My Brother's Keeper

A/N: Hope that you enjoy this chapter and please review. Thanks guys.

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Sesshomaru awoke and quickly dressed before making his way out of Inu Yasha's room and into the living room. He saw his brother, asleep, with his arms slung over his eyes and a bit of drool hanging from his mouth. Sesshomaru's mouth twisted into a sneer and wondered for what had to be the millionth time how in the hell he and Inu Yasha could be related.

He could hear Kagome's soft moans and he could just bet that she was experiencing her very first hangover. He went into the kitchen and quickly filled a cup with several ingredients, and when finished, he walked to Kagome's bedroom.

He didn't bother to knock, and simply walked in. She, was lying on her back, and had her pillow over her face, clearly a pathetic attempt to shield her eyes from the sun that was peeking through her blinds. He walked to her bedside and said, “Take this, and you will feel better.”

Kagome slowly pushed the pillow aside and grimaced as her eyes felt the punishing light of the sun. Memo to herself: Do not drink ever again. However, she was in no mood to argue and only hoped that he was not joking that whatever he had would make her feel better.

The stuff was terrible. She gagged and when she managed to keep the stuff from making a return appearance, she gave Sesshomaru an accusing glare and snapped, “You said that it would make me feel better.”

Shrugging, he turned his back and said, “I never said that it tasted good. Give it a few minutes and get some more sleep. You will be back to your old self when you wake up.” He didn't wait for her reply and simply walked out of the room, closing the door on his way out.

He took in a couple of deep breaths. She looked breathtaking, even with a hang over. How was it that he could be this attracted to her, even though he knew that she was once fat and ugly. Well, that was not entirely true. She was never ugly. In fact, he had once thought that if she lost her weight, she might actually be pretty. He was shocked that she had exceeded his expectations by a wide margin.

But, he could not dwell on how she was making him feel. He had to deal with how he was going to get at Youko and he needed to make a solid plan. The male model had to be shown his place, and soon. It was obvious that he was attracted to Kagome, as well, so how could he hurt him the most? He could use his charms to woo Kagome and make her fall for him, thus breaking Youko's heart, but then what? He didn't know if he wanted to keep her, but he could also fall victim to his own plot and fall for her, as well.

He shook his head angrily, and turned to glare at Kagome's door. Damn that woman, for making him lose focus when it counted the most. He needed to keep his mind about him and forgo these damn feelings. He would have his revenge. Youko would regret the day he fucked with Sesshomaru.

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Youko awoke and yawned. He glanced around the room and then angrily hit his pillow with his fist. Last night had been nothing but a series of mistakes. The first one was taking Kagome to that party. What he should have done was take her to a nice restaurant and wined and dined her, then took her dancing at this quaint little night spot he knew. It was a place that played slow music for most of the time and he would have been able to feel Kagome in his arms and pressed close to his body. The second mistake was goading her into drinking more than what she could handle. He should have stopped at the first sign that she was getting tipsy, but he was nervous and really liked her, and needed to loosen her up. The final mistake was letting Sesshomaru ursurp his place beside Kagome, and take her away.

Yes, his mistakes had been bad, but there was probably a way for him to make it up to Kagome. Since Sesshomaru wanted to play dirty, well, he could as well. He would simply make up for his bad judgement by asking her out on a real date. That would show her that he was not some playboy who just liked partying and drinking.

A slow smile crossed his lips as he swung his legs around to the side of his bed. He glanced at his clock and lifted a brow. With as much as Kagome drank, he could probably bet that she was still asleep, so he would call her cell phone and leave her a message. This way, he could be sure that she would get his message.

He reached for his cell phone and dialed Kagome's number. He smiled when her voicemail picked up. When he heard the beep, he smoothly said, “Kagome, this is Youko. I apologize for what happened last night and would like to make it up to you this evening. I would like to take you to dinner and then take you to a quiet, little place I know. I promise, it will not be crowded and I will be all yours, tonight. Please, give me a call.”

Hanging up, he smiled and shook his head. He could almost see Sesshomaru's face when he heard that Kagome was going back out with him, or at least he hoped that she would go back out with him. Either way, he would make it up to her, while striking a serious blow to Sesshomaru. It was a perfect plan.

Getting up, he padded his way into the kitchen, his body gloriously nude, and he began to prepare his breakfast. As he gathered the ingredients, he smiled and allowed a soft chuckle to escape him as he thought back to what Kagome had said to Yui. That was a moment to remember.

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Yui groaned as she realized just how badly she had been portraid in the entertainment papers. The headlines were horrendous and continued to say that she had been put in her place by the woman considered to be the most beautiful woman in the world. Now she knew who that female was on Youko's arm. Her name was Kags, and rumor had it that to cross her was instant death to other models as far as career goes. She was the darling of Koenma Modeling and what she wanted, she got.

And, what Yui got, was probably an enemy who could seriously damage her career. And, the worst part about it, was that Kags was now the center of Youko's attention.

When they dated, he treated her well, but always held himself back. He never pushed, but when pushed, he became very difficult as she discovered when she wanted to know where their relationship was heading.

It was during that conversation that Youko revealed that he was simply not interested in her, but only needed a bed partner for a period of time, and now, her time was up. The part that hurt the most was that as he said the cruel words, it was as if he were simply talking about the weather, or a piece of garbage that he was tired of. His tone was bored and he was just very direct, and didn't spare her feelings one bit.

In truth, Yui was not a bad person. She simply demanded to be treated with respect, and because of the need to be respected, she often was callous and rude. But, if she were in public and happened to snap at someone, she would quietly calm down and then approach the person, especially if it were someone in the service buisness and quietly apologize. She knew from experience how hard it was to be in the business of serving others, and too often they got the brunt of everyone's problems.

Last night was a perfect example. She was feeling lonely, and still cared deeply for Youko. So, when she saw him with Kags, she felt the tugs of jealousy and wanted to pull him aside and ask him whe he felt the need to hurt her so badly. But, when he refused, she snapped and took her anger out on Kags, who in turn, attacked her and hit her exactly where she lived. She knew that she was no where in Kag's league, but for it to be pointed out, well, it was humiliating and that humiliation doubled because it had happened in front of Youko.

Biting her lip, Yui made her way over to the phone and picked it up. Perhaps if she called Youko and apologized, he would relay the message to Kags, and she wouldn't come after her. But, she quickly put the phone down and sighed. Youko would not want to hear from her. She had better get used to the idea that she had been used, and he had moved on.

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Hotohori nodded and grinned. He placed the photos of the young men who were wanting to rush the fraternity on the table. Several of the photos were laughed at, and Hiten continously cracked jokes about the young men, causing the laughter to grow.

However, when a door was heard opening, the young men quieted down and all eyes turned in time to see Kagome slowly walking past them and to the kitchen. Bankotsu quickly stood up and moved over to her, and grasped her arm.

“Kagome,” He chided, “You should be asleep still. Let me get you something to drink and then you need to go and lie back down.”

Kagome's eyebrows lifted and she allowed him to help her into a chair. She glanced over at the other young men, and noticed their shocked expressions. Apparently, Bankotsu's helpful gesture was not a common thing.

Soon, a steaming cup of tea was placed in front of Kagome and she sighed as she took in the aroma. She loved earl gray and eagerly stook in a sip. She glanced up and saw the large grin on Bankotsu's face. Sighing, good manners won out and she mumbled, “Thanks, Bankotsu.”

The young man grinned triumphantly over at Sesshomaru and then looked down at Kagome as she took her cell phone out of her purse, which was sitting on the kitchen table. Frowning, she looked at her caller ID and then pushed the buttons for voice mail.

She listened to a couple of calls, but then a slight blush spread across her cheeks. Biting her lip, Kagome turned and began walking to her room. The young men stared at each other with curious expressions, but when Kagome reemerged, she was fully dressed and had an armful of clothing in her arms.

Glancing over at Sesshomaru, she sighed and said, “Thank you for bringing me home safely. Youko said to thank you as well.”

Sesshomaru's brows knitted together and he stiffened. “And when did you speak with Youko?” He asked, his tone gruff. Now he knew why Kagome had blushed. Youko called her.

“I spoke with him a moment ago.” Kagome replied, as she pawed through her purse for her apartment key. “He is going to be picking me up this evening and we are going out.”

“Perhaps you should reconsider, seeing as how he failed to take care of you last night.” Came the gruff response.

Kagome's eyes snapped up in surprise but then she shook her head. “It was my fault. I know my limit and I went past it. He didn't force me, and should not be held responsible for me.” She explained, sheepishly.

Sesshomaru stood up, and ignored his brother's frantic motions for him to calm down. “Youko had you so drunk that if it had been anyone else, you would have wound up in a stranger's bed, and probably had that precious virginity of yours taken. Be thankful that I took up the responsibility whereas Youko failed. And, you are wrong. When a man, a real man, takes a woman out, she is his responsibility. But, then again, I was raised right, where Youko's upbringing is questionable.” He said, glaring down at the young model.

Kagome's face changed colors very quickly. First, she had gone pale, then red with embarrassment, and now, she was pure white with rage. Balling up her fists, she stomped over to Sesshomaru and despite being smaller than him, she tilted her head up and stared him down. “First of all, I have already thanked you for helping me. But, that does not give you the right to say such things to me. Youko is a kind and intelligent man. You know what I think, Sesshomaru? I think that you are jealous of Youko and his success. I think that you know in the modeling world, he is king and you would be a newcomer, a nobody. You want to bad mouth Youko, then why not do it to his face, unless you can't and are only saying these horrible things just because you are jealous of him. If that is the case, then keep your thoughts to yourself.”

Sesshomaru's hands clenched at his sides, and he allowed his eyes to narrow. “Jealousy is hardly the issue here. I could have had you, if I wanted you, but I would not stoop so low as to fuck a former fat girl who now has delusions of beauty. The rest of the world may see you as something special, but to me, you are still that fat loser who is simply hiding in a thin body.” He sneered.

Now that hit Kagome hard. So, she did the only thing she could do. She allowed her hand to fly right across his face and made sure to put all of her strength behind the blow. The room was silent, except for the sound of Kagome's harsh breathing. “You know,” Kagome said, her tone hard. “You have always looked down at Inu Yasha because you have said that he has no manners or class. Well, you have proven to me, today, that everything you have accused him of, you are also guilty of. In fact, you are worse because you hide it underneath a fake air of superiority. At least he is honest about being a jackass, you on the other hand, are an even larger ass than your brother.”

Turning on her heel, she stormed to the door and glared at Inu Yasha. “I am coming back for the rest of my belongings, and I don't want him here.” She snapped, pointing at Sesshomaru. “I have had enough of his ego to last me for a lifetime. Oh, and I will send Youko your regards, Sesshomaru. Unlike you, he knows how to treat a lady.”

Before he could respond, Kagome opened the door and walked out, then slammed it as hard as she could, causing the men in the room to jump at the loud sound.

Bankotsu was the first to recover and began to laugh. He tried to collect himself, but could not seem to contain his mirth, and fat tears streamed down his face and he watched Sesshomaru lift a hand to his injured cheek.

Finally, Bankotsu managed to get a hold of himself and then jeered, “Our little Kagome sure is a spitfire, isn't she, Sesshomaru? Who knew she had such a wicked temper. And here I was, thinking that all she had was sugar and sweetness running through her veins. Thank Kami that I was not the one on the receiving end of that.”

Sesshomaru said not one word. He simply rubbed his stinging cheek and allowed his eyes to stray to the door. Damn. In a moment of weakness, he probably blew his entire plan out of the water, just because he was upset that she was going out on a date with Youko. Now, he had to think fast and repair the damage he had done, or else, his opportunity to destroy Youko would pass him by.

Turning on his heel, he walked to the door and opened it, and saw Kagome standing in front of her door, shaking with rage. Closing the door behind him, he calmly walked towards her, and didn't stop, even when her dark eyes cut over to glare at him.

“You stay away from me, you asshole.” She snapped, her face wet with angry tears. But, when he didn't stop until he was right beside her. He reached out his hand, and watched as she jerked backwards.

For a couple of moments, nothing was said. Then, he allowed his hand to lower and he sighed. “I was worried for you, last night, and I am concerned that Youko is using you for his own selfish purposes. I allowed my mouth to shoot off, and for what was said, I apologize.”

Kagome's eyes widened and for a moment, she thought that she would faint from shock. Sesshomaru Taisho....apologizing? He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pen, and his wallet. Pulling one of his father's business cards out, he wrote down a number and then gave it to her.

“I do think that you are very beautiful, and again, apologize for the hurtful words that I said to you. However, I won't change my mind about Youko's motives. My cell phone number is on the back of my father's card, and should he try anything, you may call me and I will come and get you.” He said, his golden eyes watchful as he pressed the card into her hand.

Kagome was about to throw the card back at him and tell him to take his apology and shove it up his ass, but the door opened and Miaka poked her head out.

“I thought that I heard voices. And, just where were you last night?” She asked, a large, goofy grin on her face. She looked at Sesshomaru and then allowed her grin to widen when she glanced back at Kagome.

“Nothing happened.” Kagome muttered. “I got drunk and he brought me back to Inu Yasha's apartment to sleep it off.”

Miaka nodded and watched as Sesshomaru turned to glance over his shoulder. “I must return to the others. Kagome, please call should you need me.” He said, and then walked back to the other apartment.

Kagome stormed into the apartment and saw Keiko laying on the couch, moaning. “I don't understand it.” Keiko said, her face twisted into a scowl. “She eats like a pig, and I am the one with the stomach ache.”

That brought a smile to Kagome's face and she shook her head. Her two girlfriends looked at her expectantly, and so, she sat down and began to tell them what they missed. When she got to the part of her going on a date with Youko, both girls squealed and congratulated her.

But, when it was time to get ready, Kagome walked to her room, and bit her lip. Turning on her heel, she hurried to the door and told the others that she would be back, before slipping out the door and entering Inu Yasha's apartment.

She found all of the brothers sitting together, and they all looked up in surprise when she burst through the door. Bankotsu jumped up and held open his arms. “Baby! Have you missed me so much that you had to come rushing back? Come give me a hug.” He said, motioning to her.

Kagome shot him a look of disgust and snapped, “Oh, go hug yourself.” She glanced over at Sesshomaru and softly said, “Could I speak to you, alone?”

Sesshomaru nodded and stood. He motioned for her to follow him and glared at Bankotsu when the other man snapped that he had better not touch his woman.

When they were alone, he turned and looked down at Kagome, who was shifting nervously from one foor to the other.

Kagome felt badly. Once she calmed down and reassessed the earlier situation, she had blown things out of porportion and had no right to hit him. He had taken care of her, when she could not, and she treated him badly.

“I'm sorry.” She said, her tone rushed. She blushed and lowered her eyes. “I should not have lost my temper and slapped you.”

Sesshomaru wanted to smirk. He knew from past experiences that when his brother and Kagome fought, she would feel badly and want to make up quickly. Her conscience simply could not take the guilt, and now, it was working in his favor. But, he kept his composure and he nodded.

“Both of us lost our tempers. Let us move on and forget that this happened. I accept your apology, and hope that you will accept mine.” He replied, his long fingers gently grasping her chin.

Nodding, and clearly relieved, Kagome gave him a small smile and was stunned when he leaned forward and gently kissed her on her cheek. “Have fun on your date tonight, and do not hesitate to call me should you need me.” He reminded her. “Now, I must return to the fraternity and to our discussion.”

Kagome nodded and followed him out of the room. She simply nodded at the other men as she passed by and let herself out. Now that she felt better, she could have a good time on her date.

This was going to be a fun night.