Serenade

"However did I get into these things?" Hiei muttered.

"C'mon, this is for me," Yusuke coaxed. "Please?"

"Suurre," Kuwabara replied wryly. "We DID tell you we'll help you. I'm just sorry we did," he added under his breath. Kurama didn't say anything, only continued to arrange the instruments Yusuke-THEY-were going to use.

"How DID you and Keiko get into a fight anyway?" Kuwabara went on.

Yusuke scowled. "You wouldn't wanna know," he growled, focusing his attention to the guitar.

Finally, Kurama spoke. "Let's just get this over with," he said in a voice that wasn't insulting. "We said we'll help Yusuke, and we will." He shifted the guitar and bowed.

Hiei stepped into the shadows. "I don't think I want to do this anymore," he announced.

"Hiei.." Yusuke growled.

Hiei scowled, then shrugged. "Fine," he said in the equally low voice.

Yusuke gave a short hum and then he waited as Kurama struck a chord. There came a short hum from Kuwabara and they began. Yusuke opened his mouth and sang.

Mrs. Yukimura, Keiko's mother, slammed the door open. "Keiko, what is going ON here?!" she demanded.

Keiko buried her head in her pillows and groaned. "I have NO idea," she moaned. "Yusuke can't even SING!" Her mother gave an amused chuckle and left her.

Nevertheless, the awful sound made its way through the soft coverings to her ears, though muffled. But it was enough to make her humiliated, disappointed, mad, and a whole lot more. "I'm going to die," she went on to herself.
Whatever POSSESSED Yusuke to think up a crazy idea like this?! And to get the others involved, too although Hiei's singing wasn't all THAT bad.

Keiko sat up. "Wait a sec," she muttered. "Hiei..singing? What the hell.." She looked out of the window, and saw four figures what?! No girls? Thank heavens that her lights were turned off so she can watch intently, and they can't see her expression. Yusuke was singing in an off-key tune, with Kuwabara and Hiei as backup singers. Kurama had a wooden guitar slung around his neck, playing for them.
She listened as Yusuke sang about the stars and the moon and the sky about his love for her.

It wasn't really an argument, what they had. It was more of a misunderstanding. Sure, there was a certain similarity between the two words but that was NOT the point! The point was, Yusuke was here, singing and making a big fool out of himself. And her! God, how can she face the neighbours the next day?

In the middle of the song, Keiko stepped back from the window, an evil grin on her face.

"D' you think she's EVER going to say anything?" Yusuke asked Kurama worriedly as he took a rest. Kurama was still playing the melody, while Kuwabara was singing almost as bad as Yusuke was. Hiei was mumbling a little.
Kurama didn't look up from the guitar, his deft fingers working on the guitar strings. "I don't know," he replied shortly. "But I'm beginning to suspect she doesn't appreciate this."

"I can imagine why," Hiei muttered under his breath.

"Shuddup and sing," Kuwabara admonished.

Yusuke took his cue again, but before he can get to the next line, something cold fell on him.

"AAAGGGHH!" he screamed, jumping out of the way, but it was too late. He glared at the laughing figure outside the window. "Dammit, Keiko! What'd you do THAT for?!"

"To make you stop singing, jerk," Keiko shouted back. "It's awful."

"No it's not," Yusuke argued.

"If you want to listen to your own voice, I have it recorded right here." Keiko pressed the recorder and the voice of Yusuke, competing with Kuwabara's, rang out.

Hiei gave what suspiciously sounded like a snicker, Kurama hid his smile behind his hand, and Kuwabara looked away, growling to himself.

Yusuke flushed. "Damned, stupid girl," he shouted. "I do one thing for you and you throw it back to my face."

"It's not that, Yusuke," Keiko called out. "I just want you to realize that serenading me isn't worth it."

"Of COURSE it's worth it," Yusuke yelled back angrily. "I LOVE YOU!"

Silence.

Then, a loud cheer and clapping erupted.

"Shit!" Hiei cursed, jumping to the branch of a tree. Let them make a fool of themselves, he thought.

Yusuke and the others whirled around and saw many of Keiko's neighbours, gathered around them, clapping and hooting. Led by Botan, Shizuru(Kuwabara's elder sister) and Yukina( Hiei's twin sister). "You go, Yusuke!" Botan cheered.

Yusuke's face was red. "What the hell are you DOING here?!" he screamed.

"We thought you'd need moral support," Shizuru explained matter-of-factly, blowing a ring of smoke.

Yusuke scowled. "I don't need your help."

WHOOSH! Another bucketful of water fell on him.

Yusuke pushed back his wet hair and glared up at Keiko once more. "What are you trying to prove?" he shouted.

"That I love you, too," Keiko called back.

One person whooped from the crowd.

Yusuke had on a stunned look. "So,you're not mad?"

"Of course I'm mad, stupid man. You could've done something that was NOT serenading. But since you went all through that trouble.." There were sounds of footsteps inside the house, and a few minutes, Keiko threw herself to Yusuke.

Yusuke was thrown back, then he began laughing. "You little.."

"What?' Keiko asked him softly and teasingly. "You're the jerk. You even got Kurama and Kuwabara and Hiei to participate. How EVER did you do it?"

Yusuke grinned. "Just a little MAN secret."

"Man secret?" Keiko snorted. "Why, I oughta.."

Yusuke kissed her suddenly, earning another cheer from the crowd.

Kurama grinned and struck another chord. Then, he began a soft, slow song, sung by himself. In a few seconds, Yukina, Kuwabara, Botan and Shizuru joined in singing, and their voices blended in beautifully.

Hiei sat and watched from above the tree. "Hn. Stupid humans, indulging too much in music. What does it do, anyway?" He closed his eyes and leaned against the trunk, his arms behind his head.

But he was smiling at the song, which was entitled "Serenade".

All due thanks to Peiqing and Huiling.