Welcome! Reborn the Monster here with a lovely little interlude involving my favorite (if not yours) Spirit Detective. As the first thing I've published, this piece is rather special to me, so be nice, and helpful if the inclination takes you! This is written for fun, not profit, and all credit should go to Togashi Yoshihiro-san. Thank you for providing us with such wonderful characters! Now my friends, read on and enjoy!

Yusuke was surprised when Keiko showed up at his door. Ever since he returned from Makai nearly a year ago, he and Keiko had been dating on and off, usually ending in a squabble. He had just finished a dinner of instant ramen and was settling in on his couch to flip channels on his miniscule television when there was a knock at his door. Yusuke stood and stretched, glancing down at his state of dress. Boxers and a white tee…not a good choice for answering the door.

"Just a minute," he called irritably as he dug through the piles of clothes littering the apartment, attempting to find a suitable pair of pants. The knocking continued more insistently. "Hold your horses! I'm coming!" he snapped, fumbling with his pants and tripping over the pant leg. Finally he made it to the door and snapped it open, preparing to yell at whoever had interrupted his domestic bliss. He stopped, mouth open when he saw Keiko standing on his doorstep with tears in her eyes.

Almost instantly his expression changed as she flung herself into his arms. He half carried her sobbing into the room, kicking aside debris as he made his way to the kitchen. Setting her gently on a stool and accumulating a wealth of tissues from a box on the counter, he bustled about making tea. Keiko's crying had subsided somewhat by the time he set a steaming mug in front of her and took a seat across from her, nursing his own cup.

"What happened?" he asked with some urgency. Keiko's eyes began to fill up with tears again. Yusuke rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, not accustomed to comforting someone, especially a girl.

"Well, you remember that guy I was seeing?" Keiko began, attempting to speak past the lump in her throat. Yusuke nodded pensively. Keiko had been seriously dating this man for nearly three months. "Well, he took me to this nice restaurant this evening, and had asked me to dress up and I…I thought," she broke down again, tears falling into the cup of tea.

"You thought he was going to ask you to marry him?" Yusuke interjected, setting aside his surprise that Keiko was thinking of marrying anyone after only three months. Keiko, tears falling once again, nodded. She lifted the mug to take a sip, but her hands were shaking so badly that it crashed to the floor, spreading tea and shards of ceramic everywhere. Before Keiko even had time to think, Yusuke was there with a rag and a broom and dustpan. She made the effort to help, but Yusuke waved her off, silently cleaning the mess himself. Keiko just sat and watched, suddenly feeling intensely guilty.

"Why is it I came to Yusuke anyway? We haven't dated in a while and I was so caught up in him that I kind of ignored Yusuke and the rest of my friends. And now Yusuke's also probably mad at me too…" Keiko thought, a seemingly endless supply of tears cascading with renewed fervor down her cheeks.

Yusuke finished cleaning in silence, and slid his mug, along with another clutch of tissues in Keiko's direction. Slowly, taking small sips of the bracing tea, and dabbing at her eyes with the tissues, Keiko began to calm down, glancing timidly at Yusuke, who remained silent, his eyes slightly out of focus. Still hiccoughing, she sat, unsure of what to do.

"Hey Keiko," Yusuke said, eyes suddenly coming into focus. Keiko jumped and responded with a loud "Yes!" The corner of Yusuke's mouth lifted in a slight smile before he became serious again. "You remember, when we were just kids and you'd get upset?" he asked looking straight in her eyes. Keiko stared at him, puzzled, and then she remembered.

"Yes, I do," she responded, a reminiscent smile softening her features. "I used to come to you and I'd be crying and you would give me a hug," she continued.

"Do you remember what I said?" he asked when she didn't elaborate. Keiko looked up at him then.

"Do you?" she asked, a blush coloring her cheeks. Yusuke's only response was to stand abruptly and come determinedly over to her. When she rose, worry coloring her expression, Yusuke pulled her closer to him and caressed her cheek gently.

"Will you marry me?" he whispered. Keiko stared at him, eyes wide and blush blooming over her face.

"Yeah, that's what you said," she stuttered attempting to back away from him, giving a nervous chuckle. Yusuke's hold merely tightened and he frowned, lip forming his typical "manly pout".

"No. I'm serious Keiko," he answered, irritation coloring his tone. Keiko gasped, and leaned into his embrace. "Will you marry me?" he asked once again, this time with a hint of petulance.

"I…I," Keiko said, breath coming short. Yusuke raised one eyebrow and a grin slowly spread over his face, widening as she continued to repeat the same syllable. Then her tears burst anew and she threw her arms around him, "Of course I will, you idiot!" Yusuke laughed and allowed his grin to shine full force.

"It was just so sudden," Keiko told him later, while they were informing all their friends. "I didn't know whether he was joking or not. I was halfway tempted to smack him," she admitted. Yusuke, who had been across the room, overheard and stomped over to where she sat.

"What?" he demanded, at Keiko's reproachful look, "You were probably closer to drowning us both in tears than you were to smacking me," he argued. Keiko's eyes narrowed.

"Just because I'm sad doesn't mean I'm weak Yusuke. I can still smack you around," she snapped.

"Uh-huh, whatever," Yusuke countered, a superior smirk on his face. "You couldn't even hold your mug of tea!"

"That doesn't mean anything! Why'd you ask me to marry you anyway? Because you thought I was vulnerable?"

"Wha-NO! I seriously love you Keiko, you know that," Yusuke admitted, ire turning rapidly into embarrassment.

"Ha! That's what I thought," Keiko returned, and everyone laughed at Yusuke's expense as preparations began.

A little short and a little sweet. I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you next time with Hiei. Just a little side note: in the Anime, Yusuke mentions that he did ask Keiko to marry him when he was a child. I take no credit for coming up with that particular plot point, that belongs to Togashi-san as well.