A/N:

Holloa! my good people. I am finally back, with both good news and bad news. I shall start with the good news, to get your hopes up.
I have finally found inspiration (or rather, inspiration have found me), and I wish to continue this wonderful story--after two years, I believe. My, it really has been quite a while since I posted any new stories, or updated, for that matter, and I fully understand that this story may have been buried deep within the archives and may be long forgotten. Therefore, I have decided to update it--and here comes the bad news--by rewriting everything since the first chapter. I think that this will do both you as the reader and I as the author some good, as it serves to refresh your memory (and mine as well) and you will now benefit from my better learning of story writing. As you will see, I have improved my skills greatly and therefore (hopefully) will be able to provide you more entertainment and less grammatical errors (though some may still be present). Please enjoy. (I have changed it a bit after some rethinking, so please be sure to read everything I have rewritten. The original story was under my authorship and was called, "Do you Love me?" I have decided to delete it to follow through the site's guidelines. Be ensured, however, that major changes of scenes will be prompted to the readers so that those who have already read this will be able to follow through.)


LOVE IS FOR THE WEAK, BUT ONE IS WEAK WITHOUT IT

(Do You Love Me?)

By: Kiss-me-kitsune


He sat atop his favorite tree--the tree that always made him feel so tall--so superior to everyone else. He would always sit there and observe everything else around him: children playing, students running, women gossiping, cars honking, and all those stupid things ningen do. Today though, was an exception. Today was a school day.

"Ahh, finally, some peace," he sighed to himself as he let his body relax. He laid down the tree branch, placing his lean, muscular arms behind his head to serve as his pillow, and for the last time, looked down upon a couple of passersby. They were familiar.

"Yusuke!" He heard her shriek and slap her companion. Hiei couldn't help but cringe at the sharp sound of her palm making impact with his cheeks. He quickly laid his eyes on Yusuke to see his reaction and saw that he was now in a bad mood, a big scowl present on his face. That was all. He didn't dare lift a finger against her.

"Hn, they fought again," Hiei thought. "It's highly absurd how he considers himself our leader when he easily succumbs to that girl. Everyday she brutally abuses him, yet he still ogles at her and cares for her. Hn, baka ningen." He paused his soliloquy to resume his watch of the two, who were now smiling at each other.

"He apologized… that means he lost. Why must he always let himself be controlled by that woman? Pathetic mortal…" Yusuke burst out laughing, and Keiko followed suit.

"I guess I will never understand." He let his mind run away from the question that persisted in his mind and was thinly close to falling asleep, when a high pitched voice pierced through his eardrum. It was like the sound of a shattering glass (to him, anyway).

"Hiei! There you are! Finally I found someone!"

Piqued, he opened his eyes with a raised eyebrow. "What are you doing here?"

"Nothing. I've been looking for you guys, anyone, because I have no one to talk to."

"Hn. Baka. Go and talk to your friends," he rolled to his side.

Shaking her head sadly, she remarked, "But all of them are at school. How silly of me to take a day of during a school day! I must have forgotten…" She found a seat next to him.

"Why must they even go to 'school', when all they do is sit and listen to an old person chatter on about things that no one really cares about. It is absurd, really."

"Well… they go to school to get education so they can have a better future."

Hiei turned to face her and naively ask, "Why go to school to learn, when they can learn from their parents? All those adults do at school is yell at them, much like Yusuke's mother."

Botan let a sweat drop and tried to change the subject. "So, is there anything you want to talk about?"

"You will not get anything from me. I'm off to sleep." The koorime let a yawn escape his lips and tried to fall into a slumber.
Botan clucked her tongue. "Are you really going to ignore me?" she asked incredulously, staring at Hiei. No answer. She grumbled. "Oh well. I'll wait until you wake up."

She looked around and saw a bird nest next to them, full of little birds that were chirping. The mother bird was busy teaching its younglings to fly, with great difficulty, although losing no patience. Botan smiled. "Such cute birds," she mumbled. After watching them make a little progress, Botan looked down to the park and saw a couple kissing. She stared at them for a long time and sighed.

The koorime opened his left eye and gazing at her, asked rudely, "You're still here?" though he noticed she was busy staring at something. He frowned and followed her gaze. When he saw that she was watching the couple make out, he burst out laughing.

"Huh?" Botan finally looked away from them and fell her eyes upon Hiei. "Why? What's so funny? I thought you were sleeping?"

"You're staring at those couple stick their tongue into each others throat?" he asked. A crimson hue flushed through Botan's face. "Well... No. Yes. I mean, whatever." Her blushing and her answer just made Hiei laugh harder. Botan gave him an icy glare and sighed. She said, "I guess I'm just jealous." She put her head down and stared at her lap. Hiei stopped laughing.

"Hiei? Have you--I mean, Do you?" she asked, not able to finish the question.

The boy remained impassive, though he was itching to hear her question.

"Have you ever been in love?' she finally let out.

"...No."

"Oh?" Botan looked at him and asked, "Why?"

"Love. I do not know what that means. All I know is that it is a weakness. Look what it did to Kurama, and Yusuke, and that oaf (if he touches Yukina I'll have his head). They're all weak because they love."

Botan shook her head. "No Hiei. Love isn't a weakness. Actually, it's what makes you stronger. Everyone needs to be loved."

"Hn. Not me," he looked away and shut his eyes.

"Well, have you ever had a girlfriend?"

"I have not loved. What makes you think I had a girlfriend?"

"Oh. Hehe.." She looked away and remarked sorrowfully, "I never had someone to love and never have I been loved. For the past 1500 years, I felt so... alone."

Hiei asked boldly, "You and Koenma? What is there between you two? Is it not that silly thing you're lamenting about?"

Botan blushed furiously and exlaimed, "NO! Though... I do like him. He just never returned the feeling. I kept waiting but now that Ayame is there, I have no chance." She chuckled. "Why am I telling you all this anyway?"

Hiei smirked but just kept quiet. He pretended to be not interested but he was. He kept his eyes closed.

"I've always dreamt to have a boyfriend but I guess, being a deity of death, no one will love me. I guess they didn't want to have a dead girlfriend," she paused to laugh at herself. "I'm pitiful, aren't I?" she asked Hiei.

"Iwish to sleep. Go away."

"Oh, yes, that! I'm sorry," she apologized and summoned her oar. She hopped in and hovered a few inches away from Hiei's tree, when he spoke.

"To where are you headed?"

"Leaving."

"I see and understand that, woman. But where to?" He was getting a little irritated at her bubbliness.

"Oh nowhere. I feel like walking around. Probably stop by the park."

Hiei grunted. "Don't get yourself in trouble because Yusuke and the others aren't here to save you," he said.

Botan smiled. "Why? Won'tyou save me?" Hiei stared at her. "Eh, well I'll be going now. Sleep well!" She gave him one of her bright smiles and zoomed away. Hiei watched her figure disappear slowly into the horizon, watched her hair flow freely through the caressing, fresh air, watched her kimono ruffle gently in the slight of the wind, which revealed her light, flush skin underneath.

Catching himself, he sourly thought, "Love? Hn. It's absurd," he sat up and looked around. He wasn't sleepy anymore. He stood up, and with a wink of an eye, he was gone.