I don't own YYH!

Chapter 5

"Really? You don't think it's a trivial waste of time?"

"It is a trivial waste of time," he began. "But time is all I have, since I've been sentenced to this world indefinitely."

Botan hesitated.

There was something hidden behind those indifferent eyes and dismissive words, something that she had come to know all too well. After years of suppressing it, she had the uncanny ability to recognize it easily when reflected in others. It was longing. He was longing for the very same thing as her: freedom.

Hiei was tied to this world against his will, and as such, he was must have felt miserable about it. She had never given it much thought before, but the world she that she had so desperately wanted to explore was the very same place that he wanted to escape. It was too cruel of her to drag him through this experience with her.

"Are you absolutely certain you want to go through with this? I don't want to force you into doing something that you don't want to do," she started.

"Nobody forces me into doing anything against my will; you should know that by now."

He seemed very adamant in his answer and she couldn't understand why. Hiei had never particularly liked her nor the human world, so the fact that he was willing to venture out into it with her was puzzling.

"Are you saying that you actually want to try dating me?" she blurted out, pointing a finger at him.

"Take it as you wish."

"This is wonderful! There are so many things to see and try. You won't regret it, I promise!" she exclaimed. "And it's always nice to have a friend by your side when experiencing something new."

Hiei remained oddly quiet, his expression hadn't changed at all and she eyed him critically.

"This is a little strange though. It's unlike you to agree to something so out of your element," Botan noted, as she moved a bit closer to examine him. "Are you sure Koukai didn't hit you too hard back there?"

Crimson eyes narrowed slightly.

"If you're going to question my every motive, I won't go along with this."

"Okay, okay," she appeased, raising her hands up in defense. "I just have a few requests before we agree to anything."

"Go on," he ordered.

"If we're going to do this, we should at least be civil to each other. I know that neither of us has any romantic feelings for the other, but it will make the whole experience much more pleasant if we were respectful and courteous."

"Fine."

He was being oddly compliant, so she ran with it.

"We should also address each other by our actual names. I don't appreciate being called woman all the time."

"Hn."

"Last but not least, if we want to get in touch with each other we can use these. That way you won't have to pop inside of my head," Botan explained. She handed him a communication mirror and Hiei stared at her blankly.

"My way is much easier," he insisted.

"Well, it freaks me out!" Botan said bluntly. "I didn't appreciate all those times you used telepathy to scare me into silence during the Dark Tournament."

"It was effective," he justified.

"That maybe true, but I prefer communicating this way instead. Besides, these handy little gadgets are just as effective and Spirit World certified!" she pitched proudly with an enthusiastic smile.

Hiei eyed the purple compact before shoving it in his pocket.

"It's already programmed to mine. All you have to do is click the small button on the right and the connection will start," Botan instructed.

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

"Good, now I have certain conditions for you as well."

"I suppose that's only fair."

"Refrain from prying into my personal life, do not touch me during one of your emotional outbursts and do not see any other man while we are bound to this arrangement."

Her cheeks flushed and she nodded slowly.

"I guess it makes sense. If we're going to experience dating, we should at least follow some of its rules," she agreed. "I suppose you won't be seeing any other girls while we meet?"

"That's right."

Botan smiled genially.

"I think we've got a good system going here. It's getting late though, so I should probably report back to Koenma," she said, pausing before turning to face him one last time. "I'll see you soon, then?"

Hiei nodded.

It had been a full three days since he last saw Botan.

He had expected her to call him almost immediately upon receiving the communication device, but he had yet to hear a word from the woman.

In that time however, the detective paid him a visit and the teen had a few things to say.

"Alright, lover-boy, it's time to explain yourself. What the hell was that little stunt you pulled earlier? We 'tricked' you into dating Botan?"

"She came to that conclusion on her own. I didn't see the need in correcting her."

"Looks like I underestimated you," Yusuke said, rubbing his chin as he eyed the fire-demon critically. "I'll let that one slide, but now the rest of the dates have to be a mutual thing and not because Botan thinks you were tricked into doing it.

"That has already been taken care of it."

"What?"

"The ferry-girl came to me. She wanted to continue the perverse ritual you humans call dating and I accepted."

Yusuke's jaw hung low and he was at a loss for words.

"You got her to ask you out?"

"I already told you what I thought on the whole subject of dating: it requires little effort."

Putting up with the ferry-girl took more effort than he cared to admit, but the look on Yusuke's face far outweighed the price of a his white lie.

However, Yusuke's confused look twisted into something far more devious as the corners of his mouth upturned into his trademark smirk.

"I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. You always were a sneaky little bastard, so manipulating Botan into dating you couldn't have been too hard. But now the real struggle begins. I think it's time to define the terms of the bet."

"I'm listening," Hiei returned.

"Let's see how long you can last dating Botan for a month. Within that time, you've got to put up with six more dates. If we tack on the previous date you guys had, that makes it a lucky seven overall."

It was a reasonable request and so Hiei nodded.

"Fine."

"But that's not all. Dating isn't just going on dates. You've still got to put in some effort, even when you're not together."

"I don't follow."

"Drop by unexpectedly or call her up to see how she's doing. Girls love it when a guy does those things."

"Fine," he gritted.

"As for how we'll monitor you, well, you've got to report back to us. Tell us where you took her, what you did and how it went. And if you even think of lying, women love to gossip. I'm sure we'll get loads of information from the girls if you decide to embellish the truth."

"There will be no need for that. I'm not as juvenile as you, detective."

"So, do we have ourselves a deal?"

Hiei stared at Yusuke's extended hand before swatting it away.

"I accept the terms so long as you can hold up your end of the bargain."

"Alright, then let the games begin."

But the game was on a permanent pause ever since the ferry-girl had failed to contact him. He pulled out the communication mirror and eyed it, as if his will alone could cause it to ring. After a few moments of silence, he flipped the top lid open and pressed the button to the right as he was previously told.

After a few short rings, Botan's image appeared on the small circular screen. She wore an exuberant smile, not much different from the ones plastered on her face when she was in the presence of the detective and the others. It was a little strange to have her looking at him like that, but he ignored it for now.

"Hiei, I've been meaning to call you. It's just been a busy few days."

"Hn."

"There is a carnival tonight, would you like to go?"

"What is a carnival?"

"I've never been to one before, but Keiko told me all about them. There are games and rides and all sorts of interesting foods and sweets! The carnival only stays in one spot for a few days, so we don't have much time."

It sounded harmless enough. She would probably be so wrapped up in the distractions of the carnival that she would have no time to worry or bother him. All he would have to do was be her silent companion.

He nodded his agreement and her smile brightened.

"Great! I'll meet you at 7:00?"

Botan hung up and shortly after she was bombarded with a slew of questions from her favorite apprentice.

"Was that Hiei? Are you going on another date? Are you two in love, yet?"

"Yes, yes and goodness no! This is simply a friendly thing."

"You don't date one of your friends, Botan."

"We're just giving it a try, is all. I get to explore more of the human world and maybe along the way he will see that it isn't so bad."

Hinageshi tilted her head to the side, some of her red bangs spilling over onto her eyes and covering them in the process.

"I still don't get it."

"Well, it's a good thing that I'm the one in this situation and not you," Botan said with a grin.

"The others won't have good things to say about this…"

"I know," Botan said, lowering her gaze. "You don't think I'm crazy, do you?"

"Just a little," Hinageshi teased, pinching her thumb and forefinger together to emphasize her point. "But I've thought that ever since I met you. I like you because of it."

Botan only laughed in response.

"Seriously, Botan," Hinageshi continued. "Their opinions hardly matter. Just do what makes you happy, you deserve it more than anyone else."

"Thanks Hina."

Hiei and Botan had met up at the park adjacent from the carnival and made their way over to the noisy entrance together. Botan had hurried off excitedly while he remained walking at a slow pace, stalling for as long as he could until he caught up with her. She was talking to one of the coworkers, a frown on her face as Hiei approached.

"I don't suppose you have any human currency on you?" she whispered.

Hiei shook his head and she sighed.

"Well, this was a bust. We can't get in without purchasing tickets!"

Hiei looked between Botan's forlorn expression and the disinterested teen. It was only minutes into their second date and she was already disappointed. He needed to keep her satisfied or else the bet would be over before it even started. He would eventually come to regret this, but before reason and logic could sink in and dissuade him, he stepped forward.

"You will let us enter without struggle or complaint."

The boy's dark orbs glossed over behind his glasses as he reached into his pocket and dutifully pulled out two tickets.

"Enjoy your night," he droned, handing the tickets to Hiei.

Botan's eyes widened as they stepped forward.

"You can't just manipulate people like that!"

"I thought you wanted this," he said simply.

"I did, but not this way."

"It was the only way."

"What about the rules? We can't just bend them to our liking just because they don't suit us!"

"You're a ferry-girl from Spirit World and I'm a demon of Makai," Hiei started. "We aren't of this world, so I don't see why I should care about its rules."

"But still…" Botan trailed off uncertainly.

"You're so typically good," Hiei spat.

"I…"

"Live a little, woman," he tempted. "Or have you been so brainwashed by the Spirit World that you are unable to do as little as that?"

Botan bit her lip as her eyes drifted past Hiei's smug expression and landed on the bright lights of the carnival. Her resolve was slowly crumbling and Hiei's intense gaze resting on her form wasn't helping.

"Fine!" she erupted, suddenly. "I'll show you that I can have a good time!"

She passed through the turnstile and entered the area proudly. Hiei trailed behind her and from the moment Hiei exited the turnstile and entered the carnival, he was immediately assaulted with a slew of unpleasant sights, smells, and sounds.

Bright lights flashed in every corner, upbeat and obnoxious music serenaded through open area only partly drowned out by the even more upbeat and obnoxious chatter and laughter of children and adults alike. Farther off in the distance, he noticed a few contraptions twirling, tumbling and whizzing through the air. There was strange food that he had never seen before in shapes and colors that looked completely repulsive.

He turned to Botan to find her eyes lit up in amazement. He was beginning to realize that there wasn't a thing in this world that this woman didn't find fascinating.

"It's wonderful isn't it?"

"Wonderful isn't exactly the word I would use," Hiei answered honestly, narrowing his eyes in an attempt to shield them from the sudden bright lights shining around them.

Botan giggled, before turning to marvel at the structure before them. It was a large, circular object made of metal. He noticed humans loading onto various components attached to the rim of the circle and when everyone was in place, the contraption started moving rotating clockwise.

"What is that?" he questioned.

"It's called a ferris wheel. I've never been on one before, but I distinctly remember Keiko mentioning that you should go on it at the end of the night. Maybe we should save it for last?"

"Fine."

As they walked down the pathway, Botan stopped to stare at a contraption that was spinning together various pink and blue colored foreign substances.

"Cotton candy?" the vendor offered.

"Oh, I'd love some!" Botan exclaimed.

The moment she accepted the treat she remembered that she had no money.

"Uh, I don't-"

"Don't worry," the boy said. "For you, it's free."

He winked and Botan's smile widened as she accepted the treat.

"That was awfully nice of him, don't you think?"

"Awfully stupid," Hiei retorted. "How does he expect to make a profit if he hands out free items to every pretty girl he sees?"

Botan stopped walking and blinked at Hiei.

"You think I'm pretty?"

"He thinks you're pretty," Hiei corrected quickly.

"Oh," she sounded a bit disappointed but perked up quickly. "Well, that was still nice of him!"

Hiei resisted the urge to snort. Human males were so easily swayed by the opposite sex.

Botan pulled a strip off of the item and experimentally tasted it. Her eyes lit up, signaling her approval of the treat and she began liberally plopping more pieces into her mouth.

"Would you like some?" she offered, pushing the cotton candy towards Hiei.

"No."

"But it's really tasty!"

"No."

"Just try a little bit! It's sweet, just the way you like it!"

"No."

"Oh come on, Hiei. Surely one taste won't kill you?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"Are you hard of hearing I said—"

She proceeded to swiftly slip a bit of it into his mouth, before skipping off happily to the nearest vendor.

Hiei stood in the spot where she left him, trying to control his bloodlust. He was going to kill her. She actually forced that sickeningly sweet nonsense into his mouth and ran off. He had killed people over far less harmless gestures. He opened his mouth to spit it out, but the treat had already melted away, leaving behind a faint sugary taste on his tongue.

He stalked over to Botan with clenched fists and blazing crimson eyes.

"Did you like it?" she asked innocently, as if her previous actions were a normal thing.

Truth be told it was gone before he could even decide.

"No, and if you ever do that again, I'll—"

"Oh look! It's a photo booth. We should take a few so long as we don't have to pay."

"No."

"Fine, I guess I'll have to take it by myself, then."

She gave in far too easily and much too soon, but Hiei thought nothing of it as she walked over the booth and ventured inside. He decided it was probably best that they weren't enclosed in a cramped space together, lest he get the urge to seriously hurt the girl. He walked over to the front of the strange device and stood outside of it, waiting on her.

A few moments passed until her heard her muffled voice call out to him.

"Would you mind coming inside? I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, but it isn't working."

The two of them were equally clueless when it came to human devices, but in the hopes of avoiding another squabble, he pushed aside the thick red curtains and slid inside. The interior was small and dark, save for the small light illuminating from the screen in the center. Once seated on the bench, Hiei moved closer to Botan in order to view the screen more clearly. Before he had a chance to react, Botan's arm extended and she pressed a button on with her index finger. He heard the sounds of a shutter clicking and by the time he realized what was going on, it was too late.

He turned to her with a glare and she smiled sheepishly.

"There, now that wasn't so bad, was it?" she teased good-naturedly.

Hiei saw the pictures expel from a slot within the machine and swiftly grabbed them before Botan had the chance to.

"Oh, don't be like that, Hiei! I'm sure you look great in them!"

"You're more devious than you appear, ferry-girl," he growled out.

"You left me no choice. You were being such a grumpy pants and I just wanted you to participate in some of the activities, too."

"So, you would trick me in order to get your way?"

"You make it sound much worse than it is, really…" she said, pouting slightly.

"Hn. I should burn these here and now," he threatened.

Her eyes widened fearfully and he smirked in return. This was the way it should be – rather than her continually teasing and tricking him, he should have been the one with the upper-hand, as he had usually been in the past. He realized that she was a persistent woman who wouldn't give up so easily. He noticed the way her eyes followed the movement of the tickets in his hand and any moment now, she would make her move. Hiei was correct in his prediction as seconds later she grinned and her hand shot forward in an effort to reclaim the pictures. He pulled his arm back just in time, but the woman was surprisingly quick. There wasn't much space within the photo booth to begin with and with Botan reaching over to swipe the pictures, the distance between them lessened. Botan made one final stretch in an attempt to reclaim the precious photos and ended up overshooting, crashing directly into Hiei.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall all over you," she murmured, lifting herself off of him and pausing to gage his reaction.

He froze for a moment; he would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the way she was pressed up against him. Never before had he thought of the ferry-girl in that way, but it was hard to ignore when she was suddenly so close. Any other male in the same predicament would think the same, he justified. However, she was just a means to an end and that was all. He had decided right there and then that he would never cross the line with her. The stakes were too high to do anything risky and she was a far stretch from his type, anyway.

He passed the film strips back to her before exiting the booth. Botan accepted them with a shocked expression, before exiting the area as well and examining the pictures once they were back in the open and lit area of the carnival.

"You're very photogenic for a guy who doesn't like taking pictures," she announced, breaking the awkward silence. "And you look absolutely adorable in the first one!"

She pointed to the first picture, where Hiei was completely caught off-guard. His eyes were wide and lacked the dangerous slant they usually held. The subsequent images on the strip showcased his increasing anger as his expression became slightly more enraged with each picture.

"Adorable?" he spat.

"In a manly sort of way…" she corrected with a grin. "Here, you can keep the second copy."

Hiei held it in his hand and started at it for a few moments. He had never had his photograph taken before and it was strange to see his own image mirrored in the small strip of film. Even stranger, was the stark contrast between his dark countenance and the ferry-girl's bright one. It wasn't like him to keep meaningless tokens and trinkets but he pocketed it nonetheless, if only to appease her for the moment.

As Botan traversed past the many sights and attractions of the carnival, she thought over the earlier half of their night. She had been treating Hiei as if he were Yusuke or Kuwabara – but she wondered if it was too much, too soon. She and Hiei certainly weren't as close as she was with the other boys. She had even gone as far as force-feeding him cotton-candy. Sure, they were on a date and they were required to be friendly with each other, but she hoped she hadn't crossed any lines. It seemed like an innocent and friendly thing to do at the time, but the more she thought about it the hotter her face felt. She definitely wasn't close enough with Hiei to do something like that.

Then she tricked him into taking some photos with her. She knew it was wrong, but it was pretty fun to play around with him and the pictures were completely worth it. He really did look every bit as adorable as she claimed he did. She wasn't used to seeing that expression on the usually ill-tempered or indifferent fire-demon and now she had the moment memorialized in the photos.

She decided for the remainder of the night, she would still attempt to include him, but wouldn't push the subject if he chose to opt out of any further activities. It was only fair.

As her eyes roamed the area for something else to do, she immediately noticed a ring-toss station. There was the cutest plush panda on display and she had to have it.

"Do you want to play any of the games, Hiei?" Botan asked, coming to a halt. "They look fun and if you win, you get a prize!"

Hiei's crimson orbs passed over the various stuffed animals and then stopped to glare at Botan.

"Does it look like I have any use for such trivial things?"

Botan giggled as the image of Hiei sleeping peacefully with a stuffed animal popped into her head.

"Well, you can always win one for Yukina or even Kurama's mother as a sign of gratitude! I'm sure either one of them would love it!"

"I'll pass."

"In that case… do you mind if I tried it?"

"You can do whatever you want. This is what you wanted," he reminded her.

The way he said it was devoid of emotion or feeling, but it struck a chord within Botan. She had never been the focus of anything before and as such, most of her life had always been assisting, aiding and guiding. She was always Lord Koenma's top ferry girl, or the Spirit Detective's assistant. But tonight, she was just Botan and she was free to do whatever she wanted. She smiled at Hiei and nodded, before making her way over to the game station.

After talking with the employee for a moment, she sighed in frustration.

"We need money for this, too!" she pouted. "Isn't it enough that we paid for entry?"

"Entry includes admittance, use of our facilities and the rides. Food and games are on you," the girl behind the counter advised.

She looked at Hiei and already knew what he was thinking.

"Oh no, we couldn't," she whispered. "Especially not after how we got in!"

"Have it your way."

He began to walk away and she stopped him.

"Wait… maybe just one game wouldn't hurt," she reasoned.

"Give her as many turns as she likes," he told the employee.

Botan gasped and Hiei shrugged.

"You look like the clumsy type; it might take more than one try," he supplied.

Botan resisted the urge to smile as she feigned anger.

"Hmph, I'll show you."

Five minutes and many unsuccessful attempts later Botan groaned. The objective of the game was to throw the rings successfully over the mouth of a bottle but she had yet to succeed. She was sure that this game was rigged. It was just too hard.

"Ah this is impossible! I'll never get the panda at this rate!"

Hiei shot her a knowing look.

"And no, don't give me that look, Hiei! We can't manipulate this poor girl any further. I at least have to gain my prize fair and square!"

Hiei sighed, uncrossing his arms and grabbing three of the rings. He tossed them and one after another and they all landed on their target.

Botan clapped her hands together, her bright eyes wide with wonder.

"Oh, Hiei, I could just hug you right now!

His eyes narrowed, indicating his disapproval and she laughed nervously.

"But I promise I won't!

"Miss, which prize do you want?" the worker cut in as she motioned behind her to an array of prizes. "You can choose from any of the ones available."

Botan gleefully pointed over to the small panda and the girl procured it from the rack and passed it to the ferry-girl with a smile.

She hugged it tightly to her chest and the two of them made their way around the carnival, stopping at various stands and stations so that Botan could observe others play or participate herself. By now, she felt less guilt over letting Hiei use his special talents to ensure that she got a turn. The time flew by quickly and they were on their last stop for the night: the ferris wheel. The line had become nonexistent, so by the time they arrived, they were immediately seated.

As the ride began its rotation and neared the top, Botan suddenly let out a squeal as Keiko's words came drifting back to her.

"I usually like to save the ferris wheel for last. It sounds stupid, but I think the tradition of kissing once you reach the top is very romantic. I'd like to try it just once, if Yusuke was ever around for us to go out, that is."

"What is it, don't tell me you suddenly have a fear of heights?"

"No that's not it…"

"Well?"

"I just remembered why Keiko said you should save the ferris wheel for last. She said that it's really romantic if you kiss when you reach the top…"

"Hn. Foolish human sentiments."

"Yes," Botan quickly agreed. "It's a good thing we're already on our way down.

Going on a date with Hiei was one thing, but kissing him? That was absolutely out of the question.

"…Why are we going back up?" Hiei asked suddenly, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"I guess the ride lasts for a few revolutions," Botan noted nervously. "That's okay, it just means we have more chances to enjoy the beautiful view."

"I'm sure you've seen the same thing a thousand times while you're flying around on that stick."

"My oar," Botan corrected. "In theory, I can. But I'm usually too busy ferrying the departed souls or wrapped up in a new crisis to really appreciate the view from way up here. It feels different tonight."

Hiei's gaze averted from hers and he looked out into the distance.

"Then you should enjoy it while you can."

Botan nodded slowly, a little taken aback by Hiei's statement. She stared at him shamelessly for a few moments, taking in the softness of his features and the unguarded look in his eyes. She was glad that he was too busy looking elsewhere, because she found it hard to turn away in that moment.

She knew that deep down, behind all of the walls that he put up, Hiei was a good soul. Unfortunately, she hadn't had much of a chance to see it displayed on her, but maybe some time during their little dating arrangement, she would be granted the opportunity to witness a side of him that she rarely saw.

Before the ride ended, she snuck in one last glance at the fire-demon and made a promise to herself: she would enjoy every moment of her time with the Hiei, because she knew that this freedom wouldn't last forever.

That's two dates down, five more to go! Can Hiei keep up this ruse – only time will tell!

I just wanted to say I really appreciate those who take their time to read and leave a review. It is the only form of feedback I get and I truly treasure each and every comment I get from you readers. Your kind reviews motivate me to keep writing in the times when I think it might just be easier to give it all up. But there is something about Hiei and Botan that always pulls me back!

Seems like the H/B fandom is really small nowadays, but to those who are sticking with it, I commend you!

Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please drop a note and let me know what you thought!