Disclaimer: I do not own Saiyuki or any of the characters. I do not own the quote.Nari and Yoko are my minions. (Sorry! I had to say that, my friends. XD) Kaiya is also my character.
Always There
"A part of you has grown in me. And so you see, it's you and me together forever and neverapart, maybe in distance, but never in heart."- Anonymous
"Prepare yourself, Genjyo Sanzo! We have come for the sutra! So hand it over to avoid any problems! Muwahahahahahaha!" the demon leader laughed manically. The Sanzo-ikkou had, once again, run into a bunch of die-hard, 'All hail lord Kougaiji', moronic demon assassins. It really didn't help that there were a bunch of them or the fact that they were in the middle of a forest, either.
"Ah man. You've got to be shittin' me. This is the third time today!" Gojyo groaned at the sight of the army. He slapped his hand to his forehead.
"Can't we catch a break at all?"Nari added.
"I guess not, considering our infamy." Hakkai laughed at the two whiners.
"Shut the hell up, all of you! Let's get this over with!" Sanzo growled, the stirrings of a headache coming on.
"Okay. Sanzo and Kaiya take this area, Gojyo and Nari, you guys keep to the right. Yoko, Goku and I will take the left. Is that alright with everyone?" hakkai explained.
"Why must I always be stuck with this woman?" Sanzo asked, really pissed that he always ended up with her.
"Because you'd never get anything done without me, Ms. Bitch with a dick!" she stated bluntly, drawing her blades and grinning evilly at Sanzo.
"Oi! Come back here and say that to my face!" he shouted at the retreating figure, following her either way. (Hee hee! Loves it when I talk dirty!)
"Come on, Nari. We got some demon ass to kick!" Gojyo crowed, already heading down the designated path.Nari followed after him, wary of the demons following close behind. The two ran as far from where the others were, luring a part of the demon army away from them. As soon as they got the chance, the demons lunged at the two.
The demons came at them in numbers. nari attacked them with swift kicks and punches while Gojyo took care of many with his blade. This went on for a while until one of them got the bright idea of attacking them from behind. (Bad idea….) Nari saw the attack coming and gave the guy a swift kick in the gut, making him drop his sword. She picked up the sword, intending to use it if needed.
Gojyo and Nari finally defeated the demons and watched as they fled in terror.
"Heh! Piece of cake! See, babe. Told you we could do this. Now that that's settled, maybe we can hit the road and find a nice place to spend the night, hmmm?" Gojyo winked at her. Nari laughed, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Sounds like a good plan. Let's go." She answered the redhead as the two started down the path.
Just then, a lone demon popped out of nowhere, a chained sickle hanging loosely in his hand. (What the hell? Where did he come from?)
"What the hell? Where did he come from?" Gojyo asked, taking out his shakujo. (What did I just say!)
"Whoa. Must've missed one, hun. I've got it. Take a breather."Nari smiled as she picked up the blade she was aching to use.
"Rrrgg…. Die, you bitch!" the demon cried, swinging his blade at Nari. She blocked his blow and parried his.Kaiya had taught her many things in her youth, one being the art of swordsmanship. Although Nari was pretty good considering, she had yet to beat Kaiya. Either way, she had a pretty thorough knowledge of many fighting styles. The demon took another shot at her, which she dodged and supplied a striking blow to his flank, wounding him. The fight went on like this until Nari got him again, this time his shoulder.
The demon looked for something to use to his advantage. He grinned sinisterly and jumped up high, landing behind her. He took Gojyo by the shoulders and flung him in front of him. Gojyo was about to protest but was silenced by a sickening sound of metal digging into flesh. He looked up and saw Nari with the sword in him. She paled at what she had done. She had meant to hit the demon, not Gojyo.
The demon laughed but was silenced by a blade ripping through him. Gojyo fell to the ground, trying hard to breath. Nari dropped the blade and was on her knees beside Gojyo. She was trying hard not to panic.
"Gojyo. Gojyo! Gojyo, talk to me damn it! Are you all right? Are you going to be okay? Please tell me you're going to be okay." Nari asked, her voice trembling slightly out of fear. He brought a hand to her face, stroking her cheek.
"It's not your…fault okay? You…. couldn't have. It….was an accident. I'll be all right. I'm…just a little…tired at the moment. Okay?" he said, his breathing getting ragged and more labored with each breath.
"Gojyo! Please get up! Get up! Please, Gojyo!" Tears began to form, as she continued to shake him, coaxing him to get up. The man looked up at her with tenderness in his eyes.
"I'm sorry. I'm….just too tired. Tell me… what happens….when I wake up, okay?" Gojyo sighed, having said what he could. He closed his eyes, letting consciousness slip away as he fell into darkness.
" Gojyo…. Gojyo! Gojyo! Please wake up! Please! Get up! Say something! Wake up! Please!" Nari yelled at the still form. Tears fell from her eyes, wishing to take back what she had done. She racked her brain trying to come up with something. She stood up and started screaming at the top of her lungs.
"Hakkai! Yoko! Sanzo! Somebody help me! Guys, come quick! Please! Help me! Oh gods…" She dropped to her knees, sobbing into her lover's chest. The twilight faded into dusk, matching the darkness of the woman's despair.
Nari was sitting quietly in a chair in the inn they had miraculously found on such short notice. The others came at her cries to find Gojyo severely wounded. They had tried to find out what had happened to Gojyo but the only thingNari could do was cry or shout hysterically that it was her fault. Hakkai had got them to the nearest town as fast as he could and carried Gojyo into the nearest inn they could find. The rest of the ikkou had minor scrapes and cuts that would heal on their own. The bulk of their concern went to Gojyo.
Hakkai came out from Gojyo's room and everyone silently waited to hear the news.
"He's in a bad way. The cut was deeper than we thought. He also has a high fever, spasms, and he's raving in his sleep. He might make it and he might not. There's no way to tell at this point." Hakkai shook his head gravely, taking tea offered by Yoko.
"You're kidding me! He couldn't have been hit that bad!" Goku shouted, disbelief in his voice.
" I'm afraid that's the way it is Goku." Hakkai answered the youth.
Nariwas anger at the situation but mostly at herself.
' It's all my fault. If I hadn't have been so gung-ho he wouldn't be…' she didn't finish the thought. She got up and ran out of the room.
"Nari! Where are you going? Nari!"Yoko yelled, intending to follow after. A hand held her back. She looked to findKaiya holding her back.
"Leave her be. She needs to figure this one out on her own." She said to the young woman.
"But Nari is…"
"I'm aware of that. She blames herself for what happened. It was most likely an unexpected accident. But talking about it right now, will do nothing more than bring more pain. For now, leave her be. She probably be spending the night in Gojyo's room, so no need to worry on her whereabouts." She explained to the others.
The others nodded in agreement, heading to their own rooms for some well- deserved sleep.Kaiya went over to the window, watching the stars as they twinkled softly at her. Sanzo lookedover at Kaiya, as if searching for something.
"What?" she yawned, the events of the day finally catching her.
He went behind her and wrapped his arms loosely around her waist in a casual embrace.
"You don't honestly believe that she would purposely harm Gojyo, do you?" He asked, pulling her closer to him.
"Purposefully, no. But if she were in the middle of a fight and the demon pulled something underhanded, causing Gojyo to get hurt in the process. That I can believe." She sighed, leaning back against the high priest.
"It sounds like you understand those circumstances." He rocked the both of them softly, trying to ease the worry building up in him.
"Perhaps. There are many things in the past that one doesn't always speak of. Of course…" she turned to face the priest, wrapping her arms around him, "I thought you couldn't stand me." She grinned devilishly at the priest, waiting for the aggravated response.
"Why should one hate that which is harmless?" he smirked and went to his bed.
She grinned and chuckled at his response and climbed into bed.
"That which is harmless, huh? Perhaps…"
She went to sleep, waiting for what the coming day would bring.
Nari crept into his room silently, not wishing to wake anyone from sleep. She closed the door and made her way to his bed. She smoothed his bangs back and felt his forehead. His fever hadn't gone down. She took the rag and wrung it before dabbing his neck and face with it. She left on his forehead when she was finished. She pulled a chair up to his bed and sat beside his bed, hoping to see him wake soon.
Gojyo hadn't moved seen they had brought him to the inn. Everyone had reassured her that the gash wasn't that bad. They had flat out lied. It was long, deep cut in this chest very close to his heart. She didn't focus on the bandages as much as she sat there. She watched his face, never wanting to take her eyes off for a moment should he slip away.
"Hey, baby. It's me. How are you feeling? Well, I guess you're not feeling that great if you're here. I wish you were up and talking to me. Maybe I wouldn't hear this silence." She said to him, making an attempt at just occupying herself.
"Yeah. I mean, if you were awake we would be doing much more interesting things. Heh!" she laughed, vainly trying to sound somewhat normal. Dead silence reached her ears.
"Gojyo… Please wake up. I never…. meant to hurt you. I did and I'm so very sorry. I hope you can forgive me. Right now, I just can't… I can't…. Oh god! I'm so sorry!" she whispered into his chest. The tears flowed down her cheeks as she cried into him. The pain of knowing he was like this because of her was enough to send her over the edge. She lifted her gaze up to cup his cheek in her hand.
"Gojyo. I know I really haven't said it in words but…. I love you! You are the first person who ever really did something for me. You're the first person outside of my own family who didn't treat me like trash. You saw something in me that I don't even see my self. I don't even know why you love me! I wish I could've said that earlier. I wish I hadn't waited or been too scared to tell you. I'm sorry. I'm so very, very sorry!" she sobbed quietly, wanting to stop crying.
Narifelt a weight on her thigh and a gentle squeeze. She looked up to see her lover smiling at her in the moonlight. She stopped breathing for a minute, not sure whether to think it's a dream or real.
"You don't know that you're beautiful?" Gojyo said quietly to Nari. She laughed and hugged Gojyo tightly.
"You're awake!" she sobbed.
"You're crushing me, babe!" he choked.
"Oh! Sorry!" She unwound her arms from around her lover. She wiped away her tears that refused to stop. Gojyo pushed himself into a sitting position, grimacing slightly from his wound, and beckonedNari to sit with him. She came onto the bed with and was immediately wrapped in blankets and a pair of strong arms. She watched as he ran his tongue gently on her tearstained cheeks, hoping to make them stop. He rested his forehead against hers and the two sat like that for along time.
"I thought you knew. You are the most beautiful woman I've met. Not because of your outward beauty but…. I think I understand what Hakkai meant now. That when you fall in love, you give a lot of yourself away and you still feel that you owe them something. That's how I feel every moment I'm with you. Even when we're apart, it feels like if I turn around I'll see you there, waiting for me to come. In truth, I love you. When I'm with you, it feels like nothing can harm me and I'd be damned if I let anyone take you from me. I've found you now and I'll never let go. Not ever. Besides, how people have you met who are as good in bed as I am?" He grinned lecherously.Nari smacked him on the shoulder gently.
"I never said I was gonna leave. I won't. I want you here far too much to let you go. Even when you didn't respond to me, it felt like you were right beside me. Promise me. Promise me that you won't die, at least not now…." Nari smiled burying her head in his chest.
Gojyo lifted her head and chuckled. "I believe I said I was going to die in the middle of sex with a hot, gorgeous babe. You win the position by default."
"I don't think so. Not while I'm around. I believe you should always finish what you started. By the way, you're not getting any until that wound heals, got it? I will not have you bleeding all over me right when I'm getting warm." She smirked at him.
"Fine. But you're sleeping in the same bed as me." He grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her deeply and if she weren't tired she would have enjoyed it more.
"Good night, Gojyo…."Nari yawned, settling into his warm embrace.
'Forever…. You're mine and I won't let you go.' She thought as she let herself drift off to sleep.
"Hey! Give me that back! Give it, stupid cockroach!" Goku cried as Gojyo took his dim sum.
"Nuh uh! It doesn't have your name on it." Gojyo laughed at the boy.
Everything had turned backed to normal as soon as Gojyo was well enough to move.Nari had been taking care of him like an overbearing mother. She would hardly let him out of her sight for an instant.
"My everyone's so lively today!" Hakkai laughed.
Gojyo and Nari's eyes met. A secret smiled was shared between the two, a sign that everything would be all right. A sign that nothing would break the bond between them. Nothing could break something so pure as love.
Owari