A/N: I finally managed to upload summerneverlasts' fanart to the website and it is now the cover art for this story! Many thanks to her for creating such a beautiful piece.
Kuwabara twirled a pen around long fingers as his eyes roamed over the expanse of notes on his desk. It looked like it was going to be another all-nighter for him. He opened the drawer in his desk to retrieve a few highlighters and his eyes froze on the communication device that was hidden in the corner. It had been three years since the Spirit Detective Team disbanded and went their separate ways. He kept in touch with Kurama, who was still moonlighting as a human, and he saw Yusuke during the sporadic visits he paid them, but it just wasn't the same.
Kuwabara found himself thinking of the good old times occasionally; he learned a lot about himself during those days and he had met a lot of important people along the way. It was strange for them to be so disconnected, but he guessed that it was just the way that life went: you grow up and you follow your own path. Urameshi decided to see what demon world had to offer and explore his options, Kurama chose to devote most of his time to his human life while occasionally making trips to the demon world to keep up his duties there and Hiei decided to leave and never return. For a while, Kuwabara had felt as though everyone was moving on and leaving him behind. He was stuck in high school while the guys were all part of powerful factions in the demon world. Even Koenma was making strides in the Spirit World, while he was just trying to make it through ninth grade algebra. But Shizuru quite literally kicked him into gear, forcing him out of his temporary funk and helping him to buckle down on his studies in order to make something out of himself. She had high hopes for him and Kuwabara kind of liked the unwavering confidence she had placed in him, although it was impossible to guess over all of his grumbling. He gave up his punk image for a more studious one and was able to obtain a scholarship to a university a few towns over. Both he and Shizuru decided it would be best to live in the dorms and immerse himself into the academic life as much as he could, so he packed his things and moved out.
Being a regular college student was a job in and of itself: juggling a challenging workload, stressing over exams, attending events and meeting new people. He was no longer involved in dangerous missions and the like – Spirit World had decided to employ the talents of the new psychics that had come about as a result of the Chapter Black case – and he was free to live a normal life. Although he discarded his duties as a part of the spirit detective team, he still kept in touch with Koenma and Botan and he always made visiting Yukina one of his priorities.
The sound of someone calling his name and knocking on the door pulled him from his thoughts. He quickly closed the bottom drawer and made his way over to the source of the noise, wondering who it could be. When he opened the door he was met with familiar black hair and amber eyes.
"Hey Tatsuki," he greeted.
"Kazuma," she smiled back, handing him a flyer. "There's a party tonight at the Y building. You should come if you're free."
Kuwabara grinned, scratching the back of his head nervously as he looked down at the piece of paper. It looked like it would be fun, but he had other priorities. Lifting his gaze from the enticing invitation, he cast a sheepish look in Tatsuki's direction.
"Gee, I'd love to go, but I really have to get this paper done before morning."
Her pink lips pouted momentarily, before pulling back into a teasing grin.
"Alright, I'll let you off of the hook now, but that means you have to come to the next party for sure!"
"Deal," he promised.
"Tatsuki, come on!" another student called out from the hall.
"I've gotta run," the dark haired girl said. "Good luck with your paper."
He closed the door behind her and nearly jumped out of his skin when a new voice reached his ears.
"Well, isn't someone popular with the ladies?"
Kuwabara looked behind him to find Botan hovering on her oar, right outside of his opened window. Her hair and kimono were ruffling slightly in the early morning breeze as she beamed at him.
"Botan, you can't just fly around in broad daylight like that! What are people going to think?" he shrieked worriedly.
"Don't get all worked up, it's not like anyone can even see me in my spirit form," she giggled, waving him off.
His anxiety decreased dramatically when he realized that she was right and he had overreacted over nothing.
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," he mumbled. He watched her fissure through the window and enter the dorm room with a fascinated stare. After being so immersed in the normal life of a university student, seeing Botan walk through walls was a slight shock.
"Any new girlfriends I should be warning Yukina about?" she teased as she banished her oar and placed a hand on her hip.
"No way, Tatsuki's just a friend! My heart will always be devoted to Yukina," he defended quickly, before he moved to examine the ferry-girl through narrowed eyes. "And what about you? Don't think I haven't noticed that Yuuto guy hanging around you all the time."
"Oh that's just a nice, friendly thing," she explained casually.
Kuwabara gave her an unconvinced look. The last time she used that phrase she had gotten hurt with Hiei.
"Really?" he probed. "You guys are just friends?"
"Yes," she replied evenly. "I can't speak for Yuuto, but it's completely platonic on my end and I hope he feels the same way too."
Kuwabara was more than tempted to press for more answers, but Botan looked completely sure of herself in that moment and he figured that no good would come out of it.
"If you say so…" he relented, deciding to change the topic entirely. "So, what was the point of the drop by? Trouble in Spirit World?"
"Everything is fine," she reassured with a dismissive wave of her hand. She was walking around the room, now, taking in the sight of his Megallica posters plastered on the walls. "I just felt like checking in. It has been a while."
"That's true," he said. "Any word from Urameshi or Kurama?"
"Actually, the third annual demon world tournament is coming up soon!" the ferry-girl answered excitedly as she turned back to face him. "And yours truly will be attending this year."
"Whoa, I didn't think that type of thing was your scene," he commented. "No offense."
"Well, I could do without the gory bloodshed, but from what Koenma tells me, most of the battles are more of a sporting competition than an actual life or death grudge match," she explained. "And I'm all for a good show."
"It does sound cool," Kuwabara replied, thinking back to the stories he had heard about the impressive battles fought for control of the demon world.
"You know you're more than welcome to come," she offered. "I'm sure Koenma could get an extra ticket for you."
It was a tempting offer and he would be lying if he said that he hadn't considered it. If it had been a few years ago, back when he was more interested in fighting than forging his future, he might have taken her up on her offer, but instead he shook his head.
"We're actually on break soon, but I signed up for a special program and attendance is mandatory," he declined. "But thanks. Maybe someday."
"I understand," Botan acquiesced. "I think it's great that you're so into your studies now. Shizuru must be proud."
"I guess," he replied, feeling his cheeks heat up in embarrassment. He had never been good with receiving compliments from pretty girls. "But, hey, wouldn't that be something if someone we knew actually won the tournament?"
"The only person I would trust to lead the demon world is Kurama," she replied, crossing her arms.
Kuwabara nodded.
"Urameshi would run the place to the ground and I don't even want to think about what kind of deranged things Hiei would do."
"Oh, I'm sure it wouldn't be that bad," she defended.
"Really? Cause I can see it now: shorty would make everyone bow down to his superiority and anyone who dared to look at him the wrong way would be tried with treason."
"Kuwabara… that's awful!" Botan said between fits of laughter.
"You know it's true!" he shot back.
Although he was completely serious, the ferry-girl's laughter was infectious and he soon found himself joining in as well. It was times like these – when remnants of his past blended in with his present – that he realized that maybe this new phase of life would be the most enjoyable one yet.
Yusuke stalked the halls of Mukuro's castle and tried to ignore the creeping sensation that indicated he was being watched. No matter how many times he had been here, the place still kind of freaked him out. Whereas Hokushin and the monks had some sort of moral compass and Yomi at least pretended to be the pacifist in order to suit his agendas, Mukuro had no qualms with revealing her brutal and vicious nature and the eerie atmosphere of her castle seemed fitting for someone of her caliber. He stopped in front of Hiei's door, grinning as he rapped his knuckles against the fine wood.
"Rise and shine sleeping beauty, the day is young!" he called out.
He noticed a few workers and soldiers giving Yusuke a fearful or warning glance and he figured it was normal. It wasn't every day that someone haphazardly banged on Hiei's door for a number of reasons, the most prominent being the fact that the general of Mukuro's army had a horrible temperament and the power to back it up. But he was Yusuke Urameshi, heir of Raizen, ex-spirit detective and an old friend; he could get away with it. Besides, he could never pass up the opportunity to rile the little guy up. It was one of the only constants in his strange life here and he refused to give it up.
The door was yanked open and Yusuke was face to face with a glowering Hiei.
"What do you want?"
"Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Yusuke badgered, pausing to examine him further. The fire-demon sported faint dark circles in conjunction with the familiar tug of irritation weighing down his features. "Actually it kinda looks like you hardly got any sleep at all. What's the matter, Mukuro overworking you-"
His mouth ran dry and the rest of his sentence caught in his throat when he noticed the scantily clad woman behind Hiei.
"Isn't she that fake nurse from the Dark Tournament?" Yusuke asked under his breath, eyeing her warily. "The one who trapped you and Genkai in her barrier?"
"The one and only," she replied, giving him a flirtatious smirk.
Yusuke swallowed slowly; yep, definitely the same woman. And, if possible, she had gotten even hotter in the past few years. He let his eyes wander for a while, but was suddenly pulled out of his lecherous thoughts when he remembered that he had a girl waiting for him back home. Great time for his conscience to interrupt, he thought bitterly as he also remembered that there was ferry-girl in Spirit World who would no doubt be shocked by the scene.
He still found himself revisiting what occurred between the fire-demon and ferry-girl with a sense of regret. He thought they would work things out and live happily ever after, but Hiei came to Makai and Botan had her own endeavors to work through in Spirit World. They both returned to their separate worlds as though nothing ever happened. Botan continued to be a teasing nag and Hiei fell into his role of the begrudging ally. Everything had worked out in the end and so he forced himself to ignore the twinge of regret he felt whenever he thought of the past, instead choosing to focus on the enchantress as she slipped out of the room.
"See you tonight, Hiei," she purred.
The sultry voice captured his attention once more and he became temporarily dazed as he appreciated the sight of the long-legged beauty swaying hips and walking away. Hiei only spared a glance in the woman's direction before returning his attention to Yusuke.
"Finally found a nice demon woman to settle down with?" Yusuke pried.
"Hardly."
"Booty call?"
When Hiei didn't answer, Yusuke's grin widened wolfishly.
"Hiei, you dog!"
"Did you just come here to meddle?" he questioned, not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice.
"Sort of," Yusuke said, shrugging carelessly. "Hokushin's been on my case lately and I just needed to get away. Told 'em I was going to talk official business with Mukuro's camp."
For the sake of tenuous peace and structure in an otherwise untamed world, the three Kings decided to put their best feet forward and at least pretend to get along with each other. It eased the tensions within the lands and with the Spirit World. Yusuke was not one for diplomacy, but he had to admit that things were a lot easier now that he had diplomatic immunity.
"You should have stayed there and listened to the monk," Hiei advised. "This isn't high school and you can't afford to slack off."
"Fine, let's talk business, then," Yusuke said seriously.
Hiei stared back at him expectantly and Yusuke smirked, dropping his voice to a hushed tone as he asked, "So, how long have you been boning that hot-"
"Yusuke," Hiei gritted warningly through clenched teeth.
"Alright, alright," he backed off. It was still a little strange hearing Hiei call him by his name rather than by his old title of spirit detective, but he figured one of these days he would get used to it. "You ready for the tournament?"
Hiei nodded.
"Usually a majority of the prospects are pathetic," he noted. "But there are a few that I've had my eye on this year."
"I'm itching for a rematch with Yomi ever since that bastard beat me in the first tournament. Mukuro looks like she'd be a good challenger, but damn if she isn't brutal. She'd probably dismember an opponent for the fun of it."
Hiei smirked, but did not say anymore, confirming Yusuke's suspicions that perhaps his halfhearted comment held some truth to it. He ran a hand through his gelled hair before cocking a brow over at Hiei.
"Could you imagine if one of us actually won, though?" Yusuke chuckled lightly. "What would you do with all that power?"
"Nothing," Hiei said bluntly, crossing his arms over his bare chest. "I have no interest in something as fleeting as political power that can be taken away with the coming of a new tournament. The only power I care about is my own."
Yusuke nodded as he thought about it. Hiei had a point, there. Ruling Raizen's territory was hard enough, and he wasn't even the one calling all the shots. He definitely didn't want or need the responsibility of the whole world resting on his shoulders. He could handle saving the world, but maintaining it was a prolonged burden that he had no interest in carrying.
"I guess we can both agree that we're not joining the tournament to become the next ruler, but it still doesn't hurt to be prepared for a good fight. Up for a round of friend sparring?"
"You've gone soft during your time here, slacking off and avoiding all duties. It would hardly be a fair fight," Hiei mocked.
"We'll see about that," Yusuke joked, cracking his knuckles.
If there was one thing Yusuke could count on Hiei for, it was a good spar. The fire-demon never held his punches and he fought as though he were out for blood. It would be just the sort of practice he needed before the tournament.
"Thanks again for all your help today, Yuuto!" Botan called out as she waved at his retreating form.
"Merely doing my duty," he replied. He flashed one last grin at her before turning and making his way down the winding halls of the Spirit World.
If only Yusuke was that compliant, she thought to herself, before shaking her head and grinning. As sweet and accommodating as Yuuto was, she found herself missing the old days with the Spirit Detective Team. Yuuto and the other psychics were a great help, but it just wasn't the same.
Things had changed drastically within the past three years. Revamping and restructuring the Spirit World was an arduous task, but Koenma was resourceful and determined. He had the support of his staff and he could be pretty influential and convincing when he needed to be. The more radical, strict and unforgiving officials were booted and replaced with people who shared Koenma's new vision.
Botan was shocked to learn that the old regime had been falsifying reports of demon cruelty, pinning the blame of a majority of human crimes on demons. Koenma had tried those who had done wrong and promised that the new administration would be an honest and fair one. This allowed a better harmony between the three worlds; one that they had not experienced in a long time. In fact, Koenma had been welcomed to the tournament by choice, rather than as an act of a placating goodwill. In the first two years, he had entrusted Botan and a few others to hold the fort down in his absence. It was much too volatile a time to leave the Spirit World without anyone that he could completely trust. But by the third year, things had settled down. Koenma's reign had become widely – if not reluctantly – accepted among the masses of their world and it did not look like there would be any trouble this year. They had to be able to leave and trust that the world wouldn't fall apart without them and now was as good a time as any. Besides, Ayame, Hinageshi and the trusted members of the Spirit Defense Force were reliable and could handle it on their own.
Botan was actually excited to view a demon world tournament. Koenma said it was a thrilling event and she would get to see her friends again in their element. She had seen Kurama almost as much as she saw Kuwabara. Yusuke sightings were sporadic, but she welcomed them nonetheless. Although she hadn't seen Hiei once, that didn't stop her from thinking about him from time to time. In the first few months of his absence, she thought about him a great deal, but over time, the pain subsided and the anger vanished. It was nice to finally put it all behind her to have moved on completely and truly. To be honest, the shuffle in power dynamics in the Spirit World and all of the work that came with it was a huge help. She had found herself a lot more excited and involved in her job than she had been in a long time. She had helped to make a change that favored all three worlds and it was satisfying to have done something so important and influential. Life was good and she was content.
Once she entered her room, she made a beeline for her closet. The ferry-girl began rummaging through the items, searching diligently for appropriate outfits to take with her on the trip. She had no idea what type of clothing was appropriate and Koenma was certainly no help. When she had asked his input, the only advice he gave her was to bring enough clothes to last a week. Botan had pestered him for about ten minutes until she realized that he had no fashion sense or cultural sense and was completely useless in this endeavor.
For the most part, she had decided on casual clothing. She heard that there was a celebratory party for the victor afterwards and decided to bring along a few outfits that varied in their degrees of fanciness; she did not want to be over or underdressed for any occasion that might arise.
Botan stepped further into the closet and pulled out an arrangement of items, ranging from traditional kimonos to combat boots and everything in between. Her hand closed around something soft and fuzzy and she paused as she pulled it out. Amethyst eyes met the sight of a miniature, black and white panda bear that Hiei had won for her years ago. Taking a moment to reflect on the item, she ran her fingers through the soft fur as she examined its cute and innocent features with a sad smile. Before she could get too nostalgic, she set the plush toy back in the corner of her closet.
Although she had tossed the stuffed animal and the photo booth pictures with the full intentions of letting them get swept away in the Spirit World's garbage system, she retrieved them at the last minute and kept them for sentimental reasons. At first it hurt to see the mementos; they were a stark reminder of the man who had betrayed her and the times they spent together, but as time went on the hurt ached less and less. The cute panda was nothing more than a stuffed animal and she really did get attached to it. The pictures were a little harder to disregard, but she kept them regardless, only peering at them when she felt extremely sentimental.
Getting over him was hard, but she had managed to do it. As far as she was concerned she only had two viable options: wallow in self-pity and pine after a man who never wanted her, or get over it and move on. She chose the latter option and never felt better. The ferry-girl felt no ill will towards Hiei; in fact, she still wanted to consider him a friend, but she knew that he did not feel the same and she had to stop fooling herself. They were allies for a moment in time and that was all that they ever would be. With a determined nod, she dismissed all thoughts of the past and continued ransacking her closet. She was due to leave early tomorrow morning and she was nowhere near finished with her packing.
The following morning, Koenma had accompanied Botan off at the hotel, promising to meet her later in the day. Jorge dutifully followed the Prince everywhere he went, leaving Botan alone. She had no issue with it, seeing as she had traveled to one of the Three King's territories unarmed and defenseless before and she could definitely handle herself in an upscale hotel like this one. Her eyes traveled from the high ceilings and glittering chandeliers to the beautifully polished marble floors. This place was an absolute dream!
There was a strange mix of guests, humans and demon alike, and a majority of them were the elite, the rich and the powerful. As a guest of Koenma, she was sure to be treated with respect and she had no qualms about being left on her own. In fact, it was exactly what she was hoping for.
Several porters had offered to carry her bags during her trek from the entrance to the front desk, but Botan was perfectly capable of handling it on her own as she lugged her belongings over to the counter.
"Good morning," she greeted, smiling politely at the lizard demon who was manning the desk. "I'm checking in for the next few days. I believe Koenma set up a room for me? The name's Botan."
His beady eyes glowed with the light of the computer screen as he scanned the records.
"Yes, I see a room here for a Ms. Botan and Mr. Jorge," he hissed back.
Her smile dropped immediately. She had been hoping for her time away from the Spirit World to be a calming and enjoyable one. She had fully intended to get some well-deserved rest and relaxation and she couldn't very well do that with Jorge in the room. She had absolutely nothing against the ogre, in fact, she cared for him like family, but she couldn't exactly relax and let loose with a man in the room. And beyond the gender issue, he had the tendency to be a tad clingy at times.
"Is something the matter?" the demon asked.
"Well, to be honest, I wasn't aware that I had a roommate," she admitted.
"Our records indicate that this room was booked for two," he informed. "We added the extra bed because the Prince requested it."
She frowned, unable to hide her displeasure.
"We still have some rooms available," he offered. "The prices are high, but that shouldn't be a problem for Prince Koenma's entourage."
Botan smiled at him sheepishly. She didn't have any spending money because Koenma had failed to give her any. She reminded herself to ask him for some the next time she saw him, after she had finished yelling his ear off over booking her a room with George.
"Oh no, that's quite alright," she lied, forcing a smile despite the irritation that was slowly rising. "I suppose Jorge and I will just have to make do!"
He nodded.
"Alright, in that case, please sign the waiver form."
She read the legal jargon over briefly; if anything was damaged, she would be liable to pay for it and if anything was stolen, then she would not be reimbursed by the hotel. She signed her name on the line, before pushing the document across the counter towards the clerk.
Upon gaining her keycard, she made her way towards the elevators. She could not wait to see what her room would look like! The ding of the elevator pulled her from her thoughts and she entered the cabin, pressing the button for the 16th floor. She would have to go back and ask someone about the services offered later on in the day, fully intending on making the most of her time here while she had the chance.
Soon enough the elevator had brought her to her destination. As she walked further down the hallway, a familiar buzzing alerted her to her communication device. She dropped her luggage and fished it out of her pocket.
"Did you check in already?" Koenma's high-pitched voice filtered through the device.
"Yes and I've got a bone to pick with you, sir!"
"What's the matter? Is there something wrong with the room?"
"As a matter of fact, there is!"
"I made sure it was spacious enough. Not as spacious and luxurious as my suite, but it's much larger than the living quarters back home."
"I haven't even seen my room yet, but I did happen to learn that I have to share a room with Jorge!"
The other line was silent for a moment.
"Is that a problem?"
"It absolutely is! You have a whole suite for yourself, why don't you room with him?" she paused to regard the blue ogre on the other end of the screen, who had looked mildly offended. "No offense Jorge."
"None taken," he replied.
"Couldn't you have at least booked us separate rooms?" Botan complained.
"He's for protection."
"But I can protect myself!" she said.
"Now Botan, this is a dangerous world. You shouldn't be left alone."
"You're lying!" she screeched. "You told me that I would be safe in the hotel. Isn't that why you left me here alone?"
He bit his lip – something he only did if he was nervous – and she knew that she had him on the ropes now. All he needed was a bit more pressure and she would finally pull the truth out of him.
"I have a feeling you're not being completely honest with me, sir, and I'll have to let Ayame know that perhaps you aren't as trustworthy and noble as she thinks you are."
Panic pinched his features and he shook his head stubbornly.
"There's no need to tell Ayame anything," he said quickly. "I was only trying to cut costs. My room was pricey enough and booking a second one for Jorge was just too much trouble! You understand, right?"
"No, I don't!" she replied. "It's not fair! Besides, you're the ruler of an entire world. You should have more than enough funds to get the three of us separate rooms!"
"We're on a budget!" he reminded her.
"Well, then maybe you should downgrade to a regular sized room! That would solve all of our problems!" she asserted, intent on having her way.
Koenma had begun to reason with her in that pacifying and diplomatic tone of his, but Botan was past the point of compromise. She would stand here and argue until she was blue in the face if that's what it took to get her own room. The fact that she was in the middle of the hallway and possibly causing a disturbance never crossed her mind and she continued arguing with the Prince obliviously.
Hiei opened his eyes, adjusting to the influx of light that assaulted his senses. As he looked around, he remembered that he was not in the comfort of his own quarters back at Mukuro's castle, but in one of the overly lavish hotel rooms closest to the site of the tournament. He always made it a habit to arrive a few days earlier to scout the competition, but that was the farthest thing from his mind right now.
It happened again; she invaded his dreams. He had never been one to contemplate the strange constructs of his subconscious, but he always had trouble dismissing dreams that involved the ferry-girl. He thought of her more than he cared to admit at first, but as the months wore on, he was able to let her go. He would dream of her occasionally, but it hadn't happened in a long time and the fact that it started up again was unsettling.
He dragged a hand over his sleep filled eyes, before opening them and again and focusing on his surroundings. The dark curtains were drawn back and the sunlight streamed in from the large glass windows. Judging by how bright it was, he had probably overslept. He focused his sight on the woman directly beside him. Her breathing patterns indicated that she was still asleep and that was fine by Hiei. He did not want to deal with any social interaction at the moment.
The two of them had started a purely physical affair a little over three months ago. He was frustrated and she was there. That's all there was to it. No emotional ties, no confusing mixed signals and no guilt. They both knew what they wanted from each other and refrained from crossing any boundaries that would ruin their mutually beneficial arrangement. Hiei rarely saw her outside of his room and that was just fine by him.
But lately she had started to make a habit of staying the night, rather than leaving once they were finished. He looked over at her sleeping form, contemplating whether or not he should wake her up and let her leave, before deciding against it. His mind was too clouded with visions of the ferry-girl to worry about anything else.
Walking over to the bathroom, he worked through his morning routine on autopilot. He pushed all thoughts of blue hair, pink eyes and bright smiles from his thoughts and focused on getting himself ready for the day. The towel hung loosely around his hips as he stepped back into the main room. He noticed that Ruka was already awake and gathering her things. She cast him playful smirk upon as she flicked her hair behind her shoulder.
"Maybe I should just leave my things in here," she contemplated teasingly. "I'll be back later tonight, anyway."
Hiei didn't bother responding. It wasn't like her to try to overstay her welcome and she quickly took the hint. He moved towards his belongings to retrieve his clothing and froze when he heard the chaotic sound of commotion in the hallway. While it wasn't uncommon for fights to break out anywhere in the demon world, he could not ignore the familiar tones of the voice drifting in from the outside.
As Ruka walked towards the door, Hiei followed her out of mere curiosity. He wasn't sure why he was even bothering, but something was compelling him to move forward. The moment the doors opened, his eyes immediately locked on to a familiar form. His blood ran cold when he saw the very woman who had been haunting his dreams as of late. Suitcases dropped haphazardly around her, hand on her hip as the other gripped the communication device, she glared defiantly into the screen. She must have felt his eyes on her, because she stopped arguing long enough to look up and she let out a tiny gasp when her gaze met his.
Hiei stared back at her, eyes a fraction wider than usual as his thoughts raced, trying desperately to process what he had just unknowingly walked into. He briefly wondered if he was still sleeping, because this scene seemed more like a disturbing nightmare than reality. She hadn't attended the previous two tournaments and never imagined that she would appear one day, but here she was, staring back at him through eyes he had remembered so vividly. It was hard to think coherently when the face that he had tried to forget was so clear in front of his vision and the presence that did more to him than he cared to admit was suddenly within range. She wasn't supposed to affect him this much after so much time had passed, but the heaviness that settled in the middle of his chest and made it difficult to breathe was unmistakable.
"Hiei…" she breathed out quietly.
Hiei could only stare back at her wordlessly, hesitant to do anything else, lest the vision fade away and she return to being just a figment of his dreams. His pulse quickened as each second ticked by and he realized that this was real. The woman in front of him was more vivid than any dream; he could smell her scent, hear her voice filter clearly in his ears and feel her distinct spiritual energy. She was really here.
"Do you know her Hiei?"
Ruka's question broke the silence that had enveloped them, but Hiei did not bother to answer. Botan focused her attentions on the enchantress, staring at her for a few moments before the recognition kicked in. Her brows furrowed as she pointed an accusing finger at the redhead.
"You were that cheating nurse from Team Masho!" she exclaimed.
"Enchantress, not nurse," the redhead corrected, staring back at the ferry-girl condescendingly. "And now I remember who you are. You're that loud-mouthed ferry-girl who insisted on hanging around the ring and shouting out the obvious."
Botan tensed up in anger, but rather than responding to Ruka's baiting, she set her sights on Hiei.
"Why in the world are you even with-" she trailed off when she finally took notice of his present state of dress. Amethyst eyes flitted back and forth between Hiei and Ruka, and he could see her connecting the dots in her mind, her expression falling from one of outrage to shock. Slight as it was, the urge to explain himself welled up within him and he quickly forced it down. He reminded himself that he did not owe anyone any explanations and the uncharacteristic impulse died before it could filter through his lips.
Ruka cleared her throat, throwing a pointed look in Hiei's direction.
"Not that this silent staring contest isn't thrilling, but I've got other things I'd rather be doing," she announced, her tone flippant. "I'll return later tonight."
She then walked off in the opposite direction, leaving the ferry-girl and the fire-demon to face each other without the buffer of another person's presence between them. Hiei did not know what to say; he was never good with words and the shock of seeing the person he had left behind was almost too much. But he knew that he had to do or say something.
"I…" Botan's voice, soft and subdued, reached his ears before he had a chance to take action. She stared back at him uncertainly, before pursing her lips shut and averting her gaze. "I should go get settled in."
Hiei only nodded stiffly in response, a futile gesture when the woman was doing an excellent job of avoiding all eye contact. He watched as she hurriedly took hold of her bags, retrieved her keycard and then entered the room right next to his. The distinct click of the lock resounded in his mind and he let out a frustrated sigh. He knew that this year's tournament was going to be an unpredictable and challenging one, but never could he have predicted that this would happen.
There was a lot of info in this chapter and I hope I was able to bring everyone up to speed without making it boring or overwhelming! It's been a while since I last updated, but I've been working diligently. I've got about six chapters typed up and they just need to be edited and tweaked. So, if all goes well, you lovely readers can expect a new chapter once per week for the next month and a half.
As always, thanks for the heartwarming support received so far. Your reviews make my day. Let me know what you thought of this chapter!