Over Coffee

Summary – Hiei and Botan have been 'married' for almost a year, with only one problem, she loves him, but she's not IN love with him…is she? Here is Shizuru's advice to Botan :

Ittalic text between lines is FLASH BACKS

The sun shone down brightly on the Café where a woman with long blue hair sat opposite of a girl with medium brown hair.

"Oh Shizuru! I feel so terrible…" The brown haired woman, Shizuru, reached across the table and patted her friends shoulder softly, "It's not your fault Botan."

For the last year, Botan had been happily married in a loving relationship with someone who had needed her support. She remembered how they got together like it was yesterday…

The park was quiet, too quiet. Botan rushed from tree to tree, looking for the ever elusive fire demon, Hiei. Some disturbing reports of late night noises had been popping up every other day and Koenma wanted her to question Hiei.

"Hiieeeiiii!" She called out, hopping to make him fall out of a tree or something, anything that would let her rest for a bit.

"Hm…nothing…" She reached into her pocket and pulled out a single piece of metal, "…you brought this upon yourself Hiei!" She brought the demon whistle to her lips and was about to blow on it when it was snatched out of her hands.

"Hn. Don't ever use that thing onna." Smiling kindly at her short friend she nodded. "Koenma sent me to check up on you because of all the noise reports coming from around here…"

"Oh, how am I going to tell him! Should I tell him?" Botan hid her face in her hands and Shizuru sighed, "If it was anyone else, I'd tell you to tell them…but with Hiei it's harder, he needs you Botan. He needs you to keep him here."

"I know…but I can't stand looking him in the eyes, pretending I'm in love with him and seeing all his love…it's just too much." By now, tiny, translucent tears were making their way down her face, and Shizuru was starting to feel uncomfortable.

"I'm not the one screaming in the night, so leave me alone." Botan sighed and rolled her eyes, "I have to investigate this still Hiei. I'm not leaving." She turned and started to walk away, oblivious to the set of eyes watching her every move.

"Onna…" Botan smirked to herself and chuckled inwardly, she knew that would work. "Botan…it was me…" 'Damnit, why am I telling her this! Is it because I know she knows?'

"Oh, and why would you be screaming in the middle of the night? Have a girlfriend do you?" 'Then again….maybe she doesn't know…' Hiei blushed at both his own thoughts and her question. "No! I don't have a girlfriend!"

The wind picked up around the two women and blew stray hairs this way and that. "What am I going to do when the baby is born?" It was true, Botan was pregnant, only just, but pregnant none the less.

"Botan. I know this isn't going to seem very fair, but you don't want to hurt him, right?" The bluette nodded, "You have to stick by his side, raise this baby and any others, and tell him you love him. Everyone has a duty, and yours is to him."

"Why else would you be screaming?" Hiei sighed, there was no way around this, "Because I love you…and I don't deserve you…"

Botan's mauve eyes closed in shock, Hiei loved her? This wasn't good, she knew what unrequited love did to people, she saw it everyday. She had to do something, "I love you too!" She blurted out, then inwardly cursed herself.

Who knows what she might have just done!

"You're right…I'll do it for him…for his kodomo." Botan smiled up at her friend, for the first time in what felt like forever, she knew what she had to do.

It wasn't as thought she didn't love Hiei, she did, and she was attracted to him. Very much so. But, he just wasn't 'the one' you know? She wasn't unhappy with him, she wasn't sad to be bearing his child (or if his family tradition holds out : children), she just wasn't sure if they were the best choice for each other.

But, that's what love is right? It's all guess work. And she guessed it was probably time to go back to him now. "Thanks for the coffee Shizuru, and the advice too. I don't know what I'd do without you."

She stood up and stretched a bit, "Call me later Botan, I have to get back to my baby now." The two women parted ways, heading back to the loved ones they were taking care of.

Botan to her husband,
and Shizuru to her child.

Hi! How did you like my fic? It's aONESHOT, and I may add Shizuru's story in if people want me to...Sorry there isn't much for HxB stuff in it...