Hungry (Challenge #26: Same Scene, Two Viewpoints; Goku/Sanzo; PG)
Title: Hungry
Author: opalmatrix
Warnings: very, very mild m/m
Pairing(s): Goku/Sanzo
Spoilers: nothing
Notes: Written for saiyuki_time challenge #26, the same scene from two viewpoints. Time allowed: 40 minutes. Time taken: about 45
Summary: Sanzo thinks Goku could use a few more pork buns. But that's not want Goku really needs.
It was almost quiet in the private dining room off the main room of the inn. Sanzo was the only patron seated there. All the other customers, including the rest of his party, were in the other room. Gojyo and Hakkai had found a mahjong game, and Goku was watching them. Occasionally a server peeked in to see whether he wanted anything, but that was it.
It was just him and his newspaper. Because there was no one to hear him, he sighed contentedly.
After a little while, he had a feeling of being watched, and looked up to find Goku sitting at the next table, his arms folded on the tabletop, his chin resting on them. That's all he was doing: watching. He was amazingly quiet. In fact, Sanzo was a little unnerved that he hadn't heard the kid come in.
In another few moments, Sanzo couldn't stand it anymore. "What's up, Monkey? You're still hungry?" Those other two clowns might've noticed ... Hakkai's the one always talking about looking after him properly ... .
Goku sat up and looked uneasy. "Ummm ... " . Clearly he hadn't wanted to interrupt to ask. How about that? The monkey was learning some consideration. But he really did look hungry. Maybe he was growing again.
Sanzo flagged down the waiter. "Get the kid half a dozen of those pork buns. And something sweet - whatever you've got."
The waited flitted over, writing on his little notepad. "We have coconut jelly, made with the freshest coconut cream. Would the young gentleman ... ?"
"Sounds good - right, Monkey? And some tea."
Goku looked a little dazed. The waiter trotted off again and returned shortly with a laden tray. A platter of golden meat buns, a dish with a gleaming, creamy white jelly shaped into a star, and a teapot with a wisp of steam rising invitingly from the spout were placed on the table. Sanzo gave a little grunt of approval and waved the waiter off again.
"Eat up, Goku. We're leaving in an hour."
As he turned back to his paper, Goku slowly reached out and picked up a pork bun. Sanzo couldn't remember ever seeing him showing such restraint around food. Maybe I better ask Hakkai to give him a check-up.
It wasn't nearly as much fun watching a mahjong game as it was playing, Goku decided. He wondered where Sanzo had gone. There was a door at the far end of the room. Goku drifted over and peeked in. Yeah, Sanzo was in there, reading the newspaper.
Goku came in very quietly. He knew Sanzo didn't get as much quiet time as his nature would like - Hakkai had explained it to him. Goku didn't really understand why Sanzo wanted it quiet, but if that was what he wanted, Goku would give it to him. He pulled out a chair at the next table very, very carefully and sat down.
The light from the windows and from the hanging lamps gleamed on Sanzo's pretty gold hair and pale skin. He looked kind of happy, reading, which was funny, because he wasn't smiling. Sanzo hardly ever smiled. But that made it much more special when he did. Goku carefully folded his arms on the table and put his head down on them, still watching. Being near Sanzo was good too. Goku could hear him breathe, hear the faint noises his chair made when he shifted his weight, and the whisper of his robes and the paper as he turned the page.
Sometimes he thought about that at night, in bed. If they were all sharing a room, he could hear Sanzo's breathing over everyone else's, even though it was quiet. And he would pretend Sanzo was right there.
Goku knew what he really wanted. But Sanzo didn't like to be touched. And Goku wasn't going to make him mad, or unhappy. So he just thought about Sanzo being an inch away. Close enough to feel his warmth, like sunlight, on Goku's skin.
Sanzo looked up from his paper and saw him.
Goku's stomach flipped over. But Sanzo didn't seem mad. He turned back to his newspaper, but he didn't forget Goku was there. After a little bit, he looked at Goku again. "What's up, Monkey? You're still hungry?"
The thing was, it was like being hungry. But there wasn't any way to say it to Sanzo. Goku felt like his tongue was stuck. He really needed to say something. "Ummm ... ."
Sanzo didn't seem put off by his stupid answer. He waved his hand, and a waiter came over. "Get the kid half a dozen of those pork buns. And something sweet - whatever you've got."
The waited was scribbling really fast. "We have coconut jelly, made with the freshest coconut cream. Would the young gentleman ... ?"
"Sounds good - right, Monkey? And some tea."
It did sound good - even though it wasn't what he really wanted. Still, Sanzo was being so nice. Goku felt really bad. Sanzo wouldn't be so nice if he'd known what Goku was thinking.
The food showed up - really pretty food, especially the coconut thing. They'd made it look like a star. Even Sanzo thought the food looked good. But even though the meat buns smelled delicious, Goku couldn't remember ever being less hungry for food.
"Eat up, Goku. We're leaving in an hour."
It would look all weird if he didn't eat something. Sanzo was reading again. Maybe he wouldn't notice that Goku wasn't eating very fast. Slowly, he reached for a meat bun.
It was OK. He was here with Sanzo, at least. And things could change, someday. It wasn't like he didn't know how to wait.