It was a relatively quiet evening in the city. The hotel was nice, and they were fortunate enough to get two rooms this time. It had already been decided (actually, Sanzo had decided for them) that Goku and Gojyo were sharing a room, and Sanzo and Hakkai got the other. After the ensuing argument ("I don't wanna sleep with the pervy kappa!" "SLEEP WITH ME! Wanna rephrase that, chimp?") in which not only was the fan applied to both their heads, but the gun was fired, the Jeep was finally unpacked and everything put into the two rooms. All the food and supplies was kept with Sanzo and Hakkai and anything else...not much really...was kept with Goku and Gojyo.

Hakkai pulled out the little note pad he kept and the last of the pens he'd purchased a while back and began doing what he always did; make a list of supplies they would need to continue westward. Goku would most likely help him get all the shopping done. He'd seen Gojyo slip out 'undetected' (he really hated shopping, even if it WAS for his cigarettes and alcohol) and Sanzo...well, Sanzo never did the shopping. When Goku had worked up the nerve to ask about it once, the answer had been, "I pay for the shit, you carry it back. If you don't like it, starve to death, what do I care?" That had been enough to get Goku never to ask again.

He stopped writing when the door to his room opened and Goku ran in, grinning happily. "Hey, are we going shopping, Hakkai?" Goku seemed to take great joy in the task. Maybe because Hakkai always bought him food? Or was it because it gave him a chance to escape the evils of a certain paper fan? Either way, his enthusiasm for the task was exactly what Hakkai needed.

Smiling, Hakkai tapped the list he was making with the pen. "Just about done. I really appreciate you helping me, Goku."

"Aw, don't mention it! Anything to get outta here for a bit." Goku turned a chair around and sat the wrong way in it, waiting for Hakkai to finish. "Hey, Hakkai?"

"Hm?"

"Can we get some meat buns?"

Hakkai laughed, adding dried vegetables to the list. "I don't see why not." They would definately need some more of that powdered egg substitute that Gojyo was so fond of. And Spam. Lots of Spam. He grimaced at the thought of the canned food, but knew it wouldn't be worth the headache (not to mention the complaining) later if he didn't get it.

"YEAH! MEAT BUNS!" Goku rocked back in his chair excitedly, only to quickly grab the table to keep from falling.

Glancing over at the kid, Hakkai frowned, eyes narrowing as they noticed something different about him. "Goku, stand up, please."

"Huh?" He blinked wide golden eyes, confused.

"Stand up, please," he repeated.

Goku did as he was asked, brows furrowed. "What's wrong, Hakkai?"

"I think...maybe you've grown, Goku."

Blinking, Goku looked down. "How can you tell?"

Hakkai nodded toward the bottom hem of his jeans. "Those are too short for you."

"Really? I've grown taller? YIPPEE!" Goku jumped up and down excitedly, grinning so wide it nearly split his face in two.

Laughing again, Hakkai added new jeans for Goku to his list. Sanzo didn't need to know about it...and if he did find out, technically Goku WAS his responsibility and therefore anything he needed fell under Sanzo's domain to provide. He finished writing the list, adding on a box of cigarettes for Sanzo and two for Gojyo, as well as a spare lighter for inside the Jeep. One of them was always misplacing their lighter, and he was getting tired of lighting them up with a bit of chi energy. While he normally wouldn't condone or assist with the habit, things were tense enough without those two being deprived of their nicotine. Which reminded him...instant coffee. Sanzo had finished the last of it yesterday morning.

Putting the list in his front pocket, Hakkai opened the door. "Well, let's go get the card from Sanzo and get started. I want to try and be back before dinner."

"Sounds good to me!" Goku followed him downstairs into the common room where Sanzo was sitting alone at one of the tables, an ashtray with eight butts already in it and a glass of red wine sitting next to his paper. He stopped reading when they came up to him, staring at them silently. He had a fresh cigarette burning between his fingers and a vaguely annoyed look on his face.

"We're going shopping now," Hakkai explained. "May we please have your card?"

Sanzo reached into his robe and pulled out the little plastic card, handing it over. "Get that shampoo I like while you're at it. I'm sick of using that cheap-assed shit you've been using."

"Sorry about that, but they didn't have it the last time," Hakkai laughed.

"Whatever. If they don't have that, then don't bother. I'd rather wait until we find it than use the other stuff."

"Why, what's wrong with Hakkai's shampoo?" Goku asked, leaning over the monk's shoulder to read. Not that the boy had any real interest in the editorial column. It was mostly because Sanzo seemed to like it that Goku showed an interest.

Without even looking away from the page, Sanzo smacked Goku in the back of the head. "Stop breathing on me. It's disgusting."

"OW! You could have just asked me to move, you know!"

"Asking you to do anything only leads to me getting a headache. I'm not in the mood to deal with it."

Hakkai was quick to pull Goku away before the boy said something else to piss Sanzo off. "Let's hurry, Goku, or the meat bun stands will be closed!"

"Heaven forbid," Sanzo muttered sarcastically.

"Yeah, really! That would suck big time," Goku added, thinking his guardian was being serious.

Sanzo's eye twitched irritably. Oh, dear, that wasn't good! Hakkai started walking away quickly, knowing Goku would follow since he had the means to buy food for him.

"HEY! Wait up! HAKKAI!" Goku sprinted out the door after him, nearly colliding with his back when he stopped just outside the front door.

Hakkai smiled and got the list out. Now, where to start...?

Almost three hours later, Hakkai and Goku returned. Goku was carrying his new jeans in one hand and the rest of his dinner in the other. It had taken them so long to find a pair of jeans that fit small enough at the waist (though, they were far too long in the leg) that dinner had come and gone at the hotel. So, Hakkai had treated him to dinner out, with Sanzo's card of course. They carried the bags upstairs, Hakkai glancing into the common room to find Sanzo still in the same spot they had left him. The only change was that there was an empty plate waiting to be taken back to the kitchen.

"Let's take care of these supplies and then I can hem your jeans for you," Hakkai suggested, adjusting his grip on one of the bags he was carrying.

"Okay! Thanks, Hakkai," Goku answered cheerfully, bounding up the stairs ahead of Hakkai to open the door to his room. He thanked the boy, setting all the supplies down at the foot of his bed before digging through his own bag to find the little sewing kit he traveled with. It was running low on thread, but he should have enough for a couple more repairs.

"Let's take this in your room, Goku. We don't want Sanzo finding out about the jeans quite yet." Or how much they had cost. With as hard as Goku was on his clothing, Hakkai had made sure to spend quality money on quality product.

"Yeah!" Goku led the way to his room, practically skipping in excitement. He pulled out his room key and unlocked the door, holding it open again for Hakkai. It made Hakkai smile. Goku was starting to learn some manners, such as opening doors. Maybe there was hope for him yet! The door shut behind him and Goku ripped the bag open, pulling out the dark jeans and hugging them like they were a stuffed animal.

Hakkai pulled a chair to the middle of the floor and opened his sewing kit, pulling out several straight pins and sticking them along his sleeve for easy reach. "Put the jeans on and hop up, Goku. I'll just pin the hem and sew it a little later."

Goku was quick to comply. He stood very still on the chair as Hakkai tucked up several inches of leg, kneeling on the floor in front of Goku. "Hey, Hakkai?" he asked, glancing down from his new found height.

"Yes?" Hakkai asked absently, drawing his hand back with a quick jerk when a pin stuck his finger. Jean material was so stiff and difficult to work with.

"Where'd you learn to sew?"

Smiling at the inquiry, Hakkai said, "Well, living with Gojyo... sort of requires you know these things. If I didn't learn how to cook or sew, we'd be in big trouble."

"Oh. Okay. So when can I have my new jeans?"

"Just as soon as I'm done hemming them. Maybe tomorrow night, if Sanzo isn't too cranky and will let me keep the light on. Okay...there! Last pin. Please take them off carefully."

Goku undid the jeans and pulled them off, being very, very gentle about it. Hakkai was still kneeling on the floor and took the jeans from Goku with a smile...which faded when he noticed the enormous tear going from the inside seam of Goku's boxers. "Um, Goku?"

"Yeah?" he asked, getting ready to jump down.

"Did you know there was a hole in your boxers?" Well, 'hole' was putting it mildly. The thing went right up the inside thigh almost from groin to hem!

"Huh? Oh, yeah! It's been like that for a while. Sorry."

Sighing, Hakkai shook his head and pulled out some thread and a needle. "I really wish you would have mentioned it while we were out. You could use with some new ones. Oh, well, I suppose this will do for now. Stay very still, please."

Goku was confused for a second. Until he saw what Hakkai was about to do and then his eyes almost fell from his head. "Hey...be careful, Hakkai. Needles are sharp!"

Giving the boy a reassuring smile, Hakkai answered, "Don't worry, Goku. I promise I won't hurt you."

"Okay..." Goku still didn't sound entirely convinced. He didn't so much as twitch though the entire time Hakkai sewed up the gaping hole.

Hakkai finished tying the knot at the bottom hem and reached down into the sewing kit for the tiny scissors...only to find them missing. "What...where are my scissors?"

"Huh?" Goku asked, waving his arms to try and keep his balance. He finally stopped his almost backward momentum by steadying his hands on Hakkai's shoulders.

Frowning, Hakkai said, "They're really tiny little scissors, almost like toy scissors. That's odd, I know they were here a week ago..."

"Um...I think I know where they went," Goku said uncertainly.

Hakkai looked up, still holding the needle away from Goku's leg. Goku wouldn't look at him though. He was biting his lower lip and staring very hard at the wall to his left. "Goku?"

"Well, um...you see, Sanzo lost his nail clippers and...well, I didn't know what else to get for him, so..."

He didn't need to finish. It was very obvious what had become of the little scissors. Sighing, Hakkai looked at the thread and then looked up at Goku. If he pulled the thread, he ran the risk of it breaking and him wasting more thread to fix it. That left only one option..."Goku, please don't take this the wrong way. And please, for the love of God, do NOT move an inch!"

Goku had time for a quick, "Huh?" before Hakkai's intent became clear and he yelped, fingers digging into Hakkai's shoulders to keep from moving in any direction whatsoever. Leaning forward, Hakkai bit through the thread.

The door was practically ripped from it's hinges as Gojyo stumbled in with three women, all of who were in various states of undress. He had his back to the room, face buried in one of the women's necks and therefore didn't see exactly what was going on behind him. Goku turned to look...and in the process rocked his hip right into Hakkai's face.

The brunette woman slammed to a hault, staring at them. "Uh...Gojyo, honey?" she asked, tugging on his arm frantically.

"Yeah?" He pulled his hand out from her top and turned around, still smiling. That smile faded very slowly from his face and was replaced with something close to amused shock. "Oh...hey, guys...well, this is...awkward."

"Why's it awkward?" Goku asked innocently. Hakkai was very quick to push away from Goku.

Hakkai felt his cheeks go warm. There was no doubt in his mind exactly what his friend was thinking. "Gojyo, let me explain-,"

Gojyo smirked and began pushing the girls out the door. "You know, Kai, this thing here," he jiggled the chain on the door, "is a lock. And believe me when I tell you it works just fine!" He shut the door after himself, laughing, and left Hakkai kneeling on the floor blushing redder than red and Goku looking mightily confused.

"Huh? I don't get it! Why would you need to lock the door for fixin' my pants?" Goku asked, voice cracking as it rose slightly in volume.

Hakkai stood slowly and carefully packed the sewing kit back up. "Because, Goku, that's not what Gojyo thought we were doing," he answered as calmly as possible. This was...embarassing. To say the least.

Goku turned to look at him, the expression on his face clearly saying he was still completely oblivious. "Then what the hell else did he think we were doin'?"

"Given the position of my mouth to your body, Gojyo thought that I was giving you..."


"WHAT!"

Sanzo looked up from his paper, frowning at the shout that shook the windows of the common room. He knew very well it was Goku, but seeing as he just saw Gojyo leave with three women, he had no doubt it was because the slutty red-head had done something stupid. He pushed his reading glasses back in place and made the very wise decision to ignore that shout.