A/N: Sorry for the long wait- I happened to be in Narnia. Here's chapter two, finally!

No Good Deed

Chapter Two: No Thanks

Shiori Minamino often worried about her oldest son.

He had always been such a quiet boy. One who preferred his own company to the string of admirers that followed him around since kindergarten. But despite his popularity, he didn't have many close friends. In fact, she wasn't even sure he had friends until he told her about Yusuke Urameshi.

She worried about this too, having heard the stories from the other mothers in the neighborhood. They never had anything good to say. However, she trusted her son's instincts. For the first time since she had fallen ill, her son looked at peace. If Urameshi-san was truly the one to thank for this, then she would thank him a thousand times over.

But today she was not thinking of Yusuke Urameshi.

Instead, she was thinking of the strange blue-haired girl who had shown up unannounced at her doorstep. She wasn't from Shuichi's school, but her uniform placed her at Sarasaki High…the same school as the notorious delinquent.

"Um…hello," she said, bowing clumsily. "I'm sorry to bother you, but is Shuichi-san home?"

At first, she thought she was one of Shuichi's ardent "devotees" and was about to dismiss her as such.

"I'm sorry, but Shuichi isn't home right now."

"Mother?"

She turned to see her son coming down the stairs.

"Botan? What are you doing here?"

"Oh." Shiori cast an uncertain glance at both of them. "I didn't know you two knew each other."

"We're old friends," he said, adding a playful wink that sent the girl blushing to the roots of her odd-colored hair.

"I see," Shiori said diplomatically, "I'll go put on some tea."

"I'm sorry about my mother," said Kurama. "She can be overprotective."

They were sitting on the back porch that overlooked a well-tended garden. Although it was still summer, the beginning of fall had begun to show itself in the crisp breeze that blew through the tall flowers. Given this picturesque backdrop, Shiori's tea was very much welcome. But Botan wasn't admiring the view. Instead, she was staring at the bottom of her teacup as though it had the answer to a question she'd been puzzling over.

"Is something wrong?" Kurama put down his napkin.

It was now or never.

"Hiei thinks you're in love with me."

"I…what?"

"I know. Crazy right?" She continued. "He came to Rekai the other day and overheard me talking to Koenma. It's a long story. In the end he told me he changed his mind about going to the school festival and then he said… what?"

The soft ripples of laughter coming from the redhead tapered off. Eventually.

"I'm sorry. It's just so funny."

Botan scowled.

"Well there goes my self-esteem." She scooted back in her chair. "This was a stupid idea. Tell your mom I said thanks for the tea."

"Wait." He grabbed her wrist.

She stiffened and glanced down. Kurama quickly let go as he cleared his throat.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to laugh. Please, sit."

She didn't want to. Really, she didn't. But she did anyway because of the way he was staring and darn it, his eyes were just so green and not at all hostile like a certain fire-demon-who-shall-not-be-named. So she sat down in the chair, crossing her arms to show that she didn't completely buy him (even though she did- but just a little).

"What I meant to say was, I think this is my fault."

"Eh?"

"Hiei came to my house the other day too. He told me that he accepted your offer. Of course I didn't believe him."

"Gee thanks."

"He told me that he was going only for Yukina's sake, and I told him that it wouldn't be fair to you."

"Kurama…"

"I think somewhere in the middle of that, he gathered that I had feelings for you because I was so defensive. But he was being an ass, and I had to call him out on it."

He looked at her expectantly.

"You shouldn't have said that," she said finally.

"Why not?

"Because…." she began warily. "Look, there's a reason I asked out Hiei and it isn't so much that I'm into him as it is you know…the complete opposite."

"Come again?"

"Yukina made me ask him."

Kurama stared at her. "What?"

"She called me one night," Botan explained. "She said that she was going to the school festival with Kuwabara, but was nervous because of Hiei. Apparently, she had this 'crazy' idea that Hiei was in love with her."

"What?"

"Yea, and his whole 'I'm-going-to-stalk-you-from-a-tree thing? Not really helping so much to convince her otherwise."

"I imagine so."

"I ended up giving her some convoluted explanation that his bizarro behavior was because he was trying to watch out for her as a 'friend', without giving away the whole 'by the way, you guys are blood-related' thing. By the end of it, she was so touched that she asked me to ask him to the festival believing that I could somehow 'show him' how to care for others or something ridiculously noble like that."

"And you said yes because…?"

There really was no other way to put it. "She pouted."

"Oh." Kurama wasn't so sure he would have been able to resist himself.

"And it's been situation normal all effed up ever since."

His expression softened. "That must have been hard for you."

She waved him off. "It doesn't matter now. Hiei's not coming."

"You're sure?"

"Yep. He said it right after he dropped the whole, 'Kurama's in love with you' bomb. But we both know how that isn't true."

She looked away, embarrassed again.

"Botan," Kurama began tenuously. "Why don't I take you to the festival this weekend?"

It was Botan's turn to stare at him as though he grew a second head.

"Why?"

"Why not? The way I see it, you currently have no one to go with. And since I've never actually been-"

"No seriously."

"We're friends, aren't we?"

"Yea, I guess," she said. "Just friends," she added emphatically. "But this better not be a pity date or so help me-"

"Not at all," he said. "Unless of course, you don't want to go."

She sputtered. "Of course I'd like to go…as friends."

"As friends," he agreed, re-filling her cup. "Besides, we've never really done anything as friends, have we? At least nothing that doesn't involve the world teetering on the brink of total destruction."

Botan raised her cup. "It's a date then."

Standing unseen from behind the curtain of the kitchen window, Shiori couldn't help but smile.

It was a surprise to all the Rekai Tantei who arrived at Murasaki Shrine that Hiei decided to come along after all.

And without Botan.

Yusuke was the first to break the proverbial ice. "Hey there, Small, Dark and Dateless. Did Botan finally wise up?"

"Drop it Yusuke," said Keiko while she edged behind him. Although Hiei had partially redeemed himself as her boyfriend's ally, it was still difficult for her to forget how she and the fire demon first met.

"She made a foolish request," Hiei said flatly. "I told her no."

"Ouch." Shizuru winced. So much for her plans on spying on them!

"Then why'd you even bother coming?" said Yusuke, not at all pleased that Hiei had 'dumped' Botan so unceremoniously. And he was also willing to bet that Hiei didn't let her down all too gently either.

"Yukina is here." He gestured towards a stand where they were giving away goldfish prizes. "And she's with the Idiot."

Sure enough, Kuwabara was standing next to Yukina, aiming a baseball at a stack of empty fishbowls.

"So you're doing the Big Brother thing," said Shizuru. "I get it."

"Anyone see Kurama?" Keiko asked suddenly. The sooner their group got together, the sooner the group could split up and she wouldn't have to suffer Hiei's perpetual death glare.

"Yea, where is that sneaky red-head?" Yusuke peered off into the distance, shading his eyes with his hand.

"Ginger at two o'clock," said Shizuru as she spotted a smartly dressed Kurama heading towards them. "It looks like he brought some fans."

Kurama dashed passed a gaggle of squealing girls, losing them at the intersection before jogging up the old stone steps of the shrine.

"Running away from them, more like," said Hiei disdainfully.

"Sorry I'm late," he panted. "Traffic."

"You look snazzy," said Shizuru, eyeing his dashing black jacket and blue dress shirt underneath. Even his dark khakis and Italian leather shoes said, "dressed-to-kill." He looked like he was ready to go out to some fancy dinner, not hang out with a bunch of high school friends. "Got a hot date?"

"Ah, not exactly," he said, which Hiei found slightly suspicious.

"Hey, hot chick at ten o'clock." Yusuke whistled.

"Yusuke!"

"Kidding babe, kidding."

"You have to admit though," Shizuru said judiciously, "She is pretty hot."

Keiko narrowed her eyes at the offending girl. "Uh…guys? I think that's Botan."

"Nah," said Yusuke, taking a closer look. "Can't be."

Shizuru sidestepped him. "I dunno, Yusuke. How many girls do we know have naturally blue hair?"

It turned out Keiko was right. The pretty girl making her way through the steadily growing crowd was indeed the ferry girl they all knew and loved, as well as rescued on occasion.

She wore her hair down in loose curls. Something that her coworker, Ayame had suggested despite Botan's apprehensions that she would end up looking like Raggedy Anne. Ayame had ended up doing Botan's hair herself and pinned it to one side with a white lily pin.

She even lent her one of her white silk kimonos to match and had topped off her masterpiece with a light sprinkling of make-up. The older ferry girl had congratulated herself on a job well done and insisted that if Botan didn't come home with at least one phone number, then she would take on Botan's duties for a week. Despite this, Botan only felt more nervous.

Super nervous.

"Hi guys," she said. Her eyes cut to Hiei whose expression seemed more carefully guarded than usual. "Hello, Hiei."

"Onna," he returned coolly.

"Wow Botan," said Shizuru. "Are you here on a hot date too?"

"Umm…"

"She's my date, actually," said Kurama, as though stating that the sky was blue or sometimes people died. At that moment, Botan wished she did.

Yusuke whistled. "Gotta say Botan, Fox Boy here is a definite trade-up from you-know-wh-ow!"

Hiei smacked the backside of his head.

"We're just going as friends," said Botan, blushing hotly. "I was suddenly free." Again, she avoided looking in Hiei's general direction.

"I think it's cute," said Keiko.

"Gag me," Shizuru and Yusuke chimed.

"Hey Yusuke," said Keiko, wanting to break the thickening tension. "Wanna go try some cotton candy?"

"Huh? Oh sure." They started off for the booths. "Catch you losers later."

"Hang on, I'll come with!" said Shizuru, chasing after them.

Thus, Kurama, Hiei and Botan were left to themselves. For a while, no one said anything.

"I'll be around," said Hiei. With that, he headed off towards the game booths. Yukina-scouting, most likely.

Botan turned to the sound of Kurama clearing his throat. He held out his arm,

"Shall we?"

She smiled and shyly looped her arm around his.

Hiei watched them from afar- their awkward physical exchange held in the scope of his sharp gaze, his expression still betraying nothing. Not even the gods could discern what Hiei could have been thinking at that moment, except to say that he was thinking very deeply, as if mulling over a poor decision.

Like Kurama, Botan had never been to a school festival.

It certainly wasn't as exciting as say, a demon tournament, but it was a nice change of pace- especially with Kurama. At first Botan wasn't sure that she would be able to relax in his admittedly very gorgeous company. Though she soon realized that he was actually very easy to be around.

For starters, he wasn't as distant as she pegged him to be. With the exception of Yusuke, Kurama normally closed himself off to everyone around him. There was also Hiei. Who, at this moment, seemed perfectly content in trailing Yukina and Kuwabara like a certified stalker. A stalker who seemed more malcontent than usual amidst a crowd of happy festival-goers.

"I think he's actually having a good time," said Kurama, surprising Botan. Did he just have that good of an intuition or were her thoughts written all over her face as usual?

"You probably can't tell," said Kurama as they passed by a booth that was selling paper kites, "He can be difficult to read, but it's pretty obvious that he's enjoying himself."

Hiei's black frown told Botan otherwise. She shook her head.

"Oh Kurama! Kurama-san!"

Both looked up to see a tall girl in a deep green kimono run towards them. Kurama recognized her as one of the girls who had swarmed him at the intersection- she nearly ripped off a piece of his hair. It also wouldn't be the first time since she also happened to be one of his classmates. What was her name? Rei? Risa?

"Hi there. I'm Riho." She extended an overly manicured hand towards Botan, though she didn't even glance in Botan's direction. Riho's gaze remained fixed on Kurama like a shark that scented fresh blood.

With this image in mind, Botan warily accepted the strange girl's gesture. "Hello. I'm-"

"That's nice," said Riho, tossing her long, dark braid over her shoulder (and whacking Botan's nose in the process). "So Kurama," Riho continued, pinching the large sunflower tucked above her ear, "Me and some of the other girls were wondering if you would like to come join us? You know, in more fitting company." Her plastic grin grew wider.

Botan was beyond livid. But before she could give a piece of her mind, she squeaked as Kurama slipped a hand around her waist.

"I'm sorry Riho. I couldn't imagine being in more fitting company than my girlfriend's."

Justice was served when the shock of that statement nearly drained the blood out of Riho's face.

"Girlfriend? Does it even go to our school?" Apparently, this situation was so far out of her concept of reality that Riho continued to refer to Botan as though she were an inanimate object.

Kurama only smiled. "Oh we've been dating for a long time. Haven't we, Botan-chan?"

Botan returned his smile hesitantly. "Um, yea." Even though she knew what he was saying was a lie, she couldn't quite stop her belly from doing a flip-flop when he called her "Botan-chan."

"She lives out of town," Kurama continued, "But we've been dating in secret for a long time because her father doesn't approve. Now that she's transferred schools and moved out on her own, things have been easier."

Botan resisted the urge to laugh since Riho looked like she was on the verge of a seizure- her right eye was twitching horribly.

"I see," said Riho, her posture bone-rigid. "It was…very nice to meet you then. See you around, Kurama."

"I can't believe you did that," exclaimed Botan as Riho walked off angrily towards her friends. "I don't think I've ever seen you be so…sneaky."

"Trust me, I was very good at it," he said.

Before she could say anything else, he grabbed her hand and led her towards the booth with paper kites.

"C'mon. We came to have fun right?"

She couldn't be more obliged. And for the rest of the evening, she did.

With the exception of one small thing.

"Get out of my way!"

Both Kurama and Botan turned their heads to see what the commotion was. They had just come from the charm booth when they saw Riho standing over some poor girl who had the misfortune to cross her path. Botan's eyes widened.

"Yukina!"

"I'm…I'm sorry," said Yukina. "I didn't mean to…"

"You idiot! Look at what you did!" Riho wiped her hands over her obi, which was completely soaked through. "Do you know how much this costs? You can't even BUY this material locally!"

"Please…my poor fish."

It hadn't been too long ago when Kuwabara decided to run ahead and find Shizuru. But when he didn't come back, Yukina decided to look for him herself. She was carrying Kichiro, a small orange and white koi that Kuwabara had won for her earlier in that strange contest where you threw a ball at a pyramid of empty glasses. No one had ever given her a present before, she told him. It was a shame that she couldn't give him anything in return.

"That's ok," he said. "Just being around you…that's enough for me." He looked away. "Sorry. That was a stupid."

"No," she said. "That was…very kind. Thank you, Kuwabara."

And now poor Kichiro was flopping around on the pavement. If she didn't get him back in his bowl soon…

"Well, what do we have here," said Riho, following Yukina's line of sight. "Aw, poor thing." Her brought the toe of her sandal inches above it.

"Don't!"

"I don't know," said Riho. "I'm so clumsy. Who knows what I would…"

"Hey!"

Botan didn't know what had got into her. In retrospect, she should have just waited for Kurama. Instead she ran ahead of him and (without thinking) pushed Riho aside so that she toppled straight into a fake pond that was set up for the festival.

"Bitch!" Riho screamed. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Botan ignored her. She crouched down to scoop Yukina's fish into her palm and placed it into what little water was left in his bowl. She grabbed Yukina's hand.

"You're not hurt are you?"

"I'm alright," said Yukina, wearing an expression of relief.

"Hey I'm talking to you!"

"Maybe you should calm down, Riho," said one of her posse.

"Yea," said another. "Isn't that Kurama's girlfriend?"

"I don't care who she is," Riho spat. "Nobody disrespects me like that."

"You have a very warped sense of what respect is, I'm afraid."

Everyone looked up to see that Kurama had arrived with Hiei in tow. Botan didn't think it would take a genius to know that Hiei was feeling nothing short of murderous. The dark vibes he was giving off were so strong that even Botan was starting to get chills. If Riho didn't get out of here soon, she was sure there'd be a few bloodstains…and nothing else.

"Touch Yukina again," began Hiei, "and you won't even live long enough to regret it."

He was completely serious.

Riho blanched "I…sorry…I."

"I guess even predators have a sense of self-preservation," Kurama said pointedly.

"Alright I…I'm going," said Riho, her bottom lip trembling. "We're going," she said more emphatically to her friends. And with that, they retreated into the night. And even though it was totally Riho's fault, Botan couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her.

She shook her head and helped Yukina onto her feet.

"I'm glad the both of you are alright," said Kurama.

"Us too," said Yukina. "That human girl was very scary."

Hiei said nothing. He looked upset, more so than usual. The dull redness of his eyes was burning bright crimson.

He must have been really worried…

"I'm sorry," said Botan. Hiei's gaze flitted to her own and it took all her willpower to not jump back like a scared rabbit. She didn't even know why she was apologizing!

Hiei's frown deepened.

Great, she thought, I'm probably just making him angrier. Better get out of here before he turns green and starts stomping on people!

Then, "No. I'm sorry."

Although she knew that he was talking about his sister, Botan couldn't help but feel that he was saying sorry for another reason. Did she enter Bizarro World again? Even Kurama was looking at his friend with mild surprise.

"I should have been the one to protect Yukina," said Hiei. "But I was too preoccupied with that fool human to notice. I have failed."

Yukina gave him a questioning look.

Botan responded by putting up a placating hand. "Hey, it's no big deal. It happens." Gosh, this was so uncomfortable!

"Thank you Botan," said Yukina. "And you too, Hiei." Although her words were sincere, Botan could tell that Hiei's dramatic declaration was also making Yukina uneasy. "I should go look for Kuwabara-kun."

"We better get going too," said Kurama as the ice maiden hurried off.

"I will too," said Hiei. "Coming here was a disaster. As I knew it would be."

Ditto, thought Botan. Although admittedly, it wasn't a complete and total loss. She looked sideways at Kurama.

"Cheer up old friend," said the youko. "You had the best intentions."

He "hmphed" as if say, 'well a load of good those did' and disappeared in a literal flash.

Botan shook her head. I guess there are no walks of shame when you had the speed of a demon…

"Do you think he'll be alright?"

Kurama shrugged. "I'm not so sure."

"I thought you knew Hiei better than anyone."

He turned to face her. His green eyes set in a concerned way that made Botan feel a lump in her throat.

"The truth is, no one really knows."

A/N: It looks like a bit of a love triangle might be emerging. Find out how Botan and Hiei reconcile in the aftermath of the festival in No Good Deed Chapter 3: Tokens of Affection.