It was a day like any other. The grey predawn light was just starting to seep into the inn as Sanzo slipped out of the room he was currently sharing with Hakkai. He could hear the youkai breathing evenly and the duet from the next room where Goku and Gojyo were doing their best thunderstorm impersonations. The monk slid the door closed and padded off down the corridor to the showers.

They had spent the previous day wading through an army of youkai and by the time they'd arrived at the inn, even Hakkai was starting to flag. The inn had been closed for the night and by the time they'd gotten the innkeeper awake and rooms reserved, all Sanzo wanted was to fall into bed and sleep.

Eight hours of dreamless sleep later, he was awake, hungry and hyper-aware of the grime and blood clinging to his skin and hair. Sanzo had spent ten minutes in bed, reminding himself that he shouldn't go off on his own with so many youkai around. (He was actually rather proud of himself for lasting that long.) Ten minutes of lying in bed and feeling his skin crawl with dirt and Sanzo was off to the bath.

Besides, he liked the quiet before dawn. It brought back memories of the monastary and his childhood. His master had been a busy man, much in demand by other monks who thought being in his presence or getting enough of his attention would let his holiness rub off them. So every morning, he'd dragged himself out of bed to join Koumyou in the baths and they'd talk or simply sit and relax in silence.

The baths were cold but there was a hot spring and a hip bath nearby. Sanzo had the bath filled and was just lowering himself into the bath when a white shape flitted through the clouds of steam to perch on the rim of the bath. Sanzo relaxed, letting the gun drop back onto the pile of soiled robes and Jeep tilted his head to one side and chirruped inquiringly.

"It's called a bath, idiot." Sanzo grumbled without any real heat, settling into hot water with a sigh of satisfaction. He could feel the dirt dissolving and reached for the square block of soap the inn supplied and lathering his skin. The soap looked home-made with pleasant cinnamon-like scent and Sanzo worked the suds into his hair and ducked under the water to rinse it out.

Hakuryu squeaked in alarm and Sanzo erupted out of the water as claws yanked painfully at his hair. The monk swore and flailed about, trying to dislodge his would-be-rescuer. Fortunately for Hakuryu, the soap had gotten into Sanzo's eyes so he couldn't find his fan or his gun and so was reduced to trying to wave the little dragon away with his bare hands.

"IDIOT ANIMAL!"

"Sanzo? Are you alright?" Hakkai's voice came from the general direction of the door, concern warring with courtesy.

Apparently satisfied that Sanzo was not going to drown, Hakuryu disengaged his claws and allowed the monk to wipe his eyes. Sanzo ran a hand through his hair and decided that most of the soap was gone. He wasn't going to risk trying to rinse it again until he was sure that moronic dragon wasn't in the room.

A gentle rap on the door reminded him of Hakkai's presence and he swore again, pulling himself up and reaching for the towel on the shelf beside him. He'd just got it wrapped around his hips when Hakkai's head appeared around the door. "Sanzo?"

"I'm fine." Sanzo looked at the pile of dirty robes with a curled lip. Thankfully, he'd got three freshly washed sets in his luggage but he'd still have to collect up this pile. He was resigning himself to the inevitable when he realised that Hakkai was still standing in the doorway. "What?"

Hakkai blinked and shook his head. "Aah...gomen."

Sanzo regarded him through narrowed eyes, Hakkai was smiling slightly, hands folded in the "Pay no heed to me." pose that always meant something was wrong. He should stay here and make Hakkai spill whatever the problem he was having now. On the other hand, he was only wearing a towel: he hadn't eaten in more than twelve hours and he was starting to get cold.

"Suit yourself." With a grimace of profound distaste, Sanzo gathered up his filthy clothes and palmed the soap while he was at it. According to the map, it was at least a week's journey to the next town and damned if he was waiting that long to clean up. Just because he travelled with animals didn't mean he had to live like them.

He brushed by Hakkai and the healer stiffened. Instinct had Sanzo groping for his gun as he looked around for a threat. The baths were empty except for the two of them and he turned back to the emerald-eyed youkai. Hakkai was standing rigidly straight and still. His nostrils flared as he sniffed the air and Sanzo watched his pupils contract to tiny pinpricks.

"Hakkai?"

The healer jumped. "Ah, nothing. I was just...thinking."

Sanzo arched an eyebrow doubtfully. Hakkai's smile coagulated and he snatched the dirty laundry from Sanzo. "I'll just clean these, shall I?"

Sanzo shrugged. He'd find out what was bugging Hakkai later...after the youkai'd cleaned his clothes. He went back to their room, surprising a maid on his way. He ignored her blushes and the way she blundered into a wall and slammed the door behind him. He tossed the towel into a corner and pulled on his clothes, before checking he had everything.

Sutra, check. Harisen, check. Handgun, check. Bloody useless breastplate, check. Cigaretts, check. Lighter, check. Gold card to pay for rooms, food and the scare he'd given the innkeeper last night, check.

Satisfied, Sanzo made his way down to the dining room. From the stairs, he could hear the sound of Gojyo and Goku arguing over breakfast. Sanzo sighed, feeling a vein in his forehead starting to throb already and pulled out a cigarette. He flicked his lighter open and hissed a curse as it refused to do more than spark.

His earlier good mood now totally spoiled, Sanzo stormed down to the dining area. He pulled out a chair and sat down, reaching out to take a peach from the bowl the kappa and the monkey were bickering over.

"-said it was mine, damn cockroach! What the hell do you think you'r-" Goku stopped and sniffed the air.

"Huh, well you aren't fast...enough." Gojyo trailed off and started to sniff the air as well.

Sanzo finished off the peach and looked up to see the two idiots staring intently at him. Disconcerted and irritable, he ignored them both and licked the juice off his fingers. His head snapped up as the other two leant forward, eyes on his fingers or his tongue?

"What?" He demanded, fingers itching for his harisen.

Gojyo blinked and settled back in his chair, a familiar sardonic smirk spreading across his face. Sanzo noted that the red eyes didn't waver at all and his hand curled into a fist as he fought the urge to put a bullet between those annoying eyes. The kappa's smile was becoming more and more smug.

As for the monkey, he was staring at Sanzo with that mute fixation that reminded the monk of the months after his release from the mountain. Months of the monkey following him everywhere with that damn look in his eyes. Some of the monks had called it a 'puppy-dog' look, others had been...less charitable. It had driven Sanzo up the wall at the time, having those golden eyes following his every move, day and night.

Sanzo reached out to take another peach, doing his best to ignore the riveted gazes. It got annoying and he was forced to resort to the harisen several times. The staring was bad enough but every time one of them moved, they wound up getting a little closer to Sanzo. The monk was starting to feel hunted and he nearly knocked the chair over when Hakkai came to tell them it was time to leave.

Getting through the door proved a little more difficult than it should have as all three of his companions tried to get as close to him as they passed through. It was the same as they walked over to where Jeep was waiting. Goku was bumping against his elbow, Hakkai's hand brushed against his with ever step and Gojyo was walking so close on his heels that Sanzo could feel his breath on the back of his neck.

"Ne, Sanzo, can Gojyo sit up front today?" Goku sounded hopeful and Sanzo hesitated on the point of climbing into the passenger seat.

"I'm not sitting up front!" Gojyo protested at once. "You sit up front if my company is so bad!"

"Maa, maa." Hakkai said with a rather fixed smile. "I don't see any need to change seats today."

"True." Sanzo sat into the passenger seat and glared at them. "Let's go."

He couldn't help but notice that while Goku and Gojyo looked rather resentful, Hakkai was wearing that faint and ineffable smile that meant he was being smug. He also noticed that all three of them were watching his every move.

What the fuck is going on?