Fic: Improvising (Yu Yu Hakusho)
May. 7th, 2024 09:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alchemicinkTo celebrate Three Weeks for Dreamwidth, I decided to go ahead and post my hanami project fics here, and then crosspost them to ao3 later.
So here's fic number one! My hanami project was simply a little challenge I made for myself to write fics centered around hanami (a Japanese tradition for cherry blossom viewings). It's a bit late now for the subject, but in my defense, I started this project in March 😂
Title: Improvising
Fandom: Yu Yu Hakusho
Pairing: Botan/Shizuru
Wordcount: 1.2k
Rating: G
Notes: Fluff, Getting Together, Rain
Ao3 link: here
Botan is probably supposed to be doing something important for Koenma, but well, it can't hurt for her to extend this visit just a little while longer. She's comfy right now on Shizuru's couch, leaning against her napping friend and listening as Keiko, sitting nearby, recounts some story about sakura blossoms. From what Botan understands, there's an annual tradition about viewing the blooms that involves a picnic, and she thinks that sounds really fun.
"Can we do that?" Botan asks, straightening up and shaking Shizuru's shoulder to rouse her. "A hanami party?"
Shizuru blinks and stretches, taking a moment to catch up on what she missed while she dozed off. Her bleary-eyed face is so cute. Botan wants to pinch her cheeks.
"I think the flowers are supposed to bloom next week," Keiko says.
"Am I gonna regret whatever I'm agreeing to?" Shizuru asks, already searching her pockets for her cigarettes.
"Of course not! It sounds like oh so much fun, and I've never been to a hanami before." Botan claps her hands together and makes the same kind of pleading face she does when she's trying to avoid a scolding from her boss. It's usually about 73 percent successful (but even higher when she uses it on Shizuru).
Shizuru is silent for a long moment, considering as she looks between Botan and Keiko, and then she sighs.
"Sure, why not?"
Botan instantly throws her arms around Shizuru, toppling them both off the couch. But she's too excited to care.
"I'll let everyone know," Keiko says, laughing as she excuses herself from the Kuwabara apartment.
"This is going to be the best hanami party we've ever had," Botan exclaims from where she remains tangled up with Shizuru on the floor.
"It's the only hanami party we've ever had," Shizuru points out, but Botan catches her amused smile as she pulls Botan closer and then closes her eyes to continue her nap.
🌸~🌸~🌸
Botan had envisioned their sakura blossom viewing party as a sunny, warm day with a bright blue sky overhead to pair perfectly with the bright pink petals. There would be lots of food and laughter amidst the gentle breeze, and it would be absolutely perfect.
Instead, Botan arrives in the human world to a dreary, rainy day. She dashes inside the Kuwabara apartment quickly before she gets soaked.
Dammit, if only she had the power to control the weather.
"Looks like we're going to have to improvise," Shizuru says, welcoming her in.
The rest of the group is already here, spread around the living room as they start munching on snacks. Botan pouts a little, thinking about how they were all supposed to be eating together under the trees instead.
Shizuru rests her hand on Botan's shoulder, squeezing a little for reassurance. "Don't worry," she says softly. "It'll still be all the fun you were hoping for."
Botan nods, feeling a little bit better. Shizuru is always the best at remaining calm and sensible in the face of disaster, no matter how big or small.
And the party is fun for a while. There is definitely some alcohol involved (thanks to Yusuke) that gets the boys a bit rowdy, but nobody breaks any furniture, so it's not too bad. Keiko volunteers to teach them all how to make paper flowers, and Botan can't stop laughing at how terrible most of their attempts turn out. (Hiei can't stop incinerating his out of frustration, and it gets even worse when Yukina tries to help both him and Kuwabara.) Even the food, provided as a gift from Kurama's mother, is delicious.
So Botan shouldn't still feel disappointed, but the loss of the perfect day she imagined sits heavy on her chest. She hides the feeling with her usual laughs and smiles, teasing her friends as she always does, but she can't quite shake it.
"Hey, come with me for a bit," Shizuru says once the group has somewhat settled down to pick out a movie to watch together.
No one is paying much attention to the two of them, all more focused on Hiei's complaints about human entertainment and Yusuke's insistence that they watch a horror film. It looks like Keiko's rom-com suggestion might actually end up winning instead, but Shizuru tugs Botan towards the front door before she finds out.
"Put your shoes back on," Shizuru says, already working on slipping her own on.
"We're going outside?"
"You wanted to see the cherry blossoms, didn't you?"
"But it's raining," Botan points out.
The rain hasn't let up a bit all day. Steady, steady, steady falling to make everything damp and dreary and depressing.
Shizuru picks up an umbrella and smirks. "Didn't I say we'd have to improvise?"
Botan feels like she could float away with happiness.
(She glances down quickly to make sure she hasn't accidentally done that, but thankfully her feet are still on the floor where they should be.)
The umbrella isn't quite big enough for two people, so Botan has to walk close to Shizuru. Close enough that she loops her arm around Shizuru's just to make things easier. It's nice the way they snuggle together walking towards the park. Shizuru is warm amidst the cool rain, and Botan doesn't even mind how the puddles they pass over splash around her ankles.
It's not long before Botan glimpses the first hint of pink up ahead, the trees finally coming into view. The blooms aren't very vibrant in the rain – they're actually drooping thanks to the rivulets of water running over them – but Botan is awed by the sheer amount of flowers anyway.
"This is it," Shizuru says. "I know it's not exactly how you imagined it, but I wanted to show you the blooms anyway. I know how excited you were."
"I love it," Botan beams. "Can we walk around a little bit more?"
They follow the path through the park, huddling under the umbrella as they pass through the grove of sakura trees. The only sound is the steady rainfall bouncing off leaves and petals on its way to the ground.
It feels almost magical.
And certainly more romantic than she expected.
They pause at the end of the path, and Botan turns to Shizuru. There's not much space separating them, and Botan finds herself caught in Shizuru's gaze. Neither of them seem to know what to say in the moment.
But Botan feels so grateful, so happy about what Shizuru's done for her, and she doesn't know how else to express herself other than to lean forward and press a quick, sweet kiss to Shizuru's lips.
Shizuru looks surprised for half a second when Botan pulls away, and she's afraid she might have been too forward. But then Shizuru returns Botan's kiss with one of her own. They almost drop the umbrella in the process, but Botan doesn't care.
"Thanks for taking me to see the cherry blossoms," Botan says afterwards.
Shizuru tries to put on her usual cool and detached demeanor again, but Botan sees a bit of blush blooming across her face, matching the flowers above.
"I just wanted to make you happy," she admits.
Botan smiles. "You definitely did."
They walk hand-in-hand back towards the apartment, barely paying attention to the rain as it continues. For her first hanami party, Botan thinks it was quite the memorable one.
So here's fic number one! My hanami project was simply a little challenge I made for myself to write fics centered around hanami (a Japanese tradition for cherry blossom viewings). It's a bit late now for the subject, but in my defense, I started this project in March 😂
Title: Improvising
Fandom: Yu Yu Hakusho
Pairing: Botan/Shizuru
Wordcount: 1.2k
Rating: G
Notes: Fluff, Getting Together, Rain
Ao3 link: here
Botan is probably supposed to be doing something important for Koenma, but well, it can't hurt for her to extend this visit just a little while longer. She's comfy right now on Shizuru's couch, leaning against her napping friend and listening as Keiko, sitting nearby, recounts some story about sakura blossoms. From what Botan understands, there's an annual tradition about viewing the blooms that involves a picnic, and she thinks that sounds really fun.
"Can we do that?" Botan asks, straightening up and shaking Shizuru's shoulder to rouse her. "A hanami party?"
Shizuru blinks and stretches, taking a moment to catch up on what she missed while she dozed off. Her bleary-eyed face is so cute. Botan wants to pinch her cheeks.
"I think the flowers are supposed to bloom next week," Keiko says.
"Am I gonna regret whatever I'm agreeing to?" Shizuru asks, already searching her pockets for her cigarettes.
"Of course not! It sounds like oh so much fun, and I've never been to a hanami before." Botan claps her hands together and makes the same kind of pleading face she does when she's trying to avoid a scolding from her boss. It's usually about 73 percent successful (but even higher when she uses it on Shizuru).
Shizuru is silent for a long moment, considering as she looks between Botan and Keiko, and then she sighs.
"Sure, why not?"
Botan instantly throws her arms around Shizuru, toppling them both off the couch. But she's too excited to care.
"I'll let everyone know," Keiko says, laughing as she excuses herself from the Kuwabara apartment.
"This is going to be the best hanami party we've ever had," Botan exclaims from where she remains tangled up with Shizuru on the floor.
"It's the only hanami party we've ever had," Shizuru points out, but Botan catches her amused smile as she pulls Botan closer and then closes her eyes to continue her nap.
🌸~🌸~🌸
Botan had envisioned their sakura blossom viewing party as a sunny, warm day with a bright blue sky overhead to pair perfectly with the bright pink petals. There would be lots of food and laughter amidst the gentle breeze, and it would be absolutely perfect.
Instead, Botan arrives in the human world to a dreary, rainy day. She dashes inside the Kuwabara apartment quickly before she gets soaked.
Dammit, if only she had the power to control the weather.
"Looks like we're going to have to improvise," Shizuru says, welcoming her in.
The rest of the group is already here, spread around the living room as they start munching on snacks. Botan pouts a little, thinking about how they were all supposed to be eating together under the trees instead.
Shizuru rests her hand on Botan's shoulder, squeezing a little for reassurance. "Don't worry," she says softly. "It'll still be all the fun you were hoping for."
Botan nods, feeling a little bit better. Shizuru is always the best at remaining calm and sensible in the face of disaster, no matter how big or small.
And the party is fun for a while. There is definitely some alcohol involved (thanks to Yusuke) that gets the boys a bit rowdy, but nobody breaks any furniture, so it's not too bad. Keiko volunteers to teach them all how to make paper flowers, and Botan can't stop laughing at how terrible most of their attempts turn out. (Hiei can't stop incinerating his out of frustration, and it gets even worse when Yukina tries to help both him and Kuwabara.) Even the food, provided as a gift from Kurama's mother, is delicious.
So Botan shouldn't still feel disappointed, but the loss of the perfect day she imagined sits heavy on her chest. She hides the feeling with her usual laughs and smiles, teasing her friends as she always does, but she can't quite shake it.
"Hey, come with me for a bit," Shizuru says once the group has somewhat settled down to pick out a movie to watch together.
No one is paying much attention to the two of them, all more focused on Hiei's complaints about human entertainment and Yusuke's insistence that they watch a horror film. It looks like Keiko's rom-com suggestion might actually end up winning instead, but Shizuru tugs Botan towards the front door before she finds out.
"Put your shoes back on," Shizuru says, already working on slipping her own on.
"We're going outside?"
"You wanted to see the cherry blossoms, didn't you?"
"But it's raining," Botan points out.
The rain hasn't let up a bit all day. Steady, steady, steady falling to make everything damp and dreary and depressing.
Shizuru picks up an umbrella and smirks. "Didn't I say we'd have to improvise?"
Botan feels like she could float away with happiness.
(She glances down quickly to make sure she hasn't accidentally done that, but thankfully her feet are still on the floor where they should be.)
The umbrella isn't quite big enough for two people, so Botan has to walk close to Shizuru. Close enough that she loops her arm around Shizuru's just to make things easier. It's nice the way they snuggle together walking towards the park. Shizuru is warm amidst the cool rain, and Botan doesn't even mind how the puddles they pass over splash around her ankles.
It's not long before Botan glimpses the first hint of pink up ahead, the trees finally coming into view. The blooms aren't very vibrant in the rain – they're actually drooping thanks to the rivulets of water running over them – but Botan is awed by the sheer amount of flowers anyway.
"This is it," Shizuru says. "I know it's not exactly how you imagined it, but I wanted to show you the blooms anyway. I know how excited you were."
"I love it," Botan beams. "Can we walk around a little bit more?"
They follow the path through the park, huddling under the umbrella as they pass through the grove of sakura trees. The only sound is the steady rainfall bouncing off leaves and petals on its way to the ground.
It feels almost magical.
And certainly more romantic than she expected.
They pause at the end of the path, and Botan turns to Shizuru. There's not much space separating them, and Botan finds herself caught in Shizuru's gaze. Neither of them seem to know what to say in the moment.
But Botan feels so grateful, so happy about what Shizuru's done for her, and she doesn't know how else to express herself other than to lean forward and press a quick, sweet kiss to Shizuru's lips.
Shizuru looks surprised for half a second when Botan pulls away, and she's afraid she might have been too forward. But then Shizuru returns Botan's kiss with one of her own. They almost drop the umbrella in the process, but Botan doesn't care.
"Thanks for taking me to see the cherry blossoms," Botan says afterwards.
Shizuru tries to put on her usual cool and detached demeanor again, but Botan sees a bit of blush blooming across her face, matching the flowers above.
"I just wanted to make you happy," she admits.
Botan smiles. "You definitely did."
They walk hand-in-hand back towards the apartment, barely paying attention to the rain as it continues. For her first hanami party, Botan thinks it was quite the memorable one.
