Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Love Me, Hate Me, Just Don’t Let Me Fall ❯ Dead Stuffed Bear? ( Chapter 5 )

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"Come on, Hiei, let's go," Botan said as she led him out of Koenma's office.

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

Chapter 5: Dead Stuffed Bear?

Hiei allowed Botan to lead him past the mass of Reikai workers and into a hallway, then into another room labeled "Ferry Girl Lounge". Inside it had a television, several chairs and couches, a small coffee table, and a few vending machines. On the walls were several paintings, mainly of Lord Enma, and a few colorful tapestries. On the floor was a rug with the Reikai emblem on it.

Botan walked up to one of the tapestries and lifted it up, revealing a door. Using a bit of her ki, Botan unlocked it. She explained, "The ferry girl lounge is for any ferry girl to use, but only the best ferry girls are allowed into here: the SECRET ferry girl lounge."

Hiei thought momentarily about how King Enma really needed to come up with better names for all the rooms in his palace. Secret ferry girl lounge? What kind of idiotic name is that?

Beyond the hidden door was a much fancier room than the ferry girl lounge. It had leather couches and chairs, a big screen TV, fancy paintings on the wall, Persian rugs on the floor, several tables, four computers sitting on different desks, and a fridge containing things one might find in a hotel room.

They both entered, and Botan locked the door behind them, making sure nobody would be able to come in and interrupt them. After doing that, she looked at Hiei and said, "Oh my gosh, you were sooooo great back there! You had me half convinced you loved me! Future mate?! How do you come up with this stuff?"

Although she knew for certain that Hiei didn't really care about her, she couldn't help but think it may be a little bit true, especially after that act she witnessed in front of Koenma. Botan could only hope that someday Hiei's words would come true. Of course, this was utterly impossible and would probably never happen in a million years. But a girl can dream, can't she?

"I'm a good liar," Hiei replied arrogantly. "And don't think that I am doing any of this for you. I could care less about what happens to you, and I'm only doing this because I promised to help."

"Thank you, Hiei!!! I know you were only supposed to pretend to love me, but would you please take whatever test Koenma has in mind and help me find him a girlfriend?"

Hiei sighed, tired of this whole moronic idea already. "I already told you that I would help you, baka."

The blue-haired girl hugged Hiei tightly, even though she knew he didn't enjoy it, and said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! You've been sooo nice to me!"

"Hn," Hiei told her as he pushed her away, as if saying 'You're not welcome'. "Hug me again, and I will leave."

"Aw, but you're such a cuddly fire demon! Like... a teddy bear or something!"

"...Teddy... bear?!" Hiei got the mental picture of Botan hugging a 'cuddly' Kodiak bear named Teddy, and it was an extremely bizarre thing to imagine. Who in their right mind would want to hug a BEAR? Certainly not Hiei.

"You know, those stuffed bears ningen children play with?"

"..."

Stuffed bear? Like a dead bear that has stuffing put inside of it? This was sounding weirder and weirder to Hiei. What kind of ningen gives their children a dead bear for a toy? Hiei knew that ningens did strange things, but this was... disturbing.

Assuming correctly that Hiei had absolutely no clue what she was talking about, Botan told, "I'll have to show you sometime! Teddy bears are so cute and cuddly and huggable- like you, Hiei!"

Hiei briefly wondered how he, a powerful fire youkai, could be compared with the cuddly cuteness of a dead stuffed bear, but quickly dismissed the whole idea. Some of the things ningens do were better left ignored, for the sake of one's sanity.

Sensing that he would have no clue what a teddy bear was without actually seeing one, Botan decided to change the subject. "Well, while we're waiting, we might as well think of girls who might be able to date Koenma."

"Who cares? Let that godling find his own wife."

"Hiei! The sooner we get this over with, the sooner you can leave!"

The fire demon knew this was perfectly logical, and grudgingly decided to contribute. "...What about that girl... the one Yusuke's afraid of..."

"You mean KEIKO?!"

"Hai."

"To date KOENMA?!"

"Hai."

Botan glared at Hiei, the way someone might glare at an idiot. "NO, YOU BAKA! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN FOR THE LAST CENTURY!!!"

"Nani?"

"Yusuke and Keiko are in love! Didn't you know that?"

"They're... in love..."

"NO DUH, DIMWIT!!!"

"They are mates and yet they argue all the time, and Yusuke lets Keiko hit him mercilessly..."

Botan sighed, frustrated with just how dense Hiei could be with the whole concept of love. "You just don't understand what love is..."

"Hn?"

"...But no matter!" Botan stood with her hands on her hips, feet wide apart. All of a sudden, she was standing on a very tall rock with ocean waves crashing behind her [like when anime characters are preparing to make a heroic speech]. "I'll teach you what love is, Hiei the fire youkai, no matter how hopeless you may be! You need some love and care in your life, and I'm going to be the first to provide it! I swear to kami-sama, cross my heart, and hope to die that I'll teach you if it's the last thing I do!!!"

Hiei looked at her strangely, thinking about how she was totally freaking him out. He didn't like the way this conversation was going, and he didn't like the thought of someone declaring that they would teach him what love is. Love was not something Hiei wanted to learn about; not now, not ever.

Before he had a chance to retort, though, they heard Koenma's magnified voice say, "Botan and Hiei, please report to my office. I repeat, Botan and Hiei, please report to my office. That is all."

Without another word, Hiei followed Botan out of the two ferry girl lounges and into the hallway. They continued walking until they reached Koenma's office. Botan knocked on the office door.

"Come in!" they heard Koenma say.

They both entered his office, ready to face this strange test to prove their love. Botan silently hoped that Hiei would be able to pull it off. Sure, he might be a good actor, but how would he fare against whatever peculiar test Koenma had come up with? Botan glanced at Hiei briefly, noting his unemotional expression, and silently pleaded that he didn't do anything stupid.