Morning Roses
Chapter 2: Getting to know you
Disclaimer: Don't own.
A/N: I love everyone who reviewed, and check my LJ (www (dot) livejournal (dot) com (slash) users (slash) lexi (underscore) teniro) for your responses. I've been having a lot of fun with this fic, and I love it, and I have TWO betas, nicknamed Beta R and Beta M! …You didn't particularly need to know that, and they aren't official betas, but whatever. I'll stop rambling and get on with it.
.x.x.x.x.
Two people in the palace arose at the same time. They both moved to their appropriate windows, one crossing her arms on the windowsill, the other slumping into a chair. She smiled brightly; he glared at a random bird. Together they thought one single word:
Mornings.
.x.x.x.x.
After glancing out the window happily at the bright sunrise (Another nice one! she thought happily), Botan glanced down to see a small white kitten rubbing her leg and purring.
"AI! He's so CUTE!" she cried, picking up the cat and cuddling it. It mewed happily and she giggled. "I'll take care of you!" Holding the kitten in arm and holding her lavender shawl closed with the other, she slipped out of her room into the kitchen. She searched in the poorly organized drawers and cupboards until she found a small blue porcelain saucer, which she filled with cream from a pitcher in the cold box. Botan placed it on the floor and squatted next to it while the kitten happily drank its fill.
She laughed lightly. "Hungry, huh?"
It burped at her.
"Disgusting creature. Appalling lack of manners."
Botan looked up at this new arrival—a tall, silver-haired man dressed in a forest green tunic, pale gold loose shirt, green breeches, and white hose. But the most amazing parts of him were his ears and tail. She gaped for a moment.
One corner of his lips turned up smugly in a pure male ego-boost. "I assume you're the new cook."
She nodded, completely lost for words.
His arms idly crossed as he walked towards her, his ego swelling to the max. "I was expecting breakfast sooner."
Botan nodded numbly again.
An eyebrow rose. "Don't you know who I AM?"
Another nod.
"Well?"
"FUZZY!"
His eyes shot open and his giant bubble of ego popped when suddenly a certain blue-haired woman was latched onto his rear. And not his butt either (insert immature giggle here).
His tail.
Was.
Being.
FUZZLED.
He, the Great Lord Yoko Kurama, was being fuzzled as if he were a common pet fox.
Oh, the degradation.
Although it's very hard to feel bad for him, honestly.
Botan wasn't aware of any of this. She just knew that silver fox fur had to be the softest, fluffiest, most wonderful thing to fuzzle EVER.
Yoko was in a perpetual state of shock. She…was…touching…his…tail. He should have her put to death. But…it felt so…good…
He felt himself start to purr. And he couldn't stop.
She noticed this and ceased the fuzzle-fest immediately.
The demon coughed slightly and glared at her. "NEVER do that again."
The cat meowed happily.
Botan giggled and Yoko turned his glower on the cat.
It mewed sweetly at him and he scowled more.
"I love cats!" Botan exclaimed at him, picking up the kitten.
"I don't."
"Why not? They're so sweet!"
"They're vile spawns of devils."
"You're not a morning person, are you?"
"How dare you admonish ME, vermin?" (1)
.x.x.x.x.
Yoko glared at his plate and moodily poked the food around. "If she wasn't such a good cook…"
Hiei raised an eyebrow. "Hn? What?"
"Do I have to finish EVERY sentence?"
"Yes."
"You're not a morning person, are you?"
"And who are YOU to talk, Yoko?"
He glared at the table. "…Just eat the damn lunch."
"I'm already finished," Hiei replied stoically.
"Then I have a job for you."
Hiei mentally groaned. This had better not be what he thought it was…
.x.x.x.x.
"Hello woman."
Shizuru raised an eyebrow at him. "EXCUSE me?"
Hiei glared at her. "Shizuru, then."
"Hey, Hiei," she grinned.
He continued glaring. "Address me appropriately."
Shizuru smirked challengingly. "Well, technically, as you are manager of international affairs, and I'm the manager of household affairs, we're exactly the same level of 'nobility'."
"…Hn."
"So, I say again, hey, Hiei."
He glowered.
She grinned. "What are ya here for? I assume not to get your clothes cleaned, since then you'd send a servant."
Hiei crossed his arms across his deep red tunic. "Hn. Your assumption is correct."
"Then…?" Shizuru raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms right back at him.
"He needs to find out more about the new cook. Now I'm leaving."
Shizuru grabbed the end of his black headband. "Hold it, mister. WHAT does he want me to find out about her?"
He glared. Again. "You know Yoko. Bodily measurements, marital status, etcetera."
The woman laughed heartily. "Yeah, sure. No, really."
Hiei deadpanned. "I wasn't kidding."
Shizuru's laugh immediately turned into a dark chuckle. "OH. Well, tell him that her sizes are none of his business, and that -I- will take care of getting her clothed and so forth. And that she's single." She winked.
He sighed. "If you insist. And I loathed talking to you, as always."
"Pleasure, Hiei."
The door slammed shut behind him.
Botan stuck her head out from behind a pile of laundry. "So he's Hiei?"
The other woman nodded happily. "Yup. Mr. I'm-too-cool-to-talk-to-anyone-but-Yoko himself."
She giggled. "He was a little…shy."
"Shy? No, honey, that's not shy. That's self-absorbed."
Her blue ponytail flipped. "I think you should give him more of a chance."
Shizuru grinned. "Botan, I do. Believe me. We're much better friends than we let on. And Hiei's just a big softy deep down."
"A softy?"
"Yeah. When I fell off the third story balcony, he caught me without a moment's hesitation."
Botan gasped. "Were you frightened?"
"Hell yeah. But really, I was fine."
"What did he say?"
"Hn."
"…No."
"Yes."
She laughed merrily. "Well, so he IS shy!"
"I'm telling you, it's self-absorbed."
"Did he blush?"
Shizuru cupped her chin in her hand. "Come to think of it, I believe he DID!"
"Then he IS shy!" Botan bubbled.
"But then again, his hand was on my breast."
A grin spread over Botan's face. "I still say shy."
"Self-absorbed."
.x.x.x.x.
Hiei's ears were ringing badly. He had heard once that when your ears rang, someone was talking about you. He just wished whoever it was would shut up. He had work to do.
Bet it's that damn SHIZURU…
.x.x.x.x.
Yoko was waiting anxiously for his subordinate's report. He had already guessed her chest size, of course, being the observant demon he was, but he dearly wished to know for sure.
Said subordinate entered.
He stood quickly from the comfortable gold plush chair. "Well?"
Hiei glared. "You are horrifically perverted."
Yoko shrugged. "Is there a problem with that?"
"I thought you hated the woman."
"But you can't deny that she IS attractive." Yoko smirked suggestively.
His friend deadpanned. "Is that the TRUE reason you're keeping her on staff?"
"No. She really IS a good cook."
Hiei ran a hand distractedly through his bangs. "Do you still want my report then?"
He eagerly nodded, looking like a puppy about to receive a scrap from the table.
"Single, measurements not disclosed. And she was listening in on the whole conversation."
Yoko raised an eyebrow, amused. "And you didn't mention it?"
Hiei shrugged his shoulders uncaringly. "It wasn't worth it to expend the energy."
"Or would it make Shizuru happier to think that her hiding place for the girl was better?" The eyebrow traveled higher, and his lips turned up even more.
The crimson-eyed demon remained nearly silent, his cheeks bearing the tiniest hint of pink. "Hn."
"Well," Yoko said with a smirk, "I'll see you later. I have some matters involving appropriate attire to attend to."
"You're getting her measurements."
"Something wrong with that?" he inquired innocently.
"Everything."
"What makes you say that, dear friend?"
"You."
.x.x.x.x.
A/N: Yes, it's short for such a long wait. But I wanna post before I have absolutely NO time. So please review! (Grin)
