Chapter 6

Stuck With Us

A/N: I have news that is good and bad on my behalf. I smoke Marlboro Red 72! Same thing as Sanzo, except shorter sticks than his 100. Bad news is I started smoking due to too much stress and being diagnosed with depression. Oh what a wonderful life, I fit right on in with my boys even more now.

Nai frowned as she ruthlessly tapped her fingers on the bar. A customer was trying to get her attention but she completely ignored him until he stood and left the establishment. With a heavy sigh one of her regulars sat in front of her, he was an old man, and he was very wise.

"What seems to be the problem Nai?"

"Huh? Oh…I'm waiting." She continued to drum her fingers on the wood.

The old man chuckled, "Are you going to tell me what for? You seem very intent on whatever it is."

She smiled, "It's a who."

"Oh? A young man I hope."

She blushed, "It's not like that. I'm waiting to hear about someone I met recently. I've been worrying about…them."

"Is it someone or someone's?"

The young woman held up two fingers. She was worried about Gojyo and Cho Gonou. She had heard that Gojyo had been spotted in this town and Sanzo wouldn't tell her anything about Gonou's trial.

"Everything will be fine. You just have to relax a little."

"Right."

With that a young monk ran into the bar. Keeping his head down, ashamed to be there, "Hagane, Nai. Your presence is requested at the temple."

"Gotta go old man! Thanks!"

Gojyo ruffled Goku's hair, "Bet you won't remember his name monkey."

"Don't mock me! I can so remember! Hakkai, Hakkai, Hakkai, Hakkai, Hakkai!"

"Hakkai huh? I like it."

Sanzo rolled his eyes as the women lent heavily on the doorframe and tried to catch her breath. She was grinning like an idiot despite her state. "You stupid woman. Did you run all the way here?"

"And what if I did your holiness?"

Hakkai raised his hands, "Now now, please don't fight about it. I'm glad you came to see me with such…fervor Miss Nai."

She laughed, "Just Nai, please. I'm not an old woman."

Gojyo threw an arm around the woman's shoulders and pulled her close, "So you didn't rush to come see me too?"

Nai's face lit up pink and she closed her hazel eyes, "Shut up!"

Sanzo's gaze narrowed on the sight and Gojyo noticed, "What? Does this hair look good on me?"

The woman looked up and snatched the cloth from around the man's head; his hair was cut close, "What the hell? What made you cut it?"

He grinned, "Stupid reasons."

Sanzo lit a cigarette, "It looks better than that long crap."

Gojyo smiled some more, "Good. Then I'll be growing it back out."

The blonde monk slammed his hands on the table, "Are you trying to pick a fight?"

Nai and Hakkai chuckled while Goku just watched. Gojyo grabbed the child up and put him on his shoulders, "Let's go out to eat!"

"YEAH!"

"Ugh! You idiots are too loud! Shut up!"

"C'mon Sanzo!"

The monk fumed for a minute and Nai waved her hand, "I said c'mon." As he stood from his seat she winked at him and grabbed the sleeve of his robe. "Where are we going?" she asked to Hakkai.

"It's such nice weather." He said as they walked outside, "Lets have a picnic!"

"Good idea."

"You idiots are giving me a headache. How did I go from two dumbasses to four?"

Nai put her arm in Sanzo's, "You're a lucky monk. That's how."

"Sanzo."

"Hm?"

"Do you think those two will be alright? You know, living together and all."

Sanzo looked up from the paper on his desk and stopped moving the pen in his hand. Nai was watching him carefully over the book in her hands, tapping her fingers gently on the hard cover. "Why the hell are you worried?"

Her eyebrow raised and he sighed, "Right. Well?"

Nai put the book down and crossed her legs on the couch in the office, "Jealousy, apprehension, confusion…"

The blonde scoffed, "Sounds like a couple's issues."

She chuckled, "I guess so."

"Hakkai is here!"

Sanzo growled as Goku ran into the office at top speed, "What the hell monkey! Stop running before you break something."

Goku dropped where he stood and crossed his legs, bouncing in anticipation. Nai smiled at Hakkai as he entered the room, "So what's the plan today?"

It had been decided between the three adults that Nai would teach him to read Hakkai would handle math and Sanzo was supposed to teach him to write... Writing and reading went well for the most part, but math…

The man sat across from Goku on the floor and started pulling mandarin oranges from his bag; "We'll be trying a food approach today."

Nai lifted her book back up to her face, "Good luck."

"Ok Goku, two mandarin oranges that were fighting one on one used ninjutsu and duplicated themselves into three mandarin oranges. How many are there?"

All the extra words made even Nai's brain struggle a bit. Goku stared intently at the tiny oranges on the floor, "Zero!" he shouted excitedly.

Hakkai was puzzled, "…why?"

"I'm going to eat them all!"

Nai giggled behind her book and Sanzo scoffed, "It's no use teaching him with food."

Hakkai chuckled nervously, "They usually learn better with something they like."

Sanzo set down his pen, "It must be wasteful to tutor the monkey for free."

Nai noticed that the man's pleasant smile didn't reach his eyes as he spoke, "It's a pleasant change to see Goku."

"Is something going on in that house Hakkai?" she asked.

"Not really. Gojyo is out at all hours of the night as usual; sometimes all day long too. I can't complain, the bills and things get paid."

She nodded, "I offered him a job at my place, but I guess gambling does bring in more when you're as good as he is."

Sanzo rolled his eyes and lit a cigarette, "That idiot is still a lazy bum."

Hakkai's irritated mood spiked a bit and Nai put down her book and stood, "Let's go get some tea Hakkai."

"Hey! This orange is sour!" Goku piped up form the floor.

The green-eyed man chuckled, "That's because your not supposed to eat it."

Nai looked down into her empty cup, "So, are you going to tell me what's really going on Hakkai?"

The healer gave her a sad smile, "An old friend of Gojyo's decided to pay him a visit a few days ago. I'm not getting a good feeling from him."

The woman raised a single brow and sighed, "This friend, is he giving you odd feelings because he's a demon?" Hakkai gave her a shocked look and she shook her head "don't worry, I can't read minds. I'm just very good with people."

"I'm afraid I'm not a person anymore."

"Yes you are."

They stared at each other for a minute before Hakkai too glanced into his empty cup and set it down, "Its just more madness than usual. They're both out way past morning, they're always drunk…"

Nai smiled, "Gojyo always sobers up and comes home with the sun huh?"

Hakkai nodded, "He saved me. And I feel like I'm losing him."

"Your not. Trust me, he's not going anywhere."