Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters

Crazy life things have been going on, but I finally have last prompt all completed. Hope you enjoy. :)

Prompt: Pride

Hiei was a complicated man with a tumultuous past. He made his peace with the trauma he endured, used his time on the streets as a way to bring justice to a vicious city. When given the opportunity, he attended school, studied criminal justice, used his experience as intel, and joined the federal bureau as an undercover agent. The cases Hiei helped crack were numerous. Thanks to his careful and meticulous nature, despite these closed cases, his cover had never once been blown.

It was important to keep his regular life separate from his undercover life. Given he grew up alone, it was easy to experience the radio silence. Hiei prided himself on being able to thrive in conditions others would find unbearable. He could thankfully stomach more than his friends in the local precinct. If he couldn't, witnessing Zeru's cruelty would break the case.

After some time, Hiei's actions received recognition from his 'superior'. For the first time, as Zeru greeted him, there was hardly an ounce of condescension. Hiei nodded curtly in reply, a wordless acknowledgement. As Hiei got to work unloading crates of a new shipment with the other peons, Zeru called out to him and waved him over. Hiei followed Zeru into the warehouse.

"Boss is impressed with you," Zeru pointed out. "To be honest, so am I. When you came to me looking for work, I didn't know what to think of you, even with your reputation."

Hiei crossed his arms loosely, a casually guarded stance. "I'm glad to earn your acceptance. I haven't done anything extraordinary, though."

"On the contrary," Zeru countered. "You didn't even flinch that night with Ura. You didn't hesitate to dispose of the body. You protected Tarukane's interests, even at the risk of getting caught. Loyalty is something Gonzo respects. You've earned his trust."

"I did what I had to do," Hiei clarified. "Always have, always will."

Zeru smirked. "I'm trying to pay you a compliment. Take it with grace, kid."

"Hn."

"You know, Hiei, you remind me of me when I was around your age," Zeru conversed. "Like you, I grew up on the streets. The system failed me, and I did what I had to to survive. When you have nothing to lose, the lines blur. I'm thankful to Mr. Tarukane. He gave me an in to his organization and trained me personally, saw my potential. He's seen yours, kid. He wants to meet with you." Hiei's eyes widened almost comically, so much so that Zeru snickered. "Don't be so surprised. You earned it."

Hiei regained his composure, impassive mask replaced despite his surprise. The wheels were turning faster than he ever expected. "I'm honored. When and where?"

"Straight to the point. I like it." Zeru took out a piece of paper and wrote something down on it. He then folded the sheet and handed it to Hiei. "Friday, six o'clock. Directions are on the paper. As for today, I have a job for you."

Hiei answered with another nod. "What do you need?"

The seedy underbelly of the city was vicious and cruel. Hiei knew this well, saw the worst of the worst during his childhood. In his teenage years, he nearly succumbed to the evil. Despite his time living in the light surrounded by companions and his sister, in order to perform his duties efficiently, he could return to his merciless ways. It was not ideal to return to that dark place, but it was the reason Mukuro originally hired him. The woman was practical and understood that conventional means could never touch certain individuals. Of course, she gave Hiei more leeway than any other agent. If not for her, Hiei would have probably been arrested for countless acts of illegal behavior. Somehow, the woman managed to convince the higher ups that it took criminal acts to catch their most wanted.

Even though Hiei prided himself on bringing down evil, his methods bothered him at times. Case and point, the assignment given to him by Zeru. Hiei stood outside a school of all places. His target was a teacher with a huge gambling addiction. The man owed Tarukane a large debt with interest, and he'd been given one too many chances to repay his loan.

Hiei's hope was to terrify the man into paying something, anything. Zeru indicated that it wasn't necessary for this guy to pay the full debt. Tarukane just wanted some progress. Besides, whatever was left unpaid would accrue more interest. Of course, the final order given…

"If he feeds you any of his excuses, tell him his choice is to either pay now or suffer. Shoot him if you have to get the point across, but leave him alive."

"You want me to go to this man's workplace?" Hiei questioned. "Someone will notice."

"Wait until the school clears out. He always stays late. The only one to worry about is the janitor, but he'll stay out of it."

Hiei didn't want to even think about how a state employee could look the other way of criminal activity, but it seemed the whole place was corrupt. It wouldn't surprise the agent if Tarukane and the mayor were golfing buddies. The bastard's influence was everywhere.

"Hiei?"

His heart nearly stopped beating when Botan's voice reached his ears. He turned to face his neighbor with hard, unforgiving eyes. "What are you doing here?"

The woman smiled at him and shook her head. "I should be asking you that. I didn't think you had a kid."

"Presumptuous of you to assume I do," Hiei retorted with a huff. "What about you? I didn't see any brats when you strong-armed me into dinner."

"I volunteer here every so often," Botan told him. "I'm a mentor for some of the foster kids that attend here."

Hiei's brows furrowed. Thoughts of his conversation with Yusuke hit him hard; his insides felt twisted. He shouldn't have been surprised by Botan's engagement, but he was. It was keeping with her character. She went out of her way to help others. She proved that time and time again as she brought him food even during the time where they were at odds. Why wouldn't she donate her time to guiding children who were like she was?

"You really are a bleeding heart, aren't you?"

There was a softness to his tone, not even a tinge of his usual acerbic bite. Botan's eyes fluttered in her momentary confusion before she shook her head and smiled. "Well, I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or an insult."

Hiei's brow furrowed, and he became guarded and crossed his arms. "Take it as you see fit. It was merely an observation."

Botan laughed, a light lilt to her tone. "Compliment it is, then," she replied contently. "Anyway, I'll see you back at the apartment. I was going to grab Chinese tonight. You want anything?"

It had been mere days since Hiei and Botan ran into each other and he invited her to share a meal with him. Afterward, he avoided the woman like the plague once again, although this time it was to keep up appearances. It wasn't impossible to keep his cover, even with a woman who was acquainted with all his coworkers. Still, it was much better for his position if he remained distant and aloof, unattached.

"The other night…" He swallowed, but steeled himself and spoke as gently as a callous man could. "That was a one-time thing. I don't intend to make a habit of fraternizing with you."

He expected Botan's expression to fall with his declaration, but instead she looked completely at ease. "Well, more for me tonight, then. But I'll give you a raincheck for another time. Whatever's going on…don't stress it too much, okay?"

Hiei's mouth open and closed like that of a fish. The woman's completely unfounded and ridiculous response left him speechless. How could she not see he was trying to let her down easy? "I'm…I'm not…"

In the next moment, all time stopped. Botan placed her hand on Hiei's should, and he stiffened at the contact. He didn't even understand his reaction to such a simple touch, but he buried it deep down inside him and presented the appearance of irritated indifference. Even his heatless glare did little to deter the overly friendly woman.

"Anyway, I have some kids waiting for me," Botan informed her neighbor. "See you soon, neighbor."

Hiei snorted derisively and watched Botan leave. She headed towards the playground to find her charges. That was best. Hiei still had a job to do.

Now that the building was practically empty, it wasn't hard for Hiei to get in unnoticed. The security at the school was incredibly lax that anyone could just walk in. There was no one in the office, even though there were still kids on the premises. Hiei shook his head. This was probably one of the schools hit with intense budget cuts and had no backing from the city or state. It was a shame. These kids were probably getting left far, far behind. The thought of Botan visiting the children flashed in his mind. At least someone was trying to mitigate that.

Hiei rounded a corner and saw a room at the end of the hallway that starkly contrasted with all the other classrooms. There were several rooms with colorful drawings and art outside, but at the end of the hall, there was nothing. The sound of boots clopping on the ground could be heard the closer he came to the room.

When Hiei opened the door, he saw a teacher sitting at his desk. The thin man's shoulders tensed. "Mr. Akashi," Hiei coolly greeted. "It's time to pay up."

The teacher, a rat-faced man, turned to face Hiei. His whole demeanor was filled with resolution, and Hiei internally relaxed. It seemed the teacher wasn't going to try to talk his way out and that this would be as amicable as a transaction as possible.

"I know it's time," Akashi replied calmly. He took out an envelope from his desk and handed it to Hiei. "I-it's…not the full payment, b-but it is what I could scrouge up. I even took from my rent money. I-I hope this is enough for now?"

Hiei took the envelop and glared harshly at the man. The teacher flinched and cried out under Hiei's sharp gaze, and the dark man scoffed, pocketed the envelope, and crossed his arms. "For now," he dictated, "but you better get your act together. It's only a matter of time before your debts catch up to you."

The undercover officer stormed out of the classroom then without waiting for another word. The way Akashi reacted to him…the man was spineless and cowardly. His vice indebted him to Tarukane. How could he let himself get involved with a criminal when he had the futures of dozens of students in his hands? Hiei shook his head free of his clouded anger. It had nothing to do with him. He just needed to keep up appearances. So, he left the man behind as callously as he came with the knowledge that the teacher would probably be homeless soon.

What a fool.

Later, Hiei returned home just as Botan was coming out of her apartment with some takeout containers. She nearly stumbled back when she noticed Hiei, probably because she was about to crash into him. Hiei glared at the containers and then shifted his gaze to her eyes for a silent challenge.

Botan laughed nervously. "Don't be mad, but I took the liberty of getting you some food. I didn't know what you liked, so I ordered several popular dishes of the place. I was just going to leave them here for you."

Hiei sighed and shook his head. "Why did you bother when I clearly said I didn't want anything?"

"Well, mister, you didn't say you didn't want anything," Botan confronted. "You said you didn't want to 'fraternize' with me. So, I figured I'd just leave the food for you and see you another day."

"Woman…" Hiei growled under his breath. "If you were wise, you'd stop trying to insert yourself into my life."

The way Hiei worded it made Botan curious, but she didn't press. She didn't know the complexities of Hiei's life, so she just assumed this notion was a self-deprecation. Her countenance softened, and she smiled patiently at her reticent neighbor.

"Is it so wrong that someone wants to look out for you?" Botan asked.

Hiei's eyes narrowed. He wanted to say 'yes' so very desperately, keep up with his cover of having no attachments. Even when he learned of Botan's connection to George, Hiei still tried to distance himself from her. Knowing her story shouldn't change that.

Instead of flat out rejecting her good intentions, Hiei snappishly remarked, "I don't need anyone to 'look out' for me."

Botan handed Hiei the takeout containers. "It's usually the people who say that who need it the most."

With a resigned sigh, Hiei took the containers from Botan. She was resolute in her actions, and Hiei knew he wouldn't be rid of her until he accepted her kindness. Even if he weren't undercover, it would still be rough for him to accept charity.

"Thanks," he muttered gruffly. He refused to meet the woman's gaze as he took the food and entered the apartment. Her melodious laugh affected the agent in ways he didn't want to entertain. It had just been a long day, he told himself.

Once inside his cruddy apartment, for once a safe haven from his assignment, Hiei hurried to the kitchen and dropped the food on the counter. He hurried off to his room to change. After he discarded his shirt into his laundry bag, he took out the piece of paper in his pocket. He had yet to read the instructions given to him by Zeru, the time and place he would meet the bastard who ruined his and his sister's lives.

As Zeru said, Friday, 6 o'clock, and the place…Ruka's Tea Room, on Fifth. Hiei's stomach dropped, instantly on alert.

"I'd like to open up my own place one day, but right now I work at a tearoom on Fifth."

Hiei's eyes practically bugged when he noted that Tarukane wanted to meet at the very tearoom where his neighbor most likely worked. This was what he'd been trying to avoid. Even worse, it was the day Botan normally worked. Hiei couldn't believe that just when he was getting more ingratiated to Tarukane, the criminal thought it best to go to the one place Hiei could not let him go.

Hope was not lost yet. For all Hiei knew, Tarukane never set foot in Ruka's Tea Room before. He could still keep his unspoken promise to Yusuke and George and keep Botan out of the creep's line of sight.

With Chinese food forgotten, Hiei stormed out of his apartment and banged on his neighbor's door.

Review Responses

ReaperDemon: Hiei is a man on the inside who is a fed working with the local officers. Yup, I wanted everyone to start off thinking Hiei really was stuck in the criminal underworld. It's been really fun to work this angle in. Yeah…Ura had a rough go. As has Botan, but you're right, she has a good support system. Yukina was actually raised with Rui, but garnered Tarukane's attention later in her life. They do have a very tragic backstory, but at least they have each other now.

Raye: Thanks so much for reading. I actually wasn't thinking of Mysti's work when I was writing. She and I are friends and both part of the same group. We all inspire each other and encourage each other to write. Sometimes this results in shared ideas. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I really liked the idea of Hiei being an undercover officer, but wanted to ease into it ;)