A/N: Big thank you to ReaperDemon for lending an ear and giving me some valuable input concerning this chapter!
The hushed sounds of conversations and the smells of both human world and demon food infiltrated Hiei's senses as he scanned the area for any signs of the ex-detective, the fox or the Prince. In the end, he had decided to attend the breakfast invitation from Koenma. He had time to kill and, as Kurama mentioned, it could prove beneficial to hear what the ruler of the Spirit World had to say. In the three years that he had spent in Mukuro's camp, he had come to understand the importance of gathering information and keeping his mind open to any and all endeavors. If the purpose of this meeting was to request a favor from him or anything of the sort, he would simply turn it down immediately. But if it happened to be a venture that could benefit Mukuro or his own interests, then he would consider it on his own time.
He stood off to the side of the entrance, eyes narrowing when he saw the ferry-girl advancing from the distance. The others were all running late, but of course she was right on schedule. When she saw him, she stopped and stood a few feet away, pretending to be interested in the restaurant's rustic decor as she waited for the rest to join.
The sounds of quiet music and the hustle and bustle of busboys and waiters whizzing by were enough to distract them for a short while. They had refrained from fighting for the entire three minutes that they had been in each other's presence, but he knew that the peace would be short lived. The woman brought out the worst sides of him and somehow dug deeper until she had grated on his last nerve. His irritation spilled into his words, fueling a series of insults and arguments that were counterproductive and childish, but seeing her just as riled up and irritated at him served to satisfy him slightly. Perhaps the saying was true: misery loves company. If Mukuro saw the way he acted with the ferry-girl she would be more than disappointed in his actions.
If it was any consolation, he was surprised to find that he was not the only one shaken by Botan's sudden presence. Ruka seemed to be riled up over it as well, although Hiei could not figure out why. She had become even more overconfident and bold, going so far as to kiss him in front of the ferry-girl. His arrangement with Ruka might have entailed a lot of things, but necking was not one of them. This tournament was supposed to be a stress-free time for him, but these women were driving him crazy. The opposite sex would surely be his undoing.
In his musings he had failed to realize that the woman was engaged in conversation with someone else. He looked over to her briefly and he scowled when he realized that she was on the communication mirror, talking to the last person he wanted to hear from right now. The polite words and gentle tone could only come from one person.
"So, how are you faring in the other world?" Yuuto asked.
"Oh," she started, rolling her amethyst eyes in Hiei's direction. "Other than one slight annoyance, everything is just peachy!"
The psychic chuckled heartily.
"Nothing can ruin that optimistic spirit of yours, can it?"
Botan grinned.
"I try not to let it."
"I'm glad to hear it."
"Not that I don't appreciate your call, but is something the matter? Did you need to reach Koenma?"
"Oh no, I just felt like checking in with you."
"Well that was awfully sweet of you."
"Awfully pointless," Hiei added disdainfully.
"Oh hush!" Botan said, giving Hiei a withering look.
"What was that?"
"Nothing!" she amended quickly. "Just that annoyance I mentioned earlier."
"I see… it sounds as though you've got everything under control, though."
"I do," she replied.
"That's good," the psychic admitted with a relieved sigh. "I should probably get going and I'm sure you have much to do. Enjoy your stay."
"Thanks for the call, I appreciate it!"
"Anytime."
As she clicked the communication mirror shut, Hiei turned to face her.
"So you've been in contact with that self-important psychic," he stated.
"More than just in contact," Botan replied, before quickly correcting herself. "Not like that… I mean, we've worked on a good deal of cases together. A lot has changed."
"I didn't ask."
"It seemed like you wanted to know."
"You assumed wrong."
"Well, in any case, you seem to be very close and personal with Ruka."
"It isn't what you think."
"You couldn't possibly know what I think, Hiei."
Hiei took an intimidating step closer and smirked upon noticing the way Botan shirked back slightly when he had invaded her personal space.
"You believe all successful relationships should stem from a deeply emotional connection, but my arrangement with Ruka is nothing like that. It's based on primal instinct; a basic need that can only be fulfilled by the other. No emotions, no strings and no personal attachments."
"That's…" she trailed off, brow furrowing slightly and eyes dropped towards the floor as she as she searched for the right words to say.
"Sinful? Immoral? Wrong?" Hiei coaxed mockingly. "It might not be right from your moral standpoint, but in this world, it is more than acceptable."
"No, that's not what I was going to say at all," Botan answered. He was surprised to see a hint of sympathy swimming in those pink eyes as they lifted to hold his gaze once more. "It just sounds so empty."
"Empty?" he echoed, his smirk dropping immediately.
"A relationship grounded in lust and devoid of any meaningful emotions just feels very hollow to me. I can't imagine why anyone would want that."
"It suits me just fine," he replied tightly. "Perhaps you should apply your own logic to you and that fanciful psychic."
"My relationship with Yuuto is nothing of the sort!"
"His politeness is just a veneer he wears to get what he wants. Your relationship is founded on nothing but false pretenses and that sounds superficial and empty to me."
"Our relationship is rooted in work, not lust, and we are just friends!" she yelled back.
"He obviously wants to be more; even you can't be that dense," he snarled.
"You-"
"Children, children, please!" Yusuke cut in. "I could hear you from down the hallway. Would you two just quit it?"
Hiei pulled his angered glare away from the woman, noticing that they had garnered the attention of the restaurant staff during their argument. A raccoon demon feebly stepped forward.
"You should listen to your friend. Your squabble is disturbing the rest of our guests. If you would be so kind as to lower your voices or take your conversation elsewhere, it would be greatly appreciated," he said, eying them both warily as he wrung his paws together nervously.
"Don't worry, I've got this," Yusuke reassured, nodding the demon away. "I'll make sure they behave."
"If a certain someone would stop being so disagreeable all the time then I would be perfectly happy to be courteous and quiet," Botan mumbled under her breath.
Hiei growled at her warningly, but his threat was effectively derailed when Yusuke stepped between them with his hands raised in a defensive manner.
"Seriously?" he scoffed. "Am I gonna have to send you two to your own separate corners like they do back in kindergarten?"
Hiei did not know what the hell kindergarten was, but he did not appreciate Yusuke's condescending tone of voice.
"I'm not a child, do not patronize me," Hiei asserted.
"Well, you sure could have fooled me, Hiei!" Yusuke retorted.
When the ferry-girl nodded her agreement silently, Yusuke turned to her.
"Same goes for you, grim-reaper," he accused. "You're being just as bad as him!"
"But he-" she began, pointing a finger towards him.
"I don't care who did what, enough is enough," Yusuke maintained firmly. "Now, let's all wait here like grown ups and have a nice breakfast."
Botan's shoulders sagged and she pouted petulantly.
"Fine."
"Two minutes," Hiei bit out, shoving his hands into his pockets and averting his eyes. "If the fox and the Prince fail to show in two minutes, then I'm leaving."
Yusuke swallowed his eggs slowly, eyes slightly narrowed as he watched the nearly palpable tension running between Hiei and Botan. Although they hadn't said a word to each other since breakfast began, the entire atmosphere was ruined by their stiff and awkward dispositions. Botan had yet to say a word, despite being their resident chatterbox, and Hiei's usually dark countenance was somehow even darker than they were all used to. Those two were making things extremely comfortable for everyone in attendance. He sent a glance Koenma's way and the Prince cleared his throat forcefully.
"How are the prospects looking?" Koenma asked, setting his utensils down and giving the rest of them his full attention. "Word is the competition is fiercer than ever this year."
"It is," Yusuke replied. "And I've got some cool new moves to test out so I hope you guys are ready."
"As do I," Kurama replied.
"Hn."
"So, Botan, who will you root for?" Yusuke asked purposefully.
The ferry-girl stopped rolling around the fruit on her plate long enough to look up at the others.
"Huh? Me?" she asked, pointing to herself.
"Well yeah, you've got Kurama, Hiei and me. Or maybe you've got your eye on one of our friends from the Dark Tournament?"
Yusuke noticed that Hiei had even chosen to look at her from the corner of his eye, although his expression remained neutral.
"I'll root for you all equally," she finally answered.
"Really? I was kinda hoping you'd say you'd cheer for me. I mean, we do have the longest history and all," he joked.
Botan finally cracked a smile and she nodded her head.
"Oh, alright, but only because you weaseled me into it," she placated.
Hiei huffed.
"It makes no difference who the woman cheers for. The end result will be the same."
"Careful Hiei, your arrogance is showing," Kurama piped in.
"Funny, I was gonna say his jealousy is showing," Yusuke teased.
"Don't misunderstand," Hiei said. "The end result will be the same because it will rest on the fighter's skill alone. No amount of cheering or wishing or hoping will change that fact."
"Geez, you're always so uptight about everything," Yusuke complained, leaning back in his seat leisurely. "Always sucking the fun out of a nice conversation by making it serious."
Botan stifled a laugh behind her drink as she took a sip and Hiei crossed his arms over his chest, casting an irritated look in Koenma's direction.
"Is there a reason you called us all here, or were you just feeling nostalgic?" Hiei asked, cutting to the chase.
"Yes, yes," he pacified. "There reason behind this impromptu team meeting-"
"We are no longer a team," Hiei pointed out, eyes narrowed.
"I suppose you're right," Koenma contemplated, before looking towards the three men imperatively. "But even so, I'm hoping that you would all be willing to assist me one more time."
"Please continue," Kurama encouraged.
"You might not realize it, but you all helped me immensely. You opened my eyes to the cruelty and injustice that was going on in the Spirit World. I always knew deep down that something wasn't right, but I never had the strength or courage to change that. But slowly, over time, working with you all… I guess you rubbed off on me. That stubborn determination, the willful persistence, that unyielding strength; I needed all of those things to make a change in my world and I don't think I could have done it without seeing the examples in your own lives," Koenma revealed.
"Aw quit it, you're making me blush," Yusuke teased, rubbing his nose as he averted his eyes.
Koenma only barely managed to contain his look of amusement as he cleared his throat and continued.
"Anyway, my point is, the Spirit World has been changed for the better – the people are starting to be more understanding and open. It's a change I have wanted to see for a long time now and maybe we can do the same for your world."
"What do you mean?" Yusuke questioned.
"We have demon ambassadors in the human world to foster relations between the demons and humans that are aware of the existence of the supernatural, but tensions between spirits and demons are barely passible, at best. Maybe we can help jumpstart a wave of tolerance, beginning with the Three Kings."
"I'm listening," Kurama said.
"I propose we send an ambassador to each camp. They can work to form a stable relationship with each base and keep them up to date on current practices within the Spirit World. We can work together to ensure that both of our worlds have a better understanding of each other and a better appreciation. Should tensions ever arise, we can work to solve them peacefully rather than through fighting."
"It sounds like a promising idea, one that Yomi might entertain," Kurama admitted with an encouraging nod.
"As long as there isn't any extra work on my end, I don't really care," Yusuke announced.
"Mukuro won't approve," Hiei replied.
Koenma frowned.
"I thought so. This will work better as united front," Koenma said. "I don't want to implement the plan unless I've got the full consent of all three camps."
"She will never give her consent," Hiei stated. "She does not like unnecessary interference."
"It isn't unnecessary," Botan spoke up. "It might take a little bit of extra work, but it will be beneficial for us all in the end."
"Precisely," Koenma agreed.
"I do not intend to try and persuade her," Hiei declared with an air of finality.
"I understand. I will talk to her myself then," Koenma stated.
"If that's all, I'll be leaving," the fire-demon announced.
Koenma nodded understandingly, watching as Hiei stood up from his seat and walked away.
"Well, two out of three isn't so bad for a start," Koenma noted.
"Yes, and Lady Mukuro is a very understanding woman, I'm sure she will agree once she hears our side," Botan added.
"How do you know what Mukuro is like?" Koenma countered. "You've never even met her before."
"Oh, I mean, from what I hear she's very noble and kind," she replied, breaking into that nervous laughter shtick that she only did whenever she was lying or trying to cover up the truth.
Yusuke's eyes narrowed. He was pretty sure that no one else at the table fell for her cover story, but before anyone could pester her she was already out of her seat.
"Well, would you look at the time!" she exclaimed animatedly, looking down at her wrist, despite the fact that there was no watch there. "I've got that appointment at the spa in a few minutes. I should probably head out if I don't want to be late."
They all watched as she pushed her chair in and gathered her bag.
"Thanks for breakfast, sir, I'll see you later!"
Yusuke raised a brow, eyes on the ferry-girl until she disappeared from sight.
"Wonder what that was about…" Yusuke drawled.
"When it comes to people like Botan or Jorge, it's best not to wonder," Koenma answered dismissively.
Yusuke looked around for a moment.
"Speaking of, where is the big blue guy? Aren't you two attached at the hip?"
"I don't know. He gets overly excited in new places," Koenma replied. "In any case, I had better get going too. The cost of breakfast will be charged to my room, so you don't have to worry about paying. Just try not to go overboard – and before you ask, yes, that last comment was entirely for you, Yusuke."
"Leaving so soon?" Yusuke grinned cheekily. "What, is it time for a diaper change already?"
"No," Koenma deadpanned. "While I would love to stick around and hear more of your uncouth toddler jokes, I promised Enki I would meet with him after we had our discussion."
"In that case, I will be sure to discuss your idea with Yomi in the off chance that you manage to receive Mukuro's support," Kurama guaranteed.
"And you've got the green light with me," Yusuke encouraged with a thumbs up. "The mazokus have a pretty bad rap in Spirit World, but if this can help wipe the slate clean, then I'm all in."
Yusuke caught the mixture of relief and gratitude playing at Koenma's features, before he suppressed them behind a carefully composed façade. It seemed as though this endeavor was more to the toddler than he let on and the more Yusuke thought about it, the better it sounded.
"Thank you both," Koenma said. "This will be a step forward for all of our worlds."
Yusuke waited until Koenma was out of sight before flashing a grin in Kurama's direction.
"And then there were two," he quipped. "Got anywhere else you need to be too?"
"No, my schedule is free for the most part."
"I was hoping you would say that 'cause I wanted to talk to you in private," he revealed.
Kurama stared back at him curiously.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
"Have you noticed the way Hiei and Botan have been fighting?" Yusuke questioned.
"Unfortunately," the redhead replied.
"Three years later and I kinda can't help but feel like it's my fault."
"We are all partly to blame for it, but yes, you do share a large portion of the blame," Kurama noted.
"Thanks for that," Yusuke grumbled. "Anyway, I have a few ideas on how we can get them to at least get along."
"Yusuke," Kurama warned.
"No, this is good. Think of it as one of those team-building exercises that Koenma used to be so fond of, except instead of the entire team, it'll just be with Hiei and Botan. As soon as they both stop fighting, I can start focusing on more important things," Yusuke maintained.
"In other words, this just a ploy to ease your guilt," Kurama inserted.
"…It's more than that," Yusuke replied.
Kurama shot him an unconvinced look and Yusuke sighed.
"What they had was real, I saw it and I'm pretty sure you noticed it too. Even if Hiei only started because of some stupid bet, he really did care about her. And Botan was practically in love with the guy, though I'll never understand why. Maybe if I hadn't instigated that stupid bet, they would have ended up together on their own. Or maybe their relationship would have fizzed out. Who knows? Point is neither of them deserves to be pissed off at each other for no reason. I just want to put this whole thing behind us."
"So do I," Kurama agreed solemnly. "But your interference might be the last thing they need. Just give it time."
"Seeing as the tournament starts tomorrow and only lasts for a few days, time is a resource that we don't have too much of," Yusuke shot back.
"Perhaps it's best that you simply leave things alone, then."
Yusuke shook his head.
"The two of them are perfectly capable of getting along, the fact that they lasted the entirety of the bet proves that. They both just need to be reminded of that fact."
"Have you ever stopped to consider that maybe Hiei's situation is more complex than that?" Kurama inserted.
"What do you mean?" Yusuke asked.
"Hiei lied to Botan and made her believe that he never cared for her, even going as far as to refrain from telling her that he ended the bet long before she found out about it. He provided Botan with a clean break, allowing her to move on and heal properly. From what I've observed over the past few years, she has been doing just fine," Kurama said. "But Hiei seems to be more affected by her presence than anything else. Perhaps he never really gave himself the chance to move on properly because he was never afforded the same closure as Botan. He is fully aware of the fact that whatever it is that they had in the past was very real and it was likely his first time experiencing those emotions. In true Hiei fashion, he might have just locked them away and buried them under his guard, rather than actually moving on."
"Geez Dr. Phil, that just proves my point. The guy needs our help!"
"No, what he needs is to sort through his own emotions without any outside intrusion."
Kurama was determined in his position, but so was Yusuke. The two were both unwilling to bend and Yusuke let out a sigh.
"It's times like this when I actually start to miss Kuwabara."
Unbeknownst to them, there was a third set of ears listening intently to their conversation.
Hiei entered Mukuro's suite with a frown. It was typical of Yusuke and Kurama to appease Koenma's wishes for the sake of peace, but Hiei did not care for it and he was certain that Mukuro cared even less.
"Well?" she asked, stepping out of the shadows and into his line of sight.
"It's as you suspected," Hiei said. "He was proposing an ambassadorship similar to the one in the human world. Occupants of spirit world stationed in each of the Three Kings' fortresses."
Mukuro's expression remained impartial save for the slight downward tug in the corner of her lips.
"The last thing I need is a nosy ferry-girl lurking around the premises and reporting back to Spirit World," she said.
The image of Botan in Mukuro's territory flashed through his mind and it unsettled him more than he cared to admit.
"Koenma may not rank high in the intelligence category, but he should be more sensible than that. If anything, he would send an official or a member of his council," Hiei proposed.
"The powers that be here sent Koto and Juri - two tournament announcers with no previous political experience - to the human world because they are relatively harmless and unassuming. Koenma might do the same and the most unassuming members of Spirit World are the ferry-girls."
Hiei's thoughts darkened. He could hardly put up with the woman for a few days under the festivities of the tournament. He would not be able to do it for weeks in his own home.
"You look pale," Mukuro commented, raising a brow.
Hiei swallowed thickly, clenching his fists as he regained control of his composure.
"I told Koenma that you that you would not agree, but he still insists on speaking to you himself," he replied instead.
"That's fine, I have no problem turning his proposal down in person."
"Good," Hiei said stiffly.
"Is that all?"
"Yes."
"Then you may be on your way."
He nodded and left the suite wordlessly. His fingers itched for his sword and decided that some training was in order. He was far too edgy; a little physical exertion would quickly remedy the tension that had taken a hold of him.
Botan sighed as the female masseur worked her on the stiff muscles of her shoulders. This was her first time getting a professional massage and she felt like putty in the demoness' expert hands. Time seemed to blur on indecipherably and when her massage was over, Botan could not wipe the contented look off of her face. She spared no expense and gave the masseuse a generous tip, courtesy of Koenma. He had given her spending money as consolation for trying to weasel her out of her own private room and she intended to use it to her heart's content. She figured she deserved it, especially after that stunt he tried to pull with Jorge.
She was now browsing nail polish colors, wondering what color manicure she should get when she felt a pair of eyes on her.
"Ferry-girl."
"Ruka," she replied curtly.
Ruka settled next to her, ruby irises glancing over the various varnishes before pulling out a bright red color from the collection.
"So, I heard something interesting," she said suddenly.
"That's nice," Botan feigned interest, keeping her attention on the nail polish rather than the woman trying to rile her up.
"I admit, I was a little worried when I saw how Hiei reacted to seeing you again," she started. "But then I remembered that the only reason he was with you in the first place was because of a bet Urameshi laid out."
Botan froze, eyes turned on Ruka in disbelief.
"What did you just say?"
"I'm saying that whatever you think you had with him wasn't real in the first place. It was contrived and meaningless, resulted only from a silly bet between the guys."
"How do you even know all of this?"
"How else would I know?" she arrogantly responded, folding her arms over chest and staring back at Botan defiantly.
"No," she said, shaking her head slowly. "Hiei isn't like that…"
"The Hiei you knew wasn't really Hiei at all. Just because you think you knew him in the past doesn't mean that you know who he is now."
Botan's eyes narrowed.
"What is your problem with me? I haven't done anything to you."
"I just don't want you getting any ideas, ferry-girl," she said. "Consider this your reality check. You were nothing but a means to an end to Hiei and now you're most likely just a mistake he wishes he could forget. Nothing more."
Botan wanted to explode in anger, but her recent years in dealing with the closed-minded and downright difficult traditional thinkers in the Spirit World had taught her some diplomacy. She paused to cast Ruka an unaffected glance before speaking in a calm and collected manner.
"I'm fully aware of our history and I don't intend to repeat the past. Rather than wasting my time and yours, maybe you should devote some of that energy into worrying about your own affairs with Hiei."
With that said, she calmly brushed past the woman, despite the storm of anger, hurt and shame whirling deep inside. Her hands balled into fists at her sides as she stomped towards the elevator, pressing the button furiously until a lift finally came her way. The entire ride to her floor had her seething with the thoughts of Hiei telling Ruka their past history. It was low and despicable and dishonorable and she had no intentions of letting him get away with it.
She stalked down the hallway angrily and knocked on his room door. On the fourth knock he opened it and she stomped in without an invitation.
"You told her about the bet?"
"What?"
"Ruka, you told her about what happened between us three years ago? How could you speak of it so lightly and without any regards about how I might feel if someone else knew?"
"I haven't told her anything," he replied flatly.
But Botan was past the point of listening. Anything that Hiei said now had translated into lies in the ferry-girl's mind and his indifferent attitude was only serving to increase her anger.
"Of course you did!" she accused, throwing her hands on her hips. "How else could she have known?"
"I don't-"
"It was so humiliating and embarrassing and she's the last person I wanted to know about what happened!"
She was pacing back and forth now, the irritation building steadily. She tried to be genial, but he had been nothing but rude to her, causing her to react in tandem. Her anger at him had only been reactionary, but he had gone too far this time and she was past the point of forgiveness and understanding.
"She was absolutely thrilled to know all about what had happened and she was very enthusiastic about rubbing it in my face! What in the three worlds could possess you to tell her such a thing?"
"I didn't-"
"And furthermore, I thought we both agreed to forget that it ever happened? You were the one who told me to disregard our time together and I did, so why would you bring it up to her of all people?"
She felt a hand on her arm and the next thing she knew, she was pulled directly in front of Hiei. Momentarily stunned by their proximity, she stifled a gasp and stared back at him through wide eyes.
"Listen to me, woman: I didn't tell her a thing," Hiei repeated lowly. The intensity in his next few words made them sound like a threat, but it caused Botan's heart to jump in her chest regardless. "I wouldn't do that to you."
"But she knew about everything..." Botan started, blinking in confusion.
"If she learned about it, it wasn't from me," he said, releasing her and stepping back with a frown.
"Aside from us, the only other ones that know about it are Koenma, Yusuke and Kurama. I see no reason for any of them to tell her anything of the sort."
"They would not tell anyone else, but she could have overheard them. Those fools are always dwelling on the past."
Botan looked over at Hiei guiltily.
"You really weren't the one who told her…"
"No, I don't make it a habit of turning our past history into a conversation piece," he replied.
She looked at him and the anger slowly seeped out of her, leaving her feeling drained and full of regret. He was telling the truth, she could see it in his eyes. Her gaze softened as a cold wave of guilt quickly washed over any dark and angry feelings that once resided in her heart.
"I know you better than that. I know that you wouldn't tell anyone about what happened, but I just got so crazy that I accused you against my better judgment," Botan muttered. "I've been acting really horribly towards you and I don't even know the reason why."
Hiei was silent.
"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I should have never accused you like that. I should have known that you wouldn't bring up the past so carelessly."
Hiei was silent, but she had already expected that. The fire-demon never responded when people apologized and Botan was not sure why. Perhaps he thought that accepting someone's apology was the same accepting their pity, but regardless of his reasoning, she was glad that she apologized anyway. She looked back at Hiei and noticed that he looked even angrier than before. She had riled him up for no reason and she felt absolutely horrible for falling for Ruka's trick.
"I know you're probably angry, but please don't say anything to Ruka," she requested, breaking the silence. "I don't want her thinking it bothered me enough to go running to you."
"I had no intentions of discussing this matter with the enchantress," Hiei replied.
"Good, then we're on the same page."
He nodded and the silence that enveloped them was suddenly too unnerving for the ferry-girl. It was then that she noticed that she was in his hotel room, the door was shut and they were still in close proximity with each other. Clearing her throat, she gave him an apologetic look.
"I guess I should be on my way then," she said quietly. "Good night."
His reply was a wordless and curt nod of his head.
Botan could feel his gaze on her back as she walked towards the door and exited. As she reentered her room, which was now all hers thanks to Koenma deciding to allow Jorge residence in his suite, she plopped down on her bed and let out a deep-seated sigh. All of this senseless fighting was taking its toll on the ferry-girl and she felt awful for accusing Hiei the way she did. She was not a contemptuous or cantankerous person by any means and she had no intentions of continuing on this way. This had to end and if she was the one who had to extend the proverbial olive branch, then so be it. Underneath the anger and irritation, she still held a lingering and completely platonic affection for the fire-demon, and she was tired of hiding it beneath incensed words. The next time she saw him, she would make an effort to clear the air between them and she wouldn't let him leave unless he agreed to it too.
Hiei found himself staring at the spot that Botan was standing in long after she left.
She had actually believed that he revealed his most regretful moments to Ruka; as if he would take what happened so lightly. Their arguments as of late were petty and shallow, but he had no intention to truly hurt the woman in same way that he did in the past. His insults were trivial at best, and so were hers, but this latest altercation made his blood boil. No one had any right to mention the bet so carelessly and he was enraged when he heard that Ruka of all people had somehow come across this knowledge and blindsided the ferry-girl with it.
So when the svelte enchantress slipped inside of his room and closed the door with a seductive smirk, he only felt anger towards her.
"I'm not in the mood for company," he said flatly.
"I bet I could change your mind," she baited, moving closer towards him.
Hiei sidestepped her entirely.
"No, I don't think you can."
Ruka looked affronted, eyes narrowed as she stared back at him.
"It's because of that ferry-girl, isn't it?" she blamed, her nose cringing in disgust. "Don't tell me you're still hung up on her."
"It has nothing to do with her and everything to do with you. You chose to get involved in matters that didn't concern you and this is the inevitable conclusion," Hiei said. "I never cared about your past, enchantress, and you shouldn't have gotten involved in mine."
Ruka looked as though she wanted to say more, but Hiei honestly did not care. He turned his back on her and shortly after he heard the door slam shut.
He dropped down on his bed and closed his eyes. Although it was a long and tiring day, sleep did not come easily that night. By the time he had actually managed to fall asleep, it was already nearing the time for him to wake up and prepare for the tournament. When he exited his room, he was entirely surprised to find Botan leaning against the wall nonchalantly. The instinct to jump to anger flashed through his mind, but it did not catch fire. He realized that his anger had all been empty and groundless; a preventative measure psychologically taken to further distance the two of them in his mind and in reality. It should have worked, but in the end they kept inadvertently running into each other and falling into the same counterproductive routine.
This time, however, the ferry-girl appeared to be consciously and purposely awaiting his entrance. Her eyes lit up when she noticed him in the hallway and he realized that his assumptions must have been true. She quickly kicked off of the wall and joined him on his trek towards the elevators.
"Good morning Hiei," she greeted.
She was smiling at him cheerily and without the anger clouding her pink eyes, he felt extremely exposed and unnerved. She knew him better than most people, he had told her things that he never told anyone else and he had opened himself to her in a way that was completely unlike him, but without the animosity between them, he wasn't entirely sure what would become of them.
"What is it?" he finally bit out defensively.
"I'm sorry for accusing you last night."
"You said that already."
"I know, but I felt like it needed to be said again," she explained. "And I'm sorry for how horribly I've been acting towards you lately."
"Hn."
"Well," she said expectantly, tilting her head in his directly slightly as she stared back at him. "Isn't there anything you'd like to say to me in return?"
"No, not particularly."
"I guess I was asking for too much with that one…" she admitted. "But I think we really should try to be considerate of each other while we're here. There's no reason for us not to get along and I'm tired of fighting."
He refrained from answering, but maybe he was tired too.
"I was hoping that we could start all over and forget about how silly we've been acting during the past few days," she tried optimistically.
Hiei should have rejected her offer, but the words caught in his throat and would not escape. Instead he complied with a slight nod of his head. There was no reason to fight. They could be civil, like she wanted. Besides, it was a good test of his resolve and how much he had grown over the years. Avoiding her was the coward's way; being in contact with her and still keeping his sanity in tact would show just how far he had come.
"I agree," he said finally. "It's unbecoming of us."
She clapped her hands together.
"Oh, I just knew you would agree!" she cheered jubilantly. "You won't regret it, I promise!"
Hiei looked away from her bright visage, ignoring the jittering of nerves that suddenly sprang upon him as they stepped into the elevator together. They settled into a comfortable silence as the elevator descended, the only sound reaching his ears was that of metal whirring and Botan's quiet humming. The strange sensation was beginning to grow stronger and Hiei tried to ignore it. In the end, he classified it as nothing more than anticipation born from the fact that the tournament was finally starting today. It had absolutely nothing to do with the cheerful woman beside him. Nothing at all.
Our favorite pair is finally making some progress! Just as a warning: this will be a slow burn type of romance between Hiei/Botan, so anyone who is expecting them to immediately reconcile will unfortunately be disappointed. I've always envisioned this second half of the story to be like this, especially since their past relationship was so heavily damaged. In any case, I really hope that you all will enjoy the ride.
Did you guys like this chapter? I sure hope so! Let me know your thoughts in the review box below.