Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ A Simple Kiss ❯ Pondering Change ( Chapter 2 )

Title: A Simple Kiss - Chapter 2: Pondering Change

Summary: 3x9 (SanzoxGoku) - Neither one could explain why it happened, but they all knew that this could change everything.

Disclaimer: Saiyuki and its characters don't belong to me. Can't blame a girl for wishing though!

Warnings: PG-13 Shounen ai, 3x9 yaoi, Probably major OOC-ness, especially for Sanzo. Minor bad language, again especially for Sanzo.

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They had gotten lucky this time; the inn had been nearly deserted, so they had all gotten single rooms connected to a common room. Despite the fact that they spent all day forced in each other's company, they still spent the entire evening in the common room. Gojyo and Sanzo played cards, and Hakkai worked with Goku on studying ki techniques.

Goku had taken a great interest in the fighting techniques that Hakkai used, and Hakkai was more than willing to teach the young man everything he could. Goku would normally listen intently to everything he had to say, but tonight he seemed distracted, and kept glancing away from Hakkai to sneak a peek at Sanzo.

When his glances grew longer and closer together, Hakkai gave up trying to keep his attention and suggested they all play Mahjong. The others agreed with varying degrees of enthusiasm, and they sat down to play, Sanzo and Goku across from each other and Hakkai and Gojyo at the ends of the table. They played through the evening, and as the night and the room grew darker, Hakkai saw that both Sanzo and Goku were distracted from the game. How they managed to glance at each other that often and not lock gazes he wasn't sure, but they managed it somehow.

He started to sense that charge in the air again, and a glance at Gojyo showed that the other man had picked up on it as well. He was looking between Goku and Sanzo while waiting for the others to take their turns, a faint look of disbelief on his face. After realizing that Sanzo had missed three tiles that would have won him the game, Hakkai knew that he had his mind elsewhere.

He yawned loudly and stretched, then pushed back from the table. As the others looked at him, he stated that it was late and they had better retire for the night if they wanted to get going early the next morning. They cleaned up their mess and headed off to their respective rooms. He didn't miss the charged look that Sanzo threw at Goku's back as the young man stepped into his room.

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Hakkai had just sat down on the bed when a soft knock sounded at his door. He had been waiting for this, so just called softly for Gojyo to enter. The redhead came in and shut the door quietly behind him, crossing the small space to slouch in the only chair in the room.

"You want to tell me what's going on, or am I going to have to beat it out of the monkey?"

Hakkai smiled, one of his real smiles, both at Gojyo's bluntness and his obvious agitation at the evening's events.

Gojyo snorted softly. "I didn't just imagine that then, the way they were glancing at each other all night? And you could just feel the electricity in the air. I kept waiting for my hair to stand on end. I'm not sure which is worse, the monk in a bad mood and the kid whining, or this quiet yet intense atmosphere! Either way I feel like a bad move is going to get me shot."

Hakkai didn't really respond to what he had said, instead mentioning something else he had been thinking about as the evening drew on. "Have you noticed how much Goku has grown up during this journey? When we first met them he looked and acted like a child. When we started out on this journey it was obvious that he had gotten older looking, but he didn't really act that much older. But now, after two years on the road, he is really growing and maturing, both physically and emotionally. Especially recently. Have you noticed that he is almost as tall as Sanzo now?"

Gojyo snorted again. "Yeah, I guess he is. But height doesn't make you an adult, and he definitely isn't one."

"No, not yet, but he has come a long way in such little time. I think if you take a good look at him now you will see that he acts much more like the older teen that he should be." Hakkai expected Gojyo to laugh at this statement and deny it violently, but to his surprise the kappa just looked thoughtful and almost a bit embarrassed.

"I wouldn't have said something if you hadn't brought it up, but yeah, I have noticed that the little monkey has changed. Not all the time, mind you, he still acts like a child once in a while." Gojyo grinned widely at that, "But there are also times that I see the ages in him." His grin faded away as he added, "Sometimes I have to remind myself that he is 500 years older than the rest of us, but when I see that look in his eyes it isn't that hard to imagine."

Hakkai nodded silently. He had also seen that look, and it kind of scared him. Eyes that old didn't belong on such a young man.

"Have you noticed that he eats more like a normal person now?" Gojyo continued, "Of course he still eats more than the three of us together, but he isn't always complaining about being hungry either. And I think he fights with me during dinner just because he thinks it's expected of him. It's pretty much the only time that Sanzo gets to use that stupid fan anymore. At least on him. I'm not that lucky apparently."

Hakkai laughed at that. "He has really taken to the ki techniques I've been teaching him. He learns so quickly. We always knew he had an amazing amount of power, and he is showing the ability to control a little of that with the techniques I've been showing him. I don't think it will be long before he surpasses me in his abilities. I don't have a fraction of the raw power he carries even with his limiter on. He just needed someone to show him how to focus it. And if he is eventually able to combine his use of it with Nyoibou, he is going to be nearly unstoppable."

Gojyo shook his head in wonder. Sure the kid - he couldn't help but still think of him as such - had raised a shield occasionally in their last few battles, but he hadn't realized that he had gotten that good. "It's hard to believe this is the same kid we started on this journey with. And apparently Sanzo has noticed as well."

He trailed off as this train of thought took him to places he wasn't sure he wanted to go. Sanzo and Goku together? He never would have thought it was possible for the icy monk to actually feel something other than irritation for the kid, but it wasn't irritation that had filled the air tonight. No, it was something almost completely opposite.

"Do you think this has anything to do with our battle this afternoon?" Gojyo ventured, not really wanting to remind Hakkai of the incident, but wanting to know what the other man thought.

"I don't really know, but it could. Goku really scared all of us. Maybe Sanzo finally realized how much he means to Goku."

Hakkai yawned quietly and Gojyo took the hint. "Well, I should head off to bed. It's going to be interesting traveling with those two tomorrow. I hope this doesn't make things difficult."

Hakkai nodded his agreement. "I doubt that Sanzo will allow himself to get distracted from our little mission, but I kind of hope..." He paused for a second, then continued in an almost distracted voice, "I hope that he gives Goku a chance. Those two have been deeply connected since before Sanzo brought Goku down from the mountain, and maybe this is just an extension of that connection that hadn't yet been explored."

Gojyo stood and headed for the door, but turned towards Hakkai before opening it. "I just hope that Sanzo thinks things through before he lets anything happen. Goku is… well, I hate to admit it, but he is like a little brother to me, and I don't want to see him hurt. And Sanzo is the type to hurt someone deeply." He sighed. "Well, apparently Sanzo isn't as impervious to Goku's affection as we thought he was." With that he opened the door and stepped out.

As the door closed behind Gojyo, Hakkai lay down and pulled up the blankets. 'No, apparently he isn't. But it's what he's going to do about that affection that worries me.'

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AN:

And another chapter heads to the firing squad. It was so nice to hear the lovely reviews, I'm glad you like this so far. Hope this chapter didn't disappoint, even though it didn't really have any SanzoxGoku moments in it. Don't worry, the next chapter will pretty much be all about them.

So here's a question. When I first started this story I hadn't really thought much past this night and the next morning, but if you guys have any interest I'll try my hand at continuing their journey for a little while. So, should I end this when they leave the inn, or would you guys stick with me for a longer journey? Let me know what you think. Also, can anyone tell me if there are any instances of Seiten Taisei using Nyoibou, or just Goku? I haven't seen any, but I wanted to make sure.

Same old story, please review and let me know what you liked or didn't like.

My thanks to my reviewers:

dream-eater-is-hungry: Yeah, I was kind of upset that Hakkai interrupted the moment, but I thought there needed to be a little more development before things really start happening. I hope you weren't disappointed in this chapter, I promise you will get more of them in the next one. I noticed the paragraphing thing as well, but didn't have time to change it until later that night. I think this one went better, let me know what you think. I guess that's what I get for making the first chapter contain almost no dialogue. This one was easier, cause conversations pretty much paragraph themselves.

Yoyo: I'm glad you like my portrayals of the characters. It's fun to get inside their heads and try to look out from their eyes. Hakkai is pretty easy, mainly because I'm using him primarily for an observer, and Gojyo is the same way. Goku isn't that bad either, his childlike nature and attitude are pretty easy to capture from the anime and the manga, though I am trying to make him just a little bit more mature. It's Sanzo that I'm really worried about. He is just such a fascinatingly complex character, and I really want him to be as in character as I can get him. I'm afraid that he may come out based more on what I've read in fanfics than on what's actually in the anime. I guess only time will tell. I'm not sure about Seiten Taisei showing up, it will depend on whether or not people are interested in reading beyond what happens in the inn. I think he could be fun to write though.

Ryo: This chapter wasn't that much longer than the first one, was it? Sorry, things just look longer in Word, and sometimes breaks seem to occur naturally. I promise to try harder though!

Am1-13th: I'm glad you like it. Thanks!

mabaroshi16: Unique, huh? I never really thought of it that way, but I'm pleased that you do. I hope you liked this chapter as well. I wanted to let you know that I just loved Sweet Raptured Light. It was so wonderfully fluffy!

Pervasive Threnody: Ask and ye shall receive. I've got the third chapter mostly done as well, so it should be coming soon.

Person: I definitely understand being an anime addict, and a Saiyuki one in particular. Hope this satisfies at least a little bit.

Anael Razualle: Thanks!

Anthey Oom: Thanks for the compliment. I've just started getting into Mirai 1: Be There, and have enjoyed it so far. I'm a big Sci-Fi fan, so you have mixed two of my favorites together. I'm looking forward to getting into the second Arc when I have the time. By the time you read the first chapter, I had already gone back to fix the paragraphing, so you didn't get to see it when it was awful. I just didn't have the time to fix it right then, so I fixed it later that night.

Forsaken^On3: Sorry this didn't have Sanzo and Goku confessing, but I felt I needed an outside viewer to explain some of the changes that make it possible. I think you will like the next chapter though; they will get a little action in. Thanks for the encouragement, I need it sometimes!

Tsuki-chan00: I agree, I can never get enough of the great 39 pairing either. Here's another chapter for you, and the next one should be up soon.

Neko: Thank you!

Yuki Kurai: Liked that line, did you? I did too. Here you go.