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Summary: He insulted her in front of their friends, so she’s taking it into her own hands to prove him wrong, no matter how much it embarrasses him—though, she doubts he can be embarrassed in the first place. [Hiei/Kagome]

Anime: Yu Yu Hakusho/Inuyasha

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She smiled, listening to the stories that were passed around the small circle of friends they made. She would comment here and there, but she was more intent to listen than anything else. She enjoyed telling stories, but at the moment she was more than happy to listen to the tales of triumph that came from Yusuke; the woes that Keiko had felt when Yusuke died; the hint of magic and trickery in the old life of Youko; and many of the other things that they decided to bring up and laugh about at the moment. She had not been there with them when most of it had happened, but she was woven into the stories all the same.

“So, this guy put up a fight?” Yusuke asked Botan.

Botan chuckled, “Oh, yes. I remember how his soul struggled when he died. He tried to deny it again and again, but I told that blasted old pervert that his time had come and that Koenma was ready to see him. After that he tried to run away, and tried to grab a bunch of women’s breasts while he was doing so!”

“What happened afterward, Botan?” Yukina asked politely.

Botan’s eyes burned with a passion. “That blasted old pervert grabbed my butt when I tried to bring his soul in, that’s what happened. I knocked him upside the head so fast he didn’t even get a chance to know what hit him. I’m not sure what Koenma did with him after that, he might have been put up for reincarnation by now.”

She giggled, unable to hold in the laughter that was threatening to spill out of her. The others were looking at her, she was sure, but she could not contain the laughter for much longer when it began to fill the air. She gasped for breath, trying to breathe, and failed quite miserably at doing so.

Yukina smiled at the happy sound, her eyes turning to the miko hunched over in laughter. “Are you alright, Kagome-chan?” she asked, worried a bit for her friend’s health. Laughter did help, but that much might harm her if she did not learn how to breathe again soon. And she did remember that Kagome had fainted the first time she had come across them, and a few times afterward, so she was always careful to watch for the signs.

Kagome nodded, a huge smile plastered across her face. Nearly choking, she said, “Y-yes. It’s just that w-when I was traveling to the feudal e-era there was this monk. H-he liked to grab every girl’s butt he could. I’m sorry; I j-just remembered my friend Sango hitting him with her Hiraikotsu and put Botan in her place w-with her oar. Hilarious.”

Botan scowled at the mention of the monk, before saying, “Which reminds me! That had been the third time that someone had tried to cop a feel with me. And they were all descendants to that stupid Miroku!” She huffed, crossed her arms, and grumbled, “It’s all your fault, Kagome-chan. If you and Sango hadn’t encouraged that blasted monk, he wouldn’t have encouraged his children, and they wouldn’t have encouraged their children! Which means that I wouldn’t have gotten my butt grabbed by the same bloodline of people three times in about two centuries.”

Kagome straightened up, glaring at Botan playfully, “I didn’t encourage him. I hit him upside the head whenever he decided my butt was his own personal plaything, and Sango hit him twice as hard afterward. If anything, you encouraged them, Botan.”

Botan pouted, “How so?”

“By being an easy target!” Kagome cheered.

Botan gave a fake gasp of disbelief as Kagome said this and listened as everyone in the room laughed afterward. She smiled, because she was glad to have the miko in their little group. It gave her another female to talk to and the miko was often times more playful than the other girls around her. Botan almost wanted to shake her head, because she knew from Koenma that the master illusionist underneath the foot of Lord Sesshoumaru had gone out in search of the miko almost as soon as she returned from her journey. The fox demon, Shippo, had certainly rubbed off on the miko, and there were often times when she wondered whether or not Kagome was not a fox demon in disguise herself.

However, Botan’s eyes slid away from the group to the window nearby and snickered. The little demon sitting there denied wanting anything to do with them at this moment, and especially denied liking her friend whenever the subject arose. But Botan knew better, she saw through things like that after years of working with the dead. Botan found the situation as hilarious as Kagome found her beating on Miroku’s descendants, since she knew it was only a matter of time before the little demon exploded in rage or frustration.

Kurama coughed politely, drawing their attention to him. They stared expectantly, as if waiting for him to start up on another meaningless hunt for jewels that Youko did not really care if they knew about or not. However, he quickly turned the attention away from himself by saying, “Kagome-san, you have not told a story yet. Why don’t you get us back on track by starting off?”

“Hey, yeah!” Yusuke shouted. “You’re the only one who hasn’t said anything! Come on, you might not have been with us all the time, but Kurama’s only talkin’ about stuff in the past. Why the hell can’t you?”

“Yusuke!” Keiko scowled. “Language!”

Kuwabara started up, “That’s right! You should tell us something, Kagome-chan. Your stories are always the best, because I almost feel like I’m right there. And I tell ya what, if I had been, I would have kicked that Naraku’s butt.” He refused to cuss when he was speaking directly to a girl, whether Urameshi made stupid faces at him or not before Keiko elbowed him in the arm. He would do the same for any girl, especially Yukina.

“Um,” Kagome blushed under the sudden attention.

Botan’s eyes slid back to the demon sitting in the window, noticing that his body had shifted the slightest of bits. She wanted to jump around and scream what she knew to the world, but she was pretty sure that Kurama already knew, and she was positive that Kagome would not want to be embarrassed in such a fashion. Besides, at the moment she did not feel like seeing whether or not Lady Death could end up dead herself. However, a small snicker escaped her throat and she saw Kurama give her a quick glance, obviously wishing for her to shut up before the demon noticed and left.

“I-I,” Kagome started. She had never been all that good around people after she had formed such a close family in the past. And especially after she had returned for good and been whisked away to the Makai only to end up meeting a lot of interesting people who had faces new and old. However, she sucked it up, because these were her closest friends in the Ningenkai and there was no reason for her to get nervous around them. “I really don’t know what to talk about. I could tell you about the first time I met Sesshoumaru-sama or something like that, but I think I’ve already done all the really good stories.”

A light bulb went off in Botan head and she leaned closer to the miko. Smiling, she shook her head and said, “Don’t talk about something boring or heroic or something like that, Kagome-chan. No one’s talked about anything romantic yet, why don’t you do that?”

“That’s a lovely idea,” Yukina added.

“Oh, yes,” Keiko smiled brightly. “I bet there are a lot of old romance stories that you could clear up, since you were literally there when it all happened. And a bunch that haven’t been told.”

“Ah, well I do know a few,” Kagome began. “My favorite, but the most sad, is the love between Inuyasha and Kikyo.”

Botan quickly cut her off, “But we’re here to tell each other about things that have happened to us, Kagome-chan. You can’t talk about Inuyasha and Kikyo. You have to tell us stories about things that happened to you!”

Keiko blinked, then agreed, “That’s right. You can’t talk about Inuyasha and Kikyo. You have to tell us about the romantic things that happened with you involved.”

“Or,” Botan butted in, “you could tell us about all the men that were attracted to you. I’ve seen the way they flock to you here, Kagome-chan, so don’t lie and say that nothing like that happened in the past. There has to have been someone that found you attractive, for whatever reason they had.”

“Most of those aren’t romantic, though,” Kagome argued.

Botan smiled secretively when she saw the demon’s eyes narrow on her. It seemed that he did not want to hear about anyone from the past that had had the hots for the little miko. Well, too bad. She was going to make sure that Kagome got on the train that she wanted her to board and then she was going to make sure that she stayed there. After all, what kind of friend would she be if she did not help the miko realize what the demon did not want her to?

Kurama spoke up, “But the goal of this day is not to talk about romance. It is about reminding each other, or in your case telling us, about the past. It does not matter whether the story is romantic and drawn out, merely that it happened to you and gives us a reason to remember.”

“But—”

“Don’t argue, Kagome-chan,” Botan sighed. “You have to have someone that was attracted to you. What about Kouga-sama? I heard that he claimed to be in love with you for many years before he finally mated Ayame-sama.”

“Well, yes, he tried to think he was, but—” again, she did not finish.

“That settles it!” Botan cheered. “Talk about that! And I’m sure that you have more.”

Kagome sighed in defeat. “I suppose I could tell you a few. But you have to promise not to snicker or talk about how they happened, because I was young, and inexperienced, and really it wasn’t my fault that they decided to kidnap me a bunch of times.”

Botan crossed her fingers over her heart dramatically, stating, “I promise!”

Yusuke snorted, saying, “I don’t.”

Keiko bopped him upside the head, saying, “Yes you do.”

The others nodded.

“Ok, since Botan mentioned him, I guess I should start there,” Kagome bit her lip. “Kouga-kun, as you know, is the wolf demon that rules over the Northern Wolf Tribe and in the past he used to believe I was his woman. He kidnapped me because I could see the jewel shards, hoping that I could help him destroy his enemy, the Birds of Paradise. He also wanted to use my abilities to get him more shards, since at the time he had had two embedded in his legs. Not to mention he scared the crap out of me because he decided it would be alright to jump down a huge cliff and dig his feet into the side, only to race up it like it was nothing.”

Botan’s eyes twinkled.

“After Kouga-kun managed to get me away from Inuyasha, he raced back to his wolf den at terrifying speeds. He created a tornado every time he ran, and swiftly brought us to the den where his wolves stayed. Shippo was with me, clinging to Kouga’s tail without my knowledge, and was not discovered until after we had reached the den. That was after Kouga-kun’s wolves thought they could eat me though, and I really thought that they were going to.

“Shippo and I managed to trick the wolves, using Shippo’s magic to make him appear like Kouga-kun. He surprised me even, but we were found out before we could manage to make it to the exit—one of Kouga-kun’s wolves had bit down on Shippo’s tail because he had been unable to transform it at such a young age. We ran, the wolves chasing us, and made it to a cliff where the wolves quickly cornered us and decided they had had enough with me. Apparently they did not like the fact that I had not only run, but I had managed to help Shippo escape by throwing him from the cliff and allowing him to transform and float away.

“I really thought I was going to get eaten again, but Kouga-kun saved me. He threw the boar he had caught onto his followers back and jumped down to stand in front of me. He said he admired my courage to save my friend, even at the cost of my own life, and before I knew what happened he had declared me as his woman and told me that wolves mated for life. It pissed me off and I slapped him, but I think that it only encouraged him.”

Kagome sighed, “I probably did, too. Even today he goes back to his ‘Kagome, you’re my woman’ crap, whether his mate’s in the room or not. I think he does it to be funny now, since Shippo’s gotten so protective, but it still annoys the crap out of me.”

Yukina giggled behind her hand.

Kurama nodded afterward, “It would make sense why Kouga-sama would do such a thing. Wolf demons normally look for strength and loyalty in their mates and you showed both when you risked your life for your kit’s. However, it does not make sense as to why he has not stopped after all this time.”

“Probably because Shippo’s just like Inuyasha in a way and Kouga-kun likes to piss him off,” Kagome muttered.

“Perhaps,” Kurama smiled a bit.

“I knew you could come up with something, Kagome-chan,” Botan smiled. “Now tell us another.”

“Well,” Kagome bit her lip in thought. “Another one that comes to my mind is Muso. He was expelled from Naraku’s body in an attempt to get rid of his human emotions, but I also think that Naraku might have done it to create a bit more chaos. He looked like a normal human, but from what I know, when he was first expelled, he had no face. He went around for some time and tore the faces of his victims off to use as his own until he had found one that he liked.”

“Disgusting,” Keiko muttered.

“Muso came after me because I reminded him of Kikyo. He couldn’t tell the difference between us, and his love for Kikyo drove him to try and kidnap me. He fought with Inuyasha because of it and he seemed very determined to capture me. But, that’s understandable since he was basically Onigumo, the bandit that Kikyo saved and became Naraku in an attempt to claim her. He loved Kikyo more than he loved anything in the world, and Muso wanted me because of how much I looked like her. There’s really not much else to tell about him,” Kagome added.

“How long did this battle last?” Kurama asked. “It seems to me that even if he was expelled from Naraku’s body, if he were human, he should have been defeated by Inuyasha quite easily.”

“Oh,” Kagome blinked, “he found out during his fight with Inuyasha that he could regenerate anything that Inuyasha managed to harm. Of course, whatever came back never looked quite human, and he seemed to become stronger with each regeneration cycle. He only just managed to escape when Inuyasha defeated him, though. I’m pretty sure that Naraku reabsorbed him, because Muso was his heart and later on he expelled a baby that contained his heart inside it.”

“He must have made for an interesting opponent then,” Kurama said.

“Yeah, you could say that. Though, I really didn’t appreciate being held in the air while Inuyasha tried to chop the person holding me to pieces,” Kagome grumbled.

“You must have met many interesting people in the past, Kagome-chan,” Yukina spoke up.

Kagome nodded, “I suppose. But do you want to know the most interesting that I ever met?” Kagome did air quotes with the last word, and watched as all eyes returned to her. “His name was Mukotsu, and he was the poison master of the Band of Seven.”

Botan shivered at the name, her eyes widening. “Oh, I remember him. Koenma had yet to be born and my mother was performing most of the duties that I now have. I was only in training when she brought in the entire Band of Seven through the portal to the afterlife. Mukotsu was the one I watched the closest because that little devil gave me that leer that clearly said he was up to something, and I’m glad I did, because I heard that he tried to force women into becoming his bride since he was so hideous.”

Putting her face into her hand, Kagome stated, “If only I could have been so lucky.”

Yukina’s eyes widened, “Mukotsu tried to force you to be his bride?”

Kagome replied, “Unfortunately.”

Keiko gasped, “Holy crap!”

She sighed, before saying, “It’s not the first time. There was also this pig demon that went around putting circlets on the head of women that interested him and almost instantly they felt like they were in love with him. He managed to get one of me and took off with me before Inuyasha could do anything. The pig wanted to make me his first bride, and I only managed to escape because my friends’ came up with a plan for Shippo to transform into a woman and trick him into thinking he was about to get another wife. Afterward they managed to get the circlet off me and defeated him, but not before Inuyasha and Miroku were placed under the same spell I had to go through. That was probably the funniest part of the entire event.”

Botan shuddered, before saying, “Alright, now back to Mukotsu. What happened between you and that creepy little guy?” She stealthily snuck a glance at the demon in the window, noticing that with the attention of everyone on the miko, he had turned completely toward the miko. She almost smiled, because she could tell that he was quite irritated with where the conversation had already gone and where it was going. And she would not be surprised if he wished to slaughter everyone that had ever laid a hand on the miko.

Kagome thought for a moment, then began, “We were fighting the Band of Seven because Naraku had brought them back from the dead. When we fought Mukotsu, he managed to fill the area with poison, and I have a feeling it was only because he wanted to get his hands onto me. I’m pretty sure the poison knocked out Inuyasha, Shippo, and Kirara, and it was doing quite a bit of damage to the rest of us, too. I don’t remember a lot, it all happened so fast, but the next thing I knew Mukotsu had me and then I blacked out.”

After a moment, Kagome continued, “I awoke later to find myself paralyzed and within a hut quite a ways from where we had fought. Mukotsu was standing over me, fanning poison into the room to keep me paralyzed while he went through the marriage ceremony. He said he was going to make me his bride, and I didn’t want to think about what he planned to do afterward. I couldn’t move, and I wanted to scream for help more than anything, but I had been so sure that no one was going to come to my rescue.

“But, someone that I had never expected did come to my rescue before Mukotsu could perform the ceremony. I could only move my eyes, and when the shadow fell over me, I looked up to see Sesshoumaru-sama standing in the doorway. I’m still not quite sure why he saved me—I’m still pretty sure it had nothing to do with me—but I’m glad that he did.”

“How did he save you?” Keiko asked. She loved Yusuke, she did, but she had seen the demon lord Sesshoumaru a few times when visiting Kagome. That demon was one of a kind when it came to looks, and she was positive that he looked like a knight in shining white armor if he had worn his white kimono back then as he did now.

“Mukotsu didn’t know that Sesshoumaru-sama is immune to most poisons, so he tried to blast him with a few different kinds that he used on various victims in the past, I’m sure. Sesshoumaru-sama swiped it aside as if it were nothing, and I’m pretty sure that he was leaking Dakkasou to cleanse the air. The next thing I knew Mukotsu had lost his mask that filtered the poison he used and Sesshoumaru-sama was melting him down into a pile of goo. I don’t think that even the Shikon shard he used to live could have saved him at that point,” Kagome replied.

Unable to help herself, Keiko asked, “Did Sesshoumaru-sama ever kidnap you?”

Botan smirked at the question and noticed the little demon had tensed. There was no way he could compete with Lord Sesshoumaru if the demon lord wanted to keep Kagome, but she was sure that he would try. Though, then again, he had yet to try anything but insult her and put her down so far, so she supposed that Lord Sesshoumaru would be the better catch between the two. It was a shame that Lord Sesshoumaru had no interest in the miko at this time, she guessed.

“No,” Kagome shook her head. “He tried to melt me down when we first met because I managed to pull out Tetsusaiga when both Sesshoumaru-sama and Inuyasha couldn’t. He tried to kill me a few times, actually, but he never tried to kidnap me because he was attracted to me or anything. Even now he only sees me as his ally and second closest pack member.”

“Second?” Yukina asked.

“To his son,” Kagome replied. “His name’s Masaru, and he’s really a sweet and intelligent boy once you get him away from his father. Sesshoumaru-sama told me that he’s the son of a noble bitch,” the others looked quite shocked that she had said that, “that he made an agreement with in order to receive an heir. I wanted to meet her, but Sesshoumaru-sama told me that she is a vain, greedy demon that only wanted the pleasure to say she’s given birth to a lord’s heir.”

“Why did you want to meet her?” Keiko asked curiously.

“I wanted to see how much of Masaru’s personality came from her, but from what I heard, I guess I don’t know much about Sesshoumaru-sama,” Kagome sighed.

“I believe we’ve gotten off track once more,” Kurama spoke up.

“Yeah,” Yusuke agreed. “Get back to the story, Kagome.”

Kuwabara scowled at Yusuke for being so demanding, but nodded in agreement.

“Oh, sorry,” Kagome giggled a bit. “I can’t really think of any others at the moment, but I could tell you a bit about how Inuyasha acted.”

“Inuyasha?” Keiko asked. “Didn’t he always go off with Kikyo after she was resurrected?”

“Yes, but there were times when he could be sweet and understanding. Like the time when we fought Sesshoumaru-sama and he managed to transform Tetsusaiga because he promised to protect me. But, at the beginning of our journey I remember the most this one night where he was weak after fighting with this spider demon. He had been human that night and while he was trying to wait till morning for his demon blood to heal him, he said the sweetest thing I had ever heard him say.”

Kagome’s eyes softened a bit, “Inuyasha was always rough around the edges. He liked to yell a lot and drag me back to the feudal era whenever I decided I wanted to visit my family. But that night had been the first time that I really saw a different side of him. I had put his head into my lap, and I remember crying, which he told me not to—I think he said something about it being weak and stupid. And it was the first time he said something nice, which is why I remember it so well.”

“What did he say?” Yukina asked.

“He said that I smelled nice,” Kagome replied. “That when he’d told me earlier that I hadn’t that he’d lied.”

“That’s so sweet,” Botan smiled.

A noise came from behind them, and they turned slowly to where the fire demon sat within the window. His eyes were turned away from them, but they knew that the sound had come from his throat. It was obvious, since it had not come from any of them, and they were sure that if anyone asked, he was going to snap at someone.

Botan scowled, “What’s wrong with you, Hiei?”

“Those males were fools,” the little demon replied. “Especially those with demon blood coursing through their veins. They could have easily been purified, and I’m surprised their instincts didn’t tell them to kill the miko or get away before she managed to harm them. It shows how foolish they truly were.”

“Oh?” Kurama pushed. “And what do you think of those males, Hiei?”

He turned his head slowly, and his crimson stare settled onto the miko that had told the tales. Slowly, a sneer worked its way onto his face, and he crossed his arms as he leaned further into the wall at his back. “I think,” he replied, his eyes boring into hers, “that Kouga was an idiot, and still is, to be attracted to someone that does not even know their purpose in life. This Muso was blind to have thought that the miko was her incarnation, since Kikyo would have purified him from the face of the planet before he managed to touch her. Mukotsu was delusional, believing that anyone with a pretty face would instantly make a good mate.”

Kurama spoke up at his pause, “And Inuyasha?”

“Tch, there is nothing to say about the hanyou,” Hiei stated. “Being what he was, he was pushed by his weak, human emotions while within the proximity of a woman. Besides, the hanyou was constantly pining over the miko Kikyo, so he could have been thinking about the scent that he remembered from so long ago and mirroring her face within the girl’s.”

“What do you know about them?” Kagome asked, anger rising. “You don’t know any of them, you never have, so don’t go around saying stuff like that, Hiei.”

Hiei’s eyes flashed in annoyance, and Kurama knew almost instantly that the hybrid was about to say something very, very insulting. He was almost surprised that it had taken him this long to speak, since he had been sure his attraction to the girl would have pushed him to speak sooner. However, Kurama only wanted to close his eyes and pray that the roof around them did not come crashing down the two clashed.

‘I don’t agree with you, Red. I want to see the little spitfire kick the pipsqueak’s ass,’ Youko chuckled in his head. Kurama could only sigh at the fact that the spirit still could not get over the fact that the miko just did not want them, yet did not want to annoy the hybrid with her presence.

“I know what I see, miko,” Hiei hissed. “And I know that no one in their right mind would ever find you attractive the way you have described these morons.” His eyes flashed again, before he continued, “No one would ever want you as their mate.”

Kuwabara looked ready to shout, but Kagome beat him to it.

The miko was almost instantly on her feet; her eyes glaring at the demon, though she knew that he probably only found her efforts amusing. “How do you know?” she demanded. “I’ve never done anything but be nice to you, but I’ve had it. I bet you, Hiei, that I could prove you wrong by the time this night is over!”

Hiei returned his eyes to the window, saying, “I’d like to see you try.”

“I will!” she replied, determined.

“Try all you want, woman,” he snorted. “I’ll find your actions amusing at most, but you’ll never manage to make me fall for your lack of charm.”

She growled, and turned to sit back down. Once she had, she knew that the demon was going to speak again, if only to insult her more. But, she did not bother to say anything before him, wanting only for the others to begin talking once more. “Well?” she snapped at them before he spoke. “Weren’t we talking about the past? I think it’s somebody elses turn now.”

Hiei growled at her dismissal of him, and returned his glare to her back. “What is it, woman? Are you too afraid to try and back up your meaningless claim?”

Swinging her head around to return his glare, she hissed, “The element of surprise always helps, Hiei. Besides, I said before the night is over and that’s not for some time now.”

He smirked, the menacing smile mocking her. “I see. Well then, take all the time you want, but remember that you only have so long to get off your lazy ass and prove me wrong.”

She huffed, before turning back to the circle of friend’s around her. “Who hasn’t spoke yet?” Nobody raised their hand, and she sighed, “Right, that was me. But, I think I’d like to hear another story about your life, Yukina.”

“Idiot,” Hiei snorted.

Yukina nodded, glancing between Kagome and Hiei. She hoped that the two did not begin fighting again. “I’d love to tell you another story, Kagome-chan,” she replied. She would do her best to get Kagome’s mind off of whatever she wanted it off of, and then hopefully stop another confrontation from happening. After all, she hated to see them fight, and she could only hope that Hiei did not hurt her friend if she tried to do something drastic.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Botan glanced between the miko and the hybrid once more, her brow twitching. It had been over thirty minutes and still Kagome was listening to yet another story that Yukina decided to tell about her time in the Ningenkai. She seemed completely interested in it, and Botan was beginning to worry that she had lost her nerve to do anything about what Hiei had said. Which, she decided, would be very bad, since it would only give Hiei another reason to mock her.

Damn that hybrid. Botan wished that he would get over his sorry excuse of, “she is a weak miko that does not deserve my time and effort,” and just admit he liked her already. Especially now, since she was positive that Kagome would do something extremely dangerous and stupid, and maybe get herself killed because Hiei decided she had gotten too close to her. Though, then again, if Hiei liked her as much as Botan thought he did, he would not try to harm her at all unless he was trying to prove a point to Kurama or something.

“So, you still haven’t found your brother?” Kagome asked.

Botan noticed Hiei tense slightly in the window. She knew that he knew that Kagome knew he was Yukina’s brother, but she also knew that Kagome would not tell a soul unless he wished it. And at the moment she could only hope that Kagome was pretending to believe she had no idea who Yukina’s brother was, since there would be bloodshed of some kind if she decided to tell. Botan was sure of it.

Either that or she was becoming paranoid the longer Kagome waited.

Yukina shook her head sadly.

Kagome’s eyes softened, and she said, “That’s so sad. But don’t worry, Yukina, I’m sure that you’ll find him someday. And if you don’t, I’ll be happy to be there for you when you need me—like a sister I never had.”

Yukina smiled, “That’s very kind of you, Kagome-chan. I would love to have you as my sister, and I’m sure that my brother would approve of it, as well.”

Hiei tensed a little more. Botan could tell that he might not be all that accepting of the idea, but at the moment he had no objection and did not wish to interfere. Though, Botan was also beginning to question her own logic. She had been worried when Hiei and Kagome had first exploded on each other, but now Kagome wanted to prove something, and she was sure that the miko would eventually try. In fact—

Oh crap, Botan screamed to herself, where’s Kagome-chan?

“Hiei…”

Botan turned her head quickly to see Kagome standing above the hybrid sitting in the window. She had been all for pushing Hiei to the limit earlier, but she was not sure if pushing the demon now was the best of ideas. He was already irritated about the others that had been so close to capturing Kagome as theirs, and now he was tense about Yukina, and there were probably a thousand other things that would make this situation go so wrong. And it was all her fault.

Botan also decided at that moment that she was definitely paranoid. She should have never tried to push Hiei over the edge and now she was going to be the reason the little miko died. Oh, Koenma was going to kill her when she got back.

Hiei turned his head just enough to glare at the miko standing over him.

“You know, Hiei,” Kagome smiled a bit, a blush staining her cheeks, “you’re rather arrogant, hotheaded, and you constantly feel the need to insult me, but…” She blinked cutely, biting on her bottom lip, “You do have that devilishly handsome look going on, and I just can’t…”

Botan’s mouth fell open when Kagome straddled the demon as if there was nothing else in the world she would rather do. Her back leaned against the knee he had drawn up at an angle, and she leaned closer to him so that her body was pressed against his front. Already Botan could see the hybrid beginning to tense, his eyes staring at the miko in disbelief at her blunt move, while she straightened her back and nearly pressed her breasts into his face.

Botan’s eyes almost popped out of her head at how blunt Kagome was being, and she swiftly turned to find that the others were staring with wide eyes as well. Obviously none of them had expected the miko to be so forceful in her approach. Before she returned her eyes to the couple, she almost giggled at the fact that Kuwabara had hidden both his and Yukina’s eyes from the sexual contact that was taking place in the window seat.

Kagome slid down, her arms lacing around Hiei’s shoulders to keep him from trying to push her away. Her mouth pressed against his ear, and Botan only managed to hear her say, “Hiei, what do you think of me now?” before Kagome’s tongue slipped from her mouth. She traced it only the shell of Hiei’s sensitive ear, before taking the tip between her teeth and blocking the view with her head. Botan was not sure what happened afterward, but she did notice the way Hiei’s hand had slid down to rest on the miko’s hip possessively.

Kagome’s head moved downward and the only indication that she left wet kisses behind was the wet popping that echoed into the now silent room. She apparently traveled along Hiei’s neck and stopped at his shirt, before pulling away and flipping her long hair back out of her face. It gave the others a nice view of the path she had taken, marked only by the light saliva she had left behind.

“Hiei,” she said again. Botan was not sure if Kagome was doing it to tease him, or something else, but she was shocked when Kagome leaned into the demon she was sitting on once more. She could hear the growl that was traveling through Hiei’s chest, and saw the way his hands clasped ahold of her waist, before she saw Kagome smile a bit more seductively than she believed anyone in the room thought she could.

Gently, Kagome placed a kiss on the corner of the hybrid’s mouth. Botan heard another growl work its way from Hiei’s throat and watched as the demon dug his claws into the girl’s waist and leaned forward. His crimson stare was focused entirely on her, and she watched as Kagome allowed him to get so close to kissing her full on the mouth, before the miko smirked and pulled away from him. He appeared confused, and growled to demand dominance, but Kagome had already managed to pry his fingers away with his slight distraction and stepped from his lap without a word.

Hiei looked a bit red in the face when Yusuke began to laugh, doubling over and pounding his fist against the floor at the flustered look that appeared on the little demon’s face. Kurama chuckled lightly behind his hand, even as the miko sat back down in her spot, and turned to smirk at the demon that was staring at her still. Even Botan could not hold in her giggles, and Keiko was soon to join her as the miko spoke.

“See? I told you that I could change your mind,” Kagome stated.

Hiei growled, snapping, “Woman, this proves nothing!”

“Really?” Kagome asked innocently. “I think it proves a lot.”

Botan, who had managed to keep her giggles in, began to laugh again. She heard the demon snarl, and watched as he turned stiffly in his seat so that he could stare out the window. However, she watched as the others returned to telling tales about the old days, and finally when Hiei returned his gaze to the group. His eyes, she noticed, were staring intently at the miko, and she realized with a small smirk that he was gazing at the lips that he had come so close to claiming as his own. He looked determined, and Botan could only hope that her friend was ready for the beast that she had released with her forceful approach to the matter, because she doubted Hiei would stop until he got what he wanted.

--Fin

Description
Summary: He insulted her in front of their friends, so she’s taking it into her own hands to prove him wrong, no matter how much it embarrasses him—though, she doubts he can be embarrassed in the first place. [Hiei/Kagome]

Anime: Yu Yu Hakusho/Inuyasha

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She smiled, listening to the stories that were passed around the small circle of friends they made. She would comment here and there, but she was more intent to listen than anything else. She enjoyed telling stories, but at the moment she was more than happy to listen to the tales of triumph that came from Yusuke; the woes that Keiko had felt when Yusuke died; the hint of magic and trickery in the old life of Youko; and many of the other things that they decided to bring up and laugh about at the moment. She had not been there with them when most of it had happened, but she was woven into the stories all the same.

“So, this guy put up a fight?” Yusuke asked Botan.

Botan chuckled, “Oh, yes. I remember how his soul struggled when he died. He tried to deny it again and again, but I told that blasted old pervert that his time had come and that Koenma was ready to see him. After that he tried to run away, and tried to grab a bunch of women’s breasts while he was doing so!”

“What happened afterward, Botan?” Yukina asked politely.

Botan’s eyes burned with a passion. “That blasted old pervert grabbed my butt when I tried to bring his soul in, that’s what happened. I knocked him upside the head so fast he didn’t even get a chance to know what hit him. I’m not sure what Koenma did with him after that, he might have been put up for reincarnation by now.”

She giggled, unable to hold in the laughter that was threatening to spill out of her. The others were looking at her, she was sure, but she could not contain the laughter for much longer when it began to fill the air. She gasped for breath, trying to breathe, and failed quite miserably at doing so.

Yukina smiled at the happy sound, her eyes turning to the miko hunched over in laughter. “Are you alright, Kagome-chan?” she asked, worried a bit for her friend’s health. Laughter did help, but that much might harm her if she did not learn how to breathe again soon. And she did remember that Kagome had fainted the first time she had come across them, and a few times afterward, so she was always careful to watch for the signs.

Kagome nodded, a huge smile plastered across her face. Nearly choking, she said, “Y-yes. It’s just that w-when I was traveling to the feudal e-era there was this monk. H-he liked to grab every girl’s butt he could. I’m sorry; I j-just remembered my friend Sango hitting him with her Hiraikotsu and put Botan in her place w-with her oar. Hilarious.”

Botan scowled at the mention of the monk, before saying, “Which reminds me! That had been the third time that someone had tried to cop a feel with me. And they were all descendants to that stupid Miroku!” She huffed, crossed her arms, and grumbled, “It’s all your fault, Kagome-chan. If you and Sango hadn’t encouraged that blasted monk, he wouldn’t have encouraged his children, and they wouldn’t have encouraged their children! Which means that I wouldn’t have gotten my butt grabbed by the same bloodline of people three times in about two centuries.”

Kagome straightened up, glaring at Botan playfully, “I didn’t encourage him. I hit him upside the head whenever he decided my butt was his own personal plaything, and Sango hit him twice as hard afterward. If anything, you encouraged them, Botan.”

Botan pouted, “How so?”

“By being an easy target!” Kagome cheered.

Botan gave a fake gasp of disbelief as Kagome said this and listened as everyone in the room laughed afterward. She smiled, because she was glad to have the miko in their little group. It gave her another female to talk to and the miko was often times more playful than the other girls around her. Botan almost wanted to shake her head, because she knew from Koenma that the master illusionist underneath the foot of Lord Sesshoumaru had gone out in search of the miko almost as soon as she returned from her journey. The fox demon, Shippo, had certainly rubbed off on the miko, and there were often times when she wondered whether or not Kagome was not a fox demon in disguise herself.

However, Botan’s eyes slid away from the group to the window nearby and snickered. The little demon sitting there denied wanting anything to do with them at this moment, and especially denied liking her friend whenever the subject arose. But Botan knew better, she saw through things like that after years of working with the dead. Botan found the situation as hilarious as Kagome found her beating on Miroku’s descendants, since she knew it was only a matter of time before the little demon exploded in rage or frustration.

Kurama coughed politely, drawing their attention to him. They stared expectantly, as if waiting for him to start up on another meaningless hunt for jewels that Youko did not really care if they knew about or not. However, he quickly turned the attention away from himself by saying, “Kagome-san, you have not told a story yet. Why don’t you get us back on track by starting off?”

“Hey, yeah!” Yusuke shouted. “You’re the only one who hasn’t said anything! Come on, you might not have been with us all the time, but Kurama’s only talkin’ about stuff in the past. Why the hell can’t you?”

“Yusuke!” Keiko scowled. “Language!”

Kuwabara started up, “That’s right! You should tell us something, Kagome-chan. Your stories are always the best, because I almost feel like I’m right there. And I tell ya what, if I had been, I would have kicked that Naraku’s butt.” He refused to cuss when he was speaking directly to a girl, whether Urameshi made stupid faces at him or not before Keiko elbowed him in the arm. He would do the same for any girl, especially Yukina.

“Um,” Kagome blushed under the sudden attention.

Botan’s eyes slid back to the demon sitting in the window, noticing that his body had shifted the slightest of bits. She wanted to jump around and scream what she knew to the world, but she was pretty sure that Kurama already knew, and she was positive that Kagome would not want to be embarrassed in such a fashion. Besides, at the moment she did not feel like seeing whether or not Lady Death could end up dead herself. However, a small snicker escaped her throat and she saw Kurama give her a quick glance, obviously wishing for her to shut up before the demon noticed and left.

“I-I,” Kagome started. She had never been all that good around people after she had formed such a close family in the past. And especially after she had returned for good and been whisked away to the Makai only to end up meeting a lot of interesting people who had faces new and old. However, she sucked it up, because these were her closest friends in the Ningenkai and there was no reason for her to get nervous around them. “I really don’t know what to talk about. I could tell you about the first time I met Sesshoumaru-sama or something like that, but I think I’ve already done all the really good stories.”

A light bulb went off in Botan head and she leaned closer to the miko. Smiling, she shook her head and said, “Don’t talk about something boring or heroic or something like that, Kagome-chan. No one’s talked about anything romantic yet, why don’t you do that?”

“That’s a lovely idea,” Yukina added.

“Oh, yes,” Keiko smiled brightly. “I bet there are a lot of old romance stories that you could clear up, since you were literally there when it all happened. And a bunch that haven’t been told.”

“Ah, well I do know a few,” Kagome began. “My favorite, but the most sad, is the love between Inuyasha and Kikyo.”

Botan quickly cut her off, “But we’re here to tell each other about things that have happened to us, Kagome-chan. You can’t talk about Inuyasha and Kikyo. You have to tell us stories about things that happened to you!”

Keiko blinked, then agreed, “That’s right. You can’t talk about Inuyasha and Kikyo. You have to tell us about the romantic things that happened with you involved.”

“Or,” Botan butted in, “you could tell us about all the men that were attracted to you. I’ve seen the way they flock to you here, Kagome-chan, so don’t lie and say that nothing like that happened in the past. There has to have been someone that found you attractive, for whatever reason they had.”

“Most of those aren’t romantic, though,” Kagome argued.

Botan smiled secretively when she saw the demon’s eyes narrow on her. It seemed that he did not want to hear about anyone from the past that had had the hots for the little miko. Well, too bad. She was going to make sure that Kagome got on the train that she wanted her to board and then she was going to make sure that she stayed there. After all, what kind of friend would she be if she did not help the miko realize what the demon did not want her to?

Kurama spoke up, “But the goal of this day is not to talk about romance. It is about reminding each other, or in your case telling us, about the past. It does not matter whether the story is romantic and drawn out, merely that it happened to you and gives us a reason to remember.”

“But—”

“Don’t argue, Kagome-chan,” Botan sighed. “You have to have someone that was attracted to you. What about Kouga-sama? I heard that he claimed to be in love with you for many years before he finally mated Ayame-sama.”

“Well, yes, he tried to think he was, but—” again, she did not finish.

“That settles it!” Botan cheered. “Talk about that! And I’m sure that you have more.”

Kagome sighed in defeat. “I suppose I could tell you a few. But you have to promise not to snicker or talk about how they happened, because I was young, and inexperienced, and really it wasn’t my fault that they decided to kidnap me a bunch of times.”

Botan crossed her fingers over her heart dramatically, stating, “I promise!”

Yusuke snorted, saying, “I don’t.”

Keiko bopped him upside the head, saying, “Yes you do.”

The others nodded.

“Ok, since Botan mentioned him, I guess I should start there,” Kagome bit her lip. “Kouga-kun, as you know, is the wolf demon that rules over the Northern Wolf Tribe and in the past he used to believe I was his woman. He kidnapped me because I could see the jewel shards, hoping that I could help him destroy his enemy, the Birds of Paradise. He also wanted to use my abilities to get him more shards, since at the time he had had two embedded in his legs. Not to mention he scared the crap out of me because he decided it would be alright to jump down a huge cliff and dig his feet into the side, only to race up it like it was nothing.”

Botan’s eyes twinkled.

“After Kouga-kun managed to get me away from Inuyasha, he raced back to his wolf den at terrifying speeds. He created a tornado every time he ran, and swiftly brought us to the den where his wolves stayed. Shippo was with me, clinging to Kouga’s tail without my knowledge, and was not discovered until after we had reached the den. That was after Kouga-kun’s wolves thought they could eat me though, and I really thought that they were going to.

“Shippo and I managed to trick the wolves, using Shippo’s magic to make him appear like Kouga-kun. He surprised me even, but we were found out before we could manage to make it to the exit—one of Kouga-kun’s wolves had bit down on Shippo’s tail because he had been unable to transform it at such a young age. We ran, the wolves chasing us, and made it to a cliff where the wolves quickly cornered us and decided they had had enough with me. Apparently they did not like the fact that I had not only run, but I had managed to help Shippo escape by throwing him from the cliff and allowing him to transform and float away.

“I really thought I was going to get eaten again, but Kouga-kun saved me. He threw the boar he had caught onto his followers back and jumped down to stand in front of me. He said he admired my courage to save my friend, even at the cost of my own life, and before I knew what happened he had declared me as his woman and told me that wolves mated for life. It pissed me off and I slapped him, but I think that it only encouraged him.”

Kagome sighed, “I probably did, too. Even today he goes back to his ‘Kagome, you’re my woman’ crap, whether his mate’s in the room or not. I think he does it to be funny now, since Shippo’s gotten so protective, but it still annoys the crap out of me.”

Yukina giggled behind her hand.

Kurama nodded afterward, “It would make sense why Kouga-sama would do such a thing. Wolf demons normally look for strength and loyalty in their mates and you showed both when you risked your life for your kit’s. However, it does not make sense as to why he has not stopped after all this time.”

“Probably because Shippo’s just like Inuyasha in a way and Kouga-kun likes to piss him off,” Kagome muttered.

“Perhaps,” Kurama smiled a bit.

“I knew you could come up with something, Kagome-chan,” Botan smiled. “Now tell us another.”

“Well,” Kagome bit her lip in thought. “Another one that comes to my mind is Muso. He was expelled from Naraku’s body in an attempt to get rid of his human emotions, but I also think that Naraku might have done it to create a bit more chaos. He looked like a normal human, but from what I know, when he was first expelled, he had no face. He went around for some time and tore the faces of his victims off to use as his own until he had found one that he liked.”

“Disgusting,” Keiko muttered.

“Muso came after me because I reminded him of Kikyo. He couldn’t tell the difference between us, and his love for Kikyo drove him to try and kidnap me. He fought with Inuyasha because of it and he seemed very determined to capture me. But, that’s understandable since he was basically Onigumo, the bandit that Kikyo saved and became Naraku in an attempt to claim her. He loved Kikyo more than he loved anything in the world, and Muso wanted me because of how much I looked like her. There’s really not much else to tell about him,” Kagome added.

“How long did this battle last?” Kurama asked. “It seems to me that even if he was expelled from Naraku’s body, if he were human, he should have been defeated by Inuyasha quite easily.”

“Oh,” Kagome blinked, “he found out during his fight with Inuyasha that he could regenerate anything that Inuyasha managed to harm. Of course, whatever came back never looked quite human, and he seemed to become stronger with each regeneration cycle. He only just managed to escape when Inuyasha defeated him, though. I’m pretty sure that Naraku reabsorbed him, because Muso was his heart and later on he expelled a baby that contained his heart inside it.”

“He must have made for an interesting opponent then,” Kurama said.

“Yeah, you could say that. Though, I really didn’t appreciate being held in the air while Inuyasha tried to chop the person holding me to pieces,” Kagome grumbled.

“You must have met many interesting people in the past, Kagome-chan,” Yukina spoke up.

Kagome nodded, “I suppose. But do you want to know the most interesting that I ever met?” Kagome did air quotes with the last word, and watched as all eyes returned to her. “His name was Mukotsu, and he was the poison master of the Band of Seven.”

Botan shivered at the name, her eyes widening. “Oh, I remember him. Koenma had yet to be born and my mother was performing most of the duties that I now have. I was only in training when she brought in the entire Band of Seven through the portal to the afterlife. Mukotsu was the one I watched the closest because that little devil gave me that leer that clearly said he was up to something, and I’m glad I did, because I heard that he tried to force women into becoming his bride since he was so hideous.”

Putting her face into her hand, Kagome stated, “If only I could have been so lucky.”

Yukina’s eyes widened, “Mukotsu tried to force you to be his bride?”

Kagome replied, “Unfortunately.”

Keiko gasped, “Holy crap!”

She sighed, before saying, “It’s not the first time. There was also this pig demon that went around putting circlets on the head of women that interested him and almost instantly they felt like they were in love with him. He managed to get one of me and took off with me before Inuyasha could do anything. The pig wanted to make me his first bride, and I only managed to escape because my friends’ came up with a plan for Shippo to transform into a woman and trick him into thinking he was about to get another wife. Afterward they managed to get the circlet off me and defeated him, but not before Inuyasha and Miroku were placed under the same spell I had to go through. That was probably the funniest part of the entire event.”

Botan shuddered, before saying, “Alright, now back to Mukotsu. What happened between you and that creepy little guy?” She stealthily snuck a glance at the demon in the window, noticing that with the attention of everyone on the miko, he had turned completely toward the miko. She almost smiled, because she could tell that he was quite irritated with where the conversation had already gone and where it was going. And she would not be surprised if he wished to slaughter everyone that had ever laid a hand on the miko.

Kagome thought for a moment, then began, “We were fighting the Band of Seven because Naraku had brought them back from the dead. When we fought Mukotsu, he managed to fill the area with poison, and I have a feeling it was only because he wanted to get his hands onto me. I’m pretty sure the poison knocked out Inuyasha, Shippo, and Kirara, and it was doing quite a bit of damage to the rest of us, too. I don’t remember a lot, it all happened so fast, but the next thing I knew Mukotsu had me and then I blacked out.”

After a moment, Kagome continued, “I awoke later to find myself paralyzed and within a hut quite a ways from where we had fought. Mukotsu was standing over me, fanning poison into the room to keep me paralyzed while he went through the marriage ceremony. He said he was going to make me his bride, and I didn’t want to think about what he planned to do afterward. I couldn’t move, and I wanted to scream for help more than anything, but I had been so sure that no one was going to come to my rescue.

“But, someone that I had never expected did come to my rescue before Mukotsu could perform the ceremony. I could only move my eyes, and when the shadow fell over me, I looked up to see Sesshoumaru-sama standing in the doorway. I’m still not quite sure why he saved me—I’m still pretty sure it had nothing to do with me—but I’m glad that he did.”

“How did he save you?” Keiko asked. She loved Yusuke, she did, but she had seen the demon lord Sesshoumaru a few times when visiting Kagome. That demon was one of a kind when it came to looks, and she was positive that he looked like a knight in shining white armor if he had worn his white kimono back then as he did now.

“Mukotsu didn’t know that Sesshoumaru-sama is immune to most poisons, so he tried to blast him with a few different kinds that he used on various victims in the past, I’m sure. Sesshoumaru-sama swiped it aside as if it were nothing, and I’m pretty sure that he was leaking Dakkasou to cleanse the air. The next thing I knew Mukotsu had lost his mask that filtered the poison he used and Sesshoumaru-sama was melting him down into a pile of goo. I don’t think that even the Shikon shard he used to live could have saved him at that point,” Kagome replied.

Unable to help herself, Keiko asked, “Did Sesshoumaru-sama ever kidnap you?”

Botan smirked at the question and noticed the little demon had tensed. There was no way he could compete with Lord Sesshoumaru if the demon lord wanted to keep Kagome, but she was sure that he would try. Though, then again, he had yet to try anything but insult her and put her down so far, so she supposed that Lord Sesshoumaru would be the better catch between the two. It was a shame that Lord Sesshoumaru had no interest in the miko at this time, she guessed.

“No,” Kagome shook her head. “He tried to melt me down when we first met because I managed to pull out Tetsusaiga when both Sesshoumaru-sama and Inuyasha couldn’t. He tried to kill me a few times, actually, but he never tried to kidnap me because he was attracted to me or anything. Even now he only sees me as his ally and second closest pack member.”

“Second?” Yukina asked.

“To his son,” Kagome replied. “His name’s Masaru, and he’s really a sweet and intelligent boy once you get him away from his father. Sesshoumaru-sama told me that he’s the son of a noble bitch,” the others looked quite shocked that she had said that, “that he made an agreement with in order to receive an heir. I wanted to meet her, but Sesshoumaru-sama told me that she is a vain, greedy demon that only wanted the pleasure to say she’s given birth to a lord’s heir.”

“Why did you want to meet her?” Keiko asked curiously.

“I wanted to see how much of Masaru’s personality came from her, but from what I heard, I guess I don’t know much about Sesshoumaru-sama,” Kagome sighed.

“I believe we’ve gotten off track once more,” Kurama spoke up.

“Yeah,” Yusuke agreed. “Get back to the story, Kagome.”

Kuwabara scowled at Yusuke for being so demanding, but nodded in agreement.

“Oh, sorry,” Kagome giggled a bit. “I can’t really think of any others at the moment, but I could tell you a bit about how Inuyasha acted.”

“Inuyasha?” Keiko asked. “Didn’t he always go off with Kikyo after she was resurrected?”

“Yes, but there were times when he could be sweet and understanding. Like the time when we fought Sesshoumaru-sama and he managed to transform Tetsusaiga because he promised to protect me. But, at the beginning of our journey I remember the most this one night where he was weak after fighting with this spider demon. He had been human that night and while he was trying to wait till morning for his demon blood to heal him, he said the sweetest thing I had ever heard him say.”

Kagome’s eyes softened a bit, “Inuyasha was always rough around the edges. He liked to yell a lot and drag me back to the feudal era whenever I decided I wanted to visit my family. But that night had been the first time that I really saw a different side of him. I had put his head into my lap, and I remember crying, which he told me not to—I think he said something about it being weak and stupid. And it was the first time he said something nice, which is why I remember it so well.”

“What did he say?” Yukina asked.

“He said that I smelled nice,” Kagome replied. “That when he’d told me earlier that I hadn’t that he’d lied.”

“That’s so sweet,” Botan smiled.

A noise came from behind them, and they turned slowly to where the fire demon sat within the window. His eyes were turned away from them, but they knew that the sound had come from his throat. It was obvious, since it had not come from any of them, and they were sure that if anyone asked, he was going to snap at someone.

Botan scowled, “What’s wrong with you, Hiei?”

“Those males were fools,” the little demon replied. “Especially those with demon blood coursing through their veins. They could have easily been purified, and I’m surprised their instincts didn’t tell them to kill the miko or get away before she managed to harm them. It shows how foolish they truly were.”

“Oh?” Kurama pushed. “And what do you think of those males, Hiei?”

He turned his head slowly, and his crimson stare settled onto the miko that had told the tales. Slowly, a sneer worked its way onto his face, and he crossed his arms as he leaned further into the wall at his back. “I think,” he replied, his eyes boring into hers, “that Kouga was an idiot, and still is, to be attracted to someone that does not even know their purpose in life. This Muso was blind to have thought that the miko was her incarnation, since Kikyo would have purified him from the face of the planet before he managed to touch her. Mukotsu was delusional, believing that anyone with a pretty face would instantly make a good mate.”

Kurama spoke up at his pause, “And Inuyasha?”

“Tch, there is nothing to say about the hanyou,” Hiei stated. “Being what he was, he was pushed by his weak, human emotions while within the proximity of a woman. Besides, the hanyou was constantly pining over the miko Kikyo, so he could have been thinking about the scent that he remembered from so long ago and mirroring her face within the girl’s.”

“What do you know about them?” Kagome asked, anger rising. “You don’t know any of them, you never have, so don’t go around saying stuff like that, Hiei.”

Hiei’s eyes flashed in annoyance, and Kurama knew almost instantly that the hybrid was about to say something very, very insulting. He was almost surprised that it had taken him this long to speak, since he had been sure his attraction to the girl would have pushed him to speak sooner. However, Kurama only wanted to close his eyes and pray that the roof around them did not come crashing down the two clashed.

‘I don’t agree with you, Red. I want to see the little spitfire kick the pipsqueak’s ass,’ Youko chuckled in his head. Kurama could only sigh at the fact that the spirit still could not get over the fact that the miko just did not want them, yet did not want to annoy the hybrid with her presence.

“I know what I see, miko,” Hiei hissed. “And I know that no one in their right mind would ever find you attractive the way you have described these morons.” His eyes flashed again, before he continued, “No one would ever want you as their mate.”

Kuwabara looked ready to shout, but Kagome beat him to it.

The miko was almost instantly on her feet; her eyes glaring at the demon, though she knew that he probably only found her efforts amusing. “How do you know?” she demanded. “I’ve never done anything but be nice to you, but I’ve had it. I bet you, Hiei, that I could prove you wrong by the time this night is over!”

Hiei returned his eyes to the window, saying, “I’d like to see you try.”

“I will!” she replied, determined.

“Try all you want, woman,” he snorted. “I’ll find your actions amusing at most, but you’ll never manage to make me fall for your lack of charm.”

She growled, and turned to sit back down. Once she had, she knew that the demon was going to speak again, if only to insult her more. But, she did not bother to say anything before him, wanting only for the others to begin talking once more. “Well?” she snapped at them before he spoke. “Weren’t we talking about the past? I think it’s somebody elses turn now.”

Hiei growled at her dismissal of him, and returned his glare to her back. “What is it, woman? Are you too afraid to try and back up your meaningless claim?”

Swinging her head around to return his glare, she hissed, “The element of surprise always helps, Hiei. Besides, I said before the night is over and that’s not for some time now.”

He smirked, the menacing smile mocking her. “I see. Well then, take all the time you want, but remember that you only have so long to get off your lazy ass and prove me wrong.”

She huffed, before turning back to the circle of friend’s around her. “Who hasn’t spoke yet?” Nobody raised their hand, and she sighed, “Right, that was me. But, I think I’d like to hear another story about your life, Yukina.”

“Idiot,” Hiei snorted.

Yukina nodded, glancing between Kagome and Hiei. She hoped that the two did not begin fighting again. “I’d love to tell you another story, Kagome-chan,” she replied. She would do her best to get Kagome’s mind off of whatever she wanted it off of, and then hopefully stop another confrontation from happening. After all, she hated to see them fight, and she could only hope that Hiei did not hurt her friend if she tried to do something drastic.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Botan glanced between the miko and the hybrid once more, her brow twitching. It had been over thirty minutes and still Kagome was listening to yet another story that Yukina decided to tell about her time in the Ningenkai. She seemed completely interested in it, and Botan was beginning to worry that she had lost her nerve to do anything about what Hiei had said. Which, she decided, would be very bad, since it would only give Hiei another reason to mock her.

Damn that hybrid. Botan wished that he would get over his sorry excuse of, “she is a weak miko that does not deserve my time and effort,” and just admit he liked her already. Especially now, since she was positive that Kagome would do something extremely dangerous and stupid, and maybe get herself killed because Hiei decided she had gotten too close to her. Though, then again, if Hiei liked her as much as Botan thought he did, he would not try to harm her at all unless he was trying to prove a point to Kurama or something.

“So, you still haven’t found your brother?” Kagome asked.

Botan noticed Hiei tense slightly in the window. She knew that he knew that Kagome knew he was Yukina’s brother, but she also knew that Kagome would not tell a soul unless he wished it. And at the moment she could only hope that Kagome was pretending to believe she had no idea who Yukina’s brother was, since there would be bloodshed of some kind if she decided to tell. Botan was sure of it.

Either that or she was becoming paranoid the longer Kagome waited.

Yukina shook her head sadly.

Kagome’s eyes softened, and she said, “That’s so sad. But don’t worry, Yukina, I’m sure that you’ll find him someday. And if you don’t, I’ll be happy to be there for you when you need me—like a sister I never had.”

Yukina smiled, “That’s very kind of you, Kagome-chan. I would love to have you as my sister, and I’m sure that my brother would approve of it, as well.”

Hiei tensed a little more. Botan could tell that he might not be all that accepting of the idea, but at the moment he had no objection and did not wish to interfere. Though, Botan was also beginning to question her own logic. She had been worried when Hiei and Kagome had first exploded on each other, but now Kagome wanted to prove something, and she was sure that the miko would eventually try. In fact—

Oh crap, Botan screamed to herself, where’s Kagome-chan?

“Hiei…”

Botan turned her head quickly to see Kagome standing above the hybrid sitting in the window. She had been all for pushing Hiei to the limit earlier, but she was not sure if pushing the demon now was the best of ideas. He was already irritated about the others that had been so close to capturing Kagome as theirs, and now he was tense about Yukina, and there were probably a thousand other things that would make this situation go so wrong. And it was all her fault.

Botan also decided at that moment that she was definitely paranoid. She should have never tried to push Hiei over the edge and now she was going to be the reason the little miko died. Oh, Koenma was going to kill her when she got back.

Hiei turned his head just enough to glare at the miko standing over him.

“You know, Hiei,” Kagome smiled a bit, a blush staining her cheeks, “you’re rather arrogant, hotheaded, and you constantly feel the need to insult me, but…” She blinked cutely, biting on her bottom lip, “You do have that devilishly handsome look going on, and I just can’t…”

Botan’s mouth fell open when Kagome straddled the demon as if there was nothing else in the world she would rather do. Her back leaned against the knee he had drawn up at an angle, and she leaned closer to him so that her body was pressed against his front. Already Botan could see the hybrid beginning to tense, his eyes staring at the miko in disbelief at her blunt move, while she straightened her back and nearly pressed her breasts into his face.

Botan’s eyes almost popped out of her head at how blunt Kagome was being, and she swiftly turned to find that the others were staring with wide eyes as well. Obviously none of them had expected the miko to be so forceful in her approach. Before she returned her eyes to the couple, she almost giggled at the fact that Kuwabara had hidden both his and Yukina’s eyes from the sexual contact that was taking place in the window seat.

Kagome slid down, her arms lacing around Hiei’s shoulders to keep him from trying to push her away. Her mouth pressed against his ear, and Botan only managed to hear her say, “Hiei, what do you think of me now?” before Kagome’s tongue slipped from her mouth. She traced it only the shell of Hiei’s sensitive ear, before taking the tip between her teeth and blocking the view with her head. Botan was not sure what happened afterward, but she did notice the way Hiei’s hand had slid down to rest on the miko’s hip possessively.

Kagome’s head moved downward and the only indication that she left wet kisses behind was the wet popping that echoed into the now silent room. She apparently traveled along Hiei’s neck and stopped at his shirt, before pulling away and flipping her long hair back out of her face. It gave the others a nice view of the path she had taken, marked only by the light saliva she had left behind.

“Hiei,” she said again. Botan was not sure if Kagome was doing it to tease him, or something else, but she was shocked when Kagome leaned into the demon she was sitting on once more. She could hear the growl that was traveling through Hiei’s chest, and saw the way his hands clasped ahold of her waist, before she saw Kagome smile a bit more seductively than she believed anyone in the room thought she could.

Gently, Kagome placed a kiss on the corner of the hybrid’s mouth. Botan heard another growl work its way from Hiei’s throat and watched as the demon dug his claws into the girl’s waist and leaned forward. His crimson stare was focused entirely on her, and she watched as Kagome allowed him to get so close to kissing her full on the mouth, before the miko smirked and pulled away from him. He appeared confused, and growled to demand dominance, but Kagome had already managed to pry his fingers away with his slight distraction and stepped from his lap without a word.

Hiei looked a bit red in the face when Yusuke began to laugh, doubling over and pounding his fist against the floor at the flustered look that appeared on the little demon’s face. Kurama chuckled lightly behind his hand, even as the miko sat back down in her spot, and turned to smirk at the demon that was staring at her still. Even Botan could not hold in her giggles, and Keiko was soon to join her as the miko spoke.

“See? I told you that I could change your mind,” Kagome stated.

Hiei growled, snapping, “Woman, this proves nothing!”

“Really?” Kagome asked innocently. “I think it proves a lot.”

Botan, who had managed to keep her giggles in, began to laugh again. She heard the demon snarl, and watched as he turned stiffly in his seat so that he could stare out the window. However, she watched as the others returned to telling tales about the old days, and finally when Hiei returned his gaze to the group. His eyes, she noticed, were staring intently at the miko, and she realized with a small smirk that he was gazing at the lips that he had come so close to claiming as his own. He looked determined, and Botan could only hope that her friend was ready for the beast that she had released with her forceful approach to the matter, because she doubted Hiei would stop until he got what he wanted.

--Fin