Best of Both Worlds

Chapter Two
They reached the inn just as darkness settled over the town. When the keeper told them there were only two rooms vacant for the four of them, Sanzo glanced over at Hakkai. Ten thousand yen really wasn’t thatge oge of a bet but it was the principal. Sanzo rarely turned down such a bet when it gave him the chance to show up one of his companions. Sanzo took one key but when Gojyo reached out to take the key to the second room, Hakkai pushed his hand away and grabbed it first.
“What’s up, Hakkai? Aren’t you staying with Sanzo like usual?”
Hakkai smiled. “No. I was going stay with Goku if neither of you minded.”
Gojyo looked to Sanzo who was sure to object. “Whatever you want to do, Hakkai.” Gojyo’s jaw dropped to floofloor.
“You mean I’m stuck with the monk? Please tell me this is a joke!” The four of them climbed the stairs.
“Sorry.” Hakkai said waving the other key in front of Gojyo. “I’m quite serious. Goodnight.”
“Can we order some food, Hakkai? I’m starving!” Goku said, following after him.
Gojyo turned to Sanzo. “Look, Sanzo. I don’t know what this is about but it ain’t happening. Go kick that monkey out of your room.”
Sanzo shook his head and opened the door to their room. It was a simple room, much like the others they’d stayed in thus far… He stepped in, pulling Gojyo with him and slammed the door shut behind them. “Shit head.” Was the first phrase to pass between Sanzo and Gojyo. “That corner’s yours, this one is mine. Just sit down and shut your mouth and this night’s going to go a lot faster the the both of us.”
“What the hell is up with?”
?”
Sanzo sat down at the table. “This morning you said you’d be scared if I started being nice to you so I did it just for kicks…the whole riding in the front of the jeep and passing you beers thing was just to freak you out. Then when we stopped Hakkai turned it into a bet for ten thousand yen if I could put up with you for the night. Now all that’s left is for me to the the night out and TRY to sleep through your snoring.”
“I don’t snore.” Gojyo insisted as the monk lit a cigarette.
“Yes, you do.”
“Yeah well…” Gojyo searched for an insult that might hit home with Sanzo how upset he was that he was involved with this stupid bet. “I hope it rains some more.”
Sanzo’s eyes opened suddenly and turned on Gojyo. There was something there that hadn’t been there before; as if Gojyo had stumbled onto some part of Sanzo’s past that he wanted to forget. Then Sanzo turned his eyes away again. The look said all that needed to be said. The rain had nothing to do with the hurt that Gojyo had somehow managed to inflict. It was the memory with the rain. “Shit, Sanzo…” Gojyo sat down across from him. “I know that look and I don’t like seeing it on your face. I don’t know what it is about the rain that bothers you so much but-”
“It isn’t the rain.” Sanzo replied. “It’s things that happen in the rain.”
“Hakkai knows, doesn’t he?” Sanzo shot Gojyo a warning glance. “Don’t blame me. I just know what Goku told me.”
“What did that stupid chimp tell you about it?”
Gojyo shrugged and stood up from the chair. “Honest truth is that the stupid monkey didn’t know what the hell he was talking about but…” He turned back to Sanzo with a smile and a wink. “But he is just a dumb monkey. I’m not blind to the whole Sanzo and Hakkai thing.” Sanzo’s face flushed red. “I know how Hakkai’s been since Kanan. He told me once he could never look at another woman again. I told him I feel sorry for him…then he told me what he thought of me…Hakkai just isn’t my type. You can have him, Sanzo.”
“It’s not like that.” Sanzo crossed his arms. “Hakkai and I are just good friends who understand each other. He respects my space and I respect his. What business is it of yours, idiot? You wouldn’t understand something like-” Sanzo stopped suddenly.
“That’s where the rain s ins in, isn’t it?” Gojyo placed a rettrette in his mouth and lit it with the lighter he’d bought downstairs. “Some pretty girl and a rainy night. Sanzo, I can actually read you like a book. Guess I can actually just read people like that. I know you, I suppose. Maybe we don’t always get along, Sanzo but I HAVE always wondered about the rainy nights thing.”
“What the hell?” Gojyo sat down. “We’ve got to pass a lot of time and I suppose there are parts of this only an oversexed kappa like you would understand.”

He met her in a well sized town while on an errand with Goku. Goku was pestering him like the chimp he was for this and that kind of food and Sanzo clearly wasn’t interested. “ONE THING!” he kept telling Goku but he wouldn’t listen. He wanted everything. It was as Goku dragged him to the fifth shop that he noticed her. Somewhat tall…long, dark brown hair that fell in semi-curly locks around her shoulders…beautiful blue eyes…immediately he wanted to talk to her but he didn’t have a reason. He turned back to Goku who was arguing with the shopkeeper. Sanzo gabbed him by the shirt and drug him to the next shop where the young woman was working.
“Sanzo! I want one of these!” Goku held up an apple.
“If you don’t mind my saying,” the young woman started in a beautiful, clear voice, “I don’t think that apple is going to fill you up, young man.” She smiled and turned to Sanzo. “You’re priest Genjo Sanzo, aren’t you?”
“How do you know my name?”
“I’ve heard of a Sanzo Priest who was staying in the area with a boy resembling a monkey in behavior.”
“A trained my, Iy, I suppose.”
“Stop calling me a monkey!”
“Priest Genjo Sanzo…Is this a relative of yours?”
Sanzo shook his head and glanced down at Goku who was drooling over the apples. “Just a pet.” Sanzo picked him up by the collar and lifted him off the ground. “My companion seems to have an interest in your apples.”
“Sanzo…buy me some, please?”
Sanzo dropped the monkey and reached into his robe pocket searching for money. “Oh no!” the young woman said and left her position behind the counter. “Please, take them at no cost on one condition.”
“Yes?”
“You must come back tomorrow.”

“Oh, I see.” Gojyo interrupted. “So the grumpy priest’s story starts to unfold a little more.” He smiled and leaned back in his chair. “Of course, you can always blame it on the monkey and his stupid cravings for food. He’d probably eat a whole cart of apples.” Sanzo shrugged. “Well?” Gojyo asked. “Aren’t you going to tell me the rest? I want to know how a tight ass priest like you can manage to hit it off with this babe.”
“No.” Sanzo replied. “The only reason I’m still here is because I don’t want to owe Hakkai ten thousand yen in the morning.”
“Why not? You don’t even have any money of your own. It all belongs to the three floating heads and the card doesn’t have any limit.”
“Just because something doesn’t have a limit doesn’t mean you should see how far you can go before someone takes it away from you!” Sanzo barked.
Gojyo’s chair came back to all four legs and he gave Sanzo an oddly sympathetic look. He isn’t talking about the Annex Card. Gojyo realized. Man…what happened to this chick of his?
“That’s it.” Sanzo stood. “I put up with being nice to you in the jeep but this isn’t worth ten thousand yen. A conversation with you i wor worth all the yen in the world. Hakkai can have his money.”
Gojyo stood as Sanzo went to the door. “Whatever. I’m sure Hakkai and you’d have a better talk anyway.” Sanzo stopped suddenly and turned back to Gojyo with a look that could kill. “Sit your grumpy ass down, Sanzo. I’ve been dying for a nice game of cards and if you’re so willing to throw out ten thousand yen like that it might as well be over cards.”
Sanzo turned his head away. “Baka.” He said quietly. “I wouldn’t waste ten thousand yen on a hand of cards.”
“Then we’ll play for pocket change.” Sanzo didn’t move. “Come on, Sanzo. Do you really want ick ick Goku out of bed? If you do then go right ahead but I wouldn’t advise it seeing as how it’s usually me that’s forced to do it.”
“Alright.” Sanzo said and returned to the table. “Deal.”

Hakkai came to Sanzo and Gojyo’s door early the next morning, expecting Sanzo to already be awake and begging for the chance to get as far away from Gojyo as possible. He stuck his head in, the room still dark. A deck of cards lay in a neat pile on top of the table.
From the doorwae coe could hear Gojyo’s unmistakable soft snore coming from under a pile of blankets on the bed. Leaning against the bed with his eyes closed and arms crossed in front of his chest was Sanzo. Hakkai’s jaw dropped. Were they actually getting along? I suppose I owe him ten thousand yen. Hakkai thought. But I should wake them up. We’d better get going before the sun gets overhead. He stepped in and gently shook Sanzo awake.
“What the hell?” Were his first words until he realized it was Hakkai. “What?”
“It’s just before sunrise.” Hakkai replied. “About time to be getting ready to move on for the day.” He glanced at the still snoring Gojyo. “You two actually were getting along?” Sanzo pulled himself to his feet. “I suppose I owe you ten thousand yen.”
“Give it to Gojyo.” Sanzo ordered. “That’s how much I owe him for last night.”
Hakkai opened his mouth. Sanzo must not have realized what he said. “What?”
Sanzo turned to Hakkai with a look that Goku usually got, somewhere between totally pissed thd thoroughly embarrassed. “I lost a few hands of poker last night.” He explained quickly and pulled the rest of his robes on. “Now get him up.”
Gojyo sat up and yawned after Sanzo left and looked at Hakkai. “What’s your problem?” he said noting the odd look on Hakkai’s face. Then he smiled. “Yeah, Sanzo and I actually got along pretty good.” Hakkai said nothing but Gojyo could guess what he might be thinking. “You know, Hakkai…” Hakkai looked back to Gojyo. “I see why yoke Ske Sanzo so much now. It’s fucking hard not to.”
“I…have to go get Goku up.” Hakkai said suddenly and left the room in a hurry.
As soon as he was gone and the door was shut Gojyo nearly died of laughter. “Hakkai is making this too easy…I can’t believe he’s jealous of me and Sanzo. I mean-” he stopped suddenly and a wide grin crossed his face. “I wonder if Sanzo would like to get his ten thousand yen back?”