Fall Of The Fox

Title: Accepting You

Author: Kimisan/Aoshis_toy

Community: 30_Breathtakes

Themes: #15 Amazing Kiss
#3 The look in your eyes
#30 I watch your back as you walk away
#18 In the rain
#13 Tangled in sheets

Summary: A game of Suck and Blow leads to more, will Kurama choose a friend or the woman he loves.


While the song was one of her favorites, Keiko couldn’t find it in herself to enjoy the pleasant melody. The soft voice did nothing to soothe her nerves or the tension in her shoulders. It wasn’t really the loud voices or the limited moving space. It really wasn’t the drunk asshole that kept stepping back onto her toes. It was the company beside her and then the presence across the room. The mixed emotions she had, that made her want to pull her hair out. Or just say to hell with it and deck Yusuke one good time. Especially now, she didn’t want to listen to him and Kuwabara debating over which girl’s ass looks better when neither ass belonged to her.


Her eyes went for the man standing across the room talking to Shizuru. The two looked to be in a serious conversation. The slight pangs of jealousy rose in the pit of her stomach. She had no reason to feel it but the ugly monster was there rearing it’s head. She wasn’t stupid nor believed in lying to herself. Somewhere along the years she’d waited for Yusuke to return she’d fallen out of love with him. Months had passed since he’d returned and she didn’t know how to deal with the missing emotions. The love was still there but it wasn’t the same as before. While the gang was together she found her eyes straying to the redhead more than called for.


Yusuke was more loud and obnoxious, quicker to fight and get into more trouble but she found the other man’s cool polite demeanor more exciting. She found that she enjoyed his company more than Yusuke’s. It was wrong but when they all often went out she’d end up spending most of her time at his side. While Yusuke goofed off with either Shizuru or Kuwabara. It made her wonder if anyone else had noticed her growing attraction for the fox. Yusuke seemed completely ignorant to the fact but he’d have to pay attention to her in order to notice. The only time he did seem completely tuned into her was the few times they’d gotten around to sleeping together. As soon as he got off, it was back to the usual.


She had to wonder if Kurama himself had noticed her affections. For the last few weeks he’d kept his distance when going out. Sticking very close to Shizuru’s side most of the time. Just like now they were deep in conversation, heads hung low together. Either he’d noticed her growing attachment or he had a thing for the other woman. Maybe it was both and he didn’t want to give her mixed signals. After all since he didn’t like her as no more than just a friend, he was the type to make sure she didn’t get the wrong ideas. Even if he never did like her in return she was believing it was time her and Yusuke split. They weren’t happy together and just avoiding the truth. They weren’t meant for each other, they were too different.


The man stepped back again bringing his full weight down upon her toes. Hissing she shoved him off, making him turn around and glare. Casting her own look of hatred, she dared him to say anything. She wasn’t a fucking rug or doormat. The man had the audacity to roll his eyes and open his mouth.“Say it, and we’ll see how you like my feet tap dancing across your face.”


When he turned around in a huff she scowled. The sound of Yusuke’s laughter made her want to turn around and belt him. Some boyfriend she had, he was busy ogling asses while some jerk was about to start shit with her. Where was her knight in shining armor that would stand up in her defense? The only plausible explanation, that while riding into town on his white horse the city bus had accidently ran a stop sign and ran him over. Giving up she pushed past her so called boyfriend and made a line for the bathroom. Not wanting to use the one downstairs where everyone else was going she made her way upstairs. She’d be damned if she cleaned off the seat because some drunk ass forgot to up the lid. The thought made her stomach pitch, so she chose to use the one in the master bedroom.


Kurama watched the girl make her way out of the room with a saddened look. His eyes lingered on the tense set of her shoulders before falling to the gentle curve of her ass. He sighed seeing Yusuke was still unaware of her dilemma. The boy was dense and hard headed sometimes. Both he and Shizuru had seen the guy bumping into her. If he would have done anything out the way then he would have handled it. Seeing she had it under control, he didn’t interfere. It was a shame the boy didn’t realize what he had. There was nothing he could do about it, it was out of his hands. She might enjoy his company but she loved Yusuke. At times he wished the boy weren’t so close to him, it kept him from making a try for the girl.


“Stare any harder and you are going to burn holes into her back.” Shizuru laughed at the slight blush creeping into his cheeks. The man was simply adorable and an idiot. While she liked Yusuke as a good friend, she could see the attraction between the two. Maybe it was more than that but neither had acted upon it. Keiko she could understand since she still fancied herself in love with Yusuke. Kurama didn’t want to make a play for a best friend’s girl. They were both stupid in her opinion. Yusuke might be upset over the break up but wouldn’t be crushed. If the guy could go years without speaking to her or seeing her then he wasn’t in love with her. His heart would have longed to see her again, not worry about if he could kick some guy’s ass.


“I was merely making sure she was alright.” The lie slipped easily from his mouth but he knew she wasn’t buying it. The perceptive one of the group was Shizuru, the girl missed nothing. Just because she was aware of his feelings he wouldn’t admit them to her. He didn’t need word getting back to Yusuke about it. No need to cause problems for the two, not for nothing. He’d be content to watch her from afar for now. Though with his plan of trying to put some distance between them was hard. He found himself missing her company.


Shizuru felt sorry for the man seeing his look of longing. If the idiot didn’t want to be away from the girl then he should go talk to her. Men were so stupid sometimes, which was why she had a girlfriend. Kuzuma didn’t agree to the relationship but he’d been told which ass cheek to kiss. She wouldn’t give up her friend for anything. Maybe what these two needed was a good jolt to get things started. She spotted Keiko coming back down the stairs. Placing two fingers in her mouth she whistled loud, the sound penetrating over the music. “Who’s up for a game of Suck and Blow?”


Keiko frowned when Shizuru waved her on over. Turning towards Yusuke she saw he was back talking to Kuwabara. Giving into the older girl she walked on over, if only to be close to the fox for a few minutes. She’d heard of the game before at the last party. In which a circle was formed of people. The object of the game was to pass a regular playing card around with nothing but the use of your mouth. The first person to start would place the card in front of their mouth, sucking to keep it in place. Then would lean over to the next person, as that person sucked you had to blow. Whomever dropped the card was kicked out of the circle. It would go on until only one was left.


Shizuru leaned over the couch to grab a card from the guys playing poker. They groaned when it was taken but didn’t say anything out the way. Fourteen people, she recognized from work also joined in. The love seat was pushed out of the way in order to make room. Keiko was trailing behind her like a good girl, that left her to go grab Kurama. The man was hesitant but came without much resistance. “Okay, let’s get lined up right people. Now, we should all know the rules. I want it kept clean, no tongues please.”


Keiko let the girl put her next to an attractive blonde. The guy winked at her as she sat down. A blush crept along her cheeks as Kurama was placed next to her, starting out with rotating sexes. Shizuru took the other side of Kurama so she took a deep breath. The pit of her stomach was on fire as everyone settled down. Those not participating in the game gathered around to watch. Shizuru began the game since it was her idea, going for the tall man to her right.


The guy took the card without any fail and passed it along. Keiko watched as it went around the circle not dropping once. Fisting her hands she wondered if she could get that close to him without losing it. She just knew the card was going to fall and she’d feel like an idiot. If he didn’t realize how nervous she was yet, then he soon would. The blonde to her left got the card and turned his head in her direction. The lips behind the card almost pressed it against her own forcefully but she inhaled bringing it back with her. She turned her head towards the redhead waiting for it.


Kurama held his breath as she started bringing her head towards his. His eyes caught hers, seeing mixed emotions staring back at him. Lowering his head he went for card with every intention of trying for it. As he began to suck, he heard her intake of breath. The card slipped from her parted lips leaving his to come crashing down upon them. His breath caught feeling the soft mouth brushing against his. Closing his eyes, he applied more pressure tempted to see what she’d do. The lips softened under the caress, returning the touch. Without thinking his hand came up to cup her cheek deepening the kiss.


Keiko felt the tingle of pleasure shoot down her spine until it reached her toes. All coherent thought left her mind as the mouth closed over hers in a heated rush. She was thankful she was sitting down, all her limbs seemed to turn to putty as he pried her mouth open. The swipe of his tongue caused her to react in kind. Nothing mattered but the torment he was causing with each caress as he tasted every corner of the warm crevice. A moan escaped her lips as he pulled away suddenly.


“Hey, I said no tongue.” Shizuru scolded them trying to make a joke over it. If she didn’t dissolve the situation they were about to have a fight on their hands. The most she’d been expecting was a small little peck between the two. What had started out as an innocent oops had just turned into a large mess. Yusuke didn’t look too happy as he glared in the corner, he looked ready to pounce. Everyone had seen the man make the first move. “Now, which one of you dropped it ?”


Keiko sunk lower into the car seat as Yusuke turned the next corner without stopping at the stop sign. She knew he was pissed but what could she say? Oops sorry I kissed your friend and liked it. Damn had she enjoyed it, her toes were still tingling from it. The man had literally kissed her senseless and it had lasted under a minute. She hadn’t wanted it to stop. It made her feel guilty but Yusuke wasn’t even wanting to talk about it. Instead he had insisted on leaving, which was fine with her. She was too embarrassed to stay. He pulled into the wrong lane and sped up trying to get around a slow moving car. “Dammit, Yusuke slow your ass down. Just because you’d survive a car crash doesn’t mean I would.”


“I’m not going to crash. If you don’t like my driving you could have ridden home with Kurama.” He snapped at her as he swerved back into the proper lane. His mind kept bringing up the image of them kissing. He’d felt like slamming his fist into the fox’s pretty face. Why the fuck would he kiss Keiko? He’d never shown interest in the girl before now. Or was he overreacting like always? Earlier he’d seen the man drinking a few beers. Perhaps he’d been drunk. That might explain why Kurama did it but he knew Keiko hadn’t touched a sip of alcohol. “Why did you do it? I know he was probably drunk. That doesn’t answer why you kissed him back.”


It stung that he’d make that assessment. So what Kurama wouldn’t kiss her unless he was intoxicated and smashed out of his mind? Just because Yusuke didn’t see the need to kiss her except when he was trying to get some, no other man might feel the need to do so? What hurt the most was believing that the man really hadn’t done it because he liked her. “Maybe I did it to piss you off. I’m surprised you paid attention to me long enough to realize that another man was sticking his tongue down my throat. And what, it’s not possible that another man might find me attractive or want to kiss me? He has to be drunk in order to do so? I’m not sure if I should be relieved or insulted by that comment.”


“Dammit Keiko, that’s not what I fucking meant and you know it. Don’t be such a bitch, I’m the one that should be mad. As soon as I turn my back you are playing tonsil hockey with Kurama. I do not ignore you, so don’t even use that as an excuse.” His grip tightened on the steering wheel as he brought the car to a sudden stop. They were going to get this straightened out before he took her home. “You want to tell me what has been bothering you lately?”


“Lately? I could have went upstairs and fucked a stranger before you realized I was even gone. The only reason you noticed me kissing him was because you were probably staring at the blonde bimbo across the way. That is my problem, it’s you. Don’t ignore me my ass. Tell me Yusuke, how many times did that drunk ass happen to step all over me tonight.” A dumbfounded look crossed his face and it pissed her off. “See, did you even notice that I left? No you didn’t, I could have ran off and eloped and you wouldn’t have noticed until I jammed a postcard from Tahiti straight up your narrow ass. Why are you even dating me besides the quick romp you give me once a month? It isn’t for the pleasant conversations we have together or the touching moments. Hell when was the last time you held me in your arms? Can you even remember because I can’t.”


The accusations hurt because he knew she was right. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d held her close. Had she left sometime before joining the card game? And what drunk was she talking about. The crestfallen look on her face made him feel guilty. “I’m sorry, maybe you are right. You could have talked to me instead of doing something so drastic to get my attention.”


“DAMN YOU!” She screamed at him, her hands fisting at her sides. The urge to slap him so strong her palms were itching. Did he think she did that to get his attention. She hadn’t been the one to initiate the fucking kiss. Yet, he saw it as her starting it to get his attention and Kurama getting into it because he was plastered. She hadn’t had his attention in almost six months she wasn’t going to beg for it now. Grabbing the handle she pushed the door open. “Go to hell Yusuke, I’m walking home. When you decide to pull your head out Kuwabara’s ass let me know.”


He raised his voice as she stepped out of the car. It was cut off by the slamming of the door. He thought of going after her but knew it’d do no good. It would just serve to make her madder than she already was. She wasn’t too far from her house and would be fine alone. Swearing he pulled out into the road and took off.


Keiko sighed seeing the car lights fading in the distance. She kicked at a rock laying defenseless on the sidewalk. Dammit, he hadn’t even tried to get her to get back in the car. Was just fine with leaving her here. And to make matters worse she’d left her purse in his car. Her parents weren’t home either but away for the weekend. She was stuck walking home, what an ass.


The lights on the car were no longer seen as she began to stroll. The night air made her shiver, the silk blouse not providing much protection from chill. Trying to forget her problem, the promise of a hot shower made her look at the street sign up in the distance. From there she’d be taking a right to head into her neighborhood. A cat hissed in the distance before knocking a garbage can over. Running hands up her arms she tried not to get scared.


Finally, the right turn came and she stopped in her tracks. Standing around in a tight group was five guys, all rough looking. If she was correct it was few of the guy’s Yusuke and Kuwabara use to fight with in school. Nothing but a bunch of thugs hanging around causing mischief. They turned in her direction but she kept walking. She’d stood up to youkai she wouldn’t allow them to frighten her. One snickered as she came closer, hearing one of them call her Urameshi’s girl made her stomach sink. It pissed her off being called that at this particular moment but it would make things worse for her. They might start trouble because of who she was. Well let them, she’d take a hint from Yusuke and go looking for a fight. She was tired of men in general.


A car pulled down the road, the headlights flickering over her. Panic set in as the car came to a halt next to her. What the hell had they radioed for back up? The black sports car was rather nice and looked familiar. Recollection dawned her as the door opened and a redhead poked out the top. What was he doing in her part of town? She didn’t need to be rescued.


“Get in the car Keiko.” His voice left no room for argument as the small of group of men began to move. What the hell was she doing walking home this time of night? It was barely safe for her to do so in the daylight. What was Yusuke thinking allowing her to do it alone? Kurama walked around the car when she refused to move. Anger flashed in her eyes as he approached. He was willing to bet that the couple had fought, his doing. “Please allow me to take you home.”


“Fine,” she let him walk her over to the car. It would save her the trouble of kicking their ass. The hold on her elbow was gentle. She almost smiled when he opened the door for her. The gesture was sweet and touching. Yusuke’s idea of being a gentleman was making sure to down the lid. The interior of the car was spotless and still had the new car smell. She reached up to grab the seatbelt as he closed the door. Smirking she realized she was getting a ride home from Kurama after all.


~~~~~~~~~~


The ride was made in silence which suited her. She wasn’t sure what she’d say after what happened at the party. He didn’t appear to be drunk. He sure drove a lot better than Yusuke. He even used his blinker before turning. The sight of her house came up, all the lights were turned off. She wasn’t surprised that Yusuke wasn’t there waiting for her. More than likely he’d gone to the arcade to play video games or home to watch porn. “Thanks for the ride, I appreciate it.”


“You’re welcome. Hold on and I’ll get the door for you.” He pulled next to the curb and turned the engine off. Palming his keys he walked around and got the door. He had a few questions he wanted to ask her but wasn’t sure how she’d react to them. Once she was out he closed the door and gave her a smile.


“Shit, sorry but I left my purse in Yusuke’s car. Think you can do me a favor? My bedroom window is open, could you unlock the door for me? I don’t think I could climb that high without falling.” She felt stupid having to ask but she wasn’t walking all the way to Yusuke’s house to get her keys. All he did was nod before walking up to the house. With an agile jump he was pulling himself over the sill and into the room. Smiling she walked to the door and waited.


The door opened for her, she gladly stepped inside. The safe feeling of being home washed over her as he closed the door. She felt bad about not being more polite. He’d saved her some hassle and given her a ride home. She couldn’t deny that she was upset about the turn-out. A tad nervous about being so close to him after the kiss. “Would you like some tea? It’s the least I could do after you giving me a ride home.”


“That would be nice,” he jumped at the chance to stay. She walked ahead of him turning on the lights before offering him a seat. He gladly took one on the stool as she went to put some tea on. His eyes lingered over her hips watching the tip of her hair sway as she moved. The jeans hug the delicious curves of her ass. Did she realized how tempting she looked? The light blue shirt went well with the pants. It was casual clothing but fit her well. “Mind if I ask why you were walking?”


“Yes but since you asked. Yusuke and I got into a fight, I got out the car he was more than happy to drive off.” It hurt to admit that he’d driven away without so much as a second glance. Just proving more to herself that they weren’t going to work out. She somehow doubted Kurama would have given her the option of doing so. If she’d told him no, he’d probably would have bound her up with vines then tossed her in the trunk. “Mind if I ask what you were doing driving this way. You don’t live on this side of town.”


“True, I’d just dropped Shizuru off at her place and thought I’d drive by and see if you were home yet. There is something I wanted to ask you without Yusuke being present.”
He stood up, leaving the chair. Walking around, wanting to see exactly how she’d react to him being close with them being alone. She didn’t move but he could sense her uncertainty and confusion. Reaching out he cupped the side of her face forcing her to look up at him. “Why did you allow me to kiss you?”


The question caught her by surprise. Did he really want the truth? How could she say it and not feel like an idiot? She had no idea if he even really liked her. He would be able to tell if she was lying so why bother. He was asking why she’d done it. Opening her eyes she met the intense gaze, the emerald eyes sucking her in. Why had she done it? Because she wanted him, longed to be with him. While she was still with Yusuke her heart cried out for someone she couldn’t have. “Because it’s what I want.”


The answer left him shaking, the truth behind the words for him to see. The soft brown eyes didn’t waver as he saw his answer. Reflecting back at him he saw the longing, the want, the love. His heart jumped at the emotions, all for him. It was all he needed to see and hear. If she wanted him, he’d be a fool to deny himself. He lowered his head, his mouth finding hers.


Keiko threw her arms around his neck pulling him close. All thoughts of Yusuke and what she should do went out the window. The kiss was different from the one earlier. It was more demanding as he forced her mouth open. The heady feel of his tongue drove her wild as he ravished her mouth with wild abandon. His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her against the hard chest. She sighed in disappointment when he jerked away. His hand went for the stove, turning the burner off. She held on tight as the arms went under her.


Picking her up bridal style he made his way back up the stairs knowing which room belonged to her. Placing her upon the soft mattress he went back to claiming her mouth. Hands impatiently went to his shirt. He groaned feeling the palms running across his chest. The fingertips brushing across his nipples, “If you don’t stop I won’t be able to take it slow. Unless, you want it rough I suggest you allow me time to slow things down.”


“I don’t want to slow down, I want to feel you inside me.” She blushed but spoke honestly. After wanting it for months she was already aching. She wasn’t a virgin and didn’t care for it to be slow and romantic. It was special to her simply because it was with him. She raked her thumb over the tight nipples, enjoying the way he moaned at the contact. She wasn’t use to a lot of foreplay and didn’t care if she got it this time. Seeing him too shocked to move, she went to removing her own clothes.


His entire lower section was on fire at the declaration. Aiming to please, his hand went for the belt holding the pants up. The fingers trembled as he slid them down over his thighs, kicking off his shoes. The socks and boxers were the last thing to get tossed aside. She was in the process of pulling the jeans off. Getting impatient, he grabbed the thick material and finished the job. The light pink panties soon landed in the pile of his clothing. All thought of going slow left when she moved back on the bed leaving room for him. The long limber legs were parted enough so he could see the soft mound. Licking his lips he joined her on the bed. The legs wrapped around his waist as he positioned himself over her. “Are you sure you want this?”


“Yes, you don’t know how long I’ve wanted it.” She grabbed him behind the neck pulling him down. His mouth crashed over her as he began to push against the wet entrance. Closing her eyes, it was easy to get lost in the stretching. The thick member was almost painful but made the tiny strings of tension grow tighter. A soft palm caressed the outside of her hip as he began to move. The thrusts were slow but steady, stirring the passion deep in her center.


Hot pleasure washed over him finding her extremely wet. Her words had to be true if she was that turned on from just a kiss. His tongue mocked the motion of his hips, sliding deep within the hot passage. She was tight, the muscles pulling at him. The sound of his name dripping from the mouth parted in pleasure drove him wild. Nails dug into his shoulders as he drove into her. The feeling of her shaking beneath him sent him over the edge. His orgasm came fast and strong as she clenched around him, milking the thick fluid. With a few more jerky thrusts, he emptied himself deep inside her.


It thrilled her when he rolled off of her but took her with him. She rested her head upon the hot chest. Arms wrapped around her, pulling her close. The embrace left her feeling wanted. A feeling that had long been denied. Looking up into his amazed expression she smiled, “Stay with me tonight?”


~~~~~~~~~~


Kurama sensed the presence before he answered the door. He wasn’t sure what all Keiko had told the man yet. After leaving yesterday morning she’d told him that she didn’t plan on staying with Yusuke. He knew what she wanted, a relationship with him. As much as he wanted it he wasn’t sure if he could bring himself to do it. It would mean turning on his friend, a person that trusted him. Would Yusuke see it as him stealing his girlfriend? No doubt the man would and would be pissed about the turn of events. He didn’t want to fight the man and ruin the friendship. It hurt knowing that no matter what choice he made he’d be losing someone he cared for. Would it be unwise for him to give up a strong friendship to try a relationship that might not even work out in the end?


“Hey man, how’s it going?” Yusuke smiled as the man allowed him into the apartment. Yawning he rubbed the back of his head. Taking in the smell of fresh roses, he didn’t know where to begin. “Look man, I just wanted to let you know that I’m not mad about the other night. I understand that you were probably a little tipsy and I know Keiko kissed you because she was pissed off at me. Hell if some hot chick threw herself at me I’d be tempted to do what you did. I’m sure we’ll work everything out. The sad thing is she had every reason to be upset with me. I’m going over to see her tonight and try to get things straight. I’ve been fucking up lately and I don’t want to lose her. I don’t have much in my life and she’s important to me. Same as you, I hope everything is okay between us.”


“Yes, Yusuke.” He felt liked he’d been punched in the gut. Guilt consumed him with every word. Was it possible she’d done everything out of spite? No, she wasn’t the type. It still left the fact that he couldn’t be with her now. It would hurt Yusuke in the process, he wouldn’t be the cause of that. The boy sounded sincere about wanting to make things work with the girl. How could he come in-between the two? Even if Keiko cared for him, she loved Yusuke more. “I’ve got something to do. Are we still on for the movies next weekend?”


Sighing Yusuke agreed glad to see nothing reflecting in the man’s eyes. He’d been searching for a sign that he might be actually interested in Keiko. Not once had he seen a sign that the man might be. Yet Keiko had been right, he’d hardly been paying attention to her so how the hell would he have noticed if a man had been interested? He wasn’t sure what he would do if it had been true? Step aside? He loved the girl but wouldn’t hold her back from being happy. Not like he could, she was the type to do what she wanted. Like kiss someone, she wouldn’t have kissed the guy unless she wanted to. “Okay, I’ll give you a call later this week.”

Class was finally released and Keiko sprang out the door. Stashing the book into her pack, she ran towards the nearest exit. Yusuke was supposed to be coming over this evening to talk. She regretted what she was about to do but it couldn’t be helped. Kurama seemed unsure about how to do things. She wouldn’t lie to Yusuke any longer. Coming out and saying, “Hey, I fucked your friend.” wasn’t an option. The truth would be the best way to go. She didn’t think they were going to make it as a couple, being too different.


A few girls were standing around talking as she exited the double doors. One of her friends waved to her, springing after her own boyfriend. What would it be like to have your boyfriend pick you up from school? Yusuke didn’t bother to pick her up even if he wasn’t busy. He didn’t even ask about her school work. Didn’t care about her education, or lack of. Now that she thought about it he never really asked about any part of her life. On occasion he’d ask about her parents but that was where it ended. Another clue that they weren’t meant for each other. She wanted someone to show that they at least cared.


As she walked down the steps, the red hair came into view. Smiling she quickened her steps to go greet him. It was a pleasant surprise since they’d agreed to let her talk to Yusuke first. Had he missed her as well? Whatever the reason she was glad to see him. As she approached he lifted his head. Guilt and remorse were etched over his features a second before he could hide them. What was wrong?


His heart twisted as she came to stand in front of him. Could he go through with it? Would she think he’d taken what he could from her and then ditched her? He’d stayed the night with her like she’d asked. It was bad enough that he’d slept with his friend’s girlfriend but he’d done it numerous times that night. No thought of Yusuke had crossed his mind as lay in that bed. All that mattered was he’d finally gotten the girl. How would she take what he was about to say? Her eyes looked at him nervously as she gnawed at the pink bottom lip. “Hey, we need to talk.”


“Okay,” she really didn’t like the sound of that. Perhaps because it was the same opening line she was planning on using later with Yusuke. The knotted cramp in her gut remained as they walked some distance away from his car. This really wasn’t good, what had happened? “What’s going on?”


“I’ll be blunt and open with you.” He took a deep breath and willed himself to get this over with quickly without showing any emotions. If she saw any weakness in his resolve then she might try to change his mind. He didn’t think he’d have it in him to say no if she were to try and stop this from happening. There was no doubt he wanted to be with her, too much. He just couldn’t bring himself to hurt Yusuke. She’d get over it in time, she was a strong girl. Hell she’d probably stay with Yusuke and they could work things out. It meant he’d try to stay away from her from now on. Being around her was going to be too hard. “I can’t do this. The other night was a mistake, I shouldn’t have let it happen. I know it’s to late to apologize for it now. I don’t want a relationship with you and I won’t lie about it. Do whatever you will with Yusuke but I won’t be there. I should have told you yesterday but I didn’t know how. I’m going to end it before it can begin. I don’t love you so it would be wrong for me to continue seeing you. If you don’t stay with Yusuke, find someone else. This is goodbye Keiko.”


She was too stunned and hurt to speak. Tears rushed into her eyes as he gave her a smile and turned away. Her vision blurred turning him white and blue, the clothes shimmering. Reaching up she wiped the moisture away. His words rang in her ears, condemning her feelings. Her heart didn’t want to accept it, ‘I don’t love you.’ The pain those words had caused. Even if he didn’t love her yet didn’t he at least care. Her gut twisted as he greeted two girls that walked by and flirted. He seemed just fine, not once did he look back. Tears flowed down her cheeks as he got further away. To all those looking he appeared relaxed, just another day to him. A sob finally left her mouth as he walked away from her and what they had. What did they have, a night of sex? It had meant nothing to him.


The strength left her knees as he climbed into the car. This couldn’t be happening to her. Why?! Sitting down upon the ground in an unladylike heap, she didn’t care about the strange looks she was receiving. The stinging flood of tears continued to flow as he backed up and drove away. Maybe this was what she deserved. She’d cheated on Yusuke, the boy that did love her. Was this life’s way of teaching her a lesson. A hand landed on her shoulder, but it went ignored. She couldn’t believe he’d just walked away from her like that. The sobs began to wrack her body, the hurt too much to contain.

~~~~~~~~

“You need to eat something girl. This isn’t good for you.” Shizuru pushed the plate closer to the girl. The girl looked terrible, not to mention pale. Then again she couldn’t blame her. She knew she was the only one that Keiko had told. She had a good mind to go slap the fox for being an idiot. He’d finally had the girl and then ditched her like a bad habit. What had he been thinking?


“I know,” Keiko pushed the plate away. She didn’t feel like eating right now. She wanted to know why he wouldn’t take any of her calls. Over a week had passed and she’d tried to call him everyday. She knew he was still hanging out with Yusuke the two had plans to hit the movies today. The movie theater was right down the street, would they be there? She just wanted to know why he didn’t want to talk to her. It was the least he could do after what happened. Was she just a lay to him? It had been partly her mistake for allowing it to happen but he knew how she felt.


She’d done as she planned and broken up with Yusuke. He’d asked if they could work things out and she’d put her foot down. They’d always be friends but they weren’t going to date again. How could she think of dating anyone else when her heart longed for someone else? Yusuke had taken it rather well, as she had known would happen. The boy wasn’t in love with her either. All that was left was to know why he’d slept with her if he didn’t want to be with her. “I’m going Shizuru. They always go to the evening show and it’s almost that time. I got to see if he’s there. He won’t talk to me any other way.”


“You do realize Yusuke will be there don’t you.” Shizuru grabbed her arm, seeing the determination on her face. The hurt was starting to turn into anger, with Keiko that wasn’t a good thing. “I understand you want to talk to him but this isn’t the way. What are you going to do if Yusuke is there?”


“I don’t care, it’s the only way I can track him down. If I go to his house, he doesn’t answer the door. If I call he won’t pick up the phone. I need to know Shizuru,” She ran out the café without waiting for the older woman. The soft downpour of rain was ignored as she made her way through those trying to get to a dry place. She had to know why he’d done it. Needing to hear that she was nothing more than a piece of ass to him. It would crush her heart but it would let her know where she stood. Had he even cared about her at the time?


The line came into view, so did the long red hair standing underneath the alcove. Like clockwork they were buying tickets for the evening viewing. She ignored the fact that Yusuke and Kuwabara was with him. He’d left her no other choice but to confront him this way. He was lucky she didn’t get pissed and key his car. She deserved answers and he was going to give them to her. Her hand reached out to grab the silk shirt. It felt incredibly smooth beneath her wet fingertips. His head snapped around to see who’d touched him.


“Keiko?” Yusuke was stunned to see the girl standing there in the rain. Her hair was plastered to her face as the weather picked up. She wasn’t even bothering to look at him but focused on Kurama. An uneasy feeling entered his stomach noticing the guilt flashing briefly over the man’s face. What was going on? He’d suspected that the man was the reason Keiko had broken up with him. But they weren’t dating yet, not that he knew of.


“Why did you do it?” Keiko didn’t release the shirt, uncaring that she was getting it wet. She’d heard Yusuke speak her name but she wasn’t here for him. If this was the only to get him to speak to her then she had to do it. Anger flared across her face as he looked down his nose at her. Eyeing her as if she’d lost her mind. “Tell me now, you owe me that much. Why?”


“This is not the place for it. You should leave Keiko.” Kurama tried to look indifferent as she stood there trembling. What the hell was she doing out in the rain without anything on to protect herself? He could feel Yusuke’s eyes land on him, the questioning look. He knew she hadn’t told him anything yet. Still he’d made his decision and he’d stand by it. Even if the two weren’t together, he wouldn’t betray the boy by dating the girl. “We’ve already discussed this, I don’t want to talk about it again.”


“Of course you don’t. I think that’s obvious when you don’t take my calls or answer your door. If I recall you had your say, I did not.” She felt the fresh onslaught of tears as the hand was pulled from the shirt. He took a step back away from her, dismissing her. That was really it, he wanted nothing else to do with her. She was nothing more than a quick fuck to him. She’d been eager to do it and he’d gladly accepted what she was throwing in his face. Shizuru’s hand landed on her but the comforting touch didn’t help. Nothing would, he didn’t love her. “I love you and I was nothing more than piece of ass to you. You got what you wanted so I guess it’s okay if you walk away.”


She heard the stunned gasps from those around her. It dawned on her she was drawing attention from all those around. None of it mattered, he’d just given her the truth. She really was nothing to him. The delicate face showed no emotion as she began to cry. The cold green eyes stared at her without an ounce of care or remorse. She pulled away from the arm trying to get her to leave. She didn’t want to see anyone right now.


“Keiko,” Shizuru yelled as the girl took off. Unsure of what to do, she began to give chase. The girl was too distraught to be alone. Swearing she pushed past the couple casually strolling under their umbrellas.


“Tell me now Kurama, if our friendship means anything to you.” Yusuke clenched his fists seeing the girl run away. He wouldn’t go after her, he’d be one of the last people she’d want around. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what had happened. He just needed to know when and the truth behind it. Keiko had to be telling the truth about what she’d said. If they’d slept together, then she had strong feelings for the man. She wasn’t the type to sleep around. “You know what I don’t care when it happened. Just tell me why you did it. I’ve already accepted the fact that we aren’t together anymore and never will be. Why did you sleep with her?”


“Yusuke,” he didn’t know what to say. Should he lie and say the girl meant nothing to him? Let the man believe what he’d wanted to that night, that he’d had too much to drink? “Very well, I did it because I wanted to. I finally had what I wanted being offered and I took it without any regret. At the time at least. Are you happy knowing that I wanted what was yours? I’ve wanted her for months but kept my distance out of respect for you. Is that a good enough explanation? Or do you need to hear that I’m in love with her?”


“No, are you really going to let her leave like that? I see it as you got two choices. Either you can go after her because you love her or you can stand here and let me kick your ass if you don’t. I won’t stand in your way if you do. Just don’t treat her bad, she doesn’t deserve it.” He tried to smile but it hurt knowing that Kurama might be able to make her happy when he couldn’t. Kuwabara touched his shoulder as the redhead took off.


Keiko turned the next corner unable to hear Shizuru any longer. The hot flood of tears were washed away as the rain picked up. The next sidewalk was clear, the occupants all stepped inside to get out the nasty weather. She’d need to cross the next street in order to head home. Wiping the tears from her face, it didn’t help the limited vision. The downpour made it damned near impossible to see anything. Pressing the button to be able to cross, she waited. Her ears picked up someone calling her name, it was Shizuru and him. Not wanting to talk to either, she moved as soon as the green light came on.


Water splashed under her feet, as she tried to make it across the intersection. Someone screamed for her to stop, confusion filled her at the sound of locking brakes. The screeching sound blocked out all others. Crushing pain shot through her as something hard slammed into her side. The groundless feeling left her with piercing pain along her back and skull. A gasp filled her as she rolled to a stop, glass cracking from the impact. Dots appeared before her eyes, only to be forgotten as the pain filled her.

~~~~~~~~


“I said I was fine.” Keiko swatted the spoon away. What she needed was that button again. The pain medicine was wearing off and Yusuke was giving her a headache. Another dose of morphine would make it all go away. She’d woken up in the hospital late last night feeling like hell. She was sure she’d woken up a few times before but couldn’t remember anything but blurs. Only her mother had been here last night. She was pissed knowing the guy that had ran the red light didn’t have insurance. Just her luck, now her parents had to sue. Her father said not to worry about it, they were thankful that she was alive.


She didn’t know how thankful to be, she had twenty pounds of putty on her leg. Her side was wrapped up like a mummy and she had a tube up her fucking nose. How lucky could she be? Breakfast consisted of stale eggs and rubbery bacon. Since when did Yusuke start working at the hospital cafeteria? She didn’t feel like eating, not that crap. If the boy put it towards her mouth one more time she was going to bring the tray over his head. “I don’t want it I said.”


“Stop pestering her Yusuke.” Shizuru came into the room, pushing the curtain aside. Her eyes went straight to the girl, glad to see her finally awake. Yusuke had called them this morning to let them know. Kurama and Kuzuma was out there talking to her parents. Only two visitor’s were allowed at a time until they moved her. They’d been worried about her having brain damage with the concussion. If the tests came back with good results she’d be moved downstairs and allowed regular visitors. “How you feeling kid?”


“Like crap, tell him to leave. I don’t want to eat that garbage. Didn’t think anything could be worse than his cooking. You eat it because I’m not.” She wished she could roll over but the sling her leg was resting in didn’t allow it. Where was that button? She felt like utter shit and didn’t want visitors. Even if they were her friends she didn’t feel up to it. First, she was dumped and then used as a speed bump, how the fuck did they expect her to feel?


“Don’t blame you. Besides the food, how are you feeling?” She walked up to the bed and peered over the girl. There was still large bruising across her face and neck, which she knew went down to the shoulders. Having seen the condition first hand when they’d gotten her off the vehicle. It had been Kurama that had done so. The girl would be dead if not for him. Without caring who was looking he’d been begun to heal her. The man had asked her to come in and have a talk with Keiko before he’d come inside. “Yusuke get out of here for a few minutes. I want to talk to her.”


“Fine but get her to eat.” He passed the spoon over to Shizuru. Maybe someone could get the girl to snap out of the pissy mood. He grunted and turned around. He swore when the tray slammed into his back. Not caring that his voice was raised he turned to glare, “Dammit Keiko, I’m going to shove that thing up your ass. It’ll go well with that stick.”


“Get out jerk!” She slumped back on the pillows. See him try to get her to eat it now. Bad enough she was stuck here, they weren’t going to force her to eat cardboard. Sighing she noticed the little control hanging on the edge of the bed. There it was, time for another boost.


“Keiko, you don’t need that. Listen, I want to talk to you about something. Kurama is outside the room and wants to come in.” She paused seeing the glare she was receiving. “Don’t look at me like that, I’m not Yusuke. Now you will sit there and listen because I promised him that I’d talk to you. You gave us a scare there girl. We both couldn’t do anything as that car hit you. Even though he tried, he wasn’t fast enough. Keiko I’m sure they told you that you shouldn’t have survived. Haven’t you wondered how you managed? He did it, you owe him your life. Look, I’m not going to stick up for him because he was being an ass. But he was coming after you that day to talk to you. Will you give him a chance to talk to you? He’s been here everyday since it happened. Despite how he acted, he does care about you.”


“Whatever, not like it will make a difference.” Keiko hit the button before putting it back over the railing. As soon as the pain medicine kicked in she planned on getting some sleep. Then maybe they’ll have something edible for her when she woke up. If not her parents would have to bring her something. She closed her eyes as the older girl nodded and walked out of the room. What could he possibly say to make things better? Didn’t matter if he did care. He didn’t love her, just because she’d almost became road kill didn’t change anything. She sensed it the second he walked into the room. Her stomach pitched, the nerves flaring, or was it the morphine kicking in?


Kurama caught his breath, knowing this wasn’t going to be easy. She didn’t bother turning in his direction. He only had a few minutes before the doctors came in to run a few more tests. “I won’t ask how you are feeling, I’m sure you are tired of hearing it. I know you might need some time alone after the way I’ve acted. I’d like to apologize over my behavior. Yusuke came to that morning, I didn’t think I could go through with it. I guess guilt isn’t something I handle very well. I didn’t want to hurt him just so I could be happy. I know I’ve ended up hurting you in the process. I never meant for it to happen. I wish I had time to talk but I have to go out of town for a few weeks with my stepfather. I’ve given Shizuru my keys and she’ll be taking care of everything until I get back. I’m leaving a number in which to reach me with her. When I get back I’d like to ask you to give us a try. You weren’t just a one-night stand for me. It hurt to walk away from you.”


“Excuse me,” A nurse came in pushing a grey tray. She smiled at the two and walked over to the bed. “I’ll have to ask you to leave, we are going to be taking her down for some tests.”


“Okay,” He saw he had the girl’s attention. Her eyes were glassy as if fighting off tears. Walking over to stand next to the bed he leaned over. Not sure how far she’d be willing to let him go. A hand caressed her cheek, his mouth lingered over the shell of her ear. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Think about what I said.”

Kurama groaned as he pulled into the parking lot. His legs were sore from the long drive, his ass was almost numb. Twenty hours straight and he was ready to sleep. As he stepped out of the car, he didn’t bother getting his suitcase. His belongings could wait until the morning. It was over midnight and he was beat. He’d called Yusuke yesterday informing him that he’d be home today. He was hours late due to getting stuck in traffic. He’d dropped his stepfather off an hour ago. The trip had lasted almost two months, while the man had done his overseas business.


Not even two weeks after he’d been gone Yusuke had called asking if he could stay at his place. He’d agreed, at least until after he got back. Then the boy would have to find his own place. Keiko had called him a few times, the talks staying polite and casual. Neither had brought up the topic of a relationship or what would happen when he got back. Which he preferred, it was something he wanted to talk to her about in person.


A single light burned in the living room as he knocked on the door. He could sense the toushin inside. Yusuke grunted him as the door opened. His feet longed for relief and he needed a hot shower. The place was dark but it was home. It felt wonderful to be back finally. “Did I wake you?”


“Nah, I was watching some movie waiting for you to get here. Damn, I didn’t realize it was so late.” Yusuke smiled, it was good to see the man again. Though he looked like hell, “You look beat. I’m sure you want to take a shower and head to bed but there’s something you should know. I kind of let someone stay over tonight. We were waiting for you to get home and she got tired. So, Keiko’s in your bed.”


“I see, I’m going to take a shower. I take it you are going to take the couch.” Kurama didn’t feel up to debating about it. He had no intention of doing anything tonight, he was too tired. Elation filled him as he walked towards his bedroom. It was a walk he’d performed many times but it felt like it took forever. Finally, his hand turned the knob. A small lamp was burning next to the bed. She was laying upon her side, a book under her fingers.


Not wanting to disturb her, he walked into the bathroom. The shower was quick, taking less than five minutes. After towel drying his hair and wearing a clean pair of boxers he walked out into the room. She’d shifted in her sleep, knocking the book unto the floor. The sheets were tangled around her legs and waist. He noticed the cast was gone and she looked to have recovered. The silk sheets hugged her form as she buried her head deeper into the pillows. His Keiko was a rough sleeper, something he’d have to get use to.


Climbing into the bed, he tried to rearrange the sheets caught around her legs. Once it was done, he tossed it over himself. A grin crossed his face when she sought out the warmth. His name slid from her parted lips. Applying a soft kiss upon her forehead, he settled down next to her. Sleep was claiming him. For now he’d enjoy having her back in his arms. Tomorrow they could talk about everything. As long as she knew that he had no plans of letting her go.


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