'Last' Christmas, part 2
Title: 'Last' Christmas
Series: Saiyuki
Genre: Angst/Romance
Pairing: Sanzo/Goku/Sanzo, small brief hintings of Homura/Goku.
Raiting: R
Summary: AU. Sometimes what a person really wants for Christmas is not theirs to ask for.
For warnings and such, see Part One.
( Part One / Part Two / Part Three / Part Four / Part Five )
-*-*-
Much sooner instead of later, which Sanzo was infinitely grateful for, the string of restaurants came into view. It didn’t take them that long to make a choice - there was only one that was still open despite the late hour. The establishment was new to them, but the building was not. While ownership changed more times than he could count, it still sold the same kind of food. A type of food which happened to not be ramen.
“We haven’t been here in so long…” Goku grabbed the handle to the door and pulled. The smell of grills and the dusty old wood of the building wafted over the both of them. Some would call the smell nostalgic, but Sanzo didn’t really think that much about it. He wasn’t the kind of person to get sentimental about these sorts of things.
Absentmindedly he grabbed a menu from the pile by the entrance and pulled Goku to a spot in the corner. It was the farthest away from the door, and therefore the farthest away from the cold. He would have sat closer to the grill, but as he took his seat facing the rest of the restaurant, he caught a glimpse of someone he wasn’t expecting to see. You’ve got to be kidding me - why the hell is HE here?
“Awww, can’t we sit closer to the grill, Sanzo?”
He had disappeared, but the blond had the distinct feeling that this wasn’t a good sign. “No.”
“Why not?” Goku complained.
“The food won’t get cold in the minute more it takes to bring it over here,” Sanzo reasoned. He was also seriously considering leaving. If there had been any other shops open, he would have just left and gone there, but he was trapped now. He hated being trapped. Especially by him. And as if to spite him, the man walked out from the door to Sanzo’s left right at that moment. Cursing, Sanzo looked away in annoyance.
“What the-” Goku exclaimed, and Sanzo turned back to find his lover suddenly wearing a Santa hat. It was pulled down past his eyes, and he had to grab the rim of white fur and pull up before he could stare in disbelief at their “waiter.”
“Merry Christmas, Son Goku,” and all-too familiar voice responded. Sanzo frowned while Goku cracked a smile.
“Homura! I didn’t think I’d see you again today…”
“It is indeed a pleasant surprise,” Homura said with a small smile. “I did not think you would stop by here to see me after our chat this afternoon…”
“Our stove broke,” Sanzo said shortly. “That’s all.”
“A Merry Christmas to you too, Sanzo,” the black-haired man said cordially. “But that is not a very polite greeting,” Homura said in a lightly reproachful tone. “Especially on a holiday.”
“It isn’t a holiday yet,” he said shortly, pointing to the clock on the wall, which read 11:15. He could act like himself for at least forty-five minutes more before anyone could protest and ask him to change his mannerisms for a day.
However, Homura ignored the remark and turned to the other man sitting down. “How are you doing today, Goku? I heard they called you in…”
Homura, Sanzo was reminded, worked at the video game store in the mall with Goku. And by the looks of the outfit that the black-haired man was wearing now, it appeared that Goku wasn’t the only one who had to work two jobs to pay the bills.
The two talked for a short time before the cook called out to the table. “Are there people out there? Take their order and get over here!”
Conversation ceased for a short while as Homura took their orders.
“I see,” he nodded as he scribbled down the last word on the pad. Looking up, he smiled. “This hat suits you, my friend.” He then flicked the cotton ball at the end of the hat and looked at Sanzo. “What do you think?”
“He looks ridiculous,” Sanzo replied and looked away.
The blond didn’t want to say anything to encourage the man, but Sanzo also couldn’t deny that it really drew attention to Goku’s face. A face that currently had an annoyed expression on his face, but it was more of an amused sort of annoyed. He was pretending to not like the hat, but really did. The spectacle was comical.
“Awww… has Sanzo not gotten into the spirit of Christmas yet?”
“Go to hell.”
“I guess not. I take it you haven’t given him his present yet…?” he looked pointedly at Goku. “Even after spending all that time today looking for it?”
That caught Sanzo’s interest. “I thought you were at work.”
“I was!” Goku said quickly. “I was looking for it on my break…”
So he had a meal break after all, but skipped it to look for a gift. A gift for him. But Sanzo was confused; he could have sworn Goku had commented before about buying his gift about a week ago…
“Actually, if you would have given it to him, I don’t think you to would be eating out at the moment…”
The blush on Goku’s face made Sanzo instantly suspicious. “Um…”
Sanzo hated not knowing what was being talked about, especially when it involved him. And especially since Homura knew about whatever Goku was up to…
“Stop yer yapping and take the order! We don’t have all night!” the cook called out again.
Homura smiled again as he headed towards the door. “Be right there.” He stopped again and turned his head back to look at Goku. “I shall see you two in a few minutes then. And Goku - do not forget to think about what we talked about yesterday. The offer is still open.”
“I will -” he started, and then cut himself off. “Wait, what about your hat?”
“Keep it. I got it for you anyways.” Somehow, that only annoyed Sanzo more. His gaze immediately fixed itself back on Goku.
“What the hell was all that about?”
Goku’s act of virtuousness failed miserably. “What do you mean?”
“What did he want you to think about?”
Fidgeting, Goku looked away and towards the grills. “I really hope they bring our food soon…”
“Don’t try to change the topic,” Sanzo said shortly. He had no patience when it came to Goku’s relations with his coworker. The look that Homura would give Goku when the young man wasn’t looking was one that Sanzo knew very well. He knew it was how he himself looked at the brunet before they had started to date. When it came to trust, he did trust Goku, but he had none for Homura. And he did not like all of the time they spent together - coworkers or not. He knew that Goku would never cheat on him, but…
“Well…” The brunet started.
“What?”
Goku paused. “What are you going to do about the letter?”
That was unexpected. Sanzo hadn’t particularly wanted to think about it while they were out, but now his mind drifted back to it. And he realized that it was still unopened.
“What about it?”
“Do you want to go?”
“It’s the best school in the country for my program,” he said simply.
“So do you want to go?”
He recognized the roundabout questioning from earlier that evening. He didn’t have the patience to for it again. “What does this have to do with Homura?”
The younger man stared at his glass of water and poked an ice cube and pushed it down to the bottom. It floated back up to the surface of the water, only to be pushed back down again.
“…do we have to talk about this tonight?”
Sanzo scowled and reached out to still Goku’s hand. He’d never get an answer when Goku was distracting himself.
“It seems like he wanted you to consider it soon…”
Goku looked longingly at his glass of water again - as if he wanted to start playing with his drink a second time. His response had not been the first thing he expected to hear.
“I’m not going to be able to afford the rent and my tuition at the same time. I mean, I wouldn’t be able to afford rent by myself,” he explained.
“Whoever said that you had to pay for my share?” Sanzo demanded.
“But if you go off to that other school, you’re going to have to move there.”
“We agreed that if I went it wouldn’t be permanent. You should be finishing up school the same time I will.”
“But it’s two years!” Goku protested. “You can’t pay two different rents at the same time, not even if you get that scholarship. And…” he hesitated, “I’m going to have to go part-time again next semester to afford rent even if you decide to stay.”
He had no idea the situation was that bad. In a way, he was hurt that he hadn’t realized it sooner. “…why didn’t you say anything earlier?”
“…I don’t want you to have to pick up the rent,” he shook his head fiercely, “Not again.”
Sanzo did know Goku hated that with a passion. He hated to babied. Sanzo knew more than anyone that his lover was far from childish - at least in these matters. The brunet knew when it was time to be serious.
“It’s our apartment,” he said simply. “I’m just making sure the bills are paid on time.”
“But Sanzo…”
Something clicked in his mind, and his eyes narrowed. “Homura asked you to room with him, didn’t he?”
“You know I can’t afford an apartment any other way - and I can’t stay on campus while going part-time…”
His eyes narrowed. “You can’t stay with Nataku or someone else?”
“Nataku’s dad would flip if he got a roommate, for some reason,” Goku shrugged. “No one else has a room.”
“Do you want to?” Sanzo asked, watching Goku’s expression carefully.
“Where else can I go?” the brunet pleaded. “I can’t go with you…”
True. But… “What if I stayed?”
The younger man blinked. He appeared to not expect to have heard that. “…what?”
“What if I didn’t go?” Sanzo elaborated. “Would you still accept his offer?”
“Of course not!” Goku said firmly. “I want to stay with you!”
“Then why were you encouraging me to apply to this school?” he challenged.
“It has the best program for you in the nation,” Goku said logically. “You deserve to go there.”
Sanzo took a sip of his water. “This school program is also good.”
Goku blinked at the words. “But… I thought you weren’t going to apply here…”
“…I never said I wasn’t.”
-*-*-
The food had finally arrived, and for Goku it felt like it had been an eternity. It had completely slipped his mind that Homura worked here in the evenings, and while he enjoyed the man’s company, he also knew that Sanzo did not. Things weren’t going as they were supposed to. This wasn’t supposed to come up tonight - not during the holiday. He knew very well about the situation at hand, and that his could possibly be their last Christmas together for a few years. This one was to be extra special. It had to be just right.
But it seemed like it wasn’t meant to be. Whenever he set his mind to something, it never went the way he planned it to. When those plans involved Sanzo it often changed even more, given the blond’s unpredictability.
The silence that had followed their conversation held a promise that Goku wasn’t too sure about its legitimacy. With Sanzo being as upset as he was about running into Homura, he knew it was better to inquire about the answer now.
So instead, he paid great attention to his plate, and the flawlessly grilled okonomiyaki that now sat on it. “Wow… it’s so perfect…”
Sanzo snorted and picked up the knife to cut his own in half. Goku did not bother with such measures, and simply picked the whole thing up to take a bite.
As he ate, he wasn’t sure if it was his imagination or not, but Sanzo was not eating that much. In fact, by the time Goku had finished his plate, his companion had only finished a third of his. True, Goku had always been the faster eater of the two, but still…
“Aren’t you hungry, Sanzo?”
The blond looked down at his food, and then shook his head. “Why, do you want it?”
His face lit up as the partially-eaten okonomiyaki was handed to him. Goku was well-aware that they could only afford one plate each, and lunch had been a very long time ago. Murmuring a quick thanks, he started to work on his new dish.
-*-*-
Habits were hard to break, as Sanzo had discovered long ago. No matter what happened, he’d always drift back to a particular pattern. That was just how he was. He knew it was how Goku was, too.
As the brunet worked on demolishing his food, he withdrew a cigarette and lit it.
Sitting back, he went to take in his setting. From his location, he could see everything that went on, except behind him. Not that it mattered, since it was a wall. His seat was a position of power, and it was one that he never relinquished.
However, this position was fairly boring this evening. Most people were at home, preparing for the holiday. Those that weren’t were either the shopping procrastinators - the ones who were the main reason for Goku taking so long to get home - those that had to serve said procrastinators, or just people who were bored out of their minds. Or people whose stove decided to die on them, he corrected himself. Damnit, if the rent wasn’t as low as it was, he wouldn’t even attempt to put up with this crap. Either way, their landlord was going to get an earful about it soon enough.
He didn’t notice at first where his gaze kept on ending up until the third time he caught himself staring at Goku. It was unusual for him to watch him like this when only the brunet was eating, but there was really no one else in the restaurant. It was the reason he had to keep telling himself.
Sanzo didn’t understand how his lover tried so hard to retain a cheerful attitude on things. It was easy to tell now-a-days when that goofy smile of his was a fake. The real smiles, especially since he had sent out his applications for graduate school, had dropped significantly.
He silently cursed to himself. Hadn’t he been warned that it was a bad idea to go to school based on where one’s partner was? Didn’t that still apply to couples that had been together for three years, or only for the shorter ones? He didn’t know. All he knew was that it wouldn’t affect his decision. He also completely ignored the fact that the letter he had received still remained unopened.
Giving up on trying to find something more interesting than Goku to look at in the restaurant, Sanzo knocked a few of the ashes off of his cigarette into the glass ashtray. The brunet seemed to make everything interesting, but one of the biggest ways was eating. Sanzo didn’t know whether to be disgusted or amused, or possibly both. Only small children got that messy while eating, and Goku was no child.
What really got to him was a bit of mayonnaise on the corner of the brunet’s mouth. Goku was getting much better about eating in public, and would often pause to use a napkin. But this bit of mayonnaise seemed to elude every single one. Pointing it out wouldn’t do any good - Goku was terrible at trying to find indicated spots like that. Sanzo could either wipe Goku’s face with a napkin, but then it would look like he was being babied, and Goku hated that.
Smirking to himself, Sanzo got an idea. After a “normal” exhale of smoke, he set the halfway finished cigarette on the ashtray, and watched as Goku ate the last bit of food. Another wipe of a napkin, and he missed the spot again. Snorting, Sanzo shook his head. He shouldn’t have been surprised.
Goku looked up from his empty plate as he set the used napkin onto the table. “What”
“You still have some sauce on your face.”
“Really? Where?” He went to look in his reflection in the window, but Sanzo caught his chin with his fingers.
He smirked again, this time at the expression on his lover’s face. A quick glance around the restaurant reminded him that no one was watching. Leaning forward and bringing Goku’s face closer to his at the same time, he licked the mayonnaise off of the corner of the brunet’s mouth. “There.” He nipped at Goku’s lip teasingly, and then brushed their lips together.
Goku looked a bit surprised by the action, but didn’t reject it. However, before it could be make deeper, Sanzo pulled away and picked up his cigarette again, acting as if nothing had taken place. He hadn’t forgotten what had happened on the sidewalk. Teasing was the best and worst way to get back at Goku. He was issuing a challenge to the younger man, and there had never been a time before when it would be turned down.
Breaking eye contact, he looked up the moment Homura came out of the kitchen. He said nothing, but signaled that he wanted their check. The waiter had an expression on his face that made Sanzo wonder if Homura had somehow seen what he had just done.
No matter how tense the moment had been, Goku immediately lapsed back into his own routine.
“Aww… I wish I could have another…” the complaint wasn’t as harsh on his ears as it could have been. Goku was well-aware of their money situation.
Homura made his way back to their table, answering the question he knew the younger man wasn’t going to ask. “You know, Goku, I am sure I could convince the cook to give the both of you a deal for another plate-”
“No,” Sanzo interrupted. “We’re full.”
“But Sanzo…”
A glare quieted the brunet down, and he handed the waiter his credit card. The only one he had right now that didn’t happen to be maxed out. Goku waited to say anything until after Homura had left to ring them up.
“Wouldn’t it be great if there was a credit card out there with an unlimited balance and you never had to pay the bills…?” he asked wistfully.
Hell, that would be nice. Too bad those sorts of things didn’t exist. Not even in a contest would someone give away something like that.
“If we did have one, then you’d be in the restaurants constantly.”
“That’s bad?”
Sanzo held his head in his hand. “Idiot…”
-*-*-
Their landlord had still not been in when they returned. While Goku was not very happy about not being able to use their stove (and oven, for that matter), he was not nearly as frustrated about it as Sanzo. He was just fortunate that Sanzo had gotten something to eat - he would have been much more irritable if he hadn’t.
The first thing Goku had down when he got back to the apartment was scour it for food. He gravitated to their Christmas tree that was looking a bit bare. The time to ask was now or never.
“Hey Sanzo, do you think we could buy more candy canes for the tree?”
“No.”
Shot down - not that he didn’t expect it. “Why not? They’re really cheap…”
“You just keep eating them.”
“That’s what they’re for.”
“We had plenty,” Sanzo said, exasperated.
“They’re all gone, now.”
“That’s what happens when you eat them, idiot.”
“But…”
“No.”
Goku was getting irritated. If he couldn’t eat anything, he at least wanted something to suck on. He had been about to say just that, but then he saw a familiar gold box hidden in the back.
“Oh wow…” he said in awe. “When did you get that?”
“Earlier today when I went in to pick up my paycheck.” The man practically collapsed back onto the couch. “It was the company’s present to their employees.”
“Ohh…” he nodded, still looking at the package. “Can I have one?”
“You’d end up eating them all.”
“But you never eat them…”
He made a face in disgust. “That’s because I’m sick of them.”
“Then why not?”
“Because they aren’t your gift to unwrap. And it isn’t the one I want to get this evening.”
Tradition was tradition, as always. Born of his impatience, they both picked one gift to open on Christmas Eve. That was, unless the other thought that a particular gift should be unwrapped then. Some gifts that they had exchanged had proven to be very… useful… later in the evening.
But wait… isn’t it almost technically Christmas? Goku mused. Maybe he’d be able to get some of them later then…
Looking under the tree, Goku tried to figure out which of the gifts from him Sanzo was talking about. It didn’t take that long to figure out what one he was referring to.
“Where is the gift that person mentioned?”
That stopped Goku in his tracks. “What are you talking about?” Playing dumb wouldn’t really buy him time, especially not with the say Sanzo’d see through it, but it was worth a shot.
“The one you missed your actual dinner for.” Yes, he should have expected Sanzo to be highly interested in the thing that would make him want to skip his food for. Glancing over at the clock, he saw that it was 11:55. He wanted to give it to Sanzo on Christmas…
Well, if he could distract the man for five minutes, then he’d be able to tell him. It was something he had planned for. He grinned at the thought. It wouldn’t be hard to do.
“What the hell are you smiling about?” the blond demanded, his eyes narrowing. “Don’t tell me you got something from Eden Fantasies again…”
“You didn’t seem to mind it last year,” Goku said with an air of confidence, walking closer. “Not with the way you were screaming.”
“Rope would have been cheaper,” Sanzo said reasonably, leaning back. He made no move to stop Goku’s advance.
“I thought you didn’t like the burns it gives you.”
“That isn’t the point.”
“You liked it,” he smirked as he settled into Sanzo’s lap. “Too bad you didn’t get a chance to use them on me.” The blond had vowed to pay him back for that, but…
Sanzo paused, and then smirked himself. “That reminds me.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Yeah right.” They drew closer, but as they did there was a flicker of light above their head. Looking up, they saw the light waver again and completely die, throwing the apartment into darkness.
“Goddamnit, it begins…” Goku heard Sanzo curse. The mood broken out of irritation on both of their parts, Goku slid to the side to let Sanzo get up and head towards the kitchen.
They hadn’t lost power yet this season, but they had experienced it enough times the year before to settle into a routine whenever it happened. Goku knew that Sanzo wasn’t going to continue any sort of activities until he knew that he’d be able to maneuver around the apartment without walking into anything. He felt a little lucky, however, when the light went out. It would buy him time.
The brunet stumbled back towards the drawer in the end table that the little tree was standing on - trying to find things by touch and not by sight. This drawer held everything and nothing all at the same time, so there was a chance that a stray candle had found its way in there. Or even better yet…
His fingers touched two objects simultaneously. One he immediately grabbed and flipped the switch, but it did not come on. A few hard smacks of the flashlight on the palm of his hand brought forth a beam of light. After making a mental note to replace the batteries, he went to examine the other item.
A mischievous grin laced his features at seeing that he had been correct with his other guess. Setting it under the tree, he then continued his hunt for things they could use.
-*-*-
It figured that Goku would be the one to find a flashlight first, Sanzo noted with a snort. It wasn’t any fault of the younger man’s when he kept on bumping into things. The candles were most likely going to be in the kitchen, anyways.
His foot caught the edge of a box in the pantry and he found himself swearing yet again. The sound of something soft yet hard hitting the ground at the same time kept his attention on his foot. An unseen object rolled and stopped as it rammed with his stubbed toe.
This was ridiculous. Pulling out his lighter, he flicked it quickly to try to find the box of candles. It had to be the one he stubbed his toe on - if it wasn’t then he had no idea what the hell it might be. Revolted with the whole ordeal but relieved that he had been right about the contents of the box; he quickly grabbed some pillar candles and lit them the moment he set them on the table.
The gods must hate him, Sanzo thought seriously. The day had been one mishap after another, and he blamed it all on the holiday season. The weather didn’t hinge on the holidays, but it didn’t stop him for blaming it on Christmas any less.
As he shifted in his chair, the candlelight wavered with him. He paid no attention to the dancing shadows, but the pile of mail on the table. Everything had been opened except for one thing. A quick reach later and it was in his hands.
The envelope was thick. When applying to various undergraduate programs, Sanzo had been accepted to many schools, and even refused by a few. The thick envelopes always meant yes. He had yet to be proven otherwise.
Then, if he already knew the answer, why didn’t he open it up to verify? He had also applied for a scholarship there, and that answer was not as concrete as his acceptance to the school. The shadows danced again, and again Sanzo did not take any notice.
A finger brushed his cheek, startling the blond out of his concentration. Peering over, he was both surprised and not at the same time to see Goku standing there by his side. His lover had always been very good at sneaking around, even on these creaky old floor boards. The brunet smiled at him briefly before leaning in to give him a short kiss, taking Sanzo by surprise.
“What was that for?” he asked, intrigued by the sudden form of affection.
Goku shook something above both of their heads and Sanzo looked up. It was mistletoe. Fresh mistletoe too, by the smell of it. The smile was still there, and while he could see the mischief in it, he also saw a hint of sadness too. Goku had seen him about to open the letter.
“Where did you get that?” he asked, pushing his chair out so that he was a bit farther away from the table. Goku appeared to take this as an invitation for him to sit down, and did so by leaning in for another kiss as he went to straddle Sanzo’s lap.
“It’s a secret,” he whispered, bringing their faces closer. “And you can’t dodge this one.”
Sanzo didn’t remember saying anything about dodging, and would have protested that remark, but he found it much more desirable to show Goku through action that he was willing to accept the challenge. His fingers found their way into Goku’s hair and closed the gap between them. He smirked. Goku still tasted of the okonomiyaki he had earlier that evening. It wasn’t a bad taste, but there were others that he preferred more. He knew that he must taste the same way, but as the brunet pushed their chests together, it appeared that he didn’t mind too much either. Sanzo vaguely noted that Goku’s fingers were not starting their usual pursuit down his side, but on his arm. One arm traveled down to semi-circle loosely around Goku with his hand resting on the small of the man’s back. The other was still on the table, holding the letter. When their fingers met on the envelope, he let the young man pry him away from it, and intertwining their fingers together.
So. It appeared that Goku didn’t want him to open the letter. Sanzo already knew that his lover never wanted him to open it. But… he caught a glimpse of the clock. It was 12:10 - officially Christmas day.
Goku bit Sanzo’s lip gently, and he parted them willingly. He felt his lover lower the arm holding the mistletoe, but neither of them broke the kiss. As the arm wrapped around his neck, he realized briefly that it wouldn’t be bad to wait a day to find out about what the school said. It appeared that what Goku really wanted for Christmas was Sanzo, and that was a gift he didn’t mind giving.
-*-*-
To Part Three, or Part Five if you wish to skip the smut.
Series: Saiyuki
Genre: Angst/Romance
Pairing: Sanzo/Goku/Sanzo, small brief hintings of Homura/Goku.
Raiting: R
Summary: AU. Sometimes what a person really wants for Christmas is not theirs to ask for.
For warnings and such, see Part One.
( Part One / Part Two / Part Three / Part Four / Part Five )
-*-*-
Much sooner instead of later, which Sanzo was infinitely grateful for, the string of restaurants came into view. It didn’t take them that long to make a choice - there was only one that was still open despite the late hour. The establishment was new to them, but the building was not. While ownership changed more times than he could count, it still sold the same kind of food. A type of food which happened to not be ramen.
“We haven’t been here in so long…” Goku grabbed the handle to the door and pulled. The smell of grills and the dusty old wood of the building wafted over the both of them. Some would call the smell nostalgic, but Sanzo didn’t really think that much about it. He wasn’t the kind of person to get sentimental about these sorts of things.
Absentmindedly he grabbed a menu from the pile by the entrance and pulled Goku to a spot in the corner. It was the farthest away from the door, and therefore the farthest away from the cold. He would have sat closer to the grill, but as he took his seat facing the rest of the restaurant, he caught a glimpse of someone he wasn’t expecting to see. You’ve got to be kidding me - why the hell is HE here?
“Awww, can’t we sit closer to the grill, Sanzo?”
He had disappeared, but the blond had the distinct feeling that this wasn’t a good sign. “No.”
“Why not?” Goku complained.
“The food won’t get cold in the minute more it takes to bring it over here,” Sanzo reasoned. He was also seriously considering leaving. If there had been any other shops open, he would have just left and gone there, but he was trapped now. He hated being trapped. Especially by him. And as if to spite him, the man walked out from the door to Sanzo’s left right at that moment. Cursing, Sanzo looked away in annoyance.
“What the-” Goku exclaimed, and Sanzo turned back to find his lover suddenly wearing a Santa hat. It was pulled down past his eyes, and he had to grab the rim of white fur and pull up before he could stare in disbelief at their “waiter.”
“Merry Christmas, Son Goku,” and all-too familiar voice responded. Sanzo frowned while Goku cracked a smile.
“Homura! I didn’t think I’d see you again today…”
“It is indeed a pleasant surprise,” Homura said with a small smile. “I did not think you would stop by here to see me after our chat this afternoon…”
“Our stove broke,” Sanzo said shortly. “That’s all.”
“A Merry Christmas to you too, Sanzo,” the black-haired man said cordially. “But that is not a very polite greeting,” Homura said in a lightly reproachful tone. “Especially on a holiday.”
“It isn’t a holiday yet,” he said shortly, pointing to the clock on the wall, which read 11:15. He could act like himself for at least forty-five minutes more before anyone could protest and ask him to change his mannerisms for a day.
However, Homura ignored the remark and turned to the other man sitting down. “How are you doing today, Goku? I heard they called you in…”
Homura, Sanzo was reminded, worked at the video game store in the mall with Goku. And by the looks of the outfit that the black-haired man was wearing now, it appeared that Goku wasn’t the only one who had to work two jobs to pay the bills.
The two talked for a short time before the cook called out to the table. “Are there people out there? Take their order and get over here!”
Conversation ceased for a short while as Homura took their orders.
“I see,” he nodded as he scribbled down the last word on the pad. Looking up, he smiled. “This hat suits you, my friend.” He then flicked the cotton ball at the end of the hat and looked at Sanzo. “What do you think?”
“He looks ridiculous,” Sanzo replied and looked away.
The blond didn’t want to say anything to encourage the man, but Sanzo also couldn’t deny that it really drew attention to Goku’s face. A face that currently had an annoyed expression on his face, but it was more of an amused sort of annoyed. He was pretending to not like the hat, but really did. The spectacle was comical.
“Awww… has Sanzo not gotten into the spirit of Christmas yet?”
“Go to hell.”
“I guess not. I take it you haven’t given him his present yet…?” he looked pointedly at Goku. “Even after spending all that time today looking for it?”
That caught Sanzo’s interest. “I thought you were at work.”
“I was!” Goku said quickly. “I was looking for it on my break…”
So he had a meal break after all, but skipped it to look for a gift. A gift for him. But Sanzo was confused; he could have sworn Goku had commented before about buying his gift about a week ago…
“Actually, if you would have given it to him, I don’t think you to would be eating out at the moment…”
The blush on Goku’s face made Sanzo instantly suspicious. “Um…”
Sanzo hated not knowing what was being talked about, especially when it involved him. And especially since Homura knew about whatever Goku was up to…
“Stop yer yapping and take the order! We don’t have all night!” the cook called out again.
Homura smiled again as he headed towards the door. “Be right there.” He stopped again and turned his head back to look at Goku. “I shall see you two in a few minutes then. And Goku - do not forget to think about what we talked about yesterday. The offer is still open.”
“I will -” he started, and then cut himself off. “Wait, what about your hat?”
“Keep it. I got it for you anyways.” Somehow, that only annoyed Sanzo more. His gaze immediately fixed itself back on Goku.
“What the hell was all that about?”
Goku’s act of virtuousness failed miserably. “What do you mean?”
“What did he want you to think about?”
Fidgeting, Goku looked away and towards the grills. “I really hope they bring our food soon…”
“Don’t try to change the topic,” Sanzo said shortly. He had no patience when it came to Goku’s relations with his coworker. The look that Homura would give Goku when the young man wasn’t looking was one that Sanzo knew very well. He knew it was how he himself looked at the brunet before they had started to date. When it came to trust, he did trust Goku, but he had none for Homura. And he did not like all of the time they spent together - coworkers or not. He knew that Goku would never cheat on him, but…
“Well…” The brunet started.
“What?”
Goku paused. “What are you going to do about the letter?”
That was unexpected. Sanzo hadn’t particularly wanted to think about it while they were out, but now his mind drifted back to it. And he realized that it was still unopened.
“What about it?”
“Do you want to go?”
“It’s the best school in the country for my program,” he said simply.
“So do you want to go?”
He recognized the roundabout questioning from earlier that evening. He didn’t have the patience to for it again. “What does this have to do with Homura?”
The younger man stared at his glass of water and poked an ice cube and pushed it down to the bottom. It floated back up to the surface of the water, only to be pushed back down again.
“…do we have to talk about this tonight?”
Sanzo scowled and reached out to still Goku’s hand. He’d never get an answer when Goku was distracting himself.
“It seems like he wanted you to consider it soon…”
Goku looked longingly at his glass of water again - as if he wanted to start playing with his drink a second time. His response had not been the first thing he expected to hear.
“I’m not going to be able to afford the rent and my tuition at the same time. I mean, I wouldn’t be able to afford rent by myself,” he explained.
“Whoever said that you had to pay for my share?” Sanzo demanded.
“But if you go off to that other school, you’re going to have to move there.”
“We agreed that if I went it wouldn’t be permanent. You should be finishing up school the same time I will.”
“But it’s two years!” Goku protested. “You can’t pay two different rents at the same time, not even if you get that scholarship. And…” he hesitated, “I’m going to have to go part-time again next semester to afford rent even if you decide to stay.”
He had no idea the situation was that bad. In a way, he was hurt that he hadn’t realized it sooner. “…why didn’t you say anything earlier?”
“…I don’t want you to have to pick up the rent,” he shook his head fiercely, “Not again.”
Sanzo did know Goku hated that with a passion. He hated to babied. Sanzo knew more than anyone that his lover was far from childish - at least in these matters. The brunet knew when it was time to be serious.
“It’s our apartment,” he said simply. “I’m just making sure the bills are paid on time.”
“But Sanzo…”
Something clicked in his mind, and his eyes narrowed. “Homura asked you to room with him, didn’t he?”
“You know I can’t afford an apartment any other way - and I can’t stay on campus while going part-time…”
His eyes narrowed. “You can’t stay with Nataku or someone else?”
“Nataku’s dad would flip if he got a roommate, for some reason,” Goku shrugged. “No one else has a room.”
“Do you want to?” Sanzo asked, watching Goku’s expression carefully.
“Where else can I go?” the brunet pleaded. “I can’t go with you…”
True. But… “What if I stayed?”
The younger man blinked. He appeared to not expect to have heard that. “…what?”
“What if I didn’t go?” Sanzo elaborated. “Would you still accept his offer?”
“Of course not!” Goku said firmly. “I want to stay with you!”
“Then why were you encouraging me to apply to this school?” he challenged.
“It has the best program for you in the nation,” Goku said logically. “You deserve to go there.”
Sanzo took a sip of his water. “This school program is also good.”
Goku blinked at the words. “But… I thought you weren’t going to apply here…”
“…I never said I wasn’t.”
-*-*-
The food had finally arrived, and for Goku it felt like it had been an eternity. It had completely slipped his mind that Homura worked here in the evenings, and while he enjoyed the man’s company, he also knew that Sanzo did not. Things weren’t going as they were supposed to. This wasn’t supposed to come up tonight - not during the holiday. He knew very well about the situation at hand, and that his could possibly be their last Christmas together for a few years. This one was to be extra special. It had to be just right.
But it seemed like it wasn’t meant to be. Whenever he set his mind to something, it never went the way he planned it to. When those plans involved Sanzo it often changed even more, given the blond’s unpredictability.
The silence that had followed their conversation held a promise that Goku wasn’t too sure about its legitimacy. With Sanzo being as upset as he was about running into Homura, he knew it was better to inquire about the answer now.
So instead, he paid great attention to his plate, and the flawlessly grilled okonomiyaki that now sat on it. “Wow… it’s so perfect…”
Sanzo snorted and picked up the knife to cut his own in half. Goku did not bother with such measures, and simply picked the whole thing up to take a bite.
As he ate, he wasn’t sure if it was his imagination or not, but Sanzo was not eating that much. In fact, by the time Goku had finished his plate, his companion had only finished a third of his. True, Goku had always been the faster eater of the two, but still…
“Aren’t you hungry, Sanzo?”
The blond looked down at his food, and then shook his head. “Why, do you want it?”
His face lit up as the partially-eaten okonomiyaki was handed to him. Goku was well-aware that they could only afford one plate each, and lunch had been a very long time ago. Murmuring a quick thanks, he started to work on his new dish.
-*-*-
Habits were hard to break, as Sanzo had discovered long ago. No matter what happened, he’d always drift back to a particular pattern. That was just how he was. He knew it was how Goku was, too.
As the brunet worked on demolishing his food, he withdrew a cigarette and lit it.
Sitting back, he went to take in his setting. From his location, he could see everything that went on, except behind him. Not that it mattered, since it was a wall. His seat was a position of power, and it was one that he never relinquished.
However, this position was fairly boring this evening. Most people were at home, preparing for the holiday. Those that weren’t were either the shopping procrastinators - the ones who were the main reason for Goku taking so long to get home - those that had to serve said procrastinators, or just people who were bored out of their minds. Or people whose stove decided to die on them, he corrected himself. Damnit, if the rent wasn’t as low as it was, he wouldn’t even attempt to put up with this crap. Either way, their landlord was going to get an earful about it soon enough.
He didn’t notice at first where his gaze kept on ending up until the third time he caught himself staring at Goku. It was unusual for him to watch him like this when only the brunet was eating, but there was really no one else in the restaurant. It was the reason he had to keep telling himself.
Sanzo didn’t understand how his lover tried so hard to retain a cheerful attitude on things. It was easy to tell now-a-days when that goofy smile of his was a fake. The real smiles, especially since he had sent out his applications for graduate school, had dropped significantly.
He silently cursed to himself. Hadn’t he been warned that it was a bad idea to go to school based on where one’s partner was? Didn’t that still apply to couples that had been together for three years, or only for the shorter ones? He didn’t know. All he knew was that it wouldn’t affect his decision. He also completely ignored the fact that the letter he had received still remained unopened.
Giving up on trying to find something more interesting than Goku to look at in the restaurant, Sanzo knocked a few of the ashes off of his cigarette into the glass ashtray. The brunet seemed to make everything interesting, but one of the biggest ways was eating. Sanzo didn’t know whether to be disgusted or amused, or possibly both. Only small children got that messy while eating, and Goku was no child.
What really got to him was a bit of mayonnaise on the corner of the brunet’s mouth. Goku was getting much better about eating in public, and would often pause to use a napkin. But this bit of mayonnaise seemed to elude every single one. Pointing it out wouldn’t do any good - Goku was terrible at trying to find indicated spots like that. Sanzo could either wipe Goku’s face with a napkin, but then it would look like he was being babied, and Goku hated that.
Smirking to himself, Sanzo got an idea. After a “normal” exhale of smoke, he set the halfway finished cigarette on the ashtray, and watched as Goku ate the last bit of food. Another wipe of a napkin, and he missed the spot again. Snorting, Sanzo shook his head. He shouldn’t have been surprised.
Goku looked up from his empty plate as he set the used napkin onto the table. “What”
“You still have some sauce on your face.”
“Really? Where?” He went to look in his reflection in the window, but Sanzo caught his chin with his fingers.
He smirked again, this time at the expression on his lover’s face. A quick glance around the restaurant reminded him that no one was watching. Leaning forward and bringing Goku’s face closer to his at the same time, he licked the mayonnaise off of the corner of the brunet’s mouth. “There.” He nipped at Goku’s lip teasingly, and then brushed their lips together.
Goku looked a bit surprised by the action, but didn’t reject it. However, before it could be make deeper, Sanzo pulled away and picked up his cigarette again, acting as if nothing had taken place. He hadn’t forgotten what had happened on the sidewalk. Teasing was the best and worst way to get back at Goku. He was issuing a challenge to the younger man, and there had never been a time before when it would be turned down.
Breaking eye contact, he looked up the moment Homura came out of the kitchen. He said nothing, but signaled that he wanted their check. The waiter had an expression on his face that made Sanzo wonder if Homura had somehow seen what he had just done.
No matter how tense the moment had been, Goku immediately lapsed back into his own routine.
“Aww… I wish I could have another…” the complaint wasn’t as harsh on his ears as it could have been. Goku was well-aware of their money situation.
Homura made his way back to their table, answering the question he knew the younger man wasn’t going to ask. “You know, Goku, I am sure I could convince the cook to give the both of you a deal for another plate-”
“No,” Sanzo interrupted. “We’re full.”
“But Sanzo…”
A glare quieted the brunet down, and he handed the waiter his credit card. The only one he had right now that didn’t happen to be maxed out. Goku waited to say anything until after Homura had left to ring them up.
“Wouldn’t it be great if there was a credit card out there with an unlimited balance and you never had to pay the bills…?” he asked wistfully.
Hell, that would be nice. Too bad those sorts of things didn’t exist. Not even in a contest would someone give away something like that.
“If we did have one, then you’d be in the restaurants constantly.”
“That’s bad?”
Sanzo held his head in his hand. “Idiot…”
-*-*-
Their landlord had still not been in when they returned. While Goku was not very happy about not being able to use their stove (and oven, for that matter), he was not nearly as frustrated about it as Sanzo. He was just fortunate that Sanzo had gotten something to eat - he would have been much more irritable if he hadn’t.
The first thing Goku had down when he got back to the apartment was scour it for food. He gravitated to their Christmas tree that was looking a bit bare. The time to ask was now or never.
“Hey Sanzo, do you think we could buy more candy canes for the tree?”
“No.”
Shot down - not that he didn’t expect it. “Why not? They’re really cheap…”
“You just keep eating them.”
“That’s what they’re for.”
“We had plenty,” Sanzo said, exasperated.
“They’re all gone, now.”
“That’s what happens when you eat them, idiot.”
“But…”
“No.”
Goku was getting irritated. If he couldn’t eat anything, he at least wanted something to suck on. He had been about to say just that, but then he saw a familiar gold box hidden in the back.
“Oh wow…” he said in awe. “When did you get that?”
“Earlier today when I went in to pick up my paycheck.” The man practically collapsed back onto the couch. “It was the company’s present to their employees.”
“Ohh…” he nodded, still looking at the package. “Can I have one?”
“You’d end up eating them all.”
“But you never eat them…”
He made a face in disgust. “That’s because I’m sick of them.”
“Then why not?”
“Because they aren’t your gift to unwrap. And it isn’t the one I want to get this evening.”
Tradition was tradition, as always. Born of his impatience, they both picked one gift to open on Christmas Eve. That was, unless the other thought that a particular gift should be unwrapped then. Some gifts that they had exchanged had proven to be very… useful… later in the evening.
But wait… isn’t it almost technically Christmas? Goku mused. Maybe he’d be able to get some of them later then…
Looking under the tree, Goku tried to figure out which of the gifts from him Sanzo was talking about. It didn’t take that long to figure out what one he was referring to.
“Where is the gift that person mentioned?”
That stopped Goku in his tracks. “What are you talking about?” Playing dumb wouldn’t really buy him time, especially not with the say Sanzo’d see through it, but it was worth a shot.
“The one you missed your actual dinner for.” Yes, he should have expected Sanzo to be highly interested in the thing that would make him want to skip his food for. Glancing over at the clock, he saw that it was 11:55. He wanted to give it to Sanzo on Christmas…
Well, if he could distract the man for five minutes, then he’d be able to tell him. It was something he had planned for. He grinned at the thought. It wouldn’t be hard to do.
“What the hell are you smiling about?” the blond demanded, his eyes narrowing. “Don’t tell me you got something from Eden Fantasies again…”
“You didn’t seem to mind it last year,” Goku said with an air of confidence, walking closer. “Not with the way you were screaming.”
“Rope would have been cheaper,” Sanzo said reasonably, leaning back. He made no move to stop Goku’s advance.
“I thought you didn’t like the burns it gives you.”
“That isn’t the point.”
“You liked it,” he smirked as he settled into Sanzo’s lap. “Too bad you didn’t get a chance to use them on me.” The blond had vowed to pay him back for that, but…
Sanzo paused, and then smirked himself. “That reminds me.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Yeah right.” They drew closer, but as they did there was a flicker of light above their head. Looking up, they saw the light waver again and completely die, throwing the apartment into darkness.
“Goddamnit, it begins…” Goku heard Sanzo curse. The mood broken out of irritation on both of their parts, Goku slid to the side to let Sanzo get up and head towards the kitchen.
They hadn’t lost power yet this season, but they had experienced it enough times the year before to settle into a routine whenever it happened. Goku knew that Sanzo wasn’t going to continue any sort of activities until he knew that he’d be able to maneuver around the apartment without walking into anything. He felt a little lucky, however, when the light went out. It would buy him time.
The brunet stumbled back towards the drawer in the end table that the little tree was standing on - trying to find things by touch and not by sight. This drawer held everything and nothing all at the same time, so there was a chance that a stray candle had found its way in there. Or even better yet…
His fingers touched two objects simultaneously. One he immediately grabbed and flipped the switch, but it did not come on. A few hard smacks of the flashlight on the palm of his hand brought forth a beam of light. After making a mental note to replace the batteries, he went to examine the other item.
A mischievous grin laced his features at seeing that he had been correct with his other guess. Setting it under the tree, he then continued his hunt for things they could use.
-*-*-
It figured that Goku would be the one to find a flashlight first, Sanzo noted with a snort. It wasn’t any fault of the younger man’s when he kept on bumping into things. The candles were most likely going to be in the kitchen, anyways.
His foot caught the edge of a box in the pantry and he found himself swearing yet again. The sound of something soft yet hard hitting the ground at the same time kept his attention on his foot. An unseen object rolled and stopped as it rammed with his stubbed toe.
This was ridiculous. Pulling out his lighter, he flicked it quickly to try to find the box of candles. It had to be the one he stubbed his toe on - if it wasn’t then he had no idea what the hell it might be. Revolted with the whole ordeal but relieved that he had been right about the contents of the box; he quickly grabbed some pillar candles and lit them the moment he set them on the table.
The gods must hate him, Sanzo thought seriously. The day had been one mishap after another, and he blamed it all on the holiday season. The weather didn’t hinge on the holidays, but it didn’t stop him for blaming it on Christmas any less.
As he shifted in his chair, the candlelight wavered with him. He paid no attention to the dancing shadows, but the pile of mail on the table. Everything had been opened except for one thing. A quick reach later and it was in his hands.
The envelope was thick. When applying to various undergraduate programs, Sanzo had been accepted to many schools, and even refused by a few. The thick envelopes always meant yes. He had yet to be proven otherwise.
Then, if he already knew the answer, why didn’t he open it up to verify? He had also applied for a scholarship there, and that answer was not as concrete as his acceptance to the school. The shadows danced again, and again Sanzo did not take any notice.
A finger brushed his cheek, startling the blond out of his concentration. Peering over, he was both surprised and not at the same time to see Goku standing there by his side. His lover had always been very good at sneaking around, even on these creaky old floor boards. The brunet smiled at him briefly before leaning in to give him a short kiss, taking Sanzo by surprise.
“What was that for?” he asked, intrigued by the sudden form of affection.
Goku shook something above both of their heads and Sanzo looked up. It was mistletoe. Fresh mistletoe too, by the smell of it. The smile was still there, and while he could see the mischief in it, he also saw a hint of sadness too. Goku had seen him about to open the letter.
“Where did you get that?” he asked, pushing his chair out so that he was a bit farther away from the table. Goku appeared to take this as an invitation for him to sit down, and did so by leaning in for another kiss as he went to straddle Sanzo’s lap.
“It’s a secret,” he whispered, bringing their faces closer. “And you can’t dodge this one.”
Sanzo didn’t remember saying anything about dodging, and would have protested that remark, but he found it much more desirable to show Goku through action that he was willing to accept the challenge. His fingers found their way into Goku’s hair and closed the gap between them. He smirked. Goku still tasted of the okonomiyaki he had earlier that evening. It wasn’t a bad taste, but there were others that he preferred more. He knew that he must taste the same way, but as the brunet pushed their chests together, it appeared that he didn’t mind too much either. Sanzo vaguely noted that Goku’s fingers were not starting their usual pursuit down his side, but on his arm. One arm traveled down to semi-circle loosely around Goku with his hand resting on the small of the man’s back. The other was still on the table, holding the letter. When their fingers met on the envelope, he let the young man pry him away from it, and intertwining their fingers together.
So. It appeared that Goku didn’t want him to open the letter. Sanzo already knew that his lover never wanted him to open it. But… he caught a glimpse of the clock. It was 12:10 - officially Christmas day.
Goku bit Sanzo’s lip gently, and he parted them willingly. He felt his lover lower the arm holding the mistletoe, but neither of them broke the kiss. As the arm wrapped around his neck, he realized briefly that it wouldn’t be bad to wait a day to find out about what the school said. It appeared that what Goku really wanted for Christmas was Sanzo, and that was a gift he didn’t mind giving.
-*-*-
To Part Three, or Part Five if you wish to skip the smut.