Disclaimer: I don't own Gensomaden Saiyuki. If I did, it would be full of blatant yaoi. Or something. ^^; And Sanzo would be my bitch. Yes. Ah, sweet dreams…

So… we happen to be up to Chapter 3 now… I had every intention on making this the longest chapter yet, but I've found doing flashbacks really unnerves me because I don't want to contradict things. Therefore, I ended the chapter where it would've ended anyway, and will resume later with the time being AFTER Sanzo's had his angst session. Whee.

And this chapter got sort of fluffy. ^^; My apologies for that. I'm trying to keep this as IC as I can, and it seems IC to me for the most part… ^^; Yes. Just enjoy. Comments/Reviews are always appreciated.

Cold Beer, Cold Rain (Chapter 3)

By, AmethystGleam

The monk set his now-warm beer down on the bedside table, brow slightly furrowed in agitation.

Goku's face fell, and he sank to his knees, smashing one fist into the floor with frustration," All that… and it's WARM?"

Although Sanzo would never admit it, he was starting to feel slightly guilty over the monkey's mood (either that, or, as he would later describe, he was 'so absolutely annoyed that he developed a delusion of caring in desperation to get the monkey to shut up…'), and, with his expression set in its normal irritated look, he spoke up, trying to change the subject," Baka saru. You're still wet from your stupid stunt in the rain. Go change out of those clothes; I'm sick of watching you drip all over the floor." A kindly master would've translated those words into something like, 'please change before you catch a cold…,' but Sanzo was no 'kindly master'; hell, he had a reputation to upkeep!

Goku, however, merely hung his head further, unable to read the inlaid concern masked in his master's words," I'm sorry… I don't have anything else to change into."

Letting out a heavy sigh, the monk rubbed his temples for a moment, before emptying his robe of his cigarette pack and lighter. With the flick of his wrist, Sanzo lit up, before dropping the pack and lighter unto the bedside table. With a languid motion, the blonde shrugged the robe he normally wore over his clothes down his shoulders, before carefully removing the garment entirely, and tossing it none-too-lightly at the brunette," Fuck it up and I'll kill you."

As if a large plate of spring rolls had just been placed in front of him, Goku's eyes lit up, sparkling in the utmost delight," Sankyuu, Sanzo! I'll be really careful with it: I swear!" With that, the monkey fled to the bathroom, wearing a grin that was gleeful enough to give Sanzo a sweatdrop.

Left now in silence, Sanzo allowed himself to smirk briefly in contemplation of Goku's actions, before the monk took a long drag of his cigarette, pausing when the rapping sound of rain against the window disrupted him from his reverie. After a moment of staring blindly at his reflection in the rain-mirror that the window had now become, Sanzo grimaced, a soft, half-hearted "Ch,'" noise escaping through his lips. A few more short drags of the cigarette followed, before Sanzo put the thing out in the bedside ashtray. Trying to feign irritancy at nothing in particular, the monk turned out the lights in the room, settling himself into the rooms only bed without caring about his pet's earlier desperation to have the bed to *him*self.

At the sound of the door creaking back open, amethyst orbs were covered by a set of curving lashes, allowing the monk to feign sleeping. He kept himself quietly unmoving under the monkey's gaze.

Goku entered, his mouth half open, as if he was beginning a sentence (no doubt, a sentence that began with the word 'I'm' and ended with the word 'hungry'), but upon noticing the darkened state of the room, he let his mouth slide shut, golden orbs carefully examining the figure laying still on the bed. Shutting the door quietly behind himself, the baka saru padded cautiously over to the side of Sanzo's bed, peering down at his master, curiously. It took a great deal of concentration for Goku's object of interest not to shift under the golden-eyed gaze.

The sound of the monkey's breathing allowed the 'resting' blonde to keep tabs on exactly how close the chimp was to the bedside, but a sudden tickle of air against his neck indicated that Goku had leaned quite a bit closer, and Sanzo, uneasily, contemplated grabbing his harisen. It was not until the monk felt warmth envelope him that the thought slipped from his mind, and he realized, quite shockingly, that Goku had pulled the bed's blankets over him; a task which he himself hadn't done when starting to feign his sleep.

"Good night, Sanzo," came the baka saru's whisper, barely audible against the rain dancing along the glass of the nearby windows. The monk listened quietly at the sound of Goku's feet shuffling to the foot of the bed, where a futon lay on the floor, and the rustling of sheets as the monkey curled up to go to sleep.

Sanzo thought it seemed like forever until he could the monkey start snoring. Only then did he reveal his amethyst orbs to the darkness, as he pushed the covers to the side, almost hesitantly, considering the kindness of the gesture with hence they had been placed. Sitting up, the blonde reflexively began to reach for a cigarette, but realizing the smoke might awaken the snoring-member of the room, he cursed mentally, withdrawing his hands to hold his head.

He never slept on nights like this.

And tonight was proving to be no different.

Hakkai was usually the one Sanzo preferred to spend the rainy days and nights with, for the man understood his severe hatred of the rain, to a certain point, and was the least annoying to be with out of the three youkai. However, with Hakkai sick, and Goku asleep on the floor, Sanzo was left to battle the demons of the rain alone.

But then again, that's what he'd always done, wasn't it?