Fic: Talking
Title: Talking
Author: fairymage
Rating: PG-13
Community: 30_romances
Theme: #3--Anvil; Banter
Fandom: Saiyuki
Pairing: Hakkai/Sanzo
Hakkai was personable. Probably the most conversational of them all. Goku was too young, too immature. And while the kappa always had his… admirers, Hakkai was the one who was gentle and easy to talk to. He had a smile that wasn’t leering or suggestive. It was open, honest, and caring.
Clearly, he was thinking too hard about this.
He sat back in his chair and took another swallow of beer, but couldn’t keep from scowling at the scene playing out at the bar.
The kappa and Hakkai had come down from their rooms, silent, and sat down at the bar. Neither had noticed Sanzo at the table in the corner, sipping beer by himself. Hakkai had seen him leave, he knew. He must have assumed that his roommate went outside to smoke, or think. Hakkai had always given him that kind of room.
The barkeep brought them each a drink, a can of beer for Gojyo and a shot of something for Hakkai. Hakkai, who never got drunk. They each took a sip of their drink, then started talking. They weren’t loud, but Sanzo could hear them clearly.
“I’m surprised you’re still here,” Hakkai commented mildly.
Gojyo shrugged. “Had to wait until the monkey was asleep, right?’
Hakkai looked at him over his glasses. “Goku’s asleep now.”
“Don’t feel like it.”
Hakkai sipped his drink. “Well, I suppose it’s none of my business.”
Gojyo downed his beer and waved at the bartender. “So why are you here?”
Sanzo stiffened and raised his eyes to watch, ears perked to hear the answer.
“Gojyo…”
“Come on, Hakkai, you’d have plenty of options.”
“You should know me better than that, Gojyo. I don’t care if you do, but you should know that’s not the sort of activity I engage in.”
Gojyo laughed. “Fine time to start! Oh, come on, Hakkai! You’d have all the ladies in an instant!”
Sanzo snorted silently.
“You’d be quite jealous, wouldn’t you?” Hakkai teased, as his glass was refilled. Sanzo couldn’t believe Hakkai was indulging the kappa-but that was the kind of person he was.
“Haha! You bet!” Gojyo laughed good-naturedly. “You’ve always been the better-looking one.”
“You don’t really believe that.”
“Hell I do! Chicks dig your look. They like me because-“
“You like them.”
“Aha, that too. But nah, they like me ‘cause I’m strange, exotic, sorta. You’re more… handsome.”
Hakkai laughed, an honest laugh, and Sanzo wondered if maybe Hakkai could get drunk. “I never thought I’d hear you use that word, Gojyo.”
“Yeah, well, there aren’t a whole lot of people to use it on. Who’m I gonna use it for, Kougaiji?”
“Exotic, you say?”
“Women like men they can take seriously. You look young and professional, really put together.”
“I suppose it’s your red hair, hmm?”
“The way your hair sort of falls across your right eye, though, makes you sort of mysterious.”
“It’s long, though, which is different. A little wild, if I do say so.”
“Glasses are a sure way to snag a woman. They like ‘em. It means you’re smart, and thoughtful.”
“You have a… how shall I put this? Racy edge to you. You guarantee a woman a good time.”
“Gentle. You look gentle. Like you won’t hurt ‘em. The kind of man they’d want to marry.”
“But you always pay so much attention to the women, so they know that, even though you may be temporary, you’re attentive to those who give you attention. You may act like it, but you don’t use women.”
“Of course, I’m sure they notice your pretty body too.”
“And likewise for you. You are rather prone to showing it off, Gojyo.”
“Don’t try to get out of it! Everyone call tell, with those nice tailored shirts and the tight-fitting pants.”
“You’re not looking, are you?” Hakkai asked slyly, dropping his semblance of tipsy humor.
“Heh, I have to! Got to know what all the women are looking at!”
As they laughed together, Sanzo stood and left the room. He didn’t have time for this. The street in front of the inn was empty; it was late, after all. Just a few men left here and there, drinking, like the two inside. Enjoying themselves. Laughing at each other.
He lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply.
He wasn’t even aware of time passing until he realized that he’d finished two cigarettes. He lit his third and shifted his position a little.
“It’s not healthy, Sanzo, how quickly you’ve gone through those cigarettes,” Hakkai chided gently, coming out the front door to stand beside him.
He snorted. “How would you know how fast it was?”
“I noticed when you left,” the dark-haired man offered mildly, studying the sky. Damn him.
“Hmph.”
“Why don’t you come inside?” Hakkai offered, looking over at him. From the corner of his eye, Sanzo could see what Gojyo had meant about Hakkai’s hair.
He shrugged. “I can’t smoke inside.”
“You shouldn’t be smoking at all. It’s late, Sanzo, you should get some rest.”
“Look who’s talking,” he muttered, taking another drag from his cigarette. “Why aren’t you inside with the kappa? You seemed to be having a fine time together.”
Hakkai looked faintly surprised. “Well, yes, I suppose. But I’m sure you know that… well, I don’t get drunk, and Gojyo does. It was time to stop.” Sanzo looked over with one eye and saw that Hakkai was smiling slightly, one of those secretive not-quite smiles.
They stood in silence for a few moments, leaning against the building. Hakkai straightened and brushed himself off. “We should go to bed, Sanzo. We’ve another long day of traveling ahead of us.”
Sighing, Sanzo flipped his cigarette butt into the dirt and crushed it beneath his sandal. He followed Hakkai back inside; Hakkai thanked the bartender and waved. Just like him.
Up in their room he tried to relax, tried to sleep. There were plenty of reasons he shoud sleep, but one reason that he couldn’t.
“Can’t sleep, Sanzo?”
“Not if you keep talking to me.” He scowled.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Talking,” he answered honestly. There was silence from the other bed, so he thought Hakkai had uncharacteristically ignored or fallen asleep on him. Then his bed creaked and the weight distribution shifted.
“What kind of talking?” Hakkai murmured, pulling their bodies together from behind Sanzo. Sometimes he hated how easy it was for Hakkai, how natural he made it seem that their two bodies should meld like that. Most of the time he was secretly thankful, because it spared him having to talk about it.
“Stupid question,” he snapped, but there wasn’t much of a bite behind it. It was hard, really, when Hakkai’s fingers were brushing over his crotch.
“Mmm… Jealous, are we?” Sanzo sulkily didn’t respond, and Hakkai laughed softly, freeing his hands to slide around Sanzo’s waist “I wouldn’t worry about it. Gojyo and I are best friends, after all.
“Besides,” he purred, lightly sucking a spot on Sanzo’s neck, rolling his hips against him. “We talk in an entirely different way.”
Author: fairymage
Rating: PG-13
Community: 30_romances
Theme: #3--Anvil; Banter
Fandom: Saiyuki
Pairing: Hakkai/Sanzo
Hakkai was personable. Probably the most conversational of them all. Goku was too young, too immature. And while the kappa always had his… admirers, Hakkai was the one who was gentle and easy to talk to. He had a smile that wasn’t leering or suggestive. It was open, honest, and caring.
Clearly, he was thinking too hard about this.
He sat back in his chair and took another swallow of beer, but couldn’t keep from scowling at the scene playing out at the bar.
The kappa and Hakkai had come down from their rooms, silent, and sat down at the bar. Neither had noticed Sanzo at the table in the corner, sipping beer by himself. Hakkai had seen him leave, he knew. He must have assumed that his roommate went outside to smoke, or think. Hakkai had always given him that kind of room.
The barkeep brought them each a drink, a can of beer for Gojyo and a shot of something for Hakkai. Hakkai, who never got drunk. They each took a sip of their drink, then started talking. They weren’t loud, but Sanzo could hear them clearly.
“I’m surprised you’re still here,” Hakkai commented mildly.
Gojyo shrugged. “Had to wait until the monkey was asleep, right?’
Hakkai looked at him over his glasses. “Goku’s asleep now.”
“Don’t feel like it.”
Hakkai sipped his drink. “Well, I suppose it’s none of my business.”
Gojyo downed his beer and waved at the bartender. “So why are you here?”
Sanzo stiffened and raised his eyes to watch, ears perked to hear the answer.
“Gojyo…”
“Come on, Hakkai, you’d have plenty of options.”
“You should know me better than that, Gojyo. I don’t care if you do, but you should know that’s not the sort of activity I engage in.”
Gojyo laughed. “Fine time to start! Oh, come on, Hakkai! You’d have all the ladies in an instant!”
Sanzo snorted silently.
“You’d be quite jealous, wouldn’t you?” Hakkai teased, as his glass was refilled. Sanzo couldn’t believe Hakkai was indulging the kappa-but that was the kind of person he was.
“Haha! You bet!” Gojyo laughed good-naturedly. “You’ve always been the better-looking one.”
“You don’t really believe that.”
“Hell I do! Chicks dig your look. They like me because-“
“You like them.”
“Aha, that too. But nah, they like me ‘cause I’m strange, exotic, sorta. You’re more… handsome.”
Hakkai laughed, an honest laugh, and Sanzo wondered if maybe Hakkai could get drunk. “I never thought I’d hear you use that word, Gojyo.”
“Yeah, well, there aren’t a whole lot of people to use it on. Who’m I gonna use it for, Kougaiji?”
“Exotic, you say?”
“Women like men they can take seriously. You look young and professional, really put together.”
“I suppose it’s your red hair, hmm?”
“The way your hair sort of falls across your right eye, though, makes you sort of mysterious.”
“It’s long, though, which is different. A little wild, if I do say so.”
“Glasses are a sure way to snag a woman. They like ‘em. It means you’re smart, and thoughtful.”
“You have a… how shall I put this? Racy edge to you. You guarantee a woman a good time.”
“Gentle. You look gentle. Like you won’t hurt ‘em. The kind of man they’d want to marry.”
“But you always pay so much attention to the women, so they know that, even though you may be temporary, you’re attentive to those who give you attention. You may act like it, but you don’t use women.”
“Of course, I’m sure they notice your pretty body too.”
“And likewise for you. You are rather prone to showing it off, Gojyo.”
“Don’t try to get out of it! Everyone call tell, with those nice tailored shirts and the tight-fitting pants.”
“You’re not looking, are you?” Hakkai asked slyly, dropping his semblance of tipsy humor.
“Heh, I have to! Got to know what all the women are looking at!”
As they laughed together, Sanzo stood and left the room. He didn’t have time for this. The street in front of the inn was empty; it was late, after all. Just a few men left here and there, drinking, like the two inside. Enjoying themselves. Laughing at each other.
He lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply.
He wasn’t even aware of time passing until he realized that he’d finished two cigarettes. He lit his third and shifted his position a little.
“It’s not healthy, Sanzo, how quickly you’ve gone through those cigarettes,” Hakkai chided gently, coming out the front door to stand beside him.
He snorted. “How would you know how fast it was?”
“I noticed when you left,” the dark-haired man offered mildly, studying the sky. Damn him.
“Hmph.”
“Why don’t you come inside?” Hakkai offered, looking over at him. From the corner of his eye, Sanzo could see what Gojyo had meant about Hakkai’s hair.
He shrugged. “I can’t smoke inside.”
“You shouldn’t be smoking at all. It’s late, Sanzo, you should get some rest.”
“Look who’s talking,” he muttered, taking another drag from his cigarette. “Why aren’t you inside with the kappa? You seemed to be having a fine time together.”
Hakkai looked faintly surprised. “Well, yes, I suppose. But I’m sure you know that… well, I don’t get drunk, and Gojyo does. It was time to stop.” Sanzo looked over with one eye and saw that Hakkai was smiling slightly, one of those secretive not-quite smiles.
They stood in silence for a few moments, leaning against the building. Hakkai straightened and brushed himself off. “We should go to bed, Sanzo. We’ve another long day of traveling ahead of us.”
Sighing, Sanzo flipped his cigarette butt into the dirt and crushed it beneath his sandal. He followed Hakkai back inside; Hakkai thanked the bartender and waved. Just like him.
Up in their room he tried to relax, tried to sleep. There were plenty of reasons he shoud sleep, but one reason that he couldn’t.
“Can’t sleep, Sanzo?”
“Not if you keep talking to me.” He scowled.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Talking,” he answered honestly. There was silence from the other bed, so he thought Hakkai had uncharacteristically ignored or fallen asleep on him. Then his bed creaked and the weight distribution shifted.
“What kind of talking?” Hakkai murmured, pulling their bodies together from behind Sanzo. Sometimes he hated how easy it was for Hakkai, how natural he made it seem that their two bodies should meld like that. Most of the time he was secretly thankful, because it spared him having to talk about it.
“Stupid question,” he snapped, but there wasn’t much of a bite behind it. It was hard, really, when Hakkai’s fingers were brushing over his crotch.
“Mmm… Jealous, are we?” Sanzo sulkily didn’t respond, and Hakkai laughed softly, freeing his hands to slide around Sanzo’s waist “I wouldn’t worry about it. Gojyo and I are best friends, after all.
“Besides,” he purred, lightly sucking a spot on Sanzo’s neck, rolling his hips against him. “We talk in an entirely different way.”