Disclaimer: YuYu Hakusho belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi

This should be about a three-shot when it's finished. Mainly because I have good lines to bring up in other situations that are not shown but should involve an interaction between Kurama and Botan.

Following the manga, this would be the first time Kurama and Botan meet, unless you discount this hypothetical situation and assume they first meet in the warehouse where they are rather preoccupied with demon Keiko and swords.

...writing a story with Botan is very hard without being able to use the question mark/exclamation point combination...

Acquaintance

He lay relaxed on the bed, eyes closed, as if he had been expecting her.

"I did say I would surrender myself, but it would appear that Yuusuke forgot to arrest me." He turned to face her, the full moonlight glinting oddly in his eyes. "Koenma must be hard-pressed for suitable human world bounty hunters."

"A more experienced one wouldn't have trusted you," Botan pointed out.

He sat up, brushing off his shirt out of habit. Still in his uniform… how long had Kurama been allowed to stay with his mother at the hospital, she wondered, and how much longer did he wait at home, fearing immediate arrest? Or perhaps he thought changing clothes unnecessarily strenuous, with his life energy at roughly half of what it should be. Both idiots ought to have been thanking goodness that the Mirror was not as cruel a master as it might have been.

"You should take me to the Spirit World now, if you are going to."

Botan shook her head and materialized a small notebook and pen. "No. In light of your situation, we're going to delay your trial for a bit. Just a few questions to be answered, that's all."

"Ah," he grinned faintly, "Koenma does not want to stress my human mother, as it is unlikely I'll go on a killing spree now. Especially as I owe Yuusuke a debt for my life."

"You don't have to show off," she pouted as she selected a clean page. "Alright, your name."

"Kurama."

He calmly dodged the swipe she took at his head with her notebook, playful innocence still on his face. He similarly ignored her annoyed yelp, "Don't you think we already knew that one?"

"My apologies," he continued, although he sounded far from sincere. "I am known in the human world as Minamino Shuuichi." He paused as she scribbled the note down. "However, I think you and Koenma will be more familiar with the name Youko Kurama."

Kurama looked perfectly unruffled at the silence that fell in the wake of his blunt announcement. He crossed his legs elegantly and clasped his hands at his knees, the picture of patience.

"You…? But… but how!" The ferry girl yanked her guide book open hastily and consulted it once, twice, and three times, her gaze of wide-eyed surprise flickering to his face between each confirmation. "It really… You really are…" she murmured breathlessly, wonder evident in her voice.

Then abruptly, she turned around and plunked herself at his desk chair. After a moment, although still refusing to face him, Botan offered sulkily, "You know, I cheered with everyone else when you died."

"I would have thought one of Koenma's ferry girls would take death a bit less lightly."

"Well, it wasn't that I wanted you to die, exactly. But after a thousand years of you terrorizing Spirit World, it was so nice to have you out of our hair." She turned to give him a sour look. "I think that endeared the Spirit World Defense Force to us more than the skill it took to have finally killed you."

When Yuusuke had told her, and when she had her reservations about trusting Kurama in the beginning, she had never imagined that it would be him. The fox had miraculously escaped death twice now… once fifteen years ago, and again this very evening. It gave her mixed feelings to know who he truly was, and to know that he had not stole or engaged in any criminal behavior until now, and then only to save his mother's life.

Kurama sighed, "Well, at least my reputation lives on, in some form or another."

"Yes," she remarked dryly, "the Legendary Youko Kurama. A bandit of the highest caliber, thief of the finest and most-guarded treasures, and ever-popular thorn in nearly everyone's side. You nearly carved out your own territory, before abandoning it to torment all of us in Spirit World, and I'm sure we all felt the love. And between your brilliant heists, you extended your skills to be such things as a puller of fire alarms at three in the morning."

He spread his hands modestly, his face tauntingly innocent. "It gave Koenma something to do. And it was amusing to watch the ogres mill around in even more chaotic panic than usual. Seeing the ferry girls wander about in their pajamas," he added, "was merely a bonus."

Botan huffed and turned pointedly away. "Yes, you're still so charming, aren't you."

Still, she thought it best to be fair, and took a slow breath to calm herself. She had never actually spoken to Kurama in person before, but he shared Yuusuke's talent for riling her up. The notebook flipped shut and vanished back into her sleeve. Further questions would be useless now that they knew where to find his file.

"They're going to reverse the decision at my trial, aren't they."

She started at the statement that broke the silence. The calmly amused mocking tone was gone from his voice now. She glanced at him, but his face had turned away and his posture was unreadable. No sorrow, simply resignation.

Really, would a heartless demon ever have concocted a scheme that would end his own life? That was probably why the Mirror had never been stolen before—few could imagine a desire that could be enjoyed without a life. Despite her cautions, Yuusuke's instincts might be correct.

"Even after everything, I don't really want to see you dead now," Botan murmured sympathetically. "I'll make sure they take into account that, oddly enough, you've behaved these past fifteen years. And the only reason you joined this heist, I hope, was to save your mother. You've also taken responsibility for what you've done."

"You actually believe I may have reformed?" Kurama turned back to face her, curiosity in his words.

She laughed brightly. "I doubt that the legendary Youko Kurama regrets any of the things he's done, as much as I'd like to see you bowing and scraping to Koenma for forgiveness. But you must remember that I've been working with Yuusuke for the last few months. I think it's possible for priorities to change." He looked rather startled, although he hid it a moment later, so she assumed she had him aptly pegged. After a thoughtful pause she continued, "Really, though, I would have a very hard time believing you actually felt remorse."

He nodded, silently acquiescing, and they fell into a companionable silence.

"Although, I truly am sorry for raiding your panty drawer that one time."

Kurama relaxed back into his innocent pose as Botan slowly registered his words. Her features contorting from disbelief into fury, she shrieked, "What? That was you?"

He nodded, unperturbed at her change of demeanor. "Naturally. Who did you want it to be?"

"That's none of your—it's not like that, you pervert!" She hefted her oar menacingly, advancing upon Kurama.

He held up his hands, grinning amusedly. "What happened to our moment of compassion?"

"The moment's over!" she growled in frustration as he dodged her swings. "Argh, annoying foxes!" Privately, he did not quite dare to point out that she sounded rather like Hiei at the moment.

Kurama caught the wooden pole with one hand and waited until she stopped huffing to remind her, "Koenma is most likely waiting for your report, ferry girl."

She innocently kicked him, pulled her oar back, and moved to dematerialize out the window. She paused a moment before she left, although she did not look at him.

"Still, you probably don't deserve to rot in Hell just because of the panties."

…
to be continued
…

-Windswift