"Oi, Kurama," Yusuke called him as the three of them, himself, Kurama and Kuwabara, sat on one of the ice cream booths in the corner.
"Hai, Yusuke?" Kurama asked as he placed his glance on the guy in front of him. Yusuke kept playing with his straw the whole time, sipping only drop by drop of his sode. "Yusuke, you called?"
"Yeah. Y'see, Keiko and I'll have a dinner tonight and---"
"Goody! A date, mind double-dating with me and Yukina?" Kuwabara asked with a wide smile.
"Naw! Come on, can't I have sometime alone with her?" Yusuke asked. "And you've always been there whenever I'm with her" Yusuke replied. Kuwabara sulked in his seat. Kurama chuckled.
"So? I'm sure it'll be great" Kurama told him. Yusuke shook his head slowly.
"I mean, I'm not much of a romantic, what am I supposed t give her or do for her?" Yusuke asked again. Kurama closed his eyes and just shrugged.
"I don't know, I've never been a date either. Well, some, withthe girls in my school, but it doesn't work out"
"Poor girls, did they take it?" Kuwabara asked. Kurama laughed and shook his head.
"No actually. When I tell them it won't work out, they kept on crying. Some even won't talk to me" he said with a smile. Kuwabara laughed as well.
"Okay, so just tell me what you did to them to make them so love struck with you" Yusuke said with a wink. Kurama grinned.
"My charms probably" he joked. Kuwabara shoved him with his elbow with a wider grin.

"Hey, guys!" Botan cheerfully greeted them, pulling up a chair and sitting in the middle. "What's new? I heard you were having a date with Keiko?" she asked, turning to Yusuke. Yusuke nodded.
"Yup, now he's having a problem on what to do or what to give her" Kuwabara said.
"I see, well, Keiko's just as nervous as you, so don't worry about it" Botan told him. Yusuke sighed. Maybe it would work out, at least, Keiko's been his friend for almost...14 years? It's been so long he didn't know. Maybe he could just act as himself when being with her. Maybe at least that's what lured her to him. "Oh, oh! Why not give her some flowers? Keiko loves those!" Botan suggested.
"Roses!" Kurama exclaimed. "I could grow you some if you want to, no pay" he offered.
"Thanks" Yusuke said in gratitude. But it doesn't take the shaking nerves away from him.

Keiko fidgetted about in her seat, waiting for Yusuke to come. They have a table for two reserved on one of the finest restaurants they have in the city. She took a deep breath again, taking all her time thinking of what to tell Yusuke afterwards. Her heart leapt from it's place as she saw Yusuke walking up to her.
"Hey!" he greeted. Keiko smiled at him in welcome. "Uhm, here, this is for you" he said, handing her the boquet Kurama had given him to give to Keiko.
"Thank you, they're beautiful" she said happily. Yusuke seated himself across her on the table. They called out someone to assist them with their orders next.

"Wow! This is good!" Yusuke exclaimed as he gobbled up every piece of food he has in his plate. Keiko smiled with a sweatdrop at him.
"Careful or you might hurt yourself" she warned him, but Yusuke kept eating. Keiko sighed and shook her head, somewhat amused at how Yusuke had acted like.

Now, we see Yusuke and Keiko on one side of the restaurant.
"Keiko, really, I'm just fine. I---" Yusuke had been cut off again as a sudden burst of nausea hit him again. Keiko rubbed his back as she assisted him.
"I told you not to eat to much" she said, sermoning him again about not listening to her. At least both of them weren't thatnervous anymore, it was just old times.
"I'm sorry, it's just that---" Yusuke was so dizzy, his stomach couldn't take it. How he felt so embarrassed being like that in front of Keiko. Keiko sighed exasperratedly.
"Oh Yusuke, you'll never learn. Come on and I'll bring you home" she offered and lead Yusuke out of the place after she paid.

"Oh my goodness! Yusuke, what happened?!" Atsuko asked nervously as she opened the door for yusuke and Keiko.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Urameshi, but I think he ate too much and---"
"Food poisoning! They want to poison me!!!" Yusuke said angrily in a raspy voice. Keiko laughed.
"Oh come on Yusuke" she said with a giggle.
"Oh Yusuke, what am I supposed to do? I'm just about to meet my friends out. Now I have to stay home and take care of you" Atsuko said glumly, placing both hand on her waist. She winced as she looked at him.
"I wouldn't mind taking care of him" Keiko said with a smile.
"Thank you dear, but what about your parents?" Atsuko asked her. Keiko shook her head.
"I'll call them up and say I'm staying for the night because of Yusuke. They'll understand" she replied. Atsuko thanked Keiko and ran off.
"Oh yeah, Yusuke. I hope you won't do anything to Keiko alright?" Atsuko asked with a wink. yusuke brows furrowed.
"As if! Your mind is as dirty as ever!" he yelled back angrily. Yusuke's mother grinned at him before she went off.

"Okay, lie down here" Keiko said, leading Yusuke down his bed. Yusuke lied down and rested his head on a pillow. "How are you feeling?" Keiko asked as she spread a blanket over Yusuke.
"Awful" he replied. Keiko placed her palm on Yusuke's head.
"Goodness! You have a fever!" she exclaimed. "Maybe you have been food posioned!" she yelled nervously and ran to the kitchen. "Want me to call the doctor?" she asked him.
"No, I'll be fine" Yusuke replied. He could see Keiko prepare a bowl of cold water and a cloth for him. Yuske sighed. This date wasn't so good after all. He's just giving Keiko a hard time with him. Look at him now, he's sick. Maybe some youkai was in disguise as waiters in that place and tries to kill him. Well, whatever it is, it sure is ruining his night with Keiko. Yusuke sank down the bed covers.
"I'm back" Keiko informed, kneeling beside Yusuke's bed and wetting the cloth. She then placed it on Yusuke's head. Yusuke tried hard to avoid keiko's gaze. Keiko tilted her head to the side and tried to catch Yusuke's eyes on the other hand. "Yusuke..."
"I'm really sorry" Yusuke apologized, still not meeting her gaze.
"About what?" she asked him. Yusuke looked up this time.
"About tonight. This is supposed to be a special night to remember for us, then I blew it" he told her with sad, disappointed eyes. Keiko smiled at him and shook her head.
"It is a special night to remember" she said with a giggle. "How many first dates can you have that'll make you sick. You never even been sick for quite a while, and this date did the trick of weakening you" she said cheerfully. Yusuke didn't get it that much but got the little idea.
"Maybe you're right. But...I'm too embarrassed to face you right now" he said, his face getting red. Keiko placed her chin on the bed side and stared at Yusuke right in the eyes with the most amused face.
"Oh? Really? I can't believe it, after all that you've done in front of me, almost making a fool of yourself in fron of a lot of awfully faced youkos in Makai and almost killing me to death after all that's happened, it's only until now that you've realized what shame means?" she asked him teasingly. Yusuke smiled sheepishly.
"I'm sorry" he apologized again, this time, for the things Keiko had mentioned. "I never thought of it that way". Actually, he really didn't. He thought those times of battle didn't mean much to Keiko. He should've known she was thinking of him.
"It's okay, at least you're still here and okay..." she said thoughtfully. "Right here...with me" she said shyly. Yusuke smiled and reached for her hand.
"I'm sorry, Keiko. I never knew, but...all I want you to know is that I love you" he said. Keiko smiled at him again, a smile much sweeter than any of her other smiles. She raised Yusuke's hand and kissed it and held it up her cheek.
"I love you too, Yusuke" she told him lovingly. Yusuke grinned.
"I know" he said slyly. Keiko laughed.
"So...it didn't turn out so badly, didn't it?" she asked, still giggling. Yusuke shook his.
"But it would if you leave me" he replied thoughtfully.
"I never would" Keiko said, shaking her head. "I promise" she then laid down her head, just by Yusuke's hand and held it close to her as she closed her eyes sleepily.

Yusuke smiled. He felt content to have her near. Sure, it didn't really turn out the way Kurama told him to, but...it was much better than what the two of them imagined. He knew that Keiko was serious with her feelings. He'll never forget that night. That night will be buried in the back of his mind forever. No, forever is too short...much shorter than how long his love for Keiko will ever last. Who cares how long it would take...but certainly not a second before forever...

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