Hey, I've got this random idea for a story, here's the first few chapters, please review and tell me if I should continue or not! Thanks for any and all input! Inspiration for this story based upon a poem by Weldon Kees, I don't own his words.
And I don't own YYH.
"Well," Kurama said, pulling yet another twig out of his hair, "That was…insightful."
"Yea I guess you could have called it that," Yusuke said as he disentangled himself from a few thick vines, "Good move Hiei."
"Hn." The koorime sheathed his blade and knocked a few leaves the size of Kuwabara's hands from his pointed black hair.
"I didn't know spines could bend that way," Kuwabara said, nursing his own wounds, mostly caused by the earth demon's branches.
Hiei shot him a demeaning glare, "That was the point, idiot."
Kurama cleared his throat as Kuwabara rose angrily, "We should probably be getting back home. Koenma wanted us to report back to him when we had finished the job, and Keiko is probably getting worried Yusuke, you should contact her."
"Yea yea yea," the half-demon shrugged him off, "She's fine. Probably just hanging with Botan anyway. But I guess we should be getting back anyway." He stood and stretched, only wincing slightly when the small wound on his stomach stretched a little too wide.
"Are you sure that doesn't hurt Yusuke?" Kurama asked for the fourth time, "It could be deep and have hit something important without you knowning."
"Quit worrying Kurama, I'm fine. Let's just get home ok? Binky-butt's gonna get annoyed if we take too long."
The group started back down the path they had taken just a few hours earlier towards the location of the portal arranged for them by Koenma. Hiei didn't mention it, but as they were leaving, a strange sensation came over him. It was almost as if there was someone else among them. He carefully surveyed the surrounding jungle. It was dense, but plain to him and his Jagan that no one else was close by. Still the feeling persisted. He let out a short 'hn' under his breath and ignored it; chances were it wasn't important anyway. And why were they out here anyway? Even though they had officially been fired as the Spirit Detective Team, Koenma occasionally called upon their "expertise" for exceptionally difficult jobs.
Yusuke desperately tried not to scratch at his side. The little wound itched something awful but damned if he'd let Kurama know that it bothered him more than he let on. Stupid women earth demons and their stupid plants, he thought as another wave of itchiness flooded his senses. Then, all of a sudden, it subsided. Hmm, weird, he thought, But hey, I'll take what I can get. And now I'm really hungry….
"Anyone else in the mood for a cheeseburger?" Yusuke said out loud suddenly, "I could really go for a cheeseburger. And some fries. A big pile of greasy French fries."
Hiei looked disgusted, "Is that really what you humans eat? It sounds terrible."
"It's better than it sounds," Kurama chimed in, "But it's not very good for you. Why the sudden craving Yusuke?"
"I dunno, I just really want a cheeseburger. Like right now," the former-detective insisted.
"Calm down Urameshi," Kuwabara said, "We'll get your stupid burger when we get back home. And you really should check in with Keiko first, you know how worried she gets when you leave on missions."
"Hn," Hiei grinned, "Sounds like that onna of yours has you tied down tight, detective."
"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?" Yusuke whirled, looking down at the koorime who now had a hand on the hilt of his blade.
"Woah Yusuke, chill out," Kuwabara tried to step between the two demons. Not a very wise choice wouldn't you say? Yusuke rounded on the human growling. Then, right as Kuwabara was about to get a severe ass-whippin', everything stopped.
Yusuke smiled brightly at the cowering carrot-top. "You're right Kuwabara," he said cheerily, "No need for violence. Come on guys, it's not much farther now!" And he skipped on up the path.
Kurama raised an eyebrow in the young demon's direction. "What was that all about?" he wondered aloud.
"Hn," came Hiei's reply. He brushed dirt off his cloak as he said, "I guess he didn't want to die today after all."
"Come off it Hiei," Kuwabara protested, "You wouldn't have laid a hand on him so stop acting all macho. Something's wrong with Urameshi."
Kurama furrowed his brow in thought. He recounted the battle in his mind, trying to recall every detail. He pulled another twig, left over from the battle, from his hair. Perhaps the clue to this behavior was to be found in this little sample. He tucked away for good measure. For now, the best path was to just get back to Koenma and get Yusuke back to Keiko. She had a knack for finding out what was wrong with the son of Raizen.
The group finished the walk in silence, excepting the occasional insult thrown by Hiei or Kuwabara. In the meeting place, Botan was waiting for them, a glowing blue portal behind her and a wide smile on her face.
Keiko stared out the open window of the apartment she and Yusuke now shared. When Yusuke did not appear for the three thousandth and forty-seventh time since she returned home from school, the brunette sighed deeply and turned away from the window, settling back into the sofa. It had been a whole year since Yusuke had been home. One year with relative peace between the human and demon worlds, thanks to Lord Enki. One year now that she and Yusuke had been living together.
And five months since he asked her to marry him. For real this time.
Keiko smiled to herself thinking that had been a wonderful night. The moon was full and the weather warm in early summer. She had Yusuke had been laying on a thick blanket on the balcony of their apartment watching the stars. Not that you could see to many but still, it was romantic. She remembered how he'd seemed nervous and jumpy all night. He'd attended to her every whim and, underneath the stars, held her a little bit tighter than normal.
After they'd been laying there for a while, he had sighed and muttered to himself, "Might as well get this out of the way."
She turned and looked at him and asked simply, "What is it?" Again, he sighed and sat up. She sat up too, now a little bit nervous herself, was something wrong?
Yusuke had slowly gotten to his feet pulling her up with him. He held her close against him for a moment, then pulled back to look in her eyes. He gave one of his little half-smiles and said, "You know I love you Keiko." It was a rare statement, and Keiko smiled widely before saying, "I love you too Yusuke."
He had grinned again and said cockily, "I know that. Which is why…" Here he pulled a small dark object from his pocket. He had looked Keiko in the eyes as he kneeled in front of her and asked, "Will you marry me Keiko?"
Now, on the couch, that memory still brought tears to her eyes. It was corny, she knew it, but she couldn't help it. The look on his face when she said yes...was just pure joy. She knew she was lucky to have someone as devoted and loving as Yusuke Urameshi, but she absolutely hated how he had to run away to demon world all the time. Couldn't Koenma leave them alone for a year? Was Yusuke absolutely necessary to keeping the peace?
What I wouldn't give for some time just the two of us, she thought leaning her head back against the cushions, Away from all of this. Just him and me.
"Whatcha thinking bout kiddo?" Yusuke's voice came from the doorway. Keiko shot up and practically flew across the room to his open arms, nearly knocking the young demon over. "Hey watch it," he teased.
She leaned back to look at his face. He was relatively unhurt and smiled down at her. She tilted her face up for a kiss and then laughed as he picked her up bridal style. "Hey," she complained mockingly, "Let me down."
"Not a chance," Yusuke said, "I have to practice." Keiko giggled in response and then gave a little yell when he plopped down hard on the sofa. That's when she noticed the bandage around his side.
"What's this?" she asked, tracing it with a finger, "Are you hurt?"
"No way," Yusuke replied, "Kurama checked it out, he insisted after we checked back in with Koenma. It's fine, just a little scratch."
"It looks deep," Keiko said, "You sure it's ok?"
She felt him bristle as he replied, "Yes its fine Keiko. Leave it alone."
"Fine," she replied, matching his annoyance, "Whatever." Then she screeched out loud as he found that one terrible tickle spot on her ribs.
"Don't you take that tone with me missy," Yusuke teased as he tickled her mercilessly. "I'm gonna be the man around here and you'll have to listen to me."
"Hahaha…when hell hahahaha… freezes hehehe… over," Keiko tried to protest.
Yusuke, in one swift move, flipped them both over so that they were both lying on the couch with her trapped underneath him. Not that Keiko minded. "Defiant huh?" he asked her, leaning in close.
"Mmm, always to you," Keiko replied. She was getting short of breath with him so close. And she knew that he knew the effect he had on her.
His lips hovered a hair's breadth away from hers as he whispered, "Always?"
Keiko found she really couldn't say anything much at that moment. He chuckled lightly before pulling away. Keiko smiled but protested the movement; she liked it when he played with her like that.
"So what have you been up to for the last few days?" Yusuke asked, still holding her tight.
"The usual," Keiko replied, "School. Work. The works you know. Oh, and I got the check to the landlady. She says we're all caught up on what we owed now. So now we only have the monthly pay instead of that and whatever we borrowed in the first place."
"That's great!" Yusuke said, brushing some hair out of her face. "Now, there was something you wanted to talk about before I left, wasn't there?"
Keiko was honestly surprised that he remembered that. "Yea, I was wondering if you had given any further thought to the…future?"
"What do you mean?" He asked. "I've thought about the store and stuff. Oh, you mean the wedding? Am I supposed to do that? Crap, I'm sorry Keiko…" She shushed him.
"No you goofball," she said, "Planning the wedding is my job. Actually, what I meant was…like after marriage…and I was thinking about…kids."
"Oh," the former detective looked shaken for the first time since the tournament for the kingship of demon world, "Kids? Like soon?" Keiko nodded meekly. "Oh," Yusuke said again. "Listen umm… you don't think.. uhh…its like…too soon or anything?"
"No," Keiko said surely, "I want kids Yusuke. I think I'm ready."
Yusuke looked down and grasped her hands tightly. "Well…if you're sure. Hey Keiko?"
"Mmhmm?"
"You sure you want to get any fatter?"
"YUSUKE!!"
"Ow! Ow! Keiko!! Stop it!" the demon lord squealed in pain, "Come on I was just kidding!"
R&R