The Talk
AN: I know some of you were upset about bringing Kane back but maybe this chapter, and a little bit more of M/Y in it will make up for it. But I warn you, it's rather a sad chapter.
Chapter song: Nazareth – ''Love hurts''
''Kane ... Minako's my friend,'' Rei crossed her arms over her chest, slightly shaking her head.
Kane, who was sitting on the couch, bend forward a little bit, run hand through his hair in frustration and rested his elbows on his knees, looking at raven-haired girl. ''That's why I came to you, because you know her well, better than I do.''
Rei leaned back in her chair, ''I won't talk about her behind her back. I'm sorry.''
''No, no,'' now Kane shook his head, ''I don't want to talk behind her back. I just ... I just need you to confirm or deny something that I already suspect. I just need to understand.'' Rei didn't say anything, waiting for him to continue.
''Something between us changed since those three guys, friends of yours,'' he slightly waved in Rei's direction, ''came here. Minako became ... different, and I know it has something to do with them.''
''Kane ... ''
''Was she involved with one of them?'' Kane asked directly. ''To be more exact, with Yaten?''
''What makes you think so?'' Rei asked slowly.
''I don't know if it's about relationship, or something else that happened in the past,'' Kane shrugged. ''But I know it has something to do with them. And she acts strange in his presence.''
Rei looked away from him but Kane still continued. ''Rei, listen, I love her. I would never do anything to hurt her, and I'm afraid I'm slowly losing her.''
Rei looked back at him, ''Then why don't you talk with her instead of sitting here with me?''
''Because she distances herself, she doesn't want to talk about them. And I need to know anything to do something about it.''
Looking into his eyes, Rei could see that he was being honest. He deeply cared about Minako and didn't let her down even once in the past year. He deserved to know something. She sighed, ''You're right. Minako and Yaten were involved ... kind of.'' Kane raised one brow, waiting for Rei to continue, and she wondered how much she could tell him. ''I don't even know if I can call it a relationship because they've been together for a very short piece of time, but it was ... '' Rei looked for a good word ''... intense. Minako was really hurt after they left. She didn't want to show it, but some things you can't hide from your friends.'' Rei suddenly stopped deciding that she already said too much. ''I can't tell you anything more.''
Kane nodded. ''Thank you,'' he said, wondering what to do with these new information.
Minako smiled when she saw Kane entering the kitchen. ''I'm glad you came, I'm making dinner.'' She was feeling better than when she got up and felt like eating something good.
''Leave it for a moment. I want to talk to you.''
Her smiled disappeared as she heard seriousness in his voice. ''Something happened?''
He held out his hand, ''Come with me to the living room.''
She grasped his hand, wondering what was this all about.
Loud knocking on the door forced Rei to get up from the couch, breaking her afternoon nap. ''I'm coming!'' she shouted but it didn't stop the knocking. Rei swore under her breath. She didn't expect anyone.
''What the hell?'' Rei flung the door open, revealing intruder.
''How could you do this to me?'' Minako asked angrily and forced her way into the apartment, slightly shoving Rei aside.
Rei slowly closed the door and turned to look at the blondie. ''I guess Kane talked with you but couldn't leave my name out of it.''
Minako turned around, facing Rei. ''You thought I wouldn't find out that it was you who he talked to?''
''I knew you would.''
''Then why did you talk to him? You had no right to tell him anything!'' Minako burst out.
''Are you finished?'' Rei asked calmly.
''No! No, I'm not!'' Minako run her hand through her long hair furiously. ''I can't believe you talked to him behind my back. And of all things I can't believe you told him about Yaten! I thought you're my friend.'' Minako was letting go of all emotions she tried to hide when Kane was speaking with her.
''I am your friend, and that's why I told him the truth when he asked. Because we both care about you but apparently you're too blind to see it!'' Rei shouted back.
''What are you talking about? How telling him about Yaten and me shows that you care about me?'' Minako asked.
''Because I want what's the best for you. And Kane can give it to you. He loves you like crazy and you, maybe even unconsciously, are pushing him away since Yaten's back.'' Rei responded this time calmer.
Minako shook her head. ''That's not true.''
''Of course it is. You and Yaten act strange around each other, or you try to act normal but it doesn't go down well. Kane noticed this ... this tension between you two. I noticed it too. And I don't want you to suffer again.''
Minako turned her head away from Rei and sank on the couch. Her heart was beating fast and she took deep breath to slow it down.
Rei slowly took a few steps forward and sat down next to Minako.
''He wants me to talk to Yaten,'' Minako said quietly, not looking at her friend. ''To explain and end everything once and for good. He doesn't want anything to stand between us.''
''He's right,'' Rei nodded. ''It's time to let the past go.''
Minako turned her head to gaze at Rei. ''But I already did it.''
''I know you tried. And I also thought you were successful. But the fact that Yaten's presence still affects you, proves us wrong,'' she put hand on Minako's shoulder. ''Tell me, do you want to have Kane in your life?''
''Of course.''
''Then go and talk to Yaten as Kane suggested. You two didn't separated on normal terms, no wonder you feel strange around him.''
''But what should I tell him?''
''You will know.''
Minako closed her eyes, breathing deeply. She truly wanted to be with Kane. The past year was perfect but with Yaten's return things started to change. She couldn't deny anymore that him being back didn't have any influence on her.
''Minako?'' Rei asked, causing Minako to open her eyes and look at her. ''We're ok?''
Small smile tugged at Minako's lips as she nodded, ''Yeah, we're ok. And sorry for shouting at you.''
''Me too. Do you want to do something?''
''No,'' Minako shook her head, forcing herself to get up. ''I need to go to Yaten. I want to do this today. The sooner the better.''
Rei just nodded, understanding her friend. ''Good luck.''
Telling Rei that she was going to talk with Yaten was actually easier than really doing it. She stood in front of his door, thoughts crossed her head, including the one of turning back and quickly getting in her own apartment, but she promised herself to be strong. She closed her eyes, breathing in and out slowly, raised her hand and knocked on the door.
After a moment the door opened, revealing the person she came to. His slightly raised eyebrows indicated that he was surprised by seeing her there.
''We need to talk,'' Minako informed before he had a chance to say anything.
He rested his arm on the door frame next to his head, leaning forward a little bit. ''We already talked today.''
''Not the way we really should talk.'' Minako's tone was serious. Yaten stared at her for a moment before stepping back and gesturing for her to enter, ''Come in.''
She nodded and passed him, looking around the room. ''You're alone?'' she asked as Yaten closed the door and turned to her. ''Yeah, Seiya and Taiki are in the recording studio.''
''Oh, that's good, I guess.''
Yaten rested his back against the door and crossed his arms. ''Why did you come Minako? What do you want to talk about?'' he asked, fixing his eyes on the blondie.
Minako suddenly felt as if her throat was dry. She opened her mouth, wondering how to start. ''I talked to Kane today.''
''That's fascinating, really,'' Yaten sounded bored and Minako clenched her fists. ''Would you just let me finish?'' she asked sharply and Yaten didn't respond.
''He knows about us,'' Minako decided to go straight to the problem.
''About us?'' Yaten repeated.
''About you and me, that we've been ... together,'' it seemed like each word came out of her mouth with difficulty. ''He noticed how we act around each other.''
''And how do we act?'' Yaten asked.
''Like there are some unsolved matters between us.''
Yaten stepped away from the door, ''He asked you to come here?''
''It doesn't matter.''
''He surely has a great influence on you.''
''What?'' This wasn't the direction this conversation was suppose to go.
''Come on,'' Yaten threw his arms in the air and started walking around the room. ''You do everything he tells you to do, you just seem to be ... dependent on him.''
''What?'' Minako followed him with her eyes. ''I am not. And even if I was, it's none of your business. You definitely are not an expert in relationships.''
''Look who's talking. You surely always choose well.''
''What's your problem?''
''You're sure he's not enemy?'' Yaten asked out of nowhere, standing in front of her. Minako stood speechless, just looking at him, not believing what he just said; what he was referring to. ''It's not like you didn't make a mistake in the past.''
''You think that after all that happened I would just throw myself on the first better guy?''
''I don't know.''
''I was very careful for a long time but he didn't let go,'' she responded coldly. ''And why should I resign from happiness? It's not like somebody was waiting for me.''
Now Yaten stared at her for a moment before stepping away. ''I'm not gonna have this conversation.''
Minako nodded. ''Right, run, go away, like you always do.''
He turned to face her. ''What's that suppose to mean?''
''Nothing,'' she said in a way that didn't sound like it was nothing.
''You think it was easy for me? To left everything I experienced on Earth and just go back home?''
''It certainly looked like that.''
''What was I suppose to do? What did you want me to do Minako?'' he asked, raising his voice and looking straight at her and she couldn't avoid his eyes.
His eyes. Why did they have to be so compelling?
''I don't know,'' she finally admitted. ''I don't know,'' she threw her arms in the air. ''At least you might have been not so cold!''
''Would that make everything better, easier?''
Minako shrugged, ''Maybe not, but maybe it wouldn't hurt so much.'' There it was. She admitted to him how she felt when he left, in case he didn't suspected it already. Suspect? He probably was very aware of what he was doing to her. She felt tears coming to her eyes and him staring at her didn't help at all. But at the same time she felt furious inside.
''You know what, just forget it,'' she said angrily. ''This whole conversation was a bad idea.'' She turned around and headed towards the door but before she could make two steps she felt Yaten's fingers grabbing her arm and spinning her around. Before she had a chance to react, her chest was pressed against his and his soft lips were crashing down onto hers. Her mind seemed to froze for a second which was long enough for her own lips to start moving with his and for her fingers to ache badly in desperate need to curl themselves into his hair and bring him closer.
Suddenly she realized what she was doing and although her body didn't seem to obey her mind, with difficulty she pushed him away.
Yaten stared at her surprised. His eyes shone and his lips were swollen. The sudden urge to feel them again against her own run through Minako's body but she ignored it. Her heart was racing wildly and she brought her hand to her chest in futile attempt to calm it down. Obviously she didn't expect this conversation to go in such direction. Anger boiled within her and without more thinking she raised her hand and slapped Yaten hard across his face. His head swung and he brought his hand to the sore cheek, looking back at her even more astonished. This situation reminded him that it wasn't the first slap he got from her. The difference was that the previous one he got because he pushed her away, and now he earned one for kissing her. Human women were the most complicated creatures in the world.
''Why did you do that?'' he finally asked.
''Why did you kiss me?'' she asked back.
Good question. Why did he kiss her? Maybe because she looked so appealing being furious and broken at the same time, or maybe because after all that time he wondered if her kiss would still taste the same – God, now he couldn't even lie to himself anymore.
''Because you asked me to,'' he answered, ignoring his thoughts.
''What?''
''Last night when I got you home, you asked me to kiss you. I didn't do it then.''
Minako was staring at him at the same time trying to remember something from the last night. Eventually she shook her head. ''Even if I did, I was drunk. And you should know better than to listen to me.''
''Minako ... '' he took a step closer but she backed away from him. ''I'm happy Yaten. Don't ruin it,'' small tear was threatening to escape her eye. ''You'll be gone sooner or later. It always ends like that.'' With one last sad look she was gone and he didn't follow.
Back in her apartment Minako slid down the wall and let the tears fall freely. She touched her lips, closing her eyes. More tears fell down. She didn't know how long she was crying but when evening came she was so exhausted that she only took a shower and snuggled down in the blankets, on the couch. She didn't get up when she heard the door being opened.
''Minako?'' Kane asked, standing in the entrance to the living room. Minako looked at him and held out her hand, ''Come here.''
Kane walked up to her, reached for her hand and held it tightly for a moment before he sat down on the couch and let her lay on his lap. ''You're ok?'' he asked, stroking her wet hair.
''Yes, it's just been a hard day.''
''Did you ... '' Kane started but Minako didn't let him finish. ''Yeah. It was pretty bad, and I don't want to talk about it. It's just you and me now. Just hold me, ok?''
''Don't worry, I won't leave you,'' he said and leaned down to kiss her temple. ''I love you.''
AN: Like it? No? You know I love to read your reviews:D
For everyone who's wondering about the princesses – they will appear again, I promise! You just have to be patient.