"It's Hiei."
Cheeks rosy and four glasses of wine deep, Botan revealed a secret she'd kept for years. It was a silly game of truth or dare and, unfortunately for the ferry woman, she had meddled too many times in her friend's lives so there was a bit of a target on her head. Keiko had demanded she tell them who she had a crush on if it wasn't Koenma and the alcohol intervened, answering the question before the ferry woman could stop herself.
"Really?" Yukina softly asked, a small smile on her face. Ever since Hiei had revealed their sibling-ship, the ice maiden had been working to help him find happiness. Hearing that someone else liked him made her hopeful.
"Oh, please don't tell him Yukina!" Botan begged, desperation in her voice. "I'm quite certain he doesn't return my feelings. Besides, I've kept quiet about it this long-"
"How long?" Shizuru asked quickly, a sly smile on her face. She enjoyed being the one who got to meddle. The bluette looked away, pursing her lips in a pout. "Come on! We never get to hear about your love life so talk."
"Fine! I didn't start really liking him until he joined the team but I've always found him attractive." Botan confessed, feeling a little lighter for letting the secret off her chest. She couldn't help the warmth that filled her heart as his image popped into her mind.
"Even in his weird green form?" Keiko asked before quickly turning to Yukina. "No offense! I didn't mean-"
"It's okay, Keiko." The ice maiden gently reassured. "You can always speak freely around me."
"I like all forms of Hiei." The words were said simply, as if any other answer wouldn't make sense. Botan blushed a little while thinking of the fire demon. It had been a while since they'd last seen each other but he always remained in her thoughts.
"Aside from his physical forms, what else do you like about my brother?" Yukina's tone was both happy and curious. The three girls grinned when a dreamy sigh came from their blue haired friend.
"Well," Botan began, "He's incredibly loyal when he finds someone worth sticking near, like Mukuro or Kurama. He's dedicated to being the best and is willing to go to great lengths to prove it. Even though he can be rude sometimes-"
"Try most of the time." Keiko grumbled but was ignored.
"-it doesn't mean he doesn't care. The way he grew up, it was either be strong or die. Hiei is too tenacious to die, so he got stronger. Encouraging others by riling them up is just one of the ways he ensures the survival of those he cares about."
"That's definitely one way of looking at it." Shizuru chuckled, a cheeky smile on her face.
"But it's true! If he doesn't think that you can protect yourself, he shows up and takes care of it. Of course, you won't live it down if he has to save you too often or from something he believes you should have been able to handle on your own but he'll always make sure those he cares about survive." Botan defended the fire demon strongly, making her friends grin at her. Clearly they had goaded her into the passionate little speech, making her turn even more red.
"You really like him. Like…like-like." Keiko teased. Botan made a slightly petulant face at her friend but there was no real ire behind it. Yukina reached over and grasped the bluette's hand.
"I'm glad you like him. It makes me happy to know other people appreciate him as much as I do." The gentle words from the ice maiden made the group soften. Soon after, the four women continued on, finishing the game of truth or dare quite quickly before moving to karaoke.
Now that her secret was out, Botan couldn't help the influx of thoughts that surrounded the demon she'd had her heart set on for ages. While she knew the chances of getting with him were slim to none, it didn't stop her from daydreaming what life could be like if they did get together. The wine had certainly tried to steer her thoughts into the more risque line of thinking but she'd brushed them aside
As the other three began putting songs into the machine, Botan headed toward the bathroom. The giggling from the other women became more muffled as she headed farther down the hall and into the bathroom. When the door slid shut behind her, silence enveloped the small space. It was a nice reprieve from all of the playful chaos happening in the main room, though it also had that strange, lonely effect too.
Botan rinsed out the flavor of wine from her mouth before looking briefly in the mirror. She touched up her hair, readjusting the ponytail and settling any frizzing. Once satisfied, the ferry woman met her reflection's gaze. A quick, sharp sense of something being off hit her before disappearing just as fast. She shook her head lightly, trying to clear it but only making herself a little dizzy.
"Only water for the rest of the night." Pointing a finger at her own reflection, Botan continued to meet her own stare. Giving a determined nod before turning from the mirror, she made her way back out to the other women. They ragged on her a little, saying they'd start lumping her in with Yusuke if she kept taking so long on her hair next time.
Botan put in some songs she wanted to sing before everyone started. First up was Yukina, who had put on a cute song she had learned from an anime that Kuwabara had convinced her to watch. The other three cheered her on, occasionally singing along if they knew the words. Keiko went next, having chosen a popular song from a few years ago that they all knew as a group by now.
The next song was one that Botan chose. It was one she sang at every girls' night that they did karaoke, so she knew it by heart. While belting her heart out, the ferry woman glanced at the screen with the lyrics. On the screen, a few of the words looked a little wrong, though exactly what was off wasn't pinpointable. Continuing to sing, she wondered if the karaoke machine was starting to die out on them. It was a machine that they used very frequently, so it wouldn't have been a surprise.
Glancing over at the girls while continuing to sing, Botan was concerned to see that they didn't seem to see anything wrong like she did. Maybe they didn't want to interrupt the performance and would address it before the next song started. Something about their lack of reaction told the ferry woman that it was more than that, though. Somehow, she knew this was all her but why she knew that was unclear. Botan finished the song out before suddenly being hit with a faint, underlying sense that something was wrong.
"Everything good, Botan?" Shizuru asked, concern marring her face. "You kinda lost steam there at the end."
"I think the wine might be getting to me." Botan furrowed her brows a little, trying to make sense of what she was feeling. The sense that something was wrong had begun to wane but the ferry woman tried to hold onto it, if only to figure out if something was actually wrong.
"Do you want to lie down?" The ice maiden had stood up upon asking the question, worry in her eyes. Botan nodded her head and moved over to the futon she had set up in the room. Every girls' night, they would all sleep in the main room where they held their sleepovers. Usually staying up as late as possible with most of them passing out mid conversations.
"You guys keep singing, though. I think I just need to be horizontal." The ferry woman insisted. Keiko placed a glass of water near her, to which she drank a good amount of. "Thank you, Keiko."
"Of course. Did you want us to do something else so you can be included?" The brunette asked but Botan waved her off.
"No, it's okay." She meant it, too. Botan wanted to be alone for a moment so that she might be able to ruminate on what happened. "I think I just need to lie down for a little while. Please keep singing. I always enjoy listening to you guys!"
The three headed back toward the karaoke machine, though Yukina did throw a worried glance over her shoulder. Botan shot her a small smile which seemed to help ease the ice maiden's concerned tension. When Shizuru got up to sing, the ferry woman paid attention to the screen but nothing seemed off for the psychic; The same for Yukina and Keiko too.
Confused, Botan wondered why she only felt off when it was her turn but not when any of the other women sang. Maybe the wine mixed with singing a high-pitched, energetic song reduced the oxygen going to her brain. It was a relatively logical conclusion, all things considered. She rarely drank enough to get like this.
The sense of something being wrong still faintly hummed in her mind but the bluette wasn't sure what it could be. Maybe she really did have too much wine. She could be getting sick too, which may have caused the alcohol to interact strangely inside her. None of the speculations quelled the unsettled feeling, though. Botan sat up and drank some more water, making her stomach a touch sloshy.
"You feeling any better?" Shizuru crouched down near her, a gentle smile on the brunette's face.
"Yeah, I think so. I must have been singing too hard after drinking so much." Botan blushed a little, waving off her friend's concern. "I'm going to just have water for the rest of tonight."
"That's a good idea. We're wrapping up too. You want help up to go brush your teeth?" She asked. The ferry woman nodded as Shizuru slowly helped eased her up, making sure she didn't get dizzy. Once Botan was steady, the psychic walked closely beside her, ready to guide her if need be.
"You're such a good friend." Botan smiled as they reached the bathroom. Shizuru smirked shaking her head in loving exasperation.
"You always get so sentimental when you drink." She patted the bluette's shoulder gently. "It's sweet." Stepping away some, she began heading down the hall. "I'm going to change into my pajamas. Shout if you need me."
"Thanks, Shizuru!" Botan called over her shoulder before sliding the bathroom door shut. The same isolated feeling from earlier surrounded her, more suffocating than the first time. Keeping her hand on the wall to stay steady, Botan made her way to the toilet. After taking care of business, the ferry woman headed to the sink.
Grabbing her toothbrush, the bluette noted the air felt heavier than before; oppressive almost. Attempting to shake off the unsettled feeling yet again, Botan put toothpaste on the brush before dipping it under the water. The water was loud, filling the silence almost deafeningly. Turning it off with haste, the ferry woman began brushing her teeth while trying to ignore the weird feelings.
Once done, Botan started washing her face. Her heart tried not to race as she fought against the odd panic growing inside. Her body was telling her to run, that something was terribly wrong. Each time she looked around for what it was though, Botan's muddied brain didn't pick up on anything. With a frustrated sigh, the ferry woman rinsed her face off before toweling it dry.
Sliding the towel over her face for the last time, Botan met her eyes in the mirror. There were faint circles under them but things had been a little more hectic in the spirit world since they began to open up the borders to certain demons. This had introduced humans to demons which put a ton of work onto her plate. Koenma had finally given her time off to be with her friends for a while, so it made sense she would be a bit more tired than usual.
The faint sensation of something being wrong hit her again and Botan attempted to cling to it, searching for the culprit. Her eyes searched over the mirror, looking for something being reflected back that would answer why her mind kept screaming that something was off. Unfortunately, like had happened each time that night, the answer was just out of reach as the sensation wore off yet again.
-Knock Knock-
Botan jumped in the air, a small shriek leaving her throat. Breaking the staring contest with the mirror, the ferry woman turned to the door and unlocked it. She smiled sheepishly at Shizuru who was arching an eyebrow at her. When a tiny blush took over the bluette's cheeks, her friend just shook her head in amusement.
"Let's get you to bed." The brunette led the ferry woman back to the main room where everyone was settling onto their futons. Once Botan got into her bed, Shizuru turned off the lights except for the lamp on a table near her. All of the women looked at each other, laying on their stomachs in their beds that were in a circle to face inward.
"Okay, now that we are settling down, I know exactly what I want to talk about." Keiko smirked. This was their routine before they settled down for the night entirely; each of them would get a chance to talk about whatever they wanted and the other three would actively participate. After that, it was free game to talk about whatever. "I want to talk about how we are going to get Hiei to turn his eye onto Botan."
"Oh, I love this topic." Shizuru grinned mischievously. Yukina merely giggled but all three turned their gazes to the blushing bluette. "What ideas are you thinking, Keiko?"
"Well I wanted to hear any of yours. Surely Botan has run a few scenarios in her mind. Right, Botan?" The ferry woman could see Yusuke's influence on his fiance from the grin on Keiko's face. At the same time, Botan knew she'd done her fair share of meddling and one day would have to experience payback for it.
"I've kept this a secret for years for a reason." Botan grumbled, pouting a little. "There is very little that makes Hiei look my way. Usually, if he is looking my way, it isn't because he's impressed."
"That's not true." Keiko cut in. "Yusuke told me that Hiei was impressed with your white magic considering you kept those eyes on me closed." Botan's eyes widened a little, her mouth popping open in a surprised shock.
"Seems like he's noticed you from the start too." Shizuru cheekily teased, making the ferry woman squeak in embarrassment. She hid her face in her pillow.
"Don't get my hopes up!" She whined. "That's mean!"
"My brother is grateful that you helped save me." Yukina added in but Botan only whined again, though they could tell there was a little laughter in the misery. "He's noticed you but my brother is a hard person to befriend. Don't give up on him."
"She's liked him this much for years, Yukina. I don't think she has any thoughts of giving him up." Shizuru reassured the ice maiden, mirth in her teasing.
"You guys are ruthless." Botan grumbled, popping her head up from the pillow.
"Yeah and so are you when meddling in our affairs. Besides, don't you want to get your…" Keiko bit back a laugh but Botan could see the humor in her eyes "short, dark, and mysterious man?"
"He's a demon, for one." Botan blandly started. "Second, he's gotten taller, just like all of the boys have. Third, his height was never even part of the equation when it came to me liking him."
"You touched a sore spot, Keiko. You can't talk about her fire demon like that." Shizuru jested, her and the other brunette breaking out into peals of laughter. Yukina reached over to pat Botan's hand in sympathy.
"Thank you for defending him." The ice maiden smiled, a little bit of teasing in her stare. "Even against Kazuma years before I knew he was my brother."
"Damn, the signs were all there!" Shizuru laughed. "We've been blind."
"But seriously, any ideas you guys?" Keiko asked.
"I have a feeling they won't need any help." Yukina gently spoke, a sweet smile on her face. "If Kazuma is to be believed, the red string of fate will bring them together." The bluette was grateful for the ice maiden not meddling but also felt an odd touch of something foreboding as well; opting to brush it aside. The conversation soon transitioned to Shizuru's topic and the night proceeded as usual. Botan felt herself starting to fall asleep.
"I'm sorry you guys." She let out a huge yawn, covering it up with her hand. "I think I'm going to have to call it a night. I might be getting sick or something."
"That would explain why the alcohol really did a number on you tonight." Keiko mused, a slightly sleepy quality to her voice. Botan hummed out in agreement, her eyes already slipping closed. One of the women said something but the ferry woman was already drifting off to sleep, thoughts of the fire demon leading into odd dreams.