Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters

Okay, here's today's actual prompt, secrets. I'm going to try to get the next three drabbles at least written. This weekend is my mom's birthday weekend, and we're going to be out of town starting tomorrow. I don't know how to upload on my Ipad so I might try a test page later XD Or maybe try to upload this one from there. No, yup…definitely going to try to upload it from there and see what happens XD

I'm rambling…

Anyway, Prompt 4: Secret


Botan never liked keeping secrets. Well, actually, it was downright impossible. The longest secret she had ever kept with her blabbermouth tendencies was Hiei's siblingship with Yukina. That was mainly out of self-preservation. Hiei always seemed to tune in at all her close calls and communicated death threats through telepathy. Sometimes the fire demon could be downright frightening.

In any case, this secret was more precious, something she wasn't yet ready to share. It wasn't because she was ashamed or didn't want her friends to know, but it was hers. That kiss she and Hiei shared meant more to her than she thought, even in the moment. Being away from him for so long highlighted it. Eventually, he started coming around the apartment again, and Botan stopped overworking herself. Everything was normal between them again.

Only it wasn't.

The ferry girl had always admired Hiei and his determined fire. He was dependable, loyal, and he always showed up when it counted. No matter how small that all seemed to him, it was everything to Botan. Even letting her sleep on his shoulder when she was wiped out meant so much to her. He'd never let anyone else get away with doing something like that.

It made her feel special.

Honestly, so did his kiss.

If she was being upfront with herself, the reason she wanted to keep this secret was because it was just between the two of them, something that no one else could affect. No one as practical or childish as some of her friends could talk them out of it or tease them. Botan already knew she was playing a dangerous game with her occasional roommate.

She always did like playing with fire.


Hiei had many secrets, most of which had to do with his past and family. He locked them deep inside his psyche, frustrated when they decided to surface. The frustration happened fewer and fewer times since Yukina expressed her knowledge of the truth. Maybe those memories resurfaced out of his guilt. He would never know.

In any case, Hiei was no stranger to the art of keeping secrets. It was simple. He just didn't speak. It wasn't until Mukuro forced his thoughts out of him that he had actual, beating around the bush discussions about them. Even so, he tried to keep his relationship with Mukuro strictly professional with a hint of understanding and camaraderie that he didn't share with too many. She was far too meddlesome in his affairs.

With the ferry girl, it was different. She actually asked him questions, mainly through curiosity, but her seemingly innocent questions and remarks pulled up deeper truths that caused Hiei to think about his own emotions and how he handled them. She was wiser than he thought, but it wasn't really wisdom. For her, she just spoke whatever flowery words came to mind at the precise, right moment. Most of the time, they were words Hiei didn't want but needed to hear. He was loath to admit that she was usually right.

She had so much insight to him that now being in her presence was oddly comforting. No one in their circle learned any of what they discussed or bizarre things they did save the fox since Kurama ran into them on their spa day. It was possible Hiei's guarded tendencies were rubbing off on Botan, but it could also just be that she respected him and his boundaries.

Then he crossed his own boundary.

Hiei had never been one for affectionate gestures. The only being awarded those leniencies was his sister. Slowly, he found himself doing things he wouldn't normally do when it came to the ferry girl. He always seemed to seek that woman out lately, felt at home in the safe house that was becoming more and more their home every day. It was different, confusing, and his desire to kiss that woman in that blasted tree was even more so.

What was she doing to him?

Hiei should have been alarmed that anyone had gotten under his skin the way Botan had, should have wanted to crush all of these pesky delusions, but he found that he didn't want to. Instead, he returned to old habits, kept the secret of their kiss to himself, and hoped that the ferry girl would do the same. He wouldn't threaten her to do it either. For some reason, he trusted she wouldn't say anything, not now at least. Damn, he was becoming soft.

Perhaps it was the ferry girl who was rubbing off on him.