"Don't Cry"'

A/N: Sorry if it sucks. It's my first crack at a Saiyuki story. Please be gentle, read and review. Thanks!


It was right then when he heard it. And right then when the claret orbs fell upon the pair of boys.

An older brother, with his younger brother, telling him not to cry, even though the younger boy clearly had no tears spilling down his cheeks.

"Gojyo!" The ruby haired man blinked, looking away from the scene, only to face a russet haired, heretical monkey with the golden eyes. "If you don't hurry up, I won't leave you anything to eat, you stupid kappa!" The kappa grinned, giving a brotherly noogie to his shorter companion, and regrouping with the priest and the ever smiling chauffer. They walked in almost deafening silence, so deafening, even Sanzo was disturbed by it, that is, until a certain monkey opened his mouth,

"Shut it, chimp."

"I didn't even say anything!"

"I knew you were going to say it. Now shut it."Dinner. Well, that was a bust, three out of four hardly got any. Well, it was okay, since Gojyo wasn't very hungry anyway, although, there was much competition and bickering, and many bullets fired to shut the dueling duo up. Gojyo competed just for show and ate to act normal, even though he was feeling sort of reflective. And that, he couldn't show. He couldn't be a brooder, like Sanzo, or a deep thinker, like Hakkai. He had to just be Gojyo. Semi-deep thinker, semi-brooder, all façade.

. Well, that was a bust, three out of four hardly got any. Well, it was okay, since Gojyo wasn't very hungry anyway, although, there was much competition and bickering, and many bullets fired to shut the dueling duo up. Gojyo competed just for show and ate to act normal, even though he was feeling sort of reflective. And , he couldn't show. He couldn't be a brooder, like Sanzo, or a deep thinker, like Hakkai. He had to just be Gojyo. Semi-deep thinker, semi-brooder, all façade.

Finding an inn in town, no. Finding a vacant inn in town was a hard chore, hard but not impossible. Then came the ever arduous task of choosing roommates, by means of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Sanzo and Goku both lost, meaning they got stuck in one room together, leaving Gojyo and Hakkai stuck with each other, and even between the best friends, the silence seemed so serious, so heavy, so deafening. Only to Hakkai though, Gojyo had seemed to have spaced out again. It was such a blank stare, such as one of a dead person. Staring though everything, not looking at any particular point beside somewhere far-off, into the distance.

"Gojyo?"


"Gojyo… don't cry." The raven haired older boy turned to his baby brother, who in return frowned and sourly said,

"Who's crying, Jien?" The younger boy, covered in bruises and bandages continued, huffily muttering, "It's your fault anyway, thinking it would be cool to go off into the forest... you're a big dumb ass-face."

"It's not like I told you to tag along! You just did, like a lost puppy! And how the hellwas I supposed to know the stupid fog would get this thick!" Jien spat, a tad frustrated.

"Yeah, su-" Gojyo stopped, mid sentence to let out a scream as he stumbled over the side on a steep cliff, leading down into what seemed like clouds.

"Gojyo! Just hold on! I'll pull you up!" the younger boy's heart raced as the older boy pulled him from danger. And when he was safe, they both stopped to catch their breath. "Are… you… alright, Gojyo?"

"Your… your arm… you got hurt." The boy replied, ignoring the question.

"Nah, it's just a scratch. Don't worry about it." The claret haired boy looked somber. "Hey… I told you not to cry… now didn't I?"

"I'm not-"

"Jien!" A large breasted woman collapsed in front of the raven haired boy and began to sob loudly. He embraced her and tried to quell her sobs.

Gojyo stood, watching them, his hair blew in the breeze, brushing gently against his bruises and bandages, I'm not crying. Jien looked up at his brother, seeing the serious expression plastered upon his face. I'm not crying…


"I'm not crying."

"What was that, Gojyo?" The red headed, taboo kappa snapped out of his daze long enough to stare strangely at Hakkai, whom was just as confused as he. Gojyo gave a smirk and said,

"Nothing, 'Kai." He closed his eyes, I'm a different man than I was back then. He was trying to tell me it was okay to cry… Hmph. I know it's okay to cry. Feh.My brother was an ass.

I'm still not crying, Jien.

-owari-