The Rose Garden had been one of the first things put in the Crystal Palace by King Endymion. Rather like a maze with a large clearing in the middle, it was filled with every colour rose imaginable, all tended by the King. By day it was a riot of colour; by night, a scented, sultry paradise. It had been the scene of many a lover's tryst.

It was here, to the clearing, that Helios led Chibiusa. He plucked a pink rose from a nearby bush and handing to her. She took it disinterestedly; after all, her father gave her a rose everyday, so it was hardly a romantic gesture to her. "You look beautiful," he said quietly.

She laughed bitterly and stalked off to the other side of the garden, when she bent to smell the roses springing up there. "It's a bit late for that, don't you think?"

"What do you mean?"

She refused to look at him, worried that her anger would explode in a fit of tears if she did. "It's slightly suspect that you make your move when I'm looking 'beautiful'"

"You do look beautiful," he said, still in that quiet voice, slightly unsure as to why she was so angry, wishing that she would look at him.

She did then – her hair hung around her face, her cheeks red, her fist clenched. "One year you've been here, Helios!" She said, almost shrieking in her anger. "One year! And in all that time, you've barely even spoken to me. You don't look at me, don't talk to me – except when we pass each other in the hallway, and then you're courteous to a fault! I loved you!"

Her voice lowered to a deadly tone. "Do you know why I'm dressed up like this, trying to ignore all the looks I'm getting? It's because Aunt Minako said that it would get you to 'make your move'. I was also supposed to dance with a number of boys – make you jealous – but you put your foot in that, didn't you, to drag me in here, when you tell me I'm 'beautiful' and proceed to rip my heart to shreds-"

He crushed his mouth to hers.

"I did not want to take advantage," he said a short time later when they came up for air. A tug on his collar brought him back down.

"Most girls," she gasped between short kisses, "would want you – to take advantage."

"I couldn't – when your father was around."

"My father – has nothing to do with this."

"He does when I wish to marry you one day."

She nearly fell backwards into a rose bush. He righted her with his hands against her shoulders – she spun out of his grasp and took a few steps back, tottering on her uncomfortable shoes. "What?" She whispered.

Helios looked her in the eyes, his gaze steady and unwavering. "My Maiden," he said, bowing low, "I wish to marry you one day."

The red that covered her face had nothing to do with anger this time; still, she stuck her nose up in the air and said tartly, "I wish you wouldn't be so chivalrous. I seem to remember you were like that back then too. Very embarrassing."

He smiled in that sad way of his and sat on the stone bench, motioning for her to sit down. Chibiusa did so, but lay on her side, laying her head in his lap. His hand hovered over her head before brushing the soft pink hair from her shoulder.

"I have loved you since the day you were born, my Maiden. But I have lived for much longer than anyone in this palace, except for Princess Pluto, and the memory can be forgetful. When I came here a year ago, you made no inclination that you knew me. You were cool, detached. I admit that I was no better, but I feared that you had forgotten about me."

"How could I forget?" She asked, her eyes fluttering shut as the hand stroking her shoulder sent shivers down her spine. "You lived inside my mind for so long, you knew my every dream."

"You see now why I love you? You let me in when I had no one else, even when I refused to tell you anything about myself." The hand came up to her head; stroked the hair from her eyes; came to a rest on her cheek. Their eyes met for a moment, and she began struggling to find the right words to say.

"I - I-"

Suddenly, without warning, and so fast that they could do nothing about it (which ashamed Chibiusa slightly, because she prided herself on being a sailor senshi), her father burst around the corner into the clearing, followed more demurely by Serenity. "All right then!" He shouted.

"Papa?" Chibiusa asked, sitting up, frowning. Helios looked slightly apprehensive – long he may have lived, but he still knew the consequences of being found along with a man's daughter.

"What's going on here?" Her father continued, still in a voice that was too loud for the small space they were in. Helios suddenly missed the comforting feel of his Maiden's hair in his fingers.

"Nothing, Papa," Chibiusa said, "We're just talking."

Her mother laid a restraining hand on Endymion's shoulder, before walking up to Chibiusa, clucking softly. "You'll catch a cold if you stay out here much longer, dear. You too, Helios. You'd better come back inside." She bent over to hug her daughter. As she did so, she whispered in her ear, "or your father will never leave you alone."

Chibiusa nodded profusely. "We will, Mama."

"Right." Serenity smiled at her daughter, the girl she had known long before she was born. "You look beautiful, sweetheart." Chibiusa blinked as Serenity rushed back over to Endymion, ushering him out of the garden, ignoring his protests. The two left watched them go, Helios secretly breathing a sigh of relief, and then they turned to smile at each other.

"I suppose we should go back inside." She said shyly, mentally kicking herself for reverting back to her twelve year old self. He inclined his head and held out his arm for her to take. She skipped it ; instead she ducked under it, wrapping her arm around his waist and laying her head on his shoulder. There was a tense moment when she couldn't believe her own daring, but then his arm slipped around her waist, and he smiled at her, and everything was how it should be.

Minako attacked them by the door, hugging Chibiusa close, moaning, "Was he very angry, Chibiusa-chan? I'm so sorry for telling him where you were."

Helios silenced her with a smile and a hand wave. "It is fine, Venus," he reassured. "I should thank you – now I can dance with my Maiden." A moment later he did just that, sweeping her off in a tangle of pink and white silk.

Minako sat down on one of the spare seats, brushing the wrinkles out of her dress as she did so. She had no idea where her husband was – no doubt he was checking on the guests who were leaving. It was late now. Unable to dance, she watched the various couples left.

Zoisite was dancing with Kakyuu, as it appeared that Ami and Taiki were not going to be quitting any time soon. Yaten and Seiya were also out there, and Minako smiled to see her friend so happy. As a professional model, and cynical to boot, Yaten was not one to show her true feelings. She had never seemed truly happy, even after Seiya had begun to return her feelings. But tonight, there was something in her eye, and something about the two of them – they looked as in love as Serenity and Endymion, or Haruka and Michiru.

As the self proclaimed Goddess of Love, she knew what love looked like (and what it felt like), but when she watched her family – her beautiful daughters playing with their father – a slight worry niggled at her. She sighed deeply.

"It's not like you to sigh," a deep voice said behind her, and she jumped as two hands came to a rest on her shoulders. She looked up into the silver eyes of Kunzite. She smiled wickedly and flashed him her trademark 'V' sign. He was not fooled. He sat on the chair next to her and handed her a drink. "What's wrong?"

She looked at the amber liquid in her glass and swirled it around and around. "Do you ever-" She began, her voice stalling. "Think of the Silver Millennium?"

He stayed silent. She had loved him long enough to know that this meant yes, and that she should carry on. She was loath to. She hated talking about the Silver Millennium – there was so many happy memories tainted by the metallic taste of blood and the flash of silver as she died. Yet she knew that if she did not say this today, it would never be said and she couldn't live like this.

"We were lovers then, and we are lovers now. But do you ever wonder…" She trailed off, unsure of herself for the first time in her life. "I'm not the person I was back then, and sometimes I wonder if we love each other as we are now or if we love each other because of our past."

The air around him became distinctly chillier – he did not move nor talk – his face did not even flicker, but she sensed that she had said the wrong thing. "It's just that," she said desperately, feeling the words hadn't come out as she had wanted them, "that I laugh at you, tease you, make them others laugh at you. I'm loud, and I'm flirty, and nothing like you. I wonder why you put up with me."

"Maybe it's because I love you." His reply was in his usual calm, steady way, and it calmed her pounding heart a touch. "I am not what I was then either. It's easier to smile now, easier to laugh. I talk to people now instead of staring them down. And yet you love me. So no, I don't think we love each other because that's what Venus and Kunzite once did."

She grabbed his hand. It was always like this – he had a way of disagreeing with what she said, and being perfectly calm and polite and right about it. Most of the time it annoyed her, but sometimes (like now), it was the perfect thing to say, and she was unbelievably grateful for him. "Thank you."

"Besides," he said, carrying on, "I remember Venus being slightly worse than you're making her out to be."

In her mind, she saw a group of young girls walk past a group of variously aged men, and saw as the blonde in orange and blue waved excitedly as a silver haired man, before winking saucily and walking off, leaving the man to the mercy of his friends. "I love you."

"I know."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he told her, rubbing his thumb over her palm. "We all doubt and worry. It's what makes us human." She kissed him and she tried to put across her happiness and gratitude and love, but that wasn't really working, so she went with just love, and that seemed to work quite well.

A quiet cough pulled them apart, and Minako glanced up to find Yaten watching them with a slight smile on her face. "I'm sorry to interrupt," she said, sounding most decidedly not, "but Minako-chan said she had something to show me, and I've only just managed to get rid of Seiya."

Minako stood up and smoothed out her dress. "You weren't trying very hard last I looked," she said accusingly.

Yaten merely smiled a bit wider. "We're leaving soon anyway," she said, casually.

"In that case…" Minako grabbed hold of her arm and started to drag her off, not once looking back at her husband. "It's called tequila. I found someone who still makes it, and you simply have to try it."

Kunzite watched them go, his face breaking into a rare grin. "Honestly." He said as he got up to find Endymion. "That woman will be the death of me."

Rei stood in the corner, a glass of juice in her hand. She looked around the room. She saw her friends, her fellow senshi, her Queen, her King, her goddaughter. Everyone was smiling, happy, and for that she was happy.

Every time she prayed, even if she was simply doing it for show, she thanked her gods for the peace that they had been blessed with. After the attack by the Black Moon Clan, there had been nothing – nothing for near a thousand years. And she was so grateful for that, especially now.

It took her a minute to realise that she hadn't seen Jadeite on her sweep of the room, and she jumped as she felt an arm wind its way around her waist and a pair of lips press themselves to her cheek.

"Hello, gorgeous." A voice rumbled into her ear, and she half-heartedly pushed at the body pressed up against her side.

"Baka." She muttered. He spun her around and grabbed her hands, grinning at her.

"You want to be on your guard, love," he told her. "I could have been anyone."

"I prayed it was!" She shot back. He staggered away from her, clutching at his chest, pretending to have been stabbed in the heart. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Anyway," he said, "I got you a drink!" He presented her a glass of red wine which he had somewhere on his person, Kami-sama only knew where. She averted her gaze, looked at the floor – anywhere but at the grinning blond man in front of her.

"No, thanks."

He looked confused. "But red wine's your favourite."

"I know. I just don't want it."

"Go on."

"No."

He pushed it under her nose; she gagged at the smell. "Go on, Rei!"

"No, Jad!"

"But Rei-"

"I'm pregnant, Jad."

There was a pause, tense and unyielding. "What?" He asked, his voice not confused but apprehensive, as if he thought she was joking with him.

"I didn't want to tell you this way," she said softly, "but I'm pregnant."

The silence worried her – he was not one to be quiet. They'd always said they'd wait, and they had, but the youngest of the children (Minako's second daughter) had 500 years up on hers. The truth was, she wanted children and he would have to deal with that.

His hand came under her chin and pulled her head up so she was looking him in the eyes. "You aren't joking, are you?"

"No."

"You really are pregnant, aren't you?"

"Yes."

His face broke into a wide smile, wider than she'd ever seen before. "That's fantastic! Now I'll have you and my own child and – babe, I love you!" He kissed her; picked her up; spun her around. She laughed with him and at him and loved him for it. "Come on." He said. "We have to tell the others."

Next thing she knew she was one the stage. Jadeite hushed the musicians and turned to their watching friends, pulling Rei into his arms. "Everyone!" He called. "I'm going to be a father!"

There was complete silence for a full minute while everyone stared at them in shock. Then Serenity burst into tears. The sound broke everyone out of their trances, and calls of congratulations were rife as the two came down from the stage. Rei walked straight into a waiting Makoto and Chibiusa, as Serenity sobbed in her husband's arms and Minako cheered loudly from the bar. Makoto immediately began gushing about her own pregnancy, while Chibiusa started asking her about the gender (saying that girls were much better than boys). Once she had stopped crying, Serenity also wandered over to offer her congratulations.

Seiya sat in the chair she had taken when Yaten had deserted her for Minako. She waited until the chaos had died down before getting up to go see her friend. She had just set down her drink on a nearby table when she heard Yaten say her name.

It never failed to shock Seiya that Yaten always managed to look inescapably beautiful, whether it was when she had just woken up, or when she was dressed up for a party of some sort, or if she was lying on their bed, eyes closed, biting her lip, her hair sticking to her face. Seiya was struck by it. She always had been. When they'd first met, all that time ago, when they were eight, she remembered how in awe she'd been on the small girl, with the light hair common to the people of her star, and the delicate features which sat perfectly in her face. But then, she'd opened her mouth and the idea Seiya had of an elfin princess had been shot to hell.

Yaten is like that birthday game they play on Earth, she has always thought. Pass the parcel. Under that fragile beauty there's attitude, layer upon layer of it until you think that you aren't sure if you're getting to the end. And if you're very lucky, you do get to the end; the true beauty of Yaten, the fragility of inside her, and the worry and self-doubt that spin the complex emotions the empath is capable of, masked by the cynicism and sarcasm. That is why Seiya loves her so – this girl is so strong and yet so broken at the same time.

So, really, she shouldn't be surprised that even when she's slurring her words, her hair and clothes dishevelled and her eyes half closed, Yaten still manages to look gorgeous. And, Seiya realised with a dry mouth, incredibly sexy.

Yaten repeated her name and bent to kiss her; she missed completely and instead ended up (rather gracefully) on Seiya's lap.

"By Kinmoku, Yaten!" Seiya exclaimed as she automatically brought the girl closer, stopping her from falling off. "What have you had?"

Yaten buried her head in Seiya's neck, one arm slung over her shoulder. "Minako-chan said…tequila." She breathed. She pulled back slightly, to blink unfocusedly at the girl staring at her. "Seiya." She said, quite articulate for someone in her position. "I feel funny."

"I'm not surprised," muttered Seiya.

"I think I should like to go to sleep."

"Why don't you?" Seiya said soothingly. "I'll wake you up when it's time to go." As she felt Yaten rest her head on her shoulder and her breathing become slow and even, Seiya looked up at the ceiling, cursing whoever had chosen to give her a girlfriend who couldn't hold her drink.

She heard someone take the chair next to her, and she looked over to see Makoto looking worriedly at the unconscious girl in her arms. "Is she all right?"

The look Seiya gave her was full of desperation. "She mentioned Minako-chan and 'tequila'?"

They both looked over to the other side of the room where the afore-mentioned blonde was giggling madly as she hung around Kunzite's neck. The man was attempting to hold her up, as her knees didn't seem to be working.

Makoto winced. "Yeah, it's nasty stuff. We drank it on Serenity's 19th, the one you couldn't make. I remember-" She broke off to grin at the odangoed blonde making her way towards them. "Ne, Serenity-chan. Do you remember what happened to me that time we drank tequila?"

Serenity couldn't contain her giggles. "You woke up on a beach, Mako-chan. Topless."

"Oh yeah," said Makoto as she turned back to Seiya, grinning. "That's what happened."

Seiya groaned loudly. "Oh great. She's going to be even crankier than usual in the morning!" Yaten simply snuffled in response.

"Oh, that's nothing." Serenity said. "Minako-chan woke up in a bus stop in Hokkaido."

After they had laughed (Seiya rather less loudly, fearful of waking Yaten), Serenity turned to Makoto and said "Mako-chan, Nephrite was looking for you. Something about the twins and the kitchen."

Makoto jumped up. "Oh Zeus, what are those girls doing now?" She ran out of the ballroom, almost knocking over Ami as she went.

Seiya carefully lifted Yaten up so as to remove the hair trapped under her arm. She brushed it back from her face, rather liking this new, endearing side to the girl. Again, she had her in her arms, quiet, calm, and she was able to watch her sleep. She dropped a kiss to Yaten's forehead. It wasn't until she felt Serenity's eyes on her that she remembered where they were.

Serenity's eyes were shining as she watched them. "I'm glad you found each other." She said quietly. Seiya looked her at, her expression questioning. "I was worried for you, Seiya. You pined for me for so long, and I was scared that you weren't going to move on, regardless as to whether I loved you back or not. You needed true love in your life."

"I did not pine," Seiya said, her voice joking, as if to inject a slight bit of humour into what she felt was going to be a serious conversation.

"She's always loved you."

It was quiet, as if she thought that Yaten was not truly asleep. Seiya realised who she was speaking of, but still stared at her in disbelief.

"Yaten. She's loved you for so long. Even when you were fighting here that second time. And you never even noticed. You were worse than me. I knew what your feelings were, I just chose to misinterpret. But Yaten…she watched as you dreamt of me, and do you know what she did?"

Seiya closed her eyes and shook her head. She hated it when the past was dredged up, because she felt it was the past – she did not need to be reminded of it. She also felt that sometimes, when their first times on Earth were mentioned, Yaten got distant, as if she could remember it and didn't want to. She hated how Yaten hid herself away when her unrequited love, so long forgotten, was remembered. And yet, she felt that sometimes, there was something her lover was hiding, and to know would be to understand.

"Nothing. She did nothing. She helped you. She watched as you watched me, and never once did she act on her feelings. But she listened to you as you talked about me, and later, after we'd woken up, she watched as you danced with me."

Seiya looked at the sleeping girl in her arms. She had a slight smile on her face. Seiya hugged her a little closer, feeling her eyes begin to prick. "That must have been hard on her," she whispered.

"Yes, it was." The answer was blunt, but kind. Serenity was not one to beat around the bush, but she was also not someone to cause unnecessary pain. "It may not be my place to tell you this, but I think that you have a right to know. She knew, all that time ago, that she could not have you. You never saw what she did when you were injured in that battle, and I am not going to tell you – if she wants you to know, she will tell you. But I asked her afterwards when she was going to tell you her feelings. She said she never was. 'Why bother trying for something I can never have?' So you see, Seiya, while you were believing you were the only one destined to never be with the one you loved, Yaten also thought this. I feel she was worse off, because she knew that the one she loved could never be with the one they loved."

A drop of water fell onto Yaten's cheek: she stirred and wiped it away. A breathy sigh of "Seiya…" escaped from her lips.

"I never knew," whispered Seiya, her eyes still closed as she kept back the majority of the tears. "I never knew!"

Serenity stood up. "I know." She placed a comforting hand on Seiya's shoulder, soft and strengthening. "I don't tell you this to be cruel, Seiya. I feel that you need to know, so you can be honest in your relationship. You need to be with Yaten because you love her, not because you feel you should." And she left the dark haired girl to work out her heart.

Seiya leaned in close to Yaten's ear, much like she had done that morning. "I'm sorry," she whispered, "for never realising. To be honest, to begin with, it was just simpler to love you. There was no pain, no heart ache. You wanted me and that was all there was to it."

She took a deep breath. "But now? Now…I can't imagine life without you. I'm not going to get emotional and sappy, because that's not me. But I truly, honestly love you. I may not have done it forever, but I do now, and I think that's enough."

Love was not a word you used around Yaten. She clammed up at the sound, and perhaps now Seiya could see why. She'd never even had a hope with Serenity, but Yaten had got what she wanted. It must be hard to live like that, always wondering if the thing most precious to you was going to be taken away at any moment. "I won't leave." Seiya whispered. "I definitely won't leave."

She looked up and around the room. Her eyes stopped on the couple in the corner, recognising the distinct red hair of her Princess. She and Taiki were talking, and Seiya smiled to see them so. They so rarely got any time alone together, which was probably not surprising but still annoying for them. On Kinmoku they were expected to act as 'proper consorts', something which seemed to entail only being together during meals, or when Taiki was in those boring meetings. She was glad that the rare time they spent on Earth let them snatch a few moments to themselves, a time where they could be normal.

It was slightly cruel, but whenever she watched them on their planet, she was glad that she did not have to address Yaten as "You Highness", or that Yaten did not have to use formal language around her. True, there was a certain way they should act around each other, but they managed to hold it and keep their affections to private. But private time for Taiki and their Princess was very rare; part of the problem, she felt, when you fell in love with Royalty.

She looked away respectfully as Taiki bent down to kiss Kakyuu, not wanting to intrude on their private moment. Instead she looked at Yaten, who moved in her arms, as if she sensed the awkwardness of the situation. She wasn't sure how long she spent looking at the sleeping girl. She looked unseeingly, her mind churning with what she had learnt. Was it true? Had Yaten really loved her all these years? Seiya could remember the year after they left Earth that second time. She'd been so depressed, locked in her room, thinking of 'her odango'. And Yaten had patiently, carefully, kindly, talked to her, helped wipe away her tears, listened as she screamed about the one she loved. How could she do all that, and yet not break with the strain? There was a bolt of strength in Yaten that she did not have, because when Serenity had been crying over her missing love, what had she done? Asked if she wasn't good enough. There was no comfort there, only demands and questions put to an already scared girl. But Yaten…

A slight touch on her arm brought her out of her daze; she looked up to see Kakyuu smiling down at her, looking for all the world as if she knew what Seiya was thinking. "If we want to get home on time," she said softly, mindful of the sleeping Yaten, "we shall have to leave now."

Seiya nodded and jostled the girl in her arms as her Princess walked away to start the goodbyes. Yaten moved slightly but did not open her eyes. A soft kiss to her lips made them open, although it was with a moan. "Come on, Yaten. It's time we were leaving."

Yaten looked around, trying to catch her bearings. Once she did, she realised something important.

"But Seiya," she murmured, "Haven't have last dance yet."

Seiya just laughed at her. "Yaten," she said, "I doubt you can stand up."

The challenge flashed bright in Yaten's eyes; her lips set in a hard line that foretold of stubbornness and an argument. "I can." She said firmly. "I can stand up. Just watch." Seiya was impressed by the fact that she only slurred a couple of the words – she became more impressed when Yaten swung her legs off her lap (Seiya realised that her legs had gone numb), and planted her feet on the ground. With a little boost which seemed to restore some pain receptors in Seiya's legs, she was standing.

"See?" She asked triumphantly. The effect was ruined rather by the fact that when she took a step forward, her legs went the same way as Minako's, and it was only the quick reflexes of Seiya that kept her from the ground.

It was lucky that Seiya was fairly strong and Yaten very light: she scooped her up, bridal style, as Yaten laughed at her legs. "I stood up," she insisted. Seiya sighed and nodded. Yaten seemed to take that as defeat, as she closed her eyes again and lay her head back on Seiya's shoulder. "Love you," she murmured.

Seiya froze. Never, in the time they had been together, had Yaten used that word in regards to her. Seiya knew that she did – it was in her eyes and her face and her kiss, but 'love' was most certainly a taboo. She grinned widely and hugged Yaten closer, before walking off to say goodbye.

She was forced to hand over Yaten to Makoto when it came to Serenity – she certainly couldn't get away without hugging her. Yaten hung limply in her arms, turned away slightly. Seiya tucked one of hanging hands onto her stomach before turning to the blonde one.

The hug was long and heartfelt; the love that she felt for Serenity was still as strong, albeit different. This was their way. There would always be something there, something akin to sisterhood but more, because they had helped each other and watched over each other for so long.

"I am glad that you are happy," Serenity whispered as Seiya pulled away. There was an unspoken moment, wherein Serenity smiled, and Seiya nodded.

"I am."

Serenity nodded happily. A second later Seiya took Yaten back, and no one (except for Seiya herself) missed how the silver haired girl turned into the touch, curling her body so to get closer.

"We'll be leaving now," said Kakyuu, as was tradition.

"You'd better come and visit." Serenity also followed the usual routine that they went through before they left.

Seiya winked at her. "Don't worry, Odango, we will."

Hands held tight together, Taiki and Kakyuu teleported out. Seiya was just about to follow suit when she saw Haruka run up to them. "Seiya!"

Everyone turned to stare at the blonde, who was followed by a slightly smug looking Michiru. Seiya looked back and forth between the two suspiciously, before saying, slowly, "what?"

Haruka bowed low. "I forgive you."

"What?"

Haruka looked up, and motioned behind her to Michiru, who smiled in her mysterious way. "You heard me." Seiya remembered that night when she'd flirted with Michiru, but she doubted that any one else would.

"I don't think I did anything worth apologising for," she said, her tone teasing and light hearted. Haruka seemed to catch on to it, but simply smirked and nodded her head low.

"Mah," Michiru drawled, "I think I sense something here. Haruka! It's true – you really love Seiya!"

Everyone turned to stare at her, noticing the playful smile that jumped around her lips, the carefree tone in which she spoke. Haruka snorted like she had done a few hours before, and Michiru huffed.

"If that's the case, I'll just be leaving." And with that she started to run out of the ball room, Haruka following her, shouting that she was the wind and therefore Michiru was never going to win. She was right – Haruka caught her just inside the door and spun her around, kissing her deeply. They stumbled around the corner, and those left inside could hear them laughing as they went down the corridor.

"I think they do that on purpose," muttered Makoto, and everyone nodded in agreement. By the time they had turned back, Seiya and Yaten had gone.

The corridors that they walked down were empty – it was late, and they were the Starlights, even if only two of them were capable of doing anything. They paused at where the Kakyuu's corners separated from their own. Seiya stood off to the side, aware that this could be awkward even without her there.

"I won't be disturbed in the morning," Kakyuu said quietly to Taiki. "I also don't have anything that I need to do tomorrow."

Taiki smiled at her. "Your rooms it is then!" They smiled and said goodnight to Seiya, before Kakyuu dragged Taiki off in the opposite direction, laughing all the way. Seiya looked down at Yaten.

"Guess it's just us then."

It was difficult to get the door open with her arms full of sleeping drunk, but she managed it and thankfully dropped Yaten on the bed. She wandered around the room, finding her night wear, and taking her hair rather painfully out of the complication up do that she'd let Yaten talk her into. She turned away from the mirror when it was done to see that said girl had managed to twist herself round a few times, so her delicate dress was now wrapped around, in danger of breaking if she turned over once more. Sighing, she hauled her up and carefully helped her out of it before pulling her silk night gown over her head, feeling all the world like a mother dressing her child.

Yaten flopped back onto the bed when she let go, murmuring nonsense under her breath. Seiya just shook her head, debating whether this side of Yaten was endearing enough to let her drink ever again. 'Well,' she reasoned, 'at least she isn't yelling at me this time'. And suddenly, that whole incident made sense.

Slowly, she switched the light off and got into their bed, keeping on her side as a sort of test. Within a second, Yaten was over the unmarked boundary, lying half on her chest as she flung her arms haphazardly over Seiya. Seiya just smiled and slid a hand under her waist, hugging her even closer, suddenly feeling incredibly tired.

"Well," she said out loud to the blackness that surrounded her, "that was an interesting night."

She missed the curve of Yaten's lips into a bittersweet smile, but didn't miss her words.

"Oh, you have no idea."

"I can't believe you let me get drunk."

Yaten had just come out of the shower, a towel clamped firmly around her chest, not feeling in the slight bit hung over, but rather embarrassed by what she couldn't remember happening. Seiya just lay spread-eagled on the bed, her old t-shirt riding up to show a smooth stomach, and her legs under her shorts hung over the side. "It's your own fault for following Minako-chan." She said lazily.

Yaten scowled at her before turning to the mirror to attack her drying hair. Seiya watched her with a slight smile as the girl angrily wrenched at her precious hair until it was done and straight. As she placed the comb back down on the table, anger somewhat appeased, she seemed to remember something. "You know, I never got you back for yesterday."

Seiya realised where this was going, and she sat up. "Why don't you now?" She asked, a hint of leachery in her voice.

Yaten stood up, and turned around slowly, her eyes dark and hooded. She looked at the smiling girl on the bed, and smiled back, although her smile held a touch of danger in it. "You know," she purred. "I think I might."

The towel hit the floor.