Sorry for the wait. The next chapter is gonna take somewhat this long as well. Thanks to all who have reviewed. On with the next part...

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It started to rain. Like how most unpleasant incidents are accompanied with rain, things just became worse. I couldn't sleep to begin with. Right after I left him, I could only toss and turn in my bed. Thinking about him and wishing I could take back what I'd said, because all I feel for him now is hatred. Being rejected was one thing, but being rejected so insensitively took on a whole new meaning to the word rejection.

My insides were torn, my heart in shreds. Only two hours ago since I last looked at him. Smelt him, touched him, declared my feelings to him. And it has been in the last two hours I was thinking of getting away as far as possible from him.

I sat up in my bed, legs on the floor. I wondered if the bar was still open. Drowning my sorrows in alcohol, lots of alcohol, is the only thing I can do now. I gathered my clothes and decided to change in the main bathroom. The less I was around Sanzo, the better for me. As I walked out our room door, a drunken young man almost knocked into me. Most likely heading for the next room. The room in front of ours belonged to our other half. I rolled my eyes at the thought of the words other half and decided that it was enough thinking for the night. My head had started to ache.

I opened the door to their room. Goku was sound asleep and surprisingly so was Gojyo. I thought I'd ask Gojyo if he'd want to join me in a few rounds of poker accompanied with some sake. I contemplated on waking him up, but decided it wasn't worth his trouble. As I was about to close the door, I heard a voice.

"You needed something, Hakkai?"

"Ah?! Oh, no. It's okay. I didn't know you were sleeping." I smiled at him, even though I knew he couldn't see me. Not clearly at least.

"Are you sure? We can chat if ya want," he said, sounding a little more awake than he previously was.

"Yes Gojyo. I'm quite sure. I didn't mean to wake you. Please go back to sleep. We need the rest to continue our journey tomorrow."

He paused. I was hoping he didn't notice the slightly shaken voice I had. "Alright then," he yawned, resting his head back onto the pillow.

"Goodnight," I whispered, but he was already asleep.

I wanted to go back to bed, but the thought of seeing him again... I swallowed, trying so hard to get the lump down my very dry throat and hugged the clothes as I dragged my feet to the bathroom.

The bathroom was empty, but steamy. Someone had either had a late bath or forgot to shut the heater off. Vapor from the hot bath started to form a thin layer of water on my skin. It was cooling, and somewhat comforting. I placed my clothes on a rack and undressed, but decided to take advantage of the inviting bath instead of changing.

I tested the water first with my toes. It wasn't too hot, but as I immersed the rest of myself, the water burned my skin just for a little while until I got used to the temperature. I closed my eyes, meditating on the warmth surrounding me and how it moved, bouncing slowly every time I moved my hand. It tickled my skin slightly, which made me smile a little.

I opened my eyes again; the bathroom now was not as misty as it was before. I leaned back against the ceramic tiled wall and found it exceptionally cold, regardless of the heat the water generated to the entire area. Sitting there in the stillness of the bathroom with no water running, no additional people talking felt eerily quiet. I had only one other way at the moment to entertain myself.

Small explosions of water splashed onto my face each time I made a ki ball, a very small one, under the water. I used to do this whenever Goku was around, and he usually ended in fits of laughter, though I didn't find anything extraordinarily funny about it. But now when I recall those times, it was rather amusing. We'd all be in the bathhouse, having on of those moments, and wound up engaging ourselves in a water fight. Sanzo included.

To Gojyo and Goku, the fight usually meant getting back at each other, calling names and so forth. As for Sanzo, it's because of them quarrelling in the first place which gets him mad, or so he would like us to think because I usually sit back and watch the fun. Occasionally warning them about the dangers of maybe knocking their heads on the hard floor or drinking up too much water when Sanzo pushes their heads beneath the water's surface.

I suppose its good that he takes part in certain, well, activities with the rest of us compared to shutting himself out completely. He usually has the priority of having the bath first, alone. But once I decided to join him anyway, this being after we'd started getting intimate. I feel as though the word intimate does not agree with just happened only hours ago. I sigh out loud and close my eyes again as I recollect the moments we spent.

Once when I shared his alone bath time, one would never have guessed Sanzo and gentle could exist in the same sentence. I remember clearly that day as prior to reaching a town; I had fallen into a mud pit whilst saving Sanzo from a youkai. I was muddy all over, no doubt about that, but cleaned off first whatever I could remove before heading for the bathhouse. The gentle part came about when he took my hands, while I was aggressively trying to get the dirt from my skin and beneath my fingernails, and rubbed them with his fingers. Removing the grime off easily.

"Patience and you'll accomplish more," he had said. When I think about it now, it sounds rather cheesy. Was it merely for him to get me into bed? If that was all he'd wanted, he should have told me before hand because maybe, just maybe I would have said no.

But it's all too late now. Only should haves and if onlys to gripe about.

"I'm so stupid", I announce to no one in particular. Maybe I didn't wait long enough. I was impatient. Feeling tears trickle from the corner of my eyes, I cupped the water with my hands and splashed my face. Washing away the evidence of my despair, but no sooner than later fresh tears began to fall once again.

*

Shit. I couldn't sleep. Not because of the rain, not because of what I said but the silent sound of a heart breaking, deafening, forcing me to cringe, I just couldn't bear to even pretend to sleep. You stupid bastard. I didn't know how to react cause I never knew to expect it.

I grabbed a cigarette from a fresh pack and placed it between my lips. Fuck, where's that damn lighter. I searched in between my other things but couldn't find it. Suddenly remembering I left in the bar earlier, I slapped my forehead, groaning in frustration. I looked up to see if he was awake or if I woke him up, but to my surprise he was gone.

"Eh?" I questioned the emptiness.

I got up from my bed, forgetting about having a smoke, and walked towards his. The sheets were slightly disarrayed, which meant he didn't leave right away. Well, he should've known how I'd react. I touched his pillow, running my hand over where his head would be, but retracted it immediately afraid I might damage it or something.

"What am I thinking? It's just a damn pillow!" Of which I take and throw it to the other end of the room. With a soft thump, it falls helplessly over my bed; crumpled, dejected… just how I'd made him feel. Fucking hell!

I snatched the pack of cigarettes and my gun and decided to go down. Hoping to find my lighter, assuming it was still where I'd left it, and maybe, just maybe, face him. I open my door and found the door in front of mine slightly ajar. Could he be in there? I wondered. I crept forward, opening the door a little bit. Scanning the room, I only noticed two shapes. None of which was his.

"Oi, bouzo! What do you want?" Gojyo asked in an irritated tone.

I sniffed and told him nothing.

"What's it with you and Hakkai all of a sudden? Highly unlikely for the two of you to check on us in the same night. Well, for you actually since you don't give as much as two cents for us."

I had the itch to shoot him right in the head then, if only I could see well in the dark. Because shooting him anywhere else would only mean he'd survive, leading to further infuriation and I will never hear the end of his yapping mouth about how I almost killed him. "Fuck you! And I still don't give a damn."

"Oh really?" his voice sounding suddenly closer than he was before and a few seconds later he's standing in front of me. One hand leaning against the door with eyes squinting at me, caused by the light at the corridor. He was as usual half naked, not caring if anyone passed by at that moment and saw him in that state. "You two having some, ahem, bedroom problems? 'Cause as you can see, I might be able to help you," he said with an irritating smirk.

"In your dreams kappa!" I said through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, that's what I do. I dream of Sanzo-houshi-sama in bed with Hakkai every night. Hmm… Now that I recall a dream, I think I may know where the problem is."

"The problem would be," I paused, took out my gun and placed to his head, "if your blood so much as touches my clothes and me having a hard time removing the stains. Now where is he?" I could almost feel my blood boil at his answers. Why couldn't he just answer me straight?

"Shouldn't you know better?" he asked, but in a more serious tone. I knew he wasn't just stalling. "Is he in some kind of trouble? Did you do something to him?" he eyed me closer.

I walked away from his door, leaving him there unanswered. I heard him swear something about if I ever hurt Hakkai, he would hunt me down and feed me to the dogs. Maybe that isn't such a bad idea. I walked further down the corridor until I came upon a door and with my mind still preoccupied I mechanically opened it. Steam clouded my vision for a while and as I left the door open, the white mist dispersed, leaving behind me. I came back to my senses when I realized what door I'd opened and what I saw next. A familiar brown head bobbed beneath the surface of the water in the bath.

No. My body ran cold and lost breath for a moment.

It isn't. Anger, panic, grief… guilt overcame me in an instant.

It cannot be…

To be continued...

A/N:
Was Sanzo OOC? Or even Hakkai? I fear I'm no good at writing anymore. O_o;;