Little Things

Sanzo and Goku lie next to each other in Sanzo’s narrow bed.  As usual, Goku is crowding Sanzo, half-sprawled over him, with a stranglehold around his neck. The older man is beginning to be acutely uncomfortable because he’s not able to change position. Since Sanzo is the taller of the two by several inches, how is it even possible for the little shit to do this? 

Maybe a better question is how the little shit wormed his way into Sanzo’s heart to begin with. Some of his acquaintances (Gojyo comes to mind) might claim Sanzo has no heart in the first place, that he is a Grinch in Sanzo priest’s clothing.

Goku opens his eyes and looks at the man against whom he is lying. He can tell from the way Sanzo’s eyes are squeezed shut that he’s only pretending to be asleep. He can almost see the wheels turning in the man’s brain.

“Good morning, Sanzo,” he says cheerfully, and nuzzles Sanzo’s neck.

“Get the fuck off of me,” Sanzo replies irritably. “That tickles.”

“I know,” Goku says. I knew it, Sanzo thinks.  He does this to annoy me because he knows it teases.

Just as Sanzo realizes that two can play this game, Goku rolls off of him. “D’you wanna get up now, Sanzo?  ‘Cos I don’t mind lettin’ ya out of bed if ya wanna get up.”

Sanzo doesn’t know when, why, or how he got used to being the one on the far side of the bed, pinned next to the wall, while Goku settles down on the other side. All he knows is that it just worked out that way. Now that he’s free to move, he stretches his arms and legs and arches his back.

“I’m not getting up yet, but damn it, give me some breathing room here,” Sanzo grumbles.

Goku beams. He’s used to Sanzo’s grumble; in fact, he’d be alarmed (and call for a doctor) if Sanzo stopped grumbling.

Strong hands entwine themselves in the warm brown locks. Sanzo doesn’t feel very lovable. He doesn’t understand why Goku adores him and loves him so unconditionally.

“Why me?” Sanzo whispers.

Goku chuckles. They’ve had this discussion before.

“It’s the little things. It’s how yer nose wrinkles when you’re annoyed, or how ya scowl when someone’s being stupid. It’s how ya tell people off. I dunno.  I can’t explain it better than that.”

And he leans over and kisses him. The kiss is enough to convince Sanzo that he is in fact lovable, at least for the moment.

At least until the next time Sanzo asks the same question.