Haunted by Inustgirldreamer (with a little editing assistance from Random1377)

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or any of the characters in it. They belong to Ken Akamatsu. I am merely writing this fanfic because I adore this creator and his creation.

" " speaking

' ' thoughts

AN: This story popped up at work, so I hope you all enjoy.

Chapter 1: A Graveside Chat

The gentle chirping of the alarm at first caused a stirring in the futon beside the table, then the probing of a hand, and finally a soft groan as the annoying sound was finally silenced.

"Damn alarm's too damn early."

Kitsune pulled back the covers and slowly slipped out of bed. Yawning and stretching she went over to the mirror and began to run a brush through her hair, grimacing a bit as she worked the tangles free.

"Sober sucks, but today is the anniversary of that day… and I don't want to be late, do I?"

She studied herself in the mirror as she brushed her hair and prepared her makeup, making sure it was just so. Finally she went to her closet and laid out her best black lace underpants and bra set, choosing a matching black dress to go with it. She then dressed herself and put on her leather knee-high, heeled boots. Glancing at the mirror, she gave her reflection a dazzling smile.

'Hmmm not too bad for an almost forty year old, I must say. I wonder if he'll like it. Well, time to go. I don't want to be late – after all, we do have a train to catch'

Kitsune moved through the nearly empty Hinata Inn and made her way to the kitchen where she picked up the basket she had made the night before, checking the contents making sure everything was there before walking out the door and heading to the train station. She looked out the window as the early morning traffic slid by, watching the salary men and early shoppers moving on with their daily lives. For a moment she felt a bit of anger and jealousy toward the crowd – irrationally irritated at how easily they moved about their lives, but she pushed her annoyance aside and forced herself to return to her drifting thoughts. Soon enough, they were at her stop and she got off the train, pausing to buy flowers at a small stand as she went along her way. Soon she found herself where she needed to be, kneeling down as she gave a sad smile.

"Well Keitaro," she said softly, "another year has passed, and it's time for our visit, though I think this year, I'm afraid, it's just me – good old, faithful Kitsune. Ha! Bet you never thought I would be the last one huh? Well don't worry, Kanako will be here tonight. She doesn't go out during the day much anymore."

She smiled as she used a bit of bottled water to wash the headstone of Keitaro's grave, then she knelt and pulled a few weeds from around the marker and laid out a few offering of food – a beef bowl, some yakisoba, and a few other choice treats – then she laid the flowers at the base and lit the incense she had brought. Finally she pulled out a shot glass and poured out a bit of sake before kneeling before the grave and placing her hands together in front of her.

"There you go sugar – all the comforts of home, and the sake is all for you. Did I tell you I promised not to drink when I visited you? Well, I'll stay dry… at least 'till tonight at my official 'drowning of the sorrows' binge. Now let's see, I suppose I should tell you about how everything has been since you been gone. I know I do this every year, but I enjoy keeping you, up to date with, everyone, and since no one else is coming, I guess…"

She trailed off, shaking herself and

"Well it's been twenty years now since you became famous as the 'onion dome death boy,'" she sighed ruefully. "You know you really are famous. You're in Naru's songs and Mokoto's books . Who knew your 15 minutes of fame would last so long huh? Oh, I know you're wondering where everyone is, but it has been so long, and everyone kept coming for so long… but they had to move on eventually, Keitaro, you can understand that, can't you? I guess the first to recover was Naru. I mean, shed had college to fill the void, no one blamed her though, especially after her pop idol career revived – and she's still going strong, and she even started another tour not long ago. I guess that's why she hasn't made it the last few years."

"Su recovered next I guess. She was depressed for a long time, but her natural good humor could only stay down so long, you know? Eventually she was inventing again and getting in trouble with Sarah, who's always with her now. I don't know if it's true or not, but somewhere along the line I heard they became a couple. It really doesn't surprise me, I guess, Su never really showed and interest in guys beside you and Lama Su. Anyways I heard they finally solved the cold fusion problem and are poised to make more money than the Beatles. Heh… they're still brats, though."

"Motoko took longer. I guess the years really have dulled things for her. She works out her feelings in her books – they're gushy romance trash, which means everyone loves them of course, and you're her reoccurring hero… though, sorry to say, twice as dashing as you were in real life. Not half as charming though, since I guess it's hard to capture that sweetness you had on paper. Anyways, she made it through college and even took over the Gods Cry School. She was a dynamo of action about four years ago. You might remember I told you she had finally got a man and got married, well they are expecting their first child so I am sure that is why she's not here."

"Speaking of children, Mitsumi is on her tenth or eleventh, I think – her brood is even bigger then her mother's. Her oldest is just about 2 years from getting out of high school. You remember him, I'm sure, since he's named after you. Smart as a whip like his mom, without all the ditziness added in. She takes care of Seta and Haruka's twins when they're off on a dig or searching the world for treasures." She laughed softly "I wonder how much confusion there is when Mitsumi calls out 'Keitaro' and two kids come running. You remember your Aunt named her son after you, too."

"So many Keitaro's around… a person would think you were quite the stud. Shinobu named her second son after you. Her marriage and restaurant are still going strong. I would have never have guessed that your chubby friend Shirai would have gotten his act together, much less wooed Shinobu and got her to marry him. Ok, ok, I admit he was there for us all after your death, helping out around the Hinata and generally being the good guy. He helped out for the first 6 months, then once we settled down he left, so you can imagine everyone's surprise when – the day Shinobu got into Tokyo U. – he showed up looking dapper and asked Shinobu out. I was surprised that she said yes. Hah, what did you do up there? Give them both an angelic push, huh? Well now they have 3 kids of their own and are quite the loving couple. I have to admit it warms my heart whenever they visit the inn."

"I told you, if you remember, that your grandmother gave Kanako the Hinata. At first it was tough, but she really isn't half bad. Once Shinobu moved out that left only me there, so I cut a deal with her – I kept my room and her customers get a discount at the tea house. She does a wonderful job as Manger. The Inn is full year round with tourists and couples. It's a really popular lovers retreat now that that she reopened the annex. Though this week it's closed. It's always closed this week because… well, you know why." Roughtly, she cleared her throat. "Well, Kanako now has a young girl named Ema who manages it, and she's gotten more reclusive these last couple years. 'The vampire lady of Hinata' that's what the kids call her. She's beautiful, but Keitaro, she's so cold. I'm the only one she warm's up to, and that's only when we're talking about you. Hard to believe it, but me and your sister are close friends. Mutually shared grief I guess."

"Me? Well I'm still me: part time freelance writer, part time tea shop owner, full time slacker. I guess I'm as happy as I can be, all things considered. Your friend Haitani works for me, when he's sober and clean that is. I don't know why I cut him slack, but I do. He can be handy… when he can think, that is. He took your death hard, and hit the booze just as hard, the drugs – harder. I guess as long as he keeps his finger out of the till he can work for me. I've gotten softhearted over the years. I blame you by the way – your kindness must have rubbed off me."

She smiled as she lapsed into silence, kneeling by the graveside as the bright sun warmed her bones, trying to think of something more to say now that she had filled her friend in on the happenings of the lives he was supposed to be a part of.

"Sugar," she said gently, "it's time for me to go. I'm sure we'll all make it next year. No one's forgotten you, Keitaro least of all me, it's just… everyone's so busy. You know how it gets. Now you be good 'till your sister comes, and tell her hi for me."

Kitsune leaned over and planted a soft kiss on the cool stone of the marker.

"Aishiteru."

Rising to her feet, she hurried off towards the train, refusing to look over her shoulder as she went for fear of breaking down completely.

Wiping a tear away, she closed her eyes and managed a small nap as the train rattled back towards Hinata. Before long, her feet were walking a familiar path and she found herself sitting in a stool at one of the local bars. She didn't notice that she drew speculative stares from the men and jealous glance of woman 10 years younger then her. No, Kitsune didn't feel like the beauty she still was at that moment. The only feeling she had was grief – twenty years old, yet still fresh.

"Ueda I need a drink," she declared, resting her head in her hands as the bartender approached her. "Why don't you pour me a sake and just leave the bottle, k? After all… the day is still young."

The bartender frowned as he passed by the still-drinking patron. She had arrived in the early afternoon, and close to midnight the hard-drinking woman was showing the effects of over-indulging. He had known Kitsune for years, and, glancing at the calendar, he understood why she was trying to drown herself in alcohol.

But enough was enough. If the woman wanted to drink herself to death, she was going to have to do it somewhere else.

"Sorry Kitsune… you're cut off. No more"

Kitsune slammed her palm down on the bar, making the empty bottles in front of her jump.

"If I want s-sass from a bartender I'll l-let you know," she stuttered, "now leave the damn b-bottle before I send you home a e-eunuch!"

Ueda recoiled from the ferocity in Kitsune's eye and left the bottle in front of her, cursing his line of work. Kitsune happily finished the bottle and then, realizing that it really was the last she would be getting from Ueda, staggered out the door and tried to remember which way the place she called home was.

What she did not notice was the small group of young men who had followed her out into the dark streets. It didn't take them long to find the inebriated woman passed out in the small park halfway between the bar and the Hinata Inn. They grinned at their good fortune, laughing amongst themselves as they argued over who would be the first to take advantage of the defenseless woman… but the boasts turn to screams of terror as a figure materialized before them, shaking its translucent head as it waved one finger at them in a unmistakable 'uh-uh-uh' gesture.

As soon as the delinquents had ran off into the night, the figure stooped down and lifted Kitsune, walking surely and silently towards the Hinata inn. As the woman stirred, the figure looked down with a warm smile, mouthing her name as her eyes slowly flutted open.

"Why… am I floating?" She blinked, her eyes filling with tears as she looked up into the familiar face of, "K-Keitaro…?" Her breath caught in her throat, making speech almost impossible. "Oh thank god – I've finally done it, haven't I? I drank myself to death and you came… you came to take me to heaven with you…"

Kitsune's hand came up, touching Keitaro's cheek. She stroked it lightly, her face looking serene happy even as she talked of death.

"I always knew you would be the one waiting for me," she whispered, unwilling to look away from his face as he smiled down at her. "People always say loved ones come for you when you die, and now I know… now I know I can tell you all those things I should have told you 20 years ago." Tears continued to stream unabated down her face as she whispered, "I love you Keitaro. I have for twenty one years. I know I should have told you then, but you had your heart set on Naru. I knew, though… I knew it would be you that came for me… Keitaro, I always… always knew…"

Though she had not even noticed the intervening terrain, they had somehow managed to make it back to the inn and were heading toward the empty manager's rooms. Keitaro laid her on the old, slightly dusty futon and began to pull back, but Kitsune smiled and caught his hand, pulling him closer and raining kisses all over his face until Keitaro began to kiss her back, helping her shed her clothes as hungers too long repressed surged forward and broke free.

"Yes," she gasped, welcoming him inter her arms, "yes, I've waited so long… so… long…"

Soon the two bodies joined and fell into the age old rhythm of love, with no one but the empty Hinata Inn to witness their union.

Kitsune's eyes fluttered open and she let out a tired groan, looking around in bleary confusion as she realized she was in the old manager's room – the one that had become a shrine to the man she loved…that they all had loved, honestly, though none, she felt, as deeply as her. She became more aware of her surroundings and she realized that she was naked, her clothes lying scattered around the room as if cast off in great haste. And her body… her body felt good – as if she had spent the night doing something she hadn't done in a long time. Embarrassed and blushing, she quickly put her cloths back on, her face darkening to an even deeper read as she realized that there was a certain dampness to her under things.

"Damn," she whispered, straighting her blouse, "an erotic dream? At my age?" She grinned sheepishly. "But damn it was a good one! Damn it, Keitaro… I miss you…"

Quickly going to her room and stripping down, Kitsune wrapped a towel about herself and headed into the bath.

"Twenty damn years and I'm still head over heels," she muttered to herself. "Kitsune… you're a fool."

With that she sank into the water and sighed in pleasure, completely ignorant of the spectral figure looking down on and her smiling before turning abruptly and passing, without a trace, through the Hinata Inn's outside wall.

Continued…

AN: well, please read and review for me, check out my other two stories and enjoy them too.((reedited and improved with the help of my awesome prereader or in this case rereader Random1377))

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Kitsune forced me to write it, claiming she wanted equal loving time with Keitaro, since hardly anyone wrote stories with her as the love interest. So in order to keep the fox lady from doing what she promised (and believe me, it wasn't pretty) you have the first chapter of a Kitsune /Keitaro match.