5. He is Considerably More Successful

"Yes!" Kuwabara shouted, pumping his arms in victory. Shizuru entered his room, probably to yell at him about the dirty socks he left all over the place, and he swiftly crushed her in a suffocating hug.

"Gah - ," she choked. "Get – off – idiot!" She shoved him away hard.

"Shizuru!" he screeched ecstatically. "Yukina's going with me to the theatre this weekend and the little twerp isn't coming!"

"That's . . . great." Then the statement sunk in and Shizuru allowed him a small, genuine smile. Her little brother had gotten himself a girlfriend. It was so cute. A second later, however, her scowl had settled firmly back in place.

"Kazuma, you really need to do something about your socks!" She held up one of the offending articles.

But he was already rifling through his closet. "What to wear . . . what to wear . . ." He turned back to Shizuru in despair. "I've never been to a real play before! Just those ones in elementary school. What should I wear? Help me!"

Shizuru flung the sock at him, but she was smiling again. Yukina was incredible, to have wrought such a change in her brother.

"All right," she said. "Step aside and let me see if there's anything remotely decent in this closet of yours . . ."

"Check."

"Damn you." Hiei fixed Kurama with a glare that would have wilted his hardiest marigolds. It could be considered improvement, though: the last time Hiei had lost, he'd overturned the board in a fit.

"Language, Hiei," Kurama grinned, a finger upraised mockingly.

"Fuck you to hell you shit-stained bastard," Hiei replied coolly, smirking back at Kurama.

"Oniichan!"

Kurama snickered as Hiei visibly gulped.

"Uh . . . hello, Yukina!"

"I've just beaten Hiei at a game of chess! Do you want to play?" Kurama asked with a sunny smile.

"Oh no, thank you," she demurred, her arms full of clothes. "I'm doing laundry right now." A sigh. "I can't find anything good to wear for my date with Kazuma . . ."

"I'm sure you'll find something," Kurama assured her.

"Hn. Do you enjoy – that - ," Hiei's face worked convulsively, "his company?"

"Yes, he's so nice! And funny – he makes me laugh!"

"Hn."

"And he protects me like you do, Hiei-san. I like being with you as much as I like being with him. I like both of you."

"Hn."

"Don't you like Hiei a bit more?" Kurama asked slyly. "He is, after all, your brother."

"Oh, of course! I love Hiei a lot – it's different with Kuwabara because I know he loves me in another way. But Hiei is my brother . . ." She paused. Hiei was smiling slightly at this reassurance. "I'll talk to you later," she said. "I have to wash these clothes first. Bye!" She wiggled her fingers underneath her load of clothing, as she couldn't wave at them.

"There. You're not too jealous anymore, are you?"

"Shut up, Kurama."

"Well, like she said, he makes her happy. How do you feel about that? Seriously, now."

"I don't know."

"Yes, you do; you just don't want to say it. Then I will. You feel disgust mixed with respect – it's like watching a deformed hunchback who is an expert violinist. You can't quite believe this ugly creature is producing such beautiful sounds on this delicate instrument."

"Kuwabara's certainly ugly and deformed," Hiei said sharply. "But I wouldn't say he is an expert at anything."

"Hmm." Kurama smiled. "I think your feelings will change with time."

"Hn."

If Kuwabara had thought that she looked charming on their last date, it was nothing compared to the stunning vision she was now.

Yukina was wearing tailored black slacks, a gray silk chemise, and a single strand of lustrous pearls. Her hair was twisted up in an elegant bun.

Kurama really did have excellent taste.

"You look really impressed," she observed shyly.

"I am," he assured her.

"Kurama also helped me with my hair," she said, patting it lightly.

Kuwabara felt another pang of jealousy. He imagined Kurama running his fingers through Yukina's hair with a predatory, vulpine leer on his face . . . but then he snapped back to reality and saw Kurama smiling at him, his green eyes suffused with kindness.

"Thanks for everything," he said, shaking Kurama's hand.

"You're very welcome. Oh wait, I nearly forgot something!" He reached into his hair for a seed, which became a magnificent white gardenia. He tucked it into Yukina's hair. "There." He beamed at the pair of them. "Enjoy yourselves!"

"We will!" they affirmed, arm in arm.

Even Hiei managed a halfhearted wave as the couple left. But then he made a sudden movement as if he were going to follow them.

"Hiei!" Kurama said threateningly.

Barely restraining himself, Hiei shot at Kurama, "I'm supposed to just stand by passively while my twin sister walks away with someone who wants to screw her senseless?"

"Oh! My virgin ears!" Kurama cried, pretending to blush, his hands covering the ears in question.

Hiei snorted. "We both know there's nothing virginal about you, Kurama."

"Fair enough," said Kurama, grinning. "But Kuwabara's intentions towards Yukina are more honorable than you think."

"Hn. I wish you would stop playing the role of Kuwabara's romantic adviser and go-between."

"But they look so sweet together!" Kurama protested playfully. "If it's the last thing I do, I'll see Kuwabara and Yukina united as a happy couple."

Hiei slumped in defeat. Once Youko Kurama set his mind on a task, nothing could stand in his way. "Well, at least she's properly dressed this time," he muttered, watching Yukina as she and Kuwabara drove off.

"She's not wearing any underwear," said Kurama, wearing the same evil leer Kuwabara had imagined him with only minutes ago.

Hiei choked on his own saliva.

"Just kidding."

"You look very nice tonight, too," Yukina noted.

He had taken special care – he'd asked Shizuru to help, for heavens' sake! His dark blue blazer was thrown over his best dress shirt and trousers. Furthermore, he had spent a grand total of ten minutes fussing with his hair.

"I don't look as good as you do," he insisted, beaming at her. She blushed.

On the way to the theatre, Kuwabara asked, "So, have you seen any plays before? Do you know anything about Romeo and Juliet?"

"No, and no," she said after a moment's deliberation.

"Plays are just like movies, except that they're performed live right in front of you," he explained.

"Kurama told me as much. But he said that it would be best if you told me about Romeo and Juliet."

Kuwabara forgot any animosity he had ever borne towards Kurama. The youko was turning out to be a remarkably sensitive and effective romantic adviser. It was a wonder he hadn't started charging a fee. On the other hand, better not let him get that idea . . .

"Well," he started carefully, "it's about this couple who comes from two different houses, and their families hate each other . . ."

He wasn't exactly an expert on Shakespeare, but then he would be an idiot indeed if he knew nothing about Romeo and Juliet.

Once he finished, they sat in silence for a while, Yukina digested all that he had told her.

"Do you believe in fate?" she queried softly. "Do you believe that some lovers are star-crossed and . . . are just not meant to be together?"

Briefly, Kuwabara's mind went back to that first night when Kurama had driven Yusuke and him home. He'd looked up at the stars hopelessly, wondering if Yukina would ever love him . . . yet here she was now, by his side.

"You can make up your mind for yourself after you've seen the play. What I think . . . isn't important."

Yukina smiled in reply. Kuwabara had no way of knowing that Hiei had given her almost identical advice only a few days ago.

During the play, Kuwabara watched Yukina's reactions closely. There was some general confusion, which was to be expected. The language used was almost entirely archaic – heck, he didn't know exactly what they were saying a lot of the time.

But her eyes lit up at some parts with a wonderful expression that made him shiver deep inside. It happened during their first encounter in the Capulet ball, and in famous balcony scene ("But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun!").

Overall, Kuwabara enjoyed it. The production had spared no expense: the sets and costumes were lavish, and the actors attractive and talented. He probably could have, however, sat through a train wreck as long as Yukina was next to him.

When Romeo slumped over after taking the poison, Yukina gave a little gasp, her hand over her mouth. When Juliet stabbed herself, she reached for Kuwabara's hand. He could have jumped up and done a dance of victory, if he wasn't already getting enough weird looks from people because of the jubilant expression on his face as Juliet collapsed onto Romeo's corpse.

After it was over, they walked out in quiet exhilaration to his car.

"Did you like it?" he asked at last.

"It was amazing."

More silence.

"My image of love grows clearer. I don't really understand why Romeo and Juliet loved each other -," they saw each other for the first time at the party, and an hour later, they're making vows of fidelity to each other, "but it helps. To understand love, though, I need to know why. Kazuma, why do you love me?"

Kuwabara's palms started sweating, but this was really no time to be shy.

"I fell in love with you before I ever met you. I saw you on Koenma's tape, when he gave us the mission to rescue you from Tarukane. And, well – you were the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen! I could see your good heart and your kindness all over your face – it was what was so beautiful about you. And . . . I didn't need to see any more to know that I loved you." He waited for her response with bated breath, well aware that his answer had been three-parts corny, one-part melodramatic.

"Really?"

He nodded.

"That's good enough for me." And she covered his hand with hers.

The drive back was silent too, but it was a curiously satisfied wordlessness.

Kurama met them at the door. Yukina passed inside, wishing a cheerful goodnight to the both of them.

"Well?"

Kuwabara's face broke out into a wide smile. "We're making definite progress."

"Mm." Kurama grinned back at him.

"And I know what I want to do for her next!"

"Oh?"

Kuwabara merely shook his head. "It's a secret!" he proclaimed.

He waved joyously, and turned to go back to his car. On the way, he gave a whoop and leapt into the air.

Kurama smiled fondly after him. Ah, to be young and in love . . .

Hiei returned to Makai that evening.

"You're back at last," a voice called from within a "parlor." It was used to entertain guests, but when not serving that purpose, Hiei and Mukuro liked to relax by reading or listening to music in that large, comfortable room.

"Hn." Hiei walked inside. Mukuro was reclining on a chaise longue, holding something that looked suspiciously like one of those never-ending peace treaties. The golden-red light of the dying sun streamed through a huge mullioned window and illuminated the human side of her face. She smiled wearily at him.

"Long day?"

"Not bad." She tossed the scroll aside. "It would have been better though, if you'd devote nearly as much energy to helping me as you did to watching over your sister. You know these peace treaties bore me to tears."

"I don't find them any more fascinating than you do." He crossed the room and sat on a sofa facing her.

"That's no reason for you to shirk your duties and go tearing around in Ningenkai."

"I don't go 'tearing around in Ningenkai,'" he bristled. "Taking care of Yukina is one of my most important duties."

"That Kuwabara still courting her?"

"Hn." She took that for assent.

"Cheer up. From what I know of him, he seems to be a decent sort."

Hiei snorted.

"When they get married, you'll invite me?" Her eyes glinted wickedly.

"Bitch." He flung a pillow at her.

"Asshole!" She tossed an intricately embroidered cushion at his head.

He stood up, grabbing another pillow. Now he also wore a feral grin. "Minx!"

"Impertinent fucker!"

The inhabitants of Mukuro's castle were much disturbed that evening by the invectives their lord and lady hurled at each other while shut up in the parlor; their confusion was only increased when Mukuro stuck her head out and ordered a passing guard to bring her as many pillows as he could find.

A/N: Aww . . . now this fic includes nearly all of my favorite pairings. Kuwabara/ Yukina, Yusuke/Keiko, and Hiei/Mukuro . . . now to find a way to work Kurama/Karasu in somehow . . .. J/K! XD