Love of My Life – Chapter 9: Relax

Sanzo's POV

"Stop hogging all the room, you damn monkey!"

"Well maybe you shouldn't be so fat, you stupid water sprite!"

"Who are you calling stupid?! You're the one that can't think of anything besides food!"

And they're at it again. This is so fucking annoying.

"SHUT UP OR I'LL KILL YOU BOTH!"

"Sanzo, you should sit down before you fall out."

"She's right. It's dangerous to stand in a moving vehicle."

I did as Tai and Hakkai said and sat down. My head was hurting from the two idiots arguing.

The rain had stopped overnight. After a few times of protesting, Tai convinced me to lay down and sleep. I have to admit, that was the best sleep I've gotten on a rainy night. It might have been the kisses she gave me every time I rolled over to look out the window or her whispering sweet-nothings into my ear.

When I woke up in the morning, I was refreshed. Tai even said she didn't wake up once in the night. Perhaps, the company of each other is what keeps us sane.

A couple hours of more bickering, threats and rare silences, we finally made it to the next town. My headache had worsened.

"Sanzo, are you okay?" Hakkai asked.

"Yeah, you don't look too well." Goku said.

"Maybe because you idiots won't shut up." I growled. I felt myself get dizzy and lose balance. My head fell back on the head rest.

I felt a hand be place in my forehead, a soft gentle hand that I was familiar with.

"Hm. You don't really have a fever… does your head hurt again?" Tai asked.

She can read me like a book. I didn't wanna answer.

"Maybe we can find some medicine for you to take." Hakkai suggested.

We found our inn finally.

"Welcome!" said the girl at the front desk.

"Well hello there, sweetheart." Said Gojyo's smug ass. I smacked him with my fan.

"Hello, we would like five rooms please." Hakkai said, pleasantly.

"Hm. It seems we only have three single bedrooms. Would you like one to be a double?" She asked. Why does that always conveniently happen at every inn?

Hakkai looked over at me, waiting for a response.

"Whatever." I said. My head was pounding against my skull; I really didn't care for what we did at the moment, as long as I can lay down. I heard Gojyo say a rather inappropriate comment, but I didn't have the energy to retaliate.

I don't remember much of anything. All I remember is falling down onto the bed and blacking out.

"Sanzo? Sanzo!" I heard her voice say.

I opened my eyes to see her face really close to mine. I realized that I was lying on my back, even though I could have sworn I was on my stomach, and I had a cold cloth on my head.

"Oh good, you're still alive." Tai smiled. "Hakkai, he's awake!"

Hakkai came into the room with a glass of water and a couple pills. "Oh wonderful, now you can take these pills!"

"I don't need to take medicine," I said, trying to sit up, but I felt the room spinning and fell back down on the bed.

"If you can't even sit up without falling over, then I think you should take these." Tai held the pills and glass of water.

"Tch." Was all I said. Tai adjusted the pillows so my head was sitting up but my body was still lying down. I took the medicine because I know these two will keep pestering me to take it.

"If you feel any unusual symptoms, just tell me. I'm taking Gojyo and Goku shopping for supplies." Hakkai said, leaving.

"Sanzo," Tai said, folding my robes and rolling up the scripture, I just realized I was only in my jeans. "You need to take it easy. Your anger and stress are starting to wear you down."

"If only those two weren't so damn annoying…" I started.

"You need to practice some relaxation techniques."

"Tried already. It didn't work."

"Well, then how about a massage?"

"From who?"

"Why, from me, of course."

I blinked at her a few times. "Do you even know how to give a massage?"

"Oh, it shouldn't be that hard. All I would be doing is applying pressure to your muscles in a gentle way." She smiled. She came closer and leaned down to my ear and whispered, "Besides, I would kill the bitch that tries and lay a hand on you."

I smirked. For some reason, that makes me want her even more. "You just don't like sharing do you?"

"Not at all." She leaned in and kissed me. Her lips felt so soft, I was disappointed when she pulled away. "Shall we get started?"

"Whatever." I said.

Tai placed her hands my cheeks and gently rubbed them in a circular motion. "You frown too much. It's causing wrinkles. We're too young to be getting wrinkles." I watched her eyes as she paid close attention to what she was doing. I could feel the muscles in my cheeks and jaws relax. Her thumbs glided near the corner of my eyes, past my eyebrows until finally reaching the space between my eyebrows.

"You overwork these muscles for sure." She said, massaging my eyebrows. She was right. Only time my face muscles are relaxed is when I sleep. It's sad, yet true. "You know, smiling can probably help you cope with stress."

"I don't really have a reason to smile," she stopped in mid-circle and looked at me. She gave me a rather hurt face. "I wasn't finished. I don't really have a reason to smile except for you."

Her expression changed from sad to happy. She continued to massage the rest of my face. "Sanzo, being the cheesy, romantic type doesn't suit you."

"I know." I said. I closed my eyes, enjoying how relaxing how this felt.

Hakkai's POV

"Ooo! Hakkai, they have meat buns!" Goku pointed to vender who, was indeed, making meat buns.

"Now, Goku, I don't think Sanzo would appreciate us spending his money on food for you." I tried to explain.

"Yeah, so quit asking!" Gojyo said.

We all had a lot of bags of food and other essential items. There were all rather heavy, as well.

"It really pisses me off at the fact that Sanzo never goes shopping with us. What makes him so special?!" Gojyo said, gritting his teeth. We were heading back to the inn at this point. "Same goes for Tai."

"Well, I doubt Tai would mind coming with us, but Sanzo isn't feeling well so she had to stay and take care of him." I said.

"What's wrong with Sanzo?" Goku asked.

"I think he has a migraine." I answered.

Goku gave a confused look. "What's a migraine?"

"A really bad headache," Gojyo said.

"Is he gonna die?!" Goku panicked.

"No," I laughed. "He'll be fine if he gets some rest."

We finally made it back to the inn and headed up to Sanzo and Tai's room.

"Now we have to be rather quiet when we go in because Sanzo's head might be sensitive to loud noises." I warned the two rowdiest of the group.

I knocked on the door gently. I wasn't sure, but I think I heard Tai's voice softly say, "Come in."

I opened the door and didn't know what to expect. Sanzo was lying in bed, shirtless, and Tai was sitting on the lower half of his back, rubbing it.

Tai-Tai's POV

Well this was rather awkward. I wasn't expecting all three of them to barge in. Usually they take forever to shop because of Goku wanting food every three seconds.

All three of their faces were flushed red.

Goku was about to yell and freak out but I shushed him before a word could slip out his mouth. "Sanzo's sleeping."

Hakkai laughed nervously. "I didn't know you two needed privacy."

"I'm just giving him a massage. He has a lot of tension because of all the bickering." I shot a look at Gojyo and Goku.

"Whatever excuse you need. If you guy's needed alone time, just say so next time." Gojyo said, speaking quietly. He turned on his heels and waved goodbye.

"I guess we'll leave you two be." Hakkai was still laughing nervously. "Come on, Goku."

"Aww but I wanna check on Sanzo." Goku whined.

"Don't worry, he's in good hands." Hakkai shooed Goku out and closed the door.

I focused my attention back on Sanzo, who was still sleeping soundly. I pressed my thumbs down on the outer lining of his spine. I leaned down and whispered in his ear, "Sanzo, are you awake?"

I got no response.

I smiled. My idea was a success. It's not every day when I can say that I turned THE Genjyo Sanzo into a puddle from giving him a massage.