Fathers and Sons

By Somuchtosay...

"That attuide will get you no where, young one." Inutaishou spoke quietly. The young Sesshoumaru stood before him, a practice sword raised, anger in his eyes. Only his father could read them as good as his mother, if not better. "If you should strike me, do not hesitate dear boy." the elder taiyoukai taunted. He was siting under a small water fall, his hair loose, and soaking wet, no armor, no battles, practice sword lain infront of his criss cross position, with his seething first born staring death at him.

"Must we go through this again, runt..." he barked at the adolescent Sesshoumaru, who stood, almost to his own chin. Sesshoumaru didn't move, nor flinch, nor speak. He was withholding any pain, or weaknesses, but his father knew better. He could tell that he made Sesshoumaru shatter his own right hand, in attempts to punch him, only to fiercely punch through a solid cliff wall, and have it come crumbling down on himself.

The elder taiyoukai openned both his amber eyes, twin pools the same as his first born, and he sat with a smug, daring look upon his slight gruff, older features. "Come on now, don't be afraid, I'll let you release that temper, come now, Sesshoumaru, let me see that anger, that deadly need to kill, show me your attuide." he spoke above barely a whisper, and the minute he fell silent, the pointed edge of the sword was in his face.

He grinned.

"Are you trying to frighten your old man, ne?" he asked casually. Sesshoumaru's hard stoic stare was almost unbareable. He was in such suspense. Sesshoumaru was fast. Inutaishou was faster. It took a split second for his hand to grab the sword which was in his face, and pull his son, who barely registered anything, into his lap, his embrace. The trick was to hold his first born there. It had been easy when he was only a child, and Inutaishou could lift him anyday. Now it took five hours to locate the brat, drag him along, and beat the crap out of him.

"As slow as ever, whelp." he teased. Sesshoumaru was as tense as the cliff wall, which crumbled, and Inutaishou grinned even more. "A wise lesson to you, son, if a tree is too stiff, and the harsh winds blow from the North...--" he eyed Sesshoumaru for an answer. "Then the tree will snap." his heir replied, tone harsh and stern. His whelp wasn't looking at him. "If he who hesitates loses, then you've lost." he flipped his son unto his back, Sesshoumaru now getting wet, and still stiff as a stubborn rock.

Inutaishou sighed long suffering.

"You feel this water, all around you, in your shirt, and your pants, on your skin, through me, and moving under you, it is cold, and if put into a bucket, it has weight..." he began, and Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed into that stare he was used to getting from his first mate. "However, water is flexible, runt, and if you are water..." he raised an eyebrow. "Then you are flexible..." spoke Sesshoumaru not without malice. "As you should be with all things, if it is within reason. My choosing another mate was not your decision, nor does it rest on your shoulders, and if I did not love your mother, or you, you would not be here with me, training to survive." he put his muzzle in his son's neck, Sesshoumaru slowly relaxing.

The anger slowly eased out of his logical offspring. Sesshoumaru was most too stubborn to admit he was in the wrong, but thanfully Inutaishou knew his son only too well. They hadn't needed to speak who was wrong, or right, or who was better. Inutaishou inwardly snorted. Like that was a hard one to figure out! "Father..." Inutaishou slipped out of his musings. "Yes?"..."A wise man once told me, you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink." and Inutaishou found himself in a pinned position, that he hadn't felt in centuries beyond count.

He grinned.

"I wonder who that was."

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow like himself, uncanny at that.

"Don't get cocky with me, boy." Inutaishou growled, and Sesshoumaru gave a smirk, before growling right back. "No, I don't think so, dear boy, alpha male position will come when it comes." and with that, he rolled the youngling over, claiming dominance, and his rights to his son. Yes, all was somewhat well now, he was making Sesshoumaru submit with slight ease. Then again, he could never stand having his nuts crushed by his own father either! Inutaishou snickered.

"Father... about that arranged marriage."

"Are you afraid, Sesshoumaru?"

He received an icy death glare.

"I refuse to mate with it." Inutaishou grinned again. "You don't even know what it is, for all the great Sesshoumaru knows, he could be mating with a tree tomorrow." the look he received promised immediate death the minute Sesshoumaru was ordered to mate a tree. "Now, don't look so unhappy. Tree youkai make good allies."..."Spoken with such experience." ah, that lovely sarcasm. Inutaishou found himself kicked off afterward. "Oh, I'm so hurt." he said loudly to nothing, and rested an arm on his knee.

Sesshoumaru jumped up from his position, grabbed a practice sword, and got into a fighting stance, looking very much like alpha. Inutaishou felt actually opposed. Yes, Sesshoumaru was indeed ready. "You know, being top dog isn't always a good thing."..."Try mating a tree." Inutaishou blinked. His son had humor! He grinned again.

"Oh! But I have... I never did tell you that story, ne, did I?"

Finished...