Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

Stuck With You

Summary: AU, Kurama Minamino and Botan Fukuyama are sworn enemies. What happens when one day, they are handcuffed together and they don't have the key? Will they be able to put aside their differences and form a friendship... or something more?

Chapter 8

"Do you wanna take a bath?" Botan suddenly said, breaking off the silence.

Kurama darted his eyes towards her, quirked his eyebrow and tilted his head. "Why? Do you want to?"

"Well... only if you want to," she told him.

A smirk tugged at Kurama's lips, mirth danced in his emerald orbs. "Why so considerate all of a sudden, Botan?" he teased.

"Would you like me to be an ass to you then?" she offered sarcastically, wearing an equally sardonic expression her soft features. "Cause if you want to, I would."

A laughter began to build inside the redhead's chest, before erupting from his throat. "Well, for your information, I kind of like you better this way," he playfully said to her, a smile teasing his lips.

"Whatever," Botan tried to sound nonchalant, but a blush appeared on her face. Why was it that he was able to embarrass her with just simple words?

"Anyway, about your offer," Kurama started, abruptly changing the subject, "I guess I would like a shower. Today's been really tiring than most days."

She arched an eyebrow at him. "Any particular reason?" she inquired in curousity.

He shrugged his shoulders, but the corners of his mouth curved upwards into a wolfish grin. "To be honest, considering I'm stuck with you, that's to be expected," he said, feigning a thoughtful look.

Botan shot a death glare his way, to which his grin visibly widened, now revealing his pearl white teeth.

"You know, just when I thought I could stand you at least a little bit, you just had to prove me wrong, didn't you?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

There was a glint of... something in his eyes, and for a moment, his grin wavered, before appearing on his face again. "Well, since we are enemies, I'm used to being a jerk to you."

"So, you're saying you just like treating me like shit?"

"Don't you?" Kurama shot back angrily, his usually bright emerald eyes turning darker with fury. He didn't know why, but her words just... pissed him off. He didn't understand; she'd said a lot of worse things before, but...

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Standing up from the bed, Kurama darted his eyes downwards to look at the girl. Botan stared at him, dumbfounded by his earlier remark. The look didn't go unnoticed by the redhead, but was not acknowledged by him either. Instead, he pulled at the metal chain connecting their wrists, tugging at her hand.

"Come on. You offered me a bath, so I'm going to take it," he said, his tone calm and even, yet she caught the anger lying dormant in his voice.

Botan, who didn't get why he was indignant at her, couldn't do anything but nod her head. She pushed herself off the bed, but as soon as she stood up on her two feet, Kurama had dragged her to the bathroom without warning.

"Hey," Botan called once they entered the bathroom. Kurama stopped in his tracks, and regarded her with a brief glance. He strolled towards the bathtub, and opened the shower, testing its temperature.

Blue brows furrowed as the girl realized he was ignoring her. She stared at his back for a moment, before heaving a defeated sigh.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked, and sounded as if she was genuinely worried about him. At the concern in her voice, Kurama turned to look at her, his eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Come again?"

She flung her arms in the air, ignoring the way Kurama tugged his hand back when it moved with her. "You're acting so weird!" she cried out.

"Weird, as in?" he prodded, despite already knowing the answer.

Botan gave him a blank stare, debating whether or not she should respond. If she had to put it to words, she wouldn't know how.

"Did I do something or say something that upset you?" she inquired instead, and pondered the question herself.

She didn't think she said anything offensive. True enough, what she said earlier in the bedroom, was offensive, but she hardly thought that was what ticked him off. They'd exchange worse words to each other, and even then, Kurama didn't seem to be bothered by it as he did now.

Botan hated to admit it, but she was worried about him.

Just a little.

Kurama expelled a deep sigh. "No. It's nothing... it's just... Forget it. I don't know why I'm so irritated right now, but... maybe I'm just exhausted. Maybe after a little bath I'll be alright," he lied. But he would admit that he did enjoy having her concerned about him. For what reason, he wasn't entirely sure.

"... Okay," Botan relented after a while. She didn't buy the lie, but decided to play along.

"Mind turning around?"

"Oh. No, I don't mind at all," the girl nodded her head. She spared him one last brief glance, blushing hotly when he started to unbutton his uniform. She quickly looked away, fixing her gaze on the cold and wet tiled floor.

She felt a tug at her hand, and could only guess that was Kurama entering the bathtub. Curtains sliding close, shower turning on, Botan finally expelled the breath she had been holding without realizing it.

She would admit that she was a bit curious as to how Kurama's body would look like. In spite of already taking baths with one another in the same bathroom, she had never truly seen him naked... or half naked for that matter. She would always try to look away until he was fully dressed, scared that she might faint out of a nosebleed if she didn't.

The red shade on her cheeks turned darker at the dirty thoughts she managed to conjure up in her head. She tried to rid them of her mind, but the more she tried, the more they insisted on staying.

Another tug. Was he reaching for the soap?

Fortunately, unlike her, Kurama was careful and observant enough to know which hand to use, therefore, her fingers didn't brush against him like his did with her. Botan's face turned as red as a tomato as the memories came flooding her head. Why was she thinking about that?... Well, not like she could help it...

. . .

"Botan, I'm coming out," Kurama announced, as if to warn her.

He received no answer, causing him to furrow his eyebrows, and ponder what was wrong with the girl. After a moment though, he brushed it off, assuming that was her ignoring him again.

. . .

Botan, being too caught up in her thoughts to had heard him, were caught off guard when the redhesd suddenly exited the bathtub with nothing but his towel to cover... uh, ahem, his most private part. Her body stiffened, and the blush on her face impossibly deepened at the sight of him. Subconsciously, her eyes traveled up and down his body, scrutinizing his appearance.

His hair was wet (as expected), drops of water lingering at the tip of his red hair. More trickled down his upper body; from his neck, to his chest and his arms, his alabaster chest and goddamn, those abs... She hadn't realized she had been staring until Kurama suddenly tugged at her wrist.

She lifted her head to fix her gaze on his face... which was sporting an amused grin.

"Like what you see?" he teased, laughing when the girl's flushed cheeks darkened, "So, Botan, do I look like Freddy Krueger to you?" he asked playfully and tilted his head at her. He quirked one eyebrow quizically, a heart-stopping smirk lingering at the corners of his lips.

"S-shut up, Kurama," Botan mustered up the courage to say.

"Well, I'll take that as a yes. Besides, you seemed to be enjoying the view... what's with the obvious leering and all."

"N-no, I didn't!" she cried out indignantly, her cheeks growing hotter in half embarrassment and half anger. "You're so full of yourself, Kurama!" she continued indignantly.

She took a step forward, and made to give him a piece of her mind. A shout began to build inside her chest... only to escape as a shriek when she accidentally slipped on the cold, wet floor.

She tumbled forward towards Kurama, who caught her just in time before she managed to fall face first on the dirty floor. She shut her eyes tight, only to open them and blink in confusion when she realized there was no fall.

... Then, she realized something else.

Strong arms were wrapped around her waist protectively, she could feel the muscles flexing. And her face... her soft cheek was against something hard...

Then it hit her like a ton of bricks.

She widened her eyes in shock, and before she could react, heard a masculine voice said, "Are you okay? Sheesh, you should really look where you're going..." he adviced her, his voice like silk and his breath fanned hotly against her ear as he spoke.

In one swift motion, she placed a hand on the chest her face had been lying against, and proceeded to slowly dart her eyes upwards to the owner's face. "K-Kurama..." she whispered, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape.

She felt Kurama's body flexed against her touch, before realizing her hand was still on his chest. She immediately pulled it away, her cheeks heating up and incoherent words leaving her lips. "I-I... Y-you... Wha-?" she wasn't able to finish, too surprised and too embarrassed to think clearly. She could hardly string a sentence in her mind, much less say it out loud.

She made to remove herself from his embrace, but Kurama pulled her closer, his hold around her waist tightening ever so slightly. She looked up at him, cheeks flushed, and shot him a glare. What was he planning now?

"Kurama..." she growled out his name, and narrowed her eyes dangerously at him, as if warning him not to do anything reckless.

"I'm not going to let go until you admit that I'm attractive," came Kurama's response to the look, earning a deep frown from the girl in his arms in return.

She parted her lips to throw an insult his way, only to gasp sharply when she felt his hands stroking her back, long fingers drawing enticing circles along the spot. She bit her lip, her legs starting to shake: What the hell is going on here?

"What do you think you're doing?" she managed to ask. She meant to sound stern, but her words passed her lips in a quiet whisper. She cursed at herself.

"What do you think I'm doing?" the redhead merely shot back. A smirk tugged at his lips, emerald eyes dancing in mischief. "I'm going to make you admit you admit that I am, in a matter of fact, irresistable."

"By sexually harrassing me?!"

He arched an eyebrow at her, an amused expression crossing his handsome features. "I haven't even done anything yet." He paused, the smirk widening in a way that sent a delicious shiver down Botan's spine. "Are you already excited?" he continued to tease.

Reaching up a hand to her hair, Kurama removed her wristband, letting her strands of blue hair to cascade beautifully down her shoulders and back. He ran his hands through it, before twirling one strand around his index finger. Kurama brought it to his lips. "I like your hair..." he mumbled.

Botan let out a moan involutarily at the display. He gave her a seductive yet teasing grin, causing her to look downwards.

Kurama abruptly cupped her chin, tilting her face up until she met his gaze.

"Are you going to admit it now?"

Botan parted her lips to say 'fuck off'; she hated the feelings he ignited within her... but nothing came, and she closed it once again. Instead, she stared into his eyes timidly, her tongue darting out to nervously lick her lips. Her cheeks were flushed a cute shade a pink, eyes slightly half lidded and breathing slightly heavy, soft, pink lips now wet, inviting...

The sight caught Kurama off guard, emerald eyes widening and smirk falling off his face. His mouth hung open: why did she have to look so... so appealing? So... fucking beautiful and ravishing like that?

Naughty thoughts started to invade his head, clouding his bright emerald eyes into a dark forest green. He gulped down a lump, tried to control himself, but to no avail.

When she bit her lip, teeth grinding at the plump skin, Kurama couldn't take it anymore.

He pulled her tightly against him, body flushed against his, and devoured her lips in an instant.