Truth in Blood

Ahhh so close to Nano end, thank you for the messages and reviews. They are precious

Chapter 24 : Of father and sons

Lord Miroku, younger half brother of Lord InuTaiso stood on the balcony, waiting restlessly for the arrival of his son. He was nervous, he had been nervous since a half hour ago when word had reached them the Lord Sesshoumaru was on his way back and he had company with him. Company the he held protectively and even in demon Lords the Lord's aura protected and surrounded what he held so that the curious probing of the people was met with naught.

Miroku knew who it was, his son. The mixed breed Lord felt dizzy at the thought. He had other children, his wife's children with other men, he did not discriminate, he loved them dearly. But this was something different, his child, his son, Miroku had not met the boy but already he was excited. And nervous very, very nervous.

Miroku stood on the balcony awaiting their landing, his wife was on the other room, close enough to provided support but not close enough to interfere on the first meeting between father and son. Sesshoumaru came into sight and the blood pounded strong in Miroku's ears.

The Demon Lord landed and the being he held in his arms was hidden for a moment, then the Demon Lord opened his arms. Miroku never noticed the Kitsune jump off the Hanyou's shoulder to stand beside him, he never noticed Sesshoumaru almost hovering beside the Hanyou.

The boy was tall for a human and short for a demon, Inuyasha who was still growing was currently just over 6 feet tall, the Demon Lord however and the Seraph were easily 7 feet tall. Miroku was somewhat in between. Miroku took after his mother in that he had dark, midnight hair, he had elfin ears of the Seraph and Demons, but he soft black fur coating his velvet ears, and his son had the cutest ears he had ever seen in his life. They stood on the top of his head swirling and catching the slightest sound. His son's hair was snowy white, and long almost reaching his butt. Miroku's own hair was extremely short, falling just below his shoulder blades. He had been blessed with both a tail and wings. His tail was curled around one of his legs, and his wings which were not very strong, were folded into his body, away from sight.

Then the Hanyou turned, and Miroku saw the golden eyes of his father framed in the most beautifully shaped eyes, eyes that he had only seen once before. Izayoi's eyes had been just like that, large, framed by ridiculously long lashes and perfectly shaped, exactly like his son's eyes. His son's face was strong, he was obviously not yet fully grown at the moment still, but there was a wealth of emotion and experience in the huge beautiful eyes that made Miroku's heart ache. His son had a hard life and he had not been there for him.

Miroku found himself frozen, he could not move, could not call out. This meant so much to him he did not know what to do.

“Lord Miroku, it is good that you have met us.” Sesshoumaru said as he pushed Inuyasha's shoulder a little so that the Hanyou faced his blood father. “Inuyasha this is my Uncle Lord Miroku, he is a half breed and you and he share something very special.”

Inuyasha frowned and turned to the stranger. Inuyasha immediately saw what Sesshoumaru meant, the person before him was of mixed blood too, Demon and Seraph. Inuyasha was going to smile his standard greeting smile at the stranger, when some thing disturbed him. He frowned slightly, there was something disturbingly familiar about this man. The man's eyes seemed to be devouring him, not with lust like Sesshoumaru's did but with some other strange emotion.

He had never met this man before, he was damn sure of it, so why did he seem so familiar. The wind blew gently, and the man's scent hit him. Like a ton of bricks the scent him him hard. Inuyasha actually swayed from the force of knowledge that washed though him. This was impossible, it was too much, much too much.

Inuyasha shook his head as if to deny the truth that his nose was telling him, with a strangled cry Inuyasha jumped. He wanted to get away, so he jumped up, caught the edge of the roof and flipped up. He needed ti find a high place here he could think, he could breathe and process everything. The all could smell it, the tinge of salt in the air. Sesshoumaru shifted his weight to go after the Hanyou, but Miroku put a hand on the Demon Lord's arm.

“Please, nephew, you may watch, but let me go after him.” Miroku looked ravaged, he had the eyes of someone who had seen heaven and then have that heaven being pulled and taken from him. Shippo watched with equally big eyes, “Mister, I do not know why you made Inu Nii-chan act like that but Inu Nii-chan is not angry, when he is angry he hits things or goes really really quiet, when he goes high like this usually Inu Nii-chan needs to think.”

Miroku seeing the kit for the first time, knelt down beside the child. “Thank you for the advice little one, I appreciate it.” Miroku reached out and petted the kit. The strange man's scent finally reached the Kitsune's nose, and a strange kind of wonder entered the forest green eyes. The kit sniffed the man, and then sniffed again. “You smell like Inu Nii-chan, why do you smell like my Nii-chan?” The kit snuffled the kneeling man, he was absolutely not afraid, the man smelt like Inu Nii-chan that meant he smelt like family. “This is a good smell.” The Kitsune smiled at the man.

Miroku felt tears well up in his eyes at the Kitsune's acceptance. He wanted to say thank you but he could not, his throat totally closed up. Instead he petted the little fox demon on the head, and much like his son had done, flipped up and landed easily on the roof, he went up to find his son. Sesshoumaru and the Kitsune followed a little behind. The Lord would allow the father and son to work this out with minimal interference from him.

Miroku found his son sitting on the highest area of the roof. The wind caught and played with the strands of snow white hair, the beautiful and serious face looked lost and confused. Miroku walked to the boy, and stopped 5 feet from him. The young one's back was stiff with tension. Miroku knelt on the roof and began talking. He spoke of Inuyasha's mother, at first he described at length the Island his mother was from, allowing the tense Hanyou to get used to his voice. The he spoke of the specifics, he told of her beauty and grace, and how they had met, how they had a most beautiful time together.

“We were young and enjoying ourselves, our short time together was amazing, we parted on excellent terms. She was always aware that I was leaving, I hid nothing from her. But it seems she hide something from me. I was reachable, she could have found me easily enough, but she did not. I had no idea, not a single clue that I had a son. If there had been a rumor or a whisper of your existence I would have turned the world upside down searching for you.” the words came out harshly, as Miroku's voice was thick with emotion.

“All I know is that when I visited the Island a few years later, she had left and not a single soul on the Island seemed to know her where abouts, and none of them mentioned she was pregnant when she left.” Miroku had to take big gulping breathes he was crying, tears leaking out from his silver eyes. “I did not know, Inuyasha, I did not have a clue that I had a beautiful and strong son. How could I not have known? How could I not have realized that a part of my soul had body, had form and was walking the earth?” Miroku's cry was anguished, his pain deep.

“I ask for your forgiveness, but I know I do not deserve it. How could I have a son and not know it? How could I be so damn stupid and so utterly useless; that I never noticed that my heart cried for my child, and my child walked the earth far away from me. I, .. I .. I .. Love you, Inuyasha. You are my son, I knew that the moment I set eyes on you, hell, I knew it the moment Sesshoumaru mentioned I had a son. Sight unseen, I loved you. I need nothing else, you don't have to love me, accept me, or even like me. I do not know what you have done in your life, what you have achieved. But it does not matter, I love you. I love you because you are my child, my son nothing can change that now, and I will always, always love you.” Miroku said through his tears. Inuyasha sat unmoving on the roof. Only his ears were arched back, indicating he was listening.

Silence fell on the roof. Miroku's tears slowly dried and he sat head down looking at his son's unmoving back. He had said all that he needed to say, he felt defeated not knowing what to do next. The silence stretched between them for over ten minutes, Miroku accepted that his son was not yet willing to acknowledge him. It was a bitter thing, he shifted his weight to stand and give the boy the space he needed. The the boy his own head bowed spoke, his voice was so soft Miroku had to strain to hear the words.

“I.. I..I was not.. not rubbish? Inu not rubbish? You really did not just .. throw Inu away?” Inuyasha asked. His voice that of a really young, really small child, who had spent way too much time alone, way too much time earning love and attention from the people around him.

Miroku mewled in pain at his son's question, it tore at him. “Rubbish? No! Never! You are my treasure, my lost precious treasure. Throw you away? I'd cut off my own hand before I would do that.” sincerity rang at the words.

Finally, Inuyasha turned, tears like jewels clung to his eyes. He looked lost and young.

Sobbing again. Miroku lunged forward and dragged the Hanyou into his arms. His arms tight around the slim strong shoulders. Inuyasha did not hug Miroku back, it was way too early for that. He just allowed this man who smelt like his father to hold him. Inuyasha's own tears were dammed, moisture clung to his eyes, but pnly a solitary tear escaped his eyes.

On the windy roof top a father shed tears. Miroku held his son tight to his chest, and the world was a little bit better. A little bit more wonderful. The moon smiled down in approval.

---tbc