CHAPTER TWO

Disclaimer: only because I forgot to place this in the first chapter… I don't own anything…. Including yyh.

"I feel awkward…" Botan mumbled under her breath to Kurama as they walked across the street. Her pink eyes shifting between all the faces they passed by.

"Don't think about it," Kurama's words were blunt and not comforting.

"Where are we headed?"

For a moment Kurama debated whether or not to respond to her question. "We are going to Riverview."

She nodded, feeling her blue ringlets bounce against her cheeks. "Wait… why? Isn't that the communication studies building?"

"You must be new to this campus."

The jingle of the cuffs kept drawing attention from passerbies and Botan decided to take a step closer to Kurama as they walked in hopes of hiding them from sight. He glanced over at her but didn't let his eyes give away what his thoughts were. Looking away from her face, Kurama reached for her hand and tightened his fingers.

Sighing, Botan let her body relax slightly. "Thank you," her voice was a little above a whisper.

He let a small smile grace his lips for the first time since he'd opened his office door to the destruction. "You're welcome."

They walked up a few steps to the next sidewalk. "So who are we seeing in this building? Will they be able to help us out of the cuffs?" She raised their joined hands to emphasize her point.

"I have a friend who teaches a history class in this building," Kurama spoke quickly as they reached the front doors of the oldest building on campus. "He probably won't have a cell phone, but he may have a way out of the cuffs."

"Doesn't everyone nowadays have a cellphone?" she walked into the building next to him and immediately he went to the giant staircase to the top floor.

"He's a little different." Kurama pursed his lips together. They climbed the steps and by the last one, Botan was breathing heavily.

"These are killer. I'm going to remember not to come into this building again," Botan heaved.

"They aren't so bad the more often you do them," Kurama let out a small chuckle that she almost missed. "Alright, he is at the end classroom."

"How do you know he is still here?" Botan asked trying to keep up with his long strides.

"We normally get together around this time every Friday before going to the Old Chicago off 2nd street for a beer and some cards." They reached the door and Kurama pushed it open with his shoulder. Behind a desk at the front of the classroom sat a man with spiked up black hair and his brown combat boots thrown up on top of the desk.

"Kurama, there you are," he said and started to stand up until his deep red eyes landed on Botan. He physically paused at the site of her before standing to his full height. The man was short and Botan could feel her back automatically straighten to be as tall as she physically could to feel more in charge. With the look he was giving her, she had serious doubts of that it was working. "Who is she?"

"This is Botan," Kurama nodded at her. "She is the new counselor in B51, the English building."

"Lovely, a mutant from area 51," the angry looking man said giving her a fuming once over. "Are you bringing this one with us tonight?"

"Actually, no Hiei." Kurama stepped away from Botan to display their clasped hands. "We have an issue."

"Holy hell," Hiei's cheeks almost lifted up into a smile. "I didn't realize you were into that type of stuff. If I'd known that than I'd have hooked you up with a few people." Botan bit her bottom lip and her mind jumbled up all her feelings. She wasn't sure if she was offended for being brushed into the BDSM group or to feel complimented for people thinking her to be more open minded.

"No… uh that's not the case," Kurama shifted his feet uncomfortably. "There was a problem with a student going through my office-"

"And he got the better of you?" Hiei let out a short sarcastic snort before crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well yes, he got the best of us," Botan piped up, raising her index finger as if it would prove her point.

"Anyway," Kurama coughed softly to draw their attention back to him. "This man surprised me with handcuffs. Thus the bonds." He motioned slightly to the clinking chain connecting the two. "However he also managed to snatch our cell phones in the interaction."

"How?"

"He had a knife," Botan added and when Hiei glanced at her way there was something in his eyes that made her want to take a step back.

"It was a hunting knife," Kurama nodded slowly. "And by the gleam, I'd say it was recently sharpened."

Hiei was silent for a moment, staring at Kurama's face. Each second wrapped around Botan's throat as she waited for him to say something. "What do you think he was looking for?"

Kurama took a deep breath, waiting for it to hit his stomach before releasing it back out. "Honestly, I don't have any idea. I need to get back into my office and start looking around."

"What do you need from me?"

Kurama grabbed Botan's hand again and raised it in the air. "Any chance you can get us out of these?"

"Because I keep a bolt cutter in my back pocket, I'll get you right out of those," Hiei narrowed his eyes a little as he raised his eyebrows. "Realistically."

"Can you get in touch with the cops?" Botan asked and both men looked at her and she wished she could hide.

"Hiei doesn't have a phone, remember."

"Big brother hears everything…" Hiei told her.

Her lip became her chew toy as she wondered how to respond to that. "So … What can you actually do for us?"

"Well little girl, I can get you into his office," Hiei rolled his eyes in her direction. Dropping his arms to his side, Hiei turned around to open the bottom drawer of his desk. From her position it looked like he was trying to pop out the bottom of the drawer. After a few taps on the wood, the plank sprung up and he grabbed a little sack from the compartment.

"Thank you Hiei," Kurama smiled as his friend handed him the black velvet pouch.

"What's that?" Botan eyed the bag skeptically.

"This is actually a spare key to my office," Kurama looked at her with a playful tint glistening in his eyes. "Just in case I left it with Hiei. Maybe his theories will turn out to be true. Not that my office is somewhere the government will want to search. Although I'm glad right now that I had him hold on to a spare for me."

"Me too," she smiled up at the man.

"I know someone who might be able to help with the handcuffs," Hiei tilted his head to the side and made and expression that told Botan he didn't care to really help their situation. She was starting to get really frustrated with this guy's attitude.

"When and where?" Kurama's expression turned serious as he looked back at Hiei.

"Ten; backroom at Perkins," Hiei told them. "Don't be late. You still have a few hours, if I were you then I'd go check out your office."

"See you then Hiei," Kurama nodded at his friend and turned to pull Botan out of the room.