Disclaimer: I don't own Saiyuki!

It was after sundown and Genjyo Sanzo was sitting alone in his room at the inn. His other three party members had found a household kind enough to host them, but they only had two extra beds and Sanzo didn't feel like dealing with fighting for one, so he left to stay at the inn. Or at least that's why he claimed he wanted to stay by himself at the inn. Sanzo was beginning to wonder how much longer he could keep up this charade. Just then, he heard three knocks on the door. He got up and looked through the peep hole and saw a cloaked figure with his face well hidden, but he knew who it was. He quickly let him in and locked the door behind him.

Kougaiji sighed as he took off cloak. "This is getting really annoying."

"You're telling me," Sanzo said as he moved closer to Kou and snaked his arm around him. "I don't know how much longer I could have waited."

Kougaiji pushed Sanzo away. "That's not what I mean."

"What? You don't want me anymore?"

Kougaiji blushed and had to look away. "That's not what I mean either. It's just..." Kougaiji walked over and sat at the small table by the window. Sanzo came and sat on the other side.

"It's just what?" Sanzo came and sat down on the other side and began caressing the arm Kou had set on the table. Kou pulled it away.

"I'm just not in the mood today, okay? I'm getting sick of lying about where I'm going...and about why I come back with mysterious cuts and bruises. Doku and Yaone are convinced I'm in some sort of secret abusive relationship!"

"Well, they're half right, aren't they? Besides, I know you like it."

Kou blushed again. "That's not the point! What if they do finally figure it out?"

"So what? Just tell them to keep their mouths shut. As ridiculous as it is, they worship you, they'll do whatever you say, so what are you worried about?"

"It's not just that. That crazy bitch keeps putting more pressure on me to kill you and take your sutra. She keeps reminding me that it's the only way she'll save mother..."

"Not his mom again," thought Sanzo. Eventually Sanzo knew that these issues would have to be resolved somehow, but not tonight. Tonight, Sanzo needed something else from Kou. When he said earlier that he didn't know how much longer he could wait, he meant minutes.

"Look, none of that is gonna get solved tonight. So quit looking for pity."

"I'm not looking for pity!"

Sanzo didn't say anything back, but reached behind him and grabbed a six pack. He took one for himself, and then slid the rest to Kougaji. "Drink those. All of them."

"I don't drink beer."

Sanzo grabbed his gun and held it against Kou's forehead. "Look, I don't care about your mommy issues, I need you to be in the mood tonight, so if this is the only way to get you there, then today, you drink beer."

"Fine."

A little while later, after Sanzo had finished off his can and had a smoke or two, Kougaji finished off his fifth beer and slammed the empty can on the table. Sanzo had been gazing out the window and heard the slam, and without bothering to turn his head towards Kou asked, "So are you ready now?"

Silence.

Sanzo looked at Kou to figure out what was going on and saw the mess he had created. Kou was swaying from side to side with his eyes half closed and his hand still on the empty can.

Sanzo raised an eyebrow.

Then Kougaiji let a small hiccup escape before collapsing on the table.

"Dammit."

Sanzo went over and tried to wake Kougaiji up, but that was not happening. So he picked him up and carried him over to the bed. The whole way over just getting madder and madder about the failure of his plan.

"I can't believe you're such a pansy," Sanzo said as he practically threw Kou on to the bed. "Now what am I supposed to do?"

Sanzo turned to walk away, but felt someone grab his arm. He turned back around to see a very groggy looking Kou sitting on his knees on the bed holding his arm.

"What do you want now?"

"Don't leave me," Kou said as he wrapped his arms around Sanzo's waist. "I love you."

Sanzo stopped in his place. Sanzo hadn't seen that coming. Kou had never said that to him before. Was this just the alcohol talking? Or had the alcohol made him talk? Sanzo wanted it to be the latter, but he didn't want to get his hopes up. "I.."

"I love you..." Kou squeezed tighter, "..mother"

"DAMMIT I'M NOT YOUR MOTHER!" Sanzo shouted as he ripped Kougaiji off of him, shoved him back on the bed, and put several holes in the pillows near Kou's head. But Kou was out again, and Sanzo just watched him lay there while the feathers from the pillows slowly drifted down on top of him.

Sanzo went and sat down at the table and pulled out another cigarette. This was really frustrating. Who knew when they'd get a chance to meet again, and he had to go and get Kou completely trashed. What a waste. He was just about to call it a night when he heard Kougaiji fall out of the bed. Then he watched as Kougaiji got up and started staggering towards him. His interest in the spectacle peaked when Kou started trying to take his shirt off. He had it about half way off before he seemed to give up and continued his journey to Sanzo. Eventually he made it there and sat down on the table in front of Sanzo.

Then Kougaiji grabbed the bottom of his shirt, looked at it for awhile, then looked pleadingly at Sanzo. "Can you help me?"

"So this is why you normally don't wear a shirt, huh," thought Sanzo, "You actually don't know how to get them off." Sanzo laughed to himself as he worked the shirt over Kou's head.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing."

"Okay."

Sanzo has successfully removed the shirt and threw it on the floor. "There you go."

Kougaiji sat holding the edge of the table and swinging his legs. He looked over at his shirt and then at Sanzo. Then he leaned over and kissed Sanzo on the forehead and said "Thank you!" Then he just smiled at Sanzo like a happy little kid and continued swinging his legs.

Sanzo rolled his eyes. He couldn't believe this. This man held his liquor worse than Goku.

"I'm in the mood now, Sanzo. Let's go!" Kougaiji was practiaclly bouncing on the table now.

Sanzo rolled his eyes again. Sanzo wasn't sure what to do. He almost felt bad, like this would be taking advantage of a Kougaiji who was obviously drunk off his ass, but it's not like Kougaiji and him didn't do this all the time anyway, so what did it matter? Plus, he could probably get him to try some of those things that he usually said no to. Now that would be taking advantage of him, but, Kou was obviously having fun so why shouldn't Sanzo? Sanzo smiled, and reached over to Kou, slowly picking out a feather that was still stuck in his hair, and blowing it away. Then he looked back at Kou.

"Okay, let's go."

"Yay!" Kougaiji laughed and hugged Sanzo, knocking the both Sanzo and the chair over and sending them all crashing to the floor. Sanzo could have sworn Kougaiji giggled after that, and thought to himself, "Wow, this is going to be interesting."

Next morning, Sanzo woke up to Kougaiji moaning and looked over to see him sitting up in bed holding his head in his hands.

"Ow, my head."

Sanzo couldn't hold back a small laugh.

"Don't laugh at me! You were the one who told me to drink so much!" Then Kou tried to hit Sanzo but he missed. He went back to sitting in his original position for awhile, but then a look of confusion slowly crossed his face and he asked, "...why don't I have any clothes on?"

"You don't remember?"

"No...I remember bits and pieces but not a lot"

"Shit, you're a lightweight." Sanzo was going to use this to his advantage. If Kougaiji didn't remember what happened, Sanzo could make him think that he ruined the whole evening, and then he'd owe him. But in reality, Kou's inebriation had made things quite fun for Sanzo. He had even gotten a chance to figure out which one of those things Kou would never do was his favorite, but Sanzo certainly wasn't going to tell Kougaiji that.

"I had to deal with you all night you know, and put up with your drunkenness."

Kougaiji let out a long sigh. "I'm sorry, Sanzo. Look, I'll make it up to you. Next time, I'll...try one of those things you always want to do but I always say no to." Then he peeked through his fingers to look at Sanzo. " How does that sound?"

Sanzo smiled. This was working out fantastically. "Alright, just don't forget."

"Like you'd let me," Kou said as he shook his head. "Oh shit. What did I do that for? Now everything is spinning."

Sanzo didn't even try to hold back a laugh this time.

Eventually, the two got moving because they knew that Sanzo's party would come looking for him pretty soon. Sanzo went to get Kougaiji some coffee while Kou attempted to put his clothes back on. When Sanzo came back, he saw Kou sitting on the floor with his head tilted back against the wall. He had managed to get his pants on, but not buttoned, and he only had one arm and his head through his shirt. Sanzo was almost starting to feel guilty. But only almost.

"Here drink this," Sanzo said as he shoved the coffee in his face. "Those bozos will be coming any second now, you gotta get out of here.'

Kou downed the coffee as Sanzo helped him get dressed. Then he left.

Five minutes later, Gojyo, Hakkai, and Goku came bursting through the door.

"Don't you three ever knock!"

But the three acted like they didn't even hear him. They were too busy looking around at the six empty beer cans, the tipped over chair, the scratches on Sanzo's face, and feathers scattered everywhere across the room.

Sanzo stared angrily at them. Then said, "I'm going back to sleep, I'll come find you when I'm ready to leave, so don't bother me." Then he shoved them back out the door and slammed it in their faces.

Gojyo was not pleased. He banged on the door. "Hey, mister high and mighty priest! How come you're always pestering us about moving on but when you want to take a damn nap the whole trip goes on hold?"

He was answered by a bullet flying through the door.

"Geez! You're actually going to hit me one of these times, you know! Then what are you going to do?"

He was again answered by a bullet through the door, this one missing him by an even narrower margin.

Gojyo was about to go off again, but Hakkai stepped in and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Let it go, Gojyo. This will only set us back a few hours. And Sanzo is the leader after all, so what he says goes."

"Yeah, yeah." Gojyo pulled out a cigarette and started searching for a light. Goku stood staring at them wondering how Hakkai was always able to calm Goyjo down instantly like that. Then Gojyo started talking again. "By the way, anyone know who it is that Sanzo is having so much fun with all the time?"

"Now now, if he wanted us to know he'd tell us."

Now Goku finally piped up, "What is it with you guys and secrets!"

"Goku...sometimes, adults need to keep secrets, you'll understand someday," Hakkai said as he smiled at him.

"Yeah," Gojyou said as he smacked him on the head, "Get over it, monkey."

"Ugh! You guys suck!"

Just then Sanzo opened the door, pointed his gun at the trio and said "Shut up or die." Then he slammed the door once again.

"Oh my, why don't we all go for a walk? No point in just sitting here for hours."

"I'm hungry! I want to eat!'

"Well then let's go get breakfast. And let's go now because I really don't feel like putting up with any more of Sanzo's wrath this early in the morning." Then Hakkai shot them his trademark creepy smile.

"Come on, ape, we'd better go," Gojyo said as he followed Hakkai down the hall dragging Goku behind him.

Sanzo could hear them leave and he finally let himself settle under the covers, but he couldn't sleep. He couldn't stop thinking about what Kougaiji had said right before he left.

"You know, Sanzo."

"Hn."

"Last night," Kou paused, "There is at least one thing I remember." Kou paused again. Sanzo was getting impatient. "I meant what I said...and I was only talking about my mother the second time."

Then he was gone again.