Tender is the Night

AN: Thanks very much for the reviews on fanfiction. I appreciate them, and it’s highly encouraging. And your comments, Ciara, had me laughing the rest of the night. I’m glad that you like it. :)

Disclaimer: Standard

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Tender is the Night

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The phone call was quick, fleeting, in an empty phone booth three blocks further than her hotel. She had little doubt that he was tracing her calls now, that Demon, he was always cautious no matter what. And so any call that she did not want monitored she had to make from public locations. Which was basically every call that was important. Devil take him for making this difficult for her, but then again, the more difficult, the greater the challenge, the greater the reward, right?

Her heart was beating in record time as she heard the tone thrice before the click came of someone picking up. The voice over the receiver was muffled by munching, English instead of the Japanese she’d been rattling out recently. “Yefhsh? Whosh thish?”

“Koenma, how many times have you been reprimanded for eating while working? You’ll get crumbs all over the papers.”

There was a hasty swallow. “Botan? Shesh! Are you up late or what?!”

“It’s only a nine hour time difference,” the girl sighed in return, looking down at her watch. “Like...ten o’clock...” She trailed off, surprised. Ten? But she had to have entered in that room of Hiei’s at around six! Just how long had she spent there? Granted, the walk back to her hotel wasn’t a short one, but still!

Shaking it off, she tuned back into the rest of what Koenma was saying. “...and I’m trying to delay them as long as possible, saying ‘these things take time,’ but we really need results, Bo-”

She cut him off, tone proud. “Don’t worry about it.”

“...what?”

“I said don’t worry about it, I’m in. That lead I got from the Gouki guy payed off. I’ve found Hiei Jaganshi playing thief. I can’t confirm anything yet, but soon I should be able to.”

Koenma was testy on the other end of the line. “Like how soon, cousin? I can’t keep the wolves at bay forever.”

Her mind flew rapidly, calculating what she would need. It could be finished in a week, but she always did tread the line of danger. More time meant more heists. The words came out level, calm, as if she was only thinking of her efforts for Interpol. “Give me a month and a half.”

“Botan! I’m not even sure I can get you three weeks!”

The heartbeat was deafening in her ears and she prayed he couldn’t hear it over the long distance connection. “A month and a half. Anything less and I’m not sure I can make any promises. He’s quite stubborn.” That was a half truth. Hiei was amazingly stubborn, but the time was for her. Please let Koenma not have noticed her nervousness.

Silence passed for a long moment, before a sigh finally flowed out. “Fine. Fine, I’ll do what I can. But don’t you dare get into trouble! Because you might be trading your invulnerability as part of this system for that full period. Got that?”

He was telling her he couldn’t get her out of jail if she was caught. Botan gulped, but when she spoke again her eyes were glinting and a faint smile could be seen. “I understand.”

“Good. I’m expecting you to stick to this.”

“I’m expecting you to as well,” she replied evenly, the heartbeat slowing. She had pulled it off. A month and a half to do what she wanted. Freedom had never felt so good. It was like ambrosia to overloaded senses. Botan barely suppressed the giggle in victory.

Her cousin spoke with irony. “Have I ever let you down? Don’t answer that.” They shared short laughter before his voice turned serious. “Take care of yourself. Botan.”

Botan closed her eyes, smiling into the telephone. “I will. Koenma.” And the receiver was set down with a click. There were no promises to call back, to check in. She’d call when she could, whether in a week, or two, or after that full month and a half. With such uncertainties, it was better not to promise anything.

Seconds later, darkness whirled into her place in the phone booth.

--

The night was silent. Like it should be. But it was an oddity for Tokyo, especially in the circles he usually operated in. Then again, everything was supposed to be quiet for her, and then the lack of noise became acceptable.

Standing in the residential district, an old one, but one well maintained, Hiei looked up. Around them, the styles never changed. Where other areas had turned more modern, focused in on the new designs of housing, gaining European, Neoclassical, and Contemporary influences, this had remained firmly Japanese. Walls lined the street, hiding the contents of the grounds behind them. And over the entrance ways, beside doors, stood nameplates declaring who exactly dwelled inside.

Hiei watched silently, reading the one in front of him, hands in the pockets of his jacket and his expression carefully neutral. It was the site of his first crime and he hadn’t even intended it to be. But that’s the way it went sometimes. The place where he had been born. Eyes flashed away from the sign with disgust as the hand reached out effortlessly to push open the door. Koorime residence.

Trees lined the pathway up to the main house, concealing it’s bulk. Hiei moved irreverently through the stray foliage. He’d have to tell the gardeners to pick up on that. If even his short form could encounter resistance, then they obviously weren’t doing their job correctly. His sister was too kind about things sometimes.

With barely a pause, he slid his feet out of the shoes he was wearing, then slid open the front screen. Eyes didn’t have to adjust much for the dim lighting in the entranceway. It was late for visitors, and the house didn’t receive that many at this time, unless it was him. Or the oaf, reciting poetry. Hiei rolled his eyes and tossed off the thought. Kuwabara should have received the warning by now. He doubted he’d be interrupted with meeting with his sister tonight by the fool’s caterwauling. If the baka didn’t have a death wish, that was.

A voice startled him out of his thoughts. “Welcome, Koorime-sama. Yukina-sama is waiting in the West Tea room.” A man was bowing low in the doorway to the side.

Hiei turned with a growl. “I told you not to call me that!” A hand shot out to grab at the man’s shirt. The startled face was jerked barely an inch away from Hiei’s glaring eyes. “If you do so again, you’re fired, no questions asked. I don’t care if my sister likes you, you’re out!”

“R-right! H-h-” The doorman was shaking, his eyes wide. He panicked, unable to remember the proper address, finishing with a weak “sama.”

“Jaganshi,” the shorter man spit out in return. “Jaganshi, Hiei. There is no ‘sama’ in my name, don’t put one there.”

The man could only nod. With dismissal, Hiei pushed him aside, then continued moving into the house. Idiot doorman. In Hiei’s mind, there was only one “Koorime-sama” and he never wanted to be associated with that man! The man who had married his mother in an arranged move, who was as frigid as ice to everyone, including his new wife, and who had entered his only enraged state ever when he had learned that the first born in his house wasn’t even his child. The next one, Yukina, was of his lineage, but Hiei was irrevocably not. The boy had been clothed and fed, barely, until the age of twelve, living in shame in a house on the back edge of the lands with a nurse that his mother provided. He had seen his sister only by will of his mother, who had snuck him back inside and tried to coddle him when the man of the house was away. It hadn’t been a pleasant meeting, he blamed his mother as well as her husband, but for some reason, his sister never felt the force of it. Her he had always been kind to, always treated her like an older brother should.

At the age of twelve, Koorime-sama had grown tired of taking care of him, of the unremovable black mark Hiei had placed on his honor and his sense of virility, and had summarily turned him out, noting that he was old enough to find work if he wished it and to survive. The choice of work, of course, had been entirely left up to Hiei himself.

His mother, he had heard later, was a broken woman after that. A major row had ensconced the house after his absence, but it took only a week for her to topple. She became listless, biddable, without life. She had lost that fire in her that had prompted her to fall in love with another man early in her marriage, to have illicit meetings with him, to conceive a child out of passion. And everyone knew it. If Koorime-sama thought he had been ridiculed for having a bastard heir, he was despised for having a heart-broken wife. The only perhaps boon given to her was that she died within the year.

The only thing that was slightly redeeming to Hiei was, although the man had always wished for another male child, so that Hiei could be rightfully disowned and another boy to carry on the name of ‘Koorime,’ he had never, ever been unkind to Yukina. Where his wife received none of his love, Yukina received all of it, perhaps the only love he had ever given in his life. He doted on her, gave her gifts to outdo all of the other young women in the area, ensured that she partook in the best kind of education available. She had taken over the running of the household when her mother had died, but unlike how he treated his faithless wife, her father always listened to Yukina. And the whole house became brighter, cleaner. And other people in high society stopped remarking on Koorime-sama’s stiff boundaries and instead on the grace and beauty of his only daughter.

When he had died, six years ago, Yukina had wasted no time in hunting down her brother. It had taken almost another year, he had left Japan to instead become based in China with fellow “entrepreneurs” Yusuke and Kuwabara and visited his island country rarely. It was luck that her man had found him that day, recognizing him from his still short form of childhood, a trait heavily passed down by his petite mother, and fate that he had been able to convince Hiei to return to the house.

Between them, the reunion had been quiet but emotional. With tears in her eyes, Yukina had told him that ‘their’ father had gone against tradition and left her the house and all of his business dealings. She hadn’t appeared frightened, she had been helping him out with the business for the last few years of his life, and she knew she could run it with little problems, the supervisors would listen to her and assist her when needed. But her voice was shaking with happiness as she also announced that Hiei had never been disowned. Koorime-sama hadn’t given him much, he was still bitter, but he had realized that there were times when you had to bury the hatchet, if just for the sake of your soon to be lonely daughter, and he had left Hiei with the one thing most important to him - his name. The will had named him Koorime, Hiei, and had left him the responsibility of being there for his sister if she ever needed him.

In short, the man had acknowledged Hiei as his son.

And Hiei didn’t want it anymore. He had made his way through the world with another name, Jaganshi, Hiei. To take up the name of a man he despised-! But for the look on Yukina’s face, he had buttoned his mouth and nodded silently, letting it go. For her, he would always be her brother. But for everyone else, his name was Jaganshi, and pain would come upon any who did not keep on referring to him as such.

Light echoed down the hallway, clearing his thoughts, and his face lost it’s scowl. As he stepped into the room with soft taps, a young woman sitting in a plush chair turned from her book, then stood up quickly, rushing over with a smile. “Onii-san!”

Twenty three and lovely. His sister. “Yukina,” Hiei returned, nodding slightly and allowing the barest hint of a mirroring smile to appear.

She grabbed his hand and began tugging the unprotesting man over to the sofa. “It’s been a while since you’ve visited!”

“I came last night,” he replied with irony.

“But you left almost right after I greeted you to chase after Kazuma.” The turquoise haired girl continued her bustling without noticing Hiei freeze slightly, eyebrow rising. She was calling him by his first name? It was very difficult to keep the glare at bay for an absent Kuwabara. Just how many times had the oaf visited?! That would have to be remedied. Soon. Sitting down next to him, Yukina turned bright eyes to her brother. “So! What have you been doing lately?”

Hiei blinked absently, tuning back in. “I’ve been away to Australia. I’ve gotten you a present, don’t let me forget to bring it to you tomorrow.”

Her expression turned slightly apologetic. “Tomorrow? Oh, Hiei-san, I’m sorry, but tomorrow I’m meeting with the other ladies in the area to get ready for Yumiko-san’s wedding. We’ll probably be away for the entire day, and Yumiko-san’s offered to put me up for the night as well.” Yukina tilted her head. “How about the day after, in the afternoon?”

“I’ve got a meeting then.” The response was automatic as Hiei frowned slightly and began mentally searching for another good time to meet.

But Yukina had been surprised at the statement. “Really? You usually don’t do business in Japan, is it with Yusuke or Kazuma?”

He glanced up, distracted, only to realize his slip and wince slightly. He knew that look. His sister was unusually patient, but she was also quite stubborn, a trait they shared. She would not let this go until she received some sort of answer. Hiei sighed. “No, I’ve engaged a new associate.”

“Oh?” Yukina’s smile brightened. “That’s great! It’s good for you to meet new people! Will I get to meet this person as well, like I did when you took me out to dinner with Yusuke, Keiko, and Kuwabara? What’s his name?”

Hiei’s lips quirked slightly. “Botan.”

Nodding complacently, Yukina looked thoughtful. “That’s a nice name, very nice.” The smile turned slightly playful. “Is he good looking?” Seeing Hiei’s widened eyes and quick disgruntlement that Yukina was interested in that sort of thing, she laughed, denying it lightly. After all, she already had Kazuma.

Hiei shook it off, raising an eyebrow at her. “Very, but I doubt you’ll be much into dating ‘him.’ And I’d prefer if you didn’t think of any of my associates that way. It’s better for you to marry someone of your own social standing.” There was no way he was letting his sister get even more involved than she already was in the life of crime. Right now she barely brushed the edges, oblivious to his true work. If she started a relationship with anyone in the business, that secrecy wouldn’t be possible anymore, and she’d be setting herself up for a life of constant danger and the threat of jail. Absolutely no way.

Sighing in the sudden silence, Hiei spoke again. “And you? What have you been up to?”

“This and that,” Yukina replied easily. “Father’s business is doing well.” She still didn’t think of it as her own, even when she had been running it for years. “Shipments are running regularly. Yumiko-san’s wedding is coming up, I told you about that one, and I’ve been invited to be a bridesmaid. It’s all very nice, I’ll have to show you my dress.” The girl flashed a bright smile before turning back to her narrative. “Your old nurse, Eri-san, has had her first grandchild just recently, she’s on vacation right now. Oh, and I got an invitation to the party Nakano, Mukashi-san is throwing. He sent one to you as well, I think he’s trying to be impressive, inviting everyone in town to his bash out in the country. You know, the house he has up in Iwate, near the Kamaishi Bay. They invited me last spring.” The face turned away slightly, shaking with an ironic look. “But I don’t think I’m going to this one. I’ll get your invitation though.” She stood up and hurried away, moving out of the room.

On the sofa, Hiei sat thoughtfully, a small frown on his mouth. Nakano, huh? He’d visited once as well, though not with his sister. The man had good taste in jewelry, or at least his wife did. Too bad she was now missing some of her finer pieces. Faint amusement ran through his head. Nakano. No doubt he had better security now, in this technological age.

Yukina rushed back in, interrupting his contemplation. She smiled as she handed over the invitation. “Here! I didn’t open it, but I’m pretty sure it’s the same as mine.”

“Hn.” With a quick motion, Hiei tore a thumb under the seal, then folded open the invitation. Looking down, he read swiftly.

The eyes were annoyed when he had finished. Nakano was being as offensively arrogant as ever. One of the reasons Hiei had so easily targeted him the first time. Yukina was being nice when she had said that he was trying to be impressive. Hiei thought he was trying to be the biggest, cockiest jerk on the planet. The letter was all but screaming out “rob me again!” Slowly, he shrugged. He rarely did requests, but this time, well, who could deny that? And he did need a job.

“I’ll go,” Hiei said shortly, looking back up at his sister.

“It’s in a week,” she replied, puzzled. “Are you still going to be here for that?” When Hiei nodded again, she smiled and hugged his arm. “Great! We’ll have time to have dinner together or go out someplace even! I’ll take you out this time, my treat!”

“Sure.” Her brother was carefully controlling that small smile that was trying to twitch out, but she could still see it. His face drifted over to the lamp in the room, staring for a moment, hand tapping the invitation absently in his hands as the expression faded. If she took him out, he’d be going as her brother, as Koorime, Hiei. Eyes caught the edge of the invitation. Same as when he went to Nakano’s. Kuso. But he could deal with it. Everyone knew how touchy the brother of the Koorime heiress was. The only problem was that if he went as a different person, then she would have to as well. Red flashed back to Yukina’s patient face.

The girl blinked, turning her head slightly. “Is something wrong, Hiei-san?”

He waited a beat, then let out a small breath of air. “No, not really.” A pause, before he continued. “Yukina, do you have any extra dresses around?”

In response the girl nodded slowly, utterly confused.

--

Expensive, expensive, expensive. She paid over £200, full English pounds, for a room in that hotel that was barely big enough to slide a bed, a night stand, and a sink into. The bathroom was down the hall. Waving distractedly at the front desk woman as she pulled the hat down more firmly on her head, Botan just sighed. This was Tokyo, though, and space was something of a commodity. As she walked out onto the crowded streets, she felt even more the intense longing for her home back in England. Sure, people weren’t bad, usually she was quite the social butterfly, but usually she wasn’t trying to keep herself from being run into and stepped on. Thank goodness her height was roughly even with others and her blue hair made her stand out, though this hat didn’t really help much today. How did Hiei stand this all of the time?!

But then, he didn’t live here often, so she guessed that answered her question as well. Though he must have some sort of attachment to the land if he kept on coming back to it.

Whatever it was, she hadn’t seen it yet.

Ducking a train and deciding to ride today instead of walk, she squeezed in to allow more people to pack inside behind her.

It was two thirty when she reached her destination. When they said the trains ran on time, they ran on time! Strolling now, she followed the way she had taken two days earlier. It was quieter over here, more peaceful, even during the busy hours of the workday. People moved fast, but not in a blur. Children played on the streets. Tokyo suburbia. Another face of the city.

The time hit two fifty as she stood outside the door, hesitating. The alleyway was empty, no one would see her enter, but still... He had said not to be late, but was being early also a crime?

The sound of the door swinging open answered her question. Hiei stood inside, the room still dark behind him, with an eyebrow raised as he looked at her. “What are you doing, onna?”

“Doing?” she asked blankly, before she jumped. “Oh, just standing here! Well, I was waiting for three, but - okay, I’m coming inside now!” Hurriedly she entered through the door, smiling nervously at him as he rolled his eyes and swung the gateway shut again. Footsteps thumped quietly through the dark room, and she followed those more than her still adjusting vision.

A light was flipped on the way, bringing the room into clarity. Hiei motioned to the sofa absently, waiting for her to sit down primly.

As she did, he took up the large chair pulled beside his desk and watched her for a moment, before finally speaking. “How good are you at dancing?”

“What?!” Lavender was clearly thrown off. “Dancing, well, I’m okay at it, I’ve gone out a few times, but - Hiei, I don’t understand why you’re asking!”

“Mingling, socializing? Not making a fool of yourself?” The look was particularly sharp on that one.

Botan shook her head, blue locks scattering with confusion. “I can handle myself okay with people, but surely you’re not taking me out clubbing or something for the job!” she joked lightly, her laughter ringing out. When met with his level calm, it abruptly halted. “You’re not... are you?!”

He brushed off the comment, as well as her incredulous stare. “I’m making sure you won’t be an embarrassment to me.”

“At what?!”

“Hn.” There was silence in the room for a moment, before Hiei spoke again, leaning back slightly into his chair and staring off into space. “You came looking for a job, correct, onna?” At her faint sound of agreement, he continued. “Your record is of descent standing, though you could have relied mostly on your partner for that.” He ignored her quick protests. “But I’m assuming you want to prove me wrong.” Red eyes turned, finally, to meet hers.

“Of course,” Botan responded immediately, nodding vigorously.

Fingers tapped the chair for a few moments, before Hiei stood suddenly, moving for the door. “Let’s go, then.”

“G-go where?!” Belatedly, as the door opened, she hopped off the sofa to sprint after him. Hiei locked the door without a word and began moving down the street, Botan following close behind. “Where are we going, Hiei? What’s going on?”

He just continued walking.

“Oh, come on! I need you to explain!”

At this he stopped to throw a glare back at her. “Explanations are to never be given on the street.” He waited until she ducked her head, wincing, before he began walking again. “Anyway, they would be pointless until I am certain it can be done.”

Sighing at his stubbornness, Botan gave up on that. “Can you at least tell me where we’re going?”

“I doubt you know the city that well, it would be best just to follow.”

Another sigh and the girl turned her eyes to following street signs and houses. They gradually became more upscale as the walk continued, and eventually cut off entirely as walls sprung up in the way.

Hiei turned at the entrance of one of them, opening the door without hesitancy. Botan’s jaw dropped. “You can’t be expecting me to steal something in broad daylight from a house like this!!”

“Shut up!” he shot back at her, glaring. “I do not, this is preparation. Now be quiet, you’re my new associate, and whatever happens, do not act with that idiotic surprise.”

Sighing and grumbling faintly, she nodded, following as he turned back to walking inside the gate. The house that appeared was absolutely stunning, everything a traditional Japanese styled house should be. Screen doors, wooden porches, a lovely sloping ceiling. Botan held her breath, eyes widened, as she stared at it all. Hurriedly, she lowered her gaze as Hiei slid open the next door, removing his shoes on the way.

“Ko... Jaganshi-san.” A man greeted them at the door, bowing slightly. Hiei acknowledged him with a brief look.

“Better.”

The doorman sighed in relief. “Mistress Yukina is out in the garden right now. She said she was expecting you.”

Waving him off, the short man looked back to the doorway, where Botan was hopping around slightly as she tugged off her second shoe. He sighed and caught her arm as she stumbled out of it. “Come on, don’t waste time.” Her protests were lost with the shoe as he tugged her quickly away, moving down the hallway at a fast pace. Botan’s confused look that she tossed back at the doorman was answered with a shrug.

“Where are we going?” she asked again, forgetting her failed attempts last time.

This time, however, after a pause, he answered. “We’re going to see my sister.” Eyes flashed, firm, to look at hers, and the voice came out low, warningly, as he continued dragging her along. “There will be no mention of my... ‘occupation,’ nor yours, or it will be one of the last things you say, do I make myself clear?” Her head bobbled up and down like a doll’s. “Good. And no matter what, you will be polite.”

Botan blinked. “Of course, who do you think I am?”

Hiei chose not to answer that question.

In seconds, he was opening another barrier, this one letting in the sun. Botan winced and shaded her eyes as they moved over on the porch to a small table, where a girl had stood up and was smiling as she greeted them.

Her height was even with Hiei’s, their faces the same, there was only one person she could be. His sister. “Hello! You must be a friend of onii-san’s. Konichiwa! I’m Koorime, Yukina.” She gave a polite bow, smiling the whole time. Her disposition was radically different than what Botan had expected in the brief period of anticipation. She was almost the antithesis of her brother.

“Matsuda, Botan,” the blue haired woman replied automatically, bowing in return with a smile as well.

Yukina’s eyes widened for a moment, before a tinkling laugh was heard. “Your name is very pretty, Botan-san.” She looked at Hiei’s indifferent form for a moment, before turning back to the girl. “As are you.”

“Thank you,” Botan replied, her cheeks tinging slightly. “I could say the same of you.”

The smaller girl shook her head slightly, waving it off as she turned to her brother. “Now I understand why you wanted the dresses, Hiei-san.” The smile was playful on the edges. “I must admit, it is relieving.”

“Hn.”

She clapped her hands. “Well, now, down to business then!” A hand caught her arm gently, and she looked back to find Hiei holding out a small box. He laid it in her hand, then backed away.

“I did promise to bring your gift the next time.”

“Right,” Yukina replied, smiling. The look paused for a moment as her eyes took in the delicate opals that hung on earrings and a necklace, before it strengthened as she looked back at him, speaking softly. “Arigato, onii-san.”

He only nodded in brief reply, looking off into the garden.

Yukina turned back to Botan. “Let’s go, Botan-san, Hiei-san asked me if he could borrow a few dresses of mine, and I’m assuming they must be for you.” Her expression was timid for a moment. “We’re not quite of the same height, but I think I might be able to find some things that can work...”

“I’m sure they’ll all be great!” Botan reassured her quickly, smiling back. Such an innocent girl as Hiei’s sister, no wonder he didn’t want her to know about his ‘other life.’ Indeed, the files had hardly mentioned her at all, he avoided getting his sister involved.

Yukina looked at her gratefully, then began leading her off. “Here, we’ll go look through my closets together while Hiei-san gets us tea, and then you can come out an model them, okay?”

Botan’s choke of surprise and widened glance thrown back at the short thief was ignored.