𝐒𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐭 ❄️

19: The Snake

"I'm starving," Kyo padded into the kitchen with a groan.

"Oh! Good timing." I said. "I'm making a grocery list right now. Need anything?"

Kyo shook his head, opening the fridge. He looked around for a moment before humming and closing the door. It appeared that nothing inside was suitable for him.

"Tohru should be back soon," Shigure called from the living room. He peered at Kyo from over the newspaper.

"I'll just make something myself," Kyo sighed.

"Wait," Shigure said. A moment later, he produced a bowl of leeks, chives, and onions from who-knows-where and held them out to Kyo, who balked at the sight. "Here. You can eat this to tide you over until lunch." Shigure suggested. "They're delicious and nutritious~!"

"HELL NO!" Kyo yelled. His hand shot out and the bowl flipped out of Shigure's hands and clattered on the floor. "Can't you find something better to do than screw with me?!"

Shigure gasped in surprise. "Kyo! You can't just waste food like that!" He sounded horrified at Kyo's actions, but I was sure he'd been expecting this reaction from Kyo. We all knew the orange haired boy's hatred of onions.

"WELL I'M NOT GOING TO EAT THOSE!" Kyo yelled back. To be fair, I wouldn't eat anything from that bowl as a snack either.

I heard the sound of the door slamming open and footsteps heading our direction. "Oh, I think Yuki and Tohru are back." I noted. Turning around, I began to call out. "Hey, do you two want anything from the stor―"

Yuki slipped right past me without sparing a glance or an answer. I turned around just in time to see his fist heading for Shigure's face. Wait, no. With his quick movements, I'd thought he was going to punch Shigure, but he'd just shoved something at his older cousin. It was . . . a sock?

"Skin this revolting creature and roast its reptilian corpse." Yuki said coldly. My eyes widened in surprise as I realized that, hanging rather limply from Yuki's tightly closed fist, was a snow-colored snake.

"Y-Yuki!" Tohru exclaimed from the door. She seemed a little out of breath, clearly having run after the boy. She walked over to stand next to me and I curiously eyed the bundle of fabric in her arms. Were those clothes?

Shigure stared at the snake in confusion, pushing his glasses up to get a closer look before he asked in surprise, "Is that Aya? What is he doing here?"

"Aya?" I wondered aloud. Could it be another zodiac member?

"Doesn't matter. Like I said, skin him." Yuki demanded, pushing the snake at Shigure again.

The older man laughed nervously. "Now, calm down Yuki. Isn't that a little cruel? Skinning your own brother." Shigure gently took the snake from Yuki's hand while Tohru and I turned to look at Yuki with wide eyes.

"Br-brother?" Tohru asked, wide eyed. I could tell she was already imagining what Ayame would look like when he transformed back.

"I didn't know you had a brother," I said. "You never mentioned him."

Yuki 'hmph'ed and looked away. "It wasn't worth mentioning."

I got the feeling that he didn't get along well with his brother. Well, trying to have the snake cooked and eaten was also a big hint about his feelings. I didn't press the matter any further, turning back to Shigure. The older man had set Ayame on a neatly folded pile of clothes― the ones Tohru had brought in.

"Ayame Sohma is the snake zodiac," Shigure explained. He closed the door to the kitchen, separating us from the sleeping Ayame. "Snakes hibernate in the winter, so Ayame weakens when it's cold. He transforms a lot this time of year."