Disclaimer: Saint Seiya is the property of Masami Kurumada, Toei Productions (anime) and Shueisha.

Between You And Me

"You wanted to see me, princess?"

Phoenix Ikki had walked into the room without excusing himself. Saori looked up at him and signaled the chair before her, but he did not move. Oh, this will be the worst part of my day, she thought. The young lady stood up, worried that she might lose the upper-hand she hoped she had, and studied him for a second. Her scrutiny did not intimidate him; in fact, he responded by raising his chin and studying her back. Ikki's eyes sent a shiver down her spine sometimes. Saori was aware that he hated her. He hated her for who she was and for what she represented. He hated her because she was the ultimate reason why he — and, worse, his brother — had been brought into this life. When he looked at her his hostility was almost tangible; standing tall against the wall like that, with a derisive half-smile on his lips, he might easily have been an enemy.

And perhaps he was.

She cleared her head of such thoughts and silently walked around the table to come near him. He still didn't move. Why is he here?, she wondered, looking to his face for an answer. Why has he come here today if he won't come even when I send for him? But his deep blue eyes were impossible to read.

"Last week's meeting was of vital importance..." she began, very solemnly.

"Oh, everything around here is of vital importance to you people. Your meetings are of vital importance, your black-tie dinners are of vital importance, the pigeons' shit in the garden is of vital importance..."

"Watch your language around me, Ikki."

"Have I offended you, princess?" he asked sarcastically, bending his knee in mock reverence.

"Not as much as you have by not being here," she snapped.

"I was previously engaged."

"I'm listening."

"Well, I'm not talking, am I?"

"But you will. You will not leave until you tell me why you weren't here. If it was something that important, I see no reason why you wouldn't tell me about it."

"You never see a reason for your wishes not to be granted."

"Your brother has missed you too, Ikki," she said, ignoring his remark.

"My brother can talk to me whenever he likes."

"We both know that's not true," she spat.

"Well, I'm always there for him when he needs me!" He threw up both his arms.

"As you should be for me!" she cried, in a high-pitched voice that did not suit her, projecting her chin forward to look taller. He was a good eight inches taller than her.

"And why would that be?" he said, crossing his arms before his chest, eyes narrowed dangerously.

"You took an oath!"

"But not for you!"

They looked at each other from a distance. Their very silence seemed to be a crescendo, as if the real climax were yet to come. They were opponents — this was what it felt like to fight Phoenix Ikki. She could tell he was strategizing how to hurt her most.

"Should I stay here and watch you make a fool of yourself in front of Seiya?

And his words were indeed as powerful as his fist.

"Is that a question?" she inquired contrivedly, swallowing hard.

"It's an insult!"

"My personal feelings for Seiya or any other saint will not be discussed now."

"What feelings? You and your silly notions about love! What do you know about love? You're just a spoiled little brat, the same you've always been!"

"You have absolutely no right to talk to me like that," she answered, looking him in the eyes with calculated calm. She would not give in. She would not lose control.

"I have no wish to talk to you at all. I'm leaving."

"You're not going anywhere."

"I don't take orders from you."

"I forbid you to leave, Ikki," she stated, coming one step closer to him.

"And who's gonna stop me?" he whispered as he came closer to her as well, leveling his gaze with hers. His voice was intimidatingly low, the voice a villain would speak in to his helpless victim. "You're gonna get your little puppy dogs to fight their friend? Or that sadistic butler of yours? Bring it on. I've been looking for an excuse to beat the crap out of him long enough."

"Tatsumi has nothing to do with this, and neither do the other saints. This is between you and me." She walked towards the door, hoping that she did not look as frightened as she felt, and leaned against it, her arms spread wide with unnecessary drama. He gave her a threatening look.

"Step away from the door, Saori."

"I will not."

"Step away."

"I will stay right here."

"Step away from that door!" he shouted, slamming his fist against the wall.

She flinched with fear, but did not move. Ikki ran his hands through his hair nervously. Saori could see that he was trying to resist his urge to... She wondered what would happen if he came near her. Pull yourself together, Saori. He won't hurt you.

"You must stay and give me at least a reasonable excuse for not having been here."

"My personal life doesn't concern you, Saori."

This was when her fear gave way to her anger. Now she was mad at him.

"It does when it interferes with ours! It's bad enough that you're never around, that you don't socialize, that you mistreat everyone..."

"What a pretty picture you make of me!" he interrupted, nervously ironic.

"...but to miss a crucial meeting like that one? Shiryu could have been killed!"

"Shiryu can take care of himself! Don't be ridiculous! These are our lives, thanks to you! I can't put everything on hold to hang around here baby-sitting other saints!"

"Put what exactly on hold, Ikki? You still haven't said why you weren't here. I want to hear it."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Well, one can't always have what they want."

"Answer me."

She sounded suddenly authoritarian.

"Answer me, Phoenix Ikki. You were never around much, but lately it's been just absurd. Why weren't you here last week?"

"Didn't I just say it doesn't concern you?"

"Why weren't you—"

"Because I'm in love with you!" he yelled angrily.

Saori withered, speechless. In love?

"There! Are you satisfied, princess? Can the servant go now?"

"Ikki..." She felt breathless, breathless and mortified. Ikki was in love with her? The most arrogant and sarcastic and bitter and... difficult of all the saints was in love with her? But he hated her... she was certain that he hated her! Oh, Ikki, Ikki, I am so sorry, I am so terribly sorry...

"Oh, don't give me that look." He sounded disgusted. She wondered that he might have read her mind. "Don't give me the look you give them! I'm not that stupid, Saori. I was stupid enough to fall in love with you, but I'm not that stupid."

Her mind reeled. So this was why he was never around? Did Shun know? Seiya and the others... no one, no one should know... Would he grow even more distant now?

"We need to talk."

"I thought we'd just done that."

"Ikki..."

"There's nothing to say! Let me through," he barked, pulling her away from the door by the wrist. She stumbled and grasped his arm clumsily. He held her elbow. "I'm sorry," he said, helping her startled figure to a chair. "I didn't mean to hurt you." Nor did I, she thought.

"Please, stay and talk to me," she begged, looking up at him and pulling down his hand like a child.

"I think I'm done with the talking today. Goodbye, Athena."

"Ikki..."

But he was gone.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to no one.

I hope no one hated this too much; it's relatively common among Portuguese-speaking ficwriters to explore Ikki's (un)romantic life, even though I haven't seen much of that in English. Huge Ikki fandom here in Brazil…!

Anyway, I just want to say that I will probably continue working on this story, and that it's set pretty much around the same time as "In Words Unsaid", if anyone around has read that. Please don't ask me to place them within the canonic chronology, because I really wouldn't know! But it's definitely before Hades.

Hey, reviews would be great! Thanks for reading it.