Well, you all have decided and I am waiting to do the lemon chapter. It will be in a chapter by itself, so those with tender sensibilities can skip it if they want. I may even put it on a different site because I promise it will be a real lemon.
So here's the non-lemon like you all seemed to want. Beware of plot development.
Chapter 3
When Hiei disappeared, Botan had absolutely no idea where he might have gotten off to. She had assumed he would accompany her to his room so they could commence with the bargain they had struck.
And there was the little detail of that kiss. She was certain Hiei didn't suspect what she had done, but she could scarcely look at him without blushing. It had been the most wonderful (well the ONLY, but she ignored that little detail) kiss she had ever experienced. She wanted to do it again, only with him awake, but she was admittedly a little afraid of him. He was so standoffish and cold.
Botan walked distractedly up to her room, absently acknowledging the others who were just beginning to pull themselves out of bed. She opened the door and almost yelped. Laying there on her soft sheets was the snide koorime. "What are you doing in here?"
"Resting, of course," he informed her as one would talk to a rather slow child.
"You have a room,"
"Hai, but yours is much more conducive to this 'rest' idea. A stiff futon is hardly comfortable,"
Hiei seemed to be in a rather COMPLACENT mood. He was uncharacteristically relaxed lounging there on her *very* comfortable bed. She hated the though of giving it up, but she had to admit that this was a sacrifice she was willing to make in order to see that he got the necessary rest.
"I see. I suppose I'll just move my things to your room."
"Pardon me, onna, but isn't the object of our little deal for you to provide me with 'TLC'? How, may I ask, will you do that from down the hall?"
She saw his point. "What do you suggest then, that I stay here?" His stoic expression answered her question. "Oh, no. That wouldn't be proper at all. I can't stay in a room with you! Where would I sleep?"
"This bed seems big enough for two."
"Hiei! You are positively incorrigible." Despite herself, she felt a giggle welling up from her belly. He was serious. It was obvious that he saw nothing wrong with his suggestion. Although she had slept with him last night. And in a space much smaller than her bed.
Hiei saw the blush heating her cheeks and knew that she was remembering last night when she had had no problem sleeping with him in such close quarters. "I'm waiting, onna."
"Ugh, fine. But no funny stuff, mister. This is going to be a strictly platonic relationship, capisch?(sp?)" No matter how much I want it otherwise, she added silently.
Unbeknownst to her, Hiei's Jagan was allowing him to see every thought. He smirked. "I understand perfectly." He was starting to see the onna in a very different light. She was becoming more attractive to him by the minute.
"Good. Now, would you like something to eat? I'm a passable cook, if you'd like some regulation breakfast fare."
"I'm starved." she looked at him sharply, certain there had been a trace of innuendo in those words. However, his expression was innocent, well, as innocent as a cold blooded demon could manage.
"Yes, um, I'll just go make some, uh, food," she backed out of the room uneasily.
"Botan,"
"Yes?"
"Be sure to remember all the parts of our bargain. YOU are the only one I want to enter this room for seven ningen days."
She made a gesture of understanding before she exited. It wasn't until she was halfway down the stairs that she realized he had addressed her by her given name for the very first time. She almost fell the rest of the way down.
Meanwhile, Hiei was devising a 'plan of attack' as he referred to it. He now accepted that he was in lust with the ferry girl. Why or how it had happened was unknown and unimportant. All that mattered was that he was on the verge of... discomfiture. It didn't suit him one bit but he seemed helpless to stop it. One thing that Hiei could not stand was feeling helpless.
He hadn't felt this sort of burning desire for a particular woman since his callow youth. Her obvious lack of experience was an obstacle that would take time to manouever around. She would need to be eased into the idea. However, subtlety had never been one of the fire youkai's strong suits. Whenever he had become restless in the past he'd sought out one of the many capable courtesans of the Makai who had been more than happy to oblige him.
Botan was very different from those catty females. She was sweet and devoid of malicious guile, though she did have a certain amount of the benevolent sort. Her freshness was one of the many features he had found attractive about her since the beginning. That was why he had taken great pains to avoid her.
The muted fragrance of cinnimon and apples that she used wafted up his sensitive olfactory canal, alerting him to her impending presence.
"I didn't know what you liked so I made a little bit of everything. I hope you have a big appetite..." she looked up and he sensed the exact second she registered his predatory expression. Her scent changed slightly and he picked up a distinct trace of excitement. Mixed with a hint of uncertainty.
"I'm famished," he smirked at her stricken expression. So she had noticed the double meaning of his words. Good.
Botan had an unnerving feeling that she was a deer and he was a hungry wolf. She had never imagined that sort of experience to be pleasantly exciting.
In her case it was. Highly exciting.
So here's the non-lemon like you all seemed to want. Beware of plot development.
Chapter 3
When Hiei disappeared, Botan had absolutely no idea where he might have gotten off to. She had assumed he would accompany her to his room so they could commence with the bargain they had struck.
And there was the little detail of that kiss. She was certain Hiei didn't suspect what she had done, but she could scarcely look at him without blushing. It had been the most wonderful (well the ONLY, but she ignored that little detail) kiss she had ever experienced. She wanted to do it again, only with him awake, but she was admittedly a little afraid of him. He was so standoffish and cold.
Botan walked distractedly up to her room, absently acknowledging the others who were just beginning to pull themselves out of bed. She opened the door and almost yelped. Laying there on her soft sheets was the snide koorime. "What are you doing in here?"
"Resting, of course," he informed her as one would talk to a rather slow child.
"You have a room,"
"Hai, but yours is much more conducive to this 'rest' idea. A stiff futon is hardly comfortable,"
Hiei seemed to be in a rather COMPLACENT mood. He was uncharacteristically relaxed lounging there on her *very* comfortable bed. She hated the though of giving it up, but she had to admit that this was a sacrifice she was willing to make in order to see that he got the necessary rest.
"I see. I suppose I'll just move my things to your room."
"Pardon me, onna, but isn't the object of our little deal for you to provide me with 'TLC'? How, may I ask, will you do that from down the hall?"
She saw his point. "What do you suggest then, that I stay here?" His stoic expression answered her question. "Oh, no. That wouldn't be proper at all. I can't stay in a room with you! Where would I sleep?"
"This bed seems big enough for two."
"Hiei! You are positively incorrigible." Despite herself, she felt a giggle welling up from her belly. He was serious. It was obvious that he saw nothing wrong with his suggestion. Although she had slept with him last night. And in a space much smaller than her bed.
Hiei saw the blush heating her cheeks and knew that she was remembering last night when she had had no problem sleeping with him in such close quarters. "I'm waiting, onna."
"Ugh, fine. But no funny stuff, mister. This is going to be a strictly platonic relationship, capisch?(sp?)" No matter how much I want it otherwise, she added silently.
Unbeknownst to her, Hiei's Jagan was allowing him to see every thought. He smirked. "I understand perfectly." He was starting to see the onna in a very different light. She was becoming more attractive to him by the minute.
"Good. Now, would you like something to eat? I'm a passable cook, if you'd like some regulation breakfast fare."
"I'm starved." she looked at him sharply, certain there had been a trace of innuendo in those words. However, his expression was innocent, well, as innocent as a cold blooded demon could manage.
"Yes, um, I'll just go make some, uh, food," she backed out of the room uneasily.
"Botan,"
"Yes?"
"Be sure to remember all the parts of our bargain. YOU are the only one I want to enter this room for seven ningen days."
She made a gesture of understanding before she exited. It wasn't until she was halfway down the stairs that she realized he had addressed her by her given name for the very first time. She almost fell the rest of the way down.
Meanwhile, Hiei was devising a 'plan of attack' as he referred to it. He now accepted that he was in lust with the ferry girl. Why or how it had happened was unknown and unimportant. All that mattered was that he was on the verge of... discomfiture. It didn't suit him one bit but he seemed helpless to stop it. One thing that Hiei could not stand was feeling helpless.
He hadn't felt this sort of burning desire for a particular woman since his callow youth. Her obvious lack of experience was an obstacle that would take time to manouever around. She would need to be eased into the idea. However, subtlety had never been one of the fire youkai's strong suits. Whenever he had become restless in the past he'd sought out one of the many capable courtesans of the Makai who had been more than happy to oblige him.
Botan was very different from those catty females. She was sweet and devoid of malicious guile, though she did have a certain amount of the benevolent sort. Her freshness was one of the many features he had found attractive about her since the beginning. That was why he had taken great pains to avoid her.
The muted fragrance of cinnimon and apples that she used wafted up his sensitive olfactory canal, alerting him to her impending presence.
"I didn't know what you liked so I made a little bit of everything. I hope you have a big appetite..." she looked up and he sensed the exact second she registered his predatory expression. Her scent changed slightly and he picked up a distinct trace of excitement. Mixed with a hint of uncertainty.
"I'm famished," he smirked at her stricken expression. So she had noticed the double meaning of his words. Good.
Botan had an unnerving feeling that she was a deer and he was a hungry wolf. She had never imagined that sort of experience to be pleasantly exciting.
In her case it was. Highly exciting.