The Morning After

Minako stirred in her bed as the sun, getting through the window, blinded her. She turned her head away and opened her eyes again. Her room looked normal but she somehow didn't feel that way. She got up, as it turned out definitely too quickly, and moaned as the pain hit her head. She let her head fell on the pillow again and closed her eyes. After several deep breaths the pain didn't go away but became slightly bearable when she didn't do any violent moves.

She slowly started remembering the events of the last night. Yaten's dream, quarrel with Kane, several drinks, a call to Yaten... Yaten. Minako's eyes snapped open. Did he take her home? Probably. Who else could do that? Considering the state she was in, she didn't make it on her own. With difficulty, she remembered him coming to the pub but then ... The rest of the night is a one big blur.

''Oh God,'' she groaned, putting arms over her eyes. How could she be so stupid?

She took away her arms and looked at the alarm clock on her nightstand. 11 a.m. ''Beautiful'', Minako murmured and realized that her throat didn't feel good. She needed to drink something, quickly.

She started getting up again, but this time much slower, trying to minimize dizziness in her head. When she sat, letting her bare feet touch the carpet, she realized that she was in her camisole and panties instead of her pyjamas. Did she took her clothes off or ... No, she decided that she didn't want to think about that.

She got up and carefully moved to the wardrobe to find her dressing-gown. When she put the robe on her body she suddenly felt warmer. She then looked around the room for her slippers.

First thing she did in the kitchen was getting something to drink. Then she would have to find some pills for her throbbing head.

She almost choked when sudden doorbell startled her. She put away the water and moved to the door, cursing the loudness of the bell.

''I'm coming,'' she said, as doorbell rang second time, and run hand through her hair. When she opened the door, she saw the person that she least expected to see after last night.

''Kane.''

''You're like a dynamite, I can't get enough of you, yeah you...'' Seiya was singing quietly, looking at a sheet of paper in his hands. With his brothers, they have been in the recording studio since early morning, working on lyrics to the music that will be on their CD.

''You're joking right?'' Taiki cut Seiya off, looking at him critically. Black-haired brother stopped singing and looked at Taiki surprised, ''What?''

''It's terrible. I won't sing something like that.''

Seiya shrugged, ''Fine, then it will be my solo song.''

''No, it won't be,'' Taiki reached forward and snatched the lyrics from Seiya's hands.

''Hey!'' Seiya shouted as Taiki tore the paper to pieces and threw it away. ''You won't ruin our image.''

''It wasn't that bad,'' Seiya argued.

''It was worse than bad.''

''I wonder what you've got there,'' Seiya titled his chin at Taiki's paper.

''Something much more sophisticated than your rubbish.'' Taiki informed him and Seiya started pretending that he was throwing up. Taiki ignored him and looked back at his paper.

Seiya, getting bored, turned his head to look at Yaten, ''And what you got there bro?''

Yaten looked up, realizing that Seiya was saying something. ''What?''

''I was asking if you came up with anything?''

Yaten shook his head, ''No, I can't think of anything good today.''

Seiya raised one brow, ''Why? Didn't sleep well? I guess evening with Minako was really tiring,'' he smirked and Taiki looked up at Yaten. ''You were with Minako last evening?''

''He got back kind of late. What were you doing?'' Seiya asked.

''None of your business,'' Yaten said coldly. Since he got up he couldn't stop thinking about last night and Seiya's comments weren't helping at all.

Seiya laughed. ''Don't worry, I'm not interested in details. By the way, how is her boyfriend?''

''And who am I, his mother?'' Yaten replied.

''Stop you two,'' Taiki decided to intervene as Seiya opened his mouth to respond. ''Yaten, go home.''

''What?'', silver-haired boy looked at his older brother.

''You hadn't write anything since we came here several hours ago. I'm sorry to said that but you are needless here today. It's obvious that your thoughts are somewhere else.'' Seiya chuckled and Taiki turned to him, ''And you take new piece of paper and think of something better to sing about.'' Seiya rolled his eyes and looked up as Yaten got up and headed towards the door, ''Yeah, go home Yaten, and remember, our door is on the right, not on the left!''

Thoughts about last evening didn't leave Yaten when he found himself in front of the door to their apartment. He looked back at Minako's door, having sudden urge to check on her. He looked at his watch. It was almost midday. She probably was already out of bed. He looked at the keys in his hand and then put them back into his pocket, turning towards the door to Minako's apartment.

''I'm going to regret it,'' he murmured as he raised his hand and knock on the door. After a moment he heard approaching footsteps. Minako opened the door, looking quite surprised at him.

''Yaten ... hey,'' she greeted him, wrapping orange robe tighter around her body. Her hair was a little bit messy and her face pale. She looked tired.

''Hi,'' Yaten responded softly, ''I wanted to check if you're ok.''

Small smile tugged at Minako's lips as she heard concern in his voice. ''Yeah, I'm fine, I guess, except throbbing head.''

''Minako, who's that?'' Kane's voice sounded from the inside of the apartment and smile left Minako's lips as she saw Yaten looking over her shoulder. ''He's here?'' Yaten asked quietly just before Kane appeared behind Minako, putting hands on her hips; exactly were Yaten's hands were last night.

''Oh hi Yaten,'' Kane greeted and then looked down on Minako. ''Breakfast is almost ready.''

''I'll be in a minute.''

''Ok,'' Kane nodded, looked back at Yaten and disappeared inside the room.

''I see that you're really ok, so I just ... '' he pointed at his door but Minako stopped him.

''Yaten, wait,'' she grabbed his sleeve, preventing him from walking away and stepped out of her apartment, leaving the door just slightly ajar.

''About last night ... '' she started, letting go of Yaten's sleeve when she was sure that she had his attention.

''Last night ... '' Yaten repeated. ''As far as I remember you and him broke up.''

''We did, but he came this morning and apologized for everything ... I mean it wasn't entirely his fault ... ''

Yaten just waved his hand, ''Stop it, I don't need to hear it. I just see that he's in very comfortable situation, leaving you when he gets bored and getting you back at the snap of his fingers.''

Minako's eyes narrowed, ''Don't say that, he's not like that.''

''Yeah whatever,'' Yaten murmured and looked away from her.

Minako studied his profile and then quietly asked, ''What happened last night?''

Yaten looked back in her eyes, finding there a little bit of confusion. ''You don't remember?''

''I called you and I guess you took me home but other than that ... everything is blurred.''

She didn't remember. He, on the other hand, did remember everything. Them dancing, the feeling of her on his lap, her lips on his skin ... He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then looked at her. ''Nothing Minako, nothing happened. I took you home and you were so drunk that you immediately fell asleep,'' his tone was colder then he intended.

Minako stared at him a little bit longer, slightly embarrassed after he mentioned how drunk she was. ''Thank you,'' she finally said, ''for taking me home. And I promise I won't bother you again.''

Yaten held her gaze and then nodded. ''Ok then, I guess we don't have anything more to talk about.'' He titled his chin at her door, ''Your breakfast is waiting.''

She turned to her door and heard Yaten opening his own and then closing them. She turned to look at the closed door, as her mind drifted to her morning conversation with Kane.

''What are you doing here?''

''I had to see you. I couldn't sleep because I was thinking about our quarrel.''

Minako looked away as Kane continued. ''I'm sorry, Minako. I'm sorry for exploding and saying what I've said.''

Minako was surprised. He was apologizing her? ''Kane...it was me who messed up.''

Kane shook his head, ''No, we both messed up. And I hate it. I hate that there's this distance between us lately and I... I already miss you. I don't want to lose you.''

Minako nodded. She didn't want to lose him too.

''Come here,'' he said quietly, pulling her to his chest and she let him, wrapping her arms around him. She inhaled his familiar scent, looking for comfort in his arms. ''I'm sorry too,'' she whispered and closed her eyes, feeling his hand gently stroking her hair.

Minako looked away from Yaten's door. Kane was waiting for her and she wasn't going to mess up again.

''I'm coming!'' Rei shouted as she heard her doorbell. For a year now, she was living in her own apartment, the one she will share with Yuuichirou after the wedding. For now he was working at the Hikawa Shrine and she was as a waitress in Makoto's restaurant, and also was working through the Internet as a literature translator. She always was good at languages and after additional three years in private language school she was lucky to get the job of translating books from English to Japanese and vice versa.

She closed her laptop and and got up to open the door.

''Kane?'' she was slightly surprised by seeing him but quickly opened the door wider.

''Hi Rei,'' he greeted.

''To be honest I wasn't expecting you to come here.''

''Yeah, I know that but I need to ask you something. It's about Minako.''

AN: Please don't hate me for bringing Kane back. It was planned from the very beginning. I'm not done with him yet. Getting rid of him in the previous chapter for good would be too easy. And it can't be easy! Life is more complicated;) I hope you still enjoy the story.