CHAPTER 10

Sometime later, as it started to get dark, Botan skated off the ice and put her boots back on. She headed back to the hotel, her mind almost completely clear of her problem with Hiei and the secret they shared. Skating had lifted her spirits and now she felt like curling up in her room with a good romance noval. It was a good idea but Shizuru had other plans for the bluette and when she entered the lobby, the smoker immediately pulled her aside.

"Botan, I need to talk to you," she said, leading the girl toward the lounge.

"About what?" Botan asked, wondering what her friend wanted to talk about.

"About you and Hiei."

The onna's heart began to pound. "Me and Hiei?" she stammered. Oh my God! She knows! Shr knows what happened! So much for her plans. She started thinking up excuses to explain what had happened. "Why do you want to talk about me and him and how did you find out anyway?"

Shizuru folded her arms and gave Botan a Look. "Kurama told me," she replied instantly. "He said he overheard you and Hiei talking about something."

"Um... so?" Kurama! How in the world?

"He heard you guys talking about something that happened in a cave," the older girl went on, raising an inquiring eyebrow. "Something you both don't seem to remember but are upset about it none the less."

"So?"

"Botan," Shizrur went on, putting her hands on her hips and sighing with exasperaction. "Did you and Hiei...?"

The ferry girl's cheeks turned red. "I don't know," she said, looking away. "One minute we were talking about a problem he was having and the next thing I know... we both aren't wearing anything the next morning when we get up."

Shizuru cocked her head. "Do you think it might have something to do with those changes he mentioned?" she wanted to know.

"Hey, how do you know-" she began to ask, then remembered Kurama had overheard the whole conversation and had told her. "I don't think so," she said instead. "But I doubt he would intentionally take advantage of me like that. He's not that kind of person."

Shizuru nodded as if she understood. "I see," she said.

"So what else did Kurama tell you and how did he overhear the conversation anyway?" Botan demanded, feeling a bit irritated about that.

"Well he was in the hall upstairs just around the corner from where you two were talking," Shizuru explained. "He heard Hiei mention changes in his body and decided to find out what was up and boy did he ever!" the smoker gave Botan another Look. "Conclusion made: Hiei is (or was) in heat and you're the mate his body seems to have chosen."

Botan looked away again. "He did say something like that," she admitted. "He said he felt an attraction toward me and our little misadventure in the cave last night didn't help." the ferry girl looked back at her friend. "What am I going to do? What is Hiei going to do?"

Shizuru shrugged. She had absolutely no way of answering that. "You two could always start dating?" she suggested.

Botan's face turned red again. "Dating?!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands to her cheeks. "He'd never do that! Not with me anyway!"

Shizuru smiled at Botan's distressed state, as something came to mind. "He might not have a choice," she said.

Botan stared at her suspiciously. "What do you mean?" she prompted.

"Oh you'll find out," Shizuru chuckled as something funny crossed her mind. Let's just hope Kurama can convince him...

Hiei was all but convinced. A few minutes after he'd come back into the lodge from his little arguement with Botan, Kurama had cornered his friend and told him what was up. That he'd told Shizuru the whole story, that she'd suggested hooking them up, and that he'd agreed to help with that.

"Forget it!" Hiei snapped at him, not liking the ideas at all. "I'm not dating that onna!"

"But don't you realize if you don't do something things will just get worse?" Kurama asked.(What could be worse than what happened already? Hiei asked himself) "Next time you might force youself on her and next time she won't be as compliant."

"I would never force myself on anyone!" the fire demon protested, angry at the very thought. What do you think I am?!

"You might not have a choice," the fox told him. "You're in heat, Hiei. Don't you realize that?"

"No."

"Well that's why you've felt attracted to Botan," he said. "If you keep on avoiding her what makes you think your instincts won't take over and you'll do it again? What makes you think you won't keep doing it until you get her pregnant?"

"I won't get her pregant!" Hiei shouted, clenching his fists in anger. The very idea disgusted him. "What makes you think we did anything in the first place?"

"You said you weren't wearing anything."

"That means nothing."

Kurama gave him a who-do-you-think-you're-kidding? Look. "It does too and you know it!"

The fire demon looked away.

"Look Hiei, at least give it a chance," the red haired demon pressed. "One date. Take her to the lodge party friday. Join the pair skating contest. Eat lunch with her at least."

Hiei leaned against the wall and scowled but finally gave in. "Fine!" he snapped. "One date. I'll take her to that dumb party but that's it."

Kurama smiled and nodded. 'That's all I wanted to hear."

"What the hell?" Hiei gottend away from Kurama a few minutes ago and was walking toward the elevator when he happened to notice the skating compatition sign up sheet. He stared at it a moment, blinked a few times, rubbed his eyes, and even used his Jagan to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

The words were still there.

"Oh no, not this time!" the fire demon growled, recognizing the handwriting. "He gone too far!"

Kurama had written Hiei and Botan's names on the pair skating competition's sign up sheet. "He's not going to get away with this!" he shouted, reaching up and grabbing the sheet off the wall. "There's no way in Hell I'm going to face that kind of humiltation!"

Just as he started to tear it up a voice behind him said. "Hiei?"

He froze in mid-rip. Slowly he turned around, the paper still in his hands. Botan stood behind him, with her hands on her hips and a weird look on her face.

"Umm hello, Botan," he said.

She didn't notice he'd used her name. She was too busy staring at the paper he was holding. "What's that?" she asked.

The fire demon's face turned red when he realized he hadn't hidden the paper. Oops. "Uh..." he stammered, trying to think of a good answer. "My Christmas list?"

The onna raised an eyebrow. "Your Christmas list?" she took a step toward him. "You hate Christmas. What is it for real, Hiei?"

He looked at her nervously for a second then handed it over. The ferry girl took the paper, looked over the names carefully, to see what had upset him, then finally said. "I didn't sign up for this."

"Well neither did I!" he nformed her, feeling defensive.

"If you did I'd wonder if your hormones were making you wacky," she said, looking up from the list.

"Hormones have nothing to do with this," he said, pointing at the list. "This is that foxes' doing!"

She lifted the sheet to the light for a better view. "Kurama did this?" she asked, squinting one eye shut and moving the paper around.

"Yes."

"Hmmm," she looked over the sheet again. "But why? Can you skate/"

"Skating is besides the point!" the fire demon informed her. "He's just using this as a way to get us together."

"Really?" Botan didn't look very susprised. "So... uh... can you skate?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" he demanded.

"If you can't skate I'l offer to teach you how," she replied. "Seeing as we only have two days to get a routine ready."

Hiei stared at her. Didn't she care that Kurama had done this? "What the hell?! I'm not going to enter this stupid contest!" he roared.

"Too late. We already are," she said smiling and knowing full well he had no choice. She patted his shoulder humoringly. "So... can you skate?"

He glared at her, hating to admit it. "No."

"Want me to teach you?"

"Hn.." he looked away from her, going over any kind of answer he could have given her then. He thought better at blowing up at her and just said. "Fine."

A/N

And there you have it. If Kurama and Shizuru are acting OOC, well sorry. I can't exaclty remember how they act. If my logic is messed up at all please don't correct me. You'll just make me feel stupid.