Take It Slow
Day 2 of the HB Week.
Prompt: Words (this oneshot very loosely ties back into the prompt haha)
Note: Takes place before the Dark Tournament.
Hiei cocked a brow as he eyed the ferry-girl from his perch on one of the park's many trees. He could see her clearly from this vantage point, her bright blue hair and pink kimono standing out like a sore thumb against the dreary and grey atmosphere that blanketed the human world over the course of the past few days.
The team was due to meet here in an hour or so and for reasons he could not determine, the ferry-girl opted to arrive early. He should have ignored her and dozed off until the sound of Yusuke or Kuwabara's blustering woke him up, but he found his attention drifting below. The woman was completely engrossed in the pages of a novel, so much so that she had barely made a sound. It was a new and unusual development for a soul as lively and loud as hers. If she wasn't making noise via endless chatter, then it was through light humming or fidgeting. But that wasn't the case today – today, she was as still and silent as a stone.
He should have welcomed the silence. Relished the momentary peace. Appreciated the unprecedented quiet in all of its uncharacteristic glory. But he couldn't. Not until he knew what had her so enthralled.
Jumping down from the tree, his boots met the grassy floor lightly as he landed directly behind her. She failed to notice the displacement of air, the disturbance of the birds that flew away and the dawning of demon energy drawing closer to her unassuming form. He knew that the spirit world was lax in their training, but he didn't think it was this bad. Whatever she was reading must have been worth his curiosity after all. He glanced over her shoulder, eyes widening as he read over the words on the page. This was... it was...
"I didn't realize you were into such lewd things, woman," he stated.
The ferry-girl yelped, a dainty hand flying to her chest as she twisted around to view him.
"Hiei! You scared me!" she exclaimed, eyes wide and chest heaving as she regained her bearings. "You really shouldn't sneak up on people like that."
"I didn't sneak up on anyone. You should have been more aware of your surroundings."
"I was reading!"
"Yes, and perhaps if you weren't so enthralled by your erotica, you would have sensed my approach," he argued.
A dark blush stained pale cheeks, the novel falling out of her loosened grip.
"I-it's not erotica!" she sputtered.
Hiei crossed his arms over his chest, staring down at her flatly.
"Really," she tried. "It's a beautiful story about adversity, perseverance and finding love!"
"Say what you will, ferry-girl, but the words on the page are clear as day," he said, motioning to the novel that was now resting on her lap.
"What you saw was simply a snapshot of the bigger picture. You're welcome to see for yourself."
His brows furrowed as he eyed her suspiciously.
"I'm not reading porn with you."
"It's not porn!" she insisted, lowering her voice when she realized that her last remark had garnered a few stares. "Just give it a try, Hiei."
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Pretty please?"
"I said no, woman."
She let out a mock gasp, covering her mouth with her hand.
"Could it be that the big, bad Hiei is actually embarrassed?" she teased.
Crimson eyes narrowed, his gaze hard.
"Something like this isn't nearly enough to embarrass me."
"Oh, it's alright," she soothed patronizingly. "Nothing to be ashamed of!"
"I already told you that I'm not," he gritted, hands clenched at his sides.
Pink lips curled into a knowing smile.
"Then prove it!"
"Fine, woman," he snarled, holding a hand out impatiently. "Give me the damned book."
Botan shook her head and patted the empty space beside her invitingly. He hadn't expected the invitation at all, and in an instant, the fire inside of him was extinguished. He was under the impression that she was still afraid of him and he preferred it that way. He'd rather she keep a respectable distance between them and avoid his gaze than beckon him over with that sincere smile. There was no reason for him to breach the barrier between them and actually sit beside the ferry-girl. There was no reason for him to get any closer than he already was.
"I can see just fine from here," he refused stubbornly.
"Don't be silly!" she said lightly. "Take a seat, it'll be much more comfortable that way."
He didn't know why he hesitated, but there was something very unnerving about all of this. He exchanged more words with her today than he had in all of his time dealing with her combined. It was strange and peculiar and caused a soul as impulsive as his to pause under the weight of his reluctance. Botan tilted her head at him in a silent show of confusion, the brightness of her expression fading out into a mellowed concern. If he hesitated any longer, she would ask him what was wrong and he didn't want to ponder it long enough to truly figure it out. Pushing aside his indecision, he sat down on the opposite end of the bench with a huff. Botan smiled to herself, scooting closer until he could feel the warmth of her body. He forced himself not to stiffen at the foreign proximity. If the over-emotional woman could be calm about their current situation, then so could he.
"It's a pretty short story, so we could definitely finish it before the others arrive," she noted, flipping back to the beginning. "But allow me to regale you with the backstory first."
He did not really care about her introductory explanation or the characters' motives and dreams, but he listened because it was easier than protesting. As he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the bench, he found that the ferry-girl's presence wasn't all that bad. Her voice was melodic, her intonation and accent far easier on the ears than he expected. The excited way her eyes lit up and shined reminded him of the gems he coveted during his days as a bandit back in Makai. And her scent, carried on the trails of each and every breeze, was familiar and pleasant, like the fresh meadows of the human world. He found himself relaxing, the usual tension in his posture unwinding bit by bit with each and every word she spoke. Then she breached the barrier between them, her arm brushing against his as she angled the book in the optimal position and dove into the story. A comfortable silence fell over them, punctuated only by Botan's excited comments and his more critical critique.
By the time they reached the downright pornographic scene, the sunlight had broken through the rapidly dispersing clouds and the skies were clearing up.
"See?" she said. "It's a lovely story."
His brow furrowed, lips slanting into a frown.
"I don't understand why it took pages upon pages of flowery words just to get to the point," he countered.
Botan's lashes fluttered as she blinked in confusion.
"The point?"
"The sex, woman."
The ferry-girl gasped.
"Hiei!" she admonished as she closed the book. "That's-that's..."
"The truth."
"Well, yes, but you're looking at it all wrong!" she argued. "It's about the development and build up."
"Foreplay," he filled in flatly.
"Exactly!" she agreed, snapping her fingers excitedly. "Literary foreplay."
"Ridiculous," he scoffed.
"I don't know, I quite like the will they, won't they aspect of it all," she replied. "Makes things interesting, don't you think?"
"I prefer to get to the point."
"Well, that does sound more your style..." she contemplated. "But I'd rather take my time and enjoy the lead up."
"Sounds frivolous."
"It is not! Sometimes the anticipation is just as good as what follows," she maintained. "Haven't you ever felt it before?"
He shook his head.
"It's the best! Your heart races. There are butterflies flying around in the pit of your stomach. The whole world falls away and is reduced to this one timeless moment. Nothing else matters but the here and now as your excitement pulls you into the tides of an ocean that's bigger than merely you. The thrill, the anticipation, draws you into the gravity of a waiting you can't quite explain. The suspended moment could stretch out for all of eternity and yet that still wouldn't be enough."
"You're not making any sense," he said.
"I can show you," she offered, setting the book on her opposite side. "If you're okay with it..."
"Do what you will, ferry-girl."
Without the novel as a barrier between them, he realized just how close they truly were. He had to force himself not to shift away when she reached a hand out towards him. His insides twisted as her cool palm met the side of his heated face with a gentleness he was unused to.
"What are you-"
"Shh," she shushed. "Don't think, just feel."
He swallowed thickly as her hand ghosted lower, gliding over his skin like a phantom touch. Her thumb just barely grazed against the corner of his mouth and he had to stop himself from leaning into the action.
Her hand continued its downward trajectory until it rested right over his heart. The pressure of her palm against his chest was as light as it was unexpected and he couldn't bring himself to move away. As his demon heart beat at a pace that was unnatural to him, the world was reduced to just the two of them. All sounds fell away, muffled in his ears. The colors and sights of the park faded; his vision reduced to amethyst eyes, pink lips and an entrancing smile.
And her words returned to him in full force.
Sometimes the anticipation is just as good as what follows.
He held her gaze, watching as her doe eyes lowered to his mouth. She inched closer, closer and closer. He should have closed the final distance, but the anticipation held him where he was. It was a slow and sweet torture that he could not seem to escape. An agony that he wanted to bear. A moment that he wanted to burn into his memory for all eternity.
"See?" she whispered, so close to his lips. "You don't always have to jump right into everything. You can just... take it slow."
Slow was never his style.
Patience was a virtue he did not possess.
And yet… he waited.
He wasn't entirely sure what he was waiting for. He just knew that he wanted something. Something akin to this.
The approach of a familiar energy signal broke the spell between them, shattering the moment into a million pieces and scattering it in the wind. Botan pulled away from him immediately, clearing her throat and tucking the book into the folds of her overly large sleeve. He could still feel the press of her hand against his chest, even as he stood up and glared at the detective.
"You're late," Hiei accused.
Yusuke grinned sheepishly.
"Isn't it usually Botan's job to nag about stuff like that?"
"Hey!" she protested, taking a stand as well. "Hiei's right! We were waiting for you for a while, you know."
"At least I made it here before Kuwabara and Kurama. That's got to count for something, right?"
"I'm sure they both have a perfectly good reason. You, on the other hand, are perpetually late!"
"Aw, c'mon, I thought I was your favorite." The detective sidled up to her, throwing an arm around her shoulder. "Cut me some slack."
Hiei tuned them out as they spoke about inconsequential things. His heart was still too busy doing that strange thing for him to process much else.
Sometimes the anticipation is just as good as what follows. Botan's words returned to him once again.
They were silly. Just words. Like the inconsequential letters on the page of that novel, he should have dismissed it all. But her voice was on a loop on in his ears, her actions playing on repeat in his mind and her words filtering through to the core of him.
"Sorry! Eikichi wasn't feeling well," Kuwabara said as he jogged over to them. Kurama followed behind, uttering his own excuses as well. "Were you waiting long?"
"No, not at all," she reassured. "Besides, Hiei was kind enough to keep me company."
She smiled at him and that light feeling fluttered through his chest again. He wondered if he was sick or if the ferry-girl cast some strange spell upon him, but ultimately, he knew that his own curiosity was to blame. If he had just ignored the woman and her blasted book, then these strange notions wouldn't be running through his mind. He wouldn't be reliving their last interaction in his head. And he wouldn't be thinking up ways to get her alone again. But, as it stood, he had a one track mind and right now all he wanted was the ferry-girl. He wasn't in the habit of denying himself and he certainly had no intentions of allowing the day to pass without further testing out the validity of her claims.
As the group traveled ahead, the fire-demon tempered his steps until he was trailing behind them. He watched the ferry-girl's graceful steps and subtle sway of her hips with a newfound appreciation, lips quirking into a smirk. He had never been a patient man, but he was beginning to think he would enjoy the wait. He might even come to value this anticipation she spoke so highly of. Perhaps the word held some weight after all.
I had fun writing this one. Hope you all enjoyed reading it!