Howdy, boy-o's. (proceeds to be beaten with sticks and very large rocks) Ack! I know, I know! It's been forever, and I feel really guilty! But I had really huge writer's block with this chapter, and then I kinda forgot about ffnet for a while... and yeah. Poor excuses, I know. I really do apologize. I know how much I hate to wait for the next chapter in a story that I like. 'Course, this one's first chapter was originally meant to be a one-shot...
Anyway, here, at long last, after most people have forgotten about it, is the next installment of "Firm Touch."
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, or anything therein. Now I'm going to go curl up in the corner and cry. Are you happy, Lawyers! Huh??
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How did he get into this? "Onna… Why…" Oh. Right. He'd asked for it. Oh well, if he wanted to know the answer, he'd better start listening.
ooo
It was a fabulous kiss, full of gentle lips moving slowly. Who would have thought that someone as emotionally stunted as Hiei would turn out to be an excellent kisser? True, it was Botan's first kiss so she didn't really have anything to compare it to, but she was pretty sure it wouldn't be any better with anyone else.
Hiei's arms had wrapped around her and pulled her into his chest so there was no space separating her from that warm expanse of flesh. One of his hands had slipped into her hair and held tightly to the back of her head, almost as if he wanted to make sure she wouldn't pull away. The other hand was resting on the small of her back, the fingers splayed out to cover as much area as possible. She couldn't help but notice the strength, and the gentleness, that he was using to hold her.
As for Botan's own hands, they were both busy gripping as tightly as they could onto Hiei's shoulders from where she had wrapped her arms around him in return. It seemed they both were unwilling for the other to pull away, if the amount of force they each were using to pull the other towards them was any indication.
All too soon, however, they had to break apart for air, seeing as that's kind of essential for consciousness. And neither of them wanted to pass out at this particular moment in time. So, they slowly pulled back, leisurely opening their eyes to stare at the pair opposite.
"Onna… What…" Hiei panted, somewhat out of breath.
"Shh." It was just a small noise, accompanied by a slim finger placing itself on his lips. "Don't worry about questions right now; just enjoy the moment, okay?"
He couldn't argue with that, a small amount of silence would let him gather his thoughts and calm his rapidly beating heart. Composure was something Hiei was desperately in need of right now. He wasn't used to not being in complete control of both his body and his surroundings. What am I supposed to do now?
Abruptly, Hiei's train of thought was cut off. His whole mind became zeroed in on the feeling of Botan's hair and breath tickling the side of his neck because of her head's placement on his shoulder. He also was reminded of the fact that he was still holding her, and she him. His hands clenched where they were resting on her lower back.
"Hiei? What's the matter?" Botan asked as she lifted her head to study his face. Was he upset? Had she done something wrong? Oh, please… Don't let him think this was a mistake.
"Onna… Why…" He had to know. If only she would answer this one question, he would be able to sort out all the conflict within himself and come to a decision. He knew there had to be one, and something deep inside him was crying out, pleading for one specific answer. His eyes were focused on her face. Intently staring, speaking with his eyes alone. "Why did you start… this?"
"This? Well… I…" Botan didn't know where to start. How could she explain what was going through her mind at this moment? There were too many things even for her motor-mouth to say.
To give herself some time to think, she shifted her weight so she was sitting up on her own. Her hands dropped from his shoulders to fold together in front of her heart. She couldn't move too far away, though, because Hiei's arms maintained their hold on her waist. Her eyes left his to focus on a spot in the grass somewhere behind his shoulder.
"I'm not sure, Hiei. This isn't exactly what I expected would happen when I came out here to offer you a massage. I just know that I wanted to see you, and I wanted to give you a massage." Her eyes flicked to his, and away. "I wanted to help you. I didn't really plan on getting so close or touching you like that. I never thou…" and the realization hit. He had been the one to kiss her. She froze, both her body and mind were shocked speechless.
"Onna?" When she stopped right in the middle of her explanation, Hiei was shocked to note the lightning-fast flash of worry that leapt through him. "Onna, what is it?"
"You kissed me," she was still in a daze.
"What?" And now he was confused.
"You kissed me," she repeated, her eyes focusing, and a somewhat smug smile appearing on her face. He had said he liked her, yet she hadn't absorbed it. But now… she really believed it.
"Yeees…," he wasn't quite sure where this conversation was headed now, but he was hoping she would get to the point soon.
"That means I don't have to be worried anymore, Hiei. That means you really do like me." She couldn't fight the wide grin that appeared on her face when his eyes opened as wide as they could go.
"I… Hn. That is… Well, you… Uh…" Stuttering was not a common occurrence for Hiei. He wasn't particularly fond of it, either. And then he absorbed the sentence before 'like' came in to play. And now he remembered the conversation previous to that glorious kiss. "Worried? About what, onna?"
With a sly grin from Hiei and a startled blink from Botan, the tables were turned.
"Well, um, I…"
"Spit it out, onna. I don't have all day." He always felt better when he had the upper hand.
"I was scared! Okay? We already went over this, but I guess I have to say it again, huh? I like you, and was worried that you hated me! Happy now, Hiei?" Botan never reacted well under pressure, and usually responded with an outburst. This time was no different.
Or perhaps it was. Because this time, after that simple confession, Hiei's arms tightened around her and his forehead pressed lightly against hers, mindful of his Jagan eye.
"Hn."
It was such a perfectly Hiei thing to say that Botan absolutely had to reach up, thread her fingers in his hair and kiss the living daylights out of him.
And Hiei had to kiss back, because that small part of him that had been begging for that one answer had been satisfied, and now he realized that what he had said was true. He liked her, too.
Sometimes, your heart already knows what your mind can't begin to understand.
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