Disclaimer: I do not own Saiyuki. Minekura Kazuya holds this honor.
Steeping in Comfort
Sanzo liked to be efficient. And therefore, was an avid proponent of multi-tasking.
He effortlessly consumed his plate of fried rice with one hand while the other hand harisen-ed away the pleading saru begging for an extra serving or two.
He seamlessly took in concentrated drags of the cigarette balanced between his tightened lips while positioning a fully loaded shoreijyuu smack between the eyes of a minus wave induced youkai.
On his good days, he even succeeded in systematically blocking out the agitating scuffle taking place in the back seat of the traveling jiipu while he poured over the complex road map that diligently pointed the group westward.
So it was a rare event when Sanzo extended his undivided attention to one thing or one event.
And afternoon tea with Hakkai was one of the sacred few.
Drinking tea with Hakkai was an experience that commanded Sanzo's entire concentration without the disturbance of another motor skill.
There was something intriguing about the whole process of taking tea. Part of the fascination was in the way Hakkai prepared it. It wasn't like the artless process of untwisting a beer cap or dropping a spoonful of powder into the coffee maker. There was a required form and elegance in making a good pot of tea that only the brunette seemed to have mastered.
Hakkai often performed the brewing process on the table in front of the monk who often secretly observed him through a cloaked peripheral vision under the guise of reading the paper.
He observed the way Hakkai delicately scooped the dried leaves out of the bag in even measurements; pulling out any stray pieces incidentally mixed in. He then gently placed them into the petite wire mesh, careful as not to crush or crumble the dehydrated components.
He slowly poured freshly boiled water through the sieve; doing so carefully as if coaxing the extracts himself. And under his continued gentle ministration, the steeping leaves hydrated themselves back to life and paid homage with their essence to the liquid catalyst.
For once in his efficient life of no muss and no fuss, Sanzo wholeheartedly absorbed himself into the tender, cultivating process.
He especially didn't mind when the brewing vapor coalesced with the stale air of the inn; resulting in a calming aroma.
An aroma that he often associated with Hakkai.
When the brewing process came to its inevitable conclusion, the transformed liquid was poured smoothly into the thick, ceramic cups.
Care for some tea, Sanzo?
It was only with the subtle gesture from the brunette did he look up from the crumpled folds in a disinterested manner as if realizing its presence for the first time.
He lowered his head slightly to bring the brewed concoction closer to his lips and peered through the translucent veil of the rising steam to discover that the other was simulating the exact same act.
And made a soft but a distinct contact through the infused air of their breathing space.
-The End-