Happy weekend to my lovely readers! I hope you're doing well! Today's addition is the start of something special, sprouted from a prompt I never thought would cause me so much trouble. I mean, really, the word "Blue" has never caused me such distress! lol I wish I could've done more with this story than what you'll see, but when I realized that I was easily setting a stage for something fun and even flirty, I was very happy with how this one turned out. Please enjoy! And yes, my prompt was "Blue" XD
Moving On
The rare azure flower before her – a flower that could only be found near the icy streams directly beneath her abandoned island home in the sky – Yukina couldn't sum up any words to say to him. This rarity and token was more than just a friendly gift. This meant something greater.
"It's been nearly six hundred years since I made the promise to make sure you were never alone," Yusuke said, the stem of the flower still cold, as if the water it had lived on had frozen inside it. "I know… I know we can't forget about the people we still love, even now, but… if you have room for me, too…"
A proposal of sorts? Yukina almost couldn't believe her ears, but Yusuke was indeed asking to bond with her – for the remainder of their eternity. To share him with Keiko, and likewise, he would share her soul with Kazuma. But it was a fair request to make, seeing as how they had been by each other's side for the majority of the past six centuries.
Stricken to the core with her silence and her failure to make a move for the flower, Yusuke's expression turned sour and he began to withdraw the bloom. "Ah, damn it. I knew I shouldn't have said this so soon. Maybe I shoulda waited another hundred years or so…"
"Wait," her voice stopped him, pulling his gaze back to hers as she reached out to touch his forearm, her other hand encasing his that held the flower. He was so cold, but he warmed instantly by her healing touch.
She didn't gaze into the precious bloom like a normal woman would stare at the large stone of a diamond ring offered during such an occasion, but instead she searched his eyes for truth and wonder. Was there love in his soul for her – a love greater than what they already shared as friends? She searched and swam in his depths for answers to questions she had suppressed for years. Yukina wasn't about to deny that she had been admiring him considerably for some time now, but she was certain those were her feminine instincts coming into play. Yusuke was an attractive man, no questioning that, but was this a risky endeavor to take part in?
"If it makes you feel better, there's a part of me that will always love Keiko. I'm sure you feel the same way about Kuwabara." Yusuke was finally able to reply, hoping his response would ease her conscience, or at least her mind. He wasn't the sharpest tool in the box when it came to reading others, but he could at least tell that Yukina was struggling with his proposal. Maybe it was too soon to say anything.
Then she smiled, having discovered what she wanted. There – in his voice, she sensed clarity, honesty and devotion. And not all of it was directed at her. He still held Keiko and Kazuma's feelings in high regard, but seeing as how they had indeed passed, it was time to move on, and this was the offer of a lifetime. It was a love she could sincerely accept and find comfort in.
"I just have one question, Yusuke…" she started, her smile turning into a sassy smirk – one he saw rather rarely these days. "Do you think Hiei will approve?"
He detected the sarcasm in her tone and leaned his forehead against hers, delighted in her answer. It wasn't a straight out "yes", granted, but it was good enough for him. "I'm ready for the beating I'm guaranteed to get, don't worry."
And so it begins! I like how this relationship has blossomed like the flower Yukina is given - it took root and finally came into bloom many years down the road. Which struck me as something of a surprise when I realized that their relationship truly is all about fun and helping each other! Oh, I adore this couple so much. lol Please leave a review if you like this, my Beloved! I cherish you!