TITLE: The Gift of the Ikkou by: nekozuki1776

SUMMARY: Sanzo faces a most difficult challenge: getting a Christmas gift. Hakkai x Sanzo pairing. 83. Shonen-ai. ONESHOT.

RATING: PG – Humor/Romance

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Saiyuki manga, anime or any of its characters. Minekura Kazuya is the owner of everything that is Saiyuki.

Written for Interlude SSP – 2004

Dedicated to Keruri1222

Inspired by the O. Henry classic, The Gift of the Magi

The Gift of the Ikkou

Sanzo was in a lot trouble.

And he hated it. A lot.

He couldn't remember the last time he was in a dire situation such as this.

He desperately wished to be confronting a roomful of sacred scroll seeking youkais rather than the challenge he was facing at the moment.

He painstakingly struggled for his next course of action as he ruminated over the earlier events of the day that had lead him to this state of quandary.

-FLASHBACK-

"Everyone, gather around!" A lighthearted voice filled the air as a young brunette burst into the room.

The rustling noise of the newspaper being pulled down was heard as an irate monk was disturbed from his peaceful afternoon of reading. "What the hell do you want, monkey? This better be good."

Undaunted by the grumpy houshi, the younger retorted, "Hey, you don't have to be so cranky Sanzo! I was gonna share a great idea with you but now, I just might not!"

"I don't care what kind of an idea you have, just get the hell out of here before I decide to really show you how cranky I am!!" He picked up his gun from the tableside, clicking off the safety and aiming it unsurprisingly on the mark with little effort.

"Maa, maa Sanzo," another voice intervened comfortingly in a considerably less cranky tone than the former as he turned to the their guest, "Now Goku, you know how Sanzo doesn't like to be disturbed while reading and it's more prudent to knock before entering a room-"

"What, to prevent us from catching the two of you gettin' it on?" A smirking red head sauntered jauntily into the room; exercising his self-imposed immunity from knocking.

"But then again," he continued, "there might be something in what you say Hakkai, seeing that I don't want to be blinded by the sight of the holy man in such a compromising position."

Gojyo then topped the icing on the cake with his next fuse sparking statement, "Although I don't think I'd mind seeing you naked Hak-" The agile water sprite, precognizant of the houshi's next move, ducked swiftly below as a round of the shoreijyuu was fired in his direction.

"Watch it monk! You know that's more expenses you'll have to answer to!"

"Then stop pissing me off, you bastard!"

The peace invoking youkai slipped seamlessly amongst the group once more as he offered his trademark olive branch, "Maa, maa everyone. I just finished brewing some tea. Why don't we all sit down and listen to what Goku has to say over a nice cup of oolong?"

The monkey king looked gratefully at Hakkai as he excitedly spoke, "This year, since those giant triple heads decided to go cheapskate on us and we can't get gifts for everyone, I thought it might be a great idea for each of us be assigned a name to buy a nice gift for one person!"

Sanzo questioned irritatingly, "What the hell are you talking about baka-zaru?"

"What Goku is trying to say is due to our shortened funds available from The Three Aspects during this holiday season, he is suggesting that each of us be randomly assigned one person to buy a nice gift for. It's sometimes called Secret Santa. Back in my teaching days, I often organized a project like this with my students to celebrate the holiday season."

"Sounds cool to me," Gojyo quipped.

"Yeah!" added Goku. " We each pick a name—not telling anyone who we got—and buy a gift to give out on Christmas day!"

-END FLASHBACK-

It was only after a full court press and setting a reasonable spending limit that was likely to be approved by the Sanbutsushin did the resistant monk finally relent.

While his instinct and preference moved him to avoid all things irritating such as this Secret Santa thing, he knew deep down he couldn't veto this annoyance in good conscience. After all, he was part of the reason why they were in this state of financial difficulty.

It was bound to happen.

The many nights at the inn, the enormous amount of daily sustenance, dozens of local maps, gallons of gasoline, a flat tire or two, and other expected as well as unexpected expenses. These were honest to goodness costs incurred throughout the journey that were sometimes questioned, but always approved by the Sanbutsushin.

What ultimately prompted The Three Aspects to cut the Sanzo-ikkou off from the unlimited Gold Card account were the unnecessities or what they officially categorized as intentional collateral damage.

The broken dishes as a result of the saru and the kappa fighting each other for the last serving of shumai-

The shattered windows from Gojyo practicing his pitch in their room at the inn-

The hundred or so extra orders of the meatbuns-

And the bullet ridden walls courtesy of the ill tempered monk.

It was just one too many repair or damage control to be paid off and one too many bushel of nikuman contrived in the form of for-the-sake-of-human/youkai-harmony excuse to be ignored by the holy accountants.

And it was only a matter of time for the Sanzo-ikkou to be subjected to a spending limit.

Sanzo reasoned that it could have been worse. With some of the obscure expenses they incurred on the Gold Card, he was lucky that the higher-ups didn't exorcise the card into confetti purgatory. At least they were still allowed some restricted use of the card.

In other words, he really couldn't complain to the holy trifecta of enforcing this firm decree of fiscal responsibility.

And seeing their forced financial state, Goku's idea, as cheesy and harebrained as it might have been, almost bordered on the sensible.

But to hell with the budget and Goku's annoying ideas.

Sanzo currently had a much more challenging issue to deal with.

The name he had picked for the gift giving project.

Hakkai.

-o-o-o-

Sanzo busily inhaled his disintegrating cigarette as he loitered grumpily throughout the streets.

How had he arrived at this unfortunate situation? The odds were supposed to be in his favor. He had a decent chance of not picking his name.

But he didn't. He had picked Hakkai.

And he now cursed of the nearly impossible task that lay before them.

It wasn't that he disliked Hakkai. Far from it.

In fact, he preferred the company of the easygoing youkai any day of the week over the other two ikkou by any measure of the margin.

He just wished that he had been assigned Goku, or even Gojyo. If he had picked one of them, Sanzo would at least not be in this current state of frenzy wondering what gift to get. He didn't have the need to impress those two, and therefore, would have been satisfied in providing gifts such as a plateful of meatbuns or a six pack of beer that simply catered to their habitual tastes.

But Hakkai was an entirely different matter.

Hakkai was someone he wanted to offer more than a food or a drink; to go beyond catering to the superficial needs for a bite or a swig.

And as much as he hated to admit it, he wanted to give him something that would make the easygoing youkai respond beyond his customarily manner of polite appreciation.

He wanted to give a gift that Hakkai could use for years to come.

A gift that would impress upon how he truly felt about him.

But there was no way he could purchase such a gift with the meager earnings the Sanbutsushin had limited him to.

For a brief second, he even considered somehow sneaking a cash advance on the Gold Card.

But promptly reconsidered upon second thought.

The Three Aspects were scrutinizing each Gold Card statement under a microscope. And even if they didn't believe in killing for retribution, there was no imagining what eternally damning punishments they were capable of dispensing should he be caught in violation of their edict.

He wouldn't get away with it.

And with this thought, the blond houshi continued to wrack his brain with great consternation as he walked aimlessly throughout the village. Sanzo was so preoccupied, he didn't even notice the pair of mischievous miscreants who stood around the corner bordering on raucous laughter, greatly enjoying the scene of the suffering monk.

-o-o-o-

"Tee, hee! He didn't even notice!" giggled a younger figure.

Soon after confirming their leader was out of hearing distance, the other half of the conspiring team laughed loudly, "Ha, ha! Did you see him looking all agonized, trying to figure out what to get Hakkai? That man is his own torture machine!"

"I know! I've never seen him like this!"

"And they didn't suspect a thing! You sneaking in the slips of paper with only Sanzo's name on it when Hakkai picked and doing the same thing when it was Sanzo's turn."

The two had planned this matchmaking masterpiece of a project for hours, Goku performing the slight of hand in switching the names while Gojyo continuously distracted the others with his barrage of provoking comments and thus, resulting in Hakkai and Sanzo to unknowingly pick each other's names as their Secret Santa. It was a perfectly well executed maneuver.

Now in full laughter mode, Goku agreed appreciatively, "And the things you said were so funny!"

Gojyo smirked in a proud response, "I have to say I outdid myself on the obnoxious meter—especially the part about seeing Hakkai naked. Sanzo was about to blow a gasket!"

Goku nodded, "Now all we have to do is to leave them alone and let them get the perfect gift for each other. But I still don't know why Sanzo is torturing himself like this. Hakkai likes him so much, I don't think he would care what Sanzo got him."

"And likewise for Sanzo. It's amazing how oblivious they are about their feelings for each other." Gojyo scratched his head thoughtfully, "But now that I think about it, Hakkai is more complex than you think. He's not a simpleton like you, saru."

"What the heck does that mean, you cockroach?"

"I'm just calling it as I see it. You're an easy animal to figure out. After all, I already know the perfect gift to get you."

"Oh yeah, you simple kappa?" Goku retorted, "I already know what I'm getting you too!"

Each responded to the other's question in a competitive shouting match:

"Meatbuns!"

"Beer!"

The two chuckled resignedly as Gojyo spoke up playfully once more, "And for a job well done as the matchmakers, I think it's only right that we get rewarded for the fruits of our labor, ne?"

"What do you mean?"

"How about we celebrate the holiday a little early and enjoy our gifts now?"

Goku flailed his arms about, nodding in enthusiastic assent, "Yatta!" and sped towards the nearest Chinese eatery.

The satisfied half-youkai patted himself on a mission well served as he followed the smoke trail of his hungry partner in crime, hoping that it would be an attractive neechan or two serving the beer and the plateful of meatbuns.

-o-o-o-

After many hours of cigarette puffing deliberation, Sanzo finally established the perfect gift idea for Hakkai:

A monocle case.

Over the last few months of rooming with the youkai throughout their journey, Sanzo often noticed him encasing the monocle in a flimsy box or even wrapping it up in a towel when he took it off for the evening.

But there were times when their sound slumber was often disturbed with nuisances. Whether it be in the form of the bastardly youkais or worse, Goku and Gojyo, when they came barging through the door for their daily dose of rough housing or to flare the monk's temper. Whatever the case, the contents of the room were never left unscathed by their actions.

These melees took place at the cost of a few casualties to certain fragile contents of the room which oftentimes included the improperly protected monocle. A sturdy case would not only provide a good home for the monocle when it wasn't being used but also protect it from the excessive rigors of the world.

With the arduous process of deciding the perfect gift out of the way, the next issue was to determine how he was going to pay for such an item.

The low spending limit set by the Sanbutsushin was nowhere near the amount of affording the monocle case. He thought again of approaching the higher lords for an increase in the spending limit but quickly reconsidered as they were already weary of this non-journey related expense.

But he really wanted Hakkai to have the monocle case.

Hakkai needed it. Hakkai deserved it. And nothing was going to get in his way of providing him with the gift.

The houshi knew what he had to do.

With this newfound sense of determination, Sanzo walked briskly towards his target location to start the process.

-o-o-o-

Hakkai sat in comfortable silence in the room he shared with Sanzo. Only the light clattering sound of the boiling pot in readiness for another round of tea was heard on this chilly Christmas morning-

Along with the sound of a certain monk pacing about the floor.

Sanzo, while he savored his quiet moments, was currently fidgeting and bordering on panic mode. He cursed the deafening silence as he sneaked curious glances towards the sitting brunette, currently preoccupied with a book.

Something seemed different about the youkai today. He couldn't place his finger on it. Maybe it was his more than usually relaxed demeanor as he sat contentedly on the chair. But Sanzo quickly dismissed this notion as an effect of his own nerves which seemed to have heightened over the last few hours as he worked up the courage to hand over the gift.

Time to get this over with.

"Here." Sanzo tossed a primly wrapped package towards the brunette.

Hakkai blinked once, confirming the newfound bundle on his lap, "Sanzo, is this for me? Are you my Secret Santa?"

"Ch' what do you think?"

"Well thank you so much Sanzo. May I open it now?"

"It's Christmas isn't?"

Hakkai smiled warmly, "Hai, you're right." He gently proceeded to unfurl the colorful ribbons and unwrap the festive holiday paper.

A long silence filled the room after the item was lifted from the box.

The trademark gentle voice of the brunette was softer, almost cracked with emotion when Hakkai spoke up at last. "Oh my goodness."

Sanzo was in the midst of obsessively deciphering the connotation of those three words when he felt something being nudged in his direction.

Hakkai, who still firmly held the gift from Sanzo in one hand, had produced a small gift bag with the other.

"Before I tell you just how much I love this gift, I would like for you to open yours."

Inwardly sighing in relief with the fact that Hakkai apparently DID like the gift and at the same time recovering from the knowledge that Hakkai was his Secret Santa, Sanzo wordlessly reached into the offered bag and pulled out what looked like a small zippered pouch.

"It's a compact pouch that can carry your belongings. I've often seen you struggle searching for your lighter and cigarettes in the sleeves of your robes. But due to their small size, I know they often get lost with the other things you store in there--like the harisen and the shoreijyuu--so I thought you might like a small pouch that could separately keep your lighter and cigarettes."

Sanzo, in a state of awe, still stared in amazement at the gift as Hakkai continued to speak.

"It is made of the finest leather, properly aged and treated for durability. I had it custom made to specific dimensions to fit your lighter and a pack cigarettes." Hakkai proceeded to point towards the back of the pouch. "It also has a stainless steel clip on the back so you can attach it to the belt of your robe."

A full minute passed before Sanzo found the words to speak, "This was really… expensive, wasn't?"

"Just like the gift you gave me was also expensive ne, Sanzo?"

Sanzo couldn't believe he had received such a great gift. As the sleeves of his holy robes were indeed populated with too many items, this handy case was perfect for a quick and efficient access to his lighter and smokes. He examined the pouch carefully, exploring every nook and crevice while managing to ask, "How could you afford this?"

Hakkai chuckled, "I believe we both resorted to similar methods to cure our financial deficit." With this statement, he gave the blond a knowing wink with his right eye.

Which was when Sanzo realized the other was currently short a monocle.

"You didn't pawn off your monocle to buy me this gift, did you?!"

Hakkai calmly drew in for a rebuttal, "Hai, as you sold off your lighter to pay for mine."

"How… did you know that?"

"Well, I just figured it out only moments ago myself. I saw you sneaking Gojyo's lighter the last couple of days. I first thought the gas from your lighter was out or it was broken. I now know the real reason."

Internally disturbed of how obvious he must have appeared despite his effort to keep his lighter-less state in confidence, Sanzo outwardly voiced his concern to the now visually impaired man.

"But now you can't see! You won't be able to drive and you might be placed in danger!"

"It's not as though I'm blind without it Sanzo. And don't forget, I still have the full use of my left eye. And once the Sanbutsushin decide to lift their budget constraints, we can purchase a new lighter and a monocle."

"Ch', you can bet that those cheap bastards won't be doing that anytime soon."

"So in the meantime, I would be more than happy to carry a pack of matches in this wonderful case you gave me while you help me navigate the roads."

Hakkai pursed his lips in thought as another idea came to him, "Or maybe we can let Gojyo drive and have Goku sit in the front with him while we get comfortable in the back seat."

Blushing bright crimson at the youkai's latter comment, Sanzo sputtered, "What the hell are you talking about?"

Grinning in genuine satisfaction to the monk's embarrassed response, Hakkai innocently replied, "Oh nothing… But I do want to truly thank you for this beautiful case." He caressed it again, admiring it for the umpteenth time, fingering its soft lining and the small embossed marking in the form of a flying dragon not unlike their winged jiipu. "I will cherish it always, Sanzo."

Hakkai happily noticed that Sanzo had already attached the pouch to his belt. It was of a dark grey color that matched attractively with the houshi's billowing, yellow robes. Still too embarrassed to express his proper gratitude, Sanzo muttered, "Ch'. Don't mention it. And thanks for the gift."

Hakkai all of a sudden blinked his eyes and squinted as if trying to re-focus his vision.

"Hey, are you ok?" A tone of rare concern laced the monk's voice.

"I think I'm ok," Hakkai answered, blinking again, "But can you take a quick look at my eye?"

Fearing something was seriously wrong, Sanzo complied, worried and irritated by the fact that Hakkai was indeed affected by his monocle-less state. "I thought you said you were fine without it?"

When he came within inspecting distance, two strong hands of the now sitting youkai grabbed the houshi by the waist and pulled him in exceedingly close.

Sanzo felt the semi-ragged, warm breath of the youkai fall into the crook of his neck.

Meeting the quickening breaths, Sanzo's heart rate pitched as he managed to blurt out, "What the-?"

"I'm actually fine without the monocle," he interrupted, "I just needed you to come closer so I could properly express my gratitude for the gift."

Before Sanzo could react in outrage for the other's usage of the oldest trick in the book (or more accurately, falling for the said trick), Hakkai offered him a flirtatious wink and a grin as he proceeded to close in on the final distance between the two before attacking the blond senseless with a passionate kiss.

Sanzo was in a lot of trouble.

And he liked it. A lot.

-THE END-