Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Love Me, Hate Me, Just Don’t Let Me Fall ❯ Help Me, You Jerk! ( Chapter 2 )

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Annoyed that she wouldn't just answer the question already, Hiei asked, "Who?"
"...You," she finally answered, still refusing to look at him.

Love Me, Hate Me, Just Don't Let Me Fall

Chapter 2: Help Me, You Jerk!

Hiei's eyes grew wide at this sudden confession and he stared at her, wondering if she truly said what he had heard. He had expected someone like Yusuke or Kurama, or even Kuwabara, but himself? That was the last person he had expected!

Finally looking at the confused fire demon, Botan mistook his silence as rejection and asked, "Do you... hate me for it?"

Botan continued staring at him as Hiei thought about what had just happened. They continued sitting in silence until he asked, "Why? Why are you in love with ME of all creatures?!"

"To tell you the truth, I have no idea. You're an arrogant, heartless, thieving fire demon that has probably never cared about hardly anyone the way I care about you."

Hiei glared at her, wondering if she was trying to injure his dignity.

"But I've seen you with your sister; I've seen that other side of you. I know that you can be caring and protective. On your missions with Yusuke, I have seen your honor and fierce loyalty. And I know for a fact that you're really cute. You have got to be the cutest demon I have ever seen."

The fire demon blushed, unused to hearing anyone talk about him like this. Botan saw him and smiled for the first time in what seemed to be ages. Suddenly, any shyness or nervousness she had felt towards him disappeared when she realized he was just as uncomfortable as she was in this situation.

Trying his best to not show how flustered he was, Hiei said, "Hn, baka onna. You shouldn't love me."

"Why not?! You are a perfectly good guy!"

"I'm the Forbidden Child. Nobody is supposed to love me and I am not supposed to love anyone. That is the way it has been and the way it shall be."

"Well, since when have you ever done what you're supposed to do?! And don't you love your sister? If you can love her, then I think you can love me!"

"My love for Yukina is different. She is my twin sister; she is a part of me. I'd be a fool if I didn't love her." Hiei continued, "Feelings are a weakness. I have already allowed too many people into my heart, and I am not going to allow one more."

"Fine, be that way. I'm going to make you fall in love with me, Hiei! I promise you that I will keep trying, even if it takes so long that you're already dead and I have to follow your ghost around!"

Hiei didn't like the way this conversation was going and decided to change the subject. "Are you going back to Reikai or not?"

This made Botan think: Should she stay in Ningenkai and let Koenma continue searching for her, or should she go back to Reikai and face her former best friend?

Hiei stared at her, waiting for her answer. Suddenly, Botan got an idea. The more she thought about her idea, the brighter the world seemed to be all of a sudden and the more cheerful she felt. A smile crept onto her face, her eyes seemed to become brighter, and inside she felt like a huge weight had been taken off of her shoulders.

"...Hiei?"

"Hn?"

"If I go back to Reikai, could you possibly come with me?"

"What do you want from me?"

"Can you pretend, even if it might never happen in a million years, can you please at least pretend to love me in front of Koenma? If you do that, then perhaps he will leave me alone."

"Why should I?"

"I'll give you something in return."

"What?"

"Anything you want."

"Anything?"

"YES! Please, just help me make Koenma leave me alone! Please, Hiei!" Botan pleaded, as she looked at him with a pitiful face, hoping against hope he would accept.

"...Hn..."

"Come on, Hiei, I'll do anything!!! Just help me this once!"

"..."

"Please, Hiei!!! I'd do the same for you! You know I would! Please, I'm begging you!"

"...No."

Botan glared at him and said, "Oh, I see how it is. You could care less if someone does something for you, but the moment someone asks you to help them, oh it's SUCH a big deal! The great Hiei-sama-bighead won't do ANYTHING for ANYBODY unless he gets something out of it! SELFISH JERK! If you think for one moment that I'm going to just leave you alone, then you've got another thing coming!"

As she said all of this, Hiei just stared at her with a calm, emotionless expression on his face that made Botan infuriated, thinking that none of what she said was going into his thick head.

"Just because you think it's below you to help those in need doesn't mean you get to be some heartless creature without a care in the world! Believe it or not, there ARE people who are willing to risk life and limb for your sake, yet you can't stand to help them! Then you have the nerve to complain about how disgusting and revolting ningens are, like flocks of sheep, and BLAH BLAH BLAH! Well, it's better to be a sheep than the Grinch who stole Christmas, Mister Woke-Up-On-The-Wrong-Side-Of-The-Tree-This-Morning!"

The former ferry girl was extremely mad, to say the least. Fueled by her anger, she stood up and continued the lecture.

"Okay, okay, I understand you had a rough childhood. But that doesn't mean it has to make you such an uncaring person! Look at Kurama. You know he's probably had bad times in Makai back in his Youko days, but do you see him griping about how humans are only good for making sweet snow? NO! He's nice and cheerful and always willing to help others, unlike SOME people around here! You know what?! If you weren't such an adorable fire demon, I'd probably be over at Kurama's asking for his help! So, don't go blaming me for dragging you into my troubles with best-friends-gone-bad; BLAME YOUR OWN DARN CUTENESS!!!"

For the next half hour, this lecture continued. Botan was getting angrier and angrier while Hiei was getting more and more annoyed by the second. The fire demon had to restrain himself from doing something that would get him sent to Reikai prison for the next millennium or two.

"...always willing to help you sister, but me? NO!!! You can't stand to show you care about others, and you know why? BECAUSE YOU'RE AFRAID! Hiding behind that emotionless mask is a big coward who's afraid of his own feelings. You STUPID, IDIOTIC JERK!"

Botan became so caught up in her speech and emotions that she slapped Hiei, leaving a red mark on his face. She huffed and sat back down on the park bench.

Hiei was absolutely shocked that somebody would have the nerve to actually slap him, much less lecture him! He wasn't like Yusuke, who was so obedient to Keiko that she had complete and utter control over him.

"Did you just SLAP me?!"

Botan glowered at him. "Yes, and I'd do it again!"

Now Hiei wasn't just annoyed, he was FURIOUS. Nobody, and that means NOBODY, would get away with slapping him without Hiei doing something about it.

Unaware of what he was planning, Botan said, "You need a good slapping every once in a while, Mr. Insensitive! If you- ACK!!!"

Hiei tackled her, effectively pinning her to the bench. He growled, "Don't you DARE ever slap me again!"

Despite the fact that she was entirely at his mercy, Botan smiled and said knowingly, "I'm annoying you, aren't I? Am I making you mad? Angry? Furious? You know, if you agree to help me I'll stop bugging you."

Hiei let Botan go and sat back down on the bench, knowing that she had won. He couldn't harm her; that wouldn't be honorable, and Hiei wasn't about to feel guilty for killing a helpless woman. He finally realized that her plan all along was to make him so sick of her voice that he finally agreed to help her, just to shut her up.

"...I know I'm going to regret this, but yes I will help you.

"Oh, THANK YOU!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!"

Botan couldn't help it; she threw herself at Hiei and wrapped both of her arms around him. The grateful girl hugged him with all of her might, almost choking him.

Unused to such intimate physical contact, the demon pried her off of him and glared at her. "Don't hug me. I will go to Reikai with you, but first I need to do something."

"What?"

Instead of answering her, Hiei stood up and took off his headband that covered up his Jagan. The Jagan glowed as it did what the fire demon requested: find the Koenma and the other Reikai Tantei. It searched everywhere, eventually placing everyone at Kurama's ningen home.

Satisfied with what it had found, Hiei replaced his headband and said, "Let's go."

Botan stood up as Hiei started walking away. She ran to catch up with him.

"Wait, where are we going?!"

"Kurama's."

"But... why? And isn't that like ten miles from here? HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO WALK THERE?!"

"Use your oar."

Botan held up her broken oar sheepishly and said, "Uh, I can't exactly use it any more..."

"Then walk."

"B-but, I can't!!!"

Hiei glared at her. "What do you want me to do, carry you?"

"...Could you?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No. Find your own way there or stay behind."

"You're not going to just LEAVE me here, are you?!"

"Watch me."

The fire demon turned his back to her and started walking away. Botan thought quickly; should she walk or stay where she was? The girl chose neither. Instead, she did something that may very well get her killed.

Launching herself at the unsuspecting demon, Botan threw her arms around him and attached herself to his waist. Hiei was startled and immediately stopped walking.

"YOU'RE NOT LEAVING WITHOUT ME!!!"

Annoyed, Hiei tried to pry her off of him but Botan was clinging to him like a leech. She kept her arms around his waist and wouldn't let go for anything.

"Baka onna! LET GO OF ME!"

"NEVER!!!"

The angered fire demon momentarily thought about hitting her on the head with his sword, but that wouldn't be right. If only he didn't have such a strict honor code...

Hiei sighed and finally just started walking to Kurama's house, dragging Botan.

"This would be a lot easier on both of us if you'd just let go," Hiei said after walking a few feet.

"Not unless you carry me!!!"

Hiei was very irritated. Here he was, doing Botan a FAVOR, and she wouldn't walk a measly ten miles without being carried.

"For the last time, NO I AM NOT CARRYING YOU!"

"Please???" Botan asked, looking up at him with those puppy dog eyes that are so hard to resist. Her lip quivered and her eyes became watery. She knew most guys would give in to this irresistible face, and she hoped she would have the same effect on Hiei.

Hiei's right eye started twitching, just like it did when he was trying his best to control his temper and not kill everything in sight. He glared at Botan, but couldn't seem to resist the pathetic look she was giving him. Finally, he sighed resignedly and muttered, "Fine... I'll... carry you..."

Immediately, she let go of his waist and hugged him. "YAY! I knew you loved me!"

"I don't love you, and QUIT HUGGING ME!" Hiei told her as he pushed her away.

"Aw, come on, I know you like hugs! Everybody likes hugs!"

"No, I do not like hugs."

"Yes you do."

"No I do not."

"Then do you like this better?" Botan said and she kissed his forehead.

Hiei closed his eyes and mentally counted to ten, trying to not get too angry. He couldn't allow himself to kill her, especially since Koenma was in love with her and would probably punish Hiei extra for committing such a crime. Unfortunately, he couldn't run away either, since he promised her his help and Hiei never went back on his word.

"No, I do not like that better..."

"Yes you do! Admit it; there's a horny demon inside of you just waiting to be let loose!"

"..."

"Then do you like THIS-"

Before she could bug him any more, Hiei scooped Botan up and started running as fast as he could to Kurama's house. Since Hiei appeared to be a mere blur to the human eye when running at his top speed, they were there in a matter of seconds.