Title: Better than Good

Disclaimer: All Inuyasha characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and associates. I only own the plot. Therefore, I own nada and make nada.

Summary: According to Tsukuyomaru, his father is too strict and hung up on his life to live her own. Well, his friend Hiten thinks his dad would be the perfect best friend for Tsukuyomaru's dad. Why not set them up?

Pairings: Sesshomaru x Inuyasha. Side pairings will vary.

Rating: M

Warnings: Eventual homosexual relations between males. Human!Inuyasha. Sesshomaru. UrbanSouthern!Fic. OOCness. I guesstimate this story to be several moderate to long chapters. Updates will be sporadic.

Author's Rant: So this happened. Give it a try, will ya? Please enjoy!

Side Note: Sorry guys. My mind just can't get wrapped around keeping them female, so this story is converted to what I'm better suited for. Yaoi instead of Yuri. ^_^

Devising

Hiten gingerly taps a finger against the glass. It's the easiest way to stir up ole Caroline, his biology class's pet iguana. Being blind and deaf, steady vibrations worked as good as actual touches to reassure her that there wasn't a threat near. Her reddish, angular head semi-tilts in his direction as if to say 'get lost'. She'd been busy sniffing everywhere for the crickets he dumped in ten minutes ago.

Today's objective is to find some inspiration from the various knick-knacks and scientific novelties scattered tidily throughout the class on bookshelves and lab tables. Their high school science fair is a couple of months away and Hiten was looking forward to entering his ideas, maybe better yet, win the grand prize to show his dad. He'd get a real kick out of it, adding one more trophy in the glass case; along with the other awards, ribbons, certificates and noble acknowledgements he's earned since first grade.

"Geez kid, why don't 'cha just marry it already, eh?"

"See I would," Hiten starts, playful annoyance evident. "But she's into scaly skin, yellow eyes and long tongues. Seeing as I only got one of the three," he flicks his tongue out, "that won't be enough to satisfy her."

Tsukuyomaru laughter is terribly contagious, full and deep, like thunder. "You're an idiot, dude." He waves his hand dismissively. "Stop flirtin' and get over here so we can finish this shit."

Hiten settled into his seat opposite the side his best friend and props his chin on the back of his knuckles, studying over their project. It isn't anything too hard. Not for him anyway. Just a few bell-ringers, theories and discussion questions to fill out about the differences between the animal cell and plant cell. Pretty easy stuff for him, but for Tsukuyomaru, biology's more like their Spanish class; too difficult and foreign to comprehend. And he needs help in there too.

"Alright, let's turn to page three-sixteen. The review questions are similar to the ones on our worksheet. We figure out the answers there, we can add them to our notes. Then we'll have a reference plus answers for next week's lab assignment and test."

Tsukuyomaru's head snaps up, violet eyes wide and shocked. "We have lab next Friday?"

Hiten scoffs. "Dude, we've had one every other Friday since second semester started."

"Ah damn it, I . . . damn, Hiten, I forgot all 'bout it." Tsukuyomaru looks up at him, pleadingly. "I got a game—"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I gotcha covered dude."

The dark skinned demon's body deflates of tension, utterly relieved. "Thanks man, I swear I'd be up shit creek without you."

"I never said it was free."

"Hey, you're doin' me a solid by offerin' at all. Whatever you want for lunch for the next month, I got cha'."

"That's sweet, but," Hiten traces a tiny circles over his desktop with his finger, "I'm thinkin' more along the lines of priceless rides to the arcade for the next two weeks, and you goin' with me to the Meteor Exhibit this Saturday. But since you offered lunch, I want that too." He smiles sweetly, batting his eyes.

"Fine with me. I'll take a shitty trip to the museum over flunkin' out. My pops won't accept anything lower than a B. And that's when he's in a good mood, which isn't often."

"Dude, whatever. Your ole man can't be that bad."

"Oh no?" Tsukuyomaru barks a short laugh. He leans forward, gesturing for Hiten to do the same, lowering his voice. "My curfew's ten o'clock on the weekdays, and midnight on weekends. I came home thirty-four—count 'em—thirty-four seconds after twelve in the morning and he was right there in the livin' room waitin' on me with Lucille."

"Who?"

"Lucille, my ole man's pool stick."

Hiten blinked, confused. Then his mouth formed an O. "Don't tell me he—"

"Beat the Holy Hell out of me like I was 'bout to rob the place." Tsukuyomaru mournfully shakes his head. "I had a knot the size of a baseball on the back of my head. Anytime someone asked what happened, I tell them I fell because I swear he's got bionic hearing . . . that man can hear a mouse piss on cotton within a steel room."

"Geez, you make me thankful for my dad. He's crazy, but, not that crazy." Hiten shrugged. "The worse he beat me with was a paint stick." He rubs over his head at the memory. "Serves me right for talkin' back. I know better now."

"Yeah, well, I'll take smacks and beat downs any day over bein' benched." The dark skinned demon sighs, sinking down in his chair. "That's why I need your help more than ever this semester. Dad says if I don't keep my grades up, he'll take me off the team . . . that's the most horrible thing he could do to me and he knows it."

Hiten straightens. "Then you better start applyin' yourself. I can help all I want, but it won't mean squat if you don't meet me half way."

"I know, I know. I just wish he wasn't always pressurin' me to be this picture perfect student, ya know? His standards are ridiculous. A's, sometimes B's, and flawless attendance, and stiff curfews, no exceptions." A tired sigh. "He needs a life instead of always tryin' to run mine."

"Doesn't he have any friends?"

"Nope—wait," Tsukuyomaru thinks, then reneges on what he was going to say. "Nah, he doesn't have any. Only a bunch of associates he goes to meetings with. He's too black hearted to folks. Not with me, but anyone outside of us, he's hella cold."

"Damn," Hiten gasps with sympathy. "I didn't know Satan had a brother."

"Yo, ease up. He can be diabolical, but he's still my pops."

Hiten raises his hands. "OK, OK, sorry . . . Anyway, let's get back to work. We gotta have half of it done to get credit and we still gotta pick a topic for the science fair."

"Alright."

Hiten reaches under his seat for his messenger pack and fished out his textbook, notebook and a box of pens. They get to work reading through the contents, researching answers to their review questions and comparing notes. A little over half of their work is finished before they tour the lab to select a few subjects to compare for the science fair. A study guide is passed out to everyone before class let's out for the chapter test scheduled for next week. The pair gathered their supplies, shedding off their lab coats before leaving for their next class.

"Say, I was wonderin'," Hiten starts.

"What's up?"

"Well," Hiten stalls by the wall lockers, scratching at his hairline. "Ya know, my dad doesn't get out much . . . he's always focusing his attention on me instead of himself. He deserves to have fun once in a while. I want him to get out more, experience some fun, make some friends. So, I mean, what if we sort of . . ."

Tsukuyomaru's eyes brightened at the implication. "Set our dads up?"

"Yeah! Just think, if they become friends, your dad won't be as mean and mine won't be as lonely. I think it could work."

"It could. . ." Tsukuyomaru sounds a tad reluctant to believe it could work after some quiet thinking. But the more he considers it, the more appealing it sounds to see his dad smile once in a while. Maybe if he had a friend to occupy his time, he won't be so hung up on pressuring him. "This could work. I bet it will . . . but how in the Hell will we get them to meet?"

Hiten lightly pounds his fist against the wall lockers. "Shit, I hadn't thought that far yet."

After a spell of silence, Tsukuyomaru turns and faces his friend with brilliant eyes and a crooked smile curving his lips. It was a sight that Hiten has seen plenty of times before, but made him stare uneasily. The expression resembled a mischievous minx, but instead of stalking, it used the angelic shimmer off its fur to lure you in, to ensnare your focus. Hiten squirms uncomfortably and waits for Tsukuyomaru to say what's on his mind.

"I have an idea," Tsukuyomaru says in a sultry tone that demands Hiten listen before denying it because of the gleam in his eyes.

"This won't affect my public record, right?"

"I," Tsukuyomaru stalls, then grins. "Well—"

Hiten glares. "No."

"Your mouth says no, but you'll do it anyway," Tsukuyomaru laughs and loops his thick arm around Hiten's shoulders. "'Cause ya know homies help one another out."

"But for whose benefit?"

"Ours duh. Come on man, consider the possibilities. Our dads bein' friends means us bein' able to spend more time together. We can hang out at each other's house, spend the night, whatever. The pros definitely outweigh the cons here."

True. This could end up being the best thing they ever did. They've been school friends since middle school and never spend a lot of time together. But at what price? The way Tsukuyomaru's face morphed from sadistic to conniving like that put Hiten on edge. Could he be blamed for being hesitant?

Hiten adopts a plea in his eyes. "Just . . . try, try really hard not to make it too bad for us."

"I'll try, but in order for this to work, um, realistically, I'm gonna need your total cooperation."

"Shit. . ." Hiten sighs, conceding to the fact that he may regret this later. "What do we gotta do and will it hurt?"

TBC: Thanks a million for reading this far! Shall we continue?