A Bigger Issue

Chapter 2: Melancholy Wind

Disclaimer: Do I look like J.K Rowling or Yoshihiro Togashi? I don't think I do. Therefore, I do not own anything but my computer and maybe a pair of socks. That's it. Yeah.

Kurama: Shiny-chan, you are a very irrational person.

Shiny-chan: I know this. Rationality is overrated. It is just too much fun to be stark raving mad.

Kurama: The gentlemen in the long white coats are coming in this direction with a straitjacket. I just thought it might be good for you to know that.

Shiny-chan: Hmm. I suppose I must get on with it before they cart me off to the loony bin!

Yusuke sighed heavily as he let the bathwater drain. Even though he had scrubbed himself thoroughly, he had still somehow left a gray ring in Kurama's bathtub. He worked to scrub it off, while wishing that his mom would get her act together for once. It was humiliating to have to ask for something as simple as a bath and food from someone besides his family. Not that she was much of a family anyways. In the last few months, her drinking had escalated, and this wasn't the first time he had found himself spending the night on the rusty fire escape outside his house. He could just break in to his house, but last time the neighbors had called the cops and the hassle that caused made it not worth it to try. He sighed again, and wrapped the towel around his hips before leaving the spotless bathroom. He walked down the hallway, water still dripping down his body and slid open Kurama's door. He strode into the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. Kurama was sitting at the desk with his chemistry text in front of him, taking notes in a large notebook. He looked up as Yusuke walked in, noting the water that beaded down his ripped body soaking into the damp towel around his waist. He gazed higher and met Yusuke's eyes.

"Hey fox-boy, can I borrow some clothes?" Kurama put down the pencil and knelt before his dresser and took out a pair of blue sweatpants before tossing them in his direction. Yusuke blindly caught them and Kurama returned to writing notes.

"Those should fit you, Yusuke. You took forever in the bath." Yusuke stuck his tongue at Kurama's back as he put on the warm sweats.

"Gee thanks foxy. I was cleaning my mess." Yusuke climbed on Kurama's bed and lounged against the walnut headboard, burying his feet in the jade throw. He shifted so he could look at the red-haired demon through his bangs.

"Yusuke?" Yusuke started and looked at him warily. His voice had grown soft and that made him suspicious.

"Yeah, Kurama?" He asked nonchalantly. Kurama put his pencil down and turned to face him.

"What is truly bothering you, Yusuke?" The fox was more perceptive than Yusuke thought and he had to fight to keep a blush from his face. He turned his face away from Kurama.

"It's nothing important." Kurama crossed his arms and stared at Yusuke, making him grow more uncomfortable as every minute passed.

"Yusuke, I know that's not true. It has been bothering you for a while, has it not?" Kurama uncrossed his arms and steepled his fingers, keeping his gaze on the young demon. Yusuke remained silent.

"Yusuke, please say something?" Kurama sighed and leaned back in his chair, almost ready to let it go for the present, but Yusuke spoke.

"How . . . long do you think I'll live now Kurama?" Kurama let out an inaudible sigh of relief.

"You are a demon of immense strength now Yusuke, I don't see any reason why you wouldn't be able to live for another thousand years. Why do you ask?" Yusuke flinched. When he spoke, his voice was nearly inaudible.

"Cuz, I don't think I . . . love Keiko anymore. I keep thinkin' it isn't right to make her be with a guy that doesn't love her ya know? Plus, I'll have to watch her get old and die when I'll still look the same . . . I was never the right person for her. Being with her just felt easy cuz everyone thought we'd end up together. I always cause her too many problems too." Kurama left his chair and sat next to Yusuke on the bed.

"How many years have we known each other, Yusuke?"

"It's about five now isn't it?" Kurama nodded.

"You've been a demon for about four years and this is only occurring to you now?" Yusuke bristled.

"It wasn't important before!" He protested defensively.

"When this issue ceased being important to you is when you stopped loving her. You are right that it isn't right to string her along like this. So what will you do about it?" Yusuke scrubbed his hands over his eyes tiredly, giving Kurama a weary look.

"I'll tell her tomorrow okay? Before we leave." Kurama crossed his arms.

"Don't do it just because I want you to Yusuke. You're doing it for her."

"I'll leave tomorrow morning then and get it over with. I'll probably have a buncha bruises on my face when I get back. I still have to tell her goodbye for the last time." Kurama stood and ruffled Yusuke's hair, making him smile wearily.

"You can use the bed Yusuke. I'll just get a futon from Kaa-san. I'll be back in a moment." Kurama left.

Yusuke was fast asleep before he returned.

Yusuke woke while it was still dark outside and he tried to quietly sneak out of Kurama's house without waking any of the occupants. He wasn't stupid, he knew that Kurama was awake when he left, however he couldn't afford to wait and greet him. He needed all the time it would take to get to Keiko's house to think of what he would say to her. He ran down Kurama's street and quickly increased to his demonic speed in an effort to arrive as quickly as possible. He ran north, turning down streets and keeping to the back roads in an effort to keep from being seen by any humans. He arrived in Kobe, where he sped up and arrived at Keiko's house just as the sky began to lighten. She still lived with her parents above the ramen shop and her bedroom was still in the same place it always had been. Yusuke scooped up a couple of pebbles and pelted them at her bedroom window on the second floor. Sharp cracks rang out causing Keiko to fling open her window in a sleepy fury. She glared down at the ground and when she saw him, her glare narrowed.

"Yusuke! You almost broke my window you idiot!" He dropped the second handful of the gravel he had taken from her garden and smiled up at her.

"Hey Keiko, can we talk a minute?" Her face grew red with the effort of suppressing her anger.

"Come back at a decent time of day!" She yelled and moved to slam her window shut.

"I can't Keiko! I'm leaving for England at dawn."

"Is it another one of those missions where you won't come back alive?" She asked bitterly.

"No. It's not supposed to be a hard one this time, but it's important all the same." She pursed her lips peevishly.

"Fine. I'll come down." She slammed the window shut and disappeared from his view. Yusuke swiped his hand through his hair and moved through her yard to wait in front of the front door. Minutes passed before he finally heard the door open, and he turned to find Keiko walking across her porch to meet him. Wrapped in her bathrobe and sporting pink bunny slippers, she had drawn her hair into a long braid that had wisps escaping from its confines. All in all, she looked as if she was just woken up from her sleep. Her weary face had a resigned look to what she was anticipating Yusuke to say.

"Well Yusuke? Get on with it so I can get back to bed and you can go back to running away and getting yourself killed." Yusuke sighed and swept her into an impromptu hug.

"I hold you back Keiko. I'm sorry bout that." Her face grew incredulous.

"What are you talking about?" Yusuke shoved his hands into his pockets and stared up at the lightening sky, noting the changing hues from black to yellow.

"You don't need to wait for me anymore. You deserve to be happy with a guy that makes you happy and can love you. Not a jerk like me." She looked surprised and stretched a hand in his direction.

"Yusuke. . ." He swiped his hands on his pants and pinned her beneath his gaze.

"Hell, Keiko! I'm not even a man anymore, I'm a monster!" Yusuke fell silent as he waited for her to say something, anything that would make the situation easier. He was not to be relieved. He breathed deeply, aware of her silent eyes fixed on the side of his face. She finally broke the silence, speaking softly and ruefully.

"You're in love with someone else Yusuke. I've known that for a very long time." He snapped his chocolate brown eyes to her face abruptly.

"I'm not in love with anyone!" He shouted. Keiko winced before continuing.

"But you are Yusuke. Even I have noticed that. So what are you going to do about it?" He blanched.

"I'm not in love with anyone Keiko so I don't have ta do anything!" Keiko's eyes narrowed and she placed her hands on her hips.

"You are Yusuke! And if you're too damn blind to do anything about it then you will lose him! What are you so darn afraid of anyways?"

"I dunno what you're talkin' about." He stated glumly.

"I think you do. You didn't answer me. What are you afraid of Yusuke?"

"I . . . I have to go!" Yusuke turned and crouched to leap onto the nearest roof.

"Yusuke, wait!" Yusuke paused in mid-leap and turned to look at her. She smiled sadly at him.

"Your life will be too long to live alone. Please consider my words and don't let whatever fears you have get in the way of your happiness." Yusuke smiled sadly at her before waving and flitting out of her sight.