Camellia

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

Chapter 4: Botan – Knight

My head hurt, and I felt as if I was going to puke any minute. My body was warm all over; I wanted to stay in bed longer but I still opened my eyes, albeit reluctantly. It took me only a second to realize the warmness my body had felt was from the sunlight peeking through the curtains.

Raising myself up of the bed, I rubbed my eyes for a bit. For a few moments, my vision was slightly blurry but after a while it returned to normal and I took in my surroundings. This room… It was Yusuke's. Why was I in here again? Oh yes, Yusuke's birthday party. Everyone, the alcohol, and Ku… rama…

My eyes widened like saucers and I quickly turned to look to the right.

It was true.

There he was; he was sleeping on his stomach, his hair fanning all over the sheets, his back rising up and down as he breathed in his sleep… and that face. So serene, so cute, my hands were already reaching to touch his face before I even realized it.

But I stopped halfway and pulled my arm away. So it wasn't just a dream… What the hell have I done? Sure, I enjoyed last night. It was amazing. But… if Kurama woke up, and that would be anytime soon… I wonder how he would take all this?

He would probably hate—

My thoughts were cut short by the sound of a moan. I wanted to bolt, run away and hide myself under a rock forever. But my body wouldn't move and by the time Kurama got up from bed, looked around the room and then next to him – by the look on his face, I guess he didn't expect to see me there beside him – I was still staring at him.

Both our eyes were so wide I could've sworn they would burst out our sockets; and after a few moments of uncomfortable silence, his mouth opened – most likely to say something about the situation. But I didn't want to hear any of it, I didn't want to hear him say that he was drunk or apologize for what happen… because I was the one who did this to us.

So I forced myself out of the bed before a word could leave his lips, picked up my clothes that were strewn all over the room and said, "I'm sorry, let's forget any of this happened… okay?"

Then, I left.

I opened the door so fast, the screws that kept it still to the wall almost broke under the force, and I slammed the door. Hard.

I didn't know why, but I was so pissed off at myself.

But I left. I didn't wait for his reply to what I just said. I just left. Walked away from that door, from that scene, from him… and hoping that the guilt slowly rising up my skin would just go away.

"I asked for this," was the only thing I whispered to myself.

...

Drip.

Drip.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

I hear dripping sounds around me, but I don't bother to budge or move an inch. Then, I feel something wet and cold drip on my face, the touch like ice, I just had to open my eyes.

And when I do, I see a red hakama with a black sash keeping it in place. But no, it isn't just a hakama… someone is wearing it. I let my eyes travel upwards to the owner, and I am greeted by the sight of a man. Despite his handsome features, he's probably around his mid twenties – but I know he's a demon; I have a gut feeling that we're in demon world and he's definitely older than that – and he smirks at me, waving the glass he's holding in his hand right at my face and sure enough… the cold water from the glass spills a little on my hair.

I take in my surroundings before reverting my gaze back to the man. We're in a cave, but I'm not sure where because there's a lot of caves in demon world. We could be anywhere.

"W-who are you?" I finally muster up the courage to ask, ignoring my growing annoyance by the way he's waving his glass at me.

He stops waving, and bends down until he's eye to eye with me. "Now, now, girl… I don't think you're in the right place to ask questions here, now are you?" he taunts, giving me a mock smile, before walking away from me and sauntering around the cave, with his hand still holding the glass.

I growl at him and make a move to hit him. "Why you—Just because I'm a girl, doesn't mean—" I cut myself off when I realize I can't move my body. Something's restraining me… I look down and see the ropes keeping me stuck to the wooden chair I am sitting on. "W-what-?"

The man chuckles at my predicament. "See?"

I raise my head, and glare at him, my eyes red in anger. "What do you want from me? If you think you're going to get anything from me, mister, you're barking up the wrong tree!"

Taking a sip from his glass, the man then looks at me and throws his glass away somewhere in the cave. It breaks, the sound echoing so loud in the cave that I jump in the chair; not only because of the noise, but also in surprise at the way he just threw it away so nonchalantly and suddenly like that.

"You guessed wrong, little girl. I do want something but not from you. I do not need anything from a ferry girl of the spirit world. What could the likes of you ever give me?" he says dangerously, his purple eyes narrowing in a menacing way. He saunters calmly towards me, and yet the way he walks slowly, his eyes narrowed like that… almost made me scared, but not quite.

When he's right in front of me, the man then runs his fingers in his black hair, and the smirk returns to his face. His eyes dance with amusement, but I can still detect the malice behind it. "Ah, but I do need something from your boyfriend."

Boyfriend? What the hell is this guy talking about? "Excuse me," I mock him, a smirk tugging at my lips, "Don't you think you've got the wrong ferry girl? I am in no way in relationship with any man."

He does something unexpected; he laughs. An open mouthed laugh that would've seem normal but it freaks me out. "My, my… I suppose the fox is infatuated with a girl that he cannot make his then? The thought… is simply unbelievable!" Wait, what?

His laugh fades into thin air, and he averts his gaze at me, his eyes glinting dangerously in the darkness. "But isn't it hilarious?"

The fox? Does that mean… "Are you talking about Kurama?" the question escapes my lips before I could even stop it. If my hands weren't tied to the back of the chair, they would've flew to my mouth by now.

He doesn't give me any response but a small tug of his lips. And that was enough to confirm my suspicions. "W-what do you want with him? If you hurt him—"

"If I hurt him what? What can you do? Do you really think if I can hurt him, I can't hurt you? Don't be foolish. You are over-matched by me. You would never win even if you try," he mocks.

"But-!"

"You really talk to much, don't you?" He sighs and shakes his head. "I can't believe how much his taste have changed over the years. He used to prefer smart, aggressive, strong women. Not…" He bends down and tugs at my chin, bringing my face closer to his, "… stupid, childish and powerless women like you."

I harshly tug my face away from his grasp, as if I couldn't bear to be touched by such a creature like him. He lets me, and just crosses his arms as he calmly stares back at my glowering eyes. "But you are beautiful, even if you scowl at me like this… You're attractive, I'll give you that."

"But, I never thought that he hasn't make you his yet. The damned fox always gets anything he wants, including the women of course. I figured he already has you, but, tch tch… apparently not," he goes on.

Before I knew it, a laugh escapes my throat. This attracts the man's attention and he looks at me with a quirk of his eyebrow. "What's so funny?"

"You," I smile. "You talk like you know Kurama, and how he feels about me… well, you're wrong! You don't know him and… what was the word you used? 'Infatuated', wasn't it? He… doesn't feel that way for me. I'm only a friend, and I know he'd always consider me as just as a friend," My smile soon falls, "and the same thing goes for me."

"'Only a friend' you say?" It isn't question, more like a taunt and I don't acknowledge him. He continues anyway, "If you're just a friend to him, then explain why he's been thinking of you lately! It's just you, you and you! He can't think of anything else! You're getting to him… And you!"

He grabs my bangs, and pulls hard on them, my forehead bared for him to see. I let out a cry of pain at the action. "Don't you go and give me that friend bullshit! You and him… you've been intimate. And that's not just friends. You're slowly considering him more and more than a friend; you want him. You want to feel him, touch him… Well, how did it go? Did the feeling of him inside you feel good? You want more of that, don't you? You want more of his big, long…"

"No, stop talking!" I cry, and make a move to look away but he tugs again, forcing me to keep looking at him.

"Look at me!" he growls. "Kurama, too… he's been having this dream, the same dream that keeps repeating itself in his sleep every night… A dream of you. He longs for your naked flesh… He wants to taste you, feel you, break you… He wants to have his way with you, until you lose control, and all hot and bothered… just for him."

"No, no, no… I don't want to listen. You're wrong, you're wrong…" By now, my body is already shivering. This guy doesn't know what he's talking about… Just shut up, shut up, shut up!

"I wonder what he'd feel if I were the one who did those things to you… What if I touch you in front of him? Make you beg for me to fuck you right in front of his own two eyes," he laughs maliciously as he says this. "Don't worry. Shh, he'll be right here soon."

This man is nuts.

I part my lips to retaliate, but I don't manage when a familiar voice reaches my ears. Oh no, why did he come?

"Get your filthy hands off of her."

The usually soft-spoken Kurama is gone now. His voice, so low, so deep… and dripping with pure hatred. I turn to look at him, and right at that moment, our eyes lock. I want to break away but something in his eyes just stares right into my soul… and I can do nothing but stare back at him. His emerald orbs rid of their kindness, is now filled with a menace, and an intent to kill.

It's the first time I've seen Kurama look so scary.

"Ah, if it isn't the devil himself," the man chuckles, and lets go of my hair, his hands now coming to rest to each side of his waist. "The girl and I were just talking about the plans I have for you tonight."

"Yes, so I've heard," Kurama calmly replies, but even from such a far distance from him, I can see his hands grip tightly into a fist. "I am not going to let you do that to her."

"Oh, so you've actually eavesdrop on our conversation!" The man sticks a finger up in the air and moves it from right to left repeatedly. "Tch, tch… bad fox."

Kurama's eyes narrow ever so slightly at this. "I am not in the mood to indulge in your silly banters. I want the girl, now. And I will give you whatever it is you want."

Purple eyes stare at him, and for a moment the man is silent. Just for a moment, there's an unreadable expression on his face. Then he smirks. "You really don't get it, do you? You don't remember who I am?" he asks, tilting his head in mockery.

"No, I'm afraid not. Sorry," Kurama simply says, and I can't help but smirk at this. Ha! Serves you right! You plan all this to get something from him, and he doesn't even remember you!

Of course, I'm not brave enough to voice this thoughts out loud.

"I heard that, missy," the man speaks, and this time, I think instead of talking to Kurama, he is actually talking to me. "You wouldn't want to think that, lest I'd make it more painful for you soon enough when I rape you."

"W-what?" The thought of getting raped by this man sends shiver down my spine, and despite the fear in my heart, I am more intrigued by how he knew what I was thinking. "Y-you can read minds?"

A small smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. "Why yes, of course. How else did you think I know all those things about you and Kurama?" He turns his head towards Kurama, and the smile on his face visibly widens. "Your thoughts… your dream. I know everything."

From the corner of my eyes, I could see Kurama flinch at his statement.

"How do you feel now, Kurama? Now that you know I know of your dream?"

"Knowing about it isn't going to help you get anywhere with this," Kurama nearly shouts. I'm surprised by how disturbed he obviously is by the fact that this man knows this.

So, wait… the dream… It's true? I can't help but blush at this, but my embarrassment immediately dies down as I know I am right now in the face of danger. This man… he says he wants to force himself on me in front of Kurama. But he can kill me anytime he wants.

"Stop with this nonsense and just tell me who you are and what you want!" Kurama continues, his voice firm and stern.

"Ha-ha! I thought as much from a fox like you… How could you remember? You stole all of our treasures, seduced our women, and killed off nearly the entire village… My village is in ashes because of you and I want you to pay! I'm going to make you pay!" The man initially laughs at first, but then his voice gets louder and louder at each sentence. I could just feel the resentment he feels towards Kurama just by listening to him.

"You know what I want? I want to see your face twisted in despair, I want to see you heartbroken with my own eyes… I want to make you feel what I've felt, and I'm going to do that by doing her." The man averts his eyes towards me and takes a few steps closer. I want to back off but the fact that I'm tied to a wooden chair, restrains every movement I try to make. "I'm going to rape her in front of you… just like you raped my mate in front of me in the past."

His words startles me and my eyes widen into saucers. What? Kurama… I turn to look at Kurama, as if asking silently if this is true, and he looks away.

"I've done many terrible things in the past, Botan," he says, his voice low and barely audible but I heard him quite clearly. "I don't remember all of them…"

… did that?

"Because you're heartless, Youko Kurama!" The man roars, before turning to look back at me. A mischievous smirk tugs at his mouth, his eyes glint with a mix of joy and hatred and he goes on, "I'm going to have as much fun as I can get with your woman."

He takes another step closer, and I close my eyes. Waiting for whatever this man wants to happen to just… happen. But then, I hear a scream and I flinch at the sound of a loud thud on the ground. I open my eyes, albeit slowly, to see what's going on.

I widen my eyes at the sight that greets me. The man, who is already lying on the ground, is bleeding a lot and there are vines… long, thorny vines coming out of his body and latching on to his limbs in a vice like grip, threatening to pull his body apart, limb from limb.

"H-how…" the man asks disbelievingly, and I'm sure he didn't expect this kind of situation when he planned all this. His voice croaks, and I feel sorry for him. But Kurama is not like me. He is kind… yet he has no tolerance for anyone who tries to hurt the people he cares about.

This man is about to die… his blood would be in Kurama's hands.

"I've planted a seed inside your body. You didn't notice… you were busy talking to Botan about she and I.. so I saw a chance, and I took it," Kurama answers.

"I do not deny that I've done a lot of cruel things." A vine rips apart the man's left arm, and an ear-piercing screech echoes in the cave. "And I make no amends whatsoever for them. I do not care. They are what they are, actions of my past…" Kurama's eyes watches as a vine grips at the man's throat, "…and that is where they will stay."

In a split second, the vine rips off the man's head with just one, last tug; there's blood everywhere and somehow – even though this is a bit morbid for me to watch up close like this – I can't take my eyes off the scene.

I watch as Kurama bends down to the ground where the man's headless body rests. "I wanted to torture you, but I couldn't do it in front of her. She is far too precious to me. I admit what I've done to you is unforgivable, but you had taken hostage the girl who means a lot to me… so death becomes your sentence."

Kurama gets up from the ground. "Such a pity too," he smiles weakly, "You planned all this to take revenge on me… and yet, in the end, this is what becomes of you."

He slowly diverts his eyes at me; the coldness, the resentment now gone from the pair of emeralds… and replaced by the kindness I've always known him for.

"I am glad nothing happened to you," he says in relief.

And even though he stands there with a lifeless, headless body of the person he killed so cruelly in front of me next to him, blood on his clothes and his face, the smile on his lips and the look in his eyes are enough to make me smile back.

"I'm glad you came," I tell him.

He walks over to me and proceeds to cut off the ropes binding me while I just sit there and watch.

Even if he is as heartless as the man had said… Kurama is a knight. Sounds a bit childish, but that is what I think. He is a knight, whom I know would save me anytime my life is at risk…

… and I know he would surpass many boundaries to do that, even stake his own life just for mine.

And that is one of the things that I undeniably love about him.