Summary: Some lines just shouldn't be crossed.
TRIGGER-WARNING: MENTIONS OF VIOLENCE, KILLING. PLEASE DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU ARE SENSITIVE TO THIS SUBJECT.
Momiji had never been one to easily anger.
He had been many things at one point of his life: happy-go-lucky, sad, isolated, devil-may-care, wise. These are some of the things that the people closest to him can choose to describe him, if they wish to.
But a hothead, no. Never. He is the bright, sunny, breath-of-fresh-air Soma in their more than a little fucked-up clan. The one who always has a smile and a little bit of kindness to offer to anyone who may need it. He and his wife had been similar in this regard.
Very few people understood that it takes a lot to anger him. Especially when he had matured to the man he is now – he had learned and preferred to deal with issues with a cool, logical head rather than losing his sanity and merely being angry at the situation. Anger can take a lot out of someone. It drains the energy and can make someone act irrationally when not controlled; only to lead to them eventually crashing and burning.
There was only one line that everybody who knew him well enough knew not to cross.
Family.
In this, Momiji will not be rational.
They can hurt him, insult him, laugh at him. At that, he wouldn't care. He had lived his life doing what he wanted to do without caring what others think. As long as he hasn't stepped on anyone – which he never did – he pretty much ignores how people react to him.
But insult anyone he deemed important to him? Hurt his family? Dare to touch even a single strand of hair on their heads?
Cold wrath, Haru had described it once to his wife. Momiji is… he's far scarier than any one of us combined when he is furious. It's not something I would wish anyone to see… or experience.
Threaten those he cared about and all bets were off.
Momiji had lost count on how many times he had hit the man on the floor he had trapped beneath him, knuckles bleeding and screaming in protest. He didn't care. All he cared about was breaking the man's face, crushing every single bone he had, to see him bleed endlessly, to never let him see the light of another day. For daring to lift a finger against his wife and their son, for daring to scratch his wife's cheek and threaten their son of his mother being hurt, for daring to involve his family in what should have been a business-only war.
No one would be safe from his wrath. If any dares stand in his way, he would kill them too.
He just had enough rational thought left to order Haru and Yuki to get his wife and son out of the warehouse and into the security cars before he and Kyo and the rest of the police had infiltrated the area. The officers couldn't stop him from getting to the ringleader, a business rival who had made his skin crawl when he had been first introduced to him. He had been laughing, taunting the blond, had attempted to fight back using a metallic bat he had with him and had hit him on his shoulder and leg.
Momiji had heard of the term blind rage before but had not ever really understood it since he hadn't really experienced it himself.
At this moment, all he saw was red, his vision narrowed to the offender, everything else around him clouded in red haze, barely even feeling the pain of the injuries inflicted on him. The man had underestimated the line he shouldn't have crossed with the Soma tycoon.
He had only come back to his senses when the scent of strawberries and peaches assaulted his nose, something soft fitting itself into his arms, hands on his face, her lips marking the skin on his face that she could reach. It was then that Momiji had realized that three officers had attempted to hold him back and his wife had rushed back inside – to him.
"Anata… anata…" she was whispering, an attempt to reach to the animal which had taken over him. She didn't look terrified one bit at the inhuman side he had just displayed. A side he wished, distantly, that she didn't have to see.
"Tohru." He stopped struggling, giving the officers relief and making them loosen their grip on him a bit but still not releasing him, afraid he would jump back at the man now unconscious on the floor. She smiled, eyes watery, catching his gaze upon realizing that he seemed to have returned to her.
"There you are. I was beginning to worry you wouldn't listen to me." She turned to glare at the officers who still held his arms. "Let my husband go. He is not the criminal."
"But Lady Soma – "
"You heard me. I will not allow you to treat my husband as if he was the one going to jail. My son and I were the ones kidnapped, and that vile man was the kidnapper. Go and take him into custody." Tohru seldom used her hauteur as the young madam of the Soma conglomerate but Momiji wasn't the only one who can be protective of their family. When she does use it, she uses it well.
The officers gulped visibly and finally released him, cowering under her glare and nearly scurrying away from them to tend to the unconscious man before she eventually turned to him, tears of relief beginning to form in her eyes. "You came for me. For us."
Now that the rush of adrenaline in his system had subsided, he was more aware of the pain his body was complaining about. He could feel something sticky dripping down on one side of his head, his left shoulder had been screaming in pain, his left leg also protesting in pain. Something in his ribs also ached. "Why did you go back here, Tohru, I didn't want you to see these – "
"Haru was right." She talked over him, using her handkerchief to wipe at the something-sticky on the side of his face. She pulled away and he could see it covered in bright red blood. "You are even more terrifying when furious."
"Kashima should've known not to involve family." He felt shame burning in his gut. "Tohru I… I'm sorry you had to see that. I'm sorry you had to experience this. I'm sorry Katsuya had to be hurt too, I'm sorry you had to see how violent I can be. You must have been so scared. "
"Anata, don't apologize please." Tears fell from her eyes, as she lifted a palm and cradled his face. She was trembling perhaps out of fear or exhaustion, Momiji could see that, but she ignored her own shaking. "This had never been your fault. You had nothing to do with this. And I would never be scared of you. You will do anything to protect your family. Soma Momiji protects his own and anyone who threatens that should've known that there will be a price to pay."
He could feel relief settling somewhere deep in his ribs, but he was still worried that he had scared her. The last thing he wanted was to scare his wife, now that she knew of his tendency to be… a little too overprotective. At the same time, though, he was relieved to have her back in his arms. "W-We should get that cut on your cheek looked at. I swear they need to get that man out of my sight before I decide to finish what he had dared to start."
For someone who should have probably been more wary at what he had just said, she shook her head, reaching up to kiss him on the cheek. "This is merely a scratch. It's you who should be looked at. I know you're injured more than how you're acting now."
He winced as she poked at the rib which was kinda painful. She gave him a half-stern, half-apologetic smile. "Katsu?"
"With his Uncle Haru." She wiped at the blood left on his face and his knuckles. "Let's tend to your injuries, finish our statements as quickly as possible and go home, anata."
Yes. Home sounds like a good idea right now.
"Alright."
