Frosty Flake and the Gorgeous Kitsune

Chapter 1- An Unlikely Meeting

Botan sat on the bench bored. She sighed.

"It's been a month since I took a human form. I haven't gotten an assignment from Koenma lately."

She stared up at the clouds dreamily, deep in thought.

Yusuke walked by.

"Hey, what's up Botan?" he asked as he sat down on the bench next to her.

Botan looked down at the ground.

"Nothing. I just…oh…nevermind." She muttered.

Yusuke moved closer to her.

"Is this about Koenma or something?" he asked kindly.

Botan nodded.

"Yes. And if you add the fact that he hasn't given me an assignment in the past month, it proves it." She said.

"Proves what?" Yusuke questioned confused.

Botan fought back tears.

"That he doesn't love me."

"But…I didn't know you and he…ack…since when were you going out with the toddler?"

"Since about a year ago. I thought things were going well. I thought he really loved me. But then he drifted away. I took my human form and I guess you could call it a 'long distance relationship.' " she said as a single tear ran down her cheek.

"I'll say." Yusuke agreed. He wiped away her tear and stood up.

"Well, I hope everything works out. I gotta go. Keiko's waiting." He said as he took a quick look at his watch.

"Oh crap! I'm late! She'll never forgive me!" and he was gone.

Botan stopped crying and stood up.

'I haven't the time… or the money for a pity party right now.' She thought.

'I should be getting home. But first I have to stop by to pick up some groceries.'

She came to the grocery store and went to the aisle the tea was in.

"Tradition Japanese green tea…that's just what I need." She told herself.

Botan grabbed the tea and continued on to the feminine hygiene aisle.

Standing in the middle of the aisle was the familiar red haired kitsune, Kurama.

Botan was taken aback for a second. She walked up to him.

"What are you doing in this aisle Kurama?" she asked, eagerly awaiting his explanation.

"I'm shopping for my mother. She's fallen ill again and has had to go back to the hospital." He replied calmly.

Botan felt stupid.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Would you like any help?" she asked, trying to make up for thinking wrong of him.

Kurama shook his head.

"No. That's alright. Mother gave me this list." He said as he presented the list to her.

Botan smiled.

"Okay then."

Kurama smiled back. He was so cute Botan felt like she was drowning just looking at him.

She hurriedly moved to a different aisle and sat down on the floor.

'I don't believe it. He's so…so cute. Especially when he smiles. How come I never saw it before?' she asked herself as she caught her breath. Her heart was beating faster than normal.

Kurama walked past the aisle Botan was in and saw her sitting on the floor cross-legged. Botan didn't notice him standing there.

He continued to the pharmacy and picked up some prescription medicine, paid then left.

Botan waited till he had left the store then she paid and went home to ponder the day's happenings, mostly Kurama.

She got home, unlocked the door, turned on the lights then sat on the couch after putting away the groceries.

All she could think about was Kurama. His hair, his eyes…everything.

'He's much cuter than Koenma. MUCH cuter. Feh. Kurama's a lot nicer and WAY more mature. Koenma was childish. Even if he WAS older than me. No wonder it didn't work out. If only Kurama liked me as much as I like him.' She thought.

She almost cried there and then.

~*One of those emotional moments when you know you love someone but they don't love you back…only…Kurama didn't know she loved him.*~

---***---

Kurama on the other hand was back at the hospital by his mother's side. He had set her stuff down on the bedside table. He grabbed a chair and sat next to her.

The doctor came in.

"Don't worry Shuichi. It's no where near her last illness, she'll be up and about within a week or so." He assured Kurama.

Kurama doubted it. Her illness had been in and out. One day she felt good. The next day she was in the hospital.

Kurama picked up the clipboard hanging on the end of her bed. He ran his fingers over her name.

SHIORI MINAMINO

"My mother. For 15 years." He thought aloud.

The doctor had left the room to tend to another patient.

Kurama put the clipboard back. He looked out the window. Since he was on one of the top floors he had a nice view of the city. He then remembered his trip to the grocery store.

The event ran through his head. Even with how intelligent he was, he couldn't figure out why Botan had left to another aisle so quickly. She looked out of breath.

'Maybe it was a heart attack or something.' He thought.

'I shouldn't have left her. I hope she's alright.'

But then it struck him.

'She's too young for a heart attack. Perhaps it was something more emotional than that.'

He thought about this for a while. Questions like 'Why didn't she say something?' and 'Do I even feel the same about her?' ran through his head.

He smacked himself as he thought about how much of an idiot he'd been lately.

"Of course. If I didn't have some feelings for her then why would she be running through my head? I've thought about this before. When I first met her. But I lost hope when I overheard someone talking about her and Koenma." He said rather loudly.

Shiori was woken up from her sleep. She sat up groggily.

"W-who are you talking about Shuichi? And who's Koenma?" she asked quietly. Barely above a whisper.

"Just um…some friends from school mother. You should be asleep." He lied as he laid her back down in the bed. She fell back asleep.

Lying was rare for Kurama. Being intelligent, humble and honest were things he was generally noted for. Just about the only thing he ever lied about was Makai, demons, and anything related.

~* Kurama

aka-Shuichi Minamino

best traits- honesty, looks, humbleness, brains

notes- he's an overall good guy…if you ignore his Youko background. *~

With as much as Shiori knew about Kurama, she still thought she was raising a normal 15 year old boy. Not knowing anything about his Youko side. And it would stay that way. Forever and after that. Even after she'd gone to heaven as far as Kurama was concerned.

Kurama thought about his human life. He'd never had a real girlfriend. Sure, he had his fanclub of girls at school. But they weren't real friends. They just crooned and giggled about how cute and smart he was. None of them really cared about him.

'One day they're going to suffocate me.' He thought. This made him laugh.

"And I don't even try." He said smiling.

"Perhaps I should try to ask Botan out." he said.

A yoda quote was brought to mind from his favorite movie.

Do or do not…there is no try. -Yoda

"No. I WILL ask her out. I'll go over first thing tomorrow." He said as he got into the guest bed the hospital staff always had setup for him. He was in and out of the hospital often so it was always there.

He reached over and kissed his mother goodnight then turned out the light.

---***---

Botan got into her starry pajamas and got a glass of water before climbing into bed for the night.

She said a quick prayer, making sure to include Kurama's mom then she turned out the lights and went to sleep.

~oh, and btw…my story has some manga-like qualities to it. If you see things in cool little designs like this à ~* STUFF *~ that's the manga element. If you read any of the manga you'll know a little about what I mean. If not. Don't worry about it and enjoy the story.~ Miyu