I posted this story years ago on FanFiction and then took it off about two years ago because I grew up, but I just recently watched Yu Yu Hakusho again (because I needed something to do) and wanted to bring back my stories to FanFiction. I was an idiot for taking them off because obviously I still love this show to death! ^_^

For those of you who remember me, I once went by the username: Keiko Fujiwara. WriterFreak001 is my new username now. :)

Before reposting all of my old YYH stories, I'm going to be doing some serious editing to them since I wrote them when I was in grade school, and I'm out of college now. Heh. Yay for adulting.

TRIGGER WARNING: Domestic Violence mentioned and briefly described.

Always There

Written by WriterFreak001

ONE SHOT

Yusuke sighed quietly as he leaned his head back against the wall behind him. Never, did he think his journey to Demon World would be so boring, and for a while, it wasn't, but after the tournament, there was almost nothing he could do to pass the time. There was once a time he thought he had it all. Power. Strength. Speed. The whole shebang, and for the first few months or so, he didn't think he needed anything else.

Life. Was. Great.

And then it wasn't.

Obviously, he knew Demon World would have been different than the human world, yet he still planned on going there to train so he could one day surpass Raizen. Then the bastard died shortly after Yusuke's arrival, which complicated things a bit in Demon World. Yusuke could have just left without giving two shits about what happened in Demon World after Raizen's death, but because everyone reminded him he was the sole heir to the throne, he figured he could at least offer up a solution to decide the next ruler. Otherwise, the shift in power could have had a ripple effect in the human world, and that would have been Yusuke's fault if he hadn't done something about it.

Now, after the tournament decided the new king of Demon World, Yusuke really had no purpose for staying, but… for some damn reason… he stayed, knowing he needed to control the demon living inside him if he ever wanted to return home to his friends… his mom… her….

There hadn't been a day since Yusuke's stay in Demon World where he didn't think of her. She was constantly on his mind, and for a while, her presence motivated him to continue training and learning how to master the demon within, but in spite of the training… in spite of the control he was searching for… in spite of his three-year promise, he missed her terribly.

Often, he imagined holding her in his arms, loving her, and feeling her matted hair between his fingers as he kissed her hungrily. He wondered how she would smell when she was aroused, how fast her heart would beat for him or how loud she would moan his name as he made love to her… He wondered about those things a lot, and he looked forward to sharing a life with her someday soon.

After all, he still had a promise to uphold.

But did he really have to wait another year to fulfill it?

Would she accept him now as he was? Would she be okay if he didn't have complete control over his demon side? Did she even wait for him?

He closed his eyes and exhaled quietly, refusing to believe the latter. She had promised him she would wait three years just as he'd promised he would return, and a promise was a promise. She was never known to break them before, so why would she start now?

"Keiko…." He stared into the darkness in front of him as memories of her flooded his mind, and as he remembered the first time they met, he realized just how much Keiko had always been there for him and frowned.

He should have appreciated her more...

Preschool

Sitting alone on the swing had never bothered Yusuke because, in fact, he preferred the constant silence. Yusuke preferred silence when he was alone. It calmed him when there was so much noise going on at home. He didn't know when it started, but lately, he realized he never went home right after school on the days his mom forgot to pick him up. Sometimes, he found himself just wondering around aimlessly, letting the time pass by until he deemed it safe enough to return, and other times he would walk over to the nearest park and sit on one of the swings.

Today just happened to be one of those days.

He had been swinging slowly for a long time, just thinking about all of the things he wished he could do to protect his mom from his dad. He wasn't big enough yet, and though he could throw punches at him, it never was enough. He might stop hurting her that day, but then the beating would return the next. He couldn't stop the problem; he only made it worse later.

On the days his mom knew his dad was going to be home, she had told him she wouldn't be picking him up. She never liked bringing it up, but he wasn't that stupid. He might have been young, but he knew what she meant, and it was her way of wanting him to stay away so he wouldn't get hurt. She might be lazy, a good for nothing mom, but in her own weird way, she loved him and didn't want to see him hurt.

One day he'll be bigger though, and when he is, he'll be the one protecting her from him. His dad wouldn't even see it coming.

Lost in thought, he didn't notice a pair of large brown eyes staring at him curiously until she extended her small hand out to him. He immediately looked at her with suspicion. "Who are you?"

"My name is Keiko Yukimura," she replied innocently with a small smile. "Wanna be best friends with me?"

At first, Yusuke's gut instinct was to say no. After all, she's a girl with cooties! But, after being alone for so long, he didn't think having a friend would be that bad of a thing. Hanging out with another kid – boy or girl – would certainly pass the time better than staring at the grass every afternoon. With a little curve to his lips, he took her stubby fingers in his and shook them gently. "Okay. My name is Yusuke Urameshi."

"That's a cool name! Whatcha doing out here alone?" She withdrew her hand and pulled it towards her chest as she looked around them. Worry glossed over her features. "Where's your mommy and daddy?"

Yusuke shrugged in spite of knowing exactly where they were. "Probably forgot I'm here," was all he said to her.

"My mommy is over there," she pointed to the woman leaning against a large, white van labeled "Yukimura's Diner." "I saw you on our way home and asked her to stop the car. Since your mommy and daddy aren't here, wanna come over to our diner? It's not too far from here."

Yusuke shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets. He really had nothing better to do anyway. He gave her another little smile. "Sure. I guess."

"Yay!" Keiko exclaimed as she grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the van. "Come on, then! Mommy's waiting!"

"Keiko, dear," her mother gave Yusuke a warm smile, "We should really ask his mother first."

"My mom's not here," Yusuke replied, blinking as he folded his hands behind him. "She's with dad, and when she's with him, I'm not allowed to go home. She'll find me when she's ready; she always does."

"That may be so," Keiko's mother laughed and ruffled her fingers through her daughter's hair unknowingly, "but I would still feel more comfortable calling your mom to let her know where you are."

"No need to call," a teen suddenly said a few feet behind the older woman as she flipped her hair casually. "I actually made it on time this time." She gave Yusuke a thumb's up as he made his way to her.

"School actually ended an hour ago," Mrs. Yukimura noted quietly to the young woman. "I think your son's been here since then."

"Yusuke's a good boy," his mom replied swiftly as she picked him up and mounted him on her hip. Yusuke noticed the welt on her jaw but made no comment. Like always, he pretended not to notice; he knew how hard she tried hiding her bruises from him, and he didn't want to embarrass her in front of his new friend's mother. "He did exactly as I told him to." She gave her son a wide smile. "Didn't you?"

Yusuke expressed a matching grin and then pointed at Keiko. "I even made a friend today!"

His mom glanced at Keiko and smiled softly. She might not show it much, but hearing her son made his first friend really touched her. She hated seeing him so alone whenever he was at recess, waiting for her to pick him up. This friendship, hopefully, would be good for him.

Yusuke was placed down to the ground as his mom knelt in front of Keiko. "And what's your name, cutie?"

Sky Keiko stepped behind her mother and blushed, making both parents chuckle at the young girl's reaction. "Keiko," she blushed deeply. "Keiko Yukimura."

"Such a cute name," his mom added as she rose to her feet and took a cigarette and a lighter out of her pocket. Quietly, she placed the end into her mouth and lit the other side. Immediately, her cigarette was smacked out of her hand. It fell onto the sidewalk before the other woman stomped on it. "What the hell?!"

"Smoking is bad for you, and for the kids," Mrs. Yukimura responded swiftly before giving the boy's mom a better look. "How old are you anyway? And what's your name again? You look very young for a mother of a four-year-old."

"Twenty-One, and it's Atsuko. And to answer your second question, I was knocked up when I was sixteen. Had him when I was seventeen. The rest is history." she replied dryly before bending down to pick up her son again. "Come on, Yusuke. Let's go home."

The young boy gave his mother a questioning look, not caring that they weren't alone. "Is he… gone?"

She nodded. "For now, anyway."

When she combed her fingers through Yusuke's thick hair, Keiko's mother noticed the dark welt on her underarm. Most of it was covered by the young woman's sleeve, but it was easy to spot once she raised her arm. Mr. Yukimura frowned in sympathy and said, "How long has it been since you and Yu-chan have had a decent meal?"

Atsuko shrugged. "It's been a while, I guess."

"Then why don't you and Yu-chan join us for dinner? My husband and I own a diner not too far from here. It'll be on the house." Mrs. Yukimura gave Atsuko an even smile. "What do you say?"

Atsuko first glanced at her son before smiling a little. "I guess one free dinner won't hurt."

...

While Atsuko and Keiko's parents were in another room talking about grownup stuff, Yusuke was told to play with Keiko outside. There was a small playground in Keiko's backyard, and a swing set – just like the one at the park. Immediately, he walked towards the swing closest to the tree and took a seat. Keiko, of course, sat down next to him. In spite of how friendly and outgoing she seemed earlier when she asked him if he wanted to be best friends with her, she was actually very quiet and shy. Something Yusuke didn't seem to mind.

"So," Yusuke spotted a small frog on the bench next to the tree and stared at it, "What do best friends do?"

Keiko visibly shrugged. "Mommy says best friends play with each other and keep secrets and promise to stick together no matter what. I never had a best friend though… but that's what my mommy says."

Yusuke continued staring at the frog as it hopped back onto the grass. He didn't say anything though.

Keiko reached for Yusuke's hand and squeezed it tightly. "Best friends are always there for each other, Yu-chan. I know some bad thing is bothering you, and even though I won't ask you what it is, just know I'm here, okay?" Keiko's eyes shined at him as she blinked back her tears. She smiled at him gently. "You can count on me."

And a few weeks after his dad was arrested for domestic violence, Yusuke finally told Keiko the truth of why she found him alone in the park.

And not once did she tell a soul.

Fourth Grade

"COME BACK HERE YUSUKE! HOLD STILL SO I CAN CLOBBER YOU!" Keiko shouted as loud as she could as she chased him down the riverfront.

Yusuke stopped at the end of the road and turned around. He stuck out his tongue and pushed up his nose at her. He always loved getting on her nerves, and though he knew exactly what to expect once she caught up to him, every moment up to now was worth it. Having nothing really to lose, he turned around and patted his butt at her, knowing it would only rile her up even more. "Catch this, Keiko!"

"WHEN I GET DONE WITH YOU," she fumed, "YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO SIT DOWN FOR WEEKS!" As if her voice had its own power, Yusuke lost his balance and fell backwards into the river behind him. Keiko clenched her fists and glared at him, almost wishing she could have just slapped him. Her hand pulsed for contact, but she ignored the sensation. Instead she began to turn away. "Serves you right for flipping my skirt!"

The last thing she heard before she jogged up the hill was a loud sneeze coming from her friend in the water. She froze and heard him sneeze again before turning around in a huff to rescue her best friend.

Dammit.

...

Long after Keiko's anger resided, she found herself sitting by Yusuke's side as he rested. His cheeks were red, his face was hot, and there was running snot coming out of his nose every few minutes. For reasons beyond her, she volunteered to be the one to wipe his forehead with a cool, damp cloth and clean his nose. He thanked her each time. "Is he going to be okay, Auntie Atsuko?" She almost didn't ask, not sure she wanted to hear an answer, but Yusuke's mother only smiled.

"Yeah…he'll be fine. He just caught a cold." Atsuko replied, bringing Yusuke a cup of hot soup. "Why were you guys down near the riverfront anyway? I thought your mom said you two couldn't play over there."

Keiko immediately blushed and then frowned. "It's Yusuke's fault! He was the one who went down there first." She avoided his eyes, making the young mother smile even more.

"Excuse me? My fault?!" Yusuke's eyes grew wide as a loogy dripped from his nose. He didn't care how uncool he looked. This was not his fault! "You're the one who wouldn't stop chasing me!"

"AND YOU'RE THE ONE WHO FLIPPED MY SKIRT!" Keiko exclaimed at the top of her lungs. She immediately froze when she saw the big grin on Yusuke's stupid face.

Before Yusuke could reply, his mom burst into laughter. The fourth graders glanced at each other and then watched the woman as she wiped away a tear from her left eye. She touched her stomach and nearly fell backwards as she roared with laughter. An any time she would think about Keiko's sudden outburst, she thought she would die! "I'm sorry Yusuke," she blew out a long breath slowly to calm herself down. "…but seems like you deserved getting sick."

"Precisely!" Keiko nodded in agreement and then dared Yusuke to comment further.

He cleaned out one of his ears and pretended to look at his finger even though there was nothing there. "Yeah, yeah," Yusuke mumbled through his stuffy nose, "Spare me the lectures."

Atsuko pushed herself off the ground and gave Keiko an appreciative smile. "Keiko, go home. You need some rest. I'll look after this knucklehead while you're gone."

"I'll leave…, but only after his fever goes down." Keiko replied as she picked up another tissue and squeezed Yusuke's nose with it, wiping off another loogy.

"All right, all right," Atsuko let out a laugh and then started making her way to the kitchen. "I'll go cook up some more soup. Holler if you need anything."

When his mom disappeared, Yusuke frowned and glanced over at his best friend. "You know," he tried to put on his best smile, but another loogy slipped down his nostril. He didn't have enough energy to care. "I'll be fine, Keiko. Like Mom said; I just have a cold. I'll be good as new tomorrow!"

Keiko shook her head. "It might be your fault we were at the riverbank, but it's my fault you fell in. I'm not leaving until you're feeling better, and that's final."

When the girl made up her mind, it was effortless to try to change it. Yusuke sighed. "Whatever."

...

The next morning, Yusuke was slowly walking away from his house in his winter coat when his mom's voice stopped him from leaving the front yard. "Yusuke!" she called after him, "You still have a low fever! You can't go to school today!"

"Aw shut it, Ma!" Yusuke groaned as he took another step away from the door. "I'm going! If I don't, Keiko will be upset again."

Suddenly Atsuko's frown grew into a grin. "Aw, you have a kiddy crush on Keiko!"

"YOU WANT A LOOGY?!" Yusuke stuck his finger into his nose and a string of goo dripped onto it. He dared to flick it at his mother, but it fell onto the ground before he could. He mentally cursed and wiped his hand off when a voice startled him.

"Yusuke!" Keiko immediately ran up to him and gave him a quick hug, "You're better!"

"Yeah….a little bit." Yusuke lied. He was tempted to run back into his room and go back to bed, but seeing her smile was well worth the crappy day he was sure to have at school. He gave her a little smile, hoping it was encouraging enough to convince her he was okay now.

"Great!" She patted him on the back, and he groaned quietly. "I guess I won't waste my time worrying about you then!"

Without another word, she zoomed off down the street, leaving him in her dust.

He clenched his fist and gritted her teeth. "And to think she actually cared," he grumbled under his breath as he looked at his mom. "Ma? Can you drive me to school today? I think I'll pass out if I walk."

Rolling her eyes, she nodded and rose to her feet. "Sure, kid."

...

Yusuke was staring at the clouds overhead as Keiko took a seat next to him in the field above the riverbank. She straightened her legs in front of her and leaned backwards until she was lying on the field, just like him. Their shoulders were touching, and as a puffy, small cloud floated above them, he couldn't help but wonder why she would refuse to leave last week when he was sick. Sure, they were friends, best friends even, but was there more? Did she like him like he liked her? For some reason, he had to know the truth. "Say, Keiko," he paused until he knew for sure she was looking at him. "Why did you refuse to leave when my mom told you to last week? You were obviously mad at me for flipping your skirt, so… you could have left being satisfied that this idiot," he pointed to himself, "was sick and suffering, but… you didn't." He turned towards her with his head propped up by his elbow digging into the ground, genuinely curious. "Why?" He was silent for a moment when a thought came to him. "Wait; you didn't leave because you wanted to see me suffer, did you?"

"No, of course not!" Keiko's eyes widened with disbelief, not understanding why he would even think that! "I didn't like the fact that you were sick on my account," she replied with a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "But it's… more than that…."

Yusuke felt his heart beat faster. "More than… what?"

Keiko offered him a smile as her eyes found the clouds again. "Don't worry, Yu-chan. If you're ever sick under my watch, I'll take care of you, okay? If that means missing a day or two of school in order to make sure your feeling better, then that's what I'll do."

Yusuke blinked a few times as he processed her response. And then he grinned. "I'm gonna hold you to that, you know."

Keiko beamed brightly but still didn't look at him. "I hope you do."

Sixth Grade

"YUSUKE! YOU PERVERT!" Keiko Yukimura screeched in horror as she slapped Yusuke's right cheek with her famous, out of this world slap. Yusuke fumbled backwards immediately as birds flew away from the surrounding trees. Keiko wanted to clobber him some more, but she maintained her composure. For the most part.

"Gee, Keiko! Can't you, I don't know, slap a little bit lighter next time?! I think you smashed my kidneys!" Yusuke complained as he coddled his cheek.

Keiko huffed. "Your kidneys aren't in your face Yusuke. You'll survive. Quit complaining."

She started for the door, but he grabbed her wrist before daring to lift her skirt up again. "Black looks good on you, K—" He was immediately sent backwards with another slap to the face, a red mark now appearing on the opposite side.

Keiko's cheeks puffed out as she stomped over to him. "One of these days, Yusuke, you're going to find yourself a girlfriend, and she will dump you faster than you can blink because she won't put up with your stupid pranks like me!" Keiko pointed an accusing finger at her best friend and added, "If you don't pull your act together quickly, no girl is ever going to want to date you!"

"What. Ever." Yusuke rolled his eyes dramatically. There was only one girl he was interested in dating so whatever she had to say, she could stuff it. "If my girlfriend can't handle me, my perks and my quirks, then she's not worth dating in the first place!"

"We'll see about that." Keiko spat as she whirled away from him and started making her way towards the door.

'What does that mean exactly?' Yusuke asked himself, but as Keiko yanked the handle and pushed the door open, he shook his thoughts away and scrambled after her. "Hey, wait, Keiko!"

"What do you want now, Yusuke?"

He cringed. Obviously, she was still pissed. He stuttered a little. "W-What're you doing after school?"

"Nothing," she replied honestly but added, "unless I don't finish my homework before the school day ends."

He flicked his thumb over his nose. "You think you'd be able to stay around long enough for me to walk you home?" He grinned widely. "I'm gonna get detention today."

"Detention?" Keiko lifted an eyebrow and pursed her lips. "Yusuke, what makes you think you'll receive detention?"

"Because," he made a Victory symbol with his fingers and smirked, "I plan on ditching P.E. today." He lowered his voice and pressed his lips to her ear, and he could have sworn she held her breath in response to his nearness. "Don't tell anyone, okay?"

Keiko frowned but wasn't really surprised. "You'll be sorry for ditching, Yusuke. I wouldn't recommend it."

"Aw, Keiko. Just let me do what I want." Yusuke sighed, wishing she wouldn't be so difficult with him. "At least I'm planning on attending all the other classes."

"Yusuke…," Keiko tsked. "That's not the point."

"Well, PE starts in ten minutes so gotta scram!" The future Spirit Detective chuckled, preparing to sprint down the hallway before any of the teachers notice him.

"Yusuke, I'm not fini—" Before she could complete her response, Yusuke quickly pecked her on the cheek. She fumbled for the right words as her cheeks flushed a bright pink color, and as Yusuke made his dramatic exit, she had the urge to slap him again. "BRAT!"

...

Keiko made her way to the roof of the school to meet Yusuke for lunch. Since Yusuke's mom rarely made him food, Keiko would always bring lunches for the two of them from her parents' restaurant. She poked her head through the door and called out to her best friend. "Yusuke, you up here?"

"Yeah." He answered instantly, hopping down from the roof of the door to snatch his bag of food from her.

Keiko dropped down next to him and folded her legs before digging into her food. "So," she took a bite out of her apple, "were you caught?"

"Yep." He answered proudly with a smirk, and she rolled her eyes in response. 'Of course.'

"Was it Iwamoto this time?" For whatever reason, she was curious.

"Ole Takenaka. He ambushed me as I was running to second hour. Get this," he let out an exaggerated laugh, "As I was making a sprint to my next class, he already had the detention slip signed, sealed and delivered as I turned the corner. He rammed the damn thing into my chest as I passed him!"

"Figures," Keiko sighed dryly. "He knows you like a book."

"I'll just have to be sneakier," Yusuke mumbled quietly, causing his best friend to roll her eyes again.

"By the way," Keiko blushed a little, "What was that kiss on the cheek for? To distract me from nagging you more?"

"More or less," he deadpanned, confirming Keiko's suspicions.

She clenched her fists and grinded her teeth, willing herself not to over-react. "Stupid moron," was all she muttered, making Yusuke grin wildly.

"So," he shoved a bunch of sushi into his mouth and swallowed, "I have that kind of effect on you, eh?"

"Don't worry," Keiko stabbed at her rice, "It won't happen again. Belie—" Keiko froze when a pair of soft lips pecked her cheek again.

"Sure…whatever ya say, Keiko." Yusuke laughed manically as he popped another sushi roll into his mouth. "Whatever ya say."

Keiko's fist rammed into Yusuke's jaw. Hard.

"JERK!"

...

In spite of their argument earlier, Keiko waited patiently for Yusuke. She hated when she had to wait for him until after he was done with detention, but it was better than the alternative of walking home alone. She knew it wasn't smart to wait outside for him, but it was such a beautiful day, and the warmth from the sunshine was too pleasant for her to be waiting in the library. Yusuke would just have to find her outside.

Bad. Idea.

She had waited for him for fifteen minutes at the playground just down the street from the school until she was surrounded by five older boys with stupid smug grins on their ugly faces. The leader stepped forward and spat out a chunk of tobacco before smirking. "You're Urameshi's girl, aren't you?"

"S-stay away from me!" Keiko stammered, backing away slowly, but one of the boys grabbed her from behind and gripped her shoulders hard, digging his fingers into her skin. She winced and squirmed as the leader continued talking.

"You see," he chuckled quietly, "we've got this problem." He leaned in close to her, but she refused to be intimidated. If he could just get closer, then she could… "The other day," he smacked his lips before scraping his finger along the inside of his lower lip to push more tobacco into his mouth. She might just vomit. "Urameshi put five of our guys in the hospital, and we would very much love to return the favor. The only thing is, he works alone. We thought about messing with Kuwabara and his gang, but we don't think your boyfriend would really care about them. That's when I remembered you." The older boys started closing in on her.

"Yusuke!" she shrieked even though it was impossible for him to hear her.

"SHUT UP!" A fist was instantly rammed into her jaw, and she tried her hardest not to cry out in pain. The leader's eyes were on her chest, and he moved his hands to the hem of her shirt. He took a step closer and closer and WAM! Keiko kicked her assailant between the legs as hard as she could, the impact forcing him to double over.

"BITCH!" his hands covered his groin, and Keiko immediately jabbed her heel backwards, kicking the guy behind her in the shin. He stumbled, and his grip on her loosened. Keiko then swung her schoolbag violent, smacking two of the other guys in the faces before striking the last one in the cheek with her palm. She leapt over one of them and started running towards the school. One by one, they chased after her.

The leader easily caught up and grabbed her arm, twisting it behind her back. He then placed a blade to her throat before a white cloth covered her mouth and nose, sending her into a world of swirling darkness.

…

Yusuke looked everywhere for Keiko, but he couldn't find her. He knew she wouldn't walk home without him so where the hell was she?! Remembering that she usually went to the park on nice days like today, he left the school grounds and started making his way over there. He frowned when he noticed a discarded schoolbag thrown into the shrubs near the school. He moved closer to observe it and cursed. "Dammit! I can't leave that girl anywhere!" He picked up her bag and stormed his way towards the alley he had beaten up those creeps a few days ago.

Yusuke slowed down his speed as he crept up to the alleyway. He heard some voices, and his heart throbbed when he heard her voice in the mixture. He counted the shadows quietly and frowned. There had to be at least fifteen of them! Didn't he put three of their guys in the hospital?! Sighing, he moved in slowly and spotted her suspended in the air with rope tied around her wrists. She immediately saw him, and he signaled her to stay quiet.

Her wavering eyes told him she understood, but the element of surprise went out the window when he noticed the cuts and welts on her face. He found the first guy and rammed his fist into the older teen's face, shouting, "YOU BASTARDS!"

Everyone turned towards him, and he moved swiftly, knocking out every person advancing him.

They were all going to pay!

...

"Ow! Keiko! That hurts!" Yusuke wined as Keiko cleaned his wounds.

She reached for the alcohol pads and gently wiped the cut on his shoulder before grabbing another bandage. His bed covers shifted underneath her as she stretched her body to grab the clips, and she slipped a little but recovered quickly. "Stop whining, Yusuke! None of this would have happened if you didn't get detention!"

"HAH!" Yusuke snorted. Two could play this game. "If you had waited where you normally do INSIDE the library, then you wouldn't have been nabbed!"

"WELL IF YOU DIDN'T GET INTO A FIGHT EVERY OTHER DAY," Keiko smacked him in the back. Hard. "THAN YOU WOULDN'T HAVE PEOPLE TRYING TO EXPLOIT YOUR WEAKNESSES!"

He cringed. Like usual, she was right.

Dammit.

Keiko quietly stood up and collected the trash. She walked away briefly to throw them away as Yusuke grinned. "Well, look at the bright side," he chuckled as a means to ease the tension between them, "I managed to send all of those bastards to the hospital." He smirked as he pointed to himself with his thumb. "And I only received twenty cuts and a few bruises!"

"That's nothing to be proud about!" Keiko snapped.

Yusuke jolted to his feet and jammed his hands into his pockets as he pressed his nose against Keiko's, matching her fury. "The hell it isn't!"

They glared at each other for minutes before abruptly turning away from each other, humphing simultaneously.

"I'm going home," Keiko eventually said as she bent down to pick up her bag. "I'll be back in the morning to change your dressings." As she started for the door, Yusuke grabbed her wrist.

"Wait."

"What now," she sighed, not sure how much more she could deal in one day.

"Your face…," his voice faded as they turned to look at one another, "Do those bruises hurt?"

"A little," she mumbled, heat exploding underneath her skin as his thumbs lightly traced over the cuts on her lips and eyebrow. "But I'm fine. I cleaned my face and gave it some attention before helping you. I'll… I'll put on makeup or something to hide the contusions before school tomorrow. I'd rather not have students ask questions or assume worse things than what actually happened." She gave him a smile as his fingers trailed away from her face. "Don't worry about me, Yusuke. I promise, I'm fine."

He wasn't convinced. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Now, get some rest. I need to get home."

"I walk you, then." Yusuke said; his response wasn't up for negotiation. After he locked the house up, Keiko hooked her arm around his and held him close to her. When a bird suddenly flapped its wings somewhere behind him, she grabbed his arm with her other hand and squeezed it. Today definitely rattled her more than what she was letting on, but he decided not to comment.

When they were nearing the restaurant, Keiko stopped walking. Immediately, Yusuke's eyes flung to her amber eyes and lifted an eyebrow. He noted the way her eyes sparkled when they glistened. "Yusuke?"

"Hm?"

"Why do you like fighting so much?"

Yusuke shrugged. "Dunno… I guess it has something to do with needing to be stronger…."

"Than your dad?"

"Yeah," Yusuke nodded, shoving his right hand into his pocket. "And once I was strong enough, since he wasn't around for me to bash in his face a good few times, I guess street fighting was a way for me to cope." He was silent for a moment but then quietly continued. "For a while, I think that's what it was… Just a coping mechanism…, but then I started liking it…. Fighting was the one damn thing I was good at; I'm a screw up when it comes to everything else." Yusuke looked up at the moon, and Keiko did the same.

"You know I don't pick fights intentionally," Yusuke reminded her before chuckling a little bit. "Well, except for Kuwabara, but that's a different story altogether…. You know as well as I do that the guys I beat up are jerks. Take today for example. Those… scumbags… They don't care about who they're fighting or how old their punching bags are. All they care is that they're beating someone up and having a good time. I guess you could say I have a stupid moral code like Kuwabara. I don't like fighting kids or girls or people who don't deserve getting punched, and people who do need to be taught a lesson." His fingers inside his pocket clenched. "I can't stand it when thugs pick on non-fighters or people weaker than them. It's… It's messed up!"

"Yusuke…," Keiko exhaled a slow breath as his eyes found hers. Without blinking the only thing she could say was, "Everyone you fight are weaker than you…."

Yusuke fell over. Of course, that would be the first thing she'd say. "You know what I mean!"

Keiko giggled and smiled as she stuck her tongue out at him. "I know."

He led her the rest of the way to her house and said, "Don't leave home until I get here tomorrow."

"Okay," she nodded without asking him for an explanation. She placed her hand on the door handle behind her but didn't move backwards. "Yusuke?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for telling me why you fight." She smiled sweetly. "I think I understand you a bit better now." She turned the knob without looking and added, "And if you ever need someone to talk to about anything, you know where to find me."

Without warning, Keiko leaned forward, pressed a gentle kiss on Yusuke's cheek and disappeared into the diner before he could react.

He eventually smirked as he touched his cheek, still feeling the light pressure of her lips against his skin.

"Well damn."

Eighth Grade

He could feel her lips pressed softly against his, and his heart pounded wildly. She slowly lifted her head, and he instantly missed her warmth.

"Yusuke, please wake up!" her voice was wavering as she gently shook him, but he still couldn't move.

'Dammit!'

"Yusuke!" Keiko's eyes filled with tears, and her voice began to break, and all Yusuke wanted to do was shout at her and tell her to stop crying because it had worked! He was alive! He could wiggle his toes and his fingers, he could feel her weight next to his and hear his heart pounding in his ears, but she had lost all hope and buried her face into her arms.

Yusuke couldn't take listening to her cries anymore. With all of his might, he willed his body to move. He promised Keiko he was returning, and she was counting on him to come back. He wasn't going to let some stupid setback keep him from upholding his promise because DAMMIT! He was Yusuke Urameshi!

He began to feel his body rise, and he used his muscles to push himself forward, bringing his hands back behind him to anchor him in place. As he shifted, Keiko lifted her head and hitched a breath.

"Yo," Yusuke smirked, pointing to his lips, "nice kiss."

Keiko didn't know what happened, but the moment he spoke sent her flying towards him, and she wrapped her arms around his waist as she cried with joy. She buried her face against his chest, and he just sat there, completely surprised by her actions.

"You know," Yusuke let out a quiet laugh and began stroking her silky hair, "I almost thought you weren't going to be there for me. It was definitely a close one."

"I know," the tears wouldn't stop falling, "And I'm so so so sorry I was almost late, but you know what," she lifted her head to offer him a small smile, "Even if it's at the last second, I'm always going to be there for you. I promise."

"Thanks, Kei," Yusuke gave her a thumb's up. "I wouldn't be alive right now if it weren't for you. So, thanks for the kiss I guess." He gave her a wink, and she blushed.

Keiko laughed a little to ease the tension. "Next time, don't die first okay? Just ask."

Yusuke frowned. "Well what if I don't wanna ask? What if I just wanna plant one on you whenever I want?" Yusuke's face suddenly went pink, but he said nothing else out of pure curiosity of what she might say in response.

Keiko blinked. "Well, you can't do that."

Yusuke fell over before suddenly getting angry. "AND WHY THE HELL NOT?!" He crammed his face into her space as if to intimidate her.

It didn't work. "BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT MY BOYFRIEND!" She yelled as she pressed her forehead hard against his to match his anger.

"I THOUGHT I WAS!" Yusuke shouted back as he recalled her telling that one dumbass that she had a boyfriend.

"WELL YOU THOUGHT WRONG!" Keiko snapped and immediately whipped around and crossed her arms against her chest, the tears she once shed completely gone. Yusuke mimicked her reaction and humphed loudly. For minutes, they sat back to back in silence.

Then, eventually, Yusuke turned his head a little to find Keiko still avoiding him. Not being capable of holding a grudge against her for too long, he whirled back around facing the wall next to his bed before speaking her name. "Keiko?"

"Hm?"

"You wanna go out sometime? Like on a date?"

"As in boyfriend and girlfriend?" Keiko lifted an eyebrow, but didn't turn around to see if he was looking at her.

"Sure," Yusuke shrugged, "If that's what you want us to be."

She whirled around with wide eyes. "What about you? What do you want us to be?"

Yusuke thought about it for a moment and smirked. Keiko suddenly knew what he was up to, but before she could react, he had already trapped her underneath him with his hands cuffing her wrists down to the bed. Her heart thumped wildly, and her face went beet red as he moved closer to her. She could feel his breath brushing against her neck, and just as his mouth grazed against hers, he stopped short of giving her a full kiss. With a cocky grin, he said, "I want us to be exactly who we are."

And without warning, he playfully smacked her cheek and chuckled like an idiot before pushing off of her. Flustered, Keiko centered all of her fury into her hand and "YUSUKE, YOU JERK!"

Yusuke was sent backwards and smacked against the wall, but he was still laughing. "Damn, that hurt." He rubbed his face and grinned cheerfully as Keiko began thinking of all of the ways to send Yusuke back to his grave again for teasing her.

"Next time you die, you can count on someone else to kiss you back to life!" Keiko, with balled fists, dramatically stomped towards the door. "I'm leaving!"

Yusuke pulled his bones together and hopped to his feet. "Let me walk you..."

"I can walk myself!"

"To the hospital? At this hour? I don't think so." Yusuke walked towards his dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. "Just give me one minute to change."

Knowing Yusuke was more stubborn than a mule, Keiko relented. "Fine."

Yusuke gave her a little smile and disappeared behind the bathroom door. He reappeared shortly afterwards, fully dressed. Without warning, Yusuke reached down for Keiko's hand and laced his fingers with hers. He snickered like a moron. "So, you wanna break the news to your parents, or should I?"

At the Dark Tournament

"YOU JERK!" Keiko shrieked as her hand went flying towards Yusuke's cheek for poking her butt.

"Shucks, Keiko! I don't care what any demon says, you're slaps are the hardest!" There was that stupid grin again. Yusuke rubbed his cheeks as if he had just won a trophy at a fighting match.

Keiko folded her arms in front of her and frowned. "I can't believe I'd actually thought you had changed!"

"I have! I've grown three inches since you've last seen me!" Yusuke answered proudly while pointing to himself with his thumb. "You've obviously done some growing up yourself," he added with a wide smirk.

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT, AND YOU KNOW IT!"

If looks could kill.

After a moment of silence, Keiko finally sat down next to Yusuke and, as if the last few minutes didn't happen, she rested her head on his shoulder. "Promise me something, Yusuke."

"Sure. What?"

She laced their fingers together slowly. "However this tournament goes down, don't get killed. I can't handle it a second time."

"Keiko…"

"Please? Just promise me, okay?!" There was a fresh brimming her eyes.

"Keiko…I don't want to lie to you," Yusuke's eyebrows fell. "I don't know what will happen tomorrow. But I swear, I will do everything in my goddamn power to make sure I survive this tournament. Okay?"

"Yusuke…" her voice wavered as her tears began to fall, "Let's run away. If we run, you can't fight, and you won't die."

"Keiko… Even if I wanted to," Yusuke tightened his grip on her hand, "I can't just leave. If I do…, he'll kill everyone I love…. There's no point in living if we can't live our lives together…."

She looked into his eyes deeply. He cupped her face and moved closer to her until their lips touched lightly. "I love you, Keiko, but you already know that…, and unfortunately, he does too…. And during our fight tomorrow, I have this nagging feeling that he's going to exploit that fact as much as possible to get under my skin. So I need you to be careful too, okay?"

Keiko exhaled a quiet breath and nodded. "Okay."

She gently pressed her lips against his and kissed him slowly. Yusuke's hands weaved into her brown locks, and he kissed her deeper, stroking her tongue with his.

They didn't leave for hours.

The Day Yusuke Proposed

He expected her to slap him after delivering the bad news, but the impact never came. There was a long silence between them, and Yusuke was dying inside to know what she was thinking.

Avoiding the subject all together, Keiko finally said, "Did you know that Kuwabara is planning on going to high school?"

Yusuke did not know. "Get out! Well, that's good for him! He deserves a good education since he's been busy into the books these days. What about you?" 'Will you wait for me?'

"I'm applying for Daichi's Academy for Girls," was her only response.

Yusuke blinked, not expecting her choice of schools. But since there wouldn't be any boys, he couldn't technically complain. "You wanna go to an all girls' school?"

"Yeah…There's an all boys' school next door." And there it was, the zinger.

"Oh…," Yusuke scratched his neck. "I see…." He turned to face her, but she barely looked at him as she pushed herself to her feet.

"Well, I should get going. Dinner will be served soon. Have a nice life in the Demon World, Yusuke. I'm sure when you return; I'll introduce you to my new boyfriend." Hot damn. Her voice was icy, cold and murderous.

He was in big trouble.

Yusuke rose to his feet and started to bear crawl towards Keiko. "Wait! Don't leave me Keiko!" He was desperate. "Look I'm a crab!" Suddenly, he lost his balance and rolled down the hill like an out of place tumbleweed.

Keiko laughed at his patheticness and then then frowned. "My prince charming!" Her eyes were like icy daggers sent to impale him so he stayed where he was, hoping they wouldn't suddenly transform into weapons because, oddly, that possibility wouldn't surprise him. "Goodbye, Yusuke."

And though the icy spears never came, it felt like he was stabbed in the heart repeatedly as she disappeared down the road.

Yusuke stared at sky upside-down and groaned. "Damn…I've really fucked up…"

...

Yusuke entered the Yukimura Diner quietly in hopes he wouldn't draw too much attention from Keiko's father, but lo and behold, he got a freaking neon-sign shout out from Father of the Year. "Well, if it isn't Yusuke Urameshi! Long time no see!"

"Hello sir." He sheepishly waved. He must be nervous or something because he was never this much of a wussy in front of his girlfriend's father.

"Keiko's upstairs. I'll call her down for you."

"Y-You don't have to d-do that, sir." Oh great, now he was stuttering. Why was he so damn shy all of a sudden? Yusuke Urameshi didn't get shy!

"Nonsense! " Mr. Yukimura grinned, "She'll love it!"

Keiko didn't take long to come downstairs, but she was clearly still annoyed with Yusuke. He really hoped she wouldn't be angry enough to kill him twice in one day. That would not be cool for his reputation.

"You called me down for him?" Keiko's icy glare froze Yusuke in place. "I'm going back upstairs."

"You get your butt to that stove now, young lady! We have a customer who is here and wants you to cook his meal! Now you best get over there and cook because we want him to be highly satisfied." Mr. Yukimura scolded, clearly not taking no for an answer.

Keiko sighed and took out a pan, and Walter wished he could jump out of his seat and hug Mr. Yukimura right then and there, but as Keiko passed in front of him, he decided against it.

"He wants an order of fried beef—"

"I know what he wants, Dad!"

"Watch it, Keiko! Don't let it burn! If you burn food like that, no man would ever want to marry you! Now, your mother, she can cook!"

Keiko rolled her eyes dramatically as she placed Yusuke's food on a tray before dumping it in front of him. "Here's your food."

"Great!" Keiko began to leave, but Yusuke grabbed her arm before she could. "I would prefer if you'd be here when I eat it."

Keiko hesitantly sat down and sighed but complied.

"Keiko! This is wonderful!" Yusuke exclaimed after taking the first bite. "Perfect in fact!" He then picked up a piece of beef and noodles with his chopsticks and moved it towards her. "Want some?"

"No."

Yusuke shrugged as if her response didn't faze him. "Suit yourself."

Keiko turned towards her father, her voice completely lacking any emotion. Go figure. "Dad, can I go now?"

"No. You keep Yusuke company! I've gotta go to the back for inventory," Mr. Yukimura chided before making a quick getaway as if he knew all along what was going on between Yusuke and Keiko.

"You know," Yusuke began, "tomorrow is my 15th birthday, right?"

"Yeah…so what?" She didn't seem to care, but Yusuke knew, deep down, she did.

"So…in three years from tomorrow, I'll be back." Yusuke said after taking a sip of his water, "I promise, Kei."

His response suddenly got Keiko's attention as she looked at him with big, brown eyes. "And then what?"

He gently grabbed her hands in his and kissed them gingerly. "and then…let's get married."

Keiko gasped slightly, but her surprise morphed into that dumb, emotionless look of hers. "Whatever…."

"Keiko," he squeezed her hands, "I promise, three years from now, I'll be back and we'll get married." He wanted to kiss her but kept his composure. "You know I love you right?"

There were suddenly tears in Keiko's eyes, and he wished he wasn't the cause of them. "What if—what if you die?"

"I won't let that happen. I promise." Yusuke replied as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close to him. "I will find a way to come back. I swear."

Yusuke stood up instantly, and Keiko followed suit.

"Well, I better go. Need to get a good night sleep. I leave early tomorrow." He arched his back backwards until it popped and then cracked his knuckles.

"Yusuke?" Keiko looked into his eyes, her coffee-colored irises filled with so many questions.

"Yeah?"

Without warning, Keiko grabbed him by the collar and slammed her lips to his, his back hitting the counter hard. He didn't seem to care though. His arms wrapped around her, bringing her closer as her tongue slid across his lower lip before gliding past his mouth. Their tongues touched and fluttered, and she could feel the floor fall underneath her as Yusuke picked up and placed her down on the counter.

When their lips parted, Keiko was in some sort of daze until he said the words she didn't want to hear. "I have to go, Keiko."

Inhaling a deep breath, the young woman nodded and whispered, "I'll wait, Yusuke. I promise, I'll always wait for you."

"I'll wait…forever, Yusuke! I'll always be here to wait for you!" Keiko whispered into his ear.

"I promise," he kissed her softly again, "I'll find a way back, Kei."

She smiled gently. "I know you will."

Present

Yusuke had no idea what the hell he was still doing in Makai. Without warning, he jolted from where he was sitting and hopped to his feet before sprinting towards the breach between worlds, hoping and praying Keiko kept her promise.

...

Keiko stared out into the sea as the sun began to set, wondering why everybody who went to Makai was back except Yusuke. Did she not matter to him anymore? It hasn't been three years yet, but the others said he had finished pretty much everything back in the demon world, and if that was the case, then why wasn't he home? Keiko's eyes began to water. She was beginning to lose hope and decided enough was enough.

She was done waiting.

"YUSUKE!"

Everyone turned their attention to Keiko and frowned, feeling terrible for her. She didn't deserve to torture herself like this anymore.

"I'M TIRED OF WAITING FOR YOU, YUSUKE!" She screamed towards the ocean, hoping, somewhere, he could hear her. "HALF MY LIFE I'VE WAITED FOR YOU TO COME AROUND! EVEN WHEN YOU WERE HERE, YUSUKE, YOU WEREN'T REALLY! You weren't here for me…." Her voice faded as her heart broke piece by piece. "I'M DONE WAITING, YOU JERK! IT'S TIME I GET WHAT I WANT!"

"I don't want you to wait either."

Keiko froze, and then turned to find Yusuke – her Yusuke – standing in the distance. He gave her a boyish smile and waved. "See? You don't have to!"

Keiko blinked, wondering if she was dreaming again. She was sure she had at least a few that started out this way. Without her consent, her feet began moving towards him slowly. And then they were running. Jumping and colliding into him. Her arms pinned him to the sand, and all she could do was smile and laugh and gaze deeply into his beautiful, brown eyes.

"Well, damn! Someone has gotten a bit more athletic since I've been gone!"

Keiko didn't answer him in the way he was expecting, and before he knew it, her mouth crushed his in a passionate, open-mouthed kiss. He did not complain one iota.

Until he was choking on salt water!

The wave that had forced them in separate directions soaked them to the bones, and they just sat there on the sand, staring at each other as if they had no idea what had just happened. Yusuke, however, suddenly smiled, causing Keiko to grin as well. Unexpectedly, the former spirit detective shrugged off his jacket and swooped his fiancée up into his arms before throwing her into deeper water. "There's for stealing that lip time from me!"

Keiko giggled as she rose from the water and grabbed his collar before dunking him in. "Two can play that game."

The rest of the gang laughed and howled and hooted as they watched the two lovers wrestled with each other in the water.

After minutes of playing, they were both just out there, in the water, floating. Keiko's legs were wrapped around Yusuke's waist, and her arms were hooked around his neck to keep herself from falling backwards into the water. "Yusuke," Keiko was curious, "you still had a year left. Why…," she bit her lip as if she was embarrassed, "why come back now?"

"I was a jerk ass growing up," Yusuke simply answered, "and no matter what crazy stunt I pulled off, somehow, by some miracle, you stayed beside me through and through." He smirked and kissed her lightly. "Now, since you've always been there for me, it's time I start always being there for you. So," Yusuke nodded towards the beach, "in my bag is an engagement ring crafted back in Makai, and if you still wanna get hitched someday soon, it's yours. Otherwise," he chuckled, "I'll just pawn it off to the highest bidder."

Keiko smacked him playfully in the shoulder. "You sell it, you die."

Yusuke couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh. "I'll take that as a 'yes' then."

Keiko grinned. "Oh, most definitely."

And that's a wrap! Again, this is an updated, revised version of the story I had out a few years ago. If you would like for me to post the original story just to have a comparison of what it used to be, then let me know, and I'll post it as a second chapter to this one-shot for reference.

Also, I am trying to find a YnK story about Yusuke making a deal with Keiko about going to school for a month in order to go to New York with her for some school trip. They meet Kurama in New York as well as see The Phantom of the Opera. If you know what fic I'm talking about, please let me know what it is and if it's still on FFN! :)