I don't own YYH!
Chapter 6
"Is something the matter, Yusuke? What was the need to meet so urgently?"
Yusuke and Kuwabara had called him earlier and asked if he was available. Kurama assumed it was something important by the urgency in the detective's request, but as he watched Yusuke saunter around his room leisurely and snoop through his things, he realized that he was sorely mistaken.
"Yusuke," Kurama pressed, attempting to catch his attention.
"Oh, right," Yusuke said, resting one of Kurama's books out of order on the shelf and turning to face him. "Did Hiei tell you anything about his dates with Botan?"
"Hiei knows how I feel about his current situation. He wouldn't come to me to brag about his progress."
"Aw man, we figured you of all people would know something," Kuwabara admitted from his seated position near the work-table.
"Why would you think that?"
"You always seem to know more than the rest of us…" he replied as if it were a plainly obvious fact.
"I'm afraid I can't be of any help this time," Kurama informed.
"Too bad Hiei's always so MIA, we could've gotten some answers directly from the source," Yusuke mentioned.
Kurama refrained from responding. Truth be told, Hiei was closer than they thought.
"Hey isn't this the shrimp's cloak?" Kuwabara asked, as turned around in the chair and motioned to the familiar black material hanging off of it.
"Yeah, it is the little guy's," Yusuke agreed, looking over at Kurama. "Is he here?"
There was no point in trying to hide it now.
"Yes, he arrived just a few minutes before you two did actually."
"Hey, there's something falling out of his pocket," Kuwabara observed, moving closer to take a look.
"Kuwabara, it isn't wise to go rummaging through Hiei's things," Kurama warned.
But his advice went ignored as the orange-haired teen outstretched his hand and grabbed the item curiously. He turned it over in his palm and immediately let out a gargled noise of disbelief.
"Urameshi, you've gotta see this!"
Yusuke hurried over to Kuwabara's side, before snatching the item out of his hand and staring down at it. His eyes widened comically before he erupted into a fit of laughter.
Curious, Kurama finally made his way over to the two of them and joined them in viewing the mysterious item. Upon catching a sight of the images, he couldn't blame them for their outlandish reactions. It was a photo booth picture of Hiei and Botan, presumably from one of their recent dates. Hiei's expression progressed from shocked and confused to furious within just a few frames.
"This is priceless!" Yusuke hooted. "I can't believe Botan even got him to take the pictures."
"Heh, it's only the second date and he's already whipped," Kuwabara sniggered.
"It appears as though she tricked him into it," Kurama noted. "Under normal conditions, Hiei would never agree to having his photo taken."
"That's even funnier," Yusuke hooted, while Kuwabara nodded his agreement.
Although the idea in and of itself was amusing, Kurama couldn't bring himself to freely indulge in its hilarity as his companions did. The fact that Botan was oblivious to their scheming still posed a problem. It wasn't his place to interfere and he had already told Hiei that he would no longer voice his opinion on the matter, but as he stared at the picture he found himself wondering how she would fare once this little ruse was over.
When Koenma had summoned Botan into his office, her first assumption was that there was another mission that needed to be carried out. She wondered if she would be present this time, or if Koenma simply needed her to relay the message to the boys. As she continued her trek down the corridor, she noticed the others staring at her in the same manner as before. She didn't like being the center of attraction or the main topic of every gossip filled conversation. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to ignore the unsubtle remarks and she hoped that their interest would dwindle with time.
As the sounds of hushed conversations all presumably about her bounced off of the walls, a jarring though suddenly occurred to her: perhaps Koenma had learned about her decision to continue dating Hiei through the grapevine and was calling her to his office to talk her out of it. She visibly winced as she remembered the last time Koenma had yelled at her; his voice became extremely shrill and high-pitched and she was sure that the whole east wing could hear him reprimanding her.
As she entered the office, she found the prince seated in his oversized chair, caught in the middle of a stamping frenzy.
"Koenma, sir. You called for me?" she asked, lingering near the threshold of door hesitantly.
"Yes, please come in," he called. "I've got a new assignment for you, Botan."
Relief flooded over her when she realized that he summoned her because of a work-related problem and not a personal-related one.
"For me?" she asked, stepping into his office curiously.
"Yes and it will be an unpleasant one. The higher ups are requesting a report detailing the daily activities of the demons currently residing in the human world. I need you to go and conduct a report on Yukina, Kurama and Hiei."
Botan's eyebrows shot up in surprise as her eyes widened.
"But they're all our allies and our friends! Isn't that sending the wrong message?"
Koenma sighed.
"This recent order was more of a jab against me; they don't really care about the report. They were just trying to insinuate - in the most roundabout way possible - that my most recent decisions have been completely unwarranted and unfounded."
"That's despicable!"
"That's the way they operate, unfortunately."
Botan crossed her arms over her chest and huffed.
"Well, even if we follow the new procedure, I'm positive we won't find anything incriminating on Yukina, Hiei or Kurama."
"That's precisely I'm hoping to get this wrapped up as soon as possible," he said, handing her a clipboard with a few sheets of paper attached. "You'll need to ask each of them to answer the questions honestly and detail your findings in a report."
Botan looked down at the report before looking back at Koenma.
"You can count on me!"
"There's one more thing," he added imperatively.
"Yes?"
"In Hiei's case, I would advise against including anything that has to do with your little excursions. In the off chance that they do end up reading it, it might be a cause for concern," Koenma informed.
Botan paused.
"…You knew?"
"Yes. Just be careful," he warned.
"Hiei really isn't as dangerous as you'd think."
"That's not what I meant," he said. "Spirits love to gossip, especially the ones in this place. I wouldn't take anything they say to heart."
Botan nodded slowly, considering it easier said than done before casting her gaze at Koenma.
"I'll let the others know about the new procedure right away."
Yusuke and Kuwabara's laughter ended when they heard the familiar sound of the communication device ringing. In the time it took for Yusuke to feet around his various pockets and frown when he realized that he did not currently have his device, Kurama had already pulled the item out of Hiei's cloak and answered.
"Kurama? That's funny, I could have sworn I called Hiei!"
"You did," Kurama said. "Hiei is unavailable at the moment, do you need anything?"
"Actually, yes. Would you and Hiei mind meeting me at Genkai's temple today? There's a new rule in place and I need to speak with you, Hiei and Yukina about it. I would much rather explain it in person, as it is a delicate subject."
"Hey, what about the rest of the team?" Yusuke cut in, leaning forward to get a better view of the blue-haired woman.
"You and Kuwabara are off the hook today," Botan said with a grin. "This impromptu meeting is for the demons only."
"I understand," Kurama said. "We will leave shortly."
"Thank you. I'll explain everything once I see you," Botan promised, before the connection ended.
Kurama returned the device to its former position in Hiei's cloak at about the same time that Yusuke decided to say something strangely out of character.
"I gotta admit, I'm kind of curious to see what's going on. We should head out once Hiei makes his grand entrance."
"We?" Kuwabara echoed.
"I'm the Spirit Detective; if there's Spirit World business, I should be the first to know," Yusuke justified.
"Botan made it clear that this matter has nothing to do with your duties as the Spirit Detective," Kurama supplied.
"Yeah and aren't you always trying to get out of Spirit World business? What gives?" Kuwabara pressed suspiciously.
"Get off my case! I'm going and that's final," Yusuke answered firmly.
Kuwabara and Kurama exchanged knowing looks.
"You're trying to get out of something, aren't you?" Kuwabara probed.
"Maybe."
"Well, what is it?" the psychic asked.
"I was supposed to go to the movies today with Keiko," Yusuke muttered.
"That doesn't seem so bad," Kuwabara said with a shrug.
"It wouldn't be, except Keiko had to choose this stupid foreign chick flick that she heard about from one of her friends," he finally revealed. "I would rather deal with Koenma's latest crisis than sit through three and a half hours of torture."
"You shouldn't lie to her, Urameshi," Kuwabara advised. "Girls always have a way of finding the truth."
"I'll just invite her to Genkai's, then. No big deal."
"Well, I wouldn't mind going," Kuwabara said as a goofy grin spread over his features. "I'll get to see Yukina again!"
"Suit yourselves. We will make the journey over once Hiei is ready," Kurama told them.
"Speaking of, where is he and what is he doing?" Yusuke asked, pocketing the photo booth pictures.
Kurama started to answer, but he was interrupted when Hiei entered the room.
"Finally, we've been waiting forever for you," Yusuke said. "What were you doing anyway?"
"I don't see why that is any of your business," Hiei countered.
Kuwabara sniffed the air experimentally.
"It smells all clean and soapy," he noted.
"Did you just use Kurama's shower?" Yusuke questioned incredulously, pointing an accusing finger in Hiei's direction.
When the fire-demon refused to answer, the two turned to Kurama for answers.
"Hiei uses the washroom when my mother is out," Kurama explained.
"And you wonder why people get the wrong idea about you two," Yusuke muttered. "Do you do his laundry, too?"
Kurama chose to ignore that comment and instead turned to face Hiei.
"We have been requested at Genkai's temple. Botan hasn't specified the reason, but I assume it is important."
"Is it another mission?"
"No, I don't think so. It sounded serious, though."
Hiei turned to glare over at Yusuke.
"I trust you're working on a way of upholding your end of the deal, detective. I don't particularly enjoy being at Spirit World's beck and call."
"No, but I'm sure you wouldn't mind being at Botan's beck and call," Yusuke teased, raising his eyebrows cheekily.
Kurama could have sworn he saw Hiei hesitate for a short moment, as though he were remembering something that validated Yusuke's statement, before a scowl spread over the fire-demon's features. He snatched his cloak and exited the room without another word, prompting Yusuke and Kuwabara to exchange sly grins.
Kurama sighed. It was never a dull day when the entire team was together and he resigned himself to his fate as he headed out after them.
Hiei wasn't expecting to find Yusuke and Kuwabara in Kurama's room when he returned, but the very sight of the two grinning teens instantly soured his mood. He was inclined to make use of Kurama's house when necessary. It wasn't something he was proud of, but Kurama had offered and he would be a fool to decline it because of his injured pride. It was just another reason why he needed to go back to the only place he truly belonged.
He was suddenly jolted out of his thoughts by Yusuke's teasing voice.
"Say Hiei, I didn't know you were so photogenic."
"You do know you're supposed to smile when you take a picture, right?" Kuwabara taunted.
"What are you two mindlessly going on about?" Hiei asked, not bothering to turn around to face the others. From what he was told, Botan had only requested his and Kurama's presence. He didn't know why Yusuke and Kuwabara had insisted on joining them and he certainly didn't know why they had decided to bring along a guest.
"What's that in your hand Yusuke?" Keiko piped in, before letting out a surprised gasp. "Is that Botan and…"
She failed to complete her train of thought, but she didn't have to; the realization had already dawned on Hiei and his eyes narrowed. He turned around and glared at the three of them, but Yusuke and Kuwabara's smug expressions never dropped and Keiko was too absorbed in the picture to care.
"Looks like you had loads of fun on your date," Yusuke teased.
"A-a-a date?" the girl stammered, looking between Yusuke and Kuwabara for an explanation.
Hiei snatched the picture out of the detective's hands and concealed it in his pocket. He didn't know why he chose to keep it instead of disposing of the item, but it was too late to do anything about it now.
"Botan didn't tell you?" Yusuke said conversationally. "She's been dating Hiei."
"I think I stepped into an alternate universe…" Keiko mumbled, massaging her temples to fend off the oncoming headache.
"Urameshi isn't lying and this isn't one of his weird jokes. It's the truth," Kuwabara reiterated.
"But why?" she blurted out.
"Oh, you know how it is. When a guy likes a girl, he asks her out. The rest is history," Yusuke clarified.
"I must be dreaming…"
Hiei rolled his eyes and picked up the pace, distancing himself from the group until he could no longer hear them. It was bad enough that he was being forced into dating the woman; he didn't need the whole world knowing about it and sharing their opinions on the matter.
His thoughts drifted back to Botan momentarily. It had been two days since their last date. That meant a whole week had passed since he first agreed to the terms and conditions of the bet. He had three more weeks to successfully survive through five more degrading outings. It was more than enough time, but he wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.
He continued on to Genkai's temple without any further interference from the others. When they arrived, he found Botan and Yukina seated on the temple steps, chatting amongst themselves. He felt a rush of air pass by as Kuwabara made a beeline straight for Yukina, taking her hands in his excitedly as he greeted her. By the time Hiei and the rest of the group made it to the entrance of the temple, Kuwabara's greeting had evolved into a full on declaration of his love for Yukina and - in Hiei's opinion - a full on display of how foolish the boy truly was.
"Well isn't this a pleasant surprise," Botan said, standing up and putting her hands on her hips. "I originally called Hiei and Kurama here, but I wasn't expecting the whole gang to arrive!"
"Yusuke and Kuwabara insisted on joining us despite that," Kurama replied.
"Yusuke, you told me it was a mandatory team meeting!" Keiko accused. "And you said I should come along to spend time with the girls while the team discussed the latest mission."
"I could've sworn I heard Botan call it a team meeting," he lied sheepishly.
"That's not true, I specifically told you it was a meeting for the demons only," Botan reminded him.
Yusuke began to voice a long-winded lie, but Hiei took a step forward.
"Save the melodramatics for later, detective. I'm more interested in hearing why she called us here today," Hiei cut in.
"Right," Botan said as she straightened her posture and put on a more serious expression, her tone changing slightly to match the change in mood. "There was a new procedure put into practice, effective today. Spirit World would like to keep records detailing the daily lives of the demons that Koenma has currently allowed to reside within his jurisdiction of the human world."
Kurama's lips pressed into a tight line, but he otherwise nodded his agreement.
Yukina's expression hadn't changed at all, her gaze focused on Botan as she waited for further instruction.
Hiei seemed to be the only one who had a problem with her request and he contemplated leaving. Technically, he was still on probation and as such, it was an understandable request. However, Hiei was never one for complying with any of Spirit World's standard procedures, so the sudden news bothered him greatly.
"I can't believe Koenma would do something so low! Doesn't he trust you guys?" Kuwabara voiced loudly.
"Please don't misunderstand. Koenma was ordered to do it by officials of equal or higher rank. They haven't been satisfied with any of his current rulings, one of them being the decision to allow demons residency in the human world."
"So it wasn't pacifier breath's idea?" Yusuke probed.
"Goodness no! Koenma trusts you all, but he doesn't have a choice in the matter. I'm sure the officials won't even bother to look at the reports; they've already made their point loud and clear."
"I understand," Yukina said, stepping forward. "I'm very grateful for Koenma allowing me to stay here after the Dark Tournament. Besides, I have nothing to hide."
"Nor do I," Kurama affirmed.
Hiei crossed his arms, but otherwise did not say a word.
"Now all that's left is you, Hiei," Botan said, looking over at him hopefully.
"Hn."
Botan smiled, taking his noncommittal grunt as his agreement to proceed.
"Excellent! I filled out a majority of the questionnaire portion beforehand; most of them were quite rude and I didn't feel the need to subject you all to such prying questions," she divulged. "I would still like to get some official words straight from the source about what each day is like, for the sake of credibility."
"That's understandable," Kurama agreed.
"We should probably do this privately, though. Kurama, let's start with you."
Hiei watched as Kurama nodded and followed her inside of the temple. As he watched them disappear behind one of the doors, he felt someone else's gaze on his back.
"What do you want?" Hiei spat.
"Getting a little nervous?" Yusuke asked.
"Why would I be nervous?"
"Botan just locked herself in a room with Kurama."
"I fail to see the point you're so vaguely trying to make."
"Kurama's really foxy and all the ladies love him! He might sweep Botan right off her feet and onto her back."
"Yusuke, that's disgusting!" Keiko admonished.
Hiei looked away as their conversation progressed into another one of their petty spats, his gaze inadvertently landing on Kuwabara and Yukina chatting near the pond. Hiei grimaced as Kuwabara grinned at Yukina, like the love-struck fool that he was. He knew that his sister was fond of the blubbering buffoon, but he hoped that an amicable fondness was the extent of her feelings.
Before long, he noticed that the noise of the detective's argument faded as Keiko's anger melted and they began talking in normal tones. Hiei was sure that the detective would always be drawn to her and she would always take him back - no matter how long he disappeared for or how badly he screwed up - and he was equally sure that Kuwabara's apparent affection towards Yukina would never diminish, either. Even delinquents like Yusuke and Kuwabara had latched onto the principal beliefs that were evident in this world; the one that dictated that monogamy and love were somehow essential parts of life.
He never understood the appeal in committing to only one person; he had never cared or been interested enough to try. From a logical standpoint it didn't make any sense: feelings always faded, interest always dwindled and curiosity and lust always caused people to covet what they didn't have. It was foolish to believe that you could remain with one person for your entire life.
Besides that, he had never even experienced love, even in its most basic familial or platonic forms. For someone to love you, they needed to like you and he knew very well that he was not the likeable sort. It suited him just fine. Life was much easier without the distraction and troubles that others brought along with them. He didn't have it in his heart to care for others, so it was only natural that he remained alone. Unlike most humans and even some demons, seclusion was not something that troubled Hiei. In fact, solitude was the only familiar concept in his life. It was his constant. It would never change and in a strange way, he took solace in that.
He shook his head before turning his back on the others and tuning them out. In any case, he would only have to remain committed to the ferry-girl for a few more dates and then he would return to the solitary life he belonged to.
Botan had saved Hiei for last, because she knew that out of the three, he would be the most angry and least cooperative out of the trio of demons. She hoped he would have simmered down in the time that in the time it took for her to interview both Kurama and Yukina, but as he entered the room with a frown tugging at his features, she realized that no matter how much time she had given him he would always oppose anything that had to do with Spirit World.
"Hello Hiei. Please have a seat," Botan greeted, motioning to the chair on the other side of the table. "I'll try to make this quick."
"Fine," he said, taking a seat in the empty chair across from her.
"Though, I think I already know what you're going to say," Botan guessed with a grin, before reciting the very words he told her on their first date. "I sleep, I train, I fight?"
"Wrong. Lately, there's been a change in the routine," Hiei corrected.
Botan's eyebrows rose inquisitively and her eyes lit up in amusement.
"Really? Do tell!" Botan urged, moving to the edge of the seat eagerly. Hiei never openly divulged any part of his life with her, so this was an unexpected surprise.
"It isn't something I'm proud of, nor is it something I would brag about."
"I won't tell anyone, I promise!" Botan assured. "I won't even add it to the report!"
"Lately I've been going to strange places with an even stranger woman and partaking in the most degrading of acts."
The ferry-girl nearly fell out her chair.
"Hey, are you calling me strange?"
Hiei only smirked in response.
"And here I thought we were making progress!" she muttered. "Besides, Koenma advised against mentioning our dates in the reports."
He opened his mouth to respond, but Botan immediately cut him off.
"Not because he disapproved, but because the officials are close-minded. Koenma didn't think it would be a good idea for them to know."
"For once I agree with him," Hiei said, crossing his arms and leaning back in the chair.
"Me too," Botan said with a smile. "Besides, it really isn't any of their business and I'm sure they would disapprove. It's bad enough that I get all of this attention from my subordinates and superiors, I don't want the officials on my back, too."
Hiei remained silent and she shook her head.
"Oh my, this was supposed to be a report about you and here I am chattering on about little old me. So, in your own words, could you please detail how a day in the life of Hiei passes by?"
"I sleep, I train, I fight."
"…Maybe we should embellish that part a bit," she said, putting the pen to the paper and scribbling some more notes down. "Do you ever come to the temple to visit Yukina?"
"No."
"Really?"
"Really," he deadpanned.
"You should try it sometime."
When he only glared in response, Botan quickly changed the subject.
"Let's see… you go on plenty of missions for Koenma. That's one thing we can list," she said as she wrote it down. "And I'm sure you visit Kurama from time to time as well. Is there anything else you'd like to add?"
"No."
"Alright, that should do it," Botan said as she stood up. "I'll just compile all of these into one report and we'll be done with it. That wasn't so bad, now was it?"
"It wasn't as bad as it was unnecessary," he replied, following her as she exited the room.
"Have you gotten everything you needed?" Kurama asked.
"Yes," Botan responded with a nod. "I think I'll stay a bit longer and spend some time with Yukina, but you're all free to leave if you wish."
Hiei was the first to turn around and begin to walk away, but he was interrupted.
"Not so fast," Yusuke called out, running over to Hiei's side and speaking to him in hushed tones. After a few moments, Hiei grunted and turned away, but made no effort to leave the area. Yusuke grinned triumphantly as he looked at the group again. "We might as well stay for a while and Hiei's even decided to join us."
Botan thought it was strange that Hiei did not issue one of his patented death threats and stomp away, but she decided not to dwell on it. This was the first time since the Dark Tournament that the whole gang was together again. She frowned, well, almost the whole gang. Shizuru was at work and Genkai was inside one of the many rooms of the temple, enjoying the peace and quiet. Still, they had a pretty sizable group here, and it would be a waste for them all to disperse so quickly.
"I'll prepare some snacks," Yukina announced through a smile.
"We'll help you," Keiko offered as she and Botan followed the ice-maiden to the kitchen.
"What was that about?" Kuwabara asked, once he was sure that the girls were out of earshot.
"Dating isn't just about going on dates. Hiei's gotta put in some time and effort and I think that this qualifies."
"Oh yeah! Good idea, Urameshi."
"So how many dates have you guys been on?" Yusuke inquired.
"Two," Hiei said before smirking.
Yusuke and Kuwabara exchanged worried looks.
"You're moving a little fast there, aren't you buddy?" Yusuke admitted begrudgingly.
"Hn, like I've told you before, the act of dating is pitifully simple."
"On the contrary, the dating game is a dangerous one, Hiei," Kurama spoke up. "Hearts are fragile; they break at the slightest malevolent touch. You shouldn't play with love so foolishly."
"This has nothing to do with love, Kurama," the fire-demon denied vehemently. "It's exactly as you said it is: just a game."
"If you say so," Kurama conceded.
Hiei's smirk vanished. He hated it when Kurama interfered but he hated it even more when the fox suddenly acquiesced without a real fight. It was as though he knew something that Hiei didn't – and when that was the case, it usually didn't end well for the fire-demon.
The three girls immediately got busy in the kitchen, preparing lunch, drinks and desserts. Yukina began made various sandwiches, Keiko brewed the tea and Botan took up the task of finishing the desserts. The ferry-girl wasn't much of a cook, but she did enjoy making a dish look pretty. She hummed a tune as she placed the cakes and pastries in certain patterns and positions on the plate with a smile.
"Botan, I don't mean to pry, but can I ask you something personal?" Keiko began.
The bluette paused in her task of rearranging the plate and turned towards the girls.
"Of course you can, dear. I'd like to think we're friends after everything we've been through."
"Right and friends should tell other friends if there are any new developments in their lives, right?" Keiko continued.
"Absolutely!"
"Well, Yusuke and Kuwabara mentioned something to me about you and Hiei. I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen the pictures that Yusuke took from Hiei…"
"Pictures?"
"From the photo booth?" Keiko tried.
"Oh!" Botan said, drawing a hand to cover her mouth. "I didn't realize he still had them, let alone carried them on him!"
"Hiei wasn't too happy, especially since Yusuke and Kuwabara started taunting him about it."
Botan frowned and Keiko continued.
"I know that Yusuke and Kuwabara like to take a joke too far sometimes, so I wasn't sure if I could believe them. It seems completely unbelievable now that I'm about to ask you this out loud, but are you really dating Hiei?"
Yukina's hands halted above the half-finished tray of food, her eyes wide on Botan as she awaited an answer as well.
"Is it true?" the ice maiden asked.
"Sort of," Botan admitted sheepishly. "We've only been out on two dates so far."
"But how…?" Keiko was at a loss for words.
Botan put a finger to her chin, thoughtfully.
"Well, it all started after the first mission to reclaim the mirror of illusion. We were in Koenma's office and Hiei suddenly asked me out! I was shocked, to say the least, but he explained that it was solely as a form of repayment for helping Yu-" Botan stopped immediately, clapping a hand over her mouth and laughing nervously.
Keiko raised a brow at the ferry-girl suspiciously while Yukina continued to stare at Botan expectantly.
"For helping Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and himself so much on missions," she lied. "I had no intentions of accepting, but one thing led to another and I found myself on a date with him."
"What did you two do?" Keiko probed.
"We just took a stroll around the park and enjoyed the scenery. It was the first time we had ever been alone together and surprisingly, it was a pleasant night."
"I see…"
"In fact, it was so pleasant, I asked him if he wanted to make it a regular thing and he accepted."
Keiko's eyes widened upon Botan's confession.
"You willingly subjected yourself to spending more time with him and he actually agreed to it?" she asked.
The ferry-girl nodded and Keiko blinked slowly as she tried to process the whole thing. Botan's gaze landed on Yukina, who had been silent during the whole exchange.
"You don't think it's strange, do you, Yukina?"
"No, I don't," Yukina replied honestly.
"Really?"
"Really," she said supportively. "Kazuma, Yusuke and Kurama all have a place in this world and people that they belong to. Even I've found a place here at this temple and I'm never alone with Genkai around. But from what I can tell, Hiei has no one. It must be very difficult for him, especially since he knows so very little about this world."
The thought shocked both Botan and Keiko into silence. Botan always figured that Hiei liked being alone, but as Yukina's words raced through her mind, she felt an overwhelming sense of pity and sympathy fill her heart.
"I think it's nice that you're spending more time with him and letting him experience how wonderful a world like this can be," Yukina finished.
Keiko turned to Botan imploringly.
"He's really treating you properly and you're really enjoying yourself?"
Botan nodded and Keiko's features lifted into a warm smile as she continued.
"Then I'm on board. No more questions or cynicism from me, I promise."
"Thanks Keiko."
Keiko nodded and began to fill the cups with the freshly brewed tea. Once she finished, she returned her attention back to the ferry-girl and their previous conversation.
"Have you two figured out where you're going next?"
"Last time we went to a carnival, but I was thinking we could do something a bit more low-key this time, for Hiei's sake."
"There's a fireworks show tomorrow night. You could find a secluded spot in the park. Maybe even have a nice night-time picnic while you watch them."
"That sounds wonderful, Keiko," Botan exclaimed. "Aren't you full of romantic ideas?"
"I've got a ton of ideas, after all of the plans Yusuke has ditched out on," Keiko revealed.
"Yusuke sure is a handful, but if anyone can handle him, it's you," Botan said with a wink.
"I think Yukina's the luckiest out of all of us. Kuwabara's a romantic at heart," Keiko said.
"Kazuma is a good man," Yukina agreed, averting her gaze.
Botan had never seen an ice-maiden blush before, but she was sure if they pestered the girl any further, she might come close.
"We should probably bring the food out, I'm sure I can hear Yusuke's stomach growling from here," Keiko said, picking up the tray of cups.
"I'll bring a plate over to Genkai," Yukina decided, choosing a few select triangular shaped sandwiches that she knew the older woman enjoyed.
"I'll be right out, I just want to finish arranging the desserts," Botan called out as the two girls made their way through the temple.
She became so absorbed in her task, that she hardly noticed when Kuwabara enter the kitchen.
"Uh, Yukina asked me to get the food?" Kuwabara announced, looking around the room.
"Thanks Kuwabara, it's on the counter right over there," she instructed, pausing to point over to the sandwiches.
He walked over to the counter, before stopping and turning to face Botan.
"So, you and Hiei, huh? What's that like?" he inquired.
"It's actually quite pleasant," Botan told him.
"He doesn't just sit there and insult you or glare moodily?"
"No, that wouldn't be any fun."
"He doesn't threaten you to act like you had a good time or you manipulate you with the jagan eye?"
Botan put her hands on her hips as her eyes narrowed.
"Hiei isn't that sort of man and I am appalled that you even thought he was capable of doing such a despicable thing."
Kuwabara put his hands up in defense.
"I didn't mean it like that. I just think it's strange that you're having such an easy time with him."
"Do I have to give you a play by play of our dates for you to believe me?"
"…I am kind of curious to know what he does on a date, now that you mention it," Kuwabara answered honestly.
"Alright, let's start from the beginning. He gave me his cloak when I was cold. We played a little game, and although he was reluctant at first, I think he was enjoying it. Then he listened while I rambled on about my day and towards the end of the date, he even gave me some helpful advice. On our second date, we visited the carnival where we took those photos, he won the cutest little panda bear for me and he even joined me on some of the rides."
"That doesn't sound like Hiei at all," he admitted.
"I'm sure there are lots of sides to him that none of us know about," Botan defended. before her expression softened. "He isn't as open and romantic as you, Mr. Warrior of Love, but I like him just the way he is."
Kuwabara gave her a strange look, but otherwise did not respond.
"What?" she questioned self-consciously.
"You like him?"
"Of course I do. I like Hiei in the same way that I like the rest of the team. You guys are all my friends," Botan explained.
"Oh, I see. For a minute there it kinda sounded like…" he trailed off before shaking his head with a quiet laugh. "Nah."
Botan stared at the psychic in confusion as he laughed at his own private joke. She watched him take the tray of sandwiches and leave, all the while a frown tugged at her mouth. She honestly could not come up with a plausible explanation as to why everyone was so shocked by the fact that she and Hiei were getting along. They had known each other for quite some time now; it was only natural for them to develop an amicable relationship. She shrugged it off, not wanting to waste any more time on the matter before taking the dish of desserts and rejoining the others outside.
Hours passed by and the day advanced into dusk, as the sun started to set and all signs of life began to quiet and settle down. The others were chatting and laughing, but Hiei was content to occupy a secluded spot on the grass, his back propped up against a tree. He found it odd that his solace was not interrupted by another member of the group, but sure enough, a few moments later he felt the creeping sensation of being watched accompanied by a very familiar energy signal.
"You're staring," he said, opening his eyes to see a shock of pink and blue standing before him.
Botan laughed nervously.
"Well, you see, I wanted to ask you… but it looked like you were sleeping…"
"What is it?"
"Do you really carry the photo booth pictures with you?" she blurted out finally.
He had honestly forgotten that he had the pictures on him. Had it not been for Yusuke and Kuwabara's meddling, he would have never realized that he still had item with him.
"Don't misunderstand," Hiei warned her. "It wasn't a sentimental or nostalgic gesture."
"Oh, I'm well aware of that. I was just surprised," she explained. "I thought you would have gotten rid of it by now."
"I can dispose of it right now," he threatened, fully intending to discard the offensive object as he reached his hand out towards his pocket. "It's more trouble than it was worth, anyway."
"No!" Botan said hurriedly, reaching a hand out before retracting it nervously. "I think you should keep them as a memento."
Although his expression didn't change, he obeyed her request, instead choosing to cross his arms over his chest.
"I've kept mine," Botan revealed. She looked around before pulling hers out of her kimono sleeve as if it were a highly confidential secret. "And I still have the panda, too."
"Good for you," he returned sarcastically.
"Are you in a foul mood because Yusuke and Kuwabara have been teasing you all day? We still have some cakes left, I'm sure that will cheer you up!" she tempted, a cat-like grin spreading across her features.
"I'm not a child, Botan. There's no need to coddle me."
Her playful grin vanished and was replaced by a look of bewilderment as she stared at him.
"You used my name…"
"That was one of your conditions in our agreement, wasn't it?"
"Yes, but I didn't think you would actually remember that part," she pointed out.
"I told you, once I enter an agreement, I don't back down," he asserted firmly.
Botan's lips curved downward as she pouted.
"I wish you would stop calling it that. It sounds so formal."
"What else should I call it?" he asked, although he had no intentions of using another term for their current situation.
"I don't know," she admitted, turning towards the sunset with a strange expression on her face. "I don't really know what we're doing, to be perfectly honest."
He looked at her from the corner of his peripheral vision before closing his eyes.
Truth be told, neither did he.
Hey guys! So there was no date in this chapter, but I wanted to pause for a moment to let you all get inside Botan's/Hiei's heads and see where they are at this point. Botan is still troubled by outside opinions (whether they are about her dating Hiei or her need to experience the human world), and she still strictly considers her feelings for Hiei as platonic. Hiei is still stuck in the mindset that this world has nothing offer him, he doesn't understand the concept of love and he scoffs at the idea of monogamy. In the next chapter they will start to slowly, yet surely break away from these ideas and feelings. So it will be a turning point of sorts.
I received a good amount of feedback on the last chapter and it made me so happy! Thank you all for reading and leaving the best reviews ever. You guys rock. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Be a doll and let me know what you thought about this latest installment, too. :)