The next few weeks went slow for the young air and water demon. Hiei and Maribella spent a little more time trying to get to know each other, trying to get into the whole soulmate thing but it was really hard since they both had issues they had to overcome. They trained together, they fought over silly things. Each was tying their best. Their housemates learned quickly not to tease either of them about it. After Jin almost lost his hair in a fire and wind tornado after teasing Ari about it for almost an hour, the rest of them stopped as well.

The mysterious Lerra was ever-present and yet not. No one but Ari had seen the ghostly apparition, though when Ari had asked Touya about it, he had acknowledged that he had invited Lerra along with the insinuation that someone might die and be able to give her a body. Touya was still smarting from the defeat that Hiei had handed him, so that statement was taken with a bit of hopeful optimism that he was joking.

Three weeks later, Yukina found Ari out working on her dagger throwing. "Maribella?" she called in her sweet voice. Ari blinked over at the ice apparition as her dagger flew and hit the target right in the middle of its head.

"Yukina, I thought you were spending the day with Kuwabara today? What do I owe the honor to?" She asked with a smile. She and the ice maiden had gotten along amazingly over the last month since they had gone shopping together.

"Kuwabara was pulled into a mock fight with Yusuke for training," she said with a serene smile before stepping over. "Ari, I have a favor to ask. May I call you Ari?"

"Of course you can call me Ari. But if that's the favor you are asking, then you need to learn what a real favor is," laugh the woman as she went over to the target and grabbed the dagger and came back. Yukina was giggling. "But seriously, what do you need?"

"I know that you and Hiei are soulmates. They are so rare within our kind," she said, meaning demons in general. "But it hasn't seemed as if you and he, you have not grown any closer than when we went shopping the day after you got here."

The way she spoke made the words a statement of fact rather than a mere assumption or guess. How perceptive of the female, Ari noted as she sheathed the dagger, and yet Yukina could not see that Hiei was her brother? What a strange contradiction.

"We each have different ways of viewing soulmates and what they mean," Ari admitted with a shrug. "Hiei wishes to remain friends. I will have to accept that for the time."

"But you want more?" Yukon asked as her head tilted to the left as she took in the other.

"I want a soulmate who can not only be my friend but a lover as well, yes," Ari admitted.

"I see," Yukina mused before looking over at the lake, seeming deep in thought before turning back to smile at her. "Well, one cannot force another to ones will without also breaking their will, isn't that right? And you do not seem like one who would want Hiei's will broken. Though I don't know Hiei well… I do not believe he would want to do likewise."

Ari smiled though she was growing tired of this particular direction that the conversation was taking. No, she didn't want to break Hiei's will. But it was getting frustrating.

"My favor," Yukina continued, "Is to ask you to come with me and Kuwabara on a double date." She laughed little when Ari's gaze became shocked. "You can choose who comes with us, but… The truth is I'm still not used to the human world. A friendly demoness friend being there will help me guide through the perils of dinner and a movie with humans surrounding us. Kuwabara is sweet, but he can be quite loud at sometimes, and we do not want to let the humans know about what I am. I could also use a friendly advice on an outfit. I am getting used to the clothes you helped purchase for me, but I do not know what to wear."

Ari stared at her and felt her stomach sink. A double date? She could invite anyone she wanted, but … The truth was she'd feel as if she were betraying her ideal of a soulmate if she did not take Hiei. But she could see how desperate Yukina was to have to say yes to her favor. Maybe Touya could go with her? That would give her someone to talk on water and ice control while also leave her protected. "I… I would love to go with you and Kuwabara," She finally said with a large smile to hide her instinctive nervousness. "When were you thinking of having the date?"

"This Saturday evening, starting at 5:30, and then the movie starts at 7:00," Yukina beamed up at her. "I cannot wait! Thank you for helping Ari! Can you make it to Shizuru's house by 4:30 so we can get ready?"

"Yeah. I'll be there," she promised, before she noticed the thrumming in her wrist. Crap, Hiei was right behind them.

"You'll be where?"

Maribella forced a smile before turning to look at Hiei. "To Shizuru's on Saturday to help Yukina get ready for a double date with Kuwabara," She explained. If she hadn't known that Yukina was his sister, she might have taken the tensing that was just barely noticeable as worry for her being out without protection.

"A double date? Who is going along with the two?" Hiei asked.

"Me." Hiei's eyes snapped to her and narrowed a little.

"And?"

"I don't know yet. I haven't decided on who to ask to go with me yet," Ari retorted, smile fading a little.

"I will go," Hiei said firmly, leaving little room to argue. Ari hid her delight at that with a scowl. She wasn't stupid. He wanted to go so he could watch over Yukina, not because she was going to be there.

"I am not going to go on a double date with you Hiei when we haven't even went on a first date yet. We'd just sit there and listen to Yukina and Kuwabara the whole night instead of enjoying it," she pointed out sourly. "If I'm going to go on a date it's with someone who wants to be there with me because they want to be. Not because they have to or risk facing hell."

Hiei glowered at her. "You can't go unprotected," he pointed out. "If I go, then you'll be protected."

"Yeah from everything except boredom," Ari challenged. "I don't want a boring date Hiei! I want one that leads to some emotions being invoked."

"We've already discussed that part. I don't want any more than friendship from our soulmate thing," Hiei snapped.

"And I want more!" Ari snarled, the wind picking up around them. Yukina took a step back. This wasn't what she'd meant to do when she'd asked Ari to join them. At least she hadn't been imagining things when she'd suspected that Ari and Hiei hadn't gotten closer.

"Well I can't give you more," Hiei snarled.

Ari had known it, but it still hurt to hear him tell her she was pretty much screwed out of having a soulmate who would love her. Even Yukina winced back at the words. Ari took a deep breathe and fought to control herself as it began raining around them. It'd been sunny just a few moments before but now it was pouring as Ari's dormant powers willed the world around them to do as they wanted.

"Why?" Ari demanded. "Why can't you give more Hiei? Would it really be so bad to step up and offer more to someone who is asking it and willing to give it in return? Would that really be so bad? Or is it," her voice dripped venom now, "Or is it just me you can't give more to?"

"That's not what I meant," Hiei said exasperatedly as the weather drenched him. Maribella glared at him before turning away and walking over to Yukina.

"I will find a date for the double date Yukina, and see you Saturday," Ari said before moving to collect the items she'd been training with and move them inside, ignoring Hiei who was glowering after her.

Yukina looked between the two, wishing they'd see how much they needed each other. Soulmate needed one another, no matter what. They both seemed to have blinders on, and she wasn't sure what she could do to help her friend or Kuwabara's friend Hiei…

Hiei spent the next three days trying to talk to her, but any time she felt him grow near, she'd leave. He could feel her hurt, her anger, and it irked him that she wouldn't try to see it from his side. She wouldn't even talk to him! He wasn't the bad guy in this damn it! It wasn't his fault that he couldn't offer what she wanted. If a small part of him warned him that he was lying to himself and Ari, he ignored it.

Friday night came without a single word from Ari about the date and Hiei was beginning to think just barging in and demanding she take him with her on her date when Jin sought him out. He had a plan to get Hiei on the date, he said after informing him that Ari had approached Touya the day before about going on the date with her. Hiei just had to trust him. Hiei watched air demon for a long moment. This was becoming about something more than going on the date to protect Yukina and keep himself from hell. He wasn't sure what, but something caused him to straighten and give a nod.

"What do I have to do Jin?"