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lady_flamewingTitle: The Psychology of Memories
Fandom: Yu Yu Hakusho
Pairing: Kurama/Yusuke
Rating: PG. Surprisingly tame.
A/N: Unbetaed, because I fail at life sometimes. This seems to be a running theme. Also, written for the![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
30_kisses theme: 'the sound of waves'.
How odd, Kurama thinks, the human body’s penchant for taking sensory input and inexorably tangling it with feelings, memories. People.
He pours his stepbrother a glass of milk and thinks of Kuwabara – the warm, sweet smell reminding him of the gentle smile on the human boy’s face as he watches his kitten lap from a shallow dish. Kuwabara, for all his size, has always been so very gentle, and that has always come through his gaze. Eyes are, after all, the windows to the soul - how well Kurama knows that.
At lunch, he bites into an apple and his mother comes to mind – that sickening hopelessness in his gut at the sight of her pale skin against paler sheets. Along with that memory is that of the healthy flush in her cheeks at her wedding, paler than the skin of the fruit cool in his hand, but just as lovely.
He visits the local shrine and the bright red, sweeping gates remind him to pay a visit to Master Genkai – he smiles as he pictures her sitting outside her temple with a cup of tea. She is slight, but powerful - Kurama has never once made the mistake of underestimating her (he has seen, after all, what has become of those who do) - and in her own way, she cares for all those who cross her path. Though, he thinks amusedly, some of them might have a slightly different idea about that.
The nights grow colder and he sits before the fire crackling behind the grate, wondering what has become of Hiei – recalling his fierce and challenging stare, the bitter flare of his temper, the passion and determination that have kept him alive through it all. The little fire-demon burns with an inner fire that Kurama has never seen equaled. The things he has been through have toughened him to the world - yet with the appropriate application of care, that hardened exterior can be gently rubbed away, revealing a heart that gleams like the best of jewels.
And he avoids beaches as best he can, because the sound of the surf – the subdued roar as the waves crash onto the sand – makes his heart ache. He cannot hear it without thinking of Yusuke, of his wicked grin and his unfailing spirit, of his long-awaited return from the Makai. He cannot hear it without remembering the day he lost the Spirit Detective; the day Yusuke made his choice, kept his promise, and returned – only to leave Kurama behind.
It was an outcome he expected, and a wise decision on Yusuke’s part. But Kurama knows full well that intellectual understanding does not mean much in the face of human emotion – why else would these everyday things, the inputs of his five senses, nothing at all extraordinary on their own, evoke such powerful feelings? So he accepts the illogical nature of it all, good and bad, and marvels at the beauty of a sunset over the water – at a distance from which he cannot hear the sound of waves.
Comments and criticisms are especially welcomed.
Crossposted.
Fandom: Yu Yu Hakusho
Pairing: Kurama/Yusuke
Rating: PG. Surprisingly tame.
A/N: Unbetaed, because I fail at life sometimes. This seems to be a running theme. Also, written for the
30_kisses theme: 'the sound of waves'.How odd, Kurama thinks, the human body’s penchant for taking sensory input and inexorably tangling it with feelings, memories. People.
He pours his stepbrother a glass of milk and thinks of Kuwabara – the warm, sweet smell reminding him of the gentle smile on the human boy’s face as he watches his kitten lap from a shallow dish. Kuwabara, for all his size, has always been so very gentle, and that has always come through his gaze. Eyes are, after all, the windows to the soul - how well Kurama knows that.
At lunch, he bites into an apple and his mother comes to mind – that sickening hopelessness in his gut at the sight of her pale skin against paler sheets. Along with that memory is that of the healthy flush in her cheeks at her wedding, paler than the skin of the fruit cool in his hand, but just as lovely.
He visits the local shrine and the bright red, sweeping gates remind him to pay a visit to Master Genkai – he smiles as he pictures her sitting outside her temple with a cup of tea. She is slight, but powerful - Kurama has never once made the mistake of underestimating her (he has seen, after all, what has become of those who do) - and in her own way, she cares for all those who cross her path. Though, he thinks amusedly, some of them might have a slightly different idea about that.
The nights grow colder and he sits before the fire crackling behind the grate, wondering what has become of Hiei – recalling his fierce and challenging stare, the bitter flare of his temper, the passion and determination that have kept him alive through it all. The little fire-demon burns with an inner fire that Kurama has never seen equaled. The things he has been through have toughened him to the world - yet with the appropriate application of care, that hardened exterior can be gently rubbed away, revealing a heart that gleams like the best of jewels.
And he avoids beaches as best he can, because the sound of the surf – the subdued roar as the waves crash onto the sand – makes his heart ache. He cannot hear it without thinking of Yusuke, of his wicked grin and his unfailing spirit, of his long-awaited return from the Makai. He cannot hear it without remembering the day he lost the Spirit Detective; the day Yusuke made his choice, kept his promise, and returned – only to leave Kurama behind.
It was an outcome he expected, and a wise decision on Yusuke’s part. But Kurama knows full well that intellectual understanding does not mean much in the face of human emotion – why else would these everyday things, the inputs of his five senses, nothing at all extraordinary on their own, evoke such powerful feelings? So he accepts the illogical nature of it all, good and bad, and marvels at the beauty of a sunset over the water – at a distance from which he cannot hear the sound of waves.
Comments and criticisms are especially welcomed.
Crossposted.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-10-02 03:52 pm (UTC)The story was great. Very nicely done - I loved the Kuwabara bit and the apple reminding him of his mother was very sweet.
And the fact that pounding waves makes him think of Yuusuke? Awesome.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-02 04:15 pm (UTC)I don't know - something about milk makes me think of Kuwabara, and something about apples reminds me of Shiori. Most of this is just me being crazy, actually.
Which, I guess, is a good thing?
I'm glad you liked it, though. You're always a good person to judge by - generally, if you like something, it's a good sign.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-07 05:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-07 09:11 pm (UTC)This is me blushing. Like a neon sign.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-11 05:44 am (UTC)I know you showed it to me, at least.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-11 10:02 pm (UTC)Was that a beta, though? I thought I just showed it to you because I thought you'd like it...
no subject
Date: 2008-10-12 01:42 am (UTC)How are you holding up, by the way? I never see you on anymore...
I miss you.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-12 01:55 am (UTC)Moved in with my boyfriend, in case you didn't catch that in the mess of vague. And he's keeping me here save for classes - bringing me food and medicine and making me tea. Sweet, really.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-12 02:12 am (UTC)Wait. What? No, I didn't, actually. Still, I'm glad he's taking good care of you...
How's the ankle? And what'd you come down with?
no subject
Date: 2008-10-12 02:42 am (UTC)He was going to go walk for about 30 minutes just to bring me back sushi, because he thought it would make me happy. I dissuaded him from that ridiculous idea.
Ankle's good - I've pretty much got full range of motion, except for a little residual stiffness, but I think that should work itself out pretty soon. As for what I have? No idea. Stuffy nose, slight fever, hacking cough, general fatigue - flu, maybe, but it doesn't usually put me down for this long.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-12 02:44 am (UTC)*laughs and smiles* Mm.
And, after over a week, you still haven't seen anyone about it yet? Sis...
no subject
Date: 2008-10-12 02:48 am (UTC)Remind you of anyone?
Yeah, yeah, yeah... Boyfriend's making me go into Health Services on Monday. Not that they'll tell me anything useful, and they'll probably suggest that I'm pregnant. They seem to like doing that with every teenage girl who walks in there.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-12 02:53 am (UTC)*shifty eyes* Should it...? *winks* But yes. Vaguely.
*sighs and hugs* Well, if it's any consolation, at least you're not caught in the midst of an epidemic like we are over here...
no subject
Date: 2008-10-12 02:58 am (UTC)Uh-huh. Yeah.
I've been hearing about that, yes.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-12 03:28 am (UTC)Mm. I am happy for you, you know. And you can tell he's won a few brownie points in my book.
They have hand sanitizers EVERYWHERE. I've never seen a place so serious about this kind of thing.
*nuzzles*
no subject
Date: 2008-10-12 03:34 am (UTC)Well, it's taken out a large number of students - can you blame them?
no subject
Date: 2008-10-12 04:03 am (UTC)True, but it's also largely been confined to one section of campus.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-12 04:24 am (UTC)Mm. I guess that does make a slight bit of difference? Still, precautions never hurt anyone.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-12 04:26 am (UTC)True enough.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-09 04:10 am (UTC)Also three shots of rum in a can of coke is not good while reading your fics. It hurts the eyes while trying to focus on the screen.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-10 04:29 am (UTC)Mmm, rum and coke.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-10 04:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-10 04:52 am (UTC)