I don't own YYH!

Chapter 3

Koenma was methodically stamping his seal on various documents, when he realized that something was not right. His brow creased as he placed his stamp back in its case and pulled the lid to a close.

The Spirit World was always bustling with some sort of commotion; footsteps scurried and padded about the hallway, voices echoed and reverberated off of the walls, an ogre or ferry-girl was always stationed at his door urgently requesting his attention, but tonight there was nothing. For an establishment that emphasized orderliness, the actual realm was anything but orderly. This sudden stillness had caused a sense of worry to pass through Prince.

The doors slid opened slowly and Koenma cautiously stepped into the hallway, fully prepared to see something horrific. Instead, he was greeted with an almost comical image. The ogres and ferry-girls were frozen still in their various stations, all staring in disbelief at one person in particular.

Koenma cleared his throat and the inhabitants of the Spirit World had quickly gathered their wits, scurrying around to resume the posts that they had all abandoned.

"You rarely make house calls, Hiei. Is something the matter?"

Hiei, who had been leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, turned his attention to Koenma.

"I'm here for the ferry-girl," he said bluntly. "She and I have an arrangement that I intend on seeing through."

"So it's true – the demon really did ask Botan out on a date."

"And she said yes! I always knew that girl was strange…"

Koenma caught the tail end of a hushed conversation between two senior ferry-girls who had just rounded the corner and his brown eyes pinned Hiei with a cautious look.

"Why don't we wait inside my office?"

Hiei spared the workers one last indifferent glance, emitting a few gasps and yelps from the crowd, before obligingly following Koenma's lead.

"So, she wasn't joking when she claimed that you asked her out on a date…" Koenma muttered, running a hand through his hair, ruffling the once well-kept locks.

Hiei remained silent and that was all the confirmation he needed. But even still, it was hard to believe. Hiei and Botan rarely interacted with each other and when they did, it never ended well. In fact, Koenma was absolutely certain that Botan was still secretly afraid of the fire demon. Hiei's reason for initiating the date and Botan's reason for accepting were both outside the realms of logic as far as Koenma was concerned.

"Excuse me for being blunt, but what exactly is your agenda here?"

"I don't believe that is any of your concern," Hiei insisted without missing a beat.

"I don't mean to pry, but you can see the effect that your presence has had already. If this is just some sick game to pass the time, then I'm afraid I–"

"You'll what?" Hiei challenged. "Throw me back in prison until the next big threat appears and your precious spirit detective isn't enough to handle it?"

"That's not what I meant," Koenma refuted, trying his best to keep his patience intact.

It was obvious that Hiei was on edge. The fire-demon held some residual anger over the fact that he was forced to participate in missions for the Spirit World, but it couldn't be helped. He had slaughtered residents of the spirit world, stolen from the King's vault, and had turned a handful of humans into mindless demons with the spoils of his thievery. It was either imprisonment or community service, and as far as Koenma was concerned, he was doing Hiei a great favor by allowing him to clear his record in lieu of rotting in jail.

From the very first case in Maze Castle up until now, Hiei had consistently remained an asset to the team. His strength and knowledge of other demons helped them through some of their tightest spots. Koenma was under the impression that Hiei had even gained a sense of camaraderie with his teammates, but suddenly asking Botan out on a date was much too bizarre. Perhaps Hiei was simply using Botan in some sort of twisted revenge plot to get back at him. Koenma quickly dismissed the thought. Hiei was a straightforward man, he would never use such a roundabout way of getting vengeance.

"I just want to know what your intentions are," Koenma admitted finally.

"Hn. My intentions are mine and mine alone. I don't have to explain myself to anyone, not even you."

They were at a stalemate and Koenma sighed. He supposed Hiei was right, but the glaring fact remained: his most dangerously unpredictable ally and his most innocent ferry-girl were going on a date and there was absolutely nothing he could do to stop it.

"I'm ready!" Botan said, her voice light and clear as she stood at the threshold of the door, diverting the two males' attention towards her.

She stepped into the office and shot Hiei a nervous smile. She had discarded her usual kimono in favor of a pair of denim shorts and a short sleeved pink shirt. It was the type of clothing that Hiei had seen most of the human women wearing during this time of year, but it was a little shocking to see the ferry-girl – who had usually dressed so modestly – showing so much skin.

"I hope I didn't make you wait too long."

"No, I only just arrived," Hiei replied.

Koenma noticed that the hotheaded manner the fire-demon had been showcasing was suddenly absent. Either Hiei was pulling some sort of act with Botan or he really did intend to treat her nicely on this date.

The two exited his office, but not before Botan cast one last look in the prince's direction and bid him farewell. Koenma, however, was too busy wrapped up in his own thoughts to notice.

His gaze immediately locked on to the remote control that lay on top of a stack of paperwork. He could very well spy on them with his logging system, but that was reserved for missions and emergencies. He wouldn't stoop so low. He would just have to wait until she returned to see how the two of them fared alone.

Picking up his stamp once again, Koenma forcefully expelled all images of Botan being on the receiving end of Hiei's sword and got back to work.

By the time they had reached their destination, it was already sunset. Even so, there were still plenty of people scattered about the area. Although she was accustomed to seeing this sight while flying through the human world, she never imagined she would be pulled out of her spectator's seat and plopped into the role of a participant. But here she was, in a highly romantic and somewhat secluded setting, following Hiei's lead as he led her down the pathway.

Despite what others might have thought and said, Botan was no fool. She knew very well that this date had nothing to do with romance or even friendship; it was strictly business. Hiei had a debt to pay and this was his way of paying it. No matter how many times she reminded herself of that fact it still didn't stop her heart from beating wildly and her stomach from knotting up because of the strange mixture of excitement and nervousness that she felt. She had never been on a date before. She had never even thought about dating. Her job was her life and she was content with that. She had found purpose as a ferry girl and she had found companionship with the few friends she had gained along the way. But upon meeting Yusuke, she slowly started becoming invested in other things. Her life no longer revolved around Spirit World as she befriended humans and demons alike.

She took an interest in the way that Kuwabara fawned over Yukina, as well as Keiko's and Yusuke's budding romance. She was content to watch from the sidelines and never experience it for herself, because that's just the way things always were.

She was still having trouble digesting the fact that she was here with Hiei. In fact, it seemed too strange to be real.

She had a sneaking suspicion that Hiei wasn't the one who came up with the idea of going out on a date in the first place and if that was the case – he had a right to know the truth.

"Hiei, can I ask you something?" Botan started hesitantly, stopping in her place.

"What is it?" he asked, stopping beside her.

"Why did you decide to ask me out on a date?"

"I told you earlier," Hiei began. "I don't take what you did for Yukina lightly. She isn't your responsibility, but you chose to help her anyway."

"But why did you specifically choose a date as your method of thanking me?"

Hiei was silent and she suddenly felt very guilty for asking. She took a step closer to him, bringing her hands up in defense.

"I didn't mean that in a bad way. I was just wondering if maybe Yusuke or Kuwabara happened to give you the idea," she pried.

"They suggested it," he answered truthfully.

"And I'm guessing they conveniently failed to tell you that a date is supposed to be a romantic activity."

Hiei never answered, but she didn't need a response to confirm what she knew to be true. Yusuke and Kuwabara would pull this sort of practical joke on an innocent and unsuspecting third party, but Hiei was much too distrusting to believe in anything that came out of either of the boys' mouths. Even more confusing was Hiei's response, or lack thereof, to the news Yusuke and Kuwabara had set him up.

She had expected him to flare up in anger and list the various ways he would violently enact his revenge on the two boys, but his expression never once strayed from its usual air of indifference. It was almost as if he wasn't bothered by it at all.

"It doesn't matter," he asserted firmly.

"Are you sure?" she questioned. "If you didn't know what a date was in the first place, it certainly wouldn't be fair to go through with it now."

"I intend to keep my word, ferry-girl," Hiei responded. "I don't care about the detective or the oaf's half-brained schemes."

His answer surprised Botan, so much so that she stared at him wide-eyed for a few moments before snapping out of it and grinning eagerly.

"That's the spirit, Hiei. We'll have a great time and prove them wrong!"

"Prove them wrong?" he echoed.

"They obviously tricked us into spending time together because they thought that we couldn't tolerate one another. But that's not true," she revealed. "In fact, I've always thought you were a swell guy and I admire your strength and perseverance."

He stared at her with a strange look on his face, as though he were trying to figure something out.

"…What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?" Botan asked.

"Do you think about me often, woman?" Hiei inquired bluntly.

"No! I think about Yusuke, Kuwabara and Kurama, too!" she exclaimed loudly, as a blush crept over her cheeks.

His gaze remained on her, causing her heart to pick up its pace. His red eyes were so sharp and so intense and it didn't help in the slightest that she couldn't read him at all.

"I think about the whole team... equally and platonically!" she blurted out. "It's my duty as the assistant to the spirit detective, after all."

It was a flimsy excuse, but Hiei appeared to accept it. He broke eye contact with a shrug of his shoulders.

"If you say so, woman," he relented and continued carrying on, as if nothing had happened.

Botan placed a hand against her chest, wondering what that was about, before following after him.

Hiei had only asked if she had thought about him in particular to see if she was harboring some sort of sick affection for him. It would make upholding his end of the bet much easier if she had, but he knew that it was a far-fetched notion.

They were too different – like similar ends of a magnet, they repelled each other. In all the time he had known her, they hadn't had much interaction, but even so, it seemed as though they were always in opposition with each other. When they first met she had tried to foolishly undo the effects of his Shadow Sword. She accompanied Yusuke on the mission to rescue Yukina to specifically stop him from killing Tarukane. Then, there was the incident during the Dark Tournament where she had thrown a fit when he didn't lift a finger to mend the relationship between the "masked fighter" and Yusuke.

Getting along with the ferry-girl for a span of two weeks would prove to be much more complicated than he expected, but it was a necessary step. He would have to make a greater effort at winning her over and he only had tonight to do it. There had to be something that he could use to manipulate her into continuing these dates. Perhaps he could play upon her compassion or her gullibility. Or maybe –

His train of thought was interrupted by the sound of a high-pitched beeping. Botan quickly fished through her pockets and pulled out a small purple compact. Hiei had recalled her mentioning it to the detective once or twice; it was a communication mirror.

"Hey," Yusuke's voice sounded through the device.

"Yusuke? You don't usually call out of the blue. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to ask you about what happened after we left Spirit World?"

Hiei's eyes narrowed. The detective would no doubt inflict more harm than good if he talked to Botan right now. Without giving it much thought, Hiei reached out and pressed his hand down over hers, effectively closing the communication mirror and ending the connection.

"Hiei…?"

"Ignore the detective."

"Okay…"

"He was probably going to say something juvenile," Hiei reasoned.

"Uh-huh…"

"Let's keep moving."

"But… you're…" she trailed off.

"What?"

"Well, you've still got my … you haven't let go, yet."

Hiei followed her gaze and his crimson eyes widened when he saw that his fingers were still closed over her hand. He quickly pulled away and shoved his hand in his pocket, his fingers tingling with the strange sensation of holding hers.

"What the hell?" Yusuke exclaimed, his sudden outburst all but ignored by the other patrons of the arcade shop.

"What is it, Urameshi?" Kuwabara asked disinterestedly, his eyes glued to the screen in front of him as he pressed buttons rapidly.

"Botan hung up on me!"

"Why were you calling her in the first place?" Kuwabara questioned, maneuvering the joystick carefully as he awaited Yusuke's response.

"To butter her up and make sure she accepts Hiei's offer."

"I thought we were rooting against the little guy?"

"Yeah, but if Botan doesn't agree to date him, then we've got nothing to root against," Yusuke pointed out.

"Oh, right," Kuwabara said with a sheepish laugh. "So, how are you going to convince her to go on a date with Hiei?

"I don't know, I'll guilt trip her or something," he answered with a shrug. "Feed her some bull about Hiei being lonely and needing some company…"

"Will she really fall for that?"

"This is Botan we're talking about. Of course she'll fall for it!"

"Right," Kuwabara agreed.

"And if all else fails, then we're just going to have to find another girl."

"Another girl?" Kuwabara echoed slowly, his fingers suddenly freezing above the panel of buttons as his face turned pale with worry.

"Yeah," Yusuke continued, all the while ignoring Kuwabara's obvious discontent. "And it's not like we have a sea of options, so we better make this next call count."

The psychic quickly turned away from the game and appeared at the detective's side. "Well, what are you waiting for, Urameshi, hurry up and call her again, before she turns him down!"

"What's got your panties in a bunch?" Yusuke asked, confused by Kuwabara's sudden change in tune.

"Just hurry up and make the call!" Kuwabara urged anxiously.

When they settled down on one of the wooden benches, the dark sky was blanketed with stars and the air was cool and calm. Street lamps brought life to the darkness, the luminescent glow creating an intimate and comfortable setting within the confines of their reach.

Botan rubbed at the spot where his hand had covered hers experimentally. The temperature had dropped and the night air was cool against her skin, but her hand was still warm from his touch. He was a fire-demon, so she shouldn't have been so shocked to find that his body temperature was higher than that of a normal being, but she expected his touch to be as icy as the island he came from. Instead it was warm and almost comforting.

She shivered at the sudden gust of wind and instantly regretted wearing an outfit that exposed her legs. She could have gotten away with wearing her standard pink-kimono, but she had a habit of dressing for the occasion whenever she visited the living world. It was no secret that she enjoyed partaking in human customs and she couldn't pass up on blending in and being a normal girl, if only just for one night.

"So how have you been spending your time in this realm? Are you starting to enjoy it?" Botan asked, breaking the silence that had enveloped them.

"You would know that better than anyone else," he started. "I've been carrying out missions like Koenma's obedient lapdog."

"No silly," she laughed nervously, noting how surly he had become over the mention of Spirit World. "I meant in your free time?"

"I sleep, I train, I fight," Hiei replied.

"But there are so many new things you could try! If I were you, I'd be experiencing every single thing that his world has to offer!" she said with a contended sigh.

Hiei raised a brow, as if to ask her why she couldn't do all those things. Although he didn't say a word, she seemed to understand.

"Between ferrying souls, training apprentices and accompanying you boys on missions… I really don't have any free time," she revealed. "Now that I think about it, tonight is the first night in a long time that I've been able to get away from work."

Her jubilant tone had suddenly become melancholy and her expression fell into a strangely pensive one.

"This is a horrible thought and I know I shouldn't feel this way, but sometimes I just wish," she paused and took a deep breath. "Sometimes I just need-"

"More," he finished for her.

Botan's gaze locked onto Hiei's and she could see the same desire for freedom, unbridled and uninhibited reflected in his crimson eyes. Every fiber of her being was telling her to look away and to forget such treacherous thoughts, but she found that she couldn't. She had tasted the outside world and she wanted to be a part of it. They were two beings from two very different worlds, but for the first time, they were seeing eye-to-eye.

This might be the last time this exchange ever occurred and she found that she didn't want it to end. Before her stood the temptation of what shouldn't be, but what could. If anyone would advocate breaking the rules, it would be Hiei. She wanted to inch away or avert her eyes from the pull of his gaze, but she couldn't. She shivered involuntarily at the intensity of it all, goosebumps littering her skin and causing her heart to race.

He suddenly stood up, his mouth twisted in that upwards smirk that usually meant that he was up to no good. He began pulling his cloak over his head and Botan quickly realized that Hiei might not have understood what she was getting at.

"What are you doing – stop, I didn't mean it like that!" she said, covering her eyes. "I was just saying it would be nice to have my life revolve around more than just my duties as a ferry-girl!"

She felt something drop in her lap and she let out a squeal.

"Open your eyes, woman."

"No, not until you put your clothes back on!" she screeched.

Hiei rolled his eyes and reached out to pull her hands away, but froze mid-way. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to touch her again, so instead he settled on an action that had proven to work in the past.

"Don't flatter yourself; I'm still fully clothed. Now hurry up and uncover your eyes before I lose what little patience I have left."

"Well, that's no way to talk to a lady, Hiei!" she admonished, her timidity long forgotten as she glared at him. It was only then did she notice that he was fully clothed, in his blue sleeveless vest and black pants. She peered down at the black fabric that was strewn out on top of her lap before blinking twice. It was Hiei's cloak. He must have noticed the sudden drop in temperature and the effect that it had on her. She flushed in embarrassment and gave him a sheepish look. So, he wasn't being a pervert - he was just being a gentleman. The thought never occurred to her that Hiei could actually be nice towards someone other than Yukina.

"Sorry about that and … thank you, for this," she said as she draped it over her exposed legs like a blanket.

Hiei settled down next to her and Botan looked around the area for something that could potentially distract her from her earlier blunder. She saw a human walking along the path and quickly turned to Hiei.

"Do you want to play a game?"

"I don't like games," Hiei told her.

"Well, it's more of a hobby than a game," she insisted. "Pick a stranger and create back story for them. Try and figure out what their likes are, what their dislikes are… you know, sort of like a detective! It's a good old fashioned round of people watching."

"So you want me to partake in the beginnings of voyeurism?"

"Bingo!" she exclaimed, before her excited features distorted into one of disgust. "No, no, that's not what I meant at all! Here, let me show you."

She pointed to the young woman who had just passed by with long brown hair and a wistful look on her face.

"Her name is Mitsuki," Botan whispered excitedly. "She comes to the park every night to get away from the pressures of her parents. You see, they think it's time that she settled down the same way they met: through an arranged marriage. But she just wants to be free to find love on her own time and in her own way. She hopes that one day she will be able to meet "the one" on her own terms so that she can finally break away from the monotony and rigidity of her parents' outdated traditions."

"Mitsuki", who was too busy staring down at the ground, bumped into a young man. He apologized profusely before taking a good look at the woman before him and smiling genially. On a whim, he introduced himself and she seemed to be warming up to the stranger. They walked further down the path, side by side as the conversation continued.

She turned to Hiei with a mystified expression.

"Well that was a little scary… and I don't even have a jagan eye to read minds like you do!"

"Hn."

He didn't say a word, but she could tell that he was just as confused by the latest developments as she was.

This time an elderly man came there way, his cane rattling against the pavement as he passed them and Botan's eyes lit up.

"His name is Kiyoshi," she informed. "He used to be top-secret spy and he handled all sorts of problems that the government didn't want the public to know about. He was once their most valuable asset, but he grew tired of that lifestyle and the endless danger it brought. Now he lives his life in quiet solitude, enjoying the peaceful times. Although he's officially no longer an agent of the government, he is already ready to take up his old ways again, if needed be."

Hiei shot her a look of disbelief, but she just smiled.

"Do you get the gist of it now?"

"Hn. Pitifully simple."

"Alright, then the next person who comes down the path will be your victim!" she announced.

He set his eyes on a teenaged boy with tan skin, dark curly hair and spectacles. His nose was buried in a book and he didn't seem to pay much attention to his surroundings as he traveled down the path.

Botan looked at him eagerly, awaiting his response.

"His name is of no importance. He is a thoughtless human, who values nothing of consequential significance and spends his time engaging in perverse human activities."

"That was the worst description I have ever heard," she said with a laugh. "Here comes someone else! Why don't you try again?"

"Try again Urameshi."

"That was the fifth try. I don't think we're going to reach her tonight," Yusuke decided, shoving the device in his pocket and ignoring Kuwabara's pleas.

"No, we have to. If Botan says no, then Hiei will need a new target and we can't let that happen."

"Why not?"

"Because, I refuse to let Hiei try and date Yukina!" Kuwabara blurted out.

Kuwabara suddenly found himself on the receiving end of a very disgusted look.

"I think I just threw up in my mouth a little," Yusuke said, breaking the awkward silence that had enveloped them.

"What?" he questioned nervously. "Yukina knows about everything and she's living right here in the human world now. Plus, even though she's a demon, she's the total opposite of Hiei!"

Yusuke opened his mouth in rebuttal, but Kuwabara cut him off.

"And before you go thinking this is completely personal, I promise it isn't. It wouldn't be much of a bet if we used Yukina because Hiei's got some kind of sick crush on her and he would enjoy dating her for two weeks. He's always got his creepy little eyes on her!"

"Kuwabara just stop," Yusuke moaned, covering his ears. "Hiei would never date Yukina."

"Are you saying Yukina isn't good enough for Hiei? She's sweet, pure, innocent, loving, kind and beautiful. Any man would be lucky to have her!"

"No, I'm saying you're a freak!"

"I am not!" Kuwabara argued. "I'm just being logical. Botan is our best option."

"What about Shizuru?" Yusuke joked.

"No way!" Kuwabara wailed. "Hiei's my mortal enemy. If he dated Shizuru it'd just leave a bad taste in my mouth. Enemies are not supposed to date each other's sisters – it's an unwritten rule in the code of manly honor."

Yusuke bit back the urge to laugh and put on a curious expression. "So, you're telling me that if Hiei had a sister, you would never, under any circumstances, allow yourself to date her?"

"Never! She'd probably be rude and ugly, just like him!" Kuwabara replied vehemently.

"I'm going to hold you to that one, Kuwabara," Yusuke promised with a grin.

"Go ahead, it's not like Hiei has a secret sister or something. And even if he did, I would never fall for her!" he proclaimed in return.

They had played a few more rounds of that strange game, only stopping after the stream of humans walking by had ceased. She seemed rather intrigued by his descriptions of the strangers and he could tell that she had completely let her guard down. So much so, that she had begun to ramble on about her day and didn't even notice that he was paying minimal attention.

He had only played the game to appease her. His mind was stuck on the events that transpired prior to the ferry-girl suggesting the game; when she revealed something to him that she had probably never mentioned to anyone else, not even the detective.

The woman was craving freedom; longing for something outside of the realms of the Spirit World. This was exactly the sort of information he needed; it was his opening, his chance to bait her into agreeing to more dates. She had said it herself earlier, this was one of the first times she had engaged in an activity that was entirely independent of her duties to the Spirit World.

If he went about it right, he could turn these dates into a form of freedom for her. There was just one small problem: he lacked the ability to bend people to his will through diplomatic words and mind-games – that was Kurama's forte. He preferred a more straightforward approach, but it was clear that he would have to be a bit more subtle and patient to get what he wanted this time around.

He didn't have much time to contemplate it as her communication device started ringing once more. Finally tired of ignoring it, she flipped it open.

"I'm sorry to call you now of all times, but I didn't know who else to go to!"

An unfamiliar voice answered this time around and Botan's expression changed into one of concern.

"Slow down, Hinageshi what's the matter?"

"I might have, sort of, accidentally broken an artifact while I was putting it back in the vault..."

Botan's eyes widened. "Oh dear, does Koenma know about it yet?"

"No, but when he does I'm going to be in so much trouble!"

"Don't panic – I'll be there soon. It'll be alright, you'll see."

She looked over at Hiei apologetically and sighed.

"Duty calls…"

He watched as she stood up and prepared to summon her oar, wondering if his chance of freedom would fly away with her and remain somewhere high above the clouds, out of his reach forever. He thought he would have more time to enact his plan, but as always, the on goings of the Spirit World proved to be his downfall. He had run out of time; this was his last chance to get through to her and he had to make it count.

"I'm not surprised. There isn't a single day when Spirit World functions effectively," Hiei said as he stood up from the bench, waiting for her to take the bait.

Botan frowned.

"You shouldn't say such callous things, Hiei. We're all doing the best that we can."

"Yes, and in doing the best you can to ensure that the dead are accounted for, you're wasting the very life that was given to you. Death never rests, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't either," he advised in his signature callous tone.

"I don't understand…" she said, bewildered. "Where is all of this coming from?"

"You helped Yukina, so I'm telling you this in return."

Botan remained silent, but there was a tugging at her features that indicated the doubt swirling around in her mind.

"It isn't a crime to want more," he advised. "Take it from someone who's done far worse."

She stood still in her spot as his words sunk in.

He didn't need the jagan eye to know that he had played he had played his role sufficiently, it was all too clearly reflected in her eyes. He had planted the seed of doubt and now all that was left to do was wait. It would take root and grow until there was nothing left for her to do but turn to him.

"You should go," he advised when the sound of the communication mirror started ringing through the night's silent air once more.

Botan broke out of her stupor and nodded. She returned Hiei's cloak with a gentle smile before summoning her oar and taking a seat.

"Thank you for a lovely time, Hiei," she said. Her gaze lingered on his for a moment too long and he knew that he had her right where he wanted her. "Goodnight!"

He nodded in return, watching as her form became smaller and smaller, until she finally disappeared from his sight.

Hiei didn't know the first thing about dating, but there was one thing he was sure of: the ferry-girl would be back and she would take him up on his offer. This was her chance at freedom and she would grab it, no matter who she had to share it with.

All the pieces were lining up in his favor and he smirked, before vanishing into the night.

The first date is officially down! It only took me… nearly a year to complete. I'm very sorry for the wait. I've lost track of the amount of drafts and revisions that this chapter has been through. It was very difficult for me to write (just ask Crystal Koneko, she's seen a few drafts of this wretched chapter) and to be honest, I'm still not completely happy with it. But I figure if I don't get this out now, I'll probably be stuck in an endless loop of revisions and rewrites.

The first date sets the tone for the rest of the story and there needed to be a few believable moments that would cause Botan to continue wanting to date Hiei without immediately and irrationally falling for him. Hope I conveyed it well enough.

Also, Hiei's a huge jerk, isn't he? Don't worry, things won't be so easy for our favorite fire-demon.

I am very excited about this story and I hope that you guys are still interested after all this time. Please drop a review and let me know what you thought.