So This Is Love?
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of the characters. I am not making any profit by writing this.
Warnings: spousal abuse, alcohol, smoking, spoilers for manga, emotional damage.
So this story was created because of a few reasons. One of the main ones was a lot of stories have Kuwabara's dad being an asshole. I remember the days where Kuwabara's parents were just dead and died as heroes. But now, his mom is and his dad is an abusive asshole that randomly goes in and out of his and Shizuru's life. I think he was there, just working. The way Kuwabara interacted with his dad in the manga shows they are cool with each other. I think he wasn't mentioned because Togashi didn't plan that far ahead. He put more effort in putting Astuko in it more. We all can agree Yusuke is really the main character out of the core four. Which is why his mom got attention and not the Kuwabara sibling's parents.
That is my little rant about that. It's been bothering me for a while.
Now Yusuke's dad on the other hand. He is an abusive asshole in the manga. He even admits hitting Astuko in the manga. Most fics just have Yusuke's dad leave when he was young, but in cannon he is an abusive asshole that Astuko eventually threw him out on his ass but still is civil with him for some strange reason. I don't know, it bothers me for some strange reason O.o;
So with that annoying me soooo very much, I wrote this. I wrote this in a style I've never used before. I just put my fingers to the keyboard and wrote. I added the scene from the manga at the end too; just tweaked a line to make it work with my fic.
With that, I hope you all enjoy this!
It didn't start out this way.
She remembered a time of romance and sweet talking. He was charming and handsome. They were high school sweet hearts and were even voted cutest couple! It wasn't until they got married when things began to change.
They were young and stupid, marrying at 18 and 17 respectfully. She was younger, not by much; a year and a week apart. It was funny really. It wasn't a big event, just a simple courthouse wedding. But they didn't really need the fancy party. Didn't even pay for it, as he had certain connections. She would always look the other way, even made friends with a few of them.
Despite the shady business, he worked hard. Harder then anyone else. She truly love him and she thought he lover her.
Then she became pregnant. The look on his face when she pointed at the oven and her stomach was hilarious. She laughed so hard she was blue in the face. He had been overjoyed. Seemed ecstatic even! They were 20 and 19 now. They thought they were ready.
So he got as much money as he could and got a small apartment. It had two bedrooms so that should be good enough. They couldn't afford a car but hey, that's what buses were for! It was better to have a roof over their heads anyway.
Everything seemed to be fine. They were happy. Or she thought they were.
Once their beautiful boy arrived, things changed.
Her son was the most beautiful little thing she ever saw. He had her eyes and her husband's hair. It was really a mix between the two and it made her happy. Most people would comment her little one got more of her looks then her husband. But it was whatever to her. It was probably why she didn't name her son after him; naming the little one after her own father. He had died right after the wedding. She missed him so much.
She was sure the big man would have spoiled Yusuke rotten.
It wasn't long before the trouble began. First it was small little fights, over stupid things. She forgot to bring the trash out. She hung out with her friends too late. She didn't cook as often as she used to.
Small stupid things that she would just smile and say: "I'm sorry dear."
He started to come home late. Sometimes with liquor on his breath. Other times covered in smoke. She had quit her smoking while being pregnant and tried to cut back as not to do it in front of Yusuke. Her husband promised too. But she would catch him smoking. They would raise their voices, Yusuke playing in his playpen. None the wiser.
Then it happened. He slapped her across the face. She had looked at him with wide eyes and his eyes were wide too. He apologized over and over. Saying it wasn't on purpose. That he loved her and didn't mean to hurt her. She should have left him then. She should have divorced his ass and used her connections to get out of there.
But he was so upset. So apologetic. She stayed. Her son needed a father. She needed her husband.
A few months past, he was romantic again. She felt like a high school girl in love. The flowers. The candy. The sex. It was all so wonderful.
But then it happened again.
This time, Yusuke was three.
He was playing ball by himself in the small living room. Tossing it up in the air. She smiled as she watched him giggle every time he caught it in his hands. Her head snapped as the door slammed. Her husband entered, in a fowl mood. She only wanted to help him. Find out what was wrong. He reeked of booze.
He had growled at her, yelling at her.
Yusuke stopped his giggling. She could feel his big brown eyes staring as her husband grabbed her by the hair. She started to cry, not knowing what was wrong. What had she done wrong? Why was he so mad?
He slapped her in the face, still holding onto her long hair. She yelped in pain. He slapped her over and over. She could feel the burise beginning to form.
He stopped as he looked down at his feet.
Yusuke had rushed over and was hitting at his father's legs. She stared down, watching as her little one was crying and screaming. Shouting "Daddy let mama go!" More tears came to her eyes as she was released and fell to the floor.
Her husband only made soft apologies, rubbing his hand through his hair. Yusuke jumped into his mother's lap and cried, holding onto her. She held back, cooing through her tears. She was trying to calm him down.
Her husband left.
He came back a few days later with flowers and candy. Apologizes back on his lips. She wasn't going to take him back. She swore she wouldn't. But he promised to stop drinking. That he would be a better husband and father. That he made a mistake. That he loved her.
She took him back. She explained to her son that daddy made a mistake. That he apologized and wouldn't do it again.
But he did.
He hit her a few times and Yusuke would always jump the man. Always too weak to really do anything. She was ashamed. Guilty for letting herself be stuck in this relationship. But what could she do? She would have gone home but her mother had died when she was 12. Her father had been her only living relative until his death years ago. She didn't work so she didn't have enough money to move out.
Her connections were mostly his friends. She couldn't trust them or rely on them. They wouldn't help her, they wouldn't believer her. He said so himself. Over and over he would hit her and Yusuke would fight back for her. It was a vicious cycle. One that she couldn't break.
He had never once touched his son. He would let Yusuke beat on him. He thought it was kinda cute and said so to her. But once Yusuke turned six, things changed.
Her husband came home, drunk as usual. Mad as usual. He grabbed her by her hair and began to kiss her. She gasped but felt him slid his tongue in. She pushed him back. She begged for him to calm down. That he was too drunk. That he was being rough. That she was scared. He didn't listen. All he said was he loved her. That he needed her. That she needed him. That this is how he showed his love.
That's when he felt it. Pain in his ankle. He yelped before turning around. His son had just kicked his ankle. It was stronger then the other times. His punches were harder this time. Yusuke was growling for him to get the 'fuck of his mom'
Well this couldn't stand. He couldn't let his son talk like that. He let go of her and went to strike Yusuke. Yusuke looked with wide eyes, fear for his own safety for once.
She jumped on to his back and began to strangle him. She had enough. Beat on her, that was tolerable. Hit her son, that was a death sentence.
He choked out a scream, trying to pry her arms off his neck. She yelled in his ear to never raise a hand to her son.
He growled before finally being able to throw her off him. She fell hard, feeling a sharp pain go up her arm. Yusuke had watched with wide eyes. His father went to approach her and he snapped. He grabbed his dad's hand and bite him hard. He yelped before tossing Yusuke aside. Yusuke stayed on his feet and spit out the blood he had gotten from his father; a grin on his lips.
He went over to his mother who was now weeping. He pulled at her to get up. They had to go. She slowly got up, more tears coming down her face. She looked over at her husband. He wasn't the man she loved so long ago. He was a monster, a psycho, a demon.
Yusuke held his mother's good hand and pulled them both towards the door.
That was the last time Yusuke saw his dad.
His mother went to the authorities and had him arrested. She contacted the few connection she had. They helped her through the divorce and cut all ties to him. He was disowned from his own family and fired form his job. She got everything in the settlement. He even had to pay child support each month. But someone else would collect it from him to give to her.
As the years went on, she got into liquor herself. She even started smoking again. She had a suspicion her son had taken up the dirty habit and would scold him. But he was becoming a teenager now. He wasn't her little boy anymore. She dived even deeper into the booze and using some of the child support to party every night.
It wasn't until she lost him that she realized her mistake. That she was no better then her husband. She never raised a hand to him, other then the occasional head slaps, but not like what her husband did. Not as hard as her husband would do.
He had contacted her a little after Yusuke's funeral. Saying they could try again. She wouldn't make that mistake again. She was happy for her strength. How she wanted to fall back into that man's arms again. But luckily her son came back. She had convinced her husband that he was just in a comma, that they missed his heart beat. She kept in contact with him after that, but only rarely.
It seemed they were on better terms. He kept asking to get together. She would keep shutting him down. It was almost like a running joke between them. He knew he would never be allowed to get back with her. That would be his punishment for screwing things up so badly.
He had a couple of girlfriends in the meantime; none of which worked out. It seemed they were smarter then her.
He was now 38 and she was 37. The two of them watched from afar. He watched his son laughing. He was running his own business now at only 18! A ramen stand and he looked to be enjoying himself. Even got himself some friends.
"He seems to be doing well." he said in a sober voice, having quit drinking in the last couple of years.
"Uh-huh..." she said, a soft smile on her lips.
He looked away a bit shyly.
"Sure you're good on cash?" he asked.
Now that Yusuke was 18, he didn't need to pay child support.
"Yes. Yusuke's not my only source of support." she said, still watching her son.
She was so proud of him. He was even helping pay the bills. She told him he didn't need to, just pay for the food. He had insisted.
"Say..." he said, turning back around to look at his son, putting his hands in his pockets digging for something.
"Hmmm?"
"Want to start over?" he asked, like he would always ask.
"No. You know how it would end up." she said with an annoyed look.
He would never stop it seemed. It annoyed her every time. But this time, he seemed a bit more serious in his tone.
"Besides," she said with a small smile, "Yusuke would have something to say I think."
Her husband chuckled, taking out a cig and lighter from his pocket and lighting it.
"I remember he'd cry and jump on me when I hit you." he said.
He said it as if it was a fond memory. He still felt a pain in his heart but knew he was wrong. He knew it was his fault. He had blamed the drinking for his behavior. But after some AA meeting among others, he realized he was the problem and used his drinking as a crutch.
The meetings did him good. He had a great job. He made enough money he could easily support his wife and child, if either of them let him. But that was a pipe dream. Maybe another timeline.
"When he was three years old, yeah." she said, her own smile turning fond at how proud she was of her son.
He took in a puff before letting it out.
"Can't he see now it was a kind of affection?" he said, a joking tone in his voice.
He was only joking but could tell he had gone a bit too far with his dark humor.
"Don't kid yerself." she growled looking over at him.
She knew he was joking but didn't find it at all funny. She would have whacked him over the head but she was trying to be civil.
"And the topic is now closed. Got it?" she said with a finality in her tone.
"Yeah. Got it." he let out a sign behind his cigarette.
A thought came to her mind before she stared at him with a smirk. It was a creepy smirk. He looked at her with a sweat drop.
"What?"
She chuckled before looking back at her son.
"Pretty bad, getting dumped and having to settle for the company of a semi-understanding ex, isn't it?" she said, slinging an arm around his shoulders.
"Hmph, no comment." he said looking away a bit embarrassed
She laughed even harder. This was ok. It was as it was back in high school. But this time, she didn't need him to love her. She really didn't need him at all. She had her son and that's all she will ever need.
The End
Hope yall liked this!