(A/N:Keiko grieves.)

Disclaimer: I do not now, nor will I ever lay any claim to Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its characters

Unbalanced Kisses

Ch 1: Still in Mourning?
 Keiko couldn't understand why she felt like checking on Yusuke's mother as she walked home from the university, but she felt a sudden sense of duty to the woman who would have been her mother in law. The house seemed dreary, and Keiko stifled a shiver.
I hope she's okay. She loved him, he was her only child. Losing him twice. . .Keiko stopped the thought. Atsuko had been a horrible mother by most standards, and Yusuke had practically raised himself. Even as his girlfriend, she rarely came to the Urameshi household. The few times she had, though, the house had been filled with the smells of smoke and spirits. Still, Atsuko loved him. Keiko had seen her grieve the first time he died. She sat still and appeared shocked. It was only after she and the others had left, as she walked away from the house that she heard the woman wail in anguish for her only son. But then, Atsuko had done her best. Keiko never knew Yusuke's pain. She'd had a father in her life who loved her, a mother who did all she could. Atsuko, though, had done the same.
Don't be so critical, Keiko., her conscience warned as she approached the door. That was when she heard it; a mournful wail coming from just outside the home. She looked over and found a little wooden building constructed with a picture of Yusuke. Inside, Atsuko knelt at an altar, praying for his soul and—was she weeping? Keiko crept closer, careful to be unobtrusive. After all, Atsuko deserved to lament in peace. Silently, Keiko made her way to the shrine and bowed to Atsuko, then knelt next to her.
"Oh, Yusuke. . . Twice you leave me? Why?", Atsuko moaned, and Keiko's heart felt as if someone was ripping it open. Atsuko wasn't the only one he had left.
"Why, Yusuke?", she whispered. Tears formed and Keiko shook her head. She couldn't cry. Finally, unable to hold it in, she screamed,
"Why did you have to be so STUPID? Why did you go? You KNEW I loved you! Why did you let all of that go, YOU JERK? Why did you leave me, Yusuke?" Then she dissolved into tears. Atsuko looked up at the sound.
"Keiko. . .", she whispered. The brown haired girl looked up. Her face flushed, turning three shades of crimson in embarrassment. She had never meant to do that. She hadn't even meant to say anything aloud. All she'd come to do was to comfort her boyfriend's mother.
"I'm so sorry, Atsuko. I'll leave you in peace.", Keiko rose and then bowed to the woman in respect. She turned away.
"Keiko, wait! Please, don't go!", Atsuko rose and ran after the young woman. She yelled again,
"Keiko, please! I have something I need to say!" At this, Keiko turned back. Her hair blew in the sudden wind. Atsuko stopped and came to her, wrapping her arms around her.
"Keiko, I know you loved Yusuke. . . anyone could see it. But you need to try to . . . well, Yusuke would want you to find someone new to love."
"Atsuko . . ."
"No, Keiko. Listen to me. It's been half a year. You've grieved long enough."
"But even you're still grieving."
"I have a right to, Keiko. He was my son."
"Atsuko, with all due respect, I have as much right as you do. He was going to marry me, we were supposed to start a family . . . and then he just goes off on another of his stupid missions and gets himself killed?!"
"Keiko, I read his last letter to you. He didn't want you to mourn him. He wanted you to move on with your life, he wanted you to be happy. Please, for me. For Yusuke, go and be happy. I'll never have another son. But you are young and beautiful, and I promise you, you will find another love."
"But I don't want another love! I want Yusuke!", Keiko cried, the tears falling fresh again. She was sobbing as she ran, and this time all Atsuko could do was watch. She sighed heavily, and then retreated back into the house. Keiko jogged faster and faster, unable to believe the things she'd done the past few months. To her, Yusuke was barely cold in his grave, and she had kissed a demon he'd once called a friend and teammate. She wasn't paying any attention to her surroundings, so she didn't even realize it when she crashed headlong into her orange haired classmate.
"Hey, watch where you're—oh! Keiko, I'm so sorry! A—Are you okay?", the boy stammered. Keiko looked and a pair of concerned eyes flickered down at her. Keiko didn't speak at first. She didn't know what to say.
"I guess I'm doing all right.", she managed finally. She saw his eyes fill with worry.
"We all know how difficult things are for you, Keiko . . . of all of us, you were the one closest to Urameshi. You loved him. Meant the world to him too."
"Yes. He meant everything to me, too."
"Had he asked ya to marry him? He said he was gonna." The words flew from Kazuma's mouth before he could stop himself. The tears briefly brimmed in Keiko's eyes.
"Yes, he had. . . I'd accepted. We were going to do it this spring, once classes let out. He was going to try helping my father run the business. He didn't think he could finish school . . ." Keiko laughed bitterly. None of it mattered now.
"I'm so sorry, Keiko, It's rude of me to ask you such things, especially now that he's . . .", Kazuma trailed, unable to bring himself to say the words. In losing Yusuke, Kuwabara had lost both his greatest rival and his seemingly only true best friend. He couldn't make himself say that Yusuke was dead. To do that would be to admit that the faux enmity that had existed between the two of them was dead, and it wasn't. Kuwabara couldn't say he liked Yusuke now. After all, it was Yusuke's pig headedness and resolve to fight that had left Keiko with no one.
He really was a fool, taking that last round. None of us wanted him to. Not even Hiei, and he coulda cared less if something happened to Yusuke. , Kuwabara thought. He lost himself there, until her voice snapped him out of his reverie.
 "Thanks for the sympathy, Kuwabara. You didn't need to apologize."
"Any time you need to talk, Keiko, I'm here. I know it's hard. You really should try to move on, though. Yusuke woulda wanted ya to. Just find somebody who deserves ya, who makes ya happy."
I think I already have, Kuwabara. I just have to totally let Yusuke go., Keiko mused as she walked back to her father's business. Mr. Yukimura was waiting for his daughter, and when he saw her enter, he greeted her, immediately noticing the sad look on her face.
"Hi, Keiko."
"Hi Dad.", was all she said in reply. Mr. Yukimura fished for something to say. He knew Keiko wasn't happy. Their relationship had strained some when he'd found out the truth about whom and what Yusuke really was after they talked at the diner one night. He didn't take kindly to his daughter marrying a half demon, but the boy had been adamant that he loved and would protect Keiko with his life, something her father grew to admire. Of course, he'd never admitted that to his daughter, figuring that the headstrong girl would just go off and marry anyway without his consent. He wasn't one to stand in the way of true love, and what she'd had with him. . . well, there was no denying that Yusuke adored her. But he'd been gone so long already. Maybe she was right to have. . .
Kissing Shuiichi may have seemed wrong. But I needed someone. He was there., she reflected. Quietly, Keiko went up to her room and stared out the window, and watched the cherry blossoms fall.

(A/N: Read and Review if you love it!)