Today was a free day, no fights, no matches, no battles. It gave the tournament committee and staff time to clean up the various arenas and it gave the remaining combatants a chance to rest and prepare for the upcoming battles duels. It suited Kurama just fine, as the break would allow him to return home for the day in order to check in with his family.

He had woken up early this morning to check in on his friends and fellow members of Yomi's camp at the other hotel a few miles away. Jin, Touya, Shishiwakamaru, Suzuka, Rinku and Chuu had all fought excellently, but they too had eventually gotten eliminated from the tournament, leaving Yomi to be the only remaining contender from his camp. It was no matter, though; the plan had always been to remove a majority of threats to the kingdom by taking them down in the ring. Their enemies had grown in the last year and this was simply a preventative measure for the future. They had done more than enough for now, and Kurama was free to leave with no worries on his mind.

He navigated his way through the first floor of the hotel in search for the southern exit. There was a portal nearby which would allow him entry into the human world and it was his quickest and safest way back home. The place was even more packed than usual, the patrons having nothing better to do but explore the place due to the tournament's one-day hiatus. Demons and humans alike were talking about who they thought would win the tournament, while others perusing shops and even more crowded in the casino area, trying their luck at one of the many machines. He passed by the open area of slot machines and noticed that Koenma and Yusuke were both stationed at two machines with determined looks on their faces. Though the atmosphere was exciting, Kurama was looking forward to the temporary break he would be afforded in the human world.

When he had reached the south exit, he found Hiei leaning against the wall. The fire-demon viewed him through bored eyes, before stepping away from the wall and speaking.

"You're returning to the human world?"

Kurama had no idea how the other found out about his quick respite, but he did not dwell on the matter seeing as news always did travel quickly in the demon world.

"Yes, just for today. I planned to check in on my family and I promised Kuwabara I would also fill him in on what has happened so far."

"Hn, the affairs of this world are none of that clown's business," Hiei scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"He cares because it is important to us," Kurama said. "Surely you can understand his sentiments."

Hiei chose to ignore that comment in lieu of discarding his chain and removing Yukina's hiruiseki stone. Hiei was not the type to openly display his mother's mementoes, but upon giving the area a quick scan, Kurama realized that they were fairly secluded and left to their own devices.

"I want you to give this to Yukina," he said, offering the stone in his upturned palm. "Tell her that her brother is dead."

Kurama made no move to accept the item, looking at his friend almost apologetically.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Hiei," he replied. "You should be the one to return it to her in your own time."

Hiei clenched his fist around the stone, but did not attempt to persuade Kurama any further. Instead, he reattached the tear gem to the chain and put it back over his neck, before concealing the precious items underneath his shirt.

"You always were a self-righteous pain," Hiei muttered, no real malice backing his words.

Kurama smiled in return.

"What are planning to do today?" he inquired.

"Nothing."

"Well, if you happen to see Botan, please give her my thanks. If it weren't for her, I would still be under medical care right now."

"What makes you think I will even see the woman today?" Hiei countered stubbornly.

"Just intuition," he answered.

"I know what you're thinking fox, but it isn't like that between us."

"Explain it to me then."

"I'm only practicing what you preach: caution and deliberation," Hiei informed. "If we cross paths today it would be for a valid and specific purpose and it should not be romanticized into something more."

"I see."

"Do you?" Hiei pressed. "Because I can see the wheels in your head turning and I know that you have more to say."

"You hardly listen to me in the first place, but if I'm being honest, I don't think you need my advice," Kurama admitted. "We've all grown in these past few years and I am sure that your past experiences coupled with your present maturity will be enough to carry you through this tenuous situation. Only you can decide what happens next, and I choose to believe that you will do what is right."

Hiei seemed to contemplate his words for a moment before frowning.

"You and I have very different ideas concerning what is right and what is wrong, Kurama," he warned. "Your faith is entirely misguided."

"Only time will tell," Kurama replied.

After his talk with Kurama, Hiei headed back to his own floor. Contemplating the fox's ambiguous words always ended in confusion and headaches and this time was no different. What was right and what was wrong… he didn't know in this case, but he was going to figure out why things always seemed altered when it came to the ferry-girl. Maybe it was just an initial and short-lived effect of meeting her again after three years. Maybe after a day of constant interaction, the newness would fade into normality and he would become accustomed to her bright presence once more.

The only problem left was posing the proposition to the woman. He did not want her to think that he had ulterior motives, nor did he want her to misconstrue their time together into something past the platonic borders that Hiei intended to maintain. What he was about to ask her sounded suspiciously like a date and the last thing he wanted to do was restart that perplexing game.

He took a calming breath and knocked on her door. Moments passed without an answer and he realized that she must have left already. She always was excited about new places and he should have known that she would be out and about, discovering whatever it was that fancied her mood today. He could search for her with the jagan, but that would be too extreme for his liking and he had no intentions of going that far.

With a resigned sigh he turned around, stopping short when he came face to face with the one he was looking for. Amethyst eyes greeted him with a mixture of shock and curiosity as she stared back at him.

"Were you looking for me?" Botan asked, pointing to herself with her index finger.

Hiei nodded, seeing no point in denying what was so plainly obvious.

"I was."

"That's great, I actually came all the way back up here to find you!" Botan informed.

Hiei raised a brow questioningly.

"What for?" he asked.

"I'd much rather show you than tell you," she said, the excitement evident in her tone. "Follow me!"

It wasn't how he envisioned asking the woman to spend the day with him, but he supposed this alternative was better. He moved forward and she smiled as she led him to a wing of the first floor that he hadn't bothered traversing through before. It just so happened to be the shopping region and he had no idea why she would bring him to this part of the hotel.

"Tada!"

Botan stopped in front of a storefront with a grin as she flourished an arm towards the glass windows. He looked at the intricately decorated space with an unimpressed eye. Colorful pastels backgrounds and overly childish pictures of baked goods and confectionaries decorated the shop.

"I found a sweets shop complete with specialty baked goods from the café on the first floor," she mentioned. "Looks good, doesn't it?"

"Why did you bring me here?"

"Well, I thought I could repay you for helping me out yesterday when I couldn't find my ticket," she explained. "I just happened to pass by the shop and I remembered how much you loved baked goods, so I thought I would bring you here."

"I refuse to enter this place," Hiei deadpanned.

"Why not?!" Botan frowned.

"The clientele is obviously aimed for children and love struck fools," Hiei said.

Botan peeked inside and seemed to finally realize what Hiei had all along: the place was crawling with hyperactive kids, teenagers and parents. Most of the items were either fashioned into sickeningly caricaturized animals or hearts and just about everything had an especially feminine and soft look to it.

"I can go inside and get you a few things if you'd like?" she offered. "In fact, I was planning on doing that from the start, but I figured you might want to choose what you'd like for yourself."

"No."

Botan's posture deflated somewhat as she pouted at him.

"Why not?"

"I don't like sweet things."

"That's an obvious lie!"

"Preferences change."

"I think you're just being stubborn and prideful," she huffed. "I don't want to pester you, but I really do want to return the favor from yesterday."

"I didn't do it so that you would owe me," he informed.

"I know that, but I still feel guilty for putting you in a difficult situation with Lady Mukuro."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, she didn't seem too pleased that you brought me with you," Botan mentioned. "I hope that I didn't cause you any trouble."

"You didn't," he told her. "And you don't have to do anything in return."

"But I want to," she insisted. "So will you please let me? I'll even carry the bags so no one will think that it's for you!"

Hiei's first instinct was to reject her offer once more, but as she continued to plead and pout at him, he found his resolve waning. Shoving his hands into his pocket, he averted his gaze.

"Fine, just be quick about it."

She smiled happily and nodded, entering the store and disappearing into its depths.

Botan was starting to second-guess her decision in picking out sweets for Hiei. There was such a wide range of selection and she had no idea what his preferences were. As her eyes grazed over the entirety of the store, she stopped when she caught sight of a familiar face.

"Hey, I know you!" she blurted out without really thinking.

A demon with dark hair and a medium build froze and turned to view her, his bangs slightly covering the confusion in his eyes.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"You're that bandit… An old friend of Hiei's!" she said. His name was on the tip of her tongue and she snapped her fingers when the recollection returned. "Makoto, isn't it?"

"Ah, that's right, and you're his ferry-girl," he grinned in return.

"Yes, I'm his friend and a ferry-girl as well," she corrected, a little taken aback by being called Hiei's in any manner. "My name is Botan."

"It's good to see you again, Botan," he greeted with a nod of his head.

"Likewise!" she returned. "How have you been?"

"I've been doing good…great, actually. These tournaments are an easy and quick way to make money if you know who to bet for," he revealed, fangs visible through his mischievous smirk. "High risk, high reward."

"I do hope you've been rooting for Hiei," Botan winked.

"I have been. And I've got a nice stack of earnings to prove it," he responded, before looking around the store curiously. "Where is the little guy, anyway?"

"He's right outside, but I don't think he'd appreciate the little guy comment."

"It's an endearing term of affection," he replied with a shrug.

"Yes, but Hiei won't see it that way. Besides, he isn't the affectionate type, in terms of giving or receiving."

"You would know best."

Botan blinked in confusion.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Aren't you his…" Makoto trailed off when Botan did not seem to be following him. "Aren't you two involved?"

"Goodness no, we're just friends!" she explained as she shook her head and waved her hands around in denial.

"Oh," he shot her a guilty look. "Just friends, huh? Sorry for misunderstanding, I honestly thought something was going on when I first met you."

"That's quite alright," Botan said, ignoring the fact that when he had met her some time ago there was technically something going on between them. Her thoughts were interrupted when a third voice infiltrated the conversation; one that she knew all too well.

"What are you doing here?"

"Hey there litt-" Makoto paused, clearing his throat as he followed Botan's advice. "Hiei."

"Are you bothering her?" Hiei accused with a frown.

"Absolutely not," Botan cut in, surprised that Hiei would jump to that conclusion. "We were just talking."

"It's never just talking with this one. He always has an angle," the fire-demon insisted.

"I don't do that sort of thing to family; you remember the code, don't you?" Makoto reminded him.

"She isn't your family," Hiei countered.

"But she is something to you, so she's family by extension," Makoto reasoned.

Hiei folded his arms over his chest and glared at Makoto dangerously, but the latter did not flinch.

"You know," Makoto started with a mischievous glint lighting up his dark eyes, "When you've known someone as long as I've known you – in this case, long enough to have been the unfortunate one stuck with the task of changing your dirty diapers – scary glares and death threats don't really have much of an effect."

Botan stifled a giggle behind her hand at about the same moment that Hiei averted his eyes and scowled at nothing in particular. She could have sworn that she saw the tips of his ears redden a bit, but her eyes could have been playing tricks on her. The fire-demon was obviously uncomfortable with the change in conversation, and despite her obvious amusement she decided to switch subjects.

"So what brings you to this store, Makoto?" she asked good-naturedly. "Could it be that you have an insatiable sweet tooth just like Hiei?"

Said fire-demon let out an irritated growl as he shot a pointed look in her direction and Botan shirked back nervously.

"Oops…silly me, did I say that Hiei had a sweet tooth? I meant that I was the one who had a love of all things sweet and sugary. In fact I dragged Hiei in here so that he could stop me if I was going overboard," she said through a sheepish and jittery laugh.

Makoto shook his head.

"I don't really care for this stuff, but my mate does. I'm getting her something special."

"Well, isn't that just adorable," Botan gushed. "How long have you two been together?"

"Two years to the date," he announced. "It's kind of a special occasion."

"Oh, that's wonderful. Congratulations!"

"Hn, I'm surprised you managed to find someone willing to put up with you for so long," Hiei provoked with a smirk.

Makoto frowned at the fire-demon moodily.

"I take offense to that. I'd like to consider myself a great catch," he said.

"Don't take it to heart, Hiei just likes being a meanie," Botan soothed.

Makoto laughed knowingly.

"Isn't that the truth?"

"And it's such a shame too, considering you've been rooting for Hiei this entire time," Botan said to Makoto before turning to Hiei. "In fact, Makoto was just telling me that he's won some bountiful earnings because of you."

"Glad I could support your pitiful lifestyle," Hiei mocked.

The demon grinned in return.

"You and me both, kid."

Hiei's smirk fell, eyes narrowing a bit.

"I'm not a kid," Hiei corrected.

"I guess you have a point there. You are all grown up now," the bandit examined. "Looks like you even shot up a few inches since the last time I saw you."

Hiei grower and Makoto's lighthearted expression did not waver.

"Though that testy temperament of yours still remains..." he noted.

Botan resisted the urge to giggle at the exchange. She liked Makoto and the familiar way he regarded Hiei. She would have loved to hear all sorts of stories about the fire-demon when he was younger, but she knew that the he would be adamantly against it. Still, it was nice to know that someone as jovial as Makoto was there for Hiei when most of the world had cast him aside.

"Well, I don't want to keep the missus waiting. She gets cranky without her chocolate," he joked. "It was good seeing you both again."

"And you as well!" Botan said.

"Good luck in the tournament, Hiei. I'll be rooting for you."

Hiei pretended not to hear him, but both she and Makoto knew that he did. She certainly hadn't expected to run into the bandit nor did she think that Hiei would ever step foot inside the store, but it all ended in her favor. It would be much easier to figure out what Hiei liked when he was actually here to tell her himself. She opened her mouth to ask if he wouldn't mind staying for a bit longer, but he had already cut her off.

"Check your bags," he said as soon as they were out of Makoto's earshot.

"Why?"

"To make sure that you have everything you came with," he revealed.

"That's ridiculous, Hiei!" she exclaimed. "I'm appalled that you even think Makoto would do such a despicable thing."

"And I'm appalled that you think he wouldn't," Hiei returned sarcastically. "Just do it."

Botan let out a defeated sigh as she looked through her bag, making a mental checklist of all of her belongings. When she was finished, she looked up at Hiei.

"Everything's here," she said. "Makoto didn't take anything."

"He's a bandit first and foremost," he explained. "It's what he does and you shouldn't forget that."

"He said himself that he was abiding by some sort of code that wouldn't allow him to steal from me, so I choose to believe that he will do what's right," Botan maintained.

A flash of shock and something unreadable flashed through Hiei's eyes, but it was gone shortly after and his features reset into their stoic position. She wasn't sure what had caused that reaction, but she didn't have time to contemplate it as Hiei moved past her with the intentions of returning to his position outside of the store.

"Wait," she urged.

"What?"

"Well, since you're already here, you might as well tell me what you like," she supposed. "Would you prefer the cupcakes with chocolate frosting or vanilla?"

He looked down at the selection briefly, before snapping his gaze back to meet hers.

"It doesn't matter."

"Okay, I guess I'll choose vanilla."

His features contorted slightly, indicating his displeasure and to the untrained eye it would have been undetectable, but Botan caught it.

"Chocolate it is," she winked. "Let's check out the other options."

They continued around the store in the same fashion: Botan continued asking questions and Hiei afforded her his responses through mostly physical clues. She had found that he liked vanilla based cakes the best when topped with chocolate frosting, he didn't mind having nuts on his brownies, and he absolutely disliked any sort of cream or fruit filling. In the case of ice cream, he was partial to vanilla and did not care for any toppings.

As they traversed through the aisles, Botan had noticed a few of the customers and workers staring blatantly at Hiei. Botan felt momentarily guilty, realizing that this was the reason that Hiei had reservations about entering the store in the first place. It would be a little shocking to see the general of a bloodthirsty army walking through the colorful candy filled aisles with a ferry-girl at his side. For the most part, the fire-demon ignored it, but she did catch him glaring at some of the men who appeared to be shocked to see him here. Despite the attention he had garnered, he stayed with her for the entirety of their shopping and took the bag from her when they exited the store.

"Um, are you sure you don't mind carrying that out in the open?" Botan asked, looking at the colorfully decorated bag that advertised the name of the store on its front.

"There's no need for you to carry it if the contents were meant for me," he said simply.

So it was a pride thing, Botan realized.

"I really don't mind," she insisted. "Besides, a few of those items are mine as well."

When Hiei did not answer or release his hold on the bag of goodies, Botan decided to roll with it. A smile quickly spreading over her features as they walked back towards their rooms at a leisurely pace.

"So, tell us everything, how's the tournament going?" Kuwabara asked eagerly, fingers rapping against the table that they were seated at as he awaited a response.

"There are quite a few major contenders left," Kurama revealed, pausing to take a sip of the green tea that Yukina had set out for them. "Yusuke, Yomi, Mukuro and Hiei being a few of them."

"Wow, so you're saying Urameshi might actually have a shot of being president of the demon world?" the psychic rubbed at his chin thoughtfully.

Kurama chuckled.

"Something like that."

"Well, I hope he loses," Kuwabara said suddenly, drawing Kurama and Yukina's attention to him. "If he ends up being ruler, then he probably won't have time to come back here. Keiko really misses him, even if she won't admit it. And besides, do we even want to trust Urameshi with the responsibility of a whole world? He couldn't even take care of Eikichi that one time I asked him to!"

"You make a valid point," Kurama noted. "In any case, it is still anyone's tournament to win. One of the rookies could upset the balance and claim the victory. Only time will tell."

Kuwabara nodded.

"That's good to know."

"Do you think that Hiei might do the same?" Yukina spoke for the first time.

"To be honest, I'm not sure," Kurama informed regretfully. "As of right now, he has no intentions of it."

Yukina's face fell and Kurama could see the disappointment swimming around in her crimson eyes. He hadn't realized that Yukina had become so attached to the fire-demon or that his absence would cause her such displeasure. It didn't make any sense, unless-

"You haven't asked about his search for your brother," Kurama interrogated subtly. "Why is that?"

Yukina was temporarily caught off guard and Kurama capitalized on her hesitation.

"Perhaps I should join the search for him as well," he suggested. "Would you mind if I took the stone in search of your brother?"

Yukina shook her head adamantly.

"I appreciate your help, but Hiei is the only one who can find him, I'm sure of it."

"Three-eyes probably isn't even really trying to find your brother," Kuwabara scoffed, folding his arms against his chest. "I'm sure Kurama would do a better job."

"I just have to believe that Hiei will be the one to find my brother," the ice-maiden maintained firmly.

Her words held a hidden meaning that Kurama was able to detect and his newfound suspicions were slowly being confirmed. He examined her through sympathetic eyes, wondering how long she had known the truth and how she managed to hide it from everyone so well. Deciding to put his little theory to the test, he softened his gaze.

"Yukina," he started gently. "I think you and I are of the same mindset when it comes to Hiei and this endeavor. He might very well be the only one in all three worlds who can fulfill your request."

Her eyes widened slightly and her breath hitched in her throat. She had understood what his ambiguous words really meant and he was sure now that she knew the truth.

"I'm not following at all," Kuwabara said confusedly, looking between the two of them underneath furrowed eyebrows. "What's going on?"

"Kazuma, would you mind getting the cakes I left on the counter? They should be cooled off by now."

"Of course, my sweet!"

They both watched as he exited the room, before turning back to face each other.

"You know the truth, don't you?" Kurama said, his voice low.

Yukina bowed her head and nodded.

"I've known for a few years now," she confessed. "I had my suspicions, but I was most sure of myself the night Hiei chose to leave."

"I apologize for not saying anything sooner," Kurama started. "I know how important finding your brother was to you, but it simply wasn't my place."

"I understand," she said, looking down at her folded hands as they rested in her lap. "I know that he has his own reasons for his secrecy and I intend to wait until he's ready. It's just hard when I haven't seen or heard from him in three years. I'm starting to wonder if he will ever come back."

"He-"

They both heard Kuwabara's footsteps advancing and Yukina's eyes cut to him imperatively.

"Please, don't say a word of this to anyone, especially Hiei," she pleaded. "I intend to wait until he is ready to talk to me himself. I don't care how long it takes. I would rather not push him into anything he is uncomfortable with."

Kurama nodded sympathetically.

"Promise me," she urged.

"You have my word."

Yukina nodded gratefully at just about the same time that Kuwabara entered with the cakes.

"These smell great, Yukina. I really think you outdid yourself!" Kuwabara was smiling brightly, but his expression dropped immediately once he noticed the tense atmosphere. "Is everything okay?"

Yukina smiled reassuringly at him.

"Everything is fine," she said.

"Everything is fine," Hiei repeated for the last time, his grip on the bag of treats tightening as they walked towards their rooms. "Stop fussing over me."

"You've been acting strangely ever since we ran into Makoto," Botan mentioned. "And you were so cold towards him."

"Makoto is a fool and you shouldn't entertain him."

"I like him! He seems nice enough."

Of course the woman would like Makoto, they were both alike in one distinctly unique way: they treated Hiei as though he were a normal person, despite the fact that he had the power (and, once upon a time, the will) to kill them both.

Botan had been afraid of him at first, but that fear was long forgotten in favor of forming a friendship, while Makoto was the only member of the bandits who had truly considered Hiei to be part of their family, rather than a boy with a stone that could be of value to them in the future. Makoto was the only one who never attempted taking his stone from him. He was the only one who treated him fairly, when he didn't always deserve it and it always unsettled Hiei to no end.

"Seriously, Hiei, lighten up! Do we have to revisit that lesson on smiling again?" she teased. "It's very easy, sort of like those smirks you love donning, only less menacing and more sincere."

The memory of sunlight streaming through the trees in the park and the feeling of Botan prodding at his face teasingly flashed through his mind and then dissipated in the same instant.

Botan grinned at him, pointing to the corner of her upturned lips as an example.

"Like this, see?"

Hiei scowled at her.

"Come now, if you won't smile, then would you at least stop frowning like that?"

"Just leave me be."

"Let's see, what worked last time?" she wondered aloud, ignoring his request entirely. "Yusuke with Keiko's personality or Genkai with Lord Koenma's voice?"

Hiei continued walking, showing no outward signs of a reaction and Botan continued.

"Kuwabara with Karasu's long, golden hair?"

"…"

"Oh, that's right!" she said, clapping her hands together. "Kurama in a dress!"

This stopped Hiei in his tracks, his frown breaking as he eyed her with an unclear expression. The tension in his shoulders lessened somewhat and the frown lines marring his forehead were no longer visible.

"You're still incurably twisted, woman," he announced.

"That's the spirit, I knew there was something that would break your dark mood," she cheered victoriously. "It's good to know that the same methods still work!"

"Yes, your lunacy never fails to astound me," he replied, the ghost of a smirk appearing on his features.

"I could take offense to that, but I choose not to," she announced with a smug grin, choosing to the look the bright side as always. "At least you aren't looking so agitated anymore."

"Hn."

They had arrived at their respective rooms and Botan looked over at him expectantly.

"Do you want to come in?"

If it had been another woman, Hiei would have immediately known what she wanted. But this was Botan; she had always been unpredictable and just outside of his range of understanding.

"Unless you have something better to do," she said hurriedly. "I wouldn't want to keep you back from anything important."

"I have time to spare," he told her, not missing the way her face lit up as she unlocked her door and waved at him to enter.

Her room looked as though she had been staying there for a few weeks rather than a few days, items strung about as though they were meant to be there. He had no idea why she had brought so many accessories, items and trinkets, but he did not dwell on it as they walked further inside. Hiei set the bag of treats on the table near the couches and Botan divvied them up. Her gaze drifted towards the television that was playing lowly in the background and her expression lit up.

"Ooh, Love and War is on!" she exclaimed happily.

Hiei shot her an unimpressed look.

"You watch this ridiculous drivel?"

"It's actually a really thrilling story. I started following it the first night I got here."

"Pathetic."

Botan was unfazed by his insult, instead taking a more contemplative look as she crossed her arms.

"I wonder if I can somehow get it broadcasted back home," she pondered.

"A waste of time and effort."

"You say it's horrible, but have you actually watched an episode to justify your claims?"

"I don't need to waste my time on a convoluted drama to know that it is pointless."

"I say you give it try and see what it's like," she urged. He watched as she picked up her sweets and moved towards the bed, taking a seat and patting the space next to her invitingly. "What do you say?"

"No."

"Oh, come on."

"No."

"It's not like you have anything better to do."

He could have trained. He could have gone down to the bar to get a drink. He could have sparred with Mukuro. He could have done a million other things, but instead he stood there, entertaining the mere thought of joining her. It was as though there was a gravitational force pulling him towards her, one that he did not fight against and one that he did not mind falling into. She beckoned him with a wave of her hand and he rolled his eyes and sat down. He did resolve to spend some substantial time in her presence after all and if this was what he had to do to accomplish it, then so be it.

"Tell anyone that we did this and-"

"Yes, yes, my death will be a horrible and painful one. I know," she recited, completely unfazed by his threats.

Hiei leaned back against the headboard, crossing his arms over his chest as he set his gaze on the television. Botan hurriedly explained what was going on and he halfheartedly listened; it was something about jilted ex-lovers, treacherous family members, ridiculous misunderstandings and dramatic arguments that he did not care much for.

"You just proved my point with that tasteless synopsis," he noted. "It sounds just as bad as those books you were always reading."

"Those books were wonderful!" she defended.

"They were not-"

"Shhh! It's back from commercial!" she hushed with a wave of her hand, before raising the volume.

Hiei rolled his eyes at Botan's thinly veiled excitement before reluctantly paying attention the scenes as they unfolded. It really was every bit as mind numbing and dramatic as he imagined, but Botan was hanging on every scene. He truly could not believe that his world was broadcasting such garbage, but it had garnered a popular following among a lot of the women and he should have known that Botan would be the type to get caught up in it. He hadn't spoken much, aside from the occasional biting comment directed towards the idiocy of the show, but Botan always laughed it off or countered his claims. She was just as animated as he remembered and had no qualms in expressing her anger towards the character she didn't like, while cheering for the ones she did. Such things would have bothered him in the past, but when it came to her, he didn't mind it at all.

The time seemed to speed by and, despite his initial reluctance, they had fallen into a relaxed atmosphere that consisted of fueling both his and her respective guilty pleasures of sweets and binge watching melodramatic television. His soldiers would have a field day if they could see him now, he thought with a grimace. The strange activities that Botan had managed to rope him into were always outside of his comfort zone and entirely unbecoming of him, but for some reason, they had always managed to settle into their own private world of tranquil peace and familiarity.

As he glanced at her from the corner of his eye, the question of what was right and what was wrong flashed in his mind again and swirled among his thoughts.

He really didn't know the answer, but the simple act of being by her side felt right.

Despite still not having any real answers to what the ferry-girl meant to him, Hiei awoke the following morning with a clear mind. The tournament was resuming today and as he strapped sword on and exited his room he welcomed the chance of facing an opponent worthy of his caliber.

His gaze narrowed curiously when he stepped into the hallway and found Yusuke crouched near the ferry-girl's door. It was far too early for the detective's antics, but Hiei found himself indulging in it anyway.

"What are you doing?"

The former detective cursed in surprise, before straightening up and stepping away from the woman's room.

"Do you always have to creep up on unsuspecting people like that?" Yusuke countered, closing his hand around something suspiciously.

"I'll only ask you one more time: what were you doing?" he repeated lowly.

"Nothing," the raven-haired teen replied innocently as he moved to conceal the mysterious article within the confines of his pocket. Hiei was one step ahead and managed to snatch the item out of Yusuke's grasp and sidestep out of the detective's reach. Hiei's crimson gaze swept over the piece of paper he immediately realized what it was and why Yusuke had tried so hard to hide it.

"You took the woman's ticket," Hiei accused.

"I didn't take it, I just found it. And I was returning it," Yusuke reported with a wave of his hand.

"You're lying."

"Are you using your jagan or something? Cause let me tell you, that's a real invasion of privacy and you ought to be ashamed of yourself," Yusuke deflected in mock offense, setting his hands on his hips.

But Hiei was not falling for the boy's diversion and he eyed him suspiciously. Yusuke had been acting suspicious lately and the more Hiei thought about it, the more the pieces began to align.

"You left us to walk to the hotel alone. You invited us both to the bar and conveniently never showed. And then you took the woman's ticket so she would be forced to view the matches elsewhere," the fire-demon recounted, taking a step towards the teen with an angered glare. "I want you to tell me why."

"Guess there's no point in denying it anymore," Yusuke admitted sheepishly. "I was sick and tired of you two fighting all the time, so I decided to do something about it."

"What?"

"All those things I did were for the sake of getting you two crazy kids to get along again and by the looks of it, it worked," he explained further as he grinned smugly. "You can thank me later."

Yusuke's words rang through his mind and flashes of the past were returning faster than he could handle. Things were so confusing and jarring; he had agonized over Botan before and he was close to doing it again, all because of the ex-detective's meddling. Something in the superior way the teen was grinning at him or the simple fact that he had been working behind the scenes and trying to manipulate their situation just like the first time caused Hiei to snap. It was all too much for the fire-demon to handle and before he knew it, his sword was pressed against Yusuke's neck, just a pinch of pressure more and he would easily draw blood.

"I thought I made myself clear three years ago, I have no intentions of playing by the rules of your juvenile game," Hiei snarled. "I don't know what you're up to, but I refused to play any part in it."

"What the hell, Hiei!" Yusuke exclaimed as his eyes darted down to the weapon that was resting uncomfortably against his neck. The blade glinted under the golden light illuminating the hallway and Yusuke lifted his gaze to meet Hiei's. "This isn't a game and I'm not doing this for some sick freakin' thrill. Botan's my friend and, despite the fact that you're pointing that sword in my face, I consider you a friend too. I don't want to see you two fighting anymore and I thought that maybe I owed it to the both of you to make things right."

The two glared fiercely at each other; Yusuke determined and Hiei enraged. As the seconds passed by, Hiei could sense no deception in the ex-detective's aura and the fury that tightened his features into a frown slowly began to dissipate.

"Hn. You still haven't learned anything," Hiei admonished, sheathing his sword. "If you had been paying attention you would have noticed that the fighting ended before your needless intercession. Furthermore, we are not children and we do not need your intervention."

"Could've fooled me, considering how you two were acting before," Yusuke muttered under his breath, before affording Hiei a more solemn look. "But I get your point, so you don't have to worry about me anymore. I just wanted to make things right and I see that things have been going pretty well for you two."

"Don't interfere again," Hiei warned. "I won't be this merciful next time."

"Fine, but if we're on the subject of threats, then I've got one of my own," Yusuke said in an uncharacteristic moment of seriousness. "I'm glad that you two are working things out, but if you hurt Botan again like you did the last time I won't let it slide. I don't know what it is that you want from her, but when you figure it out you have to do right by her this time."

Hiei should have taken offense to the mazoku's warning, but instead he nodded, meeting Yusuke's gaze without uncertainty or hesitation. Yusuke seemed satisfied with his wordless response and grinned.

"Glad we're on the same page," he saluted as he took his leave.

Hiei watched as Yusuke rounded the corner and was out of sight, before looking down at the item in his hand. He had two options now: return the ticket and be done with it all or keep it in favor of spending more of his time and patience in deliberating what was left between himself and the woman.

Both Yusuke and Kurama had talked about doing the right thing, as if that elusive concept was always discernable and as if it was always easy to execute. He had never really considered the concept of right and wrong in the grand scheme of things; if a course of action suited him, then Hiei followed through, consequences be damned. But Hiei still could not figure out where the ferry-girl fit into his life. She was a strange outside force, unpredictable and indecipherable. No matter how different she was from him, though, she had always felt right.

However, in light of Yusuke's interference, Hiei was forced to rethink all that had occurred between himself and the woman. Had his recent reactions to her been nothing more than an artificial construct born from Yusuke's meddling or was something real still there, entirely independent of the teenaged boy's half-brained schemes? If Yusuke had not interfered, would he be in the position that he was in right now? As he looked down at the ticket in his hand, he realized that he didn't know what he was doing or where he should go from here.

Chapter 26 is wrapped up and Hiei is sort of back where he started in the beginning of this chapter. But fear not, his deliberating won't last too long. He's on the precipice of a revelation, I promise.

True to my word, I did update weekly for as long as I could (from chapter 21 – 26). Chapter 27 is mostly drafted, but the rest of the chapters have to be conceptualized and drafted, so I can't guarantee weekly updates after next week's installment. I will try to stay on track though and update within a reasonable time frame.

Anyway, thanks for the awesome reviews left so far. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter~ Let me know what you guys thought!