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Thanks for the reviews! A/N: Still Kurama's POV

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Botan looked as if the only thing she wanted now was to run from me and not answer my questions.  She sighed. 

"I was looking for you, okay?  I found you at the ice cream place with Yukina.  I saw you two kissing and I felt embarrassed that I ran up on the two of you like that.  I mean, what I was going to ask wasn't important enough to ruin your date."  She paused.  "You two looked cute together."

"What were you going to ask?" I interrupted.

"I was going to ask if you could somehow arrange Hiei and I to go to the movies together or something."  She blushed, which was unlike her, but still made her look beautiful.  "I wanted him to have good time and maybe, we could've gone out eventually.  The minute I saw you and Yukina, I went away."

I waited for her to continue.

"I felt a little disoriented when I went to the park.   Since there're hardly people there, I flew there on my oar.  I was bored.  I saw Hiei in the tree.  I felt a little bold and was going to go up to him to ask him myself.  You know that I've got a big mouth.    I flew up to him and scared him to death, I guess.  I called his name and he fell out of the tree."

I raised an eyebrow. I could hardly believe that Hiei would fall out of a tree, but I doubted that Botan would lie.  "So why were you . . ."

"I'm getting to that, just listen.  I got to the ground and he wasn't moving. I think he had hit his head.  I could feel a bump on the back of his head.  He wasn't breathing either so I gave him the mouth-to-mouth resuscitation thing."  She focused her eyes on me.  "I wanted to go back and get you but if I didn't, something could happen to Hiei.  You came and I thought that Hiei would be okay.  Luckily, I knew just enough healing to revive him, but he's got a nasty cut on his head.  Anyway, you ran off and the next thing we all know, Kuwabara is carrying you, dripping with blood."

I stared at her.  Everything was all a simple misunderstanding gone too far.

"About Yukina . . .you told Kuwabara that you and Yukina weren't going out.  Why did you . . .kiss her?"

"I made a mistake.  I regret it, though.  I lost control of my emotions and went too far," I said softly.  I quickly changed the subject.  "Kuwabara found me?  What was he doing in my home?"

"He said that his cat was stuck in a tree.  He was hoping that you'd get it out for him.  Luckily he found you just in time."

"Oh.  Does Hiei know that you're fond of him?"

"I don't know.  In a way, I'm scared that if everyone knew, I'd be teased about it forever.  What would Hiei do or say if he doesn't like me back?  It would kill me if he just stood there staring at me like I was stupid for even noticing him."  She ran her fingers through her hair.  "Do you know what I mean?  It sounds stupid, doesn't it?"

"Nothing you say sounds stupid to me.  You could tell me that you want to fly around in a chicken suit and it wouldn't seem stupid coming from your mouth."

She smiled at me.  "You're always so sweet to me.  Thanks."

"It's nothing."  I paused, wondering what I should do.  "Should I try and get Hiei to take you to the movies?  Maybe the moving pictures on a flat screen would scare him."

Botan laughed.  "You can, but I like having this mystery to figure out.  What fun would anyone be if we knew everything about each other?  Especially Hiei."

"I suppose."

She stood up and arranged the pillow below my head.  "Now, I have things to do.  I have to do all these things for Koenma.  I'll leave Yukina with you to help fix up your wrists."  She touched the bandages on my arms.  "And tell her the truth.  The truth hurts, but lying is worse."

My heart thudded nervously against my ribcage.  I had nearly forgotten about it.  I knew that the moment was coming, but I didn't want it to be so soon.  I wasn't prepared for what I had to do.

Botan left.  Yukina came in.  Her hair was arranged in her usual style.

"Kurama?  I'm glad you're okay," she replied.  Her voice broke.  I hoped that she wouldn't start crying.

"Please don't cry," I said.  I sat up to lean against the wall.  I looked closer around the room.  This was Yusuke's house and Yusuke's futon.  Kuwabara must have carried me a pretty far distance.

Yukina sat beside me.  "I won't cry.  Give me your hands.  I need to put new bandages on."  She took my hands and unwrapped the bandages with practiced skill.  I winced as she unraveled the last layer.  My skin seemed to have healed a bit for the gauze to stick to my wound.  She looked up at me when I winced.

"Does it hurt much?"

"I've felt worse.  It's nothing," I said. 

She dabbed at my wounds with water.  I saw my wounds begin to bleed again.  The cuts were very deep, almost cutting to my bone.  She used her Spirit Energy to heal some of my cut.  Half of the cut knitted itself back together.  The blood dried away.  She tied new gauze around my wrists.  "I could heal it completely, but it would leave you with an ugly scar.  If I do it a bit at a time, the scar would barely be noticeable," she said softly.  She ran her fingers along the lines on my palms. 

I moved my hands quietly away from her and curled my fingers to cover my palm.  Our eyes met briefly.  I looked away, unable to look directly at her.

"Why did you leave all of a sudden when Botan came?" she asked suddenly.

"I can't really explain it . . ." I murmured.  In truth, I couldn't.  I could have stayed and figured everything out later, but once again, confused emotions ruined everything.  I was useless, wasn't I?

Yukina smiled weakly.  "Everyone was worried when Kazume came carrying you.  I can't tell you how happy I am that you're alive." She hugged me and kissed my cheek.  Her lips seemed to hover above mine, silently asking for permission to make contact. Her lips came closer.  I shrank away as her lips touched mine.

I couldn't do this to her.  Again.

She looked directly into my eyes, keeping me from looking away.  Her eyes burned with such intensity that I was reminded of Hiei's crimson eyes.  For a moment, I wondered if she was able to read minds as Hiei was.  Don't be stupid.  She doesn't have a Jagan eye, I argued with myself.

"What's the real story, then?" she asked suddenly.  "I knew it was only a wonderful dream, but tell me the truth."

"The truth . . .the truth is this.  That night I went to ask you to go on a date with me, Hiei was the one who suggested it.  He wanted you to be happy.  I reasoned with him, but he insisted.  I didn't want you to believe that I was deeply infatuated with you.  I mean, don't take it the wrong way, I do find you attractive and I like you, but I couldn't truly love you."  I studied her expression, which didn't change.  "I'm sorry.  Can you take pity on me?"

Yukina breathed in an out, slowly.  "When we kissed, was that something Hiei suggested or was that something you wanted to do to hurt me?"

"No, it wasn't that.  I got a little carried away.  Very few people knew the things I told you and I've been alone for such a long time that I lost control . . .and I kissed you."  I shook my head.  "It was wrong.  I'm sorry."

"I'll forgive you and I can't hate you, no matter how much I try.  I've tried to. You were always in perfect control.  I wanted to be more like you, but you went and lied to me.  Even though you lied, I can't hate you." She closed her eyes and lowered her hands.  "I don't know how to take this.  I-I'm going to go think for a while."  She stood and left abruptly.

I watched her leave.  I was glad, in a way, to have the weight off of my shoulders.  I was also glad that in my weak state, my mind couldn't focus completely on the subject to throw me into another suicidal frenzy.  Hiei walked in, arms crossed, and gauze wrapped around his head.  His Jagan showed under the line of gauze.  He glanced back out the door at Yukina.

"What did you do?" he asked, his voice was low and insinuating.

"I told her the truth about the date thing."

"Not that," he snarled in frustration.  "I meant your wrists.  What the hell did you do and why?"

"I misunderstood about what I thought Botan and you were doing.  All the stress made me lose my mind and without really realizing it, I just—" I mimed a cutting action on my hands.  I shrugged weakly.

He gazed steadily at me.  "You're just weak hearted.  Why do I hang around you?"

I said nothing.  He looked away at me and felt the back of his head.  "Crazy woman!  Scared me out of my wits when I was trying to sleep!" he growled.

I grinned.  "I thought you didn't scare easily."

"I was sleeping!"

I laughed.  "Hiei, do you like her?"

"Botan?  I don't know.  She's okay to be around except her big mouth."

I bristled briefly at the insult.  "No, not just 'like' her, but like her more than just 'okay'."

He stared at me. 

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Review and I'll update!  I must be evil to have another cliffie.  You decide!  Does Hiei like Botan or not?  Tell me via review and I'll have another chappie up as soon as I know.

P.S.  Okay, I've got this other fic called Secrets Behind Emerald Eyes.  If you don't mind, can you read it?  I hadn't gotten more than 2 reviews on it and I'm getting a little discouraged.  Please tell me if that fic sux so I can take it down if I have to. 

Thank you Miyako14 for reviewing that and just about all my other YuYu fics!