So this started as an answer to the 100 Roadtrips LJ community challenge of "Cheap Motels." Only the characters were not so much in the mood for brevity. Betaed by the mighty Eliza and the incomparable Brigdh. All mistakes are mine.

Sanzo's gold card is only so useful when most towns have just the one inn. They spend many nights crammed into a room, playing cards for the single bed. Hakkai only loses when someone else is sick or injured, and while a floor is better than the jeep or the ground, that doesn't make it comfortable.

Not that Sanzo thinks anyone minds but him. He suspects Goku could sleep anywhere and Gojyo has. Sanzo's bedded down in many places, but he only sleeps in beds.

"I'll share."

Alone.

"You're not sleeping anyway."

"You should be."

"Sanzo," Hakkai's voice drops, his hand drops, warm and light, onto Sanzo's face, "come up."

Sanzo catches that hand, stills it, feels Hakkai's strength and Hakkai's care in long, tapered fingers. He lets go. "You're going to wake the others."

Hakkai doesn't pull his hand back. "So come up and keep me quiet."

"You've been spending too much time with Gojyo."

There's a soft shift of fabric, and then a face joins the hand above him, moon-pale in the dark room. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that."

Sanzo scowls, wonders how much good it will do with Hakkai's shadow over him. "Go to sleep."

"This bed's too big. I didn't realize while we were playing. I need someone to share it with, and the others are already asleep."

The others are already asleep. In the same room. Sanzo knows Hakkai's got some interesting tastes, but he always pegged Gojyo for the exhibitionist. Unless the offer is just for sleep, but his gut says no, and his gut's saved him from rampaging youkai on more than one occasion. "You can handle it for one night."

"Perhaps, but I might require a nap tomorrow. We'd have to park Hakuryuu somewhere while I slept, and someone would need to keep an eye on Gojyo and Goku."

That's just playing dirty. Unfortunately, Sanzo knows from past experience that Hakkai will indeed require a nap tomorrow if he doesn't get his way tonight. Or part of his way. "Fine. I'll come up there. To sleep."

"Of course, Sanzo. That is what I suggested in the first place."

Smug, infuriating bastard. Sanzo could practically hear a "sama" tacked to the end of his title. He gathers himself up carefully, easing away from Goku, who always manages to draw closer in his sleep. Hakkai has settled back into the bed, now that he's getting what he wants, and holds the blanket up for Sanzo to slide under. Sanzo debates which way to go in, not trusting that presenting his back to Hakkai will discourage the man at all, but certain face-to-face is just tempting fate. Who, in his experience, has never passed up temptation thus presented.

Hakkai doesn't say anything, letting him decide; he finally sits on the edge of the bed, then swings his feet up and slides sideways, ending up on his back. Hakkai's arm drops onto his chest, solid, heavy, but Hakkai won't do anything as long as Sanzo's body language says he's not interested, and Sanzo makes sure he's shouting it.

Hakkai sighs right next to his ear, hot, moist air ruffling his hair. "You're too tense, Sanzo. Neither of us will sleep if you're tense."

"I'm fi--" There's a pulse of deep warmth through the arm over his body, the kind that signals Hakkai's gathered chi when he's healing. Sanzo reaches up, grabs hold of that arm with both hands, and rolls, dragging Hakkai facedown onto the bed and straddling him from behind. "The hell do you think you're doing?"

He hears someone stirring down below, but he's not really interested in being quiet now. Hakkai's never tried something like this. Of course, his gun is still holstered at his waist, and his gut's not pushing him to draw it. He waits for Hakkai's answer.

Hakkai moves only to turn his face on the pillow, his good eye slanted toward Sanzo. "I was relaxing you, Sanzo." His tone is milder, all hint of seductive teasing gone. "As I have before."

"You've always asked before."

Hakkai sighs again, his body shifting under Sanzo's weight. "I apologize, Sanzo-san. I should not have assumed my touch would be welcome."

Sanzo grits his teeth, fights the urge to pull out the fan and apply it to the side of Hakkai's head. "Don't pull that shit on me. Gojyo may believe it when you do your 'I'm the scum of the earth' routine--"

"But you know I am?" Now Hakkai's voice is sharp, the weapon flashing from under the silk. "You misunderstand me, Sanzo-sama. I only meant I know how particular you are."

Sanzo reconsiders pulling his gun, the insinuation in Hakkai's voice perfectly calculated to infuriate him--

And he snorts a laugh, the rage rushing right out of him. He lets go of Hakkai's arm and rolls back down beside him, crowding him up against the wall. "Stick to seduction scenarios. They're more convincing."

"You didn't seem to be in the mood, and this technique does appear to have worked, though not quite as anticipated." Hakkai settles down on the bed next to him, this time careful only to touch as much as necessary on the narrow mattress. Hakkai wisely doesn't point out Sanzo's even letting him stay in the bed, and Sanzo only fights his smile a little in the dark.

"You might want to keep that in mind, next time you consider using it."

Hakkai says nothing, again wisely. Or perhaps suspiciously, but Sanzo's now feeling mellow enough to wait until tomorrow to pursue that line of thought. The bed is softer than the floor, after all, and Hakkai's body heat provides just enough warmth to loosen his muscles.

It's enough to do the job, which was Hakkai's stated goal. Just for one night, Sanzo's not going to worry about the unstated ones. He may not be putting the bed to the use Hakkai intended, but he's certainly not going to let it go to waste.

~END~