She watched the evening shadows swallow his lean figure as he began the first steps in his journey, away from her and to a land she could not follow.
A burst of panic made her jolt from her seat at the window and open the widow pane with a slam. How was she supposed to live without his jokes, his laugh, his presence at her back as he walked her home, or the burning look in his eyes when they were alone? Three long years without his touch, his voice, the tender way he held her hand. She felt like death was tearing him away from her all over again, and she herself would die a little inside, like a wilted flower without the blazing presence that was Yusuke.
She leaned out the window, a cool evening breeze ruffling her hair. "Wait!"
The lone figure in the gloom paused, his shoulders tense, and he gazed up in her direction. Her anxiety died down, but she still flew down the stairs and out into the night.
She caught up to him. Hands shoved in his jacket pockets, he gazed at her solemnly, eyes sad. With him Keiko was used to expressions of ease, anger, sometimes stormy emotions but not the defeated look of sadness. "Kei…"
Swallowing her pride and nervousness she stepped close to him, a hand on his chest and stared straight into his eyes. Confusion crossed his face but he didn't pull away. How she adored those intense brown eyes. Dark stubble lined his mouth and chin, a few wild strands of bangs across his forehead, details she wanted to preserve in her memories. "Keiko?"
"Lets…" she bit her lip. "Lets go to your place for a minute."
His eyebrows knitted. "Ok….Why?"
She blew a breath. "Just trust me."
She grasped his hand in her own and he allowed her to lead him down the road, the dingy street lights and stars above their only light. Yusuke lived in the poorer part of town, but she wasn't afraid, not when she had the most powerful man alive at her side.
xxx
Keiko had counted on Atsuko not being home, she didn't know what she would do if her plans fell through, but luckily fate was on her side and the apartment sat empty and quiet, only the tv left flickering in the shadow.
Yusuke studied her beside him, confusion written on his features. They stood in his room, Keiko hesitant, and Yusuke having no idea why and silent. She peered down at her feet, at her pink socks without really seeing them. "What is it, Kei?"
His use of the childhood nickname made her smile. She noticed the concern etched in his features when she met his eyes. The long stare and the thoughts in her head caused an eruption of butterflies in her belly and she hoped she wouldn't lose her nerve. Rain pelted the roof and window and thunder cracked somewhere in the distance. The storm picked up and drowned out the muffled voices of the tv in the living room. She wondered where Atsuko was, his mother could be out all night or she could return home soon. Yusuke also had to leave. She felt as if time were slipping through her fingers like grains of sand, impossible to hold onto. She couldn't hold onto Yusuke either, not for long.
Keiko steeled her resolve.
She closed the space between them and pressed her lips to his.
Yusuke's body tensed, startled, and he grasped her shoulders. The light kiss only lasted a moment before she pulled away and peered up at him, both hands resting on his chest and trembling. She hoped he wouldn't notice. She found a deep emotion in his dark eyes; a mix of love and regret that called to every corner of her soul. He grasped her elbows as if to soothe her trembling.
He opened his mouth to speak but she seized him by his shirt collar and seared his lips with a hard kiss. A muffled groan sounded from his throat but she didn't pull away, and after his surprise subsided he kissed her back with equal passion, his arms cradled around her small waist.
He deepened the kiss and flicked his tongue against hers, pulling her flush against him. Even through his clothing his hard, masculine body set ablaze a fiery need between her legs. He tasted of cigarettes and cinnamon.
They broke for air, Keiko still breathless in his arms, her cheeks pink. He grinned at her. "Well I love you too, Kei."
A shy smile spread across her face and she touched her fingertips to her lips, as if to prove to herself that the kiss had been real. She wiggled out of his embrace and clasped his hand, tugging him towards the rumpled sheets of his bed.
His eyebrows shot upwards.
Keiko's pulse roared in her ears as she raised her sweater and pulled it over her head, her gaze steady with his. Yusuke's mouth dropped open. She tossed her shirt aside and stood in front of him in a light pink bra. Sure, he had seen her underwear before, but this time was different.
Yusuke said nothing. He kept glancing from her face, down to her generous line of cleavage, and back again. He cleared his throat. "Keiko?"
Her whole face colored pink as she unbuttoned her pants with shaking fingers. Despite herself, this time she couldn't meet his eyes. She kept her gaze trained on the ceiling. She stepped out of her jeans.
Yusuke scorched her skin with an intense look, as he trailed his eyes up her long legs, past the planes of her flat stomach, and lingered on her breasts. He couldn't help himself. He swiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "W-what," He cleared his throat, his voice hoarse. "What're you doing?"
Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. So much bare skin felt weird, felt vulnerable, and the air conditioner chilled her arms and legs. She thought maybe he didn't like her plain white polka dot panties, but the day's events hadn't been planned out and had now spiraled out of control.
She peeled her panties down her legs and stepped out of them. Yusuke stared at her in shock, as he glanced down at the center of her thighs, before dragging his gaze back to her face, painfully slow as if it hurt to do so. She smiled at him nervously. She unclasped her bra and the garment fell away, forgotten.
His dark eyes burned with a heavy, strange emotion. Desire zinged through her when she realized it was lust. She held her middle, but didn't cover her breasts, the mounds of pale flesh still exposed to his eyes.
He dragged a hand down his face and let out a ragged sigh. "Oh man. Keiko. I'm supposed to tell you no."
His words crushed her at first. "You don't like me?"
"Of course I do! Damn you're beautiful, sexy, hot… my dreams never even came close."
She sent him a bashful smile. She blushed again at the admission of nocturnal fantasies involving her, and wondered how many years she had starred in his dreams. It both embarrassed and flattered her. "I…just want this before you go. Is that alright?"
She sat down on the bed, fully nude and vulnerable. She fidgeted in her spot. Yusuke's stood rigid in front of her, as if one wrong move would crumble his resolve. She really hoped Atsuko stayed out all night.
She held a hand out to him.
He stripped off his jacket and shirt and tossed them on the floor. It was her turn to gape at his bared flesh. She studied his wide chest, his tan skin peppered with scars, and the dark trail of hair that ran down his abs into his jeans. She swallowed. She had always wanted his very strong, very male form shoved against her body, and sometimes her dreams had run wild with the dirty thoughts she kept hidden away in the daytime. She thought maybe she was caught in one of those fantasies and would wake alone in her bedroom at any moment.
He clasped her hand and they both crashed into the bed, into a mix of tangled limbs. She had broken his will, and he wanted to worship her body and show her how much he wanted this. He pressed her back into the mattress and ravaged her mouth with a kiss, his arms trailing up and down her torso. He devoted time to her breasts, squeezing the soft flesh in his palms.
"I love you."
Keiko wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Joy filled every chamber of her heart. "I love you too, Yusuke."
xxx
"I can't leave."
They huddled together on the bed, hands laced together, basking in the afterglow. "You have to, Yusuke."
He scowled. "What kind of asshole do you think I am?"
Keiko exhaled a shakey breath. "I thought spirit world labeled you dangerous. You're a wanted man."
Yusuke scoffed. "I don't care about those fucks."
She didn't bother to correct his cursing. She closed her eyes and swallowed the pain, she wanted nothing more than to lay in his arms forever, and forget about demon world and all the craziness she barely even understood. But she couldn't hold him back. She forced herself to whisper every painful word. "You'll never be satisfied until you learn about your demon heritage. It will eat away at you. Fate is pushing you in that direction Yusuke. You can't ignore it."
"But Kei…"
"But nothing."
He sighed, and circled the back of her hand in a gentle movement. "I don't want to be away from you that long. It scares me."
She hated how a dark cloud hovered over their happiness. Her eyes shimmered with tears. "It scares me too. But you'll be ok. We'll be ok." She shifted and laid her head on his chest. She heard no heartbeat. "I'll wait for you."
Yusuke's voice sounded thick. "God I love you Keiko. I promise I'll be back. I love you."
"I love you too. Can we lay here awhile?"
"'Course. Then I'll walk you home. Thanks Kei. Best going away present ever." He kissed her forehead.
Later that night, after the rain died down to a light mist, they walked slowly hand and hand back to the Yukimura household, and for him, Keiko held back her tears. She had never known the true meaning of bittersweet until that moment.
On the way home, Keiko mentally cursed her recklessness. With a start she realized they hadn't used a condom.
xxx
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AN: Thanks for the feedback, whether it be favs or reviews. Def not a perfect writer lol, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading!(: More to come. I love re reading positive reviews for inspiration.
