Quarrels

"Say. That. Again." Goku growled. "If the boot," Lirin repeated slowly, "fits, you broiled ape." Goku rolled back his sleeves. "Okay, princess," he said in a low, husky voice. The two dragons nearby, one of them was Hakuryu, saw the instant danger and hid behind separate trees. Hakuryu had the right mind to stay away. Though he had never heard the boy speak in that tone of voice before, he knew his master had.

"Yaone? Dokugakuji? Kougaiji?" said Hakkai, rather surprised. "Why do I have a distinct feeling you guys are looking for Lirin?" Gojyo drawled. Sanzo however had his eyes narrowed. "Funny," replied Dokugakuji, grinning, "I had the same feeling, only you are looking for two, not one." There was a certain, rather familiar, loud boom, about a 500 meters away from where they are in the forest. At this, Kougaiji and Sanzo let out an irritated sigh. "Looks like we found them," said Yaone, "Aye," Hakkai agreed. A certain small white creature darted out of the trees, straight into Hakkai's chest making the healer fall backwards. "Good to see you too, Hakuryu," he laughed. A larger dragon darted among the trees and hid behind Yaone.

"That little idiot!" Kougaiji muttered under his breath, where Sanzo muttered, "Stupid monkey!" under his breath. "Why do I have a feeling it's beyond bad?" Gojyo whined as the two groups headed to the direction where the dragons came from. Dokugakuji just smiled and shrugged.

Goku and Lirin were breathing heavily as their friends arrived. They darted to each other to fight again but stopped half way as they were halted by Gojyo and Kougaiji.

"LET ME AT HER! LET ME AT HER!" Goku yelled from under Gojyo who had tangled him with the chain from his Jakujou.

"LET ME AT HIM! LET ME AT HIM!" Lirin shouted while being held by the neck by her brother. "Lirin, calm down," admonished Kougaiji, while Gojyo knocked Goku's head to quieten him.

"Now, now," Hakkai intervened as they stood up, "I'm pretty sure there's an explanation to all this." Lirin and Goku just glared at each other and turned opposite directions. That was quick, Hakkai thought, or maybe not... The change of events was too quiet.

As Lirin and Goku walked away they each said something insulting under their breath. "Brat," Goku said, "Jerk," Lirin muttered. They stopped pacing. Hakkai knew that was not good. "WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?" they shouted back at each other.

"Knock it off you two monkeys!" Gojyo shouted. The result of his anger was completely opposite of what he had hoped. "SHUT UP OR DIE!" they both shouted at him. Hakkai, Kougaiji, Dokugakuji and Yaone tried, and failed, to hide their laugh at Gojyo's retreat from the two angered teenagers with fright. Even Sanzo smirked with amusement.

"About time they took their anger out on something else, eh pansy?" said Sanzo, as Hakkai pulled Goku away and tied him to Hakuryu in his jeep form until he calmed down. While Yaone pulled Lirin away.

Goku was calm when Hakkai finally untied him. They set out their journey again. "Hey, monkey," asked Gojyo, "Mind telling us what you two where arguing about?" "Nothing," replied Goku. "NOTHING?" Gojyo shouted with anger, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'NOTHING' YOU STUPID APE?" Goku just stared at the sky, surprisingly unruffled. "Nothing of your concern," he said, smirking. Hakkai had to laugh at Goku's reply, Sanzo chuckled darkly. "Oi, we're all men here," admonished Gojyo, patience running thin. Goku sighed in defeat, and said, "She accused me of eating her last meat bun."

Hakkai swerved to the side so sharply at the sound of Sanzo's gun shot, all four would have been thrown out if they had not held on to anything tightly. "Was that what your quarrel with Lirin was all about?" asked Sanzo savagely, "A single meat bun?" asked Hakkai gently, though he was not believing what he heard. "Stupid isn't it?" said Goku lightly, "Why do you guys think I didn't want to talk about it?" Hakkai just smiled with amusement as he drove onwards to the West.

Later that night, everything was back to normal, or so they thought. Goku and Gojyo argued over food and threatened by Sanzo. Not surprisingly, Goku went to bed early. "Something tells me that Goku and Lirin were not just fighting over a meat bun," said Hakkai. "Why do you say that?" asked Sanzo. "Have you noticed those two have been quarrelling a lot lately?" asked Hakkai.

Now that Hakkai had mentioned it, the last few times the two parties had met, Goku and Lirin were often found quarrelling. The last time, Goku dug his staff into a cliff to prevent himself from falling into the rushing river with Lirin clinging onto his waist. They were rescued due to the sound of their quarrel.

The first time they fought, about a week later, Goku completely ignored Kougaiji and started quarrelling with Lirin. Both Hakkai and Yaone sweat-dropped, as did Kougaiji and Sanzo.

"You two sound like married couples when you quarrel like this," muttered Gojyo. Unfortunately, Goku and Lirin heard him.

"Stay still you stinkin' water sprite!" Goku yelled in what Gojyo now called his Sanzo-voice. No one imagined the zany monkey would talk like that. Goku bandaged Gojyo's wound of which he and Lirin had inflicted. "If you had kept your trap shut, you wouldn't be in this mess," Goku lectured some more. Poor Gojyo was too stunned to fight back. He knew Goku was only bandaging him because he felt guilty for hurting him.

Though Goku sounded mad, Hakkai thought he saw hurt in the boy's eyes. Sanzo saw it as well, and wondered if Lirin was paying attention at all to him. It was hard to make that girl see things.

"May borrow some money?" he asked Sanzo the next day. "Whatever," was the reply, flicking a few coins towards the monkey's direction, "just don't overbuy." "Thank you," Goku murmured. They found the monkey quarrelling with the kitty two hours later.

Hakkai had a sense of de ja vu when they found Kougaiji's party outside of town two hours later due to Goku and Lirin's bickering. He, Sanzo and Gojyo followed the smoke. Goku had bought flowers for Lirin, was seemingly particular as Sanzo, Hakkai and Gojyo had no idea where Goku was.

"What are these flowers for?" Lirin was shouting. "Oh, now I can't say I'm sorry?" yelled Goku. "Would that be because you're a perverted monkey?"

"You are one sick kitty!" Goku growled, and hence the quarrel started. Yet again.

Enough was enough... Hakkai and Yaone have lost their patience with all the bickering.

Smoke and light rose between Goku and Lirin shortly afterwards due to Yaone's bombs and Hakkai's high powered chi blasts. Their anger abruptly faded away as they found a burnt bouquet of what were purple hyacinths of which Goku had taken more than an hour to find in town. Oh, dear, they both thought. They braced themselves for a tirade from Goku and Lirin.

None came.

Goku and Lirin stared sadly at the remains of the burnt bouquet. Goku picked up the delicate charred flowers only to have them turn into dust. Lirin just stood beside him as she stared at the burnt flowers as well. She patted his shoulder. The quiet exchange made everyone angry – except Dokugakuji, Hakkai, Hakuryu and Yaone.

"Just what are your problems anyway?" Sanzo and Kougaiji shouted.

"Are you in love with each other or something?" teased Dokugakuji. "If you're in love with her, just say it you stupid monkey!" Gojyo said angrily.

Lirin and Goku looked at them, confused. "Nanda...?" Lirin said, eyebrows raised. "Who said we were in love?" asked Goku. Both groups looked at the two in confusion. Only crickets were heard at the sudden quietness. A vein or two pulsed in Sanzo's head.

"Those flowers you bought?" Yaone asked gently, breaking the silence.

"The purple hyacinths?" replied Goku, not quite grasping what pharmacist was saying, "I only bought them to ask Lirin for her forgiveness for calling her a brat and all..."

"Wait a minute," said Lirin, snickering, turning to Goku, "Baldy and kappa, Yaone and Brother thought we were...?" she could not continue. Snickering, Goku said, "...you guys thought I was...​?" they fell into gales of laughter that echoed through the forest. Their inane laughter made both members of their group feel very, very, small.

"So you're not in love?" asked Gojyo.

"Of course not, you perverted water-sprite," said Goku, wiping tears from his eyes. "I told you guys from the very beginning why we were fighting." "YOU STUPID MONKEY!" yelled Sanzo hitting his charge hard with his paper fan. Hakkai shook his head in amusement, I thought so, he thought.

"Hakkai," said Gojyo, "Weren't you the one who suggested that they were fighting over something else?" "I never said they were bickering because they were in love," said Hakkai, with a playful innocent look on his face. "Let's go," said Sanzo, heading back to town.

"Uh... could I at least apologise to her?" asked Goku, rubbing his sore head. "Alone?" added Lirin. Sanzo and Kougaiji looked at each other until a silent agreement passed between them.

"Sure," Kougaiji shrugged. "Whatever," Sanzo snorted.

As they walked separate directions, the sun began to sink. At one point, both leaders stopped and looked back at the adolescents. "If we hear any shouts..." began Sanzo, "...we won't hesitate," Kougaiji finished. "Guess we'd better do as they say, Yaone," chuckled Dokugakuji. "I fully agree," replied Yaone with a smile. "Come on, Gojyo," said Hakkai with false weariness, pulling his best friend away. "Shucks," Gojyo whined playfully, "I'm missing the best part." "Pervert!" shouted Goku, throwing a rock at him with a poor aim.

Once they were alone, Goku let his shoulders relax."I guess we could still plant them," said Goku, bending towards the burnt flowers. "How?" asked Lirin, "the flowers are burnt."

"See this," Goku asked her, showing the remains in hi hands. Lirin looked and saw a small bulging green bud. "Is that...?" she asked. "This place has plenty of sunlight and rain." He handed the small pod to her and began digging the dirt for it to be deep enough to plant the seed. Lirin tipped the seed in and patted the earth so it would become smooth. "I forgive you," she murmured, "Can you forgive me?" Goku looked of to the sunset as they stood.

It was a beautiful sunset. Lirin wondered what could he be looking at. She looked inquiringly at the monkey. She almost gasped at the boy before her. Never before had she anyone so beautiful. Goku had eyes like the sun. His lean body which bathed in the sunlight was tanned. Wind played with brown hair, his handsome expression looked much older than it was when he was angry. And his smile was so pure. "Hakkai once told me forgiveness a great form of love," Goku finally spoke, blushing. "So you do forgive me?" asked Lirin shyly. "Yes, actually," said Goku. "Thank you," she said, kissing his cheek. With that, she went towards the direction her brother had retreated without looking back.

Goku put his hand on the cheek where Lirin had kissed him. It wasn't a lover's kiss, that much he knew. As night fell, he decided it was time to walk back to his friends.

Seeing his flushed face, Sanzo, Hakkai and Gojyo thought it safe not to question Goku anything about what had happened. They jumped into enough conclusions to last them a long time. About two months later, Goku was sleeping peacefully. Sanzo, Hakkai and Gojyo were playing cards when the boy started mumbling, "I'll catch you... I'll catch you." The three men looked towards him and found him smiling stupidly in his sleep. "Oh no," Sanzo and Gojyo groaned. Hakkai just laughed, knowing this time, they would leave Goku alone.