Hey, 'yall! I've read some good 'ol Hemingway, some minimalist poetry, and the Silmarillion at the same time x.x Hopefully it put some good techniques under my belt. Ah, well. We'll see. XD

You might notice I changed my spelling from 'Kayko' to 'Keiko.' I decided I didn't want any flames because of spelling her name the ugly American way, so I'll just have to spell it right and try not to associate her with everybody's favorite killer whale (I still got the souvenir pencil).

The Morning After
By Tiemiosho
Chapter One: 03.24

The air conditioner blasted noisily. It was still dark, and other than the hum of the air conditioner, silent. Too silent. Kuwabara slowly yawned. He tried to blink moisture back into his sticky eyelids. He felt calm, now. The dull grogginess made a person feel blissfully forgetful. Forgetful of why they would have to wake up so early, forgetful of how life bothers them so. Forgetful of whatever happened last night. Kuwabara extended his long limbs and stretched sensation back into them, only found out why he was woken up in the first place - his sleeve was soaked.

Kuwabara gazed at Keiko's tear-stained face, and remembered the events of the night before. He sighed. Gently, his large hand slid under her head and lifted if off of his shoulder; he didn't want to wake her. Kuwabara slowly stooped over as he got off of the couch. He snatched a pillow and pushed it beneath her head. Carefully, he pulled the sheets over her shoulder. As Kuwabara stood and headed for the kitchen, he glanced at his watch. 3:27 am.

Kazuma Kuwabara was an eligible bachelor. Every one he met was surprised that, at age 43, he still hadn't settled down, or even found a girlfriend. The other geologists at the university called him "Hercules." He was the man to call when something heavy needed to be moved. Even with his graying hair, Kuwabara's female colleagues found him more attractive each year. He guessed his hair colour made him look sophisticated. Master of spirit sword, dimensional sword, spirit wave, and hopefully one day, the sacred sword. He had pretty much what everybody wanted. And everyone blamed him for his misery. Either he was an ingrate, or he never took advantage of his good looks and "charm" to find himself a soul mate. But he had already found one; that was the problem.

Kuwabara came back with a glass of water and some tissues. After setting his load on the coffee table, he took a tissue in his hand. Gently as he could, he dried Keiko's face, but it still woke her up. She slowly opened a swollen eye and stared groggily at him.

"You've been crying in your sleep," He explained, and stared sadly at her. Not everyone could have those first few minutes awake without worry.

Keiko sighed and slowly sat up, wiping her face with her hands and her sleeve. Aging hadn't treated her as well; she refused to take the first of her fine lines, nor her own gray hairs, with dignity.

"Here," Kuwabara offered her the glass of water, but she shook her head. "Maybe some tea? Or coffee? Or chocolates?"

Keiko chuckled at the last remark with a new tear trickling down her face.

Kuwabara sighed sadly, and set down the glass. He put his large hands on her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. "It's tough, I know."

Keiko was doing everything she could not to sob on his shoulder. She felt like such a bitch. It was just so unfair. When Kuwabara released the hug, she felt calm. She stood back and wiped the remaining tears away. She needed that.

The two humans stood in the tiny quiet room. The howling air conditioner broke the silence. They listened as it became background noise against their own thoughts.

"Where are you going to stay?" Kuwabara finally dared to ask.

"My parents' place, I guess." Keiko shrugged at the floor.

Kuwabara hesitated again. "I can take you over right now if you want," he stammered.

Keiko looked up and smiled at him sadly. "No, Kuwabara, you're fine."

"Okay, but if you need anything..."

They both sat back on the couch. Keiko leaned on Kuwabara's shoulder, and Kuwabara placed his head on hers, in the same position he had woken up. As her breathing slowed, he felt a familiar sensation in his chest. Peaceful and anxious. Satisfied and longing. Superfluous emotions, about to burst any second. He had not felt that in a long time.

He felt happy.

He loved Keiko. Not nearly as much as he loved Yukina, but still...

Kuwabara slowly drifted to sleep. He loved Keiko enough to be there for her; he loved Yukina enough not to.

Yeah, not your typical pairing. I know you all probably have a lot of questions, but hopefully next chappie will answer them. 'Til then, have fun and study hard in school!

--Peace, Tiemiosho