Together (rewrite)

Chapter 3

Botan sat in Keiko's room thinking about what Kurama had said. She knew Keiko was talking to her but she wasn't paying the least bit of attention. Keiko asked her a question but Botan didn't hear her. Keiko waited a beat for her friend to answer but she never did.

"Botan!" Keiko yelled.

"What?" Botan cried as she turned to her friend.

"I've been talking to you for the past five minutes and you haven't heard a word I said."

"I'm sorry Keiko; I'm not trying to be rude. I just have something on my mind." Botan explained.

"Does it have anything to do with a certain red head we both know" Keiko said with a wicked grin. Botan's cheeks began to turn pink at her friends teasing.

"If you must know yes; He said he wanted to spend more time with me" Botan told her friend.

"Botan that's wonderful!" Keiko exclaimed as she clapped her hands together.

"Yes, but. . ." Botan started "I'm really nervous" she finished.

"Nervous, why?" said the confused brunette.

"I don't really know Keiko, I just feel nervous" Botan replied. "Didn't you feel nervous around Yusuke at first?"

Keiko thought for a moment and said "Well yes, but the nerves fade away, I promise Botan. "

"Are you sure?" Botan asked.

"Oh Botan if he didn't really like you he wouldn't have asked you to spend time with him. You have nothing to be nervous about. Just enjoy his company." She nodded as her friends advice, Keiko stifled a yawn and said "It's getting late, let's go to bed." Botan nodded and headed to her room to change into her pjs and crawl into bed, she fell asleep with her thoughts once again on Kurama.

Kurama lay awake staring at nothing in particular. He couldn't get to sleep, he was too anxious. He heard a tap on the window and got up to open it. Hiei entered the room and Kurama said "Good evening Hiei what brings you here?"

"I was just in the neighborhood" the dark haired demon replied. Kurama acknowledge him but did not say a word. After a few minutes of silence Hiei spoke up "Kurama you seem preoccupied."

"Hmmm" was his reply.

Hiei smiled and his Jagan eye glowed behind his headband. He looked into Kurama's thoughts and was amused to see that they were focused on a certain blue haired ferry girl.

"Well, well it seems you can't stop thinking about a certain clumsy blue haired woman" he said with a smirk. Kurama turned to glare at his friend and said "Stay out of my head Hiei."

Hiei laughed and replied "You should tell her."

"I can't do that Hiei."

"And why not?" Hiei asked. Kurama glared at his friend but said nothing. After a few moments of silence Kurama looked at Hiei and asked rather snappily "Is there something else you wanted Hiei?"

Hiei smirked again and shook his head and made his way to the window to leave. He sent one last look over his shoulder and saw Kurama once again lost in thought.

'Fox you should tell her' he said to Kurama telepathically as he leaped out the window and disappeared into the night.

A pair of eyes watched closely as Hiei left Kurama's home. He had stayed hidden in the shadows listening intently to Kurama and Hiei's conversation. It was exactly as he thought, the spirit detective was trying to woo his beloved and take her away from him 'I cannot let that happen' he thought as he slipped away quietly into the night.

Botan woke up the next up early the next morning and headed for the kitchen where she could fix herself something warm to drink, she was too nervous to sleep 'I wonder what he has in store for today?' she thought. Keiko entered the kitchen rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Good morning Keiko" Botan said. Keiko replied with a yawn while walking towards the coffee pot. She grabbed a mug poured herself a glass and sat down at the table across from Botan.

"Botan, how long have you been up?"

"A while, I couldn't sleep. I'm too nervous about today" she replied. Keiko stared at her friend and reached over and patted her hand as if to reassure her. Botan looked up at Keiko and smiled. The phone ringing startled them both; they looked at each other surprised.

"Who could be calling this early?" Keiko said as she got up to answer the phone. "Hello" Keiko said, she listened to what the person on the other end and then answered "yes of course" and then looked towards Botan and held the phone out to her and said "It's for you."

Botan got up and walked over and took the phone from Keiko "Hello" she said.

"Good morning Botan" Kurama said.

"Good morning Kurama" she replied. They continued with the pleasantries and then fell silent until Kurama said "Botan I called to ask if you would still like to spend the day with me?"She shook her head in response until she realized he couldn't see her and then whispered "yes."

He said "Great! I'll pick you up in an hour" and with that he hung up. Botan just stood there with the phone in her hand until she heard the dial tone, then she put the phone back on the hook.

Keiko had been listening to the one sided conversation said 'Well?"

"He's coming to pick me up in an hour."

"Well then let's get going, we have to get you ready" Keiko said as she grabbed Botan's hand and dragged her away upstairs to help her ready herself for her day out with Kurama. After Botan was ready Keiko excused herself for a few minutes and then came back into the room. The hour passed by rapidly and soon the doorbell rang. Keiko clapped her hands excitedly and went to answer the door.

"Hello Keiko" said Kurama after she opened the door.

"Good morning Kurama" Keiko replied. "I'll just go and get Botan for you" she said before he could open his mouth to say another word, before she turned to walk away she pointed to a bag that was sitting by the door and he smiled and thanked her. He stood in the living room waiting for Botan. He looked up as he heard footsteps coming down the stairs and what he saw made his heart skip a beat.

"Hello" she said as shifting nervously from one foot to the other.

'She looks very beautiful' he thought.

"Hello" he replied as he offered her his arm "are you ready?" she gulped and moved forward to take his arm as she nodded. He led her to his car where he opened the door to help her in. 'Such a gentleman' she thought. He got in the car and started it up and soon they were on their way. Neither said a word as he drove, she looked out the window and watched the buildings pass by. She was surprised to see they were heading out of the city.

"Kurama where are we going?" she asked. He turned to her and grinned sheepishly and said "You'll just have to wait and see." She fell silent and continued to stare out the window.

"Would you care to listen to some music?" he asked.

"Sure" she said, and he reached over to turn on the radio. He quickly found a station he thought she would like and turned the volume up to a manageable level. He turned back to watch the road as he drove all the while sneaking glances at her. He smiled in amusement as he noticed she was dancing in her seat. He let out a chuckle and she looked at him confused.

"I didn't know you liked Ningen music Botan" he said and she realized she had been caught.

"Well spending time with Keiko has rubbed off on me" she said as she smiled. They both laughed at her comment. Silence followed and he once again turned back to the road. Soon they were pulling off the highway, she could smell salt in the air and assumed they were at the beach, but she wasn;t able to see the water or the beach. He got out of the car and walked around the car and opened her door and helped her out. When she was out of the car he walked towards the trunk and pulled out a basket and what looked like an overnight bag.

He handed her the bag and took her hand and said "Come."