Ok. So I thought it would be nice to have a Chapter that gives a vision of Mianko and Seiji's relationship in the every day, but I'm not really sure how I feel about this chapter. It just seems sort of boring or like too much filler or maybe lack-luster. My goal is to have this story completed in as few chapters as possible because my short story game sucks. I'd also like to write some other shorties that focus on the other character relationships and I can't do that if I keep getting stuck in these epic stories. I really love pulling apart characters like this and figuring out what might make them tick so I can then put them in other situations and watch them go. Then there are my other writing projects. Not like I need to take myself seriously.

Ok. If you're reading this, thanks so much for hanging out.

Onward.

Chapter 2 - Dinner and Conversation

Seiji was just starting to doze off when Ami bustled into the room.

"I'm terribly sorry, it was a crazy day in the OR," she told him, kneeling beside them in front of the couch and opening her doctor's bag. Ryo hustled in with her, his face anxious as he took them in.

"She ok?" Rekka wondered. Seiji smiled tiredly at their resident doctor.

"Don't worry about it Ami. We've been here, just fine. She's been sleeping for awhile though. Nasuti doesn't think it's too bad but we thought you should look her over," he replied in low tones. Ami made a non-committal humming sound, intently examining Minako's scalp, gently turning her head to face Seiji and moving careful fingers along the back.

Minako flinched when Ami's fingers ran over the right spot and Ami lifted the hair there, running careful fingers over the spot again in a second pass. Minako twitched and grumbled.

"I know. I'm sorry Mina-chan, but I really need to look at this," Ami replied softly. Seiji rubbed at her shoulder, intending to soothe her. "There's definitely a sizeable hematoma back here," Mercury murmured, still poking gently. She turned Minako's head gently so her face was up and then carefully prying an eyelid apart, reached into her pocket and shone a pen-light into Minako's eye. She did the same with the other eye and Minako attempted to swat at her. Seiji gently grabbed her flailing hands, putting them back down near her lap.

"It's just Ami. She needs to make sure you're all right, Mina-chan," he attempted to reassure her. She grumbled something incoherent in response. Ami chuckled, letting the air out of her lungs as she stood, tucking the light back in her pocket.

"I don't blame her for being grumpy. I'm sure she's got quite a headache. She seems fine right now, but we'll keep a close eye on her, wake her every few hours just to make sure," the woman said, putting her bag back together. Seiji nodded, feeling relieved.

"Thanks Ami-chan," he replied, feeling himself finally relax. Ami smiled at him, patting his shoulder, and then turned, reassuring a still anxious-looking Ryo and tugging him back out to the kitchen. Seiji could see nearly everyone in the house in there, and he assumed they were all discussing the night's events.

He kind of wished he could be in there too, since he'd never gotten the actual straight story, just the parts that he'd managed to piece together. In his arms, Minako twitched, cuddling closer, and Seiji sighed, tucking her against him more securely and then adding a blanket from the couch back. He settled in, feeling drowsy, and fell asleep before he knew it.

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The ringing of a phone was one of the rudest ways to wake up, Seiji thought, squinting against the sunlight streaming into the living room. Another shrill ring filled the air, and Minako groaned, shifting beneath the blankets. He watched, blearily, as an elegant hand slid from their warm cocoon and fumbled around on the side table for a moment until it found the receiver and picked it up. It disappeared beneath the blanket and Seiji heard a grumpy "Hello?" muffled by blankets.

There was a moment of silence and then," Hello?" came again, this time sounding more awake. Then again. "Helllooooooo?" Minako tossed the blanket aside then, scowling at the device as she sat up and hung it up with an aggravated slam.

"Stupid jerk," she snarled. "If that guy is stalking Nasuti again I'm gonna teach him a lesson," she muttered under her breath. Her hair had an appealingly disheveled look that made him want to pull her back down and tuck her in beside him again. There were lines in her face from the throw pillows they'd slept on, but overall, she looked much better.

Even if she also looked very grumpy.

"Aspirin," she muttered under her breath, getting up and wandering toward the kitchen. With a sigh, Seiji rose as well, grimacing down at yesterday's uniform in disgust. He was going to need to change before he got to the dojo. A shower might be nice too. He followed Minako into the kitchen. Venus was slowly sipping at a glass of water and had a hand up blocking the sunlight from getting into her eyes. Seiji frowned, concern needling him.

"Maybe skip work today," he murmured, gently tipping her head to get a look at the lump.

"Wish I could. Big project coming up though, so I'm gonna have to put on my big girl panties and head out," she murmured in reply. Seiji sighed, pulling her close and laying a careful kiss against the top of her head.

"All right. I can walk you in. And I'll meet you after work – at your building," he replied, nuzzling behind her ear and soaking in the bright tones of floral and citrus that seemed to cling to her naturally. It was a scent he'd become addicted to, and it was amazing how just the tiniest hint of it had to reach him and he immediately felt more relaxed.

"That's awfully out of your way, Seiji," she murmured, tilting her head to give him better access. Seiji smiled, humming in his throat quietly as his lips brushed the delicate skin of her neck.

"I don't really care how out of the way it is. I'm going to walk you in and pick you up. I'll probably call you during the day too," he added, laughing quietly when she shivered.

"Mmm, all right," she sighed, relaxing against him.

Hmm. He was going to need to remember this moment for future arguments. She was a softer touch than she realized. Seiji smirked, straightening before things got out of hand and rubbing her shoulders with a gentle, reassuring touch for a moment.

"Breakfast?" he asked affectionately. Minako grimaced.

"No thanks. My head still hurts too much," she replied, making a gagging face. Seiji sighed again as his own worry amped up. What he wanted was for her to be home with Nasuti all day, resting. But since that wasn't happening, he'd have to take what he could get.

"Hopefully the aspirin will kick in soon. You'd better bring some to work," he said softly. She nodded, leaning against him for a moment more before heaving her own sigh and heading toward the stairs, leaving her empty glass on the counter.

"All right. I'm going to shower. I'll let you know when I'm out," she called softly, exiting the kitchen. Seiji pinched the bridge of his nose once she was gone, trying to stave off the worry that wanted to swamp him. It was still an enormous struggle not to keep her constantly tucked away safely. And now this…..murder. He shivered slightly, wondering why on earth someone had ended up murdered in a theater production.

It just seemed…so dramatic.

Seiji snorted at his own wry humor and then turned to make some tea and miso soup. He had a feeling it was going to be a very, very long day.

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"Hel-lo?" Minako snarled into the phone. She just couldn't help it anymore. She'd been trying to get through her mock-ups all day with a splitting migraine, and this was the twentieth time the phone had rung in the last three hours.

If there was someone on the other end of the line, she'd probably feel less aggravated, but since all they seemed to want to do was breathe at her and then hang up, Minako's temper was quickly reaching the end of its tether.

"You okay?" Seiji's deep voice asked, concern lacing his tone.

…And now she felt like crap for being so rude. She sighed.

"Sorry Seiji. Just a long day. I'm all right. Just tired. Still have a headache," she murmured.

"Mmm. It's just about quitting time for you. I was just letting you know I'm on my way," he said in a deep tone. Minako couldn't help but smile as she cast a glance at the clock on the wall. Finally, the end of the day.

"Thank goodness," she said into the phone. "I'm so over today." He chuckled.

"I'll just bet you are. I'll be there soon. Love you," he said in a low voice. He'd said it to her numerous times now – said it often since their last, awful, final battle in fact – but every time she heard it, it melted her into a puddle of goo. He loved her, and headache or not, she was the luckiest.

"Love you too, travel safely please!" she gushed into the phone before hanging up.

She bustled about her workspace, tidying and readying for the next day's work, ensuring she could come in and remember what she was doing, pinning fabric so it stayed overnight. She had packed up her portfolio and was just about to walk through the door when the phone rang again.

Rolling her eyes, but with a smile, she plucked up her office receiver. "Are you downstairs?" she asked with a laugh.

There was a still, heavy silence on the other end of the line. The hair on the back of her neck went up at the ominous feeling it engendered. And then a distorted voice spoke into the vacuum of sound.

"No. I'm just down the hall. Be right there," it breathed. The line went dead. Minako stared at the phone gripped in her hand with wide eyes for a moment.

Be right there.

She slammed the receiver down and turned, biting her lip as she looked at her office door, anxiety tripping up her spine.

Then she remembered that she was the damn Senshi of Venus, and if anyone wanted to come through that door, she'd be happy to show them exactly what that meant. Anxiety replaced with self-righteous irritation, Minako slammed through her office door, turning and locking it behind her before she stormed to the elevators and down to the lobby.

Whoever kept calling her had better cut it out, or she might be inclined to go looking for them instead.

Feeling more settled, the smile she gave Seiji when the elevator doors whooshed open and she saw him standing in the lobby was genuine. He looked incredibly attractive in a pair of tan, pressed slacks and a forest green button-up. His collar was open to the top of his chest, giving him a more relaxed, casual vibe, and he still had the remnants of a fresh shower clinging to his hair. His jacket was tailored, the lapels neatly pressed, and it hugged his figure in flattering form.

Hmm. She did enjoy a well-dressed man, and Seiji seemed to have that in spades.

Minako forgot all about her miserable day at work and moved forward, returning his quick embrace and tucking her hand through his elbow as he took her bag along with his in his free hand and turned, guiding them out of the building.

"If you're up for it, I thought we could do take-out at my place. Maybe relax and have a quiet evening in," he said softly, smiling at her. Minako hummed happily in her throat.

"That sounds divine," she gushed, leaning into his arm and sliding her hand down to intertwine their fingers together. A grown-up sleepover with her guy sounded like the perfect way to improve on an otherwise awful day in what was shaping up to be an awful week. Normally she soaked up the attention of others – loved being around people. But Seiji's quiet introversion was starting to rub off on her.

And spending quiet time together in his apartment was fast becoming one of her favorite things.

He'd probably already ordered her favorite take out too.

She grinned when he steered them into the curry shop, plucking up their dinner for the evening.

"You're spoiling me," she laughed, refusing to let go of his hand. She pulled the take-out bag from him instead, giggling when he pretended to fight her for it.

"Get used to it," he said in a low voice as they moved toward the train station. "I don't plan to slow down."

Minako sighed with contentment as they waited together on the platform.

Murder or not, she figured life couldn't get much better than this.

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Seiji's favorite thing in the world was having Minako share his space.

He knew he was fussy about it. Liked things arranged just so. He put a lot of effort into striking a perfect, harmonious balance – creating a sanctuary for himself that was always calm, always relaxing, no matter what might be going on in his life.

Minako was the only one who really fit in the space with him. Of course, he had guests. Seiji didn't mind entertaining friends…well, the Troopers primarily, when the occasion called for it. But Minako was the only person who could visit his space and feel like she belonged there. Like her energy blended seamlessly with the buttery tatami flooring and precisely arranged ikebana. Like she could be there and understand Seiji more just by existing in it with him.

She let out a contented sigh now as he opened the door for her and ushered her in, carefully toeing out of her adorable flats and stepping up into his entry, moving slowly on quiet feet into his kitchen where she deposited their take out. She stretched, arching her arms overhead, shirt riding up to reveal a tantalizing glimpse of midriff. Seiji followed her example, carefully setting both their bags on top of the cabinet in the entry to be dealt with later and stepping up into the serenity of his apartment.

Minako leaned casually against his counter on one hip, digging through the takeout bag enthusiastically, pulling out cartons and setting them aside. Seiji approached her, stilling her hands. She looked up at him, flushing when she noticed how close he was, and the look on his face.

She liked to think of herself as such a flirt, he thought, but sometimes all he had to do was look at her with a sincere expression and she was easily flustered. It was cute.

"Now, I'll say a proper hello," he murmured, his gaze focusing on her lips before he eased down and met them with his own.

She tasted sweet as she sighed, dropping the bag and wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling them closer. Seiji echoed the embrace, cupping her face tenderly and losing himself for a moment before they both pulled apart for air. He smiled into her dazed expression.

"Better," he murmured, kissing her sweetly on the forehead, his smile turning into a grin when she still looked a bit lost. He pulled away then, stooping to collect their mostly empty bag, and when he straightened, the smile she was giving him looked a lot less innocent.

"Hmm. No wonder you saved that for your apartment," she crooned. She grinned then, waggling her eyebrows at him and ruining the coy image. "I'm not so sure you're the gentleman everyone makes you out to be Seiji Date. Maybe your lady killer reputation is well deserved after all," she winked at him, picking up their cartons and heading into the dining room.

Seiji flushed, unable to help himself.

They'd had a long, long conversation about the fact that his supposed ladies' man reputation had merely been that he'd refused to return any of the flirting the girls had heaped on his head, which had somehow led to him being considered a mysterious playboy playing hard to get. He had no idea how that logic even worked out. He had deliberately not returned advances, and somehow that had made it worse. Ryo liked to tell him it was his good looks that did him in, but considering he'd had to cover one of his eyes with his hair when he was a kid so he didn't scare other kids with his gaze, that didn't exactly add up for Seiji either.

Honestly, Yayoi had pretty much driven him away from all women from an early age, so really it was one of the most frustrating aspects of his life. He wasn't playing hard to get. He was impossible to get. On purpose.

Part of him had hoped now that he was visibly dating someone, the rest of the women would find a hobby. Or someone else to swoon over. But somehow that still wasn't the case. Minako enjoyed teasing him about it at times, but he didn't necessarily mind. He understood the teasing as her way of letting him know she didn't hold it against him – that she understood that wasn't who he really was.

He entered the dining room with napkins and drinks, dismayed to find her more playing with her food than eating it. He passed her a drink and a napkin, frowning with concern. "Mina-chan, you all right?"

Her head snapped up to take him in, her gaze absent for a moment before she focused on him.

"Hmm? Oh, yes, I'm all right. Just thinking," she replied, stirring her curry without really seeing what she was doing. Seiji raised his eyebrows at her.

"About what?" he encouraged, sitting down to his own meal. He was starving. It had been a long and busy day with a schedule that hadn't even allowed for lunch.

Minako shrugged, resting her chin in her hand and staring off into the space next to the table. They sat in silence for a moment until she blinked, looked at him, and said, "Why do you suppose someone would want to murder a person over a community theater production?"

Seiji choked, swallowed the bite of food in his mouth, and stared at her, trying to come up with an answer. She was staring at him eagerly, as if she needed someone to make what had happened to her make sense, so Seiji really thought hard.

He had nothing. Sighing, he leaned back in his chair.

"I don't really think it's a place or a thing or an event, Mina-chan," he said softly, thinking of all the experiences he'd had in battle. "I think that it's just people. Maybe it doesn't seem like anything big or important to you or I. Maybe something about the production….triggered someone who's already been struggling. But it just comes down to the person. Why does anybody murder anyone?" he shrugged his shoulders, feeling dismayed when she drooped. "Sorry. I wish I had a better answer for you than that," he murmured.

She smiled at him. "No, that's a good answer. Just sad. I just…wish I knew why is all. It's been bothering me." Seiji frowned, but could understand.

"I…don't really know what happened. Do you feel like you want to talk to me about it?" he asked gently, going back to his meal. He noticed with relief that she was eating in earnest now too.

She nodded at him, and in between bites explained everything from start to finish. He couldn't help but feel his hackles go up.

Why kill a body and stuff it in a closet for someone to find? And right before Minako was set to take on the lead part – necessitating that eventually she'd need to go into the lead dressing room at some point, even if not immediately as she'd done. He didn't like it. And she'd managed to explain it objectively, but he didn't like the idea that someone had traumatized her this way on purpose. He knew her well enough now to understand how frightened and upset she was.

He was going to need to talk to the others. Especially Touma and Ami.

"…next Friday, I'll see if I can find a new copy of the script and maybe talk to Mr. Kudo about what's happening. I totally forgot my coat there too, which is a bummer, because it's like, my favorite one – it's so cute, and it matches my—" Minako's voice pulled him from his thoughts, and he frowned at her across the table.

"Next Friday?" he asked, feeling clueless. Minako blinked at him, and then smiled indulgently.

"Where'd you go just now? Silly. Next Friday at rehearsal. I mean, I assume the production is still running, but I'll talk to Kudo about it," she said matter-of-factly, resting an elbow on the table and then cradling her chin in her hand, smiling at him affectionately.

"You're….going to rehearsal on Friday?" he asked, feeling as though he were missing something. "Isn't that…dangerous?"

Minako blinked at him. "Why would it be dangerous?" she asked, a sharp edge to her voice.

"Err…..because somebody died?" he attempted to counter. She seemed to fold in on herself then.

"Oh…I guess you're right," she murmured. "Is it terribly selfish of me that I didn't even think about that? I mean, look at me, just….planning to carry on like this. How awful." Her eyes went glassy, and she put her forehead in her hand, hiding her eyes from him. "Poor Takeda. And to die like that…" She sniffled.

Hell. Seiji jumped up from his seat.

"Not like that! I didn't mean it that way!" he cursed under his breath, wondering how he was always managing to say exactly the wrong thing at the right time. Her moods were so hard to read sometimes. He liked to think he knew when she was playing at being cheerful and bubbly, but it was easy to forget how talented an actress she could be and how often she used the skill to hide her inner struggles.

He reached her, pulling her out of her chair and into his arms, tucking her against him and beneath his chin, attempting to soothe her.

"I know," she sniffled. "But how awful am I? His daughter is missing and he's dead and I'm just….waltzing in there taking her part like nothing's wrong. Like 'the show must go on'. Oh my god, I must be a terrible person!" she wailed dramatically, clutching at his shirt and turning the water works up full blast.

Dammit. He closed his eyes and furrowed his brow, trying to figure out what to say to make her feel better.

"Minako. Please, stop. You're not a bad person at all. This was something you were looking forward to, and it's ok to be passionate about it. I just meant that I'm a little worried. I mean, you suddenly get the lead part and just happen to find the dead body of the missing lead's dad in her dressing room? Doesn't that seem….a little too coincidental to you?" he asked. "I mean, think about it. If you're the lead, you would have found that body eventually, right?" he tried to reason.

She hiccupped, and then rose so quickly she nearly collided with his chin. It was only his quick reflexes that saved them both. "Oh my gosh, you're right! That's….well it's really creepy now that you pointed it out. But I don't get it. I was just part of the choral line, no big deal. So why me? Or did they think someone else was going to be lead?" she gasped then, looking up at him. "What if someone else was the target and I was a surprise?" she breathed.

Seiji frowned. He didn't know a lot about her production – he'd have to ask Rei and Mako-chan for details – but that seemed unlikely to him. Maybe he was biased, but he was pretty sure she was probably the best talent on that stage. She was trained to a much higher caliber than most of the volunteer players.

"I think you'd be the obvious stand-in choice, Mina-chan," he argued. Minako put a hand to her chin thoughtfully, and then shrugged, rolling out of his arms and sitting back down to her meal. Seiji dutifully returned to his seat across the table and eagerly began finishing his meal.

"I dunno. Maybe. I mean, I am incredibly talented and beautiful," here she flashed him a winning smile and a V for victory. The arrogance should annoy him, but her self-confidence was something he loved about her, and, he knew, often reflected a deep lack of confidence she felt inside. He made it a point never to discourage her.

"…So that'd make sense. But no one here really knows who I am. I mean, in my last life? Totally. I've been targeted by plenty of weirdoes. But here, who's gonna know anything about me?" she asked, taking another bite of dinner.

"You were targeted in your last life?" he asked, disturbed by the idea and unable to move past that point. She blinked at him and then shrugged self-consciously, which surprised him.

"Well, yeah I guess. I mean, I wasn't an idol but I did get pretty far into the spotlight. I was modeling for some bigger brands. I played the club circuit. All kinds of people come out of the woodwork when you're that visible," she muttered uncomfortably, rubbing her arm. "I guess it just sort of came with the job."

Seiji huffed out a breath, tremendously grateful that she'd given that sort of life up. No matter how popular she became as a fashion designer – and she was already getting there – she wasn't likely to attract that sort of attention now. He hoped.

"I don't….I don't like to think that somebody was murdered for a reason that has anything to do with me," she whispered. "It makes me feel…gross."

And there it was. For all her confidence and sparkling personality. For all her love of the spotlight and touting of her talent and beauty, deep down she had a heart that shone. Pure and compassionate, and so very tender-hearted, she couldn't bear to think about the idea of anyone innocent hurt, or worse – and especially not for her sake. She worked to protect the innocent, and couldn't bear the idea that she'd been the cause of their suffering.

"Mina-chan," he said softly, affectionately. "You haven't caused anything. You didn't hurt anyone. The person responsible for this is the murderer. It doesn't matter what their motive is. It's in no way your fault." She looked up at him again, teary-eyed, and launched herself from her seat, leaping around the table in a bound or two and right into his lap. Seiji caught her neatly, intending to cuddle her and reassure her again, but felt his chair tip with her forceful momentum. He jerked, scrambling to gain it back, flailing, but was unsuccessful. The chair rocked backward, taking them along with it, and Seiji felt himself hit hard, curling around Minako to spare her the brunt of the impact.

Minako simply maintained her death grip on him, still bawling her eyes out, but Seiji simply smiled, holding her close.

This was Minako. Wonderful, loving, strong, and loyal.

Sometimes she was a spaz. Sometimes she was over-dramatic. Sometimes...she was a bit of an egomaniac.

And he loved all of her.