Disclaimer: Minekura-sama owns the boys and the song belongs to Frankie Vallie and his record label etc. What's mine? Only the story...

Pairing: Hakkai Sanzo

Warning: Shounen-ai, probable OOC-ness, grammatical errors, silliness

Notes: Written for Fall's August 2004 Challenge over at SanzoxHakkai ML

= Can't Take My Eyes Off You =

"Is there something on my face?"

Hakkai was stupefied, nearly dropping the cup of sake he was holding. But the monk's eyes remained fixed on the newspaper he was reading, acting nonchalant as if the question he posed earlier was no more than a random enquiry.

The brunette struggled to maintain his composure, though his heart positively felt as if it had been ripped out. He settled the cup carefully on the table, hands trembling slightly as if the act had required substantial effort. Sanzo remained fixated on the newspaper but Hakkai was no fool. The blonde was expecting a response.

"No, there is nothing on your face," Hakkai answered as calmly as possible.

Sanzo looked up then, pushing his reading glasses down slightly as he did so, revealing a pair of narrowed lavender eyes. "Oh? If that's the case, explain to me why have you been staring at me?"

Because I can't take my eyes off you, the brunette wanted to say. Instead, he dropped his gaze and stared at the untouched sake in the cup. "I..." he began, struggling for an excuse. But there was none. "I...was thinking about something," he finished lamely.

The blonde was not at all happy with the answer given. "That doesn't explain why you have to stare at me," he shot back.

Hakkai could feel his mouth growing dry. What now? What should he say? Idly, he felt like scraping out his eyes then. "I..."

Luck was on his side when the door suddenly flung open and a redheaded savior came strutting in. Seizing the chance, Hakkai quickly stood up and rather loudly, exclaimed. "Gojyo! I need your help to go stock up on supplies."

The half breed stopped in his track and raised an eyebrow. "Aw, I just got back. Get the saru."

Hakkai strode over to the redhead, making sure that his back was facing the blonde. "Goku's not back yet," he said while making wiggly motions with his eyebrows, hoping Gojyo would catch his meaning.

Thankfully, the kappa did. His mouth formed a big O and he nodded his head. "Hai, sensei. Besides, we won't want Sanzo-sama to get cranky if he does not get his supply of cigarettes and beer."

Thank you, Hakkai mouthed to the grinning Gojyo before turning to face the monk, who had a murderous look on his face. "Aa, Sanzo... the card please."

Sanzo's stance suggested he was itching to kill someone. Fortunately, he did not pursue the intention and with a disgruntled snort, flashed out the gleaming gold card, which Hakkai took without hesitation. After mumbling a quick thank you, he turned round and quickly pushed the redhead out of the door.

"So, did you finally tell him? Is that why he looked like he was about to blow his head off?"

Hakkai shook his head. "Iie." He heaved a heavy sigh then. "Sanzo caught me staring at him. He wanted to know why but I couldn't come up with a reason. You came in just in the nick of time."

Gojyo let out a laugh as he slung an arm around the brunette's shoulder. "It's getting difficult to keep your eyes off him, huh? Why not save the trouble and tell him already?"

Another sigh escaped Hakkai. "I... I can't bring myself to do it. I..."

"You are shy?" the half breed suggested.

Shy? Am I just shy, or am I afraid that Sanzo will reject me? "Aa, probably," Hakkai concurred instead.

The redhead removed his arm then and took out his half-emptied cigarette pack. "Then there's only one way to solve this," he said after lighting up a stick.

"Eh?"

Gojyo blew leisurely before giving his best friend a significant wink. "Don't worry. Trust me."

Hakkai should have known better than to trust Gojyo. Not that the half breed was not trustworthy but he tended to be a little eccentric. Right now, they were alone in a karaoke room, waiting for Sanzo and Goku to show up.

"I don't think this is a good idea, Gojyo. You know I don't like to sing. And remember the last time we did this? Sanzo got so drunk and acted like a madman."

The half breed merely waved off the worry. "Daijobu," he drawled. "I made sure they serve us weak beer. And besides, this is the best way to get your message across. Don't worry. The only one who will be singing tonight will be you. After that, Goku and I will take our leave and you better talk things out with him then."

"But I don't like to sing..." Hakkai protested stubbornly.

Gojyo let out a deliberate sigh. "Look, you've been caught staring at the stinking monk. You can barely keep your eyes off him. And you're shy to tell him the truth. This is a perfect solution. The lyrics of the song describe perfectly what you're feeling so why worry so much? I know you don't like your singing voice but it doesn't sound that bad. Trust me."

Hakkai knew there was nothing more he could do. Gojyo had everything planned out and there was no loophole available for him to crawl out. He sank deeper into the cushion, waiting with bated breath for the arrival of Sanzo and Goku.

The faint sounds of footsteps were heard then and moments later, the door to the room swung open. Sanzo and Goku stepped in – the monk wearing an irritated expression while the lad began asking for food.

"Is that all you think about, saru?" Gojyo sighed as he pulled Goku down beside him, leaving Sanzo no choice but to take his place beside the nervous brunette.

"I'm hungry," Goku said defensively as he grabbed a fistful of peanuts already served on the table.

"We've had dinner just a few minutes ago," Gojyo stated the obvious.

Before Goku could answer, the blonde cut in. "If you two jokers are going to fight, I'm going back."

"Aw, don't be such a spoilsport, Sanzo-sama!" the kappa teased. He nudged Goku in the rib. "Oi, eat the peanuts but be sure to keep quiet."

The lad pouted. "Wakatta!"

Gojyo grinned widely. "Yosh! Let's get some singing done. Ah, Hakkai... get the ball rolling then!"

The said brunette cleared his throat slightly. "Eto..."

"Aww, come on!" the redhead drawled. "Ne, Goku... you think Hakkai should sing? We have not heard him sing before, right?"

"Umm," Goku agreed wordlessly as he cracked a peanut open with his teeth.

Hakkai chuckled nervously. "Maa, maa..." he started to say but was interrupted by the man beside him.

"If you don't want to sing, then don't sing. Don't feel obligated to entertain those two idiots!"

The brunette could feel Gojyo's eyes upon him, silently trying to push him off the sofa and to the front. But Sanzo's words pricked his ego slightly and he knew that it was no question of obligation. The redhead had gone through so much trouble to provide him a much needed platform and the least he could do was try his best. Love is after all like a gamble; you just have to take the risk. Win or lose is another matter.

"No, it's alright. I'll sing," Hakkai said with conviction and stood up. He made his way slowly to the front and behind the karaoke machine. The song had already been chosen; all he had to do then was just to pick up the microphone and press the start button.

"Ganbatte, Hakkai!" Goku exclaimed as he pumped a fist into the air. Gojyo was clapping his hands enthusiastically while Sanzo had his arms crossed and staring straight at the brunette.

Here goes, Hakkai thought apprehensively as he took the microphone in one hand and pressed the start button with the other. Moments later the music began – a languid, jazzy introduction.

"You're just too good to be true..." he began softly. "Can't take my eyes off you. You'd be like Heaven to touch. I wanna hold you so much. At long last love has arrived. And I thank God I'm alive. You're just too good to be true. Can't take my eyes off you..."

And all the while, Hakkai focused his attention upon the screen, refusing to look up even though both Goku and Gojyo were cheering and whistling.

"Pardon the way that I stare," he continued then, marveling at how well the verse fitted the whole situation. "There's nothing else to compare. The sight of you leaves me weak. There are no words left to speak. But if you feel like I feel. Please let me know that it's real. You're just too good to be true. Can't take my eyes off you..."

The catchy interlude before the chorus filled the room then and Hakkai risked a glance towards Sanzo, wondering if the words of the lyrics managed to elicit some form of response from the stoic man. A deep disappointment rushed through him when he realized that Sanzo had his eyes closed and appeared to be dozing off. But there was no time to dwell upon it as the words to the chorus began to flash on the screen. Please listen to me, Sanzo...

"I love you, baby. And if it's quite alright, I need you, baby, to warm a lonely night. I love you, baby. Trust in me when I say...Oh, pretty baby. Don't bring me down, I pray. Oh, pretty baby, now that I found you, stay. And let me love you, baby...Let me love you..."

The tempo dropped then and Hakkai poured forth his soul into the next verse. "You're just too good to be true. Can't take my eyes off you. You'd be like Heaven to touch. I wanna hold you so much. At long last love has arrived. And I thank God I'm alive. You're just too good to be true. Can't take my eyes off you..."

The catchy interlude started up again and the brunette found it difficult to breathe properly as he was overwhelmed with emotions. The song was clearly a perfect depiction of what he was feeling and of his hopes. Are you listening, Sanzo? he wondered but refusing to see the answer. The words for the chorus, which was also the finale, flashed across the screen, his cue to bare all that he had left in a final attempt to get his message across.

"I love you, baby. And if it's quite alright, I need you, baby, to warm a lonely night. I love you, baby. Trust in me when I say...Oh, pretty baby. Don't bring me down, I pray. Oh, pretty baby, now that I found you, stay. And let me love you, baby...Let me love you..."

As the last word of the whole song trailed off, more energetic clapping and cat whistles ensued. Goku was shouting something, as did Gojyo, but Hakkai paid no heed to them. He wanted the reaction of only one man, but the said man did nothing, his eyes still closed. A dull pain stabbed at his heart then. He shifted his gaze to Gojyo, hoping his friend could see his sorrow.

The redhead stopped shouting and slid a glance to their leader. A deep frown marred his forehead and he shot out one hand to wake the monk up. But Hakkai was quicker; he was already there just in time to stop Gojyo from pursuing his objective. Gojyo looked up, giving the brunette a sharp stare to which the latter received with a small smile.

"So I take it my performance was good?" Hakkai questioned good-naturedly as he took his seat, keeping his eyes on Goku.

The lad nodded his head vigorously. "Sugoi naa! Hakkai should really sing more often."

Although he was hurting inside, the brunette still managed to evince a believable chuckle. "Iie, mada dame desu."

A strong grip upon his wrist was felt then. Hakkai smiled as he reluctantly shifted his gaze to the redhead. "Hai, Gojyo?"

The half breed did not answer, merely engaging his friend in a silent reproach. Hakkai still maintained his smiling mask and casually slipped his wrist out of the redhead's grip. "Maa, all this singing makes my throat dry," he said amicably as he reached for a glass of beer. "I'd prefer sake though. I wonder if I can order some," he continued almost absent-mindedly.

"Goku!" Gojyo suddenly burst out. "Let's go and order some sake," he continued as he stood up and grabbed the lad's hand.

But Goku refused to budge. "Go by yourself. I still want to eat these peanuts."

The redhead leaned down till his face was only a mere inch from Goku's. "Listen, saru... follow me and I'll buy you some tasty meatbuns. Which do you prefer? These dry peanuts or succulent, fleshy meatbuns?"

The answer was obvious enough. Goku was on his feet in a second, nearly knocking over the taller man. "Meatbuns!" he exclaimed happily. "And don't call me a saru! I'm not a saru!"

"Whatever," Gojyo waved off the remark. He fixed Hakkai a knowing gaze. "We're off," he said simply before walking out of the room with the excited Goku trailing behind.

The room was devoid of all noises. Hakkai shifted somewhat uncomfortably in his seat, wondering what the next course of action would be. But unfortunately, his eyes had already decided what it would be. They were now fixed upon the monk's side profile, observing the longish bangs that fell forward, the slight frown etched upon the brow, the slight curl of the long lashes, the way the lips were fashioned into a cute, almost sensuous pout...

"Is there something on my face?" the lips moved then.

Hakkai gasped. "S-Sanzo?" Receiving no answer, the brunette pressed on. "Sanzo? Are you awake?"

"I never did fall asleep," came the unaffected answer.

He wasn't sleeping? So does that mean... "Were you listening then?" Hakkai demanded.

A careless shrug of the shoulders. "Wasn't really paying attention."

His heart sank to the pit of his stomach at the offhanded remark. You are always so mean, Sanzo. But I guess I have your answer already. I should have never placed such hopes on you. No, that's not it. In the first place, I should have never fallen in love with you.

"Though had it been your own words, I'd have probably listened..."

My own words? You'd have probably listened... to my own words? "My own words?" Hakkai echoed.

Sanzo let out a derisive snort. "Aren't you supposed to the smart one? Figure it out."

Always speaking in circles. Always so mean. Hakkai allowed a frown to cross his features then. I've got nothing to lose now, right? I've come this far. And if he gets offended, it's his fault then for leading me on.

"Aa, you're right. I should have probably used my own words. But I'm beginning to think that words are no longer effective now." And as soon as he said that, Hakkai reached out to firmly grasp Sanzo's shoulders. Sanzo's lids snapped open, clearly startled, but before he could say anything, Hakkai leaned forward and pressed his lips against the monk's.

He intended to just make it no more than a chaste kiss. But Hakkai found it impossible to resist brushing his lips against Sanzo's. He began to nibble on the blonde's lower lip and try to seek entrance into the warm cavern. And when Sanzo parted his lips, Hakkai wondered if it was possible for something to feel so right. A delicious shiver ran through him when their tongues met, which in turn flowed through to Sanzo as well. The kiss was slow and exquisite, hidden emotions glazed upon it, honest and tender. Perfect.

When they drew back for air, both were clearly flushed. Hakkai pulled back his hands and touched his lips, not believing what had happened. His eyes searched Sanzo's face, looking for any signs of resentment, though he did not think there was any likelihood since the monk could have well pushed him away earlier. "Sanzo?"

The said blonde averted his gaze, letting silence stretched between them. Hakkai took the chance and slid closer to the monk, but he did not seek for another kiss.

He waited instead for the answer to come. After what seemed like an eternity, Sanzo finally spoke up.

"Since when did you believe in God anyway?"

Hakkai was taken aback. "Eh?"

Instead of explaining what he meant, the monk continued. "And who are you calling 'pretty baby'? I could kill you for that. Don't ever call me that."

It finally dawned on the brunette what Sanzo was referring to. He laughed softly. "Aa, sumimasen ne. So you were listening after all."

Sanzo grunted. "Like I have a choice. Your singing was horrible that it was impossible to block out the song."

"Which was why I don't like to sing in the first place," the brunette sighed. But he smiled then as he realized that he could gaze fully now upon the face that haunted his dreams and waking hours. Pretty baby...

"Is there something on my face?" the blonde demanded.

Hakkai chuckled. "Iie,' he whispered as he leaned forward to capture the sweet lips. "Just can't take my eyes off you..."

= owari =

Side note:

Hakkai mentioned about the last time they went karaoke and Sanzo acting like a madman. Taken from Scene 4 of a Saiyuki drama album. Check out Anthey Oom's website for translation – home[dot]earthlink[dot]net/ayanosuke