Yu Yu Hakusho: New Dreams, Old Nightmares
Hey all, time for Chapter 2! I'm feeling very sick as I write this, but I want to continue with the ideas I had from last night and get this updated as soon as possible.
Disclaimer – I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or anything related to it except for a few of my original characters, which may or may not be introduced in this chapter.
New Dreams, Old Nightmares
Chapter 2: How long has it been?
Yusuke and Keiko stepped off the train at station. He had his bag slung over his shoulder, and his other arm reached out to take Keiko's. The night was moving in quickly, and while for the most part, their clothes were dry, they were still damp in a few places.
Didn't want to catch a cold on your first day back.
"Where to?" Yusuke said. "Your house first, or mine?"
Keiko thought for a moment as they walked down the stairs leading to the street below. "My house is on the way to yours. Can we stop so I can get a change of clothes?" She bit her lip before continuing. "I…can I shower at your place? It's been so long, I guess I'm afraid that if I let you out of my sight that you'll disappear again…"
Yusuke untangled his arm from hers and placed it around her shoulders, giving her a gentle squeeze. "That's fine with me, but won't your parents be a little worried?"
The two continued walking down the street, their footfalls the only sounds against the ambient noises of the city.
"So, the prodigal dimwit returns," the old woman said as she set down her cup of tea. Kurama and Shizuru were kneeling around a small table with her, having been called there by her request. Yukina, Botan, and Kuwabara were still relaxing in the main living room.
"He's changed a lot. It's good to see him, and my brother is happier than I've seen him in a long time."
"Yes, and Keiko as well. For all of our sakes, it is good to see him again."
Genkai chuckled. "How long will he be back this time?"
Kurama placed his own cup on the table. "I don't know. The next Makai tournament will be in a few months and Yusuke expressed his desire to participate again." He smirked. "Even I'm curious as to how I will fare in this next one."
"You're going to enter again?" Shizuru asked the redhead.
"Yes, I've actually been looking forward to it, along with many of my friends in Makai."
Shizuru laughed. "So, what would my favorite redhead do if he ended up winning and becoming the ruler of all of Makai?"
Kurama smiled. "I know I stand no chance of winning. I simply wish to refine and test my skills. The tournament provides a relatively safe way for all yokai to do that, and many are entering for that very same reason. Luck is a large factor in determining the winner of the tournament."
"I thought it was might-makes-right. How did luck have anything to do with it?"
"A lot of the stronger fighters were paired against each other earlier on in the tournament. They used almost all their energy to win, and were not at top strength when they faced later opponents. This is how Yomi and Mukuro ended up losing about halfway through the tournament." He took another sip of his tea before continuing. "Yomi defeated Yusuke but used so much energy that he lost in the very next round." Kurama then chuckled. "I fell victim to the same ploy when I used almost all of my energy to defeat Shigure."
"It's not often we see you lose, Kurama."
"It was just my luck. I would have been paired up against one of Raizen's old friends in the next round. I actually withdrew from the tournament before that round started. I would have had no chance of victory and I was injured."
The old mentor nodded. "A wise decision. Too bad Yusuke never learned the lesson of quitting while you're ahead."
"Well, in his defense, quitting usually meant dying." Shizuru added.
"That's true. So tell us, Kurama. If you and the dimwit were to go up against each other, how do you think you would do against him?"
Kurama laughed. "Truth be told, I don't know if I could win, and if I did, Yusuke would be in fairly bad shape."
"Oh?"
"Yes. I have much more tact and reasoning in battle than Yusuke, but his abilities far surpass mine. I have a feeling I would have to seriously injure him to win, and not just put him in a position where it was imminent. Yusuke would never stop and never admit he was beaten, and his endurance greatly exceeds mine in that regard."
"You took your fair share of beatings. I don't know how anyone could have lived what Karisu put you through."
A cold shiver went up Kurama's spine at the memory of that yokai. "It's not like I enjoy putting that theory to the test."
"Nobody ever does, Kurama," Genkai said, as she reached for the kettle to pour herself some more tea. "Would you like some more?"
"Thank you, Master Genkai," replied Kurama. "It's quite good."
"Thank my age. However, I didn't invite you in here to just make small talk and enjoy a cup of tea."
Shizuru and Kurama straightened up as they turned to look at her.
"You remember what I said earlier, about how I would entrust this compound to your group?"
They nodded.
Genkai sighed. "In spirit, I do mean that. The problem is, I need a sole proprietor in charge of my estate when I move on. I know all of you have the best intentions but in all honesty, you two are the only ones I feel would be able to competently handle it."
"One of us?" Shizuru asked.
"Would you feel comfortable leaving this responsibility in the hands of your brother? He has enough to worry about with exams approaching and all the work he's been doing to have something like this dumped in his lap. Yukina is a sweet girl but doesn't know too much about the ways of this world. And Botan…"
"I see your point."
"Would one of you be willing to volunteer?"
Kurama and Shizuru stared at each other. Kurama was the first to speak up.
"Master Genkai, I would feel honored with this responsibility, if you would entrust it to me."
"Oh no you don't." Shizuru said. "I'm the only one without life pressing down on me and I don't have any fights-for-the-supreme-ruler-of-an-entire-world coming up. Sorry Kurama, but I think this would be better for me to take care of."
Kurama's surprise quickly gave way to a smile and a small bow. "I thank you, Shizuru-san."
"Well, now that that's taken care of, I need to rest these old bones." Genkai said, rising to her feet. "It seems my place was volunteered for a party tomorrow night and I'd like to be well rested. Kurama, you can share the guest room with Kuwabara. Shizuru, there's another room for you and the girls," the old master stated as she walked towards the door, with Kurama and Shizuru getting up to follow.
"Aww man! I can't believe this!"
Yusuke was at his home, in his room, or at least, what once was his room. Boxes of junk were everywhere, including the bed in the corner. Atsuko had turned it into a storage area. There was barely any exposed floor.
"Well, Yusuke," Keiko said, "you were gone for a very long time…"
"Oh sure. Multi-time savior-of-the-world moves out for a while and his mother turns his room into storage! What a lot of thanks I get!" he said with an exasperated sigh as he started to toss a few boxes that were in the way of the dresser. Keiko remained at the door, a bag of clothes in her hand that she brought from her place.
"Where is my mother anyway?"
"I don't know, I haven't talked with her in a while…"
"Well, you do have a key to the place so I didn't have to break the door down," Yusuke said as he finally cleared away a space big enough to open the dresser drawers. Digging through the various items of clothing there, he sighed again. "Guess I realized how much I've grown over the last few years…none of these things will fit me anymore…"
He reached down and grabbed his bag, undoing the drawstring on it. From it he pulled out a few basic articles of clothing – a few undershirts, a few jeans, a pair of cotton pants, some boxers, and socks.
"Where did you get those? Those look like you got them from the mall not too far from here…"
Yusuke laughed. "I had Kurama get a few items for me when he went back and forth that fit me. I really like some of the stuff Makai has though, but when yokai come in all shapes and sizes, there aren't too many specialists in clothing that's comfortable for humans. Come to think of it," he said, placing a finger on his chin and looking up at the ceiling, "All my sparring clothes are from Makai but all my casual wear and sleeping clothes are from here…"
"This fabric is so light and soft!" Keiko said in surprise as she fingered the fabric of one of his shirts. Yusuke saw that it was one of the yellow sleeveless ones he liked to wear, a throwback to the old tournament on Hanging Neck island.
"Yeah, it's like cotton, only about three times as light and strong. I don't think anything in Ningenkai would stand up to the stuff from Makai."
"Why is that?"
"Well, when you fight, you need some pretty durable clothing. The level of the fights that happened in the Ankoku Bujutsukai were child's play compared to even the sparring that happens in the warm-ups. Don't want to get hit by a blast and end up naked," he chuckled.
Keiko blushed. "No, I would sure hope not! But…you mean the fighting is even worse than Toguro…?"
Yusuke turned to look at her. "Well, yeah, but not in the way you're thinking…"
Keiko remembered that fight all too well. Watching the larger yokai practically torture Yusuke as he could do nothing to stop it. Keiko had slipped far away during that fight, breaking down into tears with each hit, each scream, each laugh that Toguro gave, slipping into her own world that contained only her and Yusuke. It was a mixed blessing – she didn't see or hear any more of Toguro's torture, and Kuwabara falling, but she also didn't see Yusuke's final victory against the yokai. She had come to with Yusuke slapping her hard, with the stadium mere minutes away from collapsing and taking them all with it…
Yusuke sat on the bed and frowned. "The fighters there are a lot stronger, but nobody dies. Everyone there appreciates a good fight, and they all said they wanted to do it again. There was only one death at this tournament, it was a guy Kurama went up against."
Keiko's hands flew to her mouth. "Kurama killed someone?"
"No, Kurama beat him fair and square. But afterwards, he killed himself. Kurama doesn't kill unless he absolutely has to, you know that."
She let out a sigh of relief.
Yusuke looked back up at her. "Hey…why don't you use the shower first? I'm gonna do some rearranging so I can actually sleep in the bed, and unpack some stuff. Then you don't need to worry about the hot water running out, or anything like that…"
"Okay…thank you," Keiko said, going down the hall and into the bathroom. "And don't you dare peek, Yusuke!"
"Yeah yeah…"
Yusuke moved the boxes off the bed as he heard the water start running. There were about a dozen of them, and they all weighed a sizeable amount. "Geez mom, nice to know that if there's ever a pet rock shortage we should be just fine," he said to himself as he moved the last box off the bed and onto the stack in the corner.
There were a few folded boxes held against the wall by the stack. Absentmindedly, Yusuke took out a small one and moved over to the dresser.
"Don't need any of these anymore," he thought to himself as he opened the drawers that held all of his old clothing. Socks, shirts, shorts, underwear…wow, none of it would fit him anymore. Maybe Kurama's stepbrother would want them. While he had never met the boy, he knew he was about Yusuke's size from a few years ago.
He neatly pulled the items out of the drawers and stacked them in the box. It took two boxes to pack away all his old clothing, and the drawers finally were completely bare.
He placed his new clothes in the same drawer. Three pairs of socks. Three pairs of boxer shorts, two pairs of jeans. Three shirts. And a light pair of cotton pants he sometimes wore when he slept when the weather was cold. He shook them out, laying them on the edge of the bed, absentmindedly throwing a set of boxers on top of them for his own shower.
That was all he had, besides the clothes on his back. The dresser was pitifully empty. "Guess I need to go shopping with Keiko tomorrow…"
Opening his closet, he also found more. Jeans, shirts, and a few green uniforms. He smiled sadly. "None of this would fit me anymore either…I guess I'll pack them up later…"
Yusuke felt his sadness deepen as he went back to the bed and lay down on it, placing his hands behind his head and propping one leg on the other. This room was where he lived most of his life, both before he was a tantei and after. It was one of the few anchors he had connecting him to reality at times. No matter how many dangerous missions he had gone on, he always found himself back in his bed, in this room, in this city.
Even when he spent the time in the Makai, his dwelling just didn't feel like home. Kurama was his only link back to his home. He saw Hiei from time to time, but the two of them had regrettably grown distant. Yusuke was off exploring Makai, searching for himself, and Hiei was on patrol and living with Mukuro. Sure, he hung out with Chu, and Jin, and the rest of his friends, but…it just wasn't home.
But now, he was back in the place he started from, before his life as a tantei started. After everything, every close call where he had almost lost his life, he was able to just stare at the ceiling and for a while, forget about it. He was just a punk in high school, ditching classes without a care in the world. He wasn't the savior destined to save the world; he was a sly devil who would figure out a way to copy Keiko's homework before turning it in the following day. He didn't hold Genkai as she died in his arms, he never saw Kuwabara's chest pierced by Toguro; Genkai didn't exist and Kuwabara was a punk that he beat up on three times a week. He didn't know that the grim reaper was an oar riding airhead, and that the one who decided whether he went to Heaven or Hell clenched a pacifier between his teeth.
This was his own little world. Nothing changed. Nothing got in, and every time he left it, he took comfort in the fact that it would be right there waiting for him.
But…not anymore. Being back, laying down here, it just made him feel…uneasy. Why was that?
He sat up, running his hands through his hair and letting out a frustrated sigh.
He knew what the answer was.
He was no longer a carefree punk, not in the same way. Putting all the old clothes away, seeing everything packed up, knowing that they were his possessions, his world, was very hard. While he was gone making a life and a way for himself, he had all but lost the one he had here.
It was almost like he took this little sanctuary for granted, and when he was away, he wasn't able to protect it.
It was enough to almost make him cry.
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the water shut off. He heard Keiko step out of the shower and a few minutes later, she stepped out of the bathroom and back into his room.
Yusuke sat up straight when she realized she was wearing just the towel.
"K…Keiko…"
"I figured you'd want to use the shower as quickly as possible, while the water's still warm. I can change in here…" she said, blushing and staring at a very suddenly interesting spot on the floor.
Yusuke nodded He stood and grabbed the bundle of clothes, moving into the bathroom. He pointedly avoided Keiko's eyes as he went past her, so they wouldn't see each other blush. The door behind him closed and Keiko was left alone in the room.
She went to where she had set her bag down by Yusuke's bed, and pulled out her own set of sleeping clothes. Her own set was a large shirt, panties, and a set of yellow pants similar to Yusuke's. She dressed quickly, the garments clinging to her skin in the few places she didn't dry off completely.
Yusuke didn't know that she had brought this set of clothes – he had just assumed that she brought another sailor uniform or a set of casual clothes. Well, she thought…this would come as a surprise to him…
Keiko turned down his bed, wrinkling her nose as the dust hit it. It looked like the sheets hadn't been changed in quite a while. Of course, there really was no need to. Atsuko used this room as a guest room when there was company, and it had been quite a while since she had seen any. Making her way to the linen closet past the closed bathroom door, she pulled out a fresh set of white sheets.
A few minutes later, she was done. The sheets were changed, and she shook as much dust out of the comforter as she could. She neatly deposited the dirty linens into the hamper next to the bathroom door where she could hear the water still running.
She also looked around the room, at the various boxes scattered around. A few were taped up, but most were open, and dispersed haphazardly around the room. Yusuke had obviously started to do this task, but he didn't have enough time to finish it.
"Poor guy…coming home to this would be a shock…"
She went to the nearest box and struggled to move it to the side of the room. As she did, the corner caught on one of the floorboards, and it toppled over on its side, spilling out some of its contents.
She cursed to herself under her breath, and started putting the items back in the box. A few mangas, some videos, a baseball…and there was also a picture frame, face down on the ground. When Keiko turned it over, she gasped.
It was a black and white photo of Yusuke, a few years younger. He had a sad, slightly shocked expression on his face, and he was turned looking at the camera over his left shoulder. She recognized this photo…
This was the photo that was on his alter, at his wake. This was the one that everyone had paid tribute to, the one Kuwabara had lashed out at in tears. This was the one she knelt in front of and cried.
So much had happened since that day. Yusuke had died…and a series of events sparked as a result of that single event. Keiko had thought she lost her mind, with everything that had been going on. Her own mother was sick in the hospital, and Yusuke was coming to her in her dreams. She was the reason Atsuko never cremated the body, and she was also the one who gave him the kiss that brought him back to life. The first kiss they ever shared.
Today, she gave him his second.
She clutched the picture to her chest, shaking slightly, remembering all that had happened between them before that day, and everything since then. The last three years had put her through so much that she wished she could forget…but if he was back now, this time, it would really be worth it.
"You okay?" a voice said from the door, making her jump. She looked up and saw Yusuke standing there, wearing his cotton pants. His hair was still damp, and he had the towel slung over his shoulder. His shirtless chest had a few rivulets of sweat and moisture from the steam and shower, and his eyes showed his surprise as he realized what Keiko was wearing.
"Umm…yeah…I'm fine…" she said, lowering her eyes so her bangs covered them.
"What do you have there?" he asked, taking the towel and using it to vigorously dry his wet hair. He knelt down as she showed him the picture.
"Wow…my mother kept that thing?" he said, touching the glass with his fingertips. It was as if the boy in the picture was looking straight at him, still innocent, still pure, before everything happened…
"Hey Keiko…"
"Yes?"
"You can have it, if you want."
"Thank you…" she said, as a few tears rolled down her cheeks. Yusuke grabbed the towel she had been wearing earlier and put it over his shoulder, along with his own as he stood up. "I'll be back in a minute," he said as his bare feet barely made a sound.
Keiko moved up to sit on the bed. Yusuke hadn't made a single comment about her state of dress or her intentions to spend the night with him, and she had no idea what his thoughts were on the issue.
She heard water running in the sink and heard Yusuke brushing his teeth. Oh god, I'm such an idiot, I didn't grab mine when I was coming over here, I told my mom I was going to be at a friend's house…
He walked back into the room, turning out the light, leaving the soft, ambient glow of the city lights seeping through the window to be the only illumination.
"Keiko?" he asked.
"Hm?"
"You…you don't have to stay if you don't want to," he finished, turning his head to the side.
"Yusuke…" she laughed. "It's fine…I trust you enough not to do anything…and I've missed you so much…" Her voice cracked on the last word…
"Keiko…" he said, as he sat down on the bed. She practically leapt at him, wrapping her arms around his chest and crying. "Hold me…please…I need to know you're here, I need to know you're real and won't leave me…"
He wrapped his arms around her back and held her tightly, inhaling the scent of her slightly damp hair. He closed his eyes, remembering all this…
That was it…
"What's wrong?" Keiko asked, looking up at him in the pale light. "Aren't you glad to be back?"
"Yeah, I am…but…it's kindof weird, you know? Like I'm dreaming all this…I guess I just need to get used to being back here…"
Keiko choked back a sob. He was back, but he was still so distant…
"It's like…this doesn't feel like home anymore. But it's not like I'm not staying, I just need a little time…"
Keiki nodded into his chest. She understood. She was throwing herself into this dream with reckless abandon, now that he was back. And he was being cautious of it. Maybe…
Maybe that was a good thing. He had changed a lot in the two years he had been gone. She could see it in him.
"I understand, Yusuke…I'll be here as long as it takes," she said.
That was it.
Yusuke's eyes shot open as the revelation hit him with the subtlety of a train.
Keiko was his anchor, not just his home. She had always been there for him since they were little. They went to school together, laughed together, and cried together. She even stuck with him with all the way through his missions as a tantei when anyone else would have left him long ago. Kurama even told him that she had refrained from any connections with boys with the exception of himself and Kuwabara, and that was strictly on a social basis.
That type of dedication, that type of commitment, Yusuke didn't know could exist in something other than fighting.
Keiko felt his chest shaking ever so slightly. She looked up at him, and saw that he was crying softly.
"Shhh…" she said, bringing her hand up to cup his wet cheek. "I'm here, Yusuke…"
"Keiko…I'm so sorry…" he said, clenching his eyes shut. "I've been so horrible to you. I've never kept my promises, I've never shown how much I've cared for you when you've always been there for me, helping me, supporting me…everything. I…I was just using you as a stepping stone to get to my goals and dreams without even thinking of yours, and it's wrong, it's so wrong that I did that…"
"Shh, shh, shh…" she said, sitting up and pulling him in a tight hug. Yusuke buried his face into her chest as he continued to cry. She felt her shirt getting wet, but she didn't care.
"Yusuke…"
All the hurt that he was feeling for causing her pain was hitting him, finally. "You're the only one I can trust like this, Keiko…"
She ran her hand soothingly up his back. "Well, I'm sure that this would creep out Kuwabara."
Yusuke shook with a laugh as his body instantly went limp, collapsing on top of Keiko. She leaned back to lie on the bed fully, still hugging her Yusuke. His head rested on the center of her chest.
"Keiko…"
"Hm?"
"That…that was the first time I've cried in two years…"
Oh, Yusuke…she hugged him tighter.
He closed his eyes, listening to the steady, slow beat of her heart.
It felt like home.
"What do you want to do tomorrow, Yusuke?" she asked.
"Hm?"
"I brought my uniform, I have school tomorrow."
"Aw shit, I forgot about that…"
"Well, we have a holiday coming up. Tomorrow's my last day for a few. I'll have the next three days off."
"Dang, I wanted to go shopping for some clothes. I know if I go with Kuwabara we'll end up hitting the arcade and the movies and never get anything done…"
"Kuwabara has school too."
"Damnit!" he said with a frustrated sigh. "I couldn't even go if I wanted to, none of my uniforms fit anymore."
"You, willingly go to school?" she said with a laugh that reverberated through Yusuke's head. "You have changed…"
"Don't tell my teachers, I have a reputation to keep," he said as he sat up. "I'm gonna make a phone call, I'll be back in a few minutes."
He moved off of the bed and softly walked down the hall to the phone on the wall. He was out of sight, but Keiko overheard him.
"Hey, sorry for calling so late…yeah, it's me. Everyone okay there? Good to know. Say, listen, do you have school tomorrow? No? Great. How about I meet you around noon tomorrow? I need to do some shopping." He laughed. "Well, don't come then if you think you need to help with the party. Oh, okay then. I'll meet you there at 11:30? Great, I'll buy you a coffee. Thanks a lot!"
She heard the phone hang up and she stood up to turn down the bed. "Who was that?" she asked as Yusuke walked back into the room.
"Kurama. He's going to meet with me at the mall tomorrow and I guess we'll head over to the party from there. No, actually, we'll probably have to run back here to drop my stuff off. Want to meet us here and we can all go over to Genkai's together?"
"Sure!" she said cheerily as she climbed into the bed, with Yusuke following suit. He was on his back. Pulling the comforter over them both, she bent down and gave him another kiss on the lips, which he welcomed as he reached his hand up to cup her face.
After a brief moment, she snuggled up to him and he draped his arm down around her, hugging her.
"It's good to be back, Keiko."
She placed her head on his chest, and started when she didn't hear a heartbeat?
"Yusuke? Is something wrong? You have no heartbeat!"
"Oh, that," he said with a smile. "It's because of my yokai side. My heart doesn't beat as often as it used to. Only a couple times an hour."
"Umm, okay, I guess…" It wasn't like this was the first weird thing about him.
"Relax, Keiko, I'm fine."
They sat there for a while like that. Keiko felt sleep tugging at her eyelids, and she looked up when she felt his breathing become deeper and more regular.
He was fast asleep, with a look of utter peace on his face.
She smiled and rested next to him again. It wasn't long before she followed him into the welcome embrace of slumber.
That night was the soundest either of them had slept in almost three years.
Hah. No lemon for you. Not yet. Wow, that chapter was a lot longer than I though it would be. Hopefully you liked? I'm not really a fluff writer but when I get into a groove I can go on for hours. I just happened to hit that groove. Please R&R, I'll try to get the next chapter done as soon as possible.