My Father's Son
Summary: The soup reminded Sesshomaru of big golden eyes swimming with tears as a mere child begged his older brother not to leave.
Sesshomaru waited until the others of Inuyasha's pack had bedded down for the night before tossing the strange concoction aside. It wouldn't do to offend the miko as it had been her intent to be hospitable; until Naraku's defeat they'd be traveling together. It was better to maintain their tentative peace than to bicker over something as trivial as food.
But there was something about the food Kagome provided that Sesshomaru couldn't stomach. It could have been that it was a human addiction, as was evidenced by Inuyasha's strange need of it. It might have been the steam that rolled off of it in waves, churning his stomach even as it made the hanyou's mouth water in if he was being honest with himself, it was none of the above that caused his dislike for the strange food Inuyasha's wench had served them
The soup reminded Sesshomaru of big, golden eyes swimming with tears as a mere child begged his older brother not to leave. And like the meal provided, Inuyasha was tossed aside without a backward glance. It was odd that a bowl of ramen's golden broth reminded him of the night Inuyasha had beckoned him to stay so many decades earlier . He hadn't thought of that night in years...
It hadn't been pride, then, that had dictated Sesshomaru's actions. It was the weakness he saw in his half brother's eyes- not the hanyou's- but his own. He'd wanted to take Inuyasha with him. He'd wanted to protect the child, but Inuyasha would have been treated far worse among the demons in the West. Without their father laying claim to his half-human son, the boy would have been tormented.
The males would have challenged him, the females would have used him, more out of curiosity and pity than with any real care- a tool to grant them a place within the most powerful pack in the West. Sesshomaru had seen it, many times, with some of the more elite... Sire a hanyou, bring the half demon home to be raised as one of their own... until said father fell during battle, the child left without the only parent who could buffer the hate disguised behind false smiles and hidden agendas.
While certain that humans and lesser demons would certainly try to do the same, it was better to leave the boy to fend for himself than it would have been to force him into an environment where he would've been ridiculed and harassed by some of the strongest demons alive, forcing Sesshomaru to defend the honor of a boy most would believe had none.
So he left the boy to fend for himself, leaving a subtle threat in the air to make it known to any and all, under the pretense of hate, that no other but Sesshomaru would kill the boy. It was better to do this than to tie Inuyasha's fate to his own, living and quite possibly dying for the power Sesshomaru had inherited upon their father's death.
No, Sesshomaru didn't regret leaving Inuyasha behind. In his own way, he'd provided his brother a better chance at life than the one he would have had within walls filled with thinly veiled malice.
His father had asked him once, in the hours before his demise, if he'd had anything to protect... In the years that followed, Sesshomaru had opted to protect the one being he'd made a show of despising... a half human brother with his father's hair, and wide bronze-gold eyes.
Sesshomaru pretended disgust, gave no outward indication that his father's second son held any importance to him, thus rendering the boy unimportant to those who sought the power of the Western Lord through less than honorable means. He'd instigated fights with Inuyasha, to teach the hanyou to defend himself, though their fights became significantly more fierce with the loss of his arm. It was then that Inuyasha had also found someone to protect, a human female, thus increasing his strength and determination and transforming the sword his father had left him into the powerful weapon it was. It was clear, at that point, that Inuyasha didn't need protection anymore.
Sesshomaru's gaze found Rin. Curled up beside Ah-Un, the child slept peacefully. In her, Sesshomaru had found another to protect, and while human, the child had found a special place within his pack. Pulling his gaze away from the sleeping child, Sesshomaru met Inuyasha's in the night, sunset gold clashing with bronze.
Despite their inherent differences, Sesshomaru was determined to keep their unspoken truce protected. Inuyasha's belief that he was unimportant in the tai-youki's life was wrong, even while it was entirely understandable given Sesshomaru's outward treatment of him. He was important... because despite all outward indications, Inuyasha was pack and pack meant family.
This drabble was written for Lj's Summer Cliche Contest #1: Ramen and was posted to their site yesterday. It came in 800 words though I am unsure if I really met the cliche or least cliche requirement, lol.
I am still buried in life right now, but I am trying my best to get things written. I'll be posting for Deserted soon, as well as a *naughtier* piece a bit later next week... if things work out as planned, lol.
Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last go around- you all made my day as I haven't seen that kind of turn out in a long time, lol. *hugs* I love you all! My favs and alerts is off the scale right now- how odd- right? But I am very pleased to see that you all are enjoying what little I am able to post.
HUGGLES
Neisha