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He shouldn't be able to do that, Sanzo thought, irritated. But then, irritated was a natural state for him. He shouldn't be able to. It's fuckin annoying.

Violet eyes looked towards the corner of the inn they were staying at, towards the sound of familiar easy laughter and women cooing, of beer mugs hitting cheap splintering wood and cardboard being turned. The sun had set hours ago and the room had only gotten busier as men wandered in for a game and a drink.

"He shouldn't be able to do that," the monk muttered to himself.

Hakkai turned towards him, confused. "Excuse me?"

"Nothing. Just that," a vague wave of one hand, minus a gun or fan for once, "idiot kappa."

"Ah." Hakkai's forest-green eyes drifted over to the same corner Sanzo had been staring at. "I envy it too, sometimes. But that isn't really fair to Gojyo."

Damn Hakkai and his ineffable knowledge. It made being vague nearly impossible. Sanzo snorted, opening his newspaper with a sharp flick of his wrists. "Idiot. The world could end tomorrow and he's laughing like a drunk ass."

"Maa maa, you know Gojyo isn't as careless as that. He knows how important our mission is."

The half-breed had looked up at the sound of his name and raised an eyebrow. A simple movement that Hakkai understood perfectly. You rang?

Hakkai answered with a polite smile and a slight shake of his head. No, go back to your game.

The other eyebrow joined the first. You sure?

Smile still in place, the brunette tipped his head slightly to the side. Yes, I'm sure. And with that Gojyo shrugged and went back to studying his hand of cards.

"That's creepy," Sanzo stated. He was glancing between the two friends from beneath a fringe of golden hair.

Hakkai chuckled. "I suppose it is." Pushing back his chair, the healer stood. "But since when are we considered normal?"

"Speak for yourself."

"Just remember that we all have our own ways of dealing with life. Gojyo's just seems a little...easier than most people's. It's part of his charm," Hakkai said, a fond smile on his face before he retreated to the room he was sharing with Goku.

Sanzo snorted. Whatever. He knew the kappa didn't see the world in black and white, didn't believe that that was how the world worked. What the half-breed was proved that in itself. He saw it in red and grey, bitter blood and cigarette smoke. And those shades of grey made it all the more dangerous for them, good and evil twisting out from any form. And Sanzo knew the redhead didn't need to be reminded of that; he had experienced that first hand. Those scars on his face weren't for decoration and those blood red eyes weren't always laughing.

But they were most of the time.

And the monk hated that. More than he hated Hakkai's fake smiles or Goku's begging for food constantly.

Because he shouldn't be able to do that.

And why am I thinking about this? the monk asked himself in annoyance.

Because he's gotten under your skin...

Sanzo focused on his newspaper, unwilling to get into an argument with himself. No matter who won, he'd still lose.

Ten minutes later, after managing to read a grand total of one page between looking up at the sound of that laughter, Sanzo found an arm leaning on his shoulder and tendrils of red flickering from the corner of his eye.

"Ch, figures I catch you brooding. I'm surprised the paper has lasted against your glare."

Sanzo ground his teeth. "Go. Away."

Gojyo easily fell back on the chair Hakkai had been sitting in earlier. "While you're in such a fine mood?" he drawled around the cigarette in his mouth, one hand motioning to the barkeep.

"I'm not brooding, so don't even say it."

"Sure ya are. If Sanzo isn't eating, sleeping, or threatening lives in some form then he's most likely brooding." A barmaid brought two beers to their table, taking a few seconds too long to put the mugs on the table and lingering for a moment before Gojyo winked at her and she scurried off. He saw Sanzo scowl. "What? You're the one preaching about killing people on roads and living how you want to live."

"Yes, but not when it annoys me," the monk growled, grabbing his drink. "Go back to your game and leave me alone."

"Jealous?" Gojyo purred.

"Go. Away."

"Feh. I don't wanna take all of those poor bastards' money." The half-breed grinned, unconsciously raking a hand through his hair. Sanzo noticed him tug on the red strands for a second before dropping his hand back onto his lap.

'Not that again.' Sanzo mentally rolled his eyes since actually doing it would be a waste of energy. Every time someone pointed out the Gojyo's hair, the redhead would practically turn in on himself and the smugness left his eyes. Not noticeable really, unless you were stuck with the bastard for a long time.

Normally Hakkai dealt with him when he was in these sort of moods, all smiles and understanding and comforting hands that coaxed the redhead back to himself. Sanzo never comforted. Or smiled. But he wasn't in the mood to sit and watch his companion sulk for the rest of the night.

The priest pulled out his gold card and slapped it onto the table. Gojyo stared at it for a moment. "Order more beer."

"Just keep'em coming?"

"What do you think?"

The half-breed smirked.


*

It had seemed like a good idea.

Of course, he hadn't really been thinking clearly but he remembered seeing nothing wrong with the probable turnout. Gold mixing with crimson, amethyst warring with blood, sneer meeting smirk. He remembered pale fingers holding down tanned wrists, heat enveloping him, louder moans overtaking his deep growls. And afterwards, a flash of red behind curling grey smoke.

Sanzo made a mental note to re-evaluate next time.

Next time?

"Fuck," he said out loud.

"Again, already?"

Sanzo smothered Gojyo's smirk with a pillow but still heard a muffled 'maybe later then.'

These people would be the death of him.