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“Please, Hiei! It’s my literal job to help you guys. This is the best thing I can do.” Botan pleaded her case once again, having come across the fire demon who had gone a little too far in training and tore some muscles. “Besides it’ll help you train even faster! I’m just speeding up your healing, nothing special.” He didn’t say anything, his eyes still closed with an annoyed frown on his face. “If either of us senses anyone, I’ll even play pretend that I wasn’t healing you and that we were still arguing over it instead.”
Silence.
“Please.” Botan whispered pleadingly. “I just want to help you get stronger, that’s all. I know I can’t do much and I know you'd get there without my help…” She hated to see any of the boys in pain but especially Hiei. He never let her help him and it broke her heart. “But…” The ferry woman let her voice trail off, hoping he would understand her point.
“Why would a ferry woman like you want to watch a demon like me get stronger?” His eyes opened to trap her with a steely gaze. “You've seen the atrocities I’m capable of. A demon like me getting stronger runs a risk against your precious spirit world.”
“Spirit world isn’t above its own atrocities.” Botan held his stare, her own doe-eyes looking back at him imploringly. “Humans, demons, spirits; they’re all capable of both great and horrible things and I’ve seen many, many things.” Her voice lowered to a whisper as she spoke the next line with trepidation. “Befriending mortals has taught me a lot about the world I come from; some things far more damning than you can imagine.”
Hiei’s expression morphed from annoyed to surprised as she spoke. He had a distinct feeling Botan had never admitted that thought out loud before now. The fire demon didn’t know how to respond to such a level of trust but at the same time, it made sense. He was the least likely out of everyone she knew who would let those words get back around to the brat.
“Fine.” He supposed he could allow it this once. The day was young and he still had energy to burn through. Botan also offered to hide the fact she was healing him, so they could save face if need be. Besides, she looked about ready to cry and that would be far too bothersome to deal with.
“Oh, thank you!” Immediately the ferry woman sat near his sitting form, placing gentle hands onto his bicep. Her fingers were cold, though he didn’t flinch at the temperature difference, and they applied decent, comfortable pressure. Cooling tendrils of white magic bled through the tips and spread into the fire demon with ease.
Even though Hiei could tell the muscle was stitched together, Botan didn’t let go. Instead she started massaging while her white magic continued to flow through his arm. The muscle tension and ache from training even disappeared entirely. The ferry woman’s hands drifted to his lower back, repeating the actions she had taken with his bicep. As Botan worked, the fire demon began to relax. It made him feel slightly tired, his eyes closing to the sensations. More of Hiei’s weight began to lean against her hold but she took it without complaint.
In a comfortable silence, Botan massaged a good amount of his limbs and back; now working on his neck. Hiei’s head lolled back as he became a dead weight. It wasn’t on purpose but he could have sworn her white magic had drugged him. His body felt incredibly languid, becoming putty in her hands. After another few minutes, she finally stilled.
“I’d say you’re in perfect health now.” The words were spoken in a soft whisper, not wanting to disrupt the peace she seemed to have brought him. Slowly Hiei lifted his head from its lazy position and opened his eyes, though they were clouded with drowsiness. Botan’s hands slipped off of him, her fingers dragging along his skin as if not wanting to leave. “Thank you for letting me heal you.”
The ferry woman shuffled away from him before moving to stand. Stumbling a little, her eyes closed tightly as her hand rested against her temple for a second before the expression relaxed and her eyes opened. The fire demon looked up at her with an expression that Botan was unable to decipher but she gave a small smile in return, waving her hand faintly as if to brush away his confusion.
“Just a bout of dizziness.” Hiei’s brows furrowed a little when she said that, eyes narrowing.
“You used too much energy on me.” It wasn’t a question and Botan had the grace to look sheepish.
“I may have gone a touch overboard but…” Red bloomed on her cheeks as she broke eye contact and looked away. Botan’s face moved through a couple of expressions he didn’t quite catch before shaking her head and looking at him again, “Anyways, I’m glad you’re completely healed up. I hope it helps!” She turned to leave but a sudden grip on her wrist had the ferry woman turning back around.
“Don’t use so much energy next time.” Her amethyst eyes widened at the implication in his words. A smile grew on Botan’s face before complete joy took over.
“I promise I’ll be more reasonable!” Hiei was baffled by her excitement at the knowledge that he was allowing her another healing session but it wasn’t on him to decide what brought the ferry woman delight. “Will you be here tomorrow?”
“No, I’m visiting Yukina.” Hiei wasn’t sure why he was indulging her so much. His body felt amazing after the healing session but he wasn’t one to usually partake in this sort of thing. The attention Botan had given to the fire demon went beyond what he’d expected. Now he was certain that her white magic was different; addicting almost. None of Yukina’s white magic ever made him feel as languid as the ferry woman’s did.
“Oh, good!” Her joy wasn’t diminished in the slightest. “Am I right to assume she’ll be healing you instead if you are training?”
“No, she doesn’t heal me after training.” His statement had Botan frowning a little in concern, her excitement dying down a touch.
“I see.” There was a hesitance in her voice. “Would you like me not to heal you tomorrow, then? I don’t want to put you in an awkward position with her.”
“Come find me in the evening, after she’s gone to bed.” All of her excitement came back in a rush, a squeal coming out of her mouth involuntarily. Hiei winced slightly at the high-pitched sound.
“You won’t regret this, Hiei! I promise!” With that, Botan materialized her oar and sat upon it. With a smile and a wave, the ferry started off. “I’ll see you tomorrow!”
The fire demon watched her leave, confused as to what exactly all just happened and why he was actually looking forward to tomorrow’s session. Shaking his head to dispel the thoughts, Hiei stood. He tried not to focus on the fact that his body felt significantly better than it did before he began training that morning.
A routine developed between the two of them. It didn’t take long for Hiei to figure out that he didn’t need the healing after every training session. Currently, Botan was only visiting him once a week. After the first couple of times, the ferry woman began to talk to him during the sessions.
It didn’t matter what Botan spoke about considering the voice used very nearly lulled him to sleep just as much as her white magic did. The fire demon wondered if the ferry woman was some kind of siren sent from spirit world to get him addicted to whatever drug she seemed to be poisoning him with. It didn’t make sense otherwise as to why he’d told her there would be a next time or even agreed in the first place.
Hiei couldn’t say he was completely surprised though. He’d seen many times how the bluette could worm her way past people’s defenses. While it often took more time with demons than humans, Botan still managed to win them over too. It had always been mildly unnerving and confusing. Why did her bubbly, upbeat and often ditzy personality draw people in?
Though, now that the fire demon reflected on it, the ferry woman wasn’t like that during the first few healing sessions. She was always chipper and overjoyed when he agreed to the next one but before and during were usually more concentrated and focused. As Botan got used to him, that changed. She was more talkative but remained calm and soothing, almost hypnotizing him with dulcet tones and soft words.
“You know, Hiei,” Botan spoke, keeping the volume low as if they were in a bubble of their own, “I’ve always admired your bravery.” His body stiffened at the unexpected compliment but she continued as if he hadn’t reacted. “I don’t know if I would’ve had the guts to go through with letting the dragon eat me to tame it like you did.”
“I faced it like any other battle.” The words were a little mumbled, the drowsiness having kicked in a while ago. She was surprised he responded at all since Hiei usually just remained silent when she was working on him.
“Ah, knowing you’d win. Like I said: brave.” She hummed out, stopping her ministrations to his shoulder blade. “Hey…” There was hesitance in her voice and Hiei moved his head, heavy as it felt, to look at her. There was a light tinge to her cheeks as she looked off to the side, “Your shoulder is still pretty stiff but it isn’t the muscles on your back…” When his eyes narrowed in confusion, Botan blushed just a touch more. “I…I mean, if you aren’t uncomfortable with it, I can heal your pectoral muscles too. It would help your shoulder.”
Without hesitation, Hiei pulled off his shirt and placed it on the ground behind him. Laying down, he looked up at her expectantly. There was no surprise regarding her more shy nature but it didn’t mean that the fire demon was going to share in that same feeling. Still, there was something amusing and oddly winsome about her reaction to him.
Gathering up her senses, Botan put on a professional face despite her bright red cheeks. Her hands hesitated above his chest, causing the fire demon to lose patience. Hiei reached over and pressed her hand down so that she was finally touching him. While he had expected her increased heart rate, small splutter of embarrassment, and deeper blush, what he hadn’t anticipated was his own physical reaction.
Hiei thought he’d felt all of the sensations her healing touch had to offer but this was new. It didn’t feel cooling and soothing like it did for all of his other muscles. This time there was an almost electric current that flashed through him at the initial contact. He wondered if it was because of how stiff the muscles were, but he didn’t have time to focus on it.
When Botan began massaging, his breath caught; another new reaction. His body suddenly felt heated, helping Hiei understand why she’d been blushing in the first place. This touch was far more intimate than the other ones. It didn’t help that their position had the bluette hovering over him with her gentle hands on his chest; Every brush of her fingers had him craving more.
There was no doubt in his mind now; Botan was a siren and he was finally caught. Her pull was a slow one that she had the patience to wait for. The ferry woman had known him for years and, as Hiei thought back on all of their interactions, had chipped away at his defenses that whole time until she finally snared him. It was impressive how much self-restraint and determination she had for this sort of thing.
Though, she couldn’t be a siren out to ruin his strength. Every healing session made his training that much better and he’d gained impressive new heights in the short few months she’d been working on him. Mukuro and Kurama had both taken notice, commenting on the change. But all of it begged the question: Why? Why did she want him to get stronger? Why did she care about his health? Why did she care at all?
An involuntary hiss slipped through his teeth as Botan hit a sore spot on his left side. Her touch softened and she eased a little more of her white magic into the muscle, soothing the ache almost instantly. Hiei wanted to berate himself for becoming addicted to her healing hands but they really did help and, as loathe as he was to admit it, her touch calmed him now.
“You’re a witch.” Hiei muttered without meaning too. She paused for a moment before letting out a quiet laugh. “What do you gain from helping me?”
“Why do you think I'm doing this for personal gain?” Her hands continued to move with ease causing his eyes to close as he relaxed against the ground. There was a moment of silence as Botan worked the finer muscles around his clavicle.
“What reason aside from previous duty do you have to continue with this?” He heard a very quiet scoff but she didn't stop working on him.
“Did you ever think I don't have any ulterior motives aside from being your friend and caring about you?” The ferry woman’s question had him pausing. She thought they were friends? Hiei already knew Botan cared about him but he didn’t realize that their interactions counted as friendship to her. He’d never been very good with the concept of friends to begin with.
“If anyone else said that, I would think they were lying…” He let the end of the sentence drift off as she worked on the small muscles over his ribs. The fire demon didn’t even realize those were sore until her white magic took the ache away.
“Well, I’m not.” There was a little bit of pout to the words but it was more amused than anything.
“I know.” He knew she truly meant her sentiments, that wasn’t surprising. What was surprising though, even after the time they had spent together, was that the ferry woman held sentiments towards him of all people. It just didn’t make sense to him. “Why?”
“What do you mean, why?” Her hands paused as she stared down at him. Crimson eyes opened to meet confused amethyst.
“Why do you want to be my friend? Why do you care?” He had expected her to be a bit offended, considering the meaner things he’d said to her over the years, but instead she turned contemplative. Looking off to the side, Botan thought for a long moment before speaking. The serious consideration she was giving his questions was also something the fire demon hadn’t anticipated.
“Well,” Her voice trailed off for a moment before Botan brought her gaze back to his own, “I don’t know if I will be able to explain it quite right but I’ll try.” The ferry woman leaned away, sitting her butt on the ground and resting her arms on her knees. Hiei sat up, resting one of his arms on his own knee as the two faced each other. “If I’m being completely honest, you fascinate me. You always have.”
“Fascinate?” A thin black eyebrow raised as he asked, wanting elaboration. She smiled a little, breaking her gaze to fiddle with a piece of grass for a moment, before looking at him again.
“Yeah, fascinate. You’ve committed many crimes, wreaked havoc now and again, and often do so with little to no remorse. Yet! You also have a complex honor code that you adhere to strictly, very rarely breaking it for anything. Your ambition not only to survive but to grow better and stronger after everything you’ve had to deal with is beyond admirable.” The way Botan spoke, her voice a touch dreamy but also intensely invested in her own words was hard for the fire demon to handle.
“Don’t misunderstand my drive to be for any soft idealism like you’re imagining.” Hiei scoffed, narrowing his gaze in the hopes that she would release him from whatever hold she’d been starting to take. He still hadn’t completely ruled out the possibility of her being a siren of spirit world.
“Oh, I never thought that.” The words were genuine which only threw him for a loop again. “Your ferocity and what drives it has never come off as soft. If anything, sometimes your softness can come off feeling sharp…if someone doesn’t know how to read you.”
“And I’m assuming you believe you can?” Hiei sneered but no offense fell to her face. Instead, the small smile she’d worn had softened into a look that pulled at a part of him he didn’t touch; A part that the half-koorime left behind the moment he was thrown from that cliff. He didn’t know what the feeling was but it swirled emotions around that he didn’t face on purpose.
“I would hope so. Maybe you can correct me if I get it wrong?” Botan gently proposed. This was her kind way of letting him out of the conversation. Hiei could tell that she was asking to overstep bounds that she hadn’t dared approach before. The ferry woman was always doing considerate things like that for him. With everyone else, she would just meddle in their affairs.
“Go ahead and entertain me, then.” His hand gestured with a ‘go on’ motion but there was a tenseness to it. Hiei wasn’t sure he wanted to hear what she had to say, considering how easily she seemed to be able to read everyone else. The fire demon hid himself well, so this would help show if he’d ever inadvertently expressed something better kept hidden.
“Okay.” Shifting around, Botan crossed her legs and sat up a little straighter before addressing the situation with a serious tone. “You’re incredibly independent in all things possible; from resources, to training, to self-interests, to even healing. You don’t let others in if you can help it but, if someone gives enough time, patience, and understanding, you show more pieces that make up your whole being.”
There was only sincerity in Botan’s voice, which made the fire demon nervous. She had touched on the most obvious piece of him, so he wasn’t impressed yet but this was only the beginning though and it looked like the ferry woman had a lot more to say about him. Hiei waited with baited breath to hear her try and peel back his layers.
“Many can’t tell your sarcasm from your truth but that’s a tool you use as a way to both keep others out and signal to those who know you well. The way you show support can come off as cruel but it isn’t when they understand the environment you’ve always lived in: survival at all costs. When those you care for aren’t doing what they need to in order to survive, you motivate them with sharp insults, harsh realities, anger, and disappointment: All of the ways you were motivated with when you were younger.”
So that’s why she’d always been more forgiving and soft with him: Botan equated his prickly nature to his past and gave grace for it. It was par for the course with the ferry woman. She seemed to want to heal everyone in anyway she could.
“Some people might say you were always trying to prove someone wrong about what you could achieve but I don’t think it’s so much that. You’ve never cared what others think, so why work so hard to prove people you don’t care about wrong? No, I think you do it to keep others away. The stronger you become, the more independent you are. If you can destroy any threat, there’s no real reason to rely on others.”
Botan paused for a moment, letting her words sit, but Hiei knew she wasn’t done analyzing him. The fact that she was, time and time again, hitting the nail on the head was nerve-wracking. The ferry woman wasn’t telling him anything he didn’t already know but the fact that she had pieced him together even this much and didn’t seem even close to done had him frozen, waiting for more.
“You’ve also grown up from who you were when forced to join Yusuke and the others on our team. There’s a steadiness to you; an openness that wasn’t there before. Maybe it’s because you aren’t under Koenma’s constant hand, free to roam the three worlds. More freedom than you’ve ever had, really.” Botan was right; before working for spirit world, Hiei’d been confined to just the demon realm but now all of the worlds were open to him.
“You do good deeds and try to brush them off when people notice. I think it’s because you don’t want people to see you doing good for goodness’s sake because then people would view whatever received your mercy as a vulnerability and exploit it. Demon world, as cruel and heartless as you state it being, has never held an ounce of mercy for you that it seemed to offer others. Thus you learned that good only leads to problems down the road.”
That was a fair assessment, Hiei supposed. While it was more so good was rarely something that compelled him and less that he feared others seeing good deeds he did, it was true that anything he gave mercy to could be viewed as a vulnerability. That was why he’d hid his relation to Yukina for so long. She didn’t need to suffer from any retaliation someone would bring against him.
“Oh, there’s so much more I could go on about. So many little things you do that I don’t think you even notice! All of them point to a very complex and intriguing person who I believe is worth being friends with and caring about.” Botan shrugged a little, a sheepish smile on her face.
“Little things?” Hiei asked, a little baffled at the fact he was engaging further in the conversation but he blamed it on her siren quality.
“Well,” She tapped a finger to her chin in thought, “Like how you look at Yukina when she’s having a good time. It’s one of the few things that makes you look calm and content. Or the way you get a bloodthirsty look in your eyes when someone’s wronged you or those you care about. What about the way you and Kurama seem to be such good friends that you have a secret language?”
“Secret languages don’t mean friends.” The demon bit out, feeling a little bowled over by just how much the ferry woman seemed to have paid attention to him.
“The kind you two have does. Your secret language isn’t really a language. Kurama could give you a look that conveys at least a paragraph of backstory and you can read it because you guys have such a long camaraderie with a high amount of trust and understanding. Hiei, that’s what friendship is. In fact, I’d go so far as to say Kurama is your best friend.” Botan pushed, insistent that the fox and him were friends.
“I don’t do friendships. I never have.” Hiei wanted to set her notions straight but she shook her head emphatically, blue hair swishing with the motion.
“That’s just not true. Maybe you don’t think you do but I think that’s because you never were taught what they are. You and Kurama are friends. Friendships aren’t…,” Botan’s eyebrows furrowed a little as a look of concerned care overtook her face. She reached towards him and placed a gentle hand onto the elbow resting on his knee. “Hiei, friendships are okay to have; including best friendships. You don’t have to call them friends, if that word’s the point of contention. You can call them teammates, comrades, family, or whatever. All it means is that they’re someone who cares about you, will almost always have your back, are willing to tell you when you’re messing up, and that time and distance don’t break that connection.”
The fire demon thought her words over alongside the memories between him and the fox. They hadn’t always gotten along, especially in the beginning, but over time they had developed an understanding of each other. Kurama was far more patient with Hiei than anyone else had been. That patience helped the fire demon more than he’d ever considered.
In fact, if it weren’t for Kurama, everything that had completely reorganized his life wouldn’t have happened. Maybe he would have encountered Yusuke but it would’ve been later down the line, after the detective had gotten stronger. Finding and rescuing Yukina wouldn’t have gone as smoothly and would have likely landed him in spirit world prison. There were so many possibilities. Perhaps the ferry woman had a point.
“I had to learn friendships, too.” Her soft voice spoke, breaking him of his thoughts. Meeting Botan’s gaze, Hiei was surprised by the sadness that rested in them. “There’s a reason why I’m in charge of the spirit detectives.” His eyebrow raised, waiting. A pensive expression crossed over the ferry woman’s face and she pulled away from him to fiddle with grass again. He figured it must have been a nervous habit.
“Let’s just say my personality’s always been an acquired taste in spirit world.” Plucking some grass from the dirt, the bluette began braiding it. “Then I had the wonderful chance of being assigned to Yusuke’s circumstantial death and subsequent resurrection before becoming his assistant. Koenma always told me I was best suited for the job.”
Her tone was melancholic with a hint of nostalgia. The fire demon was oddly surprised to hear that spirits weren’t as fond of her, considering he had watched her befriend so many different people. Not everyone ended up on her good side but the ferry woman always tried to see others points of view, willing to give far more chances than most others. Then again, Spirit World was rigid in its ways; unwilling to change and grow like Botan so desperately wanted to do.
“So I learned everything I could about the human world and the city Yusuke lived in. I not only wanted to be the best I could at it but I was excited to meet people who were so different than everyone around me.” A fond smile lifted the corners of her mouth as Botan remembered the early days.
“Yusuke, aside from Koenma and George, was my first real friend. Sure, we fought and grumbled in a way that many say was like siblings, I also knew we had each other’s backs. We have inside jokes, memories, and a bit of a secret language as well. While I wouldn’t say Yusuke’s my best friend, he’s the closest thing I have to a brother and that bond’s still going strong today.” While she looked fond and happy speaking about the detective, Hiei could tell there was still a sadness under her words.
“Then, of course, I made friends with everyone else.” Her amethyst eyes finally looked up from the grass to meet his own. They held him, the swirling emotions within them too hard to decipher. “Everyone except you. I couldn’t begin to understand you at the time; my knowledge of demons and demon world not near enough to even begin to comprehend your complexity.”
“So I learned all I could. I watched as you developed friendships with the others, though it was slow and subtle, and I wanted that, too. Yet, I was met with wall after wall. I knew of your past, kept your secret from Yukina, and did my best to respect your distance despite everything within me desiring the opposite. I couldn’t understand what I was doing wrong.” Hiei could hear the upset in her voice but knew little on how to fix anything she was speaking about. The past was the past and he couldn’t do anything to change his behavior.
“I’ve always wondered how much of your aversion to me was because I was from spirit world and how much was because of who I am.” Continuing to hold him in her stare, she asked him a question. “Why did you finally agree to let me heal you?”
“You trusted me with the truth.” While Botan had also looked like she’d burst into tears if he said no at the time, Hiei respected the fact she told him a secret that potentially put her life on the line for voicing out loud. He didn’t know how strict Spirit World was on speaking out against it, especially from the chief ferry woman. He didn’t imagine that the brat would have her killed but he would probably take away a lot of the privileges she thrived with.
“Truth is one of the things you hold high respect for, even if the truth is disgraceful and horrible. Also, with the Jagan eye, there’s very rarely a point in lying to you.” Botan spoke frankly before averting her eyes and lowering her voice. “If you’re talking about my opinion on Spirit World, I’m glad it swayed you. I didn’t want you thinking I was unaware of the world I came from.”
“I‘d always assumed that.” Hiei responded automatically. A wry smile took over her mouth as the ferry woman nodded her head knowingly.
“Well, there’s no one else I could trust with that information. Sure, you could use it to blackmail me or cause strife in Spirit World but I don’t think you would. It’d be far too flimsy and Lord Koenma knows what that world has done so it wouldn’t do much to cause problems for them. Maybe it would for me but,” Shrugging again, the wry smile turned a little more genuine as she looked at him, “That’s part of trusting someone. I believe you won’t and either I’m right or I deal with the consequences.”
“You were right about most of your observations.” Hiei broke his gaze, looking off to the horizon behind the ferry woman. He wanted to change the subject, unable to handle anymore of the emotions Botna was setting off in him. “I don’t avoid doing good because I’m afraid of appearing vulnerable. I’m just rarely motivated to do good.”
“Really? Then why do you do more of it now than before?” The curiosity in her tone had the fire demon looking at her again. For a brief second he considered not telling but figured that, if she were right about what friendship meant, maybe he could give her a chance. Hell, Botan was determined enough to keep trying after all of the years of knowing him so it was worth a shot.
“I’m not as angry as I used to be. I didn’t care back then what anyone thought of me but doing crime and causing chaos settled my rage. I also have Mukuro’s soldiers to take my anger out on in training.” Botan winced just a touch, sympathy in her gaze for the men he commanded. The fire demon couldn’t help but smirk and roll his eyes at her expression. “They survive, ferry woman. Don’t concern yourself over it. Mukuro doesn’t find gain in me killing her army.”
“Considering demon world’s incredible technology, that doesn’t mean they don’t suffer. You can be quite the sadist when you want to be.” Botan knowingly shook her head as a small laugh came out. “Though, I suppose you didn’t become Mukuro’s second in command by being soft and you don’t sign up for the military expecting it to be easy.”
“We have a filtering process in the beginning regardless, just in case some of them were under misguided notions of what it meant to join Mukuro’s army. So yes, they know what they’re signing up for.” That was definitely one aspect of demons Botan couldn’t relate to. While she got angry, even violent sometimes, it was more like a flash of emotion that dissipated as soon as she expressed it. Rarely did anger hold on for long.
“Hey, Hiei,” Botan brushed the grass from her lap and stood, looking down at him with a smile, “Would you like something to eat? I haven’t eaten since lunch and it’s well into dinner time.”
Glancing at the setting sun, Hiei supposed she was right. They’d lost track of time, something that the fire demon didn’t usually do, but he didn’t mind that much this time. He’d learned more than expected, though he still had a few questions for the the ferry woman but they could address it over food just as easily. There was no reason to decline the invitation if he was going to give friendship a try.
“Hn.” He gathered his shirt, dusting it off of grass and dirt, before putting it on. “Lead the way.”
“My place? It’s cheaper than eating out and I’m a good cook.” Botan smiled, happy that the fire demon was letting the evening continue. He shrugged at the suggestion and the ferry woman only smiled more. Popping out her oar, she patted the back end of the wooden stick. “Hop on!” When he eyed it warily, she laughed. “I won’t drop you! I promise.”
“I’ve seen how you fly that thing. It’s a surprise the souls make it safely to the other side.” Offended protests died on her lips when Hiei settled himself to sit on the back, holding the oar firmly while giving her a serious look. “I hold people to their promises.”
“Oh, ye of little faith! But, just to ensure I don’t break that promise, you’re going to have to better secure your hold.” His eyebrow raised before the expression shifted into mild shock and embarrassment when the ferry woman moved his arms to wrap around her waist. “Now I’ve got even more incentive to be careful. If you fall, I’ll go down with you.”
The serious way Botan said that had the fire demon looking away from her with the faintest hint of a blush; What it meant, he didn’t know and wasn’t going to dig deeper at that moment. He would focus on not slipping off the death contraption that was her oar instead. That was clearly the safer plan.
That was how they continued to progress. Instead of meeting in the woods, Hiei would show up at the apartment Koenma set up for her in the human world. Since she was training the new set of spirit detectives, it just made sense to give her a more permanent living solution and have her commute to work instead. Also, since she was chief ferry woman, Botan got some perks that others didn’t.
The weekly sessions always ran longer than Hiei intended them to. After a while, he accepted that Botan would somehow manage to rope him into dinner, maybe even a game of cards if he was feeling particularly giving. Regardless, he could show up at noon and somehow wouldn’t leave until at earliest eight in the evening, sometimes as late as midnight. How it kept happening, the fire demon wasn’t sure.
Hiei was still pretty certain she was some kind of siren. Somehow she wormed her way to him, got him addicted to the improvement her white magic provided, became his friend, and made him forget time entirely. What else could Botan be but a siren, somehow set on pulling him in to her trap but for what he wasn’t sure. That part he still hadn’t pieced together.
“What’s got you thinking so hard over there?” Botan voiced at him from the island countertop in the kitchen; She was putting together the finishing touches on dinner. He’d shown up at five this evening, meetings with Mukuro and her advisors having gone quite long. She was just starting to cook when he arrived. The relief on the ferry woman’s face when setting her eyes upon him gave Hiei the same pull that he attributed to her siren qualities.
“You’re not a witch. I’ve ruled that out.” He smirked when she rolled her eyes in amusement.
“On that again, are you?” Botan laughed. Lifting the plates from the counter, she brought them over to the dining table. Setting one down in front of Hiei, the other was put in front of herself. “If I’m not a witch, what am I?”
“A siren.” The answer had her pausing, chopsticks in hand. The ferry woman’s amethyst eyes were wide while regarding him with shock. A light blush began to coat her cheeks.
“N-Now what makes you say…that?” Her heart was beating heavy in her chest. Botan was a little surprised the fire demon even knew what a siren was, much less that he’d call her one. “I wouldn’t say I’m all that dangerous.”
“That’s the thing about sirens; they never seem dangerous at first.” Her hand lowered, setting the chopsticks down to regard Hiei with her entire attention. “You’re a patient siren but a siren nonetheless.”
“Just so I can make sure I understand you…are you calling me a…temptress?” The word was spoken softly and with a touch of hesitance, Botan’s cheeks heating up more.
“No, a siren. A temptress uses sex to draw a man in. Sirens use whatever lures prey in. You lure everyone in over time.” Silence enveloped them as Botan processed what he said. The blush didn’t lessen.
“What have I lured you in with, if I’m a siren?” Her voice was still quiet, something underneath it that Hiei couldn’t place yet. It was a mix of curiosity and something else; something deeper. The fire demon paused to think, trying to figure out what kept bringing him back aside from what her white magic could do for him. Why did he allow her his conversation, friendship, time, and presence more than to just get healing from her? What was it about Botan that he let her to steal time from him, to get close to him, to get to really know him beyond the things she could observe and study about him from afar?
“Your effort.” Botan always tried hard for everyone, including him. She didn’t give up on him, even years later. “It’s your siren call. With it you have gained my conversation, friendship, and time. More than I’d intended but you so easily take it from me.”
“Do you not want to give me those things?” There was mildly upset confusion on her face but the question from the ferry woman had him thinking. Hiei didn’t exactly mind the time, having begun looking forward to it long ago. He supposed it was only natural a woman such as Botan would want to spend time strengthening a friendship she had worked years to gain and, surprisingly enough, Hiei was okay giving it.
“I give them more freely to you than others. But it doesn’t negate the fact that you’re a siren, which usually ends in the death of the person lured in. I’m just working out which way you intend to try killing me.” There was a slightly joking tone to his words but Botan didn’t laugh, remaining surprised but serious.
“I’m not intending to kill you.” She finally whispered. The ferry woman had an odd look in her eye, like she was trying to impart something to the fire demon without outright saying it. “I did truly want to be your friend.”
“You speak in past tense. Has your goal of friendship changed?” Hiei narrowed his gaze, a little confused at the mood shift taking place between the two of them. His chopsticks had also been set down as he held Botan with his gaze. Her blue hair bobbed a little as she nodded. “What’s your new goal?”
The silence between them was heavy and Hiei wondered if this would be when she finally told him of her plans for his death and attempted to eat him like sirens often did. Instead, Botan swallowed thickly and looked down at the plate in front of herself in thought. Finally, she pushed away from the table and walked over to his side. Hiei’s body tensed, unsure of the ferry woman’s intentions.
“Trust me.” The two words were whispered gently and the fire demon finally nodded his head after a long moment. Lifting her hands, Hiei could see her healing magic glowing from her fingertips. “Close your eyes.” He did, unable to resist the soft request.
The lightest touch against his temple before white magic flowed in right behind it had the demon relaxing almost instantly. It was practically a Pavlovian response but what was more interesting to him was that only Botan’s white magic did this to him; Yukina’s, while just as strong and beneficial, didn’t cause all of his muscles to turn into gelatin. The touch left a trail down his cheek before following along his jawline to the other side of his face. It was only the tips of her fingers but that was another siren call to Hiei; The gentle effort, given to him by so few, held him in ways the fire demon hadn’t expected. It wasn’t even something he considered might be missing until Botan provided it.
Her fingers drifted lightly across his cheek bones, gliding their way across the bridge of his nose before moving to cup his cheek. The ferry woman moved her other hand so that she was now holding his face. The gentle touch was packed full of care and it was something Hiei had never experienced before. Crimson eyes slowly opened when she didn’t move after another moment.
His breath caught at the look in her eyes. They were pools of emotion and Hiei couldn’t help but swim in them. She was giving him a look that pulled at him and he wished to know what it was but didn’t want to break the moment. Besides, Botan wasn’t one to keep quiet for long. He had a feeling that she’d tell him.
“If I’m a siren, then I can tell you two things for certain.” The bluette’s voice was a soft whisper, holding him within a bubble of her own making. The outside world didn’t even exist to them in that moment. “One: I’m not going to kill you.” Hiei opted not to break the mood by correcting her about even being able to kill him. “Two: I only want to use my siren call on you, regardless of who else answers my song.”
“Why me?” Asking that question felt like deja vu for the both of them and Botan’s lips upturned into the fond smile she had begun wearing around him.
“Because you fascinate me, Hiei.” The answer was whispered, something deeper within those words than the first time she’d told him as much. Hiei didn’t miss the fact that Botan’s eyes glanced down at his mouth before meeting his gaze again. “You’re my siren, too.”
Suddenly things seemed to click into place for the fire demon. He knew he wasn’t great with emotions, including his own, but Hiei hadn’t realized he was dense enough to miss all of the signs she had been giving alongside how his own emotions had changed. Understanding now that Botan was just as drawn to him as he was to her emboldened the demon.
Lifting his own hands to her blue hair, Hiei’s fingers tangled into the silky strands before leading her face to his own. Their lips met for the softest kiss. Her hands continued to hold his face with all of the care in the world as Hiei reveled in the gentlest love he’d never even though to imagine. Finally, after a moment, Botan pulled back and opened her eyes to meet his own.
“Does that answer your question?” The question was asked with sweet amusement and Hiei smirked while pulling her back to him.
“Not quite. Answer me again.” She giggled as their lips met once more. Dinner lay forgotten on the table while the two changed the nature of their relationship yet again. That night, Botan learned just how loving the fire demon could be as he gave into her siren’s call completely.