ayan would never forgive us if Hao-kun broke any of those brand new pots that just arrived today."

'Fei' looked over at 'Qi'. "Oi, Hakkai, you still haven't given them our civ' names? I thought you were gonna' exchange that info an' get back to us?"

Hakkai, the monocle-eyed man, smiled sheepishly before answering, "Ah, I'm terribly sorry, Gojyo. It must have slipped my mind."

"We'll exchange them over dinner," Omi suggested and looked back at Ken, making a shooing motion. "Please don't keep Hao-kun waiting any longer. Oh and Fei-san, please remember that we try to keep the smoking restricted to the basement; Yotan constantly forgets that. We'll call all of you for dinner." He then looked back at Hakkai. "I'll show you around our kitchen, Hakkai-san."

As Ken tromped down the stairs and Omi and Hakkai headed for the kitchen, Gojyo cast a longing glance at the stairs to the upper level, to where he imagined the 'tomcat' was playing with his favorite toy. He thought, Must be nice … being together and with your teammates knowing. Hell, looks like they even approve of it – some guys get all the luck.

-

"Come on, Aya!"

"No!"

The door slammed behind the blond as the redhead turned on the older man with arms folded across his chest.

"It's a mission with a really good cause –"

"Mission? You call this a mission?"

This had to be one of the craziest things the blond had ever proposed doing …

"—And it only needs to be the two of us! Omi and Ken don't have to know a thing—"

"I'd almost prefer they did." And that's saying something coming from me about his own damned 'boyfriend', the most selfish and lazy man on the planet – Youji is his own first priority …

Youji moved closer to Aya and leaned down to whisper, "You know you want to." He gave Aya a quick peck on the cheek.

"I want to make a fool of myself, do I?" … His own first priority except when his boyfriend can and has threatened to cut him off, it seems. Aya tried to look as angry as possible in the face of Youji's pleading, gorgeous green eyes.

The next kiss was planted on the redhead's cheek. "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"Hn."

"Kitten…" Youji whined, leaning down for another kiss.

Aya frowned, fending off the over-sexed man, but still said nothing.

Youji brushed a few stray hairs out of his lover's face and tilted the smaller man's chin up so that he could gaze down into those beautiful violet orbs. "Please?"

Aya gave an exasperated sigh. He nodded in agreement and suddenly Youji was kissing him again. Out of breath, he managed to gasp out between kisses, "You. Are. Spoiled."

Youji only grinned after the barrage was complete. "I love you, Ayan," the blond whispered before taking the younger man into his arms for a passionate tryst.

-

"NO FAIR! AWWW!" Goku wailed, pounding the side of the game stand, "That's the fourth time t'night!" The tiny soccer ball appeared at the pocket for the side he'd been defending.

Ken couldn't suppress a chuckle, hands still on his defender's knobs. "Sorry, Goku, but this is one of my favorite games. Maybe something else?"

"NO WAY!" Goku insisted, pointing an index finger at Ken. "I don't care if you're better 'n me, but I'm gonna' beatcha' at least ONCE tonight!"

"Not likely!" Ken laughed as Goku reset the ball in the middle and they went at it again. The sounds of quickly spun, roughly turned knobs resounded in the basement.

Gojyo sighed and looked over at Sanzo, sitting in the corner of the room with a book he'd borrowed from Aya. It was the only comfy chair in the room – the rest were strictly utilitarian – so Gojyo had taken to lying stretched out on the couch in front of the big-screen TV as he tried to nap in spite of the dueling sports-nuts. How Sanzo managed to block out all that noise was beyond him.

"Yo, Saiyuki! Dinner-time!" Came a voice from behind him. He strained his neck and saw that it was the tomcat 'Balinese', whom he was pretty sure he'd heard called 'Youji' earlier – maybe the 'Yotan' the little kid had referred to?

"YEAH! FOODFOODFOODFOOD!" Goku said excitedly as he raced up the stairs with Ken hot on his heels.

"Hey, I won that last match so I still get first dibs on the seat nearest to the main dish!" The taller brunette called, but he was pretty sure it fell on deaf ears; if Goku had put such a specific thing down as his wager for that last game, he doubted Goku was about to relinquish it, no matter the outcome, especially if he was anything like Ken at the dinner table. He was starting to fear he would be right.

Sanzo placed his bookmark in the pages and slowly got up to follow them.

Youji watched him leave and then turned a puzzled look on Gojyo, who was busy pulling out a cigarette from his pack of Hi-Lites. Youji heard 'Damn lighter broke again?' before asking, "You coming up?"

Gojyo shrugged and settled back into the couch, the unlit cigarette still in his mouth. "Not really in the mood t' eat right 'bout now."

"You in the mood for beer?"

Gojyo pushed himself up on his left hand and turned sideways to face the blond with an eyebrow raised. "Say what?"

"I asked if you were in the mood to go drinking. I know this great little place I haven't been to in ages, and you seem like the type who gets rid of their bad moods in a bar," Youji noted. "I'm that type, myself, actually." He tried to emphasize his sincerity by giving a little shrug and a wide smile.

Gojyo thought about it for a minute. Maybe a kindred spirit to talk to was what he needed right about now. Plus, who was he to turn down an invitation to go out after they'd been cooped up for the past few days? What with the mission when they'd met Weiss, the recuperation time, then waiting for their new base to be complete … Come to think of it, when was the last time he'd gone out for an evening? It had to have been before he and Sanzo started … "Sure thing. I'll be right there after I change into something more appropriate for the occasion." Tonight is about getting rid of my bad mood, not making it worse by getting bitter …

"No problem, me too. See you in a bit." Youji gave a little wave as he went upstairs, pushing his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose as he went.

Gojyo got up to follow him since his guest bedroom was upstairs – as was Sanzo's – and paused in thought. He turned around, reached into the left pocket of Sanzo's mission coat lying over the couch, and grabbed his leader's lighter. Better to have a borrowed lighter than none at all, he decided, even if there would be consequences later.

-

"ITADAKIMAA—OW! What was that for, Sanzo?" Goku whined. Ken couldn't help but snicker as Omi looked puzzled, yet intrigued, by the antic.

Sanzo quietly tucked the harisen away before he answered. "Ch, bakazaru. Guests wait until their host serves them." Sanzo was well within hitting distance of Goku since he was on Goku's right at the tableside facing the appliances.

"Guess that means I can serve myself then…" Ken laughed and reached for the meat buns in front of him, but the top of a ladle smacked the tops of his hands. "AH! Hey—Omi!?" He pouted in his friend's direction. Ken was at the end of the table farthest from Goku, but Omi was on his left at the tableside closer to the counter.

Omi gave a little smirk as he returned the ladle to its place by the miso soup. "Hakkai-san worked very hard on this meal, Ken-kun, so we're all going to take our time and enjoy it." Omi tuned to Hakkai on his right. "Now, will you be so kind as to serve us, Hakkai-san?"

Hakkai smiled pleasantly, but then gave a small gasp, "Oh, Tsukiyono-san … won't Gojyo and Kudou-san be joining us?"

Aya gave a little 'hn' from his place across from Omi and next to Sanzo.

Omi supplied what Aya apparently didn't feel obligated to announce. "Youji said he was going to take Gojyo-san to one of his favorite bars and that they wouldn't be eating with us. I'm actually relieved; I'm not sure how we'd have fit eight around this table and I thought it would be a nice way for them to become buddies anyway."

Ken rolled his eyes and moaned. "You mean drinking buddies … Trust Youji to skip out on his night to do dishes for some cheap alcohol. They'll be back late if Youji has anything to say about it."

"Well, maybe we could do something too?" Omi suggested, "Like go see a movie or—"

A loud rumbling-squeak came from Goku's general direction. "I'm sorry … but can we please eat first??"

Hakkai was mildly entertained during dinner; since Goku normally fought with Gojyo over the food, the slightly different antics between Goku and Ken were… at least as loud and aggressive, but not as insulting – all of that despite being on opposite ends of the table.

On the other side, both Sanzo and Aya ate quietly, occasionally speaking up to ask for more tea or to request a dish get passed or to answer a direct question.

Omi and Hakkai and planned the evening more or less by themselves throughout the course of dinner. Hakkai would drive Omi, Ken, and Goku to the movie theater and the movie would be decided when they got there, leaving Sanzo and Aya to a quiet evening by themselves.

Everyone seemed thrilled by the idea –thrilled meaning that Goku was ready to go five minutes after he was done eating, Ken kept dropping plates in the sink as he and Omi quickly tried to clean up the dishes, and Sanzo and Aya actually had tiny smiles tugging at the corners of their mouths. With a bit of encouragement, Hakkai managed to get Goku out to the garage and into the Jeep so that Ken and Omi could finish in peace.

The perpetual peacekeeper had to wonder, though, whether or not his companions would truly appreciate his sacrifice.

-

Note: 'Itadakimasu' is the traditional Japanese phrase to be said right before a meal begins, akin to 'Let's eat' and 'Thank you for the food' since it is polite and said in a distant (rather than friendly) tone. Goku gets interrupted before he can finish saying it.