Waking up slowly would have been nice...
Lazily stretching himself to life as he opens his eyes, reluctantly, one by one. Sighing deeply into soft, white cotton, yawning quickly before flipping himself onto his back and into the gentle glow of the rising sun.
...But this isn't a fucking fairytale.
Sanzo starts awake with an abrupt leap, landing himself in a frenzied bundle beneath a swarm of angry sheets. Muttering incoherently, he yanks the covers down from his face and squints as his eyes adjust harshly to the stinging morning sun.
There. That's better.
He has been shoved into consciousness by a series of unintelligible noises, which, now that he is awake and thoroughly pissed, have mysteriously vanished.
"What the hell...?" Sanzo listens for the sounds that have so rudely interrupted his much-needed beauty sleep. The shuffling of bare water...a short, metallic "clack!"...There! It begins softly, slowly building up volume and energy, muffled only by the single closed door that separates the intrusive sounds from this disgruntled monk. Sanzo scowls, hurling away the tangled sheets while sliding awkwardly from his sitting position on the mattress into a tired stance by the bedroom door. Words now replace the string of colorful noises heard only a minute earlier:
"Are the stars out tonight?"
A clear voice; utensils drumming along to the jazzy rhythm.
"I don't know if it's cloudy or bright..."
A spirited "Bam, bam!" and flourishing footsteps.
"'Cause I only have eyes for you, dear."
A resounding "ooooo" punctuating the charismatic "you".
"The moon may be high..."
Feet and drumming.
"But I can't see a thing in the sky,"
Drumming and feet.
"'Cause I only have eyes for you."
By now, Sanzo is leaning against the doorframe, watching intently as Goku swings his hips along with his fluctuating voice, somehow managing to maintain a meticulous vigil on the sweet-smelling bacon sizzling on the stovetop. Fork and spoon in hand, Goku drums up the length of the counter and issues a string of lively exclamations, then flips two pancakes using his dynamic "drumstick" duo. Sanzo, rolling his eyes brushes his bangs away from his eyes and swears under his breath. He observes languidly as his charge dances by the sink; he notices how deliberate Goku's movements are, how rich the lyrics sound on his voice. Sanzo bites back a small smile, then mentally slaps himself for entertaining the ridiculous thought in the first place.
Goku's disheveled hair falls into his face, momentarily suspending his heartfelt performance as he laughs lightly and moves to swipe his forehead with the back of his palm.
"Really, saru, can't your main stage cutlery musical wait until at least noon?"
"Holy shit!" This is the flabbergasted Goku.
The young man yelps, his spoon flying from his grip as he whips around, only to find the scrutinizing glare of one Genjo Sanzo more than...happy...to meet him. Ooops.
"I don't care if it is holy. After all the devotion you've so enthusiastically poured into this breakfast – which, by the way, is taking place at a most god-fearing hour – it sure as hell better not be shit." Sanzo took this opportunity to snag his last pack of Marlboro's from the kitchen counter, popping a stick into his mouth and casually lighting the end, along with his temper.
"Gods! S-Sanzo, you scared the crap out of me!" His shock is met by Sanzo's tired, violet eyes: an object of Goku's most passionate interest and, in his opinion, Sanzo's distinguishing quality.
"My apologies. I'm only responding to being roused from a peaceful sleep by your incessant droning! Do you have any idea how fucking early it is?!"
...Okay, one of his distinguishing qualities.
"I...I forgot, I guess. I was just making breakfast and..."
Thwack!
Sanzo's fan can be heard loud and clear as it strikes Goku hard on the head. Reeling, Goku frowns angrily in Sanzo's direction.
"That hurt!"
"I'm glad! You have to insure that my every waking, and, now, SLEEPING moment, is a living hell, don't you?! Urusai!" Sanzo puffs angrily, inhaling sharply and releasing a haze of smoke from his flaring nostrils. "What the fuck did I do to deserve this?!" This last comment is intended for the ceiling, apparently, as Sanzo tilts his head skyward and howls, brimming with annoyance.
Goku studies the floor intensely. He's gnawing at his lower lip, the remaining fork hanging at his side. Sanzo pants his way back down to earth and his eyes fall on Goku's dejected form.
"Bakasaru," he says tenderly, burying his hand in Goku's muddled brown hair. Surprised by this strange remark, Goku swiftly raises his head upward, immediately connecting with sad, violet eyes.
Since the inevitable conclusion of their journey, Sanzo had been acting strangely. Not to say that an experience as profound as the one they had shared wouldn't ruffle your feathers a bit, but Goku had recently been able to detect a sudden change in the priest's frame of mind. He had softened somewhat, as if the effects of their mission had, in the end, drained him both mentally and physically. Other than the mandatory routine of temple duties (which he anticipated each day with an entourage of vehement curses), Sanzo made no efforts to exert himself, appearing unusually passive, quiet, and reflective. Goku couldn't decide which Sanzo he liked better: the proud disdainful bastard that despised even the friendliest company, or the calm, reserved priest that, despite the occasional outburst, seemed withdrawn and illusive. Goku, considering it a duty of an ardent follower, tried to decipher Sanzo's bizarre moods with concerned observations and ridiculously obvious questions, but couldn't seem to tap into the mind that had once been so easy to unravel. A different light in his eyes.
Now, gazing back into that unfamiliar light, Goku's frown deepens. He is about to respond with a submissive apology or a convincing pout when, suddenly, the overwhelming scent of something burning plunges into his train of thought.
So much for the meticulous vigil.
"Oh, shit!" Goku's eyes are wide as he grabs the nearest panhandle and tosses it roughly into the sink, drenching the burning surface with cold tapwater. Smoke billows up into the kitchen, sending Goku stumbling backwards and coughing violently.
"Fuck!" After hastily dabbing out his cigarette in the butter dish, Sanzo manages to remove the other frying pan and turns off the stove as he releases a string of profane growls. By the time both pans are soaking in the cold water and the noise level has been reduced to a low murmur, Sanzo is nursing a burnt hand while Goku dispels his efforts in clearing away the offensive smoke.
"Damnet, Goku! Didn't you realize the food would burn if you left it on for too long?!"
"Sorry, I was too busy being reprimanded by den-mother over here..."
"Oh, so it's my fault now?! Whose idea was it to leave the stove on with the motherfucking...Fuck!" Sanzo's hand pulsates, his attempts failing miserably to lessen the swelling. Goku makes a beeline for his keeper.
"Sanzo! Are you okay? Do you need help?"
"I'm fine!" Goku stumbles into the refrigerator and out of Sanzo's way as the priest ducks beneath the remaining clouds of smoke to the sink, allowing cool water to run over his hand. A heavy silence creeps into the room and lingers uncomfortably; Goku leaning shamefully against the wall while Sanzo relieves his painful burn. Even after the monk manages to wrap his hand in a nearby towel rag, the silence booms.
And booms.
And booms.
"...I'm...I'm sorry, Sanzo." Goku pushes from the wall and begins shifting his weight nervously. Sanzo shakes his head slowly, his brow furrowed.
"It's okay. Just...be a little careful next time." He says this huskily, coarsely, dragging the words from his lips as if by force. Goku is, yet again, stunned. He advances several paces, leaning in so as to catch Sanzo's glance. His eyes are large, hopeful, rimming with deeply rooted emotions and concerns. Gold shining like that first, piercing glimpse of stinging morning sun. A warm, inviting morning sun. Sanzo casts his eyes downward.
"Tell me."
Their gazes meet again.
"Tell me why you've changed...you've changed so much, I can't explain it. One minute you're Sanzo, confident and sure and without regrets, and now you're...you've...it's like you're fading from me. It's like a part of you dimmed; all the sudden your eyes are...I don't know where you've gone." Not thinking, Goku raises his palm to rest on Sanzo's cheek, enhancing his need for the answers he's longed for. Sanzo's initial impulse to shove the monkey away is swallowed up by large, golden eyes, swimming and deep, showing a side of Goku rarely to be seen. They marvel in each other.
After a contemplating breath...
"I don't know what you're talking about, stupid monkey." Sanzo makes to slip from Goku's loose grasp. Goku, not unsettled by this, lunges forward, forcibly pushing Sanzo into the kitchen counter with a palm on each of his shoulders. A flash of the light. Briefly scanning the man's face for a reaction, Goku decides mentally: If he won't tell me what it is, at least he can show me. With a hesitant pause, Goku tilts his head upward and presses his lips softly to Sanzo's, gradually permitting his eyes to close as he relishes in the sensation. Startled at first, it takes Sanzo a few moments to collect himself before fully realizing the situation. If only by instinct alone, his eyes shut tightly as he returns the kiss with slightly more force. Goku is long gone, lost completely and wanting nothing more than to savor this moment, this impossible moment that has somehow released itself from his dreams and crept into this amazing reality.
His hands digging into the countertop, Sanzo releases his grip and winds his arms loosely around Goku's waist, his breath hitching as Goku's hands fasten themselves into Sanzo's hair.
Holding Goku's face in his hands...
A light touch in the small of Sanzo's back...
Tightening the embrace with a forceful tug...
Goku moaning softly into the kiss...
Now they are wild, frantically searching, discovering new bliss in the slightest movements, tongues dancing, untamed, parting only to refill their lungs, to climb down from the dizziness, the astonishment.
Eons of heavy breathing and several tender pecks later, Sanzo has finally found his desired reply:
"It might have had something to do with that."
That night, as Goku lay mesmerized in the thought of his sun, capturing Sanzo's emotion with such...rewarding...tactics, his thoughts are interrupted by the deep sounds of Sanzo's voice, SINGING?! as he makes his way towards the bedroom...
"You are here, so am I...
Maybe millions of people go by...
But they all disappear from view,
And I only have eyes for you."