Day 6: Nature

Hiei found Botan dressed in that strange school uniform, seated atop the Sarayashiki junior high rooftop with the detective. It had been a few days since she recovered and he had admittedly taken to seeing her daily. These little visits served to erase that weak and fragile image of her that had implanted itself into his mind and haunted him at night.

When she had gotten injured, his heart seized in his chest, frozen painfully, as if encased in ice. Panic prickled at his skin, sharp and cutting. Fear seeped into his bones, palpable and true.

Such reactions were not normal in a soul as dark and callous as his, but he did not have the opportunity or the mindset to dwell on it at the time. All that mattered in that moment was ensuring the woman's well-being and seeking out vengeance.

When the dust settled and she was sleeping soundly at the old woman's temple, Hiei realized something startling: he actually cared about the ferry-girl. Though their encounters were few and always fleeting, he had somehow gotten attached to her.

He had come to expect her presence, looking forward to the moment when those laughing eyes locked onto his. He had found a strange satisfaction in knowing that he was the sole reason behind the warm and inviting smiles she sent his way. It was strange an unbecoming of him - he knew that well - but he saw no point in denying himself.

"Yusuke!"

The new voice pulled him from his thoughts and he refocused his attentions to the roof. The detective was being accosted by his nagging woman, pulled away by the ear as she led him back inside of the school. The ferry-girl apparently found amusement in the spectacle, grinning even after Yusuke was gone, and the fire-demon took the opportunity to step out from the shadows, finally revealing himself.

"Hiei!" she greeted, dusting off her uniform as she took a stand. It was clear that she was not expecting to see him, but her excitement soon outweighed everything else. "What brings you all the way out here?"

The fire-demon pulled his hand out of his coat pocket, a single flower gripped tightly in his fist.

"Here, woman."

Botan blinked down at surprise.

"For me?" she asked, pointing to herself.

"Who else?"

A smile stretched out on her lips as she accepted the flower eagerly.

"Oh my, it's beautiful!" she exclaimed. "Thank you!"

He did not think it anything special. A simple, five star flower; white in the center and blue at its tips. It reminded him of her, though, so he decided to present it as a gift. Apparently, it was the right decision. If the gentle way she had taken to stroking the petals was any indication, she was completely enthralled by it.

"I've never seen this type of flower around the city," Botan noted. "They don't grow in this region, do they?"

"I suppose not," he replied through a shrug.

"So you broke probation..." she concluded almost conversationally, not nearly as offended as he thought she would be.

"It's not like it matters-"

"Because you didn't get caught?" she filled in, a knowing smile lifting her features.

He found his own expression easing as he smirked.

"Precisely."

Botan twirled the stalk between her thumb and forefinger, a reflective look in her amethyst eyes.

"I can hardly believe that I've received another gift," she beamed. "I'm amassing quite the collection."

Hiei folded his arms over his chest.

"I hardly think a dying flower counts. It will wither and wilt and in a few days' time it will be nothing. Even you must know that."

"Perhaps, but it will always stay in my heart," she replied, winking at him for good measure.

He looked away with a scoff.

"Don't be dramatic."

"I'm not! I really mean what I say. I'll remember this forever," she said.

Hiei returned his gaze to meet hers slowly. She wasn't being untruthful; the gleam in her eyes and the upward curve of her lips confirmed it.

"You like it that much?" he asked.

She nodded eagerly.

"...Then I suppose there is one more thing I can give to you."

Botan tilted her head at him wordlessly and he looked out towards the direction of the sun.

"Follow me, ferry-girl."

He sprinted off after Botan had mounted her oar, careful to remain at a speed that she could keep up with. He was surprised by the velocity she could attain on that thing, along with the expert way she maneuvered around the skies. He was discovering that the woman possessed many skills and qualities; perhaps he would have noticed it sooner if he did not overlook her so often.

He learned a little bit more about her each day and he was soon realizing that he was only just beginning to scratch the surface of her many mysteries.

She was much more than the ditzy, witless ferry-girl he once thought her to be. She was much more than he could have imagined.

They continued to race past tall buildings and structures, making their way out of the crowded city and moving further and further away from civilization. Eventually Hiei found the park where he first came across the flower. The grass was covered in a seemingly endless sea of blue petals and Botan's eyes widened.

"Oh Hiei..." she breathed out, looking all around her in wonder. "It's beautiful!"

Hiei kept his eyes on her, though, unable to look away.

From the moment he had given her that stolen necklace, things between them had changed forever. She sought him out and he always let her, never once thinking to discourage her or scare her away, and somewhere along the way they had moved from distant allies, to casual acquaintances to something that he could not fully wrap his mind around.

A surge of emotion arose from deep within as he watched her now.

It was warm and light and filling all at once.

He thought that this might be what affection felt like.

And, if he was right, then perhaps it was not such an unpleasant thing after all.