Chapter Text
Up until he got hit by a car, Yusuke had been having a normal day (that is to say, a bad one). He’d continued to taint Keiko’s reputation with her friends (something he knew she cared about, even if she told him otherwise). He had been wrongfully accused of mugging (he didn’t even get the chance to beat up those assholes) and kicked off of school grounds. Then the only teacher who even pretended to care about Yusuke’s attendance tracked him down to nag. Even his mom was getting on his case (he’s trying not to think about the things she said or how much it stung). Yusuke was feeling pretty pissed and he was in desperate need to blow off some steam. So here he was, loitering around the back of the gym smoking and trying to look like he wasn't waiting for someone.
“Oi! Urameshi!” Kuwabara hollered, right on time.
“This again? Haven’t you had enough yet?” Yusuke drawled. Kuwabara challenged him to a fight every single day since they’d met and Yusuke kicked his ass every single time. Despite this, the guy didn’t quit. Unfortunately for him, Yusuke was in a foul mood today. By the time he’d finished thoroughly thrashing him, Yusuke felt better (he knew on some level that something must be wrong with him if this was the highlight of most of his days). “ Phew, that was refreshing.”
"Just you wait. The next time we meet, I'll kick your ass for sure." Kuwabara challenged with an easy grin, looking oddly cheerful for someone so bruised. Yusuke huffs a laugh.
"Can't wait." He throws a smile over his shoulder as he walks away.
Thanks to Kuwabara’s willingness to be his punching bag, he was in a good enough mood to stop and play with a kid instead of just yelling at him. It was actually kind of nice making the kid laugh. Usually people steered clear of Yusuke and made sure their children did as well, so it was a welcome surprise that this kid seemed to enjoy his company. After a while, Yusuke figured he should leave before someone he knew spotted him making a fool of himself. As fun as it was to play with him, Yusuke knew that someone was bound to come along to yell at him to leave the kid alone. Even when he did try to do something nice, people always got the wrong idea (that’s why he stopped bothering in the first place).
“See you later, mister!” The kid called, waving goodbye. “We should play again tomorrow!”
“Yeah, yeah. Quit playing in traffic, ya hear?” Yusuke huffed and shoved his hands in his pockets, already walking away. He’s across the street when something tells him to look back. He does and the world slows down as he sees the car speeding toward that dumb kid. He doesn’t even think before his feet are moving. Yusuke pushes the kid as hard as he can as he feels something slam into him. After that, he feels nothing at all.
°°°
After the day he had, Yusuke doesn’t see any reason why he should stay. It was going to be the same thing every day for the rest of his life. He’d keep on ruining the lives of the people around him while the rest of the world spat on him. No one gave a shit about him (he tried not to think about Keiko. It was for the best.) and why should they? Yusuke was rude, selfish, violent, and foul tempered. He hardly ever did anything nice for anyone, because why should he bother when it always backfired, blowing up in his face every time? This last time was the real kicker. Yusuke couldn’t think of a single reason why he should go through all the trouble to live, when dying did him and everyone else a favor. His mom could go on pretending she didn’t have a disappointment for a son. Keiko could finally move on and not feel bad about it. Best of all, Yusuke wouldn’t have to deal with anyone's crap again (or the terrible loneliness of his existence).
“Nah. I’m good like this.” He told the shinigami (Botan, he thinks) as he lounges. It’s more of a relief than he expected that she wasn’t there to take him to hell. He’d honestly thought that’s where he’d be headed (more than a few people had told him so and he had to agree). Being dead kinda sucked, but there’s all kinds of things he can have fun with as a ghost. He could spy on girls, see what celebrities get up to, or even get into movies for free. That was all he could think of right now, but he’s got all the time in the world to come up with more ideas.
The shinigami looked at him with pity and he didn’t appreciate it. Her voice was kind when she spoke next. “You should go to your wake tonight before you decide. I’ll come back for your answer after it's over.”
Yusuke wasn’t interested in seeing how few people turned up, but he had to admit that he was a little curious. So it was with low expectations that he decided to attend. There were more people than he thought there’d be, but that didn’t mean they actually cared. They were probably only there to save face. He hears a loud sob and turns to see Keiko crying hard, her friends doing their best to try and soothe her to no effect.
“Yusuke!” She bawled, her knees collapsing with the weight of grief. Okay. That definitely made Yusuke feel like scum. He didn’t want her to be so sad over him, but it was for the best that he wasn’t in her life. If he was alive, she would always be chained down by him and his shitty reputation. She would never let him go out of some obligation she felt because they’d known each other since they were kids. He’d ruined enough things for her. He could at least do her this one favor. Right?
Seeing Keiko so upset threw him off guard, but seeing his mom took him completely by surprise. She looked a mess, eyes red from crying and strong alcohol. As she curled in on herself and sobbed, Yusuke could see that she's shattered by what had happened.
“Mom…” He whispered, choked by the realization of how much she loved him. All this time, he’d thought that she’d regretted keeping him, secretly hating him for ruining her life. How wrong he had been. But wouldn’t she be able to have the life she’d always wanted now that he was gone? He wasn’t sure of anything anymore. He hears a commotion outside and takes the excuse to flee from the pain in his chest. Yusuke could never have imagined the sight that waited for him.
“Urameshi!” Kuwabara yelled, dragging his friends along as they futilely tried to stop him. Even with all their weight combined, they were barely slowing him down in his determination to reach Yusuke’s casket.
“Kuwabara, we shouldn’t be here,” one of his friends said pleadingly as they tried to dig their heels in.
“I don’t care!” Kuwabara growled. “Dammit Urameshi! You bastard! You coward! That was some cheap trick dying undefeated. Come back and fight me, asshole, I want a rematch!”
Yusuke watched in disbelief as Kuwabara’s friends did their best to stop him, but Kuwabara could not be stopped. Yusuke knew first hand how stubborn he could be. Kuwabara stalked over to his casket, face twisted in miserable anger.
“You’re not allowed to die on me like this, not until I’ve beaten you. Urameshi, you bastard, come back. It’s not fair. What am I supposed to do now that you’re gone?” He shouted, voice raw. He punched Yusuke’s memorial photo, his fist was shaking with furious grief and yet he was still careful not to knock it over. “Who am I supposed to fight now? Damn you, Yusuke!”
As if it had taken all his energy to scream his name, Kuwabara collapsed with anguished sorrow as he sobbed, tears running carelessly down his face. His friends took the opportunity to drag him away, apologizing to the other funeral attendees as they did. Polite faces with dry eyes stared in discomfort at one of the few people who dared to truly mourn.
“Yusuke,” Kuwabara cried, his voice quiet and hoarse. “Don’t go, please don’t leave.”
“Kuwabara…” Yusuke felt as if he’d been struck by lightning. Aching and in pain, but numb at the same time. He’d been so blind. What a fucking idiot he was. It took dying to give him a sorely needed reality check. He couldn’t even pretend anymore that it was for the best. Grief and guilt for the people he left behind sat heavy in his chest. He stayed and watched the rest of his wake, rethinking everything he’d taken for granted. When Botan returns, it’s not even a question anymore. He was going to come back to life no matter what it took. He owed them that much.
°°°
Who would’ve thought that coming back to life would be such a chore? After meeting with Koema (that brat), Yusuke now has to figure out a way to save his body from being barbecued. He’s a little unsure about Botan’s method, but she’d already zapped Kuwabara (he’s still reeling from the fact that this goofball is a walking ghost detector) and there’s no backing out now.
Yusuke thought that taking over someone's body would feel stranger than this, that there would be some kind of discomfort or resistance. Kuwabara’s body welcomed him like an old friend, feeling like a warm embrace as his soul settled in. Yusuke blinked and looked down at large, calloused hands. He touches his face, feeling sharp cheekbones. He grins. “Holy shit, I can’t believe that worked.”
“Kuwabara? Are you feeling okay?” Kuwabara’s friends are looking at him strangely and with concern. Yusuke doesn’t waste time explaining, already taking off. He nearly stumbles, not used to having such long legs, but he quickly regains his balance. He has no time to lose. He needs to talk to Keiko before the clock runs out. He doesn’t make it very far before trouble appears.
“Kuwabara! You’re gonna pay for what you did yesterday.” A group of punks surround him, all of them already looking more than a little beaten up. Yusuke doesn’t have time for this. He quickly dispatches the group and hurries on his way. Brawling in Kuwabara’s body feels natural. Because they’d been fighting each other for so long, Yusuke was intimately familiar with the way his body moved in a fight (he was also having fun experimenting with a larger reach). As much fun as he was having fighting group after group of punks, it was starting to get on his nerves.
“Damn, Kuwabara. What the hell have you been up to?” Yusuke grumbled to himself. It was like the idiot had been picking fights with everyone in town. Yusuke doesn’t think he’s ever fought so many people in a single day before. He was doing his best not to damage Kuwabara’s body too much, but he usually forgot about that when he was in the middle of a fight. Yusuke winced when he touched his cheek and felt it sting. “Sorry, man. I’ve given you worse, though, right? You can probably take it.”
He hoped so, anyway. He’d only had a few minutes to spare when he finally spotted Keiko. He takes a gamble and it pays off. He does feel a little guilty because she hit Kuwabara’s already bruised cheek and out of everyone today, she hit the hardest. He’s honestly touched that Keiko recognized him and believed him, promising to keep his body safe.
“I’ve known you since you were a kid, Yusuke.” She smiled tearfully at him and pulled him into a hug. “No one besides you would be dumb enough to try a stunt like that.”
“Thanks, I guess.” He glanced at the clock and saw that time was almost up. “Before I go, I kinda messed things up with your parents earlier. So if you could explain that it’s not this doofus’ fault, I’d appreciate it. Also tell him I’m sorry about–”
Yusuke was going to say sorry about dragging his poor body through the gutter , but he saw the clock had already run out. He’d already done enough damage and didn’t want to risk doing more, so he left. He watched as Kuwabara blinked awake, looking confused (understandably so). Keiko was still crying and hugging him, so he hugged her back, looking bewildered.
“Hey, are you–” He didn’t get to finish because Keiko slapped him and then looked surprised at herself.
“Sorry!” She gasped and fled. Kuwabara rubbed his cheek looking more confused than ever.
“Not exactly what I meant by saying sorry, but I guess it works.” Yusuke rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a little guilty. Now that he wasn’t in Kuwabara’s body anymore (what a trip that was), he could see how much damage he’d done. He winced in sympathy. “Sorry, man. I owe you one.”
(When Kuwabara later saves him and Keiko from burning up, he wonders if he should start keeping a tally board to keep track of what he owes him.)
°°°
Yusuke was so pissed off, he forgot he couldn’t interact with the physical world. His fist slid through that guy's face like it was nothing but air. Yusuke felt more than helpless as the punks surrounded Keiko, leering at her and grabbing her arm roughly.
“Hey, you! You're from Kasanegafuchi, aren't you? What do you think you're doing, attacking a girl?” Kuwabara shouted, his friends backing him up with matching determined faces. Yusuke was surprised at how glad he was to see him. Kuwabara stood protectively in front of Keiko and glowered at the punks. They sullenly moved back so Keiko had room to leave.
“Kuwabara…” She said worriedly, feeling bad about walking away. Kuwabara looked at her and Yusuke was amazed at how soft his gaze was, warm and comforting.
“It’s okay. Go on ahead, you’ll be late for class.” He told her gently. Yusuke is stunned. He’d never seen Kuwabara act with such care. To be fair, the only time they saw each other besides in class or the hallway was when they were brawling. He thought for a second that it was because he had a crush on Keiko, but something in his eyes told him that wasn’t the case. Well, whatever the reason was, Yusuke was relieved that he was there to step in.
"I can't sit quietly by and watch those who torment others like that." Kuwabara glared, his face lined with anger. "Come on. Let's fucking go."
It was a treat to watch him beat some sense into those bullies. He and Botan cheered him on, both of them excited that Kuwabara was doing so well in the fight. Yusuke had nothing better to do, so he figured following Kuwbara around could be fun. At least he would have some free entertainment watching him get into fights.
It was less fun watching him get into trouble for fights. Yusuke hated that rat-faced bastard Akashi. He’d caused so much trouble for Yusuke when he was alive, and now he’d switched his target to Kuwabara.
“He sure is loyal to his friends.” Botan said with admiration.
“Please. I know Kuwabara. As soon as the words are out of his mouth, he’ll be in a fight. Just watch.” Yusuke says with a hint of pride. Yusuke respected that Kuwabara stood up for his friends, but he also knew that he and Yusuke were way too alike. Neither of them could resist someone challenging them to a fight. Yusuke had him pegged. He was a brawler, through and through.
Or at least he thought he was.
Kuwabara running from a fight momentarily threw him, but as soon as he was goaded he came marching back with a look of fury. Yusuke wanted to see him fight, but now was not the time, not when he was going to get in trouble for it. Yusuke is about to shout at him when Kuwabara surprises him yet again.
“I’m going to fight you, but I won’t hit you. Beat me up all you want, but leave the others alone.” Kuwabara said, his face set with determination. “If you guys really are such cowards as to hit someone who won’t fight back, you aren’t even worth the effort it would take to punch. You ain’t worth shit.”
Yusuke can only watch as the punks smile sadistically and take the opportunity Kuwabara is presenting. A few times Kuwabara instinctively goes to hit back, but stops himself with a look of frustration.
“He’s quite the man, don’t you think?” Botan says, words weighted with respect and sympathy. Yusuke doesn’t have words to reply, too busy stewing in self loathing over how he had misjudged him. Yusuke had thought the same thing as that miserable Akashi; that Kuwabara was just another delinquent looking for a good fight. He was wrong (he’d been wrong about a lot of things lately). Kuwabara doesn’t just fight a good fight. He fights the good fight. As he watches Kuwabara get beaten to a pulp, Yusuke wonders what the hell he’d been fighting for when he’d been alive. How was he any different from the assholes curb stomping him now? Well, at least Yusuke can comfort himself with the knowledge that he wouldn’t fight someone who wouldn’t fight back.
“Is that all you’ve got?” Kuwabara spits blood and looks almost amused, even as he winces. “You guys are nothing compared to Urameshi.”
A warm, fuzzy feeling expanded in his chest at Kuwabara’s words. Botan is smiling at him and he glares. “Shut up.”
A part of Yusuke wants to run away from the feelings squirming in his gut, but he stays anyway. Botan splits off to go report back to Koenma and Yusuke follows Kuwabara as he limps home.
“Hey, Shizuru. How was your day? Wanna guess how mine was?” He says as he walks in.
“Really?” Kuwabara’s sister says dryly when she sees him. Kuwabara shrugs. She sighs and puts out her cigarette. “Go sit at the table. I’ll get the first aid kit.”
Kuwabara collapses in a chair, holding his side with a grimace. Yusuke floats nearby, curious about his home life. He’s starting to realize that there is a lot he doesn’t know about Kuwabara. His sister comes back with an impressively large first aid kit and starts pulling things out of it, setting them on the table.
“I thought you’d finished with your grief rampage.” She says as she dabs at his cuts with antiseptic. Kuwabara hisses at the sting. “Did you at least give them hell?”
“Well, not exactly.” Kuwabara goes on to explain the situation. Shizuru’s expression is hard to read, but she doesn’t look impressed.
“Well that was a dumb thing to agree to. Also, what he’s doing is very much illegal. You should report him to the school board.” She tells her brother matter-of-factly.
“That’s the same as admitting defeat. I can do this.” Kuwabara insists, stubborn as ever.
“Do you want me to walk you to and from school?”
“What are you gonna do, blow smoke in their faces?” Kuwabara grumbles then yelps as she pinches his ear hard. “Ow, ow, ow! Sorry, I’m sorry!”
Yusuke laughed at this interaction. While not exactly nurturing, he could see that Shizuru cared a lot about her brother. Kuwabara rubbed his sore ear and pouted.
“I’m fine. Besides, none of them hit as hard as Urameshi.” Kuwabara says mulishly. Shizuru studies his face as she finishes bandaging him. Yusuke thinks she almost looks worried.
“I know you miss him.” Her voice is soft in the quiet of the Kuwabara house. The only other sounds were the steady tick of the kitchen clock and the rustle of bandages. Kuwabara huffs and looks away.
“I’m just mad the bastard didn’t stick around until I could beat him in a fight.” Yusuke feels like he shouldn’t be here for this conversation, but can’t seem to tear himself away.
“And if he did stick around until then, then what?” Shizuru prompts as she starts putting the first aid kit away, watching him out of the corner of her eye. Kuwabara’s lower lip trembles.
“Then I wouldn’t want to win.” He chokes out and Yusuke can’t describe the emotions churning in his gut. Shizuru abandons the kit with a sigh and puts her arms around her brother. Kuwabara shakes as he silently cries into her shoulder, fingers gripping the back of her vest. His voice comes out as a sob. “I miss him, Shizuru. I miss him so much, it’s not fair.”
“I know.” She hushes. She looks up and it’s almost like she can see Yusuke where he’s frozen a few feet away. “I’m sure he misses you too.”
°°°
Yusuke watches Kuwabara get the shit kicked out of him for the rest of that week. He hated seeing it, but he couldn’t look away. A few times he got so angry that he forgot he was still incorporeal and tried to step in, resulting only in intense frustration. Of course that asshole Akashi added on the stupid science quiz as well. While Yusuke felt smug that he had a higher grade than Kuwabara, it wasn’t funny when the stakes were so high. Yusuke was almost sure that going from a 7% to a 50% in three days was next to impossible. Kuwabara continues to impress him with his discipline. He studies hard every chance he gets, despite getting cornered and beaten almost every step of the way. Not for the first time, Yusuke wishes that he’d tried harder to be his friend when he was still alive. If everything goes well with the trial of resurrection, maybe he’ll get a second chance.
The night before the exam, Yusuke checks in to see how he was doing and finds Kuwabara slumped over his textbook, sound asleep. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Oi! Wake up, you’ve still got to study!”
Kuwabara continued sleeping, his body too exhausted to even snore. Yusuke shook his head and sighed. What am I going to do with you , he thought with exasperation. Kuwabara was so close to the finish line and Yusuke wanted to see him succeed after going through all this pain. Taking a deep (unneeded) breath, he placed a hand on his shoulder and entered his dream.
Yusuke blinks and looks around. He’s still in Kuwabara’s room, but Kuwabara isn't. The door opens and Kuwabara freezes when he sees him. Yusuke sticks his hands in his pockets and tries to look casual. “Hey, man. Long time, no see.”
“Urameshi!” Kuwabara immediately drops into a fighting stance and Yusuke can see that he’s over the moon with joy. Something flutters in his stomach and he ignores it. “What are you doing in my room? Couldn’t wait for our next rematch?”
“Easy, tiger.” Yusuke grabs the science textbook from his desk and holds it up. “You’ve got a test to study for, right?”
“That’s right.” Kuwabara blinks, his expression switching from excited to focused. He sits down at his desk and pulls out his notebooks. “Sorry, Urameshi, but we’ll have to fight later. I made a promise to my friend and I don't want to let him down."
“It’s cool.” Yusuke shrugs, leaning against the desk and flipping through the textbook. “I’m here to help you study, anyways.”
“Really?” Kuwabara looks up at him with wide eyes and a wider smile, face bright with gratitude. Yusuke’s stomach feels funny and he has to look away.
“Of course. It’s only fair, since I beat all the sense out of your head, now I gotta put it all back in.” Yusuke covers his nerves with snark. Kuwabara only laughs and the sound is happy and cheerful. Yusuke may not be good at school, but he can at least read from a textbook. He’s quizzing Kuwabara on blood cells when he looks up to see him resting his chin on his palm, watching Yusuke with a strange, soft expression. “Hey, don’t zone out on me now. We still have a whole chapter left to cover.”
“I miss you, y'know.” Kuwabara says, his voice fond and sad. “I keep waiting for you after school, even though I know you’re not going to show up. I can’t help it. I keep hoping that it’s all been just a bad dream and you’ll be there, like you always are. But you’re not.”
Yusuke feels a lump rise in his throat, choking him with emotion. Kuwabara keeps looking at him with the same sad, longing expression. Yusuke crosses his arms and looks away. “One of these days, I’ll be there. Coming back from the dead isn’t easy, y’know?”
“Promise?” Kuwabara whispers with melancholic hope. Yusuke can’t take this heavy atmosphere, can’t stand the emotions warring in his chest. He bonks Kuwabara on the head with his textbook.
“Pass the science quiz tomorrow and you’ve got yourself a deal.” Yusuke jokes. “Now focus up. What is it that makes red blood cells red?”
°°°
The next day, Kuwabara’s nose is stuck in a book as he walks to school. He’s so focused, Yusuke thinks a gun could go off by his head and he wouldn’t even notice. Sure enough, he walks past a total of three cats and doesn't stop to pet a single one (which after following him for a week, Yusuke knows that he always stops). After studying with him the whole night, Yusuke thinks his chances of passing are looking pretty good. At least, until a bunch of goons show up to try and ruin all his hard work. Yusuke’s pissed. How dare they try to hurt Kuwabara when he refuses to fight back? He was still covered in bruises from yesterday, and now these guys wanted to add more? Not on his watch.
“Oi! Touch him and I’ll kill you.” Yusuke shouts, planting himself between an oblivious Kuwabara and these assholes. Of course, they ran right through him like he wasn’t even there. Yusuke curses himself when he remembers he can’t interact with the physical world. Luck is on his side today, because some chick gets knocked out by their carelessness. Just what he needed. It’s nowhere near as comfortable as Kuwabara’s body had been (he doesn’t want to think about that), but it does the job. Yusuke takes out all his pent up anger and frustration on these punks. He feels much better afterwards (was this the satisfaction of fighting for someone else?). He turns to see where Kuwabara went and panics when he sees him about to walk into traffic, too absorbed in his notes. Yusuke sprints hard and pulls him back just in time as a car whizzes by, the force of it tugging on them. Yusuke can feel his borrowed heart hammering in fear. Yeesh, he knew they were similar, but Kuwabara didn’t need to die the same way. Kuwabara stumbles back and Yusuke steadies him.
“Take it easy, man, watch where you’re going.” Yusuke shouts, fear making his voice sound angry. Kuwabara looks stunned.
“Thank you. I think you might’ve just saved my life.” He says with soft gratitude, dazed with the shock of nearly being run over.
“Yeah, so you’d better take care of it, ‘cause I don’t want to have to do it again.” Yusuke gripes, crossing his arms and looking away.
“Do we know each other? You seem really familiar.” Kuwabara ponders and Yusuke glances up to see him looking puzzled. His brow is furrowed as he studies Yusuke.
“Doesn’t matter. You’re going to be late for school.” Yusuke says shortly, annoyed that he can feel himself blushing. Kuwabara is still staring at him with bewilderment. Fuck it, Yusuke thinks and hugs him. “Good luck on your test.”
“How did you–” Kuwabara is cut off because the girl woke up, ejecting Yusuke from her body without warning. She shrieks and slaps Kuwabara before scurrying away. Kuwabara rubs his stinging cheek. “What the hell? Why does this keep happening?”
“Sorry, dude. My bad.” Yusuke winces in sympathy.
He sits with Kuwabara throughout the test. Yusuke would sneak over to look at other students' work and come back to whisper the answers in his ear, hoping something would get through. By the end of it, Kuwabara is feeling confident and Yusuke feels pride swelling in his chest. “Nicely done, Kuwabara.”
°°°
Yusuke’s pissed again. After everything Kuwabara went through this past week, Akashi cheated because he beat him at his own game. Yusuke is furious and even though he would love to watch Kuwabara beat the shit out of that dirtbag, Yusuke can’t let him.
“Stop, Kuwabara.” He shouts, grabbing his wrist and halting it mid swing. “After everything you’ve endured, after all that pain and struggle, don’t give in now. Don’t give this bastard that satisfaction. You’re better than him, you don’t need to sink to his level. I’ll beat the shit out of him myself when I come back to life, okay?”
Kuwabara’s fist shakes with rage, and for a second, Yusuke thinks he might punch him anyway. Kuwabara scoffs and drops Akashi, letting him scramble like the rat he was. Kuwabara’s face is stoney and the teacher flinches from his glare. “Teachers are supposed to encourage students to learn and support them while they do. Why do you work here if you hate them so much?”
“Shut up, you brat. Don’t speak to your superior that way. I’ll have you suspended.” He sneers. Kuwabara looks disgusted with him.
“You put all this time and effort into bullying those twenty years your junior, and for what? So you can feel big and powerful?” Kuwabara looks down on him in more ways than one. Yusuke feels gleeful as the teacher's face turns purple with indignation, mouth opening and closing with no reply. Kuwabara scoffs. “You’re a small fish in a smaller pond. After this year, I’ll graduate and move on with my life. Where will you be? Is bullying kids really what you thought you would be doing with your life? It’s pathetic and so are you. Do what you want. You’re not worth my time or anyone else's.”
Kuwabara starts walking away and the teacher scrapes up some semblance of courage to shout at him. “Say what you will, I’m not changing the mark. You’re just some stupid kid, what do you know?”
Kuwabara stops and turns to look at him with a repulsed pity, like he was nothing more than a bug stuck to the bottom of his shoe. “I may be stupid now, but I’m young and I’ll learn. You’re more than twice my age and you still know jackshit.”
Yusuke couldn’t help but laugh, a strange emotion fluttering in his chest. “Kuwabara, you’re one hell of a guy.”
°°°
“I’m impressed. Kuwabara sure has guts, don’t you think?” Botan says to Yusuke as they watch Kuwabara start to walk home with his friends. He's so glad that Takenaka forced Akashi to change the grade back (Yusuke wished that he'd also hit him, but whatever).
“I’m amazed he listened to me when I told him to stop. I thought you said people can’t hear me as a ghost.” Yusuke’s still puzzled by this.
“He can’t hear you, not really. But your feelings got through. That's what empathy's all about.” Botan confirms cheerily. “You cared about him and he heard that.”
“What? Don’t say that!” Yusuke shouted, flustered. His stomach squirmed nervously at the very thought.
"Why not? I think it's sweet." Botan chirps. "Besides, if you're open about your feelings with those you care about, you might be surprised at the rewards."
"Who said I cared about him? Mind your own business." He snapped, terribly embarrassed. Kuwabara stopped and turned to look back. Yusuke could swear that he was looking right at him (he is very glad that his spirit can’t blush). “Geez, now what?”
Kuwabara’s hair is a fiery copper halo in the warm light of the setting sun. His dark eyes are soft and he has a small smile on his face, like he was sharing something intimate with Yusuke. It feels almost like an invitation, like his soul was beckoning him. “Thanks, man.”
“Kuwabara…” Yusuke’s stomach does a flip and he doesn’t appreciate it. He appreciates Botan’s subsequent heckling even less.