InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ I Came to Read, I Stayed to Write ❯ Honest Appraisal ( Chapter 5 )

 

 

It's always the same, these little battles. You bait me. I spar with you. Taunt. Mock. Clash. Bringing up the past never fails to infuriate. Getting you riled never disappoints. We are well-matched in more ways than one. A resemblance is obvious. Not a true reflection, but the impression is there. The stamp of our heritage—Silver and gold. Like father, yet not. Touched by his greatness—and his weakness.

 

Blade strikes blade; sparks fly. For a moment you're close, fighting to push back my sword. Eyes lock. Face to face, I see myself reflected in your eyes. Astonishing, the emotions you allow to surface behind the front you maintain. It's almost worth the trouble, just to catch the flash of an unguarded moment in their depths.

 

What is that, beneath the surface, behind your eyes? Jealousy. Envy of me? Why bother? You are the one who held an enviable place in father's heart. Yet still, you want what is mine. It is a legacy I cannot share, even if I cared to. Grudging admiration is there as well. I am strong and you know it. A compliment forever unspoken.

 

When I face you, I understand myself. Your eyes show me who I am. What I mean to you. You have no reason to lie, to flatter, to dissemble. Your glare holds an honesty I have found in no other. I've learned to accept what I find reflected there. You are the mirror I trust more than any other. Brother.

 

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