Chapter six: The Goddess

They were on the porch, waiting for the others to come back from their shopping trip. Sanzo and Gojyo were smoking, Goku was sitting with his back against Sanzo's chair, head against his leg. The sun was setting. The sky was vibrant with colour.

All in all, too good to last.

'And where's my invitation?'

Sanzo, Gojyo and Goku goggled wordlessly.

Kanzeon huffed, exactly like Sanzo, and put her hands on her hips. One foot tapped irritatedly on the ground. 'You don't mean you weren't going to invite me, do you?'

Gojyo made a small sound, like a dying frog.

'Oh, you're all hopeless,' she said. 'You'd forget all the important people if you weren't reminded. Honestly, this place needs a woman's touch. Kenren, you're not as good as you once were.'

That did get a reaction. 'Hey!' Gojyo protested.

'So when's the wedding?' Kanzeon bulldozed neatly past his objection. 'Tomorrow morning? Although we should probably have an evening wedding, so much prettier.'

'We?' Gojyo asked, because. Well. That was important.

'Yes, yes.' She waved nonchalantly. 'I'm going to be planning the whole thing out, of course. You men would mess it all up.'

Where the hell was Hakkai when he needed him? Grocery shopping his ass. The man just had a fantastic radar for embarrassment. 'Er,' Gojyo said intelligently.

'Go away, you disgusting old woman,' Sanzo said bluntly next to him, and Gojyo had to consciously stop himself from nodding in agreement.

'That's no way to talk to your aunt now, is it?' Kanzeon said. 'Especially when I'll be footing the bill for this.' She winked outrageously at Gojyo. 'Consider it my wedding present.'

'Present?' Gojyo repeated, slightly dazed.

'Present,' Kanzeon said. She gestured to the house.

They trooped in obediently and stood book-ended in the doorway, goggling wordlessly. Kanzeon looked smug.

The kitchen was suddenly full of food, the simmering bubbling pots filled with enough to feed an army – and have some left over, which was always wise with Goku around. The table had widened and lengthened, there were nine chairs around it now, large and expensive-looking ones. The hall now held seven chairs, another table with a large sign saying gifts on it, and a sort of flowery vine-covered…arch…thing…just big enough for three people to stand inside.

Technically, Gojyo knew there was no way all that would ever fit in their little house, but it did, and the house was exactly the same size as ever. Just looking at it made his brain hurt, because his logic was trying to match up with his eyes and damn the struggle wasn't pretty.

'Well, now that that's done, I'll be back tomorrow for the wedding,' Kanzeon said, satisfied. 'Call me before you start, there's a dear, Konzen. Goku, do remind him. Kenren, congratulations to the two of you. I always did tell Tenpou he should get around to making an honest man of you someday. See you!'

She phased out.

There was a long, long moment as the three of them regained their shattered composure.

Goku plucked at Sanzo's sleeve. 'What's Hakkai gonna say when he sees all that?'

'I have no idea,' Sanzo said.

'And I'm not sticking around to find out,' Gojyo said emphatically.

They nodded in unison.

'Walk?' Sanzo suggested.

'Long walk,' Gojyo amended.

'Hn.'