Chose to Smile
This is old. Well, the first twelve paragraphs are old, everything else is new….
But at least it's done, right?
… (Chirping crickets)
Ok, how about you just tell me in a review.
"My first assignment as a ferry girl was a little girl about six years old. She was killed in a fire, and she was very sad because she was leaving her mother and father and would never meet the new baby brother or sister she'd been so excited about having. She looked at me, and the absolute pain and devastation reflected in her watery blue eyes was so heartbreaking…
"I wanted to look away, but I couldn't. I couldn't just turn away from such a lonely, scared little girl. So, I did the only thing I could think of. I smiled. By the time we reached Spirit World, she smiled back."
"And why have you considered this charming little anecdote worthy of my attention?"
She turned away from the horizon to face me, leaning forward, not close enough to touch, but closer than usual. "Because you seem lonely, Hiei. So I'm going to smile at you, and I think that sooner or later you'll smile back."
And then she was gone, lost in the swirling clouds of pink and orange as the sun fell below the horizon.
Of course then I had scoffed and settled back against the rough bark of my tree, both annoyed and amused by her foolishness. Lonely? No, I could never be so weak.
But as time dragged itself slowly passed, pulling the days and weeks along, I've begun to realize just how much I enjoy her smiles. They really are beautiful, never just a simple movement of her lips. No, that would be false, and such a…pure soul could never taint the world with lies. Hers are genuine, all of them, always reaching her eyes. Even the sad, slow smiles she flashes to the dead and dying sparkle through two pools of lavender.
And I've realized…perhaps I could be…lonely. Maybe a little. The body feels pain, not because it is weak, but as a signal that something is wrong, a line has been crossed. Would it really be so insane for the heart and soul to do the same?
These thoughts dance across my mind as I watch her walk away from Genkai's temple. Her sky blue hair is wrapped in a loose bun and a torn pair of blue jeans coupled with a faded purple t-shirt have replaced her usual pink kimono. The large bucket of dirty water in her hands tells me she's been assisting Yukina with her 'spring cleaning' projects.
The bucket, however, had been a little overfilled, and some of the unpleasantly brown liquid splashes over the side and pooled on the stone walk. Botan, being the somewhat clumsy ferry girl that she is, of course slides on the slick stone.
I arrive at her side before even considering my movements, and grasp her wrist in an attempt to help regain her balance. However, I neglect to compensate for the weight of the water she's carrying…
The next few moments seem to pass in slow motion. As if I've stepped outside my body, I see myself losing my footing as the bucket's momentum pushes it up and out of Botan's hand. I watch as Botan begins to regain her balance, only to lose it again as I fall forward. My own agility is not enough to steady the both of us, and I only manage to control the fall.
She lands beneath me, her head cushioned against my hand instead of crashed against the stone. My other hand has placed itself between her back and the walkway in an attempt to absorb most of the fall. I raise my head from the crook between her neck and shoulder just as the forgotten bucket decides to remind us of its presence. Brown water smelling of dirt and soap rains down on us in one gush.
For a moment I just stare into shining pink gems. My lips twitch upward. Light vibrations bubble through my chest as deep laughter escapes my lips. Within seconds I'm laughing so hard my body shakes with each burst of sound.
I can feel the light chuckle in her voice as Botan asks what's so funny. I bury my face back into the crook of her neck and shake my head because I honestly don't know. She doesn't press the matter; she just tightens her arms around me to a hug and laughs with me, her high, music-like giggles contrasting beautifully with my deep, darker notes.
After a few moments, my laughter subsides, though a small smile remains. My sides hurt, and I can't catch my breath, but it feels…nice. Light and unfamiliar, but nice.
I raise my head again to gaze down at the ferry girl. Her creamy skin is flushed from her laughter and her pretty eyes sparkle gleefully, reflecting the dazzling smile on her lips.
"I knew I'd get you," she informs me softly, almost a whisper. I just nod at her words, the smile never fading. I lean down slowly, and gently press my lips to hers, making sure she can feel the smile through my kiss. She doesn't gasp in shock or pull away; she simply returns my actions with all the affection she has.
From the very beginning, Botan chose to smile. Out of everything she could have done, she chose to smile. As of this moment, I choose to smile back.