Chapter 5

A/N: Spoilers in this Chapter just as in the last.

"I didn't expect you to believe me," Kagome whispered, pulling away to wipe at her tears, a small shade of pink staining her cheeks.

"My own story is just as weird, hell, I've died and come back to life. At this point anything is possible," Yusuke grinned missing the horror that spilled across Kagome's face.

"What?!"

"Oh yeah we've had some really weird adventures," Kuwabara interjected, with a prideful grin. "I've even saved Urameshi,"

"Oh yeah right!" Yusuke yelled throwing the taller boy a dirty look. "Most of the time I'm saving your sorry ass!"

"Bring it! I'll beat ya into the ground!" Kuwabara stood with Yusuke doing the same.

"I'd like to see you try!" he lunged tackling the boy to the ground, the two beginning to throw punches.

"Stop it! Not in the house!" Shizuru half yelled with a sigh.

A laugh erupted in Kagome's chest. The room going silent with Yusuke looking up from above Kuwabara to look at her. As cliche, or girly, as it may sound Yusuke froze at the sound, his pulse quickening and heart aching at the joy that illuminated through her depressed haze. Kagome beamed, sapphire eyes glittering and cheeks brightening, her laughter dancing in the air. Perhaps he had romanticized their brief friendship as children or dramatized the countless scenarios he pictured of finding her again, and as embarrassing as it would seem coming from a punk like him; her happiness truly meant the world to him, he'd fight to protect such a beautiful and precious thing.

"You two must be good friends," she sighed, her laughter softening to form a smile on her face.

"They're practically brothers," Shizuru interjected with a snort making Kagome giggle.

"They sure act like it,"

"Like I could be related to someone with a mug like that," Yusuke teased.

"Urameshi-" Kuwabara started.

"Kazuma's rather handsome actually," Kagome mussed, a light shade of pink coloring her nose while she picked at her fruit oblivious to the boys staring at her.

Red colored Kuwabara's face, a goofy grin in place and rubbing his neck nervouly. "Thanks, Kagome~."

Yusuke, on the other hand, was seething with jealousy, wanting to growl at and beat the man next to him. Primal and possessive feelings bloomed in his chest, and at the same time, he felt insignificant and unwanted, that in someway Kagome had just rejected him.

"Whatever," pushing himself up, and deciding to push away those feelings, Yusuke went back to his seat next to Kagome.

"You know what happened to me, but what about you?" Kagome asked.

Scratching his head, Yusuke sighed heavily.

"So it kinda started when I saved a kid from getting hit by a car when I was fourteen. It turns out the kid would have been okay without me having stepped in, but either way I ended up being the one hit and died upon impact.

"I then met Botan, the girl with blue hair you met yesterday, she's known as a reaper,"

"As in the grim reaper?" Kagome beamed with interest.

He nodded with a chuckle. "Because of my selfless action, Reikai gave me a second chance at life,"

"Sorry to interrupt but what's Reikai? You talked about it earlier, and not wanting to take me there,"

He sighed heavily before opening his mouth to answer but a cheery voice cut in.

"Reikai is known as the Spirit World where those who are neither demon or living reside and assist in the placement of the souls of the dead," looking back it was the girl, now known as Botan, with coral blue hair. Her violet eyes were brimming with cheer. Unlike yesterday she was dressed in a pastel pink kimono, the attire oddly complimenting her unnatural hair. "As a reaper, I am one of the few souls given a second chance to live to help souls in their placement till reincarnation can occur,"

"Oh,"

"I work under King Enma and Prince Koenma who Yusuke currently works for,"

"Works for?" Kagome questioned, getting more and more confused as the woman spoke.

"Sorry, seems I was getting ahead of myself," Botan laughed.

"As I was saying!" Yusuke growled before continuing with his story, of course, Botan and the others would interrupt with their "commentary." He talked about everything, meeting Kurama and Hiei- both of whom Kagome was interested in meeting, what he endured when facing the Four Great Beasts, training with Grandma Genkai, The Toguro Brothers, and finally the Dark Tournament which had happened just over six months ago. Now at almost sixteen, he made ends meet by working as a Spirit Detective for Reikai, mostly Koenma.

For some reason he was reluctant to mention Keiko, sure she was important to him, she called him her boyfriend, and he cared for her, but he didn't love her as she desired. Keiko deserved better than a relationship out of convenience, she wanted him in school and working a real job as she put it, they were too different, he just didn't know what to do about their "relationship."

"Wow- just wow," she laughed nervously. "We've lived some interesting lives to this point,"

"We sure have," he grinned happily.

Botan eyed the two in suspicion. The care they held for one another seemed to grow by the second, Yusuke already looking excessively protective when it involved the girl. As a reaper, Botan shouldn't be overly involved with the living, but Botan kept thinking of Keiko and the girl's love for Yusuke. Keiko and Yusuke were far from a suited pair, but she couldn't stand to see the girl hurt, sadly that might be unavoidable.

'Oh, dear,'

"I see you still wear green," there was a smile in her voice that brought on his own cocky grin. A finger pointing to the well worn green shirt and even darker green jacket he'd decided to pair with his pale jeans.

"Of course it's my color after all," he teased with a wink.

~*o*~*o*~*o*~

Yusuke bounced up the stairs after having escaped the apartment. His dad had just arrived home; the taller man had stared hard at him before growling low for him to "get lost"; that "Daddy needed alone time with Mommy", whatever it was about Yusuke was all too happy to escape to the park to see Kagome.

The playground wasn't all that busy, several other kids already playing but he was searching for someone in particular.

"Yusuke!" her voice his only warning before her body hit his. Kagome's arms wrapping around his neck, her cheek pressed against his. "I've missed you soo much!"

He grinned, he'd missed her too. The days he spent away from her were always dull, and he found himself thinking about her more times than not.

"You should wear green more," she beamed while pulling away.

"Why?" looking down he saw the light green shirt and dark green pants he'd picked this morning.

"You look cute in it,"

Blush spread across his cheeks and all the way to his ears. "Th-Thanks,"

"Yusuke," he looked to see she had pink on her face. "When we're not together, will you think of me?"

They were both quiet, and both just as red.

Clearing his throat, Yusuke was unable to look at her. "Whenever I wear green," he promised in a small voice.

"I'm glad," looking back he saw her smiling a smile that was all his, and he cherished her gift.

wolfylady: Another chapter. I have to say I was a little sad with the number of reviews from the last chapter. When a story starts to get less and less reviews per chapter I start to update slower and slower for that story, as your (the readers) reviews are what will keep me writing the story.

So please review, it means another chapter sooner rather than later.