How to Save a Life
Author: Koshou-chan
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this fic. Nor do I own the song featured: How to Save a Life, which is the sole property of my favorite band: The Fray.
Summary: A group of seven very different people. The idea of no meeting being coincidence. It's odd how much effect one person can have on a life. AU Shonen ai Bad summary…
Chapter 1
Step one you say we need to talk
Each and every person is connected to another by a random string of relationships. These strings, crossing and weaving, form a complex web that covers the Earth. Yes, you and I are strangers on the street, but my best friend may know your second cousin. Or your mom could have dated my uncle in high school. Or, stretching back through time, my ancestors and your ancestors could have met by chance in a crowded market place, they could have even own stands next to each other.
But how can we know?
You and I could be connected by a string of thirty people. Or perhaps only two. But we will never know. Right now we're just strangers, passing each other on this crowded sidewalk, perhaps exchanging a small smile or a nod. We're not friends, not lovers, not enemies…but we ARE connected.
This web that holds us all together…it could just be a simple truth that we all have some relation to each other. Perhaps it's just scientific fact that in some way we all have some small form of contact.
Or maybe…it's something more than that.
Maybe this web…this so called 'concept' of connection has its own agenda. Maybe it twists us, pushes us towards some people…and away from others. Maybe it's not a 'fact'…but something more.
The word fate comes to mind. Maybe this web IS fate…though not all of us believe in it, and it moves us in the direction it wants us to go in.
But, then again, who cares? After all, we control our lives.
Don't we?
……………………………………………………………………………
Yusuke Urameshi sat up, his sheets sliding off of him to reveal a ripped tank top and what appeared to be black velvet boxers. He whirled on the small night stand next to his twin bed, more importantly the small bronze alarm clock resting near the edge, and grabbed it, pulling it close to his face so his sleep ridden eyes could adjust on…
8:30.
The string of curses that followed was predictable. Yusuke, though fairly intelligent, had a knack for being late for his college courses, or even missing them all together. The poor boy had barely passed the first semester thanks to what his professors liked to call his 'nightly coma' which had made him late for the majority of his finals. He had hoped getting an alarm clock could fix, or at least help his problem.
But apparently his nightly coma was immune even to the loudest of rings.
The tired eighteen year old flopped out of bed, grabbing the nearest pair of socks he had carelessly discarded on the floor of his small apartment the night before when he had been too lazy to put away his clean laundry. Managing to pull the coarse material over his feet, he rolled over, landing on his back beside the bigger pile of clothes. He pulled out a pair of worn jeans and a white shirt that had seen far too many plates of spaghetti sauce.
He didn't bother standing to put them on.
Such is the laziness of college students.
When the teen finally did stand it was with his book bag, which he had retrieved from under his bed, hooked over his shoulder. He left his room slowly, despite the fact that he was already fifteen minutes late and the clock was running. He entered his living room/kitchen, pausing only to retrieve his coat, discarded on his battle worn couch the night before, and then he was in the small, dingy hallway of his off campus apartment complex. His feet took him to the elevator, though he wasn't really paying attention when he pressed the down button on the wall beside it since he hadn't gotten enough sleep the night before. He simply stood there, before the elevator, his eyes drooped and unfocused. When the door finally did open, it took him a few moments to register it.
He blinked.
A man, a few years older than himself, stood before him, holding a suitcase tightly in one hand and a newer looking key in his other. Dark green eyes gazed back at him almost lazily. Yusuke stepped aside, watching as the man, pushing his at least foot long mass red hair off his shoulder with his key hand, stepped out into the hallway with him. For a moment, the man stared ahead, almost indifferently, before he turned to him and asked in a tired voice, "Do you live here?"
Yusuke blinked for a moment, his own exhaustion preventing him from processing the words at normal human speed, "Oh…yeah. Why?"
"I'm moving in," the redhead explained, glancing down the hallway again, "Can you tell me where seven b is?"
Yusuke had to do a long blink, his mind realizing slowly which apartment the man had named.
"Uh, yeah…I guess…you're my new neighbor…I'm in eight a."
Green eyes showed a small amount of surprise, "Really? I'm Kurama Minamino…and you are…?"
"Yusuke Urameshi," the teen muttered, realizing the man had offered his hand and shaking it, "Here, I'll show you your apartment, but then I gotta go…class, you know."
Kurama nodded solemnly, "Ah yes…college."
Yusuke started down the hall, "Yep."
They stopped before Kurama's apartment. The man placed his suitcase on the floor, looking at the chipped door with something akin to disdain. Yusuke watched him, shifting uncomfortably in the awkward silence.
"So…" Kurama looked back at him, "Thank you for…" he gestured offhandedly at the door. Yusuke nodded quickly; glad the quiet had been broken.
"No problem…I guess I'll see you…around."
Kurama nodded, "I guess you will."
As Yusuke started down the hallway, back toward the elevator, he was sure he heard Kurama heave a sigh of relief.
……………………………………………………………
Later that day, after being told off yet again by his irritable professor, Yomi, sitting through a boring lecture on some crap he didn't want to understand, and being poked several times by the kid next to him for almost falling asleep, Yusuke broke into the sun bathed afternoon, none too happy. He immediately took off for the quickest route off campus, hoping to catch a brief nap before his 9 o'clock class: Calculus. He took the route at a run, but slowed to a jog once he left the college grounds. And finally, on the main street of the small college town, he came to a walk, staring blankly ahead, no thought in his mind aside from his bed. He didn't see the body in front of him, though, at his age, he probably would not have cared.
And so, the full on collision that occurred was completely unavoidable…at least, that's what he told himself later.
A girl of his own age hit the ground at the same time he did, her bag full of groceries being strewn off at random directions even as he sat up. He ducked to avoid a flying tomato.
"Hey!" the female's voice was laced with venom, "Why don't you try watching where you're walking!"
"Sorry," Yusuke grumbled, obviously not meaning it, nor caring about the girl's groceries, which were either rapidly rolling away or dirtied by the…well, dirty sidewalk. He glanced away from the scene to look at his cheap wrist watch, taking in the time of 5:00. At this rate, if he even got home, an option that wasn't looking to bright seeing as the girl was fuming at him as she scrambled for her escaping shopping, he would end up sleeping until midnight, or even later. The girl gave an especially loud yell, making Yusuke's steadily growing headache even worse. He turned a foul look on her.
"If I help you will you shut up!"
Her mouth opened again, but nothing came out. Yusuke thanked the gods and grabbed the only item still left on the sidewalk: a scuffed milk jug.
"And I didn't see you swerving to avoid me," he grumbled as he handed it to her. She huffed, brushing long brown hair out of her slightly pink face.
"Whatever," she snatched the jug from his loose grip and pulled herself up, taking her ripped bags with her. Yusuke watched, for the first time beginning to feel guilty.
"D'ya…do you want me to pay for…any of that?"
Her eyes lost their fire for the briefest of moments.
"No…I can handle it…I can save most of it," she murmured, glancing away.
Yusuke hesitated, before saying with more sincerity than the first time, "Sorry."
She looked back at him, slight surprise passing over her features. He offered a weak grin. She couldn't help but smile back.
"Like I said before, it's fine…er…"
"Bye," he said quickly, surprised to find he regretted it seconds later.
"Yes…goodbye."
Fifteen minutes later when he shut his apartment door, he leaned against it, feeling odder than he ever had in his life. And next door to him, Kurama pondered on the look he had seen on his new neighbor's just minutes before when they had passed, Yusuke going in for sleep, and he himself fetching the last of his belongings to place in his apartment.
The boy had almost looked…goofy.
Inspired by 'How to Save a Life' by the Fray…
This plot bunny would not go away…
It bothered me for three weeks.
This came out of it.
Keep in mind; I have an idea of the ENDING and the BEGINNING. The middle will be…spontaneous.
I have an idea of the pairings:
Kurama/Hiei
Yusuke/Keiko
Kuwabara/Yukina
I need ideas for Shizuru.