Snakes Are Dangerous Animals

Kyo and Kagura descended down, into the living room. 'What's all that noise?' wondered Kagura. 'Where's the kuso nezumi?' muttered Kyo under his breath until he bumped into someone. 'Watch it will ya!' yelled Hiro into his ear. 'Whatever gaki, what's going on?' demanded Kyo. Hiro took one of his hands out of Kisa's and wordlessly pointed at the kitchen door.

From beyond the door, frantic yells could be heard. 'Minoru, come back here!' came Hatori's stern voice. 'Mii-chan, please listen to Ha-san!' added Shigure's yells. This was followed by Minoru's high-pitched shrieks of, 'I don't wanna! I don't wanna! It's painful!' 'Minoru-kun, just go over to Hatori-san,' said his mother's tired voice. 'Yeah, listen to your pretty mother, Mii-chan,' scolded Ayame. 'You have no say in this matter,' retorted Hatori, 'since you're the one who started all this.'

More scuffling noises followed and suddenly, the door flew open to reveal a very frightened Minoru. 'Somebody, catch him!' ordered Hatori, but before anyone could react, Minoru had already vanished. 'Yare yare where's Yuki- kun when you need him?' mused Shigure as he joined in the chase after Minoru. 'Someone catch him!' Little Minoru darted and dodged as hands from his aunts and uncles reached out to grab him.

Finally, Kyo managed to grasp hold of the boy. 'You gaki, stop running around and make poor Tohru worry like that,' he growled. Turning back, Minoru noticed his mother's tired smile and ceased to struggle. Seeing that the boy had calmed down a little, Kyo let him go, expecting him to walk over to Tohru. He almost jumped out of his skin in shock when Minoru scream and leaped out of his arms and made a wild dashed for the door. 'What the...?'

All of them turned and saw Hatori standing at the kitchen door, a syringe in one hand. 'Now, where's Minoru?' he asked, using all of his self-control not to quail and keep a straight face in the face of everyone's heated glares. 'Couldn't you just stay in there until we brought him to you?' demanded Kyo, 'Now, that blasted kid has disappeared to goodness-knows- where!'

Just then, the opening of the sliding door caught everyone's attention. At the doorway stood a certain slender, silver-haired, amethyst-eyed young man, carrying a struggling Minoru. 'Shame on you not being able to even catch a little boy,' teased Yuki, looking particularly pointedly at Hatori and Shigure, 'What made Minoru-kun so worked up anyway? He's always quite calm. All I could make out from him were the words 'sharp' and 'going to kill'.' Minoru looked up and saw the needle glinting in the sunlight. 'Let me go! Let me go!' he yelled, struggling furiously.

Unfortunately for him, Minoru had totally forgotten to whom he was talking to. 'Souma Minoru,' intoned Yuki, in a dangerously subdued tone of voice. The sound of his father's voice calling his name, his full name no less, snapped him from his stupor. Somewhere in his mind, he decided that being killed by a needle was much better than facing his angry father.

'Have you calmed down?' asked Yuki, once again using his quiet voice. Nodding timidly, Minoru slid out of his father's arms and on to the floor as Yuki let him down. 'Apologize to your aunts and uncles for all the trouble you have caused them.' Kyo blinked in surprise as Minoru demurely toddled up to every one of them, apologizing in a small voice. After a few pats on the back and a few hugs, Minoru approached his father once more. 'Tou-chan not angry with me, right?' he asked, staring up at Yuki with large, round puppy-dog eyes. Yuki just shrugged. 'Whoever said I was angry to begin with?' Apparently happy with the response he got, Minoru clambered into his mother's lap.

Shigure watched the whole proceeding with a mischievous smile etched on his features. 'Ooo...Look's like Yuki the Father is the only one who can make Minoru listen to him,' he teased, 'Even Kyo with his scary face couldn't do it.' 'What's going on?' asked Yuki, ignoring Shigure's teasing. Tohru pointed to Hatori. 'Hatori-san wanted to give Minoru his injection and then, Minoru got scared and ran away,' she said, cuddling the trembling Minoru in her arms. Yuki ruffled his son's hair comfortingly. 'Why was he so scared if he didn't know what was coming?' he demanded, 'I'm sure no one told him.'

Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed his elder brother turning beet- red. 'Ayame...?' Ayame backed away as his brother advanced on him, promising certain death. 'Ah, my dearest younger brother,' he said, giggling nervously, 'I...I...' Shigure waved a hand in the air. 'I know! I know!' he squealed innocently, 'Aya told Mii-chan that Hatori wanted to draw blood from him and kill him and that it would be very very painful.'

Now, Ayame was definitely trembling as he quailed under Yuki's manacing glare. 'You're lucky that Minoru-kun's here or I'm sure you wouldn't survive,' threatened Yuki in a tone that made even Kyo gulp. Then, he turned to Tohru. 'Come, Tohru, let me take care of Minoru-kun,' he said, kissing Tohru lightly on her forehead, making her blush, 'You must be tired after all that racket.' Cheeks still flaming, Tohru shook her head and protested. 'Demo, Yuki, you just came back from work.' Yuki raised an eyebrow as Tohru tried to stop Minoru from climbing into his arms. 'Hey, I'll be really jealous if Minoru-kun loves you more than me, you know,' he teased gently, plucking his son out of his mother's hold, 'After all, he's my son too and besides, you need to rest.'

Tohru blushed once more. 'Arigatou Yuki,' she murmured, allowing Kagura to assist her out. 'Hatori, do it now,' said Yuki firmly, holding on to his squirming son, 'Simpai nai Minoru-kun, it's not going to hurt and you're not going to die.' Minoru shuddered as Hatori brushed a damp cotton bud over the chosen spot on his shoulder. 'Okay, close you eyes,' said Hatori, gently as Minoru buried his face into his father's chest. Hatori stuck the needle into his flesh and drew it out again in one swift motion but Minoru still didn't look up. 'Mii-chan, owari dayo,' informed Shigure, 'Owari.'

Wide amethyst eyes looked around. 'No feeling,' was all the little boy said. Minoru gasped in joy as Yuki swung him up on to his shoulders. 'Well, now that that's finally over, I can bring you to the park just like I promised,' he said. 'Yay yay!' gurgled Minoru, as Yuki tickled him.