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Hiei didn't know when his attraction to the ferry girl started. There were many instances where he had been around her, irritated by her presence. The only time he stopped seeing her as mindless was when he stayed at the safe house with her during that rainstorm. They had their deep discussion about dreams. Later, she invited him to return whenever the weather got bad. He never planned to take her up on her offer.

Then, one time, he did. He had been in the area, caught once again in the rain. It was in the summer, but the fire demon still hated the water. Even more, Hiei was fairly close to the woman's apartment and far away from all shelters or portals he was familiar with.

So, regrettably, he took the woman up on her offer.

He broke into the place, entered without permission. Quietly, he padded through the halls and looked for his unsuspecting host. The fire demon was surprised to find her lounging on the couch wearing practically nothing. If anything, that was probably when he had been done in.

So used to seeing her in layers of clothing—whether it was her bright pink kimono, her trainer's outfit during the Dark Tournament, or even her 'clever disguise' during the Demon World Tournament—Hiei was shocked to his system. There she laid clad in shorts and a spaghetti strap top. She was hardly covered, probably hot from the summer air. It was a wonder she had the window open instead of the air on.

A pleased sigh escaped her as she stretched; the top creeped up her body and revealed her toned stomach. Hiei swallowed and shook himself of the strange thoughts as they crept into his mind. It was then he made his presence known which startled the ferry girl.

"Oh, Hiei, hi," she chimed after she gracelessly fell to the ground. She offered an awkward laugh as she got up from the floor. "You surprised me." Her expression then changed from cheery to bewildered. "Um, why are you looking at me like that?"

Hiei's brow quirked before his eyes narrowed as he hissed, "Like what?"

"Like you're looking at a ghost."

Heat crept up the fire demon's body and heated his cheeks. He managed to stave off his embarrassment long enough to turn from the woman and grunt. To her, he appeared to act as stoic as usual. As he entered the bathroom, his reflection betrayed the crimson blush. Hiei sneered at his reflection before he mentally cursed the woman.

As he looked at her now, though, curled up against him on that very same couch—the sound of the rain pelting the window—he found that he could no longer curse the weather or the woman. Both had become something important to him after all.