Chapter 3: The Burden of the Past
Haruka went downstairs, almost running as she finished buttoning her coat. The pounding in her head had returned but she didn't care. She stopped as she reached the last step, seeing Yaten and Taiki looking at her from where they sat at the kitchen table. She ignored them and started to the front door, running into Seiya as she did.
"What the hell?!" she exclaimed angrily, quickly stepping back.
"I just thought you would want a ride home," he said, holding up his keys.
"Fine," she snapped, irratated that she lived several miles away and that her car wasn't any nearer. He silently opened the door for her and followed her out, ignoring his brothers.
"You know, she could at least have said thank you once, " Yaten said after they left. Taiki rolled his eyes and went back to reading.
Seiya glanced over at Haruka as he drove along, thinking of something to say to break the heavy silence between them.
"Look, I must have done something since you still don't trust me," he suddenly blurted out.
"What are you talking about?" Haruka asked, looking over at him.
"Even after Galaxia was defeated, you still didn't trust any of us," Seiya explained.
"Trust? You saved our princess when we couldn't-," Haruka started angrily but was unable to continue.
"Oh," Seiya said, suddenly realizing that he must have stepped over the line. He could understand that the senshi resented the Starlights since they had protected Sailor Moon after they had fallen to Galaxia. Usagi herself had told them that the outer senshi took their duties very seriously and would not let anyone or anything get in their way. "Haruka, I'm sorry," he said, looking over at her.
Haruka didn't respond. The memories of the horror the Galaxia had brought still haunted her. She saw that Seiya had long ago gotten over it but she hadn't but she wasn't about to let him know that.
"It wasn't your fault," he said quietly.
"What?" Haruka was surprised at his comment.
"You still blame yourself and none of what happened was your fault," Seiya went on, not daring to look at her, certain that she was furious . But she sat there, too shocked to speak. "Anyway, I'll see you later," he said, pulling up in front of her house.
"Fine," she said,getting out. She shut the door before he could respond. Part of her was angry that in a few minutes he had been able to find her weaknesses but another part of her mind was confused.
Seiya silently slipped in the house, hoping to avoid Yaten and Taiki but he had no such luck.
"Are you ill? Or mentally unstable?" Yaten asked as he passed by the living room.
"And you must be stupid," Seiya said,glaring at his brother.
"Or have you taken leave of your senses?" Yaten went on.
"Yaten, I did nothing more than what was simple kindness," Seiya insisted.
"No, no, no. First you insisted on bringing her here when we could have left her with Ami or Makoto, then you were defending her and now you're getting defensive again concerning her. What is going on?" Yaten demanded.
"Nothing is going on," Seiya said quickly. Yaten frowned; he knew that Seiya was terrible liar.
Haruka went downstairs, almost running as she finished buttoning her coat. The pounding in her head had returned but she didn't care. She stopped as she reached the last step, seeing Yaten and Taiki looking at her from where they sat at the kitchen table. She ignored them and started to the front door, running into Seiya as she did.
"What the hell?!" she exclaimed angrily, quickly stepping back.
"I just thought you would want a ride home," he said, holding up his keys.
"Fine," she snapped, irratated that she lived several miles away and that her car wasn't any nearer. He silently opened the door for her and followed her out, ignoring his brothers.
"You know, she could at least have said thank you once, " Yaten said after they left. Taiki rolled his eyes and went back to reading.
Seiya glanced over at Haruka as he drove along, thinking of something to say to break the heavy silence between them.
"Look, I must have done something since you still don't trust me," he suddenly blurted out.
"What are you talking about?" Haruka asked, looking over at him.
"Even after Galaxia was defeated, you still didn't trust any of us," Seiya explained.
"Trust? You saved our princess when we couldn't-," Haruka started angrily but was unable to continue.
"Oh," Seiya said, suddenly realizing that he must have stepped over the line. He could understand that the senshi resented the Starlights since they had protected Sailor Moon after they had fallen to Galaxia. Usagi herself had told them that the outer senshi took their duties very seriously and would not let anyone or anything get in their way. "Haruka, I'm sorry," he said, looking over at her.
Haruka didn't respond. The memories of the horror the Galaxia had brought still haunted her. She saw that Seiya had long ago gotten over it but she hadn't but she wasn't about to let him know that.
"It wasn't your fault," he said quietly.
"What?" Haruka was surprised at his comment.
"You still blame yourself and none of what happened was your fault," Seiya went on, not daring to look at her, certain that she was furious . But she sat there, too shocked to speak. "Anyway, I'll see you later," he said, pulling up in front of her house.
"Fine," she said,getting out. She shut the door before he could respond. Part of her was angry that in a few minutes he had been able to find her weaknesses but another part of her mind was confused.
Seiya silently slipped in the house, hoping to avoid Yaten and Taiki but he had no such luck.
"Are you ill? Or mentally unstable?" Yaten asked as he passed by the living room.
"And you must be stupid," Seiya said,glaring at his brother.
"Or have you taken leave of your senses?" Yaten went on.
"Yaten, I did nothing more than what was simple kindness," Seiya insisted.
"No, no, no. First you insisted on bringing her here when we could have left her with Ami or Makoto, then you were defending her and now you're getting defensive again concerning her. What is going on?" Yaten demanded.
"Nothing is going on," Seiya said quickly. Yaten frowned; he knew that Seiya was terrible liar.