Summery: Death has never felt so final
"See you tomorrow," he had said. See you tomorrow…
"Fucking prick…" Yusuke whispered harshly as he strode far away from the hospital ward that contained a tired old husk, that 60 years ago had been in its prime. Sixty years ago that body had been young, and fit, awkward and gangling, and laughing-always laughing! That body had harbored the very soul and heart of the best man Yusuke felt he would ever know, or ever could hope to know. That body had belonged to Yusuke's greatest friend, Kazuma Kuwabara.
Yusuke was almost out of the hospital when Kuwabara's final words, whispered on his very last breath, crashed all around him.
The dark haired youth stopped in the lobby and sunk to the floor in a squat, tangling his shaking his hands in his hair as an angry outburst overtook his body. Bitterly, Yusuke began to sob.
"You fucking prick! You liar! FUCK!" Yusuke choked, unaware of the scene he was creating in the lobby.
See you tomorrow…
"Fuck!"
See you tomorrow…
"God fucking dammit!"
"See you tomorrow," Kuwabara whispered, his hand curled around Yusuke's sleeve. Kuwabara's hair was snow white now, and his face was so sagged and wrinkled, Yusuke could scarcely see the young man he used to be. It was a stark contrast to Yusuke's young face that looked no older than 15.
"Kuwaba…" Yusuke didn't even have time to finish saying Kuwabara's name before the warrior of love was gone. It had been far faster than Yusuke ever could have imagined. Kuwabara's hand crumpled away, and Yusuke grasped at the emptiness. See you tomorrow he had said. What a terrible lie…
Yusuke sobbed, his whole body shaking, his grief painful and unending. A nurse came to Yusuke's side, and with great effort she had him deposited in a chair as she tried to calm Yusuke down. His hands tangled further into his hair, and he choked as the wracking sobs made it hard to breath.
He would never see Kuwabara tomorrow...
Yusuke had no memory of how he left the hospital or got to his territory. But he had indeed made it home, and crawled into his bed, weeping without shame. The night would be long and the next day was years away. During the long, and what would be, a sleepless night, Yusuke's friends had arrived in slow, sad droves. They came in pairs, arms looped around another in silent support. They would come to Yusuke's room, slip passed the unlocked door, and lay a hand on Yusuke's leg, or just stand before him, before departing to drink in Kuwabara's memory in Yusuke's kitchen. There were no words to be said-everyone was grieving, and everyone knew nothing could be said to comfort Yusuke.
Only two people stayed in Yusuke's room as the man grieved. Kurama and Hiei had arrived and collapsed on Yusuke's bed, their grief just as heavy and hard to handle. They mourned together and made no move to get up when the morning light crept into the bedroom. They'd been through all this loss before. Each one harder than the next. Kuwabara had been the last of their human friends to linger, and now he was gone. As gone as teachers, as gone as friends, as gone as mothers…
Death had never felt so final.
From somewhere down the hall loud footsteps echoed. They walked with a steady purpose, and were at the door within a minute. The door banged open, and a figure rushed in before the room's occupants could even properly stir. The figure stooped and flipped over the mattress, spilling three shocked young demons to the floor.
"Get up you guys! We got a problem in spirit world and Koenma needs your help!" A young and familiar voice proclaimed.
Three heads shot up and mouths fell open in gaping shock.
"Kuwabara?" Yusuke croaked, voice raw from hours of sobbing.
Kuwabara, young and sporting a bright orange pompadour, stood before them. He was dressed in a blue kimono, as bright as his old middle school uniform. There was an easy smile on his face, and a brightness about him that had never been with him in life. With a twirl of his hand he summoned an oar, and promptly leaned against it as he stared back at his red-eyed friends.
The shocked silence crept on and on as Kuwabara bobbed his head between his trio of friends.
"Jesus, you three look like hell!" Kuwabara at last snorted.
"I…I don't understand?" Yusuke whispered, tears of joy and disbelief streaming down the tear tracks left behind from the other night.
Kuwabara smiled, his bright expression flushing for a moment as Kuwabara fought his own tears of joy, "Well…I got a job. Koenma could always use a skilled reaper. Besides... I said I'd…I'd see you tomorrow…and I'd hate to let you down."
End