This was in response to a challenge in a discord group I'm part of. Basically it was like Hurt/Comfort less than 1.5k words, go wild. So I did? Maybe some day I'll have a fic along the same premises but longer. Hopefully. Also this is cross-posted to Archive of Our Own under the name Adi_Black. Please read and enjoy now that I've hopefully fixed the stupid coding issues that I didn't see until someone kindly pointed it out.

xXx

Keiko's funeral had ended three hours ago. Everyone had left, except Yusuke. He was no longer standing right next to her marker, but he was still in front of the cemetery, crouched with a cigarette hanging from his fingers. Sometimes he almost got up to leave, but then he would sit back down with a sigh. He knew that Keiko wouldn't want this. They had talked about this before she had passed, having known it was coming. He had agreed with her that he should move on with his life once she was gone, but...he was finding that the first step was going to be the hardest.

He took another drag of his cigarette before closing his eyes and leaning his head back, slowly blowing out the smoke. Yusuke heard footsteps approaching and had a feeling he knew who it was before they started speaking.

"Yusuke." was all that Kurama said.

Opening his eyes and looking up at the redhead Yusuke sighed. "I know. I know. It's so fuckin' stupid. I bet she's pissed at me." he chuckled.

Kurama got down next to Yusuke and they sat in silence. Kurama knew the struggle the other man was going through. He had gone through it, albeit to a lesser extent, with his human family. Letting go was always difficult. Though you know that your family wants you to be happy and move on without them, actually doing so can present a dilemma. Kurama wondered if letting Keiko say one final goodbye to Yusuke before going to Spirit World had been a mistake.

There was nothing they could do about it now, however. All anyone could do at this point was try to give him peace, and let it be known that there were still people alive that cared about him. Kurama didn't think that Yusuke actually believed nobody cared for him any longer, just that he needed to be reminded that they did.

"Yes, well she did always have a fiery temper." Kurama eventually conceded, making Yusuke chuckle again. In the spur of the moment, Kurama grabbed Yusuke's cigarette and stole a puff before handing it back.

Yusuke was surprised, he hadn't thought that Kurama smoked, though it wasn't an impossibility. Thinking about it he figured that it was probably something the other man just did occasionally, like him. He was sure he probably went to office parties at his job after all, and it wasn't uncommon to smoke and drink at those. Trying to relax after huge moments of stress, or casual smoking if you're in a group of people also with cigarettes wasn't unusual.

There was another moment of silence as Yusuke finished his cigarette. "Man, I miss her." Yusuke admitted softly, lowering his head. "It's been less than a week, I mean, if she were still alive she had business trips longer than this. Those never really bothered me, but, this time, it's forever. It's just...hard to believe it's true."

Kurama nodded in understanding. He had a feeling he knew why Yusuke was still here hours after the funeral. Why Yusuke had been staying at his daughters instead of his own apartment. "Would you like to come to my house tonight?" he asked. He could tell he'd startled the black haired man with his question from the way his head shot up.

"Really? Am I that fuckin' obvious? Oh wait, I always have been." Yusuke said with a half smile.

The redhead smiled back indulgently, "You're only obvious to those who are closest to you."

"If you say so," Yusuke said back, standing and stretching. "Just so you know I probably won't be the greatest company." he warned, putting out a hand to help Kurama up.

"I knew that before I invited you." Kurama said with a smile, accepting the offered hand and standing. With one final lingering look at the cemetery from Yusuke, they left.

xXx

Later that evening Yusuke and Kurama were relaxing on the couch at the redhead's house. Kurama had broken out a bottle of his good sake, if nothing else to help Yusuke relax and be able to sleep. They were watching a show that Yusuke had picked, and though it wasn't to Kurama's taste he had put it on anyway. The redhead could ignore the show, especially since he was occupied with watching something else.

The fox was keeping an eye on Yusuke. He of course knew that alcohol was no way to treat your troubles, but at the same time knew that it would be an easy way to get Yusuke to relax, at least in the short term. It seemed to be working for the most part, but Kurama also didn't want him to drink too much and regret it in the morning. He thought he was hiding his scrutinizing gaze well, but apparently he wasn't as much as he thought when Yusuke turned to look at him.

"I can go home if you're bored." Yusuke said, leaning forward to put his cup on the table and pick up his cigarette again before offering it to Kurama. Surprisingly Kurama had an ashtray and his own cigs at home as well. Yusuke thought it was funny that he was still learning new things about Kurama after almost sixty years.

Kurama took a drag and handed it back shaking his head to stop Yusuke from standing up. "No, I insist, it's fine. Though I admit the entertainment isn't exactly what I normally watch I'm still enjoying our time together."

Yusuke half shrugged, "Suit yourself." he said before settling back in.

Less than half an hour later Yusuke had shifted so he was beginning to curl up on the couch, the alcohol finally taking effect fully. His eyes were half closed and his breathing soft, and Kurama could still see that 15 year old sleeping through the beginning of the Dark Tournament. That was when the redhead knew the attachment, and attraction, was real. He had known that Yusuke would be faithful to Keiko for as long as she lived, and he was. Kurama had never pushed the issue, and now that she was passed, once the mourning was over, he planned on taking a chance. He knew he had all the time he needed to wear him down in the future, and with any luck, Yusuke wouldn't be all that opposed to his advances.

For now, though, he didn't want to scare Yusuke away by coming on too strongly. After all, the other man hadn't even gotten quite past the 'denial' stage of his grief.

Yusuke's eyes finally slipped closed for good, and after a moment Kurama got up to get a blanket to cover him with. Gently putting the blanket around him Kurama knelt, softly resting his forehead against Yusuke's for a moment before gently putting their lips together. Yusuke slightly responded, though if it were an unconscious reaction or not was unclear. They both tasted like cigarettes and booze, and Kurama knew he should have waited, but he also didn't want to.

"I love you, Yusuke." was all that he whispered before getting up, getting a glass of water for Yusuke in the morning, and getting ready for bed himself.

What he didn't hear was the soft, "I know." from the half-asleep Yusuke, who wouldn't remember anything in the morning, but still have the beginning of a feeling of peace.

xXx

END