Sorry I'm a bit late! Here's Day 3's submission. :)

Prompts: Innocence | Ice Cream | Laughter

Botan stretched towards the sun with a lazy grin. There was just something about the crisp and fresh human world air that never failed to lift her spirits. A gentle breeze blew through the trees while birds chirped from above. The grass was a vibrant shade of green, and the flowers around her were in full bloom, their petals dancing in the wind.

She closed her eyes and let out a contented sigh, feeling at peace with the world. Life was good. Yusuke was getting stronger each day. More in tune with his abilities and instincts. His reputation spread far and wide, resulting in a downward spike of demon activity and more free time on both their hands.

A shadow suddenly fell over her, blocking out the sun's warm rays. When she peeled her eyes open, she was wholly surprised to find Hiei standing before her.

"What are you smiling about, woman?" he asked.

"No reason, really," she replied. "Just enjoying the weather."

He grunted dismissively as he dropped down into the empty space beside her on the bench.

A rush of surprise suffused the ferry-girl. Normally, she would be the one to initiate contact first. Hiei would put on a show of resisting her company - complete with a few rude and disparaging remarks sprinkled in - before caving to her charm and joining her in whichever activity she fancied on that day.

She never once expected Hiei to seek her out, much less approach her unprompted, but this was a pleasant turn of events. A small sign that their unlikely camaraderie wasn't completely one-sided.

It was a nice thought, one that deepened the natural curve of her smile. Although Hiei could be so bristly and bad-tempered at times, she liked him a lot. Despite all of his stubborn pretenses and guards, he wasn't so bad once she got to know him. He listened when she spoke. He remembered the little details and small, inconsequential things. He let her in and lowered his stonewall defenses every time she came around.

Her relationship with Hiei was so contrary to the one she developed with her fellow ferry-girls. So unlike her ties to Koenma. So much different than her friendship with Yusuke, even. The stoic demon was her first friend outside of her role as a ferry-girl or the detective's assistant. She found it quite nice to have something all her own. Perhaps that was why she found herself gravitating towards him more and more with each passing day.

The ferry-girl tilted her head at the reticent demon curiously.

"You're giving off a particularly irritable aura today," she observed. Yusuke disliked it when she stated the obvious and rubbed it in his face, but Hiei didn't seem to mind the tactless approach. "Is there a particular reason for your bad mood, or did you simply wake up on the wrong side of the tree today?"

"Blame it on a meddlesome know it all who overcomplicates everything," he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

Botan giggled. "Try wrangling a juvenile delinquent who acts tough to hide his heart of gold."

The darkness shading Hiei's expression lightened a bit as he scoffed commiseratingly. "They both sound equally infuriating."

She tilted her head at him curiously. "So, is that the reason why you're in this part of town? You were meeting with your 'meddlesome' friend?"

"He and I aren't friends."

"Then what are you?"

"We're…" Hiei averted his eyes, as if the truth was particularly difficult for him to admit. "...Partners."

A strangled sound escaped the ferry-girl's throat. "...S-so, you're involved?"

"Involved?"

"You know…" She traced a heart in the air with her index fingers. "Romantically?"

Hiei stiffened, the apples of his cheeks painted red in a mixture of anger and embarrassment. "What gave you that asinine idea, woman?"

"You said you were partners!"

"We worked together," he bit out. "Nothing more than that."

"Oh!" Botan's expression shifted to one of understanding. His answer quelled the selfish maelstrom of unease and discontent that swirled in her chest; it felt as though she could breathe easy again. "I see…"

Hiei crossed his arms over his chest. His sharp eyes were fixed out towards the distance, shoulders tense and jaw clenched tight.

"Things must not be going well if you're so peevish after meeting," she commented.

"Kurama knows how to get under my skin," Hiei explained. "That's all."

"Friends tend to do that sometimes."

"We aren't-"

"Yes, yes, I know," she dismissed with a wave of her hand. "In any case, I was thinking of getting some ice cream. Want to come with?"

He simply made that grunting sound in the back of his throat again. The funny, odd little noise that seemed to have a million different meanings. She had no idea if he was refusing or accepting, not when his mood was so dark.

"...Or maybe you'd rather sit and stew instead," she gauged, rising up to her feet. "In that case, I can always bring some back for you..."

Hiei sighed, his scowl less severe as he regarded her. "What's the point in giving me options when you always do what you want regardless, woman?"

"Maybe I'm trying to give you the illusion of choice." She teased, taking his hand and tugging on it with a playful laugh. "Come on."

Hiei put up little to no resistance as he stood up and allowed her to pull him away.

Hiei lay perched on a thick and sturdy branch of one of the taller trees in the park as he replayed his last conversation with Kurama. The fox had hatched a rather asinine scheme that involved breaking into the Spirit World's vault and stealing the three artifacts of darkness. Had it been anyone else who approached him with such a foolhardy plan, Hiei would have turned them down. However, Kurama's reputation preceded him. Hiei couldn't pass up the chance to see the legendary bandit in action. And it wasn't as if he had anything better to do while wasting his days away in the human realm.

Kurama was much different from the stories that spread throughout the generations. His time in the human world must have softened him considerably, because the fox now erred on the side of caution and deliberation. He insisted they find a third demon to join their efforts. The fox was far too busy keeping up appearances as a dutiful son and student to do much else, leaving the responsibility to fall on Hiei's shoulders.

The fire-demon sighed. He didn't see the point in bringing someone else into their operation, but Kurama was resolute in his decision. There were all manner of low-class demons flying under the radar in the human world. It was just a matter of picking the one who aligned best with their aims—

Hiei sat up straighter, eyes narrowing into a glare upon sensing the sudden approach of a strange energy. It was familiar and foreign all at once. And, before he knew it, Botan was hovering in front of him, side saddled on an oar.

"I thought I sensed you nearby," she greeted, a small notebook in her hands. "I was just on my way to retrieve a few souls."

Hiei masked his surprise as he took in the sight of her pink kimono.

So, she was of the Spirit World.

A pilot of the river styx.

A ferry-girl.

He didn't realize it before, but certain things didn't necessarily add up about Botan. She was always alone in this world, despite her penchant for conversation and company. She showed up sporadically - as if she had no true schedule. And sometimes, the things she said and did were a bit too odd, even for a human.

"You never mentioned you were a ferry-girl," he stated evenly.

"Well, sure I did," she insisted, tucking the notebook into the large sleeve of her kimono. "I must have said so earlier."

"I would have remembered something like that, Botan."

"I guess it slipped my mind," she replied, covering a hand over her mouth sheepishly. "Oopsie."

Of all the souls he could have chosen to associate with, it had to be a ferry-girl. It was an ironic turn of events. If he believed in luck, he would even call it a stroke of ill fortune. A wiser man would have chosen to cut his losses and end all contact with her immediately, but the words she spoke next changed everything.

"Um…" Botan's voice wavered with uncertainty, amethyst eyes looking anywhere but at him. "I hope this doesn't change anything between us. I know that spirits and demons aren't usually on the best of terms, but-"

Hiei's hard gaze narrowed in on her accusingly. "You knew I was a demon this whole time?"

"Of course I did. Your energy isn't exactly human, you know."

The fire-demon frowned, at a loss for words. She was such a peculiar woman. Indulging in this world as if she were another fanciful human. Knowingly fraternizing with the enemy. And having the nerve to ask that things remain the same between them, despite centuries of distrust and opposition built up between them.

"I really should get going, though," she mentioned, gripping her oar and angling towards the east. "Are you free later? Maybe we can go for dinner. I saw this new spot-"

"That isn't wise."

"Why not?"

"You know what I am and yet you choose to stay. I don't know if that makes you foolish, oblivious, or just plain ignorant."

"I don't see the problem," she replied, bottom lip jutting into a pout. "We're not doing anything wrong."

There were so many things wrong with this scenario. The woman's blinding trust most of all.

"You aren't using me for anything devious, are you?" she asked.

"I wouldn't tell you if that were the case."

"Well… you seem like a straightforward type of guy. I don't think you'd resort to underhanded trickery."

"That doesn't mean I'm innocent," he countered, annoyed that she presumed to know him and paint him in such a noble light. It did something else to him, too, but he refused to face the weak and pitiful part of his soul that craved validation and acceptance. He fixed his gaze on her, his expression flat and unreadable. "For all you know, I'm only using you to get to Chapter Black."

"Then I'm afraid to tell you that you've been wasting your time," she sing-songed, a teasing glint lighting her eyes. "I don't even know where it's locked up."

"I suppose a peon wouldn't be privy to such information."

"Peon? I'll have you know that I'm Lord Koenma's chief ferry-girl!" she proclaimed. She then deflated a bit, poking the pads of her index fingers together as she avoided all eye contact. "I just happen to have a problem with secrets and keeping them."

"Hn. I shouldn't be surprised."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You prattle off endlessly. I don't think you're even aware of half of the things you say."

"Hiei!" she exclaimed, face red with indignation. "Do you always have to be so mean to me?"

The fire-demon smirked, settling into a more comfortable position on the tree. "You make it too easy, ferry-girl."

The use of her title seemed to sober her up a bit, if her slowly changing expression was any indication. There was an unnatural furrow to her brow and a slant angling her mouth downwards.

"Does it bother you that I'm a ferry-girl?"

"What?"

"I mean, do you feel uncomfortable around me now… knowing what I am?"

"Does it bother you that I'm a demon?" he countered.

She shook her head without missing a beat. "No, not at all."

"Then you have your answer, woman," he replied, a little surprised at how honest those words truly were. "This changes nothing."

The Botan's her features lifted into a smile didn't go unnoticed. His gaze lingered on the curve of her lips for far too long, but she never seemed to notice. She was chattering on excitedly about some human world event and before he knew it, he'd agreed to another frivolous activity with her later that evening.

As he watched her fly away, his expression turned contemplative.

Perhaps he was making a mistake in allowing himself to gravitate towards a ferry-girl, but he'd never been the wisest demon of the bunch.

This was what he wanted.

He wouldn't shy away.

Botan made the executive decision to keep her rendezvous with Hiei to herself. She didn't think she was doing anything wrong, but she knew for a fact that those from her world would never understand it. She'd always been considered odd in comparison to her peers and this new pastime of hers certainly wouldn't dispel that notion.

Despite not knowing the demon for long, she felt at ease with him. Hiei never once asked her about her world. He never inquired about anything suspicious. He'd never given her any reason to believe that he was dangerous.

She trusted him - as illogical and insensible as it seemed.

Today they sat on the hilltop that overlooked the park. It was an overcast day, diffused sunlight breaking through the gray clouds. Heavy gusts of wind rustled through the trees loudly and whipped through her hair.

"I've been meaning to ask," she began as she plucked a peony from its roots. "Do you have any specialties?"

The demon glanced away, the corner of his mouth tightening almost imperceptibly. When he became reticent like this, she found the best way to let him warm up was to deflect to herself.

"I've got some combat training and I'm pretty handy with a bat," she revealed. "But I'd say my speciality lies in my white magic. It's-"

"An advanced healing technique," he filled in. "I'm familiar with it."

Botan nodded proudly. "It took a lot of studying, but I'm fairly adept in it now."

His eyes narrowed beneath furrowed brows. "What would a ferry-girl need with healing techniques? You're in the business of death."

"It comes in handy," she replied, twirling the flower between her thumb and forefinger. "You never know when you'll need it."

He grunted noncommittally in response.

"What about you?" she pried, leaning closer to the taciturn demon. "You still haven't told me anything about your abilities."

"And I don't plan to, woman."

"Why not?"

"Because only an amateur reveals his skillset."

Botan pouted. "It isn't very nice to keep secrets from a friend."

"We aren't friends, woman."

"Then what are we?"

"I'd liken you to a thorn in my side."

"Hiei!"

He let out a dark chuckle in response. It was teasing and mean-spirited and rude, but laughter all the same. Botan found herself completely and utterly captured by the rich timbre that filled her ears. Hiei's naturally cold expression ran warm beneath the filter of pale sunshine, mouth slanted upwards and crimson eyes colored with poorly concealed amusement. A light flutter ran deep in her chest as she burned the moment into her memory.

"Why are you staring at me like that, ferry-girl?"

"Uh…" Botan snapped out of her reverie. It was growing harder and harder to look away from him lately. "I-it's because I was surprised to hear you laugh!"

Hiei raised a brow.

"I almost thought you didn't know how to!" the bluette carried on, pointing the peony at him teasingly. "I suppose you aren't so stoic, after all."

He rolled his eyes and swatted her hand away. "You're a menace, woman."

Botan laughed at that, unable to deny his claim. She may have been a bit of a menace, but Hiei never seemed to mind it much. There were no signs of actual irritation sharpening his features, nor did she find any tension in the line of his relaxed shoulders. He was at ease with her. Comfortable, even.

The ferry-girl stared out at the park's sprawling paths below, a feeling of warm contentment taking root and blooming from within.

When night fell, she'd have to return to the Spirit World.

But for now, she found herself wishing the day would never end.