To the Letter by Chante

Fight Fire with Fire

The boy was a dunce. There was no looking beyond that. Sesshomaru looked down at Inuyasha, who was prostrate at his feet, unconscious.

The boy was a constant stain, and a constant reminder. It was originally because he was human, but after all the decades, Sesshomaru could look beyond that. No, the problem was that the whelp was a constant let down in every way. During his childhood, it was understandable, now it was not.

It was one thing to put his own life in danger, but to put the humans who cared for him into the line of fire was not only rash and stupid, it would run against his instincts if he were a full blooded dog demon. To put ones pack into a dangerous situation should be unthinkable, especially if it were only to seek a rutting partner. There were more than enough females in the boys pack – that he searched elsewhere was a cause for concern in and of itself.

Sesshomaru cast Inuyasha one last glance, before he turned and left the boy alone in the clearing. He decided to mark the area with his scent one last time, running his hand along the calloused wood of a tree or two before he finally left the clearing his brother was in.

A sigh was allowed past his lips, before he looked to the skies.

Father, why have you left me with such a mess? Surely you can see what a disappointment your bastard is?

With that thought, he decided to head back to his ward. There were a few things he needed to take care of; first and foremost, however, he needed to teach his brother a lesson.

;-;

When Inuyasha finally drug himself out of Kaede’s hut, his sensitive eyes were first cast to the sky to discern what time of day it was, and then to a hut that lied on the outskirts of the village, where his pack’s scent was strongest.

He could admit, at least to himself, when he was wrong. He had told Kagome that he would go and get her from the well, although it was a bit of a surprise that she was on time – she tried to get the most of every family visit she could get, after all, although that was no excuse on his part. He should have at least stayed in the village to wait for her to get back.

Every time he smelled the bitches in heat, however, he couldn’t help himself – the scent called to him, and he was powerless to deny it. Although he knew it to be a bad idea to leave the humans alone, he ultimately decided that one night wouldn’t hurt.

After he had finished with a particularly violent rut, he had been on his way back to the village to wait for Kagome. What he wasn’t expecting was for Sesshomaru to show up and beat the living daylights out of him.  He was amazed he made it back to the village the same night, but he had managed, after most of his wounds had closed enough for him to move. At that point, a fist through his stomach would have been a welcome alternative.

Even less expected was for Lord Icicle-Up-His-Arse to be sitting inside the hut on the outskirts of town, being served tea and rice as though he were a guest.

“Oi, Kagome, what the hell?” Inuyasha called, his eyes clashing with a very similar hue. The bastard!

“Lord Sesshomaru has decided to stay a few days so that Rin can have some time with humans. We welcomed him in, seeing as he bore no ill will, especially not with Rin so near, ne?” Kagome smiled before offering Inuyasha a cup of tea.

He took it, dumbfounded at the oddity of the situation and the calm demeanor of his pack. What in the seven layers was going on? After a moment’s hesitation, he plopped down next to the human miko, and leveled a glare at his brother.

“Sesshomaru, what the hell? What’re you doin’ here?” Inuyasha took a sip of tea, before his glare intensified. Sesshomaru, although a bit amused, didn’t respond to the whelp’s anger, although it would have been pleasing to do so.

“Given your… recent activities, I believe it is time that I give up the hope that you will reform on your own. Perhaps it is due time that I take a more active role in correcting some of your behavioral issues.” A very proper sip of the aromatic tea later, he let his eyes open to look at the boy.

“For the time being, I shall be joining your pack. I shall remain until I deem you fit to be in public on your own.”

From there, Inuyasha did a very good impression of a fish, his mouth agape and eyes wide.

“What the hell do you mean, “fit to be in public on my own”? I don’t need you, you bastard, especially not to train me to be a good little dog!” Inuyasha set his cup of tea down, to resist throwing it or breaking it. He knew it would be childish and also that Kagome would yell at him. Instead, he summoned up all the loathing he could muster and leveled that glare at his brother.

“I mean exactly what I said, whelp. You embarrass everyone that knows you when you are alone in public. You’re brash, loud, without manners, and against your instincts. If it wouldn’t pain our father, I would have the right to get rid of the stain on my line.” Sesshomaru quirked his brow, a smirk that Inuyasha was none too fond of forming on his lips.

“Did you know that there was a small horde of demons headed this way last night? Had my ward not been present, I may have let your humans perish.” Inuyasha hung his head at the truth he scented in the air. He had risked his pack in exchange for a lay? He swallowed to try to rid his mouth of the foul taste.

After a moment, Inuyasha spoke.

“Fine, Sesshomaru. Whatever, keh”

He stood and left the hut, needing time to think.