Of You, Me, and Us
Summary: "I like you." When those words left her lips, Botan had expected to hear him utter words of apology. After all, she didn't think he felt the same way about her. She didn't expect Kurama looking straight at her in the eyes before leaning closer to kiss her. And although he didn't say anything, one glance at the expression on his face was enough to tell her: she was his now.
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.
Chapter 40: Heat
Kurama was many things; desirable, hardworking, mild-mannered, collected and calculating- the list could go on and on. If there was any bad attributes about him, it was that he was greedy, sometimes detached, a little bit mischievous and had a knack for fancying things or people he wasn't supposed to- a certain fiancée of his included. But helpless? That, he was not.
Still, the former fox couldn't help the overwhelming feeling of embarrassment that caused a rush of blood to heat up his face as he was forced to allow himself being pampered by his current fiancée. He liked babying her, but rarely did he enjoy being the one who was spoiled- when he did, it was on rare occasions where the exhaustion from immeasurable amount of work had gotten the better of him. And even then it would have taken him a very long time to reach such a boiling point.
Kurama expelled a deep and heavy sigh as he felt Botan's tender fingers brush away the bangs that had managed to tickle the sensitive skin of his eyelids. His head felt like it was going to explode from all the accumulated warmth burning at the back of his eyes and nose- though he was unsure if it was because of the shame of being treated to something akin to a toddler or the fact that he had somehow contracted a fever. The redhead seldom suffered from the effects of any disease, but for whatever odd reason, whenever he did it would tend to be a fever and he was somewhat susceptible to the common cold. Not that he would admit it. It was laughable to think that he was rendered a cold, shivering mess when he had survived a number of bloody battles that could have killed him so many times before. God forbid him from accepting such a silly weakness.
Botan, on the other hand, quite adored the prospect of taking care of the normally guarded ex-thief when he was a vulnerable bundle of cutesy charm under the blankets. It wasn't as if she liked it when he was sick- goodness, no, she wasn't a sadist- but it was more or less due to the fact that he infrequently relied her on things. He was always keen to doing everything on his own, shouldering every burden he could so that she and everyone else around him could lead an easier life. And although, Botan appreciated the countless times he had permitted her to depend on him before, she wished he would learn to let her help him once a while. He would pin his hopes on her whenever he couldn't be by his family's side due to his busy schedule- would even go as far as to trust her for all he was worth to reassure him during nights where he would be haunted by incessant nightmares of his past crimes. But other than that, he was usually the one coddling her- so it came as a welcomed opportunity she swiftly took when he would depend on her during times he was feverish. It was nice to have him so unprotected in her hands for a change.
"You really don't need to," Kurama's voice was hoarse, the scratchy tone in his timbre contributed by his sore throat, "I can take care of myself. You should go ahead and rest."
"You're the one who needs rest," Botan supplied with a light reprimanding tone, squeezing the excess water in the handkerchief in her hands before placing it on her fiancée's forehead. "Be a good boy and stay put. I'll take care of you."
He parted his lips to utter out that he was not a child and that she need not worry about his wellbeing- but what came out was a soft whine, the noise similar to the type of sound you would hear from a little kid whimpering for some candy. Kurama wanted to hide under a rock and live there forever as Botan burst into a fit of girlish giggles.
"See? Even your body knows that you need to stop being stubborn stay still," she laughed before she gently prompted him to sit up straight and lie his back against the headboard of the bed.
"I got you some soup. Don't worry, I taste-tested it before putting it in the bowl," Botan inspirited him when she saw his face visibly paled. One hand grasped firmly on the bowl whilst her free one seized a hold on the spoon, taking a considerable amount of chicken soup. She wasn't very skillful in terms of cooking, but she was good enough that she could make a pretty acceptable chicken soup.
Kurama resisted the urge to scrunch his nose in displeasure as the tip of the metal spoon came in contact with the bottom half of his lip, the touch cold and a direct contrast to his warm plump skin.
"Say ahh!" Botan cooed him like a baby as she gestured for him to open his mouth. The demon within the recesses of his mind grunted, but he obliged.
A different wave of warmth over-flooded his mouth as the chicken soup melted on his tongue and he took a moment to study the taste. He was almost afraid to swallow but forced himself to in fear of hurting her feelings- and when he did, he realized that Botan hadn't been bluffing to make him devour the soup in the hopes of alleviating his cold. It was actually edible and tasted quite delicious. The heat of the savory liquid brought on a soothing effect on the scratchy sensation at the back of his throat and he heaved a sigh of relief at the momentary loss of unease.
"That's a good boy! Who's a good wittle boy?" she cooed at him once more, setting the bowl on the cushions of her thighs as she extended a hand out to pat his head, strands of crimson tresses tickling her fingers as she rubbed fondly at the top of his mane.
Kurama felt the sudden impulse to remind her that he was a grown man and that the baby-talk was deemed unnecessary. No one would dare to pet him like a small feline unless they had an early death wish and wanted to be gobbled by his flesh-eating plants- not even those closest to him. Even Hiei would think twice, lest he found himself at the receiving end of Kurama's annoyance and ended up as Ojigi fodder. The only people who dared ventured into such dangerous territory was his mother and Botan. And even then Shiori was entirely unaware of what her son was truly capable of.
Regardless, Kurama knew that it was useless to chastise her over her treatment towards him- once Botan got going with her pampering him, she was never going to stop even if he told her to. Really, the girl was as obstinate as Yusuke- perhaps even more- when it came to doing things her way.
Even so, the redhead couldn't help but feel his own joy rush through him, swelling his heart and melting his defenses as he watched Botan more than happily spoiled him rotten- greedily grabbing the chance at having him relying on her capable hands. He bit back a laugh as the girl accidentally spilt a good amount of water on the carpet, the liquid splashing out from the glass and soaking the furry material. She had unintentionally butted into in with her round hips and was now in a state of panic.
Thankful for the cough that had quieted down the howl of chortle that had threatened to leave his throat, Kurama reached for one of Botan's flailing arms, eyes staring lovingly at her as she stared back. He grabbed her hand in his, his hold gentle yet firm, as he brought her fingers to his lips, delivering a soft, featherlight kiss at each rosy tips. Botan blushed hotly at the sweet gesture, and he quelled the desire to kiss her squarely on the lips, in fear of giving her the cold as well.
Maybe- just maybe though- being sick wasn't all that bad, after all.
