The Moonlight Incident
The dying light of the sun cast an orange and red tint upon the hull of Jeepu and his passengers. The pair occupying the back were at their normal, daily routine of arguing, punching, rocking the jeep, and just trying to give the dysfunctional blonde in the front a reason to shoot them both without another moment's thought. Their rowdiness soon brought the fan of punishment down upon their heads with a loudly proclaimed, thwack and a promise of death unto them if they started that annoying noise again.
With a nearly silent 'harrumph' Toua Genjo Sanzo Houshi the thirty-first slammed back into his forward position, eyes closed against the small headache that had started throbbing between his eyes. The light from the setting sun wasn't helping much either. 'This field trip is damned', he thought with an annoyed sigh... That's all it was of course; nothing but a long field trip that was determined to drive him insane.
The owner and chauffer so to say of Jeepu chuckled quietly with a small grin. Cho Hakkai didn't make a comment as per normal, just kept busy with his driving so he wouldn't end up driving them into a tree or something along those lines. A growling sound issuing from the back seat did give him cause to blink those emerald eyes for a moment. "Yare yare desu ne," he whispered kindly in regards to the sound that everyone in the jeep knew oh too well by now. "Don't worry Goku," he assured the hungry monkey that had been recently smacked with a fan, "there is a town that should be coming up here in about another hour. You can get some food there."
Son Goku had a pitiful look plastered upon his face, and was tempted to begin his routine whining. The click of Sanzo's shourejyuu stopped him however, the priest knowing just what was going to happen long before it actually occurred. "Say it and I blow you into oblivion monkey," Sanzo growled, pointing the gun over his shoulder without turning to look at where he was aiming---the gun already perfectly zeroed in on Goku.
Snickering issued from Sha Gojyo, only this wasn't the same as Hakkai's earlier chuckling. Gojyo's snickering was laced with the pleasure he found in the fact the gun was pointed at Goku, as was natural. He did stifle himself when the barrel of the gun slid from Goku to himself.
"Don't you dare get him started. Because of you two, I have a headache that wont go away, and I'm liable to shoot the next person that raises their voice!" he barked, swinging around to lock his droopy, violet-eyed glare at the both of them.
This was a bad idea. The jeep gave a sharp jolt as something punctured one of the tires as Hakkai drove. Poor Jeepu let out a piercing wail of pain and abruptly returned to dragon form, causing the party of four to fall to the dusty road. A line of swearing flew from Gojyo's mouth as he rubbed his butt, a gesture that the rest of the party was currently involved in as well.
Hakkai was the first on his feet, and was after Jeepu to make sure the little white dragon was all right. Apparently there had been an object sharp enough to puncture a tire/foot so it looked like they weren't going anywhere by jeep. Hakkai sighed and eyed a group of trees that were near by. "It seems like that would be the best place to stay for the night," he murmured to himself, turning to make sure the rest of the group was okay.
Sanzo had been second to his feet, moments after Hakkai and was brushing himself off, eyes knit against that ever-sharp pain between his eyes. He cast a violet glance at Hakkai. The glance lingered and followed the youkai as he went and made the rounds to the monkey and the kappa to make sure they were okay as well.
It wasn't all that long after Hakkai had left the other two that they started arguing over some trivial thing once again. Sanzo attempted to keep from whipping out the shourejyuu and sending a few well-aimed charges at the two buffoons. There was no one in this party that was actually bearable except for Hakkai. At this particular moment, Sanzo wanted nothing more than to get away from the loud ones, and possibly have a conversation with the green-eyed youkai. Well, not a conversation, but at least his company. It would sure as hell be better than hanging around these two idiots.
Hakkai made his way over to Sanzo shortly thereafter, and Sanzo's gaze was still locked on him, never changing from that same slightly grumpy expression.
"At this point, Jeepu's not going to be able to take us anywhere with his injury I'm afraid," Hakkai informed soberly, the normally small smile making the slightest impression on the youkai's face "So I suggest that we seek shelter in those trees," he added, gesturing to the nearby trees.
Sanzo nodded curtly, agreeing with the suggestion. He grabbed Hakkai's arm with the hand that wasn't holding a recently lit cigarette and began to pull him off towards the trees without mention of the plan to the other two.
"Ne, Sanzo? Shouldn't we--"
"No. If they're too busy exercising their stupidity to notice our leaving them here, and are too stupid to figure out that the trees would provide shelter for the night, then it's their fault. Leave them there, and hope that they eventually figure it out." Sanzo's grumpy look had magnified itself as he made this statement while dragging the youkai off the dusty road and into the orange-shaded grass. 'Besides, if I have to listen to that shit for one more minute, there will be hell to pay...'
So it came to be that Hakkai was dragged off to the trees under the quickly darkening sky, and the other two didn't notice that the priest and the youkai were gone until both Sanzo and Hakkai were well out of sight amongst the trees, leaving Gojyo, Goku, and even Jeepu behind.
Hakkai gazed up through the dark outlines of the branches in the canopy. The sky was still streaked with bits of red and orange, but down there under the cover of the large trees night had already fallen. It was an almost eerie sight. He heaved a small sigh.
They had gone deep into the trees, and it was a pretty good size stand of trees, at Sanzo's request. He eventually did tell Hakkai that he had to get some time away from the 'damn monkey' and 'pain-in-my-ass Gojyo' otherwise their little party would be downsized. So Hakkai really had had no choice but to follow without saying anything to alert the other two.
Okay, he could have been insubordinate, but to tell the truth he really wanted to be without the constant sound of bickering and complaints about hunger. Not that he'd ever say anything to Gojyo or Goku about it of course.
Sanzo eyed the clearing in the center of the trees. Night had come across the sky above the trees, leaving a ripe moon to cast its blue urethral light upon the treetops, and those who came out into the clearing. Not a thought had been spared for the two they had left behind, and there had been no sound from them in quite some time as well. Which was good. This place held a quiet serenity that Sanzo would hate to loose the comfort of.
White robes and golden hair glowing in the soft moonlight, Sanzo strode with a bit of impatience to get seated and comfortable for the evening. He could hear the soft steps of Hakkai not too far behind him, and the other man had kept quiet for the durance of this private stroll, which was just fine with him. He situated himself in a loosely cross-legged position, arranging the long robes as to not have them caught under his rear end, which would cause problems when he wanted to rise later on.
Sanzo eyed the youkai, purple eyes narrowed slightly as he noted the moonlight's reflections on the youkai's chestnut hair. Sanzo couldn't fathom just why his gaze remained locked on Hakkai. The moon emphasizing the youkai's feminine qualities as it sparked in those green, green orbs.
Hakkai was turned to him at the moment, observing the dark trees he supposed. Maybe gathering kindling. He turned around, armful of wood present. Kindling. Still watching Hakkai ever so intently, Sanzo witnessed the preparations for a fire. Hakkai straightened up and sat on his heels gracefully on the soft ground not more than a foot away from the priest. Carefully balanced, he shifted a bit to regard Sanzo.
"Could I borrow your lighter to light that fire Sanzo?"
An almost feminine voice, one that had a sense of androgyny laced throughout it. The voice of reason in the group, the only one he could stand. The only one he could really ever open up to on occasion. They knew the details of each other pasts after all.
"Sanzo?"
Sanzo blinked, slightly irritated that he had let himself zone out like that in front of someone else. He reached into the voluminous sleeves of his robes and extracted the metal device, holding it out to Hakkai.
Moonlight glinted on the silver metal, casting a bit of reflected light onto the outstretched hand that awaited the lighter.
Apparently a foot wasn't close enough to cause Hakkai to loose that precarious balance and tilt towards Sanzo. He couldn't regain his balance again, and fell on Sanzo with enough force to knock the man over.
Sanzo swore as he let himself be knocked over, and let Hakkai land on top of him.
Hakkai really hadn't foreseen this. He was close enough to Sanzo to not really have to worry about the limits of leaning over so far. So it came to be that he very suddenly found himself staring down into almost glowing violet eyes accented by perfectly luminous golden hair, now scattered at odd angles because of the sudden fall.
Moonlight.
All of Sanzo practically was glowing with it.
Hakkai found that he lingered on top of the warm priest, not really wanting to move. He had to admit that he had always admired the man from far off, the beauty of those eyes--especially in the heat of battle, and the soft golden color of his silky hair.
Violet and gold. Royal colors. Colors fit for a god.
Hakkai blinked and flushed slightly. He began to stammer an apology and to move off of Sanzo, lest violence come at him while he was in such a vulnerable position.
Hakkai never really got the chance.
Sanzo lurched up, flipping the youkai onto his own back, and hovered over him--an almost smug look caressing the normally irate features. The shadows encased a great deal of the priest's face now, but he was still glowing with a halo of moonlight.
The moonlight...how it could have a strange effect on people.
Hakkai blinked with question, apologies dying on his parted lips. Emerald eyes flew open wide as Sanzo leaned in ever so close, breath touching Hakkai's parted lips. Hakkai's body responded with a shiver.
'Why?'
That was the last rational thought for the moment. Once Sanzo's lips locked down on Hakkai's, both of their minds went into oblivion. The wide eyes soon snapped shut as he met the kiss with his own, tongue warring against Sanzo's.
Sanzo didn't know what made him do it. The moonlight? It was a full moon after all, and the soft light can play with one's lustful intentions.
That wasn't it though, was it? This was something else...that had been with them for quite some time.
Sanzo heard a groan, and recognized it as Hakkai's. He felt the youkai's arms wrap themselves up around him, pulling him closer. The kiss lengthened, turning into a war for dominance in the mouths. Another sound startled him, his own groan as their bodies pressed together, highlighted by the glowing moonlight.
A twig snapped in the near darkness.
They pulled apart, both gasping for breath. Sanzo rolled off to the side, attempting to regain his composer. Hakkai sat up soon after, retrieving the lighter that had fallen and eyeing it before giving it back to Sanzo without lighting a fire.
There was silence for a moment. Silence to ears only. They sent looks back and forth that spoke louder than words could have.
'What does this mean?' Green eyes asked, vulnerability shining through. He had enjoyed that. Enjoyed it...a kiss with someone who was mostly just a comrade.
'I don't know...' Purple eyes replied, Sanzo turning his head away to gaze at the grass, and lighting another cigarette.
The full moon is said to have an effect on people.
It's light highlighting the delicate parts of people, can have an effect on the consciousness...if there was already attraction there.
The moon continued to shine through the clearing, as Hakkai carefully leaned his head on Sanzo's shoulder to sleep. And the priest's arms uncertainly wrapped around the youkai, moonlight casting its light and its spell upon them both in uninterrupted harmony.