A/N: And so here is the third part. I don't know if it's more straightforward, Hakkai and Sanzo are known for beating around the bush for certain things. I ended up separating out dialogue and descriptions. This takes place a day after chapter two.

"You know, you're the only one Sanzo."

"There's no one else, but you."

Smoking his cigarette and keeping an eye out on the barren terrain they were passing through, Sanzo shifted and pressed more into the hard, leather seats at his back. He blew out a trail of smoke into the air and watched it get swiftly taken by the speed and wind.

"I'm sorry for being selfish."

"Forgive me, Sanzo"

"It's not long before we reach the next town. We should make it before the storm hits." Hakkai said, his eyes on the dusty road and his voice soft in the hot, moist air that spoke of oncoming showers. "They're very quiet back there." Hakkai continued on, and his eyes shifted a little to the side to direct attention to the sleeping pair in the backseat.

"Don't leave me."

"I can't live without you Sanzo."

"Hmm?"

"Oh, I said, they're probably all still exhausted. I can't blame them, and with the kind of weather we've been having lately, it surely does sap the energy out of everyone."

"Yeah."

"I'd die if you left me."

"I can't wait until we leave this dreadful place. We certainly don't need any more bad memories."

"I won't look at him anymore."

"We have enough of those as it is."

"I'll only look at you."

"But it just keeps piling up."

"Sanzo…I love you."

"I guess we couldn't escape the rain too."

Droplets were suddenly falling from the pregnant clouds above. Sanzo could feel them on the skin of his neck as the jeep picked up speed and the wind, heavy with rain whipped against him. He could see the dots of droplets scattered all over his sandy colored robes, the fabric and the shade of it making it easy to find them.

The sun was hidden behind the clouds, but the intense yellow light had filtered through and turned grayish in the storm. It glowed like lightning that hadn't taken shape yet.

The smell of it was clogging his nose. That too fresh and wet, gravelly scent that came about anytime rain started. The smell of it, thick and cloying like the patch of dark, compact clouds right behind them, as they continued to drive forward and try to escape it.

"A stroke of bad luck after another, wouldn't you agree, Sanzo?"

"Maybe it's the company we keep." Sanzo said flatly. Gojyo, who was fast asleep, snorted loudly and Hakkai smiled at the sound of it.

"Now, now. Maybe it's fate that we keep ending up like this."

"Fate? Please spare me. I know you don't believe in that garbage."

"You know? That's awfully presumptuous of you Sanzo."

This subject had always angered him more than he'd like to admit and coupled with the depressing, aggravating weather, well Hakkai was just asking for him to snap. "Only romantic fools believe in that kind of rubbish. Gods don't control people. People control their own fates. This isn't some kind of chessboard and for people who constantly think that they're destined for greater purposes in life because they prayed…hmph, it's a fool's dream.

"So, it's foolish for people to have hope?" However he couldn't forget that this kind of weather also did funny things to the brunette.

"It's foolish to depend on gods for anything."

"You still surprise me after all this time, you know that."

"Sorry if I'm not flattered."

"Oh, I didn't mean it as a compliment. It's just...you have the least faith out of anyone I've ever met, and yet you're a Sanzo priest. The world is a truly funny place."

"Because I don't believe in some fake gods, you're condemning me."

"Fake gods? Now I don't think we're speaking in generalities anymore. So tell me Sanzo, do you have a specific fake god in mind?"

Sanzo shook his head, past frustrated at Hakkai's antics.

He couldn't believe this, "Is that what you've been driving at for this entire conversation, because if it was, I'll ask you to refrain from over-analyzing me."

"Sanzo, I'm not trying to condemn you. I would be the worst kind of hypocrite if I did. I stopped believing a long time ago.

"Well, then what's the problem?"

"The problem here, is that you don't have any faith in your comrades. You never come to us when something goes wrong. Sanzo, I understand your distrust in people, but surely we aren't just people to you.

"No, you're annoyances." He said callously.

Hakkai's hands clenched on the steering wheel, "And it's exactly this type of attitude that makes Goku so introverted with his feelings."

"Excuse me?" Sanzo's neck snapped to the side. "He doesn't have anything to do with this."

"Sanzo, Goku looks up to you, and you're setting a bad example when you don't talk to us. When you keep everything bottled inside, until it comes out messily. Who do you think he learns this type of behavior from? He's possibly had it in him from the start, but with your constant influence it's become worse. He's using it as a coping method."

"I told you not to overanalyze me."

"I'm not overanalyzing you. I'm overanalyzing Goku."

"Well, why now?"

"Because this has gone on long enough. Something happened with Homura-"

"We're back to that fool?"

"Well, if you would just say what happened, then maybe I wouldn't have to keep badgering you.

"Nothing happened!"

"Sanzo, do you think I'm completely stupid. You don't get those kinds of injuries from falling down stairs and quite frankly, even if Goku fell down twenty flights of stairs, he'd still be able to walk without blood. He's stronger than all of us. Combined. And the only thing that comes to mind with an injury like that is…anal sex.

'Not listening.'

"Now, I think I deserve an explanation as to what went on during your solo…rescue mission."

Sanzo, from the corner of his purple eyes checked up on the sleeping pair in the backseat.

"Did…Homura…if he raped Goku, then we can't just let him get-"

"It wasn't rape." Sanzo said sternly.

Hakkai's eyes widened and he slowly shifted his head to acknowledge the priest from the corner of one deep, evergreen eye. "Goku…wanted it?"

Sanzo nodded his head.

"Oh…I see."

There was silence.

Then, "How do you know-"

Pause. "Because I was there too."

"You were…" and then the other shoe dropped.

Hakkai would have hit the brakes—if he hadn't already been mentally braking—but discretion made him flinch instead.

Waking Gojyo and Goku now would be a bad idea. A very bad idea.

So ensued more silence.

"You…" Well, he surely hadn't been expecting that. "Um…," and the fact that this revelation had completely rendered him incoherent—a man who had prided himself on being eloquent despite any situation, a man who had had an incestuous relationship with his older sister, a man who had killed a thousand demons—proved to be a testament to the sheer unexpectedness of this situation.

However, sheer unexpectedness didn't stop him from thinking it was impossible. Or Sanzo was lying and playing with him because Sanzo would not do that. This scenario wasn't so far-fetched, considering Homura's nature—his blatant flirting should have been an indicator—and Sanzo's jealous hatred toward the god.

Which again slammed home the point that Sanzo and Homura had…to Goku!

"Goku's so young!" He found himself hissing under his breath at the man. And Innocent! Had he even known about…well that…before the…What the hell was Sanzo thinking!

"He's eighteen." Sanzo supplied. "I know that doesn't excuse anythi-"

Hakkai horrified at this unfolding scenario, whispered back, "But he's just so innocent…and…how did he learn about sex! Where did he-"

As if on cue, Gojyo made a snorting noise and then rolled over and accidentally hit Goku in the face with his hand.

There was more silence after that and during intermission, Hakkai's ruffled, mother hen feathers had seemed to smooth themselves out again. His mind was blank and as if to cut the silence he muttered, "Well that explains why he was bleeding so much…"

Sanzo chose to ignore the brunette in favor of gritting out under his breath, "This. Does. Not. Leave. Here. Do. You. Understand. Me?"

Hakkai readily replied, "Of course, you have my uttermost confidence. I would never..." But Hakkai at that moment was suddenly stricken with the terrible urge to see Gojyo's reaction to this set of news. He then very violently beat it back down.

Hakkai straightened up in his seat. "Can I ask you something?"

"I already told you the answer to that question, yesterday."

"Well then, answer this for me then. Is…does Goku have feelings for Homura?" Hakkai hoped Sanzo would give him a sincere answer, since this was very much a sincere question.

Sanzo kept on looking ahead. He'd be lying if he said no, but he'd be making himself look like a fool if he said yes to Hakkai's question, so instead he answered, "Does it matter?"

Hakkai hissed at him like a snake, "Yes, it does."

"He's not going to act on it, so it doesn't matter." Sanzo finished curtly. He threw his cigarette stub over the side of the jeep and watched the very light drizzle petal his sleeve.

"You talked to him about this."

"Someone had to set him straight."(No pun intended)"He's still just a brat. He doesn't know what he wants."

And suddenly Sanzo could hear Hakkai lightly chuckling at his side. "No offense Sanzo, but Goku's very good at deciding what he wants."

Sanzo's eyes narrowed, "He's a child. They never know what they want. They're impulsive and stupid and say things and make promises without meaning them just so they can get their way and get out of trouble."

"I love you."

"This is the same thing."

"Is that what you think?" Hakkai said back, shaking his head. "You're a horrible liar."

"Che. Like you're so fucking different." Sanzo clipped back.

"No, I suppose I'm not…but I'm trying. I really am, Sanzo." Hakkai didn't have to say it, but Sanzo understood his intentions and who those intentions were aimed at in the backseat.

"It hurts much more when you lie to yourself."

"If it hurts less than a bullet wound to the side, then I think I'll be fine."

"You're never going to change, are you?"

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

Looking up at the gray sky, the already light drizzle waning away as they left the black, rain clouds behind them and approached softer clouds, streaks of tiny light slipping through, Sanzo closed his eyes.

There was no more water speckling his face or arms and disturbing his mood.

He heard thunder suddenly pound behind them, where they had left the storm.

And saw the lightning from his peripheral.

He opened his eyes.

And above him, there was nothing but the struggling light from the dim clouds and a flock of birds, white, pallid breast contrasting deeply until the clouds no longer dark, now ashen and silvery swallowed the creatures in it's mist.

"You know, you're the only one…"

END

A/N:Goku's words reminded me of a confessional, like he was sitting in one of those booths and saying his sins through a wooden lattice. I liked that imagery. Sanzo is a priest, although he's not a Catholic priest. This whole chapter felt like a huge confessional. Even the dialogue between Hakkai and Sanzo, so hence the title, I think. I just liked the sound of it too. I tried to stick to the M' thing. And also mass came from the latin word missa, which means dismissal, which is the last word of the service, "Go, it is the dismissal." And for some reason I thought that appropriate.