Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters
This chapter is dedicated to Just 2 Dream of You, my newest buddy :D
And we are still friends to this day!
Hiei was frustrated. It had been another two months, again except for weekends, where the ferry girl had disappeared. He didn't know why it bothered him so much. He hated her cheery, peppy attitude. Hiei couldn't help but compare her to one of those little dogs that had the high-pitched bark and always wagged their tails. She was just too happy, and Hiei didn't like being around someone like that.
So why, when she was gone and he was at peace, did he notice her absence? It gave him more time to hunt in Genkai's forest instead of finding food left out for him. Hiei smirked just as he thought of eating the raw flesh of his kills. What? He was a demon and had those animalistic urges at times. That couldn't be held against him.
But that was the thing; no one would hold anything against him, except for himself. Hiei's expression darkened as he remembered trying to get himself killed to avoid a life of senseless killing. His eyes widened when he remembered what pushed him to that. He was training, hunting demons in Mukuro's forest, and he realized that his life had no meaning. He looked around himself from his tree. For the first time in six months, he had that feeling again.
Maybe that was why he was so frustrated, not because the ferry girl wasn't around. He was going to have to keep an eye in his emotions just to be sure. He needed to know.
Just then, he heard her incessant chattering out of nowhere and growled. Damn, it's true, he thought. If you think about them too much, they show up. Pity…
But even though he thought that way, his body was saying something different. After the two months since she had disappeared again, he felt at ease. It shocked him, but he shrugged it off as a return to normalcy. Maybe he just didn't like change and he grew accustomed to her presence in his life. Yeah, that had to be it.
"Oh, Botan," Yukina said happily, "you're back!"
Botan giggled. "Yup, finally. Although, I'm never gone for too long."
Yukina frowned at that. "Botan, isn't it tiring to keep making the trip between Human and Spirit World?"
Botan sighed and nodded. It did take a toll on her making the trip so often. The portals were just weird. But truth be told, it was worth the trip to be able to spend time with her friends and to see Hiei. Over the last two months, she realized that it wasn't the same without having him threaten her every day. He always met her when she brought him food, but he was always trying to scare her. It seemed to be a game to him, and the only time Botan ever saw him genuinely smile.
"It's worth the trip, Yukina," Botan replied.
Yukina smiled. "I know, but couldn't you ask Koenma for more time…or to, I don't know…live here?"
Botan's eyes widened at Yukina's suggestion, but she covered her shock with a laugh. "Oh, Yukina, don't be silly. I have duties in Spirit World that I must attend to. I can't do that from Human World."
"Well, if you're sure…" Yukina replied.
Botan laughed nervously and then told Yukina she was going to take a walk. She left the house and ran into Kurama.
"Oh, hey Kurama," Botan greeted. But Kurama didn't greet her back. He just looked at her sadly.
"Why haven't you told Yukina yet?" he asked. Hiei was nearby and the questioning piqued his interest. He remained hidden as he listened in on the conversation.
"Oh, Kurama, I have no idea what you're taking about," Botan replied but Kurama held up his hand to tell her not to lie to him. Botan sighed. "I don't want her or Keiko to know that I'm bound to Spirit World. Unless I find a mate to settle down with, Koenma would never hear it AND it would have to be with someone connected to Spirit World that has SPRITUAL energy."
"As in not a demon," Kurama pressed.
Botan sighed again and looked up to the sky. "Yeah," she responded with sadness. "Instead he gave me that deal to come on weekends and a month every two months. If it weren't for that, I would probably never see any of you again since Yusuke isn't a spirit detective anymore."
Hiei's eyes widened. So that was what was going on. He may not have liked her happy attitude, but even Hiei didn't know what he would do if he never saw her again. She was too amusing to mess with. She brought him food and kept his being there a secret, as much as she could. Hiei was starting to think, from what he heard in her conversation with his sister, that she cared for him. It was a strange sensation, to think about not being able to see someone who cared about you, well, forever.
"If you hadn't made the suggestion to Koenma about the weekends, I wouldn't even have this offer," Botan said to the fox demon thankfully.
"You were clearly miserable," Kurama reminded her. "Every time Koenma called me in for information, I would find you crying somewhere. Then you would light up when you saw me, just because I'm part of your life here. Besides, we all missed you very much." Botan smiled to him before he continued. "And I knew you would want to see Hiei again."
Botan panicked for a moment. She didn't know if Hiei was nearby or not. Hiei could tell she was looking for him, but kept himself hidden. He wanted to hear what she had to say in response to the fox's statement.
"Am I really that transparent?" Botan asked.
Kurama chuckled. "Maybe not to everyone, but Yukina can tell since she knows how to read others well, especially when it comes to Hiei. As for me, I'm over a thousand years old. I've picked up on mannerisms. I wouldn't have been able to be the Legendary Thief King without being able to dissect a situation."
Botan couldn't help but laugh with him. "I really wish I could tell him," Botan revealed.
"Why don't you?" Kurama questioned.
Botan just him a look that asked if her were crazy. Kurama chuckled as Botan said, "Are we talking about the same Hiei? He hates me, although we have had some fun before when he attempts to frighten me. But even if he didn't hate me…it's, well, not permitted."
Kurama's eyebrows scrunched together. "What?" he asked in surprise. He knew that Botan couldn't separate from Spirit World completely, but he wasn't aware that it was completely forbidden for her to be with a demon. "I thought Koenma overturned all of his father's rules against demons."
"All except for that one," Botan explained. "Or else he'd probably lose all of us ferry girls to Demon or Human World. We cannot be with demons or humans, unless the humans have spiritual energy. That's how it is. And I'm the chief ferry girl, so I'm held to those standards. I'm lucky to even have this time off. Kurama, I don't know what to do. I'm torn between my job and a guy I can't tell my feelings to. Maybe I should just go back to weekends to see you guys and give up on Hiei."
Hiei felt a little hurt and shocked by what Botan had said. He felt rejected and like she was judging him. Yes, he hated her, but he didn't despise her (to him there was a difference). Sure, he didn't think he liked her that way, but as soon as she said she wanted to give up, something nearly broke inside of him. He couldn't explain it.
"Why?" Kurama inquired.
"Because," Botan said, "he could never return my feelings and even if he did, I can't be with him. It wouldn't be fair to either of us."
"So you want to return to Spirit World and be miserable for the rest of your existence?" Kurama pressed a little forcefully.
"I don't know!" Botan shouted. She ended up running back into the temple without looking back at the redhead.
"Where are you going?" Kurama asked in concern.
"Leave me alone!" Botan shouted through her tears. She didn't want to talk about this anymore, yet every time she returned to Human World, someone brought it up.
Hiei came out from where he was hiding and Kurama spotted him. He didn't seem too fazed that Hiei had been there. "How much did you hear?" he asked knowingly.
"All of it," Hiei replied stoically while crossing his arms.
"Well?"
Hiei smirked and acted arrogant to hide his hurt. "She's right. I do not feel the way she does."
Kurama frowned at him. "I know for a fact that you are lying, and even though you are trying to play it off, you better not say that to her and break her heart. Then she'll definitely never return and we won't get to see her again. Just remember that Yukina wants her here too."
"Hn. Whatever. I won't crush the little ferry girl's spirit, although her peppy attitude makes me nauseous. It would take her down a few pegs at least."
"I'm serious, Hiei," Kurama said a little more darkly, some of Youko's nature coming out. "I see that girl as my own sister and if you hurt her or prevent us from seeing her, then you will pay."
Hiei was a little surprised that Kurama felt a type of sibling bond with Botan, but he didn't care. He didn't plan on saying what he told to Kurama to her anyways. He just didn't want to admit that there was the possibility that he could actually like the ferry girl. That would be too complicated.
A/N: Well, another small progression for Hiei…I'm so tired of dragging it out, but like I said before, I am trying my best to keep him in character. But he will be OOC when he finally admits his feelings…Hiei + Romance = OOC XD
