Botan ran as fast as she could down the dirt path, flew through the gate,
and raced through the doors-
Running right into Riku.
"Ouch!" the cook cried as he and a large platter fell to the floor with a clang.
"Oh gods!" Botan cried, helping the cook up, "I'm sorry! I'm just in a hu- "
"Botan?" Riku interrupted, looking slightly hurt as he picked up his try, "where have you been the past few days?"
"Busy. I am so sorry I haven't been there for dinner. . ." Botan winced as she remembered, for the first time in days, that Riku actually existed.
The cook fingered his tray and smiled up at her. "Well, I guess that's understandable, isn't it? Being busy, I mean. The wedding is getting close. . ."
The maid just nodded, trying to hurry Riku along. She needed to find Kurama- Yasha!
"Yeah, it's really busy. Yup. Um, can I go?" Mitsukai prompted, trying to edge away without looking rude.
It was growing late.
The sun was already setting.
Riku cocked his head. "You gonna be busy tonight?"
"Um- yeah," Botan replied quickly. "Super busy. So I got to go. See you!"
With a hurried wave, the girl whipped around and began to run in the direction of the prince's room, leaving a confused Riku behind her.
*
Kurama sat in his bedroom, laying on his bed.
With a sigh, he turned over and looked out the window at the sun set.
"Botan. . ."
The prince's ears perked as he heard someone open the door.
Was it Yusuke? The vizier had left a little while ago to "use the bathroom," but somehow Kurama doubted that very much.
But no- the sent belonged to someone else.
Someone he recognized, but he couldn't put his finger on it. . .
Sitting up, Kurama looked down to see- - -
Masaru.
"Hiya, prince!" the little boy smiled as he climbed up on the bed next to Kurama.
"What, might I inquire, are you doing in here?"
"Talkin' to you, stupid."
Kurama growled. "I could have you and your brother kicked out for that, you moron."
"But Botan-chan would be mad at you if you did that!" the boy smirked knowingly.
Kurama opened and closed his mouth like a fish, refusing point blank to let this little idiot win the argument, but knowing at the same time that he was right.
Masaru giggled. "Ha ha! You love her!"
The prince blushed red. "I do not! I love Hari!"
The boy shook his head. "You're a rotten liar."
"I am not lying!"
"Are too!"
"Am NOT!"
"Seriously, prince," the little boy lowered his voice and leaned in. "How far have you gotten with Botan?"
Kurama's face glowed. "What the-?! I- I don't-! I mean-! Why would I tell something like that to a little runt like you, anyway?!"
Masaru shrugged. "Well, it's just that if you don't make a move, my big brother and Riku are both ready to."
The prince growled. Curse those two. Curse their damn souls.
The boy got up and hopped off the bed. "Later, prince!"
He hopped to the door and then stopped.
Turning around, Masaru stuck out his tongue and said: "YOU LOVE HER!" before high tailing it out of the room.
Just in time too, as a large, heavy volume landed just where the boy had been- - - 5 seconds after he was gone.
*
As she ran up the stairs towards the prince's room, Botan could only fear what had happened between Kurama and Hari while she was gone.
'I can't let her win!' the maid thought, her eyes closed tight as she ran up the familiar stairs. 'I can't! I WON'T!'
Slowing down, she came to a halt in front of the prince's door.
But then she found she couldn't move.
She silently reached for the door knob, but couldn't twist it.
She just couldn't.
"Honestly," a young voice sighed exasperatedly from beside her, "do I have to do *everything* for you two?"
Mitsukai looked down in surprise to see- "Masaru. . .?!"
The boy smiled knowingly, opened the door, and pushed her gently to go inside.
And then- before she could turn to say anything else- he was gone.
She was on her own.
"Mitsukai- - Botan?"
*
The prince- another book poised over his head, ready to be thrown- halted in shock.
Botan swallowed.
Suddenly, she wasn't feeling so well.
"Um. . . Kurama. . . I. . ."
The volume in Kurama's hand fell to the floor with a thump that both ignored.
Getting up slowly, Kurama took a step towards the maid.
"Kurama. . ." Botan whispered, looking away and fiddling with a strand of her hair, "I. . . I need to apologize. I was totally- TOTALLY out of place and-"
"No, you weren't," the prince whispered, taking another step towards the girl and grabbing hold of her hand.
"I really was- I-"
"No, you weren't. You had every right to be mad- but. . ." Kurama paused, then pulled Botan with him back towards the bed and sat down, gesturing for her to do the same. "I meant what I said."
"What? That it was Hari that kissed you or that. . ."
"Both. Hari kissed me, and that no one will keep us apart. Botan, I- I-"
*
Outside, the once curious Riku-
Was now a pissed off Riku.
Growling to himself, he decided he was done listening, turned around, and stomped away.
He would get Kurama later.
*
And it was here that the prince found himself at a loss of words.
He really didn't know what to say.
He didn't know what to say or do or feel. . .
And he didn't know anything else that was happening, apart from his sitting with Botan, in his room, their hands intertwined.
There was a silence. . .
And then Botan scooted over a bit, and leaned her head on Kurama's shoulder. "I am sorry."
"I am too."
The girl pulled away and looked up at him. "I feel so bad. . . what can I do to make it up to you?"
The boy was silent for a moment, but then he leaned against her shoulder and closed his eyes. "Will you sing for me. . .?"
Botan smiled a small smile. "But what should I sing?"
"The first thing that comes into your mind. . ." the prince yawned as his head fell into her lap.
Mitsukai blushed and thought for a moment. "This is the lullaby my father sang for me, when he was still alive."
She cleared her throat, and then sang softly, running her fingers gently through the prince's hair.
"May your heart be filled with songs
And may your friends all sing along
May your voice be true and strong
May you always have a song. . ."
Kurama found himself melting into the sweet sound of her voice, as he slowly began to drift off.
"May your heart be filled with love
Full of peace just like a dove!
Just like heaven shines above. . .
May you always have a song. . ."
Botan smiled a watery smile. The emotions of the day added to this song. . . she did miss her father.
She almost giggled as she looked down at the prince, who seemed almost asleep.
"May you always have a song
And may your friends all sing along
May your heart be true and strong
May you always have a song. . .
A simple melody that- that-"
Kurama noticed that she was now struggling.
Opening his eyes, he glanced up at her.
"What's wrong?" he asked softly.
"I. . . I've forgotten the rest of the words. . ." Botan replied truthfully, smiling a small smile as a single tear ran down her cheek. "Would you like me to sing a different song?"
"No. . ." the prince whispered back. "Just sing what you know of this one. . ."
"Ma. . . may you always have a song. . .
And may your friends all sing along. . .
May your heart be true and strong. . .
May you always have a song. . .
May you always. . .
Have a song. . ."
The prince smiled a sleepy smile as he lay in Botan's lap.
"Mitsukai. . . you are my song. . ." he whispered as he drifted off into dream land, leaving a red Botan awake by herself.
~'Mitsukai. . . you are my song. . .'~
Botan smiled and gently moved Kurama's hair out of his slumbering face.
"You're my song, too, Kurama," she whispered back to the sleeping boy. "You're mine, too. . ."
Running right into Riku.
"Ouch!" the cook cried as he and a large platter fell to the floor with a clang.
"Oh gods!" Botan cried, helping the cook up, "I'm sorry! I'm just in a hu- "
"Botan?" Riku interrupted, looking slightly hurt as he picked up his try, "where have you been the past few days?"
"Busy. I am so sorry I haven't been there for dinner. . ." Botan winced as she remembered, for the first time in days, that Riku actually existed.
The cook fingered his tray and smiled up at her. "Well, I guess that's understandable, isn't it? Being busy, I mean. The wedding is getting close. . ."
The maid just nodded, trying to hurry Riku along. She needed to find Kurama- Yasha!
"Yeah, it's really busy. Yup. Um, can I go?" Mitsukai prompted, trying to edge away without looking rude.
It was growing late.
The sun was already setting.
Riku cocked his head. "You gonna be busy tonight?"
"Um- yeah," Botan replied quickly. "Super busy. So I got to go. See you!"
With a hurried wave, the girl whipped around and began to run in the direction of the prince's room, leaving a confused Riku behind her.
*
Kurama sat in his bedroom, laying on his bed.
With a sigh, he turned over and looked out the window at the sun set.
"Botan. . ."
The prince's ears perked as he heard someone open the door.
Was it Yusuke? The vizier had left a little while ago to "use the bathroom," but somehow Kurama doubted that very much.
But no- the sent belonged to someone else.
Someone he recognized, but he couldn't put his finger on it. . .
Sitting up, Kurama looked down to see- - -
Masaru.
"Hiya, prince!" the little boy smiled as he climbed up on the bed next to Kurama.
"What, might I inquire, are you doing in here?"
"Talkin' to you, stupid."
Kurama growled. "I could have you and your brother kicked out for that, you moron."
"But Botan-chan would be mad at you if you did that!" the boy smirked knowingly.
Kurama opened and closed his mouth like a fish, refusing point blank to let this little idiot win the argument, but knowing at the same time that he was right.
Masaru giggled. "Ha ha! You love her!"
The prince blushed red. "I do not! I love Hari!"
The boy shook his head. "You're a rotten liar."
"I am not lying!"
"Are too!"
"Am NOT!"
"Seriously, prince," the little boy lowered his voice and leaned in. "How far have you gotten with Botan?"
Kurama's face glowed. "What the-?! I- I don't-! I mean-! Why would I tell something like that to a little runt like you, anyway?!"
Masaru shrugged. "Well, it's just that if you don't make a move, my big brother and Riku are both ready to."
The prince growled. Curse those two. Curse their damn souls.
The boy got up and hopped off the bed. "Later, prince!"
He hopped to the door and then stopped.
Turning around, Masaru stuck out his tongue and said: "YOU LOVE HER!" before high tailing it out of the room.
Just in time too, as a large, heavy volume landed just where the boy had been- - - 5 seconds after he was gone.
*
As she ran up the stairs towards the prince's room, Botan could only fear what had happened between Kurama and Hari while she was gone.
'I can't let her win!' the maid thought, her eyes closed tight as she ran up the familiar stairs. 'I can't! I WON'T!'
Slowing down, she came to a halt in front of the prince's door.
But then she found she couldn't move.
She silently reached for the door knob, but couldn't twist it.
She just couldn't.
"Honestly," a young voice sighed exasperatedly from beside her, "do I have to do *everything* for you two?"
Mitsukai looked down in surprise to see- "Masaru. . .?!"
The boy smiled knowingly, opened the door, and pushed her gently to go inside.
And then- before she could turn to say anything else- he was gone.
She was on her own.
"Mitsukai- - Botan?"
*
The prince- another book poised over his head, ready to be thrown- halted in shock.
Botan swallowed.
Suddenly, she wasn't feeling so well.
"Um. . . Kurama. . . I. . ."
The volume in Kurama's hand fell to the floor with a thump that both ignored.
Getting up slowly, Kurama took a step towards the maid.
"Kurama. . ." Botan whispered, looking away and fiddling with a strand of her hair, "I. . . I need to apologize. I was totally- TOTALLY out of place and-"
"No, you weren't," the prince whispered, taking another step towards the girl and grabbing hold of her hand.
"I really was- I-"
"No, you weren't. You had every right to be mad- but. . ." Kurama paused, then pulled Botan with him back towards the bed and sat down, gesturing for her to do the same. "I meant what I said."
"What? That it was Hari that kissed you or that. . ."
"Both. Hari kissed me, and that no one will keep us apart. Botan, I- I-"
*
Outside, the once curious Riku-
Was now a pissed off Riku.
Growling to himself, he decided he was done listening, turned around, and stomped away.
He would get Kurama later.
*
And it was here that the prince found himself at a loss of words.
He really didn't know what to say.
He didn't know what to say or do or feel. . .
And he didn't know anything else that was happening, apart from his sitting with Botan, in his room, their hands intertwined.
There was a silence. . .
And then Botan scooted over a bit, and leaned her head on Kurama's shoulder. "I am sorry."
"I am too."
The girl pulled away and looked up at him. "I feel so bad. . . what can I do to make it up to you?"
The boy was silent for a moment, but then he leaned against her shoulder and closed his eyes. "Will you sing for me. . .?"
Botan smiled a small smile. "But what should I sing?"
"The first thing that comes into your mind. . ." the prince yawned as his head fell into her lap.
Mitsukai blushed and thought for a moment. "This is the lullaby my father sang for me, when he was still alive."
She cleared her throat, and then sang softly, running her fingers gently through the prince's hair.
"May your heart be filled with songs
And may your friends all sing along
May your voice be true and strong
May you always have a song. . ."
Kurama found himself melting into the sweet sound of her voice, as he slowly began to drift off.
"May your heart be filled with love
Full of peace just like a dove!
Just like heaven shines above. . .
May you always have a song. . ."
Botan smiled a watery smile. The emotions of the day added to this song. . . she did miss her father.
She almost giggled as she looked down at the prince, who seemed almost asleep.
"May you always have a song
And may your friends all sing along
May your heart be true and strong
May you always have a song. . .
A simple melody that- that-"
Kurama noticed that she was now struggling.
Opening his eyes, he glanced up at her.
"What's wrong?" he asked softly.
"I. . . I've forgotten the rest of the words. . ." Botan replied truthfully, smiling a small smile as a single tear ran down her cheek. "Would you like me to sing a different song?"
"No. . ." the prince whispered back. "Just sing what you know of this one. . ."
"Ma. . . may you always have a song. . .
And may your friends all sing along. . .
May your heart be true and strong. . .
May you always have a song. . .
May you always. . .
Have a song. . ."
The prince smiled a sleepy smile as he lay in Botan's lap.
"Mitsukai. . . you are my song. . ." he whispered as he drifted off into dream land, leaving a red Botan awake by herself.
~'Mitsukai. . . you are my song. . .'~
Botan smiled and gently moved Kurama's hair out of his slumbering face.
"You're my song, too, Kurama," she whispered back to the sleeping boy. "You're mine, too. . ."