Saiyuki Reload Fan Fiction ❯ Protection ❯ In the inn ( Chapter 2 )

A few hours later, after being healed and thoroughly scolded by Hakkai all at the same time, the party finally found themselves settled at a small inn on the outskirts of town.

“Alright!! Crab puffs!!”

“Hey! Quit hoggin' all the sauce you stupid monkey!”

“Don't call me monkey, kappa!!”

“Excuse me, could we have some more tea when you get a chance?”

“…”

The waitress watched from the corner, a mixture of shock and amazement written across her face. Their table alone had consumed nearly all of the food in the kitchen and continued to ask for more.

The inn keeper watched as well, his pen frozen in mid-word. They certainly were a strange group but they paid well so that was all that mattered.

“Excuse me, miss! Do you have any more of these wontons? They're really good!”

The waitress jumped a little and looked up at the golden-eyed boy sitting closest to her.

“Um…well yes but I'm afraid they may have gone bad…we've had them for almost a year now…”

“That's alright! Bring `em on out!”

“Um…o-okay..?”

She turned and retreated back to the kitchen, clutching her tray to her chest like a shield.

The group heard the cook raising hell about something and the waitress ran out, holding a plate containing three wontons. She set it down at the table and bowed, stepping back to her corner to keep at a safe distance.

They stared at the plate cautiously as if the food would attack at will. The wontons were a pale greenish-yellow color as opposed to their normal white and gave off a faint rancid smell.

“Oh my goodness, those really don't look right.” Hakkai commented softly.

“Yeah, well not only that they kinda smell like a dirty sock.” Gojyo added, poking one with his fork carefully.

“I'm so sorry!” the waitress cried, reaching for the plate. “ I'll throw them away immediately.”

“No, it's okay.” Goku said, smiling at her. “One thing I never do is turn down food, no matter how it looks.”

“Bleh…you wanna eat the sock wonton then be my guest…” Gojyo muttered, leaning back in his chair to see if the offer would be met .

Goku grabbed one with his chopsticks and examined it closely. “Well, bottoms up.”

“Goku, wait! Don't-…”

The boy didn't give Hakkai a chance to finish as he popped it into his mouth and chewed slowly.

“Hey! They aren't bad at all! They taste great! Here, you guys try one!”

“Um…no thank you Goku, I'm fine.”

“Ugh…just like a garbage disposal.”

“Hn…check.” Sanzo muttered, lighting a cigarette and taking a slow drag.

The waitress nodded and excused herself to the kitchen again.

Goku downed another wonton and laughed a little. “ So Sanzo, were you really worried about me back there when we were in the desert?”

“Never…” came the grumbled response.

“Yeah right! You looked worried there for a minute!”

Sanzo rolled his eyes and leaned back. “No, I just didn't want to have to bury your dumbass all by myself. You would do something that stupid.”

Goku stopped chewing and smiled humorlessly. “ Yeah, I guess your right…that would be really stupid of me. I'd be the stupid one and I'd hate to have to be such and inconvenience to you…” he said, his voice dropping on the last word.

The boy smiled light-heartedly but deep inside the seed had been sown and Goku unconsciously began to doubt his place among the others.

He forced a laugh and gathered some scraps onto a napkin. “ Uh…I think I'll go see if Hakryu is hungry…” and with that, he turned around and walked out quietly.

“Oh dear, I think you may have been a bit harsh with that last comment, Sanzo.” Hakkai remarked softly as he watched Goku's retreating form.

“Yeah, that was kind of a low blow, monk.” Gojyo leaned back, lighting a cigarette and capturing Hakkai's hand inconspicuously. “We all know the kid cares about you, he just wants to know that you actually give a shit back.”

The priest made a “ch” sound but didn't answer.

“Beside, we all know the truth anyway. It's not like you hide it very well-.” A bullet zipping past Gojyo's head cut off anything else he was about to say.

“You asshole! That could have killed me!”

“Yeah, well that's what stupid kappas get for opening their Goddamn mouths!”

“Now, now…^.^;”

Sanzo rolled his eyes and tossed some money on the table, leaving the other two to their own affairs. He walked down to the room they'd rented, muttering various profanities as he went.

Then only rooms left available were singles which was fine for two members of the party. Goku was bunking with Sanzo for obvious reasons considering Gojyo and Hakkai would be rather “busy” tonight.

The door swung open softy and the blond walked in, sitting down on the bed and staring at the wall, his cigarette smoldering to ash between his fingers. An extra cot had been set up for Goku and the linens had been set on the bed.

Sanzo sighed heavily and rested his back against the wall, closing his eyes momentarily. Gojyo's head echoed in his head like a broken record.

` “We all know the truth anyway.”'

Was that really why he'd been watching Goku more carefully lately? Could it be the fact that he truly was worried about his safety? Sure, it was obvious that Goku loved him but it couldn't be anything more than platonic, right? (Wrong! ^.^) Had he really allowed himself to fall in love with Goku?

Sanzo stared up at the ceiling blankly. “ That stupid monkey…”

Growling softly to himself he laid on his side with his back to the door. “From the day I was born to the day I die…” The words were soft, almost like a prayer. “…the only side I'm on is my own.”