SEVENTEEN
(c) rikki-chan (lady bundtcake) 2004
CHAPTER FIVE - REUNION
===
Setsuna had been a morning person for as long as she could remember which, she thought wryly, was a pretty long damn time. Her lifetime spent guarding the Gates of Time had taught her that too much sleeping in can only lead to two things: missing out on something good or trouble. As she felt she rarely saw good times, and as she disliked chaos of any kind, Setsuna followed an "early to rise" policy and got up with the sun.
She was in the kitchen, just pouring her first cup of coffee, when she heard the padding of little stocking feet and wondered why on earth her daughter was up at this time of day. Poking her head around the doorway, she called out to her.
"Hotaru-chan?"
No answer. Setsuna frowned, setting the coffee pot back on the burner and proceeding into the hallway that led to the dining room. She bent down and peered beneath the large table.
Hotaru was crouched between the table legs, and upon seeing her Setsuna-mama's face, she quickly shook her head and signaled for silence. Setsuna obliged, thinking something had probably spooked the little girl, and crawled under the table to join her.
"What is it?" she whispered.
"Michiru-mama is maaaad," she hissed back.
Setsuna arched an eyebrow. She was used to the occasional argument between her two housemates, but was wise enough to know that they sometimes got pretty brutal. She and Hotaru both sounded the retreat whenever that happened and took great pains to stay out of sight. "What did your papa do now?" Setsuna asked.
Hotaru allowed herself a stifled giggle. "Minako-san called this morning and said Seiya-tachi arrived last night and stayed at a hotel. She said today they were all going to go do something together, but she wanted to bring them by here first so they could drop off their luggage," Hotaru grinned knowingly at her mama. "Anyway, Michiru-mama told Haruka-papa she had to get up because people were coming and…well, you know how Haruka-papa is in the morning."
The time guardian snorted, banging her head on the table as she did so. Rubbing her head, she thought ruefully that if there was ever an opposite of her own morning bird habits, Haruka embodied it. Too many times, Setsuna had passed by their bedroom only to hear Michiru yelling that if Haruka didn't get up THIS MINUTE, she would spend the next week on the couch. It usually worked. Setsuna hated it when it didn't work, actually, since Haruka always left her old clothes strewn all over the living room when Michiru kicked her out of their shared bed.
"So what did Michiru say?"
"The usual threats," Hotaru said, confirming Setsuna's suspicions. She giggled. "But then she said if Haruka-papa didn't go downstairs and get coffee started, she'd ask Seiya to do more than just help her undress this time!"
The young woman and her daughter nearly exploded with laughter, clamping their hands over their mouths to keep most of it in. "Thank god I've already started the coffee," Setsuna gasped, wiping a tear from her eye. "Haruka might REALLY kill Seiya this time if I hadn't!"
"Oh, there you are."
Setsuna and Hotaru popped their heads out from under the table to meet Michiru's even blue gaze. She was already dressed in a casual but typically elegant sundress, with her shining aqua hair pulled back into a loose and flowing ponytail. She smiled down at them. "Having a powwow? I just came down to make breakfast and noticed you'd been in the kitchen already."
Setsuna smiled and crawled out from beneath the table, swiftly joined by her daughter. She brushed a dark lock out of her eyes as she stood up, smoothing down her blouse. "We were just hanging out until the storm blew over. Hotaru-chan gave me forewarning."
Michiru sighed and rolled her eyes. "Disaster averted, I think. She's in the shower. It took some effort, but I finally got her up," she smiled, her eyes glinting. "Although I'm pretty sure you don't want details."
"Spare us. So, they're coming over? When?"
The aqua-haired beauty checked her watch. "About an hour. Minako-chan said they only just woke up, and she said Yaten usually spends forever styling his hair, so she told us there wasn't a rush." The three ladies walked back into the kitchen, and Michiru pulled a carton of eggs out of the refrigerator. "How do waffles sound?"
"Fantastic. I'll make some bacon. Hotaru-chan, can you pour me a cup of coffee?" Setsuna asked, opening up a cabinet to dig for a pan. "So what are the plans for today?"
"Well, Minako-chan said they're all going to go to the park and make a day of it. We're also invited, if you're interested. I'd like to go, but I'll have to check with sleeping beauty up there," Michiru rolled her eyes.
"Here you go," Hotaru handed Setsuna a steaming cup of coffee and poured Michiru one as well. "I'd like to go, too," she chimed in. "We haven't all hung out together in a really long time."
"Setsuna?"
Setsuna sipped from her mug. "Well, my project up at the lab isn't due until late next week, so I could probably stand to take the day off. And it would be nice to spend a day with everyone."
"I don't want to go."
The three girls turned their heads to meet a very disgruntled Haruka standing in the kitchen doorway, rubbing her damp hair with a towel and clad only in a white t-shirt and her boxers. She pulled the towel off her head and flicked a finger through her wet bangs, making a face. "I can't believe you want to spend the day with THEM, Michiru. Seiya's an ass."
"Oh?" Michiru arched a curious eyebrow. "Why is he such an ass?"
"Look at him!" Haruka spat. "Thinks he's so good at everything, stuck up, arrogant, rude little prick who thinks all the women in the world are just dying to jump into his pants."
"Sounds like someone else I know," Setsuna muttered into her coffee.
The sky senshi's sharp ears didn't miss a beat, and she narrowed her glittering teal eyes at Setsuna. "What was that?"
"She says you and Seiya are a lot alike," Michiru said plainly, infuriating her lover. She simply walked very gracefully across the kitchen and planted a kiss on Haruka's cheek. "Now behave. Think of some other people's interests for once instead of your own. And remember, this is for Usagi-chan. You wouldn't want to upset her."
Haruka's hard expression softened at the mentioning of her little kitten. She sighed heavily. "All right, but only for Odango. And that's the only reason I'm doing this."
"Silly," Michiru giggled. "You're doing it for me, too. Otherwise I'm putting you in the extra guest room with Seiya-sama for the week."
===
"Well, we weren't TOO far off from the map the other night," Taiki said, turning his map and peering through the limousine's windows at the streets rushing by. "See, I was right, we just needed to head a few blocks in the other direction."
"Yeah, and if I had legs up to my neck, I'd have been ready to sprint all that way, too," grumbled Yaten.
"Oh, don't bait me, Yaten. It's too early for me to think of any good short joke comebacks."
"Shut up, Seiya."
Minako giggled and settled back into the plush seat of her limousine. She didn't ordinarily ride around in this car; she much preferred a smaller, sportier car that she had purchased with her first paycheck (a yellow beauty she had had modeled after Haruka's baby, much to the older woman's personal annoyance). However, for carting around her friends, the limo was much more practical. It could comfortably seat ten passengers, and Minako was fairly sure she could squeeze a few extra people in for today. Maybe they could stick Haruka and Taiki up front with the driver, since their legs were so long.
Seiya was fiddling with the power windows, letting in a breeze that persistently fluttered Taiki's map. The two quickly became engaged in an argument over it, and Minako took the opportunity to inch a little bit closer to Yaten. The young man didn't miss it, but instead of giving her attitude, he favored her with a rare smile.
"So, you finally did it, huh?" he said softly.
Minako beamed. "Yep! I always knew I would be an idol, especially after you said I had the talent for it. It was all just a matter of timing." She fluffed out her bangs and smiled happily. "Funny how that works, isn't it? Sometimes it has nothing to do with how good you are, but just being in the right place at the right time."
"Tell me about it. Like take those two over there," Yaten said, nodding his head at the bickering pair in the seats across from them. "If they weren't so involved in arguing, I wouldn't have enough time to do this."
He took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze, followed by a soft kiss on her cheek. Minako blushed.
"Luna would be so jealous," she giggled.
Seiya had stopped arguing for a millisecond and caught the amorous gazes being exchanged between his friend and the cute blonde senshi. "Oh look, Taiki," he mused, "Young love in springtime."
"Shove it," Yaten said, pulling away slightly from Minako, who fidgeted uncomfortably. Then, on second thought, Yaten stretched back comfortably and slung his arm around Minako. He made a face. "You're just jealous."
Seiya laughed. "I'm proud of you, Yaten. You do have a heart." He winked at Minako. "We need you to stick around, lady. You definitely take the edge off that boy."
Minako just laughed and pinched Yaten on the cheek. He frowned, of course, but she beamed up at him and then at Seiya. "Leave it to the goddess of love and beauty to cure all that ails you!" she chortled, before glancing out the window and sitting up suddenly. "Hey, look, we're there!"
The driver was easing the large car into the front drive of Haruka-tachi's large country home. Minako, Yaten, Seiya, and Taiki unbuckled and piled out of the car doors, greeting a smiling Hotaru who was running down the drive to meet them.
"Everyone!" she laughed, giving Seiya and Minako a hug. She smiled. "It's good to see you! Did you have a safe trip?"
Michiru and Setsuna had joined the group, and the limo chauffeur had opened up the trunk and was pulling out the Three Lights' luggage. Setsuna cocked an eyebrow at the number of cases emerging from the trunk. "Is all that yours? I thought you were only staying the week," she said.
"Yaten doesn't pack light," Taiki said stoically.
"Next time, I'm putting HIM in a suitcase," added Seiya.
"Well, the more, the merrier," Michiru said. She hugged Seiya and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Welcome back, stranger," she said, eyes glinting mischievously.
Seiya winked at her. "Is the master of the house out?"
"Oh no, she's upstairs, brooding. I imagine she'll be down when we're ready to leave. Kicking and screaming, of course," Michiru said.
"Are we going to ride in your limo, Minako-san?" Hotaru asked, bouncing giddily.
Minako bounced right along with her. "Yep! My very own, first-ever limo! Actually, this should be a treat; I've never tried to stick so many people in it before. We'll see if it lives up to its price tag."
"I can't believe you own two cars already," Setsuna said, shaking her head.
"Hopefully I'll buy another soon. I need something less flashy. I'm starting to forget what it was like to be able to go into Crown and play a round of games without getting mauled by fans."
"See?" Yaten interrupted. "You see what it's like? And that's what YOU always did to us, and now you know how it feels."
"Just the breaks of being an idol. Anyway," Minako flashed him a grin, "Some of the fans aren't that bad."
Yaten coughed, and Taiki heaved a bag to his shoulders. "Mind if we go ahead and set up camp?"
"Not at all," Michiru said, leading the party into the house. The Three Lights trailed behind her, laden with bags, followed by Setsuna and a giggling Minako and Hotaru.
"We've only got the two guest rooms," said Michiru, as the group ambled through the hallway. "The biggest is this room here, and the smaller one is the last door at the end of the hall. This room has two beds and the other just has the one, so you'll have to fight over who gets the single." She pushed open the door to the larger room, revealing two made-up beds and an empty closet.
Yaten and Taiki threw each other a look. "We'll take this one," they said in unison.
"Hey," Seiya huffed, "What, do I have the plague or something."
"No, but you snore," Yaten said, tossing his bag down onto one of the beds.
Minako giggled, and Setsuna gave Seiya a quizzical look. "Does he really?"
"No," Taiki said, "But Seiya is an incurable insomniac. Sometimes he's up until four in the morning, just because he can't sleep."
"And then when you finally beg and plead with him to just put the light out and go to bed…" Yaten added.
"He gets out his guitar and starts playing," Taiki finished.
"Oh, and once he starts writing music, there's no stopping it."
"You can't squelch creative genius. It's not MY fault my creative juices flow best at night," Seiya said, taking his guitar case and his luggage and strolling down to the bedroom at the end of the hall.
"Yeah, but you could at least TRY to keep a normal schedule, you nut," Yaten shouted after him.
Setsuna smiled. "I've never been much of a sleeper either, so I can sort of identify with Seiya on this one. I'm the only person in this house who sleeps on the downstairs floor, since I'm always the first one up in the morning and the last to go to bed."
"Well, Seiya definitely doesn't get out of bed early," pointed out Yaten.
"This morning, we practically had to drag him out," added Taiki.
Michiru laughed. "Sounds like someone else I know."
"You were saying?" a deep voice from behind her spoke.
Haruka wrapped her arms around Michiru from behind and rested her chin in Michiru's gleaming hair, frowning slightly at Yaten and Taiki. Then she seemed to think better of it and managed to smile at them. "Welcome back," she said, releasing one of her hands from Michiru's slender waist to shake with each of them.
Taiki nodded. "Haruka-san. Good to see you."
Seiya had dropped off his stuff in his room and was now heading back up the hallway to meet up with the group. He stopped when he met Haruka's dark gaze, but only for the briefest of moments before he immediately assumed his cockiest stance. Smirking, he stuck his hand out to shake with Haruka's. Michiru noticed both their hands seemed pretty tense.
"Haruka-san. Letting us crash your planet once more, eh?"
"It would seem," Haruka said mildly, withdrawing her hand.
It was Minako who broke the awkwardness, her face flushed with excitement.
"Well? What are we doing in this hallway? Let's go have fun!"
===
Usagi yawned and ate another donut, stretching her legs out across the floor. Seated at Rei's small table, Ami and Makoto were reviewing their homework assignments, and Rei was sprawled on her bed reading manga. Usagi didn't feel like joining in and doing actual work, so she was relaxing on the floor, eating some of Makoto's homemade donuts and letting her toenails dry. She licked powdered sugar off her fingers and carefully screwed the cap back on the tiny bottle of nail polish.
"Well?" she asked, pointing her toes so everyone could see. "What do you think?"
Rei glanced up from her manga and peered at Usagi's toes. "They're pink," she said critically.
"I like pink!"
"I don't. I mean, we're not fourteen anymore."
Usagi frowned. "Adults can like pink too, Rei-chan."
"I like red," Rei said, going back to reading.
Usagi sighed. It was amazing how after all these years, she and Rei could still argue over almost anything. Usagi could say the sky was blue, and Rei would call it more of a lavender. It never failed.
Still trying to gain someone's attention, Usagi stretched her foot out over the table where Ami and Makoto were working.
Makoto pushed Usagi's leg aside. "We're a little busy, Usagi-chan."
"Aw, you guys!" Usagi pouted. "It's Saturday! We don't even have school today. Plus," she grumbled, "It's still morning. We should be out doing things. Why else did you call me over here if we weren't going to do anything?"
Ami, who couldn't hold a poker face if her life depended on it, glanced anxiously at Rei. Rei shook her head very slightly and said, "Because we thought it would be better for you if you actually got up before noon once on a Saturday, idiot. All you do is eat and sleep. I don't want the solar system to be ruled by a Neo-Queen Serenity who's as round as the moon itself."
Usagi glared at her, and Makoto had to stifle a laugh. "Maybe I did make a few too many donuts," Makoto said, edging the plate away from Usagi.
"Hey, where's Minako?" Usagi asked suddenly, glancing around as though she might see the familiar face at any moment.
Ami looked flustered, but Makoto cut in. "She's probably off doing some idol thing," she said, brushing her hand, "You know she's always busy these days. Even Saturday isn't a day off for an idol."
"Arguably, it's even more work," Ami added. "Remember the Three Lights had to film movies on Saturdays sometimes."
Rei and Makoto gave her stern looks and Ami immediately clammed up, but Usagi had caught the familiar name. "The Three Lights," she murmured. Suddenly, she thought of the star she had seen just last night. She smiled dreamily. "Sometimes I wonder if we'll ever see them again."
"Erm…well, it is a very long way to travel," Makoto said. "How far away is Kinmoku, Ami-chan?"
Ami had already started pulling out her mini supercomputer, when the door to Rei's room slid open and Minako burst in with Hotaru on her heels. "Morning!" she shouted.
Usagi smiled and jumped up to greet her friend. "Minako-chan! Hotaru-chan! What are you doing here?"
"We came for you, silly," Minako said, giving her a hug. "I've got a surprise out in the car."
"It's about time," Rei said. "She'd almost finished off the donuts and we were running out of things to keep her occupied with!"
Usagi ignored her and cocked her head at Minako. "A surprise? What is it?"
Minako laughed and Hotaru clapped her hands together gleefully. "Just wait till you see!" Hotaru said excitedly.
"First off, how are you?" Minako asked. "I haven't seen you in a while. I've been pretty busy."
"Oh, I'm all right," Usagi smiled, but she looked a little tired. "I got up pretty early today to see Mamo-chan off. His flight left at eight this morning. Then I came back here."
"Oh yeah," Minako gave her a sympathetic look. "Are you doing all right?"
Usagi shrugged. "I'm fine, really," she said. "It was…much easier this time. I don't know, I guess you get used to these things." She gave a small laugh, but it wasn't exactly mirthful. Usagi bit her lip and thought about the wish she had made just the other night. Good thing her friends didn't know about that.
"Well, come on," Minako said, tugging on Usagi's hand. Hotaru took her other hand. "You've got to come out to the limo right now, because we're all going to the amusement park. Everyone's here; Haruka-tachi and…oh, just come on! Ami-chan, Mako-chan, Rei-chan, come on!"
In the car, Seiya was fidgeting anxiously. He hadn't felt this keyed up since…well, he couldn't really remember. Normally he took great pains not to lose his cool in front of people, but at the moment he was as shaky as a toddler taking his first steps. He drummed his fingers relentlessly on the car seat.
Michiru and Haruka were sitting in the seat opposite. Michiru leaned forward and took one of his hands in hers.
"You'll be fine," she said sweetly. "She'll be very happy to see you."
Seiya's throat felt too dry to say anything in response, and his eyes grew wide when Haruka hesitantly gave him a brief clap on the shoulder.
"She will be happy to see you. Just don't do anything to hurt her, or I'll kill you," Haruka said, smirking a little.
Seeing that brash confidence that was so oddly like his own cheered Seiya a little, and he favored Haruka with a cocky smirk of his own. "Thanks," he said.
Usagi was quickly dragged through the grounds of the Hikawa Shrine by Minako and Hotaru, who led her rapidly down the many steps to street level. Behind them, Ami, Rei, and Makoto panted to keep up.
"Are we making a big mistake by doing this?" Ami whispered between breaths.
Makoto shook her head. "Look, maybe nothing's changed. She still loves Mamoru-san, but it might just be a nice refresher to see an old friend."
Rei bit her lip. "I don't know. Usagi's been acting different lately. She's not nearly as lovesick as she used to be. Maybe she's just maturing and learning how to handle life better, but then again…well, maybe she's changing. She's just not the same anymore. She isn't bubbly around Mamoru-san. Half the time it feels like they're only sticking together out of duty." She shook her long raven hair as though to clear her thoughts.
"I mean, I want her to do whatever is right, but I don't want her to suffer and feel depressed because she feels she's living a life she has no control over."
Ami and Makoto nodded. "We'll just have to see, and hope Usagi-chan does her best," Ami said.
"Ta-da!" Minako said, as the girls arrived at her limo. "Primo seats, too. Now there aren't any place cards or anything, so just squeeze in wherever you can find a spot." She flung open the side doors. "Ladies and gentlemen, our guest of honor, Tsukino Usagi!"
Usagi's face split into a wide grin as people began piling out of the car to greet her. "Haruka-san! Michiru-san! Setsuna-san!" she said, giving each of them a hug. "I didn't know you were spending the day with us, too! Are you the surprise?"
Michiru smiled warmly. "I think Minako-chan volunteered to bring you something a little more exotic than us," she said, gesturing back to the car.
Usagi looked around her. Her mouth fell open as she saw Taiki and Yaten hop out of the car and walk towards her, wide grins on their faces. "T-taiki-san!" she gasped. "Yaten-kun! H-how…you came back!"
"It's not every day a young princess turns seventeen," Taiki said gallantly, bending down to give her a kiss on the cheek and a hug. "You look lovely as ever."
Yaten kissed her other cheek, hugging her shoulders lightly. "You better be happy with your surprise. We came from the other side of the galaxy just to see you."
Usagi flushed and smiled happily at them both. "I am happy! This is amazing. But did…" she trailed off, not sure how to ask.
Yaten rolled his eyes. "Of course he did, he's just got cold feet. Oy, Seiya!" he yelled back at the car.
Usagi strained to see inside the darkened vehicle, when suddenly a leg swung out of the car, followed by another, and before she knew it the full body of Seiya Kou had emerged from the limo.
He stood there, the brilliant light of the morning sun striking his ebony hair and giving it a bluish glow. His shaded eyes were gleaming mischievously, although his mouth was set in a straight line.
Looking at her, in a simple pink flower-print dress with little thong sandals that exposed her pink toenails, watching the sunlight bounce off her golden hair and light up her expressive blue eyes, Seiya thought he had never seen anything so beautiful. He didn't know whether to scoop her up in his arms and kiss her passionately, or pull on one of her long pigtails and make fun of her hairstyle. He thought the first would probably attract more attention than he had bargained for at the moment, and so he settled on teasing her.
"Well, Odango," he said, his eyes glowing. "Don't I get a hug, too?"
"Seiya," she said softly. She felt suddenly confused as to what to do. She hadn't expected to feel quite like this if she ever saw him again, this strange reaction that made her breath catch and her heart pound a little too hard. She guessed she really HAD missed him.
"Seiya," she murmured again, before regaining her composure. "A hug?" she teased, "What do I get in return? Taiki-san and Yaten-kun both gave me a kiss!"
Seiya said nothing, but his eyes glinted even more. He moved steadily towards her, like a cat ready to pounce, before putting his hands on her small shoulders and leaning forward, his cheek brushing against hers. Her skin felt warm and smooth and smelled faintly of rosemary, and he let his lips brush ever so slightly against her ear as he whispered, "I missed you." Then he planted a tender kiss on her cheek and drew his head back, smiling cockily.
Usagi laughed, and threw her arms around him in a crushing bear hug. "I missed you, too!" she said. She turned back to Minako. "Well, are we going to ride in this limo, or what?"
As the Three Lights and the younger girls piled back into the car, Michiru turned to Haruka and fanned herself jokingly. "You know, I just realized I was holding my breath through all of that," she said lightly.
Haruka allowed the corners of her mouth to quirk up in a slight grin. "I swear, I'll kill him if he tries anything."
"Oh, you!" Michiru laughed, swatting her playfully. "Let them have their fun. We'd better get in that car before they run out of seats and have to strap us to the hood."
"Why won't you ever let me strap you to the hood of my car?"
"Honestly, Haruka, you're impossible!"
(c) rikki-chan (lady bundtcake) 2004
CHAPTER FIVE - REUNION
===
Setsuna had been a morning person for as long as she could remember which, she thought wryly, was a pretty long damn time. Her lifetime spent guarding the Gates of Time had taught her that too much sleeping in can only lead to two things: missing out on something good or trouble. As she felt she rarely saw good times, and as she disliked chaos of any kind, Setsuna followed an "early to rise" policy and got up with the sun.
She was in the kitchen, just pouring her first cup of coffee, when she heard the padding of little stocking feet and wondered why on earth her daughter was up at this time of day. Poking her head around the doorway, she called out to her.
"Hotaru-chan?"
No answer. Setsuna frowned, setting the coffee pot back on the burner and proceeding into the hallway that led to the dining room. She bent down and peered beneath the large table.
Hotaru was crouched between the table legs, and upon seeing her Setsuna-mama's face, she quickly shook her head and signaled for silence. Setsuna obliged, thinking something had probably spooked the little girl, and crawled under the table to join her.
"What is it?" she whispered.
"Michiru-mama is maaaad," she hissed back.
Setsuna arched an eyebrow. She was used to the occasional argument between her two housemates, but was wise enough to know that they sometimes got pretty brutal. She and Hotaru both sounded the retreat whenever that happened and took great pains to stay out of sight. "What did your papa do now?" Setsuna asked.
Hotaru allowed herself a stifled giggle. "Minako-san called this morning and said Seiya-tachi arrived last night and stayed at a hotel. She said today they were all going to go do something together, but she wanted to bring them by here first so they could drop off their luggage," Hotaru grinned knowingly at her mama. "Anyway, Michiru-mama told Haruka-papa she had to get up because people were coming and…well, you know how Haruka-papa is in the morning."
The time guardian snorted, banging her head on the table as she did so. Rubbing her head, she thought ruefully that if there was ever an opposite of her own morning bird habits, Haruka embodied it. Too many times, Setsuna had passed by their bedroom only to hear Michiru yelling that if Haruka didn't get up THIS MINUTE, she would spend the next week on the couch. It usually worked. Setsuna hated it when it didn't work, actually, since Haruka always left her old clothes strewn all over the living room when Michiru kicked her out of their shared bed.
"So what did Michiru say?"
"The usual threats," Hotaru said, confirming Setsuna's suspicions. She giggled. "But then she said if Haruka-papa didn't go downstairs and get coffee started, she'd ask Seiya to do more than just help her undress this time!"
The young woman and her daughter nearly exploded with laughter, clamping their hands over their mouths to keep most of it in. "Thank god I've already started the coffee," Setsuna gasped, wiping a tear from her eye. "Haruka might REALLY kill Seiya this time if I hadn't!"
"Oh, there you are."
Setsuna and Hotaru popped their heads out from under the table to meet Michiru's even blue gaze. She was already dressed in a casual but typically elegant sundress, with her shining aqua hair pulled back into a loose and flowing ponytail. She smiled down at them. "Having a powwow? I just came down to make breakfast and noticed you'd been in the kitchen already."
Setsuna smiled and crawled out from beneath the table, swiftly joined by her daughter. She brushed a dark lock out of her eyes as she stood up, smoothing down her blouse. "We were just hanging out until the storm blew over. Hotaru-chan gave me forewarning."
Michiru sighed and rolled her eyes. "Disaster averted, I think. She's in the shower. It took some effort, but I finally got her up," she smiled, her eyes glinting. "Although I'm pretty sure you don't want details."
"Spare us. So, they're coming over? When?"
The aqua-haired beauty checked her watch. "About an hour. Minako-chan said they only just woke up, and she said Yaten usually spends forever styling his hair, so she told us there wasn't a rush." The three ladies walked back into the kitchen, and Michiru pulled a carton of eggs out of the refrigerator. "How do waffles sound?"
"Fantastic. I'll make some bacon. Hotaru-chan, can you pour me a cup of coffee?" Setsuna asked, opening up a cabinet to dig for a pan. "So what are the plans for today?"
"Well, Minako-chan said they're all going to go to the park and make a day of it. We're also invited, if you're interested. I'd like to go, but I'll have to check with sleeping beauty up there," Michiru rolled her eyes.
"Here you go," Hotaru handed Setsuna a steaming cup of coffee and poured Michiru one as well. "I'd like to go, too," she chimed in. "We haven't all hung out together in a really long time."
"Setsuna?"
Setsuna sipped from her mug. "Well, my project up at the lab isn't due until late next week, so I could probably stand to take the day off. And it would be nice to spend a day with everyone."
"I don't want to go."
The three girls turned their heads to meet a very disgruntled Haruka standing in the kitchen doorway, rubbing her damp hair with a towel and clad only in a white t-shirt and her boxers. She pulled the towel off her head and flicked a finger through her wet bangs, making a face. "I can't believe you want to spend the day with THEM, Michiru. Seiya's an ass."
"Oh?" Michiru arched a curious eyebrow. "Why is he such an ass?"
"Look at him!" Haruka spat. "Thinks he's so good at everything, stuck up, arrogant, rude little prick who thinks all the women in the world are just dying to jump into his pants."
"Sounds like someone else I know," Setsuna muttered into her coffee.
The sky senshi's sharp ears didn't miss a beat, and she narrowed her glittering teal eyes at Setsuna. "What was that?"
"She says you and Seiya are a lot alike," Michiru said plainly, infuriating her lover. She simply walked very gracefully across the kitchen and planted a kiss on Haruka's cheek. "Now behave. Think of some other people's interests for once instead of your own. And remember, this is for Usagi-chan. You wouldn't want to upset her."
Haruka's hard expression softened at the mentioning of her little kitten. She sighed heavily. "All right, but only for Odango. And that's the only reason I'm doing this."
"Silly," Michiru giggled. "You're doing it for me, too. Otherwise I'm putting you in the extra guest room with Seiya-sama for the week."
===
"Well, we weren't TOO far off from the map the other night," Taiki said, turning his map and peering through the limousine's windows at the streets rushing by. "See, I was right, we just needed to head a few blocks in the other direction."
"Yeah, and if I had legs up to my neck, I'd have been ready to sprint all that way, too," grumbled Yaten.
"Oh, don't bait me, Yaten. It's too early for me to think of any good short joke comebacks."
"Shut up, Seiya."
Minako giggled and settled back into the plush seat of her limousine. She didn't ordinarily ride around in this car; she much preferred a smaller, sportier car that she had purchased with her first paycheck (a yellow beauty she had had modeled after Haruka's baby, much to the older woman's personal annoyance). However, for carting around her friends, the limo was much more practical. It could comfortably seat ten passengers, and Minako was fairly sure she could squeeze a few extra people in for today. Maybe they could stick Haruka and Taiki up front with the driver, since their legs were so long.
Seiya was fiddling with the power windows, letting in a breeze that persistently fluttered Taiki's map. The two quickly became engaged in an argument over it, and Minako took the opportunity to inch a little bit closer to Yaten. The young man didn't miss it, but instead of giving her attitude, he favored her with a rare smile.
"So, you finally did it, huh?" he said softly.
Minako beamed. "Yep! I always knew I would be an idol, especially after you said I had the talent for it. It was all just a matter of timing." She fluffed out her bangs and smiled happily. "Funny how that works, isn't it? Sometimes it has nothing to do with how good you are, but just being in the right place at the right time."
"Tell me about it. Like take those two over there," Yaten said, nodding his head at the bickering pair in the seats across from them. "If they weren't so involved in arguing, I wouldn't have enough time to do this."
He took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze, followed by a soft kiss on her cheek. Minako blushed.
"Luna would be so jealous," she giggled.
Seiya had stopped arguing for a millisecond and caught the amorous gazes being exchanged between his friend and the cute blonde senshi. "Oh look, Taiki," he mused, "Young love in springtime."
"Shove it," Yaten said, pulling away slightly from Minako, who fidgeted uncomfortably. Then, on second thought, Yaten stretched back comfortably and slung his arm around Minako. He made a face. "You're just jealous."
Seiya laughed. "I'm proud of you, Yaten. You do have a heart." He winked at Minako. "We need you to stick around, lady. You definitely take the edge off that boy."
Minako just laughed and pinched Yaten on the cheek. He frowned, of course, but she beamed up at him and then at Seiya. "Leave it to the goddess of love and beauty to cure all that ails you!" she chortled, before glancing out the window and sitting up suddenly. "Hey, look, we're there!"
The driver was easing the large car into the front drive of Haruka-tachi's large country home. Minako, Yaten, Seiya, and Taiki unbuckled and piled out of the car doors, greeting a smiling Hotaru who was running down the drive to meet them.
"Everyone!" she laughed, giving Seiya and Minako a hug. She smiled. "It's good to see you! Did you have a safe trip?"
Michiru and Setsuna had joined the group, and the limo chauffeur had opened up the trunk and was pulling out the Three Lights' luggage. Setsuna cocked an eyebrow at the number of cases emerging from the trunk. "Is all that yours? I thought you were only staying the week," she said.
"Yaten doesn't pack light," Taiki said stoically.
"Next time, I'm putting HIM in a suitcase," added Seiya.
"Well, the more, the merrier," Michiru said. She hugged Seiya and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Welcome back, stranger," she said, eyes glinting mischievously.
Seiya winked at her. "Is the master of the house out?"
"Oh no, she's upstairs, brooding. I imagine she'll be down when we're ready to leave. Kicking and screaming, of course," Michiru said.
"Are we going to ride in your limo, Minako-san?" Hotaru asked, bouncing giddily.
Minako bounced right along with her. "Yep! My very own, first-ever limo! Actually, this should be a treat; I've never tried to stick so many people in it before. We'll see if it lives up to its price tag."
"I can't believe you own two cars already," Setsuna said, shaking her head.
"Hopefully I'll buy another soon. I need something less flashy. I'm starting to forget what it was like to be able to go into Crown and play a round of games without getting mauled by fans."
"See?" Yaten interrupted. "You see what it's like? And that's what YOU always did to us, and now you know how it feels."
"Just the breaks of being an idol. Anyway," Minako flashed him a grin, "Some of the fans aren't that bad."
Yaten coughed, and Taiki heaved a bag to his shoulders. "Mind if we go ahead and set up camp?"
"Not at all," Michiru said, leading the party into the house. The Three Lights trailed behind her, laden with bags, followed by Setsuna and a giggling Minako and Hotaru.
"We've only got the two guest rooms," said Michiru, as the group ambled through the hallway. "The biggest is this room here, and the smaller one is the last door at the end of the hall. This room has two beds and the other just has the one, so you'll have to fight over who gets the single." She pushed open the door to the larger room, revealing two made-up beds and an empty closet.
Yaten and Taiki threw each other a look. "We'll take this one," they said in unison.
"Hey," Seiya huffed, "What, do I have the plague or something."
"No, but you snore," Yaten said, tossing his bag down onto one of the beds.
Minako giggled, and Setsuna gave Seiya a quizzical look. "Does he really?"
"No," Taiki said, "But Seiya is an incurable insomniac. Sometimes he's up until four in the morning, just because he can't sleep."
"And then when you finally beg and plead with him to just put the light out and go to bed…" Yaten added.
"He gets out his guitar and starts playing," Taiki finished.
"Oh, and once he starts writing music, there's no stopping it."
"You can't squelch creative genius. It's not MY fault my creative juices flow best at night," Seiya said, taking his guitar case and his luggage and strolling down to the bedroom at the end of the hall.
"Yeah, but you could at least TRY to keep a normal schedule, you nut," Yaten shouted after him.
Setsuna smiled. "I've never been much of a sleeper either, so I can sort of identify with Seiya on this one. I'm the only person in this house who sleeps on the downstairs floor, since I'm always the first one up in the morning and the last to go to bed."
"Well, Seiya definitely doesn't get out of bed early," pointed out Yaten.
"This morning, we practically had to drag him out," added Taiki.
Michiru laughed. "Sounds like someone else I know."
"You were saying?" a deep voice from behind her spoke.
Haruka wrapped her arms around Michiru from behind and rested her chin in Michiru's gleaming hair, frowning slightly at Yaten and Taiki. Then she seemed to think better of it and managed to smile at them. "Welcome back," she said, releasing one of her hands from Michiru's slender waist to shake with each of them.
Taiki nodded. "Haruka-san. Good to see you."
Seiya had dropped off his stuff in his room and was now heading back up the hallway to meet up with the group. He stopped when he met Haruka's dark gaze, but only for the briefest of moments before he immediately assumed his cockiest stance. Smirking, he stuck his hand out to shake with Haruka's. Michiru noticed both their hands seemed pretty tense.
"Haruka-san. Letting us crash your planet once more, eh?"
"It would seem," Haruka said mildly, withdrawing her hand.
It was Minako who broke the awkwardness, her face flushed with excitement.
"Well? What are we doing in this hallway? Let's go have fun!"
===
Usagi yawned and ate another donut, stretching her legs out across the floor. Seated at Rei's small table, Ami and Makoto were reviewing their homework assignments, and Rei was sprawled on her bed reading manga. Usagi didn't feel like joining in and doing actual work, so she was relaxing on the floor, eating some of Makoto's homemade donuts and letting her toenails dry. She licked powdered sugar off her fingers and carefully screwed the cap back on the tiny bottle of nail polish.
"Well?" she asked, pointing her toes so everyone could see. "What do you think?"
Rei glanced up from her manga and peered at Usagi's toes. "They're pink," she said critically.
"I like pink!"
"I don't. I mean, we're not fourteen anymore."
Usagi frowned. "Adults can like pink too, Rei-chan."
"I like red," Rei said, going back to reading.
Usagi sighed. It was amazing how after all these years, she and Rei could still argue over almost anything. Usagi could say the sky was blue, and Rei would call it more of a lavender. It never failed.
Still trying to gain someone's attention, Usagi stretched her foot out over the table where Ami and Makoto were working.
Makoto pushed Usagi's leg aside. "We're a little busy, Usagi-chan."
"Aw, you guys!" Usagi pouted. "It's Saturday! We don't even have school today. Plus," she grumbled, "It's still morning. We should be out doing things. Why else did you call me over here if we weren't going to do anything?"
Ami, who couldn't hold a poker face if her life depended on it, glanced anxiously at Rei. Rei shook her head very slightly and said, "Because we thought it would be better for you if you actually got up before noon once on a Saturday, idiot. All you do is eat and sleep. I don't want the solar system to be ruled by a Neo-Queen Serenity who's as round as the moon itself."
Usagi glared at her, and Makoto had to stifle a laugh. "Maybe I did make a few too many donuts," Makoto said, edging the plate away from Usagi.
"Hey, where's Minako?" Usagi asked suddenly, glancing around as though she might see the familiar face at any moment.
Ami looked flustered, but Makoto cut in. "She's probably off doing some idol thing," she said, brushing her hand, "You know she's always busy these days. Even Saturday isn't a day off for an idol."
"Arguably, it's even more work," Ami added. "Remember the Three Lights had to film movies on Saturdays sometimes."
Rei and Makoto gave her stern looks and Ami immediately clammed up, but Usagi had caught the familiar name. "The Three Lights," she murmured. Suddenly, she thought of the star she had seen just last night. She smiled dreamily. "Sometimes I wonder if we'll ever see them again."
"Erm…well, it is a very long way to travel," Makoto said. "How far away is Kinmoku, Ami-chan?"
Ami had already started pulling out her mini supercomputer, when the door to Rei's room slid open and Minako burst in with Hotaru on her heels. "Morning!" she shouted.
Usagi smiled and jumped up to greet her friend. "Minako-chan! Hotaru-chan! What are you doing here?"
"We came for you, silly," Minako said, giving her a hug. "I've got a surprise out in the car."
"It's about time," Rei said. "She'd almost finished off the donuts and we were running out of things to keep her occupied with!"
Usagi ignored her and cocked her head at Minako. "A surprise? What is it?"
Minako laughed and Hotaru clapped her hands together gleefully. "Just wait till you see!" Hotaru said excitedly.
"First off, how are you?" Minako asked. "I haven't seen you in a while. I've been pretty busy."
"Oh, I'm all right," Usagi smiled, but she looked a little tired. "I got up pretty early today to see Mamo-chan off. His flight left at eight this morning. Then I came back here."
"Oh yeah," Minako gave her a sympathetic look. "Are you doing all right?"
Usagi shrugged. "I'm fine, really," she said. "It was…much easier this time. I don't know, I guess you get used to these things." She gave a small laugh, but it wasn't exactly mirthful. Usagi bit her lip and thought about the wish she had made just the other night. Good thing her friends didn't know about that.
"Well, come on," Minako said, tugging on Usagi's hand. Hotaru took her other hand. "You've got to come out to the limo right now, because we're all going to the amusement park. Everyone's here; Haruka-tachi and…oh, just come on! Ami-chan, Mako-chan, Rei-chan, come on!"
In the car, Seiya was fidgeting anxiously. He hadn't felt this keyed up since…well, he couldn't really remember. Normally he took great pains not to lose his cool in front of people, but at the moment he was as shaky as a toddler taking his first steps. He drummed his fingers relentlessly on the car seat.
Michiru and Haruka were sitting in the seat opposite. Michiru leaned forward and took one of his hands in hers.
"You'll be fine," she said sweetly. "She'll be very happy to see you."
Seiya's throat felt too dry to say anything in response, and his eyes grew wide when Haruka hesitantly gave him a brief clap on the shoulder.
"She will be happy to see you. Just don't do anything to hurt her, or I'll kill you," Haruka said, smirking a little.
Seeing that brash confidence that was so oddly like his own cheered Seiya a little, and he favored Haruka with a cocky smirk of his own. "Thanks," he said.
Usagi was quickly dragged through the grounds of the Hikawa Shrine by Minako and Hotaru, who led her rapidly down the many steps to street level. Behind them, Ami, Rei, and Makoto panted to keep up.
"Are we making a big mistake by doing this?" Ami whispered between breaths.
Makoto shook her head. "Look, maybe nothing's changed. She still loves Mamoru-san, but it might just be a nice refresher to see an old friend."
Rei bit her lip. "I don't know. Usagi's been acting different lately. She's not nearly as lovesick as she used to be. Maybe she's just maturing and learning how to handle life better, but then again…well, maybe she's changing. She's just not the same anymore. She isn't bubbly around Mamoru-san. Half the time it feels like they're only sticking together out of duty." She shook her long raven hair as though to clear her thoughts.
"I mean, I want her to do whatever is right, but I don't want her to suffer and feel depressed because she feels she's living a life she has no control over."
Ami and Makoto nodded. "We'll just have to see, and hope Usagi-chan does her best," Ami said.
"Ta-da!" Minako said, as the girls arrived at her limo. "Primo seats, too. Now there aren't any place cards or anything, so just squeeze in wherever you can find a spot." She flung open the side doors. "Ladies and gentlemen, our guest of honor, Tsukino Usagi!"
Usagi's face split into a wide grin as people began piling out of the car to greet her. "Haruka-san! Michiru-san! Setsuna-san!" she said, giving each of them a hug. "I didn't know you were spending the day with us, too! Are you the surprise?"
Michiru smiled warmly. "I think Minako-chan volunteered to bring you something a little more exotic than us," she said, gesturing back to the car.
Usagi looked around her. Her mouth fell open as she saw Taiki and Yaten hop out of the car and walk towards her, wide grins on their faces. "T-taiki-san!" she gasped. "Yaten-kun! H-how…you came back!"
"It's not every day a young princess turns seventeen," Taiki said gallantly, bending down to give her a kiss on the cheek and a hug. "You look lovely as ever."
Yaten kissed her other cheek, hugging her shoulders lightly. "You better be happy with your surprise. We came from the other side of the galaxy just to see you."
Usagi flushed and smiled happily at them both. "I am happy! This is amazing. But did…" she trailed off, not sure how to ask.
Yaten rolled his eyes. "Of course he did, he's just got cold feet. Oy, Seiya!" he yelled back at the car.
Usagi strained to see inside the darkened vehicle, when suddenly a leg swung out of the car, followed by another, and before she knew it the full body of Seiya Kou had emerged from the limo.
He stood there, the brilliant light of the morning sun striking his ebony hair and giving it a bluish glow. His shaded eyes were gleaming mischievously, although his mouth was set in a straight line.
Looking at her, in a simple pink flower-print dress with little thong sandals that exposed her pink toenails, watching the sunlight bounce off her golden hair and light up her expressive blue eyes, Seiya thought he had never seen anything so beautiful. He didn't know whether to scoop her up in his arms and kiss her passionately, or pull on one of her long pigtails and make fun of her hairstyle. He thought the first would probably attract more attention than he had bargained for at the moment, and so he settled on teasing her.
"Well, Odango," he said, his eyes glowing. "Don't I get a hug, too?"
"Seiya," she said softly. She felt suddenly confused as to what to do. She hadn't expected to feel quite like this if she ever saw him again, this strange reaction that made her breath catch and her heart pound a little too hard. She guessed she really HAD missed him.
"Seiya," she murmured again, before regaining her composure. "A hug?" she teased, "What do I get in return? Taiki-san and Yaten-kun both gave me a kiss!"
Seiya said nothing, but his eyes glinted even more. He moved steadily towards her, like a cat ready to pounce, before putting his hands on her small shoulders and leaning forward, his cheek brushing against hers. Her skin felt warm and smooth and smelled faintly of rosemary, and he let his lips brush ever so slightly against her ear as he whispered, "I missed you." Then he planted a tender kiss on her cheek and drew his head back, smiling cockily.
Usagi laughed, and threw her arms around him in a crushing bear hug. "I missed you, too!" she said. She turned back to Minako. "Well, are we going to ride in this limo, or what?"
As the Three Lights and the younger girls piled back into the car, Michiru turned to Haruka and fanned herself jokingly. "You know, I just realized I was holding my breath through all of that," she said lightly.
Haruka allowed the corners of her mouth to quirk up in a slight grin. "I swear, I'll kill him if he tries anything."
"Oh, you!" Michiru laughed, swatting her playfully. "Let them have their fun. We'd better get in that car before they run out of seats and have to strap us to the hood."
"Why won't you ever let me strap you to the hood of my car?"
"Honestly, Haruka, you're impossible!"