Chapter 2- Who is this man on the plane? Why can't I place it?

Chapter 2.

Minako walked with Motoki down the stairs. "Thank you for all your help. If we have parties this summer, be sure to drop by, I'll leave your names at the door."

"Thanks." Motoki said slightly sarcastic. "So I'll see you tomorrow at noon?" He asked being more up beat.

"10. If I know anything, it'll be best if you're here at 10. It'll give us more time to talk." Minako replied.

"Yeah, sure." Motoki decided to be daring and take the slap if it came. He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Maybe we can escape our friends and go out to dinner tomorrow night?" He whispered in her ear.

Minako wide eyed nodded. "Yeah, I would love that." She said breathlessly and smiled.

Motoki turned around and opened the umbrella. Before he left to the rain he turned around and waved at her. Grinning Minako waved back. When he disappeared from sight she closed the door leaning against it and sighed. Outside the rain was just pouring and the thunder was deafening. She groaned and pushed away from the door locking it. She walked to her room. Now she was even more jealous of her cousin because her room was almost sound proof. She wouldn't hear this, and Minako would hear a lighter version of it. Enough to fall asleep though. But Minako had a possibly handsome boyfriend, and she was going to dwell more on that than anything else right now, tomorrow she could worry about her lack of sleep. And surprising she fell asleep quite easily.

The next morning she was up and early. She walked by the bathroom and heard Usagi on the phone; maybe it was the same person as yesterday? Minako despite her better judgment listened in. (Yeah RIGHT!) "Yes mom, no mom, I don't know, I have to meet up with somebody tonight, we only got in yesterday, I'll call you later this week to set up a time, yes, I promise." Minako smiled and went on. She went into the kitchen and made breakfast for herself.

That consisted of putting cereal in a bowl and pouring milk into it. She ate it slowly by the window that was opened. A warm breeze drifted past and she watched the waves hit the shoreline. God she loved this place. It was one of the only places she could feel comfortable. There were so many memories. She glanced to the clock, it was 11. They'd leave soon for the airport. She looked harder at the sky, the clouds were gray, and were letting in minimal sun. She looked once more at the ocean seeing a slight drizzle she was correct, it was still raining.

"Usa-chan?" She asked as she left the kitchen.

"Yeah Mina-chan?" Usagi asked blow-drying her hair.

"We've got to get going, and do you know where our umbrella's are?" Usagi bit her lip in concentration.

"The car?" She asked unsure. "I'll go look for them." Usagi turned off the dryer and put it down. Surprisingly her hair was almost dry.

"Nah, I'll borrow Motoki-chan's when he comes." Minako reassured her. "Are you feeling ok?"

"Yeah, why? And Motoki-chan? When did this happen?" Usagi asked slyly.

"I don't know. To answer both. I think he's a great guy." Minako paused. "Why do you have a problem with him?"

Usagi shook her head fast. She quickly squelched her cousin's fear. "No! No, no. I think he's perfect for you. I mean he didn't have to help us yesterday, but he did, so you're free to do what ever you want." There was more to it Minako was sure, but she didn't want to press.

"All right. Let's get going." Minako responded. She headed to put on her shoes and when she opened the door Motoki was there ready to ring the bell. "He-he. Hi, Motoki-san." Minako blushed.

"Hi, ready to go?" Motoki asked. More in control of his character than yesterday.

"Yeah we're ready, but while you talk can I borrow your umbrella? I need to get ours." Usagi jumped in.

"Uh, yeah." Motoki handed her the umbrella and she ran down to the car. "You look great today Minako-san."

"Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself." Minako replied.

Usagi was back rather slow, she had slowed down once she found her umbrella, she wanted to giver her cousin as much time as possible. But she was back too fast for Minako. "Well, shouldn't we be getting on? I'm sure your friend would hate to wait in the airport." It took an hour to get there.

She handed Motoki's umbrella and ran down the steps to the car with hers open, Minako and Motoki would have to share. And they did. But they walked at a much slower pace than Usagi did, talking. Motoki opened Minako's door for her and got in as Usagi was already seated. He finally looked Minako over instead of just her eyes. She was wearing a light flowered blue blouse and white tank underneath. Her hair was back in the same style as the day before, but this time a yellow bow held it in place. She was also wearing an army knock off capris. As he drove he glanced at Usagi who was sitting in the back. She was wearing a desert army out fit, minus the top. She had a light jacket that was of the same material, but underneath was a tan tank. Her hair was in two braids and on her head was a bandanna of the army get up. She had tall army boots and on her collar of the jacket was 3 stars. Everything else gestured to somebody who was redeemed popular.

Motoki who had been semi-serious asked Minako a question. "Hey Minako-san, I have a question about the female's sense of style. Do you purposely dress the same? Or is that something that something happens because your cousins?"

"Oh, it's because we're cousins, and have almost the same fashion sense, any other question would result in a serious headache for you." Minako replied sweetly.

Usagi almost gagged, but they were almost to the airport. Soon she could be away from the budding couple. Motoki pulled to a stop inside a parking lot and Usagi jumped out, smiling stupidly just to be away from the would be couple if they could just be brave enough to ask each other out.

Minako looked to her cousin and shook her head. She understood why her cousin was acting this way, but they had already had plans for a date, which Usagi wouldn't need to know about for a while, she liked her time alone with Motoki. And that's all she could tell right now. Motoki had been so sweet today, he was kind of funny, he'd told jokes after he asked that question about fashion in the car. He was also very kind and one of the best members of the male species.

Motoki walked down the escalator and waited for them to come near before going to the luggage retrieve area and waited for his buddy to show up. The place was crowded and unfeeling. White walls, machines everywhere. A few seats to talk and rest while waiting, but nothing out of the ordinary.

A few minutes later a black haired man with sunglasses on came next to Motoki. They said some things than hugged, all very manly be assured. Motoki gestured his head towards them and his friend looked up. He said something that received a slug in his arm. The walked over to them, they had his bags. "Minako-chan, Usagi-chan, this is Mamoru-kun."

When Mamoru met the blonde he almost dropped his bags. She was gorgeous! But she also seemed so very familiar. "Hi." Usagi politely greeted him.

It took all her strength not to collapse to the ground in admiration. "Hi." He echoed.

Motoki who shared a glance with Minako, smiled and broke the silence. "Perhaps we should get going?"

"Yeah." Mamoru stated distractedly. "So how do you three know each other?"

There was a quietness, as they all shared a look then they all broke out laughing. "Mamoru, Mamoru, Mamoru. It's a long story, but perhaps you would still like to know it? Hmm?" Motoki asked with a grin.

"Yeah, sure." Mamoru responded. Usagi laced her arm through his.

"Great. Well, unless, you feel like driving after your long flight, I would think that you would have to share the back with me. Because," Usagi said raising onto her tiptoes and dragging him down farther she whispered to him. "I'm trying to hook my cousin up with our friend." She lowered herself again and looked back at her cousin who was leaning up against Motoki and Motoki had his arm around her shoulders. Mamoru followed her gaze.

"Well, you can drive can't you? Perhaps we should give them room to do what they want?" Mamoru hinted.

"Maybe, that's actually a really good idea. But, I know my cousin, put her in the back seat and she'll be sick in 2 minutes. Unless she's in a big bus. Other than that, I wouldn't hold much hope." Usagi shrugged.

"All right, I guess we have back seat." Mamoru grinned. Turning back to the lovey dovey, no-yet-coupled. "Hey! Motoki! You're driving!" When they got back to the car Mamoru placed his bags in the back and slid into the back seat, dragging Usagi along with him. A minute later Motoki and Minako entered the car. Motoki drove the car back to their cabin.

"So tell me the long story?" Mamoru suggested as a topic. But it seemed Minako and Motoki were already talking. So he questioned the girl already in his arms. "Usagi-san?"

"Well, last night, it may have been the first time, it may not have, but last night it was raining and our new neighbor, Motoki-san came and helped us unload the car. But we think we may have met him when we were both living in a off shoot of Tokyo."

That had basically been the mood of the whole week, Minako and Motoki making doey eyes at each other, they had gone out for the night and brought home a burger for everybody and they had dinner after everybody slipped apart. But Motoki and Minako had ate together in silence.  Mamoru and Usagi talking and getting to know each other, but neither attempting anything. But a week and everything changed.

04/21/02

Can't keep me down, down. Oh, no, no, no.

There's no room to go into all the family words. The rule is that you call older people by their 'title' (father, mother, uncle, etc.) and younger people by their names. The only problem is that we don't have a word for 'older sibling.' Hence: Nii-san is what you call your older brother (politely, o-nii-san; very politely, o-nii-sama. Usage varies from family to family.)

O-nii-san is also what you call your older brother-in-law, and any young man whose name you don't know if he's between the ages of about 18 and 30-something. It's also what male prostitutes call their customers, while 'nii-san' is what yakuza (gangsters) call the guy they're about to beat up on.

Nee-san (pronounced nei-san) is what you call your older sister or sister-in-law, with the same polite variants, and also any young woman whose name you don't know between 18 and 40 something. After that you call her obasan (aunt) and she goes home and cries. If you're an older Japanese you can call waitresses 'o-nee-san', but foreigners are advised not to try it.

Oyaji is a colloquial and male term for father. All English equivalents are dated eg 'Pops'. Has about the same feel as 'the old man' but can also be used as a direct form of address.

SM- Sailor Moon, relentlessly straight except for the second season set of bishounen badnasties. Kunshite (English name Malachite) and Zoicyte are practically canon. Nephrite and Jadeite are not, but who cares? Not exactly yaoi but fun anyway (and canonical as all get out) are the third season dykes Haruka and Michiru. The only shoujo (girl-oriented) series mentioned here.

I don't know where that last paragraph came from but the rest of it was something that you might have found informational. I got it from a website I had visited, actually several, and got my friend to put that together, apparently she had gone too far… Oh well… See ya!