Thanks for all those spectacular reviews! Imagine my glorious joy when I got home and checked my inbox! And sense I'm feeling particularly chipper today I'm going to reply to each and every review individually!
Unga the Mighty Pigeon Hunter: Hey, I like your name! And yes Kurama's jealousy will occur in this chapter! YAY! Thanks for the review!
Steph: Aw, yes. The mysterious guy. Well, you'll just have to wait and find out! ^_~ He does appear in this chapter a bit, but his major role comes a little later from now...Probably in Chapter 10...
Arcia: I'm sorry about the chapter being so short... But it was 1 a.m. by the time I finished you see and I was tired. Yes, the flesh is weak. *sighs*
Momo-ness88: Yeah I think it is a word...Oh! And I love your story too, by the way! I was waiting for someone to do a decent job at that pairing! And you pulled it off perfectly!
Jellybob 15: Thank you! That's so sweet! ^_^
Yume Mage: Are you kidding? I love long reviews! Keep them up! And most agreed, Orlando Bloom rocks! And so does his hat. Calcium Kid and Troy? I've never heard of them but they sound interesting. Orli would make a good Paris.
1slylittleangel: I did have fun! Thanks for the review!
Reikachan14: Thanks! You'll find out what's going to happen soon!
Jaid Skywalker: Wow! You haven't reviewed in a long time! But, I don't mind, just as long as you keep reviewing!
jillian: So do I. Thanks for the review!
Eunjung: I am!
Gen Masho Rajura: Thank you! I wrote that thing while listening to Alvin and the Chipmunks singing Christmas carols (Helped put me in the mood) It had to be kawaii!
Fire Phoenix: Thank you! And I am continuing!
eunc: I see Hiei finally let you out of that chair, or did you finally find his katana? ^_^ Thanks for reviewing!
SLCpunk: How would I spice it up? Any ideas you might have would be helpful!
Kagomechick: Thank you!
dixystxx: I won't! Thanks for reviewing!
bluesky: Glad you enjoyed it!
emumoon: English was always my favorite class too. Though my English Teacher was PURE evil. Your review was very helpful! Thanks!
Lavender Gaia: I agree, Kurama/ Botan is definitely better. In fact, one of the reasons I wrote this story was I thought if I saw one more Hiei/Kurama I would have screamed. That's the song your boyfriend used to tell you he loved you? Oh my gosh! That's so sweet! It's a lot better then how I heard the song. They used it for a car commercial. Needless to say I fell in love with the song. Thanks for reviewing!
Now, on to the chapter!
~*~*~*~*~ Chapter 8 ~*~*~*~*~
As you can imagine Botan was a nervous wreck. She tried to return to her previous position on the couch but her nerves had gone haywire and simply wouldn't allow her to do that. She then took up pacing back and forth across the living room. Though it was somewhat calming, she kept looking at the clock. After a moments study of the position of the hands, (Why can't Keiko just buy a digital clock? she thought bitterly.) Botan determined it to be around nine. That gave her a whopping eight hours till her "date" with Kurama. Her nerves still jumping, she decided it was high time to start getting ready. Obviously, her nervousness had somehow effected her common sense.
So, rational or not, Botan jumped into the shower. Though Kurama may not have considered the date as an actual date, Botan sure did. She even broke into Keiko's room and stole through her make up. She took the things that she recognized the most. (There were a few objects that she couldn't figure out what they were much less use.) And applied her makeup, which all appeared to be in the shade of blue.
After that, Botan went to her closet. For a few moments, her eyes settled on a blue dress. But not only was it utterly ludicrous to where that dress in this weather, Botan had a feeling Kurama would get the wrong idea. After all, she wanted to keep her newfound feelings for him a secret, didn't she? Frankly, she wasn't too sure. She wanted to tell him. She really did. But what if he didn't return her feelings? Or worse yet, what if it effected their friendship? Such a thought was unbearable.
Quickly, looking away from the dress, Botan selected her best pair of jeans coupled with a quaint red sweatshirt. (Yes, she did own something that wasn't blue.) Then, browsing through her jewelry, Botan found a pair of earrings that matched her necklace best. They were flower-shaped studs with blue rhinestones set in the middle. Feeling as though she couldn't do much more to prepare herself, Botan set back out in the living room and resigned to the couch.
She glanced nervously at the clock, once again wishing it were digital.
3:00.
Great...
Her nerves struck back with a vengeance. The fact that the only thing on TV was a really lame sequel to Rudolph didn't help either. She twitched and squirmed for quite some time until, in a last attempt to calm her nerves, she searched for something to eat.
Looking in the fridge, Botan found nothing in particular that suited her current appetite. So, she searched the cabinets. She didn't find much really. Some seasonings, a box of tea bags, a tub of butter...
Wait...Don't you normally keep butter in the fridge?
Out of curiosity she peeled the lid of the butter and looked in. Botan gasped. Inside the tub she found not butter but.... Sugar! The thing was chock-full of sugar cubes! Botan's eyes widened with sugary delight.
By the time five o'clock rolled around Botan was sugar high. She'd downed a considerable amount of that sugar and was currently bouncing of the walls. (Quite literally.)
The doorbell rang and Botan bounded the length of the living room and opened the door with exuberance.
"Hi Kurama! How are you? Good? Good! I'm good, too! Is it 5 already? My! How time flies! Let me just get my jacket and we can go!" Botan zipped to the coat closet leaving a very bewildered Kurama standing in the doorway. Kurama coughed and looked toward Botan.
"Er...Botan? Are all right?"
Botan slipped her coat and bounded next to Kurama, "Me? Never better! I'm just fine! Peachy keen! Great! Race you down to the car!" And whoosh! She was gone.
Kurama stood there rather confused for a moment before shutting the door behind him and following Botan.
Botan's speed was hindered when she came to the elevator and was forced to stop, giving Kurama a chance to catch up with her. But of course at the end of the ride she was off like a rocket again. But this time, Kurama was slightly more prepared and raced after her.
In the parking lot, Botan sped toward Kurama's car and tagged it triumphantly. Turning back to Kurama, who had taken his sweet time, she announced her victory, "HA! HA! I beat you, Mr. Big-and-bad-kitsune!"
Kurama smiled, having finally come to copes with Botan's.... Overly perky attitude. "So, you did! Hop in, it isn't looked." And demonstrated so by opening the door on the driver's side. Botan did hop in. Quite literally. Upon entering, she buckled her seatbelt and grinned excitedly. Something in the rearview mirror caught her eye. She looked in the backseat and her smile dropped a little.
Kurama started the car, "I hope you don't mind Hiei joining us."
Botan did mind.
"Of course not! Merry Christmas, Hiei!"
"Hn."
Botan turned around and faced forward, feeling crest-fallen. Having Hiei here completely ruined her romantic evening with Kurama. Even though it technically wasn't "romantic." She still had wanted to spend time alone with him. Emphasis on the alone. But, she added as an after thought, maybe having Hiei here won't be so bad. After all it would help her feel more at ease around Kurama. The knot in her stomach relaxed a little.
I'll just have to take the good with the bad...Or is it bad with the good? No, no, it's the first one. I think.
"So, where are we going?" Botan asked.
"Katashi's Fanshiifuudo."
Botan blinked, "Never heard of it."
"It's a very nice restaurant. And then after that we can do whatever your heart desires." Kurama smiled. Hiei made a disgusted cough in the back seat.
Botan hid her blush. She could think of quite a few things her heart desired. She shrugged, "I'll think about it."
And indeed she did. She was thinking of quite a few things: A moonlight stroll on the beach, a room full of mistletoe, a scene from Lady and the Tramp... Botan shook her head and tried to think of something slightly more realistic.
Kurama pulled into the parking lot at climbed out followed by Botan and Hiei. Hiei was ordered back to the car, as bringing a katana into the restaurant wasn't the best of ideas.
The waiter seated them at a nice table and gave them menus.
Much isn't to be said about dinner. Other than it was lovely. Botan (still perky but slightly less so) took charge of most of the conversation. Kurama laughed at her jokes and chatted idly. Hiei was pretty much silent with the occasional utterance of "Hn." and "Baka,"
They probably would have left sooner except Botan insisted on dessert. And then back in the car, Kurama asked if Botan had made her decision yet. Botan nodded vigorously, "Yup! I decided that..." Botan drew it out for effect, "we should play laser tag!"
"Laser tag?" Kurama and Hiei said in unison. Though Kurama's voice was surprised while Hiei's was more sardonic.
Botan grinned.
Kurama smiled and took a turn toward the laser tag place.
"You don't have to play of you don't want to Hiei." Kurama said at Hiei's scornful scoff.
~*~*~*~*~
Botan leaned against one of the plastic rocks on the moonscape. The laser tag field had been constructed to look like an alien planet. The ceiling was painted black and small twinkling lights hung from it to represent stars. Black lights illuminated the field to create the ambiance of space. Botan poised her gun and readied her finger on the trigger, straining her ear for any sign of footsteps.
"The mighty space avenger, Blue Botan, studies the landscape for any sign of the dreaded bounty hunter, Star Fox, or the evil emperor, Hiei." Botan narrated, cringing slightly at her unimaginative names.
Hearing nothing, Botan raised her gun and sidled the rock wall, glaring suspiciously at a large boulder for any sign of Kurama or Hiei.
"There seems to be no sign of the villains, but Blue Botan will not be caught unawares..."
Suddenly, something touched her shoulder. Botan yipped and turned on the fiend. She almost fired except at the last moment she realized it wasn't the dreaded bounty hunter or evil emperor.
"Oh, hello! Sorry about that!" Botan said in a whisper.
The man shrugged and gave a wry smile, "It's okay. You don't remember me do you?"
Botan blinked. She had seen him before...The man moved slightly and the black light shined on him.
Botan gasped, "Oh! I remember you! You showed me the tree!" Botan tried to hide her cringe. The black light was making his skin look even paler.
The pale man nodded, "So you must be Blue Botan."
"Er...It's just Botan actually." Botan put out her hand slightly embarrassed.
"Hakuma." The pale man stated as he shook it.
"Well it's nice to meet you Hakum-" Botan blanched. A sudden pain seared through her mind. Her sugar high became sugar low, "ugh..." She groaned slightly as vertigo consumed her and she began to sway back and forth.
"Are you okay?" Hakuma asked worriedly.
She felt as though she would faint. Her head felt like a balloon that was about to pop. Botan wavered slightly and the crashed full on into Hakuma.
~*~*~*~*~
Kurama sighed as he walked through the desolate plastic moonscape. How had he let Botan talk him into this? Well, actually she hadn't talked him into it at all. She'd merely suggested it and he'd agreed. Now he was gallivanting across this fake landscape with a plastic gun. Kurama sighed again. Well, if he was going to be here he might as well have fun.
At a sudden sound Kurama dived behind a boulder. Reflexes made him do it. He crouched low and pressed his back against the boulder. His finger wrapped around the trigger.
"Are you okay?"
He blinked. The voice was masculine but it definitely wasn't Hiei's, for two reasons: One Hiei's voice was much deeper and two, Hiei would never ask anyone if they were okay. So who was it? And exactly who was the person that was okay or not?
Curiosity gripped him until he couldn't stand it any longer. Lowering his gone, Kurama poked his head out from around the boulder.
His heart stopped.
There was Botan and a very pale man. The man had her in a very tight embrace.
Kurama's fist clenched to an extent that his knuckles turned white. He glared at this pale man with a sudden hate. Teeth gritted, he stepped out from behind the boulder.
"Excuse me." Kurama said coldly.
Hakuma looked up and blanched, if it was possible for someone as pale as him to become even paler.
"May I inquire as to what you are doing?" Venom dripped from every word that slipped from Kurama's mouth.
"She fainted," Hakuma made a desperate attempt to amend himself. He knew the situation didn't look good. Especially if this man was her boyfriend.
Kurama's eyes bored into him, causing sweat to bead on Hakuma's brow. After a second of this Kurama took Botan into his arms and walked away.
Walking out, Kurama caught sight of Hiei. He was longing lazily against a rock.
"We're leaving."
Hiei looked up and saw an unconscious Botan in Kurama's arms.
"What happened?"
Kurama didn't answer.
~*~*~*~*~
Kurama lay Botan across the backseat and got in the front.
"Why did the girl pass out?" Hiei persisted.
"I don't know. I found her in the arms of a disturbingly pale man," Kurama recounted.
Hiei stared at his friend. A knowing smile snagged the corners of his lips.
~*~*~*~*~
I'm not sure I liked this chapter. It was kind of... blah. Oh, well. There is however good news! They brought Yu Yu Hakusho back to Cartoon Network! Joy! I was extremely peeved when they took it off right when it was getting exciting. Glorious joy.
I would have updated this sooner but Fanfiction.net was down. As you all know.
Oh, and I know have an original fiction up on Fictionpress! YAY! I would be very happy if you checked it out. (And review) It's called Almost Anywhere under the name MOG THE GREAT (Someone stole Mogget.) I'm going to post a link to it on bio, just so you know. ^_^
Mogget
Put...the candle...back. (10 points to who ever can guess where that's from.)