The Dating Game
I don't own YYH!
Chapter 8
It was the middle of the second week since he had started dating Botan. He had roughly two and a half weeks to complete the last four dates. If he was persuasive enough, he could get her to agree to the last four dates over the course of the remaining days and the upcoming week. If he succeeded, then he would finish ahead of schedule and could return to his homeland before the month was over.
He would no longer have to spend his time partaking in strange human rituals like carnivals or firework shows.
He would no longer have to pretend to be listening while she rambled on about her day.
He would no longer have to mull over her words as they replayed in his mind.
And he would no longer have to experience the strange sensations of being on the receiving end of those confusing words.
"You're a good soul and I pity those who abandoned you."
The image of her smiling softly at him flashed through his mind. She stood out starkly against the backdrop of the midnight blue dark sky, and there was something unreadable dancing within those sparkling amethyst eyes. Something that made his pores rise, his skin itch and blood boil. The scene was etched into his memory and he could not forget how strangely he felt last night.
No one had ever made it a point to say such unnecessarily flattering things about himself and he couldn't understand what compelled her to speak her mind so openly. He hadn't prompted her to, but she still gave her opinion freely. He did not need her validation or reassurance, but it stirred something within him that he could not quite identify. Even more troubling, he could tell that they weren't just empty words used to satisfy his ego; she had fully believed and supported the claims she made.
The dating game really was a dangerous one, he realized, as Kurama's words flashed through his head. There were lines that he could not cross and he was sure that Botan had crossed over those boundaries last night.
"Hey!"
Hiei was broken out of his thoughts by a loud shout.
He opened his eyes slowly, taking time to adjust to the sudden influx of light. The sun was always so blindingly bright in this world and seemed to shine for hours on end during this time of year. Back home, between the blood red sky, the dismal atmosphere and the shortened days, he was hardly bothered by bright and sunny days like this one.
"Wake up; it's way too early to be asleep and way too late for you to be taking an afternoon nap!" the voice called out patronizingly.
He looked down to find Yusuke and Kuwabara standing near the base of the tree with matching mischievous expressions. He was not in the mood for this, so merely returned their prompting with a cold and hard glare, before he leaned back into to the tree and settled in once more.
"I know you saw us and I know for a fact that you can hear me. Get down here!" Yusuke urged.
"I refuse," Hiei said simply.
"We're here on official business," Yusuke insisted. "It's reporting time. The sooner you get it over with the sooner you can go back to whatever it is you do."
Although Hiei was in a generally sour mood, the detective made a valid point. Those two would linger all day for the sake of irritating him, so he might as well quell their curiosity now and be done with it. Besides, he hadn't really given them an adequate account of his time with Botan up until now, despite it being one of the absolute terms and conditions of the bet. Without any further thought or provoking from the boys, he jumped down from the branch and landed on his feet effortlessly, garnering a few gasps from those who were walking by. He glared at them and they hurried on their way.
"So my grumpy little friend, how goes the dating game?" Yusuke asked. "A lot harder than you thought, isn't it?"
"Who knows, maybe it's already over," Kuwabara suggested, rubbing at his chin thoughtfully. "The last time we saw Botan over at Genkai's place, she left without even saying goodbye to us. Maybe shorty made her angry and she broke it off."
Yusuke cast a critical eye in Hiei's direction.
"Maybe that's why he's in a crappier mood than normal."
"How can you tell?" Kuwabara asked.
"The scowl he's giving us is pretty nasty, for one thing," Yusuke noted, taking a careful step closer as he examined the fire-demon. "The frown lines run deeper and he's got this overall icier glare today," Yusuke explained.
"Must have been a messy break up if he's taking it this hard," Kuwabara said, his tone almost sounding sympathetic.
"You shouldn't speak, it only serves to showcase your ignorance," Hiei warned them.
"So, you two are still going strong?" Kuwabara asked.
"Hn."
"I gotta say, I'm impressed," Yusuke admitted.
"I'm not! He must have used his freaky third eye to force Botan into dating him! That or maybe he bullied her into it!" Kuwabara accused.
"There was no need to coerce her with the jagan eye or intimidate her with threats. The woman agreed willingly," Hiei simply informed. "I already told you, this frivolous human custom involves little to no skill or thought."
"How many dates have you been on so far?" Yusuke asked.
"Three."
"I think it's just about time to spice this little game up," he suggested with a smirk.
"Huh? What do you mean, Urameshi?"
"Well, we have no way of monitoring Hiei during his dates with Botan. For all we know, he could be breaking every rule in the dating handbook and we would have no idea!"
"That is true…" Kuwabara realized.
"I'm thinking we throw a little curveball and make the fourth date more challenging," Yusuke proposed. "What do you say we make it a double date?"
Hiei remained silent. He did not know what a double date was, but he didn't like the sound of it. If he had to guess, he would think it had something to do with squeezing two date appropriate activities into night. It would be troublesome, but he could do it.
"Fine," Hiei agreed.
"And here's the catch: the participants will be Kuwabara, Yukina, Botan and Hiei."
Hiei's immediate reaction was one of anger, while Kuwabara deteriorated into a state of bumbling nerves and elated anticipation.
"A d-date with my ice-princess?" Kuwabara muttered to himself as a lovesick grin spread over his face.
"Explain yourself detective. I did not agree to that."
"But that's exactly what a double date is," Yusuke insisted. "Two couples, one date."
"In that case I refuse," Hiei gritted.
"Oh come on, it's the perfect idea. Kuwabara can see how you treat Botan and if you pass loverboy's scrutiny, then we won't ever have to doubt your dating ethics again."
"You know why I'm opposing this detective," Hiei warned. "Do not test me."
"What's a good bet without a few tests?" Yusuke teased with a playful grin.
Hiei's hand twitched as he reached for his sword.
"I'm in!" Kuwabara said finally, breaking out of his love-induced stupor. "I'll get to go on a romantic date with my sweet, and I'll get to see the shrimp lose the bet!"
"It's two against one, Hiei. If you refuse, then it'll be like you forfeit."
"I will kill you one day," Hiei promised.
"And I love you too, sweetums," Yusuke joked.
Botan returned her teacup to the plate a little too roughly, causing an unpleasant clank to echo throughout the air. She muttered a quick apology to the others in the break room, before leaning back in her chair. Her frustration was a result of a culmination of things, all centered on her duties as both a ferry-girl and a resident of the Spirit World.
There had been an unusually high number of deaths, meaning she had to work overtime. Ferrying souls had never been a particularly easy task, but she had learned how to make it manageable. The departed souls were difficult to work with; some were nasty and rude, others were scared and confused, while others were skeptical and distrusting. She was often the scapegoat of their anger, a shoulder for them to cry on, a knowledgeable guide of information and a part-time companion who offered the promise of a sweet and painless afterlife. It took a toll on her mentally, emotionally and physically - and even more so on the days when the souls continued to pile up endlessly.
When her shift ended, she thought that she would return to a quiet day of paperwork, but she was in for a rude awakening. The daily inventory count of artifacts had come up short and everyone was thrown into a mad scramble in order to find, account for or retrieve the items, lest King Enma find out and cast his wrath upon them all. After an hour and a half of stressing and searching aimlessly, they realized that the original count was wrong and all items were, in fact, accounted for.
Once the panic subsided and order had been restored, she was then jilted to learn that she had been put on the rotation to train the newest batch of ferry-girls. While she had no qualms with taking on the task, it was much easier to train a bunch of new ferry-girls when she was at her best and not when she was low on patience, sleep and energy. She liked to instruct with an air of enthusiasm, excitement and energy - all of which she was lacking at the moment. She had just finished a three hour intensive lesson with the girls and decided to have some tea to calm her nerves.
"You look horrible," a doting voice noted.
Botan looked up to see another ferry-girl, Kasumi, standing by her side.
"Thanks, that's just what every girl likes to hear," Botan joked with a weary smile.
She shook her head animatedly, her chin length green hair splaying about as she did so.
"I didn't mean it like that," she backpedaled. "I just meant that maybe you should take it easy for the rest of the day."
A sharp and indignant laugh rang through the area and all eyes turned to the source of the noise as a silver-haired and green eyed ferry-girl entered the room.
"Maybe if she spent less time hanging around demons, she wouldn't be so tired all the time," the newcomer announced.
"That's not what I was implying at all, Minako," Kasumi corrected timidly, before giving Botan a sympathetic look.
Botan straightened up in her chair, her expression neutral as Minako, along with her two underlings Masaki and Misato, made their way over to where she was seated.
"It has nothing to do with my leisurely activities. It's was just one of those very busy days," Botan explained as calmly as she could, although she knew that there was a slight edge to her tone.
"And I'm sure it will be a busy night, too," Minako said as Misato and Masaki covered their laughter behind their hands.
Botan frowned, her hand clenching into a fist as her jaw tightened with anger. Minako had made it a point of vocalizing her disdain for demons and Botan's affiliation with them. Botan and been holding her tongue out of respect, but she was in no mood for Minako's antagonistic bullying today. Her eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth to tell the silver-haired woman exactly what she thought of her opinion and where she could shove it, when a hand rested on her shoulder.
"Do you mind if I sit with you?"
Ayame's calm voice broke her out of her thoughts and the tension in her shoulders dissipated slightly. The composed woman's features remained set in its neutral position, but her deep purple eyes conveyed a hidden message that Botan was able to read easily. Ayame had always remained poised within any given situation and Botan was certain that her friend wanted her to do this same in this case.
"I believe you three have work to do," Ayame mentioned. "It isn't protocol to keep souls waiting."
Minako gave Botan one last disdainful look before exiting the room, Masaki and Misato trailing behind her dutifully.
"It's best to ignore people like that," the dark-haired ferry-girl said as she took the seat to Botan's left.
"Ayame's right," Kasumi agreed. "If you feed into her anger, you'll only be doing her a favor."
Botan conceded with a nod.
"You girls are absolutely right."
"I actually pity her," Kasumi said.
"Yes, jealousy causes people to do odd things," Ayame noted.
"You think that she's jealous of me?" Botan asked, completely flabbergasted at the very notion of a senior ferry-girl envying her.
The two ferry-girls nodded and Botan pouted in confusion as she mulled the idea over.
"I can't imagine any reason for her to be jealous, unless…"
Botan stopped her train of thought and let out a horrified gasp.
"This is horrible…" she moaned.
"Don't take it to heart, Botan. It's not your fault," Kasumi soothed.
"But it is absolutely all my fault! How could I be so blind? She must be heartbroken!" Botan exclaimed.
The two ferry-girls exchanged confused looks before turning back towards Botan.
"You lost us," Kasumi admitted.
"Underneath that cold and judgmental front, beats a warm and loving heart that yearns for Hiei!" Botan revealed. "No wonder why she's always picking on me. She was upset that I had direct contact with him all this time as the detective's assistant. And now that she's heard that we're dating, which is actually quite platonic by the way, she's gotten even ruder and nastier."
"No, that's not it at all," Ayame corrected. "I think you should return those strange romance books to Hinageshi. They aren't having a good effect on your mind."
Kasumi giggled, nodding in agreement while Botan pulled a confused face.
"Really?" she asked. "I honestly can't come up with any other possible reasons for her envy. How about you lovely ladies at least give me a hint?"
A ghost of a smile appeared on Ayame's usually sullen features.
"I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually."
Botan tilted her head in confusion as she wracked her brain for any possible sources of Minako's envy. When she could not come up with any she suck back into her chair and let out a sigh. It was a long day and she decided not to devote anymore energy or thought to Minako's strange behavior.
Hiei was seething. His mind was already reeling from the strange things that the woman had said last night, but now, Yusuke had thrown a wrench into his plans. It was one thing to date the energetic ferry-girl, but putting up with Kuwabara while the buffoon was attempting to court his sister was the last thing he wanted to do.
He could have called Botan using the communication device, but he decided to see her in person. Perhaps seeing her now would allow him to erase the memories of their last encounter from his mind and he would no longer be troubled by her words.
He trudged through the vast walkways of the Spirit World until he had reached Koenma's office.
"Where is the woman?"
Koenma's brows raised as his eyes widened.
"Botan is probably in her room. It was a pretty busy day," Koenma explained. "Do you want me to call her out?"
"No, I'll find her myself," Hiei answered, exiting the office before Koenma could reply.
He would much rather speak to her in a private place than out in the open where they were sure to be noticed and watched. He removed his bandana and used the jagan eye to locate her position based on the direction of her faint spiritual energy. She was on the opposite side of the temple, where the ferry-girl's quarters were. He ignored the stares and, in some cases, wide-mouthed expressions he received before returning his bandana and making his way down the walkways. When he arrived at his destination, he noticed that the door was closed, but he opened it without a word and entered anyway.
"Hiei!" Botan nearly screeched. "What are you doing here?"
"I needed to speak with you," he replied.
"But the door was closed, what if I was changing?"
His eyes roamed over her form. She was wearing an oversized dark purple sleep-shirt and her hair was in curlers. He didn't understand what all of the fuss was about; she was clothed, albeit her choice in clothing offered him a rather gracious view of her long legs.
"But you weren't," he answered.
"Well, I could have been," she insisted indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest.
"But you weren't," he gritted out.
"But I could have been!"
"Did you want me to walk in while you were indecent?" he asked finally.
"No!" she said, completely astounded by his audacity. "You're missing the point entirely. When a lady's door is closed, you can't just barge in like that!"
"Hn."
The two were stubbornly silent for a moment, before Botan's tight expression dissolved into one of open curiosity.
"Is there a special reason for your surprising visit?" she asked. "Not that I don't enjoy social calls. It's just strange for you to show up here, of all places."
"We're going on a … dual date."
"A dual date?" Botan muttered before her features lit up. "Oh, you mean a double date! That sounds like a great idea, Hiei!"
"It is anything but a great idea," he spat.
"Then why did you suggest it?"
"It was that idiot detective's idea."
"So, he and Keiko will be joining us?"
"No," Hiei said, as his features darkened. "The fool and Yukina."
Botan's smile fell and she bit her lip.
"If I had it my way, both Yusuke and Kuwabara would be on the receiving end of my sword right now," Hiei sneered.
"It isn't like you to go along with one of Yusuke's schemes," Botan mentioned. "So why on earth did you agree if you were so against it?"
When Hiei refused to answer, her expression softened.
"Unless, Yusuke suggested it in front of Yukina and you didn't want to disappoint her by rejecting his proposal."
It was far from the truth, but letting her speculate a fictitious scenario was a much better alternative than telling her his real reasons for obliging the detective's request.
"Oh, don't be upset," she consoled. "I've never been on a double-date before, but it might be a fun experience. I'm sure Yukina will be thrilled to spend time outside of Genkai's temple and this way, you can monitor Kuwabara."
What she didn't realize was that the whole point of this foolish dual – double – date was so that Kuwabara could monitor him. His anger flared up at the very thought of the situation he had been dragged in.
"I don't want her anywhere near him."
Botan frowned.
"That's not fair."
"I don't care if it's fair or not."
"But Kuwabara is a good guy."
"He is a sentimental moron."
"That's no way to talk about your teammate!" she admonished. "He's got a heart of gold and he does nothing but treat Yukina with the utmost respect and adoration."
She was doing it again. Always giving people the benefit of the doubt and seeing nothing but the good in them. She had done the same for him last night and mere thought only served to increase his anger.
"It's none of your business," he replied tightly.
"It may not be, but at least Kuwabara is trying to be a part of Yukina's life," she pointed out. "You refuse to even acknowledge her as your-"
"Don't finish that sentence," he threatened lowly, his blood boiling as he tried to control his rage. "You'll regret it if you do."
Botan stopped immediately, covering a hand over her mouth when she realized her mistake.
Before either of them could say another word, there was a knock on the door. Hiei took that opportunity to exit through the window, running as fast as he could in the hopes that the physical exertion would ease the wrath the threatened to overtake him. He continued running at breakneck speed and didn't bother to pay attention to his whereabouts. Wrapped up in a haze of anger, he did not notice that the tall buildings became scarce and the bright lights of the city became dimmer. As he ran on, the trees surrounding him grew in abundance and size. He wasn't thinking as he let his legs lead him and tried to empty his brain of every single rage induced feeling that he had experienced. He was angry at the woman for always saying things that did not make sense. He hated Kuwabara, for focusing his attentions on his sister. But most of all, he was angry with himself. Ever since he had started this sick game in an attempt to gain his freedom, he had been forced to face all sort of unpleasant and degrading circumstances. If only he had never gotten entangled with the spirit detective; then his troubles would be nonexistent.
It wasn't long before he was jolted back into reality and he realized that he had run straight to Genkai's temple. From his position high above the trees, he could clearly see Kuwabara eagerly awaiting Yukina's presence as she made her way towards him on the temple steps.
"Kazuma, it was such a surprise. I didn't think that you would visit so late."
"Sorry for the short notice, I just didn't want to wait until tomorrow to ask you."
"Is something the matter?"
Kuwabara shook his head, before gazing down at her nervously.
"Actually, I was wondering if you'd want to go out with me some time."
"That would be lovely."
"Really?"
"Of course! I always enjoy spending time with you, Kazuma."
Kuwabara grinned and let out a triumphant sound, which grated Hiei's ears. He wondered how his sister was able to smile so genuinely and convincingly despite the teen's obnoxiously loud presence.
"Oh, there's one other thing, though. Hiei and Botan will be there, too."
"That's wonderful!"
"You think so?"
"Yes, I'm really happy for the two of them."
Hiei's eyes widened almost as much as Kuwabara's before narrowing in confusion.
"What do you mean?" Kuwabara asked uncertainly.
"Hiei is making Botan very happy and I can only assume that she is doing the same for him. I think that they both deserve all the happiness that they can get."
"I doubt that… Botan is probably just saying those things to be nice or because she is afraid of Hiei."
"I don't think so. She seemed genuine," Yukina reassured him. "She was truly happy to be by his side and I hope that he feels the same way."
Kuwabara suddenly began laughing nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck, no doubt thinking about the bet and Hiei's real reason for spending time with Botan.
"Is everything okay, you look a little pale," Yukina pointed out.
"I'm fine," he said hurriedly. "If you don't mind them joining us, then I'm happy. Nothing else matters as long as I get to spend time with you."
Hiei grimaced as he watched his sister smile up at the buffoon.
"Well, I should probably be headed back home. Shizuru will have my head if I'm not there by curfew. I'll let you know when everything is decided."
"Okay. Be careful getting home," she told him.
"Don't worry about me, my sweet," Kuwabara said, his voice dropping a few octaves as he stared at her intently. "The power of our love makes me strong enough to fight a hundred Toguros!"
She giggled at his sudden display of manliness and charisma and he sent one last grin her way before turning around and leaving the temple grounds. She waved at his back and lingered outside until she could no longer see him, before returning inside.
As he watched his sister return inside of the temple with a contented smile on her face, he realized two things.
The first was this: as much as he hated this world, it was probably one of the safest places for Yukina. She was in a relatively peaceful, secluded and serene area where she was protected by the dense forest that encircled the temple grounds. In addition, she always had a companion nearby while living with the old psychic.
The second was much more disconcerting, but it was a truth that he had always known on some level: as much as he hated Kuwabara, he realized that it could have been worse. The man vying for Yukina's affections could have been a lecherous pervert like the detective or a notorious manipulator like the fox. He could have been a spineless and cowardly human or a dimwitted, low class demon. He could have been a sinister and greedy con, who only wanted her for her tears. Kuwabara, albeit a softhearted fool, had a strict code of honor and an undying loyalty to Yukina. That in and of itself was more than he could say for most of the men he had known.
Botan's words flashed through his mind once more.
"Kuwabara is a good guy."
He frowned when he realized that on some strange level, she had been right about everything.
Well, almost everything; her impression of him was still far from the truth. Contrary to her belief, he was not a good soul. He was manipulating her without feeling a single shred of remorse or guilt, he had threatened her for speaking the truth - a truth which was only spoken on his sister's behalf - and he was sure that she would suffer much more injustices at his hands in the days to come.
But he refused to dwell on it any further as he settled into the tree and closed his eyes.
She knew exactly what she was getting into when she decided to date him of all people; he could not afford to expend any energy on pathetic human emotions such as guilt or concern. Besides, such concepts were not a part of his emotional repertoire and as such, he was unable to feel them.
As he attempted to fall asleep, there was a strange tug in the center of his chest that prevented him from reaching that unconscious state. Hours later he was still awake and he had trouble sleeping for the remainder of the night, but he did not know why.
As the sunlight streamed through the window, Botan winced. Most of her night had consisted of her tossing and turning in the bed. It was not a good morning and it would not be a good day unless she made things right with Hiei. Yesterday was just a bad day in general and she wished that it had never happened.
Nothing seemed to be going right, but when she saw Hiei, she thought that her day might get a little better.
Unfortunately for her, things took a turn for the worse.
She didn't know how she went from defending Kuwabara to insulting Hiei, but it wasn't something she was proud of. It simply spilled out of her mouth without her consent and she berated herself for saying something so thoughtless. She supposed that her statement was true, but it was still hurtful nonetheless and the last thing she ever wanted to do was hurt one of her friends.
She was so wrapped up in the events of her day that she had failed to notice the volatile state Hiei was in when he had come to meet her last night. He was so angry and she should have realized that one thoughtless comment would have sent him over the edge.
She decided that she would go and visit him in the afternoon in order to make amends.
The time ticked on unusually fast and before she knew it, she was on her oar, sneaking away from her paperwork to go and see Hiei.
She spotted him in what she considered to be his favorite tree. As she flew over to him and hovered nearby, her heart began racing. The last memory she had of him from last night was not a pleasant one; she remembered how fiercely he had glared at her before he left. For the first time in a long time, she was actually afraid of him. She reached out a hand to tap his shoulder and froze, wondering if her decision to make amends was a good one or not.
His eyes snapped open before she could decide what to do and she let out a startled yelp.
"What do you want?"
"I wanted to apologize," she explained. "I wasn't thinking at all last night and I should have never said that. I'm truly sorry, Hiei."
When he didn't answer, she continued.
"And I completely understand if you want to call it quits. It was fun while it lasted, but it had to end sometime," Botan reasoned, trying to hide the dejection in her tone. "I guess I'll return to the Spirit World now."
She frowned when he did not say anything else and gripped her oar tightly, ready to turn around and make the journey back to Spirit World, when Hiei said something unexpected.
"It's not over, yet, woman," he said. "Not for me, at least."
Her eyes widened as she stared back at him.
"But I thought…"
"You assumed."
"I don't understand."
"You don't have to," he replied. "Just know that I am not yet willing to end our agreement."
"Really?"
He nodded and it was then that she realized how weary he appeared. Perhaps he had a sleepless night too. Maybe he was every bit as affected by their fight as she was. If that was the case, then she couldn't let what happened between them pass by so easily.
"Shouldn't we talk about this a bit more?" she tried. "I mean, aside from apologizing, the underlying issue still remains."
"There is no need."
She frowned.
"But Hiei!"
"You will continue to defend Kuwabara and I will never see him the same way you do. While he might just be the only slightly acceptable choice for her in this world, I refuse to change my view of him: he is a sentimental fool and he always will be a sentimental fool."
Over the course of his speech, Botan's frown disappeared and was replaced by a widespread grin as the weight of Hiei's words sunk in. Hiei had sort of accepted Kuwabara and underneath all of the insults and the malice, she knew that there was a smidge of begrudging respect for the psychic.
"I understand. We can agree to disagree," she said, her mood instantly turning around.
It was silent before she inched forward on her oar with a grin.
"Hey, do you know what this means?"
"What?"
"We just had our first fight," she informed cheerily, a single finger raised to emphasize her point.
Hiei eyed her suspiciously.
"Why are you so chipper about it?"
"Because we were able to clear the air just like normal couples do when they're dating," she explained. "I know we're not really a couple or anything, but it at least goes to show that we are good friends now."
"Friends?" he said the word as though it was a completely foreign concept.
"Bingo!"
Her communication device began ringing and she picked it up, her face dropping when she noticed the stern face with hard green eyes glared back at her.
"Where are you?"
"I-uh," Botan said as she fished around for answers.
"Don't tell me you're with that demon again."
"I needed to speak with him for a moment."
"There's work to be done. Hurry back immediately."
"Of course. I'll be there-"
The connection ended and she let out a sigh.
"-shortly," she finished, before slamming the device shut.
Hiei did not say anything on the matter, and for that, she was grateful. She returned the device to the folds in her over-sized kimono sleeve and put on a good-natured smile.
"Well, I'm glad that we were able to clear the air between us," she said. "But now I really should be getting back. Duty calls!"
Yusuke and Kuwabara were the last visitors he received that day. The informed him that the fourth date was still on for tomorrow evening and instructed him to coerce Botan into agreeing. It would take little convincing on his part, as Hiei remembered how excited she became over the prospect of the foolish dual date.
Hiei entered the Spirit World and made his way down towards her room, ignoring the strange and terrified looks he had received. The door was slightly ajar, so he reasoned that it was an open invitation for one to enter without announcing his presence first.
When he entered, he found her lying on her bed and reading a book leisurely.
"Hiei!" she yelped, throwing the book behind her pillow and sitting up. "What are you doing here?"
"The door was open," he said, as though that alone excused him from what he had just done.
"I suppose you're right… but you could still knock regardless," she muttered.
"I'm here to relay a message from the buffoon: he wants to go on the dual date tomorrow night."
"Tomorrow," she echoed, contemplating the idea. "That actually works well for me. I've got the morning shift tomorrow, so I should be free in the evening."
He nodded.
"You sure are making a lot of house calls, Hiei," Botan noted. "It's a nice and friendly thing to do, so I don't mind. But really, you should at least learn to knock before you barge in."
The first time he had entered her room, he was seething with anger, but this time his mind was clear. The area was average sized and had a fair amount of furniture situated among it. The walls were painted a neutral pastel color and she had decorated the area with small trinkets and pictures. He had expected her room to be full of girlish and obnoxious items, but the improvements she made to the place were all subtle and not overtly obvious. His eyes shifted towards the bed, where he noticed the panda he won for her at the fair, as well as the barely concealed book she had been reading underneath her pillow. Botan followed his gaze and gave him a guilty look.
"It's one of Hina's," Botan said.
That name caught in the back of his throat and prevented him from saying anything further. It was his mother's name. He had never heard or thought of it since the last time he had visited the ice village and learned from his mother's friend, Rui, the truth of his birth and existence. When he never responded, she continued.
"Hinageshi is an apprentice ferry-girl," she explained, pulling the book out and showing him the cover which had the image of a man and a woman in a tight embrace. "She's obsessed with these romance novels from the human world. I used to think she was crazy, but I decided to give it a try and it's actually pretty interesting."
"Hn."
"Don't judge me," she said.
"It's too late for that," Hiei told her, crossing his arms over his chest.
"It takes a sensitive and secure man to appreciate the complexities of a romance novel," Botan huffed.
"Like Kuwabara?" Hiei mocked.
"Exactly like Kuwabara! I bet he would understand."
"Yes, Kuwabara appreciates most things of unimportance: furry little animals, idealistic notions and strangely loud and disruptive music."
Botan laughed.
"I understand his tastes for cute little animals and his insistence on believing in his honor code, but I just can't get on board with Megallica. He let me listen to a song of theirs once and it was just horrible," Botan recalled. "This, however, is a surprisingly nice read. A little unrealistic, but still enjoyable nonetheless."
Hiei rolled his eyes.
"I can let you borrow it when I'm finished," she teased.
Hiei gave her a menacing look, but for some reason, it only caused her break out in a fit of chuckles and giggles.
"What's going on in here?" a woman asked tightly as she barged into the room in the same manner that he had a few minutes earlier. Her hard green eyes narrowed and her line formed into a tight frown when she noticed Hiei. "A demon in the ferry-girl's quarters? That can't be proper protocol."
He recognized this one as the same high-strung woman who called Botan before.
Another ferry-girl came barreling inside the room, making a commotion as she did so. She slipped in between Botan and the other ferry-girl and purposely cut her off.
"Botan, I know you said that you had to push off our training because Koenma assigned you to a top secret mission with Hiei, but can you look this over for me really quickly?"
She pushed a clipboard with some notes closer towards Botan nodded slowly.
"Of course I can."
Hinageshi turned around to face the stern looking woman.
"Did you need Botan for something, Minako?"
The woman shook her head once, giving the three of them a condescending look.
"No," she said snippily, turning on her heels and exiting the room.
"Thanks Hina."
"Don't mention it," the girl replied, her deep blue eyes dancing with mischief before as she turned to face him. "So this is the infamous Hiei, huh?"
"Yes," Botan nodded. "And this is my favorite apprentice, Hinageshi."
Hiei looked the small girl over, before turning back to Botan.
"Who was that other one?"
"She's just a senior ferry-girl. She likes to stay on top of things and make sure that we're doing what we're supposed to be doing."
"That's not true! She's a meddling, judgmental b-"
"Hinageshi!"
"Sorry," she mumbled.
"No, I should be apologizing to you. You shouldn't have had to rush in here to my defense. Thanks again."
"You've done the same for me on multiple accounts, it's the least I could do," Hinageshi said with a smile. "Anyway, I don't want to interrupt any more than I already have. It was nice meeting you, Hiei."
Hiei did not respond, but Hinageshi hardly expected him to as she slipped out of the room and closed the door behind her.
"Does the older one hound you frequently?" he asked, although he already knew the answer.
"She hounds everyone," Botan justified.
"But she pays special attention to you," Hiei assumed.
Botan nodded.
"And you become meek and subservient in her presence."
"She's my senior; even if I wanted to I can't exactly snap back at her."
"Does she outrank you?"
"No, she's just been around longer."
The corners of Hiei's mouth upturned and Botan frowned.
"What are you smirking at?"
"For a woman who prides herself in reading people, you have trouble seeing what is right in front of you."
"I don't understand…" Botan said slowly.
"There's a reason why you are the one that Koenma gives the most responsibility to. Seniority has nothing to do with it and that ferry-girl is bitter because of it."
Botan's eyes widened and he could see the realization swimming among those amethyst pools.
"It's so obvious now!" she exclaimed. "Why couldn't I see it before when I was with Ayame and Kasumi?"
"Because you've got your head buried in that atrocious book."
Her smile widened.
"Did you just make a joke?"
He was being completely serious, but the sound of her laughter wasn't exactly unpleasant so he didn't bother correcting her. It was light and airy and had a melodious quality to it, unlike Kuwabara's gravely laughter, Yusuke's loud and hearty guffaws and Kurama's quieted chuckles. He could tolerate the woman's laughter much easily than the others.
He began frowning when he realized what he was thinking. The ferry-girl was having a strange effect on him, whether he liked it or not and whether he welcomed it or not.
She smiled over at him amidst her laughter and he felt that strangely familiar sensation once again tug at his chest.
The dating game really was a tricky one.
As always, thanks for the reviews. I try to respond to each one, but for those who log in as anonymous or guest: I truly am grateful for and appreciative of all of your comments. November Ember said something especially sweet along the lines of: "Thanks for keeping Hiei/Botan alive." While that completely warmed my heart, I also have to thank you all for your support and reviews. I honestly would not be able to continue writing if I didn't have you guys motivating me. So, we are all keeping H/B alive together. :)
Next chapter will be the double-date between Yukina and Kuwabara. Hope you guys enjoyed this one and are looking forward to the next update!