Authoress here.

I'm amazed. This has been my most successful story thus far, and quite frankly I'm surprised. I started writing it on a whim one day after reading the first Saiyuki manga, and I'm startled that people enjoy it enough to review. I'm used to getting rather rude flames on other stories, so the positive reviews on this one made me so happy that I didn't need sugar to bounce off the walls.

I'll keep going until writer's block hits me again, or until the story ends. I don't want it to end. I apologize if the chapters get increasingly longer or shorter; I'm not very consistent with my writing.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, really, except the character Machira. She's roughly based on me...I wouldn't dare to sleep in the same bed as Gojyo, so there's one difference.

START CHAPTER

Go to the West? Machira heaved a sigh, and leaned against the headboard. How much could she help them, really? She had been severely wounded by a pathetic bunch of pawns that had been a laughing matter to the Sanzo party. She put a bandaged hand to her head and sighed quietly for a second time.

Gojyo shifted in his sleep, and Machira cast a glance at him. His long hair had fallen away from his face to reveal the scars that he carried near his left eye. She stretched out a hand, temporarily illuminated by the moonlight streaming in through a window, to touch his cheek. Coming to her senses with her fingertips only a few inches from his face, she pulled back, startled by her own emotions. Having scolded herself earlier that night for something similar, she was confused as to why she had done it again.

Clasping her hands tightly together, she focused her eyes firmly on a wrinkle in the sheets over her legs, reminding herself silently that she had no chance with a ladies' man and that it was time to get over it.

Gojyo turned again so his back was to Machira, and unbeknownst to her, his eyes flickered open. They had been open a crack when she had reached out to him and pulled away with a pained look, and her actions were confusing him as much as her.

If he's nothing more than a temporary infatuation, then why does it hurt so much to admit that I could never win his heart? Machira wondered, squeezing her eyes shut. Do I...love him? Silently rising from the bed, she walked to the bathroom where she could sink to the floor and let unbidden tears slip from her eyes.

"He has his choice of women," she whispered, brushing a hand across her cheek. "I'm nothing more than entertainment until he finds someone better."

Gojyo yanked his ear from the door, thoroughly shocked. He had crept silently from his spot in the bed when he had seen her leave and heard a soft whimper escape her lips, despite her attempts to muffle it.

Leaning against the side of the bathtub, Machira sucked in a ragged breath. Why am I crying? she asked herself silently. When she had heard that her home had been destroyed, she hadn't cried. When she realized her parents, friends, and family were dead, her eyes had remained dry. "Why am I crying now?" she asked herself quietly, causing Gojyo to place his ear on the door again. "Why the hell does this hurt so badly?"

She had stopped crying by this point, but the feeling of overwhelming sadness was something that she couldn't control. When she stood up, she had to throw out a hand to steady herself.

Gojyo jumped back as he heard her stand up and head for the door. He didn't want her to know that he had been listening.

Seconds later, she pushed the door open to find the room exactly as it had been when she had left it. Gojyo was lying on his back with an arm extended so it rested just below her pillow. She paused as she reached the side of the bed, and instead headed towards the window. Leaning against the frame, she inhaled the crisp night air deeply. The moonlight hitting the ground below was a sight to behold.

A large rose bush was in the middle of her line of sight, and her eyes were drawn to the large rose that the moonlight shone on most directly. The early morning dew already coated the land, and the light shining on the rose gave it a heavenly appearance. The sight cheered her up, and smiled and rubbed her eyes, still red from crying.

She turned from the window, and moved on to her next challenge. Standing at the side of the bed, she pondered what to do about Gojyo's extended arm. A part of her longed to lie down beside him and rest her head on his chest. The more reasonable part of her took over, and she carefully moved his arm so it rested at his side. At that, she slid into bed and forced her eyes to close. She could at least try to fall asleep again before sunrise.

Gojyo smiled to himself, his eyes on the gently curling hairs by the base of her neck. She truly was a remarkable woman, and up until this point had seemed not to be affected by his charming ways. Her silent and softly spoken confessions had revealed otherwise, and left Gojyo to wonder why he hadn't noticed it sooner. He had been attracted to her right away, but considering that he was attracted to almost every available young woman that he had ever seen, it wasn't too much of an honor.

Still, the flirtatious half-demon found it ironic that the only woman who he hadn't seduced and slept with was the only one that was looking for something more than a one-night stand. She wasn't like the other women that he had met in the past, which had caught his attention after she regained consciousness.

Gojyo paused in his thoughts to cast a glance out the window, and gave a satisfied smile. At least his crude ways attracted someone different this time. His eyes flickered shut, and he allowed sleep to claim him.

The next morning, Machira was up quite early. She had finally fallen asleep, but had awoken at sunrise and busied herself with changing the bandages on her hands and arms until Gojyo sat up and yawned.

"Morning," he said, grinning at her.

She tugged on the bandage, making it tighter than she intended when she saw him smiling at her, and jumped. Turning her face down quickly, she loosened the scrap of cloth and hoped to conceal her flushed face.

Gojyo swung his legs over the edge of the bed, using his long hair as a veil to hide his wide smile. As much as she tried, she couldn't fool him into thinking that she didn't still care about him. He arose and crossed the room to where she was struggling to wrap bandages around a burn on her right arm with her left hand.

Placing his hands over hers and causing her to freeze, he said gently, "Here. I'll do it."

"Um...t-thanks," she stammered, releasing her grip on the roll of bandages that she had been holding.

Gojyo's face was close enough to hers where she could see the scars by his left eye clearly. Biting her tongue, she held back the lingering question she had on the origin of them.

"My mother tried to kill me when she saw what I was," Gojyo said quietly, noting how her eyes lingered beside his eye but she kept the question to herself. "But my brother saved me."

Startled at his openness on the event that had probably caused him much pain, she quickly met his eyes and found that he was smiling. He leaned in towards her, one hand moving to caress her cheek. Her heartbeat sped up, and she allowed her eyes to flicker closed.

His lips were inches from hers when the door banged open and the other three men entered, causing him to jerk back sharply.

Thus, Machira's feelings for the redheaded demon were renewed, along with a great deal of confusion.

One question remained in the midst of all of this, however, and plagued her mind: what was Gojyo interested in her for?

END CHAPTER

How was that? I love ending with a cliffhanger. It's just plain fun!

I'll try to get the next chapter up sometime this week, but I make no guarantees.

Authoress out.