Four
Just a Taste

"Sweetie, put him down."

"Oh, but he's so soft and cuddly..."

"RaChan..."

He groaned, "Alright. Fine. Damnit."

He stopped nuzzling Yuki's unconscious rat form in his hands.

o o o

Kyou was laying on the tatami mat floor towards the back of the room, still unconscious, but twitching and grunting in his sleep. Yuki was presently resting in another room, having been looked over by Hatori, who had come home soon after the excitement ended. Hatori was standing off to the side, watching as Akito scrutinized the intruders kneeling before his seated form.

Blinking at the look in Akito's eyes, RaChan couldn't help but arch an eyebrow and scowl back at him. What the hell's his problem...?

When Akito finally spoke, his voice was strained, his neck still sore from the strangulation. "You had something to do with Yuki and Kyou's behavior..."

He looked at Hatsuharu, who wilted under the heat of his glare. "Tell me what you did."

Haru was trembling. It was bad enough he'd drugged Yuki and Kyou, but things would get worse fast when Akito found out he'd given his cousins a love potion.

RaChan held up a hand and spoke in Haru's defense. "It's my fault. I gave him the wrong little mojo bag."

Now Akito turned his anger to the blonde. "What are you?"

RaChan smiled. "I'm an inventor. That drug was a failed experiment of mine. I didn't know Lolly had stolen my notes and made some, and I accidentally gave it to Haru--"

"Instead of what?"

Haru cringed. He already knows, doesn't he? Don't say it... Please...!

"A love potion."

Akito's eyes widened, then narrowed as his lips curled into a sneer. He smiled at Haru, his rage barely concealed. "Love potion..." he repeated slowly.

"Don't worry," RaChan assured him. "It's not, like, some form of voodoo mind control, or anything sinister like that. It was just supposed to plant a spark, you know, put a little romance in the air."

"Is that all..."

"Exactly. There was no malicious intent here. It was just a big mistake--"

WHAP.

The word mistake had barely left RaChan's lips when he was struck quiet by the startling sound of a hand crashing into the side of Haru's face.

RaChan and Megumi blinked at Akito, both shocked at how quickly the seemingly weak, sickly young man had leapt to his feet, rushed forward, and struck poor Haru hard enough to twist his entire upper torso in a sharp arc towards the floor. He'd had to put his hands out to keep from losing balance and toppling over. Haru didn't say anything. He kept his head down.

RaChan got to his feet and took a step towards Akito, hands out in a gesture of amity. "Hey, hey, that was totally uncalled for."

Akito slitted his eyes at RaChan, his voice a low hiss: "You'd better sit down."

"What the hell's your problem? Why are you so mean? Need to get laid or something?"

"RaChan!"

Akito swung at RaChan-- he moved his face to the side, thinking Akito meant to punch him. He gasped in surprise as Akito clutched a handful of the blonde's hair and tore it out with a loud ripping sound. He fell to his knees, scalp bleeding, eyes tearing up in pain.

"Nnhh...!"

Megumi took hold of his aijin, drawing him close. Akito and Hatori stood over them. Hatori said they needed to staunch the bleeding-- Megumi didn't seem to hear-- and Haru was watching from the sidelines.

After a few long seconds, Megumi lifted his head and glared at Akito. Within moments, Akito clutched his chest, and, gasping for breath, collapsed. Hatori began seeing to Akito.

Megumi began helping RaChan to his feet. He was bleeding quite profusely by now, so much that he was unsteady.

Haru stood and approached them. "Let me help..."

Megumi's head was lowered, but his voice was sharp: "I'm fine." They went to the sliding paper doors, RaChan holding onto Megumi for stability.

As they reached the doorway, they paused, and Megumi looked back at Haru long enough to tell him this:

"The drug will wear off in a few days. Keep them restrained in the meantime, and try not to take any of their words or actions to heart." That said, they left.

Haru watched until the two disappeared from view. He felt horrible about everything that had happened because of him. He glanced towards the back of the room, to where Kyou lay.

Kyou's eyes were open, and he was staring at Haru.

o o o

"Damn... Ow... Guess I'll be wearing hats for a while... Man, what a bastard..."

RaChan and Megumi were walking down the street, back to the shop, so Megumi could see to RaChan's wounds and let him lay down.

RaChan smiled weakly. "Thanks, Megs."

"For what, sitting there like a dumbass and watching that girl-fighter rip the top of your head off?"

"Thanks for not flipping out and killing that guy. Though he seems to need a kick in the pants." He sighed. "I just hope Haru and those kids will be okay... They've got a rough patch ahead of'em."

"Don't worry about them."

"I should go back and check on them in a few days."

"No. You hardly know those people. Let them clean up their own mess."

"But I feel responsible. I mean, this whole mess really is my fault--"

"Enough. I want you to stay away from that family. If that brat attacks you again, I'll have to kill him."

"Don't make such lousy jokes."

"I'm not joking."

"I hope Haru will be okay."

"Will you stop? You're driving me nuts."

"I'm just worried. ... Remember when I took it?"

"Yes."

"Man, I was acting like a crazed idiot for days... and all I did was lick some off my fingertip."

4
just a taste
finish

KimyouTeki: Short but sweet, huh? I can't believe how long it's been since I updated. Gomen!

Thanks for reviewing to DannyPhantomLover, iceprincess85, lonelygreen, luvwell, sykofangurl, My Bloody Hell, Oracle of Elements, Laurena, angelsblackwing (I totally agree that Akito needs an ass-whooping!), and Shou-Shou!

PS: Are you reading Tokyopop's American release of the GN's? A piece of my fanart got printed in the "Fans Basket" section of volume 4-- the pic of Haru with the caption "If I hear 'Got Milk?' one more time..." Isn't it cute?