Author's notes: Thank you so so very much for those who had read and reviewed Mushroom and Chicken Soup. I'm glad that you guys are happy with my fic. I hope this one will warm your heart too.

Title: Fire Melts Ice

"I'm bored!" Gojyo groaned for the second time.

A harisen came flying through the air and smacked squarely upon his head. "Itte! Oi, what's your problem, corrupt monk?"

"You are my problem. That's the umpteenth time you are squawking like a magpie and my patience have run thin."

Gojyo narrowed his eyes at the blond monk who was reading his papers and smoking away across the room. "Umpteenth time? You really need to meditate or something, you know that?"

"So sue me. Like I care what you think," Sanzo scoffed.

Gojyo ran his hand through his crimson hair, his wine-red eyes fixed upon the monk. It was a mistake for him to stay at the inn with that ice man. He should have followed Hakkai and Goku out shopping. But from the moment they arrived in the village, his eyes detected no pretty women. He had spent the morning scouting for potential companionship but what he found were men and children. The only women he saw were either old or married. Where had all the young ladies gone to?

"Oi, I've got a suggestion for you."

Gojyo cocked an eyebrow. Since when did ice man bothered to help him out? "Sou ka? Nani?"

A pair of amethyst eyes regarded him closely. "I suggest you dig a hole."

Gojyo tilted his head, not understanding. "Whatever for?"

"Bury yourself inside. That way, you'll be freed from boredom and I'll be freed from your incessant whining." And all the while, Sanzo's face remained stoic.

If Gojyo could go any redder, he would probably explode. "You…you…stupid, corrupted, stinking monk!" Gojyo shrieked. He stood up and prepared to lunge for the blond man's throat, but stopped short when Sanzo directed his pistol at him.

"If you don't want to dig, just say so. I can make things so much easier for you!" There was amusement in the monk's eyes.

Gojyo gritted his teeth and forced himself to calm down. "Forget it. I'll rather be outside looking at wrinkling old women with sagging boobs than sit here with you. Remind me never to be alone with you again!"

Sanzo's lips curled into a sneer. "I will. What are you waiting for then? Your wrinkling old hags with sagging lumps of fat are waiting for you."

"Aargh…you're impossible, you know that!" Gojyo yelled and spun around. Moments later, the door slammed.

"Ba~ka," Sanzo mumbled but there was a satisfied smile on his face. He was finally left alone!

Hakkai and Goku had passed by a very irritated Gojyo. When asked where he was heading, Gojyo merely glared at the both of them and walked off. Goku had wanted to pick a fight with the crimson haired man but Hakkai stopped him. He knew his friend needed time to cool off from whatever was bothering him. Hakkai may not be a psychic but he had a pretty good idea would could have pissed Gojyo off.

He knew it was wrong of him to vent his anger on others but he could not help it. Gojyo was now in a bar and gulping down a big glass of beer. He looked around but just as he expected, there was no even a single pretty soul in sight. Sighing, he turned his attention to the bartender, a man in his late forties.

"Oi, Mister…can I ask you something?"

The bartender shrugged easily. "Sure."

"Where are all the young ladies?"

"Oh, our ladies are up at Mount Gaiko, offering yearly prayers to Raizeon Tenji, the Goddess of Bounty."

Gojyo frowned. "Goddess of Bounty?"

The bartender coughed slightly. He seemed to be blushing slightly. "Er, she deals with things concerning with women. Fertility and stuff."

"Ah, I get it." Chh…I am so going to die of boredom here. Maybe what ice man said makes sense. I should just dig a hole. Arrgh… "When will they be back?"

"Tomorrow morning. Ah, women. Lengthy creatures they are, ne?"

Gojyo nodded his head absent-mindedly. Damn! What was he supposed to do to kill time? No way was he going to back to the inn, though he knew Hakkai and Goku were back. His annoyance with ice man had not yet subsided.

"Baka bouzu!"

It was late when Gojyo finally came back. He had drank and gambled to his heart's content. Hakkai had taught him a few tips after all. He whistled as he strolled over to his room. Twisting the knob, he entered the dark room and without bothering to turn on the lights, proceeded to take off his blue vest. He glanced idly at the twin beds and saw that the one on the right was already occupied.

He then sat down on the unoccupied bed and took off his boots and socks. Once done, he crawled under the covers, preparing to go to sleep but then decided against it. Grinning to himself, he decided he would tease the saru a bit. After all, he had seen the saru only briefly the whole day and it would seem awkward to let the day passed without picking a fight with the boy.

Ever so carefully, Gojyo inched to the figure that had its back facing him. Strange…he usually snores. Gojyo frowned. He leaned closer and….

"You?"

A flash of silver glinted in the darkness. "Do you have to scream so loudly, redhead?"

"What are you doing in my room, stinking monk?"

Sanzo had sat up in bed and aimed the pistol right at Gojyo's heart. His eyes narrowed with distaste. "Your room? I do not recall you paying for it!"

Gojyo gritted his teeth. "Whatever. Why are you here? And for heaven's sake, stop pointing that thing at me!"

"Chh…" Sanzo mumbled but he did withdrew the pistol. "Goku's sick."

…..

The two stared.

…..

"What?" Sanzo demanded.

Gojyo suppressed the urge to shake the monk silly. "What. Do. You. Mean. By. Goku. Is. Sick?"

When Sanzo sighed exasperatedly, Gojyo realized that his sanity would be a thing of the past. "That baka saru got food poisoning after eating some candies after dinner. Told him countless times to check the expiry date but did he listen? Anyway, Hakkai's looking after him."

"But that still doesn't answer the question as to why you are here? Hakkai and Goku could have been here."

The blond monk spoke in a tone that reminded Gojyo of a teacher trying to explain an easy concept to a clever-less student, "Hakkai said this room has excessive yang energy that would deteriorate Goku's condition further. The other room has a healthy dose of yin."

"Buncha crap!"

"Only an ignorant fool would say that."

That was the last straw for Gojyo. Growling angrily, he lunged for the monk and soon, they were wrestling on Sanzo's bed. After several 'oofs', 'thwack', 'kebuush', 'get of me, hentai erokappa…' and 'you start it first, corrupt monk…', they finally stopped, with Gojyo hovering over Sanzo and pining the monk's wrists firmly at the sides. The two mortal enemies looked into each other's eyes.

"Get off me, hentai erokappa!" Sanzo's voice was low and slightly breathless.

"And what if I don't?" the half breed drawled.

No response. There was no doubt that both were distracted by the awkward position they were in.

"I'm so disappointed today," Gojyo started.

Sanzo raised an eyebrow. Were they still going to converse normally despite the manner they were in? "Old women with sagging boobs not satisfying enough?"

Gojyo nodded his head and his lips curled into a smile. "I did recall asking you to remind me never to be alone in the same room with you."

"Must have slipped my mind."

He has a sensual smile.

I see softness in his eyes.

I can see why women loved him.

He's not that cold after all.

"Fire melts ice, doesn't it?"

"Depends."

Gojyo smiled again. "Care for an experiment?"

"Chh…"

But Gojyo knew better. People say that eyes could never lieand right now, the pair of amethysts seemed to be interested. But he needed to make sure. He released his hands from Sanzo's wrists and instead, gripped the sides of the bed. He waited for Sanzo to push him off.

"I'm getting sleepy."

It was all the encouragement Gojyo needed. Slowly he lowered his head and brushed his lips gently against the monk's. When Sanzo did not protest, he deepened the kiss and using his tongue, tried to coax for a response.

He was successful. When Sanzo finally opened his mouth, Gojyo wasted no time in capturing the sweetness within. But the real reward for Gojyo was when Sanzo began to imitate his actions and soon, they were engaged in a fierce liplock fest.

When Gojyo broke the kiss a few minutes later, he could see a flicker of disappointment in the monk's eyes. He grinned when the eyes regained its initial frostiness. "Dare I say the ice is melted?"

Sanzo narrowed his eyes. "Hardly," he answered haughtily.

An easy chuckle escaped the redhead. "Yare, yare…Sanzo-sama is so difficult to please."

"I am going back to sleep. Disturb me one more time and I'll kill you."

"Hai…hai…" Gojyo obliged as he rolled off Sanzo. "Good night!"

There was no answer. But he did not mind. That was Sanzo; the typical Sanzo. The memory of the kiss had showed him otherwise.

Fire melts ice.

~ FIN ~