INNOCENCE-SDA-Yusuke POV
CHELSEA WELSH

Summary: Yusuke Wanted To Be With Him...Kurama Couldn't Ruin What Was So Beautiful

"...I can't..."

Two words came from him when I asked to be with him. Months of working up strength, pushing aside fears and worry all for two words of rejection, ruining every hope I had in one and a half seconds.

I didn't know what to do. I'd never asked anyone out before...so I never had anyone refuse a date. Do I walk away? Do I smile and stand there?

He took my hand in mine; I wanted more of them. I wanted the soft, but strong fingers to touch my face. They could kill me; I wanted them to love me.

"Such beautiful eyes," he whispered, gazing into the brown like he'd never seen the color before, "They are filled to overflow with such a childish glow." I opened my mouth to yell I wasn't a kid anymore. Two fingers fell over my lips.

"Yusuke...such innocence you bear. Though you deny it, you have such infantile knowledge of cruelty...you don't know the ways of a demon." He took a deep breath.

"You are pure," I had to strain to hear him even though he was only a few inches away, "I won't be the one to destroy that."

Slowly, caressing, he pulled away, those delicate fingers tracing my face briefly before he stepped a few feet away. I wanted to reach for him; I wanted to hold him and say I didn't care. I wasn't a kid. I loved him, needed him more than anything.

He just smiled.

Emerald drowned in gold, his hair bleeding white as he turned into what I too often forgot he was. "Remember me, Yusuke," his lips touched my knuckles, my hand in both of his so caringly, "Remember me as the monster that dwells within the shadows. Retain your innocence...I won't be the one to shatter it."

And, too much like mist, he drifted away.

I was left feeling heavy for the first time in my life...


Yusuke may have been a wee bit out of character. He's older...more mature...and his normal speech pattern wouldn't work! Let's just go with that, okay? PLEASE don't review only to tell me that Yusuke would never do that! Thank you. Otherwise, I hope you liked it. Came to me while I was making an Utena video O.o Weird