prehensile
Chapter 2
After the witch left Hiei regained his composure and continued practicing. Occassionally a sharp bolt of pain would race up his side from the scar but he had learned very successful ways to suppress pain and it didn't bother him over much.
Then, about two hours into his exercises a particularly vicious wave doubled him over. He lay gasping on his knees for a few minutes. Unluckily for him this incident occurred at exactly the same time Botan screwed up the courage to come down stairs. Not finding Hiei on the couch, she looked outside.
"Hiei!" She sprinted to his side and hunkered down grasping his arm to try to help him up. "What in the world are you doing? You shouldn't be over-exerting yourself. You are recovering from a serious injury, you know," she scolded, a little more sharply than she intended.
Hiei scowled at her. "I don't need your advice, onna. I can take care of myself." He snatched his arm away from her, only to press it to his side.
"I know that, but I can't help feeling a little vested interest. It would be annoying if you died froom pushing it right after I used up an ocean of energy to save your cute little butt." she replied in aggravation. Almost immediately she wanted to take the words back. How *had* that last part escaped?
Hiei seemed to have noticed also, for he turned the most fascinating shade of crimson she had ever seen. After an uncomfortable silence he processed what she had said, minus "cute littl butt."
"What do you mean 'save my-me?'" he questioned. He had assumed Yukina had closed the wound.
"I healed it. Ugh, is that blood? Let me see. It ought have stayed closed unless you did something really strenuous. Let me see."
Reluctantly, Hiei lifted his hand. Botan poked and prodded around the tender area. Her clever hand passed over his side and his muscles jumped and rippled beneath. She pulled away as if burned. For some reason the words stuck thickly in her throat and she had to clear it before she continued. "You tore a muscle and part of the wound separated again." She healed it quickly. "Umm, I know you're stubborn and everything, but you really should get some rest."
"Hn," he made a point of disregarding her. "As other things that are come by easily, advice is rarely worth anything. I'll manage." He picked up his wooden sword once more.
"Please? Wouldn't it be nice to be taken care of for once?"
"No"
"Come on, everyone needs a little TLC once in a while. Including obnoxious little fire demons,"
"No. And what the blazes is TLC?"
"Tender Loving Care, of course,"
Hiei faltered at that. "Why would you think I need "tender loving care"? he sputtered.
"Everyone does. I'll make a deal with you."
"What kind of a deal? You try my patience, ferry girl,"
"If you promise to get some rest I will do anything you want."
Hiei narrowed his eyes at her. "Anything? You would do anything?"
"Yes, well, *almost* anything."
"That isn't what you said. You said *anything*."
"Not, you know, *that*!" a blush spread across her profile.
"But what if that's what I wanted?"
"Hiei, are you teasing me?"
"I don't tease," It was perfectly true. He did not tease, he just enjoyed seeing her flustered. He was also genuinely interested in her answer.
"I-I don't think..."
"Do I repulse you?"
"No, it isn't-"
"Then perhaps you are afraid of me"
"I'm not-"
"Well you should be, onna. Nevermind. I will rest for one week..."
"Oh, good!"
"On one condition,"
Botan's relief turned to suspicion. "What kind of condition?"
"I want you to be my sole caretaker. I do not want anyone but you to enter my room while I am resting. Do you agree?"
"May I ask why?"
"No," The truth was, Hiei didn't completely understand the motivation behind the request himself. "Do you comply?"
"I-yes, I'll do it."
"Swear," he ordered.
Drawing herself up and raising her right hand she said: "To you, the reknowned demon Hiei Jaganshi, I, Botan, ferry of souls, do solemnly swear to abide by the conditions you have set forth. I will be your solitary caregiver for one week while you recuperate from your injuries," Botan had to fight to keep a straight face throughout the soliloquy. She pulled words from her vocabulary that sounded important to convince him she was in earnest. Honestly the little demon was positively paranoid.
"And..." he prompted.
"And I will allow no other being to enter the room in which you will proceed to heal."
He seemed to be satisfied with that and turned toward the house.
"Wait!"
"What is it now, onna?" he demanded, mildly annoyed.
"We forgot to shake on it,"
"Hn."
"I insist, Hiei,"
"Very well," Less than eagerly, he lifted his hand. She grasped it in a strong grip and he did the same to hers. The familiar little zing like before, when she had kissed him, snapped through their blood. Their eyes met and just like that, they knew. They didn't know when, where, why, or how, but they knew what, could recognize it for what it was. Something neither of them wanted or needed but was nevertheless as inexorable as the sunrise.
Attraction, and hand in hand with that was a hungry kind of lust. They let go of one another quickly, yet thier gazes still connected. In Botan's he could see excitement and fear.
In Hiei's she could see consideration and not a little interest. She backed away slowly, and almost tripped. When she regained her balance she looked up only to find him... gone.
She would have to think about this. She would have to think *very* hard about this.
Haya, I hope you liked my second installmet. What say we have a bit o' a vote, hmm?
If you want me to write a lemon next chapter write (LYES) in your review.
If you would like me to wait and develop the plot more write (LWAIT).
If you write, say, for example(LEMON!) or (NOT YET!) I will disregard and your"vote" will not be counted. It MUST have one of the aforementioned, minuse parentheses. Don't be shy, I want your feedback! Input is the only way this story will go the way you want it to. Thanks!
Chapter 2
After the witch left Hiei regained his composure and continued practicing. Occassionally a sharp bolt of pain would race up his side from the scar but he had learned very successful ways to suppress pain and it didn't bother him over much.
Then, about two hours into his exercises a particularly vicious wave doubled him over. He lay gasping on his knees for a few minutes. Unluckily for him this incident occurred at exactly the same time Botan screwed up the courage to come down stairs. Not finding Hiei on the couch, she looked outside.
"Hiei!" She sprinted to his side and hunkered down grasping his arm to try to help him up. "What in the world are you doing? You shouldn't be over-exerting yourself. You are recovering from a serious injury, you know," she scolded, a little more sharply than she intended.
Hiei scowled at her. "I don't need your advice, onna. I can take care of myself." He snatched his arm away from her, only to press it to his side.
"I know that, but I can't help feeling a little vested interest. It would be annoying if you died froom pushing it right after I used up an ocean of energy to save your cute little butt." she replied in aggravation. Almost immediately she wanted to take the words back. How *had* that last part escaped?
Hiei seemed to have noticed also, for he turned the most fascinating shade of crimson she had ever seen. After an uncomfortable silence he processed what she had said, minus "cute littl butt."
"What do you mean 'save my-me?'" he questioned. He had assumed Yukina had closed the wound.
"I healed it. Ugh, is that blood? Let me see. It ought have stayed closed unless you did something really strenuous. Let me see."
Reluctantly, Hiei lifted his hand. Botan poked and prodded around the tender area. Her clever hand passed over his side and his muscles jumped and rippled beneath. She pulled away as if burned. For some reason the words stuck thickly in her throat and she had to clear it before she continued. "You tore a muscle and part of the wound separated again." She healed it quickly. "Umm, I know you're stubborn and everything, but you really should get some rest."
"Hn," he made a point of disregarding her. "As other things that are come by easily, advice is rarely worth anything. I'll manage." He picked up his wooden sword once more.
"Please? Wouldn't it be nice to be taken care of for once?"
"No"
"Come on, everyone needs a little TLC once in a while. Including obnoxious little fire demons,"
"No. And what the blazes is TLC?"
"Tender Loving Care, of course,"
Hiei faltered at that. "Why would you think I need "tender loving care"? he sputtered.
"Everyone does. I'll make a deal with you."
"What kind of a deal? You try my patience, ferry girl,"
"If you promise to get some rest I will do anything you want."
Hiei narrowed his eyes at her. "Anything? You would do anything?"
"Yes, well, *almost* anything."
"That isn't what you said. You said *anything*."
"Not, you know, *that*!" a blush spread across her profile.
"But what if that's what I wanted?"
"Hiei, are you teasing me?"
"I don't tease," It was perfectly true. He did not tease, he just enjoyed seeing her flustered. He was also genuinely interested in her answer.
"I-I don't think..."
"Do I repulse you?"
"No, it isn't-"
"Then perhaps you are afraid of me"
"I'm not-"
"Well you should be, onna. Nevermind. I will rest for one week..."
"Oh, good!"
"On one condition,"
Botan's relief turned to suspicion. "What kind of condition?"
"I want you to be my sole caretaker. I do not want anyone but you to enter my room while I am resting. Do you agree?"
"May I ask why?"
"No," The truth was, Hiei didn't completely understand the motivation behind the request himself. "Do you comply?"
"I-yes, I'll do it."
"Swear," he ordered.
Drawing herself up and raising her right hand she said: "To you, the reknowned demon Hiei Jaganshi, I, Botan, ferry of souls, do solemnly swear to abide by the conditions you have set forth. I will be your solitary caregiver for one week while you recuperate from your injuries," Botan had to fight to keep a straight face throughout the soliloquy. She pulled words from her vocabulary that sounded important to convince him she was in earnest. Honestly the little demon was positively paranoid.
"And..." he prompted.
"And I will allow no other being to enter the room in which you will proceed to heal."
He seemed to be satisfied with that and turned toward the house.
"Wait!"
"What is it now, onna?" he demanded, mildly annoyed.
"We forgot to shake on it,"
"Hn."
"I insist, Hiei,"
"Very well," Less than eagerly, he lifted his hand. She grasped it in a strong grip and he did the same to hers. The familiar little zing like before, when she had kissed him, snapped through their blood. Their eyes met and just like that, they knew. They didn't know when, where, why, or how, but they knew what, could recognize it for what it was. Something neither of them wanted or needed but was nevertheless as inexorable as the sunrise.
Attraction, and hand in hand with that was a hungry kind of lust. They let go of one another quickly, yet thier gazes still connected. In Botan's he could see excitement and fear.
In Hiei's she could see consideration and not a little interest. She backed away slowly, and almost tripped. When she regained her balance she looked up only to find him... gone.
She would have to think about this. She would have to think *very* hard about this.
Haya, I hope you liked my second installmet. What say we have a bit o' a vote, hmm?
If you want me to write a lemon next chapter write (LYES) in your review.
If you would like me to wait and develop the plot more write (LWAIT).
If you write, say, for example(LEMON!) or (NOT YET!) I will disregard and your"vote" will not be counted. It MUST have one of the aforementioned, minuse parentheses. Don't be shy, I want your feedback! Input is the only way this story will go the way you want it to. Thanks!