There were certain things that would be better left forgotten. Moments in time where she might have embarrassed herself, moments of loss, moments of rejection. As much as she wished to forget, the past 1,500 years had done nothing to fade these memories from her mind. Leaning back in the bath, she let the water close over her head for a moment. The warmth enveloped her and she wished that she could stay like that forever, but knew better. Resurfacing, she took a deep breath and sighed. I'm not evil, she reminded herself.

The memory that was plaguing her now was one of her worst moments. It had been brought to the front of her thoughts by Kimiko's questions regarding her scars and tattoos. Jiayi leaned back against the tub's smooth surface, the hot water of the bath seeming to cradle her. It's worse than usual. In the past, I could think of it and be over it soon. But that girl. That little witch! She clenched her hand into a fist and closed her eyes. "No…she isn't bad. She didn't know what sort of impact her words would have."

Standing at the edge of a burning grass field, Jiayi had faced him. She was battered from their fight, but determined to make him look at her. If he would just talk to her, then perhaps everything would turn out alright. Behind the girl, villages and fields of crops were ablaze. Behind him, the world was still blue and green, peaceful. Alive. She had shouted, screamed at him to look at her as he spoke. Her words fell upon deaf ears. He told her that there was no chance, that she was simply power-hungry. She was obsessive and wicked. Jiayi had fallen to her knees as he began to walk away, without sparing her a glance for even a second.

Her love for him was not without a reason. She greatly admired his strength and kindness. His easygoing nature. His smile. She loved when he smiled. Though it was never directed at her. Not even once. Rain began to fall and the fires were doused. Jiayi fell to her knees in the mud and ruins, tears mingling with raindrops as guilt tore into her. The girl, in her immense pain and sense of powerlessness, gouged at her own flesh in an effort to end it. Tried desperately to end her life the only way she could think of in that moment. When she lay bloody and sobbing on the muddy earth, a warm hand found her shoulder and offered reassurance that she had purpose.

The kind face that looked down upon her was not her love, but someone else. He helped her to shelter, tended to her wounds, and taught her how to forage and make medicines that could heal almost any ailment. More than anything, he offered her hope for the future. Hope for reform. When she was at her absolute worst, he had still seen that she had benevolence in her.

Jiayi felt something wet trail down her cheek and she frowned. Wiping at her eyes, she sighed again. "Enough of this…I need a distraction." She dried her long dark hair and combed out the tangles, standing before the bathroom mirror. The tattoos on her arms and chest were not quite what Kimiko thought they were. They more closely resembled scars than tattoos; deep etchings in Jiayi's pale flesh. Touching one on her shoulder, she raised an eyebrow. It feels strange. Really strange.

"Hey, are you almost done?"

"…almost…" She opened the bathroom door and leaned against the doorway, crossing her arms. "Jack…I have a question. Where does your loyalty lie?"

"What? Why are you asking that?" He frowned and tried to ignore the fact that his cheeks were turning pink. Jiayi was standing there in black underwear and a loose t-shirt that he had loaned her. "You think I'd betray you?"

The girl tilted her head and started toward him, her hips swaying. "Should I be worried?"

Jack, using every ounce of courage, met her halfway across the room and stood with just inches between them. "I wouldn't betray you. We're partners. Besides, you scare me." With that, he stepped around her into the bathroom and closed the door.

Jiayi heard the shower start and smirked. What was that? He was suddenly really brave. Why can't he be like that more often? And that last bit sort of ruined it. She flopped onto his bed and stretched her arms over her head. Her bright amber eyes were drawn to a website that he had pulled up on the laptop lying next to her. What's this…? Oh! Well, these are some nice clothes. A glance down at the t-shirt she had borrowed from Jack made her frown. I could use some new clothes…

"Don't you look content?"

The girl scowled and glanced up, finding an annoying female figure standing in the bedroom doorway. "This is my territory," she snarled. "Get out now before I throw you out, Wuya." Jiayi shifted off of the bed and turned her back on the woman, searching for a pair of pants. Her jeans were dry by this point so she settled on those. I didn't even sense her! What's wrong with me lately?

"I saw you with Chase today. You were rolling around on the ground with him like-!"

"There…is nothing between me and Chase Young!" Jiayi growled as she turned to Wuya.

The redhead raised an eyebrow, leaning on one hip. "Is that really what you think? Do you think I'm stupid? Do you think I don't know why you became this way?"

"What? Living with a mortal young man…wearing his hand-me-downs?"

"You know what I'm talking about! You were made this way for him and you know it, Jiayi Xun!" She started toward the girl and then paused, smirking. "You still haven't realized it, have you? You realize you're cursed, don't you?"

"What are you talking about?" Jiayi gathered her long, dark blue hair into a ponytail and tied it in place. "Just…what sort of curse are you referring to? Did you place a curse on me?"

"If I wanted to curse you, I would tell you as soon as I did it. I don't think I can now anyway. Maybe before you turned, but not now." She was suddenly right in front of Jiayi, gripping her chin and staring down into the girl's amber eyes. "You've been cursed since birth, haven't you? Cursed to draw people to you, but never the ones you love. Isn't that why he never loved you? Isn't that why your parents-?"

"My parents loved me! Don't make up lies to justify your…creepy obsession and these stupid fantasies!" She tried to pull free, her hips swaying back and forth in agitation like a cat's tail when they have been toyed with for too long. Just before they strike.

Wuya smirked and released her. "You really don't care about Chase Young?"

"Not in the least. To me, he's lower than an insect." She grimaced, realizing that she sounded very much like him in that moment. When is Jack going to be done in there? The sooner he comes out, the sooner she'll leave. Hopefully.

"I see." The witch's smirk grew. "I see perfectly now. I suppose I should have seen it sooner. You're the perfect seductress because you don't even realize you're trying to seduce him! It's unintentional!" Wuya cackled, ignoring how Jiayi winced at the harsh sound. "So? Just how desperate have you made Jack?"

"I will destroy you," Jiayi threatened, taking a step closer. She hated that she had to stand on the tips of her toes, just to be on eye-level with the witch. "Wuya…I will tear off all of your limbs…and scatter them around the world like shen-gon-wu. Now is that what you want? Because if it is…go ahead and keep talking." She reveled in the look of absolute horror in the woman's eyes. Taking another step closer, she watched Wuya nearly trip over her own feet to step away from her. Jiayi tilted her head and licked her lips. "So…? What's it going to be?"

The redhead was gone quickly, leaving Jiayi alone in the bedroom. She glanced to the computer again and clicked over a few items before making her way to the kitchen in search of food. What if she's right though? What if I really am cursed? But that doesn't make sense. I like Jack. And Jack said that he loves me. He does…doesn't he? Why would he lie? But men do lie. I saw it when I was younger. When I was mortal. Boys from the village would lie all the time to get girls to do what they wanted. Jiayi perched on the counter and stared out at the rain. It reminded her of that one fantastically horrible day she had encountered so many centuries ago. She normally liked the rain. It often brought her comfort. With the memory so fresh in her mind, it only served as a painful reminder of her defeat.

She sat silently for a long time, listening to the rain hit the window and the gentle ticking of the kitchen clock. When she felt that she was being watched, she opened her eyes and met a pair of red ones from across the room. "…Jack…how long have you been standing there…?"

He scratched the back of his neck, looking a little awkward. "Not long. Uh…I ordered that stuff that you clicked on. Did you want anything else?" Jack saw her shrug. "I ordered some other stuff for you, too. Same sizes." Now the immortal nodded. "Did I hear Wuya earlier?"

"She came by to harass me about your 'idol'." Jiayi stretched, hearing her back pop pleasantly. A half-grin formed on her face as she hopped down from the counter. "She said that I'm…unintentionally seducing him…can you believe that?" A short laugh escaped her.

"Actually, yeah. I can believe that."

"Hm? What are you talking about, Jack?"

"You're swaying your hips again. You don't even notice when you do it, do you?" Jiayi shook her head and Jack smirked. "It's not even just swaying your hips. You just have this weird effect on guys." He took a few steps toward her, his heart skipping a beat when she tilted her head. He was trying to act confident, forcing forth every little bit of courage that he had in him. She was both beautiful and terrifying at the same time as she watched him with those sharp amber eyes. Her light pink lips curled into a smirk as well and she raised an eyebrow. "You're doing it right now."

"…doing what, exactly…?" Jiayi was surprised when he closed the distance between them, suddenly staring down at the young woman. Strangely enough, she felt her heart beat faster in her chest. Chase had a similar effect on her, but it was mostly fear that she felt when he came close. With Jack so close to her now, she felt a fluttery feeling in her stomach as well as the pounding of her heart. What is he doing? He's usually so…timid.

His smirk seemed to grow and he leaned in closer. Jiayi, mildly unsettled by this sudden change, leaned back a little. The counter dug into the small of her back and she winced when he planted a hand on the counter to either side of her, effectively trapping her in place. "So do you feel like that sometimes? You feel what other girls feel, right?"

She bit her lip and looked away, annoyed with how she was feeling. Why is my heart racing like this? I'm over a thousand years old! I shouldn't be blushing like some lovesick little girl! Turning her gaze back to him, she stuck out her tongue. "What? You…think I'm some sort of freak now…? And just what…sort of feelings are referring to?" The girl sensed his next action, thankfully, and had time to react. Though her reaction was a bit uncomfortable and awkward for both of them. When he moved to step closer so that they pressed against each other, she quickly moved to slip an arm between them. However, her hand ended up lower than anticipated and when he stepped closer, her palm pressed against something that made him groan quietly and half-close his bright crimson eyes. Her face turned red and she turned her head to the side. "Jack…that was an accident."

"Your hand is still there." The young man was trying to ignore the feeling of her hand against him, but it was proving extremely difficult. Especially when she shyly bit her lip and looked away. Subconsciously, his hips thrust forward against her hand and he blushed pink. "Sorry."

"You…seem to be enjoying it. You realize you could step back and-?" She felt one of his hands gently grasp her wrist and move her hand a little. What is he doing? Why is it…getting harder?! Her eyes met his and she felt as if her heart would hammer out of her chest. "Jack…why are you looking at me like that…?" Jiayi forced herself to sound brave, but she was panicking on the inside. I've never been this close to a man! What do I do? And he's rubbing himself with my hand! And he keeps making that groaning sound, but his face says that he's enjoying it! What should I do?! Her free hand gripped the front of his shirt tightly and she half-closed her eyes before pressing her other hand harder against the front of his pants. "Jack…you like this?"

He hissed quietly, feeling her fingertips press harder. Imagining what it would feel like without those layers of cloth between her skin and his seemed to be taking all of his current brainpower. His heart was beating faster than he ever remembered it beating before. When she looked at him with those half-closed amber eyes, he felt his adolescent lust intensify almost unbearably. "You haven't done this before, right?" Very carefully, he pulled her hand away and pressed his hips forward against hers. Jiayi's gaze turned from confusion and trepidation to something else. Something that only served to further fuel what he was feeling. When he cautiously moved to grind against her, she released a soft gasp that nearly threw him over the edge. Jack's hands went to her hips, holding her in place while her arms went around his neck. "Do you like this?"

"Ngh…we shouldn't do this," Jiayi whispered. "I told you before…if we…"

"Just once won't hurt. I know you want to try it at least once," he teased her, smirking. His pale hands slipped down her hips to the back of her thighs and lifted her so her legs were forced to wrap around his waist. "Come on. Let me pop your immortal cherry."

Jiayi snickered and leaned her forehead against his shoulder. "Cherry, you say? Such a cute way of saying it…aaaah~" She felt him grind between her legs and gritted her teeth to keep from making other such noises. "Jack…I'm serious. This can only have negative consequences."

He pulled away from the countertop, keeping a tight hold on her, and turned to press her against the wall. "I can deal with it," he replied simply. Pale fingers ran up the back of her shirt, making her back arch at the sensation. He felt her lips on his neck and tensed, half afraid that she might bite him. Jack was pleasantly surprised when she pressed soft kisses rather than leaving harsh bites. The young man groaned in pleasure when he felt her hips meet his, grinding back now. "You want this, right?"

"I'm…not sure. I can't say for sure what will happen…if we do this…" Jiayi leaned back against the wall and met his gaze. "Jack…how do you feel about me?"

The redhead seemed almost offended. "I love you! I told you that! I'll always be loyal to you and I'll always be at your side," he assured her, glad when she latched onto his neck again. "So do you want this? It's getting hard for me to keep standing like this."

He says that he loves me. I really do like him. He's sweet. He respects my rules. He isn't like most men that I've encountered in the past. Jiayi threaded her fingers into his bright red hair and grinned up at him. "Yes. I want this, Jack. And I swear…I will protect you if any danger comes your way…"