Disclaimer: This story is based on "Inuyasha," copyrighted by Rumiko Takahashi. No infringement of copyright intended or implied.
The Accident
Inuyasha was in a hurry, dashing across the roof. He landed on an icy spot, slipped, and fell. Twisting, he crashed down on his side, bounced, and then cannoned off the roof, his flailing fingers just missing the upturned edge.
Horses shrieked, men shouted, and Inuyasha yelped as a shod hoof clipped his shoulder, adding to his tumble and momentum. His crash landing was hard, and any real thinking vanished as instincts took over. Skittering four-footed across the cobblestones, dodging panicked horses, the boy made a line towards the darker area that was horse-free and sleet-free. Bounding onto the porch, he saw too late the tall, lean figure...
... ... ...
Inuyasha huddled within a blanket on his mother's futon, his hair long since dried, and his shoulder no longer hurting, but feeling no bit better about himself. When he heard the door to the suite slide open, he sniffed, then sniffed again. Pulling the blanket more tightly around himself, he waited.
Izayoi smiled wearily at him, smelling of sadness, of her father and brother, and of the tea she had served them. "Is—is grandpa all right?" whispered Inuyasha. "I-I didn't mean to run into him!"
She knelt carefully, and stroked his hair. "He's fine, Inuyasha. Ani raved, of course, but father just shrugged and said puppies never mean harm: it's just their nature to get into trouble."
His ears sank lower than they'd been. "I'm not a puppy!" he whispered, with a sniff that had nothing to do with identifying smells. "I'm not."
Izayoi leaned over and kissed his forehead. "Father does his best, little one—I know he considers you his grandson, even if he can't ever admit it. Just be more careful on the roofs, next time."
Inuyasha rubbed a rebelling eye. "Yes, mama."
Author's Note: This was written for the prompt "Crash Landing," for the LiveJournal community Inuyasha Fanfiction Contest. It took second place. (12/4/2013)
