Chapter Text
Lightning flashed in the distance only moments before the crash of thunder reverberated through the house. The storm came on suddenly, turning the lazy sunset into pure darkness within minutes. Yusuke frowned as he watched the rain spatter against the windowpane. A sense of foreboding had filled him the moment he had witnessed the first drop strike.
Keiko had gone shopping a little over two hours ago, when the weather had still been nice. The rain had started almost forty-five minutes after that. Normally, this wouldn’t have caused any concern for him. It was only some rain and she wasn’t buying a lot, just some rice and salmon for their dinner. He knew that she’d brought an umbrella with her, too.
It never mattered much to him, but Keiko watched the news every morning as they ate breakfast. The forecast had called for the torrent that was currently raining down on the city, but Yusuke had thought there was no way with how clear the skies had been. Still, Keiko was nothing if not prepared.
The walk to the market from where they lived would have only taken her twenty minutes, twenty-five to thirty in bad weather like this. Keiko wasn’t the type to spend forever in the store, especially when she was only picking up a couple of items. It had been too long. She should have been home, by now.
Yusuke was trying very hard not to run out and see what had happened, not to worry or get upset. Maybe she had run into an old friend and got caught up in talking to them? Ever since the Demon World Tournament, he hadn’t really worried much about demon attacks, anymore. Especially since he knew Hiei patrolled the boundaries between the two worlds.
The two and a half hour mark hit and Yusuke lost his patience. With a resounding ‘fuck this’, he grabbed his jacket and prepared to go out into the storm to find his fiance. Just as he was pulling on his shoes, there was a knock at the door. His head snapped up and his heart kicked into overdrive as he stood up, feeling like he was moving in slow motion, and opened the door.
He was greeted by two police officers. “Yusuke Urameshi?” They waited for the slow nod of confirmation before continuing. “I’m afraid there’s been an accident…” The officer’s voice faded into nothingness as Yusuke’s grip tightened on the edge of the door, knuckles turning white. Time stood still, but his heart felt every slow, painful beat within his chest.
A driver had lost control of their vehicle, hydroplaning through a red light and careening over the crosswalk. The accident had claimed the lives of three pedestrians and injured two others. The funeral was held barely a week later. There was to be a memorial service later that evening, as well, with the other families that had lost their loved ones to the accident.
During the funeral procession, Yusuke felt numb as various people came to pay their respects to him and Keiko’s parents. He didn’t know any of them, and found that he was unable to properly acknowledge any of them. Keiko’s parents did most of the talking, anyway.
His friends showed up towards the end when most of the people had already left. Each of them offered him comfort and an embrace, but he couldn’t feel their warmth. Botan sobbed, comforted by Shizuru. Even Yukina couldn’t stop crying, holding her handkerchief to her face to capture each solidified tear before they could ping to the floor and draw attention. Yusuke wasn’t sure if he’d shed a single tear, yet.
Kurama watched him warily, grief etched into his features. It was as though the fox thought Yusuke might explode at any moment. Yusuke thought that was ridiculous. How could he explode when there was nothing inside of him? Kuwabara crowded him suddenly, drawing his thoughts away from how Kurama was eyeing him.
“Hey, man.” His best friend had obviously been crying, his eyes rimmed in red. Yusuke barely nodded in greeting, not even objecting as Kuwabara threw an arm around his shoulders and leaned close to whisper. “This… She… She’s gonna come back, right? Koenma can do that, right? I mean, you saved the world and all that.” Yusuke sucked in a sharp breath, not wanting at all to talk about the conversation he’d had with binky breath.
The prince of Spirit World had visited him the day after the accident. They’d spoken, rather heatedly, about bringing her back. It wasn’t happening. There weren’t any strings Koenma could pull for him, no matter what Yusuke had done for the three realms. It was simply Keiko’s time.
She’d given Koenma a message for Yusuke, though, before her soul departed for a better place. ‘Be happy’. Which was ridiculous. How was he supposed to be happy without her? The taste in his mouth soured with bile as he thought back on the conversation.
Suddenly, there was something there inside him and he was filled with rage. The thought that Kurama was watching him as though he might explode no longer seemed ridiculous. Wordlessly, he shrugged Kuwabara’s arm from his shoulders and stalked forward, leaving the funeral. Kuwabara called out to him somewhat indignantly, but he ignored whatever the idiot was saying.
He was vaguely aware that he was being followed by Kurama and Kuwabara, leaving the girls to finish grieving on their own. Yusuke couldn’t bring himself to give two shits as he turned down the street towards his house. His house that was supposed to be shared with Keiko. He paused at the door, taking a deep breath.
Kuwabara was yelling something behind him, but Yusuke couldn’t process any of the words. His mind felt as though it was closed off from the outside world, muting everything around him to a dull annoyance. Letting out a huff, he unlocked the front door and pushed in. He left the door open, knowing that his friends would follow.
As he walked through the house, he began to strip himself of his funeral clothes, not really caring much about modesty. They were all men, after all. He was vaguely aware of Kuwabara now screeching behind him and Kurama silently picking up each article of clothing that he flung carelessly onto the floor.
In his room, he refused to acknowledge the queen-sized bed and couldn’t bring himself to even look at Keiko’s side of the closet. Opening up the dresser, Yusuke pulled out an old pair of sweats, then grabbed a familiar yellow shirt from the back of the closet. After he was dressed, he dug around for his duffel bag and began stuffing things into it.
A gentle hand landed on his arm, making him pause. “Yusuke, what are you doing?” Kurama’s soft voice penetrated the sudden silence of his room. Kuwabara was still in the house, Yusuke could sense him, but he seemed to have given up on his shouting and was lingering in the living room. His vision blurred suddenly and he blinked rapidly to chase the tears away.
“There’s no reason for me to stay here, anymore. I’m going back to Demon World.” Yusuke sniffed, managing to keep his emotions in check. Deciding that he’d packed enough, he drew the drawstrings closed on his bag and slung it over his shoulder, effectively shaking off Kurama’s touch without actually doing so.
“Yusuke…,” He ignored Kurama’s plight as he dug into his closet once more for his old sneakers. Once they were in hand, he hurried out from the room and back down the hall to the front door. Kuwabara gave him a shocked look, taking in his appearance.
“You’re seriously gonna leave? Just like that? Don’t you have any respect for Keiko’s family? What are they gonna think when you just disappear, man?” Yusuke barely paused, tugging on his shoes in the genkan. Kuwabara gaped at him, waiting for an answer that Yusuke had no interest in giving.
The front door was still open, and, as he walked out, he realized he’d left the keys in the door. Yanking them out, Yusuke turned to hand them to Kurama. “Here. The house is yours, now. Move out of your mom’s house, already. It’s already paid for, so… no payments.” Kurama’s lips pressed together in a thin line as his fingers hesitantly closed around the keys.
“I’ll take care of it for you while you’re gone. You can move back in when you decide to return.” Kurama’s tone didn’t leave any room for negotiation, but Yusuke didn’t have it in him to argue, anyway.
Kuwabara squawked with indignation. “Hey! What if I wanted to move out of my sister’s! You just gonna leave me out in the cold?!” Yusuke rolled his eyes at this, turning to beat feet down the street to where he knew the border between worlds lied.
“Don’t be an idiot. That house is way too far from your college, don’t you think? Go back to the funeral, Kuwabara. You left your sister and your girlfriend crying there.” Yusuke bit back, not even looking back as Kuwabara freaked out and ran off. Which left only Kurama still following him. He sighed, but didn’t stop walking. “What’s it gonna take for you to just let me go?”
There was a soft sigh from behind him. “I’m not going to try and stop you, Yusuke. I am merely going to see you off, that’s all.” Kurama stepped into the corner of his vision and Yusuke glanced over to see a small, understanding smile on the redhead’s face. “I hope that’s all right?”
Yusuke hiked his bag higher on his shoulder, looking forward again to watch where he was going. “Whatever. Suit yourself. I ain’t gonna talk about anything, though.”
“You don’t have to.” They fell into an amicable silence after that as they neared the border. When they crossed to the other side, Hiei was there to meet them. It didn’t come to any surprise to Yusuke as Hiei was in charge of patrolling the borders for humans that accidentally strayed into the demon realm.
The red-eyed demon narrowed his eyes at Yusuke as he stood directly in his path. “Yusuke. Are you sure this is the best place for you to be, right now?”
Yusuke pulled up short, halting mid-step as he gave Hiei a confused expression. “Huh? The fuck are you talkin’ about, short stuff? What reason would I have not to be here?”
“The ferry woman told me Keiko is dead.” Yusuke grit his teeth, feeling fury rage inside him with how easily the demon had stated it as though it were nothing but a mere fact. Surging forward, Yusuke landed a punch across his friend’s cheek as energy crackled around his fist.
“Yusuke!” Kurama’s startled cry came from behind him. It went ignored, however, as Yusuke pulled his fist back a second time. Hiei narrowed his eyes, a thin trickle of blood dripping from his split lip. Yusuke yelled and threw the punch, but it collided only with air as Hiei deftly dodged, disappearing only to reappear between him and Kurama.
Kurama stepped forward, but Hiei threw an arm in front of him. The shorter demon kept his gaze on Yusuke as he recovered his stance, whipping around to glare pure venom at him. “Leave it be, fox. I’ll handle this.” Kurama pursed his mouth into a thin line before finally moving back. Hiei dropped his cloak and sword onto the ground, lowering his stance as he raised his fists. “I don’t know what your problem is, detective, but I’m more than happy to have another shot at you.”
Yusuke grit his teeth as he felt pure anger lance through him. “My problem is how you talk about her so casually. It’s like you don’t even care.” He gave a humorless laugh. “Hell, who am I kidding. You probably don’t, considering you never even fucking tried to apologize for nearly killing her. I guess apologizing isn’t really your thing, though, is it? Fucking hard ass.”
He knew what he was saying was fueled by his anger, but he also couldn’t bring himself to give a shit at the moment. Hiei’s eyes were narrowed on him in a heated glare, but he said nothing. So, Yusuke kept going. “I bet you’re glad that she’s gone. You always did think she was a weakness.” He lowered his stance, sneering as he beckoned Hiei towards him. “So, come on, fucker. Let’s see if I fight any better now that she’s not here.”
Hiei’s upper lip curled into a snarl and he surged forward without warning. Instinctively, Yusuke dodged and blocked the first few blows, getting a few swings in of his own. After the initial contact, however, Yusuke stopped trying to dodge. He allowed every one of Hiei’s punches to land, absorbing the impact and letting the pain blossom over his body.
It felt good, and it did wonders to cover up the rest of the pain he was feeling. This didn’t last, however, as Hiei wasn’t stupid. He disengaged, straightening from his fighting stance as he glared pure venom at Yusuke. “You’re not even worth my time. If I wanted a punching bag, I’d find one of the lesser demons.” Hiei spat on the ground, picked up his cloak and sword, and left Yusuke and Kurama with barely an afterimage as he sprinted away.
Yusuke heaved, his breath sawing in his lungs. His lip felt swollen and he was pretty sure it had split open. He swiped at it and, sure enough, his hand came away bloodied. Kurama let out an exasperated sigh as he approached.
“Was that really necessary?” Yusuke refused to meet Kurama’s discerning gaze, making the redhead sigh a second time. “Very well.” A handkerchief pressed suddenly against Yusuke’s brow, dabbing a moment before pressing to his split lip. The action made Yusuke flinch slightly, his eyes finally meeting with pure emerald. Kurama had always been too pretty for his own good.
“You don’t gotta do that.” He half heartedly brushed the redhead’s hand away, earning him an unamused scowl. Yusuke stepped away, ignoring the look with the slightest pang of guilt in his chest. He knew that Kurama was just looking out for him. Picking up his duffel bag, he slung it back over his shoulder and turned towards Demon World and the land that his ancestral father had left him.
“Yusuke.” Kurama’s soft voice made him pause. “Do what you need to do. Just… be careful. Don’t lose yourself and don’t forget that you still have your friends. We’re all here for you.” Yusuke felt his shoulders stiffen as he paused at the words, but he didn’t look back.
He knew what Kurama said was true, he really did. However, Yusuke couldn’t seem to gather enough strength to really… care. He felt too raw and empty. The only thing he had left was his will to fight.