A/N: Here it is, the whizbang topper of 'em all. Anybody who's read any of my other works, well, this may be a bit predictable. But I really couldn't help myself.

To everybody who reviewed: I am so glad you all enjoyed this as much as I did. Thank you for your constructive comments, although to everybody who called me a 'genius' I find your hyperbolizing undeservingly flattering. Thanks all the same, though! Enjoy this final installment. I couldn't stop grinning as I wrote it.

...

"Ch." Gojyo turned away, refusing to look at Hakkai. The brunette smiled.

"It's true. You were the one that swatted at him."

"He surprised me! Stupid thing, crawling on me..." Gojyo shuddered for effect.

"He was apologizing for burning your eyebrows off. He knows how important they are to you," Hakkai added, unable to help himself. "He wouldn't intentionally hurt you."

Gojyo pointed to the bandaged area of his shoulder visible outside his vest. "Oh, really?"

Hakkai shook his head. "That one barely grazed you. You won't even need those bandages by morning." He smiled at Gojyo, who only looked away again, bristling with contempt. The two sat on Gojyo's bed that evening after dinner, securing a little quiet time. Gojyo's forehead was healing nicely, cooled by the near-constant presence of the cold water bottle. As much as Sanzo hated to lose another day, Hakkai had insisted the redhead not be subjected to the constant heat of a day's journey. Though the blonde wouldn't admit it, Goku and Gojyo more than made up for his lack of enthusiasm about taking a break.

Said redhead poked Hakkai in the ribs. "Move, you, I want to lay down."

Hakkai twitched, his fingers curling. More than that, though, he let out a very quiet little yelp.

Gojyo stopped dead, poking finger still extended. "Was that you?" He tried it again. Hakkai twitched even more, turning pink from his cheeks to the shells of his ears. The brunette quickly moved to grasp his own sides, looking uncertainly at Gojyo.

The redhead was grinning like a maniac. "All these years and I never knew," he murmured, fingers grasping at air before him. "I never knew you were ticklish, Hakkai."

Hakkai got up, backing away from the gaze upon him. "Now, Gojyo, everybody has to have one. I...I...Gojyo, don't you come any closer!"

"Oh, I couldn't ever pass this up!" Gojyo cried, giving chase and tackling Hakkai halfway out into the hallway, his hands digging into the brunette's sides. Hakkai immediately convulsed, curling into a little ball over Gojyo's fingers, shaking with laughter.

"Go...jyo!" he choked. "Stop it! You're...hurt!"

"So worth it!" was Gojyo's response as he got to his knees for better leverage, dragging Hakkai back into their room with laughter almost as loud as his victim's. And then, with deliberate slowness, he took iron hold of one of Hakkai's ankles and carefully unlaced the man's shoe.

"You...you wouldn't!" Hakkai cried, struggling to free himself. Gojyo freed Hakkai's foot and ran his fingernails over the arch. Hakkai kicked out but Gojyo sat on his other leg, deriving great amusement from having his usually stoic friend helpless with giggles on the floor. Hakkai had gone from pink to utterly flushed, laughing open-mouthed for inability to do anything else.

Gojyo, out of mercy and deference to his own lungs, paused to let them both breathe. Once Hakkai regained his breath, he looked up at the ceiling and murmured, "You know, I'm not beyond attacking one of the infirm." He raised his head and locked eyes with Gojyo.

The redhead responded with a grin that rivaled the Cheshire Cat, releasing Hakkai's foot and spreading his arms. "Come and get it if you can."

Hakkai launched himself into a sitting position, diving maliciously at Gojyo and finding his mark almost immediately. The redhead cried out, unable to help himself, careening backward from both momentum and the desire to get away. "I'm a scholar," explained Hakkai, an evil smile curling his features as Gojyo squirmed. "I've studied anatomy."

Gojyo choked, took a deep breath, and caught both of Hakkai's wrists in his hand, flipping the man and yanking up one of his pant legs in one swift motion. Hakkai nearly bit his tongue when Gojyo's fingers found the backside of his knee. "Yeah? Well I have a big brother!" he returned, catching his breath. Hakkai closed his eyes, reached out, and got one of Gojyo's socked feet in his hand. Gojyo yelped and, out of reflex, released Hakkai's leg.

The smaller man easily flipped his opponent, making himself comfortable pinning both of Gojyo's legs down so he might torture the attached feet. The redhead screamed with laughter, struggling but unable to kick Hakkai off of him. He bit down on his finger, shaking from gut to shoulders. He swung an arm back, fisted his hand in Hakkai's shirt, and yanked him down to the floor next to him.

"Oi," he gasped, reaching up with his hand still firmly entwined in the fabric of Hakkai's shirt, "howbout here?" Gojyo reached for the sensitive skin at Hakkai's neck. Out of reflex, the brunette twisted his head and trapped Gojyo's fingers. Gojyo went for the other side of Hakkai's neck. The same reflex happened. Gojyo grinned. "That's fun." He continued like that for a while, running one finger down alternate sides of Hakkai's neck, until the brunette reached up and got his hands under Gojyo's shirt and glanced featherlight touches over his side. Gojyo gave a bodily twitch, his arms seizing up and his jaw going slack.

Hakkai had to laugh at the sight of it, diving onto his friend with renewed vigor at the hilarious reaction. Gojyo, in return, attacked Hakkai's sides until neither was sure who had the upper hand, although Hakkai looked down on the redhead on the floor. Yet both were helpless to the ministrations of the other, Gojyo absolutely refusing to quit tickling although his back arched away from the floor. He couldn't get much further because Hakkai was sitting on him, but did he ever try.

And then Hakkai collapsed next to Gojyo, pinning one of the redhead's arms under his body and tangling their legs. "Truce?"

Gojyo grinned, still breathing heavy. He turned his head and nodded. "Yuh. Truce."

After a while, Hakkai lifted his head and asked, "How's the shoulder?"

"Huh?" Gojyo looked down at the bandages and shrugged. "Just fine. My arm's falling asleep, though," he added with a grin, flexing the muscle under Hakkai. In one movement, he pulled his arm up and rolled Hakkai onto his chest, shaking out his hand. "Much better. Uh, for the arm anyway. Mind getting off?"

Hakkai nodded. "Sure." He tried to roll off, but Gojyo's other arm caught him. "Pardon?"

"Sorry," murmured Gojyo, smiling sheepishly up at Hakkai. "Panicked. Welcome to stay if you're comfortable." He raised his eyebrows a fraction and winced, hampered by his expressive face.

"Oh, Gojyo," Hakkai chided, scooting up the taller man's body until he was over his forehead. "You've been sweating into your burn. It'll only hurt more as the night wears on unless I change the bandages."

Gojyo looked up and found his eyes in a direct line with Hakkai's mouth. "It can maybe wait?" He ran a hand along Hakkai's neck, watching as the brunette winced, laughing weakly. "I can take it."

Hakkai stared back down at him, bending his neck a bit to meet Gojyo's eyes. Suddenly, his head was inexplicably, insurmountably heavy. And as his mouth crashed down against Gojyo's, it was obvious the redhead didn't mind so much.

...

Sanzo yawned a bit, padding from the bathroom toward his own rooms. He heard laughter from Hakkai and Gojyo's room and went to yell at them to keep it down.

When he looked in, however, it took a moment for him to regain his scattered wits.

"Ah," he remarked, putting a hand on his hip. "It appears Gojyo has found out about it, then. I suppose it was only a matter of time."