A/N: Honestly, I've given up on calling this a one-shot...
Yare, yare... I know I said it was finished last chapter, but Volpone asked for MORE, so... here we are!
Treat for all you fire demon lovers: Hiei makes a small appearance!
Enjoy!
Nothing.
That was what Botan found beside her in the morning.
She moaned tiredly and stretched her arm across the bed, more than likely expecting it to bump with a warm and muscular mass. But, much to her surprise, it only ran across wrinkled sheets, which were cool from having been unoccupied for an unknown amount of time.
She opened her eyes and lifted her head from the pillow, her cerulean tendrils flopping in front of her face. She turned her head to eye the length of her bed, smacking her lips disappointedly when finding no one. She dropped her head once more and rolled over, wrapping herself in the thin sheets. She blinked slowly as she stared up at the ceiling, trying to remember exactly what had happened the night before.
Oh yeah... Kurama had dropped by during the night... and during the night before that. It was really quite the surprise, seeing as he had never done it before.
And Youko... Botan didn't know whether she should have been screaming or dropping her panties. His visit just... totally mystified her. To admit it all, she had been scared at first, but when it became clear that he just wanted to talk, she began to warm up to him. He opened up, and she listened. It was somewhat odd, though, that he would want to talk to her of all people. Yes, he did explain it to her, but, they had never spoken before...
Why now?
And Kurama... He was equally mystifying.
It was so weird. She had talked with one person, yet, she had deeply conversed with two. It was like a split personality. One of them as cold as the harshest of winters, and one of them as poised as a dove; two totally different behaviors placed in one form. And it didn't seem to help that she had kissed them both.
Botan smiled at the memory of Kurama's face. He was, undeniably, jealous. No matter how hard he protested it. He was definitely cute, though, with that childish frown imprinted on his mouth. And she didn't have to question why it was there. She already knew there was a loitering attraction between them. She wasn't blind. Really, any girl who wasn't drawn by his physical beauty had to be. Although he hid them well when they were among the others, there were always the lingering glances, the minute winks, the boyish grins... all of them directed towards her.
Of course, to some it may seem girlishly petty to notice things so small, but Kurama was a very precise person. If he wanted you to know something, he knew how to get his point across. And although he was maddeningly handsome, he never flirted loosely with women. He was always polite and patient, but he never trifled with the girls who approached him. He never winked, stared, or grinned at them. Only her. It was very flattering.
Botan yawned, stretching her arms out above her head and squinting in the process. Her toes curled in delight as she felt the tingling muscles in her legs constrict before she ended the yawn. She sighed as she sat up in her bed and looked around. She swung her legs over the bed and placed her feet on the floor, wiggling her toes when they made contact with the chilly surface. She sat there for a while, peering at the floor.
Damn, he was a sexy fox. Not just literally, either. Kurama was as cunning as he was handsome. She still had no idea how he had gotten into her room. Although... the notion of him sneaking into her room in the middle of the night while she was indecent did put "ideas" in her brain...
She could just imagine...
Botan rolled over in her bed. She moaned tiredly as she cracked an eye open.
He was there. She could sense a gentle hint of his aura fluctuate from the corner of her room; the same corner he had been in the first night. It was small enough to go unnoticed by any outside the room, but it was just the right amount to rouse her from sleep and alert her of his presence. Botan immediately sat up in bed, her straightened hair spilling down her shoulders and over her chest.
"Kurama, is that you?" she whispered. She could hear the ruffling of his clothes as he shifted from his place against the wall.
"You know it is," he said quietly. Botan leaned forward a little to peer into the far side of her room. She could barely make out his form, leaning casually in the corner. In fact, she wouldn't have seen him at all if he wasn't wearing a white business shirt and Khakis.
"Will you come from the corner? I can't see you very well," she told him. She heard him chuckle as he pushed off of the wall.
"Of course. But only if I may sit beside you on your bed," he responded as he took slow, lazy steps toward her.
Botan nodded. Slowly he made his way to her bed, Botan staring intently as he moved. Then he sat down near her legs, causing the bed to bounce lightly. He locked eyes with her, a wily grin sliding across his face.
"You're not surprised to see me...?" he asked. Botan shook her head slowly. Kurama smiled as he watched her silken strands sway.
"No. Should I be?" she asked. Kurama shrugged.
"I suppose not," he responded. Botan smiled.
"I'm wide awake now," she said fidgeting in her seat. Although she had been tired the first two times he "visited" her, the things he divulged to her were indeed interesting. She would gladly listen to more of it.
Silly girl... I believe she thinks we came here for more talk... chuckled Youko. Kurama smiled.
--Well, she will be screaming, if that's what you mean. he responded.
"Kurama...?" asked Botan, noticing the roguish glint swirling about in his jade irises. Kurama blinked, his mental conversation halting.
"Yes?" he said kindly. Botan smiled.
"I said, I'm wide awake now," she restated sweetly. Kurama nodded.
"And I intend to keep you that way for the rest of the night..." he told her.
It was Botan's turn to blink, in confusion, though. She opened her mouth to question the meaning of his statement but was quickly silenced when he moved closer to her and placed his hands to the headboard on either sides of her head. He leaned over, bringing his face so close to hers that his vibrantly red hair brushed against her cheeks. Realizing how close he was, Botan reeled back, accidentally knocking her head against the headboard. She blushed embarrassedly, a small smile tainting her lips.
"I'm sorry, but what do you mean?" she laughed nervously. Kurama's smile grew, a sudden rush of anticipation coursing through his brain.
"You're so clueless sometimes, Botan," he chuckled. Botan's smile fell, slowly shifting to a small pout.
"Oi! Now what's that supposed to mean?" she asked. She lifted her head from the headboard to lean in towards him and glare darkly.
"Not in that way, koibito, but in the sincerest of ways possible. You're so sharp and on it when it comes to your job, but so dense when it comes to simple affections... I've come to you on two different occasions in two different forms. I've told you things that I've told no one else. You would think the normal person would get the hint by now..." he mused while lowering a hand to trace a ghost of a trail along her jaw. Botan's eyes widened marginally and her face turned bright red.
"But you're not the normal person... are you?" he whispered as he looked down to watch his fingers glide gently across her pale collarbone, his fiery hair falling over his face. He gripped the string of her white nightshirt between two of his fingers and slipped it over the smooth curve of her shoulder.
"Sou uruwashii... mai jika zetsumei mitsukai," he muttered quietly. Botan was breathless. She had no idea what to do. So she just sat quietly, timidly, not at all protesting...
Not even when he drew away, only to place a hand at the base of her back to pull her closer. Not even when he laid her back slowly, lowering his head to place soft, warm kisses in the valley of her breasts. He slowly made his way upward, stopping only to give her an open-mouthed kissed in the juncture of her neck and shoulder. Then, he lifted his head slowly, grazing his face along hers smoothly.
He raised his eyes to meet hers, and it was then that Botan saw the smoldering lust that blazed in his eyes. She released a heavy sigh, her warm breath trickling from her lips and dancing across his face.
He sucked in a sharp breath and slid his eyes closed before he tamped his lips to hers, compressing their mouths together in a filling kiss. Carefully, he lifted his body up and onto the bed, straddling her without breaking the meld.
From the inside, Youko grinned evilly from ear to ear. That's a good boy...
Almost instinctively, Botan's fingers wove through his feathery hair, earning a soft growl from him. She moaned in response as his hands traveled all over her body. He placed one on her satin covered belly, dragging it upward to reveal her creamy skin. Then he slithered his fingers down her side to her hip, hooking one of them in the string of her panties. He slid them down to her knees, causing Botan's blood pressure to skyrocket. He detached his wet lips from hers only for a moment to pull her underwear all the way off before their mouths were moving in rhythm once more. He pressed his hand firmly on her inner thigh and she moaned again.
It was all too much for her: The feel of his palm creeping closer and closer to the linking between her legs, his tongue sliding sensually in and out of her mouth, the feel of his heart palpitating against her chest... so many sensations at once...
Too bad none of it was real.
Botan shivered and shook her head vigorously. She hopped up from the bed and trotted over to her bathroom door.
It was time for a shower. A cold one.
"Aren't you supposed to be getting ready to go to that idiotic facility?"
I cracked an eye open to look up at Hiei, who was standing beside my bed frowning down at me.
Damn. I forgot to lock the windows again. I'll have to remember next time.
Hiei snorted as if reading my thoughts.
"You can try to lock me out, but you and I both know I'll just find another way in," he told me. I rolled my eye.
"Get the hell out. I'm very tired," I said. His eyes narrowed down at me.
"At the girl's quarters again, weren't you?" he said with a sneer. I opened both eyes and nodded. He rolled his crimson eyes and sighed loudly.
"You disgust me," he told me. At this, I smiled, getting up into a sitting position so that my feet touched the ground.
"You don't know the half of it," I said jovially. Hiei sat down on the corner of my computer desk across from me and folded his arms against his chest.
"Oh? Do tell," he said sarcastically. Ignoring his tone, I continued.
"She asked me to stay with her last night," I said. "I only left this morning."
"Why did you leave?" he asked me, "Did something... happen between the two of you?" I shook my head slowly, a small frown appearing on my lips.
"No. Not that I wouldn't have liked for it to, mind you, but unfortunately, no, nothing happened," I replied, allowing a little more disappointment to seep through my words than intended. Hiei scoffed.
"You look like a baby that has lost it's pacifier. You're pathetic," he said.
I smiled again. A peculiar reaction to such an insult, I know. And had it have been some regular human from the streets, he would probably have been unconscious right now. But no, this was Hiei. I'm very used to Hiei. I'm used to his sneers and his snide remarks, and also the occasional curse word he would throw at me from time to time. From a third person's point of view, it would look as if we did not like each other much. But I know way better than that. Hiei and I are best friends, almost brothers.
Albeit, he may grate my nerves sometimes with his supremely rude mouth, but I've learned to tolerate it over the long years, even to get used to it. And I know he thinks the same. If Hiei did not like someone, he would either hack them up into finely fractioned slices, or distance himself as far away as possible. While with me, he made himself apparent frequently, sometimes at my place of learning.
"You know, if Koenma finds out, he'll throw the tantrum of the century," he said, purposely attempting to make my blood broil. Or rather, Youko's blood. He knew my "better half" held a short wire when it came to the godling.
"Watch it, Hiei," I said lowly, allowing my eyes to briefly flash a bright ember color as a warning. He smirked.
"Treading on eggshells, am I, Kurama?" he chuckled. Well, I wouldn't call it a chuckle. A scoff/choke, more like it. I smiled suddenly, thinking of flipping the cards around.
"So Kazuma and Yukina are courting now, are they? Very fortunate for him, then. She's a very pretty girl," I baited, allowing my sentence to linger in the air. I cocked my brow as if to say, "I could go on..." Hiei stood from the desk and glared threateningly at me.
"Point taken, you dirty fox," he snarled. I laughed, which seemed to further annoy him. So he changed the subject.
"Why do you visit her?" he asked me. I stopped laughing and shrugged.
"To release my pent up thoughts. She's a very good listener... and not at all judgmental. I knew right off the bat not to come to you..." I replied, trying not to let on my real reason for visiting her. He fell for it.
"You knew well, then. You had better not come to me in the middle of the night weeping like a pansy," he said. I scoffed in an affronted manner.
"I wasn't weeping," I snapped. Hiei shrugged.
"Whatever you choose to disguise it as," he replied nonchalantly. I rolled my eyes at him.
"Anyway, she told me I could come back anytime I wanted to," I said.
"Are you going to go tonight?" he asked. I tilted my chin upward in thought for a moment. Then I sighed and shook my head.
"I do not think so. It would be selfish and thoughtless of me to keep interjecting on her rest given her task," I replied. Hiei nodded in agreement.
"It would be. Not to mention inappropriate," he said. I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Inappropriate...? How so?" I asked in defense.
"Well," he said, taking a step towards me, "what state of dress was she in during those late hours? I'm sure she doesn't wear her kimono and obi to bed..."
I scratched the back of my head embarrassedly, a nervous grin sliding across my face.
"Well, she was a bit... indecent. But she didn't seem to mind. And I can't say that I really did, either," I laughed. Hiei snorted.
"Of course you wouldn't mind. I think Youko's lechery has seeped into your psyche," he said. I sighed and threw myself back onto the bed, bouncing roughly from the impact.
"I don't know, Hiei... she's gotten to me, somehow. She's gotten to the both of us. Youko grows testy when I try to block her out of my mind. Not that I don't want to think about her... but she's becoming an obsession, for the both of us. It's like I'm out of focus. When she's around, everything is a blur... except for her. She's crystal clear," I said.
"Why are you so obsessed with her?" he asked disgustedly. I frowned up at the ceiling.
"I'm not obsessed," I said.
"But you just said she was an obsession of yours..." Hiei said.
"No," I corrected, lifting a finger, "I said she was becoming on obsession of mine. I'm not over the edge yet, Hiei. I know my limits."
"Of course you do," he said. Did I detect a hint of sarcasm?
"I do," I said smartly. "But she is just something else... she's a challenge for me. And she doesn't even know it..."
No, she doesn't know how often I think of her, that when I dream of her they're not only dreams, but fantasies. And when I think of her I can nearly feel her, I can almost hear her, I can virtually smell her.
My eyelids slid closed as I inhaled deeply, thoroughly imagining her rosy scent infiltrating my nostrils and igniting my senses.
"Yes..." I breathed as I pictured her silky skin brushing evenly underneath my fingertips. Her lips... rich and full when she presses them against my own, it barely seems tangible that someone could possess such a surreal feel. My brain is ravaged by thoughts of it day and night; Her mouth feels like milk to me. So smooth and sweet, her tongue so creamy when it clashes with mine, encircling each other in a dance all our own. It's like poetry. It's amazing.
"You need to bathe. I can smell her on you," Hiei snarled, interrupting me from my thoughts. I opened my eyes lazily, growling in agitation. I sat up on my elbows, opening my mouth to snap at him.
But he was already gone, leaving my window curtains flapping in his wake. Ass.
I lied back down and closed my eyes again. I wasn't going to school. I wouldn't be able to concentrate anyway.
It had been a very harrowing day for poor Botan. There had been a bombing on a skyscraper near downtown Tokyo. Restless souls everywhere. They were crying, fighting amongst each other, worrying about paperwork, you name it. It was one spirit in particular that had been chiefly difficult.
Botan had chased him all around the decimated building trying to reason with him. After about an hour of hide-and-seek, she had him cornered against a pile of rubble on the lowest floor. She had her arms stretched out on either sides of her, blocking every time he tried to dodge left or right.
"C'mon, sir. I'm taking you to be judged by the supreme ruler! Considering your records, you've got nothing to be afraid of! You'll be sent to--" she started.
The bouncing orb ducked under her arm. She made a grab for it, but it easily dodged her and darted off. Botan spun around and huffed, blowing her bangs away from her face exasperatedly. She put her arm out and materialized her oar. No more mister nice guy.
In the end, he was the last soul of about two hundred she had to gather, and he wasn't very happy about it, either. All the way on the ride back, he struggled and strained against the kai bond she had to detain him with.
When she got home, she quickly started to disrobe. When she got down to her undergarments, she plopped down on the edge of her bed and began to ponder. She knew Kurama was going to "stop by" tonight.
She looked at her watch. Nine twenty-three. She sighed and slapped her hand down onto her bare leg. He'd be there in about another three hours. In the mean time...
Botan jumped up and ran over to her dresser. She opened her last drawer and began to dig through her sleepwear, tossing panties and bras every-which-way. She smiled as she pulled out a long sheer robe. Well, it wasn't really a robe, being so light and see-through. But she knew it was enough to catch the eye.
She closed her drawer and stood up to search through the mess on the top of the dresser. Identifying what she was in dire search for, she scooped up her flat iron and ran into the bathroom.
Shizuru had loaned them to her some time ago. At first, she couldn't get the hang of it. She had burned the tips of her fingers a few times and even singed some of her hair out. But eventually, she got used to them and began to like the results. And she just knew they would come in handy tonight. If she had her way, she would get to finish her fantasy and everything had to be just so. In order for it to be just so, everything had to be exactly the same. The first step was to straighten her hair.
About an hour later, Botan emerged from her bathroom. She giggled when she swung her hips as she walked, her night robe swaying elegantly at her ankles. She sat down on her bed and began to drum her fingertips on her legs. Now, the wait.
Four hours later...
Botan whipped her head up mid-snore. She snapped her eyes open and shook her head briskly. She had nearly fallen asleep again. She yawned and lifted her wrist to peer at her watch. Two thirty-six. She dropped her arm and huffed angrily. Kurama was late.
She frowned and bit the corner of her lip. Maybe he didn't want to visit her anymore. What if... he thought it was all a big mistake? She let out a low growl.
He would be such an asshole if he did. He had come to visit her two nights in a row, waking her of her sleep, to talk with her. And she had selflessly listened. Not just out of politeness, but out of genuine concern and a great deal of interest. It would be truly rude of him to leave her hanging without so much as in explanation. Especially so, now that she was looking forward to it. He intrigued her. She liked him.
So why wasn't he there now?
Botan sighed, silently berating herself for thinking of him that way. Of course there was an explanation. She smiled evilly, standing from her seat on the bed. She snatched a housecoat from the chair beside her bed and put it on.
She just had to find out what it was.
Kurama's eyes sprang open. He hadn't been sleeping, just thinking. Hard. He hadn't moved from his spot on his bed at all. Well, only to use the bathroom, but that was it. He didn't even get hungry. His mind was just too occupied.
By what? By a striking three hundred-plus old spirit guide with soft blue hair, of course.
It was just too weird, like he had conjured her up without even trying. There he was, lying on his bed thinking of her in the most innocent of ways, when he felt the feathery billow of her kai pulling towards him. It was so soft and cozy; a warm suction luring him from his mental reflections. He smirked. So, she was coming to visit him, was she?
He almost gagged on a laugh when he heard her climbing through his open window.
She could use some work on her entry... Youko chuckled.
--Shh! Be quiet!-- Kurama hissed. Youko laughed again.
She can't hear me, you moron! He said.
--So?! You're still bothering me!-- he responded.
"You know better than to leave your window open at night, Kurama. It's clearly an invitation for thieves," Botan joked. Kurama's eyes rolled over towards the window without moving his head. He smirked minutely, realizing the irony in her statement.
"Or rude little fire demons," he responded as he looked back up at the ceiling. Botan frowned. He didn't seem surprised to see her at all. Damned be his kitsune senses...
Sighing, she walked to his desk and pulled out his rolling chair.
"I like this chair," she said as she sat down.
"You should have seen Hiei the first time he sat in it. He fell out of it and jumped up, swearing it was possessed. When he calmed down, I explained it was nothing more than a human invention and he punched me for laughing," he said with a small smile.
"Koenma has one of these but he never lets me spin in it. Once he caught me playing in it. He was so angry he chased me out of his office with a paddle," she laughed as she rotated in the chair slowly. Kurama frowned. It wasn't very funny to him. It was silent for a long while before she decided to speak again.
"How come you didn't come visit me tonight?" she asked while still spinning slowly. Her only response came as a shrug so she continued.
"I was actually expecting you this time," she laughed. Silent, he was, so she stopped the chair to look at him. He wasn't even looking at her. He was just staring off into space like she wasn't even there. His eyes were hazed over, a despondent look haunting his face.
"Why aren't you sleeping?" she asked him. He blinked at the sound of her voice, but kept his eyes straight up.
"I can't stop thinking..." he said vaguely.
"Well," sighed Botan, "you don't have to stop thinking. You think in your sleep anyway." Kurama shrugged.
"I guess..." he mumbled. Botan sighed. Their banter wasn't very entertaining.
"Am I keeping you up?" she asked him. Kurama shook his head once.
"I was already awake when you snuck into my room," he said dryly.
Botan frowned. Was she this cold to him when he came to her room? Had she done something to offend him? Maybe he didn't want her there...?
"Goodnight, Kurama," she said as she rose from his chair. She walked over to the open window, not bothering to put the chair back. Grumbling to herself, she put her hand out to materialize her oar.
Kurama bolted upright in bed. "Botan."
She turned to look at him, irritation evident in her features. What did he want from her? She hated when people played mind games.
"Come here," he demanded softly. Botan eyed him warily. He sure was acting strangely. Hesitantly, she took slow steps over to him, stopping when she reached the chair again.
"Sit," he said, nodding at the chair. Botan complied, keeping her eyes glued to his bottle green ones. She yelped in surprise when he gripped the arms of the chair and slid her to sit directly in front of him. He leaned into her, peering deeply into her eyes. She gulped nervously.
Why was he looking at her like that? Was he angry with her? Did she do something wrong?
"You know," Kurama said, raising her out of her stupor. "I can't stop thinking about you now."
Botan blinked in confusion. What was she supposed to say to that?
"You are constantly on my mind. Constantly. The smallest things can trigger images of you. With your sincerity and kindness, you've intrigued me without even knowing. You are... a most captivating creature," he told her softly while his eyes scanned her lovely face, taking in every detail.
"When you are near me, my mind is in a haze of only you, and an odd euphoria explores my body," he whispered. Botan just stared unblinkingly at him, her body tense and rigid from the unexpected closeness. Suddenly, he drew even nearer, coming so close that their noses brushed.
"Somehow, you've endowed yourself in my brain, putting me into this... state of... blind infatuation," he whispered, "It is clear to me that I cannot deny this, nor can I avoid it. But some things are still unclear to me... Like... you, Botan. What do you think of? Do you think of me?"
Botan's jaw locked up and her eyes widened marginally. She wanted to slant back and tell him he had the wrong idea, that the two nights they shared were of only companionable friendship. She wanted to silence him from spewing his confessions of ambivalence. Everything was moving so fast, and she didn't want any of it.
But her mouth betrayed her thoughts when she finally answered.
"Yes."
She answered so, and as her mind began to reel over her response, she began to realize it was, indeed, true.
Kurama watched her face closely as realization swept over her features. Her muscles loosened and her body language signaled to relaxation.
"What do you think of me?" he asked quietly. Botan smiled softly, a gentle blush tinting her cheekbones.
"I like you... Very much, in truth," she responded. Kurama frowned slightly and she immediately wondered if she had said the wrong thing. He shook his head slowly, leaning back to shift his eyes to the ground.
"It's not supposed to be this way..." he mumbled. Botan fidgeted uncomfortably in his chair.
"What...? What do you mean?" she asked him. He sighed and stood from his seat on the bed. He maneuvered himself around her chair and moved to the middle of the room. He groaned loudly and raised his hands to run them through his scarlet mane.
"It's not supposed to be this way..." he said again. Botan slowly spun her chair around to watch him. She was, extremely, confused.
"What way? What are you talking about?" she whispered. Suddenly, Kurama whirled around and she flinched in surprise.
"It's not supposed to be like this!" he shouted. He stalked over to his desk. He growled as he thrust his arm out and shoved, knocking everything over the edge. Botan shrieked and jumped out of her chair as a few glass items shattered into pieces on the floor.
"You! Here! It's not supposed to be this way! It's ridiculous!" he shouted.
"Why not? Did I do something wrong?" she whispered shakily. He turned back to look at her, his eyes flashing angrily. In a blink, he was in front of her, gripping her arms so tightly that her shoulders hunched about her ears.
"Yes, you did! You've... infested yourself in my head! I can't get rid of you! Images of you plague me continually! You won't leave me alone!" he shouted, giving her a fierce shake. Botan winced.
"Kurama, let me go! Why are you acting this way? This isn't you!" she said pleadingly. Kurama chuckled evilly.
"How do you know what isn't me?! You think just because we've spent a bit of time together that you suddenly know me?! Hardly!" he yelled in her face, his grip tightening on her arms.
"Ah! Please, Kurama, you're hurting me!" she shouted.
Her hearted race with fear as she watched Kurama's jaw muscle work agitatedly. With another growl, he released her and turned away. He sighed and wiped his face with both of his hands. Botan took this as an opportunity for escape. She inched her way around him then dashed for the window, summoning her oar in the process. Just when she was stepping out of the window, he spoke again.
"I'm not supposed to be in love with you."
It was a low and muffled statement, but she had heard it. She paused mid-exit and retracted her leg from the window. Her oar vanished as she slowly turned around to look at him. He just stood there, shoulders sagging, face still buried in his hands. She took a small step towards him.
"What... did you say?" she asked uncertainly.
Slowly, his hands slid from his face. He exhaled heavily then looked up at her. Though his lights were off, the room was alit with moonlight, and she wondered if it were some sort of eye trickery that let her see the two streaks that moistened his cheeks.
"I'm not supposed to love you, Botan. It's absolutely absurd for me to... But, here, I find myself harboring these... feelings for you," he told her quietly. She took another step towards him.
"Why aren't you supposed to love me?" she questioned.
"Because... it isn't right. I'm only a lowly thief. I've committed so many sins I am undeserving of love of any sort. Especially yours, that is so open and pure..." he explained downheartedly.
"Pure?" Botan voiced, stepping up to him.
"Pure? Look at these hands, Kurama," she said, holding her arms out to him.
"These hands have taken an innumerable amount of souls, human and demon alike. Infant or elderly, it does not matter. Some of them are still in the womb when their time comes. This duty of mine is anything but pure. It sickens me to no end and I hate it. But someone has to do it," she whispered sternly. Kurama shook his head slowly.
"You don't understand. You'll only end up hurt if I--"
"How, Kurama? You and I are both in the same lot. We both work for Koenma. I know about your past and what you are. All the dangers you worry about I am already surrounded by. I don't understand how it isn't right," she said.
Kurama sighed tiredly and walked over to his bed. He plopped down then laid back on his elbows, lolling his head back so that his vibrant hair lay on the bed. It became silent for a long time before he heard the shuffling of her bare feet across his black carpet. He felt added weight on his legs and the bed creaked lightly before he realized she was climbing onto his lap. He sat up abruptly, almost knocking heads with her. She smiled shyly and fidgeted a little in his lap.
"You're probably wondering why I'm straddling you..." she laughed, placing her hands on his chest gingerly.
"Well, you look like you could use a hug," she said as she slid her hands around his torso to his back in an embrace. He looked questioningly at her. She was acting as if nothing had just happened. She merely shrugged then smiled brightly.
"I love you, too, Kurama. I know it seems odd, but I know we can work this out if we--"
She never got to finish her sentence. Kurama caught her face in his hands and pressed his mouth to hers so promptly, he wouldn't have been surprised had one, if not, both, of her lips been swollen when he was finished. But almost immediately after, her lips joined his in a synchronized dance, and a warm feeling of relief swarmed his body. Almost reluctantly, Kurama pulled away to look at her face. Botan licked her lips delicately as if assessing something, her eyes misty with wonder. Then the corners of her mouth lifted slowly in a wide smile, as did his.
"I guess this means I'll be sleeping over your place tonight," she joked. Kurama laughed and pulled her to his chest, resting his chin atop of her head. It became quiet once more until he realized something.
"You... straightened out your hair," Botan nodded.
"Yeah, I did," she said. Kurama smiled.
"For me?" he asked suavely. He bit back a laugh as he felt her face warm up against the skin of his chest. Then she gave a small nod.
"Yes," she whispered. Kurama began to stroke her head, running his fingers through her soft strands.
"So... does this mean no more nightly visits?" he asked curiously. Botan laughed and shook her head.
"Not at all! This means they get more interesting..." she replied coyly.
"Sounds good to me," he joked. Botan giggled then he felt her jaw widen and her warm breath skip across his chest and arm. He realized she was yawning. She snuggled closer to him and his arms tightened around her.
"Botan?" he called softly. The only reply he received came in the form of a soft snore so he rightly assumed she had already nodded off to sleep. Carefully, he slid her from his lap and laid her down on the bed. He stood up to remove her housecoat and his eyes almost bulged out of his head when he saw what she was wearing underneath. Botan moaned softly and rolled to her side, giving him a nice view of her scantily clad backside.
Delicious... Youko growled naughtily.
Kurama shook his head and tossed her house coat into his chair. He climbed into bed beside her and pulled his comforter up to cover them both. He slithered a muscular arm around her mid-section and sighed into her hair. He murmured lovingly into her ear then placed a soft kiss on her pale shoulder before closing his eyes to join Botan in dormancy. The room was comfortably quiet, save for the rhythmic breathing coming from the woman beside him.
You know, she would not be lying beside you were it not for me, Youko said.
--Oh? What makes you so sure?-- Kurama asked.
The fact that it was my idea to visit her in the first place, Youko replied boastfully.
--Yes... I guess a lot of good comes out of us two being spiritually conjoined.--
It became silent in his head as Youko pondered for a moment.
I suppose you're right. He admitted finally.
Kurama smiled in his sleep and pulled Botan closer. Although it was going to take some time, he knew she was going to heal both his and Youko's tormented souls. And even though she probably didn't realize it yet, she was in need of some healing, too.
But in time, they would heal together. All of their emotional wounds would close up and their spiritual potholes would be filled.
One night of confessions would lead to a lifetime of restituted love.
A/N: Bah! I don't like this ending at all... I feel like it takes away from the plot of the story, which was supposed to be about Youko and Botan... but I also feel that the human Kurama and Botan know each other better. Sorry.
I'm sorry this update took so long. The next thing I update will be Dividing Loyalty.
THERE! Now this story is seriously complete! Really... it is! It's FIN! Yay!!
Please forgive me for the poorly interpreted Japanese. I know I suck. I'm doing the best I can with a Japanese handbook and a Japanese computer dictionary. =.=;
Volpone, I hope you liked.
REVIEW!!!