Title: Few

Author: Chakahlah

Pairings: none, but Hani-Mori friendship

Summary: Hani remembers the worst 'disagreement' he and Mori ever had

FEW

Mitsukuni, more commonly known by the moniker 'Hani', sat in his usual chair in the room Tamaki had taken over for their club. He wasn't, however, doing his normal activity. As there was no-one to witness his uncharacteristic disdain for the artistic pile of sweets and cakes before him, he rejected the idea to feign interest and create a mask for his true emotions.

The truth was, he was very worried. Hikaru and Kaoru were fighting, something that had never happened before. This could ruin everything! If someone were to consider that the twins could have disagreements, then so could he and his cousin. He didn't know how he would answer if one of the other hosts asked about how they lived without arguments.

He sighed and rubbed his face in frustration. He and Takashi were most definitely not the twins. The did have arguments and disagreements: almost daily, in fact. The secret to no-one knowing about them was they were had with no witnesses. In Hani's bedroom, or the back of the limo, for instance.

Fights, however, were a different matter. In their lives, all 18 years, they had had only a handful of fights, but all of them were horrible for those involved and those that witnessed them. All of them, except one, ended in doctor visits for one or both of them. It was the one that did not end in a trip to the doctor that terrified Mitsukuni the most.

A large hand landed on his head, waking him from his thoughts. Looking up, he found his cousin looking at him in concern.

"I'm okay, Takashi," he softly stated. "Just …"

"Twins," Takashi stated.

"Yeah," Hani agreed. "I don't want anyone to ask about us fighting."

Takashi, also known better as Mori, raised an eyebrow, silently asking why.

"I don't want them to know about our fights.

Takashi's other eyebrow joined the first.

"It isn't any of their business," Mitsukuni agreed, "but that won't stop them from asking and digging."

Takashi's eyes widened slightly in understanding.

"Hospital …"

"One of Kyo-Chan family's," Mitsukuni nodded. "We both know if Tama-Chan gets curious about it, he will go to Kyo-Chan."

"Mess," Takashi muttered, rubbing his face.

"Tell me about it," Mitsukuni groaned, copying his younger cousin. "With luck, if it ever comes up, it will be viewed as a training injury."

"Car," Takashi pointed out with a frown.

"I know," Mitsukuni groaned, thumping his head on the table.

With his face planted on the table, Mitsukuni ignored the taller teen until he heard the door close. He let out a sigh of annoyance and, though he tried to resist, his memory from that day flooded his mind.

It had started out as a normal day in the Haninozuka household, meaning the nine-year-old heir to the family was preparing for his day by showering after his morning training. One of the family servants – most likely the oldest of the women who had been labelled as his and Yasuchika's 'Nanny' – was heard in the main room getting his clothing for the day ready, softly discussing plans with one of the younger maids.

Mitsukuni, himself, allowed his thoughts to drift over what his plans for the day were. He'd already participated in his morning training, so after his shower, all he had to do was dress in his school uniform, have breakfast with his family, and wait for his cousin's car and driver to pick him up so they could go to school.

The first hint he got that his normal routine was going to be interrupted was the presence of Takashi in his room, dressed in normal clothes rather than his uniform. The second was the presence of similar clothing set out of him.

"Doctor," Takashi told him at his questioning look.

For some reason, a sliver of fear slid down the smaller boy's spine, but he pushed it aside in favor of dressing while he discussed last night's homework assignment with his best friend. The conversation had lasted until they entered the dining room. Once there, they both greeted their family's (another sliver of fear went down Mitsukuni's spine. It was unusual for both families to gather for breakfast, even when both heirs had appointments at the same time and place).

It was only as they were climbing, literally in Mitsukuni's case, into the limo that it became known why today was different. One of the maids misjudged how loud she was talking and had scornfully announced her belief of the way his family treated a vaccination day. The other maids around her had been quick to silence her, but the damage had already been done.

A well-kept secret of the Haninozuka family was that their heir, the one who could disarm and defeat the best men in the Japanese military, regardless of if it were one-on-one, two-one-one or three-on-one, was deathly afraid of needles. As soon as Mitsukuni froze, both his and Takashi's family leapt into action. Takashi's mother whipped both Satoshi and Yasuchika from the danger zone. Mitsukuni's mother went to deal with the maid and both father's attempted to convince the frozen child to take a calmative that wouldn't react to the sedative the family practioner always gave to him before any procedure that included needles. Takashi had pressed himself close to his cousin's back and enveloped him in a hug.

Unfortunately for them, the reaction they had raced to prevent occurred: Mitsukiuni's flight or fight response activated and, as anone who'd had the pleasure of training with the diminutive master knew, he always chose fight.

While his father and Uncle did their best to administer the calmative, it was his best friend, and cousin, who bore the brunt of his response. Everything Mitsukuni had been trained in about discipline and honor was lost in his fearful state. He thrashed, hit, kicked, bit … you name it, he did it in his fear.

Takashi, to his credit, did not react to the struggling blows of a smaller boy. He held him firm, at least until Mitsukuni managed to land a solid blow to a bruise that was on his rib cage. The shock of the blow and resulting sharp pain caused Takashi's hold to loosen just enough for Mitsukuni to escape after one last kick. (Unfortunately for Takashi, this resulted in him getting a heel to the bladder, which caused him to land on his knees)

Eighteen-year-old Mitsukuni took in a harsh breath and clenched his shaking hands. That was all he remembered of the day, except for a loud screaming noise and the sensation of breaking his wrist as he landed. The pain of breaking a bone broke him from his panic and then his father was beside him, already calling for an ambulance. It wasn't until after he was home two days later and verbalized his confusion as to why Takashi didn't visit him that he was told by his grandmother that his cousin had caused him to break his wrist and had done so because in his panicked state of mind, Mitsukuni had run onto the road without looking. Takashi had taken less than a moment to recover from the blow he had taken before standing and chasing after him. Seeing the danger Mitsukuni was in, Takashi had reacted by half-tackling, half-pushing the smaller boy out of the way of the traffic and took the collision with the vehicle that almost hit him.

It was thanks to his attention to his surroundings and his martial arts skills that resulted in Takashi surviving the incident with broken ribs, a fractured hip, torn ligaments, a concussion and multiple cuts and bruises to his arms, legs, face and several of his internal organs.

While no one in either family blamed him for the incident, Mitsukuni blamed himself and refused to listen to what anyone had to say about the matter, until a very stubborn, very injured Takashi entered his room and told him he was being stupid and giving their family a bad name, but if he really wanted to be blamed for something, he could claim responsibility for the fact Takashi would be peeing blood for the next few weeks until his bladder healed itself.

A familiar hand in his hair made Mitsukuni look up.

"Not your fault," his cousin reminded him. "Phobia."

"I still promise it isn't going to happen again," Mitsukuni stated, determined.

"No guarantee. Fear is unpredictable," Takashi responded.

Mitsukuni grimaced in acknowledgement. He knew his younger cousin was correct and that what he viewed as their worst fight was a product of out-of-your-mind fear combined with years of martial arts training, he knew he would always carry the guilt with him. Especially as he still feared needles, and it was still Takashi that restrained him when he panicked.