Goku's P.O.V

I started noticing a while ago, it was always fun havin' Ryu 'round even if it was a little bit more crowded in th' back seat.

Ryu kicked at Sanzo's chair again irritated by Sanzo's smoke, he wasn't used to it like I was, kinda feel sorry for him.

"YOU MIND!?" Ryu snapped "Your friggin ashes are in my face, and I dun wanna die from second-hand smoking old man!"

"How about I just put you out of your misery now?" Sanzo growled less vicious than he does with us, Ryu recoiled when Sanzo pulled out his gun, he was swearin' and Gojyo made fun of him. But why was Sanzo being so nice 'round Ryu? An' why did Ryu loose all his pep 'round Sanzo. Lately I was wondering, it was really…weird, I was being ignored my Sanzo alot lately, maybe… I'm jealous?

"Goku are you okay?" Hakkai asked from the front, I caught him spying from his mirror, I didn't realise my face was showing what I was thinkin'. They all looked at me now, Ryu too, crap! I couldn't look him in th' eye, not when I'm hatin' at the moment.

"Yeah…" I choose my words carefully so I didn't look sad "I'm hungry!"

We pulled into another town; we were all happy 'cause we got to have a shower and bed, I missed a bed but I didn't like mentioning it 'cause Jeep might get upset 'cause we sleep on him most of th' time.

"A BED! WOO!" Ryu never thought before he talked though.

"I'm afraid there are only two rooms available gentlemen," the inn keep said, I was a little bumbed cause that meant sharing with Ryu and Gojyo, I'll never get sleep 'round them.

"Fine, I'll pair with Ryu," Sanzo stated quickly, Ryu roared in protest but Sanzo snuffed him out. That little sentence hit me hard, I didn't know why, I froze there on th' spot watching as Sanzo scribbled down in th' book, he wasn't fazed. I really knew now, it felt like my sun was drifting from me, it hurt me in th' chest and I suddenly felt cold, like winter came.

"Hey Goku you look sick," Ryu popped up beside me, I jumped, I couldn't talk, I didn't know what to say to him, everythin' around me felt so weird all a sudden "Are you hungry?"

"Y-yeah…" damn it! Say somethin' more. Ryu suddenly looked angry and gabbed Sanzo in th' side. That hurt me too; they were touching more now...

"Hey! How can you let Goku get so sick, he's hungry damn it!" I felt real bad Ryu was defending me when all I wanted to do was get away. Sanzo thwacked him across the head real hard, and then shot a nasty look at me, he 'ch-ed' and shoved past, rummagin' around for his card.

Dinner came an' went, I tried eatin' but I never ate much when I was worried. Hakkai felt my forehead, he frowned, I wasn't sick but he told me to go to bed early anyway, just in case.

I guess they were either all tired or they just wanted to make sure I was alright 'cause everyone got up to go to bed early so I wouldn't be alone. Gojyo rapped an arm round my neck and dragged me up the stairs; I punched him for it too.

"Perverted cockroach!" I snapped, we started to fight and Ryu giggled, before Sanzo smacked us with his fan "THAT HURT!"

"Urasai!" Sanzo spat kickin' us into a room. I jumped into bed as Hakkai told me too, he likes a mom or somethin' he's always lookin' out for us, but I couldn't sleep so Gojyo and Ryu crammed on my bed to play some cards.

"Royale Flush!" Ryu cackled, throwin' down his cards, I lost for the fifth time and I wasn't getting' any better. Sanzo, sittin' at the table peeked around his new paper for a sec; Hakkai on his bed was dryin' Jeep off. Why was I losin'? Was I giving up or somethin'?

Gojyo suddenly grabbed Ryu's hand and pulled out a few cheat cards.

"I knew that little bastard was going too well," Gojyo tackled Ryu.

"Hey it's not cheating till you get caught!" Ryu snapped "Not my fault you guys can't see through a crooked game," Hakkai laughed slyly to himself offending Ryu "Don't tell me…"

"Ryu, Gojyo and Goku are the easiest to pull that over," Hakkai said with a smile, it was his sinister smile, he must've seen through Ryu from the beginning. Ryu threw down his cards and jumped up on the table, spilling Sanzo's coffee, he shot at him.

"Skinny brat,"

"Grandpa,"

BANG!

"Ryu, be respectful to your elders," Hakkai warned merely, takin' up Ryu's spare deck of cards.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sanzo shot back as Ryu sunk into th' chair next to him, pouting an' all. After a few more games Ryu was wobblin' where he sat, his eyes were half closed, he leant on Sanzo and I waited…and waited.

Sanzo just sat there! He was leanin' on th' table with his head in his hand, I couldn't see his face but he didn't push Ryu off!

"I'm goin' to have a shower," I said and flipped the blanket that was our playin' board, Gojyo growled and Hakkai opened his mouth to protest but I was gone before he could say anythin', shuttin' th' doors behind me quickly, all I saw was a flash of gold. When I came out Ryu and Sanzo were gone 'and Gojyo and Hakkai were in bed. I crawled in too, snuffing out all of the light from under the blankets.

Ryu yawned, dawdlin' beside Gojyo, occasionally pickin' up pace when the kappa nudged him in the ribs.

"Argh, I'm tired…" Ryu mumbled, slumped over.

"I'll leave you behind if you fall asleep again," Sanzo said sharply and Ryu scolded him. I wondered Ryu was tired (Goku's too innocent for that guys XD) and twisted my pockets around my fingers. I shook my head, na, Ryu's just lazy.

I watched my feet; I didn't look where I walked and so I kinda expected to hit something, but not someone. I looked up from the tan layers of cloth and found Sanzo, staring blankly at me, not angry, just blank.

"Something bothering you chibi-monkey-chan?" Gojyo leant on his shoulder and a vein popped up under Sanzo's eye.

"Don't call me that!"

"If you got something to say, say it," Sanzo demanded, I looked up briefly then away, how do I say it?

"Sanzo… do you…" I saw Ryu pop up in my vision, sneakin' up to see my face I guess; I closed my eyes. Sanzo was waitin' impatiently; I recognised the sway in his footin' "…Like Ryu?"

"Say what!?" Ryu yelled. I peeped to see him look at Gojyo seriously; Sanzo between them was relatively unreadable and just stared at me! Suddenly Ryu and Gojyo burst out laughing, I knew my face was bright red but I couldn't look away from Sanzo.

"Ryu that's not nice," Hakkai corrected sharply.

"B-but, you and Sanzo… you're acting a lot nicer now and stuff!" I yelled grittin' my teeth, they were laughin' at me and it pissed me off!

"That's 'cause Ryu's a cheap ass, and Sanzo still owe's him," Gojyo and Ryu snorted, however Ryu stopped to kick him in the shins.

"And the rooms? Sanzo shared rooms with you,"

"That's my fault, Sanzo's room only had one bed you see and Ryu lost in the card game," Hakkai smiled awkwardly. Now I was feeling stupid.

"Then how come Sanzo didn't smack Ryu and they got all… leanin',"

"I spilt his coffee remember, old men can't stay awake long,"

"I recall you fell asleep too Ryu," Hakkai retorted and Ryu scowled. I felt an itch needed scratchin' on the back of my head, my skin was prickly and all, Sanzo still didn't say a thing.

"Sanzo…?" Ryu kinda noticed too and poked Sanzo, Sanzo rocked where he stood "No way! He's stunned!"

"Really…" Gojyo sneered waving a hand past Sanzo's glazed eyes, he smirked, I knew somethin' bad was comin' "Master Sanzo would look like a nice bride wouldn't he Hakkai?"

"Die!" Sanzo thwacked them all, not Hakkai though who'd left before anythin' happened, Sanzo hit me too, just once and grabbed my head to drag me along with him "Stupid ape"

Those words made me smile, na, I was just bein'…stupid. Th' winter was gone. Ryu and Gojyo linked arms.

"Sanzo and Goku sitting in a tree, doing something I can't see—,"

BANG, BANG!

(Normal P.O.V)

From writhing on the floor Ryu stood using Gojyo as a stepping stool, he swore but she took no notice, smiling as she watched them walk on. Gojyo pulled her down.

"You going to tell?" he sneered.

"That I'm a girl? Never!"

"Not that…" Gojyo's eyes twinkled mischievously; Ryu looked away.

"I don't know what you mean…"