Hi all, things have been going crazy here. During my scooter vacation (Where we drove abroad on scooters going 20 miles an hour) We drove through the gigantic flood consuming the northwest of Europe which was quite scary. I wasn't able to upload anything before my vacation but I'm glad I'm back safe and ready to release some new chapters for both Purple and Into The Dark. I'm sorry I had you waiting so long.

Purple is a collection of cute, sometimes spicy and yet connected stories surrounding the KB ship.

Aqua

Kurama peeled his blouse off of his torso, to his surprise Botan stayed over. She slept next to him wearing one of his t-shirts, unshaken as Kurama carefully left the bed that morning to take a shower. He had to clean his wounds before he could effectively heal them.

The shower took a while to warm up and he noticed Botan laying awake when he returned to his room to retrieve clean clothes.

"Where ya goin?" Botan asked as a yawn escaped her.

"I'm going to clean myself before I start healing the wounds." Kurama responded, tucking Botan back in. "No need to get up, it's way too early."

"Why aren't you staying then?" She rubbed her eyes softly.

"Because.." Kurama reached over her and lifted the sheets, revealing a collection of red spots on the white sheets.

"Oh.." Botan mumbled. "Don't be too rough on them in the shower then."

"I won't." Kurama smiled as he turned around and re-entered the bathroom, undressing and throwing his clothes in the basket.

He adjusted the warmth before slowly stepping underneath the stream. A voluntary yelp escaped him as the water touched his back, a burning sensation combined with sharp stings took him by surprise. He tried again but the way the water hit his back was both uncomfortable and painful. Kurama turned the shower off.

"Everything okay?" Botan's voice was heard on the other side of the door and Kurama froze, afraid she might get into the bathroom, which she didn't.

"Yes I'm fine, the shower is quite uncomfortable." Kurama replied.

"Of course that hurts, you should take a bath and let them soak softly." The scoff was prominent as she seemed closer to the door itself. "Get into the bath, I'll help you clean the ones on your back."

"No need." Kurama said as he turned on the faucet of the tub, a towel wrapped around his hips.

Dropping the towel as soon as the bath was filled, he slowly lowered himself into the warm water. It was laced with a lavender scent which wouldn't irritate or hurt the ones which had opened up during the night.

The ones on the front of his torso were easily cleaned, so were the ones on his arms and legs but his back proved to be a problem.

As if called on que, Botan's voice once again rang through the bathroom from the other side of the door. "Shall I do your back?"

"No, I'm fine-" Kurama replied hastily. The bath was opaque enough to not see a thing but he still didn't feel comfortable enough to let her enter or see him. His hand slowly made its way to the scars he sustained during these years of fighting.

He lowered himself further into the water, allowing water to touch his back and rinse away the dried blood still surrounding the cuts.

Kurama rested his head on his arms on the edge of the bathtub. His hair falling down the side, he would occasionally flinch as the water seeped into the cracks.

The cheerful voice of Botan entered the room through the other side of the door. "Get dressed, I'll help you heal." Botan's smile was audible in her voice.

"Oh there's no need to-"

"I'll help you heal." Botan repeated before walking away from the door.

Botan was already waiting in his room as he entered, he had his blouse buttoned almost all the way up, his hair still slightly damp.

"Alright." Botan clapped her hands together. "Let's get you patched up. You gotta take your blouse off before I start though."

"Okay." Kurama admired her cheerful tone but hesitated to unbutton his shirt.

"What's wrong?" Botan had noticed his hesitation, being an overthinker, multiple scenarios were playing in her head. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No! No it's not you." Kurama shook his head, taking a step forward towards her. "It's just that I.."

"You don't trust me?" Botan's voice has reduced to a soft small tone.

"I do trust you." Kurama replied, less frantic. "I'm just not.. Confident." He lowered his eyes.

"You?! Not confi- I swear Kurama you're the most confident person I've ever met! Besides, I've already partially seen you without a shirt so why are you saying this?" Botan's mind was, in a way, blown.

"I'm also the best actor you've ever met." He smiled softly. "It's just that I have received so many blows, some of them just never healed pretty." He absently touched the scar on his abdomen through clothing.

"I don't judge.." Botan whispered, of course she had seen his chest when she unbuttoned some of his buttons the day before, but she didn't see anything out of the ordinary there. Maybe there was something past the buttons she was allowed to open.

"I know." Kurama replied. "It's just that I have been plagued by scars all my life, my mother has gained them through my inconsiderate actions."

"Let go of your past mistakes, Kurama." Botan laid her hand upon his, still positioned over the clothed scar. "I don't judge. I've seen so much with both Yusuke and Kuwabara, you'll be just fine."

Kurama met her gaze.

"Is it also the reason you don't let any of us heal you?" Botan whispered softly.

He just nodded, eying her hand over his. He didn't stop her when she reached for the buttons on his blouse. "It's okay." Botan reassured as she unbuttoned them one by one. Kurama felt conflicted, he wanted to be able to continue his facade of being confident, truth was, his scars were something he was insecure about. He is used to people mistaking him for a girl, he usually got mad about it but let it slip as time passed. He's always been labeled as pretty, not handsome, pretty. Though those people have never seen what's underneath his clothing.

Botan pushed the blouse off of his shoulders and slid it down his arms, eventually discarding it on the bed. She took a few steps back, not only to give him space, but to analyse what he meant.

Numerous scars laced his torso, side, arms and back. She saw how he was resisting the urge to cover them up with his arms. He seemed most conflicted about the small scar on his abdomen.

"Is that..?" Botan wanted to reach out but stopped herself. "It's for when you saved Yusuke from Hiei."

"After he saved me first." Kurama smiled softly at the memories of their first meeting.

"Of course!" Botan smiled. "You took the mirror to save your mother, Yusuke didn't let you take your own life to save hers. He's always been like that, that's how he died the first time. He saved someone else without thinking of himself." She stopped and looked up at him. "May I?"

Kurama nodded slowly. Flinching slightly as she gently laid her fingertips upon the mark.

"It's not that bad." Botan smiled. "It has a good story behind it, it's the beginning of all this."

"And all this." Kurama motioned to the other ones on his body, though small, some even being mistaken as skin bumps.

Botan nodded slowly. "But they shouldn't stop you. They shouldn't be the reason you can't go swimming without a shirt or something. You should be proud of them."

"I'll try." He gave her a soft smile before walking past her and taking a seat upon the bed. Botan followed him and closed the ones on his back while he himself handled the front. Botan made sure none of them left too big of a scar and was relieved not all of them were scarred.

Taking his blouse and buttoning it back up, Kurama stood again. "Thank you." He said as he turned towards her.

"No need. I'm always here to help you out." Botan returned the gesture.

Kurama gave a short chuckle. "Well you did say I should tell you when I needed anything." Putting emphasis on 'anything'.

At this, Botan filled her cheeks with air, releasing a small humm as she frowned playfully, her legs and arms crossed.

"You should get dressed, we're meeting Yusuke and Keiko at the mall soon." Kurama tucked the blouse into his pants and straightened the fabric.

"Oh shoot, that's today?!" Botan shot up as she ran into the bathroom with her clothes in hand.

"Just put my shirt in the laundry basket." Kurama called after her.

Well now you know what the next short is about.

Enjoy the summer break and I'll see you soon!