The Better Man

A/N: For those that want to know, I plan on still working on my other stories. I just like to write as the ideas come to me, so sometimes I swap. It all depends on what kind of mood I'm in, on which story I work on. I thank those that read my work.


Chapter Three

"Kagome, phone."

It was already after nine o'clock, she'd been about to read some then head to bed. Who would be calling her this late? She went and picked up the reciever, "Hello."

"Why didn't you tell me about him?" It was Eri.

"Um, about who?" Kagome sat down on the couch, what had she done now?

"You could have said something when I pointed him out. Please tell me it isn't serious."

Kagome was suddenly very confused as to what the hell the girl was talking about. "Wait, start over. What are you talking about?"

"Well, I kind of asked Shuichi out. Please don't be mad at me. Then Keiko and the others informed me that you two had actually gone out a few times. If you are serious about him, I won't persue him but if it's not please tell me."

Okay, she had a few questions for Keiko tomorrow. Seemed they had used her as an excuse to get Eri to leave the poor boy alone. She almost felt like laughing but she decided to do better. "Oh, sorry. It was only a few dates, nothing serious. Actually, I don't think I'll even talk to him anymore. So if you really like him by all means go for it. You have my blessing."

"Really, oh thank you." She hung up the phone.

"I'm doing great thanks for asking." Kagome spoke into the dead line. She placed the phone back down and went into her room. The phone rang again as she was changing, her mother called for her again. "Dammit, if that's Eri again I'm going to curse her out."

She snatched up the reciever again, "Yes."

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I catch you at a bad time Kagome?" Keiko asked.

"Kind of, let me guess; you used my name today to disuade Eri."

"Hmph, I take it she's already called you."

"Of course, the girl is guy crazy. Don't think she could have went to sleep without knowing if she had a chance to nail your friend. Next time how about a heads up, didn't appreciate it." Kagome knew she was kind of bitchy.

"I know, your name just kind of slipped out. So what did you tell her?"

"I went along with it. But I doubt your friend will be to happy. I let her know he was all hers." Kagome was expecting Keiko to get mad. But instead laughter rang into the phone.

"I'll let him know to be on the lookout. I saw your car outside the library, how did you get home?"

"Oh, your one friend gave me a ride."

"Kuwabara did? Figures but I'm glad you made it home. I'll see you tomorrow."

Kagome sighed, "Okay, bye."

Keiko waited for class to be over before approaching Kuwabara about tonight. He didn't look to be in a pleasant mood. "Hey, so are you still on for tonight?" She really wanted him to go, it made things easier on her. Yusuke tended to behave more when they weren't alone."Please come."

"Fine."

"Great, I'll pick you up around five." Keiko waved to him and walked to her next class. She always had to wait half an hour before it started. Today she was suprised to see Kagome was already waiting outside.

Kagome looked up when she sensed someone approaching her. She smiled at the brunette, "Hello."
Her mother had to drop her off before heading to work, so she was early today. They had called someone to tow her car this morning to find out what was wrong.

"You're early."

"Yeah, had to catch a ride with my mom. Do you always wait?"

"Yes, I don't mind. Usually Kuwabara talks with me for a bit but he left already." Keiko sat down beside her and looked at her watch. They had over twenty minutes to blow. So she struck up a conversation about nothing important, anything to pass the time. Then she got a bright idea, "What are you doing tonight?"

"Nothing, why?" Kagome instantly guarded herself.

"Oh, Yusuke and I are going out and Kuwabara is going with us. Thought you might want to tag along, give me someone to talk to."

Kagome eyed her, she didn't want to be set up on a date. "Are you trying to play matchmaker?"

Keiko widened her eyes, "Oh, no. Sorry if it came out that way. Kuwabara already has a girlfriend, I don't see them splitting up anytime soon. I really want someone to come along so I have someone to hang with. When them two get together I might as well not be there. It will be fun and no one else will be there. I promise I'm not trying to hook you up."

"Okay, I guess it will be nice to get out of the house for awhile. You sure they aren't going to mind?"

"Oh, no."

Kagome had Keiko drop her off at the shrine, with plans to come pick her back up in two hours. Which was fine, it gave her time to eat dinner and take a shower. The man from the shop called, all the car needed was new battery cables. So she'd have her mom drop her off in the morning to pick her car up. After getting ready she stared at herself in the mirror. She put her hair up in a high ponytail, she refused to just pull it back. That style reminded her too much of Kikyo. Keiko said they wouldn't be going anywhere special so dress casual. Kagome slipped on a pair of black jeans, a blue sweater and her sneakers. It wasn't a date so no need to get all glossed up.

A date would probably do her some good but she wasn't ready yet. She didn't know if she'd ever be ready to get involved with someone else. Inuyasha had left a big hole in her heart that would be hard to fill. Was there a man out there that she'd be able to trust with her heart? Somehow she doubted it.

A horn blew outside, Kagome looked at the clock; it had to be Keiko. She didn't feel like lugging around a purse so she grabbed her I.D. and cash. They went into her pocket, in case she needed either. Her mother told her to have fun as she went out the door.

As she took the steps, she noticed Keiko's boyfriend getting out the passenger seat complaining. A glare from the girl, the boy hung his head and gave in. Kagome watched him get into the back, she saw that Kuwabara was sitting there already.

"Ready?"

"Yep." Kagome climbed in the front seat, glancing in the back seat at the two men. "Hey, Kuwabara."

He'd been staring at the window thinking, so he hadn't been paying attention when they stopped. He was suprised to turn and see Kagome smiling at him. "Hey, it's Kagome. I didn't know you were coming."

"Neither did I until a couple of hours ago." She buckled up as Keiko started the car."So where are we going?"

Keiko felt herself shrink, there was a reason why she hadn't told her yet. "Well, actually we are going to the fight that is in town." Her voice lowered as she finished speaking.

"Are you serious? You got tickets, I tried but they were all sold out." Kagome was suddenly glad that she had accepted the invitation. She'd been wanting to go so bad, she loved kickboxing events.

Keiko gave her an odd look. She'd been expecting the girl to shriek about going to watch men pound on each other. Only reason she was going was because she had won the four tickets and Yusuke wanted to go. "You don't mind watching the fight?"

"No, I'm glad you invited me. This should be great."

Yusuke started laughing, Keiko had invited the girl thinking she'd have someone to talk to while the matches took place. "Haha, I think I'm going to like Kagome."

"Yusuke." Keiko glared at him.

"What? Not very often you find a girl that likes to see blood."

Kagome snorted and caught everyone's attention. A little blood on a man's face was nothing in her opinion, not after all the shit she'd seen. "Blood doesn't bother me."

"You're weird." Kuwabara laughed.

"You have no idea." Kagome smiled, if they only knew just how different she was. She definitely wasn't your average everyday college girl.

"Like you got room to talk, Mr. I Love Kittens." Yusuke poked fun at him.

"I like kittens." Kagome turned around in her seat to look at Keiko's boyfriend. Her head cocked to the side as she examined him. His eyebrow shot up at her examination. She was sure he thought she was staring at him for the wrong reason. Sure he was cute but that wasn't what caught her attention, it was his aura. It kind of reminded her of Inuyasha's, he was a hanyou. She couldn't tell what kind because it was hidden good. Then again it didn't slip her notice, she knew how to use her powers now.

"You shouldn't stare at him, Keiko might get mad." Kuwabara inserted. Figured the pretty girl would stare at Yurameshi.

"Keiko has no reason to worry about that, I assure you." Kagome turned to stare at Kuwabara doing the same thing with him. She used her power to actually probe him and smirked. Yusuke's power was enormous and Kuwabara's was nothing to laugh at either. No one's got that high without it being used, both men had to know of it. Which meant there was more to them than met the eye. Kuwabara began to fidget as she stared at him. "Hmph, interesting." She turned back around in her seat.

Kuwabara leaned over and whispered into Yusuke's ear. "Why did I get the feeling she was examining me?"

"Because she was." Yusuke didn't care if the girl heard him. He'd felt her probing, yet he didn't sense any spiritual energy coming off her. He got nothing when he looked at her, so how the hell had she done it?

Please read and review