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The Gift that Keeps Giving
"Hiei… Meet me at Genkai's temple tonight, eight o'clock. I have something important to discuss with you."
Hiei blinked the weariness from his eyes, staring up into the wide blue skies of Human World as Botan's retreating form grew more distant. Her message had been unusually brief and succinct, uttered in an urgent and hushed tone before Botan shot off without waiting to hear his response. Hiei shifted into a sitting position, pressing the flat of his back against the thick trunk of the tree he'd settled in for the night. He twisted his head side to side, his stiff neck cracking satisfyingly, and rolled his shoulders to give his aching muscles some much needed relief. Climbing to his feet, he stretched his arms high above his head and yawned widely, taking in lungs full of early morning air, thick with the fresh scents of morning dew and damp foliage. A far cry from the decay of the demon world he'd grown so accustomed… It made him want to retch.
Hiei glanced up at the sky once more, taking note of the Sun's position over the horizon. He estimated that it couldn't have been much past eight in the morning, and Hiei rolled his eyes. That infuriating ferry girl could have at least woken him up closer to their new sudden appointment. He'd half a mind to ignore her wishes altogether, but he paused to think over the strangeness of her actions. Had it been a request from Spirit World, Botan would have simply stated it then and there, or more typically, Kurama would have been sent to relay the information to him. And meeting at night, in a remote location such as Genkai's now empty temple? Hiei found himself both suspicious of and intrigued by what Botan could possibly wish to discuss with him.
But he could dwell more on the ferry girl's wants later; he had plenty of daylight to kill before their meeting anyway. For the time being, some training would wake him fully. Stepping off the branch that had housed him, Hiei dropped to the forest floor, landing silently among the mass of fallen twigs and soggy leaves. Reaching for the clasp on his cloak, Hiei swept the dark fabric off in one smooth motion, his scarf coming along with it, and discarded both at the base of his chosen tree. He turned on his heel and strolled forward, eyes cast upward and carefully observed the density of the surrounding trees' leaves and rate of abscission. After a moment, Hiei selected one that best suited his needs and approached it, stopping just shy of its trunk. Raising his bandaged first, Hiei thrust his arm outward, crunching the trunk's bark beneath his knuckles. The thud of the collision echoed throughout the forest and the tree shuddered under the force of Hiei's strike; not hard enough to destroy its support, but strong enough to rattle the branches high above. Perched birds scattered in fear, squawking noisily as they flew for safety, and as the vibrations rose higher, weakened leaves were shaken loose, fluttering down in a cloud of varying colors.
Hiei smirked, and readied his blade as the mass of foliage drifted closer to the ground. This test of speed and cardio would hardly be a challenge, but slashing every leaf into halves-no, quarters, before they fell to the earth would make for a good warm up at least. Taking the hilt of his sword in hand, Hiei dropped into his practiced stance and when the first leaves crossed his line of sight, he drew his steel.
Several hours later, the Sun hung high above, marking the day half gone. Having grown hungry after his morning exercises, Hiei ventured toward the city in search of his next meal. He'd considered finding Yusuke's food cart, having heard Kurama compliment the fool's cooking on more than one occasion, but was forced to abandon the idea when searching for Yusuke's energy and finding him snoring away in bed. Useless. He held no human currency to purchase anything, and was in no mood for hunting…
So, thievery it was.
After pilfering several flimsy boxes filled with steaming skewers of yakitori, piles of crispy karaage, and a plump serving of okonomiyaki from understaffed food stands on a crowded side street, Hiei nicked two bottles of some colored drinks left carelessly unoccupied on a nearby table. Having obtained his meal, he then leapt to the top of a building unseen and plopped down on its roof to enjoy his ill gotten gains in private. Yanking the boxes open, a variety of mouth watering scents reached his nostrils and his stomach gave a ravenous roar in reply. Hiei scoffed to himself and picked up a skewer. As much as he detested humanity, he had to admit they had quite the knack for preparing food that demonkind did not seem to share. Simply throwing slaughtered meat over a flame had sufficed in the past, and demons so rarely wasted time on additives like spices and flavoring. Cooking was truly Humanity's one saving grace. Wasting no more time, Hiei hungrily bit into the grilled chicken, wolfing down each chunk of meat more quickly than the last until his first box was emptied.
Grabbing one of the drinks he'd snatched, Hiei effortlessly flicked off the metal cap securing its contents, and the drink hissed in response. He grunted, not really caring for carbonated drinks, but downed the clear, fizzy liquid all the same. He devoured the karaage next, the fried meat's crunchy exterior reminding him of the bones he gnawed through as a child and found it was most enjoyable. Pulling the okonomiyaki toward him, he grabbed two discarded skewers as makeshift chopsticks and dug into the fluffy patty until quickly nothing remained but left over sauce stains. Finally, Hiei popped open his final can's tab and swallowed down the sour, fruity water contained within before collecting up the empty parcels into his arms.
Hopping down from the rooftop, Hiei deposited the rubbish into a nearby collection bin before dashing away, bouncing between street lights and buildings until he made his way out of the city. There were still quite a few hours until his meeting with Botan, but he figured he'd at least wait in the area until the moment arrived. Even with his speed, an hour had passed by the time he'd reached the mountains surrounding the temple, and with little else to occupy him, he chose a branch to settle in on. Perhaps some meditation would do him some good.
In the long silence that followed, Hiei's mind began to wander, questions of the ferry girl's intentions bubbling to the surface once more. He'd always found the woman to be an oddity, even when compared to her Spirit World brethren. While most of her kind were adamantly opposed to coinciding with demons, Botan seemed quite open to the idea and had readily placed her trust in those who held her favor. She'd even put her own life at risk to assist in protecting Yukina in the past, and would surely do so again at any moment. While he had never given her any reason to be friendly to, or trusting of him, Botan had never wavered in her faith, even acting delighted to see him at different points in time. Which only made him even more intrigued than before.
She had only ever personally requested his assistance on one other occasion, rescuing Yusuke from Genkai's kidnapping plot, and he'd only agreed to her plea when Botan arranged to have his sentence reduced. Yusuke was currently safe in his bed, Kurama would never be caught in such an inane ruse, Koenma had his own flunkies to depend on, and Hiei did not care about Kuwabara in the slightest… So what could Botan want? If Yukina were in danger, Botan would have been a fool to hide it from him for so long, and given her fondness for his sister, Hiei could only assume that was not the case.
Still, it was better to be safe than sorry.
Closing his eyes, Hiei hooked one thumb under his bandana and dragged the cloth upward into his hair, freeing the Jagan eye. The unnatural organ slowly crept open to the bright sunlight of the Human World, its purple iris glowing with powerful psychic energy. Hiei focused his thoughts on Yukina and the Jagan eye automatically honed in on her distinct energy signal as it had done so many times previously. The enhanced vision his artificial eye gifted him zoomed through the scenery like a focusing lens, tracing Yukina's presence back to the city he'd just left until finally pinpointing her current location. Hiei released the breath he'd been subconsciously holding as the image of Yukina cleared in his mind. She was safe, as he'd expected, but Hiei had not expected to find her standing in a populated clothing boutique with Yusuke's woman, and the fairer sexed Kuwabara.
Yukina and Keiko stood at separate racks of clothing, perusing through selections of fluffy, colorful sweaters and fanciful dresses individually, while Shizuru leaned casually against the wall of a smaller, enclosed room toward the back of the shop. She had some type of clothing folded over one arm, if such a lack of material could even be labeled clothing, and seemed to be speaking with the occupant on the other side of the wall she was resting against. Hiei could not make out her words through the Jagan's sight alone, but no matter, it had nothing to do with him either way.
He returned his focus to Yukina who was now smiling brightly as she held a vibrant lavender colored dress against her body while looking to Keiko for an opinion. Keiko in turn, clapped her hands together and nodded her head enthusiastically before directing Yukina over to Shizuru, where the elder Kuwabara gave a smirk and a thumbs up. Yukina bowed her head politely in thanks, and moved to enter another enclosed space adjacent to the first. Hiei terminated the connection, assuming that Yukina would be changing her clothing to try on the outfit, and opened his eyes once more to gaze over the mountainous landscape.
Hiei breathed deeply…Yukina was happy here in the Human World and there was nothing more that could be asked for. And while he was certainly no fan of Yukina living in the same abode as that boorish oaf, there was no denying the positive effects the Kuwabaras were having on his sister. Far from their frigid and lifeless homeland, Yukina had come to know what it meant to be cared for- not out of some twisted sense of tribalism, but out of pure love for her being. The Kuwabara household was filled with powerful psychics willing to protect and provide for Yukina and she would be safe in their care until that time came she could stand on her own two feet in this world. And... if she were to end up marrying into the family, well...
Hiei frowned, leaning his head back into the trunk of the tree, growling at his self-inflicted frustrations. The weight of the twin jewels resting against his chest felt heavier than they had previously, and Hiei cursed in anger. These sappy thoughts were unlike him and he had no right to dwell on familial relations, or rather his lack of involvement in Yukina's, when he'd sworn to keep his identity from her.
It was better this way.
Hiei shifted his position, stretching his legs out in front of him and reclined to make himself more comfortable. His mood had soured by his own hand, and the Sun was finally beginning to dip in the sky, which meant he had time for a nap. He would sleep off his anger and then go meet Botan for whatever foolishness she had planned, and then put the matter behind him.
Hours later, Hiei woke with a start to find the silver full Moon climbing its way through the star studded sky. Sitting up, he brushed his bare hand through his dampened bangs, wiping the collected sweat away from his brow. Stills of the dream he'd been having flashed before his eyes, and Hiei shook his head harshly to try and rid himself of their effects. Hungry lips, soft breasts, long smooth legs, and the sweet sounds of her voice gasping his name so earnestly… He shifted uncomfortably, the material of his pants straining against the stout arousal he'd grown due to his unconscious thoughts. It had felt so real, Hiei swore he could still feel her soft touch ghosting over his skin which only made his groin ache further. What in the hell was wrong with him? Of all people in the three worlds, it had to have been the nosy ferry girl who he'd been entangled with?!
What spell had she cast on him when last they met? He would not deny her beauty - any fool could see that Botan was physically attractive, but he'd never allowed himself to see her in such a carnal light before. So what changed? Yes, she'd been in his thoughts most of the day, but that was a simple matter of intrigue over her odd request and nothing more. Perhaps he'd been too focused between his training and duties for the Border Patrol that he'd become pent up and restless? Yes, that made more sense. His baser instincts had simply invaded his subconscious thoughts and latched onto the last woman he'd spoken with. Once he got back to Demon World, he would find some way to sate his desires and get his mind right.
He glanced at the sky again. It was about time to meet Botan, and a quick check with his Jagan showed that her energy signal was already located in the direction of Genkai's temple. He took a moment to calm himself and after assuring his predicament had subsided, Hiei shot off into the darkened forest, bounding between treetops. In just a few short minutes, Hiei reached the clearing of Genkai's property and launched himself through the air, landing in the stone square. Stomping toward the entrance, he slid open the main shoji door and paused, eyes narrowing with suspicion. Odd…
From an outside perspective, one would think the temple was completely abandoned, shrouded in darkness as it were. Yet once Hiei stepped through the threshold, he could see the faint flickering of a candle burning toward the back wall. He could feel Botan's presence somewhere deeper inside the temple, being the only other spiritual energy in the surrounding area, so he pressed onward, making his way to the solitary light source.
It led him to a hallway where he was forced to turn the corner, only to find several more candles illuminating a pathway through the darkness with their calm orange glow. At the far end of the corridor was another sliding door, and as Hiei approached it, he caught the soothing scents of burning incense wafting toward him and could hear slight shuffling on the other side. Without a doubt that's where Botan was waiting for him.
Now to find out what this is all about. Reaching out, his fingers hooked around the handle of the door and slid it open, stepping inside.
Hiei promptly froze, his foot hanging in the air beyond the threshold. His eyes widened, unsure if he was truly seeing what he believed he was. He had to still be dreaming… He swallowed thickly, his mouth and throat having run quickly dry, and the heat of arousal flooded into his loins with renewed vigor.
Standing opposite of him was Botan, highlighted only by the dim light of the candles located in each corner of her room. Her chin was tucked shyly to one collar but she stood before him bravely, dressed only in a dark robe. The smooth material glimmered in what little light was offered and when Botan shifted, her robe slid seductively off her slim shoulders, revealing the pink lace of lingerie hidden beneath. His stunned gaze was met with her sheepish smile and Botan slowly reached up to unfasten the slack knot tied around her waist, the robe spilling from her body and pooling at her feet.
"S-Surprise, Hiei!"
It most certainly was. His heart gave a single beat, thumping powerfully in his chest. This was a dream… Right?
Hiei stepped fully into the room, unwilling to tear his eyes away from her, let alone blink should she disappear from his view. He gorged himself on the sight of her luxuriously long legs, fitted perfectly inside a pair of sheer pink stockings that gently squeezed at the smooth flesh of her thighs. Lace panties of matching color and woven with an intricate pattern accentuated the angle and roundness of Botan's hips, and a similarly styled garter-belt hugged her trim waist. Her breasts, more modest than he'd originally thought when hidden behind thick layered kimonos, were held up and pushed inward by a strapless bra that completed its color set. The gaps in its floral decorations teased him with visibly bared skin beneath, yet agonizingly hid her nipples from his view. The pale skin of her chest was only highlighted further by the complementary cool tone of her cyan hair as tendrils fell over chest, teasing the expanse of her cleavage with their gentle curls.
Hiei's erection throbbed impatiently, but he squashed the urge to march forward and snatch Botan into his arms immediately. Though his blood had raced downward, he tried to clear his mind and make sense of anything that was happening. Why in the three worlds was Botan offering herself to him? She had never shown such interest in him before today, so why now? Was this some type of elaborate scheme? Were her intentions to seduce him to gain some upper hand?
He hardened his features and demanded answers.
"W-" Hiei paused to clear his throat and wet his tongue. "What is this? What are you doing, ferry girl?"
"It's your- I-I mean, I'm your birthday gift, Hiei!" Though she had stammered, Botan tried to play off her obvious nerves by striking a sultry pose. With one hand placed on her cocked out hip, Botan slipped the other behind her head, intending to appear even more sexy for him. She gave Hiei her best seductive smile despite the burning of her own cheeks and the trembling of her entire body.
He paused, staring at her blankly, and tilted his head ever so slightly to one side in response.
"My…birthday?" he responded clueless.
It was Botan's turn to fall into confusion as her pose wilted, and she raised a slim brow.
"Y-Yes? It's your birthday today… Isn't it?" Botan posed, now sounding wholly uncertain of the answer herself. "The girls and I celebrated with Yukina earlier today. That means it should be yours as well!"
His lips tugged downward into a frown. The day of his birth had been nothing worth remembering; just the miserable experience of being ripped from his mothers arms and expelled from their homeland like trash. He had no inkling of what date his birth had actually fallen on, but it appeared those in Yukina's life had kept track. So today was their birthday, huh? From Botan's own words, it would explain why Yukina had been out shopping with her human compatriots earlier that day. Hiei eyed Botan up and down once more, realizing he'd seen the same skimpy outfit hanging over Shizuru's arm earlier as well. He'd thought it to be the Kuwabara's purchase but it seems he was mistaken. So it was Botan that the brunette had been speaking to at the time, he deduced. Which could only mean that Botan had planned this raunchy rendezvous with him well in advance…
"Is it customary in Spirit World to offer oneself to another for their birthday?" Hiei questioned her genuinely. He had not known Botan, or anyone from Spirit World, to be overtly sexual in nature, so he was thoroughly surprised by her actions and wanted to know.
"W-What!?" Botan shouted incredulously, blanching at him. "Of course it isn't!"
"Then answer me," Hiei demanded evenly, "What is the meaning of this?"
Botan stamped her foot, teeth grit and fists balled at her sides. "I was trying to be sexy for you, you dope!"
His rose a single brow. "For what reason?" He replied, straight-faced.
"Because I like you!?" Botan snapped hotly.
Hiei took a moment to respond, the gears of his brain turning slowly. And not strictly from lack of blood flow. Botan… "liked" him? Why? He couldn't even begin to understand.
"Explain yourself."
Botan huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and turned away from him petulantly. Hiei's eyes were immediately drawn downward where he was afforded an ample view of her heart shaped rear. His fingers twitched in the desire to reach out and feel its softness for himself but he fought the reflex with all his might.
"I've been attracted to you for a while now," Botan muttered self-consciously, still turned from him. "You're handsome, strong, and caring even though you pretend not to be… What kind of girl wouldn't be interested in you? You've righted your wrongs and I found that very respectable. I didn't feel it was appropriate to approach you with these feelings while you were still under Spirit World's confinement. But after your release, you disappeared back to Demon world and I thought I lost my chance."
Hiei finally lifted his gaze from her ass, allowing her words to sink in. Hearing someone compliment his character rather than his strength or ability to kill another was still an odd experience. Furthermore, she'd been harboring these intentions for that long? While he had paid her little attention over the years, she had been pining for him in secret. He was rather disappointed in himself for not being able to see past his own nose after all this time.
"Now that we can travel freely between worlds, we've been fortunate enough to run into each other every so often… so I wanted to shoot my shot, you know?"
"You've certainly chosen a bold declaration." It was a surprising decision on her part, but not one that was unwelcome. "Who put this idea into your head? That fool Urameshi?"
Botan turned herself to peek back at Hiei. The inflammation of her cheeks had risen to her ears, turning her face cherry red, and she toyed with the end of her ponytail anxiously.
"It was my idea, actually," Botan bashfully admitted, "Shizuru said it was better to be straightforward with my intentions and I didn't think you were much of the flowers and chocolates kind of guy."
Hiei allowed himself to smirk. The human's intuitions had been correct as per usual, and he much preferred the direct approach instead of beating around the bush anyway. Botan's bravery in trying to seduce him had actually left him rather impressed as well. So what kind of man would he be to deny such a fervent and honest proposition when Botan was so willing? He was no fool. If she desired him, then he would give her what she wanted.
"You continue to confound me, ferry girl." Hiei confessed. He stepped forward and shed the cloak and scarf from his body in one fluid motion. "Every time I believe I have you figured out, you turn my expectations on their head."
Botan blinked. "Huh?"
Hiei reached for his shirt next, tugging the flimsy material free of his waistband and yanked it over his head before tossing it away.
"H-Hiei!?" Botan squeaked. Her heart leapt into her throat at the sight of his rippling muscles on full display. "Does that mean…?"
His self-control had crumbled to dust, and he could no longer suppress the roaring flames that Botan had stoked within him. He needed her, now.
"Woman, my cock has demanded you since before we even met this evening. I will have you, just as you would have me."
"Oh!"
Botan's eyes shot downward to his crotch and though she could not see his excitement tenting his dark trousers through the limited light, her pulse quickened at his own confirmation. A confident smile crept over her lips and Botan stretched her arms out to either side of her in open invitation.
"Then, hurry and unwrap your gift Hiei!" Botan implored, positively giddy.
Without a second thought, Hiei dove forward and scooped Botan into his arms bridal style. She squealed at his strength, effortlessly holding her aloft as he carried her to the futon she had laid out in preparation for their evening. Carefully depositing her onto its fluffy bedding, Hiei captured her lips in a searing kiss that Botan returned tenfold, winding her arms around his neck and delving her tongue into his mouth hungrily. After a brief yet intense oral tussle, Botan broke away, gasping for breath and Hiei leaned into her ear.
"And just so you're aware, ferry girl," Hiei growled low, voice thickened with lust. "It's my birthday tomorrow as well."