Contemplations on the Subject of Sleep
By M.E.

Koenma rubbed his forehead, trying to dispel the headache that had plagued him all day. Sometimes he wondered what he even got up for in the mornings, since all he ever did was work work work... Grumbling to himself mentally, he pushed himself out of his chair and rocked unsteadily onto his feet. Bleary eyes glanced at the glowing red numbers on the clock before them, then blinked as if to clear their vision. It was almost midnight, how was he ever going to get to sleep?

Lurching down the hall, he spared himself enough energy to change into his teenage form- at least this way he would have better balance. He groaned as his head hit the wall, then finally gave in to the pressure of sleep, slumping down against the wall.

***
Botan was awakened by the sound of someone falling against the wall of her Reikai apartment, followed by a loud serenade of snores. Sitting up, she got out of bed, wondering who was able to make such an infernal racket without awakening themselves. She opened the door, and was surprised to see, of all people, her boss, sleeping soundly on the shag carpet that covered the hall floor. Stifling a giggle that threatened to escape from her lips, she leaned over and flicked his nose with her fingernail. No response.
After inflicting several other tried-and-true wake up methods on the unsuspecting demigod (among these were pinching, kicking, socking, and, of course, acupuncture), she ended up hauling the (still sleeping) 'corpse' into her rooms. Once inside, she laid him out on her futon, then contemplated where she was going to sleep. There were no couches or comfy chairs, so she could rule out those. The carpet hadn't been cleaned for god-know's-HOW-long, so she definitely wasn't about to sleep there. That left... the empty space next to Koenma on the futon.

 Now the (not-so-perky-because-it's-one-in-the-morning-and-I-really-don't-want-to-deal-with-this-right-now) ferry girl was faced with an even greater dilemma than before. It wasn't that she wouldn't mind sleeping next to Koenma (her heart did a triple axle in her chest at the very *idea* of waking up in the morning next to a bishounen, even the grumpy one that Koenma was bound to be), but she really wasn't sure how Koenma would take it. He might total freak out for all she knew. Still, sleep was sleep, and Botan ended up snuggling up to Koenma (for warmth of course, he was hogging the covers).

When one rises from the restful situation entitled sleep, it can be done in several ways. There is the way that the fighter wakes up, awake and ready, no sleepy in-between, then the way a normal person wakes up, yawning, turning over, and trying to convince your alarm clock that you still have three more hours due to you. Finally, there is what is often deemed the 'nirvana awakening', in which one rises from the depths of sleep peacefully and slowly. Few people ever experience this wonderful situation of the mind, as it is rare and random.

Koenma was one of the lucky few who woke up the third way. As his mind floated on the boundary between sleep and the world, he found his vision to be lovely blue haze. Hardly knowing what he was doing, he reached out to pet the soft substance, and was surprised to find that it was hair. When he was finally awake all the way, he heaved himself up and propped himself on his elbow, watching the sleeping female that lay next to him.

Like a mystic halo formed of the sky itself, her hair floated around her face in puffy waves, accenting the light pink of her cheeks. With her hair loose and her mouth quiet, Koenma would have never recognized her if it hadn't been for the bright pink nightgown that she wore.

Now, Koenma was faced with a dilemma. He needed to get up, except he was stuck between a wall and Botan. It didn't help that she was now snuggling up against him... A silly smile found its way onto his face as he got to experience lying next to Botan, only the thin layer of her nightgown and his shirt separating them. When this occurred to him, Koenma got what is known as 'bug-eyes'. He then blushed.

A quiet sigh escaped from Botan's lips, and her pink eyes opened to study him. "Ohayou, Koenma-sama," she said quietly, smiling lightly. "I hope you slept well." Her eyes drooped shut again, and she allowed the little spot that controls heat-sensing take control of her mind, huddling up next to Koenma. A small hand snaking up under his shirt, looking for warmth.

By this time one can only suppose that Koenma was hyperventilating (who wouldn't, if placed in the same situation?). You will have to suppose, since the author does not wish to intrude on the character's personal lives more than necessary, and, since the author knows how hentai most of you are, she is quite sure that you will figure out what happened after awhile..

....The author would also like to note that she can't write lemons and the closest she ever gets is implying them. She is also quite disgusted with any of you who suspected Koenma and Botan of taking part in any hentai activities. To dispel these inappropriate thoughts, she will now tell you what happened. Still blushing, Koenma carefully extracted the hand from his shirt. Deciding that Botan was awake, and so if he rolled her over to get up would not be disturbing her, he quickly did so. Padding softly across the carpet, he nudged the door open, then ran softly down the hall.

***
If one wishes to know what resulted from this entire escapade, they might take note that soon afterwards the Reikai employees where quite happy to come home one night to find that the carpeting in their rooms had been cleaned. Others may also point out that Koenma paid more attention to one of the Reikai ferry girls than the others, that is their own business.
~Owari~