Addressing the Issue

Keiko and Kuwabara

Dark clouds covered the sky while down pours of rain spread across the city. People everywhere scurried off to get home quicker or to find shelter from the rain. Coats, shirts, and sometimes plastic bags were used as cover from the rain when umbrellas were unavailable. A few walked by a pair underneath the shelter of a store's umbrella shade. Keiko watched with fascinated eyes as it seemed like the whole world was afraid of the rain.

She cupped her hand and brought it out of the shelter of the rain and let it gather the nearby raindrops. The rain had a nice refreshing feel after such a warm day before it started. A huge desire to walk in the rain overcame Keiko. She looked longingly at the bag of clothes, books, and groceries that couldn't afford to be wet and then back to the cool rain.

Hoping to take her mind off of her desire, she asked Kuwabara, "Do you think that it would stop raining soon?"

Kuwabara looked at the sky for a moment before answering. "I don't know. It was pretty sunny before it started raining. Who would have thought that it would start raining? Except for maybe Kurama."

He gave her a bright smile as if it would make up for a lack of a better answer. Though it wasn't the prettiest smile that Keiko had ever seen, she smiled back anyway. She always admired the way that he could easily show his feelings and not care what other people thought. Sometimes she envied Yukina.

"I kind of hope that it won't stop raining soon," Keiko, who surprised herself, admitted. With any other person, she would have told them that she wished would stop soon so that she could put all the shopping away and just relax.

"Really? Why is that?" Kuwabara asked curiously. "Did you and Yusuke have another fight?"

Normally Keiko would twitch and anger would start to boil inside of her because so many assumed that she and Yusuke had an argument whenever she was in a bad mood. But with Kuwabara, it was different. For some reason, she had more patience with him than Yusuke. Most likely it was because he was more willing to learn how to make things better than Yusuke. And he wasn't as stubborn.

"No, we didn't have a fight," Keiko answered. "I just… don't want the rain to stop anytime soon. That's all."

"Okay."

Keiko started at Kuwabara from the corner of her eyes. In some ways, he reminded her of Yusuke. Like the way that he could just accept some things without any explanation and his passion for fighting. But in most ways, he was just Kuwabara. Kuwabara, the person that loved cats and would do anything for his friends. Kuwabara, the one who loudly admitted that emotions were not for the weak in Makai and that he loved Yukina.

Hiei and Touya were not pleased.

He had a certain bravery that Hiei, Kurama, and even Yusuke did not possess. Maybe that was one of the things that attracted her to him. She didn't know what exactly it was that drew her to him. She never really let her thoughts dwell on it. Keiko was just willing to accept that there was something, inside of her, that pulled her to Kuwabara. It wasn't as strong as the pull to Yusuke, but it was something that she couldn't ignore.

Wanting to talk more with Kuwabara and to have an excuse to move just a little bit closer to him, she asked, "So how is Yukiko doing?"

Kuwabara's eyes lit up when the conversation turned up to his so-called-daughter. "She's great! If she ever went to school, she would have to be put in high school. She just loves learning. Sometimes I think that she's even smarter than me!"

Keiko listened to Kuwabara go on about Yukiko for a while longer. He was so proud of that little eight year old ice apparition, soon to be nine. Even if she wasn't his child. Keiko's mind turned back to the time that Yukina announced that she was pregnant. It was also around the time that Yukina was seeing Touya. For a long time, everyone thought that the child was his. Even Hiei thought it was Touya's.

Kuwabara was crushed at the news. It was bad enough for him that Yukina had feelings for someone else, but to also have a child with him? But Yukiko was Yukina's child not Touya's. Keiko also remembered that it was also the year when a lot of things went bad for him. He never told anyone what happened to him. Not even his own sister. It was by chance that Keiko found out and she swore to him that she'd keep it a secret. Everyday Keiko was thankful for his life, for being there.

She didn't know what she'd do if he went away.

"Do you think that Yukiko will like the snow globe that I got for her?" Keiko asked him.

"I'm sure that she will," Kuwabara said with a large goofy smile. Keiko couldn't help but smile back. "I like it a lot. It's a great gift."

"I'm glad."

Yukiko. The thought of the little ice demon made her think of her own children. They should be napping at this time. Maybe tomorrow she'll take them to visit Yukiko. They'd like that. Then she could also visit Yukina and Kuwabara would sure follow just to see Yukina.

A dull ache form in Keiko's heart at that thought. She shook her head as if to rid herself of the ache. "Hey Kuwabara. Thanks for going shopping with me."

"It's no problem. I'm free anytime you need to go shopping."

"Really?" Keiko looked hopefully at him.

"Sure! Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know," Keiko looked back out at the rain. "It was nice of you to do this. Now if only Yusuke could get off of his lazy butt and accompany me too!"

Kuwabara laughed. "Yusuke will never change."

Keiko sighed. "I guess not. Some people just never change."

Unlike you.

Keiko took a good look at Kuwabara. He still had most of his unruly and ugly features from when he was a teenager. But over the years his face had soften to be a sort of handsome. His personality had also changed. He thought more about his actions and was less idiotic. Yes, he still liked to fight, but did so less and less. Mostly because he couldn't keep up with Yusuke and because of his weakened body. But there was still his determination that never died.

He was still caring. He took care of his sister after they found out that she was pregnant and Yukina's daughter, who immediately began calling herself his daughter ever since she found out what a father was. It really wasn't so bad because Kuwabara did act like a father towards her.

"What's the matter Keiko?" Kuwabara asked. "Is there something on my hair?" He swiped his hair as if it would take away the none-existing thing that was there.

"Iie. There's nothing there. I was just…. Thinking," Keiko answered, blushing a little realizing that she'd been caught staring at him.

"Oh," Kuwabara turned to look at the rain like Keiko once did. "Do you like the rain?"

"I love the rain."

"Me too. Sometimes it reminds me of Mitari. Why don't you just go out in the rain?"

"Nani?"

"Go out in the rain," Kuwabara looked at her expectedly. "You looked like you just want to drop all your responsibilities and just run out in the rain. So why not? Go and have fun."

"But all the shopping. And the groceries. Someone might take them," Keiko automatically switched to her responsible mood.

"Well, I guess that's true."

"So you see, we can't."

"No, you go."

"Huh?" Keiko looked at him confused.

"What I said was that you go out in the rain. You really want to, ne? I'll stay here and watch the stuff. So don't worry. Have fun Keiko. You'll need it because you'll be yelling at Yusuke for the rest of the day when you get home and I can't image that to be fun." He gave her a childish grin.

Keiko stared longingly at the rain. In a soft voice, she said, "I don't want to go there alone."

Ever since Keiko found out about Kuwabara's condition, they've gotten close. Their relationship was a bit odd at first because Keiko was carrying her first child as well. But whenever Yusuke was away or Botan too busy with her job and unexpectedly getting closer to Hiei, Kuwabara was always there for her. Because, in a way, it made sense.

Two of the people closest to Yusuke, one who didn't have powers and the other who did but can't measure up, left in the dark. It was them who Yusuke left to go fight. And though he often returned, there was still that pang of loneliness. So the two stuck together.

"But you won't go alone," Kuwabara said after a while. "I'll be with you."

"Then who's going to watch the stuff?" Keiko raised an eyebrow. "And you just said that you'd watch the stuff."

Kuwabara looked stumped. "Um… How about Koenma!" Keiko sweat dropped. "Hey Koenma! You have to watch the stuff for us okay! When we come back and the stuff is gone, I'm going to go up there and KICKYOUR BUTT!" Kuwabara yelled at the sky.

People passing by turned to looked at him. Keiko could practically see their thoughts on their faces. They thought that he was crazy. Keiko glared at them, daring them to say something. Most hurried off to continue to whatever it was they were originally doing. Keiko was used to Kuwabara doing this kind of thing. It didn't bother her that much anymore.

"Do you really think that Koenma would watch our stuff for us?" Keiko asked him after she was done glaring.

"I don't know. But it's worth a try, ne?" he gave her another of his goofy smiles. Over time, Keiko had come to appreciate those smiles. It was as carefree as Botan's but more childish. One of the reasons why Shizuru still treated her little brother like a child. It wasn't stupid like Hiei always said it was, just warm. With a bit of ugliness to boot.

Before Keiko could say anything, Kuwabara dragged Keiko out into the rain, spun her around to face him, brought her arms around his neck, and began to dance.

"What are you doing Kuwabara?" Keiko asked him, thinking that he lost his mind like everyone else thought.

"Dancing. It's fun."

Keiko thought for a moment then smiled at him and placed her head on his chest. The two moved side to side while rain pour down on them and drenched their clothes and body. It hit their eyes, trailed down their clothes, made them shiver slightly, and tickled their noses. Yet despite of it all, the two continued to dance.

"This is nice," Keiko murmured softly.

"Keiko?"

"Hm?"

"I think that I love you."

"What?" she quickly looked up at him but never let go.

"I think that you love me too," he said looking into her eyes. "I'm not the fighter for love for nothing!"

"But – I… But –" Keiko tried to say. But Kuwabara placed two fingers on her lips.

"Shh. It's okay. Let's just continue on dancing." He twirled her around a few times. Large droplets of water flew from her clothes as she was spun and was pulled back to Kuwabara. She looked deep into his eyes and saw love and knew that the same thing reflected off of her eyes. But underneath his love for her was a deeper love for Yukina.

"I think that I envy Yukina."

She didn't say anything more. Neither did he. They just continued on dancing in the rain.