A Fine Mess

Inuyasha looked at the rather barren rooms of the castle. Apparantly much of the items of value had been burnt in the fires. There was very little left of what had been a magnificent building. It was sad and Inuyasha felt haunted as though the spirits of the castle themselves were calling out to him for peace. There was really no peace here even though it was indeed ghostly quiet.

“You have had to work on this by yourself?”

Sesshoumaru looked at his paperwork that sat on a slightly charred table and nodded.

“You were not around since the humans took you from me in fear I would kill you as an infant. They did well in hiding you for a time. I indeed had plans on coming after you and your Mother after I found Father’s body. However, I had this to contend with and thus time went by fast. You were but a toddler when I would watch over you waiting for the day you would become an adult so I could kill you with these hands.’
“Anyway, I found Father’s body in tact although he was bleeding still and barely breathing. He gave his last breath in my arms as I then watched him disperse into whatever realm he was to traverse to. His final moments were spent in the arms of a son who hated him.”

Inuyasha frowned.

“I thought he burned alive in this place. How could he have escaped that?”

Sesshoumaru looked rather distant as he answered the question.

“You see we do not burn, but the battle with the dragon and his inhalation of smoke eventually caused our great Father’s demise. I truly think though he wished for death since he had indeed lived a very long time. Our kind can die this way since being simply severely wounded would not just do us in as most people believed. Father was an invincible force and the tensaiga would have saved his life had he wanted it saved.’
“I still claim him a coward for taking the easy route leaving this mess to me. However, I respect him as well so how can I explain why I let this place go to ruin? Perhaps it is my way of getting back at him.’
“No, I am not that callous. I just chose to leave it in pursuit of power and great conquest. I still have yet to gain either to my satisfaction.”

“Why would you say you are in search of something that you already possess Sesshoumaru? None can defeat you. It would be stupid to believe otherwise.”

Inuyasha stated with a snort.

“Inuyasha, I was captured with you do to a distraction. Therefore I am still young and Father’s time pursuing your Mother……….well let’s just say Father had little time for me anymore.”

Inuyasha could understand resentment. He knew it well since his Mother rarely got to spend much time with him leaving him to beatings and cruel words of her human servants, friends, and family. After Mother died he was thrown out of the castle and told that they hoped he died so that no one would know what a shame Lady Izayoi had placed upon the castle with his birth.

“I never had a Father so I wouldn’t know how that felt, but I know how it felt with my Mother. She didn’t have much time with me since her life was that of a royal Lady. I was of course treated like an abomination not really understanding that word. When they called me a half breed I saw my Mother cry for the first time.”

Sesshoumaru nodded.

“You were treated this way because humans were ignorant to the fact your demon side could kill them for their insults and in truth humans are below you. Demons apparently are ignorant to a point also. I have learned this by being mated to you. Your blood tells me many things.’
“You have value, you are powerful for a half demon, and Father’s blood is strong in you. You are a credit to your kind even if I still harbor ill feelings toward your human half….eventually I shall come to accept both. You cannot ask more from me than this.”

Sesshoumaru pulled out some different boots.

“These somehow survived the fire. I guess the spell upon my clothing and armor is still intact. These are some of my childhood training boots. You may have all that will fit you.”

Inuyasha then was handed some long silk looking material that looked like a tube.

“These are called tabi socks Inuyasha. Wear them.”

Inuyasha tried to put them on and eventually figured them out with Sesshoumaru’s help. Then he tried on the various shoes except he had no idea on how to tie them.

Sesshoumaru taught him by example a few times until Inuyasha finally got it.

Once they were done Sesshoumaru proceeded to go back to his paperwork. There were no pens so he signed everything with a wax seal with their family crest while Inuyasha looked around at what was left of their ancestral home.

The walls were ready to collapse in some areas and others had warped wood where the water had leaked through the ceiling. There were vines growing everywhere making it resemble the forest outside. Inuyasha wondered if there really was any way to salvage this place.

Pulling down vines Inuyasha started cleaning house. He even made a makeshift broom out of a branch and some leaves. Later he killed a bird and created a feather duster. The whole place needed serious cleaning, but the more he cleaned the more dust and dirt he would find. Soon there was a huge pile outside and his new kimono was a mess. It didn’t matter to Inuyasha though; he was going to get this place clean if it took all night and then see how they could rebuild. This was as much his inheritance as it was Sesshoumaru’s so the least he could do was take care of what they did have intact.

By the time darkness came upon them Inuyasha had cleaned three rooms with the little tools he had. He seriously wished they had some rags so he could scrub the floors, but there was none.

When Sesshoumaru came out of his room he was shocked. Inuyasha was a complete and utter mess. He didn’t even pay attention to the rooms that were cleaned until he caught his brother pulling down more vines.

“What in Kami’s name are you doing Inuyasha?”

Inuyasha smiled as he wiped the sweat off of his brow.

“Cleaning our home.”

Sesshoumaru grunted and looked around. It did look nice, but there was still a lot of work to do and they really did not have the time to do much more to it today.

“You need to wash your kimono and yourself. Come with me.”

Sesshoumaru led Inuyasha to the hot springs in the center of what mess was left from the fire. It actually was quite nice with flowers around the outside of it and smooth rocks that looked as though they were hand carved like one of those ‘hot tub’ things in Kagome’s time.

Removing his clothing and armor Sesshoumaru sank down into the hot tub motioning for Inuyasha to do the same. Inuyasha carefully folded his clothing Sesshoumaru then looked at the dirty kimono.

“There is a washboard on the other side of the tub Inuyasha. I suggest you use it.”

Inuyasha nodded and saw some kind of soap with a washboard. Cleaning his kimono he then looked at Sesshoumaru’s. His was pristine.

“Eventually we will have servants to clean and build. I have had offers, but I trust so few who worked with our Father. I set them all free of their obligations to me since I want my own empire with my own staff. There is no reason to rush when we both are used to fending for ourselves.”

Inuyasha nodded. He kind of liked that.

“You did not have to work so much Inuyasha. What inspired you to do so?”

Inuyasha shrugged.

“Well even before we became mates this was Fathers lands and stuff. I figure I at least deserve some of this mess of a castle since I was his son too.”

Sesshoumaru smiled.

“You only have such since you are my mate. You do not understand heiarchy Inuyasha. These lands, this castle, and even you belong to me. You received Tessaiga, but it took me a long time to realize since I own you I always have owned that sword.”

Inuyasha growled.

“You speak as though I am your property and my sword is yours, but it doesn’t let you touch it.”

Sesshoumaru shook his head.

“You are my family and my responsibility. I have shunned you too long. You do not understand what I am saying.’
“Your sword is an extension of yourself. It is only as good as the man wielding it. It is the same with this life Inuyasha. Your place in society even if you do not like it is under me. You are an extension of Father and therefore an extension of me and as such my responsibility making you my problem.”

Inuyasha felt a bit insulted, but he was beginning to understand a little.

“Well I still say tessaiga is mine alone.”

Sesshoumaru sighed.

“Tessaiga is your inheritance, yet who other than me can stop you from becoming full demon and destroying your own soul? Only me because of who and what I am. Without me you do not live and without you I do not have anything interesting to live for other than Rin. Therefore our lives are intertwined, but I still have the power to subdue you which means you were always meant to be under me. I do control you and that sword. I am the eldest and the heir to this throne no matter how tattered our surroundings. What you see around you, what you walk on, and your very being belongs to me.”

Inuyasha got mad at that comment. It was as though he were nothing more than a piece of entertainment for his older sibling. That wasn’t how Kagome described mates and that was not how his Mother described them either. They were partners in life. Sure one was more powerful, he would give Sesshoumaru that much, but it didn’t mean he did not have his own power too. Why couldn’t he just say since they were brothers that they could share?

“I am my own person Sesshoumaru even if I am your mate. I can take care of myself. I have been doing it for years.”

Sesshoumaru was trying to be as gentle as possible, but it just wasn’t in him. He was blunt and always had been.

“Inuyasha you are mine like it or not. I have more power than you and it was I who saved us. You carry a weakness not of your own fault, but Inuyasha you have to accept it. It is a fact of your life.”

Inuyasha roared.

“I AM NOT WEAK!”

Sesshoumaru frowned. This was not going as he had planned at all. Inuyasha had to understand his place or he would be the laughing stock of the courts.

“Because tessaiga is an extension of you and you are my brother as well as my mate you are mine therefore the sword has always been mine. You just have to accept it. This castle is mine, these lands are mine, and so are you thus you will accept this too. I am your Alpha and my word is law Inuyasha. If you do not believe me then it does not matter. It is the facts so deal with it.”

Inuyasha sat angrily wanting to hit Sesshoumaru across the jaw the snobby jerk.

“I hate you. You never share anything.”

Sesshoumaru then realized the problem.

“Inuyasha we will share our lives together. What I am training you to do is accept something that I know is hard for you because of the politics involved. You have to acknowledge my place in our pack as your superior or it will cause war. If you are seen as my equal the Lords I do have good relations with will break treaties with me. You have to behave as a beta.”

Inuyasha understood and felt a little sad.

“Can I rule something?”

Sesshoumaru laughed.

“I will make you a proposition. You may rule over the hanyous in our lands. Jenenji and so forth from this point on. I will even allow you some liberties over the human populations however all your decisions must go through me since it does affect me. I do think though that because of your reputation you will have better luck with the humans then I would and you certainly could contain the hanyou populations and their issues.’
“In return I expect your full cooperation. Is that acceptable?”

Inuyasha nodded and then looked around at the castle.

“You can’t really do all this by yourself. When we are alone can we be equals?”

Sesshoumaru moved over to his mate and kissed Inuyasha.

“Do you really want that responsibility? Why not allow yourself to just bask in my attention and allow me to take the weight off your shoulders? It is my place to do so.”

Inuyasha wanted to argue, but then Sesshoumaru’s hand traveled down to his waist pulling him forward so he was flush against his lover. Sesshoumaru then kissed Inuyasha’s neck, collar bone, and then used his tongue to tease a nipple.

Sesshoumaru wanted Inuyasha’s complete submission, but he would accept the challenge of a mate who wanted to take part in rebuilding their empire.

“Inuyasha……….let me adore you.”

Inuyasha’s eyes were heavy as Sesshoumaru had him undone. As he made love to his beloved mate Inuyasha realized suddenly after his release that he did have power over his gorgeous brother. He would use it too if he had to in order to get his way to for just one time get Sesshoumaru to see him on equal footing.