A/N: This is the other half of the last chapter since I divided it into two sections. Sorry for the long time on the update, I found myself preoccupied in other areas of my life for a few days. Sorry not so much fluff for you all, but we've plenty of time fore that later...
I do not own Sailor Moon.
Song: Walk A Little Straighter Daddy.
By: Billy Currington
Lyrics are in Italics.
Story is in normal font.
Arc 2: Chapter 2: Aino/Hino Family: Part 2
It was finally nightfall when Minako's family had finally headed home. The blond was happy for some peace and quiet, something rare for her to enjoy. Normally, Minako hated not being around others and having a more boisterous evening. Blasting music from the bathroom as she showered or making a mess in the kitchen were things she did on a fairly normal basis when she had been living back home. Now though, she had learned the joys of a more tranquil evening.
Things like long quiet baths, or a night of reading weren't things she had considered fun to do. However, that was what she found herself doing. Sitting in the bath, enjoying a light novel she had been meaning to get too now in her grasp. With a light scent of lavender in the air and the lights dimmed down, she had to admit, it wasn't exactly a bad thing.
Working at the shrine was something Minako had grown to love. With her mother visiting often she always had her gossip buddy. Grandfather Hino being the kind elderly man he was, often gave his sound advice from behind a book, or under some shade. Yūichirō often made himself scarce but, when he was around, his gravelly voice and long hair attracted a lot of attention from visitors. While Minako found that these people were people she loved and cared for deeply, there was one other person she just couldn't live without.
The blond sighed as she stepped out of the bath and readied herself for bed. She wasn't surprised to find that Rei was already in bed, her eyes already closed as she propped herself upright. Minako didn't waste any time brushing her hair one last time before snuggling down in her usual spot. Rei, even while asleep, was rather quick to notice the warm body that she had gown accustom to cuddling with and Minako assumed her normal position of a human pillow. Not that she minded, but as of late Rei found herself in a great many compromising positions when she woke up.
It was one of those mornings again.
Rei had stolen Minako's heart and had protected that heart with ferocity unmatched. Back in high school Rei wasn't going to allow just anyone to date Minako. Rei was even more protective now, but also self-assured, now that she knew Minako was going to just leave her. Even if Rei could be assured of this, another worry lay just under the surface. They had been together for a while and yet nothing had happened between them yet. Minako had done well to suppress herself, but, Rei wasn't an idiot. Minako wanted more and Rei was fearful of just what that would entail.
Yeah, sure they had spoken about things, and from these discussions Rei had come up with quite a few conclusions about Minako. Not just sexually but over all Minako was quite the woman. One that someone couldn't just judge from the outside. Yeah Rei had known that to a particular extent, but, the knowledge had given Rei one constant thought. She would need to step up her game. That was way she was walking around aimlessly.
She had been visiting her grandmother when she decided to take a walk. Rei's mind was filled with old discussions. Most of them seemingly pointless had found their way into the depth of her memory, and, for whatever reason were running rampant in Rei's head. Minako had said many things to Rei and yet, it was almost annoying at the things playing on her mind. Rei had been holding back, but, for one key reason.
She couldn't give Minako a family.
Among that, Rei couldn't even see why the blond had an affinity with Rei's father either. Rei's entire bloodline was one screw up after another, and it frightened Rei to become something equivalent to the man she hated. It was still a deep fear to think she could also be like some of the other women in her life. She feared becoming what her mother had been.
Minako grew up knowing what a loving, of not slightly odd family was. Rei knew nothing more than fragmented pieces. Her grandfather, though loving, was her one man family. Her friends and their families built up the roles of makeshift aunts and uncles that she wouldn't have had otherwise. Despite all of this, Rei knew she had a rather large bloodline; she just never could keep contact.
Her mind wandered a lot about that. It wasn't until she looked behind her that she realized that she was being followed by her father. Inwardly she sighed, while on the outside she fumed. "What do you want idiot." Her voice was concealing her aggravation quite well, even if her body language wasn't.
"To talk." He answered. "Is that a crime?"
"I guess not, but it is annoying." Rei turned to face the man.
"Annoying? I don't think it's too much to ask." Her father speed his pace and caught up to Rei and they continued down the path.
"So, talk…if that's what you want." Rei's voice wasn't hiding how aggravated she really was. "I told you I'd listen."
I remember looking up
To look up to him
And I remember most the time
He wasn't there
I'd be waiting at the door
When he got home at night
He'd pass me by to go to pass out in his chair
"Will you keep biting my head off?" Takashi wondered about that. He could say as much as he wanted, but if Rei would be hostile there wouldn't be any point in it. "Anything I say isn't going to register into your brain if you keep pushing me away."
"Can I trust you?" Rei really wondered that. "Or will you just leave me behind again?"
"I never left you anywhere." Takashi shot back picking up a stone off the walkway and threw it into the grass.
"You never wanted me be honest…I look like mom, you feel guilty about her, not me." Rei had no idea why this man had to keep making an appearance.
Rei, you didn't want me around either." He drawled as she rolled her eyes back at him. Clearly she wasn't listening. "I really mean-"
"Shut up." Rei interrupted softly. "You can defend yourself all you want, but that's not how I remember you."
"How am I remembered then?" He had always wanted to know, but she never really told him.
"I don't remember much when I was a baby. People tell me it was because of the hours you worked, but, even when you were around, you didn't really seem to care." Rei wanted to scream at him. She would have rather run away from him in this moment, but she had promised Minako she'd at least talk to this man before her. "What I remember was when mom was sick, she was gone and you got mad at everything I did. 'Rei, get off that sofa.' 'Go to bed Rei, I'm busy.' Or the best one, 'Rei, don't give me that tone…' I was a kid you idiot. I didn't know why mom was leaving me behind."
And I'd say
Walk a little straighter daddy
You're swaying side to side
You're footsteps make me dizzy
And no matter how I try
I keep tripping and stumbling
If you'd look down here you'd see
Walk a little straighter daddy
You're leading me
"You weren't an easy child to deal with." Takashi sighed. "You even gave your grandfather trouble at first."
"Yes, but the difference was that he knew how to deal with me, you didn't." Rei shot back. "You acted all high and mighty all the time."
"Well, what was I supposed to do?" Takashi voiced was raised slightly, on the defensive. "What could I have done different?"
"There you go, acting like you own the land you walk on." Rei sighed. "I don't have a clue what you could have done; I'm not you now am I?"
"Your right, you aren't me…" Takashi nodded as he went into his normal mode of thinking he'd won. "So don't act like life was easy on anyone."
"Yeah, so get your head out of your butt!" Rei growled. "It wasn't easy on anyone. Not me, grandfather or you either! Every time I tried to get close, to try to understand you, you'd ignore me." Now it was her turn to take the offensive, and Rei had no intention of backing down. "You'd come home late, pass out in grandpa's old chair and you'd totally ignore anything anyone said too you. Yeah, mom was sick, I thought she didn't care, that she just walked away…you never told me mom was sick…not until she was gone." Rei had her fists clenched, her eyes closed. She couldn't look the man in the eyes.
He stumbled in the gym
On graduation day
And I couldn't help but feel
So ashamed
And I wasn't surprised a bit
When he didn't stay
He stumbled out before they called my name
"Well pardon me for grieving Rei." Takashi sighed looking at the anger he saw, it was masking her real issue. "In my defense, I didn't know what to do."
"How about acting like a real dad?" Rei Shouted, now highly set off. "Or was that too hard for your male ego?"
"I don't have an ego." Her father answered back, trying to maintain his anger. "I had a child who wouldn't listen to reason."
"Oh, and I suppose that you were listening?" Rei could match him word for word. "You didn't take into account how I was feeling did you?"
"I know I've been a terrible father. I KNOW IT!" His anger was now at its peak. "I can't change that! I don't know how Rei!"
"That wasn't even the real problem…" Rei explained trying to get herself under control. "Grandpa took care of me…you never had to do that…but who are you then." If Rei wanted to shed tears for him, or for the stress of the situation, she wasn't sure. All that she knew was that she wanted to just break down that it fueled her rage more. "It pissed you off…I know it did dad…your little girl, could take you on even then…as a little kid." Her words were becoming incoherent. She didn't know what she was asking and stating. Her cheeks were becoming stained with tears filled with anger.
"Rei, you grew up angry with me." Takashi sighed. This was his child alright; the only difference was that she was still the underdog. She wouldn't ever win a fight with him, not unless he let her. It infuriated Rei to no end, and he knew that. "Beyond that, I don't know you. When I saw you walk into life as an adult, Rei, I couldn't watch that because I knew this would happen. You would still hate me, even as an adult."
"I don't hate you." Rei growled. "I want too, and I can't…that's why I'm so pissed off." Rei was now sobbing, all anger given up. She just couldn't be the anger ridden Hino any more. "I don't know why I can't…you'd make it so easy. It's too easy."
And I thought
Walk a little straighter daddy
You're swaying side to side
It's not just me who's watching
you've caught everybody's eye
And you're tripping and stumbling
and even though I've turned 18
Walk a little straighter daddy
You're still leading me
"Yet you don't hate me?" He answered her softly, obviously confused.
"Dad…stop…just stop." Rei sighed, trying to fight back tears. "You really are stupid."
"Your right." He agreed. "I'm an idiot, I'm a stupid man, I know it."
"If you know, than why are you here?" Rei was exasperated.
He shrugged "I must be those things. I see my kid crying at me just like she was when she was little and I don't have a damn clue how to make her stop. Just like then, and now, I don't know what the hell I'm doing. I never did, that's why I left you with your grandfather. He knew what to do. I still, quite obviously don't know what to do. Just like back then...I was so stupid I didn't even know to warm a bottle of milk, or how to change a baby."
Rei was in shock. "How can you not know how to do that?" Her voice was deadpanned; her eyes were still puffy even though she had stopped crying she still felt very fragile. "How can a father not know those things? Even I know the basics of that."
"Yes." Takashi nodded. "But your grandfather did well to raise you correctly. We can both agree, I'm not even half the man he is, and I would have been an even larger failure as a father if I had kept you with me. You know what you do because he knew what to do; he had raised your mother on his own for quite a while Rei. He knew how to be a single parent, I didn't know back then, and I don't know now."
The old man's still like he always was
But I love him anyway
If I've learned one thing from him
It's my kids will never have to say
"You really don't know what grandpa did in times like this?" She asked almost apprehensive.
"Rei, I never had a dad." Takashi sighed. "I had a mother, and later, your grandfather…but I never had a dad."
"Come here." She voiced, her worry was skyrocketing, she had never allowed her father near her, and now she held out her hand for him.
"You going to hit me or something?" He looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"No." Slightly annoyed he would think that, she grabbed him and pulled him into a hug. "Mom and grandpa would do this." She answered as if it was obvious. "This is what they would do, and when I was little, they would rock me too sleep. You never did that. You never got close enough."
"Then, when you got older you made sure I could never get this close." Takashi continued as he pulled away. "For years I wondered why…"
Walk a little straighter daddy
You're swaying side to side
You're footsteps make me dizzy
And no matter how I try
I keep tripping and stumbling
if you'd look down here you'd see
Walk a little straighter daddy
You're leading me
"It's because I didn't know if I could trust you." Rei admitted. "I didn't want to be you. I didn't want to even resemble you at all. I modeled myself after who I thought mom was, and what grandfather was. I didn't want to see myself years later as a female version of you…was I wrong? Is there more I don't know, that no one told me?"
"I assume there is." Takashi nodded, looking at Rei in the eyes. She was very much her mother, and a lot like her grandfather….but under all of that Takashi saw something else. Something he never spoke of and he chuckled. "That doesn't matter now though. Instead, there is something else that does." He sighed trying to think of the right words. "If my dad was alive, I'd have to curse him to all in sundry and then, I'd probably hit him in the face…if you could do or say anything to me, without retaliation on my part…what would it be?"
Rei looked at the ground for a moment. Closing her eyes she tried to think of the one thing she wanted to say, but, it was irreverent, just as he said. It didn't really matter after all of these years. Instead she said something else, something she never thought she would ever say. "I love you dad and I forgive you…but, even if I do, I can't help but feel like it doesn't add closure. We never had a start, not a real one."
"You're not a small little girl anymore." Takashi sighed, knowing that to be the truth.
Rei nodded. "So I'll say this…show me who my dad really is. You may not know how to raise a kid, but I'm not a kid…and I don't want to make the mistakes you made as an adult."
Yeah walk a little straighter daddy
You're leading me
Takashi smiled slightly at that. "I can do that." He couldn't mask the content hints in his naturally gruff sounding voice.
"Well there you are." Minako greeted as Rei walked up to the steps of the shrine. "Have a good visit with your grandmother?"
"I guess you could say that." Rei answered back softly as she looked back at the steps. "It was sort of tense too though."
"Why's that?" Minako asked as she saw two more figures come up the walk. "Did you fight?" She accused slightly.
"We did, but that's alright." Rei answered as Takashi finally came into view with Akane at his side. "We have guests…"
Minako nodded and smiled too herself knowingly. "Wait till your grandfather hears about this."
"It's alright." The old man answered from the front door. "I've been expecting it. Minako, alert Yūichirō to place more water on to boil."
"Oh no…he's cooking again?" She answered back, excusing herself from the group to do as she was told.
"So that's the girl eh Rei…I was expecting her to be more energetic." Takashi playfully joked.
"She can be, trust me on that one." Grandfather Hino sighed. "We've finally mellowed her out a bit, but she's still the girl who flings leaves."
"And adds to the indecent exposure?" Takashi rolled his eyes remembering one day in particular that he had been visiting the shrine.
"Dad!" Rei shouted out. "She does not!"
"Unless she's next to you." Grandfather Hino added. "Then all bets are off."
"Grandpa!" Rei was now almost embarrassed. "Stop it…"
"Never mind them." Akane responded, giving her son a slap on the arm in warning. "They cleanly have no manners. Then again, you and simply must continue our chatter from before." Her eyes held mirth that was unflattering for her age as Rei caught on. "It's like I've told these two times always change, but people don't. However I am interested to hear what that girl does to cause indecency at a shrine."
Rei hit her forehead and attempted to not blush. This was her grandmother after all. The woman wasn't normally so inappropriate. Well, as far as Rei knew anyway. "Now I know you've been around these two way too much." The boys laughed at her misfortune. Rei would have loved to beat her dad over the head with a newspaper for starting this, but instead she opted for excusing herself, joining Minako in the kitchen.
"Everyone's against me." Rei laughed slightly holding onto the door frame.
"Really?" Minako asked preparing the rice. "I don't think I am."
"No, I guess not." Rei answered as she went to the sink. "But you sure do give them the ammunition they need."
"How do I give them the ammunition?" Minako was actually confused. "I don't do anything bad."
"I didn't say you did, but they think you create indecent exposure." Rei answered as she went to chopping the vegetables.
"Now how did they get that idea?" With the rice was cooking, Minako set to work gathering other ingredients.
"Don't ask me…" Rei sighed out. "Although I wish I knew."
As Rei walked away from the counter, she placed the knife in the sink to be cleaned, being sure to keep it in a spot that would be easily seen. "Minako…where's the twisty ties?" As she rummaged through the junk drawer she just couldn't find them. "And the kitchen shears…why is the veggie peeler in here?" It was Rei's turn to be confused.
"Yūichirō and I cooked lunch." Minako answered slightly embarrassed that they had messed up the drawers.
"Well that's clearly apparent." Rei rolled her eyes, grumbling as she searched the kitchen.
"Oh come on now…" Minako laughed as she walked past Rei. "It's not that bad."
"So says that human tornado." Rei answered as she looked at a few of the bottom shelves, idly, she heard Minako picking something up but paid no mind.
"I think that you like my being a tornado." Minako whispered as she went behind Rei slowly. "After all, I may be wild, but you aren't innocent either." She answered as Rei felt slender hands reach under her shirt. "Just one word of advice…Think fast." The sound of fabric being cut was also punctuated with Minako running in the opposite direction, the scissors Rei was looking for, clattering to the floor in the corner.
"MINAKO!" Rei shouted, holding her bra together. "Get back here!"
TBC~~~~~
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