Test of Time

Blubelle

Ch. 7 Varying Glances Over Cards

AN: I'm so sorry guys. I'm trying, I really am. Bad rash of incidents, I won't bore you with the details like I usually do. Not really in the mood for anything, no less, writing fanfiction. There is no real explanation. Just know that I'm sorry for the wait.

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer applies. As if anyone would come after any of us. I mean when was the last time you heard of a fanfiction writer being sued?

The monks. . .

Appear to have skipped town. Due to constant abuse and this author's lack of inspiration and patience we will no longer be seeing them. Now on to the more important aspect of this story. . . Yea!

X::X::X

The four of them walked silently through the temple to Hakkai and Gojyo's room. As they walked in Sanzo set Nishi down onto her feet and looked to see that Gojyo was just finishing the unpacking, their bags empty and haphazardly thrown into the nearest corner.

"You plan on staying long?" Sanzo asked gruffly from the doorway.

"As long as it takes." Gojyo looked up from fixing the bed.

"Whatever." Sanzo said, not wanting to delve into the meaning of that one.

"Okay. Everyone ready to play?"

"Yeah." Goku said moving over to the tiny card table across the room. It was a small room, but no so much that anyone would feel crowded. A single bed lay against the wall directly to the left of the door. There was a closet folded within a crevice across the room. A fold-up table and chairs occupied the middle. It was a standard room for that wing of the temple. Just enough to accommodate.

"Uncle Gojyo! Can I do your hair now?" Nishi asked, moving over toward Gojyo near the bed.

"Sure. Sit down and I'll get everything." He went to the desk drawer and pulled out a brush and some hair ties before moving over to sit with Nishi on the undersized bed. "Here, turn around. I'll do your hair first."

Nishi did as she was told. The others moved around the nearby table. Hakkai languidly reached for the deck of cards and shuffled with practiced expertise.

The endless rounds of games began, they didn't have anything to bet besides small change so it didn't really matter who won as usual. It served the same purpose it did in the past, to pass time.

"Fold." Sanzo said scooting his cards back toward Hakkai, who, by rotation, was dealer once again. "Gojyo throw me that ashtray."

"Yeah, sure." Gojyo said, holding a fistful of Nishi's hair in place and, hair-tie in mouth, flung the glass object to Sanzo who caught it gracefully.

"You're not smoking Gojyo? Call." Goku asked as he moved the betting back to Hakkai.

"No, I've been trying to cut down. Stop wiggling Nish."

"Sorry Uncle Gojyo. Um, Go-ku?"

"Yeah. Here Gojyo take my hand this round." He said standing up and holding out his cards for Gojyo to take. "We'll be back in a sec."

Gojyo quickly tied up the hair he was holding and went over to the table. Leaving Nishi with half a head of heaping braids and one very lopsided ponytail of long brown hair.

Nishi dashed off of the bed and toward Goku's waiting form by the door. They opened and closed the door behind them before beginning down the nearest hallway.

"Why didn't you tell me you had to go to the bathroom sooner?"

"Well. . . Sa-sanzo–" Nishi trailed off, squirming a bit as they walked, clearly having held the need for awhile.

"Embarrassed?"

Nishi just nodded as they continued toward the bathroom in the quickest route possible.

After finishing up, the two began their walk back to the room. Turning corner after corner as they began their journey. Both knowing full well that they were taking the long way or even the wrong way back to their destination.

Goku looked down at a more solemn Nishi. She was thinking about something, and as much as he hated to break her concentration, something was eating away at him.

"So, you like Sanzo?" Goku sighed, looking down at Nishi from the corner of his eye as he did so.

"I love Sanzo!" Nishi said ecstatically. Blushing as she put two sweatshirt covered fists to her mouth.

"Me too." Goku smiled back brightly.

"I like it here Goku." Nishi stated, returning to the serious state of mind once again.

"Yeah, it's really nice. What do you think of staying here for a while?"

"That sounds great." Nishi turned toward him and flashed a huge smile, insuring that she was speaking full-heartedly. He couldn't help smiling back.

"Good, now come on let's get back so you have time to do Gojyo's nails." Goku said laughingly as he grabbed her and hefted her onto his shoulders. In a flat run, they raced down that last hallway.

Running into the room, Goku kicked the door open and jogged inside. All the while, bouncing a giggling Nishi on his shoulders. She let out an excited scream as Goku swiftly pulled her off his shoulders and in an instant threw her onto the bed. She landed perfectly, bouncing up and down as she laughed.

"We're back! She's all yours Gojyo." Goku said, extending his hand to retrieve his cards.

"Thanks. Get her all riled up and hand her over to me." Gojyo said sarcastically as he shoved Goku's cards into his awaiting fingers.

"Anytime. How've I been doing?"

"Pretty good, Sanzo's bombing and Hakkai's still the same as always." Gojyo said, returning to his post and taking out the mismatching patch of hair that was so messily made.

"Hey!" Sanzo exclaimed once he'd realized what Gojyo had said. Not really hurt by the comment, just feeling the need to regain what was left of his honor.

"You haven't won a game yet, Sanzo." Hakkai said calmly as Sanzo began to brood.

"It's not my fault Hakkai gets so lucky, and even when he doesn't, he bluffs better than anyone I know."

"Yeah Hakkai, you have the perfect poker face." Gojyo said around the strand of ribbon between his lips. His words only comprehensible due to the years of having a cigarette dangling precariously in the same fashion.

"Do I? Hakkai's smile still failed to leave his face, proving him guilty to the entire situation.

Gojyo and Goku couldn't help laughing. Sanzo continued to brood while he passed out the next round of cards.

Goku reveled in the feeling of the light mood in the air. It was nice, this nostalgic feeling of old times. The very times that they all held on a high untouchable pedestal.

"This is nice." Goku said under his breath as he looked around him at those in the room. Nishi was smacking Gojyo for intentionally pulling her hair, Hakkai was placing his cards onto the table after studying them and Sanzo, well, he was looking at Goku.

Goku was a little shocked at first, so much that it made Sanzo cough a little through his cigarette and go back to looking at the cards he'd already memorized. He was a little confused to say the least but went back to concentrate on the game as well.

"So how has life been at the temple lately Sanzo?" Goku asked casually without looking up from his hand. "You must be bored out of your mind. Two please." He placed two of his cards on the table and scooted them toward Sanzo so that he would look at him and maybe pay him a little attention.

"Yes." Sanzo had a hard time returning his gaze, but slid him the amount of cards he wanted and looked toward Hakkai as quickly as possible.

"I mean, if you hate it so much, why didn't you just leave a long time ago?" Goku looked at him skeptically then went back to his horrible hand. "I'll see your five and raise you twenty."

"He's bluffing." Sanzo said between a puff of smoke fresh from his lungs.

"Don't change the subject."

"I'm not. It's not like I'm obligated to tell you anything anyway." Sanzo's stare failed to fall from the cards in his hand. Too afraid that he'd reveal something he didn't exactly want in the open if he looked up into those gold eyes he knew so well. "I'll see your twenty and raise you ten." Sanzo looked over at Hakkai uneasily then straight back to his hand.

Hakkai, who continued to play oblivious just put his cards onto the table and watched the scene unfold in front of him. He smiled and glanced over at Gojyo who had undone the multitude of braids to replace them with two large buns on either side of her head. He was currently gelling two antennas to stick out from Nishi's hair like his own. Gojyo looked up from the task and gave Hakkai a knowing smirk before returning to the masterpiece before him.

"It's not like I demanded an answer or even acknowledgement. I know that doesn't come easy with you. It's always like this with you." Goku yelled, shoving even more coins from his pile into the middle. "I raise another 20."

"I find it hard to believe that you remember what I'm 'like' after not seeing each other for five years." Sanzo half-shouted venomously. Pushing more of his meager amount of coins into the heap.

Goku choked at his words, just a little shocked that he even had the audacity to bring his absence into this. "Ha, like you could even begin to comprehend why I left." He was a little pissed to say the least. "You'll never change Sanzo. You're still the same cold-hearted bastard you've always been and always will be."

Sanzo glared at him over his cards. "You have no right to judge me. Don't even think for a moment that you understand me." Sanzo looked at the large pile of coins in front of him than shot a smoldering look back at an angry Goku. "Well, are you going to call?"

"I fold!" Goku yelled, slamming his hand onto the table and standing up from his chair abruptly so that his chair would fall onto the ground behind him. The two of them glared at each other furiously. "Come on Nishi it's time for a bath." Goku announced from his place at the table.

"But Daddy. . ." She trailed off and opened her mouth to protest before a hand was quickly clasped over her mouth to shut her up. She looked up at Gojyo who shushed her quietly and pushed her off of the bed and toward Goku.

Nishi took the hint and went to Goku's almost quaking form. She hesitantly reached for one of his fisted hands and clasped it in her own, snapping him out of his sinister thoughts. "Oh! Yeah, let's go."

Goku glanced once more at Sanzo, this time with a little less spite, and followed Nishi's guiding hands out the door.

Hakkai stood up, the mood a little uneasy, and walked over to sit and lean against Gojyo on the bed. A silent signal to Sanzo that it was about time for him to leave. Sanzo looked their way and watched them silently whisper to each other, Hakkai looking up at Gojyo from his place against his chest.

Sanzo sulkingly looked away and reached for Goku's discarded cards. Turning them over he realized that his suspicions were correct. He had a horrible hand. Sanzo gently set the cards back how they were and stood to leave. He nodded toward the two on the bed almost in thanks, before heading out of the door as well.

He also was being led by something.

So, yeah this was a little later than I thought it'd be. I just couldn't get into it. And holy crap this chapter sucked. Lacking in effort I guess and I rushed it a bit –or a lot. Sucks. . . Oh well. This chapter turned out so much different than the first time I drafted it, but I like it better this way. Everyone needs a little animosity. You will enjoy the next chapter. All those people asking where the Sanzo/Goku shit will come in, it's soon. Promise. Not exactly sure how far that'll go but we'll see where my limited imagination can take us, hm?

Oh yeah, and I picked this up on two different occasions, you can probably tell, because it gets significantly better in style and mechanics halfway through. If you can figure out where I'll sing "Banana Phone" for everyone. God, I'm tired.

Now everyone understands that they were playing just standard poker, with the replacing of cards and raising of bets, right? I don't really want to explain how to play it, so I'm just gonna suppose that most people know how to play poker. . .

X::X

Next Chapter: (Subject to minor changes)

It was beautifully dark in the open corridor, but their faces were so close that they could see perfectly. Goku attempted to recover from the shock of being pushed against the wall, but found that all he could do at the moment was stare into Sanzo's eyes. He was perfect even in the darkness, the meager amount light from the moon refracting a halo around his golden head.

"I want to know."

"Kno-know what?" Goku asked uneasily, their foreheads, noses, and lips a little too close for comfort.

"Why you left everything. Why you left me. . ."

Thanks and please review, only if it's just a few words, let me know you're out there! Flames, corrective criticism, shout outs, anything and everything is accepted so don't hesitate, but please be honest.