Written, of course, with the talents of Zimus. 

Note:  This, while having something of a plot, is quite lacking in meaning or point other than blatant exploitation of character.  You have been duly warned.  ^_^


Prologue


           Gojyo paused beneath a scraggily tree, one hand pinching just beneath his ribcage to ward off a nasty side-stitch.  "I'm not walking anymore," he announced matter-of-factly and sat heavily on the dusty ground.  The redhead undid the laces on his boots and began tugging them off.  "My feet are killing me."

            A few steps ahead of him, Sanzo was still walking, apparently not realizing his companion had stopped.  He wandered up a small hill just behind the tree Gojyo was resting under.  The view from the top revealed seemingly endless sparse landscape—flat, loose dirt and a few mostly dead trees.  The priest turned just in time to see the kappa toss his boots several feet away and lean back against the tree with his tanned arms folded behind his head.  Frowning, Sanzo called down to him, "Are you going to sit on your ass all day, water beetle?  Or are we going to make it to the next town before nightfall?"



            "I'm not moving until I've gotten some rest.  You might be able to drag your anorexic little body around for days at a time—but I wasn't trained in a fucking monastery," Gojyo spat in reply.  Sanzo's frown turned into a scowl and he started slowly back down the hill.  Standing over the kappa, he rapped the ingrate smartly on the nose with his fan. 


 "You have fifteen minutes."



            The sigh he was just about to release turned into a frantic squawk as the Sanzo's fan came in direct contact with his nose.  Covering it with both hands and cursing loudly, he muttered at the priest's retreating form, "And you have a stick up your ass…."

            Sanzo had settled himself cross-legged a few feet away, ignoring the blatant insult.  "And I'm leaving even if you're not ready to go."  His companion mockingly made a little puppet out of one hand to the priest's words. 


 "Nag, nag, nag…." Gojyo selected a squashed cigarette from his pocket and lit it with an equally beat up lighter. 

            Sanzo looked over with interest and arched one eyebrow.  "…You got an extra?  I'll pay you back sometime before I die."

"Kiss me, and I'll give you one."



            "Forget it.  I'll just deal with the nicotine fit," Sanzo said with a grimace.



Gojyo shrugged and chuckled lightly, returning his attention to the fresh cigarette.  "Suit yourself."


            Despite what the priest said, the breeze carrying trails of the smoke to him nearly swayed his resolve.  He leaned back on his hands and looked up at the clear sky, at least thankful that it wasn't likely to rain any time soon, if for nothing else on this excursion.  Gojyo watched him cautiously, stealing glances whenever he thought Sanzo wouldn't notice.  Quietly, he wished to be in a comfortable hotel room, perhaps with some comfortable company.  Like Sanzo…. Damn, what I wouldn't give to be untying those robes right now. 

"Sanzo?"

            The priest replied with a grunt, not taking his attention from the lone cloud he had been staring down with his violet eyes.



"What do you think of sex?" the kappa asked, finding it hard to restrain himself from saying, 'Because I sure think we should do it.'  Talking about sex with Sanzo was like walking on eggshells.  After a short pause, the priest shrugged his slender shoulders and stretched out his legs in front of him.

 

            "Why?"

"Just curious.  It's not everyday you get to hear a corrupted monk's opinion on the subject," he replied, once again finding it difficult to not blurt out, 'And because I'm thinking about it.'

            "It's necessary to the continuation of life, I suppose." 

"Not that part of it…." Gojyo sighed, annoyed at how cut and dry Sanzo could be sometimes.  "I meant pleasure." 

            "That's really none of your business, now is it, kappa?" he snapped, turning his head to scowl darkly at Gojyo.

" 'None of my business', eh?  Tsk, tsk…. Don't you know that sex is my business?"  He regarded Sanzo with a tiny smirk on his lips.  "I just wanted to know—what's it like for you?"

            If looks could kill, Gojyo and all his future reincarnations would be dead in an instant from Sanzo's glare.  "Time's up, dickhead.  Let's go."  The blond stood quickly and stuffed his hands deep into the sleeves of his robe.  Gojyo cast his eyes to the ground in an attempt to avoid the incriminating glare he was receiving.  He remained seated when the priest stood and looked up at him with a sour frown. 


            "You're not going to answer my question?"

Sanzo answered with a flat 'no' and walked briskly in the direction they were originally headed.  The kappa stayed where he was, and crossed his arms over his chest with a sigh.  "I think it's fantastic, you know," he said, as if he thought Sanzo were listening attentively.  In reality, the priest was nearly ten feet away, not particularly caring that Gojyo had anything else to say.  The topic was closed before it had even started in his mind. 


            "Are you coming, or shall I leave you to die in the heat, kappa?" he called irritably over his shoulder. 



 "I'm coming…" Gojyo muttered, and pulled his boots back in.  While he threaded the shoestrings, he rambled on to himself, "The only other way to get someone to scream you name is to kill them.  Sex is a helluva lot more fun than death…." 

            Sanzo stopped on the crest of the hill, and shielded his eyes from the sun while he looked over the terrain.  He thought he saw a dark spot on the horizon that could very well be a town a bit more north than the direction they were originally going.  However, he was not adverse to a detour if it meant a decent place to sleep that night.