Rising Darkness
By Sillabub 429
Chapter Four - Reunion
"I wish we could say that our only purpose here is to fulfill the promise we made years ago that we would come back and visit one day, but that would be a lie." -Taiki Kou
The sun was shining through the window of the Chiba apartment the day after the attack, but somehow Usagi could take no comfort in it. After a long, restless night filled with nightmares that she woke up from in a cold sweat, she was secretly frantic, unsure of what to do, and terrified of the danger that seemed to be lurking around the corner. Surrounded by her friends, who were anxiously discussing the situation, she sat in silence, looking out the window at the busy city outside and fighting back tears.
"Are you sure you've never heard anything about Hecate, Luna?" asked Rei, who was sitting beside Usagi on the couch and was holding the blonde's hand in a comforting manner.
Luna frowned and twitched her whiskers. "Not that I can remember," she said, copper eyes clouded. "But if she knew you by your royal names . . ."
". . . She'd have to have been alive during the Silver Millennium," Artemis finished for her.
Hotaru leaned forward in her chair, putting her chin on her hands. "If Luna doesn't know anything about her, how can we be sure she's from the past?" she said softly.
A few of them turned and looked expectantly at Setsuna, who merely stared pensively down into her tea.
There was a long moment of silence as the senshi sat and anxiously pondered the situation, unsure of what to say or what to do. Usagi shifted uncomfortably in her seat and let out a sigh, wishing Mamoru was there. Then, the doorbell rang, breaking the silence.
"I'll be right back," said Usagi. She rose from the couch to answer the door while the others sat in silence.
The doorbell rang again . . . and again, and again, and again. A thin blond eyebrow quirked upwards. "Persistent, are we?" murmured Usagi as she reached the door. She grabbed the doorknob, turned it, and opened the door.
Her breath caught in her throat as she came face-to-face with four people she thought she'd never see again. Usagi couldn't think, she couldn't speak, all she could do was stand pale-faced and frozen in the doorway.
They couldn't be real. They couldn't. But if they weren't, there was something terribly wrong with her current state of sanity.
All Usagi could do was stare. Then Seiya grinned at her.
"Hey, Odango."
Usagi screamed, slammed the door in his face, and leaned against the closed door, panting and wide-eyed like a crazy person.
"Usagi?" asked Rei, peeking around the corner at her. "What's wrong?"
Pale-faced, Usagi was silent for a long moment. Then, shakily and without looking at Rei, she said, "Tell everyone to come here. I have to make sure I'm not hallucinating."
Rei blinked at her, looking both worried for Usagi's sanity and deeply perplexed, but she did as she was told and called the others to the door. A few moments later, with her nearest and dearest at her side, Chiba Usagi turned to face a door that possibly hid a part of their past that had disappeared six years ago.
"Usagi-chan, what's going on?" asked Makoto.
Swallowing hard, Usagi grabbed the doorknob and slowly opened the door.
There was a moment of stunned silence. Everyone stared, unable to move, unable to speak, unable to think. Everyone, that is, except Yaten.
"What the hell?" he said flatly, crossing his arms and raising a thin silver eyebrow at the shocked group. "Six years, and you've forgotten us already?"
He waited a moment for someone to speak, but no one seemed able to. Wrinkling his nose, Yaten turned to Taiki.
"That's it. I'm leaving."
Just as he turned around to walk away, Taiki grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, halting him. "Not so fast."
Apparently, "fast" was the very word that brought brain activity back to the senshi of Earth because right after Taiki finished speaking, there was a great sound of shrieks, and the soldiers of Kinmoku were suddenly engulfed in hugs from everyone but Haruka, Michiru, Hotaru, and Setsuna, who watched the scene with stunned expressions.
The Lights and Kakyuu stood in the middle of the giant embrace, torn between surprise, amusement, and breathlessness (due to ribs being crushed during the excitement), but Kakyuu managed to send a grin in Yaten's direction.
"Does that answer your question?" she asked sweetly.
Yaten, currently trying to de-tangle himself from Minako and Rei, could only send something of a glare in her direction. Kakyuu found it funny, though, that the smallest Light lacked the ferocity to pull off the angry scowl. For the first time in months, he actually looked happy.
After a few moments of hugging and excited chatter, the senshi of Earth managed to make enough room in the small living room of the Chiba apartment to squeeze their old friends.
"I can't believe it's really you!" Usagi said excitedly. "I mean . . . it's been forever. I thought you guys were never coming back."
Seiya grinned teasingly. "Well, it took a little persuading . . . Kakyuu wouldn't let us come back, you see. She's a strict ruler."
Taiki and Yaten snorted as the Kinmoku princess frowned indignantly at Seiya. "Now, Seiya, don't lie so freely," she scolded. Smiling politely, she turned to Usagi and said, "Actually, I wanted them to visit sooner than now, but we've been so busy rebuilding Kinmoku that they felt guilty taking the time off."
"Does that mean you guys are done?" Makoto asked, wide-eyed. "Your home planet's restored?"
"Better than new," reported Yaten proudly. "It took a long time, but it was worth it."
"You're just happy because now we have our own living quarters," snorted Seiya.
Yaten scowled at him. "Not true," he said. "I had no problem living in close proximity with you and Taiki."
"My mistake," Taiki commented flatly. "I was under the impression that we drove you nuts."
"What makes you say that?" asked Ami.
"He let us know multiple times a day," Taiki replied.
Yaten's scowl deepened.
Haruka, who seemed to be enjoying this conversation immensely, ginned at them in interest. "Oh . . . so Yaten-kun's not a pleasant roommate?" she asked with a smirk.
"Are you kidding?" Seiya said, snorting in laughter. "Yaten's so anal he irons his underwear before he wears them! Try living with that!"
The others began to giggle as Yaten regarded Seiya with a glare.
"Seiya, does a death wish cause you to talk about me that way?" he asked flatly.
"Now, now, Healer," Kakyuu said, smiling nervously. "Be nice."
"Why?" he asked.
Her expression hardened. "Because your Princess is ordering you to be civil for at lease an hour."
"Fifteen minutes," Yaten said, bargaining.
"Forty-five," Kakyuu said, not missing a beat.
"Thirty."
"Deal."
Usagi let out a light, carefree laugh, feeling happier than thought she could at the time. "That's so great, you guys," she said happily. "I mean, not that Yaten-kun's a pain to live with, I was talking about your planet being restored and everyone being happy."
"It's great, alright." Seiya grinned at her. "So what's the story now? I see you and Mamoru-san tied the knot," he said with a glance at the wedding band on Usagi's left hand.
She beamed at him. "We've been married for four years."
Taiki studied Seiya out of the corner of his eye, gaging his friend's reaction to this bit of information, but if the fact that Usagi was married bothered Seiya, he certainly didn't show it.
"And no children yet?" asked Taiki, raising his eyebrows at Usagi.
Usagi's smile slipped slightly. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Setsuna gazing at her, but she managed to keep smiling and shook her head, shrugging. "Not yet." Then she laughed nervously. "Could you imagine me with a kid?"
"I try not to," Yaten said flatly. "My eardrums shatter just thinking about how loud that child would be."
"Twenty-nine minutes left before you can make a remark like that," said Kakyuu with a warning glance.
Yaten blinked. "This is harder than I thought."
Minako chuckled. "It's good to know you haven't changed."
He looked offended at the very idea. "Please, I DO have a reputation to uphold."
"What reputation?" Haruka asked. "The reputation of being a whiny, arrogant, conceited brat?"
Yaten turned to her and opened his mouth to reply, then stopped and looked over at Kakyuu, who was watching him with raised eyebrows. His face contorted into a frustrated expression, and he sat back, crossing his arms.
"That would be the one," he replied lowly.
Haruka looked delighted. Michiru elbowed her. "Be nice."
"Twenty-eight minutes left, Yaten," Taiki said, raising an eyebrow. "Are you sure you can make it?"
"Please," snorted Yaten. "I can go a half-hour without being rude."
Taiki made a small, disbelieving sound as Seiya burst out laughing. Kakyuu merely raised an eyebrow.
"Are you certain about that?" she asked.
Yaten smiled serenely. "Just watch me," he said. "For the remainder of my thirty minutes, I'll be so polite you won't be able to believe it."
This time it was Haruka who began to laugh. "I don't think you can do that," she said between chuckles.
"Really?" Yaten turned to her with wide eyes, feigning polite interest. "Please tell me, Haruka-kun," he said, "what's it like living in a constant haze of stupidity?"
Taiki shook his head slowly as Seiya slapped a hand to his forehead, muttering, "I knew it."
Haruka shot Yaten a positively dirty look. "Do you know the meaning of the term 'polite', Yaten?"
"Do you know the meaning of the term 'fat chance'?" he answered sweetly.
Seiya chose that moment to choke on his drink.
"Yaten, really," scolded Kakyuu, thumping Seiya on the back as he coughed.
Yaten blinked at her. "What? I'm being nice."
Haruka growled at Yaten and tightened her fists. "Watch it, kid."
He raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you threatening me, sir?"
"You damn well better believe it!" Haruka stood up from her seat with every intention of smashing her fist into the small Light's face, but Michiru grabbed her sleeve and tugged on it.
"Now, now, Haruka," she scolded gently. "Leave him."
Haruka scowled and looked from the smirking Yaten back to Michiru, torn, but she decided it would be safer to put up with Yaten's crap than make Michiru mad.
"Fine," she sighed, flopping back onto the sofa and crossing her arms.
Yaten looked at her in amusement, then turned to Michiru. "Well, Michiru-san," he said conversationally, ignoring the glowering Haruka. "I see you've finally gotten her to behave properly around guests. However did you do it?"
Haruka let out an indignant snort and opened her mouth to reply, but Michiru beat her to it. "Obedience school," she said, a pleasant smile on her face.
Yaten, Seiya, and a few of the others began to laugh as Haruka stood from her seat and stared at partner in betrayal. "But . . . I . . . what . . . Michiru!"
Michiru merely peered innocently up at Haruka and tugged her sleeve again. "Sit, girl," she said sweetly, earning another loud burst of laughter from the other senshi.
Haruka sputtered in anger and confusion for another moment, opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water as she tried to decide what to say. Finally, she gave up and plopped back down beside Michiru, crossing her arms and scowling.
"Everyone's picking on me."
Michiru's playfulness melted away at the sight of Haruka's sulky expression, and she smiled and rested her head on the taller woman's shoulder. "Oh, Haruka," she said, "we're just teasing. We wouldn't say it if we didn't love you."
Seiya let out a loud cough that sounded oddly like "bullshit."
"Gesundheit," Yaten said to Seiya.
"Thanks."
Kakyuu threw them a flat look. "Behave, you two."
They looked innocently at her.
"Erm . . . so how about the rest of you?" Taiki asked, changing the subject. "Anything new?"
"Rei-chan's engaged!" Usagi cried, pointing at her friend.
Rei grinned at their surprised expressions. "Yeah, it's a pretty recent development."
"Who is he?" asked Seiya, blinking.
"We've all been friends for years, and he and I have been together for about a year now," Rei replied. "His name's Yuuichirou. You'll meet him."
"Congratulations," smiled Kakyuu.
"Rei-san, you never told us!" Hotaru said.
"Sorry," Rei said with a sad smile. "It just happened yesterday, and after everything else that happened that day . . . well, it didn't seem as important."
The happy, teasing atmosphere in the room immediately changed into a much more serious one, and Taiki frowned.
"What happened that made you forget about something as important as an engagement?" he asked.
The senshi of Earth exchanged glances, and Seiya, Taiki, Yaten, and Kakyuu knew there was something that they weren't being told. For a few moments they sat silently, waiting for a reply, then Minako turned to them fixed the four with a level gaze.
"Tell us, please," she said, and her pale blue eyes were anxious. "Why are you back?"
The four alien soldiers exchanged somber glances, then Yaten turned to her. "Actually . . . we were hoping you could tell us."
"What do you mean?" asked Michiru.
"We don't know why," Taiki said, looking away. "I wish we could say that our only purpose here is to fulfill the promise we made years ago that we would come back and visit one day, but that would be a lie."
The Earth senshi stared at them in silence, waiting for more.
Kakyuu continued. "Last night," she said softly, "we each had the feeling that our friends on Earth were in some kind of trouble, so we decided to come back and see for ourselves. If we were wrong, we at least had the opportunity to make a long-overdue visit."
"What we need to know, though," Seiya said, leaning forward and looking around at each of them, "is whether or not we were right."
A long moment of silence lingered in the room. Finally, Usagi turned to them and fixed them with a gaze that made her look much older than her twenty-two years.
"You were right," she said. "But we have no idea what we're dealing with."
"The attack was completely unexpected," Ami said. "While we've had the few usual minor disturbances over the years, we've had peace for six years."
"What happened?" asked Seiya.
Usagi was staring down at her hands as she spoke. "I was leaving an appointment and people came rushing out of Juuban Park, screaming," she said quietly. "I went to help, and there was a woman with black wings who attacked me, without warning. She knew who I was, but I had no idea who she was. She would have killed me, but Mamo-chan saved me."
"We arrived right after that happened," Rei said softly. "Her name was Hecate. She knew who we were, all of us, and she knew us by our royal names from the Silver Millennium."
Yaten blinked. "Silver what?"
"Oh, that's right, you guys don't know about that," Rei said. "Well, it's a long story, we'll fill you in later."
"Rei and I attacked her," Makoto said. "And it looked like we killed her, but we knew it couldn't have been that easy. Like we thought, she wasn't dead. She almost killed Usagi, but I got in the way. If Hotaru-chan and the others hadn't shown up, I would have died."
The Kinmoku senshi stared at them. Luna shook her head and sighed, looking out the window. "It all happened so suddenly. And now we have no idea what we're dealing with, where she came from, or what's going to happen. All we know is that she wants Usagi-chan dead."
"We won't let that happen," Seiya said earnestly. "We're here to help."
Usagi's head shot up, and her eyes grew wide. "But I don't want to put you guys in danger," she said, her face pale. "You could get hurt!"
"Come on, we could use a little danger after all the peace we've had," said Yaten.
"Let us help you," Kakyuu said gently. "You did so much for us in our time of need, Usagi-san, we owe it to you to help fight."
"It's been forever since we've fought," Seiya added with a grin, "but it's good to know we still have a sense of duty."
Usagi still looked doubtful. "But you guys know what you're risking, right?" she asked softly. "I mean . . . this is going to be dangerous."
Taiki smiled slightly. "It always is, but this is our responsibility, and we're glad to do it."
A gentle smile curved Usagi's lips, and she was about to thank them when suddenly Minako stood to her feet.
"Minako-chan?" asked Makoto. "What's up?"
"Nothing," the blonde replied, walking to the door. Her back was facing them, and her voice sounded choked as she grabbed her coat and paused in the doorway. There was a glassiness in her eyes as she turned to them and smiled. "Sorry, guys, I just forgot about something I have to do."
And then she was gone, closing the door gently behind her.
"Minako-chan!" exclaimed Usagi.
"Leave her, Usagi-chan, Yaten-san," Artemis said tiredly. The others looked at Yaten in surprise; he had risen from his chair and had started toward the door. Noticing their gazes, the small Light cleared his throat, pretended to stretch his arms, and flopped back down beside Seiya.
Seiya cast him a strange look as he turned to blink down at Artemis, who was sitting on the floor beside Luna. "What's wrong with her, Artemis-san?"
Artemis shook his head. "Don't worry, she'll be okay. Mina just needs to be alone right now."
"Aino-san wants to be alone after we just got here?" Yaten asked, looking irritated. "Why?"
Thin whiskers twitched as Artemis looked at Yaten. Then, with a small cat shrug, he turned away and simply said, "It's not my place to say."
Yaten frowned but said nothing, even though Seiya and Taiki were sure he wanted to pursue the topic. A moment of awkward silence lingered before Usagi turned back to the four alien soldiers.
"Are you guys sure . . ." she started.
"We're sure about it, okay?" Yaten interrupted, looking annoyed. "Sheesh, do you always accept help this graciously?"
Usagi blinked at him, taken aback, but then Yaten smiled at her and winked. "Relax, Usagi-chan," he said. "We're glad to be here."
"Even you?" asked Makoto with a raised eyebrow.
He shrugged. "Even me."
Usagi laughed, a little relieved. "Well, I'm very grateful to have you guys back," she said. "And thank you so much for the help."
"You'd do the same for us, admit it," Seiya said with a grin.
"Of course, I would," Usagi said.
"Then just think of it like that," he said simply. "It's not like you're enlisting us to serve in your army or anything, we want to be here to help keep you and everyone else safe. That's what really matters."
For some reason, Usagi felt her throat closing up and tears stinging the corners of her eyes. Smiling a bit shakily, she turned to him and smiled. "Thank you, Seiya," (and she turned to the other three), "thank you, guys. Having you back means more than you'll ever know."
"Yeah, yeah," Yaten said, waving a hand at her. "That's great and all, but we've been on a long trip across the galaxy and I'm starved. What's to eat?"
"I'm stuffed," said Yaten later that night. He flopped down beside Taiki on the couch in their rented apartment and sighed in what sounded suspiciously like contentment
"Makoto-san is an excellent cook," said Kakyuu, sitting gently on the other couch.
Seiya grinned and slung an arm around her shoulder. "Of course," he said. "That's why she has her own bakery now." He sent a humorous smile in Taiki's direction. "Remember when she helped you on that cooking show?"
"How could I forget?" Taiki asked, pulling out a book and opening it. "Tsukino-san made the cake explode."
"I'd never heard Taiki laugh so much," Yaten smirked.
Scarlet eyes widened as Kakyuu turned to Taiki. "You were on a cooking show?"
Taiki smiled. "Just a stint I had to do as one of the Three Lights."
"Speaking of," Seiya said, suddenly serious, "now that we're back, do you guys want to resume the idol thing, or would you rather keep a low profile?"
Taiki sent Seiya a sarcastic grin. "Fun as it was to have no personal time and be chased by women all day, I think we should just keep a low profile."
"Definitely," agreed Yaten. "The only reason we were idols before was to find Kakyuu-hime, and now we have Usagi-chan and the others to help out."
"Alright, then," said Seiya, yawning and stretching. "None of that idol crap. I'm glad to hear it."
Kakyuu, who was sitting close beside him said softly, "Then why did you ask them about it?"
Blue eyes peered at her lazily, then Seiya shrugged. "Well, I didn't want to go back to it," he said simply, "but if Taiki and Yaten wanted to, I would've done it."
Kakyuu smiled as Taiki and Yaten blinked.
"Wow, Seiya," Taiki commented over the top of his book. "That's . . . nice of you."
He shrugged again. "I wouldn't want to deny my best friends their happiness, right?"
"I suppose not," said Taiki, turning back to his reading. "But you should have known that being an idol did NOT make us happy."
Yaten snorted. "Then again, nothing makes Taiki happy."
"That's not true," Seiya said, grinning widely. "Taiki's happy as we speak."
Taiki glanced up from his book as Kakyuu blinked and said, "Oh?"
Seiya chuckled mischievously as he sidled up to the couch Taiki was sitting on. "Of course," he replied gleefully. "He got to see Ami-chan again."
Yaten and Kakyuu exchanged glances as Taiki stared coolly at Seiya.
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
"Don't play dumb, lover boy," grinned Seiya, throwing a playful punch at Taiki's shoulder; Taiki scowled at the unwanted contact and moved away. "You've been infatuated with that girl for years, ever since we were on Earth before. You may have tried to hide it, but you can't hide anything from me, no sir! I see everyth-oof!"
Seiya was cut off as Taiki wordlessly flung his book bag at him. It collided with Seiya's face with such force that the black-haired Light was sent crashing to the floor, swirly-eyed. Taiki regarded Seiya with a look of disgust as Yaten burst out laughing.
"If you can see everything, how come you didn't see that coming?" he chortled, prodding the fallen Seiya with his foot.
"Apparently, he's all talk," Taiki said flatly, turning back to his book.
Seiya made a gurgling noise and rolled to his side, clutching his head. Kakyuu was at his side, looking concerned. "Are you okay, Seiya?"
"Don't worry about him," Taiki said. "He's already sustained so much brain damage that he's become immune to blows to the head."
Sure enough, Seiya was already sitting up, with Kakyuu's help. Chuckling, Yaten retrieved Taiki's book bag and handed it back to him, taking a seat next to the tall Light. "Taiki, you just made my day."
Kakyuu helped Seiya to his feet, and Seiya glared at Taiki. "Damn it," he said darkly. "What do you have in that bag of yours, a dictionary?"
"Two," came the flat reply from Taiki. "One Japanese, one English. I like to keep them handy."
Yaten grinned. "Not just for studying."
A hint of a smile flickered across Taiki's lips. "This is true."
Crushed but not defeated, Seiya decided to annoy a smaller target. Turning, he crossed his arms and regarded the grinning Yaten. "And you, you're acting pretty happy too, you know."
The smile slipped from Yaten's face. "Um. Not particularly."
Kakyuu raised an eyebrow at Seiya. "Seiya, really, don't cause any more trouble."
"Why, don't you think he's happy to be back?" Seiya asked, smirking as he stared at Yaten. "Happy to be seeing a certain someone again?"
Taiki rolled his eyes as he turned a page. "Seiya, you never learn," he muttered.
Yaten was staring levelly at Seiya. "Who is this 'certain someone' you speak of?"
"Blond hair, blue eyes, pretty smile . . . any of this ring a bell?"
"Haruka-san?" Yaten asked flatly.
"Minako-chan, you ass!" said Seiya.
Yaten snorted. "I know."
"Well?" said Seiya. "Aren't you happy to see her again?"
Yaten frowned.
"Aren't you?" prompted Seiya.
An unreadable look crossed the smallest Light's face. "Why would I be?" he asked. "Why would seeing how much she's changed make me happy?"
That was not the reply Seiya had been expecting. He blinked and glanced at Kakyuu, who shrugged, wide-eyed. Taiki was watching over the top of his book, eyebrows raised.
"Changed?" Seiya finally asked, taken aback by the genuine concern in the silver-haired Light's voice. "What do you mean?"
Yaten shrugged. "She's different. She's not happy anymore."
As interesting a development as this was, Seiya wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to tease his touchy companion. "Oh. And why do you care?"
The change that overcame Yaten was immediate; the gentle concern quickly darkened into annoyance, and he crossed his arms and scowled. "I don't," he said defensively, narrowing his eyes in irritation.
"Really?" Seiya was grinning like an idiot, but he didn't care.
"Yes," Yaten said grouchily. "I mean, really, why should I? She's not nearly as annoying as she used to be, and she doesn't bother me, so . . . so . . ." He stopped for a moment, his expression clouding over.
"So . . . ?" Seiya repeated with a huge grin.
Yaten frowned, looking away. ". . . So, it's better this way, right?" he asked hesitantly.
Seiya began to laugh.
"What's so funny?" Yaten demanded, looking annoyed.
"Wow," Seiya said between giggles. "For someone who doesn't care, you're sure acting like you're worried about her."
Yaten's green eyes were flashing angrily. "I don't care! Stop laughing!"
Seiya had to clutch at his stomach, he was laughing so hard. Taiki and Kakyuu could not help themselves and began to giggle along with him. Yaten, however, was obviously not amused; the small Light was growing rapidly redder by the minute, and his clenched fists were shaking in anger as he glowered at his giggling friends.
"Taiki," said Yaten in a very low, forced voice, "let me borrow those dictionaries of yours for a second."
Chuckling, Taiki handed him the book bag. Seiya was laughing so hard that he didn't notice this exchange until the bag of books made direct contact with his face, and he suddenly found himself on the floor yet again, head throbbing.
"Damn it, Yaten!" cried Seiya, sitting up and glaring at him. "What was that for?"
"You wouldn't shut up," growled Yaten, crossing his arms.
"So what?" asked Seiya, working his way to his feet while he clutched at his head. "It's the truth! News flash, Yaten. You care about the girl!"
Yaten's glare turned murderous, and he rose from his seat on the couch, fists clenched. "You don't know what the hell you're talking about!"
Seiya blinked, forgetting entirely about his head injury.
Taiki raised an eyebrow. "Seems you've struck a nerve, Seiya."
"Looks like it."
Bristling, Yaten looked furiously from the now-smirking Seiya to the mildly-interested Taiki to the highly-amused-and-trying-to-hide-it Kakyuu. "Stop looking at me like that!" he cried. "Why would I care about her anyway?"
"I don't know," Seiya said, grinning. "Why would you care?"
"I don't!"
"Then why are you being so defensive?"
"I'm not!"
"Then why are you arguing?"
"I'm not arguing!"
"Then what do you call what you're doing now?
"I'm contradicting you, damn it!"
"How is that different from arguing?"
Yaten opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, all the while sputtering and issuing a series of furious sounds. Finally, he let out an exasperated groan and threw his hands into the air, walking swiftly to the door.
Seiya regarded Yaten innocently. "Something wrong?"
"No. Forget it. I'm going to bed."
"Nighty-night," Seiya called cheerfully. "Sweet dreams, lover boy!"
Despite his annoyance and his desire to leave the room as quickly as possible, Yaten still had enough presence of mind to flip Seiya an obscene gesture before exiting the room and slamming the door behind him. The moment he left, Seiya slumped back into Yaten's vacant seat and burst out laughing.
"That was awesome," he chuckled.
Kakyuu giggled. "As amusing as that was, you really might have gone too far, Seiya."
"Too far?" Seiya snorted. "Nah, you know Yaten. Deep down he's amused too."
"Amused?" asked Taiki skeptically. "Seiya, did you see his face? Yaten did not want to laugh. I think he wanted to actually physically kill you."
Seiya laughed loudly. "That's how he shows affection."
Kakyuu raised an eyebrow at him, then smiled. "If that's the case, I feel very sorry for Minako-san."
Is it obvious that Yaten's pretty much my favorite character ever? Yeah? Okay, then. Please review!