Chapter 3: They More Than Just Cared

M.M.: I hope you liked the second chapter, thanks a lot for those who submitted reviews, you're the reason why I'm making this third chapter. This is my fist ever multi-chaptered fan fiction! Uh, I think this is much more dependent than the second chapter, so I suggest you read the second and first chapters first. This is a very schmaltzy chapter!

Botan stared at the tanning face of the little demon. He stared back with his huge eyes as her purplish-pink ones widened. The birds were chirping nearby and the sweet tune rang in the ferry-girl's ears. It was pleasing, but she didn't take heed. She could just stare and recall, and replay his voice in her head.

"I care for you, too."

Hiei really said that. She rubbed her eyes, but then realized that the recollection of the voice wouldn't be erased because she heard it. She heard it, and knew that her ears didn't lie; it was Hiei's voice. And it was Hiei standing in front of her.

The pretty ferry-girl opened her mouth. She expected something like "thank you" or "Really!?" to come out because of her great agitation. But instead, merely, she said in a very low whisper,

"What... what did you say?" She boxed her head mentally and thought to herself, "Is that the right thing to say?"

"I... I said... that I care for you, too." Hiei repeated. Botan punched herself mentally once more and thought, "Why did I even ask that!?"

"I...." Botan stuttered. Would she say anything mushy or sappy? She sighed, then concluded in relief, "If you really mean it, I don't know what to say."

"Well..." said Hiei shortly. He couldn't look at her straightly. "Really... I mean it."

"Do... do I have to say anything?" she asked. He shrugged, very embarrassed of his defeat. A ferry-girl made him go mushy and say these things. But he knew one thing: they were all true.

"You don't have to say anything to that. But I want you to answer me... why do I care?" said Hiei as he looked down to the soft green turf that he was standing on. She bit her trembling lip, then asked,

"Would you believe me if I answer you?"

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked grumpily. She sighed, hoping that she didn't know the answer. But unfortunately, she did. And she admitted, she liked the unusual softness that he was showing. She didn't like to cut the very rare moment, and silently whispered,

"Well, I admit, I don't believe you could feel it, but if you... if you really care, I'll tell you."

"C'mon, tell me!" Hiei said crossly. Botan scowled and exclaimed,

"HAI, HAI! I'M TRYING MY BEST TO EXPLAIN HERE!"

"Well, would you just get straight to the point!?" he yelled back.

"Do you know how hard it is to explain!?"

"Well, okay, I'll listen, you tell me!" he gave up. She nodded, then sighed. At least his temper turned cool as himself.

"Okay, I'm going to explain. If you really care... then you must be sick. Because people care with no reason. Their..." Botan stopped she didn't like to continue. She thought, "Isn't it too much beyond the 'sappy-line?'"

"Their what?" he asked. She looked down to the ground and went on,

"Their hearts know. You care... If you really do, because your heart tells you to." She said, then produced her oar. She mounted on it immediately and flew before he could ask anything else.

"She knows a lot about this, why?" he said as he tossed a little rock on the ground, then laid back and pondered on the subject as he always did.

*** Note: This happened three days after

"Kurama! Hey, wait, Kurama!" Botan screamed as she ran down the lane towards Kurama. He stopped walking and turned early enough to catch her from tumbling.

"WAAAAH!" she yelled as she fell onto his arms. He caught her and then helped her stand up straight.

"Are you alright?" he asked. She nodded.

"Yes. I'm okay. Where are you going?"

"I'm going home. Where are you going?" he asked. She smiled then started playing with her fingers.

"Uh, I'm on a day-off, no work today. So I don't know where to go. Everyone else is busy. Now I have nothing to do so I..." she stopped and made funny noises as she showed him her extremely cute puppy eyes. He smiled,

"So you?"

"So I don't have anything to do... would you... have ice cream with me? If you don't have anything to do? Please?" she said in her very bubbly tone. He sighed.

"Alright, I don't have anything to do." Her eyes widened and smiled.

"Arigatou! Yey!" she exclaimed as she embraced him. Her cheerful air made him smile simply. She then let him free and faced him,

"That is nice, nice, nice of you!"

"Okay, Botan. Let's go." He chuckled and they headed to the nearest ice cream parlor.

***

"Okay, let's talk!" she said after gulping down a spoonful of strawberry ice cream.

"Um, about what?" he asked. She smiled,

"Well, maybe about current issues. And the most current issue is, Kuwabara and Yukina!"

"No, I don't think so." Said Kurama as he shook his head. She frowned,

"What?"

"Hiei." Kurama closed his eyes. She gulped and asked,

"Hiei?"

"Yes, Hiei. It's unbelievable, how he let the wedding even start."

"Oh." Botan nodded as she played with her fingers and looked down to her ice cream. "Yeah, he's changed."

"And what's more unbelievable is, you're the reason." He said, and took a tasty spoonful of his ice cream. She raised an eyebrow,

"Me?"

"Yeah, you. Lately, you've been speaking to him more oftener than usual. And he told me about what you said to him. Why he agreed to give away his sister. And he thought you're right."

"Hey, I AM right! Don't you think I am right? I know you would say the same thing to him!"

"Yes, but it was you who did it, so it was you who did the effect on him. He has changed. I don't know why, but he's changed. He's not that cold to Kuwabara anymore. I know that you talked to him some days ago and he told me about what you said. You changed him, Botan. And I know that he changed you too."

"Hey, cotto matte, now THAT was unbelievable, I, am actually changed by that abnormally short demon?" she pretended to laugh. Kurama nodded.

"Well, yes. You grew kinda... less bubblier than usual, you have lost your air and you're so serious lately. And that never happened when you were still on the 'keep-distance' state with Hiei."

"Well, I'm just thinking of him. Just worrying about him, how he's feeling about Kuwabara and Yukina. Because I care about him."

"I think you... more than just care, Botan." Kurama said as he put down the spoon that he was holding. She cocked an eyebrow. He went on,

"You more than just care, Botan. Something unusual grew between you, something more than that 'friendship.' Because what's between me and Hiei is different from what what's between you and Hiei. Remember that 'summer day?'" he asked. Botan's very pretty eyes grew large with surprise,

"HE TOLD YOU!?" she asked. He chuckled,

"No, I saw you." Botan stopped breathing for a second, then imagined Kurama peeping from a window of a cottage, seeing her and the little demon kiss.

"You... you saw us?" she trembled. "You mean... when... when..."

"Yes, I offered to go back to the cottage to check if anything's left. Then, after seeing you two, I told them to go and leave me. Then I saw you doing..."

"KURAMA, IT'S NOT TOO GOOD OF YOU TO DO THAT!" Botan exclaimed, capturing lots of attention from people in the parlor. Kurama "shd" and she blushed in embarrassment. She sat down, then frowned at Kurama,

"You should have left when you saw us doing it!" she scolded. He chuckled lowly and said,

"Yeah, next time I'm going to leave you with your privacy. But that's not the point. I know that you've changed since that day. Both of you. Let's just say... that you see each other in a new light since that." Kurama explained. Botan stared at him, not knowing what to say. Kurama sighed,

"Well, I guess I should go now. Think about what I said, Botan." and he went away, leaving her to ponder on his words.

***

Hiei stared at the handsome redhead. He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms as he flopped down to the grass.

"So you're saying that I like her, expert?" he said. Kurama nodded.

"Yes, trust me, and you gotta tell her."

"What the--!" Hiei frowned. Kurama nodded again.

"You got to."

"And why!?'

"Because you shouldn't store those feelings and feel bad again."

"Are you talking about Yukina?"

"Yes. You kept it, you didn't tell her that you care for her, and you couldn't even do anything when she and Kuwabara got married, and you felt bad, and would have killed Kuwabara if Botan didn't speak to you."

"Hey, she doesn't have to know, it would be nothing to her!"

"Well, that's what you think, Botan is not numb!"

"Okay, she's not, but leave this to me!" Hiei groaned. Kurama raised an eyebrow.

"Are you serious?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

"Well, okay, I would leave everything to you." Kurama raised his hands. "And I gotta go."

***

The birds chirped and the wind blew. That was all that Botan heard. She sniffed the usual atmosphere that she and Hiei shared just three days ago. It was very comfortable and to her coziness, she sat down on the grass, not minding a band of ants marching nearby.

"It's nice to be alive." She smiled to herself.

"You're right." a very familiar and unexpected voice agreed. Botan turned to see Hiei. He walked towards her and said, "What brings you here, no work?"

"Yeah, I have no work today." Botan nodded, inching away. He sat down beside her but they were three feet apart because she kept on moving away.

"That's good for you." Hiei nodded. Botan grunted in agreement, too.

"So... you're over the Yukina-Kuwabara issue?"

"Yes. But something... is bothering me." He said.

"Bo-bothering you?"

"Yes."

"What is it?"

"Okay, I hate being like this to you, Botan. I'm bothered... because I care. I care for you. I've been thinking of you, why won't you leave my memory?"

"Hiei..."

"Onna, I've never been like this to you before, but since that 'summer day,' I've changed. I hate to admit this, but I like you. Why do I have to feel this? It's your fault, why did you care a lot about me!?"

"Hiei..." Botan's jaw dropped. She thought, Kurama was right.

"Why, onna, why!?" Hiei said.

"Hiei..." Botan sighed, now calming down. "I... I think you should... ask your heart about that." Hiei stared at her. She smiled, and muttered very quietly,

"And I should ask mine about what I'm feeling."

"You mean..." he said in surprise. She nodded. They stared at each other, and found themselves repeating what bound them there: that event in the "summer's day." Hiei rubbed Botan's cheek as she closed her eyes gently. They both felt good, especially Hiei. Because he felt that warmth again, and felt how it was to be loved by someone who "cared."

Their warm lips stayed that way for several seconds as they relished the delight in the unusual sensation. After a long wait, Botan broke the kiss ,looked at Hiei and murmured,

"You see? You... just have to feel."

***

M.M.: Ano. I think It's the end of this fic. Should I make another fan fiction?

Yuusuke: That's up to you!

Kuwabara: Well, I think you need readers' suggestions for that.

M.M.: Hey, great idea! I love my readers! And I want to thank them for inspiring me always, and encouraging me! Arigatou gozaimasu! And for my friends who are always there to say the never dying, "ganbatte yo!" I love you, I love you, I love you!

Kurama: Okay, don't be shy, you're making my fic again, ne?

M.M.: *whispers* *uh-oh, here we go again.* (to Kurama) Yeah, chotto matte kudasai!