Because I like letting the readers of Raising Kouryuu suffer waiting for their own update. Until then faithful readers, enjoy part 3 of Keeping Face! Yay for angst.


Chapter 3

"About time you showed up!" Goku yawned a bit as he packed up his blankets. He fumbled a little when he tried to stuff them in the back, but eventually shoved them in. There had to be an easier way to pack blankets. "Where have you been all night?"

"Yes, we've been worried." Hakkai lingered for a moment before setting the dish on the fire. Gojyo had been missing since their fight the other day. Hakkai hadn't managed to get a wink of sleep in the meantime and he suspected neither did his grouchy companion. He didn't think Sanzo cared whether or not Gojyo was okay, but he had a feeling that Hakkai having stared at the man all night had unnerved him. Good. "Haven't we, Sanzo?"

"Speak for yourself." Sanzo flipped the page of his paper. He had already read it, but one never got tired of a good article. At the very least it got his mind off of how annoying their damn driver was being. Sanzo took a sip of his coffee. That damned demon had kept him up with those glowing green eyes all night. Well, at least Sanzo could sleep in the Jeep. He flipped the page of his paper to indulge in the comics section. "The water sprite's a big boy, he can take care of himself."

"So nice to know you care." Gojyo stifled the yawn into the back of his hand. Sleeping at some point may have been a good idea. But for some reason he just couldn't get that hurt look from Hakkai's face out of his head. It's hard to sleep with all that guilt smashing your head in worse than the rocks beneath it. At least he had a Jeep drive to look foreword to. Maybe the monkey would be kind and let him catch up on his much needed sleep. It usually wasn't good to apologize when you're half passing out. Or hungry. "What're you makin' for breakfast, Hakkai?"

"Nothing special, Gojyo." The other man looked horrible. Hakkai nearly grimaced as he spotted the bags around Gojyo's ruby-red eyes and the greasy look his hair was acquiring. He was pale too and lacking his confident stance. Hakkai started feeling the stabs of blame creeping around his heart; maybe he had been too hard on the man. A talk was probably necessary to fix things between the lot of them whether he wanted to or not. Hakkai looked to Sanzo, who was still fiddling with his paper, and wondered if he had time to get it over with now. "It should be done soon."

"Hey, the eggs are burning."

Hakkai broke from his thoughts when Goku tapped him on the shoulder. The eggs had turned a lovely shade of brown and were beginning to smoke. The fact he was that unobservant at the moment was downright infuriating when combined with the lack of sleep. Hakkai growled at his mistake and yanked the pan back with a little more force than he had originally intended. He was lucky he hadn't bent the pan when he smacked it down on a rock to cool. The meal was ruined, but he was sure Goku would eat it anyway. "My fault, I seem to have spaced out. Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing." Goku laughed a little nervously and held his plate out. The boy tried to play it cool despite having been staring at the demon a little too intensely a moment ago. The man had cracked the rock under the pan and Goku didn't know to be impressed or worried. Hakkai's eyes narrowed slightly and Goku forced a small laugh to appease his cook. "It still looks good and I'm hungry! I should take Sanzo his part too while I'm at it."

After the monkey skipped off to pester his master about the monk's share of the meal, a certain red-head lit a new cigarette. After a quick nicotine pick-me-up, Gojyo leaned down next to his friend and whispered in that now elongated ear. "You alright? You were pretty mad at those eggs."

"Was I?" Hakkai tapped the heated edge of the pan with his claws and sighed. He was just so restless for some reason. And a headache had been buzzing in his ears since yesterday and that had been driving him crazy. Hakkai shook his hair out a little and snuck a glance at his other two friends. Goku was waving his hands about and trying to get Sanzo's attention. He really should apologize to Goku for giving him burnt food later. Ah well, as long as he ate it. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned back to Gojyo. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"You growled." And it was pretty scary, too. Even though the last thought was unspoken, Gojyo still swallowed a little when his friend tensed. Gojyo tried to convince himself that it didn't make him nervous on some base level. Shit, Gojyo hung out with demons all the time in his day, so why did the thought of Hakkai with fangs and claws set him so on edge? "Or did you not notice?"

"I guess I didn't." Hakkai kept his focus on a single point. Maybe instead of waiting a bit to talk things out he could con Sanzo into letting them sleep a few more hours. Hakkai scrapped the last of the eggs off the pan and decided to just put the pan away. He wasn't focused enough right now to handle eggs or cleaning. "I'll be more careful in the future."

"Sure," Hakkai was looking a little ragged around the edges. Unfortunately, Gojyo couldn't tell if this was normal for Hakkai and the demon features were revealing what his smile usually hid, or if his friend was really about to snap. "You sure you're okay? I mean, I can sacrifice myself to beg for a few hours time from ol' Mr. Holy over there."

A rustling of newspaper drew everyone's attention to Sanzo as he stood up and glared at everyone else and his burnt eggs. Unceremoniously dumping his food onto Goku's plate he successfully interrupted the water sprite from putting his life in further danger. Sanzo looked at Hakkai with his most deadpan expression and put what they were all thinking out onto the table. "Are you well enough to drive or do I have to kill you?"

Well, it wasn't quite what everyone had been thinking, but close enough. Hakkai sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He winced a little when a claw caught on a knot near the end. The demon did his best not to throw a fit. "It might be the latter. Do make it quick, I have no tolerance for pain."

Gojyo coughed before that conversation could turn into a fight. Hakkai might have been joking, but the twitch Sanzo was developing was worrisome. "Oh get off his back, o' illustrious one. He's tired, it's not a crime."

"He wouldn't be tired if a certain moron had come back to camp last night." Sanzo dug a cigarette from his back pocket. "Or did you enjoy sleeping in the dirt like a cockroach?"

"Oh, like you're one to talk." Gojyo shoved an accusing finger in the air. "It's your fault all this happened in the first place."

"Get bent." Sanzo felt sweet relief as he lit his fifth cigarette of the morning. He smirked when Gojyo's temper began flaring up. "You're the one making a fuss."

"Why you." Gojyo felt a hand clamp on his shoulder and he turned to look at a pair of angry green eyes. He swallowed a little. "Hakkai?"

"I think that's enough for this morning." Hakkai took a clawed hand to his temple and rubbed just underneath the vine pattern. "I have a headache and I'd like to just get to driving without all the arguing this morning."

"See? Hakkai's got the right idea, stupid water sprite." Sanzo smirked.

"That goes for you, too." Hakkai turned his eyes to Sanzo and watched the man flinch slightly. "You're just as bad at starting fights and arguments. I really don't want to deal with this today, so please."

"Whatever." The priest took a nasty drag on his Marlboro and leaned against the tree to his back.

Gojyo almost released the laughter that was threatening to break free, but his fear of angering his roommate overpowered the urge. He instead decided to agree with his friend, but it was then that he noticed something very vital missing. "Speaking of driving, has anyone seen the fur ball lately?"

Goku hummed a bit as he attempted to swallow the last of the eggs from Sanzo's plate. Sometimes it was best to just ignore the other three when they got into heated discussions. It's not like his input would have solved anything. He forced another bite of burnt egg down his throat. But it seemed to be over for now, and the cockroach did have a point. "Gojyo's right, I haven't seen Jeep for a while either."

"He went off by himself sometime last night." Hakkai stood slowly holding the dirty kitchen equipment. Jeep had been acting weird around him since he first turned back into a dragon. It wasn't like he was avoiding, Hakkai. No, the little dragon was indeed avoiding the entire group. Maybe he could just feel the tension that had developed overnight between the four of them. Hakkai was sure that was all it was, nothing more. "I'm sure he'll be back soon."

Sanzo rolled his eyes and once again realized if you wanted something done you had to do it yourself. At the rate his demons were going they'd be leaving sometime next month. "Hey, water-sprite."

"What?" Gojyo mumbled around his cigarette. "Does his highness need his lowly servant?"

"Shut up and go find the fur ball."

"Why me?" Gojyo spat out and turned back to face the priest again. You could never be too tired for a rumble. "I just got back. Make the monkey do it."

"Goku, is as of now filling water bottles." Sanzo watched as Goku stopped in mid-chew and looked up at his keeper. He threw his stub of a cigarette on the ground close to the boy's foot and snuffed it out with his heel and a simple glare sent the boy running for the canteens and into the woods. At least he knew when not to argue. "So that leaves you."

"I can look for Jeep, Sanzo." Hakkai added in softly as he set the pans in a small pile. He'd have to keep them separate so that he could wash them later. Hakkai should have known the slight moment of peace was too good to be true. "He is my pet."

"You," Sanzo paused and waited for the eye contact. He wanted Hakkai's full attention for this next command. Only once he had that mismatched set locked with his, did he continue. "Are sleeping."

"I'm fine, I assure."

"Not a request."

"Sanzo, you're being unreasonable."

"We're not driving with someone half-asleep. Go take a nap." Sanzo reached for another Marlboro and smirked. "Gojyo can find the dragon just fine."

"Fine." Gojyo made a sharp turn and started walking back to where he came from. He didn't like taking orders, but if it meant Hakkai could take a nap, he could live with it. "I'll find the stupid dragon."

Hakkai glared at Sanzo as he waited for Gojyo to start thrashing through the bush. As the cries of "where are you stupid dragon?" faded did he reprimand Sanzo. The last thing he needed was Gojyo holding a censure session over their leader's head. "That was uncalled for."

"Why aren't you sleeping?" Another Marlboro was lit and placed snugly between a pair of chapped lips. Sanzo briefly wondered if he had enough to last until they reached a town.

"Gojyo's having a hard time adjusting to this situation and he's already convinced you threatened me into this arrangement." Hakkai strode towards Sanzo a few steps. "It wouldn't kill you to lay off the arguments for a few hours."

"He's the one starting them." Sanzo huffed and watched the ashes flick from the end of the stick. "Now why aren't you sleeping?"

Hakkai threw his arms up. "You are absolutely impossible. You must be getting one heck of a kick out of this. Is this some sort of fun way to relieve your own boredom?"

"What's got you so angry?" The priest took a slow drag and considered his comrade. Hakkai's eyes held slight bags beneath them and he was looking, for lack of a better word, 'twitchy.' "It's not like we've been doing anything we haven't for the past four years."

Hakkai took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Maybe he was overreacting with Sanzo; he had been a bit short with Gojyo the other day too. "My head hurts and I just feel restless for some reason."

"So you're taking out frustrations on us." Sanzo sighed. He was tempted to give up a tiny prayer to make sure a headache was Hakkai's only problem. Or they were all screwed over. "Peachy. Go to bed."

Hakkai rolled his eyes and headed towards his rolled bed mat. There was just no dealing with that man at times. "Yes, Master. I shall do as you command."

"Hey, knock that shit out." The man growled in return. "You sound like that moron of a water sprite."

Hakkai didn't even bother with a response and threw himself to the ground. He was going to sleep and if anything woke him up they'd find themselves ripped in two. Hakkai tried not to let the fact that notion brought a smile to his face bother him.


Sleep did not come easily for Hakkai, despite the generous offer and amount of effort. A hour or two at most was all he could manage on such short notice. Too much information drilling through his brain combined with an ever growing headache and sense of nervousness did little for his relaxation. Hakkai rolled over on his mat to consider Sanzo as he sat in place. A tiny smile crept to his face as he watched the priest sleep. From the position it was clear the man hadn't planned on dozing off and his head lolled slightly to the side with the even breathing. It was quiet enough in the clearing that he could almost hear the steady heart beat gently from his spot across the field.

Despite his exhaustion, Hakkai pulled himself up on his hands and knees to sit up. He'd gone days without sleep before, so this shouldn't really be a problem. Hakkai rubbed his nose carefully, the last thing he needed was to cut his face, and stood up. As he walked towards his blonde companion he could hear and smell everything more clearly his senses woke up. Hakkai wasn't sure if his strengthened nose and hearing was adding to the ever growing headache and irritation he was feeling, but it was a good enough thing to blame at the moment. Hakkai frowned as a particularly loud screech from a bird echoed in his ears.

Hakkai plopped down in the dirt next to Sanzo, not really caring if he woke the other man, and leaned back onto the tree. His shoulder leant against the priest's and Hakkai closed his eyes. If he focused on that steady beating from Sanzo's chest, he could ignore the buzzing of insects and the squawking birds that seemed to torment him with their screeching and low rumbles. It may have been perverse, Hakkai thought as he tilted his head, but the smell of Sanzo's hair was also much more pleasant than the stench coming from the rotting leaves and the feces from random critters. Hakkai could barely comprehend how most demons could put up with these constant sensations twenty-four hours a day. Sanzo's hair smelled, well, like Sanzo, actually. It was a hard scent to place when it was dirty, but it was still better than the rest of the things around them.

"Smelling my hair is falling under the same category as listening to my heart, Hakkai."

Hakkai jerked a bit as he realized he had been caught. He laughed nervously and tried to put a smile on his face to cover his embarrassment. The demon should have been in better control of his actions. New sensations or not. "Ah, I'll remember that Sanzo."

"Then scoot over." Sanzo held back the yawn that was pushing at his mouth and instead put that energy into shoving at Hakkai's shoulder. "It's too hot as it is."

Hakkai chuckled slightly as he shifted over a few inches. The priest was always a little grumpy when he woke up. "Have a good nap, Sanzo?"

The yawn won out and the blonde had to delay his response for a brief moment. The other man looked entirely too smug when he looked up. "Shut up."

"I haven't said anything yet." Hakkai shrugged with a smirk.

"You're thinking it."

"Guilty." Hakkai put both of his hands in front of him and interlocked his fingers for a good stretch. He cracked his neck a little afterwards and looked up to a welcome surprise. "Oh, Jeep."

"Looks like the water sprite really is worthless." Sanzo rolled his eyes and decided to just sit back and wait for Gojyo to complain about not being able to find the dragon.

"Jeep, Gojyo's been looking everywhere for you." Hakkai reached his arms out for the tiny creature and welcomed him into his lap. "Well, I think he is."

Sanzo watched as a genuine smile fell on Hakkai's face and felt it safe to reach for a cigarette. The little dragon cooed and Sanzo enjoyed watching the smoke linger in the air in front of his face. It was a rather peaceful morning, all things considered. Sanzo was about to close his eyes again and enjoy the peace and quiet, that only occurred when the monkey and cockroach went out to play, when he heard the squeal. Sanzo looked up to see a white blur fly over him and curl into his hip, fur sticking out on end. The little dragon was hissing quietly, wings tense, and Sanzo shifted his eyes to the man beside him.

Hakkai stared blankly at the blood sitting on his claws and could feel his chest tightening. He had hurt Jeep. He didn't mean to, but it had happened. Nothing more than not paying attention and petting harder than necessary. He had only been startled for a moment by that bird call in the background. But that was all it had took. A twitch of the hand. "I'm."

"Hakkai?" Sanzo kept his eyes on the demon beside him while risking getting bitten to check the dragon with his hand. A quick check and a peak out the corner of his eye proved that it was merely a shallow cut on the back of the neck. Nothing that wouldn't heal on its own in a day or two, but Hakkai was another story. His eyes were dilated and the whites of his eyes were expanded and fixated on the blood on his hands. "Jeep's fine, Hakkai."

The demon ripped his eyes from his hand to stare into a set of solid violet eyes. Despite the ground in reality, he still couldn't get the pained cry from his dear friend out of his head. It had been quick, but it kept repeating in his head. "I hurt Jeep."

Sanzo was about to backhand the little dragon himself if it wouldn't stop fidgeting and hissing. It was not helping the situation, but neither would hurting the thing for real. Sanzo sucked in a breath through his teeth to calm down a bit before confronting Hakkai. "Jeep's fine, it was an accident. Calm down."

"But." Hakkai stuttered and looked down at the angry red eyes. "He's bleeding."

Sanzo rolled his eyes and grabbed a hold of Hakkai's hands to give the man something else to react to. Physical contact did wonders for distracting the mind, even if it was just a simple touch. Hakkai twitched at the contact and Sanzo almost growled himself. He did not get paid enough to deal with all this shit. "Hakkai, look at me. Right now."

"Sanzo." Hakkai's voice was quiet. Sanzo was touching his hands. The holy monk was touching his blood stained hands.

"Jeep is fine." Sanzo tightened his grip when the other man tried to pull them away. It was as if Hakkai was repulsed that Sanzo was touching him. The priest didn't have time to wonder just what that meant, but he could see he finally had the man's attention. "It wasn't on purpose. Now calm the hell down."

Hakkai forced his breathing to even out as he listened to Sanzo's voice. It was so soothing sounding, and had a nice ring to it when he wanted it to have one. Sanzo was right, it was an accident and it was just like with Goku earlier. He was fine, and Jeep would be alright. It was just a scratch. Just a scratch. Hakkai tried to ignore the fact Sanzo was still holding his hands. "Alright. I'm okay."

"Good." Sanzo let out a breath as he watched Hakkai's eyes come back into focus. One crisis avoided for the day, and luckily Hakkai came around rather quickly.

"Woah, am I interrupting?" Gojyo drawled out as he stared at the two men before him. He spends three hours looking for a dragon, with no success, and these two chill out and relax all cozy like. It sort of made the man bitter inside knowing Sanzo was there for Hakkai in ways Gojyo couldn't seem to manage. "Don't take me wrong, but it's kinda' creepy with you two holding hands."

It was too much to ask to have a peaceful day, wasn't it? Sanzo growled and let go of Hakkai's hands in a huff and quickly crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Don't even start."

"So what was going on." Gojyo narrowed his eyes in slight suspicion. Hakkai was in a delicate state of mind right now and the monk had screwed with his head enough as it is.

"Just an accident, Gojyo." Hakkai smiled and discretely rubbed the blood off of his hands and onto his sleeve. "Sanzo was helping me calm down a bit. I'm afraid I overreacted again, much like this morning."

"But you're okay now, right?" Goku took this time to step forward. He had entered the clearing soon after Gojyo, but decided to keep quiet. There was just something tense in the atmosphere, and it wasn't the kind you just let play out. Goku knew that this type of tension needed to be stopped and broken at all costs. "You were kinda' scary earlier."

"Yes, I'm sorry I was cross with you, Goku."

"Did you get the water?" Sanzo smirked. He should have known it would have taken the boy three hours to fill four canteens.

Goku frowned and thrust foreword the three canteens. "Yeah, I got it. Sorry it took so long, but I thought I saw something that looked like Jeep and then I got lost following it. Turns out I had seen the sun reflecting offa' Gojyo's hair. And I'm totally starving, too!"

"Not my fault you're color blind, monkey." Gojyo mumbled to himself. Goku ignored his statement to keep his attention on Hakkai.

"I'm glad you're okay, Goku." Hakkai leaned back and relaxed a little. He kept his peripheral on Jeep who was now pruning his fur. All the anger he had been displaying earlier had vanished, the moody little thing. "We were getting worried."

The monkey grinned and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah well, are we ready to get going or what?"

Hakkai chuckled and stood to brush himself off before heading to roll up his sleeping pack. "Yes, let's get going. It's already noon and if we leave now we might make it somewhere a bit nicer for a late lunch."

"Can't we eat now, Hakkai?" Goku begged.

"No, we've lost enough time as it is." Sanzo smacked the brat in the back of his head. "Grab the stuff and let's go."

Gojyo lit a Hi-Lite as he watched Hakkai sneak Goku a snack out of a bag. The monkey munched on the apple happily as the Jeep transformed. Hakkai was looking happier, but there was still some reluctance there. Something had happened from the time he had left and came back that shook his friend up. The priest wouldn't tell him, and the monkey didn't know. Gojyo nearly growled to himself at the prospect of asking Hakkai what had happened. Gojyo blew smoke and walked towards the Jeep to jump in the back with the monkey. He'd just have to find out later.