Sorry it's been so long. I think that whoever came up with the idea of a thesis for essays should be strung up by their toes with spaghetti noodles. Anyway, I apologize if this chapter seems rushed at all. I have been doing a lot of prewriting for this story and also for a potential sequel. Please hit the little button at the bottom and leave me a review! Thanks!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

Mi casa es tu casa.

She swirled her fingers through her hair until strawberry-scented shampoo bubbles fell onto her shoulders. She stepped into the direct stream of water, not too cold, not too hot, and began to rinse her aqua locks. Soapy water pooled at her feet before dancing down the drain. Botan closed her eyes and dropped her arms. For a long moment, she stood there, just letting the spray cascade over her body. She needed the soothing warmth to ease her sudden nerves. Her mind raced ahead in a whirlwind of thought.

Hiei was in her living room.

Hiei was in her living room, sitting at her window sill, looking out her window as he drank her hot chocolate out of her mug.

And she didn't quite know what to think of it.

She raised her arms to run her fingers through her hair again. It wasn't that she minded, she'd offered after all; it was more the fact that he'd accepted her offer. Hiei wasn't one to be social or show that he depended on other people. A part of her wondered just what was running through his mind, for him to willingly appear on her doorstep – or windowsill, either one. She reached for the bar of soap and lathered her washcloth.

I guess I'm just going to have to see what happens, she thought. A smile played with her lips. Botan allowed a happy giggle to spill from her mouth. Well, if Yukina sings his praises then he must not be so bad. I'll just have to make do. Hmm…I wonder what he wants for dinner. That sounds like a good place to start.

After one last rinse, she turned off the water and reached out for her fluffy, white towel. She stood in front of the mirror and ran a brush through her hair. Her pajamas, blue and warm, were folded neatly on the counter. The fabric was smooth against her skin and she hugged her arms around her torso. Little droplets of water fell from the tips of her hair, darkening the shoulders of her sky blue shirt. Here goes nothing.

Her eyes scanned the living room as she emerged from her bedroom. He was not hard to find. His dark attire contrasted sharply with the pastel colors that decorated her walls, drawing the eye. She hesitated by the couch, watching him. Hiei was still seated at her window sill, though the mug of hot chocolate she'd given him, the one with the chip on the handle, was on the coffee table. He didn't turn when she came closer; he just watched the pellets of ice strike the window and coat the branches just beyond the glass.

"Hiei?" she whispered. He shifted just enough for her to know that he was listening. "I'm going to go fix something to eat. What would you like?"

His head swiveled around to face her. He didn't say anything.

"It's getting late, though, so I might just have a snack. Do you want popcorn? A sandwich? There's half a cheeseburger left from when Keiko and I went out to lunch earlier today. You want that?"

He blinked once and returned his gaze to the raging storm outside, as if it demanded his attention. "Hn."

Botan narrowed her eyes at him and turned on her heels. Her bare feet smacked against the linoleum as she entered the kitchen and threw open the pantry door. Two minutes later, the tantalizing smell of salt and melted butter wafted through the apartment. She tossed a bag of popcorn to the fire demon and turned her body back to the kitchen. She thought he said "thank you", but she wasn't sure.

While her leftover lunch was absorbing radiation in her microwave, she danced down the hall to the linen closet. She tapped her chin as she perused the shelves of blankets, sheets, and towels. It was a mélange of different fabrics; half of them, she hadn't even bought herself. Thinking of the ice that spilled from the clouds, she raised herself to her tiptoes and yanked the soft green sheets from the top shelf. She didn't know what material they were made of, but they held the heat in; she'd never gotten cold while they were covering her mattress.

"Hiei?" she poked her head back into the living room. A small laugh passed her lips when she caught him, holding a buttery piece in front of him for closer inspection. "It's just popcorn, Hiei, it's not going to hurt you."

He spared a glance in her direction and scrunched his nose up. But his disgust was an afterthought, almost as if he were self-conscious of having her watch him. He shoved it into his mouth and chewed. The next instant, his crimson eyes were wide in wonder, and he raised three more to his lips.

"As worthless as the humans are, they know how to cook their food," he allowed.

Another round of laughs shook her shoulders and she shook her head at him. "Kurama will be proud of you, Hiei."

"Hn."

The sheets in her arms reminded her of what she'd meant to ask him. "Hiei? Do you want a thick blanket or a thin one? I know different people have different preferences."

He pulled his eyes away from the popcorn to her; his expression, like a child on Christmas morning, changed to one of sarcasm and annoyance. "I'm a fire demon. I won't get cold."

She was taken aback by his flat tone and she blinked a few times, fumbling for words. "Oh, right."

And she walked away from the sounds of crunching popcorn.

The sheets wouldn't fit around the corners of the mattress. There was always one corner that would be stubborn and, when she heaved with all her weight to pull it over, another would pop out of place. Looking back, it was probably her that wouldn't cooperate with the sheets, but after ten minutes of pulling on green fabric, a groan rattled out between her teeth. She tossed the pillow covers and thin afghan onto the chair by the window and left the room.

Botan deftly ignored her guest when she reentered the living room, Styrofoam box of leftovers and DVD case in hand. She could feel his eyes on her as she bent over the DVD player by the television set. The cords were a jumbled mess.

"Oh, come on," she whispered, reaching behind the electronics for the right cord.

"Hn," came the derisive snort behind her.

She scurried back to the couch and then spun in a few frantic circles. A fleece blanket fell into her arms and Botan looked to Hiei, who was settling back onto the window sill. The tension in her shoulders ebbed away and she eased into the cushions. A small smile played with her lips. "Thank you, Hiei."

He said nothing.

"This isn't one of my favorites," she admitted. The opening credits flashed on the screen, in a frantic dash as she fast-forwarded. "It's actually quite boring, but it's good for nights like this."

As the scene opened, she raised the soggy burger to her mouth and bit off a piece. By the time she'd settled down to enjoy it, it was cold again. Out of the corner of her wide, pink eyes, she saw him move like lightning through the shadows. His dark form was swallowed by the large recliner in the corner of the room. She suppressed a grin and fixed her eyes on the movie.

She was fast asleep before she reached her favorite part.

She awoke the next morning to a tiny bead of perspiration running down the side of her face. She cracked groggy pink eyes open and hoisted herself onto her elbows. For several moments, she plowed through the haze that clouded her thoughts and made a vain attempt to figure out how she'd ended up in her bed. Botan peered over her shoulder. The comforter had been pulled up over her thick blanket. She'd been toasty warm alright.

Her elbows gave out and she fell back onto her stomach.

The last thing she remembered was the detective figuring out that it wasn't his girlfriend who had committed the murder, but his girlfriend's evil twin. Hiei had made a snide comment, disgust the prevalent expression on his face. She must have fallen asleep sometime after that. Her neck ached. But that didn't explain how she'd ended up toasty warm in her bed. Surely Hiei didn't carry me in here.

The thought cleared the cobwebs in her mind. She threw back the covers and rolled off the mattress. The sky blue shirt she wore had ridden up throughout the night.

"Hiei?" she called. Morning sun slanted across the living room floor. The small-statured demon was nowhere in sight. The door to the spare bedroom was pulled almost closed. She half walked, half stumbled to it. "Hiei."

Once again, she encountered an empty room. She smirked at the sight of the slept-in sheets. The corner of the sheet was still undone. She stifled a yawn and meandered to the kitchen.

It was when she saw the slip of paper on the counter, with his message "There's no milk. – H", that she knew things were going to be interesting.

This chapter was primarily for the sake of character development and "bonding". I've never really had a relationship before so my idea of romance is speculative, based off of what I see and hear, so it's gonna be subtle. Please, leave me some suggestions and opinions. I'd love to have them.