InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ My Brother's Keeper ❯ Stick Practice ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 2

Stick Practice

Disclaimer: Nope, I still don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters from the show. Ah me, I can dream though. ~-^ And thanks for the reviews. It just took me longer than I expected to actually get back to this story. Oh and mediaminer hates italics. Argh.

"No. You may not kill him. If anyone is going to kill my little brother it will be me," came a voice cutting through the sound of yelping and growling like a cold brush of winter air in the heart of the humid summer that was clinging to the trees. The top of a towering castle could be seen in between ancient oaks, offering a stately vista in the heart of the Western Lands. The scene under the cover of the lush, ancient forest was utterly priceless. A tall, elegant figure stood coldly watching two smaller figures moving around both him and the clearing they were within. Silver hair trailed down to his waist, rippling faintly in the wind even as he lowered his head to his palm and rubbed at his temples in what was a very familiar gesture for the youkai lord these days.

"But, mi Lord, he keeps hitting poor Jaken with that evil stick of his. Ow! It hurts! Ow! Can't I just hurt him a little?" Jaken spoke, looking upwards in between the cover of his arms. The little green youkai had his head huddled under the dubious protection of his crossed, stubby arms even as another responding thwack could be heard ringing through the forest floor. Jaken fell over, yelping and screaming about the pain and agony as a very proud little hanyou placed one foot in the middle of Jaken's back and looked very, very satisfied with himself.

"I will save you the trouble," Sesshoumaru spoke as a very persistent and obnoxious five year old Inuyasha proceeded to come towards his immaculate older brother. Inuyasha's amber eyes held mischief within their depths even as he made a swing towards his older brother with the practice sword he had been using to thwack anything that moved. The silver hair, so like his Sire's and brother's was flying madly around him in its usual state of snarled unkempt wildness that his mother kept trying to tame. So far, she had little luck at it or keeping the little hanyou still long enough to do much else to him.

"You gotta teach me how to fight, Sess!" Inuyasha said, even as the elder of the pair neatly caught the practice stick before it could make even passing contact with his body. The request came with the usual big puppy eyes, goofy smile, and a flickering of excitement from the ears that adorned the top of his head.

"And I must do this---because?" Sesshoumaru spoke, arching one silvery brow as he held onto the piece of wood and felt his claws digging into its length. His brother was going to be the death of him. He still wasn't sure exactly why their father kept on giving him the dubious honor of babysitting the little furball. You would have thought by now that someone else, anyone else would be better suited for the job than him. Apparently he was about to add stick practice to his title of his brother's keeper and disgruntled playmate.

"'Cause that's what big brother's do. They teach little brothers how to fight with swords and go to war with 'em when they get old enough. It's in every story momma tells me. So, you gotta teach me," Inuyasha stated matter-of-factly, as he yanked hard on the stick in an attempt to free it from Sesshoumaru's grasp. With a faint amused smirk,

Sesshoumaru resolutely held onto the precious piece of wood which only led to his half-brother tugging at it with a very familiar look on his face. Sesshoumaru had learnt to recognize that particular lift of the chin, flattening of the ears, and recalcitrant glance to mean only one thing from the hanyou. His little brother was about to be annoyingly as stubborn as he could be. Often, Sesshoumaru wondered if that was all his little brother had in him. Pure, hard-headed stubbornness and defiance when he didn't get his way. That and a cute streak that only got worse as he grew older, much to his elder brother's disgust. The little pipsqueak got away with murder because of it, from both his own mother and their father alike.

"I will do nothing of the sort, little brother. I already must suffer your presence in every single moment of free time I have. I am not going to let you attempt to beat upon me with that ridiculous stick as well," Sesshoumaru said calmly, glancing down with deep golden eyes that watched his younger brother keep right on trying to jerk the practice sword out of his grip. Inuyasha's face kept getting redder from exertion, anger and utter frustration at his stupid older brother. Didn't his brother know anything? He was supposed to teach Inuyasha everything he could just because he was supposed to. Why wouldn't he just LET GO OF THE STUPID SWORD!?!

"Leggo of it! It's not a stupid stick! It's a sword!!!! Don't you know anythin' at all!!" Inuyasha shouted out, tugging with all his strength upon the stick. This was also the point where Sesshoumaru finally decided to let go of it. The result was a very dazed hanyou flying straight back into the nearest tree and smacking his thick skull upon the trunk. With a small growl of sound, Inuyasha rolled over onto his stomach and began resolutely searching for his 'sword' when he could see clear enough to. He paused in mid shuffling of his small body as he felt a wetness trickling down the back of his neck. Lightly, he rubbed his clawed fingers through his hair and blinked wide eyed as blood shown when he pulled his fingers back in front of his face. He scrunched up his nose, debating on whether to shout, scream, or cry for all he was worth. After sneaking a look at the expression of permanent ice on his older brother's face, he sighed very loudly, sniffled once and simply went back to looking for his lost stick.

"You are a sorry, sad excuse for a brother. Who ever heard of a puppy that couldn't even fetch a stick?" Sesshoumaru observed with a flicker of irritation as he kicked the practice sword within range of his younger brother's questing hands. He frowned as he approached and caught sight of the vibrant crimson already causing the silvery hair at the back of Inuyasha's head to matt. The youkai leaned down, trying to get a closer look at it but was met with a swipe of a clawed hand towards his that knocked his face away. The pouting puppy look with unshed tears met him as Inuyasha grabbed the sword, clutching it to him and staring up at his older brother with accusing eyes.

"You can't look. You'll just make it worse and hurt it more. I'm not a puppy either!!" Inuyasha exclaimed, glaring up at his older brother through a mass of unruly bangs. His glower deepened as the other promptly picked him up and held him in place long enough for clawed hands to lightly and gently push his hair back from his skull to examine where he was bleeding. All the while the five year old was clawing, kicking and growling to try to squirm out of his older brother's grasp.

"You're a little furball who pretends to behave when someone is looking, then. I am not going to hurt you, now hold still," Sesshoumaru said sharply even as Inuyasha quieted in his arms and began sniffling again. The elder wasn't sure why but he was glad of it. He noticed a rather large bump and a gash underneath it that was causing the blood flow down the back of his half-brother's hard head. He really didn't care if the mutt split his skull wide open but their father would have Sesshoumaru's hide if Inuyasha was hurt badly in any way. Still, he hoisted the child onto his shoulder and carried him towards a clean flowing, clear spring that was nearest to the part of the forest they were within.

"Why you have to be so mean all the time? And, And And, I'm not a furball!!!! It's all YOUR fault that I hit my head to begin with," Inuyasha bobbed his head, curling up against his brother's chest and shoulder as it was apparent he wasn't going to win in a battle of pure strength with his older brother. Not today anyway but maybe one day he would. That would be something fun to do when he got bigger! He could pick on his older brother and push him around. Then again, maybe it wouldn't be as much fun as he thought it would. One of them could get hurt and then he'd feel awful and their father would be all mad and displeased.

"It is not my fault that you were attempting to hit me with your stick like an idiot. You should know well enough by now that you will suffer my wrath when you do foolish things," Sesshoumaru stated plainly, even as he paused at the edge of the flowing river, golden gaze taking in the water and searching for the most shallow point to dunk the hanyou into. If he wasn't careful, the half-bred might end up drowning. Inutaisho would, of course, blame his eldest for such a misfortunate accident. There were days the youkai was absolutely certain that Inuyasha had been born for the sole purpose of annoying him to no end and being a constant headache.

`When he gets older, he will either continue this constant, grating hero-worship or hate me for being what I am. He will never be even half as powerful as the greatest of the youkai, even if he is my half-brother. Father, how could you have borne such a little beast to torment my every waking hour? I often wonder if this is a test of your parenting skill or my patience. If you have a reason for favoring him so, I would like to know it.' (Sesshoumaru's thoughts)

Sesshoumaru's thoughts were interrupted by a high pitched squealing sound right next to his lightly pointed ear. He turned a very dark look upon the cause of that grating sound, even as the sound of it continued to split his skull wide open. The keen hearing of a youkai was never meant to be abused in such a fashion from half a foot away. Inuyasha was bouncing happily up and down in his firm grasp, bumping constantly against his shoulder. The practice sword he had held onto as if it were an overgrown doll kept smacking Sesshoumaru in the side as the little hanyou waved it in his excitement.

"Swimmin'!! We're goin' swimming!! You're the best!!! I knew you weren't all evil!!!" Inuyasha squealed out as he turned completely towards Sesshoumaru. Apparently, his injury and wounded pride had been forgotten in the prospect of getting soaking wet for some reason the youkai lord could not understand. It had to be his human side. True, swimming could be fun in the right set of circumstances but this was not them. He had no intention of getting a single claw wet, today at least. Unfortunately for him, fate had other ideas.

"I am not entirely evil. I simply am what I am, little brother. I am not going swimming but you, however, are since it might keep you quiet for five minutes," Sesshoumaru said with a decidedly dark look upon his refined features. He promptly lifted Inuyasha higher at the last of his words, aimed and carefully tossed the little brat into the deepest part of the river. Puppy tossing. He had started a new sport without every trying. That thought brought a smirk of pure amusement to handsome features, until his little brother surfaced and began splashing around like a new born baby who had never been anywhere near water. He watched impassively as the five year old made his way to the bank and stalked out, dripping every inch of the way. He glowered up at Sesshoumaru, folding his arms across his chest and looking for the entire world like a drowned rat trying to glare down an enormous tiger.

"You did that on purpose! You are so evil and that proves it!!!!! I don't wanna go swimmin' no more," Inuyasha continued to glare up at his elder brother from underneath soaking bangs he mopped at unsuccessfully with his clawed hands. He took a step towards Sesshoumaru, wrapping the youkai up in a tight hug which hit at waist level simply because of his lack of height. Big sad eyes looked up at his brother as his ears drooped down to his skull again, making him appear completely, utterly lost and pathetic. His lower lip jutted out as he looked up with pleading eyes to Sesshoumaru for the longest moment. The elder emitted yet another long suffering sigh, which he seemed to do even more frequently of late than normal, and laid one hand atop that soaking wet head.

"What is it now, mutt?" Sesshoumaru asked quietly and with just a touch of impatience in his cool tone of voice. This had better be good or he was going to turn around and head straight home right now. He really could have cared less why the pup looked like he was about to cry, yet again. He was simply saving his eardrums from any loud wailing or screaming that might emerge from his half-brother.

"I LOST MY SWORD!!!!" Inuyasha answered with the predictable wailing sound Sesshoumaru was familiar with anytime the little furball was hurt or in pain of any sort. The odd thing was that the little hanyou never gave into the urge to bawl around anyone except his mother and his older brother. Around anyone else he was a bright, if a bit too moody, child that earned indulgent smiles from most anyone with half a heart. Most of those that came to see Inutaisho, however, looked upon the little hanyou with disgust, scorn and contempt for being what he was. Even at the tender age he was now, the whispering and rejection were already beginning from both worlds he walked within. He was blessed for the moment with a tender ignorance that would not last forever.

"You're this upset over a glorified stick?" Sesshoumaru asked with disdain and a shake of his head. He glanced down, seeing that half of his armor and clothing was getting soaking wet thanks to the clinging tight embrace of the little urchin. Gently, he reached down to try to pry the child off of him, only to find that Inuyasha held on all the stronger for his efforts. He couldn't cut off his arms to remove him, more's the pity.

"DADDY GAVE ME THAT SWORD!!! I have to find it!!! YOU GOTTA HELP MEEEEE!" Inuyasha cried out, pleading with too large eyes at the oldest of the pair who kept trying to push him away. He didn't understand why his brother hated him so much and wouldn't just hug him like mother did. Confusion found its way into his deep amber eyes that simply added to the shining, unshed tears that were threatening to slide down his cheeks. He wouldn't cry! He refused to cry! Youkai didn't cry! Father didn't and neither did his big brother so he wouldn't either. He was almost all grown up now too. He wouldn't cry, no matter what.

"I see," Sesshoumaru spoke quietly, even as he glanced around and noticed they were completely alone for a change. Jaken had probably taken their departure as an opportunity to quickly run back to the castle and stay out of the line of fire. The little toad was smarter than he looked and acted. Sesshoumaru leaned down until he was eye level with Inuyasha and hesitantly moved his hand from atop the other's head to rest lightly upon his shoulder. He really was not doing this, was he? Of course not, it was simply a way to keep the impudent brat quiet for the rest of the afternoon and to not make his Sire pissed yet again at him for something the pup managed to drag both of them into.

"We'll find you another stick. Father will understand what happened. You are more important to him than a practice sword, though I cannot imagine why. We're also heading straight back home to make you more presentable. If your mother saw you now, she'd wonder what wet runt of a pup followed me home instead of my little brother," Sesshoumaru said with a faint smile, as he arose and offered his larger hand to Inuyasha. For a moment, the spunky little hanyou just stared at the hand and then looked up at his older brother, wondering who this stranger was that was wearing Sesshoumaru's face. His brother was never this nice. He was probably just waiting for him to take his paw so that he could throw him in the river again. Regardless, Inuyasha slide his smaller hand into his brother's and scrunched his eyes closed, waiting to be lifted and dunked again. To his surprise, all he heard was a very amused laugh, soft as silk and ethereal as the stars.

"Yo...yo...you're not gonna dunk me in the water again?" Inuyasha asked as his ears perked forward. He turned his head to the side, craning his neck upwards as his older brother began walking gracefully towards the castle and dragging him along whether he wanted to go or not. He followed, trusting in his brother though not as much as he once had. Blind trust only lasts so long in a young child of any race. Inuyasha had been dunked, kicked, thrown, and tossed too much by his older brother to completely trust the other without being absolutely sure.

"Not today, unless you annoy me again," Sesshoumaru replied, laughing again softly as they made their way back through the forest towards home. A home they shared and treasured, while it would last. They shifted through the trees, feeling the humidity of the air lessening under their cooling branches. Summer never seemed to let go of the land once it had its teeth dug in. Sesshoumaru longed for winter and the absolute perfection of the beautiful cold. It was his time of year, more than this cloying heat would ever be. Inuyasha seemed oblivious to any season and simply immersed himself headfirst into all of them when ever he had the chance.

"Oh. So can I borrow your--?" Inuyasha asked only to be interrupted before he could even complete that thought.

"No. You may not borrow my pelt to dry yourself with and if you call me by that name I will toss you in with the lesser youkai again," Sesshoumaru said darkly, falling utterly silent for the rest of the trip back home.

`Fluffy. Fluffy. Fluffy. Fluffy.' (Inuyasha's thoughts)

Inuyasha grinned as that chant carried him home, just as silence carried his brother.

~*~

"I'm not takin' a bath. I already had one today and you dunked me in the water anyway so I'm clean. I'm not takin' another bath and you can't make me," Inuyasha said defiantly to Sesshoumaru who was neatly sitting upon his own bed and staring at his younger brother. The little hanyou was dripping on the floor and had that stubborn look in his eyes again. They had been facing off this way for the past ten minutes, neither one budging an inch. Sesshoumaru would have simply dropped the little furball into a bathing pool and let the servants deal with him but something kept stopping him. It certainly wasn't his better sense of judgment to be sure.

"Fine, you can simply stay dirty for all I care now. You will change your clothes before your mother sees you because I will not be subject to yet another lecture from Inutaisho on your account," Sesshoumaru spoke softly, even as he nodded at the two servants who were looking on with amusement at the two siblings as they went back and forth over the issue of dry clothing.

"Can I--?" Inuyasha piped up as he streaked towards the hallway to hopefully head to the bathing room, staying just out of reach of the servants who were desperately trying to keep up with him but failing miserably.

"No," Sesshoumaru answered before the little urchin could even ask anything else. He firmly shut the door once Inuyasha had ran out of hearing range and the soft thudding of the servants boots had disappeared down the hallway. He curled up in a relaxed meditative state upon a mat in front of his bed, as his eyes closed and enjoyed a few moments of blessed silence. His mind focused sharply, even as his breathing evened out and he completely fell into a trance state. The faint sounds of yelling, splashing and squealing could be heard further down the hall as the servants presumably chased Inuyasha down and tried to bathe him regardless of his wishes. Sesshoumaru calmly ignored it all and remained right where he was.

Peace and quiet were to be cherished. No matter how large his father's castle was, it would never be large enough to hide from a bundle of energy that came complete with an enormously loud mouth known as Inuyasha.

~*~

"You may not believe this, but I do not make a good cushion for your fat head, mutt," Sesshoumaru said as he opened his eyes half-way to peer down at his younger brother. By the scent of the little rascal, he had submitted or been held down long enough to be bathed and dressed in clean clothing. Predictably, he had found his way into his older brother's room without knocking or even asking to see if it was alright. The slight weight of the five year old bundle of trouble crawling into his lap had finally forced the youkai lord to at least open his eyes to acknowledge the presence he had been ignoring since first sensing it around him.

"I'm sleepy and daddy's not back yet. Momma says I can't sleep with her tonight because she's...she's...I don't remember what she said but I wanna sleep with you!" Inuyasha said, yawning and promptly recurling into Sesshoumaru's lap, using the soft pelt that was wound half-way into Sesshoumaru's lap as a pillow. The child happily began to fall asleep, much as he once had when he was but a toddler. It appeared that some things were not going to change any time soon, no matter how old he grew.

"You have a bed which you are old enough to use all by yourself now," Sesshoumaru pointed out, sighing with exasperation and readying himself for yet another argument with his brother over where the half-bred chose to sleep at night. It was a long standing fight to get Inuyasha to sleep in his own bed when their father was away from his domain. So far, Sesshoumaru lost the fight more often than he won. It was simply because it was easier to give in and not have to listen to hours of whining from the little tyke.

Of course.

"Your bed's more comfy than mine is and you don't snore. I'm stayin' here tonight so I can protect you from the boogeyman," Inuyasha said matter-of-factly, even as he slipped one eye open to peer up at his brother with a look of pride and absolute certainty. He yawned again, showing small pointed teeth even as he made himself even more comfortable upon his brother's lap. Bemused, Sesshoumaru looked down at his brother's almost angelic face as the mutt drifted towards sleeping. It was the only time the little runt looked anywhere near innocent, angelic or sweet anymore.

"What if I don't need your protection from this boogeyman though?" Sesshoumaru asked quietly as he lifted Inuyasha into his arms, carrying the curling youngster to his bed and laying him lightly upon one side of it. This prompted the child to promptly roll over onto the side of the bed Sesshoumaru favored and the elder to frown with frustration. It wasn't too late to dangle him out the window by his ears. He might even be able to get away with it without their father finding out. He lightly stripped down to his under things and slide under the covers, pushing the little brat out of his space and pausing to listen to the sleepy answer the other offered to him.

"S'ok. I'll protect you anyway 'cause you're my brother," Inuyasha spoke softly, curling up with the pillow on his side as his hair fanned out behind him and his ears twitched just slightly as he drifted towards sleep. Sesshoumaru glanced over, eyes half glowing in the darkness of the room as he blew out the oil lamp on the stand upon his side of the bed. He shifted lightly, getting into a suitable position upon the bed and hoping this time his brother didn't drool too much on the pillows or snore too loudly. He wasn't going to say anything more until he heard a little voice pull him back from drifting off to sleep himself.

"Sess?" Inuyasha asked quietly. A pair of golden eyes looked across the mattress at his elder brother, imploring the other to still be awake.

"What is it now, mutt? If you want a glass of water, ring for the servants because I am not moving from this spot to get it," Sesshoumaru said coldly as he slide further down under the covers. The days might have been humid and hot but the nights could carry a chill from the stone of the floors and walls that nothing could heat. It was one of the odd quirks of Inutaisho's castle.

"Will you teach me tomorrow?" Inuyasha asked quietly, imploring with those big eyes in the darkness. Amber orbs looked back at him, squinting hard to try and place what on earth the little hanyou was refering to in the first place.

"Teach you what, how to fetch or sit? I will do no such thing. It is beneath my dignity and even what little you possess," Sesshoumaru replied quietly, shaking his head and sending his own silver hair falling around him in soft waves. It curtained his face, upper shoulders and back as he shifted once again to find a more comfortable position, far away from the little hanyou.

"How to use a sword like you and daddy," Inuyasha asked solemnly, hoping against hope his brother would agree if he asked seriously enough. He listened quietly as his brother fell utterly silent and held his own breath in the darkness of the room.

"Why is it so important to you that I teach you how to use a sword? It won't change a thing between us. You're always going to be my half-bred, mutt of an idiot brother," Sesshoumaru said quietly with a faint chuckle at the end. It was the most affection Inuyasha had heard out of him in a while and eased the child's nervousness and something else tight within his chest. His brother didn't hate him after all. Everything would be just fine.

"I wanna learn and you're supposed to teach me. You're my big brother. It's just how things are done. 'Sides, Jaken's no fun to hit with a sword. He just cowers and whines to you about it. At least I know you'll thwack me back, even if it will prolly hurt," Inuyasha said, scrunching up his nose and making a face into the pillow. He turned, smiling though at his brother and yawning once again.

"It will hurt and if we do this, you will stick with it or I will not agree. The moment you lose interest is the moment I will stop doing anything at all with you. Are we understood?" Sesshoumaru asked quietly with a cold seriousness in his tone that left no room for doubt. He never said anything in that tone without completely meaning it. Inuyasha knew it as the don't push your luck this is the last straw or warning you will have tone.

"I promise I won't stop until I'm real good at it. You'll teach me! You won't regret it, Sess!" Inuyasha said, beaming up at his brother from the pillows and covers. He then promptly rolled over and snuggled up for sleep. A faint chuckle and soft sigh was heard from his brother's vicinity of the bed. Sesshoumaru kept wondering how he always got talked into things like this with the hanyou. It had to be the look or the whiny voice. He wasn't sure which and frankly didn't want to know either.

"I already do now go to sleep," Sesshoumaru responded curtly as he simply stretched out and buried his head in his own pillow. He was trying very, very hard to go to sleep and it just wasn't working for some reason. That reason being his idiot of a brother that kept insisting on talking to him even though it was past the mutt's bedtime.

"G'night, brother. Love you!" Inuyasha called from the opposite side as he snuggled down and finally dropped into sleep. He was out like a light, changing from bundle of boundless energy to complete collapse in five seconds of amazing miracle. Sesshoumaru still wasn't sure where the off button was on his half-brother but he wanted desperately to find it. He only saw glimpses of it when the little urchin fell over into sleep. It probably only showed up at night, with the boogeyman.

"...." was the only reply Sesshoumaru gave, though quietly in his mind he responded in the only fashion he could being who and what he was.

`Good night, little brother. Sleep well tonight for tomorrow I will give you bruises from the stick practice you begged me for. How sweet teaching will be, if for no other reason than to watch you fall on your pride every day.' (Sesshoumaru's parting thoughts)