InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Killing Time ❯ Brothers at Last ( Chapter 3 )

Author's Note: Thanks for Okaasan7 for reviewing. Reviews totally make my day!

 

 

Killing Time - Chapter 3

Brothers At Last

 

 

++++++++ DAY 2 ++++++++++

 

That night, InuYasha could hardly sleep because Sesshomaru's stomach would not shut up. He woke early to find that his half-brother was asleep with his eyes open, at least that was the only thing InuYasha could imagine left him glassy eyed and staring straight ahead no matter what the younger man did to get his attention. He waved his hand in front of his eyes. Jumped up and down and finally made a stupid face, sticking his tongue out and rolling his eyes. Nothing.

 

InuYasha was now getting dangerously hungry and followed his nose a couple of miles away to a nice little stream, the only sign of life in the area, for some fish. He decided he couldn't put up with Sesshomaru's attitude just yet, so he stayed by the stream to build another fire and cook them. They were tasty and he didn't fully wash up afterwards so that Sesshomaru would be sure to smell breakfast on him. He headed back, excited about the possibility of tormenting his brother merely by being in the same clearing with him.

 

His plan seemed to work. As soon as he entered the clearing and took up his post in the tree, he saw Sesshomaru's nose flare as he took in the scent of roasted fish.

 

“You stink,” Sesshomaru said, looking quite a bit like he had when InuYasha thought he was asleep.

 

“Yep,” InuYasha said with great satisfaction, “and I stink good, don't I?” Sesshomaru's nose flared again and InuYasha could tell he was supremely annoyed.

 

“Oyoyoyoyyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyoy,” InuYasha snuffled into his sleeve, but left it alone this time. Didn't want that one to get old. Sesshomaru seemed to want to change the subject anyway.

 

“You are like an animal, up in that tree.”

 

“Oh. I see,” InuYasha was ready to take the bait, boredom having set in again. “I'm the animal? Even though you're the one that turns into a big, dumb-ass dog when you get pissed off.”

 

“Everything about you degrades our family,” Sesshomaru was sounding even more stuck-up than usual, if that was possible.

 

“About me?” InuYasha felt a little anger seep into his otherwise good natured morning, “What about me is `degrading'?”

 

“So very many things.” maybe Sesshomaru was bored too. “Your ears, for example.”

 

“What's wrong with my ears?” InuYasha took a new position on his perch, pulling his feet under him and putting his hands on them as his knees splayed out on either side of his elbows, making him look for all the world like a large red frog with doggie ears.

 

“You probably don't know this, but you have your Great Uncle Beezou's ears,” his brother actually seemed to be having fun with this, which put InuYasha on his guard. “Beezou was the laughing stock of the realm in the East. No matter what form he took, his ears would not transform.”

 

InuYasha wasn't taking the bait, so Sesshomaru tried another approach, “they were silly.”

 

Silence. “Everyone laughed at them.”

 

InuYasha started a low growl, which gave Sesshomaru courage for the final blow, “they were often mistaken for kitty ears.”

 

Ouch. That one hurt. A particularly embarrassing memory of Kagome's friends tugging on his ears and calling him `kitty kat' came back to him with a red bloom across his cheeks.

 

“Yeah?” InuYasha couldn't think of very much to say, but he had to say something. “Well, you don't have any friends.” He sat back on the branch again and folded his arms. His last shot came out sounding really lame. “Nobody likes you.” Sesshomaru was silent, but the hanyou could swear he saw a smug tug at the corner of the demon's mouth. Asshole.

 

The day wore on, largely in silence. At one point Toutousai emerged, and called to them with a whistle and a “hear, boy!” InuYasha came bounding over to bop him on the head, followed shortly by Sesshomaru, who came with a more measured pace and a withering look.

 

“I need you to move that boulder over there and place it against the outside vent to the forge,” he pointed at a spot on the ground, his other hand absentmindedly scratching at his scalp.

 

“Why?” InuYasha asked.

 

“For what purpose?” Sesshomaru asked.

 

“Because I'm busy working on your damn swords,” Toutousai was really agitated, “it's a rush job, remember?” He stomped back into the house. Myoga bounced out of his hair knot.

 

“Master Inuyasha!” he bounced up a down several times on the ground.

 

“Hey, flea,” InuYasha stomped on him for effect. “What's up?”

 

“You didn't have to do that,” Myoga said in a strangled voice as he Popped! Back to normal. “Toutousai has been working very hard on both the Tetsusaiga and Tensaiga. He labored all night. I think you will be very pleased.”

 

“We are so very excited,” Sesshomaru said, sarcasm dripping from his fangs. Then Sesshomaru, the Lord of the Dog Demon clan, stomped on the flea.

 

“Hey!” Myoga squeaked again. Pop! You can't to that to me! Only Master InuYasha can squash me like a bug!” Sesshomaru gave him an I just did, you idiot look and InuYasha busted up.

 

“Good one, bro!” he almost slapped his brother on the back and then thought better of it, “Myoga, he can do it if I let him.” Both the dog demon spawn looked down at Myoga with a try it again, runt look and the little flea grumbled something rude about unappreciative sons and bounced away.

 

The two brothers looked at each other for a moment, wondering at the fact that for the first time other than a Naraku fight, they had actually been on the same side of anything. InuYasha didn't know what to say, so he distracted himself with the boulder.

 

“I'll get the boulder,” he walked over to where the rock lay, at least twice his height. He set his shoulder against it and pushed. It didn't budge. What's with this stupid thing? He thought as he tried once again unsuccessfully to move the stone. “Shit!” InuYasha exhaled as he released the pressure.

 

“There is no need for such filthy language,” Sesshomaru approached, “you are obviously not strong enough to handle this simple request.” He then put a clawed hand to InuYasha's shoulder, pushing him roughly away from the boulder. InuYasha stumbled back a step.

 

“What!?” InuYasha was incredulous. Had his asshole brother just shoved him? He stood and watched as Sesshomaru was also unsuccessful at moving the stone. “Haha! Who's not strong enough?” He moved forward to shove his brother in the back and stood in the same spot, pitting all his strength at it. Not an inch.

 

He looked up to see Sesshomaru with a deadly expression on his face, the one that usually came right before his mouth split his face open to reveal huge canine incisors.

 

“You touched me!” His brother's voice was low and dangerous, rising the hairs on the back of InuYasha's neck. This had the unfortunate effect of stimulating the hanyou's own aggressive instincts.

 

“You shoved me first!” InuYasha took a fighting stance, watching carefully as his brother's claws rose in front of him. Sesshomaru reached out and pushed at his shoulder again, deliberately trying to provoke InuYasha into an attack. Well, InuYasha wasn't so stupid as to fall for that one. He reached out and shoved at Sesshomaru's puffy thing, not even sure he felt the shoulder underneath, there was so much fluff to get through. What was that stupid thing, anyway?

 

Sesshomaru's eyes glowed red and he shoved InuYasha. Who shoved Sesshomaru. Who shoved InuYasha. Who … this went on for at least five minutes. It was just starting to get comical, when Toutousai came out of his house again, carrying a large bucket of embers.

 

“Oh, for crying out …,” Toutousai put the bucket down and stalked over to where the boys were playing. “Stop it, you two!” He broke through the middle of their skirmish and walked around the back of the boulder. They heard the clink of a chain and the boulder began to move all by itself. The brothers both looked dumbstruck as they watched the boulder swivel in place and then start to follow along behind Toutousai as he dragged it across the yard, yanking it by a chain that had been fixed to an eye-link in the ground. No wonder they couldn't move the damn thing.

 

“Would you two stop messing around?” Toutousai was irritated even beyond normal. He put the boulder in place and climbed up the back of it to where a chute reached several man-heights above the ground. Pouring the embers down the chute, he descended and headed back inside, ignoring his surprised clients.

 

“Why the hell do you need a boulder for that?” InuYasha was feeling stung, and decided to point out how idiotic the need to move the boulder was in the first place.

 

“Because it's so easy to move it!” Toutousai snapped as he disappeared again.

 

Neither brother looked at the other as they turned to walk back to their stupid little clearing.

 

Later that afternoon, the silence was even more boring.

 

Coming Soon … Day 3