Inuyasha:

Strong Like You

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

Story and OCs © Me

Summary- Tsukihime accidentally makes a comment that hurts Ichiro's feelings and makes him think about his self-worth.

"Here I come!" Ichiro yelled as he tackled Tsukihime, who laughed as she tumbled along the grass with him while Roku hurriedly got out of their way. He sighed in exasperation as he watched his two demon friends and their rough-and-tumble play before he sat down on the grass.

"Will you two settle down?" he asked. "Seriously, you're like a couple of wild pups!"

Ichiro and Tsukihime tussled around a bit more before the former jumped at the latter.

"This is it, Tsukihime!" he shouted. "I'm finally gonna pin YOU down for once!"

"Not likely!" Tsukihime declared as she proceeded to kick her feet into Ichiro's stomach, using momentum to flip herself over, and finally pin him against the ground. "Pinned ya!"

"Oh, come on!" Ichiro complained while Roku snickered.

"Let's see," the human boy mused. "That's gotta be...118 times she pinned you down, Ichi."

"Shut up, Roku!" Ichiro barked. "Why are you counting, anyway?!" He then proceeded to push Tsukihime off of him, but then, as she began to proudly stroll off...he let out another yell as he tackled her again from behind, but once more, she did that same flip maneuver and pinned him down against the grass, again.

"OOF!" Ichiro cried.

"Pinned ya, again," Tsukihime smirked.

"Make 119 times," Roku added, causing the young dog quarter-demon to growl before he shoved Tsukihime off, again.

"It's not fair!" he shouted. "How come you always manage to pin me down?! You beat me at everything, Tsuki, and it's not fair!"

"Well," Tsukihime said while she scratched her ear with her foot, "it's probably because I'm a full-fledged demon and you're not."

Ichiro's eyes went wide at that.

"Even your dad is stronger than you are," Tsukihime said, "and he's a half-demon. I guess quarter-demons aren't as strong as either pureblooded demons or half-demons, huh?"

"Uh...Tsuki?" Roku asked, nervously. "Maybe that wasn't the best choice of words."

Tsukihime looked over at Ichiro...who had his eyes hooded underneath his bangs, causing her to gasp as she realized what she had just said.

"Uh-oh..." she whispered. "W-wait, Ichi! I didn't mean it like that! I was just saying-"

"Forget it," Ichiro said, bitterly, causing her to shrink back. "I'm going home."

With that said, he turned and walked away, leaving a very remorseful Tsukihime and Roku behind.

XXX

Later that day, it was revealed that Ichiro did not really go back home as he had said, but rather to a secluded pond. Just a little place of his own that he went to whenever he had a particularly bad day. A place where he could gather his thoughts and mull over them.

As he sat at the edge of the pond and stared at his reflection, he sighed as his ears drooped against his head, his golden yellow eyes glossing over with sadness. Then he growled as he balled up his hand into a fist and angrily splashed the water's surface, causing it to ripple before it settled down, revealing his own reflection...as well as someone else's.

"Hey, pal."

Ichiro turned around to see his father standing behind him, his golden eyes staring down at him in concern.

"Been looking for you," Inuyasha said. "Your mother's got dinner waiting at home."

"...Hi, Dad," Ichiro replied as he looked at the water, causing Inuyasha to sit down behind him and gently pull his eldest son into his lap, holding him close to his chest.

"You look pretty down, Ichi," he said. "Is there something you wanna talk about?"

"...It's...it's just not fair!" Ichiro spat.

"What's not fair?" Inuyasha asked.

"I have your ears...and your eyes...even your fangs and claws and I can even smell as good as you can," Ichiro listed, "so...how come I'm not as strong as you?"

"I don't follow," Inuyasha replied.

"...Tsukihime and I were playing out in the woods, as usual," Ichiro began, "and...well...she pinned me down, again."

"Again?" Inuyasha grumbled in slight annoyance.

"And then she said that I'll never be as strong as her or you," Ichiro continued, "because I'm only a quarter-demon."

"...Oh," Inuyasha realized.

"And you know what else?" Ichiro asked. "They're right...I'll never have your demonic powers. I'll never be able to run as fast as you or lift heavy things with one arm like you!" He then sighed...tears welling up in his eyes. "I'll just...I'll just never be strong, like you."

Inuyasha felt his heart go out to his son. He knew exactly how he felt...the days he yearned for power so that other demons would stop looking down on him...including his older brother. It was almost like looking at a mirror image of himself in his younger days. He sighed as he tightened his embrace, but not too tightly. Ichiro sniffled as he wiped his eyes and nestled his face against his father's chest. His ears could pick up his heartbeat...and the way his chest rumbled, soft yet strong, gave him a reassuring feeling.

"Ichi," Inuyasha began, "I know it's frustrating. Trust me, I've been there before when I was your age. I used to think that being strong was the only thing that mattered. That if I had strength, no one would ever beat me or pick on me...but then, I met your mother."

Ichiro glanced up at his father, who smiled at him.

"Your mother taught me that power wasn't everything," he continued. "She made me realize that things like love and kindness were all I really ever needed. I thank your mother for bringing out a better side of me...and I know you probably don't understand now because you're still a kid, but...you'll get it, one day."

"...I guess," Ichiro replied.

"It's okay if you wanna be strong like me," Inuyasha began, "but you can also be kind like your mother...that's where real strength comes from."

Ichiro blinked at his father...and, even though he didn't quite understand, he felt a little better. In fact, he was smiling at him without even realizing it, which caused Inuyasha to return that smile with one of his own.

However, both their smiles fell as their stomachs simultaneously rumbled, causing them both to blush a deep red...but then Inuyasha laughed.

"Sounds like it's chow time," he said before he stood up. "Come on, pal. Let's go home."

"Yeah!" Ichiro agreed as he walked alongside his father...and slipped his hand inside his fingers, causing Inuyasha to glance down. "...Thanks, Dad."

"...No problem, kiddo," Inuyasha replied.

*sighs* Nothing like those moments between father and son. ^^

Review, please.